THE Bruised Reed, and Smoaking Flax. (4)

2 Let men take heede of taking up Sathans office, in deprauing the good actions of others, as he did Iobs, Doth hee serve God for nought? or slandering their persons, judging of them according to the wickednes that is in their owne hearts. The Devill getteth more by such discouragements, and these reproaches, that are east upon religion, then by fire and faggot. These (as unseasonable frosts) nip all gratious offers in the bud,

and as much as in them lyeth, with Herod labour to kill Christ in yong professors. A Christian is a hallowed and a sacred thing, CHRISTS Temple, and hee that destroyeth his Temple, him will CHRIST destroy.

3 Amongst the things that are to be taken heede of, there is amongst private Christians a bold usurpation of censure, not considering their temptations. Some will vnchurch & unbrother in a passion, But distempers do not alter true relations, though the child in a fit shold disclaime the mother, yet the mother will not disclaime the child.

There is therefore in these iudging times good ground of S. Iames his Caveat, that there should not be too many masters; that we should not smite one another, by hasty censures especially in things of an indifferent nature: some things are as the minde of him is, that doth them, or doth them not; for both may be unto the Lord.

A holy ayme in things of a middle nature, makes the judgements of men, although seemingly contrary, yet not so much blameable. Christ, for the good aymes hee seeth in us, over-looketh any ill in

them, so farre as not to lay it to our charge.

Men must not bee too curious in prying into the weaknesses of others; we should labor rather to see what they have that is for eternitie, to incline our heart to love them, then into that weaknesse which the Spirit of GOD will in time consume, to estrange us: some thinke it strength of grace to endure nothing in the weaker, wheras the strongest are readiest to beare with the infirmities of the weake, Where most holinesse is, there is most moderation, where it may be without

prejudice of pietie to God and the good of others, wee see in Christ a marvellous temper of absolute holinesse, with great moderation in this Text. What had become of our Salvation if he had stood upon termes and not stooped thus low, unto us! We need not affect to be more holy then Christ, it is no flatterie to doe as he doth, so it bee to edification.

The Holy Ghost is content to dwell in smoakie offensive soules, Oh that, that spirit would breath into our Spirits the like mercifull disposition? We

indure the bitternesse of Wormwood, and other distastfull plants, & herbs, onely because wee have some experience of some wholsome qualitie in thē; and why should we reject men of usefull parts, and graces, onely for some harshnesse of disposition, which as it is offensive to us, so grieveth themselves?

Grace whilest wee live here is in soules, which as they are unperfectly renewed, so they dwell in bodies subject to severall humours, which will incline the soule sometimes to excesse in one passion,

sometimes to excesse in another.

Bucer was a deepe, and a moderate Divine. Vpon long experience resolved to refuse none, in whom hee saw (aliquid Christi) something of Christ.

The best Christians in this state of imperfection, are like Gold that is a little too light, which needs some graines of allowance to make it passe. You must grant the best their allowance. We must supply out of our love & mercy, that which wee see wanting in them.

The Church of Christ is a common Hospitall,

in all are in some measure sicke of some spirituall disease, or other; that we should all have ground of exercising mutually the spirit of wisedome and meeknesse.

This that wee may the better doe, let us put upon our selves the spirit of CHRIST: The spirit of GOD caryeth a majestie with it. Corruption will hardly yeeld to eorruption. In another, Pride is intolerable to pride. The weapons of this warfare must not bee carnall. The great Apostles would not set upon the worke of the Ministerie, untill they

were cloathed, as it were, with power from on high. The Spirit will only work with his owne tooles. And we should think what affection Christ would cary to the party in this case. That great Physitian, as he had a quicke eie, and a healing tongue, so had he a gentle hand and a tender heart.

And secondly, put upon us the cōdition of him, whom wee deale withall, wee are, or have beene, or may bee such: make the case our owne, and withall consider in what neere relation a Christian standeth unto us, even as a

brother, a fellow-member, heire of the same salvation. And therefore let us take upon our selves, a tender care of them every way: and especially in cherishing the peace of their consciences. Conscience is a tender and delicate thing, and so must be used. It is like a Locke, if the Wards bee troubled, it will be troublesome to open.

For tryall, to let vs see whether wee be this smoking Flax, which Christ will not quench. In this Tryall remember these Rules.

1 Wee must have two

eyes, one to see imperfections in our selves and others; the other to see what is good. I am blacke, saith the Church, but yet comely. Those ever want comfort, that are much in quarrelling with themselves, and through their infirmities are prone to feede upon such bitter things, as will most nourish that distemper they are sicke of. These delight to be looking on the dark side of the cloud onely.

