But to apply this ; how is this afiection of Josiah in the hearts of men in these days ? How many have melting hearts when they hear God blasphemed, and the religion of Christ wronged ? How few are there that yield to the motions of the Spirit ! We may take up a wonderful complaint of the hardness of men's hearts in these days, who never tremble at the word of God. Neither his promises, nor threatenings, nor commands will melt their hearts ; but this is certain, that they which are not better under religion, by the means of grace, are much the worse. And how sensible are we of the church's miseries ? For a tender heart is
THE TENDER HEART. 41
sensible of the miseries of the church, as being members of the same body, whereof Christ is the head. But men now-a-days are so far from melting hearts, that they want natural affection, as Paul foretells of such in the latter times, 1 Tim. iv. 1. They have less bowels of pity in them, when they hear how it goes with the church abroad, than very pagans and heathens. This shews they have no tender hearts, that they are not knit to Christ by faith, who is the head ; nor to the church, the body, in love. How is thy heart afiected to men when they commit any sin against God, as idolaters, swearers, drunkards, liars, and the like ? Is it mercy to let these go on in their sins towards hell ? No, this is cruelty ; but mercy is to be shewed unto them, in restraining men fi'om their wicked courses. Therefore do not think thou shewest mercy unto them by letting them alone in sin, but exhort and instruct them. Coldness and deadness is a spiritual disease in these days. But surely they that have the Spirit of God warming their hearts, are sensible of their own good and ill, and of the good and ill of the time. Well, if you will know you have a tender heart, look to God, look to his word, to his works, to yourselves, and others ; and so you shall know whether you have tender hearts or not.
Quest. But here may be another question asked. How shall men recover themselves, when they are subject to this hardness, deadness, and insen- sibleness ? If after examination a man find himself to be thus, how shall he recover himself out of this estate. I answer,
Ans. 1. First, As when things are cold we bring them to the fire to heat and melt, so bri)ir/ ice our cold hearts to the fire of tlie love of Christ ; consider we of our sins against Christ, and of Christ's love towards, us ; dwell upon this meditation. Think what great love Christ hath shewed unto us, and how little we have deserved, and this will make our hearts to melt, and be as pliable as wax before the sun.
2. Secondly, If thou wilt have this tender and melting heart, then use the means; be always under the sunshine of the gospel. Be under God's sun- shine, that he may melt thy heart ; be constant in good means ; and help one another. ' We must provoke one another daily, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,' Heb. iii. 13. Physicians love not to give physic to themselves. So a man is not always fit to help himself when he is not right ; but good company is fit to do it. ' Did not our hearts bm'n within us while he talked with us ? ' said the two disciples, holding communion each with other at Emmaus, Liike xxiv. 32. For then Christ comes and makes a third, joins with them, and so makes their hearts burn within them. So Christ saith, ' Where two or three are met together in his name, he is in the midst of them,' Mat. xviii. 20. Now they were under the pro- mise, therefore he afibrds his presence. Where two hold communion together, there Christ will make a third. Therefore let us use the help of others, seeing David could not recover himself, being a prophet, but he must have a Nathan to help him, 2 Sam. xii. 7. Therefore if we would recover our- selves from hard and insensible hearts, let us use the help one of another.
3. Thirdly, We must with boldness and reverence challenge the covenant of grace; for this is the covenant that God hath made with us, to give us tender hearts, hearts of flesh, as Ezek. xi. 19, ' I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within their bowels ; I will take away the stony hearts out of their bodies, and I will give them a heart of flesh. Now seeing this is a covenant God hath made, to give us fleshly hearts and to take away our stony, let us challenge him with his promise, and go to him b}^ prayer. Entreat him to give thee a fleshly heart ; go to him, wait his time, for that
42
THE TENDER HEART.
is the best time. Therefore wait though he do uot hear at first. These are the mcaus to bring tenderness of heart.
Now, that ye may be stirred up to this duty, namely, to get a soft and tender heart, mark here,