* Sic 80 habent mortalium corda : qnse scimus, cum necesse non est, in necessitate nescimus. — Bcr[nard1 de consid.
■f ' or ourselves .... troubles,' added first in B.
AND SMOKING FLAX. 95
The manner of Christ's hnnging forth judgment to victory, is by letting us see a necessity of dependence upon him ; hence proceed those spuitual de- sertions -wherein he often leaveth us to ourselves, both in regard of grace and comfort, that we may know the spring head of these to be out of our- selves. Hence it is that in the mount, that is, in extremities, God is most seen, Gen. xxii. 13. Hence it is that we are saved by the grace of faith, that carrieth us out of ourselves to rely upon another ; and that faith worketh best alone, when it hath least outward support. Hence it is, that we often fail in lesser conflicts, and stand out in greater, because in lesser we rest more in ourselves, in greater we fly to the rock of our salvation, which is higher than we, Ps. Ixi. 2. Hence likewise it is, that we are stronger after foils, because hidden corruption, undiscerned before, is now discovered, and thence we are brought to make use of mercy pardoning, and power sup- porting. One main ground of this dispensation is, that we should know it is Christ that giveth both the -n-ill and the deed, and that as a voluntarv work* according to his owti good pleasure. And therefore we should ' work out our salvation in a jealous fear and trembling,' Phil. ii. 12, lest by imreverent and presumptuous walking, we give him cause to suspend his gracious influence, and to leave us to the darkness of our own heart.
Those that are under Christ's government have the spirit of revelation, whereby they see and feel a di\ane power sweetly and strongly enabling them for to preserve faith, when they feel the contrary, and hoj)e in a state hopeless, and love to God under signs of his displeasm-e, and heavenlj^- mindedness in the midst of worldly afi'airs and allm-ements, drawing a contrary way. They feel a power preserving patience, nay, joy in the midst of causes of mourning, inward peace in the midst of assaults. "Whence ■\ is it that, when we are assaulted with temptation, and when compassed with troubles, we have stood out, but from a secret strength upholding us ? To make so little grace so victorious over so great a mass of corruption, this requu-eth a spirit more than human ; this is as to preserve fire in the sea, and a part of heaven even as it were in hell. Here we know where to have this power, and to whom to return the praise of it. And it is our happiness, that it is so safely hid in Christ for us, In one so near unto God and us. Since the fall, God will not trust us with our ov/n salvation, but it is both purchased and kept by Christ for us, and wo for it through faith, wrought by the power of God, and laying hold of the same : which power is gloriously set forth by St Paul, 1, To be a gi-eat power ; 2, An exceeding power; 3, A working and a mighty power; 4, Such a power as was wrought in raising Christ from the dead, Eph. i. 19. That gi'ace which is but a persuasive ofier, and in our pleasure to receive or refuse, is not that grace which brings us to heaven ; but God's people feel a powerful work of the Spmt, not only revealing unto us our misery, and dehverance through Christ, but emptying us of ourselves as being redeemed from ourselves, and infusing new life into us, and after strengthening us, and quickening of us when we droop and hang the wing, and never leaving us tin perfect conquest.
[Chapter XXVII. — Victory 7wt to he had without fighting.']
The sixth conclusion is, that this prevailing government shall not be without fighting. There can be no victory where there is no combat. In * ' Worker,' in A and B. f ' Whence . . . us,' added in B.
96 THE BRUISED EEED
Isaiah it is said, * He shall bring judgment in truth,' Is. xlii. 3 ; here it is said, he shall send forth judgment unto victory. The word ' send forth ' hath a stronger sense in the original (h), to send forth with force ; to shew, that where his government is in truth, it will be opposed, until he getteth the upper hand. Nothing is so opposed as Christ and his govern- ment, both within us and without us. And within us most in our con- version, though corruption prevails not so far as to make void the powerful work of gi'ace, yet there is not only a possibility of opposing, but a prone- ness to oppose, and not only a proneness, but an actual withstanding the working of Christ's Spirit, and that in every action, but yet no prevailing resistance so far as to make void the work of grace, but corruption in the issue jdelds to grace.
There is much ado to bring Christ into the heart, and to set a tribunal for him to judge there ; there is an army of lusts [in] mutiny against him. The utmost strength of most men's endeavours and parts is to keep Christ from ruling in the soul ; the flesh still laboureth to maintain its own regency, and therefore it cries down the credit of whatsoever crosseth it, as God's blessed ordinances, &c., and highly prizeth anything, though never so dead and empty, if it give way to the liberty of the flesh.