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
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
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
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
fast an acceptable day to the Lord Oh! how might this qualme our heart from leaning upon such humblings if we consider how different an estimate and value the Lord and we set upon them Nay my friends there may be something done in good earnest by way of Reformation that is not yet to be leaned unto Some reformado Drunkard may say perhaps As long as I haunted Ale-houses I could have no peace of conscience but now I have left those courses grown civil I can walk very quietly calmly this is well that thou hast left off the practice of sins that did once ensnare thee but if thou stay here or lean hereon all is nothing Mat. 12 44. The house was empty and swept and garnished that is it was voyded of sinne reformed and now had some garnish of civility formality or the like but because it was emptied of the former uncleane spirit and not filled with Christs spirit the first in time returns v. 45. and takes with him seven spirits worse then himselfe and they enter and dwell there and the last estate is worse then the beginning verily this may well be called a repentance to be repented of The poor man thinks if his bad tenant such a corruption were out it 's no matter for getting Christ in But godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 There are it should seem repentances to be repented of and undoubtedly of this sort is every repentance that you rest in or lean upon 8ly Leaning upon the promises without Christ Eighthly If you lean upon the promises of God themselves and not upon Jesus Christ in them this will also come to nothing Whence is it that you shall have so many soules bringing a promise to the throne of grace and carrying so little away from it I feare it is frequently from hence because they leane unto promises without leaning to Christ in the promise Thus you shall find the Jews in scripture to leane much upon the promises of the Messiah who when Christ came that was the Messiah him they rejected altogether Thus many would willingly owne the promises that will not leane upon Jesus Christ But what saith the Spirit 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in Christ are yea and in him Amen That is the assurance stability certainty of them all standeth in leaning upon Jesus Christ He is the Yea and Amen of them Now what a vanity would it be for a man to put a Paper in sute which hath neither yea nor amen to it neither hand nor seal to it Sir might he say to any man These are your Articles you know you wrote them wrote them saith the other but who subscribed them who sealed them the Hand and Seal are the confirmation of the Bond which without them let it relate never so much is worth nothing in Law no wise man will leane to it so vaine a thing is it to put any one promise into sute at the throne of Grace because all the promises in Christ are Yea and in him onely Amen without leaning upon Christ in them for indeed they say nothing what ever they say there is neither Yea nor Amen in them there 's nothing affirmed to thee in them nothing confirmed neither hand nor seal to these Bonds if thou have not Christ therefore thou hast no part nor portion in this matter Ninthly Yea 9ly Leaning upon God himselfe out of Christ though you should leane upon the God of promise without leaning upon Christ in whom he hath promised the Lord would reprove thee for making choice of himselfe as an absolute God for thy Leaning-stock You have some severely threatned by the Lord that are yet said willingly to lean upon the Lord Mich. 3.11 God was in Christ reconciling sinners to himselfe and seeking lost soules 2 Cor. 5.19 Woe to them that come to him not bringing this his Benjamin along with them Lean not immediately I mean without the Sonne but by the Sonne upon the Father for as the Lord hath limited himselfe by his owne purpose and word of truth wherein it is impossible for God to lye God can do nothing for a poor lost soule without Jesus Christ therefore to speake with all reverence and holy sobriety to come to God without Christ for spiritual helpe or support is to come to one that cannot helpe you because he hath resolved and said he will not and it is uncomfortable leaning where we are forbidden to expect reliefe My Brethren it may be in great concernments as needful for us to have interests in a great persons Secretary or Officer of his Seal or his Lord privy Signet or Master of Requests as to have favour from the Prince himselfe because his Law and way whereunto he in forraigne freedome hath bound himself is to dispatch such things by such officers and by his Seal which is in his Officers keeping and not to dispatch them otherwise so that if one be supposed to come to such a King and sue for the accomplishment of such a business and do not bring the Officer with him by which the King wil onely transact it the King would put him off and say My Lord Keeper c. is not in the way and nothing can be done without him Now Jesus Christ is the Lord Commissioner and sole Commissioner of the broad seale of Heaven the onely Master of Requests unto the great King of Glory come then with as much confidence of Gods favour as those in Micah even as it is possible for any Christlesse soule to have the Lord will utterly reject thy sute and turn thee backe until thou look out the Lord Jesus Christ to come with thee unto the Father and thus much Christ himselfe hath told thee No man comes to the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 But why speake I thus mildly herein Sirs should you bring your Christlesse soules and cast them upon the Throne of an absolute God for a resting place having not made the Kings Chamberlain first your friend as they did in the Acts 12.20 without making the Angel of his presence the Lord Christ your friend behold Divine justice would immediately spie you out and as soon cry out Behold a REBELL in the Court and so apprehend you and immediately deliver you to the Tormenter for ever thus it was with them Mich. 3.11 They will by all means lean upon the Lord and yet this God vers 12. expresly declares that he will plough them up and make them to become heapes Now friends if God himselfe will not be leaned upon out of Christ what then shall poor Christlesse Creatures dare to leane unto And thus much for removal of other leaning stocks Secondly 2ly Positive proofe by propounding Christ as the only leaning stock I come now to assert and propose Jesus Christ as the onely stay and stable support for lost soules to leane upon And that upon this cleare and familiar evidence If you leane
Consider whom thou art to trust That you must take Christ Estate upon trust Consider 1. Whom you have trusted I have wondered sometimes at Bonds that have been drawne wherein the Husband hath stood engaged to his Wife as to money matters that she should trust him to be her Husband whom shee dares not trust to be her Steward or that she dare adventure her person into his hand into which she dare not venture her Estate Surely if Christ be faithfull and worthy to cammand thee wel may he command thine Estate and if thou darest trust him for thy soul well maist thou trust him for thy joynture 'T is Christs promise though but a Land of promise Christs I say that cannot lye Did you ever heare that he dealt faithlesly with any that you dare not trust him Oh the hellish the cursed nature of this unbeliefe thou darest not trust him that never proved untrusty Consult with Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and that he is able to keep what I have committed to him against that day Secondly 2ly Vpon what grounds Upon what grounds you are to trust him for your joynture The Fathers Oath The Sons hand-writing the Spirits seal First God hath sworn as well as promised 1. The Fathers Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation If thy spirit strive in unbeliefe let Gods oath end this strife for God