are sowen in one bed of Earth and drawing the same juyce of the earth yet each seede retaines its owne Nature Tender Fruits come forth with Covers upon them the more hardy without And secondly If thou consider the manner of bringing forth our Fruits especially wee Aprecotts Cherries Plumbs and such as are of the most tender kinds our Fruits come forth with Coates and Garments upon their backs being so tender that without the same they could not indure the common Aire If thou observe thou maist see in our knitting time our infant Fruit within the Blossome no bigger then a Pinns head which increasing by little and little tears this Coate or Garment and throwes it off being then hardy enough to endure the Aire and so we grow on to ripenesse But we that are more strong and hardy Fruits Apples Peares c have no such Coates or Garments upon Us when we are born we are naked when we come first into the world our Blossoms fall off from us when first we begin to knit and appear and so we grow on to perfection HVSBANDMAN I perceve then hereby That that which some Learned Phylosophers call the Wisdome of Nature in takeing Care of it self in these things is but the Course and law of Nature but is indeed the Wisdome of the God of Nature who as he hath made all Creatures so he knoweth perfectly their severall Natures and accordingly provideth for them Section 23. HVSBANDMAN Well This is considerable in order to our admiration But what other particulers can yee tell us of to the same purpose Different substances made of one Substance FRVIT-TREES Take notice of and consider these particulers also Will it not cause Admiration to see and consider how many severall Substances are made of one Simple substance For of the Sap of Trees is made the Barke Wood Pith Leaves Buds Blossoms Stalks Fruit and Seed drawne from the same juyce of the Earth Defferent Gifts and Graces wrought by the same Spirit This illustrates to us that so it is in Spirituall things the paralell holds good the Variety of Gifts and Graces in belevers proceede from one and the self same Spirit as we see 1 Cor. 12.4 There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit And diversities of Administrations but the same Lord and ver 6 diversities of Operations but it is the same God that worketh all in all To one is given the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge to another the Gifts of healing to another the working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues Every Gift ought to be improved for the profitt of all But all these worketh that one and the selfe same spiritt dividing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.12 By all which we should learne to owne and love one another and to be usefull and serviceable one to another every one according to the Gifts and Talents which God hath given unto them Let nor the Rich dispise the Poore nor the Poore envie the Rich let not the wise and Learned dispise the meaner sort who want what they themselves have such may have one Gift or other which the wise and Learned have not which may be usefull to the body let not the Eye say unto the Hand I have no neede of thee Nor the Head to the Feet I have no need of you for those Members of the body which seem more feeble are necessary 1 Cor. 12.22 The variety of Gifts Graces and endowments that men have are wrought by the same spirit and for whose Glory they are to be used and improved and for the Profitt of all Section 24. HVSBANDMAN Proceede further and tell us some other perticulars that may occasion our admiration in the knowledge of them for we know the works of God are marvelous and wonderfull and many of them past finding out and therefore God is to be admired in them Grafts and Buds assimilate the Sap of the Stocks FRVIT-TREES Consider this further That Grafts and Buds set upon stocks that are of wild kinds of bitter harsh and sower kinds these Grafts and Buds being of a sweete and pleasant nature and drawing and feeding upon the sower Sap of those wild stocks yet they do change alter this sower and bitter Sap that they draw and feede upon into their own sweete and pleasant Nature and bring forth Fruits according to their owne Natures And the badnesse of the stocks cannot alter the goodnesse of the Grafts but according to the Law and Course of Nature which all Vegetables do keepe from their first Creation they do convert all their Sap and nourishment which they draw into their own properties and bring forth Fruits accordingly And is not this a Marvelous thing that a great and large stock it may be 40. times and more bigger then the Graft that 's set upon it should not be able to change the little Graft or the Bud that is much smaller into it 's owne kind and Nature This then must be concluded That it is the innate intrinsecall forme of the Graft and Bud that maintaines and keepes inviolable that Law of Nature that the God of Nature at first Creation fixed in every individuall Who alone is to be Praised and Admired