Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A26231
|
A dialogue (or familiar discourse) and conference betweene the husbandman and fruit-trees in his nurseries, orchards, and gardens wherein are discovered many usefull and profitable observations and experriments [sic] in nature, in the ordering fruit-trees for temporall profitt ... / by Ra. Austen ...
|
Austen, Ralph, d. 1676.
|
1676
(1676)
|
Wing A4233; ESTC R5888
|
40,239
|
128
|
We grow in a gooâ—… and fresh soyle and are large in bulk anâ— substance as other Trees and we beaâ—… Fruits according to our Natures but wâ— were never ingrafted as some other Treeâ— are which grow by us so that we growing still upon our own naturall wild stocke and Roote we bring forth Fruit accordingly And so are like to do untill we have an alteration by ingrafting No workes pleasing to God without sincerity HVSBANDMAN Herein yee beare the likenesse and resemblance of hypocrites in the Visible Church who live amongst true beleevers and make a faire shew with an outward forme and Profession of Religion in all externall Duties but because they are not sincere and upright have not the truth of grace nor were ever really ingrafted into Christ but grow still upon the old stocke of corrupt Nature thence it is that their Fruits are nought and unpleasant to God the Husbandman thoâ—gh they are never so faire and beautifull on the outside yet wanting a good Tast that is they have no good Ends in any thing they do they make not the glory of God the chiefe and maine End of that they do for all men by Nature make themselves their End and not the glory of God and therefore they are not accepted of God such had need to consider their state whilst it is called to day and see that they rest not on this side an interest in Christ Section 12. Mulberry-trees called Sapientissima Arborum HVSBANDMAN Here are a certaine Number of Mulberri-trees in a row by themselves which are a kind of Trees in great esteeme among men in severall respects your Leaves are the best foode for Silke-wormes And your Fruits are exceeding good to make Syrups for divers uses which Apothecaries and others do make yearely And yee are called by some auncient Authors who write of Fruit-trees Sapientissima Arborum How come yee to be wiser then other Trees How are any Trees said to be wise what say yee of your selves FRVIT-TREES We owne no such Epithite as wise we are no wiser then other Trees but some men are pleased so to say of us because we keepe in and shew not our Buds nor spring till late in the yeare about the beginning of May when all the cold frosty weather is gone and past But this is according to the course of Nature the Law of our Creation which we and all other Trees do constantly observe And in this is seehe the wisdome of our Creator who doth all things wisely and hath made us so to do Mulberry-trees bud late because of a tender Nature For we are of a more weake and tender Nature then many other Fruit-trees are which bud and spring it may be 6 weeks or two Months before us as Cherrytrees Plumtrees and other Trees do But if we should dare to peepe out and appeare so soone we should not be able to beare it HVSBANDMAN It is very certaine that there are diversities of Natures and properties among Fruit-trees as all other Creatures and therefore they must be planted and ordered accordingly some are so tender that they will not thrive nor beare Fruits but against a wall and that upon the South-Sun too and carefully and tenderly ordered others will grow and beare well in the open Fields notwithstanding all cold frosts storms and winds that they meete with some Christians are more valiant for Christ then others But this may be transferred to a higher use And gives us to understand That this is even so among spirituall Fruit-trees Professing Christians some are more hardy Souldiers and more valiant then others And can stand out against and encounter with more and greater difficulties then others though true beleevers can do some have a great and strong faith Mat. 15.28 O Woman great is thy faith others have but a weake faith O yee of little faith Mat. 6 30. Some have great measures of the Spirit of God light wisdome and knowledge others are but Babes and Children in understanding and grace some Christians have much love to Christ and zeale for him as having the manifestations of his love more cleare and evident to them then some others have some others Love but little and all is weake in them and so they can do but little nor suffer for Christ the moving Cause being but weake in them the Effects are Answerable Section 13. Fruits ripen successively upon the same Tree others altogether HVSBANDMAN I observe That some kinds of these Fruit-trees do bring forth their ripe fruits gradually and successively upon the same Tree some of the Fruits are ripe and ready to be gathered severall weekes before the rest as amongst Aprecotts Peaches Cherrys and Plums and such like Sommer Fruits we find some Fruits ripe whilst others on the same Tree and same Bough are yet hard and greene But some other kinds of Trees bring forth their Fruits ripe and ready together all at one time upon the same Tree as Pippins Peremains and all Winter Fruits What is the Reason of this variation in the ripening of the Fruits of Trees The Wisdome and bounty of God in ripening of Fruits FRVITTREES Thou maist herein see and observe the Wisdome bounty and goodnesse of our Creator For if we that are Cherrytrees Plumtrees and such like sommer Fruits should bring forth our Fruits all at once there would be a glutt of Fruits And we should do more hurt then good amongst People for we are no lasting Fruits we cannot keepe as thou knowest but should in a few daies rott upon thy hand Therefore God gives our Fruits to thee successively some one day and some another as thou and others may make use of them for health and Profitt And as for hard Winter Fruits they are ripe all of them together on the same Trees that so they 〈…〉 gathered altogether and laid up in â—…ore for use all the yeare long And is thâ—… not the like Wisdome bounty and goodnesse from God shewed to all people in this as in the former though each of them in different respects as hath been said Section 14. HVSBANDMAN Here are a sort of Trees that do not thrive nor prosper as other Trees do what 's the reason seeing yee are as well planted and preserved as other Trees which grow neere unto you FRVIT-TREES South Country trees pâ—…per not in England We are forreners this is not our Native Country we were brought from beyond the Seas from a warme Clymate where we had a strong heate and influence of the Sun but we are here in a cold Country and it agrees not with us we shall never grow nor prosper nor bring forth Fruits to please thee or for thy Profit Plant Fruit-trees fitt for the Countrey HVSBANDMAN I beleeve what ye say to be true Many Gentlemen of great estates to please their minds have sent for and bought many rare Plants and Trees from forraine parts out of the South-Countries of France Spaine Italie and other Southerne Clymates and
