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nibil ferile; nothing barren or unfruitful in it. God's vineyard is planted in a very fruitful hill. Ifa. v. 1.," And furely they that are "planted in the houfe of the Lord, fhould flourish in the courts of "our God; they should bring forth fruit, even in old age, to fhew "that God is upright," Pfal. xcii. 13, 14. "They are created in "Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath ordained they "should walk in," Eph. ii. 10. « They are married unto Christ, that "they might bring forth fruit to God," Rom. vii. 4. An empty branch is a dishonour to the root that bears it, a barren field to the husbandman that owns it; God cannot endure that in his fields which he fuffers in the wilderness.

The third Corollary.

If the church be God's husbandry, then there is fuch a special, gracious prefence of the Lord in his churches, as is not to be found in all the world befide. Where may you expect to find the husbandman but in his own fields? There lies his bufinefs, and there he delights to be. And where may we expect to find God but in the affemblies of his faints?" He walks among the golden candlesticks," Rev. ii. 1. I will walk among you, (faith he) and be your God, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Upon this account the church is called Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there, Ezek. xlviii, ult. You may fee the footReps of God in the creatures, but the face of God is only to be seen in his ordinances. Hence, Pfal. xxvii. 4. "David longed for the "temple, that he might fee the beauty of the Lord." Now what is beauty, but a fymmetry and proportion of parts? In the works of creation you fee one attribute manifefted in one thing, and another in another thing: but in the fanctuary you may fee beauty, even in all the attributes of God difplayed there: And, indeed, we find in fcripture fuch aftonishing expreflions about the vitions of God in his church, that in reading them, a man can fee little difference betwixt it and heaven; for as the church is called heaven, Mat. xxv. I. fo its defcription is like that of heaven. Heb. xii. 22, 23. “You are "come to the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company ❝ of angels," &c. And Rev. xxii. 4. They fhall fee his face, "and his name fhall be written in their foreheads." And ver. 6. The faints are reprefented" standing nearer to the throne of God "than the angels themfelves." Hence alfo ordinances are called galleries, in which both faints and angels walk, beholding the glory of him that fits upon the throne. Zech. iii. 7. "If you will keep "my ways, I will give you galleries to walk in among them that "stand by."

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The fourth Corollary.

If the church be God's hufbandry, then thofe that be employed in ministerial work ought to be men of great judgment and experience in foul-affairs; for these are the labourers whom God, the myftical Husbandman employs and entrusts about his fpiritual hefbandry. Should husbandmen employ ignorant perfons, that neither un

derstand the rules nor proper feafons of hufbandry; how much would fuch workmen damnify and prejudice him? He will not employ fuch to weed his fields, as know not wheat from tares; or to prune his trees, that think midfummer as fit for that work as December: much lefs will God. He qualifies all that he fends with wifdom for their work. "His workmen approve themselves workmen indeed, fuch as need not be afhamed, rightly dividing the word of "truth," 2 Tim. ii. 15. As Bezaleel was furnished with wildom before he was employed in tabernacle-work; fo Chrift inftructs his fervants with fkill and infight, before they are employed in minifterial work. He gives them a mouth and wifdom, Luke xxi. 15. endues them with power from on high; as Chrift was filled abundantly with the Spirit for his work, fo, according to proportion, are thofe that are sent by him. John xx. 21, 22. As my Father hath fent me, fo fend I you." And as for thofe that run before they are fent, and understand not the myfteries of the gofpel; I fhall fay no more of them but this; "Father, forgive them, for they know "not what they do."

The fifth Corollary.

