Husbandry Spiritualized — Chapter 4

Corn land must neither be too fat, nor poor?

The middle state suits best with Christians sure.

OBSERVATION.

Husbandmen find by experience, that their arable lands may be drafted too much, as well as too little. If the soil be over rank, the seed shoots up so much into the stalk, that it seldom ears well; and if too thin and poor, it wants its due nutriment, and comes not to perfection. Therefore their care is to keep it in heart, but not to overdress or underdress it. The end of all their cost and pains about it is fruit; and therefore reason tells them, that such a state and temperament of it, as best fits it for fruit, is best both for it and them.

APPLICATION.

And does not spiritual experience teach Christians, that a mediocrity and competency of the things of this life, best fits them for the fruits of obedience, which is the end and excellency of their beings? A man may be over-mercied as well as over afflicted. Rare fumant foelicibus arae, the altars of the rich seldom smoke. When our outward enjoyments are by providence shaped and fitted to our condition, as a suit is to the body, that fits close and neat, neither too curt nor long; we cannot desire a better condition in this world. This was it that wise Agur requested of God (Proverbs 30:8-9): Give me neither poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny you and say who is the Lord, or lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Against both he prays equally, not absolutely; that had been his sin, but comparatively and submissively to the will of God. He had rather, if God see it fit, to avoid both these extremes; but what would he have then? Why food convenient. Or, according to the Hebrew, give me my prey or statute bread; which is a metaphor from birds that fly up and down to prey for their young, and what they get they distribute among them; they bring them enough to preserve their lives, but not more than enough to lie mouldering in the nest. Such a proportion Agur desired; and the reason why he desired it, is drawn from the danger of both the extremes. He measured (like a wise Christian) the conveniency or inconveniency of his estate in the world, by its suitableness or unsuitableness to the end of his being; which is the service of God. He accounted the true excellency of his life to consist in its reference and tendency to the glory of his God; and he could not see how a redundancy or too great a penury of earthly comforts, could fit him for that, but a middle estate equally removed from both extremes, best fitted that end. And this was all that good Jacob, who was led by the same spirit, looked at (Genesis 28:20): And Jacob vowed a vow saying, if God will be with me, and keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. Poor Jacob, he desires no great matters in the world, food and clothing will satisfy him; in spiritual things his desires are boundless; he is the most greedy and unsatisfied man in the world (Hosea 12:4); but in the matters of this life, if he can get from God but [reconstructed: offa et aquam], a morsel of meat, and a mouthful of water, he will not envy the richest Croesus or Crassus upon earth. Meat and drink are the riches of Christians — [reconstructed: Divitiae sunt ad legem naturae compositae paupertas] (says Pomponius Attius) — riches are such a poverty or mediocrity as has enough for nature's uses; and such a state is best accommodated, both to the condition and to the desires of a saint.

First, to his condition, for what is a saint but a stranger and pilgrim upon earth, a man in a strange country travelling homeward? So David professed himself (Psalm 119:19): I am a stranger in this earth. And so those worthies, who are now at home in heaven (Hebrews 11:13), they professed themselves to be strangers and pilgrims upon earth, and to seek a country; a viaticum contents a traveller, he will not cumber himself with superfluous things which would rather clog and tire, than expedite and help him in his journey.

It suits best with his desires, I mean his regular and advised desires. For,

A gracious soul earnestly desires a free condition in the world, he is sensible he has much work to do, a race to run, and is loath to be clogged or have his foot in the snare of the cares or pleasures of this life. He knows that fullness exposes to wantonness and irreligion (Deuteronomy 6:12; Hosea 13:6). It is hard, in the midst of so many tempting objects, to keep the golden bridle of moderation upon the affections. The heart of a Christian, like the Moon, commonly suffers an eclipse when it is at the full, and that by the interposition of the earth.

It was Solomon's fullness that drew out and dissolved his spirits, and brought him to such a low ebb in spirituals, that it remains a question with some, whether he ever recovered it to his dying day. As it is the misery of the poor to be neglected of men, so it is the misery of the rich to neglect God. Who can be poorer than to have the world, and love it? Or richer, than to enjoy but little of it, and live above it?

And on the other side, extreme poverty is no less exposed to sin and danger (Leviticus 6:2-4). As high and lofty trees are subject to storms and tempests, so the lowest shrubs to be browsed on by every beast: and therefore, a saint desires a just competency as the fittest, because the freest estate.

