of the Dispensations of GOD AND OF The pertinent Duties and Comforts of His PEOPLE in these Times WITH A Preface of the fulness of Scriptur sufficiency for Answering all Cases Hosea 9. 10 I found Israel like Grapes in the Wilderness Jer. 2 2. I Remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wantest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sowen Numb 33 1. These are the journeyes of the Children of Israel which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron 2 Verse And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeyes by the Commandment of the Lord and these are their journeyes according to their goings out 1 Epistle of John 1 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you Written in the Wilderness Edinburgh Printed by George Mosman and are to be Sold at his Shop in the Parliament-Close Anno Dom. 1692. THE PREFACE THE Jews have a Tradition of that Manna wherewith God fed Israel in the Wilderness fourtie years that the taste thereof was such and so various that it answered every mans Appetit and tasted to him of whatsoever food his soul desired And look how uncertain is that Jewish Tradition of the materiall Manna that was gathered off the Earth for the space of fourty years in the Wilderness of the land of Egypt So certain is this Christian Truth of the Spiritual Manna the word of God that bread of Heaven that Angels food wherewith God feeds his Church in all ages successively and every Child of his House the Israelite indeed respectively throughout the whole course of their life and travel in the World which is the great Wilderness that it hath in it a real supply of all their necessities and hath always in it a word in season to all persons at all times and in every condition To the Dead it is life to the living it is health to the weary it is refreshment to the weak it is strength to Babes it is milk to strong men it is meat to the hungry it is bread to the thirsty it is waters To the drooping soul and sorrowful heart it is wine to the faint it is apples and Pomegranats cinnamon safron spiknard Calamus and all spices of the merchant To such who love dainties it is marrow and fatness honey of the rock and droping from the honey-comb to the wounded it is the balme of Gilead to the blind and weak sighted it is eye salve and oyntment to annoint the eyes To such neat souls as love to be all Glorious within and to keep clean Garments it is a Crown chains of the neck braceless ear-rings pendents and Ornaments of all sorts and if they like to be in fashion and to go fyne in the court of a Heavenly Conversation and communion with God it presents them a bright large glass whereat they may dayly adorn themselves to purpose This Glass is no falsifying nor multiplying Glass but a just discovering and directing one here are also discovered not only all the obliquities of gesture and faults of feature and all spots upon the face or cloaths but likwise the very in most thoughts and intents of the heart with the most subtile imaginations of the mind are here manifested Here ye are directed to sit all your Soul-ornament in the fynest spiritual fashion and to compose your gestur and order your motion so as you may be able to stand in the presence of him who is greater than Solomon This large bright Glass doth stand in King Solomons bed-Chamber in the Pook of Canticles and in it you may see your self from head to foot There ye see the head beautiful with locks Cantic 4 There ye see the sweet comly Countenance of the Saint which the Lord is so much in love with that he is in continual desire to see it there you see those eyes that ravish his heart and so throughout even to the feet that are very beautiful with shooes Chap. 7. 1. For such as are destitute and unprovided the word of God is a portion to the poor it is Riches of treasure of choice Silver and fine Gold Here is that which dispelleth darkness cleareth doubts dissolveth hardness dissappointeth fears dischargeth cares solaceth sorrows and satisfieth desires Here is counsel and strength for peace and war Here is daily intelligence from Heaven And in a word here is the best Companion that ever a soul did choose And blessed they who can spiritually tone that short but high note Psal. 119. 98. Thy Commandments are ever with me And that they are not with the soul as a burden of idle attendants are with a man see what good offices they perform by their presence Prov. 6. 22. 23. They are as Hobab to Israel and David to Nabal Eyes and a Guard to us in the Wilderness In the World and chiefly in this World we change seats and Societies we shift conditions and habitations we go thorow the Wilderness of Baca from troop to troop we are driven from Temple Altar and Oracle and we are divided from our relations and dearest acquaintance whom we loved as our own Soul we are spoiled of our Companions with whom we took sweet counsel and went into the house of God But blessed that Soul who in all this can say I am not alone my good old friend the word of God the Bible the guide of my Youth hath not yet forsaken me it is with me yea it is in me in the midst of my heart and I bear about me daily a living coppy of those livly Oracles and they are more near me than my very self for my heart is within me and they are within my heart I may be separated from my self by death that parts the dearest Friends my heart may be pluckt from my breast and my Soul dislodged of my Body but my Companion the word of God and me shall nothing part Prosperity shall not cause me forget it And adversity will not cause it forget me I will never forget thy Precepts for with them thou hast quickned me Psal. 119. 