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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	remember_v	youth_n	youthful_a	77	3	11.5274	5	false

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

of blood yet at length sin shall sting like an adder and bite like a serpent of the wilderness Prov. 23.32 Vse To yong ones Now to come up from the the wildernes Hearken then you yong ones unto me and I will shew you an excellent way Youth I know is of all ages and states most desirous and indeed most free for travel but it pities me to think that so much gallant youth and the strength thereof should be spent in wandring up and down in the worthless wilderness of sin Encouragement 1. The fitness of youthful time for that travel rather if you will be traveling remember Canaan Oh! what a time is the strength of your youth to make out your way from the wilderness of sin Thou hast some strength to rush through the thickets more then an old man hath and if thou lose a little of thy flesh in breaking through the thorns thou art yong and thy flesh will come again if thou lose by repentance as to carnal respects there 's time enough before thee to have amends made thee I observe as the yong ones were those of the Israelites that got through the wilderness unto Canaan Numb 26.64 so at this day those that are converted are converted yong ten to one of those that live to be old and yet come to be new born If old men will have their old ways still and scorn to learn a new lesson being old yea if their joints be stiff and their knees feeble that they cannot travel yet let us yong men get up and be going and the Lord be with us This day the Lord calls you yong ones from the Lions de● and Leopards mountains if you refuse this call to day you will mourn at the last when your strength is consumed and say How have I hated instruction and mine heart despised reproof Prov. 7.11 12. Take a tree from the wilderness when its young set it in your Garden keep it and water it c. and little fear of its death but take an old tree from the wilderness and transplant it in your Orchard and do what you will there is little hope of the life of it if there be 't will cost much ado much weeping to water it c. hear David crying Psalm 25 6 7. Remember thy tender mercies remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions If thou have only thy youth transgressions or bewildrings to reckon for it will be work enough for thee though thou have thy youth strength to do the work in Secondly As this is the fittest time for thee 2. The acceptableness of youth herein unto God so is it the most welcome time to God young ones if you did but know how kindly the Lord would take it to see you come up from the wilderness such youthfull Spouses leaning upon the Beloved it would ravish your hearts within you I le give you a tast for God hath bidden me go and cry in your ears saying Thus saith the Lord I remember the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a Land that was not sown Jer. 2.2 Oh Christ the Shepheard is come into the Wilderness to seek and to save that which is lost Oh if thou wilt in thy youth be so kind as to follow him till thou shall come to Canaan God will never forget this love of thine espousals say not that thou art too young to marry Christ the younger thou art the better Christ will like thee CHAP. III. A fifth particular to wit that mans estate is a bewildred estate the world is a wilderness proved generally proved particularly the first particular poverty a wilderness opened and applyed Fifthly Mans estate a bewild red estate FIfthly Men and women as soon as they enter upon the world as we say that is upon the heart of the world they enter upon the heart of the Wilderness The world is a Wilderness to the unregenerate for here grow those Thorns that choak the word of God The world is a wilderness here are the thorns Mat. 13.22 He that hath the word choaked by the Cares of this world is said to receive it among thorns When the Word meets with a worldly heart it is like good seed sown in a thorny wilderness Worldlings you that hear me this day I appeal to your consciences if it be not so In comes a note or an observation an advice or a conviction and up start the thorny worldly thoughts that are within thee even whilst thou art within the reach of the word and choak that good seed Here are the the entangling waies that it brings not forth Again The world is a wilderness to the unregenerate for here are those crooked and foul waies that are the entanglements of the poor soul the Apostle 2 Pet. 2.20 mentioning the pollutions of the world saith They are entangled therein and overcome The world is a thorny thicket and entangling wilderness to the unconverted My friends were it only your Babes and children They that enter upon the world enter the very midst of the wilderness and youth that were bewildred it were less to be feared you might hope that when they came to have experience of and to understand the waies of the world they might come to understand their own waies or at least if you were not your selves lost you might set them into the way But let me tell you what ever you think or speak of Men of the world know not what way they wal in or unto any man Oh say you I know well enough what I do and about what I go and what way I am in there is not an unregenerate heart amongst you but is so far bewildred as not to know the way that thy soul is in Prov. 20.4 Mans goings are of the Lord how then can a man