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1. THe Husbandman, be∣ing the Man that fetches his profits out of the earth, is in danger of being earthly minded. Observe the Plow-man at his work: He boweth his body toward the ground, leaning upon his Plow: He hath his eye fixed on the Furrow: He seems to love the very smell of the dung and soil wherewith his
land is made more fruitful. To walk among his Corn, to see it prosper, and grow more and more ready for the har∣vest, is his great delight: To have seasonable weather is his desire: The Inning of his Corn, and carrying of it out to market is his care; and these things are so much in his Thoughts, so much in his Talk, that the fear is, lest he cleave too much to the earth, and to these temporal things pertaining to our present life, not minding, as he ought, things heavenly and eternal, in comparison whereof all earthly profits are contempti∣ble. 'Tis a hard matter for Men so much conversant with earth, and looking so much
upon it, to raise up their minds to heaven. This is the complaint.
To prevent or correct this too much minding of the world, and love of earthly things, Scripture and Reason afford us helps and remedies sufficient. Reason it self may teach us the vanity and uncer∣tainty of worldly youth: That the things we possess are sub∣ject to many casualties, and may be taken from us; and that we our selves are also liable to many accidents, and may be taken away we know not how soon from the things which we now possess. But then the Scripture comes in with loud Admonitions. Vani∣ty of vanities, all is vanity, saith
the Preacher, Eccles. 1. All flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field, saith the Prophet Isa. 40. Ye cannot serve God and Mam∣mon, sath our Saviour: And take no thought for your life, what you shall ear, Matth. 6. Love not the world, nor the things of the world, saith S. John, 1 Epist. 2. ch. What is your life, saith St. James, It is but a va∣por. Add to all this the ex∣ample of the foolish Husband∣man; who pleased himself in his full Barns, and trusted in the abundance of his fruits but is soundly checked for it, Luke 12. 20. All which may serve to secure our husband∣man from danger, or to Cure him of his over much mind∣ing
and setting his affection upon this earth; and may teach him to look up to Hea∣ven to lay up riches there, where they shall be reserved for him as an immortal pos∣session.
2. But it is urged again, that the Husbandman whose daily imployment is about this earth, and in providing for the body, can have but little time to bestow upon Re∣ligion, and the care of his Soul. And this may be per∣haps in your thoughts, when I exhort you not to be earth∣ly minded; you may think upon the multiplicity of your business, you must plow, and sow, and gather in, and
thresh, and carry out to mar∣ket, and besides take care of I know not how many mat∣ters more, belonging to your course of life; and you may wonder that any Preacher should require of Tillers of the earth, and secular Men, that they should be spiritual Men, and make Religion their busi∣ness. To this I answer, That you must learn to follow worldly business with heaven∣ly minds. That is thus; Con∣sider your Calling is ordained by God, and that when you do the works of your Calling rightly, you do then do God service. Take the fear of God with you, aim at his glory as that great end of your life, behave your self humbly, and
honestly, and faithfully as be∣fore him. This having of right aims, this walking up∣rightly, this doing of worldly business in obedience to God, this minding of Gods presence with you, and his Providence over you, is the following of earthly affairs in a spiritual and heavenly manner, and may justly be accounted the true serving of God.
But then withal, no Man must so far engage himself to the affairs of this world, but he must have some time of freedom to attend upon the immediate service of God in holy duties, both publick in the Congregation, private in the Family, and yet more pri∣vate in the Closet, or any se∣cret
place. I say, No Man must forget these, but so or∣der his worldly business, that Religion may not be neglect∣ed, that the soul may not be unprovided for, that holy du∣ties may not be omitted.
This our Husbandman will be the more careful of, I mean to afford time for holy duties, by considering, that it is the Lords blessing which makes the earth fruitful. In vain you rise up early, and sit up late; in vain you toil and la∣bor, except the Lord prosper you, except he send the for∣mer and later rain, and make the Sun to shine upon the Land. Therefore it is, that in Scripture, the food we have out of the earth for our selves,
and for our Cattle, is not so much ascribed to the care and labor of the Husbandman, as to the goodness and bounty of God. The eyes of all wait upon thee O Lord, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and sa∣tisfiest the desire of every living thing. Psal. 145. 15, 16.
