The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. 2. The wayes and meanes preſcribed, for the obtaining of Righteouſnes & MercieMercy, in a Metaphor.
AS wee hauehave found in the holie Scriptures manie duties enioyned man,This is the 2. member of the 2. diuiſion. to be performed as well towards God, as towards his neighbour: ſo hath the Lord not onelyonly charged & enioyned, but alſo hath prouided and exhibited vntounto man, the wayes and meanes whereby hee may obſerue & performe thoſe things after his will: the which wayes and meanes wee ſhould neither contemne nor neglect, if we will not hinder our owne ſaluation, nor declare our ſelues ingratefull and rebellious againſt the Lord our God:The means are to be vſed. for as Noah was not preſerued in the deluge, without the meanes of the Arke, nor Lot deliuered from the fire of Sodom, but by the meanes of the Angells which brought him forth, and his obedience therin; nor Salomon perfectly wiſe, without that ſtudie, induſtrie and meanes, wherby he proſpered in fauour, wiſedome and ſtature, both with God and men, becauſe God would it ſhould ſo bee: ſo neither may we imagine, that the excellent things can be atchieued or gotten by idlenes and ſlouth, but by the bleſſing of the Lord, which he vſeth to powre forth on the ſtudious and diligent in his feare. To the which purpoſe belong thoſe cōmandements, Six dayes ſhalt thou labour: Aske and ye ſhall hauehave, ſeeke and yee ſhalt finde, heare the word of the Lord, watche and pray, be diligent, &c.
Now the wayes and means here preſcribed vsus, to obtaine righteouſnes & to be mercifull, is contained and taught vsus in foure ſeuerall words, noting foure ſeuerall actions which we are to endeuour & applie on this obiect, or matter commended to vsus. The firſt word is, Sowe yee. The ſecond is, Reape yee. The third is, Plough yee. The fourth is, Seeke yee. As,
1. Sowe ye to your ſelues for Righteouſnes.
2. Reape ye after the meaſure of merciemercy.
3. Plough vp your fallow ground.
4. Seeke yee the Lord.
The firſt ſecond & third words are metaphoricall: & the fourth doth briefly expound the metaphor.
Indeed the prophet tn this chapter before theſe words tooke vp a ParableA parable. (or a ſimilitude drawen from the truth) againſt the houſe of Iſrael, wherin,Hoſ: 1…. hauing an excellent Metaphor, hee yet continueth the ſame: Iudah (ſaith he) ſhal plough, God teacheth men by naturall things.and Iakob ſhall breake the cloddes. Neither was this deuiſed by the Prophet, without the wiſedome and direction of the diuine Spirite, who would, that euen by the conſideration of thoſe natural and terrene things, men ſhould be taught to learne their duties, according to the which, ye may heare St. Paul to acknowledge, that he ſpake after the maner of men, (that is, groſly) becauſe of the infirmitie of the Romanes, Rom: 6.to whom he wrote: for he diſputed of the things diuine by arguments taken from the members of the body of man, and things terrene. And although the wiſe Salomon ſaid right well,Eccle. 1.8. Col haddaber: Euerie word or thing is harde, a man is not able to expreſſe it: whereby ſome hauehave taken occaſion to reiect the ſearch of thoſe hidden things of nature (as if that Salomon had in thoſe his wordes vtterly condemned it, as too deep to be ſearched, and their preſumption too high that attempt it:The knowledge of Nature.) yet we knowe, that as Salomon hath not intended any ſuch thing, nor bin willing to diſcourage any man from the lawfull ſearch of Natures ſecretes: ſo alſo that the ſcience is right excellent, & ſo neceſſarie, as without the which no man ſhall eaſilie either vnderſtād or expound the holy Scriptures,Luth: in Eccl: ca. 1. which hauehave from hence ſuch a beautie, as whoſoeuer ſhall depriue them of thoſe parables and metaphors taken from the right nature and vſe of natural things, ſhal take from the ſame an exceeding great light, and like glorie.
