Now by a hard heart, is plainly meant
an unaffected heart, or a heart not easy
to be moved with virtuous affections,
like a stone, insensible, stupid, unmoved,
and hard to be impressed.
... We read in Scripture of a hard heart,
and a tender heart; and doubtless
we are to understand these, as contrary
the one to the other. But what is a
tender heart, but a heart which is easily
impressed with what ought to affect
it? God commends Josiah, because his
heart was tender; and it is evident by
those things which are mentioned as
expressions and evidences of this tenderness
of heart, that by his heart being tender
is meant, his heart being easily moved
with religious and pious affection:
2 Kings 22:19, "Because thine heart was
tender, and thou hast humbled thyself
before the Lord, when thou heardest what I
spake against this place, and against
the inhabitants thereof, that they should
become a desolation and a curse, and hast
rent thy clothes, and wept before me, I
also have heard thee, saith the Lord."
And this is one thing, wherein it is
necessary we should "become as little
children, in order to our entering into
the kingdom of God," even that we should
have our hearts tender, and easily
affected and moved in spiritual and
divine things, as little children have
in other things. --Jonathan Edwards
Long with me today for a
tender heart toward God and
toward His bruised and
needy creation.
Jonathan Edwards
religious affections
tenderness
compassion
revival
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