The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 86
Ʋpon trees green in ſummer, but ſtript off all in winter.
86. Med.
OBſerving further, that thoſe trees ſo fair and ſpecious, ſo green and flouriſhing in the ſummer, yet when autumn came were ſtript of all their gallantry, and appeared bare, and ill favoured, dead and dry, and looked not like the ſame they were; It preſently ſtruck into my minde that this would ſhortly be the condition of all wicked men, let their proſperity be never ſo great, and their enjoyments in the world never ſo many, or large; the time is coming, all theſe like leaves will fly away with the winde, the nipping froſt of death, and the winde of affliction will make them fall; ſome carry Lordſhips on their backs, ſome Earldomes, ſome Dukedomes, and ſome few Kingdomes; among the Clergy, ſome carry ſeveral ſteeples on their backs, yea, ſome Deanaries, and ſome Biſhopricks, all theſe are but leaves, and will fall when Autumn winde blows, they cannot ſtand a winter-blaſt, death will level the great and the ſmall, the one with the other, and the Kings head ſhall then ſhew no impreſſion of a crown: Many rich men are like ſumpter-horſes, richly laden with gold and ſilver, and coſtly gems and Jewels all the day, but when night comes, and come it will ere long, they are ſtript of all, turned into a dirty ſtable and nothing to bring off but their gal'd backs; ſo theſe at death have nothing left but a gal'd conſcience: a pregnant example of this we have in the rich man, mentioned Luk. 16.19. there was one cloathed in purple and fine linnen, and fared deliciouſly every day, but it was but a little time before all thoſe leaves were ſtript off, and he had not left him one drop of water to cool his tongue: and he that a little before (as ſome imagine) denyed a crumb of bread to Lazarus, is now denyed a drop of water: Another example we have, Luk. 12.16. of a rich man that had abundance, and began to ſing a requiem to his ſoul, eat, drink, and be merry, thou haſt goods laid up for many years; he was a right Epicure that made his gut his God: another Sardanapalus, eating that in earth (that Auguſtine ſaith) he muſt digeſt in hell, little thinking his death was ſo near, his glaſs was run, when he thought it was but new turned; thou fool (ſaith Chriſt) this night ſhall thy ſoul be required of thee, and then whoſe are theſe? he was ſhot as a bird with the bolt, while he was ſtaring at the bow: of rich men the Pſalmiſt ſaith, their glory will not follow them, neither ſhall they take any thing with them, Pſal. 49.17. then when death entreth into their lodging, and knocks at their doors, they may bid farewell to their well contriv'd houſes, ſumptuous buildings, pleaſant gardens, and delightful walks, yea, to all their bags of gold, ſo painfully got, ſo carefully kept, and ſo warily employed, even to the wounding of their conſciences, the hardning of their hearts, and the loſs of their ſouls; then farewell all their pleaſures, their merry meetings, and their pot companions, with their drunken revels, farewell then their cocks, their hawks, their hounds, and their whores, they muſt never more delight and recreate themſelves with theſe, for though whoremaſters, and whores, ſhall burn together in hell yet ſhall they not there burn in luſt one to the other, but their company ſhall be their torment, not their recreation; all theſe are but leaves the wind of death will blow away: Here are no may-games, nor morris-dances, or deluding ſhews to entertain our youthfull gallant, no ſtage-plays, for their divertiſement, no pleaſant Comedies acted but a diſmal Tragedy, wherein they are like to be the miſerable Actors, but will never come off with applauſe; there is no modiſh garb for our well-dreſt gallant, no headtire but a flaming periwig; here is no uſe for looking-glaſs nor tiring woman, no uſe of patches, powders, paints or friſling irons, all theſe are out of mode and faſhion in thoſe Territories: here are no healths to pledge but that of damnation they ſo oft drunk in the days of their life, but never knew what it was till now, but now muſt pledge them to all eternity: But this is not all, their loſs will be greater, for they muſt loſe the beatifical viſion of God bleſſed for ever, in whoſe preſence there is joy, and at whoſe right hand are pleaſures for evermore: then muſt they be everlaſtingly ſeparated from him, who is the chiefeſt good: Now they ſay to him, depart from us, we deſire not the knowledge of thy ways, Job. 21.14. and then God will have none of their company, but will ſay, depart from me, &c. Mat. 7.22. and 25.41. oh direfull and dreadfull ſentence, ſuch as may make their heart-ſtrings crack, and their hearts break in pieces; it breaths out nothing but fire and brimſtone, ſtings and horrours, wo and alaſs, ſeas of vengeance, the worm that never dies and the fire that never ſhall be quenched; torments without end, and paſt imagination: in this life they cannot endure the company of the godly, they are either the object of their ſcorn or malice, but then they ſhall be eternally ſeparated, as far as heaven is from hell, or Dives from Lazarus, between whom there is a great gulph fixed. Luk. 16.26. Then they ſhall loſe their ſouls which is incomparably their richeſt jewel, which they ſold for a trifle, and now it will be required, and they muſt ſtand to their bargain, not that they ſhall be annihilated, that news is too good to be true; neither ſhall they loſe the faculties of them; theſe ſhall be inlarged to their further torments, but they loſe their God which is the life of their ſouls, and put them into the devils hands to be eternally tormented, they ſhall loſe their bodies alſo for whoſe ſake they ſold their ſouls: in a word, all their happineſs, and all their hopes, and all they accounted dear ſhall then be ſtript away, all theſe like leaves ſhall fly before the winde of death, and in the room of theſe, everlaſting deſtruction of body and ſoul ſhall ſucceed: oh death what a change wilt thou make at thy coming, and how unwelcome wilt thou be to thoſe that live at caſe in poſſeſſion; oh my ſoul, remember the days of darkneſs, for they are many, Eccl. 11.8. provide againſt this time, that this may not be thy caſe, for ere long all theſe leaves will be blown down; provide therefore treaſures that neither man, nor devil can ſtrip from thee; provide a manſion in heaven before this earthly tabernacle be diſſolved; Lord, aſſiſt me in this work, without thee my endeavours are vain.