The Scriptures that told the Believers of old of a Messiah or Christ to come and of the returning of this King to sit down on the Majestie on high assured them also of their interest and concernment herein Thus the Psalme which Paul interprets of Christ Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivity captive there 's Christs glorious exaltation and what followes thou hast received gifts that is strength and abilities and spirituall refreshments and for whom were these received for men yea for the rebellious that God might dwell among them And sure where God dwels there dwels strength surely there are resting places in his dwelling House The Lord Christ you see is forespoken of as exalted for our advnatage and receiving his Throne for our sakes as well as for his own glory You heare what the Prophets witnesse of Christs receiving in trust for soules Observe Secondly Christs own confessions both of what 2ly Scriptures taken from his own mouth and for whom he hath received Mind his words in the dayes of his flesh Jo. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions that 's Resting-places I go to prepare a place saith he for himself no but for you there 's for rest and then for power see vers 12. of the same Chapter Verily he that believeth that is he that leaneth on me the works that I do those shall he do and greater works then these because I go to the Father that is upon my ascension and glorification the strength that I had in the dayes of my flesh shall you have yea the power that I shall farther receive shall you receive also this precious promise cannot without injurie be confined to the Apostles with respect to their works of miracles which Christ himselfe hath set as an open doore to every beleever Thirdly 3ly Scriptures recorded after Christ by his Apostles Behold what testimony his Apostles bare here unto in their own experiences 1. As to his power as Ephe. 2.19 20. What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who believe that is to leaning soules according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him c. and set him on high above all powers I must not amplifie for more fully I cannot speak The power that worketh in the Beleever is the same exceeding great and mighty power of Jesus Christ c. 2ly For Rest He is said expresly Heb. 9.24 To appeare in the presence of God for us that is say in our behalfs Now you have assuredly heard that all refreshings are from that presence 2ly From the notions under which Scriptures represent Christ receiving them 2ly Remark under what Notions the Scriptures represent Christ as receiving this strength and Rest Such as these a Captain a fore-runner an Ausband an Head c. 1. As his poor peoples Captaine 1. If Christ glorified hath received strength and refreshment 't is as Generall of the Horsemen and Chariots of Israel Now if a Generall be said to be strengthned as such or to receive recruits it is not as he is a private person but when his Armies are strengthened when his whole body of Souldiers are refreshed Now what saith the Spirit Heb. 2.9 10. Christ suffered death and was Crowned with glory that he might through grace tast death for every man how is that every man that is every man that shall tast of everlasting glory for he limits his language vers 10. It pleased God in bringing many souls to glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect c. Put both verses together and you have thus much to be plainly taken up Note that When Jesus Christ was perfected that is exalted unto glory for whom he tasted death for them he received a Crown of glory as their Captain he hath received it and as he hath received it so shall he give even a Crown of glory not only to Paul but to all those also who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 2d Representative 2ly Christ is said to have received them as our Representative or fore-runner Now a surrendred City or Garrison Note is then said to be taken with all the strength of it when the persons appointed by the prevailing Army or employed as their Representatives have taken possession of it though the whole Army besides their Representatives so commissioned are as yet out of it Thus Heb. 6.20 Whither the forerunner is for us entred viz. Jesus c. Christ is entred but it is as forerunner and therefore it is for us that he is entred 3ly 3d. Husband Christ is held forth receiving them as our Husband and therefore for our advantage If the Husband have received a Kingdome who ever made question Note but that in that very hour the Wife though not yet actually invested and crowned is made a Queene so Psal 45.6 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever there is Christs resting place the Scepter of thy Kingdome is a right Scepter there is his strength and power now vers 9. At thy right hand did stand the Queene in gold of Ophir The leaning soule makes Christ her Husband and beloved and Christ makes her his Queene to share with him in his exaltation and such honour have all Gods Saints See also Cant. 3. you have mention of Solomons bed that 's Christs glorious Rest Threescore valiant men are about it holding Swords c. vers 7. there is Christs exceeding great strength And for whom is the glorious Rest and mighty strength prepared why verse 10. 'T is for the Daughters of Jerusalem 4ly 4. Head yea Christ is said to be exalted to the glory of all the foresaid power and rest as he is the head of poore believers Eph. 1.22 And that is when he had spoken at large of Christs glory before hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to his Church Is Christ glorified over all things 'T is for Note and to his Church Now how can the Head be strong and perfect and be at Rest as long as any of the Members be weak or as long as the Body is full of wearinesse I might adde Christ was exalted not onely as head As their life also but as the heart also and very life of believers now how can our lives be strong and fresh Note if we be weak and weary Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appeare ye shall appeare with him in glory Is Christ glorified 't is as he is our life therefore because he lives in strength and at rest for this is the sum of all his glory shall we live also where none shall say I am weak nor complain I am weary 3ly From the style wherein Scriptures expresse the rest strength that we receive arguing that it is the strength 3ly Observe how Scriptures expresse our spirituall strength and refreshments
of the way verse 12. destruction and misery are in their ways verse 16. 't is as much as if he should say sin first bewildreth and then destroyeth verily there were multitudes that dyed in that wilderness and that which killed them was this wilderness God threatneth it Numb 14 I have heard their murmurings ver 27. your carkases shall fall in this wilderness even all that were numbred of you vers 29. which were Six hundred thousand and Three thousand and five hundred and fifty able to go out to war besides the numerous tribe of Levi which were not numbred and yet perished with the rest Numb 1.46 47 God brings it to pass Numb 64.65 Amongst all these there was not a man that escaped but Caleb and Joshua for the Lord had said of them they shall surely die in the wilderness you have both it and the reason yet more express Josh 5.6 Israel walked in the wilderness till all the people that were fit for war were consumed because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord You see what reason I have to say 't was this wilderness made that destructive Zelophehads daughters confession is very remarkable Numb 27.3 Our father died in the wilderness in the beginning of the verse he died in his own sin in the latter end of the verse you have the same conjunction Heb. 3.17 He was grieved with them that had sinned whose carkases fell in the wilderness 1 Cor. 10.5 with many of them God was not pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness It would seem uncharitable and rigid doctrine if we should now say that as many as came out of Egypt yet died in the wilderness so many are born in the world yea in some sort come out of Egypt get some knowledge some light and yet perish and die in sin yet certainly there is a proportion of truth in it that is heaps upon heaps multitudes and thousands upon thousands that are called Israelites that are named Christians do yet perish in this wilderness and there are but a few one of a family and two of a tribe some Joshua's and some Calebs that fulfil to walk uprightly and that come savingly to enjoy a Canaan so destructive is the wilderness of sin More particularly it appears to be so in these four respects The Famine of the wilderness is wasting and consuming The Thorns of the wilderness are rending and tearing The Serpents of the wilderness are biting and envenoming The wilde Beasts of the wilderness are ranging and devouring 1. The famine of the wilderness is dismul and destructive First then You have heard before that the famine of the wilderness is dismal 't is destructive also therefore have you mention not onely of wasting but of dying in the wilderness they and their cattel Numb 20.4 for want of bread and for want of water Numb 21.5 you have mention also of a burning hunger and bitter destruction Deut. 32.24 the same thing is represented by the parable of the lost son Luke 15. you have his confession verse 17. I perish with hunger T is a burning hunger that poor souls undergo that have not a God a Christ a Covenant to feed upon they that are lost must needs perish through this hunger If David oppose an interest in God to all natural good to support life corn and wine c. Psalm 4.6 7. If onely they that fear and seek the Lord are provided for whilst Lions the chief beasts of the wilderness yea yong Lions the chief state of those chief beasts do lack and suffer hunger Psal 34.9 10. and that hunger be as you hear a burning hunger an hunger that eats up the soul as fire doth fewel whilest the soul hath nothing no interest in God no comfort from God to feed upon surely such lost souls such bewildred sinners had need to make much haste home 't is not a hunger unto drying but unto burning not to leanness onely but unto death you perish with hunger what ever food you have to feed upon besides Christ it will not be able as we say to keep life and soul together 't is chaff which prodigals may have yet cannot fill themselves with all and though they feed upon it they must yet perish with hunger Secondly The thorns of the wilderness are rending thorns 2. The thorâ—â— of the wilderness are destructive piercing wounding killing thorns as you may reade Josh 8.7 and 16. you may meddle you think with sin now and not be pricked but if ever God tend your conscience either in wrath or mercy by these thorns it will be that God will teach you as Joshua did the men of Succoth in judgement and as God taught Saul afterwards in mercy how hard it is to kick against the pricks Act 9.5 't is said 1 Tim. 6.10 They erred from the faith pierced themselves through with many sorrows Oh! what piercing what thorow-piercing thorns are here they are called choaking-thorns unto the word Matth. 13.22 and therefore needs must they be choaking-thorns unto the soul sin seems blunt and smooth now you will finde it sharper another day This I speak of the guilt of sin 3. The Serpents of the wilderness are pdisoning and so destructive serpentâ— The Serpents of the wilderness are mortally poisoning Serpents those especially in the old wilderness do best suit with the serpent Sin In the wilderness were fiery serpents and scorpions Deut. 8.15 yea Numb 21.6 The Lord sent fiery serpents amongst the people and they bit the people and much people of Israel died Sin doth not onely rend the soul but envenom it too and so makes the wound uncurable You have the wicked going astray that is in this wilderness Psal 58.3 You have mention of their poison like the poison of the serpent verse 4. Their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venum of asps Psaâ—m 104 3. they have sharpned their tongues like serpents adders poison is under their lips so that as Job saith of the arrows of the Almighty Job 6.4 That the poison thereof drinketh up his spirit so must sin which sharpned and envenomed those arrows much more be a soul-destroying poison yea verily what ever poison there is in death it self it is from sin 1 Cor. 15.56 the sting of death is sin let not us therefore tempt Christ as some of them tempted and were destroyed of serpents 1 Corinthians 10.9 4. The beasts of the wilderness are devouring beasts Lastly The Beasts the soul meets with in this wilderness are as in the other devouring wilde beasts The sound of these beasts makes the way of the wilderness as you heard before dismal meeting with these beasts makes it destructive I 'le bring lions upon him that escapes of Moaâ— Isa 15.10 the beasts of the field come to devour yea all the beasts of the forest Isa 56.9 see a full Scripture Jer. 5.6 A lion of the forest shall slay them a wolf of the evening shall devour them
a leopard shall watch over their cities every one that goeth thence shall be tom in pieces because their transgressions are many and their back-slidings are increased Jer. 5.6 As long as we are and continue in the wilderness of sin we can meet none but such as like wilde beasts will devour us whether men or devils they all will be found as destroyers unto our souls 1. Men devouring beasts Amongst men I shal primely instance in two ranks that of all others are most so though all sinful men wilderness companions in their kinde and degree are so such were the beasts of Ephesus First Sinful magistrates sinful great ones 1. Evil Magistrates they are wilnerss beasts and greatly destructive to poor souls they lead men by precept by practice into the lions den and leopards mountains they lead men to hell by authority Prov. 28.15 As a ranging lion and a roaring bear so is a wicked ruler over the poor people Secondly Sinful and godless ministers 2. Evil Ministers such are ravening wolves though clothed with the fleece in sheeps clothing I remember the Popish painters humor who limning a Frier in a coul with a wolves head preaching unto a flock of sheep choosing that Text of the Apostles with a little variation God is my witness how I long for you all in my bowels Verily it is not far from the Lords own language Ezek. 22.25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring lion ravening the prey they have devoured souls Friends let us Ministers look to it there can be but two kindes of us either shepherds or devouring beasts ruining the souls committed to us Secondly 2. Devils devouring beasts Devils whatever delusions they carry the poor soul away with will be found in the end to be as Peter calls them 1 Pet. 5.8 Roaring lions going about seeking whom they may devour therefore take heed of Satan come he as an angel of light yet is his business to carry you into the pit of darkness the Lions den whence there is no more return Lastly Christ will be found unto such 3. God himself the Lion of the tribe of Judah and surely miserably will that soul be rent which God tears terrible are those expressions I 'le be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a yong lion unto the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away Hos 5.14 so Hos 13. I did know thee in the wilderness vers 5. they have forgotten me ver 6. therefore will I be unto them as a lion as a leopard by the way will I observe them I will meet them as a Bear bereaved of her whelps and I will rent the caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a lion the wilde beasts shall tear them verse 7 8. you see Men rend Devils tear God destroys what can be more sadly thought upon yea the famine consumes the thorns pierce the serpents poison the beasts devour Is not this a destructive wilderness CHAP. VIII Containeth the Application of the former Chapter LEt me improve this unto your Conviction and Exhortation Vse 1 Conviction how fearful is it to die in sin First For conviction Understand from hence what it is to perish in the spiritual wilderness of sin of all places on earth the wilderness in scripture is called most terrible and surely of all deaths dying in the wilderness is most terrible The children of Israel had such a natural horror of that natural wilderness that it seems they had rather have died any where then there Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness Exod. 14.11 And it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians then to die in this wilderness ver 12. rather do any thing rather suffer any thing rather die any where would we had died when our brethren died before the Lord and why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness that we should die there Num. 20.3 4. O friends did you but consider what it it is to die in this wilderness of sin you would rather choose bondage prison death any thing then sin for fear least you should die in sin There 's that in dying in the wilderness which to my thoughts doth better represent dying in sin then any other kinde of death doth To say nothing more of the sad variety of wilderness-deaths he that scapes the famine is pierced through with thorns he that scapes the thorns is stung and bitten with serpents he that scapes the serpents is devoured of wilde beasts he that scapes the Bear the Lion findes him he that scapes the Lion is torn of Leopards he that scapes the Leopard some other Beast of the forest devours him one plague or another one curse or another will be sure to ruine the sining soul There are these three things observable It is the most remediless death it doth represent a double death it doth figure an eternal death First Dying in the wilderness Wilderness death is remediless is of all deaths the most remediless you may easily phansie it in these three particulars First 1. None to deliver if a man be in danger of death by robbers upon the road he may hope for the coming on of passengers for his rescue but if a man be in danger of death in the wilderness there is no man yea none to be hoped for to redeem him thus it is with the soul that dies in sin Now consider this you that forget God least I come and tear you in pieces while there is none to deliver Psal 50.22 Secondly If there were any to intercede for 2. None can rescue or rescue a poor wretch ready to die in the wilderness yet could they not be able when a yong Lion roareth upon his prey though a multitude of shepherds be called out against him he will not be afraid of their voice neither will he abase himself because of them Isa 30.4 when wife children friends do all of them lift up their voice for the dying sinner if once the Lion take him in his paw none can none shall deliver him Mic. 5.8 If a yong Lion amongst the flocks go through he both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver so will it be with God Hos 5.14 As a lion will I be to Ephraim as a yong lion unto Judah I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue Lastly If a man be taken by his enemies 3 Thy own câ—ies will be in-effectual he may plead for mercy and plead so haply as to prevent death but if a man become a Lions prey a prey in the wilderness he may cry aloud but the Lion roars louder the Lion understands not the Lion knows not what you say The foolish virgins cry aloud Lord Lord open Matt. 25 11. but God roars louder I know you not
