HUSBANDRY MORALIZED; o R, PLEASANT SUNDAY READING FOR A F AR ME R's KITCHEN DUBLIN; SOLD BY W. WATSON, & SON, 7, C APEL-STREET^ Printers tt the Cheap Repojitery for ReUi'icus and Moral Tr#c?,< 9 And by the Booksellers, Chapme in Town and Country Hawkers, * # * Great Allowance to Shopkeepers, Ci«i|>inen andUawk€M. Frice Qm HaJffinrtji HUSBANDRY MORALIZED; OR, PLEASANT SUNDAY READING For .a FARMER'S KITCH'EN. Upcn the Care of Hufbandmen to provide for WINTER. GOOD Hufbandmen are careful in Sum- mer to provide for Winter. They then gather in their Winter (lore ; food and jewel for themfelvas, and fodder for their cattle. " He that gathers in Summer is a wife Son, but he that fleepeth in harvcft is a Son that caufeth fhame." Prpv. x. 5. The great beauty and advantage of any action is to do it in its proper feafon. This feafon is feldom watched for carefully, and k often loft by delay. 'Tis an excellent pro- verb "that a good favcr will make a good bf -nef&dtor" this means that he, that doth nc« wafte, will always have fomething to give. And there is another — " He that neglects the oceafion, the occafion will ne^left him." Thehufbstndman knows the fummer will not i;old the whole year, neither will he truft to a mild and favourable winter, but in the foeft feafon he will provide for the worft. What excellent Chriftians (hould we be, were we but as provident for our Souls, as we are in our Farms. 'Tisdoubtlefs a point of true Chriftian wifdom to look forward to a day of great fpiritual difficulties and necef- fities, and fo during the day of grace and favour to make provifion for it. A Hulbandman knows there is a change of feafons and weather, Tho' it be pleafant ( 3 ') . Summer weather now, yet Winter will tread upoh the heel of Summer. Frofts, fnow-s> and a great fall of rain muft be expedted. This change of feafons in nature is fettled by a firm law of the God of nature to the end of the world, for u Nature is but the name of an effect. " Whofe caufe is God." While earth remaineth 6t feed time and harveft time, cold and heat, winter and fammer, day and night lha!l not ceafe faith the Scripture. And Chriftians Ihould alio know that there are changes in the right hand of the most High, in regard to their fpiritual Seafans, If there be afpring time of the Gofpel, abundant opportunities, and we negleft to ufe them , there may come a barren Winter, when we may be deprived of thefe privileges. For God, to punifh our deadnefe and indiffer- ence can fend " a famine of the word" as .eafily as he can fend a famine of bread to punifh (loth and lazinefs. He can always fet one over againft the other, and he that negledts to ufe his prefent abundant gifts u from him {hall be tatei away that which he hath." Mat. xiii; 12. Yefterday's part, to-morrow's none ox thine, This day thy heart to ho]y deeds incline* In heaven there is a day of everlafting hap- pinefs, in hell a night of everiafling mifery. But on this earth light and darknefs take their turns ; profperity and adveriky, even to fouls as well as bodies fucceecieacb other. -( 4 ) A day of grace and favour is often followed in iorrow and fadnefs of fpirit. Common prudence and experience enable the huftandman in the midft of Summer to forefee a Winter and provide fov it before he feels it, yea inftinft teacheth this to the very birds of the air, and hearts of the field. And fpiritual wifdom fhould teach Chrif- tia'ns to exercife their forefeeing faculties, and not fuffer them to feel evil, before they •Tear it. But, Oh, the iiupifying nature of fin ! though the ftork in the heavens knows her appointed time, and the turtle, crane and fwallow the time of their coming, yet man whom God hath made wifer than the fowls of the air, in this, adls quite belowthem, fo fays the prophet Jeremiah : Jer. viii. 7. And fo fays our own daily experience. The end of God's ordaining a Summer iealbn, and fending warm and pleafant wea- ther, is to ripen the fruits of the Earth, and give the Hulbandman fit opportunity to gather them in. And God's defign in giving his favoured People a day of grace, is to furniih them with an opportunity for the everlafting hap- pinefs and ialvation of their Souls. " I gave her fpace to repent. " It is not merely a delay of the threatened wrath, though there he gieat Mercy in that; but the peculiar aim of this patience an4 bounty of God is to open for them .a way to efcape the wrath to rome— " Defpifeft thou the riches of his gpodnefs and forbearance, and long fuffer- ( 5 ) ing,» Dot knowing that the goodnefs of God- leadeth thee to repentance ?" Rom. ii. 4. The hufbandman does not find all harveiV feafons alike favourable ; fometiraes they have much fair weather, and meet' with no hindrance in their bufinefs, at other times, 'tis a catching