thy good husbandry shall never save thee thy fruit lives and dies grows and rots with thee the Lord complains of thee Hos 10. 1. Israel is an empty vine he brings forth fruit to himself Though he be never so fruitful yet is he empty if onely fruitful to himself though thou be never so like a fruitful garden yet I will count thee a barren wilderness if onely fruitful to thy self Thirdly If the wilderness be fruitful unto men 3. Wilderness brings forth to the fornace it is for fuel not for food for their chimney not their table the fruit of the wilderness is thorns and bryers bad food but good fuel such are the fruits of sin they are thorns Cant. 2.2 As the lily among the thorns that is the saint among sinners such God will not set upon his table but surely put them into his fornace Heb. 6.8 That earth which bears thorns and bryars he speaks it of a sinful Apostate is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Me thinks your souls within you should tremble Tell me now what fruit do you use to bring forth good or wilde Every tree that brings not forth good fruit t is a wilderness tree shall be cut down and cast into the fire Mat. 3.10 Think again to whom hast thou brought forth fruit to God or thy self If onely to thy self thou art still a wilderness and you know how God threatneth Israel who onely looks after himself his children and his own family without any taking notice either of God or Gods Hos 9.16 17.10 1. Oh! what wilt thou be able to answer God another day thou that hast been a wilderness unto God here when the Lord shall minde thee of all the fruit which his mercy and providence hath brought forth unto thee Beloved you have a sad condition Jer. 2.31 Have I been a wilderness unto Israel The conviction is this O Israel thou hast been a wilderness unto me thou hast brought me forth no fruit or if grapes behold wilde grapes Have I been a wilderness unto thee that thou shouldest so serve me hath not my Sun shined and my rain on thee fallen O England England think of this of all the Nations of the world we cannot say the Lord hath been a wilderness unto us and yet what a wilderness what a barren wilderness have we that are called the garden of the world been to the Lord to this very day O read Jer. 9.9 10 11 12 13. I fear the Lord means England there If a sinner be fruitful t is a fruit unto death Rom. 7.5 2. Wilderness dry and moistureless Secondly The wilderness is drie and moistureless so is sin Psalm 107.35 The wilderness and dry ground are made all one so Jer. 50.12 A wilderness a dry land Hos 2.3 I le make her a wilderness and set her as a dry land Zeph. 2.13 I le make Ninevoh a desolation and dry like a wilderness and therefore you have mention of the heath of the wilderness Jer. 48.6 and 17.6 And so it is with sin Our Savior compares a sinner under mercy unto parched ground under seed Mat. 13.6 good seed is sown in parched grounds and for lack of moistures there it dies the dew falls upon parched grounds and for lack of a principle of moisture in themselves doth them no good the Sun shines upon them and scorcheth them quite up This word is to you ye parched consciences ye feared sinners from whose hard hearts and dry eyes all the judgements of God mercies of God Gospel of God cannot squeeze one tear of godly sorrow Oh! how hath the Lord in these times crumbled the scorched consciences of men to pieces yet how few are melted The Lords people are a melting people Psalm 22.14 My heart is like wax it is melted within my bowels a great difference their heart is like wax other mens like the wilderness The more the Sun shines upon the wax the more it softneth it the more it shines upon the wilderness the more it scorcheth and hardens it Now speak soul Art thou like wax under a judgement a mercy a sermon or art thou like a wilderness Hast thou a relenting giving mourning melting heart or art thou as hard as dry as parched as ever or more then before thou art a wilderness thou maist finde thy character 1 Tim. 4.2 Thy conscience is a seared conscience and what do men do with feared Trees Hew them down saith the owner why cumber they the ground if fear-wood be fit for the fornace surely such seared consciences are fit for hell A Chymicks Limbeck they say will extract moisture out of seared sticks and hardest stones Gods Limbeck will melt thee O thou seared sinner whether thou wilt or no time shall come that the Elements shall melt with fervent heat then shall the wilderness melt even thy soul Jer. 9.12 compared with Isaiah 35.1 CHAP. III. Containeth the Explication of the third and fourth consideration shewing the dismalness of wilderness sin because solitary and companionless desolate and provisionless 3. Wilderness solitary THirdly The wilderness is solitary and companionless so is the wilderness of sin This wilderness is companionless mistake me not I do not say its void of passengers but void of company there are upon this road too many catch-poles and cut-throats as you shall hear more when we come to open the destructiveness of the way there are not wanting Lions and Leopards and Dragons and Bears and Wolves and wilde Boars and wilde Bulls but there is no company for a man as Job 38.26 It is termed The wilderness where there is no man There you may meet with beasts savage beasts that make it their business to destroy one another and thee too but saith the Text There is no man there So in the ways of sin you may meet with Devils and Drunkards Whoremongers Sabbath-breakers Murtherers Thieves and Hypocrites that make it their business to destroy one anothers souls and thine too but thou shalt meet with no good company to comfort thee to direct thee No God Psal 5.4 No Christ or Spirit 2 Cor 6.15 No Angel Psalm 34.7 No Saint Gen. 49.6 to secure thee no not in all the wilderness no God no Christ no holy Spirit there no good Angel no Saint so far as sanctified Oh! what dismal travelling is here here 's scrieching of Owls and the howling of Dragons the roaring of Lions the bellowing of Bulls the yelling of Wolves but not the voice of one Man here 's roaring and swearing and lying and cursing and blaspheming and back-biting and evil-speaking but not a prayer not a thanksgiving not a gracious word Oh! think what a terror it would be unto you to travel amongst wilde ravenous beasts all your days such are sinners scriprure usually terms them so Lions and Bulls of Bashan wilde Boars of the forest wilde Asses of the wilderness Beasts of Ephesus they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.31 that is
husbanded in the yard if this vine bring forth and its fruit be husbanded in the press both are for the poor souls advantage 2. Labor to be husbanded for Christ Secondly Labor if thou hast been a waste wilderness unto Christ thus long now to become unto him a well-husbanded garden all thy days Remarkable is that passage unto me Cant. 8.11 Solomon had a vineyard and he let it out to keepers and every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a hundred pieces of silver If the soul be husbanded it is for Christ Christ must have the rent yea and the soul will give it him too Cant. 8.12 Thou O Solomon that 's Christ shalt have a thousand and the keepers of the fruit that 's Christs faithful Ministers shall have two hundred O that I could now hear you cry out unto Christ as the Spouse doth verse 13. Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken unto thy voice cause me to hear it Friends this is Christs voice which is hearkned unto by Christs companions even this which you hear this day you dwell in the wilderness but Christ dwells in the gardens wherefore he calls you out of the wilderness to come unto him yea he call you from the wilderness to become unto him as a garden the Lord cause you to hear it CHAP. VI. Answereth this Query How may the soul of a barren c. wilderness become unto Christ a fruitful c. garden with many precious promises unto wilderness-like souls ME thinks I now hear the soul sighing out this Query Query How to finde Christ a gardener and to become a garden Answ By coming to and leaning upon Christ I hear his voice indeed that dwells in the gardens but how shall I be able to finde him a gardener unto me that I may be a garden unto h m Poor soul art thou in a wilderness art thou a wilderness I know no way to help thee out of this condition unless as in the Text thou come out leaning upon Christ It is touching Christ taking of hold upon Christ and Christ alone that can help thy poor soul O Sirs did you now but see where you are what flocking should we have after Christ this day even as they in the days of his flesh that they might but touch the hem of his garment Matth. 14.36 for saith the Text as many as touched were made perfectly whole so say I as many as touch him shall be perfectly changed from wildernesses into gardens so Mark 3.10 as many as had plagues pressed upon him for to touch him Hast thou then the plague of a barren heart a moistureless eye a seared conscience a waste carkase-like lean starving soul O press after Jesus Christ They there were sensible of the plagues because they were bodily plagued and our Savior was fain to have a ship to receive him lest they should throng him Mark 3.9 but alas the plagues are spiritual and you do not discern them and therefore though Christ be in the midst of you yet who presseth amongst you to lean upon him I shall briefly according to the present occasion tell what I mean by leaning upon Christ Secondly How you may take hold upon him in order to your finding him a Gardener to you and your becoming to him a fruitful garden stored with the plants of Paradise Which leaning imports four things 1. A sense of thy wilderness like barrenness c. First then leaning briefly imports four things First Art thou sensible of thy being a wilderness and that thou art not able of thy self to stir towards a better state else canst thou not else wilt thou not lean upon Christ in order thereunto A man that thinks his ground his heart is well husbanded will not care for Christs being a vine or Gods being an husbandman tell him of it hee 'l say Pray then take him for your own my ground I thank you is well enough Therefore 't is the main observable in that parable Luke 15. where you have an hundred sheep in the wilderness there 's one is a lost sheep but all are bewildred lost what 's that why one that is sensible thereof and not able to help himself a sinner a repentance-needing sinner vers 7. the other are in the wilderness too but they see it not they are just in their own eyes they need no repentance their way is so good they need not turn head as many unconverted duty-mongers and self-justifiers the Lord Christ leaves all these though 99 in the wilderness and takes care of that poor lost sheep and layes that upon his shoulder and rejoyces more in that then in all the rest ver 4 5 6 7. O Friend thou that art damned in thy self undone in thy self in the midst of the wilderness bewildred in sin in thy very duties that canst see nothing in thy self but a wilderness thou art the onely fit man thus to improve Christ and to be improved by Christ 2. The discovery of a sufficiency in Christ Secondly Leaning requires the discovery of a sufficiency in another if the soul be a wilderness yet if it see not Christ to be an all-sufficient redeemer it will stay as it is and not not care for changing A man will not lean unless there be discovered a strength in that whereon he leans sutable to the end for which he leans upon it that is a choice Scripture perswading and inviting poor wilderness-like souls to a change Isa 27.4 Fury is not in me saith God yet who would set bryars and thorns against me in battel if you will be still a wilderness and if this briery and thorny wilderness will still stand out against me and reject my gracious motions I would go through them I would saith he burn them together if thou resolve to be a thorny wilderness he also will resolve to be a flaming fire But as if his earnest desire were that it should be otherwise see what he puts them upon in the immediately following words vers 5. Or let them take hold of my strength that 's Christ who you know is Gods strength to believers without whom God will I may say with reverence as God stands covenanted God can do nothing that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me or let them I am much taken with the maner of expression If they will fight if they will set up their briars and thorns against me let them then I will dâ—stroy them or let them Oh! God had rather make peace then conquer though he be sure of victory take hold of my strength let them that is as we must needs take it by reason of this particle or let them the briars and thorns take hold of my strength Why what good shall they get by it Why they were as barren as bryers and thorns before my strength that 's Christ if they take hold on him shall cause them to take root to blossom to bud
away with their dissimulation v. 13. Querie But you will say How shall I doe to know Satans voice from Peters since it seemes Satan can speake in Peter or how shall I do to walk in the waies of Peter as a Saint and to keep out of his paths so far forth as sinfull I answer by looking beyond all Solution unto that guidance which is one and which is above all Thou maist and must set the cloud of witnesses before thee and follow them but thine eye must still be fixt upon the first guide Heb. 12.1 2. Seeing we are compassed about with a Cloud of witnesses let us run with patience the race that is set before us verse 1. Looking to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith verse 2. Thus Paul saith of those 1 Thes 1.6 Ye became followers of us and of the Lord. It s good following of the Saints when in them thou see'st that thou followest the King of Saints Paul desires godly persons or Ministers may desire no more but that you should follow them so far as they follow Christ Oh that the Saints would exceedingly feare sinning upon this accoune Perhaps the wicked sees thy sinning that never sees thy sorrowing and if God in mercy bring thee out of the Wildernesse yet maist thou leave â—y thine ensample another there irrecoverably who though he found thy way in yet will never be able to find thy way out again but there must perish to all eternity 6ly The next meanes of Satans improvement to bewilder is 6th Guidance Mistaken duties to bewilder us in our duty by the prompting guidance of another duty to lead us out of our now-duty Oh! 't is very dangerous when 't is our duty as we mistake it that becomes a false guidance to us Untimousnesse may unduty our duty Psa 137.4 The Lords songs are not at all times to be song Now its Satans policy when he cannot break us from the duty then to divert and disturbe us from the time But Solomon tells us That God hath appointed a season for all things to rejoyce Note and to mourn c. To every purpose there 's a season Eccles 3.1 Now that may be thy duty to day which would be thy sinne another time and it must needs be so because the whole nature of some duties lyeth in reference to the season so that when the Season ceaseth the duty ceaseth to be then our duty yea that which was duty because of that season becomes sinne because of this as for instance many civill duties at some season and upon some occasions It is meet that we should make merry Luk. 15.32 And it is better to go to the house of mourning at another season and upon another occasion Eccel 7.2 Yea in Religious Duties too on these I shall insist because its Satans great businesse herein and hereby to bewilder us I shall for instance pitch upon our two great and solemne occasionall duties Humiliation and Thansgiving although some proportion of these are as blood and water that runne through all our veynes and must runne through all our spirituall exercises Instance you shall too often find 1. That when God calls us to soul-humbling our spirits are for rejoycing and refreshing for this God challengeth Israel Isa 58.3 In the day of your fast you find pleasure 2ly When God calls us to soul-rejoycing our Spirits are then for soul-humbling This God reproveth also in the same people at another time Nehem. 8.9 This day is holy to the Lord weep not neither mourn for all the people wept and verse 10. Goe your way eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions c. neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength verse 10. Now Satan hath great advantage hereunto through our ignorance for surely the the people thought they did dwell in weeping Why 't was for their sinnes when they heard the Law read 't was for offending God that they wept could this at any time be unseasonable Yes that measure of it now was and to bee reproved as Nehemiah and Ezrah did And thus doth Satan by the guidance of some other mistaken duty turne us aside from that frame of spirit that wee ought to have in the present duty When God bids them mourne they find pleasure when he cals them to find pleasure and to rejoyce before him Note they mourn bitterly Thou maist be affectionate in a sin thinking it verily to be a dutie Querie But now here lies the difficulty Psal 2.11 We are commanded to rejoyce with trembling how then can Satan be said to leade us out of the way by the one from the other when both together are our duty and if so how could Israel be reproved for their mourning in the day of their rejoycing since rejoycing is not as it should be without trembling nor by the same Rule and Scripture must trembling be without rejoycing rejoyce with your trembling Ans I answer I apprehend it true that there must be something of an Humiliation day in every Thansgiving if rightly managed and something of a Thansgiving in every soul-afflicting day else may wee mourne our selves into despaire or joy our selves into presumption Surely there 's no contrariety in Christian duty therefore two different duties may be incumbent on the same subject at the same time and one frame of spirit made up of both fit for either but withall the duty of the day must as we say carry the day or else we sinne In a Thanksgiving day we must rejoyce with trembling in an Humiliation we must tremble with rejoycing Now Satans businesse is to transport us beyond due bounds by poysing our spirits most unto that whereof should be least as was clear in those instances and is too often in our expriences and so to bewilder us in duty by duty If you 'l aske how much must there then be of trembling in our holy Feasts or of rejoycing in our Fasts I answer just so much as makes us fitter for the due management of the present duty A little of spiriuall joy gives advantage as your experiences can speak unto the due guidance of godly sorrow And a little trembling rightly attempers holy rejoycing and whatsoever is more then thus commeth of evill Now Satans businesse is to make us lose our sorrowes in rejoycing or our joy in sorrowes and our selves into both and ever most of that whereof the present day and duty calls for least and thus may not onely a Felix want a convenient season but you Saints may find it difficult to redeeme a season for soule-searching from prayer or for resolving upon Reformation afterward in a serious sort from soul-searching You may enlarge it in other instances as his bewildring our Meditations by enclining us then to pray or to break us off from prayer by injecting usefull Meditations as formerly I have hinted and the like to these CHAP. XVI Containes two last bewildring Guides seeming
