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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95609	A Scripture-map of the wildernesse of sin, and vvay to Canaan. Or The sinners way to the saints rest. Wherein the close bewildring sleights of sin, wiles of the Devill, and windings of the heart, as also the various bewildrings of lost sinners, yea, even of saints, before, in, and after conversion; the necessity of leaning upon Christ alone for salvation, with directions therein: as also, the evident and eminent danger of false guides, false wayes, false leaning-stocks, are plainly, and practically discovered. Being the summe of LXIV lecture sermons preached at Sudbury in Suffolk, on Cantic. 8.5. / By Faithful Teate, M.A. minister of the Gospel.	Teate, Faithful, b. 1621.	1655 (1655)	Wing T615; Thomason E839_1; ESTC R203761	372,945	489

are too many as a stone to stumble at who know not that the goodnesse of God in them should lead us to repentance Mercies as Rom. 2.4 Thou stumblest at the Globe of the Sunne or of the Moon that dishonourest God by day or by night under the light of the one or influences of the other Yea other sorts of providential Dispensations there are as Corrections and at these the darkned and bewildred soules stumble Chastisements if they be not as staires to help them nearer unto God they will be as stumbling stones over which they fall and on which they shall be broken see Isai 1.5 6. Why should they be striken any more they will revolt more and more it followes the whole head is sick and heart is heavy from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is nothing but wounds and bruises and putrified sores Oh! who sees not what stumbling here hath been Sirs the day is comming when you shall know that upon every Affliction whereby you have not risen to more holinesse and faith and obedience c. You have stumbled to wit the day wherein you shall be made sensible of the wounds and bruises that now are in your Consciences but now you are in the heat of blood the heat of sinne and like wounded Souldiers go on still without feeling it Secondly Bewildred benighted sinners 2ly Gods word and at Christ therein stumble at the Word of God and at Jesus Christ in that word yet know it not In every Sermon where Christ is revealed and tendred they stumble at him and you may say of these as of those that Crucified him himselfe said That they know not what they do Peter tells you 1 Pet. 2.7 That to them that believe Christ is precious but unto them that are disobedient verse 8. he is a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word as 1 Cor. 1.23 Christ crucified to the Jews is a stumbling block Onely now take heed that it be not with you as with one that gets a fall when he is drunk and feels it not till he be sober therefore give glory to God before your feet stumble on the dark mountains Jer. 13.16 Fourthly Bewildred and bedarkned sinners 4ly They fall they know not when fall they know not when suddainly or ever they are aware It is not unusuall in this wildernersse for soules to stumble upon a Lyons Den and to fall into it not thinking of it Joviall and merry at an Al●house to day and dead and damned in Hell at night I believe when the foole was that night cast into Hell he could not but be in a more sad extasie than one that should of the suddaine tumble into a Lyons Den. Ah! Lord what am I here am I here Lord What in Hell in Hell I dream't not of it Alas my Brethren now adayes as Solomon speakes because sentence is not speedily executed against an evil work therefore the hearts of the Sons of men are fully set in them to do evill Eccles 8.11 But faire and softly perhaps more suddainly then thou art aware of Jer 51.8 Babylon is suddainly fallen Marke her fall is suddaine to her shee knowes not of it down she goes and is not aware of it We would have healed her Note but she would not be healed verse 9. God commonly snatches soules that are under healing Dispensations and refuse to be healed suddainly away So God threatneth to send a Destroyer as a Lyon of the Forrest that falls suddainly upon his prey to fall suddainly upon them Jer. 15.8 Because they had gone away from God verse 6. Thus Isa 47. They were perverted verse 10. therefore saith God evill shall come upon thee that thou shalt not know whence it riseth and mischiefe that thou shalt not be able to put off and desolation shall come upon thee suddainly that thou shalt not know So likewise Isa 30.10 You have them turned out of the way and verse 11. trusting in such perversenesse verse 12. and therefore iniquity saith God shall be to you as a breach swelling in an high wall ready to fall whose breaking forth commeth suddainly at an instant Oh! if it had not been so suddaine the people might have escaped out of the house So if they had not gone to Hell in such a moment such an unexpected moment they may imagine they would have prevented it But hee that is bewildred in the darke falls hee knowes not when Oh! firs if you might die of Consumptions which you say are fine repenting times if you might know of death some years before hand Oh! you think you would be ready then but this suddaine suddaine falling that you shall not know of whence or when it shall be yet it certainly shall be let this startle you In one word or two then from what I have this day been speaking Is it so that soules are usually so blind because of spirituall darknesse Vses of these generall considerations that they