brings its proper business. Sometimes he must be in the field, ploughing, dressing, sowing, harrow. ing, weeding: sometimes in the orchard, planting, pruning, grafting: sometimes in the barn, threshing and winnowing: sometimes in the market, buy. ing and selling each of which, in its turn, is important and necessary. And so it is with the Christian: he has duties in the closet, duties in the family, duties in the church, duties in the world, duties peculiar to every condition and relation in life. It would carry us too far from our present purpose, to consider at large all the particulars in which the Christian and the husbandman resemble each other: our text confines us to that of sowing. And here also it were easy to strike out several instances, which, if we had time, it might be entertaining and useful to consider. For example: in order to sowing, the ground must be broken up and prepared for should the husbandman scatter the most valuable grain upon the hard and unturned surface, it would be entirely lost and so is every thing that sinners do, till they are renewed in the spirit of their minds; till the Lord hath taken away the heart of stone, and given them an heart of flesh. -Again: the best seed must be chosen; because, as a man sows, so shall he also reap: if he sow tares, he cannot expect to reap wheat. So, in religion, "he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth, to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."---Further as the husbandman takes care, not only to cast good seed into his ground, but also sows as much as the ground will take: knowing that "he that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly ;" and "he that

soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully :" so the Christian must not be content with cultivating this or that particular grace, but must labour, and pray to be filled with the Spirit, and to be fruitful in every good work --Again: sowing is ineffectual without seasonable weather. There may be the most fertile soil, the most promising seed, and the most skilful management; and yet, if the heavens be as brass, the earth will be as iron. So neither will our most vigorous efforts in religion be successful or saving, without divine influences.---Add to all this, that, after the seed is sown, there must be patient waiting for the harvest.In all these particulars the Christian life resembles the work of the husbandman; and the metaphor represents the necessity of deep conviction, great diligence, humble dependance, and unwearied perseverance.---It were easy to enlarge here; but our text leads us to inquire,

II. Whence it is that many Christians sow in

tears.

It is said of the wicked, that they know no changes, neither are they in trouble like other men; and it is the lot of the righteous, that through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdom of God. Let us enquire into the reason why the Christian is dejected and sad, when the world around him is jocund and gay. To help us in this inquiry, let us consider what it is that makes the husbandman sow in tears. Among many reasons, take the following:

1. It may be owing to the badness of the soil. When the first man sinned, the ground in general was cursed with barrenness as to good seeds,

and made to bring forth thorns and thistles; so as to require a more painful application to till and dress it: but there are some spots much worse than others, and which require more than ordinary cultivation before they be in any tolerable readiness for seed. A fit emblem this of the barrenness of human nature in respect of holy and spiritual actions, and the necessity of some painful, searching work within! "The natural man receiv

eth not the things of the Spirit of God: they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned." There is so much stubbornness in the heart (naturally deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,) that a Chris tian, who is concerned to have it established with grace, cannot but be grieved to find, that, after all his endeavours to root out sin, it will spring up again, in the very spot which he had laboured so hard to cleanse. No wonder if he sow in tears, and go forth weeping, bearing his precious seed. We may suppose him lamenting thus: What can I expect from such a heart! how can grace thrive, or live, among so many corruptions! how can I hope to see love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance, faith, and all the other amiable and useful fruits of the Spirit, flourish in a mind so carnal! I must acquit the all-gracious Dresser of the vineyard; for what could he have done more for me that he has not done? I have been long planted in the house of the Lord, and watered with the richest means: goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life; and I have been fed with the finest of the wheat. Alas! my leanness! my leanness! If my rocky heart is at any

time softened and meliorated by affliction, and disposed to receive and encourage divine impressions, a gleam of sunshine makes it hard again; a smile from the world revives my thoughtless gaiety, and blasts the hopeful buddings of seriousness and devotion. Oh that God would take away this heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh! Then I

might hope to see the fruit of my labours; then I might grow in grace; and, like other Christians, bring forth fruit to the praise and glory of God!'

2. The inclemency of the season.

"He that observeth the winds shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." If the husbandman were to keep the field only in fair wea ther: if every shower drove him from his work; if he should let the proper seed time pass, because it rained, or threatened to rain; and were either to sow unseasonably, or neglect to sow at all; he must inevitably become a beggar; and a similar fate awaits the indolent, fair-weather Christian. We are not to suppose those passages antiquated: "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts xiv. 22:) "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. iii. 12.) I say, we are not to suppose that these, and many other texts of Scripture of the like import, were exclusively applicable to the Apostles' days. God loves to try his people: he takes "his fan in his hand, and thoroughly purges his floor." He puts them to the test (and sometimes it is a fiery trial,) to see of what kind are their faith, hope, love, and patience; and if genuine, to what degree they are improved. He lays the cross in their way, on purpose to see if they will cheerfully

take it up, and follow their divine Master; sor whe ther they will cowardly turn back, and walk no more with Jesus. Alast if every real or apprehended difficulty were to drive us from our work, we should lose some of the most precious opportunities for improvement; since experience will test tify, that some of our best crops have been produced from seed sown in a storm, and some of our most valuable attainments and enjoyments have been the consequence of severe and sanctified af flictions. Now, as no affliction for the present is joyous, but grievous, we are not to wonder that the Christian sows in tears. We may suppose him say. ing, How shall I weather such a storm, and pursue my work to any purpose! » Those blustering winds will tear up by the roots my newly-planted graces. I have little encouragement to sow but God's will be done; he hath set me to work, and he best knows whether sun-shine or rain, whether poverty or riches, health or sickness, would be most for my advantage.00:01 9% 10%

3. The malice and opposition of enemies.

it to

The husbandman goeth forth weeping; and how can he help it?to see birds almost on every tree ready to devour the seed as soon as ever it is out of his hand to see his inveterate enemy watching an opportunity of his absence or inattention, to sow tares among his wheat! No wonder if, thus circumstanced, he sow in tears! And, surely, in this he is a lively emblem of the humble Christian, whỏ has reason enough to cry out, Lord, how are they increased that trouble me!" How often is he bindered from duty, or discouraged in it, by the innumerable evils which encompass him about.

And