formal hypocrite by an external reformation and yet still retains his propriety in them Mat. 12. 43 44. For that departure is indeed no more than a politick retreat Many that shall never escape the damnation of hell have yet escaped the pollutions of the world and that by the knowledge of the Son of God 2 Pet. 2. 20. Doth the Spirit of the Lord produce that glorious and supernatural work of faith in convinced and humbled souls in this also the hypocrite apes and imitates the believer Acts 8. 13. Then Simon himself believed also Luke 8. 13. These are they which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away Doth the precious eye of faith discovering the transcendent excellencies that are in Christ inflame the affections of the believing soul with vehement desires and longings after him Strange motions of heart have also been found in hypocrites towards Christ and heavenly things Iohn 6. 34. Lord evermore give us this bread Mat. 25. 8. Give us of your oyl for our lamps are gone out With what a rapture was Balaam transported when he said Let me dye the death of the righteous and my last end be like his Numb 23. 10. Doth the work of faith in some believers bear upon its top branches the full ripe fruits of a blessed assurance Lo What strong confidences and high-built perswasions of an interest in God have sometimes been found even in unsanctified ones Ioh. 8. 54. Of whom you say that he is your God and yet ye have not known him To the same height of confidence arrived those vain souls mentioned in Rom. 2. 19. Yea so strong may this false assurance be that they dare boldly venture to go to the judgment seat of God and there defend it Mat. 7. 22. Lord Lord have we not prophecyed in thy name Doth the Spirit of God fill the heart of the assured believer with joy unspeakable and full of glory giving them through faith a prelibation or foretaste of heaven it self in those first fruits of it How near to this comes that which the Apostle supposes may be found even in Apostates Heb. 6. 8 9. who are there said to taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come What shall I say if real Christians delight in Ordinances those that are none may also delight in approaching to God Ezek. 33. 32. It may be you will say though the difference be not easily discernable in their active obedience yet when it shall come to suffering there every eye may discern it the false heart will then flinch and cannot brook that work And yet even this is no infallible rule neither for the Apostle supposes that the Salamander of hypocrisie may live in the very flames of Martyrdom 1 Cor. 13. 3. If I give my body to be burnt and have not charity And it was long since determined in this cafe Non paena sed causa facit Martyrem so that without controversie the difficulty of distinguishing them is very great And this difference will yet be more subtile and undiscernable if I should tell you that as in so many things the hypocrite resembles the Saint so there are other things in which a real Christian may act too like an hypocrite When we find a Pharoah confessing an Herod practising as well as hearing a Iudas preaching Christ an Alexander ventring his life for Paul and on the other side shall find a David condemning that in another which he practised himself an Hezekiah glorying in his riches a Peter dissembling and even all the Disciples forsaking Christ in an hour of trouble and danger O then how hard is it for the eye of man to discern betwixt chaff and wheat how many upright hearts are now censured whom God will clear how many false hearts are now approved whom God will condemn men ordinarily have no clear convictive proofs but only probable symptoms which at most can beget but a conjectural knowledge of anothers state And they that shall peremptorily judge either way may possibly wrong the generation of the upright or on the other side absolve and justifie the wicked And truly considering what hath been said it is no great wonder that dangerous mistakes are so frequently made in this matter But though man cannot the Lord both can and will perfectly discriminate them The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. He will have a day perfectly to sever the tares from the wheat to melt off the varnish of the most resplendent and refined hyocrite and to blow off the ashes of infirmities which have covered and obscured the very sparks of sincerity in his people He will make such a division as was never yet made in the world how many divisions soever there have been in it And then shall men indeed return and discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mean while my soul thou canst not better imploy thy self whether thou be sound or unsound than in making these reflections upon thy self REFLECTIONS ANd is this so then Lord pardon the rashness and precipitancy of my censorious spirit for I have often boldly anticipated thy judgment and assumed thy prerogative although thou hast said Why dost thou judge thy brother and why dost thou set at nought thy brother we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ for it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God Let ut not therefore judge one another any more Rom. 14. 10 11 12 13. And again He that judgeth me is the Lord. Let us therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 4 5. What if God will own some of them for his Sons to whom I refuse to give the respect of brethren I may pass hasty and headlong censures upon others but where is my commission for so doing I want not only a commission but fit qualifications for such a work as this Can I pierce into the heart as God can I infallibly discover the hidden motives ends and principles of actions Besides O my soul thou art conscious of so much falsness in thy self that were there no other consideration that alone might rest in a thee from all uncharitable and hasty censures If others knew but what I know of my self would they not judge as severely of me as I do of others Though I may not judge the final state of another yet I may and ought to judge the state of my own soul which is doubtless a more necessary and concerning work to me For since every saving grace in a Christian hath its counterfeit in the hypocrite how needful is it for thee O my soul to make a stand here and solemnly to
awakening to consider the state of their souls whether in grace or in nature to others for their instruction consolation and encouragement in the wayes of grace as also of their proficiency and growth in those wayes That the blessing of the Lord and the breathings of his good Spirit may go out with it for all those gracious purposes is the hearts desire and prayer of him who is Christian Reader A sincere well-wisher to thy precious and immortal soul IOSEPH CARYL To his Reverend and learned Friend Mr. Iohn Flavell on his Spiritual Navigation and Husbandry LEtters of Mart of his dear Servant given By him that fists the ruffling winds of heaven To fight and take all such as would not daign T' acknowledge him the Seas great Soveraign He lanch'd his little Pinace and began T'attaque the vassals of Leviathan Auspicious gales swelling his winged Sails Searches all creeks and every Bark he hails That scarce a Ship our Western Coasts afford Which this brave Pinace hath not laid aboard And what among our riddles some might count Was seen at once at Barwick and the Mount Yea in more Ports hath in one lustre been Than Hawkins Drake or Cavendish have seen And Prizes of more worth brought home again Than all the Plate-Fleets of the Kings of Spain But that which makes the wonder swell the more Those whom he took were Beggars all before But rests he here No no our friend doth know 'T is good to have two strings unto his Bow Our rare Amphibion loves not to be pent Within the bounds of one poor Element Besides the learned Author understood That of an idle hand there comes no good The Law to him no Pulpit doth allow And now he cannot Preach he means to Plow Though Preaching were a crime yet the foresaw Against the Plowman there could be no Law Nor stayes he on resolves but out of hand He yoaks his Teem plows up the stubborn Land Sows it with precious Seed harrows again The tougher clods takes pleasure in his pain Whilst Orph'us like which doth his Art advance Rocks Fields and Woods after his pipe do dance Industrious spirit to what a rich account With thy blest Lord will all these labours mount That every nerve of thy blest soul dost ply To further heavens Spiritual Husbandry This kind of Tillage which thou teachest us Was never dreamt of by Triptolemus Go Reader turn the leaves and me allow To pray whilst at thy work God speed the Plow NICHOLAS WATTS In Authoris OPERA LEt Paracelsius and Van-Helmonts name No more ride triumph on the wings of fame Lo here 's a Chymist whose diviner skill Doth hallowed from unhallow'd things distil Spiritualizeth Sea affairs agen Makes the rude ground turn Tutor unto men Shews Mariners as by a Compass how They may unto the Port of Glory row Teacheth the Plowmen from their work to know What duties unto God and man they ow. Rare Artist who when many tongues are mute Mak'st things that are inanimate confute The Ages sins by preaching unto eyes Truths which in other modes their ears despise Prosper his pious Labours Lord howe'r Do not forget to crown the labourer Sic raptim canit DAN CONDY To his Reverend and Invaluable Friend Mr. I. F. upon his Husbandry Spiritualized INgenious Sir what do I see what now Are you come from the Pulpit to the Plow If so then pardon me if I profess The Plow deserves to be sent to the Press 'T is not long since you went to Sea they say Compos'd a Compass which directs the way And steers the course to heaven O blest Art And bravely done that you did that impart To us who take it kindly at your hand And bless the Lord that you are come to Lord. To be an Husbandman wherein your skill With admiration doth your Readers fill One grain will yield increase it 's ten times ten When th' earth's manur'd by such Husbandmen We may expect rich harvests and full crops When heavenly dew descendeth in such drops Of spiritual rain to water every field That it full helps of grace to God may yield I must adore the wisdom of that God That makes men wise who even from a clod Of earth can raise such heavenly Meditation Unto a pitch of highest elevation Besides I mark the goodness of the Lord Performing unto us his faithful Word That all shall work for good unto the Saints Which in some measure lessens our complaints For though our Pulpit mercies be grown less We have some gracious helps yet from the Press And herein all the world may plainly see That faithful servants will not idle be We have some bricks although the straw be gone The Church at last shall be of polisht stone What ever men or Devils act or say Sion at last will have a glorious day The wretched muck-worm that from morn to night Labours as if 't were for an heavenly weight And when he hath got all he can the most Amounts to little more than a poor crust To feed his tired carkase if himself Have by his carking got a little pelf Leave it he must to one he knows not whom And then must come to eternal doom And hear his poor neglected wretched soul Tell him at last that he hath play'd the fool But here he 's taught how he before he dye May lay up treasure for eternity Wherein he may be rich yea much much more Than they that do possess whole mines of Oar. When earth 's more worth than heaven gold than grace Then let the worldling run his bruitish race But not before unless he do intend To meet with soul-destruction in the end But I must leave him and return again To gratulate the author for his pain And here I can't forbear to let my pen To tell the world of all the Husbandmen That er'e I met he he hath hit the vein To recompense the Labourers hard pain And taught him how to get the greatest gain Wherein he treads a path not trod before By which indeed his skill appears the more I might Encomiums give him great and true And yet come short of what 's his due But I must not walk in forbidden wayes For thereby I am sure I should displease His pious mind who doth and freely can Give all the praise to the great Husbandman Who will his graces in his servants own But doth expect himself to wear the Crown Farewel dear Sir In take my leave and now Will say no more but this God speed the plow EDWARD IEFFERY Reader this Emblem darkly represents The Books chief scope and principall contents Yet since these Birds Beasts Heart Stone String and Tree Doe more imply than at first glance you see Our courteous Muse which cannot be unkinde Intends more plainly to divulge her minde You see the Shadows would you see the Things She couches under them then view her Wings A gracious heart here learns the art Of soaring up on high Upon the Wings
spareth his own son that serves him Mal. 3. 17. Heark how his bowels yearn I have surely heard Ephraim bemâ—aning himself it not Ephraim my dear son is he not a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still I will surely have mercy on him Ier. 31. 20. Doth he not know thy life would be altogether useless to him if he should not restore thee what service art thou fit to perform to him in such a condition Thy dayes will consume like smoak whilst thy heart is smitten and withered like grass Psal. 102. 3 4. Thy months will be months of vanity they will fly away and see no good Iob 7. 3. If he will but quicken thee again then thou must call upon his name Psal. 80. 18. but in a dead and languishing condition thou art no more fit for any work of God than a sick man is for manual labours and surely he hath not put those precious and excellent graces of his Spirit within thee for nothing they were planted there for fruit and service and therefore doubtless he will revive thee again Yea dost thou not think he sees thine inability to bear such a condition long he knows thy Spirit would fail before him and the soul which he hath made Isa. 57. 16. David told him as much in the like condition Psal. 143. 7 8. Hear me speedily O Lord for my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto those that go down into the pit q. d. Lord make hast and recover my languishing soul otherwise whereas thou hast now a sick child thou wilt shortly have a dead child And in like manner Iob expostulated with him Iob 6. 1 2 3 11 12 My grief is heavier than the sand of the Sea my words are swallowed up for the arrows of the Almighty are within me and the poyson thereof drinks up my spirits the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me what is my strength that I should hope is my strength the strength of stones or are my bones of brass So Chap. 7. 12. Am I a Sea or a Whale c. Other troubles a man may but this he cannot bear Prov. 18. 14. And therefore doubtless seasonable and gracious revivings will come He will not stir up all his wrath for he remembers thou art but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Psal. 78. 38. 39. He hath wayes enough to do it if he do but unvail his blessed face and make it thine again upon thee thou art saved Psal. 80. 3. the manifestations of his love will be to thy soul as showers to the parched grass thy soul that now droops and hanges the wing shall then revive and leap for joy Isa. 61. 1. A new face shall come upon thy graces they shall bud again and blossom as a Rose if he do but send a spring of auxiliary grace into thy soul to actuate the dull habits of inherent grace the work is done then shalt thou return to thy first works again Rev. 2. 4 5. and sing as in the dayes of thy youth REFLECTIONS O this is my very case saith many a poor Christian thus my soul languishes and droops from day to day 't is good new indeed that God both can and will restore my soul but sad that I should fall into such a state How unlike am I to what once I was Surely as the old men wept when they saw how short the second Temple came of the glory of the first so may I sit down and weep bitterly to consider how much my first love and first duties excelled the present For. Is my heart so much in heaven now as it was wont to be Say O my soul dost thou not remember when like the beloved Disciple thou layest in Iesus bosome how didst thou sweeten communion with him how restless and impatient wast thou in his absence Divine withdrawments were to thee as the hell of hell What a burden was the world to me in those dayes Had it not been for conscience of my duty I could have been willing to let all lye that communinion with Christ might suffer no interruption When I awaked in the night how was the darkness enlightned by the heavenly glimpses of the countenance of my God upon me How did his company shorten those hours and beguile the tediousness of the night O my soul speak thy experience is it now as it was then No no those dayes are past and gone and thou become much a stranger to that heavenly life Art thou able with truth to deny this charge When occasionally I pass by those places which were once to me as Iacob's Bethel to him I sigh at the remembrance of former passages betwixt me and heaven there and say with Iob Chap. 29. O that it were with me as in moneths past as in the dayes when God preserved me when his candle shined upon my head when by his light I walked through darkness when the Almighty was yet with me when I put on righteosness and it cloathed me when my glory was fresh in me when I remember these things my soul is poured out within me Is thy obedience to the commands of Christ and motions to duty as free and cheerful as they were wont to be Call to mind my soul the times when thou wast born down the stream of love to every duty if the spirit did but whisper to thee saying Seek my face how did my spirit eccho to his calls saying Thy face Lord will I seek Psal. 27. 8. If God had any work to be done how readily did I offer my service Here am I lord send me My soul made me as the chariots of Aminadab love oyled the wheels of my affection and his commandments were not grievous 1 Iohn 5. 3. Non tardat uncta rota There were no such quarrellings with the command no such excuses and delayes as there are now No such was my love to Christ and delight to do his will that I could no more keep back my self from duty than a man that 's carried away in a crowd Or lastly tell me O my soul dost thou bemoan thy self or grieve so tenderly for sin and for grieving the holy Spirit of God as hou wa st wont to do When formerly I had fallen by the hanbd of a temptation how was I wont to lye in tears at the Lord's feet bemoaning my self how did I hasten to my closet and there cry like Ezra Chap. 9. 6. O my God I am ashamed and blush to look up unto thee How did I sigh and weep before him and like Ephraim smite upon my thigh saying What have I done Ah my soul how didst thou work strive and cast about how to recover thy self again hast thou forgotten how thou wouldst sometimes look up and sigh bitterly Ah! what a God have I provoked whjat love and goodness have I abused sometimes look in and weep Ah! what