know not where they are whither they are a going what it is they stumble at and are also ready to fall they know not when Oh then First Admire the exceeding mery of the Lord that he should ever as at this day send a guide with a light in his hand unto thee so bewildred in the dark Luk. 1.78 79. Through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high hath visited us that 's Christ in the Gospell to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Oh! that was tender mercy indeed let it be tenderly accepted by you Secondly Let it be as carefully improved Let not an hard heart lose the sweetnesse of such tender mercy My Brethren Christ is come in the dark unto you into the Wildernesse he hath bruised himself and pricked his own feet yea even pierced them through in comming to you and that he might bring you a light and lead you into the way that you have lost Is it a small thing to you that he should appoint this and that man to shew you the way of salvation as they say Act. 16.17 if it be yet think it not a light matter that the light himselfe is come to bee your guide Christ is come into the darksome wildernesse of the wicked World and now take heed of loving your darkness rather then light for Jesus himself saith Joh. 12.35 36. Yet a little while the light is with you walk whilst you have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in the dark knows not whither he goes While ye have light believe in the light that you may be Children of the light Thus have you heard in some generall Considerations how bewildring spirituall darknesse is I shall conclude them with an Observation from the form of the expression Jer. 2.31 Have I been a Wildernesse to

Israel a land of darkness When ever Satan leads you into a Land of Darknesse he leads you therein into a Wildernesse Thus in the generall CHAP. XVIII Containes particular sorts of bewildring darknesse 1. Sort before conversion in six particulars Opened In particular Three sorts of bewildring darknesses BUt more particularly There are three sorts of soul-bewildring darknesses some before Conversion some in it some after it 1. Sort. Before Conversion 1. There are bewildring darknesses before Conversion that Satan improves to hinder the soule by from conversion Such as these 1. Stupidity and sottishness First The darknesse of sencelesse stupidity and sottish ignorance It may well be called darknesse and you know 't is a bewildring darknesse Isai 1.3 The Ox knows but Israel doth not know The bruit Beast knowes what 's good for it selfe but bruitish Men and Women doe not know You complaine of a sottish poore in your Towne that have no more sence of spirituall good then the stones of the streets that they tread upon and the blocks that they sit on You know that stocks and stones if they bee in the wildernesse there they stay there they lie they have no sense to remove themselves but Beasts if they be in the Wildernesse if danger approaches if the Lyon roars they have knowledge to runne for it to change their place posture and condition but miserable Men and Women can hear the voice of the Lord in his providence in his Word as the roaring of a Lyon and yet stay where they were and as they were and in the same posture they were in even in the Wildernesse of sinne still and this is the reason they are blockishly ignorant and stupid as to spiritual things Now unto what shall I liken the people of this Generation 't is even like unto Aegypt Exod. 10.21 23. There was a thick darknesse darkness that might be felt so that no man rose from his place for the time that that darknesse continued so there is thick darknesse upon these Spirits so that though they be in an Aegypt in a Wildernesse they stirre not because it is a Land of darkness wretched hearts that mind onely to day what they shall eate and what they shall drink and wherewith they shall be cloathed and perhaps scarce that but how to arise spiritually from the place they sit in the condition that their soules are in verily hereunto they have no knowledge and thus they sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Luk. 1.79 They sit in darknesse and though the shadow of death be there yet 't is darknesse and therefore they continue in it 1 Thes 5.5 6 7. We are not of darkness saith the Apostle therefore let us not sleep for they that sleep sleep in the night This is that night and that darkness you may know it by their sleepinesse When men are asleep you may speak in the roome and they heare not the Gospell the voice of God is in the midst of this sottish Generation but they are in the night in the dark and asleepe and therefore it is that they receive it not But unto such if there be any here let me tenderly speake as Paul Rom. 13.12 v. 11. Know ye the time that it is now high time to awake out of s●●p for the night is far spent and the day is at hand therefore cast off the works of darkness But if you will not let me tell you as the Father told those painted and spotted Ladies of his time that God would not know or acknowledge them for his Creatures in the Great day because he made them of another colour and without those Spots So may I and dare I say and you shall find it too true that God will not own your sottish hearts as his in the day of the Lord because hee made you intelligent and knowing soules and now the restitution of knowledge to you is tendred in the Gospell so that the day is come and the night is spent but you sit still in your places as they