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way, this fubject, and to publish their labours in print, that they may be of ufe, not only for the prefent age, but for pofterity.

And that the hufbandman may be pleafed as well as profited, in perufing the labours of this author; he hath, with fingular aptnefs and acuteness, contrived and contracted the fum and scope of every chapter into an elegant diftich, or pair of verses, placed at the head of it, and concluded it with a choice melodious poem, fuitable to, and dilating upon the whole matter of it. Thefe the hufbandman, who can but read, may quickly learn and fing for his folace, inftead of thofe vain ballads and corrupting rhymes, which many of that rank are apt to buy, and folace themfelves withal, without any benefit, yea, much to their hurt, making their hearts more corrupt, carnal, and vain thereby.

Let me add one word more to the reader. This book of Hufbandry Spiritualized, is not calculated only for the common hufbandman; perfons of any calling, or condition, may find the author working out fuch fearching reflections and ftrong convictions, from almost every part and particular of the husbandman's work, as may prove, if faithfully improved, very useful to them; to fome for their awakening, to confider the ftate of their fouls, whether in grace, or in nature; to others for their inftruction, confolation, and encouragement in the ways of grace, as alfo for their proficiency and growth in thofe ways. That the bleffing of the Lord, and the breathings of his good Spirit may go out with it, for all thofe gracious purpofes, is the heart's defire and prayer of him, who is,

CHRISTIAN READER,

A fincere well-wisher to thy precious and immortal soul,

JOSEPH CARYL.

To his Reverend and Learned Friend, Mr JOHN FLAVEL, on his Spiritual Navigation and Husbandry.

L

ETTERS of mark to his dear fervant given,

By him that fifts the ruffling winds of heaven :

To fight and take all fuch as would not deign
T' acknowledge him the fea's great Sovereign.
He launch'd his little pinace, and began
T'attack the vaffals of Leviathan.
Aufpicious gales fwelling his winged fails,
Searches all creeks, and every bark he hails;
That fearce a fhip our Western coaft afford,
Which his brave pinace has not laid aboard.

And what among our riddles fome might count,
Was seen at once at Berwick, and the Mount.
Yea, in more ports hath in one luftre been,
Than Hawkins, Drake, or Cavendish have seen.
And prizes of more worth brought home again,
Than all the plate-fleets of the Kings of Spain.
But that which makes the wonder fwell the more,
Those whom he took were beggars all before.
But refts he here? No, no, our friend doth know,
'Tis good to have two ftrings unto his bow.
Our rare Amphibion loves not to be pent
Within the bounds of one poor element.
Befides, the learned author understood,
That of an idle band there comes no good.
The law to him no pulpit doth allow,
And now he cannot preach, he means to plow,
Though preaching were a crime, yet he forefaw
Against the plowman there could be no law.
Nor ftays he on refolves, but out-of-hand
He yokes his teem, plows up the stubborn land;
Sows it with precious feed, harrows again
The tougher clods, takes pleasure in his pain.
Whilft, Orpheus-like, (which doth his art advance)
Rocks, fields, and woods, after his pipe do dance.'
Industrious fpirit, to what a rich account
With thy bleft Lord, with all thefe labours mount?
That every nerve of thy beft foul doft ply,
To further heaven's spiritual husbandry.
This kind of tiliage which thou teacheft us,
Was never dreamt of by Triptolemus.
Go, reader, turn the leaves; and me allow
To pray (whilft at work) God fpeed the plow.

NICHOLAS WATTS.

L

In Authoris Opera.

ET Paracelfus and Van Helmont's name,

No more ride triumph on the wings of fame.

Lo, here's a chymift, whofe diviner skill

Doth hallowed from unhallowed things distil.
Spiritualizeth fea-affairs; again,

Makes the rude ground turn tutor unto men.
Shews Mariners, as by a compass, how

They may unto the port of glory row.

VOL. V.

с

Teacheth the plowmen, from their work, to know
What duties unto God and man they owe.

Rare artift! who, when many tongues are mute,
Mak'st things that are inanimate confute
The age's fins; by preaching unto eyes,
Truths which in other modes their ears defpife.
Profper his pious labours, Lord! howe'er
Do not forget to crown the labourer.

Sic raptim canit,

DAN. CONDY.

To his Reverend and Invaluable Friend, Mr J. F. upon his Hufbandry Spiritualized.

NGENIOUS Sir, what do I fee? what now!
Are you come from the pulpit to the plow?
If fo, then pardon me, if I profess,
The plow deferves to be fent to the prefs.
"Tis not long fince you went to fea, they fay,
Compos'd a compafs which directs the way,
And steers the courfe to heaven; O bleft art!
And bravely done that you did that impart
To us, who take it kindly at your hand,
And blefs the Lord that you are come to land,
To be an husbandman, wherein your skill,
With admiration doth your readers fill.
One grain will yield increase, 'tis ten times ten,
When the earth's manur'd by fuch husbandmen.
We may expect rich harvests, and full crops,
When heavenly dew descendeth in fuch drops
Of spiritual rain, to water every field,
That it full heaps of grace to God may yield.
I must adore the wisdom of that God

That makes men wife, who, even from a clod
of earth, can raise fuch heavenly meditation
Unto a pitch of highest elevation.

