THE Bruised Reed, and Smoaking Flax. (2)

kingdome. 4. Hee hath meane conceits of himselfe, and thinketh hee is not worth the earth hee treads on. 5. Towards others, he is not censorious, as being taken up at home, but is full of sympathy and compassion to those that are under GODS hand, 6. He thinketh those that walke in the comforts of GODS Spirit the happiest men of the world. 7. He trembleth at the word of

God, and honoureth the very feet of those blessed instruments that bring peace unto him. 8. Hee is more taken up with the inward exercises of a broken

heart, than with formality, and yet carefull to use all sanctifyed meanes to convey comfort.

But how shall we come to have this temper?

First, we must conceive of bruising either as a state into which God bringeth us, or as a duty to be performed by us: both are here meant, we must joyn with GOD in bruising of our selves; when hee humbles us let us humble our selves, and not stand out against him, for then hee will redouble his strokes; and let us justifie CHRIST in all his chastisements, knowing that

all his dealing towards us is to cause us to returne into our owne hearts; his work in bruising, tendeth to our worke in bruising our selves. Let us lament our owne untowardnesse, and say, Lord, what an heart have I, that needs all this, that none of this could bee spared? Wee must lay siege to the hardnesse of our owne hearts, and aggravate sinne all we can: wee must looke on CHRIST, who was bruised for us, looke on him whom wee have pierced with our sinnes. But all directions will not prevaile, unlesse GOD by his

Spirit convinceth us deeply, setting our sinnes before us, and driving us to a stand. Then we wil make out for mercy. Conviction will breed contrition, and this humiliation. Therefore desire GOD, that hee would bring a cleere and a strong light into all the corners of our soules, and accompany it with a spirit of power to lay our hearts low.

A set measure of bruising our selves, cannot be prescribed, yet it must be so farre, as we may prize CHRIST above all, and see that a Saviour must be had: And secondly, untill

we reform that which is amisse, though it be to the cutting off our right hand, or pulling out our right eye. There is a dangerous slighting of the worke of humiliation; some alledging this for a pretence for their overly dealing with their owne hearts, that CHRIST will not breake the bruised Reed; But such must know that every sudden terrour and short griefe is not that which makes us bruised Reeds; not a little hanging downe our heads like a Bulrush, but a working our hearts to such a griefe, as will make sinne

more odious unto us, than punishment. Vntill we offer an holy violence against it: else favouring our selves, we make work for GOD to bruise us, and for sharpe repentance afterwards. It is dangerous (I confesse) in some cases with some spirits, to press too much, and too long this bruising; because they may die under the wound and burthen, before they be raised up againe. Therfore it is good in mixt assemblies to mingle comforts, that every soule may have its due portion. But if wee lay this for a ground, that there is more

mercy in CHRIST, than sinne in us, there can be no danger in through dealing. It is better to goe bruised to heaven, than sound to Hell. Therefore let us not take off our selves too soone, nor pull off the plaister, before the cure be wrought, but keep our selves under this work till sinne bee the sowrest, and CHRIST the sweetest of all things. And when GODS hand is upon us in any kinde, it is good to divert our sorrow, for other things, to the root of all, which is sin: let our griefe runne most in that channell, that as sin bred

griefe, so griefe may consume sinne.

But are we not bruised unlesse wee grieve more for sinne, than we doe for punishment?

Sometimes our griefe, from outward grievances may lye heavier upon the soule, than griefe for Gods displeasure; because in such cases the griefe workes upon the whole man, both outward and inward, and hath nothing to stay it, but a little sparke of faith: which by reason of the violent impression of the grievance is suspended in the exercises of it: and this is most

felt in sudden distresses which come upon the soule as a torrent or land flood, and especially in bodily distempers, which by reason of the sympathy betweene the soule and the body, worke upon the soule so farre, as they hinder not onely the spirituall, but often the naturall acts. Hereupon S. Iames wisheth in affliction to pray, our selves, but in case of sicknesse to send for the Elders; that may, as those in the Gospell, offer up the sick person to GOD in their prayers, being unable to present their owne case. Hereupon GOD admitteth

of such a plea frō the sharpnesse and bitternesse of the grievance, as in David, Psal. 6. &c. the Lord knoweth whereof we are made. Psal. 103. he remembreth wee are but dust, that our strength is not the strength of steele. It is a branch of his faithfulnesse unto us as his creatures, whence he is called a faithfull Creator, God is

faithfull, who will not suffer us to bee tempted above that wee are able. There were certain Commandements which the Iewes called the hedges of the Law: as to fence men off from cruelty, hee commanded they

should not take the dam[gap] with the young, nor seeth the Kid in the mothers milke, nor muzzle the mouth of the Oxe: Hath GOD care of beasts, and not of his more noble creature? and therefore we ought to judge charitably of the complaints of Gods people, which are wrung from them in such cases: Iob had the esteeme with GOD of a patient man, notwithstanding those passionate complaints; faith overborne for the present, will get ground againe; and griefe for sin, although it come short of griefe for misery

in violence, yet it goeth beyond it in constancy; as [gap] running stream fed with [gap] spring holdeth out, when a sudden swelling brooke faileth.