ver 12. And now friends what think you of dying in sin I may say to you and to my self what the prophet speaketh Amos 3.8 The lion hath roared who will not fear the Lord God hath spoken who can hut prophesie 2. Wilderness death a double death Secondly Dying in the wilderness doth best represent the double death of sin If a man dieth on his bed yea amongst his enemies yet doth he die but once his body is buried and returns unto the dust in peace from whence it came but if a man perâ—sh in the wilderness where body and soul are parted a sunder his carkase also is rent in pieces and being rent is devoured of wilde beasts and so findes as it were a living grave and do you not know that such a grave is hell The Lord threatneth it as a sad judgement upon the people that after death their carkases should be devoured of wilde beasts Jer. 7.33 Their carkases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and beasts of the earth and none shall fray them away Therefore doth the Lord compare that which by Iohn is called the second death unto some beast of the forest opening his mouth and widening as it were his throat to swallow down the prey Isa 5.14 therefore hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure I tell you hell hath a wide mouth and open throat to receive the carkases the souls I mean of those that perish in the spiritual wilderness of sin 3. Wilderness death an eternal death Lastly Israels dying in that wilderness was a type of eternal death surely dying in this wilderness will be seconded with that Heb. 4.17 18. They that fell in that wilderness could not enter into his rest That rest was as it is there expounded a type of heaven so that falling short is expounded also a figure of eternal ruine Let us therefore fear least a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short Heb. 5.1 Exhortation to lean upon Christ Secondly Be exhorted to lean upon the Lord Jesus that you may come forth of the destructive wilderness of sin If the famine the thorns the serpents the wilde beasts of the wilderness be so killing Oh! what need have we of a Christ Christ is Jesus and can be life unto us notwithstanding all exigencies First In this wilderness-famine Who is 1. Bread in this famine the Lord Jesus is Manna bread from heaven angels food bread of God what can a poor famishing creature desire more 1 Cor. 10.3 4. They did all eat of the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink and that was Christ Secondly 2. Healer of these rents and piercings If thy soul be pierced through or torn with the thorns of this wilderness the guilt of sin The Lord can binde up that which was broken Ezek. 34.16 as well as seek that which was lost in the wilderness therefore let us take their counsel in Hosea 6.1 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn us and he will binde us up Thirdly 3. Curer of these serpents bitings If thy soul be bitten by the serpents of this wilderness you have heard of Israels cure Numb 21.8 't is also ours the brazen Serpent the Lord Christ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so was the Son of man lifted up that whosoever belived on him should not perish but have eternal life John 3.14.15 Lastly If thy soul once get an interest in the Lord Jesus 4. Rescue from these beasts devourings thou need'st not fear what all the beasts of the wilderness can do against thee This is that spiritual David that slaies both the Lion and the Bear 1 Samuel 17.36 and he verily that reads not Christ there misseth of the best part of the story First Then Christ is able to secure thee 1. Being a lion for he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 therefore despair not onely believe Secondly 2. Able to bring honey and â—ood He is that Sampson that brings honey out of the Lions carkase Judges 14 8. thaâ— can make even Satans temptations thine advantage food for thy faith and matter of thy Christian experience for thy future support Psal 74.14 Thou brakest the heads of Levi than and gavest him to be food for a people inhabiting the wilnerness Thirdly He shall as a Lion arise for thy salvation 3. Able to make thee as a lion Psal 31 4 5. Like as a lion and a yong lion roaring upon his prey that will not be afraid of a multitude of shâ—pherds so will the Lord of hosts come down for mount Sion and for Jerusalem as birds flying so will the Lord defend it defending also he will deliver it and passing over he will preserve it Thus wil the Lord Christ wil make thee through his strength prevail against all thy spiritual enemies be they never so many yea thou shalt be more then Conqueror through Christ that loves thee Mic. 5.8 The remnant of Jacob in the midst of many people shall be as a lion amongst the beasts of the forest as a yong lion amongst the flocks of the sheep who if he go through treadeth down and tears to pieces and none can deliver CHAP. IX Containeth the third Branch or Evidence of the first Doctrine showing that the coming out of the wilderness of sin is difficult and as to our own power desperate Third evidence The coming out of the wilderness difficult and desperate YOu have seen sin like the wilderness both in its first view and entry and in its further discoveries and progress We come now to the third Sin is a wilderness to the last as well as from the first Therefore Thirdly The coming out of the wilderness is difficult and desperate so is the coming out of sin I may say Facilis descensus eremi Sed revocare gradus Hic labor hoc opus est 'T is easie Friends to finde the way into the wilderness and into sin The Israelites were soon gotten into the wilderness Exod. 13.20 I believe they were not forty hours in getting into it but they were forty years in getting out of it Adam his posterity were in a few hours got into sin Adam and his posterity are not to this day got out of it There were not many hours from the Creation before we were all bewildred in sin Gen. 3.6 There are thousands of years since the Creation and yet are not we got out of sin The way of life is soon lost and mist of but it it is not so quickly found again There are these things considerable in the wilderness which make the coming out of it difficult and desperate and the same too truly hold in sin The wilderness is great this great wilderness is full of divers ways these various ways are perplexed these perplexed ways are uneven these uneven ways are
that way again yet cannot tell thinks it hath changed its condition yet cannot tell till by and by Satan brings it round into the same sin and then it findes that it is in the same wilderness therefore Prov. 5.6 Her ways are moveable ways there 's the number movable there 's the nature viae versatiles wily ways Sometimes they seem right unto a man as Prov. 14.12 at the beginning of the verse sometime they seem the ways of death as at the end of the verse In these is the soul intangled and hence it proves so difficult to get out of the wilderness of sin I could spend much time in instancing in the wilyness of this wilderness one word for many Satan makes some believe they shall surely be damned and therefore they think they may sin as they list Satan makes some believe they shall surely be saved and therefore they think they may sin as they list here are different pathes yet both leading into the same way here is the wiliness of temptations these are the entanglings of this wilderness It s no less then a miracle that any soul should ever get out of it because of them CHAP. X. Adds four other Reasons and concludes the first Doctrine with Application as also a word of Caution what use ought not to be made of this doctrine That sin is a wilderness FOurthly the ways of the wilderness are rough The wilderness ways are uneven crooked and uneven and these obstruct the coming out therefore the ways of the wilderness must needs be stumbling ways upon this account the prophet heightens the Lords mercy toward bewildred Israel Isa 63.13 He led them as an horse in the wilderness that they might not stumble It seems if an horseman travel in the wilderness he had need lead his horse and not his horse carry him so crooked rough and uncouth are the ways of the wilderness You have mention of desert ways Isa 40.3 they are called crooked and rough places ver 4. this makes them stumbling ways And is sin short of a wilderness in this rather then before Compare scriptures Prov. 2.13 Whose ways are crooked and pray what means the word Iniquity but unevenness these are those ways that are laid with stumbling-blocks Rev. 2.14 and therefore as he that travels in the wilderness and thinks perhaps now certainly to get out but in the mean time stumbleth he knows not how and by that stumbling loseth that view which he had out of the thicket into the open field and so falls into some pit of darkness so saith the Holy Ghost of the way of sin expresly Prov. 4.19 The way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble O Sir I would fain leave my swearing but an oath drops out I know not when O Wife I would fain leave my drunkenness and gaming c. but when I am in company I am drawn in and overcome and I know not how I would fain saist thou leave my vain thoughts but I am in the midst of them before I know it this is the way of the wilderness and you fall in it and yet know not at what you stumble But of this more afterwards 5. Wilderness ways dark ways Fifthly These stumbling ways are also dark ways The wilderness is full of thickets wickedness shall kindle like fire in the thickets of the Forest Isa 9.18 and these thickets must needs be dark and shady when the trees thereof grow so thick together and so interwoven with under-woods with bryars and brambles that the very light of the sun is hid away and when the very brightness of heaven doth not break thorow must it not be difficult for the bewildred passenger to break through must it not be difficult for the be wildred passenger to break through when he is not able to see any way before him neither doth any light come to him well may he be quite lost You have mention of the thick boughs and shadowing shroud of Lebanon Ezek. 31.3 And are there not such thick boughs such shadowing shrouds in the wilderness of sin are not they that being bewildred want Christs guidance such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death then reade Luke 1.71 Is not the way of the wicked darkness then reade Prov. 4.19 Yea are not thickets of this wilderness I mean Satans temptations and natural corruptions so great that the Sun shines upon the wilderness yet cannot enter in the light darts upon your souls yet are your souls still dark within and the light of the glorious Gospel of God shines not unto you then reade 2 Cor. 4.4 Can you wonder now that the coming out of this spiritual wilderness is so difficult when the coming in of the spiritual light is so obstructed This is thy misery poor wilderness-soul the light shines at top and the ayr is full of it thy head perhaps is full of knowledge and yet thine heart that lies at bottom is shrouded over by the thick boughs it s no wonder thy works are darkness for thy ways are such These wilderness ways are thorny ways Sixthly These dark ways are full of thorns and as you heard before that these make the wilderness way destructive so they make the coming out of it exceeding difficult for as one moves to the right hand a thorn takes hold upon him as he breaks from that a left hand bramble catcheth him you know what flow stirring there is in a thicket and such verily are the ways of sin thorny as you heard before and therefore such as will catch hold upon you on this hand to hinder you on that hand to interrupt you and all to stop your motion and to make your coming out of sin desperate and therefore as you would phrase your hindrance by brambles or thorns or bryars Oh! say you they caught hold upon me and as soon as I got off from one I was presently hung upon another on the other hand and seldom could I get off from any without a rent so the holy Ghost phraseth temptations So she caught him Prov. 7.13 and she caught him by his garment and he left his garment in her hand Gen. 39.12 I appeal friends to your experiences if temptations are not just like bryars unto your souls even herein also to retard your stirrings towards God yea to rend you if so be you yet get from them Doth thy wife never catch hold upon thee O good husband do not strike the childe good husband be not so strict and rigorous in your office you 'l lose your customers and get nothing but hatred from your neighbors are carnal friends never hindring thee in the ways of God nor rending thee if thou get off from the ways of sin these are the thorns of the wilderness take heed of being laid hold on by them Lastly 7 The wilderness is encompassing Therefore is the coming out of the wilderness difficult yea indeed desperate because the wilderness
