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seminally contained in those actions, but now I see such fruit can spring from no other root but special grace. Glory is disclosed from no other bud but holiness. Alas! all my planting and sowing was to little purpose, because I sowed not the right kind of seed; the best fruit I can expect from this is but a smaller degree of damnation.

Deluded soul! thy seed is no better than what the moral heathens sowed: And do I expect better fruit than what they reaped? Civility without Christ is but a freer slavery; and Satan holds me as fast in captivity by this as he doth the profane by the pleasure of their lusts: Either I must sow better seed, or look to reap bitter fruit. 3. Meanwhile, bless the Lord, O my soul! who enabled thee to sow better seed-who kept

thee watching, humbling thyself and pray- The holy soul's ing, whilst others have been swearing, reflection.

drinking and blaspheming : This will yield

thee fruit of joy in the world to come; yea, it already yields present peace to thy conscience: These revenues are better than gold, sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb; not that such fruits are meritoriously contained in these actions; I sow to myself in righteousness, but I reap in mercy. Hos. x. 12. This is the way which God will save and glorify me. O then, let me be ever abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labor shall not be in vain in the Lord.

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THE POEM.

"TWOULD be a strange and monstrous thing to see Cherries or plumbs grow on an apple-tree.

Who ever gather'd from the thistle figs?
Or fruitful grapes from off the worthless twigs
Of pricking thorns? In nature still we find
All its productions answering to their kind.
As are the plants we set, or seeds we sow,
Such is the fruit we shake, 'and corn we mow :
And canst thou think, that from corruption's root
Thy soul shall pluck the sweet and pleasant fruit
Of spiritual peace! Whoever, that was wise,
Abus'd himself with such absurdities?

Look what you sow, the very same you'll reap,
The fruit of what you plant, be sure you'll eat.
How are they baffled by a subtle devil,

Who hope for heaven whilst their ways are evil?
Such reasonings here their credulous souls beguile,
At which, in other things, themselves would smile.
Our present acts, though slightly passed by,
Are so much seed sown for eternity.

The seeds of prayers, secret groans and tears,
Will shoot at last into the full-blown ears
Of peace and joy. Blessed are they that sow
Beside these waters; yea, thrice bless'd, that go
Bearing such precious seed: Though now they mourn,
With joyful sheaves they shortly shall return.
Needs must the full-ripe fruits in heaven be good,

When as the seed was glory in the bud.
But Oh! the bitter, baneful fruits of sin,

When all the pleasure sinners have therein,
Like faded blossoms, to the ground shall fall,
Then they will taste the wormwood and the gall!
What God and conscience now of sin report,

You slight, and with their dreadful threat'nings sport :
But he'll convince you then your ways were naught,
As Gideon the men of Succoth taught.

CHAPTER XVIII.

UPON THE JOY OF HARVEST-MEN.

Great is the joy of harvest-men; yet less
Than their's whom God doth with his favor bless.

OBSERVATION.

AMONG all earthly joys, these four sorts are noted in scripture as the most excellent and remarkable. (1.) Nuptial joys: The day of espousals is the day of the gladness of a man's heart. Cant. iii. 11. (2.) The joy of children: Though now it seems but a common mercy to most, and a burthen to some, yet the people of God were wont to esteem it a choice mercy, and rejoiced greatly in it. There is " joy that a man is born into the world." (3.) The joy of conquest and victories, when men divide the spoil: And lastly, The joy of harvest. These two we find put together as principal matters of joy. "They joy before thee, according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil." The joy of harvest is no small joy-Gaudium messis est messis gaudii; The joy of the harvest is the harvest of their joy. It is usual with men, when they have reaped down their harvest, or cut the neck, as they call it, to demonstrate their joy by shouting and loud acclamations.

APPLICATION.

Thus, and unspeakably more than thus, do saints rejoice and shout for joy, when they reap the favor and love of God, for which they labored in many a weary duty. This joy of harvest, as great as it is, and as much as carnal hearts are lifted up with it, is but a trifle, a thing of nought, compared with yours; after they have

sown to themselves in righteousness, and waited for the effects and returns of their duties with patience, and at last come to reap in mercy either the full harvest in heaven, or but the first fruits of it on earth, yet rejoice "with joy unspeakable and full of glory." "This puts more gladness into their hearts, than when corn and wine increase." Carnal joys are but as soul-fevers, the agues of the inward man. There is a great difference betwixt the unnatural inflammations of a feverish body, which waste the spirits, and drink up the radical moisture, and the kindly well tempered heat of an healthy body; and as much between the sweet, serene and heavenly joy which flows from the bosom of Christ in the hearts of believers, and those earthly delights which carnal hearts, in a sensual way, suck out of creature-enjoyments. I will shew you the transcendency of spiritual joys, above the joys of harvest in these eight particulars following:

1. You that joy with the joy of the harvest are glad, because now you have food for yourselves and families to live upon all the year; but the Christian rejoiceth, because he hath bread to eat that the world knows not of. Christ is the food of his soul, and his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed, (i. e.) the most real and excellent food. You read, Psalm lxxviii. 25. that men did eat angels' food, (i. e.) manna ; which was such excellent bread, that if angels did live upon material food, this would be chosen for them; and yet this is but a type and dark shadow of Jesus Christ, the food of believers.

2. You rejoice when your harvest is in, because corn is virtually many other things besides food; you can turn it into clothes to keep you warm, and many other necessaries may be purchased by it; but yet it is not like Christ, the object of a saint's joy: Though it answers

many things, it doth not anwer all things, as Christ doth. Turn it into what you will, it hath but a limited and respective usefulness; but Jesus Christ is all in all to believers, and out of him their faith can fetch all supplies; He is their health in sickness, their strength in weakness, their ease in pain, their honor in reproach, their wealth in poverty, their friend in friendlessness, their habitation when harborlesss, their enlargement in bonds, the strength of their hearts, and life of their life. O! he is a full Christ! and whatever excellencies are scattered among all the creatures, do meet all in him, and much

more.

3. You rejoice when you have gotten in your harvest, because now you can free those engagements, and pay those debts which you have contracted. It is a comfort to be out of debt; and you may lawfully rejoice that God gives you wherewith to quit your engagements, that you may owe no man any thing but love. But still the joy of harvest falls short of the joy of the saints; for you rejoice that you are, or have wherewith to help yourselves out of men's debts; but they rejoice that they are out of God's debt; that his book is cancelled, and their sins pardoned; that by reason of the imputed righteousness of Christ, the law can demand nothing from them. Rom. viii. 1. O what matter of joy is this!

4. You rejoice, because now your corn is out of danger; all the while it was abroad, it was in hazard; but now it is housed, you fear not the rain; but Christians rejoice, not because their corn is safe, but because their souls are so. All the while they abode in an unregenerate state, they were every moment in danger of the storms of wrath; but now, being in Christ, that danger is over; and what comparison is there betwixt the safety of a little corn, and the security of an immortal soul?

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