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gave much disgust to the sinner himself; but now, since that fallow ground hath been broken by the law, all mangled, and, as it were, torn in pieces, and the proper soil turned up, it appeareth full of confusion and deceit, loathsome and black as hell.

While attending this plough, I observe a opkind of low groaning, formed betwixt the pressed plough, and the harness of the team as it turns up the earth. In like manner, the while the law is ploughing and turning up corrupt natural soil of the sinner's heart, how doth he groan! longing to be delivered from the grieving yoke.

But though this barren heath which I now behold, be all ploughed and cross-tilled, yet if it be not sown and farther cultivated, the weeds and poisonous plants will again take faster root, and grow more numerous than before, and it will in a very short time return to its former uncultivated state. So, though the fallow ground of a sinner's heart have been broken up by the law, and the vile weeds of corruption, and bitter poisonous roots of sin

turned up and loosened, yet if it be not sown with the good seed, and farther cultivated by the Holy Ghost, those weeds and poisonous bitter roots will take faster hold of the accursed soil, and spring up more vile and numerous than ever, and very soon will it become as barren and hard as before, if not a great deal harder.

As the farmer may plough some of his ground, and yet, for reasons known to himself, leave it unsown; so the great Husbandman may, and we cannot doubt but often doth, cause a law-work to take place in many hearts, which for wise reasons he never soweth with the good seed. How careful then ought I to be in examining myself, whether this law-work have taken place in my heart! and

if

my fallow ground have thus been ploughed and broken up! if the Husbandman have ended his work with me there, or have cultivated my heart as a field for his own use, by sowing in it the good seed.

The husbandman fallows some of his ground; lets it rest a while; then fallows it

So

over again, and lets it remain a while longer undisturbed, then ploughs it over and over again, till it become fit for being sown. the great Husbandman falloweth the heart of some sinners with the law, then abateth the work for some time, then reneweth it again, and so again and again till it become fit for being sown with the good seed.

The husbandman, too, ploughs some of his ground early in the spring, other some of it when it is pretty far advanced, and some of it nigh the latter end of the year. So the great Husbandman breaketh up the fallow ground of some in youth, of others in more advanced years, and of other some at the eleventh hour, when the season of life is well nigh ended, according as he in his infinite wisdom seeth best," and none can stay his "hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" Dan. iv. 35.

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"While through the neighb'ring fields the sower stalks “With measur'd steps, and lib'ral throws the grain.'

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THOMPSON.

THUS Sung our Scottish bard, and this I verified behold: While o'er yon furrowed land the husbandman, with careful steps and slow, in handfuls from his sheet, by damsel fair supplied from yonder sack, sows wide in hope the wholesome grain, and distributes to every ridge its just proportion.

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The crows fly round, and view with eager eyes the tempting corn white covering all the field, descend by stealth, and peck, till once the harrows come and disappoint them all.

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