[Chapter XXVIII. — Be encouraged to go on cheerfully, with confidence of jirevailing.]
For conclusion and general application of all that hath been spoken, unto ourselves. We see the conflicting, but yet sm-e and hopeful state of God's people. The victoiy heth not upon us, but upon Christ, who hath taken upon him, as to conquer for us, so to conquer in us. The \ictory lieth neither in om* own strength to get, nor in om* enemies to defeat it. If it lay upon us, we might justly fear. But Christ vnll maintain his own government in us, and take om- part against om' coiTuptions ; they are his enemies as well as om-s. * Let us therefore be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,' Eph. ^i. 10, Let us not look so much who are our
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enemies, as who is our judge and captain, nor what they threaten, but what he promiseth. We have more for us than against us. What coward would not fight when he is sure of victory ? None are here overcome, but he that will not fight. Therefore, when any base fainting seizeth upon us, let us lay the blame where it is to be laid.
Discouragement* rising from unbehef and ill report, brought upon the good land by the spies, moved God to swear in his wrath, that they should not enter into his rest. Let us take heed a spirit of faint-heartedness, rising from seeming difiiculty and disgrace, cast upon God's good ways, provoke not God to keep us out of heaven. We see here what we may look for from heaven. 0 beloved, it is a comfortable thing to conceive of Christ aright, to know what love, mercy, strength we have laid up for us iu the breast of Christ. A good conceit of the physician, we say, is half the cure ; letf us make use of this his mercy and power every day, in our daily combats. Lord Jesus, thou hast promised not to quench the smokiog flax, not to break the bruised reed ; cherish thine own grace in me, leave me not to myself, the glory shall be thine. Let us not suffer Satan to transform Christ irnto us, to be otherwise than he is to those that are his. Christ wiU not leave us, till he hath made us like himself, ' all glorious within and without, and presented us blameless before his Father,' Jude 24. What a comfort is this in our conflicts with our um-uly hearts, that it shall not always be thus ! Let us strive a little while, and we shall be happy for ever. Let us think when we are troubled with our sins, that Christ hath this in charge of his Father, ' that he shall not quench the smoking flax,' until he hath subdued all. This putteth a shield into our hands to beat back aU ' the fiery darts of Satan,' Eph. vi. 16. He will object, (1.) thou art a great sinner; we may answer, Christ is a strong Saviom* ; but he will object, (2.) thou hast no faith, no love ; yes, a spark of faith and love ; but (3.) Chi-ist will not regard that; yes, 'he will not quench the smoking flax;' but (4.) this is so little and weak, that it wUl vanish and come to nought : nay, but Christ will cherish it, until he hath brought judgment to victoiy. And thus much for om* comfort we have already, that even when we first believed, we overcame God himself, as it were, by believing the pardon of aU our sins ; notwithstanding the guilt of our own consciences, and his absolute justice. Now having been prevailers with God, what shall stand against us if we can learn to make use of our faith ?
0 what a confusion is this to Satan, that he should labour to blow out a poor spark, and yet should not be able to quench it; that a grain of mustard seed should be stronger than the gates of hell ; that it should be able to re- move mountains of oppositions and temptations cast up by Satan and our rebellious hearts between God and us. Abimelech could not endure that it should be said, ' a woman had slain him,' Jud. ix. 64 ; and it must needs be a torment to Satan, that a weak child, a woman, and decrepit old man should, by a spirit of faith, put him to flight.
Since there is such comfort where there is a little truth of grace, that it wiU be so victorious, let us oft try what God hath wrought in us, search our good as well as our ill, and be thankful to God for the least measure of grace, more than for any outward thing ; it will be of more use and comfort than all this world, which passeth away and cometh to nothing. Yea, let us be thankful for that promised and assured victory, which we may rely on with- out presumption, as St Paul doth ; ' thanks be to God, that hath given us
• ' Discouragement .... heaven,' added in B.
f 'Let . . . thine,' a transposition of A and B here.
AND SMOKING FLAX. 99"