The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 21 – Chapter 22
CHAP. XXI. The eight part of the Soole, is the round-Hale.
BY the former handle of the Soole, called alſo the Broade Hale, is ſignified the turning about,7 Correction of the words and works, &c. and correction of the heart, minde, and inwarde affection of the Soule. Now by this ſecond, called the Round-hale, there is noted alſo a correction of mans words, workes, actions, conditions, and endeuours, that therein the conuerſion might be not onelyonly in the minde or inward man; but alſo without in the members, & ſo in the whole man is a perfect conuerſion, anſwerable not onelyonly to the Greeke Metonoiah, but alſo to the Hebrue Teſchubah, the altring or renewing not onelyonly of the minde, but of the whole man. That is the meaning of the Prophet, when hee ſaith: Turne againe vntounto the Lord: Conuert thou vsus, and we ſhall be conuerted. The order thereof wee may learne from the practiſe of the cunning Phiſitian, who endeuouring to alter the conſtitution of his ſicke Patient, applieth to cold cauſes, hotte medicines; and to hotte humours, colde things: as that with the cauſe of eueryevery maladie,The order of conuerſion. might with his contrary be beſt maiſtred and ſuppreſſed: the like we may take from the vſage of the husbandman, who into his hungry fields brings the fatteſt ſoyle, into ſnapy and wet places hotte lime, aſhes and ſand, into high earth the ſound marrle, and into ſtony ground, the cleaneſt worthe. Euen ſo in this conuerſion, it is required, that againſt wicked vices, there be oppoſed all godly vertues.
Thus taught our Sauiour Chriſt, who came into the world to ſaue ſinners, and thereto (as Simeon prophecied) to be the downe-falling, Luk. ….and the vpriſing of many in Iſrael: which is meant not onelyonly of ſundrie perſons diuerſly affected, to whom he allots a contrary retribution, but alſo of one and the ſame ſingular perſon or perſons in whom he deſtroyeth the kingdome of ſinne, that in the ſame he might ſet vp and eſtabliſh the kingdome of righteouſneſſe. And in this hee wrought the ruine of pride, by his humility: the ruine of auarice, by his liberalitie: the ruine of luxury, by his chaſtitie: the ruine of enuie, by his charitie: the ruine of gluttony, by his ſobrietie: the ruine of wrath, by his patience: the ruine of ſloath, by his diligence: in a word, the ruine of all wickedneſſe, by his righteouſneſſe. A certaine man endeuouring to perſwade to this patterne, counſelled, as thus tranſlated:
VntoUnto the ſickneſſe of the Soule,
the contraries apply:
GiueGive Niggard of thine owne,
thou wanton, bend to chastitie.
Turne Enuie into louelove,
and Pride to good humilitie:
Yeeld Glutton to Sobrietie,
thou wrathfull, patience louelove:
In fine, to bridle youthfull fleſh,
the Rodde of Nurture proue.
Luk. 3.5.This rule taught Iohn the Baptist in his preaching of Repentance: Let eueryevery hill bee brought lowe: let eueryevery valley bee filled vp: let thinges which are crooked be made ſtraight, and that which is rough be made plaine. The ſame Ezechiel hath without a metaphor, ſaying:Ezec. 18.21. Let the vngodly man turne away from his vngodlineſſe, and doe the thing that is right. And Daniel counſailing Nabuchadnezar thus. Breake off thy ſinnes by righteouſneſſe:Dan. 4. and thine iniquitie by merciemercy. The meaning is, that men ſhould caſt away the deedes of darkeneſſe, and put on the armour of light: that the errour of their liues might bee redreſſed, and themſelues turned to the truth, and brought from the power of Sathan, vntounto the Lord their God.
