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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

presidented to us by Christ himself the onely begotten Sonne of God Satan leads him to the Wildernesse with designe could it have been to bewilder him there He would turne him as you heard before into many wayes presumption self-murder c. but Christ though he knew of himselfe the evill from the good yet to direct us too and to credit the use of the scriptures herein He looks upon his writing and turnes off all upon that account No saith Christ spare thy Counsels and get thee behind me Satan thy wayes and my Way-marks doe not agree Mat. 4.3 Go this way saith Satan no saith Jesus verse 4 It is written c. Then goe that way saith Satan verse 6. And because he tempt● againe Jesus said unto him it is written again c. verse 7. But then saith Satan if thou wilt goe neither of the other yet goe this way and thou shalt get by it All these will I will give thee if thou wilt worship me verse 9. No saith Jesus Get thee hence Satan my writing saith I must goe another way For it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely verse 10. Note You may sadly observe in these times how soone they that have flowne off from the Scriptures have also flowne off from all the wayes of God These are the Way-marks whereunto you doe well if you take heed 2 Pet. 1.19 3ly Take great heed unto your guide 3ly If your enemy Satan hath such advantage to bewilder then take you great heed of your friend and guide keep close to Jesus Christ 1. To his footsteps 2. To his voyce 1. His footsteps First Keepe close to the footsteps of your Guide His waies are all just and true who is the King and leader of the Saints Rev. 15 3. Therefore thou canst not goe amisse in keeping close to his foot In all the History of Jesus Christ what waies you read that he walked in those wayes walke you in I finde him much in the wayes of strict Obedience to all Gods Commandements of full beliefe in all Gods promises of selfe-denyall Righteousnesse and sobriety as to the things of men and his own things and of exact carefulnesse in all Gods Ordinances and Worship publique and private in those wayes doe you walke We may take up a lamentation for ever when wee thinke how prompt and ready we have been to follow the course of him that is God of the world and how backward and unwilling to follow Jesus Christ who is the King of Saints 'T is said of Abraham and it must be so of you sirs Isai 41.2 That God called him to his foot Oh labour thou to keepe thee there 2. His voice 2ly Keepe close to your Guides voyce If you bee sometimes as those in Isaiah Walking in darknesse and having no light if you cannot see his footsteps yet you may heare his voyce and if you walke exactly after that you may keepe your way at midnight Isai 30.21 Thine ears shall heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke in it when you turn to the right hand or to the left Though there be legions to bewilder thee on one hand and the corrupt inclinations of thine heart within on the other yet hath God promised a voice behind thee he pursues thee with suggestions and motions of his owne spirit Onely grieve not that holy Spirit by stopping thine ears against his wise charmings Wh●re there is such a word to say this is the way 't is fit there should be Ears to heare He that hath Eyes to see the Guides footsteps and Ears to heare his voyce and writes down in his heart those Way-marks will doubtlesse hold on in his way as the righteous Iob 17.9 Yea and as the Innocent grow stronger and stronger CHAP. XII Quest What paines Satan takes to bewilder soules opened and applyed WE come in the second place to consider Discovery of the point in the 2. Query viz. What paines Satan takes to bewilder soules The paines that Satan takes to bewilder or to turne poore soules out of the way that he may devour them in the wildernesse You know the paines a Spirit takes is incessant paines When you sleepe your soule waketh and when you sleep Satan who is a Spirit waketh Now all that incessant paines that Satan takes is onely in order hereunto 1 Pet. 5.8 Your adversary the Devill walkes as a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the faith verse 9. All his paines are to this purpose Three things I hence note unto you to our present purpose That all the paines that Satan takes he takes it as a wild beast of the Wildernesse as a Lyon of the Forrest Againe That all that paines is out of emnity to and in order to the ruine of poore soules Lastly That there is no way for your security but the holding of your ground and standing stiffely in the way where God hath set you lose your ground and you lose your soules therefore resist him stedfast in the faith The same counsel is prescribed in the same case Jam. 4.7 Submit to God but resist the Devill If God meet you in your way as he did Moses Exod. 4.24 Submit unto him but when Satan meets you in your way and would hinder your passage take heed take heed of turning aside keepe your standing sirs Resist that 's stand against him as the phrase is Ephe. 6.11 That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devill That is neither turne to the right hand nor to the left for flattery nor for feare of Satan but stand where you are and keepe your way and so you shall keepe out of the Wildernesse Methinks though you should be faint-hearted affraid to fight with Satan for the way yet when God thus comes after you and by a voyce behind you calls to you to keepe the Way then methinks you should bee encouraged to turne the Devill back or aside out of your way Now this is the call of Gods voice 1 Cor. 16.13 Stand fast in the faith and quit your selves like men so Eccles 5.1 Keep thy foot saith God keep thy footing Oh! this is Gods frequent counsell and therefore let us in opposition to Satan and obedience to God as David Psal 101.3 Hate the work of them that turn aside Hate thou those works and the rather for as much as the Devill loves to be imployed in the turning of souls aside For discovery whereof Discovery hereof in three heads Observe when ever Satan changeth either Postures Persons or Practises all is done in order to turn poor soules out of the way 1. 1. Head All his postures 1. When Serpent and couchant You shal find Satan in different postures throughout Scripture and all to this one purpose The first posture that ever we find the Devill in was Serpent or a creeping posture Gen. 3.1 He comes meekly and lowly as