harveft, but now and then a fair day, and they rauft be nimble, or all is loft. There is alfo a great difference in the ftate of people's minds at different feafons ; fome have had long and merciful opportunities, a hundred and twenty Years did Gods pa- tience wait upon the World in the miniftry of Noah. Long did God wait upon the gain-faying Ifraelkes, as mentioned in Ifaiah. u I have a long time held my peace; I have been ftilt, and refrained my- felf," Ifa. xl ii 14. Others like the huiba-nd- nian have a fhort and catching feafon, all hangs upon a day, v>pon a nick of time. " And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now ^maaandeth all men every where to ent." A but they fhall not fmd me : Prov. i. 28. then (that is when the opportunity is over) they fhall call upon me but I will not hear. Oh, there is a great deal of time, in a fhort opportunity ; that may be done, or prevented in an hour rightly timed, which cannot be done, or prevented, in a Man's life time afterwards. Thofe Hufbandmen'that are careful and laborious in the Summer, have the comfort and benefit of it in the Winter : he that then provides fewel, ihall fit warm in his habita- tion, when others blow their fingers and fit freezing in the cold, He that provides food | tor his femify, and fodder for his Cattle in the harveft, faall eat the fruits of it, and enjoy the comfort of his labours, when others are put to fhifts and ftreights. — And \q that provides for eternity, and lays up for his Soul a good foundation againft the time to come, fhall eat when others are hungry, and fing when others weep and wail and gnafh their teeth. Therefore thus nth the Lord God, u Behold my Servants •ball eat, but ye fhall be hungry ; behold my Servants fhall drink, but ye fhall be thrifty ; beholti my Servants fhall rejoice, but ye fhall be afhamed." Ifa. lxv. 13. A day of death will come, and that will be a day of terrors to 'all carelefs fouls ; but then the diligent a&ive Chriftian fhall enjoy ( 7 ) ihe peace and comfort that {hall flow in upon his heart, from his lively care, and fincere diligence in duties. — " This is our rejoicing, the teftimony of our confeience that in fmcerity and godly iimplicity, we have had our conversation in this World." 2 Cor. i, 12. Hezekiah fays— Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfedl heart." z Kings xx- 3. A Day of Judgment will come, then foolifh Virgins who negledi the feafon of getting Oil in their Lamps, will be put to their fhifts ; then they will come to the wife and fav, (t Give us of vour Oil." Matth. xxv. 8. but they have none to fpare, and the feafon of buying is then over. I No wife Hufbandman will negleft a fit op- portunity of gathering in his Hay and Corn, upon a prefumption of much fair weather to come ; he will not fay the weather is fet- tled, and I need not trouble myfelf, and that I may get it in another time, as well as bow — no, no, a wife and prudent Farmer never depends on any time but the prefent. And no wife Chrifkian will lofe prefent opportunities of ftudying his Bible, upon the hopes of more time in future but will rather fay, ** now is the time," and I know not what will be hereafter." Tis a melancholy thine 1 to think how fome men as it were difpute themfelves out of Heaven and argue and iea- fon away their own Souls, as if Satan hired them to plead againft their own good ( 8 ) It is well for Hufbandmenas well as others, while they are providing food and cloaths for their families againft Winter, not to negledl the care of their Souls and to pro- vide for a happy Eternity. It is a great encouragement for Hufband- men who have families for whom it is their duty to provide things honeft in the fight of all men, to refledt that the care of their eternal concerns is fo far from being hurtful to their Worldly profperity that there is every reafon to expect that he who cafts his care upon God, and labours to. work out his falvatton will profper more in his bulinefs than a worldly prophane man who, as he does not live in the fear of God, has no right to look for his bleffing, without which it will be in vairt to rile up early .to lie down late, and to e^t die bread of carefulnefs. If God then performs ail diefe good things fur »you, how fhould you adore and magnify him for his care and condefcenfion. You Should fay unto him, " Lord what is man thai thou fhouid'ft fet thine hand upon him a id vifit him every moment.'' Job vii. 18. )ok then continually up to him whole mer- ges are continually poured out upon thee j for he has promifed in his holy word that he will guard you and keep you day and night. Should he withdraw his hand or his eye one moment from you, that moment wouki Le your ruin. Ten thoufand evils watch for fuch an opportunity to rufh in upon you