CHEAP REPOSITORY. 
 
 Hufbandry Moralized ; 
 
 Or, PLEASANT SUNDAY READING 
 For a Farmer's Kitchen. 
 
 PART L 
 
 Sold by J. MARSHALL, 
 (PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY for Re. 
 ligious and Moral Tra&s) No. 17, Qjueen- Street, 
 Cheapfide, and No. 4, Aldermary Church-Yard, and 
 R. WHITE, Piccadilly, LONDON. 
 
 By S. HAZARD, 
 PRINTER to the CHEAP REPOSITORY, at Bath'i 
 and by all Bookfellers, Newfmen, and Hawkers, ira 
 Town and Country. — Great Allowance will be mad© 
 to Shopkeepers and Hawkers. 
 
 PRICE ONE HALFPENNY, 
 Or 2S # 3d. per ioo. is, 3d, for 50. and o,d. for 25, 
 
HUSBANDRY Moralized ; 
 
 Qr pealant Sunday Reading for a Farmer's Kitchen. 
 
 ^ A R T f: 
 
 Upon the care of Hufbandmen. to provide for 
 
 W. I N T E R, 
 
 OODvHuibandmen are careful in Summer 
 'ijr* to provide for Winter. They then gather 
 5n their Winter (tore ; food and fewel for them- 
 fllves, and fodder for their cattle. He that 
 /' lathers. in Summer is a wife Son, but he that 
 ifeepeth in Iiarveil is a Son that caufeth •fhame/' 
 
 The great beauty find.advantageof any aClioii 
 Is to do it in its proper feafon,, This feafon is 
 eldom watched for carefully, £nd is often loft 
 >y delay. 5 Tis an excellent proverb " that a 
 g$od faver will make a good ,benefa6tor," this 
 ■means that lie, that doth not y/afte, will always 
 iiave fomething to give. And. there is another 
 — " He that neglcfts the Gccafion, the occalion- 
 will neglcft him." The humandman knows 
 that fummcr. will not hold the whole year, nei- 
 ther will- hetruft to a mild and: favourable wim 
 ter, but in the beft feafon he will provide for 
 the worft. 
 
 What excellent Chriftians fhould we be, were 
 ipge but as provident for our Souls, as we are in 
 our Farms. 'Tis doubtlefs a point of true 
 Chriftian wifdom to look forward to a day of 
 great fpiritual difficulties and neceffities ; and fa 
 
5 , ! 3 1,. 
 
 during the day of grace and favour to make 
 provifion for iti 
 
 A Kufhandman knows there is a change bf 
 feafons and weather. Tho' it be pleafant Sum; 
 mer weather now, yet Winter will tread upon 
 the heel of Summer. Fro ft s, faows 5 and a grcai 
 fall of rain muft he expected. This change of 
 feafons in nature M fettled by a firm law of the 
 God of Nature to- the end of the world, for 
 
 " Nature is but the name of an effeft 5 
 " Whofe caufe is God/' 
 
 While earth remaineth u feed time and harveft 
 time, cold and heat, winter and fummeiy day 
 and night fhall not ceafe" faith the Scripture, 
 
 And Chriftians fho'uld alfo know that there 
 are changes in the right. hand of the - most High.* 
 in regard to their fpi ritual Seafons. If there: 
 be a fpring time of the Gofpel, abundant oppor- 
 tunities, and we neglefct to ufe them; there maw 
 come a barren Winter,- when we may bd de - 
 prived of tbefe privileges. For Got>. to puniffL 
 our deadnefs and indifference cau lend " a fa - 
 mine of the word" as cafiiy as he (Tan fend a 
 famine of bread to punifli (loth and lazineis. 
 He can always fet one over againll the other,,. 
 a ndhe that negfefts to ufe his prefent abundant 
 gifts " from him iiiaU be taken away that Which 
 foe hath" 
 
 Yeftcrday's paft, to-morrow's none' of thine, - 
 Tins day thy heart to holy cl-eds incline. 
 
 In heaven there is a day of everlafting hap. 
 
( 4 } " 
 
 pinefs, in hell a night of eve^lafting mifery. 
 But on this earth light and darknefs take their 
 turns ; profperity and adverfity, even t© fouls 
 as well as bodies fucceed each other. A day 
 of grace and favour is often followed by for- 
 row and fadnefs of fpirit. 
 
