disposition against each other which opposition is both a formal and an effective opposition There are two contrary forms to men in every Saint Col. 3. 9 10. From hence an effective opposition must needs follow for as things are in their natures and principles so they are in their operations and effects workings alwayes follow beings fire and water are of contrary qualities and when they meet they effectively oppose each other Sin and grace are so opposite that if sin should cease to oppose grace it would cease to be sin and if grace should not oppose sin it would cease to be grace And this doth much more endanger the work of grace than any other enemy it hath because it works against it more inwardly constantly and advantagiously than any thing else can do 1 More inwardly for it hath its being and working in the same soul where grace dwells yea in the self same fame faculties so that is not only sets one faculty against another but the same faculty against it self the understanding against the understanding and the will against the will so that ye cannot do the good nor yet the evil that ye would not the good that ye would because when the spirit moves to good and beats upon the heart by divine pulsations exciting it to duty the flesh crosses and opposes it there and if it cannot totally hinder the performance of a duty yet it lames the soul upon the working hand whereby the performance is not so spiritual free and composed as it desires nor yet the evil that you would commit if grace were not there because when lust stirs in its first motions grace puts a rub in its way How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. And if it cannot which for the most part it doth hinder the acting of sin yet it so engages the will against it that it is not committed with complacency and full consent Rom. 7. 15. What I do I allow not 2 It opposes it more constantly it 's like a continual drooping a man can no more flie from this enemy than from himself There is a time when the devil leaves tempting Mat. 4. 11. but no time when corruption ceases from working And lastly it opposes grace more advantagiously than any other enemy can do for it is not only alwayes in the same soul with it but it is there naturally it hath the advantage of the soyl which suits with it And yet oh the wonder of free grace it is not swallowed up in victory it escapes this hazard But 2ly it soon meets with another though it escape this even by temptations which strike desperately at the very life of it for these like the weeds with seemingly loving imbraces clasp about it and did not the faithful God now make a way to escape instead of an Harvest we should have an heap For alas what are we to wrestle with principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Lastly sad relapses like blasts and rustings do often fade and greatly endanger it when it 's even ready for the Harvest Thus it fell out with David whose last wayes were not like his first and yet by this these holy fruits are not utterly destroyed because it is the seed of God and so is immortal 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. and also because the promises of perseverance and victory made to it cannot be frustrated amongst which these are excellent Isa. 54. 10. Ier. 34. 40. 1 Cor 1. 8. Psal. 1. 3. Psal. 125. 1. Ioh. 4. 14. So that here is matter of unspeakable comfort though the flesh say Ego deficiam I will fail thee though the world say Ego decipiam I will deceive thee though the devil say Ego eripiam I will snatch thee away yet as long as Christ saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee thy graces are secure in the midst of all these enemies REFLECTIONS THis soul of mine was once plowed up by conviction and sown as I thought with the seed of God In those dayes many purposes and good resolutions began to chink and bud forth promising a blessed Harvest But O! with what consternation and horror should I speak it the cares and pleasures of this life the lusts and corruptions of my base heart springing up have quite destroyed and choakt it by which it appears it was not the seed of God as I then imagined it to be and now my expected Harvest shall be an heap in the day of grief and desperate sorrow Isa. 17. 11. I had convictions but they are gone troubles for sin conscience of duties but all is blasted and my soul is now as a barren field which God hath cursed Wo is me I have revolted from God and now that dreadful word Ier. 17. 5 6. is evidently fulfilled upon me For I am like the heath in the desart that seeth not when good cometh my soul inhabits the parched places of the wilderness Alas all my formal and heartless duties were but as so many scare-crows in the field which could not defend these slight workings from being devoured by the infernal fowls Had these principles been the seed of God no doubt they would have continued and overcome the world 1 Ioh. 2. 19. Wretched soul thy case is sad it will be better with the uncultivated wilderness than with such a miscarrying soyl unless the great Husbandman plow thee up the second time and sow thy heart with better seed And are the corruptions of my heart to grace what fowls weeds and mildews are to the corn O what need have I then to watch my heart and keep it with all diligence for in the life of that grace is wrapt up the life of my soul. He that carries a candle in his hand in a blustring stormy night had need to cover it close lest it be blown out and he left in darkness O let me never say God hath promised it shall persevere and therefore I need not be so solicitous to preserve it for as this inference is quite opposite to the nature of true grace and assurance which never incourage to carelessness but provoke the soul to an industrious use of means to preserve it So it is in it self an irrational and sensless conclusion which will never follow from any Scripture promise for although it is readily granted that God hath made many comfortable and sweet promises to the graces of his people yet we must expect to enjoy the benefits blessings of all those promises in that way and order in which God hath promised them and that is in the careful and diligent use of those means which he hath prescribed Ezek. 36. 36 37. for promises do not exclude but imply the use of means Act. 27. 31. I know my life is determined to a day to an hour and I shall live out every minute God hath appointed but yet I am bound to provide food raiment and physick to preserve it To
when shall I return rejoyceing bringing my sheaves with me Their harvest comes when they receive their corn mine comes when I leave it O much desired harvest O day of the gladness of my heart How long Lord How long Here I wait as the poor man Bethesda's pool looking when my turn will come but every one steps into heaven before me yet Lord I am content to wait till my time be fully come I would be content to stay for my glorification till I have finisht the work of my generation and when I have done the will of God then to receive the promise If thou have any work on earth to use me in I am content to abide Behold the Husbandman waiteth and so will I for thou art a God of judgement and blessed are are all they that wait for thee But how doth my sloathful soul sink down into the flesh and settle it self in the love of this animal life How doth it hug and wrap up it self in the garment of this mortality not desiring to be removed hence to the more perfect and blessed state The Husbandman indeed is content to stay till the appointed weeks of the Harvest but would he be content to wait alwayes O my sensual heart is this life of hope as contentful to thee as the life of vision will be Why dost thou not groan within thy self that this mortality might be swallowed up of life Doth not the scripture describe the Saints by their earnest looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus unto eternal life Iude 21. By their hastening unto the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3. 12. What is the matter that my heart hangs back doth guilt lye upon my conscience Or have I gotten into a pleasant condition in the world which makes me say as Peter on the Mount It 's good to be here Or want I the assurance of a better state Must God make all my earthly comforts die before I shall be willing to die Awake Faith awake my Love heat up the drowzy desires of my soul that I may say make hast my Beloved and come away The Poem NO prudent Husbandman expects the fruit of what he sows Till every cause have its effects and then he reaps and mows He works in hope the year throughout and counts no labour lost If when the season comes about His harvest quits his cost This rare example justly may rebuke and put to shame My soul which sows its seed one day and looks to reap the same Is cursed nature now become so kind a soyl to grace That to perfection it should come within so short a space Grace springs not up with speed and ease like mushrooms in a night But rather by degrees increase as doth the morning light Is corn so dear to Husbandmen much more is heaven to me Why should not I have patience then to wait as well as he To promises appointed years by God's decrees are set These once expir'd beyond its fears my soul shall quickly get How small a part of hasty time Which quickly will expire Doth me within this world confine and then comes my desire Come Lord how long my soul hath gasp'd faith my affections warms O when shall my poor â—oul be clasp'd in its redeemers arms The time seems long yet here I 'le lye till thou my God do call It is enough eternity will make amends for all CHAP. XIX Corn fully ripe is reap'd and gather'd in So must your selves when ripe in grace or sin OBSERVATION VVHen the fields are white to harvest then Husbandmen walk through them rub the ears and finding the grain full and solid they presently prepare their Sithes and Sickles send for their harvestmen who quickly reap and mow them down and after these follow the binders who stitch it up from the field where it grew it 's carried to the Barn where it is threshed out the good grain gathered into an heap the chaff separated and burnt or thrown to the dunghil how bare and naked do the fields look after harvest which before were pleasant to behold When the harvest men enter into the field it is to allude to that Ioel 2. 3. before them like the garden of Eden and behind them a desolate wilderness and in some places its usual to set fire to the dry stubble when the corn is housed which rages furiously and covers it all with ashes APPLICATION THe Application of this I find made to my hands by Christ himself in Mat. 13. 38 39. The field is the world the good seed are the Children of the kingdom the tares are the children of the wicked one the enemy that sowed them is the devil the harvest is the end of the world the reapers are the Angels The field is the world there both the godly and ungodly live and grow together till they be both ripe and then they shall both be reaped down by death death is the Sickle that reaps down both I will open this Allegory in the following particulars In a catching harvest when the Husbandman sees the clouds begin to gather and grow black he hurries in his corn with all possible hast and houses day and night So doth God the great Husbandman he hurries the Saints into their graves when judgments are coming upon the world Isa. 57. 1. The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come Methusalah died the year before the flood Augustine a little before the sacking of Hippo Pareus just before the taking of Heidleberge Luther a little before the Wars brake out in Germany but what speak I of single Saints Sometimes the Lord houses great numbers together before some sweeping judgement comes How many bright and glorious stars did set almost together within the compass of a few years to the astonishment of many wise and tender hearts in England I find some of them ranked in a Funeral Elegy The learned Twisse went first it was his right Then holy Palmer Burroughs Love Gouge White Hill Whitaker grave Gataker and Strong Perâ—e Marshal Robinson all gone along I have not nam'd them half their only strife Hath been of late who should first part with life These few who yet survive sick of this age Long to have done their parâ—s and leave the stage The Lord sees it better for them to be under ground than above ground and therefore by a merciful providence sets them out of harms way Neither the corn or tares can possibly resist the sharp and keen Sickle when it 's applyed to them by the reâ—pers hand neither can the godly or ungodly resist the stroke of death when God inflicts it Ecclis 8. 8. No man can keep alive his own soul in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war The frail body of man is as