93. As those who live upon the shoar have a very just diall of the measure and motion of the water which they can make use of without the sun so are the ebbings and flowings of our affections to the word of God the surest most universall and constant witnesses of our daily condition for albeit the darkness that is upon the face of our Souls may pretend that it is night with us yet if it be full sea in our affection to the word of God we may be sure it is noon day and when it is low water in our affection to the word sure then it is mid night and the sun was never seen at mid night Be sure it is ill with that Soul that is out of conceit with the word of God Now to say nothing of the malignant qualities of gross ignorants prophane
Word Remember whereby they referr particulars to him who is able to do abundantly above all that they are able either to ask or think David sayeth remember me Ieremiah sayeth remember me Hezekiah and Nehemiah say remember me and Augustine sweetly rendereth Psal. 8. 4. ver Domine quid est homo nisi quia memor es ejus Lord what is man but that thou art mindful of him And happy he whose name is written in that Book of Remembrance that is before the Lord Mal. 3. 16. And when each man comes to be rewarded malicious opposers of reformation and profane corrupters of Religion and the Covenant of the priesthood may readily come to be remembred Chap 6 14 and 13. 29. 2. In his retreat he goes off with an eye to himself Remember me c. The Ruler who would make a honourable retreat and come fair off would look to 5 Things chiefly that concern himself 1. His conscience Can he say with Nehemiah chap. 5. 19. Remember me O my God for good according to all that I have done for this People and chap. 13. 14. Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds and I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof Or with Hezekiah 2 King 20. 3. I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Or with Samuel 1 Sam. 12 3. I have walked before you from my Child-hood to this day behold here I am witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose ox have I taken or whose ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you Or if in any thing as a man he hath erred for that he must say to God with Nehemiah chap. 13 22. Remember me O my God and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy A good conscience is a strong comforter but Gods sweet and tender mercies are the sinners last refuge and sure salvation and it is Bellarmines own Conclusion Tutius tamen est adherere Christs Justitiae And if so why should unhappy men so voluminously dispute against their own mercy Psal. 119. 77. Let thy tender mercys come unto me that I may live was the suit of the man according to Gods heart the pattern of Rulers And truely this Generation would be advised to amend their manners before they change their Religion lest under the gilded large net of Popery by the Doctrine of merits they be involved and held in the inextricable grin of desperation Or if indulgence and pardon in end must do it what ails them at Gods which is infinitly better than the Popes and incompareably surer beside that it is manifestly cheaper But for the Conscience of a Ruler who can say with Titus that darling of mankind Non extare ullum suum factum Paeniteneum excepto duntaxat uno 2. His soul The Soul and Conscience are of such affinity that he who destroyes the one cannot save the other And what doth it profit a man though he should gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul The soul is the man and he hath got his prize who gets that for a Prey The end of our faith is the salvation of our souls Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live and it shall praise thee was the rare and suit of that excellent Ruler And what a pitty is it to see a Ruler upon a retreat from the World and from the Body going off with such a amentable Dirgie as did Adrian the Emperour in Aelius Spartianus Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque eorporis Quananc abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nee ut soles dabis â—ocos Or with such a hideous rage as Tiberius in Sueâ—onius like one speaking out of Hell Du me Deaeque ejus perdant quam quotidie perire sentio 3. His fame and memory a matter that highly concerneth the Ruler as in the last view shall be showen more fully â— His posterity natural or politick 5. His Works both which are expressed together in that Prayer of Moses the man of God Psal 90. 16 17. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy Glory unto their Children and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it The good Ruler not like the Ostrich which God hath deprived of wisdom neither hath he imparted to her understanding that is hardned against her young ones as though they were not hers her labour is in vain without fear Iob 39. 16 17. This regard to the work of God and to the good of posterity made Moses record his Song Deut. 31 and 32. and moved him to bless the People chap. 33. This moved Ioshua to make a Covenant chap. 24 25. This begot in David such a desire to build house unto the Lord. This made Hezekiah weep bitterly that the begun Reformation was like to cease by his death This incited Paul that great Church Ruler so zealously to warn and guard thâ— believers against what should happen after his departure This made Moses and David before the death so carefully give charge to their successor concerning their duty This moveth all men naturally at their death to leave their Counsel and Blesing to their posterity And finally this induceth good Rulers in their time to establish good Ordinances by which being dead they may speak to posterity 3. Like Moses he makes his retreat with a respect to the recompence of reward Remember me O my God for good And that boâ— proposed in the promise 2 Sam. 23. 