A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 29
CHAP. XIX. A yet farther removall of remaining prejudices.
5ly, As to Chriſts eſtate.THe fifth and laſt prejudice againſt Chriſt, is as to matter of Eſtate in foure Particulars, viz. That he muſt have your portion out of hand. That you must take his word for your joynture. That you muſt go into another Country, To the firſt term, viz. You muſt truſt him with your portion firſt. 1. Conſider 'tis but what thou hadſt from him at firſt.and die by the way, before you can be poſſeſſed of it, I come now to remove this prejudice.
To the firſt of theſe particulars, I have four things to ſay for thy ſatisfaction.
Firſt, Though Chriſt require your portion ready downe to be put into his hand, and to be at his diſpoſall; yet is it herein the more reaſonable in that you had it all from him, and from his Father at the firſt. It is not an ordinary match, when Chriſt the only Son, of the only Creator, goes a wooing to poor Creatures. 'Tis as if when the Father hath got an Eſtate under the Stewardſhip of ſome Noble Lord, or Prince, and that Princes Heire ſhould come a wooing to his Stewards Daughter: If hee require all her portion at his diſpoſe, 'tis but what came from his Father, ſee Hoſ. 2.9. I will take away my Corn, and my Wine, and recover my Wool, and my Flax, given to cover thy nakedneſſe. Mark that, Given to cover thy nakedneſs, yet my wool, &c. ſtill. So Money is given to fill thy Cofer, yet is it the Lords ſtill: Meat is given to cover thy Table, yet is it the Lords ſtill: So that if Chriſt will have thy Wine, or Corne, or Wool, to diſpoſe of to a poore Member of his now, and then, 'tis no more then his own, even what thou hadſt received of him firſt.
2ly, If Chriſt take any thing from thee, that is called tine, it is not with intention that thou ſhouldſt want it, 2ly, He intends not that thou ſhouldeſt want it, whileſt he uſeth it.or be a loſer by it; Chriſt will not aske thy Coat, that thy nakedneſſe may be ſeen, nor thy Meat from thee, to ſtarve thee. But if thou lend unto the Lord Chriſt, that which thou lendeſt, ſhall he pay thee again, as he did the Widdows meal and oyl in her Cruſe. You have the Spouſe inviting Chriſt unto her Garden, Cant. 4.16. Awake O North wind, and come thou South, and blow upon my Garden, that the ſpices thereof may flow forth: Let my Beloved come into his Garden, & eat his pleaſant fruits. And you have him requiting her love, and returning her kindneſs with advantage, Cant. 5.1. I am come into my Garden, my Siſter, my Spouſe, I have gathered my Myrrhe with my ſpice, my Hony Comb with mine hony, my Milk with my Wine: Eat O friends, and drink abundantly, O beloved. This ſhe had (even this rich entertainment and abundant welcome) becauſe ſhe had beene ſo free to Jeſus Chriſt. So Rev. 3.20. I will ſup with him (ſaith God, and what of that?) and he ſhall ſup with me. Sirs, Let me tell you (whatever the wiſdome of this world, Note.which is fooliſhneſſe with God, ſhall ſay againſt it) you cannot truſt your Eſtate in any certaine hands, except you put it into Chriſt hand; whatever confidence you can have of their repaying you, yet can you have no certainty. The uncertainty of what they have, and what they are, forbids you to be certaine of it, but truſt Chriſt with it, and read Pſal. 37.3. Truſt in the Lord, any do good, and verily thou ſhalt be fed. Lend to others, and conclude it may be, I ſhall be repaid againe: Lend to Chriſt, and write downe verily: though Chriſt can finde but few Creditors, yet bleſſed are they, for they have truſted the very Paymaſter.
3ly, He takes it to give thee better for it3ly, If Chriſt take from thee any thing of thine, 'tis to give thee a better in the room of it. 'Tis as if an Husband ſhould ſay, Wife, Prethee give the poor woman at the door thy old and plain Garment, and ile give thee a new, a laſting, a richer Garment in the roome of it. Friends, what can we part with for Chriſt, but theſe momentany vaine things, that periſh in the uſage? and what we ſhall receive from Chriſt, are durable riches and ſubſtance, Mat. 19.21. Go and ſell all that thou hast, and give to the poor. Yea, but would fleſh and blood ſay, that is the way to want my ſelfe. Nay, ſaith Chriſt, thou ſhalt have treaſure (what kind of Treaſure) heavenly treaſure.
