Book II. G 0 D AN H U S B A N D M A N. M E T A P H 0 R . P A R A L L E L. Things in theChurch of God (as this and other Nations have felt and frill feel) infect– ino- Thoufands with therr damnable Devices, fuperfiitwus Practices and Inventions. XXIV. When the Hufbandman XXIV. When God finds a Church or People finds his Fields or Vineyards quite without the Life and Power of Grace and RelJgi– barren, and that no Man.uring will on, cold and lukewarm, having only the Carcafe help, but Thorns, Briars and of external Profeffion, and that no Callsnor Endea– Weeds abound, he plucks up the vors wdl reclaim them, he Withdraws hrs Prefence, Hedo-es and lets it lie fallow and removes his Candlefrick, takes away the Hedge com;10n to all. and lays itwafre-Rev. iii. z6. and ii. 5· Gotomy . Place in Shilo where I Jet my Name at }irjl, and fee what I did to it for Ifrael's Wickednefs. Jer. vii. 12. So Sardis, l!.phefus, Smirna, Phila– delphia, &c. and the refi of thofe once famous .d}iatic Churches, are become a barren and wafie Wildernefs. XXV. A Hufbandman fans or winnows his Corn to feparate the Chaff from the Wheat. XXV. TheLord by his Word andSpirit(which is as a Fan in his H and, Matt. iii. 12. Jer. xv. 7·) feparates the ChafF and refufe Part of his Children, that nothing but the pure Grain and Seed of Grace may remain in them, and oftentimes by Affliction winnows his Church, feparating the true Chrifiian from the Drofs and Chaff of Hypocrify-Iwill)ift the Houfe oflirael– as Corn is)ifted in a Sieve, &c• .dmos ix. 9, zo. MET AP H 0 R. I. SOME Hufbandmen hire their Ground, and pay Rent for what they have. H. A Hufbandman may be dif– polfeifed of his Farmand turned out of all his Efiate, by an Enemy, or the Injufrice of a Party fironger than himfel£ · HI. The Hufbandman thrives or grows poor, according as his Hufbandry gives good or bad Re– turns. D IS PAR IT Y. I. B UT God is the Proprietor and proper Owner of all theNations and People of the Earth, Whatfoevcr is under the whole Heavens (faith the Almighty) is mi11e. Job xli. z r. 1!. God cannot be difpoOelfed, or turned out of his Inheritance ; for no Strength or Power is able to Hand before him : None can opprefs him, or take his Right from him, againfr his Will-He can de– .ftroy at once all that rife up again.ft him. Ill. God, though he lays out very much to cul– tivate a Nation, Church, or People, is never the poorer, his Treafure is inexhaufiible, and can re– ceive no Addition nor Diminution. Can a Man be profitable to God? Job xxii. 2. .iJ01 Goodneft (fays David) extends not to thee. Pfal. xvi. 2. All that he cloth, is for his Creature's Profit. IV. God in a proper Senfe cannot be weary, therefore in Scripture when we read of his being weary, it is fpoken (by the Figure "'9f~"'"''9""') after the Manner of Men, by Way of Condefcen!ion to our Capacities, after much Patience and Forbearance; and finding no Fruit, he is faid to be weary, not properly but as before-The e·verla.fting God, the Lord, the Creator of the Ends of the Earth faintetb IV. Hufbandmen often ·faint, and grow weary of working. not, neither is weary. Ifa. xi. 28. V. Hufbandmen know not the Succefs and Event of their Labor, nor the Nature of fome Ground till they try it. VI. Hufbandmen cannot rain to water their Fields, it is God that gives the Jncreafe for which their Dependance mufr be upon him. VII. The Hufbandman cannot make bad Trees brino- forth good Fruit, nor barren Tr~es bear, nor fame Sort of Ground good, let him do what he can. V. But God knows all Things, the Hearts and Spirits of all Men. He knows what Nation or People will prove fruitful or otherwife, before his Word and Spirit are employed to cultivate and try them. VI. God can caufe it to rain when he pleafes externally upon the Earth; and fpiritually upon his People: He can caLlfe his precious Dew to difiillupon the tender Herb, and Showers of Rain to fall upon the Grafs. VII. God can make the vilefr and worfi of Sinners to bring forth good Fruit, when his Grace converts them, and the barreneft Souls to be fruit– ful Souls. VIII. None
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