Husbandry Spiritualized, Part 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
The hardest labourers, are the thriving men.
If you'l have thriving souls, be active then.
OBSERVATION.
INdustry and diligence is the way to thrive and grow rich in the world.Upon the thriftiness of the Husbandman. The earth must be manured, or its increase is in vain expected; Qui fugit molam, fugit farinam; he that refuses the mill, refuses the meal, (saith the Proverb) the diligent soul shall be made fat. Solomon hath two proverbs concerning thriftiness and increase in the world. In Prov. 10. 4. he saith, The hand of the diligent maketh rich. And v. 22. he saith, The blessing of the Lord maketh rich. These are not contradictory, but confirmatory each of other; one speaks of the principal, the other of the instrumental cause. Diligence without Gods blessing will not do it; and that blessing cannot be expected without diligence; therefore Husbandmen ply their business with unwearied pains, they do even lodge in the midst of their labours, as that good Husband Boaz did, Ruth 2. 3. they are parsimonious of their time, but prodigal of their sweat and strength, because they find this to be the thriving way.
APPLICATION.
AS nature opens her treasures to none but the diligent, so neither doth grace. He that will be rich, must be a painful Christian; and whosoever will closly ply the trade of godliness, shall comfortably and quickly find, That in keeping Gods commands there is great reward, Psal. 19. 11. God is a bountiful rewarder of such as diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6. They must not indeed work for wages,Non mercurii sed operarii. nor yet will God suffer their work to go unrewarded; yea, it sufficiently rewards it self, 1 Tim. 6. 6. and its reward is twofold, (1) present, and in part; (2) future and in full, Mark 10. 29, 30. Now in this time an hundred-fold, even from suffering, which seems the most unprofitable part of the work, and in the world to come, life everlasting. If you ask what present advantage Christians have by their diligence? I answer, as much and more than the Husbandman hath from all his toyls and labours. Let us compare the particulars, and see what the Husbandman gets, that the Christian gets not also. Compare your gains, and you'l quickly see the odds.
You get credit and reputation by your diligence; 'tis a commendation and honour to you, to be active and stirring men: But how much more honour doth God put upon his laborious servants? 'Tis the highest honour of a creature, to be active and useful for its God. Saints are called vessels of honour, as they are fitted for the Masters use, 2 Tim. 2. 21. Wherein consists the honour of Angels, but in this; that they are ministring spirits, serviceable creatures? And all the Apostles gloried in the title of servants. The lowest office in which a man can serve God, even that of a Nethinim, or door-keeper, which was the lowest order or rank of officers in the house of God, Ezek. 44. 10, 11. is yet preferred by David before the service of the greatest Prince on earth, Psal. 84. 10. 'Tis no small honour to be active for God.
You have this benefit by your labour, that thereby you avoid loose and evil company, which would draw you into mischief. By diligence for God, the Christian also is secured from temptations; God is with them, while they are with him, 2 Chron. 15. 2. Communion with God in the way of duty, is a great preservative against temptations. The School-men put the question, how the Angels and glorified Saints become impeccant? and resolve it thus: That they are secured from sin, by the beatifical vision; and sure-I am, that the visions of God, not only in glory, but now also in duty, are marvellous defences against sin; and they that are most active for God, have the fullest and clearest visions of God, Ioh. 14. 21.
You have this benefit by your labour, that it tends much to the health of your bodies. The Christian hath this benefit by his labour, that it tends to a faithful state of soul; The way of the Lord is strength to the upright, Prov. 10. 29. As those that follow their daily labours in the field, have much more health than Citizens that live idly, or Scholars that live a sedentary life. So the active Christian enjoys more spiritual health, and is troubled with fewer complaints than others.
By diligence in your civil imployments, you preserve your estates, and are kept from running behind-hand in the world. Bayliffs trouble not such mens doors; they usually have the fore-foot of their neighbours. And by activity and diligence for God, souls are kept from backsliding, and runing back in their graces and comforts. Remissions and intermissions in our duties, are the first steps and degrees by which a soul declines and wastes, as to his spiritual estate.
Your pains and diligence in the fields, makes your beds sweet to you at night, Eccl. 5. 12. Rest is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat little or much. But the diligent life of a Christian makes the clods of the valley, his grave sweet unto him, 2 Cor. 1. 12. 2 King. 20. 3. Remember now, O Lord, how I have walked before thee, &c. Think Christian, how sweet it will be for thee when thou comest to dye; to say then as thy Redeemer did, when near his death, Ioh. 17. 4, 5. I have finished the work thou gavest me to do; and now, O Father, glorifie me with thine own self.
The expence of your sweat fills your purses, you get estates by your diligence and labour; but what are your gains to the gains of Christians? They can get in an hour, that which they will not part with for all the gold and silver on earth, Prov. 3. 14.
So that compare these labourers as to all their advantages, and you shall see, that there is no trade like that which the diligent Christian drives.
REFLECTIONS.
Blush then, O my soul, at the consideration of thy laziness and sloth,Reflections of the slothful soul. which is attended with so many spiritual wants! and can I wonder at it, when I refuse the painful way of duty, in which the precious fruits of Godliness, are only to be found? If these fruits lay upon the surface of duty, or could be had with wishes, I should not want them; but to dig deep and take pains I cannot. My desires, like those of the sloathful man, kill me, because my hands refuse to labour, Pro. 21. 25. If every duty were to be rewarded presently with gold, would I not have been more assiduous in them, than I have been? And yet I know that a heart full of the grace and comfort of the holy Ghost, is better than a house full of gold and silver. O what a composition of stupidity and sloth am I! I have been all for the short cut to comfort, when constant experience teacheth, that the farther way about, by painful duty, is the nearest way to it. What pains do Husbandmen take? what perils do Seamen run, for a little gain? O sluggi…h heart! wilt thou do nothing for eternal treasures?
