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
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
faithful Servant Thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much Whereas if Gods Rent be neglected he will either strain upon thee here by some severe cross or other or take out all his Arrears in Hell Where the worm dieth not and where the fire is not quenched Keep up therefore your daily sacrifices unto God both alone and with your family and there alwayes offer an upright humble and holy heart praises and prayers from thence will be prevalent with the Lord I say both alone and with your family and especially on the Sabbath About each of which it will be necessary to enlarge a little 1. Some Rent you have to pay alone for this the Scripture is as clear as can be Mat. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly And to this agrees the practise of Jesus Christ and of the Saints in Scripture witness Gen. 32.24 Nehem. 1.4 Dan. 9.3 Mark 1.35 And Reason it self perswades seeing that each of you have secret sins secret wants and secret affairs with God which require private converse between God and your Souls I do not resolve that this Duty is indispensable twice a day but I assert that the neglect of it when opportunitie may be gotten argues a prophane spirit and the conscionable practise thereof is a great argument of sinceritie And in short he that loves not uses not secret prayer yea and meditation and self-examination shall never be rewarded openly Foot-steps also of the use thereof in the Morning are Psal. 5.3 And in the Evening Psal. 141.2 2. An Houshold Rent also daily must be paid I mean a sacrifice in and with your family for it is not enough you pray for them but you must pray with them So Josh. 24.15 I and my house will serve the Lord. For the clearing in some measure and setling this family worship too much neglected in the Husbandmans house let these Propositions be laid down 1. God is not only to be worshipped on the Lords day but every day This is not only typified but proved Exod. 29.38 Two Lambs of the first year day by day continually Wherein though the offering was ceremonial yet the time was moral there being as much reason for the Christians offering every day as for the Jews And as works of necessity have room in Gods day so Prayers and Duties of necessitie may command room in our dayes especially seeing we have daily wants sins and mercies and cannot tell what a day may bring forth 2. God is not only to be worshipped alone in a family but joyntly and together For every Christian family should be a little Church like that Rom. 16.5 Now it 's not enough that the members of the Church worship God alone but it ought to be done together The same reason holds in a family namely for mutual Edification that the stronger may help the weaker and that all may worship without fail It is also much for the Honour ofGod that many joyn in his service And the very tenour of that pattern of Prayer Mat. 6.11 runs plural Our Father which art in Heaven And proves beside that daily prayer ought to be used by divers together Give us this day our daily bread 3. The fittest time for family worship is Morning and Evening This time of worshiping in general the light of Nature it self dictates The morning and evening being such signal periods of time as do in their own Nature intimate to man religious duty then to be done Prayer being the Key to unlock the Blessings of the Day and to lock up the Dangers of the Night for alas we walk upon barrels of Gun-powder in the Day our snares are so many and we lie in the shaddow of death at Night our dangers are so great Also at those times we have most opportunity for such work and therefore when the Lord orders Parents to teach their Children Deut. 6.6 he times it thus When you lie down and when you rise up And the Scripture also makes it manifest Exod. 29.39 Also Numb 28.4 The one Lamb shalt thou offer in the Morning and the other Lamb at Evening And thus the Tribes Acts 26.7 are said to serve God instantly night and day that is evening and morning By which things soberly considered together with the practise of Gods people as a Commentary thereupon you may evidently see That to worship God in your families morning and evening is the will of God it is your duty nay it is your priviledge And now to return to the Husbandman This being his Duty no excuse can clear him no plea can excuse him from paying this chief rent to the most High His inability and ignorance in prayer cannot help him for one sin can be no excuse for another Besides there are Helpes for the weak till strength come And above all the Holy Ghost is a very present Help to all that ask him and a sence of sin danger will soon untie your tongues and make you if not eloquent yet effectual in your prayers Want of time or abundance of business can be no excuse for a man must have time to eat and sleep and pray whatever business stay If any thing fall out that will not let you stay to eat in that case perhaps you may omit your prayer provided you pray as well as feed the heartier next time and are truly sorry for your disappointment And you must believe or else you have not a faith to save you that God can and will make you amends for all the time is spent about your souls see Mat. 22.25 and tremble for your neglects The backwardness of your relations and families will be no excuse For Abraham did and every Child of Abraham must command their Children and their houshold and they shall keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 lest God observing you can command and keep them to their work but cannot command them to Prayer see through your hypocrisie and pour out that dreadful curse upon you from which the Lord bless the poor Husbandmans house Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen and upon the families that call not on thy name Set immediately therefore on your duty with sorrow for your former neglects and a setled resolution for the time to come and be assured that God will meet and bless you as he hath promised and what you take in hand shall prosper Our work on earth is done best when our work in heaven is done first The Philosopher could say he had rather neglect his means than his mind and his farm than his soul. And remember good Job though his charge and business was far greater than yours yet Job 1.5 was constant in his religious duties Thus did Job continually 3. And then for the Sabbath Remember it before it
