CHAPTER VI: Upon the Husbandman's care to prove and preserve his Deeds
To us, for ours, and for our children's good!
But we, like cowards, false, perfidious men, For carnal case, lost it, ourselves, and them.
O let us leave, to after ages, more Than we receiv'd from all that went before!
That those to come may bless the Lord, and keep Our names alive, when we in dust shall sleep.
CHAPTER VI
Upon the Husbandman's care to prove and preserve his Deeds Deeds for our lands you prove, and keep with care;
O that for heaven you but as careful were!
OBSERVATION
WE generally find men are not more careful in trying gold, or in keeping it, than they are in examining their deeds, and preserving them; these are virtually their whole estate, and therefore it concerns them to be careful of them: if they suspect, a flaw in their lease or deed, they repair to the ablest council, submit it to his judgment, make the worst of their cause, and query about all the supposable danger with him. If he tell them their case is suspicious and hazardous, how much are they perplexed and troubled? They can neither eat, drink, nor sleep in peace, till they have a good
settlement; and willing they are to be at much cost and pains to obtain it.
APPLICATION
THESE cares and fears with which you are perplexed in such cases, may give you a little glimpse of those troubles of soul, with which the people of God are perplexed about their eternal condition; which, perhaps you have been hitherto unacquainted with, and therefore slighted them, as fancies and whimsies: I say, your own fears and troubles, if ever you were engaged by a cunning and powerful adversary in a law-suit for your estate, may give you a little glimpse of spiritual troubles; and indeed it is no more but a glimpse of them: for, as the loss of an earthly, though fair inheritance, is but a trifle to the loss of God and the soul to eternity; so you cannot but imagine, that the cares, fears, and solicitudes of souls about these things, are much, very much, beyond yours. Let us compare the cases, and see how they answer to each other.
1. You have evidences for your estate, and by them you hold what you have in the world: They also have evidences for their estate in Christ, and glory to come; they hold all in capite, by virtue of their intermarriage with Jesus Christ; they come to be instated in that glorious inheritance contained in the covenant of grace. You have their tenure in that scripture, 1 Cor. 3:22, 23. "All is yours, for ye are
Christ's, and Christ is God's." Faith unites them to him, and after they believe, they are sealed by the Spirit of promise, Eph. 1:13. They can lay claim to no promise upon any other ground; this is their title to all that they own as theirs.
2. It often falls out, that after the sealing and executing of your deeds, or leases, an adversary finds some dubious clause in them, and thereupon commences a suit at Jaw with you. Thus it frequently falls
out with the people of God, who after their believing and sealing time, have doubts and scruples raised in them about their title.
Nothing is more common, than for the devil, and their own unbelief, to start controversies, and raise strong objections against their interest in Christ, and the covenant of promises. These are cunning and potent adversaries, and do maintain long debates with the gracious soul, and reason so cunningly and sophistically with it, that it can by no means extricate and satisfy itself; always alleging, that their title is worth nothing, which they, poor souls, are but too apt to suspect.
3. All the while that a suit of law is depending about your title, you have but little comfort or benefit from your estate; you cannot look upon it as your own, nor lay out monies in building or dressing for fear you should lose all at last. Just thus stands the case with doubting Christians; they have little comfort from the most comfortable promises, little benefit from the sweetest duties and ordinances: They put off their own comforts, and say, if we were sure that all this were ours, we would then rejoice in them. But, alas! our title is dubious: Christ is a precious Christ; the promises are comfortable things; but what, if they be none of ours? Ah! how little doth the doubting Christian make of his large and rich inheritance?
4. You dare not trust your own judgments in such cases, but state your case to such as are learned in the laws, and are willing to get the ablest counsel you can to advise you. So are poor doubting
Christians; they carry their cases from Christian to Christian, and from minister to minister, with such requests as these: Pray tell me, what do you think of my condition? Deal plainly and faithfully with me; these be my grounds of doubting, and these my grounds of hope.
O hide nothing from me! And if they all agree that the case is good, yet they cannot be satisfied till God say so too, and confirm the word
of his servants; and therefore they carry the case often before him in such words as those, Psalm 139:23, 24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me."
5. You have little quiet in your spirits, till the case be resolved; your meat and drink doth you little good; you cannot sleep in the night, because these troubled thoughts are ever returning upon you; what if I should be turned out of all at last? So it is with gracious souls; their eyes are held waking in the night, by reason of the troubles of their hearts, Psalm 77:4. Such fears as these are frequently returning upon their hearts, what if I should be found a self-deceiver at last? What if I but hug a phantasm instead of Christ? How can this, or that, consist with grace? Their meat and drink doth them little good; their bodies are often macerated by the troubles of their souls.
6. You will not make the best of your condition, when you state your case to a faithful counsellor; neither will they, but oftentimes (poor pensive souls) they make it much worse than indeed it is: charge themselves with that which God never charged them with; though this be neither their wisdom, nor their duty; but the fears of miscarrying make them suspect fraud in all they do or have.
