High Priest Heb. 2. 17. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmity every bruise of the soul goes to his heart none refuse Christ but such as do not know him He is nothing but love incarnated He himself was bruised to heal them that are bruised 3. See then what encouragement here is for Faith Had Christ said he would break the bruised reed then indeed there were ground for despair but when Christ saith he will not break a bruised reed this opens a door of hope for humble bruised souls Can we say we have been bruised for sin why do we not believe Why do we go drooping under our fears and discouragements as if there were no mercy for us Christ saith He will heal the broken in heart Psal. 147. 3. No saith Unbelief he will not heal me Christ saith he will cure the bruised soul No saith Unbelief he will kill it Unbelief as it makes our comforts void so it goes about to make the Word void as if all Gods Promises were but forgeries or like Blanks in a Lottery Hath the Lord said he will not break a bruised reed can Truth lie O what a sin is unbelief Some think it dreadful to be among the number of drunkards swearers whoremongers let me tell you it is no less dreadful to be among the number of Unbelievers Unbelief is worse than any other sin because it brings God into suspition with the Creature it robs him of the richest Jewel of his Crown and that is his truth 1 Ioh. 5. 10. He that believeth not hath made God a lyar Oh then let all humbled sinners go to Jesus Christ Christ was bruised with desertion to heal them who are bruised with sin If you can show Christ your sores and touch him by faith you shall be healed of all your soul-bruises Will not Christ break thee then do not undo thy self by despair Use 2. Will not Jesus Christ break a bruised reed then it reproves those who do what in them lies to break the bruised reed and they are such as go about to hinder the work of Conversion in others when they see them wounded and troubled for sin they dishearâ—en them telling them that Religion is a sowre melancholly thing they had better return to their former pleasures when an Arrow of Conviction is shot into their Conscience these pull it out again and will not suffer the work of Conviction to go forward Thus when the soul is almost bruised they hinder it from a thorow bruise This is for men to be Devils to others If to shed the bloud of another makes a man guilty what is it to damn anothers soul Use 3. This Text is a spiritual hony-comb dropping consolation into all bruised hearts as in the body when there is a Lipothimy or fainting of the vital spirits we apply cordials so when sinners are bruised for their sins I shall give them some cordial-water to revive them This text is comfortable to a poor soul who sits with Iob among the Ashes and is dejected in the sense of its unworthiness Ah! saith the soul I am unworthy of mercy what am I that ever God should look upon me those who have greater parts and Graces perhaps may obtain a look from God but alas I am unworthy doth thy unworthiness trouble thee what more unworthy than a bruised reed yet there is a promise made to that a bruised reed he will not break the promise is not made to the Fig-tree or Olive which are fertile plants but to the Bruised reed Though thou art despicable in thy own eyes a poor shattered reed yet thou mayest be glorious in the eyes of the Lord let not thy unworthiness discourage thee if thou seest thy self vile and Christ pretious this promise is thine Christ will not break thee but will binde up thy wounds Quest. But how shall I know that I am savingly bruised Answ. Did God ever bring thee upon thy knees hath thy proud heart been humbled didst thou ever see thy self a sinner and nothing but a sinner didst thou ever with a weeping eye look upon Christ and did those tears drop from the eye of faith This is a Gospel-bruising canst thou say Lord though I do not see thee yet I love thee though I am in the dark yet I cast Anchor this is to be a bruised reed Object 1 But I fear I am not bruised enough Answ. 'T is hard to prescribe a just measure of humiliation it is in the new birth as in the natural some bring forth with more pangs some with fewer but would you know when you are bruised enough when your spirit is so troubled that you are willing to let go those lusts which did bring in the greatest income of pleasure and delight when sin is not only discarded but disgusted then you have been bruised enough then the Physick is strong enough when it hath purged out the disease then the soul is bruised enough when the love of sin is purged out Object 2 But I fear I am not bruised as I should be I finde my heart so hard Answ. 1 Wee must distinguish between hardness of heart and an hardâ—heart the best heart may have some hardness but