The Husbandmans Companion, Meditation 99
Upon a rainy day.
99. Med.
IN a rainy and very tempeſtuous day, being driven into the houſe by the violence of the ſtorm, and the tempeſt proving ſo violent & furious, that the houſe it ſelf could hardly ſecure me from the fury of it: This made me conſider what a mercy it was in ſuch a ſeaſon to have a retiring place for ſhelter, and how uncomfortable it would have been to me, had I been forc't to have born the brunt of this raging ſtorm, and yet how little do we value theſe mercyes when we know not the want of them, and how few return praiſe to God that hath given us houſes that we builded not, and vineyards that we planted not. Deu. 6.11. ſaturity oft breeds ſecurity, and fulneſs forgetfulneſs, the moon at the full is furtheſt from the ſun, and ofttimes ſuffers ecclips by the interpoſition of the earth, and ſo we are ofttimes like Jeſurun that waxed fat and kicked, or like full-fed hawks, that will not know their maſter; neither do we pitty thoſe that want houſes, or whoſe houſes at leaſt are not able to ſecure them, or keep them dry; this put me in minde to bleſs my God that had made ſuch a comfortable proviſion for me, that I ſeldom ſuffered upon this account, and to condole thoſe whoſe condition was otherwiſe, I conſidered how great a mercy rain and waters were, that neither man, nor beaſt, nor tree, nor plant, that neither the rational, the ſenſitive, nor vegetative creature, could ſubſiſt, or live without it, and how dear and precious it was to the Patriarks of old, and in many places of the world at this day; how ſcarce it was with the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs, yea, was, and in many places is their conſtant, if not only drink, and many thouſands have periſhed for want of it, and how it would be prized of us did we want it; yea, how often when the ſhowers of heaven are reſtrained, do our fields languiſh, and the fruits of the earth fail, and yet who is it that is thankful, when God gives us the former and the latter rain in its ſeaſon? and yet how much are we engaged to God, in England above many other places? we ſeldom are reduced to ſuch ſtraits as others are, for want of water, but have abundance of freſh rivers, brooks, and torrents, yea, ſprings and ponds in moſt parts of the land, that man nor beaſt ſeldome want it; how would ſuch a mercy be prized in many places of the world? and yet though water be ſuch a mercy, when it is abuſed God can turn it into a judgement: he drowned the old world with it, and overwhelmed the Egyptians in the Red Sea, and many times in thoſe Northern climats, he puniſhes us with immoderate rain, and ſhowers, which ofttimes proves the cauſe of ſcarcity and want, thereby teaching us, that the greateſt outward bleſſings, if abuſed, may be turned into curſes, and a fruitful land made barren for the wickedneſs of thoſe that dwell therein, Pſal. 107.34. Having ſpent ſome time on theſe conſiderations, the ſtorm continuing, the preſent providence brought to my minde the words of Solomon, Pro. 19.13. a fooliſh ſon is the calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping, Pro. 27.15. a continual dropping in a very rainy day, and a contentious woman are alike: &c. this is like a tempeſt in the heaven, moſt troubleſome, and moſt dangerous; when a man comes home tired, with his labour and travail, and expects refreſhing at his own houſe, and there is entertained, either with the continual dropping of rain upon his head, or with an unbridled ſcolding tongue of an unreaſonable wife, both are troubleſome, both are uncomfortable, a croſs grained contentious yoak-fellow, whether man or woman, ſowers all the comforts of life, and renders that relation the moſt troubleſome, and uncomfortable of any in the world, which would otherwiſe be the ſweeteſt and moſt delightful of all others: hence ſaith Solomon, it is better live in a corner on the houſe-top, then with a brawling woman in a wide houſe, Pro. 21.19. a man had better abide abroad expoſed to winde and weather, or crib himſelf up in any little angle or corner, then live with a contentious woman, that is ever brawling and brangling, for ſuch turn conjugium into conjurgium, marriage into mar-age, and inſtead of love and amity they promote ſtrife and emnity, and multiply curſes inſtead of prayers; The marriage-relation is the moſt deſirable, or the moſt deteſtable, of all others; none is more delightful where love and unity is, none is more hateful where ſtrife and contention, envy and hatred bears the ſway; and as family-peace is a deſirable bleſſing, and family-jars an unſufferable torment, ſo peace among neighbours is a mercy, and the contrary a ſore judgement; but many like the Salamander live in the fire, they love to foment jars and contentions, and are never ſo well, as when they are ſowing diſcord, or working miſchief, Pro. 26.21. as coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, ſo is a contentious man to kindle ſtrife; many men are like mad dogs, they ſnarl at all, and would if they could bite all, and make them as mad as themſelves, ſome contentious Chriſtians alſo there are that in this fire burn and conſume their graces, not their vices; theſe grow in opinions and flouriſh with theſe leaves, ſeldome in grace, for their fruit is ſeldom ſeen, or it is bitter and unſavoury; they are ready to diſroab all others of their graces that attain not to the ſame pitch of opinion with themſelves, but the Church is little beholding to them, whoſe zeal ſets all into a combuſtion; but above all peace, peace with God, and peace with a mans conſcience is moſt to be deſired, yea, abſolutely neecſſary, which cannot be had, till we break our peace with ſin, and ſatan: oh my ſoul, ſtudy peace with all men, and holineſs, without which you ſhall never ſee God; ſtudy peace with thy relations, but eſpecially with thy God; and if thy ways pleaſe him, thy enemy ſhall be at peace with thee: oh my God, let not the devil by his wiles nor the world by her frowns or ſmiles make me break my peace with thee.