Righteousness and was not this to lower and set them back to call on them to break up their fallow ground as tho' they had yet done nothing had not yet begun or done the first work in Religion or taken the first step in the way of God but were to begin all anew and set their hand to the Plough to break up their fallow ground 3. This is observable that this Exhortation is given to the Men of Judah and Jerusalem that were then the only Church of God this intimates that in the Church only there is the spiritual Plow the Plow-men and the right Seed to sow the Soil and no where else there is a direction and dehortation Sow not among Thorns Some do think that if they hear Sermons read the Scriptures and good Books and do some Actions materially good that this is Seed sown for a Harvest of Glory but yet all is labour lost if the Ground be not cleansed if the Soul be not purified from base Lusts and Affections these Thorns do bedwarf rob starve the good Seed so that no Fruit is brought to perfection Holy Duties do not sanctifie a carnal Man but are defiled by him Hag. 2.13 14 they that are unclean themselves do pollute all they meddle with the Plague that is in the heart infects thoughts intentions words and actions 1 Kin. 18.38 The fore-skin of the Heart will carnalize all we meddle with Jer. 4.4 The words may vield us these two Doctrines 1. That the Hearts of unregenerate Men are like to fallow Ground 2. That it is their Duty to break up their fallow Ground For the prosecuting of the first Doctrin I shall shew why the Hearts of unregenerate Men are compar'd to fallow Ground 1. A fallow Ground is that which once was plow'd and sow'd Mankind in our first Parents were once sow'd with original Righteousness beautified with the Image of God and enobled with a divine life The first Tables that Moses receiv'd were the Work of God and the Writing was the Writing of God Exod. 32.16 The Writings and the Tables seem to be created together so our first Parents had their Soil and spiritual Seed created together the Tables and the Writing were fram'd at once the Law of God was engraven on the Mind and Will of Adam and Eve the Meal of the faculties of their Souls was always leaven'd with holiness and righteousness Man's Soul was once sowed by and became a fruitful field to God 2. This is implied that now this holy Seed is killed or rooted out as when Wheat and Barley is ripe and cut the stalks and root dies and it will never bring forth any more Wheat or Barley so the Law of God is blotted out of the Image of God defaced from the Life of God extinguished in our Souls so that we shall never please God or bring forth any acceptable Fruit to him if we are not broken up and sowed anew our Souls are like the second Tables that Moses brought to God meer blanks till God doth again write his Law in them 3. As a fallow Ground ordinarily brings forth only Briars Thistles Thorns and so is useless and unprofitable to the Husbandman so our Nature is so void and destitute of what is good so prone and inclinable to that which is evil that they that are in the Flesh cannot please God Ro. 8.9 A corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit Mat. 7.18 Original Sin dwells in us it dwells alone hath possession of the whole Soul and all its faculties and it hath not only a House but a Throne in us naturally it works in us all manner of Concupiscence Rom. 7.8 but in this Flesh of ours dwelleth nothing that is good Rom. 7.18 but the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy and all unrighteousness Jam. 4.5 4. As a fallow Ground must be plow'd and sow'd else 't will not bear Wheat or yield Bread so our Hearts must be broken and sowed with good Seed else Holiness will never root deep in the Heart and spring up in the Life we must have the Law of God written in us Jer. 31.33 we must have the Fear of God put into us Jer. 32.39 40. and the Spirit of God Ezek. 36.27 or else we shall yield no Harvest of Righteousness or Obedience to God Use 1. Be convinc'd of this that you are a fallow Ground that you have Souls poor and empty of that which is good and that your carnal Minds are Enmity to God are not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 yea tho' in some sence you may be said to be sowed as the Highway-ground the Stony the Thorny Ground were Mat. 13.20 21 22. yet you may be said still to be a fallow because the Seed withers is starved and choked so that no Fruit is brought forth to please and delight the heavenly Husbandman 2. Be humbled deeply for this that you have so long continued a fallow so that God hath had no Harvest of Righteousness no sheaves or gleanings of good Works you have done nothing of all that God hath commanded you Jer. 32.23 have only done Evil and wrought Iniquity Jer. 32.30 your thoughts have been only evil Gen. 6.5 your words evil How can a corrupt