Husbandry spiritualized, or, The heavenly use of earthly things consisting of many pleasant observations, pertinent applications, and serious reflections and each chapter concluded with a divine and suitable poem : directing husband-men to the most excellent improvements of their common imployments : whereunto is added ... several choice occasional meditations / by John Flavell.

APPLICATION.

HOw difficult soever it be to discern the difference be∣twixt wheat and tares; yet doubtless the eye of sence can much easier discriminate them, than the most quick and piercing eye of man can discern the difference betwixt spe∣cial and common grace: for all saving graces in the Saints have their counterfeits in hypocrites. There are similar works in these, which a spiritual and very judicious eye may easily mistake for the saving and genuine effects of the sancti∣fying Spirit.

Doth the Spirit of God convince the consciences of his people, of the evil of sin? Rom. 7. 9. Hypocrites have their convictions too, Exod. 10. 16. Then Pharoah called for Moses and Aaron in hast, and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Thus was Saul also convicted, 1 Sam. 15. 24.

Doth true conviction and compunction work reforma∣tion of life, in the people of God? even hypocrites also have been famous for their reformations. The unclean spirit often goes out of the formal hypocrite, by an external refor∣mation; and yet still retains his propriety in them, Mat. 12. 43, 44. For that departure is indeed no more than a politick retreat. Many that shall never escape the damna∣tion of hell, have yet escaped the pollutions of the world, and that by the knowledge of the Son of God, 2 Pet. 2. 20.

Doth the Spirit of the Lord produce that glorious and supernatural work of faith, in convinced and humbled souls? in this also the hypocrite apes and imitates the believer, Acts 8. 13. Then Simon himself believed also, Luke 8. 13. These are they which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

Doth the precious eye of faith, discovering the transcen∣dent excellencies that are in Christ, inflame the affections of the believing soul with vehement desires and longings after him? Strange motions of heart have also been found in hy∣pocrites

towards Christ and heavenly things, Iohn 6. 34. Lord evermore give us this bread, Mat. 25. 8. Give us of your oyl, for our lamps are gone out. With what a rapture was Ba∣laam transported, when he said, Let me dye the death of the righteous, and my last end be like his? Numb. 23. 10.

Doth the work of faith in some believers bear upon its top branches, the full ripe fruits of a blessed assurance? Lo! What strong confidences, and high-built perswasions of an interest in God, have sometimes been found, even in un∣sanctified ones? Ioh. 8. 54. Of whom you say, that he is your God, and yet ye have not known him. To the same height of confidence arrived those vain souls, mentioned in Rom. 2. 19. Yea, so strong may this false assurance be, that they dare boldly venture to go to the judgment seat of God, and there defend it, Mat. 7. 22. Lord, Lord, have we not prophecyed in thy name?

Doth the Spirit of God fill the heart of the assured be∣liever with joy unspeakable and full of glory, giving them through faith a prelibation or foretaste of heaven it self, in those first fruits of it? How near to this comes that which the Apostle supposes may be found even in Apostates! Heb. 6. 8, 9. who are there said, to taste the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. What shall I say if real Christians delight in Ordinances, those that are none may also delight in approaching to God, Ezek. 33. 32. It may be you will say, though the difference be not easily discern∣able in their active obedience; yet, when it shall come to suffering, there every eye may discern it: the false heart will then flinch, and cannot brook that work. And yet, even this is no infallible rule neither; for the Apostle supposes, that the Salamander of hypocrisie may live in the very flames of Martyrdom, 1 Cor. 13. 3. If I give my body to be burnt, and have not charity. And it was long since determined in this cafe, Non paena, sed causa facit Martyrem; so that without controversie, the difficulty of distinguishing them is very great.

And this▪ difference will yet be more subtile and undi∣scernable, if I should tell you, that as in so many things, the

hypocrite resembles the Saint: so there are other things in which a real Christian may act too like an hypocrite. When we find a Pharoah confessing, an Herod practising, as well as hearing, a Iudas preaching Christ, an Alexander ventring his life for Paul; and on the other side, shall find a David condemning that in another, which he practised himself; an Hezekiah glorying in his riches, a Peter dissem∣bling, and even all the Disciples forsaking Christ in an hour of trouble and danger. O then! how hard is it for the eye of man to discern betwixt chaff and wheat? how many up∣right hearts are now censured, whom God will clear? how many false hearts are now approved, whom God will con∣demn? men ordinarily have no clear convictive proofs, but only probable symptoms, which at most can beget but a con∣jectural knowledge of anothers state. And they that shall peremptorily judge either way, may possibly, wrong the ge∣neration of the upright; or on the other side, absolve and justifie the wicked. And truly, considering what hath been said it is no great wonder that dangerous mistakes are so frequently made in this matter. But though man cannot, the Lord both can, and will perfectly discriminate them. The Lord knoweth who are his, 2 Tim. 2. 19. He will have a day perfectly to sever the tares from the wheat, to melt off the varnish of the most resplendent and refined hyocrite, and to blow off the ashes of infirmities, which have covered and obscured the very sparks of sincerity in his people. He will make such a division as was never yet made in the world, how many divisions soever there have been in it. And then shall men indeed return, and discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked, betwixt him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. Mean while (my soul) thou canst not better imploy thy self, whether thou be sound or unsound, than in making these reflections upon thy self.