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

Just so, doth the famine of the Word raise the price and esteem, of vulgar and despised truths. O what would we give for one of those Sermons, one of those Sabbaths we formerly enjoyed? In those days the word of the Lord was precious. When God calls to the enemy to take away and remove his contemned, but precious dainties, from his wanton Children, and a spiritual famine hath a little pinched them, they will then learn to prize their spiritual food at a higher rate.

Iust so, doth the famine of the Word raise the price and esteem, of vulgar and despised truths. O what would we give for one of those Sermons, one of those Sabbaths we formerly enjoyed? In those dayes the word of the Lord was precious. When God calls to the enemy to take away and remove his contemned, but precious dainties, from his wanton Children, and a spiritual famine hath a little pinched them, they will then learn to prize their spiritual food at a higher rate.

In time of famine some persons suffer more than others. It falls heaviest and pincheth hardest upon the poorer sort, as long as any thing is to be had for money, the rich will have it. So it falls out in a spiritual famine; although the most experienced, and best furnished Christians, will have enough to do to live in the absence of Ordinances, yet they are like to subsist much better, than weak, ignorant, and unexperienced ones. Some Christians have Husbanded their time well, and like Joseph in the seven years plenty, laid up for a scarcity. The Word of God dwells richly in them. Some such there are, as John calls young men, who are strong, and the word of God remaineth in them, of whom it may be said, as Jerome spake of Nepotianus, that by long and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures, he had made his breast the very Library of Christ. But others are babes in Christ; and though God will preserve that good work which he hath begun in them, yet these poor babes will soonest find, and be most concerned in the loss of their spiritual Fathers and Nurses.

In time of famine some persons suffer more than others. It falls heaviest and pincheth hardest upon the poorer sort, as long as any thing is to be had for money, the rich will have it. So it falls out in a spiritual famine; although the most experienced, and best furnished Christians, will have enough to do to live in the absence of Ordinances, yet they are like to subsist much better, than weak, ignorant, and unexperienced ones. Some Christians have Husbanded their time well, and like Ioseph in the seven years plenty, laid up for a scarcity. The Word of God dwells richly in them. Some such there are, as Iohn calls young men, who are strong, and the word of God remaineth in them, of whom it may be said, as Ierom spake of Nepotianus, that by long and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures, he had made his breast the very Library of Christ. But others are babes in Christ; and though God will preserve that good work which he hath begun in them, yet these poor babes will soonest find, and be most concerned in the loss of their spiritual Fathers and Nurses.