The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 46
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 mi…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 part be not devoured by unprofitable dogs, and beſure the recreation thou uſeth be lawfull, what is cruel and bloudy may be ſuſpected; let it be when true need is, and to fit thee for thy general or particular calling: oh my God, give me wiſdome that I may never delight in any thing that offends thee; let me not make a mock of ſin leſt thou call me fool for my labour, and laugh at my deſtruction, and mock when my fear comes; preſerve me from my bloud thirſty enemies, eſpecialy from ſatan that hunts after my ſoul.