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
publick and precious interest spiritual and civil let my Text teach you to cease from Mere Man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is hee to be accounted of It cannot bee that God should do much by any of us for one another whilst wee make Idols one of another the Lord is God and it is his glory to have all your dependencies upon himself and hee will not give his glory to another There is not one way for a soul and another way for the Church or for a people but one way for both to come up from their Wildernesse and that one and only way is by leaning upon the Beloved Secondly Unto you as living in this quarter of the Country I have more to say than unto others I seriously tell you the Lord looketh and they that labour for the Lord among you and the holy Angels of God that have pitched their Tents about you and all the Saints that have heard of you and of the way of the Holy one in the midst of you may justly expect from you that you should become a peculiar people excelling in holinesse the Attainments of others being much more zealous of good works The Lord hath expressed more favour upon you than upon most of your Neighbours 1 In your Immunity from the sword of your Adversaries 2 The Community of the word of his grace O the many Chariots and horsemen of Israel faithfull skilfull and powerfull even unto eminency burning and shining lights with whom I professe my self unworthy to be numbred Messengers of Peace sent unto you from time to time by the God of Peace The same is the Lord of Hosts who gave you a protection and made you as Salem a peaceable habitation in times of Warre you have been as a Goshen of light when the Day of the Lord hath been darknesse round about Light hath been in your Houses even from the dawning of the day after the dark night of National Popery when Darknesse hath continued in some Neighbouring places But fire hath been on your Neighbours houses on each side of you both Norfolk and Essex and when it was making towards yea and in the very sight of Sudbury your selves are my witnesses your selves have told me and to write the same thing to mee is not grievous but for you it is profitable The wind that bloweth where it listeth blew those flames to your Neighbouring-County and town of Colchester so that the goodnesse of the Lord to you-ward and severity to them may be read in black letters in that poor place even to this day I will not say that the Lord hath dealt thus by you rather than others because you are but that you might bee better than others even as hee dealt by Israel of old and therefore if hee should now find you like them a stiffnecked and gainsaying people running from the Shepheard that hath so followed you with care and watched over you for Your good if you should yet make warre with the Lamb who hath been so studious of your Peace and unwilling to fight with you when hee smote your neighbours round about you if you should bee so foolish a people and unwise as thus to requite the Lord O Suffolk O Sudbury what should hee then do unto you Wherefore be you not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is concerning you that you may bee blamelesse and harmelesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom the Lord looks you should shine as lights in the world Holding forth the word of life that wee may rejoyce in the day of Christ that we have not run in vain neither laboured in vain For so is the will of God if any speak evil of you in the things they know not that with wel doing you put to silence the ignorance of foolish men Finally my Brethren bee perfect bee of one mind live in peace holding fast the form of sound words and the profession of the faith without wavering considering one another to provoke unto love and good works Not forsaking the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is But rather Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak bee patient towards all men Pray without ceasing in every thing Give thanks Brethren pray for us And the very God of Pâ—ace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ So Prayeth Your Servant by love FAITHFUL TEATE THE Author to the Ingenuous READER OUr Saviour saith of the unclean Spirit Mat. 12.43 Luk 11.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee passeth through dry i. e. desert places On which Text though Beza admit of no allegory and the truth is which experience confirms that Ziim Ochim and Jiim do frequent incult and desolate places Isa 13 21 22. Yet doth as sad and more frequent experience and the very Scope of that Scripture shew that the unclean Spirit with the seaven other worse than hee do much more delight to inhabit the dry and the desert Soul where they cry to each other as the satyres of the wildernesse to their fellows Isa 34.14 Wherefore being sent of the Lord in these labours not only to spy out where Satans seat is but to beat up his very head quarters no wonder if as in 2 Cor. 7.5 without have been fightings and within fears I oft thought one had need bee both sanctified from the wombe and waxen strong in the spirit as John Baptist who should lift up his voice in this Wildernesse but knew my self to be but a child and one of unclean lips unable to allarm those bold Legions or to encounter that Old Serpent But hee that sent me said unto mee My grace is sufficient for thee shewing mee that they that were with mee were more and mightier than they that were against mee wherefore with fear and trembling through manifold Temptations most willingly though m st weakly have I followed my commission And now having studied all playnnesse in the ensuing treatise I shall briefly for the clearing of the Text preface thereunto The Wildernesse described is the WILDERNESSE OF SIN spiritually so called for I allude and no more to that Wildernesse of SIN Exo. 17.1 by contraction of Sinai which comming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thorny thicket is an acurate emblem of the wayes of sinne which through its greennesse though it please the beholder yet it is both tyring and tearing to the Travayler And as is the name of the Wildernesse in the Text so is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Antiphrasin a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loquutus est i. e. locus sine locutione It hath its name of much speaking whereas there is no speaking there even so is sin the most sociable way and evil men the good fellows but like Beasts of the Wildernesse are they each unto Other and
fed out their time in the wilderness of sin at length they have not so much as an hand or a foor or a heart to strive they have not so much as a tongue to beg or a mouth to receive any of those provisions that the Lord hath made for poor souls in Jesus Christ Thus is the wilderness provisionless as for food As for raiment what you have the wilderness the thorns the brambles can rend away and tear from you but all the wilderness cannot help you with one garment So it is with sin if you have any cloathes on any good parts or good nature as they call it the thorns and brambles and temptations of sin can tear them off Oh! how many gallant parts and good natures hath sin rent to pieces but if you be naked you must walk naked for all sin sin can strip you but it cannot clothe you you are all naked whilest you are bewildred Ezek. 16.8 and there is none to help you Therefore till you come out of the wilderness leaning upon Christ and have gotten him up on whom you lean to cast his skirt over you you walk naked and God sees your shame there is no raiment to be had for the soul but onely where Christ keeps his Markets Rev. 3.18 and so for other accommodations all which being thus makes me sadly say Sin is a wilderness that is provisionless O how evil is sin to men and which is saddest of all yet yet are men kinde to sin Sin cannot feed you and yet speak your consciences do not most of you feed sin and cherish and nourish sin sin cannot clothe you O what shall become of those men for their courtesie that cover sin In a word sin cannot make provision for you therefore I beseech you close with the Apostles counsel Rom. 13.14 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof CHAP. IV. Containeth the two last considerations shewing the dismalness of wilderness-sin because both are wayless waste and husbandless As also the application of the first consideration Exhortation Labor to finde Christ to thy soul a Gardiner to make thee fruitful FIfthly The wilderness as it thus provisionless The wilderness is wayless upon which account there is no encouragement to abide in it so also is it wayless there is no way to get out of it This vain Poets could conclude as the most dismal travelling in the world viz. when they were to go per avia that is wayless places and this indeed the holy Ghost imports as alike dismal to the people and princes of the earth whom God thus punisheth Job 12.24 He causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way And thus it is with sin you are not to think that there are no ways in the wilderness there is as you read the track to the Lions den and Leopards mountain there are ways further into the wilderness but there is no good way no right way no way out again no peaceable and secure way c. Thus there are many too many ways of sin and into sin but there is not one good way amongst them all Sin acquaints sinners with ten thousand ways and yet amongst them all the way of peace have they not known Rom. 3.17 The ways of sin are ways to the Lions den c. Prov. 7.27 Her house is the way to hell and Prov. 5.5 Her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell Least thou shouldst ponder the path of life her ways are moveable she hath ways great store but not so much as one good living way as one foot-path of life amongst them all therefore as we are to shew afterwards though sin hath as many ways as the wilderness yet may we in the same sense that the holy Ghost calls the wilderness without way conclude sin wayless If you will have it the ways of sin are wayless ways so that as one saith of the way to the Lions den vestigia terrent Omnia te adversum spectantia nulla retorsum So saith the holy Ghost of sin many beasts went to the Lions den but none return back again Prov. 2.19 None that go to her return again neither take they hold of the pathes of life The wilderness is waste and husbandless Lastly 'T is dismal because waste and husbandless and so is the whole region of sin you have the wilderness and waste places as importing one and the same thing Isa 51.3 The Lord will comfort all her waste places and make her wilderness like Eden yea you have waste the character of the wilderness Deut. 32.10 In a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness and surely it must needs be so if that be true which we have heard Scriptures already speak In the wilderness there is no man Job 38.26 no man to plant no man to pluck up no man to plough no man to sowe how should it be but waste In this as in the rest is sin a dismal wilderness there are no provisions there as you have heard for it is desolate there are none like to be for it is waste and desert The plain English of the word desert is what God expounds it Isa 27.10 The habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness Therefore when any soul through sin is a wilderness you may write upon that soul desert the Lord hath forsaken it This is a sad consideration when the soul goes on a long time in sin and then God comes with a judicial act and doth as it were bind it in its sins The soul saith I am willing to be as a wilderness unto God unfruitful to him c. and God saith If thou wilt be a wilderness thou shalt also be a desert I will forsake thee Thus God threatens for sin to set Jerusalem and make her as a wilderness Hosea 2.2 Now this is most sadly true when the soul hath been under the pains and charges of the Lord as you say this piece of ground I have fallowed plough'd sown thus often tryed thus long and it hath brought me forth nothing answerable to mine expectations I have lost say you my time toil and cost about it and now you cast it up So the barren Fig tree Mat. 21.19 as God gave them up Psalm 81.12 Let what will become of it you will never look after it more Now is this ground left DESERT Thus the Lord telleth Isai 5. what husbandry he had bestowed upon Israel his Vineyard v. 7. which yet brought forth none but wilderness-fruit viz. wilde Grapes v. 4. I le tell you saith God v. 5. what I will do with it I will take away the Hedg and it shall be eaten up and break down the Wall and it shall be trodden down I will lay it waste it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thorns and I will command the Clouds that they rain no rain upon it v. 6. And O what a dismal Wilderness must
to fill the face of the world with fruits ver 6. What canst thou that seest thy soul a wilderness desire more Now I beseech you mark if you would effectually take hold upon Christ for such a change from a thorny wilderness into a blossoming budding fruitful garden you must see Christ to be Gods strength noâ— onely to make peace for your souls but to work fruitfulness in your souls We have also another full Scripture Isa 51. God promiseth to turn the wilderness into Eden and the desert into his own garden now how shall this be effected verse 4. you have Christ represented as a light to the people verse 5. you have his plain names righteousness and salvation but now how shall the people share in such salvation as shall make them of a wilderness to become a garden of the Lord Why on mine arm that 's Christ shall the isles trust You must then discover Christ to be that strength yea that arm of God by which the Lord turns the desert into Eden or else though you be a desert you will not care for leaning upon Christ 3. Laying our burthens of barrenness c upon Christ Thirdly Leaning imports the casting of our burthens of barrenness and fearedness c. upon that strength whereon we lean If you would then so lean upon Christ as to come up from your wilderness-like state then you must lay the burthens of your barrenness your dryness your desolateness your leanness your wastness upon Christ and verily to encourage you you should know that Christ was for this very business sent into the wilderness of this world that he might bear all the burthens of poor bewildred broken-hearted sinners Lev. 16.21 Aaron shall confess all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions that 's their bewildrings their goings aside in their sins putting them upon the head of the goat and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness and the goat shall bear upon him their iniquities unto a land not inhabited and he shall let go the goat into the wilderness How and if we should expound it thus Christ in his resurrection was this scape-goat or his Divinity in which he could not see death and by which he was raiâ—ed after death though as man he was the sin-offering goat mentioned verse 15. Israels bewildrings what else mean you by transgressions are charged upon his score from Israel he is sent by a fit man that 's the Gospel-minister who should be apt that 's fit to teach this Gospel into a land not inhabited so ordinarily are the