willing to shew more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an Oath Heb. 6.16 17 18. Secondly Christ hath written as well as spoken 2ly The Sons hand-writing and will himselfe by his own hand-writing which he never can nor will deny become thy Witnesse in this Matter Search the Scriptures saith Christ himselfe when you have to doe with the things of eternal life and they are they that testifie of me Jo. 5.39 I will give you but one Scripture instead of many urge it upon Christ and try if he can deny it to be his own words and hand-writing Joh. 17.20 21 22 23. Neither pray I for these alone but for all that shall believe through their word that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one with us or in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me and the glory that thou hast given me have I given them c. Mark that deed of GIFT under Christs own hand that the world may know that thou hast loved them and verse 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me that they may behold my glory c. 3ly The Spirits seale Thirdly The Spirit hath sealed what the Father hath sworn and the Son written in his own blood Eph. 1 13 14. In whom after that ye believed you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession shall come to the praise of his glory And now Christians upon such assurance doe but act your faith and as I have seene some London-Merchans that have purchased Lands in the Plantations beyond sea which they never saw but are taken up for them by their Factors Note they have Cards and Maps of them here so will thy faith in this Christ be the Evidence of thy things not seen and of the things that are hoped for as Heb. 11.1 And so the Joynture promised to thee shall come aforehand to be possessed by thee To the 3d. viz. You must goe into another world for it Consider 1. It lies more sutably there 1. Where thine Head is viz. Christ To the third viz. That this Canaan is beyond Jordan this Land of promise in another World I answer Thine Estate lyes where it 's most sutable and most sure for thee 1. 'T is more sutable for thee then if it lay in the world and on this side heaven for 1. It lyes where thine Head is Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in heaven from whence we also look for a Saviour which is Jesus Christ the Lord. Secondly It lyes where thine heart should be Mat. 6. 2ly Where thine heart should be 20 21. Lay up treasure in heaven c. for where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Secondly 'T is more sure for thee lying there 2ly It lâ—es more safely there then if it were scituate otherwhere There was never any thing that Saints enjoyed that was of this World or in common with the World but some Saints or other at some time or other have been plundered of it by the World yea so are all Saints at their going out of the world Were thy happinesse on this side Heaven thou must forgoe it when thou goest under ground But Mat. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasure in heaven where Moths corrupt not not neither can Theeves break through and steal away The Theives of the world can steale thine the moth of death can corrupt thee but what Christ hath for thee in heaven 't is an inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away reserved in the Heaven for you 1 Pet. 1.4 To the fourth viz. That you must die by the way To the fourth viz. That you must dye by the way 1. 'T is all mens necessity as you journey towards your joynture I answer 1. 'T is all Mens and Womens necessity once to dye whether marryed to Christ or to the Devill whether joyntured in Heauen or in Hell Heb. 9.27 It is appointed to men once to die Sirs some must die to be dammed therefore well may you be contented to die to be saved some must dye to be actually and fully possest of Hell therefore let it not grieve you to dye to be actually and fully possest of glory Secondly 2ly 'T is thine advantage 'T is all good Men and Womens advantage though necessity to dye before they are possessed of Heaven Christ will subdue your Enemies ye Christians and bruise Satan and the last Enemy shall be destroyed and that is Death And when that is done when there is none to take your joy from you then shall it be fully giuen to you Yea when all your Enemies and those that hated you shall be chained up from ever harming you any more then shall you in their sight be possessed of all reall and glorious enjoyments in the world to come Therefore to that soule to whom to live is Christ surely to die shall be advantage Phil. 1.21 A closing word And now for a closing word unto all that I have beene sent to speak to wooe you or as Paul saith 2 Cor. 11.2 To espouse you to one Husband that I might present you a chaste Virgin unto Christ To make you LOVERS that you may be LEANERS upon Christ which was my great businesse in this Discourse Let me tell you that as
seeke the Lord. What can be plainer let your Riches in peace or Forces in warre be never so augmented the more you leane unto any of them the lesse will you lean to Jesus Christ I shall give you a two-fold word of Conviction for this viz. That worldlings leane upon the World and therefore not on Christ Evidence 1. Because they rise and fall as the world riseth and falls with them First Because it appeares that worldlings rise and fall as the world riseth and falls therefore it is evident that the world is that they leane upon Psal 20.7 They lean on Chariots they are down and fallen but we remember thy name and rise up They that have nothing but Chariots c. but men and monies to trust unto as their men fall and monies faile c. so they fall and their Spirits faile also but they that leane upon the Lord are not so the remembrance of his name bearer them up when their enemies seeme to beare them down If the world rise with sinners then their hearts rise too Eze. 28.5 6. Thou hast by thy wisdome and traffique encreased thy riches and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches and thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God Oh! they take themselves now to be pettie-Gods as happy as happy may be and as high as high may be and all because that riseth which is under them Who sees not in this case but that they leane upon it Again though they said they were Gods they shall die like men and though their heart was set as the heart of God when the world went with them yet when the world goes against them as you call it truly then their heart groweth like Nabals dead within them 1 Sam. 25.37 c. If Worldlings did not leane upon the world they would never thus rise and sinke with the world as you daily see they doe 2ly 'T is hence evident 2d Evidence They can make better shift with the world without Christ as they account then with Christ without the world that most leane upon the world and not Christ because the most can make as they count a better shift with the world and without Christ then with Christ and without the world Many Worldlings are convinced that they have much need of Christ but they thinks also that they have more need of Mammon Now this is evident that which we can lest spare is our greatest leaning-stock the last things a Creeple forgoes shall be his Crutches the can ill spare many other things but he can worst of all spare them 'T is cleare in the Rich man Mat. 19.22 He went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions He was perswaded that Christ was to be leaned upon and that he had need of support and succour from Jesus Christ else why went he sorrowful away Oh! but for all that he could make better shift without Christ of the two then without the world for he had great possessions And now let the issue speake which of these two Christ or Mammon was that which he finally leaned unto The fourth and last positive Hinderance from leaning upon Christ is leaning upon selfe 4th Pos Hind Leaning upon selfe I am now to speake unto such as I find my master Jesus Christ speaking to before He spak saith the text unto certain that trusted in themselves Luk. 18.9 I shall reduce to four heads what