The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 23 – Chapter 25
CHAP. XXII. The tenth part of the Soole, is the further wheele.
IN Pieties Plough, there be two Wheeles, as wheron the Beame is carried by the Axell,9 Meditation profitable. and the Soole more ſtedily directed forth in the land. Albeit that in ſome places, the fields are turned by the Soole, without wheeles: yet, as the Husbandman findeth the commoditie, ſo doth he commend the right vſe of the ſame. The two wheeles of this Plough, are the profitable Meditation, and the continuance of the good action: both the which the holy Pſalmiſt deſcribed and commended in that bleſſed man,Pſal. 1. whoſe delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in that Law is exerciſed both day and night.
The former, is that remiſſion of the minde according to nature, from thinges which are without ad principatum, to the chiefe rule or head: which then is moſt profitable when it hath for his chiefe obiect the beſt and moſt profitable things, in the conſideration whereof a man may be taught, inſtructed, and edified in that which is of like nature, for the glory of God & his owne ſafetie. And well is this vertue likened to the Wheele in three points. Firſt, for the figure: ſecondly, for the coniunction: thirdly, for the motion thereof.
The figure is round by the which (as the Philoſophers note perfection) wee may vnderſtand the ſoundneſſe of holy Meditation: for as the wheele is of eueryevery part perfect, as that there needeth not either addition, or diminution: ſo is the Meditation of the beleeuing Chriſtian perfect, as the Lord is perfect. Mat. 5.
The Coniunction is of diuers parts, and ſo, as of two or more then is made one thing: thus the godly & repentant man hath his cogitation fixed on thoſe things which as parts are combined together in the true meditation of the olde and new Teſtament, of Moſes, the Prophets, and the Pſalmes, of the doctrine Euangelicall, Apoſtolica…l, and Hiſtoricall, and ſo, as it the thing figured were ſeen in the figure, & the figure in the thing figured, in an equall proportion: as then when the holy Prophets by a ſtrong meditation in the things to them reuealed & foreſhewed long before the things were accompliſhed, ſawe the ſame, and thereof vſed often the preter or preſent tence, for the future. This Ezekiel Ezekiel. 1.ſaw in a viſion, a wheele in the middeſt of a wheele: this Salomon taught, that one thing ſhould be conſidered or meditated on with another, that men might attaine to wiſedome. For in our meditations it is meete that wee obſerue the true proportion of thoſe partes and members which are to be conioined: as the Law with the Prophets, faith with obedience, hope with charitie, goodneſſe with grace; the Father & the Sonne, Chriſt Ieſus and his Church, the Church and her children, the death of Chriſt & his reſurrection, his aſcenſion and his high glory, mans election and glorification, his iuſtification & his ſanctification. What man is without Chriſt, and what he is in Chriſt: what God hath done for vsus, and what hee requireth of vsus: &c.
The motion of this wheele is circularie, to the which beyond all other motions, the Philoſophers attribute perfection, in the which the ſingular conſideration and right vſe of thoſe excellent obiects are ſignified, in the vſe whereof, after the end of our meditation, wee ſhould begin againe, and orderly proceede in the circularie motion of the Wheele.Mat. 2….40. Phil. 3.1. Thus the Lorde Ieſus praying to his Father, ſpake the ſame wordes three times: and Saint Paul to the Philippians ſaid, that it greeued him not to write vntounto them oftentimes the ſame thing. Thus wee are taught to pray euerie day to the Lorde for our daily foode,Mat. 6.11 and for the forgiuenes of our ſinnes, both in the morning, at noone tide, in the euening, and in the night ſeaſon. This alſo intimated Salomon, not onelyonly in that he ſaith,Eccl. 11.2 Remember thy Maker the ſooner in thy youth: but in that, GiueGive a portion to ſeuen, and alſo to eight: as that, when we hauehave ended one weeke, (which conſiſteth of ſeuen daies) we ſhould begin againe (with the eight day) another weeke. And in this circulary motion, wee ſhuld ruminate Pauls wheele of fourteen ſpokes.Act. 17. As firſt, that there is but one chiefe & beſt good thing, which is God. Secondly, that he alone is author of all good things, both in heauen and earth. Thirdly, that he is Lord of all. Fourthly, that he is concluded in no place. Fiftly, that he is not worſhipped with the workes of mens hands. Sixtly, that he hath neede of no mans helpe. Seuenthly, that he diſpoſeth of his riches to eueryevery man. Eightly, that hee is the creator and maker of mankinde. Ninthly, that hee placed