* Nil magis ad misoricordiani inclinat qiiam i)roprii pcriculi cogitatio. — Au- (jusl\inc].
AND SMOKING FLAX. 59
after blessing even upon those whom Moses had cursed, and with heaUng bahn for those wounds which Moses had made.
The same duties are required in both covenants ; as, * to love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls,' &c., Deut. vi. 5. In the* covenant of works, this must be taken in the rigour ; but under the covenant of grace, as it is a sincere endeavour proportionable to grace received (and so it must be understood of Josias, and others, when it is said, ' they loved Grod with all their hearts,' &c.), it must have an evangelical mitigation.
The law is sweetened by the gospel, and becometh delightful to the inner man, Rom. vii. 22. Under this gracious covenant sincerity is perfection. This is the death in the pot in the Roman religion,! that they confound two covenants ; and it deads the comfort of di-ooping ones, that they can- not distinguish them. And thus they sufler themselves to be held under bondage,' Isa. Ixi. 1, 2, when Christ hath set them free ; and stay them- selves in the prison, when Christ hath set open the doors before them.
5. Grace sometimes is so little as is undiscemible to us ; the Spirit sometimes hath secret operations in us, which we know not for the pre- sent ; but Christ knoweth. Sometimes in bitterness of temptation, when the Spirit struggles with sense of God's anger, we are apt to think God an enemy ; and a troubled soul is like troubled water, | we can see nothing in it ; and so for as it is not cleansed, it will cast up mire and dirt. It is full of objections against itself, yet for the most part we may discern some- thing of the hidden life, and of these smothered sparks.
In a gloomy day there is so much light whereby we may know it to be day, and not night ; so there is something in a Christian under a cloud, whereby he may be discerned to be a true believer, and not a hypocrite. There is no mere darkness in the state of grace, but some beam of hght, whereby the kingdom of darkness wholly prevaileth not.
[Chapter XI. — Signs of smohing flax uhich Christ uill not quench.]
These things premised, let us know for a trial, 1. Fii'st, if there be any holy fire in lis, it is kindled from heaven by the ' Father of lights, who com- mandeth light to shine out of darkness,' 2 Cor. iv. 6. As it is kindled in the use of means, so it is fed. The light in us, and the light in the word, spring one from the other, and both from one Holy Spirit ; and, therefore, those that regard not the word, it is because there ' is no Ught in them,' Isa. viii. 20. Heavenly truths must have a heavenly light to discern them. Natural men see heavenly things, but not in their own proper light, but by an inferior light. God in every converted man putteth a light into the eye of his soul, proportionable to the light of truths revealed unto him. A carnal eye will never see spiritual things.
2. Secondly, the least divine light hath heat ivith it in some measure ; light in the understanding breedeth heat of love in the affections. Claritas i?i intellectu parit ardorem in affectu. In what measure the sanctified under- standing seeth a thing to be true, or good, in that measure the will em- braces it. Weak light breeds weak inclinations ; a strong light, strong incUnations. A httle spiritual light is of strength enough to answer strong objections of flesh and blood, and to look through all earthly allurements and opposing^ hindrances, presenting them as far inferior to those heavenly objects it eyeth.
* ' This,' in A and B. % ' Waters,' in A and B.
t Roman religion == Popery. — G. § ' And all,' in A and B.
60 THE BRUISED REED
All light that is not spiritual, because it wanteth the strength of sanctify- ing grace, yieldeth* to every little temptation, especially when it is fitted and suited to personal inclinations. This is the reason why Christians that have light little for quantity, but yet heavenly for quality, hold out, when men of larger apprehensions sink.
This prevailing of light in the soul is because, together Avith the spirit of illumination, there goeth, in the godly, a spirit of power, 2 Tim. i. 7, to subdue the heart to truth revealed, and to put a taste and relish into the will, suitable to the sweetness of the truths ; else a mere natural will will rise against supernatural truths, as having an antipathy and enmity against them. In the godly, holy truths are conveyed by way of a taste ; gracious men have a spiritual palate as well as a spiritual eye. Grace altereth the relish,
3. Thirdly, where this heavenly light is kindled, it direetetk in the ri/iht ivay. For it is given for that use, to shew us the best way, and to guide in the particular passages of life ; if otherwise, it is but common light, given only for the good of others. Some have light of knowledge, yet follow not that light, but are guided by carnal reason and policy ; such as the prophet speaks of, ' All you that kindle a fire, walk in the light of yowc own fii't!, and in the sparks that you have kindled ; but this you shall have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow,' Isa. 1. 11. God delights to confound carnal wisdom, as enmity to him, and robbing him of his prero- gative, who is God only wise. We must, therefore, walk by his light, and not the blaze of our own fire. God must light our candle, Ps. xviii. 28, or else we are like to abide in darkness. Those sparks that are not kindled from heaven, are not strong enough to keep us from tying down in sorrow, though they make a greater blaze and show than the light from above, as madmen do greater things than sober, but by a false strength : so the excess of these men's joy ariseth from a false light, ' the candle of the wicked shall be put out,' Job xviii. 6.