A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Containes Anſwer 2d. Loſt ſoules are to leane on Chriſt for all their reſt.
2ly. You muſt lean on Chriſt for all your Reſt.SEcondly, Leane upon Jeſus Chriſt for all your Reſt. Sirs, There are times of refreſhing from the preſence of the Lord, for repenting and converted ſouls, Act. 3.19. but thoſe are onelyonly by the ſending of Jeſus Chriſt, verſe 20. Till God ſend Chriſt to thy ſoule, never looke he ſhould ſend refreſhings to thy ſoule. Obſerve that of the Apoſtle, Heb. 4.3. We which have believed, do enter into reſt, and then verſe 8. If Jeſus (that is Ioſuah) had gi… them reſt &c. From which it appeares, that there … true and ſpirituall reſt, but of Chriſts own giving Ioſuah brought them to Canaan, but it is onelyonly Chriſt Jeſus that could give them reſt: And againe, that there is no way for poore bewildred ſoules (for of ſuch is the Apoſtles diſcouſe there) to come at this reſt, but by leaning; that is, by believing. But more particularly leane on Chriſt as the reſting place of your Underſtandings, Conſciences, Affections, whole ſoules when wearied with the wayes of the wilderneſſe of ſin.1. As the reſt of your underſtands.
Fi…ſt, Leane upon Chriſt as the reſting place of your Underſtandings, he is the great Prophet of his people.
Secondly,Conſciences. Leane upon him as the reſting place of your weary Conſciences, He is the great high Prieſt of his people.
Thirdly,Affections. Leane upon Chriſt as the reſting place of your tyred affections, he is the Lord and Husband of his people.
Fourthly, Leane on Chriſt as the reſting place of your whole ſoules, Soules.he is the God and Saviour of his people.
For the firſt, viz. Our Underſtandings.
I ſhall lay down theſe two Propoſitions.
Firſt,1. Of your underſtandings. Two Propoſitions. 1. Propoſition, That there is no reſting place for our underſtandings, in the knowledge of any other thing. That there is no reſt for them in the knowledge of any other object, but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. I ſhall prove it by the moſt eminent inſtance that any age in the world could give of it, and it is Solomon, who gave his heart to know wiſdome, and to ſearch out all things by underſtanding, (as himſelfe ſaith Eccle. 1.13. He had moreover all Opportunities, and helpes which other working heads have wanted, I am come, ſaith he, to a great eſtate, and great experience of wiſdome, and knowledge, (verſe 16.) And what ſhall the man do that commeth after the King, (2.12.) ſuch a King, ſo great, ſo wiſe, ſo ſtudious? This wiſdome of his reacheth ſo farre, as to excell all the Children of the Eaſt, and people of Egypt (the wiſeſt quarters of the world) yea, he had knowledge of all the Trees and Plants from the Cedar of Lebanon, to the Hyſop of the wall: yea, alſo of all Beaſts, and Fowls, and Fiſhes: He had exceeding much underſtanding, and largeneſſe of heart, and wiſdome, as the ſand on the Sea ſhore, 1 King. 4.29, 30, 33. And yet this Solomon ſaith of much ſtudy (though undoubtedly as eaſie to him as to any man) 'Tis a wearineſſe to the fleſh Eccle. 12.12. And in much wiſdome is much griefe, and he that encreaſeth knowledge, increaſeth ſorrow, Eccle. 1.18. So that both wearineſſe to the fleſh, and toyle to the ſpirit, is the onelyonly reſt to be expected in the confining of our underſtandings unto any other ſpeculation, ſave onelyonly the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt.
2d. Propoſ. That there is ſufficient and ultimate refreſhing to our underſtandings in knowing Chriſt.But ſecondly, Jeſus Chriſt, and the knowledge of him, is the reſting place of a tyred underſtanding, Pſal. 94.12. Bleſſed is the man whom thou correcteſt, and teacheſt him out of thy Law: Though God take the Rod into his hand to teach him his leſſon by, yet bleſſed is he, and wherein is he thus bleſſed, that comes to learne in Chriſts Schoole? why? verſe 13. That thou maiſt give him reſt from the time of trouble: this will make thee a goodmends for the ſoareſt whipping; if thou learn the leſſon of Chriſtianity to day, thou ſhalt have reſt to morrow. Thus God expreſly ſpeaking concerning this knowledge, Iſai. 28.9, 10, 11. ſaith of it, verſe 12. This is the reſt wherewith you may cauſe the weary to reſt, and this is the refreſhing. And it muſt needs be that the knowledge of the Lord Chriſt muſt be a refreſhing knowledge to the ſoule, upon three accounts.
