eternity of torments will be little enough to pay the debt which I owe but her debts being nothing but death will be soon discharged oh my soul if God do not distinguish thee from wicked men by grace as well as from this toad by reason thy misery will be far worse then hers and thy condition more forlorn Oh poor man whither art thou fallen thou wast in the creation made the glory of this Universe and all the creatures to be thy servants yea the angels to be Ministring spirits for thy good and now if God assist not in a new creation the meanest and most despicable of the creatures is in a better condition then thou art Oh sin what woful work hast thou made among us and of what a bewitched nature art thou and how hast thou infatuated us still to doat upon thee and to think thee lovely oh my God how good hast thou been to me and how evilly have I requited thee for thy good and how foolishly have I behaved my self to my own soul thou createdst me after thine own image in knowledge righteousness and true holiness and gavest me dominion over thy creatures thou madest me little lower then the angels and crownedst me with honour and dignity Psal 8.4 5 6. such I was when I past out of thy hand but I have lost this image by the fall and this supremacy and now this poor creature is in a better condition then I am by nature and never transgress thy laws as I have done but Lord thou canst renew thine image in me and bring me to my primitive happiness Lord do it then shall I praise thee with unfained lips that thou hast made me a man Upon the coursing of a hare 46. Med. BEing occasionally present at the coursing of a hare and my affection being tickled with the sport to see what turnings windings shifts and cunning evasions she had to delude her enemy and make an escape but all too little for she after came to be their prey that sought her life and to suck her bloud when I felt my affections thus to heat and close with the sport I began to check my self for it and to expostulate the case thus with mine own heart vain man what art thou doing whither art thou going art thou in heaven or on the earth that thy affections are so pleased is it God or the creature that gives thee this content alass what poor fading perishing joy is this and canst thou finde more delight in it then in the service of God or in communion with Christ Nay but art thou sure that these delights are lawfull if not thou hast cause to bewail it the thing may be disputable was it not the sin of man that brought this enmity and antipathy between the creatures and made them thirst after one anothers bloud Reverend Mr Bolton tels us this is the judgement of the best Divines that it was a fruit of our rebellion against God now if this misery was laid upon them for our faults it should be rather matter of our grief then sport and taking pleasure in their bloud is a vexing of their very vexation and we discover those weeds and seeds of cruelty to be too rank and luxurious in the soul and we degenerate in this below the beast of the field who as it is observed take not content in hurting one another but in case of hunger or anger they satisfy their appetite and rage sometimes with bloud but never their eye or their fancy Is the fruits of our sin become the matter of sport this consideration might work in us a contrary effect and I think much better but grant for no body will deny it that we have liberty given us to make use of this antipathy for the destroying of hurtful creatures and the enjoying of those that are usefull as these now under consideration which no doubt are given to us for food as well as others and grant that they cannot be so well taken any other way and their flesh to be best when it is thus hunted and chased yet it still remains disputable whether their death were ever appointed by God to be a matter of sport or a lawfull recreation to us to kill them is no doubt lawfull but to sport our selves in their death seems cruel and bloudy to delight more in seeing the shifts the poor creature hath to save her life an instinct given her by nature and to see her in the mouths of her bloud-thirsty enemies rending and tearing her in peeces without mercy then they do in the flesh it self which should be I think the cheifest end in this action seems cruel and bloudy recreation suppose thou heardest such a poor creature giving up the ghost to speak after this manner for it is no absurdity to fain such a speech oh man what have I done to thee or what evil is found in me that like a cruel enemy thou sportest thy self at my death I have lived upon my fathers allowance and never transgrest my masters will nor makers laws as thou hast done If thou take away my life what needst thou make a sport at my death If a sparrow fall not to the ground without Gods providence surely he takes notice of my death and the manner of it and I am part of the goods thy master commends to thee as a steward and for which thou must give an account I am thy fellow-creature made of the same matter by the same hand it was not all the men on earth could have created me or given me life my life was given me by God and now it is taken away in sport to please man take heed vain man that thus dost satiate thy self with my bloud lest at last thy condition be worse then mine and thy account heavier my debt is now paid by my death and my own sufferings but thine will never be discharged by thy self to eternity this pleasure thou hast now taken will be dearly bought and this flesh of miâ—e must be satisfied for hereafter if Christ be not thy surety nay O man thou knowest not but there are some enemies if God restrained them not that do as earnestly thirst after thy bloud as thou hast done after mine and would be glad to wash their hands in it however the devil is a more cruel bloud thirsty enemy to thy soul then these dogs are to my body and goes about day and night like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and take heed lest those dogs which have now drunk my bloud and are too often fed with the poors portion and deserve death as well as I being every way as noxious do not rise up against thee another day c. Oh my soul spend no more time in recreation then thou canst afford and that is but a little till thy main work be done and then spend no more in recreation then thy state will afford and that will not be much take heed that the poors
also that rob the poor will be found to reproach their maker Pro. 14.31 God is the poor mans king and he will defend him destroy his enemies and will not suffer the injuries offered them to be unpunished winter will come when these wasps will dye oh my God suffer me not now to feed upon those morfels that I must chew for ever in hell if I have but little let it not be with a curse Upon the painted Butterfly 57. Med. WHen I observed the curious gaudy dress of the painted butterfly her various colours and her specious shew and took notice how she spent her time in paint and plaister and all to adorn her self and make her seem beautiful when the laborious Bee improved her time to better ends and purposes viz. to provide in summer for winter and to gather her food in the harvest I considered also that notwithstanding all this paint this proud creature was but a poor infect nay an unprofitable creature doing hurt but no good and when I caught her to take a further view she did but foul my fingers I considered also what would be the end of this so proud so sluggish and so useless a creature and found against winter she put her head into a hole and died and there was the end of all her bravery when the painfull Bee hath her life preserved by her dilligence this made me think that this creature did much resemble many of the Gallants of our times especially of the female sex though others may take it ill if they be excluded which are good for little but to paint and dress and spend their time as vainly as ever the butterfly doth these content not themselves with their own native beauty or with the form and fashion God made them in but cast themselves into another mould and take upon them another shape then God made them and it is to be feared God will never own them for his when they are thus transformed or rather deformed themselves with their own hands and what is the reason of all this paint and plaister but to make traps to catch fools their hair are snares to catch men as the fisher of his hairs makes lines to catch fish or as the spiders web is to take flys for if there be no wine in the cellar why hangs the bush what doth this gaudy dress signifie but a lascivious minde and to let the world know in what ware they deal and how welcome such a motion that brings profit or pleasure with it would be to them and like the signe at the ale-house-door promises entertainment for money what doth this gawdy dress signify less then a lascivious minde when they spend great part of their time in attiring painting dressing and spotting themselves this is their morning devotion and their afternoon service is not much unlike for that is mostly spent in sports and merryments in plays and interludes in idle visits or perhaps worse employments the devil many times makes use of these gaudy flys to fish for souls wherewith he baits his hooks and many unwary youths are caught with these lime-twigs Is it not a wonder that any of Adams sons or Eves daughters and yet both sexes are guilty should take more pains for hell then others do for heaven yea and be at more cost and care also for pride is more costly then humility yea is it not a wonder to see persons pride in that which is the fruit of sin and a cover to shame viz. their cloaths which usually are but the excrements of beasts or insects or at least of as poor an original this is a sure signe of a worthless piece to be like a bubblâ— or bladder blown up with a little winde how many are there that are like the Cinamon-tree the bark is better then the body yea sometimes the cloaths are better then all the estate besides Many that are ashamed of their deformity yet when their crooked ill-shap't bodies are covered are proud of their beauty but what will become of those at death that have spent their time in paint and spot and neglected to adorn the soul it were well with them if with the butterfly they could finde a hole to dye in that they might never more be seen but this will not be they must be seen in their own colours when all the varnish will vanish sincerity will abide the fire I fear others also are guilty of this paint and flourish as some Ministers who paint their Sermons not to profit but to please and preach not in that plain convincing way Christ and his Apostles did but woo more for themselves then for Christ and fish not for souls but for popular applause and seek not to set the crown upon Christs head but their own oh my soul beware of these three grand enemies to thy salvation pride idleness and hypocrisy where these bear sway the soul never prospers pride is the master-pock if it strike to the heart it will surely kill thee pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 he defies those that deify themselves witness Herod and Lucifer grace grows not in high mountains but in low vallies the least degree of pride sets it self against God the highest degree sets it self above God 2 Thes 2.4 and as pride so idleness is a deadly sin pride fulness of bread and abundance of idleness were Sodoms sin and doubtless they are Englands sins also and make many thousands fall short of heaven and the time is coming hypocrisy also will appear in its own colours the paint will not abide the fire oh my God how many poor souls split themselves upon these rocks and make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience Lord keep me humble make me sincere and help me to be diligent so shall I be happy for ever Upon a gnat playing with the candle 58. Med. WHen I observed a gnat play so long with the candle that at length she burnt her wings was taken prisoner suffered for her folly paid dear for pleasure and was exposed to a cruel death even to end her life in the flames I thought this resembled poor man that so long dallies with sin and plays with the devils temptations that at last he is snared in his limetwigs and fettered in his gins and led captive by him at his pleasure 2 Tim. 2.26 those that he thus takes in his snares he useth worse then Sampson was used by the Philistins he puts out their eyes and then makes them grinde in his mill poor man is like a fish nibling so long at the bait till at last he swallows the hook or like the unwary bird so eagerly falls upon the prey that they are taken in the net the devil like a cunning fowler holds out the bait covers the hook and hides himself behind the bush so that they see not the hand that holds it he doth not usually
despight of his enemies if they take away their meat saith the Martyr God can take away their hunger why not as well as he doth the life of other creatures and he will do it rather then his promise shall fail Elijah goes in the strength of one meal forty days and had God pleased it might have been forty years for he could have preserved the Israelites forty years in the wilderness without food as well as with food from heaven and as well as he preserved their garments from waxing old Deut. 29.5 I have led you forty years in the wilderness your cloaths are not waxen old upon you and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot they needed not to care what they should eat or what they should drink or wherewithall they should be cloathed for God made provision of all this they were maintained at Gods proper cost and charges methoughts also this cessation of action in these creatures in winter did much resemble sleep which if God pleased might be as long in other animals and were it not common would be thought wonderful and little differing from death it self and yet experience shews us that which seems to destroy nature doth restore and refresh it or it is like to a swoon when the symptomes of death are upon a man yea in some distempers the symptomes of life for many hours together are scarcely discerned but above all it resembles our lying in the grave and our rising again at the resurrection for the body sleeps in the dust till the last day as these creatures do in their holes till the winter is past and the spring approacheth and the silkworm never receives life till the Mulbery-trees leaves which is their food and then they shall be revived by the sun of righteousness and life put into them then these dry bones shall live This I know some question and some deny possibly because they cannot fathome the depth of this providence and were they not convinc't by yearly experience of the other they would deny that also and would think it could not be that creatures should have their life preserved the one half of the year at least without food because they know not how it should be But I think few articles of our faith are more clearly proved in Scripture then this of the resurrection but many men I fear are wilfully blinde their lives and conversations being so debaucht they would believe at least wish they could believe there were no resurrection of the body yea that the soul were mortal as well as the body and that the death of the one were the destruction of the other also but the time is coming they shall finde the contrary to their sorrow both scripture and reason speak plainly that the soul is immortal and that the body partaking with it in holiness or sin shall also partake with it in weal or wo and that there will be a day of retribution when those that now suffer for Christ shall then reign with him and those that sin shall suffer for their sin the contrary to this cannot stand with scripture-revelations the threatnings of the law the promises of the Gospel nor with divine justice it self and why should any think it impossible for God to gather our dust together and raise up our dead bodies at the last who do believe that there is a God and that he hath made not only man but the whole creation of nothing and that this God is just and will make good both his promises and threatnings and nothing is too hard for an omnipotent arm oh my soul distrust not Gods word question not his power he that can make all things of nothing can of thy scattered ashes raise up thy dead body to life and re-unite it to thy hould and he that saith he will do it will certainly perform it heaven and earth shall pass but not one tittle of his word shall pass till all be fulfilled call not in question the power and providence of God but labour to have a part in the first resurrection that the second death may have no power get fitted for death and judgement get sin pardoned and subdued which is the sting of death get grace implanted and thy soul married unto Christ then needst thou not fear death nor the resurrection oh my God strengthen my faith confirm my hope and encrease my love to thee and let me long for the time that I may enjoy thee in glory and lie for ever in the arms of my beloved Vpon beggers at the door 60. Med. WHen I saw some lusty able persons fit for service and other employment begging at the door I began to consider how disagreeing this course of life was to the word of God who had commanded men in the sweat of their brows they should eat their bread this is a law laid upon all sorts of men to sweat out a poor living brow or brain must sweat for it or our bread is eaten ere it be earned God would not have a begger in Israel and the Apostles will was those that would not labour should not eat 2 Thes 3.6 10 14. those that have enough to live on must not be idle much less those that have nothing yet many live like rats and mice only to devour what others labour for paradice that was mans store-house was also his work-house God set him to dress the garden and there should be none that like body-lice feed upon other mens sweat such idle persons often times are set on work by the devil for idleness is the hour of temptation and standing-waters are usually full of vermine Nay how disagreeing is this course of life with the laws of the land which making other provision for the poor stigmatize these wanderers by the name of rogues and appoint them to be stockt and whipt and sent back to the place of their birth or last abode and inflicts a penalty upon those that relieve them The great Turk that grand Seignior is not excepted for he hath a trade and is dayly to labour with his hands yea Divines in all ages ancient and modern and of all perswasions have exclaimed against this course of life and esteemed such persons to be the plague-sore of the Nation and not to be tolerated in a well-ordered Common-wealth they are a dishonour to the Church they live in and to the Countrey they inhabit and the heathens as well as the Christians have made laws to punish them These and the like considerations made me think correction to be the fittest alms and their restraint might hinder a great deal of sin acted by them and be a means to reduce them under government civil and Ecclesiastical which now live like lawless persons under none and neither fear God nor obey men but are the unprofitable burthens of the earth But on the other side when I considered how little provision notwithstanding in the law was made for the poor in most places and
