THE Bruised Reed, and Smoaking Flax. (10)

which GOD hath taken in CHRIST, to bring us to heaven, and still approve a further measure of grace then we have attained unto, and project and forecast for it. No other men can justifie their courses when their conscience is awaked. 2, When reasons of religion, be the strongest reasons with us, and prevaile more▪ then rea: sons fetcht from worldly policy. 3. When wee are so true to our ends and fast to our rule, as no hopes or feares can sway us anothe[gap] way, but still we are looking what agrees, or differs from our rule. 4, When

wee can doe nothing against

the truth, but for the truth, as being dearer to us then our lives, truth hath not this soveraignty: in the heart of any carnall man. 5, When, if we had libertie to choose under whose Government wee would live, yet out of a delight in the inner man to Christs government, wee would make choyce of him only, to rule us before any other, for this argues that wee are like minded to CHRIST. A free and a voluntarie people, and not compelled unto Christs service, otherwise then by the sweet constraint of

love. When we are so far in liking with the government of CHRISTS Spirit, that wee are willing to resigne up our selves to him in all things, for then his kingdome is come into us, when our wills are brought to his will; it is the bent of our wils that maketh us good or ill. 6, A well ordered uniforme life, not by sits or starts, shewes a well ordered heart, as in a clocke when the hammer strikes well, and the hand of the Dyall points well, it is a signe that the wheeles are right set. 7, When Christs will commeth in competition

with any earthly losse or gaine, yet if then in that particular case the heart will stoope to CHRIST, it is a true signe; for[gap] the truest tryall of the power of grace is in such particular cases which [gap]ch us neerest, for there our corruption maketh the greatest head; when CHRIST came neere home to the yong man in the Gospell, hee lost a disciple of him. 8, When we can practise duties pleasing to Christ, though contrary to flesh, and the course of the world. And when we can overcome our selves in that evill, to which our nature

is proane, and standeth so much inclined unto, and which agreeth to the sway of the times, and which others lie inthralled under, as desire of revenge, hatred of enemies private ends, &c. then it appeares that grace is in us above nature, heaven above earth, and will have the victory.

For the further clearing of this, and helping of us in our tryall; wee must know there bee three degrees of victory. 1, When we resist though we bee foyled. 2, When Grace gets the better though with conflict. 3, When all corruption

is perfectly subdued. Now when wee have strength but onely to resist, yet wee may know CHRISTS government in us will bee victorious, because what is said of the Devill, is said of all our spirituall enemies; If we resist,

they shall in time flye from us: because stronger is hee that is in us, that taketh part with his owne Grace, than hee that is in the world. And if wee may hope for victory upon bare resistance, what may wee not hope for when the Spirit hath gotten the upper hand?

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For the second, that is, directions.

Wee must know, though Christ hath under-taken this victorie, yet hee accomplisheth it by training us up to fight his battells; hee overcommeth in us, by making us wise to salvation: and in what degree we beleeve Christ will conquer, in that degree wee will endevour by his grace that wee may conquer: for Faith is an obedient and a wise grace: Christ maketh us wise to ponder & weigh things, and thereupon to ranke and order them so, as we may make the fitter choise of what is best.

Some Rules to helpe us in judging are these.

To judge of things as they help or hinder the maine: as they surther or hinder our reckoning: as they make us more or lesse spirituall, and so bring us neerer to the fountaine of Goodnes, GOD himselfe: as they bring us peace or sorrow at the last: as they commend us more or lesse to GOD, and wherein we shall approve our selves to him most: Likewise to judge of things now, as we shall doe hereafter, when the soule shall be best able to judge, as when wee are under any publike calamitie,

or at the houre of death, when the soule gathereth it selfe from all other things to it self. Looke backe to former experience, see what is most agreeable unto it; what was best in our worst times. If Grace is or was best then, it is best now. And labour to judge of things as hee doth, who must judge us, & as holy men judge, who are led by his Spirit: more particularly, what those judge, that have no interest in any benefit that may come by the thing which is in question: for outward things blinde the eies even of the wise; we see Papists

are most corrupt in those things, where their honor, ease or profit is ingaged, but in the doctrine of the Trinitie, which doth not touch upon these things, they are found. But it is not sufficient that judgment be right, but likewise readie and strong.

