Upon the fight of a fair spreading oak,
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
W > MEDIТ.
III.
Upon the fight of afairspreading oak.
HAT a lofty flourishingtree is here ? It seems rather to be a little wood, than a ſingle tree, every limb thereofhaving thedimenſionsand branches ofa tree in it; and yet as great as it is, it was once but a little flip, which one might pullup with two fingers ; this vaſt body was contained virtually and potentiallyin aſmall acorn. Wellthen, I will neverdeſpiſe the dayofſmallthings, nor deſpair of arriving to aneminency ofgrace, though at preſent itbe but as a bruiſed reed, andthe things that arein me be readytodie. As things in nature, ſothe things ofthe Spirit, growup to their fulneſs and perfectionby flow and inſenſible degrees. The famous and heroical acts of the moſt renowned believers were fuch as themſelves could not once perform, oritmaybethink theyever ſhould.
Great things, both in nature and grace, come from ſmallandcontemptiblebeginnings.
MEDIT. IV.
Upon thefight of manystickslodgedin the branches ofa choice fruit-tree.
HOW isthis tree battered with stones, and loaded with ſticks, that have been thrown at it, whilstthoſe thatgrow about it, being barren, or bearing harſher fruit, eſcape untouched! Surely ifits fruithad not been ſo good, its uſage had not been ſo bad. Andyet it is affirmed, that ſome trees, as thewalnut, &c. bear the better for being thus bruiſed and battered..
Eventhus it fares inboth reſpects with the beſtofmen; the the more holy, the more enviedandperfecuted; every onethat paffes bywill have a fling atthem. Methinks I ſeehow devils andwicked men walkround about the people ofGod, whom hehath incloſed inhisarms ofpower, likeſo manyboys about an orchard, whoſe lips water to have a fling at them.
But God turns all the stones ofreproach into precious ſtones to his people ; they bear the better for being thus battered. And in them is that ancient * obſervation verified.
" The palms and crowns of virtue thus increaſe ; " Thus perfecution's turned into peace."
Ee2 :
* Crefcunt virtutumpalmae, crefcuntque coronae Mutanturmundiprælia, pace Dei.
Husbandry Spiritualized; or, Letme be but fruitful to God in holiness, and ever abounding in the work ofthe Lord, andthen whilft devils and men are flinging atme, eitherbyhand ortongue perfecutions,
Iwill fing amidst them all withthedivine poet :
" What open force, or hidden charm,
" Can blaſt my fruits, or bring meharm, " Whilst the inclosure is thine arm ?" Herb. Poem. p. 125.
MEDIT.
Upon thegathering ofchoicefruit fromaScrubbed, unpromifing W tree.
Ould any man thinkto find fuch rare delicious fruit upon ſuch anun unworthy tree to appearance as this is ?
I ſhould rather have expected the moſt delicious fruit from the moſt handſome and flourishing trees ; but I ſee I must neither judge the worth oftrees or menby their external form and appearance. This is not the first time I have been deceived in judging by that rule ; under fair and promifing outſides I have found nothing ofworth ; and inmany deformed deſpicable bodies, I have found precious and richly furnished ſouls. The fap and juiceof this ſcrubbed tree is concocted into rare and excellent fruits, whilstthe juice and fap of ſome other fair, but bairen trees, ſervesonly tokeep them from rotting, which is all the use that many fouls whichdwell in beautiful bodies ſerve for; they have, as one faith, animam pro fale ; their fouls are butfalt to their bodies .
Or thus, The only uſe to which their fouls do ferve, Is but like falt, their bodies to preſerve.
IfGod have given me a foundfoul ina foundbody, I have adouble mercy to bleſs him for ; but whether mybodybe vigorous andbeautiful, or not, yet let my foul be ſo: forasthe eſteem of this tree, ſo the eſteem and true honour of every man, riſes rather from his fruitfulness and usefulneſs, than from his ſhape andform、 MEDIT.
VI .
Upon an excellent, but irregular tree.
Eeing atreegrow fomewhat irregular, in avery neat orS chard, I told the owner it was pitythat tree ſhould ſtand there; and that ifit were mineI would root it up, and thereby reduce the orchard to an exact uniformity.
It was replied to this purpoſe, That he rather regarded the fruitthantheform;" and that this flight inconveniencywas abundantly preponderat-
The Heavenly Use of Earthly Things.