understand his own way He that is a stranger from Gods waies is altogether ignorant of his own waies nay how can he understand them Mans goings are known of the Lord The interpretation of this Scripture may be according to Prov. 5.21 Mans waies are before the Lords eyes and he pondereth all his wayes T is Gods prerogative to understand not only his own waies but thy waies as it is the Saints prerogative that know God not only to understand their waies but Gods waies but it is thy misery neither to know Gods waies nor thine own Prov. 12.26 The way of the wicked seduceth him Seduceth that is his very way leads him out of his Way It seems a right way unto him but the end thereof are waies of death Prov. 14.12 The end of his way he thinks is thriving and riches and a comfortable life this thinks he will be the end of his grinding the faces of the poor and cheating the rich and this he thinks is a right way he may lawfully buy as cheap and sell as dear as he can But the end

a leopard shall watch over their cities every one that goeth thence shall be tom in pieces because their transgressions are many and their back-slidings are increased Jer. 5.6 As long as we are and continue in the wilderness of sin we can meet none but such as like wilde beasts will devour us whether men or devils they all will be found as destroyers unto our souls 1. Men devouring beasts Amongst men I shal primely instance in two ranks that of all others are most so though all sinful men wilderness companions in their kinde and degree are so such were the beasts of Ephesus First Sinful magistrates sinful great ones 1. Evil Magistrates they are wilnerss beasts and greatly destructive to poor souls they lead men by precept by practice into the lions den and leopards mountains they lead men to hell by authority Prov. 28.15 As a ranging lion and a roaring bear so is a wicked ruler over the poor people Secondly Sinful and godless ministers 2. Evil Ministers such are ravening wolves though clothed with the fleece in sheeps clothing I remember the Popish painters humor who limning a Frier in a coul with a wolves head preaching unto a flock of sheep choosing that Text of the Apostles with a little variation God is my witness how I long for you all in my bowels Verily it is not far from the Lords own language Ezek. 22.25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring lion ravening the prey they have devoured souls Friends let us Ministers look to it there can be but two kindes of us either shepherds or devouring beasts ruining the souls committed to us Secondly 2. Devils devouring beasts Devils whatever delusions they carry the poor soul away with will be found in the end to be as Peter calls them 1 Pet. 5.8 Roaring lions going about seeking whom they may devour therefore take heed of Satan come he as an angel of light yet is his business to carry you into the pit of darkness the Lions den whence there is no more return Lastly Christ will be found unto such 3. God himself the Lion of the tribe of Judah and surely miserably will that soul be rent which God tears terrible are those expressions I 'le be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a yong lion unto the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away Hos 5.14 so Hos 13. I did know thee in the wilderness vers 5. they have forgotten me ver 6. therefore will I be unto them as a lion as a leopard by the way will I observe them I will meet them as a Bear bereaved of her whelps and I will rent the caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a lion the wilde beasts shall tear them verse 7 8. you see Men rend Devils tear God destroys what can be more sadly thought upon yea the famine consumes the thorns pierce the serpents poison the beasts devour Is not this a destructive wilderness CHAP. VIII Containeth the Application of the former Chapter LEt me improve this unto your Conviction and Exhortation Vse 1 Conviction how fearful is it to die in sin First For conviction Understand from hence what it is to perish in the spiritual wilderness of sin of all places on earth the wilderness in scripture is called most terrible and surely of all deaths dying in the wilderness is most terrible The children of Israel had such a natural horror of that natural wilderness that it seems they had rather have died any where then there Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness Exod. 14.11 And it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians then to die in this wilderness ver 12. rather do any thing rather suffer any thing rather die any where would we had died when our brethren died before the Lord and why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness that we should die there Num. 20.3 4. O friends did you but consider what it it is to die in this wilderness of sin you would rather choose bondage prison death any thing then sin for fear least you should die in sin There 's that in dying in the wilderness which to my thoughts doth better represent dying in sin then any other kinde of death doth To say nothing more of the sad variety of wilderness-deaths he that scapes the famine is pierced through with thorns he that scapes the thorns is stung and bitten with serpents he that scapes the serpents is devoured of wilde beasts he that scapes the Bear the Lion findes him he that scapes the Lion is torn of Leopards he that scapes the Leopard some other Beast of the forest devours him one plague or another one curse or another will be sure to