THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Saul H. Brown
 
 T II E 
 H U S B A N D M A N 's 
 
 SPIRITUAL COMPANION, 
 
 Being the Subftance of 
 
 SEVERAL SERMONS, 
 
 Preached in the Parifh Church of 
 
 w A r H, 
 
 Near Ripen in Torkfljire. 
 By JOHN HILDROP, D. D. 
 
 Wkate'ver ye do, do all to the Glory of God. \ Cor. x. 3 i . 
 THE THIRD EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for JOHN and JAMES R i v i K G T o K, 
 in St. Paul's Church-yard. 
 
 MDCCLV I.
 
 [ 1 ] 
 
 HUSBANDMAN'S 
 
 Spiritual Companion. 
 
 ;y *0r Friends and Neighbours the 
 Parifiioners of WATH. 
 
 BRETHREN, 
 
 T heart's defire and prayer to God for 
 yen /-S that you may be faved^ Rom. 
 x. i. and I humbly hope that no endea- 
 vours of mine have been wanting to 
 promote It. I truft your conference will bear 
 witnefs with mine, that I have not Jhunmd to de- 
 clare to you the ivhole counfil of God^ Acts xx. 27. 
 and to fhow you both by doctrine and example how 
 you ought to walk, and to pleafe him in all virtue 
 and spdlinefs of living. The fubjet-matter of 
 thefe d.fcourfes, the fubftance of which you have 
 heard from the pulpit, is obvious and familiar to 
 the meaneft undcrftandings ; and I have endea- 
 voured to make the fpiritual part of them as ufe- 
 ful to our fouls, as they are healthful to your bo- 
 dies, and profitable to yourfelvcs and the commu- 
 nity. I bave now, by the advice of fome judicious 
 
 839769
 
 2 The HUSBANDMAN'* 
 
 friends, made them public for your benefit, and 
 that of others in the lame rank of life, who ma.v 
 need and be pleafed with fitch a faithful monitor 
 and fpiritual companion. 
 
 Every article of the bvfbavdmarf* labour, will 
 fuggeft to a ferious and religious mind fuch noble 
 and ufeful fubjec/ts for meditation and prayer, as to 
 make your feveral employments to be, as it were, 
 fo many different fervices and offices of devotion. 
 It is a juft observation, that thofe who live in vil- 
 Jao;es, and are confined to the labours of" huioan- 
 dry, have not thofe opportunities of improving 
 their under/landings and polifhing their manners, 
 as thofe who live in towns and cities, converfe 
 with the gay or the learned world, and fee' the 
 different manners of mankind : This was the ob- 
 fervation of the wife fon of Sirca.b, Ecclus. xxxviii. 
 25. How can he get uifthfa tbai boldetb the plough, 
 and glrrieth in the goad ; that drhc'b o>:en, and is 
 occupied in ibcir labours, and whofe talk is of lid- 
 loch ? He giveth his mind to make furrows, "and is 
 diligent in giving bis kine fodder. This obfervation 
 is fo far true, that a man -cannot get that wifdom 
 that is learned in courts and camps, the fchools 
 ant univerfities : he cannot be mafter of the learn- 
 ed languages or fciences, but he may learn the lan- 
 guage and philofophy of nature, and the book of 
 nature is tl:s book of God. A juft and ferious atten- 
 tion therefore, to the various and vifible works of 
 God, and labours cf men, may inftrucl: us in fuch a 
 knowledge of ourfelvcs and them, as is much more 
 valuable than any other, as it may tend to make 
 us wife to falvation ; and believe me, it will be 
 found atlaft, that that- knowledge js of more con- 
 fequence than all the learning in the world without 
 it. i\v;v/y (kith the devout Thomas a Kempis) an hum- 
 ble Hujbandma.i ttat fervctb GV, is better tban a 
 
 fraud
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 3 
 
 fraud Pbihfepbrr, tkat, negleRing bimfc!f y jludieib 
 the courfe of ice heaven^ Book I. Ch. 2. The 
 fancTification of our hearts, the amendment of 
 our 1 lives, and the falvation of our fouls, is the 
 only thino; that can deferve our care, and reward 
 and fweeten all our labours: fo that religion, the 
 knowledge and practice of our duty, is the great- 
 ell concern of our whole lives, as it is the only 
 real intereft of our being j and did it require the 
 greateft part of our time and uren2"th to be whol- 
 ly laid out upon that alone, it would be our high- 
 eft wifdom fo to employ it. But you fee the goodi 
 jiefs of Almighty God j he has not made religion 
 inconfiften.t with ycur worldly bufmefs, but hath 
 fo oidered it, that you may atiend to both at once j 
 nay, which is much more, you have an advan- 
 tage almoft peculiar to your employment, that if 
 k be not your own fault, you may at the fame 
 time be ferving the interefrs of this world and that 
 which is to come, and make all your labours 
 tend to promote the glory of God, the inftruc- 
 tion and edification of your fouls, as well as the 
 fupport of your families, and the improvement of 
 your fortunes. No profeffion in life is fo free from- 
 temptations as yours, none gives more confpicuous 
 proofs of the goodnefs and providence of God, or 
 more ftrongly teaches us the neceffity of depending 
 upon him for his bleffing on all our labours. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Of Hujlandry in general. 
 
 TjUSBANDRY and tilling the ground was 
 
 * * the employment of our firfr. parents after their 
 
 fall ; and all the riches of the patriarchs and fiift 
 
 ' inhabitants of the world confided in the fruits of 
 
 B 2 the
 
 4 The HUSBANDMAN 's 
 
 the earth, the number of their flocks and herds, 
 and fervants to take care and attend them. So we 
 read throughout the old teftament, that the feed- 
 ing their flocks was the employment of the bed and 
 greateft men among them: Abraham, Ifaac,2in&Jacob 
 ivertfhepherds ; David was taken from the fneep- 
 fold to be the fhepherd of the people of God, and 
 prince of all the tribes of Ifrael. Itfeems, indeed, 
 to be the moft natural and innocent employment 
 of mankind : and continues ftill to be fo, what- 
 ever bad ufes men may make of it, now luxury and 
 pride have introduced new neceffities, and by con- 
 fequence new arts, and profefiions, to fupply the 
 imaginary wants of a diflblutc and wanton gene- 
 ration. Accordingly we find both in the old and 
 new teftament, as well as in other moft antient 
 writers, that all their moft beautiful allegories, and 
 lively fimilitudes, were taken from rural images, 
 particularly tilling the ground and feeding cattle. 
 In the old teftament, particularly in the book of 
 Pfalms, God reprefcnts his care for the welfare of 
 his creatures, under the character of a faithful and 
 good fhepherd. So Pf. xxiii. i. Ike Lord is my 
 Jhepherd, therefore can I lack nothing. Pf. Ixxx. I. 
 Hear, Othoujhepherdof Ifraeljhou that lea deji Jofeph 
 like a Jheep : and innumerable other places which 
 every one muft obferve that reads the fcriptures 
 with attention. And in the new teftament it is ob- 
 /ervable, that moft of our Lord's parables were ta- 
 ken from tillage of the ground, and obfervations 
 concerningyfot-L and herds \ and that he particu- 
 larly fets himfelf forth under the character of a good 
 jhepherd, and his difciples and faithful fervants as 
 his flock that hear his voice, and follow his direc- 
 tion whitherfoever he (hall lead them. Thus Matt. 
 x. 6. he gives his ru'lt commiffion to his apofties, 
 to go to the lojijtjcep of the h;ufe of Iliac!, to whom, 
 
 he
 
 Spiritual COMPANION." 5 
 
 be tells us lie was fent himfelf, Matt. xv. 24. / 
 cm not fent but to the loft Jheep of the houfe of Ifrael. 
 The recovery of a loft Tinner, is defcribed under 
 the figure of finding a lojl Jheep, Matt, xviii. 12. 
 But the tenth chapter of St. John's gofpel to v. 18. 
 is nothing but the fame image exhibited in diffe- 
 rent lights, fctting himfelf forth as the good Jhep- 
 herd, who layeth doivn his life for the foeep, in op- 
 pofition to Thieves, Robbers* and Hirelings, who 
 only come to JteaL, to kill, and to dejlroy. And his 
 laft inftruclion to St. Peter, a little before his af- 
 ccnfion into heaven was, to feed his lambs and his' 
 /keep ; and the fame allegory is purfued through 
 the whole new teftament. There feenis indeed 
 to be fomething in thofe retired contemplative 
 employments, that particularly difpofes a ierious 
 and virtuous mind to recollection and devotion, 
 and more immediately qualifies them to be fit in- 
 ftrumcnts in the hands of God,, to execute the de- 
 figns of his providence : in thefe happy retreats 
 fiom the vanities and follies of the world, the en- 
 chantments, of pleafure, and the empty glitter of 
 high life, the virtuous mind furveys with an at- 
 tentive eye, the wonders of providence, the order 
 and beauties of the creation, the heavens above 
 him, and the earth beneath him, both full of the 
 Majefty of the divine glory ; he fees and adores 
 the hand that made and governs all thefe things,. 
 2nd, as it were lofcs himfelf in the immenfity of 
 the works of God. And this flate of fimplicity 
 r.nd fiience is the trueft preparation to know and. 
 do the will of God. It was doubtlefs in this dif- 
 pof:tion, that A'Jofes was found by God. feeding 
 the flock of Jetbfo \\\s father-in-law, and lent 
 with a luecial commiliion to Pharaoh,, and to be 
 the deliverer and captain of his people ///. 7, 
 Exod. iii. 9. 10. Thus David vsas taken from 
 
 the
 
 6 'The H u s B A N D M A N f j 
 
 the flieepfold to be the ruler of his people, i Sam* 
 xvi. II, 12, 13. Pf. Ixxviii. 71, 72. Thus Elijka 
 was taken from the plough, i Kings xix. 19. And 
 Amos from among the herdfmen of Tekoah^ to be 
 endued with the fpirit of prophecy and power, 
 Amos i. i, 7, 14. To the mepherds feeding their 
 flocks by night, (as the cuftom was in thofe 
 countries) was the firft revelation made that we 
 jead of, Luke ii. of the glad tidings of our blefTed 
 Lord's nativity, v. 9. /,#, the Angel of the Lord 
 came upon thcm^ and the glory of the Lord fbone round 
 tibout them, and the Angel fold unto them, fear not \ 
 for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy y which 
 Jhall be to all people : for unto you is born this day in 
 the city of David a Saviour which is Chriji the Lord; 
 andfuddenly there ^vas with the Angel a multitude cf 
 the heavenly /;;//, praifing GW, &c. 
 
 Think what a joyful furprife it muft be to 
 thefe poor good fouls to be thus vifittd in the 
 dead of night by a glorious angel, to be furround- 
 cd with celefiiai glory, to hear the fonc;s of the 
 heavenly hofr. proclaiming a joyful mefFa<ie of re- 
 demption to all mankind, by the birth of a Saviour 
 in the city of Da~dd. How unfpeakable an ho- 
 nour was it for thefe good creatures to fee fuch 
 glorious fights, and hear fuch gracious words as 
 many Kings and Prophets before them had hnged to 
 fee and hear ', and could not ^ Luke x. 24.. Let this 
 aflure you, that there is no flate or profeflion of 
 life fo abounding with opportunities andiiicitements 
 to devotion as yours. And though you can net' 
 expect fuch fenfible violations as theie, yet allure* 
 yourfelves, that whilll you keep yourftlves in a pro- 
 per difpofition to receive the gifts and graces of 
 God's Holy Spirit, they will delcend upon you as 
 the dew of heaven, and nourim your fouls to 
 eternal life. The defiga of this \york, therefore, 
 
 is
 
 Spiritual C o M p A N i o x . y 
 
 is to confider fome of the moft common articles 
 of the hufbandman's labour, and (hew him how 
 he may by a devout and ferious turn of mind, im- 
 prove every one of them to the glory of God, the 
 intereft of true religion, and the falvalion of his 
 foul. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Ploughing the Ground. 
 
 'Tp H E firft labour that I mall mention is 
 -*- ploughing the ground; and a laborious em- 
 ployment it is, being a fad confequence of the 
 curfe entailed upon the earth by the trance/lion 
 of our firft parents, as we are exprefly told, Gen. 
 iii. 17. When God faid to Adzm, cur fed is the 
 ground for thy fake ^ in forrow Jhalt thou cat of it all 
 the days of thy life, thorns a/Jo 'and thi/tus Jhall it 
 bring forth to thee\ in the j-^eat of thy Face jh.ilt 
 thou eat bread^ till thou return to tie ground, for 
 out of it ivfijl thou taken^ for dnji thou art, and un- 
 to dufl Jhalt thou return. In the days of piimitive 
 innocence there was no need of labour, the earth 
 brought forth plenteoufly all her fruits in their 
 greatci} beauty and perfection ; the bleilina; of the 
 Mv.-ft High was in them ail ; and the bleflcd inha- 
 bitants of paradife had nothing to do but to gather 
 them, to eat and live, and praifc the munificent 
 author of fo many blefllngs. Such was the happy 
 ftate of the primitive earth, and fuch \vili it be 
 again, when the curfe fhall be done away, and 
 the tvbsle creation be delivered from ike bondage of 
 corruption^ into the glorious liberty of the fans of Go 
 Rom. viii. 21. when there fhall be a a 
 
 and a new earib, to be the habitation of rlgbteoufnef^ 
 2 Pet. iii. 13. which God has promfid by the injuth
 
 8 tfbe HUSBAND M AN *s 
 
 of all his holy prophets fines the world began, A&s iit. 
 2 1 . And when the tree of life fhall grow an each 
 f t de of the rivjr of the water of life, which fnall pro- 
 ceed from the th, one of God and of the Lamb, Rev. 
 xxii. i, 2. Till that happy time ihail come, we 
 are doomed to labour and forrow, and to get our 
 bread out of the bowels of earth by the labour of 
 our hands and the fweat of our brows. The bu- 
 finefs of ploughing^ we all know, is as it were tear- 
 ing die face of our common mother the earth, 
 mangling and breaking it to pieces by violence ; 
 but fuch a violence as is abfolutely necefiaty to 
 make it fruitful, without which no feed could be 
 fown, and by confequence no harveft be expeded. 
 
 This may ferve to put us in mind of the dread- 
 ful nature of fin, that has made fo deplorable a 
 change in the face of nature, and entailed fo hea- 
 vy a curfe on the race of mankind. 
 
 2dly. The irate of fallow-ground does aptly 
 reprefent to us the natural unregenerate ftate of 
 a (inner ; for, as it has no feed fown in it, no 
 fruit can grow upon it, and it can produce no- 
 thing but filth and weeds. Juft fo the finner in. 
 his unregeneratc ftate, not having the feed of divine 
 grace fown in his heart, can produce no real and 
 vital fruits of holinefs ; and whiift he fo continues,. 
 unmolefted, and as it were unfilled, he remains 
 utterly barren and unfruitful as to all the true par- 
 pofes and ends of living ; nor can he, wic ioi:t 
 undergoing the inward difcipline of the crofs, a 
 kind of fpiritual martyrdom, be ever capable of 
 bringing forth fruit to eternal life. Gcd, there- 
 fore, in great mercy vifit^fuch fouls with variety 
 of croiTes and afflictions, both inward and out- 
 ward, tearing as it were, and breaking up their 
 inward man, as the plough docs the face of 
 the ground. Thus holy David exprefies his
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 9 
 
 own fufferings, The ploughers ploughed upon my 
 back, and made long furrows, Pf. cxxix. 3. And 
 when the foul is thus mortified, and broken to pie- 
 ces by the rod of affliction, then and then only is it 
 capable of receiving the feed of eternal life : this 
 is that humble and contrite fpirit which God hath 
 promifed not to defpife, To this man wi/l I Iook 9 
 faith the Lord, even to him that is poor, and of a 
 contrite fpirit, and that trembles at my word. If. Ixvi. 2. 
 A man who can undeiftand this, (and he muft 
 be very ignorant that cannot) will naturally fall into 
 thefe meditations whilft he is following the plough, 
 and from thence will find his heart kindled into a 
 flame of devotion and prayer : he may hence learn 
 to beg of God a foft and tender heart, fit to receive 
 the feed of his holy word, the influences of his 
 Holy Spirit, and bring forth fruits meet for repen- 
 tance : he may pray for the grace of patience 
 under afflictions, fuch as God fees necefTary to 
 lay upon him, to break up the fallow ground of his 
 heart, as the prophet exprefTes it, Jet', iv. 3. And 
 may allure himfelf that God lays no other afflic- 
 tions upon him than what he fees neceflary to 
 mortify and purify his corrupt nature, and make 
 him bring forth the fruits of righteoufnefs to eter- 
 nal life. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Sowing and Harrowing the Ground. 
 
 '"p H E next labour of hufbandry which I fliall 
 mention is, fnnnng and harrowing the ground. 
 The fewer throws the feed into the earth that it 
 may putrify and die, in order to rife again in a 
 new form, and bring forth fruit abundantly ; but 
 ii this itcd were only caielefly thrown upon the 
 
 furfuce
 
 to Tbe HUSBANDMAN^ 
 
 furface of the ground, jt would be in danger of 
 being devoured by the fouls of the air, or trodden 
 under foot by paiien^ers ; or if not that, yet, un- 
 lefs it were fo covered with earth as to rot and die, 
 or if it fhould fpring up, yet if it had not a pro- 
 per depth of foil, it would wither away, and be 
 unfruitful } therefore the hufbandman harrows the 
 ground to hollow it, and let in the feed to be co- 
 vered from the fouls of the air, and to give it a 
 proper depth, tiiat it may lie and take root, and 
 grow up to maturity. 
 
 This part of your labour the bit-fled Jefus has 
 beautifully explained and applied in afpiritual fenfe, 
 Luke viii. Where, under the parable of ay-- 
 he defcribes the different fuccefs which the preach- 
 ing of the gofpel met with among the different 
 forts of hearers. He tells them, verfe 1 1. That 
 the feed is the word of God; that the feed f own by 
 the way fide are they that hear, then cometh the devil 
 and taketh away the word out of their hearts^ lejl 
 they Jhould believe and be faved. Another part of 
 the eed fell upon a rock ; by which are reprefented 
 fuch people as hear the word with joy y are pleafed 
 to hear a good fermon, or an ingenious conver- 
 fation upon ferious and religious fubjects, ar.d 
 even to approve and talk zealoufiy for the inter- 
 efts of true religion and virtue fo long as the fit 
 continues; but as they have no root of holinefs, 
 no love of God in their hearts, after they have 
 thought and talked of it a little while, the fer- 
 vours abate, the fit goes ofF, they grow languid 
 and indifferent, and upon the firft temptation, 
 forget all that they have heard or faid, and be- 
 come as very reprobates as ever. Another part 
 of the feed fell wrung thorns : by thefe are repre- 
 fented a fet of covetous, felfifn, worldly-minded 
 creatures, who are in their way notable, fenfible 
 
 people
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. n 
 
 people about the bufinefs of the world, inder- 
 Kand all the arts of improving their fortunes, and 
 making the moft of this life; many of t' 
 pie are fober careful men, for drunkennefs is an ex- 
 per.fr. c \'ice, makes a man incapable of I 
 and apt to be over-reached and impr.fl- ' upon in 
 his dealings and bargains with other people ; and 
 .as niigioK) ccnfcience^ kturefty, vCc. are very fine 
 words, and may be <\ - ufe in the 
 
 traffic of this world, common fenfe will teach 
 them the neceiTity of keeping up an appearance 
 of religion, a lonn of godl ; r-e,'s, even for their 
 worldly coiiveniency : whenever, therefore, they 
 can find leifure from their worldly affairs, and 
 have really nothing elfe to do, they go to church, 
 and fccm very attentive r.. .irfe that does 
 
 not interfere with their v, ,i;e^ ofi:-ter- 
 
 efc airJ ;;:ub:iion; but thcv leave ui! t>.cir : 
 at the thurch-door. The exchange, the market, 
 the traffic, or vanities of the world, engrofs the 
 whole man, take up all his time, engage all his 
 attention ; but the whole affair of religion, the 
 interefts of eternity, the falvation of his foul, are 
 jiot matters of immediate confequence, and are 
 therefore put off to a long day, and deferred till 
 they have nothing elfe to do. No wonder there- 
 fore, that fuch as thefe l-rlng no fruit to perfection. 
 But that which fell upon good ground, reprefents 
 thofe honeft and imcere chriftians, who in an bo- 
 mjl aiil beard the word) keep it, 
 
 and bring forth fruit with p, it'imce. An bone/I and good 
 heart (you fee) is the only proper foil for the good 
 word of God to take root and profper, and whe- 
 ther you are in the number of thofe hcneft and 
 good Sou/s, is worth your while to inquire, and 
 very eafy to difcover. WhSn therefore you are 
 .engaged in this par: of ; ; , it will be a 
 
 profitable
 
 12 Tke HUSEANDMAN'J 
 
 profitable and agreeable entertainment to a religi- 
 ous mind to confider the ftate of your fouls, and 
 what improvement you have made of the feveral 
 means of grace that God has afforded you ; and 
 thus toreafon with your own hearts : As I am now 
 f owing this feed in the ground, in hopes of a plen- 
 tiful harvrjl : fo has the good Spirit of God been many 
 years foiling the feed of his holy word in my heart, 
 that I tr.ight bring forth the fruits of righteoufnefs 
 to eternal life : I have for many years lived under the 
 preaching of the gofpel ; I have enjoyed the benefit of 
 the fcripti'.res, and the communion of faints in the 
 word and facraments : what improvements have I 
 made ? what fruits have I brought forth ? am I one 
 jot more holy, more religious, more humble, charita- 
 ble and devout than I was feme years ago ? have I 
 in any fenfe, or in any reJpecJ, foivn to the Spirit, i. e. 
 Sacrificed my temporal concerns, my worldly inter- 
 efts and pleafures to the glory of God, the good 
 of mankind, and the falvation of my own foul, 
 that I might reap life everlajllr.g ? have I not rather 
 Joivn to the jlejb ? and have I not rcafon from thence 
 to fear, that from the jiejh I Jhall reap corruption ? 
 do 1 fed in my heart any quickning power, any tokens 
 cf fpiritual life, any comfortalle hopes that the good 
 feed is yet living and growing in me, fo as in due time 
 to It i.'-.g forth fruit to life everlafling ? If to thefe 
 inquiries your confciences can give you a fatisfac- 
 tory anfwer, you may have a reafonable confidence 
 towards Gad : but if not, if your heart telh you 
 that you have been an unfruitful field, an unpro- 
 fitable fervant, remember that it is intirely your 
 own fault that you have not done your part, nor 
 anfwered the gracious purpofes of divine love to- 
 wards you. You need not be told, that your 
 ploughing and Cowing are but loft labour without 
 God's bleflingi you fow and plant in vain, "unlefs 
 
 God
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 13 . 
 