God ponders them Prov. 21.2 Every way of man is right in his own eyes but the Lord ponders the hearts Secondly God will make the most inconsiderate heart amongst you perfectly to consider another day Jer. 23.18 Who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord and hath perceived and heard his word Who hath marked his word and heard it there 's his challenge of their inconsideratenesse but what followes verse 20 In the latter dayes you shall consider it perfectly You have heard of Inconsideratenesse in what they know of the things of God The Third is Unperswasibleness 3ly The darknesse of unperswasiblenesse as to that which they do in some sort consider this is also a bewildring darknesse Now men in the state of lost nature are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unreasonable or absurd men 2 Thes 3 2. Men whom no Arguments from any Logical Topicks are able to perswade Now marke such kind of Spirits as when they knew God yet would not bee perswaded to glorifie him as God as you have it charged upon them Rom. 1.21 'T is said in the same verse That their foolish heart was darkned This was the darknesse of unperswasion and this darknesse is now naturall unto the Children of men for the Apostle calls them Eph. 2.2 Children of disobedience so our Translation but the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children of unperswasion such as will not bee perswaded and so you have it sadly rendred Luk. 16.31 Neither will they be perswaded though one arose from the dead Poor soules they cannot bee perswaded that God meanes as he saith of Death and Hell and Judgement Can not nay they will not be perswaded As one that I once heard of that in discourse was directed to a place of Scripture that spake point-blank against him saith he I can't find such a place saith the other Look here it is nay then saith he I will not see 't So say you We can't find what need wee have of Gods Counsell and of Christ and of Grace saith God looke here and I will shew you what need you have and how undone otherwise you are c. Nay then saith the Soule I will not see I remember a plaine Observation of a Childe where I was once was playing in the Yard and his Father out of the Window called him in the Boy was eager of his play and though his Father call'd againe and againe yet came he not in at length his Father told him that he would bee sure to whip him if he would not come yet hee could not perswade him in at length in hee fetches him and whips him Sirrah saith he did not I tell you that if you would not come in I would lash you yes Father saith the Childe you said so but truly Father I did not believe you So God calls and exhorts and perswades sinners and tells them if they will not now they shall consider afterward if they will not come in now they shall be fetch'd in and damned to eternity whether they will or no And my Brethren if God shall as he surely will aske them at the great Day Did not I call you by such a Ministry and such a Minister by such and such a Sermon and did not I tell you what would come on 't Hell and Wrath and eternall ruine if you came not in Oh! the poor soule trembling and astonished will answer in that day yes Lord thou didst so but truly Lord we did not believe thee thus are sinners unperswasible ones even the Children of unperswasion God cryes out Turn ye at my reproof but when he calls they refuse when he stretches out his hand no man regardeth Prov. 1.23 24. And therefore though he calleth from Lebanon from Amanah from Shenir and Hermon yet they continue through their unperswasiblensse in the Lyons Dens and Mountaines of the Leopards yet still Fourthly Presumption is also a bewildring darkness 4ly The darknesse of presumption and its businesse is to hinder the soule from Conversion To what shall I liken a presuming sinner 'T is even that beast which when he is in danger of being seized on by the Lyon as his prey runnes his head presently into a bush and because the head is in the dark and sees no danger therefore it thinkes it selfe secure Or as I have seen a Boy that when his Father hath gone by at a distance the lad hath hid his head behind another lad so that he could not see his Father and therefore hath beene very confident that his Father hath not seen him Presumptuous sinners runne their hearts into the thickets of the Wildernesse they walk themselves in the darke not seeing God and therefore they presume that the Lord takes no notice of them and this verily is the very nature of presumption Psa 73.11 They say how doth God know and is there any knowledge in the most high Psa 64.5 They commune of laying snares privily they say Who shall see them Wretches that if they get but into a blind Ale-house where the Magistrate can't see them think themselves past all danger when they are as much in it as that Creature that while it turnes away its face from beholding its devourer exposeth its whole body to bee his prey In such a darksome bush shal a presumptuous sinner be caught instead of being hid and be destroyed instead of being secured for Psa 139.12 The darknesse hideth not from God but the night shines as the daie the darkness and the light are both alike unto him As to Gods eye and eare thou hadst as good the Magistrate should heare every Oath thou swearest thou hadst as good bee staggering in the streets and whore as Zimri in the openest view as to go into a Corner and say Doth God see it because thou turnest away thine eyes from beholding of God 5ly The darkness of despair Fifthly Despair is also a bewildring darknesse utterly obstructive to conversion Presumptions product commonly is Despaire and well may they goe together like Egge like Bird. When Sinners have spent the most of their time in presuming they many times spend the rest of it in dark despairing Oh! wee have so long mocked God that we can't thinke but if God should tender salvation now to us it would bee but to mock us Oh! I have so long walked aside from God that if I should now turne to him he would undoubtedly turne quite away from me this is the way of dispaire that many poore ones that are willing if they durst to close with God are bewildred in and this is called which is pat to our purpose a walking in darknesse Isai 50.10 Who is there among you that feareth the Lord c. that walketh in darkness and hath no light c. That is clearly and eminently to be understood of the darknesse of black dispaire God would before but they would not they would now but they are affraid that
the Action she comes up leaning upon one to whom solely she commits to whom wholly she submits her selfe upon one with whom she dares fully trust to whom she freely can yeeld her selfe she leans with all complacential satisfaction with all conjugall subjection 'T is her beloved she leans upon Now the End of this Action is the foresaid Motion she leanes on him to come up by him This is a Mystery but it is spoken of Christ and Converts of Christ and his Church A Mystery say I and so saith the Text a matter worthy the enquiring after and admiring at Who is she that comes up from the Wilderness Who is she that comes leaning upon her beloved ye daughters of Jerusalem look out at your windowes and aske who comes yonder 'T is your sister 't is your sister the daughter of your Mother she was dead but she is alive again born dead by her that once bare her but raised up under the Apple tree by him that now bears her she was lost but she is found she was cast out into the wilderness in the day that she was born to the loathing of her person but now she comes up from the wilderness leaning on her Lord in the day of her espousals Call her no more Mara but Naomi for the Lord hath dealt very graciously with her see how she leanes and look how he perfumes behold how she looks like pillars of smoke with all powders of the Merchant So let the Lord Jesus be glorified in his Saints so let him be admired in all them that believe Who is this that commeth from Edom with dyed Garments from Bosrah There 's a wondering at the Bridegroom Who is this that comes up from the VVilderness Here 's a wondering at the Bride He that speaks in righteousness mighty to save is the Bridegroom Isai 63.1 She that needs a Righteousness and a mighty salvation is the Bride 'T is a joy in heaven and a wonder on earth to see them together and never never like to be put asunder she leans on her beloved that is her Lord Jesus Christ her Lord that commands her to come from Lebanon Cant. 4.8 Her Jesus that inableth her to come home from the wilderness Lu. 15.4 5 6. Her Christ that perfumes her with Mirrhe and Frankencense with all Powders knowledge righteousness and true holinesse as Prophet Priest and King while she comes up from the wildernesse Cant. 3.6 And as you have Prophet The fourth main Doctrin There is no salvation for lost soules but onely by leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ Priest and King in one Christ so she leanes on the Lord Jesus Christ in one beloved Come we therefore to The fourth and last maine Observation viz. There is no coming up from the Wilderness of sin but onely by leaning upon the Lord Jesus Christ that is Gospel-reliance on Jesus Christ is the onely way of salvation to lost sinners Lost souls had need be leaning souls for there is no recovery of the sinner but by recumbency on the Saviour Eve was the first that was in the transgression she comes out of the wildernesse though an exile from Paradice looking at Christ in her promised seed whom she therefore names SETH Gen. 5.25 A foundation to be leaned upon Abraham of old hath respect unto his day and bottoms his joy thereupon Joh. 8.56 David though his Father yet calls him Lord Lu. 20.43 And in the day of Calamity this Lord saith David was my stay Psa 18.18 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * In sustentaculum of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niph Jnnixus est and properly signifies the Lord is my leaning stock And Mary though his Mother while the Child was yet unborn leans for salvation upon the Babe in her womb Lu. 1.47 He is the annointed the accomplished Saviour Proof of the point sent on purpose to seek and to save that which was lost Luk. 19.10 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 Christ is that living stone to whom we must come that Corner stone upon which all the building doth leane and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded and unto them that believe he is precious beloved indeed of the leaning soule 1 Pet. 2.6 7. And even in this sence may I say Other foundation can no man lay than which is laid which is Jesus Christ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul c. This is the great Commandement in the Law Thou shalt lean on the Lord thy Redeemer with all thine heart and with all thy soul c. This is the great Commandement of the Gospel Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Isai 45.22 24 25. I shall therefore endeavour the proof of the point 1. By taking from under you your other supports 2. By roling your soules with mine own upon Jesus Christ And 1. For Negative proofe of the point by way of removal of other leaning stocks 1. Negative By removal of other leaning stocks I may say in the general of all other supports what is said of the Hypocrites His hope shall be cut off and his trust shall be a spiders wed He shall lean his upon house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not indure Job 8.14 15. A poore house you will say that falls if the Owner of it doe but leane unto it such are all Christless supports to the lost soule 'T is recorded of Absalom That having no Children for his Name and Memorial to rest upon he built him a Pillar 2 Sam. 18.18 that was before that he had or else when he had buryed the Sonnes spoken of Chron. 14.27 Let those soules that never have heard of a Christ to rest upon make Pillars for themselves of other things But as one living Son would be better then a thousand dead Pillars so is one living Saviour of infinitely more value then 10000 dead supports for thy poor soule to leane upon I shall speake particularly to these nine the onely likely leaning stocks Particularly these nine none of which shall without a Christ stand thee in stead when thou leanest upon them First If thy leaning stock be thine old acquaintance with God as Creator 1. Leaning upon God as Creator 't is as nothing if it goe alone in order to salvation many poor creatures have this and no more to lean to VVhat do you think God that made me will damn me yes truly I doe thinke so if thou have no more to say for thy selfe for if this were enough to salvation none no not Devils should be damned It is not old acquaintance as a Creature but new
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
the sufferers Therefore Fourthly and lastly 4. Partic. That because Christ was made weak weary even as we we have boldness to leane our weaknesses and wearinesses on him In that Christ was subjected to our weariness and weaknesses and for our sakes and in our natures and it is on him thus prepared and made a sutable support that we are called to lean we may undoubtedly have great encouragement and strong consolation so argueth the Apostle Heb. 4.15 16. We have not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are sin only excepted therefore let us come boldly to the Throne of grace We may come to Christ and say Lord strengthen us in our duty as thou wast in thine Agony refresh us out of the Well of living waters for once thou wast weary and didst sit down upon the Well Lord lift up my head out of the waters of bitternesse for once thine owne head was bowed down to the brook in the way Comfort you the comfortlesse amongst you with these words CHAP. IX How Christ was prepared to be the strength and stay of weake and weary soules by his estate of exaltation 2ly In his estate of Exaltation he was also prepared hereunto BUt alas what encouragement were this to weak and weary soules to leane upon Christ if he were onely made weak and weary you 'l say the less helpe is there for us if he were so too and indeed had Christ laid down onely his strength and forsaken for us his Fathers bosome his resting place and had not repossessed and taken them up againe I should not be so strongly perswaded to plead with you to lean upon him But this I know that Christ is dead yea rather that he is risen again his strength was laid down but 't is taken up again his resting place was a while as it were quitted by him but is now restored unto him and in him unto them that lean upon him for because he lives they shall live also because he is strong they shall be strengthned because he is at rest they shall be refreshed for he hath therefore prayed the Father that where and in what state he is they may be also Therefore 2ly Christ was prepared to become a sutable support unto the weak and weary by being lifted up unto his Crown and by the state of his exaltation I shall lay down these three Propositions Three Propositions explayning this 1. That exalted Christ took up all strengrh and refreshment as well as when Crucified he stooped down to weaknesses and wearinesses 2. That that strength and rest was taken up in our behalfe for our sakes and interest as well as his own 3. That therefore herein we may take exceeding encouragement to lean upon him both as to the one and the other First 1. That Christ glorified hath received sufficient strength There is strength and rest enough with Christ glorified and triumphant for all believers militant First For strength read Ephe. 1.19 20 21. and tell me poore heart what thou wouldest have more then is there exprest It s said the mighty power of God wrought and in whom in Christ Jesus and when when he raised him from the dead and to what end that he might set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places this was the exaltation of him who was crucified through weaknesse and what followes Where are those places of what rank are they Why far above all principalities and power and might and dominion and every name that is named c. and hath put all things under his feet except himselfe who put them under as the Apostle else where argues so that Christian name what name thou canst here 's a name one name that may revive thee more then all they need discourage thee Think of what power thou canst or what might thou wilt here 's strength above all strength might beyond all might as himselfe saith Look and be saved so say I lean and be strengthned How saist thou now doth the name of Devill disturbe thee doth the Principality Satan scare thee doth the power of legion affright thee thou darest not begin to wrestle with these or if thou hast begun thou darest not hold on why whilest a fearful heart names these or any of these let a faithful heart name Christ in stead of all and it will more then answer all for him hath God exalted yea highly exalted Phil. 2.9 and given him a name above every name yea far above every name whether it be principality or might or power present or future that is to day or can possibly be to morrow yea in this world or in that which is to come 2ly Rest for all that leane upon him 2ly For Rest You heard in the last that God set him at his own right hand so Heb. 1.3 He sat down on the right hand of the Majestie on high Now sitting you know imports Rest especially sitting in Majestie and then on high there 's power and rest together This glorious rest of Jesus Christ after all his labours travells and soules-wearinesse is that which we properly and particularly commemorate in that which the Holy Ghost calls the Lords day that Christian Sabbath wherin Christ hath rested from all his labours that is wearying labours wherefore he blessed the Lords day and sanctified it 'T is true perhaps will your soules say we know indeed that there are enough refreshments and strength to spare in the Lord and with his Sonne Jesus Christ but alas what is that to us we see in the world that others are rich but that is little to us when we are poore others strong and healthfull but that is little to us when we are sick Oh! what is his strength and rest to us Poore soule much every way I had almost said as much as to himselfe Have you heard what Christ said in the dayes of his infirmity For your sakes sanctifie I my selfe could you but heare him speake from the seat of his Majestie on high his voyce would be For your sakes have I thus glorified my self yea such hath his voyce already and often been and I have believed it therefore have I spoken This therefore which is the 2d Proposi That the strength and rest he hath received he hath received for us Proved 1. From express Scripture testimony Second Proposition will abundantly appeare 1. If you consider express testimony of Scripture 2. The Scripture Character of Christs receiving this strength and rest 3. Of ours received from and through Christ 4. Of Christs untill we have received ours 1. For express testimony of Scripture A three-fold Cord shall I make use of to bind up your faith close unto this truth Predictions that went before him the very words that came from and together with him the report that after him 1. The Scriptures before Christ is born of him 1.
