Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 21-24 · Textual commentary 23
And I will give you an heart of fleſh.
The heart of fleſh is oppoſed to the ſtony heart, and it implyes ſeveral things which are conſiderable: As
Firſt, Softneſſe, tenderneſſe; a ſtony heart is hard, but an heart of fleſh is tender and ſoft. The Scripture ſpeaks of a ſoft tongue, Prov: 25.15. and of a ſoft heart, Job 23.16. that is, an heart free from ſtonyneſſe and obduration. Some fleſh is brawny and hard, ſome very tender, as the fleſh of thoſe mentioned Deut: 28.56. The heart of fleſh is an heart like the tendereſt fleſh, even the fleſh of a child new-born.
Secondly, Senſibleneſs. Some fleſh is ſo hardned as that it feels nothing, & ſome is ſo tender its ſenſible of the leaſt touch. The drunkards fleſh felt not the ſtripes when he was beaten, Pro: 3.35. but Joſiahs heart was ſenſible of the anger of God, when he heard the Law only read, 2 Chr: 34. Chriſts heart was tender & ſenſible of our infirmities, he was touched with the feeling of them, Heb: 4.15. the leaſt infirmity he was affected with, for he had an heart of fleſh, an heart without any ſtonyneſs at all in it, and where an heart of fleſh is, its ſenſible of the leaſt ſin, the leaſt diſhonour to God; vain thoughts, riſings of corruption, extravagancy of affections, all ſins are burdenſome to it; the man of ſuch an heart hath his ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern between good and evill, Heb: 5.14.
Thirdly, Meltingneſs. A ſtony heart never melts, but an heart of fleſh is of a melting nature. Joſiahs heart was not only affected with the Law read, but melted alſo into tears, 2 Kings 22.19. His heart was tender, and he humbled himſelf before the Lord. So David, Pſal. 22.14. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midſt of my bowels; how did it melt after Nathan had told him of his ſin! Pſal: 51. ſo after his numbring of the people, 2 Sam: 24.17. Peters heart was of this nature, for after Chriſt looked upon him, he went out and wept bitterly, Luke 22.62. Such were their hearts, Ezek: 9.4. who ſighed and cryed for all the abominations which were done in the midſt of Jeruſalem. An heart of fleſh melts and mourns that God is diſhonoured by others, but moſt of all that he hath been diſhonoured by him in whom it is; that man that hath an heart of fleſh ſheds moſt tears for the wrongs himſelf hath done unto God, Luke 15.18, 19.
Fourthly, Teachableneſſe. A ſtony heart is indocible, inflexible, it repels and keeps out truths, but an heart of fleſh admits and receives truths, it is yielding and teachable. When Lydiacs hard heart was turned into fleſh, Acts 16.14. ſhe attended unto the things which were ſpoken by the Apoſtle, ſhe received them, and believed them; ſhe was a good Scholar, and conſtrained her Teachers to come and abide at her houſe, that ſhe might learn more of them, verſ. 15. Paul no ſooner had his heart of ſtone made fleſh, but he manifeſted a teachableneſſe in himſelf, Acts 9.6. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? I am a blind Phariſee, and have been all my dayes out of the way; I deſire now to learn, and to be taught of thee whom I ignorantly blaſphemed. David ſhut not his eyes againſt the light, as many hard-hearted perſons do, he prayed, That the Lord would open his eyes that he might behold wonderous things out of the Law; He was oft begging of God to teach him, O teach me the way of thy ſtatutes, and I ſhall keep it unto the end, Pſal. 119.18.33. He was willing to ſee, to hear, and to do, Pſal: 110.3. Thy people ſhall be willing in the day of thy power. When the ſtony heart is removed, and an heart of fleſh put in the room of it, that is a day of power, and then the people ſo hearted are willing to hear the Lord ſpeak, to underſtand his counſels, and to reſolve their wills into Gods, ſo that his will is theirs.
Cor carneum quod ante ad alterius arbitratum fingitur.Fifthly, Obedientialneſſe. A ſtony heart is refractory, contradictory, diſobedient, but a fleſhy heart is yielding and obediential, it is Cor ſequari, an heart which follows God, as Eliſha followed Elijah, virtue went out of the mantle and conſtrained him to do ſo, and the virtue gone out from God into an heart of fleſh prevails with it, and cauſeth it to follow God, to yield obedience unto him. Caleb had another ſpirit then the reſt of the Jews had, and he followed the Lord fully, Numb: 14.24. His ſpirit was not obſtinate but obediential, and where-ever this heart of fleſh is, it is ſo far from being contentious againſt the truth, or with-holding the truth in unrighteouſneſs, as that it obeys the truth heartily, Rom: 6.17.