Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 15
Saints compared to Wheat.
Mat. 13.27, 28. Let both grow together till Harvest, &c.
Verſe 30. But gather the Wheat into my Barn.
THe Saints of God are in this Parable compared to Wheat, or good Seed, but the Wicked to Tares, and the End of the World to the Harveſt. Why Believers are compared to Wheat, will appear by what follows.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| VVHeat is a precious Sort of Grain, the beſt of Grain. | THe Saints of God are a choice People, the beſt of Men.Prov. 12.26. The Righteous are more excellent than their Neighbours. |
| II. Wheat is a very profitable Sort of Grain, it tends to the enriching the Huſband-man; he accounts it his Treaſure. | II. The Saints are a People profitable to the World many ways. [See Salt.] Nay,Mat. 3.17. and God accounts them his peculiar Treaſure. |
| III. Wheat will abide and live in the ſharpeſt Winter, which ſome other Seed will not. | III. So ſincere Souls will endure the ſharpeſt Trials. They will live in the Winter-Time of the Church, when others fall off, wither, die away, and come to nothing. |
| IV. Wheat is a ſmall S…ed, and when it is firſt ſown, it lies hid; in Winter it ſeems as if it were quite dead; but when the Spring comes, it ſweetly revives again, and flouriſheth exceedingly. | IV. The Godly are, in compariſon of the World, a ſmall People,Luke 12.32. called a little Flock; and they lie hid as it were, ſcarcely ſeeming to be a People, whilſt the Winter of Perſecution and Trouble, under the four Monarchs of the World, predominate:Cant. 2.11 But when the Winter is paſt, and the Spring-Time of the Church ſhall come, they ſhall revive, and cover the Earth, as Wheat doth the Land where it is ſown. Light is ſown for the Righteous, Prov. 4.18 and Joy for the Ʋpright in Heart. The Growth of Saints in Times of Temptation doth not always ſo viſibly appear. They are like Corn ſown, that lies under the Clods; but when they have taken ſweet Root, they ſoon appear to revive, and ſprout forth like Wheat, by means of the Dew of Grace, and ſweet Rays of the Sun of Righteouſneſs. They ſhall revive as the Corn, and grow as the Vine, Hoſ. 14.7. and the Scent thereof ſhall be as the Wine of Lebanon. |
| V. An Ear of Wheat that is full of Corn, always hangs downs its Head, when that which is light and empty ſtands upright. | V. So the Saints of God, or all ſincere Souls, that have much Grace, are humble Ones, they hang down their Heads as it were, are cloathed with Humility, when Hypocrites, or empty Profeſſors, are puffed up. Abraham calls himſelf but Duſt and Aſhes; David, a Worm and no Man; Job abhors himſelf, as a nothing Creature; Paul ſaith, he was the leaſt of all Saints: Job 42.6. Eph. 8.3. When the empty Hypocrite cries out, Lord, I thank thee, I am not as other Men. |
| VI. Wheat needs Weeding. Weeds many times come up with it, and hinder its Growth. | VI. So the Saints and People of God need weeding. Weeds of Corruption often ſpring up, and trouble them, which did not God, the good Husband-man,Heb. 12.15 root out and deſtroy, would quite ſpoil his choiceſt Wheat. |
| VII. Wheat hath, it is obſerved, ſometimes Tares amongſt it, which the Husband-man ſees good to let alone till the Harveſt, leſt in plucking them out ſome of the Wheat be pull'd up with them. | VII. The Field is the World,Mat. 13.38. where the Saints of God, who are compared to Wheat, grow, (i. e. live) and much Tares grow up or live among them, in every Nation, City, and Town. And it is the pleaſure of God, that they ſhould be let alone, or ſuff…red to grow together in the World, that common Field, tho not in the Church. And therefore were the People of God ſuch as the wicked Perſecutor calls them, viz. Tares, Hereticks, the Off-ſcouring of the World; yet it is directly contrary to the Mind of God, that they ſhould be rooted up, and turned out of the Earth. Let both grow together (ſaith the Husband-man) till Harveſt. |
