are thy thoughts that perswade thee that it will please God better to damn thee then to save thee 2ly The exerting of pardoning grace 2ly Gods glory is most in mercy sets the brightest crown of glory upon the head of the Almighty Exo. 33.18 Moses begs of God I beseech thee shew me thy glory and how doth God answer his prayer herein why ver 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaime 〈◊〉 name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy this is Gods name and his glory If this then be the darkness wherein thou hast walked that God will have most glory in damning thee take hold upon this name of the Lord and stay thy selfe upon him as thy God CHAP. XXI Containes the third kind of bewildring darkness viz. relating to the way of reconciliation betwixt us and God in three particulars under the last whereof this question is resolved what humiliation is sufficient to reconciliation THe third last sort of bewildring darknesses attending conversion it self 3d. Kind Such as respect the way of reconciliation betwixt us and God are such as relate unto the way of Reconciliation between us God And verily though we have a desire now to make peace with God yet how shal we come at him if we be in the dark as to the way of peace The way of peace they have not known may be truly said for some season of some souls that would have peace I remember when God had hammered them by so many judgements Amos 4.12 At length he comes to a nameless judgement so sad that it seems it could not be expressed Therefore thus will I doe unto thee Thus how 's that truly I can't tell how and what of that Oh! therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel to meet him therefore you must goe onely in that way towards him wherein he is a comming towards you if you go in any other way you I will misse of him not meet him and if you be in the dark though you desire to meet him yet may you misse of the way and so be bewildred when you would be reconciled therefore Mat. 5.25 Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him If thou wouldest agree with God thou must be in the same way with God if thou wouldest meet him thou must meet him in his own way Now there is but onely one way of Reconciliation wherein God will draw neere unto a loâ—t soule being justified by faith through Jesus Christ we shall have peace with God Rom. 5.1 And therefore the same is our onely way of Pacification with God so Heb. 10.20 This is the new and living way Now all other are but dead waies wherein a lost soule seeks life Now what heart hath light enough at the first to see and to hit upon this new and living way I can challenge your darknesse in this respect upon this three-fold accompt 1. You think that undubtedly you must give something to God 1 Darknes we thinke we must give something to God towards your reconciliation with God Now this is very darkness for it is Gods giving of Christ unto you not your giving of any thing unto God that is the bottom of your pacification But very ready are we to thinke and Satan to perswade us that there is no comming unto God but by bringing something of our owne unto God Hence that enquiry Mic. 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before him shall I come before him with sacrifices c. Oh! that 's the dark counsell of our vain hearts Bribe Justice and then you shall have its favour I speak not to streighten your hearts or hands from lending to the Lord but to direct your souls where to bottom your peace Doth your goodness extend unto him or will he take a reward to clear him that is guilty God forbid that any heart should think so and yet if many an heart were asked Wherefore are all these alms that thou givest Conscience must answer as Jacob in his course Complement to Esau Gen. 33.8 Esau said What meanest thou by this drove and Jacob said These are to find grace in the sight of my Lord he had need call him my Lord when he intimates him to be of so base and ignoble a a spirit that a Bribe should purchase pardon for a Brother Just so deal souls with God the alms they give their bounty to Saints to Ministers c. are to find favour in the sight of God But if Esau can refuse his present telling him he hath enough surely God may much more despise thy gifts be they what they will be because all things are his Psa 50.9 10. I will take no Bullock out of thine house nor Hee-goat out of thy fold for the beasts of all the Forrest c. are mine Set a side the Lord Jesus Christ and peace in believing and I dare say it would begger all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and Earth to make one Peace-offering to the Lord for any lost soul 2ly You think 2d Darkness We think we must do something for God that undoubtedly you must at least dâ—â— something as a bottom and ground to your reconciliation with God Now this is also a soul-bewildring darknesse for if it be onely what Christ hath given then it is onely what Christ hath done that can be a propitiation to God for us What will God ever be friends with me that give him nothing nor do any thing for him how shall I think that Verily flesh and blood wil hardly think it therefore as the former question was Wherewithall shall I come before God what shall I give and the answer from God comes without money and without price so the next question that dark nature prompts is this Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherite eternal life Mat. 9 16. What good thing shall I do Oh! we think it must be some good thing of our own doing that must be at the bottom of our salvation What good thing saith Christ keep the Law and fulfill the Gospel that perfectly for that 's the sum of Christs answer to him Now friend if thy goodness extend so far then go on to meet the Lord in thine own way But now thou that livest upon such terms if ever God take thee as Solomon took Shimei when he had gone beyond his limits from Jerusalem to Gath after his run-away servants 1 Kin. 2.39 40. The Lord will deal with thee if ever he find thine heart running after the world or after sin as he dealt with Shimei ver 44. God will call thee to a severe account upon every old score and return all thy wickedness upon thine own head judging thee by thine own mouth Think of the Pharisee who comes and tells God what he
soules Mat. 16.26 It runs What will it advantage if a man gaine the world and lose his own soule But Luk. 9.25 If he gaine the world and lose himselfe He that loseth his soule loseth himselfe You say Anima hominis homo the soule is the man sure here it must passe for current undoubtedly if thou have lost thy soule thou hast lost thy selfe The Prodigal was a jolly man whilst he was a lost Sonne but in the Lords eye and his owne when he came to be enlightned he was not an enjoyer of himselfe Luk. 15. v. 17. When he came that 's by repentance to himselfe he said 2. In the enjoyment of our soul 2. Lose all other things too we enjoy all things else If thou canst not say that thy soule is thine thou canst not say any thing else is thine therefore in losing thy soule thou hast lost all things else as 1. God is none of thine 1. Losest God Thus the Apostle expressing the unregenerate estate of the Ephesians Chap. 2.12 saith they were without God in the world Hence our ordinary phrase unregenerate ones are ungodly ones gracelesse ones are godlesse ones What my Brethren lost God Heaven and Earth tremble at this loss lost God there 's one word for all for God is all in all A Saint may say as Jacob said I have all Gen. 33.11 for so the Hebrew Text bears Qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia he hath all that hath him that hath all A Saint may say this is my wine and my wool and my flax and mine oyle for the Lord is my God and therefore Secondly Mammon is and shall be none of thine 2 Mammon Vaine men care not for losing their soules if that be the worst of it that they must lose God by it for they say unto God depart from us Vaine men care not for losing their soules so as that they may either get or save their Mammon But friend if thou lose thy soule that 's the way to lose thy Mammon also If thou canst not say thy soule is thine whose shall those things be when that is gone If thy soule be required this night of thee then whose shall these things be that thou hast provided Luk. 12.20 The lost Sonne was faine to rob the Swine to fill his belly with their husks Thou art a robber when thou takest either fleece or flesh from the poor sheep to feed thy belly or to cloath thy back and save that the sheep is dumb before the shearer and slaughterer it would cry out Robbery and Murder for it is more innocent then thou neither is it any of thine save onely by Gods permission and thine usurpation Therefore God saith as if thou usurpest his right I will recover my Wool and my Flax and take away my Corne and Wine Hos 2.9 if thy soul be not thine 2. Irreparable 2. The losse of the soule is an irreparable losse Mat. 16.26 To lose his soul Luk. 9.25 Or lose himselfe is to be cast away Oh! that 's a sad word such an one is cast away that is he is drown'd and sunk and buryed in the bottome of the Sea and can never be recovered any more A poor wretch that loseth his soule is cast away that is drown'd and sunck and buryed in the bottome of Hell for evermore If you have lost your Gold by hiding it in the Earth you may dig for it and find it but if you have lost your Gold in the bottome of the Sea 't is irrecoverably lost If thou losest a Wife or a Childe or an Estate c. these losses are recoverable or if God take away these he can for Counters give us Gold But if thou lose thy soule nothing can repaire that losse Mat. 16.26 VVhat shall a man give in exchange for his soule that is there is nothing so much worth as it nothing able to repaire the losse of it Set apart the inestimable righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus and it would utterly begger heaven and earth to repaire the losse of any one poore soule When we exchange our soules with any thing that this world can afford we are as a rich fool and much more foolish then he that gives away an exceeding great Estate for a painted Apple or guilded Nut. An hundred thousand times more then what he gets would not countervaile the one thing that he loseth 3. Eternal 3. It is an eternall losse because it is the losse of that which is immortal 'T is in the soule that the worme lives that never dyeth 'T