A Scripture-map of the wildernesse of sin, and vvay to Canaan. Or The sinners way to the saints rest.: Wherein the close bewildring sleights of sin, wiles of the Devill, and windings of the heart, as also the various bewildrings of lost sinners, yea, even of saints, before, in, and after conversion; the necessity of leaning upon Christ alone for salvation, with directions therein: as also, the evident and eminent danger of false guides, false wayes, false leaning-stocks, are plainly, and practically discovered. Being the summe of LXIV lecture sermons preached at Sudbury in Suffolk, on Cantic. 8.5. / By Faithful Teate, M.A. minister of the Gospel.

CHAP. I. Containes the proofe by way of Removall of nine false leaning Stocks.

ANd thus much be spoken concerning so much of the Text, viz. Who is this that comes up from the wilder∣nesse. It followes that we now speake to the words that follow, viz. Leaning upon her beloved.

In these words you have that Action that gave life and vigor to her motion; she [comes up &c.] [leaning up∣on &c.] leaning upon her beloved. [leaning] there's her Act; [upon] directs you to the Object: [her] shewes her interest, the ground and spring of the Act; [her be∣loved] speaks her relation to him whom she leanes upon, from whence we may conclude the nature of the Acti∣on; she comes up leaning upon one [to whom solely she commits, to whom wholly she submits her selfe;] up∣on one [with whom she dares fully trust, to whom she freely can yeeld her selfe:] she leans with all complacenti∣al satisfaction, with all conjugall subjection: 'Tis her be∣loved she leans upon. Now the End of this Action, is the foresaid Motion, she leanes on him to come up by him. This is a Mystery, but it is spoken of Christ and Converts, of Christ and his Church. A Mystery say I, and so saith the Text; a matter worthy the enquiring after, and admiring at; Who is she that comes up from the Wilderness? Who is

she that comes leaning upon her beloved? ye daughters of Je∣rusalem, look out at your windowes, and aske who comes yonder? 'Tis your sister, 'tis your sister, & the daughter of your Mother! she was dead, but she is alive again, born dead by her that once bare her, but raised up under the Apple tree by him that now bears her; she was lost, but she is found; she was cast out into the wilderness, in the day that she was born, to the loathing of her person, but now she comes up from the wilderness, leaning on her Lord in the day of her espou∣sals! Call her no more Mara, but Naomi, for the Lord hath dealt very graciously with her! see how she leanes, and look how he perfumes, behold how she looks like pillars of smoke, with all powders of the Merchant! So let the Lord Jesus be glorified in his Saints, so let him be ad∣mired in all them that believe. Who is this that commeth from Edom, with dyed Garments from Bosrah? There's a wondering at the Bridegroom: Who is this that comes up from the VVilderness? Here's a wondering at the Bride. He that speaks in righteousness, mighty to save is the Bride∣groom, (Isai. 63.1.) She that needs a Righteousness, and a mighty salvation, is the Bride. 'Tis a joy in heaven, and a wonder on earth, to see them together, and never, ne∣ver like to be put asunder! she leans on her beloved; that is, her Lord Jesus Christ, [her Lord] that commands her to come from Lebanon, Cant. 4.8. [Her Jesus] that inableth her to come home from the wilderness, Lu. 15.4, 5, 6. [Her Christ] that perfumes her with Mirrhe and Frankencense, with all Powders, (knowledge, righteous∣ness, and true holinesse, as Prophet, Priest, and King) while she comes up from the wildernesse, Cant. 3.6. And (as you have Prophet, Priest, and King, in one Christ, so) she leanes on the Lord Jesus Christ in one beloved.

Come we therefore to

The fourth and last maine Observation, viz.

There is no coming up from the Wilderness of sin, but onely by leaning upon the Lord Jesus Christ; that is,

Gospel-reliance on Jesus Christ, is the onely way of sal∣vation to lost sinners.

Lost souls had need be leaning souls, for there is no reco∣very of the sinner, but by recumbency on the Saviour.

Eve was the first that was in the transgression, she comes out of the wildernesse, though an exile from Pa∣radice, looking at Christ in her promised seed, whom she therefore names SETH, (Gen. 5.25.) A foundation to be leaned upon. Abraham of old, hath respect unto his day, and bottoms his joy thereupon, Joh. 8.56. David, though his Father, yet calls him Lord, (Lu. 20.43.) And in the day of Calamity, this Lord (saith David) was my stay, Psa. 18.18. The word (is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Niph. Jnnixus est and) properly signifies, the Lord is my leaning stock. And Mary, though his Mother, while the Child was yet unborn, leans for salvation upon the Babe in her womb, Lu. 1.47.

