Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh… I. THE OLD AND STONY HEART. There are some who tell us that the heart of man by nature is like a sheet of white paper or parchment, that you may inscribe on it whatever you please. We are bound to say, from our experience, this is not the condition of our hearts. We are conscious in ourselves that we were born with inclinations to evil; and that, as the fruit of inward corruption and depravity, our lives have been exceedingly defective and blemished everywhere, and that we have been disobedient to the Lord. The heart is said to be stony, that is, to be hard; and it remains so although we try it by every system, every principle, and every revelation of God, which would be adapted to impress and to make it feel, feel deeply and poignantly, if it were not a stone. Take the stone and bring it out to the light of heaven, and let the sunbeam fall on it — it does not feel; bring it again and let the dews of heaven distil on it, the rain of Divine mercy baptize it, take it to a fountain and let the waters play on it — it is a stone still; carry it into the Garden of Eden, and let all that is lovely there, all that is blooming in that place, created by Divine wisdom and goodness, be presented before it — it is a stone; shiver with lightning, it is a stone still; grind it to powder, it is a stone still — and that is the figure of the heart. It must be changed: God must take away the heart of stone and give the heart of flesh. II. THE CHANGE AND RENOVATION OF THE HEART IS THE WORK OF GOD. 1. We do find, we think, the doctrine in question very strongly stated in this passage: it looks as if God were all in all in this matter. The word I occurs four times. 2. The agency of heaven upon the heart of man is, without doubt, silent and inscrutable, and in many respects mysterious. But then, we ask, is it not equally so in elemental nature — in the world by which we are surrounded — in all the animal tribes — in our own bodies? 3. Throughout Scripture the change in the heart is ascribed to God. 4. This presents to our mind a very beautiful and important view of genuine religion. It is not of man's creation — it is not the product of human genius — it is not that with which we can invest you, or you have any power to invest yourselves. You must receive it as the gift of Divine power — as the operation of Divine love — as the creation of God's mercy. 5. God has promised to exert His power, and to give His Spirit, in order to this end. III. WHEN GOD UNDERTAKES IT, HE MAKES IT NEW AND RENDERS IT ALIVE TO EVERY DIVINE AND CELESTIAL IMPRESSION. But what is the change, what is the new heart which God gives? The man with a new heart will say, in penitence, humility, and shame, "I have broken the law, I have gone astray, I have done what I ought not, I have left undone that which I ought to have done, to me belong shame and confusion of face." There is the heart changed. Bring him to judgments, those which happen round about him, and it will awake him from his slumber, and induce him to trim his lamp, and gird his loins, and to stand ready and prepared for whatever the will of God may be. There is a feeling heart in that man. Bring him to God's mercies, mention them, recount them, let them be enumerated, and he exclaims, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name." I am not worthy the least of them all, and yet He makes them towards me to abound. Bring him to nature, show him the creation, and he will say, "the heavens declare God's glory, and I am glad of it, and the firmaments show forth His handiwork"; and he will recognise Deity everywhere, and in all this. Tell him of God's dispensations towards him in his own life, and he will be thankful for every deliverance that has been wrought, and for every seasonable and remarkable interposition. IV. THE ADVANTAGES AND THE BLESSEDNESS OF THIS RENEWED STATE. 1. In the changed state itself there is incomparable enjoyment. 2. And if we have this change of heart we shall certainly be victorious at the last. We shall find the new nature struggling with the old; the old will grow weaker and weaker, and the new stronger and stronger; but the time draweth near when that which is corrupt and depraved and defiled shall fall of itself and be dropped forever, and the new nature shall be revealed in its refulgence and beauty, not as delinquent to be punished, but as victorious to receive the crown of life. (J. Stratten.) Parallel Verses KJV: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. |
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