Consider whom thou art to trust That you must take Christ Estate upon trust Consider 1. Whom you have trusted I have wondered sometimes at Bonds that have been drawne wherein the Husband hath stood engaged to his Wife as to money matters that she should trust him to be her Husband whom shee dares not trust to be her Steward or that she dare adventure her person into his hand into which she dare not venture her Estate Surely if Christ be faithfull and worthy to cammand thee wel may he command thine Estate and if thou darest trust him for thy soul well maist thou trust him for thy joynture 'T is Christs promise though but a Land of promise Christs I say that cannot lye Did you ever heare that he dealt faithlesly with any that you dare not trust him Oh the hellish the cursed nature of this unbeliefe thou darest not trust him that never proved untrusty Consult with Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and that he is able to keep what I have committed to him against that day Secondly 2ly Vpon what grounds Upon what grounds you are to trust him for your joynture The Fathers Oath The Sons hand-writing the Spirits seal First God hath sworn as well as promised 1. The Fathers Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation If thy spirit strive in unbeliefe let Gods oath end this strife for God willing to shew more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6.16 17 18. Secondly Christ hath written as well as spoken hand- 2ly The Sons hand-hand-writing and will himselfe by his own hand-hand-writing which he never can nor will deny become thy Witnesse in this Matter Search the Scriptures saith Christ himselfe when you have to doe with the things of eternal life and they are they that testifie of me Jo. 5.39 I will give you but one Scripture instead of many urge it upon Christ and try if he can deny it to be his own words and hand-hand-writing Joh. 17.20 21 22 23. Neither pray I for these alone but for all that shall believe through their word that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one with us or in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me and the glory that thou hast given me have I given them c. Mark that deed of GIFT under Christs own hand that the world may know that thou hast loved them and verse 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me that they may behold my glory c. 3ly The Spirits seale Thirdly The Spirit hath sealed what the Father hath sworn and the Son written in his own blood Eph. 1 13 14. In whom after that ye believed you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession shall come to the praise of his glory And now Christians upon such assurance doe but act your faith and as I have seene some London-Merchans that have purchased Lands in the Plantations beyond sea which they never saw but are taken up for them by their Factors Note they have Cards and Maps of them here so will thy faith in this Christ be the Evidence of thy things not seen and of the things that are hoped for as Heb. 11.1 And so the Joynture promised to thee shall come aforehand to be possessed by thee To the 3d. viz. You must goe into another world for it Consider 1. It lies more sutably there 1. Where thine Head is viz. Christ To the third viz. That this Canaan is beyond Jordan this Land of promise in another World I answer Thine Estate lyes where it 's most sutable and most sure for thee 1. 'T is more sutable for thee then if it lay in the world and on this side heaven for 1. It lyes where thine Head is Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in heaven from whence we also look for a Saviour which is Jesus Christ the Lord. Secondly It lyes where thine heart should be Mat. 6. 2ly Where thine heart should be 20 21. Lay up treasure in heaven c. for where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Secondly 'T is more sure for thee lying there 2ly It l●es more safely there then if it were scituate otherwhere There was never any thing that Saints enjoyed that was of this World or in common with the World but some Saints or other at some time or other have been plundered of it by the World yea so are all Saints at their going out of the world Were thy happinesse on this side Heaven thou must forgoe it when thou goest under ground But Mat. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasure in heaven where Moths corrupt not not neither can Theeves break through and steal away The Theives of the world can steale thine the moth of death can corrupt thee but what Christ hath for thee in heaven 't is an inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away reserved in the Heaven for you 1 Pet. 1.4 To the fourth viz. That you must die by the way To the fourth viz. That you must dye by the way 1. 'T is all mens necessity as you journey towards your joynture I answer 1. 