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common to elect and reprobate, yet the grace that tendetli to conversion is common, and this may be resisted. God may knock at the heart that is never opened to him ; they may have excitements, but alas ! ihey are as the rock or adamant to the tool. There is no impression left upon them. Object. But if God will use a fainter opei-ation, why are they to blame ? I answer — God is not bound, but they are bound to prepare their hearts to receive his motions ; let them prove God a debtor, and they may excuse themselves for their disobedience.
III. Tlie kinds of hardne.ss. These will be known by tliese dis- tinctions—
1. The fii-st distinction is, that hardness of heart is either — (1.) Natnral ; or (2.) Voluntary and acquired; or (3.) Penal and judicial.
[1.] Natural hardness of heart is a part of inbred corruption, which remaineth wilh us till God take it away by grace : Ezek. xi. 19, ' I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them an heart of flesh.' The stone in the heart is a disease that all Adam's posterity are subject unto ; it runs in the blood. It is not incident to Nabals only, or such as he was, men of a churlish and crabbed temper. No ; all men are sick, and most men die of this disease. We brought with us into the world a strong bent to carnal things, and by con- SL'quence an averseness from God ; and it is a mighty work of grace if we do not carry it with us out of the world. When Nabal died, his heart was as a stone, and so might yours.
[2.] Acquired and voluntary, when men do wittingly and willingly reject the counsel of God, and strengthen themselves in their natural disobedience and obstinacy ; or being invited to faith and repentance by God, out of love to sin resist God's call, and put away the word from them, and refuse to obey : Ps. xcv. 8, ' Harden not your hearts.' It is our own act. And 2 Kings xvii. 14, ' They would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers.' This increaseth our natural liardness, and maketh it grow more and more, till it be stiffened and settled in an aversion to God ; as a crooked stick or twig by growing becometh more difficult to be made straight. By eveiy act of sin we lessen our awe of God ; and having ventured once, grow more bold to sin a second time. Men when they first put forth to sea are very fearful, but afterwards laugh at storms; so when a man cometh ofl' safe from sin, he will venture again. By every act of disobedience our incapacity to receive grace is increased, and our inclination to carnal vanities is strengthened ; by frequent acts we are confirmed in the habit. But nothing increaseth this voluntary hard- ness so much as refusing grace ; as no water is so apt to freeze as that that hath been once heated. God is provoked when we refuse his grace upon a closer application, and the heart is encouraged to continue in sin. So that by their carelessness and delay men are hardening by degrees. Every call defeated addeth one degree of hardness more; and so God is more apt to desert us and forsake us.
[3.] Penal and judicial hardness. This adds to voluntary hardness, as voluntary hardness implies something above natural. Man, as naturally hardened, doth not turn to God ; as judicially hardened, he cannot. There is a great impossibility he should. This is God's act ; he hardenetli as a just judge, not by infusing evil, but withdrawing
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grace. In scripture God is said to harden two ways — (1.) By leaving some in their natural hardness : Rom. ix. 18,' Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy ; and whom he will, he hardeneth.' So it is an act of dominion ; he passeth them by. He may do it justly ; he is Lord of his own grace, and is not bound to save sinners. This is not an act of justice, but dominion. God doth not act as a judge, but as a Lord ; it is matter of favour to soften, not right. (2.) By giving up others to a reprobate sense, whicli is a penal and judiciary act : Acts xxviii. 26, 27, * Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not under- stand ; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive : for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed,' &c. There is consideration had of man's sin niid foregoing provocations. God punisheth them by their own sin. Men first harden themselves ; they go heiore peccando, by sinning ; then God Cometh aitev jucUcando, by inflicting this judgment of hardness of heart on them. They harden themselves, and God leaveth them under their hardness. As Jeroboam stretcheth out his arm against the prophet and then God layeth a judgment upon him, that he could not; })nll it in again to him, 1 Kings xiii. 4, so men hardening themselves, (^od layeth this judgment upon them, that they shall not return to any softness.