doe yet let us doe it since wee have to deal with so good a Lord and the more strife we meet withall the more acceptance Christ loveth to tast of the good fruits that come from us although they will alwaies rellish of the old stock A Christian complaineth hee cannot pray Oâ—… am troubled with so many distracting thoughts and never more than now But hath he put into thine heart a desire to pray he will heare the desires of his owne Spirit in thee Rom. 8. 26. Wee know not what to pray as we ought nor doe any thing else as wee ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities with unexpressible sighes and grones which are not hid from GOD. My groanings are not hid from thee GOD can picke sense out of a confused prayer These desires cry louder in his eares than thy sinnes Sometimes a Christian hath such confused thoughts hee can say nothing but as a childe cryeth O Father not able to shew what it needs as Moses at the Red sea These stirrings of spirit touch the bowels of GOD and melt him into compassion towards us when they come from the spirit of adoption and from a striving to be better Oh but is it possible thinketh the misgiving heart that so holy a GOD shold accept such a praier Yes hee will accept that which is his owne and pardon that which is ours Ionas prayed in the Whales belly being burdened with the guilt of sin yet GOD heareth him Let not therefore infirmities discourage us Saint Iames taketh away this objection Cap. 5. 17. Some might object If I were as holy as Elias then my prayers might be regarded But saith he Elias was a man of like passions to us he had his passions as well as we For doe we think that GOD heard him because he was without fault No surely But looke we to the promises Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Matt. 7. 7. Aske and ye shall receive and such like GOD accepteth our prayers though weake first because wee are his owne children they come from his owne Spirit Secondly because they are according to his owne will Thirdly because they are offered in Christs mediation and hee takes them and mingleth them with his own odours There is never a holy sigh never a teare we shed lost And as every Grace increaseth by exercise of it selfe so doth the grace of prayer by prayer wee learne to pray So likewise wee should take heed of a spirit of discouragement in all other holy duties since we have so gracious a Saviour Pray as wee are able heare as we are able strive as we are able doâ—… as we are able according to the measure of Gracâ—… received GOD iâ—… CHRIST will cast a gracious eye upon that which is his owne Would S. Paul doe nothing because he could not doe the good hee would Yes hee pressed to the marke Let us not bee cruell to our selves when CHRIST is thus gracious There is a certain meeknesse of spirit whereby we yeeld thankes to God for any ability at all and rest quiet with the measure of Grace received seeing it is GODS good pleasure it should bee so who giveth the will and the deed yet so as we rest not from further endeavours But when upon faithfull endeavor we come short of that we would be and short of that others are then know for our comfort CHRIST will noâ—… quench the smoaking flax and that sincerity truth as before was said with endeavour of growth is our perfection It is comfortable what GOD saith 1 King 14. 13. He only shall goe to his grave in peace because there is some goodnesse though but some goodnesse Lord I beleeve with a weake faith yet with â—…aith love thee with a faint love yet with love endeavor in a feeble manner yet indeavour a little fire is fire though it smoaketh Since thou hast taken mee into thy Covenant to be thine of an enemie wilt thou cast me off for these infirmities which as they displease thee so are they the griefe of my owne heart FroÌ„ what hath bin spokeÌ„ with some little additioÌ„ it wil not be difficult to resolve that case which some require helpe in namely whether we ought to performe duties our hearts being altogether indisposed For satisfaction we must know I our hearts of themselves doe linger after liberty are hardly brought under the yoake of duty the more spirituall the duty is the more is their unto wardnes CorruptioÌ„ getteth ground for the most part in every neglect it is as in rowing against the tyde one stroke neglected will not be gained in three and therefore it is good to keepe our hearts close to duty and not to he a rken unto the excuses they are ready to frame In the setting upoÌ„ dutie God strengthneth his owne partie that hee hath in us wee finde a warmenesse of heart and increase of strength the Spirit going along with us and raising us up by degrees untill it leaveth us as it were in heaven God often delighteth to take the aduantage of our indisposition that hee may manifest his worke the more clearely and all the glory of the worke may be his whose all the strength is Obedience is most direct when there is nothing else to sweeten the action although the sacrifice bee imperfect yet the obedience with which it is offred hath acceptance 4. That which is wonne as a spoile from our corruptions will have such a degree of comfort afterwards as for the present it hath of comber Feeling and freenesse of spirit is oft reserued untill duty be discharged reward followeth worke In and after dutie wee finde that experience of Gods presence which without obedience wee may long wait for and yet go without This hindreth not the Spirits freedome in blowing upon our soules when it listeth For wee speake onely of such a state of soule as is becalmed and must row as it were against the streame As in sailing the hand must bee to the sterne and the eye to the starre so here put forth that little strength we have to dutie looke up for assistance Yet in these duties that require as well the body as the soule there may bee a cessation till streÌ„gth be repaired whetting doth not lett but fit 〈◊〉 In sudden passions there should be a time to compose and calme the soule and to put the strings in tune The Prophet would haue a Minstrell to bring his soule into frame So likewise we are subject to discouragements in sufferings by reason of impatiency in us Alas I shal never get through such a crosse But if God bring us into the crosse hee will be with us in the crosse and at length bring us out more refined Wee shall lose nothing but drosse as in Zach. 13. 9. Of our own strength wee cannot beare the least trouble and by the Spirits assistance
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