He is the annointed, the accomplished Saviour, sent on purpose to seek and to save that which was lost, Luk. 19.10. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, Act. 4.12. Christ is that living stone to whom we must come, that Corner stone (upon which all the building doth leane) and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded: and unto them that believe, he is pre∣cious, (beloved indeed of the leaning soule,) 1 Pet. 2.6, 7. And even in this sence may I say, Other foundation can no man lay than which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, &c. This is the great Commandement in the Law.

Thou shalt lean on the Lord thy Redeemer with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, &c. This is the great Com∣mandement of the Gospel. Look unto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth: surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength; in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory, Isai. 45.22, 24, 25.

I shall therefore endeavour the proof of the point. 1. By taking from under you, your other supports. 2. By roling your soules, with mine own, upon Jesus Christ.

And 1. For Negative proofe of the point, by way of removal of other leaning stocks. I may say in the gene∣ral of all other supports, what is said of the Hypocrites, His hope shall be cut off, and his trust shall be a spiders wed; He shall lean his upon house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold it fast, but it shall not indure, Job. 8.14, 15. A poore house, you will say, that falls if the Owner of it doe but leane unto it; such are all Christless supports to the lost soule. 'Tis recorded of Absalom, That having no Chil∣dren (for his Name and Memorial to rest upon) he built him a Pillar, 2 Sam. 18.18. that was before that he had, (or else when he had buryed) the Sonnes spoken of, Chron. 14.27. Let those soules that never have heard of a Christ to rest upon, make Pillars for themselves of other things: But as one living Son would be better then a thousand dead Pillars, so is one living Saviour of (infi∣nitely) more value then 10000 dead supports for thy poor soule to leane upon.

I shall speake particularly to these nine, the onely like∣ly leaning stocks, none of which shall without a Christ, stand thee in stead when thou leanest upon them.

First, If thy leaning stock be thine old acquaintance, with God as Creator, 'tis as nothing (if it goe alone) in order to salvation; many poor creatures have this, and no more to lean to. VVhat do you think God that made me, will damn me? yes truly, I doe thinke so, if thou have no more to say for thy selfe; for if this were enough to salvation, none, no not Devils, should be damned. It is not old acquaintance, as a Creature; but new acquaintance, as a new Creature, that is spoken of Job 22.21. and that is, (as saith the Apostle, by being in Christ.) As for any others, The Lord that made them, will not have mercy on them; and he that formed them, will shew them no favour, Isai. 27.11. It would be sad believing, if poor

souls have no better promises then this to leane unto.

Secondly, If thy leaning stock be onely some latter acquaintance with God in his outward providence. And believe it, with very many this goes very far. What, do you think that God that hath given me such prosperity, will in the end damn me? I have a faire portion of outward things, shall all this love end in eternall hatred? Nay, when I was in great streights, God gave me great deliverances; when I was at deaths door in such a sickness, &c. and do you thinke he will now cast me into hell? Verily for ought I know he may, and if thou have no more to lean unto, I know he will. You have an eminent passage, a providence to a miracle, yea to heaps of miracles, Psal. 78.23. He opened the door of heaven, gave them Corn of heaven, vers. 24. Angels food, meat to the full, vers. 25. He rained flesh as dust, and feathered foul, as the sand upon the Sea shore, vers. 27. He gave them their own desire, vers. 29. Yet while the meat was in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, verses 30.31. Mark, First, Whilst it was in their mouthes. Secondly, The fattest of them. Ah! friends, many times, fair pasture is a foul sign; You, your selves, litter and fodder those Cattel best, that you in∣tend for the slaughter soonest. Go to therefore rich men, lament and howl, and let your joy be turned into weeping, if you have nothing but this worlds good to lean unto, as a to∣ken of Gods love for the present, or your owne salvation for the future.

Thirdly, If Civility be thy leaning stock. Of this I spake before (as a way) and therefore shall onely set a brand of it here, that you may know it againe to be a rot∣ten Pillar, an house with a sandy foundation, if you lean unto it, will not stand. All these have I done from my youth, Mat. 19.20. saith the civil young man, yet went a way with a sad heart, for all he had his Crurch of civility, (and riches to boote) to lean upon.

Fourthly, If thy leaning be upon thy religious exer∣cises (of this also, as some mens way before.) This (sirs)

stood by the Pharisee, and he thought he might stand by it, Lu. 18.11. He stood and prayed; Let such a soule read Isai. 1. For all their duties, and the multitudes thereof, the Lord bitterly rejects them, as the men of Sodom, and people of Gomorrah, vers. 10. And tells them, he is weary of their services, verses 11.14. Calls them vain Ob∣lattions, vers. 13. And sure if it be vanity to bring them, then how much more vanity to lean upon them?