generation speak good things Mat. 12.34 your actions evil a corrupt Tree bringeth forth corrupt Fruit Matt. 7.17 The Prodigal that went into a far Country did neither perform service to his Father nor enjoy communion with him Luke 15.13 3. Do not remain a fallow Ground it will be sad to enjoy no good hereafter for God to reap no Fruits of Righteousness from you and you to reap no fruits of Mercy from him therefore be not contented to lie in the ruines of your Falls and not to be better'd or benefited at all by the Word of Grace the Gospel of Reconciliation It will be bad for the Founder to melt in vain Jer. 6.29 Because wickedness is not separated from you and you refined from your Dross it will be sad for Christ and his Ministers to labour in vain because you are not gather'd in for the Dew and Rain to come often on you and yet you bring forth only Briars and Thorns Heb. 6.8 O consider these following things 1. Your fallow Ground is capable of manuring and improvement as Isaac by plowing and sowing in Canaan did make a great advantage to himself that Land which before did only yield Herbage and feed his Flock did now bear Corn and did nourish himself and his large Family he sow'd in that Land and receiv'd in the same year an hundred fold Gen. 26.12 that is he had reap'd a hundred bushels of Corn for one that he sow'd how was the ground advanc'd from feeding Cattel to feed Isaac and his Family so how is a Soul exalted and enobled by spiritual Tillage by being plow'd and sow'd it brings forth Fruit for Christ to gather and eat Cant. 4. ult Let my beloved come into his garden and eat
flesh This foreskin disaffects us to alienates us from prejudices us against God and spiritual things The body is dead by reason of sin Rom. 8.10 And the Soul is dead in sin By the offence of one that is the First Adam many be dead These many are all that descend from Adam by Natural Generation Rom. 5.15 By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation Rom 5.18 Men are dead under a spiritual and condemned to an eternal death Men walk indeed tho' spiritually dead but it is only contrary to God Levit. 26.40 Men act indeed but they only do dead Works Heb. 6.1 Heb. 9.14 Men must repent of and from these dead works and the blood of Christ must cleanse Conscience from them O what a dreadful State is this for Conscience to be loaded with and burden'd under dead Works Those may well be called dead Works that are the fruits of spiritual Death and the seeds of eternal Death as we call Pond or Ditch Water dead Water because the Pond or Ditch have no spring in them to feed the Water so the best Works of unregenerate Men may be called dead Works because they have no Holy Spring or Fountain of their Actions They are destitute of Knowledge there is none that understandeth Rom. 3.11 Hos 4.1 They do not trust in God Zeph. 3.2 They have not the love of God in them John 5.42 Knowledge Faith and Love are the root and spring of all living works but for want of these the Works of unregenerate Men are dead they are empty Vines sinfully barren Hos 10.1 yet abound in corrupt fruit Deut. 32.32 33. they only bring forth fruit to death Rom. 7.5 such as renders them more guilty of liable and obnoxious to death When Adam fell contracted guilt and corrupted our nature thence we were made sinners Rom. 5.19 and unregenerate men while they continue so ever since they were born have been Sin-makers This is their only Trade and Imployment 1 John 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is properly render'd He that maketh sin is the servant of sin The word in composition signifies to work at a Trade .. Aquila Priscilla and Paul were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tentmakers This is a shameful and woful Trade in Thought Word and Deed to be a Sin maker O reflect on this with Self-abhorrency that as soon as you were born you were made Sinners and ever since have been Sin-makers An unregenerate man is still out of the evil Treasure of his heart bringing forth evil things Matt. 12.34 Out of the Bullion of Original Sin is still coining Actual Sin and tho' evil things in Words and Actions are still brought forth out of this evil Treasure yet this doth not lessen waste or diminish but still more increases the evil Treasure of the Heart 3. Unregenerate Men are Children of Wrath by Nature Ephes 2.3 They are conceived in sin shapen in iniquity Ps 51.5 Born flesh John 3.6 God hath therefore a Controversie with them and just displeasure against them As soon as they live Temporally God hath provocations to destroy them Eternally God seeth then the malignity that lurks the enmity against him that is lodged in the Soul As the Potters Vessel mentioned in Jer. 18.3 4. was marred in making so when men are shapen and formed in the Womb they are marred defiled and deformed with sin a Leaven is then