The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 31
Upon the unknown vertues of many vegetables.
31. Med.
WHen upon the ſtricteſt ſearch and ſcrutiny that I could poſſibly make, I could not finde out, the natures, properties, vertues, operations, ends, and uſes of ſeveral vegetables, and other ſimples, nor indeed the full uſe, vertue, and benefit of any one of them; and I ſuppoſe I have cauſe to think, that the greateſt artiſt in natures garden, cannot do it; nay, if all pretenders to this art ſhould join heart and hand in the work, and combine themſelves together, and uſe their utmoſt diligence, yet would they fall ſhort of making a perfect diſcovery of it, though I know every age makes ſome further progreſs in it then the preceding did, yet very many things lie hid from the choiſeſt wits; this made me admire the wiſdome of the Creator, that hath made nothing in vain, and hath put ſuch admirable vertues into ſuch deſpicable weeds, that did we know their worth, we ſhould prize them at a higher rate, that now we deſpiſe: and if we cannot finde out the vertues and operation of thoſe things which we are every day converſant with, no wonder if we are ignorant of God, of the Trinity, of the Incarnation of Chriſt, and thoſe more abſtruce points of Religion, more remote from our ſences, and above our capacity: he that cannot attain to know the nature of his own ſoul, no wonder if he be ignorant of the nature of angels: my thoughts upon this account roved further, and I conſidered ſeveral ſmall ſeeds, ſo much reſembling one another, that my eye could ſcarcely difference them the one from the other, and yet I ſaw, when thoſe were ſown together in the ſame plot, nouriſht in the ſame mould, refreſhed with the ſame Sun, and watered with the ſame ſhowers, they produced plants much differing in nature, colour, ſcent, quantity, quality, vertue, and operations; this made me cry out, the finger of God, that hath put ſuch vertues in ſo ſmall deſpicable ſeeds; it minded me alſo of the Apoſtles words, God hath given to every ſeed his own body, 1 Cor. 15.38. whereſoever theſe vegetables are ſown, planted, or replanted, ſtill the ſpecies are continued, neither do they degenerate into another kinde. When I conſidered that ſuch efficacy and vertue ſhould be virtually included in ſo ſmall a ſeed, I thought it matter of admiration, yea, that ſo ſmall a thing, as a nut, or acorn, or the kernel of an apple or pear, ſhould produce ſo great a tree, of ſo vaſt a bulk, as the Oak, the apple-tree, or the pear-tree, this made me to admire the wiſdom, power, and providence, of the great God, which Chriſt himſelf ſeems to take notice of in the muſtard ſeed, which being ſo very ſmall, produceth a plant of ſuch a bigneſs. that the birds build their neſts in the branches; this minded me alſo of the nature of grace and ſin, which from ſmall beginnings come to great perfection, and whereever they are they become fruitful; grace proceeds from a grain to a tree, and as a little leaven leaveneth the lump, ſo grace encreaſeth till it makes a univerſal change in the whole man; it makes a man ſemper idem, always the ſame: Job upon the throne and upon the dunghill is holy Job ſtill; it brings forth the fruits of the ſpirit whereever it is planted, Gal, 5.22. but the fruit of the ſpirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs, temperance, againſt ſuch there is no law; but where ſin is, it brings forth the fruits of the fleſh, it grows from one degree to another, from a thought to a reſolution, thence to action, and at length comes to a habit, and hard it is to be left: Bray a fool (ſaith Solomon) in a morter, with a peſtle like wheat, yet will not his fooliſhneſs depart from him, Pro. 27.22. A wolf will have a wolviſh nature though his skin be ſtript over his ears, and his bones be broken, as every ſeed produceth its own kinde, and not another ſpecies, ſo grace and ſin, ſhew themſelves in their production: men gather not grapes of thorns, not figs of thiſtles; a good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit, nor a corrupt tree good fruit; but every tree is known by his fruit: oh my ſoul, are there ſecrets in nature that thou underſtandeſt not? yea, even in thoſe creatures that thou doſt dayly converſe with? admire the wiſdome of the Creator, and ſee how little beholding thou art to ſin, which hath drawn ſuch a vail of ignorance before thy eyes, and wonder not that there are myſteries in ſpirituals, beyond thy conceiving; if thou canſt not underſtand temporalls, much leſs ſpirituals that are ſpiritually diſcerned; the nature of God, of Angels, and of thy ſelf, lie far more remote from thy underſtanding. There is many a man that can ſearch natures garden from end to end, that never could ſearch his own heart; many can try their evidence for lands, that know not how to try their title to heaven; they can finde out the ſtate of their bodies, but know not the ſtate of their ſouls; but when others ſtudy earth, do thou ſtudy heaven; the things that are neceſſary, are attainable: ſtudy Chriſt, and him crucified, this will do thee more good, then if thou couldſt with Solomon diſcourſe of all the vegetables from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyſop that groweth upon the way; and did men ſtudy God and themſelves as much as they did the creature, it would bring in more profit. The knowledg of theſe things is excellent, but the knowledge of God, and our ſelves is neceſſary; all thy time is little enough for this ſtudy; the other muſt be left to more curious heads, and riper witts; oh my God, ſuffer me not to ſpend my time in any unneceſſary ſtudy that ſhould be ſpent in ſeeking thee; let me not catch at the ſhadow, and loſe the ſubſtance, and hunt ſo long after curioſities, till I loſe my ſelf, and know not which way to return: all my time is little enough to ſpend in my generall and particular calling; all the water is little enough to run in this channel, and I have none to ſpare to turn any other mill: let my greateſt care be to know God, and my ſelf, the duty I owe him, and the relation I ſtand in to him; and what intereſt I have in Jeſus Chriſt, Lord, let this be the work of the remaining part of my life.