Gentiles in respect of the then ordinances of God represented and there even in this wilderness is he let go this salvation is free to us a poor wilderness in respect of the Jews as well as to them If I mistake in the place I am sure I mistake not in the thing you sinners saith my Text are in the wilderness and Christ the scape-goat saith that Text is there also if you meet him lay your burthens upon him I speak to such as are lost his business his errand in coming thither is to beaâ— your transgressions Isa 53.4 Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yea upon him they are ver 5. yea upon him the Lord hath laid them ver 6. Art thou unable to carry thine own grievances and to bear thine own barrenness fear not 4. Receiving strengâ—h from Christ 〈◊〉 a change onely believe lay them in the humility of thy soul upon thy Savior he will he can bear them for thee Lastly Leaning imports a deriving of strength and power from that upon which we lean in order to that upon which we lean Would you then so lean upon Christ as to come out of your wilderness Take hold upon Gods strength so long till your bryars and thorns be rooted up and the word have taken a new root brought forth new buds new blossoms new fruit Isa 27.5 6. yea till thy whole conversation be filled therewith Oh! but saith the soul how shall that be Query that 's it I would have Oh! how should I so lean upon Jesus Christ I cannot see him I cannot finde him I would come out of the wilderness leaning upon him yea I sought him but I found him not Oh! saw you my beloved whither is he gone whither is he turned aside Poor soul thy beloved is gone down into the gardens Answ to the beds of the spices to the covenant to the promises the covenant is the garden the promises are the beds of spices Oh! thither is Christ gone there seek him and thou shalt find him Christ is engaged unto thee if the promises be improved by thee to make thee of a wilderness to become a gaâ—den In general you have many glorious promises of this importance Isa 51.3 The Lord shall comfort Zion how is that Oh! there is comfort indeed the Lord will make her wilderness like Eden this word be spoken unto you O ye wilderness-like souls and what can comfort you if this word do not Before you had Gods strength mentioned here you have it engaged lean therefore and take hold upon it Isa 35.1 The wilderness shall be glad it shall rejoyce even with joy and singing the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it the excellency of Carmel and Sharon how is that they shall see the glory of the Lord and what then strengthen then the week hands and feeble knees c. Who sees not that this is spoken to poor souls to wilderness-like souls so the Psalmist speaking of Gods turning the wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into water springs Psalm 107. cries out vers 36. and there he makes the hungry to dwell c. souls that are not onely lean but hungry not onely such as are in misery and lost but that see their misery there he makes them to dwell in happpiness and plenty verse 37.38 1. Promises to the barren wilderness But more particularly thou complainest thou art a barren wilderness and thy souls desire is to be made a fruitful garden urge those promises Isa 35. the desert shall blossom as a rose there 's the quality it shall blossom sweetly ver 1. and as for quantity it shall blossom abundantly ver 2. and in the habitation of dragon where each lay shall be grass ver 7. Isa 27. whosoever take hold of his strength he shall cause them to take root to blossom to bud to fill the face of the world with fruit vers 6. Psalm 107. there that 's in the wilderness he makes the hungry to dwell ver 36. and sow fields and plant vineyards which may yield their increase 2. Promises to the dry wilderness Thou complainest thou art a dry and seared wilderness others can weep for their sins thou canst not others can mourn for the afflictions of Joseph thou canst not rivers of tears run down the eyes of others because men keep 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
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
hence Vse Vindication of Gods justice in punishing sin Let me first plead the righteousness of God in damning sinners When God comes to punish mens crooked ways their crooked hearts are blasphemously ready to reckon Gods ways crooked If therefore you now reflect how wretchedly crooked your own ways have been in trespassing you cannot think Gods ways crooked in arresting The Lord himself thus vindicates his own righteousness Ezek. 18.24 In his trespass which he hath trespassed and in the sin which he hath sinned shall he die Blame not justice for arresting you when you die Ye have been Trespassers that is you have gone out of the way all your lives Therefore God challengeth them for challenging him Yet ye say my way is not equal v. 25. Hear O Israel are not my ways equal Are not your ways unequal 29. Therefore I will judg you O house of Israel according to your ways Repent and turn from all your transgressions that is from all your goings astray and so iniquity shall not be your ruine v. 30. And what can the Lord say other If saith God you will not cease trespassing you shall die in your trespass but if you would turn and O that you would saith God from your transgression it should not be your ruine Therefore cast away all your transgressions v. 31. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord wherefore turn your selves and live v. 32. And if for all this you shall so love rather to wander and to trespass than to walk in the high-way of God the way of peace Be it unto you according to your hearts desire The Lord shall judg you according to your own ways Therefore Secondly 2. Caution what ways you walk in Let me entreat you to be exceedingly observant what ways you walk in There is but one way of life All the other ways are Wilderness The ways of infancie ways of childhood ways of youth ways of manhood of old age are all a wilderness if the condition of the soul be Christ-less therefore mark the way thou walkest in Many times experienced travailers miss the way which they well know by having their thoughts otherwise employed and as to their way inconsiderate David's question of young men holds true in all Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way Why by taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 So Job 22.15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have troden Mark the bad way take heed unto the good and so shalt thou keep in the way of salvation and out of the wilderness of sin Thirdly 3. Terror to those that are will continue in the wilderness But what shall I say to those that notwithstanding all that hath been spoken are yet and yet resolve to be in the wilderness of sin That have been young and now are old yet still in sin Sirs do you not hear God inviting you into his way Do you not hear the Lion roaring in your own way Do you not hear that a wilderness-death follows a wilderness-life and that Hell follows with it You are sometimes scared from thought of the ways of holiness and mortification self-denial c. upon hear-say and thought that there 's a Lion in that way Prov. 26.13 when there 's no such matter and though God himself tels you that himself in these your ways will be as a Lion to you and that your transgression will be our ruine and asks you Why will ye dy all that he can geâ— from you is this We will dy in the wilderness we have lived in the wilderness we will die What can God say but Be it as you have spoken and Die eternally Question But I hear some poor souls crying We have found sin as you have said we have found childhood youth age the world and all that is in the world a wilderness and fain would we exchange for a better state O! what would you have us to do Answer why God himself answers you Repent and turn from all your transgressions Ezek. 18.30 and cast away from you all your transgressions v. 31. that is turn unfeinedly turn universally Turn you and the Lord shall come Encouragement to com out of the wilderness Christ will meet them and meet you in your way For the Redeemer shall come to them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord. Isai 49.20 O! but what shall I do with my sins my wandrings my wilderness-provocations I durst come were it not for them Why Sirs I pray deal plainly with me and with your selves Are you willing to come in good earnest Speak and I le speak If you be I dare say of you young or old rich or poor as of any of the Saints of God already converted All we like Sheep have gone astray Mark that we and all we And the Lord hath laid upon him all the iniquity of us all and we have turned every one to his own way And bear their burthen for them and yet the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isai 53.6 O! that as all of us have thus gone out of the way we might all of us come up out of the wilderness leaning upon our Beloved CHAP. VII Containing the discovery of the Point in three Queries Qu. 1. What advantages Satan hath to bewilder Souls 1. From our selves our hearts are a Wilderness proved and applied THus much for the doctrinal proof of the Point Discovery of the Point in three Queries 1. What advantages Satan hath to bewilder poor souls We come now to further discoverie of what you have heard so fully so sadly proved I pitch upon these three Heads First what advantages Satan hath Secondly what pains he takes Thirdly what means he makes to bewilder poor souls And what first are Satans advantages The Apostle 2 Cor. 2.11 puts us on this Lest Satan saith he get an advantage of you for we are not ignorant of his devices It seems Satan is very carefull to take and to improve all advantage of poor souls And unto what Why unto his own devices called by the same Apostle Ephes 6.11 Wiles or Methods or as we englished bewildrings You must think the same thing to be intended in both places so then call them devices or bewildrings or bewildring devices which you will there is advantage that Satan hath and that Satan takes in order unto them There are two sorts of advantages that Satan hath 2. Sorts of advantages 1. Sort from our selves 2. Sorts of them as to the bewildring of poor souls From our selves some others from himself First from us There are two great advantages First our hearts naturally are a wilderness Secondly subject to tempt and lead us into the wilderness Therefore you may observe this difference of expression Somtimes God complains that they walk in the counsels of their own hearts So Ier. 7.24 they hearkened not c but walked in the counsels
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 Alâ—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
are thy thoughts that perswade thee that it will please God better to damn thee then to save thee 2ly The exerting of pardoning grace 2ly Gods glory is most in mercy sets the brightest crown of glory upon the head of the Almighty Exo. 33.18 Moses begs of God I beseech thee shew me thy glory and how doth God answer his prayer herein why ver 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaime 〈◊〉 name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy this is Gods name and his glory If this then be the darkness wherein thou hast walked that God will have most glory in damning thee take hold upon this name of the Lord and stay thy selfe upon him as thy God CHAP. XXI Containes the third kind of bewildring darkness viz. relating to the way of reconciliation betwixt us and God in three particulars under the last whereof this question is resolved what humiliation is sufficient to reconciliation THe third last sort of bewildring darknesses attending conversion it self 3d. Kind Such as respect the way of reconciliation betwixt us and God are such as relate unto the way of Reconciliation between us God And verily though we have a desire now to make peace with God yet how shal we come at him if we be in the dark as to the way of peace The way of peace they have not known may be truly said for some season of some souls that would have peace I remember when God had hammered them by so many judgements Amos 4.12 At length he comes to a nameless judgement so sad that it seems it could not be expressed Therefore thus will I doe unto thee Thus how 's that truly I can't tell how and what of that Oh! therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel to meet him therefore you must goe onely in that way towards him wherein he is a comming towards you if you go in any other way you I will misse of him not meet him and if you be in the dark though you desire to meet him yet may you misse of the way and so be bewildred when you would be reconciled therefore Mat. 5.25 Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him If thou wouldest agree with God thou must be in the same way with God if thou wouldest meet him thou must meet him in his own way Now there is but onely one way of Reconciliation wherein God will draw neere unto a loâ—t soule being justified by faith through Jesus Christ we shall have peace with God Rom. 5.1 And therefore the same is our onely way of Pacification with God so Heb. 10.20 This is the new and living way Now all other are but dead waies wherein a lost soule seeks life Now what heart hath light enough at the first to see and to hit upon this new and living way I can challenge your darknesse in this respect upon this three-fold accompt 1. You think that undubtedly you must give something to God 1 Darknes we thinke we must give something to God towards your reconciliation with God Now this is very darkness for it is Gods giving of Christ unto you not your giving of any thing unto God that is the bottom of your pacification But very ready are we to thinke and Satan to perswade us that there is no comming unto God but by bringing something of our owne unto God Hence that enquiry Mic. 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before him shall I come before him with sacrifices c. Oh! that 's the dark counsell of our vain hearts Bribe Justice and then you shall have its favour I speak not to streighten your hearts or hands from lending to the Lord but to direct your souls where to bottom your peace Doth your goodness extend unto him or will he take a reward to clear him that is guilty God forbid that any heart should think so and yet if many an heart were asked Wherefore are all these alms that thou givest Conscience must answer as Jacob in his course Complement to Esau Gen. 33.8 Esau said What meanest thou by this drove and Jacob said These are to find grace in the sight of my Lord he had need call him my Lord when he intimates him to be of so base and ignoble a a spirit that a Bribe should purchase pardon for a Brother Just so deal souls with God the alms they give their bounty to Saints to Ministers c. are to find favour in the sight of God But if Esau can refuse his present telling him he hath enough surely God may much more despise thy gifts be they what they will be because all things are his Psa 50.9 10. I will take no Bullock out of thine house nor Hee-goat out of thy fold for the beasts of all the Forrest c. are mine Set a side the Lord Jesus Christ and peace in believing and I dare say it would begger all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and Earth to make one Peace-offering to the Lord for any lost soul 2ly You think 2d Darkness We think we must do something for God that undoubtedly you must at least dâ—â— something as a bottom and ground to your reconciliation with God Now this is also a soul-bewildring darknesse for if it be onely what Christ hath given then it is onely what Christ hath done that can be a propitiation to God for us What will God ever be friends with me that give him nothing nor do any thing for him how shall I think that Verily flesh and blood wil hardly think it therefore as the former question was Wherewithall shall I come before God what shall I give and the answer from God comes without money and without price so the next question that dark nature prompts is this Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherite eternal life Mat. 9 16. What good thing shall I do Oh! we think it must be some good thing of our own doing that must be at the bottom of our salvation What good thing saith Christ keep the Law and fulfill the Gospel that perfectly for that 's the sum of Christs answer to him Now friend if thy goodness extend so far then go on to meet the Lord in thine own way But now thou that livest upon such terms if ever God take thee as Solomon took Shimei when he had gone beyond his limits from Jerusalem to Gath after his run-away servants 1 Kin. 2.39 40. The Lord will deal with thee if ever he find thine heart running after the world or after sin as he dealt with Shimei ver 44. God will call thee to a severe account upon every old score and return all thy wickedness upon thine own head judging thee by thine own mouth Think of the Pharisee who comes and tells God what he
