Husbandry Spiritualized, Title page – Dedication
Husbandry Spiritualized: OR, The HEAVENLY USE OF Earthly Things.
Consisting of many Pleasant OBSERVATIONS, Pertinent APPLICATIONS, and serious REFLECTIONS, and each Chapter concluded with a Divine and suitable POEM.
Directing HUSBAND-MEN to the most Excellent Improvements of their common Imployments.
Whereunto are added, by way of Appendix, several choice OCCASIONAL MEDITATIONS, upon Birds, Beasts, Trees, Flowers, Rivers, and several other Objects; fitted for the help of such as desire to walk with God in all their Solitudes and Recesses from the World.
Hos. 12. v. 10.
I have used Similitudes by the Ministry of the Prophets.
Gen. 24 v. 63.
And Issac went out to meditate in the Fields.
Experto crede, aliquid amplius invenires in sylvis, quam in angulis; linga & lapides decebunt te quod à Magistris audire non possis.
Bernard
Simul & jucunda, & idonea dicere vitae.
Lectorem delectando, pariterque monendo.
Horace.
By IOHN FLAVELL Minister of the Gospel in Devon.
THE THIRD EDITION.
London, Printed and are to be sold by Robert Boulter, at the Turks-Head, over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, MDCLXXIV.
THE Epistle Dedicatory.
To the Worshipful Robert Savery, and William Savery, of Slade, Esquires.
Honoured Friends,
IT hath been long since observ'd, That the world below, is a Glass to discover the World above; Seculum est speculum. And although I am not of their opinion, the say, The Heathens may spell Christ out of the Sun, Moon and Stars; yet this I know, That the irratoinal and inanimate, as well as rational creatures have a Language; and though not by Articulate speech, yet in a Metaphorical sense, they preach unto man the wisdom, Power, and goodness of God, Rom. 1. 20. There is (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 19. 3.) No speech, nor Language where their voice is not heard. Or (as Iunius renders) there is no Speech, nor Words, yet without these their voice is understood; and their Line (i. e. saith Deodate) their writing in gross and plain draughts, is gone out through all the earth.
As man is compounded of a fleshly and spiritual substance, so God hath endowed the creatures with a spiritual, as well as fleshly usefulness; they have not only a natural use in Alimental and Physical respects, but also a spiritual use, as they bear the figures and similitudes of many sublime and heavenly mysteries. Believe me (saith contemplative Bernard) thou shalt find more in the Woods, than in a corner; Stones and Trees will teach thee what thou shalt not hear from learned Doctors. By a skilful and industrious improvement of the creatures (saith Mr. Baxter excellently) we might have a fuller taste of Christ and Heaven, in every bit of Bread that we eat, and in every draught of Beer that we drink, than most men have in the use of the Sacrament.
And as the Creatures teach divine and excellent things, so they teach them in a perspicuous and taking manner: Duo illa nos maximè movent similitudo, & exemplum, Cicero.saith the Orator; These two things, similitude and example, do especially move us. Notions are more easily conveyed to the understanding, by being first cloathed in some apt Similitude, and so represented to the sense. And therefore Iesus Christ the great Prophet, delighted much in teaching by Parables; and the Prophets were much in this way also, Hos. 12. 10. I have used Similitudes by the Ministry of the Prophets. Those that can retain little of a Sermon, yet ordinarily retain an apt Similitude.
I confess it is an humbling consideration, That man, who at first was led by the knowledge of God to the knowledge of the Creature, must now by the Creatures learn to know God. That the Creatures (as one saith) like Balaams Ass, should teach their Master. But though this be the unhappiness of poor man in his collapsed state, yet it is now his wisdom to improve such Helps; and whilst others by the abuse of Creatures, are furthering their Perdition, to be the spiritual improvement of them, promoting our own Salvation.
It's an excellent Art to discourse with Birds, Beasts and Fishes, about sublime and spiritual Subjects, and make them answer to our Questions; yet this may be done, Iob 12. 7, 8. Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the Fowls of the Air, and they shall tell thee, or speak to the Earth, and it shall teach thee, and the Fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee. That is (saith neat and accurate Caryl)Caryl in loc. the creatures teach us when we think of them; They teach us, though not formally, yet vertually; the answer and resolve the question put to them, though not explicitely to the ear, yet convincingly to the conscience. So then, we ask the creatures, when we diligently consider them, when we search out the perfections and virtues that God hath put into or stampt upon them. To set our mind thus upon the creature, is to discourse with the creature; the questions which man ask of a beast, are only his own Meditations. Again, the creatures teach us, when we in Meditation make out collections, and draw down a demonstration of the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God in making them, or of the frailty of man in needing them; Such Conclusions and Inferences, are the teachings of the creatures.