the soul needs be when the Lord shall thus forsake it There is none to plant prune or protect it no word or spirit to water it it must needs follow that it shall be laid waste and eaten up and trodden down and nothing but Briars and Thorns shall grow there How sad instances hereof have we in some that have lived long under Gospel-means But are not thereby become as a Garden Are they not as a Wilderness Yea of all others the most sharp and thorny and no wonder since they are left of the Lord and desert Is it so then that the Wilderness of Sin is so dismal because fruitless moistureless companionless Vse provisionless wayless waste and husbandless I shall onely improve this sad Consideration unto a double word of Exhortation respect being had unto the several particulars First Are we by sin become barren as a Wilderness Exhortation Labour to finde Christ as a Gard'ner to thy barren soul to make it fruitfull it is onely by grace that we can be made like Eden Isai 51.3 CHRIST is the Gard'ner that can both furnish us with fruit and make us bear fruit for this end he chooseth the grounds he gard'neth John 15.16 Of our selves we neither have fruit for our selves nor bring forth fruit to the Lord but CHRIST gives fruit and makes fruitfull He is the Apple-tree Cant. 2.3 He is the true Vine John 15.1 And yet the Dresser of the Vineyard Luke 13.7 Our Wilderness comes to nothing till it becomes his Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 Our souls are not comforted with Apples till we taste of his fruit Cant. 2.3 5. When we were in Paradise we were as a Paradise it was fruitfull to us and we to God Now we are in the Wilderness we are as a Wilderness sin is fruitless to us and we to the Lord. The Tree of Life made Eden a Paradise the River made it a fruitfull Paradise We lost both when we lost our selves There is now no Tree of Life with us to bear us fruit nor Water of Life to make us bear fruit But yet both are with Christ Rev. 22.1 2. And who so do his Commandments have right thereunto v. 14. Christ can set us with slips of Paradise Alas who would as they Isai 17.10 be setting their hearts with strange slips thy people shall be all righteous the branch of my planting the work of mine hand Isai 60.21 Yea and that they may be called Trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified As the Garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before them Isai 61.3 11. Again Christ can replenish us with fruits of Paradise Alas why should we savour those fruits unto death Rom. 7 5. from me saith the Lord is thy fruit found Hos 14.8 Even the twelve manner of fruits of the Tree of Life enough for all the Tribes and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations Rev. 22.1 2. * Compare Ezek. 47 8.12 with Rev 22.1 2. Here 's food and physick life and healing for Jew and for Gentile surely the Wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them Isai 35.1 When those waters Ezek. 47.8 Go down into the Desart But what is the wilderness the better that there are gardens in the world Or we that some strangers have such rare plants or choice fruits in remote countreys Christ hath born and doth bear fruits various and precious old and new such as wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption with fruits of joy and peace in believing Yea his mediation and the counsel of peace between him and his Father fruit as old as Eternity his intercession and tendring himself a sacrifice for sin as soon as we had faln as a Lamb slain from the begining of the world fruit as old as the world his incarnation birth circumcision temptations sorrows sufferings death burial resurrection and ascension fruits above sixteen hundred years old his word his spirit his daily intercession and gracious dispensations fruits as new as every day These these are the fruits that Christ hath brought forth and unto which they have right that obey his call his command Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse is his call Cant. 4 8. Eat O friends is his command Cant. 5.1 Now be not thou unmannerly modest or disobediently humble take what is given come when thou art called Thou wilt be little the better though Christ be a tree of life to others unless thou come to Christ and feed upon him Oh! therefore be encouraged poor barren soul to leave the desolate wilderness and to hasten thence ere thou perishest therein why should unbelief detain thee any longer from everlasting blessedness for Blessed are they that do his Commandments for these have right to the tree of life and then will Christs fruit be sweet unto thy taste as the Spouse asserteth Cant. 2.3 and then and never till then wilt thou be able to say My Lord and my God my Savior and my redeemer for they onely can truly call the Lord our Righteousness our Advocate our Peace-maker who can look upon all that Christ did as done for themselves in particular Oh! what pleasant fruit is here laid up for the poor soul that was barren and fruitless as a wilderness even until now CHAP. V. Carryeth on the general Exhortation Labor to finde thy soul a fruitful garden unto Christ c. BUt secondly 2. Labor to finde thy soul as a fruitful garden unto Christ labor also to finde thy soul to be a fruitful garden unto Christ for though the other do not depend upon this but this upon the other yet thou wilt hardly finde the other till in some measure thou hast found this O 't is a sweet thing for the soul of a wilderness to be made a fruitful garden unto Christ Marvelously is Christ delighted with it he speaking of the Spouse Cant. 7.7 thy breasts saith he are like clusters of the grapes and row also shall thy breasts be as the clusters of the vine and the smell of thy nose like apples Oh! when believers hearts and breasts are fruitful in holiness unto Christ how marvellously is he delighted yea then Christ delights 〈◊〉 them also ch 6. v 11.12 Let us get up early saith she to the vineyards to see if the vine flourish or the tender grape appear or the pomgranate bud forth there will I give thee my loves O there Christ also manifests much love his loves that 's all his love as 't were to the soul when and where the soul brings forth fruit unto Christ when Daniel was praying then comes out the message O Daniel greatly beloved when the soul acts faith or zeal or any of the fruits of the spirit are budding forth O then Christ takes great delight in it and therefore he observes and watches the souls fruit God could tell if
Ephraim were but an empty vine so Cant. 6.11 I went down that 's Christ into the garden of nuts when Christ takes a nut-tree out of the forest and transplants it in his garden makes a sinner a convert then he observes the fruit it brings forth to see the fruit of the valley that is of the poor penitent lowly humble heart and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomgranates budded that is whether this and that and the other grace faith and humility and holiness c. flourished and brought forth unto him Therefore as Christ in the fore-quoted place calls the fruit of his garden the Spouses so the Spouse calls the fruit of her garden Christs blow upon my garden and let him eat his pleasant fruits Cant. 4.16 If thou would have evidence that Christ did in earth and doth in heaven bring forth fruit unto thee labor to finde that thine heart thy lips thy life do all of them bring forth fruit unto Christ 2. Labor to finde Christ unto thy soul a river of waters of life Secondly labor to finde Christ a river of waters of life unto thy soul since thou hast been hitherto moistureless like a wilderness when Israel was in the dismal wilderness where there was no water Psalm 78.15 16. the Lord clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths he brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers But what 's this to me a sinner may the soul say Why the Apostle tells thee this rock was Christ these waters flowing out the rock were streams from Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 They drank of that spiritual rock that followed thâ—â— and that rock was Christ Christ is that river the streams whereof make glad the poor bewildred soul There are three sorts of streams which O that you could finde flowing from the Lord Christ 1. 1. Stream of blood Labor to finde the red stream of Christs blood Christs satisfaction and justification and reconciliation purchased thereby this is there as in many other Scriptures called Christs wine I have drunk my wine Hast thou by faith seen this rock smitten by the Lords rod and this red stream issuing out Hast thou seen Christs side lanced and the blood streaming forth for thy soul Hast thou seen this blood of the new Covenant poured forth for thee Oh! how would this stream make thy soul glad Secondly 2. Stream of milk Labor to finde the crystal stream of Christs Spirit by the other the soul is counted righteous by this it is made righteous I know the sincere heart desires as truly this as the other the other is the fountain open for sin that is the guilt the curse the condemnation this is a fountain open for uncleanness that is the defilement and pollution and both is for the house of David to wash in this is there as in other places called Christs milk and to shew that Sanctification and Justification go hand in hand one with another therefore saith Christ I drunk my wine with my milk though the wine be the first yet is it not without milky streams but they go along with it I cannot but imagine but that in the order of nature Christ Justifies before he Sanctifieth and yet I believe he never justifies but therewith he sanctifies as here wine first yet wine with milk even both together so we have Isa 55.1 the same order and the same conjunction Buy wine and milk without money and without price that is my merits and my spirit shall be both yours if you close with me though you deserve neither But thirdly Labor to finde yet other streams 3 Stream of honey even honey streams from Christ in the Ordinances this is called as often by David before so Cant. 5.1 Christs honey-comb and his honey Hast thou then found communion with Christ in prayer hearing reading or the like sweet as honey swâ—eter also then the honey-comb Canst thou say as the spouse of Christ Cant. 4.13 His lips are like lilies even like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe Have those sweet streams from Christs mouth flown down thus upon thy soul surely such floods cannot choose but make thee joyful in the house of prayer 2. To finde thy soul a watered garden to Christ Now secondly Labor to finde thy soul a watered garden unto Christ The soul was in the wilderness Cant. 4.8 and she becomes a garden ver 12. and in this garden there are both springs and fountains though both shut up and sealed that 's for Christs use they are reserved who alone is found worthy to open the seals 1. The fountain of thine hâ—ad First Then let the fountains of thine head be opened unto Christ the streams of thy lips of thine eyes thy words thy tears the working of thy brains let them all stream forth towards the Lord Christ say as the prophet O that mine head were fountains and mine eyes rivers of tears Jer. 9.1 let it be with thee as with David Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy law Psalm 119.136 O that all our heads and eyes were as rivers streaming towards Christ and Christ onely O that our brains might work more after and more for Christ We were as a moistureless wilderness before let us even in this sense become a watered garden now Isa 58.11 2. Of thine heart Secondly Let the fountains of thine heart be opened unto Christ If God have shed his love abroad in thine heart shed now thy love abroad into Gods heart We were as a wilderness we could scarce pour out words before God before let us now Psalm 62.8 pour out our hearts before God let all our affections desire fear love joy c. stream forth towards God Thus David poured out his soul within him Psalm 42.4 3. Of thy life 3 Let the fountains of thy life stream forth towards Christ as the fountain both of Christs life and death to boot did flow out unto thee whether you eat or drink or whatever you do let all the streams of your lives run into the channel of his glory According to this threefold counsel you have mention of a threefold breaking out of waters in the spouse Cant. 4.15 A fountaâ—n of gardens there 's one sort a spring of living waters there 's another sort and streams from Lebanon there 's a third sort that is if I mistake not one in the head another in the heart a third in the conversation The fountain of the head waters the garden of the affections the spring of the heart enliveneth the fountains of the head knowledge would otherwise be a dead water and now from both together to wit head and heart there are streams from Lebanon that is Knowledge and Grace flow forth as streams into the conversation You may therefore observe comfortably that as Christ had spoken high before of the streams that flow from himself
Wildernesse Thine heart is exposed yea and disposed too to all the wayes and windings of spirit that ever entangled any soule in the world Vse and surely they are enough to bewilder thee Oh let this consideration to purpose humble thee whereever thou goest thou carriest thy wildernesse about thee Come we now to a second sort of Satans Advantages that he hath from us to bewilder us which is CHAP. IX â—pntaines the second advantage from our selves our hearts are tempters into the wildernesse opened and applyed 2d Advant Our hearts are tempted into the wilderness SEcondly Our hearts are not only a Wildernesse unto us but tempters and seducers into the Wildernesse Naturally they are a sinfull Wildernesse and as naturally doe they inveigle us into the Wildernesse of sinne And alas how easie is it for Satans devices to bewilder us since he hath such advantage of us Our hearts advise counsell and perswade us having been first perswaded by Satan Hence are the expressions of that other sort Jer. 9.14 and 18.12 and 23.17 They walke after the devices and counsels Note and imaginations of their own hearts Their hearts are their guides and they goe after their hearts Now when man followes his hearts guidance if his heart lose it selfe in sinne he must needs be lost in the same Wildernesse Mat. 5.28 Whosoever lookes on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart In this case the heart is the Baud the heart is lost first the whole man goes after it and is lost with it 'T is said of the young Man and the Whore Prov. 7. She was the first she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face tempted him verse 13. And he goes after her verse 22. Our hearts being forwardest as Harlots tempt us and we as fooles straight-way go after them And this our hearts take up of themselves Naturally so 't is naturall to them to lead us to the wildernesse Their bent is that way Looke what way the bent of any thing in the world is that way will it goe Compare two Scriptures Hos 11.7 They are bent to backslyding from me to slide back from my counsels and calls and waies to slide back into their own waies wildernesse c. And then Prov. 14.14 The backslyder in heart shall be fill'd with his own waies Marke Backslyding that is before the peoples bent is here called the hearts own way You shall therefore finde that the Lord challengeth the heart as first in the transgression or going astray Act. 7.39 In their hearts they turned back to Egypt Our hearts subject to be tempted into the wilderness from these two reasons Now then a word or two to give you an account first that our hearts are bent to walke after the waies of the wildernesse and then that we are bent to walke after the waies of our own hearts First then The bent of our hearts is by nature to the wildernesse There are but these two things that engage the bent ones heart to one place rather then another 1. Innate affection First An innate affection I like this place the best of any place that ever I saw saith one How much is that place my darling saith another Beloved the Wildernesse of sinne is our hearts darling wee fancy no place naturally so much as this wildernesse no wayes please us so well as the wayes of sinne There is something in every particular place that suits some mans particular fancy that makes him abide there There is something in every particular sinne that suits some sinners particular fancy and that makes him dwell there still Our heart naturally suits with these wayes of sinne therefore it is that men walke in them still 2ly Cuflomatinesse Secondly A Customary aboad I have lived saith one all my dayes in the City and I doe not know how now to dwell in the Country I have lived saith another all my daies in the Country and I cannot tell how to away with the City Aire the City-noises the City-Company c. Our hearts by nature are and ever have been accustomed to the wildernesse therefore the bent of our hearts is to the Wildernesse-ward still We cannot brook dwelling in Gods holy City the heavenly Jerusalem We have not been accustomed to such manner of living such company such converse You have both these pregnantly expressed in one scripture Jer. 14.10 Thus saith God to this people Thus have they loved to wander they have not refrained their feet They have loved to wander there 's their innate affection to this spirituall Wildernesse They have not refrained their feet there is their Customary bewildring Wandring they love and wandring they are used to It suites with their phancy and it is that which they have spent their daies in and upon these two accompts it is that the bent of their hearts is towards the Wildernesse And now Secondly Our hearts prevalent in tempting us upon two grounds If the bent of our hearts be Wildernesse-ward it 's easie to conceive how they bend us towards the Wildernesse Hos 4.8 they set their heart on thoir iniquity and I will punish them for their waies Verse 9. Their waies are according to the bent of their hearts So 2 Tim. 3.6 Led away with divers lusts Lusts those are the stirrings and motions of the heart and these are the tempters to lead us away Remarkable is that Ezek. 12 21. But as for them whose heart walketh after their abominations I 'le recompence their waies upon their own heads Such therefore as their hearts are such will their waies be And that upon these two grounds First our hearts are the men of our Counsell 1. They are our Bosome-Counsellors They lie in our bosoms and therefore as to the choice of all our waies with them it is that we consult Our bosom-friends and darling relations are our hearts If man be refractory as to any way It 's policy to perswade the wife of his bosom prevail with her and 't is likely she will prevail with him Satan when hee would seduce us into any of his waies hee first makes it his businesse to overcome our hearts in our bosoms and us by them Pray thee husband go saith the wife and then he goes Pray go saith the heart and away he goes 1 Tim. 2.13 Adam was not deceived that is not first but the woman being deceived was in the transgression Two things there are here remarkable First the woman that lay in Adams bosom was bewildred for so the word signifies before the man Secondly the heart of the woman was bewildred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before she her self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was led to go astray The woman in Adams bosom bewildred him the heart in Eves bosom bewildred her The influence of the wife of thy bosom to perswade thee is grounded upon propriety Shee being thine own so nearly so dearly thou think'st she will not