 God give the increafe ! unlefs he fend the former 
 and the latter rain in their feafon, the moft fruit- 
 ful field will be barren, and the choiceft feed will 
 be unfruitful ; and therefore you may be fure your 
 want of fpintual fruit, is owing to your neglect 
 of the means of grace, that you have neglected 
 to afk the affiftance of God's Holy Spirit, or not 
 done it with fmcerity and devotion ; becaufe he ne- 
 ver fails to give to them that fincerely and devout- 
 ly afk it. This thought will naturally awaken in 
 you a juft fenfe of the neceffity of the great duty 
 of prayer, which you have fo long neglected : and 
 when you are truly and deeply fenfible of your 
 fpintual wants, and the readinefs of God to fup- 
 ply them, you muft be more ftupid than the 
 beafts, if you do not immediately apply yourfelves 
 with faith and devotion to the Father of mercies, 
 from whom every good and every perfect gift com- 
 eth, beg^ino; him to water with the dew of his hea- 
 venly blejfmg, the feed fown in your hearts , that it 
 may increase and multiply ', and bring forth fruit 'to 
 everlajting life. 
 
 Another ufe that may be made of the labour of 
 fowing, is the application and ufe which St. Paul 
 makes of it, I Cor. xv. to illuftrate and ex- 
 plain the refurre&ion from the dead. Some men 
 will fay, (fays he) v. 35, how are the dead raifed 
 up ? and with what body do they come ? To which 
 he anfwers, Tfjou, fool, that which thou fcweft is not 
 quickened except it die, and that which tbou fsweft^ 
 thou fowejl not that body that /hall be, but bare grain, 
 it may chance of ^vheat, or of fame other grain, but 
 God giveth it a body, as it hath pleafed him, and to 
 every feed his own body : Jo alfo is the refurrettiw of 
 the dead. As if he had laid : When you fow your 
 feed i:i the ground, you low nothing but a bare 
 grain ot fome kind or other, which appeal's to the 
 C eye
 
 14 22'c 1 HuSB A 
 
 eye to have no more a principle of life in it, than 
 a piece of dry wood cr a pebble; and even that 
 life which we know it has, is deftroycd by rot- 
 ting in the earth to make room for a new life ; it 
 being a certain rule in nature, that nothing is quick- 
 ened, except it flic : after which it fp rings up in a 
 new and beautiful form, fiiit the blade, then the 
 ear, then .a large incrcafe in the ear, and all this 
 fpringing up by the omnipotent working of an in- 
 vifihle power, out of the grain whofe hufk and 
 {hell lies rotting in corruption. Juft fo it is with 
 our mortal bodies, fo foon as they are dead, they 
 corrupt and putrefy, and muft be depofited in the 
 ground, to prevent then being noifome and poi- 
 fonous to the living ; there they become the food 
 of worms and creeping things. A man that had 
 never heard of the refunedtion from the dead, 
 would naturally and with good reafon conclude, 
 that when they were buried in the earth, there was 
 an end of them, that they were buried without 
 hope of ever returning to life again : but we have 
 learned better things by the revelation of the glo- 
 rious gofpel of Jefus Chrift ; we are taught not to 
 be forry, as men without hope, for them thatfeep 
 in the Lord Jefus, being taught by him who can- 
 not tye, who is hirnfelf the .refwre&lon and the life, 
 John xi. 25. that there mail he a refurreciion of 
 the dead ; that the bodies ot the faithful now rot- 
 ting in the grave, are no more loft than the feeds 
 you low in the earth, and (hall like them, in 
 their appointed feafon, rife with newlife and glo- 
 ry ; that though they aiefown in corruption, they 
 (hall rii'e in incoruptlon ; they are_/5-ri/ in dijl^nonr, 
 but fliall rife in glory ; they are j\nn in vjca!:ncfe> 
 bin fha.ll rife in power ; they are yizfs natural bo- 
 dies, but fliall ue raifed fpiritual bodies. 
 
 This
 
 Spiritual C o M p A N* i >; . 15 
 
 This thought, duly impreffcd upon us, will teach 
 us many ulcful Itflbns, and give us many beauti- 
 ful hints and occalions for meditation and prayer. 
 
 I. It teaches us, that our good or evil thoughts, 
 words or ailions, are the feeds of our future good 
 or evil ("own into eternity, naturally producing 
 their proper fruits, according to the kind and 
 quality of the feeds that were fawn. So the apo- 
 ftle tells us, Gal.\\ 7, 8. Be not deceived, v.Lii 
 a man foivcth, that Jhall he a!f 3 reap. Me that jnc~ 
 eth to the Flrjh, Jhall of tl'e Flejh reap corruption : 
 but he that fovceth to the fpirit, Jhall of the fpirit 
 reap life euerla/Kng. A wicked man, therefore, 
 has no more reafon to expect a blefled and happy 
 refurrection, than the foollfh hufbandman has to 
 reap a good crop of wheat where he has (own no- 
 thing but grafs-feed or tares. 
 
 II. It teaches us not to be ferry as men 
 
 hope for our deceafed friends, who have departed 
 this life in the true faith and fear of Gcd, a:-d 
 deep in the Lord Jefus. When we fee their bo- 
 dies laid in the earth with the melancholy and af- 
 fecting form of earth to earth, afies to ajhes, (hjl 
 to dujt, furrounded with weeping eyes and mourn- 
 ful (aces, let us look up with faith to that graci- 
 ous God whom they have fei ved j Jet us remember 
 what we every day fee of the mighty power o' God, 
 in raifmg from the earth the feeds that are fowu 
 in the ground, and not doubt but that he will in 
 like manner quicken and reftore their and cur ?noitnl 
 bodies by bis Spirit that dweileih in us, that they may 
 be made like unto his glorious bsdy, according to the 
 mighty working whereby he is able to fubdue ail things 
 to himfelf. 
 
 IIJ. It teaches us the dignity of thefe mortal 
 
 bodies of ours, which though in their prefent ftate 
 
 are liable to corruption, and which when dead 
 
 have no more appearance of a vital and fpiritual 
 
 C 2 principle
 
 1 6 The HUSBANDMAN V 
 
 principle than a grain of corn thrown into the 
 earth, are yet the temples of the Holy Ghoft, who 
 inviiibly operates in them, and prepares them for 
 a joyful and glorious refurredtion. 
 
 And as all your labour in fowing will be loft, 
 except you work ever the ground asain, that the 
 feed may be buried and incorporated in the earth ; 
 fo is the feed of the good word of God, barren 
 and unfruitful, unlefs by clofe and frequent medi- 
 tation it fink deep into your hearts, and incorpo- 
 rate (as I may fay) with all the faculties and affec- 
 tions of your fouls ; and if all your labours are in 
 vain except God give the increafe, this fhould 
 teach you to beg God's blefling upon the feed, as 
 you are carting it into the ground, that he would 
 be pleafcd fo to blefs and increafe the fruits of the 
 earth, that in due time we may enjoy them : and fo 
 in like manner are we taught and exhorted to pray 
 in the words of our excellent liturgy, that God 
 would blefs the fpiritual feed fown in our hearts, 
 that the words which we Jhall at any time hear with 
 cur outward ear -J, may be fo grafted inwardly in our 
 hearts^ that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good 
 living, to the honour and praife of God's holy name. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Mowing the graft* or Hay-Harveft. 
 
 'Tp HIS part of your labour will fupply you 
 with many ufeful hints to affedt your 
 hearts and inflame your devotions. The uncer- 
 tainty of human life, and the vanity of human 
 giory, are beautifully reprefented in many places 
 of the prophets, by the blooming but withering 
 eomiition of the grafs and flowers of the field. 
 Alljtejb is grafs, faith the Prophet Ifaiahychzp. xl. 6. 
 
 and
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 17 
 
 and the gccdlinefs thereof as the flower of the field '. 
 The grafs ivithereth, the fewer fadeth, becauje the 
 Spirit of the Lord blowetb upon it : Surety the 'people 
 is grafs. Holy David, in the c/oth Pfalm, which 
 our church has appointed to be ufed at the burial 
 of the dead, exprefles it mere emphatically, ds 
 foon as thui fcattereji them, they are even as a/Jeep, 
 and fade away fuddcnly like the grajs ; in the morn- 
 ing it is green and groweth up, in the evening it is 
 cut doivn, dried ;//>, and withered. When there- 
 fore, you look upon a meadow in all its verdure 
 and beauty, when we view the agreeable mixture 
 of grafs and flower?, it may be confidered as a 
 beautiful picture of human life, which in its high- 
 eft bloom and glory is doomed to certain deftruc- 
 tion, to be cut drjun, dried up and withered. The 
 grafs and flowers Itand mixt together in a beau- 
 tiful variety of Imell and colour, without the Icaft 
 apprehenfion of approaching danger, t-11 the mow- 
 er enters with his fcythe, and cuts down all before 
 him, when grafs and weeds and flowers, and all 
 the beauty of the field, are thrown into one un- 
 diftinguifhed heap of ruin and confufion. This is 
 a melancholy but true picture of human life : for 
 what are all the magnificent attendance of princes, 
 the brilliant beauties of the drawing-room, the 
 dreadful fplendor of armies, the gay aflcmblies at 
 the opera and theatre, or the rural fcenes of horfe- 
 racing, country fairs, wakes, and merry-meetinp, 
 but collections of fine fl.,wers, though perhaps 
 not quite fo fwcet, not half fo innocent as our ve- 
 getable beaux ard b I'.cs, a! ; equally doomed to 
 certain dcftruction, and ahiioll equally unconcern- 
 ed and unp?epureu to meet it; for though, when 
 they thir.k and leafcn ioberly, they cannot but 
 know and acknowledge they muftdie, yet there 
 is fomething fo gloom) , fo ihocking in the pro;- 
 
 C 3 u^t;
 
 1 8 'The HUSBANDMAN 'j 
 
 that we are forced to have recourfe to all the 
 little {hifts and contrivances imaginable to divert 
 the difagreeable thought, and keep the fpedlre out 
 of our fight. It may be faid, indeed, that the 
 mower when he comes into the field, intends a 
 general and fudden deftrucrion, he comes with a 
 refolution to cut down all before him, fo that 
 nothing can poflibly efcape him : which is very far 
 from being our cafe : for there is no ficknefs fb 
 epidemical, no mortality fo general, as to fpare 
 no body ; no battle fo hot as to let none efcape : 
 fo that people need not be under fuch violent fears, 
 fuch terrible apprehenfions of being cut down all 
 at once. But then let it be confidered, that death, 
 the great deftroyer of mankind, is always bufy, 
 always executing the fentence upon fome one or 
 other of the fmful fons of Adam ; that we are all 
 under the adual fentence of death, are fo many 
 condemned prifoners : that the delay of execution 
 is no more than a reprieve from day to day, and 
 that no man can be fure whether it (hall be grant- 
 ed for another, or this may be his laft : but that 
 he is fure his fentence is irreverfiblc, and he muft 
 fooner or later fubmit to the general fate, and 
 therefore may conclude it to be a point of the 
 higheft prudence to prepare for it, that he may 
 never be furprized, be it ever fo fudden. But fo 
 ftupid are the bulk of mankind, that they care not 
 to talk or think about it. The young people take 
 it for granted, that they have many years to live, 
 and therefore it is their bufmefs to enjoy the prefent, 
 to eat, drink, dance, drefs, laugh and be merry,, 
 and put off the melancholy thoughts of death and 
 judgment, till they are Jit for nothing elfe : and 
 even the oldefl are apt to think they are not fo old 
 but they may Jive a year or two longer, and all 
 live the mean time as if they were never to die at 
 aJL Whenever, therefore,, you are employed, or 
 
 lee
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 19 
 
 fee others employed in this part of your labour, 
 it will naturally raiie in a religious well-difpofed 
 mind the thoughts of his own mortality ; it will 
 ihew him, as in a picture, the true ftate and value 
 of human life and worldly trlcry ; it will fhew 
 him the vanity of all the glories ami pleafures of 
 this tranfitory world, that we, and all that we 
 love, and all that we enjoy in this world, muft foon 
 fink into the grave, and be buried in everlafting 
 forgetfulnefs : and can a man ferioufly think of 
 thele things, and not be affe&ed with it ? can a 
 man confider the fliort, the uncertain time he has 
 to continue in this vale of mifery, and be immo- 
 derately concerned about the trifles he meets with 
 here, which he knows are every day flipping from 
 him, and will in a ihort time be loft for ever ? 
 can he confider the everlafting ftate to which he 
 muft be removed when he quits this earthly taber- 
 nacle, and make no provifion for it ? one would 
 think it impoflible, did not every day's fad experi- 
 ence convince us of the truth of it. Let then 
 this certain, this amazing profpe<5t, warn you 
 of your approaching diflblution, and let it teach 
 you to pray to God in the language- of the holy 
 Pfalmift, that he would teach you jo to number your 
 fltiySy that you may apply your hearts unto uiifilom^. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Weeding the Corn* 
 
 T T was a particular curfe upon the rranfgrefiloa 
 * of our firit parents, and a falutiry part ot their 
 puniihment, that the earth fhould produce thorns, 
 and briars, and all forts of hurtful weeds, to be 
 at once the emblem of the numberlefs evil 
 thoughts ajid inclinations of corrupt nature, that 
 
 fprLng
 
 20 The HUSBANDMAN 's 
 
 fpring up in the foul of man, and of the cares and 
 fbrrows of human life, which briars, thorns, and 
 thirties do properly reprefent ; becaufe thofe do, as 
 it were, tear and wound the foul, as thefe do the 
 fleih of our bodies : and both of them require 
 much care and labour' to root out and deftroy 
 them. Happy would it be, if it were poilible by 
 any art or management to prevent or hinder their 
 growing; up j but that is abfolutely impoffible. In 
 the beft ground, and under the beft cultivation, 
 they will fpririg up ; all that can be done is to 
 check and keep them under, that they may not 
 overtop and choak the feeds and fruits that are 
 mixt with them. Can a man be employed in this 
 labour, and not reflect upon the corruptions of 
 his own finful. heart ; which, in fpite of all his care, 
 will be continually bringing forth evil thoughts, 
 wicked defires, and corrupt affections : to pre- 
 vent their growth, and check them in the firft ap- 
 pearance, is all that human prudence and virtue 
 can do ; it will be the conftant labour of the beft 
 men in this ftate of corruption, to keep them from 
 getting the dominion over them, and intirely 
 choaking the good feed of life fown in their hearts. 
 But when we conii.ler moreover, that befides the 
 fuperfiuity of naughtinefs that naturally fprings up 
 in the corrupt ground of our hearts, we have an 
 evil fpirit conilantly watching to fui prize and de- 
 ftroy us, a vigilant and active enemy, ever ready 
 to low tares among the wood feed, whilft the ma- 
 fter and iervanr.s are afleep, ^as we read in the go- 
 fpel, Mat. xiii. 25. ) we mall find we have dou- 
 ble realbn ti, be upon our guard. The leaibn he 
 watches to furpize us is when we are fa ft aH^ep, I 
 mean not the natural llix-p of our bodies, for that 
 is a neceflary refreshment of our natuie, and ihere- 
 foie innocent : and ibme men may truly be laid 
 
 never
 
 Spiritual Co M PANIC N. 21 
 
 never to befo innocent as when they arefaftafleep j 
 for then if they are doing no good, however, they 
 are doing no harm, which with fome men is the 
 higheil pitch of virtue. But the dangerous fleep, 
 which is the feafon of temptation, is the fleep of 
 our fouls, when we are intoxicated and drowned in 
 fcnfuality and intemperance : for what is fleep but 
 the fufpenfion or locking up all the active and ra- 
 tional powers of the foul, when imagination and 
 paffion are broke loofe, and the whole man in lit- 
 tle better condition than that of a brute or a vege- 
 table : for can any thing more refemble this flate, 
 than that indolent unthinking ftate of foul, which 
 we cannot but obferve in the vitious, lazy, fottifli 
 part of mankind, men that are perpetually ftupi- 
 fying their fenfes, and drowning their poor pit- 
 tance of underftanding in drunkenneft and debau- 
 chery ; men that are afraid to be alone, to enter 
 into their own hearts, to confider the ftate of their 
 fouls towards God, and what title they have to 
 the hopes of a bleffed immortality ; and are there- 
 fore perpetually contriving how to murder time and 
 cool reflection ; are never eafy but when they are 
 furrounded with jolly companions, diverting the 
 fenfe of their guilt and fears of punifhment,by mad- 
 nefs and folly, or dozing themfelves into down- 
 right ftupidity ! idlenefs and drunkennefs give the 
 tempter fuch advantages againft us as he is fure ne- 
 ver to neglect. The idle man expofes himfelf naked 
 and defencelefs to the moft dangerous aflaults of 
 his enemy ; for the devil never fails to employ 
 thofe who know not how to employ themfelves : 
 and drunkennefs we all know fcts fire to all the 
 fecret fprings of corrupt nature, it fubdues our 
 reafon, ftupines our fenfes, and turns the man in- 
 to a contemptible brute. Who can defcribe the 
 brutifh rage, the horrid oaths, the profane rant, 
 
 the
 
 22 T'he HUSBANDMAN^ 
 
 the leud nonfenfe, that furnifh out a drunken 
 converfation ? how many quaire!^, huw imny 
 murders have been owing purely to thefe riotous 
 drunken meetings r Theie are not properly the 
 natural productions of our hearts, which (bad as 
 they are) would in their fober fenfes and cool blood 
 ftarrle at the thoughts of thofe crimes, into which 
 drunkennefs drives a man by a kind of hellifh vio- 
 lence ; which fhows that the devil takes the ad- 
 vantage of that loofe unguarded (rate of foul, and 
 infufes into it all the diabolical poifon that can 
 poflibly enter into corrupt human nature. I have 
 ibmewhere (I think in the Perfian or Chinefe tales) 
 read a fable or ftory of a certain reprobate over 
 whom the evil fpirit had intire dominion, and led 
 him captive at his will. He propofed to the poor 
 wretch three things, one of which he was obliged 
 to do ; T0 murder his own father , to debauch his own 
 Jtfler y or to get drunk. Wicked as he was, he trem- 
 bled at the two firft j a propofal fo diabolical, fo 
 brutifh, nature itfelf abhorred, and therefore chofe 
 the latter, which (if it were a crime) was a very 
 agreeable one, and which could hurt no body but 
 himfelf. Accordingly he got very drunk, and in 
 the height of his phrenzy, attacked his lifter who 
 came in his way, and actually forced her : her 
 cries reached the father's ears, who came running 
 to her refcue, upon which the villain rufhed upon 
 him and murdered him. See here the dreadful, 
 the diabolical confequences of that brutifh vice, 
 which is now fo freely indulged in every merry 
 meeting, that even among perfons of fenfe, cha- 
 racter, "and reputation, it hardly pafTes for a 
 crime. 
 
