The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 53
Upon the ſting of a Bee.
53. Med.
BEing ſtung by the Bee when I went to taſte of the honey, I began to think, that thus it is with all earthly enjoyments, there is no pure unmixed pleaſure to be had in this world, there is in the beſt but a little pleaſure, and much pain, a little honey and many ſtings: the devil I know, many times hides the ſour, and preſents the ſweet; and makes ſin look amiable and pleaſant, and repreſents the world in a beautiful dreſs, and promiſes pleaſure but pays pain: All this (ſaith he) will I give thee, to Chriſt, when his intention was to wrack and ruine both him, and us, and whoſoever will ſwallow the bait, will be taken with the hook: ſin (like the Panther) hides its head being deformed, and then allures by the paint and varniſh, which the devil hath put upon it, and ſo takes many captives, who never remember the ſting in the tail: we are apt ofttimes to dream of golden days, and an earthly paradice when it proves but a Bachin, a place of lamentation, a valley of tears; when the paint and varniſh is waſht off, ſin will appear in its own colours, and the cheat will appear; though it ſeem ſweet and pleaſant in the mouth, it will be bitter in the belly; and if we graſp the world too hard, it will like thorns run into the hands, nay, pierce to the heart: proſperity is always attended with danger, and many times ſucceeded with ſmart; honours end oft in diſgrace, riches are attended with cares and fear and certain troubles: in the midſt of laughter the heart is ſorrowfull, and the end of that mirth is heavineſs, Pro. 14.13. nulla eſt ſincera voluptas, of carnal pleaſures (as one ſaith) a man may break his neck, before his faſt, they all prove vanity and vexation of ſpirit: theſe pleaſures may wet the mouth, but not warm the heart, ſmooth the brow, but not fill the breaſt; they are but from the teeth outward, they dance to the timbrel and harp, but ere they are aware, they leap into hell, Job. 21.12, 13. now they are ſo affraid of ſadneſs, that they baniſh all ſeriouſneſs, but the candle of the wicked ſhall ſoon be put out: If the aking of the head, and the filthy belchings and vomittings, ſhould come before the drinking of the wine or ale, many would not buy that filthy pleaſure at ſo dear a rate, as they pay for it afterward: if the rottenneſs of the bones, and the loathſom diſeaſes not fit to be named, which uſually follow adultery, did precede it, many would not pay ſo dear for that beaſtly pleaſure: but alaſs, what is this to what follows, and the reckoning that is yet behinde? this is but as earneſt to the bargain: the gripes of an inraged conſcience, as ſome have felt them, eſpecially one hours torment in hell, would ſpoil all their mirth: but what is an hour to eternity? this would cure the adulterers luſt, and aſſwage the drunkards thirſt: But it is not only ſinful pleaſures but all earthly enjoyments that have a ſting in the tail: Crowns and kingdoms are not free from troubles, from fears and jealouſies, ſo that by that time an account be given of them, they are ſcarce worth gathering up in the ſtreet: great eſtates have great temptations, and honour ofttimes is attended with envy; and bright ſhining lamps many times go out in a ſnuff, Haman and Achitophel, kings favourites end their lives in a halter, when meaner perſons have gone to their graves in peace. The talleſt Ceders are moſt liable to winde and weather: Herod that this day was eſteemed as a God, the next day is not fit to have fellowſhip with men, Eecl. 5.12, 13. the ſleep of a labouring man is ſweet, whether he eat little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not ſuffer him to ſleep, &c. ſuch riches are kept for the owners thereof to their hurt: as the poor mans fare is not ſo high, ſo his care is not ſo great: the care of getting, the fear of keeping and the grief of loſing, like the Vulture feed upon the griping rich man continually, his abundance lies like a lump of lead upon his heart, and breaks his ſleep, and God ſometimes throws handfuls of fire into his conſcience: this dropſy of coveteouſneſs is as ſeldom cured, as the gout, phrenſy, or jealoſy; riches can make no man happy, few men content; the more they have, the more they deſire: he that loveth ſilver, ſhall not be ſatisfied with ſilver, Eccl. 5.10. non plus ſatiatur cor auro, qua… corpus aura, a man may have enough to ſink him, yet not to ſatisfie him: ſee their danger, Jam. 5.1, 2, 3. go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl, for your miſeries that are come upon you, your riches are corrupted, and your garments moth eaten, your gold and your ſilver is canker'd, and the ruſt of them ſhall be a witneſs againſt you, and ſhall eat your fleſh as it were fire, &c. We may ſay of all theſe outward things, as the prophet doth of his axe, alas, maſter for it was borrowed; or as the wiſe man doth of honey, we may eat as much as is ſufficient, but not too much, leſt we vomit, Pro. 25.26. be moderate in the uſe of all lawful comforts, and contentments, hang looſe to all earthly enjoyments, licitis perimus omnes; affect them not over-much leſt thou ſurfet of them: no earthly enjoyment but hath a mixture of gall and wormwood in them, more or leſs, no ſweet but hath ſome ſowr: marriage which many affect for the comforts ſake, and which doubtleſs is (if equally yoaked,) the happieſt relation, yet there is many that finde in it more pain then pleaſure, more ſour then ſweet, and more coſt and care then they expected: it ofttimes brings a man into poverty, and leaves him at beggars-buſh, and though the rich eſcape ſome of theſe ſnares; they fall into worſe: oh my ſoul, why art thou ſeeking honey in a waſps neſt, and eaſe and reſt in a thorny hedge, and true content where never man yet found it? wouldſt thou have a roſe without prickles, and honey without ſtings, and happineſs beneath the moon? all earthly enjoyments have a mixture of gall, and worm-wood, but the bleſſing of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no ſorrow with it, Pro. 10.22. where God will give his people ſtore without ſore, wealth without wo, and gold without guilt, and pleaſure without pain: endleſs joy, everlaſting pleaſures are at his right hand for evermore, Pſal. 16.11. Oh my God give me my portion in thoſe pleaſures: ſatisfy me with that bread and water of life, and let me not feed upon husks and vanity: let me labour for that food which periſheth not but endureth to eternal life: let me provide bags that wax not old, a treaſure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, no moth corrupteth, Luke 12.33.