iSo3 IIE.\RT oF A-WICKED MAN coi.1PrtR ED To A ROCK. 13ookiY. ·.lw·d, pves many a Blow upon their Hearts, by his Word, and by his Spirir, and fame– rimes by Affiiclinns, before their H ea rrs will yield, or break in Pieces. V. He that wil l break a Rock in Pieces, or hew ·Swnes to make them fit for ufe, mull: have a meet and convenient ln!humenr: So God makes ufe of a right and fit Infhument to break in Pieces the hard and rocky H earts of ungodly Men, viz. his bldfed Word, in rhe Hand of the Spirit: Is not my Word like a Hammer, :that breaks ,the Rock in Pieces? Jer. xx iii. 29. VL A Man many times employs Workmen to bre-ak a Rock, and hew Stones: So God employs his Mmil1ers, as Workmen in his Hand, to break thefe fpiritual Rocks, , . and hew rhefe rough and ragged Stones, to make them fit to lay in his fpiritual Build– ing. I have hewed tbem by the Propbels, Hof vi. 5· VII. Seed that falls upon a Rock, or llony Place, though it dotrrfpring up, it foon withererh away, if the Fowls of Heaven do not pick it up: So the Word of God, if it be fown upon ll:ony and rocky-hearted Sinners, though it may fee m to fpring up, yet ·it foon withers for want of R oar. 'They belie-ve for a ':1Jhile, but in 'Iime of 'Temptation .fall away, Luke viii. 1 3· "N F E R E N ·c E S. I. NO marvel Miniilers work is fo hard and laborious, they are·God's Stone-cutters, or Rock· hewers ; nay, and it fares worfe wirh them than with other Workmen, that work in Stone-pit<, or hew Stones, they labor~ll D-ay, and go Home at Nighr, and come again in the Morning, and find rheir 'Nark as they left it: But God's Workmen hew., and take Pc~ins, and leave [heir People, and come again, and ,find them worfe than before, their Hearts many times growing .more hard and ob– -durate, &c. IL Let not Miniilers, notwi thilanding all this, be difcouraged, for they know not !but at Jail God may fet a 'Word home rhat may do the Bulinels, and make the hard– hearted Sinoer tremble, and cry out, as they did, Atls ii. 36. Mmand Brethren,- what ,Jhall we do ? fl!Jteft. But fame may fay, F-rom wbe~tce doth it arife, or what is the Caufe of this JPi· ·1·itual Hardnefs that is in the Hearts of Men. Anfw. 1. Naturally the Sinner's Heart is hard, and like a Rock; we all brought a :flinty and churli01 Nature into the World with us ; fuch is the Effect of original Sin. 2. There is alfo an acquired Hardnefs. Pharaoh hardened his own H eart; and the .Prophet faith, '!"hey ha-ve made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone, Zech. vii. 12. 3· There is a judiciary 1-Iardnefs of He,lft, which is inflicted by God as a Judge. M en harden their own Hearts againil God, and God at length refolves they fhall be hard indeed; and therefore he withdraws the common Influences of his Grace from them, and deprives them of all gracious Means offoftming. And when all thefe three meet together in a Man, he is irrecoverably hard and linful. His Neck is an Iron Sinew, and his Brow Brafs, !fa. xlviii. 4· A Man is hardened in his Sin gradually; and as he grows .harder and harder, fo nearer and nearer to eternal Ruin. ( 1.) He takes Lea·ve to meditate on Sin, he rolls it up and down in his Though ts as it were ; a hard Heart lets vain Thoughts dwell in it. (2.) He takes fome Tailes of the Ploalure and Delight of Sin, it feems to him as a fweet Morfel under his Tongue; and this is a Sign of a further D egree af Hardnefs. (3 .) The third Step is, Cuilom in !inning; it argues great Boldnefs to venture often. (~.) And then i:' the next Ploce, he defends and maintains his Sin, he has got fome Plea or Argument for it, he is an Advocate for Sin. (5.) He is angry with them, and fecretly hates them in his Heart, that reprove him for his Sin, or ad· vile him againil fuch and fuch v:icked Ways. (6.) He grows foon after this Con– fcience-.proof, and Sermon-proof, nay, and Judgment-proof too; he neither fears .Rod nor Sword; a Stone will yield as foon as he. (7.) He after this Gts down in the Seat of the Scorner, derides and reproaches the Law, and mocks at approaching Judgments, like the Sodomites. (8.) And at Jail becomes a Perfecutor of them that .are godly, like curfed Pharaoh, &c. Q,•ell. What are ihe Signs of a hard Heart? .tlnfw. r. When many Blows wil l not break it, nor make the Heart ) ield. N ot· ·withllanding God lays on hard and hea? Strokes by his Word, by Confcience, and <by Judgments, .yet nothing works remor,e. 2. When
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