Upon the improvement of bad ground,
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
My feeblebody, if itdo not crack By too hard leaningon it; but my back Willbearno more: Alas ! I foon ſhall tire,
Andmorethan one I cannot well defire.
Lord, to preſcribe to thee becomes me not, I rather do ſubmit unto my lot ; Butyet let condeſcending grace admit Thy ſervant's ſuit this once,and this is it ;
The ſtaffofbread convenient let mehave, Andmanage it diſcreetly ; ſo, 'twill fave
Thy feeble ſervantfrom the mire and dirt, Butmore or less than this maydo me hurt.
Or ifthou ſay, thyſervant ſhall have none, Then ſtrengthen faith, that Imay go alone.
CHAP.
Upon the Improvement of bad Ground.
Spent barren landyou can reflore, andnourish :
Decayed ChriſtiansGod can cause toflourish.
OBSERVATIΟΝ.
Here land is ſpent outbytillage, or forwantofmanuring, the careful husbandman hath manyways to recover,andbring it in heartagain. Helets it lie fallow, to give it reft, and time to recover itſelf: carries outhis fand, lime, andcompoſt, to refresh and quicken it again ; and in pasture and meadow ground, willwath it(ifpoſſible) with a current of water, or the float ofthe ways after a fall of rain, which is to the earth as a ſpring ofnew blood toaconfumptivebody. He cutsdown, and kills the weeds that fuck it out, and cauſes them tomake reſtitution ofwhat theyhave purloined from it by rotting upon the place where they grew.
As careful are they to recover it, when it isſpent, as anhonestphyfician isofhis patient in a languiſhing condition; forheknows his field willbe asgrateful tohim, and fully requitehis care and coft.
APPLICATION.
ASman's, ſo God'shusbandry is ſometimes out of cafe, notbyyielding toomany crops,but toofew.
The myſticalhusbandman hathſome fields,(Imean particular ſocieties and perfons, who were once fragrant, and fruitful, like a field) whichGodhad bleffed, but are now decayed, and grown barren; whoſegleanings formerly were more than their vintage now; the things that are inthem are readyto die, Rev. iii. 3.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, It is poſſible,yea, too common for gracious ſouls to be reduced to a very low ebb, both of graces and comforts ; how low I will not ſay: Our Britiſh divines tell us, that grace indeed cannot be totally intermitted, nor finally loft ; but theremay bean omiſſionofthe act, though not anomiffion ofthehabit:
The act may be perverted,thoughthe faith cannot be fubverted; it maybe fhaken in,though not ſhakenout : Its fruitsmayfall,but its fap lies
Howfartruegrace ina believer may fail. hid in theroot. They demerit the loſs of the kingdom, butloſe it not effectively; the effectofjustificationmaybe ſuſpended, but the ſtateofthejuftifiedcannot be diffolved.*.
Certainit is, onethat, likePaul,hathbeen wrappedupwith joy, even to the third heavens, and cried, "Iam more than a "conqueror, who ſhall ſeparate me from the love ofChrift ?" mayat another time lymourning, as atthe gates ofdeath, crying, " O wretchedman that I am, who ſhall deliver me from " the body of this death ?" One that hath walked in ſweet communiónwithGod,ſunning himselfinthe lightofhis countenance, may afterwards "walk indarkneſs,and fee nolight,"
Ifa. 1. 10. He that hath caſt anchor within the veil, and rode fecurely in the peaceful harbour ofaffſurance,mayseem to feel his anchor ofhope come home to him, and go a-drift into the ſtormy ocean again, crying with the church, Lam. iii. 18.
" My hope is periſhed from the Lord."
His calm and clear airmay be over-caſt and clouded, yea, filled with storms and tempefts, lightnings and thunders ; his graces, like underground flowers inthe winter, may alldisappear, and hidetheir
Beautifulheads .
To God he may ſay, Iam caſtout of thy fight.
I know thou canst do much, but wilt thou ſhew wonders to thedead?
To the promises he mayſay, you are ſweet things indeed, butwhathave I todo with you ? I could once, indeed, rejoice inyou, asmyportion; butnow Idoubt I graſped a shadow, a : fancy, instead ofyou.
Tofaints hemay ſay, turn awayfrom me, labour not tocomfort me, Odo not ſpillyourprecious ointment ofconfolation uponmyhead; for whathave Ito dowith comfort ? To former experiences, hemay ſay in his haſte, you are all liars. To *Gratianec totaliter intermittitur nec finaliter amittitur. Actus omittitur, habitus non amittitur.
