A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 2
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; 'tis 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; its 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 its onelyonly 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, its 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; thy good huſbandry ſhall never ſave thee, thy fruit lives and dies, grows and rots with thee; the Lord complains of thee, Hoſ. 10. 1. Iſrael is an empty vine, he brings forth fruit to himſelf: Though he be never ſo fruitful, yet is he empty, if onelyonly fruitful to himſelf; though thou be never ſo like a fruitful garden, yet I will count thee a barren wilderneſs, if onelyonly fruitful to thy ſelf.
Thirdly, If the wilderneſs be fruitful unto men,3. Wilderneſs brings forth to the fornace it is for fuel, not for food; for their chimney, not their table; the fruit of the wilderneſs is thorns and bryers, bad food but good fuel; ſuch are the fruits of ſin, they are thorns, Cant. 2.2. As the lily among the thorns, that is, the ſaint among ſinners; ſuch God will not ſet upon his table, but ſurely put them into his fornace, Heb. 6.8. That earth which bears thorns and bryars (he ſpeaks it of a ſinful Apoſtate) is rejected, and nigh unto curſing, whoſe end is to be burned: Me thinks your ſouls within you ſhould tremble: Tell me now, what fruit do you uſe to bring forth, good or wilde? Every tree that brings not forth good fruit (tis a wilderneſs tree) ſhall be cut down and caſt into the fire, Mat. 3.10. Think again, to whom haſt thou brought forth fruit, to God or thy ſelf? If onelyonly to thy ſelf, thou art ſtill a wilderneſs, and you know how God threatneth Iſrael, who onelyonly looks after himſelf, his children, and his own family, without any taking notice either of God, or Gods, Hoſ. 9.16, 17.10, 1. Oh! what wilt thou be able to anſwer God another day, thou that haſt been a wilderneſs unto God here? when the Lord ſhall minde thee of all the fruit which his mercy and providence hath brought forth unto thee! Beloved, you have a ſad condition, Jer. 2.31. Have I been a wilderneſs unto Iſrael? The conviction is this, O Iſrael, thou haſt been a wilderneſs unto me, thou haſt brought me forth no fruit; or if grapes, behold wilde grapes: Have I been a wilderneſs unto thee, that thou ſhouldeſt ſo ſerve me? hath not my Sun ſhined, and my rain on thee fallen? O England, England, think of this; of all the Nations of the world we cannot ſay the Lord hath been a wilderneſs unto us, and yet what a wilderneſs, what a barren wilderneſs have we that are called the garden of the world, been to the Lord to this very day? O read Jer. 9.9, 10, 11, 12, 13. I fear the Lord means England there, If a ſinner be fruitful, tis a fruit unto death, Rom. 7.5.
2. Wilderneſs dry and moiſtureleſs.Secondly, The wilderneſs is drie and moiſtureleſs, ſo is ſin, Pſalm 107.35. The wilderneſs and dry ground are made all one; ſo Jer. 50.12. A wilderneſs, a dry land, Hoſ. 2.3. Ile make her a wilderneſs, and ſet her as a dry land, Zeph. 2.13. Ile make Ninevoh a deſolation, and dry like a wilderneſs, and therefore you have mention of the heath of the wilderneſs, Jer. 48.6. and 17.6. And ſo it is with ſin.
Our Savior compares a ſinner under mercy, unto parched ground under ſeed, Mat. 13.6. good ſeed is ſown in parched grounds, and for lack of moiſtures there it dies; the dew falls upon parched grounds, and for lack of a principle of moiſture in themſelves doth them no good, the Sun ſhines upon them and ſcorcheth them quite up. This word is to you, ye parched conſciences, ye feared ſinners, from whoſe hard hearts and dry eyes, all the judgements of God, mercies of God, Goſpel of God, cannot ſqueeze one tear of godly ſorrow. Oh! how hath the Lord in theſe times crumbled the ſcorched conſciences of men to pieces, yet how few are melted? The Lords people are a melting people, Pſalm 22.14. My heart is like wax, it is melted within my bowels, a great difference; their heart is like wax, other mens like the wilderneſs: The more the Sun ſhines upon the wax, the more it ſoftneth it; the more it ſhines upon the wilderneſs, the more it ſcorcheth and hardens it: Now ſpeak ſoul, Art thou like wax under a judgement, a mercy, a ſermon? or art thou like a wilderneſs? Haſt thou a relenting, giving, mourning, melting heart? or art thou as hard, as dry, as parched as ever, or more then before? thou art a wilderneſs, thou maiſt finde thy character, 1 Tim. 4.2. Thy conſcience is a ſeared conſcience; and what do men do with feared Trees? Hew them down, ſaith the owner, why cumber they the ground? if fear-wood be fit for the fornace, ſurely ſuch ſeared conſciences are fit for hell. A Chymicks Limbeck they ſay, will extract moiſture out of ſeared ſticks and hardeſt ſtones: Gods Limbeck will melt thee, O thou ſeared ſinner, whether thou wilt or no; time ſhall come, that the Elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, then ſhall the wilderneſs melt, even thy ſoul, Jer. 9.12. compared with Iſaiah 35.1.