Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business and language of husbandry. A work adapted unto the grand purposes of piety; and commended therefore by a number of ministers, to be entertained in the families of the countrey. : [One line from I Corinthians]

Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business and language of husbandry. A work adapted unto the grand purposes of piety; and commended therefore by a number of ministers, to be entertained in the families of the countrey. : [One line from I Corinthians]

Table of contents

Title page

A Recommendation From several of the Elder Pastors in the COUNTREY.

A Recommendation, From the United Pastors in Boston.

CONTENTS.

ARATOR. The Work of the PLOUGH. Agricola incurvo terram molitus Aratro.

The Plain SONGS OF THE Pious HUSBANDMAN; In the Work of his Husbandry, and the House of his Pilgrimage.

Georgica Sacra. The SOWING Of the Field.

The High-way Ground.

These two Things to be done.

The Stony Ground.

The Thorny Ground.

The Good Ground.

The SOWER a Singer.

Pluviaria. The RAIN waited for.

The RAIN gasped for.

Desector. The GRASS before the MOWER.

The Song of the SITHE.

Arbores Frugiferae. The ORCHARD flourishing.

Arbores Fulguritae. APPENDIX. Thoughts on a NEW-YEARS Day.

APPLICATION.

The Sons of GOD, Singing among The Trees of GOD; Full of Sap, and of Songs before Him.

Gaudentius. The Joyful HARVEST.

The first Proposition.

The Second Proposition.

Corollary. I.

Corollary. II.

Corollary. III.

The Songs of HARVEST.

Agricultura Pia. OR, The Wishes of PIETY, Produced by the Affairs of HUSBANDRY.

On the View of the Ground.

Fruitful Ground.

Barren Ground.

On the View of the Fence about the Ground.

On the View of the Stones in the Ground.

On the View of the Worms in the Ground.

On the View of the Corn under a Threshing.

On the Husking.

On the Winnowing.

On the Chaff.

On the View of the Barn replenished.

§

On the View of the Oxe.

On the View of the Cow.

On the View of the Swine.

On the View of the Birds.

On the View of the Bees.

On the View of the Ants.

On the View of Snakes.

On the View of the Orchard.

On the View of the Garden.

On the Burning of the Woods.

The SUN.

Eratulella.

Advertisement.

§

§

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AGRICOLA. OR, THE Religious Husbandman: The Main Intentions of RELIGION, Served in the BUSINESS and LANGUAGE OF HUSBANDRY. A Work Adapted unto the Grand Purposes of PIETY; And Commended therefore by a Number of MINISTERS, to be Entertained in the FAMILIES of the COUNTREY.

1 Cor III. 9.

Ye are GOD's Husbandry.

BOSTON: Printed by T. Fleet, for D. Henchman, over against the Brick Meeting House in Cornhil, 1727.

A Recommendation From several of the Elder Pastors in the COUNTREY.

[Page]

HAving had a View of a Book entituled, AGRICOLA, Or, The Religious Husbandman, and being sensible, that it is a Book wherein the Main Intentions of Piety are served with much Accommodation; we earnestly recommend it unto a Countrey greatly and mostly subsisting upon Husbandry; and heartily wish, that no Family in the Countrey may be without a Book, wherein the best of Purposes are so well provided for.

Peter Thacher, John Danforth, Nehemiah Walter.

A Recommendation, From the United Pastors in Boston.

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TO Spiritualize the common Actions of Life, and make a religious Improvement of worldly Affairs, is an holy and happy Art: A Walk with God very much lies in this, and is greatly assisted by it: This is a part of that Spiritualmindedness which is Life and Peace. Were Christians better skill'd in this, their worldly Business might be a Help, rather than a Hindrance to them in their way to Heaven. Now no worldly Calling is more capable of a spiritual Improvement than that of the Husbandman: And as it is a Calling which necessarily takes up so great a part of the Sons of Men, to teach them the spiritual Use of it must needs be a noble and blessed Design. This is the Design of the present Tract; wherein the main Intentions of PIETY are serv'd with an excellent Accommodation, in the Business and Language of Husbandry. So our Saviour fetch'd several of the Parables wherein he instructed his Auditors, from the Calling of the Husbandman. And tis to be hop'd such a Book as this, (which instructs the Husbandman how to dress his Soul, while he dresses his Ground, and to make sure of his being receiv'd to a Crown in Heaven, when he is taken from the Plow on Earth) will meet with a general Acceptance in a Country the Business of which is mostly Husbandry, and which has been famous for religious Husbandmen.

[Page] Indeed this Design has been excellently serv'd in the Labours of those Servants of GOD, Flavel and Steel: But their Treatises are not common among us: Neither is it to be suppos'd that they have gather'd in all the Sheaves of this plentiful Harvest. Or if we are in this treated with the same things, 'tis in a different Method, and with that Fervour and Pungency which is so peculiar to the Author.

Concerning the very Reverend Author, we heartily pray that GOD would still continue him long to Labour in his Harvest, and crown all his laborious and excellent Essays to serve the Kingdom of GOD, with the desired Success. And concerning this Essay in particular, (while we recommend it to all the Families in the Country) we can't but with Fervency wish, GOD SPEED THE PLOW.

Benjamin Wadsworth,

Benjamin Colman,

Peter Thacher,

Joseph Sewall,

Thomas Prince,

John Webb,

William Cooper,

Thomas Foxcroft,

Samuel Checkley,

William Waldron,

Joshua Gee.

CONTENTS.

[Page]

I. ARator. Or, The Work of the PLOUGH.

II. Georgica Sacra. Or, The SOWING of the Field.

III. Pluviaria. Or, The RAIN waited for.

IV. Defector. Or, The GRASS before the MOWER.

V. Arbores Frugiferae. Or, the ORCHARD flowrishing.

To which is added, Arbores Fulguritae, Or, Thoughts on a New-Years Day.

VI. Gaudentius. Or, The Joyful HARVEST.

VII. Agricultura Pia. Or, The Wishes of PIETY produced by the Affairs of HUSBANDRY.

With Two Supplements.

1. FAMILY-RELIGION Excited & Assisted.

2. A Monitor for COMMUNICANTS.

—Felices nimium, sua si Bona norint, Agricolae!—

ARATOR. The Work of the PLOUGH.
Agricola incurvo terram molitus Aratro.

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Jer. IV. 3.

Break up your fallow-ground.

A Call from Heaven, which every Man upon Earth is deeply concerned in. It is introduced so, Thus saith the Lord unto the Man, in the singular Number; Because every single Man is to look on himself as addressed in it. Unto every Man whatever, it may now be said, O Earth, Earth, Earth, Hear the Word of the Lord. There is a Plow ordered for thee; a Plow, the penetrations whereof thou must submit unto.

[Page] When the Illustrious and Immortal Prophet Elijah passed by One at the Plow, for whom GOD intended uncommon Favours, the Prophet put upon him the Melota, which he wore upon his Head; and Lo, the Influences of Heaven accompanied it, so that he left the Plow, and he could let nothing hinder his becoming a Man of GOD, and a follower of the best Man in the world.

It seems, to be at the Plow, is to be where the Influences of Heaven may find us. Oh! That what passes from the Head of the Speaker may be accomcompanied with Influences of Heaven on the Heart of the Hearer. But what? Leave the Plow, upon it! GOD forbid. The Sermon, may find us at the Plow; But whether so or no, the design of the Sermon will be, to bring us all to the Plow, yea, to keep us at it all our Days.

The Glorious GOD calls a sinful People to REPENTANCE: REPENTANCE, without which 'tis impossible a Sinner should be prepared for the Blessings of Goodness. Of this Repentance, we have a notable Description, in that very Expressive and Instructive Metaphor; Break up your fallow Ground. Now, certainly tis the Plow in its Work, that is thus to Break up the fallow Ground.

The Plow, that grand Instrument of Husbandry; which we may celebrate, as, The Ancient, and, The Honourable! The staff of Bread must sail us, and we must soon fall down into the Earth, if the Plow wherewith we sollicit the Earth for our Bread, were taken away. Doubeless, its Antiquity is higher than the Days of Tubal-Cain. And how much it Rivals the very Seeptre may be pondered, when we remember; The profit of the Earth is for all; the King himself is also served by the Field.

[Page] The Plow which is now called for, is, That which brings a Repenting Sinner, to what we must all come to, that we may find mercy with GOD. The Breaking up of the fallow Ground, with the Plow, is, The bringing of the Sinner to that Repentance, which is necessary for him.

And the DOCTRINE of GOD our SAVIOUR, the entrance of which now to give light unto us is This.

'Tis in the way of REPENTING, that they who have sinned, may look to be saved from the evil Effects of their Sin; And there must be seen the PLOW breaking up our Fallow Ground, in this REPENTANCE.

In the sacred Prophecies, with which the Scripture of Truth has been, as a Light [...]ning in a Dark plnce unto us, the Times that are to be longed for, [The Souls under the Altar cry out, for them, How long!] even the Times, when the promised Kingdom of GOD shall arrive, and the Times which according to his Promise we look for; This is given as the Character of them; Isa. II. 4. They shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares. My Brethren, There will be a praelibation of those glorious Times in it, if the Plow-shares may now so come into their operation, as to break up our fallow Ground, and produce the Repentance in us, which will never be Repented of.

In the Prosecution of this Intention, let us Enquire, first; What is the fallow Ground, which in the work of Repentance requires the Plow to be employ'd upon it?

[Page] Verily, 'Tis the Heart of Man. O Man, 'tis thy Heart, and my Heart, that is the fallow Ground. Whenever thou seest any Ground lying fallow, thou mayst say. I now see a Soyl which my sinful Heart may be sadly compar'd unto. And, Oh! what will become of us, if the Plow-share of Repentance do not go deep into it!

REPENTANCE will bring us to make these Acknowledgments; and we shall make them with the bitterness of Wormwood and of Gall, and with a Soul humbled in us.

First; A Repenting Sinner will acknowledge This; My Heart is a very barren Soyl. Fallow Ground has growing upon it, none of those good things which we set a value on. It has enough of those things which are good for nothing, or, perhaps worse than so. Our Heart is this fallow Ground. It is an Heart that is destitute of good Principles; and good Ends, and good Frames, and good Thoughts, are not now the natural Growth of the Soyl. Our Nature being wofully corrupted by our fall from GOD, our complaint must be That; Rom. VII. 18. I know, that in me, (that is, in my Flesh,) there dwelleth no good thing. O Wretched Heart that thou art; How empty of all that is Good! It must come from an Hand which takes pains for thy good, if any good be found in thee. But for the Reverse thereof, enough of that! The Thorns & the Thistles of the cursed Ground are not such unhappy things as what our Heart is over grown withal. What naturally grows in our Heart, & appears without our taking any pains to bring it forward, is, what will be yielded, by an Heart fully set in us to do evil. What can be imagined, but what is Evil enough in an Heart, [Page]whereof every Imagination is Evil continually? What will be the growth of a carnal Mind that is full of Enmity against GOD; and of an Heart, that is desperately wicked? The growth of such a Soyl has been told us, by Him who searches the Heart; Mat. XV. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts, Murders, Adul [...] Fornications, Thefts, False Witness, Blasphemies; The Things which difile a Man. What Thorns, what Hen-bane, and Hemlock!

Secondly; A Repenting Sinner will acknowledge This; My Heart is a very harden'd Soyl. Fallow Ground is become hard; by lying long undisturbed, its parts come to stick very close to one another. Perhaps, 'tis the more hard for being often trod upon. Our Heart is this fallow Ground. The Truths of GOD which are the Seeds of Life, the Rays that are shot from the Sun of Righteousness, the Doctrine which drops as the Rain, will not enter into so tough a Soyl. Our Heart will resist all good Admonitions; and Essays to do good, signify nothing, because of what we read of; Rom. II. 5. Thy hardness and impenitent Heart. Our Heart will remain as [...]ad as it was; and will receive no Benefit from [...]he means of good, that are used upon us. It has been so long under the Feet of Satan, that now it will deny entrance to all that is good: No Counsels, no Warnings, nothing at all, will enter into the Fool. In a Turn to GOD, this is usually one of the first things, that is complained of: An hard Heart! An hard Heart! An Heart which there is no moving of! That moan is heard; Isa LXIII. 17. Our Heart hardened from thy Fear. Oh! Forlorn Heart! How shut up, against GOD, and CHRIST, and all the good that he offers to do unto it!

[Page] Let us Enquire, Secondly; What are those operations of Repentance, in which the Plow is to break up this fallow Ground?

You take it for granted, The Word of GOD, accompanied with the Influences of the Holy SPIRIT, is the Plow with which this work of GOD is carried on. And now,

First; In a true Repentance, the Heart is broken, with a sense and grief of the Sins, which the great GOD has been offended at. There is a compunction of the Heart, and a contrition of the Heart, in that Repentance, which therefore, O Transgressor, thou art so lothe to come unto, Of Penitents we read, Act. II. 37. They are pierced in their Heart. And of Penitents we read, Psal. XXXIV. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken Heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite Spirit. We are advised; By sorrow of Heart, the Spirit is broken. The Earth is not more broken by the Plow tearing of it, than the Heart of a Repenting one, is broken with the sorrow of Repentance. There is a godly sorrow working of and in Repentance. The Repenting one makes a sorrowful Reflection, on what he has done in sinning against the glorious GOD. With an Heart-breaking Regret, and Remorse, and sorrow, he thinks; ‘I have sinned, and I have done very foolishly. But, Oh! What have I done, when I have sinned! I have deny'd the GOD that is above, and set my self and my Idols above him. I have trampled on the Authority of my Maker; defied his Power, derided his Wisdom, despised his Goodness, disputed his Faithfulness; and opposed his Holiness. I have slighted the SON of GOD, and scorned all his gracious Tenders. I have vexed the SPIRIT of [Page]GOD, and stifled all his gracious Motions. I have disobliged the Angels, and gratified the Devils. I have wronged my own Soul, and ruin'd all my Interests. I have refused eternal Pleasures, and incurr'd eternal Torments; all for a meer shadow of a delight, which is but for a Moment. Oh! What madness has possessed me!’ Such sentiments as these enter with the wounding force of a Plow-share into the Heart of a Repenting one. He feels that anguish from them, that makes him cry out, My Heart is broken, O GOD, my Heart is broken. My wounded Spirit; Oh! I cannot bear it! This, O thou that hast gone on in thy Trespasses, This is what the Plow must bring thee to; Psal LI. 17. The Sacrifices of GOD, a broken Spirit; a broken and a contrite Heart. And let not this be forgotten; One conspicuous and perpetual mark of the broken Heart, will be This; The Heart is, like the Earth yielding to the Plow and what follows upon it, made willing to comply with the whole Will of GOD: Willing to come into whatever shape GOD would have it brought into; willing to be any thing, do any thing, take any thing, that GOD shall order for it. The Repenting one, lyes at the Foot of the glorious GOD, and says, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do.

Secondly. In a true Repentance, the Heart is left no longer under the Dominion of the Lusts, that were the Weeds of the Soul. There is the Lust of the Flesh, and the Lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, which engross the Soul, and bind the powers of it fast, in opposition unto GOD. These Weeds which cover the face of the Earth, in our Heart, and hinder our being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness, [Page]are extirpated in that Repentance which brings us unto GOD. What the Penitent comes to is that; Rom. VI. 16. Sin shall not have Dominion over you. Penitents have the experience of such a Deliverance, as that; Psal. CXVI. 16. Truly, O Lord, I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant; Thou hast loosed my Bonds. The desires of the Flesh and of the Mind, and the diverse Lusts, which are the Root of bitterness in the Soul, the intention of Repentance is to disturb them; and anon the Heart of the Repenting one becomes dispossessed of them. These poisonous Weeds of Death are disturbed, yea, they are destroyed by the Plow, in the Heart of such as are by Repentance brought home unto GOD. No Lust can live quietly in a Repenting Soul. Every Lust comes under a Mortification in the Heart of such an one. The Plow share does a notable Execution upon the Weods; and the Voice of the Repenting one is that; Hos. XIV. 8. What have I any more to do with Idols? The Repenting one comes to Renounce the Flesh, and say, I will never do what I judge to be a Sin, that my Flesh may have its pleasures. He comes to Renounce the World, and say, I will never do what I judge to be a Sin, that. I may gain the Riches of the World. He Renounces the Devil; and rejects and repels the Temptations of the wicked one. The Language of Repentance is, O take away all Iniquity. Whatever dispositions to Sin, a Repenting one finds in his Heart, tho' they have never such a deep rooting there, yet the Heart under the Plow, is become desirous to be delivered from them all: It says, Lord, let my Heart be cleared of all those abominable weeds, which cleave to an evil Heart of Unbelief, departing from the living GOD. Oh! do thou tear[Page]them to pieces, and let there be none to deliver them.

¶ You have seen how the Plow breaks up the fallow Ground, in the work of Repentance; But it must now be demanded, that you immediately feel the Plow operating on you.

And now, GOD speed the Plow, when the good work of his Grace, is making its way into your Hearts, in those Admonitions of PIETY, which are now brought unto you from him.

We read, Prov. XXI. 4. The plowing of the wicked is Sin. All his employment is nothing but Sin. Even what he does in his lawful Calling being designed only for himself, 'tis no better than Sin. He looks no higher than Earth, in what he does, and so he does nothing but Sin; Yea, Even wearies himself to commit Iniquity. But now, Another sort of plowing is exhorted to; The plowing which is to be used, in the confessing and forsaking of all wickedness, and in Repenting of Sin. In order to this;

I. You must apprehend well, the mighty and awful Importance of that REPENTANCE, which must be found in all the sinful Children of Men, that would not perish in their Sins. Lo, GOD hath sent forth his Voice, and that a mighty Voice, unto all that sin against him; And, There is no Man that sinneth not. Yea, he has uttered it more than once; Luk. XIII. 3, 5. Except ye Repent, ye shall perish: And again, Except ye Repent, ye shall perish. 'Tis indeed, what the Conscience of every Man does preach unto him. Conscience, Do thou now lend thy Hand unto the Plow. And, Oh! let the Heart now under the Word of GOD, feel these Questions, pass like so many Plow-shares into it.

[Page] Question. I. Don't you really think, that you have been guilty of enough to be Repented of? A Mind so disaffected unto the glorious GOD! A Life so full of Rebellion against him! And not enough to be Repented of! Surely, The best of us all have cause enough to come unto That; Job. XLII. 6. I abhor my self, and I repent in Dust and Ashes.

Question. II. If you now come unto Repentance, can you doubt whether a merciful GOD will receive you; or whether you shall not be the Blessed ones, whose Transgression is forgiven, and Sin covered? What? When you have that Assurance from the Mouth of the glorious One; Isa. LV. 7. Return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy; and unto our GOD, for he will abundantly pardon.

Question. III. Can you suppose, that if you decline the Repentance that you are called unto, you can look for any other than a fiery Indignation to devour you? Or, that a Righteous GOD will not be Terrible in his doings to them, who lift themselves among his Adversaries? What? When you are warned; Psal. LXVIII. 21. GOD shall wound the Head of his Enemies, and the hairy Scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses.

Question. IV. If you dy before you come unto Repentance, will it not be forever too late for you; or can you suppose, that your cry, Lord, have mercy upon me; will avail any thing, or be any other than all too late, when the Pit hath shut its mouth upon you, and you are lodged among Devils in the place of Torment? What? When you are so taught; Isa. XXXVIII. 18. They that go down to the Pit, cannot hope for thy Truth.

[Page] Question. V. What is the plain Language of the Procrastination, wherewith you put off Repentance? Don't you plainly say, That Sin has nothing to be dreaded in it? That GOD is not worthy of your Love; and his Threatnings are nothing to be regarded? That His CHRIST has nothing that is precious to bestow upon you; and you can do well enough without him? And, What shall be given to thee, what shall be done to thee, O Tongue that can speak such things as these? What sharp Arrows of the Almighty One; what Coals more ardent and more lasting, than those of Juniper? It may be said, as in Psal. XXXVI. 1. What says the Transgression of the Wicked?

O Souls thus Expostulated withal; what, what Impression does the Plow make upon you?

II. 'Tis to be vehemently insisted on; It can by no means be dispensed with: You must presently endeavour to go thro' such a PROCESS OF REPENTANCE, as lays hold on Eternal Life You have it Reveled from Heaven unto you, Act. XXII. 30. GOD now commands Men every where to Repent. And the Wrath of GOD is Reveled from Heaven against you, till this be done. What you have now to do, is with a Change of Mind, from the Vain Thoughts you have had, while you have walked in the Vanity of your Mind, Seriously and Regularly to do the Actions of a Repenting Soul. Retire; And own your selves Unable to Return unto GOD, and Unworthy that He should Enable you; but implore the Help of Sovereign Grace on this Grand Occasion. Then, Call over, Confess, Bewail, your Transgressions on what is Forbidden, [Page]and what is Required in the Commandments; Employing the Explanation of the Commandments, which you have in the Catechism, for this purpose: But above all, mourn over that Original Sin, which is the Fountain of all your Transgressions; and an Heart that is the Mother of Abominations. Hereupon, Shew and Plead the Blood of your SAVIOUR, that you may be cleanfed from all Sin; Pray, Beg, Weep, for the Pardon of all your Sin: Do this, till you have a comfortable Perswasion from Above, raised in you, That you are pardoned. Now, Give up your selves to GOD, with hearty Desires, that having done with Iniquity, you may not offend any more; and hearty Resolves, That in the Strength of CHRIST living in you, you will walk in Holiness and Righteousness before Him, all the remaining time of your Pilgrimage. But let it always be remembred, A Repentance without a CHRIST, is but a Repentance for a Devil, rather than a Christian; there is nothing to be got by it. In the whole Process of Repentance, you must keep up an Encouraging Hope of Mercy, thro' a CHRIST appearing for you. You must behold a CHRIST as having made Expiation for the Sins of those those who come unto GOD in His Name to be Forgiven. You must behold a CHRIST as ready to Assist you in cleansing your selves from all Filthiness of the Flesh and of the Spirit, and carrying on Holiness to Perfection in the Fear of GOD. This plain Process of Repentance, 'tis what your Salvation from the Evil which pursueth Sinners depends upon. Till you have pass'd thro' it, you walk in Darkness, not knowing whither you are going. Nay, you rather do know, that you are going down to Blackness of Darkness for ever.

[Page] III. But What? Is once enough? No, There must be a Repetition of the Process. The Fallow Ground will not be thoroughly broke up, and Repentance will not have its perfect work, except the Plow do over and over again go over it. A Repenting Soul must say, as in Psal. LI. 3. I acknowledge my Transgressions, and my Sins is ever before me. The Aims of Repentance are to be ever within us; and the Exercise thereof is never to be laid aside. There will be no Method so sure as this, to assure us, That we have the Repentance never to be repented of. Let us Repent over and over again. The process of Repentance must be transacted over and over again. More especially, When any Calamitous thing befalls us, now let us, in the day of Adversity consider, To what special Expressions of Repentance am I now to be Awakened? And how often do we hear things pressed in Sermons, whereof we should make this Use; To Repent more particularly of miscarriages, which we are minded of? Yea, Repentance is to be with us, a Daily Exercise of Godliness. In our Morning and Evening Sacrifices, every Day, there is to be a Repentance exercised; and this with some Recollection of what we can find amiss in our past Behaviour. And as often in the Day, as we are convinced of any Misbehaviour, we should with a fresh act of Repentance look unto Him whom we have pierced, and mourn for what has been Amiss. 'Tis with the spirit of Repentance, that we are to carry on the whole course of our Walk with GOD. The proud spirit of Quakerism which has done with Repentance, and in its Assemblies, is never heard with Repentance praying for, The Pardon of Sin; It cannot but be detestable to [Page]the Children of GOD. There needs no more to make every sober Christian say, To such Assemblies, O my Soul, be not thou United. REPENTANCE TO THE LAST, is a Motto for one who walks with GOD. The Curtains of our Death bed must be hung with Penitentials. Our Eyes must be filled with the Tears of Repentance, when the cold Hand of Death, is closing of them. Syrs, Here is a Plow, that is never to stand still. 'Tis to be going in all seasons of the Year; Yea, And even in the Winter it shall be so!

IV. You must not think much of it, if you find Repentance to be a Laborious thing. If you will do any thing at plowing, you must not be they whose Hands refuse to labour. The Sluggard will do nothing in Repentance, that will avail any thing. What a miserable Soul, will be the Field of the Slothful? O Soul void of understanding! Lo, 'Tis all grown over with Thorns; Nettles cover the Face thereof; and the Stone wall thereof is broken down. We read, 2. Tim. II. 6. The Husbandman laboureth. If the Life of Husbandry be Laborious, a Life of Repentance is no less Laborious. GOD will be a Rewarder to none but those who diligently seek Him. The Business of Repentance is to seek Him. A Diligence must be found in the performances with which we manage it. It is with all our Might that we are to do what our Hand finds to do. We are to Toyl at it, yea, to Sweat at it. It is to the Repenting Beleever, as well as to the Laborious Husbandman, that it has been said, In the sweat of thy Face thou shalt carry on, what thou hast to do. Things very tedious, very tiresome, to Flesh and Blood, are to be encountred in a life of Repentance. O Repenting [Page]Soul, Thou shalt often be weary in well doing; I trust; Never weary of it.

V. But won't you look for weeping, as well as working? Yes; look for This; That the Glorious GOD will make many sad Things to be found among the Things appointed for you. This will be, that so the work of Repentance may be the more powerfully and effectually carryed on. There will be Need that you should be ever now and then in Heaviness; without it, the work of Repentance cannot well be carried on. Of the Husbandmen we read; Psal. CXXVI. 6. Each one of those in going forth, does mostly weeping go; He carries forth the precious seed, a little to be sown. He meets with many things, which makes him follow the Plow with an heavy Heart. You must not think always to do nothing Sing at the Plow. O Repenting ones, Never Dream, That you shall pass the time of your sojourning here without Affliction; Or, That your few Days here, will not be full of Troubles! A Dream in which there would be diverse vanities. What? When your Heavenly Father has told you. If ye be without Chastisement, then are ye Bastards and not Sons! This world, what is it but a Valley of Bacah? That is to say, of weeping. Truly, All your plowing will be in the Valley of Bacah. Has not your Faithful Redeemer forewarned you of it? And because of his Faithfulness, he willfulfil it. O Disciples of a Crucified Lord; look for the Cress. The Plow and the Cross will go together. The things that will call for your Tears, Lord, how many are they? How are the things multiplied, which will trouble you! Tho' the ways of Repentance are on many accounts ways of pleasantness, yet there will [Page]be some Troublesome things in the ways. Tho' you will sing in the ways of the Lord; and the worst of them are sweeter than the Hard ways of the Transgressor; Yet you must also weep in the ways. Expect many Troublesome things, and when they arrive, be able to say, That which I was afraid of, is come unto me. And yet, be not afraid with any amazment! After the Ground is plowed, the Harrow is drawn over it, that so the work may be perfect, and the Face of the Soyl so Levelled, as to be fit for what is to be cast upon it. When we have Repented of our Errors, there will be the Harrow of Affliction of drawn over us. Yea, our Affliction must come after another upon us. Tis all, that so Repentance may hvve have its perfect work. It must be expected, and it should not be unwelcome to us; That our Faithful Redeemer do by much Affliction carry on the good work of Repentance after he has began it upon us. Harrowed with much Affliction, O penitent Beleever say, Blessed be my Redeemer who will this way bring me to be what I should be!

VI. Nevertheless, hold on, hold out, O REPENTANCE; The Harvest will richly repay thee; Heaven will make amends for all. Repentance is nothing, if Perseverance do not Crown it. There is a dreadful Denunciation; Luk. IX. 62. No Man having put his hand to the Plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of GOD. Oh! Take heed of all Backslidings from good Beginnings in Repentance and Religion. And therefore take a due Notice of the least Beginnings, that may lead on to such Backslidings. Let the Apostates Doon, cause you to tremble at all Degrees or Symptoms of Apostasy; [Page]Tremble at ending in the Flesh, after you have begun in the Spirit. Hear the tremendous Doom; If any Man draw back, my Soul shall have no pleasure in him. Now, that you may not be wearied nor faint in your Minds, and that no Temptation to desert the Plow may move you; O commit your selves into the hands of a SAVIOUR, who is able to keep you from falling; and rely upon Him, to be kept by His almighty Power, thro' Faith unto Salvation. But then, Think on the Harvest that is a coming; An Harvest, wherein every good thing that a Man has done, the same shall he receive of the Lord. Indeed unto them to whom it may be said, Ye have plowed Wickedness, there will be a proportionable Reaping Time; They shall Reap what their Iniquity will bring them to; Wo to the wicked; for the Reward of his Hands will be given him. On the other side; Plow in and by Repentance, and look for what will be Reaped from it. We read; He that ploweth should plow in hope. Go on Repenting, and keep the Plow always going: But still do it, in hope of a Time coming, wherein, Thy Work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord. Hope for something infinitely better than what has been in any Country called, Plow-Money; Yea, infinitely better than our Land yielding its Increase unto us.

VII. Finally; The Work of the Plow is in the Earth; In the Motions of it, he who drives the Plow, must often look down upon the Earth, into the Earth. And that the Work of Repentance may be carried on, it will be of great Advantage unto us, to look down unto the Earth, whither, O Man, Thou art going! Thou art art going! Look [Page]unto the Earth, O ye Sons of Earthly Man, and you will see, what will have loud Exciters, and strong Incentives, to Repentance in it.

Beholding of the Earth, which the Plow digs into, Think; I was fetch'd out of the Earth by the Great GOD, who formed all things. How much may this Meditation do, To Humble you, and Abase you, and lay you in the Dust of Repentance, and cause you to count your selves no better than a poor Clod of animated Earth, before the GOD of Heaven, who is the Lord GOD Omnipotent?

Again; Beholding of the Earth which the Plow goes into, Think; In the Earth I have my Grave waiting for me, where I know not how soon I may be lodged. How much may this Meditation Quicken you, to Make haste in that Repentance, which must be dispatch'd before you sleep in the Dust, or else nothing on Earth can keep you from an Hell for ever to be trembled at.

My Friend, Smell to the Earth. 'Tis a very wholesome Scent. It will contribute to the Work of Repentance wonderfully.

Thus you see the Plow in it Opetations. And upon the whole, what shall I say unto you?

A King of England, was doubtless well pleased with the Town, where the People presented themselves with some hundreds of Plows before him. Among all those Plows, there was none comparable unto This; nor can there be a more acceptable Present unto the Glorious One, who is King over all the Earth.

It has been counted a memorable Thing; That among the old R [...]mans, they sometimes fetch'd a Man from the Plow, and one that was owner [Page]of no more than Four Acres neither, and set him at the head of the Commonwealth. Christian, Keep at this Plow, and GOD will one Day Raise thee out of the Dust, and fetch thee out if the Dunghil, and set thee with Princes, even with the Princes of His People.

I have done. The Plow has done its Work, and the Fallow-Ground is well broken up, if the Word of GOD finds now a free passage into your Hearts. And, Oh! May your Hearts be now so opened, by the Lord, that in whatever Word He comes unto you, your consenting Hearts may say, Welcome art thou, O Lord, and welcome is every Word of thine, unto me!

We read of it, as a very Improper Thing; Amos V. 12. Will one plow upon a Rock? Sinful Soul, Tho' thy Heart be like a Rock, Yet, Oh! Let not the Obduration continue, and let not all the Exhortations to Repentance, be but a plowing upon a Rock. But let thy Relenting Heart, at least come so far, as to beg it of thy Exalted SAVIOUR; O my SAVIOUR, whose Office it is; Do thou give me both Repentance and Remission of Sins.

I did indeed say, I have done. But I know not how to part with my Plow-man, until I have taken a little Notice of something in his Hand, by which the Creatures which draw his Plow for him, are Exagitated. He carries a GOAD in his Hand.

We read of a Champion, Judg. III. 31. He slew six hundred Men with an Ox-Goad. We may guess a little at the shape of that Ox-Goad, and how fit a Tool it was for such an Execution, from what is related by Modern Travellers concerning the Husbandry [Page]in those parts of the World. They tell us, That in plowing the Husbandmen use Goads of an extraordinary size. They are eight Foot long, and at the upper end, six Inches in Circumference. They are armed at the lesser end, with a sharp Nail, for the driving of the Oxen; and at the other end, with a small Spade, or Paddle of Iron, strong and massy for cleansing of the Plow, from the clay that encumbers it in working. In such a Goad, behold, a better Weapon than a Sword, for a Shamgar to employ upon his Philistines.

All that I shall observe upon it is; There are so many Goads, in the lively Oracles of GOD, for our Excitation and Instigation to Repentance, and a life of PIETY. We read, Eccl. XII. 11. The words of the Wise are as Goads. And such are the Words of our GOD by which we are to be Quickened. Alas, why do we no more find them so! How stupid a thing art thou, O Man, if thou dost not feel such pungencies? But then, the dealings of GOD with thee in his Providence, what are these also, but so many stimulations to Repentance, and a Life of PIETY? If they move thee not, O dull Soul, and if thou do not conform unto them, there is that Voice from Heaven, unto thee on them, Act. IX. 5. It is hard for thee, to kick against the Goads. Oh! do not by thy Dilatory proceedings in the Life of GOD, provoke him to multiply the uneasy strokes of his Goads upon thee.

The Plain SONGS OF THE Pious HUSBANDMAN; In the Work of his Husbandry, and the House of his Pilgrimage.

[Page]

Singing at the PLOW.

MY Heart, how very Hard its grown!

Thicken'd and stiffen'd Clay:

Daily trod by the Wicked One;

Of Sin the Beaten Way.

An Heart, wherein compacted Weeds

Of Diverse Lusts abound;

No Entrance for the Heavenly Seeds,

Falling on such a Ground!

O my Almighty SAVIOUR, come;

Thy Word's a wondrous Plow:

And let thy SPIRIT drive it home;

This Heart, Oh! Break it so!

Lord, let my Broken Heart receive

Thy Truth with Faith and Love:

May it a Just Reception give

To what falls from Above.

Will my GOD Plow upon a Rock!

Change thou the Soyl, my Lord!

My Heart once by thy Plow-share broke,

Will Entertain thy Word.

Georgica Sacra. The SOWING Of the Field.

[Page]

Mark IV. 3.

Hearken, Behold, There went out a Sower to Sow.

TIS what is now adoing. O! May the Seed find a Soyl, that shall not be ungrateful to the Husbandry of GOD upon it.

In the admirable Sermons of Him that spoke so as never Man spake, which the Gospel, has, as the Golden Pot once did the Manna, reserved for us, there are about Five or Six and twenty Parables; Wherein he condescends unto a way of Teaching, which was much used among the Syrians, and which tends to bring the Darkest and Rudest Minds, into an Acquaintance with the Mysteries of Religion.

One of these Parables, does Exhibit an Husbandman at work in his Field, and lodging the Seed from whence he expects anon to have his Bread, [Page]in four several sorts of Ground; Whereof three were Bad, but the fourth is Good, and yields the expected Crop unto him. Of this Parable, as well as of one more, our Blessed Lord is pleased Himself to give us the Exposition; so that we have the satisfaction of enjoying an Infallible Expositor. The Heart of Man, is the Field; The Word of GOD is the Seed; Our Lord himself is the Sower: Not Exclusive of his Ministers and Instruments.

And the DOCTRINE, which is now to fall from his Hand [For it is he that Ministers the Seed unto the Sower!] as the Seed upon the Field before him, [O! may it prove as a Field, which the Lord has Blessed!] it shall be This;

The WORD of GOD, in the Promulgation of the Gospel, is a Seed which finds in the Heart of Man a very different Soyl when it is cast upon it; A Soyl which the Word has very various, Bad and Good Effects upon.

We are enriched with a GOSPEL, which is by our SAVIOUR in his explaining of his own Parable, called, The Word of the Kingdom. 'Tis the Word which Proclaimes a Glorious CHRIST, as the King upon the Holy Hill of Zion, who is Lord of All, and has all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him. 'Tis a Word which brings the Law of this great King unto us, and promises unto them that Follow and Obey him, the Glories of an Heavenly Kingdom, at his Appearing.

Of this Word, whereof, O Blessed People that we are, we hear the Joyful Sound, some considerable things are to be now declared unto us.

[Page] I. The Word of GOD falling on the Heart of Man, is like a Seed of Corn, which the Earth has from the Husbandman cast and sown upon it.

You need not be told, That the Man who hears the Word of GOD, and indeed every Man on the Face of the Darth, may be compared unto the Earth. You are sufficiently apprised of it, That the Body of Man, came out of the Earth, and again goes into it. The devout Job, sitting on the Earth, call'd it, His Mother; And sitting in his Mothers Lap, he confessed; Job I. 21. Naked came I out of my Moehers Womb, and naked shall I return thither. This Mother of Man, may well be allow'd a Figure of Man. Let it not offend thee, O proud Man, if the Term of, A Clod of Earth, be put upon thee.

But what I am to tell you, is, On what Accounts, the Seed of Corn (or of any Plant) resembles the Everlasting Gospel, that is preached unto them, who dwell on the Earth. The Accounts are many.

Is there a sort of Life in the Seed of a Plant? Our SAVIOUR, the Prince of Life, has told ns; Joh. VI. 63. The Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are Life. O the fair and sweet Things, which pullulate from these Lively Oracles!

The Seed must be sown, or the Fruit will be none: If it be kept in the Granary, it will never Fructify. It is the speaking of the Word, that is the casting of the Seed. We read, 1 Thess. II. 16. It must be spoken to Men, that they may be saved. There is ordinarily no saving the Souls of Men, but in the way of the Institution, the speaking and [Page] preaching of the Word unto them. They that are not in the way of it, are not in the ordinary way to be saved.

A Seed brings forth a Grain like it self; The Fruit is after its kind. What the Word of GOD produces, is what is agreeable to the Word. It is a Good Word; and it will do us this Good, it will make us Good; and make us love to do Good. It is a clean Word, and it will make us to cleanse our Way. It is a Word of Wisdom, and it will make us wise unto Salvation. Yea, 2 Cor. III. 18. We are changed by it, into the same Image from Glory to Glory.

A little Seed will go a great way: A few Sowers may soon cover an huge Tract of Land. Who can say, how much a few Hands may do in spreading the Word of GOD? A Paul did it for Thousands of Miles: From Jerusalem to Spain, was near Three Thousand Miles. What a few Men did, as we find in Col. I. 6. It brought forth Fruit in all the World. Yea, One Sermon has converted Thousands. And Hundreds of Thousands have been brought into the Life of GOD, by one little Book; such as Arndts, of True Christianity. What a Dispersion of Truth, has been made by Two such small Catechisms; as that of Heidelbergh, and that of our Assembly?

