for want of incouragement See how that faithfull fisher of men S. Paul labours to catch his Iudge I know thou beleevest the Prophets and then wisheth all saving good but not bonds hee might have added them too but he would not discourage one that made but an offer hee would therefore wish Agrippa only that which was good in Religion How carefull was our blessed Saviour of little ones that they might not bee offended How doth he defend his Disciples from malitious imputations of the Pharises How carefull not to put new wine into old vessels not to alienate new beginners with the austerities of Religion as some indiscreetly O saith hee they shal have time to fast when I am gone and strength to fast when the Holy Ghost is come upon them It is not the best way to fall foule presently with young beginners for some lesser vanities but shew them a more excellent way and breed them up in positive grounds and other things wil be quickly out of credit with them It is not amisse to conceale their wants to excuse some failings to commend their performances to cherish their towardnesse to remove all rubs out of their way to helpe them every way to beare the yoake of Religion with greater ease to bring them in love with God and his service lest they distaste it before they know it For the most part we see CHRIST planteth in young beginners a love which we call the first love to cary them through their profession with more delight and doth not expose them to crosses before they have gathered strength as wee breed up young plants and fence them from the weather untill they bee well rooted Mercy to others should move us to deny our selves in our lawfull liberties oftentimes in case of offence of weake ones it is the little ones that are offended The weakest are aptest to think themselves despised therfore wee should bee most carefull to give them content It were a good strife amongst Christians one to labour to give no offence and the other to labour to take none The best men are severe to themselves tender over others Yet people should not tyre and weare out the patience of others Nor should the weaker so farre exact moderation from others as to beare out themselves upon their indulgence and so to rest in their owne infirmities with danger to their own soules and scandall to the Church The Church suffereth much from weake ones therefore wee may challenge liberty to deale with them as mildly so oftentimes directly The scope of true love is to make the party better which by concealment oftentimes is hindred with some a spirit of meeknesse prevaileth most but with some a rod. Some must be pulled out of the fire with violence and they will blesse God for us in the day of their visitation Wee see our Saviour multiplyes woe upon woe when hee was to deale with hard-hearted Hypocrites For Hypocrites doe neede stronger conviction than grosse sinners because their will is naught and thereupon usually their conversion is violent An hard knot must have an answerable wedge else in a cruell pity wee betray their soules A sharpe reproofe sometimes is a precious pearle and a sweet balme The wounds of secure sinners will not bee healed with sweet words The Holy Ghost came as well in fiery tongues as in the likenesse of a Dove and the same holy Spirit will vouchsafe a spirit of prudence and discretion which is the salt to season all our words and actions And such wisedome will teach us to speake a word in season both to the weary and likewise to the secure soule And indeed he had need have the tongue of the learned that shall either raise up or cast downe But in this place I speake of mildness towards those that are weake and are sensible of it These wee must bring on gently and drive softly as Iacob did his Cattell according to the pace and as his children were able to endure Weake Christians are like glasses which are hurt with the least violent usage otherwise if gently handled will continue a long time This honour of gentle use we are to give to the weaker vessells by which we shall both preserve them and likewise make them usefull to the Church and our selves In uncleane bodies if all ill humours be purged out you shall purge life and all away Therefore though GOD saith Zach. 13. 9. that he will fine them as silver is fined Yet Esay 48. 