Ans. I answer. Easily, by applying of the soul unto objects, as 1, to God ; 2, to his word ; 3, to his works ; 4, to man.
We may try our tenderness and pliableness of heart these four ways :
1. To God. As it is tender from God, so it is tender for God ; for the three persons of the Trinity. He that hath a tender heart cannot endure to dishonour God himself, or to hear others dishonour him, either by his own sins or by others.' He cannot endure to hear God's name blasphemed. So that they have a tender heart Vt'ho when they see Christ in his religion to be wronged, cannot choose but be aftected with it. So again, a man hath a tender heart when he yields to the motions of the Holy Ghost. When the Spirit moves, and he yields, this shews there is a tender heart. But a hard heart beats back all, and as a stone to the hammer, will not yield to any motion of God's Spirit.
2. Now, in the second place, to come downward, a tender heart is sen- sible in regard of the icord of God; as, first, at the threatenings a true tender heart will tremble, as Isa. Ixvi. 2, ' To him will I look, even to him that is of a contrite and broken spirit, and trembleth at my words.' A man that hath a tender heart will tremble at the signs of the anger of God : ' Shall the lion roar, and the beasts of the forest not be afraid ? '
* That is, ' couscieutious.' — G.
40 TUE TENDER HEART.
Amos iii. 4. Yes, they will stand still and tremble at the roaring of the lion ; but much more will a tender heart tremble when God roars, and threatens vengeance. A tender heart will tremble when it hears of the terrors of the Lord at the day of judgment, as Paul did : ' Now knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men,' 2 Cor. v. 11. It forced him to be faithful in his ollice. This use the apostle Peter would have us make of it : 2 Pet. iii. 11, * That seeing all these things must be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godli- ness ? ' And so for the promises in the word. The heart is tender when the word of God doth rejoice a man above all things. How can the heart but melt at God's promises, for they are the sweetest things that can be. Therefore when a tender heart hears God's promises, it makes him to melt and be sensible of them. Again, a tender heart will be pliable to any direction in the word. To God's call it will answer, * Here I am ;' Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? As Isaiah, when he had once a tender heart, then ' Send me, Lord,' Isa. vi. 8. So David to God's command, * Seek ye my face,' answers, * Thy face, Lord, will I seek,' Ps. xxvii. 8. There is a gracious echo of the soul to God in whatsoever he saith in his word. And thus a true, tender heart doth yield to the word of God, and is fit to run on any errand.
3. Thirdly, By applying it to the works of God ; for a tender heart quakes when it doth see the judgment of God abroad upon others. It hastens to make his peace with God, and to meet him by repentance. So again, a tender heart rejoiceth at the mercy of God, for it cloth see something in it better than the thing itself; and that is the love of God, from which it doth proceed.
4. Fourthly, A man may know his heart to be tender and sensible, in regard of the estate of others, ivhether they he good or had. If they be wicked, he hath a tender heart for them ; as David, Ps. cxix. 136, ' Mine eyes gush out with rivers of water, because men keep not thy law.' So Paul saith, ' There are many that Nvalk inordinately, of whom I have told you before, and now tell you weeping,' &c., Phil. iii. 18. So Christ was sensible of the misery of Jerusalem, wept for it, and a little while after, shed his own blood for it. Mat. xxiii. 37. Thus had he a tender heart. But when Christ looked to God's decree, he saith, ' Father, I thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and noble, and hast revealed them unto babes,' Mat. xi. 25. And so like- wise for those that are good, in giving and forgiving ; in giving, they give not only the thing, but they give their hearts and affections with it ; and so in forgiving, they apprehend Christ's love in forgiving them ; therefore they forgive others. So for works, will God have a tender heart to do any- thing, it will do it. If he will have it mourn, it will mourn ; if to rejoice, it will rejoice ; it is fit for every good work. By these marks we may know whether we have tender hearts or no.