WE have already taken no­tice of two Travellers in the Text. Christ is a Traveller: For had he not come up with his Garments died from Bozra, we had been in the wil­dernesse still. And the Spouse is a Tra­veller; The Text saith, She commeth up from the wildernesse, leaning upon her welbeloved. The Text presents us the Spouse in motion.

Observe first, From whence she moves, the Terminus à quo, that the Text [Page 2]tels us is the wildernesse.

2. What her motion is, it is ascen­sive, she commeth up.

3. Her moving posture, it is leaning upon her beloved.

The Doctrine that yet remaines in the Text, which I promised to handle, is,

Doct. 3. That the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ (being raised by him) commeth out of every wildernesse, leaning upon her beloved.

I must take it in pieces, and handle the parts severally.

These foure things be couched in it:

1. That the Spouse of Christ hath had, and may somtimes have, her dwell­ing in the wildernesse. That is implied.

2. Though she hath had, and may sometimes have, her dwelling in the wil­dernesse, yet she rests not there; She comes up from it. Who is this that comes up?

3. She cannot come up alone; She must come up leaning.

4. She will lean upon her Beloved, and he will, and only can bear her.

First, She hath had, and sometimes may have, her dwelling in the wilder­nesse. Here first I must open the tearme Wildernesse. Secondly, I shal shew you what Wildernesse the Spouse hath had, or may have, her dwelling in.

I shall open the first in five or sixe particulars.

1. The Wildernesse is an untilled place, where wild nature is yet seen, that Art hath not yet tamed, no pruning hook hath lopt, the over-grown trees, no plow broke up the soyle to make it fruitfull; The husband-man hath not tilled the ground there, nor can the reaper fill his hand; It is a place just in its naturall state, not yet manured.

2. The Wildernesse is a losing place; no beaten road for the Traveller there to follow, no land-marks, nothing to guide him in his way, he is lost if once in it; hee looks on this side, and on the other, forward, backward, every way, still he sees himselfe lost, knowes not whither to goe: He is in a Wil­dernesse, and knowes not the way out.

3. The Wildernesse is a dangerous [Page 4]place; A man in the Wildernesse is a prey to the mouth of every Lion; the Lion is the King of those waste places; and the Bears, Wolves, Cockatrices, and Adders, his lesser subjects: There dwells the young Lion, the Cockatrice and the Adder together, each one searching for his prey. It is a dange­rous place.

4. The Wildernesse is a solitary place; where hee that walks, as hee hath no path, so he hath no compa­ny: The paths in the Wildernesse are not trodden, no beaten high wayes are there; no company but the Owles and the Ostriches, the beasts of the field, and creeping things of the earth. Nothing fit to be a com­panion for man: No, it is a Wilder­nesse.

5. The Wildernesse is a disconsolate place; no curiosities of nature to refresh his spirits with: Terror is round about him; no pleasure to delight him.

6. Lastly, the Wildernesse is a place voyd of all provisions; There is neither bread for the hungry, nor water for the thirsty soule; no necessaries, much lesse superfluities.

The expression is very apt: such a Wildernesse, yea many a such Wilder­nesse the Spouse of Christ hath had, and may have, her dwelling in.

1. A Wildernesse of Sinne. 2. A Wildernesse of Sorrow. 3. A Wil­dernesse of Affliction. 4. A Wilder­nesse of Temptation. 5. A Wilder­nesse of Desertion. Nay, lastly, This whole life is but a wildernesse to her. Shee hath been in some of these, and may be in all of them; but out of all Shee cometh up leaning. Every one of these is the soules Wildernesse: and as they come up to Christ, they come up from some of them; and in their walking with the Lord Christ, they goe through some of them; and some goe through all of them.

The first is Eremus peccati, The Wildernesse of sinne; and every soule is born in this Wildernesse. Man at first created dwelt in Paradise; but a­las, he threw himselfe out into the Wildernesse, and God lockt the Garden gate against him. Sinfull man perferr'd the Wildernesse before Paradise, and God allots him his dwelling there: [Page 6]There was man thrown, & all mankind born in it. We are all Wildernesse brats by nature, Ephes. 2.3. You were children of wrath by nature, even as others. And sinne may well be call'd a Wildernesse; it is status naturalis, our naturall con­dition: We are in a Wildernesse ha­bit, when we are clothed with the raggs of iniquity. Ay and it is a state as dangerous as the Wildernesse: The Lion claims him in the Wildernesse as his prey; and if he scapes his teeth, it will be hard to escape the Cockatrice, and young Lion, and Adder, the lesser fry of destroyers: If in this sinfull natu­rall condition we do escape the mouth of the roaring Lion the Devill, it is greatly to be feared that the Beare, and the Wolfe, and the Cockatrice, the lesser judgments of God, will swallow us up: we are children of wrath, as well passively as actively, in a dange­rous condition. Lastly, as the Wilder­nesse is a place void of all necessary provisions for the body, so is sinne a state voyd of all necessary provisions for the soule: We are hungry, and na­ked, and bloudy, and filthy in our [Page 7]sinnes, it is a wildernesse dresse, Ezek. 16. As for thy nativity, in the day that thou wert born, thy navell was not out: neither wert thou washed in water to supple thee, thou wert cast out in the open field, Verse. 5. Every spouse of the Lord Christ hath been in this Wildernesse. Who is this that cometh up? of this I have spoke before, and therefore passe it over.

The second Wildernesse is Eremus contritionis, The wildernesse of con­trition, or sorrow for sinne. Every soul is naturally in the Wildernesse; but every one that is in it seeth not that it is there: Every soul is born blind, though most think they see. When God opens the soules eyes, and shewes it the hell that it treads over every houre, and makes the soule apprehensive of its danger, it conceives it self in a worse Wildernesse than before; the physick works, the Patient thinks it is nearer death than before it took it. Here it cryes out, Oh, I am a lost undone crea­ture! Oh, whither should I goe? on one side behold terror! on the other side despaire! If it lookes up to [Page 8]heaven, there is an angry God; if downward, there is a gaping hell: Oh! whither should it goe? Now it cryes out (with the Iaylor) O what shall I doe to be saved? I am lost in my sinnes! I am lost in my owne righteousnesse! I know not what to doe: If I stay in my sinnes I perish; if I go out of the world I perish. Here stands the soule turning it selfe every way, and seeing com­fort no way, till the Lord Christ bowes the heavens, and thrusts out his arme of salvation, his shoulder of merits, and takes the soule by the hand, saying, Come (my Beloved) I will tell thee what thou shalt doe; I am the way out of this wildernesse, come out leaning; leane thy arme of faith upon the shoulder of my merits; Free grace is able to beare thee: I am thy Wel­beloved, and thy Welbeloved is thine. And ordinarily the soule when it comes to the Lord Christ, comes through this wildernesse, this losing place of con­viction and contrition, and weeps her selfe a path, where she would drown in the waters of Marah, if Christ did not hold her up. Indeed God could [Page 9]have brought the Israelites a shorter Journey, than through the wildernesse to Canaan; and sometimes God mira­culously drawes a soul to himselfe, one­ly by the cords of mercy: God is not tyed alwayes to bring a soule the same road to heaven; Elijah was carried to heaven in a fiery chariot; but the more ordinary way is by Jacobs ladder. The common way to heaven is by the gates of hell; the way to life is through the chambers of death, through a wilder­nesse. Who is this that commeth up out of the wildernesse?

The third Wildernesse in which Christ's Spouse may somtimes have her dwelling in, is the Wildernesse of afflicti­on; bodily afflictions I meane. A Wil­dernesse is a place full of bryars and thornes; and through such a wildernesse (the holy Ghost tells us) lies the Saints way to heaven: By much tribulation [much pricking of thrones, thornes in the flesh somtimes] must we enter into the kingdome of God. The Spouse hath a dirty way to go to marrying in; and when shee is marryed, she hath a dirty way home too: A wildernesse on ei­ther [Page 10]side. The Apostle speakes plain, Heb. 11.37, 38. They wandred about in Sheep-skins, and Goat-skines, being de­stitute, afflicted, tormented, they wandred in deserts, and in mountaines, and in dens, and in caves of the earth; And who were these that wandred thus in the wildernesse? They were such of whom the world was not worthy; the Spouses of the Lord Christ. And truely afflictions may be called a wildernesse, for the disconsolacy of them too; they are times of sorrow, no delights please; the spouse in affliction is in a wildernes.

4. A fourth wildernesse that the Spouse sometimes dwells in, is the wildernesse of temptations, The Bride­groom himself was in this wildernesse; He was led into the wildernesse, to be tempted of the Devill; The spirit took him thither, Matth. 4. vers. 1. and Paul was in this wildernesse, troubled on e­very side; this is Satans wildernesse, that he leads many a poore soule into, and it had been a sad wildernesse, had not our WAY been their first: If the Devill could have lost our Saviour in it, we should never have found the way [Page 11]out of it. A dangerous, a disconsolate place, well tearmed a wildernesse, as the Saint will tell you that hath been in it.

5. A fifth Wildernesse that the Spouse is sometimes in, is the Wildernesse of desertion. Heres a sad wildernesse, a de­sert indeed, Quum Deus deseruit, When God hath forsaken or withdrawne himselfe from the Soule; this Desert Christ himselfe was in, Eli, Eli, lama­sabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? was the voice of the Lord Jesus hollowing in the wildernesse: such a wildernesse was the Spouse in, when she sought him, but found him not, Cant. 3. v. 2. In this desert the soule is solitary, her God is gone, and she knowes not what is be­come of him; the soule never calls any company her company, if her God be not there. David was in this wilder­nesse too, he is often crying out of the wildernesse he was in, when God hid his face from him. The soule that belongs to the Lord Jesus goes through many a wildernesse in this world, but scarce any which Christ hath not walkt in before it, and hewn a way through it; [Page 12]through every wildernesse we may follow the Lamb in his own path.

6. Nay lastly, The Saints whole life below, is but a wildernes. Earth is a Christians desert; while she lives here, she lives in widowhood; it is a sinfull place, a dangerous place, a thorny place, and a place where she finds an abate­ment of the joyes she shall be swallow­ed up in in glory. Mortality is but Me­shech, and her best habitations are but tents of Kedar, nothing to the temple of Glory she shall worship her God in hereafter; and the former deserts are but as severall corners of this wilder­nesse; but she commeth up out of every wildernesse: That is the next branch of Doctrine I hasten to.

Branch 2. That though the Saint of God hath had, and may have, her dwell­ing in the wildernesse, she rests not there, but commeth up out of it.

She cometh up. It seemes to argue a propriety in the motion, as if she were not driven nor drawne up, nor made to come, but of her selfe came, and of her owne strength, and yet not of her own strength neither; her [Page 13]owne leggs would not beare her, for the text tells us she comes up leaning, she had fallen had she not leaned.

Here is the Question stated; what the soule doth towards its conversion, what power of doing any thing tend­ing towards its conversion before it is sanctified, or after it is sanctified, whe­ther it may meerly passive, what she may doe, what she cannot doe, how far she may come, where she must lean?

Whether hath the soule any power to come up out of the wildernesse of sinne to the Lord Christ, to move one step heaven ward of it selfe? And here I have a narrow path to tread betwixt the Pelagians and Arminians on the one side, that would make the soule have more power than it hath: and the Antinomians and Sectaries on the other side, that are so farre from holding that the soule hath no power to come to Christ, that they would make us beleeve she hath no power to come to Church neither.

I shall not know how to determine this Question better than in the words of pious and learned Bishop Davenant, [Page 14]Determ. Q. 9.49. Non potest quodvis opus ex divina promissione, ad impetran­dam peccatorum remissionem, aut adeun­dam possessionem regni coelorum ordina­tum, The soule cannot doe any thing that is ordained by God, or hath the promise of God, to obtaine pardon of sinnes, or possession of the Kingdome of heaven; she cannot savingly beleeve, repent, love, &c. for these are the acts of grace, and God is the fountain and donour of all grace.

1. But first, she may, by Gods gene­rall restraining grace, without speciall and saving grace, abstaine from grosse sinnes; the heathens did so; the light of nature which God keeps from none, will shew her that this is darknesse.