English Ministry is the most earnest Desire and Prayer oâ—… Your Servant and Fellow-Servant Richard Steele May 10. 1668. To the READER Candid Reader THe substance of this Discourse was preached to a Countrey Congregation for their Direction in their ordinary Calling and appears now in the World not for any Opinion I have of it But 1. Because the number of Husbandman is great the company of Husbandmen being the greatest of all others in this huge Corporation of the World And 2. There being no particular Book to Direct or Encourage them therein that ever I could meet with in our Tongue And 3. I confess also another Motive to wit a desire to be doing some good which I trust through the blessing of God which I do humbly crave will be attained hereby and especially to those that were Hearers hereof to whom I owe my self and all I can do The matter herein is but ordinary Practical Divinity applied to the Condition and Calling of the Husbandman The stile familiar and plain according to their capacity the method also fitted as well as I could to the most usefull things to be handled In describing the Excellencies and Duties of this Calling I have rather brought in the Husbandman doing what he ought than what ordinary he doth for you consider I am not writing an History but Rules and therefore let no honest heart be discouraged for his coming short in these passages provided he aime at them The Rule must be exact and our life as near it as we can When I discourse his Sins and Temptations and bring him sometimes on the stage under great disadvantages understand it rather a Disswasive from that evil than a Narrative thereof I am very conscious of many weaknesses but know not of any Errours or Reflections herein It will suffice me if it shall obtain pardon of the more acute acceptation of my friends and amendment of heart and life of the poor Husbandman for whom it was chiefly compiled Though it accost onely the Husbandman yet the matter thereof for the most past is applicable to every good Christian and it were to be wished that the like particular Tracts were written about other Callings And provided it hinder no man from reading the Bible and other more profitable Books I believe the humble and diligent perusal hereof will quit any man the Cost much better than trifling of his time away But see you joyne Meditation and Prayer with your Reading One leaf so digested being more likely to do your Soul good than many without them And remember still that you be as ready to practise what is plain as to censure what is doubtful and bless the Lord for what is worthy as well as blame the Pen-man for what is weak If you receive any profit hereby I am made for doing good is the greatest preferment and in that case let God alone reap the praise and Me his unworthiest Servant your Prayers The Blessing of God accompany this Endeavour for the Husbandmans Direction Comfort and Salvation Amen Amen Yours if you be Christs R. S. May 10 1668. The Contents CHAP. I. THe Text propounded and explain'd Some prâ—…vious Observations premis'd Pag. I Sect. 1. The explication of the Text. 2 Sect. 2. Observ. 1. That every man should have a Calling 6 Sect. 3. Observ. 2. It 's sweet to be led and put into a Calling by the Lord. 10 Sect. 4. Observ. 3. It 's a great priviledge to be placed in an Eden 13 CHAP. II. The main Doctrine delivered an Husbandman described and the Lawfulness of his Calling 15 Sect. 1. The Doctrine Husbandry is a most ancient and excellent Calling Ibid. Sect. 2. An Husbandman described 16 Sect. 3. The Lawfulness of his Calling 17 CHAP. III. The Excellencies of the Husbandmans Calling 19 Sect. 1. God himself was the immediate Author of it 23 Sect. 2. The Holy Ghost brings most comparisons from it 24 Sect. 3. He lives and depends most on God 26 Sect. 4. It is an harmless and deceitless Calling 27 Sect. 5. It was the first Calling in the world and sustains all others 29 Sect. 6. It is a Calling of less temptation than others 31 Sect. 7. God may be most read in his Creatures in it 33 Sect. 8. It makes a man neither too rich nor too poor 35 Sect. 9. It is a Calling of greatest necessity 37 Sect. 10 It is an healthful and chearful Calling 39 Sect. 11. It stands on safer grounds than most others 41 Sect. 12. It is a greater friend to Piety than others 42 CHAP. IV. The Inconveniences of the Husbandmans Calling and their Remedies 45 Sect. 1. His business lies in the world his Enemy 46 The Remedy 47 Sect. 2. He hath but little time for his soul. Ib. The Remedy 48 Sect. 3. He is liable to many burdens and injuries 49 The Remedy 50 Sect. 4. He hath many cares and troubles in the flesh 51 The Remedy 52 Sect. 5. He hath less power than will to do good 53 The Remedy 54 Sect. 6. The infelicity of a rustick breeding 55 The Remedy 56 CHAP. V. The Temptations of the Husbandman and the Preservatives 58 Sect. 1. Earthly mindedness 59 The Preservatives 61 Sect. 2. Discontent 63 Preservatives 65 Sect. 3. Forgetting God and depending on second causes 69 Preservatives 71 Sect. 4. Envy at his Superiours 76 Preservatives 79 Sect. 5. Negligence and deadness in holy duties 84 Preservatives 87 Sect. 6. Vncharitableness and Niggardliness 93 Preservatives 95 Sect. 7. Distracting Care 98 Preservatives 101 Sect. 8. Slavish fear of Man 104 Preservatives 106 Sect. 9. Affected Ignorance 111 Preservatives 115 Sect. 10. Wrong unto his Neighbour 120 Preservatives 122 Advice concerning Restitution 126 CHAP. VI. The Husbandmans Lessons in his Calling 132 Sect. 1. Out of his Ground 133 1. His Original Ib. 2. His Mortality 134 3. From the quality of his Ground Ib. 4. From the improving of it 135 5. From the fencing of it 137 6. From the grass of it 138 7. From the Thorns in it 140 8. From the Stones in it 141 9. From the Worms in it 142 10. From the Ant or Pismire 144 Sect. 2. Lessons from his Corn. 145 1. From his Plowing for Corn. 146 2. From his Sowing of Corn. 147 3. From the Springing of his Corn. 149 4. From the Reaping and In-gathering of it 151 5. From the Threshing of his Corn. 153 6. From the Winnowing of his Corn. 156 Sect. 3. The Husbandmans Lessons from his Flocks 156 1. From his Oxen. Ibid. 2. From his Kine 158 3. From his Horse 159 4. From his Sheep 160 5. From his swine 162 Sect. 4. The Husbandmans Lessons from his Orchâ—…d 163 1. From the variety and kinds of his trees 164 2. From the planting of his trees 166 3. From the pruning of his trees 167 4. From the Birds in his trees 169 Sect. 5. The Husbandmans Lessons from his Garden 171 1. From the flowers of his Garden Ib. 2. From the watering of his Garden 172 3.
