MEDITATIONS upon BEASTS
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
panionsweredrawn away from them, one after another, allthe interruption itgave the reſt, was only for a minute or two, whilft they stood peeping into that hole through which their companionswere drawn, and then fellto their meat again as bufily as before ; I could not chuſe but ſay,
Even thus fure prizingly doth death ſteal upon the childrenofmen, whilft they are wholly intent upon the cares and pleaſures of this life, not at all ſuſpecting its ſo near approach.'
Theſe birdsfaw notthehandthat enſnared them, nordothey fee the hand ofdeath plucking them one after another intothegrave.
" Death's ſteps as ſwift, and yet no noiſe it makes ; " Its hand unfeen, butyet moſtſurely takes †."
And even as the ſurviving birds for a little time ſeemed to ſtand affrighted, peeping after their companions, and then as buſyas ever totheir meat again: juſt ſo it fares with the careleſs, inconfiderate world,who fee others dailydropping into eternity round about them, and for the preſent are a little ſtartled,and will look intothe grave after their neighbours, andthen fall as buſily to their earthly employments and pleaſures again, asever, till their own turn comes.
Iknow, my God, that I muſt die as wellas others ; but O let me not die as others do, let me ſee death before I feel it, and conquer it before itkill me ; let it not come as an enemy uponmyback,but rather letme meet it as a friend, halfway.
DieI muſt, but let me lay up that good treaſure before I go, Matth. vi. 19.
Carrywith me a good confciencewhen Igo, 2Tim. iv. 6, 7. and leave behind me a good example when I amgone, and then letdeath come, andwelcome.
MEDITATIONS upon BEASTS .
MEDIT.
Upon the clogging of aftraying beaft.
AD this bullockcontented himſelf, andremainedquietly H withinhis ownbounds, his owner had never put ſuch an heavyclog upon his neck ; but I fee the prudent husbandmanchuſes rather to keep him with this clog,than loſehim for want ofone. What this clog is tohim, that is affliction and trouble to me ; hadmy foulkept cloſe withGod in libertyand profperity,hewould neverthus haveclogged me with adverſi- † Omibus obfcuras injecit illa manus.
Ovid.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, ty; yea, andhappy were it for me, ifI might ſtray fromGod nomore,who hath thus cloggedme with preventive afflictions.
If,with David,Imight say, " Before I was afflicted I went a- " ſtray, butnow I have kept thy word," Pfalm cxix. 67. О myfoul ! it is better for thee to have thypride cloggedwith poverty, thy ambition with reproach, thycarnal expectancies with conftant difappointments, than to be at liberty to run from Godand duty.
It is true, I am ſometimes as weary oftheſe troubles, as this poorbeast is oftheclog hedraws afterhim, andoftenwithmy ſelf rid ofthem ; but yet, if God ſhould take them off, for ought I know, I mighthave cauſe to wish them onagain, to prevent agreater miſchief. It is ſtoriedofBaſil, thatfor many years hewas forelyafflicted with an inveteratehead-ach, (that was his clog) he oftenprayed for the removal of it ; at last
God removed it, but insteadthereof he was forely exerciſed withthe motions and temptations ofluft, which whenhe perceived, he as earnestly defired his head-ach again, toprevent agreaterevil.
Lord! ifmycorruptions maybe preventedby my afflictions, I refuſenot tobe cloggedwith them ; but my foul rather deſires thou wouldst haſten thetime when I shallbe for ever freed from them both .
MEDIT.
II.
Upon the love of a dog to bis master.
OW many a weary ſtep, through mire and dirt, hath H his poor dog followed myhorſe's heels today, and all this for a very poorreward? for all he gets by it atnight, isbut bones andblows, yet willhe notleavemycompany,but is content upon fuch hard terms, to travel with me fromdaytoday.
Omyfoul! whatconviction and ſhame may this leaveupon thee, who art oftentimes evenweary offollowing thymaſter,
Chrift, whoſe rewards and encouragements of obedience are ſo incomparably ſweet and fure ! I cannot beat back this dog from followingme, but every inconſiderable trouble is enough todiſcourageme inthe wayofmyduty. Ready I am to refolve asthat ſcribe did, Matth. viii. 19. "Master, I wiltfollowthee
" whitherſoeverthou goeft;" buthow doth myheart faulter, when I muſt encounter with the difficulties ofthe way ? Oh ! letme make a wholeheart-choice ofChriſt for myportion and happiness! andthen I shall never leave him, nor turn back from following him, though the preſent difficulties weremuch more, andthe preſent encouragements much leſs.