2. Secondly, She may by Gods ex­citing grace, without any saving grace, performe many previous actions that are required of men to faith and repen­tance; she may by vertue of Gods ge­nerall grace, his exciting grace, goe to Church, hear the word of God, meditate of God, peccata propria considerare & sē ­su eorum expavescere, saith Davenant; Ay, and she may beg deliverance from [Page 15]that wofull condition, which she ap­prehends her selfe in; but she stirrs not one of these stepps after a spirituall, but after a naturall manner, till the quick­ning grace of God come: A man may in a wildernesse conceive himselfe lost, look about for the way out, call for help, be willing to be out, yet not be one step in the way that will lead him out; and this the soule must doe so farr as it can: Negamus etenim hanc gratiam regen [...] ­rantem infundi hominibus inertibus, sed animis per verbum Dei erectis, & sub­act is, & per praedict as actiones quodam­modo dispositis, viz. We deny that rege­nerating grace is infused into sloathfull men, but into soules subdued by Gods word and law, and after a manner dis­posed by the foregoing actions; yet we say, that even these foregoing actions have their first motions from God; and the question is whether God doth not first work a sight and sense of sinne, and an humiliation for it by his exciting grace, before he comes with his rege­nerating, quickning and saving grace into the soule; we say he doth in his ordinary course of his dispensations. [Page 16]Only I must bee here safely under­stood, that I speak according to mans apprehension; for in respect of God, nothing is first or last, he works all in an instant, all graces together in the soule; but the question lies not whether God works the habit of Repentance be­fore the habit of Faith, or no; for without question he works together all his works; but whether God makes humiliation act before faith, which we say he doth; Esau and Jacob may be in their mothers womb together, but Esau may come out and be seen in the world before Jacob; yet not tying up the Al­mighty to this method, who can and will work any way, even which way it pleaseth him. Nor doe we say any such previous action can be performed by the Creature, ut de merito congrui teneatur Gratiam dare, That God is bound for the desert of any such privi­ous action to give his inward and rege­nerating quickning grace; But yet this we say, Dave. ibid. that in the Church of God, where men are dayly stirr'd up by the word and spirit to repent and beleeve savingly, God will give (though not [Page 17]for any of these previous or dispository actions, yet) freely, regenerating grace to all such as are capable of it, unlesse they have resisted the spirit of God in the preceding operations, and rejected his quickning grace; but yet we deny, that any man can performe these acti­ons so but he will offend and resist the Spirit of God in them: Now why, when as all resist. God should reject some, as they have rejected him, and leave them to the hardnesse of their own hearts, and work irresistibly on others who have resisted their God as much, and break open their hearts, though lock'd and barr'd against him, and fill them with quickning grace, and pull a Lot out of Sodom by force, and draw a soule out of the wildernesse by head and shoulders, I say, why he should doe it, when two are grinding at the same mill, take one and leave the other; when two are in the same field, why-the one should be taken the other left; when two soules are equall in duties, fasting, mourning, in the way that God hath appointed, why he should baulke this and take the other, [Page 18]when perhaps that which is taken hath been the least penitent too, I will con­clude with Dr. Davenant, is Sacrum Misterium divinae voluntati reliquen­dum. A sacred and secret mistery to be left to the divine pleasure, and the rea­son lies in the agents own breast; It is because he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy, and whom he wills he hardeneth: God is his owne reason, and his free grace its owne cause.

So then we conclude, that the soule cannot move one foot to a spirituall a­ction spiritually, not by any common grace, it must be only by Gods regene­rating and saving grace. So that to an­swer yet more distinctly to the Que­stion.

1 In respect of Gods exciting and pre­venting grace, if we looke so farre, we cannot come, but that preventeth us: We are as clay in the hands of the Pot­ter, we are all dead in sinnes.

2 But when the Lord hath changed the soule, then it commeth. The first motion upon the will is from God, be­fore there is any motion of the will un­to God; but when the will is healed [Page 19]of God, then the soule commeth, then the soule which was meerly passive before, is active, and will endeavour to doe somthing for that God that hath done so much for her. It followes, the drawing of Gods most holy Spirit: Draw me (saith the Spouse) and I will run after thee, First, I must be drawne; but then I will run: In the same mo­ment God makes us to will, and we will; & yet all the efficacy of the Acti­on comes from Gods most holy Spirit.

Certum est nos velle quum volu­mus, sed ille facit ut ve­limus qui operatur in nobis velle.It is certaine (saith Augustine) that wee are willing when wee are willing; but he makes us willing, that workes in us to will and to perform, Phil. 2.13. And so he, [...], God drawes, but he drawes the soule that is willing, Ay, but first, [...], he makes it willing. So, I have shew­ed what proprietie the soul hath in the Action, how she commeth, and how willing she is to the motion. She is drawne, but she is willing to be drawne to Jesus Christ. But first, she is made willing before she is willing, ay, and in her life, after she is come to Christ, in her walking with Christ, Non suis con­fidit viribus, she trusts not her owne [Page 20]strength, she even then commeth lean­ing, which is the next Branch of the Doctrine I have to handle.

Though she comes up from the wil­dernesse, she comes up, not of her owne strength, but leaning.

First, Let us enquire what the ex­pression holds out to us.

Secondly, What is the soules hand.

Thirdly, Who is it she leanes upon.

Fourthly, What in him she hath to trust to, and how in every wildernesse she leans, and out of every wildernesse comes up leaning.

I conceive, here are foure things hin­ted in this expression leaning, which I may tearme the foure fingers of the Spouses hand, which she layes upon her Saviours shoulders.

First, It doth argue that the soule is weary, otherwise she would not leane.

Secondly, It is a willing posture; I am not forced to leane, I do it willing­ly: The soule that comes up with Christ is willing.

Thirdly, It is a posture of love; Other­wise she would not leane.

Fourthly, It doth argue a confidence that the soule hath in the Lord, that he [Page 21]is able to beare her; Otherwise shee would not trust the weight of her soule upon him.

First, it doth argue wearinesse; If she were not weary she would not leane. Humiliation is a preface to faith, and the way to be found is to be lost. It is not a leaning of wantonnesse, but a lean­ning of wearinesse. O Lord, I am sink­ing into Hell, let me save my selfe from sinking by thy shoulders; I am falling, Lord let me leane; whiles the soule hath any strength to goe, it is too proud to be beholden to leane; Come unto me ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you, Mat. 11.29. First, weary, then come: First, heavy laden; then I will ease you: What shall I doe to be saved (saith the Gaolor?) O I am lost! undone! I am at a Non-plus! O what shall I doe? I am weary! for I am farre readier to be­leeve, that that Voice, What shall I doe? is rather the Voice of the soul (at it's nil ultra) sadly sensible of it's lost and miserable condition, sufficiently hum­bled in the sense of it, than the voice of a soule, thinking it might doe any thing that might be but in the least contribu­tary [Page 22]to the desert of salvation. I cannot be perswaded, to think, that when the Gaolor spake those words, prostrated by humiliation at the Apostles feet, that he had the least thought that he could throw in so much as two mites into the Treasury of free grace. But as it is the ordinary speech of one drown'd in the depth of sorrow; O what shall I doe? What shall I doe? though at that instant they know they can doe nothing to help themselves: So the Gaoler, in a true sense of his owne lost condition, cryes out, O what shall I doe? he was weary, it was time for the A­postle to bid him leane, then beleeve (saith the Apostle) and thou shalt be saved. It is but a wresting of the place, or mocking it rather, to bring it to per­swade that duties preparatory were here excluded. Surely, had not the Apostles seen him humbled in some degrees, they would as well have prefixed Repent here, as Peter did to them, Act. 2. Re­pent, and be baptized. Christ came not to call the Righteous, but sinners to re­pentance. He is a Saviour, but it is for them that are lost in their owne feeling [Page 23]too. And the truth of it is, the soule scornes to leane upon Christ so long as it is able to goe alone, when it hath ne­ver a crutch of merits or duties to rest upon, then it lookes out for some rest for it's foot, for some shoulder to beare up, for some staffe to stay it selfe upon. Leaning doth argue wearinesse, that's the first.

Secondly, It doth argue a willingnesse in the soule to come to Jesus Christ; Leaning is not a forced action. Indeed (as I said before) Christ first works this willingnes; he it is that gives us power to will, and it is by his power that we are willing, as it is written, Psa. 110.3. They shall be willing in the day of my power; But he doth not let us leane before we are wil­ling. Leaning is an action proceeds from the will, Who is this cometh up leaning?

Thirdly, leaning doth argue love; who leans upon his enemies? I will not leane upon one whom I cannot trust, I must have some good thoughts of his love. The soul that leans upon the Lord Jesus Christ loves Christ, that Faith, that pre­tended dependancy of any upon Christ, that proceedeth not out of a principle [Page 24]of love, groweth out of a false root; the loving soule is only the truly beleeving soule. Leaning is a loving posture, that is the third.

Fourthly, It doth argue fiduciam, a resting, a trusting the soule upon Christ; he that leans upon another reposeth his whole weight, trusteth his whole strength upon him: He doth as much as say, well, I know I cannot goe alone, I cannot stand; but I will trust my self, upon thy strength will I leane, if I fall, I fall: So the soule that comes up out of the wildernesse of sinne to the Lord Jesus Christ, doth repose it's whole weight upon the Lord Christ, it sayes, O Lord, I am a great and grievous sin­ner, I am not able to stand upon mine owne legges, but I trust my soule upon thy armes; thou hast mercies, and great mercies, and free mercies, if I fall, I fall; if be damned, I am damned; here I will leane. And here you have the se­cond thing plaine, viz,

Secondly, The soules hand with which she leanes upon Jesus Christ for salvation, and these 4. things which I have hinted from this expression, lean­ing, [Page 25]are as the foure fingers of the hand of Faith. And we may thus give a de­scription of it.

Faith is the hand of a soule which God hath humbled, whereby the soule being not able to stand alone, nor daring to trust to any thing else, and being made willing by God, out of a principle of love, layes hold upon Jesus Christ, and trusts, and rests it selfe upon him for her salva­tion. And that leads me to the third thing I propounded, the Person upon whom she leanes, the text renders it, Her beloved; or as I conceive, the old Translation better, Her welbeloved: The Latine dilectum suum, him that is her conjugally beloved.

This is the last Branch of the doct­rine, That though the beleeving soule comes up from the wildernesse leaning, yet she will onely leane upon her beloved, and he only can and will beare her.

We know, that whosoever leanes, must have a person to leane upon. Se­condly, There must be a capacity in this arme to beare her, some strength, yea, there had need to be a great deale to hold up the weight of a soule. First, let [Page 26]us enquire who the Person is, rendred in the Text dilectum, Her welbeloved; in plaine termes her Husband, one that hath more than an ordinary portion of her love.

Here are five things hinted in this Ex­pression.

• 1. It is one whom she loves. The word signifies a speciall sort of love; and every greater includes a lesse.
• 2. One that she is married to, he is welbeloved, her dearest love; not cha­rum, but dilectum; one that hath a ti­tle to her.
• 3. Her Beloved, not anothers Beloved.
• 4. Her Beloved, He that is her Be­loved, not who was her Beloved.
• 5. Her Beloved, not her Beloveds.

First, It is one whom she loves. This I hinted at before; it is a principle of love that drawes the Soule to leane upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The hatred of her selfe, hath bred the love of her Saviour in it. And no Soul loves Christ more than that wich loaths it self most. When the soule shall consider what a Brand for Hell it was in its originall, how worthlesse a worme it is, how [Page 27]basely it hath dealt by God, trampling upon his rich offers of Grace, scorning his Invitations. And again consider, that God hath no need at all of it; But if it were burning in hell, could be as glori­ous as in its Salvation, and yet would be pleased to powre out his precious bloud for it, yet so unworthy: To wooe the Soule that hath need of him, and yet never praies to him, nor ever was a sutor for mercy; This breeds love in the Soule: And the more the Soule sadomes her owne misery, the more yet she loves and admires the Lords mercy, and loving thus, she leanes upon him.

Secondly, It is one that she pleades some title to, and interest in, she cals him hers. Christ is the Bridegroome of the Soule, and the Soule is Christs Bride. Beloved, in all this Song is taken for the highest degree of love, and nearest relation, conjugall love, therefore Christ elsewhere calls her his Sister, his Spouse; she hath a title to, and interest in him, possession of him; and in ano­ther place, I am my welbeloveds, and my welbeloved is mine. She is his, and [Page 28]he is hers: they have a propriety each in other. But suppose we should put the Spouse to prove her title to him, What is thy Beloved more than anothers Be­loved? Or, why is he thy Beloved (O beleeving soule) more than the Beloved of another? shew thy title to him: And againe, why is she Christs more than a­nother? Why should the beleever mo­nopolize Christ? and how came Christ to be hers? 1 she is his, and he is hers by right of gift, her heavenly Father hath given her unto him; hence is that Phrase of her Saviours Prayer, John. 17.9. All that the Father hath given me, and I pray for them that thou hast given me. She hath given her selfe to him, Cant. 1.2. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better than wine. She hath said, Draw me, and I will run after thee; ay, and he hath given him­selfe to her; he hath given his grace un­her, Gal. 1.6. And his glory unto her. The glory which thou hast givē me I have gi­ven them. Her Beloved by right of gift. 2 2. She is his, and he is hers, by right of bargaine and sale. The Ancients had three waies to get themselves wives; [Page 29]by gift, purchase, or desert. The Fathers sold their Daughters, and the Bride­groome bought his Bride, he gave a Dowry for her. Hence when Sechem had a mind to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, he sayes, Aske me what Dowry thou wilt, and I will give it thee. Christ hath bought his Beloved; hence (saith the Apostle) He hath paid a price for us. A bloudy price: more than all the world was worth. But he would have her because he delighted in her, and so she is his, and he is hers, by right of pur­chase.