This is the enkindling of the blacke cole, which hauing fire in it, ſhineth bright: yea, this is the well culturing of mans vntrimmed land, wherby the face and forme thereof being changed, renewed, and all things perfected, hee is made liable both in body and minde to the heauenly and ſoueraigne ſeede. Howbeit, we muſt neuer forget this, that both the beginning, the proceeding, and the effecting of this holy worke of mans Conuerſion, is not of mans owne will or abilitie: but that which belongeth onelyonly to his grace, who hath created him, and by his Spirite in his Sonne, renueth them which belong vntounto his kingdome. The neceſſitie and manner of the Lords diuine worke therein, hee declareth in his diſputation with Nichodemus, concerning the ſame, ſaying: Verily, verily, I ſay vntounto thee, Io. 3.5.except that a man be borne of water, and of the Spirite, he cannot enter into the kingdome of God. Where he meaneth the Spirituall water, whereby wee are baptized by the holy Ghoſt into newneſſe of life. The which being an eſpecial worke of God, not onelyonly aboue mans abilitie, but farre beyond his wiſedome to conceiue, he is bound to aſcribe the praiſe thereof vntounto the Lorde, and with continuall inuocations and praiers, deſires of his goodneſſe, that as hee is moſt willing to worke this conuerſion in vsus by his Spirite, we may not any way refuſe the good motions of the ſame, but euermore yeeld our ſelues readie both in minde and members, to ſuppreſſe vices, by the exerciſes of holy vertues, and to turne away from all euill, to follow and encline vntounto all that is good, by the helpe and grace of God, in his ſonne Ieſus.
CHAP. XXII. The ninth part of the Soole, is the Chaine.
8 The combination of Vertue.AFter the two Hales or Handles, wee regard the Chaine, or Iron-Rope, the which being faſtned to the Tractorie, and grapled to the yokes, the whole Soole is pulled forth by the Oxen. This Chaine or Rope is made of many Rings, or linckes, faſtened one within an other, ſo as one of thē being drawn forth, all the other muſt of neceſſitie follow. To ſuch a matter aymed thoſe auncient,The three Graces. wiſe, and gratefull men, who framed their three (Xariſetes or Graces, ſo as Xaris charin pherei) One grace held, ſupported, or prouoked an other. By this, is fitly depainted the true combination & prouocation of thoſe motions which are agreeable to the lawe of God, inſpired and kindled by his diuine Spirite: yea, thoſe very heauenly vertues and graces which are deriued vntounto vsus, by a meaſure from the fulneſſe of Chriſt, and are appointed to ſuſtaine and followe one an other in theſe perſons regenerate. Of this ſpake Saint Iohn, when he ſaide, that From his fulneſſe, we all receiue Grace, Ioh. 1.vponupon Grace: or, one vertue following an other. And no doubt, of the ſame ſpake Paul, when hee would, that ſuch as beleeued, ſhould thereto adde, not onelyonly vertue, but Proceede from vertue to vertue: that is, to adde one vertue to an other, vntill they were made perfect in Chriſt. But Saint Peter iumpeth iuſt to the Graces,1. Pet. 15. and numbreth vp ſixe particular Linckes for this Chaine, ſaying: GiueGive yee all heede, that yee miniſter in your faith, vertue: in your vertue, knowledge: in your knowledge, temperance: in your temperance, godlineſse: in your godlineſse, brotherly kindeneſſe: in your brotherly kindeneſſe, louelove. Whereas hee ſaith, GiueGive ye all heede, that ye minister in your faith vertue, &c. He meaneth not, that the power of the action, or the diſpoſition of theſe vertues is our owne: but that as we ſhould neither reſiſt the holy motions of the Spirite offered vsus, nor receiue the graces of God in vaine: ſo we ſhould gladly yeeld our ſelues vntounto the Lorde, and receiue by the hande of a liuely ſaith, from his goodneſſe, Grace vponupon Grace, and Vertue vponupon Vertue: as ſuch, as being well taught, vnderunder our heauenly Father, might honour and ſerue him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe. Loe this is that infringeable Chaine of Pieties Plough, comparable to that compleat armour of God, the which S. Paul would a Chriſtian ſhould put on, and the which in this Chaine, Epheſ. 6.are aptly lincked and framed together. Whereof the firſt is Veritie: the next, Righteouſneſſe: the third, Readineſse for the Goſpell: the fourth, Faith: the fift, Hope: the ſixt, Gods word: the ſeuenth, Praier, &c. This Chaine is ſo neceſſarie for the Spirituall Plough-man, as that without it, the Plough cannot proceed: but hauing this holy combination, and prouocation of all Vertues, the Plough proceedeth with good ſpeede, and all proſperitie, as ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.