Upon the gathering in of fruits in autumn,
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, CHAP.
III.
Upon the Gathering in of Fruits in Autumn.
When trees areshak'd, but little fruit remains Justfuch a remnant to the Lord pertains.
Tisa
OBSERVATION.
pleasant fight in autumntoseethe fruitful branches hanging fullofclusters,which weigh the boughs to the ground.
Afpicecurvatos pomorum pondere ramos, UtJuaquodpeperit vixferat arboronus.
Which Imaythus English.
Owhat apleasantfight it is to fee, The fruitful clusters bowingdownthe tree!
But these ladenbranches are soon easedof their burden; for as soon as they are ripe,the husbandman ascends the tree, and shaking the limbs with all his might, cause a fruitful shower to fall like hail-stones upon the ground below ; which being gatheredtoaheap, are carried to the pound, broken all to pieces in at rough, and squeezed toa dry lump in the press,whence all their juice and moisture runs into the fat. How few escape chis fat, of all those multitudes that grow in the orchard ? If you look upon the trees,you may possibly fee here one, and there another, two or three upon the utmost branches, but nothing in comparison to the vast number that are thus used.
APPLICATION .
T His small remains of fruit, which are either left upon the tree, or gathered in for anhoard,do well resemble that fmallnumber of God's elect in the world, which free-grace hath reserved out ofthegeneralruin of mankind.
Four things are excellently shadowed forth to us by this similitude.
1. You see ina fruitful autumn, the trees even oppressed and over-laden with the weight of their own fruits,before the shaking time comes, and then they are eased of their burden.
Thus, the whole creation groans under the weight of their fins who inhabit it,Rom. viii. 22. the creatures are in bondage, and by anelegantProfopopeia, are said, both to groanandwait for deliverance. The original fin of man brought an original curse, which burdens the creature, Gen. iii. 17. "Cursed is the " groundforthy fake ; and the actual fin of man brings actual cursesuponthecreature,Pfalmcvii.34. Thus the inhabitants
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oftheworldload and burden it, as the limbs ofatreeareburdened, and sometimes broken with the weight of their own fruit.
2. You may observe 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 myfticaltree, with respect to men that inhabit it; there is not a year, a day, or hour, in which some drop not, as it were, of their own accord, bya natural death ; and sometimes wars, and epidemical plagues blow down thousands together into their graves ; these areas 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 equivalent thereunto.
3. When fruits are shaken down from their trees, then the husbandman separates them;the fargreaterpart for the pound, and some few reserves for an hoard, which are brought to his table,and eaten with pleasure.
This excellently shadows forth that great separation, which Christwillmake in the end of the world,when some shall be cast into the wine-press of the Almighty's wrath, and others preserved for glory.
4. 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! it is scarce one of a thousand, and such a small remnant of elected fouls hath God reserved for glory.
I look upon the world as a great tree, confiftingoffour large limbs or branches ; this branch or division of it on which we grow, hath doubtless, a greater number of God's elect upon it than the other three ; and yet,when I look with a serious and considering eyeuponthis fruitful European branch, and feehowmuch rotten and withered fruit there grows upon it, it makes me say, as Chryfoftomdid ofhispopulousAntioch ;
Ah, how small a remnant hath Jesus Christ among these vast numbers ! " Many indeed are called, but ah! how few are
" chosen ?" Matth.xx. 16. Alas! they are but asthegleanings when the vintage is done; here and thereone upon its utmost branches : to allude to that, Ifaiah xvii. 6. It was a fadobservation which that searching scholar, Mr. Brerewood, long fincemadeuponthe world ; that,dividing it into thirty equal parts, he found no less thannineteenofthem whollyoverspread with idolatry, and heathenish darkness; andoftheelevenremainingparts, no less than fix are Mahometans ; so that there
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, remains but five ofthirtywhichprofess the Christian religion at large; and the far greater part of these remaining five are invelopped and drowned inpopish darkness ; so that you see the reformedProteftant religion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed. Now, if from these we substract all the grossy ignorant,openly profane, merely civil, and secretly hypocritical, judgethenin yourselves, how small a scanthng of the world falls to Christ's share.
