Husbandry Spiritualized, Part 2
An Introduction TO THE Second PART OF HUSBANDRY.
HOw is it reader? have I tired thee?
Whilst through these pleasant fields thou walk'st with me,
Our path was pleasant, but if length of way
Do weary thee, we'l slack our pace, and stay;
Let's sit a while under the cooling Shade
Of fragrant trees; were for shadow made.
Lo here a pleasant grove, whose shade is good;
But more than so, 'twill yield us fruit for food.
No dangerous fruits do on these branches grow,
No snakes among the verdant grass below.
Here we'l repose a while, and then go view
The pleasant herds and flocks: and so adieu.
CHAP. I.
Vngraffed Trees can never bear good fruit,Upon the ingraffing of fruit Trees.
Nor we till graffed on a better root.
OBSERVATION.
A Wild tree naturally springing up in the wood or hedge, and never graffed or removed from its native soyl, may bear some fruit, and that fair and beautiful to the eye, but it will give you no content at all in eating, being alwayes harsh, sower and unpleasant to the taste; but if such a stock be removed into a good soyl, and graffed with a better kind, it may become a good tree, and yield store of choice and pleasant fruit.
APPLICATION.
UNregenerate men who never were acquainted with the mystery of spiritual union with Iesus Christ but still grow upon their natural root, old Adam, may by the force and power of natural principles bring forth some fruit, (which like the wild hedge fruit we speak of) may indeed be fair and pleasant to the eyes of men, but God takes no pleasure at all in it; its sower, harsh, and distasteful to him, because it springs not from the spirit of Christ, Isa, 1. 13. I cannot away with it, it is iniquity, &c. but that I may not intangle the thred of my discourse, I shall (as in the former Chapters) set before you a paralel betwixt the best fruits of natural men, and those of a wild ungraffed tree.
The root that bears this wild fruit is a degenerate root, and that's the cause of all this sowerness and harshness in the fruit it bears; it's the seed of some better Tree accidentally blown, or cast into some waste and bad soyl, where not being manured and ordered aright, it's turned wild: So all the fruits of unregenerate men …low from the first Adam, a corrupt and degenerate root; he was indeed planted a right seed, but soon turned a wild and degenerate plant; he being the root from which every man naturally springs, corrupts all the fruit that any man bears from him. It's observed by Gregory, pertinent to my present purpose, Genus humanum in parente primo, velut in radice putruit; Mankind was putrified in the root of his first parent, Matt. 7. 18. A Corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit.
This corrupt root spoyls the fruit, by the transmission of its sower and naughty sap into all the branches and fruits that grow on them; they suck no other nourishment, but what the root affords them, and that being bad, spoyles all: for the same cause and reason, no mee… natural or unregenerate man can ever do one holy or acceptable action, because the corruption of the root is in all those actions. The necessity of our drawing corruption into all our actions, from this cursed root Adam, is expressed by a quick and smart Interrogation, Iob 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. The sense of it is well delivered us (by Mr. Caryl in loc.) This question (saith he) may undergo a threefold construction; First, thus: Who can bring a morally clean person, out of a person originally unclean? and so he layes his hand upon his birth-sin: Or, secondly, (which speaks to my purpose) it may refer to the action of the same man, man being unclean, cannot bring forth a clean thing; (i. e.) a clean or holy action; that which is originated, is like its Original. And that this sower sap of the first stock (I mean Adams sin) is transmitted into all mankind, not only corrupting their fruit, but ruining and withering all the branches; the Apostle shews us in that excellent parallell betwixt the two Adams, Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man] one, not only in individuo, sed in specie, one representing the whole root or stock, sin entered into the world] not by imitation only, but by propagation? and this brought death and ruine upon all the branches.
Although these wild hedge-fruits be unwholsom and unpleasant to the taste, yet they are fair and beautiful to the eye; a man that looks upon them, and doth not know what fruit it is, would judge it by its shew and colour to be excellent fruit; for it makes a fairer shew oftentimes, than the best and most wholsome fruit doth: Even so, those natural gifts and endowments which some unregenerate persons have, seem exceeding fair to the eye, and a fruit to be desired. What excellent qualities have some meer natural men and women? what a winning affability? humble condescention, meekness, righteousness, ingenious tenderness and sweetness of nature! As it was (hyperbolically enough) said of one, In hoc homine, non peccavit Adam; Adam never sinned in this man; meaning, that he excelled the generality of Adams children in sweetness of temper and natural endowments. What curious phantasies, imble wits, solid judgments, tenacious memories, rare elocution, &c. are to be found among meer natural men? by which they are assisted in discoursing' praying, preaching and writing, to the admiration of such as know them! But that which is highly esteemed of men, is abomination to God, Luke 16. 15. it finds no acceptance with him, because it springs from that cursed root of nature and is not the production of this own spirit.
