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.

CHAP. I.

Vngraffed Trees can never bear good fruit, Nor we till graffed on a better root.

OBSERVATION.

A Wild tree naturally springing up in the wood or hedge, and never graffed or removed from its native soyl, may bear some fruit, and that fair and beautiful to the eye, but it will give you no content at all in eating, being alwayes harsh, sower and unpleasant to the taste; but if such a stock be removed into a good soyl, and graffed with a bet∣ter kind, it may become a good tree, and yield store of choice and pleasant fruit.

APPLICATION.

UNregenerate men who never were acquainted with the mystery of spiritual union with Iesus Christ but still grow upon their natural root, old Adam, may by the force and power of natural principles bring forth some fruit, (which like the wild hedge fruit we speak of) may indeed be fair and pleasant to the eyes of men, but God takes no pleasure at all in it; its sower, harsh, and distasteful to him, because it springs not from the spirit of Christ, Isa, 1. 13. I cannot away with it, it is iniquity, &c. but that I may not in∣tangle the thred of my discourse, I shall (as in the former Chapters) set before you a paralel betwixt the best fruits of natural men, and those of a wild ungraffed tree.

[ 1] The root that bears this wild fruit is a degenerate root, and that's the cause of all this sowerness and harshness in the fruit it bears; it's the seed of some better Tree accidentally blown, or cast into some waste and bad soyl, where not being

manured and ordered aright, it's turned wild: So all the fruits of unregenerate men ••low from the first Adam, a corrupt and degenerate root; he was indeed planted a right seed, but soon turned a wild and degenerate plant; he be∣ing the root from which every man naturally springs, cor∣rupts all the fruit that any man bears from him. It's observed by Gregory, pertinent to my present purpose, Genus humanum in parente primo, velut in radice putruit; Mankind was putri∣fied in the root of his first parent, Matt. 7. 18. A Corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit.

This corrupt root spoyls the fruit, by the transmission of [ 2] its sower and naughty sap into all the branches and fruits that grow on them; they suck no other nourishment, but what the root affords them, and that being bad, spoyles all: for the same cause and reason, no mee•• natural or unregene∣rate man can ever do one holy or acceptable action, because the corruption of the root is in all those actions. The ne∣cessity of our drawing corruption into all our actions, from this cursed root Adam, is expressed by a quick and smart In∣terrogation, Iob 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. The sense of it is well delivered us (by Mr. Caryl in loc.) This question (saith he) may undergo a three∣fold construction; First, thus: Who can bring a morally clean person, out of a person originally unclean? and so he layes his hand upon his birth-sin: Or, secondly, (which speaks to my purpose) it may refer to the action of the same man, man being unclean, cannot bring forth a clean thing; (i. e.) a clean or holy action; that which is originated, is like its Original. And that this sower sap of the first stock (I mean Adams sin) is transmitted into all mankind, not only corrupting their fruit, but ruining and withering all the branches; the Apostle shews us in that excellent parallell be∣twixt the two Adams, Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man] one, not only in individuo, sed in specie, one representing the whole root or stock, sin entered into the world] not by imitation only, but by propagation? and this brought death and ruine upon all the branches.

Although these wild hedge-fruits be unwholsom and un∣pleasant [ 3]

to the taste, yet they are fair and beautiful to the eye; a man that looks upon them, and doth not know what fruit it is, would judge it by its shew and colour to be excel∣lent fruit; for it makes a fairer shew oftentimes, than the best and most wholsome fruit doth: Even so, those natural gifts and endowments which some unregenerate persons have, seem exceeding fair to the eye, and a fruit to be de∣sired. What excellent qualities have some meer natural men and women? what a winning affability? humble condescen∣tion, meekness, righteousness, ingenious tenderness and sweetness of nature! As it was (hyperbolically enough) said of one, In hoc homine, non peccavit Adam; Adam never sinned in this man; meaning, that he excelled the generality of Adams children in sweetness of temper and natural endowments. What curious phantasies, imble wits, solid judgments, te∣nacious memories, rare elocution, &c. are to be found among meer natural men? by which they are assisted in dis∣coursing' praying, preaching and writing, to the admiration of such as know them! But that which is highly esteemed of men, is abomination to God, Luke 16. 15. it finds no accep∣tance with him, because it springs from that cursed root of nature and is not the production of this own spirit.

If such a stock were removed into a better soyl, and gra••∣••ed [ 4] with a better kind, it might bring forth fruit pleasant and grateful to the Husbandman; and if such persons (before described) were but regenerated and changed in their spirits and principles, what excellent and useful persons would they be in the Church of God? and then their fruits would be sweet and acceptable to him. One observes of Tertullian, O∣rigen, and Ierome, that they came into Canaan, laden with Egyptian gold, (i. e.) they came into the Church full of ex∣cellent humane learning, which did Christ much service.

When the Husbandman cuts down his woods or hedges, [ 5] he cuts down these Crab-stocks with the rest, because he va∣lues them not any more than the thorns and brambles among which they grow; and as little will God regard or spare these natural branches, how much soever they are laden with such fruit. The threatning is universal, Iohn 3. 3. Except you

be regenerate and born again, you cannot enter into the king∣dom of heaven. And again, Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness, no man (be his natural gifts never so excellent) shall see God. Im∣bellished nature, is nature still; That which is born of the flesh, is but flesh, however it be set off with advantage to the eye of man.