and defuroy all your comforts, But his ( 9 ) creatures are too dear to him to be trufted into any hand but his own. Learn hence how diligently you are obliged to perform all the duties and fer- vices of your calling, all the daily labours of your Farm for God, with an eye to his glory; for he performeth all things for you, It was once the wifh of a very good man, " O that I could be to God what my hand is to me ! that is a ferviceable ufeful inftru- ment. — Shall God do all things for you, and will you do nothing for God ? Is Providence every moment at work for you and will you be idle for him ? will you labour hard. for yourfelves, for yaur farms, for your wives and your children, and will you be idle for jpiM in whom you live and move and have your being ? To \yhat purpofe then is all that God has done for you ? Is it not the aim and de%n of all to make you a fruitful people ? ff God plant and fence, and water you by his Providence, fure hE expedts you fhould bring fruit, O that in return for all the benefits of Providence you would fay- to Geo as grateful Elifha faid to tke Shuna- mite, " Behold thou haft been careful for lis with all rb Is care ; what is to be done for thrs r 2 Kings iv. 13. And with David, What fha!l T render unto to the Lord for all his benefits." Pfalm cxvi. ij& He is ever doing you good; be you therefore always abounding in his work. O be active for that God who is every moment afling for you. ( io ) THOUGHTS, Suited to the Husbandman as he is Going out to work on the Men da v Morning.. NOW is the day come on, the Sun peeps ever the tops of the Hill*, and fpreads light over the face of the earth .the ides of the Night are Va&ifced and the Be.ais of prey have laid them fe Ives down in their d< us, man goeth forth to his work and to his la- bour till the evening. As the earth was covered with darknefs before the fun's ap- pearing fo was all the Heathen World cover- ed with the difmal Night of ignorance, till the Sun of Righteoufnefs arofe and by the Glorious Light of the Gofpel difperfed tha£ darknefs and fhadow of death which be- nighted the whole World. And what be tomes man now, but to go forth to his la- bours I mean the work of Religion, and the fervice of God ? whilft we have the light, it is fit weftKHi'd walk in it, having no fellow- fhip with the unfruitful works of darknefs, but live as becomes the children of light. And this by Gor>'s help I refolve to do. To this he may add the following fhort PRAYER. S~\ GRACIOUS God, who haft of thine infinite Mercy given Light to us, who latin darknefs and the fhadow of Death, grant me Grace to live in a manner anfwer- able to the great advantages I enjoy, let rtfcS ( li 1 not mifpend this precious time thou haft given me, wherein to prepare for Eternity ; and to that end, teach me I pray thee, to Glorify thee in the work of my hands, let every thing I do for the maintenance of this frail life, put me in mind of providing for a better. Whilft mine Eyes look down to this Earth, let my Soul look up to thee my God in Heaven ; whilft I labour for this meat that periftieth, let me gain that which endureth to Eternal Life, and whilft I work in the bufinefs of my calling, let me work out my own Salvation through Jefus Chnft. Blefs, I befeech thee, all the employments in which I fhall this day be engaged, and grant that I may i>ever undertake any thing upon which I cannot beg thy Bleffing. Let me magnify thee in all I do; fubmit to thy gracious Providence in all I fufter ; adore thine infinite goodnefs in all I enjoy ; and make it my meat and drink to do the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Merci- fully forgive all my fins through the merits of my Bleffed Redeemer ; and not mily grant me thy pardon for what is paft, but thy Grace for the time to come. All which and every other needful Bleffing I humbly afk through- the Mercies of my only Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrtft. Amm, (Zip ( 12 ) r he Hufbandn • ui s H Y M N. GOOD is the Lord, the heavenly King, Who makes the Earth his Care, Vin> the paftiires every Spring, A nd bids the grais appear. The clouds, like Rivers rais'd on high, Poiu out -t thf command, Their u a \ y bieiftngs from the iky, To cheer the thirfty land. Thefoften'd ridges of the field, Permit the Corn to fpring : The Vallies rich provifien jrteW, And the poor Lab'rers fing. The little hills on every fide, Rejoice at failing fhow'rs : The meadows, dreft in all their pride, Perfume the Air with flow'rs. The barren clods refrefh'd with rain, Promife a joyful crop : The parched grounds look green again, And raife the Reaper's hope. The various months thy goodnefs crown How bounteous are thy ways ! The bleating flocks fpread o'er the downs And Shepherds fhout thy praife, FINIS.