laid in the very Meal of our Faculties Poyson is then dropt into our Souls a Disease a Plague of Leprosie is derived to us together with our Nature so that we are hateful to Ps 3.3 and haters of God Rom. 1.30 By reason of that Traiterous and Rebellious Nature that God then saw in us it had been no injustice in God or wrong to us if Children of wrath had soon been made Vessels of wrath for ever Rom. 9.22 4. Sinful Men heap up more wrath more inflame and increase Divine Displeasure against themselves The Hipocrites in heart do heap up wrath Job 36.13 Those that remain hard-hearted and impenitent do treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom. 2.5 Such do bring more Fuel to the Fire and Oil to the flame of Divine Displeasure that it may burn more hotly and fiercely against them God is angry with the wicked every day or as some render it all the day long Ps 7.11 They are still doing somewhat more to grieve and provoke God Sinners are altogether become filthy or stinking as it is in the margin Psal 14.3 What stinking thoughts desires words and actions do daily come up into God's nostrils God complains Is 65.5 that they were a smoke in his nostrils a fire that did burn all the day as when something very noisom and stinking is burnt it gives great offence to the Nose And as the sins of men do always stink in God's Nostrils so they cry loud in God's Ears to kindle more wrath against them and pluck down more vengeance on them As the sins of Sodom did make a great cry in God's Ears Gen. 18.20 the sins of men are as so many Accusers of and Witnesses against them before the Tribunal of God Is 59.12 Our sins testifie against us 5. Men are unmindful of God and Enemies to him 1. They are unmindful of God Deut. 32.18 Of the Rock that begot thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten God that formed thee God is not in all their thoughts they are without God in the world Ephes 2.12 they call not on him they draw not night to him they have no delight in him They are Atheists all the day long yea all their life long as if there were no such Being as God or they had no need of him had no business or concerns with him Men and Women remember small matters but yet forget God Can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet my people saith God have forgotten me days without number Jer. 2.32 How great a sin is it to forget God that is so near to us Acts 27.27 28. Those that are blind Creatures may grope and find out God by feeling of him for in him we live move and have our being All the Creatures do declare and preach God to us Psal 19.1 2 3. These as continual remembrancers may present God to our thoughts How great a sin is it that men allow no room to God in their minds and shut him out of their hearts who fills heaven and earth Jer. 23.24 That the precious Cabiner of the Mind should be filled only with the Dung of unclean vain worldly thoughts but not entertain Meditations of God and Christ 2. Men are enemies to God Rom. 8.7 The Carnal Mind is not said to be an enemy but enmity to God Enemies may be reconciled but enmity can never be reconciled but must be destroy'd Men are Enemies to God in their minds through wicked works or by their minds being set wholly on wicked
Christ to tell him his Citizens the Jews would not admit him as their King to Reign over them and the Prophane and Atheistical World do ridicule mock and scorn at the Promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3.3 They that walk after their own Lusts and place their Happiness in satisfying of them would not have Christ come to interrupt their Life of Sensuality or to punish them for it They would never have Christ come and hope he will not appear and therefore with insulting Belief say Where is the Promise of his coming In the Prosecution of this Subject I shall insist on these three Things 1. I shall demonstrate that the Lord Jesus will be Revealed 2. What the Scripture asserts about his coming 3. When the Lord Jesus will be Revealed Tho' we cannot point out the particular Time yet there are some general Intimations given us in Scripture when he will come 1. That the Lord Jesus will come 1. God the Father will send him Acts 3.20 Peter saith That God would send Jesus who before was preached to them And Paul speaking of the appearing of Christ he affirms that in his Times he shall shew this Appearance who is the blessed and only Potentate The Father will exhibit Christ again to the World this will be the most wonderful glorious shew that ever was presented to Mankind He that did stand as a Criminal before the Tribunal of Pilate Matt. 27.11 he that did hang on a Cross of Ignominy shall now sit on a Throne of Glory Matt. 25.31 He will Arraign Men for all the Acts of Time and adjudge them to the Penalties and Rewards of Eternity All Nations shall be gathered before him shall