Upon the ingraffing of fruit-trees,
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, Our path was pleasant; but if length of way Do weary thee, we'll flack our pace and stay:
Let's fit a while,under the cooling shade Of fragrant trees ; trees were for shadow made.
Lohere apleasantgrove,whose shade is good ; But more than so, twill yield us fruit for food :
No dangerous fruits do on these branches grow, No snakes among the verdant grass below ;
Here we'll repose a while, and then go view The pleasant herds and flocks; and so adieu.
CHAP. 1.
Upon the Ingraffing of Fruit-trees :
Ungraffedtreescannever beargoodfruit ; Nor we, 'tillgraffed on a better root.
OBSERVATION.
Wild tree naturally springing up in the wood or hedge, and never graffedor removed from its native foil,may bear to me fruit, and that fair and beautiful to the eye; but it will give you no content at all in eating, being always barsh, four, and unpleasant to the taste; but iffuch a stock be removed into a good foil, andgraffedwithabetterkind, itmaybecome a good tree, and yield store of choice and pleasant fruit.
APPLICATION.
U Nregenerate men, who neverwereacquainted with the mystery of spiritual union with Jesus Christ, but still grow upon their natural root,oldAdam, may,by the force and power of natural principles,bring forth some fruit, which, like the wild hedge-fruit we speak of, may, indeed,be fair and pleasant to the eyes of men,butGodtakes no pleasure at all in it ; it is four, harsh, and distasteful to him, because it springs not from the Spirit of Christ, Ifa. i. 13. " I cannot away with it, it
" is iniquity," &c. But that I may not entanglethe thread of my discourse, I shall (as in the former chapters) set before you a parallel betwixt the best fruits of natural men, and those ofa wild ungraffed tree.
1. The root that bears this wild fruit is a degenerate root, and that is the cause of all this fourness and harshness in the fruit it bears ; it is the feed of some better tree accidentally blown, or cast into somewasteand bad foil, where not being manuredand ordered aright, it isturnedwild:So all the fruits
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
ofunregeneratemen flow from the first Adam, a corrupt and degenerate root ; he was indeed plantedaright feed, but soon turned a wild and degenerate plant; he being the root from whicheveryman naturally springs, corrupts all the fruit that anymanbears from him.
It is observed by Gregory, pertinent to my present purpose, Genus humanum in parenteprimo, velut in radice putruit ; Mankind was putrifiedin the root of his first parent; Matth. vii. 18. " A corrupt tree cannot
<<bring forth good fruit."
2.This corrupt root spoils the fruit,by the tranfmiffionofits fourandnaughty sap into all the branches and fruits that grow on them; they fuck no other nourishment, but what the root affords them, and that being bad, spoils all: for the same cause and reason, no mere natural or unregenerate man can ever dooneholyor acceptable action, because the corruption of the root is in all those actions. The necessity of our drawing corruption into all our actions, from this cursed root Adam, is expreffedby a quickandsmart interrogation,Jobxiv. 4. " Who "can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? Not one."
The sense of it is well delivered us (by Mr. Caryl in loc.) This question (faith he) may undergo a twofold construction :
First, thus, Who can bring amorally cleanpersonoutofaper son originally unclean ? and fohe lays hishanduponhis birthfin.
Or, secondly, which speaks to my purpose, it may refer to the action of the fame 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 four sap of the first stock (I mean Adam's fin) is transmitted into all mankind,not only corrupting their fruit, but ruining and withering all the branches, the apostle shews us in that excellent parallel betwixt the two Adams, Rom. v. 12.
" Wherefore, as by oneman" [one,not only in individuo fed infpecie, one representing the whole root or stock,] " fin enter- "ed into the world :" not by imitation only, but by propagation; and this brought death and ruin upon all the branches.
3.Although these wild hedge-fruits be unwholsome 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 thew and colour, to be excellent fruit , for it makes a fairer shew oftentimes than the best and most wholesome fruit doth: even so, these natural gifts and endowments whichfome unregenerate persons have, seem exceeding fair to the eye, and a fruit to be desired. What excellent
Hustandry Spiritualized; or, qualities have some mere naturalmen and women! what i winning affability,humblecondescension,meekness,righteoutness, ingenuous tenderness, and sweetness of nature! As it was
(hyperbolically enough)saidofone, Inbochomine, nonpeccavit Adam; Adam never finned in this man; meaning that he excelled the generalityofAdam's children in sweetness of temper and natural endowments.
What curious phantasies, nimble wits, solid judgments, tenacious memories, rare elocution, &c. are to be found among mere natural men! by which they are assistedindiscoursing, praying, preaching and writing to the admiration of such as know them.