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-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
up for that is raising up when God raiseth up us and our wills at once My soule hates their prophane Notion that teach soules to lye still as the beast in the ditch that cannot stirre dawbing with such untempered Morter as this if God will and when God will thou maist and shalt repent and beleeve and thou canst do no more then God will and therefore trouble not thy selfe to take any paines or to go any farther my Text saith not VVho is this that was taken out of the wildernesse but who is this that comes out c. though God raise up yet she must come up Gods motions herein may help but must not hinder thine own motions 2. It consists But Secondly Wherein is this comming up from the Wildernesse dispatched I answer 1. In the getting up of our eyes First In the getting of our eyes up Oh! labour we to looke from the top of the Wildernesse from the Lyons Dens and from the Mountaines of the Leopards Art thou going up the hil Why Prov. 4.25 Let thine eyes look right on Oh! how doe Christians hinder their progresse towards Canaan for want of due observance unto this rule We must be looking this way and that way to this vanitie to day to another to morrow like fools and children and so trifle away our time wherein we should dispatch our business Psal 119.5 Oh! saith David That my wayes were directed that I might keepe thy statutes And what wil he doe to this end v. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes There he gets up the eyes of his soule When I have respect to all thy Commadements v. 6. More expresly 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Wouldest thou be quick in the wayes of God Why Turn away thine eyes from vanitie please not thy selfe with it meditate not upon it I perswade my selfe that the reason why so few come up to the wayes of holinesse is because they never yet lifted up their eyes unto the beauties of holinesse and have therefore thought that the onely pleasing waies are in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 1.21 The World by wisedom knew not God My Brethren we must get up from our wisdoms to look higher then that or else we can not get up from the Wildernesse that is We must come verily to apprehend judge and account the wayes of God to be the best wayes and what carnal wisdome can doe so Thus must you get up your eyes 2. In the getting of our hearts Secondly In the getting up of your feet i. e. your Will and Affections Prov. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet Psa 119.101 I have refrained my feet from every false way that I may keepe thy Word Get up the feet of your soules and you get up all when you once truly set your affections upon things above then are you risen with Christ Col. 3.1 Then are you come up from the Wildernesse leaning upon the beloved Drunkards get up your affections from drunkenness you Worldlings get up your affections from the world if your affections were once truly up 't were easie 't were nothing to get your conversations up Set your affection on heaven ver 2. And 't were the ready way to mortifie your members which are upon earth v. 5. This Doctrine hath been Practical instead of Use this Querie offers it selfe But how shall I do to get up my feet from the Wildernesse I answer Take these four Rules Rules to help us herein 1. Occasion our hearts the uphil-way First Let your occasions lye this way If a mans occasions lye an up-hil way it matters not much how high the hil be he must go that way his occasions lie there Ier. 2.24 In her occasion who can turn her When your occasions are for London though it be up to London yet you wil goe and who can turne you My Brethren some mens occasions lye in the Ale-house as Maulsters c. Oh! this is sad who can perswade or turn them upward when their occasions lye down the hill downe to hel-ward yet I condemn not that Calling but caution the men labour thou to have occasions lying at the Throne of Grace in the house of Prayer c. and then God shall have more of thy company Secondly Accustom thy heart this way It s little to him to go up to London every week 2ly Accustom we our hearts that way that is accustomed to go up 'T wil be tedious to pray if thou doe not accustome thy selfe to pray He that is accustomed to a way can say as Paul I forget what is behind and presse forward to the price of the high Calling of God Phi. 3.13.14 Though we be called to high duty as well as high priviledges yet on can the Saint go that is accustomed to go You read of some accustomed to do evill Jer. 13.23 Get you the custom as well as the conscience of doing well 3ly Keep we up-hil company Thirdly Keep up-hil Company I am a companion of them that fear thee and that keepe thy word Psa 119.63 Oh! Company is a great solace in a wearisome way if two walk together in one way and the one fall the other shall lift him up Unchristian people know not the benefit of Christian communion therefore it is that they do not prize it and so missing of the company they often miss of the way Fourthly Above all get a nature that may move that way 4ly Get we a nature moving up-wards The stone naturally moves down-ward but the sparks as naturally fly upward If there be any sparke of grace in thee it wil be soaring upward 2 Pet. 1.4 That you might be partakers of the divine nature That is the nature I speak of Oh! that will alwayes he mounting upward if you press downe a flame it will up againe if temptation croud downe grace as soone as ever it can get from under will up againe towards God again what ever meanes else you use nothing will be effectual unless you get a new nature then though it be up the hil you will be able to go in the new way The fourth Part of this Treatise discocovers the onely way of salvation to lost soules viz. Leaning upon the Lord Jesus CHAP. I. Containes the proofe by way of Removall of nine false leaning Stocks ANd thus much be spoken concerning so much of the Text viz. Who is this that comes up from the wildernesse It followes that we now speake to the words that follow viz. Leaning upon her beloved In these words you have that Action that gave life and vigor to her motion she comes up c. leaning upon c. leaning upon her beloved leaning there 's her Act upon directs you to the Object her shewes her interest the ground and spring of the Act her beloved speaks her relation to him whom she leanes upon from whence we may conclude the nature of
fast an acceptable day to the Lord Oh! how might this qualme our heart from leaning upon such humblings if we consider how different an estimate and value the Lord and we set upon them Nay my friends there may be something done in good earnest by way of Reformation that is not yet to be leaned unto Some reformado Drunkard may say perhaps As long as I haunted Ale-houses I could have no peace of conscience but now I have left those courses grown civil I can walk very quietly calmly this is well that thou hast left off the practice of sins that did once ensnare thee but if thou stay here or lean hereon all is nothing Mat. 12 44. The house was empty and swept and garnished that is it was voyded of sinne reformed and now had some garnish of civility formality or the like but because it was emptied of the former uncleane spirit and not filled with Christs spirit the first in time returns v. 45. and takes with him seven spirits worse then himselfe and they enter and dwell there and the last estate is worse then the beginning verily this may well be called a repentance to be repented of The poor man thinks if his bad tenant such a corruption were out it 's no matter for getting Christ in But godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 There are it should seem repentances to be repented of and undoubtedly of this sort is every repentance that you rest in or lean upon 8ly Leaning upon the promises without Christ Eighthly If you lean upon the promises of God themselves and not upon Jesus Christ in them this will also come to nothing Whence is it that you shall have so many soules bringing a promise to the throne of grace and carrying so little away from it I feare it is frequently from hence because they leane unto promises without leaning to Christ in the promise Thus you shall find the Jews in scripture to leane much upon the promises of the Messiah who when Christ came that was the Messiah him they rejected altogether Thus many would willingly owne the promises that will not leane upon Jesus Christ But what saith the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen That is the assurance stability certainty of them all standeth in leaning upon Jesus Christ He is the Yea and Amen of them Now what a vanity would it be for a man to put a Paper in sute which hath neither yea nor amen to it neither hand nor seal to it Sir might he say to any man These are your Articles you know you wrote them wrote them saith the other but who subscribed them who sealed them the Hand and Seal are the confirmation of the Bond which without them let it relate never so much is worth nothing in Law no wise man will leane to it so vaine a thing is it to put any one promise into sute at the throne of Grace because all the promises in Christ are Yea and in him onely Amen without leaning upon Christ in them for indeed they say nothing what ever they say there is neither Yea nor Amen in them there 's nothing affirmed to thee in them nothing confirmed neither hand nor seal to these Bonds if thou have not Christ therefore thou hast no part nor portion in this matter Ninthly Yea 9ly Leaning upon God himselfe out of Christ though you should leane upon the God of promise without leaning upon Christ in whom he hath promised the Lord would reprove thee for making choice of himselfe as an absolute God for thy Leaning-stock You have some severely threatned by the Lord that are yet said willingly to lean upon the Lord Mich. 3.11 God was in Christ reconciling sinners to himselfe and seeking lost soules 2 Cor. 5.19 Woe to them that come to him not bringing this his Benjamin along with them Lean not immediately I mean without the Sonne but by the Sonne upon the Father for as the Lord hath limited himselfe by his owne purpose and word of truth wherein it is impossible for God to lye God can do nothing for a poor lost soule without Jesus Christ therefore to speake with all reverence and holy sobriety to come to God without Christ for spiritual helpe or support is to come to one that cannot helpe you because he hath resolved and said he will not and it is uncomfortable leaning where we are forbidden to expect reliefe My Brethren it may be in great concernments as needful for us to have interests in a great persons Secretary or Officer of his Seal or his Lord privy Signet or Master of Requests as to have favour from the Prince himselfe because his Law and way whereunto he in forraigne freedome hath bound himself is to dispatch such things by such officers and by his Seal which is in his Officers keeping and not to dispatch them otherwise so that if one be supposed to come to such a King and sue for the accomplishment of such a business and do not bring the Officer with him by which the King wil onely transact it the King would put him off and say My Lord Keeper c. is not in the way and nothing can be done without him Now Jesus Christ is the Lord Commissioner and sole Commissioner of the broad seale of Heaven the onely Master of Requests unto the great King of Glory come then with as much confidence of Gods favour as those in Micah even as it is possible for any Christlesse soule to have the Lord will utterly reject thy sute and turn thee backe until thou look out the Lord Jesus Christ to come with thee unto the Father and thus much Christ himselfe hath told thee No man comes to the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 But why speake I thus mildly herein Sirs should you bring your Christlesse soules and cast them upon the Throne of an absolute God for a resting place having not made the Kings Chamberlain first your friend as they did in the Acts 12.20 without making the Angel of his presence the Lord Christ your friend behold Divine justice would immediately spie you out and as soon cry out Behold a REBELL in the Court and so apprehend you and immediately deliver you to the Tormenter for ever thus it was with them Mich. 3.11 They will by all means lean upon the Lord and yet this God vers 12. expresly declares that he will plough them up and make them to become heapes Now friends if God himselfe will not be leaned upon out of Christ what then shall poor Christlesse Creatures dare to leane unto And thus much for removal of other leaning stocks Secondly 2ly Positive proofe by propounding Christ as the only leaning stock I come now to assert and propose Jesus Christ as the onely stay and stable support for lost soules to leane upon And that upon this cleare and familiar evidence If you leane