Well might Christ say,Matth. vii. 14. " Narrow is the way, " and strait is the gate that leadeth unto life; and few there
" be that find it." And again, Luke xii. 32. " Fear not, little " flock." The large piece goes to the devil ; a little remnant is Christ's, Rom. ix. 27. Saints infcripture are called jewels,
Mal. iii. 17.
Precious pearls and diamonds, which the Latins call Uniones. Quia nulli duofimulreperiuntur, (faith Pliny)because nature gives them not by pairs, but one by one: how many pebbles to one pearl! Suitable to this notion,is that complaint of the prophet, Mic. vii. 1, 2. "Wo 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
"defiredthe first ripe fruits ; the goodman is perished out of " the earth, and there is none, (i. e. none comparatively) up- " right among men."
The prophet alludes to a poor hungry man,that, after the gathering timeispast,comes into an orchard desiring some choice fruit to eat ; but, alas ! he finds none ; there is no cluster ; possibly here and there one after the shaking time.
True saints are the world's rarities .
REFLECTIONS.
A reflection for one 1. What then will be my lot, when that great shaking time shall come, who have followed the multitude, and gone with the tide of the world ? How, even when I have been pressed to strictness and fingulardiligence in the matters of salvation, and told what a narrow way the way of life is, have I put it off with this ? I fit be so, thenwo to thousands! Ah, foolish heart ! Thousands, that follows the example of the multi- • tude. and ten thousands shall be wofuland miserable, indeed, to all eternity! Will it be anymitigation of 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 judgment-seat, Lord,
I did as the generalityofmyneighbours in the world did ; except it were here and there a more precise person, I fawnone but lived as I lived. Ah, foolish sinner! is it not better togo toheavenalone, than to hell with company? Theworstcourses
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have always the most imitators; and the road to destruction is throngedwith passengers.
2. And how little better is my condition, who have often fathered the wickedness of my own heart,upon the encourage mentofmercy? Thushathmyheartpleaded against strictness and duty ; God is a merciful God, and will not be so severe with the world, to damn so many thouAreflectionfor an
abuser of mercy. sands as are in my condition. Deluded foul ! if God had damnedthewholeraceofAdam, hehaddonethem nomorewrong : yea, there is more mercy in saving but one man, than there is offeverity and rigour in damning all. How many drunkards and adulterers have lived and died with thy plea in their mouths, "God is a merciful God ?" But yet his wordexpresslyfaith, " Be not deceived, such shall not inherit the king- "dom of God," I Cor. vi. 9. God, indeed, is a God ofinf nitemercy; but he will never exercise his mercy to the prejudice of his truth.
3. Oh! what rich grace is here, That in a general shipwreck mercy should cast forth'a A reflection for line or plank to save me ! That when mill i an electfoul. ons perish, I with a few more should escape thatperdition ! Was it the Father's good pleasure to bestow the kingdom upon a little flock, and to make me one ofthatnum ber ? What singular obligations hath mercy put upon my foul!
The fewer are saved, the morecaufehave they that are, to admire their salvation.
If but one ofa thousand had been damned, yet my salvation would have been an actofinfinite grace ; but when scarce one ofa thousand are saved, what shall I call that grace, that cast my lotamongthem!
The POEM.
HE that with spiritual eyes in autumn fees Theheaps of fruit which fall from shaken trees,
Like storms of hail-stones, and canhardlyfind One of a thousand that remains behind ; Methinks this meditation should awake His soul, and make it like those trees, to shake.
Of all the clusters, which so lately grew Upon those trees, how few can they now shew?
Hereone, and there another; two or three Upon the utmost branches of the tree.