verse 12. he hath made provision for thee This is the Song of Moses and truly I am the bolder to make improvement of it to all converts because it is also the Song of the Lamb Rev. 15.3 Now Friends look to it if after God hath found you thus like Jacob and hath dealt so with you and you instead of a thankful humble holy and continual remembrance thereof with Jesurun wax fat and kick that 's rebel against him and grow carnal and forsake the Lord and lightly esteem this rook of your salvation as ver 15. know that it will provoke the Lord to jealousie as verse 16. as zeal is the height of love so is jealousie of indignation jealousie you know follows upon miscarriage after greatest engagements A man is fearful of his foe but jealous of his friend of his bosom friend of one that he hath done most for is he most jealous if he begin lightly to be esteemed Take heed friends The Lord tells you Prov. 6.34 35. Jealousie is the rage of a man and if so surely it is the sury of the Lord and therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance he will not regard any ransom neither will he rest content though thou offer many gifts It may be yea if God have set his love upon thee it shall be that thou shalt be saved but thou shalt yet pay dearly for thy sin thou shalt offer gifts and yet not be accepted yea many gifts and yet not finde thy services regarded thou wilt never finde the Ten thousandth part of that sweetness in sin Therefore if ever God have brought thee out of the wilderness take heed of venturing in again If ever God bring thee out it shall be through the thorns and bryars Thus much for use of the point I have but one thing more upon my thoughts and that is the taking off the use I would rather call it the abuse of such a truth as this is which sinners make unto themselves Is sin a wilderness may a prophane heart say What use ought not to be made of sins being a wilderness are there thickets dark and shady places there That 's it saith he that I would have for my part let who will love it I hate the light and care not for coming to it then what care I though it come not to me my works are works of darkness my time is tempus tenebrionum the times of Lions rising for their prey the twy-light the evening the black and dark night Is' t a wilderness I am glad you tell me of it 't is so fit for my purpose I love to go from sin to sin and I was afraid I should never have found ways of sin enough never enough cheating varieties never enough diversities of uncleanness I am almost weary of tracing backward and forward the same paths I am glad I can hear of fresh paths there I can walk with new delight I am glad to hear of such thickets Oh! there I can please my minde with security and sin with shelter I am glad you tell me of these wiles and entanglements I hope now you Ministers shall never be able to finde me out I was afraid of nothing but lest these thickets should have been cut down and least the Sun should then look in upon me lest a gap should have been made into the wilderness and all your Pulpit-terrors have made an inrode upon me and either frighted me from my prey as they have been sometimes ready to do or at leastwise to have made me eat my prey in fear and so to have sinned with less delight Poor wretch Is this it that so satisfies this prophane phansie That thou hast now got shelter from the storms and light of God and that thou shalt not now be found out Thou might'st think that though none could come in to thee to disturb thee yet are there enough within thy wilderness to devour thee The Lions are but yet asleep not yet rouzed from their den there 's time enough for conscience to awaken yet and then what shall become of thee but to let this pass Know that Though sin be a wilderness unto thee that thou canst not finde a way to God yet is it not a wilderness unto God but that God can easily finde a way to thee There are two things remarkable concerning God with respect unto the wilderness wherein thou art 1. The Lord can and will discover it and what wilt thou now do 2. The Lord can and will shake it and what wilt thou now do First Though thou hide thy self in the thickets of Carmel yet will God search and take thee out thence Amos 9.3 God knows and well observes all the secrecies passages windings and turnings of this wilderness of sin This is that which the Psalmist speaks Psal 29.9 The voice of the Lord discovereth the forests and in his temple we must speak this unto his glory It seems the wilderness may for a time cover thee but what wilt thou do when the Lord discovers that The heart-searcher is you see a searcher of Carmel and the heart-discoverer is a discoverer of the wilderness This is his glory which if you perceive it not in his Temple now you shall rest assured of it whether you will or no another day Secondly Though thou lie secure at the bottom of these thickets and think that no danger shall reach thee yet even there as his language is in Amos 9.4 He shall commaud the serpent and he shall bite thee Thou goest into the wilderness for shelter thinking to bear off storms of wrath and conscience by farther sining but Psal 29.8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh What wilt thou now do A man goes into a forest or thicket c. to keep off the rain that falls in smaller drops and it doth so for a season but by and by there riseth a great wind a shaking wind Who hath the best on 't now he that 's in the wilderness amongst the thickets or he that is in the open field Now that that would have fallen before but in small drops and this winde would have dried again falls upon him nay rather is poured down upon him as it were full viols and this winde drives it thorow him These are the direct issues of these shakings of the wilderness Death is a shaking wind to all but yet it is a drying wind to those that are got out of the wilderness that have an interest in Christ but a drenching wind to thy soul whoever art in sin Consider this before the Lord arise as he is determined Isa 2.24 tearibly to shake the earth I but say you we shall hold together and chear one another for all this therefore saith God Isa 9.18 Wickedness burneth as the fire it shall devour and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest yea Nahum 1.10 Whilest they be folden together as thorns they shall be
think of leaving thee there Old ones Vse 1. Encouragment to Old ones desirous to come out of the wilderness hath God touched any of your hearts this day have you any unfeigned desires to travel out of your old wilderness in your old age If you have speak and then ' I le speak Truly if you have but yet an ear to hear in good earnest know that though it be impossible with man to transplant such an old tree and to make it take root in a new soile or to take such a withered branch and to graft it into a living stock yet with the Lord nothing is impossible for the grace of the Gospel nothing at all is too hard That God that is able to make the hypocrite though a green tree to be dried up is able yea and according to his promise willing to cause thee though a dead and a dry tree to flourish read Ezek. 17.24 Yea but wilt thou say as well thou maist my strength as you said I finde is gone I would travel after Christ but my strength is spent in wandring in the wilderness I fear never was any converted whose case was so desperate yea but it was so with the lost sheep Luk. 15. It had spent its strength in the wilderness and could not go but Christ could carry it and so he can thee he took it and laid it upon his shoulder v. 5. If then thou canst not come out of the wilderness but by leaning upon his arm 't is no unmannerliness Beg of Christ with importunities to take thee and to lay thee upon his shoulder Object not thy lameness to come to Christ But for you aged ones 2 Terror â—o those that resolve to stay there that have lain under the droppings of this word of grace this day but yet despise the day of your visitation so neer night and will not hear his voice to day but harden your hearts as in the former dayes of your provocation in the wilderness know that it shall fare with you as with the dry trees there those drops of rain that cause other trees to sprout forth falling on them cause them to rot the sooner This word shall soake into thine heart Oh! thou dead tree and rot thee within more and more untill thou by thy rottenness be perfectly fitted for Gods furnace Job 22.15 16. Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden who have been cut down out of time whose foundation was overflown with a flood Thou hast troden the same paths even paths of wickedness and of the wilderness Thou shalt be rooted up and the flood of Gods wrath shall overflow thy foundations Thou shalt be cut down out of time and committed to eternity and the everlasting flames of wrath shall take hold upon thee Think of this your aged ones that are in the twelfth hour of your day If you have not found the way out of the wilderness whilst your day shall last know that when the night comes you shall never find any way save to bed onely I mean to the grave to hell CHAP. VI. The dying hour a bewildring hour to lost souls and Hell a wilderness to departing sinners opened and applyed BUt sevethly 7. The dying hour a bewildring hour unto poor lost souls The dying heart is a bewildring hour unto poor souls And every one that dyes in the state of sin dyes in the wilderness The Lords threatning to the old Israel for their old unbelief was this Your carkeses shall fall in the wilderness Numb 14.27 And the same sin being renewed by the same people this threatning is renewed in a plainer dress John 8.21 You shall seek me but you shall dye in your sins whither I go you cannot come I go to Canaan saith Christ but thither you shall never come for you shall dye in the wilderness of your sins Ioshua walked uprightly but Israel did not Yea saith Christ You shall seek me but you shall dye in your sins That is you that have wandred in the wilderness thus long but would not be turned when you see the Lion fain would ye flee to the shepherd then when night comes fain you would get out of the wilderness but then you shall seek me as a guide but shall not finde me You shall seek me as a way but shall not light upon me for as you have lived so shall ye die You have lived in your sins you shall die in your sins and friends you have heard that to live in sin is to live in the wilderness You now hear that to dye in sin is to dye there Therefore Zelophehads daughters joyn both together Numb 27.3 Our father dyed in the wilderness he dyed in his own sin Three things make the sinners death a wilderness to his soul Three things make death a wilderness to him 1. Horror of what is past 1. The horror of what he hath been Do you think friends that when all the sins that ever he hath committed shall stand round in order about him the thoughts and horror of them is not enough to bewilder him Now he sins and takes not any notice perhaps or at least but a little He was drunk and forgets it He committed uncleanness such and such a time and hath forgotten but God that remembers will also make him remember God will methodize his sins and they shall come in their order and stand before him when God reproves him and that of all times most eminently at the hour of death Psal 50.21 And surely if single sins could wilder us much more can they all when they are set in order before us Oh! such a day in the forenoon I met with such a company and in in that company fell into such sins and that â—fternoon I met with such company and then I wandered in such siâ—ns and that night when I came home I acted with such and such fresh siâ—s and sirs I would have you believe that if you would studie you cannot half so orderly remember the sins of yesterday as God will make you able the to remember the sins of your whole lives And if your will not yet think this a Wilderness Listen Sirs listen whose voice is thaâ— in the next verse viz. verse 22. Consider this you that forget God lest I come and tear you in pieces whilest there is none to deliver If that be not the voice and roaring of a Lion then let not your methodized guilt and horror of your sins be called a Wilderness Here you have sins set in order and would you know what order it is Why this is the order his sins are set round about him yea so near him that they take hold upon him yea so many of them that they are more than the hairs of his head yea they reach so far that they are innumerable so that he is not onely unable to get out but even unable to look out of this Wilderness This is the souls condition till
mercie break in upon it Psalm 40.12 Encompassing horrors For saith David innumerable evils have compassed me abeut mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of mine head therefore mine heart fails me These are the very words and if this do not make a very Wilderness I know not what can Now when is the time that God sets the sinners sins in such order as this is He tels you in Job 36.8 9. They be holden in the coards of affliction and bound in fetters then he shews them their transgression wherein they have exceeded that is to English the word Transgressions their bewildrings wherein they have gone astray 2. As the horror of what hath been 2. Sorrowfull thoughts of what is so the distracting thoughts of that which is are enough to bewilder him Balshazzar in his dying day though he were in the midst of his Nobles his Concubines his wise men and Astrologers his wine his women his dainties his delights yet in the midst of them all was he in the midst of this Wilderness and as you know at an utter loss for saith the Text His thoughts troubled him Dan. 5.6 What thought he must I now die and leave all this Leave all this and be taken away Be taken away and know not whether And must I leave this Crown this companie this glorie these delights to lie down in the dust and in the noysom grave O! such and thousands more such were his thoughts and if these were not enough to make him at such a loss as he was Encompassing sorrows and so to bewilder him See Psalm 116.3 The sorrows of Death compassed me Observe the Phrase the sorrows of Death are surrounding and therefore they are bewildring sorrows As sorrowfull friends stand round about the dying mans bed so do these bewildring sorrowfull thoughts stand round his dying heart Pray Sits What do ye now think you will then think of Certainly you cannot tell 3. Fears of what shall be Thirdly as the horror of what hath been sorrow for what is so fears of what is like to be nay what is sure to be cannot but bewilder the dying sinner You have heard that the horror of sin is an enclosing horror you have heard the sorrows of the grave are enclosing sorrows Encompassing fears and so are these fears enclosing and therefore bewildring fears Jer. 46.5 Fear was round about on the right hand and on the left hand above beneath forward backward Look which way the sinner will or the sinner can there are these fears Look backward sin makes him afraid on the right hand and the wrath of the Lamb scares him on the left hand and the roaring Lion frightens him upward and God and Heaven and Judgment make him afraid and downward and Hell fils him as full of fears as it is of such sinners as himself is So that here is fear round about and therefore a Wilderness If these horrors and sorrows and fears were onely on the right and on the left one might get out before or behinde but seeing they encompass you cannot but think that they bewilder Oâ—herâ— a Wilderness to dying sinners I might add that as the dying sinner is a Wilderness to himself so usually others are a Wilderness unto him He makes choice of wicked and vain and carnal companions for his friends whilest he lives and in his health and God in judgment hemms him in with them when he comes to die Is there nor many a dying sinner in whose conscience Hell-flames break forth in his sick bed and then O! for such a Minister such a Christian He vomits up his sins and cannot be quiet casts up mire and dirt and yet he cannot rest he must speak with them and carnal friends are about him that would not perhaps have any thing break out because they have had fellowship with him in his sins and they smother all again The Minister's not at home We sent to such a man and he will not come at you when perhaps there 's no such matter Yea the carnal Physician must counsel O! let not him be sent for if he come the sick man will spend his spirits and it will be enough to undo him to spend himself with speaking Or thus You shall not need so to trouble your self or them You shall not die but live saith the Physician No fear of dying this bout and yet presently drops the poor bewildred sinner into the dust whilest these carnal friends stand just like the greener and fresher Trees of the Wilderness round about him And as you have heard whilest they be thus folden together as Thorns they shall be devoured as Stubble fully dry Nahum 1.10 And this leades me unto thoughts of Hell it self As Death so Hell is a Wilderness to the wicked for Hell followed with him Rev. 6.8 The souls that depart in the Wilderness of sin must hence to the howling Wilderness of Hell 8. Hell a Wilderness to departing sinners there shall be weeping and wailing yelling and houling and gnashing of teeth I would have you to reckon no more difference betwixt Sin and Hell than just betwixt the Wilderness unkindled Hell a Wilderness but set on fire and the Wilderness set on fire For Wickedness burneth as a Fire it shall devour the Briars and Thorns it shall kindle the thickets of the Wilderness and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is this Land darkened and the People Mark the People are the Trees of the Wilderness shall be as fuel of the fire no man shall spare his brother Isai 9 18 19. Sinfull mates in that day shall betray and accuse and do what they can to make one another brands in the burning that have been here as brethren in iniquitie Therefore houl ye for this day of the Lord it shall come as destruction from the Almighty Isai 13.6 And where shall this fall but upon the houling Wilderness For when the boughs thereof are withered that is fit for burning they shall be broken off the women shall come and set them on fire and he that made them will not have mercy on them Isai 27.11 For this he hath resolved that he will go through them and burn them up together v. 4. So true is that which God speaks figuratively in that sense which is most spiritual Sin shall have great pain Ezek. 30.16 God speaks it of that material Wilderness that is of the People that dwelt round about that desolate place You will finde it as fully and sadly true of the spiritual Wilderness of sin if ever you come to Hell When Sin comes to have great pain when this Wilderness is set on fire that 's Hell Reade Ezek. 20.47 And thus you see from first to last the unregenerate are spiritually bewildred young and old living and dying they are in a Wilderness of sin From
