hope better things of you my Brethren O let us cry out in the language of the Spouse Cant. 2.3 As the Apple-tree amongst the Trees of the wood so is my beloved amongst the Sons 3ly It must not be forced of necessity 3ly A free and complacentiall Act. but of complacency and of choyce a leaning for love as we say and not for money Christ never intended in any civill Marriage that the golden wheele should be the first mover or that the silver Cord should draw the hearts together much lesse that we should love him primely for his loaves or marry him as some time amongst men we see it meerly to be maintained by him I have sadly in my thoughts compared a soul taking hold upon Christ in a death-bed when there hath been no other way left or under some strong fears of death and keepings under bondage thereby to a naked hand catching hold of a naked sword in a shipwrack not that it desires so to doe but for the present it must hold or sink Now let the man but come abroad or ashore and you shall quickly see him let his hold go and glad too Poore soules when there 's no other way but to dye and be damned O! then for a Christ What would you have a Christ yes I would fain yea I must have a Christ but Christ will mortifie your members and subdue your sinnes doe you desire that yes will they say Oh! you cannot beat them off from leaning upon a Christ now though you cut their Fingers but let them but come to shore to health and strength againe and you shall not need once to bid them to forego their hold upon Jesus Christ But the Spouse as you heard would not let her beloved go sure enough it was because she loved to lean as well as leaned where she loved Observe Gods prophesie of the Root of Jesse which is Christ and the believing Gentiles Isai 11.10 Unto it that is unto Christ the Sonne of Jesse shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious Marke They shall take it to be their glory their joy and their Crown to come and sit down to stay and to rest themselves upon the Lord Jesus Christ thus rejoycingly must thou leane upon the beloved 4ly A close intyre Act. 4ly and lastly It must not be a broken and loose but a close and entyre leaning upon Jesus Christ This is called a being joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is agglutinated as the Joyner fits piece to piece and then glues each piece to his fellow in order hereunto Thus much I have already proved that the intire or whole soul must leane upon the intire or whole Christ at least wise it is easily deducible from the description of that interest that must bottome this Act. That which I have more to say is onely this that as the Agent and Object so must the Act it selfe be intire the whole soul must wholly leane upon the whole Christ Cant. 5.16 He saith the Spouse is altogether lovely and if so then altogether to be leaned upon for there must be some proportion between the Act and the Object Oh! many there be that will seeme to leane upon Christ but how may this word altogether startle us We lean not so much upon Christ for provision in the world as over him upon the shoulders of our own wit and care and industry or the shoulders of such and such friends If we leaned altogether upon Christ we should keep our faith as Habakkuk ch 3. ult Though all means should fail We leane not so much upon Christ in a sicknesse as over Christ upon the Physitians shoulders else should we think more of or send oftner to or consult oftner with Christ then we doe whilst we so much Asa-like think of send to and consult with the Physitians 2 Chr. 16.16.12 We leane not so much upon Christ in a duty as over him upon the shoulders as it were of the duty hence is it that we measure our acceptance by our enlargements when happily the heart hath been more humble and so better as I have noted when it hath been more straightned so that all these are more stay to us than Christ But oh when when shall we get close unto Christ Jesus lean adequately upon him to stretch our selves upon him as Elisha did upon the Childe that our eyes may be upon his eyes and our mouth upon his mouth and our face upon his face 2 King 4.34 Friends 't is only such neare immediate and adequate application of Christ to our soules or which is all one of our souls to Christ that can bring life into our dead hearts as into that dead Childe The Spouse would have none betwixt her and Jesus Christ no not so much as the dearest enjoyment in the world but his left hand should be under her head and his right hand should embrace her Cant. 8.3 Which embraces encourage her to re-imbrace her beloved and so to come out of the Wildernesse leaning upon him vers 5. And thus much in answer to the third Question viz. What it is to leane upon the Beloved Come we now to The Fourth maine Querie viz. 4th Querie What are the Hinderances of this leaning upon Christ Two sorts 1. Negative Whar are the hinderances that keepe lost soules from becommirg leaning soules I shall reduce them or at least wise the most principal of them unto these two Heads 1. Neagative 2. Positive Hinderances 1. As for Negative hinderances take these three 1. Few need Christ therefore few leane upon him Few need Christ fewer feel him fewest of all affect him 1. Hinderance is this That though all lost soules do need Christ yet there are very very few that apprehend their lost estate and so perceive their need of Christ comparatively but one lost soul one sheep of an hundred where there are ninty nine just persons that need no repentance Luk. 15.7 Oh! would it not make an heart bleed to think that when our poore soules are cast forth naked into the open field that there is none eye to pitty them no not so much as their own eye Ezek. 16.5 Soules are so lost that they have lost their pitty towards themselves they do not they cannot lament their own ruines Poor they are and wretched and miserable and blind and naked and yet aske these very persons how they doe and they will tell you they are in need of nothing Rev. 3.17 No not in need of Christ And therefore they care not for leaning upon him Come to some Widdow and mind her of such a man that would make a very good Husband for her why saith she I am well enough as I am and I live quietly and comfortably and need nothing Now that word quite stops your woing for a friend and how doth it obstruct our woing of soules for Jesus Christ when the most of soules live well
to the soul so speaks he exceeding respectively of the streams flowing forth from the soul towards him Hear what he saith of the fountains of the head Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue Cant. 4 11. milk and honey dropping are the prayers and praises of his saints unto him Hear what he saith of the fountains of the heart Cant. 4.10 How much better is thy love then wine and as for the streams of her life her self Cant. 8.2 I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juyce of my pomgranates Thirdly If thy condition be solitary and companionless 3. Labor to get Christs company like a wilderness labor to finde Christ a companion for thy soul and thy soul in some sort fit company for Christ First If ever thy soul come from the wilderness our Text saith it must be by getting Christ to be thy companion You have Christ offering his company to the poor soul in the wilderness Cant. 4.8 Come with me from Lebanon the lions den c. and over again as if this should enâ—ice her with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon so she inticeth him Cant. 7.11 let us go forth and verse 12. let us get up early He proffers her his own company she him her company Oh! who would not go along with Christ You have again the soul laboring to get Christs company and when she hath got it she will not part with him You have her seeking him and following him Cant. 3.1 2. and when she hath found him verse 4. she holds him and keeps his company and will not let him go she could not rest till she had got his company and having gotten it she can less rest when she hath lost it Cant. 5.6 I opened and my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone 2. Labor to finde the soul company for Christs and my soul failed Secondly Labor to finde thy soul as company for Christ and for God that thou mayest be able to say as they 1 John 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus shall I tell you you cannot more desire Christs company then Christ doth yours Cant. 2.10 Rise up my love my fair one and come away and verse 13. rise up my fair one and come way yea as if he longed for her company O my dove let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for thy countenance is comely verse 14. O what a happy change is this amongst lions before wandring