If such a stock were removed into a better soyl, and gra… …ed with a better kind, it might bring forth fruit pleasant and grateful to the Husbandman; and if such persons (before described) were but regenerated and changed in their spirits and principles, what excellent and useful persons would they be in the Church of God? and then their fruits would be sweet and acceptable to him. One observes of Tertullian, Origen, and Ierome, that they came into Canaan, laden with Egyptian gold, (i. e.) they came into the Church full of excellent humane learning, which did Christ much service.
When the Husbandman cuts down his woods or hedges, he cuts down these Crab-stocks with the rest, because he values them not any more than the thorns and brambles among which they grow; and as little will God regard or spare these natural branches, how much soever they are laden with such fruit. The threatning is universal, Iohn 3. 3. Except you be regenerate and born again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again, Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness, no man (be his natural gifts never so excellent) shall see God. Imbellished nature, is nature still; That which is born of the flesh, is but flesh, however it be set off with advantage to the eye of man.
REFLECTIONS.
TO what purpose then do I glory in my natural accomplishments? Though I have a better nature than some others have,A reflection for an accomplished Naturalist. yet it is a cursed nature still. These sweet qualities and excellent gifts, do only hide, but not kill the corruption of nature. I am but a rotten post gilded over, and all my duties but hedge fruit, which God makes no account of. O cutting thought! that the unlearned shall rise and take heaven, when I with all my excellent gifts shall descend into hell. Heaven was not made for Scholars, as such, but for believers; as one said, when they comforted him upon his death-bed, that he was a knowing man, a Doctor of Divinity: O, said he, I shall not appear before God as a Doctor, but as a man; I shall stand upon a level with the most illiterate, in the day of judgment; what doth it avail me that I have a nimble with, whilst I have none to do my self good? Will my Iudge be charm'd with a rhetorical tongue? Things will not be carried in that world, as they are in this. If I could with Berengarius discourse de omni scibile, of every thing that is knowable; or with Solomon unravel nature, from the Cedar to the Hysop, what would this advantage me, as long as I am ignorant of Christ, and the mystery of Regeneration? My head hath often aked with study, but when did my heart ake for sin? Methinks, O my soul, thou trimmest up thy self in these natural ornaments to appear before God, much as that delicate Agag did, when he was to come before Samuel, and fondly conceitest that these things will procure favour, or (at least) pity from him? but yet, think not for all that, the bitterness of death is past; say not within thy self, Will God cast such a one as a I into hell? Shall a man of such parts be damned? Alas! justice will hew thee to pieces, as Samuel did that spruce King, and not abate thee the least, for these things; many thousand branches of nature, as fair and fruitful as thy self, are now blazing in hell, because not transplanted by regeneration into Christ; and if he spared not them, neither will he spare thee.
I am a poor despised Shrub,A reflection for a true, but weak believer. which have no beauty at all in me, and yet such a one hath the Lord chosen to transplant into Christ, whilst he left many fragrant branches standing on their native stock, to be fuel of his wrath to all eternity! O grace for ever to be admired! Ah, what cause have I to be thankful to free grace, and for ever to walk humbly with my God: the Lord hath therefore chosen an unlikely, rugged, unpolisht creature as I am, that pride may for ever be hid from mine eyes, and that I may never glory in his presence, 1 Cor. 1. 29. I now have the advantage of a better root and soyl than any carnal person hath, it will therefore be greater shame to me, and a reproach to the root that bears me, if I should be out-stript and excelled by them; yet Lord, how often do I find it so? I see some of them meek and patient, whilst I am proud and passionate; gentle and affable, whilst I am rough and surly; generous and noble, whilst I am base and penurious. Truly, such a branch as I am, is no honour to the root that bears it.
The Poem.
I Am a branch of that fair Eden Tree
Which to11 Cor. 10. 45. mankind God had ordain'd to be
The common stock, his2Eccl. 7. 9. scituation good,
His3Deut. 32. 8. branches many, of himself a wood.
And like a Cedar by the River fed,
Unto the clouds his ample branches spread.
Sin smote4Rom. 5. 12. his root, then justice cut him down;
And level'd with the earth his lofty Crown.
What hope of branches, when the5Rom. 5. 18 tree's o'return'd?
But like6…ohn 15. 6. dry faggots to be bound and burn'd.
It had been so, had not7Ioh. 3. 16. transcendent love,
Which in a sphear above our thoughts doth move
Prepar'd a better81 Cor. 15. 47. stock, to save and nourish
Transplanted twigs, which in him thrive and flourish.
In Adam all are9Gal. 3. 10. curs'd, no saving fruit
Shall ever spring, from that sin-blasted root.
Yea all the branches that in him are found,
How1Heb. 12. 14. flourishing soever must be bound
And pil'd together, horrid news to tell!
To make an everlasting blaze in Hell.
God takes no pleasure in the sweetest bud
Disclos'd by nature, for the root's not good.
