Upon the patience of the husbandman for
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
CHAP .
XIV.
Upon the Patience ofthe Hufbandman for the Harvest.
Ourhusbandmenfor harvest wait andstaye Oletnot anyfaintdo less than they !
OBSERVATIΟΝ.
HE expectation of a good harvest at last, makes the husbandman, with untired patience,todigest allhis labours. He that plows, plows inhope, 1 Cor. vi. 19. And they are not ſo irrational, to think they ſhall preſently be partakers of theirhope; nor, ſo foolish to anticipate the har veſt, by cutting down their corn before itbe fully ripened: butare content toplow, fow andweed it; andwhen it isfully ripe, then they go forth into their fields, and reap itdownwith joy.
APPLICATION.
AN a little corn cauſe mento digeſt ſo many difficult C labours, and make them wait with invincible patience till the reapingtime come? Much more ſhould the expectation ofeternalglory ſteel and fortify my ſpirit againſt all intercurrenthardſhips and difficulties.
It least ofallbecomes a Chriſtiantobe ofanhaſtyandimpatient ſpirit. "Light is ſown for " therighteous, and joy for the upright in heart," Pfal. xcii.
11. "Behold the husbandman waiteth," &c. Jam. v. 7.
" Be patient therefore, my brethren, for the coming of the " Lord draws near."
There are three great arguments to perfuade Chriſtians to a long-fuffering and patient frame under fufferings.
( 1.) The example ofChriſt, Iſa. liii. 7.
To thinkhow quietlyhe ſuffered all injuries and difficulties with invincible patience, is ſufficient to shame the best of Chriftians, who are offuch ſhort ſpirits. Ihave read ofone Elezari us, anobleman, that when his wife wondered at his exceeding great patience inbearinginjuries, he thus anfwered her : You know fometimes my heart is ready to rife with indignation againſt ſuch as wrong me; but Ipreſentlybegin to thinkofthe wrongs thatChriſt ſuffered ; and ſaythus to myself; Although thyſervantſhould pluck thy beard, andſmitetheeon thy face, thiswerenothing to what the Lord ſuffered: he ſuffered more andgreaterthings; and affureyourself, wife, Inever leave off thinking on the injuries done tomy Saviour, tillſuchtime as P2
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, mymind be ſtilland quiet.
To this purpoſe itwas wellnotedbyBernard, ſpeaking of Chrift's humiliation, Was Chrift the Lord ofglory thus humbled and emptied ofhis fulness of glory ? And thall fuchaworm as I ſwell? (2.) The defert of fin, Lam. iii. 39. "Why doth the living mancomplain ?" It was a good faying ofthe bleffedGreenham ; when fin lies heavy, affliction lies light.
* And it is a famous inſtance which Dr. Taylor gives usofthe duke ofConde.
Ihave read,(faith he)when the duke of Conde had voluntarily entered into the incommodities ofa religious poverty and retirement; he was oneday fpiedand pitiedby a lord ofItaly,who, out oftendernefs wiſhedhim to be more careful and nutritiveofhis perfon.
The goodduke anſwered, Sir, be not troubled, and think not that I am ill provided ofconveniencies ; for I fend an harbinger before me, that makes ready my lodgings,andtakes care that I be royally entertained. The lordaſkedhim who was his harbinger?Heanſwered,theknowledgeofmyſelf,andtheconfideration ofwhat I deſerve for my fins, which is eternal torments , and whenwith this knowledge I arrive at my lodgings, how unprovided foever I find it, methinks it is ever better than I deſerve. (3. ) Andasthe ſenſe offin,whichmerits hell, ſweetens preſent difficulties,ſo(tocomehome to the preſent ſimilitude) do the expectations andhopes ofa bleſſed harvest and reward inheaven.
This made Abraham willing towander up and down many years as a ſtranger in the world ; for he looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
'God.