the dark valley of the shadow of death It deceived me how is that truly thus much I can say to it from the experience that I have had of poore soules in such a condition Darkning us that their sense of their sinne hath beene more then true even greater in some respect then their sinne Consult with Paul who tells you here that he was deceived but doth not tell you wherein 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ came to save sinners saith he of whom I am chiefe Why how could that bee Paul was before Conversion a sober blamelesse man as touching the Law Phil. 3.6 Zealous according to his light if you urge his persecuting of the Church why still there are as great if not much greater sinners then he for 1 Tim 1.13 He did it ignorantly Yet still when the Law stirres up the sence of sinne as encompassing poore Paul this is that that kills him that he is the chiefe of sinners Thus is it with our poore hearts Oh! when we see the brightnesse and glory of the Law of the Lord how Holy and just and good it is and how vile and sinfull and abominable our selves are Oh! never was there any sinne like ours never any guilt like ours What sinne against such meanes as I against such light as I against such mercies as I against such calls of Grace as I Oh! never any one sinned as I have done Yes friend thinke as bad of thy selfe as thou wilt others as sinfull as thou have gone before thee Now this is one bewildring darknesseâ— in the fence of sinne which may more humble then hurt you I would many were allured into this wilderness this day But now comes Satan as I said before Darkning that splendor of Gods mercy unto us and his businesse is to raise the darksome fogges of thy selfe-condemning and soul-bewildring thoughts yet higher so as not onely to bedarken all that is within thee but to cloud the face of mercy and to obscure the glory of Christs undertakings by the black guilt of thy sinnes Here is a worse deceiving by the sense of sin through Satans temptation and this makes the formes Wildernesse much more bewildring and the poore lost Creature ten thousand times more at a loss then it was before when the soule comes to see its sinnes greater then any other sinnes of the Children of men Satan striketh in and takes advantage to make it account its sinnes greater then any of Gods pardons and this is a deceiving indeed unto slaying and such I believe was the dark bewildring sence that Cain and Judas had of their sinnes take heed take heed of this deceipt in your sensibleness of your sinnes and yet even in this dark wilderness are many deare unto God for a season left and as it were lost till God come and speake comfortably unto them I can give you two eminent instances both of mine owne knowledge Instance The one was when I was a little one A rich man was walking and there comes a poor Creature to him with death in his face and begges of him some reliefe the man was an hard man and denyed the poor wretch importunes and through importunity prevailes thus farre saith the rich man come to my house to morrow and I will give you something Oh! sir saith the poore one I shall die before morning if I have not something to succour me this night yet could not the Rich man be then prevailed with that very night the begger dyed was sound dead the next morning the Rich man laies this to hear as I confess well he might was so terrified that for much time not the least comfort could be fastned on him but never was any guilt or sinne like his by night he was faine to have constant company and Candles burning with him and it would frequently cry out That now the Devill was ready to seize on him He was through providence brought unto a godly Minister where I was and to whom I was related I being little was left in the roome when the Minister and he were together Oh! it would have broken any heart that had the least of tendernesse to see the poore man what paines he tooke to load himselfe with misery and to obstruct the way of mercy and this was the upshot of all never was there such a Murtherer as he that obtained mercy I remember for the afflicted mans carriage made the discourse take more impression on me the Minister instanced in Davids Murther and aggravated it what a man David was of what profession under what mercies c. and what a man Uriah was a godly man a faithfull subject a publique spirited man c. and what a murther it was known wilfull devised plotted longed for and pleasing to David when accomplished and yet I remember would not that poore man bee perswaded but that his sinne was farre greater then Davids and so such as God would not pardon although at length it pleased God by that Minister to fasten some comfort on him Instance The other was mine owne experience also not long since Indeed the good woman desired me for Caution unto others concealing her to take some occasion to speake of the thing Her great sinne for which shee thought there was no mercy no pardon was a lie and on this manner she was private at duty in a roome that was said to be haunted as the phrase is in the night and there came by the Chamber doore a man of the house that hearing some stirring there asked her it being very dark whether she was there or no calling her by her name she being unwilling that hee should know that she used to be there of the suddaine answered that it was not she he urged her again and again she denyed At length the man halfe affrighted prayed her as ever she look'd for mercy from God that she would tell him if it were she and shee being much moved and yet unwilling through the strength of the present temptation to unsay what she had spoken denyed it yet again I thus farre agreed with her that it was indeed a very great sinne and deeply to be sorrowed for but her language was that it was the greatest sinne that ever was committed and that there could be no mercy for her because she had denyed the mercies of the Lord. I instanced in Peters denial of Christ once twice thrice till it came to cursing and swearing and perfect disowning of his Saviour I know not the man I aggravated it from Peters solemne profession of Christ his engagement not to deny him c. and yet notwithstanding he obtained mercy But for all I could say I could not for the present perswade the woman but that her denyall was a farre greater sinne then Peters and though she believed that there was mercy for him and salvation for him that declaredly denyed his Saviour yet could I not perswade her that there was any mercy for her who as
shee thought had more perfectly denyed mercy Yet I believe the woman to be a good woman something of refreshment she had e're she went away This is the of sinne a bewildring darkness to such a soule aggravate your sinnes as much as you will onely by their aggravation take heed of diminishing the freeness or fulness of Gods grace Secondly Soules in such a case 2. Pass darke sentences on our selves lose themselves in the dark sentences that they pass upon themselves Paul tels you that sin by the Law slew him that is passed a sentence of death upon him according to that phrase 2 Cor. 1.9 Who received the sentence of death in our selves Poor soules will save God as I may so say a labour in the condemning of them for they will condemne themselves and their sentence shall be very dark even as dark as death it selfe Oh! never did any deserve Hell more then my selfe thither I am a going and there I must receive a just recompence of reward Let me go to Hell said one for that is the fittest place for me Thirdly They often in such a season take up dark Resolves concerning themselves 3ly Take up dark resolves concerning themselves they themselves passed Sentence and now they proceed to Execution They say they have deserved Hell and it must be so they must go to Hell there 's no helpe for 't say what you can to comfort me my sinne will slay me doe what you can for me my sinne will slay me I have heard such language and now the soule 's at an utter loss Oh! I shall verily die in my sinnes Jer. 15.18 My pain is perpetuall and my wound incurable Oh! if the terrours of the Lord were but for a day or a year I might better beare them saith such a soul but they are perpetuall eternall death is the wages of my sinne what shall I doe Oh! if my wound were curable though it be great and terrible but I am without any expectation of recovery past all hope Thus poore ones in this darksome wildernesse do resolve concerning themselves 4ly Dark resolutions with themselves 4ly From dark Resolves concerning themselves they sometimes pass to darker resolutions with themselves Their hearts language is not onely I may be damned and I must be damned there 's no other way but even almost I will be damned There 's no comfort for me and I will take no comfort to me Jer. 15.18 My pain is perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Not onely incurable that is that cannot be healed but that refuseth to be cured that is that will not be healed and verily as for soules that have a long time said Note that there is no mercy or comfort that belongs unto them there is a kind of spirituall pride in the lowest ebbe of very despaire they have so long said that they shall perish that when they begin through mercy to be better perswaded they are very loath to think that it shall be otherwise and so refuse to be healed so Asaph Psal 77.2 My sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted Oh! take heed of thrusting Gods precious Consolations so often or so long from you as to get an habit of refusing him habits are hardly left though there be never so great reason to disswade us from them Sometimes poore soules in this darksome wilderness are ready to be of his minde and vote who desired that he might be in Hell that he might know the worst of his torment yet God that allures into the wilderness fastens comfort oft-times upon such a soul These are bewildring-darknesses as to our selves CHAP. XX. Contains the second kind of bewildring darkenesse in conversion viz. relating to God in foure particulars removed BUt secondly 2d Kind such as relate unto God There are attending upon conversion bewildring darknesses as relating to God Dark thoughts concerning the Purposes the Thoughts the Providences the Justice and mercy of God towards us 1. 1. Darknesse as to Gods purposes Such a day many times bewildes poore soules in dark thoughts concerning Gods purposes about themselves Oh! saith many a soule I should be glad to pray to repent to believe to do any thing for God but I am a Reprobate I know God hath from all eternity cast me away and therefore it is in vaine for me to doe any thing but as my deserved portion is everlastingly to despair Here is the blacknesse of darkness indeed but who told thee that thou are a Reprobate Why I am sure I am a Reprobate But why dost thou think that Gods eternall purpose was to pass thee by Why I am sure I am a Reprobate My Brethren I know it is the great duty of every Saint to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure and so saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.16 We ought to make sure that is be assured of our election so that we might conclude it and comfortably assert from our Calling that is because we find that we are converted to rest assured that we were elected because called therefore that we were chosen of God But ther 's no Scripture that either bids or warrants us to make our Reprobation sure that is to stand assured that we are reprobated no not because we are unconverted You 'l say the Apostle bids us to examine our selves upon such terms 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates the word i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why Jesus Christ is not in me therefore I am a Reprobate Is this thine argument truly then thou must also say that there was a time when Paul was a Reprobate that spake it for there was a time when Christ was not in Paul Yea that the Saints that are in heaven were once Reprobates for certaine it is that they were once Christless and if this be so then to be Reprobate is no more then to unconverted and if this be thy meaning why should'st thou despaire upon the thoughts that thou art a Reprobate for though thou be Christless and by such reasoning a Reprobate to day as Paul before Conversion yet maist thou bee saved as well as he and so reprobation shall no more hinder thy salvation then unconversion But it is evident from the dark despaire that rests upon their spirits unto whom I speake that conclude they cannot be saved because as they thinke they are Reprobates that they are not so criticall as to distinguish betwixt Reprobate as opposed to Elect and opposite to Gods present approbation which an Elect but unconverted person may not have but take Reprobate in the saddest sence in which I cannot apprehend how any with reason can make unconversion an assuring token of it onely glad they are poor souls to take up any staffe wherewith to beat themselves I shall therefore in a word tell you what I think from these two
the Wildernesse take as some do much paines to go farther down into it Alas poor soules 't is down-hil way thou art likely to be at the bottome soon enough even in the lowest hell without running down and if any take paines this way how shall this condemne those that take no paines the other way 2. Use Caution Is the way from the wildernesse up the hill Take heed of fainting take heed of falling 2d Cautino either of these will endanger your tumbling downe the hill againe 1. Caution Take heed of fainting My Brethren 1. Take heed of fainting how conscious are we to our selves how ready are the strongest of us to faint in those forementioned up-hil wayes Now it is not the pleasure of the Lord Jesus that any should faint in the waies of attendance upon him Mat. 15.32 I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way Let us also be careful lest our hearts faint in any of the wayes of Jesus Christ although they be never such up-hil wayes For which cause we faint not 2 Cor. 4.16 And as we have received mercy we faint not v. 1. We shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 And this is the praise of Ephesus Rev. 2.3 Thou hast laboured and not fainted In laborious up-hil services they walked without fainting Rules to prevent fainting 1. Looke not down-ward Now to helpe you herein take these two Rules 1. Look not much down-ward 2. Look much upward You have both these together 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not v. 18. Whilst we looke not at the things that are seene but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seene are temporall but the things that he look'd at that are not seen are eternall If a man you know would go up a Spire-steeple or Beacon of great height it is very dangerous and dazeling to look down-ward his way must be to look upward all the while 1. Look not down-ward look down and faint and so fall down Observe the Apostles opposition he sets minding of earthly things that is the looking down-ward that I speak of against having our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.19 20. Carnal hearts that mind earthly things will faint in the first steps of that way that leads out of the Wildernesse for it is an up-hil way Therefore saith the Wise man of riches and things earthly Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Prov. 23.5 That is Doe not so much as set thine eyes upon it 2dly 2. Look much upward Look much upward I will looke unto the hills saith the Psalmist Psal 121.1 I will lift up mine eyes The Apostle comparing our lives to a race or journey bids us Heb. 12.1 2 3. To looke unto Jesus c. lest we be weary or faint in our minde It would extreamly helpe us to have our conversation in heaven to be often yea alwayes looking thither whence we looke for a Saviour Phi. 3.20 This would keepe us from fainting in this up-hil way If you be risen with Christ to the top of this hill and would keep there why then set your affections upon things above Col. 3.1 2. For thus saith the Lord Isai 40.30.31 The Youths shal utterly faint the young men shall fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength yea though it be an up-hil way they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint 2dly Caution Take heed of falling 2. Take heed of falling Is it an up-hil way beleeve it it is very ill getting a slip 1 Cor. 10. He minds