in the wilderness Cant. 3 6. with 4 8. with Christ now lodging in the villages 4. Labor to finde Christ as a spread table unto thy soul Cant. 7.11 Fourthly Since thou hast been so long in a desolate and provisionless wilderness so that thy soul hath been as a wasted carkase there O labor now to finde Christ a Gardenbar quet-house a spread table unto thy soul I know some poor unbelieving soul will be ready to judge its condition so desolate as not to think it possible that God should supply and to say as the Israelites Psalm 78.19 Can God furnish a table in the wilderness but that Text tells you that they speak against God in so saying Alas here 's a strong mistake the poor creature thinks it humility and thinks he onely speaks against himself when he cries out Oh! my soul is so poor and destitute and so like to Pharaoh's lean kine that I can never think that it can be furnished Alas thou art deceived thou speakst against God 't is Gods work to furnish a table for thy soul in this wilderness and I would have you to know that all the provision that Christ gathers in to himself and hath in himself it is to bid you welcome with Cant. 2.4 He brought me into his banqueting-house and what doth he say then I am come into my garden I have gathered mine honey-comb with mine honey 2. Labor to finde thy soul as a spread table unto Christ c. eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved all his banquettings are for his friends neither is he nigardly to his beloved Can. 5.1 Secondly Labor to finde thy soul as a spread table unto Jesus Christ Friends 't is not onely as meat and drink unto Christ to do his Fathers will himself as himself saith but it is meat and drink to him to see you do it also Cant. 6.2 3. My beloved is gone down to feed in the gardens that is amidst the services or his people and he feedeth amongst the lilies that is amongst the Saints therefore saith the Spouse Let my beloved come into his garden and let him eat Cant. 4.16 yea so much is Christ delighted with such food as that he will rather bid himself to the souls table then fail to be a guest Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open unto me I will come in to him and sup with him Fifthly 5. Finde Christ a way out of the wilderness If thou hast been in a wayless wilderness thus long labor to finde Christ a way for thy soul to walk in John 14.6 I am the way no man cometh to the Father but by me but of this more afterward Secondly 2. Thy soul a way for Christ to walk in Labor also to finde thy soul a way for Jesus Christ to walk in this was the Spouses great desire Cant. 4.16 O saith she awake north winde and blow south and raise up my spices and all to fit her for the incoming of her beloved into her garden Oh! happy happy is that soul that having been a wilderness before becomes a garden of walks unto Jesus Christ now Sixthly If thou hast been as a waste wilderness 6. Finde Christ husbanded for thy soul and in a waste wilderness hitherto O labor to finde Christ Jesus husbanded for thy soul saith Christ John 15.1 I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman It seems Jesus Christ is husbanded and I 'le tell you how God suffered the plowers to plow long furrows upon his back Psalm 129.3 yea Christ was willing to be husbanded insomuch as the Lord himself seems unto me to stand admiring at Christ when he sees him so husbanded and willing to be so drest Isa 63.1 Who is this that comes from Edom with died garments from Bosrah it was Christ and how comes he to be red in his apparel Why he trod the wine-press alone verse 3. this if you respect his vengeance towards his enemies mentioned verse 4. may be understood as it is expressed actively but if you will respect the coming of the year of his redeemed mentioned also verse 4. it must be understood passively and so this expression is but paralel to Isa 53.4 he trod the wine-press that is he was bruised in the wine-press bruised for our iniquities This is clear if Christ be a vine and so
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
men by running into a wilderness think to avoid merciless men and they fall among merciless beasts so in sin they think by drinking or whoring or swearing away conscience or the like to avoid an angry conscience and alass fall among Lions the roaring Lion on the one hand the sin-revenging Lion of the tribe of Judah on the other and so come to be torn to pieces The yong man thinks to scape the good man Prov. 7.19 bur yet is cast down and slain by the woman the woman sin chap. 26. I finde a precious Scripture Cant. 4.8 Come with me from Lebanon my spouse with me from Lebanon look from the top of Amanah from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions den and from the mountains of the Leopards It s the call of the soul by Christ when the soul is upon the pinacle of temptation it looks upon sin and thinks it the most pleasant thing in the world like Lebanon like Hermon and Shenir which among the Hebrews were like the Baiae the pleasâ—ntest of all pleasant places but Christ gives it another Character then she thought of Oh! saith he Though you take them to be thus pleasant yet let me assure you the Lions den and the mountains of the Leopards are there And suppose I pray you a man were in a paradise as the case is now with us Oh! how would a Lions den or a Leopards mountain dash to pieces all thoughts of pleasures and security And therefore by way of Application If sin be thus like a wilderness promising pleasure Application producing pain promising security whilest it stirs up Lions Oh then First Look off of sin least it tempt Cant. 4 8. Vse 1 fore-quoted look from Shenir look from the top of Hermon Look off of the wilderness of sin do nor too much loook upon it because it looks so like a Lebanon Oh! that men could be perswaded to look off from sin when sin looks upon them there can no good Pro. 4.25 26. but much evil proceed from wanton and unwarrantable feeding of the eye with sin Be not so foolish as to be deceived to serve lusts counting Vse 2 them pleasures Secondly Never believe sin as long as you live Never believe sin when it flatters The wilderness is a lie fair without thorns within Psalm 4.2 How long will you love vanity and seek after lyes Selah That is observe it observe it beloved every sin is a lie Be not O be not therefore so vain as to seek after lyes never believe a liar when he speasts fairest CHAP. II. Containeth the progress in wilderness-sin dismal Lecture 2. destructive of the second branch of the first Doctrine shewing the dismalness of wilderness-sin in two things because both are barren and fruitless dry and moistureless WE come in the second place to the passage and progress in the wilderness and sin The passage and progress in both dismal and destructive 1. It is dismal in both we finde them dismal and destructive First The way of the wilderness is dismal so is the way of sin The way of the wilderness is dismal in these several respects 't is fruitless moistureless companionless comfortless wayless and husbandless and so is the way of sin 1. Fruitless First The wilderness is barren and fruitless you know the complaint Israel made of the wilderness Numb 20.5 this evil place say they its no place of seed of figs or vines or of pomgranats they do not deny but that it was a place of brambles and thorns and bryers but no place of seed grain or fruits figs or pomgranates Just thus it is with the soul under the power of sin its barren and fruitless towards God you cannot deny a sinful heart to be a place of vanity lust excess and foolishness but it is no place of seed no place for the word to thrive in it s no heart of prayer or thanksgiving obedience faith holiness hope love goodness righteousness truth which are the fruits of the spirit Eph. 5.9 But have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness chap. 11. mens works while they are in the state of sin are like the wilderness unfruitful works The wilderness Beloved brings forth thorns but a garden brings forth fruits c. we read Gal. 5.19 Of the works of the flesh but of the fruits of the spirit c. v. 22. a carnal heart brings forth works but it s onely a spiritual heart brings forth fruit Now then wouldst thou know whether thou be in this wilderness what fruit dost thou bear speak conscience the fruit of the spirit yea or no you know the sinner is represented by the barren fig-tree if thou dost not bring forth fruit the fruit of the spirit thou art a bramble of the wilderness I will not deny the wilderness to be in some sense fruitful I should wrong it if I should and so should I sin also it is fruitful so is sin but how 1. If fruitful First The fruit