Secondly, if there be such great rewards attending diligence in duty, then why art thou so apt (O my soul) to cast off duty, because thou findest not present comfort in it? how quickly am I discouraged, if I presently find not what I expect in duty? Whereas, the Well is deep, and much pains must be taken to draw up those waters of joy, Isa. 12. 3. there is a golden vein in the mount of duty, but it lyes deep; and because I meet not with it as soon as I expect, my lazy heart throws by the shovel, and cryes, Dig I cannot.
Thirdly, if this be indeed the rich and thriving trade,The worldlings Reflection. why do I peddle about the poor low things of the world so much, neglecting the rich trade of godliness for it? O, how much of my time and strength have these things devoured? Had I imployed that time in communion with God, would it not have turn'd to a better account? Think'st thou in earnest, O my soul, that God hath indowed thee with such excellent faculties, capable of the most divine and heavenly imployments, or that Iesus Christ hath shed his invaluably precious bloud, or that he hath sent forth the glorious spirit of holiness, and all this to fit men for no higher or nobler imployments than these?
Is this the end of thy wonderful creation? Doth God whirl about the heavens in endless revolutions, to beget time for this? or doth he not rather expect that the weightiest work should engross thy greatest strength, and choicest hours? O, that I could once consider, what a good Master Christians serve, who will not only abundantly reward them at night; but brings them their food into the field to incourage them in their labour! What pity is it, that so good a Master should be so badly served as he hath been by me! Heark, how he pleads to gain my heart.
The POEM, by way of Dialogue betwixt Christ and the world.
CHRIST.
O Why so free of sweat and time?
For what e're long will not be thine.Iohn 6. 27.
Or if it might,1 Cor. 7. 31. thou sell'st to loss,
A precious soul for lasting dross.Mat. 16. 26.
Those weary hands, and toyling brains,
Might be imploy'd for better gains.
Wouldst thou but work as hard for me,1 Tim. 6. 6.
As for the world,Mark 4. 19. which cozens thee?
Thy gains should be a thousand fold:
For my revenues more then gold.Prov. 8. 19.
WORLD.
Soul, I have alwayes found thee willing;
Rather by me to earn a shilling;
Than trust uncertain things which lye,
Beyond thee in eternity.
Shall things unseen now tempt thee? tush,
A bird in hand's worth two i'th bush:
I pay thy wages down in hand,
This thou canst feel, taste, understand.
O let not such a vain pretence,
Prevail against thy very sence.
CHRIST
Thus beasts are led,Iob 35. 11. thus birds are snar'd,
Thus souls for ruine are prepar'd.Eccles. 11. 9.
What?Iohn 20. 29. trust no farther then you see,
You'l trust a thief as far as me.
Deluded wretch, will naught but fight
And sence convince thee?2 Tim. 3. 13. O how right
How just is God?Rom. 2. 5. whose direful scourge
Such Arguments in hell shall urge.Mark 6. 16.
WORLD.
Christ threatens wrath to come, but I
Do threaten thee with poverty.
And why wilt thou thy self, and those
That are so dear, to want expose?
Come, s…e the Saints; for all their brags:
How well they thrive, they'r cloath'd with rags.
CHRIST.
If my dear Saints in rags do go,
'Tis not Religion cloaths them so;1 Tim. 4. 8.
But by such wants the Lord prepar…s1 Cor. 1. 28, 29.
Their souls, against thy killing snares,1 Tim. 6. 9.
They all are heirs, though under age;Iames 2. 5.
Expectants of their heritage.Iude 21.
Kept short for present, yet contemn
A change with those that scoff at them.Psal. 17. 13, 14.
WORLD.
It is in vain to plead, for I
With present things charm powerfully.
What e're thou offer'st, they'l despise;
I hold them prisoners by their eyes.
CHRIST.
If they will serve no other Lord,Luke 19. 27.
Then let it stand upon recordIsa. 30. 8, 9.
Against their souls that they refus'd
My wages,Iude 5. and my grace abus'd.
Remember this when they shall see
All turn'd to ashes that's in thee.2 Pet. 3, 7.
ANOTHER.
NOne will deny, but those are blessed pains,
Which are attended with the richest gains.
Grant this, and then most. clearly 'tis inferr'd,
Soul-work to all deserves to be preferr'd.
This is an unknown trade, Oh, who can count,
To what the gains of godliness amount?
For one poor shilling, O, what resks some run?
Some toyling as i'th fire, from Sun to Sun!
Whereas one hour spent with God brings in
Such heavenly treasures, that poor souls have been
Inrich'd for ever. Even as you see
A Princes Favourite upon the knee,
Can in an hours time more wealth obtain,
Than all your lives by labour you can gain.
Prayer gains are great, and quick returns are made,
Sure then the Christian drives the richest trade.
'Tis true, the hypocrite that never drove
A serious trade for heaven may bankrupt prove;
But holy souls which mind, and closely ply
Their business, greatly are enrich'd thereby.
The difference 'twixt the one, and t'others best
By such a Simile as this exprest.
As in a Summers day you often see,
The wanton Butterfly and painful Bee;
On fragrant flowers fix, whence one doth strive
To bear his precious burden to the Hive:
The others pains no profit with it brings,
His time is spent in painting of his wings.
When winter comes, the Bee hath full supplies,
The other creeps into an hole and dyes.
Like different events shall be betwixt
The painful Saint, and lazy Notionist.