ruine the sining soul There are these three things observable It is the most remediless death it doth represent a double death it doth figure an eternal death First Dying in the wilderness Wilderness death is remediless is of all deaths the most remediless you may easily phansie it in these three particulars First 1. None to deliver if a man be in danger of death by robbers upon the road he may hope for the coming on of passengers for his rescue but if a man be in danger of death in the wilderness there is no man yea none to be hoped for to redeem him thus it is with the soul that dies in sin Now consider this you that forget God least I come and tear you in pieces while there is none to deliver Psal 50.22 Secondly If there were any to intercede for 2. None can rescue or rescue a poor wretch ready to die in the wilderness yet could they not be able when a yong Lion roareth upon his prey though a multitude of shepherds be called out against him he will not be afraid of their voice neither will he abase himself because of them Isa 30.4 when wife children friends do all of them lift up their voice for the dying sinner if once the Lion take him in his paw none can none shall deliver him Mic. 5.8 If a yong Lion amongst the flocks go through he both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver so will it be with God Hos 5.14 As a lion will I be to Ephraim as a yong lion unto Judah I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue Lastly If a man be taken by his enemies 3 Thy own c●ies will be in-effectual he may plead for mercy and plead so haply as to prevent death but if a man become a Lions prey a prey in the wilderness he may cry aloud but the Lion roars louder the Lion understands not the Lion knows not what you say The foolish virgins cry aloud Lord Lord open Matt. 25 11. but God roars louder I know you not

in the wilderness 1. If you call him a tree in the wilderness oh how unfit is he now to be transplanted 2. If you call him a travailer in the wilderness oh how unfit is he to go thorough those uneven and stumbling wayes that scarce can creep in a plain way Mine heart akes to think of your hoary heads and unregenerate hearts Your heads as white as a Dove your hearts as black as a Raven You 'l say of a grave and snowy-bea●ded ancient one there goes a fine old man 't is so indeed and onely so when his heart is as holy as his head is white Prov. 16.31 The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness T is that that makes it so A crown is a very glorious thing indeed but there are but few of them An old man walking in the wayes of righteousness is a glorious fight oh that I could see more of them But mark If it be found in the way It seems old men are not ordinarily in the way and they that are out of the way are in the wilderness Now 2. if he be found in the way with a hoary head what then why then he is a Crown But how and if he be found in the wilderness and his gray hairs be found in sin why then he is a curse Psal 65.20 A sinner of an hundred yeers old shall be accursed A wilderness tree of an hundred yeers old is a cursed tree 3. If it be found in the way who should finde whether he be or no hath he been lurking so long in the wilderness and must he now be found out yes God will finde what wayes you walk in and be you as crafty as an old Fox yet God will finde your haunts in the wilderness Sutable is that Job 14.16 Thou numbrest my steps thou watchest over my sin Thou hast forgot but God can reckon how many steps thou hast taken in the wilderness Oh! that we could alwaies so walk as alwaies remembring that we shall be found in what wayes we are walking Happy are you young ones that are found so doing and you hoary heads if you be found in the way of righteousness And doubly bewildred must the aged sinner needs be partly in the remembrance of younger yeers In two respects partly in the infirmities of his old age 1 His yonger yeers bewilder him 1. Youth-vanities 1. His younger yeers must needs be now a wilderness unto him as to their vanity their guilt their abiding iniquity 1. How can he chuse but be lost in his own spirit when he looks back and thinks of the emptiness vanity and dissatisfaction of all his youthful courses sure when he sees all the works which he hath done under the Sun he must say as Solomon Eccles 2.14 All is vanity and vexation of spirit Yea will he or nill he this shall be for the evil dayes shall come wherein he shall say I have no pleasure in them Eccl. 12.1 2. How can he chuse but be lost in his own conscience when he looks back upon his youth-sins and strength-sins 2. Youth-guilt The pleasures of sin bewildred him then the horrors of sin amaze and bewilder him now Job 13.26 27. Thou writest bitter things against me saith holie Job thou makest me to possess the sins of my youth thou lookest narrowly to all my paths God that looks so to thy pathes all thy life will by his writings upon thy conscience put thee in full possession of the sins of thy youth as you make writings when you would put one in possession thou shalt have them and hold them for God writes bitter things against thee and thou shalt possess thy youth sins Oh! what a burthen what a wilness is the guilt of twenty or thirty yeers sins to one then converted And if so at what a lose may the sinner of an hundred yeers old be 3. 