The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax. with Intr. Essay by A. Beith (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chap. III.?Christ will not break the Bruised Reed. 2. The second point is, that Christ will not " break the bruised reed" Physicians, though they put their patients to much pain, yet they will not destroy nature, but raise it up by degrees. Chirurgeons will lance and cut, but not dismember. A mother that hath a sick and froward child will not therefore cast it away. And shall there be more mercy in the stream than in the spring ? Shall we think there is more mercy in ourselves than in God, who planteth the affection of mercy in us ? But for further declaration of Christ's mercy to all bruised reeds, consider the comfortable relations he hath taken upon him of husband, shepherd, brother, etc., which he will discharge to the utmost; for shall others by his grace fulfil what he calleth them unto, and not he that, out of his love, hath taken upon him these relations, so thoroughly founded upon his Father's assignment, and his own voluntary undertaking? Consider his borrowed names from the mildest creatures, as lamb, hen, etc., to shew his tender care; consider his very name, Jesus, a Saviour, given him by God himself; consider his office, answerable to his name, whichis that he should "heal the broken-hearted," Isa. lxi. 1. At his baptism the Holy Ghost sate on him in the shape of a dove, to shew that he should be a dove-like, gentle Mediator. See the gracious manner of executing his offices. As a prophet, he came with blessing in his mouth, " Blessed be the poor in spirit," etc., Matt. v. 3, and invited those to come to him, whose hearts suggested most exceptions against themselves, " Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden," Matt. xi. 28. How did his bowels yearn when " he saw the people as sheep without a shepherd !" Matt. ix. 36. He never turned any back again that ...