Actio pervertitur, fides non Subvertitur.
Concutitor, non excutitor. Defluitfructus, latetfuc cus. Jus ad regnum amittunt demeritorie, non effective.
Effectusjustificationissuspenditur, at status justificati non diffolvitur.
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
thelightofGod'scountenance, he may ſay, farewel ſweet light, I shall beholdthee no more. To Satan he may ſay, O mine enemy,thouhast at lastprevailed againſt me, thou art ſtronger thanI, andhaft overcome. Toduties and ordinances he may fay,Where is the ſweetneſs Ionce found inyou? Youwere once ſweeter to methan thehoney-comb; but now as takeleſsas the white ofan ogg. Ofad relapſe! deplored. change! quantummutatus ab illo?
ButwillGod leave his poor creatures helpleſs, in ſucha cafe as this ? Shall their leaf fall, their branches wither, their joy,their life, their heartdepart ? Willhe ſeetheir graces faint, ing, theirhopes gafping, the new creaturepanting, the things thatareinthem ready to die, and willhe not regard it ? Yes, yes, "there ishope of a tree if itbe cutdown, and the root
" thereofwaxold inthe earth, yet bythe ſcent ofwater itwill " bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant," Job xiv. 8, 9.
This poor declined foul, as fad as it fits at the gates ofhell, mayrouzeup itſelfat laſt, andſayto Satan, that ſtands triumphing over him, " Rejoice not over me,,O mine enemy, for " though I fall,yet I shallarife;,though I fit in darkneſs, the " Lord ſhallbe a light unto me," Micah vii. 8. He mayraiſe up himſelfupon hisbed of languiſhing for all this, and ſay to God, " Though thou hast chaftned me fore, yet haft thou not " given me over unto death."
He may turn about to the faints thathave mourned forhim, and with a lightſome coun tenance ſay, " I shall not die, but live, anddeclare the works
" of the Lord." He may ſay to the promises, You are the trueandfaithful ſayings ofGod. My unbeliefdid:belyyou ;
I faid in myhaſteyou were liars, butI eat mywords, Iam aſhamed ofmy folly.
Surely,Ofoul, there is yethope inthine end, thou mayest be restored, Pfal. xxiii. 3. thou mayeſt yet recoverthyverdure, and thydew be as thedewofherbs.
For, 1. Is he notthyfather, and a father fullofcompaſſions, and bowels ? Andcan a father,ſtand by his dying child, ſee his fainting fits,hear his melting groans, and pitybegging looks, and nothelphim, eſpecially having restoratives by him, that cando it ? Surely, "As a fatherpities his own children, ſo " willthyGod pity thee," Pfal. ciii. 12, 13. "Hewill ſpare
" thee as aFather ſpareth his own ſon that ſerves him," Mark iii. 17. Hark, how his bowels yern ! " I have furelyheard
" Ephraim bemoaninghimself. Is not Ephraim mydear fon?
" Is henot apleaſant child ? For finceI fpake against him,Ido " earnestly remember him ſtill, I willsurely have mercy on " him," Jer, xxxi. 20.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, f 2. Dothhenot know thy lifewouldbe altogether uſeleſs to him, if he ſhould not restore thee ? What ſervice art thou fit toperform tohim, in fucha condition ? " Thy days will con- " ſume like ſmoke, whilst thy heart is ſmitten and withered
" likegraſs," Pfal. cii. 3, 4.
Thy months will be inonths ofvanity, they will fly away, and fee no good, Job vii. 3. If hewillbut quicken thee again,then thou mayeft callupon his name, Pfal. lxxx. 18. but inadead, and languishing condition, thou art nomore fit forany work ofGod, than a fick man is formanual labours; andfurelyhehath notputthoſe precious and excellent graces ofhis ſpirit within thee for nothing; theywere planted there for fruit and ſervice, and therefore, doubtleſs, he will revive thee again.
3. Yea, doſt thou not think he ſees thine inability tobear ſuch acondition long? Heknows thy ſpirit would fail be- " fore him, andthe foul which he hath made;" Iſa. lvii. 16.
David told him as much, in the like condition, Pfalm cxliii.
7, 8. " Hear me ſpeedily,OLord, for my fpirit faileth ; hide " notthy face from me, leſtlbe like unto thoſe that go down
" intothe pit :" q. d. Lord, makehafte, and recover my languiſhing foul; otherwise, whereas thou hast now afick child, thou wilt ſhortlyhave adeadchild.
