flesh This foreskin disaffects us to alienates us from prejudices us against God and spiritual things The body is dead by reason of sin Rom. 8.10 And the Soul is dead in sin By the offence of one that is the First Adam many be dead These many are all that descend from Adam by Natural Generation Rom. 5.15 By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation Rom 5.18 Men are dead under a spiritual and condemned to an eternal death Men walk indeed tho' spiritually dead but it is only contrary to God Levit. 26.40 Men act indeed but they only do dead Works Heb. 6.1 Heb. 9.14 Men must repent of and from these dead works and the blood of Christ must cleanse Conscience from them O what a dreadful State is this for Conscience to be loaded with and burden'd under dead Works Those may well be called dead Works that are the fruits of spiritual Death and the seeds of eternal Death as we call Pond or Ditch Water dead Water because the Pond or Ditch have no spring in them to feed the Water so the best Works of unregenerate Men may be called dead Works because they have no Holy Spring or Fountain of their Actions They are destitute of Knowledge there is none that understandeth Rom. 3.11 Hos 4.1 They do not trust in God Zeph. 3.2 They have not the love of God in them John 5.42 Knowledge Faith and Love are the root and spring of all living works but for want of these the Works of unregenerate Men are dead they are empty Vines sinfully barren Hos 10.1 yet abound in corrupt fruit Deut. 32.32 33. they only bring forth fruit to death Rom. 7.5 such as renders them more guilty of liable and obnoxious to death When Adam fell contracted guilt and corrupted our nature thence we were made sinners Rom. 5.19 and unregenerate men while they continue so ever since they were born have been Sin-makers This is their only Trade and Imployment 1 John 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is properly render'd He that maketh sin is the servant of sin The word in composition signifies to work at a Trade .. Aquila Priscilla and Paul were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tentmakers This is a shameful and woful Trade in Thought Word and Deed to be a Sin maker O reflect on this with Self-abhorrency that as soon as you were born you were made Sinners and ever since have been Sin-makers An unregenerate man is still out of the evil Treasure of his heart bringing forth evil things Matt. 12.34 Out of the Bullion of Original Sin is still coining Actual Sin and tho' evil things in Words and Actions are still brought forth out of this evil Treasure yet this doth not lessen waste or diminish but still more increases the evil Treasure of the Heart 3. Unregenerate Men are Children of Wrath by Nature Ephes 2.3 They are conceived in sin shapen in iniquity Ps 51.5 Born flesh John 3.6 God hath therefore a Controversie with them and just displeasure against them As soon as they live Temporally God hath provocations to destroy them Eternally God seeth then the malignity that lurks the enmity against him that is lodged in the Soul As the Potters Vessel mentioned in Jer. 18.3 4. was marred in making so when men are shapen and formed in the Womb they are marred defiled and deformed with sin a Leaven is then laid in the very Meal of our Faculties Poyson is then dropt into our Souls a Disease a Plague of Leprosie is derived to us together with our Nature so that we are hateful to Ps 3.3 and haters of God Rom. 1.30 By reason of that Traiterous and Rebellious Nature that God then saw in us it had been no injustice in God or wrong to us if Children of wrath had soon been made Vessels of wrath for ever Rom. 9.22 4. Sinful Men heap up more wrath more inflame and increase Divine Displeasure against themselves The Hipocrites in heart do heap up wrath Job 36.13 Those that remain hard-hearted and impenitent do treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom. 2.5 Such do bring more Fuel to the Fire and Oil to the flame of Divine Displeasure that it may burn more hotly and fiercely against them God is angry with the wicked every day or as some render it all the day long Ps 7.11 They are still doing somewhat more to grieve and provoke God Sinners are altogether become filthy or stinking as it is in the margin Psal 14.3 What stinking thoughts desires words and actions do daily come up into God's nostrils God complains Is 65.5 that they were a smoke in his nostrils a fire that did burn all the day as when something very noisom and stinking is burnt it gives great offence to the Nose And as the sins of men do always stink in God's Nostrils so they cry loud in God's Ears to kindle more wrath against them and pluck down more vengeance on them As the sins of Sodom did make a great cry in God's Ears Gen. 18.20 the sins of men are as so many Accusers of and Witnesses against them before the Tribunal of God Is 59.12 Our sins testifie against us 5. Men are unmindful of God and Enemies to him 1. They are unmindful of God Deut. 32.18 Of the Rock that begot thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten God that formed thee God is not in all their thoughts they are without God in the world Ephes 