is upon such a soule that the fire feedeth that never goeth out Isai 66.24 The griefe the sence the sorrow of other losses dyeth with thee but this losse and the unconceiveable sadnesse of it begins most to live when thou dyest the losse of temporal things is but temporal but the losse of the immortal soul is eternal What friend lost for ever for ever Oh! let that word break thy heart From hence let me first speake to those that are lost Use 1 and not yet found This is and shall be for a lamentation To those that are lost and not yet found lament What my Brethren have you lost your soules and not found them Why every one is solicitous for losses 1 Sam. 9.3 The Asses of Kish were lost and he said unto Saul arise take servants with thee and go and seek the Asses Up and call in helpe and take all paines and all to seek the lost Asses And thus they pass through the Land of Shalishah but they found them not through the Land of Shalim but there they were not through a third Land and yet found them not Seek your soules and yet on they went to seeke them still verses 4.5 Oh! how shall this story rise up to condemne poor soules Hast thou ever taken such paines to finde thy lost soule to go from Ordinance to Ordinance from duty to duy from one endeavour to another restlesly laborious in seeking that which thou hast lost You have a saying that I love you as I love my soule Why upon the account of this history I had rather be some mans Asse then thy soule yea most mens Dogge rather then thy soule if they lose their Dogge they 'l whistle for him If a Gentleman lose a setting Dogge c. all the Country shall be searched for it but how few Gentles or others take paines inseeking their lost soules Alass this is in a sort an infinite loss wherein thou losest an infinite God How sad is it then that herein thou shouldest be or not at all or so sparingly affected My friends I see you are yet alive and thus much according to the same truth I would say to qualifie what was before spoken of this losse for the sake of broken hearts not of obdured sinners that the soule is not so as I said lost until your lives be lost for until you have lost your lives 't
to soul-weariness as that of the body and to both as well as wee Tell me Christians you that know by experience what is the houre of your spirituall wearinesse is it not the houre of your spirituall travaile Read what is said of Sion Jer. 4.31 I have heard the voyce of a woman in travell the anguish c. the voyce of the daughter of Sion woe is me now my soule is wearied And minde what the Lord saith of Christ Isai 53.11 He shall see of the travell of his soule Here you have Christ in soul-travell and if any shall make doubt of his soul weariness at that time let them compare the language of travelling Sion with the voyce of her travelling King Mat. 26.38 He saith unto his Disciples My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death sorrowfull unto death What is that but wearinesse of his life Hitherto refers all that former tyring travell of his pilgrimage on earth where you read of his groaning in spirit and trouble in spirit Joh. 11.33 and Joh. 13.21 Sirs what do you think of the travell of his soule when he cryes out My God my God whay hast thou forsaken me Think you that this was not a tyring travell for my part I believe that never was there any one soule that knew most of the terrors of the Lord those wearying woes and tyring terrors that ever came neare unto the sufferings of Christ in degree for hee drank the very dregs of the Cup of Gods wrath his Cup of Vinegar and Gall that he drank with his bodily mouth I reckon but a shadow and type of the tedious bitternesse of his soule and well therefore might that Patheticall Poet make it the burthen of his sad song when he personates the passion of lamenting Jesus in the language of lamenting Jeremy Was ever griefe like mine And you may say to your Saviour Was ever weariness like thine Surely if eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor heart understood the glory of that REST which Christ hath purchased by that travell neither have they perceived the wearinesse that Christ underwent in that travell we shall never fully know the one till we know both nor be able to conceive of that weariness till we be able to receive that rest Onely thus we may argue in our straightned understandings That if the terrors of one sin and the guilt of one soule be so wearying to us that nothing but infinite mercy can refresh us what tyrednesse must there needs be upon the soule of the Lord Jesus Christ 2ly He did imputatively bear the tyring guilt curse c. of our sins For as the next particular tells us The Lord Christ did though not properly and so as either to be involved in the guilt or depraved by the stain imputatively beare and takes upon himselfe the sinnes of many soules even of all the Elect to beare the weight of the sin and the Lords wrath for the sin in behalfe of their soules who is therefore said 2 Cor. 5.21 To be made sin for us not for all but for us or if for all yet but for all us Isai 53.6 The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all These are the many considered in themselves though they be but few comparatively whose sins he is said to bear vers 12. when he powred out his soul unto the death And this leads me to 2d Part It was to our weaknesses wearinesses and for our sakes not his own The second Proposition That it was our weakness and weariness rather then his own that Christ tooke on him and for our sakes rather then his own This I passe over as being the full and plain importance of Isai 53. throughout the Chapter and as necessarily deducible from what I have here already proved and therefore I shall proceed to 3d. Part. That Christ thereby became a sutable support for us The third Proposition That the Lord Christ by being subjected unto our weaknesses and wearinesses is hereby become an apt support and leaning stock unto us I have before shewed that the 110 Psalm is by the Apostle expounded of Christ which closeth with this briefe prophesie of the sufferings of Christ and the issue of them verse 7. He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift up the head It 't is not said then shall he lift up his head or therefore shall he lift up his own head though that were true but indefinitely the head that is as his own so the head of those that are bowed down because his owne head was bowed down to drinke of the brook of the waters of Marah that is therefore he is become a sutable Saviour to lift up the head that is to stay to strengthen to support the hearts of poore disconsolate ones because himselfe had his own head in the brook before us for two things are here imported which are both expressed by the Apostle to the Hebrews For 1. Thereby he gat skill as knowing our weaknesses and wearinesses experimentally First That because Christ himselfe was once subject to weaknesses and wearinesses like as we are therefore he hath skill to succour us as knowing our grievances indeed known unto the Lord God are all our sufferings sorrows sicknesses c. but it is Cognitione intuitûs with a viewing knowledge Known they are to the Lord Christ Cognitione sensûs with a feeling knowledge Thus Heb. 2.18 For in that himselfe suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted So in that himself was weary and had need of refreshing in his journeyings on earth and had need of strengthning in his Agony therefore he is an accomplished high Priest able to support the weak and to succour the weary 2ly Therefore also he hath will to succour 2ly Therefore he hath as good will also because of sympathy as well as ability Thou knowest the heart of a stranger saith God to Israel because thou wast a stranger in Egypt So Christ knows the heart of an afflicted groaning troubled weakned wearied soule because it was once thus with himselfe This Antecedent and Consequence the Apostle hath both together Heb. 2.17 Wherefore it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren in all things that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest Hence is that sympathy of Christ in Heaven with sorrowing Saints on Earth whose language is as Pauls 2 Cor. 11.29 Who is weak and I am not weak take two Scriptures for it the one Isai 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and Act. 9.4 Why persecutest thou me so saith Christ to Satan when he assaults a weak Christian Why temptest thou me He was in Himselfe persecuted before now in his Saints tempted before in his own soule now in his members weak and weary before is his naturall body now in his mysticall body therefore doth his fellew-feeling engage him to faithfulness and his communion in sufferings to commiseration on
ver 12. And now friends what think you of dying in sin I may say to you and to my self what the prophet speaketh Amos 3.8 The lion hath roared who will not fear the Lord God hath spoken who can hut prophesie 2. Wilderness death a double death Secondly Dying in the wilderness doth best represent the double death of sin If a man dieth on his bed yea amongst his enemies yet doth he die but once his body is buried and returns unto the dust in peace from whence it came but if a man perâ—sh in the wilderness where body and soul are parted a sunder his carkase also is rent in pieces and being rent is devoured of wilde beasts and so findes as it were a living grave and do you not know that such a grave is hell The Lord threatneth it as a sad judgement upon the people that after death their carkases should be devoured of wilde beasts Jer. 7.33 Their carkases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and beasts of the earth and none shall fray them away Therefore doth the Lord compare that which by Iohn is called the second death unto some beast of the forest opening his mouth and widening as it were his throat to swallow down the prey Isa 5.14 therefore hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure I tell you hell hath a wide mouth and open throat to receive the carkases the souls I mean of those that perish in the spiritual wilderness of sin 3. Wilderness death an eternal death Lastly Israels dying in that wilderness was a type of eternal death surely dying in this wilderness will be seconded with that Heb. 4.17 18. They that fell in that wilderness could not enter into his rest That rest was as it is there expounded