Some2Mark 10. 20, 21. boughs indeed richly adorned are
With natural fruits, which to the eye are fair,
Rare3Heb. 6 4, 5. Gifts, sweet dispositions, which attracts
The love of thousands, and from most exacts
Honour, and admiration, You'l admire
That such as these, are fewel for the fire.
Indeed ten thousand pities 'tis to see
Such lovely creatures in this case to be.
Did they by true. Regeneration draw
The sap of life from Iesses root,4Rom. 1. 2. the Law
By which they now to wrath condemned are
Would cease to curse, and God such buds would spare.
But out of him, there's none of these can move
His unrelenting heart, or draw his love.
Then cut me off, from this accursed Tree;
Le…t I for ever be cut off from thee.
CHAP. II.
When ere you bud or graft,Upon the union of the graff with the stock. therein you see;
How Christ, and souls must here united be.
OBSERVATION.
WHen the Husbandman hath prepared his graffs in the season of the year, he carries them, with the tools that are necessary for that work, to the tree or stock he intends to ingraft; and having cut off the top of the limb, in some strait smooth part, he cleaves it with his knife or chissel, a little beside the pith; knocks in his wedge to keep it open, then (having prepared the graff, he carefully sets it into the cleft joyning the inner side of the barks, of graff and stock together (there being the main current of the sap) then pulls out his wedge, binds both together (as in barking) and clayes it up, to defend the tender graff and wounded stock, from the injuries of the Sun and rain.
These tender cyences quickly take hold of the stock, and having immediate coalition with it, drink in its sap, concoct it into their own nourishment, thrive better, and bear more and better fruits than ever they would have done upon their natural root, yea, the smallest bud, being carefully inocculated and bound close to the stock, will in short time become a flourishing and fruitful limb.
APPLICATION.
THis carries a most sweet and lively resemblance, of the souls union with Christ by faith; and indeed there is nothing in nature that shadows forth this great Gospel-mystery like it: 'Tis a thousand pities, that any who are imployed about, or are but spectators of such an action, should terminate their thoughts (as too many do) in that natural object, and not raise up their hearts to these heavenly meditations, which it so fairly offers them.
When a twig is to be ingraffed, or a bud inocculated, it's first cut off by a keen knife from the Tree on which it naturally grew.
And when the Lord intends to graft a soul into Christ, the first work about it is cutting work, Acts 2. 37. their hearts were cut by conviction and deep compunction; no cyence is ingraffed without cutting, no soul united with Christ without a cutting sense of sin and misery, Iohn 16. 8, 9.
When the tender shoot is cut off from the Tree, there are (ordinarily) many more left behind upon the same Tree, as promising and vigorous as that which is taken; but it pleaseth the Husbandman to chuse this, and leave them.
Even so it is in the removing or transplanting of a soul by conversion, it leaves many behind it in the state of nature, as likely and promising as it self, but so it pleaseth God to take this soul, and leave many others; yea, often such as grew upon the same root; I mean, the immediate parent, Mal. 1. 2. was not Esau, Iacob's brother (saith the Lord) yet I loved Iacob, and I hated Esau.
When the graffs are cut off, in order to this work, 'tis a critical season with them; if they lye too long before they are ingraffed, or take not with the stock, they dye, and are never more to be recovered; they may stand in the stock a while, but are no part of the Tree.
So when souls are under a work of conviction, it is a critical time with them; many a one have I known then to miscarry, and never recovered again; they have indeed for a time stood like dead graffs in the stock, by an external dead hearted profession, but never came to any thing; and as such dead graffs, either fall off from the stock, or moulder away upon it, so do these, 1 Iohn 2. 19.
The Husbandman when he hath cut off graffs, or tender buds, makes all the convenient speed he can to close them with the stock; the sooner that's done, the better; they get no good by remaining as they are. And truly it concerns the servants of the Lord, who are imployed in this work, of ingraffing souls into Christ, to make all the haste they can, to bring the convicted sinner to a closure with Christ. As soon as ever the trembling Iaylor cryed out, What shall I do to be saved? Paul and Silas immediately direct him to Christ, Act. 16. 30, 31. They do not say, it's too soon for thee to act faith on Christ, thou art not yet humbled enough, but believe in the Lord Iesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
There must be an incision made in the stock before any bud can be inocculated, or the stock must be cut and cleaved, before the cyence can be ingraffed according to that in the Poet. Venerit insitio, fac ramum ramus adoptet. (i. e.)
To graffs, no living sap the stocks impart;
Unless you wound, and cut them neer the heart.
Such an incision or wound was made upon Christ, in order to our ingraffing into him, Iohn 19. 34. the opening of that deadly wound gives life to the souls of believers.
The graff is intimately united, and closly conjoyned with the stock, the conjunction is so closs, that they become one Tree.