and his principle is known to suffer the greatest injury rather than offer the least and therefore he comforts himself that it will not last alwayes and so rests content Yea hâ—… suffers even from his Inferiours and must many times be his servants servant The heaviest burdens also and impositions do usually fall respect had to his mean estate most heavily on him and in publick Calamities where-ever the storm is brewed yer usually it lights on the Husbandman Like his sheep he is often shorn yea almost flead somtimes When he hath gotten a little wool on his back it stayes there but a while his Rent day comes and sweeps all away Quest. And what Remedy hath he for this Inconvenience Answ. For this he useth Faith and Patience which like two Bladders keep up his heart from sinking and dejection 1. He doth and must believe that these things are ordered by the wise Providence of his heavenly Father That men are Gods Hand as it is Psal. 17. 14. The men of the World are his Sword He believes also that even this shall work for his good that his burdens keep him humble when freedom would make him proud he believes that Heaven will put an end to all and make amends for all As holy David said Psal. 27. 11. I hadfainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living So the Husbandmans spirit would fail but that his faith is strong and sees these are but clouds that will quickly pass away And in the mean time among other provision in his house he provides 2. Patience with this he eats and sleeps and smiles under all his load resolving if he can possess nothing else yet he will possess his soul with Patience and so with the Prophet Jer. 10. 19. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said truly this is a grief and I must bear it God hath laid it on and God alone shall take it off SECT IV. A Fourth Inconvenience in this Calling is That he hath many cares and troubles in the flesh he hath a succession of cares and troubles in this world he deals in those things that have not their name for nought vanity there 's their Substance and vexation of spirit there 's their Accident He hath his house to build or to repair that almost ruines him then his ground to manure that costs him much trouble and care then his Rent or Fine to pay this falls heavy on him and comes oft he hath hardly got up his back but the half year returns and his Rents squeeze him down again so that between the cares of his mind and the pains of his body he hath load enough for one And then his children must be educated though he cannot read yet they shall read and write because he feels the want thereof and then they must be provided for and this creates him new cares and troubles so that though he have not so much fleshly trouble yet hath he troubles in the flesh one upon another It is true he may thank the fall of our father Adam for many of these but however he came by them now he hath them Indeed this advantage he hath by them that they make him long for Heaven his hard work here makes him long to be at rest and though the world thus use him yet hereby he grows out of love with it and is estranged to it in his heart that useth him thus as a stranger Quest. But what Remedy can be given to this Inconvenience Answ. No way in this world to avoyd them the way therefore is to get them sanctified and sweetned Seeing this load cannot be cast off carry it as easily as you can Let prayers therefore be mingled with your cares and cordials with your troubles When you design your cares ultimately at the glory of God and manage them with holy hearts you sanctifie them and a feast on the Promises must be mingled with a meal upon troubles And consider that all men have their Cares as well as you yea perhaps the Gentleman your neighbour hath his head full of cares to make provision for his lusts while your cares are to make provision for your Families And be confident that their way of sin is a worse life than your way of labour and that you will rest from your labours when they shall not rest from their pain SECT V. THe Fifth Inconvenience of the Husbandmans Calling is That he bath more Will then Power to be a publick Good to mend what is amiss in the World To be a publick Good is the highest pitch of happiness in this world and herein only the High and Mighty have the advantage of the poor Husbandman The one may have as long life as good health as much comfort in the Creatures as cheerful an heart and as happy a life as the other with less danger here and a less account hereafter but here is the Husbandmans disadvantage he can but little promote any publick good nor hinder little publick evil he cannot build Hospitals endow Churches erect Schools enact good Laws preach Sermons nor encourage piety Nor on the other hand can he reform Sin if his life lay on it he sees them drunk when he goes to Market and he hears them swear and beholds the Sabbath broken but he cannot remedy it he doth as far as he can he where he sees it likely attempts to them and where it is otherwise mourns for them he comes home oft with a sad heart and wonders at the Patience of God that lets men alone and when he cannot bow the hearts of others can break his own about it As Lot good man could vex his righteous soul when he could not cure their unrighteous ones Our Husbandman hath a publick Spirit though he cannot be of publick use and where many have more power than will which will make for their Judgment he hath more will than power which will make for his comfort Quest. But what Remedy is there for this Inconvenience Answ. No help but his Prayers It was the Character of a Bishop that he could not preach but he could make Preachers by his liberal maintenance and education of persons for that Calling So though the Husbandman cannot preach yet he can help to furnish out Preachers by his Prayers Ephes. 6. 19. And for me also you must pray that utterance may be given unto me By his prayers both Magistrate and Minister are furthered in their Vocations and he visits them twice a day at least and presents them at the Throne of Grace He sees much amiss every where and though he be not so conceited as to think were he in place he could amend it yet he refers it to God and earnestly presses him to mend it And God will do much at the request of an upright Husbandman and when he hates the proud hypocrisies of formalists to this man he will