way of dispute the Emperour hearing of their arrival while they were yet in the Harbour and not a man landed caused the Ships to be fired wherein they were and so consumed them all Not long after in his Wars against the Goths he was overthrown and hiding himself in a little Cottage the enemy coming by burnt in and him together Thus this wretch reap'd what he sowed burning for burning the very same in kind paid him again it is not alwayes so in this world but so it shall be in that to come the Table shall then be turned and the Scene altered for shall not the Iudge of all the world do righteously Diogenes was tempted to think that God had cast off the government of the world when he saw the wicked prosper in their wickedness On the same ground many have been tempted to Atheism but then the world shall see distributive justice shining out in its glory Tribulation anguish and wrath to every soul of man that doth evil but glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good Rom. 2. 9 10. Then 't will appear what seed we sowed what lives we lived for God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evil Eccles. 12. 14. REFLECTIONS THis Meditation may be to me what the hand-writing upon the wall was to that profane Prince Dan. 5. 5 6. and a like effect it should have upon me for if all the actions of this life be seed sown for the next Lord what a crop what a dreadful harvest am I like to have how many oaths and curses lyes and vain words have I sown with my tongue how have I wronged oppressed and over-reached in my dealings rushed into all profaneness drunkenness uncleanness Sabbath-breaking c. as the horse rusheth into the battel and what shall I reap from such seed as this but vengeance and fury These sins seemed pleasant in the commission but O how bitter will they be in their account What shall I do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him Iob 31. 14. It is not reasonable and just O my soul that thou shouldest eat the fruit of thine own planting and reap what thou hast sown I thought nothing but profit and pleasure would spring from my lusts but now I see 't is a root bearing gall and wormwood Deut. 29. 18. Wretched soul what shall I do if these actions be not then am I undone I have been the author of mine own ruin ' twisted an halter with mine own fingers for the execution of mine own soul O let me rather taste the bitterness of sin by repentance now that enjoy its present pleasures which betray the soul to endless wrath How have I also been deceived in this matter I verily thought that glory and immortality would have been the fruit and product of my moral honesty and righteousness that joy and peace had been seminally contained in those actions but now I see such fruit can spring from no other root but special grace Glory is disclosed from no other bud but holiness Alas all my planting and sowing was to little purpose because I sowed not the right kind of seed the best fruit I can expect from this is but a lesser degree of damnation Deluded soul thy seed is no better than what the moral Heathens sowed and do I expect better fruit than what they reaped Civility without Christ is but a freer slavery and Satan holds me as fast in captivity by this as he doth the prophane by the pleasure of their lusts either I must sow better seed or look to reap bitter fruit Mean while bless the Lord O my soul who inabled thee to sow better seed who kept thee watching humbling thy self and praying whilst others have been swearing drinking and blaspheming This will yield thee the fruit of joy in the world to come yea it already yields present peace to thy conscience These revenues are better than gold sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb not that such fruits are meritoriously contained in these actions I sow to my self in righteousness but I reap in mercy Hos. 10. 12. This is the way in which God will save and glorifie me O then let me be ever abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that my labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. The Poem 'T Would be a strange and monstrous thing the see Cherries or Plums grow on an apple Tree Who ever gather'd from the thistle Figs Or fruitful Grapes from off the worthless twigs Of pricking thorns in nature still we find All its productions answering to their kind As are the Plants we set or seeds we sow Such is the fruit we shake and corn we mow And canst thou think that from corruptions root Thy soul shall pluck the sweet and pleasant fruit Of spiritual peace who ever that was wise Abus'd himself with such absurdities Look what you sow the very same you 'l reap The fruit of what you plant be sure you 'l eat How are they baffled by a subtil devil That hope for heaven whilst their wayes are evil Such reasonings here their credulous souls beguil At which in other things themselves would smile Our present acts though slightly passed by Are so much seed sown for eternity The seeds of prayers secret groans and tears Will shoot at last into the full blown ears Of peace and joy Blessed are they that sow Beside these waters yea thrice blest that go Bearing such precious seed though now they mourn With joyful sheaves they shortly shall return Needs must the full ripe fruits in heaven be good When as the seed was glory in the bud But O the bitter baneful fruits of sin When all the pleasure sinners have therein Like faded blossoms to the ground shall fall Then they will taste the wormwood and the gall What God and conscience now of sin report You slight and with their dreadful threatnings sport But he 'l convince you then your wayes were naught As Gideon the men of Succoth taught If Sermons cannot fire and brimstone must Teach men how good it is to pamper lust When conscience takes thee by the throat and cryes Now wretch now sinner thou that didst despise My warnings learn and ever learning be That Lesson which thou ne're wouldst learn of me The stoutest sinner then will howl and roar O sin I never saw thy face before Is this the fruit of sin is this the place Where I must lye is this indeed the case Of my poor soul must I be bound in chains With these companions Oh is this the gains I get by sin poor wretch I that would never See this before am now undone for ever CHAP. XVIII Great is the joy of Harvest men yet less Than theirs whom God doth with his favour bless OBSERVATION AMong all earthly joyes these four sorts are
blessed Gospel heart dissolving voice I have felt thine efficacy I have experienced thy divine and irresistible power thou art indeed sharper than any two edged sword and woundest to the heart but thy wounds are the wounds of a friend All the wounds thou hast made in my soul were so many doors opened to let in Christ all the blows thou gavest my consciences were but to beat off my soul from sin which I embraced and had retained to my everlasting ruine hadst thou not separated them and me O wise and merciful Phyâ—â—â—ian thou didst indeed bind me with cords of conviction and sorrow but it was only to cut out that stone in my heart which had killed me if it had continued there O how did I struggle and oppose thee as if thou hadst come with the sword of an enemy rather than the lancâ— and probe of a skilful and tender hearted Physician Blessed by the day wherein my sin was discovered and imbittered O happy sorrows which prepared for such matchless joyes O blessed hand which turned my salt waters into pleasant wine and after many pangs and sorrows of souâ— didst â—ring forth the man child of deliverance and peace 〈◊〉 But O what a Rock of Adamant is this 〈◊〉 of mine that never yet was wounded and savingly pierced for 〈◊〉 the terrors of the Law or melting voice of the Gospel long have I sate-under the word but when did I feel a relenting pang O my soul my stupified soul thou hast got an Antidote against repentance but hast thou any against â—ell thou canst keep out the sense of sin now but art thou able to keep off the terrors of the Lord hereafter If thou couldst turn a deaf ear to the sentence of Christ in the day of judgment as easily as thou dost to the intreaties of Christ in the day of grace it were somewhat but surely there is no defence against that Ah fool that I am to quench these convictions unless I knew how to quench those flames tâ—ey warn me of And may not I challenge the first place among all the mourners in the world who have lost all those convictions which at several times came upon me under the word I have been often awakened by it and filled with terrors and tremblings under it but those troubles have soon worn off again and my heart like water removed from the fire return'd to its native coldness Lord what a dismal case am I in Many convictions have I choaked and strangled which it may be shall never more be revived until hou revive them against me in judgment I have been in pangs and brought forth nothing but wind my troubles have wrought no deliverance neither have my lusts fallen before them my conscience indeed hath been sometimes sick with sin yea so sick as to vomit them up by an external partial reformation but then with the dog have I returned again to my vomit and now I doubt am given over to an heart that cannot repent Oh that those travelling pangs could be quickened again but alas they are ceased I am like a prisoner escaped and again recovered whom the Iaylor loads with double Irons Surely O my soul if thy spiritual troubles return not again they are but gone back to bring eternal troubles It is with thee O my soul as with a man whose bones have been broken and not well set who must how terrible soever it appear to him endure the pain of breaking and setting them again if ever he be made a sound man O that I might rather chuse to be the Object of thy wounding mercy than of thy sparing cruelty if thou plow not up my heart again by compunction I know it must be rent in pieces at last by desperation The Poem THere 's skill in plowing that the Plowman knows For if too shallow or too deep he goes The seed is either buried or else my To â—ooks and Daws become an easie prey This as a lively emblem fitly may Describe the blessed spirits work and way Whose work on souls with this doth symbolize Betwixt them both thus the resemblance lyes Souls are the soyl conviction is the plow Gods workmen draw the spirit shews them how He guides the work and in good ground doth bless His workmens paines with sweet and fair success The heart prepar'd he scatters in the seed Which in it's season springs no fowl nor weed Shall pick it up or choak this springing coâ—n Till it be housed in the heavenly barn When thus the spirit plows up the â—allow ground When with such fruits his servants work is crown'd Let all the friends of Christ and soul say now As they pass by these fields God speed the plow Sometimes this plow thin shelfy ground doth turn That little seed which springs the Sun-beams burn The rest uncovered lies which fowls devour Alas their hearts were touched but not with power The cares and pleasures of this world have drown'd The seed before it peep'd above the ground Some springs indeed the scripture saith that some Do taste the powers of the world to come These Embroy's never come to timely birth Because the seed that 's sown wants depth of earth Turn up O God the bottom of my heart And to the seed that 's sown do thou impart Thy choicest blessing Though I weep and mourn In this wet seed-time if I may return With sheaves of joy these fully will reward My paines and sorrows be they ne're so hard CHAP. VIII The Choicest wheat is still reserv'd for seed But gracious principles are Choice indeed OBSERVATION HUsbandmen are very careful and curious about their Seed-corn that it may not only be clean and pure but the best and most excellent in its kind Isa. 28. 25. He easteth in the principal Wheat If any be more full and weighty than other that is reserved for Seed 'T is usual with Husbandmen to pick and lease their Seed-corn by hand that they may separate the Cockel and Darnel and all the lighter and hollow grains from it wherein they manifest their discretion for according to the vigor and goodness of the Seed the fruit and production is like to be APPLICATION THe choice and Principal Seed-corn with which the fields are sowed after they are prepared for it doth admimirably shadow forth those excellent principles of grace infused into the regenerate soul. Their agreement as they are both seed is obvious in the ten following particulars and their excellency above other principles in seven more The earth at first naturally brought forth Corn and every Seed yielding fruit without humane industry but since the curse came upon it it must be plowed and sowed or no fruit can be expected So man at first had all the principles of holiness in his nature but now they must be infused by regeneration or else his nature is as void of holiness as the barren and
