Righteousness and was not this to lower and set them back to call on them to break up their fallow ground as tho' they had yet done nothing had not yet begun or done the first work in Religion or taken the first step in the way of God but were to begin all anew and set their hand to the Plough to break up their fallow ground 3. This is observable that this Exhortation is given to the Men of Judah and Jerusalem that were then the only Church of God this intimates that in the Church only there is the spiritual Plow the Plow-men and the right Seed to sow the Soil and no where else there is a direction and dehortation Sow not among Thorns Some do think that if they hear Sermons read the Scriptures and good Books and do some Actions materially good that this is Seed sown for a Harvest of Glory but yet all is labour lost if the Ground be not cleansed if the Soul be not purified from base Lusts and Affections these Thorns do bedwarf rob starve the good Seed so that no Fruit is brought to perfection Holy Duties do not sanctifie a carnal Man but are defiled by him Hag. 2.13 14 they that are unclean themselves do pollute all they meddle with the Plague that is in the heart infects thoughts intentions words and actions 1 Kin. 18.38 The fore-skin of the Heart will carnalize all we meddle with Jer. 4.4 The words may vield us these two Doctrines 1. That the Hearts of unregenerate Men are like to fallow Ground 2. That it is their Duty to break up their fallow Ground For the prosecuting of the first Doctrin I shall shew why the Hearts of unregenerate Men are compar'd to fallow Ground 1. A fallow Ground is that which once was plow'd and sow'd Mankind in our first Parents were once sow'd with original Righteousness beautified with the Image of God and enobled with a divine life The first Tables that Moses receiv'd were the Work of God and the Writing was the Writing of God Exod. 32.16 The Writings and the Tables seem to be created together so our first Parents had their Soil and spiritual Seed created together the Tables and the Writing were fram'd at once the Law of God was engraven on the Mind and Will of Adam and Eve the Meal of the faculties of their Souls was always leaven'd with holiness and righteousness Man's Soul was once sowed by and became a fruitful field to God 2. This is implied that now this holy Seed is killed or rooted out as when Wheat and Barley is ripe and cut the stalks and root dies and it will never bring forth any more Wheat or Barley so the Law of God is blotted out of the Image of God defaced from the Life of God extinguished in our Souls so that we shall never please God or bring forth any acceptable Fruit to him if we are not broken up and sowed anew our Souls are like the second Tables that Moses brought to God meer blanks till God doth again write his Law in them 3. As a fallow Ground ordinarily brings forth only Briars Thistles Thorns and so is useless and unprofitable to the Husbandman so our Nature is so void and destitute of what is good so prone and inclinable to that which is evil that they that are in the Flesh cannot please God Ro. 8.9 A corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit Mat. 7.18 Original Sin dwells in us it dwells alone hath possession of the whole Soul and all its faculties and it hath not only a House but a Throne in us naturally it works in us all manner of Concupiscence Rom. 7.8 but in this Flesh of ours dwelleth nothing that is good Rom. 7.18 but the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy and all unrighteousness Jam. 4.5 4. As a fallow Ground must be plow'd and sow'd else 't will not bear Wheat or yield Bread so our Hearts must be broken and sowed with good Seed else Holiness will never root deep in the Heart and spring up in the Life we must have the Law of God written in us Jer. 31.33 we must have the Fear of God put into us Jer. 32.39 40. and the Spirit of God Ezek. 36.27 or else we shall yield no Harvest of Righteousness or Obedience to God Use 1. Be convinc'd of this that you are a fallow Ground that you have Souls poor and empty of that which is good and that your carnal Minds are Enmity to God are not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 yea tho' in some sence you may be said to be sowed as the Highway-ground the Stony the Thorny Ground were Mat. 13.20 21 22. yet you may be said still to be a fallow because the Seed withers is starved and choked so that no Fruit is brought forth to please and delight the heavenly Husbandman 2. Be humbled deeply for this that you have so long continued a fallow so that God hath had no Harvest of Righteousness no sheaves or gleanings of good Works you have done nothing of all that God hath commanded you Jer. 32.23 have only done Evil and wrought Iniquity Jer. 32.30 your thoughts have been only evil Gen. 6.5 your words evil How can a corrupt generation speak good things Mat. 12.34 your actions evil a corrupt Tree bringeth forth corrupt Fruit Matt. 7.17 The Prodigal that went into a far Country did neither perform service to his Father nor enjoy communion with him Luke 15.13 3. Do not remain a fallow Ground it will be sad to enjoy no good hereafter for God to reap no Fruits of Righteousness from you and you to reap no fruits of Mercy from him therefore be not contented to lie in the ruines of your Falls and not to be better'd or benefited at all by the Word of Grace the Gospel of Reconciliation It will be bad for the Founder to melt in vain Jer. 6.29 Because wickedness is not separated from you and you refined from your Dross it will be sad for Christ and his Ministers to labour in vain because you are not gather'd in for the Dew and Rain to come often on you and yet you bring forth only Briars and Thorns Heb. 6.8 O consider these following things 1. Your fallow Ground is capable of manuring and improvement as Isaac by plowing and sowing in Canaan did make a great advantage to himself that Land which before did only yield Herbage and feed his Flock did now bear Corn and did nourish himself and his large Family he sow'd in that Land and receiv'd in the same year an hundred fold Gen. 26.12 that is he had reap'd a hundred bushels of Corn for one that he sow'd how was the ground advanc'd from feeding Cattel to feed Isaac and his Family so how is a Soul exalted and enobled by spiritual Tillage by being plow'd and sow'd it brings forth Fruit for Christ to gather and eat Cant. 4. ult Let my beloved come into his garden and eat
