about CHRIST the faster as they see more need in themselves and let them remember the mildnesse of CHRIST here that will not quench the smoaking flaxe Oft-times wee see that after a deepe humiliation Christ speakes more peace then before to witnesse the truth of this reconciliation because he knowes Satans enterprizes in casting downe such lower and because such are most abased in themselves and are ashamed to looke Christ in the face by reason of their unkindnesse We see GOD did not onely pardon David but after much bruising gave him wise Salomon to succeed him in the Kingdome We see in the Canticles that the Church after she had beene humbled for her slighting of Christ Christ sweetly entertaines her againe and falleth into commendation of her Beauty Cant. 6. We must know for our comfort that CHRIST was not annointed to this great worke of the Mediatour for lesser sinnes onely but for the greatest if there be but a sparke of true faith to lay hold on him Therefore if there bee any bruised Reed let him not except himselfe when Christ doth not except him Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden c. Why should we not make use of so gracious a disposition we are onely therefore poore because wee know not our riches in CHRIST In time of temptation rather beleeve CHRIST then the Devill beleeve truth from Truth it selfe hearken not to a lyar an enemy and a murtherer Since CHRIST is thus comfortably set out unto us let us not beleeve Sarans representations of him When we are troubled in conscience for our sinnes his manner is then to present him to the afflicted soule as a most severe Iudge armed with Iustice against us But then let us present him to our soules as thus offered to our view by GOD himselfe as holding out a Scepter of mercy and spreading his armes to receive us When we thinke of Ioseph Daniel Iohn the Evangelist c. we frame conceipts of theÌ„ with delight as of milde sweet persons much more when we thinke of CHRIST wee should conceive of him as a mirrour of all meekness If the sweetnesse of all flowers were in one how sweet must that flower needs be In CHRIST all perfections of mercy and love meete how great then must that mercy be that lodgeth in so gracious a heart Whatsoever tendernesse is scattered in husband father brother head all is but a beame from him it is in him in the most eminent manner We are weake but we are his we are deformed but yet carry his Image vpon us A father lookes not so much at the blemishes of his child as at his owne nature in him so Christ findes matter of love from that which is his owne in us Hee sees his owne nature in us wee are diseased but yet his members who ever neglected his owne members because they were sicke or weake none ever hated his owne flesh Can the head forget the members Can CHRIST forget himselfe we are his fulnesse as he is ours He was Love it selfe clothed with mans nature which hee united so neere to himselfe that hee might communicate his goodnes the more freely unto us And tooke not our nature when it was at the best but when it was abased with all naturall and common infirmities it was subiect unto Let us therefore abhorre all suspicious thoughts as either cast in or cherished by that damned spirit who as he laboured to divide betweene the Father and the Sonne by jealousies If thou beest the Sonne of God c. So his daily sâ—…udy is to divide betwixt the Sonne and us by breeding misperswasions in us of CHRIST as if there were not such tender love in him to such as we are It was his art from the beginning to discredit God with man by calling Gods love into question with our first Father Adam his successe then makes him ready at that weapon still But for all this I feele not CHRIST so to me saith the smoaking flaxe but rather the cleane contrary he seemeth to be an enemy unto me I see and feele evidences of his just displeasure CHRIST may act the part of an enemy a little while as Ioseph did but it is to make way for acting his own part of mercy in a more seasonable time hee cannot hold in his bowells long he seemeth to wrastle with us as with Iacob but hee supplyes us with hidden strength at length to get the better Faith pulls off the vizard from his face and sees a loving heart under contrary appearances At first he answers the woman of Canaan crying after him not a word 2. then gives her a deniall 3. gives an answer tending to her reproach calling her dogge as being without the Covenant yet she would not be so beaten off for shee considered the end of his comming As his Father was never neerer him in strength to support him then when he was furthest off in sense of favour to comfort him So CHRIST is never neerer us in power to uphold us then when he seemeth most to hide his presence from us The influence of the Sun of righteousnesse pierceth deeper then his light In such cases whatsoever CHRISTS present cariage is towards us let us oppose his nature and office against it hee cannot deny himselfe he cannot but discharge the office his Father hath laid upon him Wee see here the Father hath undertaken that hee shall not quench the smoaking flaxe and CHRIST againe