When Zophar had hardly charged holy Iob with high preſumption in the ſearch of Gods ſecrets & the things Diuine: Iob Iob. 11.7.8. ca. 12.7anſwered him thus. Aske now the beasts, and they ſhall teach thee: and the fowles of heauen, and they ſhall tell thee: or ſpeake to the earth, and it ſhall ſhewe thee: or the fiſhes of the Sea, and they ſhall declare vntounto thee: who is ignorant of all theſe, but that the hand of the Lord hath made them all? As if the Lord ſhould ſend wiſe Zophar, to be inſtructed by thoſe naturall things, as thus: It is not needefull that wee ſhould pearce through the height of the heauens, the breadth of the Sea, & the length of the earth, in the inquiſition of the ordinarie wiſdome (as thou Zophar haſt argued) when euen thoſe ſmall beaſts which are here conuerſant with vsus on the earth, the birds, and the fiſhes, and ſuch things, doe inſtruct vsus of the incomparable wiſedome of the Almightie God.
Therfore, as Moſes, Moſes & the prophets, and Chriſt vſed naturall ſimilitudes.Dauid, & the prophets, hauehave bin plentifullie ſtored with thoſe things, thereby the ſooner, not onelyonly to teach & informe the people, but alſo to condemne the rebellions of that time, for their great abominations inferior to the bruit beaſts: ſo in the new Teſtamēt, both Chriſt and his Apoſtles hauehave both worthilie obſerued & commended the ſame vntounto vsus. Thereof it is, that Chriſt is called a Rock, a dore, a Serpent, a prieſt, a King, a Prophet, a Paſtor, a Bridegroome, a huſband, a captaine, a calfe, a lamb, a vine, a worme, a flower, bread: and the Apoſtles and diſciples of Chriſt, are called the Salt of the earth, the light of the world, fiſhers of men, paſtors, builders, fighters, watchmen, workers, branches of the vine, & ſuch, in and by the which, are ſet forth and ſignified, the diuers actions, offices, degrees, dignities, functions, & vertues of Chriſt Ieſus & his Saints.
Here the Prophet taketh his Metaphore from the labour of the husband men, whoſe terms,Sowe yee. and words he boroweth, and to this purpoſe applieth, whereby he would intimate thoſe three things.
1. Firſt, that there is required a worke or labour.
2. Next, that the labour is, of husbandrie.
3. Thirdly, that the kinde of labour, is plowing, ſowing, reaping. And ſurely as by this,A labour is inioyned to men. hee would inculcate into their minds the true knowledge of Gods will: ſo would hee, that they ſhould conſider, that to men liuing in this world, there is enioyned a labour, with the which they are to be exerciſed, and not fed with ydle conceits, nor their eyes dazeled with vaine ſhewes. We reade that Adam in Paradize was not ydle,Gen. 2. & Gen. 3. but was buſied in dreſſing of the gardein: & that after he fell, he had this enioyned, that bee ſhould liue on the earth with ſweat and hard labour. And thenceforth, as this was commanded and commended vntounto man, as that he ſhould eat and liue of the labours of his hands: ſo hauehave not onlie the godly in their times, but alſo the very heathen, bin exerciſed in the honeſt labours of their vocations: wherof Paul hath gathered and laid downe this peremptory law, that hee which laboureth not, 2. Theſſa: 3.10.ſhould not eate: as if he were vnworthie to enioy the vſe of anie the creatures, wherin he diſdained to beſtow his labours. Therfore Idelnes and ſlouth, hauehave not onelyonly bene reproued and blamed; but alſo deemed vnprofitable, and worthy ſhame and wretchednes. Thereof ſaid Salomon: Pro. 24 30I paſſed by the vineyard of the idle huſbandman, & it was couered ouer with bryers. Againe; How long wilt thou ſleepe, ô thou ſluggard? but pouertie ſhall invade thee as an armed man. Therefore hee ſaith again:Pr. 24.27 Prepare thy works without, & make ready thy things in the fielde: & afterward build thine houſe. By this doctrine, is remooued from vsus that vaine imagination of the Iewes Corban, Mar. 7.11 Spirituall ydlenes.nought elſe but a kinde of ſpirituall Idlenes, which Chriſt found & reproued in them: by the which (as a Sacrifice offered or dedicated to the holie vſes of the Temple) they thought they fully performed the commandement and requeſt of the lawe, without any further action or work of piety, though the whiles they neglected duty to their own naturall parēts, whom they permitted to lie, languiſh, & die wretchedly in the ſtreetes, for want of foode & things neceſſary. As who ſhould ſay, It is enough for vsus, that we giuegive of our goods and ſtore to the Temples vſe: for by that, as well our parents, and the poore, as our ſelues, are relieued and benefited. Thus they diſhonored their parents, infringed the lawe, and blaſphemed the Lord; who in that (and ſome other like reſpects) contemned their ſacrifices as abhominable, ſaying that he required merciemercy, and not ſuch ſacrifices.
