190 Pauls Con erfion. in the firfc ground, did not continue, was becaufe the plow had not gone deepe enough, that is, they were not humbled. The fecond ground went yet further; it not onely received the feed , but it (prung up with much hope of a fruitful! harvef}; yet it continues not,it will not fuffer for Chrift : fo many men will receive the Gofpel, and joy in the profeílion of it, but they will not fuffer for Chrft : becaufe they are not humble,that is, the plough went not deepe enough to humble them. The third ground went yet further , it did not onely what the other did, but it did that which the other would not doe, that is, it would be con- tented to fuffer for Chrift, but yet it would not doe all things; hee would retaine fome pleafiure, and Come profit : when any earthly thing, which his affections were glewed to, flood in competiti- on with Chrift, he had rather loofe Chrift , then lice would loofe all his pleafure in there earthly things, becaufe he is not thorowly humbled : hu- miliation comes and takes all impediments away, plowes up the hardneffe of the heart, fees the affe- di. ans on another object to delight in , checks the will, opens the minde, awakeneth the confcience, that Chrift is all to him in all things : and there - fore it is compared unto the good ground , that received the Word with an hone(} and good heart, the heart will not be fit to receive that good , that will make it good till it bee plowed deepe and humbled , then the Word will grow , the heart mud
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