Fifthly, If thou leane upon thine Adventures for God; yea, though thou hast had prosperous successes therein. Many, many, lean here, and with a great deal of confi∣dence too. Come, see my zeal for the Lord, saith Jehu. Ma∣ny that fight the Cananites, &c. the Lords enemies; many that fight the Lords battels, shall never come to possesse the Lords Canaan: and truly we would thinke it great pitty, that any should make such fair adventures, and doe God such eminent service, and that the Devil should pay them their eternal wages; yet so too often it is, in those that think themselves, and indeed are eminent instru∣ments in the Lords hand, as Cyrus, as Jehu, as the Earth helping the woman against the Dragon, Rev. 12. Nay, per∣haps eminent dispencers of the Gospel to others, yet come themselves to be cast away. My beloved, I tremble to think what singular adventures they were engaged in, what signal successe they had, how confidently they leaned hereunto, how miserably their Pillar shrunk from under them, when they leaned upon it, and easily gave way to their going downe into hell, Mat. 7.22. Many shall say to me in that day, (marke, 'tis not a rare instance, this is a common leaning stock) Lord, Lord, (there is confidence) Have we not prophesied in thy name? (there is the adven∣ture) and in thy name have cast out Devils? (there is suc∣cesse) and in thy name done many wonderfull works, (there is the quantity of the adventures, and quality of the suc∣cesses.) And what followes, vers. 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me you that work iniquity. Ah! friends, this may make the best hear••

in our bosomes ake, if we have no more to leane to then this, to be able to say, I have been in these many battels for God and Religion; I have preached so many Ser∣mons, and done so much service in the Gospel; when all the worke is done, the Lord will not know us; that is, ac∣knowledge us, so as to pay us any other wages, then the wages of iniquity.

Sixthly, If thou leane unto thy Church-priviledges. If thou presume that thou art alive, because thou hast a name to live; and that surely God accepts thee, because men thinke well of thee; thou art judged worthy of Go∣spel-seales, and to be admitted into Gospel-fellowship, &c. And is this that which thou leanest unto? Verily this is but a rotten pillar. Sardis had a name to live, but was dead, Rev. 3.1. And God saith expresly, Jer. 7.4. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these: That is, Leane not to this, if you doe, you will find it a lye, it will deceive you, & vers. 8. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit. Nay read that Tremendous passage, Amos 6.1. Wo be unto them that are at ease in Sion, that trust in the Mountain of Samaria, that are named the chief of the Nations, unto whom the house of Israel came, &c. Sirs, It is priviledge unspeakable, and blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord; but if there be any of you, that shall grow lazy, and at ease, because they are in Sion, in a Church-way, and therefore thinke they are wel enough, leaning unto the Mountain of Samaria; wo, wo, unto such a soul.

Seventhly, Repentances and Reformations, are but rotten supports if leaned unto. They in Isai. 58. Leaned so much to their humblings, that they wondred God did not accept them, vers. 3. Wherefore have we afflicted our soules, and thou takest no knowledge? And in very deed they leaned so much, that God wonders that they should once thinke that he would accept them, ver. 5. Wilt thou call this a fast? an acceptable day to the Lord? Oh! how

might this qualme our heart from leaning upon such humblings, if we consider how different an estimate and value the Lord and we set upon them. Nay, my friends, there may be something done in good earnest by way of Reformation, that is not yet to be leaned unto: Some refor∣mado Drunkard may say perhaps, As long as I haunted Ale-houses, I could have no peace of conscience, but now I have left those courses, & grown civil, I can walk very quietly & calm∣ly: this is well that thou hast left off the practice of sins, that did once ensnare thee; but if thou stay here, or lean hereon, all is nothing, Mat. 12, 44. The house was empty, and swept, and garnished, (that is, it was voyded of sinne, reformed, and now had some garnish of civility, for∣mality, or the like;) but because it was emptied of the former uncleane spirit, and not filled with Christs spi∣rit; the first, in time returns. v. 45. and takes with him seven spirits worse then himselfe, and they enter, and dwell there, and the last estate is worse then the beginning: verily, this may well be called a repentance to be repented of. The poor man thinks, if his bad tenant such a corruption were out, it's no matter for getting Christ in; But godly sorrow worketh repentance, never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7.10. There are, it should seem, repentances to be repented of; and undoubtedly of this sort, is every repentance that you rest in, or lean upon.