soul who gave thee a season a day for eternal life which is more than he hath done for thousands yea bless the Lord for giving thee an heart to understand and improve that season I confess I have not improved it as I ought yet this I can through mercy say that how ever it fare in future times with my outward man though I have no treasures or stores laid up on earth or if I have they are but corruptible yet I have a blessed hope laid up in heaven Col. 1. 5. I have bags that wax not old Whilst worldlings rejoyce in their stores and heaps I will rejoyce in these eternal treasures The Poem OBserve in Summers sultry heat how in the hottest day The Husbandman doth toyl and sweat about his Corn and Hay If then he should not reap and mow and gather in his store How should he live when for the snow he can't move out of door The little Ants and painful Bees by natures instinct led These have their Summer granaries for Winter furnished But thou my soul whose Summers day is almost past and gone What soul-provision dost thou lay in stock to spend upon If nature teacheth to prepare for temporal life much rather Grace should provoke to greater care soul food in time to gather Dayes of affliction and distress are hasting on apace If now I live in carelessness how sad will be my case Unworthy of the name of man who for that soul of thine Wil t not do that which others can do for their very kine Think frugal Farmers when you see your mows of Corn and Hay What a conviction this will be to you another day Who ne're were up before the Sun nor break an hours rest For your poor souls as you have done so often for a beast Learn once to see the difference betwixt eternal things And these poor transient things of sence that fly with eagles wings CHAP. XVII When from Tare seeds you see choice Wheat to grow Then from your lusts may joy and comfort flow OBSERVATION GOd gives to every seed it s own body 1 Cor. 15. 38. At first he created every Tree and herb of the field having its seed in it self for the conservation of the species and they all inviolably observe the Law of their Creation All fruits naturally rise out of the seeds and roots proper to them Men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles Such productions would be monstrous in nature and although the juice or sap of the earth be the common matter of all kind of fruits yet it is specificated according to the different sorts of Plants and seeds it nourishes Where Wheat is sown it 's turned into Wheat in an apple Tree it becomes an apple and so in every sort of Plants or seeds it 's concocted into fruit proper to the kind APPLICATION TRanslate this into spirituals and the proposition shadowed forth by it is fully expressed by the Apostle Gal. 6. 7. What a man sows that shall be reap they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption and they that sow to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting And as sure as the harvest follows the seed-time so sure shall such fruits and effects result from the seeds of such actions He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity Prov. 22. 8. And they that now go forth weeping and bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoycing bringing their sheaves with them Psal. 126. 5. The sum of all is this That our present actions have the same respect and relation to future rewards and punishments as the seed we sow in our fields hath to the harvest we reap from it Every gracious action is the seed of joy and every sinful action the seed of anguish and sorrow to the soul that sowed it Two things are sensibly presented to us in this â—imilitude That as the seed sown is presently covered from our sight under the clods and for some time after we see no more of it and yet at last it appears again by which it's evident to us that it is not finally lost So our present actions though physically transient and perhaps forgotten yet are not lost but after a time shall appear again in order to a retribution If this were not so all good and holy actions would be to the loss of him that performed them All the self-denial spending duties and sharp sufferings of the people of God would turn to their damage though not in point of honesty yet in point of personal utility and then also what difference would there be betwixt the actions of a man and a beast with respect to future good or evil yea man would then be more feared and obeyed than God and souls be swayed in all their motions only by the influence of present things and where then would Religion be found in the world 'T is an excellent note of Drexellius Our works saith he do not pass away as soon as they are done but as seed sown shall after a time rise up to all eternity whatever we think speak or do once spoken thought or done is eternal and abides for ever What Zeuxes the famous Limner said of his work may be truly said of all our works Aeternitati pingo I paint for eternity O how careful should men be of what they speak and do whilst they are commanded so to speak and so to do as those that shall be judged by the perfect law of liberty Iam. 2. 12. What more transient than a vain word and yet for such words men shall give an account in the day of judgment Mat. 12. 36. That 's the first thing Actions like seed shall rise and appear again in order to a retribution The other thing held forth in this similitude is That according to the nature of our actions now will be the fruit and reward of them then Though the fruit or consequence of holy actions for the present may seem bitter and the fruit of sinful actions sweet and pleasant yet there is nothing more certain that that their future fruits shall be according to their present nature and quality 2 Cor. 5. 10. Then Dionisius shall retract that saying Ecce quam prospera navigatio a Deo datur sacrilegis Behold how God favours our sacriledge Sometimes indeed though but rarely God causes sinners to reap in this world the same that they have sown as hath been their sin such hath been their punishment It was openly confessed by Adonibezek Iudg. 1. 7. as I have done so hath God requited me Socrates in his Church History furnishes us with a pertinent passage to this purpose concerning Valens the Emperor who was an Arrian and a bitter persecutor of the Christians This man when eighty of the Orthodox Christians failed from Constantinople to Nicomedia to treat with him about the points of Arrianism and to settle the matter by
full fill carnal hearts with joy 156. Some have no Barns yet much joy 156 Beasts their bondage by sin 205 206 Blastings incident to Corn 115 Buildings where â—rected 5 C Capacity of beasts how narrow 208 Chaâ—â— grows with Wheat its usefulness to itâ— its worthlessness in it self its separation from the Corn 167 168 Corn cannot resist the Sickle 131. Received into the Reapers bosom 131. Corn not to be reaped till ripe signs when it is so 132 133. Crop the first usually best 10 D Death of seeds how to be understood 101 Deeds for estates how carefully proved and preserved 226 Diligence the thriving way 24 Diligence a credit to men 25 Disappointments grievous to Husbandman 6 Dressing of ground 4 Drought follows a glut of rain 85 E Ease how little the beasts have 207 Enclosures the end of them 3 End of all Husbandry 7 Estates increased and preserved how 26 Expectation of Harvest 122. the grounds and incouragements of it 124 125 F Famine occasioned by drought 90. Its effects terrible 91 92 Fowls enemies to seed 155 Frosts conduce to a good Harvest how 72 Fruits shaken and when 186 187 G Gathering in of fruit the Emblem of the end of the world 186 187 Graffing the manner of it shewn 180 Graffs their danger till they take hold of the stock 181 All do not thrive alike in the stock 183 H Harvest the joy thereof described 158 159 Harvest when catching what Husbandmen do 130 Hâ—rrow its use in Husbandry 72 Hâ—dges their use 4 Hâ—alth preserved by labour 56 Horses how carefully fed and dressed 200 Husbandmen their work spending 1â— yet have some resting dayes 20 I Influences of heaven necessary to produce and ripen fruits 81 82 â—oy natural four of it 152 153 Ioy of Harvest the causes and grounds of it 154 155 156 157 Ioy of Harvest but a gift of common providence 155 L Labourers their bands sufficient for them and theirs 8 Land when spent how recovered 45 Labours of Husbandmen ends at and sometimes before death 21. It sweetens their bed 26 Lost Cattel how recovered 210 211 M Mowing when and what it represents 138 Multiplicity of work and workâ—men in Husbandry 7 18 Miry places barren 54. What causes Mire 55 N Natural and natural causes what 81 Negligence in Summer upon presumption of fair weather a folly 142 O Occasion to be eyed by Husbandmen 140 Opportunities of plowing sowing reaping once lost irrecoverable for that year 140 141 P Pleasure much in Husbandry 31 Plowing requires judgement 63. 'T is hard work 84 Plow rends the earth discovers things hid under the surface 65 Plowing a preparatory and respective work 66. It kills weeds 67. best after rain 67 Plow-man must make no baulks in good ground 67 Posterity to be provided for 221 Poverty when extream a snare 39 Providence in Husbandmen commendable 139 R Rain is from heaven falls by divine appointment great difference in it warm rain most beneficial former and latter both needful obtained by prayer 82 83 84 85 Reaping the fit season thereof 129 S Seed-corn how qualified and prepared 71. Advantaged by early sowing 72 much vigour in a small seed 73 Seeds produce their own kind 146 Springing of seeds and plants whence 81 82. cannot be hindred when the time comes 102 Sowing done in hope and in season 102 Stalk potentially in a small seed 73 Summer why appointed 141 T Tares their resemblance to wheat 108 Threshing the ancient manner of it 160 the use and end of it 161 Threshing corn what is resembles 162 Trees when dead cut down 192 Trees how laden with fruit 186 187 as they leaned so they fall 194 V Valleys most fruitful 10 Variable weather in Harvest 141 Ungraffed fruit harsh 147. The cause thereof 176 Vexation to Husbandmen to be â—indred in their business 9 Union with the graff and stock 180 W Weariness of labourers at night 7 Weeds pernicious to Corn 115 Winnowing its use and end 165 166 Winter sweetned by Summers providence 142 A ACtions eternal in their effects Page 147 148 Account of Ministers great 8 Afflictions parallel'd with threshing in five things 160 161 c. Afflicted Saints Reflections 163 Apostates Reflections 69 118 B Barrenness the Christians reproach 12 Its causes 55. its danger 56 57 58 Beauty of glorified bodies 103 Body of man its noble structure commodious scituation and excellent configuration 207 Business of a Christian and of the Husbandman parallel'd in four things 18 19 20 C Carelesness reproved by the worldlings deligence 143 Caius Marâ—us Victorius his strange conversion 144 Duke of Condy his rare saying 123 Censorious persons reproved 111 Church Gods â—ee 5. how purchased 3. how dressed 4. what expected from it 6. its dignities 11 Christ a sufficient portion to the poor 156 Childrens souls neglected how sinful 201 202 Comforts for declining Christians 48 49 Competency best for Christians 37 38 39 40 Conviction parallel'd with plowing in nine particulars 64 65 66 67 Conversion in old age a wonder 144 D Declining of grace how far 46 47 Deceived souls their reflections 78 Death and reaping parallel'd in five things 131 132 Decayes in grace lamented 137 Diligence in religion honourable safe beneficial and comfortable 25 26 Delight spiritual whence it flows 32 33 Discouragement should not seize on Ministers though they see no present fruit 46 47 Disobedient Children their sin aggravated 203 E Earthly employments suit earthly hearts 33 Elezarius his excellent saying to his wife 122 Elect souls Reflection 190 Examination of our selves needful 166 Example of the multitude no plea 189 Evidences for heaven and Land compared in seven things 24 F Famine spiritual the sorest of judgements 91 92. 93. 94 95 Few saved and their Emblem in nature 188 189 Feeding beasts their plenty and liberty 216 Formalists Reflections 60 196 G Gifts how excelled by grace 74 75 76 Gospel its first entertainment best 10 Removed by reason of barrenness 11 Grace carried through many dangers 116 117 118 Gracious principles parallel'd with seed 71 72 73 Gracious and growing souls Reflections 42 77 136 H Harvest of glory what and when 125 Healthful Christians Reflection 104 Humble hearers profit most 10 Hypocrisie parallel'd with chaff 166 167. It acts like grace 109 110 111 112 Hypocrites their Reflections 34 41 169 Hypocrites inside opened at death 195 I Ignorance inexcusable in Husbandmen 14 15 Ioy spiritual how excellent 153 154. 'T is perfected when natural joy is finished 154. Peculiar mercies the grounds of it 155. God its object 155 Ingratitude for the mercy of our creation how great at sin 206 207 208 L Learning no plea before God 177 Lingring Saints Reflection 127 Longing for heaven what and by whom 126 Lost sinners parallel'd with Straying Cattel in five particulars 211 212 Lycurgus his Law for Parents what 203 M Maintenance due to Ministers 8 Maturity of grace three signs of it 133 Maturity of sin six signs of it 134 135 Ministers must be
awakening to consider the state of their souls whether in grace or in nature to others for their instruction consolation and encouragement in the wayes of grace as also of their proficiency and growth in those wayes That the blessing of the Lord and the breathings of his good Spirit may go out with it for all those gracious purposes is the hearts desire and prayer of him who is Christian Reader A sincere well-wisher to thy precious and immortal soul IOSEPH CARYL To his Reverend and learned Friend Mr. Iohn Flavell on his Spiritual Navigation and Husbandry LEtters of Mart of his dear Servant given By him that fists the ruffling winds of heaven To fight and take all such as would not daign T' acknowledge him the Seas great Soveraign He lanch'd his little Pinace and began T'attaque the vassals of Leviathan Auspicious gales swelling his winged Sails Searches all creeks and every Bark he hails That scarce a Ship our Western Coasts afford Which this brave Pinace hath not laid aboard And what among our riddles some might count Was seen at once at Barwick and the Mount Yea in more Ports hath in one lustre been Than Hawkins Drake or Cavendish have seen And Prizes of more worth brought home again Than all the Plate-Fleets of the Kings of Spain But that which makes the wonder swell the more Those whom he took were Beggars all before But rests he here No no our friend doth know 'T is good to have two strings unto his Bow Our rare Amphibion loves not to be pent Within the bounds of one poor Element Besides the learned Author understood That of an idle hand there comes no good The Law to him no Pulpit doth allow And now he cannot Preach he means to Plow Though Preaching were a crime yet the foresaw Against the Plowman there could be no Law Nor stayes he on resolves but out of hand He yoaks his Teem plows up the stubborn Land Sows it with precious Seed harrows again The tougher clods takes pleasure in his pain Whilst Orph'us like which doth his Art advance Rocks Fields and Woods after his pipe do dance Industrious spirit to what a rich account With thy blest Lord will all these labours mount That every nerve of thy blest soul dost ply To