N02451:438
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.
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.
III. The Success of the Means used with the Unfruitful, while the Patience of GOD, is waiting One Year after another, to see Good Fruits upon them; This is Uncertain; To us, it is but Uncertain. Let the Barren Tree have One Year more, obtained for it, it is to us for the present not certain, whether it will bear Fruit, or whether Not. This Uncertainty indeed, is not with the Glorious GOD. For, The Lord knows who are His. He Infallibly Foreknows, how Men will be at the end of the Years. And His purposes are Unchangeable. But the Success of the Gospel, and of all the Labour used about a Barren Tree, it is with us, that it labours under an Uncertainty. When the Gospel comes any where, GOD sends it, because He has a People there. Some of His Elect are there. And as we read, Act. XIII. 48. As many as were ordained unto Eternal Life, Believed. Thus; None of the Elect shall continue always in their Barrenness: A cutting down shall be none of their Portion. But then, There are Many Called, who are not Chosen. And because they live Both Together, the Gospel, with the Offers of a SAVIOUR, and the Means of coming to Knowledge and Goodness, are granted unto Both Together. In the mean time, Tis not for us to discern which is which. This is among ⟨p. 180⟩the Secret Things which belong unto the Lord. Men cannot convert unto GOD whom they please. The New Birth, is, J•h. I. 13. Not of the Will of Man. The Success of the Gospel, depends on the Will of GOD; A Sovereign GOD, who will have Mercy on whom He will have Mercy. Is any Fruit ever found upon any Soul? From me is thy Fruit found, saith the Lord. Should there be so much as one Barren Tree among our Children, if it were in our power to convert them unto GOD? So much as one Barren Tree in this Assembly of Zion, if it were in our power to give Success unto our Ministry? Ah! Lord, If it were in our power, they should all bring forth Fruit unto thee! But, we must hold on endeavouring for the Conversion of all about us, Uncertain about the Success of our Endeavours. 'Tis uncertain to us, whether it will remain a Barren Tree, or no. It may be, Fruit may This Year begin to be found upon it. It may be, its Unfruitfulness may render it ripe for cutting down. We must hold on faithfully doing what we have to do; and commend unto GOD our Pains with our Prayers; leaving the Success of all with Him alone.