CHAPTER XV: Upon the Harvest-Season
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 soul be clasp'd In its Redeemer's arms!
The time seems long, yet here I'll lie, 'Till thou, my God, do call:
It is enough, eternity Will make amends for all,
CHAPTER XV
Upon the Harvest-Season Corn, fully ripe, is reap'd, and gather'd in:
So must yourselves, when ripe in grace, or sin.
OBSERVATION
WHEN 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 scythes and sickles; send for their harvestmen, who quickly reap and mow them down; and after these follow the binders, who tie it up; from the field where it grew, it is 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 dunghill. 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, Joel 2:3) before them, like the garden of Eden, and behind them a desolate wilderness; and, in some places, it is 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, until 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:
1. In a catching harvest, when the husbandman sees the clouds begin to gather and grow black, he hurries in his corn with all possible haste, and houses it 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." Methuselah died the year before the flood;
Augustine a little before the sacking of Hippo; Pareus just before the taking of Heidelburg; Luther a little before the wars broke out in
Germany. But what speak I of single saints? Sometimes the Lord houses great numbers together, before some sweeping judgment 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 thus 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, Perne, 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 parts, and leave the stage.
The Lord sees it better for them to be under-ground, than aboveground; and therefore, by a merciful providence, sets them out of harm's way.
2. Neither the corn nor tares can possibly resist the sharp and keen sickle, when it is applied to them by the reaper's hand; neither can the godly or ungodly resist the stroke of death when God inflicts it;
Eccl. 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 unable to withstand that stroke, as the weak reeds or feeble stalks of the corn are to resist the keen scythe and sharp sickle.
3. The reapers receive the wheat which they cut down into their arms and bosom. Hence that expression by way of imprecation upon the wicked, Psal. 129:6, 7. "Let them be as the grass upon the house top, which withers before it grows up; wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom." Such withered grass are the wicked, who are never taken into the reaper's bosom; but as soon as saints are cut down by death, they fall into the hands and bosoms of the angels of God, who bear them in their arms and bosoms to God their father, Luke 16:22. For look, as these blessed spirits did exceedingly rejoice at their conversion, Luke 15:10 and thought it no dishonour to minister to them, whilst they stood in the field, Heb. 1:14. So when they are cut down by death, they will rejoice to be their convoy to heaven.
4. When the corn and weeds are reaped and mowed down, they shall never grow any more in that field; neither shall we ever return to live an animal life any more after death, Job 7:9, 10. "As the cloud is consumed, and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to the grave, shall come up no more; he shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more."
Lastly, (to come home to the particular subject of this chapter) the reapers are never sent to cut down the harvest until it be fully ripe; neither will God reap down saints or sinners until they be come to a maturity of grace or wickedness. Saints are not reaped down until their grace is ripe, Job 5:26. "Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, as a shock of corn cometh in its season." 'Not that every godly man dies in such a full old age, (saith Mr. Caryl on that place) but yet, in one sense, it is an universal truth, and ever fulfilled; for whensoever they die, they die in a good age; yea, though they die in the spring and flower of their youth, they die in a good old age; i.e. they are ripe for death whenever they die. Whenever a godly man
dies, it is harvest-time with him, though in a natural capacity he be cut down while he is green, and cropped in the bud or blossom; yet in his spiritual capacity he never dies before he be ripe. God ripens him speedily, when he intends to take him out of the world speedily; he can let out such warm rays and beams of his Spirit upon him, as shall soon maturate the seeds of grace into a preparedness for glory.'
The wicked also have their ripening-time for hell and judgment; God doth with much long-suffering endure the vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction. Of their ripeness for judgment the Scripture often speaks, Gen. 15:1. "The sin of the Amorites is not yet full." And of Babylon it is said, Jer. 51:13. "O thou that dwellest upon many waters! thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness."
It is worth remarking, that the measure of the sin, and the end of the sinner, come together. So Joel 3:13. "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest of the earth is ripe; for the press is full, the fats overflow: for their wickedness is great." Where, note, sinners are not cut down till they be ripe and ready. Indeed, they are never ripe for death, nor ready for the grave; that is, fit to die; yet they are always ripe for wrath, and ready for hell before they die. Now, as husbandmen judge of the ripeness of their harvest, by the colour and hardness of the grain; so may we judge of the ripeness both of saints and sinners, for heaven or hell, by these following signs.