of his pleasant fruits Acts of moral Justice may profit Men may be beneficial to the Common-wealth and human Society yet if they flow not from a spiritual Spring grow not on the root of love to God they do not please God they are not accepted with him The Fathers as Vossius in his History of Pelagianism tells us did call these Opera Sterilia barren Works because they had no tendency to no influence on Eternal Life but if you break up the fallow Ground are renew'd by and sow to the Spirit you may receive in this life an hundred fold and at last reap and inherit everlasting life Mat. 10.29 Gal. 6.8 Judgment may dwell in your Wilderness Isa 32.16 and you that were formerly altogether unprofitable Rom. 3.12 Philemon's Epist may become profitable highly serviceable to God greatly beneficial and useful to Men unclean Creatures may be washed old and corrupt Creatures may be renew'd Tit. 3.5 2. Consider how bad it will be not to be plowed and sowed This is threatned as a terrible Judgment That the Land of Canaan should keep its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and ceaseth from Tillage Is it bad for the Ground to lay desolate to keep a Sabbath to cease from Culture how much worse is it for the Soul to keep its Sabbaths not holy but carnal and prophane Sabbaths while God's Plow doth not break it up nor his Seed be sow'd in it Men then will be far from Righteousness Isa 46.12 will serve divers Lusts and Pleasures and be without God in the World they will chuse their own ways and their Souls delight in their abominations The Adversaries of the Jews in the Babylonish Captivity saw their Sabbaths and mocked at them Lam. 1.7 but the great Enemy of Souls will rejoyce at the idle and prophane Sabbaths that wicked men keep when they cease to do good and leave off Righteousness in the Earth Amos 5.7 2. Those that are not broken up and sowed will be Satan's Possession as he claims Strays as his so he is the Lord of fallow Ground Such are of their Father the Devil and his lusts they will do John 8.44 It is sweet and honourable to be God's Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 but how dreadful is it to be Satan's Husbandry Satan will still be working in them Ephes 2.2 and filling of their Hearts Acts 5.3 he will be sowing planting and grafting in and on them he will tutor his Nursery by continual suggestions and temptations Satan will still be serving his turn on promoting his interest by and accomplishing bis designs in Souls that lye fallow how bad will it be to keep Sabbaths as resting from spiritual tillage This is to keep Sabbaths to gratifie and worship Satan these Sabbaths are working days to please the Flesh and rejoyce the Devil such do the Devil's Will in time and if Grace doth not prevent they must suffer God's Will to Eternity 3. Those that are as a fallow Ground do bitterly provoke God to anger Hos 12. last They bring forth Grapes of gall their clusters are bitter Deut. 32.33 Can the heavenly Husbandman feed on and delight in such Grapes doth not his Soul loath and abhor them but as to good Grapes are they not empty Vines Hos 10.1 These fallow Grounds are like the barren Fig-tree Christ hungred and came to this Fig-tree and found nothing on it but Leaves this so provoked Christ that he cursed it Mat. 21.18 19. and said unto it Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever and presently the Fig-tree wither'd away In what danger are Souls that are barren Fig trees Christ may curse them so that their Leaves may wither their form of Religion decay and be utterly lost a Sentence may go forth against them Cut them down why should they any longer cumber the ground Luke 13.7 Those that are not Trees for Fruit shall be Trees for Fuel The Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Mat. 3.10 The Ground that after Rain and Dew have come often on it and yet it bringeth forth only Briers and Thorns it is nigh to cursing and its end is to be burnt Heb. 6.8 4. If you continue a Fallow Ground you will bring forth Fruit only to Death and fit your selves for Destruction Rom. 7.5 You will pile up fuel in the Infernal Tophet and fill the Treasury of God's wrath Rom. 2.5 as the clusters are bitter and so abhorred by God so your Wine is the Poyson of Dragons and the cruel venom of Asps and so most fatal pernicious and destructive to your selves As Men now drink in iniquity like water Job 15.16 so they must shortly drink of the wrath of the Almighty Job 21.20 O therefore cry mightily to God that he would remember you in your miserable and lost Estate There is a sweet Promise that God makes to the Mountain of Israel Ezek. 36.8 9. Behold I am for you and I will turn unto you and you shall be tilled sown and yield your Fruit. O plead this word with God put him in remembrance of it Confess you have long lain Fallow Perhaps some of you have kept a Sabbath of Years yea are come to a great Sabbatical Year Forty nine or Fifty Years you have ceased from Spiritual Tillage you have been idle all this while and done no work for God you have been barren and have brought forth no Fruit to God O will you not now send up strong cries to Heaven Will you not now wrestle mightily with God that he would be for you and turn to you in Grace and Mercy that you may be effectually filled skilfully sown and plentifully bear Fruit to God Doct. 2. It is the Duty of Unregenerate Men to break up their Fallow Ground They should not be idle or stand still or be contented with their present Barrenness that God who calls you to Act can breathe Life and put Strength into you to enable you to work As God in the first Creation spake to the Earth and said Let it bring forth Grass Herbs and Fruit-bearing Trees and it was so as the Father commanded and the Son was the Word so the Holy Ghost executed all The Earth had no Seed of Grass or Herbs or Roots of Trees within it self or power to bring them forth yet Gods Word was as Seed then and gave a productive Power to the Earth So God said Let the waters bring forth Fish to move in them and Fowl that may fly above the waters and earth in the open Firmament of Heaven and tho' the waters had no spawn of Fish or Eggs of Fowl in them yet the Word of God was powerful effectual and soon fulfilled So Christ is the Resurrection and the Life and the beginning of the Creation of God he can quicken dead Souls recover and heal a withered arm and hand Mark 3.5 so that it shall be stretched out and enabled to hold the Plough and carry on this Spiritual Tillage that
subdue it to yield Fruit to God and we more appropriate it and render it useful to our selves One that writes concerning Government and Obedience in opposition to Sir Robert Filmer conceives that this was the way at first to divide and appropriate parcels of the Earth to particular Persons That as much as a Man had need of and could Plow and Sow that became his own And he saith it is so in Spain at this day That any Man may Plow Land Sow and Reap it for his own use without opposition or contradiction from any It is by plowing and breaking up of our Fallow ground that we become more Masters of our selves do more possess our own Souls as Proprietors use them and as Kings command Rev. 1.5 6. in them So much of our Souls as we Till as we break up is devoted to God and is a Portion profitable to our selves As it is the Riches of a Husband-man to have many Acres sowed with good Corn with useful Grain so it will be both our Honour and Advantage to have many Years of our Lives sowed with the Fruits of Holiness and Righteousness If every Day Month and Year be sowed with Fruit that will abound to our account Deut. 4.17 how Rich how Honorable are we 6. Consider how infamous and miserable we shall be at last if we break not up our Fallow ground We shall neither sow to our selves in righteousness nor reap in mercy Hosea 10.12 We shall lose our Seed time of Grace and our Harvest of Glory We shall only reap corruption and destruction Gal. 6.8 and be reaped as Tares to be cast into a Furnace of unquenchable Fire Matt. 3.12 Matt. 13.42 If we continue dead in sins Ephes 2.1 and do no good we shall at last be Carkasses desolate of all life and comfort and enjoy no good to Eternity Isa 66. last Yea Christ will fall on you as a weighty stone and grind you to pouder Matt. 21.44 7. When we break up our Fallow ground we begin to do something in Religion All is nothing that we do yea we are nothing as to pleasing of God till we break up our Fallow ground The Seeds man will