The Types Unveiled, Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. The Wilderneſſe attended with doubts and fears.
Again the Wilderneſſe afforded many doubts and fears which aroſe:
First, From the barrenneſs of it.
And ſecondly on the other hand, becauſe of the ſeveral attempts which the Inhabitants of the Country daily made, in order to their utter Ruine and Deſtruction.
THis leads us ſtill to behold the condition of the ſoul while on this ſide his Heavenly Canaan of Reſt and Peace; where do that Chriſtian live, that cannot ſpeak more or leſs of this kind of condition here in this life.
O the doubts and fears that do ariſe in the heart of a poor ſoul about his eternal condition, when the ſoul is under the withdrawings of theſe ſenſible enjoyments of the love and favour of God to his ſpirit, when the ſoul feels not theſe inward ſtirrings of the ſpirit of God as formerly the ſoul had and could once experience; O what doubts and fears do this many a times create upon the heart of the Chriſtian, which makes the ſoul to cry out, Now I ſhall periſh, now God hath forſaken me and is angry with me, and intends to caſt me off for ever. O I ſhall never have his love more, I thought once that I ſhould never have inherited eternal life, O how have my ſoul been comforted heretofore concerning the truth of this: But now all my hope and comfort is gone my grace is gone from within me, my God is gone, my heart and my fleſh faileth me, becauſe the favour of God is departed from me, and I left a miſerable poor wretched ſoul, deſtitute of all help, hope, and comfort; ſo that like as the Iſraelites hearts would fail them for want of bread and water in their Wilderneſſe, ſo doth the poor ſoul in his ſpiritual Wilderneſs condition, when his bread of life and water of life fails him, when grace ſeems weak, and comforts fail, and the inward ſprings of ſupply grows low, then the ſoul dies (as it were) within himſelf. Thus it was with David Lord (ſaith he) …hou didſt hide thy face, and I was troubled, Pſal. 30. 7. And thus it was with the Spouſe in Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himſelf and was gone, my ſoul failed when he ſpake, I ſought him but I could not find him. I called but he gave me no anſwer.
Look how it was with the Jews in their temporal and litteral wilderneſs, no longer then they could ſee their bread and water could they have peace within, but were alwayes complaining, and murmuring, and doubting what would become of their conditions, and the condition of their generations to come: inſomuch that they diſpleaſed God oftentimes againſt them, and made him to ſlay the fatteſt of them, Pſal. 78. 31, 32, For they could not believe for a day, but ſtill doubted of Gods faithfulneſs every moment.
Thus it is with the ſoul in the ſpiritual wilderneſs, no longer then the ſoul is feeding upon the ſenſible enjoyments of Gods Holy Spirit, the ſoul is ready to conclude deſtruction to its ſelf. Now the duty of the ſoul is to believe, and to truſt God, that although we never feel, or taſte, or diſcern any thing within us, yet ſtill to rely upon this promiſe, that God will ever be mindeful of his Covenant: ſo did David, 2 Sam. 23. 5.
O what a bleſſed frame of ſpirit was the Prophet Habakkuk in, c. 3. 17. 18, 19. When he uttered theſe words, Although the fig-tree ſhould not bloſſom, neither ſhould fruit be in the vine, the labour of the olive ſhould ceaſe, and the field ſhould yield no meat, and the flock ſhould be cut off from the fold, and there ſhould be no herd in the ſtall, yet will I rejoyce in the Lord, and joy in the God of my ſalvation: the Lord is my ſtrength, he will make my feet like hindes feet, and he will make me to walk upon high places.
Truly my friends, the beſt life is a life of believing, O this brings you in the moſt ſolid comfort and peace: therefore ſaith Habakkuck, cap. 2 4. The juſt man ſhall live by his faith, and ſaith the Apoſtle, We walk by faith and not by ſight, 2 Cor. 5. 7.
O ſouls, my exhortation to you is what was the Apoſtles to the Hebrewes, Heb. 3. 12. Take heed of ſuffering in you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
O labour to live more and more by believing, and leſſe by ſenſe becauſe its a life that beſt ſuits the ſtate you are in, remember you are in the Wilderneſs, a place which affords great grounds of fears and many doubtings, and therefore you had need of a great deal of faith in the promiſes of God and the faithfulneſſe of God, or you may faint by the way, and at laſt die in the Wilderneſſe, and ſo never ſee the good land, Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear leſt a promiſe being left us of entring into his reſt, any of us ſhould ſeem to come ſhort of it.
Now what is it that ſo much endangers a ſouls falling ſhort of the good land, the Canaan of reſt, (look you into the 3. chap. of this Epiſtle and the 18. ver.) You ſhall ſee it was want of a believing ſpirit.
Again, the Iſraelites fears did ariſe from thoſe enemies which aſſaulted them in the Wilderneſſe, as Og King of Baſhan and the Amal…kites.
Thus it is with the ſoul in his ſpiritual Wilderneſſe, O what out-cries doth the ſoul oftentimes make, with reſpect to theſe horrid aſſaults, the ſouls enemies oftentimes makes againſt him in his inward man.
How doth ſin, and luſt, and temptation aſſault the poor ſoul; with what violence and ſtrength doth worldly mindedneſſe break in upon the ſoul; what ſad aſſaults doth Pride, Revenge, Concupiſcence, and Unbelief oftentimes viſit the ſoul withall, which makes the ſoul cry out (with David) many times, I ſhall one day periſh by the hands of theſe Sauls which purſue my ſoul night and day like a Partridge upon the Mountains; I ſay, what ſad fears do the riſings of theſe corruptions oftentimes occaſion in the ſouls of Gods people, which makes the ſoul to queſtion his condition many times ſaying, ſurely if I did belong to God, why is it thus with me; O if I had true grace, my corruptions could never be ſo ſtrong in me as they are.
O ſoul remember thou art in thy Wilderneſſe condition, and that affords great enemies, and tall Anakins, and curſing Balaams, which will very often afright thee with their raging blaſphemy.
How often doth the ſoul find within him (not only an oppoſing, warring, fighting Og within him) but alſo a curſing, dreadful, blaſphemous Balaam, as it were daily curſing the holy ſeed of God within the ſoul, which often times makes the ſoul to deſpair of ever getting home to his …anaan of reſt and peace. Thus it was with David, Pſal. 39. 4. All my iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen, they are too heavy for me, Pſal. 65 3. Iniquities prevail againſt me.
Thus it was with St. Paul, how ſenſible was he of the wilderneſſe-aſſaulting Og, and the Amalekites like corruption, which very often roſe up againſt him in his travelling through his ſpiritual wilderneſſe, which made him to cry out in Rom. 7. 24. O wretchedman that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death. Which leads me to the next particular of the ſouls condition while on this ſide his Canaan of everlaſting reſt and true peace: which is this. The Wilderneſs of old was a place of diſcouragements; for there the falſe ſpies brought up that diſcouraging report about the good Land, and ſo weakened the hope and confidence of the people, which put them upon chuſing a captain to go back again to Egypt.
How much of this kinde of experience do poor ſouls meet in their way to their ſpiritual and eternal Canaan; what ſad diſcouraging reports doth the Devil and his agents bring up upon the good Land of Canaan to this very day and hour.
Firſt, The Devil, how often doth he tell the ſoul, that he were as good go back again from the good wayes of God as to go on any further in them: for all the ſouls duties ſhall be as rewardleſs as they are worthleſs, and that God taketh no notice of him: and as for his ſins they are too great for God to pardon them; and therefore let the ſoul never think (ſaith Satan) to get out of my kingdom and power of darkneſs: for doeſt thou believe (ſaith the Devil) that if God could pardon thy ſinnes, that ever he would look on ſuch a worthleſs, vile, ſinful, poluted wretch as thou art, who doeſt all things in hopocriſie of heart: no, no, do not deceive thy ſelf, thou ſhalt finde it otherwiſe; and therefore thou wert as good go back again to thy old converſation, and live as thou didſt before.
Beſides, ſaith Satan, doeſt thou ever think to enter ſo ſtrait a gate as leadeth to heaven; doeſt thou not know that the Anakims both great and tall are in the way; doeſt thou not know that if thou goeſt this way any farther thou wilt loſe the favour of all thy friends and relations; doeſt not thou ſee what a gazing ſtock thou wilt make thy ſelf to all thy neighbours and acquaintance round about thee; doſt not thou ſee the taunts, flouts, ſcoffs, and jeers which they will fling daily after thee: beſides, thou art now pretty well to live in the world, and haſt things full and whole about thee: but by thoſe fines and ſequeſtrations which the world will lay upon thee, this will quickly be gone from thee, and thou and thine forced to periſh in a miſerable condition. Moreover, doeſt thou not ſee before thine eyes, how ſome are whipt, others impriſoned, and at laſt hanged up by the neck: aſſure thy ſelf this will be thy portion if thou goeſt any farther this way. Come, come, ſayes the Devil, I will ſhew you a better way, be adviſed by me, come turn back again, ſave your ſelf, and what you have; you do but dream of building Tabernacles in the air, aſſure your ſelf by going the way you are a going you do but wade through impoſſibilities, and all ſhall fail you in the end: therefore get thee back again to the Land of Egypt, the old carnal condition from whence thou haſt been travelling a while, and fed upon onyons, leeks, the garlick and cucumbers which thou haſt been a planting for many years, and eat the fat of thy fleſh pots, and take thy pleaſure here; for there is nothing better under the Sun, then that a man ſhould rejoyce in his own works; for that is his portion: for who ſhall bring him to ſee what ſhall be after him.
Thus the poor ſoul hangs in doubt, and is oftentimes put to a ſtand, not knowing what to do, nor which hand to take; whether it be beſt to go back or forth in the wayes of God, becauſe of his diſcouragements.
Secondly, Satan will not leave the ſoul thus, but labours to ſet before the eyes of the ſoul the apoſtaſie of back-ſliding profeſſours, who have both their principles and practiſes in the wayes of God; from whoſe converſation he labours to argue the ſoul into the ſame practice of leaving the good wayes of God, and tells the ſoul, that in ſo doing, or in going back to Egypt, he doth no more then others have done before his face; perſons of greater parts and gifts then ever he yet had: and ſurely ſuch knew well enough what they did, and in doing what they have done, they have teſtified themſelves to be perſons that were acted by a wiſe prudent ſpirit; ſuch who make proviſion for their families according to Gods holy ordinance.
Thirdly, If Satan the old Serpent cannot prevail with theſe ſecret whiſperings upon the ſoul, then he will ſend in his agents to deal farther with the ſoul; as Father, Mother, Husband, Wife, Children, and ſervants too; which cry out as Peter did once to Chriſt, Good maſter ſave your ſelf.
And if all theſe cannot diſcourage the ſoul, then will Satan adde to all the reſt one or two apoſtatizing profeſſours, who with the reſt, hang all together about the ſoul, crying out, Sir, what mean you to do, what have you a minde to ruine your ſelf and all your family; do not you ſee that the Law of the Nation will not endure your Religion, nor thoſe wayes of Worſhip which you ſet up and walk in.
Have not you had warning enough in others (who have loſt all they had, and themſelves in priſon) to deſiſt your work, and retreat your ground and come back again.
Then in comes the prudent apoſtate (not that he is ſuch) but he, and ſuch as he is thinks themſelves ſo; and he undertakes to give the ſoul arguments from Scripture, to ſave himſelf, his Wife, and Children, and all his family, by telling him that he ought to be ſubject to every ordinance of man for the Lords ſake; and that if he be commanded either to do, or not to do, which conſcience at any time cannot let down, yet however he may ſatisfie himſelf with this conſideration; that its the Magiſtrates ſin in commanding the thing, or forbidding the thing to be done by in the worſhip of God (if the thing commanded or forbidden be in its ſelf an evil) but not the ſubjects in obeying the thing commanded or forbidden.
Thus you ſee how difficult the Devil labours to render the poor ſouls way to the good Land, and how Satan fills the ſouls paths with diſcouragements; and how much Satan is like to prevail, without the infinite power of God be put forth to help and bear up the poor ſoul in his way to the good Land, which leads me to the next particular, which is this.
The wilderneſs of old might well be called the place of wonders, becauſe of the great miracles which the Lord did work for the Jews in their travels, in that notwithſtanding all the ſeeming deaths & dangers the people paſt under in the Wilderneſs; yet the Lord by a powerful hand brought them to their promiſed Land in ſafety.
So ſoul, take this for thy comfort, that whatever the oppoſition be that thou meeteſt with in the way to thy eternal Canaan, yet bear up, fear not, for God will at laſt deliver thee out of the hands of all thy enemies, and carry thee ſafely through to thy appointed reſt of glory, that thou mayeſt ſerve him in righteouſneſs and true holineſs in bliſs to all eternity, Luke 1. 74, 75.
O ſoul, therefore hold up thy head, the work is the Lords, and although he ſuffers thee to tug with fearful difficulties and great oppoſitions; yet know this, that the battle is the Lords, and he will fight it in thee for thee: its true, it may be (as with Gideon) thou art ready to cry out of thy own weakneſ, thy family is the ſmalleſt in Iſrael, and thou the leaſt in the family; but let me ſpeak to thee in the words of the Angel to Gideon, Judges 6 12. Up, for God is with thee thou mighty man of valour.
O ſoul, the Lord is engaged to bring thee home to glory, God hath ſworn by his holineſs, that it ſhall be ſo: therefore it muſt be ſo, read Pſalm 89. 33. 34, 35, 36, 37.
O therefore ariſe, go out again… thy enemies, fear them not, but look them boldly in the face. O look a corrupt, proud luſtful, revengeful, unbelieving, worldly, fearful, dead, backward heart in the face, and look all the Devils in hell, and wicked men in the world boldly in the face; look all thy relations in the face, look a wicked world in the face, look …ubtle inticing Apoſtates in the face: O fear none of theſe things, aſſure thy ſelf there ſhall nothing of theſe prevail againſt thee, for God will fight for thee, and will be with thee in the battle, he will do all thy works in thee, and for thee, Phil, 2. 13. So that the gates of hell ſhall not prevail againſt thee.
duplicate page duplicate page O hearken to the voice of the Spirit of God in thy ſoul, which will ſpeak to thee as once Joſhua and …aleb did to the Iſraelites, Numb. 14 6, 7, 8. Fear not, the Land which we paſſed over to ſearch is an exceeding good Land: if the Lord delight in us, then he wi… bring us into this good Land, a Land which floweth with milk and honey; onelyonly rebel n…t aga…nſt the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the Land, for they are bread for us, their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us, ear them not: therefore for a cloſe to this particular, take theſe two places of Scripture, and the God of heaven make them of uſe to the fainting, doubting, dying ſoul, Deut. 31. 8. The Lord he is he that doth go before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forſake thee; fear not, neither be afraid. Deut. 33. 27. The eternal God is thy refuge, underneath thee are the everlaſting armes, and he ſhall thruſt out thine enemies before thee, and ſhall ſay, deſtroy thou them.
O therefore ſoul, let me adviſe thee not to yield to thy temptations, for aſſure thy ſelf in time thou ſhalt reap, if thou faint not. Let the gates of Hell do what they can, yet they ſhall go forth weeping, bearing precious ſeed, ſhall doubtleſs come again, bringing their ſhears with them, Pſal. 126. 56. And the ra…ſommed of the Lord ſhall return to Zion with ſongs, and everlaſting joy ſhall be upon their heads, and they ſhall obtain joy and gladneſs, and ſorrow and ſighing ſhall flye away, Iſa. 35. 10.