Grace wrested Scripture 7th Guidance Seeming grace to turne us aside from true grace Instance SEventhly The next meanes of this sort that I shall name is Satans plotting to lead us out of the way of true and reall grace by the false guidance of seeming Grace I shall give you one instance There is not any Grace in the world that doth better accord with and more strengthen another then Faith and Humility doe mutually Yet is there not any thing whereby Satan turnes poore afflicted spirits more aside from the way of believing then the false guidance of pretensive humility As now when the soule lyeth convicted under the sence of its being in it selfe poore and wretched and miserable and blind and naked the soule hath nothing to doe next but to buy of Christ Gold tryed in the fire and white Rayment and Eyesalve c. that is whatsoever a lost sinner needs in order to salvation Rev. 3 17. And Christ tearms are without monie and without price Isai 55.1 So then such a soule is immediately enjoyned upon its allegiance to God whose Commandment it is That we should believe and upon righteous principles of Selfe-preservation freely to take as the waters of life are freely tendred and by acting faith upon a promise and with a bare hand to take hold and to leane upon Christ and so to come up from the Wildernesse Wilt thou then or wilt thou not speake thou that needest a Christ wilt thou have one Oh! saith the soule I would faine have a Christ I need him I see I am undone without him but I am naked ragged and ashamed to come to him in this dresse I am leprous and filthy my hands are not clean and I dare not with such hands take hold upon him Humility forbids me stay but till I have got better Clothes as some will say of their comming to Church and have washed my selfe and then I 'le com I am affraid and ashamed to come before And wilt thou stay from Christ till thou canst fit thy selfe for him even stay an eternity I le warrant thee thou'lt ne're be fit And is this humility thou lyest Satan 't is Pride and the height of it too even of Gospel-pride to thinke that without Christs Sumpter thou shalt be ever able to give Christ fit entertainment Soules call it humility to get something for a present for the Lord Christ as Jacob for his Lord Esau but this in thee is Pride as in him it was Policy Thou call'st it Humility but God calls it Pride Rom. 10.3 They have not submitted to the righteousnesse of God a sad word It s meere pride and stoutnesse and high-spiritednesse the wretched remainders of unbroken-heartednesse what ever Satan tells thee that onely is humility that makes thee intirely close with the Righteousness of faith with Christs Righteousnesse upon Christs own tearms 8th Guidance mistaken or wrested Scripture The eighth and last that I shall speake to is Satans bewildring us by the false guidance of mistâ—ken Scripture and this is now much in fashion and prevailing in the world Time was when ignorance was in fashion and for men to walke in blind pursuance of anothers supposed light So in Popish times many cared not for nor at all enquired into the Scripture Then for the Priest to doe as the Prelate did and the people as the Priest did was enough But our times have seene the Scriptures brought more into use and almost every one at least in profession will say as David and as it 's fit they should Psal 119.105 Thy word is a light unto my feet and a lanthorn to my paths Men will not now take things to bee so because the Minister said it but they will as the Bereans did search the Scripture and truly 't is not onely the use but the fashion now Now marke when Satan seeth that wee are so much for Scripture and that the way to bewilder us is by pressing Scripture truly as formerly hee laboured to suppresse it now he will presse it and oppresse it too Note as a Tyrant by plain torture to make the guiltlesse Scriptures to speake against themselves say you so saith Satan are you for light I 'le fit your turne by dressing my selfe as an Angell of light Satan will quote Scripture 2 Cor. 11.13 14. And thus by false glimmerings of the true but misrepresented light Satan turneth soules aside into the shady Thickets of the Wilderness even into Workes of darknesse When Satan had once observed that our Saviour kept so close to the guidance of scripture Mat. 4.4 It is written saith Christ that man lives not by bread onely Truly now Satan himselfe in the very next temptation will quote scripture too but curtelized and abused cast thy selfe downe for it is written he hath given his Angells charge to bear thee up c. abuse unsufferable â— for hee leaves out that clause that would have mar'd the logick of the temptation viz. he shall keep thee in all thy waies which casting himself down from the Pinacle could not be You have mention of some that wrest the Scriptures to their own perdition 2. Pet. 3.16 They turne the Scriptures out of the way that they themselves may with more security and freedom turn aside and this trade they take up as you see from their father the Devill I shall give you amongst many 1. An instance in two sorts of persons but a double instance the one of persons the other as to times For the first There are two sorts of persons both of which are bewildred First Such as either endeavour not at all or Secondly Such as if they doe endeavour trust to their endeavours Now Satan do usually pervert Scripture unto the seducing of them both First For such as labour not at all 1. Such as indeavour not at all Usuall iâ— is for such though they will not stand to the guidance of other places of the Scripture yet close to follow those which they mistake and carelesly to runne on in the waies of sin still There are some that never frequent Ordinances or take any paines either in publick or private with their own soules and ask them why they are so negligent in the weighty things of God and their own soules Why say they doe not the Scriptures themselves teach as Ioh. 6.44 that we cannot come to God except he draw us we do but stay for his drawing If we should take never so much paines all would do no good Without him we can do nothing as Joh. 15.5 and would you not have us stay for his coming If the spirit moveth us we shall pray and if God turn us we shall be turned and when God wills we shall believe and repent and till God please we by our endeavours can do nothing This is the language of many hearts and upon this their practice is to sit still and what is this other then to be quietly kept in the Lyons Den
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
from every evill way that I may keepe thy word Keepe the Word and it shall keepe thee If so be that the Lord have graciously found thee Keepe thy feet and thou shalt keepe the word The third Part of this Treatise 3. Part. discovers the great concernment of lost Soules viz. to come up from the Wilderness of sinne CHAP. I. Containes two precious Doctrines 1. That there is a way from the Wildernesse of sinne 2. That it is an uphill way The latter is largely opened and applyed ANd thus much of the second maine point in our Text That every Christlesse or unregenerate soule is a bewildred and so a lost soule We passe on to the Third main Doctrine That It is the great concernment of poore bewildred soules to come 3d. Main Doctrine under which two previous Doctrines even to come up from the wilderness of SIN And so you have the third thing propounded in the draught of this MAP viz. Moses on Pisgah turning his back on the wilderness and pointing towards Canaan Before I come to handle this point I must minde you of two previous and implyed truths in these words Cometh up from the wilderness First That there is a way from the wilderness of sinne Doct. 1 The Spouse in the Text found that WAY and so left That there is a way from the wilderness and came out of that WILDERNESSE But this point I shall but mention here because I shal have occasion to explain it afterward shewing Who is this way viz. Christ how he is and came to be this way what manner of way he is and what improvement we ought hereof to make Doct. 2 The second is this and I shall a little speake to it that The way out of the wilderness of SIN The way from the wilderness of sin is an up hill way is an up-hil WAY Who is this that comes up from the Wilderness My Brethren my businesse is to chalk out unto you the best and truest not the easiest way You would have small cause to thank any man that should lead you into the way of the valleyes when your way is the way of the hills and life and death depends on the dispatch of your journey I had as live Christ should have no followers as such as will not follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes so Rev. 14.4 Now the usual posture of the Lord Jesus is Leaping over the Mountaines skipping upon the Hills Cant. 2.8 When God calls a soule by conversion 't is like his Call to Lot in Sodome Gen. 19.14 Up get you out of this place for the Lord will destroy this City Up gâ—t you out of the state of sinne for the Lord will set fire on the thickets of this VVilderness Up get you out so saith Christ to the Spouse Cant. 2.10 Rise up my love my faire one and come away Himselfe was upon the Hills and Mountaines v. 8. and therefore he calls her to come up thither that as his phrase in John is VVhere he is she may be also Therefore I said Christ had as good have no followers as such that will onely follow in the way of the plaines Proofe of it Now that the way from the Wilderness of sinne is an up-hill way I shall labour to prove by induction of Particulars considerable in that motion the terms of the motion and remarkable circumstances as to the motion of the soule in the way that leads from the Wildernesse of sinne 1. By induction of particulars 1. By induction of particulars I shall mention these four 1. Repentance 2. Faith 3. Obedience 4. Gospel-converse And verily for proof of each these I think I shall need little more then your owne ordinary expressions of your owne ordinary experience Oh! what a-doe have I saist thou to get up mine heart unto true Gospel-sorrow for my sinnes Oh! what an hard worke is it saith another To bring my heart up to a beliefe of the promises to trust God in difficulties c. Oh! how difficult to get up the hil of Gospel-obedience what pains must I take to get to Communion with God in the spirit c. 1. The way of Repentance is an up-hil way 1. The way of repentance is an up hil way This is the language of the repentant Prodigal Lu. 15.18 I will arise and go to my father without getting up nothing can be done as to repentance Sin is asleepe it is a death at the bottom of the hill and there is no repentance without an awaking an arising a getting up to the top of the Hil. Thinke with your selves and remember you that have been acquainted with repentance whether mortification for sinne mortification of sinne dying under it by the Law and dying unto it by the Gospel were an hard or an easie matter an up-hill or an down-hill way Secondly Faith is an up-hil way Have you not heard of the fath of Abraham 2. The way of faith as the scripture saith of the patience of Job Now where was it that Abraham was canonized for the father of the faithful why you have the story of it Gen. 22.14 't was in the place named Jehovah-Jireh In the Mount of the Lord it will be seen Faith must get up to the top of the Mount the Mount of the Lord e're ever it can see what it would what it should see as we go to the top of an hil for a prospect when we desire to see a great way round about us and the higher the hil is the more paines is it to get up but when we are up the farther we see Prov. 18.10 The name of the Lord which is that you know that faith leans upon is a strong Tower the righteous running into it is safe A Tower why that 's usually scituate on an Hil as there is Tower-hil in our great City and if so then he that wil into the Tower must up the hill and he that wil into the name of the Lord for security must up the Mount of the Lord by beleeving 3. Of obedience Thirdly Gospel-obedience is an up-hil way It s hard to get a great weight up an hill therefore when the Apostle presseth Gospel-obedience he bids us lay aside the weight that we may runne with patience Heb. 12.1 The old Adam is a clog to our obedience and weights easily pull us down and if down to rise againe it is up-hil work such is obedience Gods call for our obedience is like his command to Moses Gen. 32.49 50. Go up to Mount Nebo and dye there So go up into thy Closet and kill thy Corruptions let thy dearest lusts dye there pluck out thy right eye there and cut off thy right hand there I had as live dye saith a stubborn spirit as do such a thing and such verily is our natural stubbornness against God When God bids us up do this or that flesh and blood had as live dye as do it When the Gospel bids
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