to any man in the world what is it that perswades you to lean to him for any thing to lean at all or to him rather then to any other Why these are the two and onely two grounds 1. His word of promise 2. His power of performance It were vaine to trust to a poor man that is not worth a groat who it may be oweth thee a thousand pounds hath often promised it to thee when he was able but the man is now begger'd and thou knowest his beggery to trust I say upon this money and leane to to his payment because there wants power of performance though there want not promise And it were a greater vanity for thee to go to a rich man that is worth 40000 l. and leane upon him for a thousand pounds that never promised thee or said that he would give thee so much as a farthing of it because though he be able to performe what thou desirest there lacks promise But now when a man hath said and engaged that he will give thee so much and he is able to give it thee and thou knowest him to be an honest man this thou maist leane to thou reckonest this as good as money in thy Purse thou buildest upon it and trustest to it Now upon this account I undertake to prove that Jesus Christ is immediately to be taken hold upon and leaned unto by lost soules because he is alone 1. The word of God 2. The arme of God He is the promise He is the power of performance He is Gods truth and Gods strength Now whatever soule shall lean else-where yea though it be on God himselfe out of Jesus Christ leanes where there is no promise 2. Where there is no power of performance as I hinted before but as for them that leane upon Christ they have 1. Because Christ is Gods word and Covenant 1. The Lords Word Oath Promise Covenant to lean upon You have all these words in scripture applied unto Christ you have this bundle of Mirrhe broken up when God bringeth Christ into the world Lu. 1. He hath raised up an horne of salvation in the house of David ver 69. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began ver 70. To remember his mercy promised and to remember his holy Covenant ver 72. The Oath which he sware ver 73. Christ is the Word Promise Covenant and Oath of God and now tell me how canst thou leane upon God for salvation upon any other account then this his Word Promise Covenant and Oath Yea so fundamental and express is this truth that Gods Covenant is that Christ alone shall be his Covenant and Gods promise is That Jesus Christ shall be his promise Isai 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant to the people so that if thou leane upon God in his Christ thou leanest upon him in his Covenant and thou hast nothing to do with his Covenant unlesse thou lean upon him in his Christ 2ly Christ is Gods arme and power Secondly They that leane upon Christ have the Lords power as well as promise to â—ean unto As the case stands Gods power is in Christs hands All power is given unto me saith Christ And hence you have Christ called the strength of God and therefore to be taken hold upon or lean'd to Let them take hold upon my strength saith God that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace Isai 27.5 Stand off saith God doe not leane upon me immediately but upon my strength that he may make peace with me he hath power to reconcile you and me together I will not I can not doe any thing for you unlesse he make peace with me for he is my strength therefore take hold that is leane upon him immediately and upon me reconciled and pacified in him Upon this account also you have Christ called the Arme of the Lord Isai 53.1 To whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed that is To whom is Christ revealed for in the next words he speakes clearly of Christ and linketh that to vers 1. For he shall grow up c. You had an He-strength in the former you have an Hee-arme in this latter scripture so Isai 51.5 The Isles shall wait on me on mine Arme shall they trust that is My Christ for he speakes clearly of him there and saith God because he is mine Arme therefore shall they trust on him that is leane unto him CHAP. II. Begins five Queries 1. Who are fit to leane Answ The weake and weary How weaknesse fits for leaning on Christ opened and applyed THus much for proofe of this point The opinion of the point in five Questions The opening of it I shall endeavour by discussing these severall Queries 1. Who they are that amongst bewildred sinners are onely fit according to the Gospel to lean upon the Lord Jesus 2. What it is that they are to lean for or in Order to 3. What this leaning upon Christ in reference to those ends is 4. What are the hinderances of our leaning thus upon Christ 5. What are the advantages by such leanings upon Christ First 1. Question Who they are that are fit and truly able to leane upon Christ viz. Who they are that alone are fit and apt to leane upon Jesus Christ Who is this saith the Text That comes out of the Wilderness leaning upon her beloved So say I Who are they amongst lost soules for all are bewildred that can come leaning upon Christ out of the Wildernesse There are an hundred lost in the VVildernesse Luk. 15. And there is but one that comes home leaning Though all be lost yet few be leaning soules Now who are those few Answer I durst adventure to answer this Question by asking another Amongst you let me ask you Who are they that need that care for a stay a leaning stock a crutch a litter a couch a bed or any thing proper to be leaned upon The weake and the wearie you 'l say the weake are for leaning and the weary are for rest The strong and the fresh what care they for a leaning stock But to the weake and weary it is precious and indeed the more weake and weary they are the more precious it is unto them I observe the principal scope of that excellent experimental and incomparable Book of the Preacher Is the conviction and demonstration of the weaknesse and wearyingnesse of all that is here below Eccle. 1.14 I have seen all the works that are under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Vanity there 's their weaknesse and impotency to helpe us and vexation of spirit there 's their wearysomnesse unto us for that which is vexing to the Spirit is tyring and tedious to the Spirit Now this is the preaching of Solomon and unlesse you be under the power of it in this point it will be vaine to presse you to leane upon
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
that is throughly solicitous to be rid of its weakenesse which can onely be by wearinesse is fit to sit down upon this well of living waters for Jesus himselfe also being weary according to the flesh sat down upon the well Joh. 4.6 Till Hagar was wearied as well as weakened in the wildernesse of Beer-shebah the Angel of the Lord never opened her eyes nor discovered unto her the Well of waters Gen. 21. from the 14. to the 19. So until souls be weary of the wildernesse of sin as well as weakned in it by it the Lord wil never reveal unto them those refreshments that are from the presence of the Lord in the hand and dispensation of the Angell of his presence First proved after opened Proofe 1. In that God the fountaine is onely open to the weary the Lord Jesus This I shall first prove and then open I prove it thus 1. The Lord is the fountaine of all spirituall refreshments so saith the Scripture Act. 3.19 The times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Now this fountaine which experience shews us to be a fountaine sealed to the rest of the world is a fountaine opened unto weary soules that they may drinke and drink abundantly Jer. 31.25 I have saciated the weary soule that is given them refreshment unto saciety viz. as much as they need 2. 2. In that the Lord Christ the dispenser of refreshments The Lord Christ is the Conduit pipe of this refreshment from God unto the soule or rather thus Christ keepes the lock and key of this fountaine to him is committed the dispensation of these refreshments and upon this account there are these three things that the scriptures minde me of First 1. Hath his instructions peculiarly to respect the weary That the Lord Christ hath particular instructions from the Father that gave him his commission to dispense refreshments peculiarly to such weary soules Read and be ravished with that expression which is plainly the Lord Christs Isai 50.4 I cloath the heavens with blacknesse saith he ver 3. Therefore it must be understood of Christ not the Prophet Now he goes on ver 4. The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speake a word in season to weary souls to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine Eare to hear as the learned As who should say the Lord doth renew my instructions every morning lest the weary should want seasonable refreshment any time of the day It followes that he gave his backe to the smiters c. which makes it cleare that it is Christ that speaks of himselfe principally though subordinately it was the Prophets commission as it is ours in the Gospel to speak in season a word to weary soules 2ly Makes invitation to the weary Secondly In pursuance of these instructions Christ directs his precious invitations to the weary I mean his effectual invitations though many be bidden to the supper that never sit down at it and many are called but few are chosen yet they that are truly called shall come and be welcome when Christ invites them Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour as our late translation all ye that are weary as other translations all ye that labour unto weariness as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports for the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Joh. 4.6 and translated as you saw even now Jesus being weary and I will give you rest This is Christs own invitation Let weary soules make hast and come away they need not bring their stooles with them that are thus bidden 3ly Applyeth these refreshments only to the weary Thirdly In pursuance of this invitation Jesus Christ makes Application of his refreshments to the weary Isai 32.2 And a man when he had spoken before of the Kingdome of Christ in the first verse shall raign in righteousness c. shall be as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land Look how weary those Eastlanders to whom he then speaks ever were under the scorching heat of the Sun in their torrid zone at noon-day look how weary Jonah was even of his life when his Gourd that shadowed him was gone so weary must souls be of their burning lusts and the scorching flames of their awakened Consciences before they will care for Jesus Christ but when they are once thus weary his refreshments shall not be far off from them Christ is a shadow of a great Rock but his shadow doth ever stretch forth it selfe upon the wearie Land The point thus proved The opening in two Queries I shall endeavour to open by shewing what we must be weary of and how we may know whether we be thus weary or no. 1. What must we be thus weary of I answer Of all that we have formerly leaned unto 1. What we must be wearied of 1. Of Satan and his counsels before we can can leane unto Jesus Christ More particularly 1. Of Satan and of all his counsels and perswasions This is the voyce of the daughter of Sion in her spiritual travaile those wearying pangs of the second birth Jer. 4.31 I have heard a voice as of a woman in travaile that bringeth forth her first childe the voyce of the daughter of Sion that bewaileth her selfe that spreadeth her hands saying Woe is me now for my soule is wearyed because of murderers 'T was a long time that she conversed with them but now her soule is wearyed with them Murtherers they are now when the soul is in the throws of birth it finds them so before the pleasure Devil and the profit-Devil wâ—re the best friends the best companions but now the soul is wearied with them all as so many murtherers How weary of the company of Cutthroats would a man be that should be surprised on the High-way and in danger of his life because of those that are with him every step he goes surely so weary of Satan and his company must the soule be that comes to Christ Or how weary if thou shouldst be taken by a Lyon of the Forrest and kept for some space alive wouldst thou be of the presence of the Lyon and upon this how glad wouldst thou be that some mighty man some David should come and rescue thee so weary of Satan must thou be if ever thou wouldest come up from the wildernesse leaning upon the Beloved 2ly Of the World and her projects and courses 2ly The world and her courses these also we use to lean unto and therefore must be weary of Wee must say of our selves as God saith of Israel Isai 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsels thou hast laboured with them even thy Merchants from thy youth they shall wander every one to his quarter none shall save thee ver 15. When you have been trading up and down in the world with the customes or creature-vanities of the
world whatever thy merchant from thine youth hath been bid them farewel let them goe to their quarters expect not to be saved by any of them come to be weary of them all or else there is no true leaning upon the Lord Jesus Christ 3ly Selfe and all its perfections Thirdly Of Selfe and its glories and perfections Some that have been converted have been so proud of a fore-top a lock and garb an attyre formerly that they have thought they should never be weary of them or of pleasing themselves in them but now when they have come to draw neare to Christ they have been soon weary of these and most readily fling them from them So Paul even of his selfe-righteousnesse calling it dross and dung away with it Phil. 3. Thus Hab. 2.14 The people shall labour in the fire and weary themselves for very vanitie When God casts all our perfections into the furnace and we come to see that there comes forth nothing but dross we shall as Paul be weary of our selves as well as weary our selves because there is nothing in us but very vanity And that Hab. 3.16 is very eminent When I heard saith he my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice when God speaks conviction and terror to the soule rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble Marke you the onely way to have a sure support in a troublesome day is to be as much weary and willing to go out of our selves as a man would be that lodgeth in a very rotten house when that winds and stormes are at the highest Unless thou have trembling and weariness in thy selfe thou wilt never have strength and rest in Jesus Christ Secondly But how may we know 2ly How we may discern our wâ—ariness whether we be thus weary yea or no I answer By our willing desisting from former labour by our appetite after refreshments by our glad acceptance of a convenient resting place First By desisting from former labour 1. By desisting from our wearying labour viz. the work that wearied us You perceive that a man man growes weary when he becomes solicitous to take up his Inne and indeed though all ceasing from labour at all times be not an argument of tyredness in the worke yet when ever thou art tyred in any worke thy vote will be for surceasing from the labour so though every leaning of sinne be not an argument of through-weariness because there may be as many occasions of a mans suspending the sin as of the formers suspending the work that he delights in though he be not weary of it yet when the soul is thoroughly wearied of sin it will desist from sin and if there be a ready and free sitting down from sinne 't is a good argument of the soules wearinesse I think what Isaiah observes concerning them that had wearied themselves with so often going down to Egypt Isai 30.7 Therefore I have cryed concerning this their strength is to sit still the s me may I say to poor sinners that have wearied themselves in going down unto uncleanness drunkenness formality c. their strength is now to sit still that is to desist from their wearying trade of sinning You know the language of a truly weary one is such as this I will I can go no farther and this is the language of a soule in conversion Job 34.32 If I have done iniquity I will do so no more or in Jobs own language when at length God had made him weary of his standing upon his own righteousnâ—sse Job 40.5 Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no farther There 's the voyce of true wearinesse Oh! that I could heare some drunkards of you this day crying out so often have I been drunk or so long have I been a drunkard but I will proceed no farther and so for every other sinne Thus long have I leaned upon my own performances but I will doe so no more c. 2ly By our appetite after spiritual refreshments Secondly The weary will have a thorough-appetite unto refreshments Thus Siserah was thirsty Judg. 4.19 Being weary ver 21. Yea Jesus himself being weary asks for water of the Well Jo. 4.7 So spiritually weary souls will be spiritually hungry and thirsty souls I have saciated the weary soul Jer. 31. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse they shall be satisfied Mat. 5.6 If thou be very much a thirst for the waters of life 't is an argument thou art weary of the Wilderness wayes of death And if thou be thus thirsty thou wilt have an heart to desire and a tongue to beg yea continue begging till thou get reliefe 3ly By our willing close with Christ our resting-place Thirdly If thou be weary thou wilt be glad to sit downe and to close with a convenient resting-place thus Jesus when he was weary sat down on the Well and thy soul if it be weary will be glad to sit downe on Jesus Christ My Brethren if you were indeed weary your soules would leap within you to heare the words that you have heard this day concerning the refreshments to be had in the Lord Jesus Two suspitions that few are weary But on the other hand there are two things that too too plainly speak the most of the Children of men to be little weary of the Wilderness 1. That they can passe by Christ and forget their resting-place 1. That they can come to the Inne where soules should lodge and where there is as faire and convenient accommodations as the whole heaven can afford for weary Spirits and passe it by without turning in that they may be refreshed I le never believe that man to be perfectly weary who when he comes to a good Inne and especially be solicited to alight shall spur on and say no let us ride an hour longer or we will goe three or four miles farther If an Ague take you by the way and tyre you oh say you When shall we get in sight of the Inne Upon this account is the Lords challenge Jer. 50.6 They have gone from Mountain to Hill they have forgotten their resting place Ah! it 's a slender signe that a Traveller is thoroughly weary that passeth by and forgets to take up his lodging at his resting place Soules you do but dally with God if you pretend to be weary of the wayes of sinne and vanity and yet can come by Jesus Christ in so many Sermons c. and forget to sit down upon him or to lodge with him 2ly 2. That though they pretend tyrednesse through sinne one while yet are they quickly fresh for sin againe That they can pretend as some do to so much tyredness in the wayes of sinne to day whilst some strong convictions are upon them that can be fresh againe for sinne to morrow I le never believe that
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
this mans countenance We that are Physitians have some sad reason to give him over Jer. 51.64 Thou shalt say Thus Babylon shall sinke and shall not rise from the evill that I will bring upon her and they shall be weary She had wearied the people of God with her cruelties and God himselfe with her abominations but she her selfe was not weary well saith God thou art now a sinking O Babylon and thou shalt be weary So say I thou art quickly a sinking into the Grave O sinner and into Hell and verily thou shalt be weary What say I thou art sinking into Hell what Such are the veriest pictures of Hell above-ground and if I should say thou art an Hell above ground Verily there can not be such another picture of Hell drawne as thou art who art wearied every day with sinning and yet art fresh for sin still The Heathens themselves represent the infinity of the torments of Hell by one Sysiphus who say they is damned by the Gods to rowl a great stone up a very high hill and ever when he hath gotten it up neare the top it is to tumble down again upon him perpertually time after time and truly is is a pretty strange kind of piece of heathenish Divinity if they believed what they said though it were but fabulous yet had their hearts some nearer guesses at the truth then the daring sinners that are amongst us Their figure was something like but thine is exact for as Dives in hell suffers unconceivably to day yet is perfectly fresh for the sufferings of to morrow and so unto eternity so thou sinnest to day and travellest in pain and weariest thy selfe to commit iniquity yet art thou perfectly fresh for sin to morrow We wonder to think how damned spirits contract fresh strength for their new torments and so they shall to all eternity but we need the lesse wonder if we observe wearied sinners getting fresh strength for new sins for as face in water answereth face so doth the heart of sinners upon earth answer the heart of sinners that are in hell for these would also be fresh for sin if God should suffer it unto all eternitie So then as its a sign of a Saint-like heavenly mind to be spiritually universally weary of the ways of nature so farre as they hinder from leaning upon the Lord even so weary of them as he is of his guest Prov. 25.17 Remove thy foot from thy neighbours house least he be wearie of thee and so hate thee to be so weary of them as to hate them Father Mother Wife Children Lands c. which must be Luk. 14.26 Yea so as to be weary of their life because of temptations unto sin Gen. 17.46 As Rebekah was of the daughters of Heth least they should draw her Jacob from the Lord if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of the Land what good shall my life doe me so say they as long as temptations prevaile against them they are even weary of their very lives because of their lusts so it is a very signe of a very reprobate mind and hellish heart to be able to go in the waies of the wildernesse of fin and there to run without weariness and to walke without being faint A word to those that are weary of no waies but Christs waies But still there is one thing that I cannot passe over but must lay it upon your hearts as a lamentation viz. since none can lay hold upon Jesus Christ but those that are weary of all other waies What shal we say to those that are weary of none but his waies I finde it an easier matter by many degrees to make some of you by close preaching wearie of the word to goe to ride to house your selves from the wearying word then to make you weary of the world to leave to hate or to forsake the toyling vanities and wearying wayes of fin It is to be observed concerning the people of the Jewes when now the Lord was wearie of them and the precious Ordinances were taking wing as weary of their despised aboad among them and the word of truth was a flying from Malachi to Matthew and from the Jews unto the Gentiles to whom it might be new newes and welcome His great controversie upon which he parts with them is this Mal. 1.13 Ye also have said that is of my service of mine institutions as you may see in verse before Behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hosts What a tedious man say some is this hee never knoweth when to have done and then they look at the hour-glasse and snuffe and nothing tyres them so much as these holy things Ah this is plain-dealing when thou saist so God also deales as plainly with thee Mal. 2.17 You have wearied the Lord with your words Well met you wearie of God and God of you but ah poore Creatures who shall have the worst of it Now all that I have said this day I have spoken to this end that if any amongst you are hereby wearied and made truly weary you might know where to have a resting place My God hath said unto me concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as to Isaiah as to Israel Isai 28.12 This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshment but oh my brethren let it not be said of any of you as of Israel in the words of the verse that run on but you would not And so I passe on to the CHAP. VI. Containes Querie second for what are lost soules to leane upon Christ Answer 1. For all their strength 2d Question In order unto what lost souls are to be leaning soules Answer SEcond Question For what it is that lost soules are to lean upon the Beloved The answer of this Question will be obvious from the answer â—f the former for if the weak and wearie be the onely true leaners then 't is strength and rest that they are to leane upon Christ for 1. For all their strength First Lean upon Jesus Christ for all your strength You have heard this hinted that they that would stand against the bewildrings of Satan must be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6.10 Art thou weake Why 't is strength yea the strength of the Lord and the power of his might that thou art to leane for upon Christ nothing else will serve thy turne and that thou maist have by leaning I shall speake to three comprehensive particulars leane on Christ as the alone strength of what thou hast of what thou dost and of what thou art viz. 1. Of what they have 1. Lean upon Christ as thy alone strength in respect of all that thou hast or wouldst have Wouldst thou have grace or comfort believe and thou shalt receive strength to re-receive these Heb. 11.11 By faith Sarah her selfe also received strength to
he and wherein is he thus blessed that comes to learne in Christs Schoole why verse 13. That thou maist give him rest from the time of trouble this will make thee a goodmends for the soarest whipping if thou learn the lesson of Christianity to day thou shalt have rest to morrow Thus God expresly speaking concerning this knowledge Isai 28.9 10 11. saith of it verse 12. This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing And it must needs be that the knowledge of the Lord Christ must be a refreshing knowledge to the soule upon three accounts For 1. It is a spirituall First It is a spiritual therefore a refreshing knowledge to the Spirit 't is a knowledge of spirituall things and after a spirituall manner The understanding of things carnall or spirituall things in a carnal sort cannot indeed satisfactorily refresh the Spirit The soule that knowes Christ knowes him not after the flesh but spiritually and whosoever to knows him knowes the things that God hath prepared for them that love him and what are the things prepared but Mansions adequate and eternall rest which things being revealed by the Spirit and spiritually discerned by the soule are ravishing and refreshing to the soul your hearts bear testimony hereunto compare 1 Cor. 2.9 10 14. with Jo. 14.2 2ly It is an experimentall 2ly An experimentall and therefore a refreshing knowledge They that know Christ feele Christ and the feeling of him must needs be refreshing to them 1 Jo. 1.1 Our hands have handled the word of life this experimentall knowledge the Apostle communicates as being abundantly himselfe refreshed that their joy also might be full ver 4. Thirdly To know Christ 3ly A soule Centring knowledge must needs afford rest to our understandings because Christ is the very Center of all knowledge knowing him you need go no farther knowing him you may well sit down and rest and refresh your your selves for you know enough you know all 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified so Phil. 3.10 That I might know him and the power of his Resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings If Paul as learned as he otherwise was could but reach unto this knowledge he doth not once entertaine a thought that his wearied understanding should travell any farther 2ly 2ly Of your wearied Consciences Come and leane your weary Consciences upon Jesus Christ Oh! how do some complaine of tyred Consciences and how falne would they sit down but know not where to rest themselves This was Davids sad out-cry Psal 38.3 There is no rest in my bones because of my sin Now what shall such a soule do in such a case I le tell you in Isaiahs words Thus saith the Lord God the holy one of Israel Isai 30.15 In returning and rest you shall be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength that is return to Christ and lean upon him and you shall have rest and strength from him unto the quieting of your wearied and distracted soules But how shall weary Consciences doe to refresh themselves by leaning on Jesus Christ Question How that shal be Answer I answer Bring all your Conscience fraught and laiden and unburthen it upon Jesus Christ Christ doth not bid weary and loaden Consciences to lay downe their burthens 1. Lay downe thy burthens upon Christ and then to come unto him but come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden which undoubtedly and peculiarly refers to Conscience-loadings and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 That is bâ—ing your burthens to me and I le take them down 1. Vnlade the acknowledgements of your sins into Christs bosome First Let weary Consciences unlade all their acknowledgements and disgorgings of sinne into Christs own bosome immediately Thus David in the fore quoted Psalme 38.18 He resolves upon acknowledgement of his sin and this he empties into the Lords own bosome verse 9. 1. Your sinne-sorrowes Secondly As you bring your sin-acknowledgements so bring your sin-sorrowes to Christ let your faith put the Lord Christ to the same worke whereunto he is called by the Father to carry our griefes and sorrowes So Isai 53.4 Thus David Psal 38.6 When he was troubled and bowed down greatly going mourning all the day long he had immediate recourse to the Lord Christ 3ly Your wearying sighs and groanings Thirdly Let us also disburthen all wearying sighs and tyring groanes of our troubled minds into the bosome of Jesus Christ Thus David Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Wouldst thou pray down the guilt or groan down the power of any Corruption that clogs thy poore Conscience even to the making of thee weary of thy very life then leane on Jesus Christ and thou shalt find rest Yea this I would Note unto you before I leave you that Christ doth not bid weary soules to go to the Father Note but to come to him with their heavy loadings believe it 't will be ill leaning of a tyred Conscience upon God the Father with Christ the Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 Come not to the Father first but to the Advocate and by the Advocate to the Father If a man have a Creditor to speak with he will speake with his Surety first and if he can but engage him he can with boldnesse look his Creditor in the face But woe woe to that Conscience that comes sinful and Christlesse unto the great and righteous holy and sin-abhorring Majestie of the Lord God 2ly 2ly Take up Cordials from Christ Let thy weary Conscience take from Christs hand his Cordials as well as lay downe thy burthen on his shoulders 'T is true I am the chiefe of sinners so let repentance speak in thy soule yea But this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation so let thy faith speak viz. That Christ came into the world to save such I shall oâ—e day fall by such a strong Corruption if Conscience-trouble say so let faith say nay but Christ came into world that he might destroy the works of the Devill c. And thus in any other case of Conscience the way to have an heart sprinkled from an evill Conscience is to draw near in the full assurance of faith unto Jesus Christ having him as an High Priest over the houshold of God Heb. 10.21 22. 3ly 3ly Your wearied affections Leane your tyred affections upon the Lord Christ and in him let them rest themselves As to know Christ is the only true stay to the understanding so to love him c. is the onely true stay to the affections Set your affections on things above where Christ sits Col. 3.1 As who should say else will they flutter about as the wandring dove without any rest at all but in Christ they