a type of heaven so that falling short is expounded also a figure of eternal ruine Let us therefore fear least a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short Heb. 5.1 Exhortation to lean upon Christ Secondly Be exhorted to lean upon the Lord Jesus that you may come forth of the destructive wilderness of sin If the famine the thorns the serpents the wilde beasts of the wilderness be so killing Oh! what need have we of a Christ Christ is Jesus and can be life unto us notwithstanding all exigencies First In this wilderness-famine Who is 1. Bread in this famine the Lord Jesus is Manna bread from heaven angels food bread of God what can a poor famishing creature desire more 1 Cor. 10.3 4. They did all eat of the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink and that was Christ Secondly 2. Healer of these rents and piercings If thy soul be pierced through or torn with the thorns of this wilderness the guilt of sin The Lord can binde up that which was broken Ezek. 34.16 as well as seek that which was lost in the wilderness therefore let us take their counsel in Hosea 6.1 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn us and he will binde us up Thirdly 3. Curer of these serpents bitings If thy soul be bitten by the serpents of this wilderness you have heard of Israels cure Numb 21.8 't is also ours the brazen Serpent the Lord Christ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so was the Son of man lifted up that whosoever belived on him should not perish but have eternal life John 3.14.15 Lastly If thy soul once get an interest in the Lord Jesus 4. Rescue from these beasts devourings thou need'st not fear what all the beasts of the wilderness can do against thee This is that spiritual David that slaies both the Lion and the Bear 1 Samuel 17.36 and he verily that reads not Christ there misseth of the best part of the story First Then Christ is able to secure thee 1. Being a lion for he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 therefore despair not onely believe Secondly 2. Able to bring honey and â—ood He is that Sampson that brings honey out of the Lions carkase Judges 14 8. thaâ— can make even Satans temptations thine advantage food for thy faith and matter of thy Christian experience for thy future support Psal 74.14 Thou brakest the heads of Levi than and gavest him to be food for a people inhabiting the wilnerness Thirdly He shall as a Lion arise for thy salvation 3. Able to make thee as a lion Psal 31 4 5. Like as a lion and a yong lion roaring upon his prey that will not be afraid of a multitude of shâ—pherds so will the Lord of hosts come down for mount Sion and for Jerusalem as birds flying so will the Lord defend it defending also he will deliver it and passing over he will preserve it Thus wil the Lord Christ wil make thee through his strength prevail against all thy spiritual enemies be they never so many yea thou shalt be more then Conqueror through Christ that loves thee Mic. 5.8 The remnant of Jacob in the midst of many people shall be as a lion amongst the beasts of the forest as a yong lion amongst the flocks of the sheep who if he go through treadeth down and tears to pieces and none can deliver CHAP. IX Containeth the third Branch or Evidence of the first Doctrine showing that the coming out of the wilderness of sin is difficult and as to our own power desperate Third evidence The coming out of the wilderness difficult and desperate YOu have seen sin like the wilderness both in its first view and entry and in its further discoveries and progress We come now to the third Sin is a wilderness to the last as well as from the first Therefore Thirdly The coming out of the wilderness is difficult and desperate so is the coming out of sin I may say Facilis descensus eremi Sed revocare gradus Hic labor hoc opus est 'T is easie Friends to finde the way into the wilderness and into sin The Israelites were soon gotten into the wilderness Exod. 13.20 I believe they were not forty hours in getting into it but they were forty years in getting out of it Adam his posterity were in a few hours got into sin Adam and his posterity are not to this day got out of it There were not many hours from the Creation before we were all bewildred in sin Gen. 3.6 There are thousands of years since the Creation and yet are not we got out of sin The way of life is soon lost and mist of but it it is not so quickly found again There are these things considerable in the wilderness which make the coming out of it difficult and desperate and the same too truly hold in sin The wilderness is great this great wilderness is full of divers ways these various ways are perplexed these perplexed ways are uneven these uneven ways are
devoured as shubble fully dry You see the very thickets where the thorns are folden most together shall be devoured This is that which the holy Ghost otherwise expresseth Though hand joyn in hand yet shall not the wicked go unpunished Prov. 16.5 The second part of this Treatise discovereth the bewildred or lost estate of every unconverted SOVL CHAP. I. Contains the general proof of the point and begins the Induction of Particulars First Particular We are conceived and born in the wilderness of Sin proved and applyed HAving proved sin a wilderness Come we now to enquire who they are that are bewildred Our Text tells you All that have not yet come unto nor yet leaned upon that is savingly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ And therefore our second Doctrine tells you That whoever thou art for person or quality in the world Doct. 2 Every unregenerate state is a bewildred estate that art yet in an unconverted and unbelieving state Thou art yet in a bewildred estate and condition and sin is a wilderness unto thy soul I say whosoever thou art yong old high low rich poor living or dying thou art in a wilderness This I shall first prove and then open I shall prove it first in General then by Induction of Particulars I shall open it by declaring what advantages satan hath what pains he takes what means he makes and are made use of unto the bewildring of poor souls Of these in order Proof General First Then for proof of the point in General viz. That all unconverted ones are spiritually bewildred ones even lost in the wilderness of sin Hear what the Psalmist saith and the Apostle from him When God looked down from heaven to take a view of men on earth to see if any if any I say sought after God Hear Gods own language Psalm 14.2 3. They are all gone aside And what is that but to be bewildred And hence the Apostle concludes all Jew and Gentile one and another to be under sin which you have heard proved a wilderness Rom. 3.9 None better no not one ver 12. How emphatically doth he express it now see how amply he proves it He proves first That they are a wilderness and that in all maner of latitude They are altogether become unprofitable ver 12. and what fitter character for a wilderness He proves next That they are in a wilderness and that in as great a latitude And that first By shewing that they are gone out of the right way They are all gone out of the way ver 17. Secondly by declaring That being out of it they have neither wisdom nor knowledge to finde it any more for The way of peace they have not known ver 17. Thirdly By giving an account of the ways they are gone into which is the very character that I have from Scripture given you of the waies of the wilderness of sin Destruction and misery are in their waies ver 16. And I pray What are waies of destruction and of misery if the ways of the wilderness be not Now then as the Apostle speaking puts us altogether let us put all that he hath spoken together They are saith he whether Jew or Gentile ver 9. gone out of the way ver 12 and know no more the way in to peace ver 17. but instead of that way are in the ways of misery and destruction ver 16. and now my Friends Believe you that this is Scripture I know that you believe This you have God frequently complaining of Ezek. 2.3 They and their fathers have transgressed of which word this is the plain English They have both father and childe one and another gone aside out of my ways then he pursues his complaint against the same persons and calls them bryars and thorns and scorpions which are all of the wilderness as you have already heard Though bryars and thorns be with thee and thou dwellest among scorpions yet be not afraid ver 6. but speak my words unto them ver 7. as who should say I have sent thee as a voice to cry in the wilderness but be thou not afraid My friends I desire to speak it with grief of heart as the truth of God there is not one soul of you that is out of Christ but it is in the wilderness that destructive and miserable wilderness of sin There is not a soul amongst you that lives out of Christ but it lives in that wilderness that dies out of Christ but it dies in that wilderness and for this Oh! that my head were fountains that this should be heard of and spoken of and so much concern every man and yet no man lay it to heart Secondly 2. Proof by induction of particulars I shall conclude all unregenerate soules under these spiritual bewildrings by induction of particulars You have heard that murmuring and unbelieving Israel came short of Canaan 'T is the Apostles phrase concerning all unbelieving ones That they all are come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 and this you shall finde sadly true begin or end where you will from the childe in the womb and cradle to the aged in the litter and on the beer if not in Christ then in the wilderness if short of Christ then short of Canaan The familiar expression of that Prophet who was so much in parables is a wilderness or forest to express the world Ezek. 17.24 You have mention of high trees and low trees of dry trees and green trees there and so it is In the wilderness are all sorts of trees in sin are all sorts of persons You have masculine and feminine among the trees you have yong and old sound and rotten cedars and shrubs flourishing and verdant and â—eaâ— and withered and yet all wilderness-trees still O how is sin a wilderness Here are some but sprigs new come out from the earth some but small and of a little growth of an hand of a span of yard high some taller some full grown some over-grown some sixty some an hundred years old yet all in the wilderness Some are men some women some are rich and sappy some poor and without substance some flourishing under forms of godliness some as withered trees not so much as a leaf of profession upon them but all in the wilderness of sin still I shall begin with the childe in and from the womb and observe him till he comes to the grave 1. We are conceived and born in the wildernes of sin First The childe is conceived in the desert and brought forth in the wilderness by the carnal conception and natural birth If you look unto conception 't was in the wilderness or else you must deny this point That sin is a wilderness or that which I am not afraid to reckon among fundamentals Psalm 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me If you look unto your birth 't is in the desert reade but from our Text to the
