PART III
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, AN
INTRODUCTION
• To the THIRD PART of
HUSBANDRY.
NOW, from the pleaſant orchardlet us walk Aturn i' th' fields, and there converſe andtalk
With cows and horses ; they can teach us ſome Choice lefſons, though irrational anddumb.
My reader's weary ; yet I do not fear To be forſakenby one reader here :
He'll doubtleſs ſtay to hear what queſtions I Propound to beasts, andhow theymakereply.
The fattedox, and pamper'd horſe you ride ; Their careleſs maſter for his care thus chide.
CHAP.
Upon the Huſbandman's Care for his Cattle.
More carefor horse and oxen many take, Than for their fouls, or dearest childrens fake.
OBSERVATION.
ANY huſbandmen are exceſſively careful about their cattle, rifingthemselves early, or causing their fervants torife betimes, to provender and dreſs them.
Much time is ſpent inſome countries, in trimming and adorning their horſes with curious trappings and plumes of feathers ; and if at anytime their beasts be fick, what care istaken to recover and healthem : you willbe ſure they ſhallwant nothing that is neceſſary for them ; yea, many will chuſe rather to want themſelves, than fuffer their horſes ſo to do ; and take a great deal ofcomfort to fee them thrive and profper under their hands.
APPLICATION.
Wh HAT one faid of bloodyHerod, who flew ſo many children at Bethlehem, That it were better to be his fwinethanhis fon, may truly enough be applied to fome parents andmaſters, who take leſs care fortheſavingthefouls of
The Heaventy Use of Eathly Things.
their children andſervants, than they do for the bodies of thoſe beasts which daily feed attheir italls and cribs. Many therebe who do in reference to their fouls,as Jacob did with refpect to thepreſervationoftheir bodies,whenhe put allthe herds ofcattle before, and his wives and little ones behind, as hewenttomeet his brotherEfau.
It is aweighty faying ofa grave * author: ' It is vile ingratitude to rejoicewhen cattle
•multiply, and repine when children increaſe; it is heathen- • iſh distrustfulness,tofear thathewho provides foryour beasts, will not provide for your children; and it is noleſs than un- • natural cruelty, to be careful of the bodies of beasts, and careless ofthe fouls of children.'
Let us but a little compare your care anddiligence inboth reſpects, andfee, in a few particulars, whetheryou do indeed value your own, or your children and ſervants fouls, as you do the life and health ofabeast.
1. Your care for your very horſes is expreſſed early, whilft they arebut colts, and not come to doyou any fervice ; you arewilling to be at pains and coſt, tohave them broken and brought to theirway.
This is more than ever many of them didfor their children; they can fee them wild and profane, naturallytaking a ſtroke or wayof wickedneſs, but yet never wereatanypains orcoaft to breakthem; theſe mustbe fondledandcockeredup in the natural way of their own corruption andwickedneſs, and not atodor reproofusedtobreak them ofit.
It isobſervedofthe Persians, † that they put out theirchildren to ſchool, asfoon as they can ſpeak, and willnot fee them inſevenyears after, left their indulgence ſhoulddo them hurt.
2. You keep your conſtant ſet times, morning and evening, tofeed,water,and dreſs your cattle, and willby no means neglect itonce: but how manytimes have you neglected morningand evening-duties in your families ? Yea, howmanybe there, whoſe very tables, in reſpect ofany worship God hath there, dovery little differ from the very cribs and mangers at whichtheir horfes feed ? As soon as you are up in a morning, you arewithyour beafts, before you have beenwithyourGod.
How littledo fuch differ from beasts ? Andhappy were it, if theywereno more accountable toGod than their beasts are,
The end of your care, coſt, and pains aboutyour cattle is, thatthey maybe ſtrong for labour, and the more ſerviceableto you: thus youcomply with the endoftheir beings. Buthow
1 * fenk, on Jude, part 2. p. 170.
†Clark's Mir. p. 506.
