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.

REFLECTIONS.

[ 1] CHear thy self,* 1.1 O my soul! with the heart strengthen∣ing bread of this divine meditation. Let faith turn every drop of this truth into a soul-reviving cordial. God hath sown the precious seed of grace upon my soul, and though my heart hath been an unkind soyl which hath kept it back and much hindered its growth; yet blessed be the Lord, it still grows on, though by slow degrees; and from the spring∣ing of the seed, and shootings forth of those gracious habits, I may conclude an approaching harvest: Now is my salvati∣on nearer than when I believed; every day I come nearer to my salvation, Rom. 13. 11. O that every day I were more active for the God of my salvation! grow on my soul, and add to thy faith vertue, to thy vertue knowledge, &c. Grow on from faith to faith; keep thy self under the ripening in∣fluences of heavenly Ordinances; the faster thou growest in grace, the sooner thou shalt be reaped down in mercy, and bound up in the bundle of life, 1 Sam. 25. 29. I have not yet attained the measure and proportion of grace assigned to me, neither am I already perfect, but am reaching forth to the things before me, and pressing towards the mark for the prize of my heavenly calling, Phil. 3. 12, 13. O mercy to be admired! that I who lately had one foot in hell, stand now with one foot in heaven!

But the case is far different with me,* 1.2 whilst others are ri∣pening [ 2] apace for heaven, I am withering, many a soul plow∣ed up by conviction, and sown by sanctification long after me, hath quite over-topt and out-grown me? my sweet and early blossoms were nipt and blown off, my bright morning overcast and clouded; had I kept on according to the rate of my first growth, I had either now been in heaven, or at least in the suburbs of it on earth; but my graces wither and lan∣guish, my heart contracts and cools to heavenly things; the Sun and rain of ordinances and providences improve not my graces; how sad therefore is the state of my soul?

Thy case,* 1.3 O declining Saint, is sad! but not like mine; [ 3] thine is but a temporary remission of the acts of grace, which is recoverable; but I am judicially hardening and treasuring up to my self wrath, against the day of wrath, Rom. 2. 5. Time was, when I had some tender sense of sin, when I could mourn and grieve for it, now I have none at all. My heart is grown stupid and sottish. Time was when I had some consciencious care of duty, and my heart would smite me for the neglect of it; but now none at all. Wretched soul! what wilt thou do? thou art gone far indeed, a few steps farther will put thee beyond hope; hitherto I stand in the field, the long-suffering God doth yet spare me; yea, spare me, whiles he hath cut down many of my companions in sin round about me. What doth this admirable patience, this long-suffering drawn out to a wonder, speak concerning me? Doth it not tell me, that the Lord is not willing I should pe∣rish, but rather come to repentance? 2 Pet. 3. 9. And what argument is like his pity and patience, to lead a soul to re∣pentance? Rom. 2. 4. O that I may not frustrate at last, the end of a long suffering God! lest he proportion the de∣grees of his wrath, according to the length of his patience.

The Poem.

WHen fields are1 1.4 white to harvest, forth you go With Sith's and2 1.5 Sickles; to reap down and mow. Down go the laden ears, flat to the ground; Which those that follow having stitcht and bound; It's carted home unto the Barn, and so The fields are rid; where lately corn did grow. This world's the3 1.6 field, and they that dwell therein; The4 1.7 Corn and5 1.8 tares; which long have ripening been. Angels the6 1.9 reapers, and the judgment day The time of7 1.10 harvest when like Corn and hay; The sading flower of8 1.11 earthly glory must Be mowed down, and level'd with the dust. The9 1.12 Barns are heaven and hell; the time draws nigh When through the darkned1 1.13 clouds, and troubled skie The Lord shall break, a dreadful2 1.14 trumpet shall Sound to the dead, the stars from heaven fall. The rowling sphears with3 1.15 horrid flames shall burn, And then the Tribes on earth shall4 1.16 wail and mourn. The judgment set, before Christs awful throne All flesh shall be5 1.17 conven'd, and every one Receive his doom: which done, the just shall be Bound in lifes bundle;6 1.18 even as you see The full ripe ears of wheat bound up, and born In sheaves with joy; unto the owners barn. This done, the Angels next in7 1.19 bundles binde The tares together, as they did combinde In acting sin, so now their lot must be To burn together in one misery. Drunkards with drunkards pinion'd, shall be sent To hell together in one8 1.20 Regiment. Adulterers and swearers there shall lye In flames, among their old society. O dreadful9 1.21 howlings! O the hideous moans Of ••etter'd sinners! O the tears! the groans!

The doleful lamentations as they go Chain'd fast together, to their place o•• we. The world thus clear'd, as fields when harvest's in, Shall be no more a stage for acting sin. With purifying1 1.22 flames it shall be burn'd, Its stately fabricks into ashes turn'd. Cease then my soul, to dote on, or admire This splendid world, which is reserv'd for fire. Decline the company of sinners here, As thou wouldst not be shackel'd with them there.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Reflection of a growing Christian.
• * 1.2

  The reflection of a decaying Christian.
• * 1.3

  The Reflection of a hardning sinner.
• 1 1.4

  Iohn 4. 35.
• 2 1.5

  Rev. 14. 15.
• 3 1.6

  Mat. 13. 38.
• 4 1.7

  ibid.
• 5 1.8

  ibid.
• 6 1.9

  Mat. 13. 39.
• 7 1.10

  ibid.
• 8 1.11

  2 Pet. 3. 10.
• 9 1.12

  Mat. 13. 30.
• 1 1.13

  Rev. 1. 7.
• 2 1.14

  1 Thes. 4. 16.
• 3 1.15

  2 Pet. 3. 10.
• 4 1.16

  Mat. 24. 30.
• 5 1.17

  2 Cor. 5. 10.
• 6 1.18

  Mat. 13. 30.
• 7 1.19

  ibid.
• 8 1.20

  1 Cor. 6. 9.
• 9 1.21

  Mat. 13. 41, 42.
• 1 1.22

  2 Pet. 3. 10.