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

To conclude, If the Church be God's Husbandry, that is, if Husbandry have so many resemblances of Gods works about the Church in it, then how inexcusable is the ignorance of Husbandmen, in the things of God, who besides the word of the Gospel, have the teachings of the Creatures; and can hardly turn their hands to any part of their work, but the Spirit hints one spiritual use or other from it to their ⟨p. 15⟩souls? How do the Scriptures abound with Parables, and lively similitudes taken from Husbandry? from the field, the seed, the plough, the barn, from threshing and winnowing; similitudes also from planting, grafting, and pruning of trees; and not a few from the ordering of Cattle. So that, to what business soever you turn your hands, in any part of your calling, still God meets you, with one heavenly instruction or other. But alas! How few are able to improve their civil employments to such excellent ends? These things are but briefly hinted in the Scriptures, and those hints scattered up and down, that they know not where to find, them; and if they could, yet would it be difficult so to methodize them, as it is necessary they should be, in order to their due improvement, by Meditation.

To conclude, If the Church be God's Husbandry, that is, if Husbandry have so many resemblances of Gods works about the Church in it, then how inexcusable is the ignorance of Husbandmen, in the things of God, who besides the word of the Gospel, have the teachings of the Creatures; and can hardly turn their hands to any part of their work, but the Spirit hints one spiritual use or other from it to their