The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV. The Harrow or Drag, and the Horſes of Impietie, with the fruits and ends thereof.
MOreouer, to this Plough and Land of Impietie, there is fitted by the Diuell) a certaine Harrow or Dragge, with two ill fauoured Iades to draw the ſame.1. The Harrow of Impietie. The Harrow is that Adulation and flatterie of that falſe Prophet, which may rather be called a Rolier or Smoother: ſuch as vſed the Prophets of Iſrael, who when they ſhould hauehave reproued the people for their abhominations,Iſa. 2….1. & 5….11. Iere. 6.14. & 8.11. and terrified them with iudgments, healed their wounds with faire wordes, and dawbed their ſinnes with vntempered morter. Furthermore, whereas in Pieties Harrow, were found many ſharpe pinnes o… tynes of bitter affliction, to teare abroade the hard cloddes of mans peruerſe and ſtubborne nature. In this Roll or Dragge are fixed thoſe tynes, which are of a contrary nature and operation, as namely the ſinfull Solaces and fancies of fooles, by the which (as with precious balmes) mans head is broken, (as Dauid ſaith). To this purpoſe the maleuolent Temptor propoſeth to the eyes of men, the glory, pleaſure, wealth and pompe of the worlde to bee deſired: to the eares, the ſongs of fooles,Pro. 1. Cor. 15. reſembled to the cracking of thornes vnderunder the pot in the fire, and ſuch wordes, which (as Saint Paul ſaith) corrupt good manners. To the taſte,Luk 16. meates and liquors of deliciouſnes, wherewith men are glutted to their paine. To the ſent of ſmelling, oderiferous gummes, hearbs and ſweete perfumes. To the feeling, ſoft apparrell, eaſie beds, quiet ſleepes, long reſt, idleneſſe and wiſhed tranquilitie: and to paſſe by many other particulars of this kinde, here is found offered or promiſed, whatſoeuer may ſeeme pleaſing to mans concupiſcence and degenerated nature, by the which being enchanted, as with ſinging Syrenes, beautifull …amiae, and deceitfull Phiſitians, they bend to their owne bane, embrace their deepe danger, and poſſeſſe in themſelues, not onelyonly a curſed Chironia (or Noli me tangere) but that remedileſſe Nunquam ſanabite, without all recouerie.
The two draught Horſes of this Dragge,The 2. Harrow Horſes. Gregor in Iob. lib 6. cap 16. The Driuer of the Horſes. are two pernicious Diuells, which inuade the mindes of worldly men, of the which the one is called Mammon, the other Aſmodaeus: both fedde with luſt; the former of the eye, the latter of the fleſh. But that they might not ſlake courſe, they are agitated with Lucifer, that proud feend, whom St. Iohn deſcried and diſcouered, playing his part in the maligne world. His ſongs, tunes and voices, wherewith hee animateth and prouokes thoſe Horſes, and with them, all ſuch as follow on with that Harrow, are the ſame which either himſelfe vſed in heauen, or which hee taught Adam and Heuah in Paradiſe: in the firſt was noted elation,Hugo. de Cluſtro ania lib 2. cap. 19. ſuggeſtion and deſperation: in the ſecond, delectation, conſent and excuſation: the former ſmacketh of Auarice, the latter of Voluptuouſneſſe. Whereof, that the godly may bee heedefull, and flie the danger, one thus aduiſeth them: Noli cantare cum Lucifero in Calo: ſeu cum primo homine in Paradiſo: ſed cantes in templo cum Christo eijcient vendentes & ementes exeo, eijciens vendentes datam gratiam, & ementes vanam gloriam. Doe thou not ſing with Lucifer in Heauen, or with the firſt man in Paradiſe: but ſing with Chriſt in the Temple, caſting out from thence the buyers and the ſellers, caſting out them (I ſay) that ſell grace freely beſtowed, and that buye vaine glorie.
Of ſuch odious fingers ſpake holy Iob Iob 2.in his affliction, & obſerued, that in the middeſt of their mirth they were caſt downe into hell, the centre of vngodly ſoules, and the place of remuneration for worldly delights,Luk. 12. & 6. as Chriſt alſo hath well taught in the fearefull examples of thoſe two Rich men mentioned in the Goſpell.
Now, albeit the ground of Impiety be both ſtubborne, impatient, diſobedient & ingratefull to the Almightie and his Saints in his permiſſion: yet it yeelds it ſelf apt & ready to this peruerſe husbandmā (I mean the diuel) in all things after his wil, according to the cēſure of the Lord of the reprobate Iewes,Ioh 8. ſaying: Yee are of your father the diuell, and the luſts of your father ye will doe.