4ly, To husband it for thee, not to ſpend it for thee.4ly, and laſtly, Chriſt asks it not of thee to ſpend it from thee, but to husband it for thee. The men of the world, as wiſe as they are, have not wiſdome enough to husband their unrighteous Mammon, that little time which they doe enjoy it: therefore beg of Chriſt, to husband thine Eſtate for thee. Your Uſury brings you but five or ſix (or the like) in the hundred; there is an Uſury that you know not of, that would gaine you an hundred, and more in five. Sirs, if you be of Peters minde, and muſt needs know before hand, what you ſhall get by parting with all for Chriſt, and to Chriſt, read that paſſage Mat. 19.27. Peter ſaid unto Chriſt, we have forſaken all, and have followed thee, what ſhall we have therefore? Chriſt anſwers, v. 29. They that have forſaken Houſes, or Lands, &c. for my ſake, ſhall receve an hundred fold, and ſhall inherit life eternall: An hundred fold in this time, as the other Evangeliſts, and after that eternal life. It followes verſe 30. But many that are firſt ſhall be laſt, and the laſt ſhall be firſt. Many that are the wiſeſt, and richeſt, and beſt husbands, and the firſt in the accompt of the world, ſhall appeare the moſt fooliſh, and improvident, and beggarly, and poore in that day, when Saints ſhall know what they have truſted Chriſt for, and hide-bound worldlings ſhall ſee to what little purpoſe they have heaped up treaſure together againſt the laſt days.
To the ſecond, viz. To the 2d. viz. You muſt take his eſtate upon truſt. 1. Conſider whom thou art to truſt.That you muſt take Chriſt Eſtate upon truſt. Conſider
1. Whom you have truſted. I have wondered ſometimes, at Bonds that have been drawne, wherein the Husband hath ſtood engaged to his Wife as to money matters, that ſhe ſhould truſt him to be her Husband, whom ſhee dares not truſt to be her Steward; or that ſhe dare adventure her perſon into his hand, into which ſhe dare not venture her Eſtate. Surely if Chriſt be faithfull and worthy to cammand thee, wel may he command thine Eſtate; and if thou dareſt truſt him for thy ſoul, well maiſt thou truſt him for thy joynture, 'Tis Chriſts promiſe (though but a Land of promiſe) Chriſts I ſay, that cannot lye. Did you ever heare, that he dealt faithleſly with any, that you dare not truſt him? Oh the helliſh, the curſed nature of this unbeliefe! thou dareſt not truſt him, that never proved untruſty. Conſult with Paul, 2 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep what I have committed to him againſt that day.
Secondly,2ly, VponUpon what grounds. Upon what grounds you are to truſt him for your joynture. The Fathers Oath, The Sons hand-writing the Spirits ſeal.
Firſt, God hath ſworn, as well as promiſed,1. The Fathers Oath. that by two immutable things, in which it was impoſſible for God to lye, we might have ſtrong conſolation. If thy ſpirit ſtrive in unbeliefe, let Gods oath end this ſtrife; for, God willing to shew more abundantly to the heirs of promiſe, the immutability of his counſel, confirmed it by an Oath, Heb. 6.16, 17, 18.
Secondly, Chriſt hath written, as well as ſpoken, 2ly, The Sons hand-writing.and will himſelfe by his own hand-writing (which he never can, nor will deny) become thy Witneſſe in this Matter. Search the Scriptures, ſaith Chriſt himſelfe, when you have to doe with the things of eternal life, and they are they that teſtifie of me, Jo. 5.39. I will give you but one Scripture inſtead of many, urge it upon Chriſt, and try if he can deny it to be his own words, and hand-writing, Joh. 17.20, 21, 22, 23. Neither pray I for theſe alone, but for all that ſhall believe through their word, that they all may be one, as thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they alſo may be one (with us, or) in us, that the world may believe that thou haſt ſent me: and the glory that thou haſt given me, have I given them, &c. (Mark that deed of GIFT under Chriſts own hand) that the world may know that thou haſt loved them: and verſe 24. Father, I will that thoſe whom thou haſt given me, be with me, that they may behold my glory. &c.