VOL. VI.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, rare athing is it to find theſe men as careful to fit theirpofterity tobe useful and ſerviceable toGod in their generations, which is the end oftheir beings ? Ifyou can makethem rich, ard provide good matches for them,you reckonthat you have fully diſcharged the duty of parents : ifthey will learnto hold the plow, that you are willing to teach them : but, whendid youſpendanhourto teach them theway offalvation.?
Now to convince ſuch careleſs parents ofthe heinouſneſs of their fin, let theſe queries be ſolemnly confidered.
Qu. 1. Whether this be a ſufficientdiſcharge of that great dutywhichGodhath laid upon Chriſtian parents, in reference to their families ? ThatGod hath chargedthem with thefouls oftheir families, is undeniable, Deut. vi. 6, 7. Eph. vi. 4.
If Godhad not cloathed you with his authority, to command them inthe way of the Lord, he would never have charged them ſo ſtrictly to yield you obedience as he hath done, Eph.
vi. 1. Col. iii. 20.
Well, a great truſt is repoſed inyou, look toyourduty ; for, withoutdifpute,you shall anſwer for it.
Qu. 2. Whether itbe likely, ifthe timeofyouth (whichis themouldingage)be neglected, they will be wrought upon to any good afterwards ? Huſbandmen, letmeput a fenfiblecafe toyou ; do you not fee in yourvery horſes,thatwhilst theyare young, you canbring them to any way ; but ifoncetheyhave got a falſe ſtroke, andby long cuſtom it begrown natural to them, thenthere is no breakingthem ofit: yea, you fee it in yourveryorchards; youmaybring atender twig togrow in whatform you pleaſe; butwhenit is grownto a sturdy limb, there is nobending it afterwards to anyother form thanwhat it naturally took.
Thus it is with children, Prov. xxii. 6.
" Train up a childinthewayhe should go, andwhen he is " old, he will not depart from it."
Qu . 3. Whether if you neglect to inſtructthem intheway ofthe Lord, Satan,andtheirown natural corruptions,will not inſtructthem inthewayto hell? Confider this,ye careleſs parents : ifyou will not teach your children, the devil willteach them : ifyou ſhewthem not howto pray, he will ſhew them how to curſeand ſwear, and take the name ofthe Lordinvain : ifyou grudge time and pains about their fouls, the devildoth not. Oh ! it is a fad confideration, that ſo many children ſhouldbeput toſchool tothe devil.
Qu. 4. What comfort areyou like to have from them when theyare old, ifyou bring them notup in the nurtureandadmonitionof the Lord, when they are young ? Many parents have livedtoreap in their oldage the fruit of their own folly
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
and-careleſneſs, inthe loose and vain education of their children. By Lycurgus his law, noparentwas to be relieved by his children in age, ifhe gave them not good education in their youth ; and it is a law at this day among the Switzers, That if anychildbe condemnedtodiefor acapitaloffence, the parents ofthat child areto be his executioners : theſe laws were made to provoke parents to look better to their charge. Believe this as an undoubtedtruth, Thatthat childwhich becomes, through thydefault, an inſtrument todiſhonourGod,ſhallprove, fooner or later afon ordaughter of forrow to thee.
1. God hath found out my ſin this day. A reflection for This hathbeen mypracticeever ſince Ihad careless parents. a family committedtomy charge ; I have ſpentmoretimeandpains about the bodies ofmybeasts, than the fouls ofmy children: beaſt that Iam for ſodoing ! little haveI conſideredthepreciouſneſs ofmyown, ortheir immortalfouls. HowcarefulhaveI beento providefodder to preſerve mycattle inthe winter, whilſt I leave my own and their fouls toperiſh toeternity, and make no proviſionfor them ? Surely my children willone day curſe the time that ever they were bornuntoſuch a cruel father, or offuch a mercileſs mother.
Should Ibringhomethe plague intomyfamily, andlive to fee all my poor children lie dead bythe walls ; ifI had not the heart ofa tyger, ſuch a fight would melt my heart : and yet thedeath oftheir ſouls, by the ſinwhich Ipropagated tothem, affects me not. Ah ! that I could ſay, Ihaddone as much for them, as I havedone for abeaſt that periſheth !
