THE Bruised Reed, and Smoaking Flax. (1)

MATT. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall be not breake, and smoking Flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgement into victorie.

THE Prophet Esay being lifted up, and caried with the wing of propheticall spirit, passeth over all the

time betweene him, and the appearing of IESVS CHRIST in the flesh, and seeth with the eye of prophesie, and with the eye of faith, CHRIST as present, and presenteth him in the name of GOD to the spirituall eye of others, in these words, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, &c. which place is alledged by Saint Matthew, as fulfilled now in CHRIST. Wherein is propounded,

First, The calling of CHRIST to his office:

Secondly, The execution of it.

For his Calling: GOD

stileth him here his righteous

servant, &c. CHRIST was GODS servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was; a chosen, and a choice servant: hee did and suffered all by commission from the Father: Wherein we may see the sweet love of GOD to us, that counts the work of our salvation by Christ his greatest service. And that he will put his onely beloved Son to that service. He might well prefixe [Behold] to raise up our thoughts to the highest pitch of attention and admiration. In time of temptation, misgiving

consciences looke so much to the present trouble they are in, that they need bee rouzed up to behold him in whom they may finde rest for their distressed soules: In temptations it is safest to behold nothing but CHRIST, the true brazen Serpent, the true Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World: this saving object hath a speciall influence of comfort into the soule, especially if we looke not onely on CHRIST, but upon the Fathers authority and love in him. For in all that CHRIST did and suffered as Mediator, wee must see

GOD in him reconciling the World unto himselfe.

What a support to our Faith is this; That GOD the Father, the party offended by our sinnes, is so well pleased with the worke of Redemption? And what a comfort is this, that seeing GODS love resteth on CHRIST, as well pleased in him; we may gather that hee is as well pleased with us, if we be in Christ. For his love resteth in whole CHRIST, in Christ mysticall, as well as Christ naturall, because hee loveth him and us with one love. Let us therefore imbrace CHRIST, and in

him GODS love, and build our faith safely on such a Saviour, that is furnished with so high a Commission.

See here (for our comfort) a sweet agreement of all three persons: The Father giveth a cōmission to Christ: The Spirit furnisheth, and sanctifieth to it: CHRIST himselfe executeth the office of a Mediatour. Our Redemption is founded upon the joynt agreement of all three persons of the Trinitie.

For the execution of this his calling, it is set downe here to be modest,

without making a noise, or raising dust by any pō pous comming, as Princes use to doe: [his voyce shall not be heard:] his voyce indeed was heard, but what voyce? Come vnto me all

yee, that are weary and heavy laden &c, he cryed, but how? H[gap] every one that

thirsteth, come &c. And as his comming was modest, so it was mild, which is set downe in these words The bruised Reed shall he not breake, &c. wherein wee may observe these three things.

First, the condition of those that CHRIST had to deale withall. 1, They

were bruised Reedes. 2, smoaking Flax.

Secondly, CHRISTS carriage towards them he brake not the bruised Reed, nor quenched the smoaking Flax: where more is meant, them spoken; sor hee will not onely not breake the bruised Reed, nor quench &c. But hee will cherish them.

Thirdly, the constancie and progresse of this his tender care, untill Iudgement come to victory, that is, untill the sanctified frame of grace begunne in their hearts, be brought to that perfection, that it prevaileth over all opposite

corruption. For the first, the condition of men, whom hee was to deale withall, is that they were bruised Reeds, and smoaking Flax, not Trees, but Reeds; and not whole but bruised Reeds. The Church is compared to weake things; to a Dove amongst the fowles; to a Vine amongst the Plants; to Sheepe amongst the beasts; to a Woman, which is the weaker vessell: and here GODS Children are compared to bruised Reeds, and smoaking Flax. And first we will speake of them as they are bruised

Reeds, and then as smoaking flax. They are bruised reeds before their conversion, and often times after: Before Conversion all (except such as being bred up in the Church, GOD hath delighted to shew himselfe gracious vnto from their Child-hood) yet in different degrees, as GOD seeth meete; and as difference is in regard of temper, parts, manner of life, &c. so GODS intendment of imployment for the time to come: for usually hee empties such of themselves, and makes them nothing, before hee

will use them in any great services.