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To conclude, If the church be God's bufbandry, that is, if hufbandry have fo many refemblances of God's works about the church in it; then how inexcufeable is the ignorance of husbandmen in the things of God, who, befides the word of the gospel, have the teaching of the creatures; and can hardly turn their hands to any part of their work, but the Spirit hints one fpiritual ufe or other from it to their fouls? How do the fcriptures abound with parables and lively fimilitudes taken from hufbandry? From the field, the feed, the plow, the barn, from threfhing and winnowing; fimilitudes alfo from planting, graffing, and pruning of trees; and not a few from the ordering of cattle. So that to what bufinefs foever you turn your hands, in any part of your calling, ftill God meets you with one heavenly inftruction or other. But alas! How few are able to improve their civil employments to fuch excellent ends! these things are but briefly hinted in the fcriptures, and thofe hints fcattered up and down, that they know not where to find them; and if they could, yet would it be difficult fo to methodize them, as it is neceffary they should be, in order to their due improvement by meditation.

And therefore I judged it neceffary to collect and prepare them. for your ufe; and in this manner to prefent them to you as you find them in the following chapters. Read, confider, and apply; and the Lord make you good husbandmen for your own fouls.

THE FIRST PART OF

HUSBANDRY SPIRITUALIZED.

CHAP. I.

Upon the Industry of the Husbandman.

In the laborious Husbandman you fee
What all true Chriftians are, or ought to be.

OBSERVATION.

HE employment of the husbandman is by all acknowledged to

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be very laborious; there is a multiplicity of bufinefs incumbent on him. The end of one work is but the beginning of another, every season of the year brings its proper work with it: fometimes you find him in his fields, dreffing, plowing, fawing, harrowing, weeding, or reaping; and fometimes in his barn, threshing or winnowing; fometimes in his orchard, planting, graffing, or pruning his trees; and fometimes among his cattle; fo that he hath no time to be idle. As he hath a multiplicity of business, so every part of it is full of toil and spending labour: he eats not the bread of idleness, but earns it before he eats it; and, as it were, dips it in his own fweat, whereby it becomes the fweeter to him. Though fin brought in the husbandman's fweat, Gen. iii. 19. yet now not to sweat would increase his fin, Ezek. xvi. 49.

APPLICATION.

Behold here the life of a ferious Chriftian, fhadowed forth to the life. As the life of a husbandman, so the life of a Chriftian is no idle nor eafy life. They that take up religion for oftentation, and not for an occupation, and those that place the bufinefs of it in notions and idle fpeculations, in forms, geftures, and external obfervances, may think and call it fo: but fuch as devote themselves unto it, and make religion their bufinefs, will find it no eafy work to exercise themfelves to godlinefs. Many there are that affect the reputation and feet of it who cannot endure the labour and sweat of it. If men might be indulged to divide their heart betwixt God and the world, or to cull out the cheap and eafy duties of it, and neglect the more difficult and coftly ones, it were an eafy thing to be a Christian: but furely to have a refpect to all God's commandments, to live the life, as well as speak the language of a Chriftian, to be holy in all manner of converfation, is not fo eafy. This will be evident, by VOL. V. E

comparing the life of a Christian with the life of a husbandman, in thefe five particulars; wherein it will appear, that the work of a Chriftian is by much the harder work of the two.

1. The husbandman hath much to do, many things to look after; be hefbandman hath much but the Chriftian more: if we refpect the extensiveness of his work, he hath a large field indeed to labour in, Pfal. cxix. 96. "Thy com"mandment is exceeding broad," of a vaft extent and latitude, comprizing not only a multitude ofexternal acts and duties, and guiding the offices of the outward man about them, but also taking in every thought and motion of the inner man within its compass.

You find in the word, a world of work cut out for Christians; there is hearing-work, praying-work, reading, meditating, and selfexamining-work; it puts him alfo upon a conftant watch over all the corruptions of his heart. Oh, what a world of work hath a Christian about him? For of them he may fay, as the hiftorian doth of Hannibal, they are never quiet, whether conquering or conquered. How many weak, languifhing graces hath he to recover, improve, and ftrengthen? There is a weak faith, a languishing love, dull and faint defires to be quickened and invigorated. And when all this is done, what a multitude of work do his feveral relations exact from him? He hath a world of business incumbent on him, as a parent, child, husband, wife, master, fervant, or friend, yea, not only to friends, but enemies. And, befides all this, how many difficult things are there to be borne and fuffered for Chrift? And yet God will not allow his people to neglect any one of them: neither can he be a Christian that hath not refpect to every command, and is not holy in all manner of converfation, Pfal. cxix. 6. 2 Pet. iii. 11. every one of thefe duties, like the feveral spokes in a wheel, come to bear, in the whole round of a Chriftian's converfation: fo that he hath more work upon his hands than the husbandman.