'T is all Mens and Womens necessity once to dye whether marryed to Christ or to the Devill whether joyntured in Heauen or in Hell Heb. 9.27 It is appointed to men once to die Sirs some must die to be dammed therefore well may you be contented to die to be saved some must dye to be actually and fully possest of Hell therefore let it not grieve you to dye to be actually and fully possest of glory Secondly 2ly 'T is thine advantage 'T is all good Men and Womens advantage though necessity to dye before they are possessed of Heaven Christ will subdue your Enemies ye Christians and bruise Satan and the last Enemy shall be destroyed and that is Death And when that is done when there is none to take your joy from you then shall it be fully giuen to you Yea when all your Enemies and those that hated you shall be chained up from ever harming you any more then shall you in their sight be possessed of all reall and glorious enjoyments in the world to come Therefore to that soule to whom to live is Christ surely to die shall be advantage Phil. 1.21 A closing word And now for a closing word unto all that I have beene sent to speak to wooe you or as Paul saith 2 Cor. 11.2 To espouse you to one Husband that I might present you a chaste Virgin unto Christ To make you LOVERS that you may be LEANERS upon Christ which was my great businesse in this Discourse Let me tell you that as

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 FAITHFVL TEATE M. A. Minister of the Gospel They wandred in a Wildernesse in a solitary way they found no City to dwell in Psal 107.4 Therefore the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost Luk. 16.10 He led them forth by a Right Way that they might go to a City of Habitation Psal 107.7 By a New and a living Way Heb. 10.20 even The Way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 Therefore there remaineth a Rest for the People of God Heb. 4 9. London Printed for G. Sawbridge at the Bible on Ludgate Hill 1655. Aprilis 25. 1654. I allow these 64 Sermons on Cant. 8.5 preached by Mr. Faithful Teate for the Presse Thomas Gataker TO My Dear Friends of the Burrough and Town of SVDBVRY Together with all Christian Auditors of the ensuing Lectures THough the Intricacy of the Text the Importance of the Subject with the sense of mine Insufficiency for these things have sometimes overcast mee with a Cloud of Discouragement yet durst I not but follow that bright Pillar of truth which like their Starre in the East passed on before mee I have beleeved and therefore have I spoken knowing that Gods Truth never needed my Lye and from whom should I look for thanks should I lye for God I can say in simplicity so farre as I have known my wretched heart that I have feared to strain but hated to pervert the holy Scriptures whereof I reckon the CANTICLES a portion so transcendently spiritual that I accord with those that judge it to be understood most rightly if the sense be fair and scriptural when most spiritually I know the difficulty of demonstrating that one and not another is the sense of the abstruse passages thereof hath occasioned the giving and taking of much Liberty that I say not latitude by Interpreters whereby Satan hath gotten advantage of us who as hee is a known enemy to the Scriptures in general so hath ever been a professed Adversary to this Book in particular which confirms mee the more that the weapons thereof are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down his strong holds and therefore to be made use of by every good souldier of Jesus Christ I am not ignorant of his old Device which prevailed on the people to whom this scripture first came and by whom it was taken to be an Oracle of God who excluded all under 30 years of Age from the reading thereof so favouring shamefacednesse but not fearing sacrilege At this day hee shews his inveterate hatred by a new wile viz. whilest one understands it grosly and carnally another Historically a third Prophetically though the most and Best understand it Mystically of Christ and his people Saith Satan you cannot demonstrate adventure not to interpret and so should it lye by as a Book that is sealed And as for mee my feet were almost gone and my steps had wel nigh slipped whilst I was thus tempted untill I went into the Sanctuary then understood I that this Scripture was profitable for Doctrin for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousnesse being led of the Lord as I hoped and you beleeved to understand by being in the Wildernesse the lost estate of sinners by comming up Conversion by leaning saving faith by the Beloved the only Lord Redeemer Jesus Christ Yet little thought I of divulging my thoughts on this Text further then your Pulpit would carry them There is nothing that more nauseats my Natural genius than to see a surfit-sick press disgorging crudities into the lap of a nice and criticall Generation But and if I had judged my clusters to be ripe for the presse who on the contrary am very conscious to their immaturity it would have been small inducement to mee to appear in Print at such a time when one may easily discern the evill of the Age by the Appetite of the Presse which almost professedly disgusting the simplicity of the Gospell of peace craveth only what is curious or contentious to the former all may see that I am a stranger and if I mistake not in my self I am more than so to the later Yet have I chosen to displease if not to disadvantage my self and to incur the censure of strangers in the impression rather than to grieve some poor hearts of you in the suppression of the following discourse wherefore whilest I do what I durst not deny I would have all men know that though I ever thought obscurest Oblivion