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
consisteth by the field that is tilled viz. Hath need of the husbandmans labour to till the earth by the fruits whereof he and his â—ubiects are maintained Whence we may further obserue Gods wonderful wisedome and prouidence for the preseruation of the societie and fellowship of mankind that as the inferiors caÌ„not be without the superiors no more can these without the other euen the king himselfe hath need of the rusticke carter and clowne as he is miscalled to till the ground As there must be such as rule without confusion of all things so there must be such as will obey As there be maisters so there must be seruants The king cannot go to plow yet if he will consist and be vpholden with his subiects the land must needs be husbanded As God hath appointed to euery one their place so he hath fitted them with seuerall qualities and gifts and enioyned them speciall employments for the common good There is the head and the body and there be many members yet euerie one hath his peculiar place euery one his office and order for the common good of the whole The eye cannot say to the head nor the head to the feete I haue no need of you All is not an eye nor an eare c. Yea those members that are reputed the basest and vilest nature hath most honored and respected As without all the members the body is vnperfect so without these necessary callings the body politick of the commonweath is lame So is it also in the Church Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all teachers No God hath ordained some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the worke of the Ministerie and edification of the body of Christ that so we may grow vp in him which is the head vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ The reason of which doctrine is for that it specially maketh for Gods glory whose wisedome and prouidence is seene in this goodly order of all his creatures when as we see and behold how he hath made euery one so profitable in their place and nothing in vaine but for the mutuall helpe and good each to other Secondly God will haue it so to be to linke vs all together in loue and care one of another This debt is alwaies owing and must still be paide amongsts Christians not onely for the community of nature but for that our God hath made vs so seruiceable and profitable in our seuerall places and for one anothers vse And to conclude God hath so fitted vs to serue one anothers turne to humble the highest standing sometime in need of the meanest poore man Euen the king hath need of the very clown noble Naaman of his slauish handmaid and that to beate downe our pride and selfloue who otherwise would not be beholding to any no not to God our maker if we could shift for our selues The vse is first for our instruction to teach vs to know that we are not borne for our selues but for the good of our brethren Our graces and gifts are not our owne but giuen vs of God to the edification of others which therfore must make vs to leane and looke one towards another in the time of need when iust occasion serueth The superiour to respect the inferiour the rich the poore the wise the ignorant and so with holy Iob to be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame and a father to the poore If saith he I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant and of my maid when they did contend with me what shall I do when God standeth vp against me what shall I answer He that hath made me hath he not made him hath not he alone fashioned vs in the wombe So the Apostle Paul inferreth vpoÌ„ the former point that we reioyce with them that reioyce and weepe with them that weepe that we be of like affection one towards another not high minded nor wise in our owne conceit Againe it serueth to reproue all such as abuse their headship and preheminence and such as by this pretence go about to trample all their inferiours vnder foote who vrge the dutie of others neglect their own Am not I a king a Lord a maister Am I not a Magistrate a Landlord a father c. And dost thou know me Yes but doest thou know thyselfe and God and why he hath preferred and promoted thee Namely to do good and no harme to helpe and not to hurt Knowest thou not that there is a King of kings a Lord of lords My brethren saith Iames be not many maisters knowing that we shal receiue the greater condeÌ„nation Speak not euill one of another grudge not one against another lest ye be coÌ„deÌ„ned behold the Iudge standeth before the doore And therefore as the Apostle exhorteth the Hebrewes that they despise not their teachers for that they watch for their soules so let not the highest Potentate and greatest men in place contemne the poore husbandman that laboureth for their bodies God will haue a mutuall subiection amongst all and a reciprocall respect and reflection of the beames of loue and all holy duties amongst Christian brethren From which iniunction Christ Iesus himselfe was not exempted who washed his Disciples feete to teach them humility who became poore to make vs rich c. Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes and so must we beare one anothers burthens and so fulfill the law of Christ The king consisteth by the field that is tilled viz. Neither he nor his subiects can liue without tillage whence obserue the singular vse and necessity of tillage Kings themselues cannot be without it neither in regard of their owne estate nor their subiects for as all must haue food and sustenance so must the necessary meanes therunto be vsed and embraced The sweet fruits of the earth will not now be gotten without the sweat of mans face Adam himselfe the heiâ—e of all the world must first till the ground before he haue his food and not onely he but his heires must go to plow if they will haue any profite Neither was it infamous at the first for the greatest men of renown to be seen very expert in this trade of tillage It was Noahs calling as before so after the floud And to passe ouer the Patriarches and Prophets as Isaac Elisha and many other Christ himself is not ashamed to call his Father an husbandman And this is the title of Gods Ministers they are Gods husbandmen his people their field and husbandry and his word and the obedience thereof the seed fruite of their labors Yea God himselfe is said to be the teacher of the trade in the Prophesie of Esay Doth the plowmaÌ„ plow all the day to sow doth he open break the clods of his