And with this is likewiſe abandoned that faith,A dead faith. Deuotion. Profeſſion which beeing deuoid of good workes, is called a dead faith: & that glorious deuotion which hath no deeds, & that holy profeſsion, which wanteth an honeſt & godly life: for as the ſeruice of God, is not an idle ſeruice: ſo is not he eſtemed for a good hearer, or a ſound beleeuer, or a deuout Chriſtian, or a perfect profeſſor, who hath not good works, good deedes, and a Chriſtian life, accompanying the ſame, as the bright ſhining of a cleare candle, & the timely fruit of a ſound tree. To this end are words, orations, preachings, & the vſe of tongues, for works are the finall cauſe or end of all words: whereof I gladlie remember the ſaying of Miſo, reported by Diogenes Laertius, Ougar eneca toon logoon ta pragmata ſunteleisthai alla eneca …oon pragmatoon tous logous. Works are not done for the words ſake: but the words are ſpoken for the worke. And therefore ſaith the Lorde by the Prophet: Thou art taught what is good, & what the Lord requireth of thee, namelie to doe iustice or righteouſnes. And Chriſt ſaith:Mich. 6. Bleſſed is he that heareth the word of God and doeth the ſame: for hee is likened to the wiſe man, that buildeth his houſe on the Rock, yea, he is the mother,Matth. 7 brother, and ſiſter of Chriſt, as himſelfe acknow…edgeth, and with him in the ende ſhall be made partakers of his glorie.
This the Apoſtles well conſidered, and therefore did not only aſſaye to imitate the Lord in holie life and good conuerſation, but alſo generallie taught, that men ſhould declare their faith by their workes, according to that doctrine of their Maiſter:Matth. 5. So let your light ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good works.
And as the Lord hath bene willing by diuers ſimilitudes of naturall things,2. The labour is of husbandry to teach, inſtruct, and perſwade men to the right vnderſtāding of things ſupernaturall and diuine, in all the courſe of the holy ſcriptures: ſo here by the labour of an husbādman, toyling & manuring the rude & vncultured earth (on the which he hath ſet him as in the place of his trauaile,Gen. 3.) hee teacheth vsus what wee ſhould obſerue, performe, & work, in matters of Pietie, as whereby to be directed towards the holy land the ſooner, for that there is not anie other particular labour, work, or action in any vocation or calling vnderunder the Sunne, whereby this thing can be better diſplayed and ſet forth, as that which of all others is moſt ancient, moſt lawfull, moſt profitable, and moſt commendable in mans life.
Plin. h. 18. 4. 5. 6. ca. 1. 2. 3.This Plinie in his Naturall hiſtorie excellentlie proueth: but wee better finde in the holie Scriptures, that this was the ſame which the Lord God of all manuall labours,1. Husbandrie the most ancient labour of man. firſt ordained for man, immediatlie after his Creation, & that wherin (next to the diuine ſeruices) hee ſhould be exerciſed in, and for his life and maintenance, and as the end of his placing in the garden of Eden, as witneſſeth Moſes in theſe words:Gen: 2.15. The Lord God tooke the man whom he had made, & put him in the garden of Eden, that he might dreſſe it and keepe it. Neither was this omitted, but confirmed to him after his fall:Gen. 3. when he ſaid, that in the ſweat of his face man ſhould eate his breade: the which therefore, not onelyonly Adam, but alſo his children after him obſerued: for Abel was a keeper of the ſheepe, and Cayn was a tiller of the fieldes. After this, it is in Scripture reported,Gen. 9.20. that Noah the righteous, ſoone vponupon the floud became an husbandman, and planted a vineyard. King Salomon planted gardens, and orchyards,Eccl. 2.6. & much commended the exerciſe and profit thereof: yea, he proteſted, that the king himſelfe is maintained by husbandrie: neither is hee able to helpe his poore people,2. K. Deut. 28.3. The kinde of husbandry except it pleaſe the Lord that way to bleſſe his vineyards and fieldes. Moreouer, the Lord God by his ſeruant Moſes, promiſed to them that feared him, a bleſſing from the tillage of the earth: and to them that diſobeied, hee threatned to withdraw the ſame for a curſing.
