Upon springing-weather after feed-time, ४०
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, •To ſhadow forth aheavenly mystery, Which thus preſents itſelf before your eye.
Aswhen the ſun draws near us in the ſpring, All creatures do rejoice, birds chirp and fing.
The faceof nature ſmiles ; the fields adorn -Themſelves with rich embroideries : The corn
Revives, and ſhooteth up; the warm ſweet rain Makes trees and herbs ſprout forth, and ſpring amain.
Walk but the fields in ſuch afragrant morn, Howdo the birds your ears with fuch muſic charm !
The flowers their flaming beauties do preſent Unto your captiv'd eyes ; and for their ſcent,
The ſweetArabian gums cannot compare, Whichthus perfume the circumambient air.
So, when the goſpel ſheds its cheering beams Ongracious fouls, like thoſe ſweet-warminggleams
WhichGod ordains in nature, to draw forth The vertue feminal that's in the earth ;
Itwarms their hearts, their languid graces cheers, And, on ſuch fouls, a ſpring-like face appears.
Thegracious ſhowers theſe ſpiritual cloudsdoyield, Enriches them with ſweetnels, like a field
WhichGod hath bleſs'd. Oh ! 'tis exceeding ſweet, When gracious hearts, andheavenly truthsdomeet!
How ſhouldthehearts of faintswithinthem ſpring, When theybeholdthe meſſengers thatbring Theſe gladſome tidings ?
Yea, their very feet Are beautiful, becauſe their meſſage ſweet.
Ohwhat a mercy do thoſe ſouls enjoy, Onwhom fuch goſpel-dews falldaybyday!
Thricehappy land! which in this pleaſant ſpring, Canhear theſe turtles inher hedges ſing ?
Oprize fuch mercies ! If you ask me, why?
Read on, you'll fee there's reafonbyandby.
CHA P.
X.C
Upon a Dearth throughwantof Rain.
IfGodrestrains theshowers, you howl and cry :
Shallfaints not mournwhenspiritual clouds aredry ?
OBSERVATIO Ν.
IT is defervedly accountedafadjudgment, whenGod ſhuts up the heavens over our heads, and makes the earth as braſs under our feet, Deut. xxviii. 23. Then thehusbandmen are
TheHeavenlyUse of Earthly Things.
called to mourning, Joeli. 11. Allthe fields do languiſh, and thebellowingcattle are pined with thirſt.
Such a fad ſtate the prophet rhetoricallydeſcribes, Jer. xiv. 3, 4, 5, 6 "The nobles
" have fent their little ones to the waters; they came to the " pits and found no water; they returned with their veſſels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered
" their heads, becauſe the ground is chapt; for there was no " rainin the earth ; the plowmenwere ashamed, they covered
" their heads; yea, the hind alſo calved inthe field, and for- " fook it, becauſe there was no graſs ; and the wild affes did
" fſtand in the high places :
They ſouffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes failed, becauſe there was no graſs ."
And that which makes the want of rain fo terrible a judg. ment, is the famine of bread, which neceffarily follows theſe extraordinarydroughts, and is one ofthe foreft temporaljudgments which God inflicts upon the world.
APPLICATION .
A ND, truly as much cauſe have they toweep and tremble, over whoſe fouls God ſhuts up the ſpiritual clouds of thegoſpel, and thereby fends aſpiritual famine upon their fouls.
Such a judgment the Lord threatens in Amos viii. 11.
" hold the day is come, faith the Lord, that I will ſend a famine " in the land, notafamine of bread, nor athirst for water, but " ofhearing the word oftheLord." The meaning is, I willfend
"Beamore fearful judgmentthan that of the famine of bread ; for this particle [not] is not exclusive but exceſſive ; implying, that afamineof bread is nothing, orbut a lightjudgment comparedwith the famine of the word.
Parallel to which is that text, Ha. v. 6. " I will lay itwaſte (faithGodof thefruitless church ;)
" it ſhallnot be pruned nordigged; but there ſhall come up " briars and thorns ; I will also command the clouds that they
" rainnot upon it." And we findboth inhuman and facred hiſtories, thatwhenGod hath ſhut up the ſpiritual clouds, removing or filencinghis minifters, ſenſible Chriſtians have ever beendeeply affected with it, and reckoned it a moſt tremenduous judgment. Thus the Chriſtians ofAntioch,whenChryfoftom their miniſter was baniſhed, * theyjudged it better to loſethe fun out of the firmament, than loſe that, their miniſter. And when
Nazianzen was taking his leave of Conftantinople, as hewas preaching his farewelfermon, the peoplewere exceedingly af- * It is better for us towant the light ofthe ſun, thanthe teaching of Chryfoftomus.
