A Brief Discourse of Mans Estate, Discourse · Section 4
SECTION IV. Mans undoing is from his nondependence on God.
ECCLES. 7. ult.
But they have ſought out many inventions.
VVE have ſeen the cauſe of mans fall, now more particularly, let us inquire into the ſteps thereof. How came man thus to ingulfe himſelf? Firſt, he goes off from God; leaves his hold there, and betakes himſelf to himſelf. Secondly, being once off, he never comes on again, but rangeth infinitely. Theſe two Particulars compriſe the whole flory, and ſtate of man fallen, from the firſt to the laſt, and conclude all the interpretations made of the words. He had ſought before, and now what finds he? I was caſting up my reckoning, ſaith Salomon, but I finde the reckoning paſt my skill. Numbers may be ſtill multiplyed, and there's no end of mans devices; hee ſtill, ſtill buſily and vigorouſly (as the word in that Conjugation imports) projects more. The Points might be many. We firſt pitch upon this.
Doct. 4 Mans undoing is from his non-dependence on God.Mans undoing is from his non-dependence on God; trace him, and you will finde that his ruin firſt and laſt is from his Independence upon God. This firſt cauſed; ſecondly, continues; thirdly, conſummates all his miſery. Salomon implies all this.
Firſt, man of good is become bad; what's the cauſe? he gave up God, and fell to his own wits.
Secondly, man is now deſperately wicked; there is no ſounding of him; what's the reaſon? he ſtill continues and inlargeth his eſtrangement from God.
Thirdly, man is now the vaineſt of vanities: the very ſource and ſeat both, of all vexations. The reaſon. He keeps off from God, and beats out himſelf, with his own inventions. So then view him either in the entrance of his unhappineſſe, or in the progreſſe, or in the cloſe of it. All is hence, that he goes out from God, and ſtands out to the laſt. His turning from God began his miſery, his not returning to God perpetuates it. No wonder, if it be mans caſe now; it is the condition of all creatures, they all ſtand by a manutention. The ſtrongeſt fall, if left to themſelves; as wee ſee not onelyonly in Adam, but in the Devils themſelves. Nay, we find it in man now ſornewhat healed and regenerated. Though hee hath an immortall principle in him, and a better guard about him, then ever he had, yet ſtands he no longer, then he holds dependence upon God: let him once ſtep out from him, and ſtand High-lone; down he comes and falls as ſoon into a Guzzel, as into another place. We ſee it, in bleſſed Abraham, David, Job: In all, at their beſt, and in their beſt. We might be inſinite in proofes, but wee wave them ſith the thing is clear to Reaſon: for,
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, what is God whom man leaves, in this caſe? he is all goodneſſe, all wiſdome, ſtrength, holineſſe, comfort, life; not onelyonly in himſelf, but to the creature.
Pſal. 43.4. … Pſal. 36.9.The joy of our joy, Pſal. 43.4. the life of our life, * the ſtrength of our ſtrength; loſe him, and all is loſt: Take away the ſun, & where is light? the fountaine, and where is the ſtream? the root, and where's the tree? The head and heart, as it were, then what's any member? Obſtruct his influence for a time, what's an Angell?
What is man? he lives not in himſelf; the procreant cauſe of his being is alſo the conſervant, his Eſſe & porro eſſe is from God; his being, a meer dependeney. Take him alone, and he hath no bottome of his own; but look how Chriſts humane nature had its ſubſiſtence from the God head, by perſonall union:Col. 1.17. ſo hath man, by a ſpirituall union and dependence. Col. 1.17. Join him with all the creatures, and take in them to his ſuccour, and they without God, are but ſo many nothings and cyphers; now put a thouſand ciphers together, and adde nothing to nothing, what's the product but nothing? They muſt all ſay, Strength is not in me, help in me. Unleſſe God hear, the heavens, the heavens hear not us; and there's the ſame reaſon of all the reſt.
Nay, thirdly, we ſay more. When man is once off from God, power, juſtice, all perfection in God is not onelyonly removed from us, but is made againſt us; yea, all in our ſelnes is then againſt us; wit, memory, ſtrength, or whatſoever may promiſe moſt; yea, all in every creature is againſt us.
