Meditations Upon Beasts
MEDITATIONS UPON BEASTS
MEDITATION I
Upon the clogging of a straying beast HAD this bullock contented himself, and remained quietly within his own bounds, his owner had never put such an heavy clog upon his neck; but I see the prudent husbandman chuses rather to keep him with this clog, than lose him for want of one. What this clog is to him, that is affliction and trouble to me; had my soul kept close with God in liberty and prosperity, he would never thus have clogged me with adversity; yea, and happy were it for me, if I might stray from God no more, who hath thus clogged me with preventive afflictions. If, with David I might say, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept thy word," Psalm 119:67. O my soul! it is better for thee to have thy pride clogged with poverty, thy ambition with reproach, thy carnal expectancies with constant disappointments, than to be at liberty to run from God and duty.
It is true, I am sometimes as weary of these troubles, as this poor beast is of the clog he draws after him, and often wish myself rid of them; but yet, if God should take them off, for ought I know, I might have cause to wish them on again, to prevent a greater mischief. It is storied of Basil, that for many years he was sorely afflicted with an inveterate head-ach, (that was his clog) he often prayed for the removal of it; at last God removed it, but instead thereof he was sorely exercised with the motions and temptations of lust, which when he perceived, he as earnestly desired his head-ach again, to prevent a greater evil. Lord! if my corruptions may be prevented by my afflictions, I refuse not to be clogged with them; but my soul
rather desires thou wouldest hasten the time when I shall be for ever freed from them both.
MEDITATION II
Upon the love of a Dog to his Master HOW many a weary step, through mire and dirt, hath this poor dog followed my horse's heels to day, and all this for a very poor reward? for all he gets by it at night, is but bones and blows, yet will he not leave my company, but is content upon such hard terms, to travel with me from day to day.
O my soul! what conviction and shame may this leave upon thee, who art oftentimes even weary of following thy master, Christ, whose rewards and encouragements of obedience are so incomparably sweet and sure! I cannot beat back this dog from following me, but every inconsiderable trouble is enough to discourage me in the way of my duty. Ready I am to resolve as that scribe did, Matth. 8:19.
"Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest;" but how doth my heart faulter, when I must encounter with the difficulties of the way? Oh! let me make a whole heart-choice of Christ for my portion and happiness! and then I shall never leave him, nor turn back from following him, though the present difficulties were much more, and the present encouragements much less.
MEDITATION III
Upon the fighting of two Rams TAKING notice how furiously these sheep, which by nature are mild and gentle, did yet, like bulls, push each other, taking their
advantage by going back to meet with a greater rage and fury: methought I saw in this a plain emblem of the unchristian contests and animosities which fall out amongst them that call themselves the people of God, who are in scripture also stiled sheep, for their meekness and innocency; and yet, through the remaining corruptions that are in them, thus do they push each other; as one long since complained, —non secus ac Cum duo conversis inimica in prœlia tauri,
Frontibus incurrunt— Shall Christians one another wound and push, Like furious bulls, when they together rush?
The fighting of these sheep doth in two respects notably comport with the sinful practices of contending Christians, 1. That in this fight they engage with their heads one against another: and what are they but those head-notions, or opposition of sciences falsely so called, that have made so many broils and uproars in the Christian world?
O! what clashings have these heady opinions caused in the churches!
First heads, and then hearts have clashed. Christians have not distinguished betwixt adversarius litis, et personœ; an adversary to the opinion, and to the person; but dipt their tongues and pens in vinegar and gall, shamefully aspersing and reproaching one another, because their understandings were not cast into one mould, and their heads all of a bigness. But, 2. That which country-men observe from the fighting of sheep, That it presages foul and stormy weather, is much more certainly consequent upon the righting of Christ's sheep.
Do these clash and push? Surely it is an infallible prognostic of an ensuing storm, Mal. 4:6.
MEDITATION IV
Upon the Catching of an Horse in a fat Pasture WHEN this horse was kept in poor short leas, where he had much scope, but little grass, how gentle and tractable was he then? He would not only stand quiet to be taken, but come to hand of his own accord, and follow me up and down the field for a crust of bread, or handful of oats; but since I turned him into this fat pasture, he comes no more to me, nor will suffer me to come near him, but throws up his heels wantonly against me, and flies from me as if I were rather his enemy than a benefactor. In this I behold the carriage of my own heart towards God, who the more he hath done for me, the seldomer doth he hear from me; in a low and afflicted state, how tractable is my heart to duty? Then it comes to the foot of God voluntarily. But in an exalted condition, how wildly doth my heart run from God and duty? With this ungrateful requital God faulted his own people, Jer.
2:31. teachable and tractable in the wilderness, but when fatted in that rich pasture of Canaan, "Then we are lords, we will come no more to thee." How soon are all God's former benefits forgotten?
And now often is that ancient observation* verified, even in his own people?
"No sooner do we gifts on some bestow, But presently our gifts grey-headed grow."
But that is a bad tenant, that will maintain a suit at law against his landlord with his own rent; and a bad heart, that will fight against
God with his own mercies. I wish it may be with my heart, as it is reported to be with the waters in the kingdom of Congo, that are never so sweet to the taste, as when the tide is at the highest.
MEDITATION V
Upon the hunting of a Deer THE full-mouthed cry of these dogs, which from the morning have hunted this poor tired deer, which is now no longer able to stand before them, but is compassed round with them, who thirst for, and will presently suck her blood, brings to my thoughts the condition and state of Jesus Christ, in the days of his flesh, who was thus hunted from place to place by blood-thirsty enemies. Upon this very account, the 22d Psalm, which treats of his death, is inscribed with the title of Ajieleth Shahar, which signifies the hind of the morning, and fully imports the same notion which this occasion presented me with; for look, as the hind or deer, which is intended to be run down that day, is roused by the dogs early in the morning, so was Christ, in the very morning of his infancy, by bloody Herod, and that cruel pack confederated with him. Thus was he chased from place to place, till that was fulfilled which was prophetically written of him in ver.
16. of the forecited Psalm: "For dogs have compassed me about, the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet."
And canst thou expect, O my soul! to fare better than he did, or escape the rage of bloody men? Surely, if the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee, if his holiness have favoured thee, these dogs will wind it, and give thee chase too: they go upon the scent of holiness still, and would hunt to destruction everyone, in whom there is aliquid Christi, any thing of Christ, if the gracious providence of the Lord did not