A vvilderness of trouble leading to a Canaan of comfort, or, The method and manner of God's dealing with the heirs of heaven in the ministry of the Word wherein is shewed how the Lord brings them into this trouble, supporteth them under it, and delivereth them out of it, so that none finally miscarry / by W. Crompton ...

Caution.

Yet first, Let none hereupon presume to live in Sin, and to mis-spend younger years vainly, upon this Ground. See what will follow, if you so do. Either you may be cut off even for that Sin of Presumption, & perish, before you come to be converted. As Mil•• Crotoniates, who was tearing asunder the Stock of an Oak, his Strength failed him, and the Stock closing, was held so fast by the hands, that he became a Prey to the Beasts of the Field: So may all the Abusers of Mercy be∣come a Prey to the Justice of God, that will rend and tear them in pieces, ere they are aware of it. If God's to day be too soon for thy Repentance, thy to morrow may be too late for his Acceptance. It is said by some, and justly feared by others, that many are now in Hell, who had such confused purposes and hopes, that they would and should be con∣verted, but the time was not yet come; their

Fancies were fill'd with fair Promises, while they suffered their Hearts to be carried away with the current of their unmortified Concu∣piscence. Or, if not so, yet the longer you go on in Sin, by so much the heavier, pain∣ful, and difficult, will your turning be▪ Old Sins, like an old Oak, are hardly to be re∣moved. Can a Man be born again when he is old? Where Satan pleads Antiquity, he usu∣ally pleads Propriety. And 'tis well known, the longer the Poison stayeth in the Stomach the more mortal it is. As a Disease, the longer it groweth, the harder will the Cure be; or as it is in a Journey, the further we go out of the way, the more Toil and Time will be required ere we get in again. Rejoice, O young Man, and play the Prodigal; yet know, for all this, God will bring thee to Judgment. Then thou must turn again by weeping Cross, or n••ver enter Heaven. Old Sinners are rare Converts. Grace is seldom grafted on such withered Stocks. Who can expect Water from a drained River? The common Pro∣verb is true, As is a Man's Life, so is his Death; a wicked Life, a cursed Death.

2. Let no Man judg his Brother, touching his final Estate. What he is at present, you may say; but what he will be, you cannot. Mount not into God's Chair; judg nothing before the time. It is the Office of Angels to sever Sheep from the Goats, the Tares from the Wheat. Those that undertake peremptorily

to determine of Mens final Estates, they know not what Spirit they are of; with the Sons of Zebedee, they take too much upon them; with the Sons of Levi, they understand not what they say, or whereof they affirm, with those Impostors in Timothy. Indeed, it is a kind of Apostacy and Rebellion against God's Providence, to judg without calling God to be a President into our Council. As was in∣timated before; we may judg the Tree by its Fruit, leaving the final Doom to the Searcher of all Hearts: censure him for the present to be God's Enemy, and in a most wretched Estate; but leave him under the charitable Influence of Heaven. Suppose thy Neigh∣bour be now wild, he may hereafter be tamed; he is now unclean, hereafter he may be washed, as the Corinthians were; he is now intemperate, he may be sober; there is Blood and Merit e∣nough in Christ. Of great Sinners the Lord hath and can make great Saints, to be so much the more zealous for God in his Service, as they have been desperately mad and furious in the service of their own Lusts. Let all Men in hope attend upon all Means constant∣ly; if one Means work not, another may; if it work not now, it may anon. Who knoweth what a day may bring forth? Neg∣lect no Means, delay no Duty, and still re∣member to crave God's blessing upon all. For as it followeth in a third Observation,

Doct. 3. No secondary Means can avail to work Grace, without a concurrence of the first Cause.

Means are used for the reducing of Israel, Prophets were sent, and divers Rods laid up∣on them; yet the Lord addeth, I will allure her. Without his helping hand there is no success to be expected. Means cannot turn or encline themselves to our help, unless God turn, encline, and command them. If God do not act and use them, the Instruments can do nothing. It was not the Clay and the Spittle that cured the blind Man, but Christ's anointing his eyes with them. What Music can the Organ Pipes make without breath? Paul may plant, and Apollos may water; but God giveth the increase. The reason is, because they are not natural Agents, working by in∣herent Virtue, but ordained thereunto, and qualified by an higher hand. He that chose them, maketh them effectual. According as God is pleased to work, or not to work; so they prove Assistances, or not Assistances to us. All the means in the World, in them∣selves considered, are but as a Mill, which grinds not the Corn, unless the Wind come to it; or like a Dial, on which if the Sun shine, it may direct us, but if the Sun lies under a Cloud, it is of no present use to us: So if God hold off from the means, if he breath not up∣on

them, and cast not a lively Influence into them, they can do nothing for us. Means are not absolute Lords of their own Ope∣rations, but subordinate Agents, and depend upon God, as for being, so for operation or restraint. As a Master, that puts a rich Cabi∣net of Jewels into his Servant's Chamber, but keepeth the Key himself; none of the Jewels can be given out, but by his will and ap∣pointment: In like manner, God hath put an aptness in the means to do us good, yet him∣self keeps the Key, to give out according to to his good pleasure. Ʋnde tanta virtus Aquae, ut Corpus tangat, & Cor abluat, nisi faciente Verbo? Whence hath Water such power, by touching the Body to wash the Heart, but from the Word? Aug.