The hopes of fuch a harvest is encouragement enough to work hard, and wait long : Yet ſome Chriſtians are ſo impatient ofit, thatthey wouldfainbe reaping beforethe time : but asGodhath, by an unalterable law ofnature appointed both the ſeaſons of feed-time and harvest (which are therefore called the appointed weeks of the harvest) Jer. v. 24. and theſe cannotbe haſtened ; butwhenwe have done all that we canon our part, muſt wait tillGod fend the former andthe latter rain, and give every natural cauſe its effect : ſo is it in reference to our ſpiritual harvest ; we are appointed to ſweat intheuſe of all God's appointments; and when wehave done all, muſt patientlywait till the divine decrees be accomplished, and the time of the promise be fully come; " In due timewe
" ſhall reap, ifwe faint not."
To whichpatientexpectation, and quiet waiting for the glory to come, theſe following confiderations are of excellentufe.
* Dr. Taylor's great Exemplar, p. 103 .
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
1. As thehusbandman knows whenthe feed-time is paft, it willnotbe long to the harvest ; andthe longer he waits, the nearer ſtill it is: ſothe Chriſtian knows, " It is butyet a little
" while, andhe that ſhall come, will come, and willnottarry,"
Heb. x. 37. " And that now his falvation is nearer thanwhen " he firſt believed," Rom. xiii. 11. What a ſmall point of time is ourwaiting-time, compared with eternity ? Yet a few days more, and then comes the long expected andwelcome harvest.
2. The huſbandman can find other work to do, before the reaping-timecome; heneed not ſtand idle,though he cannot yetreap. Andcannot a Chriftian findanyworktodo forGod, tillhecometoheaven ? O there is muchworkto do, and ſuch work as is onlyproper to this ſeaſon ! You may now reprove fin,exhorttoduty, fuccour the diſtreſſed ; this is goodwork, and this is your onlytime for ſuch work; thewhole of eternitywillbe takenup in other employments.
" I think it meet (faith Peter) as long as I am in this tabernacle, to ftirup "your minds, knowing ſhortly that I must put offthis taber
" nacle," 2 Pet. i. 13, 14. 9. d. I know I have but a little timetowork among you , I am almoſt at heaven ; andthereforeamwillingtohuſbandthispreſentmomentaswell as I can for you. O Chriſtians ! you need not ſtand idle ; look round aboutyou uponthe multitude of forlorn finners ; ſpeak now to them for God ; fpeak now to God for them ; for ſhortly you ſhall ſo ſpeak no more ; you ſhallfeethem no more till you fee them at Chriſt's bar ; God leaves you here for their fakes, upand be doing: ifyouhad done allyou were to do for yourſelves and them, he would haveyou to heaven immediately; you should notwait amoment longer for your glory.
3. Huſbandmenknow, though they cannotyet gather in the precious fruitsoftheearth,yet all this whilethey are ripening andpreparingforthe harvest; they would not houſe it green, ortake it before its time. And is not this alſo my preparationtime for glory ? As Godprepared heaven for his people, byan eternal decree ; Mat. xxv. 34. by an act of creation, Heb. xi.
10. bythedeath ofChrift, which made a purchaſe of it, Heb. x. 19, 20. and by his aſcenſion into it, John xiv. 2, 3. So the reaſonwhywe are kepthere, is in order to our fitting for it.
Heaven is ready,butwe are not fully ready; the barn is fit to receive the corn,butthecorn is not fit to be gathered into it.
" But for this ſelf-famethingGod is nowworking us," 2 Cor. v. 5. he is everyday at work, byordinances, andby providen ces, toperfect his workinus; and as foonas that is finiſhed,
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, we ſhallhear avoice like that, Rev. xi. 12. " Comeuphither,
" and immediatelywe shallbe inthe ſpirit;" forhow ardently ſoever, we long for that defirableday,Chriſt longsfor itmore thanwe can do.
4. The husbandman isglad ofthe firſt-fruits,that encourages him, though thegreatest partbeyet out: andhavenot you received the firſt-fruits of that glory? Have you not earnests, pledges, and firſt-fruits ofit? 'Tis yourown fault, ifeveryday you feed not upon ſuchbleſſedcomforts of the ſpirit, Rom. viii. 23. Rom. v. 2. 1 Pet. viii. 9. Ohow mightthe interpofingtime, even allthedays ofyour patienceherebe ſweetned with ſuchprelibations ofthe glory tocome!
