A Light to Grammar and All Other Arts and Sciences, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Occaſionall Inftr…ctions from obſorvations of things within doores, and without.
WEE have well obſerved the body, and the things, that ſerve, and adorn the ſame; how Nature hath ſupplied Man, and what ſupply from Art; Wee will look about the houſe now. I have already given the childe ſome leſſons, which may ſerve him in ſome ſtead, 1. when he riſeth up; 2. when he ſitteth at meat; 3. when he lieth down, 4. when he walketh abroad: ſo I ſhall be the quicker here, but running over, or skimming of things, firſt what is done in the houſe, ſome meane ſervices there, then the Creatures abroad, we will glean there.
1. We will not then neglect the Maid ſcumming the pot, there to the Spirit doth allude: A happy thing when Ezek. 2. 4.affliction is to us as fire to the pot, ſeething out our ſcum; but if our ſcum will not out, then what can we expect, but going out of one fire, another fire ſhall devoure us aEzek. 5. 15.?
2. I would gain but this here, That the moſt homely places, and ſervices in a houſe may yeeld us wholeſome, and ſavoury inſtructions. The moſt ſtinking kennell may be a meanes to purge us, that our throat be not like an open Sepulchre bRom. 3. 13., nor our communication corrupt cEph. 4. 29., like that we ſtop our noſe at.
3. We obſerve the Maid ſcraping her trenchers, and waſhing her diſhes; where the child doth learn, what ſmall account the world hath of their beſt ſervants d1 Cor. 4. 13.foreign, for they have, and ſtill doe, bear up the Pillars thereof, yet are they accounted of as we know and reade: we will ſee the diſh wiped alſo; That tells us from Gods owne mouth, what ſhall be done to that City or perſon wherein ſuch and ſuch abominations are found, God will wipe him as a man wipeth a diſh, turning it upſide down e2 Kings 21. 13..
2. We looke abroad now, and behold the hen gathering her chickens: ſo the Lord will gather His out-caſts. Men may caſt them out, He gathers them in; It is ſaid, Hee made His ſervants houſes, for they feared Him fEx. 1. 21.. And touching thoſe two ſo faithfull ſervants, it is ſaid, But the Lord hid them gJer. 36. 26, that is, Hee ſpread the great wing of His protection over them, then they were ſafe enough. S. John was obſerved ſtill leaning on Jeſus boſome hJoh. 13. 23.; no ſuch pillow in the world, there is ſecure reſt. All his Diſciples doe ſo, the whole Church is obſerved, Leaning upon her Beloved. They run thither, they commit all to Him, and under the ſhadow of His wing, they have ſure confidence. Our eye is not yet off from the hen, and her chickens, ſee how they wait upon the hand that feeds them, then they put their bills to the water, and look up, it is more then every man will doe.
3. We obſerve the ſwine, the moſt brutiſh creature that is, ſee how they run when the paile calls, that is their bell. We doe not look careleſly upon the Sow in the mire, a very great means to keep the man clean.
We will ſuppoſe now as we may, That the Sheep is with the Sow in the ſame mire; and if ſo, we will divide the whole world betwixt them two, and diſtinguiſh clearly thus; The one is where the would be, well content with its portion; The other not ſo, In the mire ſhe is, but it is death to her to bee where ſhe is.
The maintaining of theſe creatures before mentioned, put us to no expence. For three things there are, which ſeeme of no uſe to man, the one for their littleneſſe, the other for their ſlutriſhneſſe; crummes, outſhaken eorn, and waſh: ſee the wiſe providence of our God now: That nothing may be loſt, He hath provided creatures for the receiving of theſe, Poultry, and Swine; if we ſuffer any thing to be loſt, we have no excuſe, ir might have beene put to the waſh, or given to the Hen and her Chickens.