 Common produce and experience enable 
 the hufbandman in the roidf! of Summer to fore- 
 fee a Winter and provide for it before he feels 
 it, yea inftinQ; teacheth this to the very Birds 
 of the air, and beafts of the field. 
 
 And fpiritual wifdom fhould teach Chriftian* 
 to exercife their forefeeing faculties, and not 
 fuffer them to feel evil, .before they fear it. 
 But, Oh, the ftupifying nature of fin ! tho' the 
 Stork in the heavens knows her appointed 
 time, and the turtle, crane and fwallow the time 
 of their coming, yet man, whom God hath made 
 wifer than the fowls of the air, in this, a£ts quite 
 below them; fo fays the prophet Jeremiah: 
 And fo fays our own daily experience. 
 
 The end of God's ordaining a Summer, 
 feafon, and fending warm and pleaiknt weather, 
 is, to ripen the fruits of the earr.h, and give the 
 Hufbandman fit opportunity to gather them in. 
 
 And God's defign in giving his favoured 
 People a day of grace, is to furniih them with 
 3n opportunity for the evcrlafting happinefs and 
 Salvation of their Souls. " 1 gave her fpace to 
 repent." It is not merely a delav of the threat- 
 cned wratljj tho' there be great Mercy in that..;. 
 
( I ) 
 
 but the peculiar aim of this patience and bouVrty 
 of God is to open for them a way to efcape the 
 wrath to come-r u Defpifeft thou the riches o£ 
 his goodnefs and for bearance, and Jong fuf- 
 fering, not knowing that the goodnefs of God 
 leadeth thee to repentance ?" 
 
 The Hufbandman does not find all harveft: 
 feafons alike favourable ; fometimes they have 
 much fair weather, and meet with no hind- 
 rance in their bufinefs, at other times 'tis a 
 catching harveft, but now and then a fair day 3 
 and they muft be nimble, or all is loft. 
 
 There is alfo a great difference in the ftate 
 of people's minds at different feafons; fome 
 have had long and merciful opportunit ies, ahun- 
 dred and twenty Years did God's patience wait 
 upon the World in the miniftry of Noah. 
 Long did God wait upon the gain-faying Ifrael- 
 ites as mentioned in Ifaiah, I have a long- 
 time held my peace ; I have been ftiil, and re- 
 frained my felif others like the hufbandmen have 
 a fliort and catching feafon, all hangs upon a day, 
 upon a nick of time. " And the times of this 
 ignorance God winked at; but now command- 
 e th all men everywhere to repent." 
 
 A proper feafon neglefted and loft, is never 
 to be recovered. Many things in hufbandry 
 muft be done in their feafon, or cannot be done 
 at all for that year. If he plow not, and fow 
 not, in the proper feafon he lofes the harveft of 
 that year. No future diligeaee can make up for 
 
 
 
pail ncgleft; the feafon the fit opportunity: is 
 over and gone. . . 
 
 Tis fo wiihthe ftate of the mind; the Gofpel 
 ^egletted, and opportunities defpifed in the 
 ieafon when God offer* them arc loft for ever. 
 " Then [hail they call upn me, -but I will not 
 answer; they fhall fcek me early, hut they 
 
 • fhail not find mc;" then (that is when the 
 opportunity % over) they ill all call upon me 
 but I will not hear. Oh, there u a gread deal 
 of time m a fhort opportunity; that may be 
 done, or prevented in an hour rightly timed, , 
 which cannot be done, or prevented, in a Man s j 
 life time afterwards. I 
 Thofc IKifbandmen that are careful and 
 
 .laborious in tie Summer, have the comfort 
 und benefit of ii in the Winter: he that then 
 provides fcweh mail fit warm in his habitation 
 when others blow t%ir fingers and fit freezing 
 in the cold, lie. that provides food for his 
 family, and f odder for his cattle in the hai veft, 
 Aral! eat ..the fruits of it, and enjoy the comfort 
 oPhis labours, when others are put to fhifts | 
 and ftreights.— And he that provides for eter- 
 nity, and lays up for his Soul a good foundation 
 againft the time to come, fhall cat 'when others 
 are hungry, and fing when others weep and 
 vail and gnafh (heir teeth. Therefore thus 
 -lath he Lord God, " Behold my Servants 
 