3. She is his Beloved, and he is hers, by right of desert, she deserved not him, but he deserved her. This was a third way by which the Ancients got them wives, by some gallant expl [...]it, or great service. Their wives were somtimes gi­ven them for wages; Jacob served 14. years for Rachell, Gen. 29.17. David for his Soveraignes daughter, encoun­tred great Goliah; and afterwards rob­bed the Philistines of their foreskins: he paid more for her, than she proved to be worth. By this right, the beleev­ing soule is the beloved of Christ, he [Page 30]hath served a long service for her; not fourteene, but above thirty yeares, he hath vanquished the Goliahs of our soules, and hath conquered our Spiritu­all Enemies.

4. He is hers, and she is his, by right of possession, he dwels in her, and she dwels in him. The second person in the Trinity is an inmate with the beleev­ing soule, He dwels under the roofe of her heart, He hath a chamber in the soule, and hath pitched his tent with­in her, and she is in him too, united each unto other, this is very plainly ex­prest, Gal. 2.20. I live, but yet not I, but Christ lives in me. I am the Carcasse, Christ the Soule; the soule moveth the body, so Christ moves my soule; I move not from any principle in my selfe, but from a principle of Grace. The life I live in the flesh, I live by the life of the Sonne of God who dwelleth in me, who loved me, and gave himselfe for me. Thus you see she may well call Christ her Beloved, and Christ may well call her his Beloved, He hath a propriety in her, and shee hath a pro­priety in him also; hee hath marryed [Page 31]her, and dwels with her, yea, and in her, dilectum suum, her wellbeloved indeed.

Thirdly, It is her beloved, not ano­thers beloved. Every soule hath a Be­loved; the Drunkard hath his beloved cups; the wanton hath his beloved Queanes; the Covetous person his be­loved gold; The soule that leanes upon Christ, goes not a whoring after other Gods. The Spouse of Christ leanes not upon the Papists beloved merits, nor upon the Turks beloved Maho­met, nor upon the Pharisees beloved duties, nor upon the Idolaters beloved Saints; she sayes, Abraham knowes her not, and Israel is ignorant of her, Isa. 63.16. but the Lord is her Father, Christ is her Re­deemer, and her Maker, her Redeemer, is her Husband, Creator tuus est sponsus tuus. Her beloved, not anothers Belo­ved.

Fourthly, He that is her Beloved, not that which was her Beloved. She once loved her sins, and her lusts were the beloveds of her soul. The name of Ba­alim was in her mouth; her lusts were her Lords, and they ruled over her. But [Page 32]now the name of Baalim is taken out of her mouth: she calls the Lord Ishi, God alone is her beloved. Sin was the dearly beloved of her soule, but now shee calls sinne no more Naomi, shee calls it Marah; that which was once the sweetnesse, is now the bitternesse of her soule, shee takes no pleasure in it▪ no, nor doth she account her duties her beloved; she useth them, but shee dares not trust her soule upon them; she dares not plead any desert in them though once perhaps she had a Phari­saicall conceit, that her duties would be her healing, yet when she comes to the Lord Christ to leane upon his Arme, though she useth duties, and is as full of Prayer and humiliation as e­ver, shee knocks her hand upon her breast, and cryes she is a sinner. Oh, but what remedy? the knocking her hand upon her breast shee knowes cannot save her; no, for that, God be merciful to her, she leanes upon Christ, that is her now Beloved, not upon any duties, or any other merits that was before her Beloved.

Fifthly, Her beloved, not her beloveds, [Page 33]The soule that comes to the Lord Je­sus Christ loves him intensly, and as she loves him best, so she loves him onely. As nothing shall have her whole heart, so neither will she divide her heart be­twixt him and another: he shall have her heart, and he onely shall have her heart, and he shall have her whole heart too; she dare trust her strength upon Christ, and upon him alone: she desireth only to be found in the Lord Jesus, who is her Bridegroome; shee is a Virgin, not a Whore; she leanes not upon Christ with one hand, and her owne Merits with another, no, nor dares shee leane upon the Merits of another; shee durst not trust the weight of her soule upon the wings of an Angel, nor to the Prayers of a Saint; she relies upon God, and upon God onely. The Papists leane upon Christ, but not upon him alone: shee knowes it wil be a dishonour both to her and her husband, to take any thing in par­tem amoris, to share with her husband in his love; shee will keep her ho­nour in being the wife of one Hus­band.

And so I have shewed you how she leanes, what is her hand, who it is she leanes upon, what title she hath to him, what rules she observeth in her lean­ing. I have but one thing more, and that is, to shew you what strength there is in the Lord Christs shoulders to beare her; how she leanes even in every wil­dernesse, and what fulnesse of strength there is in her husbands arme to keep her up from falling.

1 The first wildernesse you may re­member was the wildernesse of sinne: Here the Spouse cannot be said proper­ly to leane upon her beloved, for she wants the hand of faith to lay hold up­on Christ, and indeed she is not weary: yet I doe not know why in some sense, even in this estate, the elect soule is not beholding to free grace; he is her Christ here, though he hath not yet manifested himselfe to be her Jesus, her Saviour. The elect soule in sin is elect, and decreed to be saved, though shee be not declared to be elect; she is be­loved in decree, though God hath not actually manifested his love unto her: he is not her beloved, but the soule is [Page 35] his beloved, not actually but decretally, he hath thoughts of good to her, but his thoughts are kept within himselfe, till he is pleased to reveale them to her at his best time: she is his beloved, though there be no correlation, she is in his thoughts, his Spouse, aye, and positive­ly, not conditionally. The Arminians falsely dreame of Gods conditionall decrees, because they comprehend not the wayes of God: Beleeving is neces­sarily required, yet it was not a condi­tion in Gods decree: The soule is his beloved, though yet there be no corre­lation, though she be not his wife yet, yet she is intended for his wife. To speake according to the wayes of men, I may intend to make a woman my wife, before I actually declare my in­tentions to her; she is my wife in my determinations and thoughts before I wooe her, though not actually my wife b [...]fore I have wooed her, and she hath [...]elded too, there lyes only this diffe­rence, my determination must be but conditionally, if she will accept of my proffer'd love: There lyes a power in her to refuse. We may therefore make [Page 36]the simile a little higher; A great Emperour buyeth a woman that is a slav [...] which he intends to marry, and will, whether she will or no; yet he will wooe her, and if it be possible marry her will, as well as her person; yet whether she will or no, he will and may marry her, for she is his purchase, she is his wife in his determination before he hath married her. But yet even this simile is lame. (Every simile, compa­ring the wayes of God, with the wayes of man, must at least halt of one foot) for though this Emperour hath power to force the womans bo­dy to the action, yet hee hath no power to force her will, to be willing to the action, The will is alwayes in­dependent, sui juris; but God hath power, not only to marry the soule, which he hath bought from being a slave to the Devill, but to make her willing to marry him; yet she is in Christs decree his Spouse, before he hath actually revealed his decree unto her: so though strictly and properly the soule cannot be said to lean upon Christ in the wildernesse of sinne, yet she may [Page 37]be said to be beholden unto the Lord Christ, and that thus:

1. Every soul hath the like principles of corruption, and would act to the full of it's depraved operations, were it not for Gods preventing and restraining grace, She is beholding unto God for his preventing and restraining grace, though here she is meerly passive.

Secondly, She is beholden unto God for his exciting grace. The soule heares, and fasts and prayes, meditates of her owne sad condition though for the sub­stance of the action it is her owne, yet it is Gods exciting grace makes her willing to heare, fast, pray, though not his speciall saving-grace, yet his com­mon grace: But this is not the leaning meant in the Text she leanes here upon Christ, but not upon Jesus [a Saviour] upon God, but not as her Beloved. And here the soule is brought into a second wildernesse.

2. The wildernesse of Sorrow, Contri­tion, Repentance, call it what you please, though I know the later tearme Repen­tance, be controverted by some.

Yet I know not why we may not say, That a man may repent without saving-grace. And for that Repentance which they say must be the effect of faith, If I were a School-man, I should rather call it Godly Sorrow, but I de­sire not to play upon tearmes: And for their defining Repentance, To be a sor­row for sinne out of the sense of the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ, it is a definition they have devised for their owne purpose; And give them their premises according as they please, they would be poore Logicians if they made the conclusion to displease them: For from hence they argue, If the love of God be the ground and cause of Re­pentance [ viz. the love of God ma­nifested and sensible to us, we having apprehended it by faith] the speciall love of God, then faith must goe be­fore Repentance, viz. an apprehension of Gods saving love, and reliance upon it. But I answer, the definition which they give us of Repentance is deceit­full; it is a definition of a Species in stead of a Genus (as we say in Logick) As some unwary Divines define Faith, [Page 39]to be an assurance of Gods love in Iesus Christ. This is true, but this is a faith of the highest stamp, and many a precious soule is without this faith to his dying day.

Faith of adherence is another thing; as if I should goe to define a man to be a reasonable creature, skil'd in all sorts of Learning, Any man would understand me, that I did not goe about to describe a man in generall, but this or that parti­cular man. And I say once againe, if I were a School-man, I should rather call this A godly sorrow, and define Repen­tance in generall to be A sorrow for sin, there is the genus and differentia: Or if there be required a fuller definition with the ground, though I conceive such a definition would be more proper to give of Repentance in it's severall kinds, than of Repentance in generall; yet we may give it thus, It is a sorrow for sinne, arising out of the feare of Gods wrath, or apprehensions of Gods love. And I know not, why we may not say, That a man may repent without saving grace. Bishop Davenant sayes, A man by exciting the grace of God, may [Page 40] Peccata propria considerare, ad sensum corundem expavescere, & liberationem ab hoc metu exoptare, tremble for his sinnes, and mourne for them, and desire deliverance out of them, and if this be not Repentance, I know not what is, (not taking Repentance for the whole worke of conversion, as sometimes it is taken in Scripture, but) taking Repen­tance for a wearinesse of sinne and sor­row for it.

But those of our Brethren here (that are so afraid of Babylon, that they will run quite beyond Jerusalem, so afraid of being Arminians, or Papists, to as­cribe any desert to duties, or tye that God hath to concurre with our duties, that they are resolved they will not be sober Protestants; So afraid of being Heterodox, that to avoid it, they will not be Orthodox,) tell us, that this is a legall, not a saving Repentance. It sounds ill to distinguish between a legall and saving Repentance. I will digresse a little to rend this Fig-leafe, being all they have to cover the nakednesse of their opinion: I would faine understand that tearme, saving Repentance, in what [Page 41]sence they take it; the Scripture war­rants no such distinction.

1. If they meane by saving Repen­tance, such a repentance as merits Sal­vation, or such a Repentance as God is tyed necessarily to concurre with, with his saving grace, I say, no Repen­tance can be saving repentance. No Re­pentance (saith Learned Davenant) can so dispose the heart, Ut ex merito c [...]ngrui teneatur Deus gratiam cuiquam infundere.

2. If they meane by saving Repentance, such a repentance, as of it selfe without any more adoe shall be sufficient to Sal­vation, I say againe, no Repentance can be called a saving Repentance. For, Without Faith, it is impossible to please God.

3. If they meane by saving Repen­tance, a repentance that conduceth to Salvation, I say, this kind of Repen­tance (let them call it legall, or what they please) is a saving Repentance.

4. If they meane by saving Repentance, such a repentance as is wrought ordina­rily in such as shall be saved, I say, in that sense this Repentance is a saving Repentance.

Now, Whether it ought not to be preacht, as Well from law as Gospell-mo­tives, is a question lyes not in my way to determine; only I here my Saviour (though he were Gospel it self) preach­ing it from a Law-motive, Luk. 13.2. Except yee repent, yee shall all likewise perish. Let the unprejudiced Reader judge, if damnation be not there preach­ed as a terrible motive to Repentance: Surely I then may learne to preach from the Best of Preachers, and preach, Repent, or you will goe to Hell; Repent, or you will be damn'd, as well as Repent, because God hath loved you: Yea, and John too preached repentance as well because The axe was la [...]d to the root of the tree, and whatsoever tree brought not forth good fruit, should be hewn down and cast into the fire, as because The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. I dare not learne contrary to Christ, and the Baptists Coppy; I will preach Mercy and Judgment: The Law and the Gos­pell go well together, let me not be ac­cursed for separating what God hath joyned. But

Lastly, I conceive, Wee cannot call a­ny [Page 43]R [...]pentance saving Repentance, til the worke of conversion be wrought fully in our souls. Nay, I make a question, whether any man (without the grace of Assurance) can properly call his Re­pentance saving Repentance, till he comes in Heaven. And for my owne part, I am full in the Negative. But I have digressed too farre, to convince some (who I feare are not so willing to suffer the word of conviction, as I to speake it.)

