The Husbandmans Calling, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The main, Doctrine proposed, An Husbandman described, and the Lawfulness of his Calling.
SECT. I.
AND now we are come to the Kind Cap. 2. The main Doctrine, Description and Lawfulness of Husbandry.of this great Mans imployment, and this was to Dress and keep the ground, to be an Husbandman, from whence we gather this Doctrinal conclusion.
That Husbandry is a most ancient and excellent Calling.
It was a wise answer of Father Latimer, § 1. The chief Doctrine delivered.when his Enemies accused him to K. Henry 8. for his malepert preaching before him a little while before, said He, Your Grace hath many fitter persons to preach before You than my self, and I would be glad to be dismis't. But if there be no remedy, but that I must preach before the King, I will preach as to a King, and sutable to his place; which answer took well, and got him off: Even so, My dearly Beloved, since it is my lot to preach in the Country among Husbandmen, I will preach as to Husbandmen, something sutable to your Calling, and that from this Text and Doctrine.
In the handling of this Subject I shall shew 1. What an Husbandman is. 2. The Lawfulness of his Calling. 3. The Excellencies thereof. 4. The Inconveniences. 5. His Temptations. 6. His Lessons from his Calling. 7. The Graces requisite. 8. The abuse of it. 9. His Designs. 10. Some Rules for him in his Calling. And first of the First, viz. What an Husbandman …s.
I shall take him here in his largest Capacity; for since our Father Adams time, divers other Callings have been cantelled out of it, but he had it intire; and as he left it, I shall take it in this place.
A Husbandman is a man that works profit The Description of an Husbandman.out of the Earth, that makes the ground that bred him, keep him; that makes the Earth bear his charges to Heaven. And so the Holy Agricultura est Ars quae docet Usu ram cum serrafacere.Ghost describes him, Jam. 5.7. The Husbandman (first worketh, then) waiteth for the precious fruits of the Earth. At first this was done without toyl, The ground was dress'd with as little pain, and as much pleasure, as now it's walkt on, or as a tree is prun'd; but since the Fall, the Calling is somwhat worse, (All Trades decay) but yet a good Husband may mend it. A Christian Husbandman, that can husband his Husbandry, may live comfortably here, and happily hereafter.
A Christian Husbandman is a man with his hands in the Earth and his heart in Heaven; he lives above that which he cannot live without; he is daily Digging his Grave, and at length layes him in it; he makes the Earth to feed him, and at last to cover him: The Physitian is bred out of the Corruption of our Bodies, and the Lawyer is bred out of the Corruption of our Manners, The Tradesmen live upon one another, But the Husbandman lives upon the precious fruits of the Earth, and sustains them all.
SECT. II.§. 2.
THe Second Point to be handled is, The II. The lawfulness of Husbandry.Lawfulness of his Calling. It stands men upon to be well assured of the lawfulness of their Callings, else every stroke they take in them is Sin. In the choice of Callings, think of this, Is my Calling lawful? And am I lawfully called into it? No Calling on earth hath precedence to this for lawfulness. Its true, the lawfullest Calling may be abused by a graceless man. That transcendent Calling of the Ministry, the Sons of Eli, 1 Sam. 2. 17. did so abuse, that men did abhor the offerings of the Lord. Wo, wo for ever (if they repent not) to all such Hophnites, that drive the Lords people from the Lords offerings. But this can lay no imputation upon that worthy Calling, A Spider can suck poyson from the sweetest Flower; and so a bad Husband may make shift to grow bankrupt on the best Calling in he World; but yet in its self the Husbandman hath as much to say for the lawfulness of his imployment, as any man under Heaven. For
1. It is a Calling of Gods choyre, and that is the best Portion that God carves; If there had been the least sin in it, he would never have disposed our Father Adam into it. He In old Rome if a man were degraded from the Rustick to the Urbane Tribes, consisting of Artisans &c it was thought a great disgrace. Plin l. 18. c. 3.that knew all the Callings that men would invent, he pitcht upon this: And he chose it for his eldest Son, and you know men will serve the first, best. God tells his people Israel, he would bring them to a Land, that he had spied out for them; and if there be an happy place on earth, God can spy it out: why, this was a Calling, that God had spied out for his Eldest Child Adam; Therefore lawful no doubt.
2. It is a Calling of mans industry, and so the more lawful. When a Calling is driven on only by Art and Cunning, there is sin enough in such Callings; but the Hand is more innocent than the Head. There is no guile in innocent labour. The sweat of the Browes is harmless sweat. If there be any flaw, it is in the Man, not in the Husbandry, which is as innocent as the state of Innocency it self.
Indeed most other Callings are lawful too in themselves, but they border more nearly upon sin and temptation, than this doth. They may be more profitable, but cannot be more lawful.
Think of this, Poor Husbandman, to thy comfort; when thou art sweating at thy Plough, This is heavy cheer, But I am in my Calling, my lawful Calling. This Sweat needs not to be repented of, I need not wash this sweat with tears. Though this be painful, yet it is not sinful. The lawfulness of it will make amends for the painfulness thereof. And that is the Second Head, namely the Lawfulness of the Husbandmans Calling.