such a rich man is I could have such a cordial and such a Physician and such attendance that doubtless I should quickly get up again 3. Over-hard thoughts of Gods dispensations towards himself vers 10. Waters of a full cup are wrung out unto them Nothing but wrath and the dregs of the wrath the very wringings out of wrath are he thinks reserved for him And vers 13. All the day long have I been plagued What all the day long take heed of saying so nothing but plagues no mercy no refreshment no breathing-time no intermission I do not beleive it You think to hardly of the Lord. This is a great transgression to think that there is nothing but plagues in poverty 4. Wretched yet ordinary thoughts of losing the bands of poverty for slacking the cords of conscience thoughts of getting more liberty in the world by taking more liberty in the wilderness I mean in sin vers 13. Verily I have washed mine hands in innocency and cleansed mine heart in vain I had better turn flatterer and so get favor with the rich or cheater and so grow rich than be as I am having a name of innocency but consumed and undone with poverty this is a great and grievous heart-transgression though it never come so far as it did not in Asaph and will seldome do in the Saints as unto the act 2. The transgressions of the life and conversation 2. To their lives and practices Prov. 30.9 Least I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vaine You cannot steal without taking Gods name in vaine and you cannot be poor unless you be rich in grace but you 'l be ready to steal 1. From men by dishonesty in your callings and dealings with them and this is to make Gods commandment which is his name to be in vain 2. Or at least from God by taking that time to thy worldlie cares and labors which thou oughtest to reserve for Gods service and herein thou contractest such guilt as that God will not hold thee guiltless for the Lords Ordinances are his name 3. From thy self by hindring thy soul of those precious advantages which the gain of ten thousand worlds cannot recompence Perhaps thou art earning two pence or a peny at thy loom whilst thy soul might have been converted and for ever enriched at a Lecture And judge you when the word is preached and thou neglectest it because of thy poverty when thou mightest rise well perhaps one day in the week an hour sooner or go to bed an hour later dost thou not herein steal from thy poor soul and take the name of the Lord in vain Vse To poor ones bewildred by poverty Advice as to their thoughts of heart 1. Then a word as to the wilderness of thy thoughts then of thy waies 1. If thy poverty-thoughts bewilder thee take Christs councel take thou little or none of them better for a poor man to be quite without thoughts then to be bewildred by his thoughts Mat. 6.25 Take no thought for your life vers 31. Take no thought what you shall eat or drink or be cloathed with vers 34. Take no thought for the morrow that is no distracting disturbing bewildring thought better no thought at all then such thoughts Or if you will be thining 1. Think of your God often Daniel had nothing but pulse to live on Dan. 1.12 yet Daniel could think of God and make solemn supplication three times a day Dan. 6.12 Seek then the Kingdom of God first and those things shall be added Mal. 6.33 Therefore 2. Think of your voyage out of the wilderness often if you be never so poor God will bear your charges unto Canaan God will enable thine old cloaths to keep thee warm still if thou canst not get new Deut. 29.5 I have led you fourty yeers in the wilderness and your cloaths are not waxed old nor your shoe upon your foot And God will make thee as fat with pulse as the children fed at the Kings Table Dan. 1.15 2. As to the wayes of their lives 2. As to your life maintain holiness in your waies when the beasts of the wilderness even the strongest and most ravening of those beasts the young Lions shall suffer hunger that is those that can range in the waies of the wilderness in the pathes of sin to get an estate or a liveliehood any how then they that fear the Lord are sure to want nothing Psal 34 10. God will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly that 's in the right and strait waies Psal 84.11 CHAP. IV. Riches a wilderness to the unregenerate opened and applyed SEcondly 2. Riches a wilderness to unregenerate ones Riches themselves are but a wilderness to carnal ones 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of money is the root of all evil What then grows up from that root truly thickets enough to make a wilderness remarkable are the two things that follow in the same verse First they that have coveted it have erred from the faith there are the paths Secondly they have peirced themselves thorough with many sorrows there are the thorns of the wilderness Hence 2 Pet. 2.15 They have forsaken the right way and have gone astray following the way of Balaam What 's the reason Who loved wages of unrighteousness Express is that language in all three Evangelists Mat. 13.22 Mark 4.19 Luk. 8.14 We read it the deceitfulness of riches but the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies a way and the privative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in plain English riches whose property it is to lead out of the way Or which translation of the word cannot be quarrelled with the bewildrings of riches More particularly riches of the world are subject to bewilder by the multitudes of their occasions temptations and excuses 1. Riches set men round with a wilderness of occasions 1. Their occasions so that they know not which way to turn toward Canaan Pro. 30.9 Give me not riches saith Agur vers 7. least I be full and deny thee vers 9. When the house is full of Mammon seldom it is that there 's room for God I am bold to understand fulness of business created by riches as one sort of fulness here meant He hath so great trading and so many to speak with so many wayes at once to go that he hath not time to speak with God as he goes by or to walke in the wayes towards Canaan or to trade for heaven I have very rarely observed that any man hath had more time for heaven then another by having more of earth then hath another If the rich man can finde time enough from his occasions to have a lesson set him or to hear it read Good master what shall I do to be saved he can by no means stay to take it forth He went quickly away for he had great possessions Mat. 19.16 22. The rich have barns to
pull down and greater to build and a thousand more occasions Ask them and say Come let us go up to Zion they must needs deny you their hands are already full of their own occasions I have seen what time some had to take money in but I have wondred what time they have had to pray in Or if you turn unto duty which yet is as sad do not the occasions of the world go along with your hearts Ezek. 33.31 They come and sit and hear but their heart goes after their covetousness 2. Their temptations 2. The temptations of riches are a wilderness to the soul This the poor man thinks not of when he would so fain change estates with the rich 2 Tim. 6.8 9. Having food and raiment let us be content But they that will be rich fall into temptations and into a snare and into many an hurtful lust Such as these 1. Temptations to forget their dependance upon God they that are fed from hand to mouth are not so subject But the rich man if carnal Psal 10.3 4. boasteth of his hearts desire and God is not in all his thoughts 2. Temptations to sensuality and carnal lusts These men have fuel to cast upon the flame more than others have The rich man can go alwayes in purple and fine linnen and fare deliciously every day Luk. 16.19 Poor men though they would cannot And verily what is all that they have in the world more than others but the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life 3. Temptations to desire alwaies to be here to undervalue heaven to build upon earth to neglect yea to forget their latter end If the fool hath much good he presently dreams of many years Luk. 12.19 and saith he shall never be moved Psal 10.6 such and a thousand more such like temptations are enough to bewilder a poor soul 2. A wilderness of excuses The more riches 3. Their excuses the more occasions and the more occasions the more excuses and excuses as one said are as hilts upon the hands and make it much more difficult to make men lay down their weapons Such a friend must be seen I and that this day to morrow will not do so well let this excuse mine absence from this days Lecture Such a customer must be waited on who just now is to go out of town let this excuse another time Luk. 14.18 19 20. What with rich bargains and rich leases and rich wives or one thing or other all with one consent began to make excuses There were different excuses but all with one consent If he had not had money enough to have bought those Oxen to have hired that farm to have joyntured that wife he might for ought I know have been a guest at the wedding supper Mark further the language of excuses I have bought a peice of ground and I must needs go and see it I pray thee have me excused I have pointed the man to meet me there and he will be frustrated except I go pray tell your master if it were not a case of necessity I would have come unto him but now I must needs go another way There is a wilderness of excuses Give me leave then you that are rich in this world Vse Advice unto rich men and perhaps I might say in this wilderness to present a few things to your considerations 1. May not this be a worm unto all your enjoyments 