The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. The heart of man is likened vntounto the Earth, or Land, both fallowed, & vnfallowed.
NOwe, that wee may yet better vnderſtand the Metaphor, with profitable fruite, let vsus examine theſe two pointes. Firſt, why Man, or Mans heart, is likened to the Earth, or to the vnfallowed Land.Man is likened to the Earth, for 7. cauſes. Next, why the heart of the Godly man or repentāt ſinner, is likened to that Fallowed or tilled ſoyle: As for the former, wee find that man is called Earth, and that his heart is comparable to the earth: Firſt, becauſe he was taken from the Earth, into the which he ſhal againe returne, Gen. 3. Secondlie, by reaſon of his nature corrupt, which is as the earth, colde & drie, and therby barraine of all good thoughts, & godlie endeuours: neither is the ſame eaſilie perſwaded to goodnes, but by the diuine grace, & therefore no leſſe comparable to the Rocke or Stone: as the prophet ſaith:Amos. 6.1…. Shall the horſes runne on Rockes? thar is, on a barraine or hard land to plough, for the ſowing of Pietie? Thirdlie, for that, as the earth is ponderous and tendeth downeward, ſo man is weighed downe by the tight of his ſinne: yea, in his corrupt nature, hee hath for his centre, the depth of hell, whitherto hee daylie tendeth were he not ſuſtained by the finger and mercy of God in Chriſt. Fourthly, as the earth hath many and diuers ſhapes and changes, according to the diuerſitie of the times, ſeaſons, and conſtitutions of the aire: ſo is mans heart, and Man himſelfe, moſt vnconſtāt, wauering, and reeling too & fro, now of one conſtitution, then of another, after the manifolde changes and chances of this life. Fifthlie: as the earth is the receptacle of all ſeeds, of all bodies, and ponderous things whatſoeuer: ſo is mans heart the receptacle of all opinions, ſectes, documents, Arts, Sciences: yea, the ſwallow of all ſinnes, abhominations and euils in the world. Sixtlie, as the earth hath in it manie hollow places, and ſuch as are inſcrutable: ſo hath the heart of man, which therfere is called prauum & inſcrutabile, wicked and vnſearcheable. Seuenthlie and laſtly, the earth being not tilled and manured, beareth naturally bryers, thornes, thiſtles, nettles, & ſuch being the effects of the curſe. Gen. 3. Euen ſo mans heart without diſcipline or ſpiritual culturing, bringeth forth all kind of cor…upt & naughty imaginations, ſinnes, euill deeds, …nd like fruites, ſuch (as Chriſt tells vsus) defile the man. And ſurely, here may we ſee the true image …f the Olde Adam, who hath (as ſaide Bernard Bern: in 30. Serm: ꝑvo…de. 1. Cor. 15.) a …hreefolde oldnes, namely that of the heart: that of …he mouth, and that of the body, in the which we offend three manner of wayes: that is to ſay, in …hought, in word, and in deede. In the heart are …ound carnall & worldlie deſires: that is, the louelove of the fleſh, and the louelove of the world: Likewiſe in the mouth there is double inueteration, as Arrogancie, and Derogacie. Alſo a double oldnes is in the body, that is, heynous & wicked actions. All theſe are the Olde Mans image, and require in vsus to be renewed.
