THE Bruised Reed, and Smoaking Flax. (5)

And the reason is that it hath no friend within, the soule is in a contrary frame, and light alwayes hindreth that sinfull peace that men are willing to speake to themselves, whence we see it oft inrage men the more: as the Sunne in the Spring breedeth agui[gap]h distempers, because it stirreth humours, and doth not wast them. There is nothing in the world more unquiet, than the heart of a wicked man, that sitteth under meanes of knowledge, untill like a thiefe hee hath put out the candle that he may sinne with the lesse

check. Spirituall light is distinct, it seeth spirituall good, with application to our selves; but common light is confused, and lets sin lye quiet. Where fire is in any degree, it will fight against the contrary matter[gap]: GOD hath put irreconciliable hatred betweene light and darknesse at first, so betweene good and ill, flesh and spirit. Grace will never joyne with sinne, no more than fire with water. Fire will mingle with no contrary, but preserveth its owne purity, and is never corrupted as other Elements are. Therefore those that

plead and plot for liberties of the flesh, shew themselves strangers from the life of God. Vpon this strife gracious men oft cō plaine that they have no grace, but they contradict themselves in their complaints: as if a man that seeth, should complaine he cannot see, or complain that he is asleepe, when the very complaint springing from a displeasure against sinne, sheweth that there is something in him opposite to sinne. Can a dead man complaine? Some things, though bad in themselves, yet discover good; as smoake discovers

some fire. Breaking out in the body shews strength of Nature. Some infirmities discover more good than some seeming beautifull actions; excesse of passion in opposing evil, (though not to bee justified) yet sheweth a better spirit, than a calme temper, when there is just cause of being moved. Better it is, that the water should runne something muddily, than not at all. Iob had more grace in his distempers, thā his friends in their seeming wise cariage. Actions soiled with some weaknesses, are more accepted than complementall

performances.

Fire, where it is in the least measure, is in some degree active; so the least measure of grace is working, as springing from the Spirit of GOD, which from the working nature of it, is compared to fire. Nay, in sinnes, when there seemeth nothing active, but corruption, yet there is a contrarie principle, which breaks the force of sinne, so that it is not out of measure sinfull, as in those that are carnall.

Fire maketh metalls pliable and malliable, so doth Grace, where

it is begunne, it worketh the heart to bee plyable and ready for all good impressions. Vntractable spirits shew that they are not so much as smoaking flax.

Fire turneth all, as much as it can, to fire; so grace maketh a gracious use even of naturall and civill things, & doth spiritualize them, what another man doth onely civilly, a gracious man will doe holily.

Sparkes by nature flye. upwards: so the spirit of Grace carrieth the soule Heaven-ward, and setteth before us holy and heavenly aimes, as it

was kindled from heaven, so it caries us back to heaven. The part followeth the whole: Fire mounteth upward, so every spark to its owne element. Where the aime and bent of the soule is God-wards, there is grace though opposed. The least measure of it is holy desires springing from faith and love, for we cannot desire any thing which we doe not beleeve first to be, and the desire of it issues from love. Hence desires are counted a part of the thing desired in some measure, but then they must bee, First, constant, for constancy shews

that they are supernaturally naturall, and not inforced: Secondly, they must bee caried to spirituall things, as to beleeve, to love GOD, &c. not out of a speciall exigent, because if now they had grace, they thinke they might escape some danger, but as a loving heart is caried to the thing loved for some-excellency in it selfe: And thirdly, with desire there is griefe when it is hindred, which stirres up to prayer: Oh that my wayes were so directed,

that I might keepe thy Statutes, Psal. 119. 5. O miserable man that I am,

who shall deliver? &c. Fourthly, desires put us onward still, O that I might serve GOD with more liberty; O that I were more free from these offensive, unsavoury, noysome lusts.

Fire worketh it selfe (if it hath any matter to feed on) into a larger compass, and mounteth higher and higher, and the higher it riseth, the purer is the flame: So where true grace is, it groweth in measure and purity. Smoking flax will grow to a flame, and as it encreaseth, so it worketh out the contrary, and refineth it

selfe more & more. Therefore it argueth a false hart to set our selves a measure in grace, and to rest in beginnings; alledging, that CHRIST will not quench the smoaking flax. But this mercifull disposition in CHRIST is joyned with perfect holinesse, shewed in perfect hatred to sinne: for rather than sin should not have its deserved punishment, himselfe became a sacrifice for sinne, wherein his Fathers holinesse and his owne mo[gap] of all shined. And besides this, in the worke of sanctification, though hee favours his worke in us, yet

favours he not sin in us; for he will never take his hand from his worke, untill hee hath taken away sin even in its very being from our natures: the same Spirit that purified that blessed Masse whereof hee was made, clenseth us by degrees to bee sutable to so holy a Head, and frameth the judgement and affection of all to whom hee sheweth mercy, to concur with his owne, in labouring to further his ends, in abolishing of sinne out of our nature.