There is also a most closs and intimate union betwixt Christ, and the soul that believeth in him. It is emphatically expressed by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord, is one spirit. The word imports, the nearest, clossest and strictest union. Christ and the soul cleave together in a blessed oneness, as those things do that are glewed one to another; so that, look as the graff is really in the stock, and the spirit or sap of the stock is really in the graff, so a believer is really (though mystically) in Christ; and the Spirit of Christ is really communicated to a believer. I live, saith Paul, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2. 20. He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, 1 Ioh. 4. 16.
Graffs are bound to the stock, by bonds made of hay or flags; these keep it steddy, else the wind would loose it out of the stock.
The believing soul is also fastened to Christ, by bands which will secure it from all danger of being loosed off from him any more. There are two bonds of this union; the Spirit on God's part, this is the firm bond of union, without which we could never be made one with Christ, Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; and faith on our part, Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. These hold strongly.
Though the stock be one and the same, yet all graffs do not thrive and flourish alike in it, some out-grow the rest; and those that grow not so well as the others do, the fault is in them, and not in the stock: So it is with souls really united to Christ; all do not flourish alike in him, the faith of some grows exceedingly, 2. Thes. 1. 3. the things that be in others are ready to die, Rev. 3. 2. and such souls must charge the fault upon themselves. Christ sends up living sap enough, not only to make all that are in him living, but fruitful branches.
REFLECTIONS.
IS it so indeed betwixt Christ and my soul,Four comfortable Reflections for a regenerate soul. as it is betwixt the ingraffed cyence and the stock? what honour and glory then hath Christ conferred upon me, a poor unworthy creature? What! to be made one with him, to be a living branch of him, to be joyned thus to the Lord. Oh! what a preferment is this! it is but a little while since I was a wild and cursed plant, growing in the wilderness amongst them that shall shortly be cut down and faggotted up for hell, for me to be taken from amongst them, and planted into Christ, O my soul! fall down and kiss the feet of free grace, that moved so freely towards so vile a creature! the dignities and honours of the Kings and Nobles of the earth, are nothing to mine; 'twas truly confessed by one of them, that it is a greater honour to be a member of Christ, than the head of an Empire. Do I say, a greater honour than is put upon the Kings of the Earth? I might have said, it's a greater honour than is put upon the Angels of heaven? for to which of them said Christ at any time, thou art bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh? Behold! what manner of love is this! 1 Ioh. 3. 1.
Look again upon the ingraffed cyences, O my soul! and thou shalt find, that when once they have taken hold of the stock, they live as long as there is any sap in the root; and because he liveth, I shall live also, for my life is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3. 3. The graff is preserved in the stock, and my soul is even so, preserved in Christ Iesus, Iude 1.
Am I joyned to the Lord as mystical part, or branch of him; how dear art thou then, O my soul, to the God and father of my Lord Iesus Christ? What! a branch of his dear Son! What can God with-hold from one so ingrafted? Eph. 1. 6. All is yours (saith my God) for ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods, 1 Cor. 3. 23.
Once more, draw matter of instruction, as well as comfort from this sweet observation. Seeing God hath put all this honour upon thee, by this most intimate union with his Christ, look to it (my soul) that thou live and walk as becomes a soul, thus one with the Lord; be thou tender over his glory doth not that which strikes at the root, strike at the very life of the graff? and shall not that which strikes at the very glory of Christ, tenderly touch and affect thee? yea, be thou tenderly affected with all the reproaches that fall upon him from abroad, but especially with those which redound to him from thine own unfruitfulness. O, disgrace not the root that bears thee; let it never be said, that any evil fruit shall be found upon a branch that lives and is fed by such a root.
The Poem.
OH what considering serious man can see
The close conjunction of the graff and tree;
And whilst he contemplates he doth not find,
This meditation graffed on his mind?
I am the1Ioh. 15. 5. branch, and Christ the vine
thy gracious hand did pluck
Me from that native2Rom. 11. 17 stock of mine,
that I his sap might suck.
The bloudy3Ioh. 19. 34. spear did in his heart
a deep incision make,
That grace to me he might impart,
And I thereof partake.
The spirit4Rom. 8. 9. Ep. 3. 17 and faith is that firm band,
which binds us fast together;
Thus we are clasped5Cant. 2. 16. hand in hand;
and6Rom. 8. 35 nothing us can sever.
Bless'd be that hand which did remove,
me from my native place,
This was the7r Ioh. 3. 1. wonder of thy love;
the triumph of thy grace.
That I a wild8Ro. 11. 17. and cursed plant,
should thus preferred be;
Who all those9Mat. 11. 25. ornaments do want,
thou may'st in others …ee.
As long as e're the root doth live,
the branches are not dry;
Whilst Christ hath grace, and life to give;
my soul can never1Ioh. 14. 19. dye.
O blessed Saviour! never could
a graff cleave to the tree,
More2Cant. 8. 6. closs than thy poor creature would
united be with thee.