reward of this sinne Yet see a little further the dropsie of these mens minds and their horsleach humour that makes their hearts as a graue after all vnlawfull gaine and a very deuouring hell that will neuer be cloyed they clayme all for their common the whole world is not spacious wide enough for their walke These Moles to speake the truth vndermine the foundatiō both of Church cōmon wealth Prince people for though the king and subiects consist by the field that is tilled yet still they decay it lay the earth waste ouerthrowing poore mens plows in euery place not letting so much as a poore Mill to wagge for all this but are ready to take their tole most basely and busily of euery poore mans bag taking both tole and tithes all is fish that cometh to their net and a prey for their teeth if they can once fasten their tallants tentors on the same Is there no balme in Gilead is there no Physition there Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered But why speake I so lowd and earnestly to the back and belly that haue no eares Alas I see no salue sufficient to heale this sore no medicine auaileable to cure this maladie Let vs therefore looke vnto our God who is the alone Physition sufficient and most excellent at such a desperate disease In that he seemeth to distinguish betweene field and field as expressing his mind what field he meaneth that bringeth forth such abundance so necessary sufficiēt for the king his subiects we learn in the last place that there is no ground or field so necessary and fruitfull as that which is in tillage The seed which the sower went out to sow in good ground by his good husbandry labour and Gods blessing vpon the same for one corne yeelded an hundred fold for some other sixtie fold and for another thirtie And it is reported of Isaacks crop of sowing seed in the land of Abimelech king of the Philistians that he reaped the same yeare an hundreth sold by estimation so the Lord blessed him saith the text And indeed who is able to reckon vp the great increase of corne and graine that God doth raise out of the earth by this his blessed ordinance of tillage and good husbandrie filling our houses barnes and garners besides our rickes houels stackes heapes of graine without number and measure sometimes gathered and got together in one land as in Egypt and sufficient to serue and prouide for not only one country but many nations as in the daies of Ioseph who gathered wheate like to the sand of the sea in multitude out of measure vntill he left numbring for it was without number The reason why such abundance of fruite proceedeth of tillage is first the naturall barrennes of the earth in regard of Gods curse vpon the same by the meanes of manssinne which now without painfull plowing will not be profitable and plentifull Secondly the blessing of God vppon his owne ordinance when man doth diligently and chearefully submit himselfe vnto the same in the Christian vse thereof as more largely was shewed before in the reasons of the second doctrine Which serueth to confute the proud conceite of many gracelesse Graziers and the presumptuous resolution of many greedie decayers of tillage which set their acres decayed at such an incomparable valuation so exceedingly multiplying their rents and reuenewes Their great stockes and store of all kind of cattell so easily heeded and maintained without great charge or toile makes now their present state as they suppose vnmatchable so that now they scorne at Iobs wealth like Atheists being farre beyond him in oxen sheepe all kind of cattell Yet here I assure them is some difference that his land cried not out against him nor the furrowes thereof made any complaint in his conscience and that he neuer eat the fruites thereof without siluer nor grieued the soules of the maisters thereof as these men do in euery place Their innumerable tods of wooll their heards and droues of fallings sufficient for the seruice of Court and countrey they esteeme to be an incomparable credit and gaine Nay some of thē are not ashamed to say that by this short course they auoid the curse of digging deluing in the earth of plowing and sweating for their liuing so iustly enioyned them of God to sinfull man Thus they dare open their mouth not onely against men but euen against their Maker and heauen it selfe These men wil liue by their own wits and waies despising Gods will and word which they cast behind them Yet here let me reason a little with this greedie gripe and decayer of tillage for his owne priuate gaine What field is so fruitfull as that which is tilled the abundāce of this earth is ouer al saith he that is wiser then the wisest of thē all whose experience so dearely bought far surpasseth their conceits who tried all their vanities and many more and therefore we may trust his resolution and assuredly preferre it before all others These kind of men perhaps reason well for their owne persons and places but where is their care for the Prince and Gods people for the Church and commonwealth Their fields I confesse find many beasts but the field that is sowne feedeth both men and beasts And here note thy charitie toward thine owne flesh Thou carest for cattell and art carelesse of Christians Thou art kinde to thy selfe and regardest not the state of the king and his subiects that consist by the field that is tilled But let the very beasts conuince thee the Bees and all creatures in their kinde who are not made for themselues but for the common good The sheepe yeeld both fell and flesh the birds and beasts their yong ones and themselues the Bees their honey the Oxe treadeth out the corne and the horse beareth many heauy burthens and al the creatures helpe for the common seruice and reliefe of mankind yet thou alone amongst the rest worse in this respect then all the rest seekest onely thine owne gaines and liuest to thy selfe with the hurt of all others But admit thou hadst thine owne will in turning commons into pastures and tilled fields into closing for thy cattell where in the end wold be thy bread without plowing and seedes time Therefore when God would take away the curse of the world he bringeth in this blessing that seedes time and haruest cold and heate sommer and winter day and night should not ceasse whilest the earth remained But these men by their crueltie would bring all to confusion that the world cannot stand if they be not stayed And so iustly incurre the curse of God and his people for as a blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne so he that withdraweth it the people will curse him for as the one prouideth