VOL . VI.
Husbandry Spiritualized: or, fectedwithhis loſs ; and among the reſt, an old man in the congregation fellinto abitter paſſion, and criedout, Audepater, et tecumtrinitatemipfam ejice: (i.e.)Go, Father, ifyou dare, and take away the whole trinity with you; meaning, thatGod wouldnot staywhen hewas gone. Howdid the Chriſtians of Antioch alſoweep and lament, whenPaul was taking his farewel of them ? Acts xx. 37, 38. Hehad been acloud of blefوم fings to that place, but now they must expect no more ſhowers from him. Oh ! they knew not how togive up ſuch a miniſter when the arkofGod (which wasthe fymbol ofthe Divine prefence among the Jews) was taken, "All the city cried out,"
Sam. iv. 13. Oh the lofs of a goſpel-miniſtry is an ineftimable lofs, not tobe repairedbutby its own return, orbyheaven ! Mr.
Greenham tells us, that inthetimes of popiſh perfecution, when godly minifters were haled away from their flocks tomartyrdom, the poor Chriſtians would meet them in the way to the prifons, or ſtake, with their little ones intheir arms, andthrowingthemselves at their feet, would thus beſpeak them,
What • ſhall be our eftate, nowyou aregone tomartyrdom ? Who • ſhall inſtruct theſe poorbabes? Who ſhall eaſe our afflicted
• confciences ? Who fhall lead us in thewayof life ? Recom 6 pence unto them, OLord, as they have deferved, who are the • cauſes of this: Lord give them ſad hearts.' Quis taliafando, temperet a lachrymis? And to letyou see there is fufficient ground for this forrow, whenGod restrains the influences of the goſpel, folemnlyconfider the following particulars.
1. That it is a dreadful token ofGod's great anger againft that people from whom he removes the gofpel. The anger ofGodwas fearfully incenfed against the church ofEphefus, when he did but threaten tocome against her, and remove the candlestick out of its place, Rev. ii. 5.
It is a ſtroke at the foul, a blow at the root; uſually the laſt, and therefore the worft of judgments. There is a pedigree ofjudgments ; firſt,
Gomer bears Jezreel ; next, Lo-ruhama, and at laſt brings forth Lo-ammi, Hofea i. 4, 6, 8 , 9.
2. There is cauſe of mourning, if you confider the deploraBleeftate in which allthe unregenerate fouls are left, after the gofpel is removed from them. What will become of theſe ?
Or by whom ſhall theybe gathered ?
It made the bowels of Chrift yearn within him, when he looked upon the ſcattered multitude that had no ſhepherd. Matth. ix. 36. What an eaſy conquestdoth the devil now make of them? How faſtdoth bell fill in ſuch times ?
Poor fouls being driven thither in droves, andnone to rescue them ! Matthew Paris tells us, that
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in the year 1973,whenpreachingwas fuppreffed at Rome, letters were then framed as comingfrom hell; whereinthe devil gaye them thanks for the multitude of fouls they had fent to him that year.
But truly we need not talk of letters from hell,we are told from heaven, how deplorable the condition of ſuch poor fouls is ; See Prov. xxviii. 19. Hof. iv. 6.
Or, 3. The judgment will yet appear very heavy, if you confider the loſs whichGod's own people ſuſtain by the removal of the goſpel; for therein they loſe (1.) Their chief glory,
Rom. iii. 2.
The principal thing in which the peculiar glory of Ifrael conſiſtedwas this, " That unto them were committed
" theoracles ofGod." On that account itwas called the glorious land, Dan. xi. 16.
This made them greater than all the nations round about them, Deut. iv. 7, 8.
(2.) By loſing the ordinances they loſe their quickenings, comforts, and foul-refreſhments; for all theſe are ſweet Areams from the gospelfountain, Pſalm cxix. 50. Col. iv. 8. No wonder then tohear the people of God complain of dead hearts when the goſpel is removed.
(3.) Inthe loſs ofthe goſpel they loſe their defence and safety.
This is their hedge, their wall of protection, Iſa. v. 5.
Walls and hedges (faith Musculus in loc.) are the ordinances of God, which ſerved both adfeparationem et munitionem, to diftinguith and to defend them.
