A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Containes Querie third, what the ſaving leaning upon Chriſt is. 1. As to the Object. How Chriſt was prepared to be the ſtrength of the weake, and ſtay of the weary: 1. By his eſtate of Humiliation.
COme we now to the third Queſtion,3d. Queſt. What this leaning upon Chriſt is? Anſwer in four Conſiderations 1. Of its Object. viz. the Beloved. And how Chriſt came to be the ſtrength of the weak, and the ſtay of the weary. viz. What the leaning of a weak and weary ſoule upon Chriſt for ſtrength and refreſhment is? In anſwer whereunto, theſe foure Things fall under our inſpection. The Object, the Originall, or ſpring of the act; the Notion, the Nature of the Act.
Firſt, For the Object. The Texts tells you, it is [the Beloved, that is, Chriſt] But how? or in what reſpect is Chriſt? or how comes Chriſt to be the ſtrength of the weak, and the ſtay of the weary bewildred ſoule? ſurely it is not Chriſt, any how conſidered, that is thus the ſoules ſupport, and therefore Chriſt is not confuſedly to be leaned upon: but Chriſt ſo, and ſo conſidered and underſtood, and therefore there are diſtinct Notions under, or in the which he is to be leaned unto. Now the enquiry after theſe, falls neceſſary, and I hope uſefully under this head. For as it is not fleſh that ſtrengtheneth the body ſimgly conſidered, but fleſh thus, and thus wholeſomely dreſt, and prepared, whence that in the 23. Pſal. 5. Thou prepareſt a Table for me: The Lord as it were, condeſcends to dreſſe his meat for him; eſpecially you know, that fleſh muſt be well cook'd; that is to ſtrengthen the weake, that is prepared for the ſick: And as it is not a Bed that will give refreſhment to a ſick and weary one, but a Bed thus, and thus prepared, well made; whence that Pſal. 41.3. The Lord will make all his bed in his ſickneſſe: Mean worke, you'l ſay, for the great God to dreſſe our meat, and make our beds, yet ſuch as he pleaſeth himſelfe in, becauſe he delighteth in mercy: So I ſay, It is not barely the Lord Chriſt, but Chriſt (as I may ſay with reverence) thus, and thus dreſt, that is the ſtrength of the weak; and Chriſt thus, and thus prepared, that is thereſt & refreſhment of the weary. Take Chriſts owne account of this matter, Io. 3.14. As Moſes lifted up the Serpent in the wilderneſſe, ſo muſt the Son of man be lifted up; Marke, [muſt be]. It was not enough that he was incarnate, and made fleſh, that he was the Sonne of man; but being made fleſh, there is a neceſſity of his being dreſt, and made ready for the food of ſoules. The Braſſe did not cure them, unleſſe it were thus and thus prepared; it muſt be made in figure of a Serpent. Neither did this Serpent cure them, but it muſt be lifted up, ſo Chriſt muſt be lifted up: And this one word ſpeakes Gods whole mind, as to the preparation of the Lord Chriſt,How Chriſt was prepared hereunto. to be the ſtrength and the ſtay of loſt ſoules; for this one word hath a double aſpect, as Chriſt had a double lifting up. 1. He was lifted up to his Croſſe, ſo prepared for the ſouls ſupport in his ſtate of Humiliation. 2. He was lifted up to his Crown, and ſo prepared by his ſtate of Exaltation: and upon ſuch account it is that Chriſts ſalvation for loſt ſouls, is called a prepared ſalvation, Luk. 2.30, 31. Mine eyes have ſeen thy ſalvation which thou haſt prepared. Unto each of theſe I muſt therefore ſpeak a few words.
And 1. As to the eſtate of our Lord Chriſts Humiliation, obſerve with me four Things.
1. In his eſtate of humiliation. The explication of it in four particulars.1. That Jeſus Chriſt in the dayes of his fleſh, was ſubjected to all the weakneſſes and wearineſſes of poor ſoules, (ſin onelyonly excepted.)