Three signs of the maturity of grace 1. WHEN the corn is near ripe, it bows the head, and stoops lower than when it was green. When the people of God are near ripe for heaven, they grow more humble and self-denying, than in the days of their first profession. The longer a saint grows in the world, the better he is still acquainted with his own heart, and his obligations to God; both which are very humbling things. Paul had one foot in
heaven, when he called himself the chiefest of sinners, and least of saints, 1 Tim. 1:15. Eph. 3:8. A Christian in the progress of his knowledge and grace, is like a vessel cast into the sea, the more it fills, the deeper it sinks. Those that went to study at Athens (saith
Plutarch) at first coming seemed to themselves to be wise men; afterwards only lovers of wisdom, and after that, only rhetoricians, such as could speak of wisdom, but knew little of it, and last of all, ideots in their own apprehensions; still, with the increase of learning, laying aside their pride and arrogancy.
2. When harvest is nigh, the grain is more solid and pithy than ever it was before; green corn is soft and spungy, but ripe corn is substantial and weighty: So it is with Christians; the affections of a young
Christian, perhaps are more feverous and sprightly; but those of a grown Christian are more judicious and solid; their love to Christ abounds more and more in all judgments, Phil. 1:9. The limbs of a child are more active and pliable: but as he grows up to a perfect state, the parts are more consolidated and firmly knit. The fingers of an old musician are not so nimble; but he hath a more judicious ear in music than in his youth.
3. When corn is dead ripe, it is apt to fall of its own accord to the ground, and there shed; whereby it doth, as it were, anticipate the harvest-man, and calls upon him to put in the sickle. Not unlike to which are the lookings and longings, the groanings and hastenings of ready Christians to their expected glory; they hasten to the coming of the Lord, or, as Montanus more fitly renders it, they hasten the coming of the Lord; (i.e.) they are urgent and instant in their desires and cries to hasten his coming; their desires sally forth to meet the Lord; they willingly take death by the hand; as the corn bends to the earth, so doth these souls to heaven: This shows their harvest to be near.
Six signs of the maturity of sin WHEN sinners are even dead-ripe for hell, the signs appear upon them; or by these, at least, you may conclude those souls not to be far from wrath, upon whom they appear.
1. When conscience is wasted, and grown past feeling, having no remorse for sin; when it ceases to check, reprove, and smite, for sin any more, the day of that sinner is at hand, his harvest is even come.
The greatest violation of conscience is the greatest of sins; this was the case of the forlorn Gentiles, among whom Satan had such a plentiful harvest; the patience of God suffered them to grow till their consciences were grown seared, and past feelings, Eph. 4:19. When a member is so mortified, that if you lance and cut it never so much, no fresh blood, or quick flesh appears, nor doth the man feel any pain in all this, then it is time to cut it off.
2. When men give themselves over to the satisfaction of their lusts, to commit sin with greediness, then are they grown to a maturity of sin; when men have slipped the reins of conscience, and rush headlong into all impiety, then the last sands of God's patience are running down. Thus Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like manner gave themselves over to wickedness and strange sins; and then justice quickly gave them up for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
3. That man is even ripe for hell, that is become a contriver of sin, a designer, a student in wickedness. One would think it strange that any man should set his invention on work upon such a subject as sin is, that any should study to become a dexterous artist this way! and yet the scripture frequently speaks of such, "whose bellies prepare deceit," Job 15:35. "who travail in pain to bring forth" this deformed birth, ver. 20. "who wink with their eyes," whilst plodding
wickedness, as men used to do when they are most intent upon the study of any knotty problem, Prov. 6:13. These have so much of hell already in them, that they are more than half in hell already.
4. He that of a forward professor is turned a bitter persecutor, is also within a few rounds of the top of the ladder; the contempt of their light the Lord hath already punished upon them, in their obduracy and madness against the light. Reader, if thou be gone thus far, thou art almost gone beyond all hope of recovery. Towards other sinners
God usually exercises more patience, but with such he makes short work. When Judas turns traitor to his Lord, he is quickly sent to his own place. Such as are again intangled and overcome of those lusts they once seemed to have clean escaped, these bring upon themselves swift damnation, and their judgment lingers not, 2 Pet.
2:3, 20.
5. He that can endure no reproof or controul in the way of his sin, but derides all counsel, and like a strong current, rages at, and sweeps away all obstacles in his way, will quickly fall into the dead lake,
Prov. 29:1. "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." This is a deathspot, a hell-spot, wherever if appears. From this very symptom the prophet plainly predicted the approaching ruin of Amaziah, 2 Chron.
25:16. "I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my voice." He that will not be timely counselled, shall be quickly destroyed.
Lastly, When a man comes to glory in his sin, and boast of his wickedness, then it is time to cut him down, "whose end is destruction, whose glory is in their shame;" Phil. 3:19. This is a braving, a daring of God to his face; and with whomsoever he bears long, to be sure these are none of them.