us of the falls of the poor Israelites in the way towards Canaan he gives variety of instances from the 5. v. he brings all close down for our admonition vers 11. Wherefore let him that thinkes he standeth take heed lest he fall v. 12. How charily do men go up an hill in a frosty day when the wayes are slippery Oh! this is the danger 't is an up-hil way Let vs therefore labour to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the ensample of their unbeliefe Heb. 4.11 Thirdly Exhortation in two words 3ly Exhortation 1. To come up First Is it an up-hil way then pray let us up and be going let us up and repent up and beleeve up and obey up and pray and read and heare and meditate c. and that leads me to the Third main Doctrine yet before us whitherto I shall refer it Secondly Is it an up-hil way wherein is such likelihood of faintings such feare of falling Oh! 2ly To come up leaning Then labour to leane upon the beloved whilst you come up from the Wildernesse to repent and lean to believe and lean to obey and lean to pray c. and lean and this would lead to the fourth main Doctrine therefore we shall dismisse it for the present We passe on to CHAP. II. Containes the third maine Doctrine That it greatly concernes lost soules to come up from the wildernesse of sinne discovered and applyed with choice directions thereunto THe third maine Point 3d. Maine Doctrine viz. That it is the great concernment of lost soules to come up from the Wildernesse of sinne The Spouse in the Text had been in the Wildernesse but now up she gat That is the lost souls great business to come up from the wilderness and away she came and this is thy great businesse The voyce of the Lord unto such a soule is like the voyce of Christ to his chosen ones in Babylon Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people lest you partake of her plagues Come out of the Wildernesse my poor Creatures lest you dye wlldernesse-wlldernesse-deaths and now must the answer of thy soule be I come Lord. The Lords bewildred spouse Hos 2. takes up this main resolution as her maine worke and businesse I will return to my first husband Hos 2. v. 7. I will goe and return so the Prodigal I will arise and goe to my Father The bewildred Spouse the lost Sonne this is it that they make their great work businesse and 't is not strange that it should be so if you consider that the comming up of lost soules is the very great worke and businesse of God himselfe For this is the great business 1. Of God the Father even God the Father Son and holy Spirit 1. It is the great designe of God the Father that poor soules should come up from this spiritual wildernesse Deut. 32.9 10. Jacob is his portion he found him in the Wildernesse and led him about and instructed him you have this explain'd or if you wil seconded Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 34.11 I even I will both search my sheep and seeke them out They have been scattered in the cloudy and darke day v. 12. Of this we have spoken I will feed them in a good pasture on the high
to reckon them up and what they did by faith this he inserts in the close of all Heb. 11.34 A double instance 1. Wouldst thou have thine understanding strenthened thou must become a fool That out of weakenesse they were made strong I shall illustrate this in a double instance 1. Wouldst thou have strength into thine understanding by leaning unto Christ for strength truly thou must goe in all manner of sense of the weaknesse of thine understanding to the Throne of Grace and complaine of thy blind heart in that language I am of yesterday and know nothing or in Asaphs Psal 73. I am brutish and ignorant and as a beast before thee If thou goe knowing to the Lord Jesus thou shalt come away ignorant if thou goe blind thou shalt come away seeing if thou be a fool when thou goest to him thou shalt come savingly wise from him if thou goest in the thoughts of selfe-wisdome thou shalt be a fool at thy comming away 1 Cor. 3.18 Let no man deceive himselfe if any man amongst you thinketh himselfe to be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise 2ly Wouldst have thy whole soule strong thou must be sensible of thy weakness in will affections c. 2. If thou wouldst by leaning upon Christ derive any strength into thy will or affections thou must goe in the sense of thine infirmity viz. That thou art not sufficient of thy selfe so much as to thinke any thing that is good that thou hast from thy selfe neither to will nor to doe thou must come complaining as Paul Rom. 7. When I would do good evill is present with me 21. Nay that thy will to good is but weake and thy will to corruption strong so that the law of thy members doth not onely warre but take thee captive to the Law of sinne as he complaines ver 23. and cryes out upon it Oh wretched man that I am ver 24. Then comes he out of this Wilderness leaning on the beloved I thanke God through Jesus Christ ver 25. A two-fold word of improvement Before I goe farther I shall desire to fasten this more upon your hearts by a word of improvement to you that hear me this day And 1. To those that are truly weak comfort 1. To those of you that are truly weake Is it so that none can leane upon Christ unlesse they be as thou art here then is abundant matter of rejoycing and reviving to thee where thou thoughtest there was nothing but sadnesse even sorrowing unto death There have sundry soules come sad unto me upon this account and this was the great burthen of their complaint Oh! I am so weake in prayer of such a weake judgement that I cannot discern or so weake a memory that I cannot retaine the things of God and surely it can never be well with me and truly mine heart hath often leapt within me for joy to behold this their sweet sorrow these poor ones do not find others complaining so much of weaknesse and therefore they thinke that every one is indeed stronger then they Now to such let me speake even to those amongst you whose strong holds the weapons of our warfare have been pulling down and whose strength the Lord hath weakened that if there be any cause of rejoycing unto any soule on this side Jesus Christ it is barely and onely our being made weake by Christ or our thorough sense and feeling of our weaknesse out of him and herein verily we may boast so farre as our weaknesse gives an objective advantage unto the glorifying of the strength of the Lord so saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.9 10. I will glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me yea I take pleasure in my weaknesses for when I am weake then am I strong Methinks I am sent this day with that message unto such soules that I meet with Isai 35.3 Strengthen you the weake hands and confirme the feeble knees Say unto them be strong ver 4. What ever infirmity you can complaine of I think the Lord hath there on purpose answered you The blind shall see the deafe shall heare the lame shall runne the dumb shall sing verses 5.6 Yea the wayfaring men though fools shall not erre in that high-way that way of holiness and which is there to be remarked all these promises are made to wilderness-soules ver 1.2 6 c. As if so be the Lord should on purpose say whatever weaknesse you can complaine of it shall not be able to hinder your everlasting joy spoken of v. 10. Secondly Let me speak to those of you that are strong 2ly To those that are selfe-strong confusion of face but not by leaning on Jesus Christ Let me tell you that had you no more to answer for or to reckon with God for then your very strength there is enough for the Lord to confound you yea and he will confound you That God that is resolved to stain the pride is resolved to pull down the strength of all flesh Woe be to thee whose strength is in thine hearing or praying or Alms as Samsons was in his haire The Lord will be sure to cut off thy proud locks and then where shall thy strength be found These are the soules that compasse themselves with sparks of their own kindling that warme their hearts at their own fire and say aha aha such as these shall have no hold on the name of the Lord no stay upon the beloved but instead thereof this shall they have of the hand of the Lord they shall lye down in sorrow Isa 50.10 11. CHAP. III. Discovers how soule-weariness fits for Christ Opened and applyed 2. Weary souls as well as weak BUt you wil say are there not some weak ones that rest in their ever complainings of their weaknesse as well as some strong ones that rest in their strength truly I believe there are of whom we may say as Paul of those women that were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3.7 So there are some that are ever complaining of their weaknesses as to the things of God which are never able because not truly willing to grow stronger or to come up to any strength of grace They feare that Christ will not break the bruised reed they think that he surely wil pitty the weak and such are they and here they rest taking neither due care nor paines to grow any stronger these some have entitled The whining Hypocrites Now therefore The weak and weary of their weaknesse are fit to be leaning souls In the second place It is not onely weaknesse but weariness that disposeth the soul for leaning effectually upon the Lord Jesus The soule that is weake and weary of its weaknesse for indeed as the strength that we spake of was the Pharisees weakness so the weakness we spake of the Hypocrite makes it his strength But now that soule
must be burthensome 1. So thy weaknesse Thirdly Thy weakness and weariness must be burthensome as to the intensiveness of it First Thy weaknesse must be burthensome Many there are that are weak in duty and weak in grace if so be they have enough to denominate them weak in it and that see it too and yet are not burthened with it This is not the load that lyes upon their spirits but an Habakkuk trembles his lips quiver and his heart faints at it Hab. 3.16 And the Lord God shall be his strength ver 18. A Paul will cry out of it O wretched man and who shall deliver me and 't is a body of death q. d. It could not be a greater burthen to me to have a dead body fixed to me to carry about me then to carry about this dead heart c. And then he can thanke God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.24.25 Secondly 2ly So thy wearinesse Thy wearinesse must be burthensome wearinesse never be thou well till thou be rid of it Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laiden Many are weary that are not greatly burthened with their wearinesse but Asaph was so loaden that he was even over-whelmed again Psa 77.3 Now if thy soule be thus burthened with thy spiritual either weaknesse or wearinesse And if it be so thou maist thus discover it First 1. Thou wilt willingly part with that which so weakens and wearies Thou wilt be marvellously willing to part with thy burthen to part with that that weakneth or wearieth thee when Christ at any time offers to take it from off thy shoulders Come to me and I will give you rest ver 28. Nay there is not a Gospel Sermon you heare but in some sort or other such a tender is made unto you and how few do then account their infirmities their burthen Secondly Yea you will be glad at heart but to change burthens with one that hath a lighter and easier then yours Why such is Christs if you be truly weak and wearied Mat. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for my yoke is easie and my burthen light Thy soule will think it an happy exchange to passe from Satans plough to the Lords plough when once thou feelest the weight of Satans Chayne thou wilt esteeme the greatest of the Lords Commandements or thy duties as a chaine of gold to hang about thy neck Every neck would be willing to be so burthened From all that hath been spoken A Conclusion from the precedent truth that no soule comes home to God in the strength of its own legges to me it is easily to be concluded that there is no lost soul that ever yet was or ever shall be brought home unto God by the strength of its own leggs I shall therefore conclude the state of these qualifications according to the expresse doctrin of Lu. 15.5 The shepheard laies the lost sheep on his shoulders rejoycing that is he takes the lost sheep off its own leggs and we read of its carrying before its curing as of the Prodigals comming before his cloathing that relates to another particle as I may so say of conversion First God acts when we act not I meane in the first moment I doe not meane of the time but of the work next that acting of God makes us act together as to time Christ carryeth in the first parable and we come in the next Arminians deny the one Antinomians the other I assert both In that primely-prime act as I may call it Jesus Christ doth not cut off our legs but yet he doth not use them for he layeth us upon his shoulders And who can conceive if there be any portion of the conversion-act wherein that may be truly said that in such an act the sheep useth its own leggs when it is carryed upon the shepheards shoulders And this doth genuinely fall in with what I have spoken of the spiritual and universal weaknesse and wearinesse that must burthen us before we have advantage from the strength of Jesus Christ This sheepe had neither legge to stand on or to go with though it had all its legges still for if it had it would undoubtedly have had legs to run away with and suppose that Christ should cure us whilest we lie weak and weary upon the ground and so set us upon our own legges which blessed be God shall never be and not bind us to his owne shoulders or bring us as the Spouse to leane upon him by an union indissoluble I need no argument but sad experience to convince mine owne base heart that I should quickly use or abuse rather my cured legges and the reneâ—ings of strength and of refreshment unto the turning aside into the crooked paths of the wilderness still or to the running away from him that healed me But now by vertue of this union our legges gather strength as the woman that touched him drew vertue from him and now they can walke and runne they are the old legs still the same affections will and understanding c. But it is not their old strength that they move by but Christ's put into them Christ gives them his Wine to refresh them and make glad their hearts his Oyle to heale and make strong their bones his life to act and to inform their Organs And thus they that were weak in the Wildernesse and not able as Israel Ezek. 16 They that had wearied themselves with wandering and were too weary to go as the lost sheep Lu. 15. doe now come inseparably to wait upon the Lord Christ and by leaning on him to renew their strength that they may run and not be weary that they may walke and not faint Isai 40.31 And what is this precious Scripture but the summe or the Epilogue of all that I have beene speaking viz. That it is onely the weake and weary that can profitably leane and by leaning comfortably draw strength and refreshment from the Lord Christ And upon these accounts it may by the way appeare how strangely some that call themselves Ministers of the Gospel of Christ goe to work about poor soules Ministers strengthning those whom God would yet have to be made weake One comes to them that can say Sir I thank God I have had an honest heart from my Cradle I never wronged any man in my life no man can say that black is mine eye I have ever had a good mind towards heaven I use prayer often and give much Alms to the poor and your selfe can bear me witness sir that I alwaies pay you Tythes of all that I possess and am constantly at Church with you every sunday But now I grow aged or I am sick c. and I would be sure what estate I am in I pray sir what think you of my condition Why â—ruly it is the business of many mens preaching to send away such a self-justifying and so self-undoing Pharisee to hell as some
