How will they be laden with curses another day, that abuse the judgment of others by sophistry and flatteiy, deceivers and being deceived ? 2 Tim. iii. 13. Then the complaint of our first mother Eve will be taken up but fruitlessly, Gen. xiii. 3 ; the sei-pent hath deceived me ; Satan in such and such hath deceived me ; sin hath deceived me ; a foohsh heart hath de- ceived me. It is one of the highest points of wisdom to consider upon what grounds we venture our souls. Happy men will they be, who have by Christ's light a right judgment of things, and sufier that judgment to prevail over their hearts.
The soul of most men is drowned in their senses and carried away with weak opinions, raised from vulgar mistakes and shadows of things. And Satan is ready to enlarge the imagination of outward good and outward iU, and make it greater than it is, and spiritual things less, presenting them through false glasses. And so men, trusting in vanity, vanquish themselves in their own apprehensions. A woful condition, when both we and that which we highly esteem shall vanish together, which will be as tnily as Christ's judgment shall come to victory ; and in what measure the vain heart of man hath been enlarged, to conceive a greater good in things of this world than there is, by so much the soul shall be enlarged to be more sensible of misery when it sees its error. This is the difference betwixt a godly wise man and a deluded worldling ; that which the one doth now judge to be vain, the other shall hereafter feel to be so when it is too late. But this is the vanity of our natures, that though we shun above aU things to be deceived and mistaken in present things, yet in the greatest matters of all we are willingly ignorant and misled.
[Chapter XXVI. — Christ alone advanceth this govemmmt.]
The fifth conclusion is, that this government is set up and advanced by Christ alone ; he bringeth judgment to victory. We both fight and prevail ' in the power of his might,' Eph. vi. 10 ; we overcome by the Sphit, obtained by 'the blood of the Lamb,' Rev. xii. 11.
It is he alone that ' teacheth our hands to war and fingers to fight,' Ps. cxUv. 1. Nature, as coiTupted, favours its own being, and will maintain itself against Christ's government. Nature, simply considered, cannot raise
94 THE BRUISED REED
itself above itself to actions spiritual of a higher order and nature ; there- fore the divine power of Christ is necessary to carry us above all our own strength, especially in duties wherein we meet with greater opposition ; for there not only natui-e mil fail us, but ordinary grace, unless there be a stronger and a new supply. In taking up a burden that is weightier than ordinary, if there be not a greater proportion of strength than weight, the undertaker will lie under it ; so to every strong encounter there must be a new supply of strength, as in Peter, Matt. xxvi. 69, when he was assaulted with a stronger temptation, being not upheld and shored up with a mightier hand, notwithstanding former strength, foully fell. And being fallen, in our raisings up again it is Christ that must do the work, 1, By removing ; or 2, Weakening ; or 3, Suspending opposite hinderances ; 4, And by advancing the power of his grace in us, to a further degree than we had before we fell ; therefore when we are fallen, and by falls have gotten a bruise, let us go to Christ presently to bind us up again.
Use. Let us know, therefore, that it is dangerous to look for that from ourselves which we must have from Christ. Since the fall, all our strength lies in him, as Samson's in his hair. Judges xvi. 17; we are but subordinate agents, moving as we are moved, and working as we are lu'st wrought upon, free so far forth as we are freed, no wiser nor stronger than he makes us to be for the present in anything we undertake.* It is his Spuit that actuates and enliveneth, and applieth that knowledge and strength we have, or else it faileth and lieth as useless in us ; we work when we work upon a present strength ; therefore dependent spirits are the wisest and the ablest. No- thing is stronger than humility, that goeth out of itself ; or weaker than pride, that resteth upon its own bottom, Frustra nititur qui non innititur ; and this should the rather be observed, because naturally we affect a kind of divinity, affectatio divinitatls, in setting upon actions in the strength of our own parts; whereas Christ saith, 'Without me you,' apostles that are in a state of grace, ' can do nothing,' John sv. 5, he doth not say you can do a little, but nothing. Of oiurselves,t how easily are we overcome ! how weak to re- sist ! we are as reeds shaken with every vsdnd ; we shake at the very noise and thought of poverty, disgrace, losses, &c., we give in presently, we have no power over our eyes, tongues, thoughts, affections, but let sin pass in and out. How soon are we overcome of evil ! whereas we should overcome evil with good. How many good purposes stick in the birth, and have no strength to come forth ! all which shews how nothing we are vdthout the Spirit of Christ. We see how weak the apostles themselves were, till they were endued with strength from above. Matt. xx\'i. 69. Peter was blasted with the speech of a damsel, but after the Spirit of Christ fell upon them, the more they suil'ered, the more they were encouraged to suffer ; their com- forts grew with their troubles ; therefore in all, especially difficult encounters, let us lift up our hearts to Christ, who hath Spirit enough for us all, in all our exigencies, and say with good Jchoshaphat, ' Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee,' 2 Chron. xx. 12 ; the battle we fight is thine, and the strength whei'eby we fight must be thine. If thou goest not out with us, we are sure to be foiled. Satan knows nothing can prevail against Christ, or those that rely upon his power ; therefore his study is, how to keep us in ourselves, and in the creature : but we must carry this always in our minds, that that which is begun in self-confidence will end in shame.