look to him that is poor and contrite and that trembles at his word Isa. 66. 2. SECT VI. THe Sixth Inconvenience of the Calling of an Husbandman is The infelicity of a rustick unrefined Breeding and his inability to help his children with any better We are naturally like the wild asses Colt A Colt is a rude creature much more an Asses Colt and most of all a wild Asses Colt Education breaks us Breeding and Behaviour do pollish that rude mass in which man comes into the world And as in the Creation God did let in Light and put beauty upon the Original Chaos so right breeding opens a Casement into the mind and sayes Let there be Light and there comes Light let there be shape order and beauty and behold it comes accordingly And this is a great mercy to those that have it and improve it It pares off that roughness of disposition and ruggedness of carriage it moralizes it civilizes yea it almost spiritualizes the party that one can hardly discern where Nature leaves and where Grace begins Now the Husbandman seldome meets with this ingenuous breeding in so much as in respect of understanding he is rather-ignorant than knowing in Wisdom rather simple than Judicious in his Will rather surly than malleable in his behaviour rather rude and homely than smooth and polite In Learning the highest degree he hath taken is in Writing and Arithmetick and by reason of his hand-work and small estate he can seldome bring up his children further and no small pains he takes to help his children to write and read and then puts them to a Trade and it is good Mr Dods phrase gives them each a Bible and God be with them Not but that excellent Parts are somtimes found in persons and children of this rank and excellent Schollars have proceeded hence that have honoured every of the Liberal Arts and the more honourable imployments but the usual genius and breeding of the Husbandman is but rustick Quest. If you ask what Remedy there is for this Inconvenience Answ. I answer The wealthier sort must be advised to accomplish their children with better breeding that being a portion as far beyond richâ—…s as the Soul is beyond the Body as an entailed estate is beyond a few moveable goods They who read the History of the Worthies of England shall find some of our greatest Divines Lawyers and Physitians had their Originals from the Plough and why may not God do as much for yours and thereby make them more publick Goods to their Generation But for your selves and for them that are born and likely to live and dye Rusticks you must make up your want of outward accomplishment with inward integrity The less smooth and pollisht you are in behaviour the more sincere and plain be you in your heart It was the Character of the Athenians that they could speak well there was the University of Learning but the Character of the Lacedemonians was that they could do well So though you cannot speak eloquently yet if you can walk uprightly and faithfully you will be Courtiers in Heaven at the last Though you cannot read a letter in the book yet if you can by true Assurance read your Name in the Book of life your Scholarship will serve Though you cannot couch your words in order to men yet if you can say your Errand unto God he will accept you If you cannot write a word yet see you transcribe the fair Copy of a godly righteous and sober life and you have done well Christ Jesus was not Magister Scholae ' sed vitae And if you never get to be good Scholars yet see you be good Christians and then you 'l fit above your Landlords in Heaven if they do not look about them And thus you see the Inconveniences of the Husbandmans Calling which I have described to be an allay to ballast him lest he should be proud of his Excellencies and forget himself lest being so well on earth he should forget Heaven And that by feeling the effects he may be sensible of the evil of our first Fall and mourn for it which hath made his labour painful his gain doubtful his troubles great and his ability small And yet if he lift up the Scales he will perceive the comforts of his Calling many and the Inconveniences few and that the Lord hath tempered his Cup with great wisdom and loving kindness and left the best for him in the bottome CHAP. V. The Temptations of the Husbandman and the Preservatives WE are now arrived at the Fifth Head which is to inquire into the Temptations incident to this Calling Paradise it self was not without them and in every Calling he must expect them There are Temptations to suffering and Temptations to sin the one mentioned James 1. 2. The other vers 13. It is cause of joy when we fall into temptations of suffering especially for Christ many account it all joy when they escape such temptations but we should rather account it all joy when we meet with them It 's cause of sorrow when we are tempted to sin though we are apt to think our selves made with such Temptations And many of these have invaded the harmless Calling of the Husbandman But to be forewarn'd is the way to be fore-arm'd and though he be assaulted yet he is not forsaken He hath a Father that will not lead him into temptation which is not only his daily prayer but his chiefest care That though his Mothers children have him Keeper of the Vineyards yet his own Vineyard may be kept SECT 1. THe First Temptation of the Husbandman is Earthly-mindedness The Earth is his Element therein is his business and there he is in danger to lose his heart as it is said John 3. 31. He that is of the Earth is earthly and speaketh of the Earth The Husbandman is sprung as it were out of the Earth and the frame of his heart is prone to be earthly and his words are much of the same subject As it is impossible to behold the Heavens above us with one Eye and Earth under our feet with the other so it is a very hard business to have the Eye of the Soul upward and the Eye of the Body downward at the same time â—…e World looks little when one is in Heaven a great way off it but while on it it looks vast and great On a Mountain whole Fields at a distance look no bigger than a leaf of this book but he that is at them finds them bigger And a small Hatt held near our Eye will hinder our sight of the Sun more than a great Mountain at a distance O Sirs the Husbandman is near the Earth and it looks great in his eye and indangers to fill the heart and all it swallows up his heart and devours his time and dulls his spirits he is ready to account these things the greatest things because they are next him and
be not blest by prayer or how can God and you be friends if you keep not correspondence cannot he yea will not he make thee amends by the years end for an hour in a day spent with him Alas you may get more in half an hour by Prayer Psalms Reading to wit some grains of true grace than by your hardest working all your lives yea then all the world is worth and why then will you stand so with God for a little time He that gives you all will you stand with him for an inch If your servant should tell you when he hath neglected a business of concernment he could not help it for he had business of his own would it please you so neither will it please God when you omit Prayer c. that you had other business and could not heed it The very Turks though they make their slaves work hard yet afford them time for food and rest will you deal worse with your soul than with a Gally slave Hath not God said Psalm 127.2 It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows except the Lord give his blessing and how is that obtain'd but by prayer a constant blessing but by constant prayer Alas one mischance may half undoe thee and were it not best then to keep in with that God that hath all creatures and casualties in his hand You have heard of that religious Gentleman concerning whom the Witch his Neighbour made this confession at her death That she had waited seven whole years to do him a mischief but his constant Prayers had still disappoynted her until one Morning that hast of business had carryed him from home without Prayer in his Family and before his return she had bewitched four or five of his children Miracle of mercy and nothing else that God hath spared thee whose neglects in that kind have been many What if Satan had been permitted to do so by thee how many Prayers might it have cost thee for deliverance And is it not more comfortable to spend those Prayers for preventing evil than for removing it Is not that Prayer better spent that God commands than that which Sin procures Nay think when you are tempted to neglect the service of God in your Families or otherwise what an honour and advantage it is that you may thus approach God If the King should but give you liberty to come twice or thrice a day into his presence and there tell your whole case and lay out all your wants and promise a real answer to your requests how hard or many soever O how proud would you be of such a priviledge and seldom would you miss your time you would find somthing or other wanting for your selveâ—… or friends and duly improve it How much is your Priviledge greater that may come two or three times a day into the presence of thâ—… King of Kings and be heard about the greaâ—… things of eternal life O never fail your attendance open your mouth wide and he wiâ—… fill it And then get more Zeal that will heal yoâ—… of your deadness in holy duties Think seriously whom am I before my Maker and Redeemer And what am I about The eternal salvation of my soul and body And whither am I going Into that world of souâ—… and spirits that endless state whence I muâ—… never return And are these things to be 〈◊〉 in Are