Upon the plowing of corn-land,
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, With your own souls; and let it make you fear Left that's your case that is described here.
This is the best improvement you can make Of such bad ground; good foul, I pray thee take
Some pains about them; though they barren be, Thou seest how they may yield sweet fruits to thee.
CHAP.
VII.
Upon the plowing of Corn-land.
The plowman guides his plow with care and skill :
So doth the Spirit in found conviction A ill.
OBSERVATION.
IT requires not only strength, bat much kill and judgment, to manage and guide the plow. The Hebrew word which we tanflate to plow, signifies to be intent, as an artificer
is about some curious piece of work.
The plow must neither go too shallow, nor too deep in the earth; it must not indent the ground, by making crooked furrows, nor leap, and make baulks in good ground; but be guided as to a just depth of earth, fotocaft the furrow in a straight line, that the floor or surface of the field may be made plain, as it is Isa. xxxviii. 25.
And hence that expression, Luke ix. 62. " He that puts his " hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom
" of heaven."
The meaning is, that as he that plows must have his eyes always forward, to guide and direct his hand in casting the furrows straight and even; (for his hand will be quickly outwhenhis eye is off;) fo he that heartily resolves for heaven, must addict himself wholly and intently, to the business of religion, and not have his mind entangled with the things of this world, which he hath left behind him ; whereby it appears, that the right management of the plowrequires as much skill as strength.
APPLICATION.
THIS observation in nature, serves excellently to shadow forth this proposition in divinity; that the work of the Spirit in convincing and humbling the heart of a sinner, is a work wherein much of the wisdom, as well as power of God, is discovered.
The work of repentance, and saving contriti on, is set forth in fcriptureby this metaphorofplowing *, Jer .
*Gloffius Rhet . Sacra, p. 300.
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
iv. 3.Hos.x. 12. " Plow up your fallow ground;" that is, be convinced,humbled, and broken-hearted for fin. And the resemblance betwixt both these works, appears in the following particulars.
(1.) It is a hard and difficult work to plow, it is reckoned one of the painfullest manual labours; it is also a very hard thing to convince sad humble the heart of a secure, stout, and proud sinner, indutate in wickedness.
What Luther faith of adejectedfoul, That it is as easy to raise the dead, as to comfort such a one.'
The same I may say of the secure, confident sinner ; it is as easy torend the rocks, as to work saving contrition upon such a heart, Citius expumice aquam ; all the melting language, and earnest in treaties of the gospel, cannot urge such a heart to shed a tear: Therefore it is called a heart of stone, Ezek. xxxvi.
26. a firm rock, Amos vi. 12. " Shall horses run upon the rock ?
" Will one plow there with oxen ?" Yet when the Lord comes in the power of his Spirit, these rocks do rend, and yield to the power of the word.
(2.) The plow pierces deep into the bosom of the earth, makes (as it were) a deep gash, or wound, in the heart of it.
So doth the Spirituponthe hearts of sinners, he pierces their very fouls by conviction.
Acts ii. 37. " When they heard this
It they were pricked, (or * pierced pointblank) to the heart.
" Then the word divides the soul and spirit," Heb. iv. 12 . comes upon the confciencewith such piercingdilemmas, and tilts the sword of conviction so deep into their souls, that there is no stanching the blood, no healing this wound, till Christ himself come, and undertake the cure.
Haeret later i lethal is a run do ; this barbed arrow cannot be pulled out of their hearts by any, but the hand that shot it in.
Discourse with such a soul about his troubles, and he will tell you, that all the sorrows that ever he had in this world, loss of estate, health, children, or whatever else, are but flea-bitings to this; this swallows up all other troubles. See how that Christian Niobe, Luke vii . 38. is dissolved into tears ; " Now deep calleth unto deep
66 at the noise of his water-spouts, when the waves and billows " of God go over the soul." Spiritual sorrows are deep waters, in which the stoutest, and most magnanimous foul would fink and drown, did not Jesus Christ, by a secret and supporting hand, hold it up, and preserve it.
(3.) The plow rends the earth in parts and pieces, which before was united, and makes those parts hang loose, which for I 2
* Κατενυγησανῥunctim cedo,pungendopenetro.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, merlylay close. Thus doth the Spirit of conviction rend asunder the heart, and its most beloved lusts.Joel ii. 13." Rent your
" hearts, and not your garments :"
That is, rather than your garments ; for the sense is comparative, though the expression be negative. And this renting implies notonlyacute pain, flesh cannot be rent asunder without anguish, nor yet only forceandviolence; the heart is a stubborn, and knotty piece, and will not easily yield ; but it also implies adisunion of parts united: As when a garment, or the earth, or any contiguous body is rent, those parts are separated which formerlycleaved together.
Sin and the soul were glewed fast together before, there was no parting of them, they would as soon part with their lives, as with their lusts; but now when the heart is rent from them truly, it is also rent from them everlastingly, Ezek. vii. 15, to 19.
(4.) The plow turns up, and discovers such things as lay hid inthebosom of the earth before, and were covered under a fair green surface, from the eyes of men.
