Garden — Meditation 5

BEeing with my friend in a Garden, we gathered each of us a Rose; he handled his tenderly, smel'd to it but seldom and sparingly, I alwayes kept it to my nose, or squeezed it in my hand, whereby in a very short time, it lost both colour and sweetness, but his still remained as sweet and fragrant as if it had been growing upon its own root. These Roses said I, are the true emblems of the best and sweetest creature-enjoyments in the world; which being moderately and cautiously used and enjoyed, may for a long time yield sweetness to the Possessor of them; but if once the affections seize too greedily upon them, and squeeze them too hard, they quickly wither in our hands, and we lose the comfort of them; and that either through the souls surfeiting upon them, of the Lord's righteous and just removal of them, because of the excess of our affections to them; earthly com[•]orts, like pictures, shew best at a due distance. It was therefore a good saying of Homer, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] &c.

Mihi nunquam is placet hospes

Qui valde preterque modum odid vel amat.

I like him not who at the rate

Of all his might does love or hate.

'Tis a point of excellent wisdom to keep the golden bridle of moderation, upon all the affections we exercise upon earthly things, and never to slip those reins, unless when they move towards God, in whose love there is no danger of excess.