Litchfield enquirer., 1846-12-03

Bat there ts a view of agriculture rpoa which for . moment vii, dwell, which will be more tn hsrnony with my profession, more Coiueideni with my train of thinking from day to day, called as am to make the Bible the subject of my neditaliunS. u is Ike aGipaaf0gss srkich the GRTicHIIlgal OceW the character cf COd, aud the TtiGtiO'as on.ic. sre sUsf0In k Him.
 1 assume that am addressing those whC admit the perfect providence Of GCd, with""t whose caIe not a sparrow falls. presume also that you all admit that the Bible iN a revelation from God many of you profess 10 believe it's truths, and rpon the SalvalioI' which it reveals rest all your immOrlal hopes These things pre>uppo>ed, l ohSerse that the agr cultural occupation is adapted to impress upon as, the immutability of God; whether we reason from the Bible UT from facts oT from both, the result is the same. We read. for example, !" In the sweat of thy face shalt 'hon eat bread, till thou return unto the ground,"&c. The history of agri culture has been for nearly six thousand years in confirmation of its correctness. No human ingenuity. no labor saving machine y. has ever nuIhfied the divine declaration. Ir will ever do it. Let mechanical skill be carried to the highest degree of perfection let water and steam and electricity do their u'mo>t. yet tLe real or imaginary wants ot nen will cause them to labor the word of Tod will be immutable. Take another de- .laration: "While the earth remainc,h seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease'' God has been immu,able in the iul6lment of this declaration. Insu. lated cases ot famine are not exceptions which impair the general truth, for it is subject to real restrictions as He who made it sees best But how uniform aie these l changes? Each comes in it's order, seed time and harvest, &c. How imnu,able does God appear as learned from the countless productions of the earth? The grass, the
 flowers, the leaves. every thing which grows has the same color and qualities which they had when flSt made to grow. The various kinds of grains and vegetables ave tie same nulriciouS qualities which they had when first formed by Him who made all things. Some kinds may be indeed in a de gree changed by inlermixiure or otherwise, hut these changes are in conformity with the principles which God has established | in tho natural world the whole process of vegetation shows the immutability of God. A conse nal soil, due proportion of hea, and nOiSlureS, are needed for vegetation : all the laws of the natural world which are applicable to agriculture are immutahle, and it appears to me that a contempla,ive farmer must be deeply impressed with the immu u,a- bili,y of God.
 2. The agricultural occupation is equal 1 ly favorable to impress upon us the wisdom of God. What traces of it may be seen in the whole process of vegetation {! that is so far as we can comprehend it. What exuui- site skill in the construction of every plan, and vegetable and tree Who can follow in his thoughts grain of wheat or rye or a kernel of corn, in all it's stages in growing until it natures, and not see beauty and wisdom? Who can look at the countless varieties of things which come within the province of human culture and see their
 dap,aiion 10 the necessities and comforts of meE or for the suSlenanCe Jf animals in the | service of man, and not see wisdom Who can think of the trees of the forest adapted
 for timber aud for fuel, the great varieties
 fruits, and not sec wisdom in their formd
 ;ion and their adaptation, wisdom in the
 providential government of the world D.
 Surely the agricultural occupation, the let.
 ter it is understood, the more it is subject
 of deep reflection, the more it impresses the
 manifold wisdom of God.
 5. The agricultural occupation is as
 highly favorable to show us the henevolence of God. Formed as we are with hUdies v'hich must have healthful nu,riment from day 10 day, how ab0unding is the rroof of the goodness of God in those things which are needful for our food! While there are certain things, which are always palatable. always congenial to the human system, and n regard 10 which none in health ever lose their relish, as our common grains from which w. make our bread, there are others which are peculiarly appropriate to their seasons; as, for example, the fruits of sum mer, which are so grateful in their season to onr tastes, each of which continues only for short time aud then iS followed by o,h CTS in the'r place as desiralle, and as the science of agriculture perlects, we may see more and more the bcnevolence of Cod in varieties adapted 10 tEe changing seasons, while those things which are needful for the cold of winter are more substantial and en during when our systems require a greater pronr n of solid nutriment. Indeed a correc, knowledge of the productive parts of the earth would show that each climate is chiefly adapted to produce that which is most heaItdful to those who occuny il; thus in tropical climates where the bodily system is constantly under the relaxing influence of heat, vegetables and fruits flourish, while in our lalitudes grains are indigenous or congenial, and animal food is far more needful. Sure am that when we remem- her that we gre iearfully and wonderfully made," and then consider the countless va rie.ieS which the wide world produces under good cultivation. not only to feed but 10 clothe the whole human family, yea for its comforts, we may indeed see the benevo lence of God, especially keeping in view that hy commerce exchanges can be made SO that in any one rlace most of the productions of almost any climate can he had. l, must be that the contempla'ive agriculluralist must be deeply implt ssed with the tenevolence Of God.
 4 The agricultural occupation is pern. liarIv adnp nptel to ,rnprnSS ind hia