Grace is mingled with Corruption

BUT grace is not only little, but mingled with corruption; whereof it is, that a Christian is said to be smoking flax. Whence we see, that grace doth not waste corruption all at once, but some is left to conflict withal. The purest actions of the purest men need Christ to perfume them, and so is his office. When we pray, we need to pray again for Christ to pardon the defects of them. See some instances of this smoking flax. Moses at the Red Sea, being in a great perplexity, and knowing not what to say, or which way to turn him, groaned to God: no doubt this was a great conflict in him. In great distresses we know not what to pray, but the Spirit makes request with sighs that cannot be expressed, Rom. viii. 26. Broken hearts can yield but broken prayers.

When David was before the king of Gath, 1 Sam. 21, and disfigured himself in an uncomely manner, in that smoke there was some fire also; you may see what an excellent psalm he makes upon that occasion; wherein, upon experience, he saith, The Lord is near unto them that are of a contrite spirit, Psalm xxxiv. 18; [said in my haste, I am cast out of thy sight; there is smoke: yet thow heardest the voice of my prayer, Psalm xxxi, 22; there is fire. Master, carest thou not that we perish? Mat. viii. 25, cry the disciples; here is smoke of infidelity, yet so much light of faith as stirred them up to pray to Christ. Lord I believe ; there is light : but help my unbelief, Mat. ix. 24; there is smoke.

Jonas cries, I am cast out of thy sight, Jonas ii. 4; there is smoke: yet will I look again to thy holy temple ; there is light.

O miserable man that I am, Rom. vii. 34, saith Saint Paul upon sense of his corruption; but yet breaks out into thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I sleep, saith the Church in the Canticles, but my heart wakes, Cant. v. 2. In the seven Churches, which for their light are called seven golden candlesticks, Rev. ii. and iii, most of them had much smoke with their light.

The ground of this mixture is, that we carry about us a double principle, grace and nature. The end of it is especially to preserve us from those two dangerous rocks which our natures are prone to dash upon, security and pride; and to force us to pitch our rest on justification, not sanctification, which besides imperfection hath some soil.

Our spiritual fire is like our ordinary fire here below, that is, mixed ; but fire is most pure in its own element above; so shall all our graces be when we are where we would be, in heaven, which is our proper element.

From this mixture it is, that the people of God have so different judgments of themselves, looking sometimes at the work of grace, sometimes at the remainder of corruption, and when they look upon that, then they think they have no grace; though they love Christ in his ordinances and children, yet dare not challenge so near acquaintance as to be his. Even as a candle in the socket sometimes sheweth its light, and sometimes the shew of light is lost; so sometimes well persuaded they are of themselves, sometimes at a loss.