hath all; he can desire no more; he can seek no more; for what can the man want that is complete in him?
6. There is here that which will answer all the objections of a soul; and these sometimes are not few. If they say they cannot know the way to the Father, then he is the truth to instruct and teach them that, and so to enter them into it. And if they say they cannot walk in that way, nor advance in it one step, but will faint and sit up, succumb and fall by; he answereth that he is the life, to put life and keep life in them, and to cause them to walk, by putting a new principle of life in them, and breathing of new on that principle.
O thrice happy they who have fled to him for refuge! It is easy for them to answer all objections and cavils of Satan, and of a false heart. It is easy for them to put Christ to answer all. And, on the other hand, who can tell the misery of such as are strangers to Jesus? How shall their wants be made up? How shall they answer challenges, accusations, temptations, doubts, fears, objections, and discouragements, cast up in their way?
Oh! should not this endear the way of the gospel to us, and make Christ precious unto us! Is it not a wonder that such an all-sufficient mediator, who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him, should be so little regarded and sought unto; and that there should be so few that embrace him, and take him as he is offered in the gospel.
How can this be answered in the day of accounts? What excuse can unbelievers now have? Is not all to be found in Christ that their case calleth for? Is he not a complete mediator, thoroughly furnished with all necessaries? Is not the riches of his fulness written on all his dispensations? The mouths, then, of unbelievers, must be for ever stopped.
CHAPTER III.
HOW CHRIST IS THE WAY IN GENERAL, "I AM THE WAY."
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ in reference to unbelievers, as occasion offereth, because this will help to clear the other.
Before we can clear up how any can make use of Christ, we must speak something of their necessity of him, and of his being furnished fitly, fully, richly, and satisfyingly for their case; and this will make the way of use-making of Christ more plain.
While Christ then says, "I am the Way," he points out those things to us:
1. That man is now estranged from the Lord, and in a wandering condition: He hath departed from God, he is revolted and gone. "They are all gone out of the way," Rom. iii. 12. "They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies," Psal. lviii. 3.
2. Nay, not only so, but we love naturally to wander and to run away from God, as Jeremiah complaineth of that wicked people, Jer. xiv. 10. Naturally, with "the dromedary, we traverse our ways," Jer. ii. 23, and run hither and thither, but never look towards him. Nay, we are like those spoken of, Job xxi. 14. "We desire not the knowledge of his ways, we will have none of him," Psalm lxxxi. 11; nor "of his reproofs," Prov. i. 30.
Oh, how sad is this! And yet how is it more sad, that this is not believed, nor once considered. And that it is not believed, is manifest; for,
1. How rare is it to meet with persons that are not very well pleased and satisfied with themselves and their condition? They thank the Lord it was aye well with them. They have no complaints. They see no wants nor necessities. They wonder what makes folk complain of their condition, of their evil heart, or of their hazard and danger. They understand not these matters.
2. Do we not find people very quiet and at rest, though they remain in the congregation of the dead, Prov. xxi. 16. They sleep in a sound skin, because they see no hazard. The thoughts of their condition never bereave them of one night's rest: No challenges have they; all is at peace with them, for the strong man keeps the house.
3. How rare is it to find people exercised about this matter, and busied with it in their thoughts, either while alone, or while in company with others; or once seriously thinking and considering of it, yea, or so much as suspecting the matter?
4. How rare is it to see any soul broken in heart, and humbled because of this; who is walking under this as under a load; whose soul is bleeding under the consideration of this! Is there any mourning for this?
5. Where is that to be heard, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" How shall we enter into the right way? Where is that good old way, that we may walk in it? Few such questions and cases troubling consciences; and no wonder, for a deep sleep is upon them.
6. How cometh it then, that the pointing forth of the way is so little hearkened unto? Sure were this natural condition perceived, a report of the sure and safe way would be much more welcome than it is: Christ by his messengers would not be put to cry so often in vain, "This is the way, turn in hither."
Here is enough to convince of this ignorance and insensibleness; but it is his Spirit, which "convinceth the world of sin," John xvi. that must bear home this conviction.
Secondly, It pointeth out to us this, that "the way of man is not in himself," Jer. x. 23, that is, that nothing, he can do can or will prove a way to him to the Father: For Christ is the Way, as excluding all other means and ways. And that man can do nothing to help himself into the way, is clear; for,
1. "His way is darkness," Prov. iv. 14. He knoweth no better, he is satisfied therewith; there he sleepeth and resteth.
2. He cannot nor doth not desire to return. He hateth to be reformed.
3. Yea, he thinketh himself safe; no man can convince him of the contrary: The way he is in "seemeth right to him, though the end thereof be death;" Prov. xiv. 12, and xvi. 25.
4. Every man hath his own particular way to which he turneth, Isaiah liii, 6; some one thing or other that he is pleased with, and that he thinks will abundantly carry him through, and there resteth he; and what these ordinarily are, we shall hear presently.
5. In this his way, which yet is a false way, "he trusteth," Hosea x. 13, he leaneth upon it, little knowing that it will fail him at length, and that he and his hope and confidence shall perish.
Is it not strange then to see men and women "gading about to seek their way," as it is said, Jer. ii. 36. as if they could find it out; or as if they could of themselves fall upon the way. What a lamentable sight is it, to see people "wearying themselves with very lies," Ezek. xxiv. 12; "and wearied in the multitude of their own counsels," Isaiah xlvii. 15.
But what are those false and lying ways which men weary themselves in, and all in vain; and which they chuse and trust unto, and yet are not the way which will prove safe and sure?
Ans. It will not be easy to reckon them all up, we shall name some that are principal and most ordinary; such as,
1. Good purposes and resolutions, with which many deceive themselves, supposing that to be all which is required: And, alas! all their purposes are like to Ephraim's goodness—like the early cloud and morning dew that soon evanisheth;
