A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Containes the reaſon why ſo few receive ſtrength and refreſhment from Chriſt, that yet ſeeme to leane upon Chriſt.
ANd thus have I explained the Object of this Act of leaning, viz. Chriſt as humbled firſt to weakneſs and wearineſs; and then exalted to ſtrength and reſt, that he might be the ſupport of the weak, and the ſtay of the weary.
Object. But now if this be ſo, Whence is it that there are ſo many found leaning on Chriſt, that yet continue in their weakneſſes and wearineſſes ſtill? Oh! ſaith a poor ſoul, methinks my experience confutes your Doctrin; for I have been an hanger upon Chriſt for ſome years, and yet my grace & ſpiritual refreſhments are as ſmal as ever: how is it then that Chriſt is prepared to be ſo ſutable a ſupport to leaning ſoules?
Anſ. I anſwer thou maiſt, its likely, think thou haſt been ſo, viz. a leaning ſoule! but haſt got no ſtrength, neither any refreſhing? truly I ſadly feare thou haſt but pleaſed thy ſelfe with fancy, and never yet madeſt application of the Lord Chriſt unto thy ſoul by faith. Never, never, lay the blame on the preparing of Chriſt, for he is exquiſitely accompliſhed, and moſt fully furniſhed to ſupply weak and weary ſoules: ſurely if he have not ſupplyed, it is becauſe thou haſt not applyed. Note. God hath prepared Chriſt for you. And now he muſt be improved by you.The beſt made Bed muſt be laid downe upon, if you would have Reſt; the beſt dreſt food muſt be eaten of, if you would have ſtrength. The Braſs made into a Serpent, and lifted up too, muſt alſo be lookt upon, Jo. 3.14. There's Application as well as Preparation, and Jeſus Chriſt lifted up both to Croſs and Crown, and ſo prepared muſt be lookt upon, (believed on, acted upon &c.) and ſo improved, and then no doubt but weakneſs ſhall be made ſtrong, and wearineſs refreſhed. Therefore the miſery lyeth not at all in the want of Preparation, but Application and improvement. Note.If a Feaſt were made ready enough to refreſh forty thouſand, and but forty eat of it, there can but forty be ſtrengthned by it. If there be Quarters in a City large enough for an whole Army, and but one ſmall Company will enter, and abide in thoſe Manſions; there can no more be recruited by thoſe Manſions. I do believe that the ſpirituall Canaan is big enough to be a Reſt unto All of all Nations; and that there's ſtrength enough prepared with Chriſt, for univerſall Salvation, when as yet I know that they are but ſome of all Nations, one of a Family, or two of a Tribe, that ſhall be taken, and brought to Sion, or that ſhall enter into his reſt, when the moſt of men ſhall fall ſhort, and periſh in the Wilderneſs. Canaan was in it ſelf, as acceſſible to the one as to another; Wherefore then was it that they could not enter in? Why? the Apoſtle asks it, and anſwers it, Heb. 3.19. Becauſe they believed not: that is, there wanted Application. What's the reaſon that one man thrives at a Table, and another doth not? becauſe one eats and another doth not: for as many as believed, Note.they entred into reſt, Heb. 4.3. Therefore I judge, that though our Application of Chriſt thus prepared, be onelyonly the inſtrumental, and not at all the meritorious cauſe of our receiving ſpirituall ſtrength, and of our entring into reſt; Yet I am bold to affirme, that the non-improving of this prepared ſalvation, is not onelyonly the inſtrumental, bur alſo meritorious cauſe of out going without ſtrength, & our tyredneſs under the terrors of the Lord: and though I never thought that Chriſt was in the Fathers counſell prepared for all, yet judge I that there is enough for all prepared in Chriſt,No abſudity in inviting ALL, though all cannot, or will not come, becauſe there is enough prepared to ſerve all, if all could improve what is prepared. could it be but improved by all; therefore I am wholly a ſtranger from that ſuppoſed abſurdity in inviting all, though all will not, or cannot come (I think both are ever true together) becauſe there is enough made ready for all, if they could or would but come; and what know we the ſervants that are ſent to invite, who (amongſt the invited ones) will prove the gueſts? Nor yet have I ever heard it accounted an abſurdity amongſt men ſeriouſly to invite thoſe who we are ſeriouſly perſwaded) will not, or cannot come: Saith the wife, Inſtance.I will warrant ſuch an one will not, or cannot come: yet ſaith the Husband, we will invite him howſoever. Who counts this to be non-ſence? And, yet ſo ſharp-witted are ſome, as that they cannot diſcern with what colour of ſence, God can invite thoſe that hee knows certainly cannot, or will not come; or how God can be ſerious in it. Why? ſirs, had they come, they ſhould have been welcome; yea, but our Doctrine ſuppoſes they cannot come: 'tis true, and ſo doth Scripture, yet if they could have come, there had (ſay we) been Chriſt enough, grace enough, glory enough for them, and all ready and prepared. You know 'tis no abſurdity to bid more gueſts then can come; but this is the abſurdity, to have too little food for the gueſts that do come: Now this cannot be charged upon the preparations of the Lord; for God ſends out his invitations unto all ſorts of men, and ſaith, Mat. 22.4. Behold I have prepared my ſupper, and all things are ready; the Cloath is laid, Meat on boord, Stooles and Chaires ſet, all conducements to repaſt and refreſhments are ready; yea, but the gueſts were not ready, they made light of it, and went their wayes, one to his Farme, &c. ver. 5. Now ſhall we dare to blame God for keeping open houſe, (that is, inviting all, becauſe the Lord knowes all will not come upon his invitation, or that all cannot? Why? yet he knowes that they that cannot will not; and who can (yet) have them excuſed? they may complement it with an I cannot come, and it is true too, but God knows their meaning is, they will not come. Sometimes your Great Men keepe open Houſe, invite all commers, and all that doe come are welcome, but all cannot come; becauſe of this, what foole will think that their magnificence is counterfeit and not ſerious? Yet dare blaſphemers ſay, that either you muſt grant that all have power and free-will to come, or elſe God is not ſerious in inviting all: doth not Scripture ſay, He would have all men to be ſaved? Why, think a little, ſuppoſe ſuch a Noble Man ſhould ſay to his Steward, I am willing that all the poore of the Towne ſhould be relieved, and all ſtrangers entertained, and therefore diſcourage none from comming, but bid as many as come welcome: and his Steward ſhould anſwer, My Lord, You know ſuch and ſuch cannot come, otherſome think themſelves as well at home, others do not love your Lordſhip, and will not come; but, and if you were really minded that they ſhould All come, you would make them come, you have power enough, &c. Never talk of inviting All, your Lordſhip is not ſerious in what you ſay, and your Hoſpitality is but a piece of abſurdity: Affront inſufferable, offer now ſuch [language] to thy Governour, and will he be pleaſed with thee. Mal. 1.8. Pray, how comes that Lord to be bound, to make them to accept that which he was never bound ſo much as to offer. Eſpecially, how comes God to be ſo farre in mans debt, as to be bound to make all come, elſe he muſt be charged (as not ſerious) in inviting All; ſince the reall tenders of grace unto All, are of MERE MERCY, but the making of any to accept thoſe tenders (who once had freewill and full power to chooſe the good, but have wilfully loſt it, and are now unwilling thereunto, till they be made willing) is (not a debt unto any, but) a MERE MIRACLE of MERCY to thoſe few that are veſſels of mercy prepared unto that which is prepared for them. So then, you may gather from what I have ſpoken, that Chriſt prepared, is not enough to the actuall ſtay and ſupport of the weak and weary, but he muſt be improved and applied by the leaning ſoul. And this leads me to