5.Huſbandmenknow 'tis beſtto reap, when 'tis fit to reap; onehandfulfullyripe, isworth many ſheaves of green corn.
Andyou know, heaven will be ſweetest to you when you are fittest for it ; the childwould pluck the apple whilſt it's green, buthemight gather it eafier, and taſte it ſweeter,by tarrying longer for it.
Wewouldfain beglorifiedperfaltum.
When wehave got ataste of heaven,we are all in haſte to be gone.
Then, O that I had wings as a dove ! I would fly away and be at reſt.
Then we crytoGod for ourſelves, as Moſes for his fiſter Miriam, " Heal her [now], O God, I beſeech thee!"
Numb. xii. 13. Glorify me now, O Lord, I praythee ! But, furely, as God hath contrivedthyglory in the beſt of ways,fo hehath appointed forthee the fittest ofſeaſons; and whenever thou art gathered intoglory,thou ſhalt come asafhockofcorn inits ſeaſon.
REFLECTIONS.
Thelonging Ihave waited forthy ſalvation,O God! Hafoul'sreflection. ving received thy firſt-fruits, my foul longs to fill its boſom with the full ripe ſheaves of glory: "As thehart panteth forthe water-brooks, ſo panteth my foul for thee, O God ! O when ſhall Icome and appear
" before God!" I defire to be diffolvedand tobe with Chriſt !
When ſhall I ſee thatmost lovelyface ? When ſhallIhear his " foul-tranſportingvoice! Some needpatience todie: I need it asmuch to live.
Thy fights, O God, by faith, have made this world a burthen, this body a burden, and this ſoul to cry, like thirsty David, "O that one would give me of " the waters of Bethlehem to drink!" The husbandman longs for his harvest,becauſeit isthe reward of all his toil and labour.
But what is his harvest to mine? What is a little corn to the enjoyment of God? What is the joy of harveſtto the joy ofheaven? Whatare the ſhoutings ofmen
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
inthe fields tothe acclamations of glorified ſpirits in the kingdom ofGod ? Lord, I have gone forth,bearing more precious ſeed than they ; when ſhall I return rejoicing, bringing my heaves with me ? Their harvest comes when they receive their corn;mine comes when I leave it.
O much defired ! O day ofgladneſs of iny heart ! How long, Lord ! how long !
HereIwaitas the poor man atBethesda's Pool,looking when myturnwillcome,buteveryone ſteps intoheavenbefore me ; yet, Lord, I am content towait 'till my time is fullycome: I wouldbe content to ſtay for myglorification 'till I have finiſhed thework ofmy generation ; andwhen I have done thewill ofGod, then to receive the promise.
Ifthou have any work on earth, touſeme in, Iam content to abide : behold, the hufbandman waiteth, and ſo willI; for thou art aGod ofjudgment ; and bleſſed are all they thatwait for thee.
The lingring Soul'sreflection.
Buthowdoth my flothful foul fink down intothe fleſh, and fettle itſelfin the love of this animal life ? How doth it hug andwrap up itſelf in the garment of this mortality, not defiring tobe removed hence to the more perfect and bleſſed ſtate ? The husbandman isindeed content to ſtay 'tillthe appointedweeks ofthe harvest; but would he be content to wait always ? O my ſenſual heart ! is this life ofhope as contentful to thee, as the life of vifion will be ? Why doſt thou not groan within thyſelf, that this mortality might be ſwallowed up oflife ?
Doth not the ſcripture deſcribe the faints by their earnest looking for the mercy of our LordJefus unto eternal life?
Jude 21. " By their haftening unto the coming of the day " ofGod," 2 Pet. iii. 12. What is the matter, that myheart hangs back? Doth guilt lie upon my confcience? Or, have I gotteninto apleaſant conditioninthe world,whichmakesme fay as Peter on the mount, It is good to be here ? Or want I the affurance ofa better ſtate? MustGod make allmyearthly comforts die, beforeI ſhall be willing todie ? Awake faith, awakemylove ; beat up the drowſy defires ofmy foul, that I may say, "Makehaſtemybeloved,andcome away."