2.12 they call not on him they draw not night to him they have no delight in him They are Atheists all the day long yea all their life long as if there were no such Being as God or they had no need of him had no business or concerns with him Men and Women remember small matters but yet forget God Can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet my people saith God have forgotten me days without number Jer. 2.32 How great a sin is it to forget God that is so near to us Acts 27.27 28. Those that are blind Creatures may grope and find out God by feeling of him for in him we live move and have our being All the Creatures do declare and preach God to us Psal 19.1 2 3. These as continual remembrancers may present God to our thoughts How great a sin is it that men allow no room to God in their minds and shut him out of their hearts who fills heaven and earth Jer. 23.24 That the precious Cabiner of the Mind should be filled only with the Dung of unclean vain worldly thoughts but not entertain Meditations of God and Christ 2. Men are enemies to God Rom. 8.7 The Carnal Mind is not said to be an enemy but enmity to God Enemies may be reconciled but enmity can never be reconciled but must be destroy'd Men are Enemies to God in their minds through wicked works or by their minds being set wholly on wicked
very unkind and inhuman that would not entertain and lodge Christ in their Houses But yet do not thousands of nominal and titular Christians shut Christ out of their Hearts they suffer Sin Satan and the World to keep possession but they shut out the Prince of Life the King of Glory the Heir of all things they are not willing that Christ should come in subject all to himself order and govern all for himself Guilt Poverty and Misery are shut into their Souls Righteousness Riches Life are shut out 7. This is grievous Disobedience to the Gospel that Men are not willing to be made clean or set free 1. They are not willing to be made clean As a Fountain casteth out her waters so Jerusalem casteth out her wickedness O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean Jer. 6.7 When shall it once be Is it not most reasonable that Souls should be made clean yet they return as the Dog to his vomit and as the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. last God pronounces woe to those that will not be made clean and will you deceive your selves and say it shall be well with you Christ tells us Except he washes us we can have no part with him in the Kingdom of Glory John 13.8 and will you give the Ly to Christ and credit Satan that you shall go to Heaven tho' you are not washed Can you thrust into the new Jerusalem into which no unclean thing shall enter Rev. 21. last Men sometimes promise fair and faintly resolve to cleanse themselves but when shall it once be they that cleanse not away their Filth must themselves be washed away as Spots from the Face of the Church and be abhorred by God for ever 2. Men are highly disobedient to the Gospel in that they will not be made free they are fond of their Fetters and hug their Chains as the Servant that rejected the benefit of the Year of Release or Jubilee saying I love my Master I will not go out free Exod. 21.5 6. So Men love Sin their old Master when a better choice is offer'd they stick to their old and first choice yea they have chosen their own ways and their Soul delights in their abominations Isa 66.3 The most of Men are like the carnal Israelites satisfied with their Slavery They said to Moses and Aaron Let us alone to serve the Egyptians Exod. 14.12 So Sinners would not be disturbed they would be let alone to serve the Devil and enjoy their Lusts 8. This is high disobedience to the Gospel that Men will not have Christ to reign over them they are incensed Isa 45.24 they rage against Christ Luke 19.14 27. Psa 2.1 but I may renew the Question that Pilate put to the Jews when they were so inflam'd against Christ What evil hath he done Mat. 27.23 Christ calls Souls out of Prison and from their wandrings and strayings he makes Men free from the Law of Sin and Death and is this to do Evil how unreasonable is it that Men should be so disaffected towards and so prejudic'd against the Kingdom of Christ when he reigns to destroy the reigning power of Sin Satan and Death and to exalt his Subjects now to reign with him in the Kingdom of Grace and hereafter to sit in the Throne and reign with Christ in the Kingdom of Glory O that Sinners should ever be so ungrateful to Christ and so injurious to their own Souls how mild benign and gracious is the Government of Christ he rules not only as a Political Head that gives Laws but as a Natural Head that gives Life and influences he governs as a Husband Brother and Saviour how reasonable therefore is it that our homage and subjection to him should begin in a Kiss of Faith and Love Psa 2. last But how provoking is this that Men chuse Sin and Satan a Murtherer and prefer him Before a Saviour This is to renew and revive the Affronts put on Christ at his Passion and to chuse Barabbas rather than Jesus Those that would not have Christ to reign over them for their Salvation do set up Satan to