Every thing becomes not onelyonly vanity, but vexation: not wind alone, but the Eaſt wind; a piercing, a wounding reed, as well as a broken reed.
Adde to this, that Satan by Gods juſt hand for this Apoſtaſie ſeiſeth, as it were upon all ſtrayes, and empty houſes, as it is in the Parable. If he can but a while part Adam and Eve, hee makes ſad work, but much more, when he can ſever God from man, becauſe man would be of himſelf, and not lean upon God.
Ʋſe 1 Note the ſteps of mans downfall.Firſt, ſee the ſteps of mans downfall: he would needs be abſolute the firſt day, a free-holder, and acknowledge no Supreme, at leaſt would mend his tenure, and be free from all wardſhip, and homage, and ſo quickly outed himſelf of all. See ſecondly, our ſtrange folly, whom long experience hath not yet made wiſe. Oh how impatient are wee ſtill of any yoke! no bird ſo weary of his cage, no ſlave ſo weary of his bondage: no ſooner bound Apprentices, but wee muſt be made free, like the Prodigal, in the Parable, weary of his father, and muſt bee preſently at his own finding, till he had fooled himſelf out of all. We may ſee our ſelves in Iſrael; they could not abide within Gods mounds. They would not truſt to an Ʋncertain Moſes, or Ʋnſeen God: they would have one in ſight, in hand; they would not go to God for every penny, and live from hand to mouth every meale, they would be at their own finding and carving, have wells of their own, fleſh of their own, bread of their own, they would not depend upon Gods Proviſion, of a Judge or Generall: they would have a King of their own. Juſt ſo it is with us in all paſſages of reliance and dependence. Men will not reſt in Gods Authority and direction. They will ſuperadde inventious of their own. They will have more words, then written words, Traditions, more Goſpels then one, more Articles then twelve, more Precepts then ten, more Mediators; more Gods then one. They wil not reſt in Gods truth and promiſes; take his ſecurities and ſeales; but adde more. They will not reſt in Gods Wiſdome for time and particulars. They are all for the bird in hand, all for ſenſe, nothing for faith, Thus they ſay in plain Engliſh, they will truſt to themſelves not to God, So for the Providence, and point of protection They dare not put themſelves upon God: he is not ſtrong enough, wiſe enough: they muſt ſhift for themſelves, as ſometimes Abraham and David did. And in poine of Proviſion and maintenance, they ſay as the childe doth: Mother let me have all, be it meat, money, and what elſe you can name, in mine own hand, and in mine own keeping. Hence in Matter of fact, ſuch ſcambling; men ſtrain wits, conſcience, all, to get all out of Gods hands into their own. Faith then no faith, If wit, if ſlattery, if back-biting, if lying, if hell it ſelf will do it, they will have it, and ſay it was a good providence too, as Zac. 11.5.Zac. 11.5 Hence in matter of faith, God would be alone in the throne, one God; we upon that account, refuſe him, as the Senate did Chriſt, becauſe he would be All or None: we muſt have (would you thinke it?) thouſands of Gods, as Iſrael; in every City, at leaſt one; God would be acknowledged the fountain of all grace,1 Pet. 5.10 1 Pet. 5.10. Men will divide, Nature ſhall do ſomewhat: Freewill ſomewhat Some hand, or voyce, they will have in Election, Vocation, Juſtification, Sanctification, Salvation. They will be partners. As they can do nothing without God, ſo God little without them. God would have us own all to him, depend upon him for the firſt, ſecond, third, fourth, every grace; yeeld him the author and finiſher, the Alpha and Omega of all. We truſt to our own provitions, habits, gifts, and would prevaile by our own ſtrength: In ſhort; wee would not be confined to his wiſdom as onelyonly wiſe, to his care, his meanes, his houres, and times: but will ſhark, anticipate, and either contribute, or controll his proceedings, and call this our wiſdome. This the practiſe, now conſider,
Firſt what a ſin it is, thus to depoſe God: for deny Providence and deny All: and thus to deify our ſelves. For to be ind pendent, is to be God. This is to be like Antichriſt, lawleſſe; like Satan, a Belialiſt, that is, yoke-leſs.
