Obrazy na stronie
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be hired? Will riches do nothing? No, neither riches nor policy can then avail.

4. The fide to which the tree leaned moft while it food, that way it will fall when it is cut down; and as it falls, fo it lies, whether to the fouth or north, Eccl. xi. 3. So it fares with thefe myftical trees, I mean fruitless profeffors: Had their hearts and affections inclined and bended heaven-ward whilft they lived, that way, no doubt, they had fallen at their death; but as their hearts inclined to fin, and even bended to the world, fo when God gives the fatal ftroke, they must fall hellward and wrath-ward: And, how dreadful will fuch a fall be!

5. When the dead tree is carried out of the orchard, it fhall never be among the living trees of the orchard any more; many years it grew among them, but now it shall never have a place there again. And when the barren profeffor is carried out of the world by death, he fhall never be affociated with the faints any more: He may then fay, farewel all ye faints, among whom I lived, and with whom I fo often heard, fafted, and prayed: I fhall never fee your face more; Matth. viii. 11, 12. "I fay unto you, that many fhall come from the east, and "weft, and north, and south, and fhall fit down with Abra "ham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the "children of the kingdom fhall be caft forth into utter darkness, "there fhall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth."

6. When the dead tree is carried out of the orchard, the hufbandman cuts off its branches, and rives it afunder with his wedges. This alfo is the lot of barren profeffors: "The "Lord of that fervant will come in a day when he looketh not "for him, and will cut him afunder;" he fhall be diffected, or cut abroad, Luke xii. 46.

Now therefore" confider this, ye that forget God, left I tear "(or rend) you in pieces," Pfalm 1. 22. O direful day! when the fame hand that planted, pruned, and watered thee fo long, and fo tenderly, fhall now ftrike mortal strokes at thee, and that without pity!" For, he that made them, will not have mer་ cy on them; and he that formed them, will fhew them no "favour," Ifa. xxvii. 1. For the day of mercy is over; and the day of his wrath is fully come.

7. When this tree is cleaved abroad, then its rotten hollow infide appears, which was the cause of its barrennefs; it looked like a fair and found-bodied tree, but now all may fee how rotten it is at the heart; fo will God in that day, when he shall diffect the barren profeffor, difcover the rottennefs of his heart,

and unfoundness of his principles and ends: Then they who never fufpected him before, fhall fee what a hollow and rotten hearted profeffor he was.

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8. Laftly; The fruitless tree is caft into the fire. This allo is the end and fad iffue of formality, John xv. 6. "He is caft forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, "and caft them into the fire; and they are burned." This is an undoubted truth, that there is no plant in God's vineyard, but he will have glory from it, by bearing fruit; or glory on it, by burning in the fire. In this fire fhall they lie "gnathing "their teeth," Luke xiii. 38. and that both in indignation against the faints, whom they fhall fee in glory; and against Jefus Chrift, who would not fave them; and against themselves, for lofing fo foolishly the opportunities of falvation. Do you behold, when you fit by the fire, the froth that boils out of thofe flaming logs? O think of that foam and rage of thofe undone creatures, foaming and gnashing their teeth in that fire which is not quenched! Mark ix. 14.

REFLECTION.

A reflection for a How often have I paffed by fuch barren formal bypocrite. trees, with a more barren heart, as little thinking fuch a tree to be the emblem of myfelf, as Nebuchadnezzar did, when he faw that tree in a dream, which represented himfelf, and fhadowed forth to him his enfuing mifery, Dan. iv. 13. But, O my confcience! my droufy, fleepy confcience! wert thou but tender, and faithful to me, thou wouldst make as round and terrible an application of fuch a fpectacle to me, as the faithful prophet did to him, ver. 22. And thus wouldst thou; O my foul, bemoan thy con

dition.

Poor wretch! here I grow, for a little time, among the trees of righteousness, the plants of renown, but I am none of them I was never planted a right feed; fome green and flourishing leaves of profeffion, indeed, I have, which deceive others, but God cannot be deceived; he fees I am fruitless and rotten at the heart. Poor foul! what will thine end be but burning? Behold, the ax lieth by thy root; and wonder it is, that there it should lie fo long, and I yet ftanding! Still mercy pleads for a fruitless creature: Lord, fpare it one year longer. Alas! he need ftrike no geat blow to ruin me; his very breath blows to deftruction, Job iv. 9. A frown of his face can blast and ruin me, Pfalm lxxx. 6. He is daily follicited by his justice to hew me down, and yet I ftand. Lord, cure my barrennefs! I know thou hadst rather fee the fruit than fire upon me.

The POE M.