édbyamoreconfiderable advantage. This tree,faidhe, which you wouldroot up, hath yielded me more fruit than many of thoſe trees which have nothing elſe tocommendthembuttheir regular fituation.
I could not but yield to the reaſon of this anfwer ; and could wish it hadbeen ſpoken ſo loud, that all ouruniformity-men had heard it, who will not ſtick to rootup manyhundred ofthe beſt bearers in the Lord's orchard,becauſe they ſtand not in an exact order with other more conformable, but leſs beneficial trees, who perdunt fubftantiam propter accidentia, destroy the fruit to preſerve the form .
Not much unlike,ſuch foolish men are thoſe, That strive for ſhadows, and the ſubſtance loſe.
MEDITATIONS upon a GARDEN.
MEDIT.
Upon the new-modelling ofagarden.
Gentlewomanwho had lately ſeen a neat and curious garden, returns to her own with a greater diſlike of it than ever ; reſolves to rew-model the whole plat, and reduce it to a better form ; is nowbecome ſo curious and neat, that not A aweed or stone is ſuffered in it, but all muſt lie in exquiſite order ; andwhatever ornament ſhe had obſerved in her neighbours, ſhe is now reſtleſs till ſhe ſees itinher own.
Happywere it, thought I, ifin anholy emulation everyone would thus endeavour to rectify the diſorders of their own converſation, by the excellent graces theybehold in the more heavenly and regular lives of others.
Some Chriſtians there are (I wish their number were greater) whoſe actions lie in ſuch a comely and beautiful order, thatfew oftheir neighbours can look upon their examples without felf-conviction and ſhame ; but few areſo happy tobe provoked into ſelf-reformation by fuchrare patterns.
I ſee it is much eaſier to pull up manyweeds out ofa garden, than one corruption out ofthe heart; andtoprocure anhundred flowers to adorn aknot, than onegrace tobeautify the ſoul.
It is more natural to corrupt manto envy, than to imitatethe ſpiritual excellencies ofothers.
MEDIT.
II.
Upon the pulling up ofa leek.
Whitehead and agreen tail ! How welldoth this reA ſembleanoldwanton lover,whoſe greenyouthful lufts
Husbandry Spiritualized or, are not extinguiſhed,though his white headdeclares that na ture isalmoſt ſo! Gray hairs ſhould be always matched with gravedeportments; and the ſins of youth ſhould ratherbe the griefs thanpleaſures ofold age.
It is ſad when the ſins ofthe foul, like the diſeaſes ofthebody, grow ſtronger, as nature grows weaker: and it recals tomy mindthat ancient obſerva tion of * Menander :
" It is the worst ofevils, tobehold "Strongyouthful lufts to ragein one that'sold."
It is athousandpities, that thoſewho have one foot in the grave, ſhould live as ifthe otherwere inhell! that their lufts ſhouldbe ſo lively, when their bodies are three parts dead !
Such finful practices bring uponthem more contempt and ſhame, thantheir hoary heads, and reverendfaces canprocure themhonour.
"Grayhairs, and agedwrinkles,did ofold "Procure more reverencethan bags ofgold †."
Butalas! how little reſpect or reverence can thehoaryhead obtainamongst wiſe men, except it be found in thewayof righteouſneſs ? Ithink thelowesteſteem is toomuch for anold ſervant ofthe devil; and the highest honour little enough for an ancient and faithful fervant ofChrift.
MEDIT.
III.
Upon a heedless tread in a curious garden. was richly adornedwith rare tulips, and other beautiful flowers ; I was verycareful toſhun thoſe flowers, which indeedhad no other worth tocommendthem,buttheir exquifite colour ; andunadviſedly trode upon and ſpoiled an excellent choiceherb,which, though itgrew obſcurely,yethad rarephyfical virtues in it.
WhenI was made ſenſibleofthe involuntary treſpaſs Ihad committed, IthoughtI could fcarcely make theowner abetter compenfation,thanby telling him,that herein (though against my will) I did buttreadin the footsteps of the greatestpart of theworld,who are very careful (as Iwas)to keep their due
Senex amore captus, ultimum malum.
†Magna fuit capitis quondam reverentia cani, Menand.
Ovid. 5.Faft.
Inquefuopretio rugafeniliserat.