undertaken for us to the Father appearing before him for us untill he presents us blamelesse before him The Father hath given us to Christ and Christ giveth us back againe to the Father This were good comfort if I were but as smoaking flaxe It is well that thy objection pincheth upon thy selfe and not upon Christ it is well thou givest him the honour of his mercy towards others though not to thy selfe but yet doe not wrong the worke of his Spirit in thy heart Sathan as he slaundereth CHRIST to us so hee slandereth us to our selves If thou beest not so much as smoaking flax theÌ„ why doest thou not renounce thy interest in Christ and disclame the Covenant of grace this thou darest not do why dost thou not give up thy selfe wholly to other contents this thy spirit will not suffer thee Whece comes these restlesse groanings and complaints Lay this thy present estate together with this office of CHRIST to such and doe not despise the consolation of the Almighty nor refuse thy owne mercy Cast thy selfe into the Armes of CHRIST and if thou perishest perish there if thou dost not thou art sure to perish If mercy be to be 〈◊〉 any where it is there herein appeares Christs care to thee that hee hath given thee a heart in some degree sensible he might have given thee up to hardnes security and prophanenesse of heart of all spirituall judgements the greatest Hee that dyed for his enemies will hee refuse
burthen before they be raised up againe Therfore it is good in mixt assemblies to mingle comforts that every soule may have its due portion But if wee lay this for a ground that there is more mercy in CHRIST than sinne in us there can be no danger in through dealing It is better to goe bruised to heaven than sound to Hell Therefore let us not take off our selves too soone nor pull off the plaister before the cure be wrought but keep our selves under this work till sinne bee the sowrest and CHRIST the sweetest of all things And when GODS hand is upon us in any kinde it is good to divert our sorrow for other things to the root of all which is sin let our griefe runne most in that channell that as sin bred griefe so griefe may consume sinne But are we not bruised unlesse wee grieve more for sinne than we doe for punishment Sometimes our griefe from outward grievances may lye heavier upon the soule than griefe for Gods displeasure because in such cases the griefe workes upon the whole man both outward and inward and hath nothing to stay it but a little sparke of faith which by reason of the violent impression of the grievance is suspended in the exercises of it and this is most felt in sudden distresses which come upon the soule as a torrent or land flood and especially in bodily distempers which by reason of the sympathy betweene the soule and the body worke upon the soule so farre as they hinder not onely the spirituall but often the naturall acts Hereupon S. Iames wisheth in affliction to pray our selves but in case of sicknesse to send for the Elders that may as those in the Gospell offer up the sick person to GOD in their prayers being unable to present their owne case Hereupon GOD admitteth of such a plea froÌ„ the sharpnesse and bitternesse of the grievance as in David Psal. 6. c. the Lord knoweth whereof we are made Psal. 103. he remembreth wee are but dust that our strength is not the strength of steele It is a branch of his faithfulnesse unto us as his creatures whence he is called a faithfull Creator God is faithfull who will not suffer us to bee tempted above that wee are able There were certain Commandements which the Iewes called the hedges of the Law as to fence men off from cruelty hee commanded they should not take the damâ—… with the young nor seeth the Kid in the mothers milke nor muzzle the mouth of the Oxe Hath GOD care of beasts and not of his more noble creature and therefore we ought to judge charitably of the complaints of Gods people which are wrung from them in such cases Iob had the esteeme with GOD of a patient man notwithstanding those passionate complaints faith overborne for the present will get ground againe and griefe for sin although it come short of griefe for misery in violence yet it goeth beyond it in constancy as 〈◊〉 running stream fed with 〈◊〉 spring holdeth out when a sudden swelling brooke faileth For the concluding of this point and our incouragement to a thorow worke of bruising and patience under Gods bruising of us let all know that none are fitter for comfort than those that thinke themselves furthest off Men for the most part are not lost enough in their owne feeling for a Saviour A holy despaire sin our selves is the ground of true hope In GOD the fatherlesse finde mercie if men were more fatherless they should feele more Gods fatherly affection from heaven For GOD that dwelleth in highest heavens dwelleth likewise in the lowest soule Christs sheepe are weake Sheepe and wanting in something or other hee therefore applyeth himselfe to the necessities of every Sheepe Ez. 34. he seeks that which was lost and brings againe than which was driven out of the way and bindes up that which was broken and strengthens the