5. Prop. The husbandman builds his house, where he makes his purchase, dwells upon his land, and frequently visits it ; he knows that such as dwell far from their lands, are not far from loss.
Reddit So doth God ; wherever he plants a church, there dotli he fix his habitation, intending there to dwell. Psalm xlvi. 5. " God *' is in the midst of her," she shall not be moved. Thus God came to dwell upon his own fee and inheritance, in Judea, Lev. xxvi. 11, 12. " And I mil set my tabernacle amongst you, and will be *' your God, and ye shall be my people." Which promise is again renewed to his churches of the New Testament, 2 Cor. vi. 16. And when the churches shall be in their greatest flourish and purity, then shall there be the fullest and most glorious manifestation of the divine presence among them. Rev. xxi. 3. " And I heard a great voice *' out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, '' and he will dwell with them, and be their God." Hence the as- semblies are called, the places of his feet — — And there they " be- " hold the beauty of the Lord," Psalm xxvii.
6. Prop. Husbandmen grudge not at the cost they are at for their tillage ; but as they lay out vast suras upon it, so they do it cheer- fully.
Reddit. " And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Ju- " dah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard ; what could *' have been done more to my vineyard, that 1 have not done in it ? And as he bestows upon his heritage the choicest mercies, so he doth it with the greatest cheerfulness ; for he saith, Jer. xxxii, 41. "I " will rejoice over them to do tliem good ; and I will plant them in " this land assuredly, with my whole heart and with my whole " soul." It is not the giving out of mercy (saith one) that grieveth God, but the recoiling of his mercy back again upon him by the ^ creature's ingratitude.
7. Prop. When husbandmen have been at cost and pains about their husbandry, they expect fruit from it, answerable to their pains and expences al3out it: " Behold (said James) the husbandman *' waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth," Jam. v. 7.
Reddit " And he looked that it should bring forth fruit," Isa, v* Vol. V. B
2. This heavenly Husbandman waits for the fruits of his fields also ; never did any husbandman long for the desired harvest, more than God doth for tlie fruits of holiness from his saints : Great are tlie expectations of God from his people : " And when the time of the " fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they " might receive the fruits of it.''
8. Pi'op. Husbandmen are much delighted, to see the success of their labours ; it comforts them over all their hai'd pains, and many weary days to see a good increase.
Reddit Much more is God delighted in beholding the flourishing graces of his people ; it pleases him to see his plants laden with fruit, and his valleys sing with corn, Cant. vi. 2. " My beloved is gone " down to the garden, into his beds of spices, to feed in the gai'dens, " and to gather lilies.'' These beds of spices (say* expositors) are the particular cluirches, the companies of believers ; he goes to feed ih these gardens, like as men go to their gardens to make merry, or to gather fruit, Cant, iv. 16. " He eats his pleasant fruit," viz. His people's holy performances, sweeter to him than any amhrosio ; thus he feeds in the gardens, and he gathers lilies when he translates good souls into his kingdom above ; " For the Lord taketh pleasure " in his saints, and will beautify the meek with salvation."
9. Prop. The husbandman is exceedingly grieved when he sees the hopes of a good crop disappointed, and his fields prove barren, or blasted.
Reddit. So the Lord expresses his grief for, and anger against Iris people, when they bring forth no fruits, or wild fruits, worse than none, Hosea ix. \Q. " Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up." Christ was exceedingly displeased with the fig-tree, and cursed it for its barrenness ; it grieves him to the heart when liis servants re- turn to him Avith such complaints as these, " We have laboured in " vain, we have spent our strength for nought."
10. Prop. Husbandmen employ many labourers to work in their fields, there is need of many hands for such a multiiilicity of bu- siness.
Reddit. God hath diversity of workmen also in the churches whom he sends forth to labour in his spiritual fields, Eph. iv. 12. " He gave *' some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, and some " pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work *' of the ministry," Amos iii. 7. I have sent [?;??/ .servcnitti] the pro- \phets. It is usual with the apostles to place this title of a servant among their honorary titles, though a profane mouth once called it, jirohrosum artificium, a sordid artifice. Christ hath stampt a great deal of dignity upon his ministers, in retaining them for the nearest service to himself, 1 Cor. iv. 1. " Let a man so account of us, as the " ministers of Christ;" they are workers together with God: The
* Christ is fed when he sees the graces of his people y he gathers lilies when he tran- slates any good soul out of this life. Trap, on the place.
husbandman works in the field among liis labourers, and the great God disdaineth not to work in, and with his poor servants, in the work of the ministry.
11. Prop. The work about which husbandmen employ their ser- vants in the field, is toilsome and spending, you see they come home at night as weary as they can draw their legs after them.
Reddit But God's workmen liave a mucli harder task than they ; hence are they set forth in scripture by the laborious ox, 1 Cor. ix. 9. Rev. iv. 7. Some derive the word bia-Mvog, deacon, from X6v/g, m hich signifies dust, to shew the laboriousness of their employment, labour- ing till even choaked with dust and sweat. It is said of Epaphro- ditus, Phil. ii. 13. ^* That for the work of Christ he was sick, and " nigh unto death ; not regarding his life, to supply their lack of '' service." The apostle's expression, Col. i. tdt. is very empha^ tical, " Whereunto I also labour, striving, according to his working, "^ which worketh in me mightily." The word aymitw'uvfx;^ signifies such spending labour as puts a man into an agony ; and blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.
12. Prop. The immediate end of the husbandman's labour, and his servants labour is for the improvement of his land, to make it more flourishing and fruitful.