in these and all his workes Section 25. HVSBANDMAN What other perticulars do yee discover in the processe of Nature wherein God is seene and discovers his Wisdome and infinite excellencies that may occasion his Praise and Admiration when knowne and observed Every small Bud contains the Nature of the whole Tree in it selfe FRVIT-TREES Know and consider this further That every small Branch or Twigg upon the Trees yea the least Bud upon the least Graft or Twigg doth containe in it the Nature and property of the whole Tree Though one Tree have many Thousands of Buds upon it yet every perticular has virtually or potentially the whole Tree in it selfe though the Bud he never so small and the Tree never so great This is evident by Inoculating the Buds of any Tree continuall Experience proves they are the same and bring forth the same Fruits as the Tree from which they were taken HVSBANDMAN I grant this is a truth and apparent to continuall Experience from yeare to yeare and is a thing to be much Admired that all the Properties of a vast huge Tree should be united into so narrow a compass as a small Bud smaller then a Graine of Wheate Nay more The Nature and propertie of a great Tree though as bigg as 2. or 3. men can fathom with their hands joynd'd does lye in the Roote of that small Bud some of which are as small as a Pinns point this is proved by Experience Because when that small Roote happens to be left upon the wood in taking off the Bud to inocculate as sometimes it is such a Bud does not grow nor spring in the
among Men. HVSBANDMAN We see the same thing amongst men and Women There is a very great Antipathy and contrariety in their Natures one against another an utter enmity in their Natures Therefore it is necessary in order to Communion fellowship and agreement of persons and societies that they be of one or alike Nature But the highest and greatest Antipathy in the world is that betweene the Holy Nature of God and the corrupt nature of Man No attayning Communion with God without a New Nature There is no possibility of attaining Communion and Fellowship with God or to have any enjoyment of God here in this world or hereafter in the life to come without a change of Nature The corrupt Nature of Man is quite contrary to the Holy Nature of God Therefore there must of necessity be a renewing in the spirit of our minds a new Nature by ingrafting into Christ that so there may be apertaking of the Image or Nature of the second Adam in righteousness and true holinesse as there is of the first Adam in sin and corruption No fellowship betweene Regenerate and unregenerate Persons So neither can there be any cordial fellowship complacency or delight betweene Regenerate and unregenerate persons because of this Antipathy and contrariety in Nature what fellowship hath Christ with Beliall or he that beleeveth with an infidell Therefore persons in their Marriage choice had best consider and make sure of this in the first place and make other considerations subservient and subordinate thereunto Quest But how is this among Fruittrees seeing yee are not sensible Creatures but are in a rank and degree below them Perception in Fruittrees instead of sence FRVITTREES It is true we are not sensible Creatures But yet we are living Creatures And we have a Nature in us some what analogous to sence we have Perception which is to us insteed of sence whereby we know what is good for us and what is hurtfull to us and thereby we chuse the one and reject the other in some warme fertile soyles wee thrive much better than wee do in some cold wett barren grounds And so in respect of situation either towards the Sun or from it in shady places Four Distinct rancks of Creatures each Genus including many species HVSBANDMAN I perceive then hereby That there is a vast difference among the Visible Creatures here upon earth in their distinct and specisick Natures which may be distinguished into foure ranks or degrees every Genus including divers perticuler and distinct species The first and lowest of all are those which are but only bare and simple substances without life as Earth water Stones Mineralls and such like the second sort are a degree above these not only substances but they have life also as Trees Flowers Herbs and all Vegetables the third sort are a degree above them which have not only life but have also sence as Beasts Foules Fishes The fourth rank and degree of Creatures are above all these which are not only substances and have life and sence but also Reason as Mankind in all Nations All Creatures are subservient one to another And now as these Creatures are thus distinct in their degrees one Genus higher then another so by the Wisdome providence and appointment of God they are usefull and subservient one to another each kind in their distinct degrees the first to the second the second to the third and the third to the fourth The simple substances Earth water c. feed and nourish the flowers herbs and all Vegetables and