The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 74
On the difference between a well manured, and neglected Orchard.
74. Med.
WHen I obſerved the difference between a well-manured, well-ordered, and well-husbanded orchard, and one that was ſlieghted, neglected, and careleſly heeded, I obſerved the difference between diligence and negligence in the one, I beheld the trees orderly ranked, not too near, nor at too great a diſtance, carefully prun'd, and freed from ſuperfluous branches, ſuckers clenſed from moſs, and other offenſive enemies, manured, dung'd, fenced from the violence of cattle, and in a word in a comely form, and handſome to behold, and the fruit anſwered expectation, and made amends for the care and coſt, but the other was neither handſome to the eye, nor profitable to the owner, lying open to the beaſts of the feild, out of order, and ſhape; ſome too thick, others too thin, overgrown with moſs, ſuckers, cankers, and unprofitable branches, the ground over-run with briars, brambles, nettles, docks, and other unprofitable weeds, and the fruit thus choaked, and ſpoiled, proved accordingly; by this I ſaw the difference between a good husband and a bad: Solomon tells us, the king himſelf is ſerved by the field, Eccl. 5.9. and ſo doubtleſs he is by the orchard, but then it muſt be well husbanded: Uzziah loved husbandry, 2 Chr. 26.10. the orchard yields both meat and drink, both food and phyſick, profit and delight is here to be had, but not without labour and diligence: In all labour (ſaith Solomon) there is profit, Pro. 14.23. that is, all honeſt labour, we ſhould work with our hands the thing that is good; ſome labour diligently to do miſchief, and take pains to go to hell, there is ſmall profit in this work; and ſome (as one ſaith) do magno conatu magnus nugas …gere, they do take great pains to ſmall purpoſe; ſome take as much pains to ſpend their eſtate, as others do to get it; and more pains in the way to hell, then others in the way to heaven; but diligence even in earthly buſineſs is doubtleſs a commanded duty, and negligence is a forbidden ſin, the one brings profit and the other loſs; diligence in an orchard brings in more then ordinary profit; the Apoſtle commands thoſe that will not labour that they ſhall not eat, 2 Theſ. 3.10. paradice that was mans ſtore-houſe, was his work houſe alſo; thoſe idle perſons that have little to do, are uſually ſet on a work by the devil, for he takes up and employs ſuch wanderers; thoſe that like body-lice, live upon other mens ſweat, are not fit to live in a well-ordered common-wealth: it is an apoſtatical command, that we labour with our hands, that we may be able to give to thoſe that need, Eph. 4.28. he ſhall be poor (ſaith Solomon) that dealeth with a ſlack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, Pro. 10.4. doing there muſt be, or the beggar will catch us by the back; it follows, he that gathereth in ſummer is a wiſe ſon, but he that ſleepeth in harveſt is a ſon that cauſeth ſhame; he that lets the offered opportunity ſlip, may haply never recover the loſs; diligence uſually (though not conſtantly) is attended with abundance; but the ſluggard ſhall be covered with rags, we reade Pro. 24.30. that Solomon went by the field of the ſluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of underſtanding, and it was grown over with thorns, thiſtles alſo had covered the face thereof; the ſtone-wall thereof was broken down; then I ſtood and conſidered it, I looked upon it and received inſtruction; yet a little ſleep, a little ſlumber, a little folding of the hands to ſleep, ſo ſhall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man, viz. unexpectedly, and irreſiſtably; ſloth and idleneſs is the nurſe of beggery, the mother of miſery, and the forerunner of ruine; Solomon makes ſome uſe of his obſervations, a bee can ſuck honey out of every flower and weed, but a fly cannot, and a ſpiritual minde can extract good out of every object, even out of other mens faults and follies, he can gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thiſtles, and extract good out of evil; This made me raiſe my meditations a little higher: I conſidered, if idleneſs be ſo great an hindrance to worldly advantages, what is it then to ſpirituall profits? if ground not manured brings forth briars and thorns, weeds and thiſtles, what will the ſoul bring forth, if it be neglected: this will ſoon abound with ſins, and vices, luſts and corruptions, and Solomon no doubt made this ſpirituall uſe of the miſcarriages of his fooliſh neighbour; a godly man (as I ſaid) will gather honey with the bee; where the waſp will not, the fly cannot, and the ſpider gathers poyſon; for a wicked mans example is often hurtful, but to none but the wiſe profitable: a wiſe man, with Solomon, will gather ſome good by others miſcarriages, and happy is he that other mens harms do make to beware: the ſoul is more ſubject to the weeds of ſin, then any field or garden can be to briars or thorns, or other noiſome things, and more diligence is required to keep it in order, and there is more danger in the neglect: briars and thorns are not more natural to the ground ſince the curſe, then ſin and corruption to the ſoul ſince the fall; and as in temporals ſo much more in ſpirituals; much diligence is required to keep things in order, and great is the advantage when it is done: oh my ſoul refuſe no pains, neglect no labour, heaven will make amends for all, ſtub up thy ſins by the root, and content not thy ſelf to lop off the branches, regulate thy affection, ſubdue thy headſtrong paſſions, bring under thy will, and make it ſubmit to Gods will; ſet a watch over thy heart, look well to thy words and thoughts as well as to thy actions, ſet a guard over thy ſences, thoſe cinqueports, otherwiſe the enemy will enter; take heed of thy company, for ſeldome good is gotten by ill companions; beware of Satans temptations, and the worlds allurements, avoid all occaſions to ſin, nay, all appearances of evil, and know that for all the pains thou canſt take, thou ſhalt be rewarded, heaven will make thee amends, but the ſluggard is never like to come there; Oh my God, I have been this ſpiritual ſluggard, it is I have neglected my field and vineyard, and hence are all thoſe briars, and brambles ſprung up; Lord, help me to double my diligence, and amend my pace, and ſo run that I may obtain, and ſo fight as to conquer.