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

OBSERVATION.

The earth after that it is ploughed and sowed, must be watered and warmed with the dews and influences of heaven, or no fruit can be expected. If God do not open to you his good treasure, the heavens to give rain unto the Land in its season, and bless all the work of your hands, as it is, Deut. 28. 12. The earth cannot yield her increase, The order and dependence of natural causes in the productions of fruit, is excellently described, Hos. 2. 21. 22. I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and wine, and Oil, and they shall hear Jezreel. Jezreel ⟨p. 81⟩must have corn, and wine, and Oil, or they cannot live; they cannot have it, unless the earth bring it forth, the earth cannot bring it forth without the heavens, the heavens cannot yield a drop unless God hear them; that is; unlock and open them.^* Nature and natural causes are nothing else b•t the order in which God works. This some Heathens by the light of nature acknowledged, and therefore when they went to plough in the morning,² they did lay one hand upon the plough (to speak their own part to be painfulness) and hold up the other hand to Ceres the Goddess of Corn, to show,³ that their expectation of plenty was from their supposed Deity. I fear many Christians lay both hands to the plough, and seldom lift up heart or hand to God, when about that work. There was an husbandman (saith Mr. Smith) that always sowed good Seed, but never had good Corn;