further heavens Spiritual Husbandry This kind of Tillage which thou teachest us Was never dreamt of by Triptolemus Go Reader turn the leaves and me allow To pray whilst at thy work God speed the Plow NICHOLAS WATTS In Authoris OPERA LEt Paracelsius and Van-Helmonts name No more ride triumph on the wings of fame Lo here 's a Chymist whose diviner skill Doth hallowed from unhallow'd things distil Spiritualizeth Sea affairs agen Makes the rude ground turn Tutor unto men Shews Mariners as by a Compass how They may unto the Port of Glory row Teacheth the Plowmen from their work to know What duties unto God and man they ow. Rare Artist who when many tongues are mute Mak'st things that are inanimate confute The Ages sins by preaching unto eyes Truths which in other modes their ears despise Prosper his pious Labours Lord howe'r Do not forget to crown the labourer Sic raptim canit DAN CONDY To his Reverend and Invaluable Friend Mr. I. F. upon his Husbandry Spiritualized INgenious Sir what do I see what now Are you come from the Pulpit to the Plow If so then pardon me if I profess The Plow deserves to be sent to the Press 'T is not long since you went to Sea they say Compos'd a Compass which directs the way And steers the course to heaven O blest Art And bravely done that you did that impart To us who take it kindly at your hand And bless the Lord that you are come to Lord. To be an Husbandman wherein your skill With admiration doth your Readers fill One grain will yield increase it 's ten times ten When th' earth's manur'd by such Husbandmen We may expect rich harvests and full crops When heavenly dew descendeth in such drops Of spiritual rain to water every field That it full helps of grace to God may yield I must adore the wisdom of that God That makes men wise who even from a clod Of earth can raise such heavenly Meditation Unto a pitch of highest elevation Besides I mark the goodness of the Lord Performing unto us his faithful Word That all shall work for good unto the Saints Which in some measure lessens our complaints For though our Pulpit mercies be grown less We have some gracious helps yet from the Press And herein all the world may plainly see That faithful servants will not idle be We have some bricks although the straw be gone The Church at last shall be of polisht stone What ever men or Devils act or say Sion at last will have a glorious day The wretched muck-worm that from morn to night Labours as if 't were for an heavenly weight And when he hath got all he can the most Amounts to little more than a poor crust To feed his tired carkase if himself Have by his carking got a little pelf Leave it he must to one he knows not whom And then must come to eternal doom And hear his poor neglected wretched soul Tell him at last that he hath play'd the fool But here he 's taught how he before he dye May lay up treasure for eternity Wherein he may be rich yea much much more Than they that do possess whole mines of Oar. When earth 's more worth than heaven gold than grace Then let the worldling run his bruitish race But not before unless he do intend To meet with soul-destruction in the end But I must leave him and return again To gratulate the author for his pain And here I can't forbear to let my pen To tell the world of all the Husbandmen That er'e I met he he hath hit the vein To recompense the Labourers hard pain And taught him how to get the greatest gain Wherein he treads a path not trod before By which indeed his skill appears the more I might Encomiums give him great and true And yet come short of what 's his due But I must not walk in forbidden wayes For thereby I am sure I should displease His pious mind who doth and freely can Give all the praise to the great Husbandman Who will his graces in his servants own But doth expect himself to wear the Crown Farewel dear Sir In take my leave and now Will say no more but this God speed the plow EDWARD IEFFERY Reader this Emblem darkly represents The Books chief scope and principall contents Yet since these Birds Beasts Heart Stone String and Tree Doe more imply than at first glance you see Our courteous Muse which cannot be unkinde Intends more plainly to divulge her minde You see the Shadows would you see the Things She couches under them then view her Wings A gracious heart here learns the art Of soaring up on high Upon the Wings
only to be found If these fruits lay upon the surface of duty or could be had with wishes I should not want them but to dig deep and take pains I cannot My desires like those of the sloathful man kill me because my hands refuse to labour Pro. 21. 25. If every duty were to be rewarded presently with gold would I not have been more assiduous in them than I have been And yet I know that a heart full of the grace and comfort of the holy Ghost is better than a house full of gold and silver O what a composition of stupidity and sloth am I I have been all for the short cut to comfort when constant experience teacheth that the farther way about by painful duty is the nearest way to it What pains do Husbandmen take what perils do Seamen run for a little gain O sluggiâ—h heart wilt thou do nothing for eternal treasures Secondly if there be such great rewards attending diligence in duty then why art thou so apt O my soul to cast off duty because thou findest not present comfort in it how quickly am I discouraged if I presently find not what I expect in duty Whereas the Well is deep and much pains must be taken to draw up those waters of joy Isa. 12. 3. there is a golden vein in the mount of duty but it lyes deep and because I meet not with it as soon as I expect my lazy heart throws by the shovel and cryes Dig I cannot Thirdly if this be indeed the rich and thriving trade why do I peddle about the poor low things of the world so much neglecting the rich trade of godliness for it O how much of my time and strength have these things devoured Had I imployed that time in communion with God would it not have turn'd to a better account Think'st thou in earnest O my soul that God hath indowed thee with such excellent faculties capable of the most divine and heavenly imployments or that Iesus Christ hath shed his invaluably precious bloud or that he hath sent forth the glorious spirit of holiness and all this to fit men for no higher or nobler imployments than these Is this the end of thy wonderful creation Doth God whirl about the heavens in endless revolutions to beget time for this or doth he not rather expect that the weightiest work should engross thy greatest strength and choicest hours O that I could once consider what a good Master Christians serve who will not only abundantly reward them at night but brings them their food into the field to incourage them in their labour What pity is it that so good a Master should be so badly served as he hath been by me Heark how he pleads to gain my heart The POEM by way of Dialogue betwixt Christ and the world CHRIST O Why so free of sweat and time For what e're long will not be thine Or if it might thou sell'st to loss A precious soul for lasting dross Those weary hands and toyling brains Might be imploy'd for better gains Wouldst thou but work as hard for me As for the world which cozens thee Thy gains should be a thousand fold For my revenues more then gold WORLD Soul I have alwayes found thee willing Rather by me to earn a shilling Than trust uncertain things which lye Beyond thee in eternity Shall things unseen now tempt thee tush A bird in hand 's worth two i' th bush I pay thy wages down in hand This thou canst feel taste understand O let not such a vain pretence Prevail against thy very sence CHRIST Thus beasts are led thus birds are snar'd Thus souls for ruine are prepar'd What trust no farther then you see You 'l trust a thief as far as me Deluded wretch will naught but fight And sence convince thee O how right How just is God whose direful scourge Such Arguments in hell shall urge WORLD Christ threatens wrath to come but I Do threaten thee with poverty And why wilt thou thy self and those That are so dear to want expose Come sâ—e the Saints for all their brags How well they thrive they 'r cloath'd with rags CHRIST If my dear Saints in rags do go 'T is not Religion cloaths them so But by such wants the Lord preparâ—s Their souls against thy killing snares They all are heirs though under age Expectants of their heritage Kept short for present yet contemn A change with those that scoff at them WORLD It is in vain to plead for I With present things charm powerfully What e're thou offer'st they 'l despise I hold them prisoners by their eyes CHRIST If they will serve no other Lord Then let it stand upon record Against their souls that they refus'd My wages and my grace abus'd Remember this when they shall see All turn'd to ashes that's in thee ANOTHER NOne will deny but those are blessed pains Which are attended with the richest gains Grant this and then most clearly 't is inferr'd Soul-work to all deserves to be preferr'd This is an unknown trade Oh who can count To what the gains of godliness amount For one poor shilling O what resks some run Some toyling as i' th fire from Sun to Sun Whereas one hour spent with God brings in Such heavenly treasures that poor souls have been Inrich'd for ever Even as you see A Princes Favourite upon the knee Can in an hours time more wealth obtain Than all your lives by labour you can gain Prayer gains are great and quick returns are made Sure then the Christian drives the richest trade 'T is true the hypocrite that never drove A serious trade for heaven may bankrupt prove But holy souls which mind and closely ply Their business greatly are enrich'd thereby The difference 'twixt the one and t'others best By such a Simile as this exprest As in a Summers day you often see The wanton Butterfly and painful Bee On fragrant flowers fix whence one doth strive To bear his precious burden to the Hive The others pains no profit with it brings His time is spent in painting of his wings When winter comes the Bee hath full supplies The other creeps into an hole and dyes Like different events shall be betwixt The painful Saint and lazy Notionist CHAP. III. The plowman sings and whistles though he sweat Shall Christians droop because their work is great OBSERVATION THough the labours of Husbandmen are very great and toylsom yet with what cheerfulness do they go through them It is very delightful to hear the melody they make by whistling as they follow the Plow yea the very horses have their Bells which make a pleasant noise Horses saith Mr. Fuller will do more for a whistle than a whip and their Bells do as it were gingle away their weariness I have been often delighted with this Country musick whereby they sweeten their hard labours with
carry on my carnal designs verily I have my reward and this is all the good I am ever like to get by it And no less should be worldling tremble to consider how he hath cast off the duties of religion made them stand aside and give place to the world Instead of desiring so much only as might make him serviceable to God he thrusts aside the service of God to get as much of the world as he can who is so far from making godliness the end of his creature-comforts that he rather looks upon it as an obstacle and hinderance to them May not the very heathens make me blush could Aristotle deliver this as a true rule to prosperity to make Religion our first and chief care could Aristippus say he would rather neglect his means than his mind his Farm than his soul Will the very Mahometans how urgent soever their business be lay it all aside five times in the day to pray yea is it common to a Proverb among the very Papists that Mass and meat hinders on man and yet I that prosess my self a Christian thrust out duty for every trifle Oh wretched soul how hath the God of this World blinded mine eyes can the world indeed do that for me that Christ can do hath it ever proved true to them that trusted it and doted on it Hath it not at last turn'd them off as men turn off a Sumpter horse at night that hath been a drudge to carry their Gold and silver for them all day and at last is turn'd out with an empty belly and a galled back O how righteous will that sentence of God be Go cry to the gods whom thou hast served And may not many gracious hearts turn in upon themselves with shame and sorrow to consider how unsatisfied they have been in that condition that others have prefer'd and esteem'd as the greatest of all outward mercies I have indeed been fed with food convenient but not contented How hath my heart been tortured from day to day with anxious thoughts what I shall eat and drink and wherewith I and mine should be clothed I pretend indeed that I care but for a competency of the world but sure I am my cares about it have been incompetent Come my distrustful earthly heart let me propound a few questions to thee about this matter and answer truly to what I shall now demand of thee Hast thou here a continuing City or art thou at home upon thy journey that thou art so solicitous about the world thy profession indeed speaks thee a stranger upon earth but thy conversation a home-dweller Erasmns said he desired honours and riches no more than a weary horse doth a heavy Cloak-bag Wouldst thou not account him a fool that would victual his Ship as much to cross the Channel to France as if she were bound for the East-Indies Alas it will be but a little while and then there will be no more need of any of these things 'T is sad that a soul which stands at the door of eternity should be perplexing it self about food and raiment Or 2ly Which of all the Saints hast thou known to be the better for much of the world it hath