Well might Christ say, Mat. vii. 14. " Narrow is the way, and " strait is the gate that leadeth unto Ufe : and few there be that find " it C And again, Luke xii. 32. " Fear not little flock." The large piece goes to the devil ; a httle remnant is Christ's, Rom. ix. 27. Saints in scripture, are C2l\[q& jewels, Mai. iii. 17. Precious pearly
15^ HTTSBANBllY SPIRITUALIZED; OR,
and diamonds, which the Latins call Umones. Quia mtlU duo simut reperiuntUi'^ (sailh Pliny) because nature gives them not by pairs, but one by one : how many pebbles to one pearl ! Suitable to this notion, is that complaint of the prophet, Mic. vii. 1, 2. " Wo is me ! for I " am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits, as the grape- '' gleanings of the vintage ; there is no cluster to eat ; my soul de- " sired the first ripe fruits ; the good man is perished out of the earth, '' and there is none, (i. e. none comparatively) upright among men.*** The prophet alludes to a poor hungry man, that, after the gathering time is past, comes into an orchard desiring some choice fruit to eat ; but, alas ; he finds none ; there is no cluster ; possibly here and there one after the shaking time. True saints are the world's rarities.
A reflection for one ^' ^"^'^^^ ^^^" '''^^^ ^^ ^^-^ ^^^' ^""^^^ *^^^ ^^^^^
us. / ClOLt-LtUH /Ul VnC II' .• 1 11 11 r» 11 1 ,1
// ffn tl - snakmg time shall come, who nave rollowed the
7 ^ji 7" multitude, and o^one with the tide of the world ?
ampie of trie mut- xt i ti i ^. .- .
.. , ^j "^ How, even when 1 have been pressed to strictness
and singular diligence in the matters of salvation,
and told what a narrow way the way of life is, have I put it off with
this ? If it be so, then wo to thousands ! Ah, foolish heart !
Thousands, and ten thousands shall be woful and miserable, indeed,
to all eternity ! Will it be any mitigation of my misery, that I shall
have thousands of miserable companions with me in hell ? Or, will it
be admitted for a good plea at the judgment-seat. Lord, I did as the
generality of my neighbours in the world did ; except it were here
and there a more precise person, I saw none but lived as I lived. Ah,
foolish sinner ! is it not better to go to heaven alone, than to hell with
company ? The worst courses have always the most imitators ; and
the road to destruction is thronged with passengers.
2. And how little better is my condition, who have often fathered
the wickedness of my own heart, upon the en- A rejlectionjhr an couragement of mercy .'' Thus hath my heart abuser of mercy. pleaded against strictness and duty; God is a
merciful God, and will not be so severe with the world, to damn so many thousands as are in my condition. Deluded soul ! if God had damned the whole race of Adam, he had done them no more wrong : yea, there is more mercy in saving but one man, than there is of severity and rigour in damning all. How many drunk- ards and adulterers have lived and died with thy plea in their mouths, " God is a merciful God .?'' But yet his word expressly saith, " Be " not deceived ; such shall not inherit the kingdom of God," 1 Cor. vi. 9. God, indeed, is a God of infinite mercy ; but he will never i-xercise his mercy to the prejudice of his truth.
3. Oh ! what rich grace is here. That in a general shipwreck mer-^
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EAllTHLY THINGS. 15S
tij should cast forth a line or plank to save me ! That when millions perish, I, with a few more A reflectiwijor an should escape that perdition ! Was it the Father's elect soul. good pleasure to bestow the kingdom upon a lit- tle flock, and to make me one of that number ? What singular obli- gations hath mercy put upon my soul ! The fewer are saved, the more csiuse have they that are to admire their salvation. If but one of a thousand had been damned, yet my salvation would have been an act of infinite grace ; but when scarce one of a thousand are saved, what shall I call that grace that cast my lot among them !
jHLE that with spiritual eyes in autumn sees
The heaps of fruit which fall from shaken trees.
Like storms of hail-stones, and can hardly find
One of a thousand that remains behind ;
Methinks this meditation should awake
His soul, and make it like those trees to shake.
Of all the clusters, which so lately grew
Upon those trees, how few can they now shew ?
Here one, and there another ; two or three
Upon the utmost branches of the tree.
The greatest numbers to the pound are borne.
Squeezed in the trough, and all to pieces torn.
This little handfuFs left, to shadow forth
To me God''s remnant in this peopled earth.
If o'er the whole terrestrial globe I look.
The gospel visits but a little nook.
The rest with horrid darkness overspread.
Are fast asleep, yea, in transgression dead.
Whole droves to hell the devil daily drives ;
Not one amongst them once resists or strives.
And in this little heaven-enlight'ned spot
How fast an interest hath Satan got ?
But few of holiness profession make ;
And if from those that do profess, I take
The self-deluding hypocrites, I fear
To think how fewll remain that are sincere.
O tax not mercy that it saves so few ;
But rather wonder that the Lord should shew
Mercy to any. Quarrel not with grace ;
But for thyself God's gracious terms embrace.
When all were shipwrecked, thou should'st wonder more
To find thyself so strangely cast ashore.
And there to meet with any that can tell
How ftarrowly they also 'scap'd from hell.
The smaller number mercy saves, the higher
Engagements lie on thee still to admire.
154 HUSBANDRY SPIllITtJALIZrED ; Ojl^
Had the whole species perish 'd in their sin, And not one individual sav'd been, y et every tongue before him must be mute Confess his righteousness, but not dispute. Or had the hand of mercy which is free, Taken another, and pass'd over me ; I still must justify him, and my tongue Confess my Maker had done me no wrong, But if my name he please to let me see Enroird among those few that saved be, What admiration should such mercy move ! What thanks, and praise, and everlasting love !
Upon the Cutting down of dead Trees.
Dead harre7i trees you for the fire prepare ; In such a case alljruitless persons are.
FTER many years patience, in the use of all means to recover a fruit-tree, if the husbandman see it be quite dead, and that there can be no more expectation of any fruit from it, he brings his ax, and hews it down by the root ; and from the orchard it is carried to the fire, it being then fit for nothing else ; he reckons it imprudent to let such a useless tree abide in good ground, where another may be planted in its room, that will better pay for the ground it stands in. I myself once saw a large orchard of fair but fruitless trees all rooted up, rived broad, and ricked up for the fire.