| VIII. Wheat hath a conſiderable Time to ripen, it muſt have the former and latter Rain; but when it is ripe, it is ſevered from the Tares, and gathered into the Barn. | VIII. So the People of God are not ſo ſoon as they ſpring up in Grace, ripe for God's Garner, but they need ſome Time before they are fit for cutting down by Death. The former and latter Rain of the Spirit muſt fall upon them; they ripen gradually. And when the Harveſt comes, to wit, the End of the World,Mat. 13.41, 42. then the Saints ſhall be ſevered from the Wicked, the Good come from the Bad, the Holy from the Vile, like as Wheat is ſevered from the Tares: and thoſe that appear pure Grain, ſhall be gathered into God's Garner, i. e. his bleſſed Kingdom; and the Wicked, like Tares, ſhall be bound in Bundles, and caſt into Hell, to be burned in unquenchable Fire. |
| IX. Wheat, when it is ſown, dies, and riſes again; it riſes Wheat, and the ſame Wheat, tho it riſes more glorious than it ſeemed to be when ſown. | IX. So the Saints of God die, like good Seed are ſown in the Earth, and ſhall riſe again,1 Cor. 15. the ſame Body ſhall riſe again; as every Seed hath his own Body, ſo ſhall every Saint in the Day of the Reſurrection have his own Body, tho his Body ſhall riſe more glorious than it was before. The Apoſtle ſaith, That which thou ſoweſt, thou ſoweſt not that Body that ſhall be, becauſe it is ſown a natural Body, 1 Cor. 15.38, 42, 43. it is raiſed a ſpiritual; it is ſown in Corruption, but is raiſed in Incorruption; it is ſown in Diſhonour, and raiſed in Glory; it is ſown in Weakneſs, it is raiſed in Power. |
| X. Wheat is threſhed by the Husband-man, to ſever the Corn from the Straw and Chaff. | X. So God, to ſever the Chaff of corrupt and droſſy Profeſſors, from the pure Grain, viz. ſincere Saints, leaves the Wicked as it were to threſh his People; God's People are often under the Flail of Perſecution. |
Inferences.
THis may ſerve to reprove the bloody Perſecutors of God's People, who would fain pluck up the Saints as Tares; but let them take heed. If God would not have many Tares pluck'd up, leſt ſome of the Wheat be pluck'd up with them, what will become of them, who inſtead of plucking the wicked Tares (that perhaps deſerve the greateſt Severity, as being guilty of innocent Blood) connive at ſuch, and let them alone, having much Favour for them) and ſet themſelves wholly againſt God's faithful and innocent People? What unwearied Endeavours have been uſed, to deſtroy and root out the Godly?
2. It may be a Caution to all to take heed how they perſecute Men for Conſcience ſake; for who can infallibly know ſuch as fear not God, nor belong to him, from ſuch as are his People, and do in Truth fear Him? They had better let many Tares, many Hereticks alone, than through Ignorance deſtroy one godly and ſincere Perſon.
3. It may alſo be for Trial: Are you Wheat or Tares? Do you bring Glory to God, and Profit to your Neighbours? Do you faithfully, like holy Job, adhere to the Lord, and cleave to him, altho he ſhould pleaſe to lay you under ſlaying Diſpenſations? Do you endure patiently under the Croſs, abide the Trial of cold winterly Blaſts of Perſecution? Wheat (you hear) will endure ſharp Froſts. The honeſt-hearted Profeſſor brings forth Fruit with Patience.Mat. 13.
4. Laſtly; It affords Comfort to the Godly; for tho they appear as dead and withered, or are under many ſeeming Decays, yet they ſhall revive again, like Corn. And altho they, like Seed or Grain, are laid in the Earth, and turn to Corruption; yet they ſhall have a bleſſed Reſurrection at the laſt Day, and be raiſed in Power and Glory, and in Incorruption. Death doth the Body of a godly Man no Injury. Except a Seed of Corn fall to the Ground, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much Fruit.