a little clog at her foot I took notice how when she endevoured to mount up she was always hindred and pluckt back again and all her endeavours proved vain as prisoners that are in for flagitious offences have fetters shackles and great store of irons clapt upon them to prevent their escape and hinder their flight so it fared with this poor bird she had a weight that she could not lift I perceived she had a will to be gone but power was wanting she was not content with her slavery â—ut how to remedy it she knew not endeavours were not wanting but a wished success succeeded not I thought this much resembled the state of the poor soul by nature who was taken prisoner by satan at the fall and ever since kept under restraint and the devil leads her captive at his pleasure and he hath to secure his prisoner shackled and fettered her ever since for fear of an escape from which she cannot free her self but remains still under bondage nay the unregenerate man is so fettered and clog'd and as it were lockt to a post that he cannot stir or so much as lift up his eyes or heart to heaven and so infatuated withall that he cannot heartily desire his liberry or pray for it Satan hath put such a force upon him that he is content to have his ear bored and to serve him for ever he is so acquainted with his service that he thinks there is no better Master nor no better work he is like a bruit beast still grovelling upon the earth and thinks there is no greater happiness he is like Ulisses his men fabled by Circes charmes to be turned into swine and being put to their choise were content so to remain and not assume their human shape again so these are so bewitcht by Satan that they are unwilling to be Gods free men they know no other happiness then to have their swill and to wallow in the mire and are angry with them that would help them out they finde more pleasure in their drinking and drabbing then ever they did in praying and hearing upon these we may write the Lord have mercy upon them for they have a plague-sore running upon them they are sick to death and yet feel nothing ailing them there is but one physitian in the world can cure them and that must be with a plaister of his blood but we pass by these as yet wholly at the devils command and in his power But there are another sort of men that have this clog at the heel and that is the regenerate that have the skales of ignorance in some measure wiped from their eyes and have a principle of life in them yet are not free from this clog though they are weary and fain would be free but cannot and though their clog be lightned and many of their shackles and bolts knockt off yet cannot they mount up as they desire they cannot content themselves with their earthly enjoyments fain they would have a better portion yet corruption hangs so fast on they have much ado to mount up to take a veiw of their heavenly mansion they dare not espouse their souls to any creature-comfort and yet can maintain but little communion with their husband Christ if they do mount upon the wings â—f contemplation and get a Pisgah-sight of heaven and a veiw of those invisible things at Gods right hand yet how soon are they down again and much ado to get a glimps of Christ they are like a man that is looking at a star through an Optick-glass held with a palsey hand it is but now and then they can get a sight their corruption therefore that remains unmortified makes them cry out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Oh my soul is not this thy condition how comes it otherwise to pass that thou prayest so coldly and hearest so drowsily praisest God so faintly and performest every duty so carelesly is not heaven worth the having and all the pains thou canst bestow about it is not thy soul worth the saving and eternity worth minding canst thou be zealous about trifles and negligent in things of greatest concernment sure there are heavy clogs lie upon thy heels that thou runnest no faster why art thou such a stranger to divine Meditation thou canst think of the world without weariness though it be from morning to night why then are thy thoughts of heaven so few and forced why art thou so soon tired in duty so soon weary of ordinances and so overly in them that many times thou hast scarce a glimps of Christ in a duty and but little communion with him at best why dost thou feed upon the husks of duty and content thy self with the bare performance though thou meet not with Christ in the duty will this feed thee will it make thee fat how comes it to pass so many vain thoughts roving imaginations impertinent wandrings are mixt with thy holiest dutys and most solemn services do not those evidence to thy face that corruption remains strong in thee and grace weak and why contentest thou thy self with these fetters and strivest not prayest not more against them Oh my God when shall I be freed from these when wilt thou knock off these bolts and free me from these fetters and inlarge my feet that I may run the ways of thy commandments then will my soul mount up to thee with chearfulness then shall I serve God without weariness or distraction oh fit me for my change and then come Lord Jesus come quickly give me oyl in my vessel grace in my heart and the wedding-garment of sincerity for my soul and then come at what hour thou pleasest Upon birds observing their seasons of coming and returning 70. Med. WHen I observed the cuckoe the swallow and many other sorts of birds how exactly they observed their seasons both in coming and returning and all other birds in their building and breeding how exact they were and lost not the opportunity nor neglected the season It brought to my minde Gods complaint against Israel his own people and thought how justly it might be charged against us Jer. 8.7 The stork of the heaven knows her appointed time the turtle the crane and the swallow know the time of their coming but my people know not the judgments of the Lord as if he should say these silly birds by a natural instinct without the use of reason know the times and seasons of their going and returning but my people that have greater helps and furtherances yet take no notice of the seasons of grace and of the times of their visitation he complains likewise Esay 1.3 the oxe knows his owner and the ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people do not consider and is not this Englands case few consider the time of their visitation or take notice of the footsteps of Gods departure Christ also
our youthfull gallant no stage-plays for their divertisement no pleasant Comedies acted but a dismal Tragedy wherein they are like to be the miserable Actors but will never come off with applause there is no modish garb for our well-drest gallant no headtire but a flaming periwig here is no use for looking-glass nor tiring woman no use of patches powders paints or frisling irons all these are out of mode and fashion in those Territories here are no healths to pledge but that of damnation they so oft drunk in the days of their life but never knew what it was till now but now must pledge them to all eternity But this is not all their loss will be greater for they must lose the beatifical vision of God blessed for ever in whose presence there is joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore then must they be everlastingly separated from him who is the chiefest good Now they say to him depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 and then God will have none of their company but will say depart from me c. Mat. 7.22 and 25.41 oh direfull and dreadfull sentence such as may make their heart-strings crack and their hearts break in pieces it breaths out nothing but fire and brimstone stings and horrours wo and alass seas of vengeance the worm that never dies and the fire that never shall be quenched torments without end and past imagination in this life they cannot endure the company of the godly they are either the object of their scorn or malice but then they shall be eternally separated as far as heaven is from hell or Dives from Lazarus between whom there is a great gulph fixed Luk. 16.26 Then they shall lose their souls which is incomparably their richest jewel which they sold for a trifle and now it will be required and they must stand to their bargain not that they shall be annihilated that news is too good to be true neither shall they lose the faculties of them these shall be inlarged to their further torments but they lose their God which is the life of their souls and put them into the devils hands to be eternally tormented they shall lose their bodies also for whose sake they sold their souls in a word all their happiness and all their hopes and all they accounted dear shall then be stript away all these like leaves shall fly before the winde of death and in the room of these everlasting destruction of body and soul shall succeed oh death what a change wilt thou make at thy coming and how unwelcome wilt thou be to those that live at case in possession oh my soul remember the days of darkness for they are many Eccl. 11.8 provide against this time that this may not be thy case for ere long all these leaves will be blown down provide therefore treasures that neither man nor devil can strip from thee provide a mansion in heaven before this earthly tabernacle be dissolved Lord assist me in this work without thee my endeavours are vain Upon a tree green all the winter 87. Med. WHen I observed how green some trees were all the winter and how flourishing even in the frost and snow when others are stript naked and left bare and seem dead and withered and that neither the pinching frost nor blustring windes neither storms nor tempests could disroab them or change their summer-suit to winter colours that neither summers sun nor scorching heat could make them wither nor winter cold nor storms could make them cast their leaves nor turn their lusty green to any other colour I began to think these trees much resemble a Christian that had the life of grace within him and is planted into that generous vine Christ and sucks sap and nourishment from this root these also are green when others that stand upon their own root wither and decay But these trees of righteousness are planted by the rivers of water and bring forth their fruit in due season and their leaf also shall not wither but whatsoever they do it shall prosper Psal 1.3 c. when others are driven like chaff before the winde from the face of the earth yet the sun-shine of prosperity cannot wither those nor the winde of adversity blow them down or their fruit nor remove their leaves Job was one of these trees of righteousness green at all times winter and summer in his prosperity his leaf flourished for God himself gives as ample a testimony of him as ever he did of mortal man Job 1.8 Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and upright man one that feareteh God and escheweth evill and when he was in adversity he still retains his integrity Job 27.5.6 till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live and see what end God makes with him he crowns him and chronicles him for his sincerity and patience all his affliction could not make him lose one leaf Joseph when he was in prosperity fears God and when in adversity he fears him also when he was a bondslave in Potiphars house he resisteth the temptations of his mistriss with this consideration how shall I commit this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39.11 Joseph remains in Egypt like a pearl in a puddle he had set God at his right hand and would not be moved though Satan knock oft at the door there was none within to answer though the iron as the Psalmist saith entred into Josephs soul yet sin could not when the devil could not prevail against him by his hard bondage he trys to do it by a Dalilahs temptation he struck fire oft but it fell among wet tinder Joseph was semper idem when he was wrongfully cast into prison he keeps his integrity still and God owns him and gave him favour and after when he was advanc't to honour and made enter in Egypt he did not forget his God nor God did not forget him all the hot gleams of prosperity nor all the blustring storms of adversity could not shake down any of his fruit or stir any of his leaves it is true wicked men in their prosperity are said to be spreading themselves like a green bay-tree but this denotes the prosperity of the body not of the soul these leaves at death will drop as well as others and their prosperity and happiness will draw to an end and all their enjoyment will be but as a thin mist before the winde soon scattered but mark the upright and behold the just for the end of that man is peace Psal 37.37 I shall be saith the Psalmist as a green olive-tree in the house of God Psal 52.5 when those that trust not in the Lord shall be destroyed It was not banishment that could separate David from the stock
of the Chaliph of Babilon that he was shut up amidst the infinite treasures of gold silver and precious stones which he had covetously heaped together and there was starved to death by the great Cham of Cataia who yet willed him to eat and make no spare and it is no strange thing for gold and silver were never appointed or blest by God for mans sustentation food and rayment not junkets are necessary meat and drink saith Jerome are a Christians riches and well may we be content with this if we knew the want of it many poor creatures yea able Christians better then our selves have suffered much in Germany and of late years in Ireland so that dogs horses rats and mice and such like vermine were esteemed good food in the seige of Samaria there was such a famine that an asses head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of doves dung for five pieces of silver 2 Kin. 6.25 and in Samaria and afterwards in Jerusalem the hands of the pitiful women sod their own children and eat them these were their meat in their distress 2 Kin. 6.28 Lam. 4.10 but blessed be God we know not want nor feel not sorrow but what good would all the wealth in the world do us if we wanted food Jems and Jewels would be little worth crowns and kingdomes would yield us no comfort bread would be of more worth to us then its weight in gold yet without the blessing of God this would not serve our turn or preserve our lives how then dare men provoke this God by abusing these his blessings man lives not by bread only but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Mat. 4.4 that is by every thing that God blesseth to that end if we want bread therefore let us depend upon him that can preserve us without bread as one of the Martyrs said when he was threatened to be famished if God take away my meat he can take away my hunger Psal 37.3 trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed one promise will do us more good then all our gold Hab. 3.17 18. though the fig-tree should not blossome and there be no fruit in the vine though the labour of the olive should fail and the field should yield no meat though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stall yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation though Hagars bottle be empty God will shew her the well though the ship be broken God will prepare a plank oh my soul trust in God for thy bodily food he that feeds the ravens will not starve the children but rest not satisfied till thy soul be fed with the bread of life oh my God on thee I depend for food both for body and soul Lord feed both and with food give a blessing that â—oth soul and body may be nourished by it The world is not a resting-place 97. Med. WHen I had been recreating my self in the garden tired with studyes and other employments I found some divertisement for a while among the various delights that there offered themselves to my sences and unbent the bow that was beginning to grow weak through over-intent studies and other imployments I passed the time for a season in the viewing and observing of Natures garden not without some delightful observations but at last night approached and my pleasures began to vanish The birds which before delighted my ears with their melodious harmony were now gone to rest and those herbs and flowers which before delighted my sences now disappeared and their various colours forms and shapes could not be distinguished but were all died in one sable colour for universal darkness had spread her sable mantle over all and every thing was stained in the same die-fat and I was left alone though in the midst of company deprived of the delights which before I had the cold air began to pierce me and the croaking frogs and toads which all this while had hid themselves from my sight were now crept forth and were like to be my bed-fellows if I lodged there and bats and owls those birds of the night were my companions this made me to consider how unpleasant this place of delights the greatest recreation I had in the world for my body would be to me at this time had I no other habitation and how unpleasant the night would be to me here I lay open to winde and weather liable to be wet with the dew of heaven and was like to have the air for my supper and with Jacob a stone for my pillow I considered now though I too often forget it the great goodness of God to the just and to the unjust to cause his sun to shine upon them one sun makes a day but the moon and all the stars make but a night but what a mercy is it then when the sun of righteousness ariseth with healing in his wings The unpleasantness of the present season to me made me pitty many poor creatures that are necessarily exposed to these and worse then these hardships as souldiers lodging in the fields yea many wandring people that in the winter-season suffer much as for those that designedly endure this life rather then expose themselves to labour are not to be pittied correction is a fitter salve for their sore but there are many aged and impotent lame and unable that should be better cared for and I fear God hath a controversy with the nation upon this account this consideration driven up to the head made me bless God this was not my condition and to fear lest my sins and unthankfulness might provoke God to make it my condition This raised my meditation a little higher and I thought with myself if this garden this place of delights be no comfortable abiding-place for the body when night comes sure then the world is no resting-place for the soul for death will come here in the day-time of life man may take some delight but the night will come when no man can work and when all these things shall vanish I must seek out for some better shelter some better lodging some better resting-place for my soul when night comes and the sun is set upon me all these delightful objects will be gone will forsake me and hide their heads and they will yeeld no delight no comfort or refreshment crowns and kingdoms dirt and dung will then be valued alike and a piece of lead will be as good as a piece of gold or an heap of diamonds these outward things can afford neither food nor physick neither lodging nor entertainment neither pleasures nor profit to the weary soul these earthly tabernacles ere long will be dissolved and these houses of clay will moulder into dust 2 Cor. 5.1 and what shall we then do if we are no
