AND SMOKING 1.-LAX. 27 preserve us from those two dangerous rocks which our natures are prone to dash upon, security and pride. Our spiritual fire is, like our ordinary fire here below, mixed. But fire is most pure in its own element, ahove: so shall all our graces be, when we are where we would be, in heaven, which is our proper elell)ent. From this 1nixture it is that the people of God have such 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 they dare not challenge so near acquaintance as to be his. As a candle in the socket sometimes sheweth its light, and sometimes the light is lost; so sometimes they are well persuaded of their own state, sometimes at . a 1oss. Secondly. Christ will not quench the smoking flax; because this spark is from heaven,-it is his own,-it is kindled by his own Spirit ;-and because it tendeth t? the glory of his powerful grace in his
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