REFLECTIONS.

TO what purpose then do I glory in my natural accom∣plishments? [ 1] Though I have a better nature than some others have, yet it is a cursed nature still. These sweet qua∣lities and excellent gifts, do only hide, but not kill the cor∣ruption of nature. I am but a rotten post gilded over, and all my duties but hedge fruit, which God makes no account of. O cutting thought! that the unlearned shall rise and take heaven, when I with all my excellent gifts shall de∣scend into hell. Heaven was not made for Scholars, as such, but for believers; as one said, when they comforted him up∣on his death-bed, that he was a knowing man, a Doctor of Di∣vinity: O, said he, I shall not appear before God as a Doctor, but as a man; I shall stand upon a level with the most illi∣terate, in the day of judgment; what doth it avail me that I have a nimble with, whilst I have none to do my self good? Will my Iudge be charm'd with a rhetorical tongue? Things will not be carried in that world, as they are in this. If I could with Berengarius discourse de omni scibile, of every thing that is knowable; or with Solomon unravel nature, from the Cedar to the Hysop, what would this advantage me, as long as I am ignorant of Christ, and the mystery of Regeneration? My head hath often aked with study, but when did my heart ake for sin? Methinks, O my soul, thou trimmest up thy self in these natural ornaments to appear before God, much as that delicate Agag did, when he was to come before Sa∣muel, and fondly conceitest that these things will procure favour, or (at least) pity from him? but yet, think not for all that, the bitterness of death is past; say not within thy self, Will God cast such a one as a I into hell? Shall a man of such

parts be damned? Alas! justice will hew thee to pieces, as Samuel did that spruce King, and not abate thee the least, for these things; many thousand branches of nature, as fair and fruitful as thy self, are now blazing in hell, because not trans∣planted by regeneration into Christ; and if he spared not them, neither will he spare thee.

[ 2] I am a poor despised Shrub, which have no beauty at all in me, and yet such a one hath the Lord chosen to transplant into Christ, whilst he left many fragrant branches standing on their native stock, to be fuel of his wrath to all eternity! O grace for ever to be admired! Ah, what cause have I to be thankful to free grace, and for ever to walk humbly with my God: the Lord hath therefore chosen an unlikely, rugged, unpolisht creature as I am, that pride may for ever be hid from mine eyes, and that I may never glory in his presence, 1 Cor. 1. 29. I now have the advantage of a better root and soyl than any carnal person hath, it will therefore be great∣er shame to me, and a reproach to the root that bears me, if I should be out-stript and excelled by them; yet Lord, how often do I find it so? I see some of them meek and pa∣tient, whilst I am proud and passionate; gentle and affable, whilst I am rough and surly; generous and noble, whilst I am base and penurious. Truly, such a branch as I am, is no ho∣nour to the root that bears it.

The Poem.

I Am a branch of that fair Eden Tree Which to1 mankind God had ordain'd to be The common stock, his2 scituation good, His3 branches many, of himself a wood. And like a Cedar by the River fed, Unto the clouds his ample branches spread. Sin smote4 his root, then justice cut him down; And level'd with the earth his lofty Crown.

What hope of branches, when the5 tree's o'return'd? But like6 dry faggots to be bound and burn'd. It had been so, had not7 transcendent love, Which in a sphear above our thoughts doth move Prepar'd a better8 stock, to save and nourish Transplanted twigs, which in him thrive and flourish. In Adam all are9 curs'd, no saving fruit Shall ever spring, from that sin-blasted root. Yea all the branches that in him are found, How1 flourishing soever must be bound And pil'd together, horrid news to tell! To make an everlasting blaze in Hell. God takes no pleasure in the sweetest bud Disclos'd by nature, for the root's not good. Some2 boughs indeed richly adorned are With natural fruits, which to the eye are fair, Rare3 Gifts, sweet dispositions, which attracts The love of thousands, and from most exacts Honour, and admiration, You'l admire That such as these, are fewel for the fire. Indeed ten thousand pities 'tis to see Such lovely creatures in this case to be. Did they by true. Regeneration draw The sap of life from Iesses root,4 the Law By which they now to wrath condemned are Would cease to curse, and God such buds would spare. But out of him, there's none of these can move His unrelenting heart, or draw his love. Then cut me off, from this accursed Tree; Le••t I for ever be cut off from thee.

Notes

• Upon the in∣graffing of fruit Trees.
• A reflection for an accom∣plished Naturalist.
• A reflection for a true, but weak believer.
• 1

  1 Cor. 10. 45.
• 2

  Eccl. 7. 9.
• 3

  Deut. 32. 8.
• 4

  Rom. 5. 12.
• 5

  Rom. 5. 18
• 6

  ••ohn 15. 6.
• 7

  Ioh. 3. 16.
• 8

  1 Cor. 15. 47.
• 9

  Gal. 3. 10.
• 1

  Heb. 12. 14.
• 2

  Mark 10. 20, 21.
• 3

  Heb. 6 4, 5.
• 4

  Rom. 1. 2.