The words of this Text are taken from Psal. 95. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness. If when God calls us either to the doing of this, or leaving that undone, yet we are not moved, but continue in our evil ways. What's the reason of it? It's because we harden our hearts against him. The Word of God which is the power of God to salvation, and a two-edged sword to sever between ⟨p. 3⟩the joints and the marrow. The strength of the Almighty encounters with our hard hearts, and yet they remain like the stony and rocky ground: whereon though the Word be plentifully sown, yet it fastens no root there, and though for a season it spring, yet suddenly it fades and comes to nothing. We may have a little motion by the Word, yet there's a rock in our souls, a stone in our hearts, and though we may sometimes seem to receive it with some affection, and be made as it were Sermon-sick, yet it holds but a while, it betters us not: why? because it's not received as an ingrafted word. Therefore saith St. James, Receive with meekness the ingrafted word, Jam. 1.21. Let the word be ingrafted in thee; one sprig of it is able to make thee grow up to everlasting life. Be not content with the hearing of it, but pray God it may be firmly rooted in your hearts; this will cause a softening. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts against Almighty God. If you do, expect him also to come against you in indignation. Hearken what he saith by his Prophet. I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil, Zeph. 1.12. Mark, I will search Jerusalem, and punish those that are settled on their lees. When a man is thus settled and resolved to go on in his sins, to put the matter to the hazard come what will come, there's a kind of Atheism in the soul. For what do's he but in a manner reply, when God tells him by his Minister that he is preparing ⟨p. 4⟩the instruments of death against him, do you think us such fools to believe it? What does this but provoke God to swear that we shall never enter into his rest. What's the reason of this? It's because men are not shifted, they have no change, they are settled on their lees.
The words of this Text are taken from Psal. 95. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness. If when God calls us either to the doing of this, or leaving that undone, yet we are not moved, but continue in our evil wayes. What's the reason of it? It's because we harden our hearts against him. The Word of God which is the power of God to salvation, and a two-edged sword to sever between ⟨p. 3⟩the joynts and the marrow. The strength of the Almighty encounters with our hard hearts, and yet they remain like the stony and rocky ground: whereon though the Word be plentifully sown, yet it fastens no root there, and though for a season it spring, yet suddenly it fades and comes to nothing. We may have a little motion by the Word, yet there's a rock in our souls, a stone in our hearts, and though we may sometimes seem to receive it with some affection, and be made as it were Sermon-sick, yet it holds but a while, it betters us not: why? because it's not received as an ingrafted word. Therefore saith St. James, Receive with meeknesse the ingrafted word, Jam. 1.21. Let the word be ingrafted in thee; one sprig of it is able to make thee grow up to everlasting life. Be not content with the hearing of it, but pray God it may be firmly rooted in your hearts; this will cause a softning. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts against Almighty God. If you do, expect him also to come against you in indignation. Hearken what he saith by his Prophet. I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are setled on their lees, that say in their heart the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil, Zeph. 1.12. Mark, I will search Jerusalem, and punish those that are setled on their lees. When a man is thus setled and resolved to go on in his sins, to put the matter to the hazard come what will come, there's a kind of Atheism in the soul. For what do's he but in a manner reply, when God tells him by his Minister that he is preparing ⟨p. 4⟩the instruments of death against him, do you think us such fools to believe it? What does this but provoke God to swear that we shall never enter into his rest. What's the reason of this? It's because men are not shifted, they have no change, they are setled on their lees.
