G 0 D AN H U S B A N D M A N. Book H. METAPHOR. ther for choice Grain, Plants, or other Things. VIII. A 1-:!ufbandmanfindsfom€ Ground more hard, ftony and bar– ren than others, and what the Plow cannot break up, the Spade and Mattock mu£1:; if it be very rocky, a Hammer is ·ufed to break it in Pieces. IX. AHufbandmanfindsbyEx– perience that no Ground until it be well manurecl and planted, brings fo1·th any Thing but what naturally grows of itfelf. Choice Plants mufi: be fet, and Seed muft be fawn if we will expeCt Fruit. X. When a. Hufbandman has ploughed or digged up his Field, he difcovers theNature and G.!:Jali– ty of the Ground; and finds much Filth, Worms, Weeds, anclloath– fom Traili are turned up, which before lay hid; fo that we many Times wonder, that Land fo fair in Appearance £hould prove fo naught. PAR ALL EL. Ifa. v. 6. Luke xiii. 8. Before our Hearts are dig– ged up, they lie fallow; Break up your fallow Ground. .llndfow not anmzg '!'horns, Hof. x. 12. VIII. The Lord finds all our Hearts naturally very hard, yet fame more hard and obdurate than others. And that he may effeCtually break them into Pieces he ufes divers lnfi:ruments; fame of his Minifi:ers come with the fmooth Plow of the Gof– ple-Others with the Mattock of the Law from Mount Sinai, Ifa. vii. 25. Some denounce the Threatnings in God's Word, like a Hammer to break the Rock in Pieces, ]er. xxiii. 29. IX. The Lord fl1ews us in his Word that no Perfon whatfoever can bring forth good and ac– ceptable Fruit, till by the Word and Spirit of Grace they are wrought upon, and planted or fown by him. John iii. 6. and i. 4· R om. vii. 4· X. When God hath through his Word and holy Spirit broken up theSinner's Heart by power– ful ConviCtion>, fo that the Infide of the Soul is (to its own Sight) as it were turned outward, as in the Cafe of the Woman ofSamaria who cried our, Come, fee a jVfau, which told me all 'I'hings that ever I did, John iv. 29. And as it was with the Jews Peter preached to, who cried out, What jhall we do? Aflsii. 37· Rom.vii. Then theFilthinefsof the Soul and its horrid Pollution appears, and the poor Man cries out, I did not think there had been fo much Abomination in my Heart, that I had been fuch a Rebel againft God. 0 the Pride, the Luft, the Blafphemy, Hard-heartednefs, Vanity, Folly and Unbelief I find there; who could think I had fuch a p'rodigy of Wickednefs? · XI. The Hufbandman takes XI. The Lord takes great Pains, ufes many much Pains and beftows great Coft Ways, and beftows great Co£1: to make his Pea– to makehisbarrenGroundfruitful, pie bring forth Fruit unto him; he fends his and deftroy thofe hurtful Weeds Word, his Spirit, his Minijlers, fets Confcience on 'which would choke the Seed, dework, and if all will not do, but that Weeds of prive it of Nourifhment, and fo Corruption ftill fpring, and Roots of Bitternefs fpoil its Growth-He alfo lays on remain, he fends .lljJiiflions to bumble and cleanfe much Dung tofertilize it and make them, and deftroy the Power of Sin, Ifa. v. 4· it yield the greater Crop. Gal. iv. 6. XII. Though the Hufbandman XII. Though the blelfed God fees his People do doth not find his Ground immedinot anfwer his unwearied Pains, but that Abun– ately fo good and fruitful, as to dance of Earth!inefs, Barrennefs, and Unprofit– anfwer his juft ExpeCtation confiablenefs ftill remains in them, yet he gives them dering his L abor and Coft about not over, but with much Patience waits Tear after it; yet for all that he gives not over, Tear, Job" xv. 2. Hof. xi. 9· not fparing con– nor !lacks his Hand, as if it would tinual Labor in order to their Reformation, that never be good; buton the contrary fo they may bring forth more Fruit unto him. purfueo his Endeavor, in hopes that what fails in one Year, may beef– feCtual in another. XIII. The Hufbandman grudges not at the Coft he is at, to make his Ground fruitful, but does it with a willing Mind and very chearful– ly. XIII. The Lord beftows his choice£1: Mercies upon his Heritage with the greate£1: Chearfulnefs -Iwill rejoice over tbem to do tbcm Good, m1d I will plant them in this L and PJ}uredly witb my whole Heart, &c. ']er. xxxii. 41. It is freely given, and without grudging he hath done as much as could be done to his Vineyard, 1 Cor. ii. 12. Ifa. v. 4· XIV. The
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