The greatest numbers to the pound are borne, Squeez'd in the trough, and all to pieces torn.
VOL. VI X
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, This little handful's left, to shadow forth To God's remnant in this peopled earth :
If o'er the whole terrestrial globe I look, The gospel visits but a little nook.
The rest with horrid darkness overspread, Are fast asleep, yea, in transgression dead.
Whole droves to hell the devil daily drives ; No tone amongst them once resists, or strives
And in this little heaven-enlightned spot, How fast an interest hath Satangot?
But few of holiness profession make ; Andiffromthose that do profess, I take The self-deluding hypocrites,I fear To think how few'll remain that are sincere.
Otax not mercy that it faves so few ; But rather wonder that the Lord should shew Mercy to any.
Quarrel not with grace; But for thyself God'sgracious terms embrace.
When all were shipwreck'd, thou should'stwonder more To find thyselfsostrangelycast ashore, And there to meet with any that can tell How narrowly they also I cap'd from hell.
The smaller number mercy saves, the higher Engagements lie on thee still to admire.
Had the whole species perish'd in their fin, And no tone individual saved been, Yet every tongue before him must be mute, Confess his righteousness,but notdifpute.
Or had the hand of mercy which is free, Taken another, and pass'd over me I still mustjustifyhim, and my tongue Confess mymakerhaddone me no wrong.
But if my name he please to letmefee Enroll'd among those few that saved be, What admiration should such mercy move!!
What thanks, and praise,and everlasting love!
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
CHAP.
IV.
Upon the Cutting down of dead Trees .
Dead barren trees you for thefireprepare ; Infuchacafe all fruitless persons are.
OBSERVATIΟΝ.
Ftermany years patience, in the use of all means to recover a fruit tree, ifthehusbandman see it be quite dead, and that therecanbe no more expectation of any fruit from it, he brings his ax, andhews it down by the root; and from the orchard it is carried to the fire, it being then fit for nothing else; he reckons it imprudent to let such a useless tree abide ingoodground, where another maybe planted in its room, that will better pay for the ground it stands in. I myself once fawalargeorchard of fair but fruitless trees, all rooted up, rived abroad, and ricked up for the fire.
APPLICATION.
Hus deals the Lord by useless and barren professors who dobutcumber his ground, Matth. iii.10. " And now
" also the ax is laid to the root of the trees ; therefore every " tree that brings not forth good fruit, ishewendown and cast
" into the fire." And Luke xiii. 7. " Then said the dresser " of the vineyard, Behold, these three years I came seeking
" fruit on this fig-tree, and find none ; cut it down ; why " cumbereth it the ground?" These three years, alluding to the time of his ministry, he being at that time entering upon the last half year, as one observes, byharmonizing the evangelifts; so long he had waited for the fruit of his ministry among those dead-hearted Jews; now his patience is even at an end; cutthemdown(faith he) why cumberthey the ground ? I will plant others, (viz.the Gentiles) in their room.
This hewing downofthebarren tree doth, in alivelymanner, shadow forth God's judicial proceedings against formal and emptyprofeffors under the gospel ; and the resemblance clearly holds in these following particulars :
1. The tree that is to be hewndown for the fire, stands in the orchard among other flourishing trees, where it hath enjoyed the benefit of a good foil, a strong fence, andmuchculture ; but being barren, these privileges secure it not from the fire.
It is not our standing in the visible church by apowerlessproX 2
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, feffionamong real faints with whom we have been associated. and enjoyed the rich and excellent waterings of ordinances, that canfecureus from the wrath of God,Matt. iii. 8, 9. " Bring
" forth fruits meet for repentance, and think not to say within " yourselves, we have Abraham to our father."
Neither Abraham, nor Abraham'sGod, will acknowledge fuchdegenerate children; if Abraham's faith be not in your hearts, it will be no advantage that Abraham's blood runs in your veins.