Where Christ establisheth this government, he inspireth care to keepe the Iudgement cleare & fresh, for whilst the Iudgement standeth straight & firme, the whole frame of the soule continueth strong & impregnable. True Iudgement in us advancet[gap] Christ, and Christ will

advance it. All sinne is eyther from false principles or ignorance, or mindlesnesse, or unbeleefe of true. By inconsideration, and weaknesse of assent Eve lost her hold at first. It is good therefore to store up true principles in our harts, and to refresh them often, that in vertue of them our affections and actions may be more vigorous. When Iudgement is fortified, evill findes no entrance, but good things have a side within us, to entertaine them. Whilest true convincing light continueth, wee will not doe the least ill of sinne, for the greatest

ill of punishment. In vaine

is the [gap]et spread in the eyes of that which hath wings. Whilest the soule is kept aloft, there is little danger of snares below: we lose our high estimation of things, before wee can be drawne to any sinne.

And because knowledge and affection mutually helpe one another▪ it is good to keepe up our affections of love and delight by all sweet inducements, & divine incouragements, for what the heart liketh best, the minde studyeth most. Those that can bring their hearts to delight in Christ, know most

of his wayes. Wisedome loveth them that love her. Love is the best entertainer of truth, and when it is not entertained in the love of it, (being so lovely as it is) it leaveth the heart, and will stay no longer. It hath beene a prevailing way to beginne by with-drawing the love, to corrupt the Iudgement; because as we love so wee use to judge: and therefore it is hard to be affectionate and wise in earthly things, but in heavenly things, where there hath been a right information of the judgement before, the more our affections grow, the better and

clearer our judgements will be, because our affections though strong, can never rise high enough to the excellencie of the things. Wee see in the Martyrs, when the sweet doctrine of Christ had once gotten their hearts, it could not be gotten out againe by all the torments the wit of crueltie could devise. If Christ hath once possessed the affections, there is no dispossessing of him again. A fire in the heart overcommeth all fires without.

3, Wisedome likewise teacheth us, wherein our weaknesse lyeth, and our

enemies strength, wherby a jealous feare is stirred up in us, whereby we are preserved. For out of this godly jealousie wee keepe those provocations which are active and working from that wch is passive & catching in us, as we keep fire from powder. They that will hinder the generation of noysome creatures, will hinder the conception first, by keeping male and female asunder. This jealousie wil be much furthered by observing strictly what hath helped or hindered a gratious tē per in us: and it will make us take heed that wee consult

not with flesh and blood in our selves or others. How else can wee thinke that Christ will lead us out to victorie, when we take counsell of his and our enemies.

4, Christ maketh us likewise carefull to attend all meanes, whereby fresh thoughts and affections may be stirred up and preserved in us. Christ so honoureth the use of meanes, and the care he putteth into us, that hee ascribeth both preservation and victory unto our care of keeping our selves. Hee that is begotten of God, keepeth himselfe; but not by himselfe,

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but by the Lord, in dependance: on him in the use of meanes. We are no longer safe, then wife to present our selves to all good advantages of acquaintance, &c. By going out of Gods walkes, we goe out of his government, and so lose our frame, and finde our selves over-spread quickly with a cōtráry disposition. When wee draw neere to Christ in his ordinances, he drawes neere to us.

5 Keepe grace in exercise: it is not sleepy habits but Gracein exercise that preserveth us. Whilest the soule is in some civill or sacred imployment, corruptions

within us, are much suppressed, and Sathans passages stopped, and the spirit hath a way open to inlarge[gap] it selfe in us, and likewise the guard of Angells then most neerly attend us; which course often prevailes more against our spirituall enemies then direct oppo sition. It stands upon Christs honor to maintaine those that are in his worke.

Sixthly, in all directiōs we must look up to Christ the quickning spirit, and resolve in his strength, though wee are exhorted to cleave to the Lord with

full purpose of heart, yet we

must pray▪ with David, Lord for ever keepe it in the thoughts of our hearts, and prepare our hearts unto thee: our hearts are of themselves very loose and unsetled, Lord unite our hearts unto thee to feare thy name, or else without him our best purposes will fall to the ground. It is a pleasing request out of love to GOD, to beg such a frame of soule from him, wherein hee may take delight; and therefore in the use of all the meanes, wee must send up our desires and complaints to heaven to him for strength and help, and then we may bee sure,

that he will bring forth judgment into victory.