We left the Spouse in the second wildernesse, The wildernesse of sorrow, 'tis time we now return to her, and comfort her, and shew you how she comes out of that, leaning upon her Be­loved.

Here now the beloved Soule is mour­ning like a Turtle, and crying, O what shall I doe to be saved? I am lost! oh, how shall I finde the way out of this wildernesse? O my sins pull me back! I cannot set a step forward! Sin trips up my heeles. The Devill tels me I am his; and my sins beare witnesse to his words? Now she that is not the Spouse of Christ, sinkes in these mighty wa­teres, [Page 44]she sinkes to hell in dispaire, is quite lost, if once she comes into them: But he that said not one of those whom his father had given him should perish, seeing the poore soule like Peter, ( Mat. 14.30.) that thought to have trode up­on those waters, sinking in them, and crying, Lord save me or else I perish! when he sees such a poore soules ship in which he is, though he seemes to sleepe, tost in these bitter waves, when the tempest ariseth, and hearing the soule in this Agony, crying out, Master save me or else I perish, now he begins to arise, and stretch out his shoulder for the soule to leane upon, speakes, and rebukes the winds, and calmes the bu­sie tempests; when the Whale of sor­row hath sallowed up these Jonahs, [...]nd they are in the bottome of the Sea in the Whales belly, they cry, their God heares, and causeth the Whale to vo­mit them out on the dry land. Me thinks that voice of Jonah, is the voice of eve­ry penitent soule, Jonah 2. The soule cries by reason of her affliction unto the Lord, and the Lord heares her; out of the belly of hell she cryes, and he heares [Page 45]her voice, for he hath cast her into this deep, into the midst of the Seas, and the flouds compasse her about, and all the bil­lowes, and the waves past over her. Then the soule saith, I am cast out of the Lords sight, yet I will looke againe to­wards his holy Temple: The waters com­passe her about, even to the soule, the depths closed round about her, the weeds were wrapt about her head; she went downe to the bottome of the mountaines, the earth with her barres was about her, yet her Lord her God brings up her life from corruption: when her soule faints within her she remembers the Lord, and her prayers come unto him, even into his holy place. And when the soule is in this wildernesse, in the deeps of sor­row, then her Beloved doth throw her his shoulder of supporting grace to lean upon: that she saith as David, Psal. 94.17, 18. Unlesse the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence, when I said my foot slippeth, thy mercy Lord held me up. When the soule cryes, I am drowned! Then the Lords mercy holds her up: No (saith God) thou art not drowned, here is a cord of mercy [Page 46]for thee to lay hold upon, and I will draw thee out by it. Here is my hand, be still O ye waves, this soule is mine. When the soule is burthened with sins, laden with the sense of them; and in the sad apprehension of them, cryes out, my burthen is too great for me to beare; I sinke, I sinke under it; then Christ looks out of the heavens, and sayes, Cast thy burthen upon the Lord (man) and he shall sustaine thee; Psal. 55.22. or, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you, Mat. 11.29. The supporting grace of God is the Anchor of the soule, which staies the Ship of the soule when a tempest of sorrow arises & the waves beat upon it.

Now this Anchor hath two flukes.

The first, is her Beloveds mercies and merits.

The second, is her Beloveds promises. When she is in this sad wildernesse of sorrow, her Beloved gives her a staffe of merits, and mercy, and free grace to leane upon, and a clue of promises to lead her out of this Labyrinth: and the mercies and merits of her Beloved, have two hooks, both which take fast hold to stay her soule.

[Page 47]1. The fulnesse of them.

2. The freenesse of them.

1 First, the fulnesse of them. The soule cries out, O I am damned: Christ sug­gests to her: But didst thou never heare of one that came to save those which were in their owne apprehension damned? I deserve to dye everlasting­ly, saith the soule; oh! but did not he dye for thee, that deserved to live ever­lastingly, (saith Christ?) I deserve in­finite torments, (saith the soule) Oh! but are not thy Christs mercies infinite mercies, (saith God?) Thy mercy held me up. My sinnes have cryed up to heaven, (saith the soule;) O, but my mercies are above the hea­vens, (saith Christ) Psal 108.5. My sins are more in number than the haires of my head, (saith the soul,) but my mercies (saith Christ) are more in number than the sand which lyes on the Sea shore, Psal. 139.17, 18. My sins have aboun­ded, (saith the soule;) but my grace hath much more abounded, (saith Christ) [...], Rom. 5.20. O, but my heart is as hard as Iron, and the face of my sinnes like Brasse, (saith the soule;) [Page 48]but that God that made the Leviathan, is as strong as the Leviathan. He esteemes Iron as straw, and Brasse as rot­ten wood. My sinnes are many (saith the soule;) but were their name Legion, (saith Christ) I could cast them out. O, but I am an old sinner, I have a mountaine of sinnes; But my mercies are from everlasting (saith Christ,) so are not thy sinnes, and I came to levell Mountaines, Luke 3.4. The more old thou art, the more glory shall my free grace have, all the world shall see, I doe not pardon thee for any service thou canst, or wilt doe me, thou must ere long lye downe in the grave. Thus the soule in this wildernesse of sorrow, leanes upon the fulnesse of Gods mer­cies.

2 But secondly, there must be freenesse, as well as fulnesse, or else what hath the soule) I know that the least drop of Christs bloud is fully able to wash away all my guilt: But, what have I to doe with Christ? I am a poore creature! the fitter object for divine charity: what dowry have I for Christ to marry [Page 49]me? Because thou hast nothing, there­fore I will doe it (saith Christ) If thou hadst any thing that thou thoughtest ri­ches, I would not have married thee (saith Christ.) Thou art mistaken in my thoughts, I doe not marry thee because thou art rich, but because I have a de­light in thee, and have an intention to make thee rich, Hos. 14.4. I will heale their back-slidings, I will love them freely, Ezek. 16.7, 8▪ 9. Now the soule being fully perswaded of this, that Christ is full of mercy, and able to par­don her, and free in his mercy, there­fore willing to forgive her, and desiring nothing for her pardon, but to live like a Spouse in his sight, begins to leane, beleeving he will pardon her: But yet saith the soule, I could desire to see it under Christs hand; I thinke I could take his word now.

So she leanes upon Christs promises, which are as the other Fluke of this Anchor. Now sayes the soule, O that I might have it but under Christs hand, that my sinnes (which I am scarse able to thinke can be pardoned) may be par­doned, though I staid his leisure for the [Page 50]sealing of it. Here she enquires for Promises, and Presidents. Did ever Christ promise (saith the Soule) to par­don such a scarlet, crimson sinner as I am? Yes, I have (saith Christ) looke Isa. 1.18. Though your sinnes be as skar­let, they shall be as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wooll: and so Isa. 55.6, 7. I will have mercy upon you, I will abundantly pardon you, Mat. 11.29. O, but where hath Christ promised freely to dispence these mer­cies (saith the soule?) Christ turnes her again to Isa. 51.1, 2, 3. Ho every one that thirsteth, come buy of me without mony, or mony-worth: But secondly, where did he ever pardon such a sinner as I am (saith the soule?) Christ puts her in mind of Mary Magdalen, Manasses. O, but where one that was so near hell as I am (saith the soule) an old sinner? the theefe upon the Crosse (saith Christ.)

Now it must not be understood, that Christ Jesus should reveale these Pro­mises Audibly to the soule, but

1. Either sets his Ministers a worke to declare his Charters of Grace, and [Page 51]read the soules pardon.

2. Or else he suggests into the soule such promises in such a seasonable time, which must be taken as the voice of God to that soule. Thus the soule fur­nished with presidents, trusting upon promises, wipes her eyes, comes out of the wildernesse leaning upon her bles­sed Saviour, and saying, O my sweet Saviour! thou that hast drawne mee from the pit of hell, and hast reached out thy arme for a worthlesse lost worme, to leane upon thee. I dare beleeve thee. I now roule my soule upon thee, I am shipwrackt, but thou art my harbour; and now, O, what shall I doe for thee? O my God! I am sick of love! Thou hast ravished my heart! I am thine, I am thine. Thus have I shewne how the soule comes out of the wildernesse of sinne, and sorrow, leaning upon her Beloved. And here the ship is in har­bour, but yet ever and anon she is tossed still, persecuted, though not forsaken: This is the most dangerous wildernesse; afterwards she is often in the corner of a Desart. I must shew you how even then she leanes, and how out of them [Page 52]she comes leaning upon her Beloved. She is alwayes a dependent creature; she leanes when ever she is wearied.

3 The third Wildernesse therefore is the wildernesse of afflictions; in this she leanes; out of this she comes leaning upon her Welbeloved, [id est,] in affli­ctions she leanes. Christ is her comfort in her saddest troubles; She leanes upon him, viz. upon his supporting grace: Thy rod and thy staffe comforted me, Psal. 23. The staffe held him up, while the rod was upon his back. The rod was a comfort because of the staffe; the more he had of the rod, the more he had of the staffe also. In afflictions, the be­leeving soule leanes upon God, and says, Lam. 2.20. Behold O Lord, for I am in distresse: Out of the belly of Hell she cryes, as Jonas, chap. 2.

First, She beleeves, that she shall suffer no more than she is able to beare, 2 Cor. 12.9. My grace shall be sufficient for thee. For Gods strength is made per­fect in the Christians weaknesse.

Secondly, She beleeves, that she shall beare no more than shall be for her good, Rom. 8.28. All things shall worke to­gether [Page 53]for the good of those that love God. She hath a Promise or two here to leane upon also, Job 5. v. 19. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee: And Isa. 43.2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the Rivers, they shall not over flow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. She comes out also leaning, trusting upon God as before, that he would help her out, if he saw best, or support her in: so when she is come out, she beleeves that God loves her never the worse; neither doth she love him any whit the worse, she cryes, It is good for me that I was af­flicted. When she is in, she beleeves she shall come out; and she commeth out with as much love to her God, and confidence in him, as ever she had be­fore, not being weary of Gods service, because he hath smitten her: She sees a smile in a smiting, favour in a frowne, love in a lowre, and she is resolved though he kils her, yet to trust in him: she comes out of this wildernesse lean­ing.

4 A fourth wildernesse that the Spouse is in sometimes, is the wildernesse of Temptations. Even in this she leanes upon the Lord Jesus Christ. They were not the Spouses of Christ, The good ground, Luk. 8.13. Which when they heard, received the Word with joy, but having no root, for a time beleeved, and in time of Temptation fell away. The true Disciples are those that continue with Christ in tentations, Luke 22.18. First, they beleeve, that God who is faithfull, will not suffer them to be temp­ted above that which they are able: But will with the temptation also make way to escape, that they may be able to beare it, 1 Cor. 10.13. They beleeve, in that himselfe suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour those that are tempted, 2 Heb. 18. The Saints that suffered many things were in many wilder­nesses, Heb. 11.37. Amongst the rest were in this also; and they all leaned, v. 39. They received a good report through faith. Yea, temptation is so farre from making a child of God let goe his hold, that it makes him lay the faster hold, 1 Pet. 1.6, Though now for [Page 55]a season you are in heavinesse, through manifold temptations; yet it is that the triall of your faith (being much more precious than of gold which perishes) though it be tried with the fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory. In temptations they leane upon God; and they come out of these temp­tations leaning, beleeving upon God too, having found, that he is able, and knoweth how to deliver the godly out of all temptations, 2 Pet. 2.9.

A fifth wildernesse, 5 in which the Spouse of Christ leaneth upon her Be­loved, and out of which she commeth leaning, is the wildernesse of desertion. And this is one of the saddest wilder­nesses that the Spouse of Christ comes in; and she hath an hard work to leane here, when Christ seemeth to pull away his shoulder: yet even here she leanes. Christ himselfe did so: My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me? Mark the phrase, Forsaken, yet not for­saken: the Bridegroome cryes out, he was forsaken, yet my God. Gods for­saking us is no ground for us to forsake him: If he seemes not to owne us, it [Page 56]is no warrant, nor policy in us not to owne him. It is the duty of a pious soule, when God clouds himselfe, yet to cry, My God. The bowels of the father must yearne upon the childe againe, if the childe cryes, and will not shake him off. It is a remarkable expres­sion of Job, chap. 13. ver. 15. Though he kils me, yet will I trust ïn him. How now? if thou beest kill'd (blest Job) how canst thou trust? O immortall faith! that puttest Spirits of confidence in the dust and ashes of Job. Let God hide himselfe from the soule, and so kill it (For Gods separation of himselfe from the Christians soule, is a worse death than the separation of his soule from his body) Yet the soule must trust in him, it must, it will leane upon him. The Spouse loseth not, but quickens her faith in a fit of desertion. That place of the Prophet is remarkable, Isa. 50. v. 10. Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord? that obeyeth the voice of his ser­vant? that walketh in darknesse and hath no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. They that feare the Lord, though they may [Page 57]walke in a darke wildernesse, and see no such light as they were wont to see, have no such comfortable enjoyments of their God as they were wont to have, yet they will trust and rest them­selves upon the Lord, and come out of this wildernesse leaning.

