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.

THis small remains of fruit, which are either left upon the tree, or gather'd in for an hoard, do well resemble that small number of Gods elect in the world, which free

grace hath reserved out of the general ruine of mankind. Four things are excellently shadowed forth to us by this si∣militude.

You see in a fruitful Autumn, the trees even opprest and [ 1] overladen with the weight of their own fruits before the shaking time come, and then they are eased of their burden. Thus the whole creation groans under the weight of their sins who inhabit it, Rom. 8. 22. the creatures are in bondage, and by an elegant Prosopopeia, are said, both to groan and wait for deliverance. The original sin of man brought an original curse, which burdens the creature, Gen. 3. 17. Cursed is the ground for thy sake; and the actual sin of man brings actual curses upon the creature, Psal. 107. 34. Thus the in∣habitants of the world load and burden it, as the limbs of a tree are burdened, and sometimes broken with the weight of their own fruit.

You may observe it in your Orchards every year, what abundance of fruits daily fall, either by storms; or of their [ 2] own accord; but when the shaking time comes, then the ground is covered all over with fruit. Thus it is with the world, that mystical tree, with respect to men, that inhabit it; there is not a year, day or hour, in which some drop not, as it were, of their own accord by a natural death; and some∣times wars and Epidemical plagues blow down thousands to∣gether into their graves, these are as high winds in a fruitful Orchard, but when the shaking time, the Autumn of the world comes; then all its inhabitants shall be shaken down together, either by death, or a translation equivolent there∣unto.

When fruits are shaken down from their trees; then the Husbandman separates them; the far greatest part for the [ 3] pound, and some few he reserves for an hoard, which are brought to his table, and eaten with pleasure. This excel∣lently shadows forth that great separation, which Christ will make in the end of the world; when some shall be cast into the wine-press of the Almighties wrath, and others preserved for glory.

Those fruits which are preserved on the tree, or in the

hoard, are comparatively but an handful to those that are broken in the pound. Alas! 'tis scarce one of a thousand, and such a small remnant of Elected souls hath God reserved for glory.

I look upon the World as a great Tree, consisting of four large limbs or branches; this branch or division of it on which we grow, hath doubtless a greater number of Gods elect upon it, than the other three; and yet when I look with a serious and considering eye upon this fruitful European branch, and see how much rotten and withered fruit there grows upon it, it makes me say as Chrysostom did of his po∣pulous Antioch, Ah, how small a remnant hath Iesus Christ among these vast numbers! Many indeed are called, but, ah, how few are chosen! Mat. 20. 16. Alas! they are but as the gleanings when the vintage is done; here and there one upon its outmost branches. To allude to that, Isa. 17. 6. it was a sad Observation which that searching Scholar (Mr. Brierwood) long since made upon the world, that dividing it into thirty equal parts, he found no less than nineteen of them wholly overspread with Idolatry and Heathenish dark∣ness! and of the eleven remaining parts, no less than six are Mahumetans; so that there remain but five of thirty, which profess the Christian Religion at large; and the far greater part of these remaining five, are invellop'd and drowned in Popish darkness; so that you see the reformed Protestant Re∣ligion is confined to a small spot of ground indeed. Now, if from these we substract all the grosly ignorant, openly pro∣fane, meerly civil, and secretly hypocritical; judge then in your selves, how small a scantling of the world falls to Christs share!

Well might Christ say, Mat. 7. 14. Narrow is the way, and strait is the gate, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And again, Luke 12. 32. Fear not, little, little flock. The large piece goes to the devil, a little remnant is Christs, Rom. 9. 27. Saints in Scripture are called jewels, Mal. 3. 17. Precious pearls and diamonds, which the Latines call Uni∣ones. Quia nulli duo simul reperiuntur (saith Pliny) because nature gives them not by pairs, but one by one. How many

pebbles to one pearl? Sutable to this notion, is that com∣plaint of the Prophet, Mich. 7. 1, 2. W•• is me; for I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits, as the grape glean∣ings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eat; my soul desired the first ripe fruits; the good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none, (i. e. none comparatively) upright among men. The Prophet alludes to a poor hungry man, that after the ga∣thering time is past, comes into an Orchard, desiring some choice fruits to eat, but alas! he finds none; there is no clu∣ster; possibly here and there a single Saint, like a single apple, here and there one after the shaking time. True Saints are the worlds rarities.