Now let it be considered What infinite advantages arise to a Christian by Early beginnings and setting forward in the waies of God betime the Priviledges are exceeding great and many These things may be great Encouragements to all young Plants to labour for them The sixt Observation in Nature WE know at the end of Sommer the sunnes influences being withdrawne in a great measure Fruit-trees cease growing their fruits and Leaves fall off and decay during the time of winter are shaken with winds pinched with Frosts and cold weather seeme to those that cannot well judg of them to be even as dead which yet when the spring of the yeare comes the spirit and sap that is naturally existing in them all winter is refreshed againe by the heat of the sunne that then approaches the branches againe begin to bud and by new supplies from the Roote grow forth and bare store of wholsome fruits This is another Similitude and shadowes out unto us this Proposition VVhich also concurres with the word and experience That When the spirit of God withdrawes Proposition shadowed then mysticall fruit-trees cease growing their leaves and Fruits fall and they indure sore conflicts for a time but at the returne of the spirit they are restored to former comforts with advantage As the sun is the efficient cause of life and growth in naturall fruit trees and all Vegetables so is the spirit of God the efficient cause of motion and growth in all spirituall fruit-trees while the spirit is sensibly present and works in the soule there is motion growth budding blossoming and bearing fruits but when the spirit withholds and withdrawes when this sunne goes afar off as to his sensible workings and effects and hides his face then the fruit-trees are at a stand and have no power in themselves to grow or beare fruits The Lord is a Sun unto his people Ps 84.11 and the face of this sun is sometimes clouded and hid from them and is as if he were afar off Esa 54.7 For a small moment have I hid my face The Church complaines in the time of this spirituall winter Cant. 5.6 My beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone VVhen this Sun is afar off and clouded then followes a dark and gloomy time Lam. 3.1 I am the man that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath he hath led me and brought me into darknesse and not into light I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Ps 88.16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off Ps 38.8 The Church in this long and sharp winter the sun being a far off complaineth bitterly and is almost in dispaire Esay 49.14 This is a wofull state the greatest of all miseries on this side Hell even the want of the light of Gods countenance to him that hath sensibly enjoyed it a long time together and instead thereof to have the terrors of God fight against him and make immediate impressions upon the soule yet so it is with some of the servants of God for a time Former Evidences are then of no more strength than the strength of meat and drink is to the body after a long time of fasting when the body hath beene shut up in prison and almost starv'd for want of foode It s true indeed former Evidences might something uphold in the sense of present distresse if the soule were sure they were undoubtedly true and sound because we know true grace once received cannot be lost but there lies the doubt and the ground of feare and distrust he calls all former Evidences into question and perhaps at some times concludes against himselfe that all are nothing because of present feelings of the contrary I know a man who about Ten yeares agoe was cast under this Temptation and had Experience of this woefull state and condition he lay in it for the space of Seventeene or Eighteene Months or thereabouts Having early in his youth even the first houre of the day passed through the pangs of the new birth and spirit of bondage afterwards enabled to lay hold on Christ by faith and by degrees got up to a comfortable well grounded confidence of the love of God in Christ wherein he walked chearefully many yeares together yet afterwards even about the middle of the day according to the Prophets computation Psalm 90.10 the Sun was clouded and the spirit and sap suspended so that by degrees he lost not only the sense of the light of Gods countenance towards him and the sight of the graces of his spirit but questioned all his former Evidences of his interest in Christ and especially at some times even gave all for lost And notwithstanding the dayly use of all spirituall meanes he still fell lower and lower more and more feares and terrors increased in him which were made more sharpe and heavy by many outward afflictions great crosses and disappointments at the same time which befell him in reference to his body name outward estate Calling friends and relations every one of which was a sore affliction single and of it selfe notwithstanding all came upon him in a short space and that not long after great and more then ordinary spirituall comforts evidences of the love of God in Christ which though they might have beene some ground to have upheld the soule from sinking so low yet by degrees were all weake and of no power to uphold amidst such a throng and present sense of heavy and lasting Temptations as were upon both his inward and outward man but by reason thereof the immediate succeeding desertion was the more sensible and took the deeper impression As a man that falls suddenly from a high and eminent Condition of outward comforts into great misery and want the sense of his present misery is therefore the more pressing In this sad and darke time he laboured by Prayer Fasting help of freinds and all waies of humbling himselfe to get comfort and support but still it was hâ—d from him he was by degrees cast downe very low and brought even to despair in-somuch that at some times through the violence of Temptations and apprehensions of the absence and losse of God he cryed out roared as a man in torment of body that had had some disease or burning in his Bowels At some times when he heard the word preached such terrors seased upon him that he had no rest neither in body nor mind he could neither sit still nor stand still nor rest in any posture fearefull injections thronged in upon him and such woefull apprehensions of an undone Condition were at those seasons especially represented to the mind that he was not able to expresse the horror of them And after a certaine time of the absence of the Spirit in the feeling workings of it and sence of the graces Corruptions at sometimes more especially grew strong Passions and murmurings against the righteous proceedings of God with him
Meeke to bind up the Broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeare of the Lord to comfort all that mourne c. Now the reason hereof is because soules lying under apprehensions of wrath for sin their doubt is mainely of Gods willingnesse to save them they know not his Will in the thing therefore to labour to convince them of his Love of his willingnesse and readinesse to receive and save sinners that come to him by Christ is the great businesse in case of distresse and doubting Vse 1 This being so then those who goe about to direct and comfort weary soules laden and burthened with the sense of sin and wrath are to beware how they presse the duties of the Law to such in order to settlement and peace some are ready still in such Cases to tell the partie distressed in conscience you must walke strictly take heed of Sin give not way to corruptions not so much as any motions or stirrings of them within and be diligent in all duties of hearing the word reading meditation c. and so put them on the duties of the Law or Covenant of workes whereby to get peace and acceptance with God making God appeare as a hard Master and thereby lay one burthen upon another in stead of easing of them Whereas the sweete refreshing Promises of the Covenant of grace the infinite Love of God in our pretious Lord Jesus Christ should be laid open and held forth clearely to such a weary soule that such a one might see the great workes of fulfilling the Law and satisfying divine Justice done to his hand in case he lay hold upon and close with Christ by faith This is the ready way to settle such a soule to make the Graft take hold of the stock from which it may receive life This the Apostle shewes us by a plaine instance Gal. 3.2 Received ye the spirit by the worke of the Law or by the hearing of faith as if he should say ye know this course was taken with you before ye beleived The doctrine of free grace was preached to you ye heard that Justification came not by the workes of the Law but by faith in Christ even so it is now Secondly Soules thus in distresse ought to harken to and receive offers of grace when they heare them made and not to Vse 2 put them off and neglect them as very many doe They will not or dare not close with the free promises of grace because say they I wretch am not worthie I am not fitted my heart is hard my Corruptions are strong I am full of sin my whole life is nothing but sin Why thou shalt never have it otherwise so long as thou standest off and refusest to close with Christ If thou think to get thy heart into an humble melting frame and temper and to subdue Corruptions and then to close with Christ thou wilt but deceive thy selfe that 's not the way but seeing thy want of Christ and thy sinfull undone condition without him and a true desire in thee to get out of it and to be sanctified as well as justified to be saved from sin as well as wrath let it be the very first thing thou doest to venture on him and close with him accept of his love and doe but touch him by faith and thou shalt find thy selfe healed of all thy spirituall diseases but without this course notwithstanding all thy owne strictnesse and endeavours in duties thou wilt find thy selfe to be worse and worse The five and twentieth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman having laboured and taken much paines about Engrafting his Plants when in the spring he sees they begin to bud and shoote forth when he observing of them perceives they have closed with and taken hold of the stock he is glad of it this is a ground of rejoycing to him he is very well pleas'd to see the good successe of his labours about his Fruit-trees This discovers to us That A sinners Repentance and closing with Christ causeth joy both in heaven and Earth The Lord the great husbandman is alwaies at worke labouring to draw soules to Christ by all waies and meanes And his sub-husbandmen the Ministers of the Gospell and all his people one way or other do labour in the same worke they are Co-workers fellow labourers with him in this great Gospell worke Now when they see their works and labours have good successe they rejoyce and are glad 1. The people of God rejoyce when they see unregenerate persons come in to Christ because they are renewed themselves and it 's naturall for every Creature to be glad of and rejoyce in its like Secondly they rejoyce at the conversion of others because they love God The Reason and Love is alwaies glad at that which pleaseth and makes for the beloved God hath honour hereby and therefore they rejoyce Secondly the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell rejoyce at the conversion of soules not only upon these accompts but also because they are more immediately concerned in it it is their proper worke and businesse to winne soules to Christ Now when they see the successe of their Labours they say as the Apostle 3 Epistle of John 4. I have no greater joy then to heare that my Children walke in the truth So the Apostle Paul 1 Thes 2.19 what is our hope our joy our Crowne of rejoycing are not yee c v. 20. For ye are our glory joy Thirdly The good Angels also rejoyce when sinners turne to God This our Saviour tells us Luk. 15.7 I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth c. vers 10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Fourthly God the father sonne and spirit rejoyce at the Repentance of sinners The spirit to speake after the manner of men is said to be greived with sin when soules reject his motions so on the contrary when they hearken to him he is well pleased Our Saviour having taught his disciples and brought them to understand and receive the things of the kingdome of God he rejoyced Luk. 10.21 In that houre Jesus rejoyced in spirit c. Also we see how God the Father is wel pleased when sinners come in to Christ this is at large made out unto us in the Parable of the Prodigall Luk. 15.20 the father seeing his sonne returning to him how glad is he of it he ran to meete him and fell on his neck and kissed him then there was Musicke and dancing and feasting c. all this is but to let us know how welcome a soule is to God when it returnes from its wandrings Esay 65.19 I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and Zepth 3.17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy
them more choice nourishment by often watring them with good water that they may grow and come on the faster This is another Similitude and shadowes out unto us this Proposition That the dispensations of God towards weak Christians Proposition Shadowed are more gentle then towards such as are grown strong The mysticall Husbandman hath Plants of severall degrees and ages in his Nursery and Orchard and according to their capacities he dealeth with them there are Children Young men and Fathers in Gods Family 1 Ioh. 2.12.13 14. the Children are ordered with more tendernesse than the elder sort Esay 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs in his Armes and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young He useth them gently with great tendernesse So againe Hos 11.1 3. When Israel was a child I loved him Vers 3. I taught Ephraim also to goe taking him by the Arms I drew them with cords of a man with Bands of Love I was to them as they that take off the Yoke from the Jawes and I laid meat unto them God used them as a loving Father his children or as a tender Nurse useth her young infant He gives them Milke while they are Babes and stronger meat when they are better growne as we see 1 Cor. 3.2 I fed you with Milke and not with Meat for hitherto ye were not able to beare it Heb. 5.14 Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age So also God in correcting his weake children dealeth with them according to their strength as is made out in that Similitude Esay 28.27 of the Husbandmans dealing with his Corne. The Fetches are not threshed with a threshing instrument neither is a Cartâ— wheele turned upon the Cummin but the Fetches are beaten out with a staffe and the Cummin with a rod. Vse 1 This is a ground of great comfort to weake and doubting soules God as a tender Father cherisheth and nourisheth the beginnings of grace in them he will not deale roughly and harshly but gently with them He will not quench the smoking flax nor breake the bruised Reede but improve and nourish weake beginnings is his children Esay 42.3 even as a Nurse cherisheth her children 1 Thes 2.7 that they may increase towards perfection Vse 2 Let us learne to imitate God in this thing to help and encourage those that are weake in all good beginnings Rom. 15.1 Such as are strong ought to beare with the infirmities of the weake And to comfort the feeble minded and to support the weake 1 Thes 5.14 The third Observation in Nature There are many wild Fruit-trees in the Woods waste grounds and hedges that beare faire and beautifull fruits to looke upon both for bulke and colour and yet are very harsh sower unpleasant fruits the husbandman takes no delight to eat of them although they are usefull for some other purposes these are but wild un-grafted trees and their fruits are accordingly This is another Similitude and shadowes forth unto us That Many Spirituall Fruit-trees bring forth faire Proposition Shadowed and specious fruits to observation which yet are unpleasant to the Husbandman There are very many men in the world being eminent in Learning Gifts and Parts who can performe many workes very exactly they can Pray Preach and compose workes c. and these things to the Observation of most very excellently gaining thereby great commendations from many and it may be admiration from some and yet these very Fruits to the taste of the Husbandman are very bitter and unpleasant though they may be some way serviceable and usefull to his Children and servants yet he himselfe is not delighted with them because they are from ungrafted trees such as are wild and Corrupt by Nature the Principle from which they proceed is Corrupt and that makes the fruits corrupt Who did workes to the observation of men more faire and specious then the Pharises and yet these their fruits were starke naught they were but painted fruits faire to a carnall eye without any good tast or relish Luk. 16.15 Lu. 11.39 Let none content themselves with outward performances in the worship of God though never so faire and unreproveable to the Vse 1 eye of men but looke to the Principles to the frame of the spirit to the spring from which any workes flow and examine whether they be streames from the Divine Nature or from common gifts and parts in the soule whether they be shoots springing from the spirit of Christ as from the Roote or from a Naturall Principle drawne out by some externall Causes and selfe ends for though they are never so plausible and beautifull in the eyes of men they may be deformed in the eyes of God and fruits altogether unpleasant to him Many things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 Vse 1 This may serve to pull downe the high conceipts which carnall and unregenerate men have of themselves because of their Gifts and Parts their great and famous actings in the world did they but see and had they hearts to understand and consider that bitter and poysonous Roote Originall corruption which staines and spoyles all their Fruits their high conceipts of themselves and their Actings would be much abated They are but apples of Sodome Splendida peccata glorious sinnes for while the Tree is corrupt the fruit is so Math. 7.18 The fourth Observation in Nature WE find by Experience That Grafts and stocks joyned together of contrary or much different Natures will not grow nor thrive together if they be joyned in Grafting either the Graft growes not at all or else very poorely and weakly and in a few yeares decayes and dies But if the kinds of Trees are joyned together according to Rules of Nature and Art then they thrive together vigorously and beare fruits plentifully This is another Similitude of the state of Spirituall Fruit-trees and shadowes out unto us this Proposition which also concurres with the word and experience Proposition Shadowed That persons joyned in any relation they have comfort or affliction together according to their Natures This is certaine in Nature Morality and Divinity That so much as things differ in their Natures one from another so great is the degree of dislike one of another And so neere as they are in their Natures and properties so great is the degree of complacency and love one of another Likenesse is both the Cause and the Bond of Love This is seene in all visible Creatures many Instances might easily be brought to shew it Likenesse in Natures Manners Customes begets Love and distance in these causeth dislike and sometimes Hatred 2 Cor. 6.14 What Fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what Communion hath light with darknesse c which Questions include Positions This should teach all who intend to enter into the state of Vse 1 Marriage to looke well to their choice that it be upon good grounds and not for
