A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 3
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. Tis 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 (ſaith God) of thoſe waies are death, Prov. 16.25. Thus far are the men of the world themſelves (though never ſo wiſe in their generation) from underſtanding the wayes that themſelves are in: Therefore thy plottings to grow great or rich, or honourable in the world, are but all of them as ſo many plottings to entangle thy ſelf in the wilderneſs; Pſa. 9.16. The wicked is ſnared in the works of his own hands; Higgajon, Selah. Mark it well: What doſt thou when thou plotteſt? thou makeſt a ſnare: for whom? for thine own feet. So true is that Prov. 5.22, 23. His own iniquities ſhall take the wicked himſelf, &c. and in the greatneſs of his folly he ſhall go astray. Were there no temptations from Satan, His own are great enough to make a wilderneſs: and therein therefore he ſhall go aſtray. Thy little one ſpeaks it knows not what, but one phanſie and thought coming in after another, makes it at a loſe in its language, and thou canſt not underſtand what it at firſt intended: and as thy child hath word upon word, till it loſe it ſelf, and bewilder its wits in ſpeaking; ſo haſt thou vain thought upon thought, untill thou bewilder and loſe thy ſoul in thinking, and worſe in working. Thy child is a little fool, and thou art a great one. Thy child is a little aſtray, and thou art much more. In the greatneſs of their folly they go astray.
I ſhall firſt ſpeak more generally to the bewildrings of mans eſtate, then more particularly to thoſe two eminent dividers of this eſtate; I mean poverty & riches, and unto their bewildrings.
Proof. 1. General.Firſt then more generally, the world is a wilderneſs unto all, whether rich or poor, one and other. All that I ſhall farther ſpeak hereunto, ſhall be ſome notes from Mat. 21.13, compared with Mark. 4 9. and with Luk. 8.14. In theſe three places you have Chriſt ſpeaking to one and the ſame thing, and that is, the comparing of the word ſown upon the world, unto ſeed ſown upon the wilderneſs, where thorns come up and choak it. Now what are theſe thorns of the wilderneſs? Saith Mathew, The cares of the world, and thoſe you know entangle all, relating to all, whether rich or poor. Saith Mark, The cares of the world, and the luſts of other things, and that relates more properly to the needy: what they want, they bewilder themſelves in luſting after. Saith Luke, The cares of the world, and the pleaſures of this life; and that relates more properly to the wealthy: what they have, that they bewilder themſelves in taking pleaſure in. They that want, loſe themſelves in the thoughts of what others have, and how to reach unto their eſtate, a garment, a gown of ſuch a faſhion, a kitching ſo adorned, a room ſo furniſhed, an orchard, a garden ſo fair and beautiful, Oh! that they had it! Here are bewildering luſts of other things. They that have enough and abundance, loſe themſelves in the thoughts of what they have, how to diſpoſe of it. They can keep Hounds, and Hawks, and race-horſes, and what not? Bauds, and Paraſites to flatter them, and Whores to ſatiate them, and all to bewilder them. Or if they be not wholly ſo vainly diſpoſed as the former, or ſo wickedly as the latter; yet ſtill there are wilderneſs wayes enough. This corner of the houſe muſt be pulled down, and built again in another mode, and this takes up a twelve monethmonth perhaps, that they cannot tend their ſouls: but they poor fools go aſtray, they know not, they mind not whether: As they are in bed at night, they fall a fancying their building till they fall aſleep, and as ſoon as awake or up in the morning, they muſt look upon their workmen before they look upon their hearts: and when this end is done, the other, end muſt be made ſuitable; when one bewildering way is paſſed through, they c…me into another. From their workmen to dinner, from dinner to bowles, &c. from bowles to ſupper, from ſupper to bed. Theſe are the bewildring pleaſures of this life. You may enlarge according to your own experiences, and whilſt you conſult with them, you will have reaſon to admire that ſuch fooliſh vanities as do, ſhould ſo bewilder your noble and immortal ſouls. And as to the third, The cares of the world bewilder all. Apprentices may think (when God at a Sermon toucheth their hearts) Oh that I were as free as my maſter is! I would hear Sermons oftener then he doth; and perhaps as ſoon as thy time is our, the world, the ſame wilderneſs, gets thee in; thou haſt a wife, and a ſtock, and a great deal to do, and now wilt thou get out thy ſelf as little, or let out thy ſervants as little as ever thy maſter, thy cruel carnal maſter, would let out thee. Improve theſe experiences you, in whoſe boſoms I have been this day: and let me intreat you to lay them to heart. Have not your hearts been a woolgathering ſometimes (as our proverb is) I ſpeak unto you that trade into the Wool country, whilſt your bodies are here in the Cong…egation? if ſo, then lay it to heart.
Proof partic.But Secondly, More particularly, There are two ſorts of men I will ſpeak unto.
Poverty is a wilderneſs.1. The poor of the world. To theſe their poverty is a wilderneſs. They think were they rich, they could, and would give God more time, &c. than they do. This is their weakneſs, but yet verily their poverty is their ſnare into the wilderneſs. 'Ile turn you to the poor mans wilderneſs, as you ſhall find it deſcribed from a poor mans mouth, even holy Aſaph, Iſa. 73. and how doth he expreſs it? verſ. 2. As for me, my steps well nigh were ſlipped, my feet almost were gone. Mark that. Poverty is almoſt enough to take a Saints feet from under him, or to turn them aſide, and ſo to cauſe him to go aſtray.