My soul, dishonour not thy root,
'twill be a shame for thee;
To want the choicest sorts of fruit,
and yet thus graffed3Isa. 5. 4. be.
Thus you may shake from graffs before they blow,
More precious fruit than e're on trees did grow.
CHAP. III.
When Trees are shak'd,Upon the gathering in of fruits in Autumn. but little fruit remains;
Iust such a remnant to be Lord pertains.
OBSERVATION.
IT is a pleasant sight in Autumn, to see the fruitful branches hanging full of clusters, which weigh the boughs to the ground.
Aspice curvatos pomorum pondere ramos
Vt sua quod peperit vix ferat arbor onus.
Which I may thus English,
O what a pleasant sight it is to see,
The fruit…ul clusters bowing down the tree.
But these laden branches are soon eased of their burden, for as soon as they are ripe, the Husbandman ascends the tree, and shaking the limbs with all his might, causes a fruitful shower to fall like hailstones upon the ground below, which being gather'd to a heap, are carried to the pound, broken all to pieces in the trough; and squeez'd to a dry lump in the press, whence all their juice and moisture runs into the Fat. How few escape thi… Fat, of all those multitudes that grew in the Orchard? If you now look upon the Trees, you may possibly see here one, and there another, two or three upon the outmost branches, but nothing in comparison to the vast numbers that are thus used.
APPLICATION.
THis small remains of fruit, which are either left upon the tree, or gather'd in for an hoard, do well resemble that small number of Gods elect in the world, which free grace hath reserved out of the general ruine of mankind. Four things are excellently shadowed forth to us by this similitude.
You see in a fruitful Autumn, the trees even opprest and overladen with the weight of their own fruits before the shaking time come, and then they are eased of their burden. Thus the whole creation groans under the weight of their sins who inhabit it, Rom. 8. 22. the creatures are in bondage, and by an elegant Prosopopeia, are said, both to groan and wait for deliverance. The original sin of man brought an original curse, which burdens the creature, Gen. 3. 17. Cursed is the ground for thy sake; and the actual sin of man brings actual curses upon the creature, Psal. 107. 34. Thus the inhabitants of the world load and burden it, as the limbs of a tree are burdened, and sometimes broken with the weight of their own fruit.
You may observe it in your Orchards every year, what abundance of fruits daily fall, either by storms; or of their own accord; but when the shaking time comes, then the ground is covered all over with fruit. Thus it is with the world, that mystical tree, with respect to men, that inhabit it; there is not a year, day or hour, in which some drop not, as it were, of their own accord by a natural death; and sometimes wars and Epidemical plagues blow down thousands together into their graves, these are as high winds in a fruitful Orchard, but when the shaking time, the Autumn of the world comes; then all its inhabitants shall be shaken down together, either by death, or a translation equivolent thereunto.
When fruits are shaken down from their trees; then the Husbandman separates them; the far greatest part for the pound, and some few he reserves for an hoard, which are brought to his table, and eaten with pleasure. This excellently shadows forth that great separation, which Christ will make in the end of the world; when some shall be cast into the wine-press of the Almighties wrath, and others preserved for glory.
Those fruits which are preserved on the tree, or in the hoard, are comparatively but an handful to those that are broken in the pound. Alas! 'tis scarce one of a thousand, and such a small remnant of Elected souls hath God reserved for glory.
I look upon the World as a great Tree, consisting of four large limbs or branches; this branch or division of it on which we grow, hath doubtless a greater number of Gods elect upon it, than the other three; and yet when I look with a serious and considering eye upon this fruitful European branch, and see how much rotten and withered fruit there grows upon it, it makes me say as Chrysostom did of his populous Antioch, Ah, how small a remnant hath Iesus Christ among these vast numbers! Many indeed are called, but, ah, how few are chosen! Mat. 20. 16. Alas! they are but as the gleanings when the vintage is done; here and there one upon its outmost branches. To allude to that, Isa. 17. 6. it was a sad Observation which that searching Scholar (Mr. Brierwood) long since made upon the world, that dividing it into thirty equal parts, he found no less than nineteen of them wholly overspread with Idolatry and Heathenish darkness! and of the eleven remaining parts, no less than six are Mahumetans; so that there remain but five of thirty, which profess the Christian Religion at large; and the far greater part of these remaining five, are invellop'd and drowned in Popish darkness; so that you see the reformed Protestant Religion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed. Now, if from these we substract all the grosly ignorant, openly profane, meerly civil, and secretly hypocritical; judge then in your selves, how small a scantling of the world falls to Christs share!