these nourish the Beasts Foules Fishes c. And these feed and nourish the highest Rank of visibles Creatures all Mankind that so he may serve and glorifie God in and by all these Section 3. Culture of Fruittrees necessary HVSBANDMAN Here are some Fruit-trees which I have bestowed much labour and cost upon in ordering of them by diging about your Rootes in manuring of them with good soyle and the Branches by Pruning off the one halfe of them being too close and too many And also I have cut off the one halfe of your highâ— for yee were growen and aspired up so high into the Aire that the winds and Frosts in the spring time especially had more power upon you then upon low spread trees so that I hope my labour hath not beene in vaine How do yee find your selves do yee perceive your selves any whit better for all this labour and time bestowed upon you The benefit of due ordering Fruittrees FRVIT-TREES We have a preception that we grow more vigorously and strongly then we did formerly for we werâ— back bound before a thick hard barkâ— incompassing us did very much obstruct and hinder the assention of our sap which now by thy ordering of us is loosed and we receive a more plentiful nourishmenâ— by sap from the Earth which feeds all ouâ— branches which before cutting aspired up into the Aire but now spread round in a comly forme and are full of good fruitts as thou seest And so we are every way much the better for all thy labours God chastneth all his People some more some lesse for their Profitt HVSBANDMAN I see it is as yee say And as these things are to be observed for our temporall profitt among fruittrees so also they serve as a very apposite similitude to shaddow out a spirituall truth by way of analogie and resemblance of Gods dealing with his people his Misticall Fruittrees who as a most wise and carefull Husbandman seeing his Fruittrees beare good fruitts he Prunes and orders them some perticulars more especially and that in some extraordinary manner that they may bring forth more fruitts and better then before For some Christians after that they have attayned some good measures of Gifts and Graces of the Spiritt through the want of the exercise and improvement of them and Christian watchfulnesse they grow negligent and Proud and abate of that vigour of spiritt zeale and love that formerly they had And therefore the Husbandman takes them in hand and deales with them according as the case requireth He cuts off many of their branches Ther exuberant Vaine carnall imaginations thoughts desires intentions and contrivances which rise up and extend beyond due bounds and brings them low and humbles them greatly Not only by many afflictions troubles and Distresses of Body and spiritt but also sometimes by withdrawing his spirit and permitting them to fall into some sinnes so as to shame and dishonour them which workes more effectually for the cure of Pride and selfelove then any other meanes can do St. Austen hath a faying to this purpose I dare affirme it saith he that it is profitable for a proud man to fall in to some scandalous sin that by the shame of â—… he may be humbled his meaning is not that it should be any mans choice to sin that he may be humbled but that it is sometimes Gods way of cure to permitt it as tâ— some men A wise
Fruits and flourish in our beauties all the Summer Some Christians go through great tribulations HVSBANDMAN These things we find to be so according to Nature And it is a very proper and apposite similitude of the state and condition of deseried soules all along in Each particular its one of those similitudes that runs equatuor pedibus it holds in all respects for so it is with Christians but more especially with some perticular persons one time or other in their life they indure and undergo hard and difficult things great afflictionâ— Temptations and Tribulations which befall them according to the good pleasure of God who ordereth and overruleth all for their good and profit thereby purging out Corruptions and trying their graces to increase holinesse Ps 84.11 for god himselfe who is a Sunn and a shield to his people doth not only withdraw from their spiritts and hides his face and so leaves them in darknesse and they walk in darknesse Children of Light walk in darknesse some a shorter some a longer time But also he permitts many outward troubles afflictions and crosses to come upon them upon their Bodies Names Estates Relations Soule and Body all that concerns them are overwhelmed overturned broken and destroyed as to sence and appearance both to themselves and others that behold them Job 1 2 3. c. And during this long night of darknesse this hard and sharpe Winter season there is as it were a Death upon all they have for he that is the life of the Soule as the Soule is of the Body is gon their beloved is gone and hides himselfe They seek him but they cannot find him Cant. 3 2. The Poore and needy seeke water and there is none Isay 41.17 and their Tongue faileth for thirst