A Divine Herbal Together with a Forest of Thorns, Part 4 – Part 11
Bulapathum. The herbe Patience.
IS a man, through multitude of troubles, almost wrought to impatience; and to repine at the prouidence of GOD; that disposeth no more ease? Let him fetch an herbe out of the Garden to cure this maladie; Bulapathum, the herbe Patience. The Adamant serues not for all seas; but Patience is good for all estates. Gods purpose cannot be eluded with impatience: and man vnderunder his hand, is like a bird in a nette; the more he struggles, the faster he is. Impatience regards not the highest but secondary causes: and so bites the stone in stead of the thrower. If our inferiour strike vsus, we trebble reuenge. If an equall, we requite it. If a superior, we repine not: or if wee mutter, yet not vtter our discontent. Thinke whose hand strikes: it is Gods. Whether by a Pleurisie, or a Feuer, or a Sword, or what euer other instrument. The blow was his, whatsoeuer vvas the weapon. And this wound will not bee cured, vnlesse by applying the herbe Patience.
The good man hath such a hand ouer fortune; knowing who guides and disposeth all euents; that no miseries, though they bee sodaine as well as sharpe, can vn-heart him. If he must dye, he goes breast to breast with vertue. If his life must tarry a further succession of miseries, hee makes absent ioyes present, wants plenitudes; a…d beguiles calamity, as good company does the way, by Patience. 1. King. 22. 34.A certaine man drew a bowe at a venture, and smote the King of Israel betweene the ioynts of the harnesse. The man shot at random, or as the Hebrew hath it, in his simplicitie; but God directed the arrow to strike Ahab. 2. Sam. 16. 11.So Dauid spake of Shimei. Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and that the Lord wil requite good for his cursing this day. Consider wee not so much, how vniust man is that giueth the wrong; as how iust God is that guideth it. Non venit sine merito, quia Deus est iustus: nec erit sine commodo, quia Deus est bonus. It comes not without our desert, for God is iust: nor shall be without our profite, for God is mercifull. God hath an herbe, which he often puts into his childrens sallet; that is Rue: and mans herbe wherewith he eates it, must be Lapathum, Patience.
This Rue is affliction; which hath a profitable effect in those that qnietly digest it. Of all the herbes in the garden, onelyonly Rue is the herbe of grace. How much vertue is wrought in the soule by this bitter plant! It is held by some a sicknes: it is rather Physick: a sharpe and short medicine, that bringeth with it much and long health. This, if they wil needs hauehave it a sicknesse, may be compared to the Ague. The Ague shakes a man worse then another disease, that is mortall. At last it giues … a kinde farewell, and sayes, I hauehave purged thy choler, and made thee healthfull; by consuming and spending out that humor, which would hauehave endangered thy life. Affliction in the taste is often more bitter, then a iudgement that kills outright: but at last it tells the soule, I hauehave purged away thy foulenesse, wrought out thy Iustes, and left there a sound man. So the good Physician procureth to his Patient a gentle Ague, that hee may cure him of a more dangerous disease. Vt curet spasmum, procurat febrim. Christ our best Physician deales a little roughly with vsus, that hee may set vsus straight. And howsoeuer the Feuer of affliction disquiet vsus a while, we shall sing in the conclusion with the Psalmist. Psal. 119. 71.It is good for me that I hauehave been afflicted; that I might learne thy statutes.
Saepe facit Deus opus quod non est summ; vt faciat opus quod est suum. GOD by a worke that is none of his, effecteth a work in vsus that is his. He molests vsus with some vexations, as hee did Iob; which is Satans worke immediately, not his; that thereby hee might bring vsus to patience and obedience, which is his work immediatly and wholly,1. Cor. …1. 30 not Satans. So wee are chastned of the Lord, that wee might not bee condemned with the world.
Bees are drown'd in honey, but liue in vineger, and good men grow the better affected, the more they are afflicted. The poore man for his ague, goes to his garden, and plucks vp thyme. The remedy for this spirituall seuer, is true, but sensible pâtience. Men should feele Gods strokes, and so beare them. It is dispraiseable, either to be senselesse or fenselesse. Not to know wee are stricken, or not to take the blowes on the target of Patience.
Many can lament the effectes, but not the cause: and sorrow that God grieues them, not that they grieue God. They are angry with heauen, for being angry with them. They with heauen for iustice, that is angry with them for iniustice. But Maereamus, quod mereamur paenam. Let not the punishment, but the cause of it, make thy soule sorrowfull. Know thou art whipp'd for thy faults; and apply to the prints the herbe Patience.
Hearts-case, and spirituall ioy.
