AN OTHER SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING AT GREENWICH ON Tuesday before Easter, being the 26. of March. 1605. BY ANTHONY MAXEY, bachelor in Divinity, and Chaplain to his Majesty. The points herein handled are these. 1. That there is an Hardening. 2. That God Hardeneth not. 3. How men become Hardened. 4. The means to avoid it. PRO. 28.14. Blessed is the man that feareth alway, but he that Hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil. IN DO MINO ●ON● DO blazon or coat of arms AT LONDON, Printed by George Snowdon and Lionel Snowdon, for Clement Knight, and are to be sold at his shop, in Paul's Churchyard, at the Sign of the Holy Lamb. 1605. HARDENING. EXOD. 10.20. And the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. THE heart of man is deceitful and wicked above all things, jer. 17.9. who can know it? Although the heart of man be so little, that it will scarce serve a Kite for a bait, yet there are not more windings, nor more turnings in a Maze, or in a Labyrinth, then are in the heart of man. The Heathen were so forward in acknowledging a divine power, that rather than they would be without a god, they gave divine honour to any kind of creature. The Assyrians worshipped Idols; the Persians stars; the Egyptians plants, and all manner of beasts; the Grecians their own conceits, and the Romans made their city a shop for all kind of gods. So many were the windings, and so infinite the turnings of the heathen touching divine worship; that Varro observed in the world thirty thousand gods. The dissolute & cunning Atheist, he hath a fetch by himself alone, he lets lose the reins, & follows the streanie of his sensual affections, because he conceives in his heart, and clean contrary to the Heathen, saith there is no God at all. Psal. 14 1. There is a third kind, who though in show they outwardly acknowledge God, yet they again have an other winding, secretly to themselves they plod on, swallowing any sin, for why? Zeph. 1, 12. The Lord will neither do good nor evil. Because there is not present punishment for every sin. Tush all is well, no harm shall happen unto us; For God careth not for any thing. Psal. 10.12. Lastly, in these our days, there is yet a fourth sort, who have a more strange turning then all the former. For many having a general notion of God's omnipotency, hearing and reading sometimes of God's Election and Reprobation (whereof they understand no ground, nor conceive aright) they will presume to commit any sin; for (say they) All is in God, no man can resist his power, if he hath chosen me to life, I am sure for one, if otherwise (as he did with Pharaoh) he hath appointed me a Vessel of his wrath, it is not possibly to be avoided. Such are the windings, and these are the turnings in the hearts, and secret thoughts of men, either, every creature a God, or else no God; either a God that regardeth not sin, or else a God that causeth us to sin. Esay. 29.15. These turnings and devices in the sight of the Lord, are esteemed as clay, before the potter. To convince the palpable errors of the three former, I hold it not convenient: For, to think, there is any one here present, who doth acknowledge no god at all, or such a GOD as regardeth not the actions of men, I hold it wrong to this holy assembly, and I hope better things of this Christian audience. But to meet with this latter sort, who leaving all good means of their salvation, do inwardly fall away from GOD, and yet in their wilful ignorance would shift off, and shove the cause of their condemnation upon God. For such chiefly, have I undertaken the exposition of this Scripture, in opening whereof I will touch these four points. First that there is 1 An Hardening. 2 That God Hardeneth not. 3 How men become Hardened. 4 The means to avoid it. Concerning the first point. There are in the Scriptures two Greek verbs, which are commonly used for this Hardening. The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which doth properly signify, to dry up and whither, used often in the 3. to the Hebrews. 8.13.15. verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Harden not yoour hearts. The other verb is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifies to obdurate, or to make hard. Ephes. 4.18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, They became strangers from the life of God, through the hardness of their hearts. Having thus recourse unto the Greek tongue, we shall see, that in the heart of man, first, there is a drying up, and a certain withering: For in natural things, and also in the soul, as there is a watering which is good and comfortable, so there is a drying up, and withering which is dangerous and hurtful. In the earth there is a watering, for the hills are the teats, and the springs the milk to moisten, and to water the valleys. Psalm. 104. verse, 10. He sendeth the springs into the rivers which run amongst the hills. In the earth there is a dryness, joel. 1.20. for (saith joel) The people mourn for want of moisture, the rivers of waters are dried up, and the trees of the field are withered. In the body there is a watering, for the Liver is the spring of blood that runneth into every vein, and therefore Solomon calleth the Liver, Ficcles. 12.7. The golden well. In the body, there is a withering, for David complaineth in the Psalm. 22.15. verse, My moisture is like the drought in Summer, and my bones are dried up like a potsherd. As in the earth and body of man, so likewise in the soul, there is a watering and a withering. In the 4. of Saint john and .14. verse, there is mention of a well of living waters for the soul: The preaching of grace in Christ is called the watering of Apollo. 1. Cor. 3.6. The prophet Esay saith, Esay. 12.3. with joy ye shall draw waters out of the wells of salvation. Contrariwise, where this grace doth not water, Greg. mag. there is withering. Si spiritus irrigatio defuerit, omnis plantatio exarescit. Every planting that hath not the watering of God's spirit, it withereth and dries away: therefore saith the Psalmist, the godly, they are like the tree panted by the rivers side, Psal. 1. ●. there is watering: but the ungodly are as a Garden that hath no water, and as the broken leaf that fadeth, there is withering. Esay. 1.30. The other Greek verb is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifies to harden. There be Phisicae & aethicae vicissitudines, there is a natural and a spiritual Philosophy. In the natural course of things, there is a congealing and an hatdening, job. 38.30.31. as of the ice and frost, which job very fitly calleth the bands of Orion: because by the cold East and North winds the water becomes as a stone, and the clods are bound together. Contrary to this Haraening, Psa. 147.18. there is a melting: He sendeth out his word, and melteth them. As when the frost doth give, and the showers fall, which job calls in the same place, The sweet influence of Pleiades. Both in nature, and in the soul also, there is a Resolving, and a Hardening: Deut. 32. vers. 2. The word is called Dew, and there is a thaw or spiritual melting, when the heavenly dew doth cause the soul to give, and to resolve into tears of Repentance: so in the 2. of Kings. 