10. he saith He hath fined them but not as silver that is so exactly as that no drosse remaineth for hee hath respect to our weaknesse Perfect refining is for another world for the world of the soules of perfect men Divines had need to take heed therefore how they deale with these in divers particulars as first let them be carefull they straine not things too hie making those generall and necessary evidences of grace which agree not to the experience of many a good Christian and lay salvation and damnation upon those things that are not fit to beare so great a waight whereupon men are groundlesly cast down lower by them than they can hastily be raised up againe by themselves or others The Ambassadors of so gentle a Saviour should not bee over masterly setting up themselves in the hearts of people where CHRIST alone should sit as in his owne Temple How carefull was Saint Paul in cases of conscience not to lay a snare upon any weak conscience They should take heed likewise that they hide not their meaning in darke speeches speaking in the clouds Truth feareth nothing so much as concealement and desireth nothing so much as cleerely to bee laid open to the view of all When it is most naked it is most lovely and powerfull Our blessed Saviour as he tooke our nature upon him so he took upon him our familiar manner of speech which was part of his voluntary abasement Saint Paul was a profound man yet became as a nurse to the weaker sort That spirit of mercy that was in CHRIST should move his servants to bee content to abase themselves for the good of the meanest What made the Kingdome of heaven suffer violence after Iohn the Baptists time but that comfortable truths were with that plainnesse and evidence layd open that the people were so affected with them as they offered a holy violence to them CHRIST chose those to preach mercy which had felt most meroy as S. Peter and S. Paul that they might bee examples of what they taught Saint Paul became all things to all men stooping unto them for their good CHRIST came downe from heaven and emptied himselfe of majesty in tender love to soules shall not we come downe from our high conceits to doe any poore soule good shall man be proud after GOD hath beene humble Wee see the ministers of Satan turn themselves into all shapes to make proselytes A Iesuite will be every
and resolutions otherwise they stand not onely convicted but condemned by the Word and Christ that rideth on the White horse will spend all his arrowes upon them and wound them to death If any shall blesse himselfe in an ill way Gods wrath shall burne to hell against such There is no more comfort to bee expected from Christ then there is care to please him Otherwise to make him an abetter of a lawlesse and loose life is to transforme him into a phansie nay into the likenesse of him whose workes hee came to destroy which is the most detestable Idolatry of all One way whereby the Spirit of Christ prevaileth in his is to preserve them from such thoughts yet wee see people will frame a divinity to themselves pleasing to the flesh sutable to their own ends which being vaine in the substance will prove likewise vaine in the fruit and as a building upon the sand The maine scope of all is to allure us to the entertainment of Christs milde safe wise victorious government and to leave men naked of all pretences why they will not have Christ to rule over them when we see salvation not onely strongly wrought but sweetly dispensed by him His government is not for his owne pleasure but for our good We are saved by a way of love that love might be kindled by this way in us to God againe because this affection melteth the soule and mouldeth it to all dutie and acceptable manner of performance of dutie It is love in duties that God regards more then duties themselves This is the true and Euangelicall disposition arising from Christs love to us and our love to him againe and not to feare to come to him as if wee were to take an Elephant by the tooth It is almost a fundamentall mistake to think that God delights in slavish feares when as the fruits of Christs Kingdome are peace and joy in the Holy Ghost for from this mistake come weake slavish superstitious conceits Two things trouble the peace of Christians verie much their weaknesses hanging upon them and feare of holding out for time to come A remedy against both is in this Text for Christ is set out here as a milde Saviour to weake ones and for time to come his powerfull care and love is never interrupted untill hee bring forth judgement to victory And thereupon it is that both the meanes of salvation and grace wrought by meanes and glory the perfection of grace come all under one name of the KINGDOME of GOD so oft because whom by meanes he brings to grace he will by grace bring to glory This maketh the thoughts of the latter Iudgement comfortable unto us that he who is then to be our Iudge cannot but judge for them who â—…ve beene ruled by him here for whom hee guâ—…des by his counsell those he brings to glory If our saith were but as firme as our state in