A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Diſcovers the ſpring of this leaning Act, viz. Intereſt in him whom we leane upon. 1. Queſtion, What this interest imports? Anſwer, An Aſſent and Conſent. The Aſſent deſcribed.
The 2d. Conſ. The Originall or ſpring of this leaning act. Her beloved.THe ſecond Particular in order to the Explanation of this Leaning Act of the ſoule, viz. the Originall or Spring of this applying, improving, appropriating, leaning act of the Spouſe (in the Text).
And verily to deale rightly with my Text, there is not any of theſe particulars, that may be pretermitted, for as the Text mentions the Act, viz. Leaning, and the Object, viz: the Beloved; ſo alſo the originall of ſuch an act, which is an intereſt in the perſon leaned upon, and that is expreſſed alſo, viz. [her beloved.] You ſpeak Sirs, of leaning upon Chriſt; yea, but tell me what intereſt you have in Chriſt? or how you came by it? elſe may I ſay with a bitter ſcorn, Who art thou that leaneſt upon anothers Beloved? My Text bids me thus to challenge you, for thus it runnes, leaning upon her beloved. And who can ſuppoſe Chriſt to be thy leaning-ſtock, if he be not thy Chriſt? yea, how dareſt thou lay thine head in his boſome, unto whom thou never yet gaveſt the heart in thy boſome? Darſt thou live as a wife with him, whom thou canſt not love? Dareſt thou exact that benevolence which belongs to a wife, when thou wilt not performe the leaſt conjugall duty that is due to an Husband? How ſaiſt thou, that thou haſt believed, when yet Chriſt is none of thy Beloved? thou haſt leaned, but thou haſt not loved: ſurely it requires a brow of Braſs, and an Whores fore-head, to atteſt ſuch things.
'Tis Intereſt, and onelyonly Intereſt in Chriſt,Viz. Intereſt in Chriſt whom we lean upon. that gives a right to this act of leaning upon Chriſt.
This word I take up from my Text, with reſpect unto the wanton Chriſtians of the preſent Age. Oh! they make nothing of believing, and of rolling all their ſinnes (were they more then they are, which can ſcarce be) upon Jeſus Chriſt, as I heard for certaine of a woman of a vile converſation, who was got into mounting Clouds of the Ranting Creed, when a Neighbour told her vainly, ſure Miſtreſſe,A word to wanton Confidents or leaners upon Chriſt. ſuch a one Chriſt will have a very heavy load of your ſins, ſhe anſwered wickedly, Even let him take them, let him take them all, i'le never trouble my ſelfe with them: that was as to the guilt of them, for as for the Commiſſion of them, it appeared by her daily converſation, that that was too light a thing to trouble her.
My Brethren, I would faine know, what ſuch wanton Confidents (for believers I know not how to call them) can ſay to what God hath expreſly ſaid to them? Why? will they ſay, Chriſt hath ſaid, Whoſoever believeth ſhall not periſh, and whoſoever comes, will he by no means caſt forth, and therefore you ſhall never diſſwade us from believing, or keep us from in-comming. Doe you aske us how we dare take ſuch hold of Chriſt,? why, have not your ſelfe ſaid, that he invites ſinners to take hold of his ſtrength, Iſai. 27.5. that they may have peace? 'Tis true friend, but ſtill upon his own terms, you muſt lay down your Bryers and Thornes; that is, your warring wicked converſation, you muſt forſake the one, if you will hold to the other: But and if you reſolve as yet to hold your ſinnes, at leaſt wiſe if you doe not reſolve to lay them downe, (for,God knocks off their fingers from leaning on Chriſt. Who will ſet them up, but he ſhall be burnt up together with them?) know, that the Lord is ſo far from calling you to take hold, that he will even knock off your fingers from holding upon his Covenant, Pſal. 50.10. But unto the wicked, God ſaith, what haſt thou to do, to take my Covenant into thy mouth? Unto what wicked ſaith God ſo? unto all that have been wicked? no, for he explaines it of thoſe that are reſolved to be wicked ſtill, verſ. 17. Even that hate to be reformed. Wherefore if thou ſaiſt, thou leaneſt, ſhew me thine Intereſt, whence ſuch an act of intimacy, as leaning is, ſhould flow. 'Tis certaine Chriſt profiteth nothing, unleſſe he be thus applyed; and how ſhould he be applicable, but by being made thine? Thy ſoule undoubtedly muſt be able to ſay to Chriſt, as Chriſt to God, Iſai. 49.5. My God ſhall be my ſtrength. That's right indeed, if he be thy Chriſt, he ſhall be thy ſtrength. So David, Pſal. 18.2. The Lord is my God, my ſtrength in whom I will truſt. If Chriſt be thine, lean, and welcome; the more thou leaneſt, the dearer ſhalt thou be unto him, as it is ſaid, He loved his Diſciple beſt, that leaned upon his boſome moſt, Jo. 21.20. Is he thine Husband? then leane thy head in his boſome, and it ſhall paſſe for love: but if he be not, make him thy Beloved, or elſe thy leaning ſhall be counted impudence and preſumption. Dareſt thou go a Whoring with Satan, and willingly a wantoning with the world all the day long, and then come in prayer, and lean upon Chriſt at night? Why? Who art thou that leaneſt upon him, whom thou haſt not made, Two Queſtions anſwered.neither deſireſt to make thy beloved?
