being applyed to this use is of more worth to the Patentee then all the waxe in the Countrey beside so standeth it with the outward Elements in the matter of the Sacrament The bread and wine are not changed in substance from being the same with that which is served at ordinary Tables but in respect of the sacred use whereunto they are consecrated such a change is made that now they differ as much from common bread and wine as heaven from earth XLIV As Waspes making musick about a gally-pot shew plainly that they came only for the honey that is in it So the rich man hath many friends although in truth riches have them and not the man As the Asse that carried the Egyptian goddesse had many bowed knees yet not to the beast but to the burden For separate the riches from the person and thou shalt see friendship leave the man and follow that which was ever her object while he may command and can either give or controll he hath attendance and profer of love at all hands but which of those daâ—es acknowledge him when he is going to prison for debt XLV As they who temper bitter cups for children first rub the mouth with honey that that heedlesse age when it shall perceive the sweetnesse shall not feele and feare the bitternesse so deale witches and wizards using good words lawfull meanes and prayer but as Chrysost. for that cause hate and detest them the more because they viâ—ely abuse the name of God professing themselves Christians they doe the workes of Heathens for so the Devills confesse the name of God and yet were Devills still XLVI Gods Law saith David is sweeter then boney and the honey-combe the meaning whereof is we must not be mercenary in his service but the pleasure we take in it must be the cause why we intertaine it therefore it is not without cause that God requires the heart yet he will have it seasoned with love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and love it the fulfilling of the Law XLVII He that will have a good conscience that shall give in good evidence for him and pronounce a comfortable sentence on him must beleeve well and live well faith doth purifie the heart and a good life beareth the fruit that aboundeth to our reckoning when we judge our owne soules But a man must not looke to have this blessing of a good conscience suddenly Vade ad formicam piger some read it Vade ad apem Goe to the Bee O sluggard she gathereth her food in summer whereof she maketh use in winter Gods Bee that is a man that will have such a good conscience riseth early hasteth to the Church heares often prayes often meditates often and so doth acquire this absolving conscience Colligentem in aestate videre potes comedentem in hieme videre non potes The outward meanes which he useth are visible but the inward which when time serveth he reapeth are invisible XLVIII Bees are not like the Bramble that receive all good and yeild none to others to their dependants but are like the fig-tree the vine the olive they that belong to them that care for them are all the better for â—â—ey are inriched by them If the Bees have any excellency the Bee-master shall communicate with them A good patterne for Kings and Governours who should herein imitate the Bees when a man seeth an excellent worke he guesseth that the workman was excellent though he seeth him not so the eminency of the Governour may be seene when he is not seene it may be seene in the eminency of his people XLIX Bees sometimes sting but ordinarily without any great or long prejudice The danger is nothing in comparison of the biting of an Adder which is even unto death death speedie death painfull and wofull and that as naturally and as inevitably as Opium procureth sleepe or Ellebore purgeth or any poyson killeth So though every sinne unrepented hath wrath and judgement following of it hard at the heeles yet some sinnes are more pernicious Woe and alas sorrow and strife shame povertie and diseases are enough as Solomon notes to make drunkennesse odious but because as he observed drunkards are men past shame and grace senslesse of blowes and therefore much more of reasons and words being bewitched and besotted with the love of wine will easily over-see and over-leape these pettie woes therefore Solomon sets before their eyes the diresull end and fruit the black and poyson-full tangle of this sinne In the end it stingeth like a Serpent it biteth like an Adder if once a custome ever a necessitie Wine takes away the heart and spoyles the braine overthrowes the faculties and organs of repentance and resolution And it is just with God that he that will put out his naturall light should have his spirituall extinguished he that will deprive himselfe of reason should lose also the guide and Pilot of reason Gods Spirit and grace L. Bees howsoever some conceipt to the contrary are much advanced and advantaged by the winter there is thereby not only a preparing of the earth for a vigorous production of flowers but a long rest and sleepe doth