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A07668 A target for tillage briefly containing the most necessary, pretious, and profitable vse thereof both for king and state. By Iohn Moore Minister of Gods word, and Parson of Knaptoft in Leicestershire. Anno 1611. Moore, John, d. 1619. 1612 (1612) STC 18058; ESTC S120561 22,755 74

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of tillage kings themselues cannot be without it 6 There is no ground or field so necessarie and fruitefull as that which is in tillage A TARGET FOR TILLAGE And the abundance of the earth is ouer all the king also consisteth by the field that is tilled Ecclesiastes cap. 5. vers 8. KIng Salomon after his most fearefull fall recouering himselfe by true repentāce throgh Gods grace and powerfull working of his holy Spirit doth testifie by this booke the vndoubted markes thereof to Gods Church to which againe in his old age he was reconciled and receiued And purposing herein to set out the true happinesse and felicitie of Gods children and so to confute all contrarie opinions of the conceited vanities of men concerning the same which he had proued so to be by his owne too deare experience And hauing in the former chapters by an argument of inductiō strongly concluded against many particular actions and things so highly esteemed and valued in the world he cometh now in order to examine the trade of husbandrie and tillage As if one should haue demanded of him But what say you Salomon to the great abundance and plentifull increase of the fruites of the earth by the meanes of good husbandrie and tillage Indeed saith he I must needs confesse that the abundance of the earth is ouer all that there is no worldly thing so necessary and profitable to the naturall life and being of mankind that euen kings themselues and the greatest potentates of the earth haue neede of the poore husbandmans trauell and toyle in tilling of the ground for that the vse of the fruites thereof are farre to he preferred before gold siluer and all other worldly pelfe yet with the rest they haue their miseries and afflictions and can in no wise make vs truly blessed So that these words containe a commendation of the husbandmans life and calling and that in three respects First in regard of the subiect of his labour being the earth Secondly for the manner and kind of his labour which is tillage Thirdly for the fruite that followeth his pains which is here set out and amplified first by the quantitie yeelding abundance Secondly for the qualitie being ouer all and that in two respects First for the excellency and preciousnesse thereof surmounting all Secondly in regard of the communitie and vniuersall vse thereof fit and sufficient for all men and those not the basest but the highest kings themselues The summe of all is this That the aboundant and plentifull fruits of the earth by the meanes of tillage are an incomparable earthly blessing without the which neither king nor state can be maintained And the abundance of the earth c. The husbandman by his tillage and labour hath abundance whence we learne the fruite and profite of honest labour and husbandrie it yeeldeth plentie and abundance He which tilleth the land shall be satisfied with bread but he that followeth the idle shall be filled with pouertie viz. he that painfully trauelleth in his lawfull calling to maintaine and vphold the state wherewith God hath blessed him shall haue abundance of all necessarie and good things but such as are idle shall be poore and miserable for beggerie is their end The sower went out sow and although his labor and seed were the same yet the soyle was not alike but the good ground made him amends that his trauell was not in vaine where some one corne yeelded an hundred fold some sixtie some thirtie for he that soweth liberally shall reape plentifully And those that break vp the fallow ground and sow in righteousnesse shall surely reape after the measure of mercie and God will raine downe a blessing vpon their paines as the Prophet truly alludeth and applyeth it to spirituall indeauours One reason hereof is Gods blessing vpon his owne ordinance in prospering both the worke the workeman The blessing of the Lord saith Salomon maketh rich not mans wit and labour nor any other meanes And he onely shall with ioy eate the fruite of his hands that feareth God and is blessed for otherwise it is in vaine to rise early and to lie downe late and to eate the bread of sorrow our paines are to no purpose our carke and care to no end though we eate and fret our hearts with worldly griefe for the bettering of our estate all the meanes we can vse shall be mis-spent vnprofitable without Gods speciall blessing be present with vs. He that planteth and he that watereth are nothing of themselues but God alone who by his gracious blessing giueth a most happy increase For as the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof so he maketh it barren and fruitfull at his pleasure Beware therefore saith Moses to Israel lest thou say in thine heart My power and the strength of my owne hands hath prepared me this abundance but remēber that it is the Lord thy God that giueth thee power to get substance Secondly the state and condition of the earth is such by the meanes of Gods curse vpon the same for mans sinne that now by nature it is so barren and fruitlesse that except Adam and his brood get their bread with the sweate of their browes the earth will yeeld them nothing but briers brambles thornes and thistles c. Force it they must by their great toile and trauell or else it will not be fruitfull So that now the hand of the diligent maketh rich but a slothfull hand maketh poore Such onely as with diligence and honest labour go about their businesse and affaires God will blesse but such as are giuen to idlenesse and sloth neglecting their duties or trusting to vnlawfull and indirect courses shall surely want and come to nought I passed saith Salomon by the field of the slothfull and lo it was growne with thornes and nettles had couered the face thereof I considered it well I looked vpon it and receiued instruction See the confusion that idlenesse worketh and the bitter fruits thereof barrennesse to the ground and beggery to the person euen to such as haue the meanes and vse them not Therefore as the sight hereof was for Salomons learning so let it be for our instruction that we vse all diligence and industrie in our places and callings vpon the poore meanes that God hath lent vs to that end Let vs as Gods stewards be painfull faithfull in our places vse his gifts and graces well employ our talents to his gaine and glory and so to our owne good For to him that hath shall be giuen and to him that is negligent carelesse and so wanteth and hath not shall in the end that litle be taken away which he hath And seeing that the hand of the diligent maketh rich and that God promiseth a blessing to his owne ordinance and hath sanctified all lawfull meanes for