In all the wildernesses of this life, the Spouse will leane upon her Beloved, yea, and upon him alone, in all states, in all conditions, upon him for directing grace, upon him for quickning grace, upon him for whatsoever she hath need of, either pardon, or guidance, or dire­ction, or assistance, or comfort, or hea­ven; at all times she must trust in the covert of his wings, for all blessings. The Spouse of Christ is a most dependent creature. The Babe of grace is never old enough to goe alone, it hangs like a childe upon the mothers hands, and leanes like a Bride upon the Bride­groomes bosome.

Thus have I done with the Doctri­nall part, having shewed you, how she hath had, and sometimes hath her dwel­ling in the wildernesse; and how out of every wildernesse she commeth up, [Page 58]but leaning, and what strength there is in her Saviour to beare her up leaning upon him, even in every wildernesse. Who is this commeth up from the wil­dernesse leaning upon her Beleved? Now let us see what use we may make of it.

And first here may a word of re­proof, and a brand of folly be fastened upon divers erroneous opinions and practices.

1 First is it so that the Spouse of the Lord Christ, that comes, and is mar­ried to the Lord Christ, comes out of the wildernesse of sinne? Then this may reprove the errour and folly of those that dreame of heaven, and flatter themselves with the hopes of glory, but yet never regard comming out of this wildernesse. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. These men dreame of Heaven, and yet never thinke of Repentance. Christ came to seeke and to save that which was lost (friend) how lost? what, in­sensibly lost, as all of us were by Nature? This is an idle construction that giddy headed Sectaries have of late devised to help themselves to heaven with. [Page 59]The Devils are so lost; yet Christ never came to save them. No no friend, it is those that are lost in their own appre­hensions, those that know not what to dot o be saved, those that feel themselves even in the jawes of hell: he makes apprehensions of his wrath precede the apprehensions of his love. But woe, and alas! how many thinke they have a part in Christ, That the Devill hath as great a part in Christ actually as they have? Heaven is growne the common journeyes end, and let men ride which way they list. Not the most debauched wretch in a Congregation, but aske him what he thinks shall become of him, if he dyes in that condition: why he hopes he shall goe to heaven; nay I wish he doth not say, he is sure of it too. All men are sinners: He is lost, but Christ came to seek and save that which was lost. Tell him of mourning for his sinnes, if he meanes to be comforted, of humbling himselfe, if he meanes to bee exalted, of feeling hell, if ever he means to feele heaven: O then, you are a legall Preacher. Heare what the other side saith, what those you call [Page 60]Antinomian Preachers; O these are the only Gospell-preachers to them. This makes them to passe for such honest men: O they shew a fine Cushion-way to Heaven! that you shall not need wet a foot or eye in: But let them preach what they will (friend) beleeve him, who (although he knowes but little) yet knowes you must go out of the wil­dernesse if ever you come there. The way is, neither the Drunkards Ale-way, nor the Aoulterers uncleane way, nor the Covetous man his dirty way, nor the Ambitious mans high way, nor the Hypocrites hidden way, nor the Carnall-Gospellers formall way, nor the Antinomians easie way. It is a way through a wildernesse, not a way in a wildernesse: The Spouse is not descri­bed by her staying in the wildernesse, but by comming out of the wildernesse; Who is this commeth out of the wilder­nesse?

2 Secondly, Doth the Spouse of the Lord come out of a wildernesse of sor­row, leaning upon her Beloved? First, she is in, then she commeth out; then this reproves the folly of those that [Page 61]preach men found before they were lost, and of those that dreame of lean­ing before they are in the wildernesse: The Spouse leans, but it is when she is comming out of the wildernesse: Is there any that preacheth down a need­lesnesse of duties, that mockes at mour­ners? that learne people a way to be found before they are lost? Examine the Scriptures before you trust them; under a pretence of exalting Faith, doe they not cry downe sorrow for sinne? and all other duties? Nay, they doe cry downe the preaching of the Law, to bring men to see they are in the wil­dernesse, that they might leane: Doe they make you beleeve, that preaching the Law is a price of Anti-christia­nisme, and no one ought to preach it? And for their part, they will take heed of it, for feare of preaching away their hearers. O beware of this leaven! For my part, I cannot close with this novell Doctrine, when I consider,

First, that this other way of preach­ing, hath bin that which God hath most blest by his servants labours: Witnesse our Rogers, our Hooker, our Pious She­pard; [Page 62]those three, to which many threes may be added, though they will scarse come up to the first three. Those three Constellations of Heaven, that have more light to darke Travellers, that wandred in the night of sinne while they shined in our Firmament, then all these Ignes fatui; mis-leading poore Travellers. Was ever any of these Lea­ders so honoured (though they have beat up the Drums almost in every street of the Kingdome for followers) as to gather such Troopes of Saints to the Christian warfare, as these before mentioned? Did ever God honour their labours so much as these? who (poor soules!) shone in their daies like lights under Bushels too, had only the corner of a Pulpit, or a Pulpit in some blind corner tolerated them. Nay, looke up­on these that have lately fallen into this Veine, and were Preachers of Gods whole truth before; was not their first fruits better, and more accepted of God then their harvest is now? Hath not God distinguished w ^ch way of preach­ing he will must honour, by making the first ripe grapes sweeter then the whole [Page 63]Vintage? were it onely for this, And

Secondly, For the constant experi­ence of the Saints of God, let them speake their minds freely; hath not this beene the way of their conversion? Have not the best Saints in Heaven cryed out of the belly of Hell before God heard their voice? Was not Paul strucken downe to the earth before he went in the Triumph of Glory? Did not the Gaolor come in trembling, and fall at the Apostles feet, and cry, what shall I doe to be saved; before they bid him beleeve, and thou shalt be saved. Neither can they evade it with saying, That trembling was not an humiliation for sinne, but occasioned for feare his prisoners were gone. Least people should wrest in that manner, The Holy Ghost hath cleared it to their hand; for before we read of his trembling, Paul had cryed with a loud voice, vers. 28. Doe thy selfe no harme for we are all here. Neither doe wee read, that he trembled for that at all; but like one struck senselesse, and his spirits dead as it were, in a fit of desperate madnesse, was about with his Sword to let out his [Page 64]owne blood. Now I say, were it no more then to heare such Doctrine, con­trary to the Doctrine which God hath chiefly honoured in his Servants lips, by making it efficacious for the sal­vation of their soules, and contra­ry to the experience of the generalitie of Gods Servants, if not contrary to the Preachers owne former and better thoughts and practice, it would be suf­ficient to make me suspend my faith, from being too hastie to beleeve this new way to heaven: But it is enough to confirme me, to heare my Christ cal­ling. Come unto me all yee that are wea­ry and heavy laden, and I will ease you. Before you are sensible of an heavy load you will need no ease, and to heare my Text speaking of leaning, but in a wildernesse; Nay, it may be noted too, The Text saith, Who is this that com­meth? Not who is this that jumpeth up from the wildernes; I cannot fancy this going to Heaven at a running jump, nor can I like this pressing faith with­out preaching repentance also: Faith is an act of an humble soule. Nor can the soule apprehend the beautie of Christ, [Page 65]and love Christ, before it apprehends it's owne miserable conditions. The onely harme this Doctrine doth, is to make poore soules presume, instead of beleeving, for alas! Tell an impenitent soule of beleeving, it apprehends it ea­sie, because it doth not understand it, and runnes upon a supposition, that it hath faith, when, alas, it beleeveth no more then the Devill beleeveth: sorrow for sinne is better understood by a car­nall heart then faith is; for the truth of it is, the humble soule onely can tell what faith is: The other sees, neither the want they have of faith, nor yet the nature of that precious grace. Shall I tell you what pious M. Rutherford sayes concerning this.

‘Faith (saith he) is bottomed upon the sense and paine of a lost conditi­on; Povertie is the nearest capacitie of beleeving. This is Faiths method, be condemned, and be saved; be hang'd, and be pardoned; be sick, and be healed. Faith is a flower of Christs onely planting, yet it growes out of no soile, but out of the mar­gin and banke of the lake, which [Page 66]burnes with fire and brimstone— Antinomians (saith he againe) make faith an act of a lofty Pharisee, apply­ing, (immediato contactu) presently, his hot boyling and smoking lusts to Christs wounds, blood, and merit, with­out any conscience of a precedent com­mand, that the person thus beleev­ing should be humbled, wearied, loa­den, grived for his sinnes: I confesse (saith he) This is hastie, hot work, but it is a wanton, fleshly, presumptuous o­pinion, that it is an immediate work to lay hold on the promises and be saved.’ In his Book of the Tryal and Triumph of Faith, you hear the opinion of Gods Servants, and the Text mentions a com­ming too; pedetentim, gradatim, little by little, step by step: Those that come, cannot goe so fast as these, because they are weary and heavy loaden. Those that learne people to jump, must take away Math. 11.29. the heavy load of sinnes which the Spouse hath upon her shoul­ders, keepes her from that hastie mo­tion that Antinomians make. I doe not speake to limit the Almighties power, but to shew you his ordinarie dispensa­tions; [Page 67]not what he can doe, but what he will doe, what he hath used to doe, and God ordinarily walkes in his owne paths, not in the paths our fancies make for him: we may looke for God in his ordinary wayes of Providence and dis­pensations of the soule; if he comes in a new way, it must be beyond our ex­pectations; though not beyond our faith that he can doe it, yet beyond our faith that he will doe it. When wee have no word to assure us, what shall faith be builded upon? God can turne mid­night into mid-day, ipso facto: But we know in Gods ordinary course of Pro­vidence, first comes the dawning of the day, then the morning, then the noone­day: God can take a soule and marry it, and never humble it, but where hath he promised it? where hath he done it? or if he hath done it, wee say, one Swal­low makes not a Summer, one exam­ple makes not a Rule, one president makes not a law. It is no rule for thee or me to trust in that, no more then the sa­ving of the thiefe upon the Crosse, might be a safe president for us to deferre re­pentance till our dying day. Let thee [Page 68]and I learne to be humbled, to get bro­ken hearts, to loath our selves, see our owne misery. Sorrow is the ordinary doore to joy, Humiliation the ordinary step to exaltation, Mourning for sinne the onely preface to Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in Gods ordinary way of dealing out grace. The Latine is full, Quae est illa quae ascendit, that ascends from the wildernesse: Our Translation commeth up, implying an ascensive mo­tion, tis her running up an hil. They that run up a mountaine, if they run too fast, they may quickly run themselves out of breath: it is bad jumpping over a broad ditch (especially if it be drowning depth) for feare if wee jumpe short we jumpe our last. It is a great jump from the bottome of Hell to Heaven, to take it at one leape. I wish, those that dare take it, doe not fall short and drowne themselves eternally. I had rather goe up Gods steps, then make such a hasty motion, God give me grace to ascend up the Saints staires to the chambers of glory. Elijah was such a favourite to heaven, that God sent a coach for him; [Page 69]But those that will expect till that fiery Chariot be sent downe for them too, I suppose may waite something a lon­ger time then they desire. O beg of God to humble you, to powre out his spirit of mourning, and supplications upon you, this will learne you to be­leeve (friends) It is the humbled soule only that construe that word Faith: it is Hebrew to others, it poseth the impeni­tent heart, Faith is a riddle to them: Christ findes his Spouse in the wilder­nesse, and there he gives her his shoul­der to leane upon: But,

Thirdly, She commeth up leaning out of the wildernesse.