though there be some hardnesse in it it is not an hard heart denominations are from the better part if we come into a field that hath Tares and Wheat in it we do not call it a field of Tares but a Wheat-field so though there be hardnesse in the heart as well as softnesse yet God who judgeth by that part which is more excellent looks upon it as a soft heart 2 There is a great difference between the hardnesse in the godly and the wicked the one is natural the other is only accidental the hardnesse in a wicked man is like the hardnesse of a stone which is an innate continued hardnesse the hardnesse in a childe of God is like the hardnesse of Ice which is soon melted with the Sun-beams perhaps God hath at present withdrawn his spirit whereupon the heart is congeal'd as Ice but let Gods spirit as the Sun return and shine upon the heart now it hath a gracious thaw upon it and it melts in love 3 Dost not thou grieve under thy hardnesse thou sighest for want of groans thou weepest for want of tears the hard reed cannot weep if â—hou wert not a bruised reed all this moisture could not come from thee Object 3 But I am a barren reed I bring forth no fruit therefore I fear I shall bee broken Answ. Gracious hearts are apt to overlook the good that is in them they can spye the worm in the leaf but not the fruit Why dost thou say thou art barren if thou art a bruised reed thou art not barren The spiritual reed ingrafted into the true Vine is fruitful there is so much sap in Christ as makes all who are inoculated into him bear fruit Christ distils grace as drops of dew
face and to serve the Devil in Christs Livery Hypocrisie makes the fury rise up in Gods face therefore he calls such persons the generation of his wrath Isa. 10. 6. God will send them to Hell to do penance for their hypocrisie 2 To make only a show of godliness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-delusion Ajax in his phrensie took Sheep for men but it is a worse mistake to take a show of grace for grace This is for one to put a cheat upon himself Iam. 1. 22. Deceiving your own souls He who hath counterfeit Gold instead of true wrongs himself most The hypocrite deceives others while he lives but deceives himself when he dies 3 To have only a name and make a show 〈◊〉 godliness is odious to God and man The â—ypocrite is born under a sad Planet he is abâ—orred of all Wicked men hate him because 〈◊〉 makes a show and God hate him beâ—ause he doth but make a show The wicked â—ate him because he hath so much as a mask 〈◊〉 godliness and God hates him because he â—ath no more Act. 26. 28. Thou hast almost â—erswaded me to be a Christian. The wicked â—ate the hypocrite because he is almost a Christian and God hates him because he is 〈◊〉 almost 4 To be only Comets and make a show of â—iety is a vain thing Hypocrites losâ— all â—hey have done Their dissembling tears â—rop beside Gods bottle their Prayers and â—asts prove abortive Zack 7. 5. When yee â—asted and mourned did ye at all fast unto me â—ven to me as God will not recompence a â—othful so neither a treacherous servant All â—he hypocrites reward is in this life Matth. â— 5. They have their reward A poor reward â—he empty breath of men The hypocrite may make his Acquittance and write Received in ful payment Augustus Caesar had great triumphs granted him but the Senate would not suffer him to be Consul or sit in the Senate-house Hypocrites may have the praise of men but though these triumphs be granted them they shall never have the priviledge to sit in the Senate-house of Heaven What acceptance can he look for from God whose heart tels him he is no better than a Mountebank in Divinity 5 To have only a pretence of godliness will yeeld no comfort at death Will painted gold enrich a man Will painted wine refresh him that is thirsty will the paint of godliness stand thee in any stead what were the foolish Virgins better for their blazing lamps when they wanted oyle what is the lamp of Profession without the oyl of Grace he who hath only a painted holiness shal have a painted happiness 6 Thou who hast nothing but a specious pretext and mask of Piety exposest thy self to Satans scorn Thou shalt bee brought forth at the last day as Sampson to make the devil sport He wil say what is become of all thy Vows Tears Confessions Is all thy Religion come to this Didst thou so often defy the devil and art thou now come to dwel with me couldst thou meet with no weapon to kill thee but what was made of Gospel-mettle couldst thou suck poyson no where but out of Ordinances couldst thou finde no way to hell but by seeming godly what a vexation will this be to have the devil thus reproach a man 'T is sad to be insulted over in this life Cleopatra Queen of Egypt when shee saw shee was reserved by the Enemy for a triumph