rule over them for their Destruction 9. This is ungrateful and highly provoking Disobedience to the Gospel that Men would have Christ to buy yet to possess and enjoy nothing They can be willing Christ should hire them and promise them a reward but they stand idle all the day long will do no Work for Christ they are idle and barren in the knowledg of Christ yea walk as Enemies to the Cross of Christ while they set up what he came to pull down and keep alive what he came to destroy Christ hath acted as a Shepherd and doth demand his price Zech. 11.12 Surely Love Service and Obedience is due to him but Men put off Christ with an empty Name of Lord and with a dead form of Religion they do not render the Fruits of a Vineyard or bring forth the Fruits of God's Kingdom their Knowledge is cold idle and barren as the light of a Glow-worm that is not sufficient to direct a Traveller in his way The Gospel should bring forth Fruit from the first day that Men know it Col. 1.5 6. it should be a Seal to stamp the Image of God on Men it should be a Mould to shape and fashion Mens Hearts and Lives Rom. 6.17 as the Sun riseth and Man goes forth to his work Ps 104 23. so when Christ ariseth and shineth in any Country Men should go forth to all the work of their heavenly calling Knowledge should not only float in the Head or be imprison'd in the Mind but should be a light to Mens Feet and a Lamp to their Paths Psal 119.105 But how many nominal Christians do love darkness and hate the light they still love to wander and in the broad day to follow Sin and Satan they do nothing of all that God commands them they only stray and work Iniquity and so deserve to be cast into outer darkness Jer. 14.10 Jer. 32.23 30. Mat. 8.12 JEREMIAH IV. 3. For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem Break up your fallow Ground and sow not among Thorns IN the words we may observe 1. a Speaker the Lord All Men should have an Ear to listen when the Lord hath a Tongue to speak 2. The Persons spoken to the Men of Judah and Jerusalem 3. The Exhortation or Counsel given to them Break up your fallow ground Three things are to be remarked in these words 1. That there were fallow grounds in Judah and Jerusalem that were a People chosen to be holy to the Lord and that might seem to themselves a fruitful Field a pleasant and delightful Paradise 2. This may also seem strange that they should be call'd to break up their fallow ground What an humbling abasing Expression is this they might think they had made a great progress in Religion and were advanced far towards a ripe Harvest of
Servants Our fallow Ground will never be broken up till we are convinc'd how much we need to be plow'd and sow'd 2. Were our Souls ever rightly duly deeply affected with our woful and wretched State Are Hearts broken our Spirits wounded our Souls as a bruised Reed Isaiah 42.3 Hath the sense of our guilt and God's wrath so fallen and seized on our spirits as to grind them as it were to Powder A prick in the heart is both painful and mortal Acts 2.37 this wounds the Old Man to death How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom 6.2 If an Earthen Vessel be broken to pieces it can no more hold any Water or serve for any use as when it was whole If our Old Man be Crucified if the Body of Sin be Destroy'd we cannot serve sin as before If a Ground be Plow'd deep and the Roots of Weeds that grew in it be cut they cannot flourish in that Ground as before 3. Have you received the seed of the Word the Doctrine of the Gospel gladly Acts 2.41 Have the Tidings of Redemption the News of Salvation been welcome to you And as a Noble and Generous Cordial revived your fainting and languishing Spirits And as a Soveraign Balsam healed your bruised broken Hearts Have you as drowning Men laid hold on the Promise of Salvation As famishing Men have you catched at the Bread of Life Have you as weary and heavy Laden Sinners leaned on Christ Cant. 8.5 and taken hold of the Hope set before you Have you as a dry and thirsty Ground drank in the spiritual Rain and Dew from Heaven Heb. 6.18 And doth the seed so received sanctify you Doth the Word work effectually in your Souls Heb. 6.7 Doth it Leaven you John 17.19 with Holiness Spirituality and Heavenly-mindedness 1 Thes 2.13 4. Doth the seed of the Word bring forth fruit in your hearts and lives Col. 1.5 6. Do you shine in the world as lights and hold forth the word of life Phil. 2.15 16. Is the sweet odour of your Ointments and Garments smelt Cant. 4.10 11. USE 3. I would Exhort you to this great Duty O break your Fallow Ground When Adam fell and was turned out of the Earthly Paradise it was necessary for him to become a Husband-man and a Plow-man Gen. 3.23 God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to Till the ground from whence he was taken Bread could not be had without Plowing and Sowing our Nature was corrupted and depraved all Holiness and Righteousness so rooted out that if we break not up our Fallow Ground no seed can be sowed or Fruit brought forth to God To be spiritual Plow-men is an Employment necessary for all Rich and Poor Princes and Peasants Noble-men and those of low