1st. The vain imaginations of the mind. The Holy Ghost tells us that by nature " all the imaginations of the heart of man are evil, and that continually." And God knows what remainders there are of this vanity of mind, and these vain imaginations, in all our hearts. I place it at the head of what I intend; whereof if we have not a due sense, we are under hardening from the fear of God. These vain imagina- tions of our mind are such as no eye sees, none knows, not the angels in heaven nor the devils; but are the special object of the eye, and sight, and knowledge of God.
Idly. The corrupt actings and desires of our affections, wherein lust conceiveth. Lust tempts and seduces in vain imaginations, but con- ceiveth in the corrupt desires and actings of our affections.
Sdly. And both these, if indulged in any measure, will be conti- nually pressing upon our nature; — both the vain imaginations of the mind, and the corrupt actings of the affections towards perishing, worldly, sensual things, — either to lawful objects in an undue mariner, or to unlawful objects, — will both be pressing on the mind; and if, by solicitation, they take place upon it, then the mind is cast into a dead, lifeless, carnal, loose frame: which frame also I reckon among these secret sins.
Now, brethren, more or less these things are true in us, according to the several degrees of grace we have received, through the woful negligence we have been betrayed into. Have we a due sense of these things? or can we walk with boldness and confidence, peace and undisturbedness in our minds day and night, though these things be upon vis? If so, we are in some measure hardened from the fear of God. The fear of God hath not its proper work upon us, which would keep us deeply sensible of these things, deeply afflict us for them, keep us in an abhorrence of them, and make us watchful against them night and day; and not suffer vain thoughts to come and go without spiritual conflicts; nor inordinate affections to the world, without wounds given to it by the Spirit of God. If it is not so with us, our hearts are hardened from the fear of God.
[2.] This partial hardening also contains in it a want of a due sense of an irregular course of walking. There is a course of walking that will please the world, satisfy the church, and which professors shall greatly approve of; and yet if a man come to examine his own heart by the rule, he shall find his course of walking judged : for though
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the world hath nothing to object against us, and though professors do well approve of us; yet when we come to the rule, that will dis- cover our iniquity. We are bound to walk by rule. " God will have mercy on them that walk according to this rule." We are bound to walk circumspectly in all things : " Walk circumspectly, redeeming the time ; worthy of God, worthy of the Lord ; " — which extends to all duties of our walk hi the whole course of our lives. If we satisfy ourselves that our walk is such as answers known duties that are required of us, — that none in the world can lay blame upon us, and professors will approve of, — but do not bring it to the rule, and judge it there, we err from the ways of God: and if we bring it to the rule, and judge it there, and have not a due sense, so as to be greatly humbled for it, our hearts are so far hardened from the fear of God ; for if we were in the fear of God all the day long, as we ought to be, it would be so with us. Many men's boldness and confidence in the world, and many men's peace, will be resolved at length into a neglect of this duty, — that they have not proved their walk by this rule, and that light God hath set up in their own souls. We may, I say, brethren, have something of this partial hardness upon our hearts in these instances, — want of a deep sense as to secret sins, want of self- judging as to our irregular walking, wherein it comes short of the rule, the holy rule we are to attend unto. And who can say of his walk, that it is worthy of God and the Lord ? which yet we are called unto. Alas ! it is not worth the owning ourselves, and the profession we make : — how much less is it worthy of God !
[3.] This hardening, likewise, carries in it a want of a due sense of sin, upon surprisal into known sins. " There is no man that liveth and sinneth not;" — but this respects known sins; I do not mean sins that are known unto others, but sins we know in particular, wherein we have offended against God. And known sins are great sins, — sins against light, and for the most part against engagements and promises of watchfulness ; and there is something, if we examine thoroughly, of wilfulness in them. And great sins should Lave great sorrow, and great humiliation. Truly, brethren, I am afraid (and I would be jealous over myself and you) that we are apt to put off even known sins upon slighter terms than the rule of the covenant doth admit of. We are apt to resolve them, in general, into the covenant of grace and mercy, or to pass them over with one or two confessions, or the like ; and do not bring every known sin unto its proper issue in the blood of Christ, as we ought. If we do not do this, we are hardened thus partially from the fear of God. The true fear of God would keep us up to this, that no one known sin should ever pass us, without a particular issuing of it in the blood of Christ, and obtain- ing peace in it.