2. That it was for our behoof, rather then his own, and for our ſakes, not his own, that he was thus ſubjected.
3. That hereby he became an apt and ſutable ſupport for the weak and the weary to lean upon. And therefore
4. They may herein have ſtrong conſolation, and encouragement to leane upon him.
For the firſt,1. Chriſt was therein ſubjected to all our weakneſſes and wearineſſes (ſin onelyonly excepted.) 1. Properly to our naturall infirmities. The Lord (in the dayes of his Humiliation) was ſubjected unto all our weakneſſes, and wearineſſes, ſinne excepted; Yea, and to the ſins of the Elect too, but in a different kind.
1. Then Chriſt did properly, and in the plaineſt and fulleſt ſence, beare all the weakneſſes and wearineſſes appertaining unto, and following upon our natures, I mean our decayed natures, (ſinne onelyonly excepted) for ſet ſin aſide, Chriſt was a true man, not like unto Adam before the fall, and in the ſtate of immortality: Chriſt took upon him our Nature, not our Nature as it was at firſt, but our crazy Nature, our decayed Nature; but doe not miſtake me, I ſay not our corrupt Nature; he tooke not any thing up of our Natures, wherein was ſin, though he took up many things wherein were the fruits of ſin: ſuch are our weakneſſ s, and wearineſſes, as abſtracted from ſinne, ſo that all that is naturall unto us as men, yea, as fallen men, (ſetting aſide our fall ſtill, as it contained ſin in it, and left ſinful corruption behind it) is naturall to Chriſt. I hope you can diſtinguiſh betweene infirmity, naturall, and ſinfull; at leaſt wiſe it is eaſie to diſtinguiſh them in themſelves, though not ſo eaſie to diſtinguiſh them in us, where Sin and Nature are ſo enterwoven. Now as I dare not aſſert, that there was any weakneſs in Chriſt that was ſin; ſo dare I not deny, that the weakneſſes that came upon us for ſin, (ſuch as temptations, ſorrows, ſufferings, and death) were properly born by the Lord Chriſt, in that nature which was the ſubject of his Humiliation; I mean, his humane nature. This is plain to me, and I deſire to make it plaine to the plaineſt of you, That Chriſt tooke not Adams nature, as it was at firſt, (though he was as innocent as Adam was at firſt) he took fallen mans crazineſs, not corruption; infirmities, not ſins; the whole mortality of the body, but not (in the leaſt) the body of death; this I ſay is to me plaine, from Heb. 2.16. He took not the nature of Angels upon him, but the ſeed of Abraham. Mark, of Abraham, not of Adam: of Abraham, that is Man in a ſtate of imbecility, and infirmity; not of Adam before the fall, nor of the holy Angels (who were both as free from all infirmity as ſinne) but of decayed man, as the next words doe undenyably expound it: It became him in all things to be made like unto his Brethren, verſ. 17. Mark, In all things. How ſhall we then ſoberly bound our thoughts herein? Why, the ſame Apoſtle makes the onelyonly Exception (that is to be made) Heb. 4.15. He was in all points like us, yet without ſin; And this will be proved more fully, as I ſhall prove it more particularly.
