BEHOLD THE HUSBANDMAN. S. James 5. 7.  
Ora & Labora.  
LONDON, Printed for John Barksdale, next the Five Bells in New-street. 1677.   

To his Loving Friends, and Parishioners.  
THis short Discourse I offer you, in remembrance of my Care, to have you be delighted with your daily Labours; and withal, to raise up your thoughts from Earth to Heaven, to that God, who maketh his Sun to shine, and his Rain to fall upon your Fields, and giveth you to eat the Labours of your hands with comfort. To his continued favour I daily commend you and yours.  
C. B.   
S. James 5. 7. Behold the Husbandman. 
THe word, Behold, is usually set before things of our careful Observation. I invite you therefore to a serious view of Husbandry; the consideration whereof, as it may be delightful to all, so will it be especially useful to them, whose business is to labour, and spend most of their time in tilling of the earth. For whose sake I intent in a plain order to declare these two points.  

1. The commendations, and praise of Husbandry.  
2. The complaints and grievances of it, together with the Remedies and Answers.   

I. Of the commendation and praise of Husbandry.  
1. HEre we will look upon the original and beginning of this employment. We read in Gen. 2. 15. The Lord God took the man, (Adam our first Father, from whom all Mankind was descended,) and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it. This was the calling, this the employment of Man in the state of Innocency, wherein he was created, to keep and dress a Garden; a piece of Husbandry. And this no small commendation, that it was the first employment, the first business God himself put man upon before the Fall. An innocent Labour, well became the state of Innocency.  
After the Fall, when Adam had sinned by eating the forbidden Fruit, as we read Genesis 3. God dispossessed Adam of that pleasant Garden, and instead of that easy and delightful exercise of dressing the Garden, and keeping it, put him to blow, bound him to this harder labour of raising Corn of barren ground, by the sweat of his brows. For the earth was Cursed for the sin of Man, and would not yield Fruit to him that had rebelled against his Maker, until it was overcome by laborious tillage. In the sweat of thy Face shalt thou eat thy bread. Gen. 3. 19 However, though the Calling be laborious, you see it is by God's appointment, and it was the work wherein the Father of all Mankind was employed, to till the ground. This Antiquity and beginning of Husbandry is that we observe in the first place. It is the most ancient Calling.  
2. Next to the Antiquity of this employment, you may take notice of the necessity thereof. Bread is the staff of life, and therefore where we are taught in the Lord's Prayer to ask for maintenance, we are commanded to say, Give us Bread. And when Jacob desired of God to sustain him in his Travels, and promised that for such a favour he would be Gods faithful Servant, Bread is named, If the Lord saith he, will give me Bread to eat. Gen. 28. 20. Bread is the most substantial food, that which is of most concernment to us, and for this reason it goes for all. Now Bread is that which God hath ordained to be the fruit of the Husbandman's labour. The Husbandman ploughs the ground, the ground yieldeth Corn, by God's blessing on it, and of Corn is made Bread. Many other things may be spared, but Bread may not be wanting. The profit of the earth is for all: the King himself is served by the Field. Eccles. 5. 9 From the highest to the lowest, all have need of Bread; it is our daily sustenance. Husbandry therefore is the most necessary Calling.  
3. If Husbandry be so ancient, and so necessary, it must needs be Honourable. And so it hath been of high esteem in the most famous Kingdoms and Commonwealths. You heard but now from Ecclesiastes, That the King himself is saved by the Field. A just cause it is, that the King should respect, and hold with tillage. In the 2 Chron. 26. We find a great commendation of one of the good Kings of Judah, by name Uzziah; and among the rest of his noble acts, it is mentioned for his Honour, That he loved Husbandry, v. 10. This is something out of the sacred History.  
For other Nations, none was so rich in good Examples as the old Commonwealth of Rome; none ever set a greater esteem on Husbandry. The Senators themselves and Fathers of their Country, such as were most valiant in Arms, did not disdain Agriculture, but made the tilling of their tract a great part of their care and exercise. Most memorable is that related by the Roman Histories of one of their Dictator's, that was called from the Blow, and sent to command their Army. When he had conquered the enemy, and delivered his Country from great danger, Rediit ad boves triumphata Agricola: This triumphant Husbandman returned to his Blow again. I may add to this, that in ancient times Ploughmen were so much regarded by Armies of Soldiers near each other in the Field, that the Husbandman followed his work without disturbance. Husbandry is an honourable Calling.  