better provided the soul here wears the body as a garment which when it is worn out the saints shall have a better suit they shall be choathed with the Lord Jesus Christ death will not spare the best there is no coming to paradice but under the flaming sword of this guardian that stands at the porch no wiping all tears from our eyes but with our winding-sheet assurance of Gods love makes a man even willing to die but the cook on the dunghill knows not the worth of this jewel oh the blindness madness and stupidity of man whose care is to lade himself with thick clay and to take care what he shall eat or what he shall drink or wherewithall he shall be cloathed and makes no provision for the soul but depends upon that for comfort that can do no good when most need is they can provide in the day for the night in the summer for the winter on the market-day for the whole week and at a Fair for the whole year and yet make no provision in life for death or in time for eternity if a coelestial habitation be not provided against those houses of clay our bodies wherein the soul lodgeth as a tenant at will be dissolved our lodging will be worse then with toads and serpents even with the devil and his angels in endless easeless and remediless torments oh my soul how fares it with thee or what preparation hast thou made long it cannot be before night comes where then will be thy lodging the earth then will be to thee as the waters to Noahs dove thou wilt finde no rest here for the sole of thy foot it is in heaven that the weary be at rest Job 3.17 oh my God enable me to clear up my interest in Christ who is the only sanctuary for a troubled soul Upon sickness spoiling all earthly delights 98. Med. WHen I had fitted things to my minde and began to take delight in the works of my hands when I began to sing a requiem to my self and my heart with Solomons rejoyced in all my labour Eccl. 2.10 yea when I had promised my self content in what I had done I was suddenly forced to say with wise Solomon Eccles 14. behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit nothing in themselves yet sufficient to vex and perplex us sin hath produced a confusion in the world and stampt vanity upon the creature every man saith David in his best estate is altogether vanity this is the impartiall verdict brought in by one that could best tell and to this I was forc't to subscribe for God immediatly humbled me for setting my affection upon creature-comforts and let me see the vanity of them by visiting me with a fit of sickness that I was taken off from setting my delight or taking satisfaction in or upon them or taking any pleasure in any thing that I had done nay I was troubled that I had not spent my time better and that I had not planted set or sown in a more fertile soil where I might have expected a more plentiful encrease and had a better crop this providence seemed to speak to me as Christ did to the rich man Luk. 12.16 c. that set his heart on his riches and was not rich to God thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee and then whose are these this shewed me more of the vanity of humane felicity then I had before observed I plainly saw there was a double uncertainty in all earthly felicity and in sublunary enjoyments for they themselves are very uncertain and many times short-lived and may leave us or we may by death be arrested and then we shall leave them God sometimes takes them from us they take themselves wings and fly away and shall we set our eyes upon things that are not Pro. 23.5 there is no solid substance in them though the foolish world call it by that name they are as transitory as a hasty headlong torrent but if they remain we shall remove for our life passeth away as a shadow or post or weavers shuttle and continueth not and then those winged fouls that now sit upon our trees shall sit upon other mens sometimes God blows upon them and blasts them that though we do enjoy them they prove but a vexation to us sometimes he disables us to use them and sometimes imbitters them to us mixing them with gall and wormwood that we can finde no pleasure in them and assuredly they will do us little good when we have most need suppose a man to have what the world can afford yea all the delights of the sons of men yea all that his heart can wish as Solomon had Eccl. 2.27 yet one hours sickness spoils all his mirth and robs him of all the comfort he promised to himself one fit of the collick gout strangury or other raging pain yea the extream pain of an aking tooth puts a man besides all these his enjoyments yet how greedily do men grasp after the world as if it included the highest degree of happiness and hug it in their bosome and lodge it nearest to the heart which will prove no better nay much worse then a bush of thorns if graspt too hard so this the harder it is handled the worse it hurts oh folish man cannot these earthly enjoyments give ease to an aking head or heart can they not mitigate the pains of the gout collick stone or strangury and can it be imagined they can ease the conscience or cure a sinsick soul if not what good can they do it could Judas Achitophel Spira and others fetch any comfort here in their extremity no no they are like Jobs friends miserable comforters at such a time what good will gold do at death and judgment this coin is not currant in the other world nay in this world it brings little content if God frown if one spark of hell-fire flash in the conscience all these things cannot extinguish it one drop of it will mar a whole cup of earthly delights that in the midst of laughter the heart will be sorrowful and the end of that mirth will be heaviness Pro. 14.13 nulla est sincera voluptas wicked men may dance to the timbrel and harp but suddenly they turn into hell Job 21.12 13. and their merry dance ends in a miserable downfall the candle of the wicked shall out in a snuff and what will all these outward enjoyments signify then Jobs flower Jonahs gourd and Davids green bay-tree will soon wither and their beauty will fade all these things will leave us at death many times before how much need then have we to make preparation before-hand of something that will stand us instead This sickness of mine also taught me how unfit a time this was for repentance and yet how many post it off till then oh how unfit was I to examine my heart and call my sins to minde to repent of them when racking pains brought
95 l. 9. for then r. that p. 102. l. 3. f. stars r. clouds p. 102. l. 17. for word r. clouds p. 120 l. 9. f. and r. of p. 139 l. 11. for this stake r. the stake p. 153 l. 11. for way r. wall p. 161. l. 13. for savages r. slaves p. 169 l. 13. for occulta r. occultae p. 181. l. 17. f. David r. Daniel p. 184. l. 23. for petivit r. petunt p. 200 l. 27. for ware r. wine p. 200. l. 29. for volunt r. nolunt p. 215. l. 13. bane left out Divine Meditations Consisting of Observations Applications And Supplications Vpon the Earth I. Meditation WAlking in the garden in the cool of the day among other things that offered themselves to my consideration I observed my mother the Earth whence I had my original and out of whose womb I had my being I considered how near of kin I was to those senceless clods that lay under my feet and that I was made of the same matter a little more refined and moulded up in a better form and was made by God a little walking breathing clay and shortly must return to my first matter for dust thou art saith God and unto dust thou shalt return These and the like thoughts had a various operation upon my soul sometimes it put me on to admire the workman that out of such a rude and indigested mass such course stuff could make so glorious a piece as the body of Man is and could indue it with such excellent parts and such noble faculties and make it such a rich cabinet fit to hold that precious Jewel the soul which when I had a little considered I began to glory that I was made a man and did not remain a senseless clod But on the other side when I considered my original and the rock whence I was hewn and the hole of the pit whence I was digged and that I could say to corruption thou art my father and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister Job 17.14 I who was even now proud that I was a man began to vail my peacocks plumes when I beheld my black feet and to wonder at my own folly and when I beheld my mother and my relations I saw there was small cause of pride and little cause to boast of birth or bloud or great parentage or relations 't is a shame and sin for an angel to be proud much more for a dunghill-bird Oh my soul bless God that thou wast made a man and not a clod of clay a rationall creature and not a brute beast thou wast clay in the hands of this potter and mightest have been the most despicable creature that ever dropt from his fingers but he hath made thee little lower then the Angels and crowned thee with honour and dignity what cause then hast thou to admire thy Creator who made thee thus to differ and made thee capable of communion with him here and enjoying him for ever but beware of pride that raigning damning sin that turned Angels out of heaven Adam out of Paradice and many thousands into hell boast not of the greatnesse of thy stock the nobleness of thy bloud the honour of thy progenitors except thou ascend as high as thy great Grandmother the Earth who opened her womb to bear us all and ere long will open her mouth to receive us all where we shall be resolved into our first matter then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God that gave it 't is true thou hadst a more noble Father in whose image thou wast made but this image is lost and thou art become more deformed then thy Mother Oh my God! as thou hast indewed me with more noble faculties then many other of thy creatures that I might be better able to serve thee enable me so to do renew thy image in me which was lost by the fall and give me sincerity without which my condition will be worse then the beast that perisheth whose misery ends with his life but mine will begin at my death where much is given much will be required as thou hast made me a man let me act as a rational creature and answer the ends of my Creation Vpon digging the Earth 2. Med. DIgging and delving into the bowels of my Mother the Earth to bury those seeds from whence I expected a future encrease that portion of Scripture came fresh into my minde Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread till thou return to the ground out of which thou wast taken for dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return me thoughts my work as it was a just punishment laid upon me for my sin so it did much resemble the digging of my grave and put me in minde of my mortality I began to think that ere long some one would do that for me which I did for these poor seeds lay me to sleep in the grave till the Resurrection and that my mother earth was as ready to receive me as them the pains and aches I felt the sensible decays in nature my gray hairs c. fastned this cogitation more home upon me I then began to think of the vanity of man that was but even now crept out from being earth and for a time made a great stir and bustle in the world and then made as much haste out again and like as stage-players every one acting a part upon the stage of the world some longer some shorter some better and some worse and then an exit comes and they disappear The godly they act a Comedy which begins bad but ends well the wicked a Tragedy which always ends in confusion yet whatever part men act few are willing to go off the stage the old man that hath out-lived his teeth his hair his sight and hearing and can hardly use his limbs and senses yet is loath to die too evident a signe his work for which he came into the world is not done viz. to make his peace with his God and to get an interest in Christ and title to glory the godly while they are here are every day quenching those coals which sin hath kindled with the tears of true repentance the wicked are carrying every day a faggot to encrease that fire that never shall be quenched thus 't is in the world as in a Fair or market there is a great crowd some going one way some another and every one driving on some designe or other O my soul must thou ere long be separated from the body by death how stands the case with thee art thou prepared for such a change or art thou not how doth thy pulse beat suppose this were to be the day of thy dissolution couldst look death in the face with comfort hast thou made thy peace with thy God hast thou got an acquittance sealed with the blood of Christ a discharge of all thy debts hast
thou provided another habitation against this shall be disolved and moulder into dust when this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved hast thou a building not made with hands but eternal in the heavens hast thou acted thy part well upon the stage of the world that thou maist go off with applause â—f not … s better thou hadst not been born for if death meet thee unprepared as thy body moulders into dust so must thou down to everlasting darkness there to suffer eternally the demerit of thy sin Oh my God! take me not away before I be fit to be lodged in thy bosome kill me not before my sin be killed if any thing that is necessary be wanting Lord give it in and let me not be deceived in so great a thing as the salvation of my soul Let my sins die and let my soul live Let me see the funeral of my vices before others see the funeral of my body Vpon a Tuft of green Grass 3. Med. WAlking into the Garden as at other times to take the ayr I fastened my eyes upon a green tuft of grass that grew besides me the sight of it brought to my remembrance what I had often heard and read viz. that the damned in hell should suffer exquisite torments such as the tongue of men or angels are not able to express and that for as many millions of years as there are grass-piles upon the earth sands on the sea shoar stars in heaven and motes in the Sun and yet after all this long tract of time their torments shall be no nearer to an end nor they to a delivery then they were the first day they were cast in This made me a little to consider the number of piles that was in this little tuft and when I found it too hard for me to number them I considered what was this tuft to one pasture or that to one Parish or that to one County or that to one Kingdome or that to the whole world this made me to cry out Oh Eternity Eternity who can conceive of thee who can fathom thee Oh the horrible nature of sin that provokes a mercifull God to lay such heavy strokes upon his poor creatures Oh the love and pains of our dear Redeemer what did he suffer to quench those flames and discharge those debts for his people in suffering what was due for their sins and oh the madness of men and my own folly that knowing there is such a remediless gulf before us run on so madly towards it and that for momentary pleasures deceitfull riches worthless honour or filthy sin do venture the soul upon the pikes of danger Oh the misery of poor unregenerate wretches what will you do in the latter end who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burning Esay 33.14 Tophet is prepared of old even for the King it is prepared the pile thereof is fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it Esaiah 30.33 Were a man compelled to lie upon a feather bed but one year without turning or stirring though other comforts were afforded how painful how tedious would that year seem but what is this one year to eternity or what is a featherbed to scalding lead and burning brimstone or what is that to hell torments Oh Satan how dost thou deceive us Oh world how dost thou insnare us Oh sin how dost thou bewitch us Oh heart how dost thou betray us to this deadly danger Oh earth how dost thou betray thy fastest friends and payest them off with pains for pleasure and buyest their souls for a thing of naught Oh Satan who would be thy servant if this be thy wages and yet how many fish come to thy net and how prosperous hast thou been when thou hast baited thy hooks with the world Oh my soul is Eternity such a fathomless gulf without bank or bottom how stands the case with thee art thou for everlasting joy or endless torment what interest hast thou in the one or what hopes to avoid the other what hast thou that a hypocrite cannot have or what dost thou that he cannot do God surely expects great difference in the work when there is so much in the reward give thy eyes no sleep nor thy eye-lids no slumber till thou hast some comfortable assurance of the love of God in the pardon of thy sins and the salvation of thy soul make peace with thy Creditour before thou art cast into prison otherwise there must thou remain till thou hast paid the utmost farthing If death surprize thee before thou art ready hell will be thy lodging get oyl trim up thy lamp get on thy wedding-garment that thou be not shut out into utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Oh my God! make me such as thy own soul delights in give me in the qualifications thou hast made necessary to Salvation thou knowest my wants Lord supply them my debts oh forgive them my corruptions Lord subdue them and binde up my soul in the bundle of life write my name in thy book and at last lay me up amongst thy Jewels Vpon a barren plat of ground 4. Med. WHen I perceived one plot in my garden fruitful and another barren and observed the difference between the one and the other how lovely how amiable how pleasant the fruitful plat seemed to me how fresh and fragrant how green and ardent it was how it was diapred with various coloured flowers beautiful and lovely and how lothsome unseemly and unhandsome the other lookt where nothing appeared but briars and thorns weeds and thistles with stones and rubbish which was a fit receptacle for toads and serpents and other venemous vermine I began to consider it was yet possible to reduce this plot into a better form and turn it to a better use And hereupon I caused the rubbish to be stockt up the weeds to be pluckt up and the stones pickt out and after I digged and manured it and had an effect answerable to my expectation for when it was sown with better seed it brought forth better fruit The unlovelinesse of this plot when overgrown with weeds and rubbish produced this following Meditation I thought it lively represented a heart barren of grace and goodnesse but fruitfull of briars and thorns sin and wickednesse which is more odious to God then this plot was to me and yet how lovely a fruit bearing Christian is in his eye the one is like a loathsome muck-heap which stinks the other like a watered garden that yields a sweet favour like a garden of spices Cant. 4.14 the one brings forth fruit for Gods basket the other fewell for the devils fire all the seed sown upon it is lost and choakt with briars and thorns and all the rain that falls upon it doth but make the weeds more rank and flourishing their grape is the grape of Sodom and of the fields of
