When the Lord had told Ezekiel that he should find the ears of Israel locked against his messages, and their hearts hardened; he gives him assurance of a suitable ability to deal even with such (Ezek. 3.8, 9.) Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy fore-head strong against their fore-heads, as an adamant harder then flint have I made thy fore-head. The words seem to carry an allusion to Bulls or Rams, who use to run head against head, when they are enraged against one another. And so the sense is, as if the Lord had said, I know this people will be mad at thee, and run upon thee like furious beasts; but trouble not thy self, I will (through my grace) make thee as strong in declaring my will, as they (through pride and unbelief) are strong in opposing it. Thou needest not fear to encounter these Bulls and Rams: holiness shall make thy fore-head, that is, thy purpose to perform my command, harder, then wickedness shall make their fore-heads, that is, their purposes to disobey what I command. As to be hardened in sin is worse then sinning, so to be hardened in doing good is better then doing good. Sin and grace act most like themselves, when they act against all opposition. As an adamant have I made thy face. The adamant is insuperable, as the notation of the* word imports. A heart thus hardened in holiness overcomes all the fears and terrors which the world can raise against it. Heroical Luther was thus hardened, when he said, he ⟨p. 161⟩would go to Worms, though the tiles upon every house in that City were matched with a like number of Devils, ready to resist him and the truth of Christ. But usually hardening is taken in an ill sense: and so to harden the spirit, noteth,
When the Lord had told Ezekiel that he should finde the ears of Israel lock'd against his messages, and their hearts hardened; he gives him assurance of a sutable ability to deal even with such (Ezek. 3.8, 9.) Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy fore-head strong against their fore-heads, as an adamant harder then flint have I made thy fore-head. The words seem to carry an allusion to Buls or Rams, who use to run head against head, when they are enraged against one another. And so the sense is, as if the Lord had said, I know this people will be mad at thee, and runne upon thee like furious beasts; but trouble not thy self, I will (through my grace) make thee as strong in declaring my will, as they (through pride and unbelief) are strong in opposing it. Thou needest not fear to encounter these Buls and Rams: holinesse shall make thy fore-head, that is, thy purpose to performe my command, harder, then wickednesse shall make their fore-heads, that is, their purposes to disobey what I command. As to be hardened in sinne is worse then sinning, so to be hardened in doing good is better then doing good. Sinne and grace act most like themselves, when they act against all opposition. As an adamant have I made thy face. The adamant is insuperable, as the notation of the* word imports. A heart thus hardened in holinesse overcomes all the fears and terrours which the world can raise against it. Heroicall Luther was thus hardened, when he said, he ⟨p. 161⟩would goe to Worms, though the tiles upon every house in that City were matcht with a like number of Devils, ready to resist him and the truth of Christ. But usually hardening is taken in an ill sense: and so to harden the spirit, noteth,
- *Adamas ejus creditur esse, naturae, ut domet omnia, neque ipse ab ulla vifive arte domari possit. Unde nomen traxit: [Greek or Hebrew], sonat indomitum, Sanct. in Ezek. 3.Adamas ejus creditur esse, naturae, ut domet omnia, neque ipse ab ulla vifive arte domari possit. Ʋnde nomen traxit: 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, sonat indomitum, Sanct. in Ezek. 3.