that shee might avoyd the infamy put Aspes to her breasts and dyed What then wil it be to have the devil triumph over a man at the last day Let us therefore take heed of this kinde of pageantry or devout stage-play That which may make us the more to fear our hearts is when we see tall Cedars in the Church worm-eaten with hypocrisy Balaam a Prophet Iehu a King Iudas an Apostle all of them stand to this day upon record for hypocrites 'T is true there are the seeds of this sin in the best but as it was with the Leprosy under the Law all that had risings or spots in the skin of the flesh were not reputed unclean and put out of the Camp so all that have the risings of hypocrisy in them are not to be judged hypocrites for these may be the spots of Gods children But that which denominates an hypocrite is when hypocrisy is predominant and is like a spreading humour in the body Quest. When is a man under the regency and power of hypocrisy Answ. There are two signes of its predominancy 1 A squint eye when one serves God for sinister ends 2 A right eye when there is some sin dear to a man which he cannot part with These two are as shrewd signes of an hypocrite as any I know Oh let us take Davids candle and lanthorn and search for this leven and burn it before the Lord. Christian if thou mournest for hypocrisy yet findest this sin so potent that thou canst not get the mastery of it go to Christ beg of him that he would exercise his Kingly Office in thy soul that he would subdue this sin and put it under the yoke Beg of Christ to exercise his spiritual Chirurgery upon thee desire him to lance thy heart and cut out the rotten and that he would apply the medicine of his blood to heal thee of thy hypocrisy Often make that prayer of David Psalm 119. 80. Let my heart be found in thy statutes Lord let mee be any thing rather than an hypocrite Two hearts will exclude from one heaven CHAP. IV. Shewing the Characters of a godly man 2. IT will be enquired in the next place Who is the godly man For the full answer whereunto I shall lay down several specifical signs and characters of a godly man SECT I. 1 The first fundamental sign is a godly man is a man of Knowledge Prov. 14. 18. The prudent are crowned with knowledge The Saints are called wise Virgins Mat. 25. 4. A natural man may have some discursive knowledge of God but he knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. He knows not God savingly he may have the eye of Reason open but he discerns not the things of God after a spiritual manner Waters cannot goe beyond their Spring-head Vapors cannot rise higher than the Sun draws them 〈◊〉 natural man cannot act above his sphere 〈…〉 no more able to judge aright of sacred things than a blind man is to judge of colours 1 He sees not the evil of his heart if a face be never so black and deformed yet it is not seen under a Vail the heart of a sinner iâ— so black that nothing but Hell can pattern it yet the vail of ignorance hides it 2 He sees not the beauties of a Saviour Christ is a Pearl but an hid Pearl But a godly man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God 1 Ioh. 2. 27. The anointing teacheth you all
the spirit comes very neer to the despighting of it How can men be sanctified but by the spirit therefore to reproach that is to make merry with their own damnation Use 2. As you would be listed in the number of the godly labour for the blessed indwelling of the spirit pray with Melancthon Lord inflame my soul with thy holy spirit and with the Spouse Awake O North-wind aad come thou South blow upon my garden Cant. 4. 16. As a Mariner would desire a wind to carry him to Sea so beg the prosperous gales of the spirit and the Promise may add wings to prayer Luke 11. 13. If ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask him Gods spirit is a rich Jewel go to him for it Lord give me thy spirit where is the Jewel thou didst promise me When shall my soul be as Gideons Fleece wet with the dew of heaven Consider how needful the spirit is without it we can do nothing acceptably to God 1 VVe cannot pray without it 't is a spirit of Supplication Zac. 12. 10. It both helps the invention and the affection Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helps us with sighs and groans 2. We cannot resist temptation without it Act. 1. 8. Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you He who hath the tyde of corrupt nature and the wind of temptation must needs be carried down the stream of sin if the contrary wind of the spirit doth not blow 3. VVe cannot be fruitful without the spirit Aureus imber sitientia caelo â—orda rigans VVhy is the spirit compared to dew and rain but to show us how unable we are to bring forth a Crop of Grace unless the dew of God fall upon us 4. VVithout the spirit no Ordinance is effectual to us Ordinances are the Conduit-Pipes of Grace but the spirit is the Spring Some content themselves that they have a Levite to their Priest but never look any further as if a Merchant should content himself that his ship hath good tackling and is well manned though it never have a gale of wind The Ship of Ordinances will not carry us to heaven though an Angel were the Pylot unless the wind of Gods Spirit blow The Spirit is the Soul of the Word without which it is but a dead letter Ministers may prescribe Physick but it is Gods spirit must make it work Our hearts are like Davids body when it grew old they covered him with cloathes but he gat no heat 1 King 1. 1. So though the Minister of God ply us with prayers and counsels as with hot cloathes yet we are cold and chill till Gods spirit comes and then we say as the Disciples Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burn within us Oh therefore what need have we of the spirit 3. You who have the blessed spirit manifested by its energy and vital operations 1. Acknowledge Gods distinguishing love the spirit is an ear-mark of Election 1 Iohn 3. 4. Christ gave the bag to Iudas but not his spirit The spirit is a Love-token where God gives his spirit for a pawn he gives himself for a portion The spirit is an Epitomizing blessing it is put for all good things Mat. 7. 11. What were you without the spirit but as so many carkasses Without this Christ would not profit you the Bloud of God is not enough without the Breath of God Oh then be thankful for the spirit this Loadstone will never leave drawing you till it hath drawn you up to heaven 2. If you have this spirit do not grieve it Eph. 4. 30. Shall we grieve our Comforter Quest. How do we grieve the Spirit Answ. 1. When we unkindly repel the motions of it The spirit sometimes whispers in our ears and calls to us as God did to Iacob Gen. 35. 1. Arise go to Bethel So saith the spirit Arise go to prayer retire thy self to meet thy God Now when we stifle these motions and entertain temptations to vanity this is a grieving of the spirit if we check the motions of the spirit we shall lose the comforts of the spirit 2. We grieve the spirit when we deny the work of the spirit in our hearts if one gives another a token and he should deny it and say he never received it this were to abuse the love of his friend So Christian when God hath given thee his spirit witnessed by those meltings of heart and passionate breathings after heaven yet thou deniest that thou ever hadst any renewing work of the spirit in thee this is high ingratitude and is a grieving the good spirit renounce the sinful works of the flesh but do not deny the gracious work of the spirit SECT XI 11. The godly man is an humble man he is like the Sun in the Zenith which when it is at the highest shows lowest St. Austin calls Humility the Mother of the Graces but ere I show you who is the humble man I shall lay down three distinctions 1. I distinguish between being humbled and humble a man may be humbled and not humble a sinner may be humbled by affliction his condition is low but not his disposition a godly man is not only humbled but humble his heart is as low as his condition 2. I distinguish between outward humility and inward there 's a great deal of difference between an humble carriage and an humble spirit a person may carry it humbly 1. Towards others yet be proud who more humble than Absalom in his outward behaviour 2 Sam. 15. 5. When any man came neer to do him obeysance Absalom took him by the hand and kissed him But though he had an humble carriage he aspired after the Crown ver 10. As soon as ye hear the sound of the Trumpet ye shall say Absalom reigneth in Hebron Here was Pride dressed in Humilities Mantle 2. A person may behave himself humbly towards God yet be proud 1 King 21. 27. Ahab put on sackcloth and fasted and went softly but his heart was not humble A man may bow his head like a bull-rush yet lift up the Ensigns of Pride in his heart 3. I distinguish between Humility and Policy many make a shew of Humility to work their own ends The Papists seem to be the most humble mortified Saints but it is rather subtilty than humility for by this means they get the Revenues of the earth into their possession all this may be and yet no godliness Quest. How may a Christian know that he is humble and consequently godly Answ. 1. An humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself Bernard calls Humility a Self-annihilation Iob 22. 29. Thou wilt save the humble In the Hebrew it is Him that is of low eyes An humble man hath lower thoughts of himself than others can have of him
