that heathen oracle of learning said of the naturall death of the Body as one who saw no farther then the twilight of Nature would giue him leane may more truely be auerred of this second penalty that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of terribles As Zeuxis that excelleÌ„t painter desiring to draw Junocs picture exactly viewed al the Agrigentine Virgins with a curious eye pickt out siue of the choycest Pieces Nature did afford amongst them out of which for the composition of her picture he abstracted and expressed with his pencill what he apprehended more accurate and excellent either for proportion or beauty So the liueliest resemblance can be framed of this fearfull penalty is by presenting vnto our fantasie all the torments that euer seized vpon the sons of Adam in this vally of misery and out of them to make choice of such as are most exquisite acrimonious and intolerable and out of these if it were possible to extract a Quintessence and to inflict this quintessence of tormeÌ„t vpon one man and yet when we haue done all this this all is as nothing we shall haue framed but a dull a weake Idea of this penalty For the Eie hath not seen the Eare heard nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man as what ioyes God hath prepar'd 1 Cor. â— 9. for those that loue him so what sorrowes he hath laid vp for those that leaue him And therfore as the Painter presenting the sorrow of the father of Iphigenia when she was to be sacrificed drew him with his face couered as confessing his Art insufficient to expresse in his visage a griefe of that degree so being at this time according to my propounded Method to present so terrible fearfull a penaltie as to be cast into hell fire my best course I coÌ„fesse were to cast ouer it the vaile of silence as being best coÌ„scious of my own insufficiency for a task of such transcendeÌ„cy Yet vnwilling my particular weaknes should frustrate the generall expectation of so Honourable an Audience And fearing my silence in a point of such importance may occasion some to sleight their owne ruine and neglect their speedy reformation For such is naturally our slauish disposition that notwithstanding all the gracious and glorious promises of the Gospell vnlesse the terrors of the Law be punctually propounded vnto the vnderstanding and so reflect and beate vpon the Conscience wee walke without either feare or wit in the wayes of vngodâ—inesse and as if wee had taken a liberall Dosis of Opium are cast into a Spirituall Lethargie and fall into Hell before we so much as dreame of Damnation Therefore a word or two more particularly for the description of the fearefulnesse of this particular penaltie For I intend not though the case might iustly require it to entertaine you with a particular discourse of the seuerall punishments wherein all the powers and parts of each damned Wretch to his greater terror shall haue their share as those Positiue of intollerable cold the Worme that neuer dyeth palpable darkenesse the horrid aspect of the Deuils and infinite moe the least of all which is most horrible too heauie for Nature to Pectorâ— gâ—â—eroso non tam molestuÌ„ estrerum augugustia premi quam abundantia gloria priuari Stapl. promp mor. Mali non tantuÌ„ dolebunt de ipso tormento quam quod repellentur a tali consortio Ludolph Si nulla externa poena torqueret haec sola sufficerâ—t Mestreth ex Chrylost sustaine in her greatest strength Neither will I speake of the perpetuall priuation of the blessed vision of a most glorious God and happy societie of the holy Angels and glorified Saints a penaltie by all Diuines both antique and neotericke determined to be more terrible and fearefull then all the Positiue miseries Hell yea tenne thousand Hells can affoord The large and learned labours of Others concerning these particulars shall at this time saue me a labour I would gladly draw towards a conclusion and therefore must desire so much fauour as that I may confine my selfe vnto this in my Text as being most frequent in the Scripture and of a Positiue torment the most fearefull and intollerable Ex vngue Leonem I shall in it giue you as it were the length of Hercules foot and so leaue you to guesse at the full pourtaiture of his whole body The Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire There are three things that do more Hell fire most fearefull for three causes punctually discouer vnto vs the fearefulnesse of this Penaltie The first is the Extremitie of it Many are the torments which cruell Multa sunt ab hominibus excogitata supplicâ—â— sed nullum acuâ—us nullum vchementius nullum acrius igut Bellaâ— de gem Columb lib. 2. cap. 2. Tyrants the Deuils Engineers haue framed in the forge of their