we have received that soe we may make unto God some answerable returne God looked for more and received more from him that had the five Talents than from him that had received but two Matth 42.5.23 Noe one not the lowest or meanest is freed from making returnes of duty to God though God require much from those who have received much yet the meane person who has but a little must returne of that little Eph. 4.28 Let him worke with his hands that he may have something to give to him that needeth And it will be accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 So also of the use and improvement of all other Talents gifts graces liberty Power and the rest The fortieth Observation in Nature ALthough Fruit-trees bring forth many great and beautifull fruits yet they are not esteemed except also they have a good tast it is the relish that gives the Commendation to fruits This shadowes out unto us That Proposition shadowed It is not the multitude nor exactnesse of performance of duties that God accepts unlesse there be sincerity and right ends in doing thereof The Tast of Mysticall Fruits lies in the sincerity and truth of the heart sincerity and right Ends is that which God cheifly looks at and accompts upon it accordingly Actio denominatur a fine The end denominates a worke good or bad it is the forme of every duty The great end must be the glory of God though we may have subordinate ends our owne happinesse and others being Married to Christ we must bring forth fruit unto God Rom 7.8 Trees of righteousnesse being trees of the Lords planting they bring forth fruit that he may be glorified Esay 61.3 so Joh. 15. Truth sincerity Love right ends these make fruits tast pleasantly for without Love there cannot be right ends And therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. Though a man have all knowledg all faith though he bestow all his goods to feede the poore and doe never so many good works yet if they tast not of love they are nothing worth if there be not sincerity and right ends God accompts not of them Many are but empty Vines because they bring forth fruit to themselves fruits as good as no fruit Hos 10.1 when they have no good tast which they have not when the Ends are not right The Pharisees brought forth faire and goodly fruits to looke upon Mat. 6.2 they Preached they prayed much they gave much almes they fasted payed tithes c. but the tast of these fruits was naught they had no love to God they wanted sincerity right ends in what they did Matth. 6.2 They did them to be seene of men for themselves and not for God Hence we may learne that much of the fruit that is brought Vse 1 forth in the world is not accepted of God because it wants a good tast though they are beautifull to looke upon as to the matter and substance yet they may be but as Apples of Sodome faire on the outside but rotten within of an unpleasant tast Men for the most part bring forth fruit unto themselves they aime at their owne profits honours or something mainely and cheifely if not wholly for themselves but the honour of God the interest of Christ is not in their eye their Love in their works is but selfe-Love Let us try the tast of our fruits whether we have sincere and right ends in what we doe whether they tast of Love Love to Vse 2 God and his people Let all your workes be done in Love 1 Cor. 16.14 Oh how sweete and pleasant is the tast of those fruits which spring from a principall of love to God upon the apprehension of his Love to us in Christ Seeing the tast of fruits makes them acceptable to God this is a Vse 3 ground of great comfort to every poore weake Christian whose fruits though they are but small and want outward beauty yet because they have a good tast the husbandman likes them well they are pleasant fruits in his accompt because their hearts are perfect there is truth sincerity love holy and right ends mixed with their fruits soe that the husbandman delights to come into his Garden and to eat these his pleasant fruits Cant. 4.16 The widowes two mites were but very small fruits and yet because our Lord liked the tast he said they were better and more acceptable than any or all of the Pharisees great and many fruits Math. 12.43 The one and fortieth Observation in Nature WHen Grafts begin to grow by the sap they receive from the stock they will certainely by the Law of Nature hold on untill they come to perfection The Proposition shadowed That Proposition shadowed The smallest measure of true grace in any person can never be extinguisht but will certainely grow up to perfection Grace is compared to a graine of Must-ardseede Mat. 17.20 which though it be but a very small substance yet in a while it growes to a great one Though it be but as a sparke of fire in flax it shall not be quenched Esay 42.3 it will increase to a great flame To see and be convinced of the want of Christ and to desire after him is the smallest measure of grace which yet shall certainely increase such a hungry soule shall at last be filled and satisfied with the fullnesse of Christ Mat. 5 6. If the spirit have cast the seeds and Principles of grace into the soule he will water them and cause them to grow and bud and blossome and bring forth fruits To him that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Mat. 25 29. All the powers of hell cannot rob the soule of the least measure of grace Vse 1 This is unspeakable Consolation to all believers though never so weake in grace though they have but a drop of the water of life yet it shall be a well of water springing up to eternall life Joh. 4.14 And therefore dejected and weary soules that feare the worke of grace is not in them that long after Christ and would faine be satisfied that they have an interest in him Let such know the seede of God is in them sowen by his spirit and therefore it is that they have these desires thirstings longings c. and cannot be satisfied without Christ These motions and workings of soule are not any where but where the spirit dwels and where he hath begun the worke of grace these are sure evidences that they are united to Christ and ingrafted into him and these buds and breakings forth shew clearely to a discerning eie that they have taken hold of the stock and that they have received from it some sap and life and therefore can never be broken off nor die but they shall certainely spring up and grow to perfection and bring forth the fruits of Love joy and praise to all eternity for he who hath begun a good worke in them
And though by their wisdome they deliver a city or do some great works yet Eccl. 9.16 the poore mans wisdome is despised and his words are not heard Upon the same accompt the wisdome and works of our Saviour were slighted and neglected though he did worke as never any did and spake as never man spake Matth. 13.55 Is not this the Carpenters sonne vers 57. They were offended in him Even so it is now with his Members But who art thou O man that replyest against God in despising and quarrelling with meane Instruments What if God willing to shew his power and wisdome in weake Instruments and meanes lay aside or let alone more eminent instruments and more likely meanes wilt thou not give him leave to do what he will with his owne is thine eye evill because he is good Hath he not said the weak things of the world shall confound the mighty hath he said it and shall he not do it yea he hath said it and done it and he will doe it untill be performe all his pleasure and chose that oppose him shall be ashamed The eight and fiftieth Observation in Nature THough there are many good fruits in an Orchard yet some are more choice and speciall fruits than some others and accordingly are of greater price And esteeme among men This Similitude shadowes out unto us this Proposition That The Prayers Sermons writings discourse and works of some godly men Proposition shadowed are much more spirituall then of some others Gods people are of severall standings and degrees of grace some have small measures some greater measures of grace some are but babes in Christ others are strong mwen some fathers 1 Joh 2. 12.13 some have their conversations much in heaven their spirits are much taken up about spirituall things they walke closely with God and have neere and sweete Communion with God they are little conversant with the things below but are most taken up with God and the things of God But now others though godly persons walke at a greater distance from God and therefore have lesse of his Image they are lesse changed than others As the Apostle saies of Bodies 1 Cor. 15.30 There an Celestiall bodies and bodies Terrestiall so it may be said of the Spirits even of such as are Godly some have their minds much in heaven by keeping watch over their hearts and walking in daily communion with God others though they have the life of grace in them yet it is very weak and feeble they are very much carnall and earthly Oh! there is much difference betweene the spirits and lives of some beleivers and some others some are filled with the spirit as Stephen Act. 6.5 A man full of faith and of the holy Ghost others have but small measures of the spirit and their faith and other graces are but weake and slender Mat. 16.8 O ye of little faith And now according to the measure and degrees of grace holinesse or Image of God in believers are all those things that proceede from them they are more or lesse spirituall As according to the Forme and Nature that is in the Materiall fruit-tree such are the fruits that it beares And thence it is that some have better fruits then some others According to the spring or fountaine such are the streames Let this stirre us up to strive and labour after higher and greater Vse 1 degrees of grace and to keepe it active by constant and close walking with God that so all that proceedeth from us may be accordingly spirituall Hereby will be unspeakable advantages to us The more holy and spirituall any soule is the more God delights in it and communicates himselfe to it And of higher accompt all the fruits of such a soule are both with God and his people that are most spirituall The spirituall man judgeth all things he hath a spirituall eye and a spirituall Palate to tast spirituall fruits of what relish they are and according to their spiritualnesse he prizeth them if his owne spirit be in a spirituall frame The husbandman prizeth a few choice and speciall apples or other fruits more than a Bushell of ordinary kinds Accordingly does the Mysticall husbandman accompt of spirituall fruits and so should we The nine and fiftieth Observation in Nature INgrafted fruit-trees have three great enemies one from within and two from with-ut first the sower sap of the stocks secondly carelesse persons thirdly bad aires Thiâ— shadowes out unto us That Regenerate persons have three great enemies one ward two outward Proposition shadowed the flesh the world and the devill Though there are very many pregnant Similitudes between Materiall and Mysticall Fruit-trees yet in this particular there is a great dissimilitude That is the stock of the Materiall fruit-tree is by Nature wild sower harsh and of a bad sap a Crab-tree or the like but the Graft is of a good Nature taken from some choice and speciall tree which being grafted upon a stock of a worse kind although it be predominant and rule in bringing forth good fruits according to its owne Nature yet it is something imbased and made worse by the badnesse of the stock Now it is contrary in the Mysticall fruit-tree There the * This is so when a believer is ingrafted into Christ but when the word is ingrafted into the heart then the Similitude holds in this particulars also in that as in the natural fruit-tree the stock is bad and the graft good The heart of man is altogether corrupt by nature but the word and seed of grace engrafted and sowen in the heart is perfectly good and pretious stock is perfectly good and pretious and the Grafts corrupt and naught Yet in these maine and principall respects as in many others the Similitude holds in that the graft receives all its nourishment from the stock and in that there are two Natures both in Materiall and Mysticall fruit-trees in the stock and Graft and both strive one with the other as all contraries joyned doe This being premised I proceede with the Proposition One of our great enemies is the flesh or Corruption of Nature this is our greatest enemie and does us most mischeife Rom. 7. 21. I find a law that When I would do good evill is present with me Gal. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit c. Secondly the world by its Commands threats persecutions Counels Perswasions Allurements and Examples is laboring to draw us from God Joh. 15.19 and 1 Joh 2.16 Thirdly the devill like a roaring Lyon goes about seeking whom Use 1 he way devoure Pet. 98. Hence we may see the grosse mistake of those who thinke and say they are free from Corruption which Paul complained of Rom. 7.17 Sin awelleth in me and vers 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I am perswaded the more spirituall any Christians are the more clearly they see their Corruptions although they are weaker in such than
more fruits Iohn 15.5 Yea he is long suffering towards all looking that the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering should lead them to Repentance Rom. 2.4 and make them to bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Hence we should learne to be thus minded on towards another Vse 2 especially such as are Ministers of the Gospell Masters Governours Tutours they should herein be followers of God as deare children Eph. 5.1 though their expectations and desires be not answered in the profiting and growth of those under their charge yet they should not be discouraged but wait still and prune and dresse and order their young plants still waiting till their profiting appeare as the Husbandman waiteth for the fruit of the Earth and hath long patience for it James 5.7 Vse 3 If God be so patient towards us and waits on us shall not wee be content to waite on God God waiteth for the fruits of our obedience O let us wait for the performance of his promises For they that wait for him shall never be ashamed that is they shall obtaine at length above their expectation Esay 64.4 Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God! besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him The eightie third Observation in Nature WIld materiall fruit-trees have no power to engraft themselves but grow from year to year according their wild nature and bring forth sower and naughty fruits neither is there any possibility that such Trees should ever be engrafted and bear good fruits without the skill and paines of the Husbandman This is another Similitude of the state of Mysticall Fruit-trees and shadowes out unto us this Proposition That Proposition shadowed Vnregenerate persons of themselves cannot come to Christ nor bring forth one good fruit Naturally every one is dead in sin and hath no more power to come to Christ or do one good worke than a dead Carkase hath to walke or worke Joh. 6.44 No man cancome to me except the father which hath sent me draw him The Naturall fruit-tree can as soone graft it selfe as any soule move towards Christ without the power of the spirit of God The heart of man by nature hath no other but corrupt Principles in it which all the time of unregeneracy daily grow stronger and stronger which are not only altogether indisposed to all that is good but also oppose it and contradict the motions of the spirit As they are alive to all that is evill so they are dead to holinesse there is no more power in the soule by nature to move towards Christ than there is in a stone to move upwards of it selfe What is lesse than to have a good thought of or towards God and yet that we have not without the spirit 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God This shewes us the sad and wofull estate of persons out of Vse 1 Christ and out of the election of grace there is no possibility of their escaping hell they are as fast bound in the chaines of naturall corruption as the Devils are in the Chaines of darknesse in which they are reserved unto the Judgment of the great day such have their Portion in this life even all the good things they are like to have Little reason then had David or any of the people of God in their greatest sufferings to envy the prosperity of the wicked He counted himselfe foolish for so doing when he saw their end Psalm 92.7 When the wicked spring as the Grasse and the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Here also we may see the Error of those who hold free will Vse 2 that a naturall man hath power of himselfe to move and come to Christ this is contrary to the doctrine of Christ and takes away his glory from him as might be shewed at large This is and will be a continuall ground of love to God to Vse 3 all eternity in the hearts of his people they being drawn to Christ and fixed upon him by faith it is the spirit that hath donne it we contributed nothing to the worke but it is an effect of free Electing love in God therefore let us shew forth the praises of God in a holy and fruitfull Conversation for he that hath begun a good worke will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 The eightie fourth Observation in Nature SOme Fruit-trees if they be not carefully lookt unto will break out and the sap will presse upwards in some few branches only or chiefely and leave other branches with little sap which grow poorely and weakly and some die whereas a well ordered Tree should spread and enlarge it selfe in all the Branches This Observation shadowes out unto us That Proposition shadowed Some Christians chiefly pursue some particular duties belonging to them and neglect others Works and actions of spirituall fruit-trees may be considered as Branches as well as seede or fruits Some persons as experience makes too manifest are very carefull and diligent about some particular duties which they carry on from day to day and it s well they do so because those things they ought to do but there are other duties perhaps equally as convenient or necessary to be done which are altogether or very much neglected they shoote forth in some branches but not in all they are content to do some small and easy things sutable to their natures and ends while they neglect great and substantiall matters our Saviour reproves such Mat. 23.23 Ye have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Some Christians are all or most for publique duties and very much neglect the private they heare it may be three or foure Sermons on the Lords day in this place and often on other days and they are to be incouraged in frequent hearing the word but yet many such neglect or slightly performe private duties of Prayer meditation examination of the heart and particular application of the word without which much hearing is to little purpose The heart of man is deceitfull and Sathan is deceitfull and both will be ready enough to perswade and carry on to publique duties all the day seeing they will needs be religious that so they may be hindred of greater spirituall advantages in neglecting the private duties aforementioned which are absolutely necessary to a Christians growth in grace Some other Professors are diligent in duties publique and private in reference to themselves but neglect duties in reference to others as Exhortation Reproofe distributing to their necessities visiting them sometimes especially in their afflictions herein they faile much although these are the great and weighty duties of Christians for if we faile in the
well as to another all were purchased at one and the same rate even with his owne blood The ninetie eighth Observation in Nature SOme Fruit-trees are profitable for one purpose and some for another their fruits being of severall kinds some are usefull one way and some another some are fittest for Cider others to bake or to be prepared severall waies for the Table others are eaten of themselves without any preparation some are fit for foode some for Physick some for Cordials all are good and profitable in their kinds according to their severall uses Proposition shadowed This shadowes out unto us this Proposition That The people of God bring glory to him profit and edification to the body of Christ in divers respects according to the diversity of the Gifts Graces and Operations of the spirit of God in them This is manifest from Scripture and continuall Experience Believers having severall Gifts and endowments in Nature and grace are imployed and set on worke by God in their generations according as he hath fitted them for their severall work For as the Members in the Naturall body have not all one and the same Office so neither the Mysticall body Rom. 12.6 Having then Gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith vers 7. Or Ministry let us wait on our Ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation c. As every man hath received the gift so Minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all may things be glorified through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4.10 11. What ever his gifts or abilities be weake or strong meane or eminent they are his Talents or one at least which must not be hid but used and imployed for the glory of God and profit of himselfe and others As among the Members of the body the least and meanest is use full and profitable to the body And the eye cannot say unto the hand I have no neede of thee nor againe the head to the feete I have no need of you but such as seeme to be most feeble are necessary 1 Cor. 12.21 22. so in the body of Christ and also in the politicall body the Common-wealth the laboring husbandman and the meanest Tradesman are necessary and their labours and industries in severall and various waies are all as really in their measure conducing to the upholding and advantaging of a Nation as those in the highest imployments The Apostle shewes this truth very largely 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6. c. There are diversities of Giftes diversities of administrations diversities of operations by the same spirit vers 8. To one is given the word of wisdome to another the word of Knowledg to another faith to another the gifts of Healing to another the working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another divers Tongues to another the interpretation of tongues All these worketh that one and the selfe same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Seldome or never is it seene that any one man is eminent in all the faculties of the mind in all gifts and graces but if he excell in one he is defective in another If his gift lie in solidity of Iudgment and understanding it may be he is defective in his utterance or ready making out what he conceives and apprehends wherein some others excell that come short of him in Iudgment one man excells in quicknesse of apprehensions another in soundnesse of Judgment another in the gift of memory another in a facile and ready expression One is eminent in the grace of faith another in love another in humility another in patience another in zeale One man hath skill in one science another man in another One in this Art or Trade another in some other As the Members in the Naturall body have severall formes and severall uses and offices so is it in the Mysticall body the Church and also in the state or Common wealth that in various and severall respects all might bring Glory to God and benefits one to another The consideration of this should make us to admire the wonderfull Vse 1 wisdome of God in so ordering and disposing of things that one person might be helpfull and profitable to another every one usefull in his place and calling by their severall gifts graces actings and operations of severall natures and degrees among themselves and one with another that all should conduce and worke together though in severall waies and respects to bring glory to God and profit and edification each to other Vse 2 This also should teach Governours and all who have any charge over others to observe and find out what the Gift and qualification is of those over whom they have any charge that so accordingly they may designe them and dispose of them this is their duty and their wisdome And it is every ones duty in reference to himselfe before he enter upon any Calling or course of life to consider wherein cheifey his gift lies that accordingly he may apply himselfe For seeing the spirit of God divides to euery man gifts and qualifications severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 it is our duty to row with the streame and saile with the wind we shall make the speedier and better progresse And for want of this many men dishonour themselves their Callings God most of all by entring upon those waies and works for which they are no way fit as wanting a Gift to that purpose it lying in some other respect which they ought to have searched out and improved that so they might have brought thereby more glory to God and more profit to the body of Christ And further in this Proposition as in a glasse we may see the folly and pride of some men who being eminent in some Gifts or Vse 3 endowments and thereby also it may be answerably profitable in Church or Commonwealth upon occasion of which they despise others who are their inferious in such gifts but know O vaine man that those others may excell thee in some other Gifts and may bring glory to God and benefit to the body of Christ as much another way by their fervent prayers spirituall speeches and conferences holy and humble walking diligent improvement of Gifts Talents advantages which God hath put into their hands And therefore Christians should walke humbly though never so eminent in qualifications even upon this consideration as well as others that though they excell their brethren in these and these things yet those their brethren may go beyond them in other gifts and be profitable as much or more than themselves another way according to what God hath given them The ninetie ninth Observation in Nature All the winter long there is sap abiding in the tree and continually rising