But that which is highly esteemedofmen,isabominationtoGod,Luke xvi. 15. It finds no acceptance with him, because it springs from that cursed root of nature, and is not the production of his own spirit.
4. If such a stock were removed intoabetter foil, andgraffedwith abetterkind, it might bring forth fruit pleasant and grateful to the husbandman; and iffuch persons (before described) were but regenerated andchangedintheir 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, andJerom, that they came into Canaan laden with Egyptian gold, (i. e.) they came into the church fullofexcellenthuman learning, which did Christ much service.
5. When thehusbandman cutsdownhiswoodsor hedges, hecutsdown these crab stocks with the rest,because he values themnotanymorethan the thorns andbrambles among which they grow; and as little will God regard or spare these natural branches, how much soeverthey are laden with such fruit.
Thethreatning is universal, John iii. 3. "Except you be rege- " nerate, and born again,you cannot enter into the kingdom
" of heaven." And again, Heb. xii. 14. " Without holiness, "no man (be his natural gifts never so excellent) shall fee
"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.
1. Towhatpurpose 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
A reflection for an accomplished naturalist. of nature.
I am but arottenpostgilded over, and all my du-
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ties but hedge-fruit, which God makes no account of. Ocutting thought! that the unlearned shall rife 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 doctorofdivinity : Of aid 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 wit, whilst I have none to do myself good ? Will my judge be charmed with a thetorical tongue ? Things will not be carried in that world as they are in this.
If I could, with Berengarius, discourse de omnifcibile, of everything that is knowable ; or with Solomon, unravel nature from the cedar to the hyffop, 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 fin ? Methinks, O my foult thou trimmest up thyselfinthese natural ornaments, to appear before God,much as that delicate A gag did, when he was to come before Samuel, and fondly conceits 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 thyself, will God cast such a one as I into hell? Shall am an 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 thyself, are nowblazinginhell,because not transplantedbyregeneration into Christ; and if he spared not them, neither will he spare thee.
( 2. I am a poor despised shrub,which have no beauty at all in me, and yet such a one hath the LordchofentotransplantintoChrift, whilst he left many fragrant branches standAreflectionfor at rue,but weak believer. ingontheirnative stock, to be fuel ofhiswrathto all eternity
Ograce! for ever to be admired ! Ah ! what cause have I to bethankfultofree grace, and for ever to walk humbly with my
God!the Lordhaththerefore chosen an unlikely, rugged,unpolished creature as I am, that pride may for ever be hid from mine eyes,and that I may ever glory in his presence, 1Cor. i.
29.
I now have the advantage of a better root and foil than any carnal person hath ; it will therefore bea greater shame to me, and a reproach to the root that bears me, if I should be outstripped and excelled by them: yet, Lord, how often do I find it fo ? I fee some of them meek and patient,whilst I am
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, rough and surly; generous and noble, whilst I am base and penurious.
Truly such a branch as I am, is nohonour to the root that bears it.
The POEM.
Am a branch of that fair Eden tree I Which tomankindGod hath ordain'dtobe Thecommonstock; his situation good, His branches many, of himself a wood ; And like a cedar by the river fed,.
Unto the clouds his ample branches spread:
Sinsmote his root, then justice cut him down, Andlevell'd with the earth his lofty crown.
What hope of branches when the tree's o'erturn'd, But like dry faggots to be bound and burn'd ?
It had been fo,had not transcendent love, Which in a sphere above our thoughts doth move,
Prepar'd a better stock to save and nourish Transplanted twigs, which in him thrive and flourish .
In Adam all are curs'd; no saving fruit Shallever spring from that fin-blasted root :
Yea, all the branches that in him are found, How flourishing soever, must be bound Andpil'd together (horrid news to tell !)
To make an everlasting blaze in hell.
God takes no pleasure in the sweetest bud Disclos'dby nature; for the root's not good.
Some boughs indeed richly adorned are With natural fruits, which to the eye are fair;
Rare gifts, sweet dispositions, which attract The love of thousands, and from most exact
Honour and admiration .
You'll admire That such as these are fewel for the fire.
Indeed, ten thousand pities 'tis to fee Such lovely creatures in this case to be.
Did they by true regeneration draw The sap of life from Jesse's root, the law, By which they now to wrath condemned are, Wouldceasetocurse, andGodfuchbuds would spare :
But out of him there's none of these can move His unrelenting heart, or draw his love.
Thencutme off from this accursed tree, Left I for ever be cutoff from thee.
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
CHAP.
II.
Upon the Union of the Grass with the Stock.
Whene'er you bud and grass, therein you fee, How Christ andfouls must bere united be.
OBSERVATIΟΝ .