You see now what are the signs of a full ripe sinner; and when it comes to this, either with a nation, or with a single person, then ruin is near, Joel 3:13. Gen. 15:16. It is in the filling up of the measure of sin, as in the filling up of a vessel cast into the sea which rolls from side to side, taking in the water by little and little till it be full, and then down it sinks to the bottom. Mean while, admirable is Divine patience, which bears with these vessels of wrath, whilst fitting for destruction!
REFLECTION
1. Cheer thyself, O my soul! with the heart-strengthening bread of this Divine meditation. Let faith turn every drop of this truth into a soul-reviving cordial. God hath sown the precious seed of grace upon my soul; and though my heart hath been an unkindly soil, which hath kept it back, and much hindered its growth, yet, blessed be the Lord, it still grows on, though by slow degrees; and from the springing of the seed, and shooting forth of those gracious habits, I may conclude an approaching harvest: Now is my salvation nearer than when I believed; every day I come nearer to my salvation, Rom.
13:11. O that every day I were more active for the God of my salvation! Grow on, my soul, and add to thy faith virtue, to thy virtue knowledge, &c. Grow on from faith to faith; keep thyself under the ripening influences of heavenly ordinances: The faster thou growest in grace, the sooner thou shalt be reaped down in mercy, and bound up in the bundle of life, 1 Sam. 15:29. I have not yet attained the measure and proportion of grace assigned to me, neither am I already perfect, but am reaching forth to the things before me, and pressing towards the mark for the prize of my heavenly calling, Phil.
3:12, 13. O mercy to be admired! that I who lately had one foot in hell, stand now with one foot in heaven!
2. But the case is far different with me; whilst others are ripening apace for heaven, I am withering: many a soul plowed up by conviction, and sown by sanctification long after me, hath quite overtopped and outgrown me; my sweet and early blossoms are nipped and blown off, my bright morning overcast and clouded: had
I kept on, according to the rate of my first growth, I had either now been in heaven, or at least in the suburbs of it on earth; but my graces wither and languish, my heart contracts and cools to heavenly things; the sun and rain of ordinances and providences improve not my graces: how sad therefore is the state of my soul!
3. Thy case, O declining saint, is sad, but not like mine: thine is but a temporary remission of the acts or grace, which is recoverable; but I am judicially hardening, and "treasuring up to myself wrath against the day of wrath," Rom. 2:5. Time was when I had some tender sense of sin, when I could mourn and grieve for it; now I have none at all: my heart is grown stupid and sottish. Time was when I had some conscientious care of duty, when my heart would smite me for the neglect of it; but now none at all. Wretched soul! what wilt thou do?
Thou art gone far indeed, a few steps further will put thee beyond hope: hitherto I stand in the field; the long-suffering God doth yet spare me; yea, spare me while he hath cut down many of my companions in sin round about me. What doth this admirable patience, this long-suffering, drawn out to a wonder, speak concerning me! doth it not tell me, that the Lord is not willing I should perish, but rather come to repentance? 2 Pet. 3:9. And what argument is like his pity and patience, to lead a soul to repentance?
Rom. 2:4. O that I may not frustrate at last the end of a longsuffering God, lest he proportion the degree of his wrath, according to the length of his patience!
THE POEM
WHEN fields are white, to harvest forth you go With scythes and sickles to reap down and mow.
Down go the laden ears flat to the ground, Which those that follow having stitch'd and bound,
'Tis carried home unto the barn, and so The fields are red where lately corn did grow.
This world's the field, and they that dwell therem The corn and tares, which long have ripen'd been:
Angels the reapers, and the judgment-day The time of harvest, when, like corn and hay,
The fading flow'rs of earthly glory must Be mowed down, and level'd with the dust:
The barns are heav'n and hell, the time draws nigh, When through the darken'd clouds and troubl'd sky,
The Lord shall break; a dreadful trumpet shall Sound to the dead; the stars from heaven fall;
The rolling spheres with horrid flames shall burn:
And then the tribes on earth shall wail and mourn.
The judgment set, before Christ's awful throne All flesh shall be conven'd, and ev'ry one
Receive his doom; which done, the just shall be Bound in life's bundle, even as you see The full ripe ears of wheat bound up and borne
In sheaves with joy into the owner's barn.
This done, the angels next in bundles bind The tares together; as they had combin'd
In acting sin, so now their lot must be To burn together in one misery.
Drunkards with drunkards pinion'd, shall be sent To hell together in one regiment.
Adulterers and swearers there shall lie In flames among their old society.
O dreadful howlings! O the hideous moans Of fetter'd sinners! O the tears! the groans!
The doleful lamentations as they go Chain'd fast together to their place of woe!