weakâ—… his teÌ„derst care is over the weakest The Lambs he caâ—…ieth in his bosome Peter â—…eed my Lambs Hee was most familiar and open to â—…he troubled soules How carefull was he that Peter the rest of the Apostles should not bee too much dejected after his resurrection Goe tell the Disciples and tell Peter Christ knew that guilt of their unkindnesse in leaving of him had dejected their spirits How gently did hee indure Thomas his unbeleefe stooped so far into his weaknesse as to suffer him to thrust his â—…and into his side For the second branch GOD will not quench the smoaking flax or wieke but will blow it up till it flameth In smoaking flax there is but a little light that weake as being not able to flame and this little mixed with smoake The observations hence are first That in GODS Children especially in their first conversioÌ„ there is but a little measure of grace and that little mixt with much corruption which as smoake is offensive Secondly that Christ will not quench this smoaking Flax. For the first Grace is little at the first There are severall Ages in Christians some Babes some young men Grace is as a graine of Mustard-seed Nothing so little as grace at first and nothing more glorious afterward things of greatest perfection are longest in comming to their growth Man the perfectest creature comes to perfection by little and little Worthlesse things as Mushromes and the like like Ionas Gourd soon spring up and soone vanish A new creature is the most excellent frame in all the world therefore it groweth up by degrees Wosee in Nature that a mighty Oake riseth of an Akorne It is with a Christian as it was with Christ who sprang out of the dead stocke of Iesse out of Davids family when it was at the lowest but hee grew up higher than the heavens It is not with the trees of righteousnesse as it was with the trees of Paradise which were created all perfect at the first The seeds of all the creatures in this goodly frame of the world were hid in the Chaos in that confused Mass at the first out of which GOD did command all creatures to arise in the small seeds of plants lye hid both bulke and branches bud and fruit In a few principles lye hid all comfortable conclusions of holy truth All those glorious fire-workes of zeale and holinesse in the Saints had their beginning from a few sparkes Let us not therefore be discouraged at the small beginnings of Grace but looke on our selves as elected to bee blamelesse and without spot Let us onely look on our imperfect beginning to inforce further strife to perfection and to keepe us in a low conceit Otherwise in case of discouragement we must consider our selves as CHRIST doth who looks on us as such as he intendeth to fit for himselfe CHRIST valueth us by what we shall bee and by that we are elected unto Wee call a little Plant a Tree because it is growing up
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 obedieÌ„ce 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 upoÌ„ those whom Moses had cursed and with healing Balme for those wounds which Moses had made The same duties are required in both CovenaÌ„ts 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 CovenaÌ„t of Grace as it is a syncere endevour proportionable to grace received and so it must be understood of Iosias and others wheÌ„ 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 CovenaÌ„ts 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 froÌ„ 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 theÌ„ 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 stroÌ„g 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 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 â—…ower to subdue the heart â—…o truth revealed and to â—…ut a taste and relish into â—…he will sutable to the sweetnes of the truths else 〈◊〉 meere naturall Will will rise against supernaturall truths as having an antipathy and enmitie against them In the godly â—…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
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
to be so Who is hee that despiseth the day of little things Zach. 4. CHRIST would not have us despise little things The glorious Angells disdaine not attendance on little ones little in their owne eyes and little in the eyes of the world Grace though little in quantity yet is much in vigour and worth It is CHRIST that raiseth the worth of little and meane places and persons Bethlem the least and yet not the least the least in it selfe not the least in respect CHRIST was born there The second Temple came short of the outward magnificence of the former yet more glorious than the first because CHRIST came into it The Lord of the Temple came in to his owne Temple The pupill of the eye is very little yet seeth a great part of the heaven at once A pearle though little yet is of much esteeme Nothing in the world of so good use as the least dram of graces But Grace is not onely little but mingled with corruption whereof it is that a Christian is said to be smoaking flax whence we see that Grace doth not waste corruption all at once but some is left to conflict withall The purest actions of the