mourns for his folly and opening his eyes sees Gods hand in all and blesseth the Name of the Lord. Preservatives against this Temptation to Discontent are Discretion Supplication and Consrderation 1. Discretion Most of your vexations are the effect and consequence of your indiscretion hence many of your straits come had you ordered business wisely you had never been in them hence many of your losses many trespasses and the vexations from them have flowed and therefore you must study to be wise Psal. 112. 5. A good man guides his affairs with discretion and so comes to be able to shew favour and lend A wise man discerneth time and judgement orders things in their season and so layes in little fuel for discontent whereas the foolish man by his rashness leaps into troubles and straits and then fumes and roars like a wild Bull in a net all the house cannot hold him And especially young House-holders that have leapt into that condition hand over head erre herein The rashness of their youth layes up for the discontents of their old age And Parents are too blame herein that do not fill their children with advise and all kind of wisdome before they lanch out into this sea of worldly troubles They send them away with Portions and Estates but how few are they that spend a day or an hour in directing them with wise counsel whereby they may live well here and better hereafter A little wisdom would prevent a great deal of Discontent 2. Supplication Beg of God a meek and quiet Spirit which is of so great price in the fight of God and watch after your Prayers not only how the Lord answers but how you endeavour He that prayes against Discontent binds himself to watch and strive against it or else his prayers are sin Beg an humble heart of God The humble man is seldome discontent he thinks the least of mercies is good enough for the chief of sinners Here 's a poor house course fare hard lodging unkind usage but 't is good enough for me Any thing that 's abated of Hell is meer courtesie If I may have but bread to eat and rayment to put on it 's fair for such a one as I. And then beg a mortified heart to all that is in the world When the heart is dead to the world worldly troubles do not trouble him When the Souldiers saw Christ our Lord was dead they would not break his bones He that 's dead to the world will save his bones whole when crosses straits and troubles come upon him why they return to God saying yonder man is dead already to the world his heart is crucified to it he feels nothing so as to be distempered by it When they strip dead men they struggle not you may take all they trouble not at it O beg such an heart that God may do what he will with thee That his will may be done and this prayer will procure patience and help against Discontent 3. Consideration of the Evil and Folly of this Sin It strikes at the Soveraignty Wisdome Power and Love of God at one blow Against his Soveraignty as if he rulâ—…d not things well or knew not what to do with his own Hence this sin is call'd Rebellion Num. 16. 14. with 17. 10. There God calls them Rebels and why because said they thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey nor given us inheritances of fields and vineyards Thus thousands in their hearts reproach God and say Alas my lot is fallen ill I have neither house nor ground nor clothes as are fit for me Take heed go on no further in thy complaint This is Rebellion It wounds the Wisdom of God as if he knew not what to do for us and with us We would abhor to say this of God but in effect we proclaim it by our Discontent His wayes are sometimes dark but alwayes just sometimes intricate but alwayes wise Naomi thought that she and hers were quite undone but even then God was providing a stay for her in her old age No sayes the male-content if things had sorted to my mind it had been far better than it is as if you should say If God had taken my way he had hit it Also this puts a check upon the Power of God Can God give flesh Can he help me in this or that strait O I am undone there is no remedy As if his wayes and his thoughts were like thine and mine How oft hath he helped thee at a dead lift when the Lease was to takâ—… â—…hy Rent to pay thy Children to dispose And therefore why should you fret or repine at the straits and crosses that do befall you as though his hand were shortned or his car heavy Sure he that helps Kings can help Husbandmen in their need And then it strikes at the love of God No Father can be so carefull of the good of his Child or Husband of his Wives happiness as God is of each of you that belong to him And why will â—…e be displeased at his proceedings towards you Hear what he saith Jer. 32. 47. I will rejoyce over you to do you good and will plant you in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul as if he should say I am glad in my heart when I can have a fit opportunity to do you good and I do it with my whole heart and soul. Nay sayes the discontented man Things falls out with me to the worst spite it self could not order worse for me such unexpected such intollerable troubles and vexations How doth this grieve Love it self that is ordering every thing for thy Good and thou cryest All these things work against me And here 's the evil of it And the Folly also of Discontent is manifest for it produces no good and procures much evil No good comes of it I report me to your experience whether ever your Discontent did mend the matter From the chieâ—… Evil Sin no good can come What folly is this for a man to fret and stamp and play the Bedlam an hour or two to no purpose 〈◊〉 matters nothing at all the better Nay it procures much Evil disheartens thy Wife discontents thy Family distempers thy self and wounds thy soul and grieves away the Good Spirit of God and all to no purpose O consider of these thingâ—… and never be discontent again SECT III. III. THe Third Temptation of the Husbandman is Forgetting God and Depending upon second Causes His Calling lying among the Creatures at some distance from God he is prone by trading with things seen to forget things unseen like a man in a Mill cannot hear the voice of God for the clacking and noise it makes It is the peculiar happiness of the Minister that his very Calling lies about God He dwells at Court every day he needs do little else but contemplate God and perswade others to him But the Husbandmans business lies