From the meditations of these rules and signes, much comfort may bee

brought into the soules of the weakest; which that it may bee in the more abundance, let mee adde something for the helping them over some few ordinary objections, and secret thoughts against thē selves, which getting within the heart, oftentimes keepeth them under.

Some thinke they have no faith at all, because they have no full assurance, when as the fairest fire that can be will have some smoake. The best actions will smell of the smoak. The morter wherin Garlicke hath beene stamped will alwayes

smell of it: So all our actions will savour something of the old man.

In weaknesse of body some thinke grace dyeth, because their performances are feeble, their spirits being the instruments of the soules actions, being wasted, not considering that GOD regards those hidden sighes of those that want abilities to expresse them outwardly; he that pronounceth them blessed that consider the poore, will have a mercifull consideration of such himselfe.

Some againe are haunted with hideous representations

to their fantasies, and with vile and unworthy thoughts of GOD, of CHRIST, of the word, &c. which as busie flyes disquiet and molest their peace; these are cast in like wilde-fire by Satan, as may be discerned by the 1 strangenesse, 2 strength and violence, 3 horriblenesse of them even unto nature corrupt. A pious soule is no more guilty of them, than Benjamin of Iosephs cup put into his sack. Amongst other helps prescribed by godly Writers (as abomination of them, and diversion from them to other things, &c.) let

this be one, to complaine unto CHRIST against them, and to flye under the wings of his protection, and to desire him to take our part against his and our enemie. Shall every sinne and blasphemy of man be forgiven, and not these blasphemous thoughts, which have the Devill for their father? When CHRIST himselfe was therefore molested in this kinde, that he might succour all poore soules in the like case?

Some thinke, when they beginne once to bee troubled with the smoake of corruption more than

they were before, therefore they are worse than they were. It is true, that corruptions appeare now more than before, but they are lesse. For first, sinne the more it is seene, the more it is hated, and thereupon is the lesse. Moats are in a roome before the Sun shines, but they then onely appeare.

Secondly, Contraries, the nearer they are one to another, the sharper is the conflict betwixt them: now of all enemies the spirit and the flesh are nearest one to another, being both in the soule of a regenerate man, and in all

faculties of the soule, and in every action that springeth from those faculties, and therefore it is no marvell the soule (the seat of this battell) thus divided in it selfe, be as smoaking Flax.

Thirdly, the more grace, the more spirituall life, and the more spirituall life, the more antipathy to the contrary, whence none are so sensible of corruption, as those that have the most living soules.

And fourthly, when men give themselves to carnall liberties, their corruptions trouble thē not, as not being bounded and

tyed up. But when once grace suppresseth their extravagant and licentious excesses, then the flesh boyleth, (as disdaining to be confined) yet they are better now than they were before. That matter which yeelds smoake, was in the Torch before it was lighted, but it is not offensive till the Torch beginnes to burne. Let such know, that if the smoake bee once offensive to them, it is a signe that there is light. It is better to injoy the benefit of light, though with smoake, than to be altogether in the darke.

Neither is smoake so

offensive, as light is comfortable to us, it yeelding an evidence of truth of grace in the heart, therefore though it be combersome in the conflict, yet it is comfortable in the evidence. It is better, corruption should offend us now, than by giving way to it to redeeme a little peace with losse of comfort afterwards. Let such therefore as are at variance and oddes with their corruptions, looke upon this Text, as their portion of comfort.

Here is an use of incouragement to duty, That CHRIST will not quench

the smoaking flax, but blow it up. Some are loath to performe good duties, because they feele their hearts rebelling, and duties come off untowardly. Wee should not avoid good actions for the infirmities cleaving unto them: CHRIST looketh more at the good in them that hee meaneth to cherish, than the ill in them that he meaneth to abolish. A sicke man though in eating he something increaseth the disease, yet he will eate, that nature may get strength against the disease: So though sin cleaveth to what we doe,

yet let us doe it, since wee have to deal with so good a Lord, and the more strife we meet withall, the more acceptance: Christ loveth to tast of the good fruits that come from us, although they will alwaies rellish of the old stock.

