The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 11
Upon the care men take of their Gardens.
11. Med.
WHen I conſidered how careful many men and women are to keep their garden in order, and what pains and coſt they are at in this thing, and what time is ſpent to this end; and how many are employed in this work, walling, fencing, and ſecuring it, in digging, dunging, weeding, and much more; there muſt not a rarity be wanting, that love or labour, or money can procure; there muſt not a weed be ſeen, nor hearb, nor flower out of order; what is dead muſt be ſupplied, what is wanting muſt be had, and what is ſuperfluous muſt be caſt away; the tendereſt muſt be ſecured from froſt and ſcorching ſun, and the whole muſt be formed, after the neweſt mode and lateſt faſhion: the alleys and walks muſt be ſwept and trimmed, and rowled, and levelled; the graſs mown, and kept under, and all ſo exactly done, that it may appear to be an earthly paradice, a place of pleaſure and delights: And obſerving alſo, that all this while thoſe very perſons ſo curious, and ſo neat in ſhaddows, yet neglect the ſubſtance, and ſuffer their own ſouls, and the ſouls of their Children, ſervants, and near relations, the gardens God only takes delight in, to be ſadly out of order; and though they make choiſe of the choiſeſt, skilfulleſt, painfulleſt men for the other, they let out theſe gardens to the devils dreſſing, without regard who ſows tares and poppy, cokle, and darnell, weeds and rubbiſh, thorns and thiſtles in them; and whatſoever bad is, which grows and flouriſhes without controul, and choakes all the good ſeed, that is there ſown, theſe men are made keepers of others vineyards, but their own vineyard they have not kept; theſe men ſuffer the devil to make a path-way over their hearts, when they only look to the ways in their gardens: I have oft wondred at their ſtupidity in ſpiritualls, that are ſo ripe-witted in temporalls; and that thoſe that are ſo good husbands for the body, ſhould be ſuch bad husbands for the ſoul, and thoſe that take ſo much pains for a little imaginary pleaſure here, ſhould altogether neglect the true pleaſures, everlaſting joys, at the right hand of God for evermore; Oh the ſtupendious folly of men, to prefer pebbles before pearls, and gold before grace, and a handful of flowers before an heartfull of holineſs, and the ſhadow before the ſubſtance, and earth before heaven, and a garden before paradice: well, however they do now, the time is coming, theſe men will finde their miſtake, and will alter their minde, and change their judgment, when grace will be accounted the choiceſt flower in the garland, and a dram of it will be of more value then a cabinet of Jewels, and holineſs will then prove the beſt faſhion, though many now diſdain to wear it: Oh my ſoul! art thou not guilty thy ſelf of thoſe ſins, which thou ſo ſharply chargeſt upon others? doth not this ſhew that thou lookeſt too much abroad, and too little at home; art thou not too deep in the tranſgreſſion, which thou now caſteſt upon others? and puts other mens ſins in the end of the wallet before, and thine own behinde out of ſight; thou art blinde at home and quick-ſighted abroad, and ſeeſt the mote in thy brothers eye, and not the beam in thine own; haſt not thou thy ſelf been more prodigall of thy pains, thy time, thy coſt, thy ſweat, for meer trifles, then ever thou haſt been about thy greater concerns? and is any mans folly more conſpicuous then thy own? haſt thou not had thy ears open to thoſe bewitching Syren ſongs of pleaſure, and been more tickled with earthly ſenſuall delight then with communion with God in his worſhip and ſervice? when the world hath ſmiled upon thee, how unwilling haſt thou been to die and to be with God? and haſt laid cut thy ſelf, thy ſtrength, thy time too much for earthly enjoyments, to the neglect of heavenly riches; ſweep therefore before thy own doors, before thou complain of the foulneſs of the ſtreet; pluck out the beam out of thy own eye, before thou offer thy helping hand to thy brother, to remove his mote; throw the firſt ſtone at thy ſelf, reform what is amiſs, and then thou maieſt reprove another more boldly; get thy affection weaned from the world, and thy eye fixt upon better riches, and more enduring pleaſures, leſt God give thee theſe for thy portion, and what then wilt thou do in the latter end? Oh my God, what ſhall I ſay to thee? how ſhall I anſwer thee? my iniquity is found out this day to be hatefull; had I ſpent but my time for ſpirituall advantages, which I have prodigally waſted for very trifles, it might have been much better with me, had I planted and ſowed in a more fruitful field, I might have had a better crop: Lord, wean me from the dugs of carnal delights, though it be with the gall and wormwood of afflictions, and ſuffer me not to ſurfet on the worlds dainties, leave me not to my own will, then ſhall I undoe my ſelf, feed me with food convenient, and it ſufficeth me.