Hence it may be concluded,

1. That all Means must be used. We have God himself for a Pattern: he could enlighten us without the Sun, and afford Fruit without the Earth; but he will have his creatures ope∣rate; and so we are commanded to serve Di∣vine Providence, and to leave the Issue to him. Man goes not to Heaven, as the Ship moves in the Tide, whether the Master sleeps or wakes. We must with the skilful Mari∣ner, have our Eyes on the Stars, and our Hands on the Stern. Provided still, that the right means be used, hearing of the Word preached, Receipt of the Sacraments, Medi∣tation, and Prayer, that the Lord would be

pleased graciously to add his Influence, that thereby Grace may be begun, and strengthned in the several Acts thereof; because the Lord will not work by any means but such as are of his own appointment. Naaman must be cleansed by washing in Jordan, a River in Is∣rael; not in Abana or Parphar, Rivers in Da∣mascus. Now the forementioned means are of the Lord's appointment, as may be read in Isa. 55.3. Rom. 10.17. 2 Tim. 2.7. Jam. 1.5. And as you must use the right, so you must be careful to use them as Means, that is,

First; Subordinately, with respect to the Lord, upon whose hand and blessing the whole depends.

2dly. Regularly, with respect to those Di∣rections set down in Scripture, which are principally such as follow, viz.

1. Diligently, both in regard of frequency of Action, and fervency of Spirit; as Men are diligent in such matters whereby their Lives might be preserved. To this is the Promise made, Ask, seek, knock. Such a di∣ligent Hand maketh rich. Be stedfast, unmove∣able, always abounding in the Work of the Lord. Therefore David prays, Quicken us, O Lord, that we may call upon thy Name, Psal. 80.18. Therefore we have Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept, to provoke our diligence. A Neglect, or careless use of the means, is little better in the sight of God, than contempt of

the means, yea, of Himself. He that despiseth you, despiseth me.

2. Opportunely, and seasonably. Every one hath his day, there is an acceptable hour, when the Lord will be entreated, while God calls and waits, while Grace is dispensed. Days of Grace have their dates. The Vision is for an appointed time, Hab. 2.3. What the Prophet said of the Prophetical Vision, may be said of other Divine Dispensations. The Means of Grace have their Limits. Prov. 1.24▪ Because I called, and ye resused, &c. Therefore will I laugh at your Calamity, &c. Whoso∣ever steps in when the Angel moves the Wa∣ters, shall be healed. Neglect not any oppor∣tunity, as many do. The Loss of Opportu∣nity is an irrecoverable Loss. Say not, we shall meet with enough hereafter; a day pas•• cannot be recalled. Every thing is beautiful in its season. God takes delays for refusals. Saul lost his Kingdom, by not discerning his Time. Archimedes drew lines so long in the dust, till his City was taken, and the Souldi∣ers brake in upon him, and slew him: So many that have thoughts of Repentance lose their precious Souls by sinful delays Consider the foolish Virgins, and be wise. Let not such a Sun set on Earth, by the Beams o•• which you should walk to Heaven.

3. Entirely; submitting to all means o•• Salvation, even those which to human Reason seem weak and mean, yea, contrary to ou••

proud Capacities, and the bent of our Affecti∣ons. He that will be saved, must deny his own Will, crucify his own Affections, capti∣vate his own Imaginations, resign up his own Desire and Pleasure, give up his Heart as a Blank, that God may write down what he shall please. Man must not be Funambulus Virtutum, to use Tertullian's Phrase, go in a narrow Tract of Obedience, pick and chuse what he will do, and what not; follow God only in such Duties as will suit with himself, and no further. There must be an illimited Resolution for all the ways of Salvation. To slight any, is to slight the Author.

4. It must be sincerely and constantly used in obedience to God's command, leaving the Lord free for time and measure. Confine not the Holy one, no not in your thoughts or de∣sire. Limit him not to time or means, [Deus non alligat gratiam Sacramentis] further than he is pleased to confine and limit himself. It was a bold carriage of Popilius, the Roman Ambassador, towards Antiochus, when he drew a Circle round about him, and bad him give answer ere he stirred out of it, for he would be put off no longer. Men are more bold than welcom to God, who dare to set him bounds, where he hath left himself free. Learn to wait for him; you shall reap, if you faint not. Attend in the Morning, and absent not thy self at evening; thou knowest not whether this, or that, or both may prosper. Leave

not off, because thou prevailest not at once or twice; He that endureth to the end, shall be saved. Importunity prevails at length, no Oratory like to it.

2. It may be concluded hence, that we may not rest on the means. A Man may put his Hand, but not his Heart on them. God commands the one, but forbids the other. Noah's Dove might make use of her Wings to fly, but trusted only to the Ark; a Man useth his Feet to go over a Bridg, but trusteth to the Bridg for safety. Christians may and must walk and fly with the Wings of Obedience, but in the mean time they must trust to the Ark, to the Bridg, Christ, to carry and lead them over the devouring Sea of Destruction; otherwise they rob God of his Honour [like Michal, who put an Image in David's room, they put the Means in the room of God] and themselves of the Help and Comfort. To advance the Means above their place, is a most compendious way to render them useless, to make the River a barren Wilderness; as to lay too much weight upon the Pillars raised by any Man's hands, is the way to pull the whole Frame upon their Heads: That Stomach will r••main unsatisfied, that feeds on the Dish instead of the Meat. Nothing can avail without God's blessing. After all, to him we must fly, and on him we must wait, till he be pleased to bestow what he offers; and of this

we may be assured in his time, because as it follows in the fourth and last Observation hence: Viz.

Doct. 4. That the Lord is earnest in his Offer of Grace to all under the Means; so that if any perish, it is through their own default.

Behold, I will allure, and I will speak. He meaneth what he saith indefinitely, and will do what he meaneth, unless Men turn the deaf ear, and through stubborn resistance ex∣clude themselves. As it fares with some Per∣sons, who are wilfully set to destroy them∣selves, notwithstanding they have many ex∣cellent Remedies and Means to the con∣trary.

This Point will appear two ways.

1. From the truth of the Means designed by the Lord for such an end. The Means are for the End, and the End is as truly and more really intended than the Means, if I may so speak. Now it is certain and presupposed, that the Lord is earnest in the Means, there∣fore much more in the end. A Man may love the End for it self, but the Means are ever chosen and loved for the End. I cannot see how it can stand with the Wisdom and Goodness of God, to be earnest in the Means, and not to intend the End; or to offer that to any, which he hath no purpose to give. The

Lord never said to the Seed of Jacob, Seek ye my Face in vain. But whoso doth seek him in the use of means, shall find him.

2. It appears from the qualification of the Means.

1. It is proportioned to the Nature of a reasonable Creature. The Lord works not upon Men, as on Blocks or Brutes, or on the Stars, who being irrational, and uncapable of acting by any Rule, are therefore acted, and run their Course by the mighty Word of God's Power, they live of the Spirit's Omnipotency, and immediate Acts. But on Men he work∣eth as upon Creatures endued with under∣standing and Will; he enlightneth, allureth, speaketh unto the Heart, and persuadeth by such Arguments and Motives, as cannot be gain∣said. A Sign that the Lord doth really intend what he doth pretend.

2. It is followed close with Precepts, en∣joining them Constancy in the use of such means, pressing Line upon Line, day after day, here a little, and there a little; and divers Promises of acceptance and success. See those pathetical and affectionate Expressi∣ons, which hold forth not only his Will, but the strength and height of it in this matter. Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord; then the Ingemination of it, Turn ye, turn ye, with a vehement expostulation, Why will ye die? And in divers other places. Which does assure us, that the Lord doth really purpose what he

speaks, and is more ready to give, than Man is to accept. We are Ambassadors for Christ, as if God did beseech you by us; we pray in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. And who can think or say, he doth not desiré our Recon∣ciliation? It is highly injurious to conclude, Deum non sincerè velle, quod se velle dicit, sub conditione: That God doth not truly and re∣ally will what he saith and willeth, under the conditions of Faith and Repentance. What Comfort or encouragement is there for a poor Sinner to come home to God, if this fail? In and from whom these three Grounds are required.

1. That he be persuaded of God's love un∣to him, that he willeth indeed his Health and Safety in particular.

2. That the Terms on which he willeth it, are the Conditions of the new Covenant, Faith and Repentance.

3. That an unfeigned submission to God's own Ordinances, is the right and ready way to enable the Soul to perform these Conditions, and so to attain the End. Whoso would be saved, must be well grounded and throughly persuaded of this.

And so much for the first thing mentioned in the beginning. The second and third fol∣low, which contain the main Business inten∣ded, and are the Marrow of the Text. Viz.