The HeavenlyUse ofEarthly Things.
diſtance fromſplendid,though worthless gallants, meanwhile trampling upon,and crushing under foot the obſcure, but moſt precious ſervants ofGod inthe world. Aslittle do theyheed theſe most excellent perfons, as I did this precious herb.
Summa ingenia inoccultofæpe latent, faith Plautus.
Parewits, and herbs, ſometimes do ſculk and ſhrink Infuch blindholes, as one would little think.
For my own part, I defire to tread upon no manwith the footof contempt andpride, much leſs upon anygood man ; and that I maynot, it concerns me to lookbefore I ſtep ; I mean, to conſider before Icenſure: had Idone ſobythis rare herb, I had never hurt it.
MEDIT.
IV.
Upon awitheredpofy taken up in theway.
☑Inding in my walk, a poſy ofonce ſweet and fragrant, F butnowdryandwithered flowers, whichI ſuppoſe tobe thrownawayby onethat had formerlyworn it: thus, ſaid I, doththe unfaithful worlduſe its friends,whenprovidencehath blaſtedand withered them ; whilst they are rich andhonourable, they will put them into their boſoms, as the ownerof this poſydid, whilft it was freſh and fragrant, and as eafily throwthemawayas uſeleſs and worthless things, whenthus theycome tobewithered. Such uſage as this * Petronius long fincecomplainedof.
"Aretheyinhonour ? Thenwe ſmile likefriends ; "Andwith their fortunes all ourfriendſhip ends."
But this loofe anddeceitful friend fſtinks ſoodioufly in the verynoftrils ofnature, that a †heathen poet ſeverely taxes and condemns itas moſt unworthy ofaman.
""Tis baſe tochange withfortune, anddeny "A faithful friend,becauſe in poverty."
Andis this indeedthe friendſhip ofthe world ? Doth itthus uſethem whom once it honoured ?Then, Lord ! let me never feekits friendſhip. O let me eſteemthe ſmiles and honours of men leſs, and thy love and favour more ! thy love is indeed unchangeable, beingpure, free, andbuiltupon nothing that is
* Cumfortunamanet vultumfervatisamici, Cum cecidit turpi vertitis orafuga.
+Turpesequi cafum,et fortune cedere, amicum Petronius.
Etnififit foelixet effſnegarefaum.
Husbandry Spiritualized ; or, mutable ; thou never ſerveſt thy friends as the world doth its darlings.
MEDIT.
Upon thefudden withering ofa rofe.
Beingwith frien garden, we gathered each of us aroſe; hehandledhis tenderly, fmelled to it but feldom, and ſparingly ; I always kept it to my noſe, or ſqueezed it in myhand, whereby in a very ſhort time it loftboth colour and fwetneſs,but his ſtill remained as ſweet and fragrant as if it hadbeen growing upon itsown root.
Theſe rofes, faid I, are thetrue emblemsof the beſt and ſweetest creature-enjoyments in the world, which being moderately andcautiouſlyuſed and enjoyed, may for a long time yield ſweetneſs to the pofieffor of them; but ifonce the affection ſeize too greedily upon them, and ſqueezethem too hard,they quickly wither in our hands, and we loſe thecomfortofthem, andthat either thro' the foul's furfeiting upon them, or the Lord's righteous andjust removal of them, becauſe of the exceſs of our affections to them ; earthly comforts, likepictures, ſhew beſt at a due diſtance.
It was therefore a good faying of * Homer, ᾿Ανδει ξεινοδοκώ , &c.
" I likehim not, who atthe rate " Of allhis might doth love or hate."
It is a point of excellent wisdom to keep the golden bridle ofmoderation upon all the affections we exerciſe upon earthly things, and never to flip thoſe reins, unleſs when they move towards God, in whoſe lovethere is nodanger of exceſs.
MEDIT.
VI.
Upon thefudden withering ofbeautifulflowers.
OW fresh and orientdidtheſeflowers lately appear,when H beingdaſhedover with the morning dew, they stood in all their pride and glory, breathing out their delicious odours, which perfumed the air round aboutthem,but now are witheredand ſhrivelled up, andhave neither anydefireablebeauty or favour in them .
So vain athing is theadmired beauty of creatures, which ſo captivates the hearts, and exerciſes a pleaſing tyranny over *Mihi nunquam is placet hofpes Qui valde preterque modum odit vel amat,
Homer.-