I. I shall give you some general observations from the story ; for in the story of Pharaoh we have the exact platform of an hard heart.
1. Between the hard heart and God there is an actual contest who shall have the better. The parties contesting are God and Pharaoh. (See the first Sermon on Mark iii. 5.)
2. The sin that hardened Pharaoli. and put him upon this contest, was covetousness and interest of state. Jacob's seventy souls that ho brought down to Egypt were grown to six hundred thousand fighting men, besides children ; and to let such a company of men go, whom they used as slaves, besides the prey of their herds and flocks, seemed hard to Pharaoh. Which is not only an item to magistrates, to re- tain nothing which God hateth out of interest and reason of state, but also to private christians. Whatever of gain and advantage we may fancy in sin, it will at length prove a certain loss. If God send a message for our right eye, we must pluck it out ; or for our right hand, we must cut it of. It is dangerous to deny God anything. If he demand Israel, and all the flocks and herds, let them go ; the sweetest interests, the dearest pleasures, the most gainful employments, if they are unlawful, let them go. There is an usual contest between interest and duty, between pleasure and obedience, between profit and the command ; but it is better our own faith should give the command, the victory, than God's power : 1 John v. 4, ' This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.' He had before spoken of keeping the commandments, ver. 3, and presently he speaketh of * victory over the world.' The world is the great enemy of the com- mandments ; and till it be overcome, a christian can have no comfort, l)ut still be contesting with God, as Pharaoh was, and slighting every message.
3. This contest on Pharaoh's part is managed with slightings and contempt of God ; on God's part, with mercy and condescension. On Pharaoh's part with slightings and contempt of God : Exod. v. 2, ' And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel do ? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.' Words of profane contempt. ' Who is the Lord ? ' as if he should say, Am not I king of Egypt ? who is my peer, much less my supe- rior and my lord ? ' I know not the Lord.' Ere God hath done with Pharaoh he shall know him to the purpose. Mark the words, ' I know not ; ' and then, ' I will not.' Hardness is the usual effect of blindness. Errors of mind go on to errors of heart. I will not know, I will not hear of it ; I care not for such a duty, nor will I weigh or consider what is God's will concerning me. The eye affecteth the heart. Pharaoh did not consider what it was to deal with God, and then doubleth the burdens of the Israelites. But now, on God's part
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it is managed with sweetness and kindness. God from the beginning foreknew the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, and therefore miglit have swept him away of a sudden, hut he giveth him frequent warnings and convictions. He would have men convinced ere they are punished. Foregoing mercy showeth the righteousness of ensuing wrath. In all the progress of the story the first miracles were before him, the next upon him. And every judgment is threatened before it be executed ; God telleth what he would do to warn Pharaoh. In one plague it is notable that God doth not only threaten the judgment, but sendeth a gracious warning to bid him take his cattle out of the fields : Exod. ix. l9, * Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field ; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.' To show that God delighteth not in the ruin and destruction of the creature, and to make Pharaoh the more liable to condemnation, and to spare such among the Egyptians as had some fear of God remaining in them, but chiefly to harden Pharaoh the more: Exod. x. 1, 'And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that 1 might show these my signs before him.' Moses might say, Lord, therefore let me never go to Pharaoh ; but saith God, ' Go in unto him, for I have hardened his heart.' God continueth the means, though he denieth grace ; and the wicked nmst be admonished, though they will not be reformed. In the hardening of sinners, God usually observeth this course : by mercies and the means of grace they are convinced and hardened at the same time ; there is still new matter of glorifying God, and hardening the creature.
4. The first plague on Pharaoh's heart is delusion. Moses worketh miracles, turneth Aaron's rod into a serpent, rivers into blood, bringeth frogs, and the magicians still do the same ; God permitteth these magical impostures, to leave Pharaoh in his wilful error. It is pro- bable that what the magicians did was not real, but a mere delusion of the senses ; but the Lord doth not discover the cheat, because his pre- sent aim was not to shame Satan, but to harden Pharaoh ; therefore he suffered the devil to imitate the true miracles without discovery. It is sad when men choose false teachers to themselves, and God suffer- eth them to be blinded : Hosea iv. 17, ' Ephraim is joined to idols ; let him alone.' They may have some parts, plausible elocution, gifts of prayer ; there may be common effects wrought by them ; these things blind men, and their hearts are set upon familism and antinomianism ; let them alone : Exod. vii. 22, ' The magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, and Pharaoh's heart was hardened.' This was one means of hardening his heart, the magicians wrought the same miracles that Moses and Aaron did. God suffereth men to be hardened by their own choice.