God loves to bestow his mercies where there is the best Eccho of thankfulness 5 Thankfulness is a frame of heart God delights in if repentance bee the joy of heaven praise is the musick Bernard calls thankfulness the sweet Balm that drops from a Christian. Four Sacrifices God is much pleased with the sacrifice of Christs blood the sacrifice of a broken heart the sacrifice of Alms and the sacrifice of thanksgiving Praise and Thanksgiving saith Mr. Greenham is the most excellent part of Gods worship for this shall continue in the heavenly quire when all other exercises of Religion shall cease 6 What an horrid thing ingratitude is it gives a dye and tincture to every other sin and makes it Crimson ingratitude is the spirits of baseness Obad. v. 7. They that eat thy bread have laid a Wound under thee Ingratitude is worse than bruitish Isa. 1. 3. 'T is reported of Iulius Caesar that he would never forgive an ungrateful person though God be a sin-pardoning God he scarce knows not how to pardon for this Ier. 5. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me when I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery Draco whose Laws were written in blood published and edict that if any man had received a benefit from another and it could bee proved against him that hee had not been grateful for it hee should be put to death an unthankful person is a monster in nature a Pardox in Christianity he is the scorn of heaven and the plague of earth an ungrateful man never doth well but in one thing that is when hee dies 7 The not being thankful is the cause of all the Judgements which have lain upon us our unthankfulness for health hath been the cause of so much Mortality our Gospel-unthankful thankfulness and Sermon-surfeiting hath been the reason why God hath put so many Lights under a Bushel as Bradford said my unthankfulness was the death of King Edward the sixth Who will bestow cost on a peece of ground that brings forth nothing but briars unthankfulness stops the golden Vial of Gods bounty that it will not drop Quest. How shall we do to be thankful Answ. 1. If you would be thankful get an heart deeply humbled in the sense of your own vileness a broken heart is the best pipe to sound forth Gods praise hee who studies his sins wonders that he hath any thing and that God should shine upon such a dunghill 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecuter but I obtained mercy How thankful was he how did he Trumpet forth free-grace A proud man will never bee thankful he looks upon all his mercies to bee either of his own procuring or deserving if he hath an Estate this he hath gotten by his wit and industry not considering that Scripture Deut. 8. 18. Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that gives thee power to get Riches Pride stops the Current of gratitude O Christian think of thy unworthiness see thy self the least of Saints and the chief of Sinners and then thou wilt be thankful 2 Labour for sound evidences of Gods love to you read Gods love in the impress of holiness upon your hearts Gods love powred in will make the Vessels of Mercy run over with thankfulness Rev. 1. 5 6. Unto him that loved us be glory and dominion for ever The deepest Springs yeeld the sweetest water hearts deeply sensible of Gods love yeeld the sweetest praises SECT XVIII 18 A godly man is a lover of the Saints the best way to discern grace in ones self is to love grace in others 1 Ioh. 3. 14. Wee know we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren What is religion but religation a knitting together of hearts Faith knits us to God and love knits us one to another There is a two-fold love to others 1 A civil love a godly man hath a love of civility to all Gen. 23. 7. Abraham stood up and bewed to the children of Heth Though they were extraneous and not within the pale of the Covenant yet Abraham was affable to them grace doth sweeten and refine nature 1 Pet. 3. 8. be courteous wee are to have a love of civility to all 1 As they are ex eodem luto of the same lump and mould with our selves and are a peece of Gods curious needle-work 2 Because our sweet deportment towards them may bee a means to win upon them and make them in love with the waies of God a morose ruggid carriage often alienates the hearts of others and hardens them the more against holiness whereas a loving behaviour is very obliging and may bee as a load-stone to draw them to religion 2 There is a pious and an holy love and this a godly man doth bear chiefly to them who are of the houshold of faith the other was a love of courtesie this of complacency Our love to the Saints saith Austin should bee more than to our natural relations because the bond of the spirit is nearer than that of blood This love to the Saints which evidenceth a man godly must have seven ingredients in it 1 Love to the Saints must bee sincere 1 Ioh. 3. 