Book IT. b 6 D AN H u s BA N D M A N. METAPHOR: PARALLEL' XIV: The Lord God knows that though the Church (his fpiritual Vineyard) be fowed with good Seed and planted with choice P lants; yet they cannot grow nor profper unlefs watered from Heaven with Divine Showers and refrefhing Dew. And therefore God opens the Sluices or W indows of Heaven, and makes the Fruits of the Eartli flourifh and wonderfully' increafe; the Rain, &c. watereth the Earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Eater, &c. lfa. v. 7· XIV. A Hufbandman fees wheri his Field is plowed and !owed, that it muft be watered with the Dew of Heaven, or it will not thrive. The Earth cannot bring forth, un– lefs the Heavens diftill their preci– ous Drops, and refrefhing Showers upon it-therefore he prays for Rain, and if it rains not, he opens his Sluices to Water his Meadows and other low Ground to make it fruitful. XV. The Hufbandman finds XV. The Lord declares in his Word that the that low Grounds, Valleys and lowly and humble Soul is the moll: Fruitful. Chrift Meadows by Rivers Sides aremoft fays he went down to fee the FruitsoftheValley, fruitful; whereas Mountains, Ca;zt. ix. t t. his chief Expectation is from them Heaths and hilly Grounds, how that lie low in their own fight. Trees planted by lofty foever they feem, are comthe Water-courfes thrive bell: and bring moll: manly barren and unfruitful: And Fruit. The Rain glides off from Hills and Moun– though they may for a Time bring tains, and the Valleys receive it.l'he lofty, proud, forth, yet by the fcorching Heat of [elf-conceited Perfon is barren and fruitlefs, the the Sun, and for WantofMoifture Savor of God's Grace abides not on their Hearts, by which it fhould take deep Root, 'fo this Man will I look that is poor and of a ccntrite it is fo parched and burnt that it Spirit; he that fees his own Emptinefs, and has so rarely (if at all)comes to Maturity. Confidence in the Flefh, but whofe Truft and Dependency is upon Chrift, is the thriving and fruit– ful Perfon, that (like the Tree by the Waterfide fpreading his Roor. by the R iver) jhall not fee when Heat comelh; but his L eaf fha/1 be green, and he jhalf not be careful in /he rear of Drought. ]er. xvii. 8. XVI. A Hufbandman takes much Pains to weed his Gardens and prune his Trees, and if he finds the Weeds come up thick, efpecial– ly fuch as are of a hurtful and mif– chievous Kind, he ufes all vVavs and proper Means to deftroy the~1, left they fhould fpoil the Fruit of his Garden, Field, or Vineyard,&c. Yet notwithftanding fome Relics of the old Roots are left, which are apt to fpring up afre!h, unlefs csn– tinually cropt offand kept !hart. XVI. The heavenly Hufbandman beftows much Pains that he may deftroy the Weeds of indwelling Sin and CorruptiOn in his People. He ufes various Means, as his Word and holy Spirit, Trials, Affi1ctions, &c. in order to that End; by thefe he digs up. thofe Weeds by the Roots, as Worldly-mindednef.,, Unbelief, and fen– fual Lufts, which elfe would choke the good Seed. Though fame Remains of them are left behind, (to keep us humble and watchful) fuch ill Weeds grow apace and are ready to fpring up when the ieaft Liberty is given. Heb. xii. 1 5· By thefe alfo this bleffed Hufbandman prunes and pares off Suckers or fuperfluous Branche~, which feed upon that Sap which fbould nourifh his tender Plants, fuch are, carnal Divifions, Strife and unneceffary Contention among Saints, bufying themfelves about idle and unprofitable Notions, or Matters of !lender Confequence, neglecting in the mean Time thofe feri– ous and practical Parts of Chriftianity which are of abfolute and undoubted Neceffity: Thefe are the fpiritual Suckers of our Time, and are the Caufe that fo many lean and barren Souls are found in this fpiritual Vineyard. XVI!. A Hufbandman, in ConXVI!. T~e heavenly Hufbandman waits for fideration of all his Labor and the Fruit of his Fields alfo. He looked, that it, Charge, expects Fruit anfwerably (viz. his ancient Vineyard) fhould bring forth from his Hufbandry. Jamesv. 7· Grapes, lfa. V. 2. Weni three rears, feeking Fruit on the Fig-tree, &c. And when the 'fime of Fruit 4re·w near, be fent his Servants to the Hujhandmen that they might receive tht Fruits of it, &c. Luke xiii. 7. Matt. xxi. 34· Where God fows plentifully he expects a fuit– able Crop, wbere much is given, much is required, where we have many Means of In– creafe of Grace, the Lord will expect the Fruits of Holinefs from his People. XVIII. A Hufbandman often XVIII. The Lord loves to vifit his Vineyard goes to fee the SuccefsofhisLabor often, and delights to behold the flourifhing 3 Q. Grace~
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