trious use of means to preserve it; so it is in itself an irrational and senseless conclusion, which will never follow from any scripture-promise; for although it is readily granted, that God has made many comfortable and sweet promises to the grace of his people, yet we must expect to enjoy the benefits and blessings of all these promises, in that way and order in which God has promised them; and that is in the careful and diligent use of those means which he hath prescribed. Promises do not exclude, but imply, the use of means; Acts xxvii. 31. I know my life is determined to a day, to an hour, and I shall live out every minute God has appointed; but yet I am bound to provide food, raiment, and physic, to preserve it.

Let all doubting Christians reflect seriously upon this truth, and draw marrow and fatness out of it to strengthen and establish them against all their fears. Your life, your spiritual life, has for many years hung in suspense before you; and you have often said with David, "I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul." Desponding, trembling soul, lift up thine eyes, and look upon the fields; the corn lives still, and grows up, though birds have watched to devour it. Snows have covered it, beasts have cropped it, weeds have almost choaked it; yet it is preserved. And has not God more care of that precious seed of his own Spirit in thee, than any husbandman has of his corn? Has he not said, that having begun the good work in thee, he will perfect it to the day of Christ? Has he not said, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish?" Hast thou not many times said and thought of thy soul as thou dost now? and yet it lives. O what matter of unspeakable joy and comfort is this to upright souls! Well then, be not discouraged, for thou dost not run as one uncertain, nor fight as one that beats the air; but "the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his." Though thy grace be weak, thy God is strong. Though the stream sometimes seems to fail, yet it is fed by an ever-flowing fountain.

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CHAPTER XIV.

"On the Patience of the Husbandman.

Observation. THE expectation of a good harvest at last, makes the husbandman, with untired patience, endure all his labors. "He that plows, plows in hope," And he is not so irrational as to think he shall presently be partaker of his hope, nor so foolish as to anticipate the harvest, by cutting down his corn before it be fully ripe; but is content to plow, sow, and weed it, and when it is fully ripe, then he goes forth into his fields, and reaps it down with joy.

Application. Can a little corn cause men to endure so many difficult labors, and make them wait with invincible patience till the reaping time come? Much more should the expectation of eternal glory steel and fortify my spirit against all hardships and difficulties. It least of all becomes a christian to be of an impatient spirit. "Behold the husbandman waiteth;" let me also wait.

There are three great arguments to persuade Christians to a long-suffering and patient frame under sufferings. 1. The example of Christ. To think how quietly he suffered all injuries and difficulties, is sufficient to shame the best of Christians. I have read of one Elezarius, a nobleman, who, when his wife wondered at his exceeding great patience in bearing injuries, thus answered her; "You know that my heart is sometimes ready to rise with indignation against such as wrong me but I presently begin to think of the wrongs that Christ suffered; and say thus to myself-Although thy servant should smite thee on thy face, this were nothing to what the Lord suffered. He suffered more and greater things; and I never leave off thinking on the injuries done to my Saviour, till my mind is still and quiet."

2. The desert of sin. 66 'Why doth a living man complain?" When sin lies heavy, affliction lies light.. When the duke of Condé had voluntarily entered into the inconveniences of religious poverty and retirement, he was one day seen and pitied by a lord of Italy, who, out of

tenderness, wished him to be more careful of his person, The good duke answered," Sir, be not troubled, and think not that I am ill provided for; for I send a harbinger before me, that makes ready my lodgings, and takes care that I be royally entertained." The lord asked him who this harbinger was. He answered, "The knowledge of myself, and the consideration of what I deserve for my sins; and when with this knowledge I arrive at my lodg ing, how unprovided soever I find it, methinks it is better than I deserve." w

3. And as the sense of sin sweetens present difficulties, so do the expectations and hopes of a blessed harvest and reward in heaven. This made Abraham willing to wander up and down many years as a stranger in the world; for "he looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." The hope of such a harvest is encouragement enough to work hard, and wait long. Yet some Christians are so impatient of it, that they would fain be reaping before the time; but as God has, by an unalterable law of nature, appointed both the seasons of seed-time and harvest, which are therefore called "the appointed weeks of the harvest," and these cannot be hastened; so is it in reference to our spiritual harvest; we are appointed to labor in the use of all God's appointments; and when we have done all, must patiently wait till the divine decrees be accomplished, and the time of the promise be fully come. "In due time we shall reap, if we faint not." To which patient expectation and quiet waiting for the glory to come, these following considerations may be of use

1. As the husbandman knows when the seed-time is past, it will not be long to the harvest, and the longer he waits, the nearer still it is; so the Christian knows, that "it is but yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry;" and "that now his salvation is nearer than when he first believed." What a small point of time is our waiting-time compared with eternity! Yet a few days more, and then comes the long expected and welcome harvest.