Christ is secure and glorious what manner of men should we be If I had gone about to affect writing in a high straine I should have missed of mine end and crossed the argument in hand For shall we that are servants quench those weake sparkes which our Lord himselfe is pleased to cherish I had rather hazard the censure of some then hinder the good of others which if it be any wayes furthered by these few observations I have what I aymed at I intended not a treatise but opening of a Text what I shall be drawne to doe in this kind must bee by degrees as leisure in the midst of many interruptions will permit The Lord guide our hearts tongues and pennes for his glory and the good of his people R. SIBBES A TABLE OF the Contents I. Part. Christ will not breake the bruised Reed THose that Christ hath to deale withall are bruised Bruising is necessary 1 Before conversion 10 2 After conversion 16 Vse Not to be rash in iudging such 18 Christ will not breake the bruised Reed 19 Confirmed from his borrowed titles 20 Relations 21 Offices ibid. Vse 1. Goe boldly to the throne of grace 25 Vse 2. Despaire not in thy bruisings 27 Vse 3. See the contrary to this in Sathan 28 1 Signes of bruisings 30 2 Mâ—…anes of bruisings 33 3 Measure of bruisings 39 4 Comfort to the bruised 43 II. Part. Nor quench the smoaking flaxe ¶ Grace is little at the first 46 Vse Not to be discouraged at small beginnings 49 ¶ Grace is mingled with corruption 52 Vse Hence wee iudge so variously of our selves 56 ¶ Christ will not quench small and wâ—…ake beginnings 58 Because it is from him 58 for him ibid. Vse No more should we therefore 1 Let all men in generall cary themselves with moderation 61 Yet with wisedome to discerne those that are not such 67 And tendernesse towards beginners 70 2 In particular to admonish of this 1 The Church 76 2 Ministers iâ—…id 3 Magistrates 77 4 Private Christians that they quench not good things in others by their 1 Example 81 2 Slanderings 82 3 Censuring and iudging them 1 For matters indifferent 83 2 For weaknesses 85 Use. 2. Examine whether wee be such as Christ will not quench 1 Rules how to examine our selves 91 2 Signes whereby to examine our selves 101 Some scruples of heart answered that keepe us from the comfort of our examination 122 Vse 3. We are incouraged to set upon duties notwithstanding our weaknesses and disabilities 130 A case about indisposition to dutie resolved 139 Two doubts of acceptance either 1 From scruples about duties 149 2 Ignorance of our condition in Christ. 151 Weaknesses what 153 How to recover lost peace 157 Vse 4. Let us frame our conceits accordingly and not beleeve Sathans representations of Christ to us 160 Or of us unto our selves ibid Vse 5. Reproofe of such as sinne against this mercifull disposition in Christ as those doe 1 That goe on in ill courses either from despaire 175 or presumption 177 or a wilfull purpose to quench the light that is in them ibid. 2 Neglect good courses from hopes to have comfort because Christ is thus mercifull 182 3 That ill require so gracious a Saviour as Christ is 1 By neglecting his Mediatorship 2 Or by being cruell to him in his 1 Members 195 2 Name 195 3 By divisions in opinion 197 4 That walke contrary to Christ in their dealing with the tender for their owne gaine 202 5 That 〈◊〉 and stumble at this low stooping of Christ. ibid. III. Part. Vntill hee send forth judgment unto Uictorie Explanation of the words 208 The spirituall government of Christ is joyned with judgement and wisedome 215 Vse 1. Spirituall wisedome and iudgement is excellent and in what respects 217 Why Sathan envies and spighteth it 221 It is most necessary for the mannaging of a Christians course 224 Where true wisedome and iudgment is there Christ sets up his government 230 The best method for practice 236 Use. 2. There is no true iudgement
was trodden on on earth His advancement hath not made him forget his owne flesh though it hath freed him from passion yet not from compassion towards us The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah will onely teare in pieces those that will not have him rule over them Hee will not shew his strength against those that prostrate themselves before him What should we learn from hence but to come boldly to the throne of Grace in all our grievances Shal our sinnes discourage us when hee appeares there onely for sinners Art thou bruised Be of good comfort he calleth thee concoale not thy wounds open all before him keep not Satans counsell Go to Christ though trembling as the poore woman if wee can but touch the h◅m of his garment we shall be healed and have a gracious answer Goe boldly to God in our flesh for this end that