that the wilderness bears is wilde fruit Secondly It bears all its fruit unto it self Thirdly If it be fruitful unto any other it s rather to the Chimney then to the Table such is the fruit of sin Wilde fruits First Its fruit is wilde fruits ye know such fruits as naturally grow in forests and woods without grafting planting or pruning we use to call them as they are wilde fruits and truly all the fruits that grow upon the soul whilest its a tree in the wilderness before grace hath transplanted it are but wilde fruits The trees of the wilderness are but wilde trees wilde branches wilde roots and therefore the fruit must needs be wilde fruit so in sin The sinner himself is a wilde plant stark wilde root and branch father and son at his first conception and throughout his conversation Rom. 11.17 Thou being a wilde olive-tree wert graffed in and therefore certainly the fruit must needs be like the fruit of the wilderness Isa 5.2 It brought forth wilde grapes Ah! thinks the soul after conversion how wilde was I hitherto how vain how foolish how wildly did I use to pray how wildly did I use to carry my self in publique duties how wildly did I use to come to the Sacraments truly every fruit that groweth upon the wilde Olive-tree is a wilde fruit Secondly If the wilderness be fruitful 2. Wilderness fruitful to it self it is fruitful to its self there the fruit grows there it ripens there it falls pray who is the better for it Thus it is with thee O sinner if thou bear fruit it is for thy self God is never the better for it as I may say he gets nothing by thy estate he gets nothing by thy policy he gets nothing by thine industry if thou canst keep it none of it promotes his cause none of it maintains his poor none of it advanceth his praise behold Thou art the man that art a wilderness to the Lord
Ephraim were but an empty vine so Cant. 6.11 I went down that 's Christ into the garden of nuts when Christ takes a nut-tree out of the forest and transplants it in his garden makes a sinner a convert then he observes the fruit it brings forth to see the fruit of the valley that is of the poor penitent lowly humble heart and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomgranates budded that is whether this and that and the other grace faith and humility and holiness c. flourished and brought forth unto him Therefore as Christ in the fore-quoted place calls the fruit of his garden the Spouses so the Spouse calls the fruit of her garden Christs blow upon my garden and let him eat his pleasant fruits Cant. 4.16 If thou would have evidence that Christ did in earth and doth in heaven bring forth fruit unto thee labor to finde that thine heart thy lips thy life do all of them bring forth fruit unto Christ 2. Labor to finde Christ unto thy soul a river of waters of life Secondly labor to finde Christ a river of waters of life unto thy soul since thou hast been hitherto moistureless like a wilderness when Israel was in the dismal wilderness where there was no water Psalm 78.15 16. the Lord clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths he brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers But what 's this to me a sinner may the soul say Why the Apostle tells thee this rock was Christ these waters flowing out the rock were streams from Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 They drank of that spiritual rock that followed thâ—â— and that rock was Christ Christ is that river the streams whereof make glad the poor bewildred soul There are three sorts of streams which O that you could finde flowing from the Lord Christ 1. 1. Stream of blood Labor to finde the red stream of Christs blood Christs satisfaction and justification and reconciliation purchased thereby this is there as in many other Scriptures called Christs wine I have drunk my wine Hast thou by faith seen this rock smitten by the Lords rod and this red stream issuing out Hast thou seen Christs side lanced and the blood streaming forth for thy soul Hast thou seen this blood of the new Covenant poured forth for thee Oh! how would this stream make thy soul glad Secondly 2. Stream of milk Labor to finde the crystal stream of Christs Spirit by the other the soul is counted righteous by this it is made righteous I know the sincere heart desires as truly this as the other the other is the fountain open for sin that is the guilt the curse the condemnation this is a fountain open for uncleanness that is the defilement and pollution and both is for the house of David to wash in this is there as in other places called Christs milk and to shew that Sanctification and Justification go hand in hand one with another therefore saith Christ I drunk my wine with my milk though the wine be the first yet is it not without milky streams but they go along with it I cannot but imagine but that in the order of nature Christ Justifies before he Sanctifieth and yet I believe he never justifies but therewith he sanctifies as here wine first yet wine with milk even both together so we have Isa 55.1 the same order and the same conjunction Buy wine and milk without money and without price that is my merits and my spirit shall be both yours if you close with me though you deserve neither But thirdly Labor to finde yet other streams 3 Stream of honey even honey streams from Christ in the Ordinances this is called as often by David before so Cant. 5.1 Christs honey-comb and his honey Hast thou then found communion with Christ in prayer hearing reading or the like sweet as honey swâ—eter also then the honey-comb Canst thou say as the spouse of Christ Cant. 4.13 His lips are like lilies even like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe Have those sweet streams from Christs mouth flown down thus upon thy soul surely such floods cannot choose but make thee joyful in the house of prayer 2. To finde thy soul a watered garden to Christ Now secondly Labor to finde thy soul a watered garden unto Christ The soul was in the wilderness Cant. 4.8 and she becomes a garden ver 12. and in this garden there are both springs and fountains though both shut up and sealed that 's for Christs use they are reserved who alone is found worthy to open the seals 1. The fountain of thine hâ—ad First Then let the fountains of thine head be opened unto Christ the streams of thy lips of thine eyes thy words thy tears the working of thy brains let them all stream forth towards the Lord Christ say as the prophet O that mine head were fountains and mine eyes rivers of tears Jer. 9.1 let it be with thee as with David Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy law Psalm 119.136 O that all our heads and eyes were as rivers streaming towards Christ and Christ onely O that our brains might work more after and more for Christ We were as a moistureless wilderness before let us even in this sense become a watered garden now Isa 58.11 2. Of thine heart Secondly Let the fountains of thine heart be opened unto Christ If God have shed his love abroad in thine heart shed now thy love abroad into Gods heart We were as a wilderness we could scarce pour out words before God before let us now Psalm 62.8 pour out our hearts before God let all our affections desire fear love joy c. stream forth towards God Thus David poured out his soul within him Psalm 42.4 3. Of thy life 3 Let the fountains of thy life stream forth towards Christ as the fountain both of Christs life and death to boot did flow out unto thee whether you eat or drink or whatever you do let all the streams of your lives run into the channel of his glory According to this threefold counsel you have mention of a threefold breaking out of waters in the spouse Cant. 4.15 A fountaâ—n of gardens there 's one sort a spring of living waters there 's another sort and streams from Lebanon there 's a third sort that is if I mistake not one in the head another in the heart a third in the conversation The fountain of the head waters the garden of the affections the spring of the heart enliveneth the fountains of the head knowledge would otherwise be a dead water and now from both together to wit head and heart there are streams from Lebanon that is Knowledge and Grace flow forth as streams into the conversation You may therefore observe comfortably that as Christ had spoken high before of the streams that flow from himself