But here it may be demanded, that as there be diuers pointes in the labour of husbandrie (as the care of ſheepe and cattell noted in Abel and Iacob: the planting of vineyardes obſerued in Noah, and Salomon, and ſuch like, commended & vſed from the beginning, by holie men) lawfull for Chriſtians: ſo alſo whether the tilling of the ground which Cain vſed, and which for mans ſin was curſed, be no leſſe lawfull and commendable. To this I anſwere, that abſolutely we may not doubt therof. Indeede there be ſome Arts, which in themſelues are lawfull, & yet by reaſon of the end therof are become vnlawfull: As it is lawfull for a mā to make a ſword for the defence of himſelfe or his brother:The end of our tillages but he may not make a ſword to this end to kill men, ſauing by the Iudgement of publique authoritie, as in warres, or in the execution of Iuſtice on the malefactors: So it is right lawfull, yea and commanded to men, to till & plough vp their fieldes for the better ſuſtentation of mans life; but not of avarice, & couetouſnes, as Cain did, whoſe mind and ſtudies were fixed wholie on the earth. And this did he expreſſe by two ſimboles: firſt, that he challēged for his own the thing vnmoueable, as the earth, and then did build a citie, which hee called after his ſonnes name, Enoch, that is, taught or dedicated (as to this trade or labour) So the end of this labour and the manner therof, maketh it either good or euill, which yet, in it owne nature is good. Therefore, although that wicked Cain abuſed this noble exerciſe of the ground, who therefore was curſed from off the ground,Gen. 4. which ſhould not yeelde him the fruites of his labours therein, and that the Lord had couered the earth with a floud, and deſtroyed the fruits and faſhion of all the husbandrie and labours thereon, for mans great ſinne:Gen. 8.22. yet after his wrath was appeaſed, willing that this benefit ſhould be renewed and proſpered vntounto man, made this mercifull promiſe vntounto Noah, that yet Sowing time and Haruest ſhould not ceaſſe all the dayes of the earth.
Ezek. 36.And ſo he commanded to the Iſraelites, that after their returne from Babylon, they ſhould till and ſowe their fields, to the which he alſo promiſed a bleſsing. Therefore (beſides many others) Hoſiah the good king of Iudah loued husbandry, Eliſha was found by Eliah in the fields, plowing with twelue yoak of oxen, & himſelfe with the twelfth: Iob was an husband man, & had may oxen to that purpoſe: ſo was Abraham, as his ſeruant Eleazer witneſſeth: and Booz the grandfather of Dauid, was a tiller of the field, and into his fielde Ruth Ruth. 2.3the Moabiteſſe firſt came to gleane eares of corne.
Finallie, our Sauiour compareth God our heauenlie Father to an Husbandman, in whoſe fielde is ſowen the good corne: yea he compareth ſometimes his diſciples or beleeuers, to the good field. From hence Paul taketh a Metaphor: Yee are Gods husbandry: Wee are the labourers, liking the worke of the Lorde by the Miniſter to the labour of the husbandman in the fielde.
And ſurely I hauehave not found, howe plainer to expreſſe the louelove & regard of the Lord to his people, nor how better to diſplay the duty,This kinde of labour fitty expresſeth mans dutie. not onelyonly of a miniſter in the church, but of eueryevery true chriſtian in his place & calling, then by kinde husbandry, and eſpecially that which appertaineth to the Plough, Sowing, Reaping. &c.
