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may, but only as a traveller does his staff, which he keeps or throws away, according as it helps or hinders him in his journey. Worldly things are transitory, and vanity is inscribed upon them; but there are riches durable as the days of heaven, and which run parallel with the life of God, or the lines of eternity; these are worth striving for; they are laid up now, and may be drawn forth a thousand years hence. When others, therefore, lay hold upon riches, do thou lay hold upon eternal life, 1 Tim. vi. 12. Lay hold upon that pearl in the gospel; though thou lettest all things else go, this will make thee rich to God. The time is short, thy race is long; stand not still, nor leave thy way to catch trifles; up and be doing; let heaven be thy object, and earth will be thy disdain.

O my God, pardon my former folly; that I have spent so much time to so little purpose, and made no more haste to my journey's end; that I have lost my way, mistaken my happiness, and laboured so long in vain. Draw up my affections, O Lord, from earth to heaven, and let me be as zealous for heaven as ever I have been for earth, and take as much pains for my soul as ever I have done for my body.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18.

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XVI. UPON THE SPRINGING UP OF THE SEED.

WHEN I had digged the garden and sowed the seed, after a time I observed the springing of it up; and I then observed how fresh and fragrant that looked which a little before seemed dead and rotten among the clods. This reminded me of the mighty power of God, which could of a small seed, seemingly dead, and buried in the earth. raise up so flourishing an herb or flower, endowed with such beauty and excellent virtue; yea, so great, so mighty a tree. I considered how little I did or could contribute to them: I only disposed them where I would have them grow; but no skill, nor art, nor labour, nor industry of mine could make them grow. It is God alone must do the work, or it will not be done; it is he that gives to every seed his own body, and puts life into that which hath no life all the skill, industry, and pains which the husbandman can use, cannot make one seed fructify, or one corn grow, if God succeed not his endeavours. Oh the madness, stupidity, and egregious folly of atheists, who deny a Deity, and yet cannot make a fly or worm, or the leaf of a tree, without pre-existent matter, nor put life into it when it is made, nor know how it is done! but the lives of many of them, are so debauched, that to still and quiet their enraged

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conscience, they would fain obliterate this principle imprinted in the soul by God himself, namely, That there is a God, although that there is no God they rather wish than believe. But to return, it is God that does this work: "The kingdom of heaven is as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear," Mark iv. 26-28. When we have

done our duties, we must rely upon God for the success, and depend upon his providence; if we cannot do it, leave it to him that can. Let us do our part of the work, and leave his part to him to do. We cannot do his, and he will not do ours: it is our part to plough, and sow, and manure, and till the ground out of which we were taken, Gen. ii. 15; but it is God who causes it to fructify and increase; he giveth us "rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness," Acts xiv. 17. Diligence is our duty, as the blessing upon it is his gift. God placed no man upon the earth, as he did leviathan in the sea, only to play therein; but we are to work, either with hand or head, and in the sweat of our brow or brain to eat our bread. But when we have done all, we must look higher for a blessing; "The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand," Deut. xxviii. 12. The heavens are God's store-houses,

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which he opens for our profit, and causes them to pour out their influences upon the earth, and thereby he scatters his riches through the world. If we will fret and care about the event of things, when we have done our endeavour, no wonder if we faint under the burden; if we take his part of the work upon us also, no wonder if we sink under it. Now, if his blessing be so necessary in temporals, much more necessary is it in spirituals, for none can make the soul fruitful but God. Do we not often see the seed which is sown by the same hand, and watered by the same word, thrive in one field, and not in another-in one heart, and not in another? Why? God causeth it to rain upon one field, and not upon another; and the field it raineth not on, withers, Amos iv. 7. Of those who live under the same ministry, sit in the same seat, and enjoy the same culture, one remains barren, the other becomes fruitful. What is the cause? What, but the north wind, and the south wind? the pleasant gales of the Spirit blow upon one garden, and not upon the other? Cant. iv. 16. When Christ was the preacher, that which worked upon Peter worked not upon Judas, not being made effectual by God.

The springing of the seed also put me in mind of the resurrection. The apostle, we find, illustrates that astonishing change by this similitude; "But some will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare

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grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, to every seed his own body," 1 Cor. xv. 35-38. The rotting of the body is but as the rotting of the seed in the ground, that it may spring forth again with more vigour. If God can say to dead seed, Live; why can he not say so to our dead bodies? Is anything too hard for the Almighty? He that made them at the first of nothing, can we imagine he cannot gather again together our scattered ashes, and make of them again a body? Shall we think that to be impossible to God that seems hard to us? If he say, It shall be done, shall we conclude it cannot be done?

O my soul, use diligence, both in thy general and particular calling; but when thou hast done thy endeavour, leave the success to God, and neither anxiously care, nor doubtingly trouble thyself about the event. Disquiet not thyself at what thou canst not help, nor take his work in hand, lest thou be unable to finish it. Leave not thy work undone; for he will not do it: diligence is thy duty, yet promise not success to thy endeavours, but depend upon him for a blessing. If he give it, bless him for it, and let it more engage thy heart in his service: if he deny it, murmur not, but wisely search out what was the cause; some sin or other is pointed at in the suffering: if thou discover it, remove the Achan, and bless God for the providence; it is better to have a reformed heart, than a full barn. As it regards spiritual things, use diligence in the duties required but rest not in the work done: if a blessing