436 An Expofition upon Chap.ii foretold it; but whence this hardneffe came, or what was the main and high - eft caufe of the blindnefle and hardneffe of this Jewifh people (to wit) the lingutar or fpeciall judgement of God, Co appointing, fo fore - telling, yea, and fo working it in time : alto it fheweth what this hardneffeis,to wit,a fpirituall flumber or fenfeleffe fleep of the foul, or a [hutting of eyes and cares, that fee- ing and hearing, they fhould neither fee nor hear unto their converfion. Laflly, how long this hardneffe did continue upon the Jewes, namely, even from Efay his time, unto the pre - lent time wherein the Apofile wrote ( unto this day) which muli be re- ferred unto the end of verfe7. the reff cited out of Efay; being inclofed in a Parenthefis. T I M, What fignifies the [ref[?] S I L. The other Jewes which did not belong to the ele &ion of grace, but were reprobates and reje&ed of God. T I M. What is meant by hardning ? S i L. It fgnifies properly the thicke skin of ones hands or feet, with travell orworke, which is fo baked or flifned, as; fit were pierced or pinched, yet it is not felt : but by tranflation from the body to the foule, it lignifies the flub- bornnes or obflinacy of mans heart, re- filling in his wit and will the Word of GOD. This flubbornneffe is noted in Scripture by fuddry fimilitudes, as of a [lone, of an Iron finew, of a brafen forehead, of a heart of Adamant, Ezekiel II. 19. Fray 48. 4. Zachariah 7. 12. Here in Zacharie, as alfb in that place of Efay, there is a plain defcription of an hard heart. See verfes t r, a a. of Za- charie. T I M. How many Rinds of an hard heart be there? S t L. Two : one Naturall, which all men bring from the wombe, called a flony heart by Ezekiel in Chapter, it. verte 19. for all men from their birth are inclined to the difobedience of God, being finners and enemies, un- godly,and the Children of Gods wrath. Secondly, there is an habitual! hard- neffe which is gotten by long cuflome of finne, which for a time takes away both the fear and feeling of fin. This is common both to 'dal and reprobate, butwith great difference. For hardneffe of heart in the ele &, before their conver= Pion is totall and temporary, it wholly poffeffeth them, butitcontinueth only untill their calling ; after that their hardneffe is partiall, mixt with tender - neffe and foftneffe of heart, as in David and Peter :but in the reprobate it is totali and perpetuall,fo as they remain wholly obdurate and obftinate till their death, as did Cain, Efau,Pharash, Judas and there refuted Jewes, here fpoken of. And thi3 Taft hardnefs is that which is here meant in our Text, which is both of the whole heart, and [mall, or for ever. For this only is peculiar to fetch as be not ele&ed; as the neare[t and juff caufe of their de- itru&ion; which is infli &ed upon them, not fo much for fin,as for being hardned in fin, for their impenitency in fin, to eheend of their lice notwithflanding all means ufed to Soften and caufe them to relent and turne to God from their fin. T I M. But it fbould fecm, that few or no men are wholly hardened, becaufe Pharaoh yeel- ded, and defired Mofes to pray for .him : Efau wept, Ahab put on fackdoth. Iulfo,.of Judas it it written that he repented, and that Felix trembled, and Balaam wifbed that he might die the death ofthe righteous ?. S I L. There were but fuddcn mo- Solution. tions in the wicked, which lolled not, like unto flafhings or lightnings. Se- condly, they proceeded not from a fòft and broken heart, but from flavifh fear an¡l dread, or preftnt [mart of divine judgement. Thirdly,th at being once o- ver, they returne to their former wic- kedneffe and contempt of Gods will, as Pharaoh did, and Felix and the reff of them, &c. T I M. What is the dotirine out of there Words ? S r L. That finali ftubborneffe in finne, when a finner obilinately conti- nueth till his death in one, or more knowne finnes, is a certaine marke of diftin&ion betweene an ele& child of God Doubt. DoElrine
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