strongly dispose and fit them both for breeding and also honey-gathering Whereas we may observe especially in dry seasons though the weather be very faire and there be some flowers yet are they not very beneficiall And it is needfull for Christians to find the presence of Christ in the way of humiliation and debasement causing us to afflict our owne soules as to seele his presence joy and comfort In this life we cannot be without this gracious dispensation We may therefore comfort our selves that howsoever Christ leaves us yet he will alwayes leave somewhat behind him as he left Myrrhe after him upon the handle of the doore some Myrrhe is left alwayes behind upon the soule which keepes it in a frame and state of grace and sweetnesse Myrrhe was one of the ingredients in the holy oyle as it is and so this leaving of Myrrhe behind him signifies the oyle of grace left upon the soule that inabled the Church to doe all those things which are spoken of Cant. 5. 6. LI. Mercy comes naturally from God like honey from the Bee but justice like the sting only when she is provoked LII Bees in their first being while wormes are uncapable of any excellency of any abilitie to profit themselves or others yet they must for a time abide in it and then they must dye that they may be changed and so become agill able usefull creatures As they which dye cloath doe not immediately change one contrary into another but first turne a white into an azure and that into a graine colour And as those that work in wax cannot frame any new impression in it till the old be defaced So the image of the Prince of this world the Devill must first
defence of the publique although they die in the conflict But how farre short are many Christians in their practises in any publique cause where the glory of God is concerned or the common good interested you shall have them beare all quietly Oh saith he you must have patience and beare with small matters but in a cause that toucheth his owne particular say himselfe be concerned in his penny in his peace in his reputation or the like then none are so fiery none so furious he is all upon a flame then no penaltie is thought too great no disgrace too heavie for such a person that hath done him displeasure Whereas a meeke Christian in his owne cause will be meeke and silent but in Gods cause zealous and earnest See it in Moses when he was censured disparaged reviled he beares it quietly pockets it up without distemper but at another time when the cause was publique when it concerned the glory of God and the good of the Church then none so zealous none so fiery as Moses he cannot brooke nor beare XXXIII Bees in Iuly extract honey out of many and various flowers but yet by little and little and in a small proportion but if a honey-dew then falls in a short space are they largely replenished and have a triplication of their sweetes and a full refection with their Nectar Holy prayers meditations and intercourses with God private readings soule-soliloquies and spirituall discourses are intertainers and satisfiers of the Saints recessities but in publique solemnities God opens his treasures powers out his graces more abundantly private devotions and secret offices of religion are like refreshings of a garden with the distilling and pettie drops of a watering pot but addresses to the Temple and serving God in the publique communion of Saints is like raine from heaven where the offices are described by a publique spirit hightened by the greater portion of assistance and receives advantages by the adunations and symbols of charity and increment by their distinct title to promises appropriate even to their assembling and mutuall support by the piety of example by the communication of counsels by the awfulnesse of publique observation and the engagements of holy customes XXXIV Drones to the eye are goodly creatures fairer and larger then the working Bees they make a great noise and lowd buzzing flie often forth in the heate of the day as if they were busie to advance the publique good but they are all emptie and vain glorious shewes for they contribute nothing to the publique store but when after a few wanton vagaries they have emptied themselves and whetted their stomacks they returne into the hive and liberally feede of the Bees labours So one writes of young Marius that by reason of the stoutnesse of his talke and gesture he obtained to be called the sonne of Mars but when he came to proofe he gained a new name and was called the sonne of Venus Thus many in their words appeare gracious but by their actions are basely effeminate and sickle wanton and idle XXXV Some hives will lie out two or three yeares together and not swarme or if they doe very late and then ten to one but they miscarrie and die both the old stock and the swarme too Now the best way to preserve such a stock is timely to drive it into an emptie hive and the Bees being many will provide themselves sufficiently against winter