The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 1 – Meditation 2
Ʋpon 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: 'tis 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; 'tis 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.
Ʋpon 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 'tis 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? …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.