The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 28
Upon withering herbs and flowers.
28. Med.
UPon the ſight of ſome withered herbs and flowers that a little before were freſh and flouriſhing, and made a beautiful ſhew in the hand, and boſome, but now were fit for nothing but the dunghill, I began to conſider, thus it is with many of the profeſſors of our age, many that have made a fair ſhew, and held out a large profeſſion in the ſight of the ſun, are already dead and withered, and many more begin to hang the head; and droop, and their death is dayly expected, and all for want of root; the ſun of perſecution ſhining upon them hath killed many; if it ſhould ariſe indeed, many more would wither; feigned converſion proves unfeigned apoſtaſy; how much ſalt hath already loſt its ſavour, and is now become good for nothing, no not for the dunghill: How many glorious lamps have I ſeen in my days blown out or extinguiſhed for lack of oyl? yea, went out in a ſnuff, and ſome of them ſtunk in the ſocket; they had a name to live, but they were dead, Rev. 3.1. God knows his own ſheep, and thoſe given to Chriſt he will not loſe one; but theſe (ſaith the Apoſtle) are gone from among us becauſe they were not of us; they with the Jewes cry the temple of the Lord, when they matter not the Lord of the temple; theſe are ſpots in your feaſts of charity, when they feaſt with you, feeding themſelves without fear; clouds they are without water, carried about with windes; trees whoſe fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own ſhame, wandring-ſtars to whom is reſerved the blackneſs of darkneſs for ever; Jud. 12.13. they were never better then meteors and ſo they end in a ſnuff; they are conſtant in nothing but inconſtancy; and being dead are fitted for the fire; they like empty clouds promiſe refreſhing ſhowers but yield none; and with the ſtony ground ſpring up, and flouriſh for a ſeaſon, and they fall away, wither and come to nothing; how many Cedars of late have been blown down with the winde? and many more will fall, if the winde riſe: many great lights have been extinguiſhed, and many noted profeſſors leave Chriſt, with the young man in the Goſpel, rather then their riches, Mar. 10.21. &c. ſuch blabs are ſoon blown up, and ſuch bubbles are ſoon broken; with Demas theſe men chooſe the world before Chriſt; yea perhaps with Judas they will betray him for money: and why is all this, but becauſe they received not the truth in the love of it, God gave them up to ſtrong deluſions to believe a lye, &c. 2 Theſ. 2.10, 11. when they turned profeſſors they took not Chriſts Counſel, to ſit down firſt and reckon the charges, and therefore like the fooliſh builder began to lay the foundation, and was not able to finiſh, they took up religion upon truſt, and conſidered not what it would coſt them, or what God required at their hands, and when reproaches, loſſes, or croſſes come, they ſoon kick it up, and will not be of ſuch a chargable profeſſion; ſome take it up for wrong ends, and intend to make it but as a cloak to cover their deſignes, or as a ſtalking-horſe to take their prey, and when the prey is taken, or the deſigne brought about, or they diſappointed, the cloak is caſt aſide, the vizard caſt off, and the ſtalking-horſe laid by as uſeleſs; many drive on ſome carnal deſigne under ſuch a diſguiſe, and uſe religion as a workman doth his tools; as long as one will ſerve he uſeth it, and when it will not, he lays by that, and takes another: if perſecution will fit the deſigne better then profeſſion, he takes up that; it is no ſtrange thing to ſee men in our age perſecute what they have profeſt: thoſe that follow Chriſt for loaves, not for love, will cry Hoſannah to day, and crucifie to morrow; if the winde turn; for many are reſolved rather to wrong their conſciences, then that their conſciences ſhould wrong them; Oh my ſoul, do ſo many flowers fade, and ſo much corn wither for want of root? are ſo m…y Cedars blown down by the winde, and ſo many forward profeſſors turned apoſtates at the apprehenſion of danger? look to thy ſelf, ſet ſtrait ſteps to thy feet, leſt that which is halting be turned out of the way; take heed leſt if the ſun of perſecution ariſeth, thou alſo be offended and wither, for want of root; reſt not therefore till thou canſt ſay with Job; the root of the matter is in me, Job. 19.28. let thy ends and motives be ſound, or otherwiſe thy profeſſion will prove rotten; expect ſufferings and prepare to bear them, or elſe never ſet up thy trade of Chriſtianity: if heaven be not worth having at the greateſt rate, and Chriſt at the deareſt price, never meddle wirh theſe commodities; if they are, break not for price; the pearl in the Goſpel is worth all that thou haſt; if religion be not good, never profeſs it; if it be, never forſake it; ſet down firſt and reckon the charges with the wiſe builder, and whatſoever thou canſt finde others have paid for it, thou maieſt expect the like may be required of thee; and if upon this rate the bargain will do thee no good, meddle not with it; thou maiſt finde Jeremy in deriſion dayly, every one mocked him; David was the drunkards ſong, Job the very abjects derided him, the Apoſtles were made the off-ſcow…i…g of all things; reckon therefore reproach… …ay be thy portion, ſeeing alſo Chriſt himſelf was not free; omnis Chriſtianus eſt crucianus; thou maieſt reade, ſome for their religion ſake were forſaken by their friends, as Chriſt by his brethren; this may be thy condition: ſome have loſt their eſtates, and have been expoſed to hardſhip, and ſo maiſt thou; ſome have been caſt into priſons; thus Jeremy, Peter, Paul, and Silas, and many more, this may be thy portion; ſome, yea, many thouſands, have been brought to this ſtate, and ſacrificed their lives in the flames, and who knows but it may be required of thee? canſt thou break through theſe difficulties? elſe never ſet a ſtep further in profeſſion; if heaven will not make thee amends for earth, and God for the creature, and eternal life for the loſs of a temporal: Oh my God, without thy ſupport I ſhall never be able to hold out, but through thee I can do all things; I know there is more excellency in thee then the world can afford, and if I loſe my God, my ſoul, my heaven, and happineſs, to preſerve my eſtate, my life or liberty, it will be a loſing bargain; theſe things I can want, Chriſt I cannot want; Lord, give me him, though upon the hardeſt terms, let me have ſtrong apprehenſions of my love to thee, and thine to me, then ſhall I never leave thee nor forſake thee, let not the glory of the world dazle my ſight, that I cannot behold thee in glory.