* Andin likemenner Job expoftulatedwith him, Job vi. 1, 23, 11, 12. " Mygriefis heavierthan thefand ofthe fea, my
"wordsare fwallowed up, for the arrows ofthe almightyare " within me; and the poiſon thereof drinks up my ſpirits:
" The terrors ofGod do fet themſelves in array against me.
" What is my ſtrength that Ishouldhope? Is myſtrengththe " ſtrength of stones ? or are my bones of braſs ?" So chap. vii. 12. "Am I a fea, or awhale ?" &c. Other troublesa man may, but this he cannot bear, Prov. xviii. 14. and therefore, doubtless, ſeaſonable and gracious revivings willcome, " He
"will not ftir up all his wrath, for heremembers thou art but " fleſh, awindthatpaſſeth away, and cometh not again,"Pfal.
Ixxviii. 38 , 39. He hath ways enough todo it ; ifhedobutunveil his bleſſed face, andmake it ſhine again upon thee, thou art ſaved, Pfal. Ixxx. 3. The manifestations of his love, will betothy foul, as ſhowers to the parched graſs; thy foul,that now droops, andhangs the wing, ſhall then revive, and leap for joy, Ifa. Ixi. 1. anew face ſhall come upon thy graces, they ſhallbudagain, andbloſſom as a rofe.
If he do but fend aſpring of* auxiliarygrace into thy foul, to actuate the dull * Grace needs moregrace toput in exerciſe,
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
habits ofinherent grace, the work isdone ; thenſhaltthoureturn to thy firſt works again, Rev. ii.4,5.and fing, as inthe days ofthyyouth.REFLECTIONS .
O this is my very caſe,faith many a poor Chriſtian ; thus my foul languiſhes and droops from dayto day. It is good news, indeed, that Godboth can, and will reſtore my foul ; butfadthatI shouldfall into ſuch a ſtate; howunlike am I to what I once was! Surely, as the old menwept,whenthey faw how ſhort the fecond templecame ofthe glory of the firſt ; fo may I fit down andweep bitterly, to confider how much my first love, and firſt duties, excelledthe preſent.
For, 1. Is myheartſomuch in heavennow, as itwaswonttobe ? Say,O myfoul ! doſtthou not remember,when, likethebeloveddiſciple, thou layeſt in Jeſus's bosom,how didſt thou
Aconvictive reflection. fweeten communion with him ? How reſtleſs and impatient waſt thou in his abſence ! divine withdrawments were to thee as thehell ofhell; whataburdenwas the world to me inthoſe days! Had itnotbeenfor confſcience ofmyduty, Icould have beenwillingto let all lie, that communion with Chriſt might fuffer no interruption. When I awaked in the night, how was the darkneſs enlightenedby the heavenly glimpses ofthe countenance of my God upon me? How did his company ſhorten thoſe hours, and beguile the tediouſneſs of the night?
Omy foul, ſpeak thyexperience, is it now as itwasthen ? No, no,thoſe days are paſt and gone, and thou become much a ſtranger to that heavenly life. Artthou able, with truth, to denythis charge ? When occafionally I paſs by thoſe places, which were onceto me as Jacob's Bethel to him ; I figh atthe remembrance offormerpaffages betwixtme andheaventhere ; and ſay,with "Job, chap.xxix. "O that itwere with me as in " months paſt, as inthe days whenGod preſerved me,when
" his candle ſhineduponmyhead,whenbyhis light Iwalked " through darkness, when theAlmighty was yet with me,
"when Iput on righteouſneſs, and it cloathed me, when my " glorywas freſh inme! WhenI remember theſe things my
" foul ispouredoutwithin me."
2. Is thyobediencetothe commands ofChriſt, and motions toduty, as freeand chearful as theywere wontto be ? Call to mind, my foul, the times when thou waft borne down the ftream of love toeveryduty.
If the Spirit didbut whiſper to thee, ſaying, Seek my face, how did my fpirit echo to his
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, calls ?"faying, "Thy face Lord will I ſeek," Pfal. xxvii. 8.
IfGodhad any worktobe done, how readily did I offer my ſervice ? Here am1, Lord, ſend me. Myfoulmade me like the chariots ofAminadab; loveoiled the wheels ofmy affections, and "his commandments were not grievous," 1 Johnv. 3.
Nontardatunita rota. There were no fuchquarrellings with thecommand, no fuch excuſes, and delays, as there are now.
No, fuch was mylove toChriſt, anddelighttodo his will, that Icouldnomorekeepbackmyſelffromduty,than a man that iscarriedaway in acrowd.
