Parallels.

A Rock is a barren and fruitless Place; what will grow upon a Rock? So the Hearts of wicked Men are barren and unfruitful to God; they bring forth no spiritual Fruit to him.

II. Rain cannot enter nor soak into a Rock, but as it falls, so it glides off, and runs away: So the spiritual Rain of Heaven, viz. God's Word, tho it falls never so powerfully upon ungodly Men, it will not enter into their Hearts: My Word hath no place in you, saith Christ, &c. Good Doctrine, and heavenly Counsel glides off of these spiritual Rocks, like Rain from a Rock, or high Mountain.

III. Rocks and Stones are naturally rough, and unfit for use, until they are hewed and squared, &c. So the Hearts of wicked Men are naturally rough, and unfit for any spiritual use, until they are hewed by the Ax and Hammer of the Word:* I have hewed them by the Prophets.

IV. A little thing will not break a hard Stone, or a flinty Rock, &c. So a little Matter will not break a stony or rocky-hearted Sinner; God strikes often, and strikes hard, gives many a Blow upon their Hearts, by his Word, and by his Spirit, and some∣times by Afflictions, before their Hearts will yield, or break in pieces.

V. He that will break a Rock in pieces, or hew Stones to make them fit for use, must have a meet and convenient Instrument: So God makes use of a right and fit Instrument to break in pieces the hard and rocky Hearts of ungodly Men, viz. his blessed Word, in the hand of the Spirit: Is not my Word like a Hammer,* that breaks the Rock in pieces?

VI. A Man many times employs Workmen to break a Rock, and hew Stones: So God employs his Ministers, as Work-men in his hand, to break these spiritual Rocks, and hew these rough and ragged Stones, to make them fit to lay in his spiritual Buil∣ding: I have hewed them by the Prophets.*

VII. Seed that falls upon a Rock, or stony Place, tho it doth spring up, it soon withereth away, (if the Fowls of Heaven do not pick it up): So the Word of God, if it be sown upon stony and rocky-hearted Sinners, tho it may seem to spring up, yet it soon withers for want of Root. They believe for a while,* but in time of Temptation fall away.

Inferences.

NO marvel Ministers Work is so hard and laborious, they are God's Stone-cutters, or Rock-hewers; nay, and it fares worse with them than with other Work-men, that work in Stone-Pits, or hew Stones, they labour all Day, and go home at Night, and come again in the Morning, and find their Work as they left it: But God's Workmen hew, and take pains, and leave their People, and come again, and find them worse than before, their Hearts many times growing more hard and obdurate, &c.

II. Let not Ministers notwithstanding all this be discouraged, for they know not but at last God may set a Word home that may do the Business, and make the hard-hearted Sinner tremble, and cry out, as they did, Acts 2.36. Men and Brethren, what shall we do?

Quest. But some may say, From whence doth it arise, or what is the Cause of this spiri∣tual Hardness that is in the Hearts of Men.

Answ. 1. Naturally the Sinner's Heart is hard, and like a Rock; we all brought a flinty and churlish Nature into the World with us; such is the Effect of original Sin.

2. There is also an acquired Hardness. Pharaoh hardned his own Heart; and the Prophet saith,* They have made their Hearts as an Adamant-Stone.

3. There is a judiciary Hardness of Heart, which is inflicted by God as a Judg. Men harden their own Hearts against God, and God at length resolves they shall be hard indeed; and therefore he withdraws the common Influences of his Grace from them, and deprives them of all gracious means of softning. And when all these three meet together in a Man,* he is irrecov•rably hard and sinful, His Neck is an Iron Sinew, and his Brow brass.

4. A Man is hardned in his Sin gradually; and as he grows harder and harder, so nearer and nearer to eternal Ruine. (1.) He takes leave to meditate on Sin, he rolls it up and down in his Thoughts as it were; a hard Heart lets vain Thoughts dwell in it. (2.) He takes some Tastes of the Pleasure and Delight of Sin, it seems to him as a sweet Morsel under his Tongue; and this is a Sign of a further degree of Hardness. (3.) The third Step is, Custom in sinning; it argues great Boldness to venture often. (4.) And then in the next place, he defends and maintains his Sin, he has got some Plea or Argument for it, he is an Advocate for Sin. (5.) He is angry with them, and secretly hates them in his Heart, that reprove him for his Sin, or ad∣vise him against such and such wicked Ways. (6.) He grows soon after this Consci∣ence-proof, and Sermon-proof, nay, and Judgment-proof too; he neither fears Rod nor Sword; a Stone will yield as soon as he. (7.) He after this sits down in the Seat of the Scorner, derides and reproaches the Law, and mocks at approaching Judg∣ments, like the Sodomites. (8.) And at last becomes a Persecutor of them that are godly, like cursed Pharaoh, &c.

Quest. What are the Signs of a hard Heart?

Answ. 1. When many Blows will not break it, nor make the Heart yield. Not∣withstanding God lays on hard and heavy Strokes by his Word, by Conscience, and by Judgments, yet nothing works remorse.

2. When that Word or Sermon which wrought powerfully upon another Person, works not at all upon thee.

3. When the divine Rain of the Word glides off of thy Heart, and will not remain or abide with thee, 'tis a Sign thy Heart is hard.

4. When thou art neither troubled for thy own Sins, nor troubled for the Sins of others.

5. When thine own Miseries, the Miseries of the Saints, and the Distresses of Sion, do not melt thee, nor work Compassion in thy Soul: Tho God is dishonoured, his Right and Sovereignty invaded, and Ruine seems to be at the Door, yet thou art not troubled at any of these things.