There are two ſorts of tranſgreſſions, or bewildrings that poverty quickly entangleth the ſoul in. Firſt, thoſe of the heart: Secondly, thoſe of the life.
Thoſe tranſgreſſions are goings aſtray of the heart, or thought-bewildrings, poverty readily leads unto; ſuch as theſe I will inſtance, as I ſaid in Aſaph.
To the thoughts.1. Swelling thoughts againſt Gods diſpenſations towards others; wherein there is great tranſgreſſion, Pſal. 73.3. I was envious when I ſaw the proſperity of the fooliſh and wicked. Why ſaith the heart, what is there in ſuch a one, but God might as well have given me hundreds a year as him? Why ſhould ſuch a one thrive, and I want? grow rich, and I grow poor? this is a great, and (I fear) an uſual tranſgreſſion.
2. Over-high thoughts of the eſtate of the rich becauſe of their wealth, and this alſo is a great tranſgreſſion, verſ. 4. There are no bands in his death. What a ſtrange fancy is this, as who ſhould ſay, death cannot hold a rich man. Oh! thinks a poor man, I ſhall dye of this ſickneſs; but if I were as ſuch a rich man is, I could have ſuch a cordial, and ſuch a Phyſician, and ſuch attendance, that doubtleſs I ſhould quickly get up again.
3. Over-hard thoughts of Gods diſpenſations towards himſelf, verſ. 10. Waters of a full cup are wrung out unto them. Nothing but wrath, and the dregs of the wrath, the very wringings out of wrath are (he thinks) reſerved for him. And verſ. 13. All the day long have I been plagued. What all the day long? take heed of ſaying ſo; nothing but plagues? no mercy? no refreſhment? no breathing-time? no intermiſſion? I do not beleive it. You think to hardly of the Lord. This is a great tranſgreſſion to think that there is nothing but plagues in poverty.
4. Wretched, yet ordinary, thoughts of loſing the bands of poverty, for ſlacking the cords of conſcience, thoughts of getting more liberty in the world, by taking more liberty in the wilderneſs, I mean in ſin, verſ. 13. Verily I have waſhed mine hands in innocency, and cleanſed mine heart in vain. I had better turn flatterer, and ſo get favor with the rich; or cheater, and ſo grow rich, than be as I am, having a name of innocency, but conſumed and undone with poverty; this is a great and grievous heart-tranſgreſſion, though it never come ſo far (as it did not in Aſaph, and will ſeldome do in the Saints) as unto the act.
2. The tranſgreſſions of the life and converſation,2. To their lives and practices. Prov. 30.9. Leaſt I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vaine. You cannot ſteal without taking Gods name in vaine: and you cannot be poor (unleſs you be rich in grace) but you'l be ready to ſteal.
1. From men by diſhoneſty in your callings and dealings with them, and this is to make Gods commandment (which is his name) to be in vain.
2. Or at leaſt from God, by taking that time to thy worldlie cares and labors which thou oughteſt to reſerve for Gods ſervice, and herein thou contracteſt ſuch guilt, as that God will not hold thee guiltleſs: for the Lords Ordinances are his name.
3. From thy ſelf, by hindring thy ſoul of thoſe precious advantages, which the gain of ten thouſand worlds cannot recompence. Perhaps thou art earning two pence, or a peny at thy loom, whilſt thy ſoul might have been converted, and for ever enriched at a Lecture. And judge you when the word is preached, and thou neglecteſt it, becauſe of thy poverty; when thou mighteſt riſe well perhaps one day in the week an hour ſooner, or go to bed an hour later, doſt thou not herein ſteal (from thy poor ſoul) and take the name of the Lord in vain?
Ʋſe. To poor ones bewildred by poverty. Advice as to their thoughts of heart.1. Then a word as to the wilderneſs of thy thoughts, then of thy waies.
1. If thy poverty-thoughts bewilder thee, take Chriſts councel: take thou little or none of them; better for a poor man to be quite without thoughts, then to be bewildred by his thoughts, Mat. 6.25. Take no thought for your life, verſ. 31. Take no thought what you ſhall eat, or drink, or be cloathed with, verſ. 34. Take no thought for the morrow, that is, no diſtracting, diſturbing, bewildring thought: better no thought at all then ſuch thoughts. Or if you will be thining,
1. Think of your God often. Daniel had nothing but pulſe to live on, Dan. 1.12. yet Daniel could think of God, and make ſolemn ſupplication three times a day, Dan. 6.12. Seek then the Kingdom of God firſt, and thoſe things ſhall be added, Mal. 6.33. Therefore,
2. Think of your voyage out of the wilderneſs often; if you be never ſo poor, God will bear your charges unto Canaan. God will enable thine old cloaths to keep thee warm ſtill, if thou canſt not get new, Deut. 29.5. I have led you fourty yeers in the wilderneſs, and your cloaths are not waxed old, nor your ſhoe upon your foot. And God will make thee as fat with pulſe as the children fed at the Kings Table, Dan. 1.15.
2. As to the wayes of their lives.2. As to your life, maintain holineſs in your waies; when the beaſts of the wilderneſs, even the ſtrongeſt and moſt ravening of thoſe beaſts, the young Lions ſhall ſuffer hunger; that is, thoſe that can range in the waies of the wilderneſs, in the pathes of ſin, to get an eſtate or a liveliehood any how; then they that fear the Lord are ſure to want nothing, Pſal. 34 10. God will withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly, thats in the right and ſtrait waies, Pſal. 84.11.