 Suppofe any fkilful hufhandman fhould fhovv 
 you a way intirely to prevent the growth of weeds 
 in your ground, how thankful would you be to 
 
 fuch
 
 Spiritual COMPANION'. 23 
 
 Aich a benefactor ? fuppofe a man mould offer you 
 an eftate, and injure it that it fhould never pro- 
 duce weed, thorn or briar, nor any thing but 
 good grafs or good corn, would you not think it 
 a very valuable purchafe, though you were to pay 
 very dear tor it ? certainly you would. But can 
 any weeds be fo dangerous as the fins and corrup- 
 tions of an unregenerate heart ? can any worldly 
 eftate, nay, can the whole earrh itfelj be fo valu- 
 able as one immortal foul r Our Lord himfelf, 
 who befl knew the value of them, tells us there is 
 no companion, For what Jhall it profit a man to 
 gain the whole uiorld^ and lofe bis own foul? Mark 
 viii. 36. No intereft can be fo truly valuable as 
 our own fouls, and the fouls of our dear children. 
 However we may have neglected the care of our 
 own fouls, and fufFered them to be over-run with 
 briars and thorns, with flefhly lulls, and conupt 
 affections ; yet the fouls of our children require 
 al^ur care ; they may, by God's bieiling upon our 
 B& endeavours, be in a good degree preferved 
 from the dreadful malignity ; their hearts are 
 young and tender, like new- broke ground, or a 
 new made garden, fit to receive any impreflions, 
 or any feed you think fit to low in them ; and if 
 you cukivate and drefs them carefully, are capa- 
 ble of producing noble fruits unto everlafting life: 
 but if you neglect them, and let them run rude 
 and uncultivated, what can you expect but to fee 
 them over-run with ignorance and vice, and eve- 
 ry thing that is noxious and detectable in human 
 nature? Let it therefore, (I befeech you for their 
 fakes, for your own fakeb) be your conftant care 
 to watch over them, to obferve and correct all 
 the little iniquities of temper or humour, to 
 check their growing paffions, to tear up eveiy 
 fprout of fluboornnefs ai\d wilfullnefs by the roots,. 
 
 and
 
 24 The HUSBANDMAN'JT 
 
 and nip every appearance of evil in the very bud ; 
 by which means you will probably prevent their 
 future ruin, and lay the foundation of your own 
 peace, and their temporal and eternal happinefs. 
 You that are parents, I befeech you to dwell with 
 me a little upon this affe&ing, this neceffary 
 thought, that little vices are the feeds of great 
 ones, that the little faults of children, if not re- 
 {trained by good advice or corrected by the rod, 
 may grow up into fuch diabolical vices in the man, 
 as may bring them to fhame and the gallows 
 here, and everlafting mifery hereafter. 
 
 When, therefore, you are diverting yourfelves 
 with the little innocent actions of your children, 
 and pleafing yourfelves with the agreeable quali- 
 ties which every fond parent fees in his own off- 
 fpring; when you are laying fchemes, and imagi- 
 ning the happy fuccefs of them for their future 
 happinefs : think then, what an unfpeakable afflic- 
 tion it would be to you, to fee, as they^re 
 growing up, their innocence ruined, their m^fc- 
 fty debauched, their credit and reputation loft a- 
 mong the fober and religious part of mankind ? 
 When you are pleafing yourfelves with their clean 
 drefs and pretty behaviour, think how it would 
 cut you to the heart to fee them abandoned to 
 beaftlinefs and excefs, to fee them wallowing like 
 fwme in the filth of their own drunkennefs, to hear 
 them belching out oaths and blafphemies againft 
 God, and curfes againft man, to fee them given 
 up to lewdnefs and uncleannefs, facrificing their 
 ftrerreth and fortunes to harlots, and rotting alive 
 with filthy difeafes, and dying even whilft they live, 
 with ftench and corruption ! Think how dreadful a 
 fjijhrit would be to fee them funk into poverty and 
 contempt, cloathed with rags, and begging their 
 bread from door to door. 
 
 Thefe
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 25 
 
 Thefe are frightful reflexions : but this is not 
 the worft of the cafe. Should you be fo unhappy 
 as to fee them fall into the hands of juflice, and 
 forfeit their lives to the feverity of the law ; fhould 
 you fee them confined to a prifon loaded with irons, 
 condemned to die, and led like victims to the place 
 of execution : I dare fay there is not a parent i 
 the world whole blood would not chill at fuch a 
 dreadful thought ; and yet the worft of thcfe are- 
 but the natural confequences of a wicked undifci- 
 plined youth. Xhefe terrors, could we flop here$ 
 are too great for the heart of a tender parent ttf 
 fuftain : but alas ! there is a more dreadful affect- 
 ing fcene yet behind. 
 
 Could a man in cold blood think of feeing hi 
 beloved child, who is dear to him as his own foul* 
 not only milerable in this life, and hurried out of 
 it by untimely violence, but condemned for ever 
 to "hopelefs mifery and defpair in the next world* 
 {hut up in everlafting darknefs with devils and ac- 
 curfed fpirits, curfing his parents in the agonies of 
 defpair for bringing him by their cruel indulgences 
 or fatal negligence, into that place of torment ! 
 Good Gocf ! what a (hocking thought is this ? 
 and yet, without any aggravation, this is the real 
 ftate of the cafe. 
 
 Let us now confider this matter in another 
 light, and fee the folly and wickcdnefs of a brutifh 
 unchriftian education. Would you not think that 
 parent worfe than a brute, who fhould negledt or 
 refufe to provide food and raiment for his children? 
 How much mure brutifh and unnatural rnuft he 
 be, who negleds to provide for the welfare 
 of their immoital fouls, confiderin^ the i finite 
 difproportion betwixt the foul and body, btUvixt 
 this Ihort life aad eternity. 
 
 D Which
 
 26 T'be HUSBANDMAN'J 
 
 Whith of you could fee your dear child run- 
 ning hecdlefly into the fire or water, and not en- 
 deavour to prevent or pull him cut ? But would 
 any man in his fenfes be fo much a devil, as to 
 fee his child upon the brink of danger, and take a 
 pleafure to pufh him into it ! The iuppofition is 
 fo mcnflrcus, that it feems to be a reflection upon 
 human nature even to make it: and yet this is 
 what every wicked careltfs patent does, who, 
 for want of giving his children a chriftian and re- 
 ligious education, correcting and rooting up thofe 
 vicious and ftnfui inclinations, which are the 
 weeds and tares that grow up in an unregcnerate 
 foul, do, as it were, wantonly pafh them nto 
 ceitain deftrudlion, and caft them into everlafting 
 fire. 
 
 You would think him a very negligent carelefs 
 hufoandman, \vho fhould take no care to weed 
 his corn ; but you would think him worfe than mad, 
 who mould be at great pains and expence to fqw 
 weeds and tares in his field, and take pleafure to fee 
 them profper and choak the corn. Bui this mad- 
 nefs is nothing to that of wicked parents, who, 
 inftead of correcting the vices of their children, 
 take care to plant and encourage all H.;rts of ini- 
 quities in their tender fouls, by their own wicked 
 lives and fcandalous examples. Let me then con- 
 jure you, for God's fake, for the love you bear tp 
 your dear children, by the love you bear to your- 
 felves, by every thing that is near and dear to 
 you iii this world, and thi intcrcils of eternity, to 
 take an earneft and early care for the chriitian 
 education of your dear children. The feeds of 
 iniquity are fown by the enemy of our faivation 
 in the ground of human-nature, of which the beft 
 men living have a large (hare ; they fpring up 
 with the firft motions of fenfe, and dawnings of 
 3 reaion ;
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 27 
 
 reafon ; hence proceed the flubborn fits, the vio- 
 lent paflions, the eager appetites, the pervcrfc in- 
 clinations of children, which are difcerr.able even 
 in the nurfe's arms, which if not weeded out and 
 kept under by a .watchful eye and a diligent hand, 
 will grow up into monftrous crimes and diaboli- 
 cal wickedneflTcs, too ftrong to be fubdued, too 
 deep to be rooted out, and mud (without a mira- 
 cle) infallibly end in eveilaiting ruin. Begin, 
 therefore, betimes to root out every appearance or" 
 pride and paflion, every thing that favours of flub - 
 born-iefs and difobedience: break the perverfenefs 
 of their wills by prudent and regular reftraints, 
 and endeavour to implant in their tender minds, 
 thofe amiable virtues and graces, of meekn^fs, 
 humility, and obedience, which are the fruits and 
 ornaments of the chriflian life : teach them be- 
 times to remember their Creator in the days of 
 their youth, and to ofFer up their prayers to him 
 at lead every morning and evening : teach them 
 to have a profound reverence for his holy name 
 and word, and whatever relates to his worfnip and 
 fervice, and never to mentioji eitlu-r without ua 
 awful and religious regard : teach them to be hum- 
 ble and dutiful, to be compaflionate and merciful, 
 and to think the ornament of a mack and quid y?>/V/V, 
 to be one of the trueit ornaments of human na- 
 ture. 
 
 For in vain will you attempt to do this by wo;ds, 
 whilfr. they fee you contradidt it in practice : your 
 beft and wifeft inftrudtions will be loft u c :on them, 
 whiiit they find you taiki -g one thing, and doing 
 another. H nv abfurd would it be txfhear a lewd, 
 wicked, drunken father, teaching fbbriety and 
 modefty to his children ? Or a profane reprobate, 
 gravely recommending the duties of religion ? 
 No, let your children fee that you youdelvea" 
 D a radife
 
 2 8 The HUSBANDMAN 'j 
 
 pra&ife the duties you recommend to them : then 
 (and not till then) will they be induced to believe 
 that you are really in earneft, and be perfuaded 
 to follow jour good examples. But alas ! in vain 
 does Paul plant, or dpcllos water > except God give 
 the increnfe ; it is his bleffing only that can make 
 vour belt endeavours effectual. This, therefore, 
 ihews you the neceffity of praying to God without 
 ceafina, for his fpecial bleffing upon you and your 
 children : and if they were accuftomed every night 
 and morning to beg your bleffing, and prayers to 
 God for them, it would he a leftbn of inftruc~lion 
 both to them and you. They would hence learn 
 to look upon you with reverence and honour, not 
 only as their natural parents, but as intercefibrs with 
 God for them. And you toofhould hence learn how 
 regular and exemplary your lives ought to be, in or- 
 der to perform it in a decent and proper manner, 
 that your children may never fee you in fuch a 
 ilate of mind, or body, as to be afraid or afhamed 
 to afk your bleffing, or you unable to give it. The 
 child that hears a paffionate furious father pouring 
 curfes and damnation upon his family or neigh- 
 bours upon every provocation, can have little 
 reafon to expet any good from his bleffing : a 
 drunken father that can neither fpeak nor under- 
 fraad, is abfolutely incapable: and how can chil- 
 dren expect that a profane irreligious father, who 
 lives in defiance of all religion, fhould beg God's 
 bleffing upon them, when they know he never 
 afks it for himfelf : There you cannot but fee the 
 necefiity of your good example, and that your 
 hght Jbouldfa fnine before them, that they, feeing your 
 good works may be induced to Jove and reverence 
 you, and glorify their and your Father > which is in 
 hcaucn : Then may you reafonably expeft God's 
 bleffing on yourfelves. And that your prayers 
 
 be
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 29 
 
 be heard when you pray for your children, Jet it 
 be a conftant part of your prayers, that he would 
 make them his own children by adoption and 
 grace, that he would protect them by his holy 
 fpirit from the corruptions that are in the world, 
 that he would prefei ve them blamelefs and harm- 
 lefs, the fons of God, without rebuke, in the 
 midft of this crooked and perverfe generation. 
 
 It muft be confefled, that very excellent pa- 
 rents, notwithstanding all their endeavours and 
 prayers, have been very unhappy in wicked and 
 undutiful children. The firil-bo: n fon of our firft 
 parents was a child of the devil^ and a murderer, 
 I Ep. John lii. 12. A0rfA, among three fbns r had 
 one fo bad as to bring upon himfelf the curfe of 
 his good father, inftead of a bleiTmg, Curjed be 
 Canaan, &c. Gen, ix. 25. The patriarch Ifaac 
 had one fon fo impious as to fell his birthright 
 for a fmgle refreihmenr, which action entitled 
 him to the character of a profane perfon ; for it is 
 not improbable that Efau's great diftrefs and faint- 
 nefs might be deiigned as a tryal of his faith and 
 dependance upon God, as was Abraham's refolu- 
 tion to orTer up Ijaac, and Ifaac s chearful fub- 
 mhTion to be offered ; and that he juftly forfeit- 
 ed that blefiing. by his diftruft of providence, when 
 fuch illutlrioi:s aLis of faith had been let before 
 him by his anccftors ; and that this may explain, 
 and juftify the apoflle's calling him a profane per - 
 Jin for felling his birthright, tieb. xii. 16. Good 
 old Eli had two, and both fo wicked, that they 
 were both cut off in one day, by a fignal venge- 
 ance from heaven, I Sam. ii. 34. Holy David 
 was feverely punifhed by dilTolute and rebellious 
 children ; and his fon Solomon^ the wifeft prince 
 in the world, had the misfortune to leave a fool 
 for his fucceflbr. How it fo comes to pafs, and 
 D 3 why
 
 30 fhe HUSBANDMAN 9 s 
 
 why it pleafes God to permit men that feem to* 
 be very good to be thus vifited, is a queftion not 
 for us to afk : yet we may obferve, that fome of 
 them plainly proceeded from too great parental 
 indulgence ; that this was the cafe of Eli in par- 
 ticular we are plainly told, i Sam. ii. 29. Where 
 we read, that the man of God who came to de- 
 nounce the intire deftrucYion of his family, gave 
 this for the reafon : Thou honour eft thy fans above 
 me. And the fame account of his guilt and pu- 
 flifhmer.t was revealed by God to Samuel, ch. iii. 
 13. I have told him that I will judge his houfe for 
 ever for the iniquity that he knou/eth, becaufe his Jons 
 made themfelves vile, and he rejlrained them not. 
 David's cafe feems to have been fomething like it. 
 We read, I Kings i. 6. that jfdenijab) who re- 
 belled a gam ft .him as well' as Abfalom, had been 
 treated with great indulgence : of the former it is 
 fa id, that his father had never difphafed him at 
 any. time, in faying, ^vhy haji thou done fo ? He 
 never found fault with any thing that he di<J 
 He muft have been an excellent child indeed, i 
 he never did any thing to deferve reproof and cor- 
 rection ; and if he did, it was an imprudent and' 
 criminal tendernefs to let him efcape without it i 
 and there is great reafon to believe, from the 
 amiable defcription of jfbfalonts perfon, 2 Sam* 
 xiv. 28. from the tendernefs which the father 
 ihowed, in commanding his General not to hurt 
 the young man, if he (hould fail into their hands, 
 2 Smn. xviij. 12. and the immoderate grief he ex- 
 preffed at his death, ch.xviii. 33. 1 fay, from all 
 thefe, it fhouhl feem that Abfaom was no lefs a 
 favourite than Adonijab' t which he requited by the. 
 moft unnatural rebellion. It rnufr alfo be con" 
 fcffed, there was a particular aggravation of Da~ 
 wWs guilt,, that he amft. needs have cozitributctf 
 
 ce,
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 31 
 
 to the corruption of his children by his own 
 wicked example. Great and good as he was,. 
 he was betrayed into the crying fills of adultery 
 and murder j and though his repentance was fe- 
 vere and bitter, as we read Pfalm li. and fo fin- 
 cere, that it moved God to forgive his fin, fo that 
 he fiould not die y 2 Sam. xii. 13. Yet, as he had 
 given great occafion to the enemies of the Lord to 
 blafpheme j fo he doubtlefs gave his children great 
 encouragement to offend, as they could not be 
 {hangers to his crimes, though they might be to 
 his repentance ; therefore they were made the in- 
 ftruments of his correction. The (word (fays the 
 prophet) Jhalt mt depart from thy houfe, i. e. from 
 the children he then had in his family. And ac- 
 cordingly we read, that Adonijah was put to death 
 by the command of his brother Solomon, i Kings ii. 
 Ammon was murdered by Abfalom for ravifhing 
 his fitter Tamar, 2 Sam. xiri. And Ahfalom him- 
 felf, foon after killed in rebellion againft his own 
 father, and fell by the hand of Joab his own un- 
 cle, 2 Sam. xviii. 14. And we muft acknowledge 
 that, happen what will, Gad is rrghtevus in- all hi 3 
 ways, and holy in all bis works, Pfaf. cxlv. All 
 that we can do in this cafe is, to ufe our beft en- 
 deavours, by precept, by example, by prayer, to 
 teach them the good and the right way ; and if 
 all our labour be loft, we (hall, however, have 
 the fatisfaction of having done all that is in our 
 power, and we muft fubmit, as good old Eli did ; 
 h is the Lord) let him do what fiemctb him 
 1 Sam. iii. i8 
 
 CHAP.
 
 32 Tt>e HUSBANDMAN *.* 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 fke Care cf your Cattle. 
 
 THIS part of your labour, as I obferved be- 
 fore, was the employment of the beft and 
 greateft men of the primitive ages j their flocks 
 and herds were the riches of the ancient world, 
 as we find in all the writings of antiquity, both 
 facred and profane ; and many ufeful and excel- 
 lent leflons have been learned from them, and 
 fin ly applied by the infpired and moral writers. 
 Jlii the creatures of God are gocd^ good in a cer- 
 tain degree, but in their firft creation they were 
 pronounced very good, i. e. perfectly good in their 
 kind, Gen.\. 31. Endued uith all thofe qualities 
 and excellencies that were necelfary for that rank 
 in the fcale of beings in which providence had 
 placed them. Man was appointed the lord ?nd 
 governor of them all, Gen. 1. 26. He received 
 f. m the infinite fountain of bleffing, a conitant 
 uninterrup-ed communication of life and blcfied- 
 nef', which were through him derived to all the 
 feveral parts and inhabitants of the animal and 
 vegetable creation, and thereby kept them in an 
 bfolute fubjecbun and dependance upon nim; fo 
 that he had an intire dominion over all the crea- 
 tuus and inhabitants of" this lower world, accord- 
 ing I ' the original charter, Gen. i. 28. And God 
 bkffed tbern^ awl fa'id unto them, be fruitful and 
 tratltiplj) and replenijb the ear 'th^ and fub due it (i.e. 
 keep it in fu'.jjf&ion) and have dominion ever tke 
 fjh cf the fan. and over tie fowls of the ait, and 
 dver every living thing ibat ?noveth upon the f>u.<. of 
 the earth. As they were all created to fill up the 
 feveiai parti of the fyilem ill due harmony and 
 
 pro-
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 33 
 
 proportion ; fo they were all intended for the ufe 
 and benefit of man, and were therefore entitled to 
 an eafy enjoyment of all the comforts of their be- 
 ing, in their feveral ftations. This was the hap- 
 py ftate of the primitive earth, 'till man by his 
 tranfgreffion extinguiftied the divine light and life 
 in himfelf, and by confequence involved them in 
 the fame ftate of condemnation anc! mifery. The 
 communication of divine life and power being 
 fufpended, man could receive nothing from above, 
 nor communicate any to the creatures below him, 
 nor by confequence could have any power over 
 them, to direct or govern, or keep them in iub- 
 jccr.;on. (Of all which I have treated very largely 
 i;; my book, entitled, Free thoughts upon the bride 
 creation.} The various ufes you make of them, 
 and advantages you receive from them, in the 
 ordinary courie of your labours, Ajpply you with 
 many ufeful leflbns of inftruciion, and may be 
 improved by a ferious well-difpofed mind to ma- 
 ny excellent pu:pofes of meditation and prayer. 
 