ponder this great question whether those things whereon I depend as my best evidences for the life to come be the real or only the common works of the Spirit whether they be such as can now endure the test of the Word and abide a fair tryal at the bar of my own conscience Come then my soul set the Lord before thee to whom the secrets of all hearts are manifest and in the awful sence of that great day make true answer to these heart-discovering queries for though thou canst not discern the difference betwixt these things in another yet thou mayest and oughtest to discern it in thy self for what man knows the things of a man save the spirit of man that is in him First Is my obedience uniform am I the same man in all times places and companies or rather am I not exact and curious in open and publick remiss and careless in private and secret duties sincere souls are uniform souls Psal. 119. 6. the hypocrite is no closet-man Mat. 6. 5. Secondly Doth that which I call grace in me oppose and mortifie or doth it not rather quietly consist with and protect my lusts and corruptions true grace tollerates no lust Gal. 5. 17. No not the bosom darling-corruption Psa. 18. 23. Thirdly Doth that which I call my grace humble empty and abase my soul or rather doth it not puff it up with self-conceitedness all saving grace is humble grace 1 Cor. 15. 10. But the soul which is lifted up is not upright Hab. 2. 4. Lastly Canst thou my soul rejoyce and bless God for the grace imparted to others and rejoyce if any design for Christ be carried on in world by other hands or rather dost thou not envy those that excel thee and carest for no work in which thou art not seen But stay my soul it is enough If these be the substantial differences betwixt special and common grace I more than doubt I shall not endure the day of his coming Whose fan is in his hand Do not those spots appear upon me which â—re not the spots of his children Wo is me poor wretch the characters of death are upon my soul Lord add power to the form life to the name to live practise to the knowledge or I perish eternally O rather give me the Saints heart than the Angels tongue the poorest breathing of thy Spirit than the richest ornaments of common gifts let me neither deceive my self or others in matters of so deep and everlasting consequence The Poem IN Eastern Countreys as good Authors write Tares in their springing up appear to sight Not like it self a weed but real wheat Whose shape and form it counterfeits so neat Though 't would require a most judicious eye The one from t'other to diversifie Till both to some maturity be grown And then the difference is eas'ly known Even thus hypocrisie that cursed weed Springs up so like true grace that he will need More than a common insight in this case That saith this is not that is real grace Ne're did the cunning Actor though a slave Array'd in princely robes himself behave So like a King as this doth act the part Of saving grace by its deep hellish art Do gracious souls melt mourn and weep for sin The like in hypocrites observ'd hath been Have they their comforts joyes and raptures sweet With them in comforts hypocrites do meet In all religious duties they can go As far as Saints in some things farther too They speak like Angels and you 'l think within The very spirit of Christ and grace hath bin They come so neer that some like Isaac take Iacob for Esau this for that mistake And boldly call their eyes with his being dim True grace hypocrisie and duty sin Yea many also Iacob like imbrace Leah for Rachel common gifts for grace And in their bosoms hug it till the light Discover their mistake and cleer their sight And then like him confounded they will cry Alas 't is Leah curs'd hypocrisie Guide me my God that I may not in stead Of saving grace nurse up this cursed weed O let my heart by thee at last be found Sincere and all thy workings on it sound CHAP. XIII Fowls weeds and blastings do your corn annoy Even so corruptions would your grace destroy OBSERVATION THere are amongst many others three critical and dangerous periods betwixt the seed-time and Harvest The first when corn is newly committed to the earth all that lyes uncovered is quickly pickt up by the birds and much of that which is but slightly covered is stockt up as soon as it begins to sprout by Rooks and other devouring fowls Mat. 13. 4. but if it escape the fowls and gets root in the earth yet then is it hazarded by noxious weeds which purloin and suck away its nourishment whilst it is yet in the tender blade If by the care of the vigilant Husbaâ—dman it be freed from choaking weeds yet lastly as great a danger as any of the former still attends it for oftentimes whilst it is blowing in the ear blastings and mildews smite it in the stalk which cuts off the juice and sap that should ascend to nourish the ear and so shrivels and dries up the grain whilst it is yet immature whereby it becomes like those ears of corn in Pharaohs vision which were thin and blasted with the East-wind or like the ears the Psalmist speaks of upon the house top wherewith the reaper filleth not his arms APPLICATION TRue grace from the infancy to the perfection thereof conflicts with far more greater dangers amongst which it answerably meets with three dangerous periods which marvellously hazard it So that it is a much greater wonder that it ever arrives at its just perfection For 1 no sooner hath the great Husbandman disseminated these holy seeds in the regenerate heart but multitudes of impetuous corruptions immediately assault and would cetainly devour them like the fowls of the air did not the same arm that sowed them also protect them It fares with grace as with Christ its Author whom Herod sought to destroy in his very infancy The new creature is scarce warm in its seat before it must fight to defend its self This conflict is excellently set forth in that famous Text Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would By flesh here understand the corruption of nature by original sin and the sinful motions thereof by spirit not the soul or natural spirit of man but the Spirit of God in man viz. those graces in men which are the workmanship of the Spirit and therefore called by his name The opposition betwixt these two is expressed by lusting i. e. desiring the mutual ruine and destruction of each other for even when they are not acting yet then they are lusting there is an opposite
know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any way of wickedness in me You have little quiet in your spirits till the Case be resolved your meat and drink doth you little good you cannot sleep in the night because these troubled thoughts are ever returning upon you What if I should be turn'd out of all at last So it is with gracious souls their eyes are held waking in the night by reason of the troubles of their hearts Psal. 77. 4. Such fears as these are frequently returning upon their hearts What if I should be found a self-deceiver at last What if I do but hug a phantasm instead of Christ how can this or that consist with grace Their meat and drink doth them little good their bodies are often macerated by the troubles of their souls You will not make the best of your condition when you state your case to a faithful Councellor neither will they but oft-times poor pensive souls they make it much worse than indeed it is charge themselves with that which God never charged them with though this be neither their wisdom nor their duty but the fears of miscarrying make them suspect fraud in all they do or have Lastly when your title is cleared your hearts are eased yea not only eased but overjoyed though not in that degree nor with the same kind of joy that the hearts of Christians are overflowed when the Lord speaks peace to their souls O welcome the sweet morning light after a tedious night of darkness now they can eat their bread with comfort and drink their wine yea if it be but water with a merry heart Eccles. 9. 7. REFLECTIONS O How hath spirit been tossed and hurried when I have met with troubles and clamours about my estate but as for spiritual troubles and those soul-perplexing cases that christians speak of I understand but little of them I never called my everlasting state in question nor brake an hours sleep upon any such account Ah my supine and careless soul I little hast thou regarded how matters stand in reference to eternity I have strongly conceited but never throughly examined the validity of my title to Christ and his promises nor am I able to tell if my own conscience should demand whereupon my claim is grounded O my soul why art thou so unwilling to examine how matters stand betwixt God and thee art thou afraid to look into thy condition least by finding thine hypocrisie thou shouldest lose thy peace or rather thy security To what purpose will it be to shut thine eyes against the light of conviction unless thou couldst also find out a way to prevent thy condemnation Thou seest other souls how attentively they wait under the word for any thing that may speak to their conditions Doubtless thou hast heard how frequently and seriously they have stated their conditions and opened their cases to the Ministers of Christ. But thou O my soul hast no such cases to put no doubts to be resolved thou wilt leave all to the decision of the great day and not trouble thy self about it now Well God will decide it but little to thy comfort I have heard how some have been perplexed by litigious adversaries but I believe none have been so tossed with fears and distracted with doubts as I have been about the state of my soul. Lord what shall I do I have often carried my doubts and scruples to thine Ordinances waiting for satisfaction to be spoken there I have carried them to those I have judged skillfull and faithful begging their resolution and help but nothing will stick Still my fears are daily renewed O my God do thou decide my case tell me how the state stands betwixt thee and me my dayes consume in trouble I can neither do or enjoy any good whilst things are thus with me all my earthly enjoyments are dry and uncomfortable things yea which is much worse all my duties and thine Ordinances prove so too by reason of the troubles of my heart I am no ornament to my profession nay I am a discouragement and stumbling-block to others I will hearken and hear what God the Lord will speak O that it might be peace if thou do not speak it none can and when thou doest keep thy servant from returning again to solly lest I make fresh work for an accusing conscience and give new matter to the adversary of my soul But thou my soul enjoyest a double mercy from thy bountiful God who hath not only given thee a sound title but also the clear evidence and knowledge thereof I am gathering and daily feeding upon the full ripe fruits of assurance which grow upon the top boughs of faith whilst many of my poor brethren drink their own tears and have their teeth broken with gravel stones Lord thou hast set my soul upon her high places but let me not exalt my self because thou hast exalted me nor grow wanton because I walk at liberty lest for the abuse of such precious liberty thou clap my old chains upon me and shut up my soul again in prison The Poem MEn can't be quiet till they be assur'd That their estate is good and well secur'd To able Counsel they their Deed submit Intreating them with care t' examine it Fearing some clause an enemy may wrest Or find a flaw whereby he may devest Them and their children O who can but see How wise men in their generation be But do they equal cares fears express About their everlasting happiness In spiritual things 't would grieve ones heart to see What careless fools these careful men can be They act like men of common sense bereaven Secure their Lands and they 'l trust God for heaven How many cases ave you to submit To Lawyers judgments Ministers may sit From week to week and yet not see the face Of one that brings a soul concerning Case Yea which is worse how seldom do you cry To God for counsel or beg him to try Youâ— heartâ— and strictest inquisition make Into your state discover your mistake O stupid souls clouded with ignorance Is Christ and heaven no fair inheritance Compar'd with yours or is eternity A shorter term than yours that you should ply The one so close and totally neglect The other as not worth your least respect Perhaps the Dâ—vil whose plot from you's conceal'd Perswades your title 's good and firmly seal'd By Gâ—â—'s own Spirit though you never found One act of saving grace to lay a ground For that perswasion Soul he hath thee fast Though he 'l not let thee know it till the last Lord waken sinners make them understand 'Twixt thee and them how rawly matters stand Give them no quiet rest until they see Their souls secur'd better than Lands can be Occasional Meditations UPON BIRDS BEASTS TREES FLOWERS RIVERS and other objects MEDITATIONS on BIRDS MEDIT. I. Vpon the singing of a Nightingale
that first flourish is gone my heart is like the Winters earth because thy face Lord is to me like a Winter Sun Awake O Northwind and come South wind blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out then let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit MEDIT. II. Vpon the knitting or setting of fruit I Have often observed that when the blossoms of a tree set and knit though the flourish thereof be gone and nothing but the bare rudiment of the expected fruit be left yet then the fruit is much better secured from the danger of frosts and winds than whilst it remained in the flower or blossom for now it hath past one of those critical periods in which so many trees miscarry and lose their fruit And methought this natual Observation fairly led me to this Theological Proposition That good motions and holy purposes in the soul are never secured and past their most dangerous Crisis till they be turned into fixed resolutions and answerable execution which is as the knitting and setting of them Upon this Proposition my melting thoughts thus dilated Happy had it been for thee my soul had all the blessed motions of the Spirit been thus knit and fixed in thee O how have mine affections blown and budded under the warm beams of the Gospel but a I hill blast from the cares troubles and delights of the world without and the vanity and deadness of the heart within have blasted all my goodness hath been but as a morning dew or early cloud that vanisheth away And even of divine Ordinance I may say what is said of humane Ordinances They have perished in the using A blossom is but fruâ—tus imperfectus ordinabilis an imperfect thing in it self and something in order to fruit a good motion and holy purpose is but opus imperfectum ordinabile an imperfect work in order to a compleat work of the Spirit When that primus impetus those first motions were strong upon my heart had I then pursued them in the force and vigour of them how many difficulties might I have overcome Revive thy work O Lord and give not to my soul a miscarrying womb or dry breasts MEDIT. III. Vpon the sight of a fair spreading Oak WHat a lofty flourishing Tree is here It seems rather to be a little Wood than a single Tree every limb thereof having the dimensions and branches of a Tree in it and yet as great as it is it was once but a little slip which one might pull up with two fingers this vast body was contained virtually and potentially in a small Acorn Well then I will never despise the day of Small things nor despair of arriving to an eminency of grace though at present it be but as a bruised reed and the things that are in me be ready to dye As things in nature so the things of the Spirit grow up to their fulness and perfection by flow and insensible degrees The famous and heroical acts of the most renowned believers were such as themselves could not once perform or it may be think they ever should Great things both in nature and grace come from small and contemptible beginnings MEDIT. IV. Vpon the sight of many sticks lodged in the branches of a choice fruit Tree HOw is this Tree batter'd with stones and loaded with sticks that have been thrown at it whilest those that grow about it being barren or bearing harsher fruit escape untouched Surely if its fruit had not been so good its usage had not been so bad and yet it is affirmed that some trees as the Walnut c. bear the better for being thus bruised and battered Even thus it fares in both respects with the best of men the more holy the more envied and persecuted every one that passes by will have a fling at them Methinks I see how devils and wicked men walk round about the people of God whom he hath enclosed in armes of power like so many boys about an Orchard whose lips water to have a fling at them But God turns all the stones of reproach into precious stones to his people they bear the better for being thus batter'd And in them is that ancient observation verified Creseunt virtutem palmae crescuntque Coronae Mutantur mundipraelia pace Dei The Palmes and Crowns of virtue thus increase Thus persecution's turned into peace Let me be but fruitful to God in holiness and ever abounding in the work of the Lord and then whilst devils and men are flinging at me either by hand or tongue persecutions I will sing amidst them all with the divine Poet What open force or hidden charm Can blast my fruits or bring me harm Whilst the inclosure is thine arm MEDIT. V. Vpon the gathering of choice fruit from a scrubbed unpromising Tree VVOuld any man think to find such rare delicious fruit upon such an unworthy Tree to appearance as this is I should rather have expected the most delicious fruit from the most handsome and flourishing Trees but I see I must neither judge the worth of Tree or Men by their external form and appearance This is not the first time I have been deceived in judging by that rule under fair and promising out-sides I have found nothing of worth and in many deformed despicable bodies I have found precious richly furnished souls The sap and juice of this scrubbed Tree is concocted into rare and excellent fruits whilst the juice and sap of some other fair but barren Trees serves only to keep them from rotting which is all the use that many souls which dwell in beautâ—uâ—l bodies serve for they have as one saith animam pro sale their souls are butsalt to their bodies Or thus The only use to which their souls do serve Is but like salt their bodies to preserve If God have given me a sound soul in a sound body I have a double mercy to bless him for but whither my body be vigorous and beautiful or not yet let my soul be so For as the esteem of this Tree so the esteem and true honour of every man rises rather from his fruitfulness and usefulness than from his shape and form MEDIT. VI. Vpon an excellent but irregular Tree SEeing a Tree grow somewhat irregular in a very neat Orchard I told the Owner it was pity that Tree should stand there and that if it were mine I would root it up and thereby reduce the Orchard to an exact uniformity It was replyed to this purpose that he rather regarded the fruit than the form and that this slight inconveniency was abundantly preponderated by a more considerable advantage This Tree said he which you would root up hath yielded me more fruit than many of those Trees which have nothing else to commend them but their regular scituation I could not but yield to the reason of this answer and could wish it had been spoken so loud that all our Uniformity men had
