Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	heart_n	keep_v	minister_n	2,849	5	9.2045	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

perswade thee but to thine own good and the influence that thine heart hath upon thee to guide thy bent after its own bent and thy waies after its own waies is the propriety that thou hast in it and it in thee thus Jam 1.14 Every man saith the Apostle is tempted when he is lead away of his own lust That which tempts him leads him and that which leades him leads him away and that which thus tempts him and leads him away is lust and the reason why lust hath such prevalency upon him is because it is his own lust So then 't is his own heart that leads him to the Wildernesse of his own ruine 2d Betwixt Gods waies Satans the heart hath the Casting-voice Secondly Our hearts have the casting voice betwixt the Counter-voices of God and Satan If three men be travailing and come to a parting way and debate ariseth which of the two waies shall be taken Saith the one this way Saith the other that way now observe what way the third saith carries both for hee hath the casting voice so here Come with me from the Lions Den from the Mountains of the Leopards saith God Stay still in my Den and I will use you well saith Satan Now what saith thine heart what way it votes that way thou goest Come now is Gods voice Not yet saith Satan Not yet saith the heart why truly then thou stayest in the Wildernesse still You have often mention of Gods voice to Israel yet little good was wrought by it Why what hindred oh their hearts voice was the third voice and that was a Counter-vote to Gods So Jer. 7.23 I said Obey my voice and walk in my waies Gods voice is walk in Gods waies But they hearkned not ver 24. But walked in the Counsell of their Evil heart and walked backward and not forward God cryes forward and into my waies Satan cryes backward and keep your own waies Their heart cryes backward and let us walk in our own waies still and thus as the heart voiceth so they walk So then observe in all the motions and calls of God which way stands thine heart affected which side votes that on Verily till God in the wonderfull work of Conversion come and make the heart say as he saith and vote as he votes the soul cannot chuse but as those in Act. 7. thrust him away and despise his voice because the hearts voice is to turn backward again to Aegypt And this makes our heart so prevailing a tempter into the Wildernesse If our heart have the casting voice it will certainly perswade us to go where it useth and loves it selfe to be To improve this unto all that heare mee this day First Vse To those that are come out of the Wildernesse To keep their hearts from going back to those that through mercy are come out of this wildernes Oh! sirs if thy heart in thy bosome thus love and hath thus been accustomed to wander and is so ready to tempt so dangerous in tempting so like to prevail let me still beg of you that above all keepings you would keep your hearts from rambling again for if they get into the Wildernesse again they will quickly get you thither Me thinks Satan should never be able to bewilder us unlesse he had this advantage of us he ploughs with our heifer hee makes use of the wise of our bosomes I mean our hearts and then are we suddainly led away Some think 't is enough if they can but guide their feet in the way I mean their outward Conversation but the wise and holy man thought not so whose counsell is this Pro. 23.19 Hear thou my Son and be wise and keep thine heart in the way When Davids heart cast those wanton darts from the house top to Bathshebah little thought hee that he was entring such filthy such bloody paths of the Wildernesse Therefore as Pro. 7.25 Let not thine heart decline to her waies if thou wouldst not go astray in her paths 2. To the bewildred to labour to get out their hearts forward Secondly To those that are yet in the Wildernesse desirous but ignorant how to get forth If thy heart be thy tempter thy bewildring Guide and seducer if thine heart were the first in the Wildernesse labour the first thing thou dost to get this heart of thine out of the Wildernesse This is the Lords expresse Counsell Jer. 31.21 Set thine heart toward the high way Even the way that thou wentest turn again O Virgin of Israel turn again to these thy Cities I have observed you can never get out some Table or Couch or the like out of a very narrow door through the which it came in till you turn it the self same end forward that came in forward Thou maist strike at this sinne and that corruption and strive to mend this and that but thou wilt never get out of sin till that end go out formost that came in formost You came into the Wildernesse with your heart forward and you must out again with your heart forward or not at all as it is with the body crouding through a narrow hole get your head thorough and then all will thorough so here get your hearts thorough and then all will thorough Motives hereunto This double advice I shall desire to set home upon your hearts upon this double consideration First There is not any thing in the Word that God accounteth worse and that grieves him more then these heart-bewildrings Jer. 13.10 This Evill people