2. We must not judge of our selves alwayes according to present feeling: for in temptations wee shall see nothing but

smoake of distrustfull thoughts. Fire may be raked up in the ashes, though not seene; life in the winter is hid in the root.

3 Take heede of false reasoning; As because our fire doth not blaze out, as others, therefore we have no fire at all, and by false conclusions come to sinne against the Commandement in bearing false witnesse against our selves. The Prodigall would not say hee was no sonne, but that hee was not worthy to be called a sonne. Wee must neither trust to false evidence, nor deny true; for so wee should dishonour

the worke of Gods Spirit in us, and lose the help of that evidence which would cherish our love to Christ, and arme us against Sathans discouragements. Some are so faulty this way, as if they had beene hyred by Sathan the Accuser of the Brethren, to plead for him, in accusing themselves.

4 Know (for a ground of this) that in the Covenant of Grace, GOD requires the truth of Grace, not any certaine measure, and a sparke of fire is fire as well as the whole Element. Therefore wee must look to Grace in the spark

as well as in the flame. All have not the like strong, yet the like pretious Faith, whereby they lay hold, & put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ. A weak hand may receive a rich Iewell; a few grapes will shew that the Plant is a Vine, and not a Thorne. It is one thing to be wanting in Grace, and another thing to want Grace altogether. GOD knoweth wee have nothing of our selves, therfore in the Covenant of Grace he requireth no more then hee giveth, and giveth what hee requireth, and accepteth what hee giveth; Hee that

hath not a Lambe, may bring a paire of Turtle Doves. What is the Gospell it selfe but a mercifull moderation, in which Christs obedience is esteemed ours, and our sinnes laid upon him; and wherein GOD of a Iudge becommeth a Father pardoning our sinnes, and accepting our obediēce though feeble and blemished. Wee are now brought to heaven under the Covenant of Grace, by a way of love and mercy.

It will prove a speciall help to know distinctly the difference betweene the Covenant of workes, and

the Covenant of Grace; betweene Moses and Christ: Moses without all mercy breaketh all bruised Reedes, and quencheth all smoaking Flax. For the Law requireth, 1, personal, 2, perpetuall, 3, perfect obedience, 4, and from a perfect heart; and that under a most terrible curse, and giveth no strength, a severe Taske-master, like Pharaohs, requireth the whole tale, and yet giveth no straw. CHRIST commeth with blessing after blessing, even upō those whom Moses had cursed, and with healing Balme for those wounds which

Moses had made.

The same duties are required in both Covenāts; as to love the Lord with all our harts, with all our soules, &c. In this Covenant of workes, this must bee taken in the rigour: but under the Covenāt of Grace, as it is a syncere endevour proportionable to grace received: and so it must be understood of Iosias, and others, whē it is said, they loved GOD with all their hearts, &c. It must have an Euangelicall mitigation.

The Law is sweetned by the Gospel and becommeth delightful to the inner

man. Vnder this gratious Covenant synceritie is perfection. This is the Death in the pot in the Romane Religion, that they confound two Covenāts: and it deads the comfort of drooping ones, that they cannot distinguish them. And thus they suffer themselves to be held under bondage, when Christ hath set them free; and stay themselves in the prison, when Christ hath set open the doores before them.

5 Grace sometimes is so little, as is undiscernable to us: the Spirit sometimes hath secret operations

in us, which we know not for the present; but Christ knoweth. Sometimes in bitternes of temptation, when the Spirit struggles with sense of Gods anger, wee are apt to thinke GOD an enemy; and a troubled soule is like troubled waters, wee can see nothing in it; and so farre as it is not cleansed, it will cast up mire and dirt. It is full of objections against it selfe, yet for the most part we may discern something of this hidden life, and of these smothered sparkes.

In a gloomy day there is so much light whereby

wee may know it to bee day, and not night: so there is something in a Christian under a cloud, whereby hee may be discerned to be a true Beleever, and not an Hypocrite. There is no meere darknesse in the state of Grace, but some beame of light, whereby the kingdome of darknesse wholy prevaileth not.

These things premised, let us know for a Tryall.

First, if there bee any holy fire in us, it is kindled from heaven by the Father of lights, who commanded

light to shine out of darknesse. As it is kindled

in the use of meanes, so it is fed. The light in us, and the light in the word spring one frō the other, and both from one Holy Spirit: and therfore those that regard not the word, it is because there is no light in them. Heavenly truths must have a heavenly light to discerne them. Naturall men see heavenly things, but not in their own proper light, but by an inferiour light. GOD in every converted man putteth a light into the eye of his soule, proportionable to the light of truths revealed unto thē. A carnall eye will never

see spirituall things.