22.10. josias heart did melt, when he heard the law read. When King David had committed murder and adultery, very grievous sins; he never be thought himself of the matter, but began to congeal, and to be Hardened in his sin, but assoon as the prophet Nathan had awaked him, and his heart (like Gedeons' fleece) had drunk up the heavenly dew, then presently David began to relent, his soul melted with sorrow, and as appeareth in the 51. Psal, he resolved into tears of Repentance. Hezechias, when God had given unto him a sodaino and triumphant victory over the host of Zenacharib; presently after, in the pride of his heart, he forgot God and began to congeal in sin: but assoon as the word of the Lord came unto him by the prophet Esay, then presently his heart melted, the blood of his soul flowed forth in his repentant tears, as appeareth in the 38 of Esay: he turned his face unto the wall, Esay. 38.3. and wept bitterly. Now, as there is a Melting, so also there is an Hardening in the soul, and that is, when the custom of sin hath beaten such an hard track, and so trampled the soul, that the word of God (the seed of life) cannot enter. This is expressed in the 13. of Saint Matthew, by the parable of the seed which fell by the high way side, where there was such an hard way, such a beaten path made by the common entrance of sin, that the seed could take no root, but the devil comes like an Harpy, and devoureth it, before it can enter: For example hereof, we will take Cain, and King Pharaoh, whom my Text concerneth: Cain having slain his brother Abel, and committed horrible murder: the word of the Lord came unto him, saying: Where is thy brother Abel? did cain's heart relent? did he confess and say, I have finned? or did he resolve into tears with David? no such matter: but first he answered with a foul word: I cannot tell where he is: then he despised the Lord to his face, as if he should say, you may go look him, am I my brother's keeper? mark but this answer of Cain, and his carriage therein, and you need no other example of an heart that is Hardened: neither affection in kindred could touch him, nor shame of the world check him, nor the blood of his slain brother move him, nor the glorious presence of the Lord astonish him, nor the guilt of his own thoughts raze him, nor (at last) the quickening word of God, which is powerful to raise the very dead; none of these could any whit revive him. Triplex circa praecordia ferrum, as job saith of Leviathan, ●orat. Tob. 41.15. his heart was harder than the neither millstone, Pharaoh, when the word of God came unto him by Moses & Aaron, Pharaoh. he was so far from yielding, that he seemed presently as though he would have fought with GOD: Who is the Lord, I know no Lord, neither will I let Israel go. And whereas the word, and miracles joined with that word were sufficient to convince any living: Pharaohs heart was so stony, that though by a strange miracle, all the water in the land were become blood, and did savour most unholsomely, yet it is said, Pharaoh went home, Exod. 7. 2●● and all this could not enter into his heart, it could not pierce him. When the Prophet cried to the Altar of jeroboam, O Altar, Altar, hear the word of the Lord: the Altar heard, and elave a sunder. 1. Kina 3. But the word of God which in jeremy. 23.29. is called an Hammer, because it bruiseth the stony hearts of men, this Hammer with ten miracles gave ten mighty strokes at Pharaohs heart, and yet it could never bruise it. Thus we may plainly see, there is a watering by grace, and a meiting by God's word, as appeareth by David and Hezechiah, who resolved into tears: again through want of grace, there is a withering, and by custom of sin there is an Hardening, as in Cain and Pharaoh, whose hearts the word of God could not pierce, but the more they were beaten on, the more hard and flinty they became. It remaineth in the second point to discuss, whether this Hardening be of God. In opening whereof it is strange to hear how untruly, how uncharitably we are charged by our adversaries, not only Campion and Bellarmin, but especially in certain ARTICLES or Forcible Reasons lately published, wherein it is directly set down, that the Protestants do make God the author and only cause of sin, that deride God's permission; Artic. 5. and plainly affirm, God is worse than the devil, and so are bound in conscience never to ask God forgiveness of their sins. Oh fearful blasphemy, and words unseemly Christian ears: Where is Modesty? where is truth and Christian piety? Is this our doctrine? do we thus teach? no verily: both in word and writing we acknowledge the Lord our GOD to be full of compassion and love, the bowels of his merciesweete and amiable; he would not the death of any, he is gracious and kind, gentle and ready to forgive, and (to the death) we affirm, more than most holy, pure and just are all his works and ways: therefore the Lord be judge between them and us, and lay not this sin unto their charge. Touching this doctrine, how sin first came to be, how it came in, where it first took beginning, and that GOD is not the author of it, I have showed heeretosore in handling the Golden Chain, the means of our salvation: namely, that the devil was Primitiws peccator, john. 6. the first offender: from him sin first boileth up, as out of the main Sea; from Satan when it comes to Adam, it ariseth as out of a Spring; from this Spring it is reserved in nature as in a Conduit; from nature conveyed to concupiscence (as by a pipe), and from thence doth flow all the mischief and wickedness that is in the life of man. Well then: if sin do proceed from the suggestion of Satan working through our own coucupiscence; and so GOD wholly freed from all imputation of evil: why is it so often said in the Scripture. Deut. 2.30. And the Lord hardened the heart of Sihon King of Heshbon, and made him obstinate: joshua the 11.20. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts: and here often in the book of Exodus, and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. To make this plain: it is a point well known unto the learned, that this speech (where it is said) God Hardened: Flaccus. Illiricus. P. Lomb. li. 1. dist. 41. the Hebrew Dialect doth signify a permission, and not an action. Verbs that signify to do, they often express a suffering and not a doing. Destruit cum deserit, The. Aquin. ●. 