A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Containes farther improvement by a deſigne to weary you, notwithſtanding your Chriſtleſs refreſhments.
2ly. To weary you notwithſtanding all your Chriſtleſſe refreſhments.SEcondly, I ſhall labour to weary your Chriſtleſs ſoules, even under any of your Chriſtleſs refreſhments: know therefore from the Lord, that theſe are truths, and ſuch as you ſhall find to be ſo ſooner or later.
Firſt, That whatſoever the matter be, that thou be not weary, yet notwithſtanding there is enough in all your wilderneſſe wayes, and refreſhments too, to make you weary.
Secondly, That this being ſo, it is the ſaddeſt ſymptome in the world, and of the moſt dangerous importance, not thus to be weary.
Firſt, Whatſoever the reaſon is,1. There is enough in all your wilderneſs-wayes to weary you, however it comes to paſſe you are not wearied. that you are not weary, there is enough in the wayes and pleaſures of ſinne too, to weary your poore ſoules: Surely as Noahs dove that could find no reſt, till it came to the Ark from whence it came, ſo can no ſoul find any reſt after all its wearineſſe, but by returning to the Lord from whom it at firſt departed; and if the Lord be as Noah, Jeſus Chriſt is as the Ark, there's no returning to the Lord, but by returning to Jeſus Chriſt. I ſhall evince what I am a ſaying,Evinced. from Scripture teſtimony, reaſon, and experience.
Firſt, For Scripture teſtimony. 1. From ſcripture teſtimony.The Holy Ghoſt tells you, Iſai. 40.30. The youths ſhall be weary, and the young men ſhall utterly faint; but onelyonly thoſe that waite upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrengeth: The young men that are the likelieſt to continue freſh, or to find refreſhment in the wayes of ſinne, even all that can be found, they ſhall faint and utterly grow weary. Thus ſaith God concerning Iſrael, Thou art wearied, Iſai. 47.13. And ſo Jer. 9.5. They weary themſelves to commit iniquity, ſo Ezek. 24.12. She hath wearied her ſelfe with lyes, that is, (ſaith God) they ſinne till thy tyre themſelves, and commit iniquity unto wearineſſe; onelyonly here is the ſad difference. As there are many humbled that are not humble, ſo many are wearied that are not weary: they are humbled indeed againſt their will by puniſhment, but yet they are never the more humble: ſo are they wearied by continued acts of ſinne, and 'tis againſt their will it ſhould be ſo, but yet they are never the more weary of it.
Secondly, For Scripture Reaſon. It muſt needs be,2ly. Scripture. reaſon. that there ſhould be all manner of wearineſſe in the wayes of the Wilderneſs, if you conſider either what you walke upon, or what you ſit down upon.
1. Wearying wayes to travell in.Firſt, All the wayes or works that are on this ſide Chriſt, are very wearying. The waies of the wilderneſſe are thorny waies, (as you have heard) and 'tis tyreſome travelling upon thornes; either wonder then at thine owne lethargy, or dead palſie, or elſe expreſly deny that Scripture, Iob 15.20. The wicked man travelleth with paine all his dayes; for if thou aſſent to this truth; thou muſt needs infer that it is a tyring travaile.
2ly. Only beds of thornes to reſt upon.Secondly, As wearying as the wayes are, ſo when ever thou comeſt to lye down at night, you have but tyring entertainment in the wayes of ſinne, and nature. He travailes with paine all the day, and this, ſaith God, You ſhal… have of mine hand, you ſhall lye down in ſorrow, Iſai. 50.11. Oh! how wearying muſt it needs be to travaile in ſinne, and then when we have done, to lie downe in ſorrow? 'Tis want of ſence in thee, not of truth in theſe Scriptures, that thou doſt not thus feel it for the preſent, but there is time enough before thee, for thee to know it in.
3ly. From experience.Thirdly, For Experience. I ſhall appeale to Heaven, to Earth, to Hell, to all things Created, or uncreated, God, Men, and all other Creatures for their Vote herein.
1. Gods owne experiedce: Your wilderneſſe wayes have wearied him.Firſt, I ſhall appeale to the experience of God himſelfe; what ever the matter is, that thou art not weary of thy Chriſtleſſe wayes, there's enough in them all, in the beſt of them all, to weary God himſelfe. Hear him ſpeak.
Firſt, There is enough in thy worst waies, Iſai. 43.24. Thou haſt wearied me with thine iniquities. It may be ſo; ſaith ſome ſelfe-righteous One, with the wicked God may be angry, and with their iniquities be wearied; but ſurely not with my ſervices, with my devotions. Yes
Yea even the beſt of them.2. With thy beſt ſervices, Iſai. 1.13, 14. Your Oblations, New Moons, Sabbaths, ſolemne ſervices, (Though theſe were Gods own appointments) they are, ſaith God, a trouble to me, I am weary to beare them.
Secondly, I appeal to the experience of all men, 2ly. Experience of al men.as ſoon as they come but to underſtand things as they are; whether Noahs Dove, or his Raven; I meane, the beſt, or the worſt of men.
Firſt, For the Saints, they can ſay, I dare ſay for them,1. Saints experience. that the Lord made them weary of other things, as a man would be of carrying a load of droſs, or a burthen of dung, when Gold or Silver is offered unto them in their ſtead, Phil. 3.8. or as a childe that would quickly be weary of its lapfull of ſtones, when one comes and offers it an apron-full of plums.
2dly. For the worſt of men. Thoſe that are in Hell,2y, Experience of the worſt of men. have already found; they that are yet on this ſide Hell, ſhall quickly find what wearineſs there is in the wayes of ſinne and vanity, Iſai. 2.20. In that day, (that is the day of Conviction) ſhall a man caſt his Idols of Gold, and his Idols of Silver, which they have made each one for himſelfe, (Mark that, every mans particular Corruptions and beloved luſts) to the Moles, and to the Bats; (that is, they ſhall be utterly weary of them) let who will take up their trade after them, they'l follow it no longer.
Thirdly, I appeale to all other Creatures, 3ly. Experience of the whole Creation, all wearied under the burthen of ſinne.even this whole Creation. I tell you, that the Sun is tyred in its Orbe, with beholding the abominations of the Children of men by day, and the Moon and the Stars in their courſes, by ſeeing their works of darkneſſe in the night. I tell you, the Earth would ſink under you, as it did under Corah, Dathan, and Abyram, as weary to beare the burthens of your ſins, if the Lord would but give it a diſcharge. Yea, how doe the very houſes of Clay, that ſinners dwell in, ſpew them up, and caſt them forth in a few yeares, as if weary of being ſo long poſſeſſed by them? Yea, how doth the very Gluttons, and Drunkards ſtomack tell him to his face, that it is weary of bearing his ſurfeiting, and drunkenneſſe, and therefore disburtheneth it ſelfe upon the ground. This is no Notion or Hyperbole of mine, but a very expreſſe truth of God, and ſo to be by you laid to heart, Rom. 8 20. The Creature was made ſubject to vanity. And we know, ver. 22. that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in paine together untill now. The very Heavens are weary of covering, and the Earth of bearing wretched ſinners, and their continuall groan in their kind unto God is, Oh! when ſhall there be an end of ſinning? Oh! when ſhall we be delivered, verſes 19.21.
2ly. Aggravated. Your not being weary when you are wearied, a ſymptom of ſpiritual death.Secondly, Is it ſo that there is ſo much in ſinne to weary thee, and yet thou art not weary? truly, this is the moſt dangerous, and mortall ſymptome that can be imagined.
As it is the ſaddeſt ſigne of a red-ſea ruine, to be humbled ſo often with Pharoah; and yet not to come once to be humble: ſo it is for thee to be ſo often wearied by ſinne, and never to become once weary of it. Sinners, I dare appeale (as the laſt appeale) unto you Conſciences, even ſuch as they are, whether you have not often wearied your ſelves with drinking, drabbing, &c? although you were never yet weary of the ſin for the kind, yet wearied by the ſin in the act. Thus thoſe wretched Sodomites (who were now near a double Hell, even firſt an Hell from Heaven, and then an Hell in Hell) Gen. 19.11. They wearied themſelves to find the doore: wearied, yet not weary. And wilt thou not be weary? Yes friend, thou muſt, and thou ſhalt be weary, onelyonly thy wearineſſe ſhall be, when times of refreſhing ſhall not be, but when thy caſe is beyond Cure; thus was Moab: and oh! let every one of us all take up that lamentation from the mouth of the Prophet, Iſai. 16.11. My bowels ſhall ſound like an Harpe for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-hareſh. Why? what's the matter? ver. 12. It ſhall come to paſſe when it is ſeene, that Moab is weary on his high place, that he ſhall come to his ſanctuary to pray, but he ſhall not prevaile. Oh! now father Abraham, one drop of refreſhing water to coole my tongue, but it ſhall not be granted. 'Tis ſaid of the Grave, that there the weary be at reſt, but the quite contrary ſhall be ſaid of Hell. Oh! ſirs, you are not weary enough to drinke in the waters of refreſhments to day; I had almoſt ſaid, here is much water, and little or no thirſt; there ſhall be thirſt enough (ſuch as it will be) but no water. When a ſick man hath been a long time toſſing his wearied body on this ſide of the bed firſt, and then on that, and after all theſe weariedneſſes, come to lye ſtill, and ſtupid, and ſenſleſſe of any wearineſſe; what doe we, I pray you, reckon this, but the ſleepe of death? When wretched ſinners come to be wearied with every ſinne, ſo that the Lord can ſay, they weary themſelves, and yet their curſed hearts can ſay, We are not weary, eternall death is in this mans countenance. We that are Phyſitians, have ſome ſad reaſon to give him over, Jer. 51.64. Thou ſhalt ſay, Thus Babylon ſhall ſinke, and ſhall not riſe from the evill that I will bring upon her, and they ſhall be weary. She had wearied the people of God with her cruelties, and God himſelfe with her abominations, but ſhe her ſelfe was not weary, well ſaith God, thou art now a ſinking O Babylon, and thou ſhalt be weary. So ſay I, thou art quickly a ſinking into the Grave O ſinner, and into Hell, and verily thou ſhalt be weary.
What ſay I? thou art ſinking into Hell: what,Such are the verieſt pictures of Hell above-ground. and if I ſhould ſay, thou art an Hell above ground? Verily there can not be ſuch another picture of Hell drawne as thou art, who art wearied every day with ſinning, and yet art freſh for ſin ſtill, The Heathens themſelves repreſent the infinity of the torments of Hell by one Syſiphus, who (ſay they) is damned by the Gods to rowl a great ſtone up a very high hill, and ever when he hath gotten it up neare the top, it is to tumble down again upon him perpertually time after time: and truly is is a pretty ſtrange kind of piece of heatheniſh Divinity: if they believed what they ſaid, though it were but fabulous; yet had their hearts ſome nearer gueſſes at the truth, then the daring ſinners that are amongſt us. Their figure was ſomething like, but thine is exact: for as Dives in hell ſuffers unconceivably to day, yet is perfectly freſh for the ſufferings of to morrow, and ſo unto eternity: ſo thou ſinnest to day, and travelleſt in pain, and wearieſt thy ſelfe to commit iniquity; yet art thou perfectly freſh for ſin to morrow. We wonder to think how damned ſpirits contract freſh ſtrength for their new torments, and ſo they ſhall to all eternity: but we need the leſſe wonder, if we obſerve wearied ſinners getting freſh ſtrength for new ſins: for as face in water anſwereth face, ſo doth the heart of ſinners upon earth, anſwer the heart of ſinners that are in hell; for theſe would alſo be freſh for ſin, (if God ſhould ſuffer it) unto all eternitie.
So then as its a ſign of a Saint-like, & heavenly mind to be ſpiritually, & univerſally weary of the ways of nature, ſo farre as they hinder from leaning upon the Lord, even ſo weary of them as he is of his gueſt, Prov. 25.17. Remove thy foot from thy neighbours houſe, leaſt he be wearie of thee, and ſo hate thee, to be ſo weary of them, as to hate them, Father, Mother, Wife, Children, Lands &c. which muſt be, Luk. 14.26. Yea, ſo as to be weary of their life, becauſe of temptations unto ſin, Gen. 17.46. As Rebekah was of the daughters of Heth, leaſt they ſhould draw her Jacob from the Lord: (if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of the Land, what good ſhall my life doe me? ſo ſay they) as long as temptations prevaile againſt them, they are even weary of their very lives, becauſe of their luſts: ſo it is a very ſigne of a very reprobate mind, and helliſh heart to be able to go in the waies of the wilderneſſe of fin, and there to run without wearineſs, and to walke without being faint.
A word to thoſe that are weary of no waies but Chriſts waies.But ſtill there is one thing that I cannot paſſe over, but muſt lay it upon your hearts, as a lamentation. viz. ſince none can lay hold upon Jeſus Chriſt, but thoſe that are weary of all other waies; What ſhal we ſay to thoſe that are weary of none, but his waies? I finde it an eaſier matter by many degrees, to make ſome of you by cloſe preaching, wearie of the word, to goe, to ride, to houſe your ſelves from the wearying word; then to make you weary of the world, to leave, to hate, or to forſake the toyling vanities and wearying wayes of fin. It is to be obſerved concerning the people of the Jewes, when now the Lord was wearie of them, and the precious Ordinances were taking wing, as weary of their deſpiſed aboad among them; and the word of truth was a flying from Malachi to Matthew, (and from the Jews unto the Gentiles, to whom it might be new newes and welcome) His great controverſie (upon which he parts) with them is this, Mal. 1.13. Ye alſo have ſaid (that is, of my ſervice, of mine inſtitutions, as you may ſee in verſe before) Behold, what a wearineſs is it? and ye have ſnuffed at it, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts. What a tedious man (ſay ſome) is this, hee never knoweth when to have done; and then they look at the hour-glaſſe, and ſnuffe, and nothing tyres them ſo much as theſe holy things. Ah this is plain-dealing when thou ſaiſt ſo, God alſo deales as plainly with thee, Mal. 2.17. You have wearied the Lord with your words. Well met, you wearie of God, and God of you: but ah poore Creatures, who ſhall have the worſt of it? Now all that I have ſaid this day, I have ſpoken to this end, that if any amongſt you are hereby wearied, and made truly weary, you might know where to have a reſting place.
My God hath ſaid unto me concerning the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as to Iſaiah, as to Iſrael, Iſai. 28.12. This is the reſt wherewith you may cauſe the weary to reſt, and this is the refreſhment: (but oh! my brethren, let it not be ſaid of any of you, as of Iſrael, in the words of the verſe that run on) but you would not. And ſo I paſſe on to the