The Labour of the Sower will have no Success, without the Blessing of the Lord, upon the Seed. It is Thou, O Lord, that preparest the Corn. The Husbandman is an Atheist, if he do not Think so, and own it. The Ministry of the Word, will be Unsuccessful, except it receive a Blessing from GOD. We are informed; 1 Cor. III. 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but GOD [Page]that giveth the Increase. The Success of the Word proceeds not from him that brings it, or from the skill with which he brings it; but from the SPIRIT of GOD working in it. Let Isaac sow his Land, and if the Lord Bless him, he will receive an hundred fold.

Finally; The Seed will not presently spring up, at the first sowing of it; No, Behold, the Husbandman waits for the precious Fruit of the Earth. Nor does the Ministry of the Word, presently see all the Effect that it is to see. The Word may ly for some while under Clods, in many an unconcerned Soul. GOD by some occurence in his Providence, may bring to Remembrance a Word heard some while ago, and then it operates. Yea, it may so fall out, as in Joh. IV. 37. That saying is true, One soweth and another reapeth. Oh! Let Parents be often dropping some Word of GOD upon their Children; In the Morning sow thy Seed; and in the Evening slack not thy Hand; A long while hence, it may be, after thou shalt thy self be sleeping in the Dust, the Word that seems to have been left there, shall have its Efficacy.

The Seed you see; But, who the Sower? Be sure, The owner of the Seed, is the principal sower of the Seed. It is the Word of CHRIST; and it is He that sows it. The second Adam is the Blessed Husbandman, who Tills the Ground, and sows the Field which the Lord has blessed. But then he has his Ministers, who do the part of Sowers under Him. These are they who may say, as in 1. Cor. IX. 11. We have sown unto you spiritual Things.

May our GOD Help us, That we may bring you none but the pure Seed of the Word; Pick and [Page]Cleanse the Seed in our Studies; and not bring you the Chaff or Husks of our own Brains; or the pernicious Darnel of unscriptural Error.

May we bring you also the whole Seed of the Word; And so honestly dispose of the Seed committed unto us, that we may balk no Truth, but be able to say, I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of GOD.

But may we still see to it, that we Preach and Sowe to the Advantage of our Master: And all we do be aimed at this; That we may see you Glorifying of our Lord, and Glorified with him.

Wherefore, Brethren, Pray for us.

The rather, in as much as our Calling is no easy Calling. The Sweat of the Brain, not more easy than the Sweat of the Brow. The Calling of an Husbandman is a painful Calling. That Man is not worthy the Name of a Minister, who takes not as much pains as an Husbandman. Our Name, is Mat. IX. 38. that of, Labourers.

Thus you see the Sower with the Field. But I know not how to dismiss this matter, without some Reflection upon it.

Confess, O People that have the Word of GOD offered unto you, how Necessary it is, that this Word should be dispensed unto you. It is threatned as a very dismal Desolation; Jer. I. 20. I will cut off the Sower. In what a deplorable Condition were you, if the sowing should utterly fail? If you should have no Preaching, you would have no sowing; and if This fail, you soon fall under the Terriblest Famine in the world; Even That; Amos. VIII. 11. Not a Famine of Bread, but of hearing the words of the Lord. What, what will become of your starved Souls, if the Bread of Life [Page]should be deny'd you? The Bread of Life will be gone, when there are none to sowe the Seed of Life. A Country without the Word of GOD and CHRIST and Salvation in it, is a rueful Country: 'Tis all Winter there, They see no Seed time; They are Destroy'd for the lack of Knowledge. Oh! If the Gospel be hid from us, we are a lost People! But ours is not such a Country. Our GOD has given his Word unto us; Praise the Lord! And give to his Word, a Fruitful Entertainment.

We read of a Time when, and a Place where, a Cab of Doves Dung was rated at Five pieces of Silver. What we render Doves Dung, I suppose, may mean rather the Offals, or the Refuse, of the Corn, which they commonly gave to their Pigeons; That Coarse Grain, which was the vile Remains and Sweepings of the Floor. Surely, 'Tis a better sort of Seed, that is generally cast upon the Fields in this Country; 'Tis the finest of the Wheat; where is there what exceeds it?

But then, Receive it Readily. Retain it Faithfully. Improve it Suitably. In all the Fruits of the Spirit, make suitable Returns to Heaven for it. It was once a sad Complaint; Master, Didst not thou sowe good Seed? Whence then are these Tares? Oh! Let there not be cause of this Complaint; Lord, A good Seed has been cast upon us: But whence then, this Profaneness, this Intemperance, this Dishonesty? Whence these Abominable Impieties and Iniquities? GOD forbid, that such Briars and Thorns ever should be found in a Soyl, that a good Seed has been sown upon!

II. The Heart of Man under the Word of GOD, proves a very Different Soyl to the Seed that is cast [Page]upon it: Various are the Effects which the Word of GOD has upon them that hear it. For the Illustration and Confirmation of this Observation, our SAVIOUR has described the Hearers of his Word, and the Effects of it on them that Hear it, under the Figure of no less than Four Soyls: Whereof Three disappoint the Husbandman, but the Fourth proves as he would have it. And indeed, among them that hear the Word of GOD, it is well if One in Three entertain it as they ought to do. There is an High-way Ground, and a Stony Ground, and a Thorny Ground, and at last a Good Ground, which the Seed is cast upon. Each of these will now call for a Successive Contemplation.

The High-way Ground.

We are informed, First, That some who hear the Word of GOD, prove like an High-way Ground, when the Seed is cast upon it: An High-way Ground, which being much Troden on, the Fowls of Heaven do steal away the Seed that falls upon it. In the Land of Judaea, their Corn-fields usually had High-ways thorough them; and this is what the Discourse of our SAVIOUR is Allusive to. Our SAVIOUR has thus explained it; These are they by the High-way; where the Word is sown, but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the Word that was sown in their Hearts. When he elsewhere says of this Hearer, He hears the Word, and understandeth it not, the Greek Word rather imports an Unattentive Hearer, than the simply Ignorant: Or one whose Heart will not go with what he hears. It is a Carless Hearer of the [Page] Word, whose Guise and whose Fate, is to be now set before us. O my Hearers, let it not at this very Instant have an unhappy Commentary among ourselves; But, I beseech you, Carefully, and with Earnest Heed, give Ear to this Admonition of the Lord.

The Devils, like the Fowls of the Air, come and catch the Word of GOD our SAVIOUR, from those Hearers, whose Hearts are like the HIGH-WAY GROUND, where that good Seed of the Word is trod under Foot.

We have now such Instructions as these, to be thankful for.

I. The Devils, which fly about this Air, under the command of a Prince and a wicked One, who is called SATAN, are very fitly Resembled unto the Fowls of the Air.

These Cursed Spirits, are called, Psal. XCI. 3. Fowlers: Because they Ensnare, and they Destroy the poor Children of Men, as the Children of Men themselves, do the silly Birds, which they have a design upon. A seasonable and profitable Meditation for any of you, when you are upon that Recreation. But then, they are Fowls too. The Fowls and the Devils have indeed their lodging in the same Element. The Devils are, Eph II. 2. The Power, or Army, of the Air. And, Eph. VI. 12. Spiritual Wickednesses in those High Places. Here these Unclean Birds will be Neasted, until our Lord JESUS CHRIST shall descend with flaming Fire, to make this Air become the Seat for that City of [Page]GOD, where his Raised Saints will be gathered unto him.

Can we tell the Number of the Fowls? There are more than Five Hundred species of them; The Individuals are Thousands, and Myriads, and Millions; How Numberless? But the Number of the Devils, may, for ought we know, exceed that of the Fowls. It seems, that a Demon who molested one poor Man in the Gospel, had no less than a Legion at hand under his Ordering, like so many French Dragoons, to seize him and vex him.

What can emulate the Swiftness of the Fowls? Yea, but the Eagles hastening to the Prey are not so swift, as those Fowls of a stronger Wing, the Devils, when coming down to prey upon us. The Devils will convey themselves from one side of the Earth to the other, doubtless, as fast as the Earth it self can whirl about upon its Axis. Or as our Lord saw the Devils falling like the Lightening, why mayn't we suppose 'em flying like the very Lightning?

Finally; The most mischievous Fowls, are therein an Emblem of the Devils, who delight in Mischief. What are the Devils but Birds of prey? The Bible calls them, Foul Spirits, and, filthy and hateful Birds. When we read, Mat. XIII. 19. of, The Wicked One catcheth away, what is sown in the Heart, there is a Greek word used, which implies, that the wicked One is an horrid Harpye to the Souls of Men.

But, O ye Souls in peril; since you have such perillous Fowls of the Air continually fluttering about you; Hearken, Hearken to the kind Calls of [Page]your SAVIOUR; Hear the kind Cloques of such a gracious Protector; Mat. XXIII. 37. How often would I have gathered thy Children, [...] an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings! Oh! Get under this protection, by the flights of a lively Faith unto it!

II. Wherever the Word of GOD is dispensed, there the Devils will immediately come to steal the good Seed of that Word, from the Hearts which it is cast upon.

Be advised of this, O worshippers of GOD; That in whatever Exercise of Religion you are engaged, the Devils will with some Temptation there immediately fall upon you. Even in the House of GOD, and where the Word of GOD is dispensed, we must look to meet with Devils; and when the Sons of GOD come to present themselves before the Lord, Satan will also come among them. You are to Watch against your never-weary, never-sleeping Adversary, not only in your Business, and in your Travelling, and in your friendly Conversations, but in your Devotions too.

Be yet more particularly advised of it; That the Devils are very particularly desirous, to hinder that good Seed, the Word of GOD, from taking Root in your Hearts. The Word of the Kingdom, tends to rescue the Souls of Men from the power of Darkness, and the Kingdom of Satan, and so to Translate them into the Kingdom of the Son of GOD. It is the Word of a SAVIOUR: It is the Gospel of our Salvation. The Devils are grievously disturbed at the Word of GOD; It gives 'em a frightful Alarum; They are afraid lest it prove the [Page] Power of GOD unto the Salvation of them that sit under it; They suspect the losing of some Slave or other from their Empire, by the verticordious Power of it. They surmise, the Prey will be taken from the Mighty, and the Lawful Captive be delivered. The Salvation of Sinners, is a Vexation of Devils. Their Malice cannot bear it, that while they are Damned, any of Mankind should be Saved. Our Heaven adds Oyl to the Flame of the Hell, from whence the Smoke of their Torment ascends for ever and ever.

And then, finally, Be advised of This; There are many ways, by which the Devils do catch up the good Seed of the Word, when your Hearts have it falling upon them.

What these Destroyers of Souls, and Hinderers of all that is Good, would be at, is, To spoil our Attention to the Word of our GOD and SAVIOUR But how is it, that the Enemy does This!

They do it, by injecting of Impertinent and Unseasonable Thoughts of other Things into our Hearts, when we should be Thinking on the Word of our GOD. What is the way of the Serpent on the Rock in this, and how 'tis that the Devils convey Thoughts into our Minds; This is a Thing too wonderful for me; 'tis what I know not. But the matter of Fact, is what I know, and am certain of. The Devils are Wandring Spirits, and they have a Faculty to throw Wandring Thoughts into our Spirits. When the Word of GOD is cast upon us, it may be some Filthy Thoughts, or some Angry Thoughts, or, at least, some worldly Thoughts, will then be cast in, and carry away our Minds from what they should be upon. Our GOD may say [Page]of us; Ezek. XXXIII. 31. They sit before thee as my People, they hear thy Words, but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. While our GOD is tendering his Word unto us, the Devils throw in the Images of a Bargain, or a Journey, and some contrivance for our worldly Advantage, or, perhaps, what is yet more Base than so: And while we think on these things, the good Seed of the Word is picked away most unaccountably. If the Messenger of GOD, should suddenly ask of some, What was the last Seed of the word cast upon you? They must with Confusion own, I did not Regard what it was. Thus the Devils have snatched it away. Vain Thoughts make the Word of our SAVIOUR to be in vain dispensed unto us. O my Hearers, What are you Thinking on? If upon Recollection you find, that your Thoughts are at any time gone away from the word, whereof you should be more diligent Hearers, think with Horror upon it; Some Devil is now at work upon me!

Agaid, They do it, by prejudicing our Hearts against the Word of our GOD, or the Dispensers of it. Sometimes, the good Seed of the word itself is not liked. Either the Proud Men say to the Prophet, Thou speakest Falsly. Or, something in the manner of speaking it, is not pleasing. But oftner, 'Tis the Seeds-Man, that is not liked. The Devils would fain have the Feet of them who Preach the Gospel of Peace, to be not Beautiful: but have wrong steps charged upon them, to fill our Minds with Prejudices against them. Not only would the Devils bring the Hearers, to that Contempt of those who come unto them, What is it this Babler says? But also that Hatred of them; 1 King. XXII. 8. [Page] I hate him. It is a potent Engine, that the Devils have, to take away the Seed of the Word from our Hearts, when they have made our Hearts to dislike the Hands which throw it upon us. 'Tis done sometimes by more Immediate Suggestions, which fill the Hearts of Men with Grudges against those Dispensers of the Word, from whom they might otherwise have the greatest Benefit. Many have a Distaste for such; and can give no Reason for it. But the Spirit that works in them, can give the Reason; is the Reason. Sometimes 'tis done, by the Tools of Ungodly Tongues, and Pens; The Devils never want Venemous Defamers, and Scandalous Libellers, and Pestilent Scoffers, to dress up the Servants of GOD in Bear-skins, and throw them out unto the Dogs. These Black birds of Hell, do mightily prevent the Seed of the Word, from getting well into the Hearts of the poisoned People. Who sets them to work? Even, he that will pay them their Wages. To such Emissaries of the wicked One, the Spirit of GOD says, O Full of all Mischief, Thou Child of the Devil, Thou Enemy of all Righteousness! Christians, when some Slanderers are talking with you, or when some Virulent and Abusive Pamphlets are before you, you may do well to think, The Devil now designs upon me!

Once more; They do it by making us Drowsy and Sleepy, when the Word of GOD should have the Respects of a wakeful Attention paid unto it. When the best Preacher in the World, was casting the Seed, we find one; A&. XX. 9. Fallen into a deep Sleep. Who Rocqued the Cradle, I pray? From a Man that is Asleep, any thing may be taken away. When the Devils have lulled us Asleep, [Page]they may, and they do, take away from our Hearts, the good Seed of the Word. There is many a wholesome Lesson, many an useful Counsil, many a needful Caution, which might get into our Hearts, and stick there. But the Devils have cheated us thereof, by laying us fast Asleep, at the time that they were uttered. Oh! That we were more on our Guard! There may indeed be some Feebleness and Heaviness of Constitution, which may sometimes betray very Godly People into this Miscarriage. The Spirit would be willing to have it otherwise, and groans under the Distempered Flesh which indisposes us. We have a compassionate SAVIOUR, who in this case pitties us. At the same time we should not Pardon and Indulge our selves; or show any Pity to our own Irregularity. But when People can set themselves to Sleep in the Dreadful place, which is the House of GOD and the Gate of Heaven; and make a Trade of long Naps, when they are in the special Presence of a GOD that will be sanctified in all them who draw near unto Him; how poorly is the Fear of GOD exercised in them! Or can they think, that the great GOD will hold them Guiltless, who so take his Name in Vain? Awake, my Friends, Awake; And let us Charitably jog, and pull, and waken one another; The Philistines of Hell are upon you! A Satanic Opium is administred unto you, by those Fiends of Darkness; who have a Plot upon you, to deprive you of a Word, that might Save your Souls. Alas, How many in our Congregations, very sinfully and foolishly snore away their Sabbaths! And might, if they were not fast Asleep, often hear their SAVIOUR upbraiding of them, What? [Page] Can't you watch one Hour with me? Oh! That they would stir up themselves, and beg their Neighbours kindly to watch over them, and waken them, and as often as they are overtaken with the Fault, think; How can I bear Satan thus to Rob me, of that which is the Life of my Soul! This I say, Awake, what meanest thou, O sleeper; Hearken to thy GOD!

III. An Highway Ground are the Hearts of those, who permit the Devils to steal the good Seed of the Word from them, in their Hearing of it. An Elegant Similitude! For,

The Seed that falls on the Highway, does not sink into the Earth, but ly on the top of it. There are Hearers of the Word, who are too unmindful of our SAVIOUR's Direction; Luk, IX. 44. Let these sayings sink down into you. The Word has no more than a Superficiary Touch upon them. It may inform their Heads, but their Hearts are not reached by it, not moved by it, not changed by it.

Again; The Seed that falls on the Highway, is not look'd after. There are Hearers of the Word who don't look after what has fallen upon them, to see what comes of it; but it is with them according to That; Jam. I. 23, 24. He is an Hearer of the Word, and not a Doer; He goes his way, and straightway forgets. They do not Ruminate on the Word they have heard; their Hearts don't recall any thing of it; but they carry toward it, as if they had never been concerned with it.

Moreover; High-ways are common Roads; They are ways that ly common and open and obvious for every Passenger. The Hearts of many that hear the Word, are not as Gardens enclosed; but they are [Page]the Walk of Satan; the Print of his Cloven Foot is to be seen upon them: Nothing, tho' ever so Evil, is kept out of them. For this Cause, the Denomination of the Gentiies, who in Matth. XXII. 10. are called, The High-Way, may be put upon them.

Lastly; In the Highways the Seed that is cast by Hand is cast under the Foot; It is Trampled on. Verily, There are Hearers of the Word, of whom we read; Heb. X. 29. They have trodden under Foot the Son of GFD. Be sure then, they Tread under Foot His Word; They Trample on the Commandments, the Promises, the Threatnings of it. There may this Account be given of them; They Despise His Word, until the Wrath of the Lord arise against them, and there is no Remedy.

I cannot go off this Highway Ground, without making at least these Two Remarks upon it.

First. Under whose Malignant Influence, do you think, must they be, that frequently and needlessly Absent themselves from the Word of GOD our SAVIOUR, when they might enjoy the Dispensations of it? If it be Satan that steals the Good Seed of the Word, from the Way on which it falls, doubtless, it must be Satan, who steals People from the Way of the Seed. He who does Catch the Word from us, is he who does Keep us from the Word. The Jews gave this as a Definition of a Bad Neighbour, Tis, One who don't come to the Synagogue. If there be such a Bad Neighbour in the Town, we see, what is the Bad Spirit that makes him so. It is noted of Origen, That in his Vigorous Homilies, he Reproved no Crime so much, as that of Absence from the Holy Assemblies. [Page]This Crime I now Reprove, with telling you, whom you serve and please in the committing of it; The Devils!

It may be, the most Criminal are at this time, out of Hearing. Wherefore, let such as wish well to them, carry them home something from the place where they should have been. Ask them to read that awful Scripture; Joh. VIII. 47 He that is of GOD, hears the Words of GOD; you therefore hear them not, because you are not of GOD. If they plead, They have not Cloathes fine enough; Ask them, whether they had not better come with mean Cloathes, where they may have the Garments of Salvation put upon their Souls, than remain Wretched, and Miserable, and Poor, and Blind, and Naked, as they are? Ask them, Whether they must not shortly be shrowded in a Winding-Sheet, and their Naked Souls will not then wish, that a pretence of Mean Cloathes had not kept them among them that Hate Instruction. If they profanely tell you, They Read a Chapter in Job: Turn them to Job. XXIII. 12. I have esteemed the Words of His Mouth more than my Necessary Food. Ask them, Whether they can say so; and what they think will be the portion of them, who can't say so?

Secondly. What is to be done, for our Defence from the Fowls of the Air? What, that the Infaelicity of the Highway Ground, may not be ours, in our Hearing the Word of our GOD?

These two Things to be done.

The First; In our Hearing of the Word, Oh! let us check the Roving of our Mind. Whatever [Page] Improper Thoughts would press in upon us, chase them away; There is the Devil in them! Deal with them as our Patriarch once; Gen. XV. 11. When the Fowls came down, upon the Sacrifices, Abram drove them away. If Improper Thoughts go to intrude, or bespeak an Admission, Repel 'em, Refuse 'em, Rebuke 'em; Say, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?

The Second; Let our Hearing of the Word, be filled with our Praying to our Lord. Oh! let such Echo's pass from us; Psal. XXVII. 8. Seek my Face; My Heart said upon it, Thy Face Lord, I will seek. Upon the Mysteries unfolded, say, Lord, I accept this, as a Faithful Saying. Upon Follies condemned, say, Lord, let thy warned Servant be kept from this Folly! Upon Duties propounded, say, Lord, Help me to do this Duty. Upon the Blessings of the Righteous, let your Heart say, Lord, let this be my portion. Upon the Curses of the Wicked, let your Heart say, Lord, I am afraid of thy Judgments. This one PROPOSAL, should be more to you, than a Golden Wedge of Ophir. You secure the Seed from the Fowls of the Air, if it be complied withal.

The Stony Ground.

We are informed, Secondly, That some who hear the Word of GOD, prove like a Stony Ground, when the Seed is cast upon it: A Stony Ground, on which if the Seed has any Effect, yet it has no lasting ones. Our SAVIOUR thus gives us to understand the Parable, and the Interpretation; The Words of the wise, and His Dark Sayings, are by [Page]Himself thus Interpreted. These are they which are sown, (that is to say, They that receive the Seed) on Stony Ground, who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness: And have no Root in themselves, and so endure but for a time; Afterward, when Affliction or Persecution ariseth for the words sake, immediately they are offended. The Success of the Gospel sown upon Hearts that are like the Stony Ground, is, you see, first, very commendable and comfortable; then, very miserable and lamentable.

The Admonition to be now prosecuted, is This.

In some Hearers of the word, whose Heart is like the Stony Ground, that Good Seed of the Word may be Received with some seeming Faith and Joy; But in a Time of Temptation, they and their Faith and their Joy, do quickly and sadly wither away.

In the Prosecution of it, let these Instructions find some Entertainment with you.

I. A Stony Ground is that which a sinful Heart, may be too justly compared unto. Inheed, the Heart of every Man, in his Fallen and Corrupt Nature, is as hard as a Stone; Hard like the Nether Milstone. And many do by Custome add unto that hardness of Heart, which is by Nature in them. 'Tis called, Ezek. XI. 19. A Stony Heart. In a Stone there is a close Fastning, and Knitting, and Combining of the parts together, whereby it is made strong to resist, whatever would from without act upon it. Such a Stone is this Heart of ours, & so does it Resist, the Essays of Heaven to work upon it. Our GOD may say of us; as in Zech. [Page]VII. 12. They made their Hearts hard as an Adamant-Stone, lest they should hear the Law. No Stone can be more Insensible; No Stone can be more Inflexible, than this wretched Heart of ours under all the means of Good that are employ'd upon it. And as we read, Prov. XXVII. 3. A Stone is Heavy: Even such also is this Heart of ours; There is no moving of it. It is as addicted unto the Earth, as the Heavy Stone, which by its weight will descend unto the Earth. It will mind Earthly Things; and not easily be moved from the wickedness of tending to the Earth as the Center of it. Be sure, a Stone is no good Soyl to Sow upon. But is our unfruitful Heart any better? Tho' the good Seed of the Word falls upon it, there is little good Fruit commonly obtained of it.

Oh! That we did every one more know this Plague of our own Heart! Feel thy Stony Heart, O serious Penitent. Thy Feeling of it, and thy Groaning bitterly and grievously under it; Alas, my hard Heart! My hard Heart! This would be the first Symptom of the Hardness going off. That horrible Disease of the Stone in the Wheel broken at the Cistern, would not be a greater matter of Horror to us, than the Stone in our Heart, if the very Essence of the Stone did not ly in our not Feeling of what we have cause to be most concern'd about.

II. Some Hearers of the Word whose Hearts are like Stones under it, yet may with some Faith and some Joy seem to Receive the good Seed of the Word that falls upon them. This is as much as to say, That there are some Dissemblers, (we may call them, shining Stones) among the Hearers of the [Page] Word, who may go a great way in the Religion which the Word calleth for, and yet perish after all. There is not a more lawful Meditation for a Christian to affect himself withal, than This; How far a Man may go in Christianity, and yet after all be found among the False-hearted Hearers of the Word. There is no Grace, but what may have a Counterfeit. A Stony Heart, is a Cheating one; 'Tis Deceitful above all things. Others, and even ourselves too, may be deceived by it. It will out do, even the Spirit that is called, The Deceiver of the Nations.

First; There is a Faith which False-hearted Hearers of the Word may pretend unto. We read, Luk. VIII. 13. For a while they believe. A True Justifying Faith will be for more than a while; By its Uniting the Beleever to his Redeemer, it brings him into those Hands, from whence nothing ever can pull him away. The meer Stony Ground has not this Faith growing in it. But there is a Temporary Faith may look like a Justifying Faith; and meer Stony Ground, may have a Weed, that shall seem this Herb of Grace. A False-Hearted Hearer of the Word, may yield some Assent unto the Truth of the Word: Which indeed the very Devils do, with Trembling at it. Yea, he may profess to yield some Consent unto it. Every Baptised Person is a Profess'd Servant of GOD. But, alas, how many under the Livery of CHRIST in their Baptism, have their Souls Unbaptised, Unpurified, Unsanctified. Indeed, if a Man give a Real and Hearty Consent unto the Methods of Grace in our Salvation by a Glorious CHRIST, such a Man shall be undoubtedly Saved and Happy. But a sincere Consent [Page]is one thing, and a profess'd Consent is another. Some do Profess to Consent unto the Covenant of GOD, and yet continue in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity. Behold, A Tragical Example; Act. VIII. 13 Simon himself believed also.

Secondly; There is also a Joy which False-hearted Hearers of the Word may attain unto. We read, Mat. XIII. 20. Such an one, Hears the Word, and anon with Joy receiveth it. There is the Joy of a distressed Soul finding in an Alsuffi [...]ent CHRIST the Relief of its Distresses; a Joy accompanied with a bitter and pungent Grief, in a sense of Sin, as the worst Evil in the World: This is a Joy which the meer Stony Ground is a stranger to; A stranger to Regeneration does not intermeddle with it. But there is a Flashy Joy, which may look very like that Sacred Joy. A False-hearted Hearer of the Word, may have some Delight in the Exercise of Hearing itself; may love to Hear such a Man. The Prophet Ezekiel had some such attending on his Ministry. Yea, he may have some Delight in some doing of something of what he hears. John Baptist had some Followers that were none of the best; of whom it is reported; Joh. V. 35. Ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his Light. Many may find it for their Secular Advantage to comply with some things, which they hear in the Word of GOD. There are Loaves! Thus, at the Reformation, very many People were glad of that Word which decried the Abominations of Popery. The Gentry became enriched with Abbey-lands, and the Peasants were delivered from the Tyranny of the Clergy, and were taught how to come at the Pardon of their Sins, without being [Page] Priest-ridden into cruel Penances for it. But according to the Ancient Prophecy, many, yea, the most, Cleave to the Reformation only with Flatteries; Their Hearts don't like the Maxims, which it must live upon!

III. The Hearers of the Word, that seem to Rejoice it, will meet with a Time of Temptation, to try whether they have indeed received it. We read, Luk. VIII. 13. A Time of Temptation comes upon them. When the Seed has been sown upon the Ground, the Sun will be up, and fall with scorching Beams, upon it. A fit Emblem of the Temptation, which they that Hear, and seem to like, the Word of GOD, must look to meet withal.

First, There will be the more general Temptation of Adversity, to try the sincerity and perseverance of them that seem to Receive the Word of GOD. We read, Mat. IV. 17. Affliction ariseth. Many may have the Vanity to expect little Affliction, when their ways are once directed for keeping the statutes of GOD. O vain Dream! When our SAVIOUR has expressly forewarned us, In the world ye shall have Tribulation! But, by Adversity, there will be a Trial made of us, whether we really Receive the word of GOD as we say, we do. Self-denial is what the word of GOD in the first place, indispensably calls for; Tis, the First Lesson of the word. When Adversity comes, it lays the Cross on us. It is now Tried, how we can bear it, and whether we can patiently deny our selves of every thing at the Call and for the sake of, our Lord. If under Adversity we suitably, quietly, fruitfully bear the Cross, and forego what we must part [Page]withal; then we have Received the word of GOD aright. But if under Adversity, we grow weary of serving our Lord, and of waiting on Him, and of sitting under His Discipline; then the word of GOD was never well received in our Souls. Oh! that being Tried we may come forth as Gold; And by Learning the statutes of GOD from it, and becoming more f [...]m in our Adhering, and more full in our Conforming unto them for it, we may find it Good for us that we have been afflicted.

Secondly; There will be the more special Temptation of Persecution, to try our sincerity and perseverance. We read, Mat. XIII. 21. Persecution ariseth because of the Word. Cain's Club walks about, unto this very Day; and we have a fair praemonition; All that will live Godlily in CHRIST JESUS shall suffer Persecution. Until the second Coming of our great GOD and SAVIOUR, the World will never see a Day, wherein a Man may be an Holy Man, and suffer nothing for being so. For, Satan will not be Bound, until the second Coming of the Lord. And until Satan be Bound, we cannot imagine, that he will cease to give Trouble unto all that Love the Lord JESUS CHRIST in sincerity. The Third Chapter of Genesis, will never cease to operate, until we come to the Twentieth Chapter of the Revelation. Where the Persecution of the Hand is Restrained, and wicked Men have not their Tools to work withal, yet the Persecution of the Tongue, and the Methods to express much Unkindness, much Aversion, will never fail. But as in the Days of Ishmael, even so it is now. The genuine Children of GOD, must be hated, and mocked, and wronged, by the Children of the wicked one. By this [Page] Persecution there will be a Trial made of us; whether we do throughly Receive the Word of GOD, and will by no means part with it; Hold fast what we have received. It is Tried what Metal we are made of. If we can't bear to be Vilified and Ridiculed, for being strictly Consciencious, we have not yet Received the Word of GOD. If we had rather commit a Sin against the Word of GOD, than incur a Scoff on the score of our keeping the Word, Ah! Woful Soul, Thou hast never yet Received it. But, if we can encounter Hard Measures for our Fidelity to the Word of GOD, and will keep the word, whatever it cost us, Then indeed we have Received the Truth in the Love of it. Oh! That in the Fiery Trial, we may be found, what shall be for Praise and Honour and Glory at the Appearing of the Lord!

IV. False-hearted Hearers of the Word, will wretchedly wither, when Temptation scorches them. Not having the Root and the Sap of a good Principle in them, to feed that PIETY which they seem to have, they wither, they wither! Yea, while they are yet in their Greenness, and not cut down, they wither before any other Herb: So are the Paths of all that forget GOD, and the Hypocrites hope shall perish.

If it be enquired; What is the withering whereto the Corn of the Stony Ground is obnoxious? It must be Answered; It is the Apostasy of these False hearted ones, thro' prejudice at the Right ways of the Lord. In Two of the Evangelists we read, They are Offended; In the Third we read, They fall away. Tis no rare thing, for Hypocrites to prove Apostates. Our SAVIOUR had some Disciples, [Page]who went away, and walked no more with Him. The Primitive Churches, had those who went out from them, not being truly of them. All Ages have Examples of it.

These False-hearted ones often come to a withering, even in their very Profession. They Renounce the Orthodox Faith, with which they once flourished in the Field of the Church. Or, if not so, yet instead of standing up for GOD, and CHRIST, and Holiness, they become Formal, Carnal, Insipid Creatures, and cast off the thing that is Good.

They come to a withering in their Affection. They leave their first Love: Their Love to the Devotions, to the Appointments, to the Ministers of GOD, all vanishes; and all their old Zeal is extinguished.

Yea, they come to a withering of the Gifts that once adorned them. They can't pray and speak as once they could. Their Parts are so withered, that every one may plainly see, The Man is not what once he was.

And at last it comes to that; Job XXVII. 8. What is the hope of the Hypocrite, tho' he hath gained, when GOD shall take away his Soul? All the Seed cast on the Hypocrite, and all the show of Good issuing from it, comes to nothing.

Some Reflection must be made upon these things. Tho' the Stony Ground yields no Fruit unto the Husbandman, let us reap some Fruit from the Stony Ground before we leave it.

Beware, Beware, O my Hearers, that what Impression of Religion may have been made upon you, do not wither in Apostasy. The Word of GOD has doubtless raised some good Motions, & some good [Page] Practices in many of you. For GOD's sake, let them not wither. Your Prayers in your Closets, and with your Houshoulds; your Cares to do Good upon your Children, and among your Neighbours; your watch over your whole Conversation: your Appetite for Communion with GOD in His Institutions; If these things do wither in any Man, My Soul shall have no pleasure in him, saith the Lord. Wherefore there are Three Things to be earnestly press'd upon you. And tho' it be Stony Ground that I have to deal withal, yet we will see what the Mighty Hammer that breaks the Rocks to pieces, will do upon it.

First; Tho' you are never such a Stony Ground, Yet, Oh! be prevailed withal to beg it of a Gracious GOD, that He would mercifully take away from you the Heart of Stone. Is it the Stony Ground, that yields nothing but withering Fruit? Yet, Oh! Let so much Fruit be found upon the most Obstinately Stony Ground among you. Go to a Glorious CHRIST, with doleful Complaints about that hard Heart of thine; and plead with the Lord His Promise; Ez [...]k. XXXVI. 26. I will take away the stony Heart. Beg it of Him; Oh! Be it unto me according to thy Word! It may be, He will do this Thing, when thou dost intreat Him to do it for thee. And when this Thing is done, Then, then, thou wilt have a Fruitful Soul. All things will then work together for thy Good. But, if thy Heart must and will remain a Stone, GOD will one Day break thee in the place of Dragons! But then,

Secondly, Be concerned, O you that have the Good Seed of the Word falling on you, that it may come to have a good and a deep Root within you. [Page]The Fruit of the Word in the Stony Ground perishes, because he has not Root in himself. What is the Root? It is the Love of GOD implanted in the Soul. This is, The Root of the Matter; This, the Root of the Righteous. May you be Rooted in the Love of GOD, then all will be well. The Word of GOD has taken Root, when it gives a Change and a Turn, and a Godward Biass to the Soul. But, how to come at this! Assuredly, 'tis obtain'd, yea, 'tis begun, in looking to GOD for it. Oh! Ask it of a GOD, who gives this Wisdom to them that Ask it. And importunately make that supplication; Psal. CXIX. 80. Let my Heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed. — Be awakened, O Gospellized ones, to seek it carefully and with Tears, and Beg it, O Glorious GOD of all Grace, put thy Fear into me, and fill my Heart with thy Love, and quicken me to live unto thee. Lord, I cannot, I will not let thee go except thou Bless me! This must be done by one that would not fail of the Grace of GOD.

Thirdly; I know not how to give over plowing on the Stony Ground, until I have gained thus far upon my Hearers; Bring your selves to a Trial, whether you have under the good Word of GOD, ever yet arrived unto that good Work of GOD, which is beyond what any meer Stony Ground has had the Experience of: Come to a Trial, whether the Word of GOD has ever yet produced that Work in you, which will endure the Trial; and which being Tried will never fall away.

If you do not see it with a Full Assurance that you are come to this work, yea, Oh! that you may Now come to it! Now in the Hearing of it! [Page]You will do so, if your Hearts fall in with the work, and Now come into the Acts which will demonstrate it.

For your Help in this weighty Case, and that I may assist the Intentions of a SELF-EXAMINATION, I will offer you a brief Model for it, which is Transcribed from the VITALIA, of one Travelling to Zion, with his Face thitherward, lothe to mistake his way to the City of GOD.

It is This;

Am I one who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord, and stand in His Holy place?

Most certainly, I am in a state of Safety for Eternity, and the Good Work of GOD is begun upon me, if I can thus declare before Him.

O my Glorious GOD, My LOVE unto Thee, such as it is, disposes me, to a Chusing of it, and a Closing with it, as my Highest End and Wish and Satisfaction, To be and to do what thou mayst with Delight look down upon. If I may be a grateful Spectacle unto Thee, and an Object wherein Thou mayst be Gratified with the Beholding of what Thou hast brought me to, I ask for no more; This is all my Salvation and all my Desire. The Thoughts of this Felicity, fill me with a Joy unspeakaqle and full of Glory; They do so, tho' I should lay aside the Views of Gains to my self in the Contemplation. For this Cause, I would for ever Abhor and Avoid the Sin which I know to be Displeasing unto Thee; And in a perpetual Respect unto all they Commandments, I would seek the Things that please Thee. Yea, I am in a continual Struggle, to be pleased with whatever shall be pleasing unto Thee, and have my Will swallowed up in Thine.

[Page] In order to This, and that the Blessed GOD may have Delight in me, I do by FAITH make my Flight unto a Glorious CHRIST, and Beg and Hope to be found him Him. Distress'd with a Sense of the Condition, which my Fall from GOD in the First Adam, has brought me into, I fly to my JESUS, as to the Second Adam, in whom GOD has bidden me to look for a Plenteous Redemption; and I desire to be comprehended in that Covenant which my SAVIOUR has made with His Eternal FATHER, on the behalf of His Chosen People. O my GOD, I present before Thee, the Sacrifice of thy JESUS, that so Expiation being thereby made for my Offences, Thou mayst for the sake Thereof be Reconciled unto me. I present before Thee, the Righteousness of thy JESUS, as my only Plea, that He to whom I am United, having fulfilled thy Law, I may for the sake Thereof be Justified before thee. And I Consent, and I Entreat, and with a comfortable Perswasion I expect, That my SAVIOUR should with His Good SPIRIT so take Possession of me, as to Live and Act and Work in me, and be in me a Principle for Living unto GOD, and bring me to be all that an Holy Redeemer would have me to be.

And now, with a serious REPENTANCE, I Confess and Bewail the many Miscarriages, wherein I have denied the GOD that is Above; and especially the Fountain of Sin with me, in an Heart that is desperately Wicked. And, my GOD, I heartily give Thanks unto Thee, for all the Bitter Dispensations of thy Providence, which Embitter my Sin unto me. Yea, That my Repentance [Page]may be carried on unto its perfect Work, I heartily submit unto all the Methods, tho' for the present, they shou'd be not Joyous but Grievous ones, that thy Wisdom and Goodness may take for to accomplish it.

Having said thus much, at present I need say no more, to find out what Ground I am sowing upon. You cease to be Stony Ground, from the Moment that the Word of GOD enters thus far into you. Oh! That This may be the Moment! Oh! That you may carry away Hearts with you, that shall have such a Work of GOD upon them! To Day, To Day, if you will hear His Voice!

The Thorny Ground.