a winding sheet good enough for the best of my papers yet I never judged any Age or Eye too good to view the plainest of Gods Truths And now I come at your call in my plain Pulpit-dress upon your Affections the second time with those truths that were right welcome to them at the first wherefore as I had great joy to find many of you out in the Wildernesse of your sins who can easily remember the wormwood and gall the thorns and the stings the bruises the runing sores of your destitute disconsolate and desolate souls in that day when the chief Shepheard both searched you and sought you out I shall now have no greater when ever I leave you than to leave you walking in the faith and such as I found lost to leave leaning and such of you as I found scattering your waies unto strangers to leave you espoused to one husband even Christ And now blessed be God who hath so prospered my journey to you whilst I came to wooe a wife for the son of my Lord. My speech hath indeed been as rude as my person contemptible but my errand into this Wildernesse was to look for lost sheep not to loyter about flowers and 't was my happinesse to meet with such Travailers as craved plain guidance rather than quaint eloquence and would willingly stoop for their manna to the plain ground being long lost and throughly hunger-bitten in this spiritual Wildernesse Yet knowing that I have prophecied but in part I would willingly lead you through this plain Porch of the sinners Wildernesse to that excellent Discourse of Mr. Richard Baxters of the Saints Rest It is most certain wee are all Pilgrims as were our Fathers and have begunne our Travailes in the SINNERS WILDERNESSE oh that our end after all may bee THE SAINTS EVERLASTING REST. In order whereunto I beseech you suffer a word of EXHORTATION First As for the

who so is among them may say my Soul is among Lyons Psal 57.4 and to him it may be said Bryers and Thorns be with thee and thou doest dwel among Scorpions Eze. 2.6 The word answering midhbar in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wilderness or place where men go wild that is go astray and wander saith a learned Critick so that trangressions bewildrings wandrings and goings astray may well pass for identicall expressions which word when adjectively taken de re et personâ dicitur saith the same Author and so is applicable both to sin and the Sinner This is that Wildernesse wherein wee are as soon as wee are and beginne to go astray as soon as ever wee beginne to go I observe the Hebrews have only the difference of one small punctum between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gressus et transgressus est From this wilderness there is no way but what is of Christs own making therefore the Text presently subjoyns to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ascending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon her beloved Which way is an ascent or an up hill-way to the soul for the word is applicable to the Minds elevation saith the Critick wherein the soul is ascending for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say shee is coming up not come up she is Ascending but not Ascended whence you may read of a Wildernesse after conversion as well as a Wildernesse of unconversion that is when a Peter a convert needs an after conversion as Luk. 22.32 for if converts turn neither to the right hand or to the left all is wilderness till they return to their way And God that will not lose them Eze. 34.16 wil yet make them to know that they are again in the Wilderness by bringing them back by an hedge of Thorns Hos 2.6 7. You read of the Spouse comming up from the Wildernesse Cant. 3.6 i. e. as Junius well expounds certâ fide extra se et supra Mundum pietatis inanissimum effertur ad Christum by a sure faith shee is carried out of her self and the evil of the world unto Jesus Christ And yet after this Christ is fain to cry after Her Cant. 6.14 Return return O Shulamite return return This truth is explained in the ensuing Tractate by a prolix if not tedious Allegory yet pardonable I hope the substratum being Scripturall and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a single experience but an Experimentall series And thus much as the sum of my three first Doctrins As for the fourth viz. the choice Doctrin of Recumbency I think there is not a more pregnant Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Arabick word and no where else extant in the Bible And if the former bee of force to Mr. Cottons Notion of the Churches comming up from the Wildernesse of Arabia we may think from the latter that the holy Spirit would on purpose make choice of so rare an expression thereby to hold out so rare an example for this is certain that this leaning Spouse is propounded in the Text as a wonder on earth not only to the Imitation but Admiration of others whom whilest the Spirit points at by an who comes here wee may well be solicitous to understand the matter The word in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hithp which Conjugation denotes saith the Grammarian actionem reciprocam et frequentativam i. e. adjungens semet indesinenter et continuò This word is expounded of some by associans adhaerens innitens of others by delicians delicias agens deliciis affluens et innitens of others by confirmans corroborans semet c. Of others by Recumbens super dilectum suum h. e. per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 8.11 Such as enjoy with Abraham the Everlasting Rest in the heavenly Canaan Observe 1 That this leaning is the elicite and spontaneous act of the soul adjungens semet c. 2 That it is a fixed resolved and permanent act of the Soul