Husbandry spiritualized, or, The heavenly use of earthly things consisting of many pleasant observations,…

Secondly, in Meditation, make the resemblance §2and discourse thus within your selves: This is my Seed-time, Heaven is my Harvest; here I must labour and toil, and there rest. I see the Husbandmans life is a great toil; no excellent thing can be obtained without labour, and an obstinate patience. I see the Seed must be hidden in the furrows, rotten and corrupted, ⟨image 5⟩•re it can bring forth with any increase. Our hopes are hidden, light is sown for the righteous; all our comforts are buried under the clods, and after all this there must be long waiting, we cannot sow and reap in a day; effects cannot follow, till all necessary causes have first wrought. Tis not in the power of Husbandmen to ripen fruits at pleasure, our times are in the hands of God, therefore 'tis good to wait; a long-suffering patience will reap the desired fruit. Thus you have some hints of this heavenly Art of improving the Creatures. The Motives inducing me to this undertakement, was the Lords owning, with some success my labours of a like nature,¹ together with the desire and inclination (stirred up in me (I hope, by the Spirit of the Lord) to devote my vacant hours to his service in this kind. I considered, that if the Pharisees in a blind zeal to a faction, could compass Sea and Land to Proselyte men to their party, though thereby they made them sevenfold more the children of the Devil than before: How much more was I obliged by true love to God, and zeal to the everlasting happiness of souls, to use my utmost endeavours, both with Seamen & Husbandmen, ⟨image 5⟩to win them to Christ, and there by make them more than seventy-seven-fold happier than before? Not to mention other encouragements to this work, which I received from the earnest desires of some Reverend and worthy Brethren inviting thereunto; all which I hope the event will manifest to be a call from God to this work. I confess I met with some discouragement in my first attempt, from my unacquaintedness with rural affairs; and because I was to travel in a path (to me) untrodden; but having once engaged in it, those discouragements were soon overcome; and being now brought to what you here see, I offer to your hands these first fruits of my spare hours. I presume you will account it no disparagement, that I dedicate a Book of Husbandry to Gentlemen of your quality. This is Spiritual Husbandry, which is here taught you;