A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. A farther removall of remaining prejudices.
The 4th. You muſt forgoe your own will? Which 1. Is a righteous term.A Fourth Terme is this, If you will marry Chriſt, you muſt not have your own will. But this is alſo lovely and righteous.
1. It is a righteous Terme, that when thou marrieſt, thy wife should ſubject her deſire unto thine, and that thou ſhouldeſt rule over her, Gen. 3.16. And how much more if Chriſt marry thee, that thou ſhouldeſt be ſubject unto his will, and diſown thine?
Chriſt requires no will to be laid down, but what would undo thee.2ly, Chriſt never deſires to have any will from thee, beſides that which would undoe thee. Such a will as the Lord ſpeakes of, Ezek. 18.31. Why will you dye? We have a will to undoe our ſelves, to ruine our ſoules, to forſake our owne mercies, &c. and this is the beſt of our wils unregenerate, and unſanctified; now that will Chriſt will have from us, or he will not have us.
3ly. Chriſt wills thy good more then thou canſt thine own.3ly, Chriſt wills thy good as much, yea more, than thou canſt poſſibly thine owne; and therefore wherein thou willeſt for thy good, thy will is coincident, and falls in with Chriſts will, and therefore therein there can be no falling out. Wouldſt thou be Rich or Honourable in the Wo ld? It may be thou muſt herein ſubmit thy will to Chriſts; it may be it is not good for thee: but wouldſt thou bee Holy or Sanctified? why? without peradventure that would be good for thee: ſee 1 Theſ. 4.3. This is the will of God, even your Sanctification: Or wouldſt thou be happy, or glorified? Why? ſure this will be good for thee, Pſal. 84.11. The Lord wil give grace and glory; and it is his good pleaſure (that is, his will in the fulleſt freedome) to give you the Kingdom.
The 5th. You muſt part with your limbs for Chriſts ſake. But 1. Chriſt will never cut off any, but what's a Gangrening the whole body.The fifth and laſt Terme is, If you will marry Chriſt, you muſt part with hand, or foot, or eye, &c. for Chriſt, whereunto I ſhall ſpeak two words.
Firſt, Chriſt never deſired, or will deſire to have any Member from thee, but that which is rotten, and rotting: not unleſſe thy right eye, or hand, &c. offend thee; that is, are ready to Gangrene the whole body. Immedicabile vulnus, Enſe recidendum eſt, &c.
Yea, If Chriſt call for the whole body, 'tis but that body of death ſpoken of Rom. 7.24. Mortifie your Member. Col. 3.4. What Members? Fornication, Uncleanneſs, Covetouſneſs, &c. Or if for thy body in Martyrdom, 'tis but for thy vile body, and that in exchange for a glorious body, ſee Phil. 3.21. And this leads me to the next. Therefore
2ly, If Chriſt have a limb, or a joynt, 2ly, Chriſt wil give a new and living member in the room of it.or an eye from thee; 'tis not that thou maiſt become lame, or a Cripple, a blind, or a maimed Spouſe; but that he may give thee better for them: the ſeeing Eye, the hearing Eare, the walking Feet, and the working hand, for the blind Eye, and deaf Eare, and lame Leg, and dead Hand, even the New man, for the Old, Col. 3.9, 10. Put off the old man, put on the new, the living for the dead, Rom. 6.13. If Chriſt cut off your luſt after the world, in the roome of it, you ſhall have love to God: If your covetouſneſſe after earthly things, 'tis that you may more earneſtly covet the beſt things: if your wilfull ignorant and Saul-like zeal, 'tis that he may give you in the room of it, a Paul-like zeal, and according unto knowledge. Love was in Magdalen a rotten limbe, and to be cut off by Converſion, Love was in Magdalen a living affection after converſion, and that which muſt remaine lovely in the eyes, and for the imitation of all unto whom that Goſpel ſhall be preached. And now friends, goe home reſolved to take Chriſt upon his owne termes.4. As to Chriſts wooing carriage. He ſmites not becauſe he hates. It could never have entered into your heart, to have indented ſo well for your ſelves, as Chriſt hath drawn your terms for you to your hands.