We are informed, Thirdly; That some who hear the Word of GOD, prove like a Thorny Ground, when the Seed is cast upon it: A Thorny Ground, in which the Seed is choked at such a rate, as to defeat the Effects that are proposed for it. Our SAVIOUR thus Interprets this Article of the Parable; These are they which are sown, (or, do receive the Seed) among Thorns; such as hear the Word, and the Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Lusts of other things entring in choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful. The Sin of our Father Adam has brought that Malediction on the Earth out of which he was taken; Thorns it shall bring forth unto thee. So, Spinas ac Tribulos, Maledictum parturit Arvum. And indeed, there is now no part of old Adam's World, which has not Thorns enough to render it uneasy to us. But the worst sort of Thorns are those whereof the second Adam has now advised us: And whereof, let us now take this Admonition.

[Page] The Things of this World, and the Lusts of Men after these Things, are those Thorns, which do often Choak and Kill and Spoil the Efficacy which that Seed of Grace, the Word of GOD should have upon them.

We read, Prov. XXVI 9. At a Thorn goes up into the Hand of a Drunkard so is a Parable in the Mouth of Fools. They had no Needles, but used Thorns instead of Needles. A Drunken Man going to use a Needle, he misapplied it; he sticks the Needle into his Hand instead of the Cloth; he wounds himself with the Needle instead of doing what should be done. 'Tis to be hoped, we shall not now so misapply what we read of the Thorns in the Parable, that it will be a Parable in the Hand of Fools.

Let us use it as GOD shall Assist us.

And, here, first, It is Remarkable: How contrary the World and the Word are to one another! How Readest thou? — Jam. IV. 4. The Friendship of this World is Enmity to GOD. The World, since the Fall of Man, is very much under the Management and Government of, Our Adversary the Devil. And the depraved Heart of Man since the Fall, is very much indisposed for making such a right use of This World, as may be for the Honour of GOD. Nor has GOD laid up our Chief Happiness, in the Enjoyment of This World. No, 'Tis another and a better World, wherein alone we may hope to be Happy. Now the Word of GOD our SAVIOUR, is to prepare us for That World; And therefore it is to Turn us, and Wean us, and Alienate us from this present Evil World. Hence it [Page]comes to pass, that the World and the Word, are forever clashing with one another; And, If any Man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him. If this World have our Hearts, 'tis very certain the Word [...]f GOD cannot have them. If the Word of GOD prevail upon us, 'tis very certain, our contempt of this World will be proportionably prevalent [...] Behold, the grand Choak-word, whereby the Efficacy of the Word upon the Souls of Men is forever damnified. My Hearers, let these Thoughts be awful to you.

I. The Lusts of Men after the Things of This World, are like Thorns to the Souls of Men, that suffer themselves to be overgrown with such Encumbrances upon them. An Heart full of Lusts, is a Ground full of Thorns. Those which the Word of GOD calls, worldly Lusts, are woful Thorns to the Minds of Men, that are under the Enchantments of them.

First; Thorns do grow of themselves where they grow. 'Tis here said, The Thorns sprung up! 'Tis not said, That any one s [...]wed these Thorns. And worldly Lusts; They are of a Spontaneous Growth in our Hearts. Won't they arise of themselves, Appear of themselves, Flou [...]sh of themselves, in us? Yes, verily; They are Natural to us. We find; Gen. VI 5 Every imagination of the Thoughts of the Heart of Man, is only Evil continually. Our worldly Lusts, are not the Fruits of meer Imitation. But are in us, as Rapacity is in a Wolf, which is born Rapacious, and will devour a Sheep, tho' he has never seen one devoured before. They would quickly show themselves, tho' there were no sinful [Page] Examples, or Instructions to show us the way of them. There is no need of pains for the Teaching of Children to be wicked. They will soon enough be self-taught, for the Drinking in of Iniquity like unto Water.

Again; What are the Thorns on the Earth, but the Fruits of the Curse. Possibly, there would have been Thorns, if Man had not finned: They may be serviceable to us. But the super-abounding of Thorns, This is most certainly from the Wrathful Curse of GOD, which Mans Hunger after Forbidden Fruit has brought upon him. It is a Threatening upon a Vineyard in ill Terms with Heaven, There shall come up Briars and Thorns in it. But, Oh! What a Curse from GOD, is there upon us, in the worldly Lusts which our Hearts are possess'd withal! I tell you truly, a Man cannot be more Cursed, and more Damned, than by being utterly given up unto them; and under such a dispensation as That; Psal. LXXXI. 12. I gave them up unto the Lusts of their own Heart. A Soul overspred and overwhelm'd with the Thorns of worldly Lusts, is in a dismal Case: And the Soul has the Thunder of GOD cursing of it, unto an Extremity, when it is under the power of them.

Thirdly. Thorns in the Field, are they profitable? No, they are pernicious, if thy are prevailing there. Can you Feed on Thorns; or Build with Thorns; or, will Thorns be a lasting Fuel for you? No, you call them, as the Bible does, Grieving Thorns. And worldly Lusts, I pray, what are they good for? It is demanded, Rom. VI. 21. What Fruit have ye of those things? Oh! Be sensible, that Sin is good for nothing in the World. Its works are unfruitful [Page]works of Darkness. Good! Nay, worldly Lusts are forever mischievous Things. They are justly styled, Foolish and Hurtful Lusts. They War against our Souls. Yea, O Man, If thou hadst not a Dead Soul within thee, the Desires of thy Flesh and of thy Mind there, would give thee as much Fiery Torment and Anguish as if so many Thorns were stuck into thee.

Fourthly; When the Thorns cover our Fields, 'tis our Sloth which is to be blamed for suffering of it. The Man dwells, At the sign of the Sluggards Field, who indulges them. I went by the Field of the Slothful, and lo, It was all overgrown with Thorns. And, What shall be said of the Heart which has Worldly Lusts permitted and prevailing in it? That Heart is, The Field of the slothful. When the Israelites allowed and savoured the Canaanites, and thro' Idleness forbore the Extirpation of them, GOD said unto them; J [...]sh. XXIII. 13. Know for a certainty, They shall be Thorns in your Eyes. This you may Know for a certainty; Men might, with the Blessing of GOD, very much Extirpate Worldly Lusts out of their Souls; Tis from their own slothfulness in the Business of Mortification, that these Things that should appear as Thorns in their Eyes, are so swarming in them.

Filthly. In Thorns we see Disappointments to Expectations. Tis a Proverb for those that are. Disappointed, They Reap Thorns. The World is full of Disappointments; There are Disappointments that vex us, in all the Concerns, all the Affairs, and all the Expectations of This World. Whence are these Disappointments? They are our worldly Lusts, which procure them unto us. Tis They, which [Page]upon a Recollection brings us to that; Eccl. I. 2. Vanity of Vanities, Vanity of Vanities, All is Vanity. Our worldly Lusts impose upon us, what our SAVIOUR calls, The deceitfulness of Riches. They promise us a notable Harvest of Satisfaction, from this and that Undertaking or Fruition. But they Deceive us; To our Vexation, we are Disappointed of the promised Satisfaction; The Things from which we hoped it, are Things that satisfy not; There are Thorns in the Harvest; They make up the Harvest.

Lastly; Thorns are an Obstruction to Fruitfulness; The Soil that is filled with them, yields no Fruit: The Thorns do suck out the Moisture, which the more desirable Seed called for. You are aware who said, Sow not among Thorns. Our worldly Lusts do us this Damage; They render our Hearts a Soyl, which the Good Seed of the Gospel, is unfruitfully cast upon. Our worldly Lusts engross that Consideration, which the Gospel of our Lord JESUS CHRIST should be entertained withal. It is directed; 1 Pet. II. 1, 2. Lay them aside, and desire the Word, that ye may grow thereby. If we do not lay them aside, or are not willing to be delivered from them, the Word will have no growth in our Souls.

O you that serve diverse Lusts; How can you bear to have such Thorns continually harassing of you? Methinks, we should be as uneasy as they that sit upon Thorns, or as they that lie down on a Bed of Thorns, till we are delivered from the Lusts of Indwelling Sin. O wretched ones that we are; who shall deliver us?

[Page] II. These Lusts of Men towards the Things of This World, are the Things by which the Word of GOD falling on the Souls of Men, is rendred Ineffectual. It is a rare thing for them that are much concerned in and for the Things of This World, or worldly-minded ones, to get much Good by the Word of GOD. The Things of This World, either hinder People from Hearing the Word of GOD. The Opportunities for Hearing, especially at the Lectures, which are set up, that they may not go too many Days together without the Bread, which strengthens the Heart of Man, these are shamefully neglected, because like Martha, we are careful and troubled about may things. Or, These Things hinder People from Heeding the Word of GOD, when they Hear it. GOD may say of them, They sit before thee as my People, and they hear thy words; but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. Or, These Things hinder People from Doing the Word of GOD, tho' they Heed it. So, They ihat will be Rich, fall into Temptation, and are drowned in Perdition. But, where is the Fault of all this? It is not in the Things themselves: The Things of This World are Good Things, when they be not abused. No; The Fault is in those Lusts, by which our Hearts are Inordinately carried out after these Things. Our SAVIOUR having rank'd the Thorns into Three Classes, The Cares of this World, and The Deceitfulness of Riches, and, The Lusts of other Things, I find an Invitation to rank my Hearers, into Three Orders, and bring the Solemn Warnings of GOD unto them.

[Page] First. There are Worldly Lusts, more peculiar to Poor People, which hinder the Word of GOD from having a good Effect, especially upon that fort of People. The Cares that lie upon the Hearts of these, are like Thorns painfully piercing of them; and these Cares confound them. There is a Prudent Care about the Things of this World, which is a Lawful Care. But then, there is an Excessive, a Distracting, an Unlawful Care, How to Live, by which the Lives of poor People especially, are embittered, and their Souls endangered. The Word of GOD obliges Men to a Great Care on that Great Point, What shall I do to be saved? But the Care of This World, confines their Thoughts unto that other Question; Matth. VI. [...]31. What shall we Eat? Or what shall we Drink? Or wherewithal shall we be Cloathed? Ah, How desperately is the Conversion and Salvation of multitudes in the World, hindred by their Care, How to live in the World? Many a sleight is put upon the Word; and as he of old said, I have married a Wife, and I cannot come: So they have this to say for it; I am a poor Man, and I have a Wife and so many small Children to Maintain; and therefore I cannot use the Care that I would use for the welfare of my Soul. When the Word of GOD is Preached, the Care of This World will not let them spare Two Hours in six Days to take a step into the House of GOD. The Word of GOD lies by Unread, because the Care of This World makes them say, I am not at Leisure. The First and Great Commandment of the Gospel, is; To Believe on a Glorious CHRIST, and carry a distressed Soul unto him, with a Recognition of all his Offices. Now, if many an one should be asked; Hast thou [Page]taken Care to get thy Soul under the Wings of thy SAVIOUR? The Answer must be, No. And the Care of This World, is the Thing that has hindred it. This Care keeps People from going thro' such a Process of Repentance, as one would think every one that has any Thoughts of Death, must immediately come into: The Care of living in This World, so takes them up, and so takes them off, that from Day to Day they leave undone, what every Dying Man in his Wits would immediately do. The Word of GOD calls Men to uphold secret Communion with GOD, in a Religious Retirement; and have a Morning and Evening Sacrifice also with their Families. But what keeps them from the doing of the Things that are of so much consequence for the good of their Souls? 'Tis the Care of This World. For, say they, We are so poor that we can't spare the Time from our Business for the Exercises of Religion. Yea, The Care of This World causes Poor People to do those things, which are Forbidden in the Word of GOD, and for which the wrath of GOD comes on the Children of Disobedience. You read of such a thing as That; Prov. XXX. 9. To be poor, and steal, and then to take the Name of GOD in Vain. Men will Cheat, and Ly, and Steal, and Forswear themselves, and Profane the Lords-day; because the Care of This World makes them afraid of coming to want, if they do not by such courses releeve themselves. In fine, How should this carking Care do any other than Choak the Seed of the Word? It Choaks the very Soul and Life and all the Faculties of the Careful Ones. Yea, some have Choaked themselves li [...]ally, for fear of starving, and chosen strangling rather than life.

[Page] Secondly. There are worldly Lusts more peculiar to Rich People, which hinder the Word of GOD from having a good Effect, especially upon that sort of People. The Riches which fill the Hearts of these, tho' they afford no better nor longer Enjoyments than the Crackling of Thorns under a Pot; yet these Riches are most Bewitching Things unto them. Awful, Awful is the Warning, which the Lord who has the Keys of Heaven in his Hand, has given unto us; Mat. XIX. 23. Verily, I say unto you, That a Rich Man shall hardly Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Even so; A Rich Man will hardly be affected with the Miseries of an Unregenerate Soul, of which the Word of GOD, is a Roll filled with Lamentation and Mourning, and Wo. A Rich Man will hardly Abstain from those Liberties, of which the Word of GOD requires our Flesh to bear some Abridgments and Abatements. A Rich Man will bardly make it his Main Aims to lay up a Treasure in Heaven, which the Word of GOD enjoyns upon every one that would come to Heaven. Our Apostle Paul never Preach'd more unsuccessfully, than when he had an Auditory of Rich Folks, to Preach the Word unto. Rich Folks have many Employments, many Diversions; If the Word of GOD come unto them they say like that Unhappy Man, I will hear thee at a more convenient season. Rich Folks have High Spirits; They are too ready to despise the Word of GOD, when it is brought unto them; like Pharaoh who said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his Voice? Rich Folks have much of a Temporal Happiness in their hands. The Word of GOD urges them, to nothing so much, as to seek after a Eternal Happiness. 'Tis to little purpose; [Page]They have already what is Temporal: This they think may be sufficient; They taste the sweet of it; they know no better. Nor will a Rich Nabal easily be so Humble, so Thankful, so Bountiful, as the Word of GOD commands them to be, who are the Rich in this World. There is one thing in the Condition of many Rich Men which cannot be with sufficient Horror thought upon Great Estates, like to great Rivers, often are swelled by Muddy Streams running into them. Some of the Wealth is Ill gotten Wealth. Dishonest Gain has increased it. Unfair and unjust Things have been done in the amassing of it. A Restitution is now requisite; A Restitution as far as the Robber is able; either to the wronged parties, or if they can't be found, in Deodands: Without This, their Sin remains unrepented of, and GOD will be a Revenger. Zacheus comes to Restitution, and THEN Salvation comes to him. Now, How hardly is a Rich Man brought unto This! He'l sooner Dy than be brought unto it. I have said enough. How often is that Word of GOD fulfilled, Eccl. V. 13. Riches kept for the owners thereof to their Hurt. Surely, The Riches which keep the owners from getting and from doing that Good, which the Word of GOD is intended and adapted for, are kept for the Hurt of the owners. In short; Riches do Choak the Seed of the Word. How? Because they Cheat the People that are fascinated with them. 'Tis from what we are here told of, The Deceitfulness of Riches. Riches tell us, That they will Defend us from all Inconveniencies. But they Deceive us; They signify nothing to deliver those that have them, in the Day of the wrath of the Lord. They [Page]find, that in the midst of their sufficiency they are in straits They are driven to dispute the common Translation of the Text, Money answers all things; and on further search into it, see, that it is only a Caution against Luxury, with a Remembrance, that Money must pay for all. Riches tells us, That they will stay with us. But they Deceive us; They are usually put into the Bag with Holes, which the Prophet Haggai speaks of. They take to themselves Wings, and flee away towards Heaven; T'were well if the Hearts which we sett upon them did so. Tho' we are forewarn'd, that these Riches will Cheat us, yet we believe the Cheat: And our Believing of the Cheat, is the undoing of our Soul, and the Defeating of all the Good, that the Word of GOD would, if That were Believed as it should be, do unto us. One thing more, 'Tis a Thing which the Word of GOD exceedingly demands of us: and it is a Frame which Heaven exceedingly approves in the Children of Men; yea, They who have it not, are the Covetous whom the Lord Abhors: A continual Dependence on GOD, and on His Fatherly, Favourable, Perpetual Providence. There is a Venom in Riches, disposing our depraved Hearts, to cast off their Dependence on GOD, and betray them into a vile Imagination, as if, at least, for the supply of their more common wants, They can do well enough without Him. If they that have their Hearts Insatiably set upon the heaping up of Riches, would search their own Hearts, they would find This lying at the Bottom of their Eager pursuit; A secret Inclination to be Released from their Dependence on the living GOD, and have a Dunghil GOD of their own, at their own Command, [Page]their own Dispose; [This, the Nonsense of the Cursed Idolatry!] to supply their wants from Riches, which they count their Glory, by the Mammon which they trust in. O Hearts departing from the living GOD! The GOD who searches you, even with Candles, he sees what you would be settled on. How wretchedly is his Word lost upon you!

Thirdly; There are many Lusts incident unto all sorts of People, thro' which it is that the Word of GOD comes to be without a good Effect upon them: Even those which our SAVIOUR calls, The Lusts of other things. But, what Lusts are these? There are the Lusts of Pleasures that hinder Men from hearkening to the pleasant Word of GOD; A Word sweeter than the Honey, and the Honey-Comb. We read in Luk. VIII. 14. of being, Choked with the pleasures of this Life, and bringing of no Fruit unto perfection. The ways recommended in the Word of GOD, are pleasant ways. But the Pleasures of the Flesh, do prejudice and indispose Men, to those Narrow ways. Hearts that are fat as Grease with the Pleasures of sense, will be utterly senseless of every thing that the Word of GOD brings unto them. An Herod, will fear a Righteous and an H [...]ly Evangelist; and keep a watchful Eye over him, and having heard him he will be much perplexed, tho' he heard him peaceably, [This is the Account given of him, in a Translation that some have chosen of it:] Thus it will be, while he has an Herodias to entangle him. Again; There are the Lusts of Honours, that hinder Men from Honouring the Word of GOD, as they ought to do. Hence our Lord said; Joh. V. 44. How can ye believe, that receive Honour one of another, and seek not the Honour that [Page]cometh from GOD only? The Word of GOD calls for all possible Honours to be paid unto the Son of GOD; Yea, That we Honour the Son as we Honour the Father. But it exacts many things from us, which according to our Carnal Notions of the matter, we fancy our Honours may be impaired by our Submission to. This Pride makes Men ashamed of Confessing a CHRIST before Men as the Word of GOD bids us to do. It hardens our Hearts: and makes us like those Proud Men who told the Prophet, That they would not hearken to him.

Once more; The Apostle has decided it; Jam. IV. 1. Whence come Wars and Fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your Lusts? There are the Lusts of Contention often getting Head among them that hear the Word of GOD: But then, The Contentions will not obey the Truth. No, but upon the Envying and Strife among them, there follows Confusion and every Evil work. Very fitly indeed may thes Lusts be called, Thorns: For, by these Lusts People keep shamefully Tearing and Scratching one another. Now, 'tis astonishing to to think, how much the Success of the Gospel is hindred, where a Spirit of Contention is got among a People. Satan knows what he does, when he throws in Bones of Contention among a People, which embroil them, and enrage them. Instead of getting the Good that should be gotten by the Word of GOD, their Thought and their Time, is taken up in doing of Hurt unto one another. The House of GOD becomes as an House haunted with Evil Spirits. GOD withdraws from his House; yea, Abhors the Sanctuarp, and goes far from it.

[Page] The Grieved Spirit of GOD grievously witholds His Influences from His Ordinances there. The Word of GOD is meerly thrown away, among such a Thorny People. Indeed, Our SAVIOUR once appeared in a Thorn-Bush. But, When a Church once becomes a Thorn-Bush, embarassed with Contention, our Lord JESUS CHRIST will grant little appearance of himself, to bless his Word for the good of the People there. Oh! That every Church, would Mark them that cause Division [...] and put Marks of Dislike upon them, and be afraid, of Dancing after their Pipe, and of being led into a Cave to be trembled at. If a Contention should be going to go to Begin, Oh! let it be left off before 'tis Begun. With Prudence, with Patience, with Self-Denial, may the Sons of Wisdom, always crush the First Beginnings of Contention: the very Eggs of a Cockatrice: Take away the Fuel, as the Fire is just going to be kindled. Behold the out-breakings of Contention, with as much Terror, as if that Voice were to be heard, from Heaven upon it; Never any good Fruit be any more found among that unhappy People!

But I may not leave this Thorny Ground without some Essays of Cultivation upon it. There are two Essays to be made.

I. 'Tis Time for us to Examine ourselves whether our Heart have not the Lusts of a worldly Heart, reigning in it, and rendring it as a Barren So [...]l before the Lord. It is too, too Evident, That the good Word of our GOD and SAVIOUR, misses of doing much of that Good, that should be done among us. As the Prophet of old complain'd, [Page] Lord, who hath Believed? The complaint may be renew'd at this Day. ‘Lord, How few do, Turn and Live unto GOD and Cleanse their ways by taking Heed according to his Word? How few do prize a precious CHRIST, and lay hold on the Salvation, which is prepared before the Face of all People, in the Word of GOD? How few do Behave themselves as the Word of GOD has directed them; and as Believing the Eye of GOD always upon them, to see how Circumspectly they Walk, and how much they seek to be Blessings unto all about them; and as Believing, the awful Things of a Future State, whereof GOD has given Assurance unto all Men? Lord, who is there that strives to enter the straight Gate, and lay hold on Eternal Life?’ Now, what is the Cause of this? Whence does it come to pass, that the Dispensations of the Gospel, are so deplorably unsuccessful among us? Is there not a Cause? Doubtless, The Thorns of a worldly Heart are the Things that Choak the Blessed Seed of Life in our Souls. Here, Here is that Mother-Sin, which may indeed be called, A Mother of Abominations. 'Tis hinted in that passage; Psal. CXIX. 36. Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies, and not unto Covetousness. 'Tis because we have an Heart so much Inclined unto Covetousness, and full of Covetous Inclinations to Propound a Faelicity in the Fruition of This World, that our Heart is no more Inclined unto Compliances with the Word of GOD. Examine yourselves, O unfruitful Hearers, Examine yourselves, how far the Characters of a worldly Heart are to be found upon you; And, because when GOD hath sown much, there is but little brought in, [Page]Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Consider your ways. Examine, with the more of sollicitude, because I now lay my Finger on the principal sore of a Country that is full of putrifying sores. Our Lord JESUS CHRIST is from Heaven arraigning us upon that Indictment, That not having the Fear of GOD before our Eyes, we set up this World for our GOD; and for our chusing of a New GOD, we have War in our Gates. Methinks, we may hear our SAVIOUR from Heaven sighing over us, in such Terms as those; 2. Tim. IV. 10. They have Forsaken me, having loved this present World. From a worldly Heart it is, that the Gospel is not valued, not followed, not obeyed, and kept close unto; And the Institutions of the Gospel, are not esteemed and observed. From a worldly Heart it is, that abundance of Criminal Things, directly contrary to the Gospel of GOD, and Reproachful to the Profession of the Gospel, are done among us. From a worldly Heart it is, that after People have sat under the most Charming Dispensations of the Gospel, for many years together, they are no more moved, than the Deaf Adder, by the Voice of the Charmer, but they go on still in their Trespasses. Yet more particularly, My Son, Be thou Admonished of these Two Things.

First; If the World have most of our Heart, it is a sign that the Thorns of worldly Lusts have overgrown our Heart. Now, 'tis very plain, This World has most of your Heart, if you can Indulge yourselves in any known Sin for the sake of the World, or if you will venture upon any Thing that you take to be an Ungodly or Dishonest Thing, to [Page] get or keep the World So it is, If This World have the most of your Griefs, and upon the Loss of it you say, What have I more? And if This World have the most of your Joys, and upon the Flow of it you say, Soul, Take thine Ease, and be merry. So it is, If you are more Thoughtful about your Interest in This World, than in another. Can you Rise Early; and sit up late, and eat your Bread with carefulness, that you may secure the Food which perishes, and at the same time, do you begrutch the Time that is to be laid out in making provision for Eternity, and in labouring for that which endures to Everlasting Life? If you are asked, What Evidences have you, that such an House, or such a Ship, is your own? You have them at hand. But if you are asked, Man, Where are thy Evidences for Heaven? Are you not utterly to seek for These? Ah! Worldly Heart; What, what will become of thee? Choaking Soul, How will the Suffocation terminate? For,

Secondly. Many an one has a Soul undone, by the Thorns of the worldly Lusts, that little suspects his own must undoing Circumstances. Deluded and Enslaved Soul, If the Bramble reign over thee, a Fire shall come out of the Bramble, and shall devour thee, tho' thou appear ever so much as one among the Cedars of Lebanon. Verily, a worldly Hear [...] will as infallibly keep a Man out from the Kingdom of GOD, as any grosser and more scandalous Wickedness. For we are taught, Idolaters shall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD; And we are also taught, A Covetous Man is an Idolater. But now, Here is the Danger. Worldliness is a close kind of a Sin. 'Tis a Sin that is not easily seen; and so 'tis [Page]not easily scap'd. It is usually a subtil Sin, and so a secret one. If a Man should fall into Drunkenness, or Uncleanness, or, Dishonesty, his Conscience would fly in his Face. But a Man may have a Soul choaking with worldliness, and perish among the worldly-minded Enemies of GOD, while he little imagines, what he is, and what he acts, and whither he's a going. How many even great Professors do so! The worst that shall be said of a Man, is. That he is a good Husband. But this good Husband is one who sells a Soul for a Song; one who squanders away Substantial and Eternal Glories for a little shining bit of Clay; One who barters away GOD and CHRIST and Heaven, for a little of the Dust of the Earth, and the Serpents Food. Ah, wretched Husbandry!

II. But then, 'tis Time to hearken unto the Debortation; 1. Joh. II. 15. Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World. Let not the Lusts of this World, hinder you from a Fruitful Hearing of that Word, which will save your Souls, if it be heard as it ought to be.

I will fetch a few strokes of my Weeding-Hook, at the Lusts which threaten to Choak all Good in your Souls. Yea, Oh! That you could Quench them as the Fire of Thorns! But, In the Name of the Lord, I will try to destroy them.

First. Remember This; It can't be long, that you shall enjoy the Things of This World, after which your worldly Lusts do crave and rave and carry you out Importunately. This Brand is to be set upon these Things; 1 Cor. VII. 29. This I say, The Time for them is but short. We know to [Page]whom they were in a Temptation all shown, In a Moment of Time. If you had them all, In a Moment of Time, the Show will be over. And, Eye your Pot [...] can feel the Thorns, in so little a while, all the Light which these Thorns can yield you, 'tis, All Vanished! All come to nothing!

Secondly. Remember This; While you Conform to the Word of GOD your SAVIOUR, you shall be sure to possess the Things of This World, so far as you have any occasion for them. You have His never-failing Engagement for it; Matth. VI. 33. Seek first the Kingdom of GOD and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Yield Obedience, and cast off all Diffidence, and make the Experiment: Prove me now, saith the Lord. See whether you have not such a Competency of these Things, that you will have cause to, be content with such things as you have. The rather, because you will have less Thorns in them, than what others have: Your Little will be better to you, than the Riches of many wicked, who have but multiplied Thorns unto themselves in all that they have gotten.

Thirdly. Remember This; If the Thorns of this World, render you Children of Disobedience under the Word of GOD your SAVIOUR, you will at last suffer Destruction like Thorns, in the Fire of His Indignation. It is a Marvellous Word, 2 Sam. XXIII. 67. They shall be all of them as Thorns thrust away; and they shall be utterly burut with Fire id the Sabbath: So 'tis to be rendred: That is to say, At the coming of the Lord, in Flaming Fire, to bring on the Great Sabbatism, that remains for the People of GOD. Oh! Let not your Hearts be [Page]full of Thorns, in the Sabbath which is now vouchsafed unto us; lest in that Sabbath you must have an Expectation of a Fiery Indignation to devour you. If the Earth bear Thorns and Briars, it is Rejected and nigh unto Cursing, and the End of the Wicked ones, who are themselves but Thorns and Briars, will be, To be Burned.

But, What shall we do to be saved, from the Thorns, and from the Fate and Fire of the Thorns?

Our Prayer, our Prayer, unto our GOD; and with an Eye unto a SAVIOUR, who once wore a Crown of Thorns for us; This is the First Thing that is called for. Beg it of Him, That for the sake of those Thorns, you may be delivered from these Thorns. Cry to Him; Lord, Save me from the Lusts of a worldly Heart! Lord, Let not the Things of this World, hinder the good Effects of thy Word upon us!

But more particularly pray, That the Thorns of Affliction, by which this World is Embittered, may be sanctified, for our being thereby made more Conformable to the Word of GOD. Our GOD is Teaching us by the Thorns of the Wilderness, what it is to Sin against Him. The Language of these Thorns is, Know and see, that it is an evil Thing, and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy GOD. Let these Thorns awaken us to mourn for our Sin; and, let it reach to our Heart, when we feel what our Way and our Doings have procured unto us. By our Distresses and our Confinements, our GOD is Hedging up our way with Thorns. Let us not be Angry at the Hedge, but even Thankful for it; And prick'd by the Thorns, let All the Fruit be, to take away our Sin, and bring us to say, I will not offend any more.

[Page] Being so much among the Thorns, Oh! May we be as Lillies among the Thorns, in regard of our PIETY flourishing in the midst of our Calamities. Whatever Sad Thing befalls us, let us be inquisitive, What is the Voice of the Glorious GGD unto me, from that Thorn in the Flesh, which He gives unto me?

And Finally; What can we now do so Reasonably, as long for the Second Adam's World, which will have no Thorns to incommode it! Come, Lord JESUS, come quickly!

¶ We have seen Three sorts of Bad Ground all sown with that Good Seed, which we have in the Word of GOD our SAVIOUR dispensed unto us. But must All Ground prove no better than so? GOD forbid! No, It may be a Consolation unto the Faithful Servants of GOD, That wherever He sends His Good Word, He intends that some Good shall be done by it. Wherever the Gospel comes, 'tis probable, there will be some Good Effects of it, upon some or other of them that hear it. And if there must be some Good Ground where the Gospel comes, I hope, that some of it will be found here this Day. Grant it, O our Good GOD, that it may be so!

The Good Ground.

We are informed, Lastly; That some who hear the Word of GOD, prove a Good Ground, when the Seed is cast upon it. And as there were Three Species of the Bad Ground, so there are Three Degrees of the Good. All the Good Ground, has this Report [Page]given of it; They hear the Word, and receive it, and bring forth Fruit. But then the Fruit of some is more than the Fruit of others; Our SAVIOUR thus proportions it; Some Thirty-fold, s [...]me Sixty, and some an Hundred.

And this is the Admonition, from it, which, I hope, will find many Fruitful Hearers among you.

The Good Hearers of the Gospel, tho' they are not all alike Fruitful, yet they all bring forth some good Fruit; Yea, they both Increase and Persist in their doing so.

'Tis a Bread of Propositions, that is now to be set. before you on the Table in the House of our GOD. The Bread made, of the Corn in the Good Ground, is to be Exhibited in the ensuing Propositions.

I. There are some Good Hearers, among those whom the Good Seed of the Gospel falls upon. It would be sad indeed if it should not be so! These Good Hearers are they of whom our SAVIOUR says, Luk. VIII. 15. They have a Good Heart in the Hearing of it. It were to be wished, that All the Ground, which has the Word of GOD cast upon it, were Good Ground. But this is a Thing more to be wished for, than to be hoped for. However, some of the Ground is Good. And, How comes this to pass? Truly, The Word of GOD our SAVIOUR, falls not upon any Heart that is Good before the Word first falls upon it. There is no Good Heart in any Hearer of the Word, until the Word itself makes it so. Wo would be unto us, we should be Damned unto Eternal Wickedness and Barrenness; [Page]if the Word of GOD should never do Good unto us, until we bring a Good Heart unto it. Every Man has in him, An Evil Heart of Unbelief departing from the living GOD; And no Man can give unto himself a Better Heart; Such and none but such, an Heart it is, that we do at first bring unto the Good Word of our GOD. We read, Mic. II. 7. Do not my Words do good unto him that walks uprightly? If the Word of GOD should never do Good unto any, until they do walk uprightly, it would never do Good unto any at all! But it first of all does this Good unto us; It makes us upright, thro' a Change of Heart produced in us; and it Inclines us and Excites us to walk uprightly; And Then follows all the other Good, which is received from it by them that walk uprightly.

Now, if we Enquire, What are the Characters of a Good Heart under the Word of GOD our SAVIOUR, Behold, our SAVIOUR himself will soon satisfy that Enquiry.

First. A Good Heart hearing the Word of GOD, hears it with Understanding. So our SAVIOUR explains it; Mat. XIII. 23. He that received Seed into the good Ground, is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it. When the Disciples of our Lord, heard his Word with a Good Heart, He said unto them, Have ye understood all those things? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord. We are truly told; Prov. XIX. 2. That the Soul be without Knowledge, it is not good. Be sure, It is not a good Heart, that is without the Knowledge of those Things, which to know, is Life Eternal. When you hear, who your SAVIOUR is; What are your Wants of Him; What He has done for us; What He will do for us; And, what [Page]He will have to be done by us; Then, as Philip asked the Ethiopian Treasurer, Understandest thou what thou Readest? Thus we are to ask ourselves, Do I understand what I hear? If we don't understand something of those points, our Ignorance will prove the Mother of Destruction unto us. Yea, Being a People of no understanding, He that made us will not have Mercy on us.

But then, Secondly; A Good Heart hearing the Word of GOD, hears it with Affection. So our SAVIOUR explains it; Mat. IV. 20. They Hear the Word and Receive it. We then hear the Word of GOD with a Good Heart, when we give a good Reception to it. A good Reception to it, implies a good Affection to it. It is the mark of a Good Heart, when the Word of GOD is a Good Word unto it. Such a Good Heart will say; Isa. XXXIX. 8. Good is the Word of the Lord. Yea, the Desire of such an Heart (which is only good) runs out in such Terms as those, Lord, Thou art Good, and thou dost Good; O Teach me thy Statutes. A Good Heart, hearing the Commandments of the Word, says, This Word is very pure, and therefore, O Lord, thy Servant loveth it. Hearing the Promises of the Word, it says, I rejoyce in these Testimonies more than in all Riches. Hearing the Threatenings of the Word, it says, Lord, I am afraid of these Judgments.

More than this; Thirdly. A Good Heart hearing the Word of GOD, hears it with Retention. So our SAVIOUR explains it; Luk. VIII. 15. Having heard the Word, they keep it. It is a Good Heart, in which the Word of GOD, is kept, as it forever deserves to be; and laid up, as the Book of the Law was in the Ark of old. The Word of GOD must [Page]be laid up, as an Invaluable Treasure there. A Man of a good Heart, may say, with Him; Psal. CXIX. 11. I have hid thy word in my Heart. In a good Heart, the Memory becomes a Store-house for the word of GOD. The Evangelized Soul, says, I will not forget thy word; and it gives earnest heed unto the things which it hears, lest at any time it may let them slip; and lose them, in their leaking from it.

Fourthly, and Finally. What is a good Heart, but an honest Heart? So tis explained; Luk. VIII. 15. An honest and a good Heart. The Term Honest, is as much as to say, Beautiful. There is a Beauty in Religion; and particularly those Acts of Religion, wherein we deal Justly, Kindly, and Fairly with our Neighbours; These have a Beauty in them. An Heart sincerely Religious, is an Honest, that is to say, a Beautiful Heart. The Glorious GOD looks down from Heaven, and beholds from the habitation of his Holiness and of his Glory, and with Delight He sees His own Beautiful Image upon it. But most particularly, Tis an Heart loth to wrong or hurt any Man in the World, and an Heart set upon doing all the Good that ever he can, to all that are about us. This is a Good Heart, and there is that Beauty in such an Heart, that all the World will agree to call Good. We are to have such an Heart as this, in hearing the Word of our GOD.

But, What shall I do to get such an Heart? The Answer is, Come to the Word For such an Heart, when you cannot come with it. And therewithal, come to the Author of the Word, who is the Giver of such an Heart. Christian, Address thy SAVIOUR, with such a Petition as That; Psal. LI. 10. [Page] Create in me a clean Heart, O GOD. Thy SAVIOUR demands, Give me thy Heart. Bring it unto Him, and beg of Him, O my SAVIOUR, My Heart is a Blind Heart, and a Base Heart, and an Heart that is desperately wicked; But such an Heart as it is, I humbly lay it before thee. Oh! Do thou take it, and make a good Heart of it, and then I shall in an acceptable manner give my Heart unto thee.

II. All the Good Hearers of the Gospel, are Fruitful ones. There will be upon every Good Hearer of the Word, those Laudable Things, wherein it may be said, He bears Fruit. If a Man sit under the Word of GOD, and bring forth no Fruit of it, what sort of a Ground is that Man? We are told, Heb. VI. 8. It is Rejected, nigh unto Cursing.

The Question here to be thought upon, is; What is that Fruit, by which the Good Hearers of the Gospel, are distinguished?

Fruit, in general, is, The Good Effect of the Gospel upon us. Of some we read, Col. I. 6. The Word of the Truth of the Gospel brings forth Fruit in them. This is, when we Glorify GOD our SAVIOUR, with such a Faith, and such a Repentance, and such a Purity, as the Gospel does oblige us to. A Good Hearer of the Gospel, brings forth such Fruit as This; That the Gospel of the Grace of God effectually teaches him to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and live Godlily, and Soberly, and Righteously in this present world.

O our Hearers; Hearken and Behold! The Good Fruit, expected from the Good Seed, which in your hearing the Word of GOD there is cast upon you, must be seen in such Things as these.

[Page] There must be this Good Fruit of what you hear; That you must carry your perishing Souls unto your Mighty and Only SAVIOUR, Beseeching of Him, and Relying on Him, to Reconcile you unto GOD: Consenting, That He should by His infinite Merit bring you into Peace with GOD, and by His Almighty Spirit work in you that which is well pleasing in the sight of GOD.

There must be this Good Fruit of what you hear; That every Thing which appears to the Light of GOD within you, an Evil Thing, must be Abominable to you: You must Abhor it, Avoid it, wish and seek to be delivered from it: Count a Deliverance from it, preferrible to all the Comfortable Things of this World.

There must be this Good Fruit of what you hear; That it must be your main Intention to Render and Procure Acknowledgments to GOD; and the Service of GOD must be the chief End of your Actions, the chief Sweet of your Enjoyments. You must behave yourselves as having the Eye of GOD always upon you: Do Justice, and love Mercy, and walk humbly with your GOD: Abound in Devotions to GOD, and in Benignities to Men. Every Day be in the Fear of the Lord all the Day long; Every where do as you would be done unto.

Here is Good Fruit. O Soul having such Fruit as this found upon thee, Come near unto thy SAVIOUR, and receive a Blessing from Him; and hear Him saying, See, the Smell of this fruitful Soul, is as the Smell of a Field which the Lord hath blessed.

