Chapter 11

Matthew 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth Judgment unto Victory.

This Text is spoken Prophetically of Christ; he will not insult over the infirmities of his people, he will not crush Grace in the infancy. A bruised Reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench. I begin with the first, the bruised Reed.

Question. What is to be understood here by a Reed?

Answer. It is not to be taken literally, but mystically, It is a Rational Reed; the Spiritual part of man; the Soul, which may well be compared to a Reed, because it is subject to imbecility, and shaking in this life, till it grow up unto a firm Cedar in Heaven.

Question. What is meant by a bruised Reed?

Answer. It is a soul humbled and bruised in the sense of sin, it weeps, but does not despair, it is tossed upon the waves of fear, yet not without the Anchor of Hope.

Question. What is meant by Christ's not breaking this reed?

Answer. The sense is, Christ will not discourage any mournful spirit, who is in the pangs of the New Birth: If the bruise of sin be felt, it shall not be mortal: A bruised reed shall he not break. In the words there is a Meiosis, he will not break, that is, he will bind up the bruised reed, he will comfort it.

The result of the whole is, to show Christ's compassion to a poor dejected sinner, that smites upon his breast, and dares hardly lift up his eye for mercy, the bowels of the Lord Jesus yearn towards him, this bruised reed he will not break.

In the Text there are two parts: 1. A Supposition, a soul penitentially bruised. 2. A Proposition, it shall not be broken.

Doctrine. The bruised soul shall not be broken, Psalm 147. 3. He binds up their wounds: For this end Christ received both his Mission and Unction, that he might bind up the bruised soul, Isaiah 61. 1. The Lord has anointed me to bind up the broken-hearted. But why will not Christ break a bruised reed?

1. Out of the sweetness of his Nature, James 5. 11. the Lord is very pitiful; he begets bowels in other creatures, therefore is called the Father of mercies, 2 Corinthians 1. 3. and surely he himself is not without bowels; when a poor soul is afflicted in spirit, God will not exercise harshness towards it, lest he should be thought to put off his own tender disposition.

Hence it is, the Lord has been ever most solicitous for his bruised ones; as the Mother is most careful of her Children, that are weak and sickly, Isaiah 40. 11. He shall gather the Lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom: Such as have been spiritually bruised, who like Lambs, are weakly and tender, Christ will carry them in the arms of free-grace.

2. Jesus Christ will not break the bruised reed, because a contrite heart is his sacrifice, Psalm 51. 17. A bruised spirit sends forth tears, which are as precious wine, Psalm 56. 8. A bruised soul is big with holy desires, yea, is sick of love; therefore if a bruised reed has such virtue in it, Christ will not break it; no Spices when they are bruised, are so fragrant to us, as a contrite spirit is to God.

3. The bruised reed shall not be broken, because it does so nearly resemble Christ Jesus. Christ was once bruised on the cross. Isaiah 53. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, his hands and feet were bruised with the nails, his side was bruised with the Spear: A bruised reed, resembles a bruised Savior; nay, a bruised reed is a member of Christ, which though it be weak, Christ will not cut off, but cherish so much the more.

1. Will not Christ break the bruised reed? This tacitly implies he will break unbruised reeds; such as were never touched with trouble of spirit, but live and die in impenitency, these are hard reeds, or rather rocks. Christ will not break a bruised reed, but he will break a hard reed. Many know not what it is to be bruised reeds; they are bruised outwardly by affliction, but they are not bruised for sin; they never knew what the pangs of the New Birth meant. You shall hear some thank God they were always quiet, they never had any anxiety of spirit, these bless God for the greatest Curse. Such as are not bruised penitentially, shall be broken judicially; they whose hearts would not break for sin, shall break with despair. In hell there is nothing to be seen but a heap of stones, and a hammer; a heap of stones, that is hard hearts, and a hammer, that is God's Power and Justice, breaking them in pieces.

2. Will not Christ break a bruised reed? See then the gracious disposition of Jesus Christ, he is full of clemency, and sympathy; though he may bruise the soul for sin, he will not break it: The Surgeon may lance the body and make it bleed, but he will bind up the wound; as Christ has beams of Majesty, so bowels of mercy. Christ gives the Lion in his Escutcheon, and the Lamb; the Lion, in respect of his fierceness to the wicked, Psalm 50. 22. And the Lamb, in respect of his mildness to his people; his name is Jesus, a Savior, and his office is a healer, Malachi 4. 2. Christ made a plaster of his own blood to heal a broken heart: Christ is the quintessence of love? One says, if the sweetness of all flowers were in one flower, how sweet would that flower be? How full of Mercy is Christ, in whom all mercy meets? Christ has a skillful hand, and a tender heart: He will not break a bruised reed.

Some are so full of Ostracism and cruelty, as to add affliction to affliction, which is to lay more weight upon a dying man; but our Lord Jesus is a compassionate High Priest, Hebrews 2. 17. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmity; every bruise of the soul goes to his heart; none refuse Christ, but such as do not know him. He is nothing but love incarnated: He himself was bruised, to heal them that are bruised.

3. See then what encouragement here is for Faith! Had Christ said, he would break the bruised reed, then indeed there were ground for despair; but when Christ says, he will not break a bruised reed, this opens a door of hope for humble bruised souls: Can we say we have been bruised for sin, why do we not believe? Why do we go drooping under our fears and discouragements, as if there were no mercy for us? Christ says, He will heal the broken in heart, Psalm 147. 3. No, says Unbelief, he will not heal me: Christ says, he will cure the bruised soul: No, says Unbelief, he will kill it: Unbelief, as it makes our comforts void, so it goes about to make the Word void; as if all God's Promises were but forgeries, or like Blanks in a Lottery: Has the Lord said, he will not break a bruised reed, can Truth lie? O what a sin is unbelief! Some think it dreadful to be among the number of drunkards, swearers, whoremongers, let me tell you, it is no less dreadful to be among the number of Unbelievers: Unbelief is worse than any other sin, because it brings God into suspicion with the Creature, it robs him of the richest Jewel of his Crown, and that is his truth, 1 John 5. 10. He that believes not, has made God a liar.

