Welcome to the Hackberry House of Chosun. My name is Bob, and I'm reading today from a book by Richard Sibbes. Richard Sibbes was an Anglican theologian known as a biblical exegete and as a representative of what's been called mainline Puritanism. What's mainline Puritanism? Well, he was one of several who was a Puritan, but stayed in the Church of England. Didn't leave it, didn't get kicked out of it. just stayed right there, worshiped according to the Book of Common Prayer. He was high church, you might say, but very much into a pure and holy life before God. He writes this book, The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax. And by the way, thank you for the listener who gave me this idea. It provides a tenderhearted, Christ-exalting exposition and application of Isaiah 42, You may want to turn in your Bible now to that passage, Isaiah 42, 1-3. Since its initial publication in 1630, the bruised reed has been a source of encouragement to dejected sinners and struggling saints alike, which is probably what God had in mind when he gave it to Isaiah to begin with. But here's an exposition of what Isaiah heard. the bruised reed. We'll do this a couple times a week where we were doing Spurgeon recently. We'll replace Spurgeon with Sibs for a while and see how far we can get through this book. Chapter one, the reed and the bruising. The prophet Isaiah being lifted up and carried with the wing of a prophetical spirit and passes over all the time between him and the appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Seeing with the eye of prophecy and with the eye of faith Christ as present, he presents him in the name of God to the spiritual eye of others in these words. Now we're quoting from Isaiah 42, 1 to 3. Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. These words are alleged by Matthew as fulfilled now in Christ, Matthew 12, verses 18 to 20. In them are propounded first the calling of Christ to his office and secondly the manner in which he carries it out. First, Christ's calling. God calls him here his servant. Christ was God's servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was, a chosen and a choice servant who did and suffered all by commission from the Father. In this we may see the sweet love of God to us, in that he counts the work of our salvation by Christ, his greatest service, in that he will put his only beloved Son to that service. He might well prefix it with, behold, to raise up our thoughts to the highest pitch of attention and admiration. In time of temptation, apprehensive consciences look so much to the present trouble they are in that they need to be roused up to behold Him in whom they may find rest for their distressed souls. In temptations, it is safest to behold nothing but Christ, the true brazen serpent, the true Lamb of God. that take away the sins of the world, John 1.29. This saving object has a special influence of comfort to the soul, especially if we look not only on Christ, but upon the Father's authority and love in him. For in all that Christ did and suffered as mediator, we must see God in him, reconciling the world to himself, 2 Corinthians 5.19. What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption. And what a comfort is this, that seeing God's love rests on Christ, as well pleased in Him, we may gather that He is as well pleased with us, if we be in Christ. For His love rests in a whole Christ, in Christ mystical as well as Christ natural because He loves Him and us with one love. Let us therefore embrace Christ and in Him God's love and build our faith safely on such a Savior that is furnished with so high a commission. See here for our comfort a sweet agreement of all three persons, the Father, gives a commission to Christ. The Spirit furnishes and sanctifies to it, and Christ himself executes the office of a mediator. Our redemption is founded upon the joint agreement of all three persons of the Trinity. Next, how Christ pursues his calling. This is here said to be done modestly, without making a noise, or raising dust by any pompous coming, as princes are accustomed to do, his voice shall not be heard. Well, his voice indeed was heard, but what voice? The voice that said, come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, Matthew 11, 28. He cried, but how? Oh, everyone that thirsteth, come to the waters. And as his coming was modest, so it was mild. which is set down in these words, a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench. We see therefore that the condition of those with whom he has to deal was that they were bruised reeds and smoking flax, not trees, but reeds, and not whole, but bruised reeds. The church is compared to weak things, to a dove amongst the fowls, to a vine amongst the plants, to sheep amongst the animals, to a woman, which is the weaker vessel. God's children are bruised reeds before their conversion and oftentimes after. Before conversion, all except such as being brought up in