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 is added ... several choice occasional meditations / by John Flavell.

CHAP. X.

If God restrain the showers,* 1.1 you howl and cry; Shall saints not mourn, when spiritual clouds are dry?

OBSERVATION.

'TIs deservedly accounted a sad judgment, when God shuts up the heavens over our heads, and makes the earth as brass under our feeet, Deut. 28. 23. Then the Hus∣bandmen are called to mourning, Ioel. 1. 11. All the fields do languish, and the bellowing cattle are pined with thrist. Such a sad state the prophet rhetorically describes, Ier. 14. 3, 4, 5, 6. The Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters, they came to the pits and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty, they were ashamed, and confounded, and covered their heads; because the ground is chapt, for there is no rain in the earth, the Plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads: yea, the Hinde also calved in the field and forsook it, because there was no grass: and the wild asses did stand in the high places, they s••uffed up the wind like dragons, their eyes failed because there was no grass.

And that which makes the want of rain so terrible a judg∣ment, is the famine of bread, which necessarily follows these e••traordinary droughts and is one of the sorest temporal judgments which God inflicts upon the world.

APPLICATION.

ANd truly, as much cause have they to weep and trem∣ble, over whose souls God shuts up the spiritual clouds of the Gospel, and thereby sending a spiritual famine upon their souls. Such a judgment the Lord threatens in Amos 8. 11. Behold the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will send a famine in the Land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water;

but of hearing the word of the Lord. The meaning is, I will send a more fearful judgement, than that of the famine of bread; for this particle [not] is not exclusive, but excessive▪ implying, that a famine of bread is nothing, or but a light judgment, compared with the famine of the word. Pa∣rallel to which is that Text, Isa. 5. 6. I will lay it wast (saith God of the fruitless Church) sit shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up bryars, and thorns; I will also command the clouds, that they rain not upon it. And we find both in humane and sacred Histories, that when God hath shut up the spiri∣tual clouds, removing or silencing his Ministers; sensible Christians have ever been deeply affected with it and rec∣koned it a most tremendous judgment. Thus the Christi∣ans of Antioch, when Chrysostom their Minister was b••nished * 1.2 they judged it better to lose the Sun out of the firmament, than lose that, their Minister. And when Nazianzen was taking his leave of Constantinople, as he was preaching his farewell-Sermon, the people were exceedingly affected with his loss; and among the rest, an old man in the Congrega∣tion fell into a bitter passion, and cryed out, Aude pater, & tecum trinitatem ipsam ejice. (i. e.) Go farther, if you dare, and take away the whole Trinity with you; meaning, that God would not stay when he was gone. How did the Chri∣stians of Antioch also weep and lament, when Paul was ta∣king his farewell of them? Act. 20. 37, 38. He had been a cloud of blessings to that place, but now they must exp••ct no more show••r•• from him. O, they knew not how to giv•• up such a Minister! Wh••n the Ark of God (which was the Symbole of the divine presence among the Iews) was taken, all the City cryed out, 1 Sam. 4. 13. O, the loss of a Gospel Ministry is an inestimable loss! not to be repaired but by its own return, or by heaven. Mr. Greenham tells us, that in the times of Popish persecution, when godly Ministers were haled away from their flocks to Martyrdom, the poor Christians would meet them in the way to the prisons or stake, with their little ones in their armes, and throwing themselves at their feet, would thus bespeak them:

What shall be our estate, now you are gone to Martyrdom? who

shall instruct these poor Babes? Who shall ease our affli∣cted consciences? Who shall lead us in the way of life? recompense unto them, O Lord! as they have deserved, who a••e the causes of this, Lord give them sad hearts.

Quis talia fando, temperet a lachrymis? And to let you see, there is sufficient ground for this sorrow, when God restrains the influences of the Gospel, solemnly consider the following par∣ticulars.

