14 THE BP.UISE.t> Rf.ED broken-hearted, as a mother tendeth most, the most diseased and weakest child ; so doth Christ most mercifully incline to the weakest : he putteth an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support. rhe vine stayeth itself upon the elm; and the weakest creatures have oft the strongest shelters. The consciousness of the church's weakness makes her willing to lean on her b~loved, and to hide herself under hi$ w1ng. But how shall we know whether we be such as may expect m• rcy? · By bruising here is not meant those who are brought low only by crosses, but such as by them are brought to see their sin, which bruiseth most of all. When conscience is under the guilt of sin, then every judgn1ent brings a report of God's anger to the soul, and all lesser troubles run into this great trouble of conscience for sin : as all bad humours run to the diseased and bruised part of the body, and as every creditor comes upon the debtor, wheu he is once arrested, so when conscience is once awakened, all former sins and present crosses join together to
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