Innitens indesinenter c. 3 That this Leaning is after the Souls wearinesse Recumbens super dilectum suum 4 That this Leaning is in the sense of the souls weaknesse Confirmans Corroborans semet c. 5 That this Leaning is the close and intire act of the Soul Adhaerens c. 6 That this Leaning is the Complacential act of the soul Delicias agens super dilectum c. This one word signifies cordially constantly to adjoyn to cleave to to rest and strengthen her self upon to solace and abundantly to delight her self in HER BELOVED And thus much have I noted from the Hebrew not for ostentation neque enim tanti est but partly to shew the rare excellency of the Text partly that though the succeeding treatise be dilative yet not transgressing the Limits and Cancels of the Text. Farther let mee advertise thee Reader that I deny not in the least the Historicall respect that some Scriptures have whereof I have made use mystically for instance pag. 4. Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be food to a people inhabiting the Wildernesse Ps 74.14 By Leviathan I understand in the type Pharaoh in the antitype Satan so by the people inhabiting in the Wildernesse in the letter the children of Israel in that visible desert mystically the elect of God or true Israel in the very region of Satan and spiritual Wildernesse of unconversion which appears in that as it is said historically the Lord did it Ps 74.14 so it is said prophetically and by way of promise that the Lord will do it Is 27.1 Yea though I cannot but apprehend that the words of my Text bear respect to Israels comming up from the Wildernesse of the land of Egypt by Josuahs conduct in the type yea though Mr. Cottons notion be allowed whilest the holy man pleads for a mysticall use as hee doth p. 9. I see not any ground of exception against Junius his interpretation ascendens ex ipso deserto i. e. saith he veterem hominem deponens abnegans se et mundum ipsum totum c. comming out of the Wildernesse that is putting off the old man denying her self forsaking the world c. which sense Ainsworth and others do allow According whereunto I have understood in the Antitype by the Wildernesse an unconverted state and condition For there is a seavenfold Wildernesse mentioned in the Scripture The First is Local and properly so called viz. The Wildernesse wherein Israel wandred 40 years before they came to the land of Promise Amos 2.10 sometime called the Wildernesse of Sin Num. 33.12 sometime The Wildernesse of the land of Egypt Ezekiel 20.36 The Second is Local but comparatively so called viz. The Wildernesse of Judea Mat. 3.1 Luk. 1.80 being the Hill-Country where the Villages were but few and so the Country but rarely inhabited The Third I may

Compositors compound who was either too penurious of pains or too pregnant of phantasie Read into the Wildernesse and into sin Chap. 1. Contents so in the Wildernesse and in sinne Chap. 2. Contents and so toties quoties know also that in the first two sheets which indeed are worst done not only through the unaccustomednesse of the Compositor but even through mine own inadvertency who little intended those sheets for the Presse when I first wrote them and through providence wanted the opportunity of revisall before they passed the Presse my character for vers was mistaken and so Chapter put for vers where more vers●s than one of a Chapter are quoted after each other As also these two Scriptures Jer. and Isa compared are both translocated unto the end of the second Chapter where they should not be read Other Erratas such as trouble the sense are referred to their Table to be there inserted such as trouble not the sense with some pseudographies and mispointings of the Compositors to thine ingenuity to be overlooked Now if thou reap any fruit of my poor indeavours let God have thy praises who only deserves them and let mee have thy prayers than whom none can more need them who am The most unprofitable of the servants of Jesus Christ FAITHFUL TEATE ERRATA PAge 4 line 11. read self justiciaries most expressely p. 10. l. 15. r. Conviction p. 13. l. 27. r. hell bound p. 23. l. 4. after thereby insert Can. 5.1 p. 70. l. 31. r. desirous of p. 77. l. 10. r. by slacking p. 87. l. 26. for heart r. hour p. 112. l. 28. for word r. world l. 31. r. refuse my p. 136. l. 34. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 137. for a friend r. afraid p. 141 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 10.11.12 Methods Managers Rulers p. 154. l. 28. r. cries the man did so and so p 148. l. 7 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 201. l 4. r. viz. Declining of p. 229. l. 1. for r. est p. 260. l. 7. r. soveraign p. 264. l. 3. r. it is not p. 275. l. 12. r. leaving p. 279. l. 24. for shining r. sinning p. 337. l. 25. for waies r. naies p. 339. l. 20. dele if p. 355. l. 26. r. third Negative Hindrance p. 385. l. 24. r. beautiful p. 412 l. 25. for and r. that p. 430. l 30. r. Psa 49. p. 432 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 434. l. 2 r. carelessenesse p. 440. l. 9 r. is Pioner p. 445. l. 28. r. This therefore CHAP. I. Containeth the Preface sense of the Text reasons of the sense Inscription and parts of the discourse proofs of the first Doctrine Explication and Application of it in the first branch shewing the entrance into wilderness-sin to be fair and facile Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness Text. leaning upon her beloved the Text runs on I raised thee up under the apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth that bare thee Cant. 8.5 THis Book is called The Song of Songs Preface then which is none more Rhetorical none more Spiritual teaching the