The Motives inducing me to this undertakement was the Lords owning with some success my labours of a like nature together with the desire and inclination stirr'd up in me I hope by the Spirit of the Lord to devote my vacant hours to his service in this kind I considered that if the Pharisees in a blind zeal to a faction could compass Sea and Land to Proselyte men to their party though thereby they made them sevenfold more the children of the Devil than before How much more was I obliged by true love to God and zeal to the everlasting happiness of souls to use my utmost endeavours both with Seamen Husbandmen to win them to Christ and there by make them more than seventy-seven-fold happier than before Not to mention other incouragements to this work which I received from the earnest desires of some Reverend and worthy Brethren inviting thereunto all which I hope the event will manifest to be a call from God to this work I confess I met with some discouragement in my first attempt from my unacquaintedness with rural affairs and because I was to travel in a path to me untrodden but having once engaged in it those discouragements were soon overcome and being now brought to what you here see I offer to your hands these first fruits of my spare hours I presume you will account it no disparagement that I dedicate a Book of Husbandry to Gentlemen of your quality This is Spiritual Husbandry which is here taught you and yet I must tell you that great persons have accounted that civil employment which is must inferior to this no disparagement to them The King himself is served by the field Eccl. 5. 9. Or as Montanus renders the Hebrew Text Rex agro fit servus The King himself is a servant to the field And of King Uzziah it is written 2 Chron. 26. 10. That he loved Husbandry And Amos 7. 1. we read of the Kings mowings Yea Pliny hath observed That Corn was never so plentiful at Rome as when the same men tilled the Land that rul'd the Commonwealth Quasi gauderet terra laureato vomere scilicat aratore triumphali As though the earth it self rejoyced in the Laurel Plow-share and the triumphant Plowman What pleasure you will find in reading it I know not but to me it hath been a pleasant path from first to last who yet have been at far greater expence of time and pains in compiling it than you can be in reading it The Husbandmans work you know is no easie work and the Spiritualizing of it hath greater difficulties attending it but yet the pleasure hath abundantly recompensed the pains I have found Erasmus his Observation experimentally true Qui literis addicti summus animi lassitudinem à studiis gravioribus contractam ab iisdem studiis sed amaenioribus recreamus Those that are addicted to study saith he when they have wearied their spirits with study can recreate them again with study by making a diversion from that which is severe and knotty to some more facile and pleasant Subject But to hear that God hath used and honoured these papers to the good of any soul will yield me the highest content and satisfaction imaginable May you but learn that Lesson which is the general Scope and Design of this Book viz. How to walk with God from day to day and make the several Objects you behold Scalae alae Wings and Ladders to mount your souls neerer to Him who is the Center of all blessed Spirits How much will it comfort me and confirm my hope that it was the Call of God indeed which out me upon these endeavours O Sirs What an excellent thing would it be for you to make such holy improvements of all these earthly Objects which daily incur your senses and cause them to proclaim and preach to you Divine and heavenly Mysteries whilst others make them groan by abusing them to sin and subjecting them to their lusts A man may be cast into such a condition wherein he cannot enjoy the blessing and benefit of a pious and powerful Ministry but you cannot ordinarily fall into such a condition wherein any thing except a bad heart can deprive you of the benefits and comforts of those excellent Sermâ—ns and Divinity Lectures which the creatures here offer to preach and read to you Content not your selves I beseech you with that natural sweetness the creatures afford for thereof the beasts are capable as much if not more than you but use them to those spiritual ends you are here directed and they will yield you a sweetness for transcending that natural sweetness you ever relished in them and indeed you never use the creatures as their Lord's till you come to see your Lord in and by them I confess the discoveries of God in the Word are far more excellent cleer and powerful He hath magnified his Word above all his Name And therein are the unsearchable riches of Christ or rich discoveries of that grace that hath no footsteps in nature as the Apostles expression signifies Eph. 3. 8. And if that which might be known of God by the Creatures leave men without excuse as it 's manifest Rom. 1. 20. How inexcusable then will those be who have received not only the teachings of the creature but also the grace of the Gospel in vain How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation They that are careless in the day of grace shall be speechless in the day of judgment I am sensible of many defects in these Papers as well as in my self they have doubtless a taste of the distractions of the times wherein they were written nor was I willing to keep them so long under-hand as the accurateness and exactness with which such a subject ought to be handled did require Had I designed my own credit I should have observed that counsel Nonnumque prematur in annum i. e. To have kept in much longer under the file before I had exposed it to publick view but I rather inclined to Solomons counsel Whatever thy hand finds out to do do it with all thy might for there is no wisdom nor knowledge nor device in the grave whither thou art going Eccles. 9. 10. I apprehended a necessity of some such means to be used for the instruction and conviction of countrey people who either are not capable of understanding truth in another Dialect or at least are less affected with it The Proposition in every Chapter consists of an Observation in Husbandry Wherein if I have failed in using any improper expression your candour will cover it and impute it to my unacquaintedness in rural affairs In magnis voluisse sat est The Reddition or Application you will find I hope both pertinent and close The Reflections serious and such as I hope your Consciences will faithfully improve I have shut up every Chapter with a Poem an innocent Bait to catch the Readers Soul That of Herbert is
that at its first transplanting into Italy 't was watered with wine I cannot say saith he that you have been so watered by me I dare not but this I can humbly and truly say that if our choicest strength and spirits may be named instead of water wine or if the blessing which hath gone along with these waters at any time hath turned them into wine in vigour upon your souls then hath God by me watered your roots with wine The Husbandman builds his house where he makes his purchase dwells upon his Land and frequently visits it he knows that such as dwell far from their Lands are not far from loss So doth God where-ever he plants a Church there doth he fix his habitation intending there to dwell Psal. 46. 5. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved Thus God came to dwell upon his own Fee and Inheritance in Iudea Levit. 26. 11 12. And I will set my tabernacle amongst you and will be your God and ye shall be my people Which promise is again renew'd to his Churches of the New Testament 2 Cor. 6. 16. And when the Churches shall be in their greatest flourish and purity then shall there be the fullest and most glorious manifestation of the divine presence among them Rev. 21. 3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and be their God Hence the Assemblies are called the places of his feet And there they behold the beauty of the Lord Psal. 27. Husbandmen grudge not at the cost they are at for their tillage but as they lay out vast sums upon it so they do it cheerfully And now O inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iuda judge I pray you betwixt me and my vineyard what could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it And as he bestows upon his heritage the choicest mercies so he doth it with the greatest cheerfulness for the saith Ier. 32. 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. It is not the giving out of mercy saith one that grieveth God but the recoyling of his mercies back again upon him by the creatures ingratitude When Husbandmen have been at cost and pains about their Husbandry they expect fruit from it answerable to their pains and expences about it Behold saith Iames the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth Iam. 5. 7. And he looked that it should bring forth fruit Isa. 5. 2. This heavenly Husbandman waits for the fruits of his fields also never did any Husbandman long for the desired Harvest more than God doth for the fruits of holiness from his Saints great are the expectations of God from his people And when the time of the fruit drew near he sent his servants to the Husbandmen that they might receive the fruits of it Husbandman are much delighted to see the success of their labours it comforts them over all their hard pains and many weary dayes to see a good increase Much more is God delighted in beholding the flourishing graces of his people it pleases him to see his plants laden with fruit and his valleys sing with corn Cant. 6. 2. My beloved is gone down into his garden into his beds of spices to feed in the gardens and to gather lillies These beds of spices say Expositors are the particular Churches the companies of Believers he goes to feed in these gardens like as men go to their gardens to make merry or to gather fruit Cant. 4. 16. He eats his pleasant fruit viz. His peoples holy performances sweeter to him than any Ambrosia thus he feeds in the gardens and he gathers lillies when he translates good souls into his Kingdom above For the Lord taketh pleasure in his Saints and will beautifie the meek with salvation The Husbandman is exceedingly grieved when he sees the hopes of a good crop disappointed and his fields prove barren or blasted So the Lord expresses his grief for and anger against his people when they bring forth no fruits or wilde fruits worse than none Hos. 9. 16. Ephraim is smitten their root is dryed up Christ was exceedingly displeased with the fig-tree and cursed it for its barrenness it grieves him to the heart when his servants return to him with such complaints as these We have laboured in vain we have spent our strength for nought Husbandmen imploy many labourers to work in their fields there is need to many hands for such a multiplicity of business God hath diversity of workmen also in the Churches whom he sends forth to labour in his spiritual fields Eph. 4. 12. He gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry Amos 3. 7. I have sent my servants the Prophets 'T is usual with the Apostles to place this title of servant among their honorary titles though a prophane mouth once called it Probosum artificium a sordid artifice Christ hath stampt a great deal of dignity upon his Ministers in retaining them for the nearest service to himself 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ they are workers together with God the Husbandman works in the field among his labourers and the great God disdaineth not to work in and with his poor servants in the work of the Ministry The work about which Husbandmen imploy their servants in the field is toylsom and spending You see they come home at night as weary as they can draw their legs after them But Gods workmen have a much harder task than they Hence they are set forth in Scripture by the laborious ox 1. Cor. 9. 9. Rev. 4. 7. Some derive the word Deacon from a word that signifies dust to shew the laboriousness of their imployment labouring till even choaked with dust and sweat 'T is said of Epaphroditus Phil. 2. 13. That for the work of Christ he was sick and nigh unto death not regarding his life to supply their lack of service The Apostles expression Col. 1. ult is very emphatical Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily The word signifies such spending labour as puts a man into an agony and blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh small find so doing The immediate end of the Husbandmans labour and his servants labour is for the improvement of his Land to make it more flourishing and fruitful The scope and end of the Ministry is for the Churches benefit and advantage They must not lord it over God's heritage as if the Church were for them and not they for the Church nor serve themselves of it but
his work so according to proportion are those that are sent by him Ioh. 20. 21 22. As my Father hath sent me so send I you And as for those that run before they are sent and understand not the Mysteries of the Gospel I shall say no more of them but this Father forgive them for they know not what they do The Fifth Corrolary To conclude If the Church be God's Husbandry that is if Husbandry have so many resemblances of Gods works about the Church in it then how inexcusable is the ignorance of Husbandmen in the things of God who besides the word of the Gospel have the teachings of the Creatures and can hardly turn their hands to any part of their work but the Spirit hints one spiritual use or other from it to their souls How do the Scriptures abound with Parables and lively similitudes taken from Husbandry from the field the seed the plow the barn from threshing and winnowing similitudes also from planting graffing and pruning of trees and not a few from the ordering of Cattel So that to what business soever you turn your hands in any part of your calling still God meets you with one heavenly instruction or other But alas How few are able to improve their civil imployments to such excellent ends These things are but briefly hinted in the Scriptures and those hints scattered up and down that they know not where to find them and if they could yet would it be difficult so to methodize them as it is necessary they should be in order to their due improvement by Meditation And therefore I judged it necessary to collect and prepare them for your use and in this manner to present them to you as you find them in the following Chapters Read consider and apply and the Lord make you good Husbands for your own souls THE FIRST PART OF HUSBANDRY Spiritualized CHAP. I. In the laborious Husbandman you see What all true Christians are or ought to be OBSERVATION The imployment of the Hsbandman is by all acknowledged to be very laborious there is a multiplicity of business incumbent on him The end of one work is but the beginning of another Every season of the year brings its proper work with it Sometimes you find him in his Fields dressing plowing sowing harrowing weeding or reaping and sometimes in his Barn threshing or winnowing sometimes in his Orchard planting graffing or pruning his trees and sometimes among his Cattel so that he hath no time to be idle And as he hath a multiplicity of business so every part of it is full of toyl and spending labour He eats not the bread of idleness but earns it before he eats it and as it were dips it in his own sweat whereby it becomes the sweeter to him Though sin brought in the Husbandmans sweat Gen. 3. 19. yet now not to sweat would increase his sin Ezek. 16. 49. APPLICATION BEhold here the life of a serious Christian shadowed forth to the life As the life of a Husbandman so the life of a Christian is no idle or easie life They that take up Religion for ostentation and not for an occupation and those that place the business of it in notions and idle speculations in forms gestures and external observances may think and call it so but such as devote themselves unto it and make Religion their business will find it no easie work to exercise themselves to godliness Many there are that affect the reputation and sweet of it who cannot endure the labour and sweat of it If men might be indulged to divide their hearts betwixt God and the World or to cull out the cheap and easie duties of it and neglect the more difficult and costly ones it were an easie thing to be a Christian but surely to have respect to all God's commandments to live the life as well as speak the language of a Christian to be holy in all manner of conversation is not so easie This will be evident by comparing the life of a Christian with the life of a Husbandman in these five particulars Wherein it will appear that the work of a Christian is by much the hardest work of the two The Husbandman hath much to do many things to look after but the Christian more If we respect the extensiveness of his work he hath a large field indeed to labour in Psal. 119. 96. The commandment is exceeding broad of a vast extent and latitude comprizing not only a multitude of external acts and duties and guiding the Offices of the outward man about them but also taking in every thought and motion of the inner man within its compass You find in the Word a world of work cut out for Christians there 's hearing work praying work reading meditating and self-examining work it puts him also upon a constant watch over all the corruptions of his heart Oh what a world of work hath a Christian about them For of them he may say as the Historian doth of Hannibal They are never quiet whether conquering or conquered How many weak languishing graces hath he to recover improve and strengthen There is a weak faith a languishing love dull and faint desires to be quickned and invigorated And when all this is done what a multitude of work do his several relations exact from him he hath a world of business incumbent on him as a parent child husband wife master servant or friend yea not only to friends but enemies And beside all this how many difficult things are there to be born and suffered for Christ and yet will not God allow his people in the neglect of any one of them neither can he be a Christian that hath not respect to every command and is not holy in all manner of conversation Psal. 119. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 11. every one of these duties like the several spokes in a wheel come to bear in the whole round of a Christians conversation so that he hath more work upon his hands than the Husbandman The Husbandman's work is confessed to be Spending work but not like the Christians What Augustus said of the young Roman is verified in the true Christian Quicquid vult válde vult Whatsoever he doth in Religion he doth to purpose Under the Law God rejected the Snail and the Ass Levit. 11. 30. Exod. 13. 13. And under the Gospel he allows no sluggish lazy Professor 1 Tim. 5. 11 13. Sleepy duties are utterly unsuitable to the living God he will have the very spirits distilled and offered up to him in every duty Ioh. 4. 24. he bestows upon his people the very substance and kernel of mercies and will not accept from them the shells and shadows of duties not the skin but the inwards and the fat that covereth the inwards was required under the Law Exod. 29. 30. And every sacrifice under the Gospel must be sacrificium medullatum a sacrifice full of marrow observe the manner in which their work is to be performed
