A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Containeth next the danger of leaning to our own
Wills.
Righteouſneſſe.
Long-lives.
Self-Will.SEcond leaning to our Carnall Wills muſt needs hinder us from leaning upon the Lord Jeſus. See Iſa. 30.15. The Lord the holy One of Iſrael ſaid, In returning and Reſt you ſhall be ſaved this is the voice of Gods ſpirit to them: but what's the frame of their ſpirits towards him?) But yee would not, But yee ſaid no, but we will do ſo and ſo, ver. 16. They caſt aſide the ſtay that the Lord tenders them, and this is the Reaſon, they lean to their own Wills. Thus did thoſe Brethren in iniquity, Simeon and Levi; they had no advice from their Father, or Word from the Lord to lean unto in that Cruelty, but ſaith the text, Gen. 49.6. In their ſelf-Will they digged down a Wall. Now it muſt needs be that leaning to our own wills muſt hinder from leaning upon Chriſt upon a twofold account.
2. Evid. 1. Becauſe the ſelfe-Will leans unto the dictates of ſelf-reaſon.Firſt, Suppoſe the truth of the former, viz. that leaning upon our ſelf-Wiſdom is an hindrance, and you muſt conclude this alſo; Becauſe the Will doth neceſſarily lean to what the Counſell of the underſtanding leads it to. So that whatever carnall reaſon repreſents to the Will as fit to be Confided in, be it Sin or Self, or Satan, or the World, that the Will cleaves unto: So that if the light that be in thee be darkneſſe, if the very underſtanding be a blind guide, what ſhall keep up the blind Will from falling into the ditch? Lean not to thine own Underſtanding: Now how do wee lean to the Underſtanding, but by the Will? When Eve perceived this, and that of the forbidden tree, then ſhe deſires it to make her wiſe. Gen. 3.6. her Reaſon leave upon the Serpents Counſell, and her deſire hangs upon the dictates of her reaſon: if the Intellect did not ſay to the Will, that ſtollen waters are the ſweeteſt, the Robber would never have ſo much Will to ſteal, and ſo little to live by labour. If the Worldling did not think it better to gather treaſure to himſelf, hee would be richer towards God. In all caſes where the Will cloſeth, the Underſtanding (I judge) approveth either, that it is good (though it be evill) or at leaſt (as we ſay pro hic & nunc) good for thee at this time, thus Abraham thought a lye was a good ſhift (although he knew in it ſelfe it was evill) to ſave his life; ad the Lord ſaith, Iſa. 5.20. That they cal evil good, and good evil, and put bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter: wherein I ſuppoſe he relates to the acts of the Will cloſing with this, and refuſing that, accepting this as good and ſweet, and rejecting that as Evil and bitter: and the reaſon is that in the middle of the Verſe, viz. they put light for darkneſſe, and darkneſſe for light; which muſt be judg'd the act of the Underſtanding. When the dark and corrupt Reaſon miſtakes an Evil, and calls it good (as nothing is more frequent with the unconverted) then the Will followes it, though it be Evil, and cloſeth with it, as if it were good. Therefore leaning to ſelf-will cannot but bee as very an Obſtruction to this leaning upon the Lord, as leaning to thy own underſtanding before ſpoken of: becauſe it is the ſelfe ſame hindrance onelyonly improved to a farther height, and ſtrengthned by a farther Act of the ſoul exerted by ſelf-Will in purſuance of ſelf-wiſdom. And
Secondly, As the Will leanes to the corrupt dictates of the Underſtanding, 2. Becauſe the whole man leans to the choice of the Will.ſo the whole man leans to the choice of the Will; At firſt the Man would do ſo and ſo, becauſe his judgement (ſuch as it was) adviſed him to do ſo and ſo, but now hee will do it, becauſe he will. And here the man holds, and reſolves to ſtay by it. Now who ſees not how directly this oppoſeth our leaning upon the Lord? for when we ſhould revolve our Wills, yea, our whole ſouls and affairs into the Lords will ultimately, and acquieſce there; we revolve all into our own, and thus whileſt we will flee upon horſes (as Iſa. 30.16.) and ride upon the ſwift: and will die (as Ezek. 18.31.) and will not come to Chriſt, that we might have life (as Ioh. 5.) 40. and all becauſe we will, and will not, we will ſwear, becauſe we will ſwear: and will be drunk, becauſe we will be drunk, and wil paſſe away our pretious time in wantonneſſe, ſport, and vanity; becauſe we will do ſo: and will not take paines to hear the word, or ſanctifie the Lords day; or pray with fervency, or watch our own hearts with diligence, becauſe we will not. We make our wills our Gods, and no wonder, (then that they are our leaning ſtocks) and therefore ſaith the Scripture, 1 Sam. 15.23. Stubbornneſſe is Idolatry. What can the high and holy one ſay more then this? (nay, ſome have dared to queſtion whether he can ſay ſo much I will have mercy becauſe I will have mercy, and I will not have mercy on an Eſau, becauſe I will not; as God ſeems clearly to ſpeak, Rom. 9.18. Take heed of ſtubbornneſs, you ſinners, leſt herein the Great God condemne you as as Idolaters.
