The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 39
Upon receiving in of the fruits.
39. Med.
AT the end of the year, when I received in the crop, the fruits of the earth, for which I had laboured, and for which I had long waited; I began to conſider, what a poor reward this is for all my labour, if I muſt expect no more; and what a ſad condition poor labouring men are in, that moil, and toil, and cark and care, and have much ado for bread to eat, and cloaths to put on; and this is their all, yea, they run in arrears to God for this alſo, and are like to be caſt into priſon for ever; and yet we may ſee the folly of the moſt, they take no care for any other riches, but frame to themſelves a poor pittifull happineſs, in theſe, and are never like to have any pleaſure here, or hereafter, but what they fancy to themſelves in ſome ſinfull vanity: the receiving in of theſe fruits of the earth as the reward of my labour, put me in minde of the reward which believers ſhall receive at the laſt day, at the hand of God, for all the labour, toil and trouble, they have had, which will be a better recompenſe then the earth can give the husbandman for his pains: let us not then be weary of well-doing, for in due ſeaſon we ſhall reap, if we faint not, Gal. 6.9. he that ſoweth to the fleſh, ſhall of the fleſh reap corruption, but he that ſoweth to the ſpirit, ſhall of the ſpirit reap life everlaſting, ver. 8. he that cares only to feather his neſt, ſtore up riches, fit the back, and fill the belly, and lets the ſoul ſink or ſwim, he is like to have a miſerable harveſt, but they that ſow in tears ſhall reap in joy; he that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious ſeed, ſhall doubtleſs come again with rejoycing, bringing his ſheaves with him, Pſal. 126.5, 6. Be patient therefore brethren (ſaith the Apoſtle) till the coming of the Lord, behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience for it, till he receiveth the early and the latter rain; be you alſo patient, ſtabliſh your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, Jam. 5.7, 8. Now believers ſow the ſeed, and water it with their tears, but it is not long before the reward comes; behold I come quickly (ſaith Chriſt) and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work ſhall be, Rev. 22.12. hold out faith and patience (ſaith the Martyr) your work will preſently be at an end; hope holds up the husbandmans heart, and may much more the Chriſtians: theſe things alſo put me in minde of the great harveſt, at the end of the world, when the great husbandman ſhall ſend out his ſervants, the angels, to reap down his field, and gather in his corn, Mat. 13.38. the field is the world, the good ſeed are the children of the kingdom, the tares are the children of the wicked one, the enemy that ſows them is the devil, the harveſt is the end of the world, the reapers are the angels, as therefore the tares are gathered together, and burnt in the fire, ſo ſhall it be in the end of this world: the day is coming that all ſhall be brought to judgment, and the precious ſhall be ſeperated from the vile, the good corn ſhall be brought into the barn, but the tares are reſerved for the fire; the tares and the wheat may grow together in one field, but ſhall never lodge together in the ſame barn, for as the tares cannot well be weeded out, which in the blade (ſome ſay) much reſemble the wheat, and is hardly known, till the fruit appears, ſo though God can diſcern the hypocrite from the ſincere, yet hypocriſy may be ſpun with ſo fine a thread, that the beſt diſcerning Chriſtian can hardly do it; but the time is coming, the angels ſhall know them, and they are not to go into the ſame garner, they muſt be bundled up for the fire, when the wheat muſt be brought into Gods barn: oh my ſoul, what ſeed haſt thou ſown againſt that harveſt? haſt thou ſown to the fleſh, then of the fleſh thou wilt reap corruption? if to the ſpirit, thou wilt of the ſpirit reap life everlaſting? what grain art thou? art thou wheat, or tares? then maiſt thou know whether thou art to go to the fire or into the garner? reſt not ſatisfied till thou know that thou art wheat, and neither with the tares bring forth bad fruit, nor with the chaff fly away with the winde; it is not enough to have a flouriſhing blade, ſo the ſtony ground had, and yet came to nothing: it is not enough to make a profeſſion of religion, ſo the fooliſh virgins did, they had lamps, but no oyl, a profeſſion but no grace; it is not enough to have talents, but thou muſt improve them, or thou wilt be ſentenced to outer darkneſs; it is not enough to grow in the ſame field, be manured by the ſame hand, heated by the ſame ſun, and watered with the ſame ſhowers; thus the tares were, but there muſt be good feed, well-rooted, ſpringing up, and bearing fruit in thy heart; thou maiſt live under the ſame Miniſter, enjoy the ſame ordinance with the wheat, and yet ſtill be but a tare; oh my God, diſcover my ſelf to my ſelf, and let me not be deceived by a cunning devil, and a deceitful heart; if I be a tare, Lord, let me know it ere it be too late, that I may ſow better ſeed in my field, that I may be gathered into thy barn, and not be bundled up with the tares for the fire: let my heart bring forth good fruit fit for the basket, good wheat fit for thy barn, ſolid wheat that may not be blown away with the winde, and much fruit that I may glorify thy name: let me not ſow to the fleſh, but to the ſpirit, that I may not reap corruption but life everlaſting; let me not be deceived in ſo great a buſineſs as the ſalvation of my ſoul.