not strain one sinew for a little grace at night If I have tyred my Legs about the earth shall 〈◊〉 not wear my Knees to get to Heaven If I have wearied my Armes to get a living here shall I not stretch out my Hands to get a Crown hereafter And let all resolve that the Husbandman must give place to the Christian the Plough must submit to the Prayer and your Earthly Vocation to your heavenly Calling SECT VI. VI. THe Sixth Temptation of the Husbandman is Vncharitableness and Nigardliness He can hardly part with that which he hath so hardly gotten That which he hath gotten with the drops of his sweat he is like to part with as the drops of his blood 1 Sam. 25.11 Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be said that rich Chub Nabal So the Husbandman must I take pains for wealth and give it away when I have done Let all that will eat labour as well as I and herewith he turns off the fittest objects of charity that are and resolves that every man must be for himself and so will he He argues that no body gives him and therefore he will give to none But though this be his Temptation yet I do not assert that Husbandmen are generally conquer'd by it For according to the proportion of his estate he exceeds for the most part the Gentry round about him The poor Criple at his door shall have a larger alms to his power I am sure a quicker dispatch than at the great pair of Gates close by him And in publick Collections for charitable uses the poor Husbandmans Purse is ready with his Mite when hiâ—… Landlord was not at Church that day Neither do I affirm that every one that asks is a fit object for the Charity of our Husbandman especially if our Laws for setting the pooâ—… on work were put in execution no some lusty Beggars he entertains with a charitable Exhortation to honest labour and tells them the benefit and comfort that he finds by it and somtimes sets them on work upon tryal but because he considers that it 's safer to relieve nine needless Beggars than to turn away one needy one therefore he strains himself to help the most that cry for it and refers himself to the Lord his God for recompense But yet he hath much adoe with his heart herein Flesh and Blood looks thrice upon his money ere the Spirit and Grace can once part with it It puts all the Faith he hath to the utmost to give to strangers when perhaps his own children are unprovided for and to relieve others that must come if two or three bad years meet with him to be relieved himself But if he have no Faith but an earthly selfish temper instead of it the poor have cold entertainment at his door He thinks it enough for him to be just to pay every man his own let others be charitable that have greater Estates He must pay Taxes to the King he must pay Rents to his Landlord he must pay Lewnes to the Church and then to the poor of his Parish and by this time he is drained and can do no more And it is to say the truth a lamentable thing that so many wandring Beggars are suffered to be unimployed and yet more that the burden of them falls upon the poor Husbandman for his Landlord lives in the City and visits his Hall only twice a year and the poor are little the better for that yea somtimes their unconscionable Rents make the Beggars and then the Husbandman is forc'd to keep them But yet some Preservatives must be laid before the Husbandman against this Temptation 1. You must consider that you are but Stewards of your Estate The Property is Gods the Possession and use only yours And so what you give is of Gods stock in your hands and what need you be niggardly of anothers stock As long as your Alms and Expences will pass in your accounts it is nothing at all to you how he will have it dispos'd The forgetfulness of this makes men so close-handed They take all they have to be their own so Nabal shall I give my bread and my flesh So the worldling cries This is my house my corn my bread and this locksâ—…up his hand whereas when thou look'st on thy house say This is the Lords who gives me house-room on charity and therefore any Guest he sends must be welcome this Corn is Gods and so is this Bread I have but the disposing of it and so if he order it to a Beggar I will freely part with it for it is none of mine but Gods If some great man give you an Estate oâ—… twenty pounds a year freely only heâ—… layes twenty shillings Rent-charge upon it Were not you unworthy to deny or to grudg the payment of this Rent-charge why this is the case It is the Lord only that hath given you an Estate charitable relief of such as are in want is the Lords Rent-charge which he hath laid upon it and therefore grudg not to pay it lest he re-enter and seize the whole And especially considering that he hath charged thee herein according to thy ability not as earthly Landlords that lay somtimes a great Rent on a small living he would only have thee to suit thy charity to thy ability O but I am a very poor man and can hardly subsist Answ. Art thou poorer than that widow Mark 12.42 She had not much and Christ expected not much from her two Mites shall serve thy turn if thou hast but little And our Lord Jesus himself was low in Stock when he was put to a miracle for money to pay his Tax and yet saith the text he had a Purse for the Poor Joh. 13.29 Think of this when thou hast much a do to pay thy Rent or to pay thy Tax and grudg not somthing to the hungry and naked seeing thy Saviour had a purse for the poor though he somtimes wanted money to pay his Tax 2. You must believe that giving will make you rich Well-ordered charity makes no man poor The way to have full Barns is to have free hands To this both God and Man beaâ—… witness Isa. 32.78 The instruments of the Churl are evil that is he who maketh empty the soul of the hungry vers 6. But the liberal man deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he stand He deviseth how he may do good and where and when he lyes in his bed contriving how he may do poor men good in the best manner I say you so he may quickly devise away all that ere he hath Nay saith the Holy Ghost â—…y liberal things shall he stand Piety Equity and Charity are the best Pillars in any mans house None more punctually payes his debts than God now he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and the Lord he will pay