The POEM
No The fruit ofwhat he fows, '
Tilleverycaufe have its effects,
Andthenhe reaps and mows :
Heworks inhope the year throughout, Andcounts nolabour loft,
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, If, when the ſeaſon comes about, * His harvest quits his coft.
His rare examplejuſtly may
Rebuke, and put to ſhame My foul ; which fows itsfeed one day, And looks to reap the fame.
Is curfed nature now become Sokind a foil to grace, That to perfection it ſhouldcome Within ſo ſhort a ſpace ?
Graceſpringsnot up with feed and eaſe, Likemushrooms in a night ; But rather, by degrees increaſe, Asdoth the morning light.
Is corn fo 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 fet ; Theſe once expired, beyond its fears Myfoul ſhall quickly get.
How ſmall apart ofhaſty time, Which quicklywill expire, Dothmewithin this world confine, Andthencomes mydefire.
Come, Lord! howlongmyfoulhath gafp'd!
Faith my affections warms ; Owhen ſhall my poor foul be clafp'd In it's Redeemer's arms!
Thetime feems long; yet here I'll lie, 'Till thou, my God, do call :
Itis enough, eternity Willmake amends for all.
CHAP.
XV.
Upon the Harvest-Seafon .
Corn,fully ripe, is reap'd, and gather'd in :
So must yourselves, when ripe ingrace, orfin.
OBSERVATION.
HEN the fields are white to harvest, thenhusbandmen walk through them, rub the ears ; and finding
The Heavenly Use ofEarthly Things.
thegrainfullandſolid, theypreſently preparetheir ſcythes and fickles; fendfor their harvest-men,whoquickly reap andmow them down ; andafter thefe follow the binders, who tie it up; fromthe field, where itgrew, it is carried to the barn, where itis threſhed out; the good grain gathered into an heap, the chafffeparatedand burnt, or thrown to the dung-hill.
How bareandnaked do the fields look after harvest, which before werepleaſant to behold ? Whenthe harvest-men enter into the field, it is(toallude to that, Joel ii. 3.) beforethem, like the gardenofEden, andbehindthema defolate wilderness ; and, inſomeplaces, 'tis uſualto ſet fire to the dry ſtubble,whenthe corn is housed; which rages furiouſly, and covers it all with athes.
APPLICATION.
T myhands by Chrift HE application ofthis,Ifindmade tom himſelf, inMat. xiii. 38, 39. "The fieldis the world ;
" thegood feed arethe children ofthekingdom ; the tares are " the childrenofthe wicked one ; theenemy that fowedthem
" is the devil; the harvest is the end ofthe world; the reap- " ers are the angels."
The field is the world; thereboth the godly and ungodly live and grow together, 'tilltheybe both ripe ; and then they ſhallboth be reapeddown by death: death is the fickle, that reaps down both.
I willopen this allegory in the following particulars:
1. In acatching harvest, when the husbandman ſees the clouds begin to gather, andgrows black, he hurries inhis corn with allpoſſiblehaſte, andhouſes itday and night.
SodothGod, the great Husbandman; he hurries the faints intotheirgraves, whenjudgments are coming uponthe world ;
Ifa. lvii. 1. " The righteous perish, and no man layeth it to **" heart; andmerciful menare taken away, none confidering
" thatthe righteous is taken awayfrom theevil to come." Me thufelah diedtheyear before the flood; Augustin a littlebefore the fackingofHippo ; Pareusjuſt before the taking ofHeidelburgh; Luther a little beforethe wars broke out inGermany.
Butwhat ſpeak I offingle faints ? Sometimes the Lord houſes greatnumbers together,before ſomeſweepingjudgmentcomes.
How many bright and glorious ſtars did fet almoſt together withinthe compaſs of a few years, to the astonishment ofmanywife and tender hearts in England ? I find fome of them thus ranked in a funeral elegy :
VOL . VI.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, The learnedTwiſſe went firſt (it was his right:) ThenholyPalmer,Burroughs,Love,Gouge, White,
Hill, Whitaker, grave Gataker and Strong, Perne,Marthal, Robinfon, allgone along.