5. He hath made with mean everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire Or pledged in the testimony of a good Conscience 2 King 20. 3. Remember O Lord how I have walked before theâ— in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is right in thy sight He who can say with Iob My witness is in Heaven and my record on high may justly say with Isaiah my work is with the Lord and my reward with my God For surely there is an end and the expectation of the righteous shall not be cutt off Now by these last words of the Tirshatha the Ruler would be warned in time to think of his retreat how he may make it good with honour For whether slow footed Time which changeth not his pace for fair weather or foul for Summer or Winter advance at the ordinary rate of Journey or whether death take post or changes take wing and calamity come suddenly or whether all these hold the ordinary road with
Lord that I cannot suffer and therefore will allure her Behold I will allure her She forgot me and could not tell wherefor except it was for my indulgence and that I spilt her with too much kindness as it is written for my love they are my enemies And I will pursue her love and follow her for her heart I will allure her and I will tell her wherefore not Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Be ashamed and be confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel Ezek. 36 32. But I will not tell her wherefore but so it must be therefore I will allure her and if my former kindness and indulgence was a fault for the Prosperity of fools destroyes them Prov. 1. 32. that shall be mended I will bring her into the Wilderness For she is so wild that I must tyne her before I win her I must kill her before I make her alive I must loose her before I find her I must cast her down before I comfort her And therefore I will bring her into the Wilderness and I will speak comfortably unto her All this we are willed to Behold Therefore Behold c. In the words then we have these four things distinctly so be considered 1. The Note of observation Behold 2 The intimation of the Churches condition I will bring her into the Wilderness 3. The Lords great design upon his Church in this and all his Dispensations to her I will allure her which rules all the vicissitudes of her divers Lots as means depending in a due Subordination upon this high end whereinto they are â—ll to be resolved as into the last cause and reason This great design of God upon his People is as the Principles and fundamental propositions of Sciences which prove all particular conclusions whilst themselves only remain unproven by infeâ—ence as being received by evidence of all that â—re but acquaint with the terms For if it be asked wherefore God will afflict his Church and bring her into the Wilderness The answer is because he will allure her And wherefore will he comfort her Because he will allure her He must have her heart as I said before But if it be asked and wherefore will he allure her What sees he in her That thus he should Court her for her Kind ness That must answer it self that is the therefore that hath no wherefore but. Even so Lord for so it pleases thee 4. I shall consider the juncture and coincidency of her Afflictions and his Consolations I will bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her Therefore behold FRom the first thing then the Note of Observation we have this Doctrine That it is our Duty and a weighty one well to consider the Lords wayes with his People and his Works towards them Therefore behold c. When God bids us behold it is sure we shall have something worthy of the seeing Now that this is a concerning Duty seriously to observe the Lords works and wayes towards his People is confirmed By these three things from the Scripture The 1. is Scripture Commands to this purpose such as the many Beholds that the Lord either prefixes or annexes to his works whereof we have one in this place and Psal. 37. 37. We are commanded to mark and behold the end both of the upright and of the transgressours And to the head of commands because I love not to multiply things without great necessity I refer all these things that are proper pertinents and pendicles of a command 1. Exhortations such as Ier. 2. 31. O generation see ye the word of the Lord. 2. complaints and expostulations such as Isai 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see 3. Promises such as Hosea 6. 3. Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know the Lord c. 4. Threatnings such as Psal. 28. 5. because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up with Psal. 50. 22. Consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver 5. Commendations such as Psal. 107 43. whoso is wise and will observe these things c Hosea 14. 9. And he that was a wise man and a great observer tells us Eccles. 2 14. that the wise mans eyes are in his head 6. We have also Discommendations and Exprobrations wherewith the Lord upbraids such as observe not his works and ways Isai 42. 