of blood yet at length sin shall sting like an adder and bite like a serpent of the wilderness Prov. 23.32 Vse To yong ones Now to come up from the the wildernes Hearken then you yong ones unto me and I will shew you an excellent way Youth I know is of all ages and states most desirous and indeed most free for travel but it pities me to think that so much gallant youth and the strength thereof should be spent in wandring up and down in the worthless wilderness of sin Encouragement 1. The fitness of youthful time for that travel rather if you will be traveling remember Canaan Oh! what a time is the strength of your youth to make out your way from the wilderness of sin Thou hast some strength to rush through the thickets more then an old man hath and if thou lose a little of thy flesh in breaking through the thorns thou art yong and thy flesh will come again if thou lose by repentance as to carnal respects there 's time enough before thee to have amends made thee I observe as the yong ones were those of the Israelites that got through the wilderness unto Canaan Numb 26.64 so at this day those that are converted are converted yong ten to one of those that live to be old and yet come to be new born If old men will have their old ways still and scorn to learn a new lesson being old yea if their joints be stiff and their knees feeble that they cannot travel yet let us yong men get up and be going and the Lord be with us This day the Lord calls you yong ones from the Lions deâ— and Leopards mountains if you refuse this call to day you will mourn at the last when your strength is consumed and say How have I hated instruction and mine heart despised reproof Prov. 7.11 12. Take a tree from the wilderness when its young set it in your Garden keep it and water it c. and little fear of its death but take an old tree from the wilderness and transplant it in your Orchard and do what you will there is little hope of the life of it if there be 't will cost much ado much weeping to water it c. hear David crying Psalm 25 6 7. Remember thy tender mercies remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions If thou have only thy youth transgressions or bewildrings to reckon for it will be work enough for thee though thou have thy youth strength to do the work in Secondly As this is the fittest time for thee 2. The acceptableness of youth herein unto God so is it the most welcome time to God young ones if you did but know how kindly the Lord would take it to see you come up from the wilderness such youthfull Spouses leaning upon the Beloved it would ravish your hearts within you I le give you a tast for God hath bidden me go and cry in your ears saying Thus saith the Lord I remember the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a Land that was not sown Jer. 2.2 Oh Christ the Shepheard is come into the Wilderness to seek and to save that which is lost Oh if thou wilt in thy youth be so kind as to follow him till thou shall come to Canaan God will never forget this love of thine espousals say not that thou art too young to marry Christ the younger thou art the better Christ will like thee CHAP. III. A fifth particular to wit that mans estate is a bewildred estate the world is a wilderness proved generally proved particularly the first particular poverty a wilderness opened and applyed Fifthly Mans estate a bewild red estate FIfthly Men and women as soon as they enter upon the world as we say that is upon the heart of the world they enter upon the heart of the Wilderness The world is a Wilderness to the unregenerate for here grow those Thorns that choak the word of God The world is a wilderness here are the thorns Mat. 13.22 He that hath the word choaked by the Cares of this world is said to receive it among thorns When the Word meets with a worldly heart it is like good seed sown in a thorny wilderness Worldlings you that hear me this day I appeal to your consciences if it be not so In comes a note or an observation an advice or a conviction and up start the thorny worldly thoughts that are within thee even whilst thou art within the reach of the word and choak that good seed Here are the the entangling waies that it brings not forth Again The world is a wilderness to the unregenerate for here are those crooked and foul waies that are the entanglements of the poor soul the Apostle 2 Pet. 2.20 mentioning the pollutions of the world saith They are entangled therein and overcome The world is a thorny thicket and entangling wilderness to the unconverted My friends were it only your Babes and children They that enter upon the world enter the very midst of the wilderness and youth that were bewildred it were less to be feared you might hope that when they came to have experience of and to understand the waies of the world they might come to understand their own waies or at least if you were not your selves lost you might set them into the way But let me tell you what ever you think or speak of Men of the world know not what way they wal in or unto any man Oh say you I know well enough what I do and about what I go and what way I am in there is not an unregenerate heart amongst you but is so far bewildred as not to know the way that thy soul is in Prov. 20.4 Mans goings are of the Lord how then can a man understand his own way He that is a stranger from Gods waies is altogether ignorant of his own waies nay how can he understand them Mans goings are known of the Lord The interpretation of this Scripture may be according to Prov. 5.21 Mans waies are before the Lords eyes and he pondereth all his wayes T is Gods prerogative to understand not only his own waies but thy waies as it is the Saints prerogative that know God not only to understand their waies but Gods waies but it is thy misery neither to know Gods waies nor thine own Prov. 12.26 The way of the wicked seduceth him Seduceth that is his very way leads him out of his Way It seems a right way unto him but the end thereof are waies of death Prov. 14.12 The end of his way he thinks is thriving and riches and a comfortable life this thinks he will be the end of his grinding the faces of the poor and cheating the rich and this he thinks is a right way he may lawfully buy as cheap and sell as dear as he can But the end
perswade thee but to thine own good and the influence that thine heart hath upon thee to guide thy bent after its own bent and thy waies after its own waies is the propriety that thou hast in it and it in thee thus Jam 1.14 Every man saith the Apostle is tempted when he is lead away of his own lust That which tempts him leads him and that which leades him leads him away and that which thus tempts him and leads him away is lust and the reason why lust hath such prevalency upon him is because it is his own lust So then 't is his own heart that leads him to the Wildernesse of his own ruine 2d Betwixt Gods waies Satans the heart hath the Casting-voice Secondly Our hearts have the casting voice betwixt the Counter-voices of God and Satan If three men be travailing and come to a parting way and debate ariseth which of the two waies shall be taken Saith the one this way Saith the other that way now observe what way the third saith carries both for hee hath the casting voice so here Come with me from the Lions Den from the Mountains of the Leopards saith God Stay still in my Den and I will use you well saith Satan Now what saith thine heart what way it votes that way thou goest Come now is Gods voice Not yet saith Satan Not yet saith the heart why truly then thou stayest in the Wildernesse still You have often mention of Gods voice to Israel yet little good was wrought by it Why what hindred oh their hearts voice was the third voice and that was a Counter-vote to Gods So Jer. 7.23 I said Obey my voice and walk in my waies Gods voice is walk in Gods waies But they hearkned not ver 24. But walked in the Counsell of their Evil heart and walked backward and not forward God cryes forward and into my waies Satan cryes backward and keep your own waies Their heart cryes backward and let us walk in our own waies still and thus as the heart voiceth so they walk So then observe in all the motions and calls of God which way stands thine heart affected which side votes that on Verily till God in the wonderfull work of Conversion come and make the heart say as he saith and vote as he votes the soul cannot chuse but as those in Act. 7. thrust him away and despise his voice because the hearts voice is to turn backward again to Aegypt And this makes our heart so prevailing a tempter into the Wildernesse If our heart have the casting voice it will certainly perswade us to go where it useth and loves it selfe to be To improve this unto all that heare mee this day First Vse To those that are come out of the Wildernesse To keep their hearts from going back to those that through mercy are come out of this wildernes Oh! sirs if thy heart in thy bosome thus love and hath thus been accustomed to wander and is so ready to tempt so dangerous