58 THE BRUISED REED between light and darkness, at first, so between good and evil, flesh and spirit. Grace will never join with sin, any more than fire with water. Fire will mingle with no contrary, but preserveth its own purity, and is never corrupted as other eh:~ments are. Therefore, those who plead and plot for liberties of the flesh, shew ' themselves strangers to the life of God. Upon this strife pious men oft complain that they have no grace, but they contra- / diet themselves in their complaints. As if a man who seeth, should complain that he cannot see, or complain that he is asleep, when the very complaint, springing from a displeasure against sin, sheweth that there is something in him opposite to sin. Can a dead man complain? Some things though bad in themselves, yet discover good; as smoke discovers some fire. So:tne infirmities discover more good than some seemingly beautiful ac~ tions. Excess of passion in opposing evil, though not to be justified, yet sheweth a better spirit than a calm temper, when there is just cause to be moved. Better it is that the water should run som€thing muddi1y, than not run at all.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=