OF HERB GARDENS 17 



ledge, God planted a garden for him to live in (wherein even 

 in his innocency he was to labour and spend his time) which 

 hee stored with the best and choysest Herbes and Fruits 

 the earth could produce, that he might have not only for 

 necessitie whereon to feede, but for pleasure also ; the place 

 or garden called Paradise importing as much, or more plainly 

 the words set downe in Genesis the second, which are these : 

 ' Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow everie tree 

 pleasant to the sight and good for meate ; ' . . . But my 

 purpose is onely to show you, that Paradise was a place 

 (whether you will call it a Garden or Orchard or both, no 

 doubt of some large extent) wherein Adam was first placed 

 to abide ; that God was the Planter thereof, having furnished 

 it with Trees and Herbes, as well pleasant to the sight, as 

 good for meate, and that hee being to dresse and keepe this 

 place, must of necessity know all the things that grew 

 therein, and to what uses they serve or else his labour about 

 them, and knowledge in them had been in vain. And 

 although Adam lost the place for his transgression, yet he 

 lost not the naturall knowledge or use of them, but that as 

 God made the whole world, and all the Creatures therein 

 for Man, so hee may use all things as well as pleasures as 

 of necessitie, to bee helpes unto him to serve his God. Let 

 men therefore, according to their first institution so use their 

 service, that they also in them may remember their service 

 to God, and not (like our Grandmother Eve) set their affec- 

 tions so strongly on the pleasure in them, as to deserve the 

 losse of them in this Paradise, yea and of Heaven also. For 

 truly from all sorts of Herbes and Flowers we may draw 

 matter at all times not only to magnify the Creator, that hath 

 given them such diversities of formes, scents and colours, 

 that the most cunning Workman cannot imitate, and such 

 vertues and properties, that although wee know many, yet 

 manye more lye hidden and unknowne, but many good 

 instructions also to ourselves : That as many herbes and 

 flowers with their fragrant sweet smels doe comfort and as 

 it were revive the Spirits and perfume a whole house ; even 

 so such men as live vertuously, labouring to doe good, and 

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