receive their Sentence from him and be disposed of either to a Blessed or Miserable Eternity by him 2. Jesus Christ himself hath told us of his Return he compares himself to a Noble Man Travelling into a far Country to receive a Kingdom and return As the Spirits of Men do return to God to be judged Eccl. 12.7.3 so Christ will return again to judge the World 3. The Saints live in expectation of Christs return they wait for Jesus Christ from Heaven 1 Thes 1.10 They look for him from Heaven Phil. 3.20 They look for the blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2.14 Tho' the most of Men live as if they had no Concern in Christ's Appearing as if it would be no Marriage-Day Feast-Day or Harvest-Day to them as if they did not think or expect to reap any Harvest of Blessedness or to receive any Reward of Happiness at Christ's coming yet it would be a great disappointment to the People of God if he should not return They look for him as a Bridegroom as a Saviour as a Redeemer and he will appear a second time unto Salvation to those that look for him Heb. 9.28 4. The Angels have testified to this Truth that Jesus Christ should come from Heaven as the Apostles saw him go to Heaven Acts 1.11 And the Angels cannot be false Witnesses and Deceivers 5. Jesus Christ hath work to do at his second coming He hath a Harvest to reap Matt. 13.30 A Floor to Purge Matt. 3.12 A Wife to Marry Rev. 7.25 Servants to reckon with Matt. 19.21 30. The Diligent and Faithful he will commend and call to enter into his own joy and the Idle and Slothful he will adjudge to be cast into outer Darkness The great Shepherd will gather his Flock to him and lead them to sweet and delicious Pastures in the Heavenly Paradise 2. Let us observe what the Scripture asserts concerning his coming 1. Jesus Christ testifies that he comes quickly Rev. 22.20 Behold I come quickly Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 It is but a little time to the day of Christ's Appearing compared with the time that is run out since the beginning of the World it will be quickly considering how near our end is and that Death is at hand Death is the end of the World to us we pass into a fixed unchangeable Eternal Estate as those do who live to the end of the World Time is folded up to us and the Door of Eternity is opened to us Christ's coming to call us out of the World and to Summon us to his Judgment Seat may quickly be it may be within a few Years yea within a few Months yea within a few Days That which is future will come and be present and our Souls should be affected now as if we saw the Judge appearing the Throne set the Books opened and our selves Presented before the Judgment-Seat of Christ 2. This Revelation of Jesus Christ will be sudden surprizing and very amazing to the greatest part of the World as the Old World was drowned in Sensual Pleasures Earthly Business Carnal Security They were poysoned with and hardened in unbelief they did not look for the Flood they knew not till it came and took them all away Matt. 24.39 They did not believe God's threatning or regard Noah's preaching and warnings or consider what the building of the Ark did mean they would not know things by Believing but only by Seeing and Feeling They did not know till the Rain did fall the Fountains of the great Deep were broken up and the Waters did rise to swallow them up so shall the coming of the Son of Man be Rev. 16.15 The World will not believe or prepare for it till they see Christ coming in the Clouds he will as to most come as a Thief in the Night that is not thought of or looked for Rev. 3.3 The World is as loose as careless as secure as if they had heard nothing of Christ's coming as if they had not been informed of his appearing or been exhorted to look and wait for it and been warned to prepare for it the evil Servant faith no more but my Lord delayeth his coming Matt. 24.48 Tho' yet he acts and carries it as if he would never come at all Christ's Appearing will come as a Snare on them that dwell on the Earth Luke 21.35 Tho' they have often been taught and told that Jesus Christ will come yet they will be as stupid and senseless and foolish as the Birds and Beasts they will take no warning but will fall into the Snare as a Bird doth and be utterly ruined and destroyed by Christ's second coming Tho' Christ doth bring Grace and Glory to others yet he will totally take away all Good all that is sweet and comfortable from impenitent Sinners Men are wofully degenerate that they will not know things by Faith or the Testimony of the Word of God but only by Sense and so will not discern dreadful Evils till they fall upon them 3. Jesus Christ will be Revealed in great Glory and sit upon the Throne of his Glory Matt. 25.31 He will also cause his Redeemed to appear in glory Col. 3.4 Our Saviour