4. Considerations for rich men to think as perhaps you have reason to do if unregenerate you ought to do that what ever you have gotten you have gotten it in the wilderness T is the Lords own notion not mine Read Job 24.5 6. Behold as wild Asses in the desert go they forth to their work rising betimes for a prey the wilderness yeeldeth food for them and for their children c. Thou hast got thou canst say an estate for thy self an inheritance for thy son portions for thy daughters but if thy neighbors or thy conscience can say thou hast got it in the wilderness that sin hath yeelded food for thee and for thy children dost thou nor think this thought will spoil all in the day that thy wilderness shall become an howling wilderness Surely it shall Therefore Go to now rich men lament and howle for the miseries that shall come up on you James 5.1 2. Consider T is not more hard for any to get out of the wilderness then for the rich as strait as the gate is that enters into life so strait is the gap that leads out of the wilderness And surely it is not for those that are fat like Jesuron cloathed as the Prophet speaks with thick clay to croud or creep out at so narrow an hole The passage is no bigger then a needles eye therefore one way or another by losses or self-denial or contempt of the world thou must be brought to a single thred to go thorough the needles eye The yong man might else have got out of the wilderness but he was too thick to go thorough for he had great possessions Mat. 19.22 3. Consider what a foolish and vain purchase it is to grow rich in a wilderness for whilst an estate is gotten thy self is lost And upon this account what would it profit thee to gain the world whilst thou losest thine own soul Mark 8.36 This was the folly of that fool Luk. 12.19 He boasted what an estate was his when that very night it appeared that his soul was none of his then Whose are the things that he had provided vers 20. 4. Consider Whatever thou gettest in the wilderness thou shalt undoubtedly leave there The thorns and the bryers of those thickets will never suffer thee to go away with thy fleece that grew there Thus he that gathereth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and in the end shall be a fool Jer. 17.11 Therefore let rich men learn to chuse the way of truth as David Psal 119.30 Yea to turn their heart thereto and not to covetousness as vers 36. Yea To rejoyce in the way mark the phrase the way of Gods testimonies as much as in all riches My friends Gods testimonies are a way all riches without them are but a wilderness CHAP. V. Old Age a wilderness to the unregenerate opened and applyed SIxthly The unregenerate aged ones are yet bewildred 6. Old ones unregenerate act as old trees rotting in the wilderness and even old age a wilderness unto their souls These are the trees of the wilderness of 60. 90. 100. yeers old Verily I was much affected when I spake of your babes as born in the wilderness but oh how shall I speak unto thee who art already rotten and every day falling to dust in the wilderness of sin you have a phrase for an old man that he hath one foot in the grave oh how sad a case is he in when both feet are
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 â—â—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
admiration of God had cast her away I asked her if she were resolved to harbour sin and to hold her iniquity till she should die that she did so determine that she was a Reprobate The poor heart brake out into a passion of tears and said Oh! no I had rather be damned with holinesse then carry sin to heaven with me for God knows I hate it with a perfect hatred These are the souls I speake unto that are under this bewildring temptation because of their darkness in respect of the purposes of God of whom I am bold to conclude that though they bee their own Reprobates yet are they none of Gods 2ly Darkness as to Gods thoughts 2ly They are bewildred in exceeding much darknesse as to the thoughts of Gods heart toward them You know in generall we are very apt to measure every ones thoughts by our own The proud Spirit wonders that every one doth not think him worthy of that respect that he thinks himselfe worthy of and again the lowly Spirit that thinkes meanly of himselfe wonders that any one should think better of him then he doth of himselfe that any Godly Minister or Christian should think well or speak well of him when he cannot bestow a good thought upon himselfe and indeed whatever it be that we have taken up a strong perswasion of we admire that every one thinks not as we thinke Now when once poore soules come to harbour those sad thoughts that I have spoken of against themselves they are much in the dark concerning Gods thoughts being wholly disposed to measure Gods thoughts by their own When a Minister brings them a comfortable word they cannot be perswaded that God is of that mind because they are not of that mind When David brings lame creeple Mephibosheth to eat bread at his own table 2 Sam. 9.7 He can't be perswaded that he means as he saith that he should eat bread alwaies there ver 8. What is thy servant that thou shouldest looke on such a dead Dog as I am What would you make me believe that God hath any thoughts of saving such a dead soule as I am such a sinner how can it be I know mine owne thoughts that I would never find in mine heart to do such a thing for such an Enemy of mine and of my good as I have been unto God and unto his glory therefore I can never thinke it I thinke if I were as judge I should undoubtedly damne such an one as my selfe is and therefore let me alone God can have no thoughts of good concerning me Now hold a little whilest we read Isai 55.7 8â— Let the wicked forsake his waies Why what shall he get by that is there any hope of good for a wicked man Yes God will have mercy upon him Yea but saith thy soule not upon such a grievous sinner as I am yes God will abundantly pardon Do you say so O but I can never think that Yea but friend that 's an unrighteous thought and you must forsake it Let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts Forsake it why ver 8. For saith God My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your waies my waies but as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my waies then your waies and my thoughts higher then your thoughts ver 9. So that it is a bewildring darkness for thy poor heart to conclude that God thinks no thoughts of peace towards thee because thou canst not think thy soul worthy of that peace c. For saith God I know the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace Jer. 29.11 3ly Poor souls in such a day 3ly Darkness as to Gods providence are much in the dark as to Gods providential dispensations Oh! saith the soul if God intended to pardon me in the end he would never thus long keep me upon the rack if God intended to save me in the Conclusion he would never suffer Satan thus to buffet me unbeliefe to have so much power over me temptations to blasphemous thoughts and despairing words thus far to prevaile against me c. Therefore doth Eliphaz sinfully and uncharitably conclude concerning good Job Jo. 22.5 c. That his wickednesse was great and his iniquities infinite c. because ver 20.11 That snares were round about him and darkness that he could not see c. And thus think poor souls of themselves that because they are under darker dispensations as they think then any others that therefore their sins are greater and their conditions more desperate then any others Now this is darkness for this is to judge according to the appearance and not with righteous judgement Thus though God had brought comforts to Zion and tels her that he will have mercy upon his afflicted Isa 49.13 Yet because she was afflicted verse 14. Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me He would never have staid so long saith the soul but that he hath quite forgotten me he would â—ever have served me so and so but that he hath quite forsaken me Now how much darknesse there is in this kind of arguing you may easily see in the next verses though a Mother forget her Child and can that be yet I will not forget thee saith the Lord for thou art graven upon the palms of mine hands verses 15.16 4ly Darkness as to Gods justice and mercy 4ly They have exceeding darkness upon their thoughts as to the justice and mercy of God and hereby they are also bewildred They poor Creatures can not think but that God is more inclined to justice then to mercy towards them and here still they judge according to flesh blood Indeed flesh and blood saith it is the glory of a man to revenge himselfe upon them that have wronged him but the Spirit saith It is the glorie of a man to pass by an infirmitie Now this they cannot but judge that God will have more glory in damning them then in saving them therefore they conclude that they shall be damned justice must passe upon them Now such thoughts are very darknesse for verily neither is Gods delight so much in nor his glory so much advanced by taking of revenge upon his Enemies though vengeance be his and he will repay as in shewing mercy unto poore souls 1. God delights most in mercy 1. Scripture seems to hold forth that there is nothing so much of Gods heart in punishing as in pardoning as is cleare in those two known Scriptures Isa 28.21 Where judgement is called his work but his strange work his act but his strange act as if he did not know how to goe about it How shall I give thee up Ephraim c. but Mich. 7.18 God pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression because he delighteth in mercy he delighteth in mercy in the worke of pardoning sin in the act of passing by transgression as if hee knew not how to go about any other work how dark then