I shall say hereon Leaning either to our own Wisdoms or Wills or Righteousnesses or Lives will hinder us from leaning upon the Lord Jesus 1. Self-wisdom 1. It must needs be that leaning to our own Understandings and to the carnal Counsells of our own unregenerate hearts must hinder us from leaning upon the Lord Christ This I shall evince both from clear Scripture-Testimony Scripture-testimony as also from clear Scripture-Reason Expresse is that passage Prov. 3.5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own Understanding If you trust in the Lord Christ with all your hearts you must not lean to your own Understandings if you lean to your own Understandings you cannot trust in the Lord with all your hearts So far as you lean to your own Counsell you will not lean unto the Lords and if you will incline to the dictates of Gods spirit you must disown the dictates of your own spirits Therefore saith Wisdom Pro. 22.17.19 Bow down thine Ear and hear the words of the wise not the voice of thine own heart and apply thine heart unto my knowledge not thine own knowledge that thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known this day to thee even to thee Our own understandings when most corrupted can make known unto us to lean to carnall Confidences and sensible supports but it is onely the wisdom of the Lord that can make known unto us to trust in the Lord. Scripture-reasons Secondly As for Scripture-reasons I shall assigne these two Our Understandings unsanctified are foolishnesse with God and Enmity against God Therefore leaning unto them must needs hinder us from leaning unto Christ 1. It is foolishnes with God 1. The Unregenerate mind is foolishnesse as to the apprehending of this Mystery of leaning upon the Lord Jesus Amongst the Highest improvers of the Vnrenewed Intellectuals we read of many enquiring after their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or felicity and upon inquiry one saith in one thing another in another the best of them say that virtue is the way to that felicity which yet they define not according to the Scripture-notion of it or as identical with divine graces but an Habit inherent in our selves the feeds whereof are from our selves also and the springing and fructifying and Maturity of the fruits from our own studious improvement of what is in us And who amongst the wisest of them ever pointed at a Jesus as did that Heaven-taught John Baptist Io. 1.9 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Nay how was it possible they should so do When Scripture saith expressly that the Lord hath hid the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven from the wise and prudent of the World as Mat. 11.25 and as expressly that this is one of the great Mysteries of Godlinesse that Christ should be believed on in the world 1 Tim. 3.16 that is that any soule should lean for salvation to the righteousnesse of another 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him 1 Cor. 3.19 Even as the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God As the Lord knowes thy leaning to the Counsells of thine own heart to be very foolishnesse So dost thou naturally think leaning to the Lords Counsell concerning Christ to be very foolishness What 's that to mee saith thy reason how good another is what can I be the better Or how is it possible that the dying of one man
that way again yet cannot tell thinks it hath changed its condition yet cannot tell till by and by Satan brings it round into the same sin and then it findes that it is in the same wilderness therefore Prov. 5.6 Her ways are moveable ways there 's the number movable there 's the nature viae versatiles wily ways Sometimes they seem right unto a man as Prov. 14.12 at the beginning of the verse sometime they seem the ways of death as at the end of the verse In these is the soul intangled and hence it proves so difficult to get out of the wilderness of sin I could spend much time in instancing in the wilyness of this wilderness one word for many Satan makes some believe they shall surely be damned and therefore they think they may sin as they list Satan makes some believe they shall surely be saved and therefore they think they may sin as they list here are different pathes yet both leading into the same way here is the wiliness of temptations these are the entanglings of this wilderness It s no less then a miracle that any soul should ever get out of it because of them CHAP. X. Adds four other Reasons and concludes the first Doctrine with Application as also a word of Caution what use ought not to be made of this doctrine That sin is a wilderness FOurthly the ways of the wilderness are rough The wilderness ways are uneven crooked and uneven and these obstruct the coming out therefore the ways of the wilderness must needs be stumbling ways upon this account the prophet heightens the Lords mercy toward bewildred Israel Isa 63.13 He led them as an horse in the wilderness that they might not stumble It seems if an horseman travel in the wilderness he had need lead his horse and not his horse carry him so crooked rough and uncouth are the ways of the wilderness You have mention of desert ways Isa 40.3 they are called crooked and rough places ver 4. this makes them stumbling ways And is sin short of a wilderness in this rather then before Compare scriptures Prov. 2.13 Whose ways are crooked and pray what means the word Iniquity but unevenness these are those ways that are laid with stumbling-blocks Rev. 2.14 and therefore as he that travels in the wilderness and thinks perhaps now certainly to get out but in the mean time stumbleth he knows not how and by that stumbling loseth that view which he had out of the thicket into the open field and so falls into some pit of darkness so saith the Holy Ghost of the way of sin expresly Prov. 4.19 The way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble O Sir I would fain leave my swearing but an oath drops out I know not when O Wife I would fain leave my drunkenness and gaming c. but when I am in company I am drawn in and overcome and I know not how I would fain saist thou leave my vain thoughts but I am in the midst of them before I know it this is the way of the wilderness and you fall in it and yet know not at what you stumble But of this more afterwards 5. Wilderness ways dark ways Fifthly These stumbling ways are also dark ways The wilderness is full of thickets wickedness shall kindle like fire in the thickets of the Forest Isa 9.18 and these thickets must needs be dark and shady when the trees thereof grow so thick together and so interwoven with under-woods with bryars and brambles that the very light of the sun is hid away and when the very brightness of heaven doth not break thorow must it not be difficult for the bewildred passenger to break through must it not be difficult for the be wildred passenger to break through when he is not able to see any way before him neither doth any light come to him well may he be quite lost You have mention of the thick boughs and shadowing shroud of Lebanon Ezek. 31.3 And are there not such thick boughs such shadowing shrouds in the wilderness of sin are not they that being bewildred want Christs guidance such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death then reade Luke 1.71 Is not the way of the wicked darkness then reade Prov. 4.19 Yea are not thickets of this wilderness I mean Satans temptations and natural corruptions so great that the Sun shines upon the wilderness yet cannot enter in the light darts upon your souls yet are your souls still dark within and the light of the glorious Gospel of God shines not unto you then reade 2 Cor. 4.4 Can you wonder now that the coming out of this spiritual wilderness is so difficult when the coming in of the spiritual light is so obstructed This is thy misery poor wilderness-soul the light shines at top and the ayr is full of it thy head perhaps is full of knowledge and yet thine heart that lies at bottom is shrouded over by the thick boughs it s no wonder thy works are