1. q. 23. arti, 3. God is then said to Harden, when he doth forsake. Impios cum non retrabit a malo culpae, dicitur dimittere. As the enduing with grace is the effect of God's Election, so the withholding of his grace is the effect of Reprobation. Dei includere est clausis non aperire, saith Saint Gregory upon the 12. of job. and fourteen verse. Every action hath his quality from the root of the affection, and from the intention of the Author: Deus autem (quoad peceatum) non habet positive velle, sed tantum privative, Touching sin, God hath no Positive will, but only in regard of former sins a Privation of his grace. To be short: God doth Harden, as Saint Augustine saith: Non malum obtrudendo, sed gratiam non concedendo, August. not by causing us to commit sin, but by not granting unto us his grace. I, but how comes it to pass, that we (aswell as others) are not partakers of God's grace? why have not we also his good Spirit to direct and guide us? Saint Augustine makes it plain again. August. Non idcò non habet home gratiam, quia Deus non dat, sed quià home non aceipit: men become Hardened, and want the spirit of grace, why? not because GOD doth not offer it unto them, but because they receive it not, when it is offered. For example: One of us being sick, and like to die, the Physician knowing our case, he takes with him some preservative to comfort us, and comes to the door and knocks; if we will not, or be not able to let him in, we perish and die, and the cause is not in the Physician, but in ourselves that let him not in. Plato de leg. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Sin is a disease, whereof we are all sick, for we have all sinned: Romans. 6.12. verse. Christ, he is the Physician of our souls: Aug●in Mat. 9.12. Venit de coelo magnus medicus, quia per totum ubique iacebit aegretus. Christ the great Physician came down from heaven, because all mankind was generally infected. He comes to the door of our hearts, and there he knocks. Revel. 3.20. Behold, john. 6.35. I stand at the door and knock, He bringeth with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bread of life, his eternal word to comfort us, if we let him in, if we open the door of our hearts, Lue. 10. he will come in, and sup with us, as he did with Mary, and forgive us all our sins; but if we will not, or through long contagion of our sin be not able to let Christ in, we die in our sins, and the case is evident, not because Christ doth not offer grace, and comfort unto us, but because we receive it not, when it is offered. Merito perit aegretus qui non medicum vocat, sed ultro venientem respuit, worthily doth that sick patient perish, M●sculus. who will neither send for the Physician himself, nor accept of his help, when it is offered. More plainly thus, in the 14. of Saint Matthew. Our Saviour walking on the sea, he bad Saint Peter come unto him, who walking on the water, seeing storm and tempest arise, his heart failed, and he began to sink, upon his cry unto our Saviour, he presently stretched forth his hand, took him into the ship, and saved him. This world (we know by daily experience) it is a sea of trouble and misery: our Saviour (as he said to Saint Peter) so most lovingly he willeth every one of us to come unto him: as we walk, storms and tempests do arise, through frailty of our flesh, and the weakness of our faith, we begin to sink, our Saviour, he stretcheth forth his hand, he giveth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his word, his Sacraments, the good motiones of his Spirit, to save us from sinking, and to keep us in the ship of his Church: if we refuse these means, we perish, we sink in our sins, why? not because Christ doth not most kindly put forth his hand unto us, but because in want and distress we lay not hold upon him. This is condemnation, that light is come into the world, men refuse it, and love darkness more than light. Our blessed Saviour with great loving kindness, john 3.18. he doth invite all men to his Great Supper, if we make excuses, or wilfully refuse to come, he may justly pronounce, none of those that were bidden shall ever taste of my supper. Lue. 14.24. Therefore let not men deceive themselves, and complain as though God did harden their hearts and deny them grace and mercy, for as jonas saith in his 2. Chapter, john. 2.8. and 8. verse. They forsake their own mercy. Deus prior in amore, God never hateth until he be first hated, and so I conclude with Saint Ambrose: Nemo tibi Christum potest auferre, Ambros. nisi te illi auferas, no man can separate Christ from thee, except first thou dost separate thyself from him. This is plainly to be observed in Pharaoh, had he (being long before peaceably settled in a rich and mighty Kingdom) made right use of the blessings of GOD, had he at the first, or oftentimes after, yielded unto the word of the Lord, he had never come to the state of Hardninge, nor left himself such a fearful spectacle of God's wrath for ever. But Pharaoh, feeling wealth and revenue coming in so fast and abundantly, that he builded new Cities (Pithom and Raamses) to lay up his treasures, Exod. 1.11. his heart was so bend and set upon covetousness (such multitudes of people moiling and labouring in sundry works for his profit) that in no case he could endure to hear of their departure. Exod 5.2. Chap. 7.11. First, he said flatly, they should not go; Secondly, he sought to shift off the matter, affirming the miracles not to be done by God's hand, but by enchantment; Thirdly, 8.25. he yielded they should offer sacrifice, but only in his own land; Fourthly, he was content they should go sacrifice out of his land (but still he would condition with God) None but the men should go; 10.11. Fiftly, the men should go, the women go, 10. 2●. the children go, but their sheep and Oxen (wherein their wealth stood) should not go. Thus Pharaoh (through a wretched and gripple mind) never left winding and turning, dallying and presuming of the lords mercy, and patience, till adding one sin unto another, his heart became Hardened: Nay, Observe here how fearful a thing it is, wilfully to sin against our own conscience. notwithstanding so many miracles, and that before he confessed the Lord to be God, he and his people sinful, and earnestly desired Moses to pray for him, yet contrary to his own thoughts, and against his own knowledge, when he saw the people of Israel were gone, he flies to strength of war, he calls his Captains, he musters his people, he gathers his Chariots, he pursues with all might and main, till at last both he and his (over whelmed in the sea) received the fearful and final judgement of wilful disobedience. Now then let all the earth know the goodness of the Lord, and wisely observe his love unto mankind for ever. It is true, Pharaohs heart was Hardened, and he with his Nobles utterly overthrown. But before this