hellish inuention to make poore Nature suffer But of all there is none more acute none more vehement none more acrimonious then that which is effected by Fire and yet for extremity of heat so infinite are the degrees whereby this Hell fire surpasseth our Heaâ—th fire that the most expert Mathematician is vnable to take their true distance Nebuchadnezzars Furnace though heatedâ— seauen times more then ordinary yet it compared with the extreme heate and feruour of this Fire is but as the Chill-warmth of the Sunne in an extreme cold Winters day or as the meere picture of Fire vnto the Fire which is Pictured this Fire burneth in such extremitie that in it the least moment of Paine will swallow vp whole Ages of forepast pleasures Secondly the fearefulnesse of this Penaltie appeareth in the Vniuersalitie of it this terrible Fire burneth not a singer onely or a hand or a foot but the Math. 10. 28. whole body yea the whole man both body and soule For as both like Simeon and Leui haue beene brethten in the euill of Sinne So both shall be brethren in the euil of suffering both shal be tormented in this Flame be cast into this Fire Thirdly the fearefulnes of this Penaltie appeareth in the Perpetuitie of it Though the whole man be extremely terribly tortured yet it were some comfort if this acrimonious Penalty might haue either some ende or some ease In Corporall griefs it is an experimentall Maxime ministreth some comfort vnto the sick Patient a Disease the sharper Nâ—mo potest â—alde dâ—lere diâ— Seneca â—p 78. Praceps moâ—bus alterum facieâ— aut exuâ—guâ—tuâ— aut extingâ—et Ibid. Do'or quâ— ineitation to cuius in alienaâ—ione fluporemque conuerlituâ— hoc itaque solatum est vasti doâ—oris quod necesse est desinas illum sentire si nimis sensiris Senec. Ibid. the shorter the more violent the lesse permanent It is impossible saith Seneca for a man to be in great paine and a great while in paine for either it wil suddenly leaue Him or He suddenly
wry neckt It is no mans Greatnes that can shelter him from the smoking showre of Gods wrath Euen that Mitred man of Sinne which treadeth Scepters vnder his feet and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God though hee plead both a canonizing and a confounding power yet He also shall one day be brought before the Barre of Gods Iustice to be arraigned for all his Abominations wherewith he hath infatuated and besotted both himselfe and Gods Inheritance and shall drinke of the dregges of Gods wrath cup the promerited reward of his workes And let no hood-winkt Catholike deride this peremptory assertion as proceeding from a distempered braine for I know what I say If his Holinesse cannot procure his owne immunitie from the paines of Purgatory as for example Pope Innocentius the third De Gemitu Columbae li. 2. c. 9. who as Bellarmine writeth is to continue there till Doomes day much lesse shall he be able by his pretended power to deliuer himselfe from hell fire Now if these lofty Cedars of Lebanon and sturdy Oakes of Basan cannot auoid the stroke of the Axe but shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire what shal become of the lesser trees the lower shrubs Certainly God will be impartiall in his judiciary proceedings his eye will spare none Tribulation anguish vpon Euery Rom. â—9 11 12. 〈◊〉 soule of man that doth euill of the Jew first and also of the Gentile With him there is no respect of persons for as many as haue sinned without the Law shall also perish without the Law and as many as haue sinned in the Law shall bee iudged by the Law God will wound the hairy scalpe Psal◠〈…〉 1 of Euery one that goeth on in his wickednes saith the Prophet Dauid The soule Ezâ—kiel 18. 4 that sinneth shall dye Indeed the Gibeonites could gull Captaine Ioshua with Ioshua 〈…〉 5. their old shooes their mouldy crustes and thred bare garments and so saue themselues from his sword But God hath oculum in Sceptro as he is omnipotent so hee is omniscient he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Psalm 13â— 3. Hearts searcher he knoweth vs all and all our wayes too well to be deceiued by vs. It is not the wearing of a Gyges Cic. Osâ—ic li. 3. Ring can keepe vs out of Gods sight for there is nothing that hath a being in nature which is not the obiect of his eye If I say Surely the darkenesse shall Psal 1 39. 11. 12 couer me euen the night shall bee a light about me yea the darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and the light are both alike to thee In a word when the Lord shall call the sonnes of men to a particular account for their trâ—nsgressions then vaâ—a salus hominum as saith the Psalmist Mans helpe is all but in vaine Though hand ioyne in hand saith Salomon the wicked Prou. 11. 