A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. Diſſwaſives from leaning upon the World amplified.
Lean not to the world.THirdly, lean not to the World: Or as the Apoſtles rule is, where hee ſpeakes of the higheſt of fleſhly things, Phil. 3.3. Have no confidence in the fleſh.
1. Not to the worlds promiſes.Firſt, Lean not to the Worlds promiſes; be they never ſo ſpecious, yet are they but like Satans to Chriſt, when he ſhewed him the glory of the World, altogether deceitfull and treacherous; All theſe will I give thee; or to our Parents, you ſhall be as Gods. What more could be promiſed? but though the ſecond Adam was wiſer then to be deceived, yet is the firſt Adam, yea, and all his poſterity a ſad and ſufficient proofe of the ſlender performance. Much after the ſame ſort doth the World pay what it promiſeth. Therefore as Job 15.31. Let not him that is deceived truſt in Vanity, for Vanity ſhall be his recompence. Have you not often found this to be true of the World, you very Men of the World? Is not an high degree in the world a lye, even as a low degree is vanity? Read Pſal. 62.9. Yea, let great Ones read their own Experiences, in ſuch, or ſuch a place of worldly profit, or power, &c. (Who were fairly promiſed much in it, before they had it) and then tell me.
Nor performances.2ly, The Worlds performances are no more to bee truſted then its promiſe. Leane no more unto what the World can do, then unto what the World can ſay.
1. Not to what the men of the world can do.Firſt, Lean not to the Men of the World. Jer. 17.5.Curſed be the man that truſteth in man, or maketh fleſh his Arm.
2ly. Lean not to the Things of the World. 2. Nor the things of the world.Charge them that be rich in this world, that they truſt not in riches. 1 Tim. 6.17.
True may you ſay, men are not to be lean'd to, in whom we have no intereſt, but ſuch a man is my friend, my Brother. But truſt not in a friend. Mic. 7.5. And againe men will think ſmall friends, ſmall forces are not much to be confided in: Small means, they that have them may live to waſt them, and too dye beggers notwithſtanding them. But think men if our friends, or our Armies were ſo great, or our Navies ſo ſtrong, or our Eſtates ſo many Thouſands, and that an Annuity, then might I truſt and that with boldneſſe unto theſe things. Therefore I wil go over again.
Firſt, Lean not to the men of the World,Not the great men of the world. no not to the Ableſt, the Strongeſt, the Greateſt that is in the World. Iſa. 31.1. Wo be to them, That ſtay on horſes, and truſt in Chariots, becauſe they are many, and in Horſmen, becauſe they are very ſtrong, Pſal. 146.3. Put not your truſt in Princes, nor in the Son of man, in whom there is no help. It is better to truſt in the Lord then to put confidence in man. Pſa. 118.8. That you'l quickly grant. Yea, but it follwes. ver. 9. It is better to truſt in the Lord, then to put confidence in Princes.
Secondly, Lean not to the things of the Word:Nor great things of the world. No not to the greateſt, to the fulleſt, to the certaineſt enjoyment of theſe things. Truſt not in Riches, boaſt not of them; lean not to them, no, not to the multitude of your Riches. Pſa. 49.6. If riches encreaſe, ſet not your hearts upon them. Iſa. 62.10. That is, lean not unto them, for though wee ought not to ſet our loves upon them, and that may be there forbidden; yet I believe the ſpeciall meaning is, that we ſhould not repoſe the truſt of our hearts in them, which I gather both from what goes before both in the eighth and ninth Verſes, Truſt in him at all times; why ſo? why? Men of high degree are a lie: therefore if riches encreaſe, ſet not your hearts upon them: as alſo from what followes after ver. 11. This God hath ſpoken, twice have I heard it, That power belongs onelyonly to God. Therefore ſet not your hearts on riches; the Encreaſe whereof hath no power to ſupport you. And yet wherewithall ſhall I diſſwade you, worldlings, from leaning to the World? Conſider, there is but little in all the World for your ſupport, ſhould you lean upon it. And that little ſtrength that theſe Reeds have, wil upon your leaning bee ſure to break in pieces, and then what were thy Crutches before, ſhall then become thy firebrands.Diſſwaſives. 1. There is but little in the things or men of the world to ſupport for.
Firſt, There is but little in Worldly things to bee leaned unto, which may eaſily appeare under theſe Conſiderations. They are unſuitable, uncertaine unſatisfactory, unſerviceable ſupports to thy poore ſoul.