[ 1] That it is a dreadful token of God's great anger against that people from whom he removes the Gospel. The anger of God was fearfully incensed against the Church of Ephesus, when he did but threaten to come against her, and remove the Candlestick out of its place, Rev. 2. 5. 'Tis a stroke at the soul, a blow at the root; usually the last, and therefore the worst of judgments. There is a pedigree of judgments, first Gomer bears Iezreel, next Loruhamah, and at last brings forth Loammi, Hos. 1. 4, 6, 8, 9.

[ 2] There is cause of mourning, if you consider the deplora∣ble estate in which all the unregenerate souls are left, after the Gospel is removed from them. What will become of these? or by whom shall they be gathered? It made the bowels of Christ yearn within him, when he looked upon the scattered multitude that had no Shepherd, Mat. 9. 36. What an easie conquest doth the devil now make of them? how fast doth hell fill in such times? poor souls, being driven thither in droves, and none to rescue them! Mathew Paris tells us, that in the year 1072. when preaching was suppressed at Rome, letters were then framed as coming from hell; wherein the devil gave them thanks for the multitude of souls they had sent to him that year. But truly we need not talk of letters from hell, we are told from heaven, how deplorable the con∣dition of such poor souls is. See Prov. 28. 19. Hos. 4. 6. Or,

[ 3] The judgment will yet appear very heavy, if you consider the loss which God's own people sustain by the removal of the Gospel; for ther••in they lose (1) their chief glory, Rom. 3. 2. the principal thing in which the peculiar glory of Israel consisted was this, That unto them was committed the

Oracles of G••d On that account is was called the glorious Land, Dan. 11. 16. This made them greater than all the Nations rou•••• about them. Deut. 4. 7. 8. (2) By losing the Ordinances, they lose their quickenings, comforts, and soul∣refreshments; for all these are sweet streams from the Gospel fountain, Psal. 119. 50. Col. 4. 8. No wonder then to hear the People of God Complain of dead hearts, when the Gospel is removed. (3) In the loss of the Gospel they lose their defence and safety. This is there is their hedge, their w••ll of protection, Isa. 5. 5. Walls and hedges (saith Musculus in loc.) are the Ordinances of God, which serve both ad se perationem & munitionem, to distinguish, and to defend them. When God plucks up this hedge, and breaks down this wall all mischiefs break in upon us presently. 2 Chron. 15. 3, 4, 5▪ 6. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true Go••, and without a teaching Priest, and without Law—And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countiries and Nations was destroyed of Nation, and City of City; for God did vex them with all adversity. How long did Ierusalem re∣main, after that voice was heard in the Temple, migremu•• hinc? Let us be gone. (4) With the Gospel, we lose our temporal injoyments and creature comforts: These usually come and go with the Gospel. When God had once written Loammi upon Israel, the next news is this, I will recover my wool and my flax, Hos. 2. 9. (5) and lastly to come up to the very case in hand, they lo••e with it their spiritual food; and soul-subsistence; for the Gospel is their feast of fat things; Isa, 25. 6. their spiritual wells, Isa. 12. 3. a dole distributed among the Lords poor. Rom. 1. 11. In a word, it is as the rain and dews of heaven, as hath been shewed, which being restrained, a spirituall famine necessarily follows: a famine of all the most terrible. Now to shew you the analogy be∣twixt this and a temporal famine, that therein you may see what cause▪ you have to be deeply affected with it, take it in thse six following particulars.

A famine is caused by the failing of bread, or that which is in the stead, and hath the use of bread. D••inties and super∣fluous

rarities may fail, and yet men may subsist comfortably. As long as people have bread and water▪ they will not fa∣mish; but take away bread once, and the spirit of man fail∣eth: Upon this account bread is called a staff, Psal. 105. 16. because what a staff is to an aged or feeble man, that bread is to the faint and feeble spirits, which even so do lean upon it. And look what bread is to the natural spirits, that, and more than that, the word is to gracious spirits, Iob 23. 12. I have esteemed the words of thy mouth, more than my necessary food. If once God break this staff, the inner man, that hidden man of the heart, will quickly begin to fail and faulter.

