The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 36
Upon the Marigold and other flowers.
36. Med.
WHen I conſidered the marigold and ſundry other flowers in the garden, that cloſed in the evening and opened in the morning, and all the day turned their heads according to the courſe of the ſun, as if they ſcorned any other beauty, and would admit of no other ſuitor, and as if no temptation could divert them from their beloved, from whom they received their life and being, and in the winter when the ſun is remote, they bury themſelves in the ground, and diſappear: I thought this much reſembles a Chriſtian, when he acts like a Chriſtian, and is a fit embleme of grace in the ſoul; for a gracious ſoul as he ſcorns to make love to any other but God, ſo he ſcorns that proffered love that others make to it, or to entertain any in competition with Chriſt, from whom he receiveth life, and breath, and being: In all a gracious man doth, Chriſt is in his eye, and if he can pleaſe him, he matters not who is offended, his eye is always upon Chriſt, as theſe flowers have their eye upon their beloved ſun; his heart runs out to him, and ſcorns to open to any other; when God is preſent, the heart is expatiated; when abſent, it is contracted, he retires himſelf then into himſelf, and thinks there is no company worth having; he depends upon him as a childe doth upon his fathers providence, and fears not want, ſo long as there is bread enough in his fathers houſe: and as he draws out all from God, ſo he draws out all for God, and for his ſervice; heart, and hand, and tongue, and all ſhall be employed for him; there is not a dram of love in the heart, but it ſhall run in this channel, he ſhall have it; if he have a tongue to ſpeak, it ſhall ſpeak for God; if a hand to act, it ſhall act for him; and all he can do, ſeems too little for him; a gracious ſoul that is eſpouſed to Chriſt behaves her ſelf like a chaſt wife to her beloved husband. When ſuitors come to wooe for her affections, they ſhall have a peremptory deniall; my affections are ſet already, I cannot, I will not remove them; my vows are upon me, I cannot yeild; I have devoted my ſelf to my husband, and will not prove falſe; and it is her trouble ſhe is forced to hear ſuch ſolicitations, and temptations: it is ſo with the ſoul, ſhe repels with diſdain the temptations and allurements laid before her; the devil knocks by his temptations, ſhe will not anſwer, the world knocks, ſhe will not open; riches, honours, friends and favourites cannot prevail: ſuch a ſpirit was in Jerome, though my father (ſaith he) lay upon his knees before me; and my mother hanged about my neck, and my brethren and ſiſters lay in my way, to keep me from Chriſt, I would throw off my father, tread upon my mother, run over my brethren and ſiſters, to come to Chriſt, when he calls me: a believer is ſemper idem, always the ſame, whether with David upon the throne, or with Job upon the dunghill, or with Jeremy in the ſtocks, he will ſtill keep his integrity, as theſe flowers do, whereever planted, in field or garden; however honoured, or deſpiſed, no other benefactour ſhall be owned, but the ſun: when the hypocrite is like the planet Mercury, good in a good conjunction, and bad with a bad; a gracious heart is like Lot, good in Sodom, temperate amidſt the intemperate; or like Noah, upright in a ſinful world; or like Joſeph, holy in a ſinful Egypt, like the needle in the compaſs, always pointing the ſame way, and never ſettles in a wrong point, however diſturbed by a jog of temptation, like clear water in a glaſs, which remains clear after all the ſhaking, when the hypocrite hath mud in the bottom, which is diſcovered by the ſtirring; oh my ſoul, is it thus with thee? art thou as faithful to this ſun of righteouſneſs as theſe poor flowers are to their beloved, that will admit neither moon nor ſtars, nor any other lover to have any room in their affections, nor any favour in their eye, nor one pleaſing look or caſt of their head, doſt thou point right for heaven, and can no jog of temptation divert thee, or make thee ſettle in a wrong point? If ſo, how comes it to paſs, that thou art ſo much taken with the worlds glory, that not only thy eyes, but thy heart goes after it? why art thou ſo bewitched with her ſmiles, and ſo caſt down with her frowns? why haſt thou ſo few ſerious thoughts of God, and ſo few glimps of him, even in the ordinances? were thy heart in order, thou wouldſt always have Chriſt in thine eye, both in thy heavenly and earthly imployments, and wouldſt ſoon be ſenſible when the ſun of righteouſneſs was either clouded, ecclypſed, or ſet upon thee; as theſe flowers are in the like caſe; if thou art why doſt thou not mourn and hang the head in his abſence as they do in the like caſe? they will another day riſe up againſt thee and condemn thee, as being more faithful to their benefactour, then thou art to thy husband; oh my God, I am ſenſible of my guilt, and the faithfulneſs of theſe flowers ſhames me, for my unfaithfulneſs; they have but a natural inſtinct to incline them to their benefactor, and own him, but I have reaſon and Scripture, yea, my vows are upon me, and engage me to my husband Chriſt; Lord, divert my affections from the world, which doth but flatter me; to deceive me, incline my heart to Chriſt that would ſave me and make me happy; let neither life nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other creature be able to ſeparate me from the love of God which is in Chriſt Jeſus my Lord, nor rend me out of his arms, nor draw my affections from him.