which refuse words and walk in the imaginations of their heart This is that which God calls Evill Yea in this God chargeth them as doing worse then their Idolatrous and rebellious Fathers Jer. 7.24 25 26. This is the Generation that grieveth God even they that erre in heart Heb. 3.10 Yea he complaineth he is broken with their whorish heart Ezek. 6.9 Secondly There is not any thing that God wili deal worse with thee for then for this and grieve thee when time serves more then for this There is not a place that I quoted that mentions these heart-bewildrings but with them their destruction Therefore he will bring Evill on them such as they shall not escape Jer. 11.11 therefore hee will feed them with wormwood and give them water of Gall to drink Jer. 9.15 therefore their Carkasses shall be meat for the fowls of Heaven ●●d beasts of the Earth and none shall fray them away Jer. 7.33 Therefore God will recompence their way upon their own heads Ezek. 11.21 and what shall this recompence be Why a grievous whirlwind of Gods fury which shall fall suddainly upon their heads and at length they shall know it and that perfestly Jer. 23.17 18 19 20. So Ezek. 6.10 Because they loved to wander and refrained not their feet therefore the Lord will not accept them but will now remember their iniquity and visit their sin Jer. 14.10 Yea because hee is so grieved with those

the dark valley of the shadow of death It deceived me how is that truly thus much I can say to it from the experience that I have had of poore soules in such a condition Darkning us that their sense of their sinne hath beene more then true even greater in some respect then their sinne Consult with Paul who tells you here that he was deceived but doth not tell you wherein 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ came to save sinners saith he of whom I am chiefe Why how could that bee Paul was before Conversion a sober blamelesse man as touching the Law Phil. 3.6 Zealous according to his light if you urge his persecuting of the Church why still there are as great if not much greater sinners then he for 1 Tim 1.13 He did it ignorantly Yet still when the Law stirres up the sence of sinne as encompassing poore Paul this is that that kills him that he is the chiefe of sinners Thus is it with our poore hearts Oh! when we see the brightnesse and glory of the Law of the Lord how Holy and just and good it is and how vile and sinfull and abominable our selves are Oh! never was there any sinne like ours never any guilt like ours What sinne against such meanes as I against such light as I against such mercies as I against such calls of Grace as I Oh! never any one sinned as I have done Yes friend thinke as bad of thy selfe as thou wilt others as sinfull as thou have gone before thee Now this is one bewildring darknesse● in the fence of sinne which may more humble then hurt you I would many were allured into this wilderness this day But now comes Satan as I said before Darkning that splendor of Gods mercy unto us and his businesse is to raise the darksome fogges of thy selfe-condemning and soul-bewildring thoughts yet higher so as not onely to bedarken all that is within thee but to cloud the face of mercy and to obscure the glory of Christs undertakings by the black guilt of thy sinnes Here is a worse deceiving by the sense of sin through Satans temptation and this makes the formes Wildernesse much more bewildring and the poore lost Creature ten thousand times more at a loss then it was before when the soule comes to see its sinnes greater then any other sinnes of the Children of men Satan striketh in and takes advantage to make it account its sinnes greater then any of Gods pardons and this is a deceiving indeed unto slaying and such I believe was the dark bewildring sence that Cain and Judas had of their sinnes take heed take heed of this deceipt in your sensibleness of your sinnes and yet even in this dark wilderness are many deare unto God for a season left and as it were lost till God come and speake comfortably unto them I can give you two eminent instances both of mine owne knowledge Instance The one was when I was a little one A rich man was walking and there comes a poor Creature to him with death in his face and begges of him some reliefe the man was an hard man and denyed the poor wretch importunes and through importunity prevailes thus farre saith the rich man come to my house to morrow and I will give you something Oh! sir saith the poore one I shall die before morning if I have not something to succour me this night yet could not the Rich man be then prevailed with that very night the begger dyed was sound dead the next morning the Rich man laies this to hear as I confess well he might was so terrified that for much time not the least comfort could be fastned on him but never was any guilt or sinne like his by night he was faine to have constant company and Candles burning with him and it would frequently cry out That now the Devill was ready to seize on him He was through providence brought unto a godly Minister where I was and to whom I was related I being little was left in the roome when the Minister and he were together Oh! it would have broken any heart that had the least of