Oh then, let all humbled sinners go to Jesus Christ: Christ was bruised with desertion to heal them who are bruised with sin: If you can show Christ your sores, and touch him by faith, you shall be healed of all your soul-bruises: Will not Christ break you, then do not undo yourself by despair.

Use 2. Will not Jesus Christ break a bruised reed, then it reproves those who do (what in them lies) to break the bruised reed; and they are such as go about to hinder the work of Conversion in others, when they see them wounded and troubled for sin, they dishearten them, telling them, that Religion is a sour melancholy thing, they had better return to their former pleasures: when an Arrow of Conviction is shot into their Conscience, these pull it out again, and will not suffer the work of Conviction to go forward. Thus when the soul is almost bruised, they hinder it from a thorough bruise: This is for men to be Devils to others: If to shed the blood of another makes a man guilty, what is it to damn another's soul?

Use 3. This Text is a spiritual honeycomb, dropping consolation into all bruised hearts; as in the body, when there is a Lipothymia, or fainting of the vital spirits, we apply cordials; so when sinners are bruised for their sins, I shall give them some cordial water to revive them: This text is comfortable to a poor soul, who sits with Job among the Ashes, and is dejected in the sense of its unworthiness: Ah! says the soul, I am unworthy of mercy, what am I, that ever God should look upon me? those who have greater parts and Graces, perhaps may obtain a look from God, but alas! I am unworthy; does your unworthiness trouble you? what more unworthy than a bruised reed? yet there is a promise made to that, a bruised reed he will not break. the promise is not made to the Fig tree, or Olive, which are fertile plants, but to the Bruised reed: Though you are despicable in your own eyes, a poor shattered reed, yet you may be glorious in the eyes of the Lord; let not your unworthiness discourage you; if you see yourself vile, and Christ precious, this promise is yours, Christ will not break you, but will bind up your wounds.

Question. But how shall I know that I am savingly bruised?

Answer. Did God ever bring you upon your knees? has your proud heart been humbled? did you ever see yourself a sinner, and nothing but a sinner? did you ever with a weeping eye, look upon Christ? and did those tears drop from the eye of faith? This is a Gospel-bruising: can you say, Lord, though I do not see thee, yet I love thee, though I am in the dark, yet I cast Anchor? this is to be a bruised reed.

Objection. 1. But I fear I am not bruised enough?

Answer. 'Tis hard to prescribe a just measure of humiliation; it is in the New Birth, as in the natural, some bring forth with more pangs, some with fewer; but would you know when you are bruised enough? when your spirit is so troubled, that you are willing to let go those lusts, which did bring in the greatest income of pleasure and delight; when sin is not only discarded, but disgusted, then you have been bruised enough; then the Physic is strong enough, when it has purged out the disease, then the soul is bruised enough, when the love of sin is purged out.

Objection. 2. But I fear I am not bruised as I should be, I find my heart so hard?

Answer. 1. We must distinguish between hardness of heart, and a hard heart; the best heart may have some hardness, but though there be some hardness in it, it is not a hard heart; denominations are from the better part; if we come into a field that has Tares and Wheat in it, we do not call it a field of Tares, but a Wheat field; so though there be hardness in the heart, as well as softness; yet God, who judges by that part which is more excellent, looks upon it as a soft heart.

2. There is a great difference between the hardness in the godly and the wicked; the one is natural, the other is only accidental; the hardness in a wicked man, is like the hardness of a stone, which is an innate continued hardness; the hardness in a child of God, is like the hardness of Ice, which is soon melted with the sunbeams; perhaps God has at present withdrawn his spirit, whereupon the heart is congealed as Ice, but let God's spirit as the Sun, return and shine upon the heart, now it has a gracious thaw upon it, and it melts in love.

3. Do you not grieve under your hardness? you sigh for want of groans, you weep for want of tears; the hard reed cannot weep, if you were not a bruised reed, all this moisture could not come from you.

Objection. 3. But I am a barren reed, I bring forth no fruit, therefore I fear I shall be broken.

Answ. Gracious hearts are apt to overlook the good that is in them, they can spy the worm in the leaf, but not the fruit. Why dost thou say thou art barren? If thou art a bruised reed, thou art not barren. The spiritual reed ingrafted into the true Vine is fruitful, there is so much sap in Christ, as makes all, who are inoculated into him, bear fruit. Christ distils grace, as drops of dew, upon the soul, Hosea 14. 5, 6. I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the Lily, his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the Olive-tree. That God, who made the dry rod blossom, will make the dry reed flourish.

So much for the first expression in the Text, I proceed to the second.

The smoking Flax shall he not quench.

Quest. What is meant by smoke?

Answ. By smoke is meant corruption: Smoke is offensive to the eye, so sin offends the pure eye of God.

Quest. What is meant by smoking flax?

Answ. It is meant Grace mingled with corruption; as with a little fire there may be much smoke, so with a little grace there may be much corruption.

Quest. What is Christ's not quenching the Smoking Flax?

Answ. The meaning is, though there be but a spark of grace with much sin, Christ will not put out this spark. In the words there is a figure, He will not quench, that is, he will increase: Nothing more easy than to quench Smoking Flax, the least touch doth it, but Christ will not quench it; he will not blow the spark of Grace out, but will blow it up; he will increase it into a flame; he will make this Smoking Flax a burning Taper.

Doct. That a little grace mixed with much corruption, shall not be quenched. For the illustrating of this, I shall show you

1. That often a little grace is mixed with much corruption.

2. That this little grace interlined with corruption, shall not be quenched.

3. The Reasons of the Proposition.

1. Often in the godly a little grace is mingled with much corruption, Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe, there was some Faith; help my unbelief; there was corruption mixed with it: There are in the best Saints interweavings of sin and grace; a dark side with the light: much pride mixed with humility, much earthliness with heavenliness: Grace in the godly doth relish of an old Crabtree stock.