conceive seed Thou hast been so long barren that thou art affraid thou shalt never be able to conceive the incorruptible seed of the word of God either as to the bringing forth of Grace or Comfort in thy soule by faith thou maist have strength to receive bâ—th 1. Their Graces 1. Faith will afford strength to receive Grace whether as to Mortification or Vivificattion i. Mortifying Grace 1. Mortifying or subduing grace Wouldst thou have the strong man out of doors thy pride thy passion the vanitie of thy thoughts thy lusts of uncleannesse thy worldly lusts c. removed thou hast no way but to make Christ thy strength who is stronger then these and so to call in the Auxiliaries of heaven had David gone out in Sauls Armour undoubtedly Goliath had made him a prey but David went out in the name of the Lord Thus leane thou on the Lord Christ and then what though it be an uncircumcised corruption Note a Giant-like lust that thou contendest with The grand cause that some doe sincerely yet insuccesfully warre with those worldly lusts that war against their souls may be ignorance hereof or neglect herein Luk. 11.21 The strong man will keep his house till a stronger comes Corruption that is strong will keep thine heart till a Christ that is stronger comes It followes He that is not with me is against me and he that gathers not with me scatters verse 23. As I said of your Christlesse strength 't is Antichristian so here to War without Christ is in some sort to War against Christ and to think to gaine ground of thy sinnes in thine own strength is the way to be a loser a â—â—sterer though this vers I know hath another intendment yet is this certaine if Christ be with you as he will be whilst you be with him 2 Chron. 15.2 You shall carry the day and divide the spoyle he that spoyleth Principalities for you can vanquish sin in you Where this Josuah is Generall the field cannot be lost he that brought up the Israelites conquers the Canaanites neither can you be conquerors but through Christ Rom. 8.37 2ly Lean on Christ for Vivifying and renewing grace This is that Law of the spirit of life which in Christ makes free as you heard in the last from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 as who should say Vivifying or quickning Grace let there be what there can or what there will be in any soul unlesse there be the law of that spirit of life in Christ Jesus there can not be any 〈◊〉 of grace there Christ is the strength of your quickning grace and that 1. As to the root and life and habit of it 1. Of the root of it I meane grace in the soule Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse No life or principle or habite of righteousnesse which is here to be expoundâ—d by Sanctification can possibly be in you if Christ be not the strength of it in you 2. The fruits of it 2ly As to the fruit act and exercise of this root life and habit of Grace Io. 15.4 Abide in me saith Christ and I in you for as the branch cannot bring forth fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can you except you abide in me The strength of the branch is not able to bring forth fruit but it is the strength of the Vine the branch is not able saith Christ but the Vine is able so the strength of thine habit of grace is not able to exercise or bring forth fruit unto holinesse but it is the strength of Christ for that grace which is said to be in thee and unto thee as a root is in and unto Christ but as a branch Christ is the Vine still the branch as that which immediately feeds it may in some sort be called the root of the fruit but in proper speech 't is onely the root of the Vine that is the root both of branch and fruit and the strength of the Vine is the strength both of the branch and fruit and if their in being or dependance on the Vine were but a little interrupted you should quckly see it truly so it is with Christ both as to the habit and exercise the branch and fruit of thy graces for saith Christ in the 5. verse Without me you can do nothing Mark do nothing Suppose a branch yet could there be no fruit suppose a life yet could there be no action but now oppose this phrase or compose it rather unto that of Pauls Phil. 3.13 where from occasion of the exercise of the grace of Contentation he digresseth to a generall boasting but in the Lord as to all the fruits of holinesse I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me so that all the out-goings of our graces are and must be only in the strength of Jesus Christ 2ly Of all your comforts 2ly Leane upon Christ as the onely strength of all your comforts You have mention in Scripture of strong consolation as well as of strong grace Heb. 6.18 That we might have strong consolation We Who why we who have fled for a refuge to the anchor that is before us and have taken hold That anchor is hope that whereupon that anchor catcheth hold is Jesus the fore-runner ver 20. No strength of comfort else-where 1. Your foundation-comfort viz. Iustification 1. Christ as the strength of your foundation-comfort I meane Justification is to be leaned upon If you be justified it must be by faith by leaning and if you have peace with God and there be any strength in that peace it must be through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 The Hebrew Idiom puts often one substantive with another when in sence it is an adjective So in that passage Isai 45.24 One shall say surely in the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength that is strong righteousness Others may have a righteousnesse as the Pharisees c. that have not Christ but there is no more strength in it to comfort then there is in a few sparks to warm or to enlighten Isai 50.11 But they that lean on Christ for a righteousnesse have strength of righteousness 2ly 2ly All yoâ— upper comfor Leane on Christ as the bottom strength of all your upper comforts such as come in upon the account of your justification If Christ will to purpose strengthen the hearts of his Disciples as to comfort he must tell them as he doth Jo. 14.18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you What ever else he either leaves them or sends them they will still be comfortlesse unlesse he comes to them Miserable Comforters are Creatures to us when Christ keeps at a distance from us Comforts they may be and weak ones too as Christless righteousness hath no more substance in 't to hold out the light of comfort then a few sparks so Christless Comforts have no
shal have a set Mansion The Spouse bears pregnant testimony hereunto Cant. 5.18 Where she saith He is altogether lovely that is an Adequate entyre and full object for the affections to sit down upon and having this they have Rest Other things are not stayes for our affections because not altogether to be affected The world is not nor the things of the world Meat is to be somewhat affected for the nourishment of the bodyes sake and Cloathes for the warmth and Money for the service of the outward man in the world and Wife and Children and Friends as Helps and Comforts in the world but our affections may not nay they cannot though they would rest in these things but are still travelling farther and the reason is because there is not one of them that is altogether lovely Such is Christ and therefore a Center him for your affections as well as a Rest for your minds and consciences Lastly Leane upon Christ as the rest of your poore soules 4ly Your wearied soules I meane as to their whole state and well being when they shall be rent asunder from the Carkasses wherin they dwell Woe be to that soule of whom the world is weary and whom the house of its habitation I mean its body as weary of it throwes out of doors if it have not then a Christ to cast it selfe upon and be not able to say as David Psal 116.7 Returne to thy rest O my soule Go up to Mount Nebo and die there Believe it believe it that 's an high Hill and that 's hard worke you had need of a Staffe and an Arme to lean upon you had need of an eye of faith to look upwards Stephen when he dyed did so Act. 7.55 Leaning on Christ and leaving of the world had need goe together By faith Jacob when he was a dying as typifying this worshipped leaning upon his Staffe Heb. 11.21 And blessed are they that thus dye in the Lord for as much as my present discourse saith and so saith the Spirit They shall have rest from all their labours Rev. 14.13 And thus much of the second Question CHAP. VIII Containes Querie third what the saving leaning upon Christ is 1. As to the Object How Christ was prepared to be the strength of the weake and stay of the weary 1. By his estate of Humiliation COme we now to the third Question 3d. Quest What this leaning upon Christ is Answer in four Considerations 1. Of its Object viz. the Beloved And how Christ came to be the strength of the weak and the stay of the weary viz. What the leaning of a weak and weary soule upon Christ for strength and refreshment is In answer whereunto these foure Things fall under our inspection The Object the Originall or spring of the act the Notion the Nature of the Act. First For the Object The Texts tells you it is the Beloved that is Christ But how or in what respect is Christ or how comes Christ to be the strength of the weak and the stay of the weary bewildred soule surely it is not Christ any how considered that is thus the soules support and therefore Christ is not confusedly to be leaned upon but Christ so and so considered and understood and therefore there are distinct Notions under or in the which he is to be leaned unto Now the enquiry after these falls necessary and I hope usefully under this head For as it is not flesh that strengtheneth the body simgly considered but flesh thus and thus wholesomely drest and prepared whence that in the 23. Psal 5. Thou preparest a Table for me The Lord as it were condescends to dresse his meat for him especially you know that flesh must be well cook'd that is to strengthen the weake that is prepared for the sick And as it is not a Bed that will give refreshment to a sick and weary one but a Bed thus and thus prepared well made whence that Psal 41.3 The Lord will make all his bed in his sicknesse Mean worke you 'l say for the great God to dresse our meat and make our beds yet such as he pleaseth himselfe in because he delighteth in mercy So I say It is not barely the Lord Christ but Christ as I may say with reverence thus and thus drest that is the strength of the weak and Christ thus and thus prepared that is therest refreshment of the weary Take Christs owne account of this matter Io. 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of man be lifted up Marke must be It was not enough that he was incarnate and made flesh that he was the Sonne of man but being made flesh there is a necessity of his being drest and made ready for the food of soules The Brasse did not cure them unlesse it were thus and thus prepared it must be made in figure of a Serpent Neither did this Serpent cure them but it must be lifted up so Christ must be lifted up And this one word speakes Gods whole mind as to the preparation of the Lord Christ How Christ was prepared hereunto to be the strength and the stay of lost soules for this one word hath a double aspect as Christ had a double lifting up 1. He was lifted up to his Crosse so prepared for the souls support in his state of Humiliation 2. He was lifted up to his Crown and so prepared by his state of Exaltation and upon such account it is that Christs salvation for lost souls is called a prepared salvation Luk. 2.30 31. Mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared Unto each of these I must therefore speak a few words And 1. As to the estate of our Lord Christs Humiliation observe with me four Things 1. In his estate of humiliation The explication of it in four particulars 1. That Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh was subjected to all the weaknesses and wearinesses of poor soules sin onely excepted 2. That it was for our behoof rather then his own and for our sakes not his own that he was thus subjected 3. That hereby he became an apt and sutable support for the weak and the weary to lean upon And therefore 4. They may herein have strong consolation and encouragement to leane upon him For the first 1. Christ was therein subjected to all our weaknesses and wearinesses sin onely excepted 1. Properly to our naturall infirmities The Lord in the dayes of his Humiliation was subjected unto all our weaknesses and wearinesses sinne excepted Yea and to the sins of the Elect too but in a different kind 1. Then Christ did properly and in the plainest and fullest sence beare all the weaknesses and wearinesses appertaining unto and following upon our natures I mean our decayed natures sinne onely excepted for set sin aside Christ was a true man not like unto Adam before the fall and in the state of immortality Christ took upon
so prepared must be lookt upon believed on acted upon c. and so improved and then no doubt but weakness shall be made strong and weariness refreshed Therefore the misery lyeth not at all in the want of Preparation but Application and improvement Note If a Feast were made ready enough to refresh forty thousand and but forty eat of it there can but forty be strengthned by it If there be Quarters in a City large enough for an whole Army and but one small Company will enter and abide in those Mansions there can no more be recruited by those Mansions I do believe that the spirituall Canaan is big enough to be a Rest unto All of all Nations and that there 's strength enough prepared with Christ for universall Salvation when as yet I know that they are but some of all Nations one of a Family or two of a Tribe that shall be taken and brought to Sion or that shall enter into his rest when the most of men shall fall short and perish in the Wilderness Canaan was in it self as accessible to the one as to another Wherefore then was it that they could not enter in Why the Apostle asks it and answers it Heb. 3.19 Because they believed not that is there wanted Application What 's the reason that one man thrives at a Table and another doth not because one eats and another doth not for as many as believed Note they entred into rest Heb. 4.3 Therefore I judge that though our Application of Christ thus prepared be onely the instrumental and not at all the meritorious cause of our receiving spirituall strength and of our entring into rest Yet I am bold to affirme that the non-improving of this prepared salvation is not onely the instrumental bur also meritorious cause of out going without strength our tyredness under the terrors of the Lord and though I never thought that Christ was in the Fathers counsell prepared for all yet judge I that there is enough for all prepared in Christ No absudity in inviting ALL though all cannot or will not come because there is enough prepared to serve all if all could improve what is prepared could it be but improved by all therefore I am wholly a stranger from that supposed absurdity in inviting all though all will not or cannot come I think both are ever true together because there is enough made ready for all if they could or would but come and what know we the servants that are sent to invite who amongst the invited ones will prove the guests Nor yet have I ever heard it accounted an absurdity amongst men seriously to invite those who we are seriously perswaded will not or cannot come Saith the wife Instance I will warrant such an one will not or cannot come yet saith the Husband we will invite him howsoever Who counts this to be non-sence And yet so sharp-witted are some as that they cannot discern with what colour of sence God can invite those that hee knows certainly cannot or will not come or how God can be serious in it Why sirs had they come they should have been welcome yea but our Doctrine supposes they cannot come 't is true and so doth Scripture yet if they could have come there had say we been Christ enough grace enough glory enough for them and all ready and prepared You know 't is no absurdity to bid more guests then can come but this is the absurdity to have too little food for the guests that do come Now this cannot be charged upon the preparations of the Lord for God sends out his invitations unto all sorts of men and saith Mat. 22.4 Behold I have prepared my supper and all things are ready the Cloath is laid Meat on boord Stooles and Chaires set all conducements to repast and refreshments are ready yea but the guests were not ready they made light of it and went their wayes one to his Farme c. ver 5. Now shall we dare to blame God for keeping open house that is inviting all because the Lord knowes all will not come upon his invitation or that all cannot Why yet he knowes that they that cannot will not and who can yet have them excused they may complement it with an I cannot come and it is true too but God knows their meaning is they will not come Sometimes your Great Men keepe open House invite all commers and all that doe come are welcome but all cannot come because of this what foole will think that their magnificence is counterfeit and not serious Yet dare blasphemers say that either you must grant that all have power and free-will to come or else God is not serious in inviting all doth not Scripture say He would have all men to be saved Why think a little suppose such a Noble Man should say to his Steward I am willing that all the poore of the Towne should be relieved and all strangers entertained and therefore discourage none from comming but bid as many as come welcome and his Steward should answer My Lord You know such and such cannot come othersome think themselves as well at home others do not love your Lordship and will not come but and if you were really minded that they should All come you would make them come you have power enough c. Never talk of inviting All your Lordship is not serious in what you say and your Hospitality is but a piece of absurdity Affront insufferable offer now such language to thy Governour and will he be pleased with thee Mal. 1.8 Pray how comes that Lord to be bound to make them to accept that which he was never bound so much as to offer Especially how comes God to be so farre in mans debt as to be bound to make all come else he must be charged as not serious in inviting All since the reall tenders of grace unto All are of MERE MERCY but the making of any to accept those tenders who once had freewill and full power to choose the good but have wilfully lost it and are now unwilling thereunto till they be made willing is not a debt unto any but a MERE MIRACLE of MERCY to those few that are vessels of mercy prepared unto that which is prepared for them So then you may gather from what I have spoken that Christ prepared is not enough to the actuall stay and support of the weak and weary but he must be improved and applied by the leaning soul And this leads me to CHAP. XI Discovers the spring of this leaning Act viz. Interest in him whom we leane upon 1. Question What this interest imports Answer An Assent and Consent The Assent described The 2d Cons The Originall or spring of this leaning act Her beloved THe second Particular in order to the Explanation of this Leaning Act of the soule viz. the Originall or Spring of this applying improving appropriating leaning act of the Spouse in the Text