shew forth when they in their seasons flourish with Leaves Blossomes and Fruits especially considered not only as they appeare beautifull to the eye but also with all their inward beauties and perfections their virtues and uses in the life of man Both in Alimentall and Physicall respects but most of all as they are Similitudes and beare the figure and resemblance of many high and great Mysteries in the Word of God the Analogie and resemblance is very neere in many things to the most noble visible Creature MAN Fruit-trees beare the Figure and resemblance of what is of highest esteeme with God his People his Jewells his Adopted Sons yea of his Naturall Sonne as we frequently find in Scripture Likenesse and resemblance of inferior Creatures to those above them does ennoble and put some dignity upon them according to the degree of likenesse Now what Creatures beare resemblance to man in so many respects as Fruit-trees see the Observations pag. 1. 2. c. De Gen. ad Lit. Li. 15. Austin speaking of the marvelous effects of Nature that appeare in Seeds Trees and Fruits saies they wonderfully manifest the Attributes of God therefore he exhorts us to search into them Ex ipsis Operibus Dei indagare conemur consideremus ergo cujuslibet Arboris pulchritudinem in robore ramis frondibus Pomis c. Let us saith he inquire into the works of God and consider the beauty of a tree in the strength boughes leaves and fruits he saies it is wonderfull to see so great a body rise of so small a seed which seed has in it the whole Tree with the Leaves Fruits and Seed for the propagation of the kind not in their bulke and dimensions but Virtually as a Cause producing all these Illud germen ex semine in semine ergo illa omnìa fuerunt primitùs non mole corporeae magnitudinis sed vi potentiaque causaliter For In exiguo grano mirabilior praestantiorque vis est quia valuit adjacens humor commixtus terrae In this small seed there is a great and wonderfull virtue which shewes it selfe being cast into the earth which then riseth up into a body and spreads it selfe into boughes and Branches Quid enim ex Arbore illâ surgit aut pendet quod non ex quodam occulto Thesauro seminis illius extractum atque depromptum est What riseth or growes upon the Tree that is not brought or drawen out of the seed as out of a certaine Store-house or Treasury Fruit-trees discover many things of God and many things of our selves and concerning our duty to God We enquire of and discourse with Fruit-trees when we consider and meditate of them when we search out their virtues and perfections which God hath put into them when we pry into their natures and properties that is speaking to them And when we after a serious search do make some use and result of what we see in them when we collect something from them concerning the Power Wisdome Goodnesse and Perfections of God or our duty to God that is the Answer of the Fruit-trees then Fruit-trees speak to the mind and tell us many things and teach us many good lessons Our Considerations of them are the Questions we put to them and the Inferences or Conclusions are their Answers Those are the Lessons they teach us Of this see Mr Caryl his Exposition on Job chap. 12. Iob tells us of many Masters Creatures of which we may learne chap. 12. The Beasts the Fishes c. and ver 8. Speak to the Earth and it shall teach thee c. or as it is interpreted aske every slip or sprig that growes in the Earth and it shall teach thee Naturall and visible things are shadowes to us of Spirituall and the Spirit of God from things sensible and visible raiseth our minds to things spirituall and invisible The Ancients were skilled in this kind of Learning in teaching by SIMILITUDES and one of them observes that God sent us the Booke of Nature before he sent us the Book of the Scriptures The People of God in the beginning of the World were without the Scriptures for many yeares and they read many things in the Book of the Creatures Isaac went to meditate in the Feilds Gen. 24.63 And no doubt learned many Lessons from the Creatures And when the Church had some part of the Scriptures yet were they instructed for the space of two thousand yeares together by Similitudes for what was all the old administration but shadowes or Similitudes of things to come all shadowing out Christ and the things of Christ So the Apostle tells us Heb. 10 1. The law having the shadow of good things to come and Heb. 8.5 The example and shadow of heavenly things and Heb. 9.23 The Similitudes of heauenly things All their Services and Ceremonies were Similitudes of heavenly and spirituall things whereby they were taught and instructed Teaching by SIMILITUDES is the most plaine way of Teaching and makes dark things more cleare to the Vnderstanding and best to be retained in the Memory Our blessed Saviour the great Prophet and teacher of his Church who spake as never man spake he taught much by SIMILITUDES in his owne person and before his coming in the flesh by his Prophets as we see Hos 12.10 I have used Similitudes by the Ministry of the Prophets so we find in Esay Ezekiel and the rest One saies as Windowes are to a house so are SIMILITUDES to a Discourse they both let in light to see and discerne things that otherwise would be obscure Fruit-trees are a TEXT from which may be raised many profitable Doctrines and Conclusions which may be proved by Scripture and Experience Now therefore seeing many things may be learned from Fruit-trees for Spirituall profit I shall set downe some Observations which I have made upon them discovering the Nature and ordering of Naturall and Spirituall Fruit-trees in divers SIMILITUDES according to Scripture and experience speaking of most particulars very breifly As I have planted many thousands of Naturall Fruit-trees for the good of the COMMON-WEALTH so also I have taken some Spirituall Cyences or Grafts from them I meane severall Propositions drawne from Observations in Nature which are some what branched forth into Boughes and twiggs and bound them up and sent them abroad for the good of the Church of God And if men will but accept of them and be content to have them engrafted in their own Gardens their hearts and minds by the Husbandmans watering of them by his Spirit they will grow and blossome and beare much good fruit here and for ever Fruits of Faith Love Ioy Peace and other Fruits of the Spirit Bunches of Grapes For the feeding and refreshing of our Soules as we travell through the Wildernesse and the increase of our Glory hereafter in Canaan to all Eternity Which Improvement the Great Husbandman grant unto Thee together with Thy Servant in the Lord RA. AUSTEN To my deare Friend and Brother in
the Lord Mr. R. Austine the Author of the Treatise of Fruit-trees SIR THE benefit my selfe and others have received from your godly society and Gospell conversation heretofore may be argument enough for us thankfully to embrace your pregnant similitudes and Gospell observations I must confesse I am bound to blesse the Lord for the acquaintance and familiarity I formerly had and still have with you I seldome came to your garden but you made your trees speak something of Christ and the gospell your custome was to present your Christian friends and visitors with such clusters of gospell grapes which you now send abroad to the world It s admirable to see what spirituall improvements you have made of your Nursery the Reader if he have senses exercised to rellish and distinguish will soone taste the sweetnesse of your spirituall fruit especially considering 1. Pares cum paribus facillimè con jungantur That you take your rise from such things as are obvious and familiar to every mans Capacity which may easily set the minds of the Readers on work upon Jesus Christ duoilla nos maximè movent similitudo exemplum Cic 3. de Orat. The creatures all speak thus Qui fecit me propter te fecâ—â— te propter se Bernard 2. It s wonderfull to see so much Gospell gathered from natures Twiggs The naturall voyce of the creatures tell us that God is As Aristotle and Galen report but none ever made the creatures in so plaine and familiar a manner speak of Christ before I must acquaint the Reader that here is in your Similitudes gospell profit with soule delight and pleasure The spirituall Reader is here taught how to meete with Christ amongst the Mirtle Trees Sir we must all give you thanks for your pious explication of natures * Dicta enim Hieroglyphica apud Aegyptios sacra quaedam monumenta sculptis animalium figuris significantia Macrob. Satur. lib. 1.21 Hieroglyphicks whereby you have made the creatures speak plaine It s gospell wisedome that must make your young plants to beare such apples of gold Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles saith Christ No naturally they will not yeeld such kinds of fruit but here are spirituall grapes from natures wild trees that 's admirable 3. The Reader may observe that you make the dead to speak as well as the living Joh. 15.2.6 Mat. 15.13 Luk. 13.7 I meane your withered and unprofitable plants which you cast out of your Nursery yeelds most profitable observations The Lord will have a time to root out every tree and cut off every branch which beares no fruit not a body onely but sap not leaves but fruit which the Lord likes in professors 4. Your varieties of spirituall fruit may exceedingly please the godly Reader mens minds naturally are much delighted with variety all the similitudes in the world will not reach to that fulnesse and variety of fulnesse which is in the Lord Jesus Christ we read Revel 22.2 of a Tree that bare twelve manner of fruits which Tree is Christ Mr Diodati saith a Reverend man in his pious Annotations It s a mystery to the world that Beleivers should bring forth variety of fruits to Christ and yet receive all manner of fruits from Christ Rom. 11.36 of him and by him and through him and therefore to him be all things Our life is hid in Christ as the root our graces are all from him Coll. 3.3 our sap fruit and all therefore its observable what your drift is As Christ the Prophets and Apostles were wont to send men to Trees Consider the Lillyes how they grow Fruits and Plants for divine considerations now least men should fix too much here you strive to fetch the minds of the Readers off from them all to Christ againe and especially by the same way The good Lord open our eyes that we may follow on in your path that as we have all felt the misery following of our eating the forbidden fruit we may eat now of this Tree of life So prayes Sir Your very loving Friend and Brother in the Lord J. F. A Minister of the Gospell Decemb. 24. 1656. To the READER THE blessed God hath a speciall work to do in the world in which he imployes his faithfull servants and such oftentimes as are in comparison of others but as Babes in Christ when such as the men of the world esteeme the only wise men are rejected of the Lord. God for his owne glory is pleased to staine the pride of men to pull down such as lift up themselves and attribute that glory to themselves which is only due to God and exalts such as are of low degree Luk. 1.52 53. such as see are hartily affected with their owne emptinesse and insufficiency and are enabled to role themselves on God for wisdome and strength to do his work faithfully God hath for the most part made use of Instruments to bring about his great designes and interests both in Church and State such as have been scorned and contemned by ungodly learned men who reject the pretious truths of God because God sends and imployes such of his servants to dispence them unto men that have not such humane learning Titles and degrees as themselves the only things in a carnall Eye but poore low things in a spirituall Eye in comparison of the teachings of the spirit of God I know and do freely grant that Human Learning is a most choice and excellent gift when it is sanctifyed in any person and that which God hath made use of in his servants sometimes to carry on and promote his great workes and interests in the world And I do greatly honour such gratious learned men as improve their grace and learning for God and such persons as have a low esteeme of Learning and speak slightly of it or of Learned men because such I dare affirme such men speak evill of that which they understand not I am no enemy to Humane Learning as some in the University have affirmed and possessed others in the Country with the same opinion of me my practise can witnesse for it is well knowne that I spent many yeares in the University and Country to obtaine a little that I might be the more serviceable to God in my generation and I find that that which the Lord hath given me is very usefull unto me in the work that I am called unto by God and men But I shall intreate And do earnestly desire some Learned men both in the University and Country seriously to consider whether or no they do not greatly and apparently abuse their Learning First In preferring it before the Spirit of God and the saving knowledge of Christ Secondly In having higher thoughts of themselves than of others who it may be are more Holy and Humble and have more of the teachings of the Spirit of God than themselves Thirdly In despising and contemning their Persons Sermons Bookes
Prayers and Discourses because they have not so much Humane Learning as themselves Fourthly In discouraging and hindering such servants of the Lord as desire to improve their Graces and gifts for God endeavoring to commend the Lord Christ to others for their salvation Fiftly By endeavoring to prejudice the minds of men against such who yet God imployes in the work of the Ministry Sixtly In boasting of their Parts and Learning and resting thereon forgetting God who gave it Seaventhly In neglecting to use their Learning for that end for which God bestowed it on them Consider hath God given you larger opportunities and greater helps and advantages than others that you should be more idle and unfruitfull than others the Lord awaken you and make you zealous and active for your Master in this time of need many places have been a long time destitute of godly able Preachers that when he shall come he may say unto you well done good and faithfull servants enter into the joy of your Lord. Concerning the Author of the following Observations and Similitudes what ever Carnall men or the pride of Spirituall men may object as who that is zealous and active for God can escape the censures of some men it evidently appeares to me that the Spirit of God hath carried him on in this work Reject not the work because it is not done by a Publique Minister of the Gospell for many private experienced Christians have beene in this way very profitable to the Church of God These are the last times wherein God fulfills his great Gospell promise in powring out his Spirit upon all flesh and those whom God intends for any speciall service he prepares them for it by some speciall preparations I have seene a large particular Relation composed by this Author of God's dealings with him for many yeares together wherein it appeares that God began betime with him early even the first houre of the day And he hath beene exercised with many Temptations from his youth up having passed through the spirit of bondage early in the morning and by degrees came to close with Christ and to attaine a comfortable assurance of his interest in him But afterwards even about the middle of the day upon the spirits withdrawing and God's hiding of his face for some gratious ends he fell into a long and sad desertion passing through the valley of the shadow of death the paines of hell gat hold upon him and that in an extraordinary way and measure But God by degrees lifted him up out of the deepe Pit out of the Mire and Clay and set his feet upon a Rock and hath put a new song into his Mouth and made him active for God in his Generation As for his following Labours I doubt not but God will make them very usefull and profitable to the people of God what is more helpfull to the understanding and remembring of Spirituall things than plaine and pregnant SIMILITUDES of things which we are daily conversant with all these being also enlarged upon by him and improved to spirituall ends and advantages What was all the old Ceremoniall Law for many hundred yeares but teaching the People by SIMILITUDES Tipes and Ceremonies which were all shadowes of things to come Heb. 10.1 The spirit of God used SIMILITUDES by the Ministry of the Prophets Hos 12.10 yea the great Prophet of the Church frequently used SIMILITUDES in his teachings and Ministers of the Gospell in our daies find them very usefull and profitable in their teachings Wherefore Reader I recommend the following Observations and Similitudes to thy use Praying that the spirit of God may engraft every truth into thy heart and cause it to grow and bring forth much good fruit to the glory and praise of God and thy owne everlasting good STEPHEN FORD Pastor of a Church of CHRIST in CHIPPIN-NORTON Propositions Shadowed out unto us by Observations in Nature and Cleared by Scripture and Experience 1. GOd from all Eternity made choice of what Spirituall Plants he pleased to Plant in his Garden the Church and refused others pag. 1. 2. The dispensations of God towards weak Christians are more gentle than towards such as are strong p. 3. 3. Many Spirituall Fruit-trees bring forth faire and Specious fruits to Observation which yet are unpleasant to the Husbandman p. 5. 4. Persons joyned in any Relation they have comfort or affliction together according to their natures p. 6. 5. God calls his People for the most part in youth and more rarely when they are old p. 8. 6. When the Spirit of God withdrawes then Mysticall Fruit-trees cease growing their Leaves and Fruits fall and they endure sore conflicts for a time but at the returne of the Spirit they are restored to former comforts with advantage p. 13. 7. Generally those persons who are excessive and most curious about the formes of Duties have least of the power of Godlinesse p. 18. 8. By the fruits of Spirituall Trees we may conclude the Nature of the Trees p. 20. 9. Some persons flourish with a profession for a time but in the heat of affliction they fall off p. 22. 10. We should bend all our desires and endeavours that the best gifts graces and Fruits may especially encrease p. 23. 11. While the Spirituall part in us acts and growes strongly the fleshly part acts but weakly so also if the flesh be strong the Spirit is weak p. 26. 12. The more closely a Christian walks with God the more stedfast he is and more free from Spirituall enemies p. 28. 13. Corrupt nature abides in believers as long as they live and is but in part subdued by grace p. 29. 14. It is not any outward excellencies but the Image of God upon the Soul that is the glory of a person p. 30. 15. There is a firme and constant union betweene Christ and every Believer p. 32. 16. Vniversity men ought in convenient time to go forth into the service of the Church and Common-wealth except some choice persons fit for government of the Societies p. 33. 17. Saving grace or the Divine nature in Believers abides in the Soul for ever But common gifts or graces may be lost p. 37. 18. God is well pleased with Zealous and active Instruments in his Works But men of dull indifferent spirits he often layes them aside and puts others in their stead p. 39. 19. The commotions troubles and confusions in the Church of God will end in the settlement peace and glory of it p 41. 20. Believers by ingrafting into Christ do live in him and he in them and are thereby made one with him p. 43. 21. All believers have a likenesse and resemblance of one another in the Image of God upon their soules p. 45. 22. Those whom God purposeth to bring hereafter into his celestiall Paradise he prepareth them for it here in this life p. 47. 23. Grace in the hearts of believers is not suddenly strong but strength is gotten by degrees p. 49. 24.