Conſider next, what a folly it is, we commit two abſurdities at once, we forſake the ſountain, for a broken ciſterne; we forſake the beſt comforts, and as Jonah ſaith,Jona. 2.9. our own mercies; we leave Gods fire of direction, protection, and conſolation, and walk by a worſe light, our own ſparks, as Iſaiah ſpeaks,Iſa. 30. … and ſo at laſt lye down in ſorrow. 'Tis a thing, both baſe Jer. 2.12. and bitter v. 19.Jer. 2.12. and 19. a certain forrunner of all miſery and confuſion. Alas! if we will be thus alone, we muſt bear our own ſorrows, care our own cares, lye under our own burdens, as Rebells muſt, when they withdraw allegiance, and ceaſe to be under protection. Whileſt we go along with God we live upon him, and lye under his protection: but if we will be alone, God, leaves us to our ſelves, or ſends us to our Idolls, at Judges 10.13, 14.Jud. 10.13, 14. Think not this, ſmall matter to go a whoring thus from God: 'twill coſt a Saint dear God will break his carnall confidences, Jer. 2. ult. Jer. 2. ult.he will make our Gods, our own rods; puniſh us and our Gods together, as once he did in Aegypt; ſee this and be wiſe.
Ʋſe 2 Repent, and let God be all again.Repent we of this our ſacrilege reſtore God to his Crown, give him the intire glory of his abſolute power, wiſdome, truth, all. Let him alone be wiſe, independent, and himſelf. All the ſtrugling betwixt God and man, ever was about this point namely, which ſhould rule, and which obey; which direct, and which ſubmit. Now do him and thy ſell right, give all to him, leave nothing to thy ſelf,Applyed to three ſorts of men. but obedience, which is the portion of Inferiours.
This is applicable to three ſorts of men.
To thoſe who went off with Adam, but are not yet come on again.1. Sort. Let theſe underſtand themſelves: they ſtand guilty of an horrible treaſon till they return: they are outlawed and left naked of protection, of direction, of life, of ſafety, of all; where they left God, they left all their happineſſe, and their way is back again. Their ruine came by deſerting God, & 'tis continued whil'ſt a diſtance continues. Their work therefore is to return; Firſt, for Gods ſake, who is their Lord and rightfull King, and whom they have infinitely offended. Were it but a brother that had ought againſt them, they ſhould make to him, much more to God, as Luke 15.Luk. 15. Father I have ſinned againſt heaven &c. Secondly, for their own ſakes, whil'ſt they run from God, they run from their own mercies and comforts, into a miſerable maze; there's no end of erring, the heart is reſtleſſe. They are ſure of nothing, but fear upon fear, till they come home to him. Being thus in huckſters hands, they ſtill be cheated and vexed, and at the laſt, as they have lived without God, ſo they will dye without God, which is the height of miſery; for to be without him, is to be worſe then nothing.
Object. Ob. Oh! but we have God in his Ordinances, Word, Sacraments, &c.
Sol. Sol. 'Tis true, God offers him there: but we have him not till we accept him.
Object. I, but we do that, we put all our truſt in God, and expect all from him.
Sol. So we ſay, but if we do wholly depend, what means then ſo many inventions? what the uſe of ill means? what ſuch adoring of Creatures? ſo high thoughts when they ſmile, ſo baſe, when they frown? ſo much fear when man, ſo little when God is offended? Tis certain; a naturall man is his own God; he depends upon himſelf, his own wit, grace, friends, means, not upon God at all: & the Saints themſelvs depend but little; did they wholly reſt upon God, they would be glad to pleaſe, they would not ſleep, till reconciled, as Joſephs brethren; They would be even and ſetled in their way. That indeed is Repentance, namely, the change of your dependence, when you abhor all that is your own, and put all upon God, do all to him, from him, and his principles: Here then is the firſt work, To give up creatures; ſay: My bow, my horſe, my money, nay, my prayers ſhall not ſave me. Salvation is of the Lord, not from the creatures; theſe you may uſe as ſervants but, not as Lords; amongſt them you may truſt ſome men, with a moral truſt, but it muſt not amount to a Divine, for fear of that curſe, Jer. 17.Jer. 17. Iron heates not but from an heate put to it, the pen ſpeaks no comfort, unleſſe ſome hand guide it, ſome head prompt it; ſo think of all creatures; they cannot ſo much as think of us, unleſſe God mind them, much leſſe pity, and help us, unleſſe God give pity and help. He is the God of all comfort; 2 Cor. 3.2.there we muſt have it, or no where; unite to him, and cloſe with him, and then thou art reſtored.
