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T H E By J O H N.B U N Y A N. L O N D O N, Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. |
[VI. ADVANTAGES THAT A CHRISTIAN GETS BY KEEPING HIS HEART TENDER.]
nd here, as in a fit place, before I go any further, I will show
you some of the advantages that a Christian gets by keeping of his heart tender.
For, as to have a broken heart, is to have an excellent thing, so to keep this broken
heart tender, is also very advantageous.
First. This is the way to maintain in thy soul always a fear of sinning against God.
Christians do not wink at, or give way to sin, until their hearts begin to lose their
tenderness. A tender heart will be affected at the sin of another, much more it will
be afraid of committing of sin itself (2 Kings 22:19).
Second. A tender heart quickly yieldeth to prayer, yea, prompteth to it, puts an
edge and fire into it. We never are backward to prayer until our heart has lost its
tenderness; though then it grows cold, flat, and formal, and so carnal to and in
that holy duty.
Third. A tender hearts has always repentance at hand for the least fault or slip,
or sinful thought that the soul is guilty of. In many things the best offend; but
if a Christian loseth his tenderness, if he says he has his repentance to seek, his
heart is grown hard, has lost that spirit, that kind spirit of repentance, it was
wont to have. Thus it was with the Corinthians; they were decayed, and lost their
tenderness; wherefore their sin, yea, great sins, remained unrepented of (2 Cor 12:20).
Fourth. A tender heart is for receiving often its communion with God, when he that
is hardened, though the seed of grace is in him, will be content to eat, drink, sleep,
wake, and go days without number without him (Isa 17:10; Jer 2:32).
Fifth. A tender heart is a wakeful, watchful heart. It watches against sin in the
soul, sin in the family, sin in the calling, sin in spiritual duties and performances,
&c. It watches against Satan, against the world, against the flesh, &c. But
now, when the heart is not tender, there is sleepiness, unwatchfulness, idleness,
a suffering the heart, the family, and calling to be much defiled, spotted, and blemished
with sin; for a hard heart departs from God, and turns aside in all these things.
Sixth. A tender heart will deny itself, and that in lawful things, and will forbear
even that which may be done, for some Jew, or Gentile, or the church of God, or any
member of it, should be offended, or made weak thereby; whereas the Christian that
is not tender, that has lost his tenderness, is so far off of denying himself in
lawful things, that he will even adventure to meddle in things utterly forbidden,
whoever is offended, grieved, or made weak thereby. For an instance of this, we need
go no further than to the man in the text, who, while he was tender, trembled at
little things; but when his heart was hardened, he could take Bathsheba to satisfy
his lust, and kill her husband to cover his wickedness.
Seventh. A tender heart, I mean, the heart kept tender, preserves from many a blow,
lash, and fatherly chastisement; because it shuns the causes, which is sin, of the
scourging hand of God. 'With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure, but with the froward
thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury' (2 Sam 22:27; Psa 18:25-27).
Many a needless rebuke and wound doth happen to the saints of God through their unwise
behaviour. When I say needless, I mean they are not necessary, but to reclaim us
from our vanities; for we should not feel the smart of them, were it not for our
follies. Hence the afflicted is called a fool, because his folly brings his affliction
upon him. 'Fools, ' says David, 'because of their transgression, and because of their
iniquities, are afflicted' (Psa 107:17). And therefore it is, as was said before,
that he call his sin his foolishness. And again, 'God will speak peace unto his people,
and to his saints; but let them not turn again to folly' (Psa 38:5, 85:8). 'If his
children transgress my laws, then will I visit their transgression with the rod,
and their iniquity with stripes' (Psa 89:30-32).
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