men on the earth. Tenthly, that he is eueryevery where, filling euerie thing. Twelfthly, that in him we liue, moue, and hauehave our being. Thirteenth, that he is honoured, not with gold, ſiluer, or any outward things. And fourteenthly, that in Chriſt Ieſus our Mediator, hee is good and gratious vntounto all men. Here alſo we are to meditate, how the maieſtie, power, iuſtice and merciemercy of God, is both declared and confirmed to mankind: firſt, by creation: next, by ſuſtentation, gouernment, and adminiſtration: thirdly, by many examples of thinges ſupernaturall and ſtrange: fourthly, by the common conſent and voyce of all men: fiftly, by the ordinary ſenſe of his goodneſſe: ſixtly, by the ſecret and iuſt teſtimonie of conſcience: ſeuenthly, by the manner of his iudgements: eightly, by the authority of the holy Scriptures: ninthly, by the opinion of the Philoſophers: and tenthly, beyond all others, by the ſending of his onelyonly Sonne into the worlde. Furthermore, looking on my ſelfe, I am to conſider (and not to forget) at all times, how far not onelyonly others, but alſo my ſelfe hauehave erred & ſinned from the ſcope of my calling and direction of the Law, and hauehave neede to be reformed and conformed by & to the ſame. Alſo I am to think on the Articles of my beliefe, of the holy petitions in the Lords praier, with the ten Commandements, reading them on my ten fingers: alſo of the wickednes of the world, the vanity of the fleſh, the malignitie of Sathan, the miſerie and mortality of man, the certainty of death, the vncertainty of his comming, the laſt iudgement, the paines of the damned, and the great felicity of the Lords elected Saints. To be briefe, I am to harken to Saint Paul in this matter, who writing to the Philippians, thus exhorteth.Phil 4 8. Whatſoeuer things are true: whatſoeuer things are honeſt whatſoeuer things are iuſt: whatſoeuer things are of good report: if there be any vertue: if there be any thing praiſe-worthy, meditate on theſe things: (chiefly in this how yee may obtaine and performe them) and the God of peace ſhall be with you. All theſe and ſuch like thinges are to bee ruminated in a circularie meditation, as wherof may be framed an healthfull Rownd or Wheele, whereof is made a very vehement motiue to true Mortification.
CHAP. XXIIII. The eleuenth part of the Soole, is the neere Wheele.
THe ſecond Wheele of this Plough,10. The ſecōd wheele noting perſeuerance. is Continuatio Actionis, the continuance of the action: which is the conſtant, ſtable, and perpetuall perſeuerance in the reaſon or way well conſidered of, and not, vnaptly likened to the Wheele in this, that as the Wheele in his winding, beginneth to winde againe there where it laſtly ended, and the circle or compaſſe thereof is without end: ſo ſhould the end of one good meditation bee the entrance into another: one good word ſhould bring in an other: and one charitable action performed, we muſt begin an other: chiefly eueryevery good action, ſtudy, or endeuour once begunne, muſt not be giuen ouer or delaied, but holden on and continued to the end. This doubtleſſe was intimated by that myſterie in the Lawe, where the tailes of the beaſtes were commanded to bee offered vp in ſacrifice, together with their bodies. The ſame meant the Prophet Hoſeah, when he commanded the people to ſeek the Lord vntill he came to raine righteouſnes vpō them: Hoſ. 10.& that entended Salomon, whē he ſaid; that the end of a thing was better then the beginning, as from whence the cenſure of either good or euil is beſt taken. The wilde Aſſe ouercommeth the Lyon and the Wolfe, not by ſtrength, but by continuance of courſe. Neither without perſeuerance is the battaile wonne by the fight, the crowne gotten by the victor, or the goale archieued by the runner. So ſaith our Sauiour, He that goeth to the Plough and looketh backward, is nothing fit for the kingdome of heauen. But, If ye continue in my words, then are yee my very Diſciples, and yee shall know the truth, and the truth ſhall make you free: yea, hee that continueth to the end, the ſame ſhall be ſaued. Loe, this is that Wheele, by the which Pieties Plough oug…t to proceede without feare or fainting, vntill the action in hand bee fully effected for the praiſe of God, and benefite of man Saul the king of Iſrael, wanted this Wheele: ſo did Iudas the traitour, Demas, and ſuch other Apoſtataes, execrable to God, and odious before men: but Abraham, Dauid, Daniel, Paul, Iohn the Baptiſt, and Iohn the Euangeliſt, continued their courſe and calling, beeing therefore bleſſed with the Lord, and commended of all good men. Thus hauing peruſed the two Wheeles, we are next to conſider of the Axel-tree whereon thoſe Wheeles are carried in Pieties Plough.