cheat and much seeming gold prove to be but dross and rubbish but true gold neither fears the furnace nor the touchstone here the sincere Christian and the hypocrite will be differenced which now are hardly known asunder and will no longer serve to make up one heap of money in this world they may grow in the same field as did the wheat and the tares they may lie together in the same mow as the corn and the straw they may make up the same heap as the wheat and the chaff but they shall never lie in the same garner together for this is reserved for the wheat alone here they may benefit one the other as the straw bears up the wheat and the chaff and piles defend it from injury and they are preserved secured and fed for the wheats sake but hereafter the godly will not need their protection and the other shall not have preservation here the earth helps the woman and the innocent save the Island Job 22.30 and so both shall grow together till the harvest but then they shall be seperated one from another now there are several fans the devil hath his fan Luk. 22.31 and the Lord said Simon Simon behold satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed that thy faith fail not he challenged him Goliah-like to a single combat but without leave he cannot do it 1 Pet. 5.8 be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil like a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour his end in sifting is not to purify but to destroy his sieve holds nothing but refuse the best runs through but Gods sieve preserves the best and severs it from the chaff there is a fan of scoffs and scorns which is in the hands of wicked men the devils instruments and much of the lighter chaff is blown away with the winde and cannot stand before it and there is also a fan of persecution and this though used by men the devil guides and directs their hands and this stronger blast carries almost all before it the stony ground could not withstand it we have seen in our days very much of that which we accounted solid grain and principal wheat hath proved chaff and if this winde should blow loud it is like much more would fly but there is another fan and that is of errors and heresies and this takes not away the chaff only but some of the lighter sort of corn yea and if possible the very elect this the Apostle warns professors of that they be not like children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine Eph. 4.14 and how many such giddy hearers are there that are cast into what mould the preacher pleaseth and like glasses are by the breath blown into any shape but ere long Christ himself will come with his fan Mat. 3.12 whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather the wheat into his garner but the chaff will he burn with unquenchable fire heaven spewed out the angels for their apostacy and no unclean thing shall ever enter there nor dirty dog shall tread upon that pavement nor dross shall be mixt with that gold no water with that ware nor no chaff with this wheat but for the chaff it must to the fire but not be consumed vivere volunt mori nesciunt they shall seek death but shall not finde it Rev. 6.9 they that once might have had life and would not now they would have death but cannot oh my soul are there trying times to come wherein grace will be known from its conterfeit and when the axe will be put to the root of the tree and every one that brings not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire must the dross be consumed and the chaff driven away of the winde look about thee that thou be true gold solid grain and a tree of righteousness that brings forth good fruit that thou exceedest all hypocrites in the world and hast something they have not and canst do something they cannot do that thou maist be able to abide the refiners fire and the fullers soap that the house of thy profession be built upon the rock that no winde nor weather storms nor tempests flouds nor waves of trouble may molest thee trouble will come there is no prevention sometimes lighter afflictions as smaller rain and sometime greater as the overflowing of Jordan amidst these waves thy ship had need be like the Ark pitched within and without yea thou hadst need to be shut in by God himself A true Christan is like Mount Sion that cannot be moved when he is founded upon this rock nec flatu nec fluctu movetur he need fear neither winde nor weather if he fall Christ himself must fall and it is better fall with him then stand without him Christ lives in him and while Christ that is the life of his soul lives he cannot die but if thy house be built upon the sand when the windes and waves come and come they will it will surely down and great will be the fall thereof because irresistable and irreparable O my God are trying times coming and must I be sifted by satan winnowed by the world and fanned by Christ who can stand in these trials and bear up against these flouds and waves without divine assistance Lord give me strength from above for vain is the help of man make me solid grain that may abide the winde true gold that may abide the fire and build me upon that rock that is high that no storms nor tempests may beat me down nor all the flouds in the world may ever remove me Upon clean seed sown yet brings forth chaff 42. Med. WHen I beheld how the seed that last year I had so carefully winnowed purged fanned and purified from all weeds and seeds chaff and rubbish which adhered to it and sown in my garden that which was clean pure and good yet when it came to maturity it was not only cumbred with weeds and other annoiances which the ground naturally cast up but had as much stalk chaff and other rubbish as it had the year before which grew up with it and adhered to it and was naturally produced by the seed and it had as much need of weeding threshing winnowing and purging as it had the year before to make it fit for use or market this minded me that thus it was with poor souls since the fall for as the earth casteth out weeds of its own accord and a fountain sends forth water so doth the heart bubble forth corruption of its own accord a gracious man that hath taken a great deal of pains with his heart to weed out corruption and to mortifie his sin and hath been thresht and fanned and purged and purified and it hath been the work of many years to do it and hath cost him much labour pains and diligence and many a
blazing star ominous to the beholders and hurtfull to those that enjoy it and proves ofttimes the devils lime-twigs to catch his fowls meat and drink are necessary yet to many their table becomes their snare and by a plentifull table they come to be guilty of gluttony and drunkenness wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging and he that is overtaken with it is not wise I fed them to the full saith God and they were as fed horses every one neighed after his neighbours wife learning and great parts are lovely endowments and many times it proves dangerous and deadly the greatest scholars oft prove the greatest enemies to Christ and the greatest adversaries to the power of godliness In a word those that have most of the world have frequently the least of heaven Son saith Abraham remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luk. 16.25 Wealth many times swells men into a tympany not easily cured I know there are some that follow Christs counsell and make to themselves friends of this Mammon of unrighteousness but most do but encrease their account by them and at the reckoning-day will prove bankrupts and owe ten thousand talents more then they are able to pay earthly enjoyments usually rock men in the cradle of security and lull them asleep that they never wake till hell fire flames about their ears thus the rich man Luke 12.16 and that also Luk. 16.19 c. when the moon is at full it is furthest distance from the sun and nearest to an ecclips and the world many times interposeth it self between the full soul and the sun of righteousness relations and carnal friends oft-times prove snares thus they were to Job to Spira and to many more the things that are in themselves lawfull blessings yet abused prove our licitis perimus omnes immoderately used prove a sin and a snare oh my soul thou walkest in the midst of dangers snares are laid for thee in every creature in every corner trust not therefore to any the most innocent will betray thee if not heedfully observed and wisely enjoyed the most harmless nay the most necessary enjoyments are not free from snares a serpent may lie under thy feet poyson may be in thy cup or dish many temptations are in poverty more in plenty pray therefore with Agar not to have poverty nor riches but to be fed with food convenient Pro. 30.8 as a shoe too big or too little suits not the foot so an estate too big is troublesome and to little pinches a staff may help the passenger in his journey but a burden of staves will be his hinderance oh my God are there so many dangers that attend me both in reference to my body and my soul oh what need have I of divine protection Lord be thou my defender keep me under the shadow of thy wings O let not Satan the world or my own deceitful heart ever betray me but let me be kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation Upon a Toad 45. Med. OBserving as I walked in the garden in an evening a loathsom foul and ugly toad crawling in my way hasting from me as from a deadly enemy to hide her head in a hole to save her life and that from one that she had never wronged this sight occasioned me this Meditation how nigh akin am I to this poor creature this dispicable loathed and abhorred wretch there is but the sheers between us nothing but the makers will she is my sister and may claim the right of primogeniture as coming into the world before me we have the same original the same father and the same mother we were made of the same matter by the hand of the same workman but she hath the precedency in nature and came of the elder brother both of us were of the same clay and fashioned by the same potter hewn out of the same rock and digged out of the same hole of the pit and had it pleased the workman I might have been the toad and this the man no thanks to me that it was not so and it had been no wrong to me if it had been so I might have been crawling into that hole to save my life from one that desired my death and fed upon such loathsom meat that she feeds on but my God hath bestowed more upon me and denied it to her even so Lord because it hath seemed good in thy eyes oh my soul what hast thou done more for thy God then this poor creature hath done doubtless where more is given more will be required thou hast received ten talents for one nay an hundred for one how hast thou improved them and God expects from man much more service then from any other creature in the world being only fitted for communion with himself But hath not this despicable wretch which thou thinkest is not worthy to live served God in her place better then thy self and answered the end of her creation better then man and never transgrest her masters will nor her makers law as thou hast done a thousand times she desires nothing more then life and what is necessary to maintain it and fears nothing more then death and what tends to it and doth no hurt but it is imagined good to mankinde unless hurt or provoked and if she have a noxious quality it is questionable whether the sin of man hath not procured it God hath given thee the use of reason and made thee capable of communion with himself and enjoying him for ever and laid upon her far more innocent this punishment of being hated and abhorred of all and her life is put into thy hands and whosoever killeth her thinks he hath not offended thou canst walk free from fear when every one that sees her desires her death and plots her ruine and destruction what cause then have I to bless God that I was made a man and not a toad and that I had the use of reason given to me and not made a bruit but if I be not regenerate and born again if I have not the image of God renewed in me which I lost by the fall if I answer not the end of my creation and redemption if my sin be not mortified and the power of my corruptions abated if grace be not implanted in my heart by the spirit of God if I have not an interest in Christ and a title to glory if the mistical marriage be not made between Christ and my soul and my affections set upon him if any thing in the world lie nearer to my heart then he doth and be beloved above him the time will come and it will not be long first that I shall wish would God I had been made the toad and this toad the man for then my misery would have ended with my life when now it is like to begin at my death and
then a woman can do builds a finer house then a man can do in manner and form like an Emperours tent she draws her web out of her own bowels When I had a while pleased my self with the curiosity of the work and commended the diligence of the workman I began to consider what her end might be of all this pains or what benefit did accrue to her by this her diligence I could guess at no other or at least no higher an end then to make a net to catch flys which I saw became her prisoners when otherwise she could not take them and when they were in her power she proved their mortal enemy few escaping her with life I perceived that when the Bee laboureth to preserve life her work was to destroy I thought when I had considered it her work did much resemble the devils for he like the spider is ever busy and never well employed he goes about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 he envies man the happiness that he lost he is that venimous spider that poysons us his very breath is infectious the nets and snares are his temptations and poor souls are the flys he hunts for which fall faster into his nets then flys do into the spiders webs and when they are at his mercy nothing will serve but their death and utter destruction he like a cunning Fisher baits his hooks and like a fowler spreds his nets to catch unwary souls and spares none high nor low rich nor poor young nor old fair nor foul but he hath one bait or other suited to their condition he attemps all Christ himself not excepted for whom he prepared one of his choisest seldom failing baits all this will I give thee but all in vain his wilde-fire fell upon wet tinder although a thousand times ten thousand have been taken with it yet like a great fly he broke through and spoil'd the web and by the strength of the Captain Christian souldiers also break his nets repell his temptations and become more then conquerors he yet infects a great part of the world with the poyson of this temptation and it is a rare man that escapes sometimes yea too frequently he baits his hooks with a beautifull woman and is too successful thus he fisht for a strong Sampson with a beautiful Dalilah for a holy David with a Bathshebah and wise Solomon was oft deceived by this bate and swallowed this hook sometimes he catcheth men with a golden hook thus he did Achan Judas Ananias and Saphira with Dâ—â—as and many others sometimes he baits with honours and then ambitious Herod will soon bite as also Haman Achitophel and many more sometimes with pleasures and then the youth are in danger A poor withering gourd is a temptation to Jonah and makes him quarrel with God himself friends and relations often prove sore temptations and dangerous snares to a man a beloved husband a dear wife a cockered childe a near and dear relation ofttimes are made use of to undo those to whom the greatest love is pretended Jobs wife though she could not prevail to ruine him yet she proved a heavy burthen to him but Spira's relations undid him in making him to deny Christ Peter that great Apostle was an offence to Christ himself in advising him to spare himself and not to suffer no doubt by the instigation of satan but Christ answers him with indignation get thee behinde me satan thou art an offence to me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men Mat. 16.23 he easily saw the devil in a beloved friend and many times satan speaks to us by them many times a professed Christian yea one good man is a snare to another leading them into errours or factions but of all the baits the devil uses riches honours and pleasures are the surest and seldomest fail him by this he often buys mens souls and hath their profession out of their hands into the bargain meat and drink are necessaries yet many mens tables becomes their snare Cloathes are needful but this also proves a temptation to pride learning and parts also which are great ornaments to the minde become dangerous snares yea what can be named but may be abused and what enjoyment can we have but the devil will fly-blow it grace it self is not free nay humility sometimes proves an excitement to pride O the subtilty of satan that can thus cheat the soul and fly-blow all our duties and oh the mercy of a merciful Saviour that hath broke the nets of this cunning hunter or otherwise none could ever have escaped out of his hands oh my soul beware of those snares which are spread for thy feet in every place in every company in every enjoyment and in every duty walk as circumspectly as thou wouldst do amidst snakes and serpents or enemies that sought thy life sleep not in the cradle of security listen not to the Syren-songs of the inchanting world taste not touch not gaze not upon any forbidden fruit the devil will deceive thee by it as he did Eve though it seem sweet in the mouth it will be gravel in the stomack be moderate in the use of lawfull things or they will prove unlawful drink not poyson in a golden cup set not thy affections upon any earthly enjoyment they will prove like Dalilahs to betray thee into thy enemies hands oh my God I walk among snares and am apt to be taken in them be thou my guide and direct my steps preserve me from the snare of the fouler he is too cunning for me but thou knowest how to deliver me and to preserve my soul from sinning and my feet from falling Upon small flys caught in a spiders web 49. Med. WHen I had veiwed the spiders web and seriously considered the end it was made for which as I said seemed to me to be principally if not only to catch flys and to captivate those little creatures which otherwise were too quick for her I then observed the event and whether this little fowler could this way be recompensed for all the pains she had taken I saw upon diligent observation how small flys were taken and made a prey to their poysonous enemy who paid their ransome with their lives yet whether they were the food she fed upon or whether it were an innate antipathy in her to them that thus she sought their destruction I was not well able to discern but withall I observed that the great flys brake through the net and sometimes bare away both the weaver and the web as Sampson did the gates and posts of Gaza and so the workman and the work were like to perish together this minded me of the saying of the Psalmist Psal 9.15 16. the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands the heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made in the net that they hid is their own foot taken I considered that
should be like lute-strings when one is touched all the rest sound like to ingenious children when one is beaten the rest all cry the Apostle adviseth 1 Cor. 10 24. let no man seek his own but every man anothers wealth Phil. 2.4 look not every one on his own things but every man also on the things of others the very heathens could say we were not born for our selves but for others good but alass this shews man as man is degenerate even below the beast yea insensible creatures the sun moon stars earth beasts birds fishes who seem to be created for others use and not their own good Paul himself could finde no man like Timothy to take care for the state of the Church for all saith he seek their own things and not the things of Christ Tit. 2.19.20 21. These poor insects also resemble a diligent Christian that improves every thing for his Masters glory and the inriching of his own soul and gathers honey from flowers and weeds and here the slothful Christian may be sent to school to the Bee as Solomon sends him to the ant to learn diligence for both these provide in summer for winter and there are too many such dust-heaps in the world such sluggards that are degenerated below the beasts themselves There is great reason why men should be more diligent then these their dilligence is for the soul the others for the body they are in greater danger if idle the Bee works for honey the other for heaven if the one want death ends her misery if the other want death begins his torment these poor creatures have nothing to excite them but a natural instinct but man hath the use of reason the directions of the Scripture and the assistance of the spirit Ministry conscience c. to animate him these have indeed flowers and herbs trees and weeds c. to gather honey from man hath a larger field to wander over even the whole creation will supply him there is not a stock or stone or dead tree or withering branch or falling leaf or decaying flower but will yield him honey if he have the heavenly art of extracting it they are feeble creatures man is indewed with more strength we have a better prize before us and have better help we can work by day or by night in winter and summer in frost and snow when they are hindred and yet to our shame be it spoken they are more diligent and we more negligent oh my soul how may these poor insects rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee thou hast past the spring the flower of thy age and done little winter is drawing on apace what provision hast thou made the night approcheth when no man can work what honey hast thou gotten thou hast had as seasonable a summer as most in the world have had and a long harvest and yet art thou unfurnished what will be the issue of it will the season of grace always last the bridegroom is coming where is thy oyl the marriage feast is near where is thy wedding garment oh my God pardon my former neglects and mispence of precious time Lord keep me close to my work my little time that yet remains and succeed me in it that I may gather honey against the winter comes and may not be unprovided at death Upon the taste of honey 52. Med. WHen I had a little considered the workman and the work I desired to taste of the fruits of her labours but when I had tasted of the honey and found the sweetness