3. Remainders of youth-sins The speculative re-actings of his youth and strength-sins in his aged and crazy yeers do much bewilder him seldom is it though his body be spent and consumed in sin but his mind is as full for it and as much taken up with it as ever Desire fails as to his body but his heart is as lustful as ever To see and to hear of the actings of his old sins by yonger ones pleaseth him Methinks t is a sad expression Job 20.11 His bones are full of the sins of his youth It seems sin will hold as long as any thing holds when his fl sh is consumed his bones hold still when sin leaves his flesh it enters into his bones that is his abiding part if his body be disabled for sin yet his minde is full of it yea and it shall lie down with him in the grave Thus do youth-sins bewilder him when he is old 2. 2 Infirmity of old age The infirmities of his age cannot but be as a wilderness to his soul and render his condition much more lost and remediless To instance but in two amongst many The dimness of his sight and the lameness and feeblness of his leggs and feet 1. His dim and dead-sightedness is such as he cannot see the way for those that look out at the windows are now darkned Eccl. 12.3 His judgement and apprehension is gone as to naturals and how unfit then for the view of spiritual things he is dull of hearing and slow of remembring and all his mentals are impaired and which is worst of all the Lord in rightousnes smiteth such aged ones that have had long and sleighted long the opportunities of knowing the way of peace with judicial blindness and blockish sottishness that as they will not so they cannot yea that they might not see with their eyes lest they should be converted and he should heal them Isa 6.18 2. Such lameness is in his legs and feeblness in his feet that if he could see yet could he not walk in the wayes of God and what can you now think but that he must perish in the wilderness Eccl. 12.3 The strong men bow themselves His affections were strong his soul was vigorously carryed out by them for they are the feet of the soul but they now bow under him And how can his desire think you be vigorous for God for the very native edge is taken off of it for vers 5. His desire shall fail His affections are now gone that were strong if he go to God he must go without leggs but alas little of that old men both in naturals and as to spirituals love to lay their old bones at rest Alas how should he put up strong supplications that is himself so weak or be frequent in prayers when he hales for breath such as will and must be in the pangs of conversion In a word how should he get out of the wilderness that is not able to stir from the place where he lies But yet my heart breaks to

Christ I perswade my selfe in every respect will make a good Husband even a good Husband for me and that he perfectly is worthy and meet to be beloved even my Beloved Methinks I am fully convinced that I absolutely need such an Husband as Christ is to pay my debts which are great and as much need I have of such an head to live with me as a man of knowledge to reprove to convince to instruct me and even as great need also of such an head as I see Christ will be to govern mine unruly Family my heart my thoughts mine affections c. Methinks I see not in Christ any thing at all that I can spare neither can I find any thing missing in Christ that my soule can stand in need of this is the voyce of that Assent which I am speaking of And this you have at large explained Isai 45.21 22 23 24. Where by way of promise and prophesie he speakes of this very Assent I have sworne saith the Lord That unto me every tongue shall sweare 23. verse And what shall they sweare That there is no God else beside God a just God and a Saviour and that unto him they look even for salvation by him onely verses 21. and 22. Yea and surely shall one say in the Lord have I strength and righteousnesse v. 24. That is they shall be assuredly perswaded that in and onely by Jesus Christ there is strength and righteousnesss for those that look unto him that is for Believers yea for themselves in particular Therefore let me aske your soules this question Were they ever fully and satisfactorily perswaded that Jesus Christ were onely and fully such an one as you could unfeignedly make your Beloved If you answer no Why then take heed of leaning on him whilest you are of this minde If you answer yea you are so convinced that Christ is wholly and onely worthy of your affections Oh! why is it that you sit so much so wantonly I may say so whorishly in the laps of other Lovers CHAP. XII The consent described Direction how to improve this interest As also the third Consideration opening this leaning as to the Notion of the word SEcondly As an assent of the Understanding 2. A Consent so a consent of the Will is necessarily supposed unto such an interest This Consent I shall thus describe 1. Described It is a free and full act of the Will rejecting all other lovers and receiving whole Christ in his own way or upon his own terms So that as the forme of the Assent is in conceiving aright of Christ in the understanding so the forme of this Consent is the right receiving of Christ by the Will I say it is a free act of the Will for Christ wooes A free act of the will and wins the affections he ravisheth them not Indeed at first they are not onely coy but crooked He comes to his owne in this sence even his own intended and elect Lady and Spouse but she receives him not What gracious heart is there but with bitternesse remembers how many unmannerly and unworthy wayes it gave unto Jesus Christ before he brought it unto a Yea and a Amen But