Well might Christ say, Mat. 7. 14. Narrow is the way, and strait is the gate, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And again, Luke 12. 32. Fear not, little, little flock. The large piece goes to the devil, a little remnant is Christs, Rom. 9. 27. Saints in Scripture are called jewels, Mal. 3. 17. Precious pearls and diamonds, which the Latines call Uniones. Quia nulli duo simul reperiuntur (saith Pliny) because nature gives them not by pairs, but one by one. How many pebbles to one pearl? Sutable to this notion, is that complaint of the Prophet, Mich. 7. 1, 2. W… is me; for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eat; my soul desired the first ripe fruits; the good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none, (i. e. none comparatively) upright among men. The Prophet alludes to a poor hungry man, that after the gathering time is past, comes into an Orchard, desiring some choice fruits to eat, but alas! he finds none; there is no cluster; possibly here and there a single Saint, like a single apple, here and there one after the shaking time. True Saints are the worlds rarities.
REFLECTIONS.
WHat then will be my lot,A Reflection for one that follows the example of the multitude. when that great shaking time shall come, who have followed the multitude, and gone with the tyde of the world? how even when I have been pressed to strictness and singular diligence in the matters of salvation, and told what a narrow way the way of life is, have I put it off with this; If it be so, then wo to thousands. Ah foolish heart! thousands and ten thousands shall be woful and miserable indeed, to all eternity. Will it be any mitigation to my misery, that I shall have thousands of miserable companions with me in hell? or will it be admitted for a good plea at the Iudgment-seat, Lord, I did as the generality of my neighbours in the world did; except it were here and there a more precise person, I saw none, but lived as I lived. Ah, foolish …inner! Is it not better go to heaven alone, than to hell with company? the worst courses, have alwayes the most imitators, and the road to destruction is thronged with passengers.
And how little better is my condition?A Reflection for an abuser of mercy. who have often fathered the wickedness of my own heart, upon the incouragements of mercy. Thus hath my heart pleaded against strictness and duty. God is a merciful God, and will not be so severe with the world to damn so many thousands as are in my condition: Deluded soul, if God had damned the whole race of Adam, he had done them no wrong; yea, there is more mercy in saving but one man, than there is of severity and rigour in damning all: how many drunkards and adulterers have lived and dyed with thy plea in their mouths? God is a merciful God; but yet his word expresly saith, Be not deceived, such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6. 9. God indeed, is a God of infinite mercy; but he will never exercise his mercy to the prejudice of his truth.
O, what rich grace is here! that in a general Shipwrack mercy should cast forth a line or plank to save me!A Reflection for an elect soul. that when millions perish, I with a few more should escape that perdition. Was it the Fathers good pleasure to bestow the kingdom upon a little flock, and to make me one of that number? What singular obligations hath mercy put upon my soul! the fewer are saved, the more cause have they that are, to admire their Saviour! If but one of a thousand had been damned, yet my salvation would have been an act of infinite grace; but when scarce one of a thousand are saved, what shall I call that grace, that cast my lot among them!
The Poem.
HE that with spiritual eyes in Autumn sees
The heaps of fruit which fall from shaken trees,
Like storms of hailstones; and can hardly find
One of a thousand that remains behind.
Methinks this Meditation should awake
His soul; and make it like those trees to shake.
Of all the clusters which so lately grew
Upon these trees, how few can they now shew?
Here one1Isa. 17. 6. and there another; two or three
Upon the outmost branches of the tree.
The greatest numbers to the pound are born,
Squeez'd in the trough; and all to pieces torn:
This little handful's left, to shadow forth
To me Gods2Rom. 9. 27. remnant in this peopl'd earth.
If o're the whole terrestrial globe I look,
The Gospel visits but31 Ioh. 5. 19. Psal. 147. 20. a little nook.
The rest with horrid4Psal. 74. 20. darkness overspread,
Are fast asleep; yea, in transgressions dead,
Whole droves to hell, the devil daily drives;
Not one amongst them once52 Tim. 2. 2… resists or strives.
And in this little heaven-inlightned spot,
How vast an interest hath Satan got?
But few of holiness profession make,
And if from those that do prosess I take
The self-deluding hypocrites, I fear
To think how few6Mat. 7. 14. remain that are sincere.
O tax not mercy that it saves so few,
But rather wonder that the Lord should shew
Mercy to any;7Rom. 9. 2Z. quarrel not with grace,
But for they self Gods gracious terms embrace.
When all were8Rom. 5. 16. Shipwrackt, thou shouldst wonder more
To find thy self so strangely cast ashore
And there to meet with any that can tell
How narrowly they also91 Pet. 4. 18. scap'd from hell.
The smaller numbers mercy saves, the higher
Ingagements lye on thee1Ioh. 14. 22. still to admire.
Had the whole species perish'd in their sin,
And not one individual saved bin;
Yet every2Rom. 9. 18. tongue before him must be mute,
Confess his righteousness; but not dispute.
Or had the hand of mercy which is3Rom. 5. 15. free
Taken another, and pass'd over me;
I still must justifie him, and my tongue
Confess my maker had done me no wrong.
But if my4Heb. 12. 23. name he please to let me see
Enroll'd among those few that saved be,
What admiration should such mercy move!
