The Puritans and spiritualizing farming || John Pesebre

I am farm-sensitive because I come from a family of farmers. I grew up in a farming community.

When I started reading the Puritans I immediately noticed that they were acquainted with farming. I realized after a little research that I shouldn't be surprised because the English Puritans lived through what is now called Agricultural Revolution in England from 1500 to 1850.

In those days, I think they called farming as "husbandry". John Flavel has a treatise called Husbandry Spiritualized (or, The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things).

The farming illustrations were not to be treated as trivial for we find these tropes in their finest pastoral teachings.

For us today, the farming tropes gives us visual illustrations for how we should conceive our journey of faith.

For lack of time, I'll just give quotations on three farming ideas: seed, soil and farmer.

1. Growth and the seed metaphor
Some of the Puritans use the concept of “seeds.” They would talk about “seeds” in many ways but the notion that they oftentimes present is the idea of growth.

John Owen for example,

The work of holiness, in its beginning, is but like seed cast into the earth,—namely, the seed of God, whereby we are born again. And it is known how seed that is cast into the earth doth grow and increase. Being variously cherished and nourished, it is in its nature to take root and to spring up, bringing forth fruit. So is it with the principle of grace and holiness. It is small at first, but being received in good and honest hearts, made so by the Spirit of God, and there nourished and cherished, it takes root and brings forth fruit. And both these, even the first planting and the increase of it, are equally from God by his Spirit. "He that begins this good work doth also perform it until the day of Jesus Christ," Phil, i, 6. (Vol 3, 386)

Thomas Watson,

The saints' comforts may be hidden like seed under ground, but the seed is ripening, and will increase, and flourish into a crop. (Divine Cordial) 

"Truth has noble effects. Truth is the seed of the new birth.” (Divine Cordial)

"Sanctification is the first fruit of the Spirit; it is heaven begun in the soul. Sanctification and glory differ only in degree: sanctification is glory in the seed, and glory is sanctification in the flower. Holiness is the quintessence of happiness." (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity)

John Flavel,

Should the husbandman plow his ground ever so often, yet if the seed be not cast in, and quickened, in vain is the harvest expected. Thus conviction also is but a preparative to a farther work upon the soul of a sinner ; if it stick there, and goes no farther, it proves but an abortive, or untimely birth. Many have gone thus far, and there they have stuck ; they have been like a field plowed, but not sowed, which is a matter of trembling consideration ; for hereby their sin is greatly aggravated, and their eternal misery so much the more increased.” Volume 5, 69. 

See Valley of Vision tweet.
2. Soil and the condition of sinfulness
The introduction of the soil is also crucial. But this soil is where the problem lies. John Bunyan,

The heart of a Christian is naturally very barren; upon which, though the seed of grace (that is, the fruitliest of all seeds) be sown, yet the yeart is naturally subject to bring forth weeds. . . [T]he seed of faith is a very fruitful seed, in that it will be fruitful in so barren a soil. That faith is not beholden to the heart but the heart to it, for all its fruitfulness. That there the way to be a more fruitful Christin, is to be stronger in believing.

3. Husbandman and the gentle care of God

In his commentary to 1 Peter, Robert Leighton presents to us the role of a husbandman as soon as the seed sprouts to become a young tender plant,

The grace of God in the heart of man is a tender plant in a strange unkindly soil; and therefore cannot well prosper and grow, without much care and pains, and that of a skilful hand, and one who has the art of cherishing it: for this reason God has given the constant ministry of the word to His Church, not only for the first work of conversion, but also for confirming and increasing His grace in the hearts of His children.

This blog is a research blog, and probably you can help me. If you happen to chance upon any agricultural reference that is spiritualized by the Puritans, kindly post it in the comment section with the appropriate citations.