18. they are deaf and blind that will not see yea Ieremy 4 22. calls them Sottish and the Psalmists call them Bruits Psal 92 6. So then by the command of God which is the undoubted determiner of Duty it is a necessary concerning duty to observe the Lords works and ways towards his People The 2d thing that confirmes the point is this That the Works of God are wrought before his People for that very end that they may observe them and he makes his ways known to men that all men may observe him take but one pregnant place for this Isai 41 20. That they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy one of Israel hath created it The Holy one of Israel is no Hypocrite and yet he doth all his works to be seen of men The third thing that confirmes the point is the usefulness of the works of God There is never a work of God but it hath some excellent instruction to men that will observe them every work hath a word in its mouth There is something of use in every one God speaks no idle words every word of God is pure yea his words are like Silver tryed in the furnace seven times there is no dross nor refuse in the Bible the light of Israel and his Holy One works no unfruitful works like the works of darkness Gods works of Providence are an inlargement and continuation of his first piece of Creation and if the first edition of his works was all very good perfect and unreproveable how excellent to all admiration must the last edition be after so many But who is wise to understand these things and prudent to know them who hath these two useful volumes of the word and works of God bound in one and so makes joynt use of them in their dayly reading But howbeit many are unlearned and to many the book be sealed yet there are rare things in the book So then since the works of God are so useful it concerns us to observe them as things tending even as also they are intended to our great advantage And upon this very useful consideration we will find our selves obliged to observe seriously the Lords works and ways to his People except we can answer that question wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom seeing he hath no heart
up the most distinct and audible voices in a confused insignificant sound But in Affliction as in a Wilderness the stillest whisper of a voice is soon discerned and seriously attended to Likwise i◠prosperity as in a plentiful City or Country men enjoy all things and esteem nothing but in Affliction as in a Wilderness wanting all or many things they account the more of any thing In a Word the Lord in the Wilderness and by Affliction is tuneing his People to Obedience that he may bring them forth singing the Songs of Deliverance Gods commands and his mercies will have another kind of lustre and relish to a Soul coming out of a sanctified Wilderness Formality in Religion with much vanity and many superfluities wait but too well upon Prosperity but the cold wind of the Wilderness bloweth these all away and strengthens the vital heat of the inward man and makes solk more Religious than formerly with less noise and adoe Prosperity is an unthankful Piece for readily the more it receives the less it accounts of what it receives and as a full Soul loaths the honey comb with a fastidious insolency it thinks and by falsely thinking truely makes abundance of mercy a very misery but as to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet the Wilderness and an afflicted lot blessed of God will give a man a good stomach for a piece of the bread of Adversity and a Cup of the cold water of Affliction and will teach him to say Grace to it thus I am less than the least of all thy mercies Genes 32 10. So said Iacob when he was coming from his twenty years travels in the Wilderness of his Afflictions in Padan Aram. Prosperity extenuates sanctified Adversity aggravates mercies to it any thing less than Hell is a mercy Lament 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed to it any mercy is a great Mercy a great mercy is an extraordinary one and an extraordinary is a marvelous incomprehensible one Prosperity counts its mercies by Subtraction it will take its Bill with the unjust Steward and for a hundred it will write fourscore and for fourscore it will write fifty But in the Wilderness men learn to cast up their Mercies by Multiplication with the help of Division in the same place cited Lament 3. 22. That we are not consumed to some might seem but one mercy and that a poor one too yea but the lamenting Prophet finds mercies in that mercy And truely the mercies of the Lord are homogeneous things whereof every part hath the Nature and Denomination of the whole as every drop of water is water so the least piece of any Mercy is Mercy and the afflicted humble thankful Soul loves to anatomize and diffect the Lords Mercies into parts as Physicians do humane bodies that they may informe themselves the better of the number and nature of the parts and of the frame and structure of the whole The 136 Psalme hath this common with those Mercies which it recounts that there is more in it than every one can see This only to my purpose everyone may see how the Psalmist tells out the Lords Mercies by parts and insists upon one and the same Mercy to shew that every part of it is a Mercy and that as all the rest derived from the underived uncreated unexhaustible and ever runing fountain of the Lords Mercy that endures for ever Prosperity like the Widow and her Sons in the matter of the oil loses and comes short of many Mercies for want of the vessels of faithful accounts and thankful acknowledgments The Saint in the Wilderness as the Disciples in a