overthrow, all means possibly that could be, were used to win Pharaoh. Blessing upon blessing before received; punishment upon punishment after inflicted; Moses still and again prayed for him; Aaron ever and anon persuaded him; the plagues to astonish him, were sudden and exceeding wonderful; the deliverance, to win him, was present, and more miraculous: the Enchanters confessed, the People cried out, his Servants were offended, Egypt was almost quite destroyed, the land of Goshen was still untouched; God again, and again, and still again was entreated, and yet Pharaoh remained obstinate. Shall we then say that God Hardened Pharaohs heart? Be it far from us: for it is directly set down in the 9 chap. 34. verse. And when Pharaoh saw the hail and thunder were gone, he sinned again, and Hardened his heart; and again the 8. chap. 15. verse. When Pharaoh saw that he had rest, he hardened his own heart. Oh, I would to God it were only Pharaohs case, and that we also being Christians did not abuse the long forbearance, and much loving kindness of our God. For, now fear of the storm is over, but even one year or two: now that our loving God through his unspeakable mercy hath so sweetly set all in order, Behold our unthankfulness to God enjoying so religious and peaceable a Prince. that all Nations round about us stand amazed, now that he hath settled amongst us a most happy and religious peace; now that he gath given honour, plenty, and rest throughout all the land; still, still we dally and trifle with the Lord, according to our private humours, and several sects; we will not profess the Gospel, except we first condition (as Pharaoh did) both with our God and King: with humble hearts we do not submit ourselves peaceably to serve the Lord: For this blessed Catastrophe, our soul's flame not with thankful love, neither (as they ought) break forth into everlasting praises: Nay, whereas the word of GOD came ten times to Pharaoh, willing him to let the people of Israel go, and serve the Lord, the same word comes an hundred times ten to our hearts, crying and beating upon us to have us let go our contentions, our carnal and perverse affections, and yet we never relent at the same. A man's heart will tell him more than seven watchmen in a Tower: We know, Ecceus. 37.14. we know (every one in his own bosom) the sins, which we secretly foster, and will not let go. But as Saint Paul exhorteth the jews, Hebrews 3.12. so I advise you in the name of God. Take heed, take heed, least in any of you there be found a false and an evil heart, to departed from the living God. For assuredly it is a fearful and bitter thing to carry ever a self-willed and perverse mind, to respect merely the applause of men, and fading pleasures of this life; so, inwardly falling away from God, and losing the blessed comfort of our salvation. O Saviour sweet, and secret hope, turn us, that we may be turned; bow our hearts, and the hearts of our seed unto thee, that we may fear thy judgements, acknowledge thy goodness, and stand fast in thy love for ever. The third point is to show how men become Hardened; in opening whereof, we are to understand that there are three sorts of Hardening: Naturalis, Voluntaria, Hidicialis. The first is by Nature, the second by Habit and Custom, the third by the Just judgement of God. The first is the forgetfulness or dullness in a natural man, when he overshootes himself, for want of wise observation and remembrance. In this sixth of Mark, our Saviour Christ fed five thousand men with five loaves, Mark. 6. and two fishes, a miracle sufficient to prove unto his Disciples, that he was the Son of God. Yet presently after, when he came walking on the Sea, and caused the wind to cease, they stood amazed, and did not acknowledge his Divinity: for (saith the Scripture) in the two and fifth verse. God's children may be blinded in mind, and hardened in heart for a time They considered not the miracle of the loaves, because their hearts were Hardened, that is, through natural imperfection they had for got it. Secondly, there is an Hardening by habit, when (through a careless security) men do continue in sin, and take such a custom, as they can hardly leave. So Simon Magus, his heart by custom was so long bend, and set upon covetousness, that being conversant amongst the Apostles, and daily employed in most divine and holy actions. Yet even then, his mind and thought still ran upon money, upon gain. This is Habitualis obduratio, an Hardening which grows, by continuance in sin. He that is in this case, it stands him upon to gather up his spirits, and strongly to resist sin, to sequester himself ost-times unto devout and private Meditations, to joy in hearing the word, with reverence to receive the blessed Sacraments, especially to be fervent in prayer, for so Saint Peter willed Simon Magus: Acts. 8.22. Repent and pray, that (if it be possible) the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven. The third and last is judicialis obduratis, an Hardening which proceeds from the just judgement of God. Cumpeccatum fit paenapeccati, when sin becomes a punishment to him that committeth it, Rom. 1.2.7. as Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a recompense of former errors; when the thought is so poisoned, the mind and soul so generally infected, that the spirit of God is utterly quenched: no light of nature, no private counsel, no public exhortation out of the word, no inward motions of God's spirit can prevail, but he goeth on so long, and is so far spent, that being past all fear to offend, carlessly he maketh no scruple of any sin whatsoever; till at length finding in himself no hope of recovery, either God strikes him apparently with his judgement, as he did Pharaoh; or else by his death he passeth silent to the grave without repentance, as Dives; or in this life (as judas did) doth plunge himself in the gulf of desperation. This is that Hardening which is here meant of Pharaoh. This Hardening is not all on a sudden: Non ruimus primo impetu ut Deo reluctemur, Calw. no man is Hardened at the first. Nemo fit repent miser. Hebr. 3.13. Take heed lest any of you be Hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. The deceitfulness of sin, The Aquin. it creepeth like a canker worm, it gathers, it steals upon us, and so under the foreknowledge of God, men come unto Hardening by degrees. Naturalis est ordo, ut ab imperfecto, ad perfectum quis moveatur, It is a natural course even in evil (sayeth the schoolman) by degrees to come unto to perfection. Psal. 34.7. As they that dwelin God's house, will bring forth more fruit, and then appear before the God of gods in perfect beauty: so, on the contrary, the wicked are not Hardened all at once, but as they offend more and more, so by little and little they grow to the height of sin, and they do fall from one mischief to an other. judas was first a cunning Dissembler; Mat, 26.8. joh. 12.5, Mat. 26.25.48. Mat. 27.5. secondly, he became a secret Thief; thirdly, he grew to be an impudent Liar; four, he proved a bold Traitor; lastly, a desperate Reprobate. The diseases of the body, they do not grow at one and the self-same time, they do first appear but by riot and destemperature used long before so the soul infected with unclean thoughts, and in youth accustomed to evil actions, at length cometh to the uncurable disease of Hardening. Aug confess. 