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2. The husbandman's work is confeffed to be spending work, but not like the Chriftian's. What Auguftus faid of the young Roman, is verified in the true Christian, Quicquid vult, valde vult. Whatfoever he doth in religion, he doth to purpofe. Under the law, God rejected the fnail and the afs, Lev. xi. 30. Exod. xiii. 13. And under the gospel, he allows no fluggish, lazy profeffor, 1 Tim. v. 11, 13. Sleepy duties are utterly unfuitable to the living God; he will have the very fpirits diftilled and offered up to him in every duty, John iv. 24. he beftows upon his people the very fubftance and ker nel of mercies, and will not accept from them the fhells and shadows of duties; not the fkin, but the inwards, and the fat that covereth the inwards, were required under the law, Exod. xxix. 30. And every facrifice under the gofpel, must be facrificium medullatum, a sa→ crifice full of marrow; obferve the manner in which their work is to be performed.

Rom. xii. 11. In ferving God, fervent in fpirit, or hiffing hot.

2 Pet. i. ro. In fecuring falvation, diligent; or doing it thoroughly and enough.

1 Tim. iv. 7. In godliness, exercifing or ftripping themselves; as for a race.

Luke xiii. 24. In the pursuit of happiness, ftriving even to an agony.

Acts xxvi. 7. In prayer, ferving God inftantly; or in a stretched out manner; yea, pouring out their hearts before him, Pfal. Ixii. 8. as if the body were left like a dead corps upon the knees, whilft the spirit is departed from it, and afcended to God. This is the manner of his work: judge then how much harder this work is, than to spend the sweat of the brow in manual labour.

3. The husbandman finds his work as he left it, he can begin one day where he left the other; but it is not fo with the Christian; a bad heart and a bufy devil, diforder and fpoil his work every day. The Chriftian finds not his heart in the morning, as he left it at night; and even when he is about his work, how many fet-backs doth he meet with? Satan ftands at his right hand (the working hand) to refift him, Zech. iii. 1. when he would do good, evil (the evil of his own heart and nature) is present with him.

4. The hufbandman hath fome refting-days, when he throws afide all his work, and takes his recreation; but the Chriftian hath no refting-day, till his dying-day; and then he fhall reft from his labours. Religion allows no idle day, "but requires him to be always abounding in the work of the Lord," I Cor. xv. 18. When one duty is done, another calls for him; the Lord's day is a day of reft to the husbandman, but no day in the week fo laborious to the Chriftian. O it is a spending day to him. When he hath gathered in the crop of one duty, he is not to fit down fatisfied therewith, or fay as that rich worldling did, Luke xii. 19. "Soul, take thine ease, "thou haft goods laid up for many years;" but must to plow again, and count it well if the vintage reach to the feed-time, Lev. xxvi. 5. I mean, if the strength, influence, and comfort of one duty, hold out to another duty; and that it may be fo, and there be no room left for idleness, God hath appointed ejaculatory prayer, to fill up the intervals, betwixt ftated and more folemn duties. Thefe are to keep in the fire, which kindled the morning facrifice, to kindle the evening facrifice. When can the Chriftian fit down and fay, Now all my work is ended, I have nothing to do without doors, or within?

Lastly, There is a time when the labour of the husbandman is ended; old age and weakness takes them off from all employment; they can look only upon their labourers, but cannot do a stroke of work themselves; they can tell you what they did in their younger years, but now (fay they) we must leave it to younger people: we cannot be young always; but the Chriftian is never fuperannuated as to the work of religion; yea, the longer he lives, the more his Mafter expects from him. When he is full of days, God expects he should

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