Thus when the Lord plows up the heart ofa sinner by conviction, then the secrets of his heart are made manifest, 2 Cor. xiv. 24, 25. the most secret and shameful sins will then out; for " the word of God is quick
" and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing " even to the dividing of the soul and spirit, the joints and " marrow, and is adifcerner of the thoughts and secret intents
" of the heart," Heb. iv. 12.
It makes the fire burn inwardly, so that the foul hath no rest tillconfeffion give a vent to trouble.
Fainwould the shuffling sinner conceal and hide his shame, but the word follows him through all his sinful shifts, and brings him at last to be his own, both accuser, witness, and judge.
(5.)The work of the plow is but opus ordinabile, a preparative work in order to fruit.
Should the husbandman plow his groundever so often, yet if the feed be not cast in, and quickened, in vain is the harvest expected.
Thus conviction also is but a preparative to a farther work upon the foul of a sinner ; if it stick there, and go no farther, it proves but an abortive, or untimely birth : Many have gone thus far, and there they have stuck ; they have been like a field plowed, but not sowed,which isa matter of trembling consideration; for hereby their fin is greatly aggravated, and their eternal misery so much the more increased. O when a poor damned creature shall with horror reflect upon himself in hell, How near was I once, under such
-afermon, to conversion! my fins were set in order before me, my conscience awakened, and terrified me with the guilt of them ; any purposes and resolves I had then to turn to God, which,
TheHeavenlyUse of Earthly Things.
had they been perfected by answerable executions, I had never come to this place of torment; but there I stuck, and that was myeternalundoing. Many fouls have I known so terrified with the guilt of fin, that they have come roaring under horrors of confciencetothepreacher; fothatonewould thinksuchabreach, had been made betwixt them and fin, as couldneverbe reconciled; and yet as angry as they were in that fit with fin, they have hugged and embraced it again.
(6.) It is best plowingwhentheearth is prepared, and mollified bytheshowersofrain; thentheworkgoes on sweetly and easily, and never doth the heart so kindly melt, as when the gospelcloudsdissolve, and the free grace, and love of Jesus Christ comes sweetly showeringdownupon it; then itrelents, and mourns ingenuously, Ezek. xvi. 63. " That thou mayeft remember, and " be confounded, and never openthymouth anymore, because
" of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that " thou hast done."
So it was with that poor penitent, Luke vii.38. when the Lord Jesus had discovered to her the fuperabounding riches of his grace, in the pardon of her manifold abominations, her heart melted within her, she washed the feet of Christ with tears. And indeed, there is as much difference betwixt the tears which are forced by the terrors of the law, and those which are extracted by thegraceofthe gospel, as there is betwixt those of a condemned malefactor, who weeps to consider the misery he is under, and those ofa pardoned malefactor, that receives his pardon at the foot of the ladder, and is melted by the mercy and clemency of his gracious prince towards him.
(7.) The plow kills those rank weeds which grow in the field, turns them up by the roots, buries and rots them. So doth saving conviction kill fin at the root, makes the soul sick of it, begets indignation in the heart against it, 2 Cor. vii. 11.
The word 'Αγανακτησιν, there signifies the rising of the stomach, and being angry even unto sickness; religious wrath is the fiercest wrath, now the soul cannot endure sin, it trembles at it.
" I find a woman more bitter than death," (faith penitent Solomon) Eccl . vii. 26.
Conviction, like a surfeit, makes the soul to lot he what it formerly loved, and delighted in.
(8 ) That field is not well plowed, where the plow jumps and skips over good ground, and makes baulks, it must run up the whole field alike; and that heart is not favingly convicted, where any lust is spared, and left untouched.
Saving conviction extends itself to all fins, not only to finin general, with this cold confession, I am afinner; but to the particulars of
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, fin, yea, to the particular circumstances and aggravations of time, place, manner, occasions, thus and thus have I done; to the sin of nature, as well as practice : " Behold I was shapen
" in iniquity," Psalm li. 5.
There must be nobaulking of any fin,the sparing of one fin, is a sure argument thou art not truly humbled for any fin.
So far is the convinced soul from a studious concealment of a beloved fin, that it weeps over that, more than over any other actual fin.
(9.) New ground is much more easily plowed, than that which by long lying out of tillage is more consolidated, and clung together, by deep-rooted thorns, and brambles, which render it difficult to the plowman.
This old ground is like an old sinner, that hath lain a long time hardening under the means of grace. O the difficulty of convincingsuchaperson! sin hath got such rooting in his heart, he is so habituated to the reproofs and calls of the word, that few such are wrought upon.
Howmanyyoung persons are called to one obdurate, inveterate sinner ?
I do not saybutGod may call home such a soul at the eleventh hour, but I may say of these, compared with others, as Solomon speaks, Ecclef. vii. 28. " One man among a thousand
" have I found," &c. Few that have long resisted the gospel, that come afterwards to feel the saving efficacy thereof.
REFLECTION S.