3ly, The Spirits ſeale.Thirdly, The Spirit hath ſealed what the Father hath ſworn, and the Son written in his own blood, Eph. 1 13, 14. In whom after that ye believed, you were ſealed with that holy ſpirit of promiſe, which is the earneſt of our inheritance, untill the redemption of the purchaſed poſſeſſion ſhall come to the praiſe of his glory. And now Chriſtians, upon ſuch aſſurance doe but act your faith: and as I have ſeene ſome London-Merchans, that have purchaſed Lands in the Plantations beyond ſea, which they never ſaw, but are taken up for them by their Factors,Note. they have Cards and Maps of them here: ſo will thy faith (in this Chriſt) be the Evidence of thy things not ſeen, and of the things that are hoped for, as Heb. 11.1. And ſo the Joynture promiſed to thee, ſhall come aforehand to be poſſeſſed by thee.To the 3d. viz. You muſt goe into another world for it. Conſider, 1. It lies more ſutably there. 1. Where thine Head is, viz. Chriſt.
To the third, viz. That this Canaan is beyond Jordan, this Land of promiſe, in another World. I anſwer, Thine Eſtate lyes where it's moſt ſutable, and moſt ſure for thee.
1. 'Tis more ſutable for thee, then if it lay in the world, and on this ſide heaven: for
1. It lyes where thine Head is, Phil. 3.20. Our Converſation is in heaven from whence we alſo look for a Saviour, which is Jeſus Chriſt the Lord.
Secondly, It lyes where thine heart ſhould be, Mat. 6.2ly, Where thine heart ſhould be.20, 21. Lay up treaſure in heaven, &c. for where your treaſure is, there will your hearts be alſo.
Secondly, 'Tis more ſure for thee lying there,2ly, It l…es more ſafely there. then if it were ſcituate otherwhere. There was never any thing that Saints enjoyed, that was of this World, or in common with the World, but ſome Saints or other, at ſome time or other, have been plundered of it by the World; yea, ſo are all Saints at their going out of the world. Were thy happineſſe on this ſide Heaven, thou muſt forgoe it, when thou goeſt under ground. But Mat. 6.20. Lay up for your ſelves treaſure in heaven, where Moths corrupt not not, neither can Theeves break through and ſteal away. The Theives of the world can ſteale thine, the moth of death can corrupt thee: but what Chriſt hath for thee in heaven, 'tis an inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away, reſerved in the Heaven for you, 1 Pet. 1.4.
To the fourth, viz. That you muſt die by the way, To the fourth, viz. That you muſt dye by the way. 1. 'Tis all mens neceſſity.as you journey towards your joynture. I anſwer.
1. 'Tis all Mens and Womens neceſſity once to dye, whether marryed to Chriſt, or to the Devill; whether joyntured in Heauen, or in Hell, Heb. 9.27. It is appointed to men once to die. Sirs, ſome muſt die to be dammed, therefore well may you be contented to die to be ſaved: ſome muſt dye to be actually and fully poſſeſt of Hell, therefore let it not grieve you to dye, to be actually and fully poſſeſt of glory.
Secondly,2ly, 'Tis thine advantage. 'Tis all good Men and Womens advantage (though neceſſity) to dye before they are poſſeſſed of Heaven. Chriſt will ſubdue your Enemies ye Chriſtians, and bruiſe Satan, and the laſt Enemy ſhall be deſtroyed, and that is Death. And when that is done, when there is none to take your joy from you, then ſhall it be fully giuen to you. Yea, when all your Enemies, and thoſe that hated you, ſhall be chained up from ever harming you any more; then ſhall you in their ſight be poſſeſſed of all reall and glorious enjoyments in the world to come. Therefore to that ſoule to whom to live is Chriſt, ſurely to die ſhall be advantage, Phil. 1.21.
A cloſing word.And now for a cloſing word unto all that I have beene ſent to ſpeak, to wooe you, or as Paul ſaith, 2 Cor. 11.2. To eſpouſe you to one Husband, that I might preſent you a chaſte Virgin unto Chriſt. To make you LOVERS, that you may be LEANERS upon Chriſt, which was my great buſineſſe in this Diſcourſe. Let me tell you, that as Moſes ſaid to Iſrael, Deut. 11 27. I have ſet before you in this Diſcourſe, a Bleſſing, and a Curſe; for the Lord hath ſet my feet upon both Mountains ſpoken of verſe 29. Ebal, and Gerizim, the Mountains of Curſes, and of bleſſings and that upon the Authority of two Scriptures.