I have not nam'd them half; their only ftrife Hath been (of late) who ſhould firſt part with life.
Theſe few who yet ſurvive, fick ofthis age, Long to have done their parts, and leave the ſtage.
The Lord fees itbetter for them tobe under-ground, than above-ground ; 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 fickle, when it is applied tothem by the reaper's hand; neither canthe godly or ungodly refift the ſtroke of death, when God inflicts it ; Eccl. viii 8. " No man cankeep
" alive his own foul in the day ofdeath ; and there is no dif- " charge in that war."
The frailbody ofman isas unable to withstand that ſtroke, as the weak reeds, or feeble ſtaiks ofthe corn, are to reſiſt the keen ſcythe and ſharp fickle.
3. The reapers receive the wheat, which they cutdown, into their arms and boſom. Hence that expreffion,by way of im precationuponthe wicked, Pfalm cxxix. 6, 7. " Letthem be as " thegrafs upon the houſe-top,which withers before it grows
" up; wherewith the mower filleth not his hand,nor he that .
" bindeth ſheaves, his bofom."
Such withered grafs are the wicked, who are never taken into the reaper's bofom ; but as foon as faints are cut down by death, they fall into the hands and bofoms ofthe angels ofGod, who bear them in their arms andbofoms to God their father, Luke xvi. 22.
For look, as theſe bleſſed ſpirits did exceedingly rejoice at their converfion, Luke xv. 10. and thought it nodifhonour to minister to them, whilft they stood in the field,Heb. i. 14.
So when they are cutdownbydeath, they will rejoice tobe theirconvoy toheaven.
4. When the corn and weeds are reaped or mowed down, they ſhall nevergrow any more inthat field ; neither ſhallwe ever return to live an animal life any more after death, Job vii. 9, 10. " As the cloud is confumed,and vanisheth away ;
" ſo he thatgoeth 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 tothe particular ſubjectof this chapter) the reapers are never fent to cut down the harvest 'till itbe fully ripe ; neither willGod reap down ſaints or finners 'till
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
theybecome to amaturity ofgrace or wickedneſs .
Saints are not reapeddown 'till their grace is ripe, Jobv. 26. "Thou shalt 66 come to thy grave in a full age, as a shock ofcorn cometh
" in its ſeaſon."
Not that every godly man dies in fuch a • full old age (faithMr. Caryl onthatplace;) but yet, in one
• ſenſe it is an univerſal truth, and ever fulfilled ; for whenſo- ، ever they die, they die in agood age; yea, though they die intheſpring and flower oftheiryouth, theydie in agoodold age ; (i. e.) they are ripe for death whenever they die.
• Whenever a godlyman dies, it is harvest-time withhim, though in anatural capacityhe be cutdownwhilehe is green,
⚫and croppedin the bud or bloſſom ; yet in his ſpiritual ca- • pacity he never dies beforehebe ripe : God ripens himſpeedily, when he intends to takehim out ofthe world ſpeedily ;
< he can let out ſuch warm rays and beams of his Spirit upon ، them, as shall foon maturate the feeds of grace into a pre- * paredneſs for glory.'
Thewickedalſo havetheir ripening-time for hell andjudgment: God doth with much long-fuffering endure the veffels ofwrath, prepared for deſtruction.
Of their ripeneſs forjudgment the Scripture often ſpeaks, Gen. xv. 16. "The fin of " the Amorites is notyet full." And of Babylon it is faid,
Jer. li. 13. "O thou that dwelleſt upon many waters ! thine " end is come, andthe meaſure ofthy covetouſneſs."
It is worth remarking, thatthe meaſure ofthe fin, andthe end of the ſinner, come together.
So Joel iii. 13. "Put ye " in the fickle, 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 cutdown 'till they be ripe and ready.
