108 THE BRUISED REED life after we are rin a state of grace and be overtaken with any sin, we must remember to have recourse first to Christ's mercy to pardon us, and then to the promise of his Spirit to govern us: and when we feel ourselves cold in affection and.duty, it is the best way to warn1 ourselves at this fire of his love and mercy in giving himself for us. - Again, remember this., that Christ as he ruleth us, so it is by a spirit of .love from a sense of his love, whereby his commandments are easy to us; he lead· ~ eth us by his free spirit, a spirit of liberty: his subjects are , voluntaries: the constraint that he layeth upon his subjects, is that of love: he draweth us with the cords of love sweetly. Yet remember withal, that he draweth us strongly by a Spirit of power, for it is not sufficient that we have motives and encouragements · to love and obey Christ, from that love of hjs whereby he gave himself for us to justify us; but Christ's Spirit n1ust like'Yise subdue our hearts and sanctify them to love him, without which all motives would be ineffectual. Our disposition must be changed, we must be n,ew crea-
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