Eighthly, If you lean upon the promises of God them∣selves, and not upon Jesus Christ in them; this will also come to nothing: Whence is it that you shall have so many soules bringing a promise to the throne of grace, and carrying so little away from it? I feare it is frequent∣ly from hence, because they leane unto promises, with∣out leaning to Christ in the promise. Thus you shall find the Jews in scripture, to leane much upon the promises of the Messiah, who when Christ came that was the Mes∣siah, him they rejected altogether. Thus many would willingly owne the promises, that will not leane upon Jesus Christ. But what saith the Spirit? 2 Cor. 1.20. All

the promises of God in Christ are yea, and in him, Amen: That is, the assurance, stability, certainty of them all stan∣deth in leaning upon Jesus Christ; He is the Yea, and A∣men of them. Now what a vanity would it be for a man to put a Paper in sute, which hath neither yea nor amen to it, neither hand nor seal to it? Sir, might he say to any man, These are your Articles, you know you wrote them: wrote them, saith the other: but who subscribed them? who sealed them? the Hand and Seal are the confirmation of the Bond, which without them, let it relate never so much, is worth nothing in Law, no wise man will leane to it, so vaine a thing is it to put any one promise into sute at the throne of Grace (because all the promises in Christ are Yea, and in him onely Amen) without leaning upon Christ in them: for indeed they say nothing, what ever they say, there is neither Yea, nor Amen in them; there's nothing affirmed to thee in them, nothing confirmed; neither hand nor seal to these Bonds, if thou have not Christ; therefore, thou hast no part nor portion in this mat∣ter.

Ninthly, Yea, though you should leane upon the God of promise, without leaning upon Christ in whom he hath promised, the Lord would reprove thee for making choice of himselfe, as an absolute God for thy Leaning-stock. You have some severely threatned by the Lord, that are yet said willingly to lean upon the Lord, Mich. 3.11. God was in Christ reconciling sinners to himselfe, and seek∣ing lost soules, 2 Cor. 5.19. Woe to them that come to him, not bringing this his Benjamin along with them. Lean not immediately, I mean without the Sonne, but by the Sonne upon the Father: for (as the Lord hath limited himselfe by his owne purpose and word of truth, where∣in it is impossible for God to lye.) God can do nothing for a poor lost soule, without Jesus Christ; therefore (to speake with all reverence and holy sobriety) to come to God without Christ for spiritual helpe or support, is to come to one that cannot helpe you, because he hath resol∣ved,

and said he will not; and it is uncomfortable lean∣ing where we are forbidden to expect reliefe. My Bre∣thren, it may be in great concernments, as needful for us to have interests in a great persons Secretary or Officer of his Seal, or his Lord privy Signet, or Master of Requests as to have favour from the Prince himselfe, because his Law and way, whereunto he in forraigne freedome, hath bound himself, is to dispatch such things by such officers, and by his Seal which is in his Officers keeping, and not to dispatch them otherwise; so that if one be supposed to come to such a King, and sue for the accomplishment of such a business, and do not bring the Officer with him, by which the King wil onely transact it, the King would put him off, and say, My Lord Keeper &c. is not in the way, and nothing can be done without him. Now Jesus Christ is the Lord Commissioner, and sole Commissioner of the broad seale of Heaven, the onely Master of Requests unto the great King of Glory; come then with as much confidence of Gods favour, (as those in Micah) even as it is possible for any Christlesse soule to have, the Lord will utterly reject thy sute, and turn thee backe, until thou look out the Lord Jesus Christ to come with thee unto the Fa∣ther; and thus much Christ himselfe hath told thee, No man comes to the Father but by me, Joh. 14.6. But why speake I thus mildly herein? Sirs, should you bring your Christlesse soules, and cast them upon the Throne of an absolute God for a resting place, having not made the Kings Chamberlain first your friend, (as they did in the Acts 12.20.) without making the Angel of his presence, the Lord Christ your friend: behold, Divine justice would immediately spie you out, and as soon cry out, Behold a REBELL in the Court, and so apprehend you, and im∣mediately deliver you to the Tormenter for ever; thus it was with them, Mich. 3.11. They will (by all means) lean upon the Lord; and yet this God, vers. 12. expresly declares, that he will plough them up, and make them to become heapes. Now friends, if God himselfe will not be

leaned upon out of Christ, what then shall poor Christlesse Creatures dare to leane unto? And thus much for removal of other leaning stocks.

