The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIII.. The first part of the Soole, is the Share.
THe firſt is the Contrition of heart, Contrition of heart.likened to the Share of the Soole. This Inſtrument is called in Latine Dentale, Dentale.of the word Dens, or Tooth, for that it pierceth or biteth: and the vſe thereof is to pierce the …owels of the ſoyle, as therein to force the ſame, …nd make way for the Culter, which followeth …ne to diuide and open that which the Share …th pierced: and this very aptly expreſſeth, that …ntrition of heart, which is well defined the Cō …ction or wholeſome motion of an humble …inde, or ſorrowful heart, riſing of the Recorda…n of ſinnes committed, and the feare of Gods …ements on the ſame, and is declared with … ſighes and weeping eyes. And howſoe… wee finde the ſame to be occaſioned by any …rnall action, wee moſt know it to be the ve… worke of God then wrought, when by the … and iudgement of Conſcience, he openeth … a man the greatnes & horrour of his tranſ…ſſion and ſins, demonſtrateth to him his high pleaſure, with an iminent plague for the ſame, … it ſlicteth on his heart the bitter ſenſe o… his …ath, as whereby hee is forced to feare, to tremble, and to feele the eager gnawing & wringing torment of a guiltie Conſcience, now as readie to be drawn to the Iudgement Seate, and thence as gultie to bee ſent forth to the place of execution: that ſo, beaten downe, daunted, and mortified, he might afterward be made capeable either of grace and conſolation in the Lords mercy: or being left to himſelfe, might fall through diſpaire into eternall death and damnation. With this Share, did the Lord pierce and wound the hearts of thoſe Iewes to whom Peter preached, accuſing and charging them with the betraying and murthering of the Lord Ieſus, which had iuſtly prouoked the Lord, & deſerued the paine of his iuſt iudgements: whereon being pricked in conſcience, they ſaid vntounto Peter and the other Apoſtles,Act. 2.37. Men and brethren what ſhall we doe? The ſame Share pierced the Publicans, the Souldiers, and the people, when Iohn the Baptiſt told them that the Axe was laide euen to the roote of the tree: ſo that eueryevery tree that brought not foorth good fruit, was to be hewen downe and caſt into the fire. This was the preaching of the Lawe, whereat alſo, Dauid, Manaſſes, Peter, & Magaalen, accuſing themſelues as guilty, were brought to contrition. And (indeede) Dauid after the experience of this inſtrument, found that it was not onelyonly a thing profitable for him, as whereby not might begin to proceede with Pieties Plough: Pſal. 50.but alſo a pleaſing Sacrifice vntounto God, the which is ſtrongly ſeconded by the Lord himſelfe, who ſaith: To whom ſhould I look, but to him which is poore and contrite in heart, and trembleth at my wordes. Eſai. 66.2.Therefore the ſame, Paul much commendeth,2. Cor. 7.7.8. writing to the Corinthians, and addeth: Though I made you ſorie with a Letter, I repent not, though I did repent. Againe, I now reioyce, not that ye were ſorie, but that you ſorrowed to repentance, for ye ſorrowed godly, ſo that in nothing ye were hurt by vsus: for godly ſorrow cauſeth Repentance vntounto ſaluation, not to be repented of: but the worldly ſorrow cauſeth death. Wherein alſo diſtinguiſhing the godly ſorrow, (that is, the Chriſtian contrition) frō that which is vngodly, he ſheweth the ends and fruits of eyther. And truly as that medicine which draweth forth from the ſick mans heart the venemous humour of his diſeaſe, and prepareth him for the ſweete and healing potion: This godly contrition draweth out of the ſinners hart, the poiſō of the wicked fact, and mittigateth the biting and ſorrow of the conſcience, albeit it pierceth and woundeth the ſame: for by this ſhall be made euen a ſoueraigne medicine to heale the wound of it owne piercing, comparable therein to that ointment or plaiſter, which, made of the Spider or flie that ſtingeth a man, ſhall eaſily heale & mitigate the paine therof. This is a practiſe vſed in the cure of the body, in the which, that is thoght no leſſe needfull that a veine bee opened, when the Phiſitian perceiueth the blood infected. But the ſinner is throghly infected both in body and minde, and ſo inflamed therewith, that he will be ſoone agonized and dead indeede, if his veine be not ſoone opened, euen the Cordiall veine, from whence the rankour of malice and wicked imaginations may bee drawne forth.Gen, 6. For the imaginations of mans heart are onelyonly euill eueryevery day. Therefore ſaide the Lord; Circumciſe your hearts: Roote your hearts: Let the ſinner forſake his owne imaginations.
