The Husbandmans Calling, Chapter 1
CHAPTER I. The Text propounded and explained; some previous observations premis'd.
Genesis, Chap. 2. Verse 15.
And the LORD GOD took the Man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it and 'to keep it.
SECTION I.§ I.
INtending some useful Instructions The coherence and explication of the Text.for the Husbandman, I thought it best to take him, as God at first left him: This Scripture being best able to speak for the Antiquity and Excellency of his Calling, though others will prove more apposite to speak, to his present Duties and Temptations.
The First Chapter of this Book is a most certain History of the Ancient Things: the Author infallible, the Matter important, the Style majestick, the Method exact and succinct, the Pen-man learned and honest: A Chapter to be often read, with much Faith and great Thankfulness.
This second Chapter reviews and dilates upon the latter part of the former; for all that is said herein, must needs be done in the sixth day: And a great dayes work it was; in that day our Mother Eve was made, Eden planted, and our Father Adam put into it, to dress it and to keep it. Well for us if there had been no more work done that day; but the best of it is, the bones our Father Adam broke, our brother Adam (the second of that name) hath so pieced, that they are stronger than before.
But to be short; (as our Historian is) when God had instituted a Sabbath, vers. 2. 3. recapitulated some of the Creation, vers. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. and described the garden of Eden, (before which, in order of time, the subsequent story of the womans creation, should come in) He brings our first Parents in this Text, and settles them in a calling.
So that, this Scripture is a narrative of the first imployment of the first Man in the world. Ancient matters are the Subject of mens scrutiny. *1 Chro. 4.22, 23. And these are ancient things. Speaking of those that dwelt among Plants and Hedges for the Kings work.Here is a piece of Antiquity. The Arcadians. long since would impose a belief upon the world, that the Moon was their Junior, and were therefore called foreign. But here is a true History of a Man, that was but two dayes younger than the Moon, and you have him here disposed into a Calling. Wherein observe,
I. The Author of his imployment, [The Lord God.] The Author of our Being, is fittest to be the Author of our Calling. And the Lord God took the Man *Whom he made, which the Greek adds here, is not to be found in the Hebrew., and put him, &c. Jehovah Elohim, the Eternal Being, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
He took him (that is, as the †Rivet. Museul.most judicious, from the place where he was created, though others hold, that he was created in Paradise *And say the word Took may well be translated Left, as it is Judg. 3. 1.) and put him. The word in the †foreignHebrew signifies a gentle leading, as a mother leads her child.
Kings may possibly cause the poor to be put apprentices, but they keep their state, and do it rather out of pity, than out of love: But the great God conducts this worthy creature Man *foreign, This Man into his new imployment. What love was there between God and Man, before Sin came between? The Lord his God brought him to house, he brought him to his farm, and permitted to him almost all the profits thereof for his labour.†Muse, in loc.
II. Here's the Place of his imployment, [The Garden of Eden] The sweetest place on earth. Described at large in the seven precedent verses, 1. By its Name, that signifies Pleasure it self. 2. By its Nature, a Garden, not for the Quantity thereof, being (no doubt) a Demesne of sutable largeness, for the greatest Prince then on earth; but for the sweetness and goodness of the place. Described further 3. by its Scituation, Eastward, to receive the first and most healthy rayes of the …un. And then so wooded and watered, as no place must ever expect the like: There was every Tree pleasant to the sight, and good for food, There was the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden, and the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil: And a most famous fourbrancht River, that watered the Place: And here was our father Adam seated, as well as heart could with. All which particularities argue (no doubt) that such a real place there was, and is, however defaced: not so high as the Moon or middle Region of the air, as some have thought, nor that it comprehends the whole Earth, as others, for whither then was Man driven upon his fall? much less, that all this was only an Allegory, for then (as Epiphanius well) the whole story must fall; If no real Paradise, then no Rivers, no Tree forbidden, no Eve nor Adam. A Place (though divers give great light, where to * Sr. Walter Ral. Hot kins, &c.find the scituation thereof, yet) on purpose I think concealed, that we might search for another Paradise, whence we shall fall no more.