an innocent pleasure and verifie the saying of the Poet Ovid. Tempus in agrorum cultu confumere dulce est Although they plow from morning until night Time steals away with pleasure and delight APPLICATION BUt how much greater cause have the people of God to address themselves unto his work with all cheerfulness of spirit And indeed so far as the heart is spiritual it delights in its duties 'T is true the work of a Christian is painful and much more spending than the Husbandmans as was opened Chap. 1. but then it as much exceeds in the delights and pleasures that attend it What is the Christians work but with joy to draw water out of the wells of salvation Isa. 12. 3. You may see what a pleasant path the path of duty is by the cheerfulness of those that have walked in them Psal. 119. 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy judgment as much as in all riches And by the promises that are made to such Psal. 13 8. 5. Yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. And again You shall have a song as in the night when an holy solemnity is kept and gladness of heart as when one goeth with a pipe to come to the mountain of the Lord to the mighty one of Israel Isa. 30. 29. And lastly by the many commands whereby joy in the wayes of the Lord is made the duty of the Saints Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Psa. 97. 12. Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4. 4. Where the command is doubled yea not only simple rejoycing but the highest degree of that duty comes within the command Psal. 132. 9 16. Shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart And Luke 6. 22 23. they are bid to leap for joy when about the difficult'st part of their work and that you may see there is sufficient ground for it and that it is not like the mad mirth of sinners be pleased to consider The nature of the work about which they are employed it is the most excellent and heavenly employment that ever souls were acquainted with O what a ravishing and delightsome thing it is to walk with God! and yet by this the whole work of a Christian is expressed Gen. 17. 1. Can any life compare with this for pleasure Can they be chill that walk in the Sun-shine or sad that abide in the fountain of all delights and walk with him whose name is the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. In whose presence is the fulness of joy Psal. 16. 11. O what an Angelical life doth a Christian then live Or 2ly If we consider the variety of spiritual imployments varietas delectat Change of employment takes off the tediousness of Labour Variety of voices please the ear variety of colours delight the eye the same meat prepared several wayes pleases the palate more and clogs it less Bâ—t O the variety of choice dishes wherewith God entertains his people in a Sâ—bbath as the Word Prayer Sacraments c. Isa. 58. 13. If thou call the Sabbath thy delights or as Tremelius renders it thy delicate things My soul saith David shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness Psal. 63. 5. Or lastly if we consider the suitableness of this work to a regenerate soul. Is it any pain for a bird to flye or a fish to swim Is the eye tired with beautiful objects or the ear with melodious sounds As little can a spiritual soul be wearied with spiritual and heavenly exercises Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man Gravia non gravitant in eorâ—m loco saith the Philosopher weighty things are not heavy in their own element or center And surely God is the center of all gracious spirits A Saint can sit from morning to night to hear discourses of the love and loveliness of Iesus Christ. The fight of your thriving flocks and flourishing fields cannot yield you that pleasure which an upright soul can find in one quarter of an hours communion with God They that are after the flesh saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 5. do mind the things of the flesh and they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit But then look how much heavenly objects transcend earththly ones and how much the soul is more capable of delight in those objects than the gross and duller senses are in theirs so much doth the pleasure arising from the duty excel all sensitive delights on earth REFLECTIONS How am I cast and condemned by this may I say who never favoured this spiritual delight in holy duties When I am about my earthly employments I can go on unweariedly from day to day all the way is down hill to my nature and the wheels of my affections being oyled with carnal delight run so fast that they have need most times of trigging Here I rather need the curb than the spur O how fleet and nimble are my spirits in these their pursuits But O what a slug am I in religious duties Sure if my heart were renewed by grace I should delight in the law of God Rom. 7. 22. All the world is alive in their wayes every creature injoyes his proper pleasure and is there no delight to be found in the paths of holiness Is godliness only a dry root that bears no pleasant fruits No no there are doubtless incomparable pleasures to be found therein but such a carnal heart as mine favours them not I cannot say but I have found delight in Religious duties but they have been only such as rather sprang from the ostentation of gifts and applauses of men than any sweet and real communion I have had with God through them they have rather proved food and fewel to my pride than food to my soul. Like the Nightingale I can sing sweetly when I observe others to listen to me and be affected with my musick O â—alse deceitful heart such delight as this will end in howling were my spirit right it would as much delight in retirements for the enjoyment of God as it doth in those duties that are most exposed to the observation of man Wilt such a spring as this maintain a stream of affections when carnal motives fail What wilt thou answer O my soul to that question Ioâ— 27. 9 10. Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him Will he delight himself in the Almighty Will he alwayes call upon God What wilt thou reply to this question Deceive not thou thy self O my soul thou wilt doubtless be easily perswaded to let go that thou never delightedst in and from an hypocrite in Religion quickly become an Apostate from Religion From all this the upright heart takes advantage to rouze up its delight in God and thus it expostulateth with it self Doth the Plowman sing amidst his drudging labours and whistle away his weariness in
motions did I withstand what a good spirit have I grieved Ah! my soul thou wouldst have abhor'd thy self thou couldst never have born it had thy heart been as stupid and as relentless then as now If ever a poor soul had reason to dissolve it self into tears for its sad relapses I have But yet mourn not O my soul as one without hope Remember There is hope in Israel concerning this thing As low as thy condition is it is not desperate it is not a disease that scorns a Remedy many a man that hath been stretcht out for dead hath revived again and lived many a comfortable day in the world many a tree that hath cast both leaf and fruit by the skill of a prudent Husbandman hath been recovered again and made both flourishing and fruitful Is it not easier think'st thou to recover a languishing man to health than a dead man to life and yet this God did for me Epâ— 2. 1. Is any thing too hard for the Lord Though my soul draw nigh to the pit and my life to the destroyers yet he can send me a messenger one among a thousand that shall declare to me my uprightness then shall be deliver me from going down into the pit my flesh shall be fresher than a Childes and I shall return to the dayes of my youth Iob 33. 21. Though my flourish and much of my fruit too be gone and I am a withering tree yet as long as the root of the matter is in me there is more hope of such a poor decayed withered tree than of the hypocrite that wants such a root in all his glory and bravery His Sun shall set and never rise again but I live in expectation of a sweet morning after this dark night Rouze up therefore O my soul set thy faith awork on Christ for quickning grace for he hath life in himself and quickens whomsoever he will Ioâ— 7. 38. Stir up that little which remains Rev. 3. 2. Hath thou not seen lively flames proceed from glimmering and dying sparks when carefully collected and blown up get amongst the most lively and quickening Christians as iron sharpens iron so will these set an edge upon thy dull affections Prov. 27. 17. Acts 18. 15. But above alL cry mightily to the Lord for quickening he will not despise thy cry The moans of a Distressed Child work upon the bowels of a tender father And be sure to keep within thy view the great things of eternity which are ready to be revealed live in the believing and serious contemplations of them and be dead if thou canst 'T is true thou hast reason enough from they condition to be for ever humbled but no reason at all from thy God to be in the least discouraged The Poem THou art the Husbandman and I A worthless plot of Husbandry Whom special love did ne'retheless Divide from natures wilderness Then did the Sun-shine of thy face And sweet illapses of thy grace Like April showers and warming gleams Distil its dews reflect its beams My dead affections then were green And hopeful buds on them were seen These into duties soon were turn'd In which my heart within me burn'd O halcyon dayes Thrice happy slate Each place was Bethel heavens gate What sweet discourse What heavenly talk Whilst with thee I did daily walk Mine eyes o'reflow my heart doth sink As oft as on those dayes I think For strangeness now is got between My God and me as may be seen By what is now and what was then 'T is just as if I were two men My fragrant branches blasted be No fruits like those that I can see Some Canker-worm lyes at my root Which fades my leaves destroyes my fruit My soul is banished from thy â—ight For this it mourneth day and night Yet why dost thou desponding lye With Ionah cast a backward eye Sure in thy God help may be had There 's precious balm in Gilead That God that made me spring at first When I was barren and accurst Can much more easily restore My soul to what it was before 'T was Haman's Iob's and David's case Yet all recover'd were by grace A word a smile on my poor soul Will make it perfect sound and whole A glance of thine hath soon dissolv'd A soul in sin and grief involv'd Lord if thou canst not work the cure I am contented to endure CHAP. VI. No skill can mend the miry ground and sure Some souls the Gospel leaves as past a cure OBSERVATION ALthough the industry and skill of the Husbandman can make some ground that was useless and bad good for tillage or pasture and improve that which was barren and by his cost and pains make one Acre worth ten yet such is the nature of some rocky or miry ground where the water stands and there is no way to cleanse it that it can never be made fruitful The Husband-man is fain to let it alone as an incurable piece of wast and worthless ground and though the Sun and clouds shed their influences on it as well as upon better Land yet that doth not at all mend it Nay the more showers it receives the worse it proves For these do no way fecundate or improve it nothing thrives there but worthless flags and rushes APPLICATION MAny also there are under the Gospel who are given over by God to judicial blindness hardness of heart a reprobate sense and perpâ—â—ual barrenness so that how excellent soever the means are which they enjoy and how efficacious soever to the conveâ—sion edification and salvation of others yet they shall never do their souls good Ezek. 47. 9 11. Every thing wheresoever the River comes shall live but the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall never be healed but be given to salâ— i. e. given to an obstinate and everlasting barrenness Compare Deut. 9. 23. By these waters saith judicious Mr. Strong understand the doctrine of the Gospel as Rev. 21. 2. a River of water of life clear as Christal Hic fluvius est uberima doctrina Christi saith Mr. Brighâ—man This River is the most fruitful doctrine of Christ yet these waters do not heal the miry marish places i. e. men that live unfruitfully under Ordinances who are compared to miry and marish places in three respects 1 In miry places the water hath not free passage but stands and settles there So it is with these barren souls therefore the Apostle prayes that the Gospel may run and be glorified 2 Thes. 3. 1. The word is said to run when it meets wiâ—h no stop Cum libere propagatur when it is freely propagated and runs through the whole man when it meets with no stop either in the mouâ—h of the speaker or hearâ—s of the hearers as it doth in these 2 In a miry place the earth and
water is mixt together this mixture makes mire So when the truths of God do mix with the corruptions of men that they either hold some truths and yet live in their lusts or else when men do make use of the truths of God to justifie and plead for their â—inâ— Or 3 When as in a miry place the longer the water stands in it the worse it grows so the longer men abide under Ordinances the more filthy and polluted they grow These are the miry places that cannot be healed their disease is incurable desperate O this is a sad case and yet very common Many persons are thus given over as incorrigible and hopeless Rev. 22. 1â— Let him that is filthy be filthy still Ier. 6. 29. Reprobate silver shall men call them for the Lord hath rejected them Isa. 6. Go make the heart of this people fat their ears dull c. Christ executes by the Gospel that curse upon many souls which he denounced against the figtree Mat. 21. 19. Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever and immediately the fig-tree withered away To be given up to such a condition is a fearful judgement indeed a curse with a witness the sum of all plagues miseries and judgments a fatal stroke at the root it self It 's a wo to have a bad heart saith one but it 's the depth of wo to have a heart that shall never be made better To be barren under the Gospel is a sore judgement but to have that pertinax sterilitâ—s a pertinacious barrenness this is to be twice dead and pluckt up by the root as Iude speaks And to shew you the woful and miserable state and plight of such men let the following particulars be weighed 1 It s a stroke at the soul it self an inward spiritual judgement and by how much the more inward and spiritual any judgement is by so much the more dreadful and lamentable As soul mercies are the best of mercies so soul-judgements are the saddest of all judgements If it were but a temporal stroke upon the body the loss of an eye an ear a hand a foot though in it self it would be a considerable loss yet it were nothing to this Omnia Deus dedit duplicia saith Chrysostom speaking of bodily members God hath given men double members two eyes if one be lost the other supplies its wants two hands two ears two feet that the failing of one may be supplyed by the help of the other animam vero unam but one soul if that perish there is not another to supply its loss The soul saith a Heathen is the man that which is seen is not the man The Apostle calls the body a vile body Phil. 3. 21. and so it is compared with the soul and Daniel calls it the Sheath which is but a contemptible thing to the sword which is in it O it were far better that many bodies perish than one soul that every member were made the seat and subject of the most exquisite torture than such a judgement should fall upon the soul. 2 It 's the severest stroke God can inflict upon the soul in this life to give it up to barrenness because it cuts off all hopes frustrates all means nothing can be a blessing to him If one come from the dead if Angels should descend from heaven to preach to him there is no hope of him If God shut up a man who can open Iob 12. 14. As there was none found in heaven or earth that could open the seals of that book Rev. 5. 5. so is there no opening by the hand of the most able and skilful Ministry those seals of hardness blindness and unbelief thus impressed upon the spirit Whom jâ—stice so locks up mercy will never let out This is that which makes up the Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16. 22. which is the dreadfullest curse in all the book of God cacursed till the Lord come 3 'T is the most indiscernable stroke to themselves that can be and by that so much the more desperate Hence there is said to be powred out upon them the spirit of slumber Isa. 29. 10. The Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes Montanus renders it The Lord hath mingled upon you the spirit of deep sleep And so it is an allusion to a soporiferous Medicine mingled and made up of opium and such like stupifactive ingredients which casts a man into such a dead sleep that do what you will to him he feels he knows it not Make their eyes heavy and their ears dull lest they should see and hear and be converted Isa. 6. 9 10. This is the heart which cannot repent which is spoken of Rom. 2. 5. For men are not sensible at all of this judgment they do not in the least suspect it and that is their misery Though they be cursed trees which shall never bear any fruit to life yet many times they bear abundance of other fair and pleasant fruits to the eye excellent gifts and rare endowments And these deceive and undo them Mat. 7. 22. We have prophecyed in thy name this makes the wound desperate that there is no finding of it no probe to search it 4 'T is a stroke that cuts off from the soul all the comfort and sweetness of Religion A man may pray hâ—ar and confer but all those duties are dry stalks unto him which yield no meat no solid substantial nutriment some common touches upon the affections he may sometimes find in duty the melting voice or Rhetorick of the Preacher may perhaps strike his natural affections as another Tragical story pathetically delivered may do but to have any real communion with God in Ordinances any discoveries or views of the beauty of the Lord in them that he cannot have for these are the special effects and operations of the Spirit which are alwayes restrained God hath said to such as he did to them Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall no longer strive with them and then what sweetness is there in Odinances What is the word separated from the Spirit but a dead Letter it's the Spirit that quickens 2 Cor. 3. 2. Friend thou must know that the Gospel works not like a natural cause upon those that hear it if so the efâ—â—ct would alwayes follow unless miraculously stopt and hindred but it works like a moral instituted cause whose efficacy and success depends upon the arbitrary concurrence of the Spirit with it The wind blows where it listeth so is evâ—ry one that is born of the Spirit Ioh. 3. 8. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth Ordinances are as the pool of Bethesda which had its healing vertue only when the Angel moved the waters but the spirit never moves savingly upon the waters of Ordinances for the healing of these souls how many years soever they lye by them Though others feel a Divine power in them yet they shall not As the men that