For 1. It is a ſpirituall.Firſt, It is a ſpiritual, therefore a refreſhing knowledge to the Spirit; 'tis a knowledge of ſpirituall things, and after a ſpirituall manner. The underſtanding of things carnall, or ſpirituall things in a carnal ſort, cannot indeed ſatisfactorily refreſh the Spirit. The ſoule that knowes Chriſt, knowes him not after the fleſh, but ſpiritually, and whoſoever to knows him, knowes the things that God hath prepared for them that love him; and what are the things prepared, but Manſions adequate and eternall reſt? which things being revealed by the Spirit, and ſpiritually diſcerned, by the ſoule, are raviſhing and refreſhing to the ſoul, (your hearts bear teſtimony hereunto) compare, 1 Cor. 2.9, 10, 14. with Jo. 14.2.
2ly. It is an experimentall, 2ly. An experimentall.and therefore a refreſhing knowledge. They that know Chriſt, feele Chriſt, and the feeling of him muſt needs be refreſhing to them, 1 Jo. 1.1. Our hands have handled the word of life: this experimentall knowledge the Apoſtle communicates, as being abundantly himſelfe refreſhed, that their joy alſo might be full, ver. 4.
Thirdly, To know Chriſt,3ly. A ſoule Centring knowledge. muſt needs afford reſt to our underſtandings, becauſe Chriſt is the very Center of all knowledge, knowing him, you need go no farther; knowing him, you may well ſit down, and reſt, and refreſh your your ſelves, for you know enough, you know all, 1 Cor. 2.2. I determined to know nothing among you, but Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified, ſo Phil. 3.10. That I might know him, and the power of his Reſurrection, and fellowſhip of his ſufferings, If Paul (as learned as he otherwiſe was) could but reach unto this knowledge, he doth not once entertaine a thought, that his wearied underſtanding ſhould travell any farther.
2ly,2ly. Of your wearied Conſciences. Come and leane your weary Conſciences upon Jeſus Chriſt. Oh! how do ſome complaine of tyred Conſciences? and how falne would they ſit down, but know not where to reſt themſelves? This was Davids ſad outcry, Pſal. 38.3. There is no reſt in my bones, becauſe of my ſin. Now what ſhall ſuch a ſoule do in ſuch a caſe? Ile tell you in Iſaiahs words, Thus ſaith the Lord God, the holy one of Iſrael, Iſai. 30.15. In returning and reſt you ſhall be ſaved, in quietneſſe and confidence ſhall be your ſtrength: that is, return to Chriſt, and lean upon him, and you ſhall have rest, and ſtrength from him, unto the quieting of your wearied and diſtracted ſoules.
But how ſhall weary Conſciences doe to refreſh themſelves by leaning on Jeſus Chriſt?Queſtion. How that ſhal be? Anſwer.
I anſwer, Bring all your Conſcience fraught and laiden, and unburthen it upon Jeſus Chriſt. Chriſt doth not bid weary and loaden Conſciences to lay downe their burthens,1. Lay downe thy burthens upon Chriſt and then to come unto him; but come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, (which undoubtedly and peculiarly refers to Conſcience-loadings) and I will give you reſt, Mat. 11.28. That is, b…ing your burthens to me, and ile take them down.
1. Vnlade the acknowledgements of your ſins into Chriſts boſome.Firſt, Let weary Conſciences unlade all their acknowledgements, and diſgorgings of ſinne into Chriſts own boſome immediately. Thus David in the fore quoted Pſalme 38.18. He reſolves upon acknowledgement of his ſin, and this he empties into the Lords own boſome, verſe 9.
1. Your ſinne-ſorrowes.Secondly, As you bring your ſin-acknowledgements, ſo bring your ſin-ſorrowes to Chriſt, let your faith put the Lord Chriſt to the ſame worke, whereunto he is called by the Father, to carry our griefes and ſorrowes. So Iſai. 53.4. Thus David, Pſal. 38.6. When he was troubled, and bowed down greatly, going mourning all the day long: he had immediate recourſe to the Lord Chriſt.
3ly. Your wearying ſighs and groanings.Thirdly, Let us alſo disburthen all wearying ſighs, and tyring groanes of our troubled minds, into the boſome of Jeſus Chriſt. Thus David, Pſal. 38.9. Lord, all my deſire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee. Wouldſt thou pray down the guilt, or groan down the power of any Corruption, that clogs thy poore Conſcience, even to the making of thee weary of thy very life,? then leane on Jeſus Chriſt and thou ſhalt find reſt. Yea, this I would Note unto you, before I leave you, that Chriſt doth not bid weary ſoules to go to the Father, Note.but to come to him with their heavy loadings: believe it, 'twill be ill leaning of a tyred Conſcience upon God the Father, with Chriſt the Advocate. If any man ſin, we have an Advocate with the Father, 1 Joh. 2.1. Come not to the Father firſt, but to the Advocate, and by the Advocate to the Father. If a man have a Creditor to ſpeak with, he will ſpeake with his Surety firſt, and if he can but engage him, he can with boldneſſe look his Creditor in the face. But woe, woe to that Conſcience that comes ſinful and Chriſtleſſe unto the great and righteous, holy and ſin-abhorring Majeſtie of the Lord God.
2ly.2ly. Take up Cordials from Chriſt. Let thy weary Conſcience take from Chriſts hand his Cordials, as well as lay downe thy burthen on his ſhoulders. 'Tis true, I am the chiefe of ſinners, (ſo let repentance ſpeak in thy ſoule) yea, But this is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, (ſo let thy faith ſpeak) viz. That Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſuch. I ſhall o…e day fall by ſuch a strong Corruption, if Conſcience-trouble ſay ſo, let faith ſay nay: but Chriſt came into world, that he might deſtroy the works of the Devill, &c. And thus in any other caſe of Conſcience, the way to have an heart ſprinkled from an evill Conſcience, is to draw near in the full aſſurance of faith unto Jeſus Chriſt, having him as an High Prieſt over the houſhold of God, Heb. 10.21, 22.
3ly.3ly. Your wearied affections. Leane your tyred affections upon the Lord Chriſt, and in him let them reſt themſelves. As to know Chriſt, is the only true ſtay to the underſtanding: ſo to love him, &c. is the onelyonly true ſtay to the affections. Set your affections on things above, where Chriſt ſits, Col. 3.1. As who ſhould ſay, elſe will they flutter about as the wandring dove, without any reſt at all; but in Chriſt they ſhal have a ſet Manſion. The Spouſe bears pregnant teſtimony hereunto, Cant. 5.18. Where ſhe ſaith, He is altogether lovely, that is, an Adequate, entyre, and full object for the affections to ſit down upon; and having this, they have Reſt. Other things are not ſtayes for our affections, becauſe not altogether to be affected. The world is not, nor the things of the world: Meat is to be ſomewhat affected for the nouriſhment of the bodyes ſake, and Cloathes for the warmth, and Money for the ſervice of the outward man in the world, and Wife and Children, and Friends, as Helps and Comforts in the world: but our affections may not, (nay they cannot, though they would) reſt in theſe things, but are ſtill travelling farther, and the reaſon is, becauſe there is not one of them that is altogether lovely. Such is Chriſt, and therefore a Center him for your affections, as well as a Reſt for your minds and conſciences.
Laſtly, Leane upon Chriſt as the reſt of your poore ſoules,4ly. Your wearied ſoules. I meane as to their whole ſtate and well being, when they ſhall be rent aſunder from the Carkaſſes wherin they dwell. Woe be to that ſoule, of whom the world is weary, and whom the houſe of its habitation (I mean its body) as weary of it, throwes out of doors; if it have not then a Chriſt to caſt it ſelfe upon, and be not able to ſay as David, Pſal. 116.7. Returne to thy reſt O my ſoule, Go up to Mount Nebo, and die there. Believe it, believe it, that's an high Hill, and that's hard worke; you had need of a Staffe, and an Arme to lean upon; you had need of an eye of faith to look upwards. Stephen when he dyed, did ſo, Act. 7.55. Leaning on Chriſt, and leaving of the world, had need goe together: By faith, Jacob when he was a dying, (as typifying this) worſhipped, leaning upon his Staffe, Heb. 11.21. And bleſſed are they that thus dye in the Lord, (for as much as my preſent diſcourſe ſaith, and ſo ſaith the Spirit) They ſhall have reſt from all their labours, Rev. 14.13.
And thus much of the ſecond Queſtion.