Object. Oh! but I doubt he will not receive me.
Sol. That's anſwered, in the Parable, Luke 15.
Object. Oh! but I have ſtood out long, after Covenants, Sacraments &c.
Sol. That's anſwered, Jer. 3.1, 2.Jer. 3.1, 2. &c.
Object no more: ſuſpend thy comfort no longer by adjourning repentance; thou makeſt thy return hereby the harder; every ſtep out of the way muſt be unſtepp'd again.
2 Sort.To ſuch who are gone out from God the ſecond time, at leaſt in part, theſe revolts prove moſt dangerous & leaſt pardonable. Thou haſt bin once, as it were, burnt in the hand already; fear the ſecond time: thou haſt tryed both eſtates, now tell me, which is the better? the ſnow of Lebanon; or dirty ditches? the waters of Siloah; or troubleſome ſeas? Tell me whether all the worlds injoyments be worth one hours communion with heaven: and when thou haſt made uſe of thine own experience, lay down creatures; above all, lay down thy ſelf: For there is nothing in us that can help us; in truth, nothing but what will hurt us, without God. We cannot ſo much as receive and enjoy comfort, ſo much as apprehend it, unleſſe God give an apprehenſion; therefore deny ſelf, and mortifie ſelf. Say, I took my ſelf for a God, but I am a devill: I thought my ſelf wiſe, but I am a foole; I conceived my ſelf ſafe, when I had a little grace in my own keeping; but I find that I can keep nothing; therefore henceforward I will deſpaire of my ſelf, know no man after the fleſh, have no confidence in fleſh, but bid adieu to all fleſhly hopes: and then plant thy ſelf upon God, there is no other bound or bottome; Every gift, Jam. 1.17.ſaith James 1.17. Every giving of that gift; The uſe, continuance, apprehenſion, is all of him, he is that principle which communicates all. See nothing but emptineſſe out of him, and fulneſſe in him: therefore cloſe with him by knowledge, by faith, by love: do nothing without him, truſt not thy ſelf in the leaſt: take notice what a treacherous nature thou haſt, how bent to backſliding, Hoſ. 11.7.Hoſ. 11.7. How far thou art ſunk into it, and gone from thy ſelf; how ſweet God was once, and the creature now; how humble thou once waſt, how diſdainfull now; how once troubled upon the leaſt eſtrangement, and how now thou canſt live without God, for a long time. And again take notice of thy ſpeed: what thy then happineſſe was, what thy now deadneſſe. And ſo conclude with the Church, Hoſ. 2. I will return to my husband again,Hoſ. 2. ult. for then was it beſt with me.
Object. Oh! but I am aſhamed and afraid.
Sol. Anſwer, be neither aſhamed or afraid of doing juſtice, of glorifying God. Think what Samuel ſaid to revolting Iſrael,1 Sam. 12. 1 Sam. 12. Think what God ſaith to backſliding Judah, Jer. 4.Jer. 4. Think of Chriſts errand, who came to recover ſtraies, and to ſive what was loſt. Think of the Prodigalls entertainment, of our forgiving ſeventy times ſeven times in a day. Think of Gods practiſe with other backſliders, and beleeve the prophets, whoſe work it is to bring thee back to God, as the expreſſion is 2 Chron. 24. And which is alſo the main of our repentance; and that is uſually expreſſed by our returning to God, and it ſtands much what in the change of principles and dependence, as before was noted: Therefore here ſit down, make God thy All, and depend upon him for firſt, ſecond, third, every grace.
3 Sort.So much to the ſecond ſort, now to the third; and they are ſuch as ſtand in tearmes of dependency, but too looſely. I have two words to ſay to theſe.