4. Not only most ancient, necessary, honourable, but it is pleasant also. The pleasantness of Husbandry, that's the fourth Commendation of it. See here the goodness of God mixed with his severity. You heard before out of Gen. 3. that the ground was Cursed for Man's sin; and that Man was sentenced to sweat for his Bread. Here is, you will say, the severity of God. But let us observe his goodness too, in turning their labour and pains into the delight and pleasure of the honest Husbandman. He submits willingly to God's Ordinance, and seeing God has commanded him to labour hard, labour he will; and it is more pleasant a great deal to him to labour than to be idle. He sweats, but his sweat is sweet. He ploughs either in the clay, or the stony ground: the Birds of the air in the mean time make him music, yea and he makes himself music at his work, and either sings or whistles his melodious Notes, whilst his eye and his hand direct the Blow. When he returns home from the Field, he brings a good stomach with him, which makes even the coursest far more delightful, than the dainties of other men, and after all, The sleep of the labouring man is sweet, whethether he eat little or much. Eccles. 5. 12.  
Hence it is, from his daily labour and exercise of body, from the wholesome air he breathes in the open Field, from his plain Diet, and the good rest attending it: That the Husbandman usually enjoys that which is the most valuable and sweetest blessing of this life, constant health and vigour, and strength of body; which makes him not only the more cheerful in his own vocation, but more able to serve his King and Country when he is called to it.  
And this might be another commendation of Husbandry, that it hath yielded men most serviceable in the Wars. Surely, the strength of the English Armies is reported by our Historians to have consisted in the Yeomanry, in those times of old, when the English Nation carried their victorious Ensigns over France, and other Countries. This I do but touch, and conclude our first point, concerning the commendation of Husbandry from the Antiquity, Necessity, Honour, and Pleasure of it: Four particulars which may abundantly suffice to procure a greater Regard thereof.  
And I cannot pass to the next point, before I have made some Reflection upon the unthankfulness both of Husbandmen themselves, and of Men that are of other Callings.  
Husbandmen themselves, many of them seem not to acknowledge the worthiness and usefulness of their course of life. They do not rightly value the blessing of God, who gives them to eat the labour of their hands, to use the words of the 128 Psalm. They follow not their business wi●h that integrity and alacrity, which becomes their innocent and useful Calling Think upon God's Ordinance, that hath appointed you to your labour; think upon the great benefit of your labours to the commonwealth; think upon the happiness of having health of body, wholesome diet, undisturbed sleep, and be not contented only, but thankful that God hath placed you in such a way of life. Husbandmen were happy, if they did consider well the happiness of their Calling. Felice's nimium bona si sua norint.  
And Men of other Callings may be taxed of injustice and unthankfulness, who slights the Husbandman that provides them Bread. Let not the fine Gentleman, nor the rich Citizen, pride himself in soft apparel, or dainty fare, and deride the plainness and simplicity of the Husbandman. They cannot live without Bread, and this comes from the labour of the plain, simple Husbandman.  
But lest I seem to flatter my Husbandman, and blow him up with a vain opinion of himself, or lay him to sleep in security, let me now proceed from the praises of the Husbandman's Calling, to the Complaints and Grievances, together with their Remedies and Answers.   

II. Of the Complaints or Grievances of Husbandry.  
1. THe Husbandman, being the Man that fetches his profits out of the earth, is in danger of being earthly minded. Observe the Ploughman at his work: He boweth his body toward the ground, leaning upon his Blow: He hath his eye fixed on the Furrow: He seems to love the very smell of the dung and soil wherewith his land is made more fruitful. To walk among his Corn, to see it prosper, and grow more and more ready for the harvest, is his great delight: To have seasonable weather is his desire: The Inning of his Corn, and carrying of it out to market is his care; and these things are so much in his Thoughts, so much in his Talk, that the fear is, lest he cleave too much to the earth, and to these temporal things pertaining to our present life, not minding, as he ought, things heavenly and eternal, in comparison whereof all earthly profits are contemptible. 'Tis a hard matter for Men so much conversant with earth, and looking so much upon it, to raise up their minds to heaven. This is the complaint.  