of it and cast mine eyes upon the little workman a poor small insect a contemptible fly that yet may challenge all the artists in the world by their Chymistry to extract such excellent food out of stinking weeds sinks dunghills and other filthy places as she doth and that without the help of fire or any other instrument then what God hath indewed her with and when it is extracted to place and dispose of it in such an excellent order and comely manner as she doth for she furnisheth her house so exquisitly so uniformly as she doth that one little hole or cell cannot be found in the whole fabrick in a disorderly form and all the materials being taken from such varieties of flowers herbs and weeds the quintescence being extracted is so orderly disposed the wax to build the house and the honey to furnish it that it is wonderful to behold and yet the herbs and flowers thus robbed to our knowledge receive no detriment nor their owners no dammage for when it is gone it cannot be mist When I considered also the vertues and the operations both of the honey and wax the work of these poor creatures how useful and beneficiall it was not only for food but for physick and surgery and for many other uses it made me cry out the finger of God the finger of God that hath instructed such a poor fly in such an excellent art as this is and made them so painful so diligent for the good of man to help them to what they could not otherwise have nor well be without but if God be the schoolmaster no matter who be the schollars all the men on earth cannot do the like much less teach another fly this art nay we finde God himself seems to glory in this creature how small soever as well as in the great Leviathan and Unicorn and Behemoth Job 41.1 c. and 40.15 and 35.9 When he commends Canaan he frequently calls it a land flowing with milk and honey which is the glory of all lands Exod. 3.8 17. and 33.3 Lev. 20.24 and many other places In other Scriptures also we may see it commended Pro. 24.13 my son eat honey because it is good and the honey-comb which is sweet to thy taste thus Christ accepting the duties and delighting in the graces of his people tells us Cant. 5.1 He hath eaten his honey-comb with his honey and hath drunk his wine with his milk and calls upon his friends to drink abundantly also I considered also how good God was to us as well as unto Canaan in England that have such store of these blessings as well as them and wondred that our provoking sins had not forced him to deal by us as he hath dealt by them and to make our land spew us out also yea to lay a curse upon the land also as he did upon theirs for it is conceived that Judea is at this day far more barren and sterile then heretofore it was so true is that of the Psalmist Psal 107.33.34 He turneth rivers into a wilderness and the water-springs into dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein I considered also if there be so much sweetness in the creature what is in the Creator this being but a shadow and resemblance of his infinite perfections all the excellency that is in the creature being but a drop to this ocean a
a conscience void of guilt that it cannot accuse them of any unjust or uncivil act lest the sergeant death put them into the devils hands and they be cast into prison thâ—se that will not now abate their fellow-servants a penny shall themselves pay the utmost farthing he that will shew no mercy shall finde none when they stand in need and those that now feed upon others death shall ere long feed sweetly on them Job 24.20 yea the never-dying worm shall feed upon them as it is fabled the vulture did upon Prometheus his liver oh my soul live so holily towards God and so uprightly towards man that thy greatest enemies may have nothing to object against thee but concerning the law of thy God Improve those talents God hath lent thee to his glory lest thou have the doom of the unfaithful servant consider thou art but a steward of what thou enjoyest and what is under thy hands thou hast but the dispose of it for thy masters use and he will require an account take heed of getting any thing unjustly keeping it unlawfully or parting with it sinfully put not the poors part in any childes portion this will be a canker to consume the rest and bring a curse upon thy posterity grinde not the faces of the poor for their redeemer is mighty and will not bear it do as thou wouldst be done by shew mercy or thou wilt miss of it when thou standst in need if thou wilt not forgive others God will not forgive thee Oh my God I have this sin of cruelty in my nature also oh curse and blast this bitter root that it may not spring up in me incline my heart to lenity and mercy yea to forgive mine enemies that I may resemble thee my father that dost good both to the good and to the bad Upon a kite soaring aloft yet minding her prey 67. Med. OBserving the Kite that bird of prey soaring aloft towring on high as if he meant to scale the clouds and look into heaven and with the Eagle to make his nest among the stars Obad. 4. And yet I observed he suddenly descended fell upon his prey and devoured it This observation satisfyed me that though he aimed at heaven and seemed to scorn these inferiour things yet his eye and minde was fixed here below and grovelled on the ground though the bodv were above the heart was below and his mounting aloft was but dissimulation and upon designe like the fox in the fable that pretended himself dead to take his prey the better so this kite to compass his ends carry on his designes and to take his unwary prey useth this stratagem I thought this was a lively Embleme of an hypocrite who seems to be all for heaven when he mindes nothing less he is only minding his prey driving on some carnal designe and when he seems to be trading for heaven and discoursing with God himself yet his heart and affections are glued to the world and he is carrying on some self-interest or fleshly designe and is like a waterman he looks one way and rows another Thus the Pharisees those noted hypocrites did for under pretence of long prayers they devoured widdows houses and fisht for popular applause with their prayers fastings and almes-deeds Mat. 6.1 2 3 c. their hearts were on earth when their hands and eyes were lifted up to heaven A hypocrite is most devout when preferment profit or applause is in sight but key-cold when there is no temptation they are burning hot in the publike lukewarm in their familyes and key-cold in their closets they are like a Cardinal I have read of and doubtless there are many more of his minde who being a poor fishermans son was for his humility and other qualifications advanced to several degrees of honour but always to minde him of his mean extraction and to keep him humble as he said he would have his Fathers Net in his dining-room that he might not forget his descent but at the last being made Pope the net was laid aside being demanded the reason he replyed when the fish is caught what need is there of the net This net and feigned humility was but to take the fish and there are many in our times fish with such a bait some that depend upon some godly great man or some religious Landlord or great benefactor counterfeit their colours and pretend to wear their livery the better to ingratiate themselves into their favour and friendship but when they have caught the fish the net is thrown aside for when they have attained their end or are frustrated of their expectation they soon cast off the sheeps-skin and appear in their own likeness they make religion but a stalking-horse to take their prey and use it for no other end and when that work is done they lay it afide they have a piece of work to do and when one tool will not do it they lay that aside and take another if profession of religion fail them they will turn persecutors and those that now cry hail master will shortly cry crucify him they follow not Christ for love but for loaves and will be his servants so long and no longer then they gain by him they put their hands to the plow and look back and will have no more of religion then will do them good while it will stand with their credit profit or worldly advantages they will be religious when they must part with any thing they will not buy heaven at so dear a rate but let such take heed of mocking God that will not be mocked or of playing with this candle lest they burn their wings or approach too neer the sun of righteousness lest like Icarus they melt their waxen wings and they deceive them God can easily see through this thin vail of dissimulation and smell the filthy savour of an hypocrites rotten lungs this fire will soon discover this paint and without oyl in the vessel as well as a lamp in the hand there is no entring into the bridechamber it is not then a Lord Lord open to us will serve turn yea often this rotten inside will rot the outside also and those ulcers at the heart will break forth in the life and conversation oh my soul beware of hypocrysy that damning sin that ruines thousands and sends them to hell and unfits a man for any office or imployment in Church or state this will make thee hatefull both to God and man man will hate thee for thy profession God will hate thee for counterfeiting his colours and serving the devil in his livery if religion be bad why wilt thou profess it if it be good why wilt thou not practice it Make the tree good and his fruit good or make the tree evill and his fruit evill be as thou seemest or seem as thou art and do not dishonour God by a great profession and an evil conversation there is no deceiving God by a fained shew who
so careless for the body as they are for the soul the most of us sleep in harvest and are like to beg in winter slug away the day and make no provision for night when they cannot work and lose the opportunity God affords them and have a price put into their hands but have no heart to get wisdome they provide not against the winter night of death nor the days of darkness which will be many Eccl. 11.8 for as sure as the night follows the day so sure a change will come a storm will rise and such a storm as will never be blown away to wicked worldlings There is too many professors go on in heavens way as the proverb hath it on a snails gallop we can scarce see them move and many like the crab-fish rather go backward then forward they are like those silly women mentioned 2 Tim. 3.7 ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth many have served an apprentiship in Christianity some two some three and some more and never yet understood the mystery of their profession nay not the grounds and fundamentals of Religion those that have been listed souldiers twenty or thirty years have not yet learned to handle their arms nor known the use of their weapons those that have been as long schollers in Christs school yet have not learned the first lesson of self denyal they have the same corruption unmortifyed the same grace weak or wanting the same doubts unresolved and the same fears upon their spirits as they had long since many years are past away and their work stands at a stay no more fitter for death no more assurance of heaven no more communion with God no more knowledge of the state of their own souls and all this notwithstanding the means they have had the Ministry they have enjoyed and the seasons of grace they have lived in Now is not he a monster in nature that is as big at two years old as at twenty and is it not a dullard indeed that goes to school twenty years and cannot take out one lesson Ancient professors should grow with the oak more firmly rooted and with the apple more ripe and mellow these trees of righteousness should bring forth fruit even to old age and add every year to their experience indeed there are some that grow in opinions and think this is growing in grace and in few years run the whole circle of errors and at last end where they began at profaness if not at athiesm they grow most in the head like children that have the rickets when the rest of the body pines these errors the brats of their own brain are like suckers in a tree they draw all the sap that should feed the other branches to themselves and run up into aspiring branches fruitless yea hurtfull the strength and vigor of the soul the life and heat of their zeal is spent upon these to maintain them when the power of godliness languisheth but true grace grows uniformly like a healthy body though every member grows not to the same bigness yet every member grows in proportion to the rest and so the body is compleated but alass where is this growth of grace discerned the most professors are in a languishing condition their pulse beats weakly and their natural heat abates and they are inclining to a consumption or a lethargy oh my soul is not this thy condition that is here described art not thou fitly resembled to this sluggish creature how long hast thou been in Christs school and never the better how many apprentiships hast thou served and yet art a very dullard and little more grace appears then did many years ago well double thy diligence amend thy pace set about thy work to purpose lest God turn thee out of his vineyard for a loiterer and give thee thy portion with the unfaithfull with the unprofitable servant Mat. 25.26 had idleness been a calling doubtless thou hadst been a good husband yet at last up and be doing thou canst not serve a better Master expect better work or wages O my God what shall I say to thee or how shall I answer thee mine iniquity hath found me out and my sin shews it self it is I that resemble this snail and have sluggishly served thee all my days Lord rouse me up out of my security that I may make more haste lest I fall short of my journeys end Upon a snail carrying her house along with her 72. Med. WHen I observed a snail carrying her house upon her back and in so doing carryed all she had with her in her removes it brought to my minde how the Israelites in the wilderness when ever they journeyed they removed their tents and carryed them with them and when ever they rested there they picht them and carryed all their substance for forty years space along with them and this might well put them in minde that they were strangers and pilgrims and there rest was not here I have read of heathen Stilpo when the enemy had seazed upon all he had burnt the town he lived in and took his wife and children prisoners being asked by Demetrius what he had lost replyed nothing omnia mea mecum porto I carry all-along with me esteeming his vertues his only riches which none could take from him but all loseable riches he valued not This made me further consider if any heathen could say thus how much more a Christian that hath all his vertues adopted graces and hath an interest in Christ and a title to glory for this is a Christians all and he can properly lay claim to no more for as he hath all from God so he hath all in God and having God he hath all and a rich portion it is beyond all the gold in the Indies and all the wealth in the world it is a more soul-satisfying portion then the world can afford and such a portion that is durable for the devil and all his instruments cannot deprive them of it and this they may take along with them to a prison to a gibbet yea to the utmost parts of the earth if they are banished thither The men of the world would have their portion in the world and heaven like paper and packthred into the bargain but it will not be they would carry the world upon their backs to heaven but it is too great a burthen to carry up the hill and too big to enter with at the strait gate The only way to make the best advantage of the world is to take Christs counsel Luk. 16.9 make your selves friends of the unrighteouss mammon that when they fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations this is the way to send the world before us to heaven or to improve it to the best advantage testify your faith saith the Apostle by your works improve these talents well and God will reward you for it riches are not properly ours but Gods but if we make sure
what cause then hath poor man to hugg such a viper in his bosome that feels so much the sad effects of it which is the cause of all temporal spiritual and eternal miseries which without repentance will cause not only a seperation of the soul from the body but also of the body and soul from God I considered also that though man were subjected to more care and trouble then other creatures were yet if he did his work well he was promised a greater reward and better wages then any other he shall be well paid for his pains and who will not take pains for profit it is fit that man that is promised a kingdome for one days work should work harder then he that hath but ordinary wages yea God hath gracious ends in these afflictions to his people by this means he lets them know their rest is not here and weans them from the love of the world which would undo them who otherwise would with Peter say it is good being here we are travellers and cannot expect rest in a journey or security in an enemies countrey the Samaritans would not entertain Christ because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem Luk. 9.53 and the world will not entertain Gods people because they have their faces heâ—â—enward Christ tells us in the world we shall have tribulation John 16.33 this is not a paradice but a purgatory to the saints we may say of this as one doth of the Straits of Megellan when a man is there which way soever he bends his course the winde will be against him but Christ hath overcome the world and will subject this enemy to us It is a great mistake to take this for our rest yet many do and rest here and it is all the rest they are like to have and a miserable portion it is to those that have the most of it there are none here live free from misery though some sinfully pass away their time idly sorrow will follow sin as the shadow doth the substance and if any can patch up a miserable happiness here yet it is short-lived and they know not whether it will be a day older when death comes eternal miseries will take date oh my soul art thou under suffering and hast no free-day do they come like waves of the sea one in the neck of another thank thy self and thy sin for it these are the fruits of thy beloved lusts when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Jam. 1.15 never expect to be free from suffering till thou be free from sin when thou smartest by affliction avenge thy self on thy sins and make thy heart smart for sin if sin be not forsaken thy sufferings will be more God will make thee bend or break under his hand but if thy sins be hated and repented despair not at thy troubles it is but the portion of Gods own people Abel began a health and all the saints that ever were are or shall be have pledg'd it round and some have drunk very deep and Christ himself drunk up the very dregs of it but if thou suffer for righteousness sake thou shalt be sufficiently rewarded yea thou maist rejoice and be exceeding glad for great will be thy reward in heaven Mat. 5.11.12 Oh my God thou hast afflicted me less then I deserve help me to patience under thy hand with correction give instruction and let no twig of thy rod be in vain fit my back for the burthen and then lay on what thou pleasest On the difference between a well manured and neglected Orchard 74. Med. WHen I observed the difference between a well-manured well-ordered and well-husbanded orchard and one that was slieghted neglected and carelesly heeded I observed the difference between diligence and negligence in the one I beheld the trees orderly ranked not too near nor at too great a distance carefully prun'd and freed from superfluous branches suckers clensed from moss and other offensive enemies manured dung'd fenced from the violence of cattle and in a word in a comely form and handsome to behold and the fruit answered expectation and made amends for the care and cost but the other was neither handsome to the eye nor profitable to the owner lying open to the beasts of the feild out of order and shape some too thick others too thin overgrown with moss suckers cankers and unprofitable branches the ground over-run with briars brambles nettles docks and other unprofitable weeds and the fruit thus choaked and spoiled proved accordingly by this I saw the difference between a good husband and a bad Solomon tells us the king himself is served by the field Eccl. 5.9 and so doubtless he is by the orchard but then it must be well husbanded Uzziah loved husbandry 2 Chr. 26.10 the orchard yields both meat and drink both food and physick profit and delight is here to be had but not without labour and diligence In all labour saith Solomon there is profit Pro. 14.23 that is all honest labour we should work with our hands the thing that is good some labour diligently to do mischief and take pains to go to hell there is small profit in this work and some as one saith do magno conatu magnus nugas â—gere they do take great pains to small purpose some take as much pains to spend their estate as others do to get it and more pains in the way to hell then others in the way to heaven but diligence even in earthly business is doubtless a commanded duty and negligence is a forbidden sin the one brings profit and the other loss diligence in an orchard brings in more then ordinary profit the Apostle commands those that will not labour that they shall not eat 2 Thes 3.10 paradice that was mans store-house was his work house also those idle persons that have little to do are usually set on a work by the devil for he takes up and employs such wanderers those that like body-lice live upon other mens sweat are not fit to live in a well-ordered common-wealth it is an apostatical command that we labour with our hands that we may be able to give to those that need Eph. 4.28 he shall be poor saith Solomon that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Pro. 10.4 doing there must be or the beggar will catch us by the back it follows he that gathereth in summer is a wise son but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame he that lets the offered opportunity slip may haply never recover the loss diligence usually though not constantly is attended with abundance but the sluggard shall be covered with rags we reade Pro. 24.30 that Solomon went by the field of the sluggard and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding and it was grown over with thorns thistles also had covered the face thereof the stone-wall thereof was broken down