Christ of unwilling makes them willing and this is expressed Psa 110.2 3. The Lord by sending forth the rod of his strength maketh them a willing people in the day of his power This power of Christ by an holy force upon them in the first working of grace frees them Christs love constraines them He drawes them and it is with the Cords of a man and then their affections freely go yea They run after him so Cant 1.4 I say also a full act of the Will A full Act. because I thus judge that a divided heart never yet marryed Jesus Christ thou must not be almost but altother perswaded to be a Christian surely that Christ that will not allow one man to serve two Masters will never allow one woman to have two Husbands especially if himself must be one of them Surely herein though our affections are not perfect as to the degree yet must they be sincere as to their kind and united among themselves for therefore I call it the full act of the Will that is of the united affections A woman doth not onely marry her love but her fear her desire her delight even all her affections in their degree to her Husband In a word she engageth her will to her Husband If David had need to cry out unite my heart to fear thy name as Psal 86.11 What need have we to pray Unite our hearts to bear the name by marrying thine onely begotten Son by matching our selves unto Jesus Christ We must have but one heart for one Husband for one is our Husband even Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 Rejecting all others I say moreover rejecting all other lovers that is we must break our league with Hell and our Covenant with death Indeed had our hearts been chast and faithful before we should not need to break but onely to tye a knot Note but because of our former wanton dalliance with and engagements unto other lovers as you may with shame and sorrow see Hoseah 2.7 Therefore will the Lord Christ have us solemnly renounce and disclaime them though they will not give us a Bill of divorcement Heaken O Daughter and consider forget also thine own people and so shal the King greatly delight in thy beauty Psal 45.10 11. Farewel flesh get thee behind me Satan depart from me you workers of iniquity wantons worldlings my former lovers my former lusts for now am I married unto the Lord Jesus Christ And receiving Christ I say withall a receiving of Christ because dissent from other suiters must be seconded with Consent unto him as it is expressed Hos 2.7 Having left other lovers shee must returne to her first Husband It is not enough to think or say I am none of Satans I am not for the world I will not be for sin but I am Christs I am and through grace will continue Christs and none but Christs Is not this that which the Spouse so frequently professeth I am my beloveds and he is mine Cant. 6.3 I am my beloveds and his desire is towards me Cant. 7.10 My beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 Observe the variety and inversion I am his He is mine He is mine and I am his What is this but the marriage-match and in the truest sence the True-lovers-knot I say likewise a receiving of whole Christ Verily sirs Even whole Christ Christ is not divided The soule that will marry her Saviour must marry her Sanctifier and in marrying her Priest she must marry her Prophet if she match to one that will pay her debts she must match to one that will mannage her affairs yea and her desire shall be towards him and he shall rule over her so Psa 45.11 He is thy Lord and worship thou him You must

make insurrections against the Apostles and this lies at the bottom of all Act. 19.25 that by this craft we have our living They thought it could not be that they should live if they should part with their Idolatry So say Sinners how shall we live if we leave sinning We live by selling Malt and then helping the Alehouses that have it from us to such Company as may again have it from them How shall we live if we leave our lying dissembling cheating flattering sinfull compliance with sinfull men How shall wee live in office except we be partiall sparing the great and pinching the smal sparing our Relations and pressing others How shall we bear up our Interest except we give some Countenance to every sort of men Do you wonder the silver-Smiths were angry with Paul why his Doctrine went about to take away their livelyhood Do you wonder a lame man should send a curse after you if you come and snatch away his Crutch from under him Why he cannot stand if you take away his prop from him do you take Michahs Gods from him as Judg. 18.24 and then do you ask him what he ailes Do you go to take a sinners sin from him which is his prop his pillar support and then do you wonder that he rails on you and reviles you Why he thinks you go the way to undoe him he can neither stand nor go without his sin let that sink and he sinks with it And this is the reason that powerfull preaching hath many Enemies few fast friends and how plain a conviction is this also that sin is indeed the sinners leaning-stock The second Positive Hindrance that keeps lost soules from leaning to Christ is their leaning to Satan This is 2. Pos hind Sinners lean to Satan Proof of it I think the fullest importance of that passage Isa 28.15 With Hell are we at agreement that is by a Metonymy with the Devills of hell when the overflowing scourge passeth thorough it shall not come unto us why what shall secure them for we have made lies that is Satan the Father of lies our refuge and under falshood that is