desart place obeys Christs Frugal command it gathers up the remaining Fragments of mercies that nothing be lost and with those it fills whole baskets As by the blessing and miraculous Power of Christ the broken meat after that Dinner whereat so many thousands were well filled was more than that which at the first was set down whole O! but it is good holding house with Christ It is good to have our portion be otherwise what it will with his presence and Blessing and to have it coming thorow his hands And as the power of divine contentment can make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the half more not the whole so the Wilderness will teach the People of God the mystery of improving Mercies to make the increase more than the stock This as the rest of divine Arts is best profest in the Wilderness and therefore it is that the Lord sends so many of his most hopeful Children thither to be bred and there they are continued till the 〈…〉 past their Course and taken their Degrees and then they return Masters of the Arts able to teach others and to comfort them with the same comforts wherewith they themselves were comforted of Christ. 2 Cor. 1. 4. 4. The Lord brings his People into the Wilderness that he may lead them by and deliver them from that which is worse Exod. 13. 17 18. And it came to pass when Pharoah had let the People go that God led them not thorow the way of the land of the Philistins though that was near for God said lest peradventure the People repent when they see war and they return to Egypt but God led the People about thorow the way of the Wilderness of the red sea The Lord prepares his People a place in the Wilderness from the fury and persecutions of men Rev. 12. 6. And albeit before I called Persecution one of the parts of a Wilderness-Condition yet I would have it understood that every one that comes into the Wilderness is not led thorow all the Wilderness nor made to see all the evils thereof nor do all Afflictions tryst upon every afflicted person for often times God makes one a mean to prevent and escape another even as in the case in hand the Lord sends sometimes his People to enjoy Davids and Ieremys wishes in the Wilderness that so they may be ridd of ill neighbours for we say in the Proverb Better be alone than in ill Company And likwise the Lord by bringing his People into the Wilderness delivers them from the contagion and vexation of the sins of those with whom they conversed aforetimes Albeit the Wilderness as I before said be a place of temptation yet the Lord by some one tentation which his People can better guide many times leads them out of the way of some other one or moe which might be of more hazard to them Surely it is no small mercy to be out of the way when tentations are marching thorow all the land in solemn procession and they cry before them bow the knee and when the wicked walk on every side who but the viles◠men Psal. 12 8. would covet the preferment of the midst And would not any person of a Holy breath prefer a Cottage in a well aired Wilderness to the foul winds and corrupt infectious air of these plaguy
as thou livest and as thy soul liveth I will not do this thing It is time our loins were girded our shoes were on our sect our staff in our hand and our stuff and provision upon our shoulder for we must to the Wilderness and what if we go out in haste It is good to be in good Company it is better if Moses had any skill to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. 25. They who will not suffer with the people of God may suffer with worse Company They who will not go forth with Lot unto the mountains may possibly sit still till they get brimstone and fire from Heaven and the smoak of Sodom about their ears for he that will save his life unlawfully shall loss it unhappily and he that will loss his life in Resolution may find it in Reality Even as a man doth in stepping of a Ditch with any thing that is either of weight or worth to him his Clock his Case of letters or Papers of concernment his heavy purse or the like lest he loss and indamnage himself and them both he casts all over before him and so coming over with the less trouble he lifts all again upon the other side and so losses nothing of that which he cast away but that he might keep it and himself both whereas if he had kept all about him he might have lost himself and all together but all is not ost that is in peril Let us then with chearfulness turn our face towards the Wilderness The second Use shall be for Information to all such of the Lords People as are either upon their way to the Wilderness or are already arrived there they would not think strange of such a condition it has been it is and it will be the lot of the Lords Children Cant. 8. 5. the high way to Christs mountain of Myrrh and hill of frankincense lyes thorow the Wilderness and there he comes forth to meet them and leads them up in his bosome leaning upon his own arms There doth no strange thing befall the Saints when the Lord brings them into the Wilderness for even as Moses Exod. 3. 