Hebrews are all found in a place with the sea before them, and great mountains on each side. Their being so pent up, encourageth Pharaoh and his host. The sea is ere long divided for Israel; the waves stand as walls on each side, the people pass through as on dry land. Why should not the sea, might he think, make way for me as well as for them? The prey is now in view, let go this one opportunity, they are gone for If the waves stand up but a while longer (as they have done a good while already) the day is ours. They pass on, and perish.

ever.

$7. V. By way of tradition to Satan. Who although he have not any power of enforcing, yet hath a notable slight of persuading, and by this means of hardening.* No doubt but Pharaoh being deluded by the magicians, who were suffered to counterfeit the same miracles which Moses did, was thereby hardened through the operation of Satan. We read of an evil Spirit from God troubling Saul, and after that of many hardhearted pranks by him played, such as never were before and," of the devil's having put into Judas's heart to betray Christ," after which he was restless till he had done it; as they must needs go, our Proverb saith, whom the devil drives. It is strange how that man's spirit declined into further, and yet further degrees of hardness; but less strange if we consider that

Non habet potentiam cogendi, sed astutiam suadendi.
+ John xiii. 2.

+ 1 Samuel xvi, 15.

the devil was entered into him. Judas was first a cunning dissembler; the disciples suspected themselves as soon as him, and therefore said, Master, is it I? Afterward a secret thief; for he bare the bag and filched; then a bold traitor, What will ye give? and hail Master. In the conclusion, a desperate self-murderer, as the most interpreters judge, in making away with himself.

VI. By way of delivering men up to their own lusts. Hear God of his own people." "My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own heart's lusts; and they walked in their own counsels ;"* how much more is this true of God's enemies? Pharaoh by name. See how these three lusts of his, idolatry, ambition, and covetousness concurred to the making of him so hard-hearted towards God; so hard to be prevailed with by Moses. As an idolater, he was loth to receive a message from the God of Israel, whom he knew not. "Who is the Lord, said he, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?, I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."t As an ambitious prince it went to his heart to have Moses control him in his own dominions, and to admit the commands of any superior Lord, Thus saith the Lord, "Let my people go," was as fire to his bones, and enraged him, who would not hear of any lord over that peo

ple but himself. As a covetous man, he was loth to have so fat a collop cut off his flank, to hear of parting with a people by whose pains in making bricks he had such daily comings in.

VII. By way of infliction and penalty. One sin is often made the punishment of another, and hardness the punishment of many sins oft reiterated. "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail, and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants."* The harder they were, the more they sinned, and the more they sinned, the harder they became. Affected hardness is frequently followed with inflicted hardness. Men by customary sinning "make their hearts as an adamant stone,"+ (so the phrase is in Zechariah) of which it is said,

Incidit gemmas, sed non inciditur ipse;
Hircino tantum sanguine mollis erit.

That is,

It cuts all stones; itself is cut of none;
It softened is by blood of goats alone.

Unregenerate persons of hard hearts usually grieve

their godly friends, who are cut at the heart to see their obstinacy, as "Christ grieved for the Pharisees' hardness." At non inciditur ipse. But such a one cannot heartily grieve for himself.

• Exodus ix. 34.
+ Zechariah vii. 12.
+ Mark v. 5.

His heart till it come to be steeped in the blood of Christ, who is that Scape-goat in Leviticus, relenteth not, or not to purpose. It were easy to add much more; but I shall now shut up all concerning this proposition, God hardeneth, with the saying of Hugo de sancto Victore concerning that, "God willeth evil. This is irksome to the ear, and a pious mind doth not easily receive it; but the reason is not because what is said is not well said, but because what is well enough said is not half well understood.*

EXERCITATION IV.

Objections against, and Corollaries from the foregoing propositions. The least things provided for. Luther's admonition to Melancthon. Maximilian's address. Pliny's unbelief. The Psalmist's stumble at the prosperity of the wicked. His recovery by considering it was not full, and was not to be final. The superintendency of Providence over military and civil affairs in particular. The Church's afflictions. Promises cautioned. Duty of casting care upon God. He no author of sin. The attestation of this state, and of this writer.

§ 1. Two things are still remaining, viz. Ob

Grave est auditu, et non facile recipit hoc pia mens: non quia quod dicitur non bene dicitur, sed quia quod bene dicitur non bene intelligitur. Hugo de S. Victor. lib. 1. de sacram. part 4. cap. 12.

jections against, and corollaries from the forementioned propositions: to which in their order. Objection against the first. Some think the extending of divine Providence to all created beings, how mean soever, unsuitable to the perfection of God, whom, they say, it doth not become to stoop so low. Epicurus is cited by Lactantius, as speaking to this purpose, and after him Horace.*

Answ. They speak like heathens, not knowing the Scripture, nor the power of God. The Psalinist speaks otherwise," Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high? Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in earth. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dung-hill. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, to be a joyful mother of children.”† Of his care and providence it is believed and asserted by divines, that it is neither deceived nor tired, and that as the greatest things do not overburden it, so the least things do not escape it.‡ That assertion of our Saviour to his disciples is most express. "Are not five "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten be

Ex hoc Deus beatus est quia nihil curat, neque habet ipse negotium, neque alteri exhibet. Lactant. de ira Dei cap. 4. Credat Judæus Apella. Non ego, namque Deos didici securum agere ævum. Hor.

+ Psalm cxiii. v. 5, 6, 7, 8.

Providentia Dei nec fallitur, nec fatigatur. Eam nec magna onerant, nec parva effugiunt. Molin. Enod. quæst. page 23.