Nay, in many of the Regenerate there is more corruption than grace, so much smoke that you can scarce discern any fire, so much distrust, that you can hardly see any Faith, so much passion, that you can hardly see any meekness. Jonah a peevish Prophet, he quarrels with God; nay, he justifies his passion, Jonah 4. 9. I do well to be angry to the death. Here was so much passion, that it was hard to see any grace. A Christian in this life, is like a glass that hath more froth than wine; or like a diseased body, that hath more humors than spirits: This may humble the best, to consider how much corruption is interlarded with their grace.

2. This little grace mixed with much corruption shall not be quenched: The smoking flax he will not quench: The Disciples' Faith was at first but small, they forsook Christ and fled. Here was smoking flax, but Christ did not quench that little grace, but cherish and animate it; their Faith afterwards grew stronger, and they did openly confess Christ. Here was the flax flaming.

3. The Reasons why Christ will not quench the smoking flax.

1. Because this Scintilla, this little light which is in the smoking flax is of divine production, it comes from the Father of Lights, and the Lord will not quench the work of his own grace: Everything by the instinct of Nature will preserve its own: The Hen that hatcheth her young, will preserve and cherish them, she will not destroy them as soon as they are hatched: God who hath put this tenderness into the Creature to preserve its young, will much more cherish the work of his own Spirit in the heart: Will he light up the Lamp of Grace in the soul, and then put it out? This would be neither for his interest nor honor.

2. Christ will not quench the beginnings of grace, because a little grace is precious as well as more: A small Pearl is of value: Though the Pearl of Faith be little, yet if it be a true Pearl it shines gloriously in God's eyes: A Goldsmith makes reckoning of the least filings of gold, and will not throw them away: The pupilla oculi, the apple of the eye, is but little, yet of great use, it can at once view an huge part of the heavens: A little Faith can justify; a weak hand can tie the Nuptial Knot; a weak Faith can unite to Christ as well as a strong; a little grace makes us like God; a silver penny bears the King's Image upon it as well as a larger piece of Coin: The least dram of grace bears God's Image on it, and will God destroy his own Image? When the Temples in Greece were demolished, Xerxes caused the Temple of Diana to be preserved for the beauty of its structure: When God shall destroy all the glory of the world, and set it on fire, yet he will not destroy the least grace because it bears a print of his own likeness upon it: That little spark in the smoking flax is a ray and beam of God's own glory.

3. Christ will not quench the smoking flax, because this little light in the flax may grow bigger: Grace is resembled to a grain of Mustard-seed, of all seeds it is the least, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a Tree, Matthew 13. 32. The greatest grace was once little; the Oak was once an Acorn; the most Renowned Faith in the world was once in its Spiritual Infancy; the greatest flame of zeal was once but smoking flax: Grace, like the waters of the Sanctuary, riseth higher: If then the least Embryo and seed of holiness be of a ripening and growing nature, the Lord will not suffer it to be abortive.

4. Christ will not quench the smoking flax, because when he preserves a little light in a great deal of smoke, here the glory of his power shines forth: The trembling soul thinks it shall be swallowed up of sin, but God by preserving a little quantity of grace in the heart, nay, by making that spark prevail over corruption, as the fire from heaven licked up the water in the trench, 1 Kings 18. 38. Now, God gets himself a glorious Name, and carries away the Trophies of Honor, 2 Corinthians 12. 9. My strength is made perfect in weakness.

1. See the different dealings of God and men, men for a little smoke will quench a great deal of light; God for a great deal of smoke will not quench a little light: 'Tis the manner of the world, if they see a little failing in another, for that failing they will pass by and quench a great deal of worth: This is our nature, to aggravate a little fault, and diminish a great deal of virtue; to see the infirmities, and darken the excellencies of others; as we take more notice of the twinkling of a Star, than the shining of a Star: We censure others for their passion, but do not admire them for their piety. Thus for a little smoke that we see in others, we quench much light.

God doth not thus, for a great deal of smoke he will not quench a little light; he sees the sincerity, and overlooks many infirmities, the least sparks of grace he cherisheth, and blows them gently with the breath of his Spirit, till they break forth into a flame.

—2 If Christ will not quench the smoking flax, then we must not quench the smoking flax in ourselves; if grace doth not increase into so great a flame as we see in others, therefore to conclude we have no fire of the Spirit in us, this is to quench the smoking flax, and to bear false witness against ourselves; as we must not credit a false evidence, so neither must we deny a true; fire may be hid in the embers, so may grace be hid under many distempers of soul; some Christians are so skillful at this, in accusing themselves for want of grace, as if they had received a fee from Satan, to plead for him, against themselves.

This is a great mistake, to argue from the weakness of grace, to the nullity; it is one thing to be wanting in faith, and another thing to want faith; he whose eyesight is dim, is wanting in his sight, but he doth not want sight; a little grace is grace, though it be smothered under much corruption.

3 If the least spark of grace shall not be quenched, then this follows as a great truth, that there is no falling from grace; if the least dram of grace should perish, then the smoking flax should be quenched; grace may be shaken by fears and doubtings, but not blown up by the roots: I grant, seeming grace may be lost, this wildfire may be blown out, but not the fire of the Spirit's kindling; Grace may be dormant in the soul, but not dead, as a man in an Apoplexy, doth not put forth vital operations: Grace may be eclipsed, not extinct, a Christian may lose his comfort, like a tree in Autumn, that hath shed its fruit, but still there is sap in the vine, and the seed of God remains, 1 John 3. 9. Grace is a flower of eternity.

This smoking flax cannot be quenched by affliction, but like those trees, Pliny writes of, growing in the Red Sea, which being beaten upon by the waves, stand immovable, and though they are sometimes covered with water, flourish the more; grace is like a true orient Diamond, that sparkles, and cannot be broken.

I confess it is matter of wonder, that grace should not be wholly annihilated, especially if we consider two things.

1 The malice of Satan, he is a malignant spirit, and lays bars in our way to heaven; the Devil with the wind of temptation, labors to blow out the spark of grace in our hearts; if this will not do, he stirs up wicked men, and raises the Militia of Hell against us: what a wonder is it, that this bright Star of grace, should not be swept down with the tail of the Dragon?