up for that is raising up when God raiseth up us and our wills at once My soule hates their prophane Notion that teach soules to lye still as the beast in the ditch that cannot stirre dawbing with such untempered Morter as this if God will and when God will thou maist and shalt repent and beleeve and thou canst do no more then God will and therefore trouble not thy selfe to take any paines or to go any farther my Text saith not VVho is this that was taken out of the wildernesse but who is this that comes out c. though God raise up yet she must come up Gods motions herein may help but must not hinder thine own motions 2. It consists But Secondly Wherein is this comming up from the Wildernesse dispatched I answer 1. In the getting up of our eyes First In the getting of our eyes up Oh! labour we to looke from the top of the Wildernesse from the Lyons Dens and from the Mountaines of the Leopards Art thou going up the hil Why Prov. 4.25 Let thine eyes look right on Oh! how doe Christians hinder their progresse towards Canaan for want of due observance unto this rule We must be looking this way and that way to this vanitie to day to another to morrow like fools and children and so trifle away our time wherein we should dispatch our business Psal 119.5 Oh! saith David That my wayes were directed that I might keepe thy statutes And what wil he doe to this end v. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes There he gets up the eyes of his soule When I have respect to all thy Commadements v. 6. More expresly 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Wouldest thou be quick in the wayes of God Why Turn away thine eyes from vanitie please not thy selfe with it meditate not upon it I perswade my selfe that the reason why so few come up to the wayes of holinesse is because they never yet lifted up their eyes unto the beauties of holinesse and have therefore thought that the onely pleasing waies are in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 1.21 The World by wisedom knew not God My Brethren we must get up from our wisdoms to look higher then that or else we can not get up from the Wildernesse that is We must come verily to apprehend judge and account the wayes of God to be the best wayes and what carnal wisdome can doe so Thus must you get up your eyes 2. In the getting of our hearts Secondly In the getting up of your feet i. e. your Will and Affections Prov. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet Psa 119.101 I have refrained my feet from every false way that I may keepe thy Word Get up the feet of your soules and you get up all when you once truly set your affections upon things above then are you risen with Christ Col. 3.1 Then are you come up from the Wildernesse leaning upon the beloved Drunkards get up your affections from drunkenness you Worldlings get up your affections from the world if your affections were once truly up 't were easie 't were nothing to get your conversations up Set your affection on heaven ver 2. And 't were the ready way to mortifie your members which are upon earth v. 5. This Doctrine hath been Practical instead of Use this Querie offers it selfe But how shall I do to get up my feet from the Wildernesse I answer Take these four Rules Rules to help us herein 1. Occasion our hearts the uphil-way First Let your occasions lye this way If a mans occasions lye an up-hil way it matters not much how high the hil be he must go that way his occasions lie there Ier. 2.24 In her occasion who can turn her When your occasions are for London though it be up to London yet you wil goe and who can turne you My Brethren some mens occasions lye in the Ale-house as Maulsters c. Oh! this is sad who can perswade or turn them upward when their occasions lye down the hill downe to hel-ward yet I condemn not that Calling but caution the men labour thou to have occasions lying at the Throne of Grace in the house of Prayer c. and then God shall have more of thy company Secondly Accustom thy heart this way It s little to him to go up to London every week 2ly Accustom we our hearts that way that is accustomed to go up 'T wil be tedious to pray if thou doe not accustome thy selfe to pray He that is accustomed to a way can say as Paul I forget what is behind and presse forward to the price of the high Calling of God Phi. 3.13.14 Though we be called to high duty as well as high priviledges yet on can the Saint go that is accustomed to go You read of some accustomed to do evill Jer. 13.23 Get you the custom as well as the conscience of doing well 3ly Keep we up-hil company Thirdly Keep up-hil Company I am a companion of them that fear thee and that keepe thy word Psa 119.63 Oh! Company is a great solace in a wearisome way if two walk together in one way and the one fall the other shall lift him up Unchristian people know not the benefit of Christian communion therefore it is that they do not prize it and so missing of the company they often miss of the way Fourthly Above all get a nature that may move that way 4ly Get we a nature moving up-wards The stone naturally moves down-ward but the sparks as naturally fly upward If there be any sparke of grace in thee it wil be soaring upward 2 Pet. 1.4 That you might be partakers of the divine nature That is the nature I speak of Oh! that will alwayes he mounting upward if you press downe a flame it will up againe if temptation croud downe grace as soone as ever it can get from under will up againe towards God again what ever meanes else you use nothing will be effectual unless you get a new nature then though it be up the hil you will be able to go in the new way The fourth Part of this Treatise discocovers the onely way of salvation to lost soules viz. Leaning upon the Lord Jesus CHAP. I. Containes the proofe by way of Removall of nine false leaning Stocks ANd thus much be spoken concerning so much of the Text viz. Who is this that comes up from the wildernesse It followes that we now speake to the words that follow viz. Leaning upon her beloved In these words you have that Action that gave life and vigor to her motion she comes up c. leaning upon c. leaning upon her beloved leaning there 's her Act upon directs you to the Object her shewes her interest the ground and spring of the Act her beloved speaks her relation to him whom she leanes upon from whence we may conclude the nature of
the Action she comes up leaning upon one to whom solely she commits to whom wholly she submits her selfe upon one with whom she dares fully trust to whom she freely can yeeld her selfe she leans with all complacential satisfaction with all conjugall subjection 'T is her beloved she leans upon Now the End of this Action is the foresaid Motion she leanes on him to come up by him This is a Mystery but it is spoken of Christ and Converts of Christ and his Church A Mystery say I and so saith the Text a matter worthy the enquiring after and admiring at Who is she that comes up from the Wilderness Who is she that comes leaning upon her beloved ye daughters of Jerusalem look out at your windowes and aske who comes yonder 'T is your sister 't is your sister the daughter of your Mother she was dead but she is alive again born dead by her that once bare her but raised up under the Apple tree by him that now bears her she was lost but she is found she was cast out into the wilderness in the day that she was born to the loathing of her person but now she comes up from the wilderness leaning on her Lord in the day of her espousals Call her no more Mara but Naomi for the Lord hath dealt very graciously with her see how she leanes and look how he perfumes behold how she looks like pillars of smoke with all powders of the Merchant So let the Lord Jesus be glorified in his Saints so let him be admired in all them that believe Who is this that commeth from Edom with dyed Garments from Bosrah There 's a wondering at the Bridegroom Who is this that comes up from the VVilderness Here 's a wondering at the Bride He that speaks in righteousness mighty to save is the Bridegroom Isai 63.1 She that needs a Righteousness and a mighty salvation is the Bride 'T is a joy in heaven and a wonder on earth to see them together and never never like to be put asunder she leans on her beloved that is her Lord Jesus Christ her Lord that commands her to come from Lebanon Cant. 4.8 Her Jesus that inableth her to come home from the wilderness Lu. 15.4 5 6. Her Christ that perfumes her with Mirrhe and Frankencense with all Powders knowledge righteousness and true holinesse as Prophet Priest and King while she comes up from the wildernesse Cant. 3.6 And as you have Prophet The fourth main Doctrin There is no salvation for lost soules but onely by leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ Priest and King in one Christ so she leanes on the Lord Jesus Christ in one beloved Come we therefore to The fourth and last maine Observation viz. There is no coming up from the Wilderness of sin but onely by leaning upon the Lord Jesus Christ that is Gospel-reliance on Jesus Christ is the onely way of salvation to lost sinners Lost souls had need be leaning souls for there is no recovery of the sinner but by recumbency on the Saviour Eve was the first that was in the transgression she comes out of the wildernesse though an exile from Paradice looking at Christ in her promised seed whom she therefore names SETH Gen. 5.25 A foundation to be leaned upon Abraham of old hath respect unto his day and bottoms his joy thereupon Joh. 8.56 David though his Father yet calls him Lord Lu. 20.43 And in the day of Calamity this Lord saith David was my stay Psa 18.18 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * In sustentaculum of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niph Jnnixus est and properly signifies the Lord is my leaning stock And Mary though his Mother while the Child was yet unborn leans for salvation upon the Babe in her womb Lu. 1.47 He is the annointed the accomplished Saviour Proof of the point sent on purpose to seek and to save that which was lost Luk. 19.10 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 Christ is that living stone to whom we must come that Corner stone upon which all the building doth leane and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded and unto them that believe he is precious beloved indeed of the leaning soule 1 Pet. 2.6 7. And even in this sence may I say Other foundation can no man lay than which is laid which is Jesus Christ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul c. This is the great Commandement in the Law Thou shalt lean on the Lord thy Redeemer with all thine heart and with all thy soul c. This is the great Commandement of the Gospel Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Isai 45.22 24 25. I shall therefore endeavour the proof of the point 1. By taking from under you your other supports 2. By roling your soules with mine own upon Jesus Christ And 1. For Negative proofe of the point by way of removal of other leaning stocks 1. Negative By removal of other leaning stocks I may say in the general of all other supports what is said of the Hypocrites His hope shall be cut off and his trust shall be a spiders wed He shall lean his upon house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not indure Job 8.14 15. A poore house you will say that falls if the Owner of it doe but leane unto it such are all Christless supports to the lost soule 'T is recorded of Absalom That having no Children for his Name and Memorial to rest upon he built him a Pillar 2 Sam. 18.18 that was before that he had or else when he had buryed the Sonnes spoken of Chron. 