Syrs, You can't be owned as Good Hearers of the Gospel, if you are not the Better for it; more Acquainted [Page]with GOD by it; more Conformed to CHRIST by it; made the more meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light.

III. Tho' all the Good Hearers of the Gospel, must be Really Fruitful, yet they are not Equally so. We read, They bring forth, some Thirty fold, some Sixty, some an Hundred. Our SAVIOUR made His Allusion to the Grain then most usual in that Countrey. For tho' Wheat, which is the Best Grain, and affords the Best Bread, for the Sons of Men, and which by an observable Providence of GOD, grows in almost all Climates! Will, one Bushel of it, sometimes yield, One hundred and Fifty; yet, I suppose, the ordinary Increase is not above an Hundred. Indeed, of our Indian Corn, one Grain will produce above a Thousand; and of Guiny-Corn, one Grain has been known to produce Ten Thousand; but in Wheat it is not so. And in this, every Soil is not alike Fertile; does not yield alike. I take notice, that in one Evangelist, there is no mention of the Thirty fold, and the Sixty fold produce. It is only said, Luk. VIII. 8. The Good Ground bare Fruit an Hundred fold. This may be to note, That tho' this Uttermost Fruitfulness, be not the Attainment, yet it is the Endeavour of every Godly Man: And our Good GOD makes a gracious Construction of the Endeavour, and Accepts the willing Mind. The Endeavour of every Godly Man, in Hearing the Word, is to bring forth as much Fruit, as the most Fruitful Saint that ever lived. He does not stint himself, as to the Fruit of the Word upon him. He can say of the uttermost Fruitfulness; as in Phil. III. 14. I press toward [Page]the Mark. Yea, But this, even the Hundred fold, is not the Attainment of every Godly Man. There is as much Difference between the Fruits found in the Good Hearers of the Word, as between Thirty and an Hundred. Some good Men are not one Third part so Fruitful as others are. As we read, 1 Cor. XV. 41. One Star differs from another Star in Glory: So, One Saint also differs from another Saint in Glory. 'Tis our Fruitfulness that is our Glory. Our David has many Worthies; But there is a First Three, which all do not come up unto.

Indeed, the Good Seed of the Word, is not Alike dispensed among the People of GOD. The Ordinances in some Churches, are administred with more Light, and with more Warmth, and with more Heavenly Operations than they are in others. It may be Expected, that the Fruit will be proportionable. And yet, among those who enjoy the same Administrations, all the truly Pious do not bear Fruit in a like proportion; and are not of equal Piety.

First. The Word of GOD it self, assures and assigns a Difference, among them that are the Good Hearers of the Word. Thus we find several Classes in the School of our SAVIOUR. We find, 1. Joh. II. 13. Fathers, and Young Men, and little Children; We find, 1. Cor. III. 1. Some that are Spiritual; others that are Carnal, and Babes in Christ. We find, Rom. XV. 1. Some that are Strong; others that are Weak, and have their Infirmities. Hence we find, that some Hearers of the Word, are perfect ones, in comparison of others that yet are not in a state of Wickedness. We read, Jam. III. 2. If any Man offend not in Word, the same is a perfect [Page]Man. It means not, that he is Absolutely perfect, but that he is in the Highest Form of Christianity. The Man who rarely, if ever, lets fall a Word, that another Man may have cause to blame him for, is this perfect Man. Yea, we find some that are None-such ones; and are so applauded, Many have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. So we read of Hezekiah, 2. King. XVIII. 5. There was none like him. So we read of Josiah, 2. King. XXIII. Like unto him there was none. So we read of Timothy; Phil. II. 20. No Man like-minded.

Thus, In the Fruits of Knowledge, all the Really Fruitful, are not equally so. No; We read, Heb. V. 12. Of some, that may be Teachers; and of others, that need one to Teach them the first Principles of the Oracles of GOD: Of some that are of full age, and have strong Meat belonging unto them; and of others that use Milk, and are unskilful in the Word of Righteousness.

In the Fruits of a True Faith; some can have it said of them, I have not found so great Faith, no not in Israel. To others it may be said, O ye of little Faith. In the Fruits of a True Love, some can have it said of them, They have loved much. To others it may be said, Thou hast not the First Love. In points of Holy Living, it may be said of some, They do that which is Right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David; nor like a Man wholly after the Heart of GOD.

Secondly. Some Good Hearers of the Word, are designed of Heaven to be prepared by the Word, for Greater, Higher, Nobler Services than others are. Of one that was to have a Charge over Jerusalem, we read, Neh. VII. 2. He was a faithful [Page]Man, and feared GOD above many. GOD intends these and those for singular Services; and so he will make them Fruitful Men above many, and such as his Word shall bring to more of his Fear, than many are brought unto. There are some, who are like Paul, to do more for GOD in a way of Active Obedience, than others. There are some, who are like Job, to do more than others for GOD in a way of Passive Obedience. Now, such as the Word of GOD shall do but little good upon, these will not be furnished for what he will have some be call'd unto. There must be some who shall Excell in Fruitfulness, because of some Excellent Work, which GOD has intended for them.

IV. All the truiy Fruitful Hearers of the Gospel, will Increase in their Fruitfulness. Concerning the Fruit on the Good Ground, we read, Mar. IV. 8. It sprang up, and Increased. That Obedience to GOD, which his Word brings any Person to, will certainly be a growing Obedience, and they that are in it will Wax stronger and stronger. If there be no Growth in our PIETY, we may suspect the Truth of our PIETY. We find, Joh. XV. 2. That which bears Fruit, must and will bring forth more Fruit. When we first begin to bring forth Fruit unto GOD, there is as the Apostle said unto some of old, Something lacking in it. But our GOD will have it Proceed, and Improve, and Increase to further Degrees; It shall see an Increasing of GOD. A Sincere and New-born and Living Child of GOD, will be a Growing one. Of the Faithful and the Fruitful, we read, Hos. XIV. 5. He shall grow as the Lilly; of which they say, It grows as long as it [Page] lives. If we be Rooted in Him, who is our GOD and our Life, His Interest will be continually Growing in us.

O Hearer of the Word, come under a Trial that is now to be passed upon thee.

If thou art a Fruitful Hearer of the Word, thou wilt be upon the Increase in thy Fruitfulness.

A Fruitful Hearer of the Word, will Increase in his Acquaintance with the Glorious CHRIST, who is the very Sum of all the Word. It is required, 2. Pet. III. 18. Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He sees more and more Glory in a lovely JESUS; How great his Goodness and his Beauty! He has more and more sense of the Miseries, which without a CHRIST he lies exposed unto: And he becomes more and more sensible of the Alsufficiency in a CHRIST for the Relief of all his Miseries.

A Fruitful Hearer of the Word, will Increase in his Ability to Repel Temptations to Sin against the Word. The Devil can't so easily prevail upon him, as once he could. He can more easily Deny himself of those Pleasures and Profits and Honours with which the Devil allures Men into Folly. The Variety of Conditions thro' which he passes; he more easily bears them, and more easily avoids the Errors incident unto them, He is less enchanted with Prosperity: It proves not such a Dalilah, to lay him asleep in sinful stupefactions. He is less disturbed with Adversity: He gains in the strength which keeps him from Fainting in the Day of it.

A Fruitful Hearer of the Word, will Increase in his awful Resentments of the Everlasting Invisibles, whereof we are advised in the Word. He becomes [Page]more Awed by the Apprehension of GOD knowing the way that he takes. He becomes more afraid of Grieving the Holy SPIRIT of GOD, by any Miscarriages. He becomes more lothe to disoblige the Good Angels, and gratify the Evil ones, by any Misbehaviours. He is more Swayed by the Hopes of the great Recompence, in the spiritual Blessings of the Heavenly places; and he is more affected with the Terror of the Lord; a Destruction from GOD is more of a Terror unto him.

Finally. A Fruitful Hearer of the Word, will Increase in the Conformity of his whole Conversation to the Word. He becomes more full of Meditations on Things pertaining to the Kingdom of GOD: More frequent, and more fervent in Supplications to the Throne of Grace. He becomes a greater Sacrificer; and more abounding in the Sacrifices which GOD is well-pleased withal. He makes notable Advances, in a Cleansing from all Filthiness of the Flesh and of the Spirit; and carrying on Holiness towards Perfection in the fear of GOD. The Sanctification of his whole, ever. Spirit, and Soul, and Body, is carried on, thro' the presence of the Lord.

Hearken, O Hearers of the Word: A Non-proficiency under the Word of GOD; Oh! 'Twould be a Black Token of Death upon you!

V. We cannot be Fruitful Hearers of the Word, except we also persist in our Fruitfulness. Of the Hearers who are Good Ground, we read; Luk. VIII. 15. They bring forth Fruit with Patience.

But, what is intended in this Patience?

First; There is no Fruitful Hearer of the Word, but what shall be Tried by some Affliction, whether he will continue to bring forth Fruit, or no; And [Page]be Tried what Fruit it is, that he does bring forth unto GOD. There is no Disciple of the Lord who died on the Cross, but what has a Cross provided for him. The first Maxim that our Lord lays down for every Disciple, is, Mat. XVI. 24. Let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me. Patience is a Vertue disposing us to Love, and Serve, and Obey, our SAVIOUR under the Cross. There is no Fruitfulness without some Affliction: Indeed, with the Chosen of GOD, the more Affliction, the more Fruitfulness. The Name of the Believer, is Ephraim; Inasmuch as GOD makes him Fruitful in the Land of his Affliction. Wherefore, we are to Run with Patience, thro' all that is before us. Look for it, O Believer; Look for Affliction to try thy Patience. And let this be taken, as one Intimation here doubtless given by our SAVIOUR; A Man may not be esteemed a Fruitful Man, until he be a Patient one. You must be People of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs: You must meet with Bereavements, meet with Injuries, meet with Reproaches: As being under a Crucifixion, you must suffer one Dolorous Pang after another, and suffer such a Succession of them, that one shall no sooner be a little over, but another will come on; until the Mercystroke of Death open an Outgate for you. Now, How do you Bear these Things? If you Bear them with Patience, then you Bear Fruit with Patience. Man, If thou hast a Froward Soul, thou hast not a Fruitful one!

Secondly. Nor was any one ever a Fruitful Hearer of the Word, but such as did continue to bring forth Fruit unto the end. As we are told, Psal. XCII. 11. They shall still bring forth Fruit in [Page]old Age. Even so, They shall still bring forth Fruit until the very Period of their Lives. The Harvest of that Fruit which we are to yield, will not come, until the World to come. With Patience then, we must hold on, and hold out, yielding Fruit as long as we are in this World. Perseverance; Perseverance! This is that Patience, with which we are to bring forth Fruit unto GOD. An Apostate Sinner, was always an Unfruitful Sinner. The Good Fruits of such an one, were never any other than meer Shows of Good. Soul, Hast thou Begun to be Fruitful? O Tremble at a Degeneracy from hopeful Beginnings. If thy Goodness be what soon passeth away, the Glorious GOD, as in a Deliberation what Vengeance to take upon it, says, What shall I do unto thee? What shall I do unto thee? It is a Terrible Thing that He will do unto thee.

And now, We are come to, The Conclusion of the Matter.

You are now determined, What is the Good Soil, and that which alone may look for Good, and will come to Good, and which brings forth Fruits meet for the Cultivation used upon it, and receiveth Blessing from GOD.

The Desirable Thing whereto you are now to be Exhorted, is This; Oh! Become sollicitous, that you may under the Word of GOD, be as the Good Ground, Fruitful from the Seed cast upon it; Become Importunate for the Good Heart which may make you and prove you to be such Good Ground before the Lord.

In the prosecution of this EXHORTATION, there are three Counsils from GOD, yea, Charges, to be in the Name of GGD, earnestly press'd upon you.

[Page] First. Examine your selves, O all you that are our Hearers, Examine your selves, what Fruit the Gospel has had with you; What Fruit you have heard the Word of GOD withal. The GOD of Heaven, who does require Fruit from the Soil, and the Soul, on which He has bestowed the Seed of His Word, He does also Enquire, what is the Fruit of all His Tillage. He says; Luk. XIII. 7. Behold, I come, seeking Fruit. But now, Enquire of thy self, O Hearer of the Gospel; Enquire Seriously, Thoroughly, Impartially; What Fruit has the Word of GOD my SAVIOUR produced in me; and what am I the Better, under and after my Enjoyment of the Glorious Gospel? The Word wherein the Wrath of GOD has been Revealed from Heaven, against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men, Enquire, whether the Fruit of it has been seen, in your being Reclaimed from all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness. The Word, which Converts the Soul, and makes wise the Simple, and Rejoices the Heart, and Enlightens the Eyes, Enquire, whether the Fruit of it has been seen, in your having a Soul Converted, and made Wise, and Rejoiced, and Enlightened by it.

There are especially Four Questions which I vehemently urge you to Retire and ponder on.

Quest. I Have I ever yet had Experience of a Regeneration from the Word of Truth? And has the Holy SPIRIT of GOD, by His Word so Quickned me for Living to Him, and given such a New Biass to me, as to make a New Creature of me?

Quest. II. Is there no Evil which the Word of GOD has rebuked me for, yet left unreformed with me?

[Page] Quest. III. Is there no Duty which the Word of GOD has convinced me of, yet left unperformed with me?

Quest. IV. Have I left nothing undone, which is necessary to be done, that my dying Hour may not be fearfully uneasy to me?

The Answers to these Questions will soon discover, how Defective you may still be in your Fruitfulness under the Word of GOD. I beseech you to take these important Questions into a just Consideration.

Secondly. You must become United unto your SAVIOUR, by Believing on Him, that so the Gospel may have its Fruit with you; and that so you may not be numbred among them, of whom it shall be said, The Word preached does not profit them. The very First and Main Fruit of the Gospel to be demanded of you, is This; Give your selves up to your SAVIOUR, and be willing to be found in Him. This is the First Thing to be proposed and pursued in order to all further Fruitfulness. Remember, That you never will be Fruitful, until you are first united unto your SAVIOUR, by Repairing to Him for all Good, and by Believing on Him, who tells us, Joh: XV. 5. Without me, you can do nothing. The Good Works, which are the Fruits of Righteousness, commanded of GOD; Remember this; They are not Things to be done by an Unrenewed Mind, and a Soul not yet United unto our SAVIOUR. Tis Faith which is to do all these Good Works, and yield all these Good Fruits. It must be the Obedience of Faith, which does them all, yields them all. The First Thing to be propounded with you, is, To fly unto [Page]a Glorious CHRIST, and beg of him to make you his own, and comply with all his Offers of Grace: More particularly, Ask of him, Trust in him, that by Him living in you, you may be made perfect in every good work. Christian, Thy SAVIOUR says unto thee, From me is thy Fruit found. Let it be the Echo from thy Soul unto him; O my SAVIOUR, by thee acting in me, let me be made a Soyl fruitful unto GOD. I wish the People of GOD were aware of it; The want of such Divinity, in our Sermons, has proved almost the loss of Christianity under them.

Thirdly; Be Prayerful that you may be Fruitful. Indeed, Prayer it self is no little part of the Fruit that is called for. Prayerless ones, besure are Fruitless ones. There appear no Fruits of the Word, until that sprouts up; Act. IX. 11. Behold, He prays. This, This is to be one special Article of our Prayer; My GOD, Bestow thou the Blessings of a fruitful Soul upon me.

But then, more particularly, Pray over the Word of GOD, wherewith you are Highly favoured of the Lord. Before your Hearing of it, make that Prayer, Lord, Let thy Word find my Heart prepared for it. After your Hearing of it, Think, What fresh matter of Prayer have I now been minded of? In Hearing, turn all you Hear into Prayer, as much as ever you can: Send up your Wishes tied unto the Arrows of Ejaculatory Prayer; send them up to Heaven as thick as you can. Fruitful, Fruitful will that Earth be, which in this way obtains the Sweet Influences of Heaven upon it.—

But I may not forget one Advice more to be introduced before I leave you.

[Page] Our COMPANY will be a Thing of more than a little Consequence to our PIETY. Our Fruitfulness in all the Good Works of PIETY, will very much depend on the Company with which we chuse to be most Familiar. A Grand Maxim of Wisdom, and of the best Husbandry, is, Forsake the Foolish and live. We have read of one whose Field was in a Bad Condition, He got it by being Amongst those who were not as they should be.

For the Inculcation of this Caution, I will set before you Two Laws, which the Holy One of Israel gave to His People concerning the Ancient Husbandry.

One Law was; Deut. XXII. 10. Thou shalt not Plow with an Ox and an Ass together. The Conjunction of Animals that are of so unequal a Nature and Size and Strength, was doubtless a Magical Rite, invented by the Devil to be used by Men, in Token of their Dependence on him for Fruitful Fields. There can be no Reason but Magic found for such an improper Conjugation. Homer, and all the World, have decried the Nonsense and Folly and Madness of it; and it was look'd upon as enough to proclaim Ulysses a Madman. But the Devil singularly delights in Confusion, and in all Contradiction to the GOD of Order. The Ox was a Sacrifice to the Dii Superi; the Ass, a Sacrifice to the Dii Inferi. Both sorts of Deities were Sacramentally called upon, when these were in the Yoke together.

But, was there nothing else designed in forbidding this Diabolical Sacrament? The Jews in their Baal-Hatturin tell us, There was this thing Mystically taught us in it, That the Righteous and the [Page]Wicked should avoid Commerce with one another. Yea, Bochart is of the Opinion, that our Apostle did allude unto this very Law, when he forbids our being unequally yoked with Unbelievers. Christian, It will marvellously creeple thee, to be yoked with Unbelievers, and with such as indeed will Draw another way than what thy Soul tends unto.

Another Law was; Lev. XIX 19. Thou shalt not sow thy Field, with a mingled Seed. No doubt, the Original of this Injunction was this; There was, as Maimonides tells us, a Superstition of the Zabians, to sow Barley and Raisins together, that they might procure to their Fields, a singular Prosperity and Felicity. Our Selden finds among the Old Athenians, what a little resembles it. The old Idolaters joined a Male God, and a Female in their Acknowledgements. And Varro writing, De Re Rustica, directs this, to obtain a Success for their Tillage. Thus the vain Idolaters, looking on the god of the Vine, as a Male, and the god of the Grain as a Female; they would by the Rice of a Mixed Seed unite them, that so they might have a lucky Vintage.

But, Methinks, I see a further Intent in this Law. There have been Two Seeds in the World, ever since the Third Chapter of Genesis; Two Seeds very different from one another. Syrs, These Two Seeds will never do well together. Let them them keep at a due Distance from one another. The Work of GOD in your Souls will not thrive, if you do not save your selves from the untoward Generation. As for them who are evidently a Seed of Evil doers, and Children that are Corrupters, the Voice from Heaven to you is; Come out from among[Page]them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and I will receive you; yea, I will be a Father unto you; and ye shall be my Sons and my Daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Finally; Methinks, The Husbandry of Ashes, may here agreeably enough have some Notice taken of it.

When we read; Psal. CXLVII. 16. He scatters the Hoar-frost like Ashes, it seems Allusive to what was done by the ancient Husbandmen. We often find it in Books of Agriculture, a Receit for Enriching of Ground that has been spent, or worn out. There is a Salt in Plants, which is their proper Aliment or Nutriment; and the more of that Salt there is in any thing, the better Dung it will yield for the producing of a fruitful Soil. Now that Salt remains in the Ashes of the Plants, after the Fire has done its part upon them. We see our Husbandmen, ever now and then burning little Heaps of Rubbish here and there on their Newplough'd Ground. Virgil speaks of such a Practice diverse times in his Georgicks. In all probability the Hsbandmen of Israel did so too. They scattered Ashes here and there on their Fields; or perhaps, they cast Ashes on their Dunghills, where, being diluted by the Rains, the Salt very deeply impregnated them; and rendred them fitter to be spread afterwards upon the Earth.

But now, What I would be at, is, To employ the Husbandry of Ashes, for the producing of a fruitful Soul. And it is to be managed by serious and frequent Meditations on Two Heaps of Ashes which we are all deeply concerned in. Such Meditations are the most Fertilizing Things that [Page]can be imagined; It will be a fruitful Soyl, that shall be impregnated with them.

First. Meditate, O Dying Man, on the Ashes, which thy Grave will shortly reduce thee to: Dust and Ashes! Often take a View of thy Flesh as Incinerated in the Grave. And Think, What will all this World be to me, when I am laid up in the dusty Chambers of the House appointed for all the Living! Think; What have I to do, that I may with Courage and Comfort go down unto the Chambers? The Fruits of such Thoughts will be Wonderful!

Secondiy. Meditate very much on the Ashes which will cover the Face of the Earth, when the Flames that are now quickly to be looked for, have done their part upon it. If the coming of the Son of Man in the Clouds of Heaven, which cannot mean any other than His Personal and Visible Coming, must be at and for the Destruction of the Roman (Papal) Monarchy, which must be given up to Burning Flames! If the Second coming of our Lord, which will be in Flaming Fire, must be at and for the Perdition of the Man of Sin, who has now run thro' his Period of Twelve hundred and sixty Years; If the promised Felicities for the Church upon Earth, take not place before the New Earth; And, if the New Earth arrive not before, but must be brought in by, the Conflagration which will make a dreadful Havock on the Earth, and the Works that are in it; Then, we know not how soon the Earth must undergo the tremendous Revolution, which the XXIV. Chapter of Isaiah's Prophecies, and a thousand other Inspired Oracles, have described and foretold unto us. Were this awful Matter so Realized, as [...] should be, what Fruits would there [Page]be of it; and what manner of Persons would it render us, in all holy Conversation and Godliness!

Consider what I say; And the Lord give you Understanding.

The SOWER a Singer.

GIve me thy Heart, My SAVIOUR says:

'Tis what I strive to do.

It's Barren: Change it, Lord, by Grace,

A Fruitful Soyl into.

[1.] When the Seed of thy Word is cast

On such a Beaten Road;

Let not the Fruit of all be lost,

Nor under Foot be trod.

May't be no Unattentive Heart,

When There thy Lessons fall;

Let not Hell's Harpyes do their part

To rob me of them all.

[2.] Oh, Do not leave my Heart to be

An Unaffected Stone,

Where Heavens Eye no Fruit will see,

But what will soon be gone.

Let there be found of PIETY

In me a Root so deep,

As from a vile Apostacy

Will me for ever keep.

[Page]

[3.] Lord, Let not worldly Lusts and Cares

Thy Work in me annoy;

Choak all good Fruit; and prove the snares

That shall my Soul destroy.

Ye Cursed Thorns I deprecate

All your Entanglements.

My SAVIOUR, Let not these defeat

Thy Gospels kind Intents.

[4] O Glorious CHRIST of GOD, from whom

Does all my Fruit proceed;

Let thy sweet Influences come,

And quicken Thou the Seed.

With Fruits make me a Blessed Field;

More precious Things than Gold;

With Fruits of thy Good SPIRIT fill'd,

More than an Hundred fold.

Pluviaria. The RAIN waited for.

[Page]

Isa. V. 6.

I will command the Clouds, that they Rain no Rain upon it.

A Most awful Judgment of GOD! If we take it Figuratively or Literally, tis a most awful Judgment of GOD.

At a Vintage of old, their Usage was to have Songs of Mirth and Joy; In the Vineyards there would be Singing, with glad Shouts and Acclamations. But behold here, a Song over the Vineyard of GOD, which is Carmen Lugubre; a very Mournful one, and fitted for Sighs and Lamentations. The Church of GOD is very fitly compared unto a Vineyard. His Church among the Jews, was now become a Degenerate Vineyard. The Impieties abounding in that Church, were Sowre Grapes, which very poorly answered the Divine [Page]Cultivation, that had been employed upon the Vinerard. The Glorious GOD is introduced, as expressing His just Resentments upon the Ill Fruits found in a People that had been so richly Cultivated. One of the Punishments threatned unto the Unfruitful Vineyard, is in this Article; I will command the Clouds, that they Rain no Rain upon it. The Interpretation of the Parable, and of this Article in it, which I find in the Writings of the Ancients, when I seek Understanding from them, is to this purpose; ‘It was accomplished, when GOD sent away His Apostles from the Unbelieving and the Disobedient Jews, unto the Gentiles; when the Offers of the Gospel were no longer dispensed as they had been unto that Rejected People, but the saving Instructions and Influences of Heaven, were witheld from them; which they have now been for many Ages.’

The Doctrine which is now to distill as the Rain upon us, will be This.

When the Glorious GOD commands His Clouds to shed no RAINS upon a People, tis a terrible Judgment, and that whereof such a forsaken and unhappy People should be very sensible.

¶ Tis first in the Figurative Sense of it, that we will take the Terrible Judgment into our serious Consideration. Tis in the witholding Evangelical Blessings from a Land, that GOD commands the Clouds, to distil no Rains upon it. This is now to be considered as a Judgment of a very sad Importance: O our dear People, not yet visited with it, I hope, you will apprehend it so, and accordingly deprecate it!

[Page] I. We will enquire, first; When may a People have it said of them, That GOD commands the Clouds to distil no Rain upon them?

In general; Tis when a People have not the Ministry of the Gospel, to bring them home unto GOD.

By the Rain here spoken of, tis agreed among Expositors, That Coelestis Doctrina, or, Heavenly Instructions are intended. It is well known, That in the Hebrew Language, both the Raining of Heaven, and the Teaching of Heaven, are expressed in Terms that come from the same Root. Even the Margin of the Bible in our Translation, gives us a notable intimation of This; at Joel II. 23. He hath given you the former Rain. In your Margin tis, A Teacher of Righteousness.

In the Sacred Scriptures, we find the Teachers of Truth, resembled unto the Clouds of Heaven. To these there may be applied that Word, Isa. LX. 8. Who are these, that fly as a Cloud? No wonder then, that the Word of GOD, which is taught by these, is resembled unto Rain. These are they who may say, Deut. XXXII. 2. My Speech shall distil as the small Rain upon the tender Herb, and as the Showers upon the Grass. Now,

First; When the Glorious GOD bestows not Able and Faithful Ministers of His Gospel on a People, then He commands the Clouds to distil no Rain upon them. The more Useful Ministers of the Gospel, are sometimes taken away from a People. Perhaps Persecution Banishes them, or Silences them; The Tail of the Dragon strikes them down from Heaven. Or, the ordinary Course of [Page] Mortality takes them off, without Successors coming on. The Teachers are no more to be seen, because of their being removed into the Dark Corner of the Grave. The Clouds that should have Rained the Word of Life upon a People, are blown out of the World, when they have no Ministers, to be the Dispensers of the Gospel unto them. Yea, a People may have pretended Ministers, and yet have this Curse upon them. They may have Men in Black, that yet shall be no Divines, nor any better than so many Chemarims unto them: Or, Men that wear Garments only to deceive: And, Men that being the Corruption of the Best Thing, are the worst Thing that can be; Mankind has a Transcendent Pest in such Dissemblers and Stage players. Of such we read, Jude 12. They are Clouds without Water. A People may have, Ignorant, or Erroneous, or Vicious Ministers; and such as distil no Rains of Heaven on the Souls of the People, but rather instil Poison into them. There are Ministers who are meer Good-for-nothings: Their chief Talent lies at making of Christless Christians. If they should overcome Sloth so far as to do something like Preaching an hundred times in a Year, there is not one right Gospel Sermon among all their Harangues. They are such Bunglers at Praying, that it would shamefully expose them, to put them upon it. Their Conversations are so Mean, so Vain, so Licentious, that the Blind lead the Blind, when the People are so left of GOD, as to follow them: Unsavoury Salt, fit only to be trodden under Foot of Men! Ah, Miserable People! GOD witholds Clouds of Heavenly Rain, from such a People. Nay, He Rains Brimstone on their Habitations.

[Page] More than so, Secondly; When a People that sit under Good Ministers, do get no Good by them; then GOD commands the Clouds to distil no Rain upon them. The Holy SPIRIT of GOD giving Efficacy to His Word, is likened aptly enough unto the Rain. It may be said of Him therein, as Hos. VI. 3. He shall come unto us as the Rain; as the latter and former Rain unto the Earth. People may have Ministers that shall be Fat Clouds, and full of Rain. But, if GOD leave this People, without any Impressions of Grace from His Holy SPIRIT, by His Word in the Mouth of such Ministers, here is a People not Rained upon. A People may have Excellent Ministers; such as are truly Men of GOD, and, Able Ministers of the New-Testament: And yet, the People may go on still in their Trespasses. The Ministers may be, Burning and Shining Lights; And yet, the People remain in Darkness, and never know the things of their Peace. The Ministers may be Good Men, and zealous for GOD; And yet, the People not by their Means turned unto the Lord. All the Pains taken by the Ministers with the People, are lost upon them. The People continue the Children of Unperswadeableness, tho' the Ministers do all they can for the perswading of them to Believe on CHRIST, and Repent of Sin, and lead Godly and Sober and Righteous Lives. The Holy SPIRIT of GOD, affords not His Efficacy to make all Effectual. The cursed Mountains of Gilboa, are not left so much without Rain, as the Souls of such a People.

II. We will Enquire, next; What will be the Consequence of such a Judgment; and what there [Page]is, that should make it appear Terrible unto us?

First. When the Clouds distil no Rains on the Souls of Men, the worst Famine that can be, will follow upon it. There will follow that Famine; Amos VIII. 11. Not a Famine of Bread, nor a Thirst for Water; but of hearing the Words of the Lord. A Bodily Famine is a Judgment, than which there is none more dreaded among the Children of Men. The King of Israel had cause enough to put the Denomination of, The Evil, upon it. When the Glorious GOD is going to spend His Arrows on a sinful World, He comes to an Extremity in this; I will send the evil Arrows of Famine upon them. O Dismal Case! Wherein the Torture is Intolerable! Men devour their own Flesh; Women devour the Infants at their Breasts; A lingring Torment brings a fierce Rage, and a slow Death, upon the Miferables! How pathetically is it set forth; and how Lamentably! Lam. IV. 9. They that be slain with the Sword are better of it, than they that be slain with Hunger; for these pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the Field. But now, they that are slain with a Famine of Bread and a Thirst for Water, are better of it, than they that are slain with a Famine of hearing the Words of the Lord. For these pine away in their Sins; They are stricken through for want of the Fruits that are to bring and keep their Souls in Life; They go down to Eternal Burnings; Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth, in a Destruction from GOD, is what they are eternally damn'd unto.

Secondly. To enjoy the Clouds which distil Rains on our Souls, tis an High Favour of Heaven. Then tis a Sore Judgment of Heaven, to be deprived [Page]of such Enjoyments. If People should undergo many Difficulties, yet the Clouds distilling Rains on their Souls, would make amends for their difficult Circumstances. Thus we read; Isa. XXX. 20. Tho' the Lord give you the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affliction, yet thine Eyes shall see thy Teachers. But, Ah, Abandoned People! If your Eyes can see no Teachers, you are worse of it, than any scarcity of Bread or of Water can render you. They are a Blessed People, who have the Word of GOD, with the Ordinances of Heaven which it leads them to. An Undone People then they that have none of these things. When this Good Part is taken away, the Best Thing a People can have, is taken away. They have then the worst Thing that can be befalling of them. The People are lifted up to Heaven that are made partakers of such Heavenly Priviledges, as the Clouds distilling Rains on their Souls. Tis then a meer Hell upon Earth, to be destitute of them. In the Word of GOD Men Eat the Food of Angels. When this Food is denied them, they are condemn'd and confin'd unto the Serpents Food, and have their Souls filled with nothing but what leaves them forever Empty; nothing but the Dust of the Earth. We read, Psal. LXXIX. 15. Blessed is the People that know the Joyful Sound. But then, Oh! the Curses that are poured out upon a People, who know nothing of the Joyful Sound! All the Curses that ever Mount Ebal roar'd withal, and enough to make a very Dreadful Sound! He was a Man of Right Sentiments, who said, I have esteemed the Words of thy Mouth more than my necessary Food. Then, if the Word of GOD be taken away, tis as bad as if our necessary Food were taken away. [Page] Wandring Souls, Tis by the Perfect Law of GOD, that you are to be Converted. Simple Souls, Tis by the Sure Testimony of GOD, that you are to be made Wise. Dejected Hearts, Tis by the Right Statutes of GOD, that you are to be Rejoiced. Ignorant Minds, Tis by the pure Commandment of GOD, that you are to be Enlightened. What a Wretchedness to be deprived of all this Blessedness! What a Wrath unto the uttermost!

Thirdly. Tis a Judgment that goes not alone. If the Clouds distil no Rains on the Souls of the People, GOD has taken away the Signs of His Gracious Presence from among them; They may bemoan themselves, We see not our Signs, when there is no more any Prophet among them. The Lord Himself comes, where the Showers of His Word come. Hence, when the Showers of the Gospel are departed from a People, the Lord Himself is departed from them. This is the Burden from the Lord, upon them, I will even forsake you, saith the Lord. But, Oh! What a Word is That! Hos. IX. 12. Wo to them when I depart from them! And now, What ensues? All manner of Evil; And this Account of it, The Lord is not with us, and therefore all this is befallen us. A People so forsaken of GOD, must needs grow an Ungodly People. Satan has his Throne among them. From that Throne of Iniquity there issue out most venemous Operations. The People are all of them Captives to the Powers of Darkness, and the Prey of the Terrible Ones. GOD now makes Darkness, and it is Night, and the Beasts of the Pit creep forth, and the old Lions roar after their Prey, and the famished People become a Prey unto them. Their Character is That; Foolish, [Page]Disobedient, Deceived, serving diverse Lusts and Pleaures, living in Malice and Envy, hateful and hating one another. O Rueful Condition! What Suburbs of Hell are we falling into! The People destitute of the Desirable Showers, are as Unloving as they are Ungodly, and are a continual Dropping to one another. The People make themselves to one another like the Bitter Waters, which the Star called Wormwood, fell into; and become Grievous Judgments upon one another. At the same time, they Ripen for all the Judgments of GOD, and Open the Floodgates for them, and have no Methods of escaping them. Tis with them according to that Report, 2 Chron. XV. 3, 5, 6. They were without a Teaching Priest, and without Law; And in those times, there was no Peace, for GOD vexed them with all Adversity. Ah, Forlorn People; Sitting in Darkness, and in the Region of the sh [...]dow of Death;

But from these Things, let us make some Inferences.

I. A People that have the Clouds of Heaven distilling Evangelical Rains upon them, should be Thankful to Him, who Covers the Heavens with Clouds, and who prepareth Rain for the Earth. It is the Glorious GOD, who Commands His Clouds, to distil His Rains upon them, O our Evangelized People; It is He, who by watering wearies the thick Cloud, and causes the Rain to come for His Land, and in Mercy. On such an Occasion a People are so called upon; Praise ye the Lord. I call to Mind a Passage; Psal. LXXXIV. 6. The Rain fills the Pools. My little Skill in Philology, finds, many Hebrew Words are so significant, that without any Danget [Page]or Damage, we may suppose a further Sense in them, than what is at first obvious. This Passage particularly may be read thus, The Teacher is filled with Blessings. O People Travelling to Zion, You often meet with such a Thing: A Teacher that is full of Blessings; A Cloud from and by which, the Blessed GOD Showers down a Poure of Blessings upon you. Is there a Countrey any where under the Cope of Heaven at this Day, Richer on this regard, than this poor Countrey? Behold, Thy Dense Clouds, O People known above the most of the Families of the Earth, Charg'd Clouds, from whence much of a Glorious CHRIST comes down, like Rain upon the mown Grass, like Showers that water the Earth. Yea, we read, Job XXXVII. II. Of, Bright Clouds; that is to say, Clouds that have Rainbows in them. There are Candidates for the Work of GOD in our Churches, which are such Bright Clouds; Young Men of growing Abilities, and of settled Resolutions, to do all the Good that ever they can. These carry Rainbows with them, and comfortable Tokens, that our Churches will not as yet be overwhelmed in a General Desolation. O Churches that so find Life and obtain Favour of the Lord; Give Thanks, give Thanks to our Ascended JESUS, who gives these Gifts unto Men, and at the same time, sends a plentiful Rain, by which He confirms His weary Inheritance.

Pliny mentions among those which they call, The Fortunate Islands, one that is called, Pluviaria, because of the agreeable Rains which it is bless'd withal. Our Land may on the best Accounts be called, Pluviaria; None more happily Rained upon!

[Page] It becomes us now to do what may be done, that the Clouds of Heaven distilling Evangelical Rains, may be always afforded unto us; and that we may never suffer a Famine of the Gospel, from the Clouds desisting to Rain upon us. The Three Years and an half in which it Rained not in the Days of Elias, were a Type of the Twelve Hundred and sixty Years, which make Three Years and an half of Prophetical Days, that the Romish Antichrist is to famish the Nations. This Period being upon its Expiration, We may be in more hopes than ever, that if due Means be used, we shall obtain the Rains that are to be wished for. It is to be hoped, that when our Elders give up the Ghost, our People shall yet know where to seek the Meat, that should relieve their Souls. In order to this;

First; The Clouds that bring the Rains, are to be fairly dealt withal. Indeed, if the Ministers of the Gospel are Men of no Merits. I am not aware of any Respects due to them. If they be Foolish and Selfish and Slothful Men, I know not why they should be Respected above other Men. If they are no better than Idol Shepherds, O Churches of GOD, Get rid of them as fast as you can. If they notoriously Miscarry, let not their Coat be a Shelter for their Miscarriages: It aggravates 'em! Well, But if Ministers have the True Spirit of the Gospel in them, and keep within the Commissions and the Directions of it, then in Abuses offered unto them, it may in some sort be said, Ambassadors are abused. GOD will call home His Injured Ambassadors, and there come none after them, like those that went before them. Yea, It comes to that; 2 Chron. XXXVI. 16, They mocked the Messengers [Page]of GOD, and misused His Prophets, until the Wrath of the Lord arose against His People, so far that there was no Remedy. Sometimes a People are blessed with Ministers who are Heavenly and Luminous Clouds over the Assemblies of Zion: Ministers that are the Beauty and the Defence of the Churches; Ministers that are conspicuously full of Knowledge and of Goodness. They discharge all their Offices, with great Capacity, with great Activity, with great Fidelity. They study to do Good, and they do abundance of Good. They are Tender Fathers to their Flocks; Praying for them, Watching for them, glad of all Opportunities to be useful unto them; Scattering their Alms and their other Kindnesses, like the Showers of Heaven among them. Of such Ministers, I was going to say, Make much of them. Without recalling that Word, I will say, Make Nothing of them. One of the Best among them said, 2 Cor. XII. 11. I am Nothing. If they are what they should be, you cannot more oblige them, than to see you looking thro' the Clouds, up to the Sun of Righteousness, who makes them to be all that they are. They will count, that you never carry it so well towards them, as when you take them to be Nothing but what their Glorious LORD makes them to be; and ascribe unto their LORD, the whole Glory of all the Good you find in them, and from them. Nevertheless, I may not leave unquoted those Words of our Apostle, 1 Thess. V. 12. We beseech you, Brethren, to know thens who Labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and esteem them very highly in Love for the sake of their Work. Yea, Let the Conscience in the Breast of the People, now do the part of [Page]a Preacher; And, O Conscience, Do thou Declare! —Is it not pity that such Benign Clouds of Heaven should be misused? Pity, they should have their Spirits broken with Oppressive Necessities? Pity, they should be Reproached and Slandered, and insulted with many Indignities? Pity, that any prevailing Party should load them with such Expressions of Aversion for them, as may compel them to mourn before the Lord; A Bad-spirited People have killed me; have hastened my Death upon me! The GOD of Zacharias may look upon such Things, and not only take away the Blessings, but also say, Let no more such Clouds distil my Rains upon such a People!