Discoveries of the love of God to soules prepared for Christ does hasten their closing with him p. 51. 25. A sinners repentance and closing with Christ causeth joy both in Heaven and Earth p. 54. 26. There is a sweet fellowship and communion betweene God and his people God delights in them and they delight in him p. 56. 27. Who or whatsoever hinders the enlargment of the Church of God he will certainly and sometimes with great anger take out of the way p. 60. 28. The constant enjoyment of the best things from God through corruptions makes them lesse noted and esteemed p. 63. 29. Our life growth strength and all our spirituall Acts are from Christ p. 65. 30. Humble Christians bring forth farre more and fairer fruits than such whose spirits are lifted up p. 67. 31. Jesus Christ and his people though multitudes of distinct persons are so united as that they make but one body p. 69. 32. As we have our life and all from Christ so we are continually receiving new supplies from him but can adde nothing to his infinite perfections p. 71. 33. The dispensations of God towards his Church are contrary to the judgments of most people in the world p. 73. 34. Those who have not the Sanctifying Spirit and grace of God in them are unfit for the work of the Ministry such bring more prejudice than advantage to the Church of God p. 76. 35. None but engrafted Trees grow in Gods Orchard the Church pag. 83. 36. Those fruits of spirituall fruit-trees which are harsh sharp and bitter are for the most part more profitable than such as are mild and pleasant p. 84. 37. Those persons are not like to bring forth good fruits in old age who labour not for them in the time of youth p. 86. 38. Those who do not act for God they act against him p. 87. 39. God expects greater returnes of duty from some persons than from some others and neglect thereof provokes God against them p. 88. 40. It is not the multitude nor exactnesse of performance of duties that God accepts unlesse there be sincerity and right ends in doing thereof p. 90. 41. The smalest measure of true grace in any person can never be extinguished but will certainly grow up to perfection p. 92. 42. God hath more dishonour by the sinnes of Professors than by the sinnes of others p. 93. 43. Conversion in youth is not so apparent as in elder yeares p. 95. 44. The great persons in the world who are in Christ are but few in number in respect of the meaner sort p. 96. 45. Although beleivers are shaken by the winds of temptations yet they cannot be overturned because they are fixed upon Christ p. 97. 46. Sinfull thoughts and motions in the soule are most easily supprest at their first rising p. 98. 47. The instructions of one Godly person sometimes are effectuall by the Spirit to the implanting of many into Christ p. 99. 48. Persons ingrafted into Christ do naturally bring forth good fruits p. â—â— 49. There are but a few Godly persons in the world in comparis of the number of the wicked p. 102. 50. The works of formall Hypocrites are in many things very like the works of true Christians pag. 103. 51. Some Persons are wrought upon in part in some things like to those that are ingrafted into Christ who yet never attaine to be really united to him pag. 104. 52. The meanest person in Christ brings forth better fruits than the most accomplisht unregenerate person in the world pag. 105. 53. Christ is continually ready to communicate strength and refreshings to his people and all defects thereof are from themselves pag. 106. 54. By diligent use of the meanes of Grace Christians attaine great advantages with through neglect or slight using meanes would be lost pag. 108. 55. Frequent Acts in things Good or Evill beget Habits and make all such works easy to us pag. 111. 56. Afflictions and whatsoever befalls the People of God the same works advantage to them pag. 113. 57. God for the most part useth meanes and ordinary men and meanes for effecting of the greatest works in the world pag. 114 58. The Prayers Sermons Writings Discourse and Works of some Godly men are much more spirituall than of some others pag. 118. 59. Regenerated persons have three great enemies one inward and two outward the Flesh the World and the Devill pag. 119. 60. The people of God in their conversion for the most part goe through many straits and difficulties pag. 121. 61. When the People of God bring forth good fruits God himselfe doth praise and commend them pag. 122. 62. Persons by Regeneration have a great change wrought in them pag. 123. 63. The severall Gifts and Graces in believers are wrought by the same spirit pag. 125. 64. There are exceeding many and great profits and pleasures found in the Church of God pag. 126. 65. The Church of God is encompassed and preserved by God himselfe pag. 129. 66. When God doth purge a Nation or place from persons and things that are offensive to him and brings in his people and worship â—â—ad thereof this is an evident token that God intends to dwell there pag. 130. 67. The free love and care of God is as much towards his people in the meanest outward condition as towards those who are most eminent in the world pag. 136. 68. Believers who daily walke with God having the light of his countenance and constant communion with him such are abundantly fruitfull pag. 138. 69. God doth not only engraft his people into Christ but orders them in all other respects also to make them abundantly fruitfull pag. 140. 70. The graces of believers increase daily in strength wherby they are more and more able to resist spirituall enemies pag. 142. 71. Many persons of a low ranke and but of despised parts doe yet bring forth more profitable fruits than many others eminent in gifts and outward respects pag. 144 72. God will not allow an idle person but expects every one should be profitable in his place pag. 146. 73. The life of man is very uncertaine some die in Childhood others in youth others in old age and in the roome of these others arise pag. 148. 74. According to mens Principles such are their actings and their reward according to both pag. 149. 75. Spirituall fruit-trees ingrafted into Christ are many waies profitable in their generations pag. 152. 76. The most spirituall actings of believers tast of corrupt nature which notwithstanding are acceptable unto God pag. 154. 77. There is a continuall combate betweene Grace and Nature in every regenerate person but grace prevailes pag. 155. 78. Some believers are by advantages more fruitfull than others and at some more than at other times pag. 156 79. God beares with the failings and imperfections of his people and is ever ready to take notice of and commend the good that is in them pag. 158. 80. Trees of the Lords planting
Hypocrite alwaies call upon God Every plant which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted up Mat. 15.13 This being so it should make every one give all diligence to be Use 2 fully assured whether they be but as Boughes stuck in the ground without roots or branches of the true Vine Joh. 15.5 Such as are really ingrafted into the true Vine the hottest sun of persecution can never hurt them the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against them Such shall be as a Tree planted by the waters that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat commeth but her leafe shall be greene and shall not be carefull in the yeare of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit Jer. 17.8 The Tenth Observation in Nature WEe seek for the best kinds of fruits to engraft in our Orchards we are carefull and diligent with much labour cost and time to obtaine the most usefull and most profitable fruits though we take some paines for ordinay kinds yet we especially desire the best fruits From this Observation we are taught That VVe should bend all our desires and endeavours that the best gifts Proposition shadowed graces and Fruits may especially increase The Apostle saies 1 Cor. 12. There are diversities of gifts wrought by the same spirit all of them desirable and profitable but some are more profitable than others which he exhorts us to look after and desire especially Vers 31. Covet earnestly the best Gifts There is a precellency and greater worth in some Fruits than in some others 1 Cor. 13. I will shew you a more excellent way And Phil. 1.10 That ye may approve things that are excellent or as some read it things that differ Follow after charity and desire spirituall gifts but rather that ye may prophecy 1 Cor. 14.1 And vers 12. For as much as ye are zealous of spirituall gifts seek that ye may excell to the edifying of the Church He preferres one grace before another And now abideth faith hope and love these three but the greatest of these is love 1 Cor. 13.13 This reproves those who content themselves with the lowest Vse 1 and meanest gifts graces and fruits and strive not after the best and chiefest Many having gotten some competent abilities they goe on in a formall way running in a round or Circle making little or no progression at all no increase or growth Yea sometimes for want of exercise and improvement of their Gifts they loose what they had and become very Drones and Dunces Vse 2 We should consider and examine which are the best gifts graces and spirituall fruits that so we may apply our selves to gaine and increase them especially First then Such are best as are most usefull and profitable to our selves and others Profit and edification is the great end why the spirit of God gives gifts 1 Cor 12.7 The Apostle valued those gifts most which were most for Edification 1 Cor. 14.19 I had rather speake five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others than 10000 words in an unknowne Tongue Knowledge Tongues humane Learning and Parts are little worth unlesse they be used to edification What then shall we thinke of those men who use them for ostentation and to gaine admiration Secondly If we find any gift grace or spirituall fruit commended to us in speciall and particular in the word such hath the highest commendation that possible can be as the gift of Prophesie above other gifts 1 Cor. 14.1 Desire spirituall gifts but rather that ye may prophesie Which is a gift to be able publiquely to expound the word of God Diod. Annot. and to apply it to the edification of the Church And of Graces Love is the chiefest 1 Cor. 13.1 Now abideth Faith Hope and Love these three but the greatest of these is Love And 1 Pet. 4.8 Above all things have fervent love among your selves So for Meeknesse of Spirit God himselfe commends it to us in particular for a most speciall fruit 1 Pet. 3.4 The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is a thing with God of a great price Thirdly those graces wherein wee most resemble God the father and Christ such are most excellent as Love Mercy Humility we are cald upon as might be shew'd at large to imitate the father and the sonne in these things especially VVhat is more sweet and amiable in the Conversations of men than Love Mercy Humility these are Graces and fruits of highest esteeme both with God and men Such as hold forth Truths in publique should bring forth the best Fruits in expounding and applying the word they ought to lay open those truths that are most suitable to Persons times and occasions and decline other things of lesser moment and in particular subjects to bring forth those things that doe most naturally arise from the word according to the genuine sense of it without straining or wresting there being such infinite variety of matter that it may be as the first and purest Liquor of Grapes or as life hony that runnes without strayning which is by far the best Men should stand most upon the Essentialls of Religion and Christianity How to get an interest in Christ and then how to improve it to grow in grace to subdue Corruptions how we may get and maintaine a constant habituall Communion with God And for our Meditations Speeches and Actions we must still looke at the best if there lye many and various duties before us and all cannot possibly be donne we ought to set our selves to consider and find out which are most convenient most necessary most profitable and best And accordingly apply our selves thereto and not to goe hand over head to any of them upon this ground for that it is a good worke it is our duty for so perhaps we shall neglect a more excellent and more profitable worke and misse of the best and choicest fruits The Eleventh Observation in Nature WE finde by experience that after a plant is engrafted both the Graft and the stock will shoote forth and if the Graft grow vigorously and strongly then the shootes of the stock are but weake but if the shoots of the stock break out strongly then the Graft growes but weakly therefore the husbandman takes paines often to cut off the shoots that grow upon the stock that so the graft may grow the better This is another Similitude of the state of Mysticall Fruit-trees and shadowes forth unto us this Proposition That Proposition shadowed While the Spirituall part in us acts and growes strongly the fleshly part acts but weakely So also if the flesh be strong the spirit is weake In all persons Regenerate there are two Natures the one contrary to the other the Spirit and the flesh the new man and the old man the Divine Nature and Corrupt Nature these two Natures abide in us and act in us so long as we live in this earthly Tabernacle and they
grow there being ready for transplanting because such hinder many other small young plants which might be brought into the Nursery to be ingrafted and prepared if the great ones were transplanted So ought it to be in Vniversities For unlesse the ancient Students having had a convenient time to fit themselves for publique imployments doe remove many hopefull young plants will be kept out which otherwise if brought under the discipline of godly Governours and ingrafted will in due season bring forth much good fruit Thirdly If Fruit-trees after they are prepared in the Nursery for fruit-bearing be removed and transplanted abroad into severall Countries many may partake of their fruits they will be profitable from yeare to yeare which cannot be if they be kept still in the Nursery So if Vniversity men having obtained Gifts and Graces goe forth and exercise their Talents in the Church of God many may have profit and advantage by them who otherwise cannot Besides these Reasons the word requires that able and usefull men should goe forth into the Church of God Luk. 10.1 2. Our Saviour as a Master or governour of a great Society having disciplined and taught his Disciples and made them fit for the Ministrie he sent out Threescore and ten of them at one time having sent Twelve not long before Luk. 9.2 And because the harvest is great and there is need of Labourers we ought to pray the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth more Luk. 10.2 But such as are fit yet unwilling to goe may be asked sharply by way of reproofe why stand ye here all the day idle Mat. 20.6 Many stand idle in the Market place while they might and ought to goe and labour in the Lords Vineyard Having a Talent or more they must one day be called to an account what use they have made thereof and if they have not well imployed them nor gained by them they will make but a sad reckoning Mat. 25.19 the Lord commeth and will reckon with them Vse 1 The Inference hence is in every mans eye that such whom it concernes doe consider what their duty is in this regard and accordingly apply themselves It is my humble advice with all love Let not any now as too many in former times having gotten Fellowships in Colledges account them as t were their free-hold for life having accommodations to set up their rest and say its good being here what can I expect better if I goe forth as though selfe were all a man should ayme at If any man be offended and object why should I meddle thus far I answer I am within the bounds of my Orchard and the subject at first proposed Not only to treat of Ordering Materiall Fruit-trees but also to make a spirituall use of them where I judge the Similitude apt and pregnant I am a friend and no adversary in speaking the truth in Love The Husbandman having purged his Nursery and planted therein many choice plants ingrafted into the true Vine he expects better fruits there than former ages have afforded And it may be spoken to the honour of the Husbandman and of the Reformation hitherto carried on by him that there are pleasant and wholsome fruits brought forth by many Trees of righteousnesse of his planting Oh that it might be said Esay 61.3 Jer. 2.21 Ho. 10.1 there are no Wild Vines among them bringing forth sower and bitter Grapes or empty Vines which bring forth fruit unto themselves That the adversaries of the truth might not have occasion to charge any especially such as have the name of godly persons with Pride high carriages earthly mindednesse and such like grosse corruptions which are the fowlest Blots that can light upon Professors and bring most dishonour to God to his Gospell and to themselves If men in these places have sincere and right ends in their eye and pursue them accordingly even the interest of our Lord Jesus Christ in the increase of his kingdome As they may thereby bring much honour to God happinesse to themselves edification to his Church So also the same is the right and ready way to establish and perpetuate Universities Therefore take my counsell and not mine but the Apostles 2 Tim. 1.6 stirre up the gift that is in thee and againe 1 Tim. 4.4 Neglect not the gift that is in thee Such as have Talents whereby they may profit the Church of God ought to employ them for that purpose according as God hath fitted them It is true indeed Some able men in Vniversities as godly Tutors in every Colledge besides Governours may be as profitable to the Church of God there as if they went forth but this reacheth not the generality of men in such places Therefore the exhortation may be seasonably carried on I know the best men had need of stirring up to their duties And that this may willingly be imbraced Consider what neede there is of faithfull able and painfull Teachers abroad in every Country The Harvest truly is great and such labourers are but few Multitudes Multitudes of people lye in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity and would it not be a glorious worke to be instrumentall in turning them from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan unto God yea and the worke also will make such Instruments glorious Dan. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starrs for ever and ever I shall say no more verbum sat sapientibus there are a world of Encouragements to this worke rewards and wages are in it besides infinite Treasures laid up for them to all Eternity Use 2 Secondly such as are Governours in Vniversities ought to take speciall care that men goe forth who are fitted for publique imployments and not to leave it to their wills and pleasures for although some are carried out by the spirit and spirituall Principles to spend and be spent in the work of the Lord yet some others even good men give way to selfish carnall Principles and neglect it Therefore Governours ought herein to follow Christs Example and to * by making Orders and Rules in the severall societies for that end and not to walke in this great respect by statutes made in darke corrupt times Is it likely such should be meete Rules for these Gospell times these times of light and Reformation send them forth to preach Christ It be asked whither shall they goe it Answered to preach the Gospell to every creature to all mankind wheresoever it is wanting For if they are Ministers of the Gospell a necessity lyes upon them to preach it 1 Cor. 9.16 yea woe unto them if they preach not the Gospell whether they have a setled maintenance or no If they be faithfull herein then Christ whose worke it is will certainely see they have all necessaries ministred unto them As the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof so all hearts
are in in his hand too which he turnes as he pleaseth Mens hearts shall be opened to them not only to receive and take in the word which they bring but also to give out of their substance to assure them of it more certainely then they can be by any other meanes But when men lie still neglecting the Lords worke watching for an advantage to get some great place worth so much by the yeare this as it makes such persons low and cheape even in the eyes of good men and reflects upon the whole Ministry in the eyes of the world so also this renders the labours of many fruitlesse and insuccessfull it being a just and righteous thing with God to leave such to themselves and their carnall ends And as to those persons who have beene long in Vniversities and are not fit for any publique imployment either in Church or Common-wealth having mispent their time and improved in nothing but in Corruptions these ought to be cast out as unsavoury salt or removed as unprofitable unfruitfull trees out of the Nursery that so there may be roome for other hopefull young plants to grow and thrive in their places to be profitable Instraments in their generation And if Governours have not sufficient authority to send forth the one or to cast out the other they ought to obtaine it where it may be had Otherwise the great and maine end of Vniversities can never be attayned neither can Governours who neglect to doe this be able to make a good accompt unto God in this matter which will shortly be required of them Give an accompt of thy stewardship for thou maist be no longer steward The seventeenth Observation in Nature FRuit-trees never loose their innate or naturall properties but they abide in the Trees as long as the trees live They may and sometimes do loose all adventitious properties such as they have by the Art and industrie of men but they neuer loose their Naturall All the skill and power of men cannot rob the Trees of their Naturall properties without the destruction of the Trees This is another Similitude of the state of Mysticall fruit-trees and shadowes forth unto us this Proposition That Proposition shadowed Saving grace or the Divine Nature in believers abides in the soule for ever but common Gifts or Graces may be lost When God gives any soule to Christ there is then a Marriage between Christ and that soule Now the Bonds and Lawes of Marriage hold and are in force so long as the parties live The Covenant between God and his people is a well ordered covenant sure and stedfast 2 Sam. 23.5 Grace in Believers is a spirituall nature or the Divine Nature And if that all naturall living Creatures retaine their Naturall vertues and properties so long as they live how much more shall the soule which is a spirituall substance hold and keep those spiritually Naturall properties habits and inclinations that God fixeth in it Holinesse is a Divine Nature or new Creature which God puts into the Soules of Beleivers and in respect of duration is like unto the Author of it who is Eternall We are kept by the power of God through faith 1 Pet. 1.5 And as God is the Author of faith so also he is the perfecter of it Heb. 12.2 All the Attributes of God are engaged for our perseverance in grace he is faithfull who also will do it 1 Thes 5.23 24. I will put my feare this new Nature into their hearts and they shall never depart from me Jer. 32.40 they shall never loose it neither shall their enemies take it from them either with power or policy it is impossible Mark 24.24 If it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect implying it is not possible Multitudes of other Scriptures might be brought to this purpose but I study brevity throughout all the worke But now such as have but Common Spirituall Gifts may and do fall away These make a Profession for a time for some selfe and sinister ends and after a while fall off and come to nothing They are as a Bough stuck in the ground without Roots that for a while in the pleasant spring will bud and Blossome like other boughes upon living Trees but in the heate of sommer it withers and dies see Observ 9. Many have excellent naturall parts in respect of their apprehension understanding Memory utterance c. Much Learning skill and acquired abilities and may be able to Preach Pray discourse c. much better then many of Gods people they may be inlightned and tast of the heavenly Gift they may receive the word of God with some liking of it and in some things conforme unto it And yet by degrees may loose all or most of these things for all these if no more come short of true grace or holinesse they are common to the Reprobate as well as to the Elect. They went out from us because they were not of us 1. Joh 2.19 such are as the stonie ground Matth. 13.21 the seed springs and dies soone after Vse 1 These things being so it highly concernes all Professours to looke well to their Principles what they have received whether true and saving graces or but only Common Gifts and Graces lest with the foolish Virgins that had Lamps but no Oyle they be such out of heaven when they expect to enter in Hence we may see the folly and weaknesse of those who labour more for spirituall gifts then for saving graces some men Vse 2 bestow more cost time and labour for accomplishments in humane Learning and Morall abilities which may be all lost then they doe for the wisdome of God and his Image which abide in the soule for ever Is not this Esau like who preferred a Messe of Pottage before a blessing How shall any be able to excuse such men from grosse spirituall folly blindnesse and want of Judgment who preferre things wherein Sathan excells them before those things which make men resemble God Surely there is no clearer Evidence of darknesse of mind then for men to labour more earnestly for Gifts than for Graces for things that perish then for Eternall Treasures The nineteenth Observation in Nature THe husbandman hath use for many Tooles and Instruments about his works in his Garden of Fruit-trees and if any of them grow dull and unserviceable for which ends they were appoynted if his knives sawes c. after often whetting and filing will not cut but become blunt and dull tooles he layes them aside or perhaps sometimes in displeasure throwes them aside and makes use of some other Instruments that have an edg He very much approves of sharp Tooles about his works This shadowes out unto us That God is well pleased with zealous and active Instruments in his works Proposition shadowed But men of dull indifferent spirits he often layes them aside and puts others in their stead God the Great Misticall husbandman hath great works in hand in his