1. led his flocks into the backside of the desart and was not that a presage of what followed when he led Israel as a flock through the Wilderness so doth the Lord oft times with his People albeit the Wilderness is a solitary unfrequented place where no foot of man cometh yet in it you may take up and trace the footsteps of the Lords flock who through much tribulation have entred into the Kingdome of God and there ye may follow them who through faith and patience have inherited the promises The Saints will find the footsteps of the flock in their greatest Wilderness and may be helped with the light of precedent Examples in their greatest darkness For now that the Lord through so many ages hath led his Saints to Heaven by so many different paths of Dispensations for there is but one common road of Religion the Kings high Way I doubt there is any untroden path remaining to be discovered by this Generation I only fear one difference which makes indeed a great odds in lots be found betwixt our case and the case of those that have gone before us and it is this That they were better men in as ill times for worse I would none But in that I pray whom shall we blame and know we not how that should be helped See that ye walk circumspectly as wise and not as fools redeeming the time because the days are evil Eph. 5. 15 16. If ill times find no good men let ill times make good men and good men will make good times or els bad times shall make good men better But of the Parity of cases I said much in the Preface The Third Use of the point shall be for Direction bsince the People of God may thus expect to be rought into the Wilderness it concerns them to take their directions for the Wilderness for our direction in such a condition I shall without insisting briefly hint at some things I to be avoided 2 dly some things to be endeavoured Things to be avoided by such as are brought into the Wilderness are I Unbelief Psal. 78. 22 23. the Israelites believed not God in the Wilderness and therefore he was provoked Heb. 3. 18 19. the Apostle tells us expresly that those who believed not their carcasses fell in the Wilderness and for their unbelief they could not exter into the land of promise 2 Discouragment would be avoided Numb 14. 1. the People through Discouragment cryed and weept for the report that the spyes gave them and frequently els-where they expressed their Discouragement upon the emergency of every new difficulty their cry was always that they should die in the Wilderness and in that they read their own fortune Numb 14. 28. for the Lord was provoked for their unbelief and other sins to do to them as they had said Beware of Unbeliefs bode-words for like the Devil's responses their accomplishments are always evil to those that take them In all the World I know no such ready way to Apostacy and utter forsaking of God as Discouragment Experience hath said so much to confirme this that I shall not need to bring reason into the field But this I must say have the experience of Discouragment who will they have it to their expences And if I were to die I would leave Discouragment this testimony that it is dear bought misery 3. Avoid Murmuring fretting discontentment with the Lords Dispensations with complaints of his unkindness Numb 14 2. all the Children of Israel murmured and Chap. 6 42. they murmured against Moses and Aaron But Moses could tell them what are we that ye speak against us nay but your words are against the Lord yea and Numb 21. 5. it is expresly said the People spoke against God and against Moses And still their tune was wâ—y have ye brought us up out of Egypt Just like many in our Generation why say they your Reâ—ormation your Covenant and your Ministers have served you well but verily their words are against the Lord for we owne his name in these and glorify him whom they dishonour When the Children of Israel murmured in the Wilderness they had forgotten how once they groaned because of their oppression in Egypt and in that they may be more excusable than we for the Red sea had ridd perpetual marches betwixt them and their oppressours but we get not leave to forget our oppression in the times of our former subjection to them who derive their power from her who is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Revel n. 8. I mean Prelats who are indeed the house of the Elder brother but fallen back for that they have come short of the blessing and now hold of the Pope the younger who hath supplanted them handsomely and got betiwxt
them and the Birth-right so that now the Elder serves the Younger those I say pursue even to the Wilderness according as it is prophesied Rev. 12. where John saw the Dragon pursue the travelling woman into the Wilderness 4. We would beware of Tempting God Psal. 106. 14. they tempted God in the desart and what that temptation was see Psal. 78. 18. 19. 20. They limited the Lord and said can God furnish at able in the Wilderness can he give bread also can be provide flesh for his People whatever our temptations be in a Wilderness though we should fast till we be as Hungry as Christ was in the Wilderness yet let us learn of him not to tempt the Lord by limiting him to ordinary means since it is writen that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God neither let us rashly nor presumptuously cast our selves into any needless difficulty nor cast our selves down from a pinacle of the Temple for that again it is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Just thoughts of God and these are large ones would fit the Saints with a present help in all imaginable difficulties Psal. 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble 5. We would beware of unmortified imperitus clamorous lusts Psal. 106. 14. They lusted exceedingly in the Wilderness and Psal. 78. 