[ 2] It is not every degree of scarcity of bread, that presently makes a famine, but a general failing of it; when no bread is to be had, or that which is, yields no nutriment. For a fa∣mine may as well be occasioned by Gods taking away, panis nutrimentum, the nourishing vertue of bread, that it shall signifie no more as to the end of bread, than a chip, Hag. 1. 6. as by taking away panem nutrientem, bread it self, Isa. 3. 1. And so it is in a spiritual famine, which is occasioned ei∣ther by Gods removing all the Ordinances, and making vision utterly to ••ail; or else, though there be preaching prayer and other Ordinances left, (at least, the names and shadows of them) yet the presence of God is not with them. There is no marrow in the bone, no milk in the breast; and so, as to soul-subsistance, 'tis all one, as if there were no such things.

[ 3] In a corporeal famine, mean and course things become sweet and pleasant; famine raises the price and esteem of them. That which before you would have thrown to your dogs, now goes down pleasantly with your selves. To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet, Prov. 27. 7 'Tis the Dutch Proverb, and a very true one, hunger is the best Cook.

Iejunus stomachus raro vulgaria temnit. Horat▪ In time of famine coursest fare contents, The barking stomach strains no complements.

'Tis storied of Artaxerxes Memor, that when he was fly∣ing before his enemies, he fed hungrily upon barly bread, and said, Cujusmodi voluptatis hactenus in expernus fuit? Oh, what pleasure have I hitherto been ignorant of; when grea•• Darius drank the pudled water, that had been defiled with dead carcases which had been slain in that famous battel, he professed he never drank more pleasant drink. And famous Hunniades said, he never fared more daintily, than when (in a like exigence) he supped upon bread, onions, and water, with a poor Shepheard in his cottage.

Iust so, doth the famine of the Word raise the price and e∣steem, of vulgar and despised truths. O what would we give for one of those Sermons, one of those Sabbaths we former∣ly enjoyed? In those dayes the word of the Lord was precious. When God calls to the enemy to take away and remove his contemned, but precious dainties, from his wanton Chil∣dren, and a spiritual famine hath a little pinched them, they will then learn to prize their spiritual food at a higher rate.

In time of famine some persons suffer more than others. It falls heaviest and pincheth hardest upon the poorer sort, as long as any thing is to be had for money, the rich will have it. So it falls out in a spiritual famine; although the most experienced, and best furnished Christians, will have enough to do to live in the absence of Ordinances, yet they are like to subsist much better, than weak, ignorant, and un∣experienced ones. Some Christians have Husbanded their time well, and like Ioseph in the seven years plenty, laid up for a scarcity. The Word of God dwells richly in them. Some such there are, as Iohn calls young men, who are strong, and the word of God remaineth in them, of whom it may be said, as Ierom spake of Nepotianus, that by long and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures, he had made his breast the ve∣ry Library of Christ. But others are babes in Christ; and though God will preserve that good work which he hath be∣gun in them, yet these poor babes will soonest find, and be most concerned in the loss of their spiritual Fathers and Nurses.

[ 5] In time of famine there are pitiful cryes, and heart∣breaking complaints where-ever you go. O the many pale faces you shall then see, and the sad language that rings in your ears in every place! One cryes, bread, bread, for Christ's sake, one bit of bread; another faints and falls down at your door. All he•• People sigh, Lam. 1. 11. Yea, the poor little ones are brought in, v. 12. crying to their Mo∣thers, where is the Corn and wine? and then pouring out their souls into their Mothers bosome. Iust so it is in a fa∣mine of the Word; poor Christians every-where sighing and crying, O where are our godly Ministers? Our sweet Sabbaths, Sermons, Sacraments, my Fathers, my Fathers, the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof? How beau∣tiful were your feet upon the mountains! And then weep∣ing, like the people at Pauls departure, to think they shall see their faces no more.