and swarme seasonably another yeare so that in some cases driveing is not an undoing and destruction but a preservation of the stock Thus the gardiner cuts off a graft or siens to plant it into a new stock not to burne it So the Lord sometimes cuts off a sinner from his abhominations but he will not cast him into hell and the Lord melts the heart of a poore sinner but consumes him not but as the Goldsmith melts his gold not to consume it all away but to make it a better vessell so the Lord melts a poore sinner to make him a vessell of glory The Lord will fire this proud heart of yours and clip off those knotty lusts but if you belong to him he will leave a little remainder of hope that you shall be formed and fashioned anew not consumed XXXVI The Queene Bee is a very amiable creature and of a brighter colour and more transparent hue then other Bees she is somewhat yellow under the belly and on her legges enclining to a golden colour and this colour intimates her princely nature her royall blood and soveraigne dignitie Some Heralds tell us that none ought to beare gold-yellow colour in armes but Emperours and Kings and such as be of the blood royall Oh that none would beare the glittering shew of profession and holinesse but those that are of the race of Jesus Christ the King of Kings then should we not be as the Priests Prince and people of Israel a snare in Mispah to the simple and a net spread on mount Tabor to catch them that know us not with an opinion of good men and good women faithfull Christians and true beleevers when we are nothing lesse XXXVII The Bees worke is admirable orderly and geometrically proportionable all full of wonder whereas the Waspes and Hornets combes for substance are unprofitable drosse although they be hexangle cels and somewhat orderly framed downwards yet upwards have no beautie are nothing so polite and accurate But the Humble Bees combes are but rude lumpes a little hollowed for their owne end and use To these three sorts may we compare the obedience of most men professing Religion there is the obedience of the common Protestant perhaps somewhat more then a Pagane performes yet a rude and indigested devotion heaped up together by law and custome Then there is the obedience of the hypocrite in many things resembling true devotion super-fine carriages but yet on one side only to man-ward somewhat exact and formall but to God-ward rudely carelesse and negligent Whatsoever is done is not done with respect to God and conscience of his commandments Lastly there is the obedience of the true beleever arising from a grounded knowledge of the will of God and faith and from a holy feare and love of God conscientiously and respectively to approve himselfe to God in the discharge of his duties and it is exactly modelized and squared according to the rule of Gods word XXXVIII It is an observation that a man cannot draw even in naturall things a long straight line perfectly exact except he draw it by some rule It is not the steddiest hand that can doe it exactly but there will be some crookes And therefore men use to take a rule to draw a line by Certainly it must be so in spirituall obedience a man must have an eye to the word of God and make that his card and compasse to saile by make that the rule and warrant of his actions or else though he hit as it were hab nab at
find excuse or pitie but what shadow of excuse can shelter his malice that drew him to the act Man is a thing easily perswaded to error Cereus in vitium flâ—cti like waxe wrought to a softnesse that will receive the figure of any vice And yet we blame not his softnesse but lament him whose credulity and easie temper betrayes him to every temptation If we lay the occasion of mans fault aright we must lay it on the tempter At his allurements did Adams obedience relent his perswasions heated him with the inordinate desire of knowledge he chaft this waxe mollifying it with such art that it received his authenticall seale of damnation by which sinne was made currant in the world LXX A man findes God in his word as he seekes him by prayer and no otherwise wax receives impression as it is prepared LXXI If Bees be once provoked they are fiery and furious violent and virulent though to their owne ruine and destruction implacable and unappeasable with opposition and resistance And such is the impatient man he hath his spirit set on fire of hell he hath a short possession he is a mad man for so many yeares that will not stick at any thing that the Devill and depraved nature bids him doe he will flie in the face of servants children wife Magistrate God any one his heart brings forth sin by troopes LXXII Bees will not admit of strangers into their society except they come with submission and resolution to live under their Leader and assimilate themselves to their manners without any after-commerce or fellowship with the hives from whence they departed And God receives none under the tuition of his love and favour