 Before I come to the particular confederation 
 of the cattle and domeftic animals, I {hall pre- 
 mife one general obfervation which concerns them 
 all, that it is a breach of natural juflice, an in- 
 dication ofabrutifti, or rather a diabolical tem- 
 per, to atfufe, torment, or opprefs any of thofe 
 poor brute creatures which minifter to our plea- 
 f'ures or neceflities in this world, to put thtm to 
 unneceflary labours, to load them with immode- 
 rate burdens, or with-hold from them thole ne- 
 ceflary refreshments which their (late and condi- 
 tion requires. The wife man in the book of 
 Prov. xii. 10. makes it an act of risrhteoufnefs to 
 be merciful to thofe poor creatures, The righteous 
 man regardcth the life of his lca/1 1 but the tender
 
 54 The HUSBANDMAN *s 
 
 Mercies of the wicked are cruel. Where he plainly 
 declares it to be the mark of a righteous man to 
 be merciful *o his carle, and of a wicked man to 
 be cruel. God biniiclf, in the old law, guarded 
 againft this piece of cruelty by feveral exprefs 
 commands and prohibitions, particularly in the 
 fourth commandment, where the Sabbath-day, is 
 appointed to be a day of reft for the cattle as well 
 as for their owners, as it is more expreily declar- 
 ed, Exod. xxiii. 12. Six days tbou Jhalt do thy 
 work) and on the feventh day thou Jhalt rejl, that 
 thine ox and thine ajs may reji, &c. And in the 
 filth verio of the fame chapter, a particular com- 
 mand is giver, to be merciful even to the cattle 
 of an enemy, If thou fee the ajs of him that haieth 
 thee lying under his burden, and would/I forbear to 
 help him, thou Jhalt Jurely help with him. Deut. 
 xxv. 4. God prefcribes a fpecial law in favour 
 of oxen, who trod out the corn as we now threfli 
 it, that their mouths fhould not be muzzled whilit 
 they were at their labour, but that they might eat 
 as well as work. 
 
 We read in the book of Jonah, that when he 
 had denounced the deftrud:ion of Nineveh, the 
 King proclaimed a fajl for the cattle as well as for 
 the people. Let neither man nor beajl, herd nor 
 fleck) tajle any thing ; let them neither feed nor drink 
 ivater, Jonah iii. 7. And chap. iv. ri. God de- 
 clares his compaflion for the cattle of 'Nineveh, 
 as well as for the inhabitants : Should I not fpare 
 Nnteoehi that great city, in -which are more than fix 
 fcore tboufand perfons that cannot dijcern betiuixt 
 their right-hand and their left, and alfo much cattle, 
 Jonah iv. n. We read of one beaft whofe mouth 
 was miraculoufly opened to upbraid his rider for 
 his cruel ufage, Numb. xxii. 28. And when the 
 
 angry
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 
 
 angry prophet juftified his cruelty to the poor 
 beaft, the angel of the Lord pleaded for the afs, 
 and condemned the rider. I am very fenfible that 
 this ftory has given occafion to fome empty pre- 
 tenders to wit and criticifm, to laugh at it, as a 
 thing ridiculous and impoilible : But I would afk 
 thefe merry gentlemen a few fhort queftions. Can 
 they deny that brutes have fenfe, reafbn, memo- 
 ry, and reflection ? Arc they not fenfible of ill 
 uHi^e ? Do they not diitinguifh betwixt their 
 frie:id% and their enemies, betwixt thole who ufe 
 them well, and thofe that injure and abufe them ? 
 Have they not a language among themfelves, or 
 fome faculty analogous to it, whereby they com- 
 municate their fentiments, their wants and necef- 
 fities, affections and refentments to each other ? 
 They that can deny this, are philofophers indeed : 
 and can it be thought impoflible for God, for 
 weighty reafons, to give them power to communi- 
 cate their wants and their fufferings to thofe who 
 injure nnd abufe them ? efpecially in a cafe where 
 there feems to be fomething fupernatural in it. 
 And though they have not naturally this power 
 of complaining in words, yet they have a power 
 of expreHing their pains, their wants, and their 
 fufferings, which every body underftands, and 
 which eveiy merciful good-natured man would 
 endeavour to relieve or prevent. We may juftly 
 fay of the whole brute creation, what David laid 
 of his innocent fubjecls, under the fcourge of a 
 deftroying peftilence, Thefe flicep, what have they 
 done ? They have no guilt to anfwer for, they 
 have done no wrong, they anfwer the end of their 
 creation, and yet are miferable ; they fuffer for 
 and by the difobedience of man, their lord and 
 governor, who fhould have been under God their 
 guardian and protector. What then may not 
 
 finiul
 
 36 The HUSBANDMAN'^ 
 
 finful men expert, who are not fo innocent as 
 they ? What fhall be faid for thofe who are to 
 their own fpecies favage and cruel as beafts of 
 prey, luftful as goats, filthy as dogs or fwine, 
 crafty as foxes, or crocodiles, poifonous as afks 
 and bafclifks ; not to mention the drunkards, who 
 are guilty of fuch intemperance as the brutes 
 themfelves abhor ? If thefe evil qualities are fo 
 deteftable in beads, how much more in men, how 
 much more in chriftians ? On the other hand, 
 how charming is the meeknefs of the lamb ? How 
 ufeful and inftru&ive the patience of the horfe, 
 the ox, and the afs r How many ufeful leflbns 
 do they teach us ? 
 
 I fhall therefore confider this branch of your 
 employment, 
 
 I. With regard to your care of them. 
 
 II. Their returns to you, by the ufes and ad- 
 vantages you receive from them. 
 
 I. Your care confifts in providing them with 
 proper food when they are well, and proper re- 
 medies when they are fjck or maimed ; to keep 
 them from going aftray, or running into danger. 
 How diligent and careful is every good hufband- 
 rnan in each of thefe articles, to feed their flocks 
 and herds in due feafon, to feek and bring home 
 thofe that are gone aftray, and protect them from 
 violence and diftempers. Does not this naturally 
 bring to your remembrance the good Jhepberd 
 and bifhop, who laid down his life for his fheep ? 
 There is not, I dare fay, a man of fenfe and good 
 nature in the world, who is pofleiled of any fort 
 or kind of cattle, excellently good ajid beautiful
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 37 
 
 in their kind, but has a fecret tendernefs and af- 
 fecYion for them, abftra&ed from the ufcs and ad- 
 vantages he makes of them. And can any man 
 doubt of God's love and companion to all hi* 
 creatures, particularly to thofe who faithfully 
 love, honour and humbly obey him ? When yort 
 drive them to the paflure, can you forbear re- 
 peating the 23 d Pfalm, which abounds with af- 
 fecting thoughts and beautiful images, The Lord 
 is my foepherd^ therefore can I lack nothing. He 
 Jhall feed me in a green pajlure^ and lead me forth 
 befide the fill waters. When you fee how con- 
 tentedly they feed in the pafture you have al- 
 lotted for them, can you repine at the lot and 
 portion that the good providence of God has al- 
 lotted for you ? When you obferve how loving- 
 ly and peaceably they feed together, without en- 
 vying or difputing, are you not afhamed of your 1 
 malicious and barbarous behaviour to one ano- 
 ther ? When the fnow has covered the face of 
 the earth, that there is no grafs for the cattle, 
 they muft periih, did not you provide fodder for 
 them j and if you are fo provident for your cat- 
 tle, can you queftion whether God will take the 
 fame care of you and yours, in the moft difficult 
 feafons and trials of life ? When: there falls out 
 a bad feafon or lofles in your cattle, what difquiet 
 does it give you, what concern for yourielve? 
 and families ? And what pains do you take in a 
 hard winter, an unkind feafon, or a contagious 
 diftemper among the catile, to prevent the dan- 
 ger, and fecure youddves and them from the 
 evils that threaten you ? And can you doubt 
 whether God can or will do as much for you and 
 yours under the like difficulties, whillt you love 
 and obey him and d;^end upon him ? Confider 
 how in a great famine he fed his prophet Eiijcb* 
 E by
 
 3$ Tie HUSBANDMAN'J 
 
 by a miracle, commanding the Ravens to bring him 
 bread and Jlefh in the morning, and bread and Jkjh 
 in the evening, as you read I Kings xvii. 6. And 
 how he multiplied the poor widow's barrel of meal 
 and a cruife of oil, to preferve her and her fa- 
 mily from perifhing by famine, verfe 17. It is the 
 fame God that ftill watches over his faithful fer- 
 , vants, and will never leave them nor forfake them.- 
 
 When any of your cattle are loft andgone'aftray, 
 confider how careful and diligent you are to feek 
 them, and bring them back: and can you forbear 
 reflecting on the goodnefs and love of God to his 
 finful creatures, that have erred and grayed from 
 bis -ways like loji Jheep, as we confefs every day in 
 our prayers ? Do you not remember how ftrongly 
 and beautifully he hath reprefented his companion 
 to penitent finners, in the parable of the loft 
 fheep, Luke xv. When the good fhepherd left 
 the ninety nine in the wildernefs to feek a Jingle one 
 that was lojl, and having found it, he laid it on 
 his Jhoulders rejoicing. And not content to rejoice 
 by himfelf, when he came home, he called together 
 his friends and his neighbours, faying unto them, re- 
 joice with me, for I have found my foeep which was 
 hjL I fay unto you likewife, that there Jhall be joy 
 in heaven over one finner that repenteth, more than 
 over ninety and nine jujl perfons that need no repen~ 
 tame, verfes 4, 5, 6, 7. Do you not remember 
 what our Lord tells you, Matt. xv. 24. that he 
 was fent to bring hcme the kjl Jheep of the houfe of 
 Ifrael ? And that he has other Jhtep which are not 
 of that fold; that he mujl bring them alfo, that they 
 ma\ all be one fold under one Jhepberd^ John x. 1 6. 
 "VV ho can think of this without daily praying to 
 Gr^d, that he would preferve and guide us under 
 all the changes and chances of this mortal life, 
 
 even
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 39 
 
 even as a good fhepherd docs his fheep ; and that 
 lie would haften that blelled and happy time, 
 when the fullnefs of the ycivs and Gentiles (hull 
 come in, fo as to be one fold under one fuepberd. 
 
 "When your cattle are o'ifeafed, or maimed, or 
 lame, how much care do you take to apply proper 
 remedies to prevent the infection of tho'e that 
 are found, and to cure the wounds and brinies 
 of thofe that are hurt ? And can you forbear 
 thinking of the inceflant care and providence of 
 God over his creatures, to cure all the difeaibs of 
 their fouls ? How many affectionate warnings he 
 gives us to guard againft the infection of wicked 
 examples and corrupt converfation ? How does 
 he command and befeech us to keep ourfelves 
 bJamelefs and harmlefs, as the fons of GoJ, with- 
 out rebuke, in the midfl of a crooked and per- 
 verfe generation? Do you not obfcrve, when \ou 
 go to fodder them at the ufual times, what haite 
 the poor creatures make to come to you, wall 
 what eagernefs and relifh they take the poor 
 coarfe food you bring them ? And can you for- 
 bear reflecting with how little gratitude you ie- 
 ceive from the hands of God, the many bleflings 
 he beftows upon you ? How little do you cor. fi- 
 de r the hand that feeds andcloaths you, and gives 
 you plentifully all the nece/Iaries and comforts of 
 this life ? Thus God complains of the ungrate- 
 ful Jews, Ifa. i. 3. The ox knoiveth bis oivner, and 
 the afs his ma/iers crib^ but Ifrael doth not know ; 
 my people doth not conjider. I come now, 
 
 II. To confider the ufes you make of them, 
 
 and the benefits you receive from them. There 
 
 Is not one of them but performs with readinefs 
 
 and chtarfulnefs the purposes of providence, the 
 
 E 2 end
 
 40 floe HUSBANDMAN *s 
 
 end of their creation, and the fervices you cx> 
 pe& from them : your horfes and oxen draw your 
 plough and your cart, carry you or your bur- 
 dens as their well-known duty, without mur- 
 muring or repining ; your cows fupply you twice 
 a day with fweet and wholefome food for you 
 and your families j your fheep fupply you with 
 food and raiment, they cloath you with their 
 wool, and in many countries fupply great quanti- 
 ties of milk, for the dairy. Thcfe benefits entitle 
 them to a kind and merciful as well as juft treat- 
 ment, as a grateful recompenfe for the fervices 
 they do us, being the chief end for which they 
 were created : who that confiders this, can re- 
 fiedr. without blufhing, that thefe poor creatures 
 anlwer all the ends of their being, and the pur- 
 pofes of the Creator ? whilft man, the lord of the 
 imiverfe, endued with understanding, and valuing 
 himfelf upon the flrength and extent of his rea- 
 fon, is the only rebellious creature in it, an ene- 
 my to himfelf, unjuft to his neighbour, and dif- 
 obedient to his God. 
 
 Their diligent quiet fubmiflion to the will of 
 their owners, is a reproach to the lazy difcontent- 
 ed repining part of mankind ; they abundantly 
 recompence the little good we do them, whilft 
 ungrateful man neglects, difhonours, and dif- 
 obeys the fupreme infinite fountain of life and 
 Jove, the giver of all good things, on whom 
 alone all our joys, and. all our hopes depend, 
 both for this world and that which is to come. 
 Thefe poor creatures obey the will of God for 
 our good only, whilft we neglecl: or refufe to 
 obey it, though our own eternal intereft depends 
 intirely upon it. This confideration mould make 
 us pray without ceafing, that God would be 
 
 pleafed
 
 Spiritual COMPANION.' 41 
 
 pleafed to give us a confiderate and thankful heart, 
 a chearful and obedient /pint, that we may refign 
 ourfeves wholly to his di.'pcfal, and do his will as 
 chearfuliy as the reft of his creatures do it on 
 earth, or rather, as his holy angels do it in heaven. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 The Harvefty or Reaping y cur Corn. 
 
 *Tp HIS happy feafon of cutting down, and 
 * bringing in the fruits of the earth, is the 
 completion and reward of every labour of the year; 
 it was ihe profpixt and hope of a plentiful harveft 
 that encouraged all your induftry, engaged all 
 your attention, a;id iweetened every toil of life : 
 itwa; this hope that made you rile early, work 
 hard, eat lie L; cc.d if carefulnejs, and late take reft : 
 for this you manured, ploughed and fowcd your 
 lands ; this made you bear with patience the fu ai- 
 mer's fcorchirig heat, and winter's piercing cold, 
 becaufe you were fully perfuaded that the joyful 
 feaf n of ' rveft would come to anf\ver all your 
 hopes, and reward all your labours. All this 
 while your eyes and thoughts \vere intent upon 
 the ftate and condition of your lands, to obfervc 
 what reaforiable hopes you might have of a plenti- 
 ful harveft. Every man of fenfe among you, 
 took duo care to do every thins; that was necef- 
 fary to projpo- .irite vic\v, to procure a 
 
 good crop, and guard againft eve;y thin? that might 
 prevent or injure it, anJ d.feat his expeclations. 
 You watch v/ith a diligent ar>d careful eve to fee 
 when it is ripe and fit for the fickle, and then fet 
 all Irinds to work to cut it down, to bind it in 
 any it into the barn to be a provi- 
 lion for yourfelves and your families. 
 
 E 3 Now
 
 4 2 T'hs HUSBANDMAN *j 
 
 Now this article may fupply you with many 
 ufeful inftruclions for your edification and com- 
 fort. Our blefled Lord has made ufe of it as the 
 moft fignificant emblem to reprefent to us the con- 
 fommation of all things, or the end of the world-, 
 as we read Malt. xiii. where he explains the para- 
 ble of the tares to his di-fciples. When the mul- 
 titude were gone away, v. 36. He anfwered and 
 faid wstio them, be that foweth the good feed is the f on 
 ef man, the field is the world, the good feed arc the 
 children of the kingdom , but the tares are the children- 
 of the wicked one, the enemy that fowed them is the 
 'devil: THE HARVEST is THE END OF THE 
 WORLD* v. 39. From hence I fhall endeavour 
 to Ihew you the fpiritual improvement you ought 
 to. make of it, from the exat correfpondence 
 there is betwixt the annual harveft of the fruits 
 of the earth, and the laft univerfal harveft, which 
 is the end of the world, when all (hall be cut 
 down,, when all the beauties and glories of this 
 corruptible tranfitory world mall be deftroyed in 
 one general conflagration, to make way for new 
 heavens and a new earth, to be an habitation of 
 righlfoufnefs, 2. Pet. iii. 13. St. John, Rev. xiv 
 has given us a very affecting and particular de- 
 fcription of this lair univerfal harveft. / looked 
 (fays he) and behold a white cloud, and upon the 
 di'ud one fat like unto the fan of man, having on his- 
 head a golden crown, and in his. hand a Jbarp fickle ; 
 and another angel canie out of the temple, crying with 
 i 'voice to him that fate on- the cloud, thru ft in, 
 ,(.V,. and reap, for the time is come for thee to 
 ff ,/>, for the barueff. of the earth is ripe-: and he 
 late upsn the cloud thru/I in his fickle upon the 
 eartn t and the earth was reaped. You fee here, by 
 the ripenefs of the earth is exprefled, the different 
 ^ates 'of the righteous and the wicked, the onn 
 
 ripe
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 43 
 
 ripe for deliverance and falvation, and the other 
 for judgment and deftnuStion. So the fame fun 
 ripens the good corn for the barn, and the tares 
 and weeds for the fire : God in greac mercy waits 
 patiently for the ripenefs'of both, he does not cut 
 off the wicked without allowing them fulTicicnt 
 time and fpace for repentance ; he fuffers them to 
 live till they are paft fhame and repentance, till 
 they are too bad to be mended, and are fit for no- 
 thing but to be caft into the fire. The wheat and 
 the tares (as we read in this parable) are fuffered 
 to grow together, 'till the time of harvelt, wherv 
 the one lliall be gathered into the barn, and the 
 ether bound up in bundles for the fire. 
 
 Let us now dwell a little upon our Lord's com- 
 parifon between the yearly harveft of the fields, 
 and the general harveft in the end of the world ; 
 and fee what ufeful If flbns of inftru&ion the loweft 
 degree of common fenfe may fuggeft to every feri- 
 ous and attentive mind. 
 
 I ft. Every man of common fenfe who is pofTefled 
 of a competent eftate, expects and endeavours to 
 raife out of it, a fubfiftance for himfelf and his 
 family. Every man of common fenfe, that rents 
 an eftate of another, contrives fo to proportion? 
 his time, his labour, and his expences, as to be able 
 to maintain himfelf and his family, and to anfv/er 
 the demands of his landlord : he that in either 
 cafe acls other wife, is a fool. 
 
 2dly_ Every man of common fenfe knows, that 
 this can only be done by conftant labour, and 
 proper management of his land ; he therefore that 
 neglects the proper culture, that neither ploughs 
 nor fows, but fpends his time in idleneis and lux- 
 ury, and fuffers his land to lye wafte and uncul- 
 tivated, can never exped to reap.
 