not thinke onely of standing at his right hand and of receiving honour by him but also of doing homage and giving of worship to him If you must come up to Sarahs example in calling and and counting him your Lord. Thus David that Kingly Prophet takes him for his King and his Prophet whom he takes for his Saviour Psal 25.5 Lead me in thy truth there 's the first and teach me there 's the second for thou art the God of my salvation there 's the third So then since true faith doth ever take hold upon an whole Christ who is King Priest and Prophet whether it be granted that this Faith doth justifie as it receives Christ under the precise Nosion of Ruler and Teacher as well as of Priest which some affirme or onely of Priest and Surety as others doe judge that is solely as presenting his righteousnesse to God for us and as putting that his righteousnesse upon us and not as working that righteousness in us that is most usually called Holiness which seems chiefly as to respect the Princely and Prophetical office of Christ so to relate to that purifying or sanctifying act of faith spoken of Act. 15.9 rather then that justifying act of faith spoken of Rom. 5.1 Yet must I assert that no faith doth justifie but that which takes Christ for King and Law-giver as well as Saviour Isai 33.22 Faith justifies si non quâ totum saltem quae totum recipit respicit Christum Take heed soules of distinguishing here between LORD and JESUS as Judge Cook used to do by laying off of his Gown between Judge and Cook If Christs Coat be seamless surely Christ himselfe is divisionless And it is farre safer for me and you to be careful in uniting practically what God hath certainly joyned together then to be over-curious in distinguing notionally where if we divide practically we are undone everlastingly Yea are there not some Pilats that aske what is truth that even question Justification it selfe because some raise so various so dubious Questions about it and whilst these contend so much about the Cement they call into question the very Foundation and say the Builders shall agree before we build with them Yea and a receiving of him upon his owne termes Lastly I say a receiving of Christ upon his own terms Perhaps some guests would come to the Marriage when their Oxen are proved and their Farms managed c. and if they might first go and bury their Father Mat. 8.21 And thus would we be indenting with and thrusting our own terms upon the Lord Chrst but if we marry him we must marry on his own terms with him and what those are we shall have occasion to speak in the Hinderances and therefore thither we refer thee for the present Now therefore that soule that thus Assents and Consents unto Jesus Christ both in Vnderstanding and Will both in the knowledge and love of the truth the soul that thus Conceives and Receives of such a soule may we say in the language of Rev. 19.7 The marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready This is the soule that may and ought to lean the soule that may and must apply How to improve this interest this soule hath an interest And now let me call for the improvement This is the soule that should be much in meditating 2. By often meditating of this strength rest with Christ what strength and rest her Head and Husband hath received or her Psa 45.1 My heart is enditing a good matter what was that Why Things appertaining to the King and what are those a Throne and a Scepter vers 6. that is Rest and Strength and for whom Why For the Queen at his right hand vers 9. Now sirs doe we believe this that our soules are marryed to the King of glory Oh then O then why is it that we have such base and sordid familiarity and fellowship with this World surely the reason why there is so much Earth in our lives nay may I say so much Hell in our lives is because there is so little heaven in our thoughts Phil. 3.20 whereas our Conversation should be in Heaven whence we look for a Saviour 2ly 2. By often speaking of it to others This is the soule that should be much in relating what a gainer she hath beene by making Christ her beloved What Zeresh what Wife amongst you could hold your peace if your Husband should be promoted to be second man in the Land Let thy soul make her boast in the Lord To Christ himself and speak thou the things that thou hast meditated concerning the King Psal 45.1 Yea speak much of it unto Jesus Christ and say I am thy Spouse O Lord I am thy Spouse and thou hast received gifts for me therefore give strength give refreshings to me the language of Psal 68.18 speaking to Christ in the second person will warrant such pleas at the Throne of grace 3ly 3ly By enlarging affections towards Christ hereupon This is the soule that should improve her interest in Christ by enlarging her affections towards Christ Hast thou an interest in Christ for thy stay and strength say as David Psal 18.1 I will loue thee O Lord O my strength And indeed the stronger the love is the stronger the leaning will be Lastly 4ly By living the life of faith This is the soul that whose life should be made up of faith and of obedience Of Faith For saith David My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed and upon what is is fixed Why trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 And obedience in the sence hereof Of Obedience Be the work never so crosse to flesh and blood never so great and difficult though fighting with Beasts though wrestling with Devils because she is strong in her Lord and in the power of his might Ephes 6.10 12. Never so tedious and tyresome though reaping in his Harvest even all the heat and under the burthen of the day because say the Apostles such a soule shall have rest with us yea even with Christ for when his Spouse hath wrought with him all the day of her life she shall lie down with him in the night of her death and rest from all her labours because she is interested in the Lord for so saith the Spirit Reu. 14.13 Thus the Church of Philadelphia when she had but a little strength improves it unto faith and obedience she kept Christs word there 's obedience she denyed not his name there 's faith therefore Christ will keep her from the hour of temptation and give her Victory over Satan and his Synagogue Rev. 3.8 9 10. And thus have I done with the Object viz. Christ prepared and the spring of the Act viz. An Interest or Christ appropriated I come to 3d. Consid What this leaning act in the notion of it doth import More remotely The third thing propounded in
that all the world should not be won But the Prophet Isaiah before-hand tells us Isai 53.2 3. There is no form nor comlinesse in him when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Againe That he is despised and rejected of men and that we hid as it were our faces from him As when he goes a woing whom some coy Gentlewoman undervalews she forsooth will not see him but chambers up and concealeth her selfe from him Thus Christ came to his owne and his owne received him not Jo. 1. So when Christ comes a woing to our carnall or naturall hearts and we see him out of the window as it were truly we hide our faces from him we do not desire to be married to him And the reason he supposeth all along that Chapter because it is Christ Crucified that goes a woing in the world I find that is in the day of his Espousals and not when he goes a woing that Jesus Christ puts on his Crown Cant. 3.11 It is Christ Crowned that marries but it is Christ Crucified that woes 1. Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you being an Apostle a Paranymph a Spokesman amongst you for Christ but Jesus Christ and him crucified Sirs If you can not find in your hearts to love a crucified Christ I dare not goe a wooing for Christ under any other Notion We preach Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1.23 and therefore to one a stumbling block to another foolishnesse and this being supposed that it is a Crucified Christ that goes a wooing in the world truly never was any suiter more universally undervalued by the proudest Dame then Jesus is by carnall hearts for they neither like his Port nor Person nor Discourse nor Carriage nor Estate 1. Few like Christs woing Port. 1. Caâ—nall hearts are prejudiced at the Port of Jesus Christ when he goes a woing in the world When a Noblâ—man comes a wooing to some great personage in the World notice is taken of the Port that he comes in what Chariots come with him what Geldings what Servants what Retayners If a man should come a wooing to a great Lady upon the back of an Ass or with a beggerly retinue were not this one thing enough to hinder all hopes of a match Now such is the pleasure of the Lord Jesus Christ that such shall his wooing Port such shall his Retayners be Instead of Coach or Sedan or led Horses or Chariots Christ rides a woing on the Foal of an Ass the foolishness of preaching see Zach. 9.9 Rejoyce O Daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the Foal of an Asse And if you will have the mystery unfolded 't is this It pleaseth Christ whilest he passeth by the enticing words of mans wisdome and the pompous port of humane Oratory by the foolishnesse that is the plainnesse of preaching to wooe and to win soules unto himselfe 1 Cor. 1.12 and this is the preaching of Christ Crucified in a Crucified style to the Iews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse vers 23. Hence it is that the wise the Scribes the Doctors the Disputers of this world dash and stumble upon Christ instead of leaning upon him because Christ is preached as Crucified and so evidently by plain preaching set forth as Crucified amongst us Gal. 3.1 Note I have observed but two dumb beasts whose mouthes were opend in the Scriptures One by Satan the other by the Lord Satan he makes use of the mouth of the Serpent the subtilest Gen. 3.1 God he makes use of the mouth of the Asse the simplest Numb 22.38 The Lord opened the mouth of Balaams Asse If you would chuse a Speaker you usually pitch upon the most eloquent but God often speaks by the Stammerer and out of the mouths of Babes and weaklings ordaineth his praise and by such spokesmen wooes home most souls many time to Jesus Christ Againe Instead of Pâ—inces and Rulers Christ brings his poor kindred and despised spokesmen with him and chief Captaines and Counsellors of the world for his Companions He chooseth to beare him company even in the view of the world and when he goes a woing not many wise not many Nobles 1 Cor. 1.26 But he hath chosen the poore of this world that they may be rich in faith and so beare him company though ragged in Cloathes Iam. 2.5 Fishermen Magdalens Lazars and these when they keep his sayings must be accounted his Mother and kinsfolk and Brethren Mark 3.35 Now even we our selves account her unworthy of a rich Husband who cannot find in her heart to acknowledge his poor kindred I have heard a Gentlewoman should say and I feare too many say so in their hearts that if it were not for Christs followers she could be content to follow Christ Ah! if it were not for Christs great Charge of Children and poore kindred many perhaps would looke towards him more then doe But if you be ashamed of them know that Christ will be ashamed of you I was naked saith Christ in my little ones and you cloathed me not hungry and you fed me not depart from me Mat. 25.41 42 43. 2ly Few like his person 2ly Carnal hearts are prejudiced at Christs person when he goes a wooing in the world Sirs I am sent to woe you to Christ but it is unto him crucified and consequently for His Rayment either he is naked they rent his Coat asunder and cast lots upon his Garments as Mat. 27.35 or clad with Garments dyed in the Wine-presse and red in his Apparel Isai 63.1 2 3. viz. Vestures dipt in his owne blood Rev. 19.1.3 which one would thinke were enough to frighten from Christ in stead of wooing to him And as for His Countenance 't is marred more then any mans and his form more then the Sons of men Isai 52.14 His Face instead of being washed with sweet waters as wooers wont to do is spit upon and instead of shaving is given to those that pulled off the hair Isai 50 6. As for His Head 't is Crown'd indeed but it is with rending Thorns Mat. 27.29 As for His Back 't is new-come as it were from the whipping-post and whealed with scornfull stripes of mercilesse men For he gave his back to the smiters Isai 50.6 As for His sides They are launced with Speares Jo. 19.34 And behold a mingled stream of water and blood As for His hands and feet they also are pierced as he himself recordeth Psal 22.16 Now friends can you find in your hearts as Joseph of Arimathea did Mat. 27.57 to make much of Christ in such a posture thus used thus abused if you cannot it is in vaine to perswade you to marry the Lord Jesus Christ therefore stand you by also 3ly 3ly Few like his woing discourse in general viz. Conviction Carnall hearts are as much prejudiced at Christs wooing discourse