upon it and bringeth forth herbes meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God Shall my ground be blessed and not my heart Is a fruitful field a pleasant sight O how muc h more blessed sight is a serious growing and holy heart Awake therefore O my soul lest thy ground do shame thee and lest the Earth rise up in Judgement against him that tills it Again when the Husbandman is in his barren ground there he learns the danger of unfruitfulness For saith the Scripture Heb. 6.8 that which beareth thorns and bryars is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Doe I turn that ground to Commons that will bring neither Corn nor Grass after all my cost What then will become of me if I be unfruitful Is it intollerable in the ground and is it not much more in earth refined A wake my barreu heart and fall to work I 'le ghome and mend my pace bring forth fruitso meet for repentance lest while I seem blessed on earth I prove to be accursed from Heaven And thus the barren ground reads a fruitful lecture to the observing Husbandman 4. His fourth lesson is from the improving of his ground He finds that the dirty manure is necessary to make his ground fertile Luke 13.8 Not only the fig-tree but the vineyard must be dig'd and dung'd else it wil grow weedy gather moss and be fruitlessâ—… And here our Husbandman learns the necessity and benefit of affliction Here 's a piece of ground alas without much paine I shall reap no profit And here 's an Heart that will bring forth little without much pains and cost Afflictions are profitable but not pleasant at all They fall upon us by a necessity If need be ye are in manifola temptations 1 Pet. 1.6 Let a man live two or three yeares without affliction and he is almost good for nothing he cannot pray nor meditate nor deny himself he gathers abundance of moss and rust but let God smite him in his child or estate or health now heâ—… can find his tongue he is awake and is in good earnest now he is humble and mortified and quite another man O! affliction is the growing soyl God hath now as much honour again from him as he had before Hereupon many good Husbands think that improving is better than purchasing the Lord hath such a large improvement from one of his servants after affliction that it brings in as much as if he had converted a man out of the rough And now thinks the Husbandman my pains and cost is well bestowed this crop rewards me And so sayes God This amendment pleaseth me This rod was well bestowed And thus doth God chide himself friends with his poor children and heales them by his stripes and this the Husbandman learnes from the improving of his Ground 5. The Husbandmans fifth lesson is from fencing of his Ground He observes that after all his cost and labour in his field one gap or breach is able to ruine all his hopes and therefore concludes the necessity of a fence for the receiving of his deserved profit Here my Corn is sown but my labour 's lost without care to preserve it up Sirs let us be doing this field must be fenced or all is lost And hence the Husbandman learnes the duty of watchfulness and concludes that without it an everlasting soul is lost When God himself hath sown the precious seed of Gospel-truth in the heart and plac'd many orient Graces in the soul there is no small need of a serious and constant watch else Satan and his instruments will quickly lay them wast Let the field of your heart be never so richly laden with knowledge love zeal yet if one gap be left open for the Boar out of the Wood or the Foxes of the field to any one conscience-wasting corruption open or secret all will be destroyed Prov. 24.30 I went by the field of the man void of understanding and loe the stone wall thereof was broken down Here was a field without a fence but did the passenger gather nothing hence Yes vers 32. Then I saw and considered it well I was thinking what I might learn from it I looked upon it and received instruction My neighbours folly taught me wisdome I was instructed by it this outward object taught me an inward lesson So should the Husbandman by the breaches in his neighbours wall be taught to repair the neglects of his owâ—… watch How soon is a pair of Flood-Gates 〈◊〉 the fenne-Countries drawn up How hardâ—… can we draw out the waters again Ah so iâ—… is you may beleive sighing experience so iâ—… is with a poor soul you may a thousand timeâ—… more carefully keep out a sin and cruâ—… a Cockatrice in the egg than rid thâ—… soul of its woful chains and fetters afterwards It 's watchfulness and prayer that only caâ—… keep temptation out 6. The Husbandmans fixth lesson is from the Grass of his ground Thus he hath daily a pleasant view of and now and then makes a Book of it and every Grass is a Letter yeâ—… 〈◊〉 word yea a Sermon to him A Sermon sometimes of his own frailty For how doth it flourish in the morning and the many coloured weeds therein â—…ile and dance and at night they are cut down and withered their beauty gone in a few dayes and then he remeâ—…bers what is said Isa. 40.6 7. All flesh is Grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the Grass The Grass withereth the flower fadeth Sure the people is Grass And so he goes his way with an heart mortifyed and weaned to the world and all things in it seeing there is so little difference between his Grass and him The Grass sprung lately out of the ground and so did he only he is the Senior Grass and the Grass is resolv'd into the earth again and so must he onely he lives a while longer And more particularly the Husbandman learnes hence the short-liv'd happiness of wicked men that rise up suddâ—…ly in the world and rage as they were woo'd but like the Grass they perish out of hand and their places forget them God lets them alone a while as the Husbandman doth his Meadow eates them not down by afflictions but hedges them by his providence as if he had more care of them then of all his deâ—…esne besides but mowes them down at length and cuts them off in a moment Psal. 92.7 When the wicked spring as the Grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever And then again the Grass Preaches to the Husbandman Relyance upon the providence of God Thinkes he here I have a great family and many Children and certain provision for them I have none but Math. 6.30 If God thus cloath the Grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall be not much more cloath me and mine