 44 7$* HUSBANDMAN 's 
 
 3dly. Every man of common fenfe knows, that 
 the crop he experts, mud be anfwerable in 
 quality and quantity to the feed he his Town. 
 None but an idiot can expect to reap wheat 
 where he has fown oats or barley ; nor can 
 he expect to reap good grain of any fort 
 where he has fown nothing but tares or grafs 
 feed. It is an infallible maxim in rcafon and re- 
 ligion, that what a man foA's, that {hall he reap: 
 and fo with regard to the increafe, revelation, rea- 
 fon and common fenfe agree, that both in the 
 natural and fpiritual world, He that fcivetb little 
 Jhall reap little, and be that foweth plcntccujly Jball 
 reap plenteiufyt 2 Cor. ix. 6, 7. Upon thefe 
 plain and obvious principles you proceed with re- 
 gard to the culture of your lauds, and reafonable 
 expectations of a plentiful increafe ; and you 
 would laugh at any man who fhould act other- 
 wife. You could not pity a man who fliould 
 complain for the want of a. good crop, when you 
 knew he had clone nothing to procure itj who 
 could think of fowing upon fallow land, or the 
 high road, or expect to reap a good crop of any 
 fort, without preparing the ground, and fowing 
 the proper feed to produce it? Juft fo it is and 
 will be with our fpiritual harveft. It is equally 
 true in the fpiritual fenfe as in the natural, that 
 what a man fows^ that b<: Jhall alfo reap. He that 
 foihcth to the jlcfh, fofdl of t':c flejb reap corruption^ 
 and be that j'-.wcth to the fpirit, Jhall of the fpirit 
 reap life iVirlfijlin*. He that lives an idle, rJiiib- 
 lute, irreligious life, is (owing the feeds of diilrefs, 
 inifery a,:d fhame in this wuild, and certain de- 
 ir.rii'_iion in that which is to come, and can have 
 no reafonable hopes of any thing elfe ; whilil the 
 truly pious and religious man, win fe life is a con- 
 flant habit of devotion towards God, and love 
 and charity to mankind, is fowing the feeds of 
 
 peace
 
 Spiritual CoMPANidN. 45 
 
 peace and ferenity of mind in this world, and of 
 eternal happinefs and glory in that which is to 
 corr.e. 
 
 Cor.fider now the happinefs of that man, who 
 has made a riijht nfe and improvement of his farm, 
 who has manured and tilled his ground, and fow- 
 ed good feed with a plentiful hand, which he dai- 
 ly fees crowing; and improving by the fpecial blef- 
 fing of God upon his labour. With what plea- 
 fure does fuch a one look back upon his paft la- 
 bours and forward to the time of harveft, which 
 will be to him a day of recompence for all his ex- 
 pence and toil, when what he has fown in fweat 
 and tears, he fhall reap in joy, and eat the fruit 
 of his labours with thankfgiving ? 
 
 On the other hand how unhappy how hopelefs, 
 how unpitied will the ftate of that man be, who 
 has made no improvement at all of his land, who 
 has neither ploughed nor fowed, nor has any kind 
 of ftock upon his ground ? Whilft he fees others 
 rejoicing in the fuccefs of their labours, and the 
 improvement of their fortunes, he alone has no 
 fhare in the common joy, having nothing to fatif- 
 fy the juft demands of his landlord, nor to fup- 
 port himfelf and his family : fuch a man has no 
 title to our pity, he does not deferve common 
 compaflion ; his mifery is of his own making, he 
 is ruined by his own obftinate ftupidity, and has 
 no body to blame but himfelf. 
 
 Juft the fame will be the difference betwixt the 
 righteous and the wicked, in the general harveft 
 of the world : he who has fpent his life in a fteady 
 uniform courfe of obedience to the laws of God, 
 and affectionate devotion to his fervice, feels with- 
 in himfelf a mod comfortable expectation of a 
 glorious reward : he comforts himfelf under all 
 the difficulties and adverfities of this life, that a 
 day of retribution will come, when all his in- 
 ward
 
 46 'Tie HUSBANDMAN 'j 
 
 ward acts of devotion and faith, all his fecret 
 prayers and tears, like grain hid in the earth, 
 (hall fpring and multiply an hundred fold to ever- 
 lafting life. Whiiir. the wicked and impenitent 
 have nothing to hope, but every thing to fear : they 
 that have neither feared God, nor regarded man, 
 who have never begged God's mercy for them- 
 felves, nor fiiown any to their fellow-creatures, 
 who have either fpent their riches in riot and in- 
 temperance, or, which is not quite fo bad, as not 
 being attended with quite fo bad confequences, 
 hoarded it up as their chief treafure, and trufted 
 in it as their God j they have fcwn no feed for 
 eternal life, and therefore can have no comfort- 
 able ground of hope for the general harveft : he 
 that has intirely neglected the culture of his 
 ground, that lias fown no feed, but has fpent the 
 feafon in drunkennefs and fleep, has no reafbn to 
 expect miracles to relieve neceffities of his own 
 making; but mufl expect the fluggard's curfe, 
 Frov. xx. 4. The Jluggard will not few by reafon 
 of the cold^ therefore Jball he beg in harueji and have 
 nothing. He too that has drefled and ploughed 
 his field, and inltead of good grain has fown tares, 
 nettles, and hemlock, or planted briars and thorns, 
 has no reafon to expert he fhall reap wheat 
 or barley from the one, or gather figs or grapes 
 from the other ; it being a general and infallible 
 rule, that what a man fows that only he can ex- 
 pedt to reap. 
 
 13y this rule every honeft and good foul may 
 form a certain judgment concerning his fpiritual 
 eftate, and his reasonable hopes of a comfortable 
 portion in the univerfal harveft, or end of the 
 world. No man can be at a lofs to know what 
 he has fown, and by confequence what he may 
 reafonably expect to reap. .Every thought word 
 
 and
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 47 
 
 action of our lives, are fo many feeds fown into 
 eternity, which cannot fail to produce their pro- 
 per effects, as feeds fown in the ground do their 
 proper fruits. He that has foivn to the flejh^ will of 
 the JicJJ) reap corruption, and he that foweth to the 
 fpirity Jhall of the j'pirit reap life everlafting. Sin 
 of every kind is the never-failing feed of mifery, 
 fhame and deflrutSlion ; devotion and piety to- 
 wards God, Jove and charity to our neighbours, 
 the juft and regular exercife of our reafon, the 
 mortification of our corrupt paflicns, and a tem- 
 perate and religious ufe of the bleffings of this life, 
 are the certain feeds of peace, honour, health, 
 and happinefs in this world, and that which is to 
 come. If, therefore, you chufe to Jive in an ab- 
 folute contempt of religion, and neglect of all the 
 means of grace, and yet expect to find mercy at the 
 laft, you are juft as wife as if you fhould fow tares 
 and hemlock, and expect to reap wheat and bar- 
 ley : nay farther yet, fhould you chufe to live an 
 indolent, idle life, though with the appearances 
 of decency and religion, mould you abftain from 
 all grofs and fcancfalous fins, and yet give up 
 yourlelves intirely to what the world calls inno- 
 cent pleafures and amufements of life, either in 
 the field or. the aflembly, mould you fuffer your 
 heads and hearts to be devoted to trifles, how in- 
 nocent foever they may be in themfelves when 
 properly and prudently ufed ; you may as wifely 
 ipend your time in fowing fand and faw-duft (ve- 
 ry innocent things !) and expect to reap the no- 
 bleft and choiceft productions of the harveft. 
 Deceive not yourfelves with notions, that this or 
 that diverfion is innocent, that thefe games and 
 fports are not finful, and may therefore be inno- 
 cently indulged ; that which is innocent in itfelf, 
 may become highly criminal by excellive fondnefs 
 
 for
 
 48 The HUSB ANDM AN'J 
 
 for them, by ufing them at improper feafons or 
 places, to the negle& of the neceffary duties of 
 our calling and ftation. Whatever engrofles your 
 time and affections, and fteals away your hearts 
 from Gcd, the care of your immortal fouls, and 
 the intereft of eternity, cannot be innocent, but 
 iiuift be finful and dangerous. Let this thought 
 teach you to pray earneftly to God, that he would 
 fo teach you to number your days ^ that you may apply your 
 hearts unto wifdom. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 *Tytkeing and Gleaning. 
 
 A S the harveft you have been reaping is en- 
 f*- tirely the gift of God, you are thereby in- 
 irrucled and called upon to acknowledge and adore 
 the infinite power and goodnefs of Almighty God, 
 in making this conftant yearly provifion for the 
 fubfiftance of all his creatures : who, from fuch 
 feemingly contemptible principles, produces fuch 
 a wonderful variety of fruits and grain for the 
 fervice of man and beaft : for it is God alone 
 that quickens the feed fown in the earth, which 
 rots and dies before it riles to bring forth fruit \ 
 for one may plant, and another may water, but 
 it is God only that gheth the tncreafe, he alone it is 
 that maktth our garners full and plenteous with all 
 manner of Jltre^ and gheth us all things richly to 
 enjoy. "To him therefore we are bound to make all 
 the proper acknowledgments that reafon or re- 
 velation can didlate to us : reafon itfelf teaches 
 us, that if God be the giver of all thefe good 
 things, he has a right to difpofe of them as he 
 fees fit, and to determine in what manner, under 
 \vhat reftriclions, and with what referves they are 
 
 to
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 49 
 
 to be enjoyed : he mi.;ht command what portion 
 he pleafed to be applied to his own peculiar fer- 
 vice, in the nature of a quit-rent or acknowledg- 
 ment, to be paid to him as the chief lord of the 
 foil : but as it is impoilible for reafon to difcover 
 what proportion ought to be thus applied, he has 
 been gracioufly pleafed to make his own appoint- 
 ment, and give us proper directions how to ap- 
 ply it, Lrj.'xx\\\. 30. He tells us, Ail the Tythe 
 of tbe land, whether of the feed of the land, or of 
 the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's, it is holy unto 
 the Lord. The tenth part of all the produce of 
 the earth, whether by feed or tree, he has re- 
 ftrved to himfelf, and expects it to he punctually 
 paid by thofe who hope for God's bleffing in the 
 enjoyment of the other nine. 
 
 But here again it is impoflible for reafon to dif- 
 cover in wlnt manner this acknowledgment is to 
 be made, and to whom it is to be paid. God 
 himfelf can neither want nor receive it, but may 
 difpofe of it to fuch perfons, and for fuch ufes as 
 he fh.Jl fee fit : and accordingly he telh, Numb. 
 xviii. 31. Bebdd I have given the children of Lcvi* 
 all tbe tenth hi Ifrael, for an inheritance for tbe fir- 
 vice which they ferve, even the fervice of the taber- 
 nacle of the congregation, i.e. I have given theTythe, 
 or tenth part of all the produce of the land, for 
 a perpetual inheritance to the priefts that minifter 
 at rny altir, to iupport and reward their attend- 
 ance on my fervice. And accordingly we find, 
 that not only among the Juvs, but even in hea- 
 the>i nations, the tenth part of the fpoils uken 
 in war, or the produce of larids, was the uiual 
 and ordinary proportion dedicated to their Gods ; 
 and MI the cbrifrian chu-ch, theclei fc -v ' avt al- 
 wa) . be n .aougiif ;o have ^ ^ood a atl^ totlie 
 F
 
 5O %'be HUSBANDMAN'^ 
 
 tenth part, as the proprietors have to the other 
 nine ; and this title is as well guarded by repeat- 
 ed laws, as any other branch of property can be. 
 I know very well the general filly clamours that 
 are raifed againft the clergy, by weak or profane 
 people, upon this account ; our demands are 
 thought very unjuft, and we are too often repre- 
 fented as a fet of lazy people, who live upon other 
 folks labours, who are unjuitly compelled to give 
 us what we have no right to demand or receive j 
 and therefore they think it no more crime to de- 
 fraud us of thofe pretended dues, than to deceive 
 a pick-pocket, or out-wit a jobber. This is an 
 imagination as filly as it is wicked. God, who is 
 the fuprtme and abfolute proprietor of the whole 
 earth, has referved the tenth to himfelf, the title 
 is in him, though the ufes and profits are given 
 to us ; and the detaining thofe dues and offerings 
 from us, he declares to be a robbery and injuftice 
 to himfelf. Thus the prophet Alalachi expoftu- 
 lates with the 'Jewijh nation on this account, chap, 
 iii. 8. IVill a man rob God? (fays he) yet you have 
 robbed me ; yet ye fay, wherein have ^ve robbed thee ? 
 In tythes and offerings : ye are cur fed with a curfe^ 
 for ye have rolled me, even this whole nation. But 
 fuppofc we had no divine right to plead in this 
 cafe, yet we have as good, if not a better legal 
 title to the tenth part^ as any other man to the 
 other nine. The firft founders of churches, (to 
 go n>. higher) who had an undoubted right to dif- 
 pcfe of their eftates as they pleafed, dedicated at 
 lc:;ft the tenth part to the glory of God, and the 
 maintenance of the clergy for his fervice ; and 
 whenever the property of thofe eftates has been 
 transfe.v; d to other owners, it has always been 
 with a ferve of die temh part ; fo that the pur- 
 chuler never buys, and the tenant never rents 
 3 more
 
 w 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 51 
 
 more than nine parts in ten of the eftate ; for 
 you all know, that when an eftate is to be fold or 
 let tytbe free, the price rifes in proportion. Si 
 then the nincfairts are only yours, and the tor, 
 reicrved by God the great landlord, for his c\vii 
 fervice, you mould with a devout and rel: 
 heart, feparate it coftfcientioufly from the re; 
 an aci of religious gratitude to God, who al 
 gives you the increafe of your lands, and biciies 
 the fruits of your labour. You may fay perhap?, 
 we are pleading for ourfelves ; and the fam,- 
 may fay to every other man who is pleading for 
 truth and juftice, in which every particuLr n-aa 
 is concerned. Plow fevere would any of you be 
 up in the character of any clergyman, whom you 
 fufpe& to have done you an injury ? and very 
 juftly ; but pray confuier, is it not the fame ini- 
 quity for you to injure them r It is a very (grange 
 notion, that the clergy are the only people that 
 may be cheated, without any checks of confciencc, 
 of a property fettled upon them by the donation of 
 Out! himfelr, and fccured to them by the ia\vs of 
 their country. Certain it is, that whoever is 
 guilty of this kind of injuftice, mult offend out of 
 mere malice or igiuranc* : if the former, it mil ft 
 proceed from an irreligious unbelieving heart, 
 not to be mended but by a miracle ; but if the 
 latter, if they offend through ignorance or rnif- 
 take, if they were not fatisiied about the title ty 
 which v/e claim them, and the obligations they 
 were under to pay them ; if they really ddne to 
 be better informed, and would refoive to a& 
 agreeably to their own convictions, I refer them 
 to an excellent little treat ife upon that fubjcci:, 
 wiitten by the Reverend and learned Dr. Wtbiter.* 
 
 * An appeal to the common fenfe, common honefty, and com- 
 mon piety of the laity, in ix-fpecl to the payment of T YTHE. 
 1745. 
 
 F 2 And
 
 52 The HUSBAND MAN 5 j 
 
 And as God Almighty has thus referved the 
 tenth part to himfelf, and has exprefly appropriat- 
 ed it for fupport and maintenance of the priefts 
 who attend his fervice, and wait at his altar j fo 
 he has another very reafonable demand upon 
 you, in behalf of your poor neighbours, as it is 
 clearly exprefied, Lev. xxiii. 22. When ye reap 
 the harveji of your land^ thcu ft alt not make clean 
 riddance of the corners of thy field when than reap- 
 /?, neither Jhalt thou gather any gleanings of thy 
 harveft : than Jhalt leave them to the posr, and to 
 the fir anger : I am the Lord your Gcd. As if he 
 had faid, I am the Lord of the whole earth, the 
 fole proprietor and difpofer of all worldly blef- 
 fmgs, and have therefore a right to command 
 your obedience in this point, that you fhew a 
 tender and charitable regard to your poor neigh- 
 bours, that they who by the providence of God 
 are deftitute of any poneilions of their own, nor 
 are able to fupport themfelves by renting the 
 eftates of others, fhould have a moderate fliare 
 of the bleffings I bcftow on you, and rejoice and 
 blefs God for the profperity of their neighbours. 
 This will bring God's bleUing on all your la- 
 bours, and multiply the fruit of your ground to 
 your comfort and my glory. 
 
 Let this, my brethren, be your conftant way 
 of thinking and acting upon every return of this 
 feafon, 1'hat the earth is the Lord's^ and the full- 
 nefe thereof ; that it is his bleffing only that gives 
 the former and the latter rain upon the earth, that 
 multiplies the. feed jhvn, and gives you the feveral 
 jruits of the earth in their feafon. If you there- 
 fore expect his bleffing, he will alfo expect your 
 obedience, that you honeftly and chearfully pay 
 him thofe acknowledgments which he has re- 
 
 tjuired
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 53 
 
 quired of you. This will fecure to you the con- 
 tinuance of his blefling here, and in the general 
 karvefti which is the end of the world ; you {hall 
 fee all your juft and pious, and charitable ac- 
 tions returning; with a large and plentiful increafe 
 into your own boioms : and your great Landlord 
 fhall approve and reward all your labours of love, 
 with that comfortable welcome, Well done, good 
 and faithful feruant^ thou ha/t been faithful over a 
 feu; things, 1 will make tbee ruler over many things ; 
 enter ihou into the joy of thy Lord. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 Going to Fairs and Markets, 
 
 T 
 
 HIS is a neceflary part of your employ- 
 ment, But fo full of temptations to lie, de- 
 ceive and cheat one another, that it requires great 
 conftancy,and fteady integrity to difcharge this part 
 of your duty, without wounding your conferences 
 and injuring your neighbours. It is. a juft and 
 true onfervarion of the fon of Siracb, As a nail 
 jilchtb fajl between the joining of the- j? one, fo doth 
 Jin flick chfe betwixt buying and felling. Innumer- 
 able are the arts which the children of this world 
 (who are called among themfelves notable tmn, 
 Jhrewd fellows^ cunning dealers^ who are indeed 
 much wifer in their generation ib-n: the: ciiliren of 
 light] mukt- ufe of to deceive and cheat the cre- 
 dul'ty or ignorance of their chapman ; and a man 
 that has not the *enr of God before his eyes, will 
 hardly ftick at ihc very vvcrit of them, when 
 a good bargain or a gainful pu;vhafe are in \ 
 Ho-v w.l: ;,.jid ai;d magnify the 
 
 valu^ oi' t!:r- r< ocL which h<- Ins to i!,!..(,fe - i ? 
 Hovv man}' :niu:r,ou^ lieo \vili lie leli to ra.fe thtir 
 F 3 value,
 
 54 2"& HU 
 
 value, and get a good price ? On the other 
 hand, how dees the buyer vilify and depreciate 
 the goods he is cheapening ? It was Solomon's ob- 
 fervation in his time, // is mnght, it is nought, 
 faith the buyer > and when he is gone away, he boaft- 
 eth t Prov. xx. 14. that he has been too cunning 
 for his neighbour. 
 
 But you will fay, perhaps, that you neither 
 fwear nor lie, but only make life of the ufual 
 honeft arts to make the beft of your market. It 
 is impoflible to fix any general rule to afcertain 
 the value, and fix the ftandard of profit to be 
 raifed from the feveral articles of trade ; but this 
 inuft be iiid in general, that whofoevcr conceals 
 any damage or fault in the goods he expofes to 
 fale, and at the fame time demands as good- a 
 price as the fame commodity would bring if it 
 had not that fault, is a cheat and a villain, whatever 
 faihion and cuflom, in lome particular articles., 
 may offer to defend it^ He that impofes upon the 
 ignorance of a child, a fervant, or any other un.- 
 fkilful perfon, fo as to make him pay more for a 
 thing than he knows it to be woith, is unjuft to 
 his neighbour, in ipite of all the excufes and eva- 
 fions he can offer for hiinfelf : and to fay the 
 truth, no man that deceives another in the good- 
 nefs or value of what he fells, can plead igno- 
 rance ; I mean, of his guHt ; his own confcience 
 tells him, he is playing the rosrue whilft he is 
 making his bargain, becaufe he very well knows 
 he would think and call thut man a cheat and a 
 villain, that faould act by nan as he has done by 
 another. 
 
 To do to every mw, as ive expeff or defire he 
 jh'.uld do ta us, is the -fiift fundamental Jaw af 
 
 natural
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 55 
 
 natural juftice > and at the fame time To fhort 
 and fo plain, that any man of the meaneft un- 
 derftandinor may comprehend and reduce it to prac- 
 tice. If either of you mould be impofed upon, 
 and cheated m any article of your dealings, how 
 natural is it for you to exprefs your refentments 
 of his villainy and your own fufTering, in the moft 
 warm and paffionate language, and wifh you had 
 it in your power to demand fuch fatisfa&ion from 
 him as the law will not give you ? There are 
 numbeilels inftances of flagrant injuitice, againft 
 which the laws of the land have not, and per- 
 haps cannot make a proper provision, from 
 whence therefore you can expect no redrefs ; 
 which are yet as criminal in the iu>ht of God, as 
 thofe open and notorious crimes which bring little 
 fcoundrels to fhame and the gallows ; and which, 
 though they may efcape unpunimed in this life, 
 will infallibly meet with their due reward in the 
 next. Now, put the cafe, you could fecurely cheat 
 and wrong your neighbour, without any fear of 
 difcovery and punimment in this world, yet con- 
 fider (I befeech you) what a foolifh bargain you 
 are making, and what will be the certain confe- 
 quences of your knavery in the next world j. and 
 very probably in this, your own heart will 
 condemn you ; your consciences, if not quite 
 ftupified, and, in the language of the apo- 
 flle, feared with a hot iron, will be perpetually 
 upbraiding you with the injuftice you have 
 committed j you will be under conftant appre- 
 henfions of iliarne and punifhment, in fome 
 fhape or other, or being; cheated by fome cun- 
 ninger villain than yourfdves, as a juft punifh- 
 ment of your injuftice to others. 
 