not go forth to sow till the Plow-man goeth forth and breaketh up the Ground As a Man cannot Graft till the Stock be cut to let in the Graft so a Husband-man cannot Sow till the Ground be Plowed and fitted to receive the Seed Corn will not thrive that is sown on whole Land the Grass and Weeds will kill and choke it So Gospel-Truths will not root deep thrive or prosper kindly if our Hearts are not broken Till we lie down in our shame Jer. 3. last We cannot stand in grace Rom. 5.2 Till we are convinced that we are enemies we shall not take hold of the word of Reconciliation Till we find and feel our selves shut up under Sin and the Curse we shall not listen to Christ as a Redeemer calling us out of Prison Isa 49.9 into the Kingdom of God And a vain shew of Religion will yield no more than a vain shew of Happiness if we bring forth no Fruit for Christ to eat there will be no Feast for us to enjoy That you may break up your Fallow ground observe these following Directions 1. Be convinced of this and be humbled for this That you have so long lain as a Fallow ground How evil is it that Men have continued perhaps twenty thirty forty fifty Years or more a fallow Ground If a fallow did not serve a Husbandman any other way but by being plow'd sow'd and bearing Corn would it not be a great shame and loss to him to see a Fallow to lye thirty forty or fifty Years and never to plow it all this while And should it not grieve and afflict your Souls that you have for many Years lain fallow and have brought forth no Fruits of Righteousness to God Jeremiah saith of Israel to God They have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do Jer. 32.23 Sinners are wholly at Satan's beck dispose command he hath been sowing grafting and nursing up his Tares in them O let this humble you That the Devil hath been watering improving strengthning your vile Lusts and Affections O that God should spare you so long support you by his arms of Power and supply you out of the Treasures of his Goodness when you were not only without him Zeph. 12. but also against him in the World It is a great Evil to be without God as if there were no such glorious Being or you had no need of him but it is worse to be against God to walk contrary to him to fight against his Laws and Kingdom as if he did bereave you of your Liberty and Pleasure and enact Laws contrary to your Freedom Comfort and Happiness How have your Lusts consumed your Time and eat up those Years that should have been Fruitful to God O be sensible that you have defrauded God by not bearing good Fruits and have burdened him by the abundance of your evil Fruit. 2. When you begin to break up your Fallow Ground O call for and seek after the Assistance of the spirit of God to direct the Plow to put his Hand on it that it may cut deep You need that God should speak with a strong Hand Isaiah 8.11 That the Hand of the Lord should be with them that preach Acts 11.20 21. That when Ministers do strike the Rock of your hearts that the Lord should stand on the Rock as he Promised Moses and cause it to cleave and to give out Waters of Penitential Tears Exod. 17.6 In vain do Ministers Thunder and Lighten in the Conscience if the spirit of God doth not set home Convictions and seal up Instructions on the Soul The Holy Ghost must Arrest seize upon and shut up the Soul in Prison that else will go at Liberty and be under no Restraint either from the Command or Threatnings of God If Guilt and Wrath do not lie hard and heavy on the Soul Men will not regard Reconciliation Redemption and Salvation Those that make light yea a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 will make light of Christ's Feast and Salvation Matt. 22.5 We need the spirit of Christ to cast Chains of Light and Conviction about us and to shut us up under the bitter sense of our Transgressions and to make us such close Prisoners as to shut out all the Worlds Comforts from us that they may be able to administer no support relief or refreshment to us that we may wholly have recourse to Christ and listen to him for Consolation It is very contrary to Flesh and Blood for Men to acknowledge themselves worthy of the Curse and to say Amen to it Deut. 27. last But if it be not thus how can we run to Christ that all the Promises may be Amen to us through him We cannot subdue our Souls to Spiritual Tillage if the Holy Ghost doth not subdue our Iniquities Micah
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
some pieces of the wreck of the Fall to float and swim on will not desire and cry to be taken up into Christ God's Ark of Salvation they that build on their Morality Form of Godliness and Religious Performances are too rich to beg an Alms and receive a gift of Righteousness from Christ Rom. 5.17 Those that are shut up under Sin and Condemnation will lay hold of and embrace the free Promise of Salvation and Life Gal. 3.22 Those that highly account of their own qualifications and attainments do think they have valuable Gains Phil. 3.6 7 8. that they have that which will gain them the favour of God acceptance with him a Right and Title to Eternal life They judge themselves to be whole that their Souls were never sick or diseased Mat. 8.12 they think they have lived in subjection to God their Father and in obedience to his Commands Luke 15.29 that they have served him when others did rebel against him and that therefore they need no Repentance Luke 15.7 How many do account themselves as fruitful and flourishing Meadows that naturally bear a Crop without plowing or sowing Those that do value their own civil and unblamable life and highly account of their form of godliness they think it very hard yea judge it very unreasonable and injurious to them that their green and flourishing Turf should be plowed up and turned in as if it were of no worth and value they think they have something of their own to recommend them to God's Holiness and secure them from his Justice their fallow Ground must be therefore broken up to root out this carnal Confidence and to convince them that they are far from Righteousness and that nothing they have done will be approved by God's Touchstone or hold in his Balance 2. Our fallow Ground must be broken up that the Briers and Thorns that grow in us may be wounded cut and rooted up The Word of God should be a grubbing Plough to tear up our Thorns a circumcising Knife to cut off the fore-skin of our Hearts Jer. 4.4 we must suffer in our Flesh even in our corrupt Nature 1 Pet. 4.1 Satan's works in us must be destroy'd 1 Joh. 3.8 our Navel must be cut Ezek. 16.4 we must be separated from the first Adam we must be as Branches cut out of the wild Olive Rom. 11.17 24. To break up our fallow Ground is thus expounded in the next Verse Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord take away the foreskin of your heart this is as Thorns that choak the Word that draw away the strength and vigor of the Heart and so starve the Word of God 3. Men must break up their fallow Ground that they may be meet and fit Patients for Jesus Christ This Heavenly Physician hath no Practice but on humbled and broken-hearted Sinners these are they he applys his Remedies to and works Cures on He was appointed and design'd to bind up the broken in heart Isa 61.1 none others do think they need Christ's Help prize his Remedies or value his Consolations Those that are whole that never saw the Plague of their Hearts or groan'd under the weight of their Guilt the