DOth sorrow and anguish cast downe a mans hart, and may he complain, that his soule is disquieted within him? Psal. 42.Let him fetch an herbe out of this Garden, called Heartsease; an inward ioy which the holy Ghost worketh in him. Though all the dayes of the afflicted be euill, Pro. 15. 15.yet a merry heart is a continuall feast. This is Heauen vponupon earth. Rom. 14.Rom. 14. 17. Peace of conscience, and ioy of the holy Ghost. His conscience is assured of peace with God, of reconciliation in the bloud of IESVS; and that his soule is wrapp'd vp in the bundle of life.
This may be well called Hearts-ease: it is a holy, a happy herbe to comfort the spirits. When worldly ioyes, either (like Rahels children) are not, or (like Eli's) are rebellious, there is Heartsease in this Garden, that shall cheare him against all sorrowes, certainty of Gods fauo…r. Let the world frowne, and all things in it runne crosse to the graine of our mindes; yet with thee, O Lord, is mereie and plentifull redemption. And, if no body els,Psal. 73. 1. yet God will be stil good to Israel, euen to those that are of a pure heart. Those which we call penal euils, are either past, present, or to come: and they cause in the soule, sorrow, paine, feare. Euils past sorrow, present paine, future feare. Here is Hearts-ease for all these. Miseries past are solaced, because God hath turned them to our good; and we are made the better, by once being worse. Miseries present finde mitigation: and the infinite comfort that is with vsus, within vsus, sweetens the finite bitternesse that is without vsus. Miseries future are to vsus contingent: they are vncertaine, but our strength is certaine; God. Noui in quem credidi: I know whom I hauehave trusted. Heere is aabundant ease to the heart.
Balsamum, or Faith.
HAth the heart got a greene wound, by comitting some offense against God? for actuall iniquity makes a gash in the soule. The good man runnes for Balsamum, and stancheth the bloud: Faith in the promises of Iesus Christ. He knowes there is Balme at Gilead, and there are Physicians there: Ier. 8. 22.and therefore the health of his soule may easily be recouered. He is sure, that if the bloud of Christ bee applyed, it will soone stanch the bloud of his conscience, and keepe him from bleeding to death: and that the wounds of his Sauiour will cure the wounds of his soule. And though this virtuall healing herbe be in Gods owne Garden, yet he hath a key to open it, prayer: and a hand to take it out, and to lay it on his sores, faith. This is a soueraigne herbe; and indeed so soueraigne, that there is no herbe good to vsus, without it. It may bee called Panaces; which Physicians say is an herbe for all manner of diseases: and is indeede the principall herbe of grace; for it adornes the soule with all the merits and righteousnes of IESVS CHRIST.
Saint Iohns-wort, or Charitie.
DOth the world, through sweetnesse of gaine, that comes a little too fast vponupon a man, begin to carry away his heart to couetousnesse? Let him look in this Garden for the herbe, called Saint-Iohns-wort, Charity, and brotherly louelove. It is called S. Iohns. herbe not vnproperly: for hee spent a whole Epistle in commending to vsus this grace; and often inculcated; Little children, louelove one another. And he further teacheth, that this louelove must be actuall. For he that hath this worlds goods, 1. Ioh. 3. 17.and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth vp his cowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the louelove of God in him? He hath no such herbe, as Saint-Iohns-wort in his garden. The good Christian considers, that he hath the goods of this world, to doe good in this world. And that his riches are called Bona, August.Goods; Non quod faciant bonum, sed vnde faciat bonum; not that they make him a good man, but giuegive him meanes to doe good to others.
He learns a Maxime of Christ from the world; which the world teacheth, but followeth not; that is, to make sure as much wealth as he can: as if it were madnes, to leaue those goodes behind him, which he may cary with him. This policie we all confesse good; but faile in the consecution. The world thinkes, that this assurance is got by purchasing great reuenews, or by locking vp gold in a coffer. The Christian likes well to saue what he can; but hee thinks this is not the waie to do it. He considers, that the richest hoorder leaues all behind him; and carries nothing but a windingsheet to his graue. But he finds out this policy in the Scripturs;Psal. 73. as Dauid was resolued of his doubt in the Sanctuary: that what hee charitably giues aliue, hee shall carry with him dead; and so resolues to giuegive much, that hee may keepe much. Therfore what hee must loose by keeping, he will keepe by loosing: and so proues richer vnderunder ground, then ere hee was aboue it. The poore mans hand he sees, to be Christs treasurie: there hee hoords vp; knowing it shall be surely kept, and safely returned him. His Garden shall stand ful with Saint-Iohns-wort; and Charity is his herbe, to cure all the sores of couetousnes.
