d, and when it is even at the door
next to utter destruction and consumption, he addeth, "If then their
uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they take with the punishment of
sin," &c. We need ask no reason of this, for "bray a fool in a mortar, his
folly will not depart from him," Prov. xxvii. 22. Poor foolish man is a
foolish man, folly is born with him, folly is his name, and so is he. He
hath not so much wisdom as to "hear the voice of the rod, and him that
appointeth it." Poor Ephraim is an undaunted heifer. Nature is a "bullock
unaccustomed with the yoke," and so it is chastised more and more, Jer.
xxxi. 18. Man is like an untamed beast, as the horse, or as the mule.
Threatenings will not do it, "God speaketh once, yea twice, and man
perceiveth it not," Job xxxiii. 14. God instructeth by the word, and men
receive no instruction; all the warnings to flee from the wrath to come
are as so many tales to make children afraid. He saith in his heart, "I
shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my own heart."
Since, therefore, he will not incline his ear to the word, God sendeth his
rod to seal the word, and yet men are so wild that they fight with God's
rods, and will not submit to him; a yoke must be put on Ephraim, a bridle
in men's mouth, Psal. xxxii. 9. They will put God to more pains than
speaking, and it shall cost them more pain; for he that will not be drawn
with the cords of a man, love and entreaties, must be drawn with the cords
of a beast, and yoked in a heavy yoke. Yet men are unruly, and the yoke
groweth the heavier and sorer that they strive to shake it off. An
uncircumcised heart cannot be humbled,--"How can the leopard change his
spots? no more can my people return to me," Jer. xiii. 23. It is strange
that a people so afflicted will not take with the punishment of their
iniquity, but will say in their heart, Wherefore come these things upon
me? But here it is, how can an uncircumcised heart be humbled? God may
beat on men with rods as on a dog, but he will run away from him still the
more, Isa. ix. 13. Nay, it may be there will be more stirring after God,
and more awaking by the first stroke of affliction, than when they are
continued and multiplied. The uncouthness of rods may affect people
something, but when his hand lieth on but a little, custom breedeth
hardness, and more and more alienateth spirits from him.

Now we need no more to seal this truth, but our own experience. I think
never p