Or, laſtly, tellme,Omyfoul, doſt thou bemoan thyfelf, orgrieve ſo tenderly for fin,and for grieving the holy Spirit of God, as thouwaſtwont todo ? When formerlyI had fallenby thehandofatemptation,howwas Iwontto liein tears atthe
Lord's feet, bemoaning myſelf ? HowdidI haſtentomycloſet, andthere cry, like Ezra, chap. ix. 6. " O my God, Iam
"afhamed, and blush to look up unto thee." How did I fighandweepbefore him, and, like Ephraim, ſmiteupon my thigh, faying, " What have Idone?" Ah my foul ! how didit thouwork, ſtrive, and caſt about how to recover thyſelfagain?
Haft thou forgotten howthou wouldſt ſometimes look up and figh bitterly ? Ah ! whataGod have Iprovoked ? what love andgoodness have I abuſed? Sometimes look in, andweep,
Ah! what motions did I withſtand ? whata good ſpirit have l grieved ? Ah ! my foul, thouwouldst have abhorred thyſelf, thoucouldſtneverhaveborneit,hadthine heart been as ſtupid, andas relentleſs thenas now; ifever apoor foulhad reason todiffolve itſelfintotears for its fad relapſes, Ihave.
2.Butyetmournnot,Omy foul,asonewithAfupporting outhope. Remember, " There is hope in Ifrael reflection.
" concerning thisthing." As lowas thyconditionis, itisnotdefperate, itisnota diſeaſethatſcorns aremedy; manyaman, thathathbeen ſtretchedoutfordead,hath revived again, and livedmany a comfortable dayinthe world; many a tree that hath caſtboth leafand fruit, by the ſkill ofa prudent huſbandman, hathrecoveredagain,andbeenmadebothflourishingandfruitful.
Isitnotcafier, thinkeſtthou, to recovera languiſhing man tohealth,than adeadman to life ? Andyet this
Goddidfor me, Eph. ii. 1. Is anything toohard for the Lord?
" Though my fouldraw nigh tothe pit,andmy life to thede- " ftroyers, yet hecanſendmea meſſenger, one among athou- "fand,thatſhalldeclareto memyuprightness; then ſhallhede- " liver mefromgoingdown into thepit,my fleſh ſhallbe freſher
" thanachild's, andI ſhallreturntothedays ofmyyouth," Job
The Heavenly Use of EarthlyThings.
xxxiii. 22.
Though I flourish, and much of my fruit toobe gone, and I am awithering tree ; yet as long as the root ofthe matter is in me, there is more hope of fuch a poor, decayed, withered tree, than of the hypocrite that wants fuch a root, in all his glory and bravery. His funſhallfet, and never riſeagain; but I live in expectation of aſweet morning, after this dark night.
Rouze up, therefore, O my foul, ſet thy faith awork on Chrift for quickening grace, for he hath life in himself, and quickenswhomsoever he will, John vii. 38.
Stir up that little which remains, Rev. iii. 2. haſt thou not ſeen lively flames proceed from glimmering, anddying ſparks, when carefully collected, and blown up ? Get amongst the moſt lively and quickening Chriſtians; " as iron ſharpens iron, ſo will theſe ſet anedge upon thy dull affections," Prov. xxvii. 17. Acts xviii. 15.
But, above all, cry mightily to the Lord for quickening, hewill not deſpiſe thy cry.
The moans of a diſtreſſed child, work upon the bowels of a tender father. And be fure tokeep within thy view the great things of eternity, which are ready to be revealed; live in the believing and ſerious contemplations of them, andbe deadif thou canſt.
It is true, thou haft reaſon enough from thycondition, tobe for ever humbled, butnoreaſon at all from thyGod, to be in the leaſt diſcouraged.
The POEM.
HOU art the husbandman, and I T A worthless plot of husbandry, Whom ſpecial love did, ne'ertheless, Divide from nature's wilderneſs.
Then did the fun-ſhine of thy face, And ſweet illapſes of thygrace, Like April ſhow'rs, and warminggleams, Diſtil its dews, reflect its beams.
My dead affections then were green, Andhopeful buds on them were ſeen; Theſe into duties ſoonwere turn'd, Inwhich my heart withinmeburn'd.
O halcyon days ! thrice happy ſtate!
Each place was Bethel, heaven's gate.
What ſweet diſcourſe, what heav'nly talk, Whilft with thee I did daily walk !
Mine eyes o'erflow, my heart doth ſink, As oft as on thoſe days I think.
VOL. VI.
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