assent to this truth thou must needs infer that it is a tyring travaile 2ly Only beds of thornes to rest upon Secondly As wearying as the wayes are so when ever thou comest to lye down at night you have but tyring entertainment in the wayes of sinne and nature He travailes with paine all the day and this saith God You shalâ— have of mine hand you shall lye down in sorrow Isai 50.11 Oh! how wearying must it needs be to travaile in sinne and then when we have done to lie downe in sorrow 'T is want of sence in thee not of truth in these Scriptures that thou dost not thus feel it for the present but there is time enough before thee for thee to know it in 3ly From experience Thirdly For Experience I shall appeale to Heaven to Earth to Hell to all things Created or uncreated God Men and all other Creatures for their Vote herein 1. Gods owne experiedce Your wildernesse wayes have wearied him First I shall appeale to the experience of God himselfe what ever the matter is that thou art not weary of thy Christlesse wayes there 's enough in them all in the best of them all to weary God himselfe Hear him speak First There is enough in thy worst waies Isai 43.24 Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities It may be so saith some selfe-righteous One with the wicked God may be angry and with their iniquities be wearied but surely not with my services with my devotions Yes Yea even the best of them 2. With thy best services Isai 1.13 14. Your Oblations New Moons Sabbaths solemne services Though these were Gods own appointments they are saith God a trouble to me I am weary to beare them Secondly I appeal to the experience of all men 2ly Experience of al men as soon as they come but to understand things as they are whether Noahs Dove or his Raven I meane the best or the worst of men First For the Saints they can say I dare say for them 1. Saints experience that the Lord made them weary of other things as a man would be of carrying a load of dross or a burthen of dung when Gold or Silver is offered unto them in their stead Phil. 3.8 or as a childe that would quickly be weary of its lapfull of stones when one comes and offers it an apron-full of plums 2dly For the worst of men Those that are in Hell 2y Experience of the worst of men have already found they that are yet on this side Hell shall quickly find what weariness there is in the wayes of sinne and vanity Isai 2.20 In that day that is the day of Conviction shall a man cast his Idols of Gold and his Idols of Silver which they have made each one for himselfe Mark that every mans particular Corruptions and beloved lusts to the Moles and to the Bats that is they shall be utterly weary of them let who will take up their trade after them they 'l follow it no longer Thirdly I appeale to all other Creatures 3ly Experience of the whole Creation all wearied under the burthen of sinne even this whole Creation I tell you that the Sun is tyred in its Orbe with beholding the abominations of the Children of men by day and the Moon and the Stars in their courses by seeing their works of darknesse in the night I tell you the Earth would sink under you as it did under Corah Dathan and Abyram as weary to beare the burthens of your sins if the Lord would but give it a discharge Yea how doe the very houses of Clay that sinners dwell in spew them up and cast them forth in a few yeares as if weary of being so long possessed by them Yea how doth the very Gluttons and Drunkards stomack tell him to his face that it is weary of bearing his surfeiting and drunkennesse and therefore disburtheneth it selfe upon the ground This is no Notion or Hyperbole of mine but a very expresse truth of God and so to be by you laid to heart Rom. 8 20. The Creature was made subject to vanity And we know ver 22. that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in paine together untill now The very Heavens are weary of covering and the Earth of bearing wretched sinners and their continuall groan in their kind unto God is Oh! when shall there be an end of sinning Oh! when shall we be delivered verses 19.21 2ly Aggravated Your not being weary when you are wearied a symptom of spiritual death Secondly Is it so that there is so much in sinne to weary thee and yet thou art not weary truly this is the most dangerous and mortall symptome that can be imagined As it is the saddest signe of a red-sea ruine to be humbled so often with Pharoah and yet not to come once to be humble so it is for thee to be so often wearied by sinne and never to become once weary of it Sinners I dare appeale as the last appeale unto you Consciences even such as they are whether you have not often wearied your selves with drinking drabbing c although you were never yet weary of the sin for the kind yet wearied by the sin in the act Thus those wretched Sodomites who were now near a double Hell even first an Hell from Heaven and then an Hell in Hell Gen. 19.11 They wearied themselves to find the doore wearied yet not weary And wilt thou not be weary Yes friend thou must and thou shalt be weary onely thy wearinesse shall be when times of refreshing shall not be but when thy case is beyond Cure thus was Moab and oh let every one of us all take up that lamentation from the mouth of the Prophet Isai 16.11 My bowels shall sound like an Harpe for Moab and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh Why what 's the matter ver 12. It shall come to passe when it is seene that Moab is weary on his high place that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray but he shall not prevaile Oh! now father Abraham one drop of refreshing water to coole my tongue but it shall not be granted 'T is said of the Grave that there the weary be at rest but the quite contrary shall be said of Hell Oh! sirs you are not weary enough to drinke in the waters of refreshments to day I had almost said here is much water and little or no thirst there shall be thirst enough such as it will be but no water When a sick man hath been a long time tossing his wearied body on this side of the bed first and then on that and after all these weariednesses come to lye still and stupid and senslesse of any wearinesse what doe we I pray you reckon this but the sleepe of death When wretched sinners come to be wearied with every sinne so that the Lord can say they weary themselves and yet their cursed hearts can say We are not weary eternall death is in
conceive seed Thou hast been so long barren that thou art affraid thou shalt never be able to conceive the incorruptible seed of the word of God either as to the bringing forth of Grace or Comfort in thy soule by faith thou maist have strength to receive bâ—th 1. Their Graces 1. Faith will afford strength to receive Grace whether as to Mortification or Vivificattion i. Mortifying Grace 1. Mortifying or subduing grace Wouldst thou have the strong man out of doors thy pride thy passion the vanitie of thy thoughts thy lusts of uncleannesse thy worldly lusts c. removed thou hast no way but to make Christ thy strength who is stronger then these and so to call in the Auxiliaries of heaven had David gone out in Sauls Armour undoubtedly Goliath had made him a prey but David went out in the name of the Lord Thus leane thou on the Lord Christ and then what though it be an uncircumcised corruption Note a Giant-like lust that thou contendest with The grand cause that some doe sincerely yet insuccesfully warre with those worldly lusts that war against their souls may be ignorance hereof or neglect herein Luk. 11.21 The strong man will keep his house till a stronger comes Corruption that is strong will keep thine heart till a Christ that is stronger comes It followes He that is not with me is against me and he that gathers not with me scatters verse 23. As I said of your Christlesse strength 't is Antichristian so here to War without Christ is in some sort to War against Christ and to think to gaine ground of thy sinnes in thine own strength is the way to be a loser a â—â—sterer though this vers I know hath another intendment yet is this certaine if Christ be with you as he will be whilst you be with him 2 Chron. 15.2 You shall carry the day and divide the spoyle he that spoyleth Principalities for you can vanquish sin in you Where this Josuah is Generall the field cannot be lost he that brought up the Israelites conquers the Canaanites neither can you be conquerors but through Christ Rom. 8.37 2ly Lean on Christ for Vivifying and renewing grace This is that Law of the spirit of life which in Christ makes free as you heard in the last from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 as who should say Vivifying or quickning Grace let there be what there can or what there will be in any soul unlesse there be the law of that spirit of life in Christ Jesus there can not be any 〈◊〉 of grace there Christ is the strength of your quickning grace and that 1. As to the root and life and habit of it 1. Of the root of it I meane grace in the soule Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse No life or principle or habite of righteousnesse which is here to be expoundâ—d by Sanctification can possibly be in you if Christ be not the strength of it in you 2. The fruits of it 2ly As to the fruit act and exercise of this root life and habit of Grace Io. 15.4 Abide in me saith Christ and I in you for as the branch cannot bring forth fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can you except you abide in me The strength of the branch is not able to bring forth fruit but it is the strength of the Vine the branch is not able saith Christ but the Vine is able so the strength of thine habit of grace is not able to exercise or bring forth fruit unto holinesse but it is the strength of Christ for that grace which is said to be in thee and unto thee as a root is in and unto Christ but as a branch Christ is the Vine still the branch as that which immediately feeds it may in some sort be called the root of the fruit but in proper speech 't is onely the root of the Vine that is the root both of branch and fruit and the strength of the Vine is the strength both of the branch and fruit and if their in being or dependance on the Vine were but a little interrupted you should quckly see it truly so it is with Christ both as to the habit and exercise the branch and fruit of thy graces for saith Christ in the 5. verse Without me you can do nothing Mark do nothing Suppose a branch yet could there be no fruit suppose a life yet could there be no action but now oppose this phrase or compose it rather unto that of Pauls Phil. 3.13 where from occasion of the exercise of the grace of Contentation he digresseth to a generall boasting but in the Lord as to all the fruits of holinesse I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me so that all the out-goings of our graces are and must be only in the strength of Jesus Christ 2ly Of all your comforts 2ly Leane upon Christ as the onely strength of all your comforts You have mention in Scripture of strong consolation as well as of strong grace Heb. 6.18 That we might have strong consolation We Who why we who have fled for a refuge to the anchor that is before us and have taken hold That anchor is hope that whereupon that anchor catcheth hold is Jesus the fore-runner ver 20. No strength of comfort else-where 1. Your foundation-comfort viz. Iustification 1. Christ as the strength of your foundation-comfort I meane Justification is to be leaned upon If you be justified it must be by faith by leaning and if you have peace with God and there be any strength in that peace it must be through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 The Hebrew Idiom puts often one substantive with another when in sence it is an adjective So in that passage Isai 45.24 One shall say surely in the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength that is strong righteousness Others may have a righteousnesse as the Pharisees c. that have not Christ but there is no more strength in it to comfort then there is in a few sparks to warm or to enlighten Isai 50.11 But they that lean on Christ for a righteousnesse have strength of righteousness 2ly 2ly All yoâ— upper comfor Leane on Christ as the bottom strength of all your upper comforts such as come in upon the account of your justification If Christ will to purpose strengthen the hearts of his Disciples as to comfort he must tell them as he doth Jo. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you What ever else he either leaves them or sends them they will still be comfortlesse unlesse he comes to them Miserable Comforters are Creatures to us when Christ keeps at a distance from us Comforts they may be and weak ones too as Christless righteousness hath no more substance in 't to hold out the light of comfort then a few sparks so Christless Comforts have no
that trust on Christs name Jo. 14.26 The Holy Ghost whom the Father shall send saith Christ in my name shall teach you all things and shall bring all things to your remembrance even whatsoever I have said unto you If young Preachers that know what beleeving meanes could but lean more upon Christ in this promise they need not lean so much as themselves complaine to their Notes Hath not Christ said that his Spirit shall bring to our remembrance what soever he hath said And what have we to say more If we have for ought I know our memory may be indeed most faithful to us wherein it may seem most to fail us whilst we forget against our wills what we should have omitted with our wills And how can it harme us or spoyle our Sermons if we be content to forego our fancies that we may act our faith The former may please and advance our selves the latter shall advance Christ and please the Lord. 3ly Leane upon Christ as the strength of your Wills I le grant to the Arminians that our wills are strong enough for Rebellion and too strong too even as an iron sinew but alas alas as to the strings of God even a Ephraim 〈◊〉 heartlesse Dove Wouldst thou now be strengthned there also Read Psal 110. Which is evidently spoken of Christ to whom it is affixed Heb. 1.13 ver 2. Send forth the Rod of thy strength out of Sion and then mark vers 3. Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power If ever thy Will get any sanctified strength it is onely in the day of Christs power and by the sending forth his strength Fourthly Leane 4ly Of thine affections one Christ as the strength of your Affections Sirs God will never be contented with your affections unlesse he may have the strength of your affections Thou 〈◊〉 love the Lord thy God with all thy soul and with all thy strength Luk. 10.27 Now unlesse thou have Christ in thine Affections as their strength they will be too weake for God or the things of God Now if you could lean more you would love more and feare and desire and hope and joy and put forth every other affection in more strength You have the Spouse leaning upon Christ in my Text which is verse 5. And as soone as she leanâ— see how she strengthens affections you would wonder there should be such suddain virtue in leaning for veâ—â— 6. she breaks out Love is strong as death the Coals there as the Coals of fire with a most vehement flame many waters cannot quench it neither can the floods drown it if man would give all the substance of his house for love 〈◊〉 would utterly be contemned If Satan saith she should uâ— never so much meanes if the Serpent should cast his golden Apple before me it would not allure me if the Dragon should send all the floods of his mouth after me it would not affright me but that I should still zealously ardently vehemently and unto death affect the dearly beloved of my soule such was the strength of her affections and this she gat by leaning on Jesus Christ CHAP. VII Containes Answer 2d Lost soules are to leane on Christ for all their rest 2ly You must lean on Christ for all your Rest SEcondly Leane upon Jesus Christ for all your Rest Sirs There are times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord for repenting and converted souls Act. 3.19 but those are onely by the sending of Jesus Christ verse 20. Till God send Christ to thy soule never looke he should send refreshings to thy soule Observe that of the Apostle Heb. 4.3 We which have believed do enter into rest and then verse 8. If Jesus that is Iosuah had giâ—â—â— them rest c. From which it appeares that there 〈◊〉 true and spirituall rest but of Christs own giving Iosuah brought them to Canaan but it is onely Christ Jesus that could give them rest And againe that there is no way for poore bewildred soules for of such is the Apostles discouse there to come at this rest but by leaning that is by believing But more particularly leane on Christ as the resting place of your Understandings Consciences Affections whole soules when wearied with the wayes of the wildernesse of sin 1. As the rest of your understands Fiâ—st Leane upon Christ as the resting place of your Understandings he is the great Prophet of his people Secondly Consciences Leane upon him as the resting place of your weary Consciences He is the great high Priest of his people Thirdly Affections Leane upon Christ as the resting place of your tyred affections he is the Lord and Husband of his people Fourthly Leane on Christ as the resting place of your whole soules Soules he is the God and Saviour of his people For the first viz. Our Understandings I shall lay down these two Propositions First 1. Of your understandings Two Propositions 1. Proposition That there is no resting place for our understandings in the knowledge of any other thing That there is no rest for them in the knowledge of any other object but the Lord Jesus Christ I shall prove it by the most eminent instance that any age in the world could give of it and it is Solomon who gave his heart to know wisdome and to search out all things by understanding as himselfe saith Eccle. 1.13 He had moreover all Opportunities and helpes which other working heads have wanted I am come saith he to a great estate and great experience of wisdome and knowledge verse 16. And what shall the man do that commeth after the King 2.12 such a King so great so wise so studious This wisdome of his reacheth so farre as to excell all the Children of the East and people of Egypt the wisest quarters of the world yea he had knowledge of all the Trees and Plants from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysop of the wall yea also of all Beasts and Fowls and Fishes He had exceeding much understanding and largenesse of heart and wisdome as the sand on the Sea shore 1 King 4.29 30 33. And yet this Solomon saith of much study though undoubtedly as easie to him as to any man 'T is a wearinesse to the flesh Eccle. 12.12 And in much wisdome is much griefe and he that encreaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Eccle. 1.18 So that both wearinesse to the flesh and toyle to the spirit is the onely rest to be expected in the confining of our understandings unto any other speculation save onely the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2d Propos That there is sufficient and ultimate refreshing to our understandings in knowing Christ But secondly Jesus Christ and the knowledge of him is the resting place of a tyred understanding Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest him out of thy Law Though God take the Rod into his hand to teach him his lesson by yet blessed is
