Now it concerneth us to make sure work of it.
[1.] Because convictions lost occasion the greater hardness of heart. No iron so hard as that which has been often heated and often quenched ; and no heart so bad as theirs that seemed to have some serious and anxious thoughts about their eternal condition. The devil is the more busy and watchful about them because of their offer to escape ; and God is the more provoked because they started aside when they were at the point of yielding ; as better a match were never pro- posed, than to break off just as it is ready to be concluded. Always according to the closeness of the application, if it succeed not, so doth our hardness of heart increase. They that were ministerially stirred,
VeR. 59.] SERMONS uroN rSALM CXIX. 133
when they pull away the shoulder, their hearts grow like an adamant stone: Zech. vii. 11, 12, 'But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear •, yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former prophets : therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.' When the Spirit is in a way of striving, Gen vi. 3, when you are any way afiected, if resistance be continued, he withdraws. When men blunt the edge of conscience, deaden their affections, they lose all feeling : 2 Peter ii. 20, 21, ' For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning ; for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them/ They sin against former knowledge, experience, and sense of the truth. As their light is, so their resisting causeth hardness, and all the sensible work cometh to nothing. But that is not all, it turneth to loss ; it maketh it more difficult than it was before in regard of us ; it maketh us more careless. When we had some stirring in our con- sciences before, we healed it slightly, and we think to do so again.
[2.] You will provoke God to use a rougher dispensation when the persuasions of the word and the strivings of the Spirit cannot bring you to repentance. They will not be won by arguments ; God teacheth them by blows, as Gideon did the men of Succoth by briers and thorns. Therefore they shall shortly find themselves so involved in the fruit of their sins, as they shall not look off from it ; their guilt shall lay hold of them at every hand : Hosea vii. 2, ' They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their sins ; now their doings have beset them round about.' We should be much with our hearts, considering our case, how it is with us. God useth not the rod till forced to it : ' He doth not willingly grieve nor afSict the children of men,' Lam. iii. 33. When milder means work but half a cure, the rest is sup- plied by some pressing judgments ; his work is stopped, and therefore he promotes it this way.
[3.] It is a sign your consideration is not serious when you are off and on, and it produceth no good effect in the soul. A plaster may be sovereign, but when you are still pulling it off and putting it on, it does no good. Light thouglits work not ; when they are deep and ponderous, then they leave a durable impression. Still it is, ' Ke- member and turn : ' Ps. xxii. 27, 'All the ends of the world shall re- member and turn unto the Lord.' Bethink and repent : 1 Kings viii. 47, ' If they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captives, and repent '; ' Search and try, and turn unto the Lord.' Some are semper victuri, always considering, about to live : but you must resolve : kindly convictions will not die, nor let the convinced sinner alone till they appear in the fruits of obedience.
[4.] The devil hath his purposes: Mat. xiii. 19, ' The wicked one catcheth away that which was sown in his heart ; ' he watcheth troubled sinners, that the work may die away.
Use 1. To reprove us —
134 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXVI.
1. For not considering our ways. When did you ever go aside, and seriously debate with yourselves about your turning to God? Did you ever lay it to your hearts how matters stand between you and Grod ? There are certain seasons when God calleth you to it, and that is —
[1.] When the doctrine of life and the way of salvation hath been represented unto you Avith evidence and power, and you have felt some stirring and trouble in your consciences. Did you go home and say, Rom. viii. ol, 'What shall we then say to these things?' God hath spoken to me this day ; now shall all this be lost and come to nothing ? Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall I escape if I neglect so great salvation ? ' Now I am called to mind Christ and salvation more.. If I should give no heed to these things, or only give them the hearing for the present, oh ! what will become of me ? There is a special providence in every message, warning, offer, or instruction by the word. Acts xiii. 26, ' To you is this word of salvation sent ;' he doth not say, We brought it, but, God sent it; as some message of God for your trial. Do we think of these things which we have heard and learned ?