8 Saint Augustine in the 8. of his Confess. doth open this point very plainly. First, August. the devil by concupiscence suggesteth evil thoughts; evil thoughts egg on delight; delight towleth on consent; consent engendereth action; action bringeth forth custom; custom groweth to necessity; and necessity in sinning is the forerunner of death. For example. First, the devil suggesteth evil thoughts, so he did unto Eve, he wound her in by tainting her thought, by telling her, she should have all knowledge, and be as GOD: this evil thought egged on delight; for as appeareth in the sixth verse, the Apple grew pleasant in her eyes; this delight towled on consent, for than she took of the fruit, lastly of consent came the action, for she did eat and gave it to her husband. Now, when the action of sin is committed, there doth not presently follow Hardening: for, if the heart do melt and thaw, if the soul do give and resolve into tears of repentance for the same, then there is no Hardening. But, if from one action committed, we come unto another, and so to the custom and continuance in sin, then are we snared with the cords of our own iniquity, and fettered with this chain against the general day of God's judgement. To make this plain, I will show you by seven degrees, as it were by seven stairs, how men do descend into this pit of Hardening. The first step is importable: Sin at the first, it is importable, it seems untolerable to be borne. Importabile. One that hath been religiously brought up, hath been accustomed to a mild and honest conversation, and hath been fearful to offend; at length, if through bad company, through his own weakness, and the allurements of Satan, he falleth into any foul sin; at the first it is importable, it doth strike such an horror into him, that he is in a woeful taking and grievously tormented. This we may see by David, who having always a tender conscience, loath to offend, yet after over taken by committing murder and adultery, assoon as he saw what he had done, he was mightily troubled, wheresoever he became, his offence so stuck in his thought, that in the 51 Psal: 3. he crieth out, my sin is ever before me, it is continually in my sight. The second stair is Grave, heavy: for sin being committed twice or thrice, Grave. it is not as it was at the first importable, but it is heavy. He sorrows, and is grieved, but he is nothing so troubled in mind, nor afflicted in conscience as he was before. The third stair is Leave; light: For he that hath used himself more often to sin: that which at the first was importable, and afterwards heavy, at length becometh light. This appeareth by the unchaste woman spoken off in the proverbs, who having had some practice in sin, she makes no more matter of it, but lightly passeth it over with wiping her mouth, Pro. 30-20. and saith she hath not sinned. The fourth stair is insensibile, past feeling, for after that sin be made light of, Ensensibile. and that there be no remorse nor grief for sin, than they grow past feeling: such were the Israelites of whom the Prophet jeremy speaketh in his 5. chapter and 3. verse: Thou hast smitten them, but they have not sorrowed, for they have made their faces harder than a stone, that is, they have sinned so long, that now they are past feeling. The fift stair is Delectabile. When men take pleasure in sin (as Solomon saith) They rejoice in doing evil and delight in wickedness. Delectabile. Hereof Saint Augustine saith. Pro. 2.14. Tumest consummata infoelicitas, ubiturpia non solum committuntur, sedetiam delectant: Then is the estate of condemnation certain, when soul sins are not only committed, but are delightful also. The sixth stair is Desiderabile, Desiderabile. when (through delight) men grow to such a custom, that they inwardly desire to sin, so that as Saint Gregory said: Si nunquam moreretur, nunquam vellepcecare desineret: such a man, if he should never die, he would never cease to sin, for though he did not commit it in action, yet still he would desire it in thought. The seventh stair is defensibile. When he hath gotten a forehead of brass. Esay. 48.4. (as the Psalmist saith) when the tyrant doth boast that he can do mischief, when he sits in the seat of the scorner, Defensibile. Psai. 1.1. when he doth not only by habit desire to sin, and delight in it, but now he will take upon him to defend it. Peccatum porta mortis, defensio est limen inferni, Sin is the high way to death, Origen. but the defence of sin is the very next step into hell, at this point were the jews, who being reproved for idolatry, the Scripture saith, they said desperately, we have loved strange gods, and them will we follow again; they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their cares, Zacha. 7 ●1. and made their hearts as an Adamant stone. jer. 2.25. Pro. 18.3. Impius cum venerit in profundum contemnit, a dissolute liver once grown to the height of sin, becomes desperate. Thus sin, first it is importable, secondly Heavy, thirdly it becomes Light, four past feeling, fifthly delightful, sixtly desired, and lastly to be defended. here is descensus averni, these be the stairs that lead to the chambers of death, and the steps, whereby the reprobate do descend unto final destruction. Indeed, at the first, when sin is importable, and that we are wonderfully grieved for committing of it, there is great hope of recovery, and he that so feeling the wound of sin, doth there stay the course of it, it is an excellent sign of salvation: Initiune salutis notitia peccati, the first step of repentance is the first finding out, and acknowledgement of sin. In the second of the Acts, when they saw and knew their sin, they cried out, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved: this horror, this troubled mind, it made them seek for comfort, and so brought them to repentance. Secondly, when sin is a burden unto our souls, so that we would feign be eased of it, there is yet good hope: we may see it by David in the 38. Psalm. 