25. shall not escape vnpunished that is saith our English Glosse Though they make neuer so many friends or thinke themselues neuer so secure yet they shall not escape It is not the phantasticall treasure of the Saints Supererogatiue workes vnder his Holinesse locke and key can serue the sinâ—ers turne in that day for the Wise Virgins could not lend any Math. 25. 6. Oyle lest they should lacke for themselues It is not any mans Potency can be his Protection for the most powerfull Monarch is but as a Potters vessell easily broken into sheards and shiuers with the least touch of Gods yron rod. Reuel 2. 27. It is not the subtill pate of the deepest Politician can prâ—uaile for any man For the wisedome of the world is but foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1. 20. Esay 29. 14. with God I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent saith the Lord. No course can be taken to disappoynt God of his reuenging purposes for as the Prophet hath it The flight shall perish Amos 2. 14 15 6. from the swift and the strong shall not strengthen his force neither shal the mightie saue his life nor hee that handleth the bowe shall stand and hee that is swift of foot shall not escape neither shall hee that rideth the horse sane his life And he that is of a mightie courage among the strong men shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. So that without any Omnis sine â—â—rsonâ—rum exceptione sin excusationum algatione siâ—e aâ—i cuius cuasionâ— Gorth in loâ—â— personall exception without any excusiue allegation without any particular ones euasion Euery tree euery man not bringing foorth good fruit the fruits of holinâ—sse and sanctification shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire Euery tree not bringing forth Good fruit Many in their own account passe for current Christians and are perswaded they shall go for no lesse with God when they are called to giue vp their accounts vnto him if they do not bring forth bad fruit if like the proud Pharise Luke 18 11. they can but plead for themselues Not guiltie as other men Extortioners vnjust adulterers If they can say We are no Drunkards no Swearers no spendthrifts no grinders of the Poore and the like If like Saint Iohns Herbe which as Cookes report being put into the pot procureth nor good nor hurt to the pottage so if they doe no hurt though they neuer do any good if they be honest harmlesse men as they are commonly stiled such as neither meddle nor make with others but liue quietly it is no matter for religiously among their Neighbours all is well they hope in God to goe to Heauen as sure as the best Alas poore miserable wretches how palpably how grossely they deceiue themselues Ixion-like embracing a Cloud instead of Iuno like Camelions feeding vpon the ayerâ—e hope of that happinesse they shall neuer find Indeed Not to doe euill is commendable but not to doe good is culpable is condemnable Cast the vnprofitable seruant into vtter Math. 25. 30. darkenesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth And here in my text Euery tree not bringing forth good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire Wee doe not reade that the Rich Luke 16. man in the Gospell dispoyled Lazarus of any thing whereof he was possessed yet because he did not open vnto him the bowells of compassion and cause to be tendered vnto him wherewith to sustaine him in his want therefore Hell mouth was opened to swallow him vp vnto euerlasting torments Now the reason is this wee read in 1. Iohn 3. 4. Iohn that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinne is the transgression of the Law and the transgression of the Law is Sinne and the wages of Sinne is Death Now the Lords Mandates are as well Affirmatiue for the ensuing of Good as Negatiue for the eschewing of Euill and the Affirmatiue as well as the Negatiue
vnder the Curse require exact obedience So that He is no lesse lyable vnto the Laws malediction Quiomittit facienda which omitteth things to be done then Qui facit omittenda He which doth things to bee omitted The last and great Assises will fully and plainely resolue this case determine this point Matt. 25 41. for Then shall the Sonne of man say vnto the Goates on the left hand Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting Fire prepared for the Diuels and his Angels Here is the Curse Heare wee the Cause It followeth For I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and yee gaue me no drinke I was naked and yee clothed me not Sicke and in prison and yee visited me not Where we may see the bare omission of the good works of mercie the procuring cause of perpetuall miserie ratifying the Position in my Text that euery Tree