The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 51
Upon the painful and laborious Bee.
51. Med.
WHen I obſerved the buſy and labourious bee, how painful and diligent ſhe was in her employment, and how induſtriouſly ſhe buſied her ſelf, and how laboriouſly ſhe toiled, and moiled from morning to night in gathering both honey, and wax, which when ſhe had gotten, ſhe was as induſtrious in the diſpoſal of it; I obſerved how curious, how carefull, how exquiſite ſhe was in furniſhing her little cell, with the proviſion ſhe had got by her hard labour in building her combs; placing her honey, diſpoſing her young ones, and feeding them, and was ſo exact in all her labours, that the art or wit of man cannot reach her, nor erect ſo exact a fabrick out of ſuch materials, ſo uniform that nothing redundant, nothing deficient doth appear, and in all her little boxes ſo exact a ſymetry doth appear, as is admirable to behold, and beyond my skill to declare; ſhe is ſo painful and diligent, that from morning till night whenſoever ſeaſonable weather doth permit, ſhe is never idle, but either within door or without, is buſily employed, yea, the very firſt day ſhe is placed in her new habitation ſhe rids and cleanſeth it, decks and adorns it, and makes it fit to begin her work, and from that day they all join heart and hand, (as we ſay) in the work, and jointly and ſeverally, all ſtudy and endeavour the common good; ſome order and government alſo there ſeems to be among thoſe poor inſects, not only in their labour, where no one is to live idlely, but alſo in reſiſting the common enemy; as we may ſee, how unanimouſly they ſet againſt the idle waſp, and at the time of the year againſt the ſluggiſh drone: I obſerved alſo in ſwarming times, how unanimouſly they agreed, and followed their leaders, where they fled they followed; and where they knit or lodged, there they aboad alſo; and that no quarrelling nor jarring ariſe among them; yea, when one was wronged, the other ſought revenge: I obſerved alſo in their work, how they gathered honey both from flowers and weeds, and (as I thought) made little difference, but extracted the quinteſcence of them for their own uſe, and that without any wrong to the owner, or dammage (ſo far as I could perceive) to the hearb or flower; theſe and ſome ſuch like conſiderations and obſervations, made me to think, it did much reſemble a well ordered common-wealth, or a well-regulated City, Corporation, or Community of perſons, or a family wherein all the members ſtudy the common good, rather then their own private intereſt, and lay out themſelves one for the good of another, and be all touched with the ſence of others infirmitys, and when one ſuffers all ſuffer; but alaſs, where are ſuch a people to be found, that bear ſuch a ſpirit for the publike good? for all ſeek their own, Phil. 2.21. yea, Chriſtians themſelves that are united each to other in a ſtricter band then any other community whatſoever, are much wanting here, and might learn hence a leſſon of brotherly love and unity, they ſhould be like affectioned one to another, and mourn with thoſe that mourn, and rejoyce with thoſe that rejoyce, Rom. 12.15. they ſhould be like lute-ſtrings when one is touched all the reſt ſound; like to ingenious children when one is beaten, the reſt all cry: the Apoſtle adviſeth, 1 Cor. 10, 24. let no man ſeek his own, but every man anothers wealth, Phil. 2.4. look not every one on his own things, but every man alſo on the things of others: the very heathens could ſay, we were not born for our ſelves but for others good: but alaſs, this ſhews man as man is degenerate, even below the beaſt, yea, inſenſible creatures, the ſun, moon, ſtars, earth, beaſts, birds, fiſhes, who ſeem to be created for others uſe, and not their own good: Paul himſelf could finde no man like Timothy, to take care for the ſtate of the Church, for all (ſaith he) ſeek their own things, and not the things of Chriſt, Tit. 2.19.20, 21. Theſe poor inſects alſo reſemble a diligent Chriſtian, that improves every thing for his Maſters glory, and the inriching of his own ſoul, and gathers honey from flowers and weeds, and here the ſlothful Chriſtian may be ſent to ſchool to the Bee, as Solomon ſends him to the ant, to learn diligence, for both theſe provide in ſummer for winter, and there are too many ſuch duſt-heaps in the world, ſuch ſluggards that are degenerated below the beaſts themſelves: There is great reaſon why men ſhould be more diligent then theſe, their dilligence is for the ſoul, the others for the body, they are in greater danger if idle; the Bee works for honey, the other for heaven; if the one want, death ends her miſery; if the other want, death begins his torment: theſe poor creatures have nothing to excite them but a natural inſtinct, but man hath the uſe of reaſon, the directions of the Scripture, and the aſſiſtance of the ſpirit, Miniſtry, conſcience, &c. to animate him: theſe have indeed flowers and herbs, trees and weeds, &c. to gather honey from, man hath a larger field to wander over, even the whole creation will ſupply him: there is not a ſtock, or ſtone, or dead tree, or withering branch, or falling leaf or decaying flower, but will yield him honey, if he have the heavenly art of extracting it; they are feeble creatures: man is indewed with more ſtrength; we have a better prize before us, and have better help: we can work by day, or by night, in winter and ſummer, in froſt and ſnow, when they are hindred, and yet to our ſhame be it ſpoken, they are more diligent, and we more negligent: oh my ſoul, how may theſe poor inſects riſe up in judgment againſt thee, and condemn thee: thou haſt paſt the ſpring, the flower of thy age, and done little, winter is drawing on apace, what proviſion haſt thou made? the night approcheth, when no man can work; what honey haſt thou gotten? thou haſt had as ſeaſonable a ſummer as moſt in the world have had, and a long harveſt, and yet art thou unfurniſhed: what will be the iſſue of it? will the ſeaſon of grace always laſt? the bridegroom is coming, where is thy oyl? the marriage feaſt is near, where is thy wedding garment? oh my God, pardon my former neglects, and miſpence of precious time: Lord, keep me cloſe to my work, my little time that yet remains, and ſucceed me in it, that I may gather honey againſt the winter comes, and may not be unprovided at death.