Lastly, it furthers the state of the soule, to know what frame it should bee in, that so wee may order our soules accordingly; we should alwayes bee fit for communion with GOD, and bee heavenly minded in earthly busines, and be willing to be taken off from them, to redeem time for better things; we should bee ready at all times to depart hence, and to live in such a condition, as we would be content to dye in: wee should have hearts prepared for every good duty, open to all

good occasions, and shut to al temptations, keeping our watch, and being alwayes ready armed: so farre as we come short of these things, so farre wee have just cause to be humbled, and yet presse forward that wee may gaine more upon our selves, and make these things more familiar and lovely unto us, and when wee finde our soules any wayes falling downewards, it is best to raise them up presently by some waking meditatiōs; as of the presence of God, of the strict reckoning we are to make, of the infinite love of GOD in CHRIST,

and the fruits of it, of the excellency of a Christians calling, of the short and uncertaine time of this life: how little good all those things that steale away our hearts, will doe us ere long; and how it shall bee for ever with us thereafter as we spend this little time well, or ill, &c. the more we give way for such consideratiōs to sink into our hearts, the more we shall rise neerer to that state of soule which wee shall enjoy in Heaven. When wee grow regardlesse of keeping our soules, then GOD recovers our taste of good things again,

by sharpe crosses, thus David, Salomon, Sampson, &c. were recovered: it is much easier kept then recovered.

But notwithstanding my striving, I seeme to stand at a stay.

Grace (as the seed in the Parable) growes we know not how, yet at length when GOD seeth fittest wee shall see that all our indeavour hath not beene in vaine, the tree falleth upon the last stroke, yet all the former strokes help it forward.

Sometimes victory is suspended, because some Achan is not found out, or

because wee are not humble enough: as Israel had the worst against the Benjamites till they fasted and prayed, or because wee betray our helps, & stand not upon our guard, and yeeld not presently to the motions of the Spirit, which mindeth us alwayes of the best things, if wee would regard it. Our owne consciences will tell us, if wee give them leave to speake, that some sinfull favouring of our selves is the cause. The way in this case to prevaile, is I, to get the victory over the pride of our owne nature, by taking shame to our selves,

in humble confession [gap] GOD; and then [gap]23 to overcome the unbeliefe of our hearts by yeelding to the promise of pardon, and then 3, in confidence of CHRISTS assistance to set our selves against those sins which have prevailed over us; and then prevailing over our selves we shall easily prevhile over all other enemies, and conquer all conditions we shall be brought into.

If Christ will have the victory, then it is the best way for Nations & States to kisse the Sonne, and to imbrace Christ & his religiō; to side with Christ, and to own his cause in the world,

his side wil prove the strō gest side at last, happy are we if Christ honour us so much as to use our helpe to fight his battell against the mighty. True religion in a State, is as the maine piller of a house, & staffe of a tēt that upholds all: 2 so for families let CHRIST be the chiefe Governor of the family; & 3, let cuery one be as a house for CHRIST to dwell familiarly in, and to rule; where CHRIST is, all happinesse must follow. If Christ goeth, all will goe; where Christs governmēt in his ordinances, and his spirit is, there all subordinate government wil prosper:

Religiō inspireth life & grace into al other things, all other vertues without it are but as a faire picture without a head. Where Christs lawes are writtē in the heart, there all other good lawes are best obeyed, none despise mās law, but those that despise Christs first. Of all persons a man guided by Christ is the best, and of all creatures in the world, a man guided by will & affection (next the devil) is the worst. The happiness of weaker things stands in being ruled by stronger: it is best for a blind man to bee guided by him that hath sight; it it best for sheepe and such like shiftlesse

creatures to bee guided by mā; & it is happiest for man to be guided by CHRIST, because his government is so victorious that it frees us from the feare and danger of our greatest enemies, and tends to bring us to the greatest happinesse that our nature is capable of. This should make us to joy when CHRIST reigneth in us. When Salomon was crowned the people shouted, so that the earth rang; much more should we rejoyce in CHRIST our King. And likewise for those, whose soules are deere unto us, that Christ

may raigne in them also, that they may bee baptized by CHRIST with this fire, that these sparkes may be kindled in them. Men labour to cherish: the spirit and metall (as they terme it) of those they traine up, because they thinke they wil have use of it in the manifold affaires and troubles of this life. Oh, but let us cherish the▪ sparkes of Grace in them: sor a naturall spirit in great troubles will faile, but these sparkes will make them conquerors over the greatest evills.

If CHRISTS, judgement sall bee victorious,