The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

this is the cause that howsoever there be means and teaching enough, yet men are not gainers by these good occasions and opportunities, which God is pleased to put into their hands. This, I say, is the very reason. Let a Minister press a man that is somewhat loose in his life, to the performance of good duties, urge him to prayer with his family, to the sanctifying of the Lords day, to leave his swearing, and his vain company, or the like, he will turn the deaf ear to you, and though happily he will not presently fly in the face of the Minister, yet he will slight all that he saith; he for his part hath other ⟨p. 200⟩business in hand: no wonder, my brethren, this man profiteth not by the Word, seeing his heart is not set thereunto, seeing he intendeth it not, hath no mind nor desire of the knowledge of the ways of God.

this is the cause that howsoever there be meanes and teaching enough, yet men are not gainers by these good occasions and opportunities, which God is pleased to put into their hands. This, I say, is the very reason. Let a Minister presse a man that is somewhat loose in his life, to the performance of good duties, urge him to prayer with his family, to the sanctifying of the Lords day, to leave his swearing, and his vain company, or the like, he will turn the deafe eare to you, and though happily he will not presently flie in the face of the Minister, yet he will slight all that he saith; he for his part hath other ⟨p. 200⟩businesse in hand: no wonder, my brethren, this man profiteth not by the Word, seeing his heart is not set thereunto, seeing he intendeth it not, hath no mind nor desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God.

The last and indeed the main reason why in this last age of the world, wherein the light of the Gospel shineth so bright, yet men sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and remain stark blind in heavenly things, and though waters are hard by us, yet we continue like a dry and thirsty wilderness, is, The corruption of mens hearts, in which they are settled, and in which they are resolved to continue, come what will to the contrary. A settled and secret resolution that harboureth in the souls of men, to maintain some private lust or other, is I say, a special reason why the minds of men are no more enlightened, nor themselves informed in the ways of life and happiness. Mark it, I beseech you; It is a thing that we may easily find to be true in our own experience: The retaining of any private lust, always hinders a man from attaining to saving knowledge. Look how it is with the body of a man, if one have a foul stomach, full of very bad and noisome humours, commonly it breedeth a rheumatic eye, and a sleepy and drowsy head; Just so it is also with the soul; if a mans heart harbour any noisome lusts, if any sinful corruption lodge there, the truth is, it always breeds a blear-eyed judgement, it sendeth up such streams and mists into the understanding as quite dazzleth it, so that it cannot discern the truths of God; and hence it cometh to pass, that the soul being settled on its dregs, speak as long as you will, persuade as much as you can, yet there is no way to prevail, further then God is pleased by a mighty hand, to break open the heart of a man, and to enlighten it, whether he will or no, as a man may say.