purest men need CHRIST to performe them and so is his office When we pray we need to pray again for CHRIST to pardon the defects of them See some instances of this smoaking flax Moses at the red Sea being in a great perplexity and knowing not what to say or which way to turn him groaned to GOD no doubt this was a great conflict in him In great distresses we know not what to pray but the Spirit makes request with sighes that cannot bee expressed Broken hearts can yeeld but broken prayers When David was before the King of Gath and dis-figured himselfe in an uncomely manner in that smoake there was some fire also you may see what an excellent Psalme he makes upon that occasion Psalme 34. Wherein upon experience vers 18. he saith the Lord is neare unto them that are of a contrite spirit Psal. 31. 22. I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight there is smoake Yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer there is fire 〈◊〉 carest thou not that we perish cry the Disciples here is smoake of infidelity yet so much light of faith as stirred them up to pray to Christ Lord I beleeve there is light But help my unbeliefe there is smoake Ionas 2. 4. cryes I am cast out of thy sight there is smoake yet will I looke againe to thy holy Temple there is light O miserable man that I am saith Saint Paul upon sense of his corruption but yet breakes out into thanks to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. I sleepe saith the Church in the Canticles but my heart wakes In the seven Churches which for their light are called seven golden Candlestickes most of them had much smoke with their light The ground of this mixture is that we carie about us a double principle Grace and Nature The end of it is especially to preserve us from those two dangerous Rockes our Natures are prone to dash upon Security and Pride and to force us to pitch our rest on Iustification not sanctification which besides imperfection hath some soile Our spirituall fire is like our ordinary fire here below mixt But fire is most pure in its owne Element above So shall all our graces be when we are where we would bee in Heaven which is our proper element From this mixture it is that the people of GOD have so different judgements of themselves looking sometime at the work of grace sometimes at the remainder of corruption and when they look upon that then they think they have no grace though they love CHRIST in his ordinances and children yet dare not challenge so neer acquaintance as to be his Even as a Candle in the socket sometimes sheweth its light and sometimes the shew of light is lost so sometimes well perswaded they are of themselves sometimes at a losse Now for the second observation Christ will not quench the smoaking Flax First because this sparke is from heaven it is his owne it is kindled by his owne Spirit And secondly that tendeth to the glory of his powerfull grace in his children that he preserveth light in the middest of darknesse a sparke in the middest of the swelling waters of corruption There is an especiall blessing in that little spark Isay 56. 8. When Wine is found in a cluster one saith Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it We see how our Saviour CHRIST bore with Thomas in his doubting with the two Disciples that went to Emaus who staggered whether he came to redeeme Israel or no hee quencheth not that little light in Peter which was smothered Peter denyed him but he denyed not Peter If thou wilt thou canst said one poore man in the Gospell Lord if thou canst said another both were this smoking flax neither of both were quenched If Christ had stood upon his owne greatnesse he would have rejected him that came with his if but CHRIST answers his if with a gracious and absolute grant I will be thou cleane The woman that was diseased with an issue did but touch and with a trembling hand and but the hem of his garment and yet went away both healed and comforted In the seven Churches wee see he acknowledgeth and cherisheth any thing that was good in them Because the Disciples slept of infirmity being oppressed with griefe our Saviour CHRIST frameth a comfortable excuse for them The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake If CHRIST should not be mercifull he would misse of his owne ends There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared Now all are willing to come under that banner of love which hee spreadeth over his Therefore to thee shall all flesh come Hee useth moderation and care lest the spirit should faile before him and the soules which he hath made CHRISTS heart yerned the Text saith when hee saw them without meat lest they should faint Much more will hee have regard for the preventing of our spirituall faintings Here see the opposite disposition betweene the holy nature of CHRIST and the impure nature of Man Man for a little smoake will quench the light CHRIST ever wee see cherisheth even the least beginnings How bare hee with the many imperfections of his poor Disciples If he did sharply checke them it was in love and that they might shine the brighter Can we have a better patterne to follow than this of him by whom we hope to bee saved Rom. 15. 1. We that are strong ought to beare with the infirmities of them that are weak I become all things to all men that I may winne some O that this gaining and winning disposition were more in many Many so farre as in us lyeth are lost
