The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 13
Upon the fading of Beautifull flowers.
13. Med.
WAlking in the garden, I fixed my eyes upon the flowers there growing; I conſidered the variety, beauty, and ſplendour of them; how glorious they appeared, after a cooling ſhower of rain, and the refreſhing beams of the ſhining Sun, how pleaſantly they lookt, how ſweet they ſmelt, filling the ambient air with their ſweet ſavour, delighting the beholders ſenſes with their colour, ſhape, and ſcent; and when on the other ſide, I conſidered how vain and fading all this glory was, how tranſitory theſe beautifull creatures were, and how their glory paſt was as the morning dew, which when the Sun in his glory appears, quickly vaniſheth; when I conſidered, that the ſame day I ſaw them in the heighth of their pride, and in their loweſt debaſement; to day they are (ſaith Chriſt) and to morrow they are caſt into the oven: the ſame day ofttimes ſees them both admired, and deſpiſed, hug'd in the boſome, and caſt out upon the dunghill; me thought this did lively reſemble the vanity of all humane felicity, how tranſitory it is and uncertain, and how little ſolidity is to be found in any thing under the ſun; Now they flatter, and ſeem beautifull to the eye, and ſuddenly they wither, vaniſh and diſappear: If we look upon their little Lord, and the owner of theſe things, we ſhall finde him as frail and brittle, as fading and tranſitory as theſe; this day you may ſee him in the ſtrength of his youth, and his bones full of marrow, and to morrow death ſeizeth upon him, and the worm ſweetly feeds upon him, Job. 24.20. they are cut down as the graſs, and wither as the flower of the field, Pſal. 37.12, 13. How frequent is it in Scripture to compare man to graſs, and to a fading flower? Eſay. 40.6, 7. all fleſh is graſs, and the glory thereof as the flower of the field, the graſs withereth, the flower fadeth, becauſe the ſpirit of the Lord bloweth upon it; ſurely the people is graſs, Pſal. 92.7. when the wicked ſpringeth as the graſs, and when the workers of iniquity flouriſh, it is that they may be out off for ever; and as man is thus frail and brittle, fading and tranſitory, ſo are all theſe ſublunary things; there is no ſtability, no ſollidity in them, they are like the moon every day ſhewing a new face; now waxing, now waning; or like the Sea, ſometimes ebbing, ſometimes flowing; now a full ſea, and a few howers after low water; we may ſee many men flouriſh like green bay-trees, and ſuddenly taken away, and the place that knew them ſhall know them no more; now in the height of honour, and ſuddenly in the gulph of diſgrace; now flouriſhing in riches and quickly pincht with poverty, our age can witneſs all this; if our own Nation yielded not ſufficient examples, we might paſs over into Ireland for proof, where a hundred thouſand were ſuddenly ſtript of all; and for beauty, thoſe that have moſt gloried in it, in a ſhort time by a diſeaſe they have been deformed: ſo for friends, thoſe that love to day, do hate to morrow; the like we may ſay of all earthly enjoyments: Oh my ſoul, if earthly delights, how pleaſing ſoever be ſo fading, and tranſitory, here thou ſeeſt thy folly, in ſpending ſo much of thy time in planting, pruning, fencing, and watering ſo fading a gourd, and ſo periſhing a plant, and contenting thy ſelf with a painted nothing: beauty is but skin-deep, and when the froſt of ſickneſs, or the winde of old age comes, it will wither; death will equal the fair with the foul, the young with the aged: riches are no ſurer, they take themſelves wings, and fly away; ſtrength will decay, and Sampſon himſelf cannot grapple with death; honour is the emptieſt of bubbles, and he that this day is aſcending the higheſt round of the ladder, of promotion, may ſuddenly break his neck in the fall, as Haman did: but there is a beauty which will never fade; grace and holineſs will never change colour; there are riches which will be certain, laid up where neither ruſt corrupteth nor theives can ſteal or plunder; there are honours which will laſt to eternity; pleaſures at Gods right hand, that never ſhall have end; there is meat that periſheth not, but endureth to eternal life; ſpend not thy time in ſeeking after theſe guilded nothings and painted vanities; Oh my God, beſtow theſe things upon me, that will do me good; theſe garments will adorn me, and make me beautiful in the eyes of God, and good men; this food will nouriſh my ſoul, and theſe riches will make me rich indeed; put me not off with ſuch trifles as the world affords, and with which the devil pleaſeth fools and franticks; the riches of Chriſt, the jewells of grace, the crown of glory, are worth wiſhing for, working for, ſuffering for, ſtriving, fighting, running, wraſtling, yea, dying for, when all other things are not worth the pains and ſweat which uſually are ſpent upon them: Lord, no portion but thy ſelf will ſatisfie, no husband but Chriſt will ſerve my turn, no pleaſure will pleaſe but thoſe at thy right hand, no jointure but a kingdom will content; Lord, give me theſe though thou take from me all the reſt.