Common objects (saith another) may be improved two ways;Mr. Manton. viz. In an argumentative, and in a Representative way; by reasoning from them, and by viewing the resemblance that is betwixt them and spiritual matters.
First, In Meditation argue thus, as in the present case and Similitude of the Apostle. If an Husbandman upon the ordinary principles of reason can wait for the Harvest, shall not I wait for the Coming of the Lord? The day of Refreshing; the Corn is precious to him, and so is the coming of Christ to me. Shall he be so patient, and endure so much for a little Corn? and not I for the Kingdom of Heaven? He is willing to stay till all causes have had their operations, till he hath received the former and the latter rain, and shall not I, till the divine decrees be accomplished?
Secondly, in Meditation, make the resemblance and discourse thus within your selves: This is my Seed-time, Heaven is my Harvest; here I must labour and toyl, and there rest. I see the Husbandmans life is a great toyl; no excellent thing can be obtained without labour, and an obstinate patience. I see the Seed must be hidden in the furrows, rotten and corrupted, …re it can bring forth with any increase. Our hopes are hidden, light is sown for the righteous; all our comforts are buried under the clods, and after all this there must be long waiting, we cannot sow and reap in a day; effects cannot follow, till all necessary causes have first wrought. Tis not in the power of Husbandmen to ripen fruits at pleasure, our times are in the hands of God, therefore 'tis good to wait; a long-suffering patience will reap the desired fruit. Thus you have some hints of this heavenly Art of improving the Creatures.
The Motives inducing me to this undertakement, was the Lords owning, with some success my labours of a like nature,Navigation Spiritualized. together with the desire and inclination (stirr'd up in me (I hope, by the Spirit of the Lord) to devote my vacant hours to his service in this kind. I considered, that if the Pharisees in a blind zeal to a faction, could compass Sea and Land to Proselyte men to their party, though thereby they made them sevenfold more the children of the Devil than before: How much more was I obliged by true love to God, and zeal to the everlasting happiness of souls, to use my utmost endeavours, both with Seamen & Husbandmen, to win them to Christ, and there by make them more than seventy-seven-fold happier than before? Not to mention other incouragements to this work, which I received from the earnest desires of some Reverend and worthy Brethren inviting thereunto; all which I hope the event will manifest to be a call from God to this work.
I confess I met with some discouragement in my first attempt, from my unacquaintedness with rural affairs; and because I was to travel in a path (to me) untrodden; but having once engaged in it, those discouragements were soon overcome; and being now brought to what you here see, I offer to your hands these first fruits of my spare hours.
I presume you will account it no disparagement, that I dedicate a Book of Husbandry to Gentlemen of your quality. This is Spiritual Husbandry, which is here taught you; and yet I must tell you, that great persons have accounted that civil employment (which is must inferior to this) no disparagement to them. The King himself is served by the field, Eccl. 5. 9. Or as Montanus renders the Hebrew Text, Rex agro fit servus; The King himself is a servant to the field. And of King Uzziah it is written, (2 Chron. 26. 10.) That he loved Husbandry. And Amos 7. 1. we read of the Kings mowings. Yea, Pliny hath observed, That Corn was never so plentiful at Rome, as when the same men tilled the Land that rul'd the Commonwealth. Quasi gauderet terra laureato vomere, scilicat & aratore triumphali; As though the earth it self rejoyced in the Laurel Plowshare, and the triumphant Plowman.
What pleasure you will find in reading it, I know not; but to me it hath been a pleasant path, from first to last, who yet have been at far greater expence of time and pains in compiling it, than you can be in reading it. The Husbandmans work you know, is no easie work, and the Spiritualizing of it hath greater difficulties attending it; but yet the pleasure hath abundantly recompensed the pains. I have found Erasmus his Observation experimentally true; Qui literis addicti summus, animi lassitudinem à studiis gravioribus contractam; ab iisdem studiis, sed amaenioribus recreamus; Those that are addicted to study, (saith he) when they have wearied their spirits with study, can recreate them again with study, by making a diversion from that which is severe and knotty, to some more facile and pleasant Subject.
But to hear that God hath used and honoured these papers to the good of any soul, will yield me the highest content and satisfaction imaginable.
May you but learn that Lesson, which is the general Scope and Design of this Book, viz. How to walk with God from day to day, and make the several Objects you behold, Scalae & alae, Wings and Ladders to mount your souls neerer to Him, who is the Center of all blessed Spirits. How much will it comfort me, and confirm my hope, that it was the Call of God indeed which out me upon these endeavours!
O Sirs! What an excellent thing would it be for you, to make such holy improvements of all these earthly Objects which daily incur your senses, and cause them to proclaim and preach to you Divine and heavenly Mysteries, whilst others make them groan, by abusing them to sin, and subjecting them to their lusts. A man may be cast into such a condition, wherein he cannot enjoy the blessing and benefit of a pious and powerful Ministry; but you cannot (ordinarily) fall into such a condition wherein any thing (except a bad heart) can deprive you of the benefits and comforts of those excellent Serm…ns, and Divinity Lectures, which the creatures here offer to preach and read to you.
Content not your selves, I beseech you, with that natural sweetness the creatures afford; for thereof the beasts are capable, as much, if not more, than you; but use them to those spiritual ends you are here directed, and they will yield you a sweetness for transcending that natural sweetness you ever relished in them; and indeed, you never use the creatures as their Lord's, till you come to see your Lord, in and by them. I confess the discoveries of God in the Word are far more excellent, cleer and powerful; He hath magnified his Word above all his Name. And therein are the unsearchable riches of Christ, or rich discoveries of that grace that hath no footsteps in nature, as the Apostles expression signifies, Eph. 3. 8.
And if that which might be known of God by the Creatures, leave men without excuse; as it's manifest, Rom. 1. 20. How inexcusable then will those be, who have received not only the teachings of the creature, but also the grace of the Gospel in vain! How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? They that are careless in the day of grace, shall be speechless in the day of judgment.
I am sensible of many defects in these Papers (as well as in my self;) they have doubtless a taste of the distractions of the times wherein they were written; nor was I willing to keep them so long under-hand, as the accurateness and exactness with which such a subject ought to be handled did require. Had I designed my own credit, I should have observed that counsel —Nonnumque prematur in annum, (i. e.) To have kept in much longer under the file, before I had exposed it to publick view; but I rather inclined to Solomons counsel, Whatever thy hand finds out to do, do it with all thy might; for there is no wisdom, nor knowledge, nor device in the grave, whither thou art going, Eccles. 9. 10.
I apprehended a necessity of some such means to be used, for the instruction and conviction of countrey people; who either are not capable of understanding truth in another Dialect, or at least, are less affected with it. The Proposition in every Chapter consists of an Observation in Husbandry; Wherein, if I have failed in using any improper expression, your candour will cover it, and impute it to my unacquaintedness in rural affairs—In magnis voluisse sat est.
The Reddition, or Application, you will find (I hope) both pertinent and close. The Reflections serious, and such (as I hope) your Consciences will faithfully improve. I have shut up every Chapter with a Poem, an innocent Bait to catch the Readers Soul.
That of Herbert is experimentally true.
A Verse may find him that a Sermon flies.
And turn delight into a Sacrifice.
I should never have been perswaded (especially in this scribling Age, wherein we may complain with the Poet.
Scribimus indocti, docti que poemata passim) To have set my dull fancy upon the Rack to extort a Poem to entertain my Reader; for I cannot say with Ovid, Sponte sua carmen, &c. but that I have been informed, that many Seamen induced by the pleasure of a Verse, have taken much pains to learn the Poems in their Compass by heart; and I hope both the Children at home, and the Servants in the fields, will learn to exercise themselves this way also. O, how much better will it be so to do, than to stuff their memories with obscene Ballads and filthy Songs, which corrupt their minds, and dispose them to much wickedness, by irritating their natural corruption! But these are purer flames, you will find nothing here of such a tendency.
'Tis guilt, not Poetry, to be like those
Whose wit in Verse,D. Dig. is downright sin in Prose.
Whose studies are prophaneness, as if then
They only were good Poets, when bad men.
I shall add no more, but to beg that God who instructeth the Husbandman in his civil Calling, to teach him wisdom spiritually to improve it; and particularly, that you may reap a crop of much spiritual benefit, from that seed which is here sown by the hand of the Lords unprofitable servant, and in him,
Your very affectionate Friend and Servant, IOHN FLAVELL.