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
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 heart-breaking 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 cōtradiction 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 one But what hee prayed for on earth we shall onely enjoy perfectly in heaven Let this make the meditation of that time the more sweet unto us And further to lay open offenders in this kinde what spirit shall we think them to be of that take advantages of the bruisednesse and infirmities of mens spirits to relieve them with false peace for their owne worldly ends A wounded spirit will part with any thing Most of the gainfull points of Popery as confession sasatisfaction merit Purgatory c. spring from hence but they are Physitians of no value or rather tormentors than Physitians at all It is a greater blessing to bee delivered from the sting of these Scorpions then wee are thankfull for Spirituall tyranny is the greatest tyranny and then especially when it is where most mercy should be shewed yet even there some like cruell surgeons delight in making long cures to serve themselves upon the misery of others It bringeth men under a terrible curse When they will not remember to shew mercy but persecute the poore and needy man that they might even slay the broken in heart Likewise to such as raise temporall advantage to thēselves out of the spirituall misery of others join such as raise estates by betraying the Church and are unfaithfull in the trust committed unto them when the children shall cry for the bread of life and there is none to give them bringing thus upon the people of GOD that heavie judgement of a spirituall famine starving CHRIST in his members Shall we so requite so good a Savior who counteth the love and mercie shewed in feeding his Lambs as shewed to himselfe Last of all they carie themselves very unkindly towards CHRIST who ◅umble at this his low stooping unto us in his government and ordinances that are ashamed of the simplicity of the Gospell that count Preaching foolishness They out of the pride of their heart thinke they may do well enough without the helpe of the Word and Sacraments and think CHRIST tooke not state enough upon him and therefore they will mend the matter with their own devises whereby they may give the better content to flesh and blood as in Popery What greater unthankfulnesse can there bee then to dispise any helpe that CHRIST in mercy hath provided for us In the dayes of his flesh the proud Pharisees tooke offence at his familiar conversing with sinfull men who onely did so as a Physitian to heale their soules What defences was Saint Paul driven to make for himselfe for his plainnesse in unfolding the Gospell The more CHRIST in himselfe and in his servants shall descēd to exalt us the more we should with all humility and readinesse entertaine that love and magnifie the goodnesse of GOD that hath put the great worke of our salvation and laid the government upon so gentle a Saviour that will carry himselfe so mildely in all things wherein hee is to deale betwixt GOD and us and us and GOD The lower CHRIST comes downe to us the higher let us lift him up in our harts so will all those doe that have ever found the experience of CHRISTS work in their heart We come to the third part the constant progress of CHRISTS gracious power untill hee hath set up such an absolute government in us which shal prevaile over all corruption It is said here he will cherish his Beginnings of Grace in us untill he bring forth
wherein hee getteth upon his bench and usurpeth a judgement over Christ and his wayes but GOD hath a day wherein he will set all straight and his judgement shall stand And the Saints shall have their time when they shall sit in judgment upon them that judge them now In the meane time CHRIST will rule in the middest of his enemies in the midst of our hearts It is therefore no signe of a good condition to ◅nde all quiet and nothing at oddes For can we think that corruption which is the elder in us and sathan the strong man that keepeth many holds in us will yeeld possession quietly No there is not so much as a thought of goodnesse discovered by him but he joyneth with corruption to kill it in the birth And as Pharaohs cruelty was especially against the male children so Sathans malice is especially against the most religious and manly resolutions This then wee are alwayes to expect that wheresoever Christ commeth there will be opposition when Christ was borne all Ierusalem was troubled so when Christ is borne in any man the soule is in an uproare and all because the heart is unwilling to yeeld up it selfe to Christ to rule it Wheresoever Christ commeth he breedeth division not only I between man and himselfe but 2 betweene man and man and 3 betweene Church and Church Of which disturbance