4. Wee goe to the ſtable, and obſerve the Horſe there, higher then a Lion, and though not ſo ſtrong, yet too ſtrong for the talleſt man in the Pariſh, but that the good Providence is ſuch, that he knoweth not his ſtrength, and ſo a Child may lead him.
5. See how acquainted the Oxe is with his Maſter, we know whom that upbraideth *Eſay 1. 3.even me and thee.
6. Goe we to the barne, obſerve the leaſt graine there, ſo little, you can but ſee it, yet hath it ſpread it ſelfe, and become a great tree aMat. 3. 31. Tremel.Truth of grace will quickly ſpread, labour wee after ſincerity, after an honeſt heart; a little grace there will increaſe mightily, for it is with the increaſe of God. 2. Wheat, the chiefeſt graine, none ſo common for uſe, none whoſe flowre is purer, none ſo carefully laid up. The Child muſt marke his Parents now, (ſervants may bee negligent) ſee how they pick it up, not a graine ſhall be loſt. This ſhews the happy peace, and ſecurity of all them who truly feare God: Though the be ſiſted with temptations &c. as wheat with a ſieve, yet ſhall not the leaſt graine fall upon the ground. 3. We Amos 9. 9.muſt obſerve the Sieve alſo; The Foole thought he could make it hold water, ſo hee ſet about the ſtopping up the holes, but when he viewed it well, hee ſpake out plainly, hee could not tell where to begin. To ſuch a confuſion the Church may be brought, they that beare good will to her, and would mend her breaches, may not know where to begin. It was the ſtate of the Germane Church an hundred yeares agoe, ſaith Melancthon, uſing the very Cam. in vita Mel. p. 29.compariſon; ſo confuſed they were in Doctrines and in Manners both. And then hee with others propheſied, of thoſe after deſolations, that very deluge of wrath, under which thoſe Churches lye now quite covered, waiting when the Lord will withdraw His hand, and call in thoſe waters, that the face of that land may againe appeare.
But let us note herewith, That hee was a Foole, who could diſcerne nothing but confuſion. Indeed the face of things may bee ſo overcaſted, as that a naturall eye can diſcerne nothing but foreign and foreign all things like a deſolate and empty wilderneſſe. But a cleared eye ſees a ſpirit moving there all that while: and hee knowes Light will come anon, the clearer, the thicker the darkneſſe was, and then he can track the prints of a Providence, which he cannot doe leſſe then adore: For it is His way, whoſe manner is, To carry His Church into Babel, there to give Deliverance; To give her into the enemies hands, thence to worke Redemption; Mic. 41.To bring her into the wilderneſſe, there to ſpeak comfortably to her; that ſhe Hoſ 2. 14.may ſpeak out to His praiſe; How, &c.aJob 26. 2, 3.
7. To the garden now, wee would obſerve there, what might bee obſerved, ſo in the Orchard too, but this cannot be, ſuch variety there is, Seeds, Herbs, Flowers, Plants, Trees, we can obſerve but this; and it is a great obſervation; What ever evil comes upon the earth, yet the tree which brings forth fruit ſhall bee ſpared. But if barren Deut. 20.there, better it had never beene there, for we know its doome. There may be a Snake there, the beſt places are not priviledged from ſuch Creatures, but if the Swine come thither, they make havock. The Bees are commonly thereabouts, but wee cannot ſtand to looke upon them, nor is it ſafe, for if they be Ira modum ſupra eſt, Virg. Georg. 4.ſtirred, they be very angry. There are bookes written of them, and yet all fearce enough to ſatisfie touching the beauty of their commonwealth. A certaine Philoſopher giving himſelfe 30. yeares to ſtudy the knowledge of B. Och. Ser. 3.all the properties in the Bee, could never perfectly attaine his deſigne. And very likely, for if a man will bee too curious in his inquiries, hee may loſe himſelfe in the ſearch. We muſt reade the booke of the Creatures, but not dwell upon them. Wee leave the Garden, and will goe no farther then the Fathers Wind-mill.