A gracious person desires no more but a competency, because there is most of God's love and care discovered in giving in our daily bread, by a daily providence. It is between such a condition, and a fullness of creature-provisions in our hand, as it was between Egypt and Canaan; Egypt was watered with the foot from the River Nile, and little of God was seen in that mercy; but Canaan depended upon the dews and showers of heaven; and so, every shower of rain was a refreshing shower to their souls, as well as bodies. Most men that have a stock of creature-comforts in their hands, look upon all as coming in an ordinary natural course, and see very little of God in their mercies. Pope Adrian built a College at Lovain, and caused this inscription to be written, in letters of gold on the gates thereof; Trajectum plantavit, Lovanium rigavit, Caesar dedit incrementum — (that is) Utrecht planted me, Lovain watered me, and Caesar gave the increase. One to reprove his folly, wrote underneath, Hic Deus Nihil fecit; Here God did nothing. Carnal men, they sow, and reap, and eat, and look no farther.

But now, when a man sees his mercies come in by the special and assiduous care of God for him, there is a double sweetness in those mercies; the natural sweetness which comes from the creature itself, every one, even the beasts can taste that as well as you; but besides that, there is a spiritual sweetness, far exceeding the former, which none but a believer tastes: and much of that comes from the manner in which he receives it, because it comes (be it never so coarse or little) as a covenant mercy to him. He has given bread to them that fear him, he is ever mindful of his covenant (Psalm 111:5). Luther, who made many a meal upon a broiled herring, was wont to say, Mendicato pane hic vivamus, an non hoc [reconstructed: pulchre] sarcitur in eo, quod pascimur pane cum angelis & vita aeterna, Christo & Sacramentis; Let us be content with coarse fare here, have we not the bread that came down from heaven? Do we not feed with angels; a pregnant instance of the sweetness of such mercies is given us by a worthy divine of our own, Mr. Isaac Ambrose: For my own part (says he) however the Lord has seen cause to give me but a poor pittance of outward things (for which I bless his name) yet in the income thereof, I have many times observed so much of his peculiar providence, that thereby they have been very much sweetened, and my heart has been raised to admire his grace. When of late under a hard dispensation (which I judge not fit to mention, wherein I suffered with inward peace conscientiously) all streams of usual supplies being stopped, the waters of relief for myself and family did run low. I went to bed with some staggerings and doubtings of the fountains letting out its [reconstructed: felt] for our refreshing, but before I did awake in the morning, a letter was brought to my bedside, which was signed by a choice friend, Mr. Anthony Ash, which reported some unexpected breakings out of God's goodness for my comfort. There are some of his lines — Your God, who has given you a heart thankfully to record your experiences of his goodness, does renew experiences for your encouragement. Now I shall report one which will raise your spirit towards the God of your mercy, etc. Whereupon he sweetly concludes, One morsel of God's provision, (especially if it come unexpected, and upon prayer, when wants are most) will be more sweet to a spiritual relish, than all former full enjoyments were.

Many mercies come unasked for, and they require thankfulness; but when mercies come in upon prayer, and as a return of prayer, their sweetness more than doubles; for now it is both God's blessing upon his own institution, and a seal set to his promise at once (Psalm 66:16-17). Doubtless Hannah found more comfort in her Samuel, and Rachel in her Naphtali, (the one being asked of God, and the other wrestled for with God as their names import) than mothers ordinarily do in their children.

Reflections.

Do the people of God desire only so much of the creature as may fit them for the service of God; what a wretch then am I that have desired only so much of religion as may fit me to gain the creature! As God's people have subjected all their creature enjoyments to religion, so oppositely, O my soul, you have subjected religion to your worldly interest and designs. Instead of eating and drinking to serve God, I have served God that I might eat and drink; indeed, I have not only acted below religion, but below reason also; for reason dictates plainly, that the means must never be more excellent than the end. Wretch that I am, to make religion a slave to my lust, a stirrup to advancement, an artifice to carry on my carnal designs, verily I have my reward; and this is all the good I am ever like to get by it.

And no less should the worldling tremble, to consider how he has cast off the duties of religion, made them stand aside and give place to the world. Instead of desiring so much only as might make him serviceable to God, he thrusts aside the service of God to get as much of the world as he can, who is so far from making godliness the end of his creature-comforts, that he rather looks upon it as an obstacle and hindrance to them. May not the very heathens make me blush? Could Aristotle deliver this as a true rule to prosperity, to make religion our first and chief care? Could Aristippus say, he would rather neglect his means than his mind? His farm than his soul? Will the very Mahometans, however urgent their business be, lay it all aside, five times in the day to pray? Indeed, is it common to a proverb among the very Papists that Mass and meat hinders no man, and yet I that profess myself a Christian, thrust out duty for every trifle? Oh wretched soul! how has the God of this world blinded my eyes? Can the world indeed do that for me, that Christ can do? Has it ever proved true to them that trusted it and doted on it? Has it not at last turned them off as men turn off a sumpter horse at night, that has been a drudge to carry their gold and silver for them all day, and at last is turned out with an empty belly and a galled back? O how righteous will that sentence of God be? Go cry to the gods whom you have served!

