Section 3: The husbandmans calling showing the excellencies… by Richard Steele | AskReformation

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:328p. 158–159¶2

2. The Second Lesson the Husbandman may learn, is, from his Kine; from whom he learns daily fruitfulness. He sees they pay their tribute every day, yea• twice a day to him: And therefore will he every day pay his tribute unto God. The better pasture he brings them to, the more milk they bring him home; whereby he learns, that the greater stock or estate he hath, as he pays more rent to man, so he ought to pay more thanks and fruits unto God. He trembles, lest his soul should prove like Pharaoh's lean Kine, Gen. 41.19. That devoured the fat, and continued lean. It is leanness that makes them ill favoured, and there's no uncomeliness like unproficiency. A lean soul under fating means, is an ill favoured sight. He considers, that if once his Kine grow fat and not fruitful, the next Range will be the Shambles: and thence he concludes, that outward fullness, with leanness in the soul, is the surest preface to destruction; and therefore he earnestly deprecates the sin of barrenness, and strives in his place, to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. O how many may God bespeak, as he did those, Amos 4.1. Hear the word ye ⟨p. 159⟩Kine of Bashan? fat estates, and fat at heart; whom Gods bounty feeds a while, and whom his Justice will cut off for ever. Better for such they had been in the place of their poorest Tenants, yea, in the condition of their very beasts that perish.

2. The Second Lesson the Husbandman may learn, is, from his Kine; from whom he learns daily fruitfulness. He sees they pay their tribute every day, yea• twice a day to him: And therefore will he every day pay his tribute unto God. The better pasture he brings them to, the more milk they bring him home; whereby he learns, that the greater stock or estate he hath, as he payes more rent to man, so he ought to pay more thanks and fruits unto God. He trembles, lest his soul should prove like Pharaoh's lean Kine, Gen. 41.19. That devoured the fat, and continued lean. It is leanness that makes them ill favoured, and there's no uncomliness like unproficiency. A lean soul under fatting means, is an ill favoured sight. He considers, that if once his Kine grow fat and not fruitful, the next Range will be the Shambles: and thence he concludes, that outward fulness, with leanness in the soul, is the surest preface to destruction; and therefore he earnestly deprecates the sin of barrenness, and strives in his place, to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. O how many may God bespeak, as he did those, Amos 4.1. Hear the word ye ⟨p. 159⟩Kine of Bashan? fat estates, and fat at heart; whom Gods bounty feeds a while, and whom his Justice will cut off for ever. Better for such they had been in the place of their poorest Tenants, yea, in the condition of their very beasts that perish.

:329p. 159¶3

3. The Third Lesson the Husbandman learns from his Flocks, is, From the Horse, and that is the misery and danger of ignorance, Psal. 32.9. Be ye not as the Horse or Mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth •st be held in with bit and bridle. The ignorant Horse is ridden any whither: and the Devil may ride the ignorant soul to hell, and •e not know whither he is going. O let the husbandman therefore make a stop oftentimes, and examine, whither am I going? A• I in the way to heaven or hell? Alas, the •ster I go, the sooner I shall be at my jour•es end; and what if that be hell? Well therefore, I will seek Knowledge as silver, and •y after it as for hidden treasure, and especially of my self, and of my eternal estate; that while I know my house, and grounds, and tell, I may not be ignorant of my own self. Alas, if this horse knew his own strength, he would never be used as he is; neither wouldst •hou be ridden at the devils pleasure, if thou •dst understand thy self: unhorse Satan then quickly from off thy soul, and let Christ and •is holy Spirit have the guidance of thee; so •all every step thou takest be towards heaven, and though thy load be heavy, yet death •ll ease thee of it.

