Book II. G 0 D AN B u s B A N D M A N. MET A PH 0 R. alfo fome barren Heaths,Commonsl and Wilderncffcs. II. A rich Hufbandmanhas many Beafl:s, fome of which are of a hurtful and mi!Chievous Nature, which he fetters or ties up, reftrain– ing them by fame Invention or other from doinglnjurytohis other Cattle, and breaking into his Gar– dens or Orchards to fpoil his preci– ous Flowers and tender Plants. PAR ALL EL: yards, &c. where the Gofpel is profeffed-And many barren Heaths, Mountains and Wildernef– fes, the Pagan, Heothen, and unconverted Pares of the World, which yield little or no Profit. I!. God lays claim to all the Beafls of the Field, the wild and devouring Beafls of the Forefl. Every Beafl of the Forefl is mine (faith the Lord,) and the Cattlettpon a thoufand Hills-Pfal. I. 1 L and xiii. 1. '!'he Pawls of the Mountains and the wild Beafls of theFzeld arnnine, Ezek. xxxviii. 4· No Man be he never fo brutifh, vile, and mifchievous, but by Right of Creation is the L ord's, though ftrangely degenerate from what he was and fhould be; fi.1ch he fetters, chains and ties up, that they cannot de– ftroy the Poor. The Oppreffors, Perfecutors and Spoilers of the Earth, would foon break in and fpoil God's Vineyard, but that the Lordputs Hooks into their Jaws, and puts Bounds to them which they cannot pafs. Pfal. lxxxix. 1 L Ill. A Hufbandman puts fome Ill. God fuffers the Wicked to feed in fat PafofhisCattleintofatPaftures to feed lures, to wallow ill Plenty, eating the Fat and drink– and fatten them againft the Day of ing the Sweet of the Earth, but it is for tbe Day of Slaughter. Slaughter-Jer. xlvi. 21. James v. 5· and Pfal. IV. AHufbandmanexpeCl:s not thatReturn and lncreaie ofprecious and profitable Fruit from the dry Heath and barren Wildernefs, as from the rich Valleys, Gardens, Fields, Vineyards, &c. which he hath beftowed muchCoft andLabor upon in Manuring, Sowing, Plant– ing, Watering, Drelling, &c. V. A Hufbandman divides and feparates his Land, Deut. xxvii. '7· Pro·v. xxii. 28. (efpecially that which he deligns for Tillage and principal Ufe) from other Men's. Every one knows his own Land, and to this End they have Land– marks and the like, by which Pro– perty is preferved. VI. A Hufhandman cloth not only divide and feparate the Land that he deligns for fpecial U fe, whe– ther Orcliard, Field, or Vineyard, from all other; but alfo makes a Fence* orWall about it, efpecially if it be taken out of awafteWilder– nefs or abarren andcommon Heath or Field, otherwife the Fruit might foon be eaten up or trode down by the Beafl:s of the Field. Vll. When a Hufbandman hath fenced or walled in his Ground, he digs or plows it up, in order to the Manuringofit, and making it o-ood Soil, fit for the Ufe intended, ~hexvii. 14. fuch as have all their good 'J'hings here. Luke xvi. 25. IV. The Lord does not expeCl:, that Heathens, and Infidels (who are like dry and barren Ground) fhould bring forth or yield him fa much lncreafe and Fruit of Grace and Holinefs as thofe People and Nations to whom he bath afforded his blelfed Gofpel; and thofe Churches that he bath planted and beftowed much Coft and Pains upon, Where much is given a fuitable Improvement is r~quired, and where but little the Improvement of a liule, Luke xii. 14. Chron. xvi. 10. Mark xii. 42. Rev. iii. 8. V. God feparates his People from all the Peo– ple of the World, to be apeculiar Inheritance unto himfelf, Deut. vii. 7. 2 Cor. vi. I 7. Re·v, xviii. 4• Pfal. iv. 3· 2 'J'im. ii. '9· Deut. xxxiii. 16. Hof. vii. 8. !fa. xxvii. 2, 3· There they have Bounds fet them, viz. holy Laws and lnfl:itutions, within which they ought always to keep, that they mix not themfelves with the World; to pafs which Bounds is a high and provoking E vi!. VI. God takes efpecial care of his Church, and of every Branch and Member thereof. And for their Prefervation hath made a Hedge, a Fence, yea a glorious Wall round about them. This the Devil knows, and nothing troubles him more, haft thou not made a Hedge about him, and about all that he bath? See more in the Metaphors of a Garden and Vineyard, !fa. v. 2. and iv. 5· Zech. ii. 5• Pfal. xviii. 2.]ob i. 10. Pfal. cxxv. 2. and xxxiv. 7· VII. The Lord cloth by his 'Word plow up the fallow Ground of our H earts. When he threaten– ed fpiritual Judgments upon lfrael (his ancient Vineyard) he fays by the Prophet, itjhall 11ot bt diggtd, but there jhall come up Briars and '!'horns. '!' Nda minor ejl <tlt'tlut 'iuam tpuertrt, par/a lntri. !fa.
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