Is it the duty of a soul that is in a wil­dernesse of affliction, or temptation, or desertion, to leane upon the Lord Christ? Then this may reprove those that are in these wildernesses, and yet cannot be perswaded to leane upon the Lord Christ: hence they cry out, O, faith is impossible! is it possible to be­leeve that Christ will save me? me, that have scorned his salvation, and slighted his mercies? And because thou hast [Page 70]slighted mercy, wilt thou therefore still slight mercy? still refuse his offer of grace? Thou sinnest as much now in not beleeving there is mercy for thee, that hast dispised mercy, as thou didst sinne in dispising that mercy. O why is it harder to rise up, then to cast downe a soule? Why wilt thou not beleeve, O thou of little faith? Is the mole-hill of thy sinnes, like the mountaine of his mercies? doth the voice of thy sinnes roare like the voice of his loving kind­nesse? Is there any humbled soule be­fore the Lord? O doe not provoke God by thy infidelity now he hath made thee capable of faith: You that are Christians, for shame, in your severall wildernesses of afflictions, temptations, and desertions, doe not, O do not cast downe your heads, and say, who shall shew us any good? or if you doe, say a­gaine with the Saint in the ensuing words, Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us: Beleeve in your depths of sorrow, beleeve in your most trying afflictions, most sadding temptations, most killing desertions, [Page 71]beleeve me, it is the greatest honour you can put upon the Lord Christ: And it is the greatest dishonour you can put upon your God, to have any diffidence in the Lords armes, any distruct in the Lords free grace. It is the property, nay, it is the duty of the Spouse to come out of wildernesses leaning.

Fourthly, Doth she leane upon God before shee can come? must he worke the first motion to make her willing, before she can beleeve in him?

Then how are those to be here re­proved, that would make mans will to be the Author of its first motions unto God. Pelagius was a great defender of it. First he would hold, That the grace of God was not necessary, but by the law of nature we might be saved. 2. That the grace of God (which the Apostle speaks of) was only in giving the law of nature. 3. Driven from this, he would main­taine, that the faculties of the soule, and their naturall Actions was the grace of God, understood by the Apostle. Yet here is no leaning upon our Beloved. [Page 72]Afterwards he would maintaine. Si quaera­tur an ex suis Natu­ralibus vi­ribus anima aliquid affe­rat ad suam conversion̄e, vel renova­tionem, vel aliquam fa­cultat̄e, vel action̄e, quae vel partiat is causa, vel quocunque alio modo appelletur, vere respon­detur quod habet se me­rè passivè. Chemni. in loc. de lib. Arbitr. 4. That the grace of God was necessary for sinnes past, but it was in the power of mans free-will, to avoid or commit sinnes for the time to come, and to re­sist rebellious corruptions. 5. After this, he would maintaine, That some men indeed were weake, and must doe all by the grace of God, others that were stronger might act good by their owne will. But still only some Spouses leane. Lastly, he would maintaine, (and the Arminians still from him:) That grace did indeed helpe a good worke, but it had its first motion from our wils, or at least might have: and the will had a negative voice, and might resist and crosse grace which did not work irresista­bly in the soule, to force the soule to him. Quae de gratia Dei praeveniente, & praeparente, & operante traduntur, hunc babent sensum, quod non nostrae partes priores sunt in con­versione, sed quod Deus per afflatum divinum praeveniat, post hunc autem motum, voluntatis divinae factum, voluntas hu­mana, non habet se mere passivè sed mota & adjuta, à spiritu sancto non repugnat sed assentitur. Ib.

Cassianus Monachus Pelagii Do­ctrinam am­plexus est. Faustus Hormisda & Ben.I would not rake up these graves, did not these ghosts walke in these our dayes, when every grave of Heresie is unbowelled, and no one takes care to throw the dirt upon them againe. Nay, and the Papists having beene tainted with this Leven, the Sententiaries now tell us, Hominis est preparare cor. Aqui. in Sum. Theo. Acquiescre & assentiri est nostrûm. That a man without grace, meerly by the strength of his free will, may avoid any mortall sinne, and prepare himselfe for Gods free grace, and ful­fill the Commandements of God; Quo­ad substantiam actus, for the substance of the Act, Quibus de congruo me­reatur gra­tiam facien­tem. Scotus. And another more im­pudently maintains, That a man with­out any grace of God (by the meere strength of nature) may doe workes mo­rally good, yea, even such as God shall be bound to concur with, and give his spe­ciall grace for. Even thus going back from their owne great Rabbies, one of which was pleased to confesse, Homo sine gratiâ Dei non potest non peccare & mortali­ter & veni­aliter, Lom. That a man without the grace of God, could not but sinne both mortally and ve­nially. What is become here of the Beloveds leaning? but no more of these; only if you heare such Doctrines (as you may heare any thing in these [Page 74]dayes) beleeve them not.

5. Spirities Sa­ctus praeve­nit, movel & impellit vo­luntatem in conversione, non otiosam, sed attenden­tem verbo. Chemnit. Vel per spe­culationem somniorum, vel per simu­lationem o­ration is ill a­bi efficaciam. Spiritus Sancti. Vid. D. Featly. Dippers dipt.Doth God move the will attend­ding him in duties, first? secondly, when the will is thus moved, doth it then come? when it is drawne, doth it runne? Then this reproves the En­thusiasts of old, the Anabaptists, An­tinomians, Seekers of our dayes, that hold, first, there is no need of duties. Enthusiasts of old affirmed, That for the receiving of the Spirit of Promise and saving grace, the Spirit of God was either infused to them in a dreame, Vel per simulationem orationis: Ay, and the motions of the Spirit, were as sensible in their flesh as the beating of the pulse, so blasphemous were they growne; and thence they would lye, and gape for Revelations, and so indeed they may have a suggestion from the Devill, but scarse a Revelation from God. Oh! How in these dayes are men tainted with these lazie. Opinions! slighting duties, vilifying Sabbaths, neglecting Ordinances; that if poore people would truely now give account of their growth in grace, and of their learning godlinesse: many of them might truly. [Page 75]As the child that ye have heard a story, in the learning of its Primmer, boasted to the father that it had learned past grace. Is not this the miserable learn­ing of our dayes? that men are grown past grace, past Prayer, past Ordinan­ces, past all duties?

6. Againe what you have heard, that after the soule is drawne, then it comes, may shew us the falsenesse of another Doctrine of Enthusiasme, too briefe even in these dayes also: that the soule is meerly passive, even after the worke of conversion also, and is even then a meere stone. See the Booke set out from the Mini­sters of New-Eng­land of the Hereticks, &c. Post conversionem concurrit voluntas, non tamen quasi suis viribus adjuvet spirituales actiones. Semper addendum est non esse ple­nam libertatem, in sancto renato, sed virtutem in infirmitate perfici, Chemnit. Intelligant si filii Dei sint spiritu Dei se agi, ut quod agendum est agant, & cum egerint, [...]lli, à quo aguntur gratias agant. Aguntur enim, ut agant, non ut ipsi nihil agant. Aug. Draw me (saith the Spouse) and then, I will runne after thee. Indeed, after our conversion, the will is but in part sanctified, and the I­mage of God in us will want of his first integrity, after it is renewed: but [Page 76]Christs strength is perfected in our weaknesse; we must understand if we be the children of God, that God hath therefore wrought in us, that we might also worke something, and when we have wrought it, give thankes to God, who hath made us to worke; for God hath wrought in us, that we might worke, not that we should be idle. Thus I have laboured to you to divide the Truth from Errour; Now you have heard of the leaven of these Pharisees; take heed of it.

In the next place, what you have heard, that the soule that comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, leanes upon a new Beloved, not upon her old be­loveds, may serve to reprove those that would faine plead a title to Christ and have a portion in Christ, but they will not take Christ alone: two sorts there are of these; The one cannot leave their old beloveds, and the other cannot trust this Beloved. O the wicked man would have his portion in Christ, if he might but have his lusts too, his pleasures, his profit; but to take Christ, alone, O this is such a hard saying that [Page 73]they cannot beare by any meanes; If Christ and his lusts would lye both in one bed, Christ at the feet, and his lusts at the head, then Christ should be as welcome as any thing to him; but he is loath to sue a divorce from this Beloved, he is loth to part with his old love for a new, till he seeth how he can love him; but at a venture he will take him in partem amoris. O wretch! flatter not thy selfe, if Christ be thy Beloved, he will endure no Polygamy; you must leave your sinnes, or be with­out Christ. The true Spouse leanes up­on her Beloved; not upon her Belo­veds, upon her now Beloved, she for­sakes her old.

Lastly, this may serve to reproove,

1. Those that would leane upon Christ, but they dare not trust their soules upon Christ alone. Forsooth he will be the Spouse of Christ, but he must leane upon Christ with one hand, and his good works with the other. The whore of Babylon commits adul­tery with her selfe.

2. Under this lash comes a better ranke of people, that when God hath [Page 74]shewed them their owne sinfull, sad condition, they doe not only performe duties, pray, and mourne, and repent, and be humbled, all which they ought to doe, but they are ready to rest in them, and make them their Beloved: It is na­turall to the soule, that God hath made to loath its sinnes, to love its duties; it finds duties almost as consentaneous to its nature, as sinnes were before; and it is too ready to thinke that its saving, or damning, depends upon such a quan­tity of teares, and humiliation: Hence, you heare soules in this condition, often complaining; Oh! I could be­leeve, if I were humbled enough, if I could but mourne enough. This soule doth well to be sensible of the hardnesse of its owne heart; and it is too true, it can never mourne, it can never be humbled enough. But it doth ill to think that free grace stints its operation, and blessed influence, to such a quantity of teares, if it be humbled enough, to see its want of Christ. The water runs through the river, that is the way to the Sea, but it doth not rest in the river, but with a swift and continued motion, [Page 75]runs betwixt the banks, till it comes, and is swallowed up in the Sea: Even so the soul ought to run through duties, but not to rest betwixt the banks of du­ties, but to run through, till it come to the Sea of free grace, where it will be swallowed up of infinite mercy; and our imperfections will be drowned in his infinite perfection; we ought to take duties in our way to Christ, but not to make duties our Jesus. God hath or­dained that they should sit us for him; but it is written, My glory will I not give to another. The glory of the Lords free grace, is his greatest glory; he will not give that to any other: None shall share with him in his Spouses love, he is a jealous Saviour. The Spouse leanes upon her Beloved, not Beloveds: Thus I have done with my use of reproofe.

The next use is for examination, here may every one try himselfe whether he be the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ, or no: Even by what hath been already said; I will reduce it all to three heads:

First, Examine thy selfe, whether thou beest out of the wildernesse of sinne, yea, or no.

Secondly, Whether thou wert, or art in any other wildernesse, yea, or no.

Thirdly, What was, or is thy demea­nour in these wildernesses thou hast been, or art in, and how hast thou come, or dost thou come out.

Examine whether thou beest not in the wildernesse of sinne, yea, or no: It was given as the Character of the Spouse, to come out of this wildernesse. O, but how shall I know that? (will the soule say.) I will name two or three notes, by which thou mayst suspect thy selfe as from probabilities.

1. The wildernesse, it is an incult place; a place where the soyle was ne­ver tilled, it is hard almost as a milstone; the over-growne Trees were never pruned, the unruly boughs never lopt, the bushes never cut or stubbed: dost thou find thy heart in such a condition, that it is as hard as ever; neither judge­ment breaks it, nor mercy melts it, the fallow ground of it is not plowed, nor the seed of righteousnesse sowne in it? Thy unruly lusts are not tamed, thy life is as much overgrowne with sinne as ever it was: thy sinnes were never yet [Page 77]cut off from the body of thy life. O friend! suspect thy selfe; Thou mayest justly feare, yea, and know too, that thou art not the Spouse of Christ, thou art in the wildernesse, in thy naturall estate.

Secondly, The wildernesse is a barren place, it brings forth no corne for the sickle, no wholsome fruit, no grapes for mans pallat; for can a man gather grapes of thistles, or figgs of thornes? No pa­stures wholsome for the beasts. The fire hath devoured the pastures of the wil­dernesse, Joel 1.19. And God complai­ned that Nineveh was dry like a wil­dernesse, Zeph. 2.13. Art thou a barren, and unfruitfull creature, that dost no­thing for God? thy heart is a barren heart, no seeds of good are sown there; thy tongue is a barren tongue, no good words come out thence; thy whole soule a barren soule; not a good action upon the record of thy life. Indeed, no soule can be barren, the soule is of a working nature; but sinfull works are unfruitfull workes (in the Apostles lan­guage.) The unfruitfull workes of dark­nesse, and what fruits had ye of those things, whereof you are now ashamed? [Page 78]Gods Spouse is a fruitfull creature, Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, &c. A barren soule is alwayes a wildernesse-soule. Those that are borne of God, bring forth fruits unto God.

Thirdly, thou mayest know whether thou beest in the wildernesse or no, by the company thou delightest in: It is a knowne rule, Noscitur ex socio qui non dignoscitur ex se.