HEN the husbandman hath prepared his graffs in the season of the year, he carries them, with the tools that are necessary for that work, to the tree or stock he intends to in grass, and having cut off the top of the limb in some smooth part, he cleaves it with his knife or chissel a little beside the pith, knocks in his wedge to keep it open, then(havingpreparedthe grass) he carefully sets it into the cleft, joining the inner side of the barks of grass and stock together (there being the main current of the sap) then pulls out his wedge, binds both together (as in barking) and clays it up, to defend the tender graffandwounded stock from the injuries of the fun and rain.
These tender cyons quickly take hold of the stock, and having immediate coalition with it, drink in its sap, concoct it into their own nourishment, thrive better, and bear more and better fruits than ever they wouldhavedone upon their natural root ; yea, the smallest bud, being carefully inoculated and bound close to the stock, will, in short time, become a flourishing and fruitful limb .
APPLICATION.
HIS carries a most sweet andlivelyresemblance of the TH foul's union with Christ by faith ; and indeed there is nothing in nature that shadows forth this great gospel-mystery like it : It is a thousand pities that any who are employed a bout, or are but spectators of such an action, should terminate their thoughts (as too many do) in that natural object, and not raise up their hearts to these heavenly meditations, which it so fairly offers them.
1.When a twig is to be ingraffed, or abud inoculated, it is first cut off by a keen knife from the tree on which it naturally grew.
And when the Lord intends to grass afoul into Christ, the first work about it, is cutting work, Acts ii. 37. their hearts werecutbyconviction, and deep compunction ; no cyon is in.
VOL. VI.
Husbandry Spiritualized; er, graffedwithoutcutting, no foul united with Christ, without a cutting sense of finandmifery, John xvi. 8, 9.
2. When the tender shoot is cut off from the tree, there are, ordinarily, many more left behind upon the same tree, ás promising and vigorous as that which is taken; but it pleaseth thehusbandman to chuse this, and leave them .
Even so it is in the removing or transplanting ofa foul by conversion ; it leaves many behind it in the state of nature, as likely and promising as itself; but so it pleasethGod to take this foul, and leave many others ; yea, often such as grew upon the same root ; I mean,the immediate parent, Mal. i. 2. "Was
" not Efau Jacob's brother ? faith the Lord: yet I loved Ja- " cob, and I hated Efau."
3.Whenthegraffs
are cut off, in order to this work, ititisa critical season with them: if they fie too long before they are ingraffed, or take not with the stock, they die, and are never more to be recovered ; they may stand in the stock a while, but are no part of the tree.
So when fouls are under a work of conviction, it is a critical time with then ; many aone have I known then to miscarry, and never recovered again: they have indeed for a time stood like dead graffs in the stoek, by an external dead-hearted profession, but never came to any thing; and as such dead graffs , either fall off from the stock, or moulder away upon it; so do these, 1 John ii. 19.
4. The husbandman, when he hath cut offgraffs, or tender buds, makes all the convenient speed he can to close them with the stock; the sooner that's done, the better ; they get no good by remaining as they are. And truly it concerns the servants of the Lord, who are imployed in this work ofingraffingfouls into Christ, to make all the haste they can to bring the convicted finnerto a closure with Christ.
As soon as ever the trembling jailor cried, " What shall I do to be saved ?" Paul and Silas immediately direct him to Christ, Acts xvi. 30, 31. They do not say, it is too soon for thee to act faith on Christ, thou art not yet humbled enough, but" believe in the Lord Jesus
" Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
5. There must be an incision made in the stock before any bud can be inoculated; or the stock must be cut and cleaved, before the cyon can be ingraffed ; according to that in the poet
Venerit infitio, sac ramum ram us adoptet ; (i. e.) To graffs no living sap the stocks impart,
Unless you wound and cut them near the heart.
Such an incision, or wound, was made upon Christ, in or-
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derto our in grafting into him, John xix. 34. the opening of thatdeadlywoundgives life to the souls of believers.
6. The grass is intimately united,and closelyconjoinedwith the stock; the conjunction is so close, that they become one tree.
There is also a most close and intimate union betwixt Christ and the foul that believeth in him. It is emphatically expressed by the apostle, 1 Cor. vi. 17. " He that is joined to the Lord,
" is one spirit."
The word imports the nearest, closest and strictest union. Christ and the soul cleave together in a blessed oneness, as those things do that are glued one to another ; fo that look as the grass is really in the stock, and the spirit or sap of the stock is really in the grass; fo a believer is really(though mystically) in Christ, and the spirit of Christ is really communicated to a believer.." I live, (faith Paul)yet not I, but Christ
" liveth in me," Gal. ii. 20. " He that dwelleth'in love,dwel- " leth in God, and God in him," 1 John iv. 16.