not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewen down and cast into the fire Now if Euery Tree not bringing forth forth good fruit shall be thus serued how fearefully shall it fare with those trees that do not onely not bring foorth good fruit but also bring forth bad fruite Si sola omissio eternoigne punitur Diâ—â—ystâ—â— Certh 〈…〉 in locâ—â— vitiosa actio quid meretur If the bare omission and neglect of a pious office bee punishable with euerlasting fire what doth a vicious action deserue Si sterilitas condemnatur continuata impietas foeda delectatio affectuosa peccati prosecutio quam dirè torquebitur If sterilitie and barrennesse be condemned how direfully shall continued impietie wallowing with delight in the stinking puddle of iniquitie an affected prosecution of all vngodlinesse euen with greedinesse bee tortured and tormented If those shall bee thrust Non miâ—oris est criminis hâ—â—â—â—i tollere quâ—â—um possiâ— habes indigen ibus deâ—egare Ambr. â—n quedam Ser. into Hell that haue not relieued the poore and needy in their want and miserie what shall be come of such as lay violent hands vpon their Patrimony If such neglect the performance of Religious duties whether towards God or Man are guiltie of euerlasting damnation How shall they escape the dreadfull iudgement of God which like the vnrighteous Luke 184. Iudge feare nor God nor man but liue in the wilfull breach of their Makers Lawes If such shall most certainely be condemned as are onely barren in goodnesse what shall be come of those that are also fruitfull in the damnable workes of darkenesse If the Figge tree for not bringing forth good Mâ—th 21. 19. fruit must bee cursed how shall the Vines of Sodome and Gomorrha escape Deut. 32. 32 3â— which bring foorth bad fruite fruite bitter as Gall Deadly as the poison of Dragons O Consider this all yee that forget Psal 50. â—2 your God that forget your owne good in being strangers from the life of God least the Lord in his wrath hew you downe and there bee none to deliuer you For if God spared not his blessed Angells nor his beloued Israel when they brought forth the cursed fruit of rebellion and disobedience how shall hee spare vs that are but dust and ashes Wormes and not Men by Nature mere aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenants of promise seeing in lewdnesse of life and Conuersation we are nothing inferiour to the Collapsed Angels or reiected Israelites My beloued I must ingeniously acknowledge with the Prophet Ieremie Puer sum et nescio loqui I am Ieremy 1. 6. but a child and know not how to speake fitter like an Auditour to sit at Gamaliels feete then like a Doctor in Moses chaire Yet seeing the Acts 22. 3. Matt. 23. 2. Lord hath called mee to this place and put his word into my mouth I beseech you suffer with all patience and reuerent attention a word or two of premonition and exhortation It may please God so to magnifie his strength in my weaknesse as to make the wordes which hee hath taught mee effectually powerfull for the reformation of your liues and conse quently for the euerlasting saluation of your Soules and Bodies Shall euery tree not bringing forth good fruit bee hewen downe and cast 1 Clergy into the fire O lay this vnto heart with mee yee Chariots and horsemen of Israel yee that are of the house of Aaron and the Tribe of Leui my beloued fellow-labourers in the worke of the Ministerie Let vs consider that the Lord hath committed vnto vs the dispensation of his Word that 1 Cor. 4. 1. 1. Pet. 1. 23. most precious and immortall seede whereby Christ may be conceiued in vs and we become spirituall Fathers of many 1. Cor. 4. 15. Children in Christ O then let euery one of vs in the feare of God according to the Talent wherwith we are entrusted so labour in the Word to be found faithfull dispensers of the Word fâ—eding the flocke of Christ concredited to our charge with sauory food in season out of season that we may become fruitfull in 2. Tim. 4. 2. begetting children vnto Christ for the enlarging of his Kingdome Let vs remember that the Church is Gods vineyard the People his plants and we the Ministers his hired seruants to labour in his vineyard that it may yeeld forth fruit vnto the Lord. And though Iohn Baptist may haue a back-friend in Herods court yet let vs not be put to silence or discouragâ—d but boldly with a hâ—art strike with the Sword of the Spirit at the head of that Serpent Sinne in whomsâ—euer we see it remembring that wee are Ambassadours for Christ 2 Cor. 5. 20. One who is able to maintaine his cause euen against the Deuill himselfe But aboue all let vs labour to put life into our labours by bringing forth the fruit of good liuing that so wee may the better winne our people to entertaine the siâ—cere Profession of the Truth and saue our owne Soules at the day of the Lord Jesus For as Saint Bernard most Serm de Sancto Benedicto Abbate sweetly Sermo vivus efficax Operis est plurimum faciens suadibile quod dicitur dum monstrat factibile quod suadetur Wee shall easily perswade the people to practise what we preach when what wee preach we practise In a word let vs remember that as there it a Vae mihi si non euangelizavero a woe vnto the Minister if hee doe not labour in the Gospell so there is a vae mihi si non bene vixero a woe vnto the Minister if he doe not liue according to the Gospell for euery Tree that bringeth not forth good fruite the fruite of good liuing shall bee hewne downe and cast into the fire In the next place thinke vpon this yee People of this place of this City 2. Laytie of this Land Sure I am there is no Nation vnder the Celestiall Poles profâ—ssing the faith of Christ ouer which the Lord hath
Holy Ghost shall find and consequently beare me witnesse that I doe not beg my Theame pick a quarrel with that which the text of it selfe will not seeme to affoord and offer That which God in this Writ requireth of vs is the bringing forth of good fruit this is the maine thing intended in this text and pressed vpon paine of Gods furious wrath and fiery displeasure for euer signified in being cut downe and cast into the fire As if he had said more fully yet briefly and plainly thus If ye bring forth good fruit yee shall be saned but if ye doe not bring forth good fruit yee shall be damned Now the not bringing foorth of good fruite being the meritorious cause of our Damnation as you shall heare afterward one would thinke on the contrary that the bringing foorth of good fruit is a meritorious cause of our Saluation That we cannot by way of Merit challenge so magnificent a remuneration as God out of his great goodnesse doth binde himselfe by promise to conferre vpon the Sonnes of Men for their pious and godly conuersation may be plainely demonstrated vnto you by diuers particulars I will at this time contract my selfe in fiue In euery Worke to make it meritorious there are Our vvorkes numeritorious for fiue Reasons fiue things requisite 1. Gratuitie 2. Vtilitie 3. Proprietie 4. Puritie 5. Paritie 1. That Worke which doth merit any thing at Gods hand must of necessitie be opus Gratuitum a free-will Offering a worke of Gratuitie and in no wise due for any other cause or respect Seeing then we owe of dutie vnto God whatsoeuer we are or haue vndoubtedly whatsoeuer we doe can merit nothing at Gods hand 2. There must be Vtilitie that Good which we doe to make it meritorious must be profitable and commodious vnto him at whose hands wee merit any thing But no action of ours of what straine soeuer it be can bring any benefit any commoditie vnto God for as Eliphaz said vnto Iob May a man be Iob 22. 23. profitable vnto God as he that is wise may be profitable vnto himselfe Is it any thing to the Almightie that thou art righteous or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy wayes vpright His Interogation doth argue a stronge negatiue resolution as if he had said in a word No mans righteousnesse can bee any way profitable vnto God and therefore we can merit nothing at Gods hand 3. In that by which we merit any thing we must haue an absolute proprietie it must be our owne Now Good workes Good fruits are not our own they are Gods wee cannot of our selues so much as Will much lesse worke that which is Good for it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed Therefore Phil. 2. 13. we can merit nothing at his hand 4. There must bee a Puritie our workes must be performed according to that absolute Perfection and Puritie which God in his reuealed will requireth of vs they must bee vindicated and freed from all vncleannesse and imperfection which no man so long as hee liueth in the flesh can vndertake for the best and choisest fruit he bringeth forth for euen our best actions were they narrowly scanned in some thing or other Carnis putredinem sapiunt as Caluin noteth doe sauour and relish of the Corruption Lib instit de Justif fidei Cap. 10. of the Flesh happely they haue leaned to some sinister respect or haue not beene performed with such sincerity and alacrity as God requireth 5. To make our workes meritorious there must be a Paritie there must bee some proportion and equalitie betweene that Good we doe and the reward wee receiue for it Now what Parity what Proportion betweene our workes which are but temporall and finite and the reward which is eternall and infinite The Naturall Phylosopher and any one that is not a mere naturall will tell vs that Finiti ad Infinitum nulla est proportio there is no proportion betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite Therefore our choicest fruits our best workes being defectiue in euery one of these fiue particulars which ought necessarily to concurre for the making of them meritorious it is strange there should liue in this great light of the Gospell any that dare attempt such a worke of darkenesse as to stampe mans workes with the Character of Merit Sure I am in the Word of God we cannot so much as finde the Word Merit Indeed God doth very frequently in the Sacred Scripture promise a reward to the godly and hence they fondly collect that the godly doe merit by the holinesse of their liues as if between reward and merit there were a mutuall relation that no reward is giuen but vpon a presupposed merit For answer whereunto I may tell them as our Sauiour the Sadduces That they erre not knowing the Scriptures for as the Learned Matth. 22. 19. haue obserued that which by Saint Mathew is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Reward is Math. 5 46. Luc 6 32. by Saint Luke termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace fauour or thankes to signifie vnto vs that when God rewardeth the righteousnesse of men the reward is not to be ascribed to any worth or dignity in the Creature but wholly to the benignitie of the Creator not to any desert or merit in Man but vnto the meere grace and mercy of his Maker For as Saint Paul 2 Ephes 8. 9. a place worth the 2 Ephes 8. 9. noting By Grace we are saued through Faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe The Caese being so cleare we may be bold to affirme that most blasphemous is the practise of the Papists who both in Pulpit and Presse so stiffely contend to enthronize the imperfect impure workes of sinnefull man in the Chaire of Merit in which nothing by right but the holy and perfect obedience of the Sonne of God can sit My beloued I dare confidently affirme it for trueth and you may boldly take it vpon that terme that no Mortall by building him vp a Babel of his merits can euer reach Heauen Heauen being a transcendent too high for the short reach of humane merit The fairest face hath some Mole or Freckle the soundest Pomegranate some rotten Kernell Corruption is a great part of the best yea the best euen from their conception are wholly ouer-runne with corruption from which they can neuer be throughly purged till the soule and the body by death be parted and put asunder by reason whereof euen our best actions are stained our best fruits wee bring forth are foulely blemished and wil not endure the Iust eye of heauen to behold them as they are in themselues the serious consideration of this made the Prophet Dauid thus pray vnto God Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for Psal 143 2. no flesh is righteous in thy sight
Therefore my beloued instead of standing like Proud Pharises vpon the tiptoes of of our owne goodnesse let vs with the Penitent Publican truely humble our selues before the throne of his Sacred Maiestie for our manifold transgressions which bring vs vnder the curse of the Law for the manifold sinfull imperfections and blemishes euen in the best fruits that euer wee brought forth for which we stand guiltie before him Let vs reiect the menstruous and rotten ragges of our owne righteousnesse wholly Esa 64. 6. relying vpon the louing mercies of our heauenly Father which hee hath set forth vnto vs in his Sonne Iesus Christ who himselfe alone by his most perfect and all-sufficient obedience hath merited our redemptioÌ„ from the wrath to come and purchased for vs a Kingdome that cannot be mooued This hath he done for Heb. 12. 28. vs but how vnder condition of our new obedience of putting off the olde Man and putting on the new of forsaking the crooked paths of Sinne and following the straight way of Righteousnesse So that being redeemed and bought with the price of the Lambe wee must not thinke we may liue according to the lusts of our owne hearts and whatsoeuer seemeth good in our owne eyes for this is nothng else but a trampling of the blood of Christ vnder our feet a turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse the onely way to make our selues vncapable of that inestimable bounty of our blessed Redeemer No no such as are Iustified by the blood of Christ and haue any sauing portion in his bitter death and passion are also sanctified by his blessed Spirit vnto all holy obedience to bring forth good fruite the fruit of good liuing This is the true Character and cognisance of such as are of the houshold of Faith For as the tree is knowne by the fruit so is Faith made manifest Iames 2. 18. by the workes of righteousnesse The bringing foorth of good fruite is via Regia the Kings yea euery Christians high-way wherein he must walke if he make any account to attaine vnto that Spirituall Caanaan to be a free Denizon of the holy Ierusalem that city aboue the mother of the elect For as among the Antique Romanes the two Temples of Vertue and Honour were so contriued that none could haue accesse vnto the latter vnlesse hee did take the former in his way So it is with vs God in his eternall decree hath set downe this resolution which like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians will admit of no alteration that none shall obtaine the life of Glory but such as liue in the state of Grace The penny is paid onely to such as labour in Gods Matth. â—0 2. vineyard The Crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp only for those that fight a good fight and finish vp the course of their liues 2. Tim. â— 6 7. in the faith of Iesus Christ Hence that of the Prophet Dauid Eschew euill and Psal â—â— 27. doe good and liue for euer To draw vp all in a word though we can neuer bee saued for bringing forth good fruit yet we can neuer be saued without it such is the necessitie thereof Sola fides justificat sed non solitaria It is a common a knowne position Only faith doth iustifie vs but not faith alone onely faith doth iustifie as the Instrument by which we apprehend and lay hold on the Obedience of Christ the only meritorious cause of our saluation but not faith alone that is a barren a dead faith a faith without fruits for that is no sauing no justifying faith and therefore euery tree must bring forth Haeretici bodieconsâ—â—â—a carnis dederunt doctrinam Ba â—am tenuerunt nec ipsas Dei leges aut madaâ—â— esse ad salutem necessaria sola fide omnes salâ—ari Vt viaÌ„ spiâ—ituale destâ—uâ—rent omnem de peccatis virtutibus saenâ—m dâ—ctâ—nâ—m venenaâ—s suis dogenatibus infeceruÌ„t â—egando vllam bonâ—râ—â— opâ—rum veram iuâ—liâ—am aut ad salutem necessariam consequenter omnia in Sola siâ—e collocando Stapl. promptuar Mot. in Domiâ—â— 7. Pentecostes good fruit This is the Doctrine we Preach and Presse See then by the way the impudent malignitie of our broad-mouth'd aduersaries the brats of Romish Babylon in traducing and branding our Protestant Ministers for Solifidian Preachers such as in their Sermons are al for faith and nothing for fruits Thus like cursed Vipers they vent out the venom of their malice vpon vs of purpose to bring our persons and doctrine into contempt with their hood-winkt Proselites and all because wee will not with them beyond truth adde to the worth of good works and detract from the sole efficiencie of Christ his obedience Maugre their virulent malice this is our abundant comfort that besides the testimony of our owne cleare consciences which are vnto vs as many * Conscientia misse testes millions of witnesses those many learned and religious Treatises of our Churchmen which haue vndergone the Presse are at this present extant that little world of Christian people by our ministery fed to their euerlasting happinesse those many holy and blessed Angels alwayes present at our solemne sacred Assemblies and God himselfe who is all in all and aboue all will subscribe to our white Innocence and their blacke Impudence Oh my beloued I would to God all of vs both Priests and people could as generally wipe away this their foule and false aspersion by bringing forth of good fruit as by our generall preaching and professing the necessity thereof But alas the neuer too much to be lamented misery whilst out of our zeaie to Gods glory we labor to maintaine the sacred prerogatiue of Christ his obedience and labour to pull downe those proud pillars of merit which our Aduersaries of their owne heads haue erected to the honour of mans worthlesse works and the dishonour of God we carelesly neglect and scarce so much as once think vpon that which is Gods chiefest glory and the life of our Christian profession bringing forth good fruit I remember I haue read this censure of the Roman State Omnium bonorum principum imagines in vno posse exculpiannulo that the pourtratures of their good Princes might bee cut out within the compasse of a little ring Oh my beloued is it not as iustly to be feared that the like may be as truly affirmed of vs So small is the number of those in this our Sardis which haue giuen vp their Reuel 3. 4. names vnto Christ if we may take the libertie to censure the tree by the fruit that should the Lord send forth a Ieremy Ierem 5. 1. to make inquisition for a man that is a good man one that like Iob truly feareth Iob 1. God and is fruitfull in all holinesse he would returne if not with a non yet with a vix est inuent us scarce is such a creature found Good men being like little veines