18. â—hey sought meat for their lust God had given meat for themselves but they must have meat for their lasts also Truely he had need have a good rent that would keep a table for his lusts for lust is so ill to satisfy that albeit one World serves all the men in the World yet all the World will not satisfy the lust of one man of the World Witness â—e who weept that there were not moe Worlds to conquer But he who must have his lust as soon served as himself that man is not for the Wilderness I shall advise all that are brought into the Wilderness to do with their lusts as Moses did with his Wife and Children when he went with Israel into the Wilderness send them back dismiss them for fear they make more adoe Solomon prefers the Wilderness to the Company of a clamorous angry Woman in a wide house but how miserable must he be who lives in Company with those scolding wretches his craving clamorous lusts even in the Wilderness 6. We would be ware of Apostacy and turning back unto Egypt Numb 14. 4. They said one to another let uâ— make a Captain and let us return into Egypt And verse 3. Were it not better for 〈◊〉 say they to return into Egypt Whatever we meâ—â— with in the Wilderness or whatever may be before us O let us never think of going back into Egypt Luk. 17. 32. Remember Lots wife Remember Heb 10. 38. that the just shall live by faith but if any moâ— draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him sa it the Lord Remember as I have said even now we find our Egypetan oppression more grievos than ever Now for positive Directions and things to bâ— indeavoured by all that are brought into the Wilderness take these 1. And before all we would labour for the Pardon of sin and the presence a reconciled God This was Davids great suâ—â— Psal. 79 8. O Remember not against us former inquities but let thy tender mercies speedily prevent uâ— for we are brought very low and in the 9 verse he us O Lord for the honour of thy name and purge away our sin And over and again in the 80 Psalme as in many others his request is make thy face to shine upon us Moses was very peremptory in this for Exod. 32. 32. he says and now if thou wilt forgive this sin if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written and in the 33. Chapter 15 verse he adds if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence Unpardoned guilt and an unreconciled God will be very uncomfortable Company in a Wilderness 2. As Moses in the Wilderness Numb 13. we would spy the good land that is before of the twelve that were sent only two Ioshua and Caleb were faithful in their report Moses himself trusted their Relation and put them on to pacify the clamorous People Faith and Hope are the two only faithful spies that will be sure to give such a report of their Discoveries as may both confirme Believers and compose the tumults and quiet the clamours of unbelieving spirits This was it that sustained the Apostles without fainting in all their Afflictions this was the star that guided them thorow their Wilderness 2 Cor. 4. 18. We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen In our way through the Wilderness we would raise our estimations of Heaven thither we would direct our expectations and thence we would derive our sure consolations we would see if the spies can bring us down now and then a branch of the Grapes of the Land for our refreshment and if our Father will honour us with a present of the first fruits of our inheritance or a Cup of the new Wine of the Kingdome that we may as we use to speak Remember him in the Wilderness Psal. 116. 13. that we may take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. In the History of Israels travesl Exod. 19 2 we read that when they came to the desart and pitched in the Wilderness they encamped before the Mount and Moses in the 3d verse went up unto God We would so order our camp in the Wilderness as that we may be always within sight of the mount We would labour in all our wanderings to keep a clear sight of Heaven and to have our head within the clouds as it is said of Moses Exed 24. 18 Moses went into the midst of the cloud and got him up into the mount 3. The People of God in the Wilderness would remember much both what God hath done formerly to his People in the like condition and what he hath promised to do for these that afterwards shall come into it Albeit the Scripture generally all over aboundeth with matter to this purpose yet for the first what God hath done recommend specially the four last books of Moses which are an exact journal of Israels travels in the Wilderness for the latter what he hath promised to do read the 35 Chapter of Isatah throughot with Chap. 41. from verse 16. to 22. with 42 1â— with 49. 9. 10. 11. 12. with 61. to the 9. with 6 24. 25. See Ier. 12. 10. 11. 14. and to the enâ— with Jer. 23 to thè 5. See Ezek. 34. throughout Psal. 107. to the 9. with this 2 d chap. of 〈◊〉 throughout all these as I said not to exclude other places which may be obvious to those that are better versed in Scripture I do Recommend 4. In the Wilderness we would be much