1. They are unſuitable ſupports.Firſt, Unſuitable: The actings of the ſoul which I here call leaning, are the Outgoings of a ſpirituall ſubſtance, therefore how improper an Object are Carnall things? How unapt a leaning ſtock is a fleſhly Arm for a ſpiritual hand? God ſaith, that he ſpake like a fool, that ſaid, Soul take thine eaſe, or reſt O ſoul, for I have laid up much goods. Luk. 12.19, 20. If he had ſaid, heres a table to refreſh my body, heres a bed to refreſh my bones, it had not been ſuch height of folly; But ſoul, take thine eaſe! this was the fooliſhneſſe, and perhaps is thine. David was wiſer then ſo, Pſa. 141.8. O God, the Lord, in thee do I truſt, leave not my ſoul deſtitute. Whatever of theſe things thou truſteſt to, yea, whomſoever of theſe Perſons; yet may thy ſoul be deſtitute for all them; the Lord is onelyonly my ſupport, let thy ſoul ſing; for Iſa. 49.6, 7, 8. They that truſt in their Wealth, and boaſt in the multitude of their Riches, none of them can by any means redeem his Brother, nor, give to God a Ranſome for him; for the Redemption of the ſoul is pretious, and ceaſeth for ever. Meat may ſupport the outward man, Money the outward Eſtate, Phyſick may repair the ſtrength of the Body; but the ſoul is out of the reach of theſe things.
Secondly, Uncertain. Such are the things of the world,2. Uncertain. therefore not to be lean'd unto. 1 Tim. 6.17. Truſt not in uncertain riches. Such are the men of the World. Pſa. 73.18. Surely thou didſt ſet them in ſlippery places. Certainly they are in uncertain places: ſlippery places; their heads are a loſt to day, their heeles as high as their heads to morrow. They are great men, and thy great friends, and thou leaneſt confidently on them great things, and perhaps they intend thee ſo; but between the writing of the Will and the ſubſcription, between the draught of the Commiſſion, and ſetting of the Seal, hee is ſnatch away, and thou remaineſt as thou waſt. Pſa. 136.3, 4. Put not your truſt in Princes, nor in the Son of man, in whom is no help. How comes that? Why? his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his Earth, in that very day his thoughts periſh. But as for the beloved, lean on him; for as he was, ſo he abides, and ſo ſhall he abide for ever. So Pſa. 18.2. The Lord is my Rock, in whom I will truſt, the Lord is my high Tower. A ſtrong guard you will ſay both in Front and Rear, a Rock before, an high Tower behind, and his confidence comes marching in the middle. Among all things made by the Art of man, nothing is more durable, certain, ſtable, then a Tower of Defence. Among all things (viſible) made by the hand of God himſelfe, nothing more abiding, ſtedfaſt, and unmoveable then a Rock. God is as both; therefore wil David lean upon him: here's an unmoveable ſupport, a ſit leaning-ſtock for an immortall ſoul.
Thirdly, Unſatisfactory.3. Unſatisfactory. They that labour for Carnall, or for wicked things lay out their labour for that which ſatisfieth not. Iſa. 55.2. and therefore they that lean upon them, ſhall never have any ſatisfying ſupport from them. Which of you are more ſatisfied with your thousands then you were, when you were worth but hundreds? who of you ſaith, I have enough to ſit down upon, and to reſt fully contented with? A Saint may ſay to another, as Jacob, Gen. 33.11. I have enough my Brother, yea, I have all foreign for I have the beloved, who filleth all in al. Eph. 1.23. but who beſides the Saint can ſay ſo? Thoſe of you that have much goods wax unwearied in getting more, and they that have great Eſtates in getting greater, and they that have good friends (as to worldly account) in procuring better, yea, they tire themſelves on their beds of reſt whereon they lean; and this their way is their folly, and yet their poſterity approves their ſayings.
4. Unſerviceable.Fourthly, And laſtly, Unſerviceable. When is it that we ſay ſuch a thing would do us a great deale of ſervice, but when we have moſt need of it? And if ſo, Then are the men and the things of the World unſerviceable ſupports to the poor ſoul. As for worldly men, Iſa. 49.7. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother, &c. And as for worldly things, when we have moſt need, have they leaſt help; for Riches profit not in the day of wrath, (but Righteouſneſſe delivers from death) Pro. 11.4. In daies of health, & peace and proſperity, when thou art able to help thy ſelf & friends, thou haſt many that are willing to help thee: then Riches will proffer their ſervice to thee; But when you ſhall be under the greateſt want of help; Then comes that cutting Queſtion to bee ſtated againſt thee. Luk. 12.20. then whoſe ſhall thoſe things be? That is, if they were thine before, they ſhall not now be thine, when thou moſt needeſt ſome ſupport. But lean unto the Lord, who is a preſent help in the time of trouble, yea, a very preſent help, therefore let him be thy preſent refuge, and thy very ſtrength, as Pſa. 46.1. Remember thine owne Experiences, and truſt in him, yea, what thy Fathers have ſaid unto thee. Pſa. 22.4, 5. Our Fathers truſted in thee, they truſted, 2. Leaning on them will break their ſhoulders, and ſo they will loſe the little ſtrength they would otherwiſe have.and thou didſt deliver them. They cryed unto thee, and were delivered, they truſted in thee, and were not confounded.
Secondly, That proportion of ſtrength that the Lord hath given unto any Creature to ſerve thee, thou takeſt the moſt certain and ready courſe to deſpoyle it off, if thou deſigneſt that it ſhould ſupport thee. The Lord intended that theſe ſhould (in their degree) bee thy comforts, but never that they ſhould be thy Confidences. Ier. 48.7. Becauſe thou truſtedſt in thy works, and Treaſures, thou ſhalt be taken, and the ſhall go into Captivity. You may uſe them, and ſtill hold them, but if you truſt in them, you ſink them. Of all things nothing is more ſerviceable to man then Bread and Water; yet if you make bread the ſtaffe of your life, and doe not make God the ſtaffe of your Bread, the Lord threatens, as Iſa. 3.1. That he will take away the ſtay, and the ſtaffe, the whole stay of bread, and the whole ſtay of water. He doth not ſay, hee will take away the bread and water, but the ſtay of them; which he may do, though he leave them with you. You may eat as Pharoahs lean kine the fat, and yet be never the more nouriſhed, untill you come to know that Man lives not by bread alone, but by the word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Mat. 4.4.Note. Sirs of all things that I know in the World, I know none ſo heavy and weighty as ſin, and faith. Sin is ſuch a weight that would ſink the whole Creation to hell and ruine, did not God as well as Man undertake to bear the burthen of it. Faith is ſuch a weight, that if it be not objected upon the Creator, it can not but ſink the moſt Potent Creature. What is it that hath ſunk ſo many Popular men, and Eminent inſtruments in the Common-wealth, but that they have beene the Common confidence? Lean upon Parliaments, Armies, or Navies; though the beſt accompliſhed, and moſt hopefull in the World, and you preſently break their ſhoulders. There's not a readier way in the World to ſinke the Miniſter in his abilities, gifts, or ſucceſſe; yea, to ſink his life alſo into the grave, then to lean upon him. Set thine heart upon thy wife, thy friend, thy child, if thou wouldſt fain love them to death, and kill them with kindneſſe. If thou haſt a deſire to break thine Eſtate to pieces, then ſet thine heart upon thy Riches. This I have found, and ſearch thou it, and know it for thy good, That I have never been ſo near the grant, or continuance of any of theſe enjoments, as when the Lord hath brought mine heart to a kind (I ſay not of liſtleſſe careleſſe, but) of yielding indifferency: Lean thou not upon any of theſe things which are but Reeds, leſt the harder thou hold, the ſooner they break, and the heavier thy fall be. I have ſeen an heavy lad ſlide lightly over an Ice, when a leſſe weight hath broken it by preſſing hard upon it. Worldly places (as you heard) are ſlippery, or Icy places, and therefore take the Apoſtles Counſell. 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. Let thoſe that have wives, be as if they had none, and thoſe that buy as if they poſſeſſed not, and they that uſe the world as not abuſing it; for the faſhion of this world paſſeth away.
3. If you make them your Crutches God will make theſe Crurches your fire-brands.Thirdly, If you make them your Crutches, God will make theſe Crutches your fire-brands. Iſa. 30.3. The ſtrength of Pharaoh ſhall be your ſhame, and the truſt in the ſhaddow of Aegypt your Confuſion. Becauſe you have had and have truſted (for it is not the bare having that ſhall be thus puniſhed) unto your own good things here, therefore ſhall you be tormented, Luk. 16.25. and your Gold and Silver ſhall eat your fleſh as fire, Ja. 5.3. And that which you have called ſtrong, and made your ſtrength ſhall be as tow, and you the makers of it as a ſpark, and you shall both burn together, and none shall quench you. Iſa. 1.31.
Concluſion.I have been the longer ſpeaking to this laſt particular, becauſe I find not onelyonly that this is the great ſin of our times, but even of Gods own people. They dare not make Covenants plainly with hell; yet dare they confederate with Earth, and they that dare not lean to ſinfull ſupports, yet are they not ſo ſhie of carnall Confidences. Even gracious Joſiah leans to Garchemish, though hee die for it. 2 Chron. 35. and good Aſah relies on the King of Syria. 2 Chron. 16.7. rather then on the Lord, and in his his diſeaſe ſeeks, and truſts unto Phyſitians, rather then the Lord. ver. 12. But yet ſo far forth as the ſoul is Married unto the Lord: 'Tis a widdow to the world: and ſo farre as it is a Widdow indeed, it will be deſolate (that is, as in a Wilderneſſe in it ſelfe) and therefore truſting in the Lord, 1 Tim. 5.5.