The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX. 1 The Holder. 2 The Leader. 3 The Driuer. of Pieties Plough.
WE knowe right well,The working of God, in the regeneration of man Dionyſ. Areo in Caieſt. hierarchiae ca. 1. that no man commeth to the Father, but by the Sonne: that no man commeth to the Son, but he whom the Father draweth: and that no man commeth either to the one, or to the other, but by the power and motion of the holy Ghoſt: So that in this worke, the whole Trinitie of the diuine Deitie, hath his action and perfect working: therefore it is,Cant. 1. that the moſt holy Spowſeſſe (…s Salomon teſtifieth) prayeth to her moſt peerleſſe head, ſaying: Draw me forth after thee, and then will we runne. Ier. 31.Ephraim implores (as the Prophet Ieremie ſaith) O Lorde conuert vsus, and wee ſhall bee conuerted. The Apoſtles deſire▪ O Lorde, encreaſe our faith. And the Lorde Ieſus himſelfe, ſending forth his Apoſtles, commaundes them to preach the Goſpell, and to Baptiſe the beleeuers, in the name of the Father, & of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt. Therefore, as the Plough is by the Holder thereof directed: by the Leader allured, and by the Driuer prouoked: ſo is this ſpirituall Plough directed by God the Father, allured by God the Sonne, and prouoked by God the holy Ghoſt: for God himſelfe holdeth, Chriſt Ieſus leadeth, and the holy Spirite prouoketh the Plough, in this husbandrie and field of the Lord.
Gen. 1.1.Thus in the great work of the Creation, theſe three perſons had not onelyonly their ſeuerall, but their ioynt operations, as Moſes teſtifieth. Thus in the conception and birth of Chriſt, God the Father begets,Mat. 1. Luk 2. God the holy Ghoſt workes in the conception, and God the Sonne is begotten and borne: which three alſo worke in the begetting, regeneration, and new birth of the elected Saints: albeit they are not three, but one eternall God.
The Holder.My Father (ſaith Chriſt) is an Husbandman: and ſo called, in regard of his wiſedome, prouidence, and good endeuours had,God is as a Husbandman. Secund. Philoſo. and daily employed by him on the ſoyle of mans heart: wherein ſemblant to the Husbandman, (whom the Philoſopher Secundus in the preſence of Adrian, defined) he is a Miniſter of labours, an improuer of the deſart, a Phiſitian of the earth, a Planter of trees, and a Meaſurer, or Proportioner of monethes. In this perſon we may here remember (beyond many others) two principall attributes, or diuine vertues: namely,Gods iuſtice and merciemercy. his Iuſtice and his MercieMercy; both the which, in the holding of this Plough, hee aptly applieth as his two handes, to thoſe two Hales, or handles of the Soole. In the former, we finde him euer vpright and ſeuere againſt preſumptious ſinners: in the latter louing and cheerful to penitents. The firſt is ſtrengthened by the vigour of the Lawe: the latter beautified by the comforts of the Goſpel: and therein, both theſe are ſo tempted by the meditation of Meſsias his merite,Gregor. mor. in Iob. 35 lib. 26. cap. 10. that neither preſumption hurteth, nor deſperation killeth him that truly repents. For as God is a good Father: ſo in his goodneſſe he reſpects not only his naturall Sonne, God and man: but all ſuch, as hauehave their adoptiō by grace in him, with a right fatherly louelove and affection.