the same in all but from different degrees of light and manifestations in particular things some are more renewed and changed in the spirit of their minds and have more of the Image of God and are more purged from Corruptions then others and thence it is that all cannot comprehend things alike yet is their a likenesse and resemblance in their Natures there are the same actings and movings of soule the likenings and lustings after holy and spirituall things in some measure or degree in one as in another in weake as in strong Christians A Child hath the same Members and is of the same Nature as a man at full growth So the Spirituall Man God hath promised to put this likenesse upon his people Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way God will make all of them hate the same things all the detestable things where they come Ezek. 11. vers 19. I will give them one heart The Multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soule Acts 4.32 Vse 1 Here we have a true Touchstone of an honest heart such as have a reall love and liking of spirituall things Those whose hearts secretly close with the people of God because they are his and heartily joyne with them in their most spirituall holy walkings disliking and opposing from a Principle within things that hinder the worke of grace and kingdome of Christ they may certainly conclude they are of the Elect of God because they are like and of the same stamp with the rest of his people Vse 2 This is a strong Cord to draw and tye fast together all the Children of God They are like and resemble one another are of one and the same nature properties and dispositions also they have all one God one father one saviour one spirit one and the same portion and inheritance Likenesse and resemblance in Naturall Morall and spirituall things is a ground of Love and Vnion The two and twentieth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman prepares in his Nursery such wild Pants as he intends to bring and plant in his Garden He plants none in his Orchard or Garden where they are to grow a long time but such as are first ingrafted prepared and growen fit for that purpose in the Nursery This shadowes out unto us That Those whom God purposeth to bring hereafter into his Celestiall Paradice he prepareth them for it here Proposition shadowed in this life The Whole Earth is Gods great Nursery where he hath Plants growing of all sorts and ages some newly sprung up wild and unmanured others well growen Engrafted and prepared for the heavenly Canaan whom he is daily removing and transplanting thither preparation for this Garden of God is absolutely necessary Now ther 's no preparation of wild Plants for a Garden without Engrafting all the Culture pruning dressing or ordering the husbandman can use is to no purpose without Engrafting either of Naturall or spirituall plants Jo. 3.3 Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God As to the wild Naturall Plants there is a new Nature added by Engrafting so there is also a new Nature the divine Nature put into the soule by Regeneration or Ingrafting into Christ without which there can be no preparation for glory The Apostle speaking of the glory above and that the saints groan earnestly for it saies God fits them and prepares them for this state of glory 2 Cor. 5.5 He that hath wrought us for the selfe same thing is God God squares and works these spirituall lively stones for the spirituall building as a Mason hewes and squares the stones he intends for a Materiall building Or to keepe to the similitude in hand the husbandman prepares the Plants he intends to Plant in his Garden ere he remove them thither Col. 1.12 Giving thankes to the father who hath made us meete to be pertakers of the inheritance of the saints in light As there are vessels of wrath fitted to destruction so also there are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory Rom. 9.23 This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise Esay 43.21 There is an absolute necessity of this preparation because might it be supposed as a thing possible that a naturall man should come to heaven it would be but even a burthen to him he would have no joy no rest nor contentment there for all things there are contrary to his Nature now nothing pleaseth but things that are according to our Nature therefore God prepareth his people by giving them another Nature the divine Nature which is sanctification or holinesse God fits and prepares his people for glory by Convincing them of their state and condition by Nature shewing them a way and meanes of getting out of it even by laying hold on Christ by faith closing with him upon the tearmes of the Gospell The Spirit of God unites them unto and by faith ingrafts them into that fruitfull living stock Iesus Christ without which none can be prepared unto glory And after this Ingrafting the Husbandman goes on to prepare his Plants by Pruning dressing and ordering of them by meanes of Ordinances Afflictions Temptations dispensations of providence and workings of his spirit in all these whereby he brings them to further degrees of Sanctification untill they have attained their measure and are fitted for glory Vse Let all that have an expectation of the glory that is to be revealed consider well this poynt it is as possible and as likely the Carpenter should take Trees newly cut downe rough and unsquared boughes and all and put them into a Building as that God should bring soules to glory the body being cut downe which he hath not fitted and prepared for glory Therefore if thou canst not upon some good grounds satisfie thy selfe that God is in a way of preparation with thee let not thine eyes sleepe neither the Temples of thine head take any rest untill thou find some good evidences of this thing And let such as find and know they are prepared for glory by Engrafting into Christ Calling Sanctification c. Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies because their a This is a cleare evidence our Names are written in heaven when the Law of God according to the New Covenant is written in our hearts that is when there are inclinations and dispositions in our hearts according to the word when there is a new Nature Holinesse or sanctification in some measure Names are written in heaven they being prepared for it shall certainly be brought unto it The three and twentieth Observation in Nature NAturall Fruit-trees increase by little and little every yeare they are not suddenly great and large trees but they increase by degrees every yeare they grow bigger and larger every way by the culture and diligence of the husbandman and influences of heaven untill they attaine their full growth This shadowes out unto us the state of spirituall Fruit-trees in this Proposition
Charets like a Whirle-wind vers 16. For the Lord will judg with fire and with his sword all flesh Now when shall this be even when the Lord will enlarge his Church when he will extend peace to Ierusalem as a River and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame Esay 66.12 When the isles a farre off shall declare his glory among the Gentiles and brethren shall be brought out of all Nations when the new heavens and the new earth shall be made the Church of God enlarged and beautified as we may see at large vers 19.20 c. The Prophet Jeremiah speakes likewise to the same purpose c. 23.19.20 Behold the tempest of the Lord goeth forth in wrath a violent whirles wind shall fall downe upon the head of the wicked and the anger of the Lord shall not returne untill he have executed and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart Now when these things shall be we see vers 20. in the latter daies when God is enlarging his Church ye shall understand it plainely This God will doe that he may glorifie himselfe in shewing forth his power and justice towards his enemies love to his people This may informe us and give some light unto us why all the Vse 1 destructions confusions and overturnings which have beene in these Nations of late yeares have come to passe and what other Nations shall shortly find also The great husbandman is about the enlarging of his Orchard according to the many Prophesies and promises in his word Now therefore who or whatsoever hinders and stands in the way shall certainely be removed 2 Thes 2.7 The Lord shall consume him Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth and destroy him with the brightnesse of his coming Vse 2 As this is unspeakable consolation to the saints who are the goodly fruit-trees in this large garden so is the same cause of trembling and astonishment to all opposers of God in this his great worke Weeds and wild Plants in a garden that 's carefully ordered are not so sure of plucking up as these persons are of a downfall for God hath said it he will plant his Garden and enlarge it upon an high mountaine and eminent and then up goe the wild trees though never so high and beautifull Ezek. 17.24 Then all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought downe the high tree have exalted the low tree have dryed up the greene tree and made the dry tree to flourish I the Lord have spoken it and have done it Vse 3 Thirdly yee that stand out and oppose the worke of God be perswaded to deliver your selves from destruction beware of hardnesse of heart in refusing to see and acknowledge the hand of God in his dispensations for as Pharaoh the inhabitants of Egypt Canaan and others were destroy'd in their opposition against the plantation of old so shall it be with all hardned sinners in these latter daies Those being but Types and shadowes of things that shall come to passe in these gospell times Heb. 10.1 The law hath a shadow of good things to come Not only as they shadow forth Jesus Christ but also the things of Christ in his Church Vse 4 And further Let this Caution Gods owne people It is to manifest and evident that even some of them doe in some respects oppose the worke of God we see what divisions and contentions there are amongst them about the things concerning the kingdome of Christ Now therefore take heed of opposing the mind of God for if he be displeased with those who help not the Lord against the mighty will he not be much more displeased with those that oppose him and are against him in any of his designes It may hinder them of much good which otherwise they might have received from God See Pag. yea it may provoke God to cut them off though his owne people The husbandman sometimes cuts off a Branch or cuts downe even a good tree when it is in his way and hinders any of his great workes so doubtlesse does the Lord with some of his owne people when through any worldly interest or corruption they oppose his designes Therefore take heede speake not neither act against God and his waies through mistakes be not unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5.17 The eight and twentieth Observation in Nature WHen rare and excellent fruit-trees and fruits are first knowne there being but few of them they are more valued and esteemed then afterwards when they are multiplyed and growen common though the commodities are still the same in goodnesse as at first This shadowes out unto us That The constant enjoyment of the best things from God through corruptions makes them lesse noted and esteemed Proposition shadowed The nature of man is much taken with new things which having beene a while used and enjoyed are not afterwards of so much value with us though the things remaine in their former goodnesse and worth health peace and plenty and the best good things of this life yea the Ordinances of Christ society of the saints seasons and oportunities of grace spirituall priviledges are lesse observed and prized after a long enjoyment of them then at the first Though Manna was a pleasant bread Angels foode and the people of Israel were well pleased with it for a time yet afterwards they were weary of it Numb 21.5 Our soule loatheth this light bread When the people of God see the necessity and want of good things and earnestly pray and waite for them and at length God satisfies their desires and gives out the mercy longed for then they are much taken and affected with it their affections are raised and enlarged they put a price and value upon it greatly rejoycing in it and blessing God for it But after a certaine time of enjoyment the heart is lesse upon it the streames of affections are abated and run lower there is not that frequent notice taken of it neither when the mind reflects upon it at any time are the affections stirred as at the first when the thing was new Thus it is even in respect of the best and choicest things wee receive from God in this life even the sence and evidences of the love of God pardon of sin intrest in Christ Communion with the father and the sonne through the spirit These things after an habituall long enjoyment of them are lesse noted and lesse affect the heart then upon their first discovery so that God expostulates with his people about it he takes notice of it and observes the difference of the frame of their spirits what it hath beene and what it is afterwards Jer. 22. I remember the kindnesse of thy youth the love of thine espousales c. when thou wentest after me in the wildernesse time was when we were first acquainted and thou didst take me for thy Lord and Husband thou didst expresse much love towards me and
wast affected with me and we walked closely together but now the case is otherwise what iniquity have ye found in me that ye are gone farre from me have walked after vanity are become vaine as vers 5. thou hast lost thy first Love Rev. 2.4 God is sometimes necessitated as we may say to take away and deprive his people of Priviledges and good things that so by a sence of the want of them they may be brought to see their unthankfulnesse and take more notice of them and prize them more when they are restored The experience of Christians make this too evident Vse 1 The consideration of this should humble us and make us greatly ashamed seeing that many kindnesses from God many acts of his Love will not draw and fasten our hearts to himselfe but that they grow cold and sluggish under the richest enjoyments Let us often reflect upon it and loath our selves for this unanswerable frame of spirit towards God men cannot beare unthankfulnesse or slighting without withdrawing the manifestations of their love Now such as cannot out of an ingenuous Principle returne love for love to God yet let the feare of loosing enjoyments make such persons value and prize them Vse 2 Secondly this hatefull frame of spirit of neglecting or undervaluing precious things from God should make us long for the state of glory when the soule will be in a constant frame frame of fervent love to God and be as much affected with enjoyments after thousands millions of yeares as at the first The nine and twentieth Observation in Nature ALL the sâ—p and nourishment that the branches of a Tree have they receive it from the Roote the boughes and branches have not one jot of sap but what arises from the Roote there would not be one Bud or blossome or shoote or leafe or fruit upon the Tree if the Roote did not give up sap to nourish and maintaine them This shadowes out unto us That Our life growth strength and all our spirituall Acts Proposition shadowed are from Christ Christ is the Roote and stock of everie believer and all spirituall life and habituall grace is from him and not only the seede habits and principles of grace but also all the workings and actings of grace are from him as at first wee were starke dead in sinnes and trespasses untill he gave us life so being quickned by the sonne who quickneth whom he will we cannot grow nor act but by influences from him 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God A good thought is the least and lowest act of grace and yet that we cannot doe of our selves good thoughts and desires are as Buds or Blossomes upon a tree which shew themselves before the fruits Now if trees cannot bud of themselves how much lesse can they bring forth fruits Which also our Saviour plainely tels his disciples Jo. 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing Hee doth not say without me ye cannot doe any great thing but nothing at all And Hosea 14.8 from me is thy fruit found The Spirit of Christ is the spring and Roote of all our spirituall life it is the strength and power of the soule in believers Acts 1.8 Ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you Paul ascribes his life and power to Act all to Christ Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the sonne of God And Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things saith he but it is through Christ that strengtheneth me Vse 1 From hence believers some more especially of more eminent parts and gifts may see cause and reason to take shame unto themselves who having performed any duties or done any thing according to the mind of Christ are ready to take the glory to themselves and thinke too well of themselves O this is a generall corruption an accursed thing in the mid'st of us this secretly workes more or lesse in every heart but in some is more apparent to themselves and others although it may be these kind of workings of heart declare not themselves plainely nor arise not up in the soule to cleare and positive assertions shewing themselves in their owne colours and proper natures yet they may be discerned to be in the heart by their fruits effects and consequences which spirituall eyes discerne in themselves and others Vse 2 Let this teach us to have an eye upon Christ in all wee doe and take heed of going about to act in our owne strength either in performance of duties or mortifying Corruptions Believers generally have recourse to Christ in reference to their salvation and deliverance from sin wrath and hell but doubtlesse there is ignorance of this point in many and a great neglect in most in respect of eying Christ and drawing vertue from him by faith as to particular actings all along in their lives were we but well instructed in this point and did but practise accordingly even to looke unto Christ with the eye of faith to fetch life strength quickning and all things needefull wee might then dye more unto sin Acts 1.8 and live more unto God and might find our selves strengthned with might in the inner man by his glorious power even the spirit of Christ Col. 1.11 which worketh in his people mightily vers 19. Vse 3 Seeing all is from Christ let therefore all be unto Christ give the glory to him seeing the life and power to Act is from him This is a thing of most speciall concernment and to be noted by every believer that as we doe all in the strength of Christ who is the efficient cause of all the good we doe so also we should doe all unto Christ as the finall Cause unto whom and for whom we doe all These two speciall things the Apostle laies downe in one verse Phil. 1.11 He prayes that they may abound in love and be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God It is the property of hypocrites temporary believers to act in their owne strength Gifts and parts and for themselves their eye is secretly upon themselves Hos 10.1 These are empty Vines they bring forth fruit to themselves their fruit is as good as no fruit because for themselves but trees of the Lords planting bring forth fruit that he may be glorified Esay 61.3 and Rom. 7.4 That we should bring forth fruit unto God The thirtieth Observation in Nature FRuit-trees that spread much and grow low neere the ground such most commonly bring forth more and larger fruits then high Trees that aspire up into the Aire some Reasons may be given for it See Lo. Ba. Nat. Hist This shadowes out unto us That Humble Christians bring forth farre more and fairer fruits Proposition shadowed then such whose spirits are
