Pause a while, my soul, upon this point : With The deceived souTs what seed is my heart sown, and of what kind rejlection. are those things wherein I excel others.'' Are
they indeed special seeds of grace, or common gifts and natural excellencies.'^ If the latter, little cause have I to pride myself in them, were they ten thousand times more than they are. If these things be indeed the things that accompany salvation, the seed of God, the true and real work of grace, then, (1.) How comes it to pass that I never found my throes, or travailing pangs in the pro- duction of them ? It is affirmed and generally acknowledged, that the new creature is never brought forth without such pain and compunc- tions of heart, Acts ii. 37. I have indeed often felt an aching head, whilst I have read and studied to increase my knowledge : But when did I feel an aching heart for sin ,? O I begin to suspect that it is not right. Yea, (2.) And my suspicion increases while I consider that
trace is of an humbling nature, 1 Cor. xv. 10. Lord, how have I een elated by my gifts, and valued myself above what was meet ? O
THE HEAVI:^'LY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. 73
how have I delighted in the noise of the Pharisee's trumpet ! Mat. vi. 2. No music so sweet as that. Say, O my conscience, have I not, delighted more in the theatre than the closet ? In the praise of men than the approbation of God ? O how many evidences dost thou pro- duce against me ! Indeed these are sad symptoms that I have shewed thee, but there is yet another, which renders thy case more suspicious yet, yea, that which thou canst make no rational defence against, even the inefFectualness of all thy gifts and knowledge to mortify any one of all thy lusts. It is beyond all dispute, that gifts may, but grace can- not consist without mortification of sin, Gal. v. 24. Now what lust hath fallen before these excellent parts of mine ? Doth not pride, pas- sion, covetousness, and indeed the whole body of sin, live and thrive in me as much as ewer ? Lord, I yield the cause, I can defend it no longer against my conscience, which casts and condemns me, by full proof, to be but in a wretched, cursed, lamentable state, notwith- standing all my knowledge and flourishing gifts. O shew me a more excellent way. Lord ! that I had the sincerity of the poorest saint, though I should lose the applause of all my parts ; with these I see I may go to hell, but without some better thing no hope of heaven.
\jrREAT difference betwixt that seed is found, With which you sow your sevVal plots of ground. Seed-wheat doth far excel in dignity The cheaper barley, and the coarser rye : Tho' in themselves they good and wholesome are. Yet these with choicest wheat may not compare. Men's hearts, like fields, are sow'd with different grain, Some baser, some more noble, some again Excelling both the former, more than wheat Excels that grain your swine and horses eat. For principles of mere morality. Like cummin, barley, fitches, pease, or rye, In those men's hearts are often to be found, Whom yet the scriptures called cursed ground ; And nobler principles than these, sometime Caird common grace, and spii'itual gifts, which shine In some men's heads, where is their habitation ; Yet they are no companions of salvation. These purchase honour both from great and small : But I must tell thee, that if this be all, Tho' like an angel in these gifts you shine Amongst blind mortals, for a little time ; The day's at hand, when, such as thou must take Thy lot with devils in th' nifernal lake. But principles of special, saving grace,
74 HUSBANDliy SPIRITUALIZED ; 0R%
Whose seat is in the heart, not head, or face ;
Like sohcl wheat sown in a fruitful field,
Shall spring, and flourish, and at last will vield
A glorious harvest of eternal rest.
To him that nourished them M'ithin his breast.
O grace ! how orient art thou ! how divine !
What is the glory of all gifts to thine I
Disseminate this seed within my heart.
My God, I pray thee, tho' thou should'st impart
The less of gifts ; then I may truly say,
That thou hast shewed me the more excellent way»
CHAP. IX. Upon springing- weather after seed-time,
Bi/ heaven'' s influence corn and plants do springs God's show'rs of grace do make his valleys sing.
X HE earth, after that it is plowed and sowed, must be watered, and warmed with the dews and influences of heaven, or no fruit can be expected. If God do not open to you his good treasure, the heavens to give rain unto the land in its season, and bless all the work of your hands, as it is Deut. xxviii. 12. the earth cannot yield her increase. The order and independence of natural causes in the production of fruit, is excellently described, Hos. i. 21, 22. " I will *' hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth ; and the earth *' shall hear the corn, and wine, and oil, and they shall hear Jez- '' reel.'" Jezreel must have corn, and wine, and oil, or they can* not live ; they cannot have it unless the earth bring it forth ; the earth cannot bring it forth without the heavens ; the heavens cannot yield a drop unless God hear them, that is, unlock and open them. * ' Nature, and natural causes, are nothing else but the order in ^ which God works.' This some heathens, by the light of nature, acknowledged, and therefore when they went to plow in the morn- ing, they did lay one hand upon the plow (to speak their own part to be painfulness) and held up the other hand to Ceres, the goddess of corn, to shew that their expectation of plenty was from their sup- posed deity -f. I fear many Christians lay both hands to the plow, and seldom lift up heart, or hand to God, when about that work.
♦ Natura nihil aliud est quam divinorum operum ordo, Berentius, t Weem's Cerem. Law.
^HE HEAVENLY USE OF EAUTIILY THINGS. 75
There was an husbandman (saith * Mr. Smith) that always sowed good seed, but never had good corn ; at last a neighbour came to hiraj and said, I will tell you what probably may be the cause of it ; it may be (said he) you do not steep your seed : No, truly said the other, nor did I ever hear that seed must be steeped. Yes, surely, said his neighbour, and I will tell you how ; it must be steeped in prayer. When the party heard this, he thanked him for his coun- sel, reformed his fault, and had as good corn as any man whatsoever. Surely it is not the husbandman's, but God's steeps, that drop fat- ness. Jlma mater terra^ the earth indeed is a fruitful mother, but the rain which fecundates, and fertilizes it, hath no other Father but God, Job xxxviii. 28.