Indeed, they are neverripe for death, nor ready for the grave; that is, fit to die : yet they are always ripe for wrath, andready forhell before theydie. Now, as hufſbandmenjudge oftheripeneſs oftheir harvest, by the colour and hardness of thegrain; fo may we judge ofthe ripeneſs both offaints and ſinners, for heaven or hell,by theſe following ſigns.
I.W Threefigns of the maturity ofgrace.
HEN the corn is near ripe, it bows the head, and ſtoops lower than when itwas green.
When the people ofGodare near ripe for heaven, theygrow more humbleand ſelf-denying, than inthe days oftheir firſt profeffion.
The longer a faint grows inthe world, the better he is ſtill acquaintedwithhis ownheart, and hisobligations toGod ; botla
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, which are veryhumbling things.
Paul had one footin heaven,whenhe called himſelfthe chiefeſt of finners, and least of faints, 1 Tim. i. 15. Eph. iii. 8. A Chriſtian in the progreſs of his knowledge and grace, is like a veſſel caſt into the ſea, themore it fills,the deeper it finks. Those that went to ſtudy atAthens (faith Plutarch) at firſtcoming ſeemedto themſelves to be wife men; afterwards only lovers ofwisdom, and after that, only rhetoricians, ſuch as could ſpeak ofwisdom, but knew little of it, and last of all, ideots in their own apprehenfions ; ſtill, with the increase oflearning,laying afide their pride and arrogancy.
2. When harvest is nigh, the grain is morefolid and pithy than ever itwas before ; green corn is foft and ſpungy,but ripe. cornis ſubſtantial and weighty : So it is with Chriftians ; the affections of a young Chriſtian, perhaps are more feverous and ſprightly ; but thoſe of a grown Chriſtian are morejudicious and folid ; their love to Chriſt abounds more and more in all judgment, Phil. i. 9.
The limbs of a child are more active and pliable : but as hegrows up to a perfect ſtate, the parts are moreconſolidatedand firmly knit.
The fingers ofanoldmufician are not ſo nimble; but he hath a morejudicious ear in muſic than inhis youth.
3.When corn is dead ripe, it is apt to fallof it's own accord to the ground, and there ſhed; whereby it doth, as it were, anticipate the harvest-man, and calls uponhim to put in thefickle. Not unlike to which are the lookings and longings, thegroanings andhaſtnings ofready Chriftians to their expectedglory; they haften to the coming ofthe Lord, or, as Montanus more fitly renders it, theyhaſten the coming ofthe
Lord; (i. e.) they are urgent and inſtant in their defires and cries to haſten his coming ; their defires ſally forth to meet the Lord ; they willingly take deathby thehand ; as the corn bends to theearth, ſodoth theſe ſouls toheaven : This ſhows their harvest tobe near.
WH Sixfigns of the maturity offin.
THEN ſinners are even dead ripe for hell, theſe ſigns appear upon them; orby theſe, at least, you may concludethoſe ſouls not tobefar fromwrath,uponwhom they appear.
1. Whenconfcience is wasted, and grown past feeling,having no more for fin; when it ceaſes to check, reprove, and ſmite for fin any more, the day of that finner is at hand, his harvestisevencome.
The greatest violation ofconfcience is
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thegreatest of fins ; this was the case of the forlorn Gentiles, amongwhom Satan had fuch a plentiful harvest; the patience ofGod ſuffered them to grow till their confciences weregrown feared, and past feeling, Eph. iv. 19.
When a member is fo mortified, that ifyou lance and cut itnever ſo much, no freſh blood, or quick fleſn appears, nor doth the man feel anypain inall this, then it is time to cut it off.
2. When men give themselves over to the fatisfaction of theirlufts, to commit ſin withgreedineſs, then are theygrown toamaturityof fin ; when men have flipped the reins ofconſcience, and rush headlong into all impiety, then the laſt ſands ofGod's patience are running down.
Thus Sodom andGomorrah, andthe cities about them, in like manner gave themſelves over to wickedneſs and ſtrange fins ; and then justice quicklygavethem up for an example, fuffering the vengeance ofeternal fire.