enlarge his Church in the daies of the Apostles Luk. 10.1 how contrary were his waies and dispensations to the judgments of most then In sending forth a few poore plaine men two and two to preach the Gospell and win soules how did the Learned proud Pharisees and most of the people despise them and persecute them from city to city They understood not what God was about no more then the people of this generation O how contrary are the dispensations of God to the apprehensions of most in this age They speake against his waies contradicting and blaspheming Yea the waies of God are contrary to the apprehensions of many of the godly among us some of them directly oppose God and his great designe others doe not cannot put to their hand to further it for they apprehend it not they cannot close with it In their Sermons Prayers Discourses they speak nothing of it to promote it nay being darkned through interests and corruptions they oppose it and speake against it and those who carry it on The reasons hereof are cheifely these As for all naturall men they judge of things according to carnall Principles sence and Reason now when the waies of God are not suted to these they cannot see nor judge of them The naturall man cannot perceive the things of God for they have no spirituall Principles 1 Cor. 2.14 Secondly In the people of God there is much pride and selfe-love carnall ends interests c. which many times sway their affections much and thereby their Iudgments are darkened according to the degrees of these corruptions For as any soule growes in grace and holinesse and gets more of the divine Nature or Image of God so are the things of God more or lesse manifest to such a one Thirdly God will be seene and acknowledged in the world especially in his great dispensations therefore are his waies often so unsuted to the apprehensions of men but when they see at length that God brings about his ends by them which they thought so unlikely then they admire He will get himselfe glory in all his workings by doing his worke his strange worke and bringing to passe his Act his strang act Esay 28 21. Hence we may see the certaine downefall of Antichrist and all his partakers all the Enemies of God because the waies of God are Vse 1 contrary to them and they know them not thence it is that they doe and will oppose God and fight against him to their owne destruction Though the arme of the Lord be made bare and lifted up never so high and apparently in the world in carrying on his designes yet they will not see it nor acknowledg it they will not behold the majesty of the Lord Esay 26.10 When his hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed vers 11. Hardned Pharaohs with all the blind multitude opposers of God his waies and his people shall be at last all cast as a Milstone into the midst of the sea never to rise more Are the waies of God in the sea and his pathes in the deepe waters and his footsteps not knowen and contrary to the Iudgments of most Vse 2 and is it too true that many of Gods owne people stumble at his waies and dispensations and in a sort oppose God or no way help forward his designes O then let us be earnest with God for wisdome from above and his spirit to make out the mind of God to us not only to know the things freely given to us of God but also to know what things are of God in the world to know the designe of God in our generation 1 Cor. 2.21.2 that so we may be so farre from staning out against it as that we may comply with it and help it on with all our might The foure and thirtieth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman having great Plantations in hand calleth none to helpe him in his speciall works about his Fruit-trees but such persons as have skill and experience in the severall works he sets them about for if he should imploy ignorant and unskilfull men about grafting Inoculating setting and ordering of his young trees they would doe more hurt then good therefore it is necessary his servants and under workmen should have some competent skill and experience in the works about which he imployes them This shadowes out unto us That Proposition shadowed Those who have not the sanctifying spirit and grace of God in them are unfit for the worke of the ministry such bring more prejudice then advantage to the Church of God Ministers of the Gospell they who are so indeed are Gods Husbandmen Co-workers fellow-laborers with God in his Orchards and Gardens his Churches about his spirituall fruit-trees We are laborers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 Ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building I have planted Apollo watred and God have the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 They are imployed by God to open blind eyes and to turne soules from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan unto God Acts 26.18 God gives them a Command and Commission to preach the Gospell to every creature that is to all mankind to teach all Nations and to Baptize them into the Name of God that is Instrumentally to ingraft soules into Christ to worke grace or holinesse the Nature or Image of God which is baptizing them into the Name of God the Name of God and his Nature being all one Christ and his spirit the efficient cause being in them and with them who sanctifies his people through the washing of water by the word Ephe. 5.26 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4.15 Now whom God calls to this great worke he prepares and fits them in some good measure for it he powres his spirit upon them they have an unction from the holy one who teacheth them all things 1 Ioh. 2.20 Their wisdome is from above Iames. 3.17 By this anointing of the spirit men are fitted for the worke of the Ministry but without they are not fit though they have humane learning and parts which are of speciall use and advantage in the Church of God if sanctified yet without the spirit of Christ men are in darknesse and cannot see the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 They cannot say with the true ministers of Christ who are chosen called and sent the things we have heard and seene declare we unto you 1 Joh. 1.3 Luk 12.3 When God called and sent Moses Samuel Esay Jeremy and the rest of the Prophets he fitted them for the worke The Apostles when called and sent had all a Mouth and wisdome given them Luk. 21.15 That is the spirit this anointing was powred out upon them They were indued with power from on high Luk. 24.49 As Jesus Christ the first Minister of the new Testament was fitted to preach and publish the mind of his father so are his people whom he
calls and sends for that purpose Now Christ was fitted by this anointing Esay 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings c. and Esay 42.1 Behold my servant c. I have put my spirit upon him And when Christ sent forth his disciples to preach the Gospell how did he prepare them for it even by the same anointing Joh. 20.21 22. As my father sent me so send I you and he breathed on them and said receive ye the holy Ghost Thus also the Ministers of the Gospell that succeede him they have the same anointing which fits them with gifts and graces for this worke what ever humane learning they have more or lesse this anointing teacheth them and makes them learned in the great mystery of godlinesse Jesus Christ the wisdome of the father in whom all fulnesse dwells and the spirit of Christ dwells in them hereby they are made able Ministers of the new Testament Not of the Letter but of the spirit 2 Cor. 36. Carnall men though never so learned know not what they say they have the letter of the word but the spirituall sence is vailed and hid from them through the darknesse of their minds they have no insight nor Experience in what they say But every scribe that is instructed unto the kingdome of heaven is like unto a man that is an houshoulder which bringeth forth out of his Treasure things new and old Mat. 13.52 True Ministers of the Gospell are Embassadors for Christ 1 Cor. 4.20 they are also stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 and it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful vers 2. May it not thence be concluded that unregenerate persons who cannot be faithfull are unfit to be stewards neither are entrusted by God in this great workâ— From what hath beene said will it not follow That those are Vse 1 no true Ministers of the Gospell who are ignorant of and inexperienced in the great worke and mystery of Regeneration who have not the worke of Grace upon their owne hearts They are Theeves and Robbers who enter not in by the dore which is Christ but climbe up some other way Joh. 10.1 These come to get the fleece and care not if the flock be scattered and torne by the wolves how can they teach others who were never taught themselves is he fit to lead others who is blind Now the Naturall man seeth not perceiveth not spirituall things neither can he because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 If any shall Object That Judas was an unregenerate person and yet sent to preach Object with the rest of the Apostles It is answered That is an Extraordinary Example and foretold many generations before Answ Now Extraordinary Examples are not to be pleaded in ordinary Cases it was of absolute necessity that such a one should be that the scriptures might be fulfilled Object Secondly If it be said Though men have not the spirit of God though they have not grace yet having Learning good gifts and Parts they may doe good therewith in the Church of God It is answered Although it be granted that carnall men in the Ministry having good Gifts Answ and endowments may doe some good thereby does this prove they are therefore fit for the Ministry or that they are sent of God God of his infinite wisdome and grace ordereth and over-ruleth all things for good to his owne people even the very sinnes of men and Devills But further Though some good may be done by carnall Ministers it cannot be denyed but they do much more hurt then good by their carnall Interpretations and Mis-applications of the scriptures and bad Examples Not having the spirit not being Learned in the Mysteries of godlinesse nor being taught by wisdome from above they pervert the scriptures to their owne and others destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 they cannot see the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 so that they deceive the soules of the poore carnall people and lead them blindfold to hell when the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch into the bottomlesse Pit so that as our Saviour bid his disciples and the multitude to take heede of the Leaven or doctrine of the Pharisees who were fooles and blind as to the spirituall understanding of the scriptures so also should we take heede of false interpretations of the scriptures by carnall men in our daies Doth not God reprove and expostulate with such for their hold undertaking in this kind Psal 50.16 What hast thou to doe to Preach my Lawes or that thou shouldest take my word in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed See also Jer. 14.14 and Jer. 23.20 This informes us That surely the time is at hand and is not the Vse 2 day dawned already when the Gospell Ministry shall be purged the drosse carnall Ministers shall be cast out and the pure mettle preserved according as was Prophesied Mal. 3.1 2 3. when the Messenger of the Covenant Jesus Christ shall come and Raigne gloriously in the Nations hee will be as a Refiners fire and shall fit as a Refiner and purifier of silver hee shall purifie the sonnes of Levi vers 3. ignorant scandalous persons who make the sacrifices of the Lord to be abhorred as Elies sonnes the Name of God and his Gospell to be blasphemed and true Ministers despised and reproached these shall be cast out as unsavory salt and a true Ministry set up and encouraged Is not this the worke of this day Let them therefore who are imployed therein take heede of doing the worke of the Lord negligently but imploy and improve their Talent of Authority faithfully and diligently for their Masters interest And let all the people of God be earnest with God to carry on the worke himselfe with his owne hand by his owne spirit otherwise Instruments may labour to no purpose in this or any other worke And that God would more and more purifie his owne people even those who are most pure for in them there is much drosse yet unpurged out Though I take this to be the most proper and genuine meaning of this place yet not with exclusion of the other This points out unto us who are the true Ministers of the Gospell Vse 3 even all who have received the anointing of the spirit are taught of God as the truth is in Jesus that are called and sent of God and approved by his Church and people to that Office and worke These are the true Ministers of the Gospell of Christ these can speake of the things they have heard and seene 1 Joh. 1.3 they have skill and experience in the things whereof they speake they have the tongue of the Learned though some it may be not much humane learning and know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary because they have a fountaine of light and truth and wisdome within them he dwells in them in whom
are all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2.3 being filled with all the fulnesse of God out of which he fills his people who receive of him grace for grace and are changed from glory to glory by his spirit 1 Cor. 3.18 These are workmen that neede not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 1 Tim. 2.15 Object If it be objected If Ministers of the Gospell have but little humane learning how will they stand themselves and be able to maintaine the Truths of God against Learned hereticks and enemies of Christ Answ It is answered Regenerate persons in whom Christ dwels stand upon surer grounds and are more safe from (a) It is true the best of Gods people Ministers of the Gospell and others are subiect to some errors in Judgement as they are subiect to some sinnes and infirmities in their conversations But yet that promise Joh. 16.13 shall be fulfilled That the spirit of God shall lead his people into all necessary thruths damnable Heresies though they have but little humane Learning and but weake parts then the most learned carnall person in the world because they stand by the Power of God the other by a humane power Christ hath undertaken to keepe them none are able to pluck them out of his hand the gates the powers of hell shall not prevaile against them it is not possible any should deceive the Elect Mat. 24.24 And though they cannot perhaps maintaine an Argument in a scholasticall way yet they can maintaine it in a better way that is according to scripture the word of God which dwels in them plenteously in all wisdome thereby they have confuted and so shall hereafter their adversaries Out of the mouths of Babes and sucklings that is men of despised parts with the carnall world God hath ordained strength even to the stilling and silencing of the Enemy Ps 8.2 Hath not God said this againe and againe in severall expressions why will not men even some of Gods owne people believe it but bring a disparagement upon the wisdome of Christ and upon his people by their contradictions that so they may set up secretly some thing of their owne see what the Apostle Paul saies to this purpose and beware of holding the truth in unrighteousnesse 1 Cor. 27.28 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weake things of the world to confound the mighty things and vile things and things that are dispised hath God chosen and things which art not to bring to nought things that are Though the carnall wisdome of men accompts the Prayers discourses Arguments Gifts and attainments of the saints and all their waies to be foolish weake vile vaine c. yet even by these the power and spirit of Christ being in them God will confound and bring to nought their High things their great things and break downe all their strong holds for the foolishnesse of God as men count foolishnesse is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men 1 Cor. 1.25 It is certainely the wisdome of the flesh and not that which is from above to conceive that none but men bred up in Vniversities are fit to preach the Gospell of Christ For the word and spirit are able not only to make men wise unto salvation but also to make the man of God Regenerate men absolute and throughly furnished unto this and everie good worke 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. els how are the words of the Apostle true These things being so then Governours and Tutours in every Vse 4 society where this great worke is intended should make it their maine businesse to instruct the youth in the things of the Kingdome of God and to be instrumentall for their Ingrafting into Iesus Christ without which they can never be fit nor able Ministers of the New Testament though they have the highest attainements in Learning and parts that the nature of man is capable of There is great care taken to enlarge the faculties and to gaine spirituall Gifts and parts common as well to the Reprobate as the Elect by study and exercises and all meanes possible whereas the truth is the attainement of these without a Principle of grace together with them does but make men more blind in spirituall things and makes the boults and barrs of corruption the stronger to shut out Iesus Christ As it was with the learned but carnall Graecians to whom Christ and the things of Christ were foolishnesse so it is with learned unregenerate men in all ages Therefore this is that unum necessarium that one necessary thing a Principle of grace without which all humane learning and parts are but as an empty sound and to be accompted as all things else but as dung and drosse to the saving Experimentall knowledge of Christ this men will readily acknowledg in the Notion and common apprehension Vse 5 O but why is the Practicall Iudgment so contradictory Notwithstanding what hath been said let none that are godly take occasion hereby to entertaine too high conceipts of themselves and of their abilities to teach and instruct others in the things of God upon this ground because they are regenerate and have the spirit and upon that accompt be so ignorantly confident of their abilities as to despise or neglect any meanes for their growth and increase in all gifts and graces as conceiving they have all knowledg immediately upon their interest in Christ which yet it may be is very weake and little let us take heed of thinking more highly of our selves then we ought to thinke but to thinke soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Gifts and graces and let us labour to improve our Talents great or small more or few and to lay them out for the best advantage both of our Master of ourselves and others Even to the glory of God and profit and edification of one another Neither ought men from what hath beene said to take occasion to despise or undervalue humane Learning and parts which are of singular use in the Church of God when sanctified and joyned with grace and holinesse There are very many instances not onely in former ages but also in this present generation of Ministers of the Gospell and others Men eminent in humane Learning and parts and in grace also who have beene and are great and speciall Instruments imployed by God for the destruction of Antichrist and the enlargement and building up of the Church of God The five and thirtieth Observation in Nature THe husbandman Grafts all the wild Plants that he brings into his Orchard None but engrafted Trees must grow there None must be Pruned and Ordered but they must also certainely be engrafted being wild and naught by nature he engrafts them with some good and choice fruits otherwise they will beare sower bitter and unpleasant fruits This is another Similitude of the state of spirituall fruit-trees whence we learne That none
but Engrafted Trees grow in Gods Orchard the Church Proposition shadowed The Mysticall husbandman takes pleasure in none but such as are Engrafted Trees for before Engrafting they bring forth fruits distastfull to him therefore till that be done they are not within the Walls of his Orchard the Church invisible and soe not in his Care and Love Though many seeme to be within the Garden enclosed yet they are not And though it may in a sence be said That many are in the Church which are not of the Church That 's only in a Generall acceptance considered as visible professors yet taken strictly no ungrafted Trees are either in or of the Garden inclosed The Grafting here spoken of is Regeneration or the New birth This must necessarily be don ere any can be fit Plants for Gods Orchard Luke 13.3 Except a man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God Joh. 3.3 And againe Joh. 15.4 As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine noe more can ye except ye abide in me The Apostle shewes us this Engrafting in plaine tearmes Rom. 6.5 We are Planted together in the likenesse of his death and Rom. 11.24 We are Grafted contrary to Nature into a good Olive tree By this Engrafting is that Vnion that believers have with Christ whereby they doe as really and truly receive spirit sap life and power to grow and beare fruits as the branches of a Tree doe receive sap and vigour from the stock and Roote by which they increase and beare fruits The spirit on Christs part and faith on ours are the tyes and Bonds of this union we see the necessity of both without the spirit of Christ we are none of his Rom. 8.9 and without faith it is impossible to please him Rom. 14.23 so that its certaine the husbandman will not admit of any into his heavenly Orchard but such as are Ingrafted Trees Hence we may conclude that many persons deceive themselves Vse 1 who thinke they are of the Church of God when indeede they are not because they were never ingrafted they live in blindnesse and content themselves with groundlesse perswasions of their being in Christ within the wall of his Church when as yet they are ungrafted Trees they have a forme of godlinesse but want the power of it 2 Tim. 3.5 such are in a sad case for not being within the Wall of Gods inclosed Garden they are out of his care and protection otherwise then by his common providence they have none of the speciall and peculiar priviledges of his engrafted Trees O labour to get into Christ The six and thirtieth Observation in Nature SOme fruit-trees bring forth fruits rough and of a bad colour and of a harsh and sharp tast and yet these fruits are more wholsome for the body then some other fruits which are smooth beautifull to looke upon and sweete to the tast for all sharp and bitter things are abstersive and cleanse the body from dull and phlegmatique humours whereas sweete things much used stuffe up and choake the passages of the body This shadowes out unto us this Proposition That Proposition shadowed Those fruits of spirituall fruit-trees which are harsh sharp and bitter are for the most part more profitable then such as are mild and pleasant The words and dealings of Parents towards their children and of one freind towards another which are sometimes tart and sharp usually worke better effects then indulgent and smooth dealings which usually cockers up and imboldens children in licentiousnesse Pro. 29.17 correct thy sonne and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight to thy soule The common saying is spare the Rod and spill the Child whereas seasonable reproofes and due correction restraines corruptions from breaking forth The sad example of Elies sonnes is sufficient to prove this whose mild and indulgent behaviour towards them emboldned them in destructive courses the miserable consequences whereof were upon his whole family 1 Sam 2.30 35. So also among familiar freinds the fruit of the lips that is sometimes tart and bitter at present is found many times more profitable and of better effect than that which is mild and gentle such are most faithfull freinds as deale most plainely with us though sometimes their words reproofes and dealings may seeme harsh and tart in case of some offence or neglect of duty they are farre better freinds then such as will sooth up a man in all his waies or els be silent in respect of reproofs Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with his lips And againe Pro. 27.6 faithfull are the wounds of a freind but the kisses of an enemie are deceitfull The Prophet knew these tart fruits to be best Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me and reprove me for that is good for me Thus it is also betweene God and us The fruits of his love in sharpe and bitter corrections do for the most part prove better and more profitable to us then pleasant and sweete prosperity Ps 119.72 It is good for me that I have beene in trouble c. We should hence learne not to judg of things according to sence and present feeling and apprehensions Vse but according to their consequences and effects knowen by the word and experience As a man values Physick not according to the tast and relish but according to the profitable effects that it works So although harsh dispensations from God and dealings from men may seeme at present not joyous but greivous yet they afterwards worke the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse Heb. 12.11 more then cherishings according to the flesh The seven and thirtieth Observation in Nature FRuit-trees beare no fruits in Autumne except they bud and Blossome in the spring The Husbandman looks not to receive a harvest of fruits from Trees that doe not prepare Buds and Blossoms and bring them forth in the spring of the yeare But such as blossome well in the spring give good hopes of fruits in their seasons Hence we learne That Proposition shadowed Those persons are not like to bring forth good fruits in old age who labour not for them in time of youth When men labour and are diligent in good Imployments in their youth there is some hopes of fruit-fulnesse in after times But what profitable fruits for the good of the Church of God Common wealth or their owne comfort can those persons bring forth in the Autumne of their life or old age who spend their youth or spring time in idlenesse and sensuall pleasures and make no preparation then by study labour and diligence in all good things for fruits afterwards whereof themselves and others might eat and be satisfied Will the Husbandman expect a Harvest without a seed time Prov. 20.4 The sluggard ploweth not c. therefore shall he begg in harvest and have nothing The foolish Virgins sleepe while they should labour and prepare Oyle therefore they
