▼ ▼ OULD any man think to find such rare delicious fruit upon such an unworthy tree to appearance as this is ? I should rather have expected the most delicious fruit from the most handsom.e and flour- ishing trees; but I see I must neither judge the worth of trees or men by their external form and appearance. This is not the first time I have been deceived in judging by that rule; under fair and promising outsides I have found nothing of worth ; and in many deformed despicable bodies I have found precious and richly furnished souls. The sap and juice of this scrubbed tree is concocted into rare and excellent fruits, whilst the juice and sap of some other fair, but barren trees, serves only to keep them from rotting, which is all the use that many souls (which dwell in beautiful bodies) serve for ; they have (as one saith) animam pro sale ; their souls are but salt to their bodies. Or thus,
The only use to which their souls do serve, Is but like salt their bodies to preserve.
If God have given me a sound soul in a sound body, I have a double mercy to bless him for ; but whether my body be vigorous and
* Crescunt virtiUum palmee, crescuntqiie coronte MxitantUT mundi pTcelia^ pace Dei.
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. 199
beautiful, or not, yet let my soul be so : for as the esteem of this tree, so the esteem and true honour of every man, rises rather from 2ii« fruitfulness and usefulness, than from his shape and form.
Upon an excellent, but irregular Tree.
Seeing a tree grow somewhat irregular, in a very neat orchard, I told the owner it was pity that tree should stand there ; and that if it were mine I would root it up, and thereby reduce the orchard to an exact uniformity. It was replied to this purpose, ' That he * rather regarded the fruit than the form ;■* and that this slight in- conveniency was abundantly preponderated by a more considerable advantage. This tree, said lie^ which you would root up, hath yielded me more fruit than many of those trees which have nothing else to commend them but their regular situation. I could not but yield to the reason of this answer ; and could wish it had been spo- ken so loud, that all our uniformity-men had heard it, who will not stick to root up many hundred of the best bearers in the Lord's orchard, because they stand not in an exact order wdth other more conformable, but less beneficial trees, who perdunt substant'iam propter accidentia, destroy the fruit to preserve the form.
Not much unlike, such foolish men are those, That strive for shadows, and the substance lose.
Meditations upon a Garden.
Upon the new-modelling' of a Gai'den.
J\. Gentlewoman who had lately seen a neat and curious garden, returns to her own with a greater dislike of it than ever ; resolves to new-model the whole plat, and reduce it to a better form. She is now become so curious and neat, that not a weed or stone is suf- fered in it, but all must lie in exquisite order; and whatever orna- ment she had observed in her neighbour's, she is now restless till she sees it in her own.
Happy were it, thought I, if in an holy emulation every one would thus endeavour to rectify the disorders of their own conversation, by the excellent graces they behold in the more heavenly and regular lives of others. Some Christians there are (I wish their number were greater) whose actions lie in such a comely and beautiful order, that few of their neighbours can look upon their examples without
9M HtTSBANDIlT SPlItlTUALIZED ; OB,
self-coiiviction and shame ; but few are so happy to be provoked into self-reibrmation by such rare patterns. I see it is much easier to puU up many weeds out of a garden, than one corruption out of the heart; and to procure an hundred flowers to adorn a knot, than one grace to beautify the soul. It is more natural to corrupt man to envy, than to imitate the spiritual excellencies of others.
Upon the jnilUng up of a Leek.
WHITE head and a green tail ! How well doth this resemble an old wanton lover, whose green youthful lusts are not extinguished, though his white head declares that nature is almost so ! Gray hairs should be always matched with grave deportments ; and the sins of youth should rather be the griefs than pleasures of old age. It is sad when the sins of the soul, like the diseases of the body, grow stronger, as nature grows weaker : and it recals to my mind that ancient observation of * Menander :
" It is the worst of evils, to behold
" Strong youthful lusts to rage in one that's old."
It is a thousand pities, that those who have one foot in the grave, should live as if the other were in hell ! that their lusts should be so lively, when their bodies are three parts dead ! Such sinful practices, bring upon them more contempt and shame, than their hoary heads, and reverend faces can procure them honour.
" Gray hairs, and aged wrinkles, did of old " Procure more reverence than bags of gold-f*."
But alas ! how little respect or reverence can the hoary head ob- tain amongst wise men, except it be found in the way of righteous- ness "^ I think the lowest esteem is too much for an old servant of the devil ; and the highest honour little enough for an ancient and faithful servant of Christ.
Upon a heedless tread in a curious Garden.
Jl ASSING through the «mall divisions of a curious knot, which was richly adorned with rare tulips, and other beautiful flowers ;
* Ti^c/ovo6s^cc?7ig sc^^ar*] xa.y.r] tuzyj,
Senex amore captus, ultimum malum. Menand. •^ Magna Juit capitis quondam reverentia cam,
Inque suo pretio ruga senilis eraU Ovid. 5 Fast.
TirE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. 201
I was very careful to shun these flowers, which indeed had no other worth to commend them, but their exquisite colour; and unad- visedly trod upon and spoiled an excellent choice herb, which, though it grew obscurely, yet had rare physical virtues in it.
When I was made sensible of the involuntary trespass I had com- mitted, I thought I could scarcely make the owner a better compen- sation, than by telhng him, that herein (though against ray will) I did but tread in the footsteps of the greatest part of the world who are very careful (as T was) to keep their due distance from splendid, though worthless gallants, mean while trampling upon, and crushing imder foot the obscure, but most precious servants of God in the world. As little do they heed these most excellent persons, as I did this precious herb.
Summa ingenia in occulta soepe latent, saith Plautus.
Rare wits, and herbs, sometimes do sculk and shrink In such blind holes, as one would little think.
For my own part, I desire ta tread upon no man with the foot of contempt and pride, much les& upon any good man ; and that I may not, it concerns me to look before I step ; I mean, to consider before I censure : had I done so by this rare herb, I had never luirt it.
Upmi a withered posy taken up in the way.