when he goes to preach the Gospel I am now going to preach that word which is to be a savour of life or death to these souls upon how many of my poor hearers may the curse of perpetual barrenness be executed this day O how should such a thought melt his heart into compassion over them and make him beg hard and plead earnestly with God for a better issue of the Gospel than this upon them The Poem YOu that besides your pleasant fruitful fields Have useless bogs and rocky ground that yields You no advantage nor doth quit your cost But all your pains and charges on them 's lost Hearken to me I le teach you how to get More profit by them than if they were set At higher Rents than what your Tenants pay For your most â—ertile Lands and here 's the way Think when you view them why the Lord hath chose These as Emblems to decipher those That under Gospel-grace grow worse and worse For means are fruitless where the Lord doth curse Sweet showers descend the Sun his beams reflects on both alike but not with like effects Observe and see how after the sweet showers The grass and corn revive the fragrant flowers Shoot forth their beauteous heads the valleys sing All fresh and green as in the verdant spring But rocks are barren still and bogs are so Where nought but flags and worthless rushes grow Upon these marish grounds there lyes this curse The more rain falls by so much more the worse Even so the dews of grace that sweetly fall From Gospel clouds are not alike to all The gracious soul doth germinate and bud But to the Reprobate it doth no good He 's like the withered fig-tree void of fruit Afearful curse hath smote his very root The heart 's made â—at the eyes with blindness seal'd The piercingst truths the Gospel ere reveal'd Shall be to him but as the Sun and rain Are to obdurate rocks fruitless and vain Be this your meditation when you walk By rocks and fenny grounds thus learn to talk With your own souls and let it make you fear Lest that 's your case â—haâ— is described here This is the best improvement you can make Of such bad ground good soul I pray thee take Some pains about them though they barren be Thou seest how they may yield sweet fruits to thee CHAP. VII The Plowman guides his Plow with care and skill So doth the Spirit in sound conviction still OBSERVATION IT requires not only strength but much skill and judgment to manage and guide the plow The Hebrew word which we translate to plow signifies to be intent as an Artificer is about some curious piece of work The plow must neither go too shallow nor too deep in the earth it must not indent the ground by making crooked furrows nor leap and make baulks in good ground but be guided as to a just depth of earth so to cast the furrow in a straight line that the floor or surface of the field may be made plain As it is Isa. 28. 25. And hence that expression Luke 9. 62. He that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven The meaning is that as he that plows must have his eyes alwayes forward to guide and direct his hand in casting the furrows straight and even for his hand will be quickly out when his eye is off So he that heartily resolves for heaven must addict himself wholly and intently to the business of Religion and not have his mind intangled with the things of this world which he hath left behind him whereby it appears that the right management of the plow requires as much skill as strength APPLICATION THis Observation in nature serves excâ—llently to shadow forth this proposition in Diviâ—ity That the work of the Spirit in convincing and humbling the heart of a sinner is a work wherein much of the wisdom as well as power of God is discovered The work of repentance and saving contrition is set forth in Scripture by this Metaphor of plowing Ier. 4. 3. Hos. 10. 12 Plow up your fallow ground that is be convinced humbled and broken hearted for fin And the resemblance betwixt both these works appears in the following particulars 1 'T is a hard and difficult work to plow it 's reckoned one of the painâ—ullest manual labours It is also a very hard thing to convince and humble the heart of a secure stout and proud sinner indurate in wickedness What Luther saith of a dejected soul That it is as easie to raise the dead as to comfort such a one The same I may say of the secure confident sinner 'T is as easie to rend the rocks as to work saving contrition upon such a heart Citius expâ—mice aquam all the melting language and earnest intreaties of the Gospel cannot urge such a heart to shed a tear Therefore it 's called a heart of stone Ezek. 36. 26. A firm rock Amos 6. 12. Shall horses run upon the Rock will one plow there with Oxen yet when the Lord comes in the power of his Spirit these rocks do rend and yield to the power of the word 2 The plow pierces deep into the bosome of the earth makes as it were a deep gash or wound in the heart of it So doth the Spirit upon the hearts of Sinners he pierces their very souls by conviction Act. 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked or pierced point blank to the heart Then the word divides the soul and Spirit Heb. 4. 12. It comes upon the conscience with such pinching dilemma's and tilts the sword of conviction so deep into their souls that there is no stenching the bloud no healing this wound till Christ himself come and undertake the cure Hâ—reâ— lateri lethalis arundo this barbed arrow cannot be pulled out of their hearts by any but the hand that shot it in Discourse with such a soul about his troubles and he will tell you that all the sorrows that ever he had in this world loss of estate health children or whatever else are but flea-bitings to this this swallows up all other troubles See how that Christian Niobe Luke 7. 38. is dissolved into tears Nâ—w deep calleth unto deep at the noise of his water spouts when the waves and billows of God go over the soul. Spiritual sorrows are deep waters in which the stoutest and most magnanimous soul would sink and drown did not Iesus Christ by a secret and supporting hand hold it up by the chin 3. The plow rends the earth in parts and pieces which before was united and makes those parts hang loose which formerly lay closs Thus doth the spirit of conviction rend in sunder the heart and its most beloved lusts Ioel. 2. 13. Rent your hearts and not your garments that is rather then
your garments for the sense is comparative though the expression be negative And this rending implyes not only acute pain flesh cannot be rent asunder without anguish nor yet only force and violence the heart is a stubborn and knotty piece and will not easily yield but it also implies a dis-union of parts united as when a garment or the earth or any continuous body is rent those parts are separated which fomerly cleaved together Sin and the Soul were glewed fast together before there was no parting of them they would as soon part with their lives as with their lusts but now when the heart is rent for them truely it is also rent from them everlastingly Ezek. 7. 15. to 19. 4 The plow turns up and discovers such things as lay hid in the bosome of the earth before and were covered under a fair green surface from the eyes of men Thus when the Lord plows up the heart of a sinner by conviction then the secrets of his heart are made manifest 2 Cor. 14. 24 25. the most secret and shameful sins will then our for the word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing of the soul and spirit the joynts and merrow and is a quick discerner of the thoughts and secret intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. It makes the fire burn inwardly so that the soul hath no rest till confession give a vent to trouble Fain would the shuffling sinner conceal and hide his shame but the word follows him through all his sinful shifts and brings him at last to be his own both accuser witness and judge â— The work of the plow is but opus ordinabile a preparative work in order to fruit Should the Husbandman plow his ground never so often yet if the seed be not cast in and quickned in vain is the Harvest expected Thus conviction also is but a preparative to a farther work upon the soul of a sinner If it stick there and go no farther it proves but an abortive or untimely birth Many have gone thus far and there they have stuck they have been like a field plowed but not sowed which is a matter of trembling consideration for hereby their sin is greatly aggravated and their eternal misery so much the more increased O when a poor damned creature shall with horror reflect upon himself in hell how near was I once under such a Sermon to conversion My sins were set in order before me my conscience awakened and terrified with the guilt of them many pâ—rposes and resolves I had then to turn to God which had they been perfected by answerable executions I had never come to this place of torment but there I stuck and that was my eternal undoing Many souls have I known so terrified with the guilt of sin that they have come roaring under horrors of conscience to the Preacher so that one would think such a breach had been made between them and sin as could never be reconciled and yet as angry as they were in that fit with sin they have hug'd and imbraced them again 6 'T is best plowing when the earth is prepared and mollified by the showers of rain then the work goes on sweetly and easily And never doth the heart so kindly melt as when the Gospel clouds dissolve and the free grace and love of Iesus Christ comes sweetly showing down upon it then it relents and mourns ingeniously Ezek. 16. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy moâ—th any more of thy shame when I am pocified towards thee for all that thou hast done So it was with that poor penitent Luke 7. 38. when the Lord Iesus had discovered to her the super-abounding riches of his grace in the pardon of her manisold abominations her heart melted within her she washed the feet of Christ with tears And indeed there is as much difference betwixt the tears which are forced by the terrors of the law and those which are extracted by the grace of the Gospel as there is betwixt those of a condemned malefactor who weeps to consider the misery he is under and those of a pardoned malefactor that receives his pardon at the foot of the ladder and is melted by the mercy and clemency of his gracious Prince towards him 7 The plow kills those ranck weeds that grow in the field turns them up by the roots buries and rots them So doth saving conviction kill sin at the root makes the soul sick of it begets indignation in the heart against it 2 Cor. 7. 11. The word there signifies the rising of the stomack any being angry even unto sickness Religious wrath is the fiercest wrath now the soul cannot endure sin trembles at it I find a woman more bitter than death saith penitent Solomon Eccl. 7. 26. Conviction like a surâ—et makes the soul to loath what it formerly loved and delighted in 8 That field is not well plowed where the plow jumps and skips over good ground and makes baulks it must turn up the whole field alike and that heart is not savingly convicted where any lust is spared and lest untouched Saving Conviction extends it self to all sins not only to sin in general with this cold confâ—ssion I am a â—â—nner but to the particulars of 〈◊〉 yea to the particular circumstances and aggravations of time place manner occasions thus and thus have I done to the sin of nature as well as practise behold I was shapen in iniquity Psal. 51. 5. There must be no baulking of any sin the spâ—ring of one sin is a sure argument thou art not truely humbled for any sin So far is the convinced soul from a studious concealment of a beloved sin that it weeps over that more than over any other actual sin 9 New ground is much more easily plowed than that which by long lying out of tillage is more consolidated and clung together by deep rooted thorns and brambles which render it difficult to the Plowman This old ground is like an old sinner that hath layn a long time hardening under the means of grace O the difficulty of convincing such a person Sin hath got such rooting in his heart he is so habituated to the reproofs and calls of the word that â—ew such are wrought upon How many young persons are called to one obdurate inveterate sinner I do not say but God may call home such a soul at the eleventh hour but I may say of these compared with others as Solomon speaks Eccles. 7. 28. One man among a thousand have I found c. Few that have long â—esisted the Gospel that come afterwards to feel the saving efficacy thereof REFLECTIONS OGrace for ever to bâ— admired that God should send forth his Word and Spirit to plow up my hard and stony heart yea mine when he hath lest so many of more tender ingenious sweet and melting tempers without any culture or meanes of grace O
blessed Gospel heart dissolving voice I have felt thine efficacy I have experienced thy divine and irresistible power thou art indeed sharper than any two edged sword and woundest to the heart but thy wounds are the wounds of a friend All the wounds thou hast made in my soul were so many doors opened to let in Christ all the blows thou gavest my consciences were but to beat off my soul from sin which I embraced and had retained to my everlasting ruine hadst thou not separated them and me O wise and merciful Phyâ—â—â—ian thou didst indeed bind me with cords of conviction and sorrow but it was only to cut out that stone in my heart which had killed me if it had continued there O how did I struggle and oppose thee as if thou hadst come with the sword of an enemy rather than the lancâ— and probe of a skilful and tender hearted Physician Blessed by the day wherein my sin was discovered and imbittered O happy sorrows which prepared for such matchless joyes O blessed hand which turned my salt waters into pleasant wine and after many pangs and sorrows of souâ— didst â—ring forth the man child of deliverance and peace 〈◊〉 But O what a Rock of Adamant is this 〈◊〉 of mine that never yet was wounded and savingly pierced for 〈◊〉 the terrors of the Law or melting voice of the Gospel long have I sate-under the word but when did I feel a relenting pang O my soul my stupified soul thou hast got an Antidote against repentance but hast thou any against â—ell thou canst keep out the sense of sin now but art thou able to keep off the terrors of the Lord hereafter If thou couldst turn a deaf ear to the sentence of Christ in the day of judgment as easily as thou dost to the intreaties of Christ in the day of grace it were somewhat but surely there is no defence against that Ah fool that I am to quench these convictions unless I knew how to quench those flames tâ—ey warn me of And may not I challenge the first place among all the mourners in the world who have lost all those convictions which at several times came upon me under the word I have been often awakened by it and filled with terrors and tremblings under it but those troubles have soon worn off again and my heart like water removed from the fire return'd to its native coldness Lord what a dismal case am I in Many convictions have I choaked and strangled which it may be shall never more be revived until hou revive them against me in judgment I have been in pangs and brought forth nothing but wind my troubles have wrought no deliverance neither have my lusts fallen before them my conscience indeed hath been sometimes sick with sin yea so sick as to vomit them up by an external partial reformation but then with the dog have I returned again to my vomit and now I doubt am given over to an heart that cannot repent Oh that those travelling pangs could be quickened again but alas they are ceased I am like a prisoner escaped and again recovered whom the Iaylor loads with double Irons Surely O my soul if thy spiritual troubles return not again they are but gone back to bring eternal troubles It is with thee O my soul as with a man whose bones have been broken and not well set who must how terrible soever it appear to him endure the pain of breaking and setting them again if ever he be made a sound man O that I might rather chuse to be the Object of thy wounding mercy than of thy sparing cruelty if thou plow not up my heart again by compunction I know it must be rent in pieces at last by desperation The Poem THere 's skill in plowing that the Plowman knows For if too shallow or too deep he goes The seed is either buried or else my To â—ooks and Daws become an easie prey This as a lively emblem fitly may Describe the blessed spirits work and way Whose work on souls with this doth symbolize Betwixt them both thus the resemblance lyes Souls are the soyl conviction is the plow Gods workmen draw the spirit shews them how He guides the work and in good ground doth bless His workmens paines with sweet and fair success The heart prepar'd he scatters in the seed Which in it's season springs no fowl nor weed Shall pick it up or choak this springing coâ—n Till it be housed in the heavenly barn When thus the spirit plows up the â—allow ground When with such fruits his servants work is crown'd Let all the friends of Christ and soul say now As they pass by these fields God speed the plow Sometimes this plow thin shelfy ground doth turn That little seed which springs the Sun-beams burn The rest uncovered lies which fowls devour Alas their hearts were touched but not with power The cares and pleasures of this world have drown'd The seed before it peep'd above the ground Some springs indeed the scripture saith that some Do taste the powers of the world to come These Embroy's never come to timely birth Because the seed that 's sown wants depth of earth Turn up O God the bottom of my heart And to the seed that 's sown do thou impart Thy choicest blessing Though I weep and mourn In this wet seed-time if I may return With sheaves of joy these fully will reward My paines and sorrows be they ne're so hard CHAP. VIII The Choicest wheat is still reserv'd for seed But gracious principles are Choice indeed OBSERVATION HUsbandmen are very careful and curious about their Seed-corn that it may not only be clean and pure but the best and most excellent in its kind Isa. 28. 25. He easteth in the principal Wheat If any be more full and weighty than other that is reserved for Seed 'T is usual with Husbandmen to pick and lease their Seed-corn by hand that they may separate the Cockel and Darnel and all the lighter and hollow grains from it wherein they manifest their discretion for according to the vigor and goodness of the Seed the fruit and production is like to be APPLICATION THe choice and Principal Seed-corn with which the fields are sowed after they are prepared for it doth admimirably shadow forth those excellent principles of grace infused into the regenerate soul. Their agreement as they are both seed is obvious in the ten following particulars and their excellency above other principles in seven more The earth at first naturally brought forth Corn and every Seed yielding fruit without humane industry but since the curse came upon it it must be plowed and sowed or no fruit can be expected So man at first had all the principles of holiness in his nature but now they must be infused by regeneration or else his nature is as void of holiness as the barren and
