victoiy in Jesus Clirist,' 1 Cor. xv. 57. See a flame in a spark, a tree in a seed ; see gi'cat tilings in little beginnings ; look not so much to the be- ginning, as to the perfection, and so we shall be in some degi'ee joyful in ourselves, and thankful unto Christ.
Neither* must we reason from a denial of a great measure of grace, to a denial of any at all in us ; for faith and gi-ace stand not in an indivisible point, so as he that hath not such and such a measm-e hath none at all ; but as there is a great breadth between a spark and a flame, so there is a great wideness between the least measure of grace and the greatest ; and he that hath the least measure, is within the compass of God's eternal favour ; though he be not a shining light, yet he is a smoking ■s\-ick, which Clnist's tender care will not suffer him to quench.
And let all this that hath been spoken allure those that are not yet in state of grace, to come under Christ's sweet and victorious government, for though we shall have much opposition, yet if we strive, he will help us ; if we fail, he will cherish us ; if we be guided by him, we shall overcome ; if we overcome, we are sure to be crowned. Aid for the present state of the chm-ch, we see now how forlorn it is, yet let us comfort ourselves, that Christ's cause shall prevail; ' Christ will rule, till he hath made his enemies his footstool,' Ps. ex. 1, not only to trample upon, but to help him up to mount higher in glory. ' Babylon shall fall, for strong is the Lord who hath condemned her,' Eev. xviii. 8. Chiist's judgment not only in his children, but also against his enemies, shall be victorious, for he is ' King of kings and Lord of lords,' Rev. xix. 1. God will not alwaysf sufier antichi'ist and his supports to revel and rufile in the chm'ch as they do.
If we look to the present state of the chm-ch of Christ, it is as Daniel in the midst of lions, as a lily amongst thorns, as a ship not only tossed, but almost covered with waves. It is so low, that the enemies think they have buried Christ, in regard of his gospel, in the grave, and there they thinlv to keep him from rising; but Christ as he rose in his person, so he will roll away all stones, and rise again in his church. How Uttle support hath the church and cause of Chi'ist at this day ! how strong a conspiracy is against it ! the spirit of antichi-ist is now lifted up, and marcheth furiously ; things seem to hang on a small and invisible thread. But our comfort is, that Christ liveth and reigneth and standeth on Mount Sion in defence of them that stand for him, Rev. xiv. 1 ; and when States and kingdoms shall dash one against another, Christ will have care of his own children and cause, seeing there is nothing else in the world that he much esteemeth. At this very time the deliveiy of his chm-ch, and the ruin of his enemies, is in work- ing ; we see no things in motion till Christ hath done his work, and then we shall see that the Lord reigneth.
Christ and his chm-ch, when they are at the lowest, are nearest rising : his enemies at the highest are nearest a downfall.
The Jews are not yet come in under Christ's banner ; but God, that hath persuaded Japhet to come into the tents of Shem, wnll persuade Shem to come into the tents of Japhet, Gen. ix. 27. The * fulness of the Gentiles is not yet come in,' Rom. xi. 25, but Christ, that hath the * utmost parts of the earth given him for his possession,' Ps. ii. 8, will gather all the sheep his Father hath given him into one fold, that there may be one sheepfold and one shepherd, John x. 16.
The faithful Jews rejoiced to think of the calling of the Gentiles ; and why should not we joy to think of the calling of the Jews ? • * Neither . . . quench,' not in A, B, but in E. f ' God will not,' &c., added in B.
100 THE BRUISED REED
The gospel's course liath hitherto been as that of the sun, from east to west, and so in God's time may proceed yet fuither west (i). No creature can hinder the course of the sun, nor stop the influence of heaven, nor hinder the blowing of the wind, much less hinder the prevailing power of divine truth, until Christ hath brought all under one head, and then he will present all to his Father ; these are they thou hast given unto me ; these are they that have taken me for their Lord and King, that have suffered with me ; my wiU is that they be where I am, and reign with me. And then he will deliver up the kingdom even to his Father, and put down all other rule, and authority, and power, 1 Cor. xv. 24.