burden of their Sins do not think they need a Physician Christ hath few Patients and little Practice in the World because Men are not sick of Sin wounded or broken for it 4. Our fallow Ground must be plow'd and broken up that our Soil may be fitted to receive the good Seed of the Gospel a broken Christ is both suited and welcome to a broken Heart Christ crucified is the grain of Corn that sows the whole Field of God John 12.24 with 1 Cor. 1. We preach Christ crucified saith Paul Christ is the lilly of the valleys Cant. 2.1 His Seed grows and thrives only in poor Ground the Poor have the Gospel preached to them Mat. 11.5 these taste the sweetness of it are cheer'd by its comforts are cast into its mould the Seed takes root in broken Ground it prospers it thrives in humbled Souls how do sinking and drowning Sinners catch at and hold fast the Cord of the Promise cast out to them Those that are pursued by their own Guilt the Wrath of God the Threatnings and Terrors of the Law how much do they hasten their pace and fly for refuge to take hold of the Hope set before them Those that are scorched by the sense they have of the Wrath of God how highly do they prize and how joyfully and delightfully do they sit under Christ's shadow Cant. 2.3 5. Men must break up their fallow Ground that they may seek the Lord in good earnest We may observe how these two things are join'd together Break up your fallow Ground for it is time to seek the Lord Hos 10.12 These two things seem to be intimated in the words 1. That in breaking up our fallow Ground we do seek the Lord. 2. That none will seek the Lord sincerely and fervently but those that break up their fallow Ground such are quickly convinced and soon made sensible how necessary it is to seek the Lord that vile Weeds that Vices natural to us may be rooted out and that supernatural Graces and Truths may be grafted on and planted in them The Pelagians as Austin tells us asserted That Vitia ingenerata extirpari prorsus incredibile est they argued thus against Original Sin That if Vices were naturally bred in us and born with us it was altogether an incredible thing that they ever would or could be rooted out But God the great Husbandman can cleanse the Soul of them and mortifie Vice and Lusts that are natural to us John 15.3 You are clean through the word that I have spoken to you Whoredom was a Vice so natural to the Corinthians that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to act the part of a Corinthian was to be a Whoremaster and the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to them saith Some of you were Fornicators Adulterers but you are washed you are sanctified 1 Cor. 6.10 11. Austin himself was naturally much inclin'd to Fornication yet the Grace of God so changed him that he ever after became chast in a single life God can unmake Men as to their sinful frame 1 Pet. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being unmade to sin you may live to righteousness God can create Men in Christ Jesus to good works Eph. 2.10 He can put his Law his Fear his Spirit into the Hearts of Men that natural Vices shall be rooted out and supernatural Graces shall be planted in the Soul They that break up their fallow Ground will seek the Lord and continue seeking of him till he come and rain Righteousness on them this is a Rain of Seed-Righteousness it is wonderful that God can rain Seed rain Righteousness that will sow the Soul and make it fruitful as when the Husbandman hath plowed and sowed his Ground he needs to seek the Lord to rain on it that the Seed may root and spring up so
those that plow and break up their fallow Ground have need to pray that God would rain Holiness and Righteousness to sow them Hos 2. ult God saith I will sow them to my self in the Earth 6. Men must break up their fallow Ground that they may abound in the Work of the Lord and be filled with the fruits of Kighteousness 1 Cor. 15. ult Psal 1.11 A fallow Ground is in a great measure unprofitable it bears Thorns and Thistles but a plowed and sowed Ground yields a good crop of Corn none do bear Fruit to God but those that are born again of the Word and Spirit and made Trees of Righteousness Isa 61.3 will be filled with the Fruits of Righteousness walk with and live to God Gen. 5.24 25. If our fallow Ground be not broken up our form of Godliness will wither and decay Thorns will famish and starve the good Seed that at last they will be twice dead pluck'd up by the Roots Jude 12. The Israelites that did not conquer and root out the Heathen Nations are said to dwell among the Canaanites Judg. 4.33 these did cut the Israelites short and much annoy them and keep them down so the natural crop of Thorns doth much annoy and hinder any good Seed that is cast in among them obstruct its growth that it neither roots deep nor springs up to any height 7. Men must Plow up their fallow ground that they may have a plentiful and joyful Harvest at last It is very desirable to sow to the Spirit and to reap Everlasting Life Gal. 6.5 To have our fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.22 to bear Fruit that will abound to our account Phil. 4.17 Tho' we have not evened with God and discharg'd our Debt yet God begins a new Account and writes himself Debtor to his People for their Fruits of Holiness and of Love Saints that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy they that go forth weeping bearing precious Seed shall come again with Joy and bring their Sheaves with them Psal 126.5 6. Though Religion may seem not only a barren and unprofitable but a hurtful thing in the Eye of the World yet at last there shall appear a vast difference between those that fear God and those that fear him not Malac. 3. ult when the Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father and the Tares shall burn in a Furnace of unquenchable Fire when Christ shall be glorified in the Salvation of the Saints and in the Destruction of the Wicked 2 Thess 1.10 Ezek. 25.22 Those that please God do sow in a fruitful Soil they will in this life receive a hundred fold notwithstanding Persecutions from the World and at last will inherit eternal joy and life Mark 10.30 9. If we plow not up our fallow Ground God may let loose dreadful and cruel Plowmen on us It is said Zion shall be plowed as a Field Micah 3. ult Enemies may plow on our Backs and make their Furrows both deep and long Psal 129.3 How have the Backs of Protestants been cruelty plowed in France for about Twelve Years last past God threatens in Hosea 10.11 that Judah should plow they should serve their Enemies in and under hard bondage I have been credibly inform'd that in Barbary some Christian Slaves have been put into Harnesses and being lockt in have been forced to plow the Ground God seems to allude to such a thing that Judah shall suffer as hard and grievous things as if he were put to Plow To draw God's Plow is beneficial and honourable Work but to draw mens Plow will be bitter and grinvous yea if you neglect to break up your fallow Ground God will plow your Souls make deep and long Furrows in Conscience to Eternity 10. Those that will not plow up their fallow Ground shall at last beg for an Alms of Mercy and be rejected The Sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold therefore shall he beg in Harvest and have nothing Spiritual Sluggards have many Excuses and Pretences to shift off this plowing Work but when the Harvest comes they will be in a very bad and