2. But, unhappywretch that Iam !
Godcaſt abetter lot for me , Iamthe Areflection for thedifoff-fpring ofreligious and tender parents, who have always deeply concernedthemſelves in the everlasting state of myfoul; manyprayers andtears have theypoured out obedient child of agraciousparent. toGod for me, both inmyhearing, as wellas in ſecret ;many holy and wholeſome counſels have they from time to time droptuponme ; manyprecious examples havethey ſet intheir ownpracticebefore me; manya time when I have finned against the Lord, have they stood over me, with a rod in their hands, and tears intheir eyes, ufing all means to reclaim me; but, like an ungracious wretch, I have flighted alltheir counſel, grievedtheir hearts, and imbittered their lives to them by my ſinful courſes. Ah, myfoul ! thou art a degenerate plant ; betterwill itbewith the off-ſpring of infidels than with thee,
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, ifrepentancepreventnot:nowI live inone fan.ilywith them, but ſhortly I shallbe feparatedfrom them, as far as hell is from heaven; theynow tenderly pitymymiſery,butthen they ſhall approve and applaudthe righteous fentence of Chrift upon me: ſo little privilege ſhall Ithen have from my relation to them, thatthey ſhallbe produced as witneſſes againstme, and all their rejected counſels, reproofs and examples, charged homeupon me, as the aggravations ofmy wickedness ; and better it will be,when it ſhall come to that, that I had been brought forth by abeaſt, than ſprung from the loins of fuch parents.
The POEM.
There's nothingwantingthat ſhould make them fo.
Thepamper'dhorſecommends his master's care, Whoneitherpains or coſtdoth grudge or fpare.
But artnotthou meanwhilethe vileft fool, "That pamper'ſt beasts, and ſtarves thy precious foul ?
Twerewell if thou couldſt die as well as live Likebeasts, and had no more account to give.
Othat theſe lines your folly might detect!
Whobothyourown and children's fouls neglect To care for beasts. O man ! prepareto hear
Thedoleful'ſt language that e'er pierc'd thine ear; Whenyou your children once inhell fhall meet,
Andwith fuch language theirdamn'd parents greet :
" O curſed father ! wretched mother! why " Was I your off-fpring ? Would toGod that I "Had ſprung from tygers, who more tender be
"Unto their young thanyou havebeen tome.
" Howdidyouſpendyour thoughts, time, care, and coft " About my body, whilft my foulwas loft?
" Did you not know I had a foul, that muft " Live, when this body was diffolv'd to duft?
"You could not chuſebut understand if I, " Without an intereſt in Chriſtdid die, " Itneeds muftcome tothis. Ohowcouldyou "Prove fo remorſeleſs, and no pity ſhew ?
"O cruel parents! I maycurſe theday " That I was born of fuch as did betray " Their child to endless torments.
Now mustI "With, andthrough you, in flames for ever lie."
Let this make everyparent tremble, left IHe loſe his child, whilft caring for his beast :
The Heavenly Use ofEarthly Things.
Or left his ownpoor foul do ſtarve and pine, Whilfthetakes thought for horſes,sheep and kine.
CHAP.
II.
Upon the hard Labour and cruel Ufage of Beaftss When under loadsyour beasts do groan, think then
How great amercy 'tis that you are men.
OBSERVATION.
Hough ſome men be exceſſively careful andtender over their beasts, as was noted in the former chapter; yetothers arecruel and mercileſs towards them, not regarding how theyride orburden them. How oftenhave I ſeen them faintingunder their loads, wrought off theirlegs, and turned out with galledbacks, into the fields or high-ways to ſhift for a littlegraſs,manytimeshave I heard and pitied them, groaning under unreafouableburdens, andbeaten onbymercileſs drivers, tillat laſt,byſuch cruel uſage, theyhavebeen destroyed, and then caft intoa ditch for dogs meat.
APPLICATION.
Uch fights as theſe ſhould make men thankful for the mercy of their creation, and bleſs their bountiful Creator, that they were not made ſuch creatures themſelves.