18. Let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth The hony that drops from the comb is pure so must love be pure without deceit Many are like Naphtali Gen. 49. 21. he giveth goodly words Pretended love is like a painted fire which hath no heat in it Some hide malice under a false veil of love I have read of Antoninus the Emperour where he made a shew of Friendship there he intended the most mischief 2 Love to the Saints must be spiritual we must love them because they are Saints not out of self-respects because they are affable or have been kinde to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesh but we must love them under a spiritual notion because of the good that is in them we are to reverence their holiness else it is a carnal love 3 Love to the Saints must be extensive we must love all that bear Gods image 1 Though they have many infirmities a Christian in this life is like a good face full of Freckles thou that canst not love another because of his imperfections didst never yet see thy own face in the glass thy brothers infirmities may make thee pity him his graces must make thee love him 2 Wee must love the Saints though in some things they do not coalesce and agree with us another Christian may differ from me in less matters either because hee hath more light than I or because hee hath lesse light if he differs from me because he hath more light then I have no reason to censure him if because hee hath less light than I ought to bear with him as the weaker Vessel in things of an indifferent nature
conversion of others out of a spirit of compassion Grace makes the heart tender a godly man cannot chuse but pitty such as are in the gall of bitterness he sees what a deadly cup is a brewing for the wicked they must without repentance be bound over to Gods wrath the fire which rained on Sodome was but a painted fire in comparison of hell-fire this is a fire with a vengeance Iude 7. Suffering the Vengeance of eternal fire now a godly man seeing captive Sinners ready to be damned labours to convert them from the errour of their way 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 3 A godly man endeavours the good of others out of an holy zeal he bears to Christs glory the glory of Christ is dear to him as his own salvation therefore that this may be promoted he labours Summo conatu to bring in souls to Christ. 'T is a glory to Christ when multitudes are born to him every star adds a lustre to the sky every convert is a member added to Christs body and a jewel adorning his Crown Though Christs glory cannot be encreased as he is God yet as he is Mediatour it may the more are saved the more Christ is exalted why else should the Angels rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner but because now Christs glory shines the more Use 1. This excludes them from the number of godly who are spiritual Eunuchs they labour not to promote the Salvation of others Nascitur indignè per quem non nascitur alter Did men love Christ they would endeavour to draw as many as they could to him He who loves his Captain will perswade others to come under his Banner this unmasks the hypocrite Though an hypocrite may make a show of Grace himself yet he never minds the procuring Grace in others he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without bowels I may allude to that Zac. 11. 9. That which dies let it die and that which is cut off let it be cut off Let souls go to the Devil he cares not 2. How far are they from being godly who instead of endeavouring Grace in others labour to destroy all hopeful beginnings of Grace in them Instead of drawing them to Christ they draw them from Christ their work is to poyson and mischief souls This mischieving of souls is three ways 1. By evil Edicts So Jeroboam made Israel sin 1 King 17. 26. He forced them to Idolatry 2. By evil Examples Examples speak louder than Precepts but principally the examples of great ones are influential Men placed on high are like the Pillar of Cloud when that went Israel went If great ones move irregularly others will follow after 3. By evil Company the breath of sinners is infectious they are like the Dragon which cast a floud out of his mouth Revel 12. 15. They cast a floud of oaths out of their mouth Wicked tongues are set on fire of Hell Iam. 3. 6. The sinner finds Match and Powder and the Devil finds fire The wicked are ever setting snares and temptations before others as the Prophet speaks in another sense Ier. 35. 