N02451:135
Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business…
Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business and language of husbandry. A work adapted unto the grand purposes of piety; and commended therefore by a number of ministers, to be entertained in the families of the country. : [One line from I Corinthians]Agricola. Or, The religious husbandman: the main intentions of religion, served in the business and language of husbandry. A work adapted unto the grand purposes of piety; and commended therefore by a number of ministers, to be entertained in the families of the countrey. : [One line from I Corinthians]
Boston: printed by T. Fleet for D. Henchman, 1727
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Georgica Sacra. The SOWING Of the Field. › The Stony Ground.
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.
In some Hearers of the word, whose Heart is like the Stony Ground, that Good Seed of the Word may be Received with some seeming Faith and Joy; But in a Time of Temptation, they and their Faith and their Joy, do quickly and sadly wither away.
In the Prosecution of it, let these Instructions find some Entertainment with you.
I. A Stony Ground is that which a sinful Heart, may be too justly compared unto. Indeed, the Heart of every Man, in his Fallen and Corrupt Nature, is as hard as a Stone; Hard like the Nether Millstone. And many do by Custom add unto that hardness of Heart, which is by Nature in them. 'Tis called, Ezek. XI. 19. A Stony Heart. In a Stone there is a close Fastening, and Knitting, and Combining of the parts together, whereby it is made strong to resist, whatever would from without act upon it. Such a Stone is this Heart of ours, & so does it Resist, the Essays of Heaven to work upon it. Our GOD may say of us; as in Zech. ⟨p. 42⟩VII. 12. They made their Hearts hard as an Adamant-Stone, lest they should hear the Law. No Stone can be more Insensible; No Stone can be more Inflexible, than this wretched Heart of ours under all the means of Good that are employed upon it. And as we read, Prov. XXVII. 3. A Stone is Heavy: Even such also is this Heart of ours; There is no moving of it. It is as addicted unto the Earth, as the Heavy Stone, which by its weight will descend unto the Earth. It will mind Earthly Things; and not easily be moved from the wickedness of tending to the Earth as the Centre of it. Be sure, a Stone is no good Soil to Sow upon. But is our unfruitful Heart any better? Tho' the good Seed of the Word falls upon it, there is little good Fruit commonly obtained of it.