The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. What is meant by this, that men muſt ſowe for righteouſnes, and reape according to MercieMercy?
Wee muſt endeuour to perform that which is required of vsus.AS the Prophet by theſe Metaphoricall wordes taken from Georgie, and the common labours of husbandmen, would teache what is required of vsus in the ſpiritual husbandrie of the Lorde: So thereby knowing what the will of God is, and what ſhalbe the end of our labours, we ſhould daily endeuour the practiſe of thoſe things.We must endeuour to performe that which is requi ed of vsus. And therin with the husbandman, let vsus not omit, at the ſeede time to manure and ſowe our fields, though with great labour & like coſt, and afterward with all diligence to reape and gather the fruites of our labours with the true application and vſe thereof, as it ſhall be thought moſt conuenient for the glorie of God, the diſcharge of our duties, and the profit both of our ſelues and others, in our ſeuerall functions and places.
Howbeit, there bee, Obiect. which ſtanding on their counterfait Corban, (as I ſaid before) produce the words of the Lord Ieſus againſt thoſe painfull endeuours of the true labourer: ſaying.Matth. 6.26. Be not carefull for your life, what ye ſhall eat, or what ye ſhall drink, nor yet for your bodie, what ye ſhall put on, &c. Beholde the fowles of the heauen: for they ſow not, neither reape, nor carie into the barnes: yet your heauenlie Father feedeth them: Are ye not much better then they? Anſwer. To the which although the laboures enioyned to men by the Lorde, wherein they ſhould be exerciſed, not onelyonly on the ſix daies in the week, but alſo ſhould walk whiles the twelue houers of the day laſteth, & the calling of labourers into the vineyard,Muſcul: in Matth: 6. Non dicie Christus, propterea dico vobis, ne labores pro victu. &c. were a ſufficient anſwere: yet for the better vnderſtanding of the Lords meaning, I gladly remēber the words of the godlie learned, reſoluing the doubt. Christ ſaith not: therfore I ſay vntounto you, that ye labour not for foode and cloathing: but, be ye not carefull: hee forbiddeth not the labour, but the carefulnes. Paul ſaith to the Epheſ: 4. Let eueryevery man labour with his hands, that hee may hauehave what to giuegive to him that hath neede. Againe, Shall we nothing ſowe, nothing reape? & cary nothing into the barne? he ſaith not ſo: but by this he reproueth our incredulity, or indeede the weakenes of our faith: to whom, although it be commanded of God that we ſhould ſowe, reape, plant, and gather into the barnes, that whereof wee may liue: yet notwithſtanding, men hauehave neither that truſt in God, nor ſo much ſecuritie as the fowles of the heauen, which neither ſowe nor reape, nor bring into the barnes, whereof to be ſuſtained. Therefore (as it is ſaid) we muſt not be idle, but induſtrious: & in our labours depend on the diuine grace, without our exceſſiue carefulnes. And here let vsus not forget that which the Lord chiefly requireth, namely Rihgteouſnes, To ſowe for righteouſnes.for the which hee would wee ſhould ſowe: and MercieMercy, according to whoſe meaſure, wee ſhould reape: that is, to vſe and practiſe thoſe waies and meanes, wherby we may obtaine the one, perfo…me the other, and expreſſe both the one & the other, in our charitable actions and godlie liues.
This is that ſowing for Righteouſnes, & that reaping after the meaſure of MercieMercy, this is that hunger and thirſt after Righteouſnes, whereof our Lord ſpeaketh,Iustice. Matth: 5. wherein men hauing faith, doe daylie deſire, ſtudie, endeuour, and labour to praiſe and pleaſe God,MercieMercy. by walking in his wayes. And this is that Symbole or token, whereby we… expreſſe & make knowen that Righteouſnes of GodMatth. 5. before men in the workes of Pietie. For thus are men willed to meaſure out Righteouſneſſe in MercieMercy, as whereof the Lord ſaide, Doe Iustice and louelove MercieMercy: or execute Iustice by mercy. The ſame which Daniel compriſed in his good counſell giuen to the king of Babylon: Cut off thy ſinnes by Iustice, & thine iniquity by merciemercy: meaning that he ſhould alter and change the copie & manner of his life: that whereas before he was vnrighteous, and thereby appeared, as a ſauage & wilde beaſt, cruell, hard, ſeuere and vnmercifull vntounto his Subiects, eſpecially to the poore Iewes, then vnderunder his captiuitie, hee ſhould now labour to become righteous, as whereby he might embrace and declare humanitie, gentlenes, ſoftenes, benignitie, merciemercy, not only in word, but in affection, action, good workes, and all wayes and meanes. And doubtles, as there is not anie one thing commended and commanded vntounto men by the Lord,Vltra poſſe viri, non vult Deus vlta requiri. but with the lawfull wayes and meanes to be attained and performed: ſo, God willing we ſhould liue, he prepareth vsus foode, and willeth vsus both to eat, and vſe it as the meanes of our life.
Againe, too and for the ſame to be maintained, hee would we ſhould labour & manure the ſoyle, to ſowe, reape, & lay vp in the barne, and that we ſhould neither contemne nor neglect thoſe lawfull waies and meanes offred, but take, and vſe the the ſame. To this purpoſe ſaith Chriſt, I ſtand at the doore & knock: If any man wil open the doore to me, I will come in vntounto him, Reuel: 3. Wee knowe that Chriſt is able to enter in, the gate beeing faſt ſhut: howbeit, this he ſaith, to ſtirre vsus vp to vigilancie, and to the ſtudie of the workes of our vocation. Chriſt is ready to enter into our hearts by his Spirit: but hee would wee ſhould open our hearts vntounto him by our faith: that wee ſhould be prepared as Dauid wiſhed to be, when hee prayed for a newe heart. Pſalm, 51.To this belongeth that which the Lord commandeth: Seeke, and ye ſhall finde: Knock, and it ſhalbe opened vntounto you. So the talents being committed to our vſe, require a diligent trafficke and occupation for the increaſe. Thus the Lord would, that men hauing wiſedome, knowledge, vnderſtanding, memory, iudgement, reaſon, abilitie, & other ornaments, as well of ſoule as bodie, they ſhould neither burie them, nor reſtraine them, but rightlie vſe them.
And now, as yee hauehave heretofore ploughed Iniquitie, wherof ye hauehave reapte vngodlines: & hauehave beene ouermuch buſied about the thinges of this life, which are vaine & tranſitorie, directed by the wiſedome of the ſerpent (earthly, ſenſuall, and diuelliſh) ſo it is required, that henceforth yee turne another leafe, and yet ye may not be ydle or exempted from labours: but by the wiſdome which is from aboue, (gentle, eaſie to be intreated, ful of merciemercy and good workes,) ye ſtudie and learne to be employed in the Spirituall husbandrie, and therin conſider well, what ye ought to ſow, and what ye ought to reape. For whatſoeuer a man ſoweth, that ſhall he reape:Gal: 6. ſo that, whoſoeuer ſoweth in in the fleſh, ſhall thence reape corruption: but he that ſoweth in the ſpirit, ſhall of the ſpirit reape life euerlaſting.