What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party oQcndcd by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption ! And what a comfort is this, that seeing God's love resteth on Christ, as well
THE BRUISED EEED AND SMOKING FLAX. 43
pleased in him, we may gather that he is as well pleased with us, if we be in Christ ! For his love resteth in whole Christ, in Christ mystical, as well as Christ natural, because he loveth him and us with one love. Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in him God's 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 commission to Christ ; the Spii'it fumisheth and sanctifieth to it ; Christ himself executeth the office of a Mediator. Om' redemption is founded upon the joint agreement of all thi'ee persons of the Trinity.
n. For the execution of this his calling, it is set down here to be modest, without making a noise, or raising dust by any pompous coming, as princes use to do. ^ His voice shall not be heard.' His voice indeed was heard, but what voice ? ' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden,' Mat. xi. 28. He cried, but how? ^ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come,' Sec, Isa. Iv. 1. And as his coming was modest, so it was mild, which is set down in these words : The bruised reed shall he not break, &c. Wherein we may observe these three things : —
First, The condition of those that Chi-ist had to deal withal. (1 .) They were bruised reeds ; (2.) smoking Ji ax.
Secondly, Christ's carriage toward* them. He brake 'not the bruised reed, nor quenched the smoking flax : where more is meant than spoken ; for he will not only not break the bruised reed, nor quench, &c., but he will cherish them.
Thirdly, The constancy and progress of this his tender care, ' until judg- ment come to victory' — that is, until the sanctified frame of grace begun in their hearts be brought to that perfection, that it prevaileth over aU opposite corruption.
1. For the first, the condition of men whom he was to deal withal is, that they were bruised reeds, and smoking flax ; not trees, but reeds ; and not whole, but bruised reeds. The church is compared to weak things ; to a dove amongst the fowls ; to a vine amongst the plants ; to sheep amongst the beasts ; to a woman, which is the weaker vessel : and here God's children are compared to braised reeds and smoking flax. First,f we will speak of them as they are bruised reeds, and then as smoking flax.
They are bruised reeds before their conversion, and oftentimes after : before conversion all (except such as being bred up in the church, God hath delighted to shew himself gracious unto from their childhood), yet in dif- ferent degrees, as God seeth meet ; and as difierence is in regard of tem- per, parts, manner of life, &c., so in God's intendment of employment for the time to come ; for usually he empties such of themselves, and makes them nothing, before he will use them in any great services.
(1.) This bruised reed is a man that for the most part is in some misery, as those were that came to Christ for help, and (2) by misery is brought to see sin the cause of it ; for whatsoever pretences sin maketh, yet bruising or breaking is the end of it ; (3) he is sensible of sin and misery, even unto bruising ; and (4), seeing no help in himself, is carried with restless desire to have supply from another, with some hope, which a httle raiseth him out of himself to Christ, though he dareth not claim any present interest of mercy. This spark of hope being opposed by doubtings, and fears rising from corruption, maketh him as smoking flax ; so that both these together, a bruised reed and smoking flax, make up the state of a poor dis- * ' Towards,' in A and B. t ' And first,' in A and B.
44 THE BRUISED REED
tressed man. Such an one as our Saviour Christ termeth poor in spirit, Mat. V. 3, who seeth a want, and withal seeth himself indebted to divine justice, and no means of supply from himself or the creature, and there- upon mourns, and upon some hope of mercy from the promise and examples of those that have obtained mercy, is stirred up to hunger and thirst after it.
[Chapter II. — Those that Christ hatli to do withal are BruisedJ\
This bruising is required [1] before conversion (1), that so the Spirit may make way for itself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature. We love to wander from om'selves and to be strangers at home, till God bruiseth us by one cross or other, and then we bethink ourselves, and come home to ourselves with the prodigal (Luke xv. 17.)