4ly, As to your diſſatisfaction in Chriſts wooing Carriages. Chriſt ſmites before he ſmiles; he will pierce, wound, ſtrike, bruiſe, yea, break the heart, that he comes to wooe, before he marry it. And yet for all this, muſt I ſay as the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 141.5. Let Chriſt ſmite me, and it ſhall be a kindneſſe. It was not through any unkindneſſe of the Father unto his only Son, That it pleaſed the Father to bruiſe him, as 'tis ſaid, Iſai. 53.10. For he was ever well pleaſed in him. No more maiſt thou impute it to unkindneſſe, that it pleaſeth the Son to bruiſe thee, for he intends everlaſtingly to take pleaſure in thee. I ſhall mind you but of three Things conſiderable,Three ſatisfying Confiderations. and then refer it to your own Conſciences, to judge whether theſe be not kind, righteous, and deſirable ſmitings; though ſmitings ('tis confeſt) they are, viz. Who ſmites, for what, and what ſhall be done after that thou art ſmitten.
1. Who it is that ſmites.Firſt, Conſider, Who it is that ſmites; 'Tis that Chriſt which was ſmitten for thee, by thee, and is ſmitten with thee.
1. He that was ſmitten for thee.Firſt, He ſmites thee that was ſmitten for thee; therefore beare his ſmitings patiently, Iſai. 53.8. For the tranſgreſſion of my people was he ſtriken: Therefore what can the people object, if he ſtrike them for their own tranſgreſſions? they ſay, Mothers uſe to be moſt tender of thoſe Children, for which they have moſt ſuffered; and Lovers of thoſe Spouſes, whom they have attained through greateſt difficulties: ſurely then Chriſt will not needleſly ſmite thee, ſince he was thus ſmitten for thee; therefore take gently his gentle ſmitings.
2ly, He that hath bin often ſmitten by thee2ly, Its he ſmites thee, that hath been ſo often ſmitten by thee. Art thou pierced by Chriſt? he was pierced by thee firſt: therefore haſt thou little reaſon to complaine that he hath pierced thee, Zach. 12.10. They ſhall look on me whom they have pierced. Doth his Word or Spirit wound thee? how often have thy vain and vile words, and impenitent and unbelieving ſpirit wounded him? Doth his wooong Carriage now prick thee to thine heart? how often have thy wandering Carriages ſtruck Jeſus Chriſt to the heart? Its fit that thou ſhouldeſt feele what it is to be ſmitten, ſince thou haſt ſo often tryed what it is to ſmite. And well maiſt thou take it quietly, to be under wounds of spirit many hours, yea many weeks, that haſt in thy ſinful Converſation been wounding Chriſt, it may bee twenty, forty, or threeſcore years.
3ly, Its he ſmites thee, 3ly, He that is ſmitten with thee.that in the mean while is ſmitten with thee, and therefore ſurely will not ſmite to hurt thee. There's no great feare, that that Father will wrong his Childe, that as we ſay, ſmites himſelf, while hee ſtrikes his Child. Surely in all thine Afflictions, (moſt of all [ſpirituall] which are greateſt) is Chriſt afflicted, Iſai. 63.9. If either Satan, Sinne, or the Law perſecuteth thee, Chriſt will ſay, Why perſecute you me? I have born, ſuffered, done, and dyed for that ſoule: therefore I will not ſee that ſoule periſh, but though I ſmite it with mine own rod, yet will I not ſuffer you to ruine it. Surely as Paul ſaith, 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is in the ſcorching furnace of an afflicted Conſcience, and I burn not? ſo will Chriſt ſay.
2ly, Conſider, Why is it that Chriſt ſmites thee? 2. Conſider. Why he ſmites.looke backward or forward, and there is little reaſon to murmur on either hand.
1. Look backward upon what thou wert, 1. Look backward upon what thou haſt been and doe not complain.and art thou ſmitten? wonder that thou art not ſtruck down to Hell: never thinke ſtrange that thou art ſore bruiſed as in the place of Dragons, but rather that thou art not damned, and ſo turned down into the place of Devils, Lam. 3.30. He gives his Cheeke to him that ſmiteth him, ſaith Jeremy of the afflicted Spirit; and wherefore (ſaith he, verſe 39.) Doth a living man complaine, a man for the puniſhment of his ſin? Art thou a ſinning ſoul, and yet a living ſoul? oh! though thou be a bruiſed ſoul, thou haſt ſmall reaſon to complaine.
2ly, Look forward upon what thou art to be, 2ly, Look forward upon what thou art to be, and complain no more.and doe not count it hard that Chriſt hath ſmitten thee. Friend, Chriſt intends thee (though thy heart have beene crooked and knotty hitherto) for a piece of Timber in his living houſe, for a living ſtone, (though thy heart hath been a dead and rough ſtone) 1 Pet. 2.5. Ye are built up as lively ſtones, a ſpiritual houſe. I hope this will ſatisfyingly anſwer what is ſaid, Hoſ. 6.5. I have hewed them by the Prophets. If you will be part in Chriſts building, you muſt be content with Chriſts hewing.