men asleep when they are begginâ—… for their lives in a dream when their Cauâ—… is trying O remember it is the effectâ—… fervent prayer of a righteous man that avaiâ—…eth much Though he be a righteous man yeâ—… except he put fervency into his prayer it prevaileth little Frozen suits meet with colâ—… answers from God Put therefore Fire intâ—… thy Sacrifice and then it will ascend Consider that the Lord thy God is to be loved anâ—… served with all the soul and might and strength and that he hath a curse and not a blessing foâ—… the deceiver that hath in his flock a Male anâ—… voweth and sacrificeth to God a corrupt thing Mal. 1.13 Nay sayes God I could see yoâ—… earnest enough in the Field busie in the House busie in the Barn busie every where and idlâ—… and cold only when you come to me you have in your flock a male but you think any frame any thing will serve me I have no blessing for such as you He that wrestles with me shall prevail he that takes pains shall have the Garland and no man must be crowned except he strive and strive lawfully He that hath zeal strives 2. To prevent deadness or negligence in holy Duties You must not 〈◊〉 your selves Immoderate labour may be sinful as well as immoderate meat and drink Then it is immoderate 1. VVhen it is not consistent with the strength of thy body God requires from no man more than he hath given him he doth not allow a man a weak body and exact from him strong labour this were to require Brick and deny straw When therefore thy pains in thy Calling doth quite dis-spirit or distemper thy body then it grows immoderate and for a poor accident thou hazardest the substance 2. Thy labour then is immoderate when it is not consistent with the Duties of Religion when secret or family Prayer must stand or fall at the courtesie of thy labour and business when thy spirits are exhausted and thy strength so spent that when Duties should be done thy heart like Nabals is dead as a stone thy body worn out and good for nothing but the Bed then your labour becomes immoderate And neither will it advantage thy estate nor thy dead duties advantage thy Soul and so thou makest a fair Bargain For it is certain that what a man gets by immoderate cares and labour does him no more good than what he gets by theft or oppression Hab. 2.13 The people weary themselves in the very fire and that for very vanity VVhat a piece of folly is this to weary a mans self and that in the very fire broyling in the world and all this for very vanity a poor recompence Day-labourers are to be pitied and the Lord no doubt pities them and takes up with a lesser Rent of service from them than from their Masters yet even they must remember that they have souls as well as bodies that they have a Master in Heaven as well as a Master upon Earth that a Living must be gotten for Hereafter as well as aâ—… present and they ought as Tertullian saith of eating so to work as that they remember they must to Prayer before they go to bed Lest this rise up against them that they were careful to take some warm thing in the morâ—…ing for their bodies before they went to work and neglected a warm Prayer or Chapter that were much more wholsome for theâ—… souls You should argue if I have taken all this pains all day for a little money shall I
know your purse will not reach many nor your time serve you to peruse them and a few Books well read are like ground well till'd which is far better then a great Demesne that alwayes lies fallow Be sure then that you consult and advise with some judicious and pious Divine about the choice of your Books that may direct you to such as are most fit for your condition that you may not only buy such as are Good but such as are the Best because your time and money is so precious Perhaps you 'l say your Charge is great and your Rent is great and no money will be spared for these uses A hard case if you cannot spare two or three shillings in a whole year for God and your Souls when divers that have as great a Charge and Rent as you and yet can spend more than that quantity in a year vainly and wickedly and yet make a shift to live in the world Alas God tryes you hereby whether you can deny your selves and abate a little from back and belly and give it this way to your poor souls Resolve then to purchase this houshold-stuff which by Gods blessing may do both you and your children more good than thousands of Gold and Silver yea you may by a discreet lending of them to your kindred and neighbours startle and reform them also A practise which I would recommend to persons of Ability whereby they may be very instrumental in promoting the Kingdome of Jesus Christ in the world to wit by buying some numbers of awakening and practical books and engaging their Kindred and poor Neighbours to read them over in such a time and return them some account thereof And though I undertake not to determine what books are fittest â—…or your several conditions yet of those that I have perused these following may be most useful for the generality of your families which I entreat you to buy and read as soon as you can In the first place let not your house nor any of your grown children be without a Bible Though other books have much of Heaven in them this book is all Heaven And it is as unfit to be without this in your house as to be without a fire or without your houshold bread Next that you and yours may be grounded in the Principles of our Excellent Religion buy the Assemblies Two Catechismes and Confession of Faith the Shorter for your Children and Servants to learn by heart the Other for you and them to read and consider for your understanding in the good knowledge of God wherein also Mr. Ball 's Catechism with the Exposition is most excellent and useful Mr. Baxter's Call to the Vnconverted and Mr. Dent's Plain-mans Path-way to Heaven will be well worth your buying and reading for the awakening your souls and your Children to saving conversion Mr. Shepheard's Sound Believer Mr. Allen's First Part of the Vindication of Godliness and Mr. Dod on the Commandments are choice Books to help you in inside practical holiness The Practice of Piety also and the Whole Duty of Man have so many useful Instructions both about Devotion and Conversation that I would recommend them to you Dr. Goâ—…ge of Domestical Duties will be necessary to teach your whole family their Relative Duties Mr. Pool'sDialogue will be very useful to settle you in the True Protestant Religion against the Papists and if you can reach either Diodates or the Dutch Annotations on the Bible after all to help you to understand the hard Scriptures you daily meet with though you may read you need not buy many more books for your souls But when you have bought these books let them not lie dustie by you but read and lend them and read them again but be sure to mix Meditation and Ejaculation with your reading and when you shut the book consider what profit you have gotten and bless the Lord. Thus you may refresh your spirits after your hard labour and with the same exercise revive both your bodies and your souls SECT IX IX THe Ninth Rule for the Husbandman in his Calling is Pay your Great Land-lord his Rent The Lord of Heaven and Earth is Lord of the Soil and Lord of the Soul also and a Chief belongs to him This is that great Housholder Mat. 21.33 that planted a Vineyard and hedged it about and let it out to Husbandmen and went into a far Country And he hath charged a Rent over and beside your earthly Land-lords upon your estate and it concerns you to enquire what it is what Arrears there are and what course to take for the constant discharge thereof least the Lord turn you out of doors Your petty Land-lord can but turn you into the wide World but your Chief Land-lord can turn you out into Hell The former indeed may imprison you but the latter can damn you Alas how little have you thought of this one Year returns after another your Earthlie Land-lord calls for Rent and you make hard shift to pay him but your Heavenly Land-lord calls and calls again and no Rent is paid to him What will ye do in the end thereof Pray consider though you hold your Land of man yet you hold your Life of God though you have your house of some Great man yet you have the body and soul that inhabits it of the Great God you have your health of God your strength of God You hold the Gospel by a tenure in Capite of God through Jesus Christ now what Rent do you pay unto him flinch not nor start away but say what Rent have you ever paid unto God Must every one have their due but God canst thou please him only with fair words or content him with naked promises Can you pay unto men their Pounds and cannot you pay unto God his Pepper-corn what deny your Maker his pepper-corn why what is this pepper-corn I answer It 's contained in one verse Psal. 50. last He that offereth praise glorifieth me and he that ordereth his conversation aright to him will I shew the Salvation of God Your Rent then consists in Holy Worship and Holy Walking When you sit down to meal and rise my Rent says God Be sure he have cordial praises that you adore him in your hearts See your tongue be the faithful Messenger of your very heart so when you lie down and rise up when you go out and come in again in all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy steps but this is not all your Rent you live by him you must live for him if you ever mean to live with him Go to then speak and act for God to the utmost of your Capacitie The little you can do for God do it with all your might If God will take his rent in thoughts in words and in deeds that cost you nothing O grudge it not delay it not Cry out Lord I am a poor man but here is my Rent at my day Well done good and