He that is a wildernesse-creature, loves wildernesse-company; the Wolves, and Beares, and Foxes: but he that is out, keeps the company of men; dost thou love the wildernesse-com­pany? the swinish drunkard, the politike Fox, the malitious Lyon, the venomous lyer and slanderer, the lascivious wan­ton, more than the Children of God? Oh suspect thy selfe l By this we know (saith John) that we are translated from death to life if we love the Brethren. Lazarus when he was raised from the grave, we do not read he went to keep the dead men company againe: those that God hath raised from the death of their sins, live amongst living men, and [Page 79]delight in living mens company. Thus examine whether thou beest come out of the wildernesse of sin, or no.

Secondly, As comming out of the wildernesse is a signe of the child of God: so being in the wildernesse, is likewise a note whereby thou mayest know thy selfe. Gods Spouse comes out of one wildernesse into another, out of the wildernesse of sinne into the wil­dernesse of sorrow, and out of that to their Saviour. Wouldest thou know whether thou art found, or no; Ex­amine whether thou wert lost or no: Wouldest thou know whether ever thou wert a beleever; examine whether ever thou wert a penitent, or not. This is Gods ordinary way; thence he com­plaines of his people, that they would not repent, that they might beleeve in him. Dost thou find God in another manner of working in thy soule? blesse God for it; and if thy title be good to heaven, which will be knowne by thy walking with God, beleeve me, God hath used thee kindly, heaven hath cost thee cheaper then it costs many a poore soule; and walke humbly before God, [Page 80]because he hath not humbled thee un­der his mighty hand, as he hath done many another poore creatures: And though I would not condemne those that plead their title to heaven this way, for feare I should condemne the generation of the righteous, yet beleeve me, I should suspect it in my owne cause. They that goe out weeping, and carry precious seed, shall returne rejoy­cing, and bring their sheaves with them.

2. Examine thy selfe, What other wildernesses thou meetest with? Afflicti­ons, temptations, &c. I would not give this as an infallible marke, yet God sayes, whom he loves he chasteneth, and scourgeth every child whom he recei­veth: and thence the Father drew out his Conclusion, Unicum Deus habuit filium sine peccato, nullum sine flagello; God had one Sonne without sinne, but none without a rod. But I know, even the wicked sometimes begin their hell upon the earth: and though I would sus­pect my selfe if I met with no afflicti­ons, yet I would not be glad to have a life full of crosses and afflictions, my best evidence for heaven. I rather na­med [Page 81]this for a preface to the next note.

3. Examine how thou carriest thy selfe in the wildernesse; there is a diffe­rent carriage betwixt the child of God, and the child of the Devill in afflicti­ons: the one sinkes into the grave with despaire, the other lifts up his head to Sion with hope: the one is prest to death under crosses, the other above all crosses. Cain cries, my punishment is too heavy for me to beare; Job cries, though he should kill me, yet I will trust in him: The Reprobate cryes, Who is the Lord that I should wait for him? The Saint sayes, I will patiently wait for the Lords Salvation: the wicked man dyes, the Saint leanes: the eyes of the sinners faile that day; but the Saints look up to Sion, from whence comes their helpe that day.

4. Examine How thou hast come out of thy wildernesse? of thine owne strength or leaning? Canst thou say, That God knew thee in the wildernesse, in the land of great drought, Hos. 13.5. If thou thinkest thou camest out alone, thou art there stil, What gave thee com­fort in the depths of sorrow? what? [Page 82]thy merry company? did thy duties do it? If any thing did it but thy Christ, I feare thou art still in the Wildernesse: when thou didst mourne, as one that mourneth for his onely begotten sonne, dist thou look upon him whom thou hadst pierced? there is nothing but the blood of Christ can give a cordiall to a faint­ing soule; nothing but the hand-ker­chiefe of free grace that can wipe thine eyes; nothing but the blotting out of the hand-writing, which was written in Gods Booke, and thy owne consci­ence against thee, that can make thy heart leave trembling, and thy knees leave beating together for terror. Thou canst not come out alone, if ever thou camest out, it was leaning.

5. Examine thy selfe, How thou hast carried thy selfe since thou camest out? How hast thou beene since thou wert humbled, and lost in the wilder­nesse of sorrow? What effects hath the wildernesse of sorrow wrought upon thee? Hath thy sorrow beene like the sorrow of Achan, that thou hast been onely sorry because thou hast been un­der an Attachment of wrath? Or like [Page 83] Ahab. renting his cloathes, putting on his sack-cloth, and going softly? 2 Chron. 22. Or like Pharoah, saying, I have sinned? Exod. Or like Balaam, say­ing, I have sinued, I will returne back againe? when he might have had more thanks for his labour and never have come there, he had checks enough. Art thou worse when thou commest out of the wildernesse of affliction, that wee may brand thee with Ahaz his Brand, This was that King Ahaz? Or doest thou come out of thy Afflictions leaning, with thy weak faith strengthe­ned, and thy strong faith confirmed? Hast thou lost no graines, but got in the fire? Is thy gold as good weight now as before? it is a good signe it is good then. But I hasten to the next Use, which may be to informe us;

First, The sad condition that all un­beleevers are in.

Secondly, The joyfull condition that all the Children of God are in.

Thirdly, The great love of God, that he would send Christ to seeke us up in the wildernesse, and give his hand to [Page 84]poore creatures to lead them out.

And lastly, If in every wildernesse wee must leane upon the Lord Jesus Christ, It may informe us, what need wee have at all times to walke close with the Lord Christ. First, here see the sad condition that all men and women by nature are in, that have not the Lord Jesus Christ. It consists in two things:

First, They are in a wildernesse: Sinne is a wildernesse. Now which of you (friends) but would thinke himselfe as good as a dead man if he were in the midst of an Arabian desert, that he could not see any possibilitie of getting out, nor any comfort he could enjoy there: terror on every side, comfort on no side; the Lyons and beasts of prey of every hand ready to devour him, and it is well if he can keepe his flesh for food for himselfe, for he can get no provision for his body, nothing, except he would eate the barke of trees, or the parched grasse. What man would not tremble, to thinke of one that should be condemned to such an axile? Doe not your hearts pittie as oft as you think of those poore men that [Page 85]were left but halfe a yeare in Green­land? And yet O Lord! How few pittie themselves! O poore creatures! Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur; the Story is thy owne, apply it there­fore: You that are in your sinnes are all in a sad wildernesse; the judgements of God, like the beasts of prey, are ready to swallow you up on every hand; 'tis a miracle of mercy you are not in hell; there is but a thread betwixt you and death; the Sword of Gods wrath hangs over your head, while you are at your Drunken Banquets of sinne: Oh! what comfort? what joy can can you have in the wildernesse (friends?) that when you lye downe at night, you know not but you may wake in the morning past Repentance, even with Hell flames about you; as the Lord lives, there is but a haires breadth betwixt you and Hell.

2. Consider, That you have no one to helpe you out of any wildernesse; if Christ be not yours, nothing is yours: what will you doe in a stormy day of Affliction, when you shall cry unto God, and he shall say unto you, as he [Page 86]once said to the roaring Isralites, Jud. 10.14. Goe, and cry unto the gods which you have chosen; let them de­liver you in the time of your tribulation. Cry unto your Gold now, unto your Lusts now, trust your Riches now, make you a golden Calfe! See if it will now save you. O think! You that live in sinne, and love and delight in sinne, what shall I doe in a sad day of sick­nesse, when the feare of the grave shall surround me, and the terrors of Hell shall make me afraid? What shall I leane upon when these comforts shall be no comforts? when I shal l say to all creature-enjoyments, miserable comforters are you all. Where shall I warme me when these flashes will be out? when the sparkes of pleasure and profit shall be choakt, and kill'd with the dust and ashes of my grave? Heare yee this all yee, That kin [...]le a fire, that compasse your selves about with sparkes; walke in the light of your fire, and in the sparkes that you have kindled; This shall ye have at the Lords hand, you shall lye downe in sorrow: Your pleasurable sinnes are but as [Page 87]sparks (Sirs,) What will you doe when your sparkes are out? They are (as we say of a short flame) but a Widdowes joy for a moment: Take heed, that when your sparks are out, you blow not your nailes in hell: Take heed, that your sparkes doe not kindle everlasting bur­nings for you. What will you doe in a wildernesse of Affliction? how will you come out? what will you come out? What will yee leane upon?

Secondly, This may serve to informe us of the happy condition of Gods children, and that è contrario, in a just position to the others misery: O lift up your heads yee righteous, and be glad yee upright in heart: Your happi­nesse consists in these two things:

First, You are out of the wildernesse, out of the danger of Hell; and those that can spell in their thoughts but that word hell, will know it to be a mercy to be out of the feare of it. You are out of the wildernesse, O blesse that God that hath helpt you out: 'tis a great happinesse to be delivered of feares; beleeve me! Did the wicked men seri­ously thinke what a weight of wrath [Page 88]they lye under, what a cloud of bloud hangs over their heads, they would pray till all their knees were melted (though they were all steele) to be de­livered from it. Hold up your hands that you have escaped a drowning; that you feare not the wild beasts that be­long to the wildernesse; Gods dreadfull judgements you dare meet, the Lyon and the Beare, and they dare not set the print of their teeth upon you. A godly man is like a man under protection, he owes much, but the Bayliffe dares not meddle with him; Christ hath under­taken the debt for him, he is under the protection of the Sonne of God; he can looke a Judgement in the face, and never run for it. The wicked man, on the contrary, is like one that hangs up­on every bush (as we say) owes more than he is worth; he dares scarse looke out of the doores whiles the Bayliffes are about: when the judgements of God are about, the wicked wretch dares not looke out, he sinks into his grave in the thoughts of it. This Plague, this Feaver, this Ague, may be a Bayliffe to arrest me, that God hath sent to carry [Page 89]me bound hand and foot and throwne into Hell, where is weeping and way­ling, and gnashing of teeth. And then thinks with himselfe (O that they did so!) Where is my surety (if it should be so?) who would be bound for the payment of the Debt due for my sinnes, and to be paid at Gods Judgement Seat? The godly man, he likewise saith; This Plague, this Feaver, this Sicknesse, may arrest me: But suppose they should, the Son of God is bound for my Debt; My Judge surely will not demand bet­ter Surety then his owne Sonne. I blesse God I am out of the wildernesse: O happy man! Here's a portion of thy happinesse; but here is not all.

2. Consider, That if thou shouldest fall into the corner of another wilder­nesse: Thou hast one to leane upon, even in every wildernesse: If thou shouldst have a rod upon thy backe, thou hast a staffe to comfort thee. Thou hast one to lead thee out, whensoever thou art in: an arme that thou mayest trust to. Hap­py is he that hath a friend in the Court, such is thy friend. A friend in adversity, is better than a brother, (saith Solomon) [Page 90]thou hast a friend in adversity, and he is thy brother: Thy brother Christ is thy friend, that will lead thee through, and out of every wildernesse. Is the childe happy, that in want hath a father to run unto? the wife happy, that hath a hus­band in time of sicknesse to comfort her? The servant happy, that hath a Ma­ster in adversity to pitty him? then I dare pronounce thee in all times happy: Thy husband loves thee, thy father sends his son to lead thee, thy husband is alwayes by to comfort thee, and lead thee by his hand. God hath said, Esay 58.11. That he will guide thee continually, and satisfie thy soule in drought, and make fat thy bones. Thou hast alwayes a friend at need, a brother in adversity.

Thirdly, Is it so that the Spouse comes out of the wildernesse leaning upon her Beloved? This may then shew us the infinite love of God to the creature; that he would be pleased to looke us up in the wildernesse, and let us leane upon him: Christ was led into the wildernes because thou wert there, he had a bad journey to fetch thee come: Oh! what should? what could (besides his infinite [Page 91]free-grace) make his bowels of mercy so yerne towards the creature, as to look it up in the wildernesse, to cloath it na­ked, to wash it polluted, to save it dam­ned? Christ the shepheard had lost his stray sheep, and goes after that which was lost in the wildernesse untill he fin­deth it, then he layeth it on his shoul­ders, and bringeth it home. O, blessed be the name of the Lord for his free grace and mercy! The shepheard followed the sheep, whiles the sheep regarded not the shepheard; we were in a wil­dernesse, he came to find us out. O! was not this infinite love, astonishing mercy?

Lastly, Is it so? that we must come out of every wildernesse leaning upon our Beloved? O then let this informe us what need we have to walk close with the Lord Jesus Christ; what need we have to be fearfull of offending, and carefull to please him: It is he that must help us in every need, he that must lead us in every wildernesse: If he forsakes us we are undone. Have we but one friend? let us keep him then: if we an­ger him, we lose our best friend. Hath the shiftlesse child need to keep the love [Page 92]of the Father? the Babe need to keep in the armes of the Nurse? the wife need to keep the love of the husband? the blind man need to keep the love of his guid? O Christian, thou hast much more need to keep the love of thy Christ: It is he that must succour thee at every need; he that must make the rugged wayes plaine for thee; It is he that must carry the Babe of grace in his armes, lest it should dash its feet against the stones of affliction: It is he that must lead the child of God upon his hand, lest in this world of afflictions it fall, and hurt it self. O keep close in his armes, keep thy selfe warme in his bosome; feare that which may make thy God go free from thee. Gods departing from the creature is a piece of hell: thou knowest not how soone thou mayest need him; yea, thou alwayes needest him, therefore take heed of sinning against him; thou wilt anger thy best friend, I will assure thee.

