Garden — Meditation 7

HOw much care is necessary to preserve the life of some Flowers? They must be boxed up in the Winter, others must be covered with glasses in their springing up, the finest and richest mould must be sifted about the roots, and assiduously watered, and all this little enough, and sometimes too little to preserve them, while other common and worthless flowers grow without any help of ours; yea, we have no less to do, to rid our gardens of them, than we have to make the former gr[•]w there.

Thus stands the case with our hearts, in reference to the motions of grace and sin. Holy thoughts of God must be assiduously watered by prayer, earthed up by Meditation, and defended by watchfulness; and yet all this is sometimes too little to preserve them alive in our souls. Alas! the heart is a soyl that agrees not with them, they are tender things, and a small matter will nip and kill them. To this purpose is the complaint of the divine Poet.

Who would have thought a joy so coy?

To be offended so, and go

So suddenly away.

Hereafter I had need take heed.

Ioyes among other things have wings,

And watch their opportunities of flight,

Converting in a moment day to night.

But vain thoughts, and unholy suggestions, these spread themselves, and root deep in the heart, they naturally agree with the soyl; so that it is almost impossible at any time to be rid of them. 'Tis hard to forget what is our sin to remember.