Works, Part 4 · Letter 4
A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART.
I Beseech GOD, the Father of IESVS CHRIST, to giuegive mee his good spirit; in writing to giuegive aduice, and you in reading to receiue it, Amen.
Since the time that I receiued M. S. Letter, wherein he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate: I hauehave beene not a little grieued, because partly for want of a conuenient messenger, and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrences, and other waightie affaires, I hauehave beene hindred from writing hitherto vntounto you. And albeit euen still I bee in the same case, yet conscience towards GOD, and louelove and compassion towards you, forceth mee to ouercome lets, which hardly I could otherwayes preuaile against. And albeit I cannot speakeIn temptations striue to stand in faith and not to yeeld to the aduersarie. as I would, yet of that which I shall write (proceeding from the forenamed grounds) I looke for some blessing of God through Iesus Christ, if you wil not too much faint in faith, and yeeld to the aduersarie: yea if you will but hope so well of your selfe as (in the feare of God I write it) I hope of you. First, whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued, because you taried not stil at Cambridge according to mine aduise, you must know I aduised it not as a thing necessarie, but more conuenient, as I then supposed, but I aduised you to obey your father, if his pleasure still continued to hauehave you home: whereunto you yeelded, I cannot see how you offend, it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe. And who knoweth whether being there you might not hauehave beene as much troubled, there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases? And who knoweth whether it bee the Lords pleasure, for the example and instruction (and I hope the consolation) of others in the end? And albeit you will now thinke that here you were neerer the moe and stronger meanes, yet knowe you and bee perswaded, that God can and doth in suchOur corruptiō desires & delights in the meanes we cannot hauehave. cases worke by fewer and weaker, according to his good pleasure. Besides, it is in our corrupt nature to make much of such as we cannot hauehave, and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vsus, as we should. I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ, humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in merciemercy vntounto you, & to vse them in faith accordingly; and so God shall blesse you by them. And then by such conference as you may hauehave from hence by letters, wherein if I may stand you in any stead, rather for the good opinion you hauehave of mee, than for any great matter I am able to performe, I shall be readie to offer any office of louelove vntounto you, as God shall enable mee; and so farre forthBlindnes of mind & hard nes of heart. Many false perswasions come to the weak for wāt of sound iudgement. as I shall bee at any time instructed in your particular estate in some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers. That which I perceieue presently by M. S. Letter is, that you are afflicted with the blindnesse of your minde, and hardnes of your heart, which cannot bee moued either with the promises of Gods mercies, or feare of his iudgements; nor affected with the louelove and delight of the things which bee good, nor with the hatred and loathing of the euill. Great cause you hauehave of griefe I confesse; but no cause of despaire dare I graunt: because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false; partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate, and partly for some defect of faith, somewhat through your owne default▪ First, therefore knowe you for a certaintie that this is no other tentation than such as diuers of Gods children hauehave beene humbled with, and afterward hauehave had a good issue out of it: and if it please God to mooue you to credit me, I my selfe hauehave knowne others, as deepely this way plunged as you can be. Remember therefore,1. Cor. 10 13. that God is faithfull, and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare. And yet further to confirme you herein, the holie Scriptures doe record, that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people: in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably complaineth: O Lord, looke downe from heauen, behold from the dwelling place Esay. 63. 15.of thy holinesse, and of the glorie. Where is thy zeale and thy strength, the multitude of thy mercies, and of thy compassions? They are restrained from mee. And afterwards: O Lord, why hast thou made vsus to erre from thy wayes, and hardened our hearts from thy feare? And in the next Chapter, verse 6. Wee hauehave beene all as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnesse is as filthie clouts: and we all doe fade as a leafe, and our iniquities as the winde doe take vsus away: and there is none that calleth vponupon thy name, neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold on thee: for thou hast hid thy face from vsus, and hast consumed vsus, because of our iniquities. And before: Wee grope for the wall like the blinde, and we grope as one without eyes, we roare like Beares, and mourne Esay, 59. 10. Esay. 38. 14. Psal. 51. 10.like Doues. So complaineth Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule. Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter. I did mourne as a Doue. And when Dauid crieth: Create in m…e, O God, a cleane heart, renue in me a right spirit: Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation, establish mee with thy free spirit: Doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane, his spirite crooked, the ioy ofThe feelings of the faithfull in temptation lost. his saluation lost, and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage? So that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption, hee could neither crie Abba Father, nor hauehave any power against sinne? Thus you see how Gods children may be blinded in minde, and hardened in heart for a time, so that they feele in themselues the grace of the holie Spirit, to bee as it were perished and dead.Two kinds of hardnes of heart.