 But fuppofe you could fo effectually fecure that 
 point us to be under no appreheniiuns of dilco- 
 
 very
 
 56 2^<? HUSBANDMAN'^ 
 
 very or punifhment, yet you can never hope or 
 expect that your unjuft gains will ever profper 
 with you or your families. How often do you 
 read in fcripture the judgments denounced againft 
 unrighteous dealings, againft falfe weights, and ba- 
 lances, and every initance of injuftice to your 
 neighbour ? Hear how emphatically holy Job 
 reprefents the portion of opprefibrs, even in this 
 life, ch. xx. v. 12. Though wukednrfs, (i. e. his 
 wicked and unjuft gains, the rewards of his wic- 
 kednefs) be fweet in his mouth, though he hide it 
 under his tongue, though he fpare it, and forfake it 
 not, but keep it Jlill within his mouth, yet his meat 
 in his bo^i'els is turned, it is the gall of afps within 
 him : he hath jwallowed down riches, and he Jhall 
 vomit them up again : God [hall caft them out of his 
 belly. Tliat which he laboured for Jhall he reftore, 
 and jhall not fwallow it down : according to his fub- 
 fiance Jhall the rejlitution be, and he Jhall nut re- 
 joice therein, Becaufe he hath oppreffed and forfaken 
 the poor, becaufe he hath violently taken away an 
 houfe which he builded nit, furely he Jl)all not fold 
 quietnejs in his belly, he jhall not fave cf that which 
 he defired. In the fullnefs of his fufficiency he Jhall 
 be in Jlraits, every hand of the wicked ft)all come 
 upon him, When he is about to fill his belly, God 
 Jhall cajt the fury of his wrath upon him, and Jhall 
 rain it upon him while he is eating. Ail day knefs 
 Jhall be hid in his fecret places, a fire not blown 
 Jhall confume him ; it Jhall go ill with him that it 
 left in his tabernacle. The heaven jhill reveal his 
 iniquity, and the earth jhall rife up again/t him. 
 The increafe of his houfe Jhall depart : arid Ks goods 
 Jhall fow away in the day of his u.-'aih, This is the 
 ps< ../' of a wicked man from God, and the heritage 
 appointed to him by God. Let no man therefore go 
 bfyznu. to defraud his bi other in any jiiaitur^ for the 
 
 Lord
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 57 
 
 Lord is the avenger ofallfuch, I ThefT. iv. 6. How 
 dreadful an entail is this, which unjuft and un- 
 righteous parents leave upon their families, whilft 
 they flick at nothing to make them great and rich 
 in this world. The curfe of God will reft upon 
 the unrighteous pofTefiion, and however they 
 may feem to profper in this world, will infallibly 
 overtake them in the next. It was the obfervation 
 of a wife heathen, That an ill-gotten ejlate feldom 
 defended to the third generation ; and a very {len- 
 der acquaintance with the hiftory of families, will 
 furnifh us with abundant inftances to confirm it. 
 A ferious confideration of this article fhould awa- 
 ken in every ferious mind, a fpirit of prayer and 
 Application to God, for grace to keep and pre- 
 ferve him from the fins that do fo eafily befet him 
 in the commerce and traffic of the world. He 
 fhould beg of God fo to enlighten his mind, that 
 he may fee the vanity and emptinefs of worldly 
 riches, and the madnefs and folly of coveteouf- 
 nefs, fo as never to be feduced to fraud or in- 
 juftice, to increafe or preferve his eftate ; that he 
 may never be tempted to purchafe the treafures of 
 this world with the lofs of a good Conference, 
 knowing that ;'/ will profit a man nothing, if he 
 gain the whole world and lofs his ownfiuL He fhould 
 incefiantly beg of God, to give him grace to be 
 true and juft in all his dealings, that he ?nr.y al- 
 ways keep innoccncy, and take heed heed to the thing 
 that is right, for that only can give a man peace at 
 the lafi ; always remembering, that better is a little 
 that the righteous haih^ than great riches of the un- 
 godly. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 58 The HUSBANDMAN'J 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 The Rent-Day. 
 
 ^TpHIS one article is of more concern that all 
 * the reft, being the great end for which all 
 the reft are defigned. On this day you are to 
 render an account to your refpeclive landlords of 
 the labours and profits of the whole year, in propor- 
 tion to the value of the fevcral cftates you hold of 
 them. A due attention to this article, and the 
 good or bad ufe you make of it, is what diftin- 
 guifties a good tenant from a bad one, and fhovvs 
 the difference betwixt a wife man and a fool j be- 
 caufe, on this alone depends the favour of your 
 landlords, the enjoyment of your farms, and all 
 your reafonable hopes of prosperity for yourfelves 
 and families. An inconfiderate fttipid fellow con- 
 fiders himfelf only as the occupier of fo much 
 land, out of which he can raife a certain yearly 
 profit, which he fpends as faft as it comes in, 
 without making any provifion to fatisfy his land- 
 lord : and when the rent-day comes, think what 
 an ablurd ridiculous figure he muft make. Could 
 he he fool enough to own, that indeed he was a 
 tenant, but as he had taken a great deal of pains 
 to improve the cftate, fo he thought he had a 
 right to fpend it at he thought fit ; that he had 
 /pent it very merrily, and had made a very good 
 figure among his neighbours, but that he had 
 really no money for him j but that he muft have 
 patience, 'till he could find out ways and means 
 to procure it. What could fuch a blockhead rea- 
 fonably expe6l from the moft patient landlord, but 
 to be turned out of his farm, perhaps to be con- 
 fined to a jail for his life, and his poor family fent 
 to work or be<r their bread ? 
 
 The
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 59 
 
 The honeft tenant confiders, that he is not the 
 proprietor of the lands he occupies, but that he 
 depends upon the favour of his landlord, and a 
 due execution of the feveral articles of his Icafe : 
 his tenure he knows is precarious, and therefore 
 takes care fb to proportion his expences, that he 
 may lay by enough to fatisfy the legal demands of 
 his landlord, to fecure his favour and the enjoy- 
 ment of his farm. Does not every one of you fee the 
 difference of thefe characters r Can you, in your 
 own fober reflections, acquit the one of injuftice 
 and ftupidity ? and do you not approve and ap- 
 plaud the provident care and juftice of the latter ? 
 You muft, you cannot do otherwife. 
 
 Now then let us fee the religious ufe, the fpiri- 
 tual improvement you ought to make of this im- 
 portant article. The Rent-Day^ or day of accounts 
 with your landlords, naturally fuggefts to a ferious 
 and religious mind, the great and folemn day of 
 account that we muft all give to the fupreme 
 Lord of heaven and earth, and to the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, 
 at his appearance to judge the world in righteouf- 
 nefs ; for he will come in his own and in his Fa- 
 ther's glory, to render to every man according to 
 his works. All the inhabitants of the earth, high 
 and low, princes and peafants, rich and poor, are 
 all equally tenants to the fupreme Lord : no man 
 is the proprietor of what he pofefies, nor has he 
 fo much as a leafe for any term of years ; he is at 
 beft but a tenant at will, liable to be turned out 
 at a moment's warning, and obliged to come to a 
 ftridt account as fuon as he quits it, and to have 
 his everlaiting ftate determined by the good or 
 evil ufe he has made of it. Thib confider- 
 ation ought to affect the landlord as well as the 
 tenant, the prince as well as the vailal, and to 
 
 fpeak
 
 60 'fhe HUSBANDMAN*.? 
 
 fpeak a plain and ferious truth, much more; for 
 the inore a man has had committed to his charge, 
 the greater is his obligation, and the feverer will be 
 the account he has to give. It is our Lord's rule, 
 founded on the trueft equity and nature of things, 
 that to who mfo ever much is given, of him will much 
 be required; and to whom men have given much , of 
 him they will afk the more^ Luke xii. 48. The 
 carelefs inconfiderate chriftian therefore, of what- 
 ever rank or condition he be, who Upends his time 
 and fubftance in pride and pleafure, in riot and 
 intemperance, and takes no care to be rich in 
 good works, and make a proper preparation for 
 eternity, is ten times a more abfurd unaccount- 
 able creature than the carelefs improvident te- 
 nant : the latter may poffibly prevail upon the 
 landlord's good-nature, to wait for his arrears of 
 rent, or forgive him the whole debt ; he may try 
 his fortune in fome other farm with better fuccefs, 
 or by fome lucky contingency in life may recover 
 his former lofies, and perhaps be richer than ever 
 he was, or ever expected to be. All this, I fay, 
 jiiay happen to a carelefc negligent tenant; but 
 the carelefs impenitent chriftian, has not fb much 
 as the fhadow of this hope to excufe his folly, or 
 fupport his misfortunes. So foon as he turns out 
 of this 'earthly tenement, the fcene is clofed upon 
 upon him for ever ; he is cut off from the land of 
 the living, uncapable of a fecond experiment, but 
 is directly confined to a ftate of mifery and defpair. 
 Our bieiled Lord has (hewn in a beautiful light 
 the equity of- this proceeding, under the parable 
 of a fteward to an abfent lord ; which is juft the 
 famecale with this before us. Luke xii. 42. The Lord 
 jaid) uiho is thai faithful and wife jhivard^ whom 
 his lord foail matce ruler over his honjhold^ to give 
 them their portion of meat in due feajon. Blejjedis 
 
 that
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 6* r 
 
 that fervant whan bis lord when he cymetb /hall find 
 fo doing. Of a truth 1 fry unto you y he will make 
 him ruler of fill that he hath. But and if that fer- 
 vant. fay in his heart^ my lord delayetb his coming, 
 and jhali begin to beat the men fervants, and the maid 
 Jenuents, and to cat and drink and to be drunken : 
 the lord of that fervant will come in a day when he 
 laikcth not f'jr hi?n, and at an hour that he is not 
 <7?tV7>Y, and Jhall cut him afunder^ and appoint hint 
 his portion with the unbelievers. The cafe is the 
 very fame with the carelefs inconfuierate chriftian; 
 they both know, if they would but allow them- 
 felves to think ferioufly about it, that they 
 are both one time or other to be called upon 
 for an account, though the particular time be 
 abfblutely unknown; that their happinefs or 
 mifery muft depend on the righteous or unrighte- 
 ous ftate of their accounts ; that therefore, in com- 
 mon prudence, as well as juftice, they ought to 
 take care that they be juft and fair, and fit to bear 
 a ftricl: examination whenever they are called for : 
 to neglect this, to live at random, to leave the 
 moft important interefts of eternity to chance, 
 one would think were the height of folly. But 
 (alas ! I grieve to fay it) there are to be found 
 amongftus, more extravagant madmen than thefe; 
 men, who by the peculiar favour of heaven, feem 
 to want no manner of earthly bleffings, live in 
 the higheft affluence and plenty, and therefore 
 under the higheft obligations of gratitude and du- 
 ty to their heavenly benefactor ; who yet take 
 pains to abufe the bleffings they enjoy, and dil- 
 honour and affront the God that bellows them ; 
 who inftead of ufing their plenty to his honour and 
 the relief and comfort of their poor neighbours, 
 fpend it in riot and intemperance, and facrifice 
 their ftrength, their time, their fortunes, their 
 G bodies
 
 6 2 The HUSBANDMAN 's 
 
 bodies and fouls to luftand fenfuality; and not only 
 ib, but by their vicious lives and fcandalous ex- 
 amples, do what in them lies to corrupt their de- 
 pendants and inferiors, and harden them in prin- 
 ciples of impiety and infidelity. Great is the in- 
 fluence of example, efpecially of fuperiors, upon 
 thofe below them : people in low life take a pride 
 in imitating their betters, and are naturally tempt- 
 ed to think, that if thofe whom they are taught 
 to believe wifer and better than themfelves, live 
 in open defiance of God, and contempt of ail reli- 
 gion, they muft know more of the matter than 
 they poor uneducated creatures can do ; and 
 therefore are induced to believe, that all the grave 
 lerious leflbns they have been formerly taught con- 
 cerning God and religion, heaven and hell, are 
 all a jeft; that they are under no manner of Ob- 
 ligation to perform thole acls of piety and devo- 
 tion, which they fee univeifally neglected by thole 
 who are or ought to be, wifer and better than 
 themfelves. 
 
 I \vifh I could prevail upon thefe very, wife 
 gentlemen to confiderferioufly,how they would be 
 pleafed with their tenants and fervants if theyfhould 
 all agree to treat them with the fame contempt 
 that they do their God, if they fhould all refolve 
 together to difpute their titles to their eftates, to 
 defy their authority, and oppofe or negleft all 
 their commands. Should they plainly tell them, 
 they defpife them, and will pay them neither rent 
 nor fervice, think h >w the proud fpirit of a poor 
 little fmner would fwell under fuch a provocation, 
 who yet dares to treat his God in the very fame 
 mai.'bcr : would he not, think you, immediately 
 ducard iuch tenants and fuch fervants. and exe- 
 cute the level, ty of the law upon them ? And yet 
 fo ftupid are thefe poor creatures, Ib infatuated 
 
 with
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 65 
 
 pride and vanity, as to think: that the great Lord of 
 heaven and earth, in whofe Tight all the inhabit, mis 
 of the earth, are but as the drops of a bucket^ 01 
 dujl of a balance^ will overlook the impiety of this 
 profane generation, and never enter into judgment 
 with them for it. But let them not deceive diem- 
 felves, God will not be rmcked. They may laugh 
 and be merry as they pleafe, yet God is in earn- 
 eft : they may fleep on in their fins, but the ju- 
 ftice of God ileepeth not, but will infallibly over- 
 take them one time or other. A righteous and 
 dreadful day of account is coming, and draws 
 on apace ; when he only (hall be approved 
 and rewarded who has, with an honeit and 
 good heart, laboured diligently and faithfully in 
 the ftation which his heavenly Father hath allotteJ 
 him, and fludied in all things to keep aconfcience 
 void of offence towards God and towards man.- 
 
 When therefore the tenant is paying and the 
 landlord receiving his rent, it fhould naturally 
 fuggeft to them both, the ferious conlideration of 
 the laft great account they have both to make of the 
 feveral talents committed to their charge. The te- 
 nant mud remember that he has an account tQ 
 make up with Tils God as well as with his land- 
 lord ; and the landlord, how great foever he he, 
 that he has a landlord and mailer in heaven to whom, 
 he mufl be accountable,and according to whofe righ- 
 teous judgment, he muft expect to be happy or mi- 
 ferahle to all eternity. How can any man in his 
 fenfes reflect on this tremendous day of account, 
 without daily anil refVlute preparation for it ? 
 How ought this to be uppermoft in all our 
 thoughts, and have its juit weight in all the affairs 
 oi life ? How ought we to pray without ceafing, 
 that God would teach us Jo to number our (fays, that 
 W may apply cur hearts unto luifdonL, and at the 
 G 2 laft
 
 64 The H u S'B A N D M A N 'j 
 
 Jaft great day be able to give up our accounts with- 
 
 jny, and be juftified and glorified in the light of 
 
 C H A P. XL 
 
 Keeping the Lord's T)ay. 
 
 TTAVING gone through the feveral article?, 
 and different labours of your employment, 
 what remains but briefly to confider the duties of 
 the Sabbath which God has mercifully appointed 
 not only as a day of reft from your weekly la- 
 bours, but as a type and fymbol of that blefTed 
 Jalt&atifm cr (Jay cf reft, which he has promifed to 
 all his faithful fervants, when they fha!l reft from 
 nil their labours, Heb. iv. 9. Though the de- 
 fig n ation of one particular day (as the ieventh or 
 the iirft) feems to be pofitive, yet the fetting apart 
 iome portion of time for publick as well as private 
 devotion, feems to be of moral Obligation, and a 
 part of natural religion, and was doubtlefs as an- 
 cient as the creation it (elf. The reafon given for 
 the appointment of the feventh d^y in the fourth 
 commandment, concluded as firongly, and (if 
 poflible) more ftrongly then, than it does now ; 
 and that it was accordingly obferved from the be- 
 ginning, is more than probable, not only from the 
 nature of the thing and the reafon on which it was 
 enjoined, but from the teftimony of fcripture, 
 parricularly Exod. xvi. 23. f l'o morrow is the rcjl 
 cf ihs /j}/y fabbaib io the Lord^ and this before the 
 giving of the law in which the feventh day was ap- 
 pointed to be kept holy. This holy day, there- 
 fore, is properly and peculiarly The Lord's Day, 
 and fhould be appropriated to his fervice, by ail 
 the exercifes of public and private devotion. 
 
 By
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 65 
 
 By the neceflary labours of your employment on 
 the other fix days, your time and thoughts are too 
 much engaged in worldly affairs, to be able to 
 fpend much of it in reading, or more clofe think- 
 ing : but on this day you are happily relieved from 
 them all, that you may be at leifure to attend the 
 fervice of God, and the important inrereft of 
 eternity. On this day, therefore, you are particu- 
 larly called upon to attend the public worfhip of 
 God in the church, and to bring as many of your 
 family along with you as can be (pared from the ne- 
 ceflary labours of the houfe, to be early in your 
 attendance, that you may be prefent at the begin- 
 ning of the feivice, and join with the congre^ar- 
 tion in every part of it ; for our liturgy is a regu- 
 lar and confiftent form of devotion, every part of 
 which has a juft coherence and connection with 
 the reft, and all together make one of the nobleft 
 offices of divine worfhip that ever was ufed in th& 
 chriftian church. Every fmcere chriftian, there- 
 fore, who attends thofe religious affemblies on 
 religious principle?, muft confefs, that the ne- 
 gledting or omitting any part of the fervice, iloeD 
 in a certain degree weaken or defeat the deilgii 
 a-nd attention of the whole, and lefien or deftroy 
 the benefits and advantages we might reafonably 
 expect to receive from it. 
 
 I fpeak this to thofe few fmcere chriftians, who 
 come to church upon chriftian principles to join 
 with the congregation in a devout confeflion of 
 their manifold fins and offences againft God, and 
 to receive the benefit and comfort of abf >lution, 
 which God, by the mouth of nis minifter, dV,h 
 declare and pronounce to all them that truly rtpcnt^ 
 and unfeignedty bdifOs bis bely Gojpet: to hear or 
 read vvith de. out attention the pfalms and leilbns, 
 fcleded for our admonition and inftruclion.> to join 
 G 3 "*
 
 66 'The HUSBANDMAN 'j 
 
 in the public petitions for the graces and blefllngs 
 we ftand in need of, and thankfgivings for thole 
 we enjoy. Such as thefe will think themfelves ob- 
 liged to be prefent at the beginning of the fervice, 
 and to join in every part with fuch decency, hu- 
 mility and devotion, as a finful indigent creature 
 ought to pay to the beft and greatefl of beings, 
 from whom every good and every perfect gift 
 cometh, on whofe favour alone all our hopes of 
 happinefs depend, both in this life and that 
 which is to come. 
 