2. The husbandman can find other work to do before the reaping time comes; he needs not stand idle, though he cannot yet reap. And cannot a Christian find any work

to do for God till he come to heaven? O there is much work to do; and such work as is proper to this season! You may now reprove sin, exhort to duty, succor the distressed. This is good work, and this is your only time for such work; the whole of eternity will be taken up in other employments. "I think it meet," says Peter, "as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir up your minds, knowing shortly that I must put off this tabernacle;" I know I have but a little time to work among you; I am almost in heaven; and therefore am willing to husband this present moment as well as I can for you. O Christians, you need not stand idle. Look round about you upon the multitude of forlorn sinners. Speak now to them for God; speak now to God for them; for shortly you shall so speak no more; you shall see them no more till you see them at Christ's bar. God leaves you here for their sakes; up and be doing. If you had done all you were to do for yourselves and them, he would have you to heaven immediately; you should not wait a moment longer for your glory.

3. Husbandmen know that though they cannot yet gather in the precious fruits of the earth, yet all this while they are ripening and preparing for the harvest. And is not this also my preparation-time for glory? As God prepared heaven for his people by an act of creation, Heb. xi. 10; by the death of Christ, who made a purchase of it, Heb, x. 19; and by his ascension into it, John xiv. 2; so the reason why we are kept here, is in order to our being fitted for it. Heaven is ready, but we are not fully ready; the barn is fit to receive the corn, but, the corn is not fit to be gathered into it. "But for this self-same thing God is now working in us;" he is every day at work by ordinances, and by providences, to perfect his work in us; and as soon as that is finished, we shall hear a voice like that in Rev. xi. 12. "Come up hither," and immediately we shall be in the spirit; for how ardently soever we long for that desirable day, Christ longs for it more than we can do.

4. The husbandman is glad of the first-fruits; they encourage him, though the greatest part be yet out. And have not you received the first-fruits of glory? Have you not earnests, pledges, and first-fruits of it? "Tis your own

fault, if every day you feed not upon such blessed comforts of the Spirit. O how might the interposing time, even all the days of your patience here, be sweetened with such foretastes of the glory to come!

5. Husbandmen know it is best to reap when it is fit to reap one handful fully ripe is worth many sheaves of green corn. And you know that heaven will be sweetest to you when you are fittest for it. The child would pluck the apple whilst it is green, but he might gather it easier and taste it sweeter, by tarrying longer for it. When we have a taste of heaven, we are all in haste to be gone. Then, "O that I had wings as a dove! I would fly away and be at rest." But, as God has contrived our glory in the best of ways, so he has appointed for us the fittest of seasons; and whenever we are gathered into glory, we shall come as a shock of corn in its season.

Reflections. I have waited for thy salvation, O God! Having received thy first-fruits, my soul longs to fill its bosom with the full ripe sheaves of glory. "As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul for thee, O God. O when shall I come and appear before God?" I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. When shall I see that most lovely face? When shall I hear his soul-transporting voice? Some need patience to die: I need it as much to live. The sight of thee, O God, by faith, has made this world a burden, this body a burden. The husbandman longs for his harvest, because it is the reward of all his toil and labor; but what is his harvest to mine? What is a little corn to the enjoyment of God? What is the joy of harvest to the joy of heaven? What are the shoutings of men in the fields, to the acclamations of glorified spirits in the kingdom of God? Lord, I have gone forth, bearing more precious seed than they; when shall I return rejoicing, bringing my sheaves with me? Their harvest comes when they receive their corn; mine comes when I leave it. O much desired day! O' day of gladness of heart! How long, Lord? How long? Here I wait as the poor man at Bethesda's pool, looking when my turn will come, but every one steps into heaven before Yet Lord, I am content to wait till my time is fully come. I would be content to stay for my glorification till Div. No. XVI.

me.

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