works Col. 1.21 The mind is either inventing of evil things and finding out new sins Rom. 1.30 or projecting and contriving how to justifie the flesh and to fulfil the lusts of it Rom. 13. ult Or the mind is taken up in cloaking and covering of sin it finds out excuses it sews the Fig-leaves of Pretenses together to hide the filthiness and deformity of sin from the Eye of Conscience and so to blind and deceive their own Souls How should this afflict and wound our Souls that we have been enemies to him that is the chief good to a glorious infinite eternal Being who spake the World out of nothing and could as easily speak us and all things else into their First Nothing again But because men are ready to deny this Charge and plead not Guilty to it Paul proves mens enmity against God by their opposition to and rebellion against the Law of God The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 6. Men are Children and Captives of the Devil 1. They are Children of the Devil But Men will start and deny such an Accusation The Jews affirmed That God was their Father John 8.41 but Christ asserted that which was very different from and contrary to this John 8.44 Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do Was not Christ's Testimony to be credited rather than theirs Tho' Men as to their natural Life proceed and descend from their Parents yet as to their corrupt Life they issue from Satan The enmity and malignity of their Souls against God his People and his Laws this is the very image and likeness of Satan The Jews hated the Truth that Christ preached abhorred him and were inclined to murder him and these were the very Lusts of Satan Whoredom Gluttony and Drunkenness are gross and brutish Lusts but the most Spiritual sins as Pride Envy Hatred are properly the Lusts of Satan In these Men do most resemble him these are the very Lineaments of his Face It is said of wicked men Psal 58.4 That their poyson is like the poyson of a serpent This seems to be a plain allusion to the first sin When the Devil under and by a Serpent tempted our First Parents then he did distil his Venom and drop his Poison into them when his word was believed and his suggestions embraced He misrepresented God as envious of their Good of their higher Knowledge and of their sweetest Pleasures and Delights He did set forth the Fruit of a Tree as the best and most desirable Good and to be preferred before the favour of God and as if God's threatning was but a vain and false word This Poison of the Serpent we may discern and find in our own Souls and therefore while unregenerate may be justly charged to the Satans Children yea the Souls of Sinners are the House that Satan dwells and the Shop that he works in they have Members Col. 3.5 that God never made they have Lusts that he never kindled 1 John 2.15 16. and are under a Law Rom 7.21 23. that God never enacted but these Members Lusts and Law came from Satan 2. Unregenerate Men are the Devils Vassals Slaves and Captives Satan did but present Job's Cattle as a desirable Booty and Prey and blow up the Fire of their Lusts and the Chaldeans and Sabeans quickly make an Inroad Invade Job's Possession and take away his Cattle Job 1.15 17. Satan carries Men on in the Chanel of their own corrupt Nature and on the violent stream and torrent of their own Lusts Men are said to walk according to Satan Ephes 2.2 but how is this The Apostle tells us in the next Verse Eph. 2.2 3. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind They think they have nothing to do with Satan when they obey him in serving of their Lusts The Devil takes men captive at his will 2 Tim. 2. last yet he leads men captive by their own Wills The very liberty of their Wills is inslaved Sinners yield and give up their own corrupt Wills and carnal Affections as so many Cords for Satan to lead them by to Hell Satan finds Lusts in us as Chains to bind us as Snares to hold us shall not this consideration deeply wound the Souls of Men that they side and join with Satan to seduce and destroy themselves Men close their eyes Matt. 13.15 And Satan blinds their minds 2 Cor. 4.4 5. and so they put the greatest cheat on their own Souls They see not the Good that Satan deprives them of and the Misery and Destruction he brings on them 7. Unregenerate Men are Prisoners Is 42.7 Is 49.9 they sit in darkness and are bound with chains Is 61.1 and dwell in the Prison House They are under a sentence of condemnation John 3.18 He that believes not is condemned already And they are under a fear of a day of Execution Heb. 2.15 Through the fear of death they are all their life time subject to bondage How much are Sinners and Hipocrites affrighted What dreadful Exclamations do they make Who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings O what bitter cries of destruction Is 35.5 will Sinners lift up when they shall see the whetted Sword of Justice hanging over their Heads and their Feet at the brink of the bottomless Pit When their eyes shall see their destruction and they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath Job 21.20 30. 