It will be a poor plea for Judas, when he shall stand before Christ in judgment, to say, Lord, I was one of thy family, I preached for thee; I did eat and drink in thy presence.
Let these scriptures be consulted, Matth. vii. 22. Matth. xxv.
11, 12. Rom. ii. 17,and 25..
2. The husbandmandoth not presentlycutdown the tree because it puts not forth as soon as other trees do; but waits as longasthere is any hope,andthencutsitdown. Thus doth
God wait upon barren dead-hearted persons, from sabbath to sabbath, and from year to year ; for the Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2Pet. iii. 9. Thus the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah upon those dry trees, who are now fmoaking and flaming in hell, I Pet a iii. 29. He waits long on sinners, but keeps exact accounts of every year and day of his patience, Luke. xiii. 7. " These three years."
And Jer. xxv. 3. these twenty-three years.
3. When the time is come to cut it down, the dead tree cannotpoffiblyresist the stroke oftheax ; but receives the blow, and falls before it. No more can the stoutest sinner resist the fatal stroke by death, by which the Lord hews him down ;
Eccl. viii. 8.
There is no manthathath power over the spirit " to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of " death; and there is no discharge in that war."
When the pale horse comes, away you must into the land of darkness.
Though thou cry, with Adrian,O my poor soul! whither art thou going ? Die thou must, thou barrenprofeffor , though it were better for thee to do any thing else than to die.
What a dreadful shriekwillthy conscience give, when itsées theax at thy root, and say to thee, as it isEzek. vii. 6. "An end is come, the end is come ; it watcheth for thee; behold it is
"come." Oh! faithHenryBeauford,(that rich and wretched cardinal, bishop ofWinchester, and chancellor of England, when he perceivedwheretohemust),wherefore must I die ? If thewholerealmwould save my life, I am able either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it. Fie(quothhe)will not death
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be hired ? Will riches do nothing ? No, neither riches nor policycanthen avail.
4. The side to which the tree leaned most while it stood, that way it will fallwhenit is cut down; and as it falls, so it lies, whether to the south or north, Eccl. xi. 3. So it fares with these mystical trees, I mean fruitless professors : Had their hearts and affections inclined and bended heaven-ward whilst they lived, that way, no doubt, they had fallen at their death; but as their hearts inclined to fin, and even bended to the world, so whenGodgives the fatal stroke, they must fallhellward and wrath-ward: And, how dreadful will such a fall be!
5. When the dead tree is carried out of the orchard, it shall never be among the livingtreesof the orchard anymore; many years it grew among them, but now it shall never have a place there again. And when the barren professor is carried out oftheworldby death, he shall never be associated with the saints any more : He may then say, farewel all ye saints, among whom I lived, and with whom I so often heard, fasted, and prayed: I shall never fee your face more ; Matth. viii. 11,
12. "I say unto you, that many shall come from the east, and " west, and north, and south, and shall fit down with A bra
" ham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven ; but the " children of the kingdom shall be cast forth into utter darkness,
" there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth."
6. When the dead tree is carried out of the orchard, the husbandman cuts off its branches, and rives it asunder with his wedges.
This also is the lot of barren professors : " The " Lord of that servant will come in adaywhen he looketh not " for him, and will cut him asunder;" he shall be dissected, or cut abroad, Luke xii. 46.
Now therefore" consider this, ye that forget God, left I tear "(or rend)you in pieces," Psalm 1. 22.Odirefulday! when the fame hand that planted, pruned,and watered thee so long, and so tenderly, shall now strike mortal strokes at thee, and that without pity ! " For, he that made them, will not have mer- " cy on them ; and he that forined them, willshew them no " favour,"
Ifa. xxvii. 11. For the day of mercy is over; and the day of his wrath is fully come.
