76 THE BRUISED REED with God. Thev do not between husband and wife; and ~shall we make ourselves more compassionate than Christ, who maketh himself a pattern of love to all 'Other husbands? Weaknesses do not debar us from · mercy, nay they incline God the more to shew it, Ps. lxxviii. 39. Mercy is a part of the Church's jointure; Christ marries her in mercy, Hosea ii. 19. The husband is bound to bear with the wife, as being the weaker vessel; and shall we think he will exempt himself from his own rule, and not bear with his weak spouse? If Christ should not be merciful to our infirmities, he would not have a people to serve him. Put the case therefore that we are very weak, yet so long as we are not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of God's truth, let us not give way to despairing thoughts. We have a merciful Saviour. But lest we flatter ourselves without ground, we must know that weaknesses are accounted either imperfections cleaving to our best actions; or such actions as proceed from want of age in Christ, whilst we are babes; or frqm want of
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