A39665:559
Husbandry spiritualized, or, The heavenly use of earthly things consisting of many pleasant observations,…
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 employments : whereunto is added ... several choice occasional meditations / by John Flavell.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.
London : Printed and are to be sold by Robert Boulter, l674
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Christ executes by the Gospel that curse upon many souls, which he denounced against the figtree, Mat. 21. 19. Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever, and immediately the figtree withered away. To be given up to such a condition, is a fearful judgement indeed, a curse with a witness; the sum of all plagues, miseries and judgments, a fatal stroke at the root it self. It's a woe to have a bad heart, (saith one) but it's the depth of woe, to have a heart that shall never be made better. To be barren under the Gospel is a sore judgement, but to ⟨p. 56⟩have that pertinax sterilit•s, a pertinacious barrenness; this is to be twice dead, and plucked up by the root, as Jude speaks.
Christ executes by the Gospel that curse upon many souls, which he denounced against the figtree, Mat. 21. 19. Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever, and immediately the figtree withered away. To be given up to such a condition, is a fearful judgement indeed, a curse with a witness; the sum of all plagues, miseries and judgments, a fatal stroke at the root it self. It's a wo to have a bad heart, (saith one) but it's the depth of wo, to have a heart that shall never be made better. To be barren under the Gospel is a sore judgement, but to ⟨p. 56⟩have that pertinax sterilit•s, a pertinacious barrenness; this is to be twice dead, and pluckt up by the root, as Iude speaks.
And to show you the woeful and miserable state and plight of such men, let the following particulars be weighed. (1) Its a stroke at the soul it self, an inward spiritual judgement; and by how much the more inward and spiritual any judgement is, by so much the more dreadful and lamentable. As soul mercies, are the best of mercies; so, soul-judgements, are the saddest of all judgements. If it were but a temporal stroke upon the body, the loss of an eye, an ear, a hand, a foot, though in it self it would be a considerable loss; yet it were nothing to this. Omnia Deus dedit duplicia (saith Chrysostom) speaking of bodily members; God hath given men double members, two eyes, if one be lost, the other supplies its wants; two hands, two ears, two feet, that the failing of one, may be supplied by the help of the other; animam vero unam; but one soul, if that perish, there is not another to supply its loss. The soul, saith a Heathen, is the man, that which is seen is not the man. The Apostle calls the body a vile body,