much among the Creatures He must study the Earth as well as the Heavens and you know the hired Servanâ—…â—…hat are out in the fields may more easily forget their Lord than they who wait on him in his chamber There are many in the world that have little else to do but think of God and their Souls but the Husbandman he hath many things to think on many things to care for besides and the Moon of the world doth interpose and hide from him the sight and beams of the Sun of Righteousness and because God is out of sight he is too much out of the mind of the Husbandman If the year be fruitfull he is ready to give the honour thereof to the goodness of the Ground or to the skilfull husbandry thereof If it be unfruitful he is apt to conclude such and such a thing was the cause not looking to the First Cause the Mercy or Justice or Providence of God which doth order and govern the growing of every grasse pile and the blasting of every single ear of corn upon the earth But none saith where is God my maker who giveth Songs in the night Job 35. 10. When the rain distills and makes the fields to smile dow readily does the Husbandman cry out O the sweetness of this rain but how unready is he to break forth and say O the sweetness of that God that gives it And to help on this neglect of God most languages have made those words Impersonals that signifies Rain Snow and the like which must have no Nominative case It Rains it Freezes c. as if men were loth to acknowledge God in those peculiar works of his Providence When this part of his field misses he is far proner to take notice of the badness of the Earth than of the Anger of Heaven When his Cattle mismarry his eye is quicker upon the improvidence of his Servants than on the Providence of his Master in Heaven But none saith where is God my Maker And so because we cannot discern his finger he is constrained next time to lay on his hand and awaken us to feel and see him Thus the Honour also which is due to God is often laid at the feet of second Causes and men blesse the hand that reaches and not the Hand that sends it If Grace be not predominant in our Husbandmans heart you shall more commonly hear him when he is reaping his Corn commend the goodness of his ground than the Goodness of his God and declare to his neighbours his own skill with great freedome and frequency but speak of Gods blessing which was All in All seldome and with much straitnesse The Autidotes against this Temptation are 1. A full Perswasion of the General Providence and particular influence of God the First Cause over all and into all Second Causes hence they are called Second Causes because of their relation and dependance on the First See the Genealogy of Corn and Wine resolved into God Hos. 2. 21 22. Hence some of the very Heathen when they went to plow in the morning they laid one hand on the Plough to speak their own part to be painfulness and held the other hand up to Ceres their Goddess of Corn to testifie their expectation of plenty from her It is God alone that crowns the year with his Goodnesse Psal. 65. 〈◊〉 He bringeth the wind out of his treasures he giveth the former latter rain in their season he causeth his wind to blow and the waters flow Psal 147.16 Not a drop of rain but he makes and sends it and tells it where it shall fall When the Sun shines or showers fall do but draw by the curtain and by faith you may see God in the thing Deut. 11. 15. And I will sendgrass in thy fields for thy Cattel that thou mayest eat and be full Does thy Grass grow well God from heaven sent thee that grass Does it wither parch and fail God hath sent for thy grass away and that he never does without good reason And therefore under the Law Exod. 23.16 19. God called for the first fruits of their land partly to let them know who it was that gave them and charges his People Deut. 8. 18. Beware least thou say in thy heart my Power and the Might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth but thou shalt REMEMBER the LORD thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth And all thy Endeavours without his Blessing are as Caesar said of Senecas writings Arenâ—… sine calce they fall asunder Look thou therefore at God in all things The Finger of God may be seen by an eâ—…e of Faith There is no Event so great nor any so â—…nall but the hand of God is in it And O how canst thou forget God when thou mayest hear from him and see him every minute Though you see not his face yet you may discern his foot-steps Go into the field and he hath been there return into thy house among thy children and there hath he â—…en before thee Thou may'st meet him in every mercy and feel him in every Judgment As the Wife therefore is somtimes angry with what the Servant is doing till he tell her that his Master appoynted him then she sayes no more So when cross Accidents fret thee and second Causes walk contrary to thee remember the First Cause hath bidden them and rest content If the Bottles of Heaven be stopped knock at Gods door and he will open them Jer. 14. 22. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain or can the Heavens give Showers Art not thou He O Lord our God Therefore we will wait upon thee for thou hast made all these things Three Keyes the Jewish Rabbins often give him The Key of the Wâ—…mb the Key of the Grave and the Key of the Clouds implying that none but He can unlock these Learn then to see God to seek God in all things Satan cannot enter into an Hogg without divine appoyntment VVhat can one think more casual and independent on God than the Sabeans and Chaldeans taking away Job's Cattle and yet he looks beyond them at God The Lord hath taken away and this contents him This opens our mouths to praise him for mercies and strikes us dumb from repining against him in crosses I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou dâ—…dst it Look through all Creatures and Providences as through a Glass and behold God disposing thee and them with infinite wisdome so wilt thou meet God every step and keep correspondence with him though mediately all the day long As it was with Saul and his fellow travellers Acts 9. 7. They all heard a voice but none save Saul saw Jesus Christ So any man perceives the external sensible effects of providence but it 's the Christian Husbandman that sees God in them and adores him Every Rivulet guides him up to the fountain and seeing his works he presently ascends to
provide for them That God who hears young Ravens will hear young Children Though Ishmael was no better then he should be yet God heard the voice of the Lad Gen. 21.17 for the old love that was between himself and Abraham And he often thinks with comfort on that Psal. 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging bread And he hath need of Faith to hold up his heart under his many wearisome cares and troubles Faith will find honey in the Lion and comfort in the Bible when there 's none on earth and therefore when the Husbandman comes home tired with his hard work he takes the Bible and there finds that every condition all things shall work together for good to them that love God That when flesh and heart faileth yet God is the strength of his heart and his portion for ever He finds that tribulation works patience and patience experience That affliction is better than sin That it is better to be worn out with labour than to be given up to lust He believes the day how dark soever will end well O the Husbandman cannot live a day without faith He cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God And lastly he hath need of Faith for his poor soul in the world to come If ever any man sure he may say Psal. 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living This is his refuge when nothing else will serve when his body and spirits are spent when his cares and crosses prevail against him Heaven will put an end to this Now I am plowing in the Earth but shortly I shall be reaping in Heaven This sweating life will be over and my singing life will begin yet a while and I shall be sent for post to Heaven There is but one life between me and a great Estate my troubles will have an end but my joy will never have an end and my short afflictions which are but for a moment are all this while working for me an exceeding great and eternal weight of glory And this I believe I have not onely some sleight and groundless hopes of it but I have an Evidence for it I find my Name in the Scripture and so know it is in the book of Life And therefore my heart is glad my glory rejoyceth my flesh also that hath little rest here doth rest in hope my possessions are little but my reversions great He that shall be rich for ever may be content to be poor a while And thus you have heard what special Graces the Husbandman should have and which I earnestly in Gods behalf perswade you to strive for with all your might leave no means unused no strength unspent for the attaining of these Graces It is possible to get them its profitable to have them its perillous to be without them without these you live but little above your beasts you do but drudge O therefore go to the God of grace for them and never leave him till you have them CHAP. VIII The Abuse of Husbandry SECTION I. WE are come now in the Eighth place to Discover the Abuse of Husbandry And pity it is that so honest and innocent an Imployment should be abused but abus'd it is by many But that 's the fault of the men not of the Calling the Calling shall be had in honour when they shall