sticks close and never leaves till the work be done and the new creature grace be formed it makes a wonderful change in the man it is like Elijahs mantle when thrown upon Elisha which made him leave his oxen and run after him and desired only to kiss his father and mother and he would follow him the prophet said go back again what have I done to thee 1 Kin. 19.19 but he had done that which made him that he would not forsake him till he was taken up to heaven and remained a prophet to his dying day when God speaks home to the heart the work is done when Christ cals Peter and Andrew James and John they leave all to follow him Mat. 4.18 c. with his word there went forth a secret power inclining them to follow the woman of Samaria left her pitcher and Mathew his tole-book and Zacheus his Sicamore tree yea half of his goods at Christs call when God speaks to the heart it sticks close and never leaves till a through reformation be wrought it turns a man from a lion to a lamb and changes a persecuting Saul to a preaching Paul The smoaking flax shall not be quench't nor the bruised reed shall not be broken till he bring forth judgment into victory Mat. 12.20 it is not the strong oaks only but the bruised reeds Christ cherisheth he despiseth not the day of small things the lest spark of fire may be cherished into a flame and the least true grace will be growing the very pantings after Christ and unsatisfaction without him are highly accounted of by him the earthquake made such an heart-quake in the Jaylor that he crys out what shall I do to be saved and the preaching of Peter to those that put Christ to death reacht to their heart and nothing would serve till they knew how they should be saved so powerfull is the word when set on by God upon the heart oh my soul though the Church of God be brought low despair not yet it hath been so in former times yet recovered and Christ hath told thee the gates of hell shall never prevail against it God will yet say to these dry bones live and if thy graces be at an under despair not if it be true though but as a grain of mustard seed it will spring if thou art but smoaking flax thou shalt not be quenched if a bruised seed thou shalt not be broken oh my God blow upon that spark thou hast given me that it be not extinguished remove the ashes of corruption that it may appear Vpon a crab-tree afterwards grafted 76. Med. OBserving one tree in the orchard wilde by nature which though it had the same husbandry with the rest drest and pruned by the same hand digged and dunged as the others were though it grew in as fat a soil and was refresht with the same sun and watered with the same showers yet still it brought forth sowr and unpleasant fruit and neither art nor labour could alter it till I caused it to be grafted and so changed the nature of it and then the same means used made it answer our expectation this made me to consider that this was the very reason why there was so much difference between persons that live under the same means of grace under the same Ministry enjoying the same Ordinances sit in the same sear live in the same house yea he in the same bed yet some bare good fruits some bad some sweet and some sowr sure the fault is not in the means but in the men I have read of Melancthon that when he came to preach the gospel he preacht with such convincing arguments and so much Scripture light that he was perswaded that he could have convinc't any man but after long trial he found the contrary and was fain to confess that the old devil was too cunning for young Melancthon I have often wondred how drunkards swearers adulterers or other debauch't sinners could sit under the powerfull means of grace and have hell-fire flasht in their faces and never startle at it when both the Scripture and verse hath been quoted where they were excluded heaven and yet they sit as unconcerned but when I considered Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that gives the encrease my wonder ceast man can but speak to the ear but God speaks to the heart the same fun when it shines upon a garden of herbs makes it smell more oderiferously but when it shines upon a dunghill it maks it smell more fulsomly the fault is not in the sun but in the dunghill the same sun softens wax and hardens clay when the sun shines and the rain fals upon a fruitful pasture it makes it more fruitfull but when upon the heath in the desart it is little the better The reason why one bears good fruit and another bad under the same enjoyment is the one is ingrafted into Christ another not but grows upon the stock of nature all the watering dunging and manuring in the world will not make a thorn bring forth grapes or a thistle figs Mat. 7.16 A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit nor a bad tree good so that the tree is known by his fruit I am the vine saith Christ and ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him shall bring forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing John 15.5 A Christian that is grafted into Christ is like the Aegyptian fig-tree that is said to bear fruit seven times in the year or like the lemmon-tree that ever and anon sendeth forth new lemmons When a man abides in the stock of nature he can bring forth no savoury fruit to God if the fountain be polluted the streams cannot be clear if the heart be bad the life cannot be good if the lungs be infected the breath will stink of such as these God saith their vine is the vine of Sodom and of the field of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall and their clusters are bitter Deut. 32.32 vitis non vinifera saith one sed vene infera the vine is the evil nature and the grapes are the wicked works they hatch cockatrice-eggs and weave spiders webs Isa 59.5 But when they are ingrafted in the true vine they have sap and nourishment from the root then the buds of good desires and the blossomes of good resolutions spring forth and after that the fruit of good works other professors are but like the Ivy that adheres to and hath some shelter and support from the oak but they stand upon their own root and bear their own fruit unregenerate men are hammering out their own happiness and like the spider are climbing by a thread of their own spinning they live upon themselves trade for themselves and attribute all to themselves and have no higher end then themselves for water can ascend no higher then the fountain head but all this will fail them for it is not Christ but
no fruit words but no works a shew but no substance their religion lies in the tongue and brain but never reaches the heart nor seasons the life they are most in externals little in internals they regulate their words and actions but the heart is not restrained or purified the heat of their zeal appears chiefly if not only in their words but the heart is cold enough they take up the easie cheap and safest part of duty but the difficult dangerous or costly part they meddle not with they make a shew of what they are not and brag of what they have not and then they laugh in their sleeves to think how they have couzened and put a cheat upon the world they worship that God in the Church that they matter not in the closet they do no religious duty without witness haply for fear God should deny what he hath received from them they are like rotten wood they shine in the night but look upon them in the day and you will finde the cheat they are like the red and blew flowers in the corn-field fine to look upon good for little but to pester the corn they are like candles they usually go out in an offensive snuff they are Saints abroad and devils at home and usually more dangerous when they appear like Saints then when they shew themselves in their colours and act the devils part bare-faced but doubtless these are not the men that God will accept nor this is not the service he requires he is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth yea the father seeketh such to worship him John 4.23.24 he calls for the heart my son saith he give me thy heart not thy tongue or hands but the heart for if he have that the rest will follow Pro. 23.26 as the heart is by nature God will have none of it till the heart be renewed and given to the Lord he will accept of nothing that comes from us he calls for the heart and says of it as Joseph did of Benjamin Gen. 43.3 ye shall not see my face without it or as David did of Michal 2 Sam. 3.13 thou shalt not see my face except thou bringest Michal Sauls daughter when thou comest These men would give the Lord any thing but the heart and he will own nothing without it these professors are like men in a boat they look one way and row another or like the kite that soares aloft towrs on high as if they were all for heaven and made light of all terrestriall things when still her eye is upon her prey and her heart glued to the ground and rooted in the earth they are like unto the peacock they have fine feathers but yet is but a dunghill-bird but these shews will not always serve turn God sees through their thin masks and will ere long pluck off their vizour be not deceived God is not mocked there are none can steal to heaven in a disguise God will know him well that shall enter there there is a sure guard and without this ticket of holiness none will be admitted this is Christ sheep-mark and those and those alone that have it shall stand upon his right hand at judgment when he comes to seek fruit and findes none he will take up his axe he hath long and may for a while spare the tree for the vine-dressers sake but his patience will not always last he will say pray not for this people for they are ripe for destruction when the sins of the Amorites were full their destruction drew neer when these borrowed robes are pluckt from the stageplayers backs for so the word hypocrite signifies then those that acted the parts of Kings will be found but peasants and those that acted the parts of honest men will be found but cheats indeed God hath many fans and much of this chaff is blown away in this life we have seen many that appeared to be something proved just nothing but when Christ comes with refiners fire and fullers soap who can stand before this burning the lamps of profession may light a man to death near to heaven oh my soul thou hast made profession of Religion a long time what fruit dost thou bring forth if thou hast nothing but tears thou maist expect that Christ shall say to thee as to the fruitless figtree never fruit grow more on thee for ever or if thy fruit be bad it will not be long but thou wilt be cut down what cause hast thou to fear that art so sensible of so much unsavory and rotten fruit and of so little that is good up then and be doing that thy last days may be thy best days and thy best wine last oh my good God though hypocrisy lodge in me let it not reign in me give me truth in the inward parts keep my heart sound in thy testimonies and I shall be safe Upon a dead tree 83. Med. OBserving a dead tree in the orchard that had neither fruit nor leaves and so was neither for profit nor pleasure for fruit nor ornament but rather an encumbrance to the ground and a deformity to the place I began upon this Observation to consider that this was the case of many a poor dead soul amongst us who though planted in Gods vineyard hedged about by his providence and watered with the dew of heaven and manured by the skilfullest vine-dressers yet remains dead fruitless and useless and hath done so many years and hath done nothing all this while but cumber the ground and keep a room and did but grow worse and worse and every day more fitter for the fire then other this minded me of Gods mercy and mans wickedness Gods mercy in sparing such unprofitable wretches some of them 50 or 60 years together and all that while sending his vine-dressers to dig and dung and manure them from year to year that never yielded any good fruit in their lives and mans wickedness that will not be won upon by all these entreaties and continued favours that are so hard that neither the sun nor the rain can soften neither fair means nor foul can work upon them and to this day do yet remain a reproach to the place they live in for sin saith Solomon is a reproach to any people Pro. 14.34 when righteousness exalteth a Nation True Religion and the power of godliness is the beauty and bulwark of a Nation but sin is a deformity and an evil disease it is the snuff that dims our candle yea threatens the removal of our candlestick Capernaum that once was lifted up to heaven is threatned to be cast down to hell if a dead tree deform a well-regulated orchard and is such an offence that it will not be endured by the owner nor be suffered to stand or if a dead carkass be so loathsom a thing that in a little time the nearest and dearest relations and the most intimate friends are weary of it how loathsome then is a
be but a trouble so may a great estate to a godly man I might have like that young man mentioned Mat. 19.20 c. parted with Christ for a trifle had he had but a small estate who knows but he might have proved a true convert he cheapens heaven bids fair for it but they disagreed about the price a great estate breaks the bargain as in the world it breaks many a marriage the persons like and love but the womans portion will not answer the mans estate this occasioned Christ to tell us how hard a thing it was for a rich man to be saved Mat. 19.24 it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God most mens honours change their manners and they are the worse for their wealth if heaven be to be had upon no other terms many will refuse it they would be gainers by their religion however they resolve to lose nothing many like Diana's Craftsmen get their living by it they will launch no further into the deep then they may return safe to the shore many come to Christ hastily as this young man but return heavily when they hear the rate All men love Abrahams bosome but few men love Dives door all men love the jewel but few will go to the price all men would have the crown but they love not the cross that leads to it Most men especially great ones will meddle with no more religion then will do them good or boot their needs or serve their designes they will lanch no further into the seas then they can see the shoar pride breeds in wealth as worms do in apples and he is a rich man indeed that thinks himself never the greater or never the better for his wealth oh world how hast thou deceived those that trust in thee and how hast thou bought their profession out of their hands for a trifle and hast had their souls into the bargain how many write themselves happy when they are loaden with thick clay alass what will this do for them in their greatest need poor Spira was betrayed by thee to the shipwrack of faith and a good conscience so were Judas Demas Ananias and Saphira and a thosand more these knew not the worth of the soul nor the vanity of the world that let the devil have so cheap a penyworth they grasp so greedily after gold that they lost their God and loved their sin more then their souls but what good will it do them when they want a drop of water to cool their tongues Luk. 16.24 oh my soul bless God that hath freed thee from many temptations that others are overcome by Covet not overmuch a prosperous condition lest God give it thee for thy portion scorn with the Eagle to stoop so low as to seek thy meat upon a dunghill undervalue not thy self so much as to entertain so poor a suitor as the world is when the sun of God makes love to thee who alone can pay thy debts and make thee happy thou canst not buy this gold too dear but the world thou maist and most men do when they purchase it with the bloud of their souls thou canst not over-value this jewel it is ten thousand times better then thou canst value it oh my God give me Christ and it sufficeth I need no other portion I desire no other happiness let me have him at any rate Vpon trees green in summer but stript off all in winter 86. Med. OBserving further that those trees so fair and specious so green and flourishing in the summer yet when autumn came were stript of all their gallantry and appeared bare and ill favoured dead and dry and looked not like the same they were It presently struck into my minde that this would shortly be the condition of all wicked men let their prosperity be never so great and their enjoyments in the world never so many or large the time is coming all these like leaves will fly away with the winde the nipping frost of death and the winde of affliction will make them fall some carry Lordships on their backs some Earldomes some Dukedomes and some few Kingdomes among the Clergy some carry several steeples on their backs yea some Deanaries and some Bishopricks all these are but leaves and will fall when Autumn winde blows they cannot stand a winter-blast death will level the great and the small the one with the other and the Kings head shall then shew no impression of a crown Many rich men are like sumpter-horses richly laden with gold and silver and costly gems and Jewels all the day but when night comes and come it will ere long they are stript of all turned into a dirty stable and nothing to bring off but their gal'd backs so these at death have nothing left but a gal'd conscience a pregnant example of this we have in the rich man mentioned Luk. 16.19 there was one cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared deliciously every day but it was but a little time before all those leaves were stript off and he had not left him one drop of water to cool his tongue and he that a little before as some imagine denyed a crumb of bread to Lazarus is now denyed a drop of water Another example we have Luk. 12.16 of a rich man that had abundance and began to sing a requiem to his soul eat drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years he was a right Epicure that made his gut his God another Sardanapalus eating that in earth that Augustine saith he must digest in hell little thinking his death was so near his glass was run when he thought it was but new turned thou fool saith Christ this night shall thy soul be required of thee and then whose are these he was shot as a bird with the bolt while he was staring at the bow of rich men the Psalmist saith their glory will not follow them neither shall they take any thing with them Psal 49.17 then when death entreth into their lodging and knocks at their doors they may bid farewell to their well contriv'd houses sumptuous buildings pleasant gardens and delightful walks yea to all their bags of gold so painfully got so carefully kept and so warily employed even to the wounding of their consciences the hardning of their hearts and the loss of their souls then farewell all their pleasures their merry meetings and their pot companions with their drunken revels farewell then their cocks their hawks their hounds and their whores they must never more delight and recreate themselves with these for though whoremasters and whores shall burn together in hell yet shall they not there burn in lust one to the other but their company shall be their torment not their recreation all these are but leaves the wind of death will blow away Here are no may-games nor morris-dances or deluding shews to entertain
