XXVI. UPON A ROSE AMONG THORNS.

WHEN I beheld and considered how the rose grew and flourished, and came to perfection amongst the thorns and prickles that surrounded it, and was not hurt, but rather defended by them, and preserved from its other enemies; I thought it represented the church here in the world. For as here, there are a thousand prickles for one rose, and yet this rose is preserved; so in the world, it may probably be conjectured, there are a thousand wicked men (who are compared to thorns) for one that is godly. The church, in her militant condition, while she is in the world, is compared to the lily among the thorns; "As the lily among thorns," saith Christ," so is my love among the daughters," Cant. ii. 2. The wicked are indeed to the believer what the Canaanites were to the children of Israel; pricks in the eyes, and thorns in the sides, Numb. xxxiii. 55; "the best of them is a brier: and the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge," Micah vii. 4; yet are they not altogether useless. As thorns by God's providence are made serviceable for the defence of better fruit, so the wicked often prove serviceable to the church, and a defence to better men. Though briers and thorns were yet useful to Israel; and so we are told, "the earth helped the woman, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth," Rev. xii. 16.

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The nature of wicked men is not to do good, but to rend and tear; but God alters their nature, at least restrains their rage, for his people's sake. The church of God is as a bush burning, but not consumed. When potent princes have sought its destruction, God hath frustrated their designs; sometimes by setting them at variance with one another. So Ammon, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, destroy each other, when they had decreed to destroy Israel, 2 Chron. xx. 23; and the council could not agree against Paul, Acts xxiii. 7. God maintained Noah against a world of wicked men; and Lot, in the midst of Sodom; and Israel, in Egypt; and Mordecai, against Haman and all his enemies; and he often gives his people favour in the eyes of those who, were they not restrained, would become their mortal enemies and their bloody persecutors.

O my soul, admire the providence and wisdom of God, that can bring light out of darkness, order out of confusion, good out of evil; and can turn a curse into a blessing, and make his churches' enemies become their friends. Thou wast one of those thorns, and thy nature was as bad; and if God hath taken thee off the stock of nature, and planted thee in that choice vine, bless his name: no thanks are due to thee. If now thou art a rose, though encompassed by a thousand thorns, he will defend thee; if thy ways please God, thy enemies themselves shall be at peace with thee, Prov. xvi. 7. Sin is the only enemy between God and the soul; and if God have a controversy with the sinner, all the creatures are presently up in arms to bring in

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the rebel, and wait but for a commission to take away his life. But if God be reconciled to thee, no enemy can hurt thee; no weapon formed against his church shall ever prosper, Isa. liv. 17. When Jacob had made his peace with God, neither Laban nor Esau could quarrel with him; though, it is thought, both came forth with murderous intentions. A godly man shall be "in league with the stones of the field; and the beasts of the field shall be at peace" with him, Job v. 23. "Fear not, little flock," saith Christ, "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," Luke xii. 32. And it is better to be of the little number of roses, than the great number of thorns. It is better to be with Noah in the ark, than with the whole world in the flood; and to go to heaven alone, than to hell with company. If thou art a rose, ere long thou shalt be put into Christ's bosom: if thou art a thorn, ere long thou shalt be cast into the fire.

Ŏ my God, I am wild by nature. If grapes grow on thorns, or figs on thistles, it is thy doing to alter the stock, and transplant it. If I be a thorn, Lord, change my nature if I be a rose, Lord, preserve me in the midst of mine enemies, till I come to maturity, and then lodge me in thy own bosom.

Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, Eph. ii. 12, 13.

XXVII. UPON THE RECEIVING IN OF THE FRUITS.

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At the end of the year, when I received in the crop, the fruits of the earth, for which I had laboured, and for which I had long waited, I was put in mind of the reward which believers shall receive at the last day, at the hand of God, for all the labour, toil, and trouble they have had, which will be a better recompense than the earth can give the husbandman for his pains. "Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not," Gal. vi. 9. "He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting," ver. 8. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him," Psa. cxxvi. 5, 6. "Be patient therefore, brethren," saith the apostle, "unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of he Lord draweth nigh," James v. 7, 8. Now elievers sow the seed, and water it with their ears; but it is not long before the reward comes: Behold, I come quickly," saith Christ," and

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my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be," Rev. xxii. 12. Hold out faith and patience," saith the martyr," your work will presently be at an end." Hope holds up the husbandman's heart, and may much more the Christian's. These things also put me in mind of the great harvest, at the end of the world, when the great Husbandman shall send out his servants, the angels, to reap down his field, and gather in his corn. "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world," Matt. xiii. 38-40. The day is coming when all shall be brought to judgment, and the precious shall be separated from the vile; the good corn shall be brought into the barn, but the tares are reserved for the fire.

O my soul, what seed hast thou sown against that harvest? Hast thou sown to the flesh? then of the flesh thou wilt reap corruption. If to the Spirit, thou wilt of the Spirit reap life everlasting? What grain art thou? art thou wheat, or tares? Rest not satisfied till thou know that thou art wheat, and neither with the tares bring forth bad fruit, nor with the chaff fly away with the wind. It is not enough to have a flourishing blade; so the stony ground had, and yet came to nothing. It is not enough to make a profession of religion; so the foolish virgins did, they had lamps but no oil; a profession, but no grace. It is not enough