untilled desart is of Corn. The earlier the Seed is sown the better it is rooted and enabled to endure the asperities of the Winter so when grace is early infused when nature is sanctified in the bud grace is thereby exceedingly advantaged 'T was Timothies singular advantage that he knew the scriptures of a Child Frosts and snows conduce very much to the well rooting of the seed and makes it spread and take root much the better So do Sanctified afflictions which usually the people of God meet with after their calling and often in their very Seed-time 1 Thes. 1. 6. And you became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction But if they have fair weather then to be sure they shall meet with weather hard enough afterwards Heb. 10. 32 But call to remembrance the former dayes in which after ye were illuminated ye indured a great fight of afflictions When the Seed is cast into the earth it must be covered up by the harrow the use whereof in Husbandry is not only to lay a plain floor as they speak but to open and let in the Corn to the bosome of the earth and there cover it up for its security from birds that would devour it Thus doth the most wise God provide for the security of that grace which he at first disseminated in the hearts of his people He is as well the finisher as the Author of their grace Heb. 12. 2. And of this they may be confident that he that hath begun a good work in them will perform it unto the day of Christ. The care of God over the graces of his people is like the covering of the seed for security Seed-Corn is in its own nature of much more value and worth than other Corn the Husbandman casts in the principal wheat So are the seeds of grace sown in the renewed soul for it 's called The seed of God 1 Iohn 3. 9. The Divine natuâ—e 2 Pet. 1. 4. One dram o grace is far beyond all the glory of this world it s more precious than gold which perishes I Pet. 1. 7. The price of it is above rubies and all that thou canst desire is not to be compâ—red with it Pro. 3. 15. There is a great deal of Spirit and vigour in a little Seed though it be small in bulk yet it is great in vertue and efficay Gracious habits are also vigorous and efficatious things Such is their efficacy that they overcome the world 1 Ioh. 5. 4. Whatsoeve is born of God overcometh the world They totally alter and change the person in whom they are He that persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed They enable the soul to do and suffer great things for God Heb. 11. 33 34 35. The stalk and â—ar are potentially and virtually in a small grain of Corn. So are all the fruits of obedience which believers afterwards bring forth to God vertually contained in those habits of seeds of grace 'T is strange to consider that from a mustard-seed which as Christ saith is the least of all seeds should grow such great branches that the birds of the Air may build their nests in them Surely the heroical and famous acts and atchievements of the most renowed believers sprang from sinall beginnings at first to that eminency and glory The fruitfulness of the seed depends upon the Sun and rain by which they are quickened as is opened largely in the next Chapter And the principles of grace in us have as necessary a dependance upon the assisting and exciting grace without us For though it be true they are immortal seeds yet that is not so much from their own strength as from the promises made to them and that constant influx from above by which they are revived and preserved from time to time The seed is fruitful in some soyls more than in others prospers much better and comes sooner to maturity So doth grace thrive better and grow faster in some persons than in others Your faith groweth exceedingly 2 Thes. 1. 3. Whilst the things that are in others are ready to die Rev. 3. 2. Though no mans heart be naturally a kind soyl to grace yet doubtless grace is more advantaged in some dispositions than in others And lastly their agreement as Seed appears in this the Seed-corn is scattered into all parts of the field as proportionably and equally as may be So is grace diffus'd into all the faculties judgment will and all the affections are sowed with these new principles The God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thes. 5. 23. And thus you see why principles of grace are called seed Now in the next place which is the second thing promised and mainly designed in this Chapter to shew you the choiceness and excellency of these holy principles with which sanctified souls are embellisht and adorned and to convince you that true grace excels all other principles by which other persons are acted even as the principal wheat doth the chaff and refuse stuff I shall here institute a comparison betwixt grace and the most splendid common gifts in the world and its transcendent excellency above them all will evidently appear in the seven following particulars The most excellent common gifts come out of the common treasury of God's bounty and that in a natural way they are but the improvement of a mans natural abilities or as one calls them the sparks of nature blown up by the wind of a more benign and liberal education but principles of grace are of a divine and heavenly original and extraction not educed or raised from nature but supernaturally infused by the Spirit from on high Ioh. 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit When a soul is sanctified by them he partakes of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Is born not of flesh nor of blood nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 13. In this respect they differ from gifts as the heavenly Manna which was rained down from heaven differs from common bread which by paines and industry the earth produces in a natural way The best natural gifts afford not that sweetness and solid comfort to the soul that grace doth they are but a dry stalk that affords no meat for a soul to feed on A man may have an understanding full of light and an heart void of comfort at the same time but grace is a fountain of purest living streams of peace and comfort 1 Pet. 1. 8. Believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart All true pleasures and delights are seminally grace Psal. 97. 11. they are sown for them in these divine and heavenly graces which are glory in the bud Gifts adorn the person but do not secure the soul from wrath A man may be admired for them
plentiful harvest Ioel 2. 23 24. Beglad then ye Children of Sion and râ—joyce in the Lord your God for he hath given you the former rain modâ—rately and he will cause to come down for you the rain the former and the latter rain in the first month and the floors shall be full of wheat and the faces shall overflow with wine and Oyl Thus the Gospel hath a double use and benefit also It 's necessary as the former rain at Seed-time it causes the first spring of grace in the heart Psal. 19. 7. And there could be in an ordinary way no spring of grace without it Prov. 29. 18. And as this former rain is necessary to cause the first spring of grace so also it hath the use of the latter rain to ripen those precious fruits of the Spirit in the souls of Belivers Eph. 4. 11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Were all the elect converted unto God yet still there would be a necessity of a Gospel Ministry After a great glut of rain usually there comes a drought 't is a common Countrey Proverb Wet and dry pay one another And truly when a people are glutted with a fulness of Gospel-mercies it 's usual with God to shut up and restrain the Gospel-clouds that for a time at least there be no dews upon them and thereby teach them to prize their despised because common mercies at an higher rate For as a good man once said mercies are best known by the back and most prized when most wanted In those dayes the word of the Lord was precious there was no open vision 1 Sam. 3. 1. It is with spiritual as with temporal food slighted when plenteous but if a famine once come then every bit of bread is precious Ierusalem remembred in the dayes of her affiction and of her misery all her pleasant things that she had in the dayes of old Lam. 1. 7. 'T is both a sinflul and dangerous thing to wantonize with Gospel-mercies and dâ—spise the plainest if faithful Minisâ—eâ—s of the Gospel The time may come when you may be glad of the plainst Sermon from the mouth of the meanest Embassador of Christ. To conclude the prayers of Saints are the keys that open and shut the natural clouds and cause them either to givâ— out or with-hold their influences Iames 5. 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth fruit God hath subjected the works of his hands to the prayers of his Saints Isa. 45. 11. Prayer is also the golden key which opens these mystical Gospel clouds and dissolves them into sweet gracious showers God will have the whole work of the Ministry carried on by the prayers of his people they first obtain their Ministers by prayer Luke 10. 2. Pray ye the Lord of the Harvest to sâ—nd forth labourers into the vineyard It is by the help of prayer that they are carried on and enabled to exercise their Ministry They may tell their people as a great General once told his Souldiers That he flew upon their wings Pray for me saith the great Apostle that utterance may be given me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the Mysteries of the Gospel Eph. 6. 19. Yea by the Saints prayers it is that Ministers obtain the success and fruits of their labours Tâ—fse 3. 1. Finally brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord my have free course and â—e glorified even as it is with you And thus you have the Metaphor opened Now Oh! That these truths migh come down in sweet showers upon the hearts both of Ministers and people in the following Reflections REFLECTIONS Am I then a cloud and is my doctrine as rain to water the Lords inheritance * and yet do I think it much to be tossed up and down by the furious winds and storms of persecution do I not see the clouds above me in continual motions and agitations and shall I dream of a fixed setled state No false Teachers who are clouds without rain are more likely to enjoy that than I. Which of all the Prophets have not been tossed and hurried worse than I Acts 7. 52. He that will not let men alone to be quiet in their lusts must expect but little quiet from men in this life But it is enough Lord that arest remaineth for thy servant let me be so wise to secure a rest to come and not so vain to expect it on earth And O that I might study those instructing clouds from which as from the bottles of heaven God pours down refreshing showers to quench and satisfie the thirsty earth in this may I resemble them and come amongst the people of the Lord in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 29. O let not those thirsty souls that wait for me as for the rain Iob 29. 23. Return like the Troops of Tema ashamed with their heads covered Iob 6. 19. O that my lips might refresh many let me never be like those empty clouds which deceive the hopes of thirsty souls but let my doctrine descend as the rain and distil as the dew and let that plot of thine inheritance which thou hast assigned to me be as the field which the Lord hath blessed Once more lift up thine eyes to the clouds and behold to how great an height the Sun hath mounted them for by reason of their sublimity it is that they are called the clouds of heaven Mat. 24. 30. Lord let me be a cloud of heaven too Let my heart and conversation be both there Who is more advantaged for an heavenly life than I heavenly truths are the subjects of my daily study and shall earthly things be the objects of my daily delights and loves God forbid that ever my earthly conversation should contradict and shame my heavenly calling and profession Shine forth thou glorious Suâ— of righteousness and my heart shall quickly be attracted and mounted above these visible clouds yea and above the aspectable heavens Is the Gospel rain and its Ministers clouds Wo is me then that my habitation is upon the mountains of Gilboa where there are no dews Ah sad lot that I should be like Gideons dry fleece whilst the ground round about me is wet with the dew of heaven O thou that commandest the clouds above and openest the windows of heaven remember and refresh this parched wilderness
to dye immaturately The time of their death was from all eternity prefixt by God beyond which they cannot go and short of which they cannot come The seed lyes many dayes and nights under the clods before it rise and appear again Even so man lyeth down and riseth not again till the heavens be no more Iob 14. 12. The dayes of darkness in the grave are many When the time is come for its shooting up the earth that covered it can hide it no longer it cannot keep it down a day more it will find or make a way through the clods So in that day when the great trump shall sound bone shall come to his bone and the graves shall not be able to hold them a minute longer Both Sea and earth must render the dead that are in them Rev. 20. 13. When the seed appears above ground again it appears much more fresh and orient than when it was cast into the earth God cloaths it with such beauty that it is not like to what it was before Thus rise the bodies of Saints marvellously improved beautified and perfected with spiritual qualities and rich endowments in respect whereof they are called spiritual bodies I Cor. 15. 43. not properly but analogically spiritual for look as spirits subsist without food raâ—ment sleep know no lassitude weariness or pain so our bodies after the resurrection shall be above these necessities and distempers for we shall be as the Angels of God Mat. 22. 30. Yea our vile bodies shall be changed and made like unto Christs glorious body which is the highest pitch and ascent of glory and honour that an humane body is capable of Phil. 3. 21. Indeed the glory of the soul shall be the greatest glory that 's the orient invaluable jem but God will bestow a distinct glory upon the body and richly enammel the very case in which that precious jewel shall be kept In that glorious morning of the resurrection the Saints shall put on their new fresh suits of flesh richly laid and trimmed with glory Those bodies which in the grave were but dust and rottenness when it delivers them back again shall be shining and excellent pieces absolutely and everlastingly freed 1 From all natural infirmities and distempers death is their good Physician which at once freed them of all diseases 'T is a great Affliction now to many of the Lord's people to be clog'd with so many bodily infirmities which render them very unserviceable to God The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak A crazy body retorts and shoots back its distempers upon the soul with which it is so closely conjoyned but though now the soul as Theophrastus speaks payes a dear rent for the Tabernacle in which it dwells yet when death dissolves that Tabernacle all the diseases and pains under which it groaned shall be buried in the rubbish of its mortality and when they come to be re-united again God will bestow rich gifts and dowries even upon the body in the day of its re-espousals to the soul. 2 It shall be freed from all deformities there are no breaches flaws monstrosities in glorified bodies but of them it may much rather be said what was once said of Absalom 2 Sam. 14. 25. That from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him 3ly It shall be freed from all natural necessities to which it is now subjected in this its animal state How is the soul now disquieted and tortured with cares and troubles to provide for a perishing body Many unbelieving and unbecoming fears it is now vexed with What shall it eat and what shall it drink and wherewithal shall it be cloathed But meats for the belly and the belly for meats God shall destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6. 13. i. e. as to their present use and office for as to its existence so the belly shall not be destroyed But even as the Masts Poop and Stern of a Ship abide in the harbour after the voyage is ended so shall these bodily members as Tertullian excellently illustrates it 4ly They shall be freed from death to which thenceforth they can be subject no more that formidable adversary of nature shall affault it no more For they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they shall be equal to the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection Luk. 20. 35 36 Mark it equal to the Angels not that they shall be separate and single spirits without bodies as the Angels are but equal to them in the way and manner of their living and acting We shall then live upon God and act freely purely and delightfully for God for all kind of living upon and delighting in creatures seems in that Text by a Synechdoche of the part which is ordinarily in Scripture put for all creature-delights dependencies and necessities to be excluded Nothing but God shall enamour and fill the soul and the body shall be perfectly subdued to the spirit Lord what hast thou prepared for them that love thee REFLECTIONS If I shall receive my body again so dignified and improved in the world to come then Lord let me never be unwilling to use my body now for the interest of thy glory or my own Salvation Now O my God it grieves me to think how many precious opportunities of serving and honouring thee I have lost under pretence of endangering my health I have been more solicitous to live long and healthfully than to live usefully and fruitfully and like enough my life had been more serviceable to thee if it had not been so fondly overvalued by me Foolish soul hath God given thee a body for a living tool or instrument and art thou afraid to use it wherein is the mercy of having a body if not in spending and wearing it out in the service of God to have an active vigorous body and not to imploy and exercise it for God for fear of endangering its health is as if one should give thee a handsom and sprightful horse upon condition thou shouldst not ride or work him O! if some of the Saints had enjoyed the blessing of such an healthy active body as mine what excellent services would they have performed to God in it If my body shall as surely rise again in glory vigour and excellent endowments as the seed which I sow doth why should not this comfort me over all the pains weaknesses and dulness with which my soul is now clogged Thou knowest my God what a grief it hath been to my soul to be fettered and intangled with the distempers and manifold indispositions of this vile body It hath made me sigh and say with holy Anselme when he saw the mounting bird weighed down by the stone hanging at her leg Lord thus it fares with the