been some mens utter ruin Seldom doth God suffer men to be their own carvers but they cut their own fingers To give riches and pleasures to an evil man saith Aristotle is but to give wine to one that hath a Fever Where there is no want there is usually much wantonness What a sad story was that of Pius Quintus When I was in a low condition said he I had some comfortable hopes of my salvation but when I came to be a Cardinal I greatly doubted of it but since I came to the Popedom I have no hope at all Though this poor undone wretch spake it out and others keep it in yet doubtless he hath many thousand fellows in the world that might say as much would they but speak the truth And even Gods own people though the world hath not excluded them out of heaven yet it hath sorely clog'd them in the way thither Many that have been very humble holy and heavenly in a low condition have suffered a sad ebb in a â—ull condition What a cold blast have they felt coming from the cares and delights of this life to I hill both their graces and comforts it had been well for some of God's people if they had never known what prosperity meant Is not this a sad simptom of a declining state of soul to be so hot eager and anxious about the superfluous trifles of this life Think'st thou O my soul that one who walks in the views of that glory above and maintains a conversation in heaven can be much taken with these vanities do not the visions of God vail the tempting splendour of the creature It was the opinion of some of the Schoolmen that the reason why Adam in Paradise was not sensible of is nakedness was because he was wholly taken up in conversing with God But this is certain lively and sweet communion with God blunts and duls the edge of the affections to earthly things and canst thou be satisfied my soul with such gains as are attended with such spiritual losses To conclude is it not dishonourable to God and a justification of the way of the world for me that profess my self a Christian to be as eager after riches as other men After all these things do the nations seek Mat. 6. 32. If I had no father in heaven nor promise in the word it were another matter but since my heavenly father knows what I have need of and hath charged me to be careful in nothing but only tell him my wants Phil. 4. 6. How unbecoming a thing is it in me to live and act as I have done Let me henceforth learn to measure and estimate my condition rather by its usefulness to God than its content and ease to my flesh The Poem IF fruit and service be indeed the end To which my being and edemption tend Reason concludes that state of all the rest Which is most serviceable to be best And such a state experience shews to lye 'Twixt fulness and a pinching poverty This golden Mean is worth a golden Mine He that hath this should be asham'd to whine The full-fed Christian like the Ox i' th stall Is no way fit to work or plow withal And penury like Pharaob's leaner kine Devours the fattest portions of our time That man with whom this earthly pleasure 's found Or in whose heart those anxious cares abound And yet can walk by Scripture rule and line Will need a better head and heart than mine A single staff the traveller many find Of use and service but if you should bind A bundle of them to his back they 'l make Him stack his pace and cry my shoulders ake I am a
formal hypocrite by an external reformation and yet still retains his propriety in them Mat. 12. 43 44. For that departure is indeed no more than a politick retreat Many that shall never escape the damnation of hell have yet escaped the pollutions of the world and that by the knowledge of the Son of God 2 Pet. 2. 20. Doth the Spirit of the Lord produce that glorious and supernatural work of faith in convinced and humbled souls in this also the hypocrite apes and imitates the believer Acts 8. 13. Then Simon himself believed also Luke 8. 13. These are they which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away Doth the precious eye of faith discovering the transcendent excellencies that are in Christ inflame the affections of the believing soul with vehement desires and longings after him Strange motions of heart have also been found in hypocrites towards Christ and heavenly things Iohn 6. 34. Lord evermore give us this bread Mat. 25. 8. Give us of your oyl for our lamps are gone out With what a rapture was Balaam transported when he said Let me dye the death of the righteous and my last end be like his Numb 23. 10. Doth the work of faith in some believers bear upon its top branches the full ripe fruits of a blessed assurance Lo What strong confidences and high-built perswasions of an interest in God have sometimes been found even in unsanctified ones Ioh. 8. 54. Of whom you say that he is your God and yet ye have not known him To the same height of confidence arrived those vain souls mentioned in Rom. 2. 19. Yea so strong may this false assurance be that they dare boldly venture to go to the judgment seat of God and there defend it Mat. 7. 22. Lord Lord have we not prophecyed in thy name Doth the Spirit of God fill the heart of the assured believer with joy unspeakable and full of glory giving them through faith a prelibation or foretaste of heaven it self in those first fruits of it How near to this comes that which the Apostle supposes may be found even in Apostates Heb. 6. 8 9. who are there said to taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come What shall I say if real Christians delight in Ordinances those that are none may also delight in approaching to God Ezek. 33. 32. It may be you will say though the difference be not easily discernable in their active obedience yet when it shall come to suffering there every eye may discern it the false heart will then flinch and cannot brook that work And yet even this is no infallible rule neither for the Apostle supposes that the Salamander of hypocrisie may live in the very flames of Martyrdom 1 Cor. 13. 3. If I give my body to be burnt and have not charity And it was long since determined in this cafe Non paena sed causa facit Martyrem so that without controversie the difficulty of distinguishing them is very great And this difference will yet be more subtile and undiscernable if I should tell you that as in so many things the hypocrite resembles the Saint so there are other things in which a real Christian may act too like an hypocrite When we find a Pharoah confessing an Herod practising as well as hearing a Iudas preaching Christ an Alexander ventring his life for Paul and on the other side shall find a David condemning that in another which he practised himself an Hezekiah glorying in his riches a Peter dissembling and even all the Disciples forsaking Christ in an hour of trouble and danger O then how hard is it for the eye of man to discern betwixt chaff and wheat how many upright hearts are now censured whom God will clear how many false hearts are now approved whom God will condemn men ordinarily have no clear convictive proofs but only probable symptoms which at most can beget but a conjectural knowledge of anothers state And they that shall peremptorily judge either way may possibly wrong the generation of the upright or on the other side absolve and justifie the wicked And truly considering what hath been said it is no great wonder that dangerous mistakes are so frequently made in this matter But though man cannot the Lord both can and will perfectly discriminate them The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. He will have a day perfectly to sever the tares from the wheat to melt off the varnish of the most resplendent and refined hyocrite and to blow off the ashes of infirmities which have covered and obscured the very sparks of sincerity in his people He will make such a division as was never yet made in the world how many divisions soever there have been in it And then shall men indeed return and discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mean while my soul thou canst not better imploy thy self whether thou be sound or unsound than in making these reflections upon thy self REFLECTIONS ANd is this so then Lord pardon the rashness and precipitancy of my censorious spirit for I have often boldly anticipated thy judgment and assumed thy prerogative although thou hast said Why dost thou judge thy brother and why dost thou set at nought thy brother we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ for it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God Let ut not therefore judge one another any more Rom. 14. 10 11 12 13. And again He that judgeth me is the Lord. Let us therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 4 5. What if God will own some of them for his Sons to whom I refuse to give the respect of brethren I may pass hasty and headlong censures upon others but where is my commission for so doing I want not only a commission but fit qualifications for such a work as this Can I pierce into the heart as God can I infallibly discover the hidden motives ends and principles of actions Besides O my soul thou art conscious of so much falsness in thy self that were there no other consideration that alone might rest in a thee from all uncharitable and hasty censures If others knew but what I know of my self would they not judge as severely of me as I do of others Though I may not judge the final state of another yet I may and ought to judge the state of my own soul which is doubtless a more necessary and concerning work to me For since every saving grace in a Christian hath its counterfeit in the hypocrite how needful is it for thee O my soul to make a stand here and solemnly to
year if he plow not and sow not in the proper time he loses the harvest of that year 'T is even so as to spiritual seasons Christ neglected and grace despised in the season when God offers them are irrecoverably lost Prov. 1. 28. then that is when the season is over they shall call upon me but I will not hear O there is a great deal of time in a short opportunity that may be done or prevented in an hour rightly timed which cannot be done or prevented in a mans life-time afterwards There was one resolved to kill Iulius Caesar such a day the night before a friend sent him a letter to acquaint him with it but he being at supper and busie in discourse said to morrow is a new day and indeed it was dies novissima his last day to him whence it became a Proverb in Greece To morrow is a new day Our glass runs in heaven and we cannot see how much or little of the sand of God's patience is yet to run down but this is certain when that glass is run there is nothing to be done for our souls Luke 19. 42. O that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are bid from thine eyes Those Husbandmen that are careful and laborious in the Summer have the comfort and benefit of it in Winter he that then provides fewel shall sit warm in his habitation when others blow their fingers He that provides food for his family and fodder for his cattel in the harvest shall eat the fruit of it and enjoy the comfort of his labours when others shall be exposed to shifts and straits And he that provides for eternity and layes up for his soul a good foundation against the time to come shall eat when others are hungry and sing when others howl Isa. 65. 13. A day of death will come and that will be a day of straits to all negligent souls but then the diligent Christian shall enjoy the peace and comfort that shall flow in upon his heart from his holy care and sincere diligence in duties as 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in all sincerity and godly simplicity we have had our conversation in this world So Hezekiah 2 King 20. 3. Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart A day of judgement will come and then â—oolish virgins who neglected the season of getting oyl in their lamps will be put to their shifts then they come to the wife and say give us of your oyl Mat. 25. 8 9. but they have none to spare and the season of buying is then over No wise Husbandman will neglect a fit opportunity of gathering in his hay and corn upon a presumption of much fair weather to come he will not say the weather is setled and I need not trouble my self though my corn and hay be fit for the house yet I may get it in another time as well as now And no wise Christian will lose a present season for his soul upon the hopes of much more time yet to come but will rather say now is my time and I know not what will be hereafter hereafter I may wish to see one of the dayes of the Son of man and not see it Luke 17. 22. 'T is sad to hear how cunning some men are to dispute themselves out of heaven as if the devil had hired them to plead against their own souls sometimes urging the example of those that were called at the eleventh hour Mat. 20. 6. and sometimes that of the penitent thief But O! to how little purpose is the former pleaded they that were called at the eleventh hour were never called before as these have been no man had hired that is called or invited them to Christ and for the thief as Mr. Fenner rightly observes it was a singular and extraordinary example It was done when Christ hang'd on the Cross and was to be inaugurated then Kings manifest such bounty and pardon such crimes as are never pardoned afterwards Besides God was then in a way of working miracles then he rent the rocks open'd the graves raised the dead and converted this thief but God is now out of that way REFLECTIONS I Have indeed been a good Husband for the world with what care and providence have I looked out for my self and family to provide food to nourish them and cloaths to defend them against the asperities of Winter mean while neglecting to make provision for eternity or take care for my soul. O my destitute soul how much have I slighted and undervalued thee I have taken more care for an horse or an ox than for thee a well stored-barn but an empty soul. Will it not shortly be with me as with that careless Mother who when her house was on fire busily bestir'd her self to save the goods but forgot the child though it were saved by another hand and then minding her child ran up and down like one distracted wringing her hands and crying O my child my child I have saved my goods and lost my child such will be the case of thee my soul Mat. 16. 