The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 51
Meditation LI. Ʋpon firſt Fruits and Gleanings.
VVHat the Apoſtle ſaith of the heavenly Bodies, that one Star differeth from another Star in glory, is true alſo of the heavenly Laws and Commands of God, as well Ceremonial as Moral, that they differ from each other in their weight and worth. Some of which ſet forth the greater things, and others the leſs; as may be eaſily ſeen in this double Command of First fruits, and Gleanings; one of which is far greater than the other, though the leſs is not to be neglected, becauſe it is a ſtream that flows from the ſame Fountain, the Soveraign will and appointment of God. But that we may the better take the Dimenſions of this Law of Firſt fruits, let us view it by the help of ſome Conſiderations, as Aſtronomers by inſtruments judge of the Altitude, and Magnitude of a Star. We may firſt ſee it in the extent of thoſe things in the offering of which God would be honoured and acknowledged; he required the firſtlings of Men and Cattel, the firſt fruits of trees, and of the Earth, in the ſheaf, and in the threſhing floor, in the dough, and in the loaves. It did reach to all their Subſtance, and the encreaſe, which without this Service was but a polluted and an unclean heap.
Secondly, In the ſolemn manner of the offering of them unto God, which was to be done with an humble Confeſſion of their Fathers poverty; A Syrian ready to periſh was my Father, and of the hard bondage in Egypt ſuſtained by them, and with acknowledgment of Gods gracious looking upon their Affliction, Labour, and Oppreſſion, bringing them alſo forth with a mighty hand and out-ſtretched arm, with great terribleneſs, and with ſigns and wonders, and giving them a Land that floweth with milk and honey.
Thirdly, In the expreſs command for the ſpeedy payment of them, they were not to be delayed, much leſs withheld; to keep them back was robbery, to defer them was diſobedience, and rendred them rather to be of the Gleanings and Corners of the field, which God had appointed to be reſerved for the poor; then of the Firſt fruits which he required for himſelf. It was an injury to the moral duty which they did teach of Conſecrating to God the firſt and prime of their years, and abilities, which is to him far more acceptable than all Offerings and Sacrifices whatever; for how could it be, that he who was careleſs of the Rite and Ceremony, which typified his duty to him, ſhould ever be mindful of doing that which was the marrow and ſubſtance of it. And now when I think that Firſt fruits only were the ſhadow of our early honouring God, and remembring him in the day of our youth, when all the faculties both of ſoul and body are in their vigour and ſtrength. I cannot but wonder, as well as mourn, to ſee that under the Doctrine of the Goſpel, which reacheth men to deny all ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, that thereby they might become a kind of firſt fruits unto God and the Lamb. So few make Religion the work of the morning of their Age, and ſo many of the Evening. What elſe is this, but to give the Firſt fruits to Satan, and the Gleanings to God; To him the fineſt of the flower, and to God the bran? But tell me, O ye deferrers of holineſs, who make it both the leaſt and the laſt work of your lives. Is it only neceſſary to die to God, and not 10 live to him? Or is it reaſonable to ſay as that young man did to his Companion, when he ſaw Ambroſe dying, Tecum viverem & cum Ambroſio moriar, I would live with thee, and dye with Ambroſe? Is not this to mock God, whom yet you would have to ſave you? And to miniſter matter of triumph to the God of this world, whoſe Captives you have been, that though the God of heaven pay you your wages, yet you have done wholly his work? Unto you therefore, O men, I call, and my voice is unto the Sons of men, be not deceived, God will not be mocked: It is not the owning of him when you can ſerve neither your ſelves, nor your Luſts any longer, that will be acceptable unto him: It is not a few bedrid prayers, that are as thoſe Ears of Corn which Pharaoh ſaw in his dream, withered, thin, and blaſted with the Eaſt wind, that will expiate thoſe black Crimes with which your ill-ſpent life is overſpread. Can an Offering of Gleanings, which is made up of robbery, and diſobedience, of wronging the poor, and violating the Command of God, ever hallow the whole Harveſt? No more can ſuch duties be availing to reconcile you to God, who requires that you ſhould ſeek him early. Yea, hath he not curſed the deceiver, which hath in his Flock a Male, and ſacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing? And what are you but deceivers? Who waſte the Lamp of time that God hath given you to work by, in the ſinful delights of the fleſh and alienate the chief of your ſtrength and parts from him that ſhould have been honoured, both with the firſt and beſt of your abilities, and in your Age have nothing to offer to him, but a large bedroll of hainous enormities, which may juſtly bring down your gray haires with ſorrow unto the grave? How bleſſed a thing is it then for Men to give to God the firſt-fruits of their Youth, that he may not give them bitter after-fruits, and cauſe them to feel more ſmart of their ſins in their Old Age, then ever they found pleaſure or delight in them in their Youth? and what better Perſwaſions can I ſuggeſt, then to conſider,
Firſt, That early Piety gives both to the Perſon, and to his Services a peculiar Preheminence and Dignity above all others. The Naturaliſts obſerve, that the Pearles that are bred of the Morning Dew, are far more bright and clear, than thoſe which are bred of the Evening Dew: And ſo are thoſe duties of a greater worth and beauty, which are the fruits of a Morning, and not an Evening Godlineſs. It is the commendation of Hezekiahs Reformation, above all others of the Kings of Judah, that in the firſt year of his Reign, in the firſt MonethMonth, he opened the doores of the Houſe of the Lord. It is that which makes Joſiahs Memory to be as a Box of precious Nard, that while he was yet young, he began to ſeek after the God of David his Father. It is an Honourable Teſtimony which Paul gives to Epenetus, that he was the firſt-fruits of Achaia unto Chriſt: and the like is that which he gives to Andronicus and Junia, that they were in Chriſt before him: To have a Precedency in the Faith, is not onelyonly a happineſs, but a dignity. What glory can be greater, then to be a Jeremiah ſanctified from the Womb; or a Timothy nouriſhed up in the words of Faith?
S…condly, The comfort of Age, is a well-ſpent Life; When a Man comes to the Grave as a Shock of C…rne in its ſe…ſon, and not as a bundle of Tares to the Fire; when the Bones are full, not of the Sins of Youth, but of the Services that were then done to God; when a Man can ſay, as dying Hezekiah, Remember O Lord I beſeech thee how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy ſight. O it is ſad when the ſins of youth become the burthen of age … if the Graſhopper then be a weight to the Body, what a preſſure will heapes of Mountainous ſins be to the Soul? Age at the beſt hath ſufficient Griefes; it is of it ſelf a Sickneſs, and a Neighbour to Death, and needs not the bad proviſions of Youthfull Follies to make it worſe. Let then the Counſell of Wiſe Solomon be acceptable unto you who are yet in the ſpring and flower of your age, to Remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth; and then if Death make you Pale, before Age make you Gray, you will have this comfort, that you are old in houres, though not in yeares; and bave lived much, though not long; as having loſt no time in ſowing Seed unto the Fleſh, as moſt doe, who make youth a fooliſh Seed-time to a Mourning Age; and Old Age a bitter Harveſt to a fooliſh Youth. Or if your Almond-Tree ſhall flouriſh, and that a more gracious Old Age ſhall ſucceed a gracious Youth, Old Age it ſelf ſhall be followed with a Crown of endleſs Glory.