Ezekiel 36:26,27; 1 Kings 4:29; Psalm 119:32; 2 Corinthians 6:11-13
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. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): There is an enlargement of the heart that is very dangerous, but this kind of enlargement of the heart is the most healthy thing that can happen to a man.
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): Now what is meant by enlargement of heart?
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): Solomon “had wisdom and understanding, exceeding much,”—a quickness of thought, strength of memory, and clearness of judgment, such as never any man had. It is called “largeness of heart,” for the heart is often put for the intellectual powers. He had a vast compass of knowledge, could take things entire, and had an admirable faculty of laying things together. Or it may be meant of his disposition to do good with his knowledge. He was very free and communicative, had the gift of utterance as well as wisdom.
ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER (1772-1851): The ‘heart’ is the centre of the personal being, from which thoughts as well as affections flow, and the phrase here points to thoughts rather than to affections.
C. H. MACKINTOSH (1820-1896): We are thoroughly convinced the only true breadth of mind, largeness of heart and catholicity of spirit, is to obey the commandments of God.
JOHN CALVIN: In Psalm 119:32, the meaning of David is, that when God shall inspire him with love for His law, he will be vigorous and ready, nay, even steady, so as not to faint in the middle of his course. His words contain an implied admission of the inability of men to make any advancement in well-doing until God enlarge their hearts. No sooner does God expand their hearts, than they are fitted not only for walking, but also for running in the way of His commandments. He reminds us that the proper observance of the law consists not merely in external works—that it demands willing obedience, so that the heart must, to some extent, and in some way, enlarge itself. Not that it has the self-determining power of doing this, but when once its hardness and obstinacy are subdued, it moves freely without being any longer contracted by its own narrowness.
JEREMIAH DYKE (1584-1639): The heart is prepared and enlarged to praises, thanksgiving, and joy in the Lord.
MATTHEW HENRY: God, by His Spirit, enlarges the hearts of His people when He gives them wisdom—for that is called largeness of heart, when he sheds abroad the love of God in the heart, and puts gladness there. The joy of our Lord should be wheels to our obedience.
C. H. SPURGEON: A great heart is a running heart. A little heart goes slowly, but an enlarged heart runs in the way of God’s commandments.
THE EDITOR: “Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee,” Isaiah 60:5. Its context speaks of the Gentiles coming to Christ. What of this text?
MATTHEW POOLE (1624-1679): Fear doth properly contract the heart, therefore this expression intimates it to be a fear mixed with such an affection as will dilate it.
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): The prophet signifies that this wonderful increase of the church shall excite in the minds of the pious the different affectations both of fear and joy. Thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged—shall fear the Lord and His goodness, and be enlarged with love to Him, His truths and ordinances, and His people.
MATTHEW HENRY: When God intends the beauty and prosperity of His church He gives this largeness of heart and an extensive charity.
ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER: Before conversion, the soul is sordidly selfish, but no sooner does this change take place than the heart begins to be enlarged with an expansive benevolence. The whole world is embraced in its charity. “Good will to man” is a remarkable characteristic of the “new creature;” and this intense desire for the salvation of our fellow-men, and ardent wish that they may all become interested in that Saviour whom we have found to be so precious, is the true source of the missionary spirit.
THOMAS GOODWIN (1600-1679): And what is the effect of it?
ADAM CLARKE (1760-1832): The apostle Paul was full of the Spirit of love.
HENRY SCOUGAL (1650-1678): A soul thus possessed with divine love must need be enlarged toward all mankind, in a sincere and unbounded affection, because of the relation they have to God being His creatures, and having something of His image stamped upon them.
ROBERT HAWKER (1753-1827): An enlarged heart of affection to the whole body of Christ, could not but show itself, in suitable terms, of the warmest desires for their welfare.
MATTHEW HENRY: Because Paul’s heart was thus enlarged with love to them, therefore he opened his mouth so freely to them in kind admonitions and exhortations.
JOHN WESLEY (1703-1791): Our mouth is opened toward you, with uncommon freedom, because our heart is enlarged—in tenderness.
THOMAS COKE (1747-1814): We may take largeness of heart for grandeur of soul, magnanimity, generosity, liberality.
RICHARD SIBBES (1577-1635): Let us remember that grace is increased, in the exercise of it, not by virtue of the exercise itself, but as Christ by His Spirit flows into the soul and brings us nearer to Himself, the fountain, so instilling such comfort that the heart is further enlarged. The heart of a Christian is Christ’s garden, and His graces are as so many sweet spices and flowers, when His Spirit blows upon them, send forth a sweet savour. Therefore keep the soul open to entertain the Holy Ghost.
THOMAS MANTON (1620-1677): What is the reason we are so dumb and tongue-tied in prayer? Because our heart is so barren.
JOHN FLAVEL (1630-1691): In all your approaches to God, beg and plead hard with Him for the manifestations of His love, and further communications of His grace.
MARTYN LLOYD-JONES (1899-1981): The Spirit helps our infirmities. He teaches us how to pray and leads us out in prayer; He enlarges us in prayer.
JOHN FLAVEL: The wants of the body enrich the soul, outward straightenings are the occasions of inward enlargements. “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress,” Psalm 4:1.
C. H. SPURGEON: Suffering enlarges the heart by creating the power to sympathize. If we pray eagerly for ourselves, we shall not long be able to forget our fellow-sufferers.
THE EDITOR: God uses various means to enlarge our hearts, as He did with David in his distress. An enlargement of heart is a gift from God, as it was to Solomon. It gives us greater love for God, a willing obedience to His commandments, and joy, thanksgiving, and full-hearted praise to God, along with a freeness of communication in our prayer; all of which increases our affection for our brethren in Christ. And Paul’s heart-felt exhortation to the Corinthians is made equally to us: “Be ye also enlarged.”
WILLIAM JAY (1769-1853): Let us therefore enlarge our desires and our hopes, and seek to be filled with all the fulness of God.
C. H. SPURGEON: Oh, for a heart full of love to God; and then to have that heart made larger, so as to hold more of God’s love! Lord, enlarge my heart in that sense! Let me feel at home and at liberty with Thee.