[ 6] Lastly, in time of famine, there is nothing so costly or precious, but people will part with it to purchase bread. They have given their pleasant things, for meat to relieve their souls, Lam. 1. 11. And doubt less when a spiritual famine shall pinch hard, those that have been close-handed to main∣tain a-Gospel Ministry, will account it a choice mercy to enjoy them again at any rate. Though the Lord feed you with the bread of affliction, and give you the watres, of adversity, yet it will sweeten that bread and water to you, if your teachers be no more removed into corners, Isa. 30. 20.

REFLECTIONS.

Is the famine of the word such a fearful judgment?* 1.3 then [ 1] Lord pardon my unthankfulness, for the plentiful and long continued injoyment of such a precious and invaluable mer∣cy. How lightly have I esteemed the great things of the Gospel? O that with eyes and hands lifted up to heaven, I might bless the Lord, that ever I was brought forth in an age of so much light! in a valley of visions, in a Land flow∣ing with Gospel-mercies. Hath not God made of one bloud, all the Nations of men, to dwell on the face of the earth? and deter∣mined

the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habi∣tation Act. 17. 26. Many of these great and populous Nati∣ons are involved in gross darkness. Now that of all the seve∣ral ages of the world, and places in it; God should espy the best place for me, and bring me forth into it, in such an hap∣py nick of time, as can hardly be paralleld in History, for the plenty of Gospel-mercies, that this age and Nation hath enjoyed; that my Mother did not bring me forth in the desarts of Arabia, or wastes of America, but in England where God hath made the Sun of the Gospel to stand still, as the natural Sun once did over Gibeon; and that such a mer∣cy should no more affect my soul, let shame cover my face for this, and trembling seize my heart.

Is the Gospel indeed departed?* 1.4 its sweet influences re∣strained? [ 2] and a famine worse than that of bread come upon us. Alas! for the day, for it is a great day, so that none is like it; it is even the day of Iacob's trouble. Wo is me, that ever I should sur∣vive the Gospel, and the precious liberties and mercies of it! What horrid sins have been harboured amongst us, for which the Lord contends, by such an unparalleld judgment? Lord, let me justifie thee even in this severe dispensation; the provocation of thy Sons, and of thy daughters have been ve∣ry great, and amongst them none greater than mine. May we not this day read our sin in our punishment? O what nice and wanton appetites, what curious and itching ears, had thy people in the dayes of plenty? Methods, tones and gestures, were more regarded than the excellent treasures of divine truths. Ah my soul! I remember my fault this day? little did I then consider, that Sermons work not upon hearts, as they are thus elegant, thus admirable, but as they are instru∣ments in the hand of God appointed to such an end. Even as Austin said of the Conduits of water, though one be in the shape of an Angel, another of a beast, yet the water re∣freshes as it is water, and not as it comes from such a Con∣duit: By this also, O Lord, thou rebukest the supiness and formality of thy people. How drowsie, dull, and careless have they been under the most excellent and quickning means? few more then I. Alas! I have often presented my

body before the Lord in Ordinances, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; but my soul hath been wandring abroad, as Chrysostom speaks. I should have come from under every Sermon as a sheet comes from the press, with all the stamps and lively impressi∣ons of the truths I heard upon my heart. But Alas! If it had been demanded of me, as once it was of Aristotle, after a long and curious Oration, how he liked it, I might have answered as he did, Truly I did not hear it, for I was all the while minding another matter. Righteous art thou, O Lord, in all that is come upon us.

[ 3] I am now as a Spring shut up, that can yield no refresh∣ment to thirsty souls,* 1.5 ready to perish. Thou hast said to me as once to Ezekiel, Son of man, behold, I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb. This is a heavy judgment, but thou must be justified and cleared in it. Although men may not, yet God, if he please, may put a lighted candle under a bushel. And herein I must acknow∣ledge thy righteousness. Many times have I been sinfully si∣lent, when both thy glory and the interest of souls ingaged me to speak. Most justly therefore hast thou made my tongue to cleave to its roof. Little did I consider the pre∣ciousness of souls, or the tremenduous account to be given for them, at the appearing of the great Shepherd. I have now time enough to sit down and mourn over former miscarri∣ages, and lost opportunities. Lord restore me once again to a serviceable capacity, to a larger sphere of activity for thee, for I am now become as a broken vessel. It grieves me to the heart, to see thy flock scattered, to hear thy people cry to me, as once to Ioseph, Give us bread, for why should we dye in thy presence? Thy word is like fire, shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing. O, that thou wouldst once again open the doors of thine house, that there may be bread enough in thine house for all thy children.

The Poem.

When God doth make the1 1.6 heavens above us brass, The earth's lke iron. Flowers, herbs and grass Have lost their fragrant green; are turned2 1.7 yellow, The brooks are dry, the pining cattel3 1.8 bellow. The fat and flowry meadows scorcht and burn'd, The Countreys mirth is into4 1.9 mourning turn'd. The clefted earth, her thirsty mouth5 1.10 sets ope, Unto the empty clouds; as 'twere in hope Of some refreshing drops, that might allay Her fiery thirst: but they soon pass away. The pensive6 1.11 Husbandman with his own eyes, Bedews his Land, because he sees the skies: Refuse to do it,7 1.12 just so stands the case, When God from souls, removes the means of grace. God's Ministers are clouds, their doctrine8 1.13 rain; Which when the Lord in judgment shall restrain: The peoples souls in short time will be found In such a case, as this dry parched ground. When this9 1.14 sad judgment falls on any Nation, Let Saints therein take up this lamentation. O dreadful, dark, and dismal day! How is our glory fled away. Our Sun gone down, our stars o'recast; God's heritage is now laid wast. Our pining souls no bread can get, With wantons God hath justly met, When we are fed unto the full, This man was tedious; that was dull. But they are gone, and there remain No such occasions to complain. Stars are not now for lights, but signs; God knows of what heart-breaking times. Sure heaven intends not peace, but wars; In calling home Ambassadors.

How long did Sodom's judgment stay? When righteous Lot was snatcht away. How long remain'd that stately Hall, When Sampson made the pillars fall? When Horsemen, and Commanders fly; Wo to the helpless Infantry. This is a sad and fatal blow, A publick loss and overthrow. You that so long have wish'd them gone, Be quiet now; the thing is done. Did they torment you ere your day? God hath remov'd them out o'th'way. Now sleep in sin, and take your ease; Their doctrine shall no more displease. But Lord! what shall become of us? Our Teacher's gone, and left us thus! To whom shall we our selves address, When conscience labours in distress O, who shall help us at our need? Or pour in Balm, when wounds do bleed? Help Lord, for unto thee our eyes Do pour out tears; our groans, our cryes Shall never cease: till thou restore, The mercies which we had before. Till Sions paths where grass now grows, Be trodden by the feet of those That love thy name: and long t' enjoy The mercies they have sin'd away.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Upon a dearth through want of rain.
• * 1.2

  Satius est ut sol non luc••at, quam ut non aoc••at Chryso∣stomus.
• * 1.3

  The ungrate∣ful souls re∣flection.
• * 1.4

  The deprived Christians Re∣flection.
• * 1.5

  The silent Mi∣nisters Refle∣ction.
• 1 1.6

  Deut. 28. 23
• 2 1.7

  Ioel ••. 19.
• 3 1.8

  Ioel 1. 20. Ier. 14. 56.
• 4 1.9

  Ioel. 1. 11.
• 5 1.10

  Ier. 14. 4
• 6 1.11

  Amos 5. 16.
• 7 1.12

  Amos 8. 11.
• 8 1.13

  Deut. 32. 2. Heb. 6. 7, 8
• 9 1.14

  Hos. 9. 12.