he learns daily fruitfulness He sees they pay their tribute every day yeaâ—… twice a day to him And therefore will he every day pay his tribute unto God The better pasture he brings them to the more milk they bring him home whereby he learns that the greater stock or estate he hath as he payes more rent to man so he ought to pay more thanks and fruits unto God He trembles lest his soul should prove like Pharaoh's lean Kine Gen. 41.19 That devoured the fat and continued lean It is leanness that makes them ill favoured and there 's no uncomliness like unproficiency A lean soul under fatting means is an ill favoured sight He considers that if once his Kine grow fat and not fruitful the next Range will be the Shambles and thence he concludes that outward fulness with leanness in the soul is the surest preface to destruction and therefore he earnestly deprecates the sin of barrenness and strives in his place to bring forth fruits meet for repentance O how many may God bespeak as he did those Amos 4.1 Hear the word ye Kine of Bashan fat estates and fat at heart whom Gods bounty feeds a while and whom his Justice will cut off for ever Better for such they had been in the place of their poorest Tenants yea in the condition of their very beasts that perish 3. The Third Lesson the Husbandman learns from his Flocks is From the Horse and that is the misery and danger of ignorance Psal. 32.9 Be ye not as the Horse or Mule which have no understanding whose mouth â—…st be held in with bit and bridle The ignorant Horse is ridden any whither and the Devil may ride the ignorant soul to hell and â—…e not know whither he is going O let the husbandman therefore make a stop oftentimes and examine whither am I going Aâ—… I in the way to heaven or hell Alas the â—…ster I go the sooner I shall be at my jourâ—…es end and what if that be hell Well therefore I will seek Knowledge as silver and â—…y after it as for hidden treasure and especially of my self and of my eternal estate that while I know my house and grounds and â—…ttel I may not be ignorant of my own self Alas if this horse knew his own strength he would never be used as he is neither wouldst â—…hou be ridden at the devils pleasure if thou â—…dst understand thy self unhorse Satan then â—…uickly from off thy soul and let Christ and â—…is holy Spirit have the guidance of thee so â—…all every step thou takest be towards heaâ—…n and though thy load be heavy yet death â—…ll ease thee of it Nay the Husbandman that 's apt to learn learns something from all his furniture Hâ—…s bridle teaches him the need he hath of temperance and wisdome The spur shews him him the need he hath of afflictions now and then The shaking of his whip preaches to him the benefit of divine threatnings And the ease and use he hath with this creature shewes the care and goodness of his Creatour to him 4. The Fourth Lesson the Husbandman learns from his Flocks is from the Sheep And from them 1. He learns Meekness He sees the meekness of his Saviour and may learn meekness for himself For Christ Isa. 53.7 As a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not 〈◊〉 mouth You see how patiently the sheep Partâ—… with her fleece when you call for it Christ's life was his fleece and as meekly did he part therewith You see the innocency mildness and usefulness of your Lambs Behold the Lamb of God he was far more The Lamb hath no armour but patience in the midst of Wolves and so was Christ brought as a Lamb to the slaughter yet he was a Lamb without blemish 1 Pet. 1.19 fair without and sound within What more useful and profitable every part of the sheep is good for something poor men cannot live without them Jesus Christ is an useful commodity They that know themselves cannot live without Jesus Christ. And here the Husbandman hath occasion to contemplate the death of his Saviour He submitted to iâ—… without resistance You raise not the Town to kill a Lamb. 2. Without desert The Lamb dyes for no fault of his own but for others good So did our dear Redeemer Behold the Wolf is in fault and the Lamb must dye 3. Without repining The Lamb looks chearfully on the slaughterer Christ Jesus was torn like a Lamb that could have torn them like a Lion but instead thereof he prayes and excuses for them Father forgive them they know not what thâ—…y do And all this the Husbandman should as he is able apply to himself to teach him meekness both from that Lamb of God above and from his own below And 2. He is minded here of the dangerons strayings of an unregenerate condition Luk. 15. What man having an hundred sheep whereof one strayed c. Isa. 53.6 All we like Sheep have gone astray He finds that his Sheep by straying looseth â—…asture fleece and life at last that there is no safety out of his field and flock and then he wonders that ever he was sought and found and in lew of that mercy he makes after the child servant or kinsman that is run from God and uses all his art to reduce him And it is observable that the word for Sheep both in Hebrew and Greek signifies meekness and straying the Lessons that the Husbandman would learn from them But this is but a small part of what Jacob and David learned and the Husbandman might and would learn from his Sheep but that the Shepheard hath taken them out of his hand who having no other Book to learn in surely learns the more in this 5. The fifth lcsson the Husbandman doth learn is from his very Swine In whom he beholds the filthiness of a sinner whom Christ himself calls no less Math. 7.7 Cast not Pearls before Swine The Husbandman observes that all the stndy and care the Swine takes is for his belly to satisfie his brutish appetite He works not as the Ox brings no fleece as the Sheep nor milk as the kine All he does is to fill his belly And this teaches him to dislike that disposition of sensual sinners whose only study is to eat and drink and feed their lusts If it be a hateful quality in the Swine it cannot be lovely in any man but much more hateful And therefore he resolves to eat that he may live and that for God and not to live that he may eat And more particularly he learns from the Swine the danger of relapse into a course of sin and the difficulty of leaving sin till the nature be changed The Proverb is known 2 Pet. 2.22 The Sow that was washed is turned to her wallowing in the mire How sadly and truely doth this set out the unregenerate sinner He comes to the means of grace and those showers do wash him he comes among good
