A Wilderness of Trouble Leading to a Canaan of Comfort, Title page – Dedication
A VVILDERNES OF TROUBLE, Leading to a Canaan of Comfort.
OR The Method and Manner of God's dealing with the Heirs of Heaven in the Miniſtry of the Word.
Wherein is ſhewed, How the Lord brings them into this Trouble, ſupporteth them under it; and delivereth them out of it: So that none finally miſcarry.
By W. CROMPTON, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Hoſ. 6.1. He hath torn and he will heal us, he hath ſmitten and he will bind us up.
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for J. Robinſon, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, to be ſold by Mich. Hide, Bookſeller in Exon. 1679.
To his Honoured Friend Mr. JOHN MAYN, Of the City of EXON, MERCHANT.
THat there is a Summum Bonum, or chief Good to be enjoyed by Man, all ſorts acknowledg; Philoſophers and Divines, Ancient and Modern. Deſired by all (as naturally as the greateſt flames and the little ſparks of Fire aſcend to their Sphere) either confuſedly, or diſtinctly; attained only by ſome, and in the fruition whereof, true Happineſs conſiſteth. But what that is, all agree not. Varro out of Philoſophers, and St. Auguſtin out of Varro, maketh mention of two hundred eighty and eight Opinions about it. Some placing it here, others there, and have accordingly purſued their own conceits. Error in this Point is not more common than dangerous, being attended with variety of Ʋncertainties; every one ſtriving to maintain, what he doth moſt affect; whether an independing real-Good, apprehended and preſented, by an Ʋnderſtanding rightly informed, or an apparent Good only, offered by an Erring faculty. Senſe and underſtanding in Act, is by union between the Faculty and the Object; the Soul is ſaid to be what it underſtandeth; if the Object be a real Good, the Soul by virtue of that union, hath an anſwerable denomination. In this, Philoſophy is an inſufficient Guide, looking only on this Life, and the felicity of the more ignoble part of Man, du…ing his abode here in the Viſible World. A ſupernatural Revelation is needful. Reaſon cannot fathom, nor the light of Nature reach unto the end for which Man was made. Divinity diſcovers this, and Faith comprehends it; That Man was created for God, to be like and enjoy him. Chriſt is the Means to bring this to paſs. Man is made perfect, but mutable. He falleth, Chriſt ſteppeth in to raiſe him again. A new Covenant is eſtabliſhed, whereof Chriſt as Head, undertakes to perform Conditions. The Humane Nature muſt be united to the Divine, in his Perſon, that Chriſt might ſuffer what Man had deſerved, and Man might receive what Chriſt merited. The Hypoſtatical Ʋnion is the ground or medium of another Myſtical Ʋnion, whereby every Penitent Believer is made a partaker of the Divine Nature, and of all the priviledges of Chriſt's Obedience, as if they had done it in their own Perſons; as, of Adoption, Juſtification, Sanctification, Glory. The End was firſt, the Reaſonable Creature thought on next, and the Means laſt. All which were foreſeen and ordered by an eternal Act of the firſt Cauſe; not that for this, or this after that; not the Means firſt, for the End, nor the End ſo firſt, as a motive to the Means; but the End, Object, and Means together, according to the freedom and counſel of his Will; foreſeeing ſtill to preſerve an order in the means, both of Precedency, and inſtrumental Efficiency. He willed the Law and Goſpel ſhould be Preached, that Knowledg and Faith might be wrought in his; he willed Faith, that they might be juſtified; he willed Juſtification, that they might be ſanctified and glorified. He willed all theſe joyntly, that the End might be attained after all, viz. The Communication of his own Excellency, for the compleating of Man's Felicity.
It is not theſe Titles therefore, can make Man happy. The line of his Life being drawn forth with ſo many uncertainties, and the height of his Power laid on ſo weak a foundation. At one time or other, of the beſt it may be ſaid, and the greateſt on Earth may ſay of himſelf, I was all things, and yet nothing, part of the Emperor Severus his Speech to his Council and Captains at York, where ſhortly after he died; leaving behind him this Teſtimony, as many others have have done, That Man's chiefeſt Good is not here below. The Earth in her moſt glittering furniture is but Earth, Fabulous and Enthuſiaſtick, and can afford but brittle Happineſs. Honour, Riches, Pleaſure, are but deceitful Toys: So far from being Man's happineſs, that they often prove greater letts than helps towards Happineſs. Our chiefeſt good is Bonum immobile & immutabile: but Riches make themſelves Wings, and are uncertain; like the Swallow in Winter ſeaſon, ſuddenly bidding farewel, never perhaps returning again; as a word once ſpoken, neſcit vox miſſa reverti. Our chief Good is Bonum aeternum & perfectum; while Carnal Pleaſures, even the deepeſt here, are moſt empty, frothy, and momentany; like Comets made fat with ſmoaks and vapours of the Earth, and in ſtead of giving Light and Brightneſs, they bring forth Murders and Contagions. Our chief Good is Bonum Immortale; firm and ever flouriſhing, always the ſame; but Honour is fading, and often buried in the Duſt, or quickly ſwallowed up in Oblivion. Man was happy by Creation, while the prime faculties of the Soul had that bliſsful Object to reflect upon the true God foreign, in whom only is found a ſatisfying ſufficiency, to fill unto contentment, the infinite appetite of the Soul. When man turned from the Creator to the Creature, he loſt a real for a ſeeming Happineſs; onl… in this happy, that the footſteps to true Happ…ſ… are left imprinted in the Fall: Let him but once think whence he is fallen, and return, and he cannot miſs of Happineſs. No regaining it without returning. Return, return, O Shulamite, return. How often and earneſt doth the Lord call for it, as that one Thing neceſſary, which ſhould be moſt intended by us? How vain and empty is the Creature? How full and ſolid the Creator? Deformity in the one, Beauty in the other; Bitterneſs in this, Sweetneſs in that. To fear God, and keep his Commandments, is the whole of Man: The Duty and Dignity, Honour and Felicity of Man; to know Thee, and whom thou haſt ſent, is Eternal Life: In his Preſence is fulneſs of Joy, and at his Right Hand are Pleaſures for evermore. In him are all the Perfections of all Creatures by way of Eminency; Quicquid convenit enti quatenus ens; illud maximè competere in primum ens, quod eſt Deus: Who may be enjoyed, either by Faith, properly termed Felicity here in the Way; or by Senſe, in our Country, more fitly called Beatitude. Here is a ſhort and ſure Way, return to God by Chriſt, and be happy for ever.Eph. 1.10. Col. 2.10. How this is brought about, and how it may be diſcerned, is the ſubject of the following Diſcourſes; unto which I have taken leave to prefix your Name; and by this poor way endeavoured to ſerve you, ſince more ample Demonſtrations are wanting to my weak Abilities. Not doubting but your Noble Diſpoſition will be ſatisfied with ſuch ordinary Acknowledgments, I commend you to the Bleſſing of Heaven, and remain,
Your Servant in Chriſt, W. CROMPTON.