522 of the Stony Heart, andHeart offelb. SI e T, X, bathan heart of fella. David: heart when it began tobe flony and fenfelefs, fee howwillfully he falls from one in to another; whereas ifhis heart had been as tender as at other times, the veryentranceand appearance of would have amazed him. As it is the natureof fin to harden, and tomake obflinate, fo of grace tomollifie and folten : Now there is always in everycondition; in every occurrence of providence, fomething that would fliffen the heart againtt God, were not grace a continual thawer of theheart by the heat thereof : If there- fore thou wouldfl be prefervedfrom thofe fad falls, and wretched backflidings, which others have been tumbled into, Keep up this heart of flefh; Oh it could never be that thou wouldlt entertain fuch monfirous Doetrines, or do firth unjuflifiablepraaices, if thy heart were of flefh No, it is of Reel and iron, of a rock, or adamant, and that makes thee bold to commit fuck fins; which tender godly perlons have their hearts ake ar, and their ears tingle to hear. a. Secondly, As this tender heart of{left preferveth from fin So ,from the cen_ fegueots, and the wofuleffeef:ofit; which are woes, wounds ofconfcience, hor- ror of heart, darknefs and glootninefsof foul, fad tears, left God had: for ever forfaken them ; the lofs of all their former fweet peaceand communion they had with God : Oh 1 Godof a graciousfather,is now becomea frowning ene- my; their hearts are made like an hell, wherein legions of fad unbelieving thoughts do conflantly, lodge : This is the portion of thofe godly men, who by negligence, carelefnefs,and hardnels of heart, come to fall off from their former meafureof holinels : Oh but a tender heartof Ada, as it prevents the caufe of thefe, fo the effeftslikewife; it will keepthee from this roaringLyon : So that as foon as ever thou findeft this foft heart abating in thee, do thou then fear forne grievous form may becoming on thee, if God prevent nor. 3 Thirdly, Without a tender heart of fiefh, a man cannot perform any Religious duty, in an acceptable manner to God: pral er without this heart of Beth, is like a dry unfavory herb; hearingof the word, if it comenot from an heartthus foftned, is but defperate boldnefs againfi God, and fo an immediate provocati- on of his anger. Hence a broken heart is preferred above all facrifices, Pfal.y i. aboveall outward worfhip; they are the body, this is the foul ; they mutt not be negleeted , but this is the Benjamin, without whom, we mutt not fee Gods face : Ob then as thou dareft not but pray, and hear, and come to Church, fo alto be as much afraid, left thofe duties be done without an heart of fleth. .¡< Fourthly, A tender heart of fle/bisaccompaniedWith patience, under theforeff afflifiions, and tbankfnlnefr under the hall mercies: What a fudden tempeft and whirlwind of afThdions fell upon lob; andjot in all that he did notcharge God foolißly, Job r.ult. but reproved his impatient wife with this frying, Shall We receive good, and not evilfrom the Lord ? And as for thankfulnefs under the leaft mercies, fee how the Church in the Lamentations can tafle a little honey in an oceanof gall ; Its of the Lordsmercy that We arenot confirmed, Lain.3,22. and fo the womanof Canaan, acknowledgeth her felf a dog, and is gladof the crums that fall from the table, Mats 5.37. Now what a lovely and comely fight is this; to fee a Chriflian patient under the greateft trouble, and thankful under the leaf mercies I and there is nothingwill bring the heart to this admirable tem- per, but the fulfilling of this promife. $, Lathy, This tender heart of fief, is the only fitfoil, Wherein the Word ofGod fown, will grow up, andbring a plentiful crop : For as theyfay of the foul, Anima fabricar fibidomicilium, The foul fafhioneth and prepareth the body, for it felf to dwell in ; asthe Spider makes her own web, wherein fhe refides: Thus the word of God at flrtt makesthe heart of hard and forty, flethy and foft, which when done, then is the heart ever afterwards a fit room to receive chis fpiritual guett : So that the wordnever thriveth or profpers, in refpeet of the progrefs
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