CHRIST, A REFRESHFUL SHADOW IN A

WEARY LAND.*

SERMON XXII.

ISA. xxxii. 2. And a man fhall be—as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

THE

HIS prophecy relates to Hezekiah, to his happy and pious government; but doubtlefs a greater than Hezekiah is here, and that is Jefus Chrift, the King of faints. This world, before fin entered into it, had always a clear sky; there was not an air of peftilential wind to blow upon them that were travelling through it to Immanuel's land. But fince fin entered, the cafe is quite altered; ftrong winds of trouble blow, tempefts of heavy rain fall; there are inundations in the world, as the word is; it is a dry place; in refpect of comfort, it is a weary land; but though a weary land, it is not altogether without fome comforting profpect. A fhadow and fhelter is prepared for the weary traveller; for it is promised in the text, And a man VOL. I. G g fball *This and the following Difcourfe delivered Auguft

1715.

fball be-as the fhadow of a great rock in a weary land. In which words, there is obfervable,

1. What the world is fpiritually to Chrift's fubjects, the people of God, a weary land; that is, a thirsty land, a scorching country, a ftormy place, with many inconveniences, which make travellers weary and faint. It is a wilderness, wherein there is no water, but a vehement heat, which makes people weary, and long for shelter and refreshment.--Observe,

2. What Chrift is to them there, as the fhadow of a great rock. How pleasant is a fhelter in fuch a place to the weary traveller! Such is Chrift to his people in the world. There are many fhelters, there is even the shadow of created comforts; but, alas! they are unsubstantial shades; they are as the shade of a tree through which the fun, wind, or rain beats. But Chrift is as the fhadow of a rock, which none of these can pierce; and as a great rock, which gives a large fhelter; fo that there they have a perfect repofe, blow what weather will. The text affords us this

DOCTRINE, That Chrift is a fuitable fhade, and a refreshing shelter, for those to whom the world is a weary land.

For illuftrating this doctrine, it is proposed, I. To fhew what is implied in the text.

II. To inquire in what refpects the world is a weary land to the faints.

III. To point out in what respects Jefus Chrift is a fuitable and refreshful fhade and fhelter to them in a weary land.

IV. Conclude with a practical improvement.

WE

We are, then,

I. To fhew what is implied in the text.-It imports,

1. That the world is not our dwelling-place, but the place through which we are travelling. This world is but a thorough-fare to another, where we come in at our birth, walk through in our life, and go out again at death. Many imagine but two fixed points in the universe, the higher and the lower, and that bodies are revolving in continual motion towards one or other of these, heaven and hell. The godly are going out of the world in affection, Song, iv. 8.; the wicked, in action, though not in affection; none are abiding.--It imports,

2. That there is no correcting of the ill air of the world; a fhade and fhelter may be had in it, but to reduce it to its firft temperature, that it may be indeed a pleasant land, is not promised, and therefore cannot be expected. The winds of trouble muft blow in it, while there are fuch treafures of fin in it to bring them forth. While our provocations against Heaven gather into clouds, there will be tempeftuous rains of calamities in it. The godly may lay their account with this: John, xvi. 33. "In the world ye fhall have tribulation," And the carnal world need not lay their account by it: Job, v. 7. "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the fparks fly upwards."-It imports,

3. That, foul or fair weather, we must fet out our heads, and through the weary land we must go; there is no other way but to take our fhare of what may be going on in it. He that would stop till the fky clear, may with as good reafon fit down and wait till the water run out, that he may get through the river dry-fhod; the laft may be fooner expected than the first.-It imports,

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4. That

4. That the travelling through it will try our ftrength; take what way we will, we cannot mifs fometimes to be entangled in the wilderness, and to be wearied in it, though the heart were fo glewed to it, as never to be wearied of it. The winds, the rains, and the storms, that blow there, will bear heavy on us, fo as that we will need a refting, a refreshing place.--It imports,

5. That nothing lefs than the great rock will be a fufficient fhelter in this weary land; no folid peace or repofe out of Chrift, more than there was out of the ark when the deluge came on. The winds and ftorms will blow down, or blow through, all other fhades which men make to themselves in the weary land: Ifa. xxviii. 17. "And the hail fhall fweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters fhall overflow the hiding-place." Flying from one mischief, while they flee not to the great rock, they fhall fall into another: Amos, v. 19. " As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the houfe, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a ferpent bit him."-It imports,

6. That Chrift is a fufficient fhelter, however weary a land the world be: John, xvi. 33. "These things I have fpoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye fhall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Be the ftorms or heats as great as they will, he is as a great rock; and from him, though the troubles may be great, yet they may expect a great falvation. They will always be fafe who are under the fhade of the great rock, through which neither heats nor ftorms can pierce : Pfal. xciii. 4. "The Lord on high is mightier than the noife of many waters; yea, than the mighty waves of the fea." It is impoffible they can be greater than they have been; nay, they can never

be

be fo great as once they were, when from heaven, earth, and hell, at once they blew upon Christ. Yet he bore them, bore up under them, bore them off his people; even as the heats and rains fall on the rock, while thofe under its fhade are kept fafe. It imports,

Lastly, That the weary world makes Christ more precious to finners than otherwife he would be: If the traveller were not scorched with heat, or toffed with tempefts, he would never look near the rock. Eafe in the world, is the neck-break of many. But it is well for the church and people of God, that the world is a ftep-dame to them; were they better entertained in the world's house,, they would more feldom knock at God's door.-We now proceed,

II. To fhew in what refpects the world to the people of God is a weary land.--It is so, because,

1. The wind blowing in the traveller's face makes any land a weary land to him; and in this world, there is a wind of ordinary trouble, that is feldom if ever down, but blowing especially in the face of the travellers to Zion: Matth. vi. 34. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Sometimes it blows away the man's cafe, blafts his reputation, blows away his worldly goods, his health, his relations, &c. It blows fo, that he is fure of nothing he has, unless it be Christ in him, the hope of glory. And the travellers must lay their account with this. This cannot fail but make the world a weary land. But the foul may find a calm under Chrift's fhadow, as Hannah did, when the poured out her foul before the Lord, 1 Sam. i, 16. Praying in faith is a great eafe to a heart uneafy under trouble: Matth. vii. 7. "Afk, and it shall be given you; feek, and ye shall find; knock,

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