dye in shame What Calling more Excellent than the Ministry and yet alas how is that Calling abused but wo to them by whom offences come let that holy Calling stand innocent and honourable notwithstanding Our worthy Calling of Husbandry is defaced by too many but for all that remains Excellent Yet these Abuses we must detect that you may see the extreames and never fall into them SECT I. THe First Abuse of the Husbandmans Calling is by Drunkenness and Gluttony So we find Gen. 9.20 21. And Noah began to be an Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drank of the Wine and was drunken Here we have Noahs Imployment and his Infirmity His imployment he began to be an Husbandman Though all the world was his and his heirs for ever yet he chose to have a Calling and he chose this Calling And then here is his Infirmity where there are two extreames in opinion Some making it an unpardonable crime that an aged wise and holy man should thus miscarry not charitably considering that it was not Intemperance but Inexperience that caused his fallâ—… And others holding it was no sin at all because Involuntary and of Ignorance but this annihilates it not extenuate it may it was ill done but recorded purposely to warn us from the like Patriarchae nos docent non soluâ—… Docentes sed Errâ—…tes The Patriarchs Errors teach us as well as their Instructions O let this instance teach the Husbandman never to abuse his Calling thus by drunkenness and Gluttony I mean immoderate eating and drinking when men eat or drink more than doth good not onely when it is too much for their heads or stomacks but when it is too much for their time or too much for their estate which God will account Drunkenness at the last day Though there be degrees of it and some worse than other and it is worse in some men than in others and beseems an Husbandman as ill as most others in the world And yet he is prone to think there is no Recreation but an Ale-house no way to quench his Cares but by strong drink no exercise on a Festival but quaffing and smoaking But this is a fearful Abuse in thy Calling Thy hard labour will never excuse thy hard drinking thy field groans that bears the grain which thou thus abusest Why this is a beastly and deadly sin Other sins 't is true in their nature are many of them worse than this but few beyond it considering the inseparable effects of it namely the rendring the man or rather the beast liable to all sins A sin that by degrees will steal all the money out of thy purse all the comforts out of thy house all thy credit and all thy conscience and leave thee nothing but stinging sorrow O rectifie therefore this Abuse Hast thou no Recreation but thy Ruine no pleasure but in Sin no way to refresh thy body but by wounding thy soul hast thou so many houses neer thee where thou may'st be chearfull and welcome for thy company and will none serve thee but the Alehouse where thou art welcome onely for thy money Think as thou entrest in those doors Doth God call me hither Can I give account of this Is God to be met with here would I be found thus by Death Shall I gratifie my flesh to provoke my God Shall I sadden my Conscience to chear my Appetite I 'le away I 'le stay here no longer Depart
saving stakes in the world is his by-business but saving his soul is his main business For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his own soul Mat. 16.26 what is he better if he discharge all his debts and die in Gods debt and be cast into the prison of hell for ever What welcome can he have to God that hath done every thing but what was chiefly given him in charge That is good counsel then for the Husbandman Mat. 6.19 20. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where Thiefs break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasure in Heaven Nothing you can get in this world that can be laid up safe but if your soul be saved that will be safe for ever You must remember that you were not made to work and eat but to save your souls in the first place God hath no where promised that if you seek the world and the vanities thereof the things of Gods Kingdom shall be added to you but he hath promised that if you Seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof all other things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 And there-therefore the Religious Husbandman will secure the main chance I must part with my house and my ground and my children but my soul I must live with for ever and that I will secure I know many things are useful but one thing is needful And no care enters deeper than the welfare of this no cross lies heavier than the hindrance of this As in a common fire a man will strive to save his building but if he cannot he would not lose his goods yet if these go in the flame he 'l venture far to save his Cash his Writings and his Jewels So our Husbandman is careful of his other concerns but his Soul his Jewel in the thickest of his business he will endeavour to feed and cure and save whatsoever it cost him The soul like some great Personage is somewhat exceptious if she be not regarded in the first place she will not be served with broken meat When that is made a by-business which should be the main business when men are serious in trifles and trivial in serious things that 's wisdom from beneath stark folly before God The Husbandman is loth to end his life with that doleful song Cant. 1.6 My Mothers Children made me keeper of the Vineyards but my own Vineyard I have not kept And yet alas for grief how many such foolish Creatures are there that like Children sent upon some weighty errand fall in love with this and the other gay flower or weed in their way and play with them while their business is neglected how do such Children deserve to be welcom'd home So do they Almighty God hath sent you into this world upon a great errand namely to conquer the Devil exalt the Lord Jesus and climb to Heaven Ah Sirs do not fall in love with the fading flowers of lawful comforts do not play with the stinking weeds of unlawful lusts and forget your errand Remember there 's no conversion after Death no Sermons in the grave no forgiveness in hell lo this is the accepted time this is the day of salvation you must plow and sow for Eternity No seedness here no harvest there SECT III. III. THe Third Design of the Husbandman should be The Publick Good He hath learned but a little way in the book of Christianity that sets his private benefit above the publick good He that will Sleep in Jesus must serve his Generation Acts 13.36 And the Religious Husbandman will serve his God and then will serve his Generation and then will serve himself not himself first no how may I further the common Good He plows and sows not only because he lives by it but because the Common Wealth cannot live without it That was right Husbandry in Joseph Gen. 41. He did not hoard corn and let others starve but he hoarded it lest others should starve It is said Prov. 11.26 He that withholdeth corn people shall curse him but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it and the wise Husbandman more values the blessing of God upon an empty barn than a full barn and a curse therein He is more pleased with the publick wealth though he lie under private wants than if himself had wealth and there were publick want abroad Though he be a private man yet he should have a Publick spirit It is strange what Instances have been of this Excellent Spirit among Heathens One advising his Countrey men for the publick Good though he knew that Advice would speedily cost him his life Another purposely disguising himself in the battel that he might be there to save his Countrey Another venturing to Sea in a dreadful storm to relieve his needy City with Corn with this conclusion it is not necessary that I live but it is necessary that Rome be relieved Shall limping Nature go thus far that had no Bible but the Creatures nor Heaven but the Elysian Fields Surely grace in the Husbandman will not leave him behind For he hath far stronger inducements to be publick spirited to wit The Love of Jesus Christ which love being shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost should make him drown his private in the Publick Good Away then with that poorness that baseness of spirit out of this Excellent Calling As David though he had then onely commenc'd Shepheard yet when he heard of Goliah's affront to the publick he had the heart of a King to vindicate that disgrace and took his life in his hands and came off with honour So should the Religious Husbandman look above himself above his own silly interest and design the publick good in his labours And as the least pin is of use in the greatest building so the meanest Husbandman may be of use in the Mightiest State and the Swords that defend us would be of little avail without the Plough-shares to maintain them It were a mercenary Souldier that only would fight for his pay no he must fight for his Country So that 's a Mercenary Husbandman that onely works for riches he must labour for his Countrey else he is not worthy to live in it And therefore wheresoever his private benefit crosses the publick as in hoarding up Corn in a time of dearth or any such like therein he must deny himself and account that sordid yea cursed gain that is obtained with the general loss SECT IV. IV. THe Fourth Design of the Husbandman should be The Education of and Provision for his Children God hath given him Children and fain he would bring them up and bring them up as the Children of the Most High He holds up Abraham for his Copy Gen. 18.19 with whom he resolves to charge all his with the fear of God in the first place and can never look upon them