On the other ſide, the heart of the repentant, yea,The heart of the penitent and godlie. of the godlie Man, is compared to the Land fallowed, or well manured: Firſt, in regard of the labour theron emploied. Next, for the aptnes of the ſame, to receiue & retaine the ſeede. Thirdly, for the fertillitie thereof: for it hath pleaſed the wiſe husbandman (namely God) to exerciſe and to improue the ſame, with his hand and hidden graces, whereby hee hath mortified therein the bryers,Ioh. 3 3. thornes, thiſtles, & tares, and renewed the ſame in the beſt māner of the ſpirituall georgie, and therby hath giuen it power to procreate & yeeld forth the happie Fruites of thoſe good Seedes and Plantes thereon beſtowed. This is a ſpeciall Fallowing of the ſpirituall Land, as wherein may be ſeene a true Mortification, M…tifi…n.and a right Renouation, R…tiō.ſo often commended vntounto vsus in the ſacred Scriptures. By the former, our corrupt Nature is mortified and ſubdued, all godly luſtes killed: ſinne vtterlie ſuppreſſed. And by the latter, wee are made able both to conceiue thoſe ſpirituall good motions, and to beare and bring forth fruits worthie amendment & newnes of life. So that now, whereas we were ſometimes in darknes, & could not cōceiue the good things of the ſpirit of God:1. Cor: … that is to ſay, without the feare of God, without hope, without ioy in God, and ſo all vnfit for the kingdome of God, (as that Old Man): Now are we lightned in our minds, we hauehave new motions kindled in our hearts by the Word, and by the holy Spirit: that is, we hauehave the true knowledge of God, faith and boldneſſe in Chriſt, the feare of God, right inuocation, louelove, ioy in god, hope, and other good ſpirituall vertues, vnderunder the gouernment of Ieſus our Prince. To this exhorted the Apoſtle.1. Cor. 15 As wee hauehave borne the Image of the earthly man, ſo let vsus beare the Image of the heauenly Man. This heauenly Man is Chriſt, by whom we hauehave a triple Nouitie or Newneſſe, as the ſame Bernard writeth, oppoſite to the triple oldneſſe of the Old Man: that is to ſay, the Newneſſe of the heart, of the mouth, & of the body. Concurring the firſt, the Apoſtle ſaith: Be yee renued in the Spirite of your minde, Epheſ. 4.and put yee on the New Man, which according to God is recreated in Righteouſneſſe and holineſſe of truth. For the ſecond he ſaith: Let not any euill word come out of your mouth, but that which is good to the edification of faith, that ye may giuegive grace to the hearers. And for the third, he ſaith:Ro. 6.19. As yee hauehave giuen your members ſeruants to to vncleaneneſse, and to iniquitie, to commit iniquitie: ſo now giuegive your members ſeruants vntounto Righteouſneſſe in holineſſe. And this Bernard Bern. Renouetur ergo Cor noctrum, &c.draweth to particulars, ſaying: Let our hearts be renued from fleſhly and worldly luſtes, that thoſe being excluded, …he louelove of God, and of our heauenly Father, may bee brought in. Let all arrogancie and derogation bee baniſhed our mouthes, that in the place thereof may ſucceed the true confeſsion of our ſinnes, and the good eſtimation of our neigbours. And for thoſe hainous and wicked actions which appertaineth to the corruption of the body, let Continencie and perfest innocencie be embraced: as where, by the contrary, vices may b…e expelled and ouercome by theſe contrary vertues. This kinde of Renouation worketh the Lorde Ieſus, dwelling in vsus by faith, according to that his ſaying: Beholde, I make all thinges new. The ſame dwelling in our harts, is our true wiſdome: in our mouth the very truth: and in our perſon, the right iuſtice. To this husbandrie chiefly aymed the Prophet, when propheſying of the returne of the Iewes from their captiuitie, and of the reedifying of Ieruſalem, he ſaid in the Lordes name thus; I will cauſe you to dwell in the Cities, and the deſolate places ſhalbe builded, and the deſolate land shalbe tilled, whereas it lay waſte in the ſight of all that paſſed by. This meant the Apoſtle, when hee aduiſed the ColloſſiansCol. 3. to mortifie theyr earthly members: when he willed the RomanesRo. 13. to caſt away the deedes of darkeneſſe, and to put on the armour of light: when hee exhorted the Corinthians1. Cor. to beare the Image of the heauenly.
By this is eueryevery one taught his owne condition and eſtate, according to that ſaying, Know thy ſelfe, and thereby endeuour the ſooner to aſſay to purge out the groſſe corruptions of his nature: ſo to be prepared for the heauenly graces, leaſt it be ſaid of vsus, that whiles we peruſe all others, we neglect our ſelues. And what gaine they, who either for vaine-glory, or greedie lucre, or any worldly reſpects, ſeeke to pleaſure others, and the whiles make themſelues caſtawaies. The ſicke man, who knoweth not his owne eſtate, ſeeketh not for a Phiſitian, nor ſtudieth to preuent his owne daunger, vntill it bee ouerlate: God graunt wee may looke better to our ſelues hereafter, then heretofore wee hauehave done, and in the true feare of the diuine Iuſtice, be terrified from ſinne, and by the conſideration of his fatherly louelove and merciemercy, bee incited and encouraged to Righteouſneſſe and MercieMercy. Then ſhall the Spirite of Diſcipline inhabit our hearts, and therein, the good ſeed ſowne, bring forth the good fruite in great abundance, to the honor of God, and comfort of our ſoules.