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5. Hardness of heart is most apt to creep upon us in times of ease and prosperity. Solomon saith, Prov. i. 32, ' The prosperity of fools shall destroy them ; ' and Kom. ii. 4, 5, ' Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? but after thy hard- ness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath.' .Usually in the times of God's goodness and patience, men are besotted with the pleasures of the flesh, and then lose their feeling. Nothing bringeth a brawn upon the heart so much as sen- suality and an inordinate use of the creatures ; it taketh away the heart ; and usually in a prosperous condition men grow sensual and careless. Pharaoh himself, when under the rod, could speak as good words as another ; but when he was well at ease, then his hardness returned upon him ; as metal in the furnace is very yielding and melt- ing, capable of any impression, but out of the furnace it returneth to its wonted firmness and consistency. The greatest plague was upon his heart when he wanted other plagues. Men do well in their wicked- ness, enjoy themselves with comfort, and then fear nothing. We see in the brute creatures, when they are in good plight, they grow more fierce ; so doth man that aboundeth in ease and pleasure ; his worldly happiness maketh the heart gross and senseless. We had need to take heed of an hard heart at all times, but especially when we are like to be corrupted with ease and pleasure. A sensual heart will be senseless.
6. Hardness of heart is a grievous sin at all times, but then most sinful when most unseasonable ; for time is an aggravating circum- stance in all things, so in this. Now when is it unseasonable ? In times of judgment and times of gospel grace.
[1.] In times of judgment : 2 Cliron. xxviii. 22, ' In the time of hi& distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.' There is a brand set on him. Certainly the times we live in are extraordinary times. We have seen many changes and great effects of God's anger for sin ; we have now many spiritual judgments upon us, error and blasphemy, great divisions and breaches among God's people, and scandals of them that profess the gospel. An hard heart now is most unsuitable ; it is like a garland of rosebuds in a day of mourning. Clearly upon some the strokes of God's providence have lighted very sore ; if they shall add hardness of heart to their other plagues, who will pity them? When all the corrections of an angry God cannot draw any sensible and serious thoughts from them, how sad is this ! I tell you, christians, it looketli like hell to continue sinning under suffering, and to be obstinate against God and the coun- sels of his grace for your salvation ; it speaketh much of a spiritual plague added to temporal judgments. If we did persuade you to a party only, it were more excusable ; but when we press you to come to Christ, and you still remain obstinate and hard-hearted, this is sad. If the ministry were only used as a state engine to engage you in such a faction and design, you might have something to plead for yourselves. Pardon me for dealing thus freely with you ; we are debtors to all, Bom. i. 14. Would you be troubled if the base should rise against the honourable ? It were a judgment certainly ; but what are you to
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God ? Poor base worms ! will you contend with your maker ? You would complain of it as an heavy burden, and strange inversion of all states and conditions, if men of mean and low fortunes should be at the top, and have power and domination over the ancient gentry and nobility of the land. Be it so; but I would have you to consider iu the mean time what an horrible presumption it is, and how God may take it, that you stout it out against the fear of God. Alas ! there is a greater distance between you and him than between you and your fellow-creatures. For you to contest it with God, to swagger it and outbrave his ordinances, to contend with his Spirit ! how may God complain of this, if it be so grievous to you to be outbraved by your fellow-creatures !
[2.] Times of light and great gospel grace. An hard heart in gospel days is the very reproach of ordinances. Many think the ministry and ordinances useless things. Why ? Because there is so little success. You make them useless, and then there will not want those that decry them apace: 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2, 'We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain ; for he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee : behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.' An hard heart should be a thing now quite out of fashion. In a time of ignorance, or a time of restraint of preaching, when visions are not open, or under a dead sleepy ministry, God might dispense with what he will not under a clear discovery of his will. But now, when the doctrine of the gospel is so clearly opened, and Christ so freely tendered, now to be estranged from the fear of God is as unsuitable as if we should revert to the fashions of barbarism, or those kind of clothes or dresses which our an- cestors wore before they were reduced to this pitch of civility where- unto we are now arrived. You would laugh at garments of an antique fashion, and if the gallants of the age should put on the dress of Adam, or be clothed with skins newly taken from the beasts offered in sacri- fice ; a blind mind and a sottish obstinate heart is more uncomely in the eye of God. Will you be strangers in Israel, and lose the bless- ings of the times by refusing the stricter ways of God ?