To prevent or correct this too much minding of the world, and love of earthly things, Scripture and Reason afford us helps and remedies sufficient. Reason itself may teach us the vanity and uncertainty of worldly youth: That the things we possess are subject to many casualties, and may be taken from us; and that we ourselves are also liable to many accidents, and may be taken away we know not how soon from the things which we now possess. But then the Scripture comes in with loud Admonitions. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, saith the Preacher, Eccles. 1. All flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field, saith the Prophet Isa. 40. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon, saith our Saviour: And take no thought for your life, what you shall ear, Matth. 6. Love not the world, nor the things of the world, saith S. John, 1 Epist. 2. ch. What is your life, saith St. James, It is but a vapour. Add to all this the example of the foolish Husbandman; who pleased himself in his full Barns, and trusted in the abundance of his fruits but is sound checked for it, Luke 12. 20. All which may serve to secure our husbandman from danger, or to Cure him of his over much minding and setting his affection upon this earth; and may teach him to look up to Heaven to lay up riches there, where they shall be reserved for him as an immortal possession.  
2. But it is urged again, that the Husbandman whose daily employment is about this earth, and in providing for the body, can have but little time to bestow upon Religion, and the care of his Soul. And this may be perhaps in your thoughts, when I exhort you not to be earthly minded; you may think upon the multiplicity of your business, you must blow, and sow, and gather in, and thresh, and carry out to market, and besides take care of I know not how many matters more, belonging to your course of life; and you may wonder that any Preacher should require of tilers of the earth, and secular Men, that they should be spiritual Men, and make Religion their business. To this I answer, That you must learn to follow worldly business with heavenly minds. That is thus; Consider your Calling is ordained by God, and that when you do the works of your Calling rightly, you do then do God service. Take the fear of God with you, aim at his glory as that great end of your life, behave yourself humbly, and honestly, and faithfully as before him. This having of right aims, this walking uprightly, this doing of worldly business in obedience to God, this minding of God's presence with you, and his Providence over you, is the following of earthly affairs in a spiritual and heavenly manner, and may justly be accounted the true serving of God.  
But then withal, no Man must so far engage himself to the affairs of this world, but he must have some time of freedom to attend upon the immediate service of God in holy duties, both public in the Congregation, private in the Family, and yet more private in the Closet, or any secret place. I say, No Man must forget these, but so order his worldly business, that Religion may not be neglected, that the soul may not be unprovided for, that holy duties may not be omitted.  
This our Husbandman will be the more careful of, I mean to afford time for holy duties, by considering, that it is the Lords blessing which makes the earth fruitful. In vain you rise up early, and sit up late; in vain you toil and labour, except the Lord prosper you, except he send the former and later rain, and make the Sun to shine upon the Land. Therefore it is, that in Scripture, the food we have out of the earth for ourselves, and for our Cattle, is not so much ascribed to the care and labour of the Husbandman, as to the goodness and bounty of God. The eyes of all wait upon thee O Lord, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. Psal. 145. 15, 16.  
3. 'Tis a great complaint and grievance, That the Husbandman after all his care and pains, and labour, meets with many crosses, and losses. After his diligent ploughing and sowing, sometimes he does not receive his seed again: sometimes his harvest is spoiled by immoderate rain, and unseasonable weather: sometimes his labouring Cattle are diseased, and die upon his hands: sometimes the markets fall, and the price of Corn answers not his expectation, nor his labour and charge to raise it. These, and more sad accidents may make a Countryman's life not very desirable.  
But to give some Answer to this also: I would know of you what Calling in the world is free from losses, and crosses. Are not the Merchant's Ventures in great perils? Are not their Ships, however richly laden, sometimes cast away in the tempestuous Sea, and swallowed in the deep, sometimes robbed and plundered by the Pirates? Do not Shop-keeperse it her, by ill bargains, or bad customers sometimes break? Are not all humane affairs subject to changes, and chances? Wherefore, if we would not be within a possibility of any calamity, we must altogether forsake the earth, and have no commerce with the present world.  
All that I can say here is this: We must not by our own negligence make to ourselves, and create crosses: We must walk very circumspectly in all our affairs, and take heed that we be not injured and abused by a deceitful world. The crosses which God shall lay upon us, we must learn to bear patiently, and find out the right use of every accident. And we must set the good we have gotten, against the evil we suffer. The honest Husbandman, if he fail of his hopes one year, will comfort himself with the fruitfulness of another year. If at one time he hath a bad market, another time will make amends. If his loss be heavy now, his gain may be as great hereafter. But suppose he should be impoverished by casualties, and adversities: His breeding, and course of life enables him to bear hardships and want a great deal more easily, than such as are of a more delicate and soft temper, and condition. And this I take to be no small advantage of our Husbandman, when the worst that can come, falls upon him.  
