How to Recover a Tender Heart
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. -Heb. 3:13
How will men recover themselves when their hearts are subject to hardness, deadness, and insensibleness?
(1) As when things are cold, we bring them to the fire to heat and melt, so we bring our cold hearts to the fire of the love of Christ. Consider our sin is against Christ, and Christ's love towards us; dwell upon this meditation. Think what great love Christ has showed to 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) If you would have a tender and melting heart, then use the means; be always under the sunshine of the gospel; and help one another. Physicians love not to give medicine 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 burn within us while he talked with us?' said the two disciples, holding communion with each other at Emmaus (Luke 24:32). Christ says, 'Where two or three are met together in his name, he is in the midst of them' (Matt. 18:20). Where two hold communion, there Christ will make a third. David could not recover himself but needed Nathan to help him (2 Sam. 12:7). Therefore, if we would recover ourselves from hard and insensible hearts, let us use the help of one another.
(3) We must with boldness and reverence challenge the covenant of grace; for this is the covenant that God has made with us, to give us tender hearts, hearts of flesh, as Ezekiel 11:19 says, 'I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; 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 has made let us challenge him with his promise and go to him by prayer. Entreat him to give you a fleshly heart; go to him, wait his time, for that is the best time. These are the means to bring tenderness of heart.
(1) As when things are cold, we bring them to the fire to heat and melt, so we bring our cold hearts to the fire of the love of Christ. Consider our sin is against Christ, and Christ's love towards us; dwell upon this meditation. Think what great love Christ has showed to 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) If you would have a tender and melting heart, then use the means; be always under the sunshine of the gospel; and help one another. Physicians love not to give medicine 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 burn within us while he talked with us?' said the two disciples, holding communion with each other at Emmaus (Luke 24:32). Christ says, 'Where two or three are met together in his name, he is in the midst of them' (Matt. 18:20). Where two hold communion, there Christ will make a third. David could not recover himself but needed Nathan to help him (2 Sam. 12:7). Therefore, if we would recover ourselves from hard and insensible hearts, let us use the help of one another.
(3) We must with boldness and reverence challenge the covenant of grace; for this is the covenant that God has made with us, to give us tender hearts, hearts of flesh, as Ezekiel 11:19 says, 'I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; 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 has made let us challenge him with his promise and go to him by prayer. Entreat him to give you a fleshly heart; go to him, wait his time, for that is the best time. These are the means to bring tenderness of heart.
Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Josiah's Reformation, pp. 35-37 [27-28]
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.
Josiah's Reformation, pp. 35-37 [27-28]
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.
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