Wherin beſides the ioile and labour of the body, is required ſeuen ſeueral vertues: that is to ſay, Firſt Wiſedome, next Fortitude, 3. Prayer. 4. Diligence. 5. Perſeuerance. 6. Expectation. 7.7. Ʋertuos Thankfulnes. And the which are ſurely in right requeſt with all true Chriſtians in their ſeuerall callings, as without the which, and eueryevery of them, no man is of abilitie to holde and enioy his place, comfortable to himſelfe, or profitable to others.
Thus therefore, the good husband man doeth not only labour: but alſo by Wiſedome 1. Wiſdomdoth know and conſider the ſtate of his land and ſoyle: the manner of vſage, the nature of his feede, the times and ſeaſons of his Sowing,2. Fortitude. Reaping, Tilling, and manuring. Next, as the labours of husbandrie are very gainefull and profitable: ſo require they the more induſtrie and paines of body: therefore the husband men are commonlie ſtrong, both of minde, and bodie: of minde, therby willing and ready to labour without diſdaine in theſe thinges of the earth: of body, as wherby they endure the labour. For weake and feeble perſons are not fit for this work, nor are they meet which contemne or diſdaine it. They be ſtrong of bodie, whom euen nature hath framed to ſuſtaine labours:Hugo de ſaen. Ʋicto. h 1. ca. 14 de Claustr. of the which there be 3. ſorts: ſome though they are able, yet will not performe thinges profitable: others are both able and willing: and others are willing to doe more then their power extendeth: though the firſt is to be blamed, & the third commended: yet the ſecond maketh a meet husbandman. 3. Becauſe wee muſt firſt ſeeke the kingdome of God & his Righteouſnes: it is not conuenient, nor ſafe, that the husbandman ſhould attempt anie thing on the preſumption of that his wiſdome or abilitie of bodie, without Prayer, and the deuout, ſeruice of God: perſwading that this is the way to obtaine a bleſſing vntounto his labours, and a proſperitie from the Lord, from whoſe goodnes euerie good gift & perfect gift commeth, and that in the name of Chriſt, without whom (as hee ſaith) we can doe nothing. Fourthly, adde to the former, Chriſtian Diligence: 4. Diligēcefor this kinde of labour is not an idle, negligent, or eaſie endeuour: but ſuch, as muſt be compaſſed and effected, as by an able, ſo by a diligent hand, eſpeciallie in thoſe times & ſeaſons of the yeare, when men plough, ſow, and reape: elſe, as little or nothing is performed to effect, and as delayes bring dangers, men may be preuented of their expectation, by contrarie weather: by the ſpringing of tares, the devouring of byrds, blaſtings, and other ſuch inconueniences, which commonlie enſue the wante of timely diligence.
5.5. Perſeuerance. Neither may we think that this labour laſteth but for a day, or a week, or a monethmonth: but that the labour of the husbandman continueth: for vntounto him eueryevery day bringeth his worke, and eueryevery day in the yeare his appointed labour, the wich if the idler once neglect, hee can neuer or verie hardlie recouer it: therfore he that taketh this in hand, or goeth to the plough, muſt proceed, and not looke back, or giuegive ouer: for then all is loſt, neither gaineth the husbandman any thing, but by Perſeuerance. After this, the husbandman expecting the end of his labours, muſt Patientlie abide, and continue in Hope, 6. Patiēce in hope.Here we muſt depend by Faith on the Lord, and waite his pleaſure, for the fruites of his labours at the appointed time. And this is that which incourageth him both to labour & to continue in his labour. Laſtly, that he may not ſhew himſelfe ingratefull to the Lorde, hauing from his bleſſing receiued the fruites of his labour, hee is bound to be thankfull to the Lord God, to whom it is in deede a right good thing to be thankfull, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith. In and by all theſe things wee are taught, what is required in the ſpiritual husbandrie, in the which Pieties Plough is taken in hand: And therein is required not onelyonly labour, but a good labour,7. Thankfulnes. and that is well performed for the pleaſure of God, and the benefit of men, when the labourer in this husbandrie is furniſhed with thoſe ſeuen former Vertues, ſo well fitting his vocation and function. But all thoſe things ſhall (by Gods grace) be explaned in the place & order of the proceeding of this heauenly Plough.