under his temptations though deceitfull ones have we hid our selves Had not Eve as this Scripture speaks leaned more to the Serpent the Father of falshood and of lies then to the God of truth it had not been with us as it is this day In two particular I shall declare how sinners leane upon Satan for their work and for their wages 1. For their work First Sinners lean on Satan for their employment This our Saviour speaks out Ioh. 8 44. You are of the Devill and his lusts you will do Satan wills and they work Satan commands and they obey As much as the Son leans to the Father for Counsel and command in his Employments so much do you saith Christ to Satan for he is your Father and his lusts yee will do therefore he is called their Prince on whom else doth the subject depend in all his services for his Commissions He is the Prince that rules in the Children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 It would seem a strange Expression Rules in the Unruly Children But it is a true expression for their being ruled by Satan makes them unruly as to the things of God Children of disobedience unto God What doth this mean Even that as those that work constantly with some of you Tradesmen and depend as you call it or lean on you for their every daies work will not be taken off by any other unlesse upon discovery of eminent advantage so unlesse God draw them in by a thorough discovery of the reall gain of godlinesse they wil not obey Gods call or set their hand unto his plough though we call them and pray them and presse hard upon them yet sirs to which of these Masters God or the Devill they do lean for their work and the management of their affairs judge you 2. For their wages Secondly Sinners lean on Satan for their pay when according to his lusts they take paines and for their wages when they have done his work Therefore Isa 28.15 We are at a Covenant with Hell Now when a man hath made Covenants to do so much work for so much wages unto whom doth he lean for payment but to him whom he covenanted to serve You find Satan called the House-keeper amongst sinners when a strong man arm'd keeps his House or Pallace Mark 3.27 and Luk. 11.21 Now to whom doe all the Souldiers in a Pallace of Defence or servants in an House leane for their wages and pay but to him that keeps the House or the Pallace And assuredly if any thing may be drawn from these scriptures this may be one thing That foolish sinners vainly thinke that in doing the worke as Satan would have them Satan will give them such hire as they would have him and because they are punctuall in performing whatever his Precepts have been to them that he will also be as punctuall in whatever his promises have beene to them Oh! foolish people and unwise lies are your leaning-stock and the father of them your support CHAP. XXI Two other positive Hinderances leaning to World Selfe THird Positive hinderance that keepes lost soules from leaning on Christ is leaning upon the world 3d. Pos hind Sinners leane upon the world worldly Friends Conveniences Comforts and Estates c. That worldlings doe so I know not whether scriptures or our owne wretched experiences of our owne wretched hearts doe most fully or frequently confirme some trust in Chariots some in Horses Psal 20.7 Proofe That is in worldly and carnall accommodations What doe they doe use them that they should doe or may doe but they trust in them that they neither should doe nor may they do what if they should the sad inconvenience is hinted But we will remember the name of the Lord as who should say they cannot you can never trust in the Lord of Hosts while you trust to Horses and unto Chariots for war-provisions and as for peace-provisions see Psal 52.7 Loe this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches That was the reason he leaned not upon God because he leaned upon the incomes of the world So then as to warre or peace strength in the former or wealth in the latter let the abundance be never so great there is no trusting or leaning to either if you would lean upon this beloved Heare Christ himselfe Luk. 16.13 No servant can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one what 's that but leaning and despise the other what meanes Christ by all this You cannot serve God and Mammon so Isai 31.1 Woe to them that stay on Horses and trust in Chariots because they are many and horsemen because they are strong but looke not unto the holy one of Israel nor

seeke the Lord. What can be plainer let your Riches in peace or Forces in warre be never so augmented the more you leane unto any of them the lesse will you lean to Jesus Christ I shall give you a two-fold word of Conviction for this viz. That worldlings leane upon the World and therefore not on Christ Evidence 1. Because they rise and fall as the world riseth and falls with them First Because it appeares that worldlings rise and fall as the world riseth and falls therefore it is evident that the world is that they leane upon Psal 20.7 They lean on Chariots they are down and fallen but we remember thy name and rise up They that have nothing but Chariots c. but men and monies to trust unto as their men fall and monies faile c. so they fall and their Spirits faile also but they that leane upon the Lord are not so the remembrance of his name bearer them up when their enemies seeme to beare them down If the world rise with sinners then their hearts rise too Eze. 28.5 6. Thou hast by thy wisdome and traffique encreased thy riches