 But as for thofe who come out of fafiiion, cu- 
 ftom, or curiofity, you fee them dropping carelefly 
 in, in the midir. of the fervice, without any appear- 
 ance of devotion to God, or reverence tor his 
 fervice ; they clap themfelves down on a feat, 
 without any regard to the decent pofiures of 
 landing or kneeling in the different parts of the 
 fervice, and divert themfelves with ftaiing and ga- 
 ping about, or pehaps falling faft afleep. If cha- 
 rity itfelf can plead nothing in excufe for fuch be- 
 haviour, if they can plead nothing to juftify or 
 excufe themfelves ; how much more inexcufable 
 inufl they be, who feldom or never come at all ? 
 who make no other diftin&ion betwixt the Lord's 
 Day, and the other days of the week, than that 
 or being more at leifure to be wicked on that day 
 than any other. Charity may perhaps fuggeit fome 
 fort of apology for the lower part of mankind, who 
 may have never been taught to know their duty 
 in this point ; or if they have, yet may have been 
 feduced, by the wicked examples of their fuperi- 
 ors, to ne'.>Jecri: and defert it. Poor ignorant la- 
 bourers, who are by their Situation of liie exclud- 
 ed, in a good decree, from all thofe pleasures 
 and diverfions for which they have as keen an ap- 
 petite as their betters, will be greatly delighted to 
 
 be
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 67 
 
 be told by the 'fquire, or any other great man in the 
 parifh, that all this fun day devotion is a mere farce , 
 Intended merely for the benefit of the parfan ; that the 
 original intention was n > more than that it fhould 
 be a clay of reit and pleafure for man and beaft ; 
 for neither the one nor the other can work always, 
 they muft lye by and reft (bmetimes, and this 
 day has, by common confent, been fet apart (or 
 this ufe j which they have a right therefore, to 
 fpend in what place and in what manner they 
 pleafe; they that have a mind to go to church, 
 may j and they that had rather ftay at home and 
 drink, or play, or fleep, or walk in the fklds, or 
 any other buimefs or diverfion they fliall like bet- 
 ter, are at liberty to pleafe themielves. Now 
 when the ignorant and the filly are thus inftrucl- 
 ed, and at the fame time (ee their fuperiors ta- 
 king the fame liberties they prefcnbe, it is no h;-.rd 
 matter, to conceive that men of fmall underftand- 
 ings and ilender virtue, may be eafily feduced from 
 their duty ; to whom, therefore, we charitably 
 hope fome merciful allowances may be ma ie ': 
 but for thofe who by their wicked Perfuafions 
 and examples feduce the ignorant and filly from 
 their duty, not even the leaft fhadow of an excufe 
 can be pleaded by common fenfe, or common 
 .chanty. 
 
 To attempt to reduce thefe gentlemen to a fe- 
 rious fenie of duty, by the moft fober and candid 
 ufe of reafon, is as vain as finding to the deaf, or 
 preaching to the dead ; as the diforder lies intire- 
 ly in the corruption of their hearts - t none hut he 
 that made and fearches their hearts, is able to rec- 
 tify and cure them. But my addreis is to you, 
 my brethren, who have not yet been milled by 
 the perfuahons or examples of thefe feducers, that 
 you may nut be mified by vain words or vici- 
 ous
 
 68 *The HUSBANDMAN*.? 
 
 ous examples to your own deftruction. If thefe 
 men profefs themfelves to be chriftians, and to be- 
 lieve the fcriptures, they cannot want clear and 
 ftrong evidences of their duty in this article. 
 The obfervation of the fabbath is enjoined as an 
 indifpenfabie duty through the whole law and the 
 prophets, and the violation of it as an heinous act 
 of difobedience and rebellion againft God ; and the 
 fevcreft punifhments denounced againft it. If any 
 be fo weak or fo wicked as to declare he does not 
 fee it, he thereby plainly confefles he does not read 
 them : if he fays he knows it, he thereby confeff- 
 es he does not believe them : but if he fays he be- 
 lieves them, and yet acts in defiance of their plam- 
 eft directions, he then may be truly laid to add 
 mockery to difobedince, and impudence to re- 
 bellion. 
 
 But they will fay, perhaps, that they reject re- 
 velation of every fort and kind, and acknowledge 
 no law but that of nalure or pure deifm^ in which 
 they can find no precept for diftinctiun of days, or 
 preferring one day before another. Not to enter 
 into the reafon of the tiling, in which it is ftrong- 
 ly implied, I would afk them, if they ever heard 
 or read of any civilized nation in the gentile 
 world, in which particular ftated times for religi- 
 ous worftiip were not only not obferved, but ajfo- 
 not enjoined by the laws of their country, which 
 whofoever negle&ed or profaned, was 1 coked upon 
 as a wicked and irreligious perfon ? 'Tili fuch an 
 inftance can be produce ! , it may seafonably be 
 prefumed, that fuch a particular deiignation was 
 confidered, in the nature of things, as a necefla- 
 ry circumftance of religious worfh.p. Not to- 
 mention that one of the principles of de'ifm (it I 
 unde:ila.-i(i it right) is an cxf n-.'i compliance 
 C whether as a point of hmouf^ decency , >; >j/v/V<.v, or
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 69 
 
 convenience, I cannot determine) with the religion 
 of every country where they happen to refide, whe- 
 ther London^ Geneva, Rome or Conjlantinople ; in 
 which view, anonconforming deift muft, upon his 
 own principles, appear culpable even to himfdf. 
 God give them all repentance to the acknowledg- 
 ment of the truth and amendment of their lives, 
 that their fouls may be faved in the day of the 
 Lord Jefus. 
 
 To you, I hope I need not add more to con- 
 vince you of your duty in this article ; your regu- 
 lar and orderly attendance, every Lord's Day, at 
 leaft, is to me a comfortable aflurance that you 
 are actuated by a principle of true religion. This 
 is indeed, the principal duty of the day ; but there 
 is another article of religious fincerity, which 
 feems particularly to demand your attention on 
 this holy day of reft from your ordinary labours, 
 and that is, the fetting apart fome fmall portion 
 of the day to enter into a (tri& examination of the 
 true ftate of your fouls, in the feveral branches 
 of your duty to God and your neighbour, to exa- 
 mine yourfelves by the rule of God's command- 
 ments, whether you have done your duty, and in 
 all things endeavoured to keep a confeience void of 
 offence towards God and towards man : and if upon 
 due examination your confciences do not condemn 
 you, then you may have a reafonable and vvc-11 
 grounded confidence towards God ; biit if you 
 find yourfelves guilty of any unrepented vi 
 of your duty to God or your neighbour, that 
 then (in the language of the communion-office) 
 y'jiifhould bewail your own finfub.ej's, and to confeji 
 yourj elves to almighty GW, with full purpofe of a- 
 mendment of life ; and to make fuch feftitution and 
 fatufaii:n to your neighbours'^ for any inyiyies or 
 wrongs done ts them^ as vou yourjclves would in like 
 
 circumftances
 
 70 The HUSBANDMAN'J 
 
 circumftances expeft from them. Without this up- 
 rightnefs of heart and tendernefs of confcience, all 
 your external fervices of religion are an abomi- 
 nation to God, and will only help to incteafe your 
 damnation. You may perhaps fay, that you do 
 this conftantly before you receive the holy com- 
 munion. I hope you do : but if your heaits tell 
 you, that you do not conftantly receive it, it 
 will appear that there muft be a criminal neglect 
 of both. Were this a regular part of every Sun- 
 day's duty, and fincerely and devoutly performed, 
 as it ought to be, you would find an unfpeakable 
 advantage and fatisratlion from it, as thofe that 
 have experienced rt can teitify. But after all, 
 this is but a low degree of chriftian perfection,, 
 though I fear a very uncommon one, and there is 
 fomethino" more required to evince the reality and 
 fincerity of true religion. 
 
 True cbriftianity is a fpiritual life : a life that is 
 bid with Chri/t in God^ Col. iii. 3. The reality 
 aid power of which can only be known (as every 
 other kind of life muft be) by its fenfibility and its 
 operations. Every kind of life naturally defvres- 
 and attracts whatever is necefiary for its preierva- 
 tion, and avoids whatever may tend to hurt or 
 deftroy it ; and the higher and more noble every 
 kind of life is, the more active and vigorous are 
 its defines, perceptions, and operations, and the 
 more tender and delicate its fenfibility. If men, 
 therefore, be true chriftians, if the divine life be 
 active and vigorous in them, they could not fail 
 but hunger and thirit after that righteoufnefs of 
 God, which alone can nourifh and fupport it :. 
 they would gladly embrace every opportunity of 
 exerting that life by acts of duty and obedience 
 towards God, and of mercy and charity towards 
 men j and at the fame time have a religious dread 
 
 and
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 71 
 
 snd averfion to every thing that may be deftruc- 
 tive to themfelves, by being difpleafing to God, 
 or injurious to men. And if fuch a perlbn fhould, 
 through the violence of a temptation, and the 
 treachery of his own heart, be betrayed into any 
 criminal a6tion, it would, upon the firft recollec- 
 tion, appear to his cool reflection fo dreadful in its 
 nature and confequence, that he could have no 
 red in his foul, 'till by fincere humble repentance 
 and true contrition, he had endeavoured to make 
 his peace with God : he could no more be eafy 
 under fuch remorfe of confcience, than he could 
 with a nail fticlcing in his flefh, or a thorn in his 
 eye ; no more lye down to fleep with any unre- 
 pented guilt upon him, than he would if the houfe 
 were on fire about his ears, or he were fure to be 
 murdered before morning. The life of fuch a 
 man would be truly and properly a fpiritual life, 
 and would prevent all that confulion and embar- 
 raflinent that muft attend an undifciplined life, an 
 intermitting piety, a partial obedience. 
 
 This religious ftate of mind, this habit of de- 
 votion arifmg fr>m a rcndernefs and uprighmefs 
 of heart, and a fenfibiliiy of God's continual pie- 
 fence with us, and protection over us, is the very 
 eflence and perfection of religion : this is that 
 iC'.til.lng with God) which raifed Enoch to a ftate of 
 incorruption ; he lived under a continual and po- 
 werful fenfe of the divine presence, under a Urong 
 conviction and vital experience, that in Go,I he 
 lived, and moved, and had his being, that he 
 was the giver of all good gifts ; and the author 
 of all the bleffings he enjoyed; th.it in himfelf he 
 was nothing, and could do nothinp;, but that all 
 his fujficiency was of God, 1 Cor. iii. 5. that it was 
 therefore his whole duty and happintfs to w.:!k 
 
 bdore
 
 72 fbe HUSB ANDMAN'J 
 
 before him with an humble, loving, and obe- 
 dient heart, to avoid every appearance of evil, 
 and to labour in all things to keep a conscience void 
 of offence towards God, and towards man, Acts xxiv. 
 1 6. In his profperity, to look up to him as the 
 fo!e author of all his bleffings : in his adverfity, 
 as his only protector and deliverer, and in all the 
 changes and chances of this mortal life, never to 
 let go his faith and dependence on him. This 
 was Enochs walking with God, and therefore God 
 took him, Gen. v. 24. took him out of this world 
 to himfelf, and he was not any more feen upon 
 earth, nor were any remains of him interred 
 among the graves of his anceftors : he. did not 
 depart as others do, by a fcparation of his foul 
 from his body ; but he was taken up alive in his 
 intire pcrfon, to be happy with God in his hea- 
 venly kingdom: this God was gracioufly pleafed 
 to do, to give that wicked and unbelieving gene- 
 ration a fenfible and lively teftimony of another 
 life, and the generations to come a type of the 
 living faints, being caught up with Chrijl at the Injl 
 day, to be with him for ever, i Thefl". iv. 17. 
 
 The fame leffon of peifedlion was given by 
 God to Abraham, the father of the faithful. Walk 
 before me, and be thou perfeft ; and is directed 
 through him to all his faithful children, who are 
 partakers of the fame hope, and heirs of the fame 
 promifes, which therefore requires a particular 
 consideration. In a general fenfe, all men and 
 all creatures walk before God, becaufe no- 
 thing can be hid from the immenfity of his pre- 
 fence, and in him, and by him all things fubfift : 
 but we are not truly faid to be prefent with him ; 
 but when we think on him, and attend to his 
 prefence : neither is the bare thought and atten- 
 tion fufficient, unlefs it be animated with devo- 
 tion,
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 73 
 
 tion, reflation air! love. Philofophers, wicked 
 men, and evil fpitits walk before God, and even 
 think upon him, and reafon about him, but are 
 fpiriiuaity far irom him, receive no benefit nor 
 comfort from his prefence. Xhe one clifputes 
 about his nature, attributes and government, 
 the others contradict, and the others blaf*- 
 pheme : but this is rot that pretence of God, 
 that can crive us any comfort, or lead us to per- 
 fection ; for, as I faid before, we then only can 
 be faid to walk before him in a proper and agree- 
 able manner, when we walk with a loving atten- 
 tion to his will, a delight in his fervice, and an 
 intire truft and confidence in his mercy and pro- 
 vidence, like that of a dutiful and affectionate 
 child in the prefence of an indulgent father, whom 
 he regards with an inexpreffible tendernefs, takes 
 a delight in converting with him, hearkening to 
 his counfels, receiving his commands, which he 
 executes with fidelity, alacrity, and joy : fuch alfo 
 is the prefence of faithful and affectionate lovers 
 and friends, whofe hearts and interefts are united 
 by an intire affection ; they need no monitors to 
 direcl: their converfation, no rules or meafures to 
 be prefcribed for the regulation and exercife of 
 their love ; but in general, they find an inexpref- 
 fihle pleafure in being together, and an infup- 
 poi table anguifh in reparation. 
 
 I fhall illuflrate this by a familiar inftance, of 
 which common fenfe and experience Ihall be judges. 
 Suppofe any of you was confined as a prifoner 
 under the cuftody of an indulgent keeper, who 
 fhould lay you under no other than lee;al rc- 
 ftraints, only confining you frum the fi^ht and 
 converiation of your beloved friends : he would 
 fomccimes iuhcr you to rake the frcib air j but 
 H always
 
 74 
 
 always in his company, and under his eye : h 
 might endeavour to amufe you, and divert you 
 melancholy, by fhewing you Tome of the beau 
 ties or cutiofittes of the country, or telling yo 
 feme diverting or entertaining ftory : think wha '. 
 confidence, what affection, what enjoyment coul j 
 either of you tafte in fi.'ch a converfation ; wha ! 
 ]ea!oufy and diftruft mull he always have toward 
 you, and with what fecret anxiety and averfioi 
 would you look upon him ; how often would yoi 
 be forced to hold an infipid difagreeable converfa 
 tion with him, whilft your heart was full, am 
 your eyes overflowing with tendernefs for you 
 abfent friends. You would gladly make you 
 efcape, but know it is impoffible ; he watche 
 you with a jealous eye, and never fuffers you t< 
 be out of his fight, till he has brought you bacl 
 again to your cell ; there he locks you up witl 
 as much caution as he would his moil valuabl 
 treafure : and, in the midft of all this, thougl 
 you fhould want none of the necefTary refrefh- 
 ments of life, yet would your condition be al 
 moft as bad as death itfelf. And whence doe 
 this proceed, but from the want of that mutua 
 love and tender affe&ion, which is the life of to- 
 ciety, the foul of friendfhip ? Where there is nc 
 love, there can be no enjoyment ; friendfhi{ 
 without it is an empty name -, good breeding anc 
 comDlaifance are but polite hypocrify, that difte. 
 as w'idely from the fentiments of a warm and af- 
 fectionate heart, as a fhadow from the fubftance 
 as light from darknels : we fay what we do noi 
 think, we profefs to love what we inwardly de- 
 fpifs or hate ; we fubmit and ferve as flaves, onl^ 
 becaufe we cannot help it. Such is the ttate o 
 all wicked men with God ! 
 
 Though
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 75 
 
 Though they cannot be hid from his prefence, 
 lor in any degree conceal tbemfelves from him, 
 or he is about their path^ and about their led^ and 
 pietb out nil their ivays^ Pfal. cxxxix. 2. There is 
 jo darknefs nor Jhadow of death, where the workers 
 if iniquity can hide tbemfehes. Job xxxv. 22. yet 
 'they can have no joy nor comfort in his prefence : 
 they fecredy wifli there were none at all, and in 
 their fanguine fits of infidelity, endeavour to per- 
 fuade one another, that there really is none ; yet 
 when they come to be fober, they find all nature 
 gives them the lie, and forces upon them irrefiiti- 
 ble proofs to the contrary : and as this conviction 
 is forced upon them, in fpite of all their fecret 
 wifh.es to efcape it : they regard him no other- 
 wife than as a malicious fpy upon their actions, 
 who checks their warmeft inclinations and appe- 
 tites for pleafure, and dafhes all their fweetcft 
 enjoyments with gall and wormwood : they would 
 be glad to fly from Him ; but all in vain. He is 
 every where prcfent to them ; and by the voice of 
 nature and corifcience proclaims with the voice of 
 thunder, that he is the maker and governor of 
 the world, and will at laft bring them into judg- 
 ment, and render to every man according to his 
 works. Under this perplexity of mind, the only 
 refuge they have is to labour to forget him, and 
 fhut the difagrecable remembrance out of their 
 thoughts : and this is vainly attempted by noife 
 and laughter, by madnefs and folly ; they endea- 
 vour to drown their fears in wine, and, like Sau! t 
 to allay the evil fpirit with mufic, or to deface 
 the remembrance of old fins, by the commifiion 
 of new ones. Vain attempt ! Some little relief 
 may poffibly be found this way, by people of 
 robuft health, high fpirits, and an ca'y fortune, 
 who can command and enjoy thofe delufive amuie- 
 ments; but, alas ! they will find that thefe wretch- 
 H 2 cd
 
 76 The HUSBANDMAN *s 
 
 ed frolics, like the habit of drinking drains, 
 though they feem to cheer and elevate the fpirits 
 for the prefent, do, in the end, more effectually 
 anr fatally deprefs them : in fpite of all their en- 
 deavours, the tormentor will return, confcience 
 will be heard, and revenge the repeated affronts 
 to its impartial authority, with louder cries, and 
 more afflicting anguifh ; in fhort, it will be in 
 Tain to expect the effect will ceafe till the caufe is 
 removed j in vain will they fpeak peace to them- 
 fclves, or hope to procure it by amufements and 
 pleafures, till they return into the ways of truth 
 and peace, by fmcere repentance and amendment 
 of life ; for fad experience, as well as reafon and 
 fcripture, aiTure us, that there *V, there can be no 
 peace to the wicked, Ifa. Ivii. 61. And they them- 
 ielves confefs it openly to the world, by the ridicu- 
 lous methods they take to conceal it. The true 
 peace, and heart-felt joy, are fedate and ferious 
 things, not to be tailed but in the cool and 
 calm of life, in retirement and recollection, 
 which, to the men of pleafure (as they are falfly 
 called) are not only infipid, but infupportable : 
 hence you find thefe men never eafy but in a 
 crowd and a hurry ; always upon the ftrctch for 
 new diverfions and amufements, like froward 
 children for new play-things ; any thing to mur- 
 cler time, and cool reflection, to relieve the in- 
 fupportable burden of folitude and fober think- 
 ing. Whatever, therefore, tends to awaken in 
 them the dreadful remembrance of God, and the 
 terrors of death and judgment, is regarded v/ith 
 horror and averfion. Books of piety and devo- 
 tion, places and offices of public worfhip, they 
 fhun, as things or places infected with the plague; 
 the converfation and friendfhip of pious and re- 
 ligious men, they avoid as infolvent debtors do 
 
 their
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 77 
 
 their creditors, who are teazing them with de- 
 mands, which they are not able or willing to fa- 
 tisfy. Such is the prefence of God to every 
 wicked man ! 
 