14.27 Let those soules that never have heard of a Christ to rest upon make Pillars for themselves of other things But as one living Son would be better then a thousand dead Pillars so is one living Saviour of infinitely more value then 10000 dead supports for thy poor soule to leane upon I shall speake particularly to these nine the onely likely leaning stocks Particularly these nine none of which shall without a Christ stand thee in stead when thou leanest upon them First If thy leaning stock be thine old acquaintance with God as Creator 1. Leaning upon God as Creator 't is as nothing if it goe alone in order to salvation many poor creatures have this and no more to lean to VVhat do you think God that made me will damn me yes truly I doe thinke so if thou have no more to say for thy selfe for if this were enough to salvation none no not Devils should be damned It is not old acquaintance as a Creature but new
assent to this truth thou must needs infer that it is a tyring travaile 2ly Only beds of thornes to rest upon Secondly As wearying as the wayes are so when ever thou comest to lye down at night you have but tyring entertainment in the wayes of sinne and nature He travailes with paine all the day and this saith God You shalâ— have of mine hand you shall lye down in sorrow Isai 50.11 Oh! how wearying must it needs be to travaile in sinne and then when we have done to lie downe in sorrow 'T is want of sence in thee not of truth in these Scriptures that thou dost not thus feel it for the present but there is time enough before thee for thee to know it in 3ly From experience Thirdly For Experience I shall appeale to Heaven to Earth to Hell to all things Created or uncreated God Men and all other Creatures for their Vote herein 1. Gods owne experiedce Your wildernesse wayes have wearied him First I shall appeale to the experience of God himselfe what ever the matter is that thou art not weary of thy Christlesse wayes there 's enough in them all in the best of them all to weary God himselfe Hear him speak First There is enough in thy worst waies Isai 43.24 Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities It may be so saith some selfe-righteous One with the wicked God may be angry and with their iniquities be wearied but surely not with my services with my devotions Yes Yea even the best of them 2. With thy best services Isai 1.13 14. Your Oblations New Moons Sabbaths solemne services Though these were Gods own appointments they are saith God a trouble to me I am weary to beare them Secondly I appeal to the experience of all men 2ly Experience of al men as soon as they come but to understand things as they are whether Noahs Dove or his Raven I meane the best or the worst of men First For the Saints they can say I dare say for them 1. Saints experience that the Lord made them weary of other things as a man would be of carrying a load of dross or a burthen of dung when Gold or Silver is offered unto them in their stead Phil. 3.8 or as a childe that would quickly be weary of its lapfull of stones when one comes and offers it an apron-full of plums 2dly For the worst of men Those that are in Hell 2y Experience of the worst of men have already found they that are yet on this side Hell shall quickly find what weariness there is in the wayes of sinne and vanity Isai 2.20 In that day that is the day of Conviction shall a man cast his Idols of Gold and his Idols of Silver which they have made each one for himselfe Mark that every mans particular Corruptions and beloved lusts to the Moles and to the Bats that is they shall be utterly weary of them let who will take up their trade after them they 'l follow it no longer Thirdly I appeale to all other Creatures 3ly Experience of the whole Creation all wearied under the burthen of sinne even this whole Creation I tell you that the Sun is tyred in its Orbe with beholding the abominations of the Children of men by day and the Moon and the Stars in their courses by seeing their works of darknesse in the night I tell you the Earth would sink under you as it did under Corah Dathan and Abyram as weary to beare the burthens of your sins if the Lord would but give it a discharge Yea how doe the very houses of Clay that sinners dwell in spew them up and cast them forth in a few yeares as if weary of being so long possessed by them Yea how doth the very Gluttons and Drunkards stomack tell him to his face that it is weary of bearing his surfeiting and drunkennesse and therefore disburtheneth it selfe upon the ground This is no Notion or Hyperbole of mine but a very expresse truth of God and so to be by you laid to heart Rom. 8 20. The Creature was made subject to vanity And we know ver 22. that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in paine together untill now The very Heavens are weary of covering and the Earth of bearing wretched sinners and their continuall groan in their kind unto God is Oh! when shall there be an end of sinning Oh! when shall we be delivered verses 19.21 2ly Aggravated Your not being weary when you are wearied a symptom of spiritual death Secondly Is it so that there is so much in sinne to weary thee and yet thou art not weary truly this is the most dangerous and mortall symptome that can be imagined As it is the saddest signe of a red-sea ruine to be humbled so often with Pharoah and yet not to come once to be humble so it is for thee to be so often wearied by sinne and never to become once weary of it Sinners I dare appeale as the last appeale unto you Consciences even such as they are whether you have not often wearied your selves with drinking drabbing c although you were never yet weary of the sin for the kind yet wearied by the sin in the act Thus those wretched Sodomites who were now near a double Hell even first an Hell from Heaven and then an Hell in Hell Gen. 19.11 They wearied themselves to find the doore wearied yet not weary And wilt thou not be weary Yes friend thou must and thou shalt be weary onely thy wearinesse shall be when times of refreshing shall not be but when thy case is beyond Cure thus was Moab and oh let every one of us all take up that lamentation from the mouth of the Prophet Isai 16.11 My bowels shall sound like an Harpe for Moab and mine inward parts for Kir-haresh Why what 's the matter ver 12. It shall come to passe when it is seene that Moab is weary on his high place that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray but he shall not prevaile Oh! now father Abraham one drop of refreshing water to coole my tongue but it shall not be granted 'T is said of the Grave that there the weary be at rest but the quite contrary shall be said of Hell Oh! sirs you are not weary enough to drinke in the waters of refreshments to day I had almost said here is much water and little or no thirst there shall be thirst enough such as it will be but no water When a sick man hath been a long time tossing his wearied body on this side of the bed first and then on that and after all these weariednesses come to lye still and stupid and senslesse of any wearinesse what doe we I pray you reckon this but the sleepe of death When wretched sinners come to be wearied with every sinne so that the Lord can say they weary themselves and yet their cursed hearts can say We are not weary eternall death is in
received by us from Christ and you must acknowledge that they are the very things received by Christ from the Father 1. As for the believers strength Col. 1.11 Who are strengthned with all might according to his glorious power Almighty strength is derived from Christ to believers therefore the very strength unto which he is exalted so Phil. 4.13 I can do all things here 's a kind of Omnipotency in a Creature but how through Christ strengthning me Note Let me tell the weak hearts that are among you for their comfort that leaning can do as much as Christ on whom thou leanest is able to doe and Christ can do as much as God can doe for he can doe all things so with reverence I speake it can faith in him that was once crucified through weakness but is now raised in power and unto power that once being weary sat down on the well but now being at rest sits down on the right hand of the Majesty on high 2ly Rest of Christs own receiving 2ly As for the rest quiet peace and establishment that the soule hath that leanes on the Lord Jesus Scripture so phraseth it that if it were not the very rest and peace of Christ in glory I still mean relatively considered viz. as the head of believers in its measure it would not be able to bear such Hyperboles 'T is not call'd only peace with God and rest with Christ but the very quiet and peace of God even that peace that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts through Christ Phi. 4.7 An infinite peace shall keep house in a finite Creature a peace that passeth all understanding shall keep our minds Now add this infinite peace to almighty power and how can you speak higher of Christ the Prince of peace on whose shoulders the Government of all things in heaven and earth is laid Lastly 4. From the notion in which scriptures represent Christs owne state as Mediator untill we have full possession of that strength and See how the scriptures represent Christs estate as he is Mediator though personally and absolutely considered he is infinitely and absolutely God blessed for ever yet I say as Mediator and relatively lookt upon and it will yet more fully appeare how that the strength and rest that Christ glorified hath received he hath received in trust for us for till such time as we all that ever have leaned or doe leane or shall come truly to leane on him come to be fully strong in him and at rest with him himselfe is not compleat in his glory This is the