III. Here is the Kind of his imployment or Calling. The Lord God put him into the Garden, not to divide his time between sleeping, sporting, and feeding, though he was so great a Man; nor only to contemplate the excellency and goodness of his Maker, though he was so good a Man: But 1. to Dress, and 2. Keep the Garden. This word to Dress, in the Original, when it is applyed to God, signifies to worship and adore him; when it is applyed to man, to obey and serve him; when to the Earth, it signifies to till, to dress it: To subdue it, that it may serve us; or [as the Dutch Annot.] to husband it †Pros…indere, irriga…, severe, et st… qua sunt ejusmodi. Trem…l. n loc.God had given Man a good estate, …nd his Calling was to make the best of it, which was by husbanding the ground, from whence he was taken. And also his work was to Keep it, which word is not used in opposition to selling or giving it, for in that age there was no purchaser to buy, nor silver to pay for land; and yet for all that this great Prince made all away, and put all his estate into his mouth at once, He lost all (no intail being made) at one unhappy throw. Nor is this keeping to be referred to Adam himself, *To dress him, that is Adam, so August. but the Hebr. femin. makes against that.as if he were placed there, to keep himself: But the keeping here intended was to preserve it safe from danger. And though there were no imminent peril, nor visible enemy, yet it was proper to a Garden to be husbanded within, and fenced without, and this was his work. †Or to keep it in tillage, and in that dignity and beauty which it received thereby. Tremel.Indeed his Authority then was an Hedge, and the hardiest Lyon durst not stir against his Orders, no hurtful Beast durst come into all that holy Mountain: while he had peace with God, there was a League offensive and defensive between him and all the Creatures, so that he could dress his Garden with delight, and keep it with ease when he had done; and yet work and care he must. Come my Creature and my Friend (sayes God) you must have a Calling; Dress me this Garden, and keep it well. Here we must gather up two or three fragments, that nothing be lost.
SECT. II.
And first observe hence, That every man § 2. An Observation.should have a Calling. It is a dangerous condition to be destitute of a Calling. If any man might have claimed freedome from imployment, sure our father Adam might. For his Descent and Blood, He was, saith the Evangelist (Luke 3. last) the Son of God; For his Quality, He was, saith the Psalmist (Ps. 8. 5.) but little lower than the Angels, and crowned with glory and honour: For his Estate (ver. 6.) Thou didst put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and the Breast of the field; He was high Steward over all the Earth, and all therein: For his Knowledge, Wisdome and Parts, beyond all his Posterity, the second Adam only excepted, put all their abilities together: And for his Grace and Holiness, He had the Image of God fairly graven upon him: And yet all these could obtain no Writ of case for this great-man, from an imployment. Paradise served not only to feed his senses, but to exercise his hands. If happiness had consisted in doing nothing, Man had not been imployed. All his delights could not have made him happy in an idle life; Man therefore is no sooner made than he is set to work; neither Greatness, nor Perfection can priviledge a folded hand *Bp. Hall Contempl.. Let no man then imagine, that he can be excused in idleness, or in an insignificant Kind of life by his Desoent, Quality, Estate, Parts or Graces. When God Almighty had but one Child in the world, he bestowed him in a Calling. The Angels themselves must have a Calling, They are ministring Spirits; yea our Lord Jesus himself, though the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily, yet it is most probable, he was conversant in some imployment, until he entred upon the exercise of his Ministry.
A man may be said to be without a Calling, when he wants good imployment to fill up his time. No man hath one hour to spare in all his life, but should be spent either in doing or receiving Good; And therefore when Recreation is used for Pass-time, it loses the true end of it. Sure I am, we are commanded in the Scripture to *Eph. 5.16Redeem time, but no where to pass it away: In this sense it is a singular happiness that is †Isa 65 20mentioned of the Old man, that Filleth his dayes. And in general, when a man brings no good or profit to the Church or Commonwealth, That's one of no Calling.
For every man should be of some use in the Body Politick, as well as in the Body Mystical, or else he is but an Artificial member, a meer wooden legg. Though we are Of another world, yet we are In this world at present, and we must see that it lose nothing by us: As we are the better for it, and have our subsistence out of it, so we must make a conscience, that it be the better for us, and be propped up by us. And indeed it is our Safety, as well as Duty, to be some way well imployed For he that is out of a Calling, is under the Devils Temptation, and from under Gods Protection. If our Mother Eve had been as busie as our Father Adam, Satan had not so easily intrapped her in his temptation. Sometimes non vacat is as good a remedy against a temptation, as non licet, I have no Liesure will cut the tempter off, as well as I have no Leave. The flying Fowl is seldom smitten, but the sitting; and the busie man escapes many a snare; 1 Tim. 5.13. And not only idle, but tatlers also, and busie bodies, &c. Its a rare thing to be idle and no worse; An idle hand hath usually a busie tongue, and those that do not what they ought, use to speak what they ought not.
And then he that hath no imployment, liv… out of Gods protection; As the Servant, that steals out of his Masters business, if he come in harms way, he hath the amends in his own hands; If ought befall him in his Calling, his Master will regard and help him. So if ought befall thee in thy Calling, God will bear thee out and bear thee up; But when evil befalls thee in no Calling, God is not bound to see to thee or provide for thee. Tertu…ian speaks of a Christian, who going to a Stage-Play was possest by the Devil, who being askt, how he durst possess a Christian, who was set apart for God; answered thus, I found her in My place.
And besides all this, the Apostle layes down a golden rule 2 Thes. 3. 10. If any will not work, neither shall be e…t. God may justly say, Look to your selves, you live under no promise or protection of mine.
Let this Note stand to convince all idle and useless persons, cyphers that stand for nothing, but to eat, and talk, and dress, and laugh, and dye: that never spend a drop of sweat, unless to pursue their pleasures, nor a considering thought, unless to provide for them; that bestow the one half of the day to deck their bodyes, and the other half to defile their souls. Alass Sirs, what do you think on, if indeed you dare think of any thing unseen? If you would not be Brutes, and love not to be Saints, refuse not to be Men and Women; refuse not to obey Reason, you that scorn … submit to Religion. Can you imagine that such noble Souls were given you for such worthless lives? will such accounts as these pass before the Judge of Heaven and Earth? Item†, Spent each day from five of the Clock in the Morning to Three afternoon, in dressing, painting and perfuming, and three hours more at Night in unpasting and undressing again. Item, spent all one day in hunting, all the next in drinking, &c. How would Adam admire that such Sons, and Eve that such Daughters should proceed from them? How would Abraham and Sarah be asham'd of them? How will God and Christ be asham'd to own them, or glorifie them in Heaven, that never considered to glorifie him on Earth? They then shall know that unprofitable Servants and Prodigals shall be packt together, and he that did not his Masters will, shall go to hell as well as he that crost it.
Receive then a word of Exhortation hence, O all Parents and Children that would go to Heaven; you Parents, get your Children into Christs School, and into honest Callings, and then leave them to God; whether ye be rich or poor, cast imployments for them, most sutable for their Outward, most safe for their Inward Man. When Adam had but two Sons, Cain and Abel, they had each a Calling; though Cain was born to more Land than any man ever since, yet he had an imployment, Gen. 4. 2. Abel was a Keeper of the Sheep, but Cain was a Tiller of the Ground.
And then ye Children, be willing, and earnest for honest Callings. Idleness is sweet, but the bread of idleness hath no tast; Think not that your Priviledge, which is your Punishment. Alass! ont of imployment, and then you are tinder for every spark; and if you be not fit for Earth, you are not fit for Heaven.
This in General, Our Father Adam iu Innocency had a Calling, and let every one that descends from him, write after him.
SECT. III.
But to be a little more particular, from the §. 3. A second Observation.Author of this imployment we may observe, That its sweet to beled and put into a Calling by the Lord. As our Father Adam here †By an Angel, a… Aug. Perer., God took him by the hand and led him into his Calling. He that is disposed by the Lord, is well provided for. Hagar was hard pos'd, Gen. 16. 8. Hagar (saith God) whence comest thou, and whither wilt thougo? She was disposing her self without her Maker, or her Masters leave, and so back again she is sent.
Now you are led into a Calling by the Lord, when your Prayers and his Providence have made the way. When good Jacob was turned into the wide world, he goes straight to Heaven, and there vowed this vow, Gen. 28. 20. If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I go, &c. Then shall the Lord be my God. Was this vow in vain? In no wise; for his God kept him, and disposed of him well as heart could wish, and sent him back in two Bands, though all his stock when he went abroad, was his Staff. He that ventures into a Calling without God, goes without his guide, who hath said, Prov. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
And so when His Providence hath led the way. We have, in the disposing of Isaac into the world, both these together, Gen. 24. 14. Prayer went before, and Providence followed after. And vers. 50. It is agreed, saith Laban and Bethuel, The thing proceedeth from the Lord, we cannot speak a word against it. It is a sweet thing to sail with the gale of Providence, and sharp to sail against it.
And then, when thy Calling is lawful, and thy ends right, it strongly argues that God leads thee into it, and this is a sweet thing.
For then you will bring honour to God, and that is the honour of a Calling; For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whatsoever we do, it ought to be done to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10.31. God hath a greater Rent of glory from a poor Thresher, then from many a Prince in the world.
And then when you are led into your Callings by the Lord, you will better brook the inconveniences thereof: for every Calling hath some of these, which you will digest the better, when you are led into them by such an hand. The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink? who can but cheerfully drink the Cup that comes out of so good an hand? Lord! Here thou hast put me; though my work be hard, fare hard, usage hard, yet here I'le stay, till the same hand fetch me off again. And so holy Jacob, Gen. 31.40. In the day the drought consumed him, and the frost by night, and his sleep departed from his eyes, and yet twenty years he stuck to it. God had disposed him there, and his God should dismiss him thence, for so saith the story, Gen. 31.3. And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return to the Land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.
And therefore, let me advise all that make any reckoning of God or of his blessing, Let him carve out Callings for you, and not carnal policy or carnal friends without him. Crave his direction and benediction, your wisest contrivances he can blast with a breath, and demolish your Castles in the Air with half a word; whereas if thou acknowledge him, though thy beginning be small, thy latter end he will make great, and they that are ruled by him, he will never see them want.
SECT. IV.
IN the next place, let us observe from the § 4. A third observation.Place of his imployment, The Lord put him into the Garden of Eden, That its a great priviledge to be placed in an Eden, that is Comfortably. Our Father Adam had the finest Seat in all the Countrey, the sweetest on Earth, and the nighest unto Heaven, he had the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth.
Now when your temporal, corporal, and spiritual conveniences are greater then their contrary inconveniences, then is your scituation comfortable. And God expects that you praise him more, and serve him better then others, Psal. 16. 6, 7. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places—I will bless the Lord. The sweeter Seat, the greater Rent you must pay unto God. When thou lookest on thy habitation, bless the Lord; when thou walkest in thy ground, bless the Lord; many others they have barren ground, rotten house, unwholsome Air, dangerous scituation; now if it be otherwise with thee, say not I have gotten this by my wit, or labour, or sword, but Lord thy right hand, and t…ine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadsta favour unto me, Psal. 44. 3.
If you didst but see in a glass, the miserable houses of many a child of God, you would bless the Lord upon your knees, and never repine at some petty inconvenience that troubles your mind; yea make a step somtimes into the poor mans Coat, and behold the pitiful abiding that he hath, and then praise the Lord; who setteth the bounds of your habitatio…s, and who might have taken an house for thee in Bedlam, in a Dungeon.
But this is not all, Verbal praises cannot pay off real Mercies; and therefore see you make a sutable return of honour and service unto God. The Sun shines on the Stars, and they reflect light on us: so seeing God hath so singularly provided for you, be singularly useful to him. If you be lean in a fat pasture, you may be justly turned to Commons. If Israel be unfruitful in Canaan, he must be sent to Babel, Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things, Therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies in the want of all things. The nearer and liker to Heaven thy place is, the better; howbeit, any habitation on this side Hell, may content a poor sinner as thou art.