darkness for thy ways are such These wilderness ways are thorny ways Sixthly These dark ways are full of thorns and as you heard before that these make the wilderness way destructive so they make the coming out of it exceeding difficult for as one moves to the right hand a thorn takes hold upon him as he breaks from that a left hand bramble catcheth him you know what flow stirring there is in a thicket and such verily are the ways of sin thorny as you heard before and therefore such as will catch hold upon you on this hand to hinder you on that hand to interrupt you and all to stop your motion and to make your coming out of sin desperate and therefore as you would phrase your hindrance by brambles or thorns or bryars Oh! say you they caught hold upon me and as soon as I got off from one I was presently hung upon another on the other hand and seldom could I get off from any without a rent so the holy Ghost phraseth temptations So she caught him Prov. 7.13 and she caught him by his garment and he left his garment in her hand Gen. 39.12 I appeal friends to your experiences if temptations are not just like bryars unto your souls even herein also to retard your stirrings towards God yea to rend you if so be you yet get from them Doth thy wife never catch hold upon thee O good husband do not strike the childe good husband be not so strict and rigorous in your office you 'l lose your customers and get nothing but hatred from your neighbors are carnal friends never hindring thee in the ways of God nor rending thee if thou get off from the ways of sin these are the thorns of the wilderness take heed of being laid hold on by them Lastly 7 The wilderness is encompassing Therefore is the coming out of the wilderness difficult yea indeed desperate because the wilderness
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
shee thought had more perfectly denyed mercy Yet I believe the woman to be a good woman something of refreshment she had e're she went away This is the of sinne a bewildring darkness to such a soule aggravate your sinnes as much as you will onely by their aggravation take heed of diminishing the freeness or fulness of Gods grace Secondly Soules in such a case 2. Pass darke sentences on our selves lose themselves in the dark sentences that they pass upon themselves Paul tels you that sin by the Law slew him that is passed a sentence of death upon him according to that phrase 2 Cor. 1.9 Who received the sentence of death in our selves Poor soules will save God as I may so say a labour in the condemning of them for they will condemne themselves and their sentence shall be very dark even as dark as death it selfe Oh! never did any deserve Hell more then my selfe thither I am a going and there I must receive a just recompence of reward Let me go to Hell said one for that is the fittest place for me Thirdly They often in such a season take up dark Resolves concerning themselves 3ly Take up dark resolves concerning themselves they themselves passed Sentence and now they proceed to Execution They say they have deserved Hell and it must be so they must go to Hell there 's no helpe for 't say what you can to comfort me my sinne will slay me doe what you can for me my sinne will slay me I have heard such language and now the soule 's at an utter loss Oh! I shall verily die in my sinnes Jer. 15.18 My pain is perpetuall and my wound incurable Oh! if the terrours of the Lord were but for a day or a year I might better beare them saith such a soul but they are perpetuall eternall death is the wages of my sinne what shall I doe Oh! if my wound were curable though it be great and terrible but I am without any expectation of recovery past all hope Thus poore ones in this darksome wildernesse do resolve concerning themselves 4ly Dark resolutions with themselves 4ly From dark Resolves concerning themselves they sometimes pass to darker resolutions with themselves Their hearts language is not onely I may be damned and I must be damned there 's no other way but even almost I will be damned There 's no comfort for me and I will take no comfort to me Jer. 15.18 My pain is perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Not onely incurable that is that cannot be healed but that refuseth to be cured that is that will not be healed and verily as for soules that have a long time said Note that there is no mercy or comfort that belongs unto them there is a kind of spirituall pride in the lowest ebbe of very despaire they have so long said that they shall perish that when they begin through mercy to be better perswaded they are very loath to think that it shall be otherwise and so refuse to be healed so Asaph Psal 77.2 My sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted Oh! take heed of thrusting Gods precious Consolations so often or so long from you as to get an habit of refusing him habits are hardly left though there be never so great reason to disswade us from them Sometimes poore soules in this darksome wilderness are ready to be of his minde and vote who desired that he might be in Hell that he might know the worst of his torment yet God that allures into the wilderness fastens comfort oft-times upon such a soul These are bewildring-darknesses as to our selves CHAP. XX. Contains the second kind of bewildring darkenesse in conversion viz. relating to God in foure particulars removed BUt secondly 2d Kind such as relate unto God There are attending upon conversion bewildring darknesses as relating to God Dark thoughts concerning the Purposes the Thoughts the Providences the Justice and mercy of God towards us 1. 1. Darknesse as to Gods purposes Such a day many times bewildes poore soules in dark thoughts concerning Gods purposes about themselves Oh! saith many a soule I should be glad to pray to repent to believe to do any thing for God but I am a Reprobate I know God hath from all eternity cast me away and therefore it is in vaine for me to doe any thing but as my deserved portion is everlastingly to despair Here is the blacknesse of darkness indeed but who told thee that thou are a Reprobate Why I am sure I am a Reprobate But why dost thou think that Gods eternall purpose was to pass thee by Why I am sure I am a Reprobate My Brethren I know it is the great duty of every Saint to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure and so saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.16 We ought to make sure that is be assured of our election so that we might conclude it and comfortably assert from our Calling that is because we find that we are converted to rest assured that we were elected because called therefore that we were chosen of God But ther 's no Scripture that either bids or warrants us to make our Reprobation sure that is to stand assured that we are reprobated no not because we are unconverted You 'l say the Apostle bids us to examine our selves upon such terms 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates the word i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why Jesus Christ is not in me therefore I am a Reprobate Is this thine argument truly then thou must also say that there was a time when Paul was a Reprobate that spake it for there was a time when Christ was not in Paul Yea that the Saints that are in heaven were once Reprobates for certaine it is that they were once Christless and if this be so then to be Reprobate is no more then to unconverted and if this be thy meaning why should'st thou despaire upon the thoughts that thou art a Reprobate for though thou be Christless and by such reasoning a Reprobate to day as Paul before Conversion yet maist thou bee saved as well as he and so reprobation shall no more hinder thy salvation then unconversion But it is evident from the dark despaire that rests upon their spirits unto whom I speake that conclude they cannot be saved because as they thinke they are Reprobates that they are not so criticall as to distinguish betwixt Reprobate as opposed to Elect and opposite to Gods present approbation which an Elect but unconverted person may not have but take Reprobate in the saddest sence in which I cannot apprehend how any with reason can make unconversion an assuring token of it onely glad they are poor souls to take up any staffe wherewith to beat themselves I shall therefore in a word tell you what I think from these two
