Professing the Gospel Compared to the Plough

    PROFESSING THE GOSPEL COMPARED TO THE PLOUGH

    "He that puts his hand to the Plough, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven,

    Lu 9:62.

    "HE that puts his hand to the Plough," &c. Our Saviour means, preaching, owning, or professing the Gospel.

    The professing the Gospel may in divers respects be compared to a Plough.

    METAPHOR

    I. A Plough is an instrument made fit for the husbandman, to break up and till his ground.

    PARALLEL

    I. The Gospel is an instrument, prepared and made fit by the Almighty, to break or Plough up the fallow ground of our hearts, Ho 10:12.

    METAPHOR

    II. The Plough cannot break up the ground of itself; it must be held and drawn, or nothing can be done by it.

    PARALLEL

    II. The Gospel must be believed and professed by us; we must lay our hand on it, and by the power of the Spirit it must, as it were, be drawn upon our hearts, or it can do nothing.

    METAPHOR

    III. It is a hard and difficult thing to plough up some ground, especially that which is rocky, full of roots, or hath long lain fallow.

    PARALLEL

    III. So it is a very difficult thing to convince and humble the hard and obdurate heart of a sinner, which is compared to a stone, and as firm as a rock: "Shall horses run upon the rocks? will one Plough there with oxen?" Eze 36:26; Am 6:12.

    METAPHOR

    IV. The Plough pierces deep into the earth, makes, as it were, deep gashes or wounds in the heart of it, discovering what sort of earth it is.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The Gospel pierces the heart of a sinner by powerful convictions: "When they heard this they were pricked," katenuhsan, punctim cædo, pungendo penetro, or pierced point blank, to the heart, Ac 2:37. Then the word divided, as it were, between the soul and spirit, laid the heart open, made a discovery of what was hid within.

    METAPHOR

    V. The work of the Plough is but opus ordinabile, a preparative work in order to sowing the seed.

    PARALLEL

    V. So the Gospel and Word of God, as a Plough, by its powerful convictions upon the conscience, is but a preparative work, in order to the sowing the seed of grace in the heart, Ho 10:12-13.

    METAPHOR

    VI. It is best Ploughing, when the earth is prepared and mollified by the showers of heaven, then the work goes on sweetly.

    PARALLEL

    VI. Never doth the Word of God so kindle work in Ploughing up the fallow ground of the heart, as when the Gospel-clouds dissolve, and the true grace and love of Jesus Christ comes sweetly showering down upon it.

    METAPHOR

    VII. The Plough turns up by the roots, and kills those rank weeds that grow in the field.

    PARALLEL

    VII. So the word of God by its powerful convictions and operations upon the heart kills sin at the root, causing the soul to loathe what it formerly loved.

    METAPHOR

    VIII. That field is not well Ploughed up where the Plough jumps and skips over some part of it, making baulks; and it must turn up all the whole field alike.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. That heart is not savingly wrought upon, where one lust is spared, and left untouched, or when it reacheth not to changing the evil qualities of every faculty. The Word must not reach the conscience only, but the judgment, will, and affections also.

    METAPHOR

    IX. New ground is much more easily Ploughed, than that which hath lain a long time untilled.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So youth, before evil habits, or a custom and course of sin, be taken, and more abundantly cleave to them, are, as it is found by experience, sooner wrought upon by the word of God, than old sinners, when sin hath got root in their hearts.

    METAPHOR

    X. In the last place, and more directly to the main drift and scope of the text, the Plough must he held throughout the whole journey; a man must not put his hand to it, and presently grow weary, and look back

    PARALLEL

    X. So the Gospel, and the profession thereof, must be held, owned, acknowledged, and professed, in truth, and in uprightness of heart, constantly, to the end, even through the whole journey, length, and race of our lives: we must not "grow weary, nor faint in our minds," Ga 6:9. "He that sets his hand to the Plough, i.e. confesses the Gospel, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven," Lu 9:62.

    INFERENCES.

    I. This may convince all persons, what need there is of the Spirit to join in, and work with the word: "For our Gospel came not to you in the word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance," 1Th 1:5.

    II. See that your whole soul be wrought upon, that there be a work upon every faculty thereof.

    III. Take heed of a long continuance in a course of sin. Let the old sinner tremble but if wrought upon in his old age, admire the infinite grace of God.

    IV. From hence you may perceive the hardening nature of sin.

    V. Tremble at the thoughts of apostacy, and take heed you do not shrink your hands off in the day of trial, or refuse to Plough, because it is cold, or because the sun shines hot, &c.

    Mr. JOHN FLAVEL'S Poem upon the PLOUGH.

    There's skill in Ploughing, that the Ploughman knows:

    For if too shallow or too deep he goes,

    The seed is either buried, or else may

    To crows and rooks become an easy prey.

    This, as a lively emblem, fitly may

    Describe the blessed Spirit's work and way,

    Whose work on souls with this doth symbolize;

    Betwixt them both thus the resemblance lies:

    Souls are the soil, the Gospel is the Plough;

    God's workmen hold, the Spirit shows them how.

    The Spirit draws, and in good ground doth bless,

    His workmen's pains with sweet and fair success.

    In hearts prepared God scatters in the seed,

    Which in its season springs. No fowl or weed

    Shall pick it up, or choke this springing corn,

    Till it be housed in the heavenly barn.

    When thus the word Ploughs up the fallow ground,

    When with such fruits his servants' work is crowned,

    Let all the friends of Christ, and souls say now,

    As they pass by these fields, God speed the Plough.