I ſhall therefore firſt, briefly explain this Intereſt: And then a little helpe you in the improvement of ſuch intereſt, as the ground in order unto ſuch an act of leaning. And for the
1. This Intereſt doth neceſſarily import,1. What this intereſt imports. and include theſe two things: An Aſſent, and a Conſent, by which mutually Chriſt becomes our Husband, and Beloved, and we his Spouſe, even the Lambs wife.
1. A free and full aſſent of the Underſtanding, 1. An Aſſent deſcribed.apprehending (in ſome ſatisfactory meaſure at the leaſt) that Jeſus Chriſt is altogether lovely, and a meete head, or husband for us.
I ſay, a free aſſent, in oppoſition to acknowledgements, A free aſſent.that may be forced out of the worſt of men, yea, even of Devils concerning Jeſus Chriſt, and his lovelineſs.
I ſay, a full aſſent, A full aſſent.with reſpect to thoſe dividers of Chriſt, who think it meet indeed to have Chriſt for their Prieſt and Saviour: but do not aſſent to the needfulneſs and lovelineſs of Chriſt as Prophet, Prince, or Sanctifier: Therefore ſay I, the underſtanding in this aſſent, apprehends him to be altogether lovely.
Laſtly, I ſay it is an Aſſent, A ſelfe, reflecting aſſent.that he is a meet match for us. And this carryeth it beyond any aſſent that can bee given by Devils, or deſpairing Reprobates, who though they doe, and may apprehend, and believe that there is ſalvation with Chriſt for loſt ſinners, yet whilſt they believe they tremble, as not being able to apprehend that there is any for themſelves: and therefore though they confeſſedly aſſent to this, that Jeſus is the Son of the moſt high God, (and conſequently able to ſave, and meet to be received by ſinners) yet they themſelves, as for themſelves, cry out in the mean while, What have we to do with thee? as you may ſee, Luk. 8.28. But what ſaith Paul, and I take it to be the language of this Aſſent, This is a faithful ſaying, &c. That Chriſt came to ſave ſinners of whom I am chiefe, 1 Tim. 1.15. Jeſus Chriſt, I perſwade my ſelfe, in every reſpect will make a good Husband, even a good Husband for me; and that he perfectly is worthy and meet to be beloved, even my Beloved.
Methinks, I am fully convinced that I abſolutely need ſuch an Husband as Chriſt is, to pay my debts which are great: and as much need I have of ſuch an head to live with me, (as a man of knowledge) to reprove, to convince, to inſtruct me; and even as great need alſo of ſuch an head as I ſee Chriſt will be, to govern mine unruly Family, my heart, my thoughts, mine affections, &c. Methinks, I ſee not in Chriſt any thing at all that I can ſpare, neither can I find any thing miſſing in Chriſt, that my ſoule can ſtand in need of: this is the voyce of that Aſſent which I am ſpeaking of. And this you have at large explained, Iſai. 45.21, 22, 23, 24. Where by way of promiſe, and propheſie, he ſpeakes of this very Aſſent, I have ſworne ſaith the Lord, That unto me every tongue ſhall ſweare, (23. verſe) And what ſhall they ſweare? That there is no God elſe beſide God, a juſt God, and a Saviour, and that unto him they look even for ſalvation by him onelyonly, verſes 21. and 22. Yea, and ſurely ſhall one ſay, in the Lord have I ſtrength and righteouſneſſe, v. 24. That is, they ſhall be aſſuredly perſwaded, that in, and onelyonly by Jeſus Chriſt, there is ſtrength and righteouſneſſs for thoſe that look unto him; that is, for Believers; yea, for themſelves in particular.
Therefore let me aske your ſoules this queſtion.
Were they ever fully, and ſatisfactorily perſwaded, that Jeſus Chriſt were onelyonly, and fully ſuch an one, as you could unfeignedly make your Beloved? If you anſwer, no, Why, then take heed of leaning on him whileſt you are of this minde. If you anſwer, yea, you are ſo convinced, that Chriſt is wholly, and onelyonly worthy of your affections. Oh! why is it that you ſit ſo much, ſo wantonly I may ſay, ſo whoriſhly in the laps of other Lovers.