154 '!'liE BRUISED REED difficult) encounters, let us lift up our 11earts to him, who hath Spirit enough for us all, in all our exigencies ; let us say with good J e·hoshaphat," Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee;" the battle we fight is thine, and the strength whereby we fight must be thine. If thou goest not out with us, we are sure to be foiled. Satq,n knows that nothing can prevail against Christ, or those who rely upon his power. TherefDre his study is how to keep us in ourselves and in the creature. But we n1ust carry this always in our minds, that what is begun in self-confidence will end in shame. The manner of Christ's bringing forth judgment to victory, is hy letting us see a necessity of dependance upon him. I-Ience proceed those spiritual desertions, wherein he often leaveth us to ourselves, both in regard of grace and comfort, that we may know the spring-head of these to be out of ourselves. Hence it is that in the mount, that is in extremities, God ig most seen. Hence it is that we are saved by the grace of faith, which carrieth us out of ourselves to rely upon another ;
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