~14· TuE MEANS OF GRACE COMPARED TO HARVEST. Book IV. IV. In Summer every Thing looks Green: The Herbs, Grafs, Plants, Treest.ind all the Fruits of the Earth, are in their Beauty, and greate!l: Glory: So in the DTy of Gofpel Grace, whilf1: God affords Means of much Light and Knowledge, when Seafons, &abbaths, Sermons, and Ordinances, in a plentiful Manner, do abound amon<>!l: us, how do the Saints flourifh, their Graces flourifh! 0 what Beauty and Greennefs i~ there upon all fincere Chri!l:ians ! V. He that is flothful and idle in Summer, as he brings Shame upon himfelf, it is a Sign of Folly, &c. fo he fuffers, wants Bread, and is expofed to great Straights in Winter. He that gathereth ilt Summer, is a wife Soil; but he that jleepeth in Harveft, is a Son that cauftth Shame, Prov. x. 5· So he that is idle and negligent in rhe Time of Gofpel.Grace, or improves not the Means God affords, for rhe Good of his Soul, as it is a Reproacl1 and Shame to him, fo heexpofeth himfelf to Ruin thereb)'. What will he do when Death and J udgmenrcomes? Then he will want, and fuffer Hunger, &c. THE MEANS OF GRACE COMPARED TO HARVEST. <J'he Harveft is great, but the Laborers are few, &c. Matt. ix. 37. NO'l'E, The Time of Gofpel Grace, wherein Work is to be done, and many Sou!. are prepared, and made willing to hear the Word of God, is compared to Harve!l:. P A R A L L E L & I. HARVEST is the Time to work and do Bufinefs in, and it behoveth Men to labor hard then: So whil!l: there is an open Door for the Gofpel, or God is pleafed to .continue the Means of Grace, Chri!l:'s Miniflers ought to labor hard. II. Harve!l: greatly tends to the relief of the Poor; they in Harve!l:-time gather in, and lay up againft a Time of Want and Scarcity: So do the Saints, whilft the Day of Grace lafls, provide and lay up for their Souls. Ill. Sometimes there is bad Weather in Harveft, which doth hinder and difcouroge the painful an,l laborious H ufbandman : So Storms arife, and very bad \~'eather, as it were, often attends Chrift's faithful Laborers, which greatly hinders them in their Mini!l:ry. IV. The Harve(\ is fometimes great, and the Laborers but few, fo that the Work lies very heavy upon fome Men : So in a fpirituol Senfc, the Harve!l: is great, i.e. many Peopfe are Ylil!ing to hear God's Word, but there are but few painful Preachers, anp by this Means the Work lies heavy upon them; and when it is thus, we arc enjoined to pra;y to the Lord of the Harve.ft, to je11tl more Laborers into his Harveft, Matt. ix. ~7· V. The Harvcft fometimes proves thin, and comes into a little Room; or it may {eem much in Bulk, and yet but a little Grain: So it is fometimes in the fpiritual Harveft, there are many Multitudes hear the 'vVord, attend upon the Means, they flock into the AITemblie:;; but alas ! but few are convened ; the Corn is little : A fmaH Room ''I ill hold them, were they fevered from the Straw and Chaff of the fruit– ~efs and unprofitable Multitude. VI. When the Harve(t is like to be catching, or the Hufbandman fees Clouds begin tQ gather, and grow black, or they hear it thunder mightily, they work very hard, and hurry in the Corn, not knowing when they may have fair Weather again: So Chril\'s Servants, when they perceive a dif:nal Day approaching upon them, labor hard, and bring in wh.at Souls they can into his Barn. VII. The Harveft fometimes is very long, and fometimes but ihort: So God lengthens or fhorten s the Day of Grace, as he pleafcs. The old World ha.d an hundred ~nd twenty Years ; others bm a. Jbort Seafon. 0 that thou had.ft known i11 this thy Bay the 'l'bings that belong to thy Peace! But now they are hid from.thine E)'eS, Luke xix. 42. Chri!l: f.·en s to be quick with them. And fo it fared with thofe, AB; xiii. 46. VIII. In Harve!b the Hufbandman will not neglect a llt Opportunity of gathering in his Hay and Corn, upon prefumption of much fair Weather to come: So a wife Chrif– tian will nor Jofc the prefcnt Sealon for his Soul, upon hopes of much Time to come, hm rather fays, Now is the Time, &c. Obftrv~
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