The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 88
Upon trees decay for want of dreſſing.
88. Med.
OBſerving ſome trees that had formerly been fruitful, but now began to decline, I obſerved and ſearched out more narrowly what the cauſe was, and I perceived it was not age that did it, but I perceived it was want of good huſbandry, they had been neglected and wanted pruning, cleanſing, dunging, watering, for they were peſtered with weeds, and moſs, and canker, and ſuckers, and other hurtful annoyances, which diverted the nouriſhment which ſhould …ve fed & cheriſhed them; and when I had obſerved the diſeaſe, I applyed the remedy accordingly; I cauſed the ground to be rid, and the trees pruned and cleanſed, digged, dunged, and manured, and in proceſs of time the event anſwered my expectation, and the trees recovered their priſtine beauty, and goodneſs; this accident produced this following meditation: I thought an orchard reſembled the Church of God, for ſo it is called, Canticles, 4.13. thy plants are as an orchard of pomegranats: by plants are meant the ſeveral members of the Church, which here are compared to pomegranats, which are healthful and preſervative, yea, to ſpicknard, and ſaffron, calamus, and cinnamon, and other chief ſpices, coſtly and precious: now as it is in an orchard, ſome are barren, ſome fruitful, ſome bring good fruit, ſome bad, according to the nature of the tree, ſome are great trees, and ſome ſmall, ſo it is in the viſible Church of God, the members thereof are of all ſorts and ſizes, and bring forth ſeveral ſorts of fruits; ſome bring forth only leaves, and ſome are dead, and bring forth neither leaf nor fruit, ſome their fruit is ſowr and unſavoury, ſome bitter, and ſome bring forth good fruit to perfection according to the nature of the tree, thoſe tranſplanted uſually bring forth the beſt fruit; But as in an orchard it is not enough that it be planted, and grafted, and that with the choiſeſt fruit, but continual care is to be had of ordering, manuring, dunging, watering, and fencing it, for the earth being an own mother to briars, brambles, weeds, and thiſtles, but a ſtep-mother to herbs and flowers, and fruit-bearing trees, ſhe will ſoon produce her own brats, and feed them with her breaſts, and ſtarve the other, if not prevented; ſo it is in the Church, Gods plantation will never thrive, if there are not labourers, vine-dreſſers, to water and manure them; the devil will ſend ſome of his briars and thorns to choak them, and ſuck the ſap that ſhould nouriſh them, the world loves her own, and hates thoſe that are Chriſts: there muſt be ſome Pauls to plant, and ſome Apollo's to water, ſome Miniſters to manure, ſome labourers to prune, or thoſe plants degenerate and grow wilde or be choaked with weeds and baggage, and God hath ſent plenty of thoſe, that nothing be wanting on his part; and oh how happy are thoſe people that meet with labourers and not loyterers, thoſe that have both will and skill to do good, but God may complain of many as he did of old, I ſent them not, yet they run; I ſpake not to them, yet they propheſy, Jer. 23.2. there are too many that are not gifted nor qualified for the place, too many that are idle and will not work, loiterers rather then labourers, and many that minde the wages, more then the work, and the fleece more then the flock; they would have the profit but be at neither pains nor coſt, but the vineyard will never proſper under ſuch mens hands: many honourable titles are given to the Miniſters, all which denote diligence and duty, as well as dignity, they are call'd watchmen, Eze. 3.17, but many of them are blinde, Iſa. 1.56.10. or if they ſee the enemy coming they give no warning to prepare: they are cal'd ſhepherds, but they feed themſelves, and not the flock; they are cal'd lights, but many of them walk in darkneſs, or hide their light under a buſhel, or in a dark lanthorn, or are but an ignis fatuus, that leads men out of the way, not in it; they are cal'd ſtars, but ſome of them prove comets or blazing-ſtars, threatning ruine to the beholders; they are called the Salt of the earth, yet many of them have loſt their ſavour; and a deal of ſuch unſavoury ſalt we have; they are cal'd angels, but they reſemble evil angels in their converſations; they are cal'd builders, but what they build with the one hand, they pluck down with the other, nay, deſtroy what others have built; they are cal'd ſtewards, but live as if they ſhould never give account of their ſtewardſhip; they are cal'd husbandmen, but neither care to plant nor to ſow, to water, nor to manure: they are cal'd vine-dreſſers, but take little pains in the vineyard: in a word, they are cal'd Nurſes, but prove dry nurſes, and ſuffer the children to ſtarve for want of food; many of them heap one ſteeple upon another as it is fabled the giants did Oſſa upon Pelion, and think that way to ſcale heaven, but they will hardly aſcend with ſuch a load upon their backs; they have the greateſt charge in the world and many take leaſt care; they will take the charge of hundreds, that perhaps they never ſaw; but ſuch lights as theſe often go out in a ſnuff, and ſuch ſtars they are, to whom is reſerved the blackneſs of darkneſs for ever, a deſcription of ſuch Miniſters you have Iſay. 56.10, 11, 12. but Paul was not ſuch a ſhepherd, for three years ſpace he ceaſed not, day nor night, but in publike, and from houſe to houſe he warned his hearers with tears, Act. 20.31. 2. Cor. 6.5. Act. 20.26. and happy are thoſe people that meet with ſuch vine dreſſers, and ſad is their condition that meet with loiterers, and not labourers: Oh my ſoul, deſpiſe not the miniſtry but honour them for their works ſake, eſpecially thoſe that labour in the word and doctrine, for thoſe are worthy of double honour; and in thy place and ſtation minde the welfare of thy own ſoul, and thoſe about thee; let not the bloud of ſouls be laid at thy door, theſe honourable titles belong to labourers not loiterers, to painfull preachers not to dumb dogs: oh my God, forgive all my former neglects, and for the future though I be unprofitable let me not be unfaithful.