but like rotten shining wood many that have had lamps in their hands have had them blown out for lack of oyl Many have seemed like corn fresh and flourishing but proved like that on the stony ground or on the house-top never came to maturity when the winde turns they soon kick up their profession and steal away from their colours or when the sun of persecution is up wither oh my soul promise not thy self great things in the world neither content thy self with small things for eternity be as serious for grace as others are for gold and make as sure for heaven as others do for the world if thou wilt plant let it be in a better soil then maist thou expect a better encrease neither winde nor sun frost nor snow thunder nor lightning can blast or nip those flowers of paradice Lord take off my affection from the world and set them upon Christ then shall I never be disappointed of my hopes Upon leaves falling in Autumn 90. Med. WHen I observed in autumn after a nipping frost seconded by a gust of winde how fast the leaves fell from the trees that in a short time those that were cloathed in a lusty green began to look withered dead and dry and to put on their winter coat methought this resembled much our mortality when the autumn of age comes upon us these bodies of ours like leaves fall of themselves into deaths lap but seldom do they hang on so long some casual accident or other oft bears them down before they wither ofttimes some common calamity as the sword or pestilence or other contagious disease like a violent tempest doth bear all down before it two hundred thousand together in Ireland and very many in England death mowed down in a few days where they fell as leaves before the winde or as corn before the reapers hook it is noted that in one years space a hundred thousand fell in our chief city blown down by the blast of death and thus in all the world throughout men are swept away as with a sweeping storm some few are gathere in in a good old age but the most of men blown down while they are yet green the falling of these leaves did also seem to me to resemble the apostacy and downfall of hypocrites the house of whose profession is built upon the sand and cannot resist the winde and waves this is a foolish builder that neither sat down first to reckon the charges neither was at the cost to lay a firm foundation neither considered the rain would fall the windes blow and the flouds beat and overthrow his buildings they follow Christ as a dog follows his master tiâ—l he meets with carion and then turns him up as Orphah made a fair proffer of going along with Naomi but better considering returned back It is noted of the chesunt if it be not broken at the top when east into the fire it leaps out again so doth a hypocrite when he comes to be tried he is like a false jade in a teem which being put to a stress turns tail and tramples but the godly hold on and persist In the summer when the sun of the gospel shines upon them they hold on and look fresh and fragrant and seem to be not only members but pillars of the Church as the Apostles had a good opinion of Judas so that they rather mistrusted themselves then him and cryed out Master is it I so true believers rather mistrust themselves then those forward professors yet in persecuting times these fall as leaves before the winde and wither as the corn on the stony ground or that which grows upon the hose top and discover a fruitless bulk and withering root the stony ground received the word with joy and endured for a while but when the sun was up they were quickly offended Herod may hear the word gladly and endure for a time but being not sound at the heart he fals off a branch in a moist place though it have no root may for a while bud and leave but when heat comes will certainly wither and the leaves fall when Christianity is in credit many will cry Hosanah to the sun of David and when in contempt they will cry crucify a hypocrite will be catching at comforts as children do at sweet-meats ere they are soundly humbled and are stuffing themselves pillows with the promises that they may sin more securely when the Jews were in savour many turn Jews for fear of the Jews and when in danger their seeming friends prove their sorest enemies they are professors upon designe and they will be religious while religion suits their interest and promotes their advantage but when it hinders them they lay it aside as the workman doth the tool he needs not or will not serve his turn and takes another if profaness yea persecution serves his designe better he will make use of that if a few prayers or outside duties which are like to cost them little they are content to go to heaven this way but if it come to sufferings or forsaking any thing for Christ vadet Christus cum suo Evangelio let Christ go with his gospel and keep his heaven to himself for he will have none of it they will not buy heaven at so dear a rate The Gospel hath many swallow-friends which will be gone at the approach of winter when the corn is gone the rats leave the barn and when no secular advantage is in sight but rather storms appearing many professors will be no longer religious but Christ tells us he that loveth father or mother son or daughter more then him is not worthy of him Mat. 10.37 because he holdeth any one worthy of more love then Christ God will set no lower a rate on his son and glory he that will have this pearl must part with all Mat. 13.44.45 and he that doth so makes a good bargain we cannot buy this gold too dear or give too much for heaven and happiness he that thinks to grasp and hold both heaven and earth in the same hand and lodge them in the same heart may as well imagine he can reconcile fire and water and hide them together in the same bosome when two men walk together we know not whose servant it is that follows them but when they part the servant owns his own Master oh my soul take heed of dissembling with God that will not be mocked close with him and he will close with thee build upon the rock so shalt not thou be shaken and though at death thy body fall like a leaf yet thy root shall remain oh my God let me not deceive my self let me lay a good foundation then shall I stand in all storms Vpon a fruit-tree pelted with stones 91. Med. WHen I beheld a fruit-bearing-tree that was richly laden with the choisest fruit and perceiving that this tree above all the rest was preyed upon by the passengers for almost every one had a stick
for meat we see how the chief Landlord the great husbandman the Lord of the vineyard the chief proprietor how he lets out his farms and what conditions he puts into his leases and how he takes care of the poor that they should be fed for they also are a part of his family and at his finding and he hath appointed where they shall have their meat and hath commanded his stewards to give it them in due season he would have the full cups of the rich to overflow into their empty dishes and those that dine the poor entertain Christ himself at their table as a guest I observed also how little this command of God was observed by hard-hearted man in our days how little they respect his will and how few make good this condition in the grant they have of all they enjoy and how just it is therefore for God to recal his estate into his own hands and to take the forfeiture for though we receive all from God and that with this proviso and upon this condition that the poor shall have their part and their share out of it yet he that gives all and requires but a little cannot have it yea though he would borrow a little of his own he is ofttimes denyed it though he promises to repay it yea to repay it an hundred-fold yet cannot be heard where a man upon his bare word can borrow ten pounds God cannot borrow ten pence yea of that which is his own though never man made larger promises and never man more faithfully fulfilled them he hath told them he that giveth to the poor shall not lack Pro. 28.27 but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse curses both from God and man yet few believe this is the way to get wealth they will hardly take Gods word for a groat they will use their wit to save their money but will not use their eyes to affect their hearts God shews them many an altar but they have no sacrifice ready but he that shuts his ears at the poor mans cry shall cry himself and not be heard Pro. 21.13 this was fulfil'd in Pharaoh Haman and the rich glutton 'T is not getting but giving is the true way to wealth Eleemosyna ars omnium quaestuosissima est saith Chrysostome alms is the most gainful art he shall have judgment without mercy that will shew no mercy Jam. 2.13 he that hath pitty on the poor lendeth to the Lord and he will repay him Pro. 19.17 God accepts it both as a gift and a love nay foenerator Domino God takes it upon usury and gives security for it under his hand but those that now will not take Gods word it is not long but God will not take theirs but require up his talents and also an account of their stewardship and give away their talents to those that will better improve them and give them a reward with the unprofitable servant Mat. 25.28 30. yea sentence them to everlasting fire together with the devil and his angels for not feeding cloathing visiting his hungry naked poor members Mat. 25.41 c. and such worthless useless sapless men are not more missed as one saith when they are gone then the paring of the nails as they live undesired so they die unlamented but at judgement their sentence breaths out nothing but fire and brimstone stings and horrors woes and torments without end or past imagination here the worm of grief gnaws as painfully as the fire burns now they are sand-blinde and cannot see Christ in his members but then when too late their eyes will be opened to see their folly The consideration also of this little quantity of fruit left upon the trees after the shaking made me think this resembled the godly that stand fast and remain firm after all the shakings that they meet with when others frost bitten by affliction or tossed by persecution fall as leaves before the winde in autumn many are the professors in a sun-shine day but few can abide in a storm though Israel be as the sand of the sea for multitude yet but a remnant shall be saved Rom. 9.27 all are not Israel that are of Israel these are compared to the gleaning of the grapes after the vintage Isay 17.6 here and there one few in comparison or to the shaking of the olive tree where two or three berries are left in the top of the utmost boughs and four or five in the utmost branch one of a tribe and two of a family Jer. 13.14 many shakings we have already had and much unripe fruit is fallen and when stronger windes arise we may imagine much more will down but in the last shaking when Christ shall come like refiners fire and fullers soap Mal. 3.3 all that is rotten at heart will be discovered then the sinners in Zion shall be afraid fearfulness shall surprize the hearts of the hypocrites oh my soul take heed of being blown down nay take heed of being rotten for then down thou wilt it is better be alone then in such a company and better go to heaven alone then to hell with company to stand against the storm then to be blown down with the winde improve thy talents to Gods glory and he will never let thee fall oh my God let no sun of persecution wither me nor no boisterous storm bear me down Upon the many enemies fruit-trees have 93. Med. WHen I considered how many enemies fruit-bearing trees met withall and the incumbrances that ofttimes hindred and spoiled their fruit I wondred that any brought forth fruit to maturity for sometimes they are planted in a bad soil and then no wonder if they prosper not sometimes in too dry a place and how then should they prosper sometimes in too wet and then are poisoned and rendred barren sometimes too high and sometimes too low and both extremes are offensive sometimes in too fat a place and then they grow too luxuriant often too lean and barren when the earth cannot help them to bring forth their burthen or yeild them sap sometimes for want of good husbandry they are troubled and pestered with suckers that draw the sap to themselves and rob the tree and run up into aspiring branches which overtop and overshade their fellows and the whole tree by this means is rendred unfruitful sometimes for want of fence the bark is pil'd off by the beasts of the field hares rabbets and other vermine which rends the bark from the the body and endanger yea sometimes procure the death not only of the fruit but the tree also and sometimes they are bark-bound which hinders their growth and thriving sometimes they are pestered with moss canker and other obstructions to their no little dammages and sometimes molested by worms moles mice ants and such like whereby they are injured sometimes the winter proves unseasonable and the spring unfavourable that they never bloom and sometimes when they are blossomed and give good ground of
oh my God let not the devil by his wiles nor the world by her frowns or smiles make me break my peace with thee Vpon cold winter-weather 100. Med. IN stormy cold and winter-weather when the fields were unfit for action and the husbandman was retired into his cell as the Souldier into his winter-Garison I considered how necessary how desirable how delightful a dry house fire food cloathing lodging and other necessaries were to cherish and nourish and shelter us from the violence of the cold and how unpleasant it was for man or beast to be abroad in the fields and how unsuitable for action there this season was then considered I the folly of those that made not preparation for such a season that those sluggishly pass away the Summer-season that is fit for action in the field and made no preparation in the harvest and so are destitute of food of fewel and other necessaries to make their lives comfortable in the winter for those the holy Ghost sends to school to the ant or pismire Pro. 6.6 go to the ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no guide overseer or ruler provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest poor man that was once captain in Gods school is now turned down into the lowest form and to be taught by the meanest creatures sometimes to the birds and to the lillies of the field that depend upon divine providence sometimes to the oxe and to the ass to learn dependence and here to the ant to learn diligence these poor creatures may be called lay-mens books for in them they may learn their duty and not as many do in diem vivere as the fouls of the air do we should learn dependence of them but a provident care must be had as one saith no promus sit fortior condo that our layings out be not more then our layings up there is a care of the head lawful but it is the care of the heart that is forbidden a care of diligence there may be a care of diffidence there must not be but some fail on the one hand some on the other and it is hard to walk in the direct road I also pitied those that wanted the necessaries I enjoyed and could not tell how to prepare them when all their diligence and industry fell short of necessaries as there are too many poor families amongst us which should be looked after and I fear God will look after those stewards he hath intrusted to feed them and they neglect it see Mat. 24.48 Mat. 25.41 I then called to minde the estate of poor Christians in Ireland in the beginning of the rebellion that were suddenly stript of all turned out naked and hungry exposed to winde and weather to hunger and cold to frost and snow to the loss of many thousands of their lives and to very much hardship to those that escaped this example on the one side discovered to me what injuries and wrongs what hardship and miseries poor creatures may be exposed to how uncertain these transitory enjoyments are and how soon they may be lost and for ought I know this may be my own condition how soon I know not and what would I then give to be in such a condition that I now am although it be not altogether free from some troubles and hardship it minded me also on the other side of the cruelty of bloud-thirsty enemies and what we may expect from them if ever we fall into their hands or lie at their mercy and this made me admire Gods goodness to this nation in general and to my self in particular that it is so well with us as it is yea this consideration made me more contented with my condition then before and to bless God that he had made such plentiful provision for me that had deserved so little at his hands when he suffered those Worthys of whom the world was not worthy to have triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments they were stoned sawn in sunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in desarts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth Heb. 11.36 I considered that though the enjoyment of these things be no certain sign of the love of God yet are they great engagements to engage the heart to God and they are much too blame yea shall give a severe account that willfully waste or abuse them in drunkenness idleness pride prodigality gaming whoring or any other vicious courses yea they are too blame that withhold good from the owners thereof or detain the poors portion from them to whom it is due These considerations had I raised my Meditations a little higher and considered that if an earthly habitation be so necessary in winter for the body to shelter it from the violence of the weather how necessary then will an habitation for the soul be against these houses of clay be disolved to keep off the storms of divine vengeance for what will become of those then that have nothing to shelter them or as good as nothing the garments of their own righteousness which are too short to cover them and too thin to defend them and cannot shelter the soul from divine vengeance no better then a spiders web can the body from a cannon-bullet these doubtless are bad husbands for the soul though they may have care enough of the body oh my soul what condition dost thou stand in in reference to eternity thou hast been often summoned by death and sometimes made to look it in the face and yet thy days with Hezekiahs are lengthened out and God hath given thee more time to do thy work in what preparation hast thou made for it hast thou provided an habitation against thou shalt be turned out of this house of clay hast thou cleared up thy evidence for heaven and thy title to glory if not give thy self no rest till thy work be done for then and not till then thou wilt be fit do dye it is not a bare profession that will serve thy turn the root of the matter must be in thee Job 19.28 a profession without practise will do thee no good oh my God without thy divine assistance I shall miscarry and without a lamp lighted by thy holy spirit I shall never finde out the deceits that are in my own heart Lord grant that these my Meditations may be beneficial to my self and others that they may never rise up in judgment against me another day Amen FINIS