WhenGod plucks up this hedge, andbreaks down this wall, all miſchiefs break inuponus preſently, 2 Chron. xv. 3, 4, 5, 6. " Now for a long
" ſeaſon Iſrael hath been without the trueGod, and without a teaching prieſt, andwithout law.
And in thoſe times " there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that " came in, but great vexationswere upon all the inhabitants of " the countries, and nationwas deſtroyed of nation, and city
" of city; forGod did vex them with all adverfity." How longdid Jerufalem remain after that voice was heard in the temple, Migremus hinc? Let us be gone ?
(4.) With the gofpel, we loſe our temporal enjoyments and creature-comforts.
Theſe uſually come and gowith the gospel.
WhenGodhad once written Lo-ammi upon Ifrael, the next news was this, " I " will recover my wool and my flax," Hofea ii. 9.
(5.) And, laſtly, to come up to the very caſe in hand, they loſe with it their ſpiritual food andfoul-ſubſiſtence, for the goſpel is their feast offat things, Iſa. xxv. 6. their ſpiritual wells, Ifa. xii . 3 . adoſe diſtributed among the Lord's poor, Rom . i. 11.
In a word, it is as the rain and dews of heaven, as hath been ſhewed,whichbeingreſtrained, aſpiritual famine neceffarily follows,
M 2
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, a famine, of all, the moſt terrible. Now to ſhew you the analogy between this and atemporal famine, that thereinyou may feewhat caute you have to be deeply affectedwith it, take itin theſe fix following particulars.
1. A famine cauſed by the failing of bread, or that which is inthe ſtead, and hath the use of bread. Dainties and fuperfluous rarities may fail, and yet menmay fubfift comfortably :
As long as people have bread and water, they will not famich ; but take away bread once, and the spirit of man faileth. Upon this accountbread is called a ſtaff, Plalm cv. 16 becauſe what a ſtaff is to an aged and feeble man, that bread istothefaintand feeble ſpirits, which even ſo do lean upon it. And look what bread is to the natural fpirits, that, and more than that, the word is to gracious ſpirits, Job xxiii. 12. " I have eſteemed the " words of thy mouth, more than my neceſſary food."
If onceGod breaks this ſtaff, the inner man, that hidden man of the heart, will quickly begin to fail and faulter.
2. It is not everydegree of ſcarcityof bread that preſently makes a famine, but a general failing of it; when nobread is tobe had, or that which is, yields no nutriment.
For afamine may as well be occafionedbyGod's taking awaypanis nutrimentum, thenourishing vertue of bread, that it ſhall fignifyno more, as to the end of bread, thana chip, Hag. i. 6.
As by taking away panem nutrientem, bread itſelf, Ifa. iii. 1. And to it is in a ſpiritual famine, which is occafioned, either by God's remov ing all the ordinances, and making viſion utterly to fail; or elſe, though there be preaching, prayer, and other ordinances left(at leaſt the names and ſnadows of them) yet the prefence ofGod is not with them.
There is no marrow in the bone, no milk in the breast; and ſo, as to a foul-ſubſiſtence, it is all one, as if there were noſuch things.
{ 3. In a corporeal famine, mean and coarſe things become ſweet and pleaſant : Famine raiſes the priceandeſteemofthem .
That which before you would have thrown toyour dogs, now goes down pleaſantly with yourselves. To the hungry foul every bitter thing is ſweet, Prov. xxvii. 7.
It is the Dutch proverb, and avery true one, hunger is the best cook*.
• In time of famine coarſeſt fare contents, ' The barking ſtomach ſtrains nocomplements .'
It is ſtoried ofArtaxerxes Memor, that when he was flying before his enemies, he fed hungrily upon barley-bread, and faid, Gujufmodi voluptatis hactenus inexpertus fuit ! O what
* Jujunusftomachus raro vulgaria temnit.
Horat.
TheHeavenly Use ofEarthly Things.
pleaſurehave I hithertobeen ignorant of ! When greatDarius drank the puddledwater, that hadbeendefiledwith dead carcaffes, which hadbeen flain in that famous battle, he profeſſed heneverdrank more pleaſant drink. And famous Hunniades faid, he never fared moredaintily,than when (in a like exigence) he fuppedupon bread, onions, and water, with a poor ſhepherd in his cottage.
Juſtſodothe famine ofthe word raiſe the price and eſteem ofvulgar anddeſpiſed truths. Oh ! what would you give for one of thoſe fermons, one of thoſe ſabbaths we formerly enjoyed! inthose days the word of the Lord was precious. When
Godcalls to the enemy to take away and remove his contemned, but precious, dainties, from his wanton children, and a ſpiritual famine hath a little pinched them, they willthen learn to prize their ſpiritual food at a higher rate.