Seat the greater Rent you must pay unto God When thou lookest on thy habitation bless the Lord when thou walkest in thy ground bless the Lord many others they have barren ground rotten house unwholsome Air dangerous scituation now if it be otherwise with thee say not I have gotten this by my wit or labour or sword but Lord thy right hand and tâ—…ine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadsta favour unto me Psal. 44. 3. If you didst but see in a glass the miserable houses of many a child of God you would bless the Lord upon your knees and never repine at some petty inconvenience that troubles your mind yea make a step somtimes into the poor mans Coat and behold the pitiful abiding that he hath and then praise the Lord who setteth the bounds of your habitatioâ—…s and who might have taken an house for thee in Bedlam in a Dungeon But this is not all Verbal praises cannot pay off real Mercies and therefore see you make a sutable return of honour and service unto God The Sun shines on the Stars and they reflect light on us so seeing God hath so singularly provided for you be singularly useful to him If you be lean in a fat pasture you may be justly turned to Commons If Israel be unfruitful in Canaan he must be sent to Babel Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things Therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies in the want of all things The nearer and liker to Heaven thy place is the better howbeit any habitation on this side Hell may content a poor sinner as thou art CHAP. II. The main Doctrine proposed An Husbandman described and the Lawfulness of his Calling SECT I. AND now we are come to the Kind of this great Mans imployment and this was to Dress and keep the ground to be an Husbandman from whence we gather this Doctrinal conclusion That Husbandry is a most ancient and excellent Calling It was a wise answer of Father Latimer when his Enemies accused him to K. Henry 8. for his malepert preaching before him a little while before said He Your Grace hath many fitter persons to preach before You than my self and I would be glad to be dismis't But if there be no remedy but that I must preach before the King I will preach as to a King and sutable to his place which answer took well and got him off Even so My dearly Beloved since it is my lot to preach in the Country among Husbandmen I will preach as to Husbandmen something sutable to your Calling and that from this Text and Doctrine In the handling of this Subject I shall shew 1. What an Husbandman is 2. The Lawfulness of his Calling 3. The Excellencies thereof 4. The Inconveniences 5. His Temptations 6. His Lessons from his Calling 7. The Graces requisite 8. The abuse of it 9. His Designs 10. Some Rules for him in his Calling And first of the First viz. What an Husbandman â—…s I shall take him here in his largest Capacity for since our Father Adams time divers other Callings have been cantelled out of it but he had it intire and as he left it I shall take it in this place A Husbandman is a man that works profit out of the Earth that makes the ground that bred him keep him that makes the Earth bear his charges to Heaven And so the Holy Ghost describes him Jam. 5.7 The Husbandman first worketh then waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth At first this was done without toyl The ground was dress'd with as little pain and as much pleasure as now it 's walkt on or as a tree is prun'd but since the Fall the Calling is somwhat worse All Trades decay but yet a good Husband may mend it A Christian Husbandman that can husband his Husbandry may live comfortably here and happily hereafter A Christian Husbandman is a man with his hands in the Earth and his heart in Heaven he lives above that which he cannot live without he is daily Digging his Grave and at length layes him in it he makes the Earth to feed him and at last to cover him The Physitian is bred out of the Corruption of our Bodies and the Lawyer is bred out of the Corruption of our Manners The Tradesmen live upon one another But the Husbandman lives upon the precious fruits of the Earth and sustains them all SECT II. THe Second Point to be handled is The Lawfulness of his Calling It stands men upon to be well assured of the lawfulness of their Callings else every stroke they take in them is Sin In the choice of Callings think of this Is my Calling lawful And am I lawfully called into it No Calling on earth hath precedence to this for lawfulness It s true the lawfullest Calling may be abused by a graceless man That transcendent Calling of the Ministry the Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2. 17. did so abuse that men did abhor the offerings of the Lord. Wo wo for ever if they repent not to all such Hophnites that drive the Lords people from the Lords offerings But this can lay no imputation upon that worthy Calling A Spider can suck poyson from the sweetest Flower and so a bad Husband may make shift to grow bankrupt on the best Calling in he World but yet in its self the Husbandman hath as much to say for the lawfulness of his imployment as any man under Heaven For 1. It is a Calling of Gods choyre and that is the best Portion that God carves If there had been the least sin in it he would never have disposed our Father Adam into it He that knew all the Callings that men would invent he pitcht upon this And he chose it for his eldest Son and you know men will serve the first best God tells his people Israel he would bring them to a Land that he had spied out for them and if there be an happy place on earth God can spy it out why this was a Calling that God had spied out for his Eldest Child Adam Therefore lawful no doubt 2. It is a Calling of mans industry and so the more lawful When a Calling is driven on only by Art and Cunning there is sin enough in such Callings but the Hand is more innocent than the Head There is no guile in innocent labour The sweat of the Browes is harmless sweat If there be any flaw it is in the Man not in the Husbandry which is as innocent as the state of Innocency it self Indeed most other Callings are lawful too in themselves but they border more nearly upon sin and temptation than this doth They may be more profitable but cannot be more lawful Think of this Poor Husbandman to thy comfort when thou art sweating at thy Plough This is heavy cheer But I am in my Calling my lawful
at his first creation 4. In Filio In his Son so we know a mans name and nature very much Certain it is that an Heavenly heart meets God in his way in every thing he sees the footsteps of his power wisdome and mercy in the creatures his very picture in his Saints his glory in the glass of his Ordinances his very bowels in his Son The husband-man can read in a morning a sweet lecture of Dependance on God upon the fowles of the air of the Providence of God in the lillies of the field of the wisdome of God in ordering the rivers to water the earth of the power of God in preserving his corn and bringing it up Presentemque refert quaelibet herba Deum SECT VIII AN Eighth Excellency of Husbandry is That it makes a man neither too rich nor too poor And this was a wise mans choice and prayer Prov. 30. 8. Give me neither poverty nor riâ—…ches not but that God can make either of them blessings and many a man hath gone to Heaven out of a Palace and veâ—…y many out of a Cottage but the middle state is the safest and that is the Husband-mans condition his state is above Pitty and below Envy They that pity him know not his comforts and contents and they who envy him know not his cares and labours I dare say never paid his Rent Solon accounted Tellus the Athenian the most happy man for living privately on his own Lands and thus the Husbandman is happy That food is best that makes a man neither too lean and languid nor too fat and foggy and that state is best that gives a man food convenient for him For as for Riches they are mercies but they are dangerous mercies Sin never prospers more then in prosperity it doth emasculate and effeminate the spirits and nourisheth so many weeds that the winter of affliction hath much adoe to master them How loth are men to deny themselves when they have a great self to deny how loth to dye that have so much to leave what cares must needs invade their prayers and break their Rest that have abundance And how hard is it to be full and not forget the Lord grow lazy in Religion and love the present world So that a wise man will be as much afraid to be rich as others are to be poor Now the Husbandman is seldom sick of a surfet If he can reach wholesome meat and cloaths and pay his rent and put his children in a way to live he hath his desire And then on the contrary Poverty is a wofull Disease makes a man unuseful heartless and burdensome and hazzards him on unlawfull courses He may be tempted to distrust providence and so steal and take Gods name in vain and except mens hearts were softer more will pity him than relieve him Now the Husbandman though his fare be be hard and his rayment course yet he is kept from stealing instead of begging he relieves the beggar and makes amends for the smallness of his Alms with the smiles that go with it As our Holy Statist saith though he wear tin in his buttons yet hath he silver in his pocket and if he wear russet clothes yet he makes golden payment SECT IX THe Ninth Excellency of Husbandry is That it is a Calling of the greatest necessity It is none of the trades that the world might well live without Some callings serve the