disposition against each other which opposition is both a formal and an effective opposition There are two contrary forms to men in every Saint Col. 3. 9 10. From hence an effective opposition must needs follow for as things are in their natures and principles so they are in their operations and effects workings alwayes follow beings fire and water are of contrary qualities and when they meet they effectively oppose each other Sin and grace are so opposite that if sin should cease to oppose grace it would cease to be sin and if grace should not oppose sin it would cease to be grace And this doth much more endanger the work of grace than any other enemy it hath because it works against it more inwardly constantly and advantagiously than any thing else can do 1 More inwardly for it hath its being and working in the same soul where grace dwells yea in the self same fame faculties so that is not only sets one faculty against another but the same faculty against it self the understanding against the understanding and the will against the will so that ye cannot do the good nor yet the evil that ye would not the good that ye would because when the spirit moves to good and beats upon the heart by divine pulsations exciting it to duty the flesh crosses and opposes it there and if it cannot totally hinder the performance of a duty yet it lames the soul upon the working hand whereby the performance is not so spiritual free and composed as it desires nor yet the evil that you would commit if grace were not there because when lust stirs in its first motions grace puts a rub in its way How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. And if it cannot which for the most part it doth hinder the acting of sin yet it so engages the will against it that it is not committed with complacency and full consent Rom. 7. 15. What I do I allow not 2 It opposes it more constantly it 's like a continual drooping a man can no more flie from this enemy than from himself There is a time when the devil leaves tempting Mat. 4. 11. but no time when corruption ceases from working And lastly it opposes grace more advantagiously than any other enemy can do for it is not only alwayes in the same soul with it but it is there naturally it hath the advantage of the soyl which suits with it And yet oh the wonder of free grace it is not swallowed up in victory it escapes this hazard But 2ly it soon meets with another though it escape this even by temptations which strike desperately at the very life of it for these like the weeds with seemingly loving imbraces clasp about it and did not the faithful God now make a way to escape instead of an Harvest we should have an heap For alas what are we to wrestle with principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Lastly sad relapses like blasts and rustings do often fade and greatly endanger it when it 's even ready for the Harvest Thus it fell out with David whose last wayes were not like his first and yet by this these holy fruits are not utterly destroyed because it is the seed of God and so is immortal 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. and also because the promises of perseverance and victory made to it cannot be frustrated amongst which these are excellent Isa. 54. 10. Ier. 34. 40. 1 Cor 1. 8. Psal. 1. 3. Psal. 125. 1. Ioh. 4. 14. So that here is matter of unspeakable comfort though the flesh say Ego deficiam I will fail thee though the world say Ego decipiam I will deceive thee though the devil say Ego eripiam I will snatch thee away yet as long as Christ saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee thy graces are secure in the midst of all these enemies REFLECTIONS THis soul of mine was once plowed up by conviction and sown as I thought with the seed of God In those dayes many purposes and good resolutions began to chink and bud forth promising a blessed Harvest But O! with what consternation and horror should I speak it the cares and pleasures of this life the lusts and corruptions of my base heart springing up have quite destroyed and choakt it by which it appears it was not the seed of God as I then imagined it to be and now my expected Harvest shall be an heap in the day of grief and desperate sorrow Isa. 17. 11. I had convictions but they are gone troubles for sin conscience of duties but all is blasted and my soul is now as a barren field which God hath cursed Wo is me I have revolted from God and now that dreadful word Ier. 17. 5 6. is evidently fulfilled upon me For I am like the heath in the desart that seeth not when good cometh my soul inhabits the parched places of the wilderness Alas all my formal and heartless duties were but as so many scare-crows in the field which could not defend these slight workings from being devoured by the infernal fowls Had these principles been the seed of God no doubt they would have continued and overcome the world 1 Ioh. 2. 19. Wretched soul thy case is sad it will be better with the uncultivated wilderness than with such a miscarrying soyl unless the great Husbandman plow thee up the second time and sow thy heart with better seed And are the corruptions of my heart to grace what fowls weeds and mildews are to the corn O what need have I then to watch my heart and keep it with all diligence for in the life of that grace is wrapt up the life of my soul. He that carries a candle in his hand in a blustring stormy night had need to cover it close lest it be blown out and he left in darkness O let me never say God hath promised it shall persevere and therefore I need not be so solicitous to preserve it for as this inference is quite opposite to the nature of true grace and assurance which never incourage to carelessness but provoke the soul to an industrious use of means to preserve it So it is in it self an irrational and sensless conclusion which will never follow from any Scripture promise for although it is readily granted that God hath made many comfortable and sweet promises to the graces of his people yet we must expect to enjoy the benefits blessings of all those promises in that way and order in which God hath promised them and that is in the careful and diligent use of those means which he hath prescribed Ezek. 36. 36 37. for promises do not exclude but imply the use of means Act. 27. 31. I know my life is determined to a day to an hour and I shall live out every minute God hath appointed but yet I am bound to provide food raiment and physick to preserve it To
justice cut him down And level'd with the earth his lofty Crown What hope of branches when the tree's o'return'd But like dry faggots to be bound and burn'd It had been so had not transcendent love Which in a sphear above our thoughts doth move Prepar'd a better stock to save and nourish Transplanted twigs which in him thrive and flourish In Adam all are curs'd no saving fruit Shall ever spring from that sin-blasted root Yea all the branches that in him are found How flourishing soever must be bound And pil'd together horrid news to tell To make an everlasting blaze in Hell God takes no pleasure in the sweetest bud Disclos'd by nature for the root 's not good Some boughs indeed richly adorned are With natural fruits which to the eye are fair Rare Gifts sweet dispositions which attracts The love of thousands and from most exacts Honour and admiration You 'l admire That such as these are fewel for the fire Indeed ten thousand pities 't is to see Such lovely creatures in this case to be Did they by true Regeneration draw The sap of life from Iesses root the Law By which they now to wrath condemned are Would cease to curse and God such buds would spare But out of him there 's none of these can move His unrelenting heart or draw his love Then cut me off from this accursed Tree Leâ—t I for ever be cut off from thee CHAP. II. When ere you bud or graft therein you see How Christ and souls must here united be OBSERVATION WHen the Husbandman hath prepared his graffs in the season of the year he carries them with the tools that are necessary for that work to the tree or stock he intends to ingraft and having cut off the top of the limb in some strait smooth part he cleaves it with his knife or chissel a little beside the pith knocks in his wedge to keep it open then having prepared the graff he carefully sets it into the cleft joyning the inner side of the barks of graff and stock together there being the main current of the sap then pulls out his wedge binds both together as in barking and clayes it up to defend the tender graff and wounded stock from the injuries of the Sun and rain These tender cyences quickly take hold of the stock and having immediate coalition with it drink in its sap concoct it into their own nourishment thrive better and bear more and better fruits than ever they would have done upon their natural root yea the smallest bud being carefully inocculated and bound close to the stock will in short time become a flourishing and fruitful limb APPLICATION THis carries a most sweet and lively resemblance of the souls union with Christ by faith and indeed there is nothing in nature that shadows forth this great Gospel-mystery like it 'T is a thousand pities that any who are imployed about or are but spectators of such an action should terminate their thoughts as too many do in that natural object and not raise up their hearts to these heavenly meditations which it so fairly offers them When a twig is to be ingraffed or a bud inocculated it 's first cut off by a keen knife from the Tree on which it naturally grew And when the Lord intends to graft a soul into Christ the first work about it is cutting work Acts 2. 37. their hearts were cut by conviction and deep compunction no cyence is ingraffed without cutting no soul united with Christ without a cutting sense of sin and misery Iohn 16. 8 9. When the tender shoot is cut off from the Tree there are ordinarily many more left behind upon the same Tree as promising and vigorous as that which is taken but it pleaseth the Husbandman to chuse this and leave them Even so it is in the removing or transplanting of a soul by conversion it leaves many behind it in the state of nature as likely and promising as it self but so it pleaseth God to take this soul and leave many others yea often such as grew upon the same root I mean the immediate parent Mal. 1. 2. was not Esau Iacob's brother saith the Lord yet I loved Iacob and I hated Esau. When the graffs are cut off in order to this work 't is a critical season with them if they lye too long before they are ingraffed or take not with the stock they dye and are never more to be recovered they may stand in the stock a while but are no part of the Tree So when souls are under a work of conviction it is a critical time with them many a one have I known then to miscarry and never recovered again they have indeed for a time stood like dead graffs in the stock by an external dead hearted profession but never came to any thing and as such dead graffs either fall off from the stock or moulder away upon it so do these 1 Iohn 2. 19. The Husbandman when he hath cut off graffs or tender buds makes all the convenient speed he can to close them with the stock the sooner that's done the better they get no good by remaining as they are And truly it concerns the servants of the Lord who are imployed in this work of ingraffing souls into Christ to make all the haste they can to bring the convicted sinner to a closure with Christ. As soon as ever the trembling Iaylor cryed out What shall I do to be saved Paul and Silas immediately direct him to Christ Act. 16. 30 31. They do not say it 's too soon for thee to act faith on Christ thou art not yet humbled enough but believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved There must be an incision made in the stock before any bud can be inocculated or the stock must be cut and cleaved before the cyence can be ingraffed according to that in the Poet. Venerit insitio fac ramum ramus adoptet i. e. To graffs no living sap the stocks impart Unless you wound and cut them neer the heart Such an incision or wound was made upon Christ in order to our ingraffing into him Iohn 19. 34. the opening of that deadly wound gives life to the souls of believers The graff is intimately united and closly conjoyned with the stock the conjunction is so closs that they become one Tree There is also a most closs and intimate union betwixt Christ and the soul that believeth in him It is emphatically expressed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit The word imports the nearest clossest and strictest union Christ and the soul cleave together in a blessed oneness as those things do that are glewed one to another so that look as the graff is really in the stock and the spirit or sap of the stock is really in the graff so a believer is really though mystically in Christ and the Spirit of
that they chose to endure rather than to deprive us to such an inheritance those noble souls heated with the love of Christ and care for our souls made many bold and brave adventures for it and yet at what a low rate do we value what cost them so dear like young heirs that never knew the getting of an estate we spend it freely Lord help us thankfully and diligently to improve thy truths while we are in quiet possession of them Such intervals of peace and rest are usually of no long continuance with thy people The Poem A Publick spirit scorns to plant no root But such from which himself may gather fruit For thus he reasons if I reap the gains Of my Laborious predecessors pains How equal is it that posterity Should reap the fruits of present industry Should every age but serve its turn and take No thought for future times it soon would make A Bankrupt world and so entail a curse From age to age as it grows worse and worse Our Christian predecessors careful thus Have been to leave an heritage to us Christ precious truths conserved in their blood For no less price those truths our fathers stood They have transmitted would not alienate From us their children such a fair estate We eat what they did set and shall truth fail In our dayes shall we cut off th' entail Or end the line of honour nay what 's worse Give future ages cause to hate and curse Our memories like Nabotâ— may this age Part with their blood sooner than heritage Let pity move us let us think upon Our childrens souls when we are dead and gone Shall they poor souls in darkness grope when are Put out the light by which they else might see The way to glory yea what 's worse shall it Be said in time to come Christ did commit A precious treasure purchas'd by this blood To us for ours and for our Childrens good But we like cowards false perfidious men For carnal ease lost it our selves and them O let us leave to after ages more Than we receiv'd from all that went before That those to come may bless the Lord and keep Our names alive when we in dust shall sleep CHAP. VI. Deeds for your Lands you prove and keep with care O that for heaven you but as careful were OBSERVATION VVE generally find men are not more careful in trying gold or in keeping it than they are in examining their Deeds and preserving them these are virtually their whole estate and therefore it concerns them to be careful of them If they suspect a flaw in their Lease or Deed they repair to the ablest Counsell submit it to his judgment make the worst of their cause and query about all the supposeable dangers with him if he tell them their case is suspicious and hazardous how much are they perplexed and troubled they can neither eat drink or sleep in peace till they have a good settlement and willing they are to be at much cost and pains to obtain it APPLICATION THese cares and fears with which you are perplexed in such cases may give you a little gimpse of those troubles of soul with which the people of God are perplexed about their eternal condition which perhaps you have been hitherto unacquainted with and therefore slighted them as phansiâ—s and whimsies I say your own fears and troubles iâ— ever you were ingaged by a cunning and powerful adversary in a Law-suit for your estate may give you a little glimpse of spiritual troubles and indeed it is no more but a glimpse of it For as the loss of a earthly though fair inheritance is but a trifle to the loss of God and the soul to eternity so you cannot but imagine that the cares fears and solicitudes of souls about these things are much very much beyond yours Let us compare the cases and see how they answer to each other You have evidences for your estates and by them you hold what you have in the world They also have evidences for their estate in Christ and glory to come they hold all in capite by vertue of their intermarriage with Iesus Christ they come to be enstated in that glorious inheritance conâ—ained in the Covenant of grace You have their tenure in that Scripture 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. All is yours for ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Faith unites them to him and after they believe they are sealed by the Spirit of promise Eph. 1. 13. They can lay claim to no promise upon any other ground this is their title to all that they own as theirs It often falls out that after the fealing and executing of your Deeds or Leases an adversary finds some dubious clause in them and thereupon commences a Suit of Law with you Thus it frequently falls out with the people of God who after their believing and sealing time have doubts and scruples raised in them about their title Nothing is more common than for the devil and their own unbelief to start controversies and raise strong objâ—ctions against their interest in Christ and the Covenant of promises There are cunning and potent adversaries and do maintain long debates with the gracious soul and reason so cunningly and sophistically with it that it can by no means extricate and satisfie it self alwayes alledging that their title is worth nothing which they poor souls are but to apt too suspect All the while that a Suit in Law is depending about your title you have but little comfort or benefit from your estate you cannot look upon it as your own nor lay out moneys in building or dressing for fear you should lose all at last Iust thus stands the case with doubting Christians they have little comfort from the most comfortable promises little benefit from the sweetest duties and Ordinances they put ofâ— their own conforts and say If we were sure that all this were ours we could then rejoyce in them But alas our title is dubious Christ is a precions Christ the promises are comfortable things but what if they be none of ours Ah! how little doth the doubting Christian make of his large and rich inhâ—ritance You dare not trust your own judgments in such cases but â—â—ate your case to such as learned in the Laws and are willing to get the ablest counsel you can to advise you So are poor doubting Christians they carry their Cases from Christian to Christian and from Minister to Minister with such requests as these Pray tell me what do you think of my condition deal plainly and faithfully with me these be my grounds of doubting and these my grounds of hope O hide nothing from me And if they all agree that their case if good yet they cannot be satisfied till God say so too and confirm the word of his servants and therefore they carry the case often before him in such words as those Psal. 39. 23 24. Search me O God and