in tempting so like to prevail let me still beg of you that above all keepings you would keep your hearts from rambling again for if they get into the Wildernesse again they will quickly get you thither Me thinks Satan should never be able to bewilder us unlesse he had this advantage of us he ploughs with our heifer hee makes use of the wise of our bosomes I mean our hearts and then are we suddainly led away Some think 't is enough if they can but guide their feet in the way I mean their outward Conversation but the wise and holy man thought not so whose counsell is this Pro. 23.19 Hear thou my Son and be wise and keep thine heart in the way When Davids heart cast those wanton darts from the house top to Bathshebah little thought hee that he was entring such filthy such bloody paths of the Wildernesse Therefore as Pro. 7.25 Let not thine heart decline to her waies if thou wouldst not go astray in her paths 2. To the bewildred to labour to get out their hearts forward Secondly To those that are yet in the Wildernesse desirous but ignorant how to get forth If thy heart be thy tempter thy bewildring Guide and seducer if thine heart were the first in the Wildernesse labour the first thing thou dost to get this heart of thine out of the Wildernesse This is the Lords expresse Counsell Jer. 31.21 Set thine heart toward the high way Even the way that thou wentest turn again O Virgin of Israel turn again to these thy Cities I have observed you can never get out some Table or Couch or the like out of a very narrow door through the which it came in till you turn it the self same end forward that came in forward Thou maist strike at this sinne and that corruption and strive to mend this and that but thou wilt never get out of sin till that end go out formost that came in formost You came into the Wildernesse with your heart forward and you must out again with your heart forward or not at all as it is with the body crouding through a narrow hole get your head thorough and then all will thorough so here get your hearts thorough and then all will thorough Motives hereunto This double advice I shall desire to set home upon your hearts upon this double consideration First There is not any thing in the Word that God accounteth worse and that grieves him more then these heart-bewildrings Jer. 13.10 This Evill people which refuse words and walk in the imaginations of their heart This is that which God calls Evill Yea in this God chargeth them as doing worse then their Idolatrous and rebellious Fathers Jer. 7.24 25 26. This is the Generation that grieveth God even they that erre in heart Heb. 3.10 Yea he complaineth he is broken with their whorish heart Ezek. 6.9 Secondly There is not any thing that God wili deal worse with thee for then for this and grieve thee when time serves more then for this There is not a place that I quoted that mentions these heart-bewildrings but with them their destruction Therefore he will bring Evill on them such as they shall not escape Jer. 11.11 therefore hee will feed them with wormwood and give them water of Gall to drink Jer. 9.15 therefore their Carkasses shall be meat for the fowls of Heaven â—â—d beasts of the Earth and none shall fray them away Jer. 7.33 Therefore God will recompence their way upon their own heads Ezek. 11.21 and what shall this recompence be Why a grievous whirlwind of Gods fury which shall fall suddainly upon their heads and at length they shall know it and that perfestly Jer. 23.17 18 19 20. So Ezek. 6.10 Because they loved to wander and refrained not their feet therefore the Lord will not accept them but will now remember their iniquity and visit their sin Jer. 14.10 Yea because hee is so grieved with those
8.5 Oh! it was a long time this last bout ere she could finde that which she had lost in a nights steep of sloth and security At first you see her at a loss chap. 3.1 and coming out of the wilderness ver 6. But now you must read from Chap. 5. to Chap. 8. before you heare of her coming up from the wilderness At first she comes up in full sense of her glory she is a perfumed Spouse Next bout she comes up in full sense of her infirmity she is now a leaning Spouse Th re was more sparkling flaming smoaking perfumes of joy before but more serious sober setled humility and dependance now Before she was more proud of her Beloved and lesse ashamed of her selfe But now how glad in her Saviour and yet how sad in her self Yea herein her heart although she lean and come up from the wilderness is ready still to faile because after she had tasted of his love she fell asleep And although she were out of the first Wilderness viz. that of the state of Condemnation yet fell into the second Wilderness even that drowsinesse of spirit after Conversion Therefore let not any poor heart among you for whose sake I have spoken all this say that it was never truly brought out of sin because it is now or hath been upon the wrack of new terrours because of its after-conversion drowsinesse or security Onely if ever thou be as no doubt thou wilt be brought out of the Wildernesse the second time covet rather to come out a leaning Spouse than a perfumed Spouse I mean rather desire to be kept low and in dependance by Grace than to be raised over-high by comfort Thus much of the first bewildring darknesse after Conversion as to the enjoyment of our comforts I would not let him goe chap. 3.4 That 's her language at her coming first out of the Wildernesse and 't is pretty high and confident but chap. 8.1 2. O that thou wert as my Brother I would lead thee and bring thee c. this is her Dialect at her second coming up from the second Wilderness here 's more humility and dependance CHAP. XXIII Two farther particulars dark providences on Gods part and backslidings on our parts darkning our comforts as also two particulars darkning our graces THe second sort of after-conversion darknesses is 2. Dark providences as to our outward man Darke Providences as to our outward man and hence we are many times bewildred and at a loss as to our inward As they that I spake of were found despairing before conversion so these repining after conversion if God lead us into a Land of seeming darknesse it will be to us a wildernesse Ier. 2.32 Surely saith the soul I have been but deluded in spirituals to think that God would save my soule for in naturals I am at a great straight and God doth not provide for my body If he loved me he would never keep me so low he would never so afflict me Now this is Darknesse for saith Divinitie If he should not afflict thee surely he doth not love thee Such a darke cloud of providence in Jobs outward Estate makes him at a loss for his inward hope Hear his language Iob. 19.8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot passe he hath set darknesse in my paths that 's the darknesse that I now speak of for vers 9. He hath Stript me of my glory and what of that why vers 10. Mine hope hath he removed when his outward glory his attyring glory for saith he He hath stript me is lost his inward hope is lost too because his enjoyment of earth is gone for the present he is at a losse for the hope of heaven c. And this is our very usual and bewildering darknesse to measure and account Gods inward love or hatred from what providentiall dealing outwardly is before us but no man knowes it thereby Eccle. 9.4 Gods chastisements then to Gods own children Gods chastisements on his Saints a cloud a dark cloud are Clouds so full of darknesse that they are often bewildred as to Gods Inward favour and the light of his countenance which they have sometimes accounted better then life that sun sets in this cloud A cloud it is and a dark one too under which without great wisdome from above we may sadly lose our selves as to our comforts But Gods chastisements to his people in their owne nature are and so doth God intend them onely as Israels Cloudy pillar in their Wildernesse 'T was very dark but verie usefull 1. For Protection 2. For Guidance But 1. A protecting Cloud 1. This is a darke but a protecting Cloud God makes those providences serve to keepe his Saints wherein they thinke they shall be lost what dark thoughts have many of the Saints of God had of that authoritie and power as if all should be undoubtedly lost under it which God hath made our protection hitherto crosse providences frequently keep us out of danger As when your child is crost in bringing of it in from under the horses heels or like danger in the streets It 's good for me saith David That I have been afflicted That is It would have been worse if it had not been so bad It 's better to be poor and godly then to be rich and proud by the dark cloud of poverty God protects them from the danger of pride and vanity c. 2. A directing Cloud 2. Gods chastisements are a darke but a guiding Cloud and such was that to Israel And my Brethren no matter how darke it be if God by it point thee to thy way this is the very use of Gods darkest dispensations to his deare ones Psa 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have learnt thy precepts No matter how black the Rod be by which thy guide points out thy way 3. Dark back-slydings 3ly The Third sort of bewildring darknesses after conversion are from our partiall apostacie and wretched back-slydings In this darke we lose our comforts No sooner doth Satan turne us aside but he bewilders us he turns us aside from holinesse and bewilders us as to comforts For my part I judge it impossible for any even for any Saint to maintaine spiritual comfort in turning aside to a carnal conversation If you will adventure into the dark of sinne you shall be lost sadly though not finally in the dark of sorrow Mich. 7.8 9. When I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will beare the indignation of God because I have sinned against him From hence you may observe thus much 1. That the back-slydings or fall of Saints shall not be unto death as the sinnes of the wicked I mean to death eternall 2. But yet if they will dare to sinne they shall find darknesse wherein they may fall 3. Yea and if they fall into sinne they shall sit that is continue
thee look about all things Father Mother Wife Children Lands Houses Life and Leave Forsake Hate them all and then thou shalt be a Disciple unto Gospel-obedience Is not this every whit as much as go up to Mount Nebo and dye there surely he never yet found this way that hath not found it to be an up-hil way 4. Of Gospell converse in spiritual duties Fourthly The way of Gospel-Communion or Converse with God with Christ with Saints in the Spirit in an Ordinance My Brethren is not this an up-hil way Is it not this that makes your hearts sweat againe to get up or keep up your Spirits duly in this way Our Saviour went up into a Mountaine to pray and unlesse thou canst come up into the Mountaine thou wilt very hardly come to pray The Spouse looked for Christ in the high-wayes that is as I said before the Ordinances but she had not looked yet high enough for to find him Cant. 7.5 The King is held in the Galleries If thou be as the Spouse Cant. 2.14 In the secret places of the stayrs I am come to meet thee this day to tell thee that the King is above in the Galleries his voyce then to thee is this Come up hither for I saith Christ do not use to come down lower the King is held in the Galleries that is If you be in the Spirit whilst you are in the Ordinances you shal find Christ and not unlesse you be under spiritual Communion Christ wil not shew himselfe lower the Hebrew word bears thus much the King is bound in the Galleries Christ hath bound himselfe by promise to be found in spirituality of duty and hath as it were bound himself that he will not be found lower not in formality I judge it may refer hither that we read of the Mountains of Prayer the Mountaine of Holiness the Mountaine of Praise typing that the way of Gospel-Communion is an Up-hil way Secondly If you consider the terms of the motion 2. By consâ—deration of the terms of the motion of the soule that comes from the wildernesse of sinne to grace the term from which the term to which First The term from which is the Wildernesse 1. The terme from which is so low and it it is so low a scituation that you cannot possibly come out of it but you must come up out of it Paradice was a lofty state and as it were a lower Heaven but in the day that Adam was cast out of it he went to inhabite so low a soyle sinne I meane that it is said of it Prov. 5.5 Its steps take hold of Hell If the sinner were but one step lower he would be in Hell Nay what if I should say that the wilderness of sinne is in a sort as low as Hell nay in a sort an Hell Psal 86.13 Thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest Hell Sinne is an hell but I can't say it is the lowest Hell the lowest hell is the second death If thou be in the state of sinne thou art in Hell already understand it soberly He that beleeves not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 Damned already onely the Grave-stone is not yet rowled unto the mouth of this Grave the gulfe is not yet fixed the way is yet open and poor soules may come out by beleeving Secondly The term unto which soules move 2. The terme unto which it is so high when they come from the Wildernesse of sinne speakes it to be an up-hil way You have heard of an higher and lower hell and you may hear of an higher and lower Heaven As sinne is the upper Hell so grace is the lower Heaven Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven Pauls and the converted Philippians conversations were in heaven that was in the lower Heaven Memorable is that passage Heb. 10.22 23. Ye that is living Saints are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus c. If this way that shall lead hitherto be not up the hil judge ye 3. By consideration of this eminent circumstance in the motion viz. If your foot slip you doe not get nearer to grace by it but more back again into the wildernesse Thirdly If you consider but the remarkable Circumstances of the motion as this now Would you know whether or no the way out of the Wildernesse be an Up-hil way observe when thy foot slips whether thou gettest nearer grace or nearer sin by that slip If thou get nearer sinne as thou dost undoubtedly then sinne undoubtedly is the down-hil way for we slip not up the hill but down we fall not upward but down-ward Now this Circumstance is clear in scripture in experience and where not and it is convictive hereof viz. That the way from the Wildernesse of sinne is up-hil for upon any slip our soules slip to sinne so that the Lord instantly cryes out Returne ô backslyding Children c. Jer. 3.22 c. All the wayes of sinne are backslyding wayes therefore they are down-hil wayes and therefore the way from the Wildernesse is to come up Thus much for proof and surely of this mind was Solomon when he said that The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath Prov. 15.24 Whether you respect the hell of sin or of suffering for sinne which are both beneath but the way of life whether of holinesse or happinesse is above to the wise that is an Up-hil way Use 1. Challenge 1. That takes no pains yet thinks to come out of the wilderness From hence a word of Challenge a word of Caution and a word of Exhortation 1. Hence let me challenge soules Sirs how is it that you dare hope of comming at length out of the Wildernesse when you take no paines to walke in the up-hil way surely to let repentance and faith and obedience and the duties of holinesse alone is to resolve to dwell in the Wildernesse yet still for that is the valley of the shadow of death and these are the Up-hil wayes Come up come up from the wilderness you idle hearts that love to walke onely in the way of the plaines Oh! but say you I have tryed to come out but I have made no progresse I can easily go in farther and farther but why can I not as easily go out no wonder at all going in to it is down-hil comming out of it is up-hil therefore never think of coming out of it unless thou take as much nay more paines to get out of sinne then ever thou didst in sinne And by the way 2. That take paines to goe farther into it let me further challenge poor wretches of very madnesse that in stead of taking paines to come up from