7. Graffs are bound to the stock by bands made of hay or flags ; these keep it steady, else the wind wouldloofe it out of the stock.
The believing foul is also fastenedtoChristbybands,which will secure it from all danger of being loosed off from him any more.
There are two bands of this union; the Spirit on God's part, this is the firm bond of union, without which he could never be made one with Christ, Rom. viii. 9. " Ifanyman
" have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his ;" and faith on our part, Eph. iii. 17. " That Christ may dwell in your
" hearts by faith."
These hold strongly.
8. Though the stock be one and the fame, yet all graffsdonot thrive and flourish alike in it ; some outgrow the reft, and those that grow not so well as the others do,the fault is in them, and not in the stock : fo it is with fouls really united to Christ ; all do not flourisa alike in him, the faith of some grows exceedingly, 2 Thef. i.3. the things that be in others, are ready to die, Rev. iii. 2. and such fouls must charge the fault upon themselves.
Christ sends up living sap enough, not only to: make all that are in him living, but fruitful branches.
REFLECTIONS .
I. Is it so indeed betwixt Christ and my foul, as it is betwixt the ingraffed cyon and the stock ? What honour and glory then hath Christ conferreduponme, a poor unworthy creature ! What ! to be made one
Four comfortable: reflections for a regenerate foul.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, with him, tobealiving branchofhim,to be joined thus to the
Lord ! Oh ! what a preferment is this ! It is but a little while since I was a wild and cursed plant, growing in the wilderness amongst them that shall shortly be cutdownand faggotted up for hell ; for me to be taken from amongst them, and planted into Christ. O my soul! falldownand kiss the feetoffree grace, that moved so freely towards fo vile a creature ! The dignities andhonours of the kings and nobles of the earth, are nothing to mine.
It was trulyconfefsed by one of them, that it isa greaterhonour to be a member of Christ, than the head of an empire. Do I say, a greater honour thanisputupon the kings of the earth ? I might have said, it is a greater honour than is put upon the angels of heaven: For " to which of them said
" Christ, at any time, thou art bone of my bone, and flesh of " my flesh?Beholdwhatmanner of love is this !" I John iii. 1.
2. Look again upon the ingraffedcyons, Omy foul! and thou shalt find, that when once they have taken hold of the stock, they live as long as there is anyfap in the root; and because he liveth, I shall live also, for my life is hid with Christ in God, Col. iii. 3. The grass is preserved in the stock, and my foul is even so " preserved in Christ Jesus!" Jude, ver. 1 .
3. Am I joined to the Lord as a mystical part or branch of him ? How dear art thou then,O my soul,to the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ ! What! a branch of his dear
Son! What can God with-hold from one so ingraffed ? Eph. i. 6. " All is yours, (faith my God) forye are Christ's, and " Christ is God's," I Cor. iii. 23.
4. Once more, draw matter of instruction, as well as comfort, from this sweet observation: seeingGodhath put all this honour upon thee,by this most intimate union with his Christ, look to it, my soul, that thou live and walk as becomes a soul: thus one with the Lord: be thou tender over his glory: doth not that which strikes at the root, strike at the very life of the grass? And shall not that which strikes at the very glory of Christ, tenderly touch and affect thee ? Yea, be thou tenderly affected with all the reproaches that falluponhim from abroad, but especially with those that redound to him from thine own unfruitfulness .
Oh ! disgrace not the root that bears thee ! let it never be said, that any evil fruit is found upon a branch that lives and is fed by such a root.
The POEM.
H! what considering serious man can fee Thecloseconjunction of the graffand tree ;
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Andwhilfthe contemplates,he doth not find This meditationgraffedonhismind ?
I am the branch, and Christ thevine ; Thy gracious handdidpluck Me from that native stock of mine, :
That I his sap might fuck.
Thebloodyspeardid in his heart Adeepincifionmake, That grace tomehemight impart, And I thereof partake.
The Spirit and faith is that firm band Whichbindsus fast together ; Thus we are clafpedhand in hand, Andnothingcanussever.
Bless'dbe that hand which did remove Me from my native place !
This was the wonder of thy love, The triumph of thy grace !
That I, a wild and cursed plant, Should thus preferred be, Who all these ornaments do want, Thou may'st in others see.
As long as e'er the root doth live, The branches are not dry; Whilst Christ hath grace and lifetogive,
My soul can never die.
Obleffsed Saviour ! never could Agraffcleavetothetree More close thanthypoorcreaturewould United be with thee.
My soul, dish on our,not the root, 'Twill be a shame for thee To want the choiceftforts of fruit, And yet thus graffedbe.
Thus you may shake from graffs, beforetheyblow, More precious fruit thane'er on trees did grow.