But inasmuch as there is very much Sacriledge committed in the Countrey, and many well deserving Ministers of the Gospel, do not receive a proper and a decent Ma [...]ntainance, but suffer grievous Afflictions and Oppressions, and scandalous Defraudations; I think it not unseasonable here to employ a Minute or two of Remarks upon it. I would not have taken so much Notice of this Matter, if I had not really thought the Cause of PIETY in the Countrey considerably concerned in it.

The Glorious GOD in Strange Ways, even framing Evil, and devising one Device after another against us, obliges the Countrey to Vast Expences, which amount unto much more than as much again as a Liberal Maintainance of the Ministry thro'out the Land would call for; And if we were so Wife, as to observe these Things, and would wisely consider of His Doings, and consider our ways, we should Think, Whether a Righteous GOD be not [Page]in these Things punishing us for Witholding more than is meet, in this notorious Article.

But while the Countrey is under the Scourges of GOD, I will Read something of the Law unto you; and set Cmscience to work with and on such Questions as these.

Q. I. If you Read the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Ninth Chapter, from the Fourth Verse to the Fourteenth, don't you find an Inspired Apostle of our Lord, with six or seven Unanswerable Arguments, proving This, which he makes the Conclusion of all: The Lord hath Ordained, that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel? And is it not then incontestibly Evident, That if you do not your part, that your Ministers may live well, and have a Food convenient for them, you Sin against the Ordinance of that Glorious LORD, whose Name you have been Baptised into?

Q. II While you do not Communicate what may be Needful for the Support of your Teachers, how can you stand before that plain Command of GOD your SAVIOUR; Gal. VI. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word, Communicate unto him who teacheth, in all good Things? Or, will GOD be mocked, when you plead, That you can't afford the expences herein called for, when GOD knows, you expend much more in less useful ways, which might much better be spared?

Q. III. When our Lord sent forth His Ministers, did not He direct them to expect a Maintainance from them to whom He sent them; Declaring, Matth. X. 10. The Workman is worthy of his Meat: And, Luk. X. 7. The Labourer is worthy of his Wages?

[Page] Q. IV. What an ample Provision of Temporal-Enjoyments, did the Holy One of Israel make, under the Mosaic Paedagogy, for the Tribe that were set apart for Spiritual Services; therewithal saying, Mal. III. 9, 10. Ye are cursed with a Curse, for ye have robbed me: Let there be Meat in my House, and prove me now herewith, if I do not pour you out a Blessing? And, if Moses took so much care for his Ministers, can you dream, that our Blessed JESUS, the Son over His House, takes no care for His?

Yea, Tho' your Ministers have a Ten times better Office than the Ancient Levites, yet would they not in much less than a Quarter part of what was allow'd unto the Levites, reckon a very competent Allowance made unto them?

Q. V. Did not our Father Abraham owe and pay a Tenth unto Melchizedek? And is not our Glorious CHRIST an High-Priest, who has the Rights of Melchizedek belonging to Him? How will ye prove your selves the Genuine Children of Abraham, if you devote not a Tenth part of your Income to the true Melchizedek? And will not less than One Half of this Tenth, ordinarily be much more than your Ministers would be comfortably supply'd and content withal?

Q. VI. Can it be Reasonable, that your Ministers Labourously spend all their Time and Strength, in doing the Best Good that can be done for you and yours; and neglect Advantages to Enrich themselves in the ways of other Business; And that you should at the same time expose them to Straits, and Wants, and let the [...] [...]nk under distressing Difficulties, and the various Temptations which a pinching Poverty must lay them open to?

[Page] Q. VII. When a Laborious Minister of our Lord, received the Money which a Good Spirited People gathered for him, did he not assure them; Phil. IV. 18 It was a Sacrifice, acceptable, well-pleasing to GOD? Upon an Impartial Observation, may it not be found, that those Persons, and those Places, which do Best for the Maintainance of the Evangelical Ministry among them, Thrive most, under a very sensible Benediction of GOD? If there could be Collected into an History the Notabl [...] Experiences, which here and there Particular Christians have had, of GOD smiling on their Affairs, with a Conspicuous and Surprising Blessing, from the time that they have set themselves to encourage his Meritorious Ministers, would not the astonishing History be enough to convince an Atheist, and bring a Churl to be Bountiful?

Seven [...]UESTIONS,—If duely Thought upon, certainly our Levites would have their Portion more duly given to them!

In thus Contending for them, I will take occasion for a Parenthesis of the Hebrew Husbandry.

[It was forbidden Deut. XXV. 4. To Muzzle an Ox treading out the Corn. They (as well as other Nations) used Oxen in treading out their Corn, eitheir with their Feet barely, or their Feet shod with Brass or Iron, or with drawing over the Corn, an Heavy Cart, or Wooden Sled, with Iron Teeth or Nails next the Ground. While the Oxen were at this Work, they sometimes muzzled them, or daubed their Mouths, with Dung, or put Sharps into their Mouths, or hung an Instrument about their Necks that hindred them from stouping, or kept them from any Drink, or covered the Corn [Page]with Skins. These things are prohibited. The Intention of the Prohibition, is, That we should make much, even of the Brute Creatures that serve us. But it intends also, That we must learn to be Kind as well as Just unto all that are employ'd for our Good. Now this Law is Twice quoted in New Testament; and it is both Times for this purpose, To shew, that it is the Duty of a People, to give their Ministers a Comfortable Maintainance.]

I hope, I have said enough. I may now go on to say,

Secondly. When the Clouds distil Rains, the Fruits ought to be answerable. Shall I tell you, who the People are, that are in hazard of having the Clouds commanded, that they should convey no Rains unto them? Tis the Vineyard, that brings forth no Fruits, but Sowre Grapss. The Sowre Grapes of Ungodliness and Unrighteousness, abounding among a People that have the Gospel, these procure the Salutiferous Clouds and Rains to be withheld from them. We are so warned of GOD; Heb. VI. 7, 8. The Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it, and bears Thorns and Briars, is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. People hear the Word of GOD from time to time; and they get no Good by it; They are nothing the better for what they hear; The Word is not Embraced, not Obeyed, not Complied withal. If People won't Hearken to the Word of GOD, they shall not have the Hearing of it. The Word of GOD is preached among a a People; But, Few Sinners are Converted from the Error of their ways. And, if any are Converted, they show but very Dull Marks of their Conversion; [Page]they continue Barren and Lifeless Christians; there is little Power of Godliness among them; they make little Improvement in Piety. Alas, What will this Unfruitfulness bring them to? As our Lord said unto His Apostle; Act. XXII. 18. Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy Testimony concerning me. Thus does the Great GOD now say to the Clouds, which distil His Rains with so little profit upon the People; Make haste, and come away from a People that hates to be Reformed. O my Word, Thou shalt stay no longer, where they will not receive thy Testimony.

III. The Clouds of Heaven distilling Evangelical Rains upon us, we should not be satisfied without the Heavenly Influences coming with and in the Rains upon our Souls. It is one of the Precious Promises; Isa. LV. 10, 11. As the Rain cometh down from Heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the Earth, and maketh it bring forth,—so shall my Word be, that goeth forth out of my Mouth. Oh! that we may feel this Word fulfilled unto us! Our Gospellized People; The Clouds of Heaven have long been showring down the Rains of the Gospel upon you. But, Oh! What the Influences of the Glorious Gospel! What the Dispositions which it has brought you to!

I will describe to you, a Soul that feels the Influences of the Heavenly Showers upon it. Examine what Experiences you have had of such Influences.

Tis a Soul happily Rained upon, that is come heartily to say; Great GOD, Thou shalt be my GOD and my Portion, and if I may live unto thee, I have all my Desire! Heartily to say; O my Lovely SAVIOUR,[Page]I Repair to thee, and Rely on thee, that thou mayst bring me to GOD, and save me to the uttermost! Heartily to say, Vile Sin, I will for ever hate thee, and shun thee, and seek the Death of thee, and be glad of every thing that helps to kill thee! Heartily to say, Vain World, I will expect nothing from thee; and I will not be uneasy, tho' thy Pleasures and Riches and Honours be denied unto me! Heartily to say, I wish well unto every one; Oh! that I may do Good unto all: Fain would I he a Blessing in all Relations! Are these the Dispositions of thy Soul? O Soul, on which the Clouds of Heaven have distilled the Showers of Blessing, To thee there belongs that Word; Isa. LVIII. 11. The Lord shall satisfy thy Soul in Drought; and thou shalt be like a watered Garden.

But the EXHORTATION, shall at length come to us, in that Abridgment which Hosea, that long lived Minister has given us, not only by his own Sermons, for about fourscore Years together, but also of all the Sermons preached by all the Prophets that were sent unto the Ancient People of GOD. You thus have it, Hos. X. 12. Tis time to seek the Lord, until He come and Rain Righteousness upon you. Behold what now falls from the opened Bottles of Heaven upon you.

O you that have the Clouds of Heaven over you; Be assured of this; Your Great SAVIOUR will come with a Blessed Rain of Righteousness, upon them that Seasonably seek for such a Blessedness.

The Thing to be sought for, is; That we may, by the Faith of it, come to have the perfect and peerless Righteousness of what our SAVIOUR did in conformity to the Law which is the Rule of [Page] Righteousness, as our Surety, may be imputed unto us for the Justification of Life: And then, that our SAVIOUR would Sanctify us, as well as Justify us, and lead us in the Paths of Righteousness.

We are now to apprehend, That when our SAVIOUR communicates of Himself and His Righteousness, in His Word, unto our Souls, there is in the Word it self, a sweet Rain from Heaven falling upon us. We shall soon make the Similitude very apparent. For, Does the Rain make the Earth Fruitful? O our Gospellized People, We hope, we hope, you can say, That you find the Word of your SAVIOUR do so. The Rain, Does it Comfort and Refresh the Earth? Doubtless, many of you can bring in this Testimony for the Word of your SAVIOUR, Lord, By this thou hast Quickened me! But then, The Righteousness, which our SAVIOUR has to bestow upon them, who attend upon His Word for it, This also may be compared unto the Rain, and the Comparison is a very Apt one. Shall we say? None but GOD can give the Rain. We are so taught of GOD; Jer. XIV. 22. Can the Heavens give Showers? Art not thou He, O Lord our GOD? Therefore we will wait upon thee, for thou hast made all these things. All Other Causes o [...] the Rain, are but Second Causes. This is very sure; None but GOD can give Righteousness unto us. Tis, The Righteousness of GOD. If our SAVIOUR had not been GOD as well as Man, He could never have brought in for us, that Everlasting Righteousness, wherein we may appear before GOD. And none but an Almighty GOD could ever do for us, those Things, which are done when Righteousness is convey'd unto us. Truly, [Page]'tis a Constellation of Miracles! When a Sinner is made Righteous, the Blind sees, the Lame walks, the Dead comes to Life; Stone is turn'd into Flesh; a Wolf is chang'd into a Lamb. The Holy SPIRIT, who does these things,— O Lord, Thou art Great, and thou doest wondrous Things, and thou art GOD alone. Again; The Necessity of the Rain; How feelingly is This confessed with us? A Drought soon brings us to those Ejulations; Joel I. 19, 20. O Lord,— The Fire hath devoured the Pastures of the Wilderness, and the Flame has burnt all the Trees of the Field: The Beasts of the Field cry also unto thee. But then, the Necessity of Righteousness is nothing short of That. Soul, Necessity is laid upon thee, to obtain the Righteousness of thy SAVIOUR, and wo unto thee if thou do it not. There is a Fire that will devour thee, and a Flame that will burn thee up, if thou be a Stranger to it. Once more; The Excellency of the Rain; Who once ever disputed this? 'Tis elegantly descanted on; Psal. LXV. 9, 10, 11. Thou visitest the Earth, and waterest it; thou greatly enrichest it with the River of GOD, which is full of Water;— Thou makest it soft with Showers; Thou crownest the Year with thy Goodness, and thy Pathes drop Fatness. But the Excellency of Righteousness is yet more to be accounted of. Soul, Possessing the Righteousness of thy SAVIOUR, thou hast what makes thee more Excellent than thy Neighbour. GOD visits thee; thou art greatly Enriched with the River of GOD. He Crowns thee with His Goodness, and His Pathes drop Fatness upon thee.

In fine; What remains is This. O you that follow after Righteousness. PRAYER, PRAYER, to GOD your SAVIOUR for it; This is the [Page]Grand Method of your seeking for a Rain of Righteousness. The Cry of a perishing Sinner, and a Soul gasping like the parched Earth;— O my GOD and my SAVIOUR, Let thy Righteousness be Rained upon me from above!— May that Cry go up this Day from every one of us all; and pierce the Clouds, reach the Heavens! No one ever comes into the Righteousness of GOD, but here is the First of his Motions towards it, Behold, He prays. Of the genuine Christian we read, Psal. XXIV. 5, 6. He shall receive Righteousness from the GOD of hu Salvation; This is the Generation of them that seek Him. Christian, When thy SAVIOUR is going to make thee Righteous, He will bring thee into the Generation of them that seek Him.

Yea, but Remember, This is to be done in the Proper Time for it; even, when, It is Time to seek the Lord.

Indeed, Every Day we are to take our Time for the seeking of GOD. Every Day 'tis to be done in fit Retrements; Every Day 'tis to be done with our D [...]mesticks. A Black Day 'tis, wherein GOD has not been sought unto. But then, The Lords-day; This, be sure, is a most proper Time for this Work. 'Tis the Day of Rain. The Clouds which drop down Righteousness, are on that Day hovering over the Assemblies of Zion. Tis Now, that the SPIRIT of GOD sollicits us; ‘Take This Time, O Soul far from Righteousness. Be not Stout-hearted. Fall down before thy SAVIOUR. Humbly look to Him, and beg of Him; for a Rain of Righteousness upon thee.’ Verily, Millions of Souls, have on This Day, found a Rain of Righteousness on them, from a SAVIOUR sought unto!

[Page] There is yet one thing more to be said. The present Time is of all the most proper Time. We must be so perswaded; 2 Cor. VI. 2. Behold, Now is the Acceptable Time. Languishing Soul, Thy SAVIOUR stands ready with His Righteousness. He makes a Tender of His Righteousness. He says, Ask and it shall be given thee. Thou hast no Assurance of any but the present Time, to accept the Tender: 'Tis thy only Time. Alas, What Multitudes fall short of Righteousness and Salvation, because they let slip their only Time. Losing the present Time, they lose all their Time, and lose their Souls. They would not seasonably Worship the King, the Lord of Hosts; Even upon them there shall be no Rain; This shall be their Punishment, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Was it possible for me to say this, without annexing a most solemn Admonition unto our Young People? Children, Be you admonished of This. The Time of Youth, is the most proper Time in the World, for you to seek unto your SAVIOUR, for a Rain of His Righteousness upon you. You will never see such another Time. You Read, [For, I hope, you every Day Read in the Book, which tells you of him, even, the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make Children wise unto Salvation!] of one, of whom it is related, While he was yet Young, he began to seek after GOD. GOD brought that Young Man into His Righteousness, and made him one of the Best Men in the World. I advise you to think on those two Passages, in the Holy Scriptures. First, a pious Father laid that Charge upon a Son; 1 Chron. XXVIII. 9. My Son, serve the GOD of thy Father; If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee. The Devout Son kept in his Mind [Page]that Charge of his Father. Anon, with an Eye to it, he wrote that strain of Wisdom, Prov. VIII. 17 They that seek me early, shall find me.

My Son, Mind the Charge GOD now laid upon thee.

¶ But we will now take into our consideration, the Terrible Judgment in the Literal sense of it. And what is now to be observed, is; That when the Glorious GOD commands the Natural Clouds to Distil no Rains upon a Land, His Judgment upon the Land should have a serious Notice taken of it.

It is what these Remarks are to be made upon.

I. The Clouds are Created by GOD, and when they distil Rains, 'tis because they are commanded by Him to do it. The Philosophy of the Clouds and their distilled Rains, is not here to be enlarged upon. Tis enough to say, The Philosopher will tell you, That a Cloud is a Collection of little, but concave, Globules, which therefore ascend unto that Heighth, wherein they are of equal Weight with the Air; where they remain suspended, until by a Motion in the Air, they are Broken, and so come down in drops, that make our Mists or Showers. But it is the Religion of these Watry Meteors, with which we are now to be entertained. Reason tells us, That there is a GOD of Infinite Power and Wisdom and Goodness, who is the Creator of the World. These parts of the World then must needs be the Creatures of that Glorious GOD. But let us hear what Scripture teaches us concerning it.

[Page] The Book of GOD and of Truth, has taught us, That the Clouds are the Creatures of GOD. So we read; Joh. XXVI. 8. He bindeth up the Waters in His Thick Clouds, and the Cloud is not rent under them. So we read; Job XXXVII. 15. GOD causes the Light of His Cloud to shine. The Clouds are therefore called, The Chariots of GOD, and, The Chambers of GOD; and, The Treasures of GOD; and the Stories which are built by GOD. Of our GOD we read; Psal. CXLVII. 8. GOD covers the Heavens with Clouds; and prepareth Rain for the Earth. The Pagans called their Jupiter, by the Name of Nubicoga; He that Orders the Clouds. We challenge the Name for our JEHOVAH; Of whom we read, He commands the Clouds from Above.

And then, This Book of His, has taught us, That the Rains too are the Creatures of GOD. So we read; Job V. 10. GOD giveth Rain upon the Earth, and sendeth Waters upon the Field. So we read; Job XXXVI. 27, 28. GOD maketh small the drops of Water, they pour down Rain according to the Vapour thereof: Which the Clouds do drop, and distil upon Man abundantly. We are accordingly informed, That GOD is the Father of the Rain; and, That GOD makes a Decree for the Rain. When the Rain falls, there cometh to pass that thing; Psal. LXV. 9, 10. Lord, Thou visitest the Earth, and waterest it; Thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly, Thou settlest the Furrows thereef: Thou makest it soft with Showers. We forget the Original of the Rain, if we don't look above the Region, from which it falls upon us; and if we are Strangers to those Terms; Lord, It is Thou that causest the Rain to fall upon thy [Page]Land. We ought then Religiously to acknowledge the Providence of the Glorious GOD, in His disposing of the Clouds and of the Rains. Behold the Distribution of the Clouds and of the Rains, in such agreeable Proportions, as to answer the Necessities of the World, and say, What a sensible Providence of the Glorious GOD! Man, Dost thou know the Ballancings of the Clouds? They are the Wondrous Works of a GOD who is perfect in Knowledge. Behold the gentle and softly way, in which the Clouds do drop down the Rains; not in destructive Torrents! And again say, What a sensible Providence of a Glorious GOD! It is our GOD who does make small the drops of Water, and pours down Rain according to the Vapour thereof. He that owns not the Hand of GOD in the Clouds and the Rains, deserves to be struck with something else, that the Clouds are sometimes charged withal; deserves to see the Clouds darting down upon him their Thunderbolts!

II. When GOD commands the Clouds, to distil no Rains, it is a Judgment, that Men should be affected withal. A long want of Clouds and Rains, or, the promising Appearance of Clouds from time to time going over without Rain; This is a very affecting Judgment of Heaven upon a sinful World. A DROUGHT is a sore Judgment of GOD!

It is a Judgment that is often threatned among the Effects of the Divine Displeasure: A Judgment of great Note among the Threatnings of GOD. Thus you read, Lev. XXVI. 19. I will punish you, and I will make your Heavens as Iron, and your Earth at Brass. Thus you read; Deut. XI. 17. The Lord [...][Page]Wrath kindled against you, and He shut up the Heaven that there be no Rain.

Indeed, a Drought is a Plague, wherein a check is given to the Ordinary Course of Nature. 'Tis the Hand of GOD that gives the Check; the Hand of an angry GOD. The Burning Anger of GOD is discovered in it. The Lord GOD calls to contend by Fire, in the Judgment. There is the Indignation of GOD, proclaim'd against a Land, when the Land is not Rain'd upon. The Great GOD was offended; And then came this Judgment; Hag. I. 11. I called for a Drought upon the Land, and upon that which the Ground bringeth forth, and upon Men, and upon Cattel.

But that in which a Drought proves a fearful Plague, is, The Consequence of it. A Scarcity follows: Yea, the Famine; Than which, what is there more to be trembled at? Perhaps Drink for Man and Beast, may grow scarce, by a Drought going on to Extremity. Be sure, Food will do so. Thus we read; Jer. XIV. 3, 4. Their Nobles have sent their little ones to the Waters, they came to the Pits, they found no Water; they returned with their Vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded; and covered their Heads: Because the Ground is chapt, for there was no Rain in the Earth, the Plowmen were ashamed. Thus we read; Amos IV. 7, 8. I have witholden the Rain from you, when there were yet three months to the Harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one City, and I caused it not to rain upon another City: One piece was rained upon; and the piece whereupon it rained not, withered.— So two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink Water; but they were not satisfied. The Vegetable World cannot subsist, except the Showers [Page]of Heaven saturate it. The Showers of Heaven are needful, as a moist Vehicle, to carry along with them that Nourishment which the Plants do subsist upon. All Plan [...]s must languish and wither, if they have not these Waters to bring into them the Sap, which they owe their Growth unto. But, if the V [...]getables of the World be destroy'd, the Animals will soon be so too. The Fruits of the Earth, depend on the Showers of Heaven. All Animals do live on the Fruits of the Earth, or on those Animals which do live on these Fruits. We read; Job XXXVIII 26, 27. He causes it to rain on the Earth,—to satisfy the desolate and waste Ground, and to cause the Bud of the tend [...]r He [...]b to spring forth. Hence, when a Drought is parching our Fields, there is this awful Voice of GOD unto us in it; I will not feed you saith the Lord! But, the Famine! A Judgment which all Faces may gather Paleness at the very Mention of! To die of the Famine: How Grievous a Death! I will show you how it looks; Lam. V. 10 Our Skin was black like an Oven, because of the terrible F [...]min [...]!

But let us make a sew brief Inferences, from what has been thus Remark'd unto us.

First. When the Clouds do distil Rains upon us, our Thankful Praises to the Glorious GOD are called for. My Brethren, Let our Praises go up in a greater Plenty than any Vapours, to the GOD of all Grace, who now opens and empties the Bottles of Heaven upon us. We read; Act XIV. 17. He left not Himself without a Witness, in that He did us Good, and gave us Rain from Heaven, and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness. The Showers of Heaven then bespeak from us [Page]these Thankful Confessions; Great GOD; Thou art a good GOD! Oh! How much ought we to love and serve the GOD, who does good unto us, in giving us Rain from Heaven, and fruitful Seasons! Verily, The Showers are worse thrown away, than those that fall upon the Rocks, if they produce not such Consequences from us.

But, Secondly. When the Clouds refuse to distil Rains upon us, the Glorious GOD requires the Dispositions of Repentance from us. It is GOD who commands the Clouds to distil no Rains upon us, when we undergo such a Calamity. It becomes us now, with Repenting Minds, humbly to enquire, what Controversy the Holy One may have with us, in such a Calamity? And, what Iniquity it may be, that such a Punishment is inflicted for? 'Tis true; No People under the New Testament are under such a Covenant for External Prosperity, upon Obedience to the Laws of GOD, as the Israelitish Nation were, under the Mosaic Dispensation. The Blessed GOD has not promised unto any People now, That if they will not scandalously Break His Covenant, they shall see no Unfruitful Seasons. People may have the Showers of Heaven, and other such Blessings denied unto them, and be brought low thro' Oppression Affliction and Sorrow; And yet be able to say, All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant. We see it, at this very Day. The People that have least of all paid respect unto the Covenant of GOD, yet have not the fewest Showers of Heaven upon them. Nevertheless, when Showers are witheld, it is frequently, it is commonly, a Punishment upon a Land, for having sinned grievously [Page]when Water-springs are turned into Dry-ground, and a Fruitful Land into Barrenness, it is usually, for the Wickedness of those that dwell therein. 'Tis, as we read; Deut. XXVIII. 15, 23, 24. If thou wilt not hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy GOD, Thy Heaven that is over thy head shall be Brass, and the Earth that is under thee shall be Iron; The Lord shall make the Rain of thy Land Powder and Dust. Wherefore, under such Fiery Rebukes of our GOD, we should Loathe and Judge our selves for our Miscarriages. Of these, there is especially One, that is a very Comprehensive One; That is to say, Our Unfruitfulness, our Unfruitfulness! How Pertinently, but how Penitently, may this Reflection be made on this Occasion! Lord, We bring forth little good Fruit of the Cultivations which thou dost employ upon us. How fitly, how justly, how wisely, are an Unfruitful People punished with Unfruitful Seasons! Methinks, I overhear the Angel of the Waters making his Acclamations; Thou art Righteous, O Lord, because thou hast judged so! It becomes us to find out our Miscarriages; to Bewail them, to Reform them; and Repair unto the great Sacrifice of our SAVIOUR for the Pardon of them. Syrs, Our Main Work at such a time, is, To seek Reconciliation with GOD. Oh! For Good Terms with the Great KING, from whose Countrey it is, that our Countrey is nourished!

Thirdly. When we would have the Clouds to distil Rains upon us, what shall we do, what can we do, but look up to the Glorious GOD for the supply of what is wanting unto us? Both the Former Rain and the Latter Rain is that for which our Glorious GOD is to be look'd unto: The [Page] Former Rain, to soften the Ground before the Sowing of the Seed; The Matter Rain, by which the Corn in the Blade is brought on to Earing and Harvest. We have a Promise to plead for it, Isa. XXX. 23. He shall give the Rain of [or, for] thy Seed, that thou shalt sow the Ground withal, and Bread of the Increase of the Earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous. Our GOD can command the Clouds, to distil what Rains He pleases upon us. Our Main concern is with a GOD, who commands Deliverances.

This is the Direction which our GOD has given us; Zech. X. 1. Ask ye of the Lord Rain in the time of the latter Rain; so the Lord shall make bright Clouds, and give them Showers of Rain, to every one Grass in the Field. And in pursuance of this Direction, there is a Notable Thing, which I am to mind you of. In the Covenant which our Gracious GOD, after the Flood, made with our Patriarch Noah, who was to Comfort us concerning our Toil, and the Work of our Hands, because of the Ground which the Lord had cursed; there is a Promise of Regular Seasons, [Perhaps better than what were before the Flood;] wherein Seasonable Rains are comprehended. It may be partly with relation to that Covenant, that we read; Psal. XXXVI. 5. Thy Mercy, O Lord, is in the Heavens; they Faithfulness reacheth to the CLOUDS. When we want Rain, we should do well in our Supplications to plead that COVENANT of our GOD. It may be, if it were more in Use with us, to plead that COVENANT, the Faithfulness of our GOD, would bei [...]n the CLOUDS more display'd before us. My Friends, Our Invitations and our Excitations, to [Page]our Supplications, are Numberless. Among these, we have what is very cogent and pungent, when it pleases the Holy One, to send a severe Drought upon us. How Wicked, and how Woful, are the Prayerless, at such a Time, when our GOD exhibits Himself as a Consuming Fire unto us! O Prayerless ones, what a Share have you in procuring the Desolation, whibh we are in danger of, while you will do nothing for the preventing of it? Our Business at such a Time, is, To look above the Clouds, unto a Merciful GOD, who Numbers the Clouds in Wisdom, and who can stay the Bottles of Heaven. Of this GOD, we are told; He is One, whose Faithfulness reacheth to the Clouds. It may be, a GOD of such Faithfulness, will deal with us, according to the Word on which he has caused us to hope; Even, that Word; If I shut up Heaven, that there be no Rain, and my People humble themselves, and pray and seek my Face, and turn from their wicked Ways, Then will I hear from Heaven, and heal their Land. We must come this Day to that Resolution; Jer. XIV. 22. Are there any among the Vanities of the Gentiles, that can cause Rain? Or can the Heavens give Showers? Art not thou He, O Lord our GOD? Therefore we will wait upon thee: For thou hast made all these things. It was demanded of old, Canst thou lift up thy Voice to the Clouds, that abundance of Waters may cover thee? No; Let us Lift up our Voice to the GOD, who commands the Clouds. 'Tis He alone who can send abundance of Waters from thence upon us. He will not so hide Himself in a Cloud, that our Prayer shall not pass through it, and come unto Him.

I have done, The Sermon of this Day, comes to you as one of the Clouds, from whence the Rains [Page]of Heaven have been distilling upon you. But, Clouds distilling of Rains often bring Thunder with them. The Showers of this Day shall go off in Thunder and Lightning. We shall conclude with a COROLLARY, that shall carry Lightning and Thunder in it.

Surely, The Wicked that shall be turned into Hell, and all they that forget GOD, must see very direful Circumstances. Miserable they, on whom GOD Commands the Clouds to distil no Rains. But, Oh! how miserable they, who go down to the Fires that Burn in the Foundations of the Mountains! My Neighbours, If any of you Dy in your Sins, you go to a place, where GOD Commands the Clouds to distil no Rains upon the Miserables. Alas, your Lot must be in such an horrid Land as That; Isa. XXXIV. 9, 10. The Streams thereof shall be turned into Pitch, and the Dust thereof into Brimstone, and the Land thereof shall become burning Pitch; It shall not be quenched Night nor Day, the Smoke thereof shall go up forever. In that place, GOD from His Clouds, being Terrible from his Holy places, only sends down Hail stones and Coals of Fire, and burning Thunderbolts. In that place, the Tormented in vain wish for a Drop of Water to cool their Anguish. There, the Wicked are made as a Fiery Oven, by the Hot Anger of GOD; And the Smoke of their Torment ascends forever and ever.

Oh! Be perswaded, Immediately to get into the Peace of GOD; Immediately to flee from the Wrath to come; Immediately to lay hold on the JESUS, who delivers from it. Be perswaded, Knowing the Terror of the Lord!

[Page]

The RAIN gasped for.

O Father of the Rain, Look down

Upon us from on high;

If thy Land be not Rain'd upon,

What Lives on it will Dy.

Lord of the Clouds; In thee we hope;

Thine all the Bottels are;

Except Thou open them, a Drop

won't fall upon us here.

If thou make Heav'n as Brass, and burn

From thence the groaning Field,

Thy Earth will soon to Iron turn,

And no Production yield.

O Let thy Seasonable Rain

Drop Fatness on our Soyl;

And grant to most unworthy Man

The Harvest of his Toil.

But, O my SAVIOUR, in a Showre

Of Righteousness descend:

Gifts on me, with thy SPIRIT poure;

And Life that cannot End.

Yea, come upon a World forlorn,

And with a Quickening Dew,

Make thou Mankind, of Water born,

Tho' Dead, their Life Renew.

In the mean time, thy Ministers,

As Clouds, how Fat and Bright!

May they upon Salvations Heirs

Distil Things Good and Right.

Desector. The GRASS before the MOWER.

[Page]

Psal. XXXVII. 2.

They shall soon be cut down as the Grass.

OF whom speaks the Psalmist This? Those whom the SPIRIT of GOD calls, Evil Doers, and, Workers of Iniquity, are more distinguishingly and immediately referr'd unto. But it is the Common Lot of Mankind, wherein such have their Share, that is thus described unto us. Even Good Livers, They also who do no Iniquity, have their Share in it. But it is mentioned on this Occasion. Besides and beyond the more Private Interpretation of the Psalm, we are to apprehend the Song of Zion before us, as consisting of proper Instructions for the Holy People under the Reign of Antichrist, who holds Pres [...]ity to be a Mark of the True Church. We find here foretold the Ruin of Antichrist, in a [Page]Tremendous Conflagration, wherein the Enemies of GOD shall be consumed as the Fat of Lambs; into Smoke they shall consume away: And we find foretold, the Bright Prosperity of the Holy People, after the wicked one shall be destroy'd by the Brightness of the coming of the Lord. There is a Passage of the Apochrypha, in which the Son of Syrach, has given us the Sum of the Psalm now before us, wherein we enjoy a Rich Portion of our Canonical Scripture. That Passage is this; A patient Man will bear a long time, and afterward Joy shall spring up unto him In the wretched Ethicks taught by the Adored Aristotle, whom yet we may too justly call, a A great Apostle of Satan, it is commended as a Virtue, To have an Indignation at the Prosperity of Unworthy Men. This Aristotelean Virtue is here Cens [...]red, Rebuked, forbidden, as a Distemper. Fret not thy self because of Evil doers, neither be thou Envious against the workers of Iniquity: Let not the Prosperity of wicked People be any Disturbance to thee. There is this Reason why we should not be disturbed at it; They shall soon be cut down as the Grass: It will be but a short-lived Prosperity. And yet the difference between the Godly and wicked, lies not in the Resemblance which the moveable Grass bears to their Condition. So far the Rod of the wicked is but in the Lot of the Righteous. They are both of them soon cut down as the Grass, in the quick Advances of Mortality. But herein they differ. When the Godly are cut down as the Grass, ' [...]is that they may be lodged in the House of GOD; Yea, that our SAVIOUR may fill His Hand with them. When the wicked are cut down as the Grass, 'tis that they may be cast [Page]into the Oven, and thrown into the devouring Fire.

All that we shall here consider, is, The Common Lot of Mankind; For This is but what Mankind in general is to look for.

The DOCTRINE with which we are now to be Instructed, but Oh! that as much Affected!— is This.

To be soon cut down as the Grass; This is a Condition, which Mankind is not a Stranger to.

I. If all the Children of Men, yea, the most Glorious of them, and in all their Glory, be compared unto the Grass of the Field, it is a Metaphor, which the Oracles of our GOD have consecrated. As is the Grass of the Earth, even such is Man upon the Earth. It was the Song of the Ancient Lamentations; Psal. CIII. 15. As for Man, his Days are as Grass; As a Flowre of the Field, so he flourisheth. It continues the perpetual Note, and Cause of our Lamentations. I have a Commission to speak at this rate; Isa. XL. 6. The Voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All Flesh is Grass; and all the Goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field. Man, Be thy Goodliness what it will, thou art but a Leaf of Grass after all: At thy very best, no better than an Honey-suckle. To justify this Elegant, Expressive, Instructive Metaphor, and the Denomination of Grass like Man, let us call to Mind his Original. If the Grass do spring out of the Earth, 'tis no other than what we read of Man; The Lord GOD formed Man of the Dust of the Earth. Man, Thou hast thy Root in the Earth. I wish thy Heart may not be too much there; too [Page]firmly rooted there. Thy Foundation is in the Dust. And, as the Grass cant't Rise and Thrive and Live, without Influences from Above, no more canst thou. There must be Dews and Shines from Heaven upon thee, else thou wilt come to nothing. In GOD we Live and Move and have our Being. The Grass don't come to Maturity at once. Nor does Man. 'Tis by Degrees, that he comes to what is expected from him. In fine, The Fate of the Grass, This, O Man, will be thy Fate also. We are taught of GOD so to speak; Jam. J. 10. As the Flow [...]e of the Grass, he shall pass away. 'Tis what we see every Day before our Eyes.

But there is, methinks, one agreeable Improvement, which we may make of this Thought, before we part with it. Since in our Life we are like the Grass, I pray, why may we not Live like the Grass? Our Gospellized People, You enjoy the Advantages of the Spring in the Gospel; you have the Shines and the Showers of Heaven upon you. Oh! That you may now sprout, and grow, like the Herbage of a Field which the Lord has blessed. Be not neither as Christians that are just got out of the Earth, but sprout and grow up towards Heaven as far as you can: And so, keep waiting all the Days of your appointed Time, until it shall please GOD that the Sithe shall come. For,

II. All the Children of Men are liable to the Stroke of Death; Every Leaf of this Grass must be cut down by the Sithe of Death: No Remedy nor Escaping! It is an old Question, and every Man may from the Experience of all Mankind, give a plain and a [...]hort Answer to it: Psal. LXXXIX. 48. What [...] is he that liveth, and shall not see Death? [Page]'Tis in the Quality of a Mower, with an I [...]resistible Sithe in his Hand, that the King of Terrors appears unto him. 'Tis he, who may truly challenge the Title of, The Catholic King. And as David once dealt with the Geshurites, He smote the Land, and left neither Man nor Woman alive; so does this Mower deal with all Mankind; He smites the Land; He carries his Mortal Sithe over the Face of it. He cuts down all before him, until not one spire of Grass is left standing in the Field. The Matter, and the Reason of the Matter, has by the Holy SPIRIT of GOD been thus declared unto us; Rom. V. 12. By one Man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin; and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have sinned. Sin, Sin, put the Sithe into the Hand of the Mower; and has given the Edge unto the Sithe: Hence, 'tis now come to pass, Death as one may say, like Caesar, taxes all the World, and will not spare even Caesar himself. As no Poverty will shelter the meanest, so no Dignity will protect the Highest, from the cutting, stroke of the Sithe. Of the Heap fallen before the Sithe, we read; Job. III. 19. The Small and Great are there. A Lazarus feels the stroke; and so does a Nebuchadnezzar. We read, Psal. XLIX. 10. Wise Men Dy, and so does the Fool. A Solomon feels the stroke; and so does a Rehoboam. In the most Populous and Splendid City of Europe, and, I suppose, of the World, there are by Computation, almost a Million, of those whom we take leave to call, Spires of Grass. In a very little while, they will be all cut down as the Grass; Not one of them left standing in the World. In the English Nation, there are by Computation, almost Eight [Page]Millions of these poor Spires of Grass. In a very little while, they will be all cut down as the Grass; not one of them left standing in the World. But must not the Grass all over the World, be used like the English Grass? They Compute for near Five Hundred Millions of these frail Spires of Grass appearing on the whole Globe at this time. In a very little while, they will be all cut down as the Grass; Not one of them left standing in the World. We read; Eccl. VII. 2. This is the End of all Men, and the Living will lay it to his Heart. Oh! That they would do so! Sorry Leaf of Grass; No Corner of the Field thou standest in, will be a priviledged Place where the Arrest of Death cannot come upon thee; and where the Sithe cannot reach thee! Will Holiness render thee Invulnerable? No; Moses is cut down. Will Courage? No; David is cut down. Will Vigour? No; Sampson is cut down. Will Grandeur? No; Abashuerus is cut down. Will the Best Qualities imaginable repel and retund the Sithe? No; As accomplished a Man as Paul: must have a Time of departune; and feel the Sithe in the form of an Axe applied for his Excision. They too whose Profession it is to keep others Alive, are not suffered to continue by reason of Death. One Generation passes away, by the Sithe doing its Office upon it; and another Generation cometh; but This also still finds the Sithe ready for it. A Sithe, a Sithe is sharpened, and also furbished: It is shorpened to make a fore slaughter; and it shall carry all before it.