3. The Third Lesson the Husbandman learns from his Flocks, is, From the Horse, and that is the misery and danger of ignorance, Psal. 32.9. Be ye not as the Horse or Mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth •st be held in with bit and bridle. The ignorant Horse is ridden any whither: and the Devil may ride the ignorant soul to hell, and •e not know whither he is going. O let the husbandman therefore make a stop oftentimes, and examine, whither am I going? A• I in the way to heaven or hell? Alas, the •ster I go, the sooner I shall be at my jour•es end; and what if that be hell? Well therefore, I will seek Knowledge as silver, and •y after it as for hidden treasure, and especially of my self, and of my eternal estate; that while I know my house, and grounds, and •ttel, I may not be ignorant of my own self. Alas, if this horse knew his own strength, he would never be used as he is; neither wouldst •hou be ridden at the devils pleasure, if thou •dst understand thy self: unhorse Satan then •uickly from off thy soul, and let Christ and •is holy Spirit have the guidance of thee; so •all every step thou takest be towards hea•n, and though thy load be heavy, yet death •ll ease thee of it.

:332p. 160–161¶1

1. He learns Meekness. He sees the meekness of his Saviour, and may learn meekness for himself. For Christ, Isa. 53.7. As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not […] mouth. You see how patiently the sheep Part• with her fleece, when you call for it: Christ's life was his fleece, and as meekly did he part therewith. You see the innocency, mildness, and usefulness of your Lambs: Behold, the Lamb of God, he was far more. The Lamb hath no armour but patience in the midst of Wolves, and so was Christ brought as a Lamb to the slaughter: yet he was a Lamb without blemish, 1 Pet. 1.19. fair without, and sound within. What more useful and profitable? every part of the sheep is good for something; poor men cannot live without them. Jesus Christ is an useful commodity. They that know themselves, cannot live without Jesus Christ. And here the Husbandman hath occasion ⟨p. 161⟩to contemplate the death of his Saviour. He submitted to i• without resistance: You raise not the Town to kill a Lamb.

1. He learns Meekness. He sees the meekness of his Saviour, and may learn meekness for himself. For Christ, Isa. 53.7. As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not 〈…〉 mouth. You see how patiently the sheep Part• with her fleece, when you call for it: Christ's life was his fleece, and as meekly did he part therewith. You see the innocency, mildness, and usefulness of your Lambs: Behold, the Lamb of God, he was far more. The Lamb hath no armour but patience in the midst of Wolves, and so was Christ brought as a Lamb to the slaughter: yet he was a Lamb without blemish, 1 Pet. 1.19. fair without, and sound within. What more useful and profitable? every part of the sheep is good for something; poor men cannot live without them. Jesus Christ is an useful commodity. They that know themselves, cannot live without Jesus Christ. And here the Husbandman hath occasion ⟨p. 161⟩to contemplate the death of his Saviour. He submitted to i• without resistance: You raise not the Town to kill a Lamb.

:335p. 161–162

And 2. He is minded here of the dangerous strayings of an unregenerate condition, Luk. 15. What man having an hundred sheep, whereof one strayed, &c. Isa. 53.6. All we like Sheep ¹have gone astray. He finds that his Sheep by straying, looseth pasture, fleece, and life at last; that there is no safety out of his field, and flock; and then he wonders that ever he was sought, and found: and in lieu of that mercy, he makes after the child, servant, or kinsman that is run from God, and uses all his art to reduce him. And it is observable, that the word for Sheep, both in Hebrew and Greek, signifies meekness and straying, the Lessons that the Husbandman would learn from them. But this is but a small part of what Jacob and David learned, and the Husbandman ⟨p. 162⟩might and would learn from his Sheep, but that the Shepherd hath taken them out of his hand, who having no other Book to learn in, surely, learns the more in this.

And 2. He is minded here of the dangerons strayings of an unregenerate condition, Luk. 15. What man having an hundred sheep, whereof one strayed, &c. Isa. 53.6. All we like Sheep ¹have gone astray. He finds that his Sheep by straying, looseth •asture, fleece, and life at last; that there is no safety out of his field, and flock; and then he wonders that ever he was sought, and found: and in lew of that mercy, he makes after the child, servant, or kinsman that is run from God, and uses all his art to reduce him. And it is observable, that the word for Sheep, both in Hebrew and Greek, signifies meekness and straying, the Lessons that the Husbandman would learn from them. But this is but a small part of what Jacob and David learned, and the Husbandman ⟨p. 162⟩might and would learn from his Sheep, but that the Shepheard hath taken them out of his hand, who having no other Book to learn in, surely, learns the more in this.

