Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

766 Chap.31. An Expof tiara upon tht Dook of jo B. Verf4o, calling, and every man is looking for a harveft, now (I fay ) if you would not reape thifiles in Bead of wheat, ar.d Cockle in (lead of barley (as the husband man in the Court; y would not ) let your a&ions be ¡off anygood, Cow to your (èlve, in righteous= neffe, and you (hail reape with rejoycing, whereas they that fow the wind (hall reape the whirlewinde. Thirdly , yob in there word; calls downe a very g eat affil lion upon himfelfe, that he fhould rowwheat and re. pe cbifiles, and havehis barley return'd in Cockle. Hence obferv-e. ,Not to receive thegood we rxprft, is a fireajfliiii,m. To find thornes where we fer them , or cockle where we have Towne it, doth not trouble us, but to fee thornes growwhere we (owed wheate, is not only a Joffe and a trouble, but a torment. It is a great burthen to the Lord when he miffeth his expedtation among men; when he looke for grapes,andwe bring forth wilde grapes, when he bath planted andwatered his vineyard, then to fee it unfruitfull, or ill fruited, this is a provocation. If the Lord had let his vineyard ly ur.dreffd (as Solsmol faith of the field of the flaggard, Pro. 24. 3o.) it would not trouble him much to fee it over grownewith thornes, and the face of it covered with nettes (thereare fome ofwhomGod looks for nothing but wilde grapes, he doth not expe& to gather grapes of thórnes,nor figgs ofchillies ) But when a people are the plantation ofthe Lord; dreft and manured by the preaching ofthe Gofpe), and the ufe of holy things, then theLord is at once both grieved and provoked, ifthey are eyther barren ofgood fruit, or bring forth bad.W hes?ee theLord foweth he looker to reape, and where he foweth much to reape much ; mutt he not therefore be much troubled when he eyther reapes title or nothing where he had rowed much, or no- thing at all of that which he expe&ed to reap:, butt the eieane contrary ? As to meete with changes for the better, or to have good come up in the place of evil!, tohave wheare for rhillles and barley for cockle,doth exceedingly rejoyce the heart of man, ( Thereare fuch changes promifed w Scripture, 1¡a. 55. x3. In fi<ead ofthe thane ii'ad come up the frretree, and in ffad of the brarThad come up the mirtle tree and it /ball be to the Lordfor a name, for an everlaftinr figne that 'hall aot be cat rff. The Lord will

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