4. verse. Mine iniquities are gone over mine head, and are as a burden too heavy for me to bear: the weight of this burden made David in the 18. verse following, to confess his wickedness, and to be sorry for his sin, it made him fly unto God for ease: O cast your burden upon the Lord, for he will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever. Thirdly, when men make light of sin, surely danger is not far off, for a threefold cord is not easily broken, and the third letting of blood in the same vein is exceeding dangerous: but yet still there is some hope, for though in the hot chase of our blind and youthful desires, though then for a time we account it a light matter, to commit this or that sin, yet God may touch our hearts, Christ may look back upon us, as he did on S. Peter, who denied him thrice, his word may so strike us, that we may come to know ourselves, to see in what case we are, to bewail our infirmity, and so turn unto God by prayer and repentance: job. 33. 2●. All these things (as job saith) will God work twice or thrice with a man. But if we come to (insensibile) to the fourth stair, so that we grow past feeling, we sin daily, and have no sense of it, if there be no remorse, no grief nor dislike of sin; woe be unto us, 2. Amos. 6. For three transgressions, and for four, I will not turn to Israel (saith the Lord), without the infinite and extraordinary mercy of God, we are the sons of wrath, for than followeth this deadly wound of Hardening. It is a principle in Physic, gravissime is aegrotat, qui se non sentit aegrotare, if a man be sick, and know it not, out of question, he is very dangerously and deadly sick; he that finds in himself no want of any thing (as the Church of La●dicea) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I stand not in need of any thing. This deadness, Revel. 3.17. this un-feeling numbness, it is a plain foreteller of death: for example, if a man have taken a grievous wound in his body, if it ache, if it prick and shoot, if it pain him, either it is healing, or else there is hope to heal it: but (as Saint Augustine saith) Quod non dolet, August. non prosano, sed promortuo computandum, if the wound be such, that it never causeth grief, if it never ache nor smart, undoubtedly it is dead flesh, of necessity it must be cut off. To commit actual and presumptuous sins, when a mans own knowledge and God's Spirit crieth in him to the contrary, these are wounds, and grievous wounds unto the soul, and whosoever hath gone on so far, that he doth delight in these sins, so often, so long, that his mind is never troubled, his thoughts never checked, his soul never grieved, surely such a one (being utterly past feeling) is very near to this fearful estate of Hardening. Indeed the Scripture saith, At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin, from the bottom of his heart, 〈◊〉 18.21. God will put all his wickedness out of his remembrance. Whereupon many take their pleasure in sin, and go dissolutely on, thinking at last to make all good by repentance. It is true, if they can repent. But they must observe what Saint Augustine saith. Qui promittit poenitenti veniam, non promittit peccanti pa●nitentiam God who promiseth to every one that repenteth, forgiveness; doth not promise to every one that sinneth, repentance. Repentance is the gift of God, and such as are Hardened (because in times past they have despised the riches of his bounty & grace, his long suffering and mercy which did call them to repentance) when they would, they cannot repent. After Hardness the heart it can not repent. Rom. 2.5. The holy and blessed Sacraments now presently to be administered, they are Pledges of God's love, and Seals of our salvation. Rom. 4.11. By Baptism, he breaketh the heads of the Dragons in the waters, Et per Baptismum coeli ●anua aperitur, By Baptism even the door of heaven is set open. The Sacrament of the Lords supper, it is, canalis gratiae, & lavacrum animae, the conduit of Grace, and the bath of the Soul. What can be more joyful, then by receiving the sign of the cross to fight under the banner of Christ's love, and to be knit into the mystical body of his Saints. What can be more joyful, then to receive that pure and Princely blood, the least drop whereof being able to redeem a thousand worlds, I may rest assured, it is a full and perfect satisfaction for all my sins: so that, if my body hath sinned, his body hath made a mends: if my soul hath sinned, his soul hath made a recompense: and therefore both soul and body are his, and so we firmly and fully seated in a Christian joy for ever. These holy and heavenly Sacraments, are not effectual in the obstinate: judas, notwithstanding he was a Disciple of our Saviour, and that blessed hand which after was nailed to the Cross, did reach unto him the bread of life, yet he was so Hardened with secret sin, joh. 13. 2● and a traitorous disposition, that assoon as he received the sop, the devil entereth into him, took full possession of him, and so brought him to a most fearful end. Oh happy is he that sinneth least, next he that returneth soon, but most dreadful is the estate of him, who like Pharaoh is given over unto Hardening. For he that is once come to this pass, that as jeroboam, he hath sold himself to commit sin, his mind reprobate, his conscience seared, and his soul frozen in the dregs of sin; then, Rom. 1. 2●. 1. Tim. 4.2. Zech. 1.12. though he weep and lament with Esau; though he would restore that which he hath wrongfully gotten with judas; though he do gird himself in sackcloth, and walk softly as Ahab; though he do pull the men of God to comfort him, & pray for him as Saul did; though he do mourn like a Dove, & chatter like a crane, with the Pelican, though he do send forth shrill and fearful cries into the air, jer. 13.23. yet all this will not help (woe alas) there is no recovery, jer. 13.23. Can the blacke-Moore change his skin or the Leopard his spots, then may they do good, who have accustomed themselves to do evil. Arist. eth. 7. cap. 7. Thomas Aquin, Wisd. 12.10. Eccus. 