26. Besides how easie will my conviction be at the Bar of Christ will not my providence and care for the things of this life leave me speechless and self-condemned in that day What shall I answer when the Lord shall say Thou couldst foresee a Winter and seasonably provide for it yea thou hadst so much care of thy very beasts to provide for their necessities and why tookest thou no care for thy soul was that only not worth the caring for Is it so dangerous to neglect a present proper season of grace What then have I done who have suffered many such seasons to die away in my hand upon a groundless hope of future opportunities Ah deluded wretch what if that supposition fail where am I then I am not the Lord of time neither am I sure that he who is will ever vouchsafe an hour of grace in old age to him that hath neglected many such hours in youth neither indeed is it ordinary for God so to do 'T is storied of Caius Marius Victorius who lived about 300 years after Christ and to his old age continued a Pagan but at last being convinced of the Christian verity he came to Simplicianus and told him he would be a Christian but neither he nor the Church could believe it it being so rare an example for any to be converted at his age But at last seeing it was real there was a shouting and gladness and singing of Psalms in all Churches the people crying Caius Marius Victorius is become a Christian. This was written for a wonder and what ground have I to think that God will work such wonders for me who have neglected his ordinary means of salvation Bless the Lord O my
grievous tryals and sufferings upon the Churches for this very end that those which are but chaff i. e. empty and vain Professors may be such winds as these be separated from his people The Church increases two wayes and by two divers means extensively in breadth and numbers and intensively in vigour and power peace and prosperity cause the first sufferings and adversity the last and well may a day of persecution be called a winnowing day for then were the people of God tossed to purpose as corn in the siâ—ve though nothing but chaff be lâ—st thereby Of such a winnowing day the Prophet speaks Amos 9. 9 10. I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth all the sinners of my people shall die q. d. I will cause great agitations and tossings among you by the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians into whose Countryes you shall be disperst and scattered yet I will so govern those your dispersions by my providence that not one good grain one upright soul shall eternally perish but the sinners of my people the refuse stuff that shall perish To the same purpose speaks another Prophet Zeph. 1. 1 2. Gather your selves together or as some read fan your selves yea fan your selves before the decree bring forth and the day pass as the chaff He doth not mean that the time shall pass as the chaff but there is a day of affliction and distress coming in which the wicked shall pass as the chaff before the wind and yet notwithstanding all these winnowings upon earth much chaff will still abide among the corn therefore God hath appointed another day for the winnownig of the world even the day of judgment in reference to which it is said Psal. 1. 4 5. The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the wind drives away therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous i. e. God hath a day wherein he will fift the world like corn in a sieve and then the wicked shall appear to be but chaff which God will eternally separate from his wheat I will not strain the similitude but fairly display it in these seven particulars The chaff and wheat grow together in the same field and upon the same root and stalk In this wicked men are like chaff who not only associate with the people of God but oftentimes spring up with them in the same families and from the same root or immediate Parents Mal. 1. 2. was not Esau Iacobs brother yet the one was wheat the other chaff Instances of this are infinite The Husbandman would never endure the husks chaff and dry stalks to remain in the field if it were not for the good corns sake he would quickly set fire on it but that the corn is among it which he highly prizeth and be assured God would never suffer the wicked to abide long in this world were it not for his ownâ—â—act that were dispersed among them Except the Lord had such a remnant dispersed in the world he would quickly set fire to the four quarters and make it like Sodom Isa. 1. 9. The chaff is a very worthless thing the Husbandman cares not what becomes of it and of as little worth are wicked men Prov. 10. 20. The heart of the wicked is little worth The heart is the principal part of the man and yet that 's but chaff no worth in it his lands his cloaths c. are worth somewhat but his heart is worth nothing Though chaff in it self be nothing worth yet it is of some use ot the corn whiles 't is standing in the field the stalk bears up the ear and the chaff covers the grain and defends it from the injury of the weather Thus God makes wicked men of use to his people in outward society they help to support and protect them in this world Rev. 12. 16. The earth helped the woman i. e. worldly men for carnal ends helpt the Church when a flood of persecution was poured out The Church often helps the world it receives many benefits from the people of God and sometimes God over-rules the world to help his Church When the chaff and wheat are both brought forth and held up to the wind in one sieve they fall two wayes the wheat falls down upon the floor or sheeâ— the chaft is carried quite away So although for a time godly and ungodly abide together yet when this winnowing time comes Gods wheat shall be gathered into his garner in heaven the chaff shall go the other way Mat. 3. 12. If there be any chaff among the corn it will appear when it is sifted in a windy day it cannot possibly escape if it be well winnowed much more impossible it is for any wicked man to escape the critical search of God in that day the closest hypocrite shall then be detected for God will judge the secrets of men 2 Cor. 16. He will then bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart I Cor. 4. 5. Lastly after corn and chaff are separated by the winnowing wind they shall never lye together in one heap any more The wicked shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God but themselves thrust out there is no chaff in heaven REFLECTIONS AM I an empty vain Professor that want the pith and substance of real godliness then am I but chaff in Gods account though I grow among his corn the eye of man cannot discern my hypocrisie but when he comes whose fan is in his hand then how plainly will it be detected Angels and men shall discern it and say Lo this is the man that made not God his hope how shall I abide the day of his coming Christ is the great heart-Anatomist things shall not be carried then by names and parties as they are now every one shall be weighed in a just balance and a Mene Tekel written upon every false heart great will be the perspicuity of that trial my own conscience shall joyn with my Iudg and shall then acknowledg that there is not one drop of injustice in all that Sea of wrath and though I am damned yet I am not wronged the chaff cannot stand before the wind nor I before the judgment of Christ. Is there such a fanning time coming why do not I then sift my heart every day by serious self-examination no work more important to me and yet how much have I neglected It O my soul thou hadst been better imployed in searching thine own estate in reference to that day than in prying sinfully into the hearts and censuring the conditions of other men judge thy self and thou shalt not be condemned with the world the work indeed is difficult but the neglect dangerous were I within a few dayes to stand
his hand upon his birth-sin Or secondly which speaks to my purpose it may refer to the action of the same man man being unclean cannot bring forth a clean thing i. e. a clean or holy action that which is originated is like its Original And that this sower sap of the first stock I mean Adams sin is transmitted into all mankind not only corrupting their fruit but ruining and withering all the branches the Apostle shews us in that excellent parallell betwixt the two Adams Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man one not only in individuo sed in specie one representing the whole root or stock sin entered into the world not by imitation only but by propagation and this brought death and ruine upon all the branches Although these wild hedge-fruits be unwholsom and unpleasant to the taste yet they are fair and beautiful to the eye a man that looks upon them and doth not know what fruit it is would judge it by its shew and colour to be excellent fruit for it makes a fairer shew oftentimes than the best and most wholsome fruit doth Even so those natural gifts and endowments which some unregenerate persons have seem exceeding fair to the eye and a fruit to be desired What excellent qualities have some meer natural men and women what a winning affability humble condescention meekness righteousness ingenious tenderness and sweetness of nature As it was hyperbolically enough said of one In hoc homine non peccavit Adam Adam never sinned in this man meaning that he excelled the generality of Adams children in sweetness of temper and natural endowments What curious phantasies imble wits solid judgments tenacious memories rare elocution c. are to be found among meer natural men by which they are assisted in discoursing ' praying preaching and writing to the admiration of such as know them But that which is highly esteemed of men is abomination to God Luke 16. 15. it finds no acceptance with him because it springs from that cursed root of nature and is not the production of this own spirit If such a stock were removed into a better soyl and graâ—â—ed with a better kind it might bring forth fruit pleasant and grateful to the Husbandman and if such persons before described were but regenerated and changed in their spirits and principles what excellent and useful persons would they be in the Church of God and then their fruits would be sweet and acceptable to him One observes of Tertullian Origen and Ierome that they came into Canaan laden with Egyptian gold i. e. they came into the Church full of excellent humane learning which did Christ much service When the Husbandman cuts down his woods or hedges he cuts down these Crab-stocks with the rest because he values them not any more than the thorns and brambles among which they grow and as little will God regard or spare these natural branches how much soever they are laden with such fruit The threatning is universal Iohn 3. 3. Except you be regenerate and born again you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven And again Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness no man be his natural gifts never so excellent shall see God Imbellished nature is nature still That which is born of the flesh is but flesh however it be set off with advantage to the eye of man REFLECTIONS TO what purpose then do I glory in my natural accomplishments Though I have a better nature than some others have yet it is a cursed nature still These sweet qualities and excellent gifts do only hide but not kill the corruption of nature I am but a rotten post gilded over and all my duties but hedge fruit which God makes no account of O cutting thought that the unlearned shall rise and take heaven when I with all my excellent gifts shall descend into hell Heaven was not made for Scholars as such but for believers as one said when they comforted him upon his death-bed that he was a knowing man a Doctor of Divinity O said he I shall not appear before God as a Doctor but as a man I shall stand upon a level with the most illiterate in the day of judgment what doth it avail me that I have a nimble with whilst I have none to do my self good Will my Iudge be charm'd with a rhetorical tongue Things will not be carried in that world as they are in this If I could with Berengarius discourse de omni scibile of every thing that is knowable or with Solomon unravel nature from the Cedar to the Hysop what would this advantage me as long as I am ignorant of Christ and the mystery of Regeneration My head hath often aked with study but when did my heart ake for sin Methinks O my soul thou trimmest up thy self in these natural ornaments to appear before God much as that delicate Agag did when he was to come before Samuel and fondly conceitest that these things will procure favour or at least pity from him but yet think not for all that the bitterness of death is past say not within thy self Will God cast such a one as a I into hell Shall a man of such parts be damned Alas justice will hew thee to pieces as Samuel did that spruce King and not abate thee the least for these things many thousand branches of nature as fair and fruitful as thy self are now blazing in hell because not transplanted by regeneration into Christ and if he spared not them neither will he spare thee I am a poor despised Shrub which have no beauty at all in me and yet such a one hath the Lord chosen to transplant into Christ whilst he left many fragrant branches standing on their native stock to be fuel of his wrath to all eternity O grace for ever to be admired Ah what cause have I to be thankful to free grace and for ever to walk humbly with my God the Lord hath therefore chosen an unlikely rugged unpolisht creature as I am that pride may for ever be hid from mine eyes and that I may never glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 29. I now have the advantage of a better root and soyl than any carnal person hath it will therefore be greater shame to me and a reproach to the root that bears me if I should be out-stript and excelled by them yet Lord how often do I find it so I see some of them meek and patient whilst I am proud and passionate gentle and affable whilst I am rough and surly generous and noble whilst I am base and penurious Truly such a branch as I am is no honour to the root that bears it The Poem I Am a branch of that fair Eden Tree Which to mankind God had ordain'd to be The common stock his scituation good His branches many of himself a wood And like a Cedar by the River fed Unto the clouds his ample branches spread Sin smote his root then