8. O let this wound your Souls that you go so far from God Jer. 2.5 and fly so fast Hos 7.13 Woe unto them 1. For they have fled from me as if they could not go too far or hasten too fast from the Father of Mercies from the Fountain of Life And Sinners are very unwilling to return they hold fast deceit they refuse to return Jer. 8.5 They stop their ears and make their hearts like an adamant-stone lest they should hear the words of the law of the Lord of hosts Zech. 7.11 12. They have an Iron Sinew a Brow of Brass and a Heart of Stone that will not melt or relent Is 48.4 when God draws near to them with beams of Light commands of Obedience and offers of Grace Job 21.14 They bid him depart as if they had no need of God owed no homage obedience or subjection to him as if they could stand tho' he did not support them as if they could chuse their own way and order their steps tho' he did not direct them and they could be happy tho' they did not enjoy him They cast God himself and his Word too behind their backs Ezek. 23.35 When Men bid God depart is not this to pluck away his props and supports from their Building To banish Heaven from themselves and to execute a great part of Hell on themselves And to provoke God to bid them depart from him as cursed Creatures into everlasting Fire Matt.
some pieces of the wreck of the Fall to float and swim on will not desire and cry to be taken up into Christ God's Ark of Salvation they that build on their Morality Form of Godliness and Religious Performances are too rich to beg an Alms and receive a gift of Righteousness from Christ Rom. 5.17 Those that are shut up under Sin and Condemnation will lay hold of and embrace the free Promise of Salvation and Life Gal. 3.22 Those that highly account of their own qualifications and attainments do think they have valuable Gains Phil. 3.6 7 8. that they have that which will gain them the favour of God acceptance with him a Right and Title to Eternal life They judge themselves to be whole that their Souls were never sick or diseased Mat. 8.12 they think they have lived in subjection to God their Father and in obedience to his Commands Luke 15.29 that they have served him when others did rebel against him and that therefore they need no Repentance Luke 15.7 How many do account themselves as fruitful and flourishing Meadows that naturally bear a Crop without plowing or sowing Those that do value their own civil and unblamable life and highly account of their form of godliness they think it very hard yea judge it very unreasonable and injurious to them that their green and flourishing Turf should be plowed up and turned in as if it were of no worth and value they think they have something of their own to recommend them to God's Holiness and secure them from his Justice their fallow Ground must be therefore broken up to root out this carnal Confidence and to convince them that they are far from Righteousness and that nothing they have done will be approved by God's Touchstone or hold in his Balance 2. Our fallow Ground must be broken up that the Briers and Thorns that grow in us may be wounded cut and rooted up The Word of God should be a grubbing Plough to tear up our Thorns a circumcising Knife to cut off the fore-skin of our Hearts Jer. 4.4 we must suffer in our Flesh even in our corrupt Nature 1 Pet. 4.1 Satan's works in us must be destroy'd 1 Joh. 3.8 our Navel must be cut Ezek. 16.4 we must be separated from the first Adam we must be as Branches cut out of the wild Olive Rom. 11.17 24. To break up our fallow Ground is thus expounded in the next Verse Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord take away the foreskin of your heart this is as Thorns that choak the Word that draw away the strength and vigor of the Heart and so starve the Word of God 3. Men must break up their fallow Ground that they may be meet and fit Patients for Jesus Christ This Heavenly Physician hath no Practice but on humbled and broken-hearted Sinners these are they he applys his Remedies to and works Cures on He was appointed and design'd to bind up the broken in heart Isa 61.1 none others do think they need Christ's Help prize his Remedies or value his Consolations Those that are whole that never saw the Plague of their Hearts or groan'd under the weight of their Guilt the burden of their Sins do not think they need a Physician Christ hath few Patients and little Practice in the World because Men are not sick of Sin wounded or broken for it 4. Our fallow Ground must be plow'd and broken up that our Soil may be fitted to receive the good Seed of the Gospel a broken Christ is both suited