2 It is an amazing thing, that grace should subsist, if we consider the world of corruption in our hearts; sin makes the major part in a Christian; there is in the best heart more dregs than spirits. The heart swarms with sin; what a deal of pride and Atheism is in the soul? Now is it not admirable, that this Lily of grace, should be able to grow among so many thorns? It is as great a wonder, that a little grace, should be preserved in the midst of so much corruption, as to see a Taper burning in the Sea, and not extinguished.

But though grace lives with so much difficulty, as the infant that struggles for breath, yet being born of God it is immortal, grace conflicting with corruption, is like a Ship tossed and beaten with the waves, yet it weathers out the storm, and at last gets to the desired Haven. If grace should expire, how could this Text be verified, The smoking flax he will not quench.

Quest. But whence is it, that grace, even the least degree of it, should not be quenched?

Answ. It is from the mighty operation of the Holy Ghost; the Spirit of God, who is origo originans, doth continually excite and quicken grace in the heart: He is every day at work in a believer; he pours in oil, and keeps the Lamp of Grace burning: Grace is compared to a river of life, John 7. 38. The river of grace can never be dried up, for the Spirit of God is the Spring which feeds it.

Now that the smoking flax cannot be quenched, is evident from the Covenant of Grace, Isaiah 54:10. The Mountains shall depart, and the Hills be removed, but the Covenant of my peace shall not be removed, says the Lord. If there be falling from grace, how is it an immovable Covenant? If grace die, and the smoking flax be quenched, wherein is our state in Christ better than it was in Adam? The Covenant of Grace is called, A better Covenant, Hebrews 7:22. How is it a better Covenant than that which was made with Adam? Not only because it has a better Surety, and contains better privileges, but because it has better conditions annexed to it, It is ordered in all things, and sure, 2 Samuel 23:5. Such as are taken into the Covenant, shall be as stars fixed in their orb, and shall never fall away. If grace might die, and be quenched, then it were not a better Covenant.

Objection. But we are bid not to quench the spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19. which implies, that the grace of the Spirit may be lost, and the smoking flax quenched.

Answer. We must distinguish between the common work of the spirit, and the sanctifying work, the one may be quenched, but not the other. The common work of the spirit, is like a picture drawn upon the ice, which is soon defaced. The sanctifying work is like a statue carved in gold, which endures. The gifts of the spirit may be quenched, but not the grace; there is the enlightening of the spirit, and the anointing; the enlightening of the spirit may fail, but the anointing of the spirit abides, 1 John 2:27. The anointing which ye have received of him, abides in you. The hypocrites blaze goes out, the true believers spark lives and flourishes, the one is the light of a Comet which wastes and evaporates, the other is the light of a star which retains its lustre.

From all that has been said, let a Saint of the Lord be persuaded to these two things. 1. To believe his privilege. 2. To pursue his duty.

1. To believe his privilege: This is the incomparable and unparalleled happiness of a Saint, that his coal shall not be quenched: That grace in his soul, which is minute and languid, shall not give up the Ghost, but recover its strength, and increase with the increase of God: The Lord will make the smoking flax a burning lamp. It were very sad, that a Christian should be continually upon the Tropics, one day a member of Christ, and the next day a limb of Satan; one day to have grace shine in his soul, and the next day his light put out in obscurity. This would spill a Christians comfort, and break asunder the golden Chain of Salvation; but be assured, O Christian, he who has begun a good work, will ripen it into perfection. Christ will send forth judgment unto victory; he will make grace victorious over all opposite corruption. If grace should finally perish, what would become of the smoking flax? And how would that title properly be given to Christ, Finisher of the Faith?

Objection. No question this is an undoubted privilege to such as are smoking flax, and have the least beginnings of grace, but I fear I am not smoking flax, I cannot see the light of grace in myself?

Answer. That I may comfort the smoking flax, why do you thus dispute against yourself? What makes you think you have no grace? I believe you have more than you would be willing to part with; you value grace above the gold of Ophir: How could you see the worth and lustre of this Jewel, if Gods Spirit had not opened your eyes? You would fain believe, and mourn that you cannot believe, are not these tears the Initials of Faith? You desire Christ, and cannot be satisfied without him; this beating of the pulse evidences life. The iron could not move upward, if the lodestone did not draw it; the heart could not ascend in holy breathings after God, if some heavenly lodestone had not been drawing it. Christian, can you say sin is your burden, Christ is your delight? and as Peter once said, Lord, thou knowest I love thee: This is smoking flax, and the Lord will not quench it; your grace shall flourish into glory; God will sooner extinguish the light of the Sun, than extinguish the dawning light of his spirit in your heart.

2. Let a Christian pursue his duty: There are two duties required of believers, 1. Love. 2. Labour.

1. Love. Will not the Lord quench the smoking flax, but make it at last victorious over all opposition? How should the smoking flax flame in love to God? Psalm 31:23. Love the Lord all you his Saints: The Saints owe much to God, and when they have nothing to pay, it is hard if they cannot love him. O you Saints, it is God who carries on grace progressively in your souls. He is like a Father who gives his son a small stock of money to begin with, and when he has traded a little, he adds more to the stock. So God adds continually to your stock, he is every day dropping oil into the lamp of your grace, and so keeps the lamp burning. This may inflame your love to God, who will not let the work of grace miscarry, but will bring it to perfection: The smoking flax he will not quench: How should Gods people long for heaven, when it will be their constant work, to breathe forth love, and sound forth praise?

2. The second duty required of Christians is labour: Some may think if Christ will not quench the smoking flax, but make it burn brighter to the Meridian of glory, then we need take no pains, but leave God to bring his own work about. Take heed of drawing so bad a Conclusion from such good premises: What I have spoken, is to encourage Faith, not to indulge sloth. Do not think God will do our work for us, and we sit still. As God will blow up the spark of grace by his spirit, so we must be blowing it up by holy endeavors. God will not bring us to heaven sleeping, but praying: The Lord told Paul, all in the Ship should come safe to shore, but it must be in the use of means, Acts 27:21. Except you abide in the Ship, you cannot be saved. So the Saints shall certainly arrive at Salvation, they shall come to shore at last, but they must abide in the Ship, in the use of Ordinances, else they cannot be saved. Christ assures his Disciples, None shall pluck them out of his hand, John 10:28. But yet he gives that counsel, Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation, Matthew 26:41. The seed of God shall not die, but we must water it with our tears; the smoking flax shall not be quenched, but we must blow it up with the breath of our endeavor.

