The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 87
Upon a tree green all the winter.
87. Med.
WHen I obſerved how green ſome trees were all the winter, and how flouriſhing even in the froſt and ſnow, when others are ſtript naked and left bare, and ſeem dead and withered, and that neither the pinching froſt, nor bluſtring windes, neither ſtorms nor tempeſts could diſroab them or change their ſummer-ſuit to winter colours, that neither ſummers ſun, nor ſcorching heat could make them wither, nor winter cold, nor ſtorms could make them caſt their leaves, nor turn their luſty green to any other colour: I began to think theſe trees much reſemble a Chriſtian, that had the life of grace within him, and is planted into that generous vine Chriſt, and ſucks ſap and nouriſhment from this root; theſe alſo are green when others that ſtand upon their own root, wither and decay: But theſe trees of righteouſneſs are planted by the rivers of water, and bring forth their fruit in due ſeaſon, and their leaf alſo ſhall not wither, but whatſoever they do, it ſhall proſper, Pſal. 1.3. &c. when others are driven like chaff before the winde from the face of the earth, yet the ſun-ſhine of proſperity cannot wither thoſe, nor the winde of adverſity blow them down or their fruit, nor remove their leaves: Job was one of theſe trees of righteouſneſs, green at all times, winter and ſummer, in his proſperity his leaf flouriſhed; for God himſelf gives as ample a teſtimony of him, as ever he did of mortal man, Job. 1.8. Haſt thou conſidered my ſervant Job? that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareteh God and eſcheweth evill, and when he was in adverſity he ſtill retains his integrity, Job. 27.5.6. till I die I will not remove my integrity from me, my righteouſneſs I hold faſt, and will not let it go, my heart ſhall not reproach me ſo long as I live, and ſee what end God makes with him, he crowns him, and chronicles him for his ſincerity and patience, all his affliction could not make him loſe one leaf: Joſeph when he was in proſperity fears God, and when in adverſity he fears him alſo; when he was a bondſlave in Potiphars houſe, he reſiſteth the temptations of his miſtriſs, with this conſideration, how ſhall I commit this great wickedneſs, and ſin againſt God? Gen. 39.11. Joſeph remains in Egypt like a pearl in a puddle, he had ſet God at his right hand, and would not be moved, though Satan knock oft at the door, there was none within to anſwer, though the iron (as the Pſalmiſt ſaith) entred into Joſephs ſoul, yet ſin could not; when the devil could not prevail againſt him, by his hard bondage he trys to do it by a Dalilahs temptation; he ſtruck fire oft but it fell among wet tinder; Joſeph was ſemper idem, when he was wrongfully caſt into priſon, he keeps his integrity ſtill, and God owns him, and gave him favour, and after when he was advanc't to honour, and made enter in Egypt, he did not forget his God, nor God did not forget him: all the hot gleams of proſperity, nor all the bluſtring ſtorms of adverſity could not ſhake down any of his fruit, or ſtir any of his leaves; it is true, wicked men in their proſperity are ſaid to be ſpreading themſelves like a green bay-tree, but this denotes the proſperity of the body, not of the ſoul; theſe leaves at death will drop as well as others, and their proſperity and happineſs will draw to an end, and all their enjoyment will be but as a thin miſt before the winde ſoon ſcattered; but mark the upright, and behold the juſt, for the end of that man is peace, Pſal. 37.37. I ſhall be (ſaith the Pſalmiſt,) as a green olive-tree in the houſe of God, Pſal. 52.5. when thoſe that truſt not in the Lord, ſhall be deſtroyed▪ It was not baniſhment that could ſeparate David from the ſtock in which he was planted, nor make his fruit to fall, or his leaves to fade; it was not affliction could make him loſe his integrity, nor a kingdome could make him forget his God: The Martyrs in their greateſt ſufferings kept up their profeſſion green, and flouriſhing, the devil could not get one leaf down with all his mighty guſts and Borean blaſts; the fire it ſelf could not ſcorch nor wither them; The apprehenſion of danger could not ſhake a leaf from Daniel, or either of his three aſſociates; they held out a profeſſion before the King, and his Nobles in the ſight of the fiery furnace, and the Lyons Den; it was neither force nor fraud, fear nor favour, riches nor honour, preferments nor promotions, that could make them ſtart aſide from their God, by omitting any known duty, or committing any known ſin, but where there is no ſap in the root, the branches muſt needs wither, as we have had too ſad experience in our days, when the moſt have their fruit blown down, and their leaves withered: a true Chriſtian is always the ſame, lay him where you pleaſe, as a pearl whether in the cabinet, or in the dunghill, retains its vertue ſtill, ſo a Chriſtian whether on the throne with David, on the dunghill with Job, in the miry dungeon with Jeremy, in the ſtocks with Paul and Silas, yet are ſtill the ſame; proſperity nor adverſity, friend nor foe, man nor devil can ſeperate him from Chriſt; oh my ſoul, get life in the root, and thou wilt hold out in the winter, ſuck ſap from Chriſt, for nothing elſe will keep thee from withering, or preſerve thy leaves from falling, feed upon that bread of life, and the water of life, and thou ſhalt never dye; thy garments then will be always white, and thy head want no oyntment, Eccl. 9.8. neither winde nor weather can hurt thee if thou be in this vine, but if thou be not, though thou make never ſo glorious a ſummer ſhew, in winter thou wilt be ſtript of all: oh my God, let my heart be ſound in thy ſtatutes, let the root of the matter be in me, take me off the ſtock of nature, and plant me in the vine, Chriſt, ſo ſhall I never wither.