tendernesse to see the poore man what paines he tooke to load himselfe with misery and to obstruct the way of mercy and this was the upshot of all never was there such a Murtherer as he that obtained mercy I remember for the afflicted mans carriage made the discourse take more impression on me the Minister instanced in Davids Murther and aggravated it what a man David was of what profession under what mercies c. and what a man Uriah was a godly man a faithfull subject a publique spirited man c. and what a murther it was known wilfull devised plotted longed for and pleasing to David when accomplished and yet I remember would not that poore man bee perswaded but that his sinne was farre greater then Davids and so such as God would not pardon although at length it pleased God by that Minister to fasten some comfort on him Instance The other was mine owne experience also not long since Indeed the good woman desired me for Caution unto others concealing her to take some occasion to speake of the thing Her great sinne for which shee thought there was no mercy no pardon was a lie and on this manner she was private at duty in a roome that was said to be haunted as the phrase is in the night and there came by the Chamber doore a man of the house that hearing some stirring there asked her it being very dark whether she was there or no calling her by her name she being unwilling that hee should know that she used to be there of the suddaine answered that it was not she he urged her again and again she denyed At length the man halfe affrighted prayed her as ever she look'd for mercy from God that she would tell him if it were she and shee being much moved and yet unwilling through the strength of the present temptation to unsay what she had spoken denyed it yet again I thus farre agreed with her that it was indeed a very great sinne and deeply to be sorrowed for but her language was that it was the greatest sinne that ever was committed and that there could be no mercy for her because she had denyed the mercies of the Lord. I instanced in Peters denial of Christ once twice thrice till it came to cursing and swearing and perfect disowning of his Saviour I know not the man I aggravated it from Peters solemne profession of Christ his engagement not to deny him c. and yet notwithstanding he obtained mercy But for all I could say I could not for the present perswade the woman but that her denyall was a farre greater sinne then Peters and though she believed that there was mercy for him and salvation for him that declaredly denyed his Saviour yet could I not perswade her that there was any mercy for her who as

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

doth environ This Pharaoh knew well enough when he said as Exod. 14.3 The wilderness hath shut them in And this last adds as much as all the rest as giving strength unto the rest unto the exceeding greatness of the difficulty of coming out of the wilderness were the wilderness Ten thousand miles in length and withal but very narrow yea were it when thou comest to any part of it open to the east though it were wilderness Ten thousand miles towards west and north and south thy recovery then were not so desperate but this is the utmost and it is enough the wilderness it doth surround yea the wilderness hath shut thee in and how shouldst thou then get out again And if it be not so with sin see Heb. 12.1 Let us lay aside the sin that so easily besets us and run c. There is no running I 'le tell you friends till sins surroundings be removed It seems Sin useth to beset us and Satan when he seeth us ready to find a gap through mercy out of the wilderness makes it his immediat business to stop that gap and to environ us still with Sin as for instance such a Minister is like to do thy soul good and Satan seeth thou beginst to have a glimering of light and a little to see the open field through the thickets now will Satan if he can remove thee from his ministry or raise some discontent that his ministry may be unto thee ineffectual and a thousand such waies hath he to hedge thee into the wilderness yet again as fast as God plucks up the brambles that hinder thee Satan wil endevour to plant and set more and surely if God were not quicker at plucking up temptations and obstructions then Satan is in planting them never could any soul get out of the wilderness of Sin Thus deceitful are thy first appearances thus dismal and destructive are thy waies thus difficult and desperat are thy comings out O thou wilderness of Sin Application To those that come up from the wilderness First Then to thee freind whosoever art come up from this wilderness I have a great message from this truth Surely if if any truth in the world can heighten the thoughts of Saving grace unto thy soule this very doctrin may do it in the highest kind What shall I say I am come to call for the expression of that mercy which is beyond expression thoughts of grace beyond thoughts Oh the height and the length and the depth and the bredth of that love which brought thee up from a wilderness so long so broad so great so terrible I may say as Paul elsewhere what shall we say then to these things Thou wert a wilderness a barren parched solitary destitute waylesse