of the penal statutes under which he had suffered. He now labored with redoubled diligence; and even when his health and strength were unequal to his duties, he would not allow himself to relax. It seems probable that his end was in some degree hastened by his exertions, as he survived only four years after resuming his ministerial functions. He died at Exeter, in 1691.

Flavel was a man of exemplary piety and deep learning; full of life and activity, but yet thoughtful and disposed to meditation. As a preacher he seems to have been peculiarly fervent and impressive, and several very remarkable instances are recorded of the success of his ministry. He had a large fund of suitable materials for his sermons, having applied himself with unwearied assiduity both to divine and human learning, and possessing so ready a flow of eloquence that he was never at a loss for words on any occasion. This too was very conspicuous in his prayers; and those who lived in his family have said, that "in prayer he seemed constantly to exceed himself, and rarely made use twice of the same expressions." His whole life showed his great affection for the people of his charge; and this did not abate, though it was by no means always worthily returned. They once burned his effigy, after having carried it through the streets in derision; but when he heard of this, as one of his biographers says, "He lifted up his prayer unto God for them in our Saviour's words, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do.""

Flavel's works are chiefly practical. He was averse to controversies, and was much grieved when, upon one or two occasions, he was obliged to write against some errors

that appeared among the nonconformists. He declared to his friends that though the study of disputed doctrines was necessary, he took no pleasure in it, but had rather be employed in practical divinity. The state of mind in which he wrote appears to have been eminently that of one anxious for the good of others, and not his own reputation.

LIST

OF

FLAVEL'S WORKS.

I. A Treatise of the Soul of Man.

II. The Fountain of Life.

III. The Method of Grace.

IV. England's Duty.

V. A Token for Mourners.

VI. Husbandry Spiritualized.

VII. Navigation Spiritualized.

VIII. Sacramental Meditations.

IX. The Causes and Cure of Mental Errors.

X. The Saint Indeed.

Besides several Treatises and Sermons.

HUSBANDRY SPIRITUALIZED.

PART I.

CHAPTER I.

On the Industry of the Husbandman.

Observation.—THE employment of the husbandman is by all acknowledged to be very laborious. There is a multiplicity of business incumbent on him. The end of one work is but the beginning of another. Every season of the year brings its proper work with it. Sometimes you find him in his fields, dressing, plowing, sowing, harrowing, weeding, or reaping; and sometimes in his barn, threshing or winnowing; sometimes in his orchard, planting, grafting, or pruning his trees; and sometimes among his cattle; so that he has no time to be idle.

As he has a multiplicity of business, so every part of it is full of toil and labor. He eats not the bread of idleness, but earns it before he eats it; whereby it becomes the sweeter to him.

Application.-Behold here the life of a serious Christian shadowed forth. As the life of a husbandman, so the life of a Christian is no idle or easy life. They that take up religion for ostentation, and not for an occupation, and they that place the business of it in notions and idle speculations, in forms, gestures, and external observances, may think and call it so; but such as devote themselves to it, and make religion their business, will find it no easy work to exercise themselves unto godliness. Many there are that affect the reputation of it, who cannot endure the Div. No. XVI.

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labor of it. If men might be indulged to divide their heart betwixt God and the world, or to cull out the cheap and easy duties of it, and neglect the more difficult and costly ones, it were an easy thing to be a Christian; but surely to have a respect to all God's commandments, to live the life, as well as speak the language, of a Christian; to be holy in all manner of conversation, is not so easy. This will be evident, by comparing the life of a Christian with the life of a husbandman, in these five particulars; wherein it will appear, that the work of a Christian is by much the harder work of the two

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1. The husbandman has much to do, many things to look after; but the Christian more. If we respect the extensiveness of his work, he has a large field indeed to labor in. "Thy commandment is exceeding broad," of a vast extent and latitude, comprising not only a multitude of external acts and duties, and guiding the conduct of the outward man, but also taking in every thought and motion of the inner man within its compass.

You find in the word, much work cut out for a Christian. There is hearing-work, praying-work, reading, meditating, and self-examining-work. It puts him also upon a constant watch over all the corruptions of his heart. O what work do they occasion him! Of them he may say, as the historian says of Hannibal, they are never quiet, whether conquering or conquered. How many weak, languishing graces, has he to recover, improve, and strengthen! There is a weak faith, a languishing love, dull and faint desires, to be quickened and invigorated. And when all this is done, what a multitude of work do his several relations exact from him! He has much business incumbent on him, as a parent, child, husband, wife, master, servant, or friend. And besides all this, how many difficult things are there to be borne and suffered for Christ! And yet God will not allow his people to neglect any one of them. Neither can he be a Christian that has not respect to every command, and is not holy in all manner of conversation. Every one of these duties, like the several spokes in a wheel, come to bear, in the whole round of a Christian's conversation; so that he has more work upon his hands than the husbandman.

2. The husbandman's work is confessed to be spending work, but not like the Christian's. What Augustus said of the young Roman, is verified in the true Christian, "Whatsoever he does, he does to purpose. Under the law, God rejected the snail and the ass, Lev. vi. 30; Exod. xiii. 13; and under the gospel, he allows no sluggish lazy professor, 1 Tim. v. 11. Sleepy duties are utterly unsuitable to the living God; he will have the spirit offered up to him in every duty; John iv. 24. He bestows upon his people the very substance and kernel of mercies, and will not accept from them the shells and shadows of duties. Observe the manner in which their work is to be performed-in serving God," fervent in spirit," Rom. xii. 11-in securing salvation diligent, or doing it thoroughly and enough, 2 Pet. i. 10-in godliness, exercising or stripping themselves, as for a race, 1 Tim. iv. 7-in the pursuit of happiness, striving even to an agony, Luke xii. 24-in prayer, serving God instantly, or in a stretched out manner; yea, pouring out their hearts before him, Psal. lxii. 8; as if the body were left like a dead corpse upon the knees, whilst the spirit is departed from it, and ascended to God. This is the manner of his work: judge then how much harder this work is, than to spend the sweat of the brow in manual labor.

3. The husbandman finds his work as he left it; he can begin one day where he left off the other; but it is not so with the Christian; a bad heart and a busy devil disorder and spoil his work every day. The Christian finds not his heart in the morning, as he left it at night; and even when he is about his work, how many set-backs does he meet with? Satan stands at his right hand to resist him; when he would do good, evil, the evil of his own heart and nature, is present with him.

4. The husbandman has some resting-days, when he throws aside all his work, and takes his recreation; but the Christian has no resting-day, till his dying-day; and then he shall rest from his labors. Religion allows no idle day," but requires him to be always abounding in the work of the Lord:" when one duty is done, another calls for him. The Lord's day is a day of rest to the husbandman, but no day in the week so laborious to the