much the dearer shalt thou be to me MEDIT. IX Vpon the early singing of birds HOw am I reproved of sluggishness by these watchful Birds which cheerfully entertain the very dawning of the morning with their cheerful and delightful warblings they set their little spirits all awork betimes whilst my nobler spirits are bound with the bonds of soft and downy slumbers For shame my soul suffer not that Publican sleep to seize so much of thy time yea thy best and freshest time reprove and chide thy sluggish body as a good Bishop once did when upon the same occasion he said Surrexerunt passeres sterâ—unt Pontifices The early chirping Sparrows may reprove Such lazy Bishops as their beds do love Of many slâ—ggards it may be said as Tully said of Verres the Deputy of Sicily Quod nunquam solem nec orientem nec occidentem viderat that he never saw the Sun rising being in bed after nor setting being in bed before 'T is pity that Christians of all men should suffer sleep to cut such large thongs out of so narrow a hide as their time on earth is But alas it is not so much early rising as a wise improving those fresh and free hours with God that will inrich the soul else as our Proverb saith a man may be early up and never the neer yea far better it is to be found in bed slâ—eping than to be up doing nothing or that which is worse than nothing O my soul learn to prepossess thy self every morning with the thoughts of God and suffer not those fresh and sweet operations of thy mind to be prostituted to earthly things for that is experimentally true which one in this case hath pertinently observed That if the world get the start of Religion in the morning it will be hard for Religion to overtake it all the day after MEDIT. X. Vpon the haltering of birds with a grain of hair Observing in a snowy season how the poor hungry Birds were haltred and drawn in by a grain of hair cunningly cast over their heads whilst poor creatures they were busily feeding and suspected no danger and even whilst their companions were drawn away from them one after another all the interruption it gave the rest was only for a minute or two whilest they stood peeping into that hole through which their companions were drawn and then fell to their meat again as busily as before I could not chuse but say Even thus surprizingly doth death steal upon the children of men whilst they are wholly intent upon the cares and pleasures of this life not at all suspecting its so neer approach These Birds saw not the haâ—d that insnared them nor do they see the hand of death plucking them one after another into the grave Ovid. Omnibus obscur as injecit illa manus Death 's steps are swift and yet no noise it makes Its hand unseen but yet most surely takes And even as the surviving Birds for a little time seemed to stand affrighted peeping after their companions and then as busie as ever to their meat again Iust so it fares with the careless inconsiderate world who see others daily dropping into eternity round about them and for the present are a little startled and will look into the grave after their neighbours and then fall as busily to their earthly imployments and pleasures again as ever till their own turn comes I know my God! that I must die as well as others but O let me not die as do others let me see death before I feel it and conquer it before it kill me let it not come as an enemy upon my back but rather let me meet it as a friend half way Die I must but let me lay up that good treasure before I go Mat. 6. 19. carry with me a good conscience when I go 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. and leave behind me a good example when I am gone and then let death come and welcom MEDITATIONS upon Beasts MEDIT. I. Vpon the clogging of a straying Beast HAd this Bullock contented himself and remained quietly within his own bounds his Owner had never put such an heavy clog upon his neck but I see the prudent Husbandman chuses rather to keep him with his clog than lose him for want of one What this clog is to him that is affliction and trouble to me had my soul kept close with God in liberty and prosperity he would never thus have clogged me with adversity yea and happy were it for me if I might stray from God no more who hath thus clogged me with preventive afflictions If with David I might say Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Psal. 119. 67. O my soul 't is better for thee to have thy pride clogged with poverty thy ambition with reproach thy canal expectancies with constant disappointments than to be at liberty to run from God and duty 'T is true I am sometimes as weary of these troubles as this poor Beast is of the clog he draws after him and often wish my self rid of them but yet if God should take them off for ought I know I might have cause to wish them on again to prevent a greater mischief 'T is storied of Basil that for many years he was sorely afflicted with an inveterate head-ach that was his clog he often prayed for the removal of it al last God removed it but instead thereof he was sorely exercised with the motions and temptations of lust which when he perceived he as earnestly desired his head-ach again to prevent a greater evil Lord if my corruptions may be prevented by my affliction I refuse not to be clogged with them but my soul rather desires thou wouldst hasten the time when I shall be for ever freed from them both MEDIT. II. Vpon the love of a Dog to his Master HOw many a weary step through mire and dirt hath this poor Dog followed my horse to day and all this for a very poor reward for all be gets by it at night is but bones and blows yet will he not leave my company but is content upon such hard terms to travel with me from day to day O my soul what conviction and shame may this leave upon thee who art often times even weary of following thy Master Christ whose rewards and incourage ments of obedience are so incomparably sweet and sure I cannot beat back this dog from following me but every inconsiderable trouble is enough to discourage me in the way of my duty Ready I am to resolve as that Scribe did Mat. 8. 19. Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest but how doth my heart faulter when I must encounter with the difficulties of the way O! let me make a whole heart-choice of Christ for my portion and happiness and then I shall never leave him nor turn back from following him though the present difficulties were much more and the present incouragments much less
the prejudice of his truth O what rich grace is here that in a general Shipwrack mercy should cast forth a line or plank to save me that when millions perish I with a few more should escape that perdition Was it the Fathers good pleasure to bestow the kingdom upon a little flock and to make me one of that number What singular obligations hath mercy put upon my soul the fewer are saved the more cause have they that are to admire their Saviour If but one of a thousand had been damned yet my salvation would have been an act of infinite grace but when scarce one of a thousand are saved what shall I call that grace that cast my lot among them The Poem HE that with spiritual eyes in Autumn sees The heaps of fruit which fall from shaken trees Like storms of hailstones and can hardly find One of a thousand that remains behind Methinks this Meditation should awake His soul and make it like those trees to shake Of all the clusters which so lately grew Upon these trees how few can they now shew Here one and there another two or three Upon the outmost branches of the tree The greatest numbers to the pound are born Squeez'd in the trough and all to pieces torn This little handful's left to shadow forth To me Gods remnant in this peopl'd earth If o're the whole terrestrial globe I look The Gospel visits but a little nook The rest with horrid darkness overspread Are fast asleep yea in transgressions dead Whole droves to hell the devil daily drives Not one amongst them once resists or strives And in this little heaven-inlightned spot How vast an interest hath Satan got But few of holiness profession make And if from those that do prosess I take The self-deluding hypocrites I fear To think how few remain that are sincere O tax not mercy that it saves so few But rather wonder that the Lord should shew Mercy to any quarrel not with grace But for they self Gods gracious terms embrace When all were Shipwrackt thou shouldst wonder more To find thy self so strangely cast ashore And there to meet with any that can tell How narrowly they also scap'd from hell The smaller numbers mercy saves the higher Ingagements lye on thee still to admire Had the whole species perish'd in their sin And not one individual saved bin Yet every tongue before him must be mute Confess his righteousness but not dispute Or had the hand of mercy which is free Taken another and pass'd over me I still must justifie him and my tongue Confess my maker had done me no wrong But if my name he please to let me see Enroll'd among those few that saved be What admiration should such mercy move What thanks and praise and everlasting love CHAP. IV. Dead barren Trees you for the fire prepare In such a case all fruitless persons are OBSERVATION AFter many years patience in the use of all means to recover a fruit Tree if the Husbandman see it be quite dead and that there can be no more expectation of any fruit from it he brings his ax and hews it down by the root and from the Orchard it s carried to the fire it being then fit for nothing else he reckons it imprudent to let such a useless tree abide in good ground where another might be planted in its room that will better pay for the ground it stands in I my self once saw a large Orchard of fair but fruitless trees all rooted up rived abroad and ricked up for the fire APPLICATION THus deals the Lord by useless and barren Professors who do but cumber his ground Mat. 3. 10. And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire And Luke 13. 7. Then said the dresser of the vineyard Behold this three years I came seeking fruit on this â—ig-tree and find none cut it down why cumbereth it the ground These three years alluding to the time of his Ministery he being at that time entring upon his last half year as one observes by harmonizing the Evangelists so long he had waited for the fruit of his Ministery among those dead-hearted Iews now his patience is even at an end cut them down saith he why cumber they the ground I will plant others viz. the Gentiles in their room This hewing down of the barren tree doth in a lively manner shadow forth Gods judicial proceedings against formal and empty Professors under the Gospel and the resemblance clearly holds in these following particulars The tree that is to be hewen down for the fire stands in the Orchard among other flourishing trees where it hath enjoyed the benefit of a good soyl a strong fence and much culture but being barren these priviledges secure it not from the fire It is not our standing in the visible church by a powerless profession among real Saints with whom we have been associated and enjoyed the rich and excellent waterings of Ordinances that can secure us from the wrath of God Mat. 3. 8. 9. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance and think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father Neither Abraham nor Abrahams God will acknowledge such degenerate children if Abrahams faith be not in your hearts it will be no advantage that Abrahams bloud runs in your veins 'T will be a poor plea for Iudas when he shall stand before Christ in judgment to say Lord I was one of thy family I preached for thee I did eat and drink in thy presence Let these Scriptures be consulted Mat. 7. 22. Mat. 25. 11 12. Rom. 2. 17. ad 25. The Husbandman doth not presently cut down the tree because it puts not forth as soon as other trees do but waits as long as there is any hope and then cuts it down Thus doth God wait upon barren dead-hearted persons from Sabbath to Sabbath and from year to year for the Lord is long-suffering to us-ward and not willing that any should periâ—h but all come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Thus the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah upon those dry trees who are now smoaking and flaming in hell 1 Pet. 3. 20. He waits long on sinners but keeps exact accounts of every year and day of his patience Luke 13. 7 These three years And Ier. 25. 3. These 23 years When the time is come to cut it down the dead tree cannot possibly resist the stroke of the ax but receives the blow and falls before it No more can the stoutest sinner resist the fatal stroke of death by which the Lord hews him down Eccles. 8. 8. There is no man that hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war When the pale horse comes
away you must into the land of darkness Though thou cry with Adrian O my poor soul whither art thou going die thou must thou barren Professor though it were better for thee to do any thing else than to die What a dreadful screech will thy conscience give when it sees the ax at thy root and say to thee as it is Ezek. 7. 6. An end is come the end is come it watcheth for thee behold it is come O said Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England when he perceived whereto he must wherefore must I die If the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fye quoth he will not death be hired will riches do nothing No neither riches nor policy can then avail That side to which the Tree leaned most while it stood that way it will fall when it is cut down and as it falls so it lies whether to the South or North Eccles. 11. 3. So it fares with these mystical trees I mean fruitless Professors Had their hearts and affections inclined and bended heaven-ward whilst they lived that way no doubt they had fallen at their death but as their hearts inclined to sin and ever bended to the world so when God gives the fatal stroke they must fall hell-ward and wrath-ward and how dreadful will such a fall be When the dead tree is carried out of the Orchard it shall never be among the living trees of the Orchard any more many years it grew among them but now it shall never have a place there again And when the barren Professor is carried out of the world by death he shall never be associated with the Saints any more He may then say farewell all ye Saints among whom I lived and with whom I so often heard fasted prayed I shall never see your faces more Mat. 8. 11 12. I say unto you that many shall come from the East and West and North and South and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of heaven but the children of the Kingdom shall be cast forth into outer darkness there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth When the dead tree is carried out of the Orchard the Husbandman cuts off his branches and rives him asunder with his wedges This also is the lot of barren Professors The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and will cut him asunder he shall be diffected or cut abroad Luke 12. 46. Now therefore consider this ye that forget God leâ—t I tear or rend you in pieces Psal. 50. 22. O direful day when the same hand which planted pruned and watered thee so long and so tenderly shall now strike mortal strokes at thee and that without pity For be that made them will not have mercy on them and be that formed them will shew them no favour Iâ—a 27. 11. For the day of mercy is over and the day of his wrath is fully come When this tree is cleav'd abroad then itsi rotten hollow inside appears which was the cause of its barrenuess it looked like a Fair and sound bodied tree but now all may see how rotten it is at the heart So will God in that day when he shall diâ—â—ect the barren Professor discover the rottenness of his heart and unâ—oundness of his principles and ends then they who never suspected him before shall see what a hollow and rotten-hearted Professor he was Lastly the fruitless tree is cast into the fire This also is the end and sad issue of formality Iohn 15. 6. He is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned This is an undouâ—tâ—d truth That there is no plant in Gods vineyard but he will have glory from it by bearing fruit or glory on it by burning in the fire In this fire shall they lye gnashing their teeth Luke 13. 38. and that both in indignation against the Saints whom they shall see in glory and against Iesus Christ who would not save them and against themselves for losing so foolishly the opportunities of salvation Do you behold when you sit by the fire the froth that boyles out of those flaming logs O think of that some and rage of these undone creatures foaming and gnashing their teeth in that fire which is not quenched Mark 9. 44. REFLECTION HOw often have I passed by such barren trees with a more barren heart as little thinking such a tree to be the emblem of my self as Nebuchadnezzâ—r did when he saw that tree in a dream which represented himself and shadowed forth to him his ensuing misery Dan. 4. 13. But Oh my conscience my drousie sleepy conscience wert thou but tender and faithful to me thou wouldst make as round and terrible an application of such a spectacle to me as the faithful Prophet did to him v. 22. And thus wouldst thou O my soul bemoan thy condition Poor wretch here I grow for a little time among the trees of righteousness the plants of renown but I am none of them I was never planted a right seed some green and flourishing leaves of profession indeed I have which deceive others but God cannot be deceived he sees I am fruitless and rotten at the heart Poor soul what will thine end be but burning Behold the axlyeth by thy root and wonder it is that there it should lye so long and I yet standing still mercy pleads for a fruitless creature Lord spare it one year longer Alas he need strike no great blow to ruine me his very breath blows to destruction Iob 4. 9. a frown of his face can blast and ruine me Psal. 80. 6. he is daily sollicited by his justice to hew me down and yet I stand Lord cure my barrenness I know thou hadst rather see fruit than fire upon me The Poem IF after pains and patience you can see No hopes of fruit down goes the barren tree You will not suffer trees that are unsound And barren too to cumber useful ground The fatal ax is laid unto the root It 's fit for fire when unfit for fruit But though this be a dead and barren tree Reader I would not have it so to thee May it to thee this serious thought suggest In all the Orchard this dead tree's the best Think on it sadly lay it close to heart This is the case in which thou wast or art If so thou wast but now dost live and grow And bring forth fruit what praise and thanks dost ow To that wise Husbandman that made thee so O think when justice listed up its hand How mercy did then interceding stand How pity did on thy behalf appear To beg reprieval for another year Stop Lord forbear him all hope is not past He can but be for fire at the last Though many