The second comfort to the godly, is that godliness advances them into a near and glorious union with Jesus Christ: But of this in the next.

Matthew 12:20. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, until He leads justice to victory.

This text speaks prophetically of Christ. He will not exploit the weaknesses of His people or crush grace in its early growth. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. I begin with the first — the bruised reed.

Question: What is meant here by a reed?

Answer: It is not to be taken literally, but symbolically. It is a spiritual reed — the rational, spiritual part of a person, the soul. The soul may well be compared to a reed because it is fragile and easily shaken in this life, until it grows up into a firm cedar in heaven.

Question: What is meant by a bruised reed?

Answer: It is a soul humbled and wounded by a sense of sin. It weeps, but it does not despair. It is tossed on the waves of fear, yet it holds the anchor of hope.

Question: What does it mean that Christ will not break this reed?

Answer: The meaning is that Christ will not discourage any sorrowful spirit who is in the pangs of new birth. If the wound of sin is felt, it will not be fatal. A bruised reed He will not break. The wording contains an understatement: He will not break it — meaning, He will bind it up. He will bring comfort to it.

The whole point is to show Christ's compassion toward the poor, downcast sinner who beats his chest and can barely lift his eyes for mercy. The heart of the Lord Jesus goes out to such a one. This bruised reed He will not break.

The text has two parts: 1. A condition: a soul broken and bruised through repentance. 2. A promise: it will not be broken.

Doctrine: The bruised soul will not be destroyed. Psalm 147:3: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. For this very purpose Christ received both His calling and His anointing — to bind up the broken soul. Isaiah 61:1: The Lord has anointed Me to bind up the brokenhearted. But why will Christ not break a bruised reed?

1. Because of the tenderness of His nature. James 5:11: The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He places compassion in other creatures, which is why He is called the Father of mercies in 2 Corinthians 1:3. Surely He Himself is not without compassion. When a soul is in spiritual distress, God will not deal harshly with it — to do so would be to deny His own tender character.

This is why the Lord has always been most attentive to His bruised ones — as a mother is most careful with her weakest and sickest children. Isaiah 40:11: He will gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom. Those who have been spiritually broken, who are tender and weak like lambs, Christ will carry in the arms of free grace.

2. Jesus Christ will not break the bruised reed because a contrite heart is His sacrifice. Psalm 51:17. A bruised spirit pours forth tears that are like precious wine. Psalm 56:8. A bruised soul overflows with holy desires and is lovesick for God. Since a bruised reed holds such value, Christ will not break it. No crushed spice is as fragrant to us as a contrite spirit is to God.

3. The bruised reed will not be broken because it so closely resembles Christ Jesus. Christ Himself was once bruised on the cross. Isaiah 53:10: It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. His hands and feet were bruised by the nails; His side was bruised by the spear. A bruised reed resembles a bruised Savior. More than that, a bruised soul is a member of Christ — and though it is weak, Christ will not cut it off. He will cherish it all the more.

1. Will Christ not break the bruised reed? This implies He will break unbruised reeds — those who were never touched by spiritual conviction but who live and die without repentance. These are hard reeds, or rather hard rocks. Christ will not break a bruised reed, but He will break a hard one. Many people do not know what it is to be a bruised reed. They may be bruised outwardly by affliction, but they are never broken inwardly by sin. They never understood the pangs of new birth. You sometimes hear people thank God they have always had peace of mind, never troubled in spirit. They are blessing God for what is actually their greatest curse. Those who are never broken by repentance will be shattered by judgment. The hearts that would not break for sin will break in despair. In hell there is nothing to be seen but a heap of stones and a hammer — the heap of stones being hard hearts, and the hammer being God's power and justice, breaking them apart.

2. Will Christ not break a bruised reed? See then the gracious heart of Jesus Christ — full of gentleness and sympathy. Though He may bruise the soul on account of sin, He will not destroy it. The surgeon may cut the body and draw blood, but he will bandage the wound afterward. As Christ has beams of majesty, so He has depths of mercy. Christ's emblem carries both a lion and a lamb — the lion for His fierce dealings with the wicked, as Psalm 50:22 shows, and the lamb for His gentleness toward His people. His name is Jesus — Savior — and His office is that of a healer, as Malachi 4:2 says. Christ made a plaster from His own blood to heal the broken heart. Christ is the purest essence of love. Someone once said: if the sweetness of all flowers were gathered into one flower, how sweet would that flower be? How full of mercy is Christ, in whom all mercy is gathered? Christ has a skillful hand and a tender heart. He will not break a bruised reed.

Some people are so harsh and cruel that they heap affliction on top of affliction — putting more weight on a dying man. But our Lord Jesus is a compassionate High Priest, as Hebrews 2:17 says. He is touched with the feeling of our weakness. Every bruise of the soul reaches His heart. No one refuses Christ except those who do not know Him. He is nothing less than love in human form. He Himself was bruised, in order to heal those who are bruised.

3. What encouragement this offers to faith! If Christ had said He would break the bruised reed, there would be grounds for despair. But because He says He will not break it, a door of hope swings open for humbled and broken souls. Can we say we have been broken over our sin — then why do we not believe? Why do we go on drooping under our fears and discouragements, as though there were no mercy available for us? Christ says He will heal the brokenhearted, as Psalm 147:3 says. But unbelief says: He will not heal me. Christ says He will cure the bruised soul. Unbelief says: He will destroy it. Unbelief empties our comforts and goes on to empty the Word of God — as if all God's promises were forgeries, or blank lottery tickets. Has the Lord said He will not break a bruised reed? Can truth lie? What a sin unbelief is! Some think it terrible to be numbered among drunkards, blasphemers, and the sexually immoral. But let me tell you — it is no less terrible to be numbered among unbelievers. Unbelief is worse than any other sin, because it brings God under suspicion and robs Him of the choicest jewel of His crown — His truthfulness. 1 John 5:10: He who does not believe has made God a liar.