Faith had got footing his Affections were to seek The Case is common and too well known to the People of God In Preaching Hearing Reading Meditating Praying Praising or any other Duty of our Life the Affections oft times do not answer But Grace hath a skilful hand and is a Musician so expert that if the Tenor of the Will be but well set and the Base of Godly sorrow record well ordinary failings in the other parts shall not be much discerned 4. The inward power of Grace making outward Motives effectual consists in a Cheerful Ready Motion of the Locomotives and an actual up-stiring of all that is in a man by an Act Elicitive of the Imperated Acts of the Understanding Will and Affections So the Schools express it But to speak plainly it is Grace causing us to perform indeed and with our Hand that which it hath caused us to know will and Love with our Heart For sayes the Apostle It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Philip. 1. 13. And if Grace assist not in this as well as in the rest this to do may make much adoe and cause even an Apostolick Spirit have a hard pull of Duty Rom. 7. 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not And by this their defectiveness and short coming in the point of doing the best of Saints may be convinced that of themselves they fall as far short in the other points and that it they cannot go the least step without Christs hand holding them up they could far less have walked the whole length of their Duty The Apostle's inference is remarkable to the purpose I know sayes he that in me that is in my 〈◊〉 dwelleth no good thing for to perform that which is good I find not albeit that to will is present with me So that he who of himself cannot do neither of himself can he know will or love that which is good Fail in one fail in all This consideration of it self may refute the whole and half Pâ—â—agian Popish Lutheran and Arminian Crotâ—hets in the point of Grace And this shortly is the method of Graces work Converting a Soul and alluring a Sinners heart The Understanding sayes Gods will is true the Will sayes it is good the Affections say it is sweet the Practice and whole Man sayes it is done Thy will he done and if it be thy will to save me and have me to thy self then Lord I am thine save me for I seek thy Precepts Psal. 119. 94. But in the Natural Birth we know not how the Bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child far less can we reach to Perfection the Mystery of Regeneration and if we know not the time when the wild Goats of the Rock bring forth nor can mark when the Hindes do Calve how shall we be able to Cast the Nativity of the Sons of God For Iohn 3. 8. The Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit If we know not the way of a man with a maid Prov. 30. 19. how short may we well be judged to have come in our Accounts of the Lords method of courting and making Love to the Souls of his People and yet we are instructed from the Word of God to give of all these an account sufficient to Salvation with all necessary instruction and comfort And the like account the Saints are to expect from the Spirit of God which searcheth all things even the very deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Use of this point I dispatch in these few words of Instruction 1. We are taught from this that sinners naturally are very untoward and untractable to that which is good they must be allured enticed and as it were beguiled and deceased unto that which is equally there Duty and Mercy Ier 20. 7 O Lord thou hast deceaved me and I was deceaved 2 Cor. 12. 16. The Apostle who was as a deceaver and yet true being crafty caught the Corinthians with guile It is indeed a pia fraus a Godly beguile to beguile a Soul to Heaven and to God I wish moe were thus beguiled and that many such deceavers may enter into the World nor can I say in this deceit whether the deceiver iâ— the Honester Man or the deceived the Happier 2. This teacheth Ministers the Art of Preaching They must be both serious and dexterous as friends of the Bridgroom and Ambassadors for Christ they must be so well acquaint with the laws of love as to be able a Divine blessing concurring to allure the wildest and most froward Soul A Minister would be a Seraphick lover one of the order of Peter Peter lovest thou me Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Peter feed my lambes feed my sheep If our way with sinners be not the most taken way let it be the most taking way and so we shall not mistake the way Many Ministers are but cold Suters for Christ and why they are troubled with an error of the first concoction they erre concerning the end they seek their own things and not the things of Christ they serve not our Lord Jesus but there own belly they eat the fat and cloath themselves with the wooll but they feed not the flock put them to tryal and it will be found they cannot read the Bible they lisp like the men of Ephraim for Shibboleth they say Sibboleth give them but to read that short text 2 Cor. 12. 14. they read it I seek not you but yours and if they read right I seek not Yours but You they are the greatest of lyars In a word they are like many in our days and those are even like them who court the fortune more than the person in this age a rich man needs not want Children let him make Images of his Silver and these shall not want matches such who for their generosity deserve as often they get the reward of a silver crucifix But as he that findeth a wife though he find her in her shirt findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord Prov. 18. 22. So he that winneth Souls though he win not a penny with them is wise Prov. 11. 30. Truely the alluring way of preaching is ars longa a thing not soon learned but where God doth give the tongue of the learned This art hath many precepts which I am fitter to be taught than to teach and till God send the time of teaching I take this for the time of learning who are these that come up from the Wilderness both better men and better Ministers 3. We see this in the point That Religion is an alluring thing It deservs to be written in Gold Lord write it upon my heart it hath that in it which may abundantly