34-o OfHypocrie'andhardne ofheart. ther doe they delire tokern to doethat which they doe not. Andwhenfoeuer they doe cfpIe any weakencsin tliciufelucs,they mournefor it.-And this defire of aperfee}finteri_ tie,andmillike ofpriuiehypocnfre,isvnto themafore Peale oftheir faluationand fanétifi- cation inChrift. flardnesof 6 When men (inferthernfeluestobedeceiued,it is tobe feared,they will behardened. heart. Let vs rememberthat (Godsgrace an-idling) Iinnc may ealily beconqueredof vs, when it is young,butwe may eafilybeouercomeofit when it is old. 7 It is eafie to fall into hardnel%of heart by continuance in euili cultomes without remorfe : wee lie then,ir is a good thing tobe mooed betimes,and often to be moued,for it is a precious thing tohue a melting heart ; as contrarie,a daungerous thing to llama liardheart,not yeelding to truetlr: Let vs not harden our hearts,leaft theLord alfa cone to hardenvs,Heb.3. For many notaltogether obltinateatthe Mil,yet yeeldmgto fanc, becomeobainate altogether at the Taft. Admonition is a meanesto keepe vs from it. We fhould then be readietoglue care to good counfell and admonition,andbe willing alfo to.admonifhothers. It is in vaine to controllthe outwardfenfes, without the rebuking oftheheart. 8 Exod.so.r.the Lord faith ofPharaoh,Ihaue hardenedhisheart . becaufePbaraoh had along time.hardenedhisowne heart(as is recorded in the fòrmer chapters) thereforehere the Lord is laid to hardenit; that is,wholytogiuehimosiertothe diucll. So man isfaidto Pi-aim.* harden his!.cart,whenhewill not !ware Gods werd,the diuell whenhegouernethvs, and theLordwhen heeleauethvs in Sathano handling. Man then isguiltie of thisfinne, and He Pcccol atum the Lorddothiu(tlyhardenforthepuni(h:nentofformerfinnes.TheLordisfaidtohar- pcena peccati. den,as he is (Mid to!cede into temptation, and that is when he withdraweth his 1pirit from Pfaleg.zy, vs,andleauethvstoourfeiues ,ándthenwe flay not long tillwee behardened. Pharaoh had manyplagues,yetthis is the greaten, for ifhis hearthad not beenehard, thefe would have had en end:but this hardnes madethe other but tabsofhell,becaufewe dolefle feare this great plaguethan.many other.We ought tocorrect this in our felues,forthe children ofGod insult feare this snore thanany other plague.. Forifwee doe but feare worldly pu- nifhments,fo doethe wicked : but ifwee doefeare hardneflè ofheart, and other fpirituall punifhments,then wee may before Gods Ipirit bath wrought that feare. Ifwee court worldly things, this doe the Heathen,Matth.6.but ifweedeliire thelightof Gods coon. tenante,Pfahnetr9.and4.and67. this ddeGods dearechildren. Wherefore as wee la- bourforthefe thingeswhich our naturedefres,and feare the contrarie,fo let vs labourfor the light ofGods fpirir, and feare least it bequenched invs, or elfe decayed : as when wee . feare pouertie,wee labour to be rich,and whenwee feare fickneffe,wee labourto prevent it ; fo let vs labourfor our foules,folong as weefide a tobe inGods word,feare hisiudge- 70. rnents,and be comforted in hismercie s ifwee labour toencreafe the graces received,the Lordnodoubt will works with vs, but ifthis be not mvs, it is to be feared leaf theLord will harden. 9. All men arenaturallyeuill, fothat ifthe Lord gluenot light and foftnefleof heart, we may allbe iuftly bardetied,and thisasMil as other mdgementsof Godare. Whenany thing is fpoken in the word which toucher) another, that man willgreedilyusatch;a- gaine,if therebe any thing that mayclterifls themin their fumes,that they note, butebat which concerned, theirasosessdesssesst they vteerly forget. And this fheweth that wee are the caufe ofour ownehardening : for when the Lord-cannot preuaile with his word,then will he leauemen to themfelues, arid then they flaynot till they come to bardneflè.Wee mull not flay till the Lord ftrike vs withpunchments ( for ifwee be hardened,weeThal( not perceiue it,and therefore the cafe is fomuch the snore dangerous) but fo Tooneaswe feeleany coldnefIeor dulneffe of fpirit, then let vs feareand ftirrcvp our felues, thatwet may continually gaineIbmeknowledge and feeling.: and thus may wet prouideagaiolt hardnelle of heart. ro Finit, the hypocrite defirethrather to feeme than tobe, it is laidfuck crye, Lord, a Lord,they aremoltglorious. Seccndly,hee is more buhe about the outward worke,than about tin1piritualland acceptable mailerofperfonning thefame,Mat.23.27.Tl rdloy,he
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