rather comfort It is not always those that can speak loudest that speaks best but he that speaks wisest the empty barrel makes the greatest sound that Sermon 〈◊〉 not always best that hath most gaudy notions and rhetorical flourishes but that which savours most of Christ and the divine Eloquence of his holy spirit he is the best preacher that woos for Christ and not for himself and would set the crown upon his head and not his own it is not the best physitian that speaks most latine greek and hebrew but he that gives the surest and safest directions to recover health it is not the tickling of the fancy a preacher should so much minde as to speak convincingly to the conscience oh my soul judge not by the outward but the inward qualification neither cover hypocrisy by a mask of seeming sincerity for God will ere long pluck off such vizors slight no man meerly upon the account of poverty for God thinks never the worse of them admire no man meerly for his riches for God thinks never the better of him this is but to worship a golden calf the time is coming that the king must leave his robes behinde him and the beggar his rags and it is the inward qualifications that must distinguish between the one and the other Dives and Lazarus when they come to stand on even ground shall by these be tried and so must all by what means or titles soever they have been dignifyed distinguished or called it is our works and worth not our wealth will follow us whereever tâ—ou seest Christ in any own him for God will own him esteem grace in the soul more then money in the purse and the robes of righteousness above the most costly jewels a drachm of grace is worth thousands of gold and silver for thy councellors take the wisest not the wealthiest for wisdom and wealth many times dwell not together in the same house esteem that preacher best that speaks home to the heart and conscience not him that seeks to tickle the ear and please the fancy he that woos for Christ and not for himself and seeks to put the crown upon his head and not his own esteem that Sermon best where thou findest most of Christ and not that which is drest with gaudy notions and rhetorical flourishes which serve to darken and not illustrate the matter and are as king James was wont to say like red and blew flowers fine to look upon good for little but pester the corn a diseased man had rather have medicum sanantem quam eloquentem one that will rather do well then speak well oh my God should I cover my prophanness or hypocrisy with the vizor of seeming holiness thou wilt soon discover it and unmask me for thou searchest the heart and triest the reins and all things are open and apparent to thee Lord give me sincerity and truth in the inward part for this is thy gift make me such as thy own soul delights in let me not be deceived by my own deceitful heart nor think to deceive others for I cannot deceive thy all-seeing eye Upon the constant supply the vegetables need 33. Med. WHen I seriously considered that these beautiful creatures which now adorn the earth with their flowers and enamel it with their various shapes and colours and enrich it with their odours vertues and operations yet without a constant supply of mans labour pains and diligence and also of the influences of the heavens they would soon wither die and come to nothing some of them must be yearly set or sown or transplanted others preserved both from heat and cold and all need some manure care and pains weeding watering fencing or other cares this minded me of the condition of all earthy delights or enjoyments they must be renewed or they will soon vanish all things by sin are become subject to decay there is a vicissitude of earthly comforts and a constant change Mans life cannot be preserved without food and physick and other necessaries the four Elements fire air earth and water are so necessary that if eâ—â—her be denied mans life is at an end the houses we dwell in must be repaired or they will soon come to ruine and fall about our ears The most famous fabricks that ever the Sun saw are come to ruine The Piramides of Egypt the walls of Carthage the tomb of Mansolus or if there were any thing more famous or more durable yet time hath consumed and brought it to a ruinous heap the most impregnable castle the most invincible strong-hold if not repaired by labour and industry time levels with the ground we cannot say now of our garments as Moses of Israels cloaths Deut. 8.4 thy rayment waxed not old neither did thy foot swell this forty years it was not the worse for the wearing but as some imagine probably it grew as their bodies did they needed not to trouble themselves with anxious thoughts what to eat or what to drink or wherewith to be cloathed God brought them food to their tent-doors and provided rayment without their care or pains but with us all such comforts must be renewed with care and diligence with a care of the head though not of the heart or they will quickly be gone this consideration made me think what a great deal of confusion sin had brought into the world and subjected all things to vanity and vexation of spirit every thing saith Solomon is full of labour for as it brought death into the world so likewise all other miseries had it not been for sin we had never had aking head or aking heart or loss or cross or any thing to molest us and now every thing becomes a trouble man is born to trouble saith Job as the sparks fly upwards yet alass how doth the world bewitch men that they had rather be drudges and savages here and moil and toil and cark and care and live as it were in a dungeon and work as in the very fire then die and come to God this they make their portion this is their delight and all that they care for they sell their ease their pleasure and their very souls oh earth how dost thou bewitch us O satan how dost thou infatuate us oh heart how dost thou deceive us what disappointments doth foolish men meet with here and yet will take no warning we never did finde content and yet we are always promising our selves happinesse here where never any yet could finde it alass what proportion is there between a piece of gold and an immortal soul Oh my soul canst thou love this sin which hath brought all this misery and confusion into the world canst thou hug this viper in thy bosome which will sting thee to eternal death if not kil'd and mortified and canst thou place thy happiness in these vanishing perishing and withering vanities will these serve thy turn or boot thy needs or make thee happy can they pay thy debts or save thy
soul alass they cannot they cannot procure thee one days respite out of hell or one days freedome from sickness or from death they cannot give thee any satisfaction here for content grows not in the worlds garden there are indeed joys worth having pleasures worth minding and riches worth labouring for happiness that shall never have an end that are not subject to changes nor vicissitudes as earthly enjoyments are but they are to be sought for above in the enjoyment of God in whose presence alone true happiness dwells The happiness the world promiseth are meer delusions a little honey and many stings a little bitter sweet pleasures that perisheth ere it bud in the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heaviness their joy is but like the crackling of thorns under a pot soon in soon out if thou wilt trade let it be in a surer commodity and not with the merchant have fortunam rudentibus aptam thy estate depending winde and weather if thou wilt be planting let it be in a better soil and not where thorns and thistles are like to be thy reward there is a treasure to be had a pearl of great price to be bought Mat. 13.44 45. whosoever deals in these cannot lose by them in comparison of which pearls and diamonds and precious rubies are not to be named these are they that make the soul rich all other riches doth it no good this makes it rich to God and lovely comely amiable in his sight oh my God give me this treasure and it sufficeth though I have nothing else all other things I can spare Christ I cannot spare he is the breath of my life and the life of my soul let the world take their portion alass it is a miserable portion I envy them not but Lord put me not off with such pittifull poor things let me have an interest in Christ and communion with him let me lie for ever in his bosome and let the enjoyment of him be my portion let me be an inhabitant in the city of pearl where no dirty dog shall tread upon the pavement my heart pants after this as the chased hart after the water-brooks when Lord shall I come and appear before thee come Lord Jesus come quickly Upon the sudden withering of flowers 34. Med. WHen I beheld the beauty splendour and glory of several herbs and flowers and other vegetables when they were in their pride and in their prime and invited all eyes to behold them and to do them homage and when I considered withall how short-lived they were how soon they withered vanished and perished and their glory passed away and came to nothing I thought this was a fit embleme to set forth humane frailty and the worlds glory by for both are transitory and vain for man himself who is Lord of these flowers he soon fades and is withered as a flower yea many times in the flower of his age how frequently doth the Scripture compare man to the grass and to the flower of the field which this day flourisheth and to morrow fadeth their glorious beauty is as a fading flower and as the hasty fruit before the summer c. Esay 28.1 4. all flesh is grass and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass the grass withereth and the flower fadeth away 1 Pet. 1.24 man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not Job 14.1 2. Now they are fresh and flourishing and sudenly they decline now in the heigth of youthfull vanity and sudenly they pass away and the place that knew them shall know them no more if they live cares and fears sickness and old age succeed of which they are forc't to say they have no pleasure in them death it self many times calls men off the stage when they think they have but begun to act their parts and puts an exit to them and their work is done and their part ended But suppose life were more certain yet our earthly enjoyments and our happiness here are transitory and vain and all the felicity the world brags of is but a meer fancy and a very cheat at the best it is but a mixture of sweet and sowr a little honey and a great deal of gall and the end of that mirth is heaviness if the happiness be such what is the misery man himself is but a bubble how great soever he may seem and with what titles soever he be dignified and soon shall he be prickt by death and the winde let out and then a great bubble and a little one cannot be distinguished and all the pleasures which vain man takes in all his youthful follies is but like a bush of thorns and wisp of straw on fire make a sudden blaze and is forthwith extinguished they make a noise for a while and then vanish into smoak youthfull pleasures are soon over and carking care treads out their steps and old age makes them forgotten youth is like young lambs they leap and frisk awhile while they have the dug to run to when they are hungry but when they are once weaned and set to shift for themselves the sport is over so youth under their parents providence minde their sports but when once at their own provision cares and pains spoil the mirth and make it little minded The world also frowns and smiles upon the same man many times the same day and useth him as a tennisball now lifts him up and sudenly casts him down raiseth him to the top of honour and then plungeth him into the gulph of disgrace Now it shews him abundance of riches and then pincheth him with extremity of poverty now it mixeth him a cup with pleasure and presently fills it with gall and wormwood that which the world calls pleasures and for which so many sell their souls are but like those of the drunkard that last but while he is swallowing the drink and then succeeds belchings and vomitings sickness and sorrow wallowing in the mire and such like or like that of the adulterer which is often attended with pains aches rottenness filthy diseases not fit to be named and death it self and indeed these two beastly sins have much of that which the world calls pleasure but the effects shew it is wrong named sickness succeeds health and deformity beauty sorrow treads upon the heels of pleasure and adversity follows prosperity and there is a vicissitude and change in all humane affairs he is a stranger in the world that knows not these things David tells us Psal 37 35. I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay-tree yet he passed away and lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found whether he have reference to Saul and his family I know not yet in the next generation how was his
the Jewel we shall have the box if we buy the wine we shall have the cask and if we seek first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof all other things shall be added Mat. 6.33 most men begin at the wrong end they make sure the world and think then all is safe and heaven sure but would they make heaven sure riches should not be wanting but most men think that scraping and keeping together is the way to be rich but the holy Ghost teacheth us that it is giving and laying out is the way Solomon tells us he that gives to the poor lends to the Lord and he will repay him Pro. 19.17 and he that gives to the poor shall not lack Pro. 28.27 so that not getting but giving is the way to wealth but he shall have judgement without mercy that will shew no mercy Jam. 2.13 rich men are Gods stewards he trusts them with his store-house to give their fellow-servants their meat in due season and blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes shall finde so doing Mat. 24.46 but if insteed of feeding them they feed themselves and eat and drink with the drunken and beat their fellow-servants their Lord shall come when they are not aware and shall give them their portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth but all places are too full of such evil servants and so is hell too such dust-heaps are found in every corner but those unmercifull men shall have their portion with the devil and the damned Mat. 25.34 when the charitable Christian shall have a portion in glory we are all Gods servants and have some talents or other to improve in his service to his glory which if we do we shall not be without our reward there is none saith God shuts the door of my house for nought or kindles a fire upon my altar for nought Mal. 1.10 he hath lent us our riches and yet if we improve them and employ them as we ought they will become our own and we shall send them to heaven before us where they will be made up into a crown for us this is the only good they can do the soul but whatsoever is not thus improved is lost yea worse then lost for it will be put upon our account and required of us when we give an account of our stewardship It is a great mistake and so it will be found when men think they have an absolute propriety in what they enjoy and may dispose of it at their pleasure Christ bids the young man sell all that he had and give to the poor and he should have treasure in heaven Mat. 19.21 and rich men are charged to be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to give that they may lay up for themselves a good foundation against the evil day 1 Tim. 6.16 c. had rich men but Moses eye to see the wealth of heaven and the worth of it it were not hard for them to make such a choise as he did worldlings if they could have heaven without labour or cost they would accept of it if not they will not buy it at so dear a rate but Christians say as Mephibosheth let Zibah take all so I may enjoy the king oh my soul here is riches worth labouring for thou canst not buy this gold at too dear a rate the world thou maist and many do with the loss of the soul here thou canst not be disappointed whatever rate thou setst upon this treasure it is ten thousand times better lay hold upon this make heaven sure to thy self improve the world to a spiritual advantage then will thy riches encrease as the oyl in the cruse or like the bread in Christs hands or the water in a spring thy good works will follow thee to heaven when the world will leave her dearest minions oh my God let it be so say amen to my prayer let me have thee and I have all things necessary Upon mens misery labour and pains 73. Med. WHen I considered that man that was the chief of Gods workmanship and next to the angels the most glorious creature of the whole creation yea in his creation was made little lower then the angels and cloathed with honour and dignity Psal 8.5 and was made Lord over the works of Gods hands Gen. 1.26 yea God created him in his own image all these inferiour creatures were made for his sake and for his use and service he was their little Lord yea the angels themselves are ministring spirits sent out for the good of those that love God Heb. 1.14 the saints are the Church the spouse the bride the members of Christ and so seem to be in nearer union to him then the angels themselves some think the devils envied this and so fell from their own station thus you see how man in the creation was exalted to honour but on the other side I considered how man above all the rest of the creatures was more subjected to misery labour and slavery yea vexation of spirit then any other and many of them even worn out with carking cares and fretting fears with moiling toyling spending labour which tires their bodies breaks their sleep in the night when other creatures which were made for their use and are their servants rest secure and free from daily cares and nightly troubles many kindes of them are preserved without their pain all without their care or fore-cast the masters care for some and maintain them and God maintains the rest but it is not so with man he must eat his bread in the sweat of his brows how true is that of Joh chap. 5.7 man is born to labour as the sparks fly upwards all things are full of labour saith Solomon Eccl. 1.8 molestation and misery meet us at every turn the world saith one is a sea of glass for it is vanity mingled with fire for it is vexation Rev. 4.6 man is in a restless condition tossed to and fro like a football and here he hath no resting place when I sought out the cause of this why this noble creature should be thus subjected to trouble and sorrow more then any others I quickly found out it was Gods will and mans desert for had man continued in his primitive purity he had never had an aking head or aking heart or loss or cross or any thing to molest him but when he had sin'd God pronounced this sentence upon him in the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread which law never yet was reversed The beasts of the field never transgrest their makers law as man hath done and therefore never had such punishment threatned as man had though it is conceived they are sufferers for mans sin Rom. 8.20 had not sin gone before trouble and misery had never followed the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life and as sin brought death so also sorrow into the world