Befides, I mark the goodness of the Lord,
Performing unto us his faithful word,

That all fhould work for good unto the faints,
Which, in some measure, leffens our complaints.
For though our pulpit-mercies be grown lefs,
We have fome gracious helps yet from the prefs.
And herein all the world may plainly fee,
That faithful fervants will not idle be.

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We have fome bricks, although the straw be gone,
The church, at laft, fhall be of polish'd stone.
Whatever men or devils act or fay,

Sion, at laft, will have a glorious day.

The wretched muck-worm, that from morn to night
Labours, as if 'twere for an heav'nly weight;

And, when he hath got all he can, the most
Amounts to little more than a poor cruft,
To feed his tir'd carcafe: If himself
Have, by his carking, got a little pelf,
Leave it he muft, to one he knows not whom,
And then must come to an eternal doom;
And hear his poor neglected, wretched foul
Tell him at last that he hath play'd the foòl.
But here he's taught, how he, before he die,
May lay up treafure for eternity;

Wherein he may be rich, yea, much, much more,
Than they that do poffefs whole mines of ore.

When earth's more worth than heav'n, and gold than grace,
Then let the worldling run his brutish race;

But not before, unless he do intend

To meet with foul-deftruction in the end.
But I must leave him, and return again
To gratulate the author for his pain.
And here I can't forbear to bid my pen
To tell the world of all the husbandmen,
That e'er I met, he, he hath hit the vein
To recompenfe the labourer's hard pain,

And taught him how to get the greatest gain.
Wherein he treads a path not trode before;
By which, indeed, his skill appears the more.
I might encomiums give him, great and true,
And yet come very fhort of what's his due;
But I muft not walk in forbidden ways,
For thereby I am fure, I fhould displease
His pious mind, who doth, and freely can
Give all the praise to the great husbandman;
Who will his graces in his fervants own,
But doth expect himself to wear the crown.
Farewel, dear Sir, I take my leave, and now,
Will fay no more than this, God fpeed the plow.

EDWARD JEFFERY.

The EPISTLE, to the intelligent Country READER.

TH

HOU haft here the fruit of fome of my fpare hours, which were thus employed, when, by a fad providence, I was thrust

from the fociety of many dear friends, into a folitary country-dwelling. I hope none will envy me these innocent delights, which I made out of my lonely walks, whereby the Lord fweetened my folitudes there. It is like thou wilt find fome paffages here, that are harmlefly pleafant; yet, I affure thee, I know of none that the moft Cynical Reader can cenfure, as finfully light and vain. I must acknowledge, to the praise of God, that I have found fome of thofe (which, poffibly, fome of my readers will call the flightest and most trifling fubjects of meditation) to be the ordinances for inftruction, caution, and confolation to my own foul; yea, fuch a degree of comfort, I do profefs to have found by these things, as hath much endeared the countrylife to me, and made me much better to understand that faying of Horace, than when I learned it at school,

Noviftine locum potiorem rure beato?

Eft ubi plus tepeant hyems? Ubi gratior aura?
O rus, quando ego te adfpiciam? Quandoque licebit
Nunc veterum libris, nunc fomno, et inertibus hortis
Ducere folicita jucunda oblivio vita. (i. e.)

What life can with the country life compare?

Where breathes the pureft, and moft healthful air.
Where, undisturb'd, my ftudy I purfue,

And, when I fleep, bid all my cares adieu. Hor. Sat. 6. And what I have found fo beneficial to myself, I cannot but think may be fo to others. I affure thee, reader, I am not fond of any of these conceptions; and yet I think I may modeftly enough fay, That the emptieft leaf of this book may ferve for more, and better uses, than a mere diverfion, when thou canft find leifure to perufe it. I know, your troubles and cares are many; and though your condition of life hath many innocent comforts and outward mercies to fweeten it, yet I believe most of you have found that ancient faying of Anacreon experimentally true : Εχει το πικρον της γεωργίας γλυκυ. • Some bitter troubles countrymen do meet,

Wherewith the Lord doth intermix their fweet.

The cares of your minds are commonly no lefs than the pains of your bodies; it concerns you, therefore, to fweeten what you cannot avoid; and I know no better way for that, than what is here directed to. O friends! what advantages have you for a fpiritual life? Why may you not have two harvefts every year? One for your fouls, another for your bodies; if you could thus learn to husband your hufbandry. Methinks fpiritual meditations do even put themfelves upHufbandmen of old were generally prefumed to be honest and good men; what else means that faying of Menander, Aypoxos

on you.

είναι προσποιη πονηρος ων.

Profefs thyfelf an husbandman,

And wicked too! believe't that can!'

What you are, godly or wicked, is not for me (that am a stranger 'to most of you) to determine: but if you are not godly, it is my de

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