17.14. Hebr. 10.26. Hebr. 12.17. O' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that Hardeneth his heart can never be cured. Habituati in malo sunt impaeniturt. there thoughts can never be altered there stony hearts can not become flesh; they have denied the power of salvation, they have despited the spirit of grace, and though they seek the blessings with tears they can find no place to repentance. This is a lamentable estate, this is a fearful judgement, for man to be left unto himself, given up to sathan, and to be forsaken of God for ever, from this estate the Lord for his endless mercy deliver us. Thus have I showed how, and after what sort men become Hardened, not of myself, but as Saint Augustine saith: Ligatus teneor non ferro alteno: sed meaferrea voluntate, velle meum tenebat inimicus, et inde mihi funes fecerat, et consuetudini dum non resistitur facta est necessitas. A man becomes Hardened, he is fettered, not by any other chain, but by the cords of his own sin, the devil by deceit gets power over the will, and so doth snare us, and because in the beginning we did not resist custom, at length it groweth to necessity. This is the very same in effect set down by Saint Paul in the 4 to the Ephesiaus 18. where this manner of Hardening is also expressed: first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mind is darkened, they cannot rightly discern what to do, then, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they become ignorant, thirdly comes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the soul (for want of heavenly dew) begins to whither and hard, four 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past feeling, and lastly given over to commit all sin with greediness. To eschew this gulf, and to avoid the danger of this Hardening, either we must cut of and stay the course of sin in the act, or else we must resist it in the beginning, and slay it in our thoughts. It is an excellent saying of Saint jerom: Ibi maxime oportet observare pecc●tum, ubi nasci sol●t: both in sin and also in curing the diseases of the body, it is the chiefest point, to observe and find out where the malady first took beginning: it is plain, sin first buddeth in the thought, and thereupon Saint Jerome calls it primo genita Diaboli, the dmills darling or first begotten. Satan dare not attempt any unto murder, treason, or any such grievous sin; unless he send an evil thought before, to try whether he shall be welcome. The Philistines will not venture, till Dalilah hath wrought the feat: as she with Samson never left fawning, and creeping into his bosom till by consenting unto her, he lost both his strength, and his eyes, and became a mill-horse for the Philistines: so evil thoughts they allure and toll on so long, till the light of the understanding being blinded, Satan that foul Philistine sets them such a grist to grind, as they must pay the loss of eternal life for the toll. The Philosopher said truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Philo custom ariseth of very small beginnings, & though it seem a small matter to lend the devil an evil thought, yet thewiseman saith in the 13. of Wisd. Bernard. Evil thoughts separate from God: cogitationes malae dum ludunt illu●unt, evil thoughts while they dally, they do deceive. As the stream in the River jordan doth carry the fish swimming and playing, josephus. till on a sudden they fall (in mare mortuum) into the dead sea; where, by reason of brimstone they presently die: so, many suffer themselves to be carried away so long with vicious thoughts, and wicked imaginations, that on a sudden, the powers of the mind be grievously infected. The eye is fenestra mentis, jere. 9.21. and many times, ere ever we be aware, death stealeth in at the window. The ear, job. 12.11. job calleth it in his 12. Chapter: the taster of the soul: As the mouth tasteth meat for the belly: so the ear tasteth words for the soul. He that hath a wicked eye, and an unchaste ear (as Saint Peter saith of Simon Magus) his soul will soon be brought to the gall of bitterness. Therefore, wise men may hereby judge, how carefully, how providently the education of youth (especially of the nobler sort) ought to be respected. How flattering parasites & profane jesters ought to be warily shunned. Alas the mind and disposition of youth, at the first, it is like a sweet and bright ●●●er dish, you may put in it what you please, but if through vile Atheists, and dissolute company, the affection be once led away, and the disposition infected, woe worth that company, for the infection of sin taken in tender years: job saith, The soul dieth in youth; job. 36.14. as clothe stained in the wool doth never lose the colour, so the stain of sin taken in tender years will hardly or never be taken out: nay, that which afterwards discretion and years doth know and judge in itself most hateful, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by evil custom, Chrisost. he is enforced to put the same in practice whether he will or no. In the 9 of Mark 21. ve. the foul spirit which kept possession from a child, could not be cast out by any other but only by our Saviour. job made a covenant with his heart, and David prayed the Lord to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity: every good man ought to labour and strive with himself to quench his desires, to check his thoughts, to beat down and keep under his affections, that though he do sin sometime of infirmity, yet it may never generally infect the mind, it may never be settled in the thought. There is no sacrifice more acceptable unto God, than the nipping of a Serpent's head: therefore as David speaketh of the children of Babylon, adpetras illidere, to dash their brains against the wall, while they are young, so the best way to prevent Hardening, is to nip sin in the head at the first, to kill the strength of it in our thoughts. Now, if God do not so strengthen us to overcome sin in the thought, the next way to shun this Hardening is to stay the course of it in the act. Psal. 68.22. For God will wound the hairy scalp of such, as go on still in their wickedness. parvus error in principio maximus est in fine, A small escape in the beginning many times proves a mischief in the end. Consuctudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati. The custom of sin takes away all feeling of sin, as he that is stung with a viper, is so deadly benumbed, that he feels the sting of nothing else, so he that hath taken a custom of offending, never feels the infection of any sin, though it rankle never so grievously. In the 69. Psalm. 16. vers. David prayeth, O let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. To sin is to fall into a pit, but to take a custom in sin, is to cover the pit and dam it up, that we shall never get out again. Consuetudinem vincere dura pugna (saith Augustine). Aug●in psa: 36 It is a difficult fight to overcome custom, for in all human things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custom is the most intolerable tyrant. Horatius the Roman being to fight with three enemies at once, did single them out, and then slew them one by one: so the force of sin is to be cut off in every several action, lest by gathering strength it overthrow us. He that trusteth his own heart, is not wise. Pro. 28.26. In this case, it is good for a man to suspect his own heart, to call his own ways to remembrance, to take sometimes a survey and a view of the manner of his life, and daily actions, and if he find in himself, that God hath suffered him so far to be tempted, that he is fallen into any soul offence, which he knoweth is directly both against God and his own conscience, then presently to bestir himself, never to suffer his eyes to sleep, nor his eyelids to slumber, till he have poured out his heart unto God, made bitter lamentation, craved pardon with repentance, and vowed by God's assistance never to offend in any such sort again. Otherwise, if lightly he pass it over, and so go on: as Mithridates accustomed his body so much to the receipt of poison, that at length no poison would work on him, so he that hath once taken in with the custom of sin, shall at length come that to pass, that the greatest sin that is, he shall never feel it. Aug. inser. ●. 