A Christian complaineth hee cannot pray; O[gap] am troubled with so many distracting thoughts, and never more than now. But hath he put into thine heart a desire to pray? he will heare the desires of his; owne Spirit in thee. Rom. 8. 26. Wee know not what to pray as we ought, (nor doe any thing else as

wee ought) but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, with unexpressible sighes and grones, which are not hid from GOD. My groanings

are not hid from thee; GOD can picke sense out of a confused prayer. These desires cry louder in his eares, than thy sinnes. Sometimes a Christian hath such confused thoughts, hee can say nothing, but as a childe cryeth, O Father, not able to shew what it needs, as Moses at the Red sea.

These stirrings of spirit touch the bowels of GOD, and melt him into compassion towards us,

when they come from the spirit of adoption, and from a striving to be better. Oh but is it possible (thinketh the misgiving heart) that so holy a GOD shold accept such a praier? Yes, hee will accept that which is his owne, and pardon that which is ours. Ionas prayed in the Whales belly, being burdened with the guilt of sin, yet GOD heareth him: Let not therefore infirmities discourage us. Saint Iames taketh away this objection, Cap. 5. 17.

Some might object, If I were as holy as Elias, then my prayers might be

regarded: But (saith he) Elias was a man of like passions to us, he had his passions as well as we; For doe we think that GOD heard him because he was without fault? No surely. But looke we to the promises. Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will heare thee. Matt. 7. 7. Aske and ye shall receive, and such like: GOD accepteth our prayers though weake, first, because wee are his owne children, they come from his owne Spirit. Secondly, because they are according to his owne will. Thirdly, because they are offered in Christs

mediation, and hee takes them, and mingleth them with his own odours. There is never a holy sigh, never a teare we shed, lost. And as every Grace increaseth by exercise of it selfe, so doth the grace of prayer; by prayer wee learne to pray. So likewise wee should take heed of a spirit of discouragement in all other holy duties, since we have so gracious a Saviour. Pray as wee are able, heare as we are able, strive as we are able, do[gap] as we are able, according to the measure of Grac[gap] received; GOD i[gap] CHRIST will cast a gracious

eye upon that which is his owne. Would S. Paul doe nothing, because he could not doe the good hee would? Yes, hee pressed to

the marke. Let us not bee cruell to our selves, when CHRIST, is thus gracious.

There is a certain meeknesse of spirit, whereby we yeeld thankes, to God for any ability at all, and rest quiet with the measure of Grace received, seeing it is GODS good pleasure it should bee so, who giveth the will and the deed; yet so, as we rest not from further endeavours. But, when upon faithfull endeavor we come short

of that we would be, and short of that others are, then know for our comfort, CHRIST will no[gap] quench the smoaking flax, and that sincerity & truth (as before was said) with endeavour of growth, is our perfection. It is comfortable what GOD saith, 1 King: 14. 13. He only shall goe to his grave in peace, because there is some goodnesse; though but some goodnesse: Lord I beleeve with a weake faith, yet with [gap]aith; love thee with a faint love, yet with love; endeavor in a feeble manner, yet indeavour; a little fire is fire, though it smoaketh.

Since thou hast taken mee into thy Covenant to be thine of an enemie, wilt thou cast me off for these infirmities, wch as they displease thee, so are they the griefe of my owne heart?

Frō what hath bin spokē, (with some▪ little additiō) it wil not be difficult to resolve that case which some require helpe in, namely, whether we ought to performe duties, our hearts being altogether indisposed. For satisfaction, we must know, I, our hearts of themselves doe linger after liberty, & are hardly brought under the yoake

of duty: & the more spirituall the duty is, the more is their unto wardnes. Corruptiō getteth ground for the most part, in every neglect, it is as in rowing against the tyde, one stroke neglected will not be gained in three, and therefore it is good to keepe our hearts close to duty, and not to he a rken unto the excuses they are ready to frame.

In the setting upō dutie, God strengthneth his owne partie that hee hath in us: wee finde a warmenesse of heart, and increase of strength, the Spirit going along with us, and raising

us up by degrees, untill it leaveth us as it were in heaven. God often delighteth to take the aduantage of our indisposition, that hee may manifest his worke the more clearely: and all the glory of the worke may be his, whose all the strength is.

Obedience is most direct, when there is nothing else to sweeten the action, although the sacrifice bee imperfect, yet the obedience, with wch it is offred, hath acceptance. 4. That which is wonne as a spoile from our corruptions, will have such a degree of comfort afterwards, as for the