but such as are wholly emaucipated from the world and with full purpose of heart give up themselves to be guided by him without having any further fellowship with their former workes and companions of darknesse heaven is bestowed upon none but upon such who are thus both willing and capable holinesse makes capacitie of happinesse LXXIII Bees are contented with a simple food procured by their owne industrie of which they feed sparingly but worke laboriously and diligently Whereas the Drones work not at all but liberally fill themselves and that daily with the purest honey and to sharpen their stomacks take many a vagary in the heate of the day with a loude buzzing as if they were acting somewhat to purpose but it is only to emptie their bodies and quicken their appetite whereby they often grow unweildy and after a while though the Bees let them alone cannot returne back againe into the hive And are not many reasonable men defective in their imitation of the unreasonable Bees who frequently eate to furfeting and drink to drunkennesse and exceede the limits of temperance in the use of the creatures denying themselves no pleasing nor desireable thing that so they might prevent such evills as admitting these exorbitancies will bring inevitable mischiefe upon them But Drone-like live idly and intemperately not considering the Apostles exhortation Be sober be vigilant saith he for your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devoure As if he should have said you are all in a warfaring condition in the field with an adversary and he no simple one but a Lion a roaring Lion a diligent adversary who is alwayes going about seeking whom he may devoure drawing into sin for he hath no way to devoure men by but that therefore doe you as Souldiers in the field with an enemie would doe they plie not their bellies but use their meate and drinke and sleepe very sparingly because though this be not enough to prevent the mischiefe that is intended them by their enemies yet it is one very good meanes of their safety for it preventeth a sudden surprizal and enableth them to make resistance and so would a moderate use of meate drinke pleasure c. keepe you wakeing and give you libertie to prepare for all encounters with the Devill LXXIV As the humming Bee having lost her sting in another doth still notwithstanding make a fearfull and grievous noise by her often buzzing about us but is nothing able to hurt us so sin and death having lost their sting in Christ Jesus doe not cease at all even in the height of the parching heate of our consciences to make a murmuring and with furious stormes of temptations to terrifie us and our consciences albeit they can never sting us LXXV A man by discourse can never possibly perswade another of the sweetnesse of honey so fully as if himselfe did tast it And it cannot be told how sweet a thing grace is doe but trie and you shall soone perceive a difference between it and all outward comforts therefore come and tast saith the Prophet how good the Lord is LXXVI Bees though many times they have sufficiently stored and replenished their hives yea sometimes to a superabundant redundancy hindering for want of emptie cels the future generation and so suffer because of their plenty yet will they not give over working nay some not leave robbing and that from the weaker and wanting hives Have we not here a faire picture of a covetous man who is never at rest never satisfied and contented LXXVII The Bee a nice and dainty creature builds her cells sometimes in an unfavoury carkasse and the carkasse that promiseth nothing but stench and annoyance now offers comfort and refreshing and in a sort payes Sampson for the wrong offered Oh the wonderfull goodnesse of our God that can change terrors into pleasures and can make the greatest evills beneficiall Is any man under his humiliation under the hand of God growne more faithfull and conscionable there is honey out of the Lion Is any man by his temptation or fall become more circumspect there is honey also out of the Lion There is no Sampson to whom every Lion doth not yeeld honey Every Christian is the better for his evills yea Satan himselfe in his exercising of Gods children advantageth them LXXVIII If robbing Bees charge a neighbour-hive and finde a resolute opposition with the slaughter and destruction of the prime Leaders and forward invaders the scattered residue and broken triarij will be timerous and fearefull to reattempt or if at all but faintly and quickly found a finall retreate And he that hath felt the sting of sin in his conscience and been formerly confounded with the shame thereof dreadeth and fleeth and seeketh by all meanes to shunne those sinnes which have left so sad a remembrance behind them for the smart of the wound of conscience for sinne past is a speciall meanes through grace to keepe us from sinne to come for as Lactantius writeth the ashes of a burnt Viper are a present remedy against the sting of the Viper so the remaines of sinne in the conscience viz. remorse and shame are a present remedy against sinne as we may see in
