distance from splendid, though worthlefs gallants, mean while trampling upon, and crufhing under foot the obfcure, but most precious fervants of God in the world. As little do they heed these most excellent perfons, as I did this precious herb. Summa ingenia in occulto fæpe latent, faith Plautus. Rare wits, and herbs, fometimes do fculk and shrink In fuch blind holes, as one would little think. For my own part, I defire to tread upon no man with the foot of contempt and pride, much less upon any good man; and that I may not, it concerns me to look before I step; mean, to confider before I cenfure: had I done fo by this rare herb, I had never hurt it. F MEDIT. IV. Upon a withered pofy taken up in the way. Inding in my walk, a pofy of once sweet and fragrant, but now dry and withered flowers, which I suppose to be thrown away by one that had formerly worn it: thus, faid I, doth the unfaithful world ufe its friends, when providence hath blafted and withered them; whilst they are rich and honourable, they will put them into their bofoms, as the owner of this pofy did, whilft it was fresh and fragrant, and as cafily throw them away as ufelefs and worthlefs things, when thus they come to be withered. Such ufage as this Petronius long fince complained of. "Are they in honour? Then we smile like friends; "And with their fortunes all our friendship ends." But this loofe and deceitful friend ftinks fo odioufly in the very noftrils of nature, that a † heathen poet feverely taxes and condemns it as moft unworthy of a man. ""Tis bafe to change with fortune, and deny A faithful friend, because in poverty." And is this indeed the friendship of the world? Doth it thus use them whom once it honoured? Then, Lord! let me never feek its friendship. O let me efteem the smiles and honours of men lefs, and thy love and favour more! thy love is indeed unchangeable, being pure, free, and built upon nothing that is * Cum fortuna manet vultum fervatis amici, Petronius mutable; thou never ferveft thy friends as the world doth its darlings. B MEDIT. V. Upon the fudden withering of a rose. Eing with my friend in a garden, we gathered each of us arofe; he handled his tenderly, fmelled to it but feldom, and fparingly; I always kept it to my nofe, or fqueezed it in my hand, whereby in a very fhort time it loft both colour and fwetnefs, but his ftill remained as sweet and fragrant as if it had been growing upon its own root. These rofes, faid I, are the true emblems of the beft and sweetest creature-enjoyments in the world, which being moderately and cautiously used and enjoyed, may for a long time yield fweetnefs to the poffeffor of them; but if once the affection feize too greedily upon them, and squeeze them too hard, they quickly wither in our hands, and we lofe the comfort of them, and that either thro' the foul's furfeiting upon them, or the Lord's righteous and juft removal of them, because of the excefs of our affections to them; earthly comforts, like pictures, fhew beft at a due diftance. It was therefore a good faying of * Homer, 'Arde ξεινοδόκως &c. "I like him not, who at the rate "Of all his might doth love or hate.". It is a point of excellent wisdom to keep the golden bridle of moderation upon all the affections we exercife upon earthly things, and never to flip those reins, unless when they move towards God, in whofe love there is no danger of excess. Upon the fudden withering of beautiful flowers. OW fresh and orient did these flowers lately appear, when being dafhed over with the morning dew, they flood in all their pride and glory, breathing out their delicious odours, which perfumed the air round about them, but now are wither... ed and thrivelled up, and have neither any defireable beauty or favour in them. So vain a thing is the admired beauty of creatures, which fo captivates the hearts, and exercises a pleafing tyranny over * Mihi nunquam is placet hofpes Qui valde preterque modum odit vel amat, Homer. the affections of vain man, yet it is as fuddenly blafted as the beauty of a flower +. "How frail is beauty! In how short a time "It fades, like rofes, which have past their prime. If then thou delightest in beauty, O my foul! chufe that which is lafting. There is a beauty which never fades, even the beauty of holinefs upon the inner man; this abides fresh and orient for ever, and sparkles gloriously, when thy face (the feat of natural beauty) is become an abhorrent and loathfome fpectacle. Holinefs enamels and sprinkles over the face of the foul with a beauty, upon which Chrift himself is enamoured; even imperfect holiness on earth is a rofe that breathes fweetly in the bud; in heaven it will be full-blown, and abide in its prime to all eternity. MEDIT. VII. Upon the tenderness of fome choice flowers. WOW much care is neceffary to preserve the life of fome flowers! they must be boxed up in the winter, others must be covered with glaffes in their fpringing up, the finest and richest mould must be fifted about the toots, and affiduoufly watered, and all this little enough, and fometimes too litde to preferve them; whilft other common, and worthlefs flowers, grow without any help of ours: Yea, we have no lefs to do to rid our gardens of them, than we have to make the former grow there. Thus ftands the cafe with our hearts, in reference to the motions of grace and fin. Holy thoughts of God must be affiduouffy watered by prayer, earthed up by meditation, and defended by watchfulness; and yet all this is fometimes too little to preferve them alive in our fouls. Alas! the heart is a foil that + Forma bonum fragile eft, quantumque accedit ad annos, Fit minor, et fpatio carpitur ipfa fuo. Nec femper violae, nec femper lilia florent, Tempus erit quo vos fpeculum vidiffe pigebit, Ff Ovid, de Art, agrees not with them, they are tender things, and a small matter will nip and kill them. To this purpose is the complaint of the divine Poet. Who would have thought a joy fo coy To be offended fo, and go So fuddenly away? take heed. Joys among other things And watch their opportunities of flight, HERBERT. But vain thoughts, and unholy fuggeftions, these spread themselves, and root deep in the heart; they naturally agree with the foil: So that it is almoft impoffible, at any time, to be rid of them. It is hard to forget, what is our fin to remember. MEDIT. VIII. Upon the strange means of preserving the life of vegetables. Obferve that plants and herbs are fometimes killed by I yet fronts they would neither thrive: They are fometimes drowned with water, and yet Welcome, my health, this fickness makes me well. When with difeafes I have lift to dwell, I'll wish for Welcome, my ftrength, this weakness makes me able. When I am weary grown of standing stable} Welcome, my wealth, this lofs hath gain'd me more. When I again grow greedy to be poor, Welcome, my credit, this disgrace is glory. When for renown and fame I fhall be sorry, you. Welcome content, this forrow is my joy. When I defire fuch griefs as may annoy, Health, strength, and riches, credit and content, And if by these contrary and improbable ways the Lord preferves our fouls in life, no marvel then we find such strange and feemingly contradictory motions of our hearts, under the various dealings of God with us, and are still restless, in what condition foever he puts us; which restless frame was excel lently expreffed in that pious epigram of the reverend Gataker, made a little before his death. I thirst for thirstinefs, I weep for tears, I cannot chufe but live, because I die; And fear, left carefulness take care for me. Ff2 |