Christ is no more the cause they Physicke is of trouble in a distempered body of which noysome humors are the proper cause for the end of Physicke is the peace of humors But Christ thinketh it fit that the thoughts of mens hearts should bee discovered and hee is as well for the falling as the rising of many in Israel Thus the desperate madnesse of men is layd open that they had rather bee under the guidance of their owne lusts and by consequent of Satan himselfe to their endlesse destruction then put their feet into Christs setters and their neckes under his yoake whereas indeed Christs service is the only true libertie his yoake an easie yoake his burden but as the burden of wings to a bird that maketh her flie the higher Sathans government is rather a bondage then a government unto which Christ giveth up those that shake off his owne for then hee giveth Sathan and his factors power over them since they will not receive the truth in love take him Iesuite take him Sathan blind him and binde him lead him to perdition Those that take the most liberty to sinne are the most perfect slaves because most voluntarie slaves the will in everie thing is either the best or the worst the further men goe on in a wilfull course the deeper they sincke in rebellion and the more they crosse CHRIST doing what they will the more they shall one day suffer what they would not In the meane time they are prisoners in their owne soules bound over in their consciences to the judgement of him after death whose judgement they would none of in their lives And is it not equall that they should feele him a severe Iudge to condemne them whom they would not have a milde Iudge to rule them For Conclusion and generall application of all that hath beene spoken unto our selves We see the conflicting but yet sure and hopefull state of Gods people The victory lyeth not upon us but upon CHRIST who hath taken upon him as to conquer for us so to conquer in us The victory lyeth neither in our own strēgth to get nor in our enemies to defeat it If it lay upon us wee might justly feare But CHRIST will maintaine his owne government in us and take our part against our corruptions they are his Enemies as well as ours Let us therefore bee strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Let us not looke so much who are our enemies as who is our Iudge and Captaine not what they threaten but what he promiseth wee have more for us then against us What coward would not fight when he is sure of victory none are here overcome but he that will not sight Therefore when any base fainting seizeth upon us let us lay the blame where it is to bee layd Wee see here what wee may looke for from heaven O beloved it is a comfortable thing to conceive of CHRIST aright to know what love mercy strength we have layed up for us in the brest of CHRIST A good conceit of the Physitian we say is halfe the cure Let us not suffer Sathan to transforme Christ unto us to bee otherwise then he is to those that are his Let us make use of this his mercy and power everie day in our daily combats CHRIST will not leave us till he hath made us like himselfe all glorious within and without and presented us blamelesse before his Father What a comfort is this in our conflicts with our unruly hearts that it shall not alwaies be thus let us strive a little while and we shall bee happy for ever Let us thinke when wee are troubled with our sinnes that CHRIST hath this in charge of his Father That he shall not quench the smoaking slaxe untill hee hath subdued all This putteth a sheild into our hands to beat backe all the fiery darts of Sathan he will object thou art a great sinner we may answer CHRIST is a strong Saviour but he will object thou hast no faith no love Yes a sparke of faith and love but CHRIST will not regard that Yes he will not quench the smoaking flaxe But this is so little and weake that it will vanish and come to nought Nay but CHRIST will cherish it untill hee hath brought judgment to victory And thus much for our comfort we have already that even when we first beleeved we overcame God himself as it were by beleeving the pardon of all our sinnes notwithstanding the guilt of our owne consciences and his absolute justice Now having beene prevailers with GOD what shall stand against us if we can learne to make use of our faith O what a confusion is this to Sathan that hee should labour to blow out a poore sparke and yet should not bee able to quench it that a graine of Mustard seed should bee stronger then the gates of Hell that it should be able to remove mountaines of oppositions and temptations cast up by Sathan and our rebellious hearts between GOD and us Abimelech could not indure that it should bee said a Woman had slaine him and it must needs be a Torment to Sathan that a weake childe a woman and decrepit old man should by a spirit of faith put him to flight Since there is such comfort where there is a little truth of grace that it will be so victorious Let us oft try what GOD hath wrought in us search our good as well as our ill and be thankfull to GOD for the least measure of grace more then for any outward