N02451:153
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.
First; Tho' you are never such a Stony Ground, Yet, Oh! be prevailed withal to beg it of a Gracious GOD, that He would mercifully take away from you the Heart of Stone. Is it the Stony Ground, that yields nothing but withering Fruit? Yet, Oh! Let so much Fruit be found upon the most Obstinately Stony Ground among you. Go to a Glorious CHRIST, with doleful Complaints about that hard Heart of thine; and plead with the Lord His Promise; Ezek. XXXVI. 26. I will take away the stony Heart. Beg it of Him; Oh! Be it unto me according to thy Word! It may be, He will do this Thing, when thou dost entreat Him to do it for thee. And when this Thing is done, Then, then, thou wilt have a Fruitful Soul. All things will then work together for thy Good. But, if thy Heart must and will remain a Stone, GOD will one Day break thee in the place of Dragons! But then,
First; Tho' you are never such a Stony Ground, Yet, Oh! be prevailed withal to beg it of a Gracious GOD, that He would mercifully take away from you the Heart of Stone. Is it the Stony Ground, that yields nothing but withering Fruit? Yet, Oh! Let so much Fruit be found upon the most Obstinately Stony Ground among you. Go to a Glorious CHRIST, with doleful Complaints about that hard Heart of thine; and plead with the Lord His Promise; Ez•k. XXXVI. 26. I will take away the stony Heart. Beg it of Him; Oh! Be it unto me according to thy Word! It may be, He will do this Thing, when thou dost intreat Him to do it for thee. And when this Thing is done, Then, then, thou wilt have a Fruitful Soul. All things will then work together for thy Good. But, if thy Heart must and will remain a Stone, GOD will one Day break thee in the place of Dragons! But then,
Secondly, Be concerned, O you that have the Good Seed of the Word falling on you, that it may come to have a good and a deep Root within you. ⟨p. 50⟩The Fruit of the Word in the Stony Ground perishes, because he has not Root in himself. What is the Root? It is the Love of GOD implanted in the Soul. This is, The Root of the Matter; This, the Root of the Righteous. May you be Rooted in the Love of GOD, then all will be well. The Word of GOD has taken Root, when it gives a Change and a Turn, and a Godward Bias to the Soul. But, how to come at this! Assuredly, 'tis obtained, yea, 'tis begun, in looking to GOD for it. Oh! Ask it of a GOD, who gives this Wisdom to them that Ask it. And importunately make that supplication;