CHAPTER VII.—Christ will not quench small and weak beginnings
sheweth its light, and sometimes the show of light is lost; so sometimes well persuaded they are of themselves, sometimes at a loss.
CHAPTER VII.
Christ will not quench small and weak beginnings.
Doct. Now for the second observation, Christ will not quench the smoking flax. First, because this spark is from heaven, it is his own, it* is kindled by his own spirit. And secondly, it tendeth to the glory of his powerful grace in his children, that he preserveth light in the midst of darkness,—a spark in the midst of the swelling waters of corruption.
There is an especial blessing in that little spark; 'when wine is found in a cluster, one saith, Destroy it not; for there is a blessing in it,' Isa.
65:8. We see how our Saviour Christ bore with Thomas in his doubting, John 20:27; with the two disciples that went to Emmaus, who staggered 'whether he came to redeem Israel or no,' Luke 24:21: he quenched not that little light in Peter, which was smothered: Peter denied him, but he denied not Peter, Mat. 26. 'If thou wilt, thou canst,' said one poor man in the gospel, Mat. 8:2; 'Lord, if thou canst' said another, Mark 9:22; both were this smoking flax, neither of both were quenched. If Christ had stood upon his own greatness, he would have rejected him that came with his if, but Christ answers his if with a gracious and absolute grant, 'I will, be thou clean.' The woman that was diseased with an issue did but touch, and with a trembling hand, and but the hem of his garment, and yet went away both healed and comforted. In the seven churches, Rev. 2 and 3, we see he acknowledgeth and cherisheth anything that was good in them.
Because the disciples slept of infirmity, being oppressed with grief,
our Saviour Christ frameth a comfortable excuse for them, 'The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,' Mat. 26:41.
If Christ should not be merciful, he would miss of his own ends; 'there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared,' Ps. 130:4. Now all are willing to come under that banner of love which he spreadeth over his: 'therefore to thee shall all flesh come,' Ps. 65:2. He useth moderation and care, 'lest the spirit should fail before him, and the souls which he hath made,' Isa. 57:16. Christ's heart yearned, the text saith, 'when he saw them without meat, lest they should faint,' Mat.
15:32; much more will he have regard for the preventing of our spiritual faintings.
Here see the opposite disposition between the holy nature of Christ, and the impure nature of man. Man for a little smoke will quench the light; Christ ever we see cherisheth even the least beginnings. How bare he with the many imperfections of his poor disciples. If he did sharply check them, it was in love, and that they might shine the brighter. Can we have a better pattern to follow than this of him by whom we hope to be saved? 'We that are strong ought to bear with the infirmities of them that are weak,' Rom. 15:1. 'I become all things to all men, that I may win some,' 1 Cor. 9:22. O that this gaining and winning disposition were more in many! Many, so far as in us lieth, are lost for want of encouragement. See how that faithful fisher of men, St Paul, labours to catch his judge, 'I know thou believest the prophets,' Acts 26:27; and then wisheth all saving good, but not bonds; he might have added them too, but he would not discourage one that made but an offer, he would therefore wish Agrippa only that which was good in religion. How careful was our blessed Saviour of little ones that they might not be offended, Mat. 12:13. How doth he defend his disciples from malicious imputations of the Pharisees!
How careful not to put new wine into old vessels, Mat. 9:17, not to
alienate new beginners with the austerities of religion (as some indiscreetly). O, saith he, they shall have time to fast when I am gone, and strength to fast when the Holy Ghost is come upon them.
It is not the best way to fall foul presently with young beginners for some lesser vanities, but shew them a more excellent way, and breed them up in positive grounds, and other things will be quickly out of credit with them. It is not amiss to conceal their wants, to excuse some failings, to commend their performances, to cherish their towardness, to remove all rubs out of their way, to help them every way to bear the yoke of religion with greater ease, to bring them in love with God and his service, lest they distaste it before they know it. For the most part we see Christ planteth in young beginners a love which we call 'the first love,' Rev. 2:4, to carry them through their profession with more delight, and doth not expose them to crosses before they have gathered strength; as we breed up young plants, and fence them from the weather, until they be rooted.* Mercy to others should move us to deny ourselves in our lawful liberties oftentimes, in case of offence of weak ones; it is the 'little ones that are offended,'
Matt. 18:6; The weakest are aptest to think themselves despised, therefore we should be most careful to give them content.
It were a good strife amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.
Yet people should not tire and wear out the patience of others: nor should the weaker so far exact moderation from others, as to bear out themselves upon their indulgence, and so to rest in their own infirmities, with danger to their own souls, and scandal to the church.
Neither† hereupon must they set light by the gifts of God in others, which grace teacheth to honour wheresoever they are found, but know their parts and place, and not enterprise anything above their measure, which may make their persons and their case obnoxious to scorn. When blindness and boldness, ignorance and arrogance, weakness and wilfulness, meet together in one, it renders men odious to God, it maketh men burdensome in society, dangerous in their counsels, troublers of better designs, untractable and uncapable of better direction, miserable in the issue: where Christ sheweth his gracious power in weakness, he doth it by letting men understand themselves so far as to breed humility, and magnifying of God's love to such as they are: he doth it as a preservative against discouragements from weakness, seeing it bringeth men into a less distance from grace, as being an advantage to poverty of spirit, than greatness of condition and parts, which yield to corrupt nature fuel for pride. Christ refuseth none for weakness of parts, that none should be discouraged; accepteth of none for greatness, that none should be lifted up with that which is of so little reckoning with God.
It is no great matter how dull the scholar be, when Christ taketh upon him to be the teacher: who as he prescribeth what to understand, so he giveth understanding itself even to the simplest.
The church suffereth much from weak ones, therefore we may challenge liberty to deal with them, as mildly, so oftentimes directly.
The scope of true love is to make the party better, which by concealment oftentimes is hindered; with some a spirit of meekness prevaileth most, but with some a rod. Some must be 'pulled out of the fire,' Jude 23, with violence, and they will bless God for us in the day of their visitation. We see our Saviour multiplies woe upon woe when he was to deal with hard-hearted hypocrites, Mat. 23:13, for hypocrites need* stronger conviction than gross sinners, because their will is nought, and thereupon usually their conversion is