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
MEDIT.
III.
Upon thefighting of two rams.
Aking notice howfuriouslytheſe ſheep,which bynature T aremildand gentle, didyet, like bulls, pusheachother, taking their advantage by going back to meet with a greater rageand fury: methought I faw in thisaplain emblem of the unchriſtian contests and animoſities which fall out amongſt themthat callthemſelves the people ofGod, who are in ſcripture alſo ſtiled sheep, for their meeknefs and innocency ; and yet, through the remaining corruptions thatare inthen., thus do theydo puſh each other; as one long fince complained, nonfecus ac, Camduo converfisinimica in praelia 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 comportwith the ſinful practices of contending Chriſtians, 1.
That in this fight they engage withtheir heads one againſt another : andwhat arethey but thoſe head-notions, or oppofition ofsciences, falfetyſocalled, that have made ſomany broils anduproars in the Chriſtian world ? O ! what clafſhings have theſe heady opinions cauſed inthe churches ! Firſt heads, and thenhearts have claſfred. Chriſtianshavenotdiftinguishedbetwixtadverfarius litis, etperfonae; anadverſary tothe opinion, andto theperfon; but dipt their tongues and pens invinegar and gall, ſhamefullyafperfingandreproaching oneanother, becauſe their underſtandings were not caſtinto one mould, and theirheads all ofa bigneſs. But, 2. That whichcountry-men obſerve from the fighting ofsheep, That itpreſages foul and Stormy weather, is much more certainly confequent upon the
fighting of Chrift's sheep. Dotheſe clash and push ? Surely it isaninfallible prognostic of an enfuingstorm, Mal. iv. 6.
MEDIT.
IV.
W keptinpoor ſhort leas,where he Upon the catching ofanhorse in a fatpasture.
HEN this horfe was hadmuch ſcope, but littlegrafs,how gentle and trac tablewashe then ? Hewould not only ſtandquiet to be taken, butcome to hand ofhis own accord, and follow me up and
down the field for a cruft ofbread, or handful of oats; but
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, ſinceIturnedhim intothisfat paſture,he comesno more to me, nor will fuffer me to comenear him, but throws up his heels wantonly againstme,and flies from me,as if Iwere rather his enemy than benefactor. In this Ibehold the carriageof my own heart towards God, who the morehe hath done for me, the feldomer doth he hear from me ; in a low and afflicted ſtate, how tractable is myheartto duty ? Then it comes to the foot ofGod voluntarily. But inan exalted condition, how wildly dothmy heart run fromGod and duty ? With this ungrateful requitalGodfaulted his own people, Jer. iii. 31. teachable and tractable in the wilderness, but when fatted in that rich paſture ofCanaan, "Then we are lords, we will come no "more to thee." How foon are allGod's former benefits forgotten ? Andhow often is that ancient obſervation * verified, even inhis ownpeople ?
" No fooner dowe gifts on fome beſtow, " But preſently our gifts grey-headed grow."
Butthat isa badtenant, that will maintain a ſuit at law against his landlord with his own rent ; and a bad heart, that will fight againstGodwithhis own mercies. I wish itmaybe withmyheart, as it is reportedto be with the waters in the kingdom ofCongo, that are never ſo ſweet tothe taste, aswhen thetide is atthe highest.
MEDIT.
Upon the hunting of a deer.
HE full-mouthed cry of theſe dogs, which from the T morning have hunted this poortired deer, which is now no longer able to ſtand beforethem, but iscompaſſed round withthem,who thirſt for, andwill preſently fuck her blood ; brings tomythoughts the condition and ſtate of Jeſus Chriſt, inthedays of his fleſh, who was thus hunted from place to placebyblood-thirstyenemies.Uponthis veryaccount, the 22d
Pfalm, which treats of his death, is inſcribed withthe title of Aijeleth Shahar, which ſignifies the hind ofthe morning, and fully imports the ſame notion which this occaſion preſented mewith ; for look, as the hindor deer, which isintended tobe rundownthatday, is rouzedby the dogs early in the morning, fowas Chrift, inthevery morning of his infancy, by bloody
Herod, andthat cruelpackconfederatedwithhim. Thuswas * Μετατ δοσιν ταχίζαγκραστει χαρις.
Poft munere cito confenefcitgratia.
The Heavenly Ufe of Earthly Things.
hechaſedfrom place to place, till that was fulfilledwhich was propheticallywrittenofhiminver. 16. of the forecited Pfalm :
* Fordogs have compaſſed me about,the affemblyofthe wick- " edhave incloſed me; theypierced myhands and my feet."