David I know mine owne iniquitie and my sinne is ever before me LXXIX Bees are very little creatures and their sting is very small not visible except it be very neare and yet this sting affects with grievous smarting paine And if the sting of a Bee swell and rankle and smart so much what will the teeth of the Adder or the taile of the Scorpion if those little sinnes that are so small that we can scarce discerne them to be sinnes put the conscience to so much paine and anguish what will great sinnes doe If whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Iudgement and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Counsel And whosoever shall say thou foole shall be in danger of hell-fire What punishment is he like to endure who beareth malice in his heart against his brother envieth his prosperitie undermineth his estate woundeth his good name nay spilleth his blood this is a crimson sinne and mortall in a double sense not only because it slayeth the soule but also because it killeth the body LXXX Plutarch writeth that though Time be a most drie and bitter herbe yet that not only the Apothecaries draw an wholsome oyle out of it but also that the Bees extract from thence sweet honey This drie and bitter herbe is affliction to the tast of most men yet out of it men may draw both a wholesome oyle to cure a wounded conscience and honey also to delight the spirituall tast Oyle out of the nature of afflictions which are chastenings and honey out of the cause Gods love As many as I love I rebuke and chasten LXXXI If you doe but take any peice of Gods word and doe but stay upon it as the Bee doth on the flower and will not off till you have got somewhat out of it if you be still digging in this mine this will make you rich in knowledge and if you be rich in knowledge it will make you rich in grace LXXXII The word of God saith the Prophet is good yea and pleasant too to every one that walketh uprightly as sweet as honey yea sweeter then the purest honey to such as David professeth of himselfe But even honey it-selfe though of it selfe good and pleasunt and wholsome and medicinall yet causeth paine and smart to an exulcerate part And children therefore that at other times much desire and cry for it yet will not endure to have it come neare their lippes when they have sore mouths It is mans love of his owne corruption and impatience of cure that maketh the word of God haâ—sh and unpleasant unto any LXXXIII Looke upon the silly Bees the best Emblemes of obedient creatures painfull in their labour dutifull in their life their king being sase they are at unity So long as their king is well they follow their worke but being dead they leave and â—â—ath their honey-combes Behold how nature hath stamped obedience by instinct to Bees to be subject to a superior in their kind how much more should nature reason and grace stamp obedience in the hearts of Christians knowing that without a government Kingdomes and States are thraldomes Remota justitia quid sunt regna nisiâ—magna latrâ—cinia take away â—justice and what are kingdomes but dens of theeves take away obedience to government and that were miscere terris tartara make earth and hell all one but only in name LXXXIV Bees will not be forced to communion with others except they voluntarily forsake their owne hives in a swarme for take them at other times as when they lie out and sweepe them into another hive yet they will at furthest the day following all returne back to their owne and proper hive it is with them as with a streame that hath made it selfe a channell wherein to run it may indeed by a strong hand be turned out of it's course but yet it will be still bending towards it's owne way and never leave working and winding till it be where it was before so howsoever the upright person may be unsetled for a time and put besides his course yet he strives and labours to be where he should be and never finds himselfe well till he be in his first path like the Needle in the Compasse though it be jog'd aside for a season yet it makes toward the North againe and is in a perpetuall trepidation till it be where it should So the children of God though they be subject to manifold declensions manifold desertions manifold stops and stayes in their course to heaven yet still set their faces thitherward though the wind may sometimes violently oarry them besides the way yet it doth not dismay them nor doe they find any rest or content in their soules till they be in their right course againe LXXXV Bees of all politick creatures most unanimously comply and combine together live and love together mutually protect and provide for one another alwayes agree among themselves and act and worke all for the publique good and wellfare of the whole body they as it were throw downe all enclosures lay all in common not selfish looke not on their