This commenceth the Action of mans Mortification, and is the firſt part of Repentance, & ſo needfull, as that without it men cannot repent indeede.Pſ. 51. and 126.6.7. But hauing the ſame in the right conſtitution of minde, wee are accepted with the Lorde: though we ſowe in teares, wee reape in ioy: wee enter the gate of right Repentance, wee mooue the Lord GOD to pitie vsus, wee finde merciemercy with his grace: and finally, bee directed from hel to heauen, and from eternall death, to eternall life, through the merits of the Sonne of God.
CHAP. XV. The ſecond part of the Soole of pietie, is the Shippe.
NExt to the Share, is the Shippe,2. Humiliation of the Spirit. which is that member of the Soole whereon the Share is faſtened, and this noteth the humiliation of the Spirite, wrought by that true feare of GOD, whereby (mans heart being contrite) the minde is alſo ſo humbled and made poore in his owne conceit, as that it caſteth off all boldneſſe of it owne ſtrength, wiſedome, iuſtice, wealth and eſtimation. Hereof it is, that a man chooſeth to be an abiect in the houſe of God, and preferreth all others before him, when hee conſidereth his owne vileneſſe, as Dauid did: acknowledgeth himſelfe to bee but duſt and aſhes, as Abraham did: eſteemeth himſelfe vnworthy of Gods manifold mercies, as Iacob did: ſtandeth a farre off, and is afraide to looke vp to heauen, as the poore Publican did: dreadeth to take the holy name of God in his mouth, as Solomon did: deſireth to be but as a ſeruant in Gods houſe, as the prodigall Sonne did in the houſe of his father: eſteemeth himſelfe a worme, and no man, as Chriſt did: thinketh both himſelfe and his houſe, vnwoorthie of Chriſt, as the Ruler didde: and ſaith to Chriſt, Lord goe from me, for I am a ſinfull man, as Peter did. In a word, as this humble Spirit caſteth down, and condemneth and contemneth himſelfe, as a ſeruant vnprofitable, in thought, word and deede: ſo hath hee no deſire to bee praiſed before God or man, becauſe hee ſeeth and feeleth in himſelfe nothing worthie commendation; but rather ſinne & damnation. This is contrary to the humour of the worlde, which hunteth after the vaine glory of the ſame, and thinketh magnificently of her followers therein: diſdaining and contemning the whiles the humble and lowly men of Spirit. Howbeit, the Lord Ieſus, as hee himſelfe was humble and meeke,Mat. 52. and would that all his Diſciples ſhould follow him therein: ſo hee pronounceth thoſe perſons bleſſed: for that to them belongeth the kingdome of heauen: neyther (as he ſaith) ſhall any be admitted into the ſame, but ſuch onelyonly as be truly humbled, and in the meekeneſſe of Spirit become as children: the which Auguſtine conſidering, ſaide, that this was indeede the firſt, the ſecond, and the third point, yea the higheſt and cheefeſt point of Chriſtianity.Why humility is likened to the Shippe. And worthily is this vertue compared to the Shippe in the Soole: for that, as the Ship is not only that peece which holdeth the Share, but is placed beneath next to the earth: ſo the humiliation of the Spirit, holdeth faſt the true Contrition of the heart, the which without the ſame, would ſoone bee abated: and yet how low ſoeuer this be placed vnderunder ſome other parts of the Soole, and next the ground, with the Shippe: yet as Nazianzen ſaid: (ypſus arozenthe etapeinoſen) it goeth before exal…ation and honour. Therfore Saint Iames counſelled, Be yee humble vnderunder Gods mighty hand, that he may exalt you in the time conuenient. For, God reſiſteth the proude, but giueth grace to the lowly. And to ſtrengthen all, the Lord himſelfe ſaith, Learne of me, for I am meeke and lowly of heart, and ye ſhal finde reſt for your ſoules: for he that humbleth himſelfe ſhall be exalted.