The husbandmans calling showing the excellencies, temptations, graces, duties &c. of the Christian husbandmanThe husbandmans calling shewing the excellencies, temptations, graces, duties &c. of the Christian husbandman

Many of them want time to read or think of spiritual matters; their Children cry, their Business cries, their Creditor cries, and hard it is to read a leaf without many avocations and distractions: nay worse, many of them cannot read a word; they can see no more in a Bible, than in a stone; nor read one verse therein, though the reading and ruminating of it might be as much worth, as Heaven to them. Ah! that ever Heaven, the gate of heaven should be in a Bible, and a reasonable creature, a Christian should not read it; and those that can, yet will not labour to find it there. Nay worse yet, for many of this Extraction and Education, are wonderful dull of capacity, and apprehend matters (spiritual especially) with much difficulty and confusion; and then such broken memories, that they can hold nothing without very much a doe; so that the Prophet Jeremy might very well conclude of them, Jer. 5. 4. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor, they a•e foolish, for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgement of their God; I will get me to the great men. Alas! it is too manifest, that ignorance prevails among that sort in all places, ⟨p. 114⟩insomuch that an Ignorant Peasant is the common Epithet. Their ambition being only to know their ground, their cattle, their market, and their seat in the Church.

Many of them want time to read or think of spiritual matters; their Children cry, their Business cryes, their Creditour cryes, and hard it is to read a leaf without many avocations and distractions: nay worse, many of them cannot read a word; they can see no more in a Bible, than in a stone; nor read one verse therein, though the reading and ruminating of it might be as much worth, as Heaven to them. Ah! that ever Heaven, the gate of heaven should be in a Bible, and a reasonable creature, a Christian should not read it; and those that can, yet will not labour to find it there. Nay worse yet, for many of this Extraction and Education, are wonderful dull of capacity, and apprehend matters (spiritual especially) with much difficulty and confusion; and then such broken m•mories, that they can hold nothing without very much a doe; so that the Prophet J•remy m•ght very well conclude of them,