The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 20
Upon a Mole ſpoiling the garden.
20. Med.
WHen I had thus fenced my garden, and ſecured it, as I thought, from the injury of all enemies that were viſible, and began to wax ſecure and careleſs, as if out of the reach of danger; behold, an inbred traitor, an unſeen and unexpected enemy, did me no little injury; a diſpicable creature, blinde as is reported, yet was the occaſion to me of no ſmall trouble; a poor contemptible Mole, ere I was aware, digged, and rooted up my herbs, and flowers, diſordered my work, and ſpoiled the beauty of it; and proved ſuch an enemy then, when ſhe was deſcried, I knew not which way to fence for her, and for a conſiderable time knew not how to take her priſoner, nor make her pay for the treſpaſs; this unexpected accident made me conſider, of the vanity of all humane felicity, how ſoon the beauty of it may vaniſh and come to nothing, and by how ſmall a means God can blaſt all earthly enjoyments. All that the world affords is of the nature of Jonahs gourd, that grew up in a night, and periſhed in a night: no ſolidity to be found in any ſublunary creatures; ſome worm or other breeds in it, that eats out the very heart of it, and makes it wither and die, and when we have the greateſt expectations, we meet with the greateſt diſappointments; and when we think we are moſt ſure, many times we are in moſt danger; and when we think to gripe it faſteſt, we are likelieſt to loſe it; I conſidered, how fooliſh men were to promiſe themſelves ſecurity in their enjoyments, when they apprehend no danger in ſight, for if our ways pleaſe God, he can make our enemies, yea, the ſtones of the field at peace with us: but if we pleaſe not God, he can raiſe us enemies enow to diſturb our peace: David, a good man, yet offending God had his own familiar friend Achitophel, nay, his own ſon Abſolom, that ſought his ruine; yea, the pooreſt vermine are ſometimes a ſcourge to the proudeſt tirant; frogs, and lice, and flyes, and locuſts, make proud Pharaoh ſtoop to God, that before had proudly ſaid, who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey him? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Iſrael go; Exod. 5.2. but God made himſelf known to him by his judgements and compelled him to ſay, the Lord is righteous, and I, and my people are wicked; yea, he hath made caterpillars, cankerworms, palmerworms, and ſuch like, which God calleth, his great army, Joel. 1.2. &c. a ſcourge to potent princes, and can deſtroy the greateſt monarch on earth, by theſe poor inſects; how little truſt then ſhould we put in earthly comforts, when God can ſo eaſily imbitter them to us; and how dangerous it is by our ſins to provoke God, to leave us and to puniſh us, he can eaſily do it, he need not raiſe many againſt us; no ſingle creature, no fly, no flea, nor graſs-pile, nor hair, but if it have a Commiſſion from God, will be our bane: Inſtances of this may eaſily be given; nay, if he withhold our breath, we return to our duſt, and all our thoughts periſh; and for our enjoyments, he can make a worm breed in them, that ſhall eat out the very heart of them; and can imbitter that which we eſteem our ſweeteſt comforts; If theſe earthly enjoyments are vain, and periſhing like their owners, what need have we to make preparation of ſome thing that is more durable, and more certain, which may bear ſome proportion to our immortal ſouls, we can have no abiding city here, but affliction and vanity will attend us, in all places; for if ſin go before, affliction will follow after, as the effect follows the cauſe, or the ſhadow the ſubſtance. Now if theſe our earthly enjoyments are in ſuch continual danger, and have enemies, without, within, above, beneath, and on every ſide, the ſoul is in much more danger, having more potent, ſubtill, cruel, and malicious enemies; how watchfull then ought we to be, leſt theſe chiefeſt Jewels, our immortal ſouls ſhould be bloudily butchered, or inhumanely treated: what care, what providence ſhould we uſe, that we be not made a prey to infernal furies? and what need have we to invoke God to be our guardian, our defender, and our watchman? Oh my ſoul, here is a check for thy folly, that haſt overeagerly graſped after theſe vanities, and ſought content where it was not to be had; take heed to thy ſelf, this will not ſerve thy turn; a few days, and thou wilt be ſtript of all: there are better pleaſures, truer treaſures to be had; there is a worm in theſe will eat out their very heart, there is vanity writ upon them; they are but Egyptian reeds, and will break in thy hand: curſed is the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arm, and whoſe heart departeth from the living God; if thou love the world the love of the father is not in thee, 1 Joh. 2.15. Uſe it we may, as a traveller doth his ſtaff, which he keeps or throws away, according as it helps, or hinders him in his journey; theſe worldly things are tranſitory, and there is a vanity writ upon them; but there are riches durable as the days of heaven, and run paralell with the life of God, or the lines of eternity: theſe are worth ſcrambling for; they are laid up now, and may be drawn forth a thouſand years hence; theſe our enjoyments are liable to vanity and violence; when we graſp them hardeſt, they prick us moſt; and when we embrace them they vaniſh into ſmoke, which may wring tears from our eyes but never ſorrow from our hearts; when others therefore lay hold upon riches, do thou lay hold upon eternal life, 1 Timoth. 6.12. lay hold upon that pearl in the Goſpel, though thou let all things elſe go; for nothing elſe is worth having; this will make thee rich to God: the time is ſhort, thy race is long, ſtand not ſtill to pick up ſticks, and ſtraws, nor leave thy way to catch butter-flyes; up and be doing; let heaven be thy object, and the earth will be thy abject: oh my God, pardon my former folly, that I have ſpent ſo much time to ſo little purpoſe, and made no more haſte to my journeys end, that I have loſt my way, miſtaken my happineſs, and laboured ſo long in vain; draw up my affections, O Lord, from earth to heaven, and let me be as zealous for heaven, as ever I have been for earth, and take as much pains for my ſoul, as ever I have done for my body.