Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 21-24 · Textual commentary 25 – Textual commentary 27
What are the miſtakes about a tender heart?
Firſt, There is a legal tenderneſſe which ariſes from apprehenſion of Gods Soveraignty and Juſtice, and his wrath due unto men for ſin, and their ſinfull practices, whereupon they humble themſelves, mourn, ſigh, weep, pray, and ſo manifeſt ſome tenderneſs of heart; ſuch I conceive was the tenderneſs of Manaſſeh's heart, when he was among thorns, bound in fetters, and in affliction, then he beſought the Lord, humbled himſelf greatly, and prayed, 2 Chron: 33.11, 12, 13. Such tenderneſſe had Judas who repented of what he had done, ſaying, He had ſinned in betraying innocent bloud, Mat: 27.3, 4. Terrours of conſcience put him upon it: This legal tenderneſs is not that here meant. For
1. Apprehenſions of Gods power, juſtice, wrath, fear of death and hell, do never melt the heart. The Law, judgements of God, conſiderations of death and hell may break the ſtony heart into many pieces, yet every piece remain a ſtone, retain its hardnes: when you break a Milſtone or Rock into pieces with an hammer or pick-axe, though broken, yet there is no true ſoftneſs in them.
2. Legal tenderneſſe never loves God, it loves it ſelf, and ſeeks it ſelf; but Evangelical or Spiritual tenderneſs carries out the heart to God and Chriſt. Peter having hardned his heart by denyal of the Lord Jeſus once, twice, and thrice, and then being ſoftned again by a look of Chriſt upon him, Luke 22.61, 62. he loved him dearly, and that it might be known, Chriſt asked him the queſtion, Simon, loveſt thou me more than theſe? he ſaith not, Peter doſt thou love me? but doſt thou love me more than theſe? I know theſe love me much, how ſtands thy heart to me? his anſwer was, Yea, I love thee, and more than theſe do love thee, and thou knoweſt it. A tender heart is ſtrongly in love with Chriſt. Paul after his heart was regenerate and ſoftned, he was ſo in love with Chriſt, that he wiſheth Anathema Maranatha to that man which loves not the Lord Jeſus, 1 Cor: 15.22.
Secondly, There is a naturall fleſhlineſs or tenderneſs which is much in women, and ſometimes alſo in men; as when Joſeph made himſelf known unto his brethren, he wept, it was from a natural tenderneſs in him, Gen. 45.1, 2. Some are by nature very tender and pittyfull; ſuch tenderneſs is not what our Prophet aims at. For
1. This natural tenderneſs is born with men, they bring it with them into the world; the other is a gift, I will give you an heart of fleſh; the one is of nature, the other of grace; Parents procreate the one, God creates the other; the one is from conſtitution, the other from regeneration.
2. Where there is a natural tenderneſs it is flexible both wayes, to good and evill. Rehoboam who was a wicked King, having a tender heart, 2 Chron: 13.7. he was for evill and for good, he hearkned to the young mens ill counſel at one time, and to Shemaiah's good counſel another time, 1 Kings 12.14, 24. he was eaſily drawn this way and that way, like ſome in the Apoſtles time who were carryed about with every wind of Doctrine, Epheſ. 4.14. They were children, they had a natural tenderneſſe in them, and bowed to ſound and corrupt doctrine; but a man that hath the tenderneſs of heart here intended is untractable towards evill, and only flexible unto good, 1 John 3.9. He cannot ſin becauſe he is born of God, his heart is obſtinate againſt ſin, he keeps himſelf from the touching of the wicked one, Chap: 5.18. But is plyable to the will of the holy one, prepared unto every good work, 2 Tim: 2.21.
Thirdly, Natural tenderneſs is faint in the cauſe of God, it hath no courage, no magnanimity for God, but ſpiritual tenderneſs hath. Paul was tender hearted after his converſion, and ſee what a ſpirit he had for God, Acts 17.22, 23. Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too ſuperſtitious, &c. He conteſted with the whole Univerſity of Athens. The Bock of Martyrs tells of Alice Driver (a tender hearted woman) who ſaid, She would ſet her foot againſt the foot of any of them all; ſhe meant the Biſhops and their creatures; ſhe had courage for God and his cauſe.