〈◊〉 adv. Dom. Own peccatum vilescit consuetudine, & fit homini quasi nullum, the greatest sin by custom comes to be accounted nothing. When the body is sore hurt and wounded, there is no driving off of time, but presently it must be looked to; so when the soul is wounded, we must not defer to turn unto the Lord, but fly unto him, with importunate prayer, with a broken and mourning heart, for fear, the wound do fester inwardly, and so there be no recovery. I make it plain by example thus. If a man take in the Spring three or four plants, and set them all together at one time, if he come by and by, or within a while after, he may easily pull up one of them, if he stay a fortnight or a month, he may pull up an other, but it willbe somewhat harder, if he stay a year or two, till it settle and take root, than he may pull and strain his very heart strings, but his labour is lost he shall never be able to pull it up. One sin, one offence, if we labour to pull it up in time, it may be forgiven, it may be taken away; if we let it go on to two or three; with unfeigned repentance, with bleeding tears, with uncessant outcries unto a gracious God, they may be razed out and wiped away, but with greater difficulty: at length, if a man give over himself unto sin, so that it take deep root in the heart, and be settled in the soul, he shall never be able to pull it up, nor to arise from the death of sin. To draw then to an end: forasmuch then, as God desireth not the death of any sinner, but most lovingly offereth his grace and means of salvation unto all: seeing sin doth proceed from our own vile concupiscence, and we never striving to stay the course of it in our thoughts, do so secretly fall away: seeing by degrees against their own knowledge, men do wound their souls with many actual sins, & thereupon God doth withhold his grace, and so forsake them; and this forsaking is such a forlorn estate, that as job saith. 12.14. God shutteth a man up, and he can never be loosed: O how fervent ought we to be in prayer, thereby to kindle in us, the heat of God's spitit, how devout in sweet and heavenly meditations, to stir up in us the good graces of God; how diligent to show the fruits of our faith, ever stirring in the works & labours of our calling; giving no advantage to our adversary: how careful when we hear the word of God, to do it with an humble spirit, with great reverence, thereby to keep a tender heart, a mind and cogitation that may easily be touched with remorse, how desirous and secretly joyful at this holy time to prepare ourselves to the receiving of the blessed Sacraments, to have our hearts stripped of worldly vanities, to call home our affections, to appease our thoughts, & so peaceably to bathe our souls a fresh in the precious blood of our everlasting redeemer. That so feeling ourselves as it were newly created again, soul and body, heart, hand, and tongue, may never cease to sound praises unto him, who doth never cease to renew his mercies unto us. The holy and kingly prophet: David, he is a worthy example for this royal presence, set him before your eyes, and observe the whole course of his life: How sweet and mild was his spirit, in forbearing to take revenge for himself? how courageous and invincible his faith, when it stood in the quarrel of God's honour? how dearly affected to his people, when he said to the destroying Angel, not these sheep, but it is I that have offended? what melting & kind affection did he show towards jonathan, and those whom he loved? what a mournful and repentant heart, when he knew that he had offended, how full of divine meditations to better his thoughts? how frequent in prayer flowing from him as a continual stream? how joyful in God's service, dancing before the Ark? how reverend in God's house, kneeling and bowing in the temple before all the people? what a thankful heart in offering to build a glorious temple to the Lord? what an humble mind, saying, what am I, and what was my father's house, that thou hast brought us hitherto? what a chary & tender care of God's glory wheresoever he became? how abundant in praises and thanksgiving, calling every member of himself, and all the creatures both of heaven and earth to make one quire in setting forth, singing, and sounding the everlasting praises of his God? but why did David thus? to what end was all this? that he might be sure still to hold fast by God, to be entirely knit unto him, by all means possible to retain his love; for fear, lest God having raised him to the height of renown, delivered him miracolously out of many eminent and bloody dangers, and so set a crown of blessings upon his head: if Deuid should have shown any unthankfulness, any contempt, or the least neglect of his love a mighty and jealous God, he also, upon just cause might have withdrawn his love, and laid all his honour in the dust again. Now therefore, with all humbleness and duty I entreat you by the tender mercies of Christ jesus, and in the name of the living God I challenge every Christian which hopes for any joy in the life to come, take heed of actual and presumptuous sins, in no case let them have dominion over you, do not wound your souls (as Pharaoh did) with wilful offences against your own knowledge, try and examine all your thoughts, how and wherein they stand affected, and above all, grieve not the blessed motions of that comfortable spirit, which keeps the very Life and Being of the soul. To conclude, let all slanderous mouths be stopped, and all the factious schismatic in the land ashamed, in beholding your Christian and princely example: continue still to be lovingly and kindly affected one towards another: celebrate this holy time in a true religious manner: Sanctify the joyful beginning of this new years reign with new devotion unto God: lay all your Honours down at the foot of the altar: Receive the holy Sacraments jointly together, and so be faithfully knit in love and in one head Christ jesus: go cheerfully on, delight still in doing good: and the Lord God of our father's increase in you good desires, give you zeal to perform them, confirm unto you, and to your seed all his good promises, and unto every one of us here grant pardon for offences past, give us comfort and strength in temptations to come, even for his blessed Son Christ jesus sake: who with the Father and the holy Ghost, be blessed and praised for ever. Amen.