4. in timeof famine tome perſons fuffer more than others : it falls heavieſt, and pincheth hardeſt upon thepoorer fort; as long as any thing is to behad for money, the rich will have it.
So it falls out in a ſpiritual famine; although the moſt experienced andbeſt furnished Chriſtians willhave enough to do to live in the abſence of ordinances, yet they are like to fubfift much better than weak, ignorant, and unexperienced ones.
Some Chriſtians have huſbanded their time well, and, like Joſeph in the ſeven years plenty, laid up for a Scarcity.
The word of Goddwells richly in them.
Some ſuch there are, as John callsyoung men, who are ſtrong, and the word ofGod remaineth inthem; ofwhom itmay be faid, as Jerom spake of Nepotianus, that by long and affiduous meditation of the ſcriptures,hehad made his breaſtthe very library of Chrift, Entothers are babes in Chrift ; and thoughGod will preferve that good workwhich he hath begun inthem, yet theſe poor babes will fooneſt findandbe moſtconcerned in the loſs of their ſpiritual fathers and nurfes 5. In time offamine there are pitiful cries, and heart-breaking complaints where-ever you go. Oh the many pale faces you ſhall then ſee, and the ſad language that rings in your ears in every place ! One cries, Bread, bread, for Chriſt's fake! one bitof bread ! another faints and falls down at your door.
All herpeoplefigh, Lam. i. 11. Yea, the poor little ones are brought
in, ver. 12. crying to their mothers, Where is the corn and wine? andthen pouring out their fouls into their mother'sbofom.
Juſt ſo it is ina famine of the word; poor Chriſtians every where fighing and crying, Oh ! where are our godly minifters ? our tweet fabbaths, fermons, facraments ? My fa-
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, thers ! my fathers ! the chariots of Ifrael, and the horfemen thereof! How beautiful were your feet upon the mountains ?
And then, weeping, like the people at Paul's departure, to think they ſhall fee their faces nomore.
6. Laſlly, In time of famine there is nothing ſo coſtly or precious, but the people will part with it to purchaſe bread.
" They have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve " their ſouls," Lam. i. 11.
And, doubtleſs, when a ſpiritual famine ſhall pinch hard, thoſe that have been cloſe-handed to maintain a goſpel-miniſtry, will account it a choice mercy to enjoy them again at any rate.
Though the Lord feed you "
" with the bread of affliction, and give you the waters of ad- " verſity; yet it will ſweeten that bread and water to you, if " your teachers be nomore removed into corners," Ifa. xxx.
20.
REFLECTIONS.
1. Is the famine of the word ſuch a fearThe ungrateful ful judgment ? Then Lord pardon my unfoul's reflection. thankfulness, for theplentifuland long continued enjoyment ofſuch a precious and invaluablemercy. Howlong lightlyhave Ieſteemed thegreat things of the goſpel! O that with eyes and hands lifted up toheaven, I might bleſs the Lord, thatever I was brought forth in anage ofſo much light, in a valley of viſions, in a land flowingwith goſpel-mercies ! " HathnotGod made ofoneblood allthe na- " tions of men todwell onthe face ofthe earth ! Anddetermin- " ed the times before appointed, and thebounds of their habi- " tation ?" A&s xvii. 26. Many of theſegreat and populous nations are involved in groſsdarkneſs. Now, that of all the ſeveral ages of the world, and places in it, God ſhould eſpy the beſt place for me, and bring me forth in it, in ſuch ahappy nickoftime, as canhardlybe paralleled inhiſtory, for the plenty of goſpel-mercies that this age and nation hath enjoyed ; that my motherdid not bring me forth in the defarts ofArabia, or waſtes ofAmerica, but inEngland, whereGod hath made the fun ofthe goſpel to ſtand ſtill, as the natural fun oncedid over Gibeon; and that ſuch a mercy ſhould no more affect my foul, let ſhame covermyface for this, and trembling ſeize my heart!
2. Is thegoſpel indeed departed ? Its ſweet influences reſtrained ? and a famine, worſe than that of bread, come upon us ? Alas for theday! for it is a great day, so that none is like it ; it is even the day of Jacob's trouble !
The deprived Chriftian's reflection .
TheHeavenlyUse of Earthly Things.