Degree must all follow the Plow must all attend to break up their Fallow Ground this is a Work to be neglected by none Men and Women must all prosecute and pursue it For 1. We are wholly useless and altogether unprofitable if we continue a Fallow Ground It is worse with us than with a Field that lies Fallow that may bear some Herbage I have been credibly informed of some Land that have been sowed once a Year and mowed the next so serviceable is the Earth to Man but if Men lie Fallow they do no good Rom. 3.12 They bring forth no Fruit to God all their Religious and Common Actions are grievous and displeasing to God The prayer of him that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law is an abomination to God Prov. 28.9 Yea the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination Prov. 15.8 And the way of the wicked that is his common Actions are sin Prov. 15.9 That which they offer is unclean and so is every work of their hands Hag. 2.14 Thus they are altogether unprofitable Rom. 3.12 2. If you lie Fallow you will grow worse and worse The Old Man grows more corrupt Ephes 4.22 As a dead Carkass doth putrify more and more and become more noisome unsavory and stinking so it is with the Body of Death in us Rom. 7.24 The more a ground is neglected the longer it lies Fallow the more it is over-run with Briars and Thorns The deeper the Weeds root in it the more they over-run over spread and eat out the heart of it So here the Mind grows more vain more blind the Heart is more hard the Affections more sensual and carnal It is said of some That they have left off to take heed to the Lord Hos 4.10 And that they leave off Righteousness in the Earth Amos 5.7 Evil men and seducers wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 3. If you Plow not for God you Plow for Satan It is a woful thing to drive Satan's Plow Isaiah speaks of some That draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart-rope Isaiah 5.18 It is a plain Allusion to drawing in a Cart or drawing of a Plow O how sad is it to be Satan's slaves to draw his Plow All the corrupt Reasonings of Men that God doth not see observe resent their sins That he will never revenge them that God's threatnings are but vain words as a despicable eccho and the sounding again of the mountains Ezek. 7.7 These are the Cords of Vanity by which Men draw sin to themselves but though they are but Cords of Vanity yet they draw as strong as if they were a thick Cart-rope What bad Work do Satan's Plow-men instead of breaking up their Fallow ground They break God's yoke burst his bonds Jer. 5.5 They brake the everlasting Covenant Isaiah 24.5 Break God's Statutes Psal 89 31. Yea God himself complains That he is broken by their whorish heart Ezek. 6.9 Thus ill are Men imploy'd that break not up their Fallow ground 4. It is honorable to yield Fruit to God It is said The profit of the earth is for all the King himself is served by the Field Eccles 5.9 It is most true That the King of Glory is served by a Field broken up and sowed How honorable is it when our Prayer is the delight of God Prov. 15.8 And God delighteth in our way Psal 37.23 When our Offerings are pleasant to the Lord Mal. 3.4 When we can invite Christ to come into his Garden and eat of his pleasant fruits Cant. 4. last When we treat him with the spiced Wine of the juice of our Pomegranate Cant. 8.2 When our voice is sweet in Christ's ears and our countenance is comely in Christ's eyes Cant. 2.14 It is for the glory of the Church that Christ goes down to feed in the Gardens Cant. 6.2 5. It will be our advantage to break up our Fallow ground God bids our first Parents to replenish the Earth and subdue it Gen. 1.28 That it is by Tillage they were to master the Earth and compel it to serve them and bear Fruit to them so by breaking up our Fallow ground we
is required and called for in the Text. For the prosecuting of the Doctrine three things are to be inquired into 1. What it is to break up our Fallow Ground 2. How or by what means it must be broken up 3. Why it is necessary it should be broken up 1. What is it to break up our Fallow ground I Answer It is to be soundly convinced of deeply affected with throughly to be broken and humbled for Sin and the danger and misery of our Natural State This is a Work hard bitter and grievous to Nature to set God's Plow into our very Souls to cut and wound them to make deep and long Furrows in the very Soil of our Hearts We read of renting of the heart Joel 2.13 and of a broken heart and contrite spirit Ps 51.17 This breaking up Fallow Ground is expounded in the next Verse to the Text by mens circumcising themselves to the Lord and taking away the foreskin of the heart Jer. 4.4 This cutting off the foreskin of the Heart is cutting up the Turff of our Soil that hinders the good Seed from taking deep root downwards and springing upwards The Jews were circumcised in Infancy but the thing signified doth not always go along with the Sign they yet wanted the internal and noblest part of that Ordinance they were circumcised in flesh but yet uncircumcised in heart Jer 9. last Tho' Circumcision in the Flesh was an external act whereby