Further, to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this case (because I know it may much distresse you) you must vnderstand that there be two kinds of hardnes of heart: the one, which is not felt nor perceiued; the other, perceiued and felt: and of the former, that1 Not perceiued, nor felt. there be two sorts, the first (which is most fearfull) when anie doe purposely resist the motions of Gods spirit, and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation; of which the Prophet2. Perceiued, and felt. Zacharie speaketh, 7. 11. They refused to hearken, and pulled away their shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare: yea, they made their hearts as an Adamant stone, least they B. of 2. sorts.should heare the Lawe, and the words which the Lord of Hostes sent in his spirit, by the ministerie of 1. of purpose, to resist good motions.the former Prophets. The outragious sinne of these men, the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes: Wee hauehave made a couenant with Death, and with Hell wee are at agreement: though a scourge runne ouer and passe through, it shall not come at vsus: for we hauehave 2. Securely & negligētly, to lie in sinne.made falshood our refuge, and vnderunder vanitie are we hidden. This was a fearfull estate indeed, yet for all that no man can say, but some of these hauing hardened their hearts, might bee, and were afterward conuerted. The other kinde of hardnes of heart, which is not felt, nor perceiued,*or discerned or if perceiued, yet not felt; (which albeit it is lesse fearfull, yet it is dāgerous enough)The second kind of hardnes of heart not felt. is in such, as although they wilfullie resist not Gods spirite in good meanes; yet securely, carelesly, and willinglie they lie in sinne without any remorse of it, or true taste of good things. Such was Dauid his estate for the space of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet came to reprooue him, and rouze him from his lulled sleepe. Both these kindes I am perswadedNote the difference between perceiued & felt. you are free from; otherwise then in temptations Sathan may somtimes moue you thereunto. The other kind of hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt, is of two sorts; the one in them which are desirous of meanes, whereby they may be relieued, although they doe finde small or no ease at all in themselues for a time.2. kinde of hardnes, perceiued & felt is of two sorts.
Of this kinde the Prophet Esay (in the name of some of Gods people) complained. And such was Dauids state. After that Nathan had reproued him, and Gods spirit beganne to worke with him, yet hee crieth out (as yee heard before) of the losse of Gods graces: and when hee saith, that God will accept of no Sacrifices, bee they neuer so manie, nor precious without a contrite heart and broken spirit; he sheweth, that for a time (euen afterEsay, 63. the Prophet had reproued him) hee wanted both. This is your case, and therefore you a in the state of saluation. For Dauid was in this case, euen after he had confessed his sin, and had receiued absolution and pardon from God, by the ministerie of Nathan; althoughA troubled conscience perswaded his sinne is pardonable, but yet not feeling it is pardoned, yet it may be God hath pardoned it, as we see in Dauid. he neuer felt ioy thereof, nor true griefe for the other: yet because in trueth of heart he confessed his sinne (as my trust is you doe) and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by Gods mercy, (although he was farre off from the feeling of it, or applying it to his wofull conscience) his state was good and very well to be hoped of. And you must know to be perswaded, that those things which are written of Gods Saints, and namely of Dauid and Peter, and such others, are examples for vsus, if we will stay our selues vponupon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants, and waite vponupon the Lords good time, till he come neerer vntounto vsus by his spirit: neerer I say, for he is come alreadie vntounto you; or it may be he neuer went from you: because to be grieued and humbled with blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart, to beleeue certainely the truth of Gods promises in generall, and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation, and to long after the comforts, vsing the meanes of the word and prayer, the Sacraments of the Supper, and the company of Gods children, contrarie to hope, vnderunder hope, yea without any present feeling: all this is a certaine argument, that Gods spirit is with such, and therefore with you. This estate although it be very grieuous, yet it is neuer dangerous, much lesse is it fearefull: vnlesse any be so wilfull, that they perseuere and continueSatan driues the faithfull in their teptations to be weary of yea sometimes to refuse the meanes. desperate refusing all good meanes: vnlesse they perseuere I say, for that through the spirituall aduersarie, and his forcible power, whereby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate, they are so bewitched and intoxicated, that they are carried by violent force of temptation, to waxe wearie of, or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits: yea, almost to hauehave no desire at all vntounto them, yea sometimes to speake very euill of them: but all this is but temptation, and therefore God will be mercifull vntounto them, for Christs sake.
Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth, and wished to be strangled, Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord: both scarcely abstaine from blasphemie. Dauid mooued with the spirit of ambition (though dutifull admonished) wilfully went on in numbring the people. Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength, being most wisely and effectually preadmonished of his weakenes euen by our Lord Iesus, yet wittingly rushing as a horse into the battaile, euen then very cowardly yeeldeth, yea doubly denieth, yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold cord, and fasteneth it with bannings and cursings: and yet for all these he obtained merciemercy most bountifully. For why? as Sathan had desired to winnow them, so our Lord Iesus prayed for them, that their faith, though it was vehemently assaulted, yet should not be ouercome; although it was bartered, yet that it should not be destroyed; and though it was oppressed, yet that it should not be extinguished. And here be you fully perswaded, that albeit Luke 22. 31. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter▪ viz. I hauehave praied The prayer of Christ belongeth to vsus as well as to the Apostles. 10. 17.for thee that thy faith should not faile; yet he prayed for the rest of the Apostles, yea, for all the faithfull. For first he saith not; Simon, Satan hath desired to winnow thee, but you: Why then saith he, I hauehave praied for thee? Verily because he should more grieuously offend than the rest (although their offence was very great) therefore his & our most blessed Sauiour applied to him the promise, but did not appropriate it vntounto him onelyonly, and restraine it from the rest. Compare with this place, Iohn. 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth, that he prayed not onelyonly for the Apostles, but for all those that should beleeue Heb 13.through their word: yea further, Our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday, is to day, and shall be for euer. And as the forefathers were baptized into him, & did eate his flesh, and did drinke his blood; so was his prayer effectuall euen to them vnderunder the law, much more to vsus vnderunder grace. And when you can finde testimonie in your heart, that when you would doe well,Rom. 7. euill is present with you, and that you doe the euill you would not; then do not you it, but sinne in you, when it leadeth you captiue: much more when Sathan workes withall buffetting2. Cor. 1. 23. you, assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you, that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weakenes. If you beleeue, according to your faith it shal be done vntounto you. But you will say, you cannot beleeue that this vile & crocked hardnes of your heart can be remitted and renewed: and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse. I beseech you, & I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirit, or to your selfe who hath receiued it. Tell mee, what is the reason why you thinke you hauehave no faith? Verely because you hauehave no feeling, nor any other fruites thereof, as you thinke. Well, first then agree with me herein (as you must, if you will not disagree with the truth) that feeling is but an effect and fruit of faith; and therefore there may be faith without feeling, as well as the cause may bee without the effect, and theThere may be faith with out feeling. tree without any appearance of fruite, yea of sappe for a season. And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew, and to his owne iudgement and feeling: so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Satan, and diseased by the present feeling of his sinfull corruptions, specially in temptations; that he may thinke, yea appeare to others, that the life of the spirit is not in him. Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile (as you hauehave heard) or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not. Thus when Dauid declared that his heart was vncleane, or hisPsal. 51. 3. 10. Vers. 11. Vers. 12. spirit crooked or vnstable, and that he had lost the ioy of his saluation, and the spirit of libertie or adoption, yet hee prayeth, that God would not take his holy spirit from him: therefore he was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification.
Here seemeth to be repugnance, but there is not any: hee was depriued indeede for a time of the graces of the sanctifying spirit, but not of the holy Ghost wherwith he was sanctified: which graces, as God restored vntounto him, so I am perswaded he will doe vntounto you. Yea, and I doubt whether you are depriued of them; but onelyonly that partly Melancholie,Sathan and melancholie disquiet afflicted soules. partly Satan working therewith, make you doe iniurie to your selfe, and to the graces of the spirt, in you: which I beseech you to take heede of.
But the messenger cannot stay, and therefore I cannot write as I would, either of this, or of the remedie which you should vse; which hereafter I will, as God shall enable me: and I pray you let me vnderstand (as I requested in the beginning) of your estate in particular somewhat more, and that by this bearer if you can, because he is of your acquaintance, and will bring it to me faithfully. OnelyOnly I adde now vntounto that I hauehave written of hardnesse of heart at large, that you must diligently obserue the word Create, which Dauid vseth, declaringPsal. 51. Esay. 17. 19. that he had no feeling of hart. To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God: I create the fruite of the lips to be peace, peace as well to him that is farre off, as to him that is neere. Therefore in faith you may as well pray, with hope to obtaine, as did Dauid: therefore say with him often, and with Gods people; O Lord, thou art our Father, we indeede are clay, but thou art our maker, and wee are the worke of thy hands, &c. Know also, God can cause Wolues, Lyons, Leopards, &c. to dwell louingly with Lambes,Esay. 11. 6. Calues, and Kids, &c. and that which is vnpossible to men is possible with God, euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye; that is, to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man, much more yours: yea, know you that all things are possible to him which beleeueth. Crie then, I beleeue, O Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe, and I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you shal hauehave your hearts desire in goodnes. Thus abruptly I must ende, I commend you to God and the word of his grace, which is able to build you vp, and giuegive you the right of inheritance among them that are sanctified. And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout, that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is he which hath called you, which will doe it. Amen. I pray you pray for me, and I trust as I hauehave, so shall I pray for you, and much more.
Yours in Christ Iesus, to vse in any neede, R. GREENHAM.