What thanks, and5Rev. 1. 5, 6. praise, and everlasting love!
CHAP. IV.
Dead barren Trees you for the fire prepare,Upon the cutting down of dead trees.
In such a case, all fruitless persons are.
OBSERVATION.
AFter many years patience, in the use of all means to recover a fruit Tree, if the Husbandman see it be quite dead, and that there can be no more expectation of any fruit from it, he brings his ax and hews it down by the root; and from the Orchard its carried to the fire, it being then fit for nothing else; he reckons it imprudent to let such a useless tree abide in good ground, where another might be planted in its room, that will better pay for the ground it stands in. I my self once saw a large Orchard of fair, but fruitless trees, all rooted up, rived abroad, and ricked up for the fire.
APPLICATION.
THus deals the Lord by useless and barren Professors who do but cumber his ground, Mat. 3. 10. And now also, the ax is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree that brings not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. And Luke 13. 7. Then said the dresser of the vineyard, Behold, this three years I came seeking fruit on this …ig-tree, and find none, cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? These three years, alluding to the time of his Ministery, he being at that time entring upon his last half year, as one observes, by harmonizing the Evangelists; so long he had waited for the fruit of his Ministery, among those dead-hearted Iews: now his patience is even at an end, cut them down (saith he) why cumber they the ground? I will plant others, (viz. the Gentiles) in their room. This hewing down of the barren tree doth in a lively manner shadow forth Gods judicial proceedings against formal and empty Professors under the Gospel; and the resemblance clearly holds in these following particulars.
The tree that is to be hewen down for the fire, stands in the Orchard among other flourishing trees, where it hath enjoyed the benefit of a good soyl, a strong fence and much culture; but being barren, these priviledges secure it not from the fire. It is not our standing in the visible church, by a powerless profession among real Saints, with whom we have been associated, and enjoyed the rich and excellent waterings of Ordinances, that can secure us from the wrath of God, Mat. 3. 8. 9. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and think not to say within your selves, we have Abraham to our father. Neither Abraham, nor Abrahams God, will acknowledge such degenerate children; if Abrahams faith be not in your hearts, it will be no advantage that Abrahams bloud runs in your veins. 'Twill be a poor plea for Iudas, when he shall stand before Christ in judgment, to say, Lord, I was one of thy family, I preached for thee, I did eat and drink in thy presence. Let these Scriptures be consulted, Mat. 7. 22. Mat. 25. 11, 12. Rom. 2. 17. ad 25.
The Husbandman doth not presently cut down the tree because it puts not forth as soon as other trees do, but waits as long as there is any hope, and then cuts it down. Thus doth God wait upon barren dead-hearted persons, from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from year to year; for the Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, and not willing that any should peri…h, but all come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9. Thus the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah upon those dry trees, who are now smoaking and flaming in hell, 1 Pet. 3. 20. He waits long on sinners, but keeps exact accounts of every year and day of his patience, Luke 13. 7 These three years. And Ier. 25. 3. These 23 years.
When the time is come to cut it down, the dead tree cannot possibly resist the stroke of the ax, but receives the blow, and falls before it. No more can the stoutest sinner resist the fatal stroke of death, by which the Lord hews him down, Eccles. 8. 8. There is no man that hath power over the Spirit, to retain the Spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death, and there is no discharge in that war. When the pale horse comes, away you must into the land of darkness; Though thou cry with Adrian, O my poor soul, whither art thou going! die thou must, thou barren Professor; though it were better for thee to do any thing else than to die. What a dreadful screech will thy conscience give, when it sees the ax at thy root! and say to thee, as it is, Ezek. 7. 6. An end is come, the end is come; it watcheth for thee, behold it is come. O, said Henry Beauford, (that rich and wretched Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester, and Chancellor of England, when he perceived whereto he must) wherefore must I die? If the whole Realm would save my life, I am able either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it. Fye (quoth he) will not death be hired? will riches do nothing? No, neither riches nor policy can then avail.
That side to which the Tree leaned most while it stood, that way it will fall, when it is cut down; and as it falls so it lies, whether to the South or North, Eccles. 11. 3. So it fares with these mystical trees; I mean fruitless Professors. Had their hearts and affections inclined and bended heavenward whilst they lived, that way no doubt they had fallen at their death; but as their hearts inclined to sin, and ever bended to the world; so when God gives the fatal stroke; they must fall hell-ward, and wrath-ward; and how dreadful will such a fall be?