Wo isme, thatever I ſhould ſurvive the goſpel, andthe precious liberties and mercies of it ! What horrid ſins have been harbouredamongst us, forwhichtheLord contendsby ſuch an unparalleledjudgment ? Lord,let mejuſtify thee, even inthis ſevere diſpenſation ; theprovocation ofthy fons, and ofthy daughters havebeenverygreat, and amongst themnone greater thanmine.
Maywenot this day readour fin in our punishment ? O what niceandwanton appetites, what curious and itching ears, had thy people in thedays ofplenty ! Methods,tones andgeſtures, were more regarded than the excellent treaſuresofdivine truths.
Ah, my foul ! I remember my fault this day; little did I then confider, that fermons work not upon hearts, as they are thus elegant, thus admirable, but as they are inſtruments in the hand ofGod appointed tofuch an end.
Even as Auſtin ſaid of the conduits ofwater, though onebe inthe ſhapeof an angel, another ofa beast, yet the water refreſhes as it is water, and not asit comes from ſuch a conduit: by this alſo, O Lord, thou rebukeſt the ſupineneſs and formality of thy people. How drowfie, dull, and careleſs have they beenunder the moſt excellent and quickning means ? Few more than I.
Alas ! I have often preſented mybodybefore the Lord in ordinances, ηδε ψυχη εξώ, but my soul hath been wandering abroad, as Chryfoftom ſpeaks. I ſhould have come from under every fermon, asa ſheetcomes fromthe preſs, with all theſtamps and lively impreſſions of the truths I have heard upon my heart.
But, alas if it had been demanded of me, as once itwas of Aristotle, after a long and curious oration, how he liked it ?
Imighthave anſwered, as he did, truly Idid not hear it ; for I was all thewhile minding another matter.
Righteous art thou, O Lord, in allthat is comeupon us !!
3. I am now as a ſpring ſhut up, that can Thefilent miniyield no refreshment to thirsty fouls, ready fter's reflection. to periſh .
Thou haſt ſaid to me, as once to Ezekiel, " Son ofman, behold, I will make thy tongue cleave
" tothe roof ofthy mouth, and thou shaltbedumb."
This is averyheavyjudgment; butthou must bejuſtified and cleared in it.
Although men may not, yetGod, ifhe pleaſe, may putalighted candle under a buſhel. And herein I must acknowledge thy righteouſneſs. Many times have I been finfully filent, when both thyglory andthe intereſt of fouls engaged me to ſpeak.
Moſt juſtly therefore haft thou made my tongue tocleave toits roof.
Little did I confider the preciouſneſs of fouls, orthetremenduous account tobe given for them, at the appearing of the great ſhepherd. Ihave now time enough to
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, fitdown andmourn over former miscarriages, and loft opportunities.
Lord reſtore me once again to a ferviceable capacity, toalarger ſphere of activity for thee, for I am now become as a broken veſſel.
It grieves me to the heart to fee thy flock fcattered; to hear thy people cry to me, as once toJoſeph,
" Give us bread; forwhy ſhould wediein thy preſence ?" The word is like fire ſhut up in mybones, and I am weary with forbearing.
Oh ! that thou wouldst once again open the doors ofthine houſe, that there may be breadenough in thine houſe forallthychildren.
W The POEM.
HEN God doth make the heavens above as braſs, The earth's like iron, flowers, herbs and graſs
Have loft their fragrantgreen, are turned yellow; Thebrooks aredry, the pining cattle bellow;
The fat and flow'ry meadows ſcorch'd and burn'd; The country's mirth is into mourning turn'd ;
The clefted earth her thirsty mouth fets ope Unto the empty clouds, as 'twere in hope
Offome refreshingdrops, that might allay Her fiery thirst; but they foon paſs away;
The penſivehuſbandman with his own eyes Bedews his land, because he ſees the ſkies
Refuſe to do it.
Juſt ſo ſtands the cafe, WhenGod, from fouls, removes the means ofgrace.
God'sminiſters are clouds, their doctrine rain, Which when the Lord, injudgment, ſhall reſtrain,
The peoples fouls in ſhort time will be found In fuch a cafe as this dry parchedground.
When this fadjudgment falls on any nation, Let ſaints therein take up this lamentation.
- O dreadful, dark, and diſmal day !
How is our glory fled away ?
Our fun gone down, our ſtars o'ercaft ?
God'sheritage is now laid waste.
Ourpining fouls nobread can get ; With wantonsGod has juſtly met.
Whenwe were fed unto the full, This manwas tedious, that was dull :
But they are gone, andthere remain No fuch occaſions to complain.
Starsare not now for lights, but ſigns, God knows of what heart-breaking times,