But as we read, As many as came to the place where Aschel fell down and died, stood still, so coming to such a vast Heap of Mown Grass, and seeing so [Page]many lie dead. at this place, I can't but stand still, and make a Pause. I can go no further, till I have tendered a Counsil, that will carry a Satyr in it. The very Tender of such a Counsil, is a Satyr upon the Spires of Grass, that seem to have as little Sense as the Turfs of Earth, and the Clods of the Valley, which the Grass grows upon. Tis this; O Man, Believe thine own Death, and expect the Reach of the Sithe unto thee. Oh! That we were come once to Realize this thing; I am one of those whom the Sithe of Death will cut down as the Grass. This is a very strange thing! The most Mysterious Point in all the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed GOD, has not more cause, than this Truth which lies every Day before our Eyes, to complain, Lord, who hath believed it! Tho' we see that Word every Day fulfilled before our Eves; Heb. IX. 27. It is appointed unto Men once to die: Yet how many do live, as if they were never to die! The Epidemical Neglect of making due Provision for a Good State after Death, tis a Transgression that saith in my Heart, There is no fear of the Sithe before their Eyes. Men will grant it in the general Assertion, All Men are to die. But many things [...]ook, as if many of us did not grant it in the particular Application; I am the Man that am quickly to die. Certainly, it becomes us to say; Job XXX. 23. I know that thou wilt bring me to Death, and to the House appointed for all the living. Oh! Let us bring this Consi [...]tion home to our selves. Yea, Die daily; And, let us do those things, which will be sound the Things of our Peace in the Day of our Death! Verily. There is no Wisdom equal unto This!

[Page] III. Uncertain the Time when the Mower will come; The Offspring of the Earth, is not always of one Age and of one Bulk, when the Mower applies the Sithe unto it. Old Jsaac was not the only Person, who may say, with him; Gen. XXVII. 2. I know not the Day of my Death. All the Spires of Grass, that are Cut down, are not of an equal Growth; but the stroke of Death is given with a Promiscuons Excision among them. And, Mista Senum et Juvenum densantur Funera. The Sithe not only comes upon a Methuselah; But it comes upon an Abijah too; And the Child died. We read of some; Job. XXXVI 14. They Dy in Youth. How often has the Report been made, since the Days of the Sons of Job, The Young Men are Dead! We read of Children Dying. Read of such things! Yea, we see them every Day. The Zareptaness, and the Shunamitess, are not the only ones whose Children have died. It is a passage; Cant. II. 12. The Flowers appear on the Earth; the Time of singing is come. It may be rendred, The Time of Cutting is come. The Flowers of the Grass do no fooner appear, but the Time of Cutting presently comes upon them. The Ccoming forth of Man, is quickly followed with his Cutting down. It is a frequent saying, There are Skulls of all sizes in Golgotha We are warned concerning the Time when the Sithe is to come into its Operation; Eccl. IX. 12. Ma [...] knoweth not his Time. They that have made Nice Remarks on Bills of Mortality, will tell you; That one half of those that are Born, don't live Seventeen Years; That about Forty of an Hundred are found alive at Sixteen Years; That but Ten out of an Hundred, at Forty-Six; but Six, at Fifty-Six; [Page]but Three, at Sixty-Six; but One, at Seventy-Six. When GOD pronounced the Sentence of Death upon Mankind, it ran so; Gen. III. 19. Until thou return unto the Ground. It is a Descant which one of the Ancients made upon it; He does not say, Until thou hast passed thro' so many Years; but he speaks Indeterminately, Until the Time come; ‘A Time which I will keep Uncertain to thee, when it will come.’ Truly about the Execution which the Sithe of Death is to do upon us, We must say, Of that Day and Hour knoweth no Man. The Mower comes at that rate; Luk. XII. 40. At an Hour when ye think not.

Here again, how can I do any other than make a stop; and make it a Season to bring what will always be a Word in Season? It will here be a seasonable Admonition; The Uncertainty of Death should quicken us to labour for and Hasten to, a Certainty, That it will go well with us when we Dy? GOD forbid, That any Leaf of Grass, the smallest as well as the largest, the Youngest as well as the Oldest, should reckon themselves excused from that Grand Concern, A serious Preparation for Death. My Friends, Embrace an offered SAVIOUR in all his Offices. Accept the Covenant of Life, with all its Proposals. Be Importunate with the GOD of all Grace, for a sanctifying Work of his Grace upon you; unpacified until you find in yourselves the comfortable Marks of a SOUL in good Terms with Heaven. This must be done before you feel the Sithe; Undone, undone are you, if you Dy before this be done. Mind, I beseech you, what comes now to you from the Mouth of the Glorious GOD. If the Sithe find you unprepared, and strike [Page]you, while you are yet in your Sins. your Doom will be That; Psal. XCII 7. When the wicked spring as the Grass, it is that they shall be destroy'd forever. Verily, The Sithe will consign you over, to a Destruction from GOD, which, why, why is it no more of a Terror to you! Oh! Be able to say, with him, O Lord, I thought on my Ways and I turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies; I made Haste, and I delayed not to keep thy Commandments.

IV. When the Children of Men who are the Children of Death, are taken away with a stroke, and the Mortal Sithe cuts us down as the Grass, 'tis not without something of a Violence, that the stroke does what it comes for. This Expression, They shall be cut down; denotes a Violence in what is done; 'Tis Violently done. First, The Death which we call Violent, as it is opposed unto Natural; This is no rare thing among the Prisoners of the Earth. 'Tis no rare thing to Dy by Casualties, or to Dy by Adversaries. To Dy like them on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, or to Dy like them whose Blood Pilate sacrificed Sometimes the Sithe strikes with a Damage that happens Accidentally. Sometimes with a Mischief that is done Intentionally. We read of some whom the Sithe handles at that rate, Job. XXI. 13. In a Moment they go down to the Grave. Many a Death is brought by External Occurrences; by Invasions from abroad; So Died the First Man that ever died; While others may with Hezekiah say, He will cut me off with pining Sickness. But then, In the Death whice is most Natural, there is yet a Violence done to Nature. To Dy, is a thing Against Nature. To Dy willingly, is a thing Above Nature. Death is a Dissolution which Nature has an [Page]Horror of. Nature shrinks before the Sithe which threatens to Cut us down. On the Approach of the Sithe we cry out, Psal. XXXIX. 13. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. Death appears as our Enemy; An Enemy, that robs us of all our worldly Possessions; An Enemy that makes painful Assaults without ceasing upon us; An Enemy, which nothing but our Hearts-Blood will satisfy. Thou hast found us, O our Enemy?

This Proposition also shall not be dismissed, without a Pertinent and Important Admonition. Can we tell of no way so far to cure our Aversion for Death, as to take away the Violence of the stroke, which the Sithe must give unto us? Yes; It may be so, that tho' our Death come ever so Violently, yet it may come Acceptably, and we may bear the Cutting as indeed an Acceptable kindness of GOD unto us. There was one who could say; Phil. I. 21. To me to Dy is Gain. 'Tis no wonder that it then follows; I desire to be dissolved. O you that are going the Way of all the Earth, Hearken to me. Become Reconciled unto GOD, and you will easiy become Reconciled unto Death. Get a well-grounded Assurance of a Blessedness after Death, and you may overcome all your Antipathy unto Death. Let your Conduct be such, that you need not be asham'd to live, and you need not be Afraid to dy. Lay hold on a Glorious CHRIST, in His Gospel declaring Himself willing to be your Life and your All. If a CHRIST be your Friend, then your Death will be your Friend. If a CHRIST be yours, then O Rich Heirs of GOD, it may be said unto you; 1. Cor. III. 21, 22. All things are [Page]yours; Even Death it self is yours. The SAVIOUR who has made a Conquest of Death, may give you a Triumph over it: The SAVIOUR, out of whose Hands no Death can pull you: The SAVIOUR, who by suffering of it Himself, has taken away the Sting of Death. Oh! Commit your selves into His Hands; and say, Lord, I am thine, save me. Then, be no longer so loth to dy. Especially, They that have stood a long while in the Field; stood until they are coming to the Grave in a full Age, as a shock of Corn cometh in the season thereof; and can sing, Lord, Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace. My Brethren, Tho' Death be a Violent sort of a Thing, yet, Oh! May our Death, be exceeding Voluntary! Let us entertain the Stroke of the Sithe, Easily, Readily, Cheerfully, with a most amiable and admirable Resignation. Let us give an uncommon Welcome unto it. Yea, Welcome, O Sithe, coming to deliver me from the Hand of all mine Enemies, and from the Hand of Sin! Welcome, O Killer, and yet, O Comforter! Welcome, O Thou cutter of the Knot, upon the Dissolving of which I go to my Father. When it is cut off I fly away to the sweet Mansions of my Fathers House. Oh! Blessed, Blessed be my SAVIOUR, who has made such an horrible thing as Death to become so welcome to me, that in the dark Valley of the shadow of Death, I have no more Horror of Darkness upon me!

V. The Stroke which brings our Death, may be a very sudden stroke; the Sithe which cuts down the Grass, may do it very suddenly, and with a quick Dispatch. The Sithe is not long adoing what it has to do; One Touch of it upon the Leaf, and it [Page]goes down at once. It is a Case propounded; Num. VI. 9. If any Man die very suddenly. How frequent a Case! Yea, any Man may do so. The greatest, the strongest, the youngest may do so; and often does it. The Death of People may be sudden, in this regard, that it surprizes them, even when they fancied, Goods laid up for many Years, and could perhaps impiously say of a Thing they thought nothing of, I thought no more of it than of my dying Day: They are surprized, with the Bow-string served upon them. They are engaged in a most Eager Pursuit of This World; full of its Projections, full of its Amusements; But, the Sithe unexpectedly comes at them; and that Word is fulfilled upon them; A Desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know of. Yea, their Death may be sudden in regard of the quick Work it makes with them; One Blow does it: They are gone on the sudden. They this Week make a lively, perhaps, a Busy Appearance. The next Week they Disappear, and their place knows them no more. Well one Day, Dead the next. Yea, Well one Hour, Dead the next. So we read of some; GOD shall shoot at them with an Arrow, suddenly shall they be wounded. They are talking, and walking, and working, and perhaps diverting themselves; And within a few Minutes they are gone into Eternity. They go to Bed well in the Evening, but there is a Midnight-Cry heard in the Family. They go abroad well in the Morning. But some Wound, or Fall, or Pit brings a Night before Sunset upon them. The Sithe takes them, as the Hook does the Fish, or the Shot the Fowl. So the Sons of Men are taken in an evil time, when it cometh suddenly upon [Page]them! There may be the Transcendent Mercy of a Gracious GOD in such a Dispensation, to them that are Good, and the Upright in Heart. Some who do not Fear Death, yet Fear Dying. Unto such the Sorrows of Death are abated, by the Abbreviation of them. The Days of Tribulation are shortened unto the Elect, and are presently over with them. They escape a Grievous Death, by not having a Lingring one. There is an abatement of the Curse unto them, and they run speedily and easily thro' the Shadow of Death, so that indeed it proves but a Shadow of Death unto them. There may be also the Tremendous Vengeance of a Righteous GOD in such a Dispensation, to them that walk in the Crooked Ways. It is with them according to that Commination, The Anger of the Lord shall be hindled against you, and shall destroy thee suddenly. They are so Destroyed, that all Space to Repent is at once for ever taken from them; and they are stript of their sleighted Opportunity to do what must be done, by all that would be saved from the Devouring Fire, and the Everlasting Burnings. Of an Ungodly Wretch, we read, The Lord will come upon him, in a Day when he looked not for him, and in an Hour that he shall not be aware of. 'Tis to Ascertain a dreadful Portion for them; that they are brought unto Desolation us in a Moment. This is a thing which GOD often puts into the Portion of the wicked. Their Desolation must come as a Whirlwind: It comes with the Rapidity of a Whirlwind; but it is in His Wrath. Antichrist is not the only Son of Perdition that must see the Fulfilment of that Prediction; When they say, Peace and Safety, then sudden Destruction cometh upon them.

[Page] Such a Quick Motion of the Sithe, will render such an Admonition as This to be infinitely Reasonable. It is not to be said, That a Man should Live every Day, as if he knew it were to be the Day of his Death; But this must be said, We should Live every Day, as not knowing, but that it may be the Day of our Death. It was propounded among the Remarkables of the Christian Life; 2. Cor. VI. 9. As Dying, and behold we live. How Remarkably would it befriend and bespeak and strengthen a Religious Life; and how Remarkably would the Horrors of a sudden Death be taken off; if we lived always as Dying, and as having a sudden stroke of the Sithe impending over us! When we Pray, Think, I may die suddenly, and this may be the last Time of my calling upon GOD. When we Hear, Think, I may die suddenly, and this may be the last Sermon that ever I spall be instructed from. When the Sabbath arrives, Think, I may die suddenly, and be gone before another Sabbath. And, when we Converse with our Friends, Think, I may die suddenly, and this may be my last Conversation with them. Christian, So Number thy Days, as to look for no Number of Days. This will apply thy Heart unto Wisdom.

¶ And now, upon the whole; There are some Lessons of PIETY, which, Oh! that they may come upon us, with as much Efficacy, as they will with Pertinency!

I. Beware, O standers in the way of Unavoidable Death, Beware of those Things that may Hasten the Stroke of Death, and bring the Sithe before [Page]the Time upon you. Death will come fast enough. It will soon cut you down as the Grass. The Sithe, and what follows unto the Ungodly, It slumbers not. But some Crimes will bring it on sooner than the Course of Nature would ripen for it. We read, Eccl VII 17. Be not overmuch Wicked: Why shouldest thou die before thy Time? Exceeding Sin, This will bring on Untimely Death. O Undutiful Children and Servants; Do you Reform; and no longer persist in your Disobedient and Refractory and Rebellious Behaviour; Or else look that the Fifth Commandment will bring on Anticipations of the Sithe upon you; and forbid your Days being Long in the Land. Let the Malignant Revilers of Good Men, and of them that are Innocent and Industrious Instruments of Good in the World, Consider their Ways. Methinks, The Twelfth and Thirteenth Verses of the Thirty fourth Psalm, should stand like a Flaming Sword in their way, and make them stand in Awe, and not Sin, in that way any more. Let all that use Dishonesty in their Dealings, also Consider their Ways. While they make haste to be Rich, the Thing which is to strip them of all their Ill-gotten Riches, does also make haste: And, He who gets Riches, but not by Right, leaves them in the midst of his Days, and at his end shall be a Fool. Rash Sinner, Do not by thy Sin call for the Sithe; and quicken the Pace of the Mower, that is upon his way unto thee.

II. Do presently, what you would certainly do, if you were sure to Die presently; and leave nothing undone, which under the Stroke of the Sithe you will wish to have done. O Vain Mortal, for [Page]whom here is no abiding; What if the Dead Warrant could be shown thee? This Year thou shalt die; Or, A Month shall devour thee. Wouldest thou not presently go thro' a Process of Repentance; Wherein thou wilt pass from Death to Life? Presently, Confess and Bewail thy Sins, and plead the Blood of the Great Sacrifice for thy Pardon? Presently give thy self up unto the Lord, and lay hold on the Covenant of GOD, and send up vehement Petitions to the Glorious One to bestow a New Heart upon thee, and be in Agonies until thou feel a New Biass on thy Soul, and the Love of GOD planted in thee, as a Root, that shall prove a Tree of Life unto thee in the Paradise above! Then, Let all this be done accordingly; be done immediately! The Advance of the Sithe requires that it be done, without any more ado. The Maxim is, To make Hay while the Sun shines. While thou hast the Benefit of the Sun shining on thee in a Day of Grace, Oh! Do with thy Might, what thy Hand finds to do. The Thoughts of a Dying Man, Oh! Come into them. They are the wisest Thoughts that can inspire or direct the Living. Our Lord cured the Blindness of a Man with putting of Clay upon his Eyes. If the Clay to which our Death will shortly reduce us, were duly applied unto our Eyes, what a True Sight of Things would it help us to! It was the Wish; Deut. XXXII. 29. Oh! That they were Wise; that they would Consider their latter End, There are many points of Prudence: But, This I say, Brethren; The most Finished and Exalted Prudence in the World, is, For a Man to consider what Judgment he will pass upon every thing at his latter End; [Page]how he will Judge of every Thing when he feels the Sithe [...]ntting him down; And consider, what those things are, the doing whereof will at his latter End give the most Comfortable or the most Lamentable Reflections unto him: And order his Conversation aright; Even with a Behaviour which the Sentiments of a Man under the Sithe, would justify. O Man going down to the Dead; Suppose thy self a Dying, thy Blood boiling, thy Breath failing, thy Throat rattling, and the Decretory Hour come upon thee; Consider upon it; What, what should I wish to have done, at such a critical Time as this? Regulate thy self in every thing, by what thy Conscience will now bring as a Message from GOD unto thee.

III. Let us fall before the Sithe of the Destroyer, with a livel Faith of Rising again, by the power of a Redeemer: Dy Believing and Expecting a Resurrection from the Dead Of the Patriarchs taken off by the Sithe, we read, All these died in Faith. Of wha [...]? Of a Good [...]tate after Death; and of a Resurrection from the Dead. We have a Sure Foundation of this Lively Hope, in the Resurrection of our Blessed JESUS from the Dead. Our JESUS declared, That an Hour shall come, when He will make all who are in their Graves to hear His Voice and come forth. As an incontestible Token for this, He foretold His own Resurrection from the Dead, on the Third Day after His Crucifixion. He did Rise as He said He would; And his Resurrection has as Infallible Proofs as any Matter of Fact that ever was in the World. Upon this, an Austin would cry out, Cur desperabo! — Why, why [Page]should I despair of his doing on me what he did on himself, and for me? No; This Deliverer of Souls, has done enough to satisfy us, of his being a true Witness, in all that he has Reveled concerning a Resurrection to a Life of Immortality for his followers. He has now sufficiently assured us, That he will Raise and Change ou [...]vile Bodies, by the working of his mighty Power, which can subdue all things unto him.

It looks Melancholy, to see such Heaps of Grass, cut down by the Sithe of Death. But, Rejoice not over me, O my Enemy; For tho' I fall, I shall arise. The coming of our SAVIOUR is thus foretold; Psal. LXXII. 6. He shall come down like Rain upon the Mown Grass. This Rain, O Mown Grass, will fetch thee to Life again. Yea, The quickening SPIRIT of GOD, shall come like the Dew of Herbs, upon thee, to Revive thee, O Beleever, at that Voice of thy SAVIOUR, Awake, and Sing, ye who dwell in the Dust. But in that Revival, O what an astonishing Change will pass upon thee? In what Glory, How Luminous, How Vigorous, How Incorruptible, will thou be Raised? O Comfort your selves and one another, with such words. Particularly, At Funerals, let this be, The Consolation. In the mean time, O thou Candidate of Heaven; Go thy way till the End be. For, thou shalt stand in thy Lot at the End; But in the mean time, thou shalt Rest; and be in a Coelestial Garden of Eden, where, no Evil shall annoy thee; but thou shalt be Comforted, with Visions and Enjoyments of GOD; and be in those Courts of the Lord, where One day will be better than a Thousand of the best here below.

Come then; Be Dead before you die. Being Dead with CHRIST, and Crucified unto the World, and [Page]Mortified unto all the Vanities of the present State, and so improved in Piety under all the Killing Things you meet withal, that your Life may lie only in a CHRIST left unto you; Be ready to entertain the Stroke of the Sithe, and say, Strike, O Mower, strike, when my SAVIOUR shall Order thee; And let me go to be with Him, where to be is by far the best of all.

The Song of the SITHE.

O My Long-suffering Lord, I own,

And thy rich Patience praise;

The Mower, he has not cut me down;

I stand; O wondrous Grace!

I wait, O of my Life the. GOD!

I'm waiting for the Stroke.

I see the Mower: He's on the Road;

Soon, soon, I'am overtook!

O that I were in Safety got;

That what I can't Evade

I may with Comfort meet, and not

Be of the Sithe afraid.

I do with a Repenting Heart

To thee, my GOD, Return;

From all my Idols I depart,

And for my Follies mourn.

[Page]

To Thee, my SAVIOUR, I Resign,

All that belongs to me;

Willing to be entirely Thine,

And Heal'd and Rul'd by Thee.

By Thee to be Redeem'd, and made

Righteous and Holy too;

And by thy Counsil to be led,

Thy endless Glory to.

Now, Welcome Sithe; Come, Do thy worst;

Strike; Thou canst do no more,

But fit me to be Lodg'd, I trust,

In my GOD's Blessed Floor.

Arbores Frugiferae. The ORCHARD flourishing.

[Page]

Psal. I. 3.

A Tree—that bringeth forth its Fruit in its Season.

O What the Blessings of the Man who is not walking in the Counsel of the Men that are set for Impiety! The Man who stands not in the way of sinful Wanderers! The Man who sits not in the seat of scornful Cavillers! The Blessings of this Godly Man are declared unto us, under the Metaphor of, A Fruitful Tree. Wherein there may be some Remembradce of, and some Allusion to, a Passage in the Benediction which the Patriarch bestowed upon Joseph; A Fruitful Bough by a Well; of whom we read, The Lord made all that he did to prosper. No doubt, here may be a Prophecy of what our Glorious Lord will do for His People, when He [Page]comes in His Kingdom, after the Fall of Anti-christ, when His People shall be the Branch of His Planting, the Work of His Hands, that He may be Glorified. But the Blessings of every Godly Man, are to be considered in it. And it is purticularly considerable, That his Blessings are as much in his Godliness it self, as in any Article whatsoever. Fruitfulness is Godliness. Tis among the singular Blessings of a Godly Man; That he shall be a Fruitful Man; He shall bring forth Fruit unto GOD; He shall be a Tree, whereof it may be said, [For so it shall be readd,] Whatsoever it does bear, shall prosper very well. The Fruit shall not be lost.

But in the Text now before us, Behold, An excellent Property of the Fruit, which will be found with the Godly Man. It will be Seasonable Fruit. He will bring forth Fruit in the Season thereof. We read, Eccl. III. 11. GOD hath made every thing beautiful in the Season thereof. Come now, and behold a Tree which GOD has made Beautiful in its Goodness; Its Top is among the Thick Boughs; All the Trees in the Garden of God may envy it.

The Fruit I am now to bring forth, I hope, not unseasonably for your Entertainment, and Edification, will be This.

The Fruits of PIETY brought forth in the season thereof, are the Endeavour and the Character of a Godly Man; Yea, in such seasonable Fruits there very much lies the Blessedness of Real Godliness.

The first Thing that I am to do, is to tell you, what are the Fruits that are to be found in the Endeavour and the Character of a Godly Man. But [Page]have I not already said, The Fruits of PIETY? You are to be told in one Word, The Acts of PIETY are the Fruits to be expected from us. When the Glorious One says, Luk. XIII. 7. I come seeking Fruit: The Things which He seeks are the Acts of PIETY, wherewith GOD is to be acknowledged in all our ways. When we are directed, Exercise thy self unto Piety, tis a Direction unto Fruitfulness. To yield Obedience unto GOD, is to bring forth Fruit unto Him. There are Fruits in all Acts of Obedience to that Rule, which GOD has given us, That we may Glorify Him, and Enjoy Him for ever. It is prescribed unto us, Prov. XXIII. 17 Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the Day long. This will be to bring forth Fruits unto the Lord, all the Day long. The Fruits required of us, are all those Points, wherein the Fear of God is to be exercised. The Acts wherein we live unto GOD, and mak [...] it our Design to serve and please Him; are the Fruits required of us. The Acts wherein we prove that we Love the Lord our GOD with all our Hearts, and Love our Neighbours as ourselves; are the Fruits required of us. The Acts wherein we render Glory to GOD in the highest, and express Good Will towards Men, are the Fruits which our GOD has required of us.

But the main Thing that I am to do, is, To Enquire what are the Seasons for our Fruits, and what are the Fruits, with which the several Seasons are to be accommodated. I hope, it will be a Word in Season. And how Good will such a Word be, if it be well-hearken'd to?

We read, Eccl. III. 1. To every thing there is a Season, and a Time to every purpose under Heaven. [Page]Truly, To every Fruit there is a Season; and a Time for every thing that is to be done in our way to Heaven, and in pursuance of our Purpose to come to Heaven.

I. There are the Fruits of PIETY, for which we have a Season every Day, at the Hour of our Daily Sacrifices. The Devotions wherein we hear GOD speak to us, and GOD hears us also speak to Him; The Devotions wherein we Read the Word of GOD, and seek the Face of GOD, and Commune with our own Hearts; What are these, but so many Fruits of Piety? First, there is the Religion of the Closet; So prescribed, Mat. VI. 6. Enter into thy Closet, and when thou hast shut thy Door, Pray to thy Father who is in secret. And then, there is the Religion of the Houshold; So prescribed, Col. IV. 2. Masters, continue in Prayer, and Watch in the same with Thansgiving, Together with such as belong unto you. Now these Fruits of Piety, in every Morning, and in every Evening, we are to find a Season for them. The People of GOD had of old their Morning Sacrifices, and their Evening Sacrifices. Our Devotion are Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to GOD by JESUS CHRIST. In these Devotions, doing the part of Priests unto GOD, we are to have both our Morning Sacrifices, and our Evening Sacrifices. In the Morning, there is a Season for us to Retire, and Feed upon some Truths wholesome to be taken, as we may say, next our Hearts; and then do like him who said, My Voice thou shalt hear in the Morning, O Lord; In the Morning I will direct my Prayer unto thee, and will look up. In the Morning there is a Season for us, [Page]to call our Domesticks together, and after we have also fed them with something from the Word of Truth, hereupon to do like him, of whom it is said, He feared GOD with all his House, and prayed unto GOD always. In the Evening there is a Season to Repeat such Devotions; and Renew our Visits unto Heaven. Yea, Some will oftener in a Day than so, find a Season for Addresses to Heaven, with some of these Devotions. He did so, who could say; Psal. XV. 17. Evening, Morning, and Noon will I pray and cry aloud. But in the Evening, for the close of all, and that we may lie down in Peace, and sleep, and be assured of dwelling in safety, have we not a Season to Reflect on the Favours we have received in the Day, and be Thankful for them? A Season, to Reflect on the Errors we have committed in the Day, and be humbled for them? A Season to Resign our selves and our All, into the Hands of our SAVIOUR, and by some Act or other, put it out of Doubt, that we are in good Terms with Heaven, and in safety for Eternity?

But as an Appendix to our Account of the Daily Devotions, wherewith we are to bring forth Fruit in the Season thereof; Let the Table be brought in. It must not be forgotten, That when we sit down at the Table, Now is a Season to confess that the Glorious GOD is the giver of our Daily Bread, and that we live not by Bread alone, but by the Blessing of GOD upon it. Now is a Season for us to eat and drink for the Glory of GOD, intending thereby to fit our selves for the Work which He has assigned us; and Govern our selves by the Rules of Temperance which GOD has given us. [Page]Now is a Season to think on the Food which endures to everlasting Life, and to feed those that are about us, with a Communication that may Edify them.

II. There are the Fruits of Piety, for which we have a Season, as often as any Ordinances of Public Worship are to be attended on. We read, Psal. XCII. 13. They that are planted in the House of the Lord, shall flourish in the Courts of our GOD; They shall bring forth Fruit. Verily, as often as we come into the House of the Lord, we have a Season to bring forth Fruit unto our GOD. Yea, We should still come hither with such Ends moving of us to come, that our very coming it self should be to bring forth Fruit unto our GOD. We have our precious Liberties, to do that thing, I will bless the Lord in the Congregations. We have especially One Day in a Week, allow'd us for this purpose. With an Eye to the Fruits of Piety, which we have now and here a Season for, our Dispositions are to be those; My Soul does flame with Thirst for GOD, ev'n for the Living GOD: When shall I come, and when appear before the Face of GOD? And those, Lord, Better than a Thousand is One Day within thy Courts; I on the Threshold chuse to keep in the House of my GOD, rather than have my Dwelling in the Tents of Wickedness. When the Prayers are made in the House of GOD, Now is a Season to accompany the Confessions and Petitions that are offer'd up unto GOD, with a Soul attentively coming into them, and charitably bespeaking for all the People, a share in the Kindnesses of Our Father in the Heavens. When the Psalms are sung in the House of GOD, Now is a Season, to form some [Page]Holy Note, and some Holy Wish, from every Verse, and with Grace in our Hearts, make a Melody to the Lord. When the Sermons are preached in the House of GOD, Now is a Season to Receive the Truth in the love of it, and make the Echo's of a Consenting Soul unto all that passes in them; and send up numberless Ejaculations unto Heaven; those Ejaculations, Lord, I own it; or, Lord I ask it! in the Hearing of what is brought from thence unto us. The Baptism of the Lord administred in the House of our GOD affords us a Season, over again to Lament our own Original Sin, and implore a Deliverance from it by the Blood and Power of our Great REDEEMER; and overagain lay hold of the Covenant of GOD for our selves and ours; and also to wish well unto the increasing Families of the Neighbourhood. But then, When our SAVIOUR sets the Children of GOD as Olive-Plants about His Table, Oh! what a Season have we there to bring forth all manner of pleasant Fruits unto the Beloved of our Souls! Now is a Season to Admire and Embrace a CHRIST evidently set forth as Crucified before our Eyes; and be Ravished in the sweet Meditation, wherewith Man may now eat the Food of Angels. Now is a Season, to make all the Sallies of a Repenting and a Believing Soul, and a Soul making an Oblation of it self unto GOD in the Flames of Love: O Spiknard, Now send out thy pleasant Smell! Now is a Season, to strengthen and confirm the Resolutions of an Heart fixed for the Ways of GOD. Yea, Now is a Season to take the Comforts of all the very great and precious Promises, which are now sealed unto us, and Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of GOD, [Page]which we shall see when our Blessed JESUS brings us to sit in the Heavenly Places with Him. I will add this one thing more; If on the First Day of the Week, there be Gatherings, of what every one has laid by him in store, out of what GOD has prospered him withal; Now is a Season for us to bring the Sacrifices which GOD is well-pleased withal. Now say, Gracious GOD, Wilt thou accept this little Quitrent, which confesses, that I owe my All unto thee! Even the Widows Two Mites are Good Fruits unto GOD. But, when I said, We have one Day in a Week, thus to draw near unto the GOD, whom it is good for us to draw near unto, I did not say All, that might be said. For we have our Lectures too; In which we have a Season for those Fruits, that our GOD looks to find in the Fields of Zion. What Fruits may we both taste, and yield, if we made a due Resort unto those Assemblies of GOD? Verily, The Assemblies of the Faithful, at the Lectures, would not be so scandalously Thin, as they generally are, if People were more careful to bring forth Fruit in the Season thereof.

III. There are Fruits of PIETY, for which we have a Season, very often when we come into any Company. The Tongue of the Righteous, is compared unto a Tree of Life, because of the Fruits which it brings forth unto them that are about him. And thus we read; Prov. XII. 14. A Man shall be satisfied with Good, by the Fruit if his Mouth. Be sure, Fruitless Visits are Things which will be avoided by the Wise Men, who take the way that is Above. When we are upon the Visiting Account, [Page]shall not we do well to think, What Fruit, even what Good, may this Visit afford a Season for? The Visiters that are so kind as to come unto us, may awaken the like Thoughts in our Minds. If the Company which we come into, be Superiour to us, Now is a Season for us to get Good by them. We may, by Questions prudently proposed, put them upon bringing forth Fruit, for our Instruction. But if we are more on the level with our Company, we have more commonly, Now a Season to do Good unto them. Let us now shun the Raw Fruits of Impertinences; the Sowre Fruits of Controversies; the Stinking Fruits of an Obscaene and Rotten Communication. Our Conferences ought always to have a Tendency to something that is Good. Now is a Season, as for the Dispatch of the Affairs which we come upon, so for them that Fear the Lord so to speak unto one another, that they need not be ashamed, if their Talk be found written in a Book of Remembrance before the Lord. Christians, When you are together, do Good unto one another; Inform one another; Quicken one another; Comfort one another. Do your Best, that you may be the Better for one another. Now and then propose it, What Good may be done before we part? Oh! what Fruit would be brought forth in the Season thereof, if Good Men when they come together, would more see to it, that their coming together may be for the Better and not for the Worse! But I know, what I say will have little Notice taken of it.

IV. There are Fruits of PIETY, for which we have a Season, when the Business of our Temporal Calling is in its Prosecution. Every Israelite must [Page]be able to make a suitable Reply, to the Interrogatory once put unto the Sons of Israel; What is your Occupation? It is directed, 1. Thess. IV. 11. Study to do your own Business. Indeed This Thing it self, is to bring forth Fruit in the Season thereof: When a Man minds and plies his own Business in the Season thereof. The Business of the Personal Calling, wherein a Man deserves well of Humane Society, and accordingly demands upon it; This is part of the Fruit, that should be found upon us. For which cause every Man that is employ'd in any Business which is of use to Humane Society, may challenge what that Maxim of Religion has ordered for him; Honour all Men. The very Wheelbarrow is to be with Respect look'd upon. But then, O Christian, Wilt thou not bring forth Fruit unto GOD as well as unto Man, in the Business of thy Personal Calling? And wilt thou not be at work for Heaven, in what thou hast to do upon Earth? How Nobly, how Bravely, how Pleasantly, and with what Songs in the House of thy Pilgrimage will the work proceed, if it may be so! Truly, Now 'tis a Season for thee, to bring a Right Principle into its Operation, and think, Because GOD my SAVIOUR has ordered this Business for me, Therefore 'tis that I will now Cheerfully do what my Hand finds to do. I will Obey GOD my SAVIOUR, and be emply'd as a Servant of His, in what my Hand finds to do. But then, all the Industry, all the Honesty, all the Alacrity, in carrying on thy Business, from this Right Principle, which thou hast now a Season for; This also will be a Fruit well resented with GOD. And canst thou not Now likewise find a Season, to have thy Mind filled with [Page]the Precious Thoughts of GOD, until it may be said, How great is the Sum of them? Certainly, The less thy Business does require of Intense Thoughts upon it, and where the Hand is more engaged than the Brain, and the Hand also goes on with a Repetition of the same Thing a thousand times over, Now tis a Season to multiply the Thoughts of one whose Conversation is in Heaven. The Skill of making Occasional Reflections, on Visible and Various Occurrences; Oh! the lovely Fruits, which it would help the Christian to abound withal! What Life and Peace would such such a Spiritually-minded Christian be bless'd withal! It may be yet further said, That they who in the Shop spend very much Time in waiting for Customers, it may be, more than in tending upon them; These have Now a Season for very much Reading of such Things, as may fill the Chambers of their Souls with precious and pleasant Riches. My Friends, Consider what I say, and GOD give you Understanding.

V. There are Fruits of PIETY, for which we have a Season, when our GOD bestows Comfortable Things upon us. There are Cultivations by our GOD upon us, in all His Dispensations towards us. There are particularly so, when He dispenses unto us, any Agreeable Things, and we have His Light shining on our Tabernacles. The Glorious GOD now makes a Demand of Agreeable Fruits from the Children of Men, when He makes an Hedge about them, and blesses the Works of their Hands, and their Substance is increased in the Land. His Wrath fell upon one for this; 2 Chron. XXXII. 25. He rendred not again according to the Benefit that was done unto him. [Page]Syrs, Are you in Prosperity? Now tis a Season for you to serve the Lord with Gladness of Heart, in the Abundance of all things which He has given you: A Season for you to maintain a most Intimate Communion with GOD; and for you to Do Good in a most plentiful and copious Manner to all that are about you. Yea, Upon every Article of Prosperity, which your Lives are sweetened withal; Now tis a Season for you, to Give Thanks unto the Lord, who is Good, and whose Mercy endureth for ever. Now tis a Season for you to be Inquisitive, What shall I render to the Lord for all His Benefits? Now tis a Season for you, to be full of Projections, How you may bring others to share with you in all the Blessings of Goodness.

VI. There are Fruits of PIETY, for which we have a Season, when our GOD inflicts Calamitous Things upon us. There are some Strokes in learning the Statutes of GOD, which are to be the peculiar care of them, who would be able to say, Tis good for me that I am afflicted: Things peculiarly calculated for a Day of Adversity. When we are Chastened of GOD what are the Things to be look'd for? Those Things; Heb. XII. 11 The peaceable Fruits of Righteousness. O you that have an Heart stouping with Heaviness; Now tis a Season for you, to pour out your Souls unto the Lord, that so you may be no more sad. You have been so taught of GOD; Is any among you Afflicted? Let him pray. Now tis a Season for you, To Search and to Try your Ways, and to Turn unto the Lord; and not be Fools bray'd in a Mortar. You are to find out the Errand which your Troubles come upon, and see that it be well comply'd withal; Reform what [Page]your Affliction comes to Rebuke you for; Perform what your Affliction comes to Excite you to; And say, I have born Chistisement; I will not offend any more. Now tis a Season for Patience to have its perfect Work; And when Killing Things befall you, 'tis the Season for you to make a mighty Progress in Dying unto Creatures; in patiently submitting to be stript of every Thing, and have a CHRIST the only Thing lest Alive unto you, and find in a CHRIST alone every Thing that you have a Relish for. But what shall we do, if there be the Hand or Tongue of Man, in what we suffer? If Men rise up against us, Revile us, Injure us; Yea, Floods of Ungodly Men keep Dashing and Roaring upon us? Now tis a Season for us, with Meekness of Wisdom, to take the True Way of dealing with, and shaking off, a Viper. If Works of Iniquity are prevailing against us, Now tis a Season for us to use the best Methods, that our Transgressions may be purged away. Now tis a Season for us to be but the more zealous of Good Works, and to be Barked into a greater Speed in Runnig the way before us. Now tis a Season for us, Generously to Forgive Injuries, and Overcome Evil with Good.