1. In our bodies.Firſt, The Lord Chriſt in the ſtate of his Humiliation, was weak as we are. It is on all hands granted, (as farre as I ever yet heard) that Chriſt began to be Crucified, as ſoon as he began to be Incarnat. Now the Spirit ſaith expreſly, 2 Cor. 13.4. That Chriſt was crucified through weakneſſe. If this had not beene true, that Chriſt had taken up the weakneſſes of fallen man, he could never have been crucified for the ſins of fallen man. And if the other be true, that Chriſt was crucified from the wombe to the Grave, then the Apoſtles words will prove, that Chriſt conſidered meerly as man, was as weak from the Cardle to the Grave as another meer man, only the Divinity protected him from all actual frailties that were not fore-ordained for him. Elſe I believe as ſmall a matter would have cruſhed him in the wombe, or the ſwathing bands as another Infant, becauſe as ſmall a time put his life to a period, (when the fulneſs of his time was come) as ended the dayes of others: yea, it is ſaid, that Chriſt was dead before them that were crucified with him. This truth is no more prejudiced by this, that we doe not read of his being at any time ſick, &c. then if a man ſhould ſay, I have not the nature of decayed, crazy, fallen Adam in me, becauſe I am thus old, and never yet had a ſickneſſe; or as if he ſhould ſay, I am not mortall, becauſe I never yet dyed. However whatſoever may be ſaid, or denyed, as to the extent of this truth; this may not be denyed, but that crucified Chriſt was ſubjected to weakneſſes, for ſo ſaith the Scripture.
And againe to me it appeareth,2. In our ſouls. that the whole humane nature (and not onelyonly the fleſh) of Chriſt was ſubject to weakneſſes, yet without ſin, I meane his ſoul as well as body: if there be any ſoul-weakneſſes ſeparate from ſin, as ſurely (methinks) there are (though I confeſſe I am very little acquainted with the nature of Spirits) for Chriſt took not on him our fleſh onelyonly, but our nature, as is cleare in the Scripture before cited; and if there be any weakneſſes incident to our ſoules, that may be poſſibly ſevered from ſin, (and who can think but that they in this kind ſuffer with our bodies) it ſeemes to me that Chriſt took them alſo on him; as now if there be any naturall fainting of our hearts in prayer, &c. which is not ſinfull, but the infirmity of the ſoule, and the fruit of our ſinne in Adam, rather than a ſinne in us, being (originally) perhaps from ſome defect in the fleſh (as Chriſt ſaith fleſh is weak) that there was ſome ſuch thing in Chriſt (yet without ſinne) to me ſeems (I ſpeak my thoughts with modeſt ſubmiſſion) from Luk 22.43, 44. There appeared an Angell from heaven ſtrengthning him. Obſerve, it is not ſaid onelyonly, diſcourſing with him, or miniſtring to him (as at other ſeaſons) but ſtrengthning him, and what follows? truly a paſſage very ſutable to our experiences, of divine aſſiſtance in humane frailty: then being in an Agony, he prayed the more earneſtly. This is therefore the ſumme of my thoughts herein, that all the infirmity, but not the leaſt of the iniquity of our Natures, was taken up by the Lord Chriſt properly, and aſſumed perſonally in the ſtate of his humiliation, in the dayes of his fleſh.
Secondly,2ly. Our natural wearineſſes. 1. Of Body. As Chriſt took properly upon him the weakneſſes, ſo the wearineſſes of our natures.
Firſt, Bodily wearineſſe upon occaſion of bodily labour, Chriſt was as ſoon tyred therewith as another man (of his conſtitution, (&c.) would have been, Jo. 4.6. Jeſus therefore being wearied of his journey, ſat thus on the well. Now though it is manifeſt, that Adam in his primitive ſtate, had labour impoſed on him by the Lord, I had rather ſay imployment, (for labour as importing a burthen or trouble, doubtleſſe it could not be) I never yet met with any one, that thought that Adam was ſubjected unto wearineſſe, for that is ſenſibly a grievance, and the curſe of ſin, as is evident, Gen. 3.19. Which Curſe Chriſt bare and undoubtedly the wearineſſe of Chriſt here mentioned, was to be reckoned as one of our griefs, or grievances, which are ſaid to be born by Chriſt, Iſai. 53.4. Surely he hath born our griefs, &c. whence I conclude, that it was our decayed nature that he tooke upon him; yea, the curſe of our natures, (ſuch as weakneſſe and wearineſſe, &c.) though not the corruption of our natures; for it is ſaid, Gal. 3.13. That he was made a curſe for us: although I dare not goe on ſtep beyond this Scripture expreſſion herein.
