The Bruised Reed, To the reader
To the Christian READER.
TO prevent a further inconvenience, I was drawne to let these notes passe with some review; Considering there was an intendmēt of publishing them, by some who had not perfectly taken them. And these first, as being next at hand, and having had occasion lately of some fresh thoughts concerning this argumēt, by dealing with some the chiefe groūd of whose trouble, was the want of cōsidering of the gracious nature and office of Christ. The right conc…ipt of which is the spring of all service to Christ, and comfort from him. God hath laid up all grace and comfort in Christ for us, and planted a wonderfull sweetnesse of pitty and love in his heart towards us. As God his Father hath fitted him with a body, so with a heart to be a mercifull Heb. 10. 7.Redeemer. What doth the Scriptures speake but Christs love and tender care over those that are humbled: and besides the mercy that resteth in his owne brest, hee workes the l…ke impression in his Ministers and others, to comfort 1 Th. s. 5 14the feeble minded, and to beare with the weake. Ministers by their calling are friends of the Bride, and to bring Christ and his Spouse together, and therefore ought upon all good occasions to lay open al the excellencies of Christ, and amongst others, as that hee is highly borne, mighty, one in whom all the treasures of wisedome are hid, &c, so likewise gentle, and of a good nature, and of a gracious d…sposition. It cannot but cheere the heart of the spouse, to consider in all her infirmities and miseries she is subject unto, that shee hath a husband of a k…nd disposition, that knowes how to give the honour of milde usage to the weaker vessell. That will be so farre frō rejecting her, because she is weake, that he will pity her the more. And as hee is kinde at all times, so especially when it is most seasonable, he will speake to her heart, especially Hosea 2. 24.in the wildernesse. The more glory to God, and the more comfort to a Christian soule ariseth from the beliefe and application of these things, the more the enemy of Gods glory & mans comfort, labours to breed misperswasions of them, that if hee cannot keepe men from heaven, and bring them into that cursed condition he is in himselfe, yet he may trouble them in their passage. Some and none of the worst, Sathan prevailes withall so farre, as to neglect the meanes, upon feare they should (being so sinfull) dishonour God and increase their sins: & so they lie smothering under this temptation as it were bound hand and foote by Sathan, not daring to make out to Christ, and yet are secretly upheld by a spirit of faith, shewing it selfe in hidden sighes and groanes unto God. These are abused by false representations of Christ; all whose waies to such, being wayes of mercy and all his thoughts, thoughts of love. The more Sathan is malicious in keeping the soule in darknesse, the more care is to be had of establishing the soule upon that which will stay it. Amongst other grounds to build our faith on, as the free offer of grace to all that will receive it; the gracious invitation of all Rev. 22. 17. M…. 11. 28that are weary and heauy lad…n, those that have nothing to buy withall; The command binding to beleeve, the danger Esay 53. 1. 1 Ioh. 3. 23. Ioh. 16. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 20.of not beleeving, being shut up prisoners thereby under the guilt of all other sinnes, the sweet intreatie to beleeve, and ordayning Embassadours to desire peace, putting tender affections into them answerable to their calling, ordaining Sacraments for the sealing of the covenant. Besides these (I say) and such moving inducements, this is one infusing vigor and strength into all the rest, that they proceed from Christ, a person authorized, and from those bowels that moved him not only to become a mā, but a curse for us, hence it is that hee will not quench the smoaking wick or flax. It addes strength to faith, to consider that al expressions of love issue frō nature in Christ, wch is constant. God knowes that as wee are prone to sinne, so when conscience is throughly awaked, wee are as prone to despaire for sinne; and therefore hee would have us know that hee setteth himselfe in the Covenant of grace to triumph in CHRIST over the greatest evills and enemies we feare, and that his thoughts are not as our thoughts are, that he is God Es. 5. 8.and not man, that there is heights, and depths, and Hos. 11. 9.breadths of mercy in him above Eph. 3. 18.all the depths of our sin and misery; that wee should never bee in such a forlorne condition, wherein there should be ground of despaire, considering our sinnes bee the sins of men, his mercy the mercy of an infinite GOD. But though it be a truth cleerer then the Sunne beames, that a broken hearted sinner ought to embrace mercy so strongly enforced: yet there is no truth that the heart shutteth it selfe more against, then this, especially in sense of misery, when the soule is fittest for mercy, untill the Holy spirit sprinkleth the conscience with the blood of Christ, and sheddeth his love into the heart, that so the blood of Christ in the conscience may cry lowder then the guilt of sinne; for onelyonly Gods Spirit can raise the conscience with comfort above guilt; because he is only greater then the conscience. Men may speake comfort, but it is Christs Spirit that can onelyonly comfort. Peace is the fruit of the lips, but yet created to bee Es. 57. 