in the Aegyption darknesse Neither do I tell you this but God himselfe by the Prophet Isai 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour This is the first sort of Darkness and millions of them that are called the Christian World are bewildred by it I proceed to the 2ly The darknesse of inconsiderateness The second sort of Darknesse and that is Inconsideratenesse You have this with the other Isai 1.3 Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Many of them are so stupid that they know not and those that know doe not consider this is also a bewildring Darkness Read Job 34.24 25 27. He shall break in pieces mighty men without number And when shall hee doe it verse 25. He shall overturn them in the night and why doth he doe it verse 27. Because they turned back from him Note and would not consider any of his waies I have observed that very few either of the richest of all or poorest of all ever come to get out of the Wildernesse but it is a middle sort of persons what is the reason Why the very poore know not and the very rich care not they consider not they thinke the things of God are below their Cognizance although through Education their parts are sublimated to some knowledge Now this is here said of the Inconsiderate Great ones as was proved before of the bruitish poor ones that they also perish in the Dark in the night the are overturned verse 25. If Inconsideratenesse then be such a bewildring night of darknesse 't is no wonder that the Lord doth so perswade us to consider our works and waies and that Satan doth so designe to hinder us as Prov. 5.6 Lest thou shouldst ponder the way of life her waies are movable Oh! Satan cannot ●ndure that thou shouldst consider the way of life Hence also those Counsells Prov. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet c. Eccles 5.1 Keep thy feet c. and offer not the sacrifice of fooles for they consider not that they do evill 'T is want of consideration that makes soules to lose their footing their ground their way but ponder the path of thy feet and thy waies shall be established Prov. 4.26 So that inconsideratenesse is as Darknesse yea and it is a bewildring darknesse Let me perswade you therefore that are intelligent to one step forwarder I meane to be advised to ponder and lay to heart the things that you know belong unto your peace How many soules continue lost under the means of knowledge in the darksome wildernesse of inadvertency and non-consideration I have considered my waies and turned my feet into thy Testimonies Psal 119.58 And as for such as will not consider let them know First That though they consider not their owne waies yet they are considered for

8.5 Oh! it was a long time this last bout ere she could finde that which she had lost in a nights steep of sloth and security At first you see her at a loss chap. 3.1 and coming out of the wilderness ver 6. But now you must read from Chap. 5. to Chap. 8. before you heare of her coming up from the wilderness At first she comes up in full sense of her glory she is a perfumed Spouse Next bout she comes up in full sense of her infirmity she is now a leaning Spouse Th re was more sparkling flaming smoaking perfumes of joy before but more serious sober setled humility and dependance now Before she was more proud of her Beloved and lesse ashamed of her selfe But now how glad in her Saviour and yet how sad in her self Yea herein her heart although she lean and come up from the wilderness is ready still to faile because after she had tasted of his love she fell asleep And although she were out of the first Wilderness viz. that of the state of Condemnation yet fell into the second Wilderness even that drowsinesse of spirit after Conversion Therefore let not any poor heart among you for whose sake I have spoken all this say that it was never truly brought out of sin because it is now or hath been upon the wrack of new terrours because of its after-conversion drowsinesse or security Onely if ever thou be as no doubt thou wilt be brought out of the Wildernesse the second time covet rather to come out a leaning Spouse than a perfumed Spouse I mean rather desire to be kept low and in dependance by Grace than to be raised over-high by comfort Thus much of the first bewildring darknesse after Conversion as to the enjoyment of our comforts I would not let him goe chap. 3.4 That 's her language at her coming first out of the Wildernesse and 't is pretty high and confident but chap. 8.1 2. O that thou wert as my Brother I would lead thee and bring thee c. this is her Dialect at her second coming up from the second Wilderness here 's more humility and dependance CHAP. XXIII Two farther particulars dark providences on Gods part and backslidings on our parts darkning our comforts as also two particulars darkning our graces THe second sort of after-conversion darknesses is 2. Dark providences as to our outward man Darke Providences as to our outward man and hence we are many times bewildred and at a loss as to our inward As they that I spake of were found despairing before conversion so these repining after conversion if God lead us into a Land of seeming darknesse it will be to us a wildernesse Ier. 2.32 Surely saith the soul I have been but deluded in spirituals to think that God would save my soule for in naturals I am at a great straight and God doth not provide for my body If he loved me he would never keep me so low he would never so afflict me Now this is