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low ground hath thus been ploughed and broken up! if the Husbandman hath ended his work with me there, or hath cultivated my heart as a field for his own use, by fowing in it the good feed.

The husbandman fallows fome of his ground, lets it reft a while; then fallows it over again, and lets it remain a while longer undisturbed, then ploughs it over and over again, till it is fit for being fown. So the great Husbandman fallows the heart of some finners with the law, then abates the work for fome time, then renews it again, and so again and again, till it is fit for being fown with the good feed.

The husbandman too ploughs fome of his ground early in the spring, other fome of it when it is pretty far advanced, and fome of it nigh the latter end of the year. So the great Husbandman breaks up the fallow ground of some in youth, of others in more advanced years, and of other fome at the eleventh hour, when the feafon of life is well nigh ended, according as he in

his infinite wifdom fees beft, and none can

stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doeft thou? Dan. iv. 35.

CONTEMPLATION VI.

ON

SOWING.

While through the neighb'ring fields the sower

"stalks

"With measur'd steps, and lib'ral. throws the grain *.

'HUS fung our Scottish bard, and this

TH

I verified behold: While o'er yon furrowed land the husbandman, with careful steps, and flow, in handfuls from his

* Thomson,

1

fheet, by damfel fair fupplied from yonder fack, fows wide in hope the wholesome grain, and diftributes to every ridge its just proportion.

The crows fly round, and view with eager eyes the tempting corn white covering all the field, defcend by stealth, and peck, till once the harrows come and difappoint them all.

As this man is joyful in fowing his grain in the earth, fo the great Husbandman, with infinitely more joy, fows the feed of grace in the heart of a finner; for he rejoiceth over his elect to do them good, Jer. xxxii. 41.

This husbandman, I obferve, uses his feryants in carrying the feed to the ground, but he fows it there himself. So the great Hufbandman useth his fervants, the ministers of the gospel, for carrying the feed of the word to the ears of finners, but he fows it in the ground of their hearts himself by the Holy Spirit.

This man, I observe, is careful in fowing that he miss none of the ground with

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The Sower sows, the Maid supplies

From yonder Sack the Seed;

The Harrows come, the Crows arise
Reluctant from their feed.

To front page 96.

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