To thoſe that are yet out of love with Chriſt a Curſe.The firſt ſpeakes from the top of Ebal, the Mount of CURSING, and it is, 1 Cor. 16, 22. If any man love not the Lord Jeſus, let him be Anathema, Maranatha: that is, Let him be accurſed in all things, in all places, at all times, with all Curſes truly. Nothing but the perfect experience of the damned in Hell, can tell you what that word Anathena, Maranatha meanes. And who muſt be ſo accurſed? even whoſoever loves not the Lord Jeſus. Art thou out of love with Chriſt ſtill, notwithſtanding all that hath been ſpoken for him? And art thou reſolved to continue ſo? then let thy Estate, thy Body, Soul, here, and hereafter; yea, and for ever be accurſed. Doſt thou deſpiſe his Port, hate his Perſon, abhor his Diſcourſe, contemne his Carriage, diſdaine his Eſtate, after all this; and reſolveſt thou ſo to doe? Let all the Scriptures of God curſe thee, let all the Saints and Angels of God curſe thee, let all the Creatures of God curſe thee, let the bleſſed mouth of God curſe thee, let the blaſpheming mouth of thine own Conſcience curſe thee; yea, let the mouthes of all that are in the ſame curſe and condemnation with thee, curſe thee: let every mouth that bleſſeth God, and Chriſt, curſe thee: yea, as long as any mouth bleſſeth the Lord Jeſus, let it curſe thee, for not loving the Lord Jeſus. This is the ſad language of that ſad Scripture.
But I had rather paſſe from theſe to thoſe that love him, and ſo from Ebal to mount Gerizim, To thoſe that are brought into love with this crucifyed Chriſt bleſſing.the mount of BLESSING, ſee Rev. 19.6, 7, 9. Allelujah, let us rejoyce and be glad, and honour him, for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her ſelf ready. And he ſaith unto me, write bleſſed are they that are called to the Marriage ſupper of the Lambe: and he ſaith unto me, Theſe are the true ſayings of God. Sins, Chriſt is ready now, if you be ready, truly bleſſed are you, for you are called to the Marriage, and to the Supper. If any ſoule among you, that have heard all that hath beene ſpoken, ſhall love Chriſts Spokeſmen meane as they are, in the name of Prophets, bleſſed of God be that ſoule. If any ſoule entertaine the Meſſage, plaine as it is, out of love to Chriſt that ſent that meſſage, bleſſed of God be that ſoule. If any ſoule be in love with a crucified, deſpiſed, naked, wounded, bleeding Chriſt, bleſſed of God be that ſoule. If any ſoule ſhall account Chriſts Convictions, precious Oyntment, and his Termes, Righteouſneſſe, if it ſhall forſake Father and Mother, and all carnall Counſells, and Relations out of love unto Chriſt: If it ſhall go forth weeping, bearing precious ſeed: if it ſhall take Chriſts yoak upon it, and his burthen, and his Croſs daily, accounting them light becauſe of love to Chriſt, and eaſie, as Jacob did his hard ſervice out of love to Rachel: If it ſhall cut off its right hand, and pull out its right eye, and forgoe its owne will, and ſo leave all, and cleave to Chriſt, and hate all, and love Chriſt, or unfeignedly deſire ſo to doe, for ever bleſſed be that ſoule. If it ſhall not deſpiſe the Corrections of the Lord Jeſus, nor faint when it is chaſtiſed by him, patiently bearing, becauſe it hath ſinned, and willingly ſuffering, that it may be polliſhed, and fitted for Chriſts ſervice, or truly deſire ſo to doe, for ever bleſſed be that ſoule. If it ſhall truſt Chriſt with what it hath, and for what it is to receive, following him unto the Regeneration, untill it ſhall come unto his Kingdom, continuing ſtedfaſt till death, and willing to be diſſolved, that it may be with Chriſt. In a word, if it take, or be truly willing to take Chriſt, as thus tendered upon his own terms, bleſſed, bleſſed, bleſſed, be that ſoule. God hath bleſſed it, who can reverſe it? Theſe are the true ſayings of God.