The husbandmans calling showing the excellencies, temptations, graces, duties &c. of the Christian husbandmanThe husbandmans calling shewing the excellencies, temptations, graces, duties &c. of the Christian husbandman

8. The Eighth Lesson the Husbandman learns in his Ground is, from the Stones of his Ground: And these, though they do sometimes bring into his mind Jesus Christ, that living stone; and occasion otherwhiles thoughts of that White stone of Absolution he hath so long panted after, (as an industrious Christian can get profit out of a •int) yet from them he is most effectually taught, the misery of an hard heart. The Plough goes through them, and yet they are stones, nay it's sometimes broken by them, and they no softer: The Rain falls oft on them, but they are hard still: The Sun warms them, but they relent not. At the end of his Lease, the Husbandman leaves them as he finds them, not a grain of fruit from ⟨p. 142⟩them in an age: Some of the biggest it ma• be he throws out of his ground, but leaves the lesser in it, till the end of the World. And this teaches him much; he looks upon them, and receives instruction. He is ill troubled with these stones under his feet, but he is worse troubled with the stone in his heart; he thinks on his sins, and cannot weep for them; he looks at him whom he hath pierced, and cannot mourn over him; he hears of the calamities of the godly, and sees the wickedness of the ungodly, and cannot break his heart for them. He knows not what to do with this stone within: He puts in the Plough of mortification, he tears up his heart by convincing aggravations of his sin; he puts it under the dropping of holy Ordinances as oft as he can, remembering that—Gutta cavat, lapidem, non vi sed saepe cad•ndo. He fasts and prays time after time, yet all would not work, but that God comes in (that of a stone can make a Son of Abraham) and quite takes away this heart of stone, and gives instead thereof an heart of flesh. And O that every Husbandman would take this course, ply the means, plead the Promises, get the heart dissolved, least it be destroyed. You get th• Stones out of the ground, O get them out of your hearts, lest for the Sin of hardness, God give you up to the Curse of hardness, and forsake you for ever.

8. The Eighth Lesson the Husbandman learns in his Ground is, from the Stones of his Ground: And these, though they do somtimes bring into his mind Jesus Christ, that living stone; and occasion otherwhiles thoughts of that White stone of Absolution he hath so long panted after, (as an industrious Christian can get profit out of a int) yet from them he is most effectually taught, the misery of an hard heart. The Plough goes through them, and yet they are stones, nay it's somtimes broken by them, and they no softer: The Rain falls oft on them, but they are hard still: The Sun warms them, but they relent not. At the end of his Lease, the Husbandman leaves them as he finds them, not a grain of fruit from