Fourthly, Natural tenderneſſe is dulled by faſting, prayer, and humiliation, but ſpiritual tenderneſs is ſharpned and quickned by the ſame. Eſther after her faſting, praying, and humbling her ſoule was more ſenſible of the ſtate of the Jews, and the great danger they were in, and ventured her life for them, Eſther 4. & 5. Chap.
Fifthly, Afflictions, croſſes, are very heavy to that heart that is naturally tender, its reſtleſſe, unquiet under them, but an heart ſpiritually tender welcomes afflictions, receives them with joy, Heb. 10.34. and finds ſin heavier then afflictions. There be ſome ſoft natures which can weep, ſhed tears in abundance for loſſe of Relations, Eſtates, Favours of great Ones, yet never wept for ſin; theſe have a natural tenderneſs, not a ſpirituall.
Beſides what may be gathered from what is ſaid, I ſhall give ſome Characters of a tender heart.
Firſt, Its ſenſible of the Churches and Saints afflictions, it mourns for, and with them; a tender heart bleeds when it goes ill with Sion and the people of God. When the men of Ai ſmote but thirty ſix Iſraelites, how was Joſhua affected with it? He rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face, before the Ark of the Lord, untill the even tide, Joſh. 7.6. You may read Pſ. 79. & 80. how greatly David or Aſaph were affected with the deſolation of Jeruſalem, and miſeries befell the Church. Theſe were men of tender hearts, and ſenſible of evils at a diſtance. Such was Paul, 2 Cor: 14.29. and Jeremy, whoſe eyes ran down with tears, becauſe the Lords flock was carryed away captive, Jer: 13.17.
Secondly, Where an heart hath a gracious and ſpiritual tenderneſs, its affected with the periſhing condition of others, it grieves to ſee men impenitent, unbelieving, going on in the broad way, to be in a ſtate of irregeneracy, and pityes them, Rom: 9.2, 3. Paul had great heavineſs, and continual ſorrow in his heart, and why? for his brethren and kinſmen according to the fleſh; they rejected Chriſt and his Goſpel through unbelief and hardneſſe of heart, they were in the broad way to deſtruction. Chriſt ſeeing Jeruſalem inſenſible of her own good, he wept over her, Luke 19.41. And in former times Jeremy had manifeſted the tenderneſs of his heart toward the Jews, when he ſaid unto them thus, Hear ye, and g…ve ear, be not proud; for the Lord hath ſpoken: Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cauſe darkneſſe, and before your feet ſtumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the ſhadow of death, and make it groſſe darkneſſe: but if ye will not hear it, my ſoul ſhall weep in ſecret places for your pride, Jer: 13.15, 16, 17.
Thirdly, A tender heart dare not go out from God in any caſe, but commits it ſelf and way to him, it conſults with God, and leans upon him for counſel and direction. Joſiah, when the Law was found, and he underſtood from it what wrath was due to the breach of it, preſently ſends men to enquire of the Lord for himſelf and others what to do; he took counſel of God, and not of man, 2 Chron: 34.21. So Jehoſhaphat he ſought not to Baalim, but to the Lord God of his fathers; and David made Gods Teſtimonyes his Counſellers, Pſal. 119.24. Hard hearts dare preſume and venture to go out from God, and into wayes he hath not warranted; ſo did Gehazi, Judas and Demas, they followed the imaginations of their own hearts, and declared that their hearts were Braſſe. Thoſe that have hearts of fleſh ſay with them in Iſa: 2.3. Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his paths, not in our own.
Fourthly, Its affected preſently at the frowns and chidings of God, at the appearance and ſhaking of the Rod. A child of a tender nature will melt when the Parent begins to manifeſt diſpleaſure, as to chide or take the Rod into his hand; but its not ſo with a ſtubborn nature, that will hear bitter words, and endure many ſtroaks before it will melt, Jer: 5.3. Thou hast ſtricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction; they have made their faces harder then a rock, they have refuſed to return: Theſe had no tender hearts in them. When Abſolom had driven David out of Jeruſalem, he went up mount Olivet weeping: He was preſently affected with the hand of God, 2 Sam: 15.30. Moſes was preſently affected with the wrath that went out from God againſt the people, Numb: 16.46.