do well resemble that small number of Gods elect in the world which free grace hath reserved out of the general ruine of mankind Four things are excellently shadowed forth to us by this similitude You see in a fruitful Autumn the trees even opprest and overladen with the weight of their own fruits before the shaking time come and then they are eased of their burden Thus the whole creation groans under the weight of their sins who inhabit it Rom. 8. 22. the creatures are in bondage and by an elegant Prosopopeia are said both to groan and wait for deliverance The original sin of man brought an original curse which burdens the creature Gen. 3. 17. Cursed is the ground for thy sake and the actual sin of man brings actual curses upon the creature Psal. 107. 34. Thus the inhabitants of the world load and burden it as the limbs of a tree are burdened and sometimes broken with the weight of their own fruit You may observe it in your Orchards every year what abundance of fruits daily fall either by storms or of their own accord but when the shaking time comes then the ground is covered all over with fruit Thus it is with the world that mystical tree with respect to men that inhabit it there is not a year day or hour in which some drop not as it were of their own accord by a natural death and sometimes wars and Epidemical plagues blow down thousands together into their graves these are as high winds in a fruitful Orchard but when the shaking time the Autumn of the world comes then all its inhabitants shall be shaken down together either by death or a translation equivolent thereunto When fruits are shaken down from their trees then the Husbandman separates them the far greatest part for the pound and some few he reserves for an hoard which are brought to his table and eaten with pleasure This excellently shadows forth that great separation which Christ will make in the end of the world when some shall be cast into the wine-press of the Almighties wrath and others preserved for glory Those fruits which are preserved on the tree or in the hoard are comparatively but an handful to those that are broken in the pound Alas 't is scarce one of a thousand and such a small remnant of Elected souls hath God reserved for glory I look upon the World as a great Tree consisting of four large limbs or branches this branch or division of it on which we grow hath doubtless a greater number of Gods elect upon it than the other three and yet when I look with a serious and considering eye upon this fruitful European branch and see how much rotten and withered fruit there grows upon it it makes me say as Chrysostom did of his populous Antioch Ah how small a remnant hath Iesus Christ among these vast numbers Many indeed are called but ah how few are chosen Mat. 20. 16. Alas they are but as the gleanings when the vintage is done here and there one upon its outmost branches To allude to that Isa. 17. 6. it was a sad Observation which that searching Scholar Mr. Brierwood long since made upon the world that dividing it into thirty equal parts he found no less than nineteen of them wholly overspread with Idolatry and Heathenish darkness and of the eleven remaining parts no less than six are Mahumetans so that there remain but five of thirty which profess the Christian Religion at large and the far greater part of these remaining five are invellop'd and drowned in Popish darkness so that you see the reformed Protestant Religion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed Now if from these we substract all the grosly ignorant openly profane meerly civil and secretly hypocritical judge then in your selves how small a scantling of the world falls to Christs share Well might Christ say Mat. 7. 14. Narrow is the way and strait is the gate that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it And again Luke 12. 32. Fear not little little flock The large piece goes to the devil a little remnant is Christs Rom. 9. 27. Saints in Scripture are called jewels Mal. 3. 17. Precious pearls and diamonds which the Latines call Uniones Quia nulli duo simul reperiuntur saith Pliny because nature gives them not by pairs but one by one How many pebbles to one pearl Sutable to this notion is that complaint of the Prophet Mich. 7. 1 2. Wâ— is me for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits as the grape gleanings of the vintage there is no cluster to eat my soul desired the first ripe fruits the good man is perished out of the earth and there is none i. e. none comparatively upright among men The Prophet alludes to a poor hungry man that after the gathering time is past comes into an Orchard desiring some choice fruits to eat but alas he finds none there is no cluster possibly here and there a single Saint like a single apple here and there one after the shaking time True Saints are the worlds rarities REFLECTIONS WHat then will be my lot when that great shaking time shall come who have followed the multitude and gone with the tyde of the world how even when I have been pressed to strictness and singular diligence in the matters of salvation and told what a narrow way the way of life is have I put it off with this If it be so then wo to thousands Ah foolish heart thousands and ten thousands shall be woful and miserable indeed to all eternity Will it be any mitigation to my misery that I shall have thousands of miserable companions with me in hell or will it be admitted for a good plea at the Iudgment-seat Lord I did as the generality of my neighbours in the world did except it were here and there a more precise person I saw none but lived as I lived Ah foolish â—inner Is it not better go to heaven alone than to hell with company the worst courses have alwayes the most imitators and the road to destruction is thronged with passengers And how little better is my condition who have often fathered the wickedness of my own heart upon the incouragements of mercy Thus hath my heart pleaded against strictness and duty God is a merciful God and will not be so severe with the world to damn so many thousands as are in my condition Deluded soul if God had damned the whole race of Adam he had done them no wrong yea there is more mercy in saving but one man than there is of severity and rigour in damning all how many drunkards and adulterers have lived and dyed with thy plea in their mouths God is a merciful God but yet his word expresly saith Be not deceived such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9. God indeed is a God of infinite mercy but he will never exercise his mercy to
their own necessities while living but to lay up something for their posterity when they are gone they do not only leave to their children what their progenitors left them but they desire to leave it improved and bettered None but bad husbands and spend-thirfts are of the mind with that Heathen Emperor Tiberius who having put all into such confusions in the Empire that it might be thought the world would end with him yet pleased himself with this apprehension that he should be out of the reach of it and would often say When I am dead let heaven and earth mingle if the world will but hold my time let it break when I am gone But provident men look beyond their own time and do very much concern themselves in the good or evil of their posterity APPLICATION VVHat careful Husbands do with respect to the provisions they make for their children that all prudent Christians are bound to do with respect to the truths committed to them and do them to be transmitted to succeeding Saints In the first age of the world even till the Law was given faithful men were instead of books and records they did by oral tradition convey the truths of God to posterity but since the sacred truth hath been consigned the writing no such tion except full consentient with that written word is to be received as authentick but the truths therein delivered to the Saints are by verbal declarations open confessions and constant sufferings to be preserved and delivered from age to age This was the constant care of the whole cloud of witnesses both ancient and modern who have kept the word of Gods patience and would not accept their own lives liberties or estates no nor the whole world in exchange for that invaluable treasure of truth they have carefully practised Solomons counsel Prov. 23. 23. Buy the truth but sell it not they would not alienate that fair inheritance for all the inheritances on earth Upon the same reasons that you are refuse to part with or embezel your estates Christians also refuse to part with the truths of God You will not waste or alienate your inheritance because it 's precious and of great value in your eyes but much more precious are Gods truths to his people Luther professed he would not take the whole world for one leaf of his Bible Though some profane persons may say with Pilate What is truth yet know that any one truth of the Gospel is more worth than all the inheritances upon earth they are the great things of Gods Law and he that sells them for the greatest things in this world makes a soul-undoing bargain You will not waste or part with your inheritance because you know your posterity will be much wronged by it They that baffle or drink away an estate drink the tears of their sad widows and the very blood of their impoverished children The people of God do also consider how much the generations to come are concern'd in the conservation of the truths of God for them it cuts them to the heart but to think that their children should be brought up to worship dumb idols and fall down before a wooden or a breaden God The very birds and beasts will expose their own bodies to apparent danger of death to preserve their young Religion doth much more intender the heart and bowels than nature doth You reckon it a foul disgrace to sell your estates and beâ—â—me Bankrupts 't is a word that hears ill among you And a Christian accounts it the highest reproach in the world to be a traitor to or an Apostate from the truths of God When the primitive Saints were strictly required to deliver up their Bibles those that did so were justly branded and husht out of their company under the odiou title of Traditores or deliverers You are so loath to part with your â—states because you know its hard recovering an estate again when once you have lost it Christians do also know how difficult it will be for the people of God in times to come to recover the light of the Gospel again if once it be exinguished There is no truth of God recovered out of Antichrists hands without great wrestlings and much blood The Church may call every point of reformed doctrine and discipline so recovered her Napâ—â—alies for with great wrestlings she hath wrestled for them Earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to them Iude 3. To conclude rather than you will part with your estates you will chuse to suffer many wants and hardships all your lives you will fare hard and go bare to preserve what you have for your posterity But the people of God have put themselves upon far greater hardships than these to preserve truth they have chosen to suffer reproaches poverty prisons death and the most cruel torments rather than the loss of Gods truth All the Martyrologies will inform you what their sufferings have been to keep the word of Gods patience they have boldly told their enemies that they might pluck their hearts out of their bodies but should never pluck the truth out of their hearts REFLECTIONS BAse unbelieving heart how have I flinched and shrunk from truth when it hath been in danger I have rather chosen to leave it than my life liberty or estate as a prey to the enemy I have left truth and just it is that the God of truth should leave me Cowardly soul that durst not make a stand for truth yea rather bold and daring soul that wouldst rather venture to look a wrathful God than an angry man in the face I would not own and preserve the truth and the God of truth will not own me 2 Tim. 2. 12. If we deny him he will deny us Lord unto me hast thou committed the precious treasure and trust of truth and as I received it so do I desire to deliver it to the generations to come that the people which are yet unborn may praise the Lord. God forbid I should ever part with such a fair inheritance and thereby begger my own and thousands of souls Thou hast given me thy truth and the world hates me I well know that is the ground of the quarrel would I but throw truth over the walls how soon would a retreat be sounded to all presecutors But Lord thy truth is invaluably precious what a vile thing is my blood compared with the least of all thy truths Thou hast charged me to sell it and in thy strength I resolve never to lift a fine and cut off that golden line wherey thy truths are entailed upon thy people from generation to generation My friends may go my liberary go my blood may go but as for thee precious truth thou shalt never go How dear hath this inheritance of truth cost some Christians how little hath it cost us We are entred into their labours we reap in peace what they sowed in tears yea in blood O the grievous sufferings