Moses said to Israel Deut. 11 27. I have set before you in this Discourse a Blessing and a Curse for the Lord hath set my feet upon both Mountains spoken of verse 29. Ebal and Gerizim the Mountains of Curses and of blessings and that upon the Authority of two Scriptures To those that are yet out of love with Christ a Curse The first speakes from the top of Ebal the Mount of CURSING and it is 1 Cor. 16 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha that is Let him be accursed in all things in all places at all times with all Curses truly Nothing but the perfect experience of the damned in Hell can tell you what that word Anathena Maranatha meanes And who must be so accursed even whosoever loves not the Lord Jesus Art thou out of love with Christ still notwithstanding all that hath been spoken for him And art thou resolved to continue so then let thy Estate thy Body Soul here and hereafter yea and for ever be accursed Dost thou despise his Port hate his Person abhor his Discourse contemne his Carriage disdaine his Estate after all this and resolvest thou so to doe Let all the Scriptures of God curse thee let all the Saints and Angels of God curse thee let all the Creatures of God curse thee let the blessed mouth of God curse thee let the blaspheming mouth of thine own Conscience curse thee yea let the mouthes of all that are in the same curse and condemnation with thee curse thee let every mouth that blesseth God and Christ curse thee yea as long as any mouth blesseth the Lord Jesus let it curse thee for not loving the Lord Jesus This is the sad language of that sad Scripture But I had rather passe from these to those that love him and so from Ebal to mount Gerizim To those that are brought into love with this crucifyed Christ blessing the mount of BLESSING see Rev. 19.6 7 9. Allelujah let us rejoyce and be glad and honour him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready And he saith unto me write blessed are they that are called to the Marriage supper of the Lambe and he saith unto me These are the true sayings of God Sins Christ is ready now if you be ready truly blessed are you for you are called to the Marriage and to the Supper If any soule among you that have heard all that hath beene spoken shall love Christs Spokesmen meane as they are in the name of Prophets blessed of God be that soule If any soule entertaine the Message plaine as it is out of love to Christ that sent that message blessed of God be that soule If any soule be in love with a crucified despised naked wounded bleeding Christ blessed of God be that soule If any soule shall account Christs Convictions precious Oyntment and his Termes Righteousnesse if it shall forsake Father and Mother and all carnall Counsells and Relations out of love unto Christ If it shall go forth weeping bearing precious seed if it shall take Christs yoak upon it and his burthen and his Cross daily accounting them light because of love to Christ and easie as Jacob did his hard service out of love to Rachel If it shall cut off its right hand and pull out its right eye and forgoe its owne will and so leave all and cleave to Christ and hate all and love Christ or unfeignedly desire so to doe for ever blessed be that soule If it shall not despise the Corrections of the Lord Jesus nor faint when it is chastised by him patiently bearing because it hath sinned and willingly suffering that it may be pollished and fitted for Christs service or truly desire so to doe for ever blessed be that soule If it shall trust Christ with what it hath and for what it is to receive following him unto the Regeneration untill it shall come unto his Kingdom continuing stedfast till death and willing to be dissolved that it may be with Christ In a word if it take or be truly willing to take Christ as thus tendered upon his own terms blessed blessed blessed be that soule God hath blessed it who can reverse it These are the true sayings of God CHAP. XX. Discovers positive Hinderances The two first viz. leaning to Sinne. Sathan Second sort of Hinderances viz. Positive THe second sort of Hinderances are positive viz. The leaning-stocks that we take unto our selves on this side Christ doe absolutely hinder us from leaning upon this beloved Two Farther Observations from the Text. Which that I may with more advantage inquire into I shall take up from my text two farther previous Observations which I think are evidently lodg'd in the bosome of this expression Leaning on her Beloved The first is That as that soul that will have Christ for its beloved 1. The soule that leans on Christ must have none other leaning-stock must have but one beloved even Christ so that soul that will have Christ to lean upon must have nothing else to lean upon beside Christs For as the Text mentions but one Spouse viz. The Church of Christ so but one Beloved viz. Christ and but one also to leane upon To this the Apostle speakes clearly I have espoused you to one Husband even Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 So unto us there is but one Lord and one God even Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 But one to set our love as our Husband but one also to lean on as our God but one to be beloved as our Husband but one also to believed on as our Lord and God But now to Christlesse soules there are many lovers and beloveds Jer. 3.1 Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Hos 2.7 She shall not find her lovers A great number of lovers an indefinite number of lovers untill shee returne unto her first Husband and therefore to others also there are Gods many and Lords many 1 Cor. 8.5 A second Observation is 2ly The souls beloved will be the soules leaning-stock That whatever is the soules beloved that ever will be found the souls leaning-stock what ever the soule loves best on that it will be sure to lean most this is a cleare intimation from the Text leaning on her beloved So that if there be any thing that the soule loves more and better then Christ upon that it will leane and not upon Christ Now upon this twofold Accompt it is easie to discern in the generall how lost souls are hindered from leaning upon Christ because they have many Gods to lean on and therefore cannot leane upon the onely true God manifested in the flesh yea and they have many lovers and beloveds instead of Christ which as they lye in their bosomes where Christ onely should lie so stand they under their armes to support them where Christ should be to beare them up When a soule is converted we must with admiration
the World Not the great men of the world no not to the Ablest the Strongest the Greatest that is in the World Isa 31.1 Wo be to them That stay on horses and trust in Chariots because they are many and in Horsmen because they are very strong Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of man in whom there is no help It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man Psa 118.8 That you 'l quickly grant Yea but it follwes ver 9. It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in Princes Secondly Lean not to the things of the Word Nor great things of the world No not to the greatest to the fullest to the certainest enjoyment of these things Trust not in Riches boast not of them lean not to them no not to the multitude of your Riches Psa 49.6 If riches encrease set not your hearts upon them Isa 62.10 That is lean not unto them for though wee ought not to set our loves upon them and that may be there forbidden yet I believe the speciall meaning is that we should not repose the trust of our hearts in them which I gather both from what goes before both in the eighth and ninth Verses Trust in him at all times why so why Men of high degree are a lie therefore if riches encrease set not your hearts upon them as also from what followes after ver 11. This God hath spoken twice have I heard it That power belongs onely to God Therefore set not your hearts on riches the Encrease whereof hath no power to support you And yet wherewithall shall I disswade you worldlings from leaning to the World Consider there is but little in all the World for your support should you lean upon it And that little strength that these Reeds have wil upon your leaning bee sure to break in pieces and then what were thy Crutches before shall then become thy firebrands Disswasives 1. There is but little in the things or men of the world to support for First There is but little in Worldly things to bee leaned unto which may easily appeare under these Considerations They are unsuitable uncertaine unsatisfactory unserviceable supports to thy poore soul 1. They are unsuitable supports First Unsuitable The actings of the soul which I here call leaning are the Outgoings of a spirituall substance therefore how improper an Object are Carnall things How unapt a leaning stock is a fleshly Arm for a spiritual hand God saith that he spake like a fool that said Soul take thine ease or rest O soul for I have laid up much goods Luk. 12.19 20. If he had said here 's a table to refresh my body here 's a bed to refresh my bones it had not been such height of folly But soul take thine ease this was the foolishnesse and perhaps is thine David was wiser then so Psa 141.8 O God the Lord in thee do I trust leave not my soul destitute Whatever of these things thou trustest to yea whomsoever of these Persons yet may thy soul be destitute for all them the Lord is onely my support let thy soul sing for Isa 49.6 7 8. They that trust in their Wealth and boast in the multitude of their Riches none of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a Ransome for him for the Redemption of the soul is pretious and ceaseth for ever Meat may support the outward man Money the outward Estate Physick may repair the strength of the Body but the soul is out of the reach of these things Secondly Uncertain Such are the things of the world 2. Uncertain therefore not to be lean'd unto 1 Tim. 6.17 Trust not in uncertain riches Such are the men of the World Psa 73.18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places Certainly they are in uncertain places slippery places their heads are a lost to day their heeles as high as their heads to morrow They are great men and thy great friends and thou leanest confidently on them great things and perhaps they intend thee so but between the writing of the Will and the subscription between the draught of the Commission and setting of the Seal hee is snatch away and thou remainest as thou wast Psa 136.