Darknesse for saith Divinitie If he should not afflict thee surely he doth not love thee Such a darke cloud of providence in Jobs outward Estate makes him at a loss for his inward hope Hear his language Iob. 19.8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot passe he hath set darknesse in my paths that 's the darknesse that I now speak of for vers 9. He hath Stript me of my glory and what of that why vers 10. Mine hope hath he removed when his outward glory his attyring glory for saith he He hath stript me is lost his inward hope is lost too because his enjoyment of earth is gone for the present he is at a losse for the hope of heaven c. And this is our very usual and bewildering darknesse to measure and account Gods inward love or hatred from what providentiall dealing outwardly is before us but no man knowes it thereby Eccle. 9.4 Gods chastisements then to Gods own children Gods chastisements on his Saints a cloud a dark cloud are Clouds so full of darknesse that they are often bewildred as to Gods Inward favour and the light of his countenance which they have sometimes accounted better then life that sun sets in this cloud A cloud it is and a dark one too under which without great wisdome from above we may sadly lose our selves as to our comforts But Gods chastisements to his people in their owne nature are and so doth God intend them onely as Israels Cloudy pillar in their Wildernesse 'T was very dark but verie usefull 1. For Protection 2. For Guidance But 1. A protecting Cloud 1. This is a darke but a protecting Cloud God makes those providences serve to keepe his Saints wherein they thinke they shall be lost what dark thoughts have many of the Saints of God had of that authoritie and power as if all should be undoubtedly lost under it which God hath made our protection hitherto crosse providences frequently keep us out of danger As when your child is crost in bringing of it in from under the horses heels or like danger in the streets It 's good for me saith David That I have been afflicted That is It would have been worse if it had not been so bad It 's better to be poor and godly then to be rich and proud by the dark cloud of poverty God protects them from the danger of pride and vanity c. 2. A directing Cloud 2. Gods chastisements are a darke but a guiding Cloud and such was that to Israel And my Brethren no matter how darke it be if God by it point thee to thy way this is the very use of Gods darkest dispensations to his deare ones Psa 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have learnt thy precepts No matter how black the Rod be by which thy guide points out thy way 3. Dark back-slydings 3ly The Third sort of bewildring darknesses after conversion are from our partiall apostacie and wretched back-slydings In this darke we lose our comforts No sooner doth Satan turne us aside but he bewilders us he turns us aside from holinesse and bewilders us as to comforts For my part I judge it impossible for any even for any Saint to maintaine spiritual comfort in turning aside to a carnal conversation If you will adventure into the dark of sinne you shall be lost sadly though not finally in the dark of sorrow Mich. 7.8 9. When I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will beare the indignation of God because I have sinned against him From hence you may observe thus much 1. That the back-slydings or fall of Saints shall not be unto death as the sinnes of the wicked I mean to death eternall 2. But yet if they will dare to sinne they shall find darknesse wherein they may fall 3. Yea and if they fall into sinne they shall sit that is continue

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

thanke God I am in a good thriving way a way that I and my friends like well and wherefore is it that you doe so question me Oh! but friend Where is thy soule all this while my soule againe Yea thy soule tell me truly dost thou know where thy soule is thou tellest me thy condition in respect of the world but what is thy soules condition and estate towards God I feare the most of you may be ready in heart to answer me as Cain answered being asked of God where his brother Abel was I know not saith Cain am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4.9 Where 's my soule I know not am I my Soules keeper I know I am the keeper of my Moneys and Means and I know where they are but where my soule is truly I know not if there be such a thing I never knew that I was the keeper of it Secondly Those that are bewildred in the dark 2ly The goe they know not whither they goe they know not whither Joh. 12.35 He that walketh in the dark knowes not whither he goes so 1 Jo. 2.11 He walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither be goes because the darknesse hath blinded his eyes So he that walks in the Works of darknesse knowes not whither he goes The way may seem right unto him as you have heard from Prov. 16.25 but what the end is knows he not for the end of those waies is death The young man Prov. 7. went he thought to a carved bed c. but indeed he knew not whither he went for he went as a bird that hastneth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life ver 23. So Drunkards drinke drunk and Swearers blaspheme and Cheaters cozen and Hypocrites dallie with and prophane ones trample upon the things of God and little do they know that all this is for damnation so Prov. 5.6 Her waies are moveable that thou canst not know them What doth not