Peny-royall, and Content,
DOth pouerty fasten her sharpe teeth in a mans sides and cannot all his good industry keepe want from his familie? Let him come to this Garden for a little Peny-royall, Content. This will teach him to thinke, that God who feedes the Rauens, and clothes the Lillies, will not suffer him to lacke foode and rayment. The birds of the ayre neither plow nor sow, yet hee neuer sees them lye dead in his way for want of prouision. They sleepe, and sing, and fly, and play, and lacke not. He gathers hence infallibly, that God will blesse his honest endeuours: and whiles he is sure of Gods benediction, he thinks his Peny royall, his poore estate rich. No man is so happy as to hauehave all things; and none so miserable as not to hauehave some. He knowes hee hath some; and that of the best riches: therfore resolueth to enioy them, and to want the rest with Content. He that hath this herbe in his garden, Peny-royall, contentation of heart; bee he neuer so poore, is very rich.
Agnus castus, and Continence.
DOth the rebellious flesh, vponupon a little indulgence, grow wanton; and would concupiscence enkindle the fire of lust? The good soule hath in this Garden, an herbe called, Agnus castus, the chaste herbe; and good store of Lettuce: which Physicians say, coole this natural intemperate heat. His Agnus castus & Lettuce, are Prayer and Fasting. He knowes, that if this kind of diuel get possession of the hart, it goes not out but by Prayer and fasting. It is fasting spettle, that must kill that Serpent. Mistris Venus dwels at the signe of the Iuy-bush: and where the belly is made a barrell, stuffed with delicious meates, and heating drinkes, the concupiscence will be luxurious of turpitudes. Sine Cerere & Baccho friget Venus. Venerie will freese, if wine and iunkets doe not make her a fire. Lust will starue, if flesh-pampering shall not get her a stomach. Where there is thin diet, and cleane teeth, there will follow Chastitie.
Barly-water, or Coole-anger.
DOth the heate of anger boyle in a mans heart; and enrageth him to some violent and precipitate courses? Let him extract from this garden the iuyce of many cooling herbes; and among the rest a drinke of Barly-water; a Tysan of Meekenesse, to coole this fire. He that hath proceeded to anger, is a man: he that hath not proceeded to sinfull, harmefull anger, is a Christian, Iras…i hominis, i…iurtam non facere Christiani. Ierem.The most louing man will chide his friend sweetly; and he that doth not, hates him in his heart. Sic vigelit tolerantia, vt non dormiat disciplina. August.But hee will not be transported with anger, to the losse of his friends, of himselfe. He considers, that God is prouoked eueryevery day, yet is long suffering, & of great goodnes. He heares that others speake ill of him: he iudgeth not without certaine knowledge. Knowing, hee suffers not himselfe abused. It were sillinesse to beleeue all; sullennesse to beleeue none. The wrong done to God and a good conscience must moue him.
Non patitur ludum fama, fides, oculus.
A mans name, his faith, and his eye must not be iested withall. Yet when he is most angry, he recollects himselfe, and clappes vponupon his heate a Tysan of meekenesse.
Parsley, or Frugalitie.
DEclines a mans estate in this world, as if his hand had scattered too lauishly? There is an herbe in this Garden; let him for a while feed on it: Parsley, Parsimonie. Hereon he wil abridge himselfe of some superfluities: and remember, that moderate fare is better then a whole Colledge of Physicians. He will weare good cloathes, and neuer better; knowing there is no degree beyond decency. It was for Pompey to weare as rich a scarfe about his legge, as other Princes wore on their heads. But the frugall man can clothe himselfe all ouer decently, with halfe the cost, that one of our gallant Pompeyes caseth his legge. He that would not want long, let him practise to want somewhat, before he extreamely needs.Martyrol. pag. 1872. I hauehave read of an English Martyr, that being put into a prison at Canterbury, tryed (when shee had liberty of better fare) to liue on a spare dyet; as preparing and prearming herselfe with ability to brooke it, when necessity should put her to it. Frugality puts but three fingers into the purse at once: Prodigality scatters it by heapes and handfuls. It is reported, that Caesars host liued a long time at Dyrrhachium with Coleworts: whereof arose the Prouerbe, Lapsana viuere, to liue sparingly. That stocke lasts, that is neither hoorded miserably, nor dealt out indiscreetly. We sow the furrow, not by the sacke, but by the handfull. The wise man knowes, it is better looking through a poore lattice-window, then through an iron grate. And though hee will lend what hee may, hee will not borrow till hee must neede.