The Leader (as it is ſaid before) is Chriſt Ieſus,2 Chriſt is the Leader of the Plough. who (indeede) goeth forth before all thoſe his Oxen, as their Head and Captaine: and willing to bring man from errours to the truth, and eſpecially his Miniſters, to the right method and order of their vocation,Aug. in Ioan. tract. 22. he ſaith: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As if he would ſay: Falli non vis? Ego ſum veritas, Mori non vis? Ego ſum vita: Errare non vis? Ego ſum via. Non eſt qua eas, niſi ad me: non eſt quà cas, niſi per me. Wilt thou not be deceiued? I am the Truth. Wilt thou not die? I am the Life: Wilt thou not erre? I am the Way. Thou haſt not whither to goe, but vntounto me: neither maiſt thou walke ſafely, ſauing by me. This is the ſame to whom the Lawe directs, the Prophets point, the Figures ayme, and whom the Father would that all men ſhould heare: and hee hath not onelyonly ſhewed the way vntounto the kingdome, but louingly allures men to walke in the ſame. Therefore he faith:Mat. 11.29. Learne of me: Come vntounto me. Neither hath he at any time required that of his followers in this worke, which himſelfe had not firſt vndertaken in his owne perſon. In regard whereof,Apo. 14.1 thoſe hundred, fortie, and foure thouſand redeemed ſoules, which ſtand with the Lambe on Mount Sion, followe him whereſoeuer he goeth: and therefore as for him, they are croſſed, they ſhall be with him alſo crowned, finding that all the afflictions of this life for him,Ro. 8. are not worthy that glory which ſhall be reuealed in him.
3 The Driuer. The holy Ghoſt prouokes the good Oxe.The Driuer of this Plough is the diuine Spirite, through whoſe inſtigation the goade is agitated, the Oxen prouoked, and the Plough furthered: too and for the which, it pleaſeth him (ſemblant to the Goad inch or driuer of Oxen) to vſe and apply ſometimes Words: ſometimes Voices: ſometimes Songs, or whiſtlings: ſometimes prickes and ſtripes. The Words Words.are the examples, teſtimonies, ſentences and Parables of the holy Scriptures,Eccle. 12. the which (as ſaith Salomon) as are goades and nailes faſtened by the maiſters of the Aſſemblies, which are giuen by one Paſtor: goades to prouoke, and nailes to confirme the working true Chriſtian. The Voices Ʋoices.are the preachings of the Prophets, Preachers, Euangeliſts, and Miniſters of the holy word, who, like Saint Iohn the Baptiſt, the Criers voyce in the world, prepares the Lordes way among men. The Songs Songs.or whiſtlings, are the ſweete promiſes of God in Chriſt, who by many comfortable metaphors, and arguments of louelove, allures men vntounto him. The Shaking of the Goade,Shaking of the Goade. is the comination or threat of puniſhment and heauie iudgements, to fall on them which are either negligent or vnfaithfull in this ſeruice. As thou Sonne of man (ſaith the Lord) if thou tell them not of their ſinnes, but permit them, that they die therein, I will require their blood from thine hand. Againe, Curſed is hee who dooth the Lords worke negligently. The Pricks of the GoadePrickes of the Goade are corrections, afflictions, croſſes, anguiſhes and ſorrowes, whereby the lazie is ſtirred vp, the idler prouoked, the ſinner puniſhed.Ion. 2. By this Goade was Ionas pierced when hee was found faulty in his Miniſterie: by the ſame was Peter perſwaded to acknowledge and confeſſe him thriſe, whom hee had thriſe denied,Iob. 20. Saul by the ſame became a Paul, moſt redie to runne his courſe in this Plough, and thoſe Angells in the Epheſian Churches,Apoc. 2. which were ſometime tepidous and backeward, were well warned and ſet forward. And truly, this is Gods wiſedome to deale with his ſeruants, as for his owne glory and the good of his Church: ſo for their good whom he warneth, threatneth & puniſheth, not to deſtroy them, but as a good Father to his prodigall child, as a prudent Schoolemaiſter to his negligent ſchollers, as a cunning Phiſitian to his inſolent patients,Chryſost. ad Bab. Martyr. and as the wiſe husbandman to his lazie Oxen: but yet, with ſome ſeueritie on them that diſobey his knowne will, and abuſe with preſumption his gratious long ſuffering. Thus hauehave wee peruſed Pieties Plough in all parts & members performed. Now, hee that takes hold of this Plough,Hee that takes the Plough in hand but continue it. and continueth not to the end, but lookes backward with Demas, is not fit for the kingdome of God. Let vsus therefore pray to the Lord to encreaſe our faith, to helpe on our labours, to confirme our miniſterie, and ſtrengthen vsus in him, both to the end, and in the end, by the ſtrong influence and power of his Spirit, the agitator and driuer of this potent Plough.