I hasten to the last Use, which shall be a word of Exhortation: Doth the Spouse of Christ come out of the wil­dernesse leaning upon her Beloved?

First, O then, you that are yet in the wildernesse of sinnes, come out, come out, get this Spouses Beloved, and then leane upon him.

2. You that are in the wildernesse of sorrow for sinne, afflictions, tempta­tions, desertions, leane upon your be­loved, live leaning and dye leaning: you that say you are sinking, and you cannot beleeve. Oh leane! and come out of this wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved.

A word to the first: Is there any before the Lord this day that is yet in the gall of bitternesse, and in the bond of iniquity, with what arguments shall I plead with such a soule? Those are not wanting, but with what argu­ments shall I prevaile with such a soul, to come unto the Lord Christ? were any here drowning in the water, a little Rhetoricke would perswade them to let me helpe them out? were any lost in a wood, I should not need much entreat them to give me their hand, and I would shew them a way out of that loosing place? why should I not as much prevaile for heaven this day?

[Page 94]1 Consider what estate it is that thou takest such pleasure to continue in? first, it is a dangerous place, more dange­rous then the sands to the ship: thou art ready to be swallowed up of hell every houre in it. A troop of judgments waites upon thee to destroy it; how canst thou abide consuming fire? or dwell in everlasting burnings?

Secondly, Consider, it is a joylesse condition: There is no true joy to the sinner, though he sings sometimes a­mongst his drunken cups, yet he can­not feed heartily upon a feast of joy, be­cause the Sword hangs over his head, it is but a fained joy that the sinner hath, a sudden short lived flame, without any coales underneath to preserve it. There is no peace to the wicked (saith God) and if no peace, there can be no joy; when the sinner is serious he can­not rejoyce, his rejoycing is like the skipping of mad men that know not what they doe.

Thirdly, Consider, it is a starving condition; The sinners soule starves whiles he feasts his body like a glutton, his soule dyes for thirst, when his bo­dy [Page 95]is overslowne with drunkennesse. It is impossible the puffe-past of iniquity should nourish a soule: Doth an Angell feed upon the earth? doth a Saint feed upon hell? The soule is of an An­gelicke substance, it cannot feed upon sinne: sinne starves it. Dost thou love to be in the middest of thornes? dost thou delight to lye downe in sorrow? canst thou endure to see thy better part starved, whiles thou pamperest thy filthy Carcasse? O let this deterre thee from the wildernesse of sinne, and perswade thee to come out of it unto Paradise. There,

First, Thou shalt be in a safe condi­tion: Out of the feare of judgements, out of hells gunshot: There life or death will be either peace temporall, or else eternall, either grace, or glory unto thee; here thy soule shall be in a har­bour, if thousands fall at thy left hand, and ten thousands at thy right: none shall make the afraid, thou shalt laugh at trouble when it comes. Thou shalt be sure to goe to heaven either by land, or water: If thou goest through the fire, thou shalt be sure to have Christ with [Page 96]thee. Heaven is a security in all estates, a protection from all Arrests, if the King of glory hath a mind to sue thee, thou shalt not be arrested (like other men) with a writ of wrath, but invi­ted to sup with him in glory, onely by a letter of love, and he will send his Ushers of glory to waite upon thy soul to the chambers of glory, Luke, 16.22. The soule of good Lazarus was carri­ed by Angels into Abrahams bosome: you shall not live like other men, haun­ted with the blood-hounds of wrath, nor dye like other wretches, that goe out of the world, haled by the Sarjeants of hell to everlasting prison; but quietly sleepe, and awake againe one day in glory. O who would not desire such a protection for himselfe? such a security for his soule? who would not throw off his raggs of sinne, to put on Christs livery of grace, when Christs badge upon his shoulder shall free him from all Arrests? That he shall walke up and downe, and nothing shall make him afraid?

Secondly, Consider that Heaven is a place as full of joy, as ever the wilder­nesse [Page 97]was full of sorrow and trouble; of this I spake before. O thinke of the joy of the Saints, you children of vaine pleasure, you mad-men of the earth, that can dance over the hole of the Aspe, and put your hands on the Cocka­trices den. Your false and flattering joy is nothing to the reall joyes of hea­ven; There is joy like the joy of the har­vest, like the joy when men divide the spoyle: The yoake of their burthen is broken, and the rod of the oppressour. O you that love your drinking meet­ings, and dancing dayes, that you would but love heaven, where you might drink new wine with your Lord Christ: where you might dance in glory, and make all your dayes, dayes of joy, and every houre, an houre of pleasure.

Thirdly, consider, that there, and there onely, is provision for your soule. Christs robes is the only cloathing that will cover the nakednesse of it; his flesh is meat indeed, and his bloud is drinke indeed; there my friends, Eate and drinke, and be merry, there you may have wine and milke, without [Page 98]money, or without price. O, spend not your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which profits not?

Here you may eate that which is good, and let your soule delight it selfe in fatnesse. Here is a Feast of fat things; The fatlings are killed: O come to the wedding! Why should your roomes be emptie in the day of the Lords Espou­sals? You shall bee welcome to my Masters Table: Now, O now, Be­hold he stands at the doore and knocks: (Lord, breake where thou knockest) If any man will heare his voice, and open the doore, he will come into him, and sup with him, and he shall sup with him. O let me intreat you, to pittie the yern­ing of your Saviours bowels toward you; pittie the groaning of his tender heart for you; pittie your selves, if not your Christ; and, O come, come out of the wildernesse of sinne into this wildernesse of sorrow; that of a drun­ken profane creature, thou mayest be a mourning pious soule; of a proud care­lesse sinner, become a poore humbled paenitent; that the world may admire, Saul amongst the Prophets, and [Page 99] Paul amongst the Apostles, and thee a­mongst the Saints of Christ; and say of thee, who art now a profane Swearer and Blasephemer, Behold he Prayeth! Of thee that wert a filthy Wanton, Be­hold he Mournes! Of thee that wert a filthy Drunkard and Glutton, Behold he fasts! And may in time say of thee, Who is this that commeth up from the wildernesse leaning upon her Belo­ved? But,

Secondly, Is there any before the Lord this day, that is in any other wil­dernesse of Sorrow, Affliction, Temp­tion, Desertion, &c? O leane! Come out of your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved.

First, Is there any one here, to whom the Lord hath shewne their owne sad condition too, and yet hath not revea­led the fulnesse of his free grace to them? O leane upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and leaning come out of thy wildernesse; Beleeve and thou shalt be saved. But here's the hard taske, to perswade such a soule to beleeve.

Consider but these few things.

1 That now thou art in a capacitie of [Page 100]beleeving. Povertie of spirit is the nea­rest capacitie of faith; Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteous­nesse. Now thou art weary, Christ hath promised to ease thee; now thou art heavy laden, he hath promised to help thee.

Secondly, Consider that thou hast ground enough to build thy faith upon; Christs power and love are two Pil­lars, able to hold up the weakest faith.

First, Beleeve; leane upon Christ, for he is able to pardon thy sinnes; thou shouldest blaspheme in thy thoughts if thou shouldest not thinke this. Can infinite mercy be fadomed thinkest thou? Can any one plead his underservings against free grace? Were thy burthen farre heavier then it is, cast it upon Christ, for he is able to beare it; Art thou thick darknesse? he is in­finite light: Art thou all sinne? he is all pardon: Art thou altogether lovely? why Christ is altogether lovely.

Secondly, Beleeve; because Christ is as much love as he is power: he is not only able, but he is willing to pardon [Page 101]thee; free grace thirsts after thee. Nay, beleeve me, thou canst give Christ no greater satisfaction then to receive his mercies. Christ is with child of free grace (to speake it with reverence) and he desires nothing more then to be delivered in thine heart. He is a Sea of mercy, and he would rejoyce to empty himselfe by drops into his peoples hearts. But why did I say empty? Can the Sun lose any light by communicating his light to others? When the creature speaks of God, he must speake [...], he would fill thee, and yet conti­nue full himselfe. He is satisfied when thou art full. He shall see of the travell of his soule, and shall be satisfied. Thou art not so willing to receive, as he is to bestow free grace. O then lean upon him.

Thirdly, Consider, that canst not dishonour thy God; more then when thou art humbled by him for thy sins, and cast downe in thine owne thoughts, and cal'd to beleeve in his mercies, and secured up­on his word, if thou wilt but trust him. If thou wilt not, then beleeve in him, Surely then thou art of a little faith, if not an Infidell. Thou couldst not beleeve when thou wert an impaenitent hard-hearted creature. Why? because thou knewest no need thou hadst of faith: Neither couldst thou hear Christs invitation, because thou wert not weary and heavie loaden; but now that the Lord hath humbled thee, now the promises belong unto thee; what? darest thou not take Christs [Page 102]word? Suppose a Traytour were condemned to dye, and the King should send a Pardon by the hand of h [...]s owne Son to this forlorne wretch, and he should refuse it, saying; The King cannot pardon me; what hath he to do to send me a Pardon? I know he doth but mock me, he meanes nothing lesse, &c. Were not this a peice of unworthinesse, by which he should dishonour his Prince as much as with his Treason before? O take heed of provoking the Lord still; it is enough that thou hast provoked him once, yet he will pardon thee. And on the con­trary, thou canst not honour Christ more then in beleeving; for thou acknowledgest the unfadom­able depth of his free love and mercy; Thou pro­clamest God, to be a God, gracious, long-suffering, a God that may be trusted by the creature which hath deserved nothing at his hand; that he is so pure an Essence of love, that he will create himself a cause of love where is none. And though he coould find nothing in thee to pardon thee, for thy sake, yet he would pardon thee for his owne Name sake.

So likewise, you that are in any wildernesse, or shall be, of Affliction, Desertion, Temptation, &c. O leane! leane! Tis that which God requires at your hand; 'tis that which will ease you when you are weary; help you when you are heavie la­den; Beleeving will ease you when complaining will not; 'tis that which honours God, and hon­ours [Page 103]Christ; It gives him the glory of his Power, and Providence, & Dominion, and free Grace, and mercy. Christ, beleeve me, will take it kindly at your hands, that you will try him in need, and trust him even in despaire; though he kills you, yet you will trust in him. Those that venture upon Death with such a faith cannot dye: Those that have such a Spirit must live eternally. The way to live, is to dye beleeving, and the way to stand, is to leane falling. O come all yee that love the Lord trust in his mercies: I have done, only I con­clude with my Text.

O you that are falling, as you think into the pit of despaire, that are lost in the wildernesse of sor­row: Beleeve, beleeve, and you shall be saved. Come out trusting upon God; resting upon the fulnesse of his mercy, and the freenesse of his grace; come out, come out leaning upon your Beloved.

O you that are in a wildernesse of afflictions, lean upon Gods staffe, let his rod comfort you; be­leeve that he smileth while he smiteth thee; be­leeve in affliction you shall have no more then you are able to beare; he will let his grace be sufficient for you, and all shall worke for your good. And come you out of your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved.

O you that are in the wildernesse of temptati­on, in the snare of the Devill, beleeve, and leane, your Christ was tempted, and he knowes how to succour those that are tempted: leane upon him to [Page 104]beare you up in, and to give you an happy issue out of your temptations in which you are in, for the triall of your faith; and come you out likewise leaning upon your Beloved.

You that are in the wildernes of Desertion, cry, My God though you be forsaken, keep your faith, retaine your Interest; O leane, lose not your hold you have upon the Almighty, leane in: and come out of this your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved.

Finally. All you that are in the wildernesse of sin; the worst wildernesse of all: Let me conclude with you, And once more as the Embassadour of Jesus Christ in my Masters name, as if he himselfe were here: I beseech you, by the many, and tender mer­cies of him, whose bowels yerne towards you, by his precious bloud, which was powred out upon the Crosse for sinners (and who knowes whether not for you, as well as others) as you tender the life & happines of your own souls, the joy of your faithfull Pastors: nay, (which is most of all) as you tender the honour of God, come out, O come out of your sad wildernesse! be humbled, and mourne, sit downe in dust and ashes, that you may rise up, adorned with grace, and be crowned with glory, that you may leane upon your Beloved; and O that my first or last words might prevaile with some great sinner this day for whom we might all re­joyce, concerning whom we might all say, who is this that comes out of the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved.