The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 37
Upon a roſe among thorns.
37. Med.
WHen I beheld and conſidered, how the roſe grew and flouriſhed, and came to perfection amongſt the thorns and prickles that ſurrounded it, and was not hurt, but rather defended by them, and kept and preſerved from their other enemies, I thought it repreſented the Church here in the world; for as here, there are a thouſand prickles for one roſe, and yet this roſe is preſerved; ſo in the world, it may probably be conjectured, there are a thouſand wicked men, which are compared to thorns, for one that is godly; the Church in her militant condition, while ſhe is in the world, is compared to the lilly among the thorns, Con. 2.2. as the lilly among the thorns (ſaith Chriſt) ſo is my love among the daughters: theſe are indeed as the Gibionits, pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their ſides: yet not altogether uſeleſs: wicked men are called briars, Micah. 7.4. the beſt of them is a briar, and the moſt upright ſharper then a thorny hedge; and God threatens to fold them together as thorns, and burn them as dry ſtubble, Nahum. 1.10. Iſay. 27.4. but theſe briars are not uſeleſs, he hedges us about with them, that he may keep us in compaſs; he pricks us with theſe thorns, that he may let out ill humours; and happy thorns to us, if they open a vein for ſin to guſh out: his houſe of correction is his ſchool of inſtruction, Pſal. 94.12. whether the roſe in the creation, was thus guarded and fenced, I know not; ſome think theſe thorns alſo are a fruit of the curſe, yet ſure I am, before the fall the Church was not peſtered with ſuch thorns as now it is: man before the fall had not the nature and property of thorns; but as thorns by Gods providence are made ſerviceable for the defence of better fruit, ſo the wicked often prove ſerviceable to the Church, and a defence to better men; but no thank to them, but to the overruling providence of God, God preſerves his people from their rage, and makes them dwell ſafe by them, as lambs among wolves, and not only ſo, but makes one wolf to defend them from another, or ſets one wolf to worry another; while the lambs eſcape: the Gibionites though briars and thorns, were yet uſefull to Iſrael, and the earth helpt the woman, and ſwallowed up the flouds which the dragon caſt out of his mouth after her, Rev. 12.16. As the Perſians and others, drink up the floud, which the Turk at this day threatens to overwhelm all Chriſtendome with: The Philiſtins though briars and thorns, are a defence to David, when he was perſecuted by Saul, and in a great ſtrait, being compaſſed round about by Sauls army; in that nick of time they invaded the land, and Saul and his army drew back, 2 Sam. 23.27. wicked Pharaoh gave entertainment to Jacob, and his family, and made proviſion for them in the ſeaven years famine; and David and his fellows were promoted by a wicked man: ſo was Mordicai and the Jewes; and the Barbarians ſhewed Paul no little kindneſs, Acts. 28.2. and ſometimes the ſheep finde ſhelter under a thorny hedge, yet the nature of wicked men is not to do good but to rent and tear; but God alters their nature, at leaſt reſtraineth their rage, for his peoples ſake. The Church of God is as a buſh burning, but not conſumed; for when potent Princes have ſought their deſtruction, God hath fruſtrated their deſignes; ſometimes by ſetting the dogs to worry one another, the poor hare eſcapes; ſo Geball and Ammon, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, deſtroy each other, when they had decreed to deſtroy Iſrael, 2 Chron. 20.23. and the counſell could not agree againſt Paul, Act. 23.7. God maintaineth Noah againſt a world of wicked men, and Lot in the midſt of Sodom, and Iſrael in Egypt, and Mordicai againſt Haman, and all his enemys; and oft gives them favour in the eyes of thoſe, that were they not reſtrained, would become their mortall enemies, and their bloudy perſecutors; God turning thoſe thorns which would devour them, into a defence for them, and into a hedge for his peoples ſecurity: Oh my ſoul admire the providence and wiſdome of God, that can bring light out of darkneſs, order out of confuſion, good out of evill, and can turn a curſe into a bleſſing, and make his Churches enemies to become their friends: thou waſt one of thoſe thorns, and thy nature was as bad, and if God hath taken thee off the ſtock of nature, and planted thee in that choiſe vine, bleſs his name, it was no thanks to thee; If now thou art a roſe though encompaſſed by a thouſand thorns, he will defend thee; If thy ways pleaſe God, thy enemies themſelves ſhall be at peace with thee, Pro. 16.7. ſin is the only make-bate between God, and the ſoul, and if God have a controverſy with the ſinner, all the creatures are preſently up in arms to bring in the rebel, and wait but for a commiſſion to take away his life; but if God be reconciled to thee, no enemy can hurt thee; no weapon formed againſt his Church ſhall ever proſper, Eſay. 54.17. When Jacob had made his peace with God, neither Laban nor Eſau could quarrel with him, though it is thought both came forth with murderous intentions; a godly man ſhall be in league with the ſtones of the field, and the beaſt of the field ſhall be at peace with him, Job. 5.23. fear not little flock, (ſaith Chriſt) it is your fathers good pleaſure to give you a kingdome, and it is better be of the little number of roſes, then the great number of thorns: it is better be with Noah in the ark, then with the whole world in the flood, and to go to heaven alone, then to hell with company; if thou art a roſe, ere long thou ſhalt be put into Chriſts boſome; if thou art a thorn, ere long thou ſhalt be caſt into the fire; oh my God, I am wilde by nature, if grapes grow on thorns, or figs on thiſtles, it is thy doing to alter the ſtock, and tranſplant it: if I be a thorn, Lord, change my nature: if I be a roſe, Lord preſerve me in the midſt of mine enemies, till I come to maturity, and then lodge me in thy own boſome.