Let all humbled sinners go to Jesus Christ. Christ was bruised by abandonment in order to heal those who are bruised by sin. If you can show Christ your wounds and reach Him by faith, you will be healed of every soul-bruise. Since Christ will not break you, do not destroy yourself by despair.

Application 2. Since Jesus Christ will not break a bruised reed, this rebukes those who do everything in their power to break it. These are the people who try to hinder the work of conversion in others. When they see someone wounded and troubled over sin, they discourage them by saying that religion is a sour, gloomy thing and that they would be better off going back to their old pleasures. When an arrow of conviction has been shot into someone's conscience, these people pull it out again and refuse to let the work of conviction continue. In this way, when a soul is nearly broken open, they prevent it from being thoroughly broken. This is to be a devil to others. If shedding another person's blood makes a man guilty, what is it to destroy another person's soul?

Application 3. This text is a spiritual honeycomb, dripping comfort into every broken heart. Just as when the body faints we apply a restorative, so when sinners are broken under the weight of their sins, I will give them something to revive them. This text brings comfort to the soul who sits like Job among the ashes, dejected and crushed by a sense of unworthiness. The soul cries: I am unworthy of mercy — what am I, that God should ever look at me? Those with greater gifts and graces may perhaps receive a glance from God, but I am unworthy. Is it your unworthiness that troubles you? What is more unworthy than a bruised reed? Yet there is a promise made to just that: a bruised reed He will not break. The promise is not made to the fig tree or the olive — which are fruitful, productive plants — but to the bruised reed. Though you are contemptible in your own eyes, a broken and battered reed, you may be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. Do not let your unworthiness discourage you. If you see yourself as vile and Christ as precious, this promise belongs to you. Christ will not break you — He will bind up your wounds.

Question: But how do I know whether I have been truly and savingly broken?

Answer: Has God ever brought you to your knees? Has your proud heart been humbled? Have you ever seen yourself as a sinner — nothing but a sinner? Have you ever looked at Christ through weeping eyes? Did those tears flow from eyes of faith? That is gospel-brokenness. Can you say: Lord, though I do not see You, I love You; though I am in the dark, I cast anchor? That is what it means to be a bruised reed.

Objection 1: But I fear I have not been broken enough.

Answer: It is difficult to set a precise measure of humiliation. In the new birth, as in natural birth, some go through more labor and some less. But how can you tell when you have been broken enough? When your spirit is so troubled that you are willing to let go of the sins that brought you the greatest pleasure and delight — when sin is not merely set aside but has become genuinely disgusting to you. Then you have been broken enough. The medicine has done its work when it has purged out the disease. The soul has been broken enough when the love of sin has been driven out.

Objection 2: But I fear I have not been broken as I should be. My heart feels so hard.

Answer 1: We must distinguish between hardness in the heart and a hard heart. Even the best heart may have some hardness in it. But having some hardness does not mean you have a hard heart. We judge things by their predominant quality. If you walk into a field that has both weeds and wheat, you do not call it a weed field — you call it a wheat field. In the same way, even though there is some hardness in the heart alongside the softness, God — who judges by the better part — sees it as a soft heart.

2. There is a great difference between the hardness found in the godly and the hardness found in the wicked. In the wicked it is natural; in the godly it is only occasional. The hardness of a wicked person is like the hardness of a stone — constant and deep within. The hardness in a child of God is like the hardness of ice — quickly melted by the warmth of the sun. Perhaps God has temporarily withdrawn His Spirit, and the heart has frozen like ice. But let God's Spirit, like the sun, return and shine on the heart, and it melts with love.

3. Do you not grieve over your hardness? You sigh because you cannot groan as deeply as you wish. You weep because you feel you cannot weep enough. But a truly hard reed cannot weep at all. If you were not a bruised reed, this moisture could not come from you.

Objection 3: But I am a barren reed — I bear no fruit. I fear I will be broken.

Answer: Gracious hearts tend to overlook the good that is in them. They can spot the worm in the leaf but miss the fruit itself. Why do you say you are barren? If you are a bruised reed, you are not barren. The spiritual reed grafted into the true Vine is fruitful. There is enough life in Christ to make all who are grafted into Him bear fruit. Christ distills grace as drops of dew upon the soul. Hosea 14:5-6: I will be as the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, his branches shall spread out, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree. The God who made a dry rod blossom will make a dry reed flourish.

That is enough on the first expression in the text. I now move to the second.

A smoldering wick He will not snuff out.

Question: What is meant by the smoke?

Answer: The smoke represents corruption. Smoke irritates the eye; sin offends the pure eye of God.

Question: What is meant by smoking flax?

Answer: It means grace mixed with corruption. Just as a small flame can produce much smoke, a small amount of grace can exist alongside much corruption.

Question: What does it mean that Christ will not snuff out the smoldering wick?

Answer: The meaning is that even where there is only a spark of grace amid much sin, Christ will not put out that spark. There is an understatement in the words: He will not quench it — meaning, He will increase it. Nothing is easier to snuff out than a smoldering wick; the slightest touch does it. But Christ will not blow out the spark of grace — He will fan it into flame. He will make this smoldering wick into a blazing candle.

Doctrine: A little grace mixed with much corruption will not be snuffed out. To develop this, I will show three things:

1. That a little grace is often mixed with much corruption in the godly.

2. That this little grace, woven in with corruption, will not be extinguished.

3. The reasons for this.

1. In the godly, a little grace is often mingled with much corruption. Mark 9:24: Lord, I believe — there was some faith there. Help my unbelief — there was corruption mixed with it. In the best saints there is an interweaving of sin and grace, a dark side alongside the light. Much pride mixes with humility; much earthliness mixes with heavenliness. Grace in the godly has a faint taste of the old bitter root it grew on.