 ilvdll eat, but ye fhall be hungry j behold my 
 
 Servmts fhall drink, but ye ihail be thirfty ; 
 
 behold my Servants fhall rejoice, but ye fhall 
 
 be alhamed."- 
 
• A day of death will come, and that will be a 
 cay of terrors to all curefcfe fouls ; but then 
 the diligent aQive Chnftian feall enjoy the 
 peace and comfort that fhall flow in upon his 
 heart, from his lively care, and fin cere dili- 
 gence m duties.— " This is our rejoicing, the 
 tefhmony of ourconfcience that in fincerity and 
 godly fimplicity, we have had our cctfiy^rfajibn 
 in this World/' (o Hezckiah fays—" Rcraem. 
 ber now O Lord how I have walked before 
 thee in truth, and with a perfoa heart.' — 
 A D *Y of Judgment will come, then foolifh 
 Virgins who neglcei the fealon of getting Oil 
 in their lamps, will be put to their fhifts ; 
 then they will come to the wile and fay, " Give 
 us your Oil," kit they have none to ipare,. and 
 the leafon of buying j s then over. 
 
 . No wife Hufhandman.will nejrfea a fit on- 
 portunity of gathering in his Hay and Corn, 
 upon, a .preemption of much fair weather to 
 come; he will not fay the weather is fettled, 
 and I need, not trouble myfelf, and that I may 
 get it in another time, as well as no^_no, no, 
 a wife and prudent Farmer never depends on 
 any time but the preferu. 
 
 And no wife : Chnftian will look present 
 opportunities of ftudying his Bible, upon the 
 hopes of more time in future ; kit will rather 
 Jay, " Now is my time, and I know not what 
 will be hereafter. ? Tis a melancholy thing 
 to think how. fome men as it were dilpute them- 
 
V ( « ) 
 
 ielves out of "Heaven, and argue and reafon 
 away their own Souls as if Satan hired them to 
 plead againft their own good. 
 
 It is well for Hufbandmen as well as others, 
 while they are providing food andcloaths for 
 their families againft Winter, not to negleB 
 the cure of their Souls and to provide for a 
 happy Eternity. 
 
 It is a great encouragement for Hufbandmen 
 who have families for whom it is their duty to 
 provide things honejl in the fight of all nun ^ re- 
 flea, that the care of their eternal concerns is fo 
 far from being hurtful to their worldly profpe- 
 irity, that there is every veafon to exped that he 
 who cafts his care upon God, and labours to 
 work out his Salvation, will profper more in his 
 bufinefs than a worldly prophane man, who, as 
 he does not live in the fear of God, has no right 
 to look for his bleffing, without which it will be 
 in vain to rife up early, to lie down late, and to 
 eat the bread of carcfulnefs. 
 
 If God then performs all thefe good things 
 for you, how fhould you adore and magnify 
 him for his care and condefcenfion. You 
 fhould fay unto him, " Lord what is man that 
 thou fhould'ft fet thine hand upon him and villi 
 him every moment:' Look then continually 
 up to him whole mercies are .continually 
 poured out upon thee ; for he has promikd m 
 his holy word that he will guard you and keep 
 you day and night. Should he withdraw his 
 hand or his eye one moment from you* thai 
 
moment would be your ruin. Ten thoufand 
 evils watch for fuch an opportunity to rufli 
 in upon you and deftroy all your comforts. But 
 his creatures are too dear to him to be truftcd 
 into any hand but his own. 
 
 Learn hence how diligently you are obliged 
 to perform all the duties and fervices of your 
 calling, all the daily labours of your Farm for 
 God, with an eye to his glory 3 for he perform- 
 eth all things for you. It was once the wifli o£ 
 a very good man, « O that I could be to God 
 what my hand is to me!" that is a ferviceable 
 ufeful inftrument. — Shall God do all things for 
 you, and will you dp nothing for God ? Is pro- 
 vidence every moment at work for you and will 
 you be idle for him ? will you. labour hard for 
 yourfelves^ for your farms, for your wives and 
 your children* and will you be idle for him in 
 whom you live and move and have your being ? 
 To what purpofe then, is all that God has done 
 for you ? Is is not the aim and defiga of all to 
 make you a fruitful people ? If God plant and 
 fence, and water you by his Providence, fure he 
 expe&s you fhould bring fruit. that in re- 
 turn for all the benefits of Providcnceyou would; 
 fay to God as grateful Elifha faid to the Shuna-- 
 mite* C£ Behold thou haft been careful for us 
 with all this care : what is to be done for thee ? 
 And with David, What fhail I render unto the 
 Lord for all his benefits." He is ever doing 
 you g«od ; be you therefore always abounding 
 in his work, O be aftive for that. God -who* 
 everv moment, afting for vou. 
 