3. Self-righteouſneſſe.Thirdly, Leaning to ſelf-Righteouſneſſe cannot but hinder our leaning upon the Beloved. Hee that hath ſaid, Be not over-much wiſe, hath alſo ſaid, Be not over-much Righteous. 'Tis ſpoken of a wiſdom and righteouſnes by which thou deſtroyeſt thy ſelf, Eccl. 7.16. therefore 'tis ſelf-wiſdom and ſelf-righteouſneſſe. That of Chriſts is notable to this purpoſe, Luk. 18.8. When he cometh, ſhall he find faith on the earth? though this may bee diverſly rendred, yet ſure if it bear reſpect to that which followes, the Explication of faith in this place is according to this preſent truth. Why? what is that which ſhall hinder faith? It followes ver. 9. He ſpake immediately a parable unto certain, that truſted in themſelves, that they were righteous; When he cometh; he ſhall find on the Earth ſo many truſting in themſelves, that they are Righteous, that he ſhall find but few truſting in the Lord, that they may be Righteous: Hee ſhall find ſo much ſelf-Confidence on the Earth, that he ſhall find little faith on the Earth. The more of the former, the leſſe of the later. For this leaning to ſelf-righteouſnes keeps the ſoul ignorant of at a diſtance from, yea, in open hoſtility againſt the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt.
For the firſt,As being 1. Ignorant of Chriſts righteouſneſſe. Self-righteouſneſſe keeps the ſoul ignorant of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe. Rom. 10.3. They were ignorant of Gods Righteouſneſs, and did eſtabliſh their own Righteouſneſs, theſe are link'd together, I have ſeen ſome Country youth (that never was in any Populous and Gentile City or Towne) trickt up with a new ſuite of Cloaths, and a few gay Ribbons; None in the Pariſh ſo gay as he, and he not uſing to go out of the Town, hath thought that one could not bee more ſpruce then himſelf: His own ſpruceneſſe hath kept him ignorant of the tranſcendent Riches and ſplendor of Rayment in other places, which when once he comes to ſee, he is eaſily convinced that he knew not what belonged to good Cloaths before. So the ſelf-righteous; they are ſo fine in themſelves, their duties, their gifts, and eſpecially in their holyday-'parrell, their Temple-prayers, and Lords-day Duties and thankſgiving-day alms in the corners of the ſtreets; and with the ſound of the Trumpet, that they know not what belongs to a righteouſneſſe to make it up more compleat. And reciprocally the more they are ignorant of Gods Righteouſneſſe, the more they eſtabliſh their own: and the more they, eſtabliſh their own, the more ignorant they are of the Righteouſneſſe of God. Ah! but when they are once come to Jeruſalem, the City of the living God, the place of Concourſe, unto holy Saints and glorious Angels, never did they ſee the thouſandth part of that diſproportion between the glittering of a tinſell Ribbon, and the ſparkling of a Diamond in a ſet of Gold, which they now behold betwixt ſelf-righteouſneſſe and the righteouſneſſe of the Saints which is by Jeſus Chriſt.
Secondly, If ſelf-righteouſneſſe be near meeting with Chriſts, if it be poſſible it will ſhun it. Never was Copper more affraid to be compared with pure Gold,2. Shunning Chriſts. which when it was alone might go for Gold, then ſelf-righteouſneſſe to be compared with Chriſts. Oh! what a difficult work was it for John to get the Phariſees to the righteouſneſs of Chriſt. 'Twas much more eaſie (which would ſeem ſtrang) to get the unclean harlots, and unrighteous Publicans to come to Chriſts righteouſneſſe, that had none of their owne, then the Phariſees that had one already, Saith Chriſt to the Phariſees, Mat. 21.32. John came to you in the way of righteouſneſs, and you believed him not, but the harlots and Publicans believed him.
Thirdly, If ſelf-righteouſneſſe muſt needs meet with Chriſts,3. Warring againſt Chriſts. as long as it is able to ſtand, it will be ſure to fight for it. Rom. 10.3. they eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſs, and have not ſubmitted to the righteouſneſs of God. I know not any Engine or weapon that morall, and civill, eſpecially formall ones war more againſt Chriſt by, then this ſelf-righteouſnes. When the ſtrong man arm'd keeps his Palace, hee is the ſtronger for this that his goods are in peace. Luk. 11.21. What peace ſo long as his ſpirituall whoredoms remain? Why? yes. A ſelf-peace ſpun out of the bowels of ſelf-righteouſneſſe: as true righteouſneſs is the ground of reall peace, ſo is counterfeit-righteouſneſs of falſe peace: and this peace is that which arms Satan to keep garriſon in the ſoul. Therefore the Lord yoaks truſting in ſelf-righteouſneſs, with committing iniquity Ezek. 33.13.
4. Leaning to our owne lives.Laſtly, Leaning to the length of our own lives will bee exceeding ready to hinder us from leaning upon the Beloved. You heard Jacob had a ſtaffe to lean upon in his dying hour: and ſoules that prepare for, or ſeriouſly, and frequently remember death will get a Chriſt to lean upon in that hour. But while you read in one ſcripture of ſome that put the evill day far from them (as Amos 6.3.) 'tis no wonder that you read in others, that ſome there are that ſay unto God, Depart from us (as Job 21.14.) or that Chriſt ſhould come to his own (according to the fleſh) and they not receive him, (as Joh. 1.11. You have a notable paſſage, Iſa. 57.10. Thou haſt found thy life of thine hand, therefore thou haſt not grieved. Men find their lives in their own hands, therefore they have not repented; [therefore] Though all our Times are alwaies in Gods hand, yet vaine men ordinarily think they are in their own hands; as in time of health and proſperity, &c. but now in ſickneſſe they fooliſhly think (yet is there ſomething in it) that their lives are in the Phyſitians hand, if he (through inconſiderateneſs or haſt) miſtake a glaſs, or a Gally-pot they may die for it: Oh! now they are grieved, how glad would they now be, that they had but a firm hold upon the Lord Jeſus? So I have ſeen at Sea, when the vaineſt of our company have been convicted by a ſtorm, that ours lives were in Gods hand, and not in our own: When our tacklings have been looſed, and we could not well ſtrengthen the Maſt; oh! how fain would we all of us then have had an Intereſt in this Beloved, and hope in this Chriſt as the Anchor of our ſouls, when we could not caſt anchor with our ſhips; to have a Maſter to lean upon, When our Maſt reeled, and wee ſtaggered like drunken men, and were ready to ſinke in the deep Waters. Oh! What crying out with Peter; Maſter! ſave us we periſh; Lord Jeſus, We ſink, we ſink, we are at our wits ends, Lord ſave us. But as ſoon as we were ſafe on ſhoar again, though our lives were new given us even for a prey; yet then fell wee to our former courſe of ſin, ſelf-confidence, and vain converſation, having ſmall care of faith, or holineſs; Chriſt is now little beloved, little believed: little thought upon, little lean'd upon. Thus whileſt we lean upon any thing of SELF, there is little leaning to this beloved. All this have I ſpoken to you for the ſelf ſame end that thoſe ſad providences ſpake to Paul and his companions. 2 Cor. 1.9. That you might not trust in your ſelves, but in God. Truſting to ſelf, and truſting to God, leaning upon ſelf, and leaning upon the Beloved are as very Oppoſits as light and darkneſs, as Hell and Heaven: and the Apoſtles argument is very clear, that the Lord one way or other muſt quite remove us from the former, before we come to the later.
Therefore lean not to Self.By this time (I hope) I have ſpared my ſelf a labour, as to any ſet oppoſition of ſuch Conſiderations as might diſſwade you from leaning on your ſelves: having not been able to convince you that men do ſo, without conviction alſo of the Vanity and Fooliſhneſs of all that doe ſo. Well might the wiſe man ſay, as Pro. 28.26. He that truſteth in his own heart (that is, he that leans to ſelf-wit, ſelf-will, &c.) is a fool. So ſay I, hee that truſteth in his own Righteouſneſs, or length of daies, or anything of his own is a fool.
Underſtandings.Souls conſider, how fooliſh and unwiſe a thing it is to lean to your own (naturall, carnall, unrenewed) Underſtandings, which are both fooliſhneſs with, and Emnity againſt the Lord: What needs more weight of argument to diſſwade you?
Wills.Conſider, how deſperate a thing it is to lean to your own unſanctified and unregenerate Wills, which you have ſeen by ſcripture-light to be both Rebellion againſt the Lord, and Idolatry in the account of the Lord; and require, when you have ſeriouſly weighed theſe, more forcing diſſwaſives, if you can.
Righteouſnes.Conſider how dangerous a thing it is to lean to your own Righteouſneſſe; which is ever found a ſtranger to a Run-away from, and a Rebell againſt the onelyonly ſaving Righteouſneſſe of the Lord Jeſus.
Lives.Conſider how vain a thing it is, to lean to your lives, and ſo not unto the Lord, which are at all times (as you are forced to confeſſe at ſome times) (not in your hands, but) in the hands of the Lord. In this the Bell in your ſteeple ſpares me a labour in turning over the Bible in mine hand. God proves this to your Eares, to your Eyes, to your hearts, in your Husbands, Wives, Children, deareſt Relations, ſometimes every other day to one of you or other; and God might have proved it upon you unto them, as he hath done upon them unto you; and who of us knowes whom of us the Lord will make the next proofe hereof unto the reſt of us, or how ſoone? our life is our leaſe, our body our houſe: If you leane to this houſe, it ſhall not ſtand, Job 8.15. Therefore if any of us have beene ſtaved off from leaning upon this Beloved, by leaning upon our ſelves, or any thing of our own: oh! do no more ſo wickedly.