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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

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the soul needs be when the Lord shall thus forsake it There is none to plant prune or protect it no word or spirit to water it it must needs follow that it shall be laid waste and eaten up and trodden down and nothing but Briars and Thorns shall grow there How sad instances hereof have we in some that have lived long under Gospel-means But are not thereby become as a Garden Are they not as a Wilderness Yea of all others the most sharp and thorny and no wonder since they are left of the Lord and desert Is it so then that the Wilderness of Sin is so dismal because fruitless moistureless companionless Vse provisionless wayless waste and husbandless I shall onely improve this sad Consideration unto a double word of Exhortation respect being had unto the several particulars First Are we by sin become barren as a Wilderness Exhortation Labour to finde Christ as a Gard'ner to thy barren soul to make it fruitfull it is onely by grace that we can be made like Eden Isai 51.3 CHRIST is the Gard'ner that can both furnish us with fruit and make us bear fruit for this end he chooseth the grounds he gard'neth John 15.16 Of our selves we neither have fruit for our selves nor bring forth fruit to the Lord but CHRIST gives fruit and makes fruitfull He is the Apple-tree Cant. 2.3 He is the true Vine John 15.1 And yet the Dresser of the Vineyard Luke 13.7 Our Wilderness comes to nothing till it becomes his Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 Our souls are not comforted with Apples till we taste of his fruit Cant. 2.3 5. When we were in Paradise we were as a Paradise it was fruitfull to us and we to God Now we are in the Wilderness we are as a Wilderness sin is fruitless to us and we to the Lord. The Tree of Life made Eden a Paradise the River made it a fruitfull Paradise We lost both when we lost our selves There is now no Tree of Life with us to bear us fruit nor Water of Life to make us bear fruit But yet both are with Christ Rev. 22.1 2. And who so do his Commandments have right thereunto v. 14. Christ can set us with slips of Paradise Alas who would as they Isai 17.10 be setting their hearts with strange slips thy people shall be all righteous the branch of my planting the work of mine hand Isai 60.21 Yea and that they may be called Trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified As the Garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before them Isai 61.3 11. Again Christ can replenish us with fruits of Paradise Alas why should we savour those fruits unto death Rom. 7 5. from me saith the Lord is thy fruit found Hos 14.8 Even the twelve manner of fruits of the Tree of Life enough for all the Tribes and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations Rev. 22.1 2. * Compare Ezek. 47 8.12 with Rev 22.1 2. Here 's food and physick life and healing for Jew and for Gentile surely the Wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them Isai 35.1 When those waters Ezek. 47.8 Go down into the Desart But what is the wilderness the better that there are gardens in the world Or we that some strangers have such rare plants or choice fruits in remote countreys Christ hath born and doth bear fruits various and precious old and new such as wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption with fruits of joy and peace in believing Yea his mediation and the counsel of peace between him and his Father fruit as old as Eternity his intercession and tendring himself a sacrifice for sin as soon as we had faln as a Lamb slain from the begining of the world fruit as old as the world his incarnation birth circumcision temptations sorrows sufferings death burial resurrection and ascension fruits above sixteen hundred years old his word his spirit his daily intercession and gracious dispensations fruits as new as every day These these are the fruits that Christ hath brought forth and unto which they have right that obey his call his command Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse is his call Cant. 4 8. Eat O friends is his command Cant. 5.1 Now be not thou unmannerly modest or disobediently humble take what is given come when thou art called Thou wilt be little the better though Christ be a tree of life to others unless thou come to Christ and feed upon him Oh! therefore be encouraged poor barren soul to leave the desolate wilderness and to hasten thence ere thou perishest therein why should unbelief detain thee any longer from everlasting blessedness for Blessed are they that do his Commandments for these have right to the tree of life and then will Christs fruit be sweet unto thy taste as the Spouse asserteth Cant. 2.3 and then and never till then wilt thou be able to say My Lord and my God my Savior and my redeemer for they onely can truly call the Lord our Righteousness our Advocate our Peace-maker who can look upon all that Christ did as done for themselves in particular Oh! what pleasant fruit is here laid up for the poor soul that was barren and fruitless as a wilderness even until now CHAP. V. Carryeth on the general Exhortation Labor to finde thy soul a fruitful garden unto Christ c. BUt secondly 2. Labor to finde thy soul as a fruitful garden unto Christ labor also to finde thy soul to be a fruitful garden unto Christ for though the other do not depend upon this but this upon the other yet thou wilt hardly finde the other till in some measure thou hast found this O 't is a sweet thing for the soul of a wilderness to be made a fruitful garden unto Christ Marvelously is Christ delighted with it he speaking of the Spouse Cant. 7.7 thy breasts saith he are like clusters of the grapes and row also shall thy breasts be as the clusters of the vine and the smell of thy nose like apples Oh! when believers hearts and breasts are fruitful in holiness unto Christ how marvellously is he delighted yea then Christ delights 〈◊〉 them also ch 6. v 11.12 Let us get up early saith she to the vineyards to see if the vine flourish or the tender grape appear or the pomgranate bud forth there will I give thee my loves O there Christ also manifests much love his loves that 's all his love as 't were to the soul when and where the soul brings forth fruit unto Christ when Daniel was praying then comes out the message O Daniel greatly beloved when the soul acts faith or zeal or any of the fruits of the spirit are budding forth O then Christ takes great delight in it and therefore he observes and watches the souls fruit God could tell if