owne things but on the things of others tendering their well-doing as their owne neither are they apt to give offence carelessely nor to take it causelesly And shall men shall Christians be so unnaturall as to enveigh one against another to entrap one another to desame disgrace and devoure one another tantaene animis coelestibus irae as he said in another cause this is all one as for one eye to pull out another one hand to cut off another know we not that perfection and safety depends in union as on the other side danger and destruction inevitably followes on distraction Union like the wise woman Solomon speakes buildeth up the house but division as the foolish woman pulleth it downe with her hands LXXXVI The Waspe loveth not the Apothecaries Gally-pot but the sweets contained therein If we love any for our pleasure we love indeed our pleasure and not him if we love him for our profit we love our profit and not him if we love him for any end of our owne we love our selves not him Thus the Iewes loved not Christ but the loaves which he multiplyed by miracle LXXXVII Some Naturalists observe that the thickest and best honey is that which is squeezed last out of the combe so usually the daintiest dish is served in at the last course and Musitians reserve the sweetest straine for their close the last speech of a dying friend leaves a deepe impression in our hearts and art imitating nature holds out the last note of the dying sound in the Organ or voice LXXXVIII The Israelites comming into a wood where they saw the honey dropping and found the meate as ready as their appetite yet dare not touch the sustenance and will rather endure famine and fainting then an
much more the Bee but it hath a being and thereby in a sort sets out the goodnesse of God God likens himselfe to many to shew that there is something of him in these and therefore to teach us to rise from them to him in whom all the excellencies that are scattered in them are united In innocency we knew God and in him we had knowledge of the creature but now we are fayne to helpe our selves from the knowledge of the creature to rise to the knowledge of God II. Our eyes should like a Bee upon infinite variety of flowers from every creature it lookes upon collect much sweet matter of heavenly meditation for the magnifying of the Creator his wisdome power c. III. Bees provoked neare the hive will be very troublesome and according to their power dangerous striveing striking or contending further exasperates but yeilding or giving place pacifies them And if we aime at peace with men in case of controversie with another let us apply our selves to a coole language speake softly speake wisely speake silently and in secret this will coole the great heate of another and disarme him of his excessive indignation hard to hard will never yeild but lay hard to soft and you may breake even a slint upon a bed or cushion which cannot be done by laying one flint upon another So let a mans heart be never so hard and obdurate if we use soft words to him give him mild speeches he cannot but be mollified and melted towards us In so doing you shall heape coales of fire on his head which shall melt and soften him IV. Bees though the be ingaged in a hot and mortall skirmish with other Insects yet ordinarily use not their stings but wreâ—k their spight with biting and breaking of their enemies legges but when they are transported with rage and blinded with passion then they sting but alwayes with their owne certaine ruine and destruction And not lesse prejudiciall is the fire or passion of zeale to professours and the Church of God where it wants knowledge to direct it What Iscorates spake sometimes of valour or strength is as true of zeale viz. that zeale and resolution with wisdome doth much good but without it it doth much mischiefe to our selves and others like Granadoes and other fire-workes which if they be not well looked to and ordered they break and doe more hurt to them that cast them then to the enemie No man can be ignorant of the direfull effects of blind zeale when an unskilfull Phaeton takes upon him to drive the chariot of the Sunne he sets the whole world in a combustion What a metled horse is without a bridle or a hot spurred rider without an eye or a shippe in a high wind and swelling saile without a rudder that is zeale without knowledge which is like the eye in the Rider to choose the way or like the bridle in the hand to moderate the pace or like the Rudder in the shippe to steere safely the course thereof St Bernard hits full on this poynt Discretion without zeale is slow-paced and zeale without discretion is heady let therefore zeale spurte on discretion and discretion reigne in zeale V. Bee of the same hive live together with the greatest love and agreement that can be conceived never contending never quarrelling whereas sheepe of the same fold when they are wanton will dash one against another and almost breake one anothers heads yea