In fact, in many of the regenerate there is more corruption than grace — so much smoke you can barely see any fire, so much distrust you can barely see any faith, so much anger you can barely see any gentleness. Consider Jonah, the quarrelsome prophet. He argues with God and actually defends his own anger. Jonah 4:9: I do well to be angry, even to death. There was so much passion that grace was nearly invisible. A Christian in this life is like a glass with more foam than wine, or like a sick body with more illness than vitality. This should humble even the best of us — to see how much corruption is mixed into our grace.

2. This little grace mixed with much corruption will not be extinguished. The smoldering wick He will not snuff out. The disciples' faith at first was very small — they fled and abandoned Christ. That was smoldering flax. But Christ did not put out that small flame. He cherished and revived it. Their faith grew stronger afterward, and they openly confessed Christ. The flax had burst into flame.

3. The reasons why Christ will not extinguish the smoldering flax.

1. Because this small light in the smoldering flax is of divine origin. It comes from the Father of lights, and God will not destroy the work of His own grace. Every living thing by instinct preserves its own offspring. The hen that hatches her chicks will nurture and protect them — she will not destroy them the moment they hatch. God, who has placed this nurturing instinct in creatures to protect their young, will far more certainly cherish the work of His own Spirit in the heart. Would He light the lamp of grace in a soul and then put it out? That would serve neither His interest nor His honor.

2. Christ will not snuff out the beginnings of grace because a little grace is precious, just as more grace is. A small pearl still has value. Though the pearl of faith may be small, if it is a genuine pearl it shines gloriously in God's eyes. A goldsmith accounts for even the smallest filings of gold and does not throw them away. The pupil of the eye is very small, yet it can take in a vast sweep of the sky at a single glance. A little faith can justify a sinner. A weak hand can tie the marriage knot. A weak faith can unite a soul to Christ just as truly as a strong one. A small amount of grace makes us like God. A silver coin bears the king's image just as truly as a large one. The smallest trace of grace bears God's image — and will God destroy His own image? When the temples of Greece were demolished, Xerxes ordered the temple of Diana preserved for the beauty of its architecture. When God destroys all the glory of the world and sets it on fire, He will not destroy even the least grain of grace, because it carries the imprint of His own likeness. That little spark in the smoldering flax is a beam of God's own glory.

3. Christ will not extinguish the smoldering flax because that small light may grow much larger. Grace is compared to a mustard seed — the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it becomes the greatest of garden plants and spreads into a tree, as Matthew 13:32 says. The greatest grace was once small. The oak was once an acorn. The most celebrated faith in the world was once in its spiritual infancy. The greatest flame of zeal was once only smoldering flax. Grace, like the waters of the sanctuary, rises higher and higher. Since even the smallest seed of holiness has this growing, ripening nature within it, God will not allow it to be cut off before its time.

4. Christ will not extinguish the smoldering flax because in preserving a small light within a great deal of smoke, the glory of His power shines forth. The trembling soul fears it will be swallowed by sin. But God, by preserving a small measure of grace in the heart — indeed, by making that spark prevail over corruption, as the fire from heaven licked up the water in the trench in 1 Kings 18:38 — wins great glory for Himself. He carries away the trophies of honor. 2 Corinthians 12:9: My power is made perfect in weakness.

1. Notice the difference between how God deals with people and how people deal with each other. People will quench a great deal of light for a little smoke. God will not quench a little light for a great deal of smoke. This is the way of the world: when people see even a small failing in someone else, they let that one failing cancel out a great deal of worth. It is our nature to magnify a small fault and minimize great virtue — to see others' weaknesses and overshadow their excellencies. We notice a star's flickering more than its shining. We criticize others for their temper but never admire them for their godliness. So for a little smoke we see in others, we snuff out much light.

God does not deal this way. For a great deal of smoke, He will not snuff out a little light. He sees the sincerity and overlooks many weaknesses. The smallest sparks of grace He tends and fans gently with the breath of His Spirit until they break into flame.

2. Since Christ will not quench the smoldering flax, we must not quench it in ourselves. If grace has not grown into as great a flame as we see in others, we must not conclude that there is no fire of the Spirit in us at all. That would be to snuff out our own smoldering flax and bear false witness against ourselves. Just as we must not accept a false accusation, so we must not deny a true one. Fire can lie hidden in the ashes, and grace can be hidden beneath many spiritual disorders. Some Christians are so skilled at accusing themselves of having no grace that they seem to have been hired by Satan to argue his case against themselves.

It is a serious mistake to argue from the weakness of grace to the absence of grace. There is a difference between being weak in faith and having no faith at all. A person with poor eyesight lacks the fullness of sight, but he does not lack sight altogether. A little grace is grace, even when it is smothered under much corruption.

3. If the smallest spark of grace will not be extinguished, it follows as a great truth that there is no ultimate falling from grace. If even the least measure of grace could perish, the smoldering flax would be snuffed out. Grace may be shaken by fears and doubts, but it cannot be uprooted entirely. I grant that what appears to be grace may be lost — this false fire may be blown out. But not the fire kindled by the Spirit. Grace may lie dormant in the soul but not dead — like a person in a coma who does not produce vital signs but is still alive. Grace may be eclipsed but not extinguished. A Christian may lose his joy, like a tree in autumn that has shed its fruit, but the sap remains in the vine. The seed of God remains in him, as 1 John 3:9 says. Grace is a flower of eternity.

This smoldering flax cannot be extinguished by affliction. It is like those trees Pliny describes, growing in the Red Sea, which stand immovable when beaten by the waves and actually flourish more when submerged. Grace is like a true oriental diamond — it sparkles and cannot be broken.

I will admit it is a wonder that grace is not utterly destroyed, especially when we consider two things.

1. The hatred of Satan. He is a malignant spirit who places obstacles in our path to heaven. The devil tries with the wind of temptation to blow out the spark of grace in our hearts. When that fails, he stirs up wicked people and mobilizes the forces of hell against us. What a wonder it is that this bright star of grace is not swept down by the tail of the dragon!