the Pruning of the Trees And there he learns the danger of prosperity and the Mercy of crosses He sees that when there are too many branches there is too little fruit and where the top is too big for the root there 's danger of being wind-fallen And this he considers well and receives instruction He likewise hath found that the pruning of the Tree hath usually made it better and that which seemed to hurt it hath helped afterward And the Lord hereby teacheth him the danger of abundance and the blessing of the Cross. He learns that an high estate is more dangerous and less fruitful than a mean That iâ—… God had suffered him to grow bulky it would have been worse for his soul. He sees that pruning is as needful as fencing and therefore can bless God when he takes away a Cow as well as when he sends him a Calf When Flesh and Blood cryes O I am cut I bleed I am undone Faith sings Blessed be the name of the Lord. Any man can say when the Lord gives blessed be God but to say from the very heart Blessed be God when he takes away that a good man only can say yea one that feels real benefit in his soul by his losses he knowes his Heavenly Physician takes no blood from him but what was puâ—…rid and did him hurt lop'd off no branches but what were suckers and did run away with that sap which would have produced fruit and thereupon he is in cold blood humbly content and thankful for that which others fret at and get nothing Nay if God prune off a child that lay nearer his heart than Christ or than it ought he is dumb he opens not his mouth knowing that God hath done nothing without reason which he hath done And concludes All 's for good first or last He hath read that Isa. 5.6 and considered it well where God threatens his vineyard it shall not he prun'd nor dig'd and the next news is thereshall come up bryars and thorns â—…nd the cloudes shall rain no more upon it Therefore our wise Husbandman is afraid of â—…rosperity as others are of troubles and welcomes crosses as kindly as others do benefits 4. The fourth lesson the Husbandman â—…arns in his Orchard is from the harmless Choristers there I mean the Birds that are singing there And from thence he learns 1. Chearful dependance on God For he sees the poor Birds of the Aire when they have broke their fast know not where they shall sup and yet they sing and fly abroad without a carking thought and find meat in due season at the hand of God Math. 6.26 Behold the Fowles of the Aire for they sow not nor reap nor gather into Barns yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they How merry are they with a little and why should I be sad that have much more Are these so sweetly provided for that neither sow nor reap Much more may I trust in God that both sow and reap Can they sing and rely on providence that have no Barns of their own How much more may I rest in the Lord and bless his name that have Barns and something in them Shall they sing among the branches Psal. 104.12 And shall I pule and pine among my children They can take a time to provide and a time to sing should not I finda time then to praise God each day as well as a time to provide for my self Yea 2. The Husbandman hence takes incouragement to prayer He observes that the eyes of all wart upon God and he satisfies the desire of every living thing Psal. 145.16 And thereupon he grounds some hopes that God will satisfie his desire especially when he perceives that God gives an ear to the Ravens when they cry Psal. 147.9 Now sayes he will God hear the Fowles of the Aire when they cry yea even the Raven that is an unreasonâ—…nable creature an unclean creature an unmerciful creature to other Birds an inauspicate creature a very embleme of Gods curse that hath an hoarse voice unapt of all others to move pity nay that cryes but implicitely and not directly to God Then why may not my Gracious God hear me though I be ignorant unclean unable to pray and want an heart to desire grace as I ought Why may not God hear my implicite desires when I can produce no better I will beleive I will pray though I can but chatter like a Crane though I can but cry like the Raven SECT V. V. THe Fifth Book wherein the Husbandman may learn something for his Soul is from his Garden And here let us consider what our Father Adam learn't there no doubt a deal Divines say his knowledge of God was Natural Revealed and Acquired He read God in the Creature but the Husbandman hath the Text with an happy Comment God in Christ. So that a Christian Husbandman may now converse with God with great perspicuity and advantage and see him in every flower in every herb in his garden It is observed that the word for an Herb in Hebrew signifies a Trumpet because the praise of God is sounded out to us by them O what work may a good garden and a good heart make It 's said the reason wherefore Joseph of Arimathea and others made their Sepulchres in their Gardens was because there was their place of delectation and there should be their place of meditation and the same garden should be the comfort of this life and the preparative to a better In special 1. The First Lesson the Husbandman learns in his Garden is from the Flowers thereof I cannot say with that Reverend Authour that we may learn a whole Creed out of the Lilly but this I am sure that in some one flower that 's chequer'd with white and red the Husbandman may meet with the Obedience Sufferings and Sweetness of Christ alâ—… together who is that Rose of Sharon and thaâ—… Lilly of the Vallies Cant. 2.1 If this sweetness be in these flowers O what is there iâ—… him that infus'd it into them And if a Garden be so ravishing O what is Heaven Thâ—… Paradise of God where the Tree of Life is 〈◊〉 the midst of the Garden And then as the Bâ—… sucks somewhat out of every flower so thâ—… Husbandman squeezes some spiritual lessoâ—… out of each flower into his soul. The Rosâ—… teaches him the fading of his Beauty that smiles one day and withers the next Psal. 103.15 The Lilly perswades him to Innocency and to drop by his gracious words sweet smelling Myrrhe Cant. 5.13 The Cammomil tells him the more he is prest down with tryals and oppositions he must grow the more The Marigold guides him to open his heart in compliance with the presence of Christ and the Hysop minds him of Remission by his blood Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean And thus he gathers a blessed posie of heavenly thoughts and