Obj. But some may demand how God doth harden.
Sol. I answer, the cause is first fi'om our own selves ; but he hardens four ways :
First, Privativehj, by withholding and withdrawing his melting and soften- ing power. For as the sun causeth darkness by withdrawing his light and warming power, so God withdrawing that melting power whereby we should be softened, it cannot be but that we must needs be hardened.
2. Secondly, Nef/ativeli/, by denying of grace ; by taking away from us his graces, which are not natural in us. Thus God doth to those whom he doth absolutely harden ; he takes away that which they have, and so they become worse than they of themselves were by nature. When men walk unworthy of the gospel, God takes away very rational life from them, and gives them up to hardness of heart, that they run on in such courses, as that they are their own enemies, and bring upon themselves ruin.
3. Thirdly, And as God hardens by privation and negation, so, in the third place, he hardens bi/ tradition :* by giving us up to the devil, to be vexed by his troubles, to harden us. It is a fearful judgment. When we take a course to gi'ieve the Spirit of God, the Spirit will take a course to grieve us : he will give us up to Satan, to blind and to harden us. So that though God doth not work, as the author, efiectually in this hardening, yet as a just judge he doth, by giving us up to Satan and the natural lusts of our own hearts, which are worse than all the devils in hell.
4. Fourthly and lastly. He doth harden objectively, by propounding good objects, which, meeting with a wicked heart, make it more hard, as, Isa. vi. 10, it is said, ' Harden these people's hearts.' How ? By preaching of the word. A good object, if it lights upon a bad soul, hardens the heart ; for they that are not bettered by religion, under the means, are so much the worse by their use. So we see God cannot be impeached with the hardening of our hearts, because all the cause is from ourselves ; for whether he hardens by privation, negation, tradition, or by propounding good objects, it is all from ourselves ; and likewise we have seen that God's children may have hardness of heart in some measui'e, but yet it difiers from a reprobate, because they see and feel it, grieve for it, and complain of it to God.
Quest. The second question is. But ivhclher may a child of God be more * That is, ' giving up.' Cf. 1 Tim. i. 20 for the word.—G.
THE TENDER HEART. 39
sensible of oittivard joys or crosses, than of spiritual things ? for this makes many think they have not tender hearts, because they are more sensible of outward things than of spirituaL
Ans. I answer, It is not always alike with them ; for God's children are still complaining of something : of their carelessness in good duties, of their want of strength against corruption. They go mourning when they have made God to bring them down upon their knees for their hardness of heart ; but there is an intercourse, in the children of God, between the Hesh and the spirit. They are partly flesh and partly spirit. Therefore many times, for a while, when the flesh prevails, there may be a sudden joy and a sudden sorrow, which may be greater than spiritual joy or spiritual sorrow ; but yet it is not continual. But spiritual sorrow, grief for sin, though it be not so vehement as, for the sudden, outward sorrow is, yet it is more constant. Grief for sin is continual ; whereas outward sorrow is but upon a sudden, though it seem to be more violent.
2. And again, in regard of their valuing and prizing of earthly things, there may be a sudden sorrow : for a child of God may, upon a sudden, over- prize outward things, and esteem them at too high a rate ; but yet after that, valuing things by good advice, they prize spiritual things far beyond outward ; and therefore their sorrow and joy is more for spiritual things, because it is constant. This I speak, not to cherish any neglect in any Christian, but for comfort to such as are troubled for it ; therefore let such know, that God will not ' break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.' If they have but a desire, and by conscionable* use of means, do shew their desire to be true, they shall have it at last, for Christ doth con- tinue to make intercession for us ; and if there were no weakness in us, what need Christ continue to make peace for us ? for peace is made for those that fall out. Therefore, if there were no falling out between God and us, what need Christ to continue to make intercession for us ? For these reasons, we see a child of God, for the present, may be more sensible of outward things than of spiritual.
Quest. But here another question may be asked, How shall we know that we have sensibleness and pliableness, or not ?