Some beafts are made ad efum,only for food, being no otherwise uſeful to man,as swine, &c. These are onlyfed for flaughter ; wekillandeat them, and regardnottheir cries andſtrugglings when theknifeis thrust to their very hearts ! others are only ad ufum, for ſervice, whilst living, but unprofitable when dead, as horfes; theſe we make to drudge and toil for us from day to day,butkill them not: others are both ad efum, et ufum, for foodwhendead, and ſervice whilft alive, as the ox ; theſe we make to plow our fields, draw our carriages, and afterwards prepare them for the flaughter.
But man was made for nobler ends, created lord of the lower world; not to ſerve, but to be ferved by other creatures ; amercyableto melt the hardest heart into thankfulneſs. I remember, * Luther preſſingmen tobe thankful, that they are not brought into the lowest condition ofcreatures, and to bleſs
Godthat theycan fee any creature below themſelves, gives us afamous inſtance in thefollowing ſtory : Two cardinals, faith he riding in agreatdealofpomptothe council ofConstance,
* Luther in 3d Precept,
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, bythewaytheyheard aman in the fields,weeping andwailingbitterly; theyrodetohim,and aſk'dhim what he ailed ?
Perceiving his eye intently fixed upon anuglytoad,hetoled them that his heart melted with the confideration of this mercy, that God had not made him ſuch a deformed and loathſome creature, though he were formed out of the fameclay with it: Hoc eft quod amarefleo, faid he, this is that which makes me weep bitterly.
Whereupon one of the Cardinals cries out, well, ſaid the Father, the unlearned will riſe and takeheaven,when we with allour learningſhall be thruſt into hell. That which melted the heart ofthis poor man, ſhould melt everyheartwhen we beholdthe miſery to which theſepoor creatures are ſubjected. Andthis will appear amercyofno flight confideration, ifwe butdraw a compariſon betwixt ourſelves andtheſe irrational creatures, intheſe three particulars.
1. Though they and weweremadeofthe ſame mould and clay,yet howmuch better hathGoddealtwith us, even as to the outward man? The ſtructure of our bodies is much more excellent;God madeother goodcreatures bya word ofcommand, but man by counſel ; it was not, Bethou, but, Let us makeman. Wemighthavebeenmade stones without ſenſe, orbeasts without reaſon, butwewere mademen. The noble ſtructure and ſymmetryofourbodies invites ourſouls not only tothankfulneſs but admiration. David, ſpeaking ofthe curious frameofthe body, faith, " I amwonderfully made," Pfal. cxxxix. 14. or, as the vulgarreads it, painted as with aneedle, like ſome richpiece ofneedle-workcuriouflyembroideredwith nerves and veins. Was any partofthe commonlump ofclay thus faſhioned? Galen gave Epicurus an hundredyears time to imagine a more commodious ſituation, configuration, or compoſition of any one part ofahumanbody; and (as one faith) ifall the angels in heavenhad ſtudied to thisday, they couldnothavecaftthe bodyofman intoa more curiousmold.
2.How little eaſe or reſt have they? They live not many years,andthoſe theydo are in boudage andmiſery, groaning under the effects of ſin; butGodhath providedbetter for us even as to our outward condition inthe world; we have the more reſt,becauſethey have ſo little. Howmanyrefreshments andcomforts hath Godprovided for us, ofwhichthey are uncapable? Ifwe beweary with labour, we cantake our reft ; but freſh orweary, they muſtſtand toit, or ſink under it from day today.
A 3. What a narrow capacity hath God given to beasts !
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
What a largecapacity to man ! Alas, they are only capable of alittle ſenſitive pleaſure ; asyou ſhallfeeſometimes,howthey will friſk inagreenpaſture; this is all theybe capable of, and thisdeath puts an end to: but how comprehenfive are our fouls in their capacities ! We are made in the imageofGod; we can lookbeyondpreſentthings,and are capableofthehigheſthappiness,andthat toalleternity: the foulofabeaſt is but amaterial form,which, whollydependingupon, must needs diewiththebody; butourfouls areadivine ſparkor blaft ; and when thebody dies, it dies notwith it,but ſubſiſts evenin its ſeparated ſtate.