4. One more complaint, and it is a great grievance in the eye of many Husbandmen, that their Lands are subject to heavy Taxes, and to the payment of Tithes. Hence ariseth occasion of murmuring and discontent, that all the fruits of their labours, and profits of their estates should not go into their own Coffers. But let us consider.  
The Taxes first and Tribute which is called for by the State; Is it not for the maintenance of Peace amongst us? Is it not for the defence of the Kingdom? Is not that which we pay to the King given him by Act of Parliament, the Representative of the whole Nation? So then, if that which the Husbandman payeth to the public, be paid according to the Laws of the Land; if it be paid to a very good end and purpose, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, and enjoy our lives, and liberties, and estates in safety: Surely, this is not a just matter of complaint. At this be not troubled, be not grieved.  
Then also for Tithes paid to the Church, Shall our Husband men be worse than Jews? The Ministers of their Law had Cities, and Lands, and Tithes, and Offerings, which are found upon a just account of Learned Men, far, very far to exceed the portion of the Ministers of the Gospel. And yet the Gospel is a far better Ministration, as S. Paul declareth, 2 Cor. 3. Again, Shall our Husbandmen have less Faith in God than the Jews? Among them it was received as a most certain truth, Da decimus ut ditescar: Pay thy Tithes well, and be rich. The just and cheerful payment of Tithes was the right way to prosper, and to have God's blessing upon their Land. They had a Prayer to be used at the end of Tithing, wherein they laid claim to the blessing promised: Lord, now look down from thy holy Habitation, and bless thy people, and bless the Land which thou hast given us. Deut. 26. 15. Briefly, if Tithes by the ancient Laws of this Land, are given and solemnly directed to God and his Church. (Deo & Ecclesiae; so it is in the Records,) To God and his Church: If they are held by Ministers, by as good right, as other Freemen holds their estates: If they are neither to be bought nor sold by the Tenant-holders': If the end of them be for the Glory of God, and the everlasting good of God's people: Then of this payment to be duly and truly made by the honest Husbandman, I may also pronounce: Be not troubled at it, Be not grieved.  
Thus Beloved, you have heard, as in the first part, the commendation of Husbandry, from the Antiquity, Necessity, Honour, and Pleasure of it: So in our later part, the Complaints and Grievances; in as much as Men that till the earth, are apt to be earthly minded; and secondly, that they have so much worldly business, as not to spare time for duties of Religion; and thirdly, that they are exposed to many losses and crosses; and fourthly, that their Lands are burdened with payment of Taxes, and Tithes. You have heard of all the Answers and Remedies, for those Complaints and Grievances.   

Conclusion.  
IT remains only to conclude with a short exhortation, and that shall be by calling you off from the earthly to the spiritual Husbandry. As you till your ground, so must yourselves also be tilled and manured. For ye are God's Husbandry, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 3. 9 The Ministers of the Gospel are God's Husbandmen to manure and cultivate your souls. Be not, I beseech you, like unto the Rook, that will not receive the seed of God's Word. Do not suffer the Word that is scattered amongst you to be unprofitable. As you expect fruit from the Land that you bestow pains upon; as you look for a harvest: So do you bring forth fruit unto God, and let not our labour be in vain. The fruit which the earth yieldeth, is but for the maintenance of this short, and transitory life: but the Fruit of the Word of God, the Fruit of the Spirit, holiness and righteousness, this Fruit endureth to Eternity. This Fruit, this most precious Fruit, that you may bring forth plentifully. God of his infinite mercy grant, through Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom, etc.   
FINIS.   

THE GOOD HOUSHOLDER  
1. HE not only provideth temporal maintenance for his Children, and Servants; but taketh care of their spiritual estate, and feedeth their souls as well as their bodies.  
2. His endeavour is, that every one of the Household may attend upon God's service in the Church, as well as follow their ordinary business in the House, Field, or Market.  
3. Prayer, and Reading, and Catechising is duly observed in his Family. And for the better ordering thereof, direction is taken from God's Minister, the Guide of Souls, not only by public ministration, but by private and particular assistance also. With whom he delighteth often to confer about things Divine, and the care of his Soul.