The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 77
Upon the pruning of a tree.
77. Med.
WHen I obſerved ſome ſuckers in a fruit-bearing tree, which were not only fruitleſs themſelves, but robbed the tree of her nouriſhment, and rendred it the leſs fruitful, for what ſhould have fed the reſt of the branches fed thoſe luxuriant boughs, which ſhot up on high, and with an aſpiring top, overlooked their more fruitful brethren, methought theſe reſembled a ſort of profeſſors in our times that ſpend themſelves in leaves and ſhews, and have proud aſpiring thoughts of themſelves, and overtop, and overtalk their fruitful brethren, and brow-beat them as if not fit for their ſociety, and yet they are very barren of fruit, but are beſt at words, and ſhews: upon this obſervation I cauſed theſe boughs to be taken away, that the ſap might return to its old courſe, and ſound afterwards when the tree was clenſed, and pruned from theſe, and other unprofitable boughs and branches flouriſh better, brought forth more and bigger fruit, this put me in minde that the great husbandman deals thus by his trees, Joh. 15, 1.2.3. &c. I am the vine, my father is the husbandman, every branch in me that beareth not fruit be taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit: ſome luxuriant branches, rotten boughs, raw grapes, muſt feel the knife, and thoſe that overſhadow the reſt, and yield them leſs fruitfull; ſome aſpiring branches he takes away, the gumm of pride, and the moſs of formality (ſaith one) but dreſſes, ſupports, ſhelters, and ſecures thoſe that bear fruit: hypocrites are here ſaid to be in Chriſt, by profeſſion, or in their own judgment, or the judgment of charity, when they rather adhere to him, then in here in him, for thoſe that are really in him ſhall never be cut off, of all thoſe that his father hath given him, he will not loſe one; my father (ſaith he) is ſtronger then all, and none can plack them out of my fathers hands; but there are ſome, as I ſaid before, that only adhere …o Chriſt, as the Ivy to the oak, but ſtand upon their own legs, grow upon their own root, and bear their own fruit, and only ſeek ſupport and ſhelter here, theſe ſhall be taken away, and they may without deformity, they only adhere to him as a wooden leg cleaves to the body, but is no part of it, receives neither life nor heat nor influence from the head, or heart; they are like a pole faſtned in the earth but is not rooted, or like a wen or ulcer or other excreſſion that may be taken away without loſs, but as in fruit-bearing trees there is need of clenſing from moſs, cankers and other hindrances, and incumbrances, ſo the beſt Chriſtians as well as the beſt ſociety, had need of the pruning-hook, yea of purging, bleeding, outting, that they may bring forth more fruit; there are in the beſt many warts, or wens, or deformed ulcers, that may be taken away without dammage, and the cauſes removed; Chriſts vines muſt be trimmed, dreſſed, clenſed, and ſupported; nothing requires more ſupporting, more cutting then a vine, that the ſap nouriſh not ſuperfluous branches and leaves, and tis better bleed then burn, and be cut then wither; God will have nothing ſhade or hinder his fruit: we ſee by this the benefit of affliction, and that there is no cauſe to quarrel God, if he do let us bloud, or take away the cauſe of ſome excreſcence; all his pruning, dreſſing, cutting is little eenough, and ſometimes all will not do: ſee it in his own vineyard, Iſay. 5.1, 2. &c. what could I have done more for my vineyard that I have not done, yet when I looked for grapes behold wilde grapes, and thereupon he threatens to take away the fence, & lay them waſte, and break down the wall that it may be troden down, and lay it waſte that it ſhall neither be pruned nor digged, but may bear briars and thorns, and that he will command the clouds that they ſhall not rain any more upon it; now this vineyard is there ſaid to be the houſe of Iſrael, and Judah was his pleaſant plant: I wiſh England that God hath ſo long watered and manured, ly not under this ſevere threatning, God hath done much for his vineyard, and many vine-dreſſers he hath ſent amongſt them, and many an unprofitable branch hath he cut off, and yet great need there is of pruning ſtill, I know not that any nation under heaven, hath been better manured, nor any nation that hath brought forth worſe fruit, yet hath God at the intreatance of his vine-dreſſers, forborn to out them down, and oh how happy are that people that have ſuch to intercede for them, but God will not always be intreated, his patience will be outworn, they may provoke him ſo long till there will be no remedy, there is a time when he will not hear, yea, that he will ſay, pray not for this people for they are ripe for judgements, then will he lay down his basket, and take up his axe and ſay, his ſpirit ſhall not always ſtrive with man, Shiloe was his houſe, but he forſook it, the temple of Jeruſalem was his habitation but he left it, Judah was his pleaſant plant, but he hath forſaken it; he did walk among the ſeven golden candleſticks in the Churches of Aſia, but he hath removed thoſe candleſticks, and the Lord grant he may never give England a bill of divorce; oh my ſoul, art thou a barren branch, then maiſt thou fear the pruning hook, if thou be a barren tree thou maiſt fear the axe, and the fire is like to be thy end; if thou bear but a little fruit, if God ſpare thee thou maiſt expect cutting and pruning by affliction; it is better bleed then burn, anſwer Gods ends in his afflicting thee, bring forth more fruit, if he take any thing from thee 'tis but what thou canſt well ſpare, yea what fed ſome excreſcence, and rendred thee more uſeleſs: oh my God, uſe me as thou wilt, only cut me not down for the fire; our me and prune me at thy pleaſure, but forſake me not, nor lay me waſte.