This bruised reed is a man, that for the most part is in some miserie, as those were, that came to Christ for help, and 2, by miserie, brought to see sinne the cause of it; for whatsoever pretences sinne maketh, yet bruising or breaking is the end of it: 3, hee is sensible of sinne, and miserie, even unto bruising, and 4, seeing no helpe in himselfe, is carried with restlesse desire to have supplie from another with some hope, which a little raiseth him out of himselfe to Christ;

though hee dareth not claime any present interest of mercy. This sparke of hope being opposed by doubtings, and feares rising from Corruption, maketh him, as smoaking flax, so that both these together, A bruised reed and smoaking flax, make up the state of a poore distressed man, such an one, our Saviour Christ termeth Poore in spirit, Math. 5. who seeth a want, & withall seeth himselfe indebted to divine Iustice, & no meanes of [gap]uppie frō himselfe or the Creature, and thereupon mournes, and upon some hope of mercy

from the promise, & exā ples of those that have obtained mercy is stirred up to hunger, & thirst after it.

This bruising is required before conuersion, that so the spirit may make way for it selfe into the heart, by levelling all proud high thoughts, and that wee may understand our selves to be, what indeed we are by nature: we love to wander from our selves, and to be strangers at home, till GOD bruiseth us by one Crosse, or other, and then wee bethinke our selves, and come home to our selves with the Prodigall.

A marvellous hard thing it is, to bring a dull, and a shifting heart to cry with feeling for mercy. Our hearts (like malefactors) untill they be beaten from all shifts, never cry for the mercy of the Iudge. Againe, this bruising maketh us set a high price upon CHRIST, the Gospell is the Gospell indeed then, then the fig-leaves of morality will doe us no good: and it maketh us more thankefull, and from thankefulnesse more fruitfull in our lives; For what maketh many so cold, and barren, but that bruising for sinne never indeered

Gods Grace unto them. Likewise this dealing of God doth establish us the more in his wayes, having had knockes and bruisings in our owne wayes. This is the cause oft, of relapses, & apostasies, because men never smarted for sinne at the first, they were not long enough under the lash of the Law. Hence this inferiour work of the Spirit, in bringing downe high thoughts, is necessary before conversion. And for the most part, the Holy Spirit to further the worke of conviction, ioyneth some afflictiō, which sanctified, hath a healing

purging power.

Nay, after Conversion wee neede bruising, that reedes may know themselves to be reedes, & not Oakes; Even Reedes need bruising by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see, that we live by mercy, and that weaker Christians may not be too much discouraged, when they see stronger shaken and bruised. Thus Peter was bruised, when he wept bitterly; This Reed, til he met with this bruise, had more wind in him, then pith. Though all forsake thee, I will not,

&c.

The people of God cannot be without these examples. The Heroicall deeds of those great worthies comfort the Church not so much, as their falls and bruises doe.

Thus David was bruised, until he came to a free confession without guile of spirit: nay, his sorrowes did rise in his owne feeling, unto the exquisite paine of breaking of bones,

Psalm. 51. Thus Hezekiah complaines, that God had broken his bones as a Lion. Thus the Chosen vessell S. Paul needed the messenger of Satan to buffet him, lest hee should bee lifted

up above measure.

Hence wee learne, that wee must not passe too harsh judgment upon our selves, or others, when God doth exercise us with bruising upon bruising; There must bee a conformitie to our head Christ, who was bruised for us; that wee may know how much wee are bound unto him. Profane spirits ignorant of Gods wayes in bringing his children to Heaven, censure broken hearted Christians for desperate persons, when as GOD is about a gratious good worke with them. It is no easie matter to bring

a man from Nature to Grace, and from Grace to Glory; so unyeelding, and untractable are our hearts.

The second point is, That Christ will not breake the bruised Reed; Physitians, though they put their Patients to much paine, yet they will not destroy nature, but raise it up by degrees; Surgeons will launce and cut, but not dismember; A mother that hath a sicke, and froward Child, will not therfore cast it away; and shall there bee more mercy in the streame, then in the spring? shall wee thinke

there is more mercy in our selves, then in GOD, who planteth the affection of mercy in us? But for further declaration of Christs mercy to all bruised Reedes: Consider the comfortable relations hee hath taken upon him of Husband, Shepherd, Brother, &c. which hee will discharge to the utmost; for shall others by his grace fulfill what hee calleth them unto, and not he that out of his love hath taken upon him these relations, so throughly founded upon his fathers assignement, and his owne voluntary undertaking? Consider

his borrowed Names from the mildest Creatures, as Lambe, Henne, &c. to shew his tender care: Consider his very name Iesus, a Saviour, givē him by GOD himselfe: Consider his Office, answerable to his name; wch is that he should heale the broken hearted, Esay. 61. 1. At his Baptisme the Holy Ghost sate on him in the shape of a Dove, to shew that he should be a Dovelike gentle Mediator. See the gracious manner of executing his Offices, as a Prophet, he came with blessing in his mouth, Blessed