Men did acknowledge them Jews and Members of the visible Church yet the Circumcision of the Heart is the Sign and internal Note whereby God doth recognize and own Men to be vital Members of his Church The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart that love the Lord thy God Deut. 30.6 God would give the inward and noblest part of this Ordinance And if Circumcision was a Sign and Seal of God's Circumcising the Heart it must needs be a Sign and Seal of the Covenant of Grace Those that do partake of the outward Sign of the Covenant are thereby obliged to seek after the inward and best part of that Ordinance they have passed under and have been the Subjects of They are not to rest in this That they are circumcised in the Eye and account of Men but they are to pass further and circumcise themselves to the Lord that is so to circumcise themselves that they may appear to and be owned by God as circumcised So they were to circumcise themselves that they may be inclined towards and devoted to the Lord. This Soul Circumcision this taking away the Foreskin of the Heart is the right breaking up of our Fallow Ground The Act of Repentance and Faith is ours but the Grace whereby we Repent and Believe is from God and Christ 2 Tim. 2.25 Acts 5.31 So it is our Duty to Circumcise our Hearts but in all our Endeavours to perform it we must look to the Promise of God Deut. 30.6 and eye the Grace of our Lord Jesus who circumcises the Heart in causing it to put off the Body of the sins of the Flesh Col. 2.11 Jesus Christ tho' he had no Foreskin on his Heart yet he was Circumcised Luk. 2.21 that he might fulfil all Righteousness in himself and be obliged by this Ordinance to the great Work of Circumcising the Hearts of others Col. 2.11 2. How must Men break up their Fallow Ground I Answer There must be a Plough to do this Work There must be a keen and sharp Plow-share that Men may be Converted and return to be God's Husbandry The Word is the Plow considerations taken both from the Law and Gospel must break and wound the Hearts of Men. Moses is indeed a Plow-man but Christ is said to be the Seeds-man he is the Sower that went forth to sow Matt. 13.3 He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man Matt. 13.37 38. He doth not only sow Doctrines but Persons He doth beget a holy Seed Isa 9.6 He washes and renews by his Spirit If Men were convinced of Sin by the Law and not of Righteousness by the Gospel if they were wounded but had no knowledge of a Physician of a Remedy of a way of Salvation this would drive Men to despair sink and overwhelm them with terrors The Word must cut deep it must prick the heart Acts 2.37 It must wound the Soul to the quick that Men may be prepared for the healing Remedies and sweet Consolations of Jesus Christ Weighty humbling awakening Considerations must be put and kept on the Heart and sink deep into the Soul such as these following Truths 1. This should affect and wound the Heart that as we descend from the First Adam we are all born Flesh John 3.6 That which is born of the shesh is flesh Tho' the Soul be a spirit in its nature yet it is flesh in its inclination disposition ends and aims What a debasing humbling expression is that My spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh Gen. 6.3 The Mind of Man is strangely Carnalized sunk into and swallowed up in the Flesh it doth not mind its own Concerns or remember its own Interest it is only a servant to a Steward and Caterer for the Body as if a Man should be wholly taken up in thatching supporting repairing of his Cottage but should neglect or forget to provide Food and Raiment for himself O that Men should gratify their senses please pamper and indulge their Flesh and put all their happiness on an inch on a moment of Time and not regard Spiritual Blessings in Heaven Eph. 1.3 or value a Feast in Glory How dreadfully bad is it to make light Matt. 22.5 of the Feast that infinite Wisdom contrived and infinite Love hath provided For Men not to regard the Purchase the Son of God hath made the Ransom he hath paid the Legacies he hath bequeathed A Carnal Creature sees no worth or excellency tastes no sweetness takes no deught in Spiritual and Eternal Things they are dry sapless hungry Notions yea as vain fancies to him Men understand only Carnally there is flesh in the mind Col. 2.18 Nicodemus tho' he was a Master and Teacher in Israel yet did not understand the Doctrine of Regeneration but thought Christ meant a Man must enter a second time into his Mothers Womb and be born again from thence John 3.3 4 9. The Will and Affections also are Flesh When Christ did discourse with the Woman of Samaria of Water for her Soul she puts a Carnal sense on Christ's words she desires that Christ would give her of this water that she might come no more to that Well to draw but might be eas'd of a great labour and trouble 2. This Truth should wound the Heart That by Nature we are spiritually dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1 4. not only sick but dead in sin That foreskin that is on our Hearts is the very death of our Souls Col. 2.13 You that were dead in the uncircumcision of your