THE Bruised Reed, and Smoaking Flax. (7)

of utter despaire; therfore let us doe as Marriners doe, cast Anker in the darke. CHRIST knows how to pitty us in this case; Looke what comfort he felt from his Father in his breakings, the like wee shall feele from himselfe in our bruising.

The sighes of a bruised heart, carry in them some report, as of our affection to CHRIST, so of his care to us. The eyes of our soules cannot be towards him, but that he hath cast a gracious looke upon us first; The least love wee have to him, is but a re [gap]ion of his love first

shining upon us. As Christ did in his example whatsoever hee gives us in charge to doe, so he suffered in his owne person whatsoever hee calleth us to suffer, that he might the better learne to relieve and pitty us in our sufferings. In his desertion in the Garden, and upon the Crosse, he was content to want that unspeakable solace in the presence of his father, both to beare the wrath of the Lord for a time for us, and likewise to know the better how to comfort us in our greatest extremities; GOD seeth it fit we should taste

of that cup of which his Sonne dranke so deepe, that we should feele a little what sinne is, and what his Sonnes love was; but our comfort is, that Christ dranke the dreggs of the cup for us, and will succour us, that our spirits utterly faile not under that little taste of his displeasure which wee may feele. He became not onely a man, but a curse, a man of sorrowes for us. Hee was broken, that wee should not be broken; he was troubled, that wee should not be desperately troubled: he became a curse, that wee should not

be accursed. Whatsoever may bee wished for in an all-sufficient Comforter is all to be found in Christ. 1, Authoritie, from the Father all power was given him: 2, Strength in himselfe, as having his name The mighty GOD: 3, Wisedome, and that from his owne experience how and when to helpe: 4, Willingnesse, as being flesh of our flesh, & bone of our bone.

Wee are now to take notice of diuers sorts of men that offend deeply against this mercifull disposition of Christ: As, 1. Such as goe on in ill

courses of life upon this conceit, as if it were in vaine to goe to CHRIST their lives have beene so ill; when as so soone, as wee looke to heaven, all incouragements are ready to meet us, and draw us forward. Amongst others this is one allurement, that CHRIST is ready to welcome us, and leade us further. None are damned in the Church, but those that will. Such as either enforce upon themselves hard conceits of CHRIST, that they may have some shew of reason to fetch contentment from other things: as that unprofitable

servant, that would needs take up a conceit, that his Master was a hard man; hereby to flatter himselfe in his unfruitfull courses, in not improving that talent which he had.

2. Such as take up a hope of their owne, that Christ will suffer them to walke in the wayes to hell, & yet bring them to heaven: whereas all cōsort should draw us nearer to Christ, else it is a lying comfort, eyther in it selfe, or in our application of it.

And 3. those that will east water themselves upon those sparkes, which Christ labours to kindle

in them; because they will not be troubled with the light of them.

Such must know, that the Lambe can be angry, and they that will not come under his Scepter of Mercy, shall be crushed in pieces by his Scepter of Power. Though he will gratiously tender, and maintaine the least sparke of true grace, yet where hee findeth not a sparke of Grace, but opposition to his Spirit striving with them, his wrath once kindled shall burne to hell. There is no juster provocation, then when kindnesse is churlishly refused.

When God would have cured Babylon, and she would

not be cured, then, she was given up to destruction.

When Ierusalem would not bee gathered under the

wing of Christ, then their habitation is left desolate.

When Wisedome stretcheth

out her hand and men refuse, then Wisedome will laugh at mens destruction. Salvation it selfe will not save those that spill the potion, and cast away the plaister. A pitifull case, when this mercifull Saviour shall delight in Destruction: when hee that made men, shall have no mercy on them.

Oh say the Rebels of the time, God hath not made usto damne us. Yes, if you will not meet Christ in the wayes of his mercy, it is fit you should eate the fruit of your owne wayes, and

be filled with your owne devices.

This wil be the hel of hel whén men shal thinke that they have loved their sins, more then their soules: when they shall thinke, what love and mercy hath beene almost inforced upon them, and yet they would perish. The more accessory wee are in pulling a judgment upon our selves, the more the conscience

wil be confounded in it selfe, when they shall acknowledge Christ to be without all blame, themselves without excuse.

If men appeale to their owne consciences, they will tell them, the Holy Spirit hath often knockt at their hearts, as willing to have kindled some holy desires in them. How else can they be said to resist the Holy Ghost, but that the Spirit was readier to draw them to a further degree of goodnes, then stood with their owne wills? whereupon those in the Church that are damned, are selfe-condemned

before. So that here we need not to rise to higher causes, when men carry sufficient cause of their owne damnation in their owne bosomes.

