A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Hardening of the Heart.

There is a Hardening of a man's heart by himselfe, which is a sin, and not a punishment; as that of Pharaoh, which is spoken of Exod. 9. 34. And there is a Hardening, which is the effect of sinne, and not the reward; as past feeling in a man's hand, is an effect of putting it into the fire too often: (such as that which the Author to the Hebrews bids us beware of, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne, cap. 3. 13) But the hardening, which I meane, is that, which is inflicted by God, as a punishment; which the Scripture often mentions.

With this punishment have been punish∣ed:

1 Pharaoh. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them, Exod. 7. 13. according as he had said, he would before, vers. 3. See chap. 9. 12. chap. 10. 1.

2 Sihon King of Heshbon, who refused to let the Israelites passe thorow his country. For the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, Deut. 2. 30.

3 The rest of the Heathen, who most obstinately refused to make peace with the Israelites, all except the Hivites of Gibeon. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battell Josh. 11. 20.

4 The Jewes themselves. Goe, and tell this people, heare ye indeed, but understand not, see yee indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people* 1.1 fat, and their eares heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed, Isaiah 6. 9, 10. Heare yee indeed] as if he had said, You have not beene willing to heare hitherto: henceforward, therefore, heare as much as you will (as you shall be sure to have

enough* 1.2 spoken to you, according as he speaks to Jeremy c. 7, 27.) But you shall not be able to believe, or understand. The words of the first verse might seeme to be a prophecie on∣ly of a Sinne, and not a threat of a punish∣ment: because, in the Latin translation you have for, understand not, non intelligetis, which may be rendred, Ye will not under∣stand; and our Saviour citing this place cals it a Prophecie. But (to say nothing, that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 prophecie, is of farre larger signification, then barely foretelling of a thing to come) the translation of the Se••∣tuagint, the quotation* 1.3 of Matthew, and Luke, (Mat. 13, 14. Act. 28. 26.) and the Latine translation it selfe in the next verse, speake the contrary. for though the Sep∣tuagint seeme to have made that verse a complaint of a Sinne, translating 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is waxen fat, (with whom those agree who take the Hebrew word in the Infinitive mood, understanding the preposition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) yet doth that translation, and the Chal∣dee Paraph. agree with ours, to read the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rather in the Imperative mood. and I believe the Septuagint also may well enough be interpretted of a punishment, or an act of God's, thus, The heart of this people is now grown fat; or, I have made it fat: and therefore, if they heare never so much, they can∣not

understand. Besides, John in his Gospel brings in our Saviour citing the Prophet, as if he had peremptorily said cōcerning God, He hath blinded their eyes, & hardened* 1.4 their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understād with their hearts, & be cōverted, & I should heale them, Joh. 12. 40. And there∣fore, in the verse before, he said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they Could not believe. So that, as I said before, for being unwilling to hear, they were made unable to believe. Theophylact follow∣ing Chrysostome (who was overmuch addi∣cted to the opinion of Free will) hath para∣phrased it, noluerunt, they were not willing (to believe.) Which indeed is true too, for (as Be∣za saith) at•• adeo haec est propinqua increduli∣tatis ipsorum causa, their unwillingnesse was the immediate cause of their not believing sed altius ascendit Evangelista but the Evange∣list (saith he) goes higher, & names a more remote cause, viz. Their inability to turn their stubborne wills▪ for (saith he) reprobates, as they are not willing to believe, so are they not able to be willing. To conclude, What the Prophet saith, and what the Septuagint say; and so what Matthew, and Luke say, and what S. John saith, agree all well enough in this, viz. that there was in the Jewes both a hardening by themselves, complained of, as the desert; and a hardening by God, threa∣tened

and inflicted, as a reward. Because they 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, shut their eyes, when they had their sight; God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, blinded their eyes, so that they had not their sight, when their eyes were open: because, as Matthew (sayes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, their eares were dull of hearing; there∣fore, as John sayes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he hardened their heart, so that what they heard, came in at one eare, and went out at the other.

The Jewes were threatned with this pu∣nishment in Isaiah's time; they lay under it, in our Saviours time, and in Paul's time: and so they have ever since, till our times. But as they neither did, nor doe lye un∣der it all of them, so they shall not alwayes. for, as Paul sayes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 blindnesse hath happened to Israel, but in part. Ro. 11. 25. In part] Whether it be meant, for some TIME; so that the words follow∣ing (viz. till the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in) shall be exegeticall to expound these: or, to some MEN; so that the blindnesse happening thus in part, (whereby there came to be, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a diminution of believers among the Jewes, as it is v. 12.) shall be op∣posed to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or, fulnesse of the Gentiles, when they shall be all converted. For when the Jews see this, it shall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

(as the Apostle's words are,) so exceedingly provoke them, that for meere emulation, they shall come in, and have their fulnesse too, (as it is vers. 38.) and never be rejected any more. So that what seemes to be spoken to the Gentiles, may be applyed al∣so to the Jews, in regard of rejection & re∣stauration, viz. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer, Isaiah 54. 8.

There are diverse other places of Scrip∣ture that mention this punishment, as, Isa: 63. 17. Rom: 1. 24. &c: More also might be spoken concerning the manner of God's punishing men therewith, and his justice therein; but these waters are so deep, that (unlesse I were taller) if I should venture to goe further, I should either be drown'd, and do nothing, or be forced to swimme, & doe it superficially. I will hasten out, with the words of the Apostle, (whether it be Jew or Gentile, and whether it be this Gentile, or that Gentile) God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, Rom: 9. 18.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Being Fat, and waxing Fat, is of∣ten used in Scripture, to expresse of bruitish use of pro∣sperity, only for the pam∣pering of the body, whereby men become as unfit, and unwil∣ling to serve God, as beasts are to run, or draw in the yoake, when they have beene suffered to lye too long idle, and are growne unwieldy and wanton. See Deut. 32. 15. and chap. 31. 20. Psal. 119. 70. Jer. 50. 11.
• * 1.2

  Hearing yee shall heare: is an Hebraisme, for hear••ng much: as the Jewes did, (espe∣cially when Christ him∣selfe was come) more then any o∣ther people in the world.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  As it it had beene 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Isaiah.