woful state Solomon speaks of it as a great Evil for a Father to waste his Estate by evil Courses and to beget a Son and there is nothing in his hand Eccl. 5.14 he is Heir only to Poverty and Beggery But it is a great deal worse for a Man to be born into Eternity and to have no Good in his Hand in his Soul Those that toil about the World shall carry away nothing of their labour in their hand Eccles 5.15 but if you labour for God your Works will follow you Revel 14.13 and the sweet Fruit of them will be enjoy'd for ever But this is not the only Evil that spiritual Sluggards will have nothing of Good but God will thunder against them and rain fire and brimstone on them for working of Iniquity Psal 11.6 As when God was displeas'd with Israel he sent Thunder and Rain in Wheat-harvest 1â— â—â—n 12.17 18. So when Sluggards have vainly hoped to reap a Harvest of Happiness God will thunder against them pour down his Wrath and execute Vengeance on them How earnestly and importunately will Sluggards beg for Mercy but all in vain they will cry Lord Lord open to us Matt. 7.21 22 23. but He will profess that which is very contrary to their Professions and Hopes Then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity In the 13th of Luke v. 27. it is thus expressed Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity which intimates that Christ will be most just and impartial he will no more regard yea he will rather much more abhor workers of Iniquity than those without the Church both shall be disown'd and rejected by Jesus Christ These Sluggards will begin Harvest for some spiritual Bread for a Place in the Kingdom but they shall be thrust out and enjoy no Good to Eternity 10. It is a dreadful Curse denounced on the Ground of Mount Gilboa by David 2 Sam. 1.21 Let there be no fields of Offerings there that is let those Mountains never be sow'd or if sow'd let them be barren Let there be no fields of Offerings there The fine Flour was offer'd on the Altar to God of this the Meat-offering did consist Levit. 2.1 2. This was a great honour to the Creatures for Meat-offerings to be made to God of the fine Flour and Drink-offerings of Wine In this sense the Vine saith in Jotham's Parable that it did by its Wine chear the Heart of God Judg. 9.13 Now if it be a Curse on the Ground not to bear Wheat which will yield fine Flour fit to be offer'd to God how much sorer and more grievous Curse is it for the Souls of Men to be barren not to be plow'd and sow'd not to yield any Fruit that may be offer'd to God and that he can
take pleasure and delight in Will you make light of this dreadful Curse Will you pluck it and continue it on your selves Will you do nothing to please and glorifie God Use 1. This may reprove many formal and titular Christians that do neglect this excellent Command and do slight and omit this necessary Duty and Work of breaking up their fallow Ground Instead of wounding and breaking their Hearts they live in Pleasure are wanton and nourish their Hearts as in a day of slaughter that is as in a great Feast-day when there is a slaughter of the Creatures made to feast the Body Jam. 5.5 they please their Flesh they gratifie and indulge their sensual Affections they cannot bear or endure such hard and grievous Work as this to draw God's Plow and with its Shear to cut deep Furrows and sorely wound their own Hearts they think it very unreasonable to banish carnal Joy out of their Souls to cloud their Souls with Sorrows to load their Spirits with a sensible feeling of the Evils that they have done and with the fear of the Punishment they have deserv'd how few do take God's part do side with him do plead his Cause against themselves and their Lusts Who do charge their Sins home on themselves and set forth their heinous and horrid Aggravations before God Do not Men deal gently and tenderly with themselves Do they not lessen and extenuate rather than heighten their Guilt in Filth and careless of their Transgressions If the Word doth perhaps touch or wound them doth not Self-love as that natural Balsam Chyrurgeons and Physicians say is in the Body quickly heal it again Doth not Self flattery soon chear them again and so cheat them Their plowing is rather scratching the Earth than striking a deep Furrow they know not the meaning or they have no Experience of a broken Heart of a contrite Spirit This is indeed a great thing for the Spirit of a Man to be bruised and as it were ground to powder under the weight of Sin committed and the sense of Punishment deserved It is said Hos 5.2 The Revolters were profound to make slaughter but alas where are the Men and Women that are profound in wounding their Souls for Sin and in making a slaughter of their Lusts How is it to be lamented that the Sword of God's Word doth not pass through the Heart of the Old Man that the Arrows of God do not cleave the Reins of Sinners and pour out their very Gall how few do outlaw their corrupt and vile Affections and put them out of their protection that they may be kill'd when or wheresoever they find meet with them or see them But do not Men act quite contrary to this When God shoots his Arrows casts his Darts at them do they not take the Shield of Unbelief and guard their base Lusts Do they not quench the fiery Darts that God casts at them Is there not a great deal of Art and Labour used to enervate to blunt to dispirit keen and cutting Truths that they may not enter deep that come too home and close to their Hearts They cannot endure that Conscience should be enlighten'd and awak'd that its Tongue should be loosed this they think is intolerable to raise a Storm within their own Breasts to disturb their Peace to destroy their Hopes to let in Terrors to arrest and overwhelm their Souls They think they shall never recover Peace and Comfort or have their Wounds heal'd again if God's Plough should cut them to the very Heart Doth not a shallow Furrow produce a slight Religion and a superficial Christianity in the World Instead of putting convincing Truths instead of keeping awakening Thoughts and Meditations on their Hearts they rather keep them off at a distance and shut them out of their Souls O where shall we find an humbled Sinner crying out thus I am the man that hath risen up against God I have broken his Yoke and made his Laws void I have burst his Bonds and cast away his Cords from me I that am but a Worm have dared to walk contrary to God and have enter'd the Lists with the Almighty I that am but a Potter's Vessel have challeng'd a Rod of Iron I that am but Chaff Briars and Thorns have contended with devouring Fire with eternal burnings I have exalted my Folly against Infinite Wisdom and set up my perverse wicked rebellious Will in opposition to the holy Law the righteous Will of God though God bears up the frame of Heaven and Earth by the Word of his Power and doth not faint under this great weight yet I have laid a heavier burden on him and caused him to complain that He is wearied by my Sins Isa 43.24 and is pressed under my Iniquities as a Cart is pressed under the Sheaves Amos 2.13 How few Ephraim are there found thus bemoaning or impeaching themselves Men do indeed like to tread out the Corn and eat the Fruits of Mercy but will not follow the Plough to convince and humble themselves for Iniquity How strange is it that Persons will nourish in themselves hopes of a comfortable and plentiful Harvest hereafter yet will not now plow and break up their fallow Ground