the Drunkard and Oppressor and Adulterer know his own way No he doth not neither can hee know them He knowes perhaps what they begin at but where they end he knows not whither they go he knows not because they are all of them in the darke Alas who knows the power of Gods wrath Psal 90.11 Who knowes the infinity of his justice who knowes how much sinne deserves or how much the sinner shall suffer Sirs then let me aske you this day and let your Consciences answer Whither away so fast sirs where are you going you that make such hast after your pleasures such hast to be rich where are you going to Hell or Heaven to God or the Devill Oh! where will you lye down at night where will you lodge when you come to dye you that are so hasty in your journey that you can't stay to bait at a Lecture where doe you think you shall lodge at night that you make so much hast now That 's a sad demand Isai 10.3 What will you do in the day of Visitation and where will you leave your glory saith God Sirs every ones master sinne is his glory yea though it be their shame it is yet that which they glory in as one in his Pride another in his unrighteous Mammon a third in his profusenesse c. Every Traveller upon the Road of this World hath a truss behind him of that which hee counts his glory but now let me aske you yea rather God demands of you and answer you him Oh! where will you lay downe your Truss at night Oh! where will you leave your glory You know where you tooke up your Honours and upon what termes you know where you took up your Estates and upon what termes whether with a good Conscience yea or no But oh where will you leave them leave them you must nothing more sure but where Why with my Sonne thinks one in such an Inheritance and with my Daughter thinks another in such a Portion Thus in their inward thought that their Houses shall continue for ever Psal 49.11 but verse 13. This their way is their folly thou fool thou neither knowst whither thy selfe nor they are a going In the darke thou hast taken them up in the darke thou shalt lose them in the darke it is that thou walkest and whither thou goest thou dost not know Oh! let this Querie bee a stop to your speedy course and post-hast in the darksome Wildernesse Often aske your selves this question when passion begins to get up or any other Corruption ô animula Quo vadis O my poore soule whither is it that thou art now a going Thirdly They that are bewildred in the darke 3ly They stumble they know not at what stumble at they know not what Joh. 11.9 If any man walke in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world verse 10. But if any man walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him And this you shall find expresly of sinne too Prov. 4.19 The way of the wicked is as darknesse they know not at what they stumble Tell a wicked man that hee gets a fall and a bruise by every sinne he knowes it not he 's not sensible of it I le mind you in a word or two of what you stumble at and tell me whether you have been sensible thereof or no I remember God saith Ezek. 3.20 If such a one sinne and I lay a stumbling block before him There 's not a sinner of you but God hath laid stumbling blocks before you and without all peradventure you have stumbled over them and yet I believe you have not known at what you have so stumbled I le instance therefore in two things 1. Instance Gods Works 2 His. Word God in his Works Christ in his Word First Dark soules and bewildred sinners 1. In Gods providence stumble at all Gods providences and it know it not I tell you you stumble over your very Tables which your bread stands upon over your very Beds that your bodies lye upon over your very Houses that you dwell in c. and this I feare you have not known Isai 5.12 They he speakes of rich voluptuous ones consider not Gods works nor the operations of his hands and what 's the reason verse 13. They are without knowledge i. e. they are in the dark and what of this Why they stumble and fall and sadly too so as to rise up no more for verse 14. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her selfe and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it Doe you think that joviall sinners think that Gods providences are such a stone of stumbling No they have no knowledge thereof There are some that fancie that Sunne Moon and Stars preach Christ I am farre from thinking that Creation or providence alone are enough to be a Jacobs Ladder to lead us up to Heaven but thus much I know that they

Let me plead with you let me earnestly exhort you as you love your soules and would not dye in your sinnes if Christ be a GUIDE to lean upon Him if Christ be a WAY to walke in him What saist thou poore lost soule that art lost indeed lost in thy selfe bewildred in thy selfe undone in thy selfe what wouldst thou have what seekst thou for saist thou Oh! I would have a Guide I seeke a Way Friend God hath provided behold both in one beloved Loe this I have searched and found it and so it is hear thou and know thou it for thy good 1. Christ is a Guide 1. Israels guidances were all Types of Christ as our Guide First Christ is the Guide take hold on him 1. Know That all the Guidances that Israel had of old to lead them out of that their Wildernesse were but Types of Christs spirituall guidance of lost soules out of the spiritual wildernesse of sin The principall guidances of the old Israel were the Pillar of Cloud the Angel Moses Aaron and Josuah 1. The Cloud The