For the concluding of this point, and our incouragement to a thorow worke of bruising, and patience under Gods bruising of us, let all know that none are fitter for comfort than those that thinke themselves furthest off. Men (for the most part) are not lost enough in their owne feeling, for a Saviour. A holy despaire sin our selves is the ground of true hope. In GOD,

the fatherlesse finde mercie: if men were more fatherless, they should feele more Gods fatherly affection from heaven: For GOD that dwelleth in highest

heavens, dwelleth likewise in the lowest soule. Christs sheepe are weake Sheepe, and wanting in something or other; hee therefore applyeth himselfe to the necessities of every Sheepe. Ez. 34. he seeks that which was lost, and brings againe than which was driven out of the way, and bindes up that which was broken and strengthens the weak[gap] his tēderst care is over the

weakest. The Lambs he ca [gap]ieth in his bosome: Peter, [gap]eed my Lambs. Hee was most familiar and open to [gap]he troubled soules. How carefull was he that Peter & the rest of the Apostles should not bee too much dejected after his resurrection, Goe tell the Disciples, and tell Peter. Christ knew that guilt of their unkindnesse in leaving of him, had dejected their spirits. How gently did hee indure Thomas his unbeleefe? & stooped so far into his weaknesse, as to suffer him to thrust his [gap]and into his side.

For the second branch,

GOD will not quench the smoaking flax, or wieke, but will blow it up till it flameth. In smoaking flax there is but a little light, & that weake, as being not able to flame, and this little mixed with smoake. The observations hence are first, That in GODS Children, especially in their first conversiō, there is but a little measure of grace, and that little mixt with much corruption, which as smoake is offensive. Secondly, that Christ will not quench this smoaking Flax.

For the first. Grace is

little at the first. There are

severall Ages in Christians, some Babes, some young men: Grace is as a graine of Mustard-seed. Nothing so little as grace at first, and nothing more glorious afterward: things of greatest perfection are longest in comming to their growth. Man, the perfectest creature, comes to perfection by little and little; Worthlesse things, as Mushromes, and the like, like Ionas Gourd, soon spring up, and soone vanish. A new creature is the most excellent frame in all the world, therefore it groweth up by degrees. Wosee in Nature, that a

mighty Oake riseth of an Akorne. It is with a Christian as it was with Christ, who sprang out of the dead stocke of Iesse, out of Davids family, when it was at the lowest, but hee grew up higher than the heavens. It is not with the trees of righteousnesse, as it was with the trees of Paradise, which were created all perfect at the first. The seeds of all the creatures in this goodly frame of the world, were hid in the Chaos, in that confused Mass at the first, out of which GOD did command all creatures to arise; in the small seeds of

plants lye hid both bulke and branches, bud and fruit. In a few principles lye hid all comfortable conclusions of holy truth. All those glorious fireworkes of zeale and holinesse in the Saints, had their beginning from a few sparkes.

Let us not therefore be discouraged at the small beginnings of Grace, but looke on our selves, as elected to bee blamelesse; and

without spot. Let us onely look on our imperfect beginning, to inforce further strife to perfection, and to keepe us in a low conceit. Otherwise, in case of

discouragement, we must consider our selves, as CHRIST doth, who looks on us, as such as he intendeth to fit for himselfe. CHRIST valueth us by what we shall bee, and by that we are elected unto. Wee call a little Plant a Tree, because it is growing up to be so. Who is hee that despiseth the day of little things? Zach. 4. CHRIST would not have us despise little things.

The glorious Angells disdaine not attendance on little ones: little in their owne eyes, and little in the eyes of the world. Grace, though little in

quantity, yet is much in vigour and worth.

It is CHRIST that raiseth the worth of little and meane places and persons. Bethlem the least, and yet not the least; the least in it selfe, not the least in respect CHRIST was born there. The second Temple came short of the outward magnificence of the former: yet more glorious than the first, because CHRIST came into it. The Lord of the Temple came in to his owne Temple. The pupill of the eye is very little, yet seeth a great part of the heaven at once. A pearle, though

little, yet is of much esteeme. Nothing in the world of so good use, as the least dram of graces.

