This man is now got to his labour, and a painful one it is, but there is no help for it, bread cannot be obtained without it; man was to eat bread in the sweat of his face until he returned into the ground, for out of it was he taken, Gen. iii. 19.

By this man's appearance, I judge he is only a fervant to some neighbouring hufbandman, but a very faithful one : what pains he is taking in breaking the stubborn glebe! now he lets the plough lightly in, making the furrow shallow, because the foil requires it; again he fets her deeper, because the foil will bear it. So the law of God, as a fervant to the great Husband-man, is faithful to his trust, in dealing with hardened finners: in some, as it were, it ploughs by means of the word, with a less sharp coulter of conviction, and lighter sock of contrition than in other some, according as the great husbandman in his infinite wifdom hath feen it necessary.

This ploughman, I observe, is very at tentive that he miss none of the ground, but till it all as he goes along. So the law, in ploughing the fallow ground of a finner's

heart, breaks it all up, not the smallest green balk of felf-confidence is left un turned over.

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I perceive this man with his plough turns up large quantities of filthy noxious weeds, and poisonous roots, which before lay undiscovered in the heart of the earth. In like manner, the law by its ploughing turns up large quantities of vile weeds of corruption, and bitter roots of fin, that lay deep hid in the sinner's heart before, which till then he could never properly difcover, but now he sees them all clearly, and they are truly loathsome to his view: whereas he thought himself rich and encreased with goods, having need of nothing; now he knows himself to be only wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, Rev. iii. 17. all filthy, and obnoxious to divine wrath.

This heath, in its uncultivated state, was good for nothing but cafting for fuel: the wild fowls hatched in it; there the poisonous adder and snake lay basking themselves in the fun, without being di

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sturbed, while the wild beasts pastured upon it at their pleasure; thus it was unfit to bear corn for the master's use; but now that the plough has entered, it is a favourable sign, the owner designs it for that good purpose. In like manner, before the fallow ground of the sinner's heart began to be cultivated it was good for nothing but to be caft into eternal fire, to manifeft the justice of God: wild, blafphemous, finful thoughts were hatched in it; there the old ferpent, as it were, lay basking himself, and the wild beasts of error and corruption ranged with freedom: in this state it was wholly unfit for being fown with the good feed, and bringing forth fruit unto eternal life; but when once the law hath begun to break it up by ploughing, as it were, therein, it is a favourable symptom that the great Hufbandman means to cul⚫ture it thoroughly, and that it shall become as a field which the Lord will bless, Gen. xxvii. 27.

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This ground, now that it is tilled, wears

a very different aspect to what it did but a

little ago; then it was all one firm fair turf; now, through ploughing and cross ploughing, it is quite mashed, confused, and black, and nothing in it can give pleafure to the eye. Just so that heart where the law hath been working forms a very opposite prospect in the man's eye to what it formerly did; then it was all one whole, hard, uncultivated lump, and nothing in it that gave much disgust to the finner himself; but now firce that fallow ground hath been broken by the law, all mangled, and, as it were, torn in pieces, and the proper foil turned up, it appears full of confufion and deceit, loathsome and black as hell.

While attending this plough, I observe a kind of low groaning, formed betwixt the oppressed plough, and the harness of the team as it turns up the earth. In like manner, while the law is ploughing and turning up the corrupt natural foil of the finner's heart, how does he groan! longing to be delivered from the grieving yoke.

But though this barren heath which I now behold, be all ploughed and cross tilled, yet if it is not fown and further culti

vated, the weeds and poisonous plants will again take fafter root, and grow more numerous than before, and it will in a very short time return to its former uncultured state. So though the fallow ground of a sinner's heart hath been broken up by the law, and the vile weeds of corruption, and bitter poisonous roots of fin turned up and loosened, yet if it be not fown with the good feed, and farther cultivated by the Holy Ghost, those weeds and poisonous bitter roots will take faster hold of the accursed foil, and spring up more vile and numerous than ever, and very foon will it become as barren and hard as before, if not a great deal harder.

As the farmer may plough some of his ground, and yet, for reasons known to himfelf, leave it unsown; so the great Hufbandman may, and we cannot doubt but often doth cause a law-work to take place in many hearts, that for wife reasons he never sows with the good feed. How careful then ought I to be in examining myfelf whether this law-work hath taken place in my heart or not! and if my fal