the Wildernesse take as some do much paines to go farther down into it Alas poor soules 't is down-hil way thou art likely to be at the bottome soon enough even in the lowest hell without running down and if any take paines this way how shall this condemne those that take no paines the other way 2. Use Caution Is the way from the wildernesse up the hill Take heed of fainting take heed of falling 2d Cautino either of these will endanger your tumbling downe the hill againe 1. Caution Take heed of fainting My Brethren 1. Take heed of fainting how conscious are we to our selves how ready are the strongest of us to faint in those forementioned up-hil wayes Now it is not the pleasure of the Lord Jesus that any should faint in the waies of attendance upon him Mat. 15.32 I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way Let us also be careful lest our hearts faint in any of the wayes of Jesus Christ although they be never such up-hil wayes For which cause we faint not 2 Cor. 4.16 And as we have received mercy we faint not v. 1. We shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 And this is the praise of Ephesus Rev. 2.3 Thou hast laboured and not fainted In laborious up-hil services they walked without fainting Rules to prevent fainting 1. Looke not down-ward Now to helpe you herein take these two Rules 1. Look not much down-ward 2. Look much upward You have both these together 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not v. 18. Whilst we looke not at the things that are seene but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seene are temporall but the things that he look'd at that are not seen are eternall If a man you know would go up a Spire-steeple or Beacon of great height it is very dangerous and dazeling to look down-ward his way must be to look upward all the while 1. Look not down-ward look down and faint and so fall down Observe the Apostles opposition he sets minding of earthly things that is the looking down-ward that I speak of against having our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.19 20. Carnal hearts that mind earthly things will faint in the first steps of that way that leads out of the Wildernesse for it is an up-hil way Therefore saith the Wise man of riches and things earthly Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Prov. 23.5 That is Doe not so much as set thine eyes upon it 2dly 2. Look much upward Look much upward I will looke unto the hills saith the Psalmist Psal 121.1 I will lift up mine eyes The Apostle comparing our lives to a race or journey bids us Heb. 12.1 2 3. To looke unto Jesus c. lest we be weary or faint in our minde It would extreamly helpe us to have our conversation in heaven to be often yea alwayes looking thither whence we looke for a Saviour Phi. 3.20 This would keepe us from fainting in this up-hil way If you be risen with Christ to the top of this hill and would keep there why then set your affections upon things above Col. 3.1 2. For thus saith the Lord Isai 40.30.31 The Youths shal utterly faint the young men shall fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength yea though it be an up-hil way they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint 2dly Caution Take heed of falling 2. Take heed of falling Is it an up-hil way beleeve it it is very ill getting a slip 1 Cor. 10. He minds us of the falls of the poor Israelites in the way towards Canaan he gives variety of instances from the 5. v. he brings all close down for our admonition vers 11. Wherefore let him that thinkes he standeth take heed lest he fall v. 12. How charily do men go up an hill in a frosty day when the wayes are slippery Oh! this is the danger 't is an up-hil way Let vs therefore labour to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the ensample of their unbeliefe Heb. 4.11 Thirdly Exhortation in two words 3ly Exhortation 1. To come up First Is it an up-hil way then pray let us up and be going let us up and repent up and beleeve up and obey up and pray and read and heare and meditate c. and that leads me to the Third main Doctrine yet before us whitherto I shall refer it Secondly Is it an up-hil way wherein is such likelihood of faintings such feare of falling Oh! 2ly To come up leaning Then labour to leane upon the beloved whilst you come up from the Wildernesse to repent and lean to believe and lean to obey and lean to pray c. and lean and this would lead to the fourth main Doctrine therefore we shall dismisse it for the present We passe on to CHAP. II. Containes the third maine Doctrine That it greatly concernes lost soules to come up from the wildernesse of sinne discovered and applyed with choice directions thereunto THe third maine Point 3d. Maine Doctrine viz. That it is the great concernment of lost soules to come up from the Wildernesse of sinne The Spouse in the Text had been in the Wildernesse but now up she gat That is the lost souls great business to come up from the wilderness and away she came and this is thy great businesse The voyce of the Lord unto such a soule is like the voyce of Christ to his chosen ones in Babylon Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people lest you partake of her plagues Come out of the Wildernesse my poor Creatures lest you dye wlldernesse-deaths and now must the answer of thy soule be I come Lord. The Lords bewildred spouse Hos 2. takes up this main resolution as her maine worke and businesse I will return to my first husband Hos 2. v. 7. I will goe and return so the Prodigal I will arise and goe to my Father The bewildred Spouse the lost Sonne this is it that they make their great work businesse and 't is not strange that it should be so if you consider that the comming up of lost soules is the very great worke and businesse of God himselfe For this is the great business 1. Of God the Father even God the Father Son and holy Spirit 1. It is the great designe of God the Father that poor soules should come up from this spiritual wildernesse Deut. 32.9 10. Jacob is his portion he found him in the Wildernesse and led him about and instructed him you have this explain'd or if you wil seconded Thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 34.11 I even I will both search my sheep and seeke them out They have been scattered in the cloudy and darke day v. 12. Of this we have spoken I will feed them in a good pasture on the high
its Keeper and now it will leane to Christs counsell and to his advice and to his prescriptions because it is sick of its own There is a Twofold spirituall sicknesse that will bring a soule to need Christ as a leaning stock First A sicknesse of hatred unto sin 1. Sick of hatred to sin for it is not every sicknesse that will make you need this Physitian Many are sick for sin I meane as the punishment of sinne for this cause we may say as Paul 1 Cor. 11.30 say indeed that many are sick but there are but few sick of sin But where-ever there is a Sin-sicknesse there cannot but be a provocation to vomiting David cannot hold till he brings up all Sinne lies upon a sick Conscience as undigested Meat upon a sick stomack You know also that where ever there is a propension to vomit there is a great desire of somewhat to lean upon Oh! what would a sin-sick soule that cannot possibly be well untill it hath by broken hearted confessions vomited up its iniquities give that it had freedome to leane its head in Christs bosome so Psal 32.3 While I kept silence my bones waxed old c. therefore ver 5. I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest c. and vers 6. For this cause shall every one that is godly pray unto thee As who would say when I was so sin-sick that I knew not what to doe I did but leane my head in the Lords bosome and bring it up again and I had