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
lies down at night in his bed weary but riseth up in the morning in the renuing of strength Sirs if you be come at Christ stirre not from him faint or feeble for strength and refreshings are with him touch him and take them And so we come to CHAP. XIII Discovers the nature of this leaning-act in four Particulars Fourth Querie propounded what are the hinderances of this leaning Two negative hinderances 1. Few need him 2. Few feel him 4th Consid What the nature of this leaning Act is THe fourth and last Querie viz. What is the nature of this leaning act or what are its constituting qualification I shall answer this Querie in these four Things The soule must leane not doubtingly or waveringly but fiducially and resolvedly not inconsiderately or unadvisedly but of counsell and deliberately nor yet forcedly or of necessity but freely and out of choyce and complacency no nor yet loosely and brokenly but closely and intyrely these Ingredients must compound this leaning if so be it be rightly qualified 1 It must be a fiduciall 1. It must be a stable not wavering a fixed fiducial and resolved leaning I say A fiduciall leaning The soule must come to Christ and cast it selfe upon Christ believing that he is and that it is not in vain to seek him in any exigency The language of this leaning is not it may be c. and who can tell but c. which yet is found in Scripture the highest language of faith in the Saints when they are at their lowest ebbe of believing but of a truth God is good to Israel I know whom I have believed though I fall I shall arise and the Lord shall be a light unto me It may be saith the poore doubting Christian that there is righteousness with the Lord Christ for me Who can tell but that I may find strength in Christ for my poore soule but saith the Lord of the leaning Spouse Surely shall one say In the Lord I have strength and righteousnesse As sure as I am weak there is strength in the Lord and strength for me Isa 45.24 so Dan. 3.17 Our God whom we serve will deliver us and therefore we are not carefull in this matter they lean so as that they dare adventure their life upon their leaning When thou leanest so that thou darest venture thy soule upon thy Christ when faith takes the word out of the promises mouth and can confidently promise it selfe whatever God hath promised I will saith God God will saith faith surely I wll saith God Verily thou shalt be fed surely God will saith faith Verily I shall be fed And so for any other promise This is fiducially to leane upon the Beloved Againe Here the soule must leane And resolved Act. and leane resolvedly I have now got hold of thee and I will not let thee go except thou blesse me as Gen. 32.26 I am come to Christ and here I will stay and if I perish I perish as Ester said in another case Est 4.16 I am at Shusan at the Kings Palace at the Throne of grace upon the account of Christ and if I perish yet will I not stir from the horns of this Altar yea though he kill me yet will I trust in him This is called a cleaving with purpose of heart to the Lord Act. 11.23 With the heart and with the resolution of heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith such a soule I believe what the Lord hath said of his Christ that he is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 And therefore I will trust him to the uttermost If Christ cannot justifie let God condemne me if Christ cannot save me let me be unsaved For verily Believers Christ is as those Pillars of Hercules if you come to take hold of these Pillars Ne plus ultra if you come to take hold upon Christ stirre no farther if you goe beyond Christ you will speed as ill as if you were still short of him Secondly It must not be preposterously precipitantly 2ly A mature and deliberate Act. or of inadvertency but upon mature deliberation that the soule must leane upon the beloved Sirs put Christ amongst ten thousand and if he be not now the standard-bearer the chiefest of them all as the Spouse found him to be Cant. 5.10 then doe not trust your soules to him if you will not Christs Banner shall not want Souldiers as long as himselfe is the bearer of it Sirs you had need to be advised when you choose your Guardian a State will be deliberate before they make an allyance with another State they propound what shall they be advanced by it or what they may lose or will the gaine compensat the Detriment in respect of other States whose confederacy they must lose by it c. And Christ himselfe improves such similes to this very end Luk. 14. the unadvised Builder ver 28. The precipitant Warriour ver 31. Condemning the foolishnesse of both A wise woman will not chuse an Husband without deliberation shee must needs then passe for unwise that wil chuse an Husband hand over head for my part my prayer and desire shall be as a poor instrument to make sound Christians though not hasty Christians Alas soone ripe soone rotten What Age hath ever confirm'd it by so sad experience in the most serious things Doe you wonder that so many fall away from Christ so soon truly if you had but known or observed them you might as well have wondred how they came at Christ so soon You wonder they can so soon depart from the faith and lay down duty and I in my small experience have admired how they got the faith they pretended to so easily whilest it cost others so deare that they took up duties so suddainly whilest others have had many an hard pull at their hard hearts to get them up to duty how they have come to the joy without knowledge of such a thing as the hour of travell how the Childe hath been borne without any pain how they came to be so confidently united and marryed to Christ before ever almost they thought of Christ Therefore sirs I shall deale ingenuously with you in the counsell that I shall give you Take you a strick survey of all the Lovers that the world affords compare Creature Crutches the best of them all with Christ view his countenance and the face of other things observe his power and the worlds compare his faithfulnesse and sins promises and if so be when they come to the upshot there be any that doe so well deserve your love that can so ably support your infirmities that will so faithfully discharge your trust as the Lord Jesus marry them for finding them If Baal be God then worship him But oh what heart amongst you dares though perhaps it desires in this comparing to Vote for any thing against the Lord Jesus Christ If any dare let them please themselves they shall never chuse for me But I
hope better things of you my Brethren O let us cry out in the language of the Spouse Cant. 2.3 As the Apple-tree amongst the Trees of the wood so is my beloved amongst the Sons 3ly It must not be forced of necessity 3ly A free and complacentiall Act. but of complacency and of choyce a leaning for love as we say and not for money Christ never intended in any civill Marriage that the golden wheele should be the first mover or that the silver Cord should draw the hearts together much lesse that we should love him primely for his loaves or marry him as some time amongst men we see it meerly to be maintained by him I have sadly in my thoughts compared a soul taking hold upon Christ in a death-bed when there hath been no other way left or under some strong fears of death and keepings under bondage thereby to a naked hand catching hold of a naked sword in a shipwrack not that it desires so to doe but for the present it must hold or sink Now let the man but come abroad or ashore and you shall quickly see him let his hold go and glad too Poore soules when there 's no other way but to dye and be damned O! then for a Christ What would you have a Christ yes I would fain yea I must have a Christ but Christ will mortifie your members and subdue your sinnes doe you desire that yes will they say Oh! you cannot beat them off from leaning upon a Christ now though you cut their Fingers but let them but come to shore to health and strength againe and you shall not need once to bid them to forego their hold upon Jesus Christ But the Spouse as you heard would not let her beloved go sure enough it was because she loved to lean as well as leaned where she loved Observe Gods prophesie of the Root of Jesse which is Christ and the believing Gentiles Isai 11.10 Unto it that is unto Christ the Sonne of Jesse shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious Marke They shall take it to be their glory their joy and their Crown to come and sit down to stay and to rest themselves upon the Lord Jesus Christ thus rejoycingly must thou leane upon the beloved 4ly A close intyre Act. 4ly and lastly It must not be a broken and loose but a close and entyre leaning upon Jesus Christ This is called a being joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is agglutinated as the Joyner fits piece to piece and then glues each piece to his fellow in order hereunto Thus much I have already proved that the intire or whole soul must leane upon the intire or whole Christ at least wise it is easily deducible from the description of that interest that must bottome this Act. That which I have more to say is onely this that as the Agent and Object so must the Act it selfe be intire the whole soul must wholly leane upon the whole Christ Cant. 5.16 He saith the Spouse is altogether lovely and if so then altogether to be leaned upon for there must be some proportion between the Act and the Object Oh! many there be that will seeme to leane upon Christ but how may this word altogether startle us We lean not so much upon Christ for provision in the world as over him upon the shoulders of our own wit and care and industry or the shoulders of such and such friends If we leaned altogether upon Christ we should keep our faith as Habakkuk ch 3. ult Though all means should fail We leane not so much upon Christ in a sicknesse as over Christ upon the Physitians shoulders else should we think more of or send oftner to or consult oftner with Christ then we doe whilst we so much Asa-like think of send to and consult with the Physitians 2 Chr. 16.16.12 We leane not so much upon Christ in a duty as over him upon the shoulders as it were of the duty hence is it that we measure our acceptance by our enlargements when happily the heart hath been more humble and so better as I have noted when it hath been more straightned so that all these are more stay to us than Christ But oh when when shall we get close unto Christ Jesus lean adequately upon him to stretch our selves upon him as Elisha did upon the Childe that our eyes may be upon his eyes and our mouth upon his mouth and our face upon his face 2 King 4.34 Friends 't is only such neare immediate and adequate application of Christ to our soules or which is all one of our souls to Christ that can bring life into our dead hearts as into that dead Childe The Spouse would have none betwixt her and Jesus Christ no not so much as the dearest enjoyment in the world but his left hand should be under her head and his right hand should embrace her Cant. 8.3 Which embraces encourage her to re-imbrace her beloved and so to come out of the Wildernesse leaning upon him vers 5. And thus much in answer to the third Question viz. What it is to leane upon the Beloved Come we now to The Fourth maine Querie viz. 4th Querie What are the Hinderances of this leaning upon Christ Two sorts 1. Negative Whar are the hinderances that keepe lost soules from becommirg leaning soules I shall reduce them or at least wise the most principal of them unto these two Heads 1. Neagative 2. Positive Hinderances 1. As for Negative hinderances take these three 1. Few need Christ therefore few leane upon him Few need Christ fewer feel him fewest of all affect him 1. Hinderance is this That though all lost soules do need Christ yet there are very very few that apprehend their lost estate and so perceive their need of Christ comparatively but one lost soul one sheep of an hundred where there are ninty nine just persons that need no repentance Luk. 15.7 Oh! would it not make an heart bleed to think that when our poore soules are cast forth naked into the open field that there is none eye to pitty them no not so much as their own eye Ezek. 16.5 Soules are so lost that they have lost their pitty towards themselves they do not they cannot lament their own ruines Poor they are and wretched and miserable and blind and naked and yet aske these very persons how they doe and they will tell you they are in need of nothing Rev. 3.17 No not in need of Christ And therefore they care not for leaning upon him Come to some Widdow and mind her of such a man that would make a very good Husband for her why saith she I am well enough as I am and I live quietly and comfortably and need nothing Now that word quite stops your woing for a friend and how doth it obstruct our woing of soules for Jesus Christ when the most of soules live well
smites thee that hath been so often smitten by thee Art thou pierced by Christ he was pierced by thee first therefore hast thou little reason to complaine that he hath pierced thee Zach. 12.10 They shall look on me whom they have pierced Doth his Word or Spirit wound thee how often have thy vain and vile words and impenitent and unbelieving spirit wounded him Doth his wooong Carriage now prick thee to thine heart how often have thy wandering Carriages struck Jesus Christ to the heart It s fit that thou shouldest feele what it is to be smitten since thou hast so often tryed what it is to smite And well maist thou take it quietly to be under wounds of spirit many hours yea many weeks that hast in thy sinful Conversation been wounding Christ it may bee twenty forty or threescore years 3ly It s he smites thee 3ly He that is smitten with thee that in the mean while is smitten with thee and therefore surely will not smite to hurt thee There 's no great feare that that Father will wrong his Childe that as we say smites himself while hee strikes his Child Surely in all thine Afflictions most of all spirituall which are greatest is Christ afflicted Isai 63.9 If either Satan Sinne or the Law persecuteth thee Christ will say Why persecute you me I have born suffered done and dyed for that soule therefore I will not see that soule perish but though I smite it with mine own rod yet will I not suffer you to ruine it Surely as Paul saith 2 Cor. 11.29 Who is weak and I am not weak who is in the scorching furnace of an afflicted Conscience and I burn not so will Christ say 2ly Consider Why is it that Christ smites thee 2. Consider Why he smites looke backward or forward and there is little reason to murmur on either hand 1. Look backward upon what thou wert 1. Look backward upon what thou hast been and doe not complain and art thou smitten wonder that thou art not struck down to Hell never thinke strange that thou art sore bruised as in the place of Dragons but rather that thou art not damned and so turned down into the place of Devils Lam. 3.30 He gives his Cheeke to him that smiteth him saith Jeremy of the afflicted Spirit and wherefore saith he verse 39. Doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sin Art thou a sinning soul and yet a living soul oh though thou be a bruised soul thou hast small reason to complaine 2ly Look forward upon what thou art to be 2ly Look forward upon what thou art to be and complain no more and doe not count it hard that Christ hath smitten thee Friend Christ intends thee though thy heart have beene crooked and knotty hitherto for a piece of Timber in his living house for a living stone though thy heart hath been a dead and rough stone 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye are built up as lively stones a spiritual house I hope this will satisfyingly answer what is said Hos 6.5 I have hewed them by the Prophets If you will be part in Christs building you must be content with Christs hewing Againe We are called to be Vessels of mercy and these must be prepared unto glory Rom. 9.23 And whoever prepared Vessels of gold but by the Furnace let this answer Isai 1.25 I wiil turn mine hand upon thee Oh! that think you is a scaring word but why will God do it I will purely purge away your drosse and take away all your Tinne Againe You are called to be the Lords Iewels and these Jewels must be made up Mal. 3.17 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will finish his Iewels And what Jeweller is there though never so sparing but will have some instrument in his hand to cut away the part or parts that are redundant and so to fit the Jewel before he finish and make it up in the ring of Gold This answers that gracious promise though to a carnall heart a bloody threatning Deut. 30.6 The Lord will circumcise thine heart to love him with all thy soul c. That is the Lord will pare it round he will take away the fleshly and carnall and redundant parts of it this will cost sharpe work to thy fleshly heart Thus will Christ deale with thee to make thee to love him when he wooes thee to love him onely be not thou as Zipporah crying out to Christ as she to Moses Exod. 4.16 A bloody Husband art thou unto me because of the Circumcision So that all the expressions that import thy future glory doe abundantly engage thee to receive with meekness 3ly Consider What these smitings shall conclude in Thine Enemies ruine and thanksgiving thy present sufferings and buffetings 3ly Consider what these smitings shall conclude in and be satisfied viz. In the ruine of thine Enemies and in the healing of thee First When God casts soules as those three Shadrach Meshach and Abednego into the furnace and the Son of God comes to take acquaintance with them and to beare them company in that Furnace as Dan. 3.25 What shall that fire doe more then burn their Enemies as verse 22. Verily upon them shall it have no power nor shall the hair of their head be singed verse 27. Thy Corruptions thy sins thy drosse thy dirt shall consume and be burnt up but it shall not be able to hurt thy soule But 2ly As for thy soule if that be bruised 2ly Thy souls healing it shall bee annointed by that balm that is in Gilead and the Physitian that is there Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque feret Christ doth use to wound us as Enemies doe and then to let us lie and perish for want of looking too neare feare so great unkindnesse from so kind a suiter no no but if sense say as Hos 6.1 The Lord hath torn and he hath smitten let thy faith say also as theirs there and he will heale and he will bind us up after two dayes that is some short season he will revive us and the third day at farthest he will cause us to live verse 2. Hearken my friends what Hezekiah can say after all his chatterings like a Crane and shatterings to pieces both which you have together Isai 38.13 14 verse 16. O Lord by these things men live and in all these things Marke all these things as if he could not be without Note or misse one blow of them and doe well is the life of my spirit so wilt thou recover me and make me to live so wilt thou as if God had as it were limited himselfe to that way of working unto the reviving of a dead heart So then either Christ must marry thee whilest a Carkasse and lay thee a dead piece of flesh in his bosome or thou must be contented to be smitten but and if thou be smitten he will verily revive thee and cause
