Bookiii. PROFESSING THE GOSPEL coMPARED TO THE PLOUGH. 573 M E T A P H 0 R. P A R A L L E L. I. A Plou;,h is an Inftrument I. THE Gofpel is an fnftrument, prepared and mad~ fit for the Hufbandmade fit by the Almighty, to break or lnan, to break up and ·till his plow up the fallow Ground of our Hearts; Jer. 'Ground. xliii. Hof x. 12. . Il. The Plough cannot break II. The Gofpel muft be believed and profeffed .up .the Ground of itfelf; it muft by us; we muft lay our Hand to it, and by the be 'held and drawn, or nothing Power of the Spirit it muft, as it were, be drawn ·can be done by it. upon our Hearrs, or it can do nothi'ng. Ill. It is a hard a-nd difficult Ill. So it is a very difficult Thing to convince Thing to plow up fome Ground, and humble the hard and obdurate Heart of a efpecially that which is rocky, full Sinner, which is compared to a Stone, and as ·of Roots, or hath long lain fallow. firm as a Rock: Shall Horfes run upon the Rocks? IV. The Plough pierces deep into the Earth, makes, as ir were, deep Gafl1es or Wounds in the Heart of it, difcovcring what fort of Earth it is. V. The Work of the Plough is but Opus ordinabile, a preparative Work in order to fowing the Seed. VI. It is befl: Plowi"g, when the Earth is prepared and mollified by the lhowers of H eaven, then the Work goes on fweetly. VII. The Plough turns up by the Roots, .and kills thofe rank Weeds that grow in the Field. VIII. That Field is not well plowed up, where the Plough jumps and fl<ips over fome part of it, making Baulks; it mu(l turn up all the whole Field alike. Will one plow there with Oxen, Erak. xxxvi. z6. :Amos vi. I 2. . . . IV. The Gofpel pierces the Heart of a Sinner by powerful Convictions : When they heard this, they were prit:ked, xa:T£11V'}'11Uav, puntlim ctedo, pun~ gendo penetro, or pierced point black, to the Heart, Acts ii. 37· Then the Word divided, as it were, between the Soul and Spirit, laid the Heart open, made a Difcovery of what was hid within. V. So the Gofpel and Word of God, as a Plough, by its powerful Co'nvictions upon the Confcience, is but a preparative Work, in order to the fowing the Seed of Grace in the Heart, Hof x. 12, 13· VI. Never doth the Word of God fo kindly work in plowing up the fallow Ground of the Heart, as when the Gofpel-Clouds diffolve, and the true Grace and Love of Jefus Chrift comes fweetly fhowering down upon it. VII. So the Word of God, by its powerful ~onvictions and Operations upon the Heart; kills Sin at the Root, caufing the Soul to lothe what it formerly lovd. Vlll. That Heart is .not favingly wrought upon, where one Lull: is fpared, and ]eft un– touched, or when it rcacheth not to the changing the evil Q!;1alities of every Faculty. The Word muft not reach the Confcience only, but the J udg– ment, ·Will, and Affections alfo. i'X:. N ew Ground is much moce IX. So Youth, before evil HabitS, or a Cuftom eafily plowed, than that which and Courfe of Sin, be taken, and more abundantly bath lain a long Time untilled. cleave to them, are, as it is found by Experience, fooner wrought upon by the 'Nord of God, than old Sinners, when Sin hath got Root in their HeartS. X. ln the !aft Place, and more X. So the Gofpel, and the Profeffion thereof, directly tO the main Drift and mufl: be held, owned, acknowledged, and pro– Scope of the Text, the Plough feffed, in Truth, and in Uprightnefs of Hearr, mull: be held throughout the whole ~onftantly, to the End, even through the whole Journey; a Man muft not put his Journey, Length, and Race of our Lives; we Hand ro 1t, and prefently grow mufl: not grow weary, nor faint in our Minds, Wl'ary, and look back. Gal. vi. 9· He that Jets his Hand to the Plough, i. e. profeffes the Gofpel, and looks back, is not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven, Luke ix. 6z. I N F E ~ ~ N C E ~ 1. THIS may convince all Perfons, what need there is of the Spirit to join in, and work with the Word : For our Gofpcl came not to you in the Word only, but aljo iu Power, and in the Holy Ghoft, and in m1ich Aj]i<rance, 1 'l'beff. i. 5· 7 G I!. Se·;:
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