But Grace is not onely little, but mingled with corruption; whereof it is that a Christian is said to be smoaking flax: whence we see, that Grace doth not waste corruption all at once,

but some is left to conflict withall. The purest actions of the purest men need CHRIST to performe them, and so is his office. When we pray, we need to pray again for CHRIST to pardon the defects of them. See some instances of this smoaking flax. Moses

at the red Sea being in a great perplexity, and knowing not what to say, or which way to turn him, groaned to GOD: no doubt, this was a great conflict in him. In great distresses we know not what

to pray, but the Spirit makes request with sighes that cannot bee expressed. Broken hearts can yeeld but broken prayers.

When David was before the King of Gath, and dis-figured himselfe in an uncomely manner, in that smoake there was some fire also; you may see what an excellent Psalme he makes upon that occasion,

Psalme 34. Wherein upon experience, vers. 18. he saith, the Lord is neare unto them that are of a contrite spirit, Psal. 31. 22. I

said in my haste, I am cast out of thy sight, there is smoake; Yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer, there is fire. [gap], carest thou not that we perish? (cry the Disciples,) here is smoake of infidelity, yet so much light of faith, as stirred them up to pray to Christ: Lord I beleeve, there is light; But help my unbeliefe, there is smoake.

Ionas 2. 4. cryes, I am

cast out of thy sight, there is smoake; yet will I looke againe

to thy holy Temple, there is light.

O miserable man that I

am, (saith Saint Paul upon sense of his corruption;) but yet breakes out into thanks to God through Iesus Christ our Lord.

I sleepe (saith the Church in the Canticles) but my heart wakes. In the seven Churches, which for their light are called seven golden Candlestickes, most of them had much smoke with their light.

The ground of this mixture is, that we carie about us a double principle, Grace and Nature. The end of it is especially

to preserve us from those two dangerous Rockes our Natures are prone to dash upon, Security and Pride, and to force us to pitch our rest on Iustification, not sanctification, which besides imperfection hath some soile.

Our spirituall fire, is like our ordinary fire here below (mixt.) But fire is most pure in its owne Element, above: So shall all our graces be, when we are where we would bee, in Heaven, which is our proper element. From this mixture it is that the people of GOD have so

different judgements of themselves, looking sometime at the work of grace, sometimes at the remainder of corruption; and when they look upon that, then they think they have no grace: though they love CHRIST in his ordinances, and children; yet dare not challenge so neer acquaintance as to be his. Even as a Candle in the socket sometimes sheweth its light, and sometimes the shew of light is lost: so sometimes well perswaded they are of themselves, sometimes at a losse.

Now for the second

observation, Christ will not

quench the smoaking Flax: First, because this sparke is from heaven, it is his owne, it is kindled by his owne Spirit. And secondly, that tendeth to the glory of his powerfull grace in his children, that he preserveth light in the middest of darknesse, a sparke in the middest of the swelling waters of corruption.

There is an especiall blessing in that little spark Isay 56. 8. When Wine is found in a cluster, one saith, Destroy it not, for there is a blessing in it. We see how our Saviour CHRIST

bore with Thomas in his doubting: with the two Disciples that went to Emaus, who staggered, whether

he came to redeeme Israel or no: hee quencheth not that little light in Peter, which was smothered: Peter denyed him, but he denyed not Peter. If thou

wilt, thou canst, said one poore man in the Gospell: Lord if thou canst, said another; both were this smoking flax, neither of both were quenched. If Christ had stood upon his owne greatnesse, he would have rejected him that came with his [if,] but CHRIST answers his [if] with a

gracious and absolute grant, I will, be thou cleane. The woman that was diseased with an issue, did but touch, and with a trembling hand, and but the hem of his garment, and yet went away both healed and comforted. In the seven Churches wee see he acknowledgeth and cherisheth any thing that was good in them. Because the Disciples slept of infirmity, being oppressed with griefe, our Saviour CHRIST frameth a comfortable excuse for them, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weake.

If CHRIST should

not be mercifull he would misse of his owne ends; There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared. Now all are willing to come under that banner of love which hee spreadeth over his. Therefore to thee shall

all flesh come. Hee useth moderation and care, lest the spirit should faile before

him, and the soules which he hath made. CHRISTS heart yerned, the Text saith, when hee saw them without meat, lest they should faint: Much more will hee have regard for the preventing of our spirituall faintings.

Here see the opposite