[3.] It Cometh lapped up in carnal baits of profit and pleasure, to gratify our lusts and interests. Sin pretends great advantage; but be not deceived, it will harden thy heart, and destroy thee ; it cannot profit thee.
[4,] It hath many colours wherewith to beguile a man. It presents itself in another dress than its own ; and therefore we have need to have our eyes about us : Prov. xxviii. 14, ' Happy is the man that feareth always : but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.' Many sins lie secret, unrepented of, and so the heart is hardened.
[5.] It will increase upon thee ; it groweth to a custom by degrees ; it is of a bewitching nature, and soaketh into a man insensibly, from thought to consent, then to action, then to reiteration, then to custom. First men excuse sin, then justify it, then glory in it, and in time they grow senseless and confirmed in a habit of sin, and are loath to quit it. At first temptations seemed horrible ; the first committing of sin much perplexed the soul ; but in time it is not so burdensome, 5'ea, it is become pleasing and delightful. Be not deceived and hardened by saying, It is a little one, and my soul shall live ; unless we take it betimes, as Peter went out immediately and wept bitterly, it cannot easily be subdued. Sampson knew that Delilah had purposed to betray him into the Philistines' hands, and yet he could not leave her. Though sin cost men temporal and eternal life, yet they cannot give it over.
[6.] That God will be merciful ; this is another thing whereby we are deceived, a presumption of impunity: Ps. 1. 21, ' These things hast thou done, and I kept silence ; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself ; but I will reprove thee, and set them iu order before thine eyes.' So Deut. xxix. 19, 20, ' And it came to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst.' Be not deceived ; mark what follows: 'The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.' Take heed of the deceitfuluess of sin. These are the causes of hardness of heart.
V. The heinousness of it.
1. It is a contending with God, Oeo/na-^la, a fighting with God. The hard heart is the greatest enemy God hath on this side hell. That there is a contest between God and a hard heart who shall have the better, the instance of Pharaoh showeth, God sendeth a message to him, and meeteth with a repulse. His message to Pharaoh was, Exod. V. 1. ' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go.' And
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this proud creature hatli the boldness to deny him : ver. . 2, ' And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.' And he standeth it out after many warnings and foregoing judgments. And he doth not stand alone, bat hath more fellows in the world; Neh. ix. 29, ' They dealt proudly, and hearkened not to thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.' Every command of Grod, every offer of grace, is a message from God : ' To you is the word of this salvation sent,' Acts xiii, 26 ; and it should be respected with as much reverence as if an angel himself were the messenger. Only here is the difference ; God saith to Pharaoh, ' Let my people go ; ' to us he saith, ' Let sin go.' It is pity he should have the repulse. Sin will be as bad an inmate to the soul as the Israelites were a snare to Egypt ; they were fain to thrust them out at length, and were glad they could be so rid of them. I say, this is the contest between God and his creatures, whether sin shall go or tarry, whether Christ shall be accepted or no ? He sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh ; and he hath sent prophets, apostles, pastors, and teachers to us. Let idols, images, and false worship go ; swearing, sabbath-breaking, adultery, murder, dis- obedience to parents, lying, covetousness, let it all go ; there should not be a hoof left. This is God's message. Now, if you will try it out, you shall see ' whose word shall stand, God's or yours ? ' Jer. xliv. 28 ; his threalenings, or your vain and delusive imaginations ? If you put it to the trial, you have more boldness than an angel: Jude 9, 'Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil (he disputed about the body of Moses), durst not bring against him a railing accusa- tion.' An angel durst not use one passionate word, and will you dare to set up other gods, to profane the sabbath, to swear, lie, or be drunk, and to say, We will not let these things go, let God say or do what he will to the contrary ? The contest on God's part is managed for a long time in a mild condescending way. He beseecheth his own creatures: Jer. xiii. 15, 16, ' Hear ye, and give ear ; be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken : give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains ; and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.' Be not obstinate ; it is better that you should take down the stoutness of your hearts than that I should pull it down. Let me have the glory of this conquest voluntarily ; I shall carry it at length. You dream of happiness and pleasure ; alas! you cannot enjoy these vain delights long. Come, leave them, and I will make you as happy as heart can wish, but if not, take that that followeth ; you will stumble into the dungeon of hell, and then be as miserable as almighti- ness can make you : Job ix. 4, ' He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength ; whoever hardened himself agciinst God and prospered ? ' You will never get the day of God; if you contend with him, there is nothing to be expected but blows. You may indeed overcome him, but it is not by resisting, but stooping ; a tender heart overcometh him : Jer. xxxi. 20, ' Is Ephraim my dear son ? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still ; therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him,