waste wilderness thou art made the garden of the Lord. Thou wert amidst the famine thorns Serpents savage beasts of this wilderness ready to be devoured doubly irrecoverably everlastingly And yet are thou now come forth out of this wilderness and thy life is given thee for a prey Thou wert in the great variously-pathed perplexed stumbling dark thorny surrounding waies of this wilderness and yet art thou now in the one good living way the way of peace Oh! mayst thou say when I was intangled in the wilderness I did never think or hope of getting hither but the Lord hath found me when I was lost the Lord hath led me when I was bewildred Admire then for ever wonder at the finding mercy and the leading grace of God 1. Admire that God should chuse thee thence First Ever retain high thoughts of the electing mercy of the Lord what consideration can raise it higher when I was as a wilderness and in a wildernses when I was barren and when I was lost that is when I was neither fit for service nor worthy of favour the Lord was pleased to pitch his electing grace upon me Surely if we will but grant election let schooles expound it what way they will this cannot chuse but lift it up beyond even admiration that God should chuse us when he foresaw us under these Spiritual and soul bewildrings This is that which in Israels case is noted if I mistake not as I think I do not the whole Israel of Gods election which are Gods portion and the lot of his inheritance as you shall find Deut. 32.9 now this I say is that whereby he heightneth the thoughts of that mercy in which he singles out Jacob for his portion ver 10. He found him in a desart land and in the waste howling wilderness Surely this is Spiritually to be laid to heart though it hath its allusion to Jacob's history in the letter for neither was all that Jacob Spiritually the Lords people portion or lot of inheritance Neither were all they that were the Lords among them found in that visible wilderness being all the old ones of them brought out of Egypt into the wilderness 'T is as if the Lord should say Israel was a wilderness and Jacob in a desert I found him in a desert land that is he was forsaken I found him in a wilderness which was wast that is useful unto none I found him in a howling wilderness that is amongst Lions and Leopards Beares Dragons and yet have I allotted him to be my portion and inheritance so that this Scripture is in substance in my thoughts the same with that memorial of the Lords dealing with his people in their natural condition 2. Admire that ever God should bring thee thence and in sin Ezek. 16.3 c. cast out into the open field c. Secondly For ever wonder at the calling mercies of the Lord. Thou wert in a wilderness that ever God should send a Christ to call thee thence wert a lost sheep in that wilderness that ever Christ should bestow the pains to look thee out and to take thee up to lay thee upon his shoulder and to bring thee home again O what exceeding great mercy is here God might have given thee for gone and though he had found thee in the wilderness yet might he have left thee alone and left thee as he did so many of the Israel of old to die in the wilderness or which is all one so many of Israel afterward to die in their sins John 8.24 but having found his Jacob in the wilderness and having chosen him thence for his own portion he crowns his finding-mercy with a leading-mercy his directing with a protecting mercy He seconds his protection with provisions he supports and supplies He found him in the howling wilderness he led him about he instructed him kept him as the apple of his eye as an eagle stireth up her nest fluttereth over her yong spreads abroad her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings Deut. 32.9 10 11. Thus hath God dealt with thy poor bewildred soul he hath taught thee the way he hath led thee in the way he hath protected thee from danger and as in

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

looks she calls she feeles for her husband but he is gone yet she goeth in the darke and after him she goes but in stead of finding him loseth her selfe Now perhaps she may fear yea think yea be perswaded that the joyes of yesterday were but a dreame and that she was never at all brought out of the Wildernesse Thus she takes on perhaps more than at the beginning untill the day again breaks and her Husband that all this while observed her speaks unto her and reveales himself afresh and comforts her And now this is that she will doe she takes hold of him she followes after him and yet keeps close unto him she makes him her strength if she cannot goe he must leade her he must carry her for home with him she must she is resolved to goe Pardon the Allegory for I speake of Christ and his Church The Soul departing from the Lord as all of us did in Adam is called a woman departing from her first Husband Hos 2. It thinkes to please it selfe in sin but instead of finding a way to true pleasure hits upon this spirituall Wildernesse The Night is the darksome clouding of a convicted wounded spirit The Lyons roaring c. is the terrours of the Law temptations of Satan horrors of Conscience In this condition as I said the soul is afraid of crying out for a Guide