Is it not an unreasonable Presumption to look for a Harvest when there hath been no Ground plow'd or Seed sown Use 2. Examine your selves Is your fallow Ground broken up have you inclin'd your Hearts and set your Hands to God's Plough Though the Earth doth not feel the Plough-shear doth not know when the Husbandman doth till the Land yet a Soul cannot be both a Plow-man and a plowed Ground but it must needs be sensible of what is done on and wrought within it self Have you ever been pricked in Heart Acts 2.37 Have God's Words been as Goads to prick you as Nails to pierce you Have the Truths of God been as a sharp Plow-shear cutting and wounding your Souls 1. Did you ever come to your selves and so make a right judgment concerning your selves and your own Estate with respect to God and Eternity Luke 15.17 that you are poor empty naked Creatures that you are but a dry Ground and barren Wilderness like the Vineyard of the sloathful Man all overgrown with Thorns and Nettles Prov. 24.30 31 It would be bad for a Man to rent a great Farm and yet not to have one Acre of Corn sow'd on it but is it not worse for us that hold our Souls and Bodies of God our great Landlord to whom we owe a great Rent of universal Obedience to his Laws and yet not to have one Faculty of our Souls sow'd with precious Seed For our Minds and Wills not to be Tables with the Law of God for our Vessels to be empty and destitute of spiritual Oyl for our Meal not to be leavened by the Gospel and the Houses of our Souls to be empty and not inhabited by the Spirit of God Have we discern'd our selves to be empty Vines barren Fig trees unprofitable
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
7.19 3. We must take hold of God's gracious and free Promises to incourage us to set on this Tillage and breaking up of our Fallow ground Adam was sent out of the Garden of Eden to Till the Ground but this might much dishearten him That the Ground was Cursed for his sake And that God did threaten him That it should bring forth Thorns and Thistles to him That these should spring up in his Plowed Land and grow among his Corn. It is grievous to plow and sow under a Curse to break the Ground and sow Wheat and yet to Reap Thorns Jer. 1.2 13. They sowed wheat but reaped thorns and so were ashamed of their Revenues A Harvest of Thorns was a very sad and shameful Crop but do not Men disappoint God He soweth good Seed yet the Souls of Sinners do bring forth Briars and Thorns Heb. 6.8 Justly therefore may the Earth disappoint Man when Man frustrates God I looked for Grapes saith God but his Vineyard brought forth wild grapes Isa 5.4 But this is a great incouragement to our Spiritual Husbandry That there are so many great and precious Promises that God's own Power and Grace will accomplish and fulfil It is said The Wilderness shall blossom as a rose Isa 35.1 That floods of water shall be poured out on the dry ground to enrich and make it fruitful Isa 44.3 That the spirit shall be poured out on the Off-spring of the Church therefore they should spring up as the willows by the water-courses One should say I am the Lords another should subscribe and as by writing bind himself to the Lord Isa 44.4 5. That the deaf should hear the word of the book Isa 29.18 And the dead should hear the voice of the Son of God and live John 5.25 There are Promises made to Christ that he shall see his Seed behold the travel of his soul and be satisfied and that by his knowledge he shall justify many Isa 53.11 That he should call Nations that knew not him and they should run to him Isa 55.5 And the Apostles that God should send to the Gentiles should succeed and prevail and bring in the Gentiles that are called their Brethren as living Sacrifices as holy Offerings to God's spiritual Temple Isa 66.18 19 20. Therefore the Labours of God's Messengers cannot be in vain As Ministers are Plowers and Seeds-men so they shall be Harvest-men Matt. 9. last The Seed they sow should spring up to a Harvest Hearers should be Converted gathered into the Barn of the Church there be threshed and winnowed for the Garner of Heaven Matt. 3.12 What sweet and incouraging words are these I will put Laws into their inward parts and write them in their hearts Jer. 31.33 Ministers are but as Pens but the spirit doth handle these Pens to write an Epistle with them whereby the Soul is dedicated to God and Christ 2 Cor. 3.3 How reviving are these Words Ezek. 36.26 27. A new Heart will I give to you a new Spirit will I put within you I will take away the Heart of Stone and give a Heart of Flesh My Spirit also will I put within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments As Christ doth speak in his Ministers 2 Cor. 13.3 so he works by them and in them Mark 16.20 how greatly would Ministers else be deterred from this Tillage Shall Horses run on the Rock will one plow there with Oxen Amos 6.12 Some Seed is said to fall on a Rock Luke 8.6 To plow and sow on a Rock is very uncomfortable yet this Promise of God I will take away the Heart of Stone may bear up Ministers against these Difficulties 4. You must persist and go on in this Work of breaking up your fallow Ground As there are Fallows in the visible Church many there do need Conversion so in the best of the Saints there is a carnal and unregenerate part that well may be called a fallow Ground this Ground should still be plowed up More Ground in the Soul should be subdued converted to Tillage and manured there is still a barren part there is still a Soil that nourishes Weeds and is over-run with Thorns this is to be broken up We are sow'd but in part bear Fruit but in part With our flesh we serve the Law of Sin Rom. 17. ult Nehemiah complain'd That though their Captivity was turned yet they were Servants in their own Land and it yielded much encrease to the Kings that GOD had set over them because of their Sins Neh. 9.36 37. the Kings of Persia were still their Lords and out of their Labours they paid Tribute either in Money or Fruits to them But how much more is this to be bewail'd and lamented that Sin and Satan have yet some Ground in us that beareth Fruit unto them Should we not therefore more break up our fallow Ground Should not the Kingdom of Christ and the Coasts of the New Creature be more enlarged in us Joshua divided to the Children of Israel even the Nations not yet conquer'd and did yet remain in Canaan and encouraged the Israelites to fight against them with this Promise The Lord your God shall expel them from before you Joshua 23.4 5. So all that is possessed by the Flesh in us is divided to us is to be the Portion and Lot of the New Creature We should still therefore more crucifie and subdue the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts the New Creature should more cast forth its Roots and spread its Branches we should gain more Ground from the Sea of Corruption and turn more of our Souls to Tillage 5. We should presently set on this Work and fall to break up our fallow Ground The Jews said The time was not yet come the time that the Lord's House should be built Hag. 1.2 So sloathful Souls are ready to say The time is not yet come to fall to plow and break up their fallow Ground they are yet but in their Youth in the Morning of their days two or three hours of their day will suffice to sow Seed enough and to provide for an Eternal Harvest but this Tillage may well take up our whole Day of Life It is to please an Infinite God it is to enjoy an Eternal