Man ashiv le-Yahoweh, or, A serious enquiry for a suitable return for continued life,…

II. ¹Wicked men are often times worse under adversity, judgements and afflictions that do befall them, the more they are punished, the more they are hardened; there is nothing in adversity and judgements, in sickness and plagues, in poverty and distress, to make an alteration or a change in the heart of a sinner from worse to better, except God sanctify it. The Plague upon the body is not a remedy in it self to cure the Plague of the heart, for men love more the plague of their hearts than they loathe the plague of the body. Possibly outward Judgements ⟨p. 40⟩may put a stop to some mens sinnings for the present, but they will return to them afterwards, except God speak effectually to their hearts and consciences, as well as lay his heavy strokes upon the body. Judgement to a sinner may be as a Bar to a Thief, it may stop him from the present act, but doth not change his heart; or as a storm to a Mariner, may make him cast Anchor for the present, but still he retains his purpose of sailing in his Voyage when the storm is over; they are oftener salve for their eyes to show them their sin, than physic for their hearts to purge them out; sinners in Judgements might declaim against their sin, but without a settled purpose in their hearts to decline their sin; where there is Grace, Afflictions work patience and submission; but where there is nothing but corruption, they often work passion, and repining, not Repentance; the more God sent his Judgements and his Plagues upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the more they hardened themselves against God and his people; and by Gods Judgements were not the better but the worse,