7. When this tree is cleaved abroad, then its rotten hollow inside appears, which was the cause of its barrenness ; it looked like a fair and sound-bodied tree, but now all may fee how rotten it is at the heart ; fo will God in that day, when he shall dissect the barren professor, discover the rottenness of his heart,
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, and unfoundness of his principles and ends: Then they who never suspected him before, shall see whatahollow and rotten hearted professor he was.
8. Lastly ; The fruitless tree iscastinto the fire.
This also is the end and fad issue of formality, John xv. 6. " He is cast " forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them,
" and cast them into the fire ; and theyareburned."
This is anundoubted truth, that there is no plant in God's vineyard, but he will have glory from it, by bearing fruit ; or glory on it, by burning in the fire. In this fire shall they lie " gnashing
" their teeth," Luke xiii. 38. and that both in indignationagainstthe faints,whom they shall see in glory; and against Jesus Christ, who would not favethem; and against themselves, for losing so foolishly the opportunities of salvation. Do you behold, when you fit by the fire, the froththat boils out of those flaming logs ? O think of that foam and rage ofthoseundone creatures, foaming and gnashing their teeth in that fire which is not quenched! Mark ix. 14.
REFLECTION.
A reflection for a How often have I passed by such barren formal hypocrite. trees, with a more barren heart, as little thinking such a tree to be the emblemofmyself, as Nebuchadnezzar did, when he saw that tree in a dream, which represented himself, and shadowed forth to him his ensuing misery, Dan. iv. 13. But, Omy conscience ! my drousy, freepy conscience ! wert thou but tender, and faithful tome, thou wouldst make as round and terribleanapplication of such a spectacle to me, as the faithful prophet did to him, ver. 22. And thus wouldst thou, Omyfoul,bemoan thy condition.
Poor wretch ! here I grow, foralittletime,among the trees of righteousness, the plants of renown, but I am none of them ;
I was never planted a right feed; some green and flourishing leaves of profession, indeed, I have, which deceive others, but God cannot be deceived ; he sees I am fruitless and rotten at the heart.
Poor soul! what will thine end be but burning?
Behold, the ax lieth by thy root; and wonder it is, that there it should lie so long, and I yet standing ! Stillmercypleads for a fruitless creature: Lord, spare it one year longer. Alas! he need ftrikenogreatblow to ruin me; hisverybreath blows to destruction, Job iv. 9. A frown of his face can blast and ruin me, Psalm lxxx. 6. He is daily follicited by his justice tohew me down, and yet I stand.
Lord, curemybarrennefs !
Iknowthou badst rather see the fruit than fire upon me.
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
The POEM.
F, after pains and patience, you can fee No hopes of fruit, down goes the barrren tree
You will not suffer trees that are unsound, Andbarrentoo, to cumber useful ground.
The fatal ax is laid unto the root :
'Tis fit for fire, when unfit for fruit.
I But, though this be a dead and barren tree, Reader, I would not have it fo to thee :
May it to thee this serious thought suggest, In all the orchard this dead tree's the best ;
Think on it sadly, lay it close to heart, This is the case in which thou wast, or art
If so thou wast, but now dost live and grow, Andbringforth fruit,what praise and thanks dostowe
To that wife husbandman that made thee so ?
Othink, when justice lifted up its hand, How mercydidthen interceeding stand !
How pity did on thy behalf appear, To beg reprieval for another year.
Stop, Lord ! forbear him ; all hope is not past, He can but be for fire at the last.
Y Though manyfermons, manyagracious call He hath resisted like a brazen wall, The nextmaywin him ; when thy grace shall raise
Unto itselfamonument of praise.
How should this meditation thaw and melt The heart ofhimthathathfuch mercy felt?
But, if thou still remain a barren tree, Then here, as in a mirror, thou may'st see
Thy wretched state, when justice, at a blow, Requites God's patience in thine overthrow.
And cast thou bear it? Can thy heart endure To thinkofeverlasting burnings ? Sure, This must thy lot,thy fearfulportionbe, If thou continue still a barren tree.