4 And the best of us all may offend against this mercifull disposition, if wee bee not watchfull against that liberty our carnall dispositions will bee ready to take frō it. Thus we reason. If Christ will not quench the smoaking Flax, what need we feare that any neglect of our part can bring us under a comfortlesse condition? If Christ will not doe it, what can?

Ans. You know the Apostles prohibition notwithstanding 1 Thess. 5. quench not the Spirit. These cautions of not quenching are sanctified by the Spirit as meanes of not quenching. CHRIST performeth his office in not quenching, by stirring up sutable endeavours in us, and none more sollicitous in the use of the meanes, than those that are most certaine of the good successe: the ground is this, the meanes that GOD hath set apart for the effecting of any thing, fall under the same purpose that he hath to bring that

thing to passe; and this is a principle taken for granted even in civill matters: as who if he knew before it would bee a fruitfull yeare, would therefore hang up his plough and neglect tillage.

Hence the Apostle stirres up from the certain expectation of a blessing, and this incouragement here from the good issue of finall victory is intended to stirre us up, and not to take us off, if we bee negligent in the exercise of grace received, and use of meanes prescribed, suffering our spirits to bee oppressed with multitudes

and variety of cares of this life, and take not heed of the damps of the times, for such miscariage GOD in his wise care suffereth us oft to fall into a worse condition for feeling, than those that were never so much inlightned. Yet in mercy hee will not suffer us to be so farre enemies to our selves, as wholly to neglect these sparkes once kindled, were it possible that wee should be given up to give over all endeavour wholy, then wee could looke for no other issue but quenching. But CHRIST will tend this sparke, and cherish

this small seed so as hee will preserve in the soule alwayes some degree of care. If we would make a comfortable use of this, we must consider all those meanes whereby CHRIST doth preserve grace begun, as first, holy communion whereby one Christian heateth another: Two are better than one, &c. Did not our hearts burne, said the Disciples? Secondly, Much more communion with GOD in holy duties, as Meditation and Prayer, which doth not onely kindle, but addeth a lustre to the soule. Thirdly, wee feele by experience

the breath of the spirit to goe along with the ministeriall breath, whereupon the Apostle knits these two together, Quench not the Spirit, Despise not Prophesies. Nathan by a few words blew up the decaying sparkes in David. Rather than God will suffer his fire in us to dye, hee will send some Nathan or other, and some thing alwayes is left in us to joyne with the word, as connaturall to it as a coale that hath fire in it will quickly catch more to it: smoaking flaxe will easily take fire. Fourthly, grace is strengthned by the exercise

[gap]

[gap]

of it, Vp and be doing, and the Lord bee with thee, saith David to his son Salomon. Stirre up the grace that is in thee, for so holy motions turne to resolutions, resolutions to practice, and practice to a prepared readinesse to every good worke.

Yet let us know that grace is increased in the exercise of it, not by vertue of the exercise it selfe, but as CHRIST by his Spirit floweth into the soule, and bringeth us nearer unto himselfe the fountaine, and in[gap]illeth such comfort in the act whereby the heart is further

inlarged. The heart of a Christian is Christs Garden, and his Graces are as so many sweet spices and flowers, which his Spirit blowing upon maketh them to send forth a sweet savour: therefore keepe the soule open for entertainment of the Holy Ghost, for he will bring in continually fresh forces to subdue corruption, and this most of all on the Lords day. Iohn was in the Spirit on the Lords day, even in Pathmos, the place of his banishment, then the gales of the Spirit blow more strongly and sweetly. As we looke

therefore for the comfort of this doctrine, let us not favour our naturall sloth, but exercise our selves to god linesse, and labour to keep this fire alwayes burning upon the Altar of our hearts, and dresse our Lamps daily, and put in fresh oyle; and winde up our soules higher and higher still: resting in a good condition, is contrary to grace, which cannot but promote it selfe to a further measure: Let none turne this grace into wantonnesse. Infirmities are a ground of humility, not a plea for negligence, not an incouragement to

presumption. We should bee so farre from being ill, because CHRIST is good, as that those coales of love should melt us, therefore those may well suspect themselves in whom the consideratiō of this mildnesse of CHRIST doth not work that way. Surely where grace is, corruption is as Smoake to their eies, and vineger to their teeth. And therefore they will labour in regard of their owne comfort, as likewise for the credit of Religion, and the glory of GOD, that their light may break forth. If a sparke of faith or love bee so precious,