men that live in the same house of the same familie will jarre and jangle yea children that tuâ—bled in the same bellie for very trifles sometimes will fall out and sight one with another Nay true Christians with shame and griefe be it published though they will not persecute the cause of religion yet will molest and disquiet their fellowes through passion pride self-selfe-love and other corruptions drawing them thereunto VI. Waxe must be chafed and tempered between your fingers if you meane to set an impression upon it and if you continue not to temper it it will be hard againe neverthelesse And so it is with our hearts therefore use the meanes of grace constantly doe it day by day estrange not your selves from God by intermission of holy duties VII Hardnesse is not intrinsecall to wax but there is a naturall tendency to softnesse Let it be hardened through cold yet bring it to the fire or let the Sunne smile a while upon it with it's beames and warmth and it will relent and if the heate be strong returne to it's liquid nature But now it is farre otherwise with a stone for let the Sunne shine never so hot upon it lay it by the fire it melts not it yeilds not nay it is rather made the harder The wicked man hath the hardnesse of a stone let him enjoy never so many mercies he is not a whit moved the more to amend his life let God speake to him let him smile upon him all 's one to him nay he growes every day under the best meanes more hard and impenitent Contrarily the faithfull Christian how ever by sinne he may for a time contract hardnâ—sse yet bring him to the Word and Ordinances a while let God shine upon him with the light of his countenance and he will resolve presently and recover his former tendernesse VIII Bees are frequently endangered by Spiders who weave their cobwebbs near the flowers where they use to gather and also just over their passage out of their hives and so at their going forth but especially at their returne home laden and weary make a prey of them And earthly things prove snares to many because of their dayly presence In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me saith the Psalmist and in the way and places wherein we are dayly walking and travelling doe these baites lie they are the things which we continually look upon heare of handle tast feele and therefore as those snares which are laid for a bird in the place where it is frequently hopping up and downe doe much endanger it so those necessary evills which therefore we live among and make continuall use of because they are necessary doe the more strongly allure us unto danger because they are alwayes before us IX Whensoever any people did forget to leane upon Gods Word and betooke themselves to humane confederacies to correspondence with idolatrous people to facilitie in superslitious compliances and the like fleshly counsells they find them alwayes to be but very lies like Waxeâ— feasts made specious of purpose to delude ignorant commers things of so thinne and unsolide a consistence as ever were broken with the waight of those that did leane upon them X. Lusts ever bring inconstancy with them and make the soule like weary and distempered bodies never well in any posture or condition wicked men flie like Bees from one flower to another from one vanitie to another and can never find enough to
satiate the endlesse intemperancy of unnaturall desires only the Gospel being spiritualâ—y apprehended hath treasures enough for the soule to rest on and to seeke no further XI A Bee when she hath once stung can sting no more yet will testifie an angry disposition by loude buzzings and frequent strikings at the face of the partie stung before sometimes to his trouble and perhaps to his feare also being already sensible of his present smart and suspecting further danger So many froward men when they have to their utmost injuried others and intended more but when their causes are tryed and prove desperâ—te in right they will yet still create perverse matters to molest their neighbours and the more they sinke in the maine of their intendment the more impetuously will they seeke to perplex and trouble them XII All relations and conditions have a mixture of some Wormwood wood or Gall with them they are not all honey but like Bees they have a sting of griefe and trouble A man may have bitternesse with his sweetest comforts so had Abraham with his good wife Sarah she was twice taken from him XIII There is a magneticall attractive force in the Queen Bee so that what the Loadstone is to the iron is she to the rest of the Bees and therefore wheresoever she is will they be also And no lesse attractive and powerfull is Christs love in us our hearts are heavy and downwards of themselves but his love drawes us upwards and makes us heavenly minded it makes us desire further and further communion with him still there is a magâ—eticall attractive force in Christs love wheresoever it is it drawes the heart and affections after