A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Containes Querie ſecond, for what are loſt ſoules to leane upon Chriſt. Anſwer 1. For all their ſtrength.
2d. Queſtion. In order unto what loſt ſouls are to be leaning ſoules. Anſwer.SEcond Queſtion. For what it is that loſt ſoules are to lean upon, the Beloved?
The anſwer of this Queſtion will be obvious from the anſwer …f the former; for if the weak and wearie be the onelyonly true leaners, then 'tis ſtrength and reſt that they are to leane upon Chriſt for.
1. For all their ſtrength.Firſt, Lean upon Jeſus Chriſt for all your ſtrength. You have heard this hinted, that they that would ſtand againſt the bewildrings of Satan, muſt be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Eph. 6.10. Art thou weake? Why? 'tis ſtrength, yea the ſtrength of the Lord, and the power of his might, that thou art to leane for upon Chriſt: nothing elſe will ſerve thy turne, and that thou maiſt have by leaning. I ſhall ſpeake to three comprehenſive particulars, leane on Chriſt as the alone ſtrength of what thou haſt, of what thou doſt, and of what thou art.
viz. 1. Of what they have.1. Lean upon Chriſt as thy alone ſtrength, in reſpect of all that thou haſt, or wouldſt have. Wouldſt thou have grace or comfort? believe, and thou ſhalt receive ſtrength to rereceive theſe, Heb. 11.11. By faith Sarah her ſelfe alſo received ſtrength to conceive ſeed. Thou haſt been ſo long barren, that thou art affraid thou ſhalt never be able to conceive the incorruptible ſeed of the word of God, either as to the bringing forth of Grace, or Comfort in thy ſoule: by faith thou maiſt have ſtrength to receive b…th.
1. Their Graces.1. Faith will afford ſtrength to receive Grace, whether as to Mortification or Vivificattion.
i. Mortifying Grace.1. Mortifying or ſubduing grace. Wouldſt thou have the ſtrong man out of doors? thy pride, thy paſſion, the vanitie of thy thoughts thy luſts of uncleanneſſe, thy worldly luſts &c. removed? thou haſt no way but to make Chriſt thy ſtrength, who is ſtronger then theſe, and ſo to call in the Auxiliaries of heaven: had David gone out in Sauls Armour, undoubtedly Goliath had made him a prey; but David went out in the name of the Lord: Thus leane thou on the Lord Chriſt, and then what though it be an uncircumciſed corruption,Note. a Giant-like luſt that thou contendeſt with? The grand cauſe that ſome doe ſincerely, yet inſuccesfully warre with thoſe worldly luſts that war againſt their ſouls, may be ignorance hereof, or neglect herein, Luk. 11.21. The ſtrong man will keep his houſe till a ſtronger comes. Corruption, that is ſtrong, will keep thine heart, till a Chriſt, that is ſtronger, comes. It followes, He that is not with me; is againſt me, and he that gathers not with me, ſcatters, verſe. 23. As I ſaid of your Chriſtleſſe ſtrength, 'tis Antichriſtian: ſo here to War without Chriſt, is in ſome ſort to War againſt Chriſt; and to think to gaine ground of thy ſinnes in thine own ſtrength, is the way to be a loſer; a …sterer; though this verſ, I know, hath another intendment, yet is this certaine, if Chriſt be with you, (as he will be, whilſt you be with him, 2 Chron. 15.2. You ſhall carry the day, and divide the ſpoyle, he that ſpoyleth Principalities for you, can vanquiſh ſin in you. Where this Joſuah is Generall, the field cannot be loſt; he that brought up the Iſraelites, conquers the Canaanites; neither can you be conquerors, but through Chriſt, Rom. 8.37.
2ly. Lean on Chriſt for Vivifying and renewing grace. This is that Law of the ſpirit of life which in Chriſt makes free (as you heard in the laſt) from the law of ſin and death, Rom. 8.2. as who ſhould ſay,Vivifying or quickning Grace. let there be what there can, or what there will be in any ſoul, unleſſe there be the law of that ſpirit of life in Chriſt Jeſus, there can not be any … of grace there. Chriſt is the ſtrength of your quickning grace, and that
1. As to the root, and life, and habit of it,1. Of the root of it. (I meane grace in the ſoule) Rom. 8.10. If Chriſt be in you, the Spirit is life becauſe of righteouſneſſe. No life, or principle, or habite of righteouſneſſe, (which is here to be expound…d by Sanctification) can poſſibly be in you, if Chriſt be not the ſtrength of it in you.
2. The fruits of it.2ly, As to the fruit, act, and exerciſe of this root, life, and habit of Grace, Io. 15.4. Abide in me, ſaith Chriſt, and I in you, for as the branch cannot bring forth fruit, of it ſelfe, except it abide in the Vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. The ſtrength of the branch is not able to bring forth fruit, but it is the ſtrength of the Vine: the branch is not able, (ſaith Chriſt) but the Vine is able: ſo the ſtrength of thine habit of grace is not able to exerciſe, or bring forth fruit unto holineſſe, but it is the ſtrength of Chriſt: for that grace which is ſaid to be in thee, and unto thee as a root, is in, and unto Chriſt but as a branch, & Chriſt is the Vine ſtill, the branch (as that which immediately feeds it) may in ſome ſort be called the root of the fruit; but in proper ſpeech 'tis onelyonly the root of the Vine, that is the root both of branch and fruit: and the ſtrength of the Vine, is the ſtrength both of the branch and fruit and if their in being, or dependance on the Vine were but a little interrupted, you ſhould quckly ſee it: truly ſo it is with Chriſt, both as to the habit, and exerciſe, the branch and fruit of thy graces: for ſaith Chriſt in the 5. verſe, Without me you can do nothing: Mark, do nothing. Suppoſe a branch; yet could there be no fruit: ſuppoſe a life; yet could there be no action: but now oppoſe this phraſe, or compoſe it rather unto that of Pauls, Phil. 3.13. (where from occaſion of the exerciſe of the grace of Contentation, he digreſſeth to a generall boaſting, but in the Lord, as to all the fruits of holineſſe) I can do all things through Chriſt which ſtrengthneth me; ſo that all the out-goings of our graces are, and muſt be only in the ſtrength of Jeſus Chriſt.
2ly. Of all your comforts.2ly. Leane upon Chriſt as the onelyonly ſtrength of all your comforts: You have mention in Scripture of ſtrong conſolation (as well as of ſtrong grace) Heb. 6.18. That we might have ſtrong conſolation. We? Who? why we; who have fled for a refuge to the anchor that is before us, and have taken hold. That anchor is hope, that whereupon that anchor catcheth hold, is Jeſus the fore-runner, ver. 20. No ſtrength of comfort elſe-where.1. Your foundation-comfort. viz. Iuſtification.
1. Chriſt, as the ſtrength of your foundation-comfort, I meane Juſtification, is to be leaned upon. If you be juſtified, it muſt be by faith, by leaning; and if you have peace with God, and there be any ſtrength in that peace, it muſt be through Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 5.1. The Hebrew Idiom, puts often one ſubſtantive with another, when in ſence it is an adjective. So in that paſſage, Iſai. 45.24. One ſhall ſay, ſurely in the Lord I have righteouſneſſe, and ſtrength, that is, ſtrong righteouſneſs: Others may have a righteouſneſſe as the Phariſees &c. that have not Chriſt; but there is no more ſtrength in it to comfort, then there is in a few ſparks to warm or to enlighten, Iſai. 50.11. But they that lean on Chriſt for a righteouſneſſe, have ſtrength of righteouſneſs.
2ly.2ly All yo… upper comfor Leane on Chriſt as the bottom ſtrength of all your upper comforts, ſuch as come in upon the account of your juſtification. If Chriſt will to purpoſe ſtrengthen the hearts of his Diſciples as to comfort, he muſt tell them as he doth Jo. 14.18. I will not leave you comfortleſs, I will come to you. What ever elſe he either leaves them, or ſends them, they will ſtill be comfortleſſe, unleſſe he comes to them. Miſerable Comforters are Creatures to us, when Chriſt keeps at a diſtance from us. Comforts they may be, and weak ones too, as Chriſtleſs righteouſneſs hath no more ſubſtance in't to hold out the light of comfort, then a few ſparks; ſo Chriſtleſs Comforts have no more ſtrength, then the cracklings of thornes under a pot, Eccle. 7.6. Upon the matter the ſame is the expreſſion in the one and the other.
2ly.2ly. As the ſtrength of all that thou doſt. Leane upon Chriſt as the alone ſtrength of all that thou doest, or wouldſt do, as well as of all that thou haſt, or wouldeſt have. Make Chriſt the ſtrength of thy dutyes. Surely as Jeſus Chriſt was the ſtrength of the Jewiſh Sacrifices, ſo muſt he be of Chriſtian duties. Alas what was there in the blood of a Bull, or of a Goate, to take away ſin, or reconcile to God? The Apoſtle ſhews this, Heb. 10.1, 4. They were never able (ſaith he) to make the commers perfect, never able to take away ſins. They were poore, weake, impotent, unable things; therefore he brings in Chriſt as their ſtrength and fulneſſe, ver. 7. Then ſaid I, I come to do thy will O God. And truly what is there in our teares? what poore things are our prayers? how weak, how weak are all our ſervices, unleſſe Chriſt become their ſtrength? what ſtrength? alas! what ſtrength is there in my preaching an houre? or your hearing, in order to the converſion of any ſoule? But now when Chriſt fell a preaching, there was might in his preaching, he ſpake with authority: yea, at his word there goes forth ſtrength. The blind ſee, the deafe heare, the dumb ſpeak, the ſick are healed, the dead are raiſed: believe it, there is power in ſuch ſpeaking. So when Chriſt fell a weeping, and praying, you read they were ſtrong crying and tears, Heb. 5.7. Chriſts crying was ſtrong crying. Now then if thou wouldeſt get much of ſtrength into thy duties, labour to get much of Chriſt into thy duties. I ſtrive (ſaith Paul of his Miniſtry) to preſent every man perfect, Of thy preaching.according to his working which worketh in me mightily, and Col. 1.29. The more there is of Chriſt in thy Miniſtry, the more might is in thy Miniſtry. Yea, When all men forſooke me (ſaith Paul) 2 Tim. 4.16. The Lord ſtood with me, and ſtrengthened me, that the preaching might he fully knowne. So wouldeſt thou get ſtrength unto any other performance, I ſay unto thee as Paul to Timothy; 2 Tim. 2.1. Thou therefore my Son, be ſtrong in the grace that is in Chriſt: Mark, the grace that is in Chriſt. Think not, if thou wouldeſt be ſtrong in prayer, to be ſtrong in the grace that is in thy ſelf, Of thy praying.but in the grace that is in Chriſt. As when himſelfe was in prayer as Man, Luk. 22.43, 44. And there appeared an Angell from heaven ſtrengthening him, then he was in an Agony, and prayed (ſaith the Text) the more earneſtly. So if thou be in prayer, and canſt by believing get helpe from heaven to ſtrengthen thee; Oh! thou wilt eaſily perceive more ſtrength in thy ſight, more agony in thy groanes, more earneſtneſs in thy prayers. And as that Angell, Rev. 8.3. Puts Incenſe on the prayers of all Saints (ſo muſt this Angell put ſtrength) whereby they might aſcend up before the throne of God. Of thine hearing.So when thou heareſt a Sermon, or receiveſt the Word, thou receiveſt no ſtrength by it, unleſſe thou receive Chriſt by it. When the word of God is received as the word of man barely, it hath no more ſtrength in it, then the bare word of man, Gal. 4.14, 15. When the Galathians received Paul in his Miniſtry, as an Angell of God, yea even as Chriſt Jeſus; it was ſo mighty in them, that he bears them record, that they even would have pulled out their eyes &c. Oh! when ſoules come to receive Chriſt in the Word, they have ſtrength to doe any thing, (for that's the meaning of it) to cut off right hands, pull out eyes &c. any thing for Chriſt, he is ſo deare unto them; but as for thoſe that receive the Word, but not Chriſt in it, you may ſadly and eaſily perceive how little ſtrength they have from it, for it is little or nothing that they will doe for it: What? part with an hand, or an eye for Chriſt? No, ſcarce with an handfull of that pelfe that they ſhould not ſet their eyes upon, Prov. 23.5.
Thirdly,3ly. As the ſtrength of all that thou art, thine whole ſoule. Leane upon Chriſt as the onelyonly ſtrength of that thou art, I meane of thine whole ſoule, Eph. 3.16, 17. I pray, ſaith Paul, That ye might be ſtrengthened with might in the inner man, that Chriſt might dwell in your hearts by faith: No ſtrengthning at all for the inner man, but by Chriſt indwelling, and no indwelling but by faith, by beleeving therefore ſay, I leane on Chriſt, that according to Davids phraſe, Pſal. 138.3. Thou maiſt be ſtrengthened with ſtrength in thy ſoule; that is, in thine Ʋnderſtanding, Memory, Will, and Affections.
1. As the ſtrength of thine underſtanding.Firſt, Leane upon Chriſt as the onelyonly ſtrength of thine Underſtanding, 1 Cor. 1.30, 31. He is made unto us of God, wiſdome, that as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. There's no man in the world of judgment and wiſdom ſtrong enough, to reach the thing… of God, but he that fetching his wiſdome from the Lord. Chriſt payes his tribute of glory not to himſelfe, but to the Lord Chriſt, Iſai. 29.24. They that erred ſhall come to underſtanding, and they that murmured ſhall learn Doctrine, when they ſhall ſanctifie the name of God, and magnifie his holy One. They that erred, that is, that were of a weak underſtanding: And they that murmured, that is, That were more depraved in judgement; and this is a more wilfull weakneſſe; yet ſuch (through Chriſt) is the gracious promiſe of the Lord; but herein they muſt ſanctifie his name, and magnifie his holy One: that is, His holy Child Jeſus. You have multitudes of promiſes alſo, of ſight to the blind, knowledge to the ignorant, underſtanding to the ſimple, of guidance by Gods counſell enough to lead them to his glory, but all through his Chriſt.
2ly. Of thy Memory.2ly. Lean upon Chriſt as the ſtrength of your Memory, haſt thou a weak one to complaine of? Why, doe but believe, and thou ſhalt have a ſtrange memory, if thou have not a ſtrong one, thou ſhalt have a memory to carry away more of a Sermon, then he that carries away all; his memory is in his head, but thy memory ſhall be in thine heart: he may write it by his memory, when he comes home down in a book, but thou writeſt it in thine heart and life, and there it is knowne, and read of all men: I meane, whilſt another carryeth away the words, thou remembreſt the power; he hath the expreſſions of the miniſter, but thou haſt the impreſſions of the truth. Such a mrmory as this, at leaſt wiſe, thou ſhalt be ſure to have by leaning on Jeſus Chriſt, and this i'me ſure is the beſt memory, and truly a convenient portion for thee of the other too, is plainly held forth to them that truſt on Chriſts name, Jo. 14.26. The Holy Ghoſt, whom the Father ſhall ſend (ſaith Chriſt) in my name, ſhall teach you all things, and ſhall bring all things to your remembrance, even, whatſoever I have ſaid unto you. If young Preachers that know what beleeving meanes, could but lean more upon Chriſt in this promiſe, they need not lean ſo much (as themſelves complaine) to their Notes. Hath not Chriſt ſaid, that his Spirit ſhall bring to our remembrance what ſoever he hath ſaid? And what have we to ſay more? If we have, for ought I know, our memory may be indeed moſt faithful to us, wherein it may ſeem moſt to fail us, whilſt we forget againſt our wills, what we ſhould have omitted with our wills: And how can it harme us, or ſpoyle our Sermons, if we be content to forego our fancies that we may act our faith? The former may pleaſe and advance our ſelves; the latter ſhall advance Chriſt, and pleaſe the Lord.
3ly. Leane upon Chriſt as the ſtrength of your Wills. Ile grant to the Arminians, that our wills are ſtrong enough for Rebellion, and too ſtrong too, even as an iron ſinew: but alas, alas, as to the ſtrings of God (even a Ephraim) … heartleſſe Dove. Wouldſt thou now be ſtrengthned there alſo? Read Pſal. 110. Which is evidently ſpoken of Chriſt, to whom it is affixed, Heb. 1.13. ver. 2. Send forth the Rod of thy ſtrength out of Sion, and then mark verſ. 3. Thy people ſhall be a willing people in the day of thy power. If ever thy Will get any ſanctified ſtrength, it is onelyonly in the day of Chriſts power, and by the ſending forth his ſtrength.
Fourthly, Leane,4ly. Of thine affections. one Chriſt as the ſtrength of your Affections. Sirs, God will never be contented with your affections, unleſſe he may have the ſtrength of your affections. Thou … love the Lord thy God with all thy ſoul, and with all thy ſtrength, Luk. 10.27. Now unleſſe thou have Chriſt in thine Affections, as their ſtrength they will be too weake for God, or the things of God. Now if you could lean more, you would love more, and feare, and deſire, and hope, and joy, and put forth every other affection in more ſtrength. You have the Spouſe leaning upon Chriſt in my Text, which is verſe 5. And as ſoone as ſhe lean…, ſee how ſhe ſtrengthens affections, you would wonder there ſhould be ſuch ſuddain virtue in leaning, for ve… 6. ſhe breaks out, Love is ſtrong as death, the Coals there as the Coals of fire, with a moſt vehement flame, many waters cannot quench it, neither can the floods drown it: if man would give all the ſubſtance of his houſe for love, … would utterly be contemned. If Satan (ſaith ſhe) ſhould u… never ſo much meanes, if the Serpent ſhould caſt his golden Apple before me, it would not allure me; if the Dragon ſhould ſend all the floods of his mouth after me, it would not affright me, but that I ſhould ſtill zealouſly, ardently, vehemently, and unto death affect the dearly beloved of my ſoule: ſuch was the ſtrength of her affections, and this ſhe gat by leaning on Jeſus Chriſt.