 How different is the {rate and behaviour of the 
 true chriiViarc and lover of God ! to him the pre- 
 fence of God is a perpetual iburce of happine/s 
 and joy. He beholds him in all the different 
 ftates and circumftances of life as his merciful 
 creator and preferver, his beft benefactor, his 
 trucft friend, his compaffionate father : thefe va- 
 rious titles and relations, founded on infinite 
 goodnefs, wifdom, and power, awaken in him 
 every tender fentiment of gratitude, devotion, and 
 love. He knows that the one great and only 
 bufmefs he has in this world, is to engage his 
 favour and protection, by a dutiful and affec- 
 tionate obedience to his will ; becaufe all his 
 hopts and expectations of happinefs, both here 
 ar.d hereafter, depend folelyupon it; and therefore 
 makes it his chief and only concern, amicift all 
 the changes and chances of this mortal life. 
 When he is alone, retired from the prefence and 
 converfation of mankind, he confiders himfelf in 
 the prefence of the beft of beings, the father of 
 mercies, and God of all companion, to whom he 
 pours out the overflowings of a tender and devout 
 fpirit, and receives fuch returns of inward peace 
 and comfort, as the xvorld can neither give nor 
 take away. When buftnefs and company call 
 him from his folitude, and engage him in the ne- 
 ceffary affairs of life, he acts regularly, without 
 hurry or dillraclioa ; and in ail the different 
 fcenes of bufinefs and converfation through which 
 he paffcs, takes fpecial care never to facrifice the 
 innocency of his mind, nor the peace of his con- 
 H 3 fcience,
 
 7# The HUSBANDMAN 'j 
 
 fcience, to any worldly intereft, bafe deftgns, or 
 unworthy proilitution to other mens follies and 
 vices. If he profper in the world, and enjoy the 
 cofnforts and bleffings of life, he fees and bleffes 
 the hand of God that beftows them ; he abufes 
 not his plenty, by riot and intemperance ; nor 
 exalts himfelf above others, on account of his 
 being richer or greater than they j but knows, 
 and confiders well, that his fortune, his health, 
 his friends, and all that he has or can hope for, 
 are the fole gift of God ; and therefore makes a 
 right ufe of them, and enjoys them with humi- 
 lity, gratitude, and charity. If the world frown 
 upon him,, and florins of adverfity overtake him ; 
 if wicked men, or wicked fpirits afflict or opprefs 
 him, here alfo he fees and acknowledges the 
 mighty hand of God, who, for wife reafons of 
 providence, fuffers him to be afflicted for a fea- 
 ibn, either for the puniftiment of his fins, or the 
 trial of his faith and patience, to purify his foul, 
 and difpofc him for forne greater good, either here 
 or hereafter. Tea, though. be'jvalk through the val- 
 ley of the Jbadow of death , yet be fears no evil ; 
 becaufe God is with him, his rod and his ft aff com- 
 fort him y Pfal.xxiii. 14. For it is an infallible rule, 
 that whatever happens to a rejlgned foul in every mo- 
 went sf life, whatever crojjes or ajfiiflisns be fuffers + 
 either from wicked fpirits^ wicked men, or natural 
 cttufesy they arc the fenftble effects, of the will of God 
 towards him, and of 'that fpecial providence^ by 
 which the very hairs, of our head are all mwiltrcd^ 
 Matt, x. 30. This is fo univerfally true, that (ex- 
 cepting our own fins) whatever happens to us 
 even by the fins of others, is the manifeft will of 
 God concerning us. Thus when holy Job was, 
 for the trial of his faith and patience, by God's 
 abandoned for a ftafon* as to his tem- 
 poral
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 7 -q 
 
 poral concerns, to the malice of the evil fpirit, 
 who had reduced him to the loweft decree of po- 
 verty and mifery ; the good man overlooked, as 
 it were, the malice of the evil fpirit, and the 
 barbarity of the plunderers, who had deftroyed 
 his cattle and murdered his fervants ; but fixed 
 his whole attention on the providence of God, 
 without whofe perraiflion he knew, that neither 
 men nor devils could hurt him : The Lord gave, 
 and the Lord hath taken aivay ; blejjed be the name of 
 tic Lord, Job i. 21. So alfo we read, 2 Sam. xvi. 
 10. that when Sbirnei curled David, and loaded 
 him with bitter reproaches, the good king con- 
 fidered not the impudence of the reviler, fuf- 
 fered not his fervants to punifh him as he dc- 
 ferved ; but fubmitted all to the will of God, 
 who had permitted an outrageous villain thus to 
 infult and abufe him. So let him curfe (fays he) 
 becaufe the Lord hath faid unto him, curfe David : 
 who then /hall Jay wherefore has thou done Jo ? 
 And our blefied Lord himfelf calls his own facred 
 paflion, though contrived and executed by the 
 extreme wickednefs of men, a cup which his fa- 
 ther had given him to drink. The cup (fays he) 
 which rny father has given me y Jhall I not drink it ? 
 John xviii. n. 
 
 This happy ftate of mind naturally produces 
 an habit of devotion, as eafily acquired as the 
 common means of procuring the neccfTaries of 
 life. A devout man, under any fenfe of guilt or 
 infirmity, any prefTure or fear of evil, as natu- 
 rally flies to the throne of grace for relief and 
 comfort, as a hungry child runs to his parent for 
 food, a fick man to his phyfician for help, or a 
 man in diftrefs implores the aififtance of his friend 
 for iupport or deliverance. This is truly walking
 
 So *rhe HUSBANDMAN *s 
 
 with God) this is the path that leadeth to perfec- 
 tion ; fuch was the religion of Abel^ En~<ch, A'</<?/>, 
 Job) and all the holy men of old, the heroes of 
 faith, celebrated by the author to the .Hebrews^ 
 chap. xi. who firmly believed In GW, and that be 
 was a rewarder of all fuch as diligently fcek him. 
 To fuch a man every day is a fabbath, and every 
 place is a temple : fo faith the devout Thomas a 
 Kempis, Book II. chap. i. He that knows how to 
 ^calk imvardly with GW, in abftraflion from earthly 
 things ) will never be at a lofs for times and plates 
 of devotion ; for in fpirit he prayeth without 
 ceafing. 
 
 As therefore your necefiary occupations keep 
 you in a great meafure from the ufe of fpintual 
 books, and conftant attendance on the public fcr- 
 vice of the church, efpccially on the week days, 
 here you are in a peculiar fituation engaged in 
 fuch labours only as leave your heads and hearts, 
 if devoutly and icligioufly difpofed, quite at li- 
 berty for the nobJeft exerciles of this inward and 
 fpiritual worfhip. When you are following your 
 plough, your flocks, or your herds, you will find 
 no difficulty in thinking upon God, the author of 
 all your bleffings, and devoting yourfelves to his 
 fervice : when you behold your fields fmilingwith 
 plenty, your flocks and herds increafing with 
 piofperity and fucccfs in all your labours j you 
 cannot help re membring that it is God that bkfles 
 the feed fown, that fends the former and the lat- 
 ter rain upon the earth ; it is he alone that multi- 
 plies your flocks and your herds, that makes your 
 oxen Jirong to labour ', and Jujfcrs not your cattle ta 
 decrttijc, that gives you health and flrength to 
 labour, and rejoice in all the works of your 
 hands : to him therefore, evejy article of your 
 
 employment
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. Hi 
 
 employment ditc6b your devout attention and 
 dutiful obedience. St. Jerome, in one of his 
 epiftles, telis us, that in the country where he 
 lived, there was nothing more common than to 
 hear the poor illiterate people linking divine and 
 fpirit.ual hymns, inftead of idle and wanton 'bngs, 
 which vitiate and corrupt the mind : you could not 
 go into the fields, but you would hear tie ploughman 
 at his hallelujahs, the mower at bis hymns, and the 
 ulne-drtjjer finging David'j pfalrns ; for this is 
 rtJly no more than the plain and natural motion 
 of a devout and religious heart ; it is not confined 
 to particular times, or places, or offices of life ; 
 it requires no hard ftudy, or deep learning ; it 
 depends not on fine parts, dr a clear head ; but 
 the moft illiterate and fimple perfon, with a de- 
 vout and honft heart, and a will refigned to 
 God, is as capable of it as the moft learned man 
 in the world ; and indeed much more fo, as our 
 Lord himfelf has teftified, Mat. xi. 25. I thank 
 thee, Father, Lord of heaven -and earth ; becaufe. 
 thou hajl hid thefe things from the ivife and prudent, 
 and ha/1 revealed them unto babes ; even fo, Fathcr y 
 for fo it feemed good in thy fight. 
 
 The moft remarkable inftance of this kind 
 that I have met with in modern ftory, is that of 
 a poor fervant-maid, in a noble family in France, 
 whofe life was written in French by an eminent 
 perfon (I think a bifhop) it has had feveral im- 
 preffions, and been tranflated into moft of the 
 modern languages, under the title of The good 
 Armdle. She could neither write nor read ; but 
 gave this account of herfelf to the perfon who 
 wrote her life.* 
 
 * Extratc<3 frem p.:rt ii. c. 18. of the Cologn edition, 1704. thi 
 only part of it was tranflated into En^lifrj, by way of fpecimen. 
 
 " As
 
 82 Tbe HUSBANDMAN'.? 
 
 "As foon as I wake in the morning (faith file) 
 " I throw myfeif into the arms of my heavenly 
 " Lo r ue 9 as a child does into the arms of his fa- 
 " ther. I rife with a defign to ferve and pleafe 
 " him ; and if I have time to pray, I fall upon 
 " my knees, in his holy prefence, and fpeak to 
 *' him, as if I really faw him with my bodily 
 " eyes. I give up myfeif wholly to him, and de- 
 " fire him to fulfil all his holy will in me ; and 
 " that he would not fuffer me that day to do the 
 " leaft thing which might be offenfive to him : 
 4 ' then I recommend to him all the prayers which 
 " fhall be made that day. In fhort, I love and 
 <{ praife him as much and as long as my affairs 
 '* permit, though very often I have hardly fo 
 " much time as to fay the Lord's- prayer ; but I 
 " do not trouble myfeif about that, for I have 
 c< God always in my heart, as well when I am 
 " about my bufinefs, which I do in obedience to 
 " his will, as when I retire on purpofe to pray to 
 " him. 
 
 " I drefs myfeif in his prefence, and he fhew- 
 " eth me that his love fupplies me with ray- 
 " ment : and when I go about my bufinefs, even 
 " then doth he not forfake me, nor I him; but 
 " he converfeth with me, and I with him ; yea, 
 *' I am as much united to him, as when I am at 
 *' my prayers. O how fweetandeafy is all labour 
 '* in fuch good company ! Sometimes I perceive 
 " fuch ftrength and fupport in my mind, that 
 " i^othing is too hard for me, and 1 think myfeif 
 *' alone able to manage the affairs of the whole 
 *' family ; nothing but the body is at work, the 
 " heart and myfeif burn with love, in the fvveet 
 <{ familiarity I entertain with God. 
 
 I
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 83 
 
 * I eat and drink in his prefence, as I do 
 every thing elfe ; and it is as if I dip every bit 
 " into the precious blood of my Saviour, and as 
 ." if he himfelf gave me food, on purpofe to 
 " inflame my love, and to engage it the more 
 " to himfelf. 
 
 " When I am about my bufmefs in the day- 
 " time, running up and down, till the body 
 " begins to be weary, or to repine, or to defire 
 ** unfeafonable reft, being opprefTcd with anger 
 " or uneafmefs ; my divine love enlighteneth me 
 " forthwith, and fheweth me, how I ought to 
 " fupprefs thofe irregular motions of corrupt 
 " nature, not encouraging them, either byword 
 " or deed. This love keeps the door of my lips, 
 " and watches over my heart, that it may not 
 " in the leaft contribute to fuch rebellious paf- 
 " fions, which thus are cruftied and fubdued as 
 " foon as they rife. 
 
 " But if at any time, for want of ca're, I am 
 *' fuprized with thefe or the like faults, I cannnot 
 * { be at reft till I have obtained pardon, and God 
 " is reconciled to me. I lye proftrate before his 
 " footftool confeffing all my faults to him, as if 
 " he did not know them already; and there I 
 " continue till he has forgiven me, renewed his 
 " friendship with me, and confirmed it more than 
 " before; for fo it always happens, through his 
 " infinite mercy, whenever I have committed a 
 u fault, which ferves but to inflame my heart 
 " more and more with his divine love : if people 
 " raife fcandals upon me, or any other way af- 
 " flicl me, or evil fpints attack me with their 
 " temptations, and caft their fiery darts at me, I 
 3 " pre-
 
 84 The HUSB ANDMAN'J 
 
 " prefently run to my heavenly love, who ftretch- 
 " es forth his arms to receive me, mowing his* 
 " heait and wounds open for my fecurity, in 
 " whi( h I hide myfelf, as in a ilrong caitle or 
 fortrefs ; and then I am fo mightily ftrengthen- 
 ed, that ir" the ".hole army of hell itfelf, toge- 
 ther with all the creatures, mould come agayift 
 me, I fear them no more than a fly ; becaufe 
 I am under the protection of the moft high God, 
 " the Lord of Holts. 
 
 " Many times I leave all, retiring into a cor- 
 " ner, giving vent to the tears and praifcs due to 
 " his majefty, wherewith my heart is overcharg- 
 " ed ; and this I may do very well, fmce it is not 
 *' the mere fenfe of his kindnefs ; but rather him- 
 " felf that I defire to enjoy, though, in the mean 
 < time, one ought thankfully to receive thofe ex- 
 " traordinary tokens of God's mercy and love, if 
 " it be his holy will fo to deal with us. 
 
 " If I am perfuaded on holidays to be merry 
 " in company, 1 excufe myfelf; for nothing can 
 " be compared to the pleafures of my love, which 
 <c are fo much the fweeter and greater for my 
 " withdrawing from all company whatfoever : if 
 < l they wonder how I can ftay always at home 
 " alone, I think within myfelf, O ! if you knew 
 11 the glorious company I have, you would not 
 " fay that I was alone ; for I am never lefs alone 
 " than when I have no body with ma. 
 
 " After this manner I fpend not only working 
 days, but holidays too, being often as much 
 < employed in the latter as in the former: but 
 that is no hindrance to me, to whom labour 
 ' and reft, hard work and eafy, all things are in- 
 different, fmce I do not look: u;>on what I have 
 " to do, but upon him for whole lake 1 do it. 
 
 44 But
 
 Spiritual COMPANION. 85* 
 
 " But if I do any thing amifs, or out offeafon,, 
 " I feel a violent pain and forrow for my offence : 
 " I humble myfeJf before God, and endeavour 
 " prefentiy to recover myfelf, that thinking of it 
 *' no more, I may move ftrait forward on my 
 *' way, turning afide neither to the right hand; 
 " nor to the left; neither do I remember what is 
 " paft or to come, but only that I may love God 
 " to the utmoft of my power. 
 
 " The night coming on, and every one- going 
 " to reft, I find reft only in the arms of divine 
 *' love j I fleep leaning on his holy breaft, like a 
 " child on his mother's bofom : I fay, I go to fleep; 
 " but I am bufied about the love and praifes of 
 " my God, till I fall quite afleep. Many times 
 " this love roufeth up all my fenfes, fo that I can- 
 " not fleep the greateft part of the night : but I 
 " fpend it in the embraces of the lovely grace of 
 " God, which never forfakes fuch a poor mifera- 
 " ble creature as I am ; but preferves me with a 
 " fpecial care in every ftate and condition of life.. 
 
 " When the fpirits of darknefs attempt to tor- 
 " ment me, and difturb my fleep (which fome- 
 " times happeneth) this divine love guards me, 
 " and driveth them away : yea, it giveth me 
 *' ftrength to refift them couras;ioufly, as if I 
 " were awake ; for they feldom continue long to- 
 " torment me, unlefs it be in rny fleep. 
 
 ** This fort of life I have led for thefe twenty 
 " years paft, etc" 
 
 What a blefled ftate of life did this poor good 
 creature enjoy ! in comparifon of this, how mean, 
 and contemptible are all the pleasures, and glories, 
 and pride of life, which the idle and the indolent, 
 the ambitious and covetous, fo eagerly purfue ? 
 And yet this is no more than the pooreft, and 
 moft ignorant pcrfon among us may obtain, if our 
 I hearts
 
 86 tfhe H u s B A N D M A N'J 
 
 hearts be right., and cur intentions pure. The 
 rood Spirit of God is continually calling and in- 
 treating us to be good, in order to be happy : be 
 CL fires and labours by the outward means o( grace, 
 
 his irr.vard operations, to conquer the cor- 
 ruptions of our nature, and fill us with his fancl- 
 ifying graces, which lie is always ready to com- 
 municate to tro.b who arc willing to receive them. 
 This our Lord himielf" h'-is declared in numberlels 
 jplaces of fcripture. Blrjjtd c.re they that iiuxger 
 *nd I igbttoujaefS} fof they Jl all be filled, 
 
 /.lact. v. 6. So again ch. vii. n. If y.e thai are 
 <-r//, knew bow 10 give gccd gifts to your cbil- 
 ::ucb mere faall your father which is in 
 heaven^ give gccd things to them that afk him ? 
 which St. Luke explains ; by giving the Holy Spirit 
 /j them thai ctlikim. Luke xi. 13. And again, Rev. 
 i:i. 2O. Behold I jland at the door antiknock; if 
 tiny wan bear my 1'iice^ and open the door, I ^l'l!l 
 come in to /.'/?, and fttp with him, and he icitb me. 
 Kvtn fo come, Lord Jefus, into all our hearts, and 
 fo conftai'tiv dwell with us liere by thy grace, 
 - may never be feparated from thy glory. 
 
 : ppy flate of mind can in ibnje good 
 degrtV be attained, and if once attrined, will 
 hardly be ever left off; I would caineftly recom- 
 mend this funchy's excercife as greatly conducing 
 t.o ir, wiih the exerciie of private devotion, read- 
 
 the Scriptures and other pro id books, or ueligi- 
 ous convcri'itiuii with Your neighbours, or farni- 
 IJes, alvvavs concluding the day (as a good man 
 .ftioi." c prayers in ycuir 
 
 fam;.. int which i cannot dif- 
 
 mifo with 
 
 chriftian ;. = -red as fo many 
 
 fervants of God, united under one ':. 
 have all fome common bkiUngs to a(k, ibraecom-
 
 Spirit ud COMPANION. 87 
 
 mon dangers to fear, fome common mercies to' 
 give thanks for ; therefore the governor of it 
 fliould call together as many as can be at leifure, 
 .ft twice a day, in the morning and the even- 
 and by hirnfelf, or fome one of the family, 
 oiler up their prayers for what they want, and 
 their thankfgivings for what they enjoy. Bur, 
 alas ! I have reafon to fear that in too many fa- 
 milies it is never pracYifed at all, to the eternal 
 fcandal and reproach of thoie who neglect it ; for 
 prayer is not only a principal part of divine fervice, 
 but a. necefiary one too, as it both engages and 
 enables us to perform the other parts of it ; and 
 where this is omitted, it is fcarce to be expected 
 that the reft fhould be performed. And now, how 
 dreadful a fight muft it be to any ferious confide- 
 rate chriftian, to fee a family feparate in an even- 
 ing without the leaft appearances of chriftian de- 
 votion, and meet again the next morning, like 
 the other animals of the family, only to be fed, 
 without any thought of gratitude to almighty God 
 for his paft mercies, or any petition for his mer- 
 ciful protection for the future ? In fhort it is a 
 . deplorable obfervation, that Family Dtivoticn, and 
 "act before and after meat, are grooving 
 irrangely out ef fafhion among thofe who are cal- 
 led-greatfolfo, and the better fort ofpeoplt. St:. 
 infatuation ! monftrous ingratitude ! that 
 who by the peculiar indulgence of heaven, 
 the greateft fhare of worklly profpe: 
 forget the hand that bdtows it, refufe the poor 
 returns of a thankful heart, and neglect to beg 
 his bleflinp u;>on it. Thefe are fad ir:, 
 a ! v , -.vhich is vifibly fjre.idi;. 
 
 e among the children of difobeJ' 
 Jiut of you, my dear friends, give me leave to 
 hope better //^/'^v, tbwgb I thus j'ptak, and , 
 
 that
 
 V, &C. 
 
 /Zvrt accompany fdhation, Heb. vi. 9. Let me 
 befcech you, as an affectionate friend, let me con- 
 jure you, in God's name, as your minifter and 
 his fervant, to remember your high and heavenly 
 calling in Chrift Jefus; and as you expect his 
 blefiing here, and everlafting happinefs hereafter, 
 to begin and end every day with prayers in your 
 families, as well as in your clofets : and let the 
 chriftian Sabbath, in a peculiar manner, be kept 
 holy to the Lord, for it is his day. Many are the 
 bleflings promifed to thofe that religioufly obferve 
 it, and many are the curfes denounced againft 
 thofe that profane it. Be not ye of the number 
 of thofe enemies of the Lord defcribed by the pro- 
 phet, Lam. i. 7. who mock at his fabbaths. Nei- 
 ther turn your backs on the ajjemblies of the faints,, 
 as the manner of feme is t Heb. x. 45. But fo 
 fanclify the Lord's Sabbath here, by your devout 
 attendance on the affembly of the church militant 
 
 , here on earth, that you niay be thought worthy 
 to be admitted into the general aj/embly and church 
 cfthefirft born which are written in heaven^ Heb. xii. 
 23. and for ever enjoy that everlafting reft that is 
 
 referved in heaven for the people of God, Heb. iv. 9. 
 
 FINIS.
 
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 date stamped below. 
 
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