soul to know Christ and it self its whole duty The whole business of the Canticles is to set forth what Christ is to the gracious Spirit what the soul is to Christ particularly what Christ is in himself what the soul is in it self what Christ hath done for the soul what the soul ought to do for Christ what affections there are in Christ to the soul what affections there ought to be in the soul to Christ This Scripture imports in what condition the soul is without Christ in what she is stated by Christ The sense of the Text. she is bewildred in her self she comes out of the wilderness leaning upon Christ That a sinful natural unconverted condition is here figured by the wilderness I urge from these three Particulars in the words First Reasons of the sense Her coming up from the wilderness is made the direct immediate primary result and effect of her leaning upon Christ I grant coming out of the wilderness of misery or affliction to be also the issue of leaning upon Christ but that is secondary and because of the former The holy Ghost allusively but lively expresseth our state of unconversion I raised thee up under the Apple-tree as if he said first Eve and after her Adam ea● of the Apple and fell down dead under the tree and so true was that In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die and there they must have lain to Eternity unless I who am the resurrection and the life had raised them up from under the Apple-tree 3. The holy Spirit doth interpret his intent to be the natural estate in which every son and daughter of Adam is born there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee This premised You see my work is Topographical to draw out the Map of the wilderness in the Text the wilderness of unconversion The first thing will be to assign it an inscription Inscription before we give it a description you may finde the title of this Map Exod. 17.1 so Numb 33.12 The Israelites if they intend for Canaan must journey from the wilderness of Sin You 'l say that name was accidental I grant it but if Canaan represent grace why may not the wilderness represent sin It would be our wisdom to warm our affections with every Scripture even Historical though they do not all alike strongly binde our judgements I mean when the allusion is nothing contrary to the analagy of Faith I finde a place as accidentally called Salem as this wilderness Sin which yet the Apostle improves as high and higher then I do this even to prove Christ to be the King of peace compare Gen. 14.18 with Heb. 7.2 The wilderness of sin We have found out the inscription T is the wilderness of sin and so call it In the Maps that I have seen of the wilderness which the children of Israel passed from to Canaan these four things I have observed Parts of the discourse which God-willing I shall follow 1. You have a character of the place situation trees wilde beasts length breadth c. and this engageth me to describe punctually this wilderness of sin 2. You have lines describing all the circuitions windings turnings returnings crossings wandrings of the children of Israel in the wilderness before they could get to Canaan and this engageth to describe the souls wandrings while in this wilderness of sin 3. You have Moses described upon Pisgah turning his back upon the wilderness and pointing towards Canaan this engageth me to discover what concernment lieth upon the sin-bewildred soul to turn its back upon sin and set its face towards Heaven 4. You have Joshua succeeding Moses and leading the Israel of God quite from the wilderness into Canaan and that engageth me to tell you That what the Law could not do in that it was

and in the imagination of their evil heart So chap. 11.8 So chap. 13.10 Mark their walk or their way is that he speaks of And where is it Why in their evil hearts here their hearts are made the wilderness And othertimes God complains that they walk after the counsels c. of their own hearts So Ier. 9.14 But they walked after the imagination of their own hearts So chap. 18.12 We will walk after our own devices and we will every one do after the imagination of our own heart So chap. 23.17 They say to every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart c. Here their hearts are become guides to lead them into the wilderness Wonder not then that we are so easily bewildred spiritually since our hearts are not onely a wilderness unto us but tempters also that lie at catch to seduce and bewilder us 1. Our hearts by nature are a wilderness First then this is Satans great advantage that herein he hath from us our souls by nature are a wilderness unto us Perhaps some carnal one might say What do you talk so much of a wilderness I see none Where is' t What is' t How can these things be Why look within and thou canst not look off of the wilderness Men walk saith God in their own evil hearts Why there 's the wilderness I said saith God Ier. 7.23 Walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you but they hearkned not Sure you 'l grant now that they are in the wilderness when they are out of all Gods ways and what 's that wilderness Where did they walk then Why In the counsels of their evil heart and what follows They went backward and not forward v. 24. Whilest men and women go aside from Gods counsels and ways they go backward and if you 'l ask me where 'T is in the imaginations of their own hearts So in Ier. 11.7 You have God rising up early and protesting his ways from day to day unto them And now that God is in such a serious posture a protesting God whose bare word is truth infallible What hinders them now from Gods way Why saith God 't is this their heart is a wilderness they walk every one in the imagination of their own evil heart v. 8. Memorable is that Scripture Psalm 95.8 You have mention of Israel that he was in the wilderness provoking God there But what was it that grieved God yea grieved him fourtie years Was it that Israel was in that material Wildernesse Oh that was not the worst of it but ver 12. 