3. That man is even ripe for hell, that is become a contri ver of fin, a deſigner, a ſtudent in wickedneſs.
One would think it ſtrange, that anyman ſhouldſet his inventiononwork upon ſuch a ſubject as fin is,thatany ſhould ſtudy tobecome a dexterous artiſt this way! and yet the fcripture frequently ſpeaks of ſuch, " whoſe bellies prepare deceit," Job xv. 35.
"whotravail inpaintobring forth" this deformed birth, ver.
20. " whowink with their eyes," whilſt plodding wickedneſs, asmenuſedtodowhen they aremoſt intentuponthe ſtudy of anyknotty problem, Prov. vi. 13. Theſe have ſo much ofhell already in them, that theyare more than halfin hell already.
4.He thatof aforward profeffor is turned a bitterperfecutor, is alſo within a few rounds ofthe top of the ladder ; the contempt oftheir light the Lord hath alreadypuniſhedupon them, intheir obduracy and madneſs against the light. Reader, if thoubegone thus far, thou art almoſtgonebeyond all hope of recovery.
Towards other finners 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 ownplace.
Such as are again intangled and overcome of thoſe lufts they once ſeemed tohave clean eſcaped, theſe bring upon themſelves ſwift damnation, and their judgment lingers not, 2 Pet. ii. 3,
20.
5. He that can endure no reproofor controul in the way ofhis fin, but derides all counſel, and, like a strong current, rages at, and ſweeps away allobſtacles in his way, will quicklyfallintothedead lake, Prov. xxix 1. "Hethat being often
" reproved, hardneth his neck, ſhall fuddenly be destroyed,
Huſtandry Spiritualized ; or , " and that without remedy."
This is adeath-ſpot, ahelfpot, where-ever it appears. From this veryſymptom theprophet plainly predicted the approaching ruin of Amazia,
2Chron. xxv. 16. " I know thatGod hath determined tode- " ſtroythee, becauſethou hast donethis, andhaftnot hearkned
" to my voice." He that will notbe timelycounſelled, ſhall be quickly deſtroyed.
Lastly, When a man comes to glory in his fin, and boast of his wickedneſs, then it is time to cuthim down, " whoſe end
" is deſtruction,whoſegloryis in their ſhame ;" Phil. iii. 19.
This isa braving, adaring ofGod to hisface ; and withwhomſoever he bears long, to be ſure theſe are noneofthem.
You feenowwhat arethe ſigns ofafullripe ſinner ; andwhen itcomes tothis, either with a nation, or with a ſingleperſon, then ruin is near, Joel iii. 13. Gen. xv. 16. It is inthe filling upof the meaſure offin, as in the filling up of a veſſel caſt into the ſea, which rowls from ſide to fide, 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 ofwrath, whilst fitting for deſtruction?
REFLECTION.
1. Cheer thyself,O my foul ! with the The reflectionof heart-ſtrengthening bread ofthis divine growing Chrifmeditation. Let faithturn every drop of tian. thistruth into a foul-reviving cordial. God hath ſown the precious ſeed of grace upon my foul; and. though my heart hath been an unkind foil, which hath kept it back, andmuch hindered its growth, yet, bleſſed be the Lord, a it ſtillgrows on, though byflowdegrees; and fromthe ſpringing ofthe feed,and ſhooting forth of thoſe gracioushabits, I may conclude an approaching harvest : Now is my ſalvation nearer thanwhen I believed ; every day Icome nearer to my ſalvation,
Rom . xiii. II . Othat every day I were more active for the God ofmy falvation ! Grow on, my foul, and add to thy faith virtue, to thy virtue knowledge, &c.
Grow on from faith to faith; keepthyſelf under the ripening influences of heavenly ordinances : The faster thou groweſt in grace, the fooner thou ſhalt be reapeddown in mercy, andbound up in the bundle of life, 1 Sam. xv. 29. I have not yet attained the meaſure and proportion ofgrace affignedto me, neither am I already perfect, butam reaching forth to the things before me, and preſſing towards the mark for the prize ofmy heavenlycalling, Phit. iii.
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
12, 13. Omercy to be admired! that I, who lately had one foot in hell, ſtand nowwith one foot in heaven !