wee might goe boldly to him he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Never feare to go to God since we have such a Mediatour with him that is not onely our friend but our brother and husband Well might the Angells proclame from Heaven Behold we bring you tidings of joy well might the Apostle stir us up to rejoice in the Lord againe and againe he was well advised vpon what grounds he did it peace and joy are two maine fruits of his Kingdome Let the world be as it will if we cannot rejoyce in the world yet wee may rejoyce in the Lord. His presence maketh any condition comfortable Bee not afraid saith hee to his Disciples when they were afraid as if they had seene a Ghost it is I as if there were no cause of feare where he is present Let this stay us when wee feele our selves bruised Christ his course is first to wound then to heale No sound whole soule shall ever enter into heaven think in temptation CHRIST was tempted for mee according to my tryalls will be my Graces and Comforts If CHRIST bee so mercifull as not to break me I will not breake my selfe by despaire nor yeeld my selfe over to the roaring Lyon Satan to break me in pieces Thirdly see the contrary disposition of CHRIST and Satan and his instruments Satan setteth upon us when we are weakest as Simeon and Levi upon the Si◅hemites when they were sore But CHRIST will make up in us all the breaches sinne and Satan have made hee bindes up the broaken hearted and as a mother tendreth most the most diseased and weakest childe so doth CHRIST most mercifully incline to the weakest and likewise putteth an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support The Vine stayeth it selfe upon the Elme and the weakest creatures have oft the strongest shelters The consciousnesse of the churches weaknesse makes her willing to leane on her beloved and to hide her selfe under his wing But how shall we know whether wee are such as those that may expect mercy By bruising here is not meant those that are brought low onely by crosles but such as by thē are brought to see their sinne which bruiseth most of all When conscience is under the guilt of sinne then every judgement brings a report of GODS anger to the soule and all lesser troubles runne into this great trouble of conscience for sinne As all corrupt humours runne to the diseased and bruised part of the body And as every Creditor falls upon the Debtor when hee is once arrested so when conscience is once awaked all former sinnes and present crosses joyne together to make the bruise the more painfull Now he that is thus bruised will be content with nothing but w th mercy frō him that hath bruised him he hath wounded and he must heale 2. Againe a man truly bruised judgeth sinne the greatest evill and the favour of God the greatest good 3. Hee had rather heare of mercy than of a 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
thing it wil be of more use and comfort then al this world which passeth away comes to nothing Yea let us be thankfull sor that promised and assured victory which we may relie on without presumption as Saint Paul doth Thankes bee to GOD that hath given us victorie in Iesu Christ. See a slame in a spark a tree in a seed see great things in little beginnings Looke not so much to the beginning as to the perfection and so we shall bee in some degree joyfull in our selves and thankfull unto Christ. And let all this that hath beene spoken allure those that are not yet in state of grace to come under CHRISTS sweet and victorious government for though wee shall have much opposition yet if we strive hee will helpe us if we faile he wil cherish us if wee bee guided by him we shall overcome If we overcome wee are sure to be crowned And for the presēt state of the Church we see now how forlorne it is yet let us comfort our selves that CHRISTS cause shall prevaile Christ will rule till he hath made his enemies his footstoole not onely to trample up on but to helpe him up to mount higher in glory Babylon shall fall for strong is the Lord who hath condemned her Rev. 18. 