Husbandry spiritualized, or, The heavenly use of earthly things consisting of many pleasant observations,…

God having to do in a way of correction with divers sorts of offenders, doth not use the like severity with them all, but proportions his correction to their abilities and strength, Jer. 30. 11. I will not make a full end of thee, but will [correct thee in measure] and will not leave thee altogether unpunished, (q. d.) afflicted thou must be, my respect to my own glory and thy good, puts a necessity upon that; but yet I will do it moderately, I will not lay on without measure or mercy, as I intend to do upon the enemies; but will mete out your sufferings in a due proportion, even as a careful Physician in prescribing pills or potions to his Patients, hath regard as well to the ability of the Patient as to the nature and quality of the disease; even so thy God, O Israel, will not afflict thee according to the greatness of his power and his wrath; answerable thereunto, Psal. 90. 11. that would break thee to pieces, Psal. 78. 38. Nor yet will he afflict thee according to the demerit of thy sin. As it shall be much less than what I could inflict; so it shall be less than thine iniquities deserve, Ezra. 9. 13. Neither my power, nor thy desert, shall be the rule of my proceedings; but I will do it with moderation and mercy, as thou art able to bear. I that have instructed the Husbandman to proportion his instruments to the quality of the grain before him, will exercise the like wisdom and mildness towards the ⟨p. 161⟩thee, and the similitude betwixt the Husbandmans threshing his corn, and the Lords afflicting his people, stands in these particulars.

GOd having to do in a way of correction with divers sorts of offenders, doth not use the like severity with them all, but proportions his correction to their abilities and strength, Ier. 30. 11. I will not make a full end of thee, but will [correct thee in measure] and will not leave thee altogether unpunished, (q. d.) afflicted thou must be, my respect to my own glory and thy good, puts a necessity upon that; but yet I will do it moderately, I will not lay on without measure or mercy, as I intend to do upon the enemies; but will mete out your sufferings in a due proportion, even as a careful Physician in prescribing pills or potions to his Patients, hath regard as well to the ability of the Patient as to the nature and quality of the disease; even so thy God, O Israel, will not afflict thee according to the greatness of his power and his wrath; answerable thereunto,