In unclean bodies if all iU humours be purged out, you shall purge life and all away. Therefore though God saith, that ' he will fine them as silver is fined,' Zech. xiii. 9 ; yet, Isa. xhiii. 10, he said, ' he hath fined them, but not as silver,' that is, so exactly as that no dross remaineth, for he hath respect to our weakness. Perfect refining is for another world, for the world of the souls of perfect men.
' [Chapter VIII. — Tenderness required in viinisters toward young her(inners.'\
1. Divines had need to take heed therefore how they deal with these in divers particulars : as fii'st let them be careful they strain not things too high (b), making those general and necessar}' e\idences of grace, which agi'ee not to the experience of many a good Chi'istian, and lay salvation and damnation upon those things that are not fit to bear so great a weight, where- upon men are groundlessly cast down lower by them, than they can hastily be raised up again by themselves or others. The ambassadors of so gentle a SaATOur should not be over-masterly, setting up themselves in the hearts of people where Christ alone should sit as in his own temple. Too mucht respect to man was one of the inlets of popery. ' Let a man account of us as of the ministers of Christ,' 1 Cor. iv. 1, neither more nor less, just so much. How careful was St Paul in cases of conscience not to lay a snare upon any weak conscience.
They should take heed likewise that they hide not their meaning in dark speeches, speaking in the clouds. Truth feareth nothing so much as con- cealment, and desireth nothing so much as clearly to be laid open to the view of all : when it is most naked, it is most lovely and powerful.
Om- blessed Saviour, as he took our nature upon him, so he took upon him om- familiar manner of speech, v.'hich was part of his voluntary abase- ment. St Paul was a profound man, yet became as a nurse to the weaker sort, 1 Thess. ii. 7.
That sphit of mercy that was in Christ should move his servants to be * ' Do need," in A and B. t ' loo much .... just so much,' added first in B.
54 THE BRUISED REED
content to abase themselves for the good of the meanest. What made the ' kingdom of heaven suffer violence,' Matt. xi. 22, after John the Baptist's time, but that comfortable tmths were vnth that plainness and evidence laid open, that the people were so affected with them, as they offered a holy violence to them ?
Christ chose those to preach mercy, which had felt most mercy, as St Peter and St Paul ; that they might be examples of what they taught. St Paul ' became all things to all men,' 1 Cor. ix. 2, stooping unto them for their good. Christ came down from heaven, and emptied himself of ma- jesty in tender love to souls ; shall we not come down from our high con- ceits to do any poor soul good ? shall man be proud after God hath been humble ? We see the ministers of Satan turn themselves into all shapes to ' make proselytes,' Matt, xxiii. 15. A Jesuit wall be every man. We see ambitious men study accommodation of themselves to the humours of those by whom they hope to be raised ; - and shall not we study application of ourselves to Christ, by whom we hope to be advanced, nay, are already sitting with him in heavenly places ? After we are gained to Christ our- selves, we should labour to gain others to Christ. Holy ambition and covetousness will move us to put upon ourselves the disposition of Christ : but we must put off oru'selves first.
We should not, thirdly, rack their wits ■udth curious or ' doubtful dis- putes,' Rom. xiv 1 ; for so we shall distract and tire them, and give occasion to make them cast off the care of all. That age of the church which was most fertile in nice questions, was most barren in religion : for it makes people think religion to be only a matter of wit, in t}dng and untying of knots ; the brains of men given that way are hotter usually than then- hearts.
Yet notwithstanding, when we are cast into times and places wherein doubts are raised about main points, here people ought to labour to be established. God suffereth questions oftentimes to arise for trial of our love and exercise of our parts. Nothing is so certain as that which is certain after doubts. Nil tarn certimi qudm quod ex duhio certum. Shaking settles and roots. In a contentious age, it is a witty thing to be a Christian, and to know what to pitch their souls upon ; it is an office of love here to take away the stones, and to smooth the way to heaven. Therefore, we must take heed that, under pretence of avoidance of disputes, we do not suffer an adverse party to get groimd upon the truth ; for thus may we easily betray both the truth of God and souls of men.
And likewise those are failing that, by overmuch austerity, drive back troubled souls from having comfort by them ; for by this carriage many smother their temptations, and burn inwardlj^, because they have none into whose bosom they may vent their grief and ease their souls.