be the poore in spirit, &c. and

invited those to come to him, whose hearts suggested most exceptions against themselves, Come unto me, all yee that are weary,

and heavy laden: how did his boweis yearne, when hee saw the people as sheepe without a Sheepherd? he never turned any backe againe, that came unto him, though some went away of themselves. Hee came to dye as a Priest for his enemies: In the dayes of his flesh hee dictated a forme of prayer unto his Disciples, and put Petitions unto GOD into their mouthes, and his Spirit to intercede in

their hearts, and now makes intercession in heaven for weake Christians, standing betweene Gods anger, and them; and shed teares for those that shed his blood: so he is a meeke King, he will admit mourners into his presence, a King of poore, and afflicted persons: as hee hath beames of Majesty, so hee hath bowels of mercies & compassion: A Prince of peace; Why was hee tempted, but that hee might succour those that are tempted? What mercy may we not expect from so gracious a Mediatour, that tooke our nature vpon him, that hee

might bee gracious; hee is a Phisitian good at all diseases, especially at the binding up of a broken heart, that hee might heale our soules with a plaster of his owne blood, and by that death save us, which we were the procurers of, our selves, by our owne sinnes, and hath he not the same bowels in heaven? Saul, Saul, why persecutest

thou me, cryed the Head in heaven, when the foot was trodden on, on earth. His advancement hath not made him forget his owne flesh: though it hath freed him from passion, yet not from compassion

towards us. The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah will onely teare in pieces those that will not have him rule over them. Hee will not shew his strength against those that prostrate themselves before him.

What should we learn from hence, but to come boldly to the throne of Grace in all our grievances? Shal our sinnes discourage us, when hee appeares there onely for sinners? Art thou bruised? Be of good comfort, he calleth thee; concoale not thy wounds, open all before him, keep not Satans counsell. Go to Christ though trembling

(as the poore woman) if wee can but touch the h[gap]m of his garment, we shall be healed, and have a gracious answer: Goe boldly to God in our flesh; for this end that wee might goe boldly to him, he is flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone. Never feare to go to God since we have such a Mediatour with him, that is not onely our friend, but our brother, and husband. Well might the Angells proclame from Heaven, Behold, we bring you tidings

of joy: well might the Apostle stir us up to rejoice in the Lord againe and againe: he was well advised

vpon what grounds he did it: peace and joy are two maine fruits of his Kingdome. Let the world be as it will, if we cannot rejoyce in the world, yet wee may rejoyce in the Lord. His presence maketh any condition comfortable. Bee not afraid (saith hee to his Disciples when they were afraid as if they had seene a Ghost) it is I; as if there were no cause of feare where he is present.

Let this stay us, when wee feele our selves bruised; Christ his course is first to wound, then to heale; No sound whole

soule shall ever enter into heaven: think in temptation, CHRIST was tempted for mee, according to my tryalls will be my Graces, and Comforts. If CHRIST bee so mercifull as not to break me, I will not breake my selfe by despaire, nor yeeld my selfe over to the roaring Lyon Satan to break me in pieces.

Thirdly, see the contrary disposition of CHRIST and Satan, and his instruments. Satan setteth upon us when we are weakest, as Simeon and Levi upon the Si[gap]hemites, when they were sore; But CHRIST

will make up in us all the breaches sinne and Satan have made, hee bindes up the broaken hearted, and as a mother tendreth most the most diseased, and weakest childe; so doth CHRIST most mercifully incline to the weakest: and likewise putteth an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support. The Vine stayeth it selfe upon the Elme: and the weakest creatures have oft the strongest shelters. The consciousnesse of the churches weaknesse makes her willing to leane on her

beloved, and to hide her selfe under his wing.

But how shall we know whether wee are such as those that may expect mercy?

By bruising here is not meant those that are brought low onely by crosles, but such as by thē are brought to see their sinne, which bruiseth most of all. When conscience is under the guilt of sinne, then every judgement brings a report of GODS anger to the soule, and all lesser troubles runne into this great trouble of conscience for sinne: As all corrupt humours runne to

the diseased, and bruised part of the body: And as every Creditor falls upon the Debtor, when hee is once arrested; so when conscience is once awaked all former sinnes, and present crosses joyne together to make the bruise the more painfull: Now he that is thus bruised will be content with nothing, but wth mercy frō him that hath bruised him, he hath wounded, and he must heale. 2. Againe, a man truly bruised, judgeth sinne the greatest evill, and the favour of God the greatest good. 3. Hee had rather heare of mercy, than of a