'T is a people that do erre in their hearts and they have not known my waies Sirs what say you now to this heart-wil-dernesse● 'T was erring in heart 't was heart-bewildring that kept them out of Gods waies Hence that sad but pregnant expression Ps 64.6 They search out iniquities That is in their Counsells and imaginations in their hearts Search them out That is as one that hath lost a sheep in Wilderness he looks into this corner and that quarter and another quarter and a fourth Corner untill he hath searched it out So when they design such an Evill they search this affection and that affection and this phancy and that phancy this thought and that thought untill they have searched out their iniquity and this is the Wildernesse of the heart but how sad a Wildernesse it is who can declare For Ps 19.12 Who can understand his Errors that is bewildrings which he speaks of the Wilderness of his heart For saith he cleanse thou mee from secret sins For further Evidence hereof Evidence hereof I shall look to Children to Fooles to your own Experience First Children they say speak their hearts 1. In Children and if so I 'm sure as soon as ever they begin to speake they speak them to be a Wildernesse Childrens words are as vain and foolish and as inconstant and inconsistent as mens thoughts are For Children speak as Children 1 Cor. 13.11 Men and women have as confused thoughts as Children have words trace a Childs sentences and in two or three of them the Child will have quite lost it self and doth not this speak what a Wildernesse the heart of the Child is out of the abundance whereof the mouth speaks yea what a Wildernesse thine or mine heart is by nature Though thou canst cover thine heart-bewildrings in more wisdom then the Child can do yet God complains of men and women as much as thou canst note from Childrens most childish words Jer 4.14 How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Children speak of one thing and of another and a third thing almost with one breath and thou thinkst of as many almost with one glance of thine heart Children talk as thou thinkest of impossibilities Children put themselves out of what they began with by heaping up more new and vain words and thou dost the like by multiplying new and vain thoughts Is it not too true when thou settest thy self apart for meditation of thy souls estate before the Lord of thy former condition of repentance from dead works c. Oh! how doe a thousand thoughts come in of one thing and another and one upon the neck of another so that thou art presently at a losse as to thy chief businesse and so thine own heart becomes thy Wildernesse Secondly Fooles These you say as well as Children speak truth 2. In fools and madmen and if you will believe it undoubtedly you must conclude their hearts to be no other then so many Wildernesses of confusion Have you not observed how madly mad men and women will expresse themselves Why they do but write upon their own foreheads what thou writest upon thine own heart such madnesse is in the heart if it bee not in the mouth of the Sons of men Eccles 9.3 3. In your own Experience But thirdly I will rather choose to convince the intelligent Christian hereof from his own Expetience Thou saist thou wouldst keep holy daies after an holy manner and pray frequently and perform all duties strictly and why dost thou not Oh! saist thou because of the bewildring multitude of my vaine thoughts they come in and lead me from one thing to another from that to a third from that to more and by all from the businesse in hand and thus doth thine own heart prove a wildernes unto thee somtimes bad thoughts sometimes good but bad for thee sometimes good in themselves and good for thee too such as thou mightest be glad of at another time but bad for thee at this time as carrying thee off from thy present duty The Psalmist complains Psa 94.19 An account or reasons hereof of a multitude of thoughts within him It seems there are enough to bewilder there are a multitude but alas shall I need to tell you so I 'm sure you find it so I shall therefore rather passe on to declare how it comes to be so Take

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 mist●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 ● 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 i● 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

true or false little conscience make they of a promise little conscience of paying their debts though they be able c. What shall we say to these things This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation Your plain proverb saith That an handful of old courtesie is worth an armeful of new Complements and indeed I think it too true in Civils sure I am that a good handful of old Puritanisme is worth many Cart-loads of new Profession It 's little to me that thou canst speak of faith or for free-grace what care I what thou holdest this is a great word I hold this or I hold that as to matter of opinion I hold that Infants are not to be baptized and I hold that they are I hold for the Presbyterians and I hold for the Independents c. Yea but friend there is something else that thou holdest thou dost not speak of thou holdest thy pride and thy covetousnesse and thine uncleannesse and thy lusts still and what care I what else thou holdest hold what thou wilt as long as