A DIALOGVâ— OR FAMILIAR DISCOURSâ— and conference betweene the HVSBANDMAN and FRVIT-TREES in his Nurseries Orchards and Gardens Wherein are discovered many usefull and profitable Observations and Experriments in Nature in the Ordering of FRVIT-TREES for temporall profitt Improving also the same to higher ends and uses in Spirituall things for the Good and profitt of all both in the Church and of the World Whereby the Wisdome Power Bounty and goodnesse of God to his Glory are clearely seen and read in this Volume of the Creatures And all men instructed by thâ—m in their Duty towards God in order to their Comfort Edification and Salvation By RA AVSTEN Practiser 50 years in the Art of Planting FRVIT-TREES Cant. 2.3 As the Appletree among the Trees of the wood so is my beloved among the Sonnes I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight And his Fruit was sweete to my tast Hose 12.10 I have used similitudes by the Ministrie of the Prophets Aquin. Tunc homo creaturas interrogat quando â—…s dilgenter considerat sed tunc interrogatae respondent cum â—…mo perspicit quod tanta ordinatio esse non possit nisi ab â—…qua superiore sapientia dispensante OXFORD Printed by Hen Hall for Thomas Bowman 167â— THE EPISTLE to the READER GOD hath given to man two great Books to read and study viz His workes and his word whereby we may come to know God and learn our Duty to him The Creatures of God do all of them speake out the Praises of God and are not only Examples to us of Obedience but also do call aloude unto Man and instruct and teach him what he ought to do And that as plainly and convincingly to the mind and conscience as words do to the eare The Prophet saith Ps 19.1 2. c. The heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy worke ver 2. Day unto Day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge ver 3. There is no speech nor Language Where their voice is not heard ver 4. Their line is gon out through all the Earth and their words to the Ends of the world The Apostle Paul recites words to the same purpose Rom 10 18 shewing that all men have instructions to know God even by his works Have they not heard saith he Yes verily their sound went into all the Earth and their words to the Ends of the world We see here inanimate creatures can speake to the praise of God and instruction of man The excellencies and infinite perfections of God are plainly seen and read perspeculum creaturarum even in the Creatures which he hath made And men that are illiterate and cannot read a line in any printed Book may yet read distinctly and plainly in this Book of the Creatures if they will but set their Reason and understanding on work and learn their Language and the manner of Discourse with them Inanimate creatures such as are but bare And naked substances without life or sence as the heavens the Sun Moon and Starrs yet even these do declare knowledge and wisdome to Man they have a speech a voice their words go the ends of the world to every Nation and Language And men who have not the Scriptures nor any other Books or writings of men they shall not be excused in their ignorance of God and of their dutie to him if they learne not from his creatures if they understand not their speech and Language and learn not from them And this is plain from Rom 1 20. St Paul speaking of the heathen reproving them for their ignorance and disobedience he tells them much of God may be seen and known in and by the Creatures The invisible things of God from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternall Power and Godhead so that they are left without excuse The Attributes of God his wisdom Power goodnesse love and bounty towards mankind are clearly seene read and understood by the things that he hath made And let not men think that because they are not Learned in any School Learning therefore they shall be excused Though they are ignorant of God and of their duty to him for the Prophet tells such what they shall find if they are of the number of those sottish children that have no understanding he that made them will not have Mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no Favour Isay 27 11 So that it highly concernes every one to learn the Language of the Creatures and how to conferre and discourse with them for their profitt and edification And among the Creatures with Fruit-trees the subject of the Ensuing Dialogue Shall men plant Orchards and Gardens of Fruit-trees and only take their Pleasures and Profits from them from year to year This is no more than the Beasts and the Birds do They sitt under their shade in the heate of Sommer and eat of their Fruits The Swine gathers and eates the Fruits that fall under the Trees and goes his way but understands not whence they are but men that are endued with Reason and understanding especially if a Principle of supernaturall grace and the Spirit of God be dwelling and ruling in them must look higher and make another use of Fruit-trees than meerly for temporall Profit and Pleasures Men must discourse with Fruit-trees having learned to understand their Language which though it be nor Articulate and distinct to the outward sence of hearing in the sound of words yet they speake plainly and distinctly to the inward sence the understanding The soul hath its sences as well as the body the soul doth really hear see c. as well as the body so that we may learn from Fruit-trees many good lessons and usefull instructions they being Creatures that are alwaies speaking and alwaies speake the truth both for the glory of God and the good of men Every Creature speakes this aloude to every man qui fecit me propter te fecit te propter se he that made me for thee made thee for himselfe Mr Caryl in his exposition upon Job Chap. 12. speakes much to this purpose All Creatures as he there saies have a teaching voyce they read us divinity Lectures of Divine Providence Seculum est Speculum The world below is a Glass wherein we may see the world above they who cannot read other Books may yet run and read this Book of the Creatures written in great and plain Letters and Characters Non est ullum animalculum tam exiguum in quo non plus discere possimus quam in omnibus sculptis pictis aut simulachris Lauac The idle slothfull man is sent to the Pismire to learn and be instructed Pro 6.6 Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise she getteth her meat in the Summer c such as provide not in summer for Winter in youth for old age in this life for the next are condemned