Delight of man some his Fancy some his Lust but this serves his Necessity Now Necessity sets the price on things Sole Sale nihil utilius The Commonness of the Sun in Heaven or the Salt upon Earth doth not diminish from the worth of them because they are so necessary So the multitude of Husbandmen abates not their excellency we cannot live without them You would read but faintly nor I write this that you are reading but for some Husbandmans sweating last harvest How should God have his Rent for all these creature comforts but through his help Or how should man have a livelihood without his fore-cast The Earth would quickly return to her bryars and thorns without his culture Instead of Roses we must have Nettles and instead of Corn brambles And therefore let him have his honour we cannot live without him As Grace is the one thing needful for the Soul it lives not a day in a true sence without it so Bread is the one thing needful for the body and it dyes without it without the staff of bread we fall to the ground and who can provide for bread without the Husbandman Plutarch tells of one Pythis a great Prince that having discovered some rich mines in his territories imployed so many of his Subjects there that tillage being neglected a general dearth followed His prudent Queen being sensible of the calamity of the Country when her Husband came hungry to dinner had procured the Bread and Meat to be artifiâ—…lly made of Gold The King was delighted with the deceit till being throughly hungry he called for real meat Nay says she if you imploy all your Subjects in your Mines you must expect to feed upon Gold for nothing else can your Kingdome afford So that the digging in the mines must give place to the Husbandmans digging in the ground else they 'l dig but a while You remember that pretty Fable of all the members mutinying against the Belly for that they did all the work and she devoured all the meat wherefore they resolved to cut her short she should labour as well as they or fast for it Accordingly they deal with her all the members refuse to help her but e're long the hands languish the legs grow feeble the eyes dim and the head light and soul and body had like to have taken leave At length they see their errour and perceive that the belly maintain'd them all and for all its 〈◊〉 they could not live without it and so renewed their care thereof and then their strength was renewed even so though the Husbandman have but a low situation in the body politick yet ' if he be discouraged neglected or should surcease all degrees of men would be at a loss and from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot the body politick would be sick SECT X. THe Tenth Excellency of the Husbandmans calling is That it is an healthful and chearfull Calling His labour is his Physick and he purgeth through all his pores A Docâ—…our is seldome seen in his house he lives above them and mostly lives without them unless it be that Colledge of Physitians Dr. Diet Dr. Quiet and Dr. Merryman as you use to term them He hath no superfluities at his Table to beget crudities in his stomack is not inflamed with Sack nor drown'd in flegm nor sunk with poring Melancholy He is singing at his work when others are puling in their chambers And though he have not riches and honour which
he lives in them and upon them he looks on his money and sees more beauty in it than in the Sun that shines and the face upon his Silver he thinks the beautifullest face in the world The lowing of his Cattel is better Musick to him than the best Musick and a good Crop more welcome suppose him yet without an Eye of Faith than all the Promises in the Bible Psal. 17. 14. Deliver me from men of this world which have their Portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with hidden treasures When the Belly is full of the hid treasures of the Earth the Heart is often empty of the hidden treasures of Heaven Described again Phil. 3.19 Who mind earthly things To have earthly things is a mercy but to mind earthly things is a curse And this is his Temptation herein is his Calling and herein is his Temptation You know it is hard to touch pitch without defilement where both hands aâ—… full much adoe to keep the heart empty and especially when Riches increase the heart is set on them O what carnal delight hath a man of the world to see his stock of Cattle stand and increase when his fields are well grown and his barns filled The comforts of heaven only exceed it Thou hast put gladness into mine heart more than when their corn and wine increased Psal. 4. 7. The choicest of his thoughts are prone to be spent on these things and his Soul cleaveth to the dust Poor man though he be never likely to have great things in the world yet his head is full of Proclamations as we say and his heart of distractions Much adoe to dwell on Earth and live in Heaven at the same time or for him to have the heart set on the other world that hath this world set in his heart But that I may not discover the diseases of this Calling without prescribing some cure thereof I shall add to each Temptation an Antidote or two if you will resolve not onely to approve them but apply them 1. One Preservative from this Temptation will be to consider the Nature of your souls So excellent that they are capable to know and enjoy God himself they are company for an Angel they are Nobly Descended Now to degrade these to bury them in a furrow to make them stoop to the slavish service of the world is unworthy and unreasonable As if a man had Golden Mills to grind nothing but for Horse-bread with them It 's enough for the Serpent to eat the Dust all his dayes your souls are created for an higher end 2. And then consider the uncertainty of all these Earthly things you set your hearts upon Prov. 23. 5. Wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is not Mark it 's not worth looking at much less setting thy heart thereon that which is not things that fade are not they have no being worth speaking of And it follows For riches certainly make themselves wings if no body steal them or take them away yet they make themselves wings certainly they will away and flee not only depart fairly or run in haste from you but flee from you and who would mind such fading trasn They will sing you a sweet song like the bird by your window but they are gone you have them not in a Cage And who will fall in love with a Sparrow on the house top 3. Be often in the Scriptures That 's an Heavenly Book and will best cure an Earthly heart To converse with the world will make you worldly but to converse with God will make you heavenly There God will tell you the vanity and vexation that is in all earthly things There he will shew better things yea durable riches and righteousness The Devil can shew you on a Mountain all the Glory of the World but on the Pisgah of the Bible God can shew you all the Glory of Heaven You can hardly come out of the Scriptures without a divine frame if you will read them withall your heart The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver Two or three Scriptum est's dash't and disgraced all the Glory of the World and the God of it also 4. Be exercised oft in Meditation As tillage changes the nature of some barren grounds and makes them better so Meditation changes the complexion of the soul finds it poor and leaves it rich lifts up the soul to converse with God familiarizes the invisible things of God to the soul and makes a man at home in Heaven and a stranger on Earth He that will think with all his heart on God can think but with half an heart on any thing in the world When the Soul hath been a while above what 's a house or field in comparison of God what 's a Crown or a World to Him that sitteth on the Throne Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there 's none on Earth I can desire like thee Psal. 73. 25. SECT II. II. The Second Temptation of the Husbandman is Discontent He hath divers crosses and these provoke him to murmure against God He hath but narrow comforts of this life and this occasions some grudgings at his own Condition His shoe pinches him and he cannot hide it Unless he be Master of much Grace he frets he fumes he thinks the world is unequally divided he takes himself something neglected and injured His house is ready to fall his children want cloaths his rent day is near and his money far off his comforts are discomforts his things are nothings and thus he grudges because he is not satisfied God himself can hardly please him The Lord hath helped him in forty things but he is in a strait again and now that is forgotten God takes no care of poor men his Lot is worse than every ones never man had such a life would he were in his grave he should then be quiet and thus poor man he thinks he hath reason on his side and that he hath cause to be angry And then the injuries caluâ—…ies and trespasses he meets with from his unjust neighbours these grate again upon his angry humour and inflame him again never man had such neighbours one trespasses on him on this side another sues him for trespass on the other side A Thief goes away with a sheep or an horse this way the Fowls and Mice they purloine away his corn another way His Landlord exacts upon him every one wrongs him and he must be a Stock or a Stoick that were insensible But these things meeting with a weak Christian weary with labour tempt him sometimes to say My soul is weary of my life I will speak in the bitterness of my soul Job 10. 1. and alas so he does if Grace prevent not his wife she is chidden his children beaten his servants turned out of doors his neighbours reviled and then after all he 〈◊〉 at himself grieves and