( fe ) 
 
 THOUGHTS, 
 
 Suited to the HUSBANDMAN as he is 
 
 Going out to work on the 
 Monday Morning. 
 
 NOW is the day come on? the Sun peeps 
 •over the tops of the Hills, and ipreads light 
 over the face of the Earth, the fhades of the 
 Night are vaniihed and the Beafts of prey have 
 laid themfelvcs down in their dens, man goeth 
 forth to his work and to his labour till the 
 evening. As the earth was covered with dark- 
 nefs before the fun's appearing, fo w-as all the 
 Heathen World covered with the d'ihna! Ni°ht 
 of ignorance, till the Sun of Pdghteoufnefs arofe 
 and by the Glorious Light or the Gofpel dif- 
 perfed that darknefs and fhadow of death which 
 benighted' the whole World. And- what be- 
 comes man now, but to go forth to his labours, 
 I mean the work of Relidon, and the fervice 
 or God? whilft we have the light, it is fit we 
 ihould walk in it, having no feliowfhip with 
 the unfruitful works of darknefs, but live as 
 becomes the children of light. And this by 
 God's help I refolve to do. 
 
 To this he mav add the following fhort 
 
 PRAYER. J 
 
 GRACIOUS Gqd, ' who haft of thine 
 innniic Mercy given Light to us, who fat 
 darknefs and/the flradew of death^ grant me 
 
Grace to live in a manner anfwerable to the 
 great advantages I enjoy, \ci me not mifpend 
 this precious time thou haft given me, wherein 
 to prepare for Eternity ; and to that end, teach 
 me I pray thee, to Glorify thee in the work of 
 my hands, let every thing I do for the main- 
 tenance of this frail life, put me in mind of 
 providing for a better. Whilft mine Eyes 
 look down to this Earthy let my Soul look up 
 to thee my God in Heaven ; whilft I labour 
 for this meat that perifheth, let me gain that 
 which endureth to Eternal Life, and whilft I 
 work in the bufinefs of my calling, let me work 
 out my own Salvation through jefus Chrift. 
 Blefs, I befeech thee, all the employments in 
 which I fhall ,this day be engaged, and grant 
 that I may never undertake any thing upon 
 which I cannot beg thy Bleffing. Let me mag- 
 nify thee in all I do ; fubmit to thy gracious 
 Providence in all I fuffer; adore thine infinite 
 goodnefs in all I enjoy; and make it my meat 
 and drink to do the will of my Father which 
 is in Heaven. Mercifully forgive all my fins 
 through the merits of my Blefted Redeemer ; 
 and not only grant me thy pardon for what is 
 paft, but thy Grace for the time to come. All 
 which and every other needful Bleffing I 
 humbly afk through the merits of my only v 
 Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, Amen, 
 
THE 
 
 Hufbandman's HYMN, 
 
 GOOD is the Lord, the heavenly King 
 Who makes the Earth his Care, 
 
 Vifits the paftures every Spring, 
 And bids the grafs appear. 
 
 The clouds, like Rivers rais'd on high, 
 
 Pour out at thy command, 
 Their wat'ry bleffings from the fky, 
 
 To cheer the thirfty land. 
 
 The foften'd ridges of the field 5 
 
 Permit the Corn to fpring : 
 The vallies rich provifion yield. 
 
 And the poor Lab'rers fing. 
 
 The little hills on every fide. 
 
 Rejoice at falling fhow'rs : 
 The meadows, dreft in all their pride. 
 
 Perfume the Air with flowxs. 
 
 The barren clods refrefhed with rain, 
 
 Promife a joyful crop : 
 The parched grounds look green again 3 
 
 And raife the Reaper's hope. 
 
 The various months thy goodnefs crown 
 How bounteous are thy ways ! 
 
 The bleating flocks fpread o'er the downs 
 And Shepherds fliout thy praifc.