Harvest that we plow God cannot sow us to himself Hosea 2. ult and we cannot sow to our selves in Righteousness and reap in Mercy We cannot bring our Sheaves with joy and eat the fruits of our doings with comfort for ever Isa 3.10 if we do not break up our fallow Ground We should make haste and not delay to obey this Command of God Psal 119.59 60. Do not mind and pursue the World as if that were your greatest Business and chiefest Happiness consider to mind earthly things is a great sin Phil. 3.19 to have our Portion in this life is a sore Judgment Psal 17.14 to have their Backs continually bowed down to look after and pursue carnal things is a dreadful Curse Rom. 11.10 be perswaded be convinc'd that it is high time to break up your fallow Ground and to seek the Lord O desire to be God's Husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 O cry to him to enlighten your dark Minds to break your hard Hearts to spiritualize your carnal Affections Seek God diligently seek him with your whole Heart seek him continually that he would write his Law in you stamp his Image on you and graft his Word in you Jam. 1.21 and thereby graft you into Christ and plant you in the likeness of his Death and Resurrection Rom. 6.5 to root and ground you in the Faith Col. 2.7 Do not delay do not defer this necessary Work of Spiritual Tillage lest hereby you fall into the Snare of the Devil he that now tells you it is yet too soon to set on this Work to break up your fallow Ground After your long idleness and negligence the Devil may change his Temptation and suggest to you that the time to break up your fallow ground is now past that it is too late to set on this Work when your Hearts are harden'd by the deceitfulness of Sin your Day of Grace is past God's Treasury is lock'd his Fountain of Life is sealed his Bowels of Mercy shut Therefore you must pine away in Horrour and Despair and perish for ever
highest act of Royalty to sentence all Men to their eternal state It is said he shall judge the quick and dead at his Appearing and Kingdom Now is his Kingdom most highly magnified and exalted when the quick and dead must be Judged by him 2. This appearing of Christ will be most comfortable to his People he will come to bestow Crowns to give Rewards to divide eternal Portions and Inheritances to them he comes with the Keys of Hell and Death in his Hand He hath the Key of Hell to shut it that the Souls of his People may not enter in else the mouth of the bottomless Pit and of the roaring Lion would gape for them and swallow them up And Christ hath the Key of Death to open the Graves that the Bodies of Saints may come forth May not Christians well love the appearing of Christ who hath delivered them from the wrath to come and as a Captain of Salvation will lead them to glory Do you long for Christ's coming as that which will be a Harvest-day a Marriage-day and a day of full Redemption Or are you averse from Christ's coming Do you not loath and dread the thoughts of it Is not Christ's coming full sore against your Will There is a vast difference between these two expressions the breaking up the House and the opening of the door to Jesus Christ Luke 12.36 The House of a carnal unbelieving Man is broken through Christ breaks in upon him irresistibly unavoidably a force is put upon Sinners If they could Fetter Christ's feet obstruct his way clog and stop his Chariot-wheels Christ should never come or be Revealed but Saints that hang their hopes and put all their happiness in Christ's Appearing do readily open the door and joyfully will come and entertain Christ Do you look for his coming as a beloved Bridegroom as a desired Guest Or do you not mind or desire Christ's coming but will be as much surprized by it and astonished at it as at the coming of a Thief that was not thought of at all 4. Do you prepare and make ready for Christ's coming Is all your Week day of life nothing but a preparation for the eternal Sabbath Are your Loines girded that you may do the Work of your heavenly Calling Are your Lamps burning that you may do your Work skilfully and diligently Persevere in it continually It is said of the good Woman that her Candle goeth not out by night Prov. 31.18 Do your Candles continue burning through this dark night of Time Others have put out their light and given themselves up to sloth and sleep It is a great thing to watch and keep our Garments on and about us Rev. 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments Christ may suddenly come and surprize Sinners that they may not have time to put on Spiritual Garments to put on Christ Rom. 13.14 and the new man Ephes 4.24 We are too apt to put off our Coat Cant. 5.3 to lay aside a gracious spiritual holy and heavenly frame and to give way to sloth sleep and carnal security This Spiritual Garment is soon put off but it is hardly recovered I have put off my Coat and how shall I put it on It is highly commendable to have our Lamps burning when the Candles of others are put out and it is a Night of gross and thick darkness with them It is to the Honour of Christ the Bridegroom to be expected waited for and to be lighted to his Fathers House with bright and burning Lamps with Graces active and in a most vigorous and lively Exercise Is this Night-Light of Time as a Passoever Night to you Are your Loins girded Are your Shoes on your Feet The Feet of the Church are said to be beautiful with Shoes she was fit to Journy to Travel Are you waiting for God's Call out of the Egypt of this World Are you fitted and ready to Travel hence into the Heavenly Canaan Christ saith Come with me my Spouse with me from Lebanon Are you willing and ready to follow Jesus Christ Are you like Servants that look for the return of their Lord from the Wedding Feast to have you a way as Guests to his Table in his heavenly Kingdom Luke 22.29 30. There is much in these words And be you like such as look for the return of your Lord Luke 12.36 The watchfulness diligence the constant labour activity and zeal of some Christians doth evidence to themselves and demonstrate to others that they look for the coming of Christ That they prepare make ready set all things in order for their receiving and entertaining of the Lord Jesus Their great care and endeavour is that they may not be found sleeping and undressed that they may not walk naked and their shame be seen for ever Prov. 16.15 It will be the greatest reproach to have had a long time to adorn the Soul allowed to Men and yet to neglect and trifle it away and their Souls to be found dead without the life of God and to be found naked without the Image and Righteousness of God Do you trim your Lamps dress your Souls and finish the Work which God hath given you to do and that Christ hath appointed you that you may open to Christ immediately without put offs or delays or excuses as those that are not surprized or unready as those that would stay here no longer that would have Time end and Eternity begin As those that would have shadows fly away and the everlasting day to dawn These are great words that Christ will knock for a full entrance into us and a total possession of us and we must open immediately as those that are ready to let Christ in and to go away presently with him But are you not rather minding earthly things scattering your ways and affections to unlawful Beloyeds Do not your thoughts creep on the ground and your Hearts dwell below Would you not stay in a Natural Body Would you not continue in and be contented with a Stewardship Would you not dwell on Earth Do you not eagerly drive the Chariot of your Trade Do you not indulge your Carnal Affections and give the Reins to your Sensual Appetites So that there is no evidence that you look for Christ's Appearing for you are not like those that wait for the return of Christ from Heaven 3. With what Attendance Jesus Christ will come from Heaven What Retinue will accompany him He will be Revealed with his mighty Angels How much doth the first and second coming of Christ differ He came first attended with weak Fishermen but now he is surrounded and compassed with mighty Angels to wait on him Two things are here observable 1. That the Angels are called Christ's Angels 2. That they are Stiled mighty Angels 1. The Angels are said to be the Angels of the Lord Jesus This is an high Honour to Christ that all the Angels of Heaven are his Angels He is Captain of God's Militia
