The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 24
Upon fine flowers foul-ſented.
24. Med.
WHen I beheld ſome of the faireſt flowers in the garden, and thoſe that made the moſt ſpecious ſhew, and were adorned with the moſt coſtly colours, and were ſet forth in the moſt gorgeous dreſs, and were moſt ſumptuouſly arrayed to pleaſe the eye; I commended their form, and ſhape, and comely beauty, but when I drew near, to handle them, to ſmell to them, and put them in my boſome, I found my miſtake, for they were of a ſtinking ſavour, good for nothing but to gaze on at a diſtance; for though they pleaſed my eye, they offended my noſe, and were neither fit to be handled, nor ſmelt to. This made me to conſider, it is not always good to truſt to our own eyes, in our choice, for the eye hath deceived many a man, and will do us, if we truſt to it, and call every thing good, that is beautiful, may we not ſee many a gallant in our times in a gayiſh dreſs, where the bark is better then the body, like the cinamon tree, that like the butterfly paints her wings, to cover her deformed carkaſs; how often have I ſeen a handſome, well-ſhap't, beautiful woman with foul conditions, & miſshapen qualities, when under a more rugged skin, and leſs beautiful countenance, and more deformed body, there was a more beautiful ſoul, and Chriſtianlike behaviour: The devil many times baits his hooks with a beautiful woman, when he fiſhes for unwary youth, and ſeldome miſſes of his prey, but by this means deſtroys them ſoul and body; how oft do men that make their eye their cook, and do more care to pleaſe their fancy, then to pleaſe their God, in their choiſe, and looks after beauty more then grace, undoe themſelves, and repent of their choiſe when it is too late Beauty is but skin-deep, and age or fickneſs ſoon withers this flower, when grace and goodneſs are more durable, and will not change colour: It were better for many women, if they had fair mindes and ſoul faces, then might they have eſcaped thoſe ſnares the devil hath laid for their feet, and enſnared their pretious ſouls, grace and beauty is a ſweet conjunction where they meet, and ſometimes though ſeldome we finde them together; thus it was with Sarah and Rebeckah both fair, both gracious; but when they are ſeperated, as too oft we finde, grace ſhould be preferred by many degrees. An humble gracious ſpirit is a jewel of great price in the eyes of God and wiſe men, but beauty dazles a fools eyes, and makes him blinde, and ſuch Dalilah's bring men with Sampſon to grind at the mill, and makes their neighbours ſport; I need not prove this, experientia docet▪ From theſe Meditations I aſcended higher, and I reſembled theſe fair, but ſtinking flowers to an hypocrite, that ſhews much better, then he is, and looks beſt at a diſtance, and like deceitful wares worſt at hand: he is like a ſtage-player, as the word ſignifies, who often acts the part of a King, a Prince, an honeſt man, when he is indeed a beggarly fellow, perhaps a worthleſs raſcal; The hypocrite is a ſaint abroad, a devil at home, and plays more parts then one; he is zealous in the congregation, lukewarm in his family, and key-cold in his cloſet; under the vizard of holineſs he acts wickedneſs, and makes religion a cloak to cover his knavery or a ſtalking horſe to take his prey, and thus he deceives men, and many times preys upon them, but can neither deceive God nor the devil; God quickly ſmels the ſtinking ſavour of his rotten lungs, and the devil knows him by his own brand upon him: Oh my ſoul, art not thou guilty of this folly of judging by the appearance, and of being deceived by deceitful ſhews? look more at the ſubſtance, then the ſhadow, at the inward vertue then the form and feature, chooſe not the tree by the leaves, but the fruit, nor a man by his words but his actions, nor a woman by her beauty, but by her good conditions; chooſe not a horſe by his trappings but by his mettle, nor a profeſſor by his diſcourſe, but by his life and converſation; reſpect not a man for a gold ring but for the Jem and jewels of grace that he wears, the faireſt face hath not always the chaſteſt heart, nor the nimbleſt tongue the moſt ſolid wit; the greateſt bragger is not always the wiſeſt nor the richeſt man; the emptieſt barrel makes the greateſt ſound, and the deepeſt water makes leaſt noiſe: labour more to be good then to ſeem ſo; for God will not judge thee as thou ſeemeſt to be, but as thou art; If the heart be not right, God will wipe off all the paint and plaiſter that is upon thy words and actions, and they ſhall be eſteemed as the fountain is from whence they proceed; be in ſecret what thou ſeemeſt in publick, for the ſame eye is upon thee in the one as well as in the other: hypocrites ſeem to diſtruſt God leſt he ſhould deny the ſervice they do him, and therefore will do nothing but before witneſs; but a true Chriſtian dare take his word, and therefore faſt, pray, and give alms in ſecret; popular applauſe is the oyl that makes the hypocrites chariot-wheels to move, but it is the love of God that conſtrains a Chriſtian: Oh my God, I cannot excuſe my ſelf, or waſh my hands from theſe filthy ſins of pride and hypocriſie; yet my hopes are, they are not in me in a prevailing degree: Lord, curſe and blaſt theſe bitter roots, that never more fruit may grow upon them; quell and ſuppreſs every motion that ariſeth in my ſoul of this nature; give me in ſincerity whatever elſe thou ſhalt deny me: Make my heart upright in thy ſtatutes, let me rather be good then ſeem good, and work truth in my inward parts.