19so. No creature can take off wrath from the conscience, but he that set it on, though all the prevailing arguments be used that can bee brought forth, till the Holy Ghost effectually perswadeth by a divine kinde of rhetoricke, which ought to raise up our hearts to him who is the comforter of his people, that he would seale thē to our soules. Now God dealing with mē as understanding creatures, the manner which he useth in this powerfull worke upon their consciences, is by way of friendly entercourse, as intreaty, and perswasion, and discovery of his love in Christ, and Christs gracious inclination thus even to the Loquitur Deus ad … nostrum, agi… ad modum suum.weakest and lowest of men. And therefore because hee is pleased by such like motives to enter into the heart, and settle a peace there, we ought with reverence to regard all such sanctified helpes, and among the rest this of making use of this comfortable description of Christ by God the Father, in going boldly in all necessities to the throne of grace. But wee must know this comfort is onelyonly the portion of those that give up themselves to Christs government, that are willing in all things to be disposed of by him. For here we see in this Scripture both joyned together, mercy to bruised reedes, and yet government prevailing by degrees over corruptions. Christ so favoureth weake ones, as that he frameth their soules to a better condition then they are in. Neither can it be otherwise, but that a soule looking for mercy should submit it selfe at the same time to be guided. Those relations of husband, head, shepheard, &c. imply not onelyonly meeknesse and mercy, but government likewise. When we become Christ ans to purpose, we live not exempt from all service, but onelyonly wee change our Lord. Therefore if any in an ill course of life snatch comforts before they are reached out unto them, let them know they doe it at their owne perills. It is as if some ignorant man should come into an Apothecaries shop stored with varietie of medicines of all sorts, & shold take what comes next to hād, poyson perhaps in stead of Physicke. There is no word of comfort in the whole booke of God intended for such as regard iniquity in their Psal. 66. 18.hearts, though they doe not act it in their lives. Their onelyonly comfort is that the sentence of damnation is not executed, and thereupon there is yet opportunity of safer thoughts and resolutions, otherwise they stand not onelyonly convicted, but condemned by the Word, and Christ that rideth on the White horse will spend all his arrowes Rev. 6. 2.upon them, and wound them to death. If any shall blesse himselfe in an ill way, Gods wrath shall burne to hell against such. There is no more comfort to bee expected from Christ, then there is care to please him. Otherwise to make him an abetter of a lawlesse and loose life, is to transforme him into a phansie, nay into the likenesse of him whose workes hee came to destroy, which is the most detestable Idolatry of all. One way whereby the Spirit of Christ prevaileth in his, is to preserve them from such thoughts; yet wee see people will frame a divinity to themselves, pleasing to the flesh, sutable to their own ends, which being vaine in the substance, will prove likewise vaine in the fruit, and as a building upon the sand.
The maine scope of all, is, to allure us to the entertainment of Christs milde, safe, wise, victorious government, and to leave men naked of all pretences, why they will not have Christ to rule over them, when we see salvation not onelyonly strongly wrought, but sweetly dispensed by him. His government is not for his owne pleasure, but for our good. We are saved by a way of love, that love might be kindled by this way in us to God againe, because this affection melteth the soule, and mouldeth it to all dutie and acceptable manner of performance of dutie. It is love in duties that God regards more then duties themselves. This is the true and Euangelicall disposition arising from Christs love to us, and our love to him againe; and not to feare to come to him as if wee were to take an Elephant by the tooth. It is almost a fundamentall mistake, to think that God delights in slavish feares, when as the fruits of Christs Kingdome are peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, for from this mistake come weake, slavish, superstitious conceits.
Two things trouble the peace of Christians verie much, their weaknesses hanging 1. 2.upon them, and feare of holding out for time to come. A remedy against both is in this Text, for Christ is set out here as a milde Saviour to weake ones; and for time to come, his powerfull care and love is never interrupted, untill hee bring forth judgement to victory. And thereupon it is that both the meanes of salvation and grace wrought by meanes, and glory the perfection of grace, come all under one name of the KINGDOME of GOD so oft; because whom by meanes he brings to grace, he will by grace bring to glory.
This maketh the thoughts of the latter Iudgement comfortable unto us, that he who is then to be our Iudge, cannot but judge for them who …ve beene ruled by him here, for whom hee gu…des by his Psal 73. 24.counsell, those he brings to glory. If our saith were but as firme as our state in Christ is secure and glorious, what manner of men should we be?
If I had gone about to affect writing in a high straine, I should have missed of mine end, and crossed the argument in hand. For shall we that are servants quench those weake sparkes which our Lord himselfe is pleased to cherish? I had rather hazard the censure of some, then hinder the good of others; which if it be any wayes furthered by these few observations, I have what I aymed at. I intended not a treatise, but opening of a Text, what I shall be drawne to doe in this kind must bee by degrees, as leisure in the midst of many interruptions will permit: The Lord guide our hearts, tongues, and pennes, for his glory, and the good of his people.
R. SIBBES.