the church, God is delighted to show himself gracious to from their childhood. But before conversion, all are bruised reeds, yet in different degrees as God sees fit. And as there are differences with regard to temperament, gifts and manner of life, so there are in God's intention to use men in this time to come. For usually he empties such of themselves and makes them nothing before he will use them in any great services. So what it is to be bruised is the next head. The bruised reed is a man that, for the most part, is in some misery, as those were that came to Christ for help. And by misery, he is brought to see sin as the cause of his misery. For whatever pretenses sin makes, they come to an end when we're bruised and broken. He is sensible of sin and misery, even unto bruising, and seeing no help in himself, he's carried with restless desire to have supply from another with some hope, which a little raises him out of himself to Christ, though he dare not claim any present interest of mercy. The spark of hope being opposed by doubtings and fears, rising from corruption, makes him as smoking flax, so that both of these together, a bruised reed and smoking flax, make up the state of a poor, distressed man. This is such a one as our Savior Christ terms poor in spirit, who sees his needs and also sees himself indebted to divine justice. He has no means of supply from himself, or the creature, and thereupon mourns. And upon some hope of mercy from the promise and examples of those that have obtained mercy, he stirred up to hunger and thirst after it. Next, the good effects of bruising. This bruising is required before conversion, that so the spirit may make way for himself into the heart by leveling all proud high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature. We love to wander from ourselves and to be strangers at home until God bruises us by one cross or other. Then we begin to think and come to ourselves with the prodigal. It's a very hard thing to bring a dull and an evasive heart to cry with feeling for mercy. Our hearts, like criminals, until they be beaten from all evasions, never cry for the mercy of the judge. Again, this bruising makes us set a high price upon Christ. Then the gospel becomes the gospel indeed. Then the fig leaves of morality will do us no good. And it makes us more thankful. And from thankfulness, more fruitful in our lives, for what makes many so cold and barren, but that bruising for sin never endeared God's grace to them. Likewise, this dealing of God establishes us the more in his ways, having had knocks and bruising in our own ways. This is often the cause of relapses and apostasy, because men never smarted for sin at the first. They were not long enough under the lash of the law. Hence, this inferior work of the Spirit in bringing down high thoughts, 2 Corinthians 10, 5, is necessary before conversion. And for the most part, the Holy Spirit, to further the work of conviction, joins with it some affliction, which when sanctified has a healing and purging power. After conversion, we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature and to let us see that we live by mercy. Such bruising may help weaker Christians not to be too much discouraged when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised. Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly. This reed, until he met with this bruise, had more wind in him than wisdom when he said, though all forsake thee, I will not. The people of God cannot be without these examples. The heroic deeds of those great worthies do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do. Thus David was bruised. until he came to a free confession without guile of spirit. Nay, his sorrows did rise in his own feeling unto the exquisite pain of breaking of bones. Thus, Hezekiah complains that God has broken his bones as a lion. Thus, the chosen vessel Paul needed the messenger of Satan to buffet him, lest he should be lifted up above measure. Hence, we learn that we must not pass too harsh judgment upon ourselves or others when God exercises us with bruising upon bruising. There must be a conformity to our head Christ, who was bruised for us, that we may know how much we are bound unto him. Ungodly spirits, ignorant of God's ways in bringing his children to heaven, censure brokenhearted Christians as miserable persons, whereas God is doing a gracious good work with them. It's no easy matter to bring a man from nature to grace and from grace to glory. So unyielding and intractable are our hearts. Oh, amen, Mr. Sibbs. Wow. This is going to be good, I think. Oh, I know. Looking forward to the next installment of Mr. Sibbs, Richard Sibbs, the Puritan, the bruised reed. Thank you for being here today. Do click on series so that you can find other things that will bless you. And do come and see me at criesfromamongus.com. The Lord bless you. This is the Hackberry House of Chosun. Lord willing, we'll talk again real soon. Bye-bye.