ground When he hath made it plaine will he not then sow the Fitches and cast in Wheate by measure and the appointed Barley and Rie in their place For his God doth instruct him to haue discretion and doth teach him Who then dare despise this necessary calling whereof God is the Author and the knowledge whereof he himselfe is the teacher and not rather glorifie God who giueth seed to the sower skill to the plower and increase to his labour to rid the earth from the curse of penurie and barrennesse and so by this sanctified meanes to make it yeeld food for mans reliefe But howsoeuer great men haue vndergone this calling to omit the ancient and famous houses of the Romans recorded in histories being called Cicerones Fabij Pisones of the graine they sowed and labour they delighted in this is most sure that there were neuer any mighty Potentates which maintained not the plow whether Pagans or Professors Pharaoh that Egyptian king how famous was he for his treasury of corne by that means throughout all the world becoming a nourse to all nations and the keeper aliue of the whole Church of God And it is recorded of Nebuzaradan the king of Babels steward after the sacking of Ierusalem that he left of the poorer sort no doubt by the kings cōmandemēt to dresse the vineyards and to till the land So Vzziah the king of Iuda not onely builded towers but increased plowmen and dressers of vines without the which it had bene in vaine to haue medled with the other and the reason is added of this his indeauor and care for that he loued husbandry Moreouer how is it possible for Princes guards and troopes at home besides their huge hoasts and scattering armies abroad to be maintained without the plow For if in the multitude of the people the honor of the king consisteth for the want whereof he cometh sodainly to destruction and if many people cannot be maintained without much food and if much prouision of food cannot possibly be come by but by much tillage since the plow according to the prouerbe bringeth enough then must this consequent be as necessary that neither the king himselfe nor his subiects and followers can be vpholden without much tillage for what can the king do when he wanteth food for his people As the king of Israel said to a woman in the siege of Samaria crying out to him saying Helpe my Lord ô king Seeing the Lord saith he doth not succor thee how shall I helpe thee with the barne or with the winepresse And how fearefull lamentable was the estate of the honorable Lords and delicate Ladies in the siege of Ierusalem for want of food as before we obserued The reason is Gods ordinance iniunction that Adam all his issue shall labor for their liuing and so prouide their bread with painfulnesse sorrow a iust reward for sinne Man I cōfes liues not by bread alone yet as the end of Gods prouidence is that man should liue so the meanes of his prouidence is that mā should liue by bread which bread must needs be got by his trauell and tillage A corporall substance is to be maintained by corporall sustenance as mā at the first was takē out of the earth so will God haue the fruits of the earth to be his food as the fruite of his trauell that so by the bread of the earth our bodies of earth may be norished relieued Our mortal life is vpholden by earthly meanes and as meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates so death shall dissolue both it and them to earth againe The consideration whereof must cause vs with all chearefulnesse to honour God in the meanes and so to vse them to his glory and our necessary good He that will eate must labour in a lawfull calling and get his liuing by his Christian painfulnesse The slothfull man lusteth and his soule hath nought he will not plow because of winter therefore he shall beg in sommer and haue nothing Therefore loue not sleepe lest thou come to pouerty but open thy eies thou shalt be satisfied with bread His meaning is that the slothfull person shall fall into extreme pouertie and though he beg to get his liuing yet men shall haue no remorse of his miserie And therefore such carelesse persons must take heed in time and apply their businesses if they will haue plenty and abundance against the time of need for as much food is in the field of the poore so is the field destroyed without discretion Be the ground neuer so barren yet by Gods blessing it will yeeld the poore husbandman increase enough by his diligent labour in tilling and sowing the same in due season And many a one who hath a good stocke fruitfull soyle by neglecting the meanes and not ordering things aright waste all that they haue and come greatly behind hand For he that will not sow shall not mow and iustice it is with God and men that he that will not worke shall not eate Christians must not now looke for miracles but vse all lawfull and ordinary meanes for meate Christ would not turne stones into bread as the diuel would haue him but reacheth vs to be diligent in our callings though without carking and distrustfull care and then sufficient for the day will be the trauell thereof Secondly it reproueth and condemneth all such as hinder this abundance of Gods blessings by intercepting or vtterly abolishing this mystery of tillage to wit all such persons as decay both houses and husbandries that lay the land waste and labour to make it a wildernesse in regard of men fit only for a few such monsters in mens shape and all kind of their cattell which they desire to keepe hauing rooted out men the image of the eternall God turned houses into bushes and poore people into sheepe preferring the fellowship of beasts before the societie of men made like to God Such kind of spoylers of their countrey may in stead of their neighbours whom they haue rooted out salute their oxen sheepe and horses which they haue nourished increased A fearefull wo is pronounced against all such as thus dwell alone with the destruction of their brethren Ioyning house to house and field to field till there be no place for the poore that so they may be placed by themselues in the middest of the earth This is in mine eares saith the Lord of hoasts and for this shall their owne houses one day be desolate and their great and stately pallaces without inhabitant These are wasters of their countrey who delight rather in Abimelechs plow to sow the land with salt as he did the city to make it barren and fruitlesse then with good seede of corne and graine for the plentifull prouision of food for Gods people and take greater pleasure to sow the soyle