sing and say Who is this that comes out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved but of others we may take up a lamentation a Jeremies sad song and say Who are all these that go farther and farther into the wilderness leaning upon their beloveds And as for those that goe downe into Aegypt they have multitudes of Reeds to leane upon many Gods and Lords many even as many as lusts Onyons Fleshpots Melons Cucumers Idols any thing but when God calls his Sonnes out of Aegypt then thus saith the Lord that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt c. thou shalt have none other Gods beside me Many hands we may have to help us forward or backward rather into the wayes of sinne But there 's not one arme for a soule to leane unto while it comes from sinne but the alone arm of the Lord Jesus Christ Now as we say the more of those Gods the farther from God so the more of these leaning-stocks the farther from leaning upon the Lord Jesus The four usuall leaning-stocks of lost soules There are particularly foure things which lost soules doe generally more love and leane upon then Jesus Christ Sinne Satan the World and selfe And it is to be marked that scriptures charge our usuall carriage towards and in respect of these with Idolatry which is the setting of any thing up in Gods roome to love or lean upon as God which is not God 1. Sinne. First As for sin It is hence evident that sinners place that recumbency on it which they should on Christ because the Apostle enumerating the more notorious sinnes of their unregeneracy summes up all in this one word abominable Idolatries what were those why Lasciviousness lusts excess of Wine revellings drunkenness and abominable Idolatries Wines are the Drunkards Idols Women the Wantons Idols Prophaneness the Revellers Idol Yea every new lust a new Lord yea a new God as hee takes up new sin he hath new dependances upon sinne 1 Pet. 4.3 Hence John writing to those that 't is to be thought were farre enough from gross Idolatry concludes Little Children keepe your selves from Idols Amen 1 Joh. 5.21 Now you can never keepe your selves from Idols except you keepe your selves from sin Sinne ever deales as Solomons strange wives tempting first from the trusting in the true God and next to trusting in the false 2. Satan Secondly As for Satan You have heard him call'd the God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 Therefore this world leanes upon Satan and trusts in him as their God 3. The world Thirdly As for the World 'T is plainly that which the worldling leans upon instead of God Hence those known passages Ephe. 5.5 The covetous man who is an Idolater and Col. 3.5 Covetousnesse which is Idolatry c. That is he loves and leanes upon Mammon more then God Fourthly As for Selfe The selfe-pleaser 4. Selfe that indulgeth his owne lustfull genius his belly is his God Phil. 3.19 The self-conceited self-confident and presumptuous sinner He sets his heart as the heart of God Ezek. 28.6 Strange expressions you will say yet are they Scripture-expressions you see they be and though many things be imported by them yet must this be a chiefe one that while Saints lean on Christ as their one and only Lord these leane upon Sin Satan Mamnon and themselves Of these in their order First Hinderance that doth in a positive way keepe off sinners from leaning upon Christ 1. Soules lean upon sin and thereby are hindred from leaning upon Christ Proofe of it is their leaning upon sin for proof See Psal 52.7 This is the man that made not God his trust but strengthned himself in his wickednesse What could be more expresse for both sinners make their wickednesse their stay and therefore it is that they make not God their staie so Isai 30.12 You trust in oppression and perversnesse and staie thereon It followes verse 15. Thus saith the Lord in returning and rest you shall be saved but ye would not and in quietnesse and confidence that is in the peace of believing shall be your strength and ye would not No no they could have both a stay and a strength in sinning and therefore they would none of Christs rest in the way of repenting or of his quietnesse and peace in the way of believing 'T is no wonder if sinners can have Crutches in a sinne that they neglect to seeke legges in a Saviour Now that sinners make sinne their leaning-stock Convictions of it 1. The careful hold that sinners keep of sinne I shall give you a two-fold Conviction 1. The charie and carefull and cordiall hold that they keep of sin Just as a lame man holds his Crutch so doth a sinner his sinne The head of it is bolstered and how neare is it to his heart There art that spiritually sow pillowes under their own and others arm-holes for wretched limping sinners to lean upon Ezek. 13.18 The lame man holds his Crutch fast in his right hand and will not by any means let it go as you may see the Lord was Davids leaning-stay for saith David I have set the Lord at my right hand therefore I shall not be moved Psal 16.8 and that Christ was the Spouses leaning-stay for she held and would not let him go Cant. 3.4 And the Apostle requires the Saints to hold that fast by which they may hold Christ fast viz. Holy confidence and the rejoycing of hope Heb. 3.6 By which is evinced that Christ and nothing else is the Saints leaning-stock So sinners have their lies in their right hand Isai 44.20 And they hold fast deceit and refuse to return Jer. 8.5 And this is a full Conviction your Consciences beare witnesse unto it that sinne is the sinners leaning-stock or that in the Prophets language The wicked trust in their wickednesse Isai 47.10 It is strange that a man should dare to sinne and then to trust in sin but oh that it were not more true 2ly In that they think that if their sinne fall they fall also 2ly In this it is too too manifest that sinne is the sinners leaning-stock in that the sinner thinkes that if his sin fall he shall fall too The reason which makes lame persons so loath to let their Crutches fall is because they know that then they shall fall too Did they not leane upon them whilest they stand they would not be affraid of falling with them when they fall Verily sirs If your Consciences beare you this witnesse that the reason why you doe not let your sinfull Alehouse-maintaining or Alehouse-keeping or Cheating fall is because you think that then you shall fall also 't is a plaine Conviction that your sin is your leaning-stock That of Diana's silver-smiths is a pregnant instance 't was a wicked craft that they had and an hellish gain that they made viz. by making instruments of abominable Idolatrie to that cursed vanity of the Ephesians Now they
well-instructed guide to lead us out of the Wildernesse of sin and temptations For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 which scripture if put together with those before quoted tells us plalnly that Christ was led into every part of the Wildernesse not one corner excepted yet not all bewildred in all the points of temptation yet without sin and all this was that he might be able to succour those that are tempted Lastly 5ly Christ is in all respects an able Guide such a guide is Jesus Christ that whatsoever hath concluded thee under an impossibility of coming up from the Wildernesse of thy self may conclude thee under fair hopes yea full assurance of coming thence if thou lean upon the Lord Jesus As First The Wildernesse thou complainest 1. A great Guide is great and therefore terrible this Guide is greater and therefore if thou lean on him thy condition is hopefull He that is given us for a Guide Luk. 1.79 is said to bee the great Prophet arisen amongst us Luk. 17.16 where also what is said on the account of this guidance concerning John as Christs fore-runner Luk. 1.68 is here applyed to Christ The Lord hath visited his people and so the spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darknesse c. and to guide c. Luk. 1.78 79. And how great comfort may the thoughts of this great Prophet be unto thee in this great Wildernesse Secondly The Wildernesse thou maist complain 2. A Guide full of eyes is full of waies diverse temptations but know that this guide is full of eyes he hath eyes enough to look out into all the Earth Rev. 5.6 Therefore if Satan lead Peter into a new way Christ will follow Satan with a new watch saith Christ unto Peter I have pray'd for thee that thy faith fail not Luk. 22.32 3. Able to extricate all Satans wiles Thirdly The Wildernesse thou maist complain is very intricate but know that as this Guide is able to espie out all the wiles of Satan so can he make even thee able by faith in him to stand against those wiles of the Devill Eph. 6.11 3. A Pioner as well as Guide Fourthly The Wildernesse thou maist complain is crooked stumbling and uneven but this Guide who led Israel as an horse in the Wildernesse that he should not stumble Isa 63.13 Pioner to speak scripture-language in our own dialect as well as Guide and carrieth as I may say with reverence Word and Spirit along with him to make the desert an high-way for our God Isa 40.3 and to make crooked things streight and rough places plain verse 4. yea to make them streight and plain before thee Isai 42.16 5. A light as wel as Guide Fifthly The Wildernesse thou maist complaine is dark and shady and the light comes not to thee But this is a Guide that ever carries a light with him yea that is the light as well as the Guide and to give light as well as to guide Luk. 1.79 who hath therefore said I wil lead the blind in a way that they knew not and wil make darkness light before them Isa 42.16 6. A Guide who gathered up the thorns Sixthly The Wildernesse thou maist complain is full of thorns which catch hold upon thee on the one hand and on the other but this Guide hath gathered them up and worn them in their type in his own Crown Ioh. 19.2 Insomuch that though the way of the slothfull that will not that neglect to come to Christ is as an hedge of thornes yet is the way of the Evangelically righteous made plain before him Pro. 15.19 7. And will break through the Wildernesse Lastly thou maist complain that the Wildernesse doth shut thee in and that thy sin doth easily beset thee But this Guide stands engaged to break his way through this Wildernesse for he hath said an high-way shall be there Isa 35.8 Wherefore upon these accounts let me earnestly exhort you to come to Christ and to say unto him as Moses said to Hobab his Father in Law Numb 10.31 Leave us not I pray thee forasmuch as we are in this Wilderness and thou maist be unto us instead of Eyes Thou art in a Wildernesse ready otherwise to be lost for ever oh goe to Christ and implore his guidance that hee may bee yea and accordingly he will be sure to be unto thy soule instead of eyes And thus much of the first viz. If sin be a Wildernesse Christ the Guide take hold on him CHAP. XXVI Containes Exhortation and direction how to Improve Christ as the onely may out of the Wildernesse of Sin THE second advantage that comes by leaning is this as it brings bewildred sinners to the Guide so it sets them in the way And therefore my second Exhortation to lost soules is this 2d If Christ be a way walk in him Is sin a Wildernesse Christ is the Way Wherefore Walk in him And you shall find REST to your soules This is certain that the saving Recumbency whereof we have spoken doth import the walking in Christ as well as walking with him since it is manifest as you shall perceive that this Beloved is a Way as well as a Guide and to be walked in as a Way as well as walked with as a Guide For if it be evident in Scripture as it is that we are both to go with him and in him 't is a plain case that he is both a Guide and a Way and if we must lean upon him under each Notion it is as plaine that we must walk in him as well as with him Hence it is that the Saints are said sometimes to follow Christ viz. as their Guide as Rev. 14.4 hence those Apostates are taxed for walking no more with him Joh. 6.66 And hence also it is that as I exhorted you in the first part of this discourse to labour to finde your soules as a Garden of walks unto Christ as himself hath said I will walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 we are called here to walke in him As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2.6 viz. as your way Christ though a Guide is also the way And this is no novell notion no paradox to a spiritulized understanding that the same should bee both the Guide and the way For thus it is with the Spirit and thus with the word of the Lord. David calls the Word a light to his feet a Lanthorn to his paths Psa 119.105 this is that counsell of God which the Psalmist makes his Guide Ps 73.24 and the same word David calls his way Ps 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandements and Verse 33. Teach me the way of thy Statutes Thus it is also with the Spirit Ioh. 16.13 When the Spirit is come he will guide you into all truth there is hee
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
