XL.-UPON SUCKERS IN A FRUIT TREE. FROM the suckers before observed in a fruit tree, I had also the following meditation. Observing how they grew rank by the nourishment that should have fed the tree, and sucked that sap that should have made other branches to bear; and as they were unprofitable themselves, so they rendered the rest almost useless: I thought they much resembled those new opinions which professors sometimes espouse to themselves; and because they differ from others, they therefore think themselves more holy than their neighbours, and hold their heads higher; and verily believe growing in opinion is growing in grace. Now those opinions are ofttimes the offspring of their own fancy; and many times pernicious errors, or at least unprofitable things, or matters of no great importance: yet are these opinions suffered to suck all the sap that should maintain the vitals of religion, so that the whole tree is thereby rendered useless and unprofitable. How many are there in our age that might have brought God much glory, and his church much good who have spent their time and their strength, and laid out their zeal simply for the promoting their own opinion, perhaps an error, or at best but some lesser disputable truth; perhaps about some circumstance of worship, when in the 140 UPON SUCKERS IN A FRUIT TREE. meantime the very fundamentals of religion are neglected, and the very vitals languish for want of nourishment; for seldom do you see a contentious Christian eminent in the power of godliness. Many men, when they have adopted an opinion, subject it not to the rule, but bring the rule to it; yea, shut their eyes against all that makes not for it. They are as zealous for their opinion, as if the whole of religion consisted in it; and as if they could hardly be Christians who were not of their mind, when perhaps for sixteen hundred years they cannot find a man of their judgment; and all this while forgetting that the power of godliness, and a holy life, are the main things in religion; for whatever is in the head, if not in the heart also, is worth nothing. They spend so much of their strength and zeal for externals, that they neglect the internals; they have so much zeal for or against ceremonies, that they neglect the substance. Yet mistake me not, my design is not to make men careless in lesser points, but more careful in greater. I would not have them think any sin small, or neglect any known duty, but I would have them proportion their zeal according to the weight of the matter, and not spend it all upon lesser matters, and neglect the main. I would have no man neglect his little finger, yet would I have him in the first place secure his head and heart. He may be a man if he want his little finger, but not without his head and his heart. He may be a Christian, though he err about the modes and circumstances of worship; but he cannot without holiness and since UPON SUCKERS IN A FRUIT TREE. 141 rity. "Let all things," saith the apostle, "be done decently and in order," 1 Cor. xiv. 40: a necessary rule, but so extremely perverted, that I conceive, through men's corruption, it has produced more indecency and disorder than any one Scripture besides, the Papists and others making this the foundation of all their needless ceremonies. But to return to the point in hand: my desire and design is to persuade men to maintain the vitals of religion, in the first place, and let the strength of their zeal be laid out on them; and for lesser points, if disputable, let every man be satisfied in his own conscience, and grant some allowance to others who differ in their judgments, till they themselves are infallibly sure that they hold no errors. Take Christ's counsel, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again,” Matt. vii. 1, 2. Many men are quick-sighted abroad, but blind at home. Read the apostle's counsel, Rom. xiv. 1—3, etc. O my soul, spend not thy time and strength in trifles, when thou hast other work to do. Let thy greatest zeal be laid out on matters of greatest moment. Maintain the vitals of religion, and these will maintain thee. Do not doat upon the conceptions of thy own fancy, neither censure those that differ from thee in circumstantials. Love Christ wherever thou seest him, though in one of another judgment. Lord, make me upright in the main, and to employ and improve all my strength for thee. XLI.-UPON A FAIR BUT FRUITLESS TREE. WHEN I saw a fair and large-spreading tree, which overtopped and overlooked all the rest, which had a flourishing head, and a promising show, and gave great hopes of fruit to all the beholders; but drawing near, as Christ did, to the leafy figtree, Matt. xxi. 19, expecting fruit, I found none; its whole strength was spent in bringing forth leaves, when others which were less promising were richly laden with fruit: so apt are we to mistake, if we judge at a distance. When I had seriously considered it, I thought this tree resembled some high-flown professor that makes a great show in the world, and seems, like Saul, higher by the head than others are, and haply disdains them as not fit for their society; for oftentimes hypocrites do so by their poor brethren called weak Christians. These you may frequently hear commending their own attainments and their own enjoyments, their gifts and their communion with God; and speaking of their holy raptures, their assurance, and such, like; and scarcely acknowledging those as Christians who have not indubitable evidence of their salvation, or who can lie under fears and doubts, complaining of the hardness of their hearts, the load of corruption that lies upon them, their want of communion with God, and fellowship with Jesus Christ, the want of assurance, and such like. But when I have come a little nearer to UPON A FAIR BUT FRUITLESS TREE. 143 them, and more heedfully observed their course of life, I saw that many of these great confidents bear little more than leaves; and that where there was so much of the tongue, there seemed to be but little of the heart; and their religious duties, especially in their family, were cold enough, and answered not to their lofty pretensions : often the doubting Christians were more constant and spiritual in their performances; their lives and conversations were more holy towards God, and more righteous towards men than the others were who bare more leaves, but less fruit. Upon this observation, I thought the two classes fitly resembled the Pharisee and the Publican, Luke xviii. 10-14: the one brags of his worth, the other is ashamed of his duties; the one comes with confidence into God's presence, but the other with fear: but Christ tells us that the publican was the better man, and better welcome. All is not gold that glitters. It is the aspiring ear of corn that is most likely to be blasted, while such as hang the head are usually the most fruitful; it is the humble, self-denying Christian that bears most fruit to God, and is most likely to be useful in his generation. God dwells in the high and holy heavens, "with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble," Isa. lvii. 15. The strongest Christian is most sensible of his own wants and weaknesses, as the wisest philosopher could say, "I know nothing but that I know nothing." I dare not then prefer an over-confident boaster before a humble Christian; I had rather judge by their life than by their language. There are many |