in peace and your Faith may be found to Honor and Glory at the Appearing of Christ It is the Blood of Christ that must quench the Fire of God's wrath and it is the Spirit of Christ as mortifying as sanctifying that must pull away the Fuel of this Fire There is a sweet and gracious Promise Is 1.25 I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy Dross and take away all thy Tin How full how rich and comprehensive is this Promise that the Dross of Prophaness and the Tin of Hipocrisie shall be purely purged away If open Sin and secret Hipocrisie be removed the Euel of this Eternal Fire will be put away We must be put into Christ's Refining Fire that we may not be exposed to God's Consuming Fire If Christ now appear for you in Heaven Heb. 9.23 24. he will not appear against you in the great Day Those he has made Righteousuess and Sanctification to he cannot Condemn he will not destroy at his Appearing 5. For what end will Christ be Revealed in Flaming Fire It is thus expressed He comes in a Flame of Fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving Vengeance 1. He that is a merciful and gracious God yet will have no other gift to bestow on impenitent Unbelievers Tho' Mercy belongeth to God which he will Exercise towards his People tho' Forgiveness belong to him which he will bestow on penitent Believers yet only Vengeance belongs to God to be executed on hardened Transgressors Heb. 10.30 Ps 94.1 2. He hath no other Attributes but Justice and Power Rom. 9.22 to be glorified in them 2. This is an Impoverishing Gift when Christ gives Vengeance the one Talent shall be taken away Matt. 25.28 All that the Souls of Sinners do Lust after shall depart all the things that are dainty and goodly shall depart and they shall find them no more at all Rev. 18.14 3. This is a Formenting Gift it is a Cup of trembling a Cup of fury If 51.21 22. it is a Cup of red Wine and full of mixture all bitter all fatal deadly Ingredients are squeezed into joined and are rempered in this Cup yet it is without mixture not one drop of Mercy or Kindness in it but it is pure Wrath and Severity as if all the strongest most griping tormenting Poysons did meet in one Cup Rev. 14.10 and there was nothing to antidote or allay their deadly force and operation 4. This is a Gift they must receive they cannot decline avoid or refuse Jer. 25.15 28. Take the Wine-cup of this fury at my hand and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it If they refuse to take the cup and to drink then shalt thou say unto them Thus saith the Lord of Hosts ye shall certainly drink I may allude to this Text Tho' Condemned Sinners do loath the bitter and dreadful Cup that God giveth to them tho' they may recoil start from it and refuse it yet they shall certainly drink it 5. This is a Gift that is Debt and Wages Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death So God is said to repay fury to repay recompence Is 59.18 and to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of Fire We are commanded to render to all their dues Rom. 13.7 Misery and punishment is due to Sinners if Christ should not pay it he would not be true to his Word or just to himself Tribulation and anguish belongs to every Soul that sins Rom. 2.9 We are bid to owe nothing to any man but love Rom. 13.8 And this is a Debt that must be always paying and yet can never be fully discharged so God owes Sinners enmity and vengeance and this Debt will be paying and yet never be wholly paid off or discharged to Eternity What Presents do Sinners make to or what Gifts do they bestow on God What Fruit did God's Vineyard yield to him Were they not sowre and wild grapes grapes of gall and bitter clusters Wine that is the poyson of Dragons the cruel venom of Asps Deut. 32.32 33. What crop or harvest doth barren and bad ground yield to the Husbandman but briers and thorns Heb. 6.8 How Righteous is it then that Christ should give vengeance to them Deal out blows stripes and wounds to them and that for ever Christ offered them Mercy once and they would not receive it but he will give them Punishment he will shew Severity to them and they shall not be able to decline refuse or reject it Sinners would not do Christ right would not give him their hearts Prov. 23.26 They would not give him glory Jer. 13.16 Christ must therefore inflict punishment on them and give vengeance to them If Men will not give God and Christ glory Christ will get honour on them whether they will or no. Compare those two Scriptures Jer. 13.16 Give glory to the Lord your God And that in Exod. 14.17 I will get me honour on Pharaoh and all his Host Those that will not give Christ glory by repenting and believing Christ will get Honour by pouring out his fury and executing vengeance on them Ezek. 28.22 O Zidon in thee I will be glorified they shall know I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgments in her The day of vengeance is in Gods heart Is 63.4 And the strokes of Justice shall shortly be dealt out by Christ's hands The whirlwind of the Lord will go forth in fury it shall fall grievously on the head of the wicked Jer. 23.19 6. But on whom will Christ take vengeance This Text informs us it is on all that know not and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ As it is life eternal to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 so this causeth death eternal to be ignorant of the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Those that hear the Gospel and do not listen to it and receive it are guilty of a wilful and affected Ignorance of God and Christ The light shineth but they come not to it yea they shut their eyes against it Matt. 13.15 and so concur with Satan to promote their own destruction The Devil blinds their minds 2 Cor. 4.4 lest they should believe and they close their own eyes lest they should see with their Eyes hear with their Ears understand with their Hearts and so should be converted and God should heal them How guilty are Men before God who imprison and shut in Natural Light Rom. 1.18 and exclude shut out Supernatural Lights The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit for they are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2.14 The blindness folly and vanity of their minds is as a dark Lanthorn about the Candle of Natural Light to hinder it from shining out in their Words and Actions They detain and hold it under unrighteously Their Lusts are too hard for their Light and do Rebel against it And Men come not to that Supernatural