3. 'Tis a great complaint and grievance, That the Hus∣bandman after all his care and pains, and labor, meets with many crosses, and losses. After his diligent plowing and sowing, sometimes he does not receive his seed again: sometimes his harvest is spoil∣ed by immoderate rain, and unseasonable weather: some∣times
his laboring Cattle are diseased, and die upon his hands: sometimes the mar∣kets fall, and the price of Corn answers not his expectation, nor his labor and charge to raise it. These, and more sad accidents may make a Countrymans life not very de∣sirable.
But to give some Answer to this also: I would know of you what Calling in the world is free from losses, and crosses. Are not the Mer∣chants Ventures in great pe∣rils? Are not their Ships, however richly laden, some∣times cast away in the tem∣pestuous Sea, and swallowed in the deep, sometimes rob'd and plundered by the Pirates?
Do not Shop-keeperse it her, by ill bargains, or bad customers sometimes break? Are not all humane affairs subject to changes, and chances? Where∣fore, if we would not be with∣in a possibility of any calami∣ty, we must altogether for∣sake the earth, and have no commerce with the present world.
All that I can say here is this: We must not by our own negligence make to our selves, and create crosses: We must walk very circumspectly in all our affairs, and take heed that we be not injured and a∣bused by a deceitful world. The crosses which God shall lay upon us, we must learn to bear patiently, and find out
the right use of every acci∣dent. And we must set the good we have gotten, against the evil we suffer. The ho∣nest Husbandman, if he fail of his hopes one year, will comfort himself with the fruit∣fulness of another year. If at one time he hath a bad mar∣ket, another time will make amends. If his loss be heavy now, his gain may be as great hereafter. But suppose he should be impoverisht by ca∣sualties, and adversities: His breeding, and course of life enables him to bear hardships and want a great deal more easily, than such as are of a more delicate and soft temper, and condition. And this I take to be no small advantage
of our Husbandman, when the worst that can come, falls upon him.
4. One more complaint, and it is a great grievance in the eye of many Husband∣men, that their Lands are sub∣ject to heavy Taxes, and to the payment of Tithes. Hence ariseth occasion of murmur∣ing and discontent, that all the fruits of their labors, and profits of their estates should not go into their own Coffers. But let us consider.
The Taxes first and Tribute which is called for by the State; Is it not for the main∣tenance of Peace amongst us? Is it not for the defence of the Kingdom? Is not that which
we pay to the King given him by Act of Parliament, the Re∣presentative of the whole Na∣tion? So then, if that which the Husbandman payeth to the publick, be paid according to the Laws of the Land; if it be paid to a very good end and purpose, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, and enjoy our lives, and liberties, and estates in safety: Surely, this is not a just matter of complaint. At this be not troubled, be not grieved.
Then also for Tithes paid to the Church, Shall our Hus∣band men be worse than Jews? The Ministers of their Law had Cities, and Lands, and Tithes, and Offerings, which are found upon a just account
of Learned Men, far, very far to exceed the portion of the Ministers of the Gospel. And yet the Gospel is a far better Ministration, as S. Paul decla∣reth, 2 Cor. 3. Again, Shall our Husbandmen have less Faith in God than the Jews? Among them it was received as a most certain truth, Da de∣cimus ut ditescar: Pay thy Tithes well, and be rich. The just and chearful payment of Tithes was the right way to prosper, and to have Gods blessing upon their Land. They had a Prayer to be used at the end of Tithing, where∣in they lay'd claim to the blessing promised: Lord, now look down from thy holy Ha∣bitation, and bless thy people,
and bless the Land which thou hast given us. Deut. 26. 15. Briefly, if Tithes by the antient Laws of this Land, are given and solemnly direct∣ed to God and his Church. (Deo & Ecclesiae; so it is in the Records,) To God and his Church: If they are held by Ministers, by as good right, as other Free-men holds their estates: If they are neither to be bought nor sold by the Tenant-holders: If the end of them be for the Glory of God, and the everlasting good of Gods people: Then of this payment to be duly and truly made by the honest Husband∣man, I may also pronounce: Be not troubled at it, Be not grieved.
Thus Beloved, you have heard, as in the first part, the commendation of Husbandry, from the Antiquity, Necessi∣ty, Honor, and Pleasure of it: So in our later part, the Com∣plaints and Grievances; in as much as Men that till the earth, are apt to be earthly minded; and secondly, that they have so much worldly business, as not to spare time for duties of Religion; and thirdly, that they are exposed to many losses and crosses; and fourthly, that their Lands are burthened with payment of Taxes, and Tithes. You have heard of all the Answers and Remedies, for those Com∣plaints and Grievances.