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
fed out their time in the wilderness of sin at length they have not so much as an hand or a foor or a heart to strive they have not so much as a tongue to beg or a mouth to receive any of those provisions that the Lord hath made for poor souls in Jesus Christ Thus is the wilderness provisionless as for food As for raiment what you have the wilderness the thorns the brambles can rend away and tear from you but all the wilderness cannot help you with one garment So it is with sin if you have any cloathes on any good parts or good nature as they call it the thorns and brambles and temptations of sin can tear them off Oh! how many gallant parts and good natures hath sin rent to pieces but if you be naked you must walk naked for all sin sin can strip you but it cannot clothe you you are all naked whilest you are bewildred Ezek. 16.8 and there is none to help you Therefore till you come out of the wilderness leaning upon Christ and have gotten him up on whom you lean to cast his skirt over you you walk naked and God sees your shame there is no raiment to be had for the soul but onely where Christ keeps his Markets Rev. 3.18 and so for other accommodations all which being thus makes me sadly say Sin is a wilderness that is provisionless O how evil is sin to men and which is saddest of all yet yet are men kinde to sin Sin cannot feed you and yet speak your consciences do not most of you feed sin and cherish and nourish sin sin cannot clothe you O what shall become of those men for their courtesie that cover sin In a word sin cannot make provision for you therefore I beseech you close with the Apostles counsel Rom. 13.14 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof CHAP. IV. Containeth the two last considerations shewing the dismalness of wilderness-sin because both are wayless waste and husbandless As also the application of the first consideration Exhortation Labor to finde Christ to thy soul a Gardiner to make thee fruitful FIfthly The wilderness as it thus provisionless The wilderness is wayless upon which account there is no encouragement to abide in it so also is it wayless there is no way to get out of it This vain Poets could conclude as the most dismal travelling in the world viz. when they were to go per avia that is wayless places and this indeed the holy Ghost imports as alike dismal to the people and princes of the earth whom God thus punisheth Job 12.24 He causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way And thus it is with sin you are not to think that there are no ways in the wilderness there is as you read the track to the Lions den and Leopards mountain there are ways further into the wilderness but there is no good way no right way no way out again no peaceable and secure way c. Thus there are many too many ways of sin and into sin but there is not one good way amongst them all Sin acquaints sinners with ten thousand ways and yet amongst them all the way of peace have they not known Rom. 3.17 The ways of sin are ways to the Lions den c. Prov. 7.27 Her house is the way to hell and Prov. 5.5 Her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell Least thou shouldst ponder the path of life her ways are moveable she hath ways great store but not so much as one good living way as one foot-path of life amongst them all therefore as we are to shew afterwards though sin hath as many ways as the wilderness yet may we in the same sense that the holy Ghost calls the wilderness without way conclude sin wayless If you will have it the ways of sin are wayless ways so that as one saith of the way to the Lions den vestigia terrent Omnia te adversum spectantia nulla retorsum So saith the holy Ghost of sin many beasts went to the Lions den but none return back again Prov. 2.19 None that go to her return again neither take they hold of the pathes of life The wilderness is waste and husbandless Lastly 'T is dismal because waste and husbandless and so is the whole region of sin you have the wilderness and waste places as importing one and the same thing Isa 51.3 The Lord will comfort all her waste places and make her wilderness like Eden yea you have waste the character of the wilderness Deut. 32.10 In a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness and surely it must needs be so if that be true which we have heard Scriptures already speak In the wilderness there is no man Job 38.26 no man to plant no man to pluck up no man to plough no man to sowe how should it be but waste In this as in the rest is sin a dismal wilderness there are no provisions there as you have heard for it is desolate there are none like to be for it is waste and desert The plain English of the word desert is what God expounds it Isa 27.10 The habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness Therefore when any soul through sin is a wilderness you may write upon that soul desert the Lord hath forsaken it This is a sad consideration when the soul goes on a long time in sin and then God comes with a judicial act and doth as it were bind it in its sins The soul saith I am willing to be as a wilderness unto God unfruitful to him c. and God saith If thou wilt be a wilderness thou shalt also be a desert I will forsake thee Thus God threatens for sin to set Jerusalem and make her as a wilderness Hosea 2.2 Now this is most sadly true when the soul hath been under the pains and charges of the Lord as you say this piece of ground I have fallowed plough'd sown thus often tryed thus long and it hath brought me forth nothing answerable to mine expectations I have lost say you my time toil and cost about it and now you cast it up So the barren Fig tree Mat. 21.19 as God gave them up Psalm 81.12 Let what will become of it you will never look after it more Now is this ground left DESERT Thus the Lord telleth Isai 5. what husbandry he had bestowed upon Israel his Vineyard v. 7. which yet brought forth none but wilderness-fruit viz. wilde Grapes v. 4. I le tell you saith God v. 5. what I will do with it I will take away the Hedg and it shall be eaten up and break down the Wall and it shall be trodden down I will lay it waste it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thorns and I will command the Clouds that they rain no rain upon it v. 6. And O what a dismal Wilderness must
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 shal● 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