VII. There are Fruits of PIETY, which every Age of Life, gives a Distinguishing Season for. Most certainly, The Lively Oracles of GOD, so distinctly calling on, Fathers, and Young Men, and Little Children; so distinctly calling on Young Men and Maidens, Old Men and Children; These intimate, that every Age is a Season for some Fruit unto GOD.

More particularly. Are there not Fruits which Old People have a singular Season for; and are most [Page]singularly obliged unto? No doubt of it! We read of some; Psal. XCII. 14. They shall bring forth Fruit in Old Age. My Neighbours, Has GOD brought you to be so stricken in Years, that you may say, Now I am Old and G [...]ay-headed; Verily, Now tis a Season for you to get and keep your Evidences for Heaven so clear, that you may be ready upon the first Call, to go away Triumphing, and receive the King of Terrors, not at all terrified at his Approaches, but saying, O Messenger of Heaven, Thou art welcome to me! Now tis a Season for you to set an excellent Pattern of Serious Gravity; of a Soul weaned from a World, which you have upon a long Trial, found so fill'd with Vanity and Vexation; of an entire and profound Submission to the Will of GOD in all Events; And with such a Pattern of all Goodness, to be full of Savoury Discourses, and continually dropping wholsome Admonitions on those that may be reached by them. Now tis a Season for you, to sit loose from all things here below, and have your Thoughts and Hopes and Joys exceedingly applied unto the Everlasting Habitations which you are quickly to be received into. And above all, Get a Soul as full of a CHRIST as ever you can: Gather a Double Fortion of that Manna, now your Sabbath is coming on! O Thou Hoary Head, thus found in the way of Righteousness: Thou art a Tree, which we will keep with us as long as ever we can. Thy Fall shall be only to Transplant thee into the Paradise of GOD.

But then, Oh! That Young People would be more concerned for the Fruits which ought in this their most proper Season to be sound upon [Page]them! Children, Don't you hear your GOD saying Mic. VII. 1. My Soul has desired the First Ripe Fruits? The Fruits of Righteousness which are grateful to GOD from All People, are more eminently so from Young People. Oh! Be not so Unrighteous as to withold them. You are in that Season whereof it may Emphatically be said, Behold, Now is the Acceptable Time. Now if Ever; Now is the Season, for you to Cleanse your Ways; Let the Young Man do so. He'l do it, if he take heed, according to the Word. Now is the Season for you to Remember your Creator; Tis to be done in Youth, before the Evil Days come. Now is the Season for you, to know the Holy Scriptures, that you may be made wise unto Salvation; and seek that Wisdom, which will be found by the early seekers of it. Now is the Season for you to make a Recognition of the Bonds which were in your Baptism laid upon you; and from this Time say unto GOD, Thou art my Father, and my Saviour, and the Guide of my Youth. Now is the Season for you to be Espoused unto your SAVIOUR; and upon His Astonishing Proposal to make you His own, Heartily to answer, Lord, I am Thine, save me! You, You are They, to whom your SAVIOUR says, O my Dove, Let me hear thy Voice; for sweet is thy Voice unto me. Will you Now, even in the Season of it, Let Him Hear the Voice of your Supplications? And therein that Voice, Lord, I am sorry for my Sin! That Voice, Lord, In the shadow of thy Wings I make my Refuge! That Voice; Lord, Thou art my Portion, I have said, That I will keep thy Word. Child, As young a Tree as thou art, such Fruits may and should be found upon thee; Oh! That they may be so! This, This [Page]is the fittest Season for them. Such Rathe-ripes, what a Price would be set upon them!

Yea, But who can Reckon up, all the Fruits, which, O Fruitful Christian, thou mayst find a Season for?

Scarce can I forbear making this Observation, That all the Four Seasons of the Year, may be made so many Seasons, for those Desires of PIETY to be pursued, that shall be most elegantly adapted unto them. Very particularly; There are what may be called, Supplicationes Hyemales, or Winter Desi [...]es, which the Accidents of the Winter make a Season to insist upon. Can we see the Sun at such a Distance from us? And shall it not now be a Season to pray, Lord, let not my Soul, nor the World, languish in a Distance from my SAVIOUR? Can we see the Snow? And shall it not now be a Season for us to pray; Lord, let the Blood of my SAVIOUR make my Guilty and Stained Soul, whiter than the Snow? Can we see the Ice? And shall it not now be a Season for us to pray; Lord, Keep me from Falls into Sin; And, Let not my Activities for thy Service be frozen up? Can we see our Double Garments? And shall it not now be a Season for us to pray; Lord, Clothe me with the Garments of Righteousness and Salvation? Can we see our Fuel that warms us? And shall it not now be a Season for us to pray; Lord, make me Fervent in spirit for thy Service; But O save me from the Fiery Indignation which is to devour thy Adversaries? Can we feel the Cold, which who can stand before? And shall it not now affect us to think; Who can stand before the Wrath of the Lord Almighty? Can we see the Fruitless Face of the Earth? And shall it not now [Page]be a Season for us to Hope; Lord, Tho' my Life he too much without Good Fruits, yet thou canst bring me to be Fruitful in Good Works; And tho' the Face of the World at this Day be horribly Barren and Wretched, yet I will Hope in thee to give it one Day a better Face, and bring on a Better Time.

Christians, other Trees bring not forth Fruit in the Winter. 'Tis not a Season for it. We may be most Fruitful in the Winter. Some Fruit is then best in Season.

But then, for the Other Three Seasons of the Year, why may we not be awakened also, by the Circumstances of the Seasons, to form Supplications, which may be seasonably insisted on?

For the Spring.

Lord, Let the Sun of Righteousness draw near unto me; and let me be Quickened, and Revived, and made a New Creature, and made very Fruitful, by His Benign and Blessed Influences.

Lord, Let a Glorious CHRIST return, like the Sun, to a miserable World; and bring a New Aspect upon it; produce upon it a New Creation, and fill it with the Fruits of Righteousness.

Lord, Let the Hours of Darkness grow shorter and shorter with me.

Lord, Let the Time for the singing of Birds come on. Let thy CHRIST fit me for, and fill me with, the Songs of the Redeemed. And let the Songs of Piety replenish the whole Earth, with an Heavenly Melody.

Lord, Enable me with Diligence to prosecute a Divine Husbandry; and with Patience to wait [Page]for a Good Harvest of my Endeavours to serve the Kingdom of GOD. Oh! Let Light and Joy be sown for me!

For the Summer.

Lord, Let me be as Fruitful as any of the Trees or Fields, which now yield a grateful Spectacle. Oh! Let me abound in the Fruits of Righteousness,

Lord, Let my dear JESUS be to me as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land. And may I also Drink of what flows from that admirable Rock.

Lord, Let me be Entitled to, and prepared for, the Blessedness of that World where no uneasy Heat will molest thy Children.

For the Autumn.

Lord, Let me see a Joyful Harvest of all my poor Essays to Glorify Thee: Let me Reap with Joy.

Lord, Let me arrive to my Grave, and thy Floor, as a Shock of Corn fully ripe in the Season thereof.

Lord, Affect me, and the rest of Mankind, with a sense of our own Mortallity: For, we all Fade as a Leaf!

I have done.

I have only Two short Motions to make; Upon Conforming to which, you will bring forth Fruit in the Season thereof; Yea, much of that Fruit by which our Father, and our SAVIOUR, will be Glorified.

[Page] The First is This. Make it your Ambition to Live unto GOD, as Explicitly as may be, in all your Actions, and all your Enjoyments.

In your Actions, often, very often, Think; In this Thing I would aim at the serving and pleasing of the Glorious GOD.

In your Enjoyments, often, very often, Think [...] I see the Glo [...]ious GOD in this Thing, and would serve Him with it.

And in all, still Remember the Eye of the Glorious GOD upon you.

The Second is This. Be watchful Redeemers of your Time. Set an high Price upon Time. Contrive to Husband your Time as well as ever you can. Lay out all your Time, either in Mowing or in Whetting. Either in Doing and Getting of Good, or in Fitting your selves for Good Purposes.

No Season will be without its F [...]uit, where such PIETY shall be always exercised.

We read of a Tree, Rev. XXII. 2. which Yields its Fruit every Month. But here is a Tree that Yields its Fruit every Day.

Thus, Even Thus, you shall find that Illustrious Word accomplished; Hos. XIV. 5, 6. I will be as the Dew unto Israel; He shall cast forth his Roots as Lebanon; His Branches shall sp [...]ead; and his Beauty be as the Olive-tree.

Arbores Fulguritae. APPENDIX. Thoughts on a NEW-YEARS Day.

[Page]

Luk. XIII. 9.

If it bear Fruit, well; And if not, then after That, thou shalt cut it down.

A Day of Patience for one Year more is then obtained for a Barren Fig-tree. After the utmost Hazard of Destruction, for a Barrenness of Three Years, an Intercession is made, for one year more, to be allow'd. It was begg'd, Lord, Let it alone this Year also: that so a further Cultivation might be employ'd for the Cure of the offensive Barrenness. But, Behold the Consequence to be expected of the Grant thus made for Thu Year also. A Thing highly worthy to be deeply considered by us; To be so at all times; But very particularly so, on a Day, when we see the first Day of a New Year granted unto us.

The whole World had been very Barren of good Men, and of good Things, for no less than Three [Page]Thousands of Years. In the Fourth, our SAVIOUR made Intercession for Mankind, which had hitherto stood as a Barren Fig tree. Upon this Intercession the Great GOD staid unto the End of the Fourth. But then our SAVIOUR Himself was brought forth, and the Effusions of the Holy SPIRIT upon Ma [...]kind, then produced those other Fruits, for which the World stands unto his Day.

In making this Observation, I do not say, That I have made an Exposition of the Parable now before us. But I will observe, That our SAVIOUR being thus brought forth, we have here set before us, in a Parable, some of the precious Fruits, which the Church of GOD has found, in Him and from Him, who is indeed the Tree of Life. Our Lord had newly warned the Jews, That if they did not Repent, they must perish. Now, since it might be Enquired, How and why they must perish, we have here in a Parable, an Answer to that Enquiry. The Prophet Isaiah, in his wellknown Song had compared the Land of the Jews unto a Vineyard. Our SAVIOUR, not without some Allusion to that S [...]ng of Isaiah, here compares the Chu [...]ch of the Jews, unto a Barren Figtree in that Vineyard. It is here foretold, That GOD would by a R [...]man Axe cut down the Tree, for its U [...]fruitfulness. However, there is Hope of the Tree; tho' it be cut down, it shall sprout again, and the Tender Branches thereof will not cease. 'Twil do so at the Resurrection of the Dead. But the Comparison may be carried on, unto more of particularity. O Man, Thou art the Tree Every Person under the Means of Grace may be compared unto a Fig-tree. The Flight which our Fallen [Page]Parents presently made unto a Fig-tree for their Cover and Relief, has added unto our Claim for the Resemblance. Every Person who does not improve in PIETY under the Means of Grace, may be compared unto a Barren Fig-tree. But the Danger of such unfruitfulness! The Doom of Cutting down is passed upon the Barren Fig-tree, after an Expectation excended for Three Years to see Fruit upon it. And Intercession is made, for One Year more of Expectation. The Consequence of what shall be found upon the Expectation to be still kept for This Year also, is here declared unto us. And an awful DOCTRINE shall introduce yet a fuller Declaration of it.

When the too-unfruitful Children of Men, have one Year more of the Divine Patience obtained for them, it is of the last Consequence, what Fruit shall in This Year be found upon them.

Let us, my Brethren, begin the Year, with some Admonitions of PIETY, which may be of use to us every Day of the Year, or, every Day that the GOD of our Life shall please to allow us in the Year.

I. Good Fruit is to be expected from all that have the means of growing Wiser and Better, employ'd upon them: A Good Fruit of such means. The Voice of GOD, Oh! Voice more than any Thunder to be trembled at! — is this, Behold, I come seeking for Fruit! People whom GOD places under the means of becoming what they should be, ought to be a Fruitful People.

[Page] But what is the Fruit that is to be looked for? PIETY does in one Word, express the Fruit which GOD expects from us all. PIETY and a Growth in PIETY. The Fruit looked for, is found in the Progress of a Soul Returning to GOD. GOD our Maker, has imprinted on our Soul, a Tendency for a Return to Him: In His Gospel, He does direct and Assist this Natural Tendency. We do in the ways of Sin Depart from Him, unto Creatures. We Return to GOD in the PIETY, which Remembers our Obligations to our GOD that made us, and Endeavours to find That in Him, which we vainly sought in Creatures. Just so much Progress as we make in this Return to GOD, just so much Fruit is to be found upon us. To Live unto GOD; This is to bring forth Fruit unto Him. Every Act of that Life, which lies in seeking and serving, and pleasing of GOD, is part of the Fruit which is required from us. Or, to use another Term for it: Good Fruit is found in every Religious Compliance with the Will of GOD. All manner of precious Fruits are laid up for the Bel [...]ved of our Souls, in those Demands, Mic VI. 8. To Do Justice, and love Mercy, and walk Humbly with thy GOD. And, Tit. II. 12. To live soberly, and Righteously, and Godlily in this present World. Every Grace of GOD in the Soul, 'tis a Good Fruit. Such Things are called, Gal. V. 22. The Fruits of the Spirit. Every stroke in the work of Grace, produced by the Holy Spirit of GOD, in the chosen People of GOD, is a Good Fruit in the Soul. He that becom [...]s a Gracious Christian, becomes a Fruitful Christian. An Holy Christian has his Fruit unto Holiness. And all Gracious Actions are so many Fruits of a Christian [Page]that has the Root of the Matter in him. They are called, Phil I. 11. The Fruits of Righteousness. There are Good Fruits, in those which are called, The right Thoughts of the Righteous. There are Good Fruits in those Words, which make the Tongue of the Righteous as a Tree of Life. The Good Works of the Righteous, are Good Fruits. There are Fruits in our Devotions; Fruits in our Benignities; Good Fruits in all those good Things, wherein we render Glory to GOD in the Highest, and express Good Will towards Men.

Will you hear the Good Fruit expected from you? My Hearers, Give Attention to the Demands of Heaven upon you. 'Tis demanded, That you Repent of Sin, and Believe on CHRIST, and give yourselves up unto GOD. It is demanded, That you place your Love, and your Hope, and your Joy, in the Great GOD, and walk with Him, and have your Eye, continually unto Him and be mindful of Hu Eye upon you. It is demanded, That you be Diligent in your Callings, and Ingenuous in your Dealings, and Useful unto your Neighbours.

It is demanded, That you carry it well in your several Relations, and so treat your several Relatives as to Adorn the Doctrine of GOD your SAVIOUR. It is demanded, That you pay suitable Acknowledgements unto GOD under His various Dispensations unto you: And, finally, That you place not your Happiness in This World, but in the Enjoyments of that Heavenly World, where GOD shall be All in All. Verily, you are unfruitful, if such Things as these be not found upon you. Be sure; An Unregenerate Sinner is a Dead Thing; a Tree that has no Good Fruits at all upon it. A [Page]Christian too, in whom the Grace of GOD is not very Conspicuous, and who does Little Good; a F [...]eble Christian, tis pity he should have the Honour to be called, A Fruitful One.

II. While Men continue Unfruitful there is from the [...]atience of an Offended GOD, obtained for them, One Year after another, with an Opportunity for Good Fruits to be found upon them. Yea, After Three Years of looking for Good Fruit, there is often One Year more obtained, that it may be seen, what Good Fruit may be found upon us.

One Thing to be Remarked is, That the Barren Tree, is an Offence unto the Glorious GOD. Of an Unfruitful Thing, we read, Heb. VI. 8. It is nigh unto cursing. Alas, The Unfruitful have the Wrath of GOD abiding on them. The Unfruitful are they with whom GOD is Angry every Day. Unfruitfulness is the Grand Crime, for which the Wrath of GOD comes on the Children of Disobedience. Even so provoking a Sight unto Heaven is a Barren Tree, that it is a Wonder the Fate of the Tree in the Vision of the Chaldean Emperour comes not upon it; A Wonder, that an Holy Watcher coming down from Heaven do not cry aloud, and say, Hew down the Tree. But yet it is Remarkable, That the Patience of the Glorious GOD bears One Year after another, with the Barren Tree. So is that Word fulfilled; Isa. XXX. 18. The Lord waits that He may be Gracious. The Ax is indeed lifted up The Barren Tree is ready for the stroke of the Ax. But there is obtained a Liberty for the Barren Tree, to stand yet One Year more. And how is it obtained? A Seasonable Intercession comes in [Page]to obtain it; Lord, Let it alone this One Year also. So One Year more is added unto the Day of Patience. The Enquiry may be; Whose Intercession is it, that prevails on this Occasion? Be sure, No Intercession can signify any thing for a Sinner, without That of our SAVIOUR. 'Tis our SAVIOUR, who is our Intercessor. Tis He, of whom we are told, Heb. VII. 25. He ever lives to make Intercession for us. And indeed, an Authoritative Intercession can be made by none but Him. The Day of Patience indulged unto Reprobates, even This, is owing to our SAVIOUR. Our SAVIOUR Intercedes, that GOD may be Glorified, by lengthening out the Day of Patience, to those who after all will be Children of Wrath. The Pity, the Pity, in the Heart of the Blessed JESUS, for them, does move Him to Intercede for a Day of Patience to them. And then, for the Elect of GOD; The Day of Patience proves a Day of Salvation for them. Tis as we read, 2 Pet. III. 15. The Longsuffering of our Lord is Salvation. The Elect of GOD are for a while, and some of them for a long while, Barren Tre [...]. There must come a Year, wherein they shall Begin to bring forth Fruit unto GOD. With respect unto this Year, there is the Intercession of their SAVIOUR for them: Let them stand this Year also. A Sinner that by long Barrenness has exposed himself to Destruction, is by the Intercession of our SAVIOUR, preserved from it. The Intercession by'nd by arrives to these Terms, This Year also! For, This Year, The Sinner will be converted from the Error of his way. This Year, the old Sinner will be a New Creature; will become a Servant of GOD, and a Blessing in the World. Therefore, [Page]Therefore it is, that the Tree stands, This Year also. And the Charitative Intercession of them that wish well unto the Tree; the Charitative Intercession of some whose Effactual Fervent Prayers will avail much; the Charitative Intercession of Pastors, and of Parents, and of Godly Friends; This may also Contribute unto this Day of Patience.

III. The Success of the Means used with the Unfruitful, while the Patience of GOD, is waiting One Year after another, to see Good Fruits upon them; This is Uncertain; To us, it is but Uncertain. Let the Barren Tree have One Year more, obtained for it, it is to us for the present not certain, whether it will bear Fruit, or whether Not. This Uncertainty indeed, is not with the Glorious GOD. For, The Lord knows who are His. He Infallibly Foreknows, how Men will be at the end of the Years. And His purposes are Unchangeable. But the Success of the Gospel, and of all the Labour used about a Barren Tree, it is with us, that it labours under an Uncertainty. When the Gospel comes any where, GOD sends it, because He has a People there. Some of His Elect are there. And as we read, Act. XIII. 48. As many as were ordained unto Eternal Life, Believed. Thus; None of the Elect shall continue always in their Barrenness: A cutting down shall be none of their Portion. But then, There are Many Called, who are not Chosen. And because they live Both Together, the Gospel, with the Offers of a SAVIOUR, and the Means of coming to Knowledge and Goodness, are granted unto Both Together. In the mean time, Tis not for us to discern which is which. This is among [Page]the Secret Things which belong unto the Lord. Men cannot convert unto GOD whom they please. The New Birth, is, J [...]h. I. 13. Not of the Will of Man. The Success of the Gospel, depends on the Will of GOD; A Sovereign GOD, who will have Mercy on whom He will have Mercy. Is any Fruit ever found upon any Soul? From me is thy Fruit found, saith the Lord. Should there be so much as one Barren Tree among our Children, if it were in our power to convert them unto GOD? So much as one Barren Tree in this Assembly of Zion, if it were in our power to give Success unto our Ministry? Ah! Lord, If it were in our power, they should all bring forth Fruit unto thee! But, we must hold on endeavouring for the Conversion of all about us, Uncertain about the Success of our Endeavours. 'Tis uncertain to us, whether it will remain a Barren Tree, or no. It may be, Fruit may This Year begin to be found upon it. It may be, its Unfruitfulness may render it ripe for cutting down. We must hold on faithfully doing what we have to do; and commend unto GOD our Pains with our Prayers; leaving the Success of all with Him alone.

IV. If before the Year of Patience and Probation expires, People become Fruitful unto GOD, It is well; All shall be well. The Barren Tree hav one Year more obtained for it, If it bear Fruit, it is well. Be sure, with the changed Sinner himself, it will be well. The Quickened Sinner becomes a Pardoned one. None of his former Unfruitfulness, nor of the Bad Fruits found upon him in his Unfruitful Days, will be charged upon him; He will [Page]have the Pardon of them all! It shall be according to That; Ez [...]k. XVIII. 22 All his Transgressions, that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him. The Threatnings of GOD against the Barren Tree, shall not now be executed on him. Tho' it is Threatene [...] [...] unto the Wicked; and it is Threatened, Evil pursueth Sinners; yet he is now safe, among the Just ones, to whom it must be said, It shall be well with them; and, who shall have no Evil happen to them. His Jov may be hat; Isa. XII 1. O Lord, I will praise thee; For tho' thou wast angry with me, thine Anger is turned away, and thou dost Comfort me. The Glorious GOD in His Promises now speaks comfortably to him. The very treat and precious Promises in the Covenant of GOD now belong unto him. All the Blessings purchased by the Blood of the Son of GOD now belong unto him. The Fruit which he brings forth unto GOD, what is it but a Fruit of the Everlasting Love in the Heart of the Glorious GOD unto him? In every Right Thing, which GOD enables the Fruitful Soul to do for him, He says unto that Soul, Behold, A roof of my Everlasting Love unto thee; Behold, a Sign that I will have thee to stand one Day among the Plants of Righteousness in my Garden, by which I will be Glorified Yea, And it shall be well also for them who wished well unto the Tree; and especially to them who have done any thing for the Tree; When they see the Fruit which they have wished for. The Angels of GOD themselves, The Angels of GOD among whom there is Joy over a Sinner that Repenteth! Even those Birds of Paradise, will come and hover with Delight about the Fruitful Tree, and sit in the Boughs of it, and [Page] Sing together, and Shout for Joy. My Friend, so well will it be, from the Moment of thy becoming Fruitful unto GOD.

V. When the Year of Patience and Probation is expir'd, the Barren Tree no longer to be born withal, has a Destruction appoin [...] for it: A Destruction from GOD, which, O M [...]n, should be a Terror to thee. If Now, it bear not Fruit, After That, a Cutting down shall be order'd for it.

You must be, first, warned of this; That the Barren Tree shall not be always born withal. The Glorious GOD will not always bear with it. The Patience of Heaven may stay a great while; But anon the Leaden Feet will come with Iron Hands. Of one, who had a space to Repent, and Repented not, we find anon it comes to That; Rev. II. 12. A great Tribulation. Barrenness under the Husbandry of GOD; shall I say, 'Tis a Sin? Yea, 'tis a Complication of all Sins. And this under the Aggravation of sinning against Instruction, against Conviction; of Rebelling against the Light. Can the Glorious GOD see a Disappointment of His Husbandry, without an Infinite Indignation against it? A Fiery Indignation that shall devour a Tree so obnoxious unto Him? Ah! Barren Tree; What a Contempt all the while dost thou cast upon the Patience of God? Thus to Despise the Riches of His Goodness and Forbearance, and Long suffering! Thus to Turn His Grace into Wantonness! GOD is greatly provoked at the Dishonour thus done unto Him. His Honour is in His Patience, how abominably, how unaccountably trampled on! He Resents the Disparagement. Yea, The Barren Tree will wax worse and worse. [Page]Evil Men shall do so. They are the worse for the Patience of GOD. All tends to nourish and augment their Corruption. This adds to the Provocation. Anon, they grow Hopeless. Their Case is Desperate. They are Irrecoverable. To no purpose is any further Patience. To what purpose, one Year more? The Wrath of the Lord arises, and there is no Remedy. So, Abused Patience is turned into Fury. As a patient Creditor, long baffled, and bantered, and play'd upon, at length takes the Law upon the Debtor; becomes Inexorable: Thus the affronted Patience of GOD, will no longer divest the Law from taking its Course, on the Unfruitful Sinner. The Law is, Cut down the Barren Tree. O Unfruitful ones, Awake out of your security. GOD limits a certain Day, saying, To Day if you will hear His Voice. The Patience will come to an End, if your Barrenness don't come to an End. And, Oh! presume not, The Vision is for many Days to come. It may come to an End, sooner than you are aware of. It may come to an End, when you flatter yourselves, To Morrow shall be as this Day, and much more Abundant. It may come to an End, with such a Writ as that upon you, This Night thy Soul shall be required of thee. But, Oh! What will your Condition be, when the Day of Patience is come unto an End?

You must be, in the next place, warned of this; Destruction, Destruction comes, the Year of Destruction is come, on the Barren Tree, when the Patience of Heaven will not allow One Year more unto it. When the Barrenness of a Tree, has, as we may say, wearied out the Patience that waited on it; Then comes the Word, Cut it down! Stub it up! [Page]Root it out! A Tre [...] is Destroy'd that is thus dealt withal. Of the Unfr [...]itful we read. Phil. III 19. Their End is Destruction The Barren Soul will find it self as much under the Aversion and Abhorrence of GOD, as a B [...]rren Tre [...] is to the Disappointed owner. How shall I Pardon thee? Saith the Lord. GOD will so deal with the Unfruitful at the last, that there shall be an End put unto all Hope, of any Fruit from them. With a Tree that is Cut down, it is so. GOD will at length use no more Dressing upon them. No Counsils, no Tenders, no Perswasives, will be used any more; or, if they be used, the Dews of Heaven will not accompany them. There is an [...]xe laid unto the Root of the Tree. There are Instruments used by the Vengeance of Heaven, to Cut [...]ff the U [...]fruitful Sinner, and the Days of the Wicked are shortened Perhaps Mortal Sickness chops him down. GOD Thunderstrikes the Tree; The Hand of Heaven strikes it down; hews it in pieces. Or, There may be some grievous Accident, or some cruel Enemy, whereto he is delivered. It may, 'tis not at once dispatched: There are several Blows given; There is a Repetition of the Blows. One Blow comes upon another. There is a Succession of Judgments, All tending to the Ruine of the Unfruitful Sinner. 'Tis anon thrown into the Fire. There is an Hell which it is thrown into; An Hell compared unto a Fire, for the Torment of it. None of all the Fuel there, will make or feel so hot a Fire, as the Barren Fig tree. No punishment will be equal to that of those, who have had many Means to make them Fruitful unto GOD; but the Means have all proved ineffectual. Their Hell will be the worse, because [Page]of what Heaven did for them. The Light against which they have sinn'd, will become as Oy [...] to the Flame of their Unquenchable Fire, They sin [...] the deeper into the Blackness of Darkness forever, because they were once, not far from the Kingdom of GOD. Unto them, who have been Exalted unto Heaven in the Meant of Repentance, but all the Means have been lost upon them, it has been declared; Mat. XI. 24. It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom, in the Day of Judgment than for thee! Oh! That such Things as these were more thought upon!

APPLICATION.

Methink [...] the very Day, may very agreeably invite you to Think upon them: The Intercession made a Year ago, Lord, Let it alone this Year also, has obtained it for us, That we are this Day entring upon a New Year. I am not sure of obtaining one Year more; or that, if the Fruit required from us, be brought forth any time within one Year more, it will be well; or that the Barren Tree, if it will persist obstinately so, shall not be Cut down before one Month of this Year be out. I will therefore insist upon some Lessons of PIETY, which on this very First Day of the Year, should be hearkened to. My Hearers, you run tremendous Hazards, if the Things be not Immediately hea [...]kened to. I am very sensible, That New-Years Day has too often been a Day of Paganizing Superstitions. I am also sensible, That it would be a Criminal Thing to alienate the Lords Day from the Intention of Sabbatizing to the Lord, in a Commemoration [Page]of our SAVIUUR's Resurrection from the Dead. And yet I will address you with some Lessons of PIETY, which will be but the more Beautiful for the Season in which I bring them to you. There shall be the more of Cogency and Pungency in them, for their coming unto you on a New Years Day. I will make as a Bright a Beginning of the Year for you as I can; and as one who knows not what a Year, no, nor what a Day may bring forth.

First, O Be very Thankful, very Thankful, for This, that you have had one Year more, added unto the many Years, wherein the Glorious GOD has come looking fur Fruit upon you. How Thankfully may you this Day say, as in Act. XXVI. 22. Having obtained Help from GOD, I continue to this Day. This Day Consider, How many [...]ars have I seen, since I came into the World. Consider, How many Younger than I, have been laid in the Grave, since I came into the World? Consider, How often have I been very near unto Death my self since I came into the World? Add this Consideration; How much have I provoked an Holy and Righteous GOD by my Unfruitfulness, to have cut me down, many, many Years ago? Then fall down before the Lord, with all possible Thankfulness. Yea, with surprized and amazed Souls, and even swallowed up with Admiration at it, Cry out, O my GOD, I am astonished at thy Patience! Oh, Let me make a Right use of it! Oh! Let it be found, that thou in Love to my Soul hast kept me so many Years from going down into the Pit of Corruption.

Secondly. Confess it, Bewail it, that the Glorious GOD should so many Years come looking for Fruit, and find so little of what he has looked for; [Page]and seek and get the Pardon of it. Oh! Let it not be said This Day, as in Jer. VIII. 6. I hearkened and heard; No Man Repented, saying, What have I done? This Day examine your selves. You will upon Examination find, That you have brought forth little of that Fruit which you should have had. You will find, That very much evil Fruit has been found upon you. Oh! The Humiliations which you a [...]e by your Unfruitfulness call'd unto! Cry out, Lord, I abhor my self, and I Repent in Dust and Ashes! Cry out, Lord, such a Barren Tree deserves to be turned into Dust and Ashes. Weep to the Lord for the Pardon of this Unfruitfulness. Plead the Sacrifice of the Fruitful JESUS, who yet was Cut off. Let This be your only Plea for your Pardon. The Cross is to be pleaded, that the Barren Tree may be pardoned.

Thirdly. That you may be spared this Year also, yea, as not knowing whether you shall be so, or no, Begin the Year with such Dispositions, and such Resolutions, that some Good Fruit may even This Day be found upon you. Your Good Fruit must not be put off, as what may one Year more be staid for. I do vehemently This Day press for such Things as these.

First; O all you Unconverted ones, This Day, This Day, Turn to GOD; and Resign yourselves up to the Conduct of your SAVIOUR. Too long, Ah, too long, O miserable ones, you have been under the Condemnation of a Total Barrenness. 'Tis high Time for you, to come unto That; Psal. CXIX. 59, 60. I thought on my Ways, and I turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies. I made Haste and I delay'd not to keep thy Commandments. Oh! [Page] Make Haste, and Think not of Delaying your Turn to GOD, for one Year more. 'Tis enjoined upon you, Immediately to give up your selves unto GOD, with Sorrows for your Wandring after Idols, and with Desires that you may not offend any more. Immediately Receive your SAVIOUR in all His Offices, with all His Benefits. Immediately Resolve upon a Life of PIETY; and say, Lord, I am Thine, Save me!

Secondly. If any of you are Conscious, of your having hitherto omitted any thing that should have been some of the Good Fruit upon you, This Day put yourselves into a way that the Year may not roll on much further, before you are come unto it. Of This Good Fruit, let that Complaint be heard no longer; Jer. XIII. 27. When shall it once be? This I press on those, that have not yet set up the Worship of GOD in their Families. And this I press on those who have not yet come into the sacred Fellowship at the Table of the Lord. Yea, I urge for This; That we do every one of us This Day, study somewhat upon that Question; In what points may I become yet more Fruitful unto GOD? Indeed I can tell no better way to be spared this Year also. It has been an old saying; Fructus Liberat Arborem. If the Tree would stand, let it bear. O Bearing Tree, If thou fall This Year, it shall be only to Translate thee into the Eden that is above.

There are Two or Three Meditations, which I intreat you in the Evening of This Day, to give some Entertainment to. Muse, till the Fire burns.

First, Think This; Who knows, which are the Trees among us, that are to be cut down this Year? [Page]It was of old said unto one; Jer. XXVIII. 16. This Year shalt thou die. Doubtless, There are some in the Auditory, who are This Year to die. Every Year it has been so. And, Lord, Is it I? So may every one say. No one knows, whose Lot it will be; whether it mayn't be his own, To die this Year.

Again; Think This; If I am cut down before I begin to bring forth Fruit unto GOD, what will become of me? Tis a terrible Word; Matth. VII. 19. Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is [...]ewn down, and cast into the Fire. O Tremble, Tremble, at the View of the Formidable Fire [...] Look down into the Devouring Fire, and the Evenlasting Burnings! and say, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my Soul!

Finally; Think This; Tho' I should not be cut down, yet if I do not bring forth good Fruit, I may be as bad as cut down. I will fay unto you, what will be as Bad! As Bad as a cutting down will be that Sentence from the Mouth of GOD; Matth. XXI. 19. Let no Fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. To be Judicially given up unto Eternal Blindness, and Hardness, and Ungodliness; O! Tis a fearful Thing. Beware, Beware, lest this come upon you. Deprecate it wonderfully.

And now Retire; If you presently bring forth Fruit, Even, This Day; for a To Morrow must not be talk'd of; Tis well! But, if not,— Then After That!—who can say, what is to follow? Oh! Consider of it.

I have done. I know not what sort of a New Year others may wish you. But I wish you a Pious New Year; A New Year filled with the Fruits of [Page]PIETY; Full of Goodness, and filled with all the Blessings of Goodness.

The Sons of GOD, Singing among The Trees of GOD; Full of Sap, and of Songs before Him.

A Barren Tree! O, Why, My Lord,

This Cumberer of the Ground;

Why has it not yet heard the Word,

The Just Word, Cut it down!

'Tis owing, O my SAVIOUR, to

Thy Intercession still,

That I am sav'd and standing so,

And not thrown down to Hell.

But from this Time, Oh, let me be

A Tree of Righteousness:

Fill'd with the Fruits of it; A Tree

Which thou wilt own and Bless.

A Tree planted and prun'd by GOD;

Fix'd by His Water-side:

The Fruits thereof Rich, Sweet, and Good;

And Thou thence Glorified.

[Page]

From the Forbidden Tree I am,

How Poison'd and Undone!

From thence, how dismal Mischiefs came,

And Deaths, in which I groan!

But, O my SAVIOUR, By thy Death

Upon a Tree, thou art

The Tree of Life, to which my Faith

Flies with a Joyful Heart.

On Thee, O Tree of Life, I must

Rejoicing Feed and Live;

Thou'lt me, when fell'd and laid in Dust,

A Resurrection give.

Yea, When below to Mortal Eyes

I must no more appear,

Transplanted to thy Paradise,

I shall still flourish there.

Gaudentius. The Joyful HARVEST.

[Page]

Gal. VI. 9.

In due Season we shall Reap, if we Faint not.

THE Joy of Harvest is now before us! Here is an Husbandry, that never will, never can, miss of a Glorious Harvest! The Husbandry prosecuted in the Fields of Nature, often misses of the Harvest expected by the Husbandman. Our Apostasy from GOD, has brought a Curse upon the Earth, and a Failing of the Harvest which we have Laboured for. After much Labour, the Issue often is That; Joel I. 11, 12. Be ye ashamed, O ye Husbandmen; Because [...]e Harvest of the Field is perished. Joy is withered away from the Sons of Men. But in the Husbandry of PIETY, a Blessed and a Joyful Harvest is never missed of. We are advssed from Heaven of it; It shall have a Sure Reward. The Reward of PIETY is the Harvest of it. Of this, the Holy SPIRIT of GOD has here given us this Assurance; Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall Reap, if we faint not. It seems, [Page]The Work of PIETY may not be without its Wearisome Difficulties: Things which our Carnal Minds may dispose us to be too soon weary of. But, Hold on, Hold out, O Unwearied PIETY. There will be an Harvest, wherein thou shalt Reap, what will be a Great Reward, yea, a Full Reward of all: The Oracles of our GOD have expresly called it so. But it is a Season that must be waited for.

Our Apostle is exhorting of the Faithful to shake off, yea, cut off. (with a just Excommunication) the False Teachers from whom they suffered more than a little Trouble. But at the same time, he exhorts them to advance a Liberal Maintainance for the Orthodox, Diligent, Vigilant Ministers of the Gospel. He would have them to beware, lest they mocked GOD in their Parsimony on this Occasion; but asserts unto them, that their Liberality in this Matter, would not fail of a Recompence. There would be a Desireable Harvest of it. But it is asserted in such Terms, as to extend unto the whole Work of PIETY. And now, having that Commission; Isa. III. 10. Say ye to the Righteous, that it shall be well; For they shall eat the Fruit of their Doings: I will now execute it, saying what I am thus led unto. What I have to say, is in this Admonition of GOD our SAVIOUR.

Whatever Difficulties the Work of PIETY may be encumbred withal, yet, Thy Work shall be Rewarded, saith the Lord: There will be a Joyful Harvest of it.

The Work of PIETY is, that Whole Duty of Man, which has been summ'd up in that Wedge [Page]of Gold; Eccl. XII. 13. Fear GOD, and keep H [...] Commandments; A Mass of Gold, capable of being Beaten out, into how large Dimensions! Exceeding Broad.

Of this Work, it is ordered by the Wisdom of a Sovereign GOD, that it shall be attended with Difficulties; even such as may render a Toilsome Husbandry a Resemblance of it. That which creates the Difficulties of this Work, is principally the Self-denial, which our Carnal Mind, makes necessary to be exercised, in our doing of it. Our Flesh must be cross'd, and our Appetites must be mortified; yea, there are Enemies to be Encountred, that are not easily to be Conquered; or else the Work of PIETY can't be carried on.

But, GOD will not forget this Work and Labour of Love. O PATIENCE, Do thou persist, even to Long-suffering, in the work of PIETY; There will be a Joyful Harvest of it. Things must proceed according unto that Word; Jam. V. 7. Be Patient, Brethren;— Behold, The Husbandman waiteth for the precious Fruits of the Earth, and hath long Patience for it, until he receive the Early and Latter Rain. Be ye also Patient. —

We have Two Enquiries before us. The first is, What will be the Harvest of PIETY? What the Reward that shall be Reap [...]d of it? The second is; When will be the due Season for it? When the Reaping Time? The Answer to both Enquiries, may best join them together. And it shall be given in Two Propositions. In general, We are taught, 1. Tim. IV. 8. Godliness has the Promise both of the Life which [...]w is, and of that which is to come. In this Promise, there is laid up the Harvest of Godliness; and what [Page]shall in the due Season be Reaped of it. More particularly.