they cry after him but he heareth not and makes as though he would never heare nor regard them any more The absence of this Sun makes all within and without darke yea more bitter then Death it selfe And more then all this the sence of the absence of God and also the apprehensions of the losse of God the irrecoverable losse of God is the same in some degree with the Torments of Hell Yea the worst and greatest of the torments of the Damned Paena damni the paine of losse is agreed by all Divines to be the greatest torment in Hell worse then the paine of sence that torments the Body though that be intollerable too Reve. 7.14 Hose 14.7 All these Temptations and great Tribulations some deserted soules go through and indure in this sharp Winter season But when this Sunn returnes and draws neere again the Fruit-trees begin to revive and spring They revive as the Corne and grow as the Vine and shoote forth their Rootes as Lebanon Then the Figg-tree putteth forth her greene Figgs and the Vine with the tender Grapes give a good smell Cant. 2.13 When this Sunn of Righteousnesse ariseth upon the Soule he refresheth and restoreth comforts to those distressed weary Soules Isay 57.18 which they are exceeding sensible of and are as it were overjoy'd As marriners at Sea when they are delivered from some Terrible Tempests and Stormes from which they were almost in dispaire to have escaped yet with much a do comming saffe to Land how are they transported with joy and gladnesse for their safe arivall at their desired Haven The light of Gods Countenance refresheth the Soule after darknesse This deliverance from these spirituall stormes and Tempests in this sharp Winter season is much more Yea more then can be expressed in words or shaddowed out by any similitude it is Joy unspeakable and full of glory Heb. 12.11 Then followes the peaceable Fruits of Righteousnesse all the rest of the Summer of their life with more light and Joy then if they had never been in darknesse Even as Fruit-trees after a long cold sharpe Winter when the warme spring comes on and the heate of Summer followes all flourish in their beauties and ornaments of Blossomes Leaves and Fruits Section 9. The opinion about descension of Sap Examined HVSBANDMAN Some learned men have thought and asserted that Sap in Fruit-trees doth descend in Autumne from the Branches to the Rootes which going down of the Sap causeth the Leaves and Fruits to fall off and the Branches to cease growing And Wood-men and many others receive it and hold it as their common opinion for an undoubted truth What say yee of your selves as to this matter FRVITTREES If Learned men and others are of that opinion they had best consider it againe and looke better into the grounds of their opinion secundae cogitationes meliores for we deny the thing Ther 's no going down of any of our Sap Nature is wiser then so to part with any Sap that it hath gotten our Sap is our Life it is our foode upon which we live and increase yearely and by which we are inabled to bring forth Blossomes Leaves and Fruits in Sommer yearely how come we to be of this bulke and bignesse as thou seest but by the assention of Sap and the digesting and assimulating of it into our substance of Wood Barke Leaves Blossomes and Fruits we should be glad of moâ—e Sap if we could get it but we will part with none downe againe to our Roots for our Rootes are better stored with Sap all the yeare long then we the branches And besides this necessity of keeping it and impossibility of parting with it the Naturall and innate property of our Sap is alwaies to ascend there is an active vegetative spirit in us the Nature of which is alwaies to ascend and according to the Law of our Nature can do no otherwise it being a tenuous light Body or substance of a flammeous and aerious Nature whose appetite is alwaies upwards according to the knowne Axiome omne leve sursum Nay more should we part with any of our Sap downe againe we should then fade and decay our substance would be thereby diminished that as we increase one part of the yeare by ascension of Sap so we should also decrease another part of the yeare by descension of Sap and what then would become of us Therefore there is no such thing in Nature as descension of Sap in Trees No descension of Sap in Fruit-trees HVSBANDMAN I am perswaded as ye have said That there is no such thing in Nature as descension of Sap in Fruit-trees and have severall Reasons against it besides what hath been said For no Effect can be produced without a Cause Now there is no Cause can be so much as colorably assigned for such an Effect in Nature Therefore we conclude there is no such thing for Sap when it moves alwaies ascends never descends If any man be yet unsatisfied concerning this touching the descension of Sap in Trees it being deeply radicated in their minds and an opinion of long standing he may receive further satisfaction concerning it from six perticular Arguments against it grounded upon Reason