for a God for fear of the Devil Many a such soul is more afraid of praying now than it was of cursing or swearing before This Sunset of carnall comforts this Midnight of black terrours may and often doth continue long and alwaies long enough to make the poor heart weary of the Wildernesse But God is faithfull who suffers not the soul that he loves to be tempted above what it is able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape Through the tender mercy of this God the Day-star at length visites the soul thus sitting in darknesse And here 's some glimering of comfort to the heart Yea but anon the Sunne of Righteousnesse ariseth with healing under his wings And now are the beasts of the prey laying themselves downe in their dens Satan is chained up from assaulting the Law is prohibited from condemning and Conscience begins a little to be cheared and now the soul gets up upon her feet to hear what God will say and the sound that she hears is the voice of her Beloved where art thou poore Soul come unto me and I will give thee rest And this abundantly revives her yea but by and by Christ comes and manifests himself unto her and receives her making her able by Faith to embrace him He puts his Robes his Righteousnesse upon her nakednesse his Oyle his Comforts into her wounds his Wine his Joyes revive her his Grace his Oyntments doe perfume her and now the heart that was rent and the bones which were broken doe rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory And now the soul makes too much haste home even greater than Christ seeth convenient for it crying out Oh that I were dissolved that I might be at home with the Lord Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Oh! that I had but power according to my minde what would not I doe for God This is much haste but doth this hold alwaies No verily the Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weake it s not able to beare such hard travail it grows drowsie and dull and heavy with sleep I meane security or sloath or the like yea and asleep it falls under the edge of the Wildernesse though it be out of the state of sinne yet it is neare unto the terrours and actings of sin still And as soon as this soul falls asleep Christ seemes to withdraw Anon the soul is again awakened but night is come upon it It is not yet so free from the Wildernesse but it can againe heare the roaring Lyons that is 't is again afflicted perplexed troubled Satan's as loud Conscience is as loud as ever And now saith the soul alass all was but a dreame but a delusion and I was never at all brought out of the Wildernesse never savingly wrought upon Now she gets up and loseth her self in looking a Christ now she is in as much darknesse as ever as to her apprehension and this is the first bewildring darknesse after Conversion v●z upon the soules falling asleep in spiritual sloth and security even upon such withdrawing of its first zeale and Gods withdrawing his first smiles But when Christ hath to purpose tryed he will graciously returne unto such and restore the joy of his salvation yet perhaps never againe in such a ravishing transporting measure here though he will restore a convenient measure to support for the present yet it's like so sparingly as to keep the soul in more humble and close dependance for the future I have been the longer Made out in the Spouse because I have been telling the main of the story of this Spouse in the Canticles unto that verse which is my Text. You may observe mention of two eminent times of darknesse or benighting times to the poor Spouse Twice in the dark the first was Cant. 3.1 By night I sought him c. Being in the dark she was afraid to be any more without him The second was Cant. 5.2 when she fell asleep and Christ waited to awaken her till his locks were bedewed with the night saith the Text. Now in both these darknesses she was at a losse for her beloved Cant. 3.1 I sought him but I found him not so ver 2 so also Cant. 5.6 I sought him but he had withdrawn himselfe Here it seemes she had once found him but now she hath lost him Now suitable to this double losse Twice coming out of the Wilderness and benighted condition you have mention made twice of her coming out of the Wildernesse Cant. 3. she is bewildred and benighted and at a losse for Christ but ver 4. at length she gets at him and it followes ver 6. Who is this that comes out of the Wildernesse perfumed with all the precious powders of the Merchant Where you have to observe 1. How sadly shee was bewildred till she came at Jesus Christ 2. In how glorious and transcendent beauty she was when she by taking hold upon Christ as is said ver 4. came out of the Wildernesse Oh 't is such a bright day now that she doth not thinke of another night so much peace of conscience joy in believing so much ravishment such smoking perfumes c. Now she comes out of the wilderness and she is a perfumed Spouse But then again as you read of her second Night and second Bewildring in the fifth Chapter so of her comming out of the wildernesse the second time in our Text. Onely observe the difference and you shall find it what I said true Who is this that comes up from the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved Cant.