and pricks them even to the heart as he did those Converts Act. 2.37 Strange woing you will say yet is this alwaies the manner of Christs woing more or lesse CHAP. XV. Few like Christs Estate and why Considerations opposed to the foresaid hinderances viz. How soules may come to the needing and feeling of Christ 5ly Few like his estate or the terms relating unto it such as these 1. He must have your portion out of your own hand at his dispose FIfthly Neither doth any carnal heart like the Estate business better then the former for such as these and onely such as these are Christs Termes as to matter of Estate First Saith Christ If you will marry me I must have all your portion ready down Go and sell all thou hast and come and follow me Mat. 19.21 You shall not have a penny saith Christ but I will have the command of it Leave your Onyons your Aegypt your Fleshpots if you expect I should joynture you in a Canaan And know that whosoever loves Houses and Lands in comparison of me is not worthy of me 2ly Saith Christ If you marry me 2ly You must take your joynture upon trust You must take my word for your security as to your joynture fom me You must live by faith not by sence The name of the Land I shall joynture you in is Promise-land I may perhaps if you please me give you some distant view of Canaan from the top of some Pisgah some Mount of transfiguration but as for the frame of your life it must bee by faith Hab. 2.3 For the vision or sight of it is yet for an appointed season but in the end it shall speak if you will but tarry for it Not I saith the Worlding let who will tarry for it or trust to it here are terms indeed part with all and all upon trust for my part I think it not safe venturing a portion upon this Christ if promise c. be the best assurance he can give Well then if thou be so minded stand thou also by But 3ly I have yet more saith Christ to indent 3ly You must goe into another Country for possession if you will marry me You must go beyond Sea into another Counry another World and then it is that I will make you Queen for Jo. 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this world My Lands lie on the other side of the stood My Canaan on the other side of Jordan And sirs this is most certain that if you will be the Lambs wife you must follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Yea but saith a carnall heart I know not how to stay for an Estate till I come at Heaven therefore adiew to Christ I hope to marry one that will joynture me nearer home Yea but Lastly Here is more yet saith Christ 4ly You must die by the way If you will marry me You must follow me into my Native Country out of your own Land as Abraham of old and you must suffer shipwrack by the way and be cast away as to your flesh and blood for they cannot enter into the Kingdom of God which is my Fathers Country 1 Cor. 15.50 Of a truth you must dye before you can be possessed of my joynture and live as my Queen I will give you the title to it now but your own life shall keep you out of possession My Country is Canaan and the Red-sea of death you must past thorow before you can enter into my rest and these things I tell you that you may know upon what termes I take you and that you may not be offended in me Joh. 16.1 Now then as for those that when they see Christ neither like his Port his Person nor Discourse nor Carriage nor Estate what hopes are there left of wooing winning these soules unto Jesus Christ and herein have I desired to deale faithfully this day that I might if it be possible bring one sober and beat off wanton lovers and so leaners from Jesus Christ I have heard of some women that have been in good earnest engaged in affection to some whom some of their Acquaintance and Relations have solicitously disswaded them from that have silenced all with such an answer I will marry him though I never have good day with him And truly Christians it is somewhat sad if your love to the Lord Jesus doe not exceed the love of women Jobs language is somewhat like this Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him though he kill me yet will I not be beaten from him Though he speak hardly to me yet will I speak humbly to him though he smite me I will love him and though he slay me yet will I lean upon him Which that you may the better be encouraged to give me leave to subjoyne as I promised unto these Negative Hinderances Considrations opposed unto those Hinderances 1. As to the first hinderance viz. Few need Christ 1. Help Labour to see your need of Christ some Considerations for Helps And 1. As to the first Hinderance viz. That few need Christ though Christ be that one thing when there is but one thing needfull as himselfe saith Luk. 10.42 yet doth the world see their need of every thing but of this one thing Every one needs Food and Rayment House-roome and Fiering Money and Friends c. but who needs Jesus Christ Now if this be the reason that few leane upon him because but few need him then those Considerations that may helpe us to become needing souls may helpe us to become leaning souls Question How then shall a lost soul come to need Christ for a leaning-stock Answ I answer Let poor soules come into a sick shaken sinking condition I le undertake for a soule in such a state that it shall verily stand in need to lean upon Jesus Christ First Labour thou that art a lost soul 1. by becomming a sick soule to become a sick soul that is the way to become a leaning soul Mat. 9.12 The whole need not the Physitian but the sick so the whole need not a Keeper but the sick There are many things the same man wants when he is sick that he needs not when he is well A man leanes upon his own skill as for his dyet and all other accommodations when he is well but he leanes upon his Physitian and his skill for direction for dyet c. when he is sick and the reason he leanes on him now and not before is because he needs him now and not before Sicknesse makes him need him and therefore lean upon him so there are many things that the same soule never needed that is saw no need of before that when it comes to be spiritually sick it comes to need in good earnest before it could trust to its owne wisdome and leane to its own understanding and order its affaires according to its own will but now it needs a Christ as Physitian as
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
be Evil and closeth with it as if it were good Therefore leaning to self-will cannot but bee as very an Obstruction to this leaning upon the Lord as leaning to thy own understanding before spoken of because it is the selfe same hindrance onely improved to a farther height and strengthned by a farther Act of the soul exerted by self-Will in pursuance of self-wisdom And Secondly As the Will leanes to the corrupt dictates of the Understanding 2. Because the whole man leans to the choice of the Will so the whole man leans to the choice of the Will At first the Man would do so and so because his judgement such as it was advised him to do so and so but now hee will do it because he will And here the man holds and resolves to stay by it Now who sees not how directly this opposeth our leaning upon the Lord for when we should revolve our Wills yea our whole souls and affairs into the Lords will ultimately and acquiesce there we revolve all into our own and thus whilest we will flee upon horses as Isa 30.16 and ride upon the swift and will die as Ezek. 18.31 and will not come to Christ that we might have life as Ioh. 5. 40. and all because we will and will not we will swear because we will swear and will be drunk because we will be drunk and wil passe away our pretious time in wantonnesse sport and vanity because we will do so and will not take paines to hear the word or sanctifie the Lords day or pray with fervency or watch our own hearts with diligence because we will not We make our wills our Gods and no wonder then that they are our leaning stocks and therefore saith the Scripture 1 Sam. 15.23 Stubbornnesse is Idolatry What can the high and holy one say more then this nay some have dared to question whether he can say so much I will have mercy because I will have mercy and I will not have mercy on an Esau because I will not as God seems clearly to speak Rom. 9.18 Take heed of stubbornness you sinners lest herein the Great God condemne you as as Idolaters 3. Self-righteousnesse Thirdly Leaning to self-Righteousnesse cannot but hinder our leaning upon the Beloved Hee that hath said Be not over-much wise hath also said Be not over-much Righteous 'T is spoken of a wisdom and righteousnes by which thou destroyest thy self Eccl. 7.16 therefore 't is self-wisdom and self-righteousnesse That of Christs is notable to this purpose Luk. 18.8 When he cometh shall he find faith on the earth though this may bee diversly rendred yet sure if it bear respect to that which followes the Explication of faith in this place is according to this present truth Why what is that which shall hinder faith It followes ver 9. He spake immediately a parable unto certain that trusted in themselves that they were righteous When he cometh he shall find on the Earth so many trusting in themselves that they are Righteous that he shall find but few trusting in the Lord that they may be Righteous Hee shall find so much self-Confidence on the Earth that he shall find little faith on the Earth The more of the former the lesse of the later For this leaning to self-righteousnes keeps the soul ignorant of at a distance from yea in open hostility against the righteousnesse of Christ For the first As being 1. Ignorant of Christs righteousnesse Self-righteousnesse keeps the soul ignorant of Christs Righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 They were ignorant of Gods Righteousness and did establish their own Righteousness these are link'd together I have seen some Country youth that never was in any Populous and Gentile City or Towne trickt up with a new suite of Cloaths and a few gay Ribbons None in the Parish so gay as he and he not using to go out of the Town hath thought that one could not bee more spruce then himself His own sprucenesse hath kept him ignorant of the transcendent Riches and splendor of Rayment in other places which when once he comes to see he is easily convinced that he knew not what belonged to good Cloaths before So the self-righteous they are so fine in themselves their duties their gifts and especially in their holyday-'parrell their Temple-prayers and Lords-day Duties and thanksgiving-day alms in the corners of the streets and with the sound of the Trumpet that they know not what belongs to a righteousnesse to make it up more compleat And reciprocally the more they are ignorant of Gods Righteousnesse the more they establish their own and the more they establish their own the more ignorant they are of the Righteousnesse of God Ah! but when they are once come to Jerusalem the City of the living God the place of Concourse unto holy Saints and glorious Angels never did they see the thousandth part of that disproportion between the glittering of a tinsell Ribbon and the sparkling of a Diamond in a set of Gold which they now behold betwixt self-righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of the Saints which is by Jesus Christ Secondly If self-righteousnesse be near meeting with Christs if it be possible it will shun it Never was Copper more affraid to be compared with pure Gold 2. Shunning Christs which when it was alone might go for Gold then self-righteousnesse to be compared with Christs Oh! what a difficult work was it for John to get the Pharisees to the righteousness of Christ 'T was much more easie which would seem strang to get the unclean harlots and unrighteous Publicans to come to Christs righteousnesse that had none of their owne then the Pharisees that had one already Saith Christ to the Pharisees Mat. 21.32 John came to you in the way of righteousness and you believed him not but the harlots and Publicans believed him Thirdly If self-righteousnesse must needs meet with Christs 3. Warring against Christs as long as it is able to stand it will be sure to fight for it Rom. 10.3 they establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God I know not any Engine or weapon that morall and civill especially formall ones war more against Christ by then this self-righteousnes When the strong man arm'd keeps his Palace hee is the stronger for this that his goods are in peace Luk. 11.21 What peace so long as his spirituall whoredoms remain Why yes A self-peace spun out of the bowels of self-righteousnesse as true righteousness is the ground of reall peace so is counterfeit-righteousness of false peace and this peace is that which arms Satan to keep garrison in the soul Therefore the Lord yoaks trusting in self-righteousness with committing iniquity Ezek. 33.13 4. Leaning to our owne lives Lastly Leaning to the length of our own lives will bee exceeding ready to hinder us from leaning upon the Beloved You heard Jacob had a staffe to lean upon in his dying hour and soules that prepare for
shall take hold upon him for God shall cast upon him and not spare though he would fain flie out of his hand You have this dreadfull judgement annexed to this sad sinne Jer. 13.35 This is thy lot the portion of thy measures from me saith the Lord because thou hast forgotten me and trusted in falsehood this is thy lot from me Oh! that 's a killing word It 's usually the lot of Saints to suffer from the World and to have all the loades laid on them that wicked men can lay yea sometimes 't is their lot to lie under all the loads that they can possibly lay upon themselves and their own Consciences can presse them down withall but all this is little to the other for all this while there is a God to take off their loads from them But now when God shall say this is thy lot from me and I will lay much weight upon thee because thou didst trust in falshood and lay as much weight upon thy sinne as possibly thou couldest and I the Lord will presse hard upon thee with mine owne hand of wrath and will not spare because thou didst leane hard upon thy sinne and sparedst not Heaven and Earth stand astonished and tremble O Hell at the Easelesse Endlesse and Remedilesse vexation that will surprise that Spirit Leane not to Satan 1. He is a knowne lyar 2ly Lean not to Satan for 1. If Sin be the web Satan is the Spider If Sin be the lie Satan's the lyer and which of these is to be leaned unto As for Satan he was a lyer from the beginning he hath continued a lyer ever since he got his Kingdom by lying he continues it by lying he manageth his whole Oeconomy and family-dispensations by lying and therefore he is called the Father of it Jo. 8.44 And is this thy Counsellor thy friend thy bosome-friend Is this hee that so many of the world lean unto Alas the foolishnesse of the children of men or madnesse rather of the children of the Devill alas the frequent bewitchednesse of the children of God! 2ly A sworne enemy Secondly Satan is not onely a known lyer but he is also thy sworn Enemie therefore what madnesse is it for thy soule to leane to him Will a man consult with his Enemie whose plot it is to take away his life or his estate how he may doe to save them Or will he which is much more lean to his Enemies counsell if he should entertaine a discourse with him What is said of the Unicorne Job 39.11 Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great I may much more say so to thy soule concerning Satan Are we ever the more confident in our Adversaries because they are the more potent Strength is the onely thing in Satan which might induce thee to leane unto those Principalities and Powers yea but that strength is in an Enemies keeping and therefore there 's lesse reason for trusting him Or dost thou thinke that he will lay downe his Emnity because he takes up a flattery Let the wise Man counsell thee Prov. 26.24 25. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips and layeth up deceit within him when he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Thirdly You say of knavish Customers 3ly The more you leane to him the more he will presse upon you the more you trust them the more they trouble you and the more they have of your Confidence the more you have of their Companie the way to be rid of them is to give them no Credit neither to trust to their Promises nor to their Payments I am sure it is and will be thus with Satan Oh! how he loves to trade where he may bee trusted you complaine Satan's alwaies troubling you and who can helpe it you are alwaies trusting him Trust him lesse and hee will trouble you lesse In this sort resist him and in that sort he will flee from you Jam 4.7 Lastly Lean unto Satan and farewell all confederacy and correspondence with the Lord. They say 4ly Leane to him and God will leave you if our State will leane to the Portugall they must breake with the Spaniard for these are absolute Enemies I am sure if you leane to Satan God will break with you for there 's no reconciling Christ and Belial Thus resting on the Lord and covenanting with Hell are made termes of fullest opposition Isai 28.12 15. CHAP. XXIV Disswasives from leaning upon the World amplified Lean not to the world THirdly lean not to the World Or as the Apostles rule is where hee speakes of the highest of fleshly things Phil. 3.3 Have no confidence in the flesh 1. Not to the worlds promises First Lean not to the Worlds promises be they never so specious yet are they but like Satans to Christ when he shewed him the glory of the World altogether deceitfull and treacherous All these will I give thee or to our Parents you shall be as Gods What more could be promised but though the second Adam was wiser then to be deceived yet is the first Adam yea and all his posterity a sad and sufficient proofe of the slender performance Much after the same sort doth the World pay what it promiseth Therefore as Job 15.31 Let not him that is deceived trust in Vanity for Vanity shall be his recompence Have you not often found this to be true of the World you very Men of the World Is not an high degree in the world a lye even as a low degree is vanity Read Psal 62.9 Yea let great Ones read their own Experiences in such or such a place of worldly profit or power c. Who were fairly promised much in it before they had it and then tell me Nor performances 2ly The Worlds performances are no more to bee trusted then its promise Leane no more unto what the World can do then unto what the World can say 1. Not to what the men of the world can do First Lean not to the Men of the World Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man or maketh flesh his Arm. 2ly Lean not to the Things of the World 2. Nor the things of the world Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in riches 1 Tim. 6.17 True may you say men are not to be lean'd to in whom we have no interest but such a man is my friend my Brother But trust not in a friend Mic. 7.5 And againe men will think small friends small forces are not much to be confided in Small means they that have them may live to wast them and too dye beggers notwithstanding them But think men if our friends or our Armies were so great or our Navies so strong or our Estates so many Thousands and that an Annuity then might I trust and that with boldnesse unto these things Therefore I wil go over again First Lean not to the men of
expressed to be a Guide Gal. 5.16 Walk in the Spirit there he is supposed to be a way In the same manner that Christ whom you have heard the Scriptures declaring to be a Guide calls himselfe as you shall hear a way That is the Word of truth shews us both where and how to walk The spirit of truth shews us both in what way and according to what Rule we ought to walk Christ finally who is the truth leads us by himself as he is the Guide to walk in himself as he is the way that brings us to the Father Where I shall observe unto you That as Israels Guides so their way to Canaan was a type of Christ as our way out of this Wildernesse of sinne to out soules rest 2. That Christ the guide is also the way 3. How Jesus the guide came to be the way And lastly What manner of way Christ is unto the soul 1. 1. Israels way out of the wildernesse a type of Christ Then Israels way out of that Wilderness to that Canaan was a figure to shadow forth Christ unto them and Us as the onely true way unto true Rest wherefore when the Apostle to the Hebrews had largely been discoursing of Israel in the Wildernesse Chap. 3. to the end from thence he takes occasion to urge closely on the Hebrews the posterity of that old Israel that they neglect not to believe on Christ as being that sinne by which they would indeed lose their way to the spirituall Canaan and rest of the people of God as their Fathers had done who could not enter in because of unbeliefe chap. 3.19 In the next words viz. ch 4.1 Let us therefore saith he fear lest we also come short and how are we said at any time to come short of our journey but when we come short of our way and why were they charged to come short of the way but because they came short of the faith read verses 2 6. And what doth he presse these Hebrews to doe to the intent they come not short of that Rest but to believe on that Jesus the great high Priest who is passed into the heavens and so is become our way to the throne of Grace in whom we may come for that is the language of the Text and that with boldnesse that we may obtain grace and mercie to help in time of need Heb. 4.3 11 14 16. Nay be plainly tells them that if any of their Fathers ever reached that Rest which remaines for the people of God it was not Jesus the sonne of Nun verse 8. but Jesus the Son of God verse 14.15 16. through whom their way was to come and appeare before God or that gave them that Rest 2ly Now that Jesus is the WAY 2ly Iesus the Guide is also the way the One and Onely WAY to the Father in whose presence is the fulnesse of joy and from whose presence are the times of refreshing whereof you have heard and so consequently that Jesus Christ is the onely way for bewildred sinners to come to the Saints Rest take I pray you his own witnesse concerning himselfe whom we know to be the faithfull and true witness Rev. 1.5 3 15. When Thomas asks the selfe-same Question which I am perswaded the poor lost souls of you would faine be satisfied in Lord saith Thomas How shall we know the way Joh. 14. verse 5. that is the way to the Mansions or Rest spoken of verse 2. Christ answers his Question fully and so fully makes good our present Discourse ands fully I am perswaded satisfieth your solicitous desires and soul-enquiries verse 6. I am the way no man cometh to the Father but by me 3ly How Christ the Guide comes to be the way 3ly But and if thou demand how Christ the Guide comes to be the Way understand it thus The are two things to be considered in Christ which were also both in Moses enabling him as was Moses to be a Guide 1. That he be a Prophet that is One able to direct the Way so was Moses 2. That he be a Prince that is One having power to command into that way so directed and so was Moses In both these Moses was a Type of Christ as a Guide Christs Office being Propheticall to Direct and Princely to Command soules to walke in the wayes that hee shewes them Thus Moses was a fit Guide and so is Christ But then there is another requisite to make Christ the guide to be the way also and in this Moses came short of typifying Christ but Aaron by whom they were also led Psal 77.20 Though short before makes up that defect now and that is Note that he be a Priest The people were not to offer sacrifices immediatly or by themselves but they were to bring them to the Priests and the Priests were to be their way unto the Lord and all as cleare Types of Christ our way to the Father Now then had Christ been onely Prince and Prophet he might have been an able guide but he could not have been a waie but Christ being King Priest and Prophet the chiefe of Kings the chiefe of Prophets and the chiefe of Priests must needs be the chiefe of Guides and the chiefe of Waies I thinke the Scripture's very plaine Jo. 14.6 Jesus saith I am the way the truth and the life I will expound or paraphrase it thus I am the King the Priest and the Prophet for I thinke those three words in the Text answer the Threefold office considerable in Christ I am the truth that 's I am the Prophet I am the life that 's I am the Prince I am the waie that 's I am the Priest That Christ as he stiles himselfe the Truth relateth unto his Propheticall Office none I thinke will deny that Christ as he stiles himselfe the life that is one giving life to his people speakes of his Kingly Office may as well be granted for this is the peculiar prerogative of Christ as King above all other Kings other Kings can bid people goe c. but Christ by bidding them can them goe and this is without all contradiction Christs very Kingly Office to give such commands in the new Creation as God the Lord did in the Old he said let there be light and there was so so Christ to Lazarus Come forth and he did so so to the Diseased Take up your bed and walk and they did so and so Christ to the Spouse Come with me from the Lyons den c. Cant. 4.8 and she doth so as in our Text. Therefore is the soveraignty of Jesus Christ as Truth and Prophet he shews the way as Prince he gives life the fountaine of motion to walke in that way Otherwise he might call and command ten thousand times and we stirre no more then dead Carkasses Other Kings can onely spare or take away life where it is but Christ can give life where it is not There wants yet another word to
I should bee never be able to hold out I should faint by the way and I have never heard of any good entertainment in the way Alas friend thou judgest sure of this way by thy Wildernesse But I tell thee thou judgest unrighteous judgement Go but with me to one knows the way well and hear what he saith of the entertainment Ps 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the waies of them ver 6. who passe thorough the vale of of Baca oh that 's a bitter vale the vale of tears how comes it then to be a blessed way why they make it a well the rain also fills their pooles what 's that hee tells you ver 11. that is no good thing is withheld from them What of this why ver 7. they go from strength to strength every one of that appears before God in Sion You that travell to London weary your selves haply and grow faintish before you come to such an Inne there you bait and get fresh strength from thence you travail to your lodging Inne there you lie by morning you are as fresh haply as when you set out first at length riding from Inne to Inne and from refreshment to refreshment you keep your strength and so come to your journies end You travail Christians towards Canaan towards Sion you fear fainting Bait at Christs Iodge at Christ go from Inne to Inne from Ordinance to Ordinance you shall go from strength to strength you shall renue your strength you shall run and not be weary you shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 at length you shall come to your journeyes end that is appeare before the Lord in Sion Seventhly Christ is a profitable way 7ly Christ is profitable way The world stirres upon that now Let one tell you never so much of a pleasant cleane provision'd broad high-way but say you What is there to be gotten in it why this way answers these desires the best the greatest surest wealth is to be traded for in this way Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way marke what he calls it of thy Commandements as much as in all riches This is the way to the rich Pearle more worth then all thou hast if thou hadst ten thousand times as much Mat. 13.44 Eighthly Christ is a peaceable way If you trade 8ly Christ a peaceable way and get by your journey neare so much and though Robbert are afraid of losing it all in the bringing home be the way never so cleane so broad so pleasant this damps all but Jesus Christ is a secure way Prov. 3.17 all her paths are peace this way is the living waie Heb. 10.20 This is the waie of peace Luk. 1.79 In all this Christ is the accomplishment of that promise made to the Wildernesse Isai 35. Of a way verse 8. No Lyon shall be there nor any ravenous Beast goe thereupon verse 9. Lastly Christ is the way home And so I draw to a CONCLUSION Our Saviour telleth us Jo. 14.2 3 4 6. Christ the WAY HOME In my Fathers house are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also And whither I go ye know and the way ye know I am the waie no man cometh to the Father but by me And this brings the first and the last together in the accomplishment of that to us that God did to Israel Who led them forth by a right waie that they might goe to a Citie for habitation Psal 107.7 And 't is the lesse matter how foule the weather be to such as have found a Christ for they have found the way home When Stephen was travelling through a storme of stones he knew how to house himselfe he calls upon the Lord Jesus to receive that is to take home his Spirit to himselfe end when he had thus spoken he falls asleep Act. 7.59 60. You use to say of a Winter-journey and stormy weather 't is tedious travelling but say you it is homeward where we may be bold and shall be welcome and the wearier wee are we shall sleepe the more sweetly when we come at home and get into our owne Beds and in this case say you Home is home be it never so homely Art thou then in Christ thou shalt be taken in out of the Rain fetch'd home out of the streets from the brow-beatings of those that were mightier then thou Thou shalt enter into peace thou shalt rest in thy Bed Isai 57.2 Thou that walkest in this right way Thou art hasting homeward not to an homely home but to an heavenly to thy Fathers house to Abrahams bosome to the new Heaven the Celestiall Canaan to the Saints Rest to Jerusalem which is above and is free to the Paradice of God to the Countrie of thy kindred to thine own people and to the seat of thy Christ Therefore fear not poore penitent though thou hast been a Prodigall Art thou in Christ thou art going homeward to thy Fathers house where thy Father will come forth to meet thee and thine Elder Brother so farre from grudging that he will come along with him to greet thee the Angels to welcome thee will become ministring spirits unto thee then shall one go for the meat another for the musick a third for the Ring and a fourth for the Robe even all that heaven can afford mean while Jonathan thy friend who is in Covenant with thee whose soule cleaves unto thee will put his own Robe upon thee and his Garments even to his Girdle and then shall heaven ring with an All things are readie the Spirit shall say Come and Christ shall say Welcome eat and drink O friend yea drink abundantly O beloved Fear not poore Lazarus whose Rayment is vile even sores on thy body and rags on thy sores Art thou in Christ thou art going homeward to Abrahams bosome to a new Heaven where old things are done away and all things become new Thy vile bodie shall be there changed and made a glorious bodie like unto Christs Bodie in an heavenly new fashion Thou shalt put off Mortalitie and put on immortalitie put off corruption and put on incorruption put off weaknesse and put on strength lay off the Cross and put on thy Crown Yea let me say more the Garments that thou hadst of Gods owne making and which were well enough to serve thy turne in the wildernesse of this world thou shalt then have out-grown them and there put them off and that which is in part shall be there done away and that which is perfect shall come in its roome Thou shalt then know as thou art known and love as thou art loved thou shalt put off Hope and Vision shall succeed it and put off Faith and put on fruition Feare not poore Israelite
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
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