5. I set pots full of wine and cups and said unto them drink So the wicked set pots of Wine before others and make them drink till Reason be stupified and Lust inflamed These are prodigiously wicked who make men Proselites to the Devil How sad will their doom be who besides their own sins have the bloud of others to answer for 3. If it be the sign of a godly man to promote Grace in others then much more ought he to promote it in his neer Relations A godly man will be careful that his Children should know God he would be sorry that any of his flesh should burn in hell he labours to see Christ formed in them who are himself in another Edition Austin saith That his Mother Monica travelled with greater care and pain for his Spiritual Birth than for his Natural The time of Childhood is the fittest time to be sowing seeds of Religion in our Children Isa. 28. 9. Whom shall he make understand Doctrine Them that are weaned from the milk that are drawn from the breasts The Wax while it is soft and tender will take any impression Children while they are young will fear a reproof when they are old they will hate it 1. It is pleasing to God that our Children should know him betimes When you come into a garden you love to pluck the young bud and smell to it God loves a Saint in the bud of all the Trees the Lord made choice of in a Prophetical Vision it was the Almond Tree which blossomes one of the first of the Trees Such an Almond Tree is an early Convert 2. By endeavouring to bring up our Children in the fear of the Lord we shall provide for Gods glory when we are dead A godly man should not only honor God while he lives but do something that may promote Gods glory when he is dead Our Children being seasoned with gracious Principles will stand up in our room when we are gone and will glorifie God in their generation A good piece of ground doth not only bear a fore-crop but an after-crop he that is godly doth not only bear God a crop of obedience himself while he lives but by principling his Childe with Religion he bears God an after-crop when he is dead Use 2. Let all who have Gods Name named upon them do what in them lies to advance Piety in others A Knife touched with a Loadstone will draw the Needle he whose heart is divinely touched with the Loadstone of Gods Spirit will endeavour to draw those who are neer him to Christ The Heathen could say We are not born for our selves only The more excellent any thing is the more communicative in the body every member is diffusive the eye conveys light the head spirits the liver bloud a Christian must not move altogether within his own circle but endeavour the welfare of others To be diffusively good makes us resemble God whose sacred influence is universal And surely it will be no grief of heart when Conscience can witness for us that we have brought glory to God in this manner by labouring to fill heaven Not that this is any ways Meritorious or hath any causal influence upon our Salvation Christs bloud is the cause but our promoting Gods glory in the Conversion of others is a signal evidence of our Salvation As the Rain-bow is not a cause why God will not drown the World but it is a sign that he will not drown it or as Rahabs Scarlet thread she hung out of the window was not a cause why she was exempted from destruction but it was a sign of her being exempted so our building up others in the Faith is not a cause why we are saved but it is a Symbole of our Piety and a presage of
a steeping in Christs blood and breathe holiness into your heart O what cause have you to write your selves eternal debtors to free grace Hee denies God to be the Authour of his Grace who doth not give him the praise of it O acknowledge the love of God admire distinguishing mercy set the Crown of your praise upon the head of free grace If wee are to bee thankful for the fruits of the earth much more for â—he fruits of the Spirit it is well there is an eternity coming when the Saints shall triumph in God and make his praise glorious 3 Let me speak to the godly by way of Comfort you that have but the least dram of godliness in sincerity let me give you two rich Consolations 1 That Jesus Christ will not discourage the weakest Grace but will cherish and preserve it to Eternity Grace which is but newly budded shall by the beams of the Sun of Righteousness bee concocted and ripened into Glory This I shall speak more fully to in the next CHAP. XI Showing that the least degree of Godliness shall bee preserved Mat. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall hee not break and smoking flax shall hee not quench till hee send forth Iudgement unto Victory THis Text is spoken Prophetically of Christ hee will not insult over the infirmities of his people hee will not crush Grace in the infancy A bruised Reed shall he not break and smoking flax shall be not quench I begin with the first the bruised Reed Quest. What is to bee understood here by a Reed Answ. It is not to bee taken litterally but mystically It is a Rational Reed the Spiritual part of man the Soul which may well bee compared to a Reed because it is subject to imbecility and shaking in this life till it grow up unto a firm Cedar in Heaven Quest. What is meant by a bruised Reed Answ. It is a soul humbled and bruised in the sense of sin it weeps but doth not despair it is tossed upon the waves of fear yet not without the Anchor of Hope Quest. What is meant by Christs not breaking this reed Answ. The sense is Christ will not discourage any mournful spirit who is in the pangs of the New-birth If the bruise of sin be felt it shall not be mortal A bruised reed shall he not break In the words there is a Miâ—oâ—â—s he will not break that is he will bind up the bruised reed he will comfort it The result of the whole is to show Christs compassion to a poor dejected sinner that smites upon his breast and dares hardly lift up his eye for mercy the bowels of the Lord Jesus yern towards him this bruised reed he will not break In the Text there are two parts 1. A Supposition a soul penitentially bruised 2. A Proposition it shall not be broken Doct. The bruised soul shall not be broken Psal. 147. 3. He bindeth up their wounds For this end Christ received both his Mission and Unction that he might bind up the bruised soul Isa. 61. 1. The Lord hath anointed me to bind up the broken-hearted But why will not Christ break a bruised reed 1. Out of the sweetness of his Nature Iam. 5. 11. the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very pitiful he begets bowels in other creatures therefore is called the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. and surely he himself is not without bowels when a poor soul is afflicted in spirit God will not exercise harshness towards it lest he should be thought to put off his own tender disposition Hence it is the Lord hath been ever most solicitous for his bruised ones as the Mother is most careful of her Children that are weak and sickly Isa. 40. 11. He shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in hiâ— bosome Such as have been spiritually bruised who like Lambs are weakly and tender Christ will carry them in the arms of free-grace 2 Jesus Christ will not break the bruised reed because a contrite heart is his sacrifice Psa. 51. 17. A bruised spirit sends forth tears which are as precious wine Psa. 56. 8. A bruised soul is big with holy desires yea is sick of love therefore if a bruised reed hath such virtue in it Christ will not break it no Spices when they are bruised are so fragant to us as a contrite spirit is to God 3 The bruised reed shall not be broken because it doth so nearly resemble Christ Jesus Christ was once bruised on the cross Isa. 53. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him his hands and feet were bruised with the nails his side was bruised with the Spear A bruised reed resembles a bruised Saviour nay a bruised reed is a member of Christ which though it be weak Christ will not cut off but cherish so much the more 1. Will not Christ break the bruised reed this tacitly implies he will break unbruised reeds such as were never touched with trouble of spirit but live and die in impenitency these are hard reeds or rather rocks Christ will not break a bruised reed but he will break an hard reed Many know not what it is to be bruised reeds they are bruised outwardly by affliction but they are not bruised for sin they never knew what the pangs of the New birth meant You shall hear some thank God they were always quiet they never had any anxiety of spirit these bless God for the greatest Curse Such as are not bruised penitentially shall be broken judicially they whose hearts would not break for sin shall break with despair in hell there is nothing to be seen but an heâ—p of stones and an hammer an heap of stones that is hard hearts and an hammer that is Gods Power and Justice breaking them in pieces 2. Will not Christ break a bruised reed See then the gracious disposition of Jesus Christ he is full of clemency and sympathy though he may bruise the soul for sin he will not break it The Chyrurgion may lance the body and make it bleed but he will bind up the wound as Christ hath beams of Majesty so bowels of mercy Christ gives the Lyon in his Scutchion and the Lamb the Lyon in respect of his fierceness to the wicked Psal. 50. 22. And the Lamb in respect of his mildness to his people his name is Iesus a Saviour and his office is an healer Mal. 4. 2. Christ made a plaister of his own bloud to heal a broken heart Christ is the quintessence of love One saith if the sweetness of all flowers were in one flower how sweet would that flower be How full of Mercy is Christ in whom all mercy meets Christ hath a skilful hand and a tender heart He will not break a bruised reed Some are so full of Ostracisme and cruelty as to add affliction to affliction which is to lay more weight upon a dying man but our Lord Jesus is a compassionate