An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

First, A resolving to sin, whatsoever God saith or doth.¹ To sin against the word and works of God, that's hardening of the heart against God: when a man will go on in his way, though a threat be sounding in his ears, & a judgment appear terribly before his eyes; such a man is hardened indeed, he is grown valiant and courageous in wickedness.

First, A resolving to sin, whatsoever God saith or doth.¹ To sin against the word and works of God, that's hardening of the heart against God: when a man will go on in his way, though a threat be sounding in his ears, & a judgment appear terribly before his eyes; such a man is hardned indeed, he is grown valiant and couragious in wickednes.

1. 1Obdurare cor est Deum loquentē nolle audire, contemnere, pervicaciter resistere, nec se ejus verbo subjicere veil Par. in Heb. c. 3. v. 8.Obdurare cor est Deum loquentē nolle audire, contemnere, pervicaciter resistere, nec se ejus verbo subjicere velle Par. in Heb. c. 3. v. 8.

Secondly, A man hardens himself against God, when he speaks stoutly against God: the hardness of the heart appears in the tongue (Mal. 3.13.) Your words have been stout against me. Stout words are a sign of stout spirits. Our language is usually the image of our minds. So the word of the text is used (2 Sam. 19.43.) The words of the men of Judah were fiercer then the words of the men of Israel: Their words were harder then the words of the men of Israel; they spake more resolutely and manly. When a man sets himself to speak boldly against God, the ways or the works of God, he hardens himself against God fearfully.