CHAP. XXV. The twelfth part is the Axell.
AS the two Wheeles of the Plough are combined and carried by the Axell-tree: 11. Wholſome praier.ſo is that Chriſtian meditation and godly Perſeuerance in the good action, mightily combined and ſupported by godly inuocation therefore worthily reſembled in the ſame. This is that true vertue which commeth of that true Good of his Son Ieſus, and of the Holy ghoſt, and deſireth the good things, not onelyonly of this life, but alſo of the life to come. This is that, which fighting againſt all doubtfulneſſe, dooth promiſe vsus to be heard, & that we ſhall thereby obtaine the good things deſired for the ſake of the Mediator. Therefore, as the Lorde in the olde Teſtament hath commanded men to call vponupon him in troubles, with a promiſe to heare and helpe: ſo the holy men of that time hauehave duly obſerued it. Againe, as in the newe Teſtament, our Sauiour hath both taught and commanded his Apoſtles to pray in his name to the Father, for daily foode & neceſſaries of nature, for pardon of treſpaſſes, for their defence againſt the diuell, and ſuch: ſo they thinking it needefull, and finding the benefite thereof, hauehave not onelyonly duly obſerued it, but in their doctrines and good counſailes taught and exhorteth all others to doe the like: not onelyonly for themſelues,Epheſ. 6. but for all eſtates and conditions of men. Surely this is that ſpirituall Axell-tree which holdeth together the Wheeles, and beareth vppe the Beame, and that very vertue of the Spirite, whereby it pieaſeth God (hearing our prayers) to helpe our weakeneſſe, and to direct vsus to the effecting and perfecting of all other vertues. For this is (as Auguſtine ſaid) Locutio ad Deum, quando legis Deus tibi loquiter: quando oras cum Deoloqueris: A ſpeaking to God: when thou readeſt, God ſpeaketh to thee: when thou praieſt, thou talkeſt with God. An other calleth it an humble conuerſion to God,Hugo. with the mouth of the minde, aſsiſted with fath, hope and charitie: and touching the good operation and effects thereof, ſaith an other: It cleareth the heart, withdraweth it from terrene affections, cleanſeth it from vices, lifteth it vp to heauenly things, yeeldeth him more capable and worthy to conceiue the ſpirituall good thinges. This dooth our Sauiour Chriſt worthily confirme, when he ſaith, that his Father giueth the holy Spirite to them that aske the ſame of him in his name: by the which Spirite, he meaneth all the graces and bleſſings of the holy Ghoſt. Therefore he ſaith againe to his Diſciples, Aske and ye ſhall receiue, that your ioy may bee full. Wherfore when wee hauehave aſſayed to frame the Soole of all the former members, and knowe that yet there remaineth in vsus many deſertes, let vsus deuoutly conuert our ſelues to GOD our heauenly Father, in hearty and humble prayer, that it woulde vouchſafe him of his power and goodneſſe in Chriſt, to ſupply all thoſe our defects, and feeling the ſweetneſſe thereof, not forget to glorifie him with the Pſalmiſt, ſaying: Praiſed bee GOD, which hath not put backe my prayers from him, nor his mercies from mee.