where the life is ill governed 238 Christs government is victorious 239 1 In eveâ—…y private Christian. 240 2 In the Church in generall 248 Why the victory seemes sometimes to goe on the contrary side 250 Vse 1. Confort to weake Christians the least sparke in them if it be right will prevaile 257 1 Signes whether there bee any such grace in us as will bee victorious 260 2 Meanes to bee used that it may bee so 268 Use. 2. To admonish 1 Nations and States 2 Families 3 Every one in particular 1 For himselfe to side w th Christ to imbrace his government 286 2 His friends to side w th Christ to imbrace his government 286 Vse 3. To informe us that then Popery must downe 290 ¶ Grace shall be glory 291 Vse Deceit and error shall be shame and confusion 297 ¶ This government is advanced and set up by Christ alone 304 In all spirituall Essayes looke for strength from Christ and not from thy selfe 307 ¶ This prevailing and victory will not be without opposition 316 Because it is 1 government 2 spirituall government 3 government with iudgement 319 321. Use. It is no signe of a good condition to find all quiet 323 Wheresoever Christ commeth there will be divisions 324 Miserable are those men that stand out against him and are still under Sathans government 325 Conclusion and generall Application of all this third part 328 To incourage Christians to goe on comfortably and cheerfully with confidence of prevailing both in respect of our selves although beset with corruption and the Church although compassed with enemies 337 THE Bruised Reed and Smoaking Flax. MATT. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall be not breake and smoking Flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgement into victorie THE Prophet Esay being lifted up and caried with the wing of propheticall spirit passeth over all the time betweene him and the appearing of IESVS CHRIST in the flesh and seeth with the eye of prophesie and with the eye of faith CHRIST as present and presenteth him in the name of GOD to the spirituall eye of others in these words Behold my servant whom I have chosen c. which place is alledged by Saint Matthew as fulfilled now in CHRIST Wherein is propounded First The calling of CHRIST to his office Secondly The execution of it For his Calling GOD stileth him here his righteous servant c. CHRIST was GODS servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was a chosen and a choice servant hee did and suffered all by commission from the Father Wherein we may see the sweet love of GOD to us that counts the work of our salvation by Christ his greatest service And that he will put his onely beloved Son to that service He might well prefixe Behold to raise up our thoughts to the highest pitch of attention and admiration In time of temptation misgiving consciences looke so much to the present trouble they are in that they need bee rouzed up to behold him in whom they may finde rest for their distressed soules In temptations it is safest to behold nothing but CHRIST the true brazen Serpent the true Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World this saving object hath a speciall influence of comfort into the soule especially if we looke not onely on CHRIST but upon the Fathers authority and love in him For in all that CHRIST did and suffered as Mediator wee must see GOD in him reconciling the World unto himselfe What a support to our Faith is this That GOD the Father the party offended by our sinnes is so well pleased with the worke of Redemption And what a comfort is this that seeing GODS love resteth on CHRIST as well pleased in him we may gather that hee is as well pleased with us if we be in Christ. For his love resteth in whole CHRIST in Christ mysticall as well as Christ naturall because hee loveth him and us with one love Let us therefore imbrace CHRIST and in him GODS love and build our faith safely on such a Saviour that is furnished with so high a Commission See here for our comfort a sweet agreement of all three persons The Father giveth a coÌ„mission to Christ The Spirit furnisheth and sanctifieth to it CHRIST himselfe executeth the office of a Mediatour Our Redemption is founded upon the joynt agreement of all three persons of the Trinitie For the execution of this his calling it is set downe here to be modest without making a noise or raising dust by any poÌ„pous comming as Princes use to doe his voyce shall not be heard his voyce indeed was heard but what voyce Come vnto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden c he cryed but how Hâ—… every one that thirsteth come c. And as his comming was modest so it was mild which is set downe in these words The bruised Reed shall he not breake c. wherein wee may observe these three things First the condition of those that CHRIST had to deale withall 1 They were bruised Reedes 2 smoaking Flax. Secondly CHRISTS carriage towards them he brake not the bruised Reed nor quenched the smoaking Flax where more is meant them spoken sor hee will not onely not breake the bruised Reed nor quench c. But hee will cherish them Thirdly the constancie and progresse of this his tender care untill Iudgement come to victory that is untill the sanctified frame of grace begunne in their hearts be brought to that perfection that it prevaileth over all opposite corruption For the first the condition of men whom hee was to deale withall is that they were bruised Reeds and smoaking Flax not Trees but Reeds and not whole but bruised Reeds The Church is compared to weake things to a Dove amongst the fowles to a Vine amongst the Plants to Sheepe amongst the beasts to a Woman which is the weaker vessell and here GODS Children are compared to bruised Reeds and smoaking Flax. And first we will speake of them as they are bruised Reeds and then as smoaking flax They are bruised reeds before their conversion and often times after Before Conversion all except such as being bred up in the Church GOD hath delighted to shew himselfe gracious vnto from their Child-hood yet in different degrees as GOD seeth meete and as difference is in regard of temper parts manner of life c. so GODS intendment of imployment for the time to come for usually hee empties such of themselves and makes them nothing before hee will use them in any great services This bruised reed is a man that for the most part is in some miserie as those were that came to Christ for help and 2 by miserie brought to see sinne the cause of it for whatsoever pretences sinne maketh yet bruising or breaking is the end of it 3 hee is sensible of sinne and miserie even unto bruising and 4 seeing
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
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