the guide of all believers thereby they judg of good and evill fruits of wild and of Ingrafted Trees 1 Cor. 2.12 The one and fiftieth Observation in Nature SOme grafts are in part prepared by the husbandman in Order to Ingrafting and yet through neglect or unskilfulnesse in Ordering or hurts by Men Cattle hot sunnes dry winds or something els they are spoiled and never take hold of the stocks whereby they should grow to perfection This shadowes out unto us That Proposition shadowed Some Persons are wrought upon in part in somethings like to those that are Ingrafted tnto Christ who yet never attaine to be really united to him The spirit of God Convinceth the world of sin as well Reprobates as the Elect they are sometimes terrified with the apprehensions of the wrath and justice of God for sin and may for a time lye under the spirit of Bondage and common convictions of the spirit may have knowledge some common graces reforme in part make a Profession And yet after all throug negligence workings of Sathan and the world they come short of Christ The young man in the Gospell Mat. 19 had same good beginning some civill righteousnesse being by Christ told what to do more he slinks back from Christ and went his way to his earthly possessions So the hearers Luk. 8.13 they heare the word and believe for a time but in temptation fall away And many of the disciples of Christ Iohn 6.66 went back and walked noe mart with him also 1 Joh. 2.19 Gal. 5.7 Ye did run well who did hinder They went out from us c. so many in these daies having begun well after a while they fall off and with Demas imbrace this present world Vse 1 Let us not hastily conclude of any ones being in the state of grace because of some beginnings and progresse in a Profession Use 2 This should stirr up every one to go on towards perfection not to rest in beginnings but to presse forward towards the Marke And to give all possible diligence to make our Calling and Election sure and to put that great Question out of Question whether arm we are really in Christ whether we receive sap and life from that stock to grow and bring forth good fruits if so then certainly we shall persevere unto the end The two and fiftieth Observation in Nature THe least and most crooked Ingrafted tree brings forth better fruits without any artificiall helps then the fairest tree with all the art that can be used to it if ungrafted This Similitude shadowes out unto us this Proportion That the meanst person in Christ brings forth better fruits then the most accomplisht unregenerate person in the world Proposition shadowed Every believer is acted by the spirit of God and spirituall Principles and all their spirituall fruits spring from Christ their roote and thence it is that they are of such accompt with God But unregenerate persons cannot doe one good worke cannot bring forth one good fruit because they have no spirituall Principles they have not the spirit of God as to any renewing santifying operations in them but are whoiy carnall and therefore whatsoever proceeds from them is so Jo. 3.6 That which is of the flesh is flesh And Tit 1.15 To them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their minds and consciences are defiled As from a muddy fountaine flowe impure streames or from a corrupt Roote spring naughty fruits so from the spirits of carnall persons proceed fleshly operations The carnall mind is enmity against God Rom. 87 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God vers 8. Their grapes are grapes of gall their Clusters are bitter Deut. 32.32 But the fruits of believers are sweete and pleasant fruits because they spring from the true Vine Joh. 15. So that the husbandman will come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits Cant. 4.16 Hence we may see the grosse mistake of most people in the Vse 1 world who value spirituall fruits according to bulke and outward beauty The Sermons books discourse c. of great men are for the most part cryed up and had in estimation especially if they be not only eminent in Place and Office but also in learning and Gifts who yet in the meane time neglect or slight the Sermons Prayers books and discourses of persons low in the world and in Gifts and naturall endowments though these proceede from a gratious heart a renewed nature and the spirit of God though they have a tast a savour and relish of the divine Nature and have a veine of holinesse running through them which God himselfe and his people who are most spirituall are delighted with But the naturall man cannot perceive nor discerne the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 Use 2 This may abate the pride of worldly wise men though eminent in all naturall and acquired abilities who like the proud Pharisee boast of themselves and despise others whose fruits are farre better then theirs But know O vaine man That not he that commendeth himselfe is approved but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10.18 Use 3 This is a ground of great comfort to every gracious heart though they be never so meane and imperfect in gifts and naturall endowments yet their Graces may be eminent and their fruits pretious Though they be small as the poore widdowes mite yet they are better and of more esteeme with God then all the great fruits of formall Professours Mark 12.41 42. The three and fiftieth Observation in Nature THe thriving roots of a fruit-tree is alwaies ready to give up sap and nourishment to the Branches and if the Branches could draw sap continually the roote would continually give it The Spirituall lesson shadowed Proposition shadowed That Christ is continually ready to communicate strength and refreshing to his people and all defects thereof are from themselves Believers receive all their life and power from Christ whereby they doe any thing spiritually And when the soule findeth not strength and refreshings by reason of the strings of Corruptions and temptations from sathan and the world yet all the while Christ is ready to communicate himselfe for it is his Office as well as his Nature he is appointed of God to give out all supplyes to his people 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption The soule is sometimes sluggish and carelesse of seeking or entertaining Christ yet Christ is ready and calls for entrance Behold I stand at the dore and knock if any man heare my voice and open the dore I will come in and sup with him and he with me Rev. 3.20 And againe Cant. 5.2 3. It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying open to me my love my dove my undefiled But how carelesse is the soule of entertaining Christ I have put off my Coate how shall I put it on c. The Apostle tels us
the Lord is ready Jam. 4.8 draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you if we aske we shall receive if we seek we shall find if we knock it shall be opened Mat. 7.7 We find by experience when we seek Christ diligently we find him refreshing the soule quickning and enlivening of it but if we neglect him our spirits are dull our affections grow cold Christ is ready to give out himselfe to those that looke after him at their first comming to him and at all times afterward Joh. 4.47 He that commeth unto me I will in no wise cast off He is the treasury of all grace and dispenseth grace to his people for all purposes quickning grace strengthning grace preventing grace teaching grace comforting grace he is the God of all grace and is still ready to communicate of the same to his people if they be but ready fit to receive it It may hereupon be objected by some under a Temptation Ob. O but I have prayed long and sought the Lord but I am not heard I am almost discouraged in praying and waiting so long It is answered The Cause is in thy selfe upon one accompt An. or other It may be thou hast displeased Christ by some prevailing lust it may be thou hast neglected and sleighted his grace and loving kindnesse towards thee aforetime not walking in any measure answerable thereunto hast thou not looked after other lovers in letting the streame of thy affections runne towards empty creatures Or Christ may withhold to prevent these things or the like which els would be that thou knowing how dear it costs thee to obtaine manifestations of his grace they may be the more prized Or thy graces have need of trying and exercising which els being unactive would be at a stand or decay there is some cause or other in thy selfe If need be ye are in heavinesse through manifold temptations 1 Pet. 1.6 so that Christ is ready to communicate of his fulnesse to his people and usually the soule being in a good healthy state and not clouded with lusts or temptations seeking of him does find him yea before his people call he will answere and while they are yet speaking he will heare Esay 65.24 Use 1 Let this teach us to take notice of the freenesse and readinesse of Christ to communicate of his fulnesse that our hearts may be engaged and enlarged towards him in love and thankfulnesse Use 2 This is a singular encouragement to every beleiving soule continually to make out after Christ in all our wants and needs for as he hath an infinite store and treasury of all grace so he is freely ready to dispence of it Let us understand our own emptinesse and insufficiency that we may goe to him and by faith receive of his fulnesse grace for grace even the same spirit and same graces that Christ hath in a measure The four and fiftieth Observation in Nature FRuit-trees being ordered with skill and diligence they become abundantly fruitfull which if neglected and nature be left to it selfe they will beare but little fruit or not so much nor so good as with due culture and ordering This is another Similitude of the state of Spirituall fruit-trees and shadowes out unto us this Proposition That Proposition shadowed By diligent use of the meanes of grace Christians attaine great advantages which through neglect or sleight using meanes would be lost Whosoever proposeth an End unto himselfe cannot rationally expect to have it without using fit meanes for attaining of it salvation is that great and generall end that men ayme at at least pretend to it but how can they expect to find it who neglect or sleight the meanes whereby only it is attained which is the knowledg of Jesus Christ Heaven is not gotten by sitting still but by laboring and striving for it in Gods way The kingdome of heaven is taken by violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11.12 and Luk. 13.14 strive to enter in at the strait gate Meanes must be used with diligence If we would have wisdome we must ask it of God Iames 1.5 And Pro. 22. If he incline his eare and apply his heart to it if he cry after knowledg and lift up his voice for understanding if he seeke her as silver and search for her as for hid treasures then he shall understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledg of God Here must be inclining the eare and applying the heart here must be crying and lifting up the voice seeking searching and then shall wee find Giving all diligence adde to your faith vertue c. 2 Pet. 1.5 and againe vers 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and Election sure the diligent soule shall be made fat Prov. 13.4 But on the other side neglect of the meanes of grace or carelesse use thereof looseth these advantages many seeke to enter but shall not be able some seeke not at all others seeke but negligently and so find not In attaining degrees of Gifts and Graces we see by Experience that men of mean naturall parts by diligence use of meanes grow eminent and farre beyond others who have better naturall parts if they be negligent to improve them I know meanes are nothing of themselves without the concurrence of the spirit in them but as meanes without God can do nothing so usually God without meanes if men neglect them will do nothing The diligent soule shall be made fat Prov. 13.4 but such as neglect meanes or use them negligently they loose all and perish The desire of the slothfull killeth him Prov. 21.25 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledg because thou hast rejected knowledg I also will reject thee Hos 4.6 they rejected knowledg in rejecting and neglecting the waies and meanes of knowledg ye have set at naught all my counsells and would none of my reproofs and vers 29. they hated knowledg they would none of my Counsells that is they neglected all therefore God rejected them Vse 1 This shewes us the ignorance and folly of those who cast off Ordinances and meanes of grace though God hath commanded and appointed them as meanes of greatest advantage to his people Vse 2 This also informes us why there are so many ignorant and fruitlesse persons in the world even because they neglect or carelesly use the meanes to know God Vse 3 Let us hence be stirred up to a diligent and constant use of the meanes of grace not only as to the attayning of grace where it is not but also to the increase of grace where it is wrought Especially in childhood and youth I am perswaded not one of many would perish if Parents and such as have the education of youth themselves being Godly did use all good meanes diligently for the working of grace in their hearts It s true the use of the best meanes will not be effectuall without the concurrence of the spirit of God but where God gives an
divers temptations Iames 1.2 Vse 2 Let these things teach us to admire the wisdome care and goodnesse of God towards us who makes the hardest things the worst things that befall his people to worke together for their good The seven and fiftieth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman makes use of ordinary and common Tooles and Instruments about his chiefest works in his Garden his knives lawes spades and other instruments are not of Gold silver or costly mettles neither are they carved or framed by any great Art but they are plaine ordinary Instruments which he makes use of to Engraft his fruit-trees and to doe his chiefest workes about them This shadowes out unto us That God for the most part useth meane and ordinary men and meanes Proposition shadowed for effecting of the greatest works in the world VVhat greater works do we reade of than the deliverance of Israel out Egypt by signes and wonders t heir passage through the Red sea and the barren wilderesse over Jordan and their conquering great nations and settlement in Canaan Now God did not use some great Monarch as his Instrument but Moses who was cald from keeping sheepe and made Instrumentall in many of these great works and having done much then Joshua Moses his servant he must doe the rest Gedeon he was but of a poore family and least in his Fathers house Judg. 6.15 being following a meane Imployment threshing corne when God cald him to make him generall of an Army to worke a great deliverance for his people which also was done by weake meanes 300 men Chap. 7.7 Elisha was taken from the Plow to be a great Prophet 1 King 19.19 David was following the sheep when God called him to be King over his people and passed by Eliah31 his brother a more likely person And also made use of this small and meane Instrument by a poore slender meanes to destroy Goliah a great Giant and consequently a great army of the Philistins 1 Sam. 16.17 Amos a heardsman was called to be a Prophet Chapt. 1.1 Shepheards were made use of to reveale the most joyfull newes that ever was made knowen to the world the birth of our Saviour Luk. 2. The Apostles and many of the disciples of Christ were meane persons and cald from low imployments to follow the greatest worke in the world to preach the Gospell They were not the learned Rabbies not Eloquent Oratours nor the disputers of this world as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1. but men of low Conditions these were called to preach the Gospell for the conversion of soules Not with the inticing speech of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2.4 Not with wisdome of words lest the crosse of Christ should be made of none effect 1 Cor. 1.17 God is pleased to effect this and other his greatest works in the world by meane Instruments and meanes that his owne power may be the more seene in them for if the greatest and most likely Instruments in the judgment of men were imployed in the greatest works they would take all or most of the honour to themselves and others would give it them So God should loose his honour Yea God hath destroyed and will destroy the wisdome of this world by those persons and things that the word accompts foolish 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mighty things vers 28. And vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to nought things that are As God hath done so he will do still great works in the world by meane and low Instruments and meanes he hath great and mighty works to bring to passe in the Nations in bringing them into subjection to our Lord Christ He will destroy Antichrist even all that oppose him he will levell the Mountaines and enlarg the kingdome of his deare sonne and set up his Throne and put the scepter into his hand to rule the people who have beene disobedient he will build his holy City Jerusalem and make it a praise in the Earth And now How will God doe these great things what Instruments will he use will he use altogether Golden instruments carved and pollished by art the most eminent men of highest Place esteeme in the world Surely no But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things that are mighty c. 1 Cor. 1.27 That is persons and things which carnall wise men in their Iudgment accompt weake and foolish although in the Judgment of God they are otherwise esteemed for the weaknesse and foolishnesse of God and of his people as men count weaknesse and foolishnesse are stronger and wiser than the strength and wisdome of the world vers 25. A worme shall thresh the mountaines and beate them small as Chaffe Esay 41.14.15 Surely a worme must be in the hand of some mighty one to be enabled to doe such great things Hath not God already done great things in our daies even before our eyes by Instruments and meanes time was very unlikely and of small accompt with the carnall world have not weake Instruments and meanes beene like the Cloud that Eliah's servant saw rise out of the sea at first no bigger then a mans hand but afterwards it covered the whole heavens Have not Princes Lords and the mightiest men both in Church and state yea whole Nations have they not been subdued by a handfull of men whom their adversaries slighted as Goliah did David saying in themselves and one to another we shall presently swallow them up Do not all the Trees of the field know that the Lord hath brought downe the high tree and exalted the low Tree hath dryed up the greene tree and made the dry tree to flourish Ezek. 17.24 Many Instances were it convenient might be brought of men and meanes whose beginnings were but weake and small whereby God hath brought to passe great and mighty works Beware of despising meane Instruments Vse and weake meanes which God for the most part makes use of for bringing to passe great things Despise not the day of small things Ezek. 4.10 for God will build Ierusalem not by might nor by power but by his spirit Meane and low Instruments shall be stirred up by his spirit and shall do his great works in the world And these Instruments shall be sure to have the men of the world with their wisdome to slight and despise them as Sanballat and Tobia did the Jewes Nehe. 4.1 2 3. what do these feeble Jewes c Even that which they build if a fox goe up he shall even breake downe their stone wall And one reason is besides the disagreement of flesh and spirit because the wisdome and strength and glory of the people of God is vailed under a low and meane Condition in the world