and welcome to a broken Heart Christ crucified is the grain of Corn that sows the whole Field of God John 12.24 with 1 Cor. 1. We preach Christ crucified saith Paul Christ is the lilly of the valleys Cant. 2.1 His Seed grows and thrives only in poor Ground the Poor have the Gospel preached to them Mat. 11.5 these taste the sweetness of it are cheer'd by its comforts are cast into its mould the Seed takes root in broken Ground it prospers it thrives in humbled Souls how do sinking and drowning Sinners catch at and hold fast the Cord of the Promise cast out to them Those that are pursued by their own Guilt the Wrath of God the Threatnings and Terrors of the Law how much do they hasten their pace and fly for refuge to take hold of the Hope set before them Those that are scorched by the sense they have of the Wrath of God how highly do they prize and how joyfully and delightfully do they sit under Christ's shadow Cant. 2.3 5. Men must break up their fallow Ground that they may seek the Lord in good earnest We may observe how these two things are join'd together Break up your fallow Ground for it is time to seek the Lord Hos 10.12 These two things seem to be intimated in the words 1. That in breaking up our fallow Ground we do seek the Lord. 2. That none will seek the Lord sincerely and fervently but those that break up their fallow Ground such are quickly convinced and soon made sensible how necessary it is to seek the Lord that vile Weeds that Vices natural to us may be rooted out and that supernatural Graces and Truths may be grafted on and planted in them The Pelagians as Austin tells us asserted That Vitia ingenerata extirpari prorsus incredibile est they argued thus against Original Sin That if Vices were naturally bred in us and born with us it was altogether an incredible thing that they ever would or could be rooted out But God the great Husbandman can cleanse the Soul of them and mortifie Vice and Lusts that are natural to us John 15.3 You are clean through the word that I have spoken to you Whoredom was a Vice so natural to the Corinthians that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to act the part of a Corinthian was to be a Whoremaster and the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to them saith Some of you were Fornicators Adulterers but you are washed you are sanctified 1 Cor. 6.10 11. Austin himself was naturally much inclin'd to Fornication yet the Grace of God so changed him that he ever after became chast in a single life God can unmake Men as to their sinful frame 1 Pet. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being unmade to sin you may live to righteousness God can create Men in Christ Jesus to good works Eph. 2.10 He can put his Law his Fear his Spirit into the Hearts of Men that natural Vices shall be rooted out and supernatural Graces shall be planted in the Soul They that break up their fallow Ground will seek the Lord and continue seeking of him till he come and rain Righteousness on them this is a Rain of Seed-Righteousness it is wonderful that God can rain Seed rain Righteousness that will sow the Soul and make it fruitful as when the Husbandman hath plowed and sowed his Ground he needs to seek the Lord to rain on it that the Seed may root and spring up so
those that plow and break up their fallow Ground have need to pray that God would rain Holiness and Righteousness to sow them Hos 2. ult God saith I will sow them to my self in the Earth 6. Men must break up their fallow Ground that they may abound in the Work of the Lord and be filled with the fruits of Kighteousness 1 Cor. 15. ult Psal 1.11 A fallow Ground is in a great measure unprofitable it bears Thorns and Thistles but a plowed and sowed Ground yields a good crop of Corn none do bear Fruit to God but those that are born again of the Word and Spirit and made Trees of Righteousness Isa 61.3 will be filled with the Fruits of Righteousness walk with and live to God Gen. 5.24 25. If our fallow Ground be not broken up our form of Godliness will wither and decay Thorns will famish and starve the good Seed that at last they will be twice dead pluck'd up by the Roots Jude 12. The Israelites that did not conquer and root out the Heathen Nations are said to dwell among the Canaanites Judg. 4.33 these did cut the Israelites short and much annoy them and keep them down so the natural crop of Thorns doth much annoy and hinder any good Seed that is cast in among them obstruct its growth that it neither roots deep nor springs up to any height 7. Men must Plow up their fallow ground that they may have a plentiful and joyful Harvest at last It is very desirable to sow to the Spirit and to reap Everlasting Life Gal. 6.5 To have our fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.22 to bear Fruit that will abound to our account Phil. 4.17 Tho' we have not evened with God and discharg'd our Debt yet God begins a new Account and writes himself Debtor to his People for their Fruits of Holiness and of Love Saints that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy they that go forth weeping bearing precious Seed shall come again with Joy and bring their Sheaves with them Psal 126.5 6. Though Religion may seem not only a barren and unprofitable but a hurtful thing in the Eye of the World yet at last there shall appear a vast difference between those that fear God and those that fear him not Malac. 