Fifthly, A tender heart feels much ſtonineſſe in it ſelf, and complains of it; O what a ſtony, rocky, Adamantine heart have I! ſaith a tender hearted man: its tenderneſſe diſcovers and feels hardneſſe, Eph: 4.19. They were hardned in ſin, were paſt feeling, Where hearts are all ſtone, there is no ſenſibleneſs of the ſtonyneſs; thoſe have the tendereſt hearts, that feel moſt Braſs and Iron in them. David cryed oft to God for quickning, Pſal: 119.154, 156, 159. Quicken me according to thy Word; Quicken me according to thy judgements; Quicken me according to thy loving kindneſſe. And why did he cry ſo for quickning? becauſe he felt much deadneſs and hardneſs in his heart. A dead heart is an hard heart: A man when dead is cold, ſtiff, and hard; ſo a mans heart, if dead within him, is cold, ſtiff, and ſtony.
How may the heart be kept tender?
Firſt, By taking heed of every ſin, for its only ſin that hardens the heart; as the foot by treading hardens the earth, ſo when ſin walks up and down in the heart it hardens and obdurates the ſame; Dan: 5.20. Nebuchadnezzars mind was hardned in pride; and the Apoſtle tells you, Heb: 3.13. That mens hearts come to be hardned through the deceitfulneſſe of ſin. Men think little ſins can do them little harm; but they harden their hearts, and is that no harm? is that little harm? its the greateſt harm can be done you.
Secondly, By ſearching and examining of your hearts frequently, that is a ſpecial means to keep them tender; its like digging of the Garden, and ploughing of the Earth, which keeps it from hardning; the more digging and ploughing, the more tender and crumbly is the earth, that is the chiefeſt way to preſerve it ſo; and they who are ever ſearching their hearts, examining them daily, have them in a tender frame. David communed oft with his own heart, and his ſpirit made diligent ſearch, Pſal. 77.6. That kept his heart in a tender frame.
Thirdly, By ſtudying the word much and minding it there is great virtue in the word, it's like fire, and will not only thaw the icyneſs of their hearts, but keep them unfrozen; the hardeſt mettals while they are in the Fire are ſoft, and whileſt mens hearts are in the Divine fire of the Scriptures, they will be ſoft. The Word is like Water and Oyl which moiſten and ſupple the heart, ſo that the tenderneſſe of it is preſerved.
Fourthly, By meditating ſeriouſly on Gods love, the heigths, depths, lengths, and breadths of his love. When a ſoul is taken up with thoughts of the freeneſs, greatneſs, ſtrength, ſweetneſs, everlaſtingneſs, and fruits of Gods love, it will be in a melting frame, that fire works kindly upon the heart; love apprehended makes the heart tender.
Fifthly, Look much to Chriſt crucified, Zech: 12.10. When we conſider what Chriſt hath ſuffered for our ſakes, it will make and keep our hearts tender.
Firſt, Obſerve;
A tender heart is a choice mercy.
As a ſtony heart is a grievous plague, ſo an heart of fleſh is a great bleſſing, its ſenſible of ſin, even ſecret ſins, it trembles at thoughts of God, his Attributes and Word, it underſtands divine things, its teachable and obediential, its compaſſionate and full of bowels towards all; ſuch an heart is rare to find, but where-ever it is, it's a mercy of mercies, a ſuperlative mercy.
Secondly, Obſerve;
Its a gift, even the gift of God.
I will give you an heart of fleſh. None but he who can fetch water out of a Rock, and turn ſtones into fleſh, (Mat. 3.9.) can give this tender heart; we can make our hearts ſtony by ſinning, but we cannot ſoften them again. Its Gods prerogative to make and give an heart of fleſh; he can make the hardeſt heart exceeding tender: beg ſuch an heart of him, and preſſe him with his promiſe; For faithfull is he who hath promiſed, who alſo will do it.
Verſ. 27.
And I will put my ſpirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes, and ye ſhall keep my judgements, and do them.
IN the 35. verſe remiſſion of ſins was promiſed, in the 36. regeneration, and in this, infuſion of the ſpirit is promiſed: In the words are
1. The mercy promiſed, viz: the ſpirit.
2. The parties recipient, you.
3. The effects of this reception, walking in &c.