sin holds thee it mattereth not much Yea This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation that some that were judged once to be converted have in the dark smoke of prating arguing disputing wrangling levity seemed to lose the substance of Christianitie Oh sirs If we be chaffe instead of Corne What shall we say to Jesus Christ whose Fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floore but burn the Chaffe with unquenchable fire Mat 3.12 What shall we say to our God even our God though we thinke we can so call him for he is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 What shall we say to our time of Pilgrimage here on earth which is this Taskers casting time wherein he casts his Corne and his Chaffe together Now you Husbandmen know that the Corne when you cast it flyeth home and the Chaffe as soon as out of the showel it falls short So saith the Apostle of those professing Israelites that had nothing but Chaffe instead of Corne they fell in the Wildernesse Heb. 3.17 And therefore let us feare lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of us should seeme to come short Mark that expression If there be any falling short surely it will be of the Chaffe Take heed take heed empty Christians lest your soules fall in this darksome Wildernesse Heb. 4.1 And thus have I done with the Third meanes of our spirituall bewildrings viz. DARKNESSE There remaines the CHAP. XXIV Containes the fourth meanes of bewildring viz. False Lights or ignes fatui explained FOurth meanes of our spirituall bewildrings 4. Means of our spirituall bewilderings viz. False lights Ignes fatui Kinds of them viz. FALSE LIGHTS There is in nature a Meteor that vain and ignorant persons have conceited to be a walking spirit This sometimes appeares by Sea and sometimes in single flames which were the ominous fore-runners of great tempests therefore they called it Helen alluding to that pernicious fire-brand of Greece sometimes it appeared in double flames and then they called it Castor and Pollux superstitiously thinking for Heathens they were that then it was a signe of a prosp●rous voyage whereas there is reason in nature why it should appeare single before a storme when its matter is so thick that it cannot be dissipated and in distinct flames when its substance is more tenuious and more easily parted asunder which imports a clearer aire and more free from that which is the matter of tempests Of this Meteor under this name of Castor and Pollux you have mention made as the signe of the Ship that Paul went aboard Act. 28.11 Otherwise this light appeares by land sometimes dancing on the one hand sometimes on the other hand of the Traveller in the night untill by its deceitfull guidance it hath brought the Traveller to an uncertainty and losse of his true way and then he becomes prone to follow it supposing it to be a blazing light in some house or hand and so hoping to come at some body that may lead him into his way or some house where he may enquire it at length according to its nature it is spent and extinct tending to pits or bogs to places of ruine or precipices of destruction from whence the Latines called it ignem fatuum erraticum and we frequently call it going-fire fools-fire or the like This many have been bewildred by and can bear testimony unto and there is as cleare naturall reason assigned of it as of any other known Meteor And this spiritually understood is that which I complaine of as the last occasion of our spirituall bewildrings This the Ap●stle complain'd of as a Prophet this may we sadly lament Seducing spirits as seeing the prophesie fulfilled 1 Tim. 4.1 The spirit speak●s expresly that in the latter times which on all hands are confessedly ours there shall be departing from the faith and what 's that but going out of the way and what 's the occasion giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils Whence these Notes 1. Satan if he cannot bewilder otherwise will doe it by Doctrines 2. He will have erring spirits to carry these seducing Doctrines up and downe 3. That poor Travellers are very prone to give heed unto them 4. They that give heed unto them will presently be seduced by them to depart from the way of truth to erre from the faith This is an expresse prophesie of our times and he that runnes through England may read it fulfilled And what can I call these temptations so aptly as going-fires or seducing lights By these Satan keeps in play or in fashion now methinks more then ever Oh! these are lights the other that I speake are bewildring Darknesses but these are bewildering lights and oh how much is light in fashion be it of what kind it will yea may I sadly say How much is that Angel in the fashion that is now transformed into it O! my brethen in these dayes seducing spirits had need be lightsome Lights they are but which is very sutable the Apostle that calls them lights calls them going-lights yea erring lights lightsome whilst they are above ground but as was said of the going fire lighting and at last going down into a darksome pit so saith Jude vers 12. Wandering starres Wandring stars for whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever I would not friends be understood as condemning the Generation of the just whose portion I know it Caution hath alwaies been to be branded with the soul names of Blasphemy and Heresie c. Jesus Christ himselfe not excepted Of this speaketh Paul Act. 24.14 I confesse that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my fath●rs believing all that is written in the Law and the Prophets Oh! that I could have cause once to call them Hereticks in this sence whom the scripture calls wandering lights