so much ease to my soul that I would advise every troubled heart to lean where I lean'd and to doe what I did 2ly Sick of love to Christ Secondly A Love-sicknesse unto Jesus Christ Many are also Love-sick but as Amnon for his sister for a lust or for a corruption but few are sick for Christ The language of Love-sicknesse is such as this I must have him or else I dye Give me Christ or none will content me Thus those passionate breakings forth of the Spouse Love is stronger then death Mine heart failed when he spake I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem if you find my beloved that you tell him that I am sick of love Cant. 5.8 Now this Love-sick Spouse will be sure to be a leaning Spouse she sinks she swoones she dyes away if Christ doe not come unto her Cant. 2.5 6. Stay me comfort me for I am sick of love His left hand is under my head his right hand doth embrace me O! how doth a poore stomack sick Creature desire to hold and to be held when it is ready to swoon away 2ly By becomming a shaken soule So then 't is a sad signe that you are neither sick of hatred unto sin nor of love unto Christ when you see little need of leaning upon him Secondly Labour thâ—â— that are a lost soul to get into a shaken posture that is the way to get into a leanin posture What 's the reason there 's so little catching hold upon Christ by worldly men in their time of health Oh! it is because there is little shaking of worldly things in that time but now Isai 2.20 21. They shall one day cast away their Idols of Gold and Silver which they have made each one for himselfe that they may run into the clefts of the Rock when God ariseth to shake terribly the Earth Oh! you see by frequent experience in poore dying Worldlings when God shakes their Earth how solicitous they are then to take hold if they durst on the God of Heaven When they see by these shakings what slender supports their golden Gods and silver shrines are to leane upon oh then what would they give for Jesus Christ for to be their soules leaning stock You read Act. 4.31 That the place was shaken where they met before God sent out upon them the Holy Ghost to speak the word of God with boldness So this is the manner of his working to shake soules before he powre out upon them the Spirit of believing to apply the promise of God with boldnesse Thus did the Lord take Iob by the neck when he was at ease and shook him to pieces so saith himselfe Iob. 16.12 Now when God hath shaken our comforts and enjoyments in the world and scattered our duties that they appeare broken poor crazy things when he hath shaken to pieces our righteousnesse and all our selfe-supports then sirs then if ever will Christ appeare desirable unto us oh then shall we long to leane upon him Memorable is that passage Hab. 3.17 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble Here 's strange shaking and as strange establishment I trembled that I might rest The more shaking at first the stronger leaning afterwards for verily Note though God doth not shake all souls alike before he make them leane upon himselfe yet have I observed that the lesse the heart hath beene shaken in the first stirrings of grace the more feeble have the leanings been perhaps many yeares afterward and the more easiely interrupted and disturbed Nay though the Lord hath opened some hearts as Lydias without much manifest shaking at the first yet have I known many even sincere soules of them kept almost in an every day Ague almost all their lives after their Conversion I mean in continuall spirituall shakings Therefore if God hath shaken thee be not angry but as soon as thou canst catch hold upon Christ and leane hard for else I le tell you when we are greatly shaken we may continue in great danger of falling if we have not an Anchor of hope to take hold on a Pillar of Christs Chariot to leane upon 3ly By becomming a sinking soule Thirdly Labour thou that art a lost soul to get into a sinking posture that is the way to get into a leaning posture This perhaps you will say is strange but this I know to be true Mat. 14.30 Peter beginning to sink cryed Lord save me Oh! sinking souls will be sure to catch hold if it be possible and nothing shall discourage them though Christ should cut their fingers yet will they hold rather then drowne such a soule will take hold of Christ upon the most cutting termes of the Gospell A Boat a Boat a Boat all that I am worth in the world for a Boat saith a sinking person and will never leave looking and crying and catching as long as it can either keepe hand or head above water Thus David Psal 69.1 2. Save me O God I am come into the deep I sink in deep water where no standing is And he is at it againe verse 14. Deliver me least I sinke Sirs none can imagine but those that have felt how welcome a Leaning stock Christ is unto a soule in such a sinking condition but you who have sounded the deepes of
They are seasonable First A wise Conviction is that which is in season which Solomon calls Golden Apples in silver Pictures Prov. 25.11 concluding seasonable reproof to be wise reproof verse 12. This was Abigaels renowned wisdome when David was just a ruining her whole Family had not she by gracious reproofe stopt his fury taking that season when by her present his passion was allayed and how lovely was it to David 1 Sam. 25.32 33. David was wise and therefore this word was an Earing of gold unto him The same woman with the same wisdome defers her Conviction as to her Husband till the fittest season ver 37. Till the wine was gone out of him but he was a Nabal a fool and his heart was dead as a stone Now such seasonable Convictions are Christs Convictions when soules are neare ruining themselves and others in strikes the Spirit and reproves of sin of righteousness and judgement at the best season When Saul was neare Damascus the intended bloody stage of his persecuting madnesse then just then in comes a wooing word of Conviction Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9.3 4. Who of you can speake of Christs Convictions but must remember that Christ took the best season to say unto you Soul Soul why refusest resistest rejectest thou me Thou maist wonder that Christ should send such a word to stop thee at such a time in such a season 2ly 2ly Suitable As the wisdome of Conviction lies in choosing a fit Season so a fit frame of Spirit fit words fit matter I say fit to perswade not to provoke to soften not to incense and so to harden As sirs if you be never so good and the parties you reprove never so bad your Reproofs cannot be acceptable if they approve not of you that are reproved by you Now this I can say to prove these Reproofes of Christ lovely That Christ rather manageth his wooing Convictions in a pleading than upbraiding way Christ upbraids not but when unbeliefe rejects him and puts him away and for this indeed he will upbraid his very Disciples even after Marriage Mar. 16.14 Although he be slow enough hereunto as is to bee marked from Mat. 11.20 He began to upbraid them because they believed not but in other cases He upbraideth no man Jam. 5.1 But like as he pleaded with the Fathers of old so will he plead with soules Ezek. 20 36. A Chapter full of such pleading you have Ezek. 18. And see how it closeth verse 31.32 Why will you dye I would not have it so saith God wherefore return and live ye Verily such language from the mouth of a gracious God to wretched sinners might melt an heart of hardest stone Christ might upbraide us into Hell and yet when his words are sharpest as Jer. 3. afore quoted they are but to plead us into his own bosome Christ delights not to taunt us for our sin but to humble us under and to rid us of our sin 2ly They are loving and therefore lovely 2ly As they are wise so winning they are loving and therefore lovely Convictions They are pleadings managed by wisdome full fraight of affection no question Josephs Convictions sat sad upon his Brethrens spirits when they were struck speechlesse and could not answer him a word Gen. 45.3 I am Joseph whom ye sold verse 4. There 's the Conviction I am Jesus whom ye have sold for sin for lust for vanity for the world Yea but Joseph vents his owne affections and breaks out into weeping upon them verse 15. and that gives vent unto their utterance for after that saith the Text his Brethren talked with him that is When they saw how affectionate his Convictions were Now this is our Josephs our Jesus his manner O sweet Convictions when most bitter because sweetned by his most bitter teares If Jesus convince Jerusalem his eyes shall speak it as well as his lips Luk. 19.41 He beheld the City and wept over it saying if thou hadst known c. 