Secondly, I come now to assert and propose Jesus Christ as the onely stay and stable support for lost soules to leane upon. And that upon this cleare and familiar e∣vidence. If you leane to any man in the world, what is it that perswades you to lean to him for any thing? to lean at all, or to him, rather then to any other? Why? these are the two, and onely two grounds. 1. His word of promise. 2. His power of performance. It were vaine to trust to a poor man that is not worth a groat, who it may be oweth thee a thousand pounds, & hath often promised it to thee, when he was able, but the man is now begger'd and thou knowest his beggery, to trust, I say, upon this money, and leane to to his payment, because there wants power of performance, though there want not promise. And it were a greater vanity for thee, to go to a rich man that is worth 40000 l. and leane upon him for a thousand pounds that never promised thee, or said that he would give thee so much as a farthing of it, because though he be able to performe what thou desirest, there lacks pro∣mise. But now when a man hath said, and engaged that he will give thee so much, and he is able to give it thee, and thou knowest him to be an honest man, this thou maist leane to, thou reckonest this as good as mo∣ney in thy Purse, thou buildest upon it, and trustest to it.

Now upon this account, I undertake to prove that Je∣sus Christ is immediately to be taken hold upon, and lea∣ned unto by lost soules, because he is alone. 1. The word of God. 2. The arme of God. He is the promise. He is the power of performance. He is Gods truth, and Gods strength Now whatever soule shall lean else-where, (yea though it be on God himselfe, out of Jesus Christ) leanes where there is no promise. 2. Where there is no power of per∣formance

(as I hinted before) but as for them that leane upon Christ, they have

1. The Lords Word Oath, Promise, & Covenant to lean upon. You have all these words in scripture applied unto Christ; you have this bundle of Mirrhe broken up, when God bringeth Christ into the world, Lu. 1. He hath raised up an horne of salvation in the house of David, ver. 69. As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began, ver. 70. To remember his mercy pro∣mised, and to remember his holy Covenant, ver. 72. The Oath which he sware, ver. 73. Christ is the Word, Promise, Covenant, and Oath of God: and now tell me, how canst thou leane upon God for salvation, upon any other account then this, his Word, Promise, Covenant, and Oath? Yea, so fundamental and express is this truth, that Gods Covenant is, that Christ alone shall be his Co∣venant; and Gods promise is, That Jesus Christ shall be his promise, Isai. 42.6. I will give thee for a Covenant to the people, so that if thou leane upon God in his Christ, thou leanest upon him in his Covenant, and thou hast nothing to do with his Covenant, unlesse thou lean upon him in his Christ.

Secondly, They that leane upon Christ, have the Lords power, as well as promise to ••ean unto. As the case stands, Gods power is in Christs hands. All power is gi∣ven unto me, saith Christ: And hence you have Christ called the strength of God, and therefore to be taken hold upon, or lean'd to. Let them take hold upon my strength, saith God, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace, Isai. 27.5. Stand off saith God, doe not leane upon me immediately, but upon my strength, that he may make peace with me; he hath power to reconcile you and me together: I will not, I can not doe any thing for you, unlesse he make peace with me, for he is my strength, therefore take hold; that is, leane upon him im∣mediately, and upon me reconciled and pacified in him.

Upon this account also you have Christ called, the Arme of the Lord, Isai. 53.1. To whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed; that is, To whom is Christ revealed? for in the next words he speakes clearly of Christ, and linketh that to vers. 1. For he shall grow up, &c. You had an He-strength in the former, you have an Hee-arme in this latter scripture, so Isai. 51.5. The Isles shall wait on me, on mine Arme shall they trust; that is, My Christ, for he speakes clearly of him there, and saith God, because he is mine Arme, therefore shall they trust on him, that is, leane unto him.

Notes

• The fourth main Doctrin, There is no salvation for lost soules, but onely by lean∣ing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
• In sustenta∣culum.
• Proof of the point.
• 1. Negative. By removal of other leaning stocks.
• Particularly these nine.
• 1. Leaning up∣on God as Creator.
• 2ly. Leaning upon the pro∣vidence of God.
• 3ly. Leaning upon Civility.
• 4ly. Leaning upon religious duty.
• 5ly. Leaning upon adven∣tures for God. or successes therein.
• 6ly. Leaning upon Church-priviledges.
• 7ly. Leaning upon repen∣tance & some Reformations.
• 8ly. Leaning upon the pro∣mises without Christ.
• 9ly. Leaning upon God himselfe out of Christ.
• 2ly. Positive proofe, by pro∣pounding Christ as the only leaning stock.
• 1. Because Christ is Gods word and Co∣venant.
• 2ly. Christ is Gods arme and power.