him our Nature not our Nature as it was at first but our crazy Nature our decayed Nature but doe not mistake me I say not our corrupt Nature he tooke not any thing up of our Natures wherein was sin though he took up many things wherein were the fruits of sin such are our weakness s and wearinesses as abstracted from sinne so that all that is naturall unto us as men yea as fallen men setting aside our fall still as it contained sin in it and left sinful corruption behind it is naturall to Christ I hope you can distinguish betweene infirmity naturall and sinfull at least wise it is easie to distinguish them in themselves though not so easie to distinguish them in us where Sin and Nature are so enterwoven Now as I dare not assert that there was any weakness in Christ that was sin so dare I not deny that the weaknesses that came upon us for sin such as temptations sorrows sufferings and death were properly born by the Lord Christ in that nature which was the subject of his Humiliation I mean his humane nature This is plain to me and I desire to make it plaine to the plainest of you That Christ tooke not Adams nature as it was at first though he was as innocent as Adam was at first he took fallen mans craziness not corruption infirmities not sins the whole mortality of the body but not in the least the body of death this I say is to me plaine from Heb. 2.16 He took not the nature of Angels upon him but the seed of Abraham Mark of Abraham not of Adam of Abraham that is Man in a state of imbecility and infirmity not of Adam before the fall nor of the holy Angels who were both as free from all infirmity as sinne but of decayed man as the next words doe undenyably expound it It became him in all things to be made like unto his Brethren vers 17. Mark In all things How shall we then soberly bound our thoughts herein Why the same Apostle makes the onely Exception that is to be made Heb. 4.15 He was in all points like us yet without sin And this will be proved more fully as I shall prove it more particularly 1. In our bodies First The Lord Christ in the state of his Humiliation was weak as we are It is on all hands granted as farre as I ever yet heard that Christ began to be Crucified as soon as he began to be Incarnat Now the Spirit saith expresly 2 Cor. 13.4 That Christ was crucified through weaknesse If this had not beene true that Christ had taken up the weaknesses of fallen man he could never have been crucified for the sins of fallen man And if the other be true that Christ was crucified from the wombe to the Grave then the Apostles words will prove that Christ considered meerly as man was as weak from the Cardle to the Grave as another meer man only the Divinity protected him from all actual frailties that were not fore-ordained for him Else I believe as small a matter would have crushed him in the wombe or the swathing bands as another Infant because as small a time put his life to a period when the fulness of his time was come as ended the dayes of others yea it is said that Christ was dead before them that were crucified with him This truth is no more prejudiced by this that we doe not read of his being at any time sick c. then if a man should say I have not the nature of decayed crazy fallen Adam in me because I am thus old and never yet had a sicknesse or as if he should say I am not mortall because I never yet dyed However whatsoever may be said or denyed as to the extent of this truth this may not be denyed but that crucified Christ was subjected to weaknesses for so saith the Scripture And againe to me it appeareth 2. In our souls that the whole humane nature and not onely the flesh of Christ was subject to weaknesses yet without sin I meane his soul as well as body if there be any soul-weaknesses separate from sin as surely methinks there are though I confesse I am very little acquainted with the nature of Spirits for Christ took not on him our flesh onely but our nature as is cleare in the Scripture before cited and if there be any weaknesses incident to our soules that may be possibly severed from sin and who can think but that they in this kind suffer with our bodies it seemes to me that Christ took them also on him as now if there be any naturall fainting of our hearts in prayer c. which is not sinfull but the infirmity of the soule and the fruit of our sinne in Adam rather than a sinne in us being originally perhaps from some defect in the flesh as Christ saith flesh is weak that there was some such thing in Christ yet without sinne to me seems I speak my thoughts with modest submission from Luk 22.43 44. There appeared an Angell from heaven strengthning him Observe it is not said onely discoursing with him or ministring to him as at other seasons but strengthning him and what follows truly a passage very sutable to our experiences of divine assistance in humane frailty then being in an Agony he prayed the more earnestly This is therefore the summe of my thoughts herein that all the infirmity but not the least of the iniquity of our Natures was taken up by the Lord Christ properly and assumed personally in the state of his humiliation in the dayes of his flesh Secondly 2ly Our natural wearinesses 1. Of Body As Christ took properly upon him the weaknesses so the wearinesses of our natures First Bodily wearinesse upon occasion of bodily labour Christ was as soon tyred therewith as another man of his constitution c. would have been Jo. 4.6 Jesus therefore being wearied of his journey sat thus on the well Now though it is manifest that Adam in his primitive state had labour imposed on him by the Lord I had rather say imployment for labour as importing a burthen or trouble doubtlesse it could not be I never yet met with any one that thought that Adam was subjected unto wearinesse for that is sensibly a grievance and the curse of sin as is evident Gen. 3.19 Which Curse Christ bare and undoubtedly the wearinesse of Christ here mentioned was to be reckoned as one of our griefs or grievances which are said to be born by Christ Isai 53.4 Surely he hath born our griefs c. whence I conclude that it was our decayed nature that he tooke upon him yea the curse of our natures such as weaknesse and wearinesse c. though not the corruption of our natures for it is said Gal. 3.13 That he was made a curse for us although I dare not goe on step beyond this Scripture expression herein 2ly Soul weariness 2ly Christ was undoubtedly subjected
to soul-weariness as that of the body and to both as well as wee Tell me Christians you that know by experience what is the houre of your spirituall wearinesse is it not the houre of your spirituall travaile Read what is said of Sion Jer. 4.31 I have heard the voyce of a woman in travell the anguish c. the voyce of the daughter of Sion woe is me now my soule is wearied And minde what the Lord saith of Christ Isai 53.11 He shall see of the travell of his soule Here you have Christ in soul-travell and if any shall make doubt of his soul weariness at that time let them compare the language of travelling Sion with the voyce of her travelling King Mat. 26.38 He saith unto his Disciples My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death sorrowfull unto death What is that but wearinesse of his life Hitherto refers all that former tyring travell of his pilgrimage on earth where you read of his groaning in spirit and trouble in spirit Joh. 11.33 and Joh. 13.21 Sirs what do you think of the travell of his soule when he cryes out My God my God whay hast thou forsaken me Think you that this was not a tyring travell for my part I believe that never was there any one soule that knew most of the terrors of the Lord those wearying woes and tyring terrors that ever came neare unto the sufferings of Christ in degree for hee drank the very dregs of the Cup of Gods wrath his Cup of Vinegar and Gall that he drank with his bodily mouth I reckon but a shadow and type of the tedious bitternesse of his soule and well therefore might that Patheticall Poet make it the burthen of his sad song when he personates the passion of lamenting Jesus in the language of lamenting Jeremy Was ever griefe like mine And you may say to your Saviour Was ever weariness like thine Surely if eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor heart understood the glory of that REST which Christ hath purchased by that travell neither have they perceived the wearinesse that Christ underwent in that travell we shall never fully know the one till we know both nor be able to conceive of that weariness till we be able to receive that rest Onely thus we may argue in our straightned understandings That if the terrors of one sin and the guilt of one soule be so wearying to us that nothing but infinite mercy can refresh us what tyrednesse must there needs be upon the soule of the Lord Jesus Christ 2ly He did imputatively bear the tyring guilt curse c. of our sins For as the next particular tells us The Lord Christ did though not properly and so as either to be involved in the guilt or depraved by the stain imputatively beare and takes upon himselfe the sinnes of many soules even of all the Elect to beare the weight of the sin and the Lords wrath for the sin in behalfe of their soules who is therefore said 2 Cor. 5.21 To be made sin for us not for all but for us or if for all yet but for all us Isai 53.6 The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all These are the many considered in themselves though they be but few comparatively whose sins he is said to bear vers 12. when he powred out his soul unto the death And this leads me to 2d Part It was to our weaknesses wearinesses and for our sakes not his own The second Proposition That it was our weakness and weariness rather then his own that Christ tooke on him and for our sakes rather then his own This I passe over as being the full and plain importance of Isai 53. throughout the Chapter and as necessarily deducible from what I have here already proved and therefore I shall proceed to 3d. Part. That Christ thereby became a sutable support for us The third Proposition That the Lord Christ by being subjected unto our weaknesses and wearinesses is hereby become an apt support and leaning stock unto us I have before shewed that the 110 Psalm is by the Apostle expounded of Christ which closeth with this briefe prophesie of the sufferings of Christ and the issue of them verse 7. He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift up the head It 't is not said then shall he lift up his head or therefore shall he lift up his own head though that were true but indefinitely the head that is as his own so the head of those that are bowed down because his owne head was bowed down to drinke of the brook of the waters of Marah that is therefore he is become a sutable Saviour to lift up the head that is to stay to strengthen to support the hearts of poore disconsolate ones because himselfe had his own head in the brook before us for two things are here imported which are both expressed by the Apostle to the Hebrews For 1. Thereby he gat skill as knowing our weaknesses and wearinesses experimentally First That because Christ himselfe was once subject to weaknesses and wearinesses like as we are therefore he hath skill to succour us as knowing our grievances indeed known unto the Lord God are all our sufferings sorrows sicknesses c. but it is Cognitione intuitûs with a viewing knowledge Known they are to the Lord Christ Cognitione sensûs with a feeling knowledge Thus Heb. 2.18 For in that himselfe suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted So in that himself was weary and had need of refreshing in his journeyings on earth and had need of strengthning in his Agony therefore he is an accomplished high Priest able to support the weak and to succour the weary 2ly Therefore also he hath will to succour 2ly Therefore he hath as good will also because of sympathy as well as ability Thou knowest the heart of a stranger saith God to Israel because thou wast a stranger in Egypt So Christ knows the heart of an afflicted groaning troubled weakned wearied soule because it was once thus with himselfe This Antecedent and Consequence the Apostle hath both together Heb. 2.17 Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren in all things that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Hence is that sympathy of Christ in Heaven with sorrowing Saints on Earth whose language is as Pauls 2 Cor. 11.29 Who is weak and I am not weak take two Scriptures for it the one Isai 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and Act. 9.4 Why persecutest thou me so saith Christ to Satan when he assaults a weak Christian Why temptest thou me He was in Himselfe persecuted before now in his Saints tempted before in his own soule now in his members weak and weary before is his naturall body now in his mysticall body therefore doth his fellew-feeling engage him to faithfulness and his communion in sufferings to commiseration on
in us there 's a word of experience Read Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do there 's a word of Doctrine as a ground to such experience Read Heb. 13.20 The God of peace make you perfect in every good work working in you c. Here 's a prayer bottom'd upon such a word of Doctrin and seconded ever if put up in faith by such Experience So then what of the Yoak and Burthen is bountiful and glorious shalt thou beare and what of it is difficult and too hard and heavy for thee will Christ bear Therefore it is said of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bez. reads sublevat i. e. Not onely doth the spirit helps us but as it were bears with us over against us and so lightneth our burthen for so the Metaphor taken from men that lift together at a weight signifies as well as strengthens our weaknesse CHAP. XVIII A farther removall of remaining prejudices The 4th You must forgoe your own will Which 1. Is a righteous term A Fourth Terme is this If you will marry Christ you must not have your own will But this is also lovely and righteous 1. It is a righteous Terme that when thou marriest thy wife should subject her desire unto thine and that thou shouldest rule over her Gen. 3.16 And how much more if Christ marry thee that thou shouldest be subject unto his will and disown thine Christ requires no will to be laid down but what would undo thee 2ly Christ never desires to have any will from thee besides that which would undoe thee Such a will as the Lord speakes of Ezek. 18.31 Why will you dye We have a will to undoe our selves to ruine our soules to forsake our owne mercies c. and this is the best of our wils unregenerate and unsanctified now that will Christ will have from us or he will not have us 3ly Christ wills thy good more then thou canst thine own 3ly Christ wills thy good as much yea more than thou canst possibly thine owne and therefore wherein thou willest for thy good thy will is coincident and falls in with Christs will and therefore therein there can be no falling out Wouldst thou be Rich or Honourable in the Wo ld It may be thou must herein submit thy will to Christs it may be it is not good for thee but wouldst thou bee Holy or Sanctified why without peradventure that would be good for thee see 1 Thes 4.3 This is the will of God even your Sanctification Or wouldst thou be happy or glorified Why sure this will be good for thee Psal 84.11 The Lord wil give grace and glory and it is his good pleasure that is his will in the fullest freedome to give you the Kingdom The 5th You must part with your limbs for Christs sake But 1. Christ will never cut off any but what 's a Gangrening the whole body The fifth and last Terme is If you will marry Christ you must part with hand or foot or eye c. for Christ whereunto I shall speak two words First Christ never desired or will desire to have any Member from thee but that which is rotten and rotting not unlesse thy right eye or hand c. offend thee that is are ready to Gangrene the whole body Immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum est c. Yea If Christ call for the whole body 't is but that body of death spoken of Rom. 7.24 Mortifie your Member Col. 3.4 What Members Fornication Uncleanness Covetousness c. Or if for thy body in Martyrdom 't is but for thy vile body and that in exchange for a glorious body see Phil. 3.21 And this leads me to the next Therefore 2ly If Christ have a limb or a joynt 2ly Christ wil give a new and living member in the room of it or an eye from thee 't is not that thou maist become lame or a Cripple a blind or a maimed Spouse but that he may give thee better for them the seeing Eye the hearing Eare the walking Feet and the working hand for the blind Eye and deaf Eare and lame Leg and dead Hand even the New man for the Old Col. 3.9 10. Put off the old man put on the new the living for the dead Rom. 6.13 If Christ cut off your lust after the world in the roome of it you shall have love to God If your covetousnesse after earthly things 't is that you may more earnestly covet the best things if your wilfull ignorant and Saul-like zeal 't is that he may give you in the room of it a Paul-like zeal and according unto knowledge Love was in Magdalen a rotten limbe and to be cut off by Conversion Love was in Magdalen a living affection after conversion and that which must remaine lovely in the eyes and for the imitation of all unto whom that Gospel shall be preached And now friends goe home resolved to take Christ upon his owne termes 4. As to Christs wooing carriage He smites not because he hates It could never have entered into your heart to have indented so well for your selves as Christ hath drawn your terms for you to your hands 4ly As to your dissatisfaction in Christs wooing Carriages Christ smites before he smiles he will pierce wound strike bruise yea break the heart that he comes to wooe before he marry it And yet for all this must I say as the Psalmist Psal 141.5 Let Christ smite me and it shall be a kindnesse It was not through any unkindnesse of the Father unto his only Son That it pleased the Father to bruise him as 't is said Isai 53.10 For he was ever well pleased in him No more maist thou impute it to unkindnesse that it pleaseth the Son to bruise thee for he intends everlastingly to take pleasure in thee I shall mind you but of three Things considerable Three satisfying Confiderations and then refer it to your own Consciences to judge whether these be not kind righteous and desirable smitings though smitings 't is confest they are viz. Who smites for what and what shall be done after that thou art smitten 1. Who it is that smites First Consider Who it is that smites 'T is that Christ which was smitten for thee by thee and is smitten with thee 1. He that was smitten for thee First He smites thee that was smitten for thee therefore beare his smitings patiently Isai 53.8 For the transgression of my people was he striken Therefore what can the people object if he strike them for their own transgressions they say Mothers use to be most tender of those Children for which they have most suffered and Lovers of those Spouses whom they have attained through greatest difficulties surely then Christ will not needlesly smite thee since he was thus smitten for thee therefore take gently his gentle smitings 2ly He that hath bin often smitten by thee 2ly It s he
Moses said to Israel Deut. 11 27. I have set before you in this Discourse a Blessing and a Curse for the Lord hath set my feet upon both Mountains spoken of verse 29. Ebal and Gerizim the Mountains of Curses and of blessings and that upon the Authority of two Scriptures To those that are yet out of love with Christ a Curse The first speakes from the top of Ebal the Mount of CURSING and it is 1 Cor. 16 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha that is Let him be accursed in all things in all places at all times with all Curses truly Nothing but the perfect experience of the damned in Hell can tell you what that word Anathena Maranatha meanes And who must be so accursed even whosoever loves not the Lord Jesus Art thou out of love with Christ still notwithstanding all that hath been spoken for him And art thou resolved to continue so then let thy Estate thy Body Soul here and hereafter yea and for ever be accursed Dost thou despise his Port hate his Person abhor his Discourse contemne his Carriage disdaine his Estate after all this and resolvest thou so to doe Let all the Scriptures of God curse thee let all the Saints and Angels of God curse thee let all the Creatures of God curse thee let the blessed mouth of God curse thee let the blaspheming mouth of thine own Conscience curse thee yea let the mouthes of all that are in the same curse and condemnation with thee curse thee let every mouth that blesseth God and Christ curse thee yea as long as any mouth blesseth the Lord Jesus let it curse thee for not loving the Lord Jesus This is the sad language of that sad Scripture But I had rather passe from these to those that love him and so from Ebal to mount Gerizim To those that are brought into love with this crucifyed Christ blessing the mount of BLESSING see Rev. 19.6 7 9. Allelujah let us rejoyce and be glad and honour him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready And he saith unto me write blessed are they that are called to the Marriage supper of the Lambe and he saith unto me These are the true sayings of God Sins Christ is ready now if you be ready truly blessed are you for you are called to the Marriage and to the Supper If any soule among you that have heard all that hath beene spoken shall love Christs Spokesmen meane as they are in the name of Prophets blessed of God be that soule If any soule entertaine the Message plaine as it is out of love to Christ that sent that message blessed of God be that soule If any soule be in love with a crucified despised naked wounded bleeding Christ blessed of God be that soule If any soule shall account Christs Convictions precious Oyntment and his Termes Righteousnesse if it shall forsake Father and Mother and all carnall Counsells and Relations out of love unto Christ If it shall go forth weeping bearing precious seed if it shall take Christs yoak upon it and his burthen and his Cross daily accounting them light because of love to Christ and easie as Jacob did his hard service out of love to Rachel If it shall cut off its right hand and pull out its right eye and forgoe its owne will and so leave all and cleave to Christ and hate all and love Christ or unfeignedly desire so to doe for ever blessed be that soule If it shall not despise the Corrections of the Lord Jesus nor faint when it is chastised by him patiently bearing because it hath sinned and willingly suffering that it may be pollished and fitted for Christs service or truly desire so to doe for ever blessed be that soule If it shall trust Christ with what it hath and for what it is to receive following him unto the Regeneration untill it shall come unto his Kingdom continuing stedfast till death and willing to be dissolved that it may be with Christ In a word if it take or be truly willing to take Christ as thus tendered upon his own terms blessed blessed blessed be that soule God hath blessed it who can reverse it These are the true sayings of God CHAP. XX. Discovers positive Hinderances The two first viz. leaning to Sinne. Sathan Second sort of Hinderances viz. Positive THe second sort of Hinderances are positive viz. The leaning-stocks that we take unto our selves on this side Christ doe absolutely hinder us from leaning upon this beloved Two Farther Observations from the Text. Which that I may with more advantage inquire into I shall take up from my text two farther previous Observations which I think are evidently lodg'd in the bosome of this expression Leaning on her Beloved The first is That as that soul that will have Christ for its beloved 1. The soule that leans on Christ must have none other leaning-stock must have but one beloved even Christ so that soul that will have Christ to lean upon must have nothing else to lean upon beside Christs For as the Text mentions but one Spouse viz. The Church of Christ so but one Beloved viz. Christ and but one also to leane upon To this the Apostle speakes clearly I have espoused you to one Husband even Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 So unto us there is but one Lord and one God even Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 But one to set our love as our Husband but one also to lean on as our God but one to be beloved as our Husband but one also to believed on as our Lord and God But now to Christlesse soules there are many lovers and beloveds Jer. 3.1 Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Hos 2.7 She shall not find her lovers A great number of lovers an indefinite number of lovers untill shee returne unto her first Husband and therefore to others also there are Gods many and Lords many 1 Cor. 8.5 A second Observation is 2ly The souls beloved will be the soules leaning-stock That whatever is the soules beloved that ever will be found the souls leaning-stock what ever the soule loves best on that it will be sure to lean most this is a cleare intimation from the Text leaning on her beloved So that if there be any thing that the soule loves more and better then Christ upon that it will leane and not upon Christ Now upon this twofold Accompt it is easie to discern in the generall how lost souls are hindered from leaning upon Christ because they have many Gods to lean on and therefore cannot leane upon the onely true God manifested in the flesh yea and they have many lovers and beloveds instead of Christ which as they lye in their bosomes where Christ onely should lie so stand they under their armes to support them where Christ should be to beare them up When a soule is converted we must with admiration
though thou hast been an Underling in Aegypt an Inhabitant of the Wildernesse who hast wrought among the Bricks and lyen among the Pots and gone among the Thornes and trod upon Serpents Art thou in Christ thou and now going homeward to the heavenly Canaan the Rest of Gods people to the Jerusalem that is ABOVE and is TREE Above Aegypt its Brick-kiln and Fleshpots Earth and all its allurements and all their embitterments Above Pharoah and his Hosts Satan and his Instruments above he Wilderness windings and woundings of sinne And therefore thou shalt be FREE from feares from falls from sinne from sorrowes from the Death of the Body and from the Body of Death and from all the evill that is in the World and from the world of Evill that is in the heart The Gulfe shall be fixed and thou shalt be free'd and though these would passe over to thee they shall not be able The Aegyptians that followed thee thou shalt see them no more for ever They followed thee but shall never finde thee There 's a Jordan betwixt thee and them which though it were dryed up before thee yet shall not be so for them to passe after thee Thine old Aegypt is on the other side of the Sea and thine old Wildernesse on the other side of the Flood The Waters shall returne and thine Enemies be cut off Where the Serpent found thee thou shalt leave Him even in the Wildernesse and where thou leavest the Serpent thou shalt leave the poyson and the sting even Satan and Sinne and Death together The first is a Murtherer the next is a Lyer the last is a Dogge that will grumble and snarle at thee but cannot hurt thee and without are Murtherers and Lyers and Dogs but within are true Israelites Feare not poore Convert that are crucified with Christ though a Prisoner among men and condemned of the World where thy legges are broken thy supports taken away the way that thou art in is life as well as Way and the sooner men breake thy legges the more hast shalt thou make to suppe with Christ in Paradice Yea thou art a stranger and strangely dealt with as in a strange Land Art thou but in Christ thou art going homeward to thine owne Country and to the house of thy friends to the Spirits of thy dear deceased Relations that are now made perfect There is Eunice thy Mother and Lois thy Grandmother if thou be a Timothy Yea Jesus himselfe will doe the Right of a Kinsman unto and will owne thee in the Gates of Heaven and before the Elders of thy people Then shalt thou that wast afraid to glean after the Reapers possesse the whole joyes of the Harvest and thou that wast afraid to uncover his feet shalt lye then in his bosome and thou shalt be ever with the Lord. And now who is there among you that are in Christ as the way to this Rest and have Christ in you as the hope of his Glory can hear of this home without desire to be dissolved and to depart if the Lord would let you to this rest in peace And yet this is but a little of that that may be spoken and all that may be spoken is but a little of that that shall be made good unto you when you come at home This is but a short Pisgaprospect of the promised Land which your owne life keepes you out of possession of These are but a few of the clusters of Canaan that are brought you for a taste by a poore Spye lest any of you should have evill thoughts of the good Land and so take up on this side Jordan but who shall reveale unto you what is the fruite of the Vine in your Fathers Kingdom This is but your Provision sent you to support you by the Way but who can Divine without Josephs Cup what a Land is that Goshen whence these Provisions come This is but the Raine that filles your Pooles in the Vale of Baca but who can tell you how it shall bee with you when you appeare before the Lord in Sion This is but Mount Tabor 't is Mount Sion that is your dwelling place and there is the City of the living God there are the innumerable companies of Angells the Church of the first born and Jesus the Mediator And if to thinke of these things seriously while wee are at home in the Body make this home an Heaven sure it will be good for us to be where this Heaven shall be our home This is the Inheritance of the Saints in light the Inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away but is reserved in the Heavens for them This is their Habitation made but not with hands and purchased but not with money This is their Rest prepared by Christs travailes their life purchased by his Death the joy of the Lord dearely paid for by that Man of sorrowes their Glory bought by his shame their true Riches gained through his povertie the Kingdome wonne for them by his subjection the blessing obtained through his being made as a Curse for them Oh! thanks be to God for his unspeakable GIFT This is the HOME whereunto Christ is the WAY In and By whom whilest the Ransomed of the Lord come up from the Wildernesse they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Wherefore you see deare Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling that there is a promise left us of entering into his Rest .. Let us therefore feare lest any of us should seeme to come short Heb. 4.1 The Lord hath this day shewne you the good way and hath said unto you Walke in it and you shall finde Rest to your soules Jer. 5.16 But now if any of you shall answer as they in the next verse We will not walk therein Know of a surety that every soule that goes Christlesse goes both Guidelesse and waylesse and therefore shall never find this Heavenly habitation I cannot say but Christlesse sinners have got as many Guidles as there are SATYRS and as many waies as there are windings in the Wildernesse and they also make hast to their own home for Judas who hanged himself is said to go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his own place Act. 1.25 But alas as is the difference of the Waies so of the Homes the waies differ as Darknesse and light and the Homes as Hell and Heaven He that is in Christ goes home to be comforted but the Christlesse to be tormented he to his good things but thou O wretch from thy good things Hee dies to live thou diest to die He descends as to his body that he may ascend thou ascendest as to thy spirit which returns to God that gave it to give sentence on it that thou maist descend and go down into Hell for ever He may complain Abroad the sword bereaveth but thou shalt lament At home there is as death he cannot say so As death I say but worse thou death Where thou shalt