it XIV Waspes and Hornets feed on flesh carâ—ion dead Bees flies almost any thing but the Bee is a neate aâ—d curious feeder she sucks and extracts the quintessence of flowers which she chimically distills in the Limbeck of her belly and thus prepared layes it up for future food So the Christian soule in this respect is a Bee that will not feede on worldly carrion or sinfull pleasure but on Christ and spirituall things The soule of a carnall and naturall man useth to feede upon dust carrion earth and earthly things when the soule of a true Christian that hath the tast of grace feedes neatly it will not feede on that which is base and earthy but upon heaven and spirituall things The perpetuall everlasting intercourse between Christ and a Christian is his maine happinesse here and his eternall happinesse in heaven XV. Temptations to sinne come about us like Bees buzzing into our mindes evill thoughts and preparing to sting by drawing us into consent but it is in the name and by the power of the Lord that we doe destroy them and therefore the Apostle saith expressely The God of peace shall tread downe Satan under your feete If he be trodden downe it is God that doth it for us XVI Whosoever dallies or playes with the Bees at the hives mouth doth it with his owne perill for although at first he be perhaps neglected or assaulted but with one or two yet if he persists in his folly or fool-hardinesse he shall quickly find more fists about his eares then his owne and not escape scot-free Would we not be overcome and foyled by temptations conjure them not up daily not with them but if they be risen quickly lay them stifle them in their birth and they will expose us to no further trouble or danger Though flax saith one be never so catching a sparke of fire may fall in and yet not enflame if it be espied and taken out suddenly ere it have time to insâ—â—uate its force into the combustible matter and so evil motions if quenched at the first kinding seldome breake out into a flame of rebellion But if we neglect them bid them welcome or parlie with them or please our selves in them though with no intent to commit sinne lust will incalâ—scere wax hot and conceive and then the next thing we are like to heare of will be the birth of some soule sinne or other XVII There is a kinde of life in the Worme the first but imperfect birth of a Bee but yet neither seeing nor heareing nor locomotive faculty though it stirres in it's cell and receives the food that is brought to it yet can it doe nothing for it's benefit or defence or others pleasure or profit And as life is thus shut up in this imperfect creature till by a further birth and transmutation it receives a new and better life so is the light in a naturall man shut up before regeneration all the light they have doth but glowe in their breast shewing it selfe there as a late reverend Divine and making it evident that they have such knowledge but it is not a candle that enlightens all the roome that enlightens all the corners of the soule Take the light of a Starre in a darke night and compare it with the light of the Sunne though never so little Looke in what measure it appeares it scatters the darknesse from East to West So there is a light in the mindes of earnall men which is but as a Starre in a darke night which doth not take away the darknesse but in the regenerate it is a sanctified light like the light of the Sun not shut within a narrow compasse but spreading it selfe unto all the parts of the soule Or as if a Candle be brought into a darke roome it lightens all the house but if it be a sparke of fire it showes it selfe and glowes and does no more it doth not enlighten the house XVIII Many things in the nature of Bees when we have most studiously enquired after them can we not find out and certainly resolve and determine of as concerning their manner of generation the duration and continuance of the Queene-Bee with their methods and orders in sending forth their first swarme yet doe we where we are unable to find out certaine grounds conclude all to be done discreetly and orderly wisely and wonderfully And shall we not suspect and check our shallow conceite and judgement when it carries us to question and reason about Gods providence about diverse things below and not scruple our wisdome when we cannot see the causes of things and Gods course in disposing of them when he deales diversly and not as we would thinke in our reason yea and ceasing from our wisdome to search into thing more then we can comprehend If in finite and small creatures we poore mortalls are often nonplust and at a stand let us not be too busie to know the reason of his counsells and doings but ascribe all to his infinite wisdome XIX God exhibits evident tokens of his goodnesse to all men even then when they are afflicted with diverse and sundry calamities that when others like Drones doe gather honey but from the hive a true beleever should gather it even from thistles and