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of man in whom is no help How comes that Why his breath goeth forth he returneth to his Earth in that very day his thoughts perish But as for the beloved lean on him for as he was so he abides and so shall he abide for ever So Psa 18.2 The Lord is my Rock in whom I will trust the Lord is my high Tower A strong guard you will say both in Front and Rear a Rock before an high Tower behind and his confidence comes marching in the middle Among all things made by the Art of man nothing is more durable certain stable then a Tower of Defence Among all things visible made by the hand of God himselfe nothing more abiding stedfast and unmoveable then a Rock God is as both therefore wil David lean upon him here 's an unmoveable support a sit leaning-stock for an immortall soul Thirdly Unsatisfactory 3. Unsatisfactory They that labour for Carnall or for wicked things lay out their labour for that which satisfieth not Isa 55.2 and therefore they that lean upon them shall never have any satisfying support from them Which of you are more satisfied with your thousands then you were when you were worth but hundreds who of you saith I have enough to sit down upon and to rest fully contented with A Saint may say to another as Jacob Gen. 33.11 I have enough my Brother yea I have all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I have the beloved who filleth all in al. Eph. 1.23 but who besides the Saint can say so Those of you that have much goods wax unwearied in getting more and they that have great Estates in getting greater and they that have good friends as to worldly account in procuring better yea they tire themselves on their beds of rest whereon they lean and this their way is their folly and yet their posterity approves their sayings 4. Unserviceable Fourthly And lastly Unserviceable When is it that we say such a thing would do us a great deale of service but when we have most need of it And if so Then are the men and the things of the World unserviceable supports to the poor soul As for worldly men Isa 49.7 None of them can by any means redeem his Brother c. And as for worldly things when we have most need have they least help for Riches profit not in the day of wrath but Righteousnesse delivers from death Pro. 11.4 In daies of health peace and prosperity when thou art able to help thy self friends thou hast many that are willing to help thee then Riches will proffer
sue for life like Haman but it shall be denyed thee and then thou shalt seek for Death but Death shall flye from thee Thou shalt neither live nor die but live to die and that to eternity This is thine End but behold it is endlesse Therefore thou shall cry yea sadly shalt thou cry an end is come but O that there were an end I dye I perish But O that I could perish If thou wilt not save me Lord kill me but he will do neither O let the Mountaines fall on me and let the hills cover me from thy presence and from the face of the Lamb and this is the only Petition that shall be granted thee but in a sad sense for Mountains of wrath shall fall upon thee and everlasting hills of Gods displeasure shall hide thee I will warrant thee from the face of his pitty and from the presence of his glory Then shalt call to Abraham for a drop but receive a River not of water to cool but of brimstone to bridle thy tormented tongue then shalt thou be thirsty and hardly bestead and shalt curse thy King and thy God and look upward Ah! sad home and homely entertainment Oh! sad welcome O! take it for a warning thou wretch thy Father the Devill is making a scourg for thee of his own chain and thou 'st find it so when hee gets thee in though he flatter thee home thy fellow servants that are in the same Condemnation with thee are prepared to smite thee yea when thou comest home then shall thine owne Conscience speak home because thou hast been a self-Murtherer therefore shalt thou ever be a self-tormentor Ah Satan shalt thou say Is this thy Fatherhood to thy Children is this the best hire thou givest thy servants is this thy kindness to thy friend Ah sirs are you the men that I called good fellowes was I thus mistaken in you am I thus rewarded by you Ah! how I spent my Estate my Time my Soule upon you how I lost the company of Saints to gaine yours the favour of God to gain yours how I displeased my Conscience to please your corruptions And do you thus requite my poor soul Oh cruel people and unkind Then shalt thou cry to thy Conscience ah why didst not thou speak and warn me that I might not have come into this place of torment but thy conscience shall reply Ah wretch Why didst not thou hear how often did I call but thou gavest me no answer but slightedst all my Counsell and wouldst none of my reproof Thou shalt accuse thy Conscience and thy Conscience shall accuse thee Thou shalt accuse thy Companions and they thee thou shalt accuse the serpent and the serpent shall accuse thee Then shalt thou look on the one hand and refuge faileth thee and on the other and there is none careth for thy soul Thou shalt look to thy Merchants with whom thou hast laboured from thy youth but they wander to their Quarters None of them save thee Thou shalt look to thy leaning-stocks but thine hope shal be cut off thy trust shal be as a spiders web then shall thy sinking soul cry out to thy shrinking supports will you also go away what my riches and what my righteousnesses and what the desire of mine eyes and the delight of mine heart I have treasured you up against the latter daies and will you now leave my soul in Hell and suffer one that loved you so dearly to see corruption Yet this shalt thou have from them because thou trustedst in them and it shall be answered concerning thee Lo this is the man that made not God his strength this is the soul that leaned not upon the Beloved Wherefore let me earnestly exhort you seriously to ask your soules this one Question which is the home that I am hasting to Hell or Heaven for there is not a third beside the grave and the grave is but thy long home but these are the everlasting homes if thou reply but how shall I know 't is soon answered if Christ be thy Way Heaven is thy Home and if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature but and if the Wildernesse be thy Way the place of Howling is thy Home therefore go to now lament and Howl for the miseries that shall come upon thee before the Evill daies come wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Other Uses might be made of this point viz. If there be no salvation for lost sinners but onely by leaning upon the Lord Jesus How may this inform us of inavailableness of all their supports of the folly of leaning on them How may this confute the Popish recumbency on the merits of our own Works our leaning to the Angells to the Virgin-Mother of our Lord or any other of the Saints and all reliance on the light of our own Wisdoms or might of our own wils as also any expectancy of salvation in any other Religion that teacheth not Christ to bee the onely or the all sufficient Saviour of lost sinners And what terror may this speak to such daring Wretches as make their sinns their Saviours and their lusts their leaning-stocks trusting as the Lord complains in their iniquities And on the other hand how great Encouragement to such as onely love and leane upon Jesus Christ to a fixednesse of heart whilst you trust in the Lord. And lastly how might we hence put you upon the tryall what is indeed your soules leaning-stock Is it Christ or another that we follow hard after that wee rejoyce most in that set our love most upon that wee leave others for that we cleave most unto for these I take to be true tryalls what is it is it that we have most recumbency on but each of these or something Equivalent hath already lyen before us in this discourse and therefore I shall say no more but Consider what hath been spoken and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS