A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX: …pntaines the ſecond advantage from our ſelves, our hearts are tempters into the wilderneſſe, opened and applyed.
2d. Advant. Our hearts are tempted into the wilderneſsSEcondly, Our hearts are not only a Wilderneſſe unto us, but tempters and ſeducers into the Wilderneſſe. Naturally they are a ſinfull Wilderneſſe, and as naturally doe they inveigle us into the Wilderneſſe of ſinne. And alas! how eaſie is it for Satans devices to bewilder us, ſince he hath ſuch advantage of us. Our hearts adviſe, counſell, and perſwade us, having been firſt perſwaded by Satan. Hence are the expreſſions of that other ſort, Jer. 9.14. and 18.12. and 23.17. They walke after the devices, and counſels, Note.and imaginations of their own hearts. Their hearts are their guides, and they goe after their hearts. Now when man followes his hearts guidance, if his heart loſe it ſelfe in ſinne, he muſt needs be loſt in the ſame Wilderneſſe, Mat. 5.28. Whoſoever lookes on a woman to luſt after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. In this caſe the heart is the Baud: the heart is loſt firſt, the whole man goes after it, and is loſt with it. 'Tis ſaid of the young Man, and the Whore, Prov. 7. She was the firſt, ſhe caught him, and kiſſed him, and with an impudent face tempted him, verſe 13. And he goes after her, verſe 22. Our hearts being forwardeſt, as Harlots, tempt us, and we as fooles ſtraight-way go after them.
And this our hearts take up of themſelves:Naturally ſo. 'tis naturall to them, to lead us to the wilderneſſe. Their bent is that way: Looke what way the bent of any thing in the world is, that way will it goe. Compare two Scriptures, Hoſ. 11.7. They are bent to backſlyding from me, (to ſlide back from my counſels, and calls, and waies, to ſlide back into their own waies, wilderneſſe, &c.) And then, Prov. 14.14. The backſlyder in heart ſhall be fill'd with his own waies. Marke, Backſlyding, that is before the peoples bent, is here called the hearts own way.
You ſhall therefore finde, that the Lord challengeth the heart, as firſt in the tranſgreſſion or going aſtray, Act. 7.39. In their hearts they turned back to Egypt.
Our hearts ſubject to be tempted into the wilderneſs from theſe two reaſons.Now then a word or two to give you an account; firſt, that our hearts are bent to walke after the waies of the wilderneſſe, and then that we are bent to walke after the waies of our own hearts.
Firſt then, The bent of our hearts is by nature to the wilderneſſe.
There are but theſe two things that engage the bent ones heart to one place rather then another.
1. Innate affection.Firſt, An innate affection. I like this place the beſt of any place that ever I ſaw, ſaith one; How much is that place my darling, ſaith another? Beloved, the Wilderneſſe of ſinne is our hearts darling: wee fancy no place naturally ſo much as this wilderneſſe; no wayes pleaſe us ſo well, as the wayes of ſinne. There is ſomething in every particular place, that ſuits ſome mans particular fancy, that makes him abide there. There is ſomething in every particular ſinne, that ſuits ſome ſinners particular fancy, and that makes him dwell there ſtill. Our heart naturally ſuits with theſe wayes of ſinne, therefore it is that men walke in them ſtill.
2ly, Cuflomatineſſe.Secondly, A Cuſtomary aboad. I have lived ſaith one, all my dayes in the City, and I doe not know how now to dwell in the Country. I have lived ſaith another, all my daies in the Country, and I cannot tell how to away with the City Aire, the City-noiſes, the City-Company, &c. Our hearts by nature are, and ever, have been accuſtomed to the wilderneſſe, therefore the bent of our hearts is to the Wilderneſſe-ward ſtill. We cannot brook dwelling in Gods holy City, the heavenly Jeruſalem. We have not been accuſtomed to ſuch manner of living, ſuch company, ſuch converſe. You have both theſe pregnantly expreſſed in one ſcripture, Jer. 14.10. Thus ſaith God to this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet. They have loved to wander: there's their innate affection to this ſpirituall Wilderneſſe. They have not refrained their feet, there is their Cuſtomary bewildring. Wandring they love, and wandring they are uſed to. It ſuites with their phancy, and it is that which they have ſpent their daies in: and upon theſe two accompts it is that the bent of their hearts is towards the Wilderneſſe. And now
Secondly,Our hearts prevalent in tempting us upon two grounds. If the bent of our hearts be Wilderneſſeward, it's eaſie to conceive how they bend us towards the Wilderneſſe. Hoſ. 4.8. they ſet their heart on thoir iniquity, and I will puniſh them for their waies. Verſe 9. Their waies are according to the bent of their hearts. So 2 Tim. 3.6. Led away with divers luſts. Luſts thoſe are the ſtirrings and motions of the heart, and theſe are the tempters to lead us away. Remarkable is that Ezek. 12 21. But as for them whoſe heart walketh after their abominations, I'le recompence their waies upon their own heads. Such therefore as their hearts are, ſuch will their waies be. And that upon theſe two grounds.
Firſt, our hearts are the men of our Counſell.1. They are our Boſome-Counſellors. They lie in our boſoms, and therefore, as to the choice of all our waies, with them it is that we conſult. Our boſom-friends and darling relations are our hearts. If man be refractory, as to any way; It's policy to perſwade the wife of his boſom; prevail with her, and 'tis likely ſhe will prevail with him. Satan when hee would ſeduce us into any of his waies, hee firſt makes it his buſineſſe to overcome our hearts in our boſoms, and us by them. Pray thee husband go ſaith the wife, and then he goes. Pray go ſaith the heart, and away he goes. 1 Tim. 2.13. Adam was not deceived (that is, not firſt) but the woman being deceived was in the tranſgreſſion. Two things there are here remarkable.
Firſt, the woman that lay in Adams boſom was bewildred (for ſo the word ſignifies) before the man.
Secondly, the heart of the woman was bewildred, (foreign) before ſhe her ſelf (foreign) was led to go aſtray. The woman in Adams boſom bewildred him; the heart in Eves boſom bewildred her. The influence of the wife of thy boſom to perſwade thee, is grounded upon propriety. Shee being thine own ſo nearly, ſo dearly, thou think'ſt ſhe will not 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 'tis 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, Ʋſe 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 'tis 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, …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 that erred in heart, therefore hee ſware in his wrath (that they ſhould die in the Wilderneſſe) that they ſhould not enter into his reſt. Heb. 3.10, 11. I ſhall conclude in the 12th. Verſe. Take heed brethren leſt there be in any of you an evill heart (for the reaſon is implyed, that will make you) to depart from the living God. And thus you have heard what advantage Satan hath from our ſelves to bewilder us, by nature Our hearts are a Wilderneſſe, by nature they are tempters into the Wilderneſſe of ſin.