Pillar of Cloud you have historified in such language as plainly enough speaks this guidance and Christ in it Exod. 13.20 You find Israel in the wilderness and then it followes verse 21. And the Lord Christ went before them by daie in a pillar of Cloud there 's the Type to lead or guide them in the way this Pillar was to guide them as the Pillar of fire to enlighten them This Cloud is brought downe to Christ as a figure of Gospel-Baptism into him 1 Cor. 10.1 c. Here they are said to be under the Cloud and verse 2. they were baptized in the Cloud The Cloud an Old-testament-type and Baptism a New-testament-Ordinance goe together in this Text to shew that Christ and the Cloud went together in the other Text and by the rule of proportion as the Rock in the fourth verse is said to be a spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ so may I say that that Cloud that went before them was a spirituall Cloud and that Cloud was Christ 2ly The Angell Their next Guidance that I shall speake of is the Angel you have this mentioned and Christ in it Exo. 23.20 Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring or guide thee to the place which I have prepared for thee The language of the next words verse 21. speakes this Angel to be Christ being not to be attributed unto any mere Creature Beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon thine iniquities for my name is in him Therefore also is this Angell said to be their Saviour and he that saved them which was Christ alone is said to be the Angel of Gods presence Isai 63.9 This is the Angel that was in the Church in the Wildernesse who spake to Moses on Mount Sina and with our fathers Act 7.38 Farther That Moses and Aaron were their great Guides 3ly Moses and Aaron is expresly averred Psal 77.20 He led his people through the Wildernesse by the hand or guidance of Moses and Aaron And that they were manifest types is the great subject of the discourse of the Author to the Hebrewes Chap. 3. ch 5. ch 8. ch 9. c. Lastly That Josuah their last guide 4ly Josuah All these were guides to Israel and types of Christ who conducted them to Canaan is an eminent Type of Christs guidance appeares clearly from his Name the same with Jesus a Saviour his succession to Moses as Christ also came after the Law Rom. 8.3 His perfecting salvation for the people as Christ also saves to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 his leading them to the Land of Rest as Christ our Jesus is said doe Heb. 4.8 9 14 16. so that we may in our spiritual bewildrings have strong consolation could we leane upon Christ under the Types aforementioned could we studie him more and understand him better even under Old-testament-Representations So then wouldst thou have a Cloud to guide thee an Angell to goe before thee a Moses to lead thee a Josuah to bring thee into Canaan and dost not finde all these in Christ 't is either thy grosse ignorance or great unbeliefe wherefore beware of Christ and obey his voyce follow his guidance walke in his footsteps and leane on his Arme if ever thou intend to come up from the Wildernesse 2ly Christs guidance was the sum of the Covenant 2ly If you looke into the holy Covenant the Oath which God sware unto Abraham the mercy promised to our forefathers Luk. 1.72 73. And there finde your soules in the Wildernesse that I have spoken of in darknesse and in the shadow of death you shall also finde this to be the summe of the Covenant that Christ should thence GUIDE our feet in the way of peace v. 79. 3ly Christ was trained up in and acquainted with the Wilderness 3ly As Guides are as it were trained up in and made acquainted with the dangerous and difficult passages of perilous and desolate waies so was our Saviour as to all the windings of the Wildernesse of sinne Wherefore he that was given as you have heard before to be our Guide was led of the Spirit into the Wilderness I take it to be a materiall Wildernesse but it was that he might be tempted of the Devill Mat. 4.1 And in that Wildernesse he was forty daies tempted of the Devill Luk. 4.2 And in all that time was Christ learning out the various windings and entanglings of the waies of temptation and paths of sinne Satan shewes him the greennesse and pleasant places of the Wildernesse and glory thereof to entangle him Luk. 4. verses 5 6 7. Satan leads him from way to way and from turning to turning from pride and presumption verse 3. to covetousnesse and voluptuousnesse verse 6. from thence to selfe-murther and tempting of God verse 9. from sinning against Scripture to sinne with authority from Scripture verse 10. because Christ urg'd Scripture against him And though the History be but short yet were these viewes of the Wildernesse so long that it seemes our Saviour had a full sight of all the Wildernesse but never was bewildred in any part of it for had he been so we had been lost to all eternity Wherefore when the Apostle had beene comparing our state to Israels in the Wilderness Heb. 3. and 4. he leads us to Christ as our guide ch 4.14 and assures us for our comfort that he was viz. in the dayes of his temptation in the wilderness in all points marke that tempted like as we are yet without sinne and so you have both together in one Scripture Heb. 4.15 Fourthly For that very end was Christ thus trained up as it were in 4ly To the end he might be able to lead us out of the Wildernesse and acquainted for some time with this wildernesse that he might be a sutable and