1[Greek or Hebrew] of [Greek or Hebrew] to go forth [Greek or Hebrew] of subduing, because they are easily subdued. [Greek or Hebrew] to err. '[Greek or Hebrew] hence [Greek or Hebrew] to deny for sear. Mr. Pa•er〈non-Latin alphabet〉 of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 to go forth 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 of subduing, because they are easily subdued. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 to erre. '〈non-Latin alphabet〉 hence 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 to deny for sear. Mr. Pa•er

:336p. 162–163¶5

5. The fifth lesson the Husbandman doth learn is, from his very Swine; In whom he beholds the filthiness of a sinner, whom Christ himself calls no less Math. 7.7. Cast not Pearls before Swine. The Husbandman observes, that all the study and care the Swine takes, is for his belly, to satisfy his brutish appetite: He works not as the Ox, brings no fleece as the Sheep, nor milk as the kine; All he does is to fill his belly. And this teaches him to dislike that disposition of sensual sinners, whose only study is to eat, and drink, and feed their lusts. If it be a hateful quality in the Swine, it cannot be lovely in any man, but much more hateful: And therefore he resolves to eat that he may live, and that for God; and not to live, that he may eat. And more particularly, he learns from the Swine the danger of relapse into a course of sin, and the difficulty of leaving sin, till the nature be changed. The Proverb is known, 2 Pet. 2.22. The Sow that was washed is turned to her wallowing in the mire. How sadly and truly doth this set out the unregenerate sinner. He comes to the means of grace, and those showers do wash him; he comes among good company, (the Swine may get into the Parlour,) and that smooths him again. Restraining grace pins him up; but after all, his filthy ⟨p. 163⟩Swinish nature remains, and the next puddle he comes to, he wallows in it again. O the endless labour that out God hath with us, before we be clean! And alas the worst filth is sweet, in comparison of sin, for that's the Devils excrements, and so most abominable; if our spiritual senses were exercised to discern good and evil. It were better to tumble in the sink, than in thy filthy sins. A Swine is a cleanly creature to a filthy sinner. Admire then the grace and goodness of God that hath changed thy nature: And of a Swine made thee a son. And beware thou come no more into the mire, lest instead of being cleansing in the blood of Christ, thou perish in thine own.

5. The fifth lcsson the Husbandman doth learn is, from his very Swine; In whom he beholds the filthiness of a sinner, whom Christ himself calls no less Math. 7.7. Cast not Pearls before Swine. The Husbandman observes, that all the stndy and care the Swine takes, is for his belly, to satisfie his brutish appetite: He works not as the Ox, brings no fleece as the Sheep, nor milk as the kine; All he does is to fill his belly. And this teaches him to dislike that disposition of sensual sinners, whose only study is to eat, and drink, and feed their lusts. If it be a hateful quality in the Swine, it cannot be lovely in any man, but much more hateful: And therefore he resolves to eat that he may live, and that for God; and not to live, that he may eat. And more particularly, he learns from the Swine the danger of relapse into a course of sin, and the difficulty of leaving sin, till the nature be changed. The Proverb is known, 2 Pet. 2.22. The Sow that was washed is turned to her wallowing in the mire. How sadly and truely doth this set out the unregenerate sinner. He comes to the means of grace, and those showers do wash him; he comes among good company, (the Swine may get into the Parlour,) and that smooths him again. Restraining grace pins him up; but after all, his filthy ⟨p. 163⟩Swinish nature remains, and the next puddle he comes to, he wallows in it again. O the endless labour that out God hath with us, before we be clean! And alas the worst filth is sweet, in comparison of sin, for that's the Devils excrements, and so most abominable; if our spiritual senses were exercised to discern good and evil. It were better to tumble in the sink, than in thy filthy sins. A Swine is a cleanly creature to a filthy sinner. Admire then the grace and goodness of God that hath chang'd thy nature: And of a Swine made thee a son. And beware thou come no more into the mire, lest instead of being cleansing in the blood of Christ, thou perish in thine own.