judgement of reverend men and to me it seems sufficiently to he grounded on that phrase Ephe. 1.22 23. God gave Christ to be head over all things to his Church which is his body Note the fulnes of him that filleth all in all Christ as personally considered is God filling all in all Christ relatively considered as head of his Church is not full till they be full full of strength in all grace and goodnesse full of rest from all evill so that in that day that every beleever shall come fully to be saved in that day shall Christ be fully glorified and not till that blessed looked for long'd for day which though it be for an appointed time yet in the end it will come therefore wait for it for in the end it will come and will not tarry Therefore Thirdly Herein may leaners on this Beloved 3d. Propos Therefore may weak weary soules have strong consolation and encouragement to leane on Christ for strength rest have strong consolation a sure foundation whereon the highest faith may securely build Is this a truth that that Christ that was once both weak and weary and both for thee hath now all power and rest and all for thee Why here lean O friends yea leane inseparably O Beloved O let thy faith be as the Holy Ghost calls it Col. 2.12 The faith of the operation of God which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead wherein also you are risen with him Let persecutions watchings wearinesses Note let Principalities powers and Dominions let what hath or doth or can come upon you rise up against you only rise you up against them and you shall rise up above them through the faith of the operation of God whereby he raised up Christ for his own glory and as you have seen for your advantage Wherefore we having such strong consolation who have fled for a refuge to the hope that is set before us Let us hold this hope as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast when Rain descends and Winds rise and Waves beat because our forerunner is for us entred even Jesus c. Heb. 6.18 19 20. Let Isaiahs prophesie be found true of thee and me Isai 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord I have strength and righteousnesse For this is his Righteousness and hereunto shall that strength be laid forth that To you who are troubled there may be rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels c. 2 Thes 1.7 When he shall render vengeance to all that trouble you to him be glory for evermore CHAP. X. Containes the reason why so few receive strength and refreshment from Christ that yet seeme to leane upon Christ ANd thus have I explained the Object of this Act of leaning viz. Christ as humbled first to weakness and weariness and then exalted to strength and rest that he might be the support of the weak and the stay of the weary Object But now if this be so Whence is it that there are so many found leaning on Christ that yet continue in their weaknesses and wearinesses still Oh! saith a poor soul methinks my experience confutes your Doctrin for I have been an hanger upon Christ for some years and yet my grace spiritual refreshments are as smal as ever how is it then that Christ is prepared to be so sutable a support to leaning soules Ans I answer thou maist its likely think thou hast been so viz. a leaning soule but hast got no strength neither any refreshing truly I sadly feare thou hast but pleased thy selfe with fancy and never yet madest application of the Lord Christ unto thy soul by faith Never never lay the blame on the preparing of Christ for he is exquisitely accomplished and most fully furnished to supply weak and weary soules surely if he have not supplyed it is because thou hast not applyed Note God hath prepared Christ for you And now he must be improved by you The best made Bed must be laid downe upon if you would have Rest the best drest food must be eaten of if you would have strength The Brass made into a Serpent and lifted up too must also be lookt upon Jo. 3.14 There 's Application as well as Preparation and Jesus Christ lifted up both to Cross and Crown and
shall take hold upon him for God shall cast upon him and not spare though he would fain flie out of his hand You have this dreadfull judgement annexed to this sad sinne Jer. 13.35 This is thy lot the portion of thy measures from me saith the Lord because thou hast forgotten me and trusted in falsehood this is thy lot from me Oh! that 's a killing word It 's usually the lot of Saints to suffer from the World and to have all the loades laid on them that wicked men can lay yea sometimes 't is their lot to lie under all the loads that they can possibly lay upon themselves and their own Consciences can presse them down withall but all this is little to the other for all this while there is a God to take off their loads from them But now when God shall say this is thy lot from me and I will lay much weight upon thee because thou didst trust in falshood and lay as much weight upon thy sinne as possibly thou couldest and I the Lord will presse hard upon thee with mine owne hand of wrath and will not spare because thou didst leane hard upon thy sinne and sparedst not Heaven and Earth stand astonished and tremble O Hell at the Easelesse Endlesse and Remedilesse vexation that will surprise that Spirit Leane not to Satan 1. He is a knowne lyar 2ly Lean not to Satan for 1. If Sin be the web Satan is the Spider If Sin be the lie Satan's the lyer and which of these is to be leaned unto As for Satan he was a lyer from the beginning he hath continued a lyer ever since he got his Kingdom by lying he continues it by lying he manageth his whole Oeconomy and family-dispensations by lying and therefore he is called the Father of it Jo. 8.44 And is this thy Counsellor thy friend thy bosome-friend Is this hee that so many of the world lean unto Alas the foolishnesse of the children of men or madnesse rather of the children of the Devill alas the frequent bewitchednesse of the children of God! 2ly A sworne enemy Secondly Satan is not onely a known lyer but he is also thy sworn Enemie therefore what madnesse is it for thy soule to leane to him Will a man consult with his Enemie whose plot it is to take away his life or his estate how he may doe to save them Or will he which is much more lean to his Enemies counsell if he should entertaine a discourse with him What is said of the Unicorne Job 39.11 Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great I may much more say so to thy soule concerning Satan Are we ever the more confident in our Adversaries because they are the more potent Strength is the onely thing in Satan which might induce thee to leane unto those Principalities and Powers yea but that strength is in an Enemies keeping and therefore there 's lesse reason for trusting him Or dost thou thinke that he will lay downe his Emnity because he takes up a flattery Let the wise Man counsell thee Prov. 26.24 25. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips and layeth up deceit within him when he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Thirdly You say of knavish Customers 3ly The more you leane to him the more he will presse upon you the more you trust them the more they trouble you and the more they have of your Confidence the more you have of their Companie the way to be rid of them is to give them no Credit neither to trust to their Promises nor to their Payments I am sure it is and will be thus with Satan Oh! how he loves to trade where he may bee trusted you complaine Satan's alwaies troubling you and who can helpe it you are alwaies trusting him Trust him lesse and hee will trouble you lesse In this sort resist him and in that sort he will flee from you Jam 4.7 Lastly Lean unto Satan and farewell all confederacy and correspondence with the Lord. They say 4ly Leane to him and God will leave you if our State will leane to the Portugall they must breake with the Spaniard for these are absolute Enemies I am sure if you leane to Satan God will break with you for there 's no reconciling Christ and Belial Thus resting on the Lord and covenanting with Hell are made termes of fullest opposition Isai 28.12 15. CHAP. XXIV Disswasives from leaning upon the World amplified Lean not to the world THirdly lean not to the World Or as the Apostles rule is where hee speakes of the highest of fleshly things Phil. 3.3 Have no confidence in the flesh 1. Not to the worlds promises First Lean not to the Worlds promises be they never so specious yet are they but like Satans to Christ when he shewed him the glory of the World altogether deceitfull and treacherous All these will I give thee or to our Parents you shall be as Gods What more could be promised but though the second Adam was wiser then to be deceived yet is the first Adam yea and all his posterity a sad and sufficient proofe of the slender performance Much after the same sort doth the World pay what it promiseth Therefore as Job 15.31 Let not him that is deceived trust in Vanity for Vanity shall be his recompence Have you not often found this to be true of the World you very Men of the World Is not an high degree in the world a lye even as a low degree is vanity Read Psal 62.9 Yea let great Ones read their own Experiences in such or such a place of worldly profit or power c. Who were fairly promised much in it before they had it and then tell me Nor performances 2ly The Worlds performances are no more to bee trusted then its promise Leane no more unto what the World can do then unto what the World can say 1. Not to what the men of the world can do First Lean not to the Men of the World Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man or maketh flesh his Arm. 2ly Lean not to the Things of the World 2. Nor the things of the world Charge them that be rich in this world that they trust not in riches 1 Tim. 6.17 True may you say men are not to be lean'd to in whom we have no interest but such a man is my friend my Brother But trust not in a friend Mic. 7.5 And againe men will think small friends small forces are not much to be confided in Small means they that have them may live to wast them and too dye beggers notwithstanding them But think men if our friends or our Armies were so great or our Navies so strong or our Estates so many Thousands and that an Annuity then might I trust and that with boldnesse unto these things Therefore I wil go over again First Lean not to the men of