7. Lastly, When your title is cleared, your hearts are eased; yea, not only eased, but overjoyed; though not in that degree, nor with the same kind of joy with which the hearts of Christians are overflowed, when the Lord speaks peace to their souls. O welcome the sweet morning light, after a tedious night of darkness! now they can eat their, bread with comfort, and drink their wine, yea, if it be but water, with a merry heart, Eccles. 9:7.
REFLECTIONS
1. O how hath my spirit been tossed and hurried, when I have met with troubles and clamours about my estate! But as for spiritual troubles, and those soul-perplexing cases, that Christians speak of, I understand but little of them. I never called my everlasting state in question, nor broke an hour's sleep upon any such account. Ah, my supine and careless soul! little hast thou regarded how matters stand in reference to eternity! I have strongly conceited, but never thoroughly examined the validity of my title to Christ, and his promises; nor am I able to tell, if my own conscience should demand, whereupon my claim is grounded.
O my soul! why art thou so unwilling to examine how matters stand betwixt God and thee? Art thou afraid to look into thy condition, lest by finding thine hypocrisy, thou shouldst lose thy peace, or rather, thy security? To what purpose will it be to shut thine eyes against the light of conviction, unless thou couldst also find out a way to prevent thy condemnation? Thou seest other souls, how attentively they wait under the word, for any thing that may speak to their condition.
Doubtless thou hast heard, how frequently and, seriously they have stated their condition, and opened their cases to the ministers of Christ. But thou, O my soul! hast no such cases to put, no doubts to be resolved; thou wilt leave all to the decision of the great day, and not trouble thyself about it now. Well, God will decide it; but little to thy comfort.
2. I have heard how some have been perplexed by litigious adversaries; but I believe none have been so tost with fears, and distracted with doubts, as I have been about the state of my soul.
Lord, what shall I do? I have often carried my doubts and scruples to thine ordinances, waiting for satisfaction to be spoken there. I have carried them to those I have judged skilful and faithful, begging their resolution and help, but nothing will stick. Still my fears are daily
renewed. O my God, do thou decide my case! tell me how the state stands betwixt thee and me; my days consume in trouble, I can neither do nor enjoy any good, whilst things are thus with me; all my earthly enjoyments are dry and uncomfortable things; yea, which is much worse, all my duties and thine ordinances, prove so too, by reason of the troubles of my heart: I am no ornament to my profession; nay, I am a discouragement and stumbling-block to others. "I will hearken and hear what God the Lord will speak:" O that it might be peace! If thou do not speak it, none can; and when thou dost, keep thy servant from returning again to folly, lest I make fresh work for an accusing conscience, and give new matter to the adversary of my soul.
3. But thou, my soul, enjoyest a double mercy from thy bountiful God, who hath not only given thee a sound title, but also the clear evidence and knowledge thereof. I am gathering, and daily feeding upon the full-ripe fruits of assurance, which grow upon the top boughs of faith; whilst many of my poor brethren drink their own tears, and have their teeth broken with gravel stones. Lord, thou hast set my soul upon her high-places; but let me not exalt myself, because thou hast exalted me, nor grow wanton, because I walk at liberty; lest for the abuse of such precious liberty, thou clap my old chains upon me, and shut up my soul again in prison.
THE POEM MEN can't be quiet till they be assur'd That their estate is good, and well secur'd.
To able counsel they their deeds submit, Intreating them with care t' examine it:
Fearing some clause an enemy may wrest, Or find a flaw; whereby he may divest Them and their children. O who can but see
How wise men in their generation be!
But do they equal cares and fears express About their everlasting happiness?
In spiritual things 'twould grieve one's heart to see What careless fools these careful men can be.
They act like men of common sense bereaven; Secure their lands, and they'll trust God for heaven.
How many cases have you to submit To lawyers' judgments? Ministers may sit From week to week, and yet not see the face
Of one that brings a soul-concerning case.
Yea, which is worse, how seldom do you cry To God for counsel? Or beg him to try Your hearts, and strictest inquisition make
Into your estate, discover your mistake?
O stupid souls! clouded with ignorance, Is Christ and heaven no fair inheritance,
Compared with yours? Or is eternity A shorter term than yours, that you should ply
The one so close, and totally neglect The other, as not worth your least respect.
Perhaps the devil, whose plot from you's conceal'd, Persuades your title's good, and firmly seal'd
By God's own Spirit; though you never found, One act of saving grace to lay a ground For that persuasion. Soul, he hath thee fast,
Tho' he'll not let thee know it till the last.
Lord, waken sinners, make them understand, 'Twixt thee and them, how rawly matters stand:
Give them no quiet rest until they see Their souls secur'd better than lands can be.
Occasional MEDITATIONS upon Birds, Beasts, Trees, Flowers, Rivers, and other Objects