'T is that makes these Reproofes so rich a present because Christs teares are such precious Pearls 3ly They are consolatory therefore lovely 3ly Christs Convictions are lovely because consolatory As soon as ever Christ hath made you weep he will smile that you may rejoyce That passage is to be remarked Ioh 16.7 I will send the Comforter and how is that amplified ver 8. He shall convince You use to wrap up your bitter Pills in sweet outsides Sugar Sirrups c. But Christ doth otherwise he puts the most bitter outmost You have some Nuts that have hard shells that must be broken and then you come at a bitter peeling and under that lyes the sweet Kernel Our hearts are those hard shels Christ breaks these and then we come at Convictions these are bitter peeles but under these lye Consolations Oh! those are sweet Kernels I am Joseph whom you sold 't was a cutting word Gen. 45.4 Now therefore be not grieved for God did send me before you to preserve your life there 's a curing word for 't ver 5. We cannot think that Joseph did forbid them to grieve for their sin but to grieve inordiately or distractedly I am Jesus whom you abused Oh! there 's a killing Conviction but be not grieved to despair for I was sold to death that I might preserve your life and sent to Heaven through persecution that I might prepare a place for you Oh! that word will revive you If Christ allure into the wildernesse of Conviction making you as Josephs Brethren at a loss in your selves that you shall not know what to ananswer know that he can furnish a delicious Table in this Wildernesse and there speak comfortably unto you Hos 2.14 Now then if you be so scornful or unwise as to hate to be reproved though Christ convince so cordially so comfortingly and have Adders ears unto these Charmings charm he never so wisely take your Course please your selves the world will paint when Christ will be as Fullers soap to wash your lying beauty from you the world will flatter and dare deceive Note Christ your suiter will not his spokesman dare not But know where-ever you make your choice you must have bitter as well as sweet Christs is a bitter-sweet the world is a sweet-bitter Christs wormwood is first tasted the best wine is kept for the last The Worlds Satans Sins discourse are lyes folly flattery c. though these be sweet in thy mouth and thou hide them under thy tongue yet shall thy meat in thy bowels be turned and prove the gall of Asps within thee Job 20.12 14. Thus much to perswade you into love with Christs wooing Convictions But now more particularly In particular The termes of Christs discourse are also lovely termes The first viz. Your leaving Fathers house 1. It s reasonable Secondly I shall endeavour to represent the loveliness of those wooing termes of Christs discourse whereof I spake The first whereof is this
expressed to be a Guide Gal. 5.16 Walk in the Spirit there he is supposed to be a way In the same manner that Christ whom you have heard the Scriptures declaring to be a Guide calls himselfe as you shall hear a way That is the Word of truth shews us both where and how to walk The spirit of truth shews us both in what way and according to what Rule we ought to walk Christ finally who is the truth leads us by himself as he is the Guide to walk in himself as he is the way that brings us to the Father Where I shall observe unto you That as Israels Guides so their way to Canaan was a type of Christ as our way out of this Wildernesse of sinne to out soules rest 2. That Christ the guide is also the way 3. How Jesus the guide came to be the way And lastly What manner of way Christ is unto the soul 1. 1. Israels way out of the wildernesse a type of Christ Then Israels way out of that Wilderness to that Canaan was a figure to shadow forth Christ unto them and Us as the onely true way unto true Rest wherefore when the Apostle to the Hebrews had largely been discoursing of Israel in the Wildernesse Chap. 3. to the end from thence he takes occasion to urge closely on the Hebrews the posterity of that old Israel that they neglect not to believe on Christ as being that sinne by which they would indeed lose their way to the spirituall Canaan and rest of the people of God as their Fathers had done who could not enter in because of unbeliefe chap. 3.19 In the next words viz. ch 4.1 Let us therefore saith he fear lest we also come short and how are we said at any time to come short of our journey but when we come short of our way and why were they charged to come short of the way but because they came short of the faith read verses 2 6. And what doth he presse these Hebrews to doe to the intent they come not short of that Rest but to believe on that Jesus the great high Priest who is passed into the heavens and so is become our way to the throne of Grace in whom we may come for that is the language of the Text and that with boldnesse that we may obtain grace and mercie to help in time of need Heb. 4.3 11 14 16. Nay be plainly tells them that if any of their Fathers ever reached that Rest which remaines for the people of God it was not Jesus the sonne of Nun verse 8. but Jesus the Son of God verse 14.15 16. through whom their way was to come and appeare before God or that gave them that Rest 2ly Now that Jesus is the WAY 2ly Iesus the Guide is also the way the One and Onely WAY to the Father in whose presence is the fulnesse of joy and from whose presence are the times of refreshing whereof you have heard and so consequently that Jesus Christ is the onely way for bewildred sinners to come to the Saints Rest take I pray you his own witnesse concerning himselfe whom we know to be the faithfull and true witness Rev. 1.5 3 15. When Thomas asks the selfe-same Question which I am perswaded the poor lost souls of you would faine be satisfied in Lord saith Thomas How shall we know the way Joh. 14. verse 5. that is the way to the Mansions or Rest spoken of verse 2. Christ answers his Question fully and so fully makes good our present Discourse ands fully I am perswaded satisfieth your solicitous desires and soul-enquiries verse 6. I am the way no man cometh to the Father but by me 3ly How Christ the Guide comes to be the way 3ly But and if thou demand how Christ the Guide comes to be the Way understand it thus The are two things to be considered in Christ which were also both in Moses enabling him as was Moses to be a Guide 1. That he be a Prophet that is One able to direct the Way so was Moses 2. That he be a Prince that is One having power to command into that way so directed and so was Moses In both these Moses was a Type of Christ as a Guide Christs Office being Propheticall to Direct and Princely to Command soules to walke in the wayes that hee shewes them Thus Moses was a fit Guide and so is Christ But then there is another requisite to make Christ the guide to be the way also and in this Moses came short of typifying Christ but Aaron by whom they were also led Psal 77.20 Though short before makes up that defect now and that is Note that he be a Priest The people were not to offer sacrifices immediatly or by themselves but they were to bring them to the Priests and the Priests were to be their way unto the Lord and all as cleare Types of Christ our way to the Father Now then had Christ been onely Prince and Prophet he might have been an able guide but he could not have been a waie but Christ being King Priest and Prophet the chiefe of Kings the chiefe of Prophets and the