5. Your pains and diligence in the fields, make your bed sweet to you at night, Eccles. v. 12. " Rest is sweet to a labouring man, w^he- '* ther he eat little or much.'" But the dihgent life of a Christian makes the clods of the valley, his grave, sweet unto him, 2 Cor. i, 12. 2 Kings XX. 3. " Remember now, O Lord, how I have walked before " thee," &c. Think Christian, how sweet it will be for thee when thou comest to die, to say then as thy Redeemer did, v>-hen near his death, John xvii. 4, 5. " I have finished the work wliich thou gavest " me to do ; and now, O Father glorify me with thine own self"
6. The expence of your sweat fills your purses, you get estates by your diligence and labour ; but what are your gains to the gains of
84 HUSUANDJIY SriElTUALIZED ; OJt,
Christians ? They can get in an hour tliat which they will not part with for all the gold and silver on earth, Prov. iii. 14.
So that compare these labourers, as to all their advantages, and you shall see, that there is no trade like that which the diligent Christian drives.
1. Blush then, O my soul, at the consideration of thy laziness
Reflections of the ^"^ ^^^^^' ^^^^^^^^ ^^ attended with so many spi- 7 ^li 1 7 ritual wants ! And can I wonder at it, when I
slothful soul, n ^^ -pi i? j ^ • i • i .1
-^ retuse the pamtul way oi duty, ni which the pre-
cious fruits of godliness are only to be found ? If the fruits lie upon the surface of duty, or could be had with wishes, I should not want them ; but to dig deep and take pains I cannot. My desires, like those of the slothful man, kill me, because my hands refuse to labour, Prov. xxi. 25. If every duty were to be rewarded presently with gold, would I not have been more assiduous in them, than I have been ? And yet I know that a heart full of the grace and comfort of the Holy Ghost, is better than a house full of gold and silver. O what a composition of stupidity and sloth am I ! I have been all for the short cut to comfort, when constant experience teacheth, that the further way about, by painful duty, is the nearer way to it. What pains do husbandmen take ? What peril do seamen run for a little gain ; O sluggish heart ! wilt thou do nothing for eternal treasures ^
Secondly^ If there be such great reward attending diligence in duty, then why art thou so apt, O my soul, to cast oif duty, because thou findest not present comfort in it ^ How quickly am I discou- raged, if I presently find not what I expect in duty ? Whereas the well is deep, and much pains must be taken to draw up those waters of joy, Isa. xii. 3. There is a golden vein in the mount of duty, but it lies deep ; and because I meet not with it as soon as I expect, my lazy heart throws by the shovel, and cries. Dig I cannot.
Thirdly, If this be indeed the rich and thriving trade, why do I TJ Id' ' puddle about the poor, low things of the world
n, ,; * ^ so much, neglecting the rich trade of godliness
•^^ ^ ' for it ? O how much of my time and strength
have these things devoured ? Had I employed that time in commu- nion with God, would it not have turned to a better account? Thinkest thou in earnest, O my soul, that God hath endowed thee with such excellent faculties, capable of the most Divine and heaven- ly employments, or that Jesus Christ hath shed his invaluable, pre- cious blood, or that he hath sent forth the glorious Spirit of holi- ness, and all this to fit men for no higher, no nobler employments than these.
Is this the end of thy wonderful creation ; Doth God whirl about the heavens in endless revolutions, to beget time for this ? Or doth he not rather expect that the weightiest work should engross thy
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. BB>
greatest strength, and choicest hours? O that I could once con- sider, what a good Master Christians serve, \viiho will not only ahundantly reward them at night, but brings them their food into the fields to encourage them in their labour ! AVhat pity is it, that so good a Master should be so badly served as he hath been by me ! Hark how he pleads to gain my heart :
By way of Dialogue betwixt Christ and the World.
Why so free of sweat and time, For what ere long will not be thine ? Or if it might, thou sell'st to loss, A precious soul for lasting dross. Those weary hands, and toiling brains, Might be employ"'d for better gains. Wouldst thou but work as hard for me, As for the world which cozens thee ; Thy gains should be a thousand fold : For my revenue''s more than gold.
World. Soul, I have always found thee willing. Rather by me to earn a shilling, Than trust uncertain things which lie Beyond thee in eternity. Shall things unseen now tempt thee ? Tush^ A bird in hand's worth two T th' bush. I pay thee wages down in hand. This thou canst feel, taste, understand, O let not such a vain pretence Prevail against thy very sense.
Christ. Thus beasts are led, thus birds are snar'd, Thus souls for ruin are prepared. What ! trust no failher than you see. You'll trust a thief as far as me. Deluded wretch ! Will nought but sight And sense convince thee ? O how right, How just is God ? whose direful scourge Such arguments in hell shall urge.
World. Christ threatens wrath to come, but I Do threaten thee with poverty. And why wilt thou thyself, and those That are so dear, to want expose I Vol. V. C
36 HUSBANDRY SPIRITUALIZED ; Oltj
Come see, the saints, for all their brags, How well they thrive, they're cloth'd in rags
Christ. If my dear saints in rags do go, 'Tis not religion clothes them so ; But by such wants the Lord secures Their souls against the killing snares : They all are heirs, tho' under age, Expectants of their heritage : Kept short for present, yet contemn A change with those that scoiF at them.
World. It is vain to plead, for I With present things charm powerfully ; Whatever thou ofFer'st, they'll despise, i hold them prisoners by their eyes.
Christ. If they will serve no other Lord, Then let it stand upon record. Against their souls, that they refus'd My wages, and my grace abus'd. Remember this when they shall see All turned to ashes that's in thee.