A marvellous hard thing it is to bring a dull and a shifting heart to cry with feeling for mercy. Om* hearts, like malefactors, until they be beaten from all shifts, never cry for the mercy of the Judge. Again (2), this bruising maketh us set a high price upon Christ. The gospel is the gospel indeed then ; then the fig-leaves of morality will do us no good. And (3) it maketh us more thankful, and (4) from thankfulness more fruitful in our lives ; for what maketh many so cold and barren, but that bruising for sin never endeared God's grace unto them ? Likewise (5), this dealing of God doth establish us the more in his ways, having had knocks and bruisings in our own ways. This is the cause oft of relapses and apostasies, because men never smarted for sin at the first ; they were not long enough under the lash of the law. Hence this inferior work of the Spirit in bringing down high thoughts, 2 Cor. x. 5, is necessary before conversion. And, for the most part, the Holy Spirit, to fm-ther the work of conviction, joineth some affliction, which, sanctified, hath a healing and purging power.
Nay, [2] after conversion we need bruising, that (1) reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks; even reeds need bruising, by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. And (2) that weaker Christians may not be too much discouraged when they see stronger shaken and bruised. Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly. Matt. xxvi. 75. This reed, till he met with this bruise, had more wind in him than pith. ' Though all forsake thee, I will not,' &c.. Matt. xxvi. 35. The people of God cannot be without these examples. The heroical deeds of those great worthies do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do. Thus David was bruised, Ps. xxxii. 3—5, until he came to a free confession, without guile of spirit ; nay, his sorrows did rise in his own feeling unto the exquisite pain of breaking of bones, Ps. li. 8. Thus Hezekiah complains that God had * broken his bones' as a lion, Isa. xxxviii. 13. Thus the chosen vessel St Paul needed the messenger of Satan to buflet him, lest he should be lifted up above measure, 2 Cor. xii. 7.
Hence we learn that we must not pass too harsh judgment upon our- selves or others when God doth exercise us with bruising upon bruising ; there must bo a conformity to oiu* head, Christ, who * was bruised for us,' Isa. liii. 5, that we may know how much we are bound unto him. Pro- fane spirits, ignorant of God's ways in bringing his children to heaven, censure broken-hearted Christians for desperate persons, whenas God is about a gracious good work with them. It is no easy matter to bring a
AND SMOKING FLAX. 45
man from nature to grace, and from grace to glory, so unyielding and un- tractable are our hearts.
[Chapter III. — Christ will not Break the Bruised B.eed.']
2. The second point is, that Christ will not ' break the hruised reed.' Phy- sicians, though they put their patients to much pain, yet they will not de- stroy nature, but raise it up by degi'ees. Chirurgeons* will lance and cut, but not dismember. A mother that hath a sick and frowai'd child will not therefore cast it away. And shall there be more mercy in the stream than in the spring ? Shall we think there is more mercy in ourselves than in God, who planteth the affection of mercy in us ? But for further declara- tion of Christ's mercy to all bruised reeds, consider the comfortable rela- tions he hath taken upon him of husband, shepherd, brother, &c., which he will discharge to the utmost ; for shall others by his grace fulfil what he calleth them imto, and not he that, out of his love, hath taken upon him these relations, so thoroughly founded upon his Father's assignment, and his own voluntary undertaking ? Consider his borrowed names from the mildest creatures, as lamb, hen, &c., to shew his tender care ; consider his very name Jesus, a Saviour, given him by God himself; consider his office answerable to his name, which is that he should ' heal the broken-hearted,' Isa. Ixi. 1. At his baptism the Holy Ghost sate on him in the shape of a dove, to shew that he should be a dove-like, gentle Mediator. See the gi-acious manner of executing his offices. As a prophet, he came with blessing in his mouth, ' Blessed be the poor in spirit,' &c., Matt. v. 3, and invited those to come to him whose hearts suggested most exceptions against themselves, * Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden,' Matt. xi. 28. How did his bowels yearn when ' he saw the people as sheep without a shepherd ! ' Matt. ix. 36. He never turned any back again that came unto him, though some went away of themselves. He came to die as a priest for his enemies. In the days of his flesh he dictated a form of prayer unto his disciples, and put petitions unto God into their mouths, and his Spirit to intercede in their hearts ; and now makes intercession in heaven for weak Christians, standing between God's anger and them ; and shed tears for those that shed his blood. So he is a meek King ; he will admit mourners into his presence, a king of poor and afflicted persons : as he hath beams of majesty, so he hath bowels of mercies and compassion ; * a prince of peace,' Isa. ix. 6. Why was he ' tempted, but that he might succour those that are tempted,' Heb. ii. 18. What mercy may we not expect from so gracious a mediator, 1 Tim. ii. 5, that took our nature upon him that he might be gracious. He is a physician good at all diseases, especially at the binding up of a broken heart ; he died that he might heal our souls with a plaster of his own blood, and by that death save us, which we were the procurers of ourselves, by our own sins ; and hath he not the same bowels in heaven ? ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?' Acts ix. 4, cried the head in heaven, when the foot was trodden on, on earth. His advancement hath not made him forget his own flesh ; though it has freed him from passion, yet not from compassion towards us. The lion of the tribe of Judah will only tear in pieces those that ' will not have him rule over them,' Luke xix. 17. He will not shew his strength against those that prostrate themselves before him.