The true convert's 1. O grace, for ever to be admired ! that God should fend forth his word and Spirit reflection. to plow up my hard and stonyheart ! yea, mine, when he hath left so many of more tender, ingenuous, sweet and melting tempers, without any culture or means of grace. O blessed gospel, heart-dissolving voice ! I have felt thine efficacy, I have experienced thy divine and irresistible power; thou art, indeed, sharper than any two-edgedsword, andwoundest to the heart; but thy wounds are the wounds of a friend : All the wounds thou hast made in my soul, were so many doors opened to let in Christ ; all the blows thou gavest my conscience, were but to beat off my soul from fin, which I embraced, and had retained to my everlasting ruin, hadst thou not separated them and me. Owife, and merciful physician ! thou didst indeedbindme with cords of conviction and sorrow, but it was only to cut out that stone in my heart, which had killed me if it had continued there. O how did I struggle and oppose thee, as if thouhadst come with the sword of an enemy, rather than the lance, and probe of a skilful and tender-hearted physician ?
Blessed be the day wherein my fin was discovered and embittered ! O happy sorrows, which pre
TheHeavenlyUje ofEarthlyThings.
paredforfuch matchless joys ! O blessed hand, which turned my salt waters into pleasant wine ! and after many pangs, and sorrows of foul, didst, at length, bring forth deliverance and peace.
2. But, O what a rock of adamant is this heart of mine! that never yet was wounded, and savingly pierced for fin The stubborn heart's reflection. by the terrors of the law, or melting voice of the gospel! long have I fat under the word, butwhendid Ifeelarelentingpang?
Omy foul ! my stupified foul ! thou haft got an antidote against repentance, but haft thou any against hell ? Thou canst keep out the sense of fin now, but art thou able to keep out the terrors of the Lord hereafter ?
If thou couidst turn a deaf ear to the sentence of Christ in the day of judgment, as easily as thoudost to the in treaties of Christ in the day of grace, it were somewhat; but surely there is no defence against that. Ah ! fool that I am, to quench these convictions, unless I knew how to quench those flames they warn me of.
3. And may not I challenge the first place a Themiscarrying mong all the mourners in the world, who have allloft those convictionswhichatseveral times foul's reflection. came upon me under the word ?
I have been often awakened by it, and filled with terrors andtremblings under it; but those troubles have soon worn off again, and my heart (like water removed from the fire) returned to its native coldness.
Lord! what a dismal case am I in ! many convictions have I choaked, and strangled, which, it may be, shall never more be revived, until thou evivethem against me in judgment.
I have been in pangs, and brought forth nothing but wind; my troubles have wrought no deliverance, neither have my lusts fallen before them? My conscience, indeed, hath been sometimes sick with fin, yea, so sick as tovomitthem up by an external, partial reformation; but then, with the dog, have I turned again to my vomit, and now I doubt I am given over to an heart that cannot repent.
Oh that these travelling pangs could be quickened again ! but alas! they are ceased.
I am like a prisoner escaped, and again recovered,whom thejaylor loads with double irons.
Surely, O my soul ! if thy spiritual troubles return not again, they are but gone back to bring eternal troubles.
It is with thee, O my soul ! as with a man whose bones have been broken, and not well set ; who must, (how terrible soever it appear to him) endure the painofbreaking and settingthemagain, if ever he be made a sound man. O that I might rather chuse to be the object of thy wounding mercy, than of thy sparing
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, cruelty! if thou plow not up my heart againbycompunction,
I know it must be rent in pieces at last by desperation.
The POEM.
T HERE's skill in plowing, that the plowman knows, For if toofhallow, or toodeephe goes, The feed is either buried, or else may To rooks anddaws become an easy prey.
This, as a lively emblem, fitly may Describe the blessed Spirit's work and way :
Whose work on fouls, with this doth symbolize; Betwixt them both, thus the resemblance lies.
Souls are the foil, conviction is the plow, God'sworkmendraw, the Spirit thews them how.
He guides the work, and in good ground, doth bless His workmen's pains, with sweet and fair success.
The heart prepar'd, he scatters in the feed, Which, in its season, springs, no fowl nor weed
Shall pick it up, or choak this springing corn, 'Till it be housed in the heavenly barn.
When thus the Spirit plows up the fallow ground, When with such fruits his servants work is crown'd ;
Let all the friends of Christ, and fouls say now, As they pass by the fields, Godspeed the plow.
Sometimes this plow, thin shelfy ground doth turn, That little feed which springs, the fun-beams burn.
The rest uncovered lies, which fowls devour.
Alas! their heart was touch'd, but not with pow'r.
The cares and pleasures of this world have drown'd The feed, before it peep'dabove the ground.
•Some fpringsindeed, the Scripture faith that some Do taste the powers of the world to come.
These embrio's never come to timely birth, Because the feed that's sown wants depth of earth.
Turn up, OGod, the bottom of my heart; And, to the feed that's sown, do thou impart
Thy choicest blessing. Though I weep and mourn In this wet feed-time, if I may return With sheaves of joy; these fully will reward
My pains and sorrows, be they ne'er so hard.