it him again Prov. 19.17 There is his Bond. Though all be his yet he will accept of it as lent Think when the poor crave God hath sent them to borrow for him who will not take it kindly to be denyed It 's true it seems lost and you think its as good to cast it down the River as give it to them O no it is not lost it 's Book't in Heaven and shall be paid on Earth Cast thy bread on the Waters and it shall return after many dayes Eccl. 11.1 most commonly in this life but the longer it s unpaid the greater will the sum be at last The man is yet unborn that hath lost any thing by God If you can but trust him you may gain sufficiently by him And to this do all good men set their Seal That the charitable hand is blessed of the Lord and he that loves to give seldom is in need to receive Alas God doth littâ—…e less thâ—…n miracles in the Husbandmans house every day So much Rent to pay so many Children to maintain so many payments without any breathing time and yet he lives and is cheerful and for the most part dies less in debt than his Landlord Whence comes this but from the wonderful Providence and Blessing of God A man would wonder whence every peny and penyworth comes that he gives and spends and payes why the Scripture will tell you He that watereth shall be watered also himself Sirs charity is good Husbandry for it brings a certain and plentiful Harvest Let the man come forth that can say he ever was loser by Christ at the long run If every bit of bread nay if every cup of cold water nay if every cheerful word nay if every charitable thought be not now or shortly rewarded then murmure and hold your hand but till then open your purse open your hands open your hearts and hide not your self from your own flesh SECT VII VII THe Seventh Temptation of the Husbandman is Distracting Care He hath so much to do and so little to do it on much Brick to make and little straw to make it with that he is apt to be overful of cares What shall we eat and what shall we drink and wherewithall shall we be cloathed Martha and he are sick of the same disease to whom Christ thus Luke 10.40 Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things Thy care divides thy heart it divides it from me it divides it from its self it is a care that troubles thee that 's naught There is a care of the Head a care of Providence Prov. 31.16 That 's commendable There is a care of the Hand a care of diligence Prov. 21.5 That 's profitable And a care of the Heart a care of diffidence Phil. 4.6 That 's abominable Much of this care molests our Husbandman many cares about his house many about his ground care fills his heart in Seed time care overfills it in Harvest but when his Rent day approaches his cares press him down care somtimes to borrow it and then care to repay it These invade him in the worship of God and make long Parentheses in his Prayers these wait upon him to his bed and somtimes trouble him in it and these visit him next his heart in the Morning When he should be full of the thoughts of Heaven these fill him with thoughts of the Earth and the Body robs the Soul of the cares that are needful for it as how it should be fâ—…d wherewith it should be cloathed or how its deadly wounds shall be healed how seldome do these break his sleep When the Husbandman is Reading or at Praâ—…r and running quite towards Heaven these like a rubb to the Bowl make him fall short of his Mark. O sayes he if this Rent were paid or if I had no Rent at all to pay how freely and cheerfully could I serve God and take care about my soul but this world this world takes me off and whatsoever my soul doth Rent must be paid and care must be taken As if he should say If I were a Gentleman I would be a Christian I would take care of my soul if I had nothing else to do It 's true care must be taken how to live in the world but not distracting care not excluding care not unseasonable care not immoderate care not distrustful care Not distracting when the mind is drawn this way and then drawn that way hurryed uncomfortably and indisposed to any good Not excluding care whereby the thoughts and cares of Heaven are shut out For as a reverend Divine sayes either men must use the world as if they used it not or they will serve the Lord as if they serv'd him not If thou hast need to pay man his due sure much more care is to be taken to pay unto God his due if care how to live thirty or forty years much more to live forty thousand years If you must take care to escape the Prison much more to escape Hell Again it must not be unseasonable care when the body should be refreshed by meet or sleep for it is comly and good for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour nor when the soul should be refreshed with the Ordinances of God for one thing is needful to wit that better patt Not immoderate care whereby the body is distempered or the soul unfitted for the comfortable discharge of your heavenly or earthly Callings Nor lastly distrustful care when you trust too much in your own understanding and too little in the Wisdom and Providence of God And this Temptation is so much the stronger in that it carries so fair a pretence and is really spent about honest and lawful things for about lawful things we most often miss it and endanger our souls where there seems least danger at all More men you know dye by meat than by Poyson As that great Politician used to pray that God would deliver him from his friends for he should take care himself to avoyd his enemies So we have great need to be careful about lawful things for less care will save us harmless from things plainly evil And so we shall proceed to lay down some effectual Preservatives against this Temptation of distracting care Namely 1. Learn to cast your care upon God 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you A most rare Duty and a most excellent Promise Cast not only put or lay it on in part or at leisure but cast it wholly and speedily Cast what why your care your distracting care so the word signifies your necessary cares you must grapple with as well as you can but when they squeeze torment divide distract the heart then cast them away and not one or two of them but All your care In six troubles and in seaven go the same way knock at the same door throw them on the same
puts them in his bosome and both feeds his senses and feasts his Soul by the same Creature 2. The Second Lesson the Husbandman learns in his Garden is from the watering of his Garden And thence he learns the benefit of Ordinances He finds that his choicest flowers must have water either by the hand of man or from the hand of God or else they wither When the bottles of heaven fail the flowers on the earth hang their head And this clears it to him That inherent Grace without auxiliary grace will be green but a while That the Soul lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God And this he finds by his constant Experience that the work-dayes are the spreading time for his Grace and the Lords day his storing time and therefore he thinks the week long and the Sabbath short and in his heart cryes out O when shall I come and appear before God Alas he knows that a Garden without a fountain or showers will have beauty or fragrancy but a while And even so he feels his â—…bul to hunger for supplies from heaven and the disappointment of an Ordinance is a sensible want to him and the enjoyment therefore doth manifest it self quickly in his renewed beauty and vigour Isa. 58.11 The Lord shall satisfie thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a water'd Garden Here I have set my flowers but they must have water Here my gracious God hath planted the sweet flowers of his grace and now I must see them watered And though he be weary with his hard labour yet up he rises early and labours hard on the Sabbath in the heavenly trade of Religion and comes home at night glad and merry in heart for the goodness of the Lord. His Garden is watered and his Graces are revived 3. The Third Lesson the Husbandman learns in his Garden is from the Weeds therein He finds a little Garden hath many weeds many kinds and many of every kind and they come up without planting and spring much faster then herb or flower He sees if care be not taken they will over-top the flowers and herbs and that it will coâ—… both observation and industry to pluck them up and when at length the Garden is rid of them and is clean and fair yet they will peep up and spring again and renew his trouble over again and this endless business he hath with it onely the winter helps him and pinches these weeds at the roots but yet in the spring they revive again and give him the same trouble he had the year before And this teaches him the Difficulty of a clean heart and the industrious life of a serious Christian. He finds his Garden within as bad as his Garden without What variety of sinful motions and affections are rising there Divers that he knows not whence nor how they come How speedily have some Lusts got a head His pride hath sprung faster than his Humility by the half His passion is at a great height in comparison of his Patience He wonders at the strange growth of his Corruptions he concludes that without a speedy and effectual course his Garden will be a Wilderness and therefore he awakens watchfulness and falls to serious mortification repentance and reformation of his spiritual estate he gets to his Knees prayes and weepes over his evil desires pursues them into every corner and at length hath a clean heart created in him