of such Tyrants is both inglorious and unlamented When the wicked perish there is shouting Prov. 11. 10. Which was exemplified to the life at the death of Nero of whom the Poet thus sings Cum mors crudelem rapuisset saeva Neronem Credibile est multos Roman agitasse jacos When cruel Nero dy'd th' Historian tells How Rome did mourn with Bonefires plays and bells Remarkable for contempt and shame have the ends of many bloudy Tyrants been so Pompey the great of whom Clau dian the Poet sings Nudus pascit aves jacet en qui pâ—ssidet orbem Exiguae telluris inops Birds eat his flesh lo now he cannot have Who rul'd the world a space to make a grave The like is storied of Alexander the great who lay unburied thirty dayes and William the Conquerer with many other such Birds of prey whilst a beneficial and holy life is usually closed up in an honourable and much lamented death For mine own part I wish I may sooder my conversation in the world that I may live when I am dead in the affâ—ctions of the best and leave an honourable testimony in the consciences of the worst that I may oppress none do good to all and say when I dye as good Ambrose did I am neither ashamed to live nor afraid to dye MEDIT. III. Vpon the sight of a Black-bird taking sanctuary in a bush from a pursuing Hawk VVHen I saw how hardly the poor Bird was put to it to save her self from her enemy who hover'd just over the bush in which she was fluttering and squeeking I could not but hasten to relieve her pity and succour being a due debt to the distressed which when I had done the bird would not depart from the bush though her enemy were gone this act of kindness was abundantly repaid by this Meditation with which I returned to my walk My soul like this Bird was once distressed pursued yea seized by Satan who had certainly made a prey of it had not Iesus Christ been a sanctuary to it in that hour of danger How ready did I find him to receive my poor soul into his protection then did he make good that sweet promise to my experience Those that come unto me I will in no wise cast out It call'd to mind that pretty and pertinent story of the Philosopher who walking in the fields a Bird pursued by a Hawk flew into his bosom her took her out and said Poor bird I will neither wrong thee nor expose thee to thine enemy since thou camest unto me for refuge So tender and more than so is the Lord Iesus to distressed souls that come unto him Blessed Iesus how should I love and praise thee glorifie and admire thee for that great salvation thou hast wrought for me If this Bird had faln into the claws of her enemy she had been torn to pieces indeed and devoured but then a few minutes had dispatcht her and ended all her pain and misery but had my soul fallen into the hand of Satan there had been no end of its misery Would not this scared Bird be flusht out of the Bush that secured her though I had chased away her enemy and wilt thou my soul ever be enticed or scared from Christ thy refuge O let this for ever ingage thee to keep close to Christ and make me say with Ezra and now O Lord since thou hast given me such a deliverance as this should I again break thy commandments MEDIT. IV Vpon the sight of diver Lennets intermingling with a flock of Sparrows ME thinks these Birds do fitly resemble the gaudy Gallant and the plain peasants how spruce and richly adorned with shining and various coloured feathers like scarlet richly laid with gold and silver lace are those how plainly clad in a home-spun countrey russet are these Fine feathers saith our proverb make proud Birds and yet the feathers of the Sparrow are as useful and beneficial both for warmth and flight though not so gay and ornamental as the others and if both were stript out of their feathers the Sparrow would prove the better Bird of the two by which I see that the greatest worth doth not alwayes lye under the finest cloaths And besides God can make mean and homely garments as useful and beneficial topoor despised Christians as the ruffling and shining garments of wanton Gallants are to them and when God shall strip men out of all external excellencies these will be found to excel their glittering neighbours in true worth and excellency Little would a man think such rich treasures of grace wisdom humility c. lay under some russet coats Saepe sub attrita latitat sapientia veste Under poor garments more true worth may be Than under silks that whistle who but he Whilst on the other side the heart of the wicked as Solomon hath observed is little worth how much sover his cloaths be worth Alas it falls out two frequently among us as it doth with men in the Indies who walk over the rich veins of gold and silver Oar which lyes hid under a ragged and barren surface and know it not For my how pâ—rt I desire not to value any man by what is extrinsecal and worldly but by that true internal excellency of grace which makes the face to shine in the eyes of God and good men I would contemn a vile person though never so glorious in the eye of the world but honour such as fear the Lord how sordid and despicable soever to appearance MEDIT. V. Vpon the sight of a Robbin-red-breast picking up a worm from a mole-hill then raising OBserving the Mole working industriously beneath and the Bird watching so intently above I made a stand to observe the issue When in a little time the bird descends and seizes upon a worm which I perceived was crawling apace from the enemy below that hunted her but fell to the share of another which from above waited for her My thoughts presently suggested these Meditations from that occasion me thought this poor worm seem'd to be the Emblem of my poor soul which is more endangered by its own lusts of pride and covetousness than this worm was by the Mole and Bird my pride like the aspiring Bird watches for it above my covetousness like this subterranean Mole digging for it beneath Poor soul what a sad Dilemma art thou brought to If thou go down into the caverns of the earth there thou art a prey to thy covetousness that hunts thee and if thou aspire or but creep upward there thy pride waits to ensnare thee Distressed soul whither wilt thou go ascend thou mayest not by a vain elation but by a heavenly conversation beside which there is no way for thy preservation the way of life is above to the wise c. Again I could not but observe the accidental benefit this poor harmless Bird obtained by the labour of the Mole who hunting intentionally for her self unburroughed and ferrited out this
judicious 14. Compared with clouds in three particulars 86 87. Their Reflections 61 86 87 Ministry its scope and end what 8 Moral persons reflections 150 N Names what vain things in Religion 22 Neglecting soul seasons dangerous 142 143 O Obedience must be free and chearful 50 Ordinances their influences what and whence 81 82 97 Original sin compared with sop 175 P Parents convinced of their sin 203 Pains of Ministers visible sometimes in the peoples lives 9 Patience of Saintsits grounds 122 123 124 125 Poor if godly incouraged greatly 219 Presumptuous persons Reflections 112 113 144 Presence of God singular in his Church 13 Proâ—ane persons Reflection 149 Persecutors Reflections 163 Prayer the golden key to open mystical clouds 8 Professors barren fewel for hell 193 194 Prosperous sinners and feeding beasts parallel'd in five particulars 217 218 Prudence in Christians commended and urged 14 141 R Regenerate souls their reflections 183 184 Recovery of lost sinners by Christ opened and parallel'd with seeking of lost Cattel 210 211 212 Resurrection parallel'd with springing Corn 101 102 Resurrection the glory of that state 107 108 S Seed-corn how to be steeped before it be sown 81 Sickly Christians their comfort 105 Sincere souls Reflection 59 170 77 Sloth inexcusable in Christians 22 23 26 Straying from God its emblem 211 Stock advantaged to be removed from our natural stock 176 Support for declining souls 51 T Tree the emblem of the world 188 Toad how the sight of a Toad affected a shepherd 206 Thief on the cross no president to careless ones 143 To morrow a new day the first ground of that proverb in Greece 141 142 V Unregenerate persons cannot bring forth good fruit 174 175 Ungodly persons Reflections 106 Voluptuous sinners Reflections 218 Upright ones Reflections 34 Union with Christ in eight resemblances 181 182 283 W Wages what offered by Christ and the world 28 29 Weak gifts sanctified yield strong consolation 178 Winnowing of souls by judgment 166 167 Worldlings Reflections 27 41 FINIS Cicero Caryl in loc Mr. Manton Navigation Spiritualized D. Dig. Mr. Richard Steel and this Author * Navigation Spiritualized Hor. Sat 6. * Fideles vocantur dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia a Deo per pastores tanquam arvum excoluntur Rav. 1. Prop. Reddit 2. Prop. Reddit 3. Prop. Reddit 4. Prop. Reddit Loâ—kier in Coâ—oâ— p. 5 52. 5. Prop. Reddit 6. Prop. Reddit 7. Prop. Reddit 8. Prop. Reddit Pascitur Christus quando suorum virtutes videt lillia decerpit quando optimum quemque ex hac vita traducit Trap. in loc 9. Prop. Reddit 10. Prop. Reddit 11. Prop. Reddit * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. Prop. Reddit 13. Prop. Reddit 14. Prop. Reddit 15. Prop. Reddit 16. Prop. Reddit 17. Prop. Reddit 18. Prop. Reddit 19. Prop. Reddit 20. Prop. Reddit Speeds Chron. Upon the industry of the Husbandman The worldlings Reflection The Formalists Reflection The Reflection of a slothful Christian. Eph. 5. 15. Luke 13. 24. Psal. 119. 47. Psal. 19. 9. Psal. 73. 25. Amos 2. 7. Eccles. 6. 7. Psal. 4. 6. Rom. 12. 11. Gal. 6. 16. Heb. 12. 24. Mat. 20. 21 22. Mat. 19. 22. Gal. 6. 9. Luke 13. 24. Psal. 19. 10. Ioh. 20. 10. Heb. 4. ult Upon the thriftiness of the Husbandman Non mercurii sed operarii Reflections of the slothful soul. The worldlings Reflection Iohn 6. 27. 1 Cor. 7. 31. Mat. 16. 26. 1 Tim. 6. 6. Mark 4. 19. Prov. 8. 19. Iob 35. 11. Eccles. 11. 9. Iohn 20. 29. 2 Tim. 3. 13. Rom. 2. 5. Mark 6. 16. 1 Tim. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 28 29. 1 Tim. 6. 9. Iames 2. 5. Iude 21. Psal. 17. 13 14. Luke 19. 27. Isa. 30. 8 9. Iude 5. 2 Pet. 3 7. Upon the cheerfulness of the Husbandman The carnal hearts Reflection The hypocrites Reflection The upright hearts Reflection 1 Isa. 68. 7. 2 Ps. 94. 19. 3 Ps. 145. 10. 4 Rev. 5. 11 12 13. 5 Mat. 25. 21. 6 1 Peâ— 1. 8 9. 7 Act. 14. 17. 8 Iob. 2â— 11. 9 Iam. 5. 18. 1 Ps. 10. 4. 12. 2 Ps. 104 11. 3 Ps. 11. 4. 6. 4 Ier. 2. â—3 5 Isa. 30. 29. 6 Psal. 4. 7. 7 Ioh. 15. 11. Upon the due quality of arable Land cibus potus sunt Divitiae Christianorum Epistle to the Earl of Bedford ante ultima The reflection of the designing Hypocrite The Worldlings Reflection The gracious soul's reflection 1. Quest. 2. Quest. 3. Quest. 4. Quest. 1 Isa. 5. 2. 2 Prov. 30. 7 8 9. 3 Heb. 13. 5. 4 Deu. 32. 15. 5 Prov. 30. 9. 6 Luk. 8. 14. 7 Luk. 8. 14. 8 Mark 6. 8. 9 Hab. 2. 6. 1 Ps. 119. 19. Heb. 11. 13 14. 2 Iob 8. 15. Isa. 36. 6. 3 Heb. 13. 5. 4 Iob 21. 22. 5 Isa. 47. 4. 6 Psa. 1â— 6 7. 7 Gen. 18. 32 8 Prov 30. 8. 9 Eccl. 6. 2. 1 Prov 30. 9. 2 Hab. 3. 17. Upon the improvement of bad ground Gratia nec totaliter intermittitur nec finalitur amittitâ—r Actus omittitur habitâ—s non amittitur Actio pervertitur sides non subvertitur Concutitur non excutitur Deâ—luit fructus latet succus Ius ad regnum amittunt demeritorie non effective Effectus justificationis suspenditur at status justificati non dissolvitur Suff. Britt How far true grace in a believer may fail Gratia gratiam postulat A convictive Reflection A supporting Reflection 1 Ioh 15. 1. 2 1 Cor. 3. 9. 3 Psa. 4. 3. 4 Iob 29. 3 4. 5 Hos. 14. 5 6 6 Hos. 6. 3. 7 Ier. 2. 3. 8 Cant. 7. 12. 9 Acts 9. 11. 10 Lu. 24. 32. 1 Gen. 28. 16. 17. 2 Exod. 34. â—9 3 Gen. 6. 7. 4 Psa. 42. 6. 5 Cant. 5. 6. 6 Rev. 2. 5. 7 2 Chr. 17. 3. 8 Psa. 102. 4. 9 Isa. 59. 2. 1 Isa. 64. 6. 2 Psa. 88. 6 14. 3 Psal. 77. 2. 4 Psa. 42. 11. 5 Ion. 2 4. 6 Ier. 8. 22. 7 Eze. 16. 4. 8 Psa. 23. 3. 9 Psal. 88. 1 Iob 14. 2 Psa. 30. 3 Psa. 80. 3. 4 Luk. 22. 61 62. 5 Ier. 22. 17. Upon the uncurableness of some bad ground Spiritual barrenness p. 8. The sincere souls Reflection The formal Professors Reflection The less fruitful Christians Reflection Romanae leges poenam pregnanti deferâ—nt Chrysost. The Gospel Preachers Reflection 1 Eze. 47. 11 2 2 Tim. 3. 13. 3 Heb. 6. 8. 4 Mat. 5. 45. 5 2 Sam. 23. 4. 6 Cant. 2. 12. 7 Psal. 65. 13. 8 Eze. 47. 11. 9 Iob 8. 11. 1 Deut. 22. 2. 2 Isa. 5. 6. 3 2Cor 2. 16. 4 Psa. 92. 13. 5 Isa. 6. 9 10. 6 Mar. 11. 20. 7 Isa. 5. 24. 9 Isa. 6. 10. 10 Luk. 8. 14. Ier. 17. 5 6. Upon the plowing of Câ—rn-land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glassius Rhet. sacra p. 300. Caryl on Iob Chap. 4. v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 punctim cedo pungendo penetro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