.Book IV. A N H E A R T o P' F L E S H. 755 IL Some Men love their L iberty, and they may have Liberty enough; bur fuch may be their Liberty, that it may prove, as one well obfcrves, their Mifery_. To keep in the Compafs of God's Commands, ts the beft L tberty of all; as Da'Vtd pro– feffeth, 'TheJI _/hall [ha-ve Libert)', when I keep all th)' Commandments. Other Liberty will mofl: cenainly bring us imo Straits, and ruin us, if we do not take heed, and re– turn unro God. Many want Elbow-room, and would fain get out of God's Limits; though fuc h may at prefent have .Peace, yet mark well their End. It is a fearful Judgment to be left to wander. IlL Prize Chri!lian Society then, and account it your Mtrcy, that you are not as a Lamb in a large Place; and improve the Mercy you now enjoy, left God bring that heavy Judgment upon you, to break and fi::atrer you, as many have been in Days pall, .and made to feek their Bread in a howling Wildernrfs. THE HEART OF A SAINT COMPARE D ;ro A HEART Of FLESH. And I will giw them a Heart of Flejh, &c. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. -I. A Heart of Flefh i• a tender Thing; every fmall Prick will make it bleed: So every Sin, nay, the fmalleft Sin will offend, "nd make:. tender-hearted Chrif– tian cry out, much more a great Sin. H . A Heart of Flcfh is a foft Heart ; the Philoforhers Defcription of a loft Thing is, that it eafi!y gives VVar ro a Touch: So a true Chriftian, a rc:nder-heaned Chrij.:. .rian will yield to God's Word, to his Reproofs, to his Comnunds, &c. Lay your Finger upon a Stone, and that yields not ; bllt lay your I· inger upon Flefh, and that will yield: So will a Saint. Jojiab's Heart melted, when the Law of God was read to him; his Heart gave way and yielded to God's Word, and trembled at the Judgments denounced ; he bad a Heart of Flefh, a tender and loft Heart, 2 Ki>tgs xxii. 19. Ill. A Hean of Flefh cannot bear a great VI'eight, a heavy Burden will crufn and mar it exceedingly. L ay ever io great a \iVeighr upon a Srone, and that will bear it; you cannot crufh that, nor n1ake the lea[t ImprdTion in ir, what V\'eight ,foever )Oll lay upon it: But a Heart of Fldh, or that which is of a foft Sub!lance, is of another Nature; a VI/eight will bruife, crulb, and mar it imrnediarely. So .a tender– ·hearred Chri!lian canner bear the \¥eight of Sin; he feels the Burden fo heavy, that he is lorely crufhed down and opprcffed under the Guilt thereof, and grievoufly bruifed. Thos it was with David, I am fore broken, I am bowed down greatly,.&c. Pjal. xxxviii. IV. A Heart of Flefl1, I mean a living Hearr, for it is fuch a one of ·which the Text fpeaks , is a fenCtble Heart : So a tender-hearted Chriftian, or a Man or W oman that hath a Hearr of Flefh, is very feniible. Such are fenfible of their Vilenefs, and "loath themfel ves before the Lord, cannot bear the Thoughts of God's D ifpleafure; it goes to their very Heart, to think that ,the holy and infinite God 1hould be difpleafed and offended with them : They are feniible of their own Sorrows, and of the Sorrows and Miferies of others. A tender-hearted Perfon will g rieve for the Affiic1ions of his Brethren and Sifters; if his Mother, or any dear Relation be diftrelfed, and in great Mifery, 0 how len!ible is he of it, and how !Otely troubled and difq uieted in his Spi– rit! And thus it i• with a tender-hearted S•int; 0 how is he g rieved for the diftreffed Saints, and for di!lreffed Sio11! &c. V. A Heart of Flelh, i. e. a tender Heart, will take any Imprdlion you pleafe : So a tender-hearted Chri!lian will take any lmpreffion from God: 'He is like W ax melted, that wtll take the Impreffion of the Seal. They are ready to take the Stamp of the Word. the Image of God, which is Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs. The Spirit and Word of God .can mould thefe Heart-s into any l"orm or Faihion God _pleaferh, &c. -SA INT S
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