8. Christs judgement not onely in his children but also against his enemies shall be victorious for hee is King of Kings and Lord of Lords GOD will not suffer Antichrist and his supports to revell and ruffle in the Church as they doe If we looke to the present state of the Church of CHRIST it is as Daniel in the midst of Lyons as a Lilly amongst thornes As a ship not onely tossed but almost covered with waves It is so low that the enemies thinke they have buried CHRIST in regard of his Gospel in the grave and there they thinke to keepe him from rising but CHRIST as he rose in his person so hee will roule away all stones rise again in his church how little support hath the Church and cause of CHRIST at this day how strong a conspiracie is against it The spirit of Antichrist is now lifted up and marcheth furiously things seeme to hang on a small and invisible thread But our comfort is that CHRIST liveth and raigneth and standeth on Mount Sion in defence of them that stand for him and when States and Kingdomes shall dash one against another CHRIST will have care of his owne Children and cause seeing there is nothing else in the world that he much esteemeth At this very time the delivery of his Church and the ruine of his enemies is in working we see not things in motion till CHRIST hath done his worke and then wee shall see that the Lord raigneth CHRIST and his Church when they are at the lowest are neerest rising his enemies at the highest are neerest a downefall The Iewes are not yet come in under CHRISTS banner but GOD that hath perswaded Iaphet to come into the Tents of Shem will perswade Shem to come into the Tents of Iaphet The fulnesse of the Gentiles is not yet come in but CHRIST that hath the utmost parts of the earth given him for his possession will gather all the sheepe his Father hath given him into one fold that there may bee one sheepfold and one shepheard The faithfull Iewes rejoyced to thinke of the calling of the Gentiles and why should not we joy to thinke of the calling of the Iewes The Gospels course hath hitherto been as that of the Sun from East to West and so in GODS time may proceed yet further West No creature can hinder the course of the Sun nor stop the influence of heaven nor hinder the blowing of the winde much lesse hinder the prevailing power of divine truth untill CHRIST hath brought all under one head and then he will present all to his Father these are they thou hast given unto me these are they that have taken mee for their Lord and King that have suffered with mee My will is that they bee where I am and raigne with mee And then hee will deliver up the Kingdome even to his Father and put downe all other rule and authority and power Let us then bring our hearts to holy resolutions and set our selves upon that which is good and against that which is ill in our selves or others according to our callings upon this incouragement that CHRISTS grace and power shall goe along with us What had become of that great worke of Reformation of Religion in the latter Spring of the Gospel if men had not beene armed with invincible courage to out-stride all lets upon this faith that the cause was CHRISTS and that he would not be wanting to his owne cause Luther ingenuosly confessed that he caried matters often inconsiderately and with mixture of passion but upon acknowledgement GOD tooke not advantage of his errors but the cause being GODS and his aymes being holy to promote the truth and being a mighty man in prayer and strong in faith GOD by him kindled that fire which all the world shall never bee able to quench According to our faith so is our incouragement to all duties therefore let us strengthen faith that it may strengthen all other graces This very beliefe that faith shall bee victorious is a meanes to make it so indeed Beleeve it therefore that though it bee often as smoaking flax yet it shall preuaile If it prevaile with GOD himselfe in tryalls shall it not prevaile over all other opposition Let us waite a while and we shall see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord reveale himselfe more and more unto us in the face of his Sonne Iesus CHRIST and magnifie the power of his grace in cherishing those beginnings of grace in the middest of our corruptions and sanctifie the consideration of our owne infirmities to humble us and of his tender mercy to incourage us And perswade us that since he hath taken us into the covenant of grace hee will not cast us off for those corruptions which as they grieve his Spirit so they make us vile in our owne eyes And because Sathan labours to obscure the glory◅ of his mercy and hinder our comfort by discouragements The Lord adde this to the rest of his mercies that since he is so gracious to those that yeeld to his goverment we may make the right use of this grace and not lose any portion of comfort that is layd up for us in CHRIST And hee vouchsafe to let the prevailing power of his Spirit in us bee an evidence of the truth of grace begun and a pledge of finall victory at that time when he will be all in all in all his for all eternity Amen FINIS Heb. 10. 7. 1 Th. s. 5 14 Hosea 2. 24. Rev. 22. 17. M◅ 11. 28 Esay 53. 1. 1 Ioh. 3. 23. Ioh. 16. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 20. Es. 5. 8. Hos. 11. 9. Eph. 3. 18. Es. 57.