3. ult when the Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father and the Tares shall burn in a Furnace of unquenchable Fire when Christ shall be glorified in the Salvation of the Saints and in the Destruction of the Wicked 2 Thess 1.10 Ezek. 25.22 Those that please God do sow in a fruitful Soil they will in this life receive a hundred fold notwithstanding Persecutions from the World and at last will inherit eternal joy and life Mark 10.30 9. If we plow not up our fallow Ground God may let loose dreadful and cruel Plowmen on us It is said Zion shall be plowed as a Field Micah 3. ult Enemies may plow on our Backs and make their Furrows both deep and long Psal 129.3 How have the Backs of Protestants been cruelty plowed in France for about Twelve Years last past God threatens in Hosea 10.11 that Judah should plow they should serve their Enemies in and under hard bondage I have been credibly inform'd that in Barbary some Christian Slaves have been put into Harnesses and being lockt in have been forced to plow the Ground God seems to allude to such a thing that Judah shall suffer as hard and grievous things as if he were put to Plow To draw God's Plow is beneficial and honourable Work but to draw mens Plow will be bitter and grinvous yea if you neglect to break up your fallow Ground God will plow your Souls make deep and long Furrows in Conscience to Eternity 10. Those that will not plow up their fallow Ground shall at last beg for an Alms of Mercy and be rejected The Sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold therefore shall he beg in Harvest and have nothing Spiritual Sluggards have many Excuses and Pretences to shift off this plowing Work but when the Harvest comes they will be in a very bad and woful state Solomon speaks of it as a great Evil for a Father to waste his Estate by evil Courses and to beget a Son and there is nothing in his hand Eccl. 5.14 he is Heir only to Poverty and Beggery But it is a great deal worse for a Man to be born into Eternity and to have no Good in his Hand in his Soul Those that toil about the World shall carry away nothing of their labour in their hand Eccles 5.15 but if you labour for God your Works will follow you Revel 14.13 and the sweet Fruit of them will be enjoy'd for ever But this is not the only Evil that spiritual Sluggards will have nothing of Good but God will thunder against them and rain fire and brimstone on them for working of Iniquity Psal 11.6 As when God was displeas'd with Israel he sent Thunder and Rain in Wheat-harvest 1â— â—â—n 12.17 18. So when Sluggards have vainly hoped to reap a Harvest of Happiness God will thunder against them pour down his Wrath and execute Vengeance on them How earnestly and importunately will Sluggards beg for Mercy but all in vain they will cry Lord Lord open to us Matt. 7.21 22 23. but He will profess that which is very contrary to their Professions and Hopes Then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity In the 13th of Luke v. 27. it is thus expressed Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity which intimates that Christ will be most just and impartial he will no more regard yea he will rather much more abhor workers of Iniquity than those without the Church both shall be disown'd and rejected by Jesus Christ These Sluggards will begin Harvest for some spiritual Bread for a Place in the Kingdom but they shall be thrust out and enjoy no Good to Eternity 10. It is a dreadful Curse denounced on the Ground of Mount Gilboa by David 2 Sam. 1.21 Let there be no fields of Offerings there that is let those Mountains never be sow'd or if sow'd let them be barren Let there be no fields of Offerings there The fine Flour was offer'd on the Altar to God of this the Meat-offering did consist Levit. 2.1 2. This was a great honour to the Creatures for Meat-offerings to be made to God of the fine Flour and Drink-offerings of Wine In this sense the Vine saith in Jotham's Parable that it did by its Wine chear the Heart of God Judg. 9.13 Now if it be a Curse on the Ground not to bear Wheat which will yield fine Flour fit to be offer'd to God how much sorer and more grievous Curse is it for the Souls of Men to be barren not to be plow'd and sow'd not to yield any Fruit that may be offer'd to God and that he can