Secondly, the least divine light hath heate with it in some measure: Light in the understanding breedeth heate of love in the affections. In what measure the sanctified understanding seeth a thing to be true, or good, in that measure the will imbraces it. Weake light breedes weake inclinations: a strōg light, strong inclinations. A little spirituall light is of strength enough to answer strong objections of flesh and blood; and to looke thorow all earthly allurements, and all opposing hinderances, presenting

[gap]

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them as farr inferiour to those heavenly objects it eyeth.

All light that is not spirituall, because it wanteth the strength of sanctifying grace, it yeeldeth to every little temptation, especially when it is fitted and suted to personall inclinations. This is the reason why Christians that have light little for quantitie, but yet heavenly for qualitie, hold out, when men of larger apprehensions sinke.

This prevailing of light in the soule, is, because together with the spirit of Illumination, there goeth

in the godly) a spirit of [gap]ower, to subdue the heart [gap]o truth revealed, and to [gap]ut a taste and relish into [gap]he will, sutable to the sweetnes of the truths, else [gap] meere naturall Will, will rise against supernaturall truths, as having an antipathy and enmitie against them. In the godly, [gap]oly truths are conveyed by way of a taste, gratious men have a spiritual pallat as well as a spirituall eye. Grace altereth the relish.

Thirdly, where this heavenly light is kindled, it directeth in the right way. For it is given for that use, to shew us the best way,

and to guide in the particular passages of life: if otherwise, it is but commō light, given onely for the good of others. Some have light of Knowledge, yet follow not that light, but are guided by carnall reason and policie: such as the Prophet speakes of, All you that kindle [gap]

fire, walke in the light of your owne fire, and in the sparkes that you have kindled, but this you shall have of mine hand, yee shall lye downe in sorrow. GOD delights to confound carnall wisedome, as enmitie to him, and robbing him of his prerogative, who is

God onely wise. We must therefore walke by his [gap]ight, and not the blaze of our owne fire. God must light our candle, Psal. 18. 28 or else we are like to abide in darknesse. Those sparkes that are not kindled from heaven, are not strong enough to keepe us from [gap]ying downe in sorrow, though they make a greater blaze and shew then the light from above, as mad men doe greater things then sober, but by [gap] false strength: so the excesse of these mens ioy ariseth from a false light, The candle of the wicked shal [gap]e put out.

The light that some m[gap] have, it is like lightning, which after a sudden fla[gap] leaveth thē more in darknesse. They can love th[gap] light as it shines, but hat[gap] it as it discovers, and directs. A little holy ligh[gap] will inable to keepe th[gap] word, and not to betray Religion, & deny Christs name, as CHRIST speaketh of the Church of Philadelphia, Rev. 3. 8.

Fourthly, where thi[gap] fire is, it will sever thing[gap] of divers natures, & shew a difference between[gap] things, as gold and drosse. It will sever betweene flesh and spirit, and shew

this is of Nature, this of Grace. All is not ill in a bad action, or good in a good action. There is gold in oare, which God and his Spirit in us can distinguish. A carnall mans hart is like a dungeon, wherein is nothing to be seene but horrour and confusion: this light maketh us judicious, and humble, upon clearer sight of Gods puritie, and our owne uncleannes: and maketh us able to discerne of the worke of the Spirit in another.

Fiftly, so farre as a man is spirituall, so far is light delightfull unto him, as

willing to see any thing amisse, that he may reform, and any further service discovered that hee may performe: because he truly hateth ill and loveth good: if hee goeth against light discovered, hee will soone bee reclaimed, because light hath a friendly party within him. Whereupon, at a little sight of his errour, hee is soone counsellable, as David in his intendment to kill Nabal, and blesseth God afterwards when hee is stopped in an ill way.

In a carnal man the light breakes in upon him, but he labours to shut the passages,

hee hath no delight to [gap]ome to the light. It is impossible before the spirit of grace hath subdued the hart, but that it should sin against the light, either by resisting of it, or keeping it prisoner under base lusts, burying it as it were in the earth; or perverting of it, and so making it an agent and factour for the flesh, in searching out arguments to plead for it, or abusing that little measure of light they have, to keep out a greater, higher, and more heavenly light, and so at length make that light they have, a misleading guide to utter darknesse.