in others Atoms or Moses appeare in the Beames of the sunne but not in a dimme light Seeing we have three great enemies to encounter with this Vse 2 should make us to put on the whole Armour of God and to stand upon our Guard and watch against them The sixtieth Observation in Nature GRafts before they are joyned to the stock must endure ordinarily many difficulties under the hand of the Husbandman ai cutting off from the Tree lying by for a time it may be severall weeks or months after that cutting to the pith or heart with a sharp knife c. See Observ 62. This is another Similitude of the dare of Mysticall Fruit-trees and shadowes out unto us this Proposition That the people of God in their Conversion for the most part go through many straights Proposition shadowed and difficulties Those whom God intends to Ingraft into Christ the spirit first convinceth them of sin he inlightens their understandings to see where and in what case they are by Nature and of their utter inability to help themselves out of it And by degrees cuts them off from all things in themselves Their Reason wisdome skill Learning Gifts all their duties and performances all their own righteousnesse all put together is but as vanity and emptinesse there 's nothing in any thing of their own to help them or do them good so that the spirit becomes a spirit of bondage to them for a time letting them see nothing but terror and sad sights A strict Law or Covenant of works binding them over to Justice and wrath eternall death So that hereby they are cut to the heart and are put upon enquiring and seeking which way to get out of this Case Acts 2.37 what shall we doe Some are kept longer under feares and terrors and are cast lower than others they are brought in such a condition as that they will be glad to receive Christ upon any Conditions then the spirit of God opens their eyes to see a way out of their miseries then he holds forth Christ unto them in the tenders of the Gospell Oh how glad is such a soule to receive Christ upon any tearms upon any tearmes in the world Then the soule longs and hungers and thirsts to be satisfied with Christ and accompts all things but as dung and drosse in comparison of him Then the spirit of God leads the soule as by the hand to lay hold upon Christ to close with him and by little and little works a perswasion in the heart that Christ is his and that he is Christs upon the Accompt of that new pretious sure Covenant of grace in which are all the glorious sweete promises of the Gospell included Let Professours try themselves whether ever they found the Vse 1 case to be thus with them before they had a perswasion of the love of God least they deceive themselves Many build their house upon the sands against which when the Raine and the winds and floods beate when Temptations arise it will fall Mat. 7.27 Yet it is not with all alike in their coming to Christ some close with him upon easier tearms than some others howsoever in all that come to Christ there must be a sense and sight of their misery by sin as they are under the Covenant of works and their great neede of Christ to deliver them from it and thereupon a desire to rest upon him by faith for Justification and acceptance with God through him Of this see more at large Observation in Nature 25. The sixtie one Observation in Nature THe Husbandman upon occasion praises and commends his fruit-trees when they beare many and good fruits some for one property and some for another Proposition shadowed This shadowes out to us That When the people of God bring forth good fruits God himselfe doth praise and commend them The Lord takes pleasure in his people passing by their infirmities and taking notice of what is good in them It was a very high commendation that God gave of Abraham Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his Children and his household after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord. God tooke notice of the good fruits that Phynehas brought forth and commends him and rewards him Numb 15.11.12 c. in that he was zealous for his God He said of David That he was a man after his owne heart So of Moses Num. 12.7 My servant Moses is faithfull in all mine house And Nathaniel Joh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeede in whom there is no guile Particulers neede not be multiplied one or two scriptures may serve for more Rom. 2.29 Their praise is not of men but of God and 2 Cor. 10.18 Not he that commendeth himselfe is approved but he that the Lord commendeth This is much for the comfort Vse and encouragement of all that are upright in heart God will commend such Though it may be their fruits are none of the fairest on the outside in the eyes of men they have not bulke nor shape nor colour to commend them unto men yet being well tasted savoury fruits having the Relish of truth sincerity Love and right ends the husbandman likes them well and will commend them even before men and Angels Matth. 25.24 Well done thou good and faithfull servant thou hast beene faithfull over a few things c. enter thou into the joy of thy Lord so againe vers 23. The sixtie two Observation in Nature THere is a great change wrought upon fruit-trees by Engrafting Before they brought forth sower and naughty fruits See Observ 43. and 60. but now pleasant This is another Similitude c. and shadows out unto us this Proposition That persons by Regeneration have a great Change wrought in them Propesition shadowed All by Nature bring forth bitter and naughty fruits sower Grapes Grapes of Gall their clusters are bitter And there is noe way possibly to bring them to beare good fruits but by engrafting them into Jesus Christ Now Regeneration or implanting into Christ works a great change throughout the whole man upon all the faculties of the soule and in Conversation The understanding which before was darke and ignorant of spirituall things then becomes by litttle and little inlightned and apprehensive of spirituall things Heb. 10.32 after ye were illuminated c The will which before was crosse and stubborne opposing the will of God becomes in some measure obedient and inclining to what is of God and to affect spirituall things as spirituall for themselves The affections which before implanting into Christ were cold and dead towards Christ and the things of God then have heat and life in them they stirre and move after spirituall things Vnregenerate persons cannot see nor judge of spirituall things no more than of visible outward objects without light but when the worke of grace comes into the soule then light shines there Ephes 5.8 Ye were sometimes darknesse but are now light in the Lord
There are motions of the spirit and motions of the flesh upon all occasions workings and inclinations in the soule towards and against good and evill Gal. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would The flesh still moves against the motions of the spirit of God and principles of grace framing objections and reasonings against good motions Rom. 7.21 I find then a law that when I would do good evill is present with me The spirit is ready to every good worke but the flesh is sluggish loath backward vers 22. I delight in the Law of God concerning the inner man but I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my mind c. But now though it be so that the motions of the flesh oppose the motions of the spirit yet for all that the spirituall man rules in the soule for the maine and generality of our lives And Christians know by Experience that according to the promise Gal. 5.16 Walke in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh when they walke circumspectly and watch over the heart to keepe it up in a spirituall frame in communion with God then the flesh is low and kept under Vse 1 Seeing there is a continuall combate betweene the flesh and the spirit this should make us watchfull against the flesh that it prevaile not we know the flesh never sturs but to do us hurt who would not be incensed against such an enemie now the way to prevaile against the flesh is to cherish and delight to obey the motions of the spirit as before Gal. 5.16 The seventie eighth Observation in Nature SOme fruit-trees as being of different kinds and for severall other causes bring forth more fruits than others and the same fruit-trees bring forth more fruits some yeares than they do some other yeares Experience tells us that when there comes a pleasant and mild spring with other concurrent advantages trees beare as many fruits as in 3 or 4 other yeares Proposition shadowed This shadowes out unto us That Some believers are by advantages more fruitfull than others and at some more than at other times Every Christian being engrafted into Christ brings forth some good fruits and having a Talent or more a stock of grace gifts and advantages he imployes and improves all one way or other for the honour of God but some believers have greater measures of grace and more advantages of improving them than others and therefore their returnes are greater and their fruits are more We see Matth. 25.20 He that had five Talents he brought forth more fruits than they that had received lesse And the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 15.10 I labored more abundantly than they all Some Christians as they have greater measures of the spirit and the graces of the spirit so they have better naturall parts and more outward helps and meanes in respect of time to heare and read the word to converse with others speciall dispensations of Providence and the like advantages whereby they are enabled to bring forth more fruits than others who want such helps and means of fruitfulnesse Some are carried on with vigorous actings of spirit with a lively hope with a strong faith with fervent love and with great measures of every grace and can do and suffer more for God than other believers can Others againe having but weake naturall parts small measures of knowledge and grace wanting helps and meanes of growth and improvement having but dim evidences of the love of God their fruits are according to these fewer and smaller than some other Christians bring forth Yea the same individuall person brings forth more and better fruits at some seasons than at others At those times when the soule is in a more spirituall frame and temper in more immediate communion with God when the spirit of God sensibly actuates and quickens the Principles and habits of grace in the soule and makes them lively and vigorous when the North and south winds blow upon the Gardens then the spices thereof flow forth and fruits abound But at some other times the actings of the soule are but low and weake while the spirit withdrawes and withholds his operations if the winds blow not the ship with all its sailes moves slowly This being so let no sincere soule be discouraged and dishartned Vse 1 yeilding to a temptation to see some other Christians go beyond them in fruitfulnesse if such diligently presse on towards the marke they shall be accepted It may be others have received more from God than thou hast more Talents of Gifts Graces time and many advantages Now there being a sincere and ready mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 Vse 2 Secondly seeing we are more fruitfull at some than at other times this should teach every one of us to observe and watch over the frame of our spirits from day to day that so when they are in that low and dull temper we may endeavour what in us lies by all experienced meanes to raise them out of it into that spirituall and lively frame afore mentioned wherein we bring forth more fruits and obtaine unspeakable advantages The seventie ninth Observation in Nature THe husbandman rejects not his fruit-trees because they sometimes faile in bringing forth fruits perhaps a cold time may come when they are in blossome and spoile much or most of them or if that fruit they bring forth be somewhat imperfect by spots roughnesse chaps or the like yet if it tast well if it have a good relish he approves of the fruits and commends them makes much of the trees notwithstanding all imperfections in both Hence we learne this Lesson That God beares with the failings and imperfections of his people and is ever ready to take notice of Proposition shadowed and commend the good that is in them The Lord is pleased to beare with the failings of his people and seemes not to see them but contrariwise takes notice of what good is in them and speakes of it with commendation as if it were their owne We see this fully in the case of Job God passeth by his many and great failings and scarce takes notice of them in standing so much upon his justification and breaking out to curse the day of his birth c but on the contrary obserues and commends what is good in him Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath and Jam. 5.11 ye have heard of the patience of Job David sinned and failed very much in many things as in purposing and going about to destroy Naball and all his house 2 Sam. 25.22 without a just cause in numbring the people and in many other things upon record all which God passeth by as if they had not
great duties of love and charity towards our fellow members what do we wher 's our Religion Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their afflictions c. James 1.27 See what our Saviour saies of these duties Matth. 25.36 Magistrater ought not only to restraine and punish what is to Gods dishonour but also to contrive stand for and uphold what is acceptable to him Ministers of the Gospell ought not only to preach the Gospell in the publique congregation but also to take all occasions in private to exhort rebuke instruct and encourage the people in the things of God to be instant in season and out of season inquiring how the worke of grace goes on in the hearts of their people and to know their state which Paul so much enquired after in his owne person and by others that he might speak and write more sutable to their conditions Phil. 2.19 Col. 4.8 how Sathan works what dispensations they have from God and to learne experiences from them studying men as they study books by which course they may become wise and skillfull workmen and know those waies and workings of God of Sathan of Grace and Corruption which otherwise they can never know Pastors of congregations have a strict charge Acts 20.28 Take heed to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers Now to oversee the Church imports more than only to Preach in publique that is but a part of their worke A speciall care should be had of the different state of particular persons Vse This should put us upon Examination what works and duties God requires of us in our generall and particular Callings that knowing them we may observe one as well as another and have respect to all Gods Commands Let us not suffer one duty to justle out another which is frequent among Christians Many think if they are still doing what is good and about the worke of God they look not so much about them nor consider what is necessary besides or what is more necessary and profitable and so many times neglect the maine worke They let some branches of duties wither and dye while the sap and strength of the Tree presseth forth and spends it selfe in other branches lesse fruitfull The eightie fifth Observation in Nature WHile fruit-trees remaine ungrafted all the labour and culture the husbandman can bestow upon them will not make them bring forth good fruits though they grow in the best place of the Garden and be watred pruned and ordered never so well yet because they are ungrafted and wild trees they will beare sower and noughty fruits This is another Similitude of the state of spirituall fruit-trees and shadowes out unto us this Proposition That While persons remaine in an unregenerate state all the meanes of grace is unprofitable to them Proposition shadowed Many make a profession who yet have nothing of the power of godlinesse they attend the Ordinances they heare the word pray have priviledges among the Saints yet bring forth no good fruit Judgments Mercies favours outward providences inward workings of the spirit by reproofes counsells inlightnings c. all is in vaine to them they cannot receive these things nor profit by them because not engrafted they reject the word Psal 50.17 Thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee And Heb. 4 2. The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it And as they reject the word so also they resist the spirit Acts 7.51 Ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do yee Yea Judgments and punishments are ineffectuall to them Esay 9.13 The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seeke the Lord of Hosts Amos 4 9. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew c. yet ye have not returned unto mee saith the Lord I have sent amoung you pestilence and ye have not returned unto me And vers 11. I have overthrowne some of you c. yet ye have not returned unto mee saith the Lord. So we see all that God doth for or against persons out of Christ all the meanes of grace is unprofitable to them they neglect the mercies of God reject the word spirit Judgments of God and all the reproofes admonitions Counsels Exhortations and Examples of his people Hence we see the miserable condition of persons out of Christ Vse 1 seeing nothing will do good upon them would it not be accompted a heavy curse if the Lands of some men should bring forth nothing but bryers thorns and weeds with all the good husbandry that could be bestowed on them with raine sunne and dewes when by the same meanes other mens grounds are made fruitfull this spirituall curse upon the soules of unregenerate persons is infinitely greater such without Repentance are nigh unto cursing and everlasting burnings Heb. 6.8 Labour then with all thy might to get this evidence of Regeneration Vse 2 even to thrive and profit by the meanes of grace The eightie sixt Observation in Nature FRuit-trees when they prosper well and grow in a decent comly forme and bring forth much good fruit as they do profit many so also hereby they credit the husbandman they bring some reputation to him who orders them but if they grow poorely and bring forth little they discredit their keeper This teacheth us this Lesson That Christians by walking holily and fruitfully Proposition shadowed they bring much honour to God but if otherwise dishonour Every one of the people of God that professeth Christ is as a City upon a hill as our Saviour said of his disciples and therefore their waies are seen and observed by all sorts of persons so that if they walke wisely circumspectly and fruitfully they bring honour to God and credit to their profession Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven And againe 1 Pet. 2.12 having your conversation honest among the Gentiles c. they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation But if on the contrary professors walke loosely and negligently these things reflect upon God to his dishonour As a servant to a great person if he behave himselfe licentiously by drunkenesse swearing and the like it reflects in some sort upon his Master who keeps such a person in his house So it is betweene God and his people if they walke circumspectly in a holy and fruitfull conversation they glorifie the name of God to whom they have relation but if they walke vainely and loosely if they walke in pride minding earthly things the two grand sins of many professours in our times scraping and holding together the trash of the world as though there were no better things to be had in the waies of God then they cause the name of God to be
body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Here we see 1. All believers though multitudes of Members yet are but one body 2. That one body hath but one spirit As one soule animates and sets on worke all the Members of the Naturall body so does this one spirit in the mysticall body 3. There is also one hope All believeâ—s have an expectation of the enjoyment of God in glory for ever 4. They have all one Lord are fellow servants under one Lord Iesus Christ 5. So also have they but one faith believers in all ages of the world have but one faith in the same God and Saviour 6. They have but one Baptisme not baptisme of the signe but of the substance all believers are baptized with the baptisme of the spirit Iewes and Gentiles in all ages 1 Cor. 12.13 By one spirit we are all baptised into one body whether we be Jewes or Greeks 7. Believers have but one God and Father they are all borne of God are brethren in the Lord sonnes and daughters alike to the Lord Almighty Heires together of one Inheritance and Kingdome So then Here are strong bonds of Vnity and love among the Saints though Vniformity in outward things be wanting here 's no mention at all of Vniformity though they differ in their opinions in waies and formes of worship and Government yet being all one body having all one spirit one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father these are sufficient grounds of their Vnion and love one with and to another These are the things that God stands upon having Vnity here in these things whereby they worship him in spirit and truth though they vary in many externall parts of worship and outward administrations they are dispensed withall as we see Rom. 14.18 he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men and vers 3. God hath received him or approved of him Let not men therefore disowne their brethren for differing from them in the forme in outward administrations of worship or Government when yet they worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth which if they doe it is from the carnall part and to be mortified The ninetie fifth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman often makes a hedg or fence about his Orchard and Garden with wild plants unfruitful trees or such as beare naughty unpleasant fruits as Crabtrees Thornes Bryers Okes Ashes Elmes or any such like which serve well for a mound or fence about his fruitfull Trees and preserve them from anoyances and hurts that else they are subject unto by Cattle and otherwise in many respects This shadowes out unto us That God many times makes use of wicked Proposition shadowed and unregenerate persons for the preservation and good of his owne Children Many Kings and Magistrates though wicked and carnall have beene set up for the defence of the Godly very many carnall persons though they have but only generall convictions a forme of Godlinesse common Gifts and graces yet they owne the true Religion and the professors of it notwithstanding they have no true nor cordiall love to either God makes such as an outward common fence against the breakings in of Tyrannicall and savage persons who might otherwise anoy the Church of God Yea many Morall persons are not only a meanes of defence to the Godly but they are also helpers many waies by their Gifts and Talents and outward good things which God hath given them The spirit of God doth convince the world of unregenerate persons upon this Accompt even for the good of his owne people giving to them some common light and graces and apprehensions of the things of God that so he may take off their fiercenesse and bitternesse that otherwise would naturally break out against the Godly and not only so but that also they may be helpfull and profitable to his owne people Pharaoh was convinced that God was with Ioseph and so became his freind yea and to all his brethren and his fathers house and preserved them and nourished them with the best things of the Land of Egypt Gen. 40. Laban entertained and preserved Iacob above 20 yeares together Gen. 29. c. Pharaohs daughter nourished Moses the whole Court was his freind many yeares King Nebuchadnezzar was convinced that God was with Daniel preserved and promoted Daniel so did Belshazzar And King Darius afterwards Dan. 6.3 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were not only preserved but advanced in the Province of Babylon by King Nabuchadnezzer a heathen king There is abundant Experience of this truth in all ages especially in these times of the Gospell multitudes having common convictions of the things of God and entertaining the forme of Godlinesse though they want the power They generally if they have power preserve the people of God and Religion from overthrowes and destructions which otherwise Tyrants and barbarous enemies would bring upon them Yea and God makes them many waies usefull and helpfull to his people by their Gifts and Common graces in Naturall and Morall things Vse This discovers the speciall care and love of God the power wisdome goodnesse of God towards his owne people who maketh even their enemies to become freinds to them Enemies indeed in their Principles Natures but freinds through the overruling power of God The world all the creatures in it are ruled ordered for the good of the people of God All things are yours saith the Apostle 1 Co. 3.21.22 the world life death things present things to come all are yours God useth overruleth and ordereth all things for the advantage of them that feare him The ninetie sixth Observation in Nature THe Husbandman in Ordering of his fruit-trees observes the seasons some works are to be done at such a time of the yeare The spring is the season for Grafting the sommer for Inoculating Autumne and winter for Transplanting pruning and other workes he carefully observes the seasons for particular works This shadowes out unto us this Proposition Proposition shadowed That God in his infinite wisdome and goodnesse observes the fittest times in all his dispensations towards his people The great husbandman of his Vineyard and Garden enclosed as he gives discretion to men to order their works of husbandry Esay 28.26 doth with infinite more wisdome order his owne husbandry in respect of the matter manner and seasons of his worke Ier. 30.11 When he correcteth his people as he does it in measure so also in season when it is most likely to prevaile and take effect and when his spirit reproves the soule it is alwaies in season When he speakes to comfort and refresh the soule it is in season Esay 50.4 That I should know how to speake a word in season to him that is weary he gives his