[gap]

[gap]

what an honour will it be to be rich in faith! Who would not rather wa[gap]e in the light, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, than to live in a darke perplexed estate? and not rather bee caried with full saile to heaven, than bee tossed alwayes with feares and doubts? The present trouble in conflict against a sinne is not so much as that disquiet which any corruption favoured, will bring upon us afterwards: True peace is in conquering, not in yeelding. The comfort in this Text intended is for those that would faine doe better,

but sinde their corruptiōs clog them, that are in such a mist, that oft times they cannot tell what to thinke of themselves; that faine would beleeve, and yet oft feare they doe not beleeve, and thinke that it cannot bee that GOD should be so good to such sinfull wretches as they are, and yet they allow not themselves in these feares and doubts.

And among others. How doe they wrong themselves and him, that will have other Mediators to GOD for them than he: are any more pitifull than he, who became

man to that end, that hee might be pitifull to his owne flesh? let all at all times repaire to this meek Saviour, and put up al our suits in his prevailing name. What need wee knock at any other doore? can any bee more tender over us than CHRIST? What incouragement have we to commend the state of the Church in generall, or of any broken hearted Christian, unto him by our prayers? Of whom we may speake unto CHRIST as they of Lazarus, Lord, the Church which thou lovest, and gavest thy selfe for, is in distresse:

Lord, this poore Christian for whom thou

wert bruised, is bruised and brought very low. It cannot but touch his bowells when the misery of his owne deare bowells is spred before him.

Againe, considering this gracious nature in CHRIST, let us thinke with our selves thus, when he is so kinde unto us, shall we be cruell against him, in his name, in his truth, in his children? how shall those that delight to be so terrible to the meeke of the earth, hope to looke so gracious a Saviour in the face: they that are so boysterous

towards his Spouse, shall know one day they had to deale with himselfe in his Church. So it cannot but cut the heart of those that have felt this love of CHRIST, to heare him wounded who is the life of their lives, and the foule of their soules: this maketh those that have selt mercy weepe over CHRIST whom they have pierced with their finnes; there cannot but be a mutuall and quicke sympathie betweene the Head and the Members. When wee are tempted to any sinne, if we will not pitie our selves, yet we should

spare CHRIST in not putting him to new torments. The Apostle could not finde out a more heartbreaking argument to ensorce a sacrificing our selves to GOD, than to conjure us by the mercies of GOD in CHRIST. This mercy of CHRIST likewise should moove us to commiserate the estate of the poore Church torne by enemies without, and renting it selfe by divisions at home. It cānot but work upon any soule that ever felt cōfort frō Christ, to consider what an affectionate intreaty the Apostle useth to mutuall agreement

in judgement & affection, If any consolation

in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, any bowells and mercies, fulfill my joy, be like minded. As if he should say, unlesse you will disclaime all consolation in Christ, &c. labour to maintaine the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: What a joyfull spectacle is this to Satan and his faction, to see those that are separated from the world, fall in pieces among themselves. Our discord is our enemies melody.

The more to blame those that for private aims

affect differences from others, and will not suffer the wounds of the Church to close and meet together. Which must not be understood as if men should dissemble their judgement in any truth, where there is just cause of expressing themselves, for the least truth is Christs and not ours, and therefore we are not to take liberty to affirme or deny at our pleasures: there is a due in a peny, as well as in a pound, therefore wee must bee faithfull in the least truth, when season calleth for it, then our words are like Apples of gold

with pictures of silver. One word spoken in season will doe more good, than a thousand out of season. In some cases peace by keeping our faith to our selves, is of more consequence, than the open discovery of some things we take to be true, considering the weaknesse of mans nature is such that there can hardly be a discovery of any difference in opinion, without some estrangement of affection. So farre as men are not of one minde, they will hardly be of one heart, except where grace and the peace of God beare great rule in the heart, therefore open

shew of difference is never good but when it is necessary; howsoever some from a desire to bee some body, turne into by-waies, and yeeld to a spirit of cō tradiction in themselves; yet if Saint Paul may bee Iudge, Are they not carnall? if it bee wisedome, it is wisedome from beneath; for the wisedome from above, as it is pure, so it is peaceable. Our blessed Saviour when hee was to leave the world, what doth hee presse upon his Disciples more than peace and love. And in his last prayer with what earnestnesse did he beg of his Father

that They might be one as he and the Father were