the Wildernesse take as some do much paines to go farther down into it Alas poor soules 't is down-hil way thou art likely to be at the bottome soon enough even in the lowest hell without running down and if any take paines this way how shall this condemne those that take no paines the other way 2. Use Caution Is the way from the wildernesse up the hill Take heed of fainting take heed of falling 2d Cautino either of these will endanger your tumbling downe the hill againe 1. Caution Take heed of fainting My Brethren 1. Take heed of fainting how conscious are we to our selves how ready are the strongest of us to faint in those forementioned up-hil wayes Now it is not the pleasure of the Lord Jesus that any should faint in the waies of attendance upon him Mat. 15.32 I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way Let us also be careful lest our hearts faint in any of the wayes of Jesus Christ although they be never such up-hil wayes For which cause we faint not 2 Cor. 4.16 And as we have received mercy we faint not v. 1. We shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 And this is the praise of Ephesus Rev. 2.3 Thou hast laboured and not fainted In laborious up-hil services they walked without fainting Rules to prevent fainting 1. Looke not down-ward Now to helpe you herein take these two Rules 1. Look not much down-ward 2. Look much upward You have both these together 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not v. 18. Whilst we looke not at the things that are seene but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seene are temporall but the things that he look'd at that are not seen are eternall If a man you know would go up a Spire-steeple or Beacon of great height it is very dangerous and dazeling to look down-ward his way must be to look upward all the while 1. Look not down-ward look down and faint and so fall down Observe the Apostles opposition he sets minding of earthly things that is the looking down-ward that I speak of against having our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.19 20. Carnal hearts that mind earthly things will faint in the first steps of that way that leads out of the Wildernesse for it is an up-hil way Therefore saith the Wise man of riches and things earthly Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Prov. 23.5 That is Doe not so much as set thine eyes upon it 2dly 2. Look much upward Look much upward I will looke unto the hills saith the Psalmist Psal 121.1 I will lift up mine eyes The Apostle comparing our lives to a race or journey bids us Heb. 12.1 2 3. To looke unto Jesus c. lest we be weary or faint in our minde It would extreamly helpe us to have our conversation in heaven to be often yea alwayes looking thither whence we looke for a Saviour Phi. 3.20 This would keepe us from fainting in this up-hil way If you be risen with Christ to the top of this hill and would keep there why then set your affections upon things above Col. 3.1 2. For thus saith the Lord Isai 40.30.31 The Youths shal utterly faint the young men shall fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength yea though it be an up-hil way they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint 2dly Caution Take heed of falling 2. Take heed of falling Is it an up-hil way beleeve it it is very ill getting a slip 1 Cor. 10. He minds us of the falls of the poor Israelites in the way towards Canaan he gives variety of instances from the 5. v. he brings all close down for our admonition vers 11. Wherefore let him that thinkes he standeth take heed lest he fall v. 12. How charily do men go up an hill in a frosty day when the wayes are slippery Oh! this is the danger 't is an up-hil way Let vs therefore labour to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the ensample of their unbeliefe Heb. 4.11 Thirdly Exhortation in two words 3ly Exhortation 1. To come up First Is it an up-hil way then pray let us up and be going let us up and repent up and beleeve up and obey up and pray and read and heare and meditate c. and that leads me to the Third main Doctrine yet before us whitherto I shall refer it Secondly Is it an up-hil way wherein is such likelihood of faintings such feare of falling Oh! 2ly To come up leaning Then labour to leane upon the beloved whilst you come up from the Wildernesse to repent and lean to believe and lean to obey and lean to pray c. and lean and this would lead to the fourth main Doctrine therefore we shall dismisse it for the present We passe on to CHAP. II. Containes the third maine Doctrine That it greatly concernes lost soules to come up from the wildernesse of sinne discovered and applyed with choice directions thereunto THe third maine Point 3d. Maine Doctrine viz. That it is the great concernment of lost soules to come up from the Wildernesse of sinne The Spouse in the Text had been in the Wildernesse but now up she gat That is the lost souls great business to come up from the wilderness and away she came and this is thy great businesse The voyce of the Lord unto such a soule is like the voyce of Christ to his chosen ones in Babylon Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people lest you partake of her plagues Come out of the Wildernesse my poor Creatures lest you dye wlldernesse-deaths and now must the answer of thy soule be I come Lord. The Lords bewildred spouse Hos 2. takes up this main resolution as her maine worke and businesse I will return to my first husband Hos 2. v. 7. I will goe and return so the Prodigal I will arise and goe to my Father The bewildred Spouse the lost Sonne this is it that they make their great work businesse and 't is not strange that it should be so if you consider that the comming up of lost soules is the very great worke and businesse of God himselfe For this is the great business 1. Of God the Father even God the Father Son and holy Spirit 1. It is the great designe of God the Father that poor soules should come up from this spiritual wildernesse Deut. 32.9 10. Jacob is his portion he found him in the Wildernesse and led him about and instructed him you have this explain'd or if you wil seconded Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 34.11 I even I will both search my sheep and seeke them out They have been scattered in the cloudy and darke day v. 12. Of this we have spoken I will feed them in a good pasture on the high