2ly. Soul wearineſs.2ly. Chriſt was undoubtedly ſubjected to ſoul-wearineſs, as that of the body, and to both as well as wee. Tell me Chriſtians, you that know by experience, what is the houre of your ſpirituall wearineſſe? is it not the houre of your ſpirituall travaile? Read what is ſaid of Sion, Jer. 4.31. I have heard the voyce of a woman in travell, the anguiſh, &c. the voyce of the daughter of Sion, woe is me now, my ſoule is wearied: And minde what the Lord ſaith of Chriſt, Iſai. 53.11. He ſhall ſee of the travell of his ſoule. Here you have Chriſt in ſoul-travell; and if any ſhall make doubt of his ſoul wearineſs at that time, let them compare the language of travelling Sion, with the voyce of her travelling King, Mat. 26.38. He ſaith unto his Diſciples, My ſoul is exceeding ſorrowfull, even unto death: ſorrowfull unto death? What is that, but wearineſſe of his life? Hitherto refers all that former tyring travell of his pilgrimage on earth, where you read of his groaning in ſpirit, and trouble in ſpirit, Joh. 11.33. and Joh. 13.21. Sirs, what do you think of the travell of his ſoule, when he cryes out, My God, my God, whay haſt thou forſaken me? Think you that this was not a tyring travell? for my part, I believe that never was there any one ſoule, that knew moſt of the terrors of the Lord, thoſe wearying woes, and tyring terrors, that ever came neare unto the ſufferings of Chriſt in degree: for hee drank the very dregs of the Cup of Gods wrath, his Cup of Vinegar and Gall, that he drank with his bodily mouth, I reckon but a ſhadow and type of the tedious bitterneſſe of his ſoule, and well therefore might that Patheticall Poet make it the burthen of his ſad ſong (when he perſonates the paſſion of lamenting Jeſus, in the language of lamenting Jeremy) Was ever griefe like mine? And you may ſay to your Saviour, Was ever wearineſs like thine? Surely, if eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, nor heart underſtood the glory of that REST, which Chriſt hath purchaſed by that travell; neither have they perceived the wearineſſe that Chriſt underwent in that travell, we ſhall never fully know the one, till we know both, nor be able to conceive of that wearineſs, till we be able to receive that reſt. OnelyOnly thus we may argue in our ſtraightned underſtandings, That if the terrors of one ſin, and the guilt of one ſoule be ſo wearying to us, that nothing but infinite mercy can refreſh us; what tyredneſſe muſt there needs be upon the ſoule of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.2ly. He did imputatively bear the tyring guilt & curſe &c. of our ſins. For as the next particular tells us—The Lord Chriſt did (though not properly, and ſo as either to be involved in the guilt, or depraved by the ſtain) imputatively beare, and takes upon himſelfe the ſinnes of many ſoules, even of all the Elect, to beare the weight of the ſin, and the Lords wrath for the ſin, in behalfe of their ſoules, who is therefore ſaid 2 Cor. 5.21. To be made ſin for us, not for all, but for us; or if for all, yet but for all us, Iſai. 53.6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Theſe are the many (conſidered in themſelves, though they be but few comparatively) whoſe ſins he is ſaid to bear, verſ. 12. when he powred out his ſoul unto the death. And this leads me to
2d Part, It was to our weakneſſes & wearineſſes, and for our ſakes, not his own.The ſecond Propoſition, That it was our weakneſs and wearineſs, rather then his own, that Chriſt tooke on him, and for our ſakes rather then his own. This I paſſe over, as being the full and plain importance of Iſai. 53. throughout the Chapter, and as neceſſarily deducible from what I have here already proved, and therefore I ſhall proceed to
3d. Part. That Chriſt thereby became a ſutable ſupport for us.The third Propoſition, That the Lord Chriſt by being ſubjected unto our weakneſſes, and wearineſſes is hereby become an apt ſupport, and leaning ſtock unto us. I have before ſhewed, that the 110 Pſalm, is by the Apoſtle expounded of Chriſt, which cloſeth with this briefe propheſie of the ſufferings of Chriſt, and the iſſue of them, verſe 7. He ſhall drinke of the brooke in the way, therefore ſhall he lift up the head. It 'tis not ſaid, then ſhall he lift up his head, or therefore ſhall he lift up his own head, (though that were true) but indefinitely the head; that is, (as his own, ſo) the head of thoſe that are bowed down, becauſe his owne head was bowed down to drinke of the brook of the waters of Marah; that is, therefore he is become a ſutable Saviour to lift up the head; that is, to ſtay, to ſtrengthen, to ſupport the hearts of poore diſconſolate ones, becauſe himſelfe had his own head in the brook before us; for two things are here imported, which are both expreſſed by the Apoſtle to the Hebrews.