chiefe of Priests must needs be the chiefe of Guides and the chiefe of Waies I thinke the Scripture's very plaine Jo. 14.6 Jesus saith I am the way the truth and the life I will expound or paraphrase it thus I am the King the Priest and the Prophet for I thinke those three words in the Text answer the Threefold office considerable in Christ I am the truth that 's I am the Prophet I am the life that 's I am the Prince I am the waie that 's I am the Priest That Christ as he stiles himselfe the Truth relateth unto his Propheticall Office none I thinke will deny that Christ as he stiles himselfe the life that is one giving life to his people speakes of his Kingly Office may as well be granted for this is the peculiar prerogative of Christ as King above all other Kings other Kings can bid people goe c. but Christ by bidding them can them goe and this is without all contradiction Christs very Kingly Office to give such commands in the new Creation as God the Lord did in the Old he said let there be light and there was so so Christ to Lazarus Come forth and he did so so to the Diseased Take up your bed and walk and they did so and so Christ to the Spouse Come with me from the Lyons den c. Cant. 4.8 and she doth so as in our Text. Therefore is the soveraignty of Jesus Christ as Truth and Prophet he shews the way as Prince he gives life the fountaine of motion to walke in that way Otherwise he might call and command ten thousand times and we stirre no more then dead Carkasses Other Kings can onely spare or take away life where it is but Christ can give life where it is not There wants yet another word to
though thou hast been an Underling in Aegypt an Inhabitant of the Wildernesse who hast wrought among the Bricks and lyen among the Pots and gone among the Thornes and trod upon Serpents Art thou in Christ thou and now going homeward to the heavenly Canaan the Rest of Gods people to the Jerusalem that is ABOVE and is TREE Above Aegypt its Brick-kiln and Fleshpots Earth and all its allurements and all their embitterments Above Pharoah and his Hosts Satan and his Instruments above he Wilderness windings and woundings of sinne And therefore thou shalt be FREE from feares from falls from sinne from sorrowes from the Death of the Body and from the Body of Death and from all the evill that is in the World and from the world of Evill that is in the heart The Gulfe shall be fixed and thou shalt be free'd and though these would passe over to thee they shall not be able The Aegyptians that followed thee thou shalt see them no more for ever They followed thee but shall never finde thee There 's a Jordan betwixt thee and them which though it were dryed up before thee yet shall not be so for them to passe after thee Thine old Aegypt is on the other side of the Sea and thine old Wildernesse on the other side of the Flood The Waters shall returne and thine Enemies be cut off Where the Serpent found thee thou shalt leave Him even in the Wildernesse and where thou leavest the Serpent thou shalt leave the poyson and the sting even Satan and Sinne and Death together The first is a Murtherer the next is a Lyer the last is a Dogge that will grumble and snarle at thee but cannot hurt thee and without are Murtherers and Lyers and Dogs but within are true Israelites Feare not poore Convert that are crucified with Christ though a Prisoner among men and condemned of the World where thy legges are broken thy supports taken away the way that thou art in is life as well as Way and the sooner men breake thy legges the more hast shalt thou make to suppe with Christ in Paradice Yea thou art a stranger and strangely dealt with as in a strange Land Art thou but in Christ thou art going homeward to thine owne Country and to the house of thy friends to the Spirits of thy dear deceased Relations that are now made perfect There is Eunice thy Mother and Lois thy Grandmother if thou be a Timothy Yea Jesus himselfe will doe the Right of a Kinsman unto and will owne thee in the Gates of Heaven and before the Elders of thy people Then shalt thou that wast afraid to glean after the Reapers possesse the whole joyes of the Harvest and thou that wast afraid to uncover his feet shalt lye then in his bosome and thou shalt be ever with the Lord. And now who is there among you that are in Christ as the way to this Rest and have Christ in you as the hope of his Glory can hear of this home without desire to be dissolved and to depart if the Lord would let you to this rest in peace And yet this is but a little of that that may be spoken and all that may be spoken is but a little of that that shall be made good unto you when you come at home This is but a short Pisgaprospect of the promised Land which your owne life keepes you out of possession of These are but a few of the clusters of Canaan that are brought you for a taste by a poore Spye lest any of you should have evill thoughts of the good Land and so take up on this side Jordan but who shall reveale unto you what is the fruite of the Vine in your Fathers Kingdom This is but your Provision sent you to support you by the Way but who can Divine without Josephs Cup what a Land is that Goshen whence these Provisions come This is but the Raine that filles your Pooles in the Vale of Baca but who can tell you how it shall bee with you when you appeare before the Lord in Sion This is but Mount Tabor 't is Mount Sion that is your dwelling place and there is the City of the living God there are the innumerable companies of Angells the Church of the first born and Jesus the Mediator And if to thinke of these things seriously while wee are at home in the Body make this home an Heaven sure it will be good for us to be where this Heaven shall be our home This is the Inheritance of the Saints in light the Inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away but is reserved in the Heavens for them This is their Habitation made but not with hands and purchased but not with money This is their Rest prepared by Christs travailes their life purchased by his Death the joy of the Lord dearely paid for by that Man of sorrowes their Glory bought by his shame their true Riches gained through his povertie the Kingdome wonne for them by his subjection the blessing obtained through his being made as a Curse for them Oh! thanks be to God for his unspeakable GIFT This is the HOME whereunto Christ is the WAY In and By whom whilest the Ransomed of the Lord come up from the Wildernesse they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Wherefore you see deare Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling that there is a promise left us of entering into his Rest .. Let us therefore feare lest any of us should seeme to come short Heb. 4.1 The Lord hath this day shewne you the good way and hath said unto you Walke in it and you shall finde Rest to your soules Jer. 5.16 But now if any of you shall answer as they in the next verse We will not walk therein Know of a surety that every soule that goes Christlesse goes both Guidelesse and waylesse and therefore shall never find this Heavenly habitation I cannot say but Christlesse sinners have got as many Guidles as there are SATYRS and as many waies as there are windings in the Wildernesse and they also make hast to their own home for Judas who hanged himself is said to go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his own place Act. 1.25 But alas as is the difference of the Waies so of the Homes the waies differ as Darknesse and light and the Homes as Hell and Heaven He that is in Christ goes home to be comforted but the Christlesse to be tormented he to his good things but thou O wretch from thy good things Hee dies to live thou diest to die He descends as to his body that he may ascend thou ascendest as to thy spirit which returns to God that gave it to give sentence on it that thou maist descend and go down into Hell for ever He may complain Abroad the sword bereaveth but thou shalt lament At home there is as death he cannot say so As death I say but worse thou death Where thou shalt