and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches and thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God Oh! they take themselves now to be pettie-Gods as happy as happy may be and as high as high may be and all because that riseth which is under them Who sees not in this case but that they leane upon it Again though they said they were Gods they shall die like men and though their heart was set as the heart of God when the world went with them yet when the world goes against them as you call it truly then their heart groweth like Nabals dead within them 1 Sam. 25.37 c. If Worldlings did not leane upon the world they would never thus rise and sinke with the world as you daily see they doe 2ly 'T is hence evident 2d Evidence They can make better shift with the world without Christ as they account then with Christ without the world that most leane upon the world and not Christ because the most can make as they count a better shift with the world and without Christ then with Christ and without the world Many Worldlings are convinced that they have much need of Christ but they thinks also that they have more need of Mammon Now this is evident that which we can lest spare is our greatest leaning-stock the last things a Creeple forgoes shall be his Crutches the can ill spare many other things but he can worst of all spare them 'T is cleare in the Rich man Mat. 19.22 He went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions He was perswaded that Christ was to be leaned upon and that he had need of support and succour from Jesus Christ else why went he sorrowful away Oh! but for all that he could make better shift without Christ of the two then without the world for he had great possessions And now let the issue speake which of these two Christ or Mammon was that which he finally leaned unto The fourth and last positive Hinderance from leaning upon Christ is leaning upon selfe 4th Pos Hind Leaning upon selfe I am now to speake unto such as I find my master Jesus Christ speaking to before He spak saith the text unto certain that trusted in themselves Luk. 18.9 I shall reduce to four heads what I shall say hereon Leaning either to our own Wisdoms or Wills or Righteousnesses or Lives will hinder us from leaning upon the Lord Jesus 1. Self-wisdom 1. It must needs be that leaning to our own Understandings and to the carnal Counsells of our own unregenerate hearts must hinder us from leaning upon the Lord Christ This I shall evince both from clear Scripture-Testimony Scripture-testimony as also from clear Scripture-Reason Expresse is that passage Prov. 3.5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own Understanding If you trust in the Lord Christ with all your hearts you must not lean to your own Understandings if you lean to your own Understandings you cannot trust in the Lord with all your hearts So far as you lean to your own Counsell you will not lean unto the Lords and if you will incline to the dictates of Gods spirit you must disown the dictates of your own spirits Therefore saith Wisdom Pro. 22.17.19 Bow down thine Ear and hear the words of the wise not the voice of thine own heart and apply thine heart unto my knowledge not thine own knowledge that thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known this day to thee even to thee Our own understandings when most corrupted can make known unto us to lean to carnall Confidences and sensible supports but it is onely the wisdom of the Lord that can make known unto us to trust in the Lord. Scripture-reasons Secondly As for Scripture-reasons I shall assigne these two Our Understandings unsanctified are foolishnesse with God and Enmity against God Therefore leaning unto them must needs hinder us from leaning unto Christ 1. It is foolishnes with God 1. The Unregenerate mind is foolishnesse as to the apprehending of this Mystery of leaning upon the Lord Jesus Amongst the Highest improvers of the Vnrenewed Intellectuals we read of many enquiring after their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or felicity and upon inquiry one saith in one thing another in another the best of them say that virtue is the way to that felicity which yet they define not according to the Scripture-notion of it or as identical with divine graces but an Habit inherent in our selves the feeds whereof are from our selves also and the springing and fructifying and Maturity of the fruits from our own studious improvement of what is in us And who amongst the wisest of them ever pointed at a Jesus as did that Heaven-taught John Baptist Io. 1.9 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Nay how was it possible they should so do When Scripture saith expressly that the Lord hath hid the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven from the wise and prudent of the World as Mat. 11.25 and as expressly that this is one of the great Mysteries of Godlinesse that Christ should be believed on in the world 1 Tim. 3.16 that is that any soule should lean for salvation to the righteousnesse of another 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him 1 Cor. 3.19 Even as the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God As the Lord knowes thy leaning to the Counsells of thine own heart to be very foolishnesse So dost thou naturally think leaning to the Lords Counsell concerning Christ to be very foolishness What 's that to mee saith thy reason how good another is what can I be the better Or how is it possible that the dying of one man