And may not many gracious hearts turn in upon themselves with shame and sorrow, to consider how unsatisfied they have been in that condition, that others have preferred and esteemed as the greatest of all outward mercies? I have indeed been fed with food convenient, but not contented: How has my heart been tortured from day to day with anxious thoughts, what I shall eat and drink, and with which I and mine should be clothed? I pretend indeed that I care but for a competency of the world, but sure I am, my cares about it have been incompetent. Come my distrustful earthly heart, let me propound a few questions to you about this matter, and answer truly to what I shall now demand of you.

Do you have here a continuing city? Or are you at home, upon your journey, that you are so solicitous about the world? Your profession indeed speaks you a stranger upon earth, but your conversation a home-dweller. [reconstructed: Erasmus] said he desired honors and riches, no more than a weary horse does a heavy cloak-bag. Would you not account him a fool that would victual his ship, as much to cross the Channel to France, as if she were bound for the East Indies? Alas! it will be but a little while, and then there will be no more need of any of these things. 'Tis sad, that a soul which stands at the door of eternity, should be perplexing itself about food and clothing.

Or, second, which of all the saints have you known to be the better for much of the world? It has been some men's utter ruin. Seldom does God suffer men to be their own carvers, but they cut their own fingers. To give riches and pleasures to an evil man (says Aristotle) is but to give wine to one that has a fever. Where there is no want, there is usually much wantonness. What a sad story was that of Pius Quintus; When I was in a low condition (said he) I had some comfortable hopes of my salvation, but when I came to be a Cardinal, I greatly doubted of it; but since I came to the Popedom, I have no hope at all. Though this poor undone wretch spoke it out, and others keep it in, yet doubtless he has many thousand fellows in the world, that might say as much would they but speak the truth.

And even God's own people, though the world has not excluded them out of heaven, yet it has sorely clogged them in the way there. Many that have been very humble, holy and heavenly in a low condition, have suffered a sad ebb in a [reconstructed: full] condition. What a cold blast have they felt coming from the cares and delights of this life, to chill both their graces and comforts! It had been well for some of God's people if they had never known what prosperity meant.

Is not this a sad symptom of a declining state of soul, to be so hot, eager and anxious about the superfluous trifles of this life. Do you think, O my soul! that one who walks in the views of that glory above, and maintains a conversation in heaven, can be much taken with these vanities? Do not the visions of God veil the tempting splendor of the creature! It was the opinion of some of the Schoolmen, that the reason why Adam in Paradise was not sensible of his nakedness, was because he was wholly taken up in conversing with God. But this is certain, lively and sweet communion with God, blunts and dulls the edge of the affections to earthly things; and can you be satisfied my soul with such gains as are attended with such spiritual losses?

To conclude, is it not dishonorable to God, and a justification of the way of the world, for me that profess myself a Christian to be as eager after riches as other men? After all these things do the nations seek (Matthew 6:32). If I had no father in heaven, nor promise in the word, it were another matter, but since my heavenly father knows what I have need of, and has charged me to be careful in nothing, but only tell him my wants (Philippians 4:6), how unbecoming a thing is it in me to live and act as I have done! Let me henceforth learn to measure and estimate my condition, rather by its usefulness to God than its content and ease to my flesh.

The Poem.

If fruit and service be indeed the end

To which my being and redemption tend,

Reason concludes, that state of all the rest

Which is most serviceable to be best.

And such a state experience shows to lie,

Between fullness, and a pinching poverty.

This golden mean, is worth a golden mine;

He that has this, should be ashamed to whine.

The full-fed Christian like the ox in the stall,

Is no way fit to work or plow withal.

And penury like Pharaoh's leaner kine,

Devours the fattest portions of our time.

That man with whom this earthly pleasure's found,

Or in whose heart those anxious cares abound;

And yet can walk by Scripture rule and line,

Will need a better head and heart than mine.

A single staff the traveller may find

Of use, and service; but if you should bind

A bundle of them to his back, they'll make

Him [reconstructed: slack] his pace and cry my shoulders ache.

I am a traveller, this world's my way.

A single staff may be of use to stay

My feeble body, if it do not crack,

By too hard leaning on it; but my back

Will bear no more: Alas, I soon should tire;

And more than one I cannot well desire.

Lord, to prescribe to you becomes me not,

I rather do submit to my lot;

But yet let condescending grace admit

Your servant's suit this once, and this is it.

The staff of bread convenient let me have,

And manage it discreetly; so 'twill save

Your feeble servant from the mire and dirt.

But more or less than this may do me hurt.

Or if you say your servant shall have none,

Then strengthen faith that I may go alone.