Brutes and so expresly construed 2 Pet. 2.12 Brute beasts made to be destroyed so Jude 10. O Saints since through the Lords grace I scarce can imagine how we live by them without being destroyed of them O let us have as little converse as possible no sinful converse with them lest we be destroyed with them Men do not use to converse with wilde beasts except upon an advantage to tame them Converse thou as little as is possible with sinners unless upon opportunity to convert them Homo homini lupus one man is a wolf to another a proverb most true in that sense which is most spiritual Thus is sin a wilderness a way for beasts and not for men How desolate and dismal are thy pathes O sinner you have this character of the wilderness with the former Jer. 9 12. A wilderness burnt up that none passeth through you say that 's a dangerous ill road indeed where there is never an honest man upon the way O how solitary and wretched is the way of sin then where there 's never a good passenger none but roaring Lions and ranging Leopards and the like I abhor that prophane spirit of that godless proverb Spiritus Calvinisticus spiritus melancholicus as if a pure spirit must needs be a dumpish spirit Let me tell thee O prophane heart believe it if thou wilt a Christians heart is usually fullest of joy when his eyes are fullest of tears Canst thou think him Melancholick that hath so good company heaven-ward whilest thou art so jovial amongst thy dismal hell-bounded companions But and if he weep maist not thou tremble If he be pensive that is coming up out of the wilderness leaning upon Christ in the company of the Father in the fellowship of the Spirit in the Communion of Saints O how shouldst thou be dismayed that art wandring in the wilderness amongst Lions and Leopards and no company to rescue thee to secure thee or to guide thee Certainly if the Saint be over-pensive its unbelief of this truth that makes him sad if thou be jovial it s thy dismal unbelief of this dismal truth that makes the merry 4. Wilderness desolate and provisionless Fourthly The wilderness is desolate and comfortless destitute and provisionless Isaiah 27.10 desolate like a wilderness Jer. 12.10 a desolate wilderness Zeph. 2.19 A desolation like a wilderness And God expressing the extremity of judgement when it should be highest threatneth Israel that he will make it desolate yea more desolate then a wilderness Ezek. 6.14 The wilderness is a desolation destitute and provisionless no housing no fire no water no bread no clothing to be had no not in all the wilderness if you light of any food at all it is wilde and unwholsome food light and windy food The Ass of the wilderness is spoken of in scripture as feeding upon the wind Jer. 2.24 Thus the wilderness is provisionless mistake me not I do not mean it is void of all provision but that there is no comfortable convenient wholesome substantial provision For the wilde Asses and savage Beasts there is accommodation but there is none suitable unto man hear Israels complaint made of the wilderness Numb 21.5 Wherefore hast thou brought us to die in the wilderness for there is no bread neither any water i. e. according to their dialect for they did use to put bread and water and sometimes water onely for all maner of comfortable accomodations as in that Scripture Gen. 37.22 v. 2. compared with Zach. 9.11 now say they In this wilderness here is neither bread nor water Manna they had but that they accounted a light bread What they in the ingratitude and hardness of their hearts said of that Manna we may truly say of this spiritual wilderness here is neither bread nor water i. e. no true substantial comfort and our souls may loathe the light bread Beloved we may say of the wilderness of sin That it hath no food at all for us I confess if we will be beasts as Nebuchadnezzar was turned to be then the wilderness can produce food for us and upon the account of this truth I dare affirm that that soul that takes up a resolution to live upon sin may take up a resolution to become a beast What 's an unclean person that lives upon lust better then a wilde goat What other is a drunken gluttonous person that lives upon excess then a swine What difference 'twixt a crafty covetous wretch and a serpent of the wilderness that goes upon its belly and feeds upon the dust What 's a persecutor that feeds upon the blood of Saints better then a Lion that feeds upon the blood of Lambs What is a roaring swearing ranting wilde sinner better then the wilde ass of the wilderness that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure If you wil live upon such diet you must turn beasts but if you wil be men you must look after higher provisions then the wilderness can afford you The bread of the wilderness is light bread thy soul must loath it All the provisions that the sinner by sin makes for himself are wilderness provisions Eccles 5.16 17. He laboreth for the wind all his days he eateth in darkness The food that he takes all his labor and pains about in the travel of sin 't is at best windy food Oh! Isaiah complains of sinners sadly upon this occasion Isaiah 55.2 Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which satisfies not If we had onely bodies sin happily might satisfie us though its meats be but light and empty provisions but we have souls and souls will not be satisfied with such light bread I appeal to all your consciences were ye ever yet satisfied at a feast of the wilderness I do not ask you were you ever filled I know this windy meat can fill and clog and burthen but satisfie it cannot And hence it comes to pass that as it s said of the children of Israel the longer they continued in the wilderness the more their carkases should waste Numb 14.33 Your carkases shall waste and you shall fall in this wilderness and you shall wander forty years until your carkases be wasted So this is Gods dismal doom upon impenitent sinners the Lord suffers them to live many a year and the longer they live the more do their souls waste till they come at length to be quite spent in sin and then they fall in the wilderness Men that live upon sin the longer they live the leaner and more carkase-like do their souls grow Haue you not seen some Colchester carkases so spent and wasted for want of provision that although they were not quite dead yet their hands were faint their knees were feeble so far spent that they were grown quite mindless of food they had not a tongue to ask it of the passers by not a mouth or stomack to receive it Oh! thus it fares with poor sinners that have
acquaintance as a new Creature that is spoken of Job 22.21 and that is as saith the Apostle by being in Christ As for any others The Lord that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isai 27.11 It would be sad believing if poor souls have no better promises then this to leane unto Secondly 2ly Leaning upon the providence of God If thy leaning stock be onely some latter acquaintance with God in his outward providence And believe it with very many this goes very far What do you think that God that hath given me such prosperity will in the end damn me I have a faire portion of outward things shall all this love end in eternall hatred Nay when I was in great streights God gave me great deliverances when I was at deaths door in such a sickness c. and do you thinke he will now cast me into hell Verily for ought I know he may and if thou have no more to lean unto I know he will You have an eminent passage a providence to a miracle yea to heaps of miracles Psal 78.23 He opened the door of heaven gave them Corn of heaven vers 24. Angels food meat to the full vers 25. He rained flesh as dust and feathered foul as the sand upon the Sea shore vers 27. He gave them their own desire vers 29. Yet while the meat was in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them verses 30.31 Mark First Whilst it was in their mouthes Secondly The fattest of them Ah! friends many times fair pasture is a foul sign You your selves litter and fodder those Cattel best that you intend for the slaughter soonest Go to therefore rich men lament and howl and let your joy be turned into weeping if you have nothing but this worlds good to lean unto as a token of Gods love for the present or your owne salvation for the future Thirdly If Civility be thy leaning stock 3ly Leaning upon Civility Of this I spake before as a way and therefore shall onely set a brand of it here that you may know it againe to be a rotten Pillar an house with a sandy foundation if you lean unto it will not stand All these have I done from my youth Mat. 19.20 saith the civil young man yet went a way with a sad heart for all he had his Crurch of civility and riches to boote to lean upon Fourthly 4ly Leaning upon religious duty If thy leaning be upon thy religious exercises of this also as some mens way before This sirs stood by the Pharisee and he thought he might stand by it Lu. 18.11 He stood and prayed Let such a soule read Isai 1. For all their duties and the multitudes thereof the Lord bitterly rejects them as the men of Sodom and people of Gomorrah vers 10. And tells them he is weary of their services verses 11.14 Calls them vain Oblattions vers 13. And sure if it be vanity to bring them then how much more vanity to lean upon them 5ly Leaning upon adventures for God or successes therein Fifthly If thou leane upon thine Adventures for God yea though thou hast had prosperous successes therein Many many lean here and with a great deal of confidence too Come see my zeal for the Lord saith Jehu Many that fight the Cananites c. the Lords enemies many that fight the Lords battels shall never come to possesse the Lords Canaan and truly we would thinke it great pitty that any should make such fair adventures and doe God such eminent service and that the Devil should pay them their eternal wages yet so too often it is in those that think themselves and indeed are eminent instruments in the Lords hand as Cyrus as Jehu as the Earth helping the woman against the Dragon Rev. 12. Nay perhaps eminent dispencers of the Gospel to others yet come themselves to be cast away My beloved I tremble to think what singular adventures they were engaged in what signal successe they had how confidently they leaned hereunto how miserably their Pillar shrunk from under them when they leaned upon it and easily gave way to their going downe into hell Mat. 7.22 Many shall say to me in that day marke 't is not a rare instance this is a common leaning stock Lord Lord there is confidence Have we not prophesied in thy name there is the adventure and in thy name have cast out Devils there is successe and in thy name done many wonderfull works there is the quantity of the adventures and quality of the successes And what followes vers 23. And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me you that work iniquity Ah! friends this may make the best hearâ— in our bosomes ake if we have no more to leane to then this to be able to say I have been in these many battels for God and Religion I have preached so many Sermons and done so much service in the Gospel when all the worke is done the Lord will not know us that is acknowledge us so as to pay us any other wages then the wages of iniquity Sixthly If thou leane unto thy Church-priviledges 6ly Leaning upon Church-priviledges If thou presume that thou art alive because thou hast a name to live and that surely God accepts thee because men thinke well of thee thou art judged worthy of Gospel-seales and to be admitted into Gospel-fellowship c. And is this that which thou leanest unto Verily this is but a rotten pillar Sardis had a name to live but was dead Rev. 3.1 And God saith expresly Jer. 7.4 Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these That is Leane not to this if you doe you will find it a lye it will deceive you vers 8. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Nay read that Tremendous passage Amos 6.1 Wo be unto them that are at ease in Sion that trust in the Mountain of Samaria that are named the chief of the Nations unto whom the house of Israel came c. Sirs It is priviledge unspeakable and blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord but if there be any of you that shall grow lazy and at ease because they are in Sion in a Church-way and therefore thinke they are wel enough leaning unto the Mountain of Samaria wo wo unto such a soul Seventhly Repentances and Reformations 7ly Leaning upon repentance some Reformations are but rotten supports if leaned unto They in Isai 58. Leaned so much to their humblings that they wondred God did not accept them vers 3. Wherefore have we afflicted our soules and thou takest no knowledge And in very deed they leaned so much that God wonders that they should once thinke that he would accept them ver 5. Wilt thou call this a
above sixteen hundred yeares agoe shall save so many as expect salvation by it now And thus doe poor hearts often reason themselves from trusting in Christ Ah! how witty was the woman of Samaria in cavilling against Christ Ioh. 4.11.12.15 Her wit had almost fool'd her for ever and as we speak of some that they will save their jest though they lose their friend this over-wise woman had in making her jests almost unhappily lost her Saviour but Christ would not so lose her Secondly 2. Emnity against God Our Unregenerate or carnall mind it s not onely foolishnesse and so not able to receive the things of God but also Emnity against God Rom. 8.7 therefore saith Paul is it not subject to the Law of God neither can it be Now what is the great Gospel-Law why This is his Commandement that we should believe on the Lord Jesus 1 Joh. 3 23. To this Commandement the Carnall mind neither is nor can be subject Lean upon the Lord Jesus Tell mee what say your Carnall minds unto this Commandement It is obvious to every observant eye that there is not any Commandement of the Law that is more repugnant to Carnall reason then this Law of the Gospel and Carnall reason unto it Aristotle and the other heathen Philosophers could hit upon an Ens entium a being of beings and that was somewhat like the first Commandement and upon a Deus est colendus and that is somewhat like the second Command They also could account vowes and oaths sacred c. and that was something like the third Commandement they had some superstitious feasts in semblance of the fourth and as for the second Table of Commandements Honor Parents kill not whore not steal not lie not they could all with open mouth declaim in that Language and as for Covetousnesse much could they inveigh against it although the more spirituall part of there was too sublime for them But as for this Commandement they were so far from finding it out themselves and the best of them despisingly called the Christians Credentes as if their faith were their absurdity wheras God calls all such unreasonable or absurd that have not Faith 2 Thes 3.2 And thus they made a mock at Jesus and that was the very Object of their despightfull and Opprobrious Opposition which wee know to bee the onely way of our salvation viz. Leaning upon the Beloved Thus their Wisdome made them mockers and their mocking made their Bonds of unbeliefe so strong as God threatneth Isa 28.22 that nothing was found a more very Enemy to primitive Christianity than that self-taught Reason and Heathenish Philosophy So then it is not onely the foolishnesse of our heats but the wisdom of our hearts also that flyes in the very face of Gospell-truth and cryes out as Joh. 3.4 How can these things be Therefore the spirit saith not that the World through foolishnesse knew not God But after that the World through wisdom knew not God it pleased God that by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 Whence it is evident that as there is nothing that sets it selfe more directly against the Knowledge of Christ then the Carnall Worldly Naturall mans wisdom so neither doth that wisdom oppose any thing more then believing in Christ and therefore it accounts the preaching of faith foolishnesse What saith Carnall Reason will you take hold on the Lord with unwashed hands stay stay till your hands be cleansed and then 't is more likely that Christ will suffer you to lean upon him Yea but what can purifie the heart but faith And I will lean upon Christ not because I am holy and like him but that I may be holy and pure as he is pure and believe and rest upon him that I may be sanctified by him such should the language of faith be CHAP. XXII Containeth next the danger of leaning to our own Wills Righteousnesse Long-lives Self-Will SEcond leaning to our Carnall Wills must needs hinder us from leaning upon the Lord Jesus See Isa 30.15 The Lord the holy One of Israel said In returning and Rest you shall be saved this is the voice of Gods spirit to them but what 's the frame of their spirits towards him But yee would not But yee said no but we will do so and so ver 16. They cast aside the stay that the Lord tenders them and this is the Reason they lean to their own Wills Thus did those Brethren in iniquity Simeon and Levi they had no advice from their Father or Word from the Lord to lean unto in that Cruelty but saith the text Gen. 49.6 In their self-Will they digged down a Wall Now it must needs be that leaning to our own wills must hinder from leaning upon Christ upon a twofold account 2. Evid 1. Because the selfe-Will leans unto the dictates of self-reason First Suppose the truth of the former viz. that leaning upon our self-Wisdom is an hindrance and you must conclude this also Because the Will doth necessarily lean to what the Counsell of the understanding leads it to So that whatever carnall reason represents to the Will as fit to be Confided in be it Sin or Self or Satan or the World that the Will cleaves unto So that if the light that be in thee be darknesse if the very understanding be a blind guide what shall keep up the blind Will from falling into the ditch Lean not to thine own Understanding Now how do wee lean to the Understanding but by the Will When Eve perceived this and that of the forbidden tree then she desires it to make her wise Gen. 3.6 her Reason leave upon the Serpents Counsell and her desire hangs upon the dictates of her reason if the Intellect did not say to the Will that stollen waters are the sweetest the Robber would never have so much Will to steal and so little to live by labour If the Worldling did not think it better to gather treasure to himself hee would be richer towards God In all cases where the Will closeth the Understanding I judge approveth either that it is good though it be evill or at least as we say pro hic nunc good for thee at this time thus Abraham thought a lye was a good shift although he knew in it selfe it was evill to save his life ad the Lord saith Isa 5.20 That they cal evil good and good evil and put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter wherein I suppose he relates to the acts of the Will closing with this and refusing that accepting this as good and sweet and rejecting that as Evil and bitter and the reason is that in the middle of the Verse viz. they put light for darknesse and darknesse for light which must be judg'd the act of the Understanding When the dark and corrupt Reason mistakes an Evil and calls it good as nothing is more frequent with the unconverted then the Will followes it though it
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