2. It is astonishing that grace can survive when we consider the vast amount of corruption in our own hearts. Sin makes up the greater part of a Christian's inner life. In the best heart there is more sediment than spirit. The heart swarms with sin. How much pride and practical atheism lurks in the soul! Is it not remarkable that this lily of grace can grow among so many thorns? It is as great a wonder that a little grace should be preserved in the midst of so much corruption as to see a candle burning in the sea without being put out.

Yet though grace lives with such difficulty — like a newborn struggling to breathe — it is born of God and therefore immortal. Grace wrestling with corruption is like a ship battered and tossed by the waves, yet it rides out the storm and finally reaches its desired harbor. If grace could die out and be extinguished, how could this text be true: The smoldering wick He will not snuff out?

Question: But why is it that grace — even in its smallest measure — cannot be extinguished?

Answer: It is because of the mighty work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is the originating source, and He continually stirs up and sustains grace in the heart. He is at work in a believer every day — He pours in the oil and keeps the lamp of grace burning. Grace is compared to a river of life in John 7:38. The river of grace can never dry up, because the Spirit of God is the spring that feeds it.

That the smoldering flax cannot be extinguished is also clear from the covenant of grace. Isaiah 54:10: The mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord. If falling from grace were possible, how could this be called an immovable covenant? If grace could die and the smoldering flax be put out, how would our standing in Christ be any better than our standing in Adam? The covenant of grace is called a better covenant in Hebrews 7:22. In what way is it better than the covenant made with Adam? Not only because it has a better guarantor and contains better privileges, but because it has better terms attached to it. 2 Samuel 23:5: It is ordered in all things and secure. Those taken into the covenant will be like stars fixed in their orbits and will never fall away. If grace could die and be put out, it would not be a better covenant.

Objection: But we are told not to quench the Spirit in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. Does this not imply that the Spirit's grace can be lost — that the smoldering flax can be snuffed out?

Answer: We must distinguish between the common work of the Spirit and the sanctifying work. The first may be quenched, but not the second. The common work of the Spirit is like a picture drawn on ice — easily erased. The sanctifying work is like a statue carved in gold — it endures. The Spirit's gifts may be quenched, but not His grace. There is the Spirit's illuminating work and His anointing work. The illuminating work may fail, but the anointing remains. 1 John 2:27: The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you. The hypocrite's blaze goes out. The true believer's spark lives on and flourishes. The first is the light of a comet — it burns bright and then disappears. The second is the light of a star — steady and lasting.

From all that has been said, let every saint be moved to do two things: 1. Believe his privilege. 2. Pursue his duty.

1. Believe your privilege. This is the matchless happiness of a saint — his coal will not be put out. The grace in his soul, however small and weak, will not give up. It will recover its strength and grow with the growth that God supplies. The Lord will make the smoldering flax into a burning lamp. It would be a terrible thing if a Christian were always swinging back and forth — a member of Christ one day and in the devil's grip the next; his soul illuminated by grace one day and plunged into darkness the next. That would destroy a Christian's comfort and break apart the golden chain of salvation. But be assured, O Christian: He who has begun a good work in you will ripen it to perfection. Christ will lead justice to victory — He will make grace victorious over every opposing corruption. If grace were to finally perish, what would become of the smoldering flax? And how could Christ rightly be called the finisher of faith?

Objection: This is no doubt a wonderful privilege for those who are smoldering flax — those with even the smallest beginnings of grace. But I fear I am not smoldering flax. I cannot see the light of grace in myself.

Answer: Let me comfort the smoldering flax — why do you argue against yourself this way? What makes you think you have no grace? I believe you have more than you would want to give up. You value grace more than gold. How could you see the worth and beauty of this jewel if God's Spirit had not opened your eyes? You long to believe and grieve that you cannot believe as strongly as you wish. Are not these tears the first signs of faith? You desire Christ and cannot be satisfied without Him. That pulse-beat is evidence of life. Iron cannot move upward on its own. It needs a magnet drawing it. Your heart could not rise in holy longing after God unless some heavenly magnet were already drawing it. Christian, can you say that sin is your burden and Christ is your delight? Can you say with Peter: Lord, You know I love You? That is smoldering flax. And the Lord will not put it out. Your grace will flourish into glory. God will sooner put out the light of the sun than extinguish the dawning light of His Spirit in your heart.

2. Pursue your duty. Two duties are required of believers: 1. Love. 2. Labor.

1. Love. Since the Lord will not put out the smoldering flax but will at last make it victorious over all opposition — how should the smoldering flax burst into love for God! Psalm 31:23: Love the Lord, all you His saints. The saints owe everything to God, and when they have nothing else to offer, surely they can love Him. O saints, it is God who moves grace steadily forward in your souls. He is like a father who gives his son a small amount of money to start with, and as the son trades and grows, the father keeps adding more. So God continually adds to your stock. Every day He is dripping oil into the lamp of your grace and keeping it burning. This should set your hearts on fire with love for God — who will not let the work of grace fail but will bring it to completion. The smoldering wick He will not snuff out. How should God's people long for heaven, where their constant occupation will be to breathe out love and sound forth praise!

2. The second duty required of Christians is labor. Some may think: if Christ will not put out the smoldering flax but will fan it into a blazing flame all the way to full glory, then we need not strive at all — just leave God to finish His own work. Be careful not to draw a bad conclusion from good premises. What I have said is meant to encourage faith, not to excuse laziness. Do not think God will do our work while we sit idle. Just as God fans the spark of grace by His Spirit, we must fan it by holy effort. God will not bring us to heaven while we sleep — but while we pray. God told Paul that everyone on the ship would reach shore safely, but it had to happen through the means available. Acts 27:31: Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. In the same way, the saints will certainly reach salvation and come to shore at last — but they must stay in the ship and use the means of grace, or they will not be saved. Christ assures His disciples that no one will snatch them from His hand, as John 10:28 says. But He also gives this counsel: Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation, as Matthew 26:41 says. The seed of God will not die — but we must water it with our tears. The smoldering flax will not be put out — but we must fan it with the breath of our own effort.

The second comfort for the godly is that godliness joins them into a close and glorious union with Jesus Christ. But this will be treated in the next chapter.