2. But the cafe is far different with me ; whilft others are ripening apace for heaven,
The reflection of the decaying Christian.
Iamwithering; manya foul plowedupby conviction, andſown by fanctification long after me, hath quite over-topped, and out-grown me ; my ſweet and earlybloffoms are nipped andblown off, my bright morningover-caft and clouded : had I kept on, according to therateofmy firſt growth, Ihad either now beeninheaven, or atleaſt inthe furburbs ofit on earth ; but mygraces wither and languiſh, myheart contracts and cools toheavenly things ; thefunand rain ofordinances and providences improve not mygraces : how fadtherefore is the ſtate ofmy foul!
The reflection of 3. Thy cafe, O declining faint, is fad, butnot likemine : thine is buta temporaahardningfinner. ry remiffion of the acts ofgrace, which is recoverable ; but I am judicially hardening, and " treaſuring
"up tomy ſelf wrath against the day of wrath," Rom. ii. 5.
Time was, when I hadſome tender ſenſe of fin, whenI could mourn and grieve for it ; now I have none at all : myheart is grown ſtupid and fottiſh. Time was,when I had fome conſcientious care ofduty, whenmy heart would ſmite me forthe neglect of it; but now none at all.
Wretched foul ! what wilt thou do? Thou art gone far, indeed, a few ſteps further willputthee beyond hope: hitherto I ſtand inthe field ; the long-fufferingGoddoth yet ſpare me ; yea, ſpare me, while hehathcutdown many ofmy companions in fin round about me. What doth this admirable patience, this long-fuffering, drawn out to a wonder, ſpeak concerning me ! doth itnot tell me, that the Lord is not willing I ſhould perish, but rather come to repentance ? 2Pet. iii. 9. Andwhatargument is like hispityandpatience, to leada foul torepentance? Rom. ii. 4.
Othat I may not fruſtrate at laſt the end of a long-fuffering God, left he proportion the degree of his wrath, according to thelength ofhispatience!
THEN fields W The POEM. are white, to harvest forth you go With ſcythes and fickles to reap down and mow.
Downgo the laden ears flat to the ground, Which thoſethat follow having stitch'd andbound,
Tiscarried home unto the barn, and fo The fields are red where lately corn did grow.
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, Thisworld'sthe field, and they thatdwell therein The corn and tares,which longhave rip'ning been :
Angels the reapers,and thejudgmentday The time of harvest,when, like corn and hay,
Thefading flowers of earthly glory muft Be mowed down, and levell'd with the duft :
Thebarns are heaven and hell, the time draws nigh, When through thedarkned clouds, and troubled fky,
The Lord ſhall break; adreadful trumpet fhall Soundtothedead; the ſtars fromheaven fall;
The rowling ſphereswith horrid flames ſhall burn ; And then the tribes on earth ſhall wail and mourn .
Thejudgment fet, before Chriſt's awfulthrone All fleſh ſhallbe conven'd, and every one
Receivehisdoom; which,done, the juſt ſhallbe Bound in life's bundle, even asyou fee The full ripe ears ofwheatbound up and borne
In fheaves withjoy intothe owner's barn.
Thisdone, the angels next inbundles bind The tarestogether ; as theyhad combin'd In acting fin, fonowtheirlot mustbe Toburntogetherinone miſery.
Drunkards with drunkards pinion'd, ſhall befent Tohell togetherin one regiment.
Adulterers and ſwearers there ſhall lie Inflames amongst their old ſociety.
O dreadful howlings ! Othe hideous moans Of fetter'd finners ! O the tears ! the groans !
Thedoleful lamentations as they go Chain'd faft together to theirplaceofwoe!
Theworld thus clear'd, as fields when harveſt's in, Shallbe no more a ſtage, for acting fin .
Withpurifying flames it ſhall be burn'd, Its ſtately fabrics into aſhes turn'd.
Ceafe then, my foul, to dote on'or admire This fplendid world, which is referv'd for fire.
Decline the company of finners here, As thou would'ſt not be shackled with them there.