The first Proposition.

Even in this present Life, Laborious PIETY will see some Good Reward of its Labour: In the midst of the Sufferings of this present Time, we shall Reap some Harvest of our PIETY! Before we Dy, we may see some First Fruits; and our PIETY may have some Consequences, which may be some Compensations to us, for all the Difficulties which have distressed it. In the Work of PIETY we may have those things done for us, which may be a sort of Roasting Ears to entertain us, by way of Earnest and Essay, towards the Fulfilment of that Word; Eph. VI. 8 Whatsoever Good Thing any Man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord. More particularly.

First. If we lose any Temporal Enjoyments, in and for the work of PIETY, we shall even in This World, Reap an Harvest of Spiritual Enjoyments, wherein our Work will be Well-Rewarded. The Spiritual Enjoyments, of a Soul improving in PIETY; growing in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST; having the Unsearchable Riches of CHRIST, more sensibly communicated unto it; The Spiritual Enjoyments of GOD bringing Home His Electing, and Redeeming, and Pardoning Love, in the precious Tokens thereof unto the Soul; The Spiritual Enjoyments of a SAVIOUR saying to the Soul, I am thy Salvation: These will be enough to make a Rich Amends, for all that can be undergone in the Work of PIETY. Soul, Thou are yet in thy Sins, if thou art not perswaded [Page]so; Yet Unregenerate, if these Things, are not better to thee, than the Merchandise of Silver, and the Gain of the finest Gold! Now, Hearken to some Remarkable Things.

It is observable; The People of GOD are put unto Considerable Expenses, that the Ordinances of Heaven may be supported in the Churches of the Lord. In these Expences there is, what our Inspired Apostle here calls, A sowing to the Spirit. There follows, Of the Spirit a Reaping of Life Everlasting. This will be some Harvest of it. The Spirit of the Godly Man, who is Righteous and Bountiful in these Expenses, will be most likely to profit under the Means of Grace; most likely to flourish with such Fruits of the Spirit, as will bring on Everlasting Life. The Good of the Word; verily, 'Tis more to be valued than the Good of the World. GOD will bless thee with a Profitable Ministry.

An Observation akin to This, may be made; The more Pains any Take, and the more Travel or Hardship, they pass through, that they may wait upon GOD in His Institutions; The more does our Gracious GOD often grant unto such Devout Souls, of Communion with Himself in them. They are well-paid for their Pains, in what of GOD they meet withal. There will be an Immediate Harvest! The Rain with which they have been Weather beaten, is requited in the Rain of the Heavenly Doctrine, falling sweetly on their Souls. The Cold which has pinched them, is requited in the Heavenly Warmth, with which they find their Souls invigorated. Or, If they leave any Pleasant Company, for the sake of secret Interviews with Heaven, they meet with such Pleasures in the [Page]Company of GOD, that they can testify, An Hour in the Closet is better than a thousand elsewhere.

Moreover; Christian, under Afflictions from the Hand of GOD, Let Patience have its perfect Work. There will be this Harvest of it; The Consolations of GOD, which are not small, shall fill thy Contented Mind. With much Submission bear the Death of thy Off-spring; Thy GOD will have this Mourners Cordial ready for thee; I give my Son unto thee! Thou art one of my Children! It is now known that thou fearest GOD! With much Submission bear the Spoil of thy Estate; Thy GOD will revive thee, with such an invaluable Recruit as this; I have laid up for thee a Portion which no Spoiler can meddle withal. Submit cheerfully to Bodily Sicknesses and Illnesses; Thou shalt have in the Health of thy Soul, that which will make it up.

Again; Under Injuries from the Hand of Man; Take no Personal Revenge; Be Full of Goodness; and even overcome Evil with Good: Seek not that which Flesh and Blood may call Satisfaction. There will be this Harvest of it. Upon thy readily Forgiving the Wrongs which others have done unto thee, th [...] Sealing SPIRIT of GOD will powerfully say unto thee, Be of good Comfort, thy Sins are forgiven thee. The Tranquility of Soul, which thou shalt enjoy in the sense of thy own Pardon from GOD, while thou dost generously Pardon the Worm that has wronged thee; This, This will be the truest Satisfaction.

Finally; A Furious and Fiery Assault of Temptations, 'tis no easy thing to Resist it. To gratify a Temptation, appears the most agreeable thing in the World unto a Man, who has the Blinding [Page]Force of it upon him. There is no little Difficulty, in saying, How shall I do this Wickedness, and Sin against GOD? But now, the Harvest will be this. There is a marvellous Peace and Joy of Soul, wherewith a Victory over Temptation uses to be accompanied. O Blessed Overcomer, thou shalt find a thousand times more Delight in Conquering of a Temptation, than thou couldest have had in Consenting to it. Thus is there accomplished, that Word concerning the Maxims of PIETY; Psal. XIX. 11. In keeping them there is great Reward.

Yea, Secondly; The Work of PIETY may Reap some Harvest, even in the Temporal Enjoyments of this World. In the Work of PIETY, we are called often to part with such Things, as appear, and we count our Interest: But the Work is often Rewarded in those very Things. Our GOD will not suffer us to be Losers, in those very Points wherein we offer to be so.

Another Catalogue of Remarkable Things, is now to be hearken'd to.

Behold, The Harvest! O Well-doer, Trust thy GOD in the way of Well-doing: Thou shalt be no loser by thy Trust in GOD. A wondrous Thing fell out, in the Land of Israel! The Israelites must go up Thrice a Year unto the stated Festivals. They ran a great Venture in what they did. They left their Families exposed unto the Enemies that surrounded them. Who should now protect their Families? They had a Glorious Protector. GOD undertook their Protection; and said, Exod. XXXIV. 24. No Man shall desire thy Land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy GOD. They were to Trust GOD with all they had; and [Page]GOD kept all they had. When we have plain Duty lying before us, let us do our Duty, and let us trust GOD with the Event of it. The Event will be far better than if we had shunn'd the Duty, because we fear'd the Event. The GOD of Truth loves to be relied upon. We never fare so well, as in the way of Reliance upon GOD. The Faithful Reprover afterwards finds more Favour than the Fawning Flatterer. Sacrifice thy Friends, O Man of GOD, in thy Testimonies against Miscarriages. GOD will multiply thy Friends. It may be, He will make the Rebuked and Censured Offenders themselves to become thy Friends. Eminent Confessors of the Lord, often run desperate Risques in and for their brave Confessions. But how [...]trangely have the Witnesses of GOD been often provided for! Turned out of their Livings, the Sixth Chapter of Matthew has made Provision for them; They have lived upon it.

Behold, The Harvest! Be very Bountiful, O thou Deviser of Good, in thy Oblations for Pious Uses; Thou shalt lose nothing, but be Enriched by thy Bounties. To lay out will be to lay up. What a Judas calls, A Waste, thou shalt find far from so. We are so instructed; Eccl. XI. 1. Cast thy Bread-Corn on the moist Ground; for thou shalt find it after many Days; Or, In a multitude of Days. For, Blessed is he that considers the Poor, the Lord spall preserve him, and keep him alive. No Usury comparable to that of Lending to the Lord. GOD Repays them who do it, with unaccountable Additions to their Possessions. While Men do Good and Communicate, they find, that they Scatter and yet Increase. They find that while they Honour the Lord [Page]with their Substance, their Barns are filled with Plenty. O Atheistical Pharisees, Deride not these Faithful Sayings of GOD!

Behold, The Harvest! With much Long-suffering put up and pass by Abuses, O Servant of the Lord; Thou shalt suffer no Loss, but be very much a Gainer, by thy Long-Suffering. We read, 2 Tim. II. 24. The Servant of the Lord must not strive, but be Gentle unto all Men, Patient. The less any Man strives for himself, the more the Great GOD will do for him. Let one that apprehends himself much Abused, keep down angry Resentments of the Abuses; and only set himself to get as much Good as he can by the Evil that is intended him, and the Indignities wherewith he is insulted, and study all possible Conformity to a Lovely JESUS, who when He was Reviled, Reviled not again; but committed His Cause to Him who judges Righteously. One would imagine, a Man should get but little, by such a Lamblike Tameness. No; But GOD will espouse his Cause; GOD will find a Time to bring forth his Righteousness as the Light. GOD will at some time or other, show him a Token for Good, that they which hate him shall see and be ashamed. Our SAVIOUR said unto His Philadelphian Servant, I will make them to know that I have loved thee.

Behold, The Harvest! Carry it well in thy several Relations, O Child of GOD; Thy Good Carriage is what thou wilt be no loser by. We read, 1 Pet. II. 19. This is Thank-worthy; GOD will Bless you for it: And anon, Men will also Thank you. We are not Really Good, if we are not Relatively Good. But they who Deal well with their [Page]several Relatives GOD often causes others to Deal well with them. Especially, Children, Honour your Parents. A Conspicuous Recompence is very commonly dispensed, unto those who treat their Parents as they ought to do; and help them with a due Alacrity, when it shall be called for. The Jews have a Saying, An Aged Mother is a Mine of Gold in a Family. Let none that would be own'd Christians, imagine otherwise. But in all Relations whatsoever; Suppose any should not carry it well to us, yet let us carry it well to Them; As a Paul did unto a People that very much mal-treated him. O thou Follower of the Good One; Thou shalt find the GOD of Patience, to be the GOD of Consolation.

Behold, The Harvest! O Candid Soul, Don't Repine, but Rejoice, at the Prosperity of other People: Thou shalt be no loser by thy Candour. We read, Jam. IV. 5. The Spirit who dwells in us, vehemently wishes against Envy. They who from the Dispositions of the Holy SPIRIT in them, keep under their Envy at the Mercy of GOD unto other Men, & are full of Good Wishes to them, find GOD showing of Mercy unto them, it may be, more than unto other Men. Their Good Wishes do return into their own Bosoms at the last. Be Glad, when thou seest thy Neighbour Prosperous. This Ingenuity will make all the Prosperity of thy Neighbour to become Thy own. It will also bespeak an Accession to thy own Prosperity. GOD will say; Art thou glad of my Goodness to thy Neighbour? Thou shalt have more cause of Gladness: I will be as Good unto thee, as ever I have been unto thy Neighbour.

[Page] As an Appendix to This; Take pleasure in Speaking well of other People. With pleasure lay hold on all Opportunities, to Mention and celebrate what is Laudable in them. See whether it now does not fall out unto thee, according to that Word; With what Measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you again.

Behold, The Harvest! Be willing to ly Low, lay thy self Low, O Humble Soul; Thou shalt be no loser by thy Humility. Oh! The charming Invitation to Lowliness! Luk. XVIII. 14. He that Humbleth himself shall be Exalted. So then, Let us ly much in the Dust before the Lord. Let us do all we can to Glorifie GOD; But let us be willing to be Little, to be Nothing after all. Be even afraid, left Men do unduly Magnify us, and render unto us the Respect which is due to GOD alone. Be not at all Disturbed, tho' never so much Despised and Rejected of Men. I dare not Say, and we should hardly care to Think, what will be the Issue of Continual, Real, Sincere Self-Annihilation. It may too much interfere with the proposed Self-Annihilation! But This may be told; Before Honour is Humility. Self-Abasement, Self-Abasement, is the way to be made, how serviceable.

Behold, the Harvest! Under all Adversity be full of Resignation, O Thou Afflicted, and tossed with Tempest: Thou shalt lose Nothing by thy Resigning of every thing. To Resign every thing is the Best way, to Preserve what we have, or to Restore what is taken away. One who had lost many Talents of Silver, and Order given him to bear it quietly; had that comfort came with the Order; 2. Chron. XXV. 9. The Lord is able to give thee much [Page]more than This. When there is any thing taken from thee, compose thy Mind, and say, Lord, I will not open my Mouth, because thou dost it. Who can tell, but the Lord may Give thee much more than all that is taken? My Friend, If one Loss come upon thee after another, sit down before the Lord, and let the Will of GOD give Law to Thine: and say, The Lord hath given; the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the Name of the Lord. I can tell of one who did so: And I can tell how it ended. The Lord blessed the latter End of Job more than his Beginning.

Finally; Behold, the Harvest! Be first and most concerned for Spiritual Blessings, O Spirituallyminded one; Thou shalt be the more secure of Temporal Blessings. Thou hast the never-failing Word of thy SAVIOUR for it: Mat. VI. 33. Seek first the Kingdom of GOD, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be most sollicitous in thy Labour for the Eternal Food that thy Soul may not Perish; 'Tis the way to make sure also of the Meat that perishes. First and Most seek a Cure for the Maladies of thy Soul: 'Twill operate well towards the Cure of thy Bodily Maladies. Be most sollicitous to be at Peace with Heaven; so thy Enemies will be at Peace with thee. Let the Lords-day be entirely devoted unto the Lord; Things will go on the better all the Week ensuing. Let the Lord have the Morning of every day; All Things will go the better for it all the day. There will be smiles of GOD upon you, O you Diligent seekers of GOD, wherein you will find him a Rewarder: Smiles which you will wonder at, and say upon them; This I have had, O Lord, because I have kept thy Precepts!

[Page] These, These are part of the ways of the Lord! But how little a Portion is heard of them! And ye [...], if we heard all, it would be but a very little Portion in Comparison of what is to come: what is to come!

The Second Proposition.

'Twill be in the Life to come, that Laborious PIETY will receive its Full Recompence of Reward: In our Arrival to THAT will be the Due Season, for the Reaping that is to Reward our Labour; In another World, our PIETY will Reap an Harvest, which Eye has not seen, Ear has not heard, nor has it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive. After Death we shall find such an Harvest, as will Abundantly Infinitely, Eternally, Compensate for all the Difficulties of the preceeding Husbandry. Yea, O Beleever. If thou art strong in Faith, it will carry the [...] so far a [...] to say, I can freely Release the Holy One, from His Promises to bestow any of This Worlds Good upon me; If He will bestow His CHRIST, with the Blessings of an Healed Soul upon me, I will not complain, tho' I should have nothing else in This World bestow'd upon me. Freely, Freely will I take up, with what is in a Better World prepared for them that wait upon a GOD, who waits that He may be Gracious. This, This is the Language of a strong Faith before the Lord.

It is a Memorable Passage; Psal. CXXVI. 6. Concerning a Weeping Husband-man; one who goes about his work, with an Heavy Heart. Afraid what will come of the little Seed which he has to cast into the Earth; He carries forth the precious Seed, a little to be sown; He surely does Return with Joy; [Page]he does bring back his Sheaves. The Christian having done the part, not only of a Working but also of a Weeping Husbandman, in a Life of PIETY, shall anon see a plenteous, yea, a Joyful Harvest, of all his pious Obedience. But when, when will be the Harvest? It is answered, Mat. XIII. 39. The Harvest is the End of the World. Indeed, we shall have some Hansel of our Harvest, in what shall be done for our Spirits at their Departure from our Bodies; which will be to us, in some sort, the End of the World. Our Spirits will at our Expiration, be comforted in the Paradise of GOD: So comforted, as to be Well-Rewarded, if we should Reap no more of all our Labour in the Husbandry of PIETY. But as the Barley-Harvest was the Passover, and fifty days after, even at Pentecost came the Wheat-Harvest; we shall Reap yet more, and have the Perfection of all, when GOD our SAVIOUR shall Judge the Quick and the Dead, at His Appearing and His Kingdom. THEN, Then will be that Word accomplished; Joh. IV. 36. He hat Reapeth, receiveth Wages, and gathers Fruits unto Life Eternal. Our Harvest in the Consummation of it will be at the Resurrection of the Just. It will be, when the Crown of Righteousness is to be dispensed by the Righteous Judge unto all that Love His Appearing. It will be, when the Time of the Dead shall come, that they shall be Judged, and the Lord will give a Reward unto them that Fear His Name. O Thou Obedient Servant of GOD; NOW is the Time that it shall be said unto thee, what is in Rev. XIV. 15. The Time is come for thee to Reap. Yea, Blessed are the Dead which Dy in the Lord from Henceforth; For their Works will now follow them, in the Full Harvest of them. Husbandman, [Page]Thou shalt thy self be thrown under the Clods of the Valley; thrown without a Metaphor, even where thou hast thrown the Seed of thy Expectation. Thou shalt be thy self sown in the Earth, and there ly Dead, and Buried and Covered, like the Corn which thou haste so often Interred there. Our Apostle Paul was by the learned Witlings of Athens, called, A Seed-monger, [which we translate, A Babler,] no doubt, for comparing the Resurrection of the Dead, as he did, unto the Rising of the Seed out of the Ground. But no Flout of Infidelity shall defeat us of, The Consolation. The Quickening and Almighty Voice of thy SAVIOUR will fetch thee forth from the Dusty Chambers of Death. Now, Doubtless thou shalt come again Rejoicing, bringing thy Sheaves with thee; Rejoicing in the Accomplishment of that Word; Psal. XCVII. 11. Light is sown for the Righteous, and Gladness for the Upright in Heart.

— But, Oh! who can describe the Joy of their Harvest! The Joy of the Heavenly World, a little of it, breaking into the Mind of a Beleever, while he is yet on this side of Heaven, Oh! It Ravishes him! It Amazes him! It even overcomes him! He is not able to subsist under it. It is Insupportable. It makes him cry out, Lord, stay thy Hand! If the Joy be so Exuberant, when a little of it here enters into the Soul, what will thy Joy be, O Faithful Servant, when thou shalt Enter into the Joy of thy Lord! It is Impossible, I say again, Impossible, to describe the Joy of a Just Man made perfect, in the Spiritual Blessings of the Heavenly places; A Companion of Angels; An Heir of all things! One entirely swallowed up with GOD, and GOD entirely [Page]possessing of him! The Joy of a Soul got into Everlasting Rest! The Joy of a Soul which has all it can Wish! The Joy of a Soul filled with all the Fulness of GOD! Or, what shall be done for us, when according to Jud. 24. Our SAVIOUR shall present us Faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding Joy. In the meer Foreslight of this Joy, we are so called upon, Rejoice and be Exceeding Glad; for great is your Reward in Heaven. But, Oh, how shall we Rejoice, Oh, how Exceeding Glad shall we be, when we come to receive that great Reward.

Corollary. I.

Our Judgment of PIETY! Surely, we must not Judge of some things in it, from the present Aspect of them. The Work of PIETY has in it, the Toil of Husbandry; Yea, such Things as may bring us into the Hazard of being Weary of well doing. But now, Judge of Things from the Harvest of them. He that sees only the Toil of the Husbandman, sees what looks very Discouraging. Poor Man, He is Ploughing, and Planting, and Sowing, and Hilling, and Weeding, and Sweating, and Rising Early, and laying, and leaving under Ground, all his Hope of living above Ground. It looks very Disconsolately! Well; But wait a while. Some while hence you will see this poor Man enriched with a Joyful Harvest. The Appointed Weeks of Harvest are coming on. These Fill his Barns. Then! He says, Well-employ'd all the Toil that comes to This! The serious Christian is the Toiling Husbandman. Oh! The Labours, the Sorrows, the [Page]Fatigues, in which he must keep waiting upon GOD all his Days! But now, From the Toiling part of PIETY, look onwards to the Joyful part. Remember, There is an Harvest a coming. It won't be long before the Light of the Glorious Face and CHRIST of GOD, will put more Gladness into the Heart of the Beleever, than any Increase of Corn and Wine could give unto him. Soul, Take thy measures of PIETY, from, What is to come. And on the other side, if the ways of Sin do for the present seem smooth, and gay, and alluring, and there are Pleasures of Sin for a season; My Son, Be not Enticed; Consent thou not. But, Oh! Think, on, what is to come! What is to come! Think, What will ye do in the End thereof! [Consider, Eccl. XI. 9.]

This will bring on another Lesson. When the Prophet of GOD was Reasoning with the People, about the Decay of PIETY among them; he said; 1. Sam. XII. 17. Is it not Wheat Harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and He shall send Thunder and Rain, that ye may perceive and see, that your Wickedness is great. We are upon the Harvest: But, O Congregation of the Lord, There is coming on Thunder with the Rain that falls upon you. The Thunder of GOD is going with loud Peals to tell you, what will be the Harvest; in which all Wickedness will terminate.

Corollary. II.

PIETY will have a Joyful Harvest: But will not Wickedness also have an Harvest? You may be sure of it! Yea, O Wicked Creature, Thou shalt [Page]have a very Woful Harvest of it. Verily, It will be That; Isa. XVII. 11. The Harvest will be an Heap of Grief, and of desperate Sorrow. Peoples Reaping Time will be according to their Sowing Time. You are so warned of GOD; Prov. XXII. 8. He that soweth Iniquity, shall Reap Vanity. And accordingly, it will anon come to That; Hos X. 13. Ye have Ploughed Wickedness, ye have Reaped Iniquity, ye have eaten the Fruit of Lies. The meaning of it, in short is, That GOD will render to Men according to their Works. Unhappy Sinner, Thou art Sowing every Day. Alas, There is a Sowing in all thy Sinning. Yea, even in thy doing of nothing at all; there is a sort of Sowing. Ah, Sluggard, Thou wilt not Plough, because of the Cold that is in thy Soul. Thou dost but Laugh and Scoff at Industrious PIETY. Thy Harvest will be to Beg in Harvest, and have nothing: To Beg, O great GOD, Grant me some Fruits of Glory! And be Rejected, Unpitied, Have nothing done for thee! Thou art Sowing; How? Not going forth and weeping, and bearing a precious Seed; But, sowing in Mad Mirth, in Profanities, in Sensualities. The young Fool, that has not sow'd all his wild Oats, as we say, he is daily sowing; daily doing what will by'nd by yield something to him. He that gets Riches and not by Right, and uses the Projections and Practices of Dishonesty, This Fool is daily sowing too; and a doing for something. But, what will be the Harvest? O you Ploughers of Wickedness, and Sowers of Iniquity: What Harvest? What Harvest? What shall you Reap of all that you are a-doing! This ye shall have of my Hand, that ye shall ly down in sorrow, faith the Lord. Verily, The Harvest of [Page] Impiety will have a Threshing in it. The great GOD threatned of old, Amos. II. 12. [so it is to be read,] I will press your place, as a full Cart presses the sheaf. It alludes to an ancient way of Threshing, which was, by drawing a Loaden Cart forwards and backwards over the Corn, that the Wheels going over it, might force out the Grain. 'Tis to say, you shall have Tribulation enough! Oh, the Tribulation, which the wicked shall feel under the Heavy Judgments of GOD. But who can describe all the Horror of the Harvest! One could say upon a sad Harvest: Isa. XVI. 9, 10. I will bewayl thee with weeping; I will water thee with my Tears. For thy Harvest is fallen! And gladness is taken away, and Joy out of the plentiful Field: There shall be no singing, neither shall there be any shouting. And I will now say; ‘I will Bewail with weeping thy condition, O Sinner; I will water thee with my Tears, O thou Forgetter and Forsaker of GOD. For thy Harvest is forlorn: Thy Gladness will be forever taken away. Thy Harvest will be utter Darkness and Endless Burning. There shall be no singing in it, neither shall there be any shouting in it. No, there shall be weeping and wailing, and gnashing of Teeth in it: Hunger and cursing, and looking upward with uneasy and unceasing Lamentation.’

Corollary. III.

Then, Faint not! Oh! For unfainting PIETY! The Thing to be now endeavoured is, that the Labour of the Husbandman may not fail. Wherefore, To work, All Hands! And, Oh, Do with your [Page]might what your Hands find to do; Because there will be an Harvest, beyond the Grave, whither you are going.

With an unfainting PIETY, Labour to Acquaint your selves with your admirable SAVIOUR, and live by the Faith of the Son of GOD. Labour to Acknowledge GOD in all your ways. Labour to Mortify the Sin that easily besets you. Labour — whether you Pray, or whatever else you do in the service of GOD, Labour servently in it. Of all this Labour, there will be profit; You will see an Harvest. Behold, I bring that Advice from Heaven unto you; 1. Cor. XV. 58. Be always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as you know, that your labour shall not be in Vain in the Lord. I do not propound a Faultily Mercenary Obedience, when I say, Have Respect unto the Recompence of Reward. Let the prospect of the Harvest, Encourage you, Animate you. Go on patiently, and vigorously, from the View of the Joy set before you! All the Tears, with which your Labour may be accompanied, GOD your SAVIOUR has a Lacrymatory for them; They are every one of them in His Bottle; The Tears of Repentance well pursued, and the Tears of Assliction well endured; These also are a precious Seed; and there will be a glad Harvest of them, in the Day, when our GOD shall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes.

Go, on, O unfainting PIETY; Heaven, Heaven, Even thy HARVEST there, will make Amends for all.

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The Songs of HARVEST.

TIS not the Till'd, Poor, Lifeless Earth

Which gives me all my Store.

No: Tis my GOD! From Him comes forth

All that has fill'd my Floor.

For what Iv'e gather'd from the Field

Thee, Oh! my GOD I bless.

But, Oh! that I Fruits too may yield

To Him who me does dress!

My Soul, with Gladness fill'd, and Food;

Returns, what shall be made?

In this Abundance serve thy GOD,

In Him for ever glad.

Now in Obedience all my Days

Hard at my Work I'll keep;

Him I'l take pains to please and praise;

Assur'd, That I shall Reap.

Yea, If I must thro' Sorrows go,

And Weeping Eyes employ;

I'm sure, That they in Tears who Sow

At length shall Reap with Joy.

But, Oh, What shall I Reap anon!

What Eyes did ever see,

Or to what Man on Earth is known,

What will the Harvest be!

My JESUS, My Rewarder Thou

Wilt be; and more than so:

Thou my Reward wilt be. And now

No Higher can I go.

Agricultura Pia. OR, The Wishes of PIETY, Produced by the Affairs of HUSBANDRY.

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IT is not enough that the HUSBANDMAN has been with Six or Seven Treatises thus Preach'd unto. We must make him find himself surrounded with Preachers. In all his Affairs, he must find so many Preachers. Under the Admonitions of GOD let him come to these pious Aspirations. My Friend, Thou art a Dead Man, if thou Breathest not. Oh! May the Glorious GOD, who knows thy Breathing, hear it proceeding from thee, in such Supplications.

On the View of the Ground.

‘Lord; I see whither I am going! I am walking and working on my Grave. Out of the Ground was my Body taken at the First. It won't be long before the Dustereeurn to the Earth as it was. O may my Spirit be saved in the Day of the Lord!’

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Fruitful Ground.

‘Lord; Make me a Fruitful Soil; and full of those things which will render me a grateful Spectacle to Heaven under thy Cultivations.’

Barren Ground.

‘Lord; Leave me not under the Curse of a Barren Soil; and a Soul Reprobate unto every good Work which thou requirest of me.’

On the View of the Dung employed for Fertilizing of the Ground.

‘Lord; Let me improve in all Goodness, under the Afflictions, and particularly under the Reproaches, which thou dost in thy Providence order me to be Dung'd withal.’

‘What an Humbling Thought is it, That without the Dispensations of the Dunghil, there will be little Good found upon me!’

On the View of the Weeds, which disgrace the Ground.

‘Lord; Extirpate out of my Soul, those Lusts which are abominable Weeds, and which render me an Useless, and an Hurtful Creature in the World.’

On the View of the Fence about the Ground.

‘Lord; Thou hast in thy Law ordered a Fence to be about me. I Bless thee, I Praise thee, I Love thee, for such a Fence. Tis infinitely for my Advantage to be Fenced so. But, Oh! Let me by my continual Watchfulness keep up the Fence: And let there be no Inroad of Wild Things upon me. If I permit any sinful Temptations to break in upon me, what Mischiefs will be done unto me! My Soul is the Field of a Man void of Understanding, if the Stone-wall thereof be broken down!’

[Page] ‘But, O my GOD, Let me have the Fence and Hedge of thy Protection about all my Interests.’

On the View of the Stones in the Ground.

‘Lord; Save me from an Heart, that shall be as Insensible as the Stones of the Field; and that shall feel as little Impression and Improvement, from the Means of Good, as the Stones do from the Rains falling on them.’

On the View of the Worms in the Ground.

‘Lord; Here is my Mother and my Sister. As Frail and Vile I am as the Worms of the Dust. Oh! May I ever lie with all possible Self-Abasements in the Dust before Thee. More easy canst thou crush me, than I can one of the Worms under my Feet. Oh! Let me not lift up my Head in Rebellion against thy Glorious Majesty.’

On the View of the Corn under a Threshing.

‘Lord; Let thy Graces in my Soul come forth with proper Exercises, when I am under any Tribulation: And let there be desireable Effects of it, when I am Thy Threshing, and the Corn of thy Floor.’

On the Husking.

‘Lord; Make me willing to be stript of all that thou wouldest have me to part withal, in order to my coming to what thou wouldest have me brought unto.’

On the Winnowing.

‘Lord; When such a Wind shall be raised as will discover, & will distinguish, the sincere Professors of Religion from them that are not so, let me be found Good Grain for the House of my GOD.’

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On the Chaff.

‘Lord; Let me not be one of the Ungodly, who are before thy Wrath like the Chaff chased by the Wind. Oh! Let me not have my Portion with the Chaff, which GOD will burn up with Unquenchable Fire.’

On the View of the Barn replenished.

‘Lord; Let me not be the Fool, whose Full Barn bewitches him, to flatter a Soul, with a Fancy of Good Things laid up for it in this World! when his unhappy and unfurnished Soul is immediately stript of all; and unexpectedly drag'd into eternal Misery.’

‘But, Oh! Let me be Good Grain, at last lodg'd in that Barn, where my GOD lays up His Treasures.’

§

On the View of the Sheep.

‘Lord; Give me the excellent Innocence, and Patience and Usefulness, which becomes the People af thy Pasture, and the Sheep of thy Hand.’

‘But, Oh! What Precious Thoughts on the Lamb of GOD, and the SAVIOUR who was as the Sheep before the shearers, in His Wonderful Sufferings for me, am I led unto!’

‘Thou art my Shepherd, O my SAVIOUR, and I shall want nothing, if thou take me under thy Blessed Conduct.’

On the View of the Oxe.

‘Lord; Give me to know my Owner: And help me to submit unto thy Yoke; and carry the Yoke both of Obedience, and of Adversity, without repining at it; And may I need no sharp Goads to quicken my Pace in the Work I am call'd unto.’

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On the View of the Cow.

‘Lord; Being fed in the Fat Pastures of thy Ordinances, let me yield what is justly expected of me’

‘And Oh! Let the sincere Milk of thy Word, be the Food of my Soul.’

On the View of the Horse.

‘Lord; Let me not be as the Horse that has us Understanding. Let not Satan be my Rider. Do thou take me under thy Gracious Guidance.’

‘And since I have such agreeable Servants by my GOD allowed unto me, and bestowed upon me; Oh! What Service may I do for Him that is our Master! What; What shall I render to the Lord!’

On the View of the Swine.

‘Lord; Let me not be one of those Filthy Sinners, which are of little Use while they Live; and which it is in vain to cast Pearls before; and which after Washing, will return to wallowing in the Mire.’

On the View of the Birds.

‘Lord; Since I behold the Fowls of the Air; that they Sow not nor Reap, nor gather into Barns, yet my Heavenly Father feeds them, I will cheerfully depend on thy Fatherly Care, to feed me and mine, with a Food convenient for us.’

On the View of the Bees.

‘Lord, Give me to lay up, what I may hereafter live on; And especially to lay up a stock of Understanding and Experience, which may be sweet like the Honey. Let me be no Drone in the Hive of the Commonwealth.’

[Page] ‘Let thy Words also be to me sweet beyond the Honey and the Honey-comb.’

‘And let the Words which thou shalt help me to speak, prove sweet unto those whom they are address'd unto.’

On the View of the Ants.

‘Lord; Help me to consider the ways of those whom thou sendest the Sluggards to, and be wise; and make a seasonable and sufficient Provision for a Future State, and lay up a good Foundation for the Time to come.’

‘Yea, In the ways of Industry and Honesty, let me provide aforehand also, for the Temporal Necessities, which I should have a Foresight of.’

On the View of Snakes.

‘Lord; Let me not be found among the Seed of the Serpent; or belong to the Generation of Vipers.’

‘Let my JESUS, the promised and powerful Serpent-killer, be my Redeemer, and rescue me from the Death, which the Old Serpent has brought upon me.’

‘I look up unto thee, O my SAVIOUR, that I may be saved from the Stings of the Fiery Serpents that surround me in the Wilderness where I am a Sojourner.’

On the View of the Orchard.

‘Lord; Let me be one of those, of whom thou hast promised, They shall be called, The Trees of Righteousness, the Planting of the Lord, that He may be Glorified.’

‘And, Let all the Sad Things which befal me, be only thy Pruning of me (if need be) that I may bring forth more Fruit unto thee.’

[Page]

On the View of the Garden.

‘Lord; Let my Soul be as a Watered Garden before thee; and be filled with such Things as will be well-pleasing unto thee.’

‘Yea, Come thou South-Wind; and O Holy SPIRIT, Blow thou upon my Garden; and let thy Afflations cause the Odours thereof to flow out; And let the Beloved of my Soul, coming into His Garden, find that which will be pleasant unto Him there.’

On the Burning of the Woods.

‘Lord; I believe my SAVIOUR will shortly descend in Flaming Fire at and for the destruction of the Man of Sin. The Day of the Lord will burn like an Oven, and all that do wickedly shall be Stubble in it. A New Earth, wherein shall dwell Righteousness, will be the Consequence of this Tremendous Conflagration. Oh! That in That Day, I may find Mercy with the Lord! In the mean Time, why should I set my Heart upon an Earth, which is, none can say, How soon, to fall under the Burning Vengeance of GOD!’

But there is One Illustrious Creature of GOD, which it would be strange, if it should be forgotten by our Husbandman.

The SUN.

The SUN ariseth,— Man goeth forth unto his Work, and unto his Labour, until the Evening.

The SUN was no doubt, one of the First Objects, in the ancient Idolatry, wherein the Evil Heart of Unbelief in the Children of Men, betimes disposed them to Depart from the Living GOD. And if any Visible Creature could stand fair for Adoration, the SUN would bid as fair as any for it; [Page]and with more Shadow of Reason be adored, than many Things, which the more Bruitified Pagans Deified. But, GOD forbid! If we Behold the SUN when it shines, our Mouth shall not kiss our Hand unto it. We will Fear GOD, and give Glory to HIM alone.

How notably does the Sun, as an Instrument in the Hand of the Glorious GOD, Illuminate This, as well as all the other Planets, and their Satellits, that move about it, as the wondrously contrived Center of them! How notably does the Sun, tho' but Instrumentally still, Invigorate, the whole Vegetable as well as Animal World; So that if its Influences were obstructed or suspended, the Earth would mourn and fade away; the Land would be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled!

Look to the Heavens, O HUSBANDMAN; and Glorify the Infinite Father of Lights, and maker of the SUN, who keeps the World from Languishing, by the Rays which He sends forth from such a Creature upon it. Are not the Eyes, which cannot behold the SUN, much more dazzled before the Infinite GOD, with whom there is terrible Majesty!

But let thy Thoughts proceed unto thy SAVIOUR, who is, The Light of the World. Think, and wish, at this rate.

‘O Thou SUN of Righteousness; Do Thou Rise unto me with Healing in thy Wings. Thou art as Useful and as Needful unto my Soul, as the Sun is unto the World. Thou art unto the Intellectual World, what the Sun is to the Material. In thy Light, Oh! Let me see Light; and by Thy Light, Let me walk thro' Darkness. Do thou Impart Life, [Page]and Warmth, and Growth unto me. O Thou Face of GOD, shine thou upon me, and I shall be Saved. Lord, I perish, if thou hide thy Face from me!’

Behold, The PIETY of the HUSBANDMAN; upon his Exercise whereof we may say, Isa. XXVIII. 26, 29. His GOD doth instruct him to Discretion, and doth teach him.— This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderful in Counsel, and excellent in Working.

We read concerning a Great KING, 2 Chron. XXVI. 10. He was a lover of Husbandry. Yea, the Subject of Husbandry has been adorned, if I am not misinformed, by the Writings and Labours of more than Twenty Kings. But here is that more Noble Husbandry, which the Glorious KING of Heaven will with Delight look down upon: And an Husbandry, which it would be no Diminution for Kings to be served from. Such Husbandry will somewhat praelibate and emulate the Tillage of that Paradise wherein the Saints that shall be caught up to meet the Lord, that they may escape the Flames of the Burning World, shall afterwards come down changed and sinless, and in a New Earth wherein shall dwell Righteousness, they shall plant Fields, and eat the Fruit of them; and the Blessed Ones who see GOD, shall also Inherit the Earth.

FINIS.

Eratulella.

P. 16. l. 13. f. Our r. One.

P. 43. l. 3. f. Lawful r. awful.

P. 45. l. 7. r. in it.

P. 93. l. 14. f. Felicity r. Fertility.

There are a very few more Literals, not worth Noting.

Advertisement.

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READER, It was proposed, that this Book might have been rendred a yet more Compleat FAMILY-BOOK, by serving more Explicitly the Interests of PIETY in Two Instances, with Two Supplements. I. Family Religion Excited and Assisted. II. A Monitor for Communicants. But because it was found, that these would swell the Book beyond what was at first intended, they are laid aside; And they are to be had by themselves, in Two Single Sheets, at the Booksellers.

Information about this book

Title statement

Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business and language of husbandry. A work adapted unto the grand purposes of piety; and commended therefore by a number of ministers, to be entertained in the families of the countrey. : [One line from I Corinthians]

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2009-10.

ID [DLPS]

N02451

ID [TCP]

N02451

ID [STC]

Evans 2905

ID [NOTIS]

APX1702

ID [IMAGE-SET]

2905

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99018387

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 2905.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N02451)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 2905)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 2905)

Source

— Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business and language of husbandry. A work adapted unto the grand purposes of piety; and commended therefore by a number of ministers, to be entertained in the families of the countrey. : [One line from I Corinthians], Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728..

Extent

[6], 221, [1] p. ; 17 cm. (8vo)

Printed by T. Fleet, for D. Henchman, over-against the Brick Meeting-House in Cornhil,,. Boston: :: 1727.. (Attributed to Cotton Mather by Holmes.) (Several essays end with songs.) (Recommendations from elder pastors and from "the United Pastors in Boston," p. [3-6], 1st count.) (Errata note, p. 221.) (Arator. The work of the plough -- Georgica sacra. The sowing of the field -- Pluviaria. The rain waited for -- Desector. The grass before the mower -- Arbores frugiserae. The orchard flourishing -- Arbores fulguritae. Appendix. Thoughts on a New-Years Day -- Gaudentius. The joyful harvest -- Agricultura pia. Or, The wishes of piety, produced by the affairs of husbandry.)

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