hopes now all is well The old man is dead and gone but ere long he descryes that he was but asleep his corruption returns and exercisesh im in the same trade he was at before Till some happy affliction comes and that with Gods blessing doth break its heart and Death at length puts an end to this weary life Faith is a Rose that growes between two nettles Presumption and Despair And so Humility and Patience Every Flower hath two weeds two extreams about it which are like to grow with them but must not grow over them And this is the good Husbandmans task His Garden findes him work to weed as long as he lives 4. The fourth Lesson that the Husbandman learnes in his Garden is From his Bees He sits down by his Bees and sees their carriage He observes they are ever busie either fetching materials without or working them within they hate a droan they seem to delight in their work they grudg not to fulfil their place they are most industrious in getting most curious in keeping and most provident in spending their wealth and provision And hence again he learns Diligence in his calling and so away he goes and imployes his strength most willingly therein and repines no more at his lot He is loth to be idle any time if he be not labâ—…g witâ—… his hand he is travelling in hiâ—…â—…d anâ—… indeavours to be ever doing oâ—… receivinâ—… good He invents â—…nd finds imployment for every one in his family and except infant that make work he will have all the rest 〈◊〉 some work or other that there may be honey in the hive in winter for them to liâ—… upon And this he doth in obedience untâ—… God He resorts to his Bees at the next lâ—…sure and falls to his Book again And there he takes notice that the Bee gets somethiâ—… out of every Flower visits them for a littâ—… while but dwells upon none yea the veâ—… weeds afford her something but she reâ—… no where till she return to her Hive theâ—… is her place And thence he learns the uâ—…satisfaction of the creature and that God anâ—… Heaven are the only rest of the soul. It mâ—… sometimes fly abroad in the world but theâ—… it extracts what spiritual sweetness will bâ—… gotten from both Flowers and Weeds but 〈◊〉 cannot rest till it return to the Ark tâ—… God alone who is the Center and refuge 〈◊〉 the soul. The Husbandman is angry at himself thâ—… he cannot as well as the Bee suck some advantage out of the weeds of others evil example and actions which he daily sees but he 〈◊〉 far from sucking poyson fron the objects 〈◊〉 goodness In a word his Bees do feed hiâ—… more and more constantly with sweet lessoâ—… and instructions than with their sweetest hoâ—… ney SECT VI. VI. THe sixth Book wherein the Husbandman learns something of God is his House And though he studies to be cheerful at home and be too weary to learn much yet he steals some notes and gathers instructions now and then in his habitation though he have no Study but the Fire-side From the loving obedience of his Wife he learns the like carriage to Jesus Christ his heavenly Head and Husband By the disobedience of his Children he is minded of his own unto God his heavenly Father and laments them with grief The frowardness and follies he sees in them do bring him to remember his own at their age which otherwise he had forgotten but their easie
him to his friend or business but not to dwell upon not for themselves even so a man may design and desire outward ends as riches or ease not for the injoying of them but that we may better love serve and enjoy God As all causes run up and resolve â—…mselves into the first cause so all our ends â—…ld terminate in the last end of all things â—…ich is the glory and honour of God for 〈◊〉 him and through him and to him are all â—…ings to whom be Glory Rom. 11.36 The Husbandman looks up and cryes Ah Lord I â—…ive here on Earth but my aims are as high as Heaven though I be but a poor man yet I â—…ave rich ends I accuse not my Superiours but if a man stand on a Tower and shoot downward he that stands at the bottom of 〈◊〉 and shoots upward may fly above him 〈◊〉 poor Peasant may look as high as the Prince in this sense and the Plough-mans laboâ—… please his Maker more than the Victories 〈◊〉 an Emperour the one serving the will of his heavenly Lord the other sacriâ—… to his hellish Lust. And this leads us to the Ninth point which is to set down the Husbandmans designs in his Calling Alwayes provided this point be not laid aside without some use thereof namely that you bewail this Abuse of it in others and reform it in your selves mend the same as far as you can and mourn for it wherein you cannot As the Apostle saith Vse the world as not abusing it so use this Calling as not abusing it adorn it and do not shame it A bad Husbandman and a good Christian seldom go together And so much for the Eighth Point CHAP. IX The Husbandmans Designs SECTION I. WE are arrived now at the 〈◊〉 general Head of this Subject which is the Designs which 〈◊〉 good Husbandman ought 〈◊〉 have in his Calling It is a 〈◊〉 end that crowns or shames his work 〈◊〉 Husbandmans ends do ennoble his Calling And they are these I. The chief end of the Husbandman 〈◊〉 his Calling is To Please and Glorifie God 〈◊〉 he can but attain this he is rich enough Thâ—… is mans greatest duty and highest priviledge 'T is the Christians character and Motto Roâ—… 14.8 9. For none of us liveth to himself 〈◊〉 no man dieth to himself for whether we livâ—… we live unto the Lord c. Mark it 's said none of us of what sort or degree soever livâ—… to himself but to the Lord. It 's true the more noble wise and learned the more they should contribute to these ends but even the poor Husbandman must add his Mite even a Dwarf may shoot at the Zenith and aime as high as the greatest Gyant O therefore stir up your selves and direct your designs on high If thou can'st any way magnifie the Wisdome Greatness Holiness and Goodness of thy Maker happy art thou and happy is thy Calling This is an End for an Angel They trumpet forth his Glory and so dost thou they sanctifie his Name in Heaven and thou in thy lower sphear dost sanctifie his Name on Earth And though thou shootest with a weaker bow yet aimest at as high a mark But alas say you How can I glorifie my Maker that am but one remove from a piece of earth yea of sinful earth I answer Not only the Heavens declare the Glory of God Psal. 19.1 but even Beasts and all Cattel creeping things and flying fowle Psal. 148.10 and would you know how See vers 8. The fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word How manifestly does the snow hail and tempest preach the power justice and wisdom of God I say they do plainly preach them and that by doing his Will hanging in the sky and falling on the earth as he pleaseth As well taught Children or Servants do honour and magnifie their superiours by their ready obedience Even so at least may the poor Husbandman glorifie his Father in Heaven by an obedient departing himself in his place and doing the will of God in his vocation And therefore this he should aime at in his Calling why here I am here I work and sweat chiefly to please my God who hath set my lines and carved me out my imployment and hence even Servants must do service with good will as to the Lord and not to men Eph. 6.7 as if God himself did every 〈◊〉 ing set the Husbandman his task and at night survey his work with what care and delight should such a man follow his business that hath such a Master as God himself Lord sayes the Husbandman I am but a mean creature but yet I will honour thee as well as a mean man may do I 'le work to please thee and by consequence no harder nor easier than will please thee I 'le yoke and unyoke when thou wouldst have me as exactly as I can discern by that prudence I have and those rules of Religion to be observed to thee and pitty to the Creatures When I come home I have but a mean feast but yet Whether I eat or drink or whatsoever I do it shall some way be terminated in that end of ends the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 When I go to bed I will not forget that whether I wake or sleep I should live to thee for thee with thee 1 Thef 5.10 Though my work be mean yet my aimes are excellent and brass guilded with God will make it glister A poor man with rich ends is of good account in Heaven It is certain that the holiest action of an Hypocrite if you ravel it to the bottom ends at self and the meanest action of a Saint ends at God for example why doth the Hypocrite pray that he may pass well with others or satisfie the cryes of his Conscience And why aimes he at these That he may have repute without or quiet within And why doth he desire these Why because they do gratifie carnal self On the other side why doth the Husbandman work to provide for his family And why that That he may educate and dispose his Children And why so That they may honour and serve their heavenly Father when their Earthly Parents are dead and gone Well then let this End surmount all others and be diligent and faithful in your Calling to please that God who hath set you therein and to glorifie him what in you lies by setting forth his Wisdome Power and Goodness that when he changes your Countenances and sends you away you may sing that sweet song John 17.4 Father I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou hast given me to do And now Father glorifie me with thy self SECT II. II. THe second design of the Christian Husbandman is The Salvation of his Soul This he studies upon night and day He knows that estate is ill got that beggars the Soul That Rent sorrily paid that makes him run in arrears with God And therefore