And canftthou expect, O my soul ! to fare better thanhe did, or eſcape the rage ofbloodymen ? Surely, if the Spiritof
Chriſtdwellinthee, ifhis holiness have favoured thee, theſe dogswillwind it, andgivethee chaſetoo ; theygo upon the ſcentofholineſs ſtill, andwouldhunt to destruction every one, inwhom there is aliquid Chrifti, any thing of Chrift, if the gracious providence of the Lord did not fometimes rate them off: for it is no leſs apleaſure which fome wicked ones take in hunting thepeople ofGod, than what † Claudianthe poetobſerves men uſe totake inhunting wild beafts.
" Whilst weary huntſmen inthe nightdo fleep, " Their fancies in the woods ſtill hunting keep."
Lord! ſhouldIwith the hypocritedecline the profeſſionand practice ofholiness, to eſcape the rage ofperfecuting enemies, atwhat time they ceaſe, myown confcience would begin to huntme like ablood-hound ; let me rather chuſe to be chaſed bymenthanGod, to flee before pursuing enemies, than be dogged fromdayto day with aguilty confcience.
MEDITATIONS upon TREES.
MEDIT.
Upon the fall of blossoms, nipt by a frosty morning.
Beholding blo early ſpring, fruit-trees emboſſed with beautiful blofſoms of various colours, which breathed forth their delicious odours into the circumambient air, and adorned the branches on which theygrew, like ſo many rich jewels,or glitteri pendents ; andfurther obſerving, how theſe perfumedbloſſoms droptoff, being bitten with the froft, and diſcolouredallthe ground, as ifashower ofſnow had fallen ;
I faidwithin myself, theſe ſweet and early bloſſoms are not unlike my ſweet and early affections to the Lord, in thedays of my firſt acquaintance with him. Owhat fervent love, panting defires, andheavenly delights beautified my foul in thoſedays ! The odoriferous ſcent ofthe ſweetest bloffoms, the + Venator defefſa thero quum membra reponit,
Claud Mens tamen adfylvas, et sua lustra redit...
VOL. VI.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, morningbreath of the moſt fragrant flowers, hathnothalf that ſweetnesswith which thoſe my firſt affections were enriched. O ! happy time, thrice pleaſant ſpring ! My ſoul hath it ſtill inremembrance, andis humbled within me; for theſe alſowerebutblofſoms which now are nipt and faded, that first flourish isgone; my heart is like the winter'searth, becauſe thy face, Lord, is tome likea winter fun. " Awake, O
" northwind! and come, ſouth-wind,blow upon my garden, "that the fpices thereof may flow out, thenletmy beloved
" come into his garden, and eathis pleaſant fruit!"
MEDIТ .
Upon the knittingorfetting offruit.
Have often obſerved, that when the bloſſoms ofatree fet I and knit, though the flourish thereofbegone,andnothing butthebare rudiment ofthe expected fruit be left; yet then the fruit ismuch better ſecured from the danger offroſts and. winds, than whilft it remained in the flower or bloſſom; for now ithath past one ofthoſe critical periods, inwhich ſomany trees miſcarryand loſe their fruit. And methought this natural obfervation fairly led me to this theological propoſition,
•That goodmotions, andholypurpoſes inthe foul, are never 'ſecured, and paſt their moſt dangerous crisis, tillthey be turned into fixed reſolutions, and anſwerable executions,
•which is as theknittingand ſetting of them.'
Uponthis propoſition my melting thoughts thus dilated : happyhad it been for thee, my soul ! had all thebleffedmotions ofthe Spiritbeenthus knit and fixed in thee.
Oh, how have mine affections blown and budded under the warm beams ofthe goſpel ! But a chill blaft from the cares, troubles anddelights of the world without, and thevanity and deadnefs of the heart within, haveblaſted all ; mygoodneſs hath been but as a morning-dew, or earlycloud,that vaniſheth away. And even of divine ordinances, I may ſay whar is ſaid ofhuman ordinances, " Theyhave periſhedinthe uſing." Ablofſom is butfructus imperfectus, et ordinabilis, an imperfect thing in itſelf,andſomething inorder to fruit ; a good motion andholy purpoſe is but opus imperfectum, et ordinabile, an imperfect work, in order to a complete work of the Spirit ; when that primus impetus, thoſe firſt motions were ſtrong uponmyheart, hadI thenpursued them intheforce and vigour ofthem,how many difficulties might I have overcome ? Revive thy work,
O Lord, and give not tomyfoul a miſcarrying womb, or drybreaſts.