hunted from place to place by blood-thirsty enemies. Upon this very account, the 22d Psalm, which treats of his death, is inscribed with the title of Aijeleth Shahar, which signifies the hind of the morning, and fully imports the same notion which this occasion presented me with; for look, as the hind or deer, which is intended to be run down that day, is roused by the dogs early in the morning, so was Christ, in the very morning of his infancy, by bloody Herod, and that cruel pack confederated with him. Thus was he chased from place to place, till that was fulfilled which was prophetically written of him in verse 16. of the fore-cited Psalm. 66 For dogs have compassed me about, the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet."

And canst thou expect, O my soul! to fare better than he did, or escape the rage of bloody men? Surely, if the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee, if his holiness have favored thee, these dogs will wind it, and give thee chase too; they go upon the scent of holiness still, and would hunt to destruction every one, in whom there is aliquid Christi, any thing of Christ, if the gracious providence of the Lord did not sometimes rate them off; for it is no less a pleasure which some wicked ones take in hunting the people of God, than what Claudian the poet observes men use to take in hunting wild beasts.

"Whilst weary buntsmen in the night do sleep,

"Their fancies in the woods still hunting keep."

Lord! should I with the hypocrite decline the profession and practice of holiness, to escape the rage of persecuting enemies, at what time they cease, my own conconscience would begin to hunt me like a blood-hound : let me rather choose to be chased by men than God, to flee before pursuing enemies, than be dogged from day to day with a guilty conscience.

MEDITATIONS UPON TREES.

MEDITATION I.

UPON THE FALL OF BLOSSOMS, NIPT BY A FROSTY MORNING.

BEHOLDING, in an early spring, fruit trees embossed with beautiful blossoms of various colors, which breathed forth their delicious odours into the circumambient air, and adorned the branches, on which they grew, like so many rich jewels, or glittering pendents; and further observing how these perfumed blossoms dropt off, being bitten with the frost, and discolored all the ground, as if a shower of snow had fallen; I said within myself, these sweet and early blossoms are not unlike my sweet and early affections to the Lord, in the days of my first acquaintance with him. O what fervent love, panting desires and heavenly delights beautified my soul in those days! The odoriferous scent of the sweetest blossoms, the morning breath of the most fragrant flowers, hath not half that sweetness with which those my first affections were enriched. O! happy time! thrice pleasant spring! My soul hath it still in remembrance, and is humbled within me; for these also were but blossoms, which now are nipt and faded; that first flourish is gone; my heart is like the winter's earth, because thy face, Lord, is to me like a winter sun. Awake, O north wind! and come, south wind, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; then let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit.

MEDITATION II.

UPON THE KNITTING OR SETTING OF FRUIT.

I HAVE often observed, that when the blossoms of a tree set and knit, though the flourish thereof be gone, and nothing but the bare rudiment of the expected fruit be left; yet then the fruit is much better secure from the danger of frosts and winds, than whilst it remained in the flower or blossom; for now it hath past one of those critical periods, in which so many trees miscarry and lose their fruit. And methought this natural observation fairly led me to this theological proposition, "That good motions and holy purposes in the soul, are never secured, and past their most dangerous crisis, till they be turned into fixed resolutions, and answerable executions, which is as the knitting and setting of them."

Upon this proposition my melting thoughts thus dilated: Happy had it been for thee, my soul, had all the blessed motions of the Spirit been thus knit and fixed in thee. Oh! how have mine affections blown and budded under the warm beams of the gospel! But a chill blast from the cares, troubles and delights of the world without, and the vanity and deadness of the heart within, have blasted all; my goodness hath been but as a morning dew, or early cloud, that vanisheth away. And even of divine ordinances, I may say what is said of human ordinances,

66

They have perished in the using." A blossom is but fructus imperfectus, et ordinabilis, an imperfect thing in itself, and something in order to fruit; a good motion and holy purpose is but opus imperfectum, et ordinabile, an imperfect work, in order to a complete work of the Spi

rit; when that primus impetus, those first motions were strong upon my heart, had I then pursued them in the force and vigour of them, how many difficulties might I have overcome? Revive thy work, O Lord, and give not to my soul a miscarrying womb, or dry breasts.

MEDITATION III.

UPON THE SIGHT OF A FAR SPREADING OAK.

WHAT a lofty flourishing tree is here? It seems rather to be a little wood, than a single tree, every limb thereof having the dimensions and branches of a tree in it; and yet, as great as it is, it was once but a little slip, which one might pull up with two fingers; this vast body was contained virtually and potentially in a small acorn. Well then, I will never despise the day of small things, nor despair of arriving at an eminency of grace, though at present it be but as a bruised reed, and the things that are in me be ready to die. As things in nature, so the things of the Spirit grow up to their fulness and perfection by slow and insensible degrees. The famous and heroical acts of the most renowned believers were such as themselves could not once perform, or, it may be, think they ever should. Great things, both in nature and grace, come from small and contemptible beginnings.

MEDITATION IV.

UPON THE SIGHT OF MANY STICKS LODGED IN THE BRANCHÉS OF A CHOICE FRUIT-TRFE.

How is this tree battered with stones, and loaded with sticks, that have been thrown at it, whilst those that grow about it, being barren, or bearing harsher fruit, escape untouched! Surely if its fruit had not been so good, its usage had not been so bad. And yet it is affirmed that some trees, as the walnut, &c. bear the better for being thus bruised and battered.

Even thus it fares in both respects with the best of men; the more holy, the more envied and persecuted; every one that passes by will have a fling at them. Methinks I see how devils and wicked men walk round about the people of God, whom he hath enclosed in his arms of power, like so many boys about an orchard, whose lips water to have a fling at them. But God turns all the

stones of reproach into precious stones to his people; they bear the better for being thus battered.

them is that ancient observation verified :

"The palms and crowns of virtue thus increase;
"Thus persecution's turned into peace."

And in

Let me be but fruitful to God in holiness, and ever abounding in the work of the Lord, and then, whilst devils and men are flinging at me, either by hand or tongue persecutions, I will sing amidst them all with the divine poet :

"What open force, or hidden charm

"Can blast my fruits, or bring me harm,
"Whilst the inclosure is thine arm?"

HEBR. POEM. p. 125.