Firſt, let them hold that dependency they have arrived at, as their life. Let not wit put them off from depending upon Gods directions; nor pride, from ſubmitting to his Soveraignty; nor unbelief, from cloſing with his promiſes; nor any change of times, from their conſtant adherence. Tis. I conſeſſe a very hard thing to hold cloſe to God, in extremities; when the affliction and the triall is great, then to claſp about God is difficult, as David and Abraham witneſſe: and no whit eaſier in much peace and proſperity, as we ſee in the ſame David, Hezekiah and others. In great diviſions, it is a hard thing not to trample and to warp aſide, as we ſee in Peter Gal. 2. We are caſt upon Trying times, times of Antichriſts rage: and then depending graces, as Faith, Patience, and the like, are moſt ſeaſonable. Rev. 14.12.Rev. 14.12. Our care therefore muſt be to put off all ſelf conceits, and hopes, and dependencies. We have in this caſe, but too much wit, ſtrength, conſidence of our own. But all our own muſt down: for ſo much as there is of our own in us, ſo much there is of miſery and deceit. Therefore be nothing in thy ſelf, nothing in any creature, nothing in any Ordinance abſtracted from Chriſt: hang the whole ſoul upon him; be no wiſer then Chriſt, no holier, no ſtronger then Chriſt. Make an entire reſignation, and let thy dependence be abſolute and univerſall for all grace, all counſell, all comfort. There is no other bottome or ſubſiſtence.
Queſt. But when doth a man Depend upon God? or what is it to Depend upon Chriſt?
Sol. 1 Firſt, to reſt upon his word throughout in the precepts and promiſes.
Secondly, to draw and derive all our ſtrength from him.
Thirdly, to expect all in his way; and that is, in a ſubordination to his meanes, and in a community with his Church: for ſo he conveyes himſelf to each member. Cut the branch from the tree, or the member from the body, there's no life, no growth, Epheſ. 4.
Fourthly, in all the meanes, uſe them, but truſt him: take up the care of duty, leave to him the care of ſucceſſe.
Secondly, let them ſtrain towards a further communion; for the beſt of our hearts hang too looſe from God as yet; We are apt, with David, to look to the right hand, and to the left, and to be catching at every ſprig. We look upon the world, as if it were as full of Gods, as the Roman Senate was ſaid to bee of Kings. We deiſie every creature. Nay, the truth is, every man would bee his own God, his own Chriſt, his own holy Ghoſt, and rather truſt himſelf, then look out to God. This wickedneſſe muſt be reſiſted, and this muſt bee our ſtudy, To remove the creature further from us, and to ſay ſtill with David, 73. Pſal. ult.It's good for me to draw near to God; and conclude, that if it be beſt, to come nearer to him, it's beſt alſo to keep our ſelves with him, to do nothing without him: nay, if it were poſſible, not to breathe without him, as Ignatius ſomewhere.
Laſtly, Ʋſe 3 ſee for thankfulneſſe Gods unſpeakable mercy to us, and that in many reſpects.
Firſt, in that he would not loſe us when we were looſe from him, as men uſe to do; Let him goe, ſay they, when a man will not truſt them. If he would have put himſelf upon me, I would have ſtuck to him, and provided for him, but ſith he will be of himſelf, let him ſhift for himſelf. Thus men; but not ſo, God: though we would part with him, he will not loſe us; but ſeeks us out, and takes us off, from our own bottomes: and this, (were it but onelyonly thus much) it were a great mercy, though it coſt us ſome trouble. When a bone is out of place, it is a favour to ſet it, though it cannot be done without pain. Though God ſtop our way with thornes, yet if thereby he brings us home to himſelf, the mercy is great. And therefore look upon this as ſuch, when God, as a father, takes home his bankrupts, takes all out of our hands, more then the duty of dependence, and will truſt us neither with ſoul, nor body, nor eſtate, nor any thing elſe. This is one mercy.
But ſecondly, there is more in it then ſo. God provides a new bottom; creates, as it were, a new Tenure. Commits us to Chriſt, and Chriſt commends us back again to the Father, and both to the Holy Ghoſt ſealing us; and all make it their joint work to ſecure ſoul, body, eſtate, all, here and hereafter. This is glorious mercy, here's a bleſſed change, a ſecure eſtate. God ingageth for thy ſelf, for thy ſeed, to all eternity: Intereſt thy ſelf in him, and there's an end of all thy cares, feares, doubts, perplexities, Pſal. 94.18, 19.