For 1. Thereby he gat skill as knowing our weakneſſes and wearineſſes experimentally.Firſt, That, becauſe Chriſt himſelfe was once ſubject to weakneſſes and wearineſſes, like as we are; therefore he hath skill to ſuccour us, as knowing our grievances: indeed known unto the Lord God are all our ſufferings, ſorrows, ſickneſſes, &c. but it is Cognitione intuitûs, with a viewing knowledge: Known they are to the Lord Chriſt, Cognitione ſenſûs, with a feeling knowledge. Thus Heb. 2.18. For in that himſelfe ſuffered being tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted. So in that himſelf was weary, and had need of refreſhing in his journeyings on earth, and had need of ſtrengthning in his Agony, therefore he is an accompliſhed high Prieſt, able to ſupport the weak, and to ſuccour the weary.
2ly. Therefore alſo he hath will to ſuccour,2ly. Therefore he hath as good will alſo becauſe of ſympathy. as well as ability. Thou knoweſt the heart of a ſtranger, ſaith God to Iſrael, becauſe thou waſt a ſtranger in Egypt. So Chriſt knows the heart of an afflicted, groaning, troubled, weakned, wearied ſoule: becauſe it was once thus with himſelfe. This Antecedent, and Conſequence, the Apoſtle hath both together, Heb. 2.17. Wherefore it behoved him, to be made like unto his Brethren in all things, that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Prieſt. Hence is that ſympathy of Chriſt in Heaven, with ſorrowing Saints on Earth, whoſe language is as Pauls, 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? take two Scriptures for it, the one Iſai. 63.9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and Act. 9.4. Why perſecuteſt thou me? ſo ſaith Chriſt to Satan, when he aſſaults a weak Chriſtian, Why tempteſt thou me? He was in Himſelfe perſecuted before, now in his Saints; tempted before in his own ſoule, now in his members, weak and weary before is his naturall body, now in his myſticall body, therefore doth his fellew-feeling engage him to faithfulneſs, and his communion in ſufferings, to commiſeration on the ſufferers. Therefore
Fourthly, and laſtly,4. Partic. That becauſe Chriſt was made weak & weary even as we, we have boldneſs to leane our weakneſſes and wearineſſes on him. In that Chriſt was ſubjected to our wearineſs and weakneſſes, and for our ſakes, and in our natures, and it is on him (thus prepared, and made a ſutable ſupport) that we are called to lean: we may undoubtedly have great encouragement, and ſtrong conſolation: ſo argueth the Apoſtle, Heb. 4.15, 16. We have not an high Prieſt, that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, ſin only excepted: therefore let us come boldly to the Throne of grace. We may come to Chriſt and ſay, Lord, ſtrengthen us in our duty, as thou waſt in thine Agony, refreſh us out of the Well of living waters, for once thou waſt weary, and didſt ſit down upon the Well; Lord, lift up my head out of the waters of bitterneſſe, for once thine owne head was bowed down to the brook in the way. Comfort you the comfortleſſe amongſt you with theſe words.