Thirdly. An hard Heart is an Insensible one; an Heart that has no Sense, either of Blows given to it, or of Loads lying on it. A Man has the Blows of the Divine Wrath given to him. An hard Heart keeps him Insensible of the Blows. He is Afflicted, but he is not Amended. He is Incorrigible under his Affliction. The Rod is employed upon him; and yet his Foolishness departs not from him. After his Chastisements, he is as Carnal, as Worldly, as Profane, as he was before. Tho' his Estate be broken, his ⟨p. 13⟩Heart is not broken. He meets with Losses one after another; but he has his Heart as much set upon the World as ever it was, and he maintains as little Communion with God as ever he did. It may be said of many People, This People do not Return to him that Smites them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts. Is not such an Heart, harder than a Rock? 'Tis verily so! A Rock yielded Water, when smitten with the Rod of God and of Moses. Here is a Rock that yields not one Tear of Repentance, tho' the Rod of God hath smitten it! We read, Jer. V. 3. O Lord, Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction▪ They have made their Faces harder than a Rock; They have refused to return. The Man that gets no Good by the Calamities inflicted on him; one who does neither Discern the Hand of God, nor Answer the End of God, in Calamitous Dispensations; write upon •im, This Man has a very hard Heart ⟨p. 14⟩within him. Again; A Man has the Loads of his own Guilt lying upon him. An hard Heart keeps him Insensible of the Loads. The Curse of the Law, is enough to break the Stoniest Rock upon the Face of the Earth. Yea, He that is the Rock of Ages, becoming a Surety for us, when the Curse fell upon Him, He cried out, Oh! Let it pass from me; 'Tis Insupportable! The Sinner is under the Curse; and he complains not of it. He is yet in his Sins; and yet he does not cry out, My Iniquities are an heavy Burden, too heavy for me! O! 'Tis an hard Heart that can lye under unpardoned Sin, and never •ay to Heart, the Sin, and the Folly, and the Danger of it. We read of such a thing as that; 1 Tim. IV. 2. A Conscience Seared with an hot Iron. The Heart has now a prodigious hardness upon it. A Man can Sin, and fall into no Remorse, no Sorrow for the Sin. He can go on in Sin, and be wholly unconcerned, tho' he remain unreconciled unto God.
Thirdly. An hard Heart is an In•ensible one; an Heart that has no Sense, either of Blows given to it, or of Loads lying on it. A Man has the Blows of the Divine Wrath given to him. An hard Heart keeps him Insensible of the Blows. He is Afflicted, but he is not Amended. He is Incorrigible under his Affliction. The Rod is employ'd upon him; and yet his Foolishness departs not from him. After his Chastisements, he is as Carnal, as Worldly, as Profane, as he was before. Tho' his Estate be broken, his ⟨p. 13⟩Heart is not broken. He meets with Losses one after another; but he has his Heart as much set upon the World as ever it was, and he maintains as little Communion with God as ever he did. It may be said of many People, This People do not Return to him that Smites them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts. Is not such an Heart, harder than a Rock? 'Tis verily so! A Rock yielded Water, when smitten with the Rod of God and of Moses. Here is a Rock that yields not one Tear of Repentance, tho' the Rod of God hath smitten it! We read, Jer. V. 3. O Lord, Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction▪ They have made their Faces harder than a Rock; They have refused to return. The Man that gets no Good by the Calamities inflicted on him; one who does neither Discern the Hand of God, nor Answer the End of God, in Calamitous Dispensations; write upon •im, This Man has a very hard Heart ⟨p. 14⟩within him. Again; A Man has the Loads of his own Guilt lying upon him. An hard Heart keeps him Insensible of the Loads. The Curse of the Law, is enough to break the Stoniest Rock upon the Face of the Earth. Yea, He that is the Rock of Ages, becoming a Surety for us, when the Curse fell upon Him, He cried out, Oh! Let it pass from me; 'Tis Insupportable! The Sinner is under the Curse; and he complains not of it. He is yet in his Sins; and yet he does not cry out, My Iniquities are an heavy Burden, too heavy for me! O! 'Tis an hard Heart that can lye under unpardon'd Sin, and never •ay to Heart, the Sin, and the Folly, and the Danger of it. We read of such a thing as that; 1 Tim. IV. 2. A Conscience Seared with an hot Iron. The Heart has now a prodigious hardness upon it. A Man can Sin, and fall into no Remorse, no Sorrow for the Sin. He can go on in Sin, and be wholly unconcern'd, tho' he remain unreconciled unto God.