REFLECTIONS.
1.How greata fin is ingratitudetoGod, for ſuchacommon,butchoice mercyofcreationand
A reflection for an unprovifion for me in this world? There is no creature made worſe by kindneſs, but man.
There isakindofgratitude which Imay obſerve thankfulfinner. evenintheſebrute beasts ; they do in theirway acknowledge their benefactors; " The ox knows his owner,
" and the aſshis master's críb."
How readyarethey toſerve fuch as feedand cherish them ? ButI havebeenboth unthankfuland unſerviceable tomy Creator and Benefactor,that hath done me good all mydays ; thoſepoor creatures that ſweat and groan under the load that I layupon them, never finned against God, nor tranfgreffed the laws oftheir creation, as I havedone; andyetGod hath dealt betterwith me than with them. O that the bounty ofGod, and his distinguiſhing mercybetweenme andthebeafts that perish, might move and melt my heart into thankfulness! O that I might conſiderferiously whatthehigher and more excellentendofmycreation is, andmightmore endeavour toanſwerand liveup to it! Or elſe,O my foul! itwill beworſewith theethan the beasts : it istrue,theyareunderbondageandmiſery; but it isbut for a littletime; death will endalltheir pains, and eaſethem of all theirheavy loads; but I shall groanto all eternity, under aheavierburdenthan everthey felt ; they haveno accountto give,butfohave I. What comfortis it that I have alarger capacitythan abeaft hath ? ThatGodhath endowed mewith reaſon, whichisdenied tothem? Alas ! this will but augment mymiſery,andenlargemetotakein agreatermeaſureofanguish.
2. But how many steps,O my foult mayſt A reflection thou aſcend inthe praiſesofthyGod, when thou for an elect confidereſt the mercies thatGod hath bestowed foul. uponthee ; not only inthathe madethee nota
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, ſtone or treewithout ſenſe,oran horse or dogwithout reaſon; butthat thou art not an infidel without light, or an unregenerate perſon without grace ? What! to have fenfe, and all the delights of it,which stones have not ! Reaſon, with themorehigh and noble pleaſures ofit, which beasts have not, the light and knowledge of the great things of the goſpel, which theheathens have not ! and fuch an expectation and hope ofunconceivable gloryand felicity, which the unſanctifiedhavenot ! O myfoul ! how rich,how bountiful hath thy
God been to thee! These are the overflowings ofhis love to thee who waſt moulded outofthe fame lump with the beasts that groanon earth, yea, with the damned that howlin hell: wellmay IfaythatGodhathbeen agoodGodto me !
W The POEM.
HEN I beholda tiredjade put on Withwhip and ſpur,tillallhis ſtrengthbe gone; See ſtreams of ſweat rundown hisbleeding fides,
How littlemercy's shewn by him thatrides.
If Imore thankful to my Godwou'd prove, Thanfuch arider mercileſs, 'twillmove My foultopraife: For whofeesthis,andcan But bleſs the Lord that he was made aman.
Andfuch afight the rider ought tomove Thismeditationduly toimprove.
What hath this creature done, thathe ſhould be Thus beaten, wounded, and tir'd outby me ?
He is myfellow-creature ; 'tismere grace Ihadnotbeen inhis,hein my cafe.
Ungrateful ,ſtupid man! God mighthave made Me bear the faddle,as I ſee thisjade, He never finn'd, but for my fin doth lie
Subjected unto allthis miſery.
Lord,make myheart relent, that I shouldbe Totheemoreuſeleſs,than my horſe tome :
Hedidhis utmoſt,went as long as ever His legs cou'd bearhim ; but for me Inever Thus ſpent my ſtrength for God,but ofthave been
Tooprodigalthereofinways of fin.
Though he's the horſe, andIthe man, 'twill be Farbetterwith myhouse onedaythanme:
Unleſsthygrace prevent and fuperadd Anew creation unto that Ihad.
Couldevery rider fix aſerious thought On ſuch afubject, andherebybe taught )