Moreouer, to this heinous Harrow belongeth diuers other things, eſpecially for the furniture of thoſe Horſes that are liable to the draught of the ſame in this lewd land; and the particulars allude in number and place to thoſe which appertaine to the Horſes and Harrowes in the ground of Pietie: as namely the Collers, the Hambers, the Traſe ropes, the Batter quills, the tenours & the halters By the firſt, we may vnderſtand Preſumption and Diſpaire, as depending on the aſſurance of this worldly felicitie, and diſtruſting vtterly the promiſes of God, and the things of his kingdom. By the ſecond conſideration, humane Concupiſcence and beaſtly Appetite. By the third, the deſire of Worldly honour, the deſire of the Riches of this life, the deſire of fleſhly Pleaſures, and the deſire of Reuenge. By the fourth, note mans Selfe louelove, and Selfe will. By the fift, the conceit of Securitie, and the perſwaſion of Long li…e. By the ſixt, vnderſtand Seduction and Perdition, and thereunto the enuious man, namely the Diuell, ſets too both handes, wherein that hee may allure them, hee is as a Serpent, and to daunt and deſtroy them as a ramping Lion. Howbeit (as it is before ſaid) hee hath not power to effect ought,On whom the Diuell hath power by Gods permiſſion. Dioniſ. Areop in dui n…w. lz ca 10. Mat. 4. were it not of the permiſſion of the Almighty, who, in his iuſt iudgements ſuffereth him both to rage and dominere in & ouer the veſſells of wrath: but vponupon his Saints, hauing no power, in them hee findeth nought: for the Lord will not ſuffer them to fall into tentation, that is, to bee ouercome of the diuell, albeit he often permits them to be tempted of the diuel, as Chriſt himſelfe was tempted. Thus hauehave wee ſeene both the Harrow of Impietie, with the Horſes, Driuer, and furniture inci…ent. Now it remaines, that we briefly conſider of the fruites that ſpring of this husbandry, with the reward.
The fruits are moſt horribleThe fruits & reward of …mpietie (as ſo wel obſerued and tried) Eliphaz in Iob, Iob. ….8 9.making an anſwer to Iobs wordes, thus proteſteth: I hauehave ſeene, that they which plough iniquitie, and ſew wickedneſse, doe alſo reape the ſame. Againe, hee remembreth their reward with the manner thereof, ſaying: With the blast of God they periſh, and with the breath of his nestrells they are conſumed. And Salomon hath not onelyonly ſeconded, but briefly expounded him therein:Pro. 22.8. He that ſoweth iniquitie (ſaith he) ſhall reape affliction: and the rod of his arger ſhall faile: that is, hee ſhall be plagued for his lewd labours, and that power hee ſometimes had to oppreſſe & afflict the godly, ſhall be reſtrained & taken from him. The prophet Hoſeah Hoſ. 10.14ſaith, that they which plough wickednes, reape the fruit of lies: and that is (as S. Iohn ſaith) the torment of the ſecond death, Appoc. 22.in the lake that burnes with fire and brimſtone. St. Paul tells the Galathians, Gal. 6 8.that whoſoeuer ſowes of the fleſh, Chap. 5.19.…1.ſhal of the fleſh reap corruption. And this (a little before) hee calls the fruits of the fleſh, the which (as he ſaith) who ſo doth, hee ſhall not inherit the kingdome of God. And finally, as well for the conſideration of the fine & reward of Impiety, as for a briefe vſe of that which hath bene declared of and in the ſame, we heare the ſweete Pſalmiſt of Iſrael thus to ſing and admoniſh and teach the right godly man in his patient abiding: Fret not thy ſelfe becauſe of wicked men: Pſal 37.1, 2, 3.neither bee enuious for the euill doers for they ſhall ſoone bee cut downe like the graſse, and ſhall wither as the greene hearbe. Truſt t…ou in the Lord, and doe good, dwell in the Land, and verily thou ſhalt be fed. Againe,Verſe. 34. Wait thou on the Lord, and keepe his way, and he ſhall exalt thee, that thou ſha t inherit that Land when the wicked men ſhall periſh, thou ſhalt ſee. I hauehave ſeene the wicked ſtrong, and ſpreading himſelfe like a greene Bay-tree: yet hee paſſed away, and he was gone: and I ſought him, but I could not finde him. For notwithſtanding, his worldly proſperitie of late, hee is ſuddainely gone downe into hell, and all his glory is defaced with him in his death: for why? the Lord hath ſpoken to him in his wrath, and vexed him in his ſore diſpleaſure, when he exalted the horne of his Annointed, and placed his King on Sion his holy hill.