F, after pains and patience, you can fee
No hopes

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No hopes of fruit, down goes the barrren tree
You will not fuffer trees that are unfound,

And barren too, to cumber useful ground.
The fatal ax is laid unto the root:
'Tis fit for fire, when unfit for fruit.
But, though this be a dead and barren tree,
Reader, I would not have it fo to thee:
May it to thee this ferious thought fuggeft,
In all the orchard this dead tree's the best;
Think on it fadly, lay it close to heart,
This is the cafe in which thou waft, or art
If fo thou waft, but now doft live and grow,
And bring forth fruit, what praife and thanks doft owe
To that wife husbandman that made thee fo?
O think, when juftice lifted up its hand,
How mercy did then interceeding stand!
How pity did on thy behalf appear,
To beg reprieval for another year.

Stop, Lord! forbear him; all hope is not paft;
He can but be for fire at the last.

Though many fermons, many a gracious call
He hath refifted like a brazen wall,

The next may win him; when thy grace fhall raife
Unto itself a monument of praise.

How fhould this meditation thaw and melt
The heart of him that hath fuch mercy felt?
But, if thou ftill remain a barren tree,
Then here, as in a mirror, thou may'st see
Thy wretched ftate, when juftice, at a blow,
Requites God's patience in thine overthrow.
And canst thou bear it? Can thy heart endure
To think of everlafting burnings? Sure,
This must thy lot, thy fearful portion be,
If thou continue ftill a barren tree.

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OW, from the pleasant orchard let us walk
A turn i' th' fields, and there converfe and talk

Now

With cows and horfes; they can teach us fome
Choice leffons, though irrational and dumb.
My reader's weary; yet I do not fear
To be forfaken by one reader here:

He'll doubtlefs ftay to hear what questions I
Propound to beafts, and how they make reply.
The fatted ox, and pamper'd horfe you ride;
Their careless mafter for his care thus chide.

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Upon the Husbandman's Care for his Cattle.
More care for horfe and oxen many take,
Than for their fouls, or dearest childrens fake.

MAN

OBSERVATIO N.

ANY hufbandmen are exceffively careful about their cattle, rifing themselves early, or causing their fervants to rife betimes, to provender and dress them. Much time is spent in fome countries, in trimming and adorning their horfes with curious trappings and plumes of feathers; and if at any time their beafts be fick, what care is taken to recover and heal them you will be sure they shall want nothing that is neceffary for them; yea, many will chufe rather to want thenfelves, than fuffer their horses so to do; and take a great deal of comfort to fee them thrive and profper under their hands. APPLICATIO N.

W

HAT one faid of bloody Herod, who flew fo many children at Bethlehem, That it were better to be his fwine than his fon, may truly enough be applied to fome parents and mafters, who take lefs care for the faving the fouls of

their children and fervants, than they do for the bodies of those beafts which daily feed at their talls and cribs. Many there be who do in reference to their fouls, as Jacob did with refpect to the prefervation of their bodies, when he put all the herds of cattle before, and his wives and little ones behind, as he went to meet his brother Efau. It is a weighty faying of a grave author; It is vile ingratitude to rejoice when cattle multiply, and repine when children increase; it is heathen⚫ifh distrustfulness, to fear that he who provides for your beasts, • will not provide for your children; and it is no less than unnatural cruelty, to be careful of the bodies of beafts, and ⚫ careless of the fouls of children.' Let us but a little compare your care and diligence in both respects, and see, in a few particulars, whether you do indeed value your own, or your chil dren and fervants fouls, as you do the life and health of a beaft.

1. Your care for your very horses is expreffed early, whilst they are but colts, and not come to do you any fervice; you are willing to be at pains and coft, to have them broken and brought to their way. This is more than ever many of them did for their children; they can fee them wild and profane, naturally taking a stroke or way of wickedness, but yet never were at any pains or coaft to break them; these must be fondled and cockered up in the natural way of their own corruption and wickedness, and not a rod or reproof used to break them of it.

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It is obferved of the Perfians, † that they put out their children to school, as foon as they can speak, and will not see them in feven years after, left their indulgence fhould do them hurt. 2. You keep your conftant fet times, morning and evening, to feed, water, and dress your cattle, and will by no means neglect it once: but how many times have you neglected morning and evening-duties in your families? Yea, how many be there, whofe very tables, in respect of any worship God hath there, do very little differ from the very cribs and mangers at which their horfes feed? As foon as you are up in a morning, you are with your beafts, before you have been with your God. How little do fuch differ from beasts? And happy were it, if they were no more accountable to God than their beasts are,

The end of your care, coft, and pains about your cattle is, that they may be ftrong for labour, and the more ferviceable to you: thus you comply with the end of their beings. But how

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