When the dead tree is carried out of the Orchard, it shall never be among the living trees of the Orchard any more; many years it grew among them, but now it shall never have a place there again. And when the barren Professor is carried out of the world by death, he shall never be associated with the Saints any more. He may then say, farewell all ye Saints, among whom I lived, and with whom I so often heard, fasted, prayed. I shall never see your faces more, Mat. 8. 11, 12. I say unto you, that many shall come from the East and West, and North and South, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, in the Kingdom of heaven; but the children of the Kingdom shall be cast forth into outer darkness, there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
When the dead tree is carried out of the Orchard, the Husbandman cuts off his branches, and rives him asunder with his wedges. This also is the lot of barren Professors. The Lord of that servant will come in a day, when he looketh not for him, and will cut him asunder; he shall be diffected, or cut abroad, Luke 12. 46.
Now therefore consider this, ye that forget God, le…t I tear (or rend) you in pieces, Psal. 50. 22. O direful day! when the same hand which planted, pruned, and watered thee so long, and so tenderly, shall now strike mortal strokes at thee, and that without pity: For be that made them will not have mercy on them, and be that formed them will shew them no favour, I…a. 27. 11. For the day of mercy is over, and the day of his wrath is fully come.
When this tree is cleav'd abroad, then itsi rotten, hollow inside appears, which was the cause of its barrenuess; it looked like a Fair and sound bodied tree, but now all may see how rotten it is at the heart: So will God in that day, when he shall di…ect the barren Professor, discover the rottenness of his heart, and un…oundness of his principles and ends, then they who never suspected him before, shall see what a hollow and rotten-hearted Professor he was.
Lastly, the fruitless tree is cast into the fire. This also is the end and sad issue of formality, Iohn 15. 6. He is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. This is an undou…t…d truth, That there is no plant in Gods vineyard, but he will have glory from it by bearing fruit, or glory on it by burning in the fire. In this fire shall they lye, gnashing their teeth, Luke 13. 38. and that both in indignation against the Saints, whom they shall see in glory, and against Iesus Christ, who would not save them; and against themselves, for losing so foolishly the opportunities of salvation. Do you behold when you sit by the fire, the froth that boyles out of those flaming logs? O think of that some and rage of these undone creatures, foaming and gnashing their teeth in that fire which is not quenched, Mark 9. 44.
REFLECTION.
HOw often have I passed by such barren trees,A Reflection …or a formal Hypocrite. with a more barren heart? as little thinking such a tree to be the emblem of my self, as Nebuchadnezz…r did, when he saw that tree in a dream which represented himself, and shadowed forth to him his ensuing misery, Dan. 4. 13. But, Oh my conscience! my drousie, sleepy conscience! wert thou but tender and faithful to me, thou wouldst make as round and terrible an application of such a spectacle to me as the faithful Prophet did to him, v. 22. And thus wouldst thou, O my soul, bemoan thy condition!
Poor wretch, here I grow for a little time, among the trees of righteousness, the plants of renown; but I am none of them, I was never planted a right seed; some green and flourishing leaves of profession indeed I have, which deceive others, but God cannot be deceived; he sees I am fruitless and rotten at the heart. Poor soul, what will thine end be but burning! Behold the axlyeth by thy root, and wonder it is, that there it should lye so long, and I yet standing! still mercy pleads for a fruitless creature; Lord, spare it one year longer. Alas! he need strike no great blow to ruine me, his very breath blows to destruction, Iob 4. 9. a frown of his face can blast and ruine me, Psal. 80. 6. he is daily sollicited by his justice to hew me down, and yet I stand. Lord, cure my barrenness; I know thou hadst rather see fruit, than fire upon me.
The Poem.
IF after pains and patience, you can see
No hopes of fruit1Luk. 13. 7. down goes the barren tree:
You will not suffer trees that are unsound,
And barren too, to cumber useful ground.
The fatal ax is2Mat. 3. 10. laid unto the root
It's fit for fire, when unfit for fruit.
But though this be a dead, and barren tree;
Reader, I would not have it so to thee.
May it to thee this serious thought suggest,
In all the Orchard this dead tree's the best.
Think on it sadly, lay it close to heart;
This is the case in which thou wast, or art.
If so thou wast, but3Eph. …. 1. now dost live and grow,
And bring forth fruit, what praise, and thanks dost ow
To that wise Husbandman that made thee so!
O think when justice listed up its hand,Iohn 15. 1.
How4Luk. 13. 8. mercy did then interceding stand!
How pity did on thy behalf appear,
To beg reprieval for another year.
Stop Lord, forbear him; all hope is not past,
He can but be for fire at the last.
Though many Sermons, many a gracious call
He hath resisted like a brazen wall.
The next5Rom. 22. 4. may win him, then thy grace shall raise
Unto it self a6Luk. 15. 7. monument of praise.
How should this meditation thaw and melt
The heart of him that hath such mercy felt.
But if thou still remain a barren tree,
Then here as in a mirrour; thou may'st see
Thy wretched state, when justice at a blow,
Requites Gods patience in thine overthrow.
And canst thou7Psal. 76. 7. bear it? can thy heart endure.
To think of everlasting burnings? sure
This must thy lot, thy fearful portion be;
If thou continue still a barren tree.