Againe, We are called to be Veſſels of mercy; and theſe muſt be prepared unto glory, Rom. 9.23. And whoever prepared Veſſels of gold, but by the Furnace? let this anſwer, Iſai. 1.25. I wiil turn mine hand upon thee, Oh! that, think you, is a ſcaring word; but why will God do it?) I will purely purge away your droſſe, and take away all your Tinne.
Againe, You are called to be the Lords Iewels, and theſe Jewels muſt be made up, Mal. 3.17. The word is, foreign of foreign He will finiſh his Iewels. And what Jeweller is there, (though never ſo ſparing) but will have ſome inſtrument in his hand, to cut away the part or parts that are redundant, and ſo to fit the Jewel before he finiſh and make it up in the ring of Gold. This anſwers that gracious promiſe (though to a carnall heart a bloody threatning) Deut. 30.6. The Lord will circumciſe thine heart, to love him with all thy ſoul, &c. That is, the Lord will pare it round, he will take away the fleſhly and carnall, and redundant parts of it; this will coſt ſharpe work to thy fleſhly heart: Thus will Chriſt deale with thee, to make thee to love him, when he wooes thee to love him; onelyonly be not thou as Zipporah, crying out to Chriſt, as ſhe to Moſes, Exod. 4.16. A bloody Husband art thou unto me, becauſe of the Circumciſion. So that all the expreſſions that import thy future glory, doe abundantly engage thee to receive with meekneſs,3ly, Conſider. What theſe ſmitings ſhall conclude in. Thine Enemies ruine. and thankſgiving thy preſent ſufferings and buffetings.
3ly, Conſider what theſe ſmitings ſhall conclude in, and be ſatisfied, viz. In the ruine of thine Enemies, and in the healing of thee.
Firſt, When God caſts ſoules, (as thoſe three, Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego) into the furnace, and the Son of God comes to take acquaintance with them, and to beare them company in that Furnace, as Dan. 3.25. What ſhall that fire doe more then burn their Enemies, as verſe 22. Verily upon them ſhall it have no power, nor ſhall the hair of their head be ſinged, verſe 27. Thy Corruptions, thy ſins, thy droſſe, thy dirt, ſhall conſume, and be burnt up; but it ſhall not be able to hurt thy ſoule. But
2ly, As for thy ſoule, if that be bruiſed,2ly, Thy ſouls healing. it ſhall bee annointed by that balm that is in Gilead, and the Phyſitian that is there, Ʋna eadem que manus, vulnus opem que feret. Chriſt doth uſe to wound us as Enemies doe, and then to let us lie, and periſh for want of looking too: neare feare ſo great unkindneſſe from ſo kind a ſuiter: no, no, but if ſenſe ſay as Hoſ. 6.1. The Lord hath torn, and he hath ſmitten; let thy faith ſay alſo as theirs there, and he will heale, and he will bind us up, after two dayes, (that is ſome ſhort ſeaſon) he will revive us, and the third day (at fartheſt) he will cauſe us to live, verſe 2. Hearken my friends, what Hezekiah can ſay after all his chatterings like a Crane, and ſhatterings to pieces, both which you have together, Iſai. 38.13, 14, verſe 16. O Lord by theſe things men live, and in all theſe things, (Marke, all theſe things, as if he could not be without,Note. or miſſe one blow of them, and doe well) is the life of my ſpirit, ſo wilt thou recover me and make me to live [ſo wilt thou] as if God had (as it were) limited himſelfe to that way of working, unto the reviving of a dead heart: So then either Chriſt muſt marry thee whileſt a Carkaſſe, and lay thee a dead piece of fleſh in his boſome, or thou muſt be contented to be ſmitten; but and if thou be ſmitten, he will verily revive thee, and cauſe thee to live: ſo that upon the matter, the worſt that you can object unto theſe wooing blowes is this, that Jeſus Chriſt will quicken you, to marry you. Compare two Scriptures, Return O backſlyding Children, and I will heal you, Hoſ. 14.1.4. Return O backſlyding Children, for I am married to you, Jer. 3.14. So then to deſire that Chriſt ſhould marry you, before he ſmite you, is to deſire that Chriſt ſhould marry you, before he revive you, and without controverſie, great is the myſtery of godlineſſe. Blowes from others ſtrike you dead, but blows from Chriſt ſtrike you alive. If Chriſt in his wooing work give ſtrange ſtrokes, he will make ſuch ſtrange worke of it before he have done, that all that were incenſed at him, ſhall be aſhamed, as Iſai. 45.24.