bountie hee may bring his childe on willingly to tender that reuerend respect which otherwise of dutie he is bound to doe Holinesse of life and conuersation is that which God strictly commandeth and accordingly requireth from euery Christian It is as you haue heard the end of our Election Creation Redemption Sanctification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth good fruit If we search the Bible from the beginning to the ending we shall find this to be the very pith the marrow the maine subiect and life thereof yet behold the great goodnesse of God what he might command and compell vs vnto in the name of our Soueraigne Lord and maker he doth considering our weaknes and infirmitie intreat and wooe vs vnto in the language of a louing and bountifull Father Serm. 3. de verbis Domini As S. Augustine most sweetly Nobis praemia repromittit vt nobis obsequia debita seruitutis extorqueat he doth make vnto vs a promise of remuneration to draw vs to the performance of that seruice which in dutie we owe vnto him in the whole course of our life and conuersation Vt quos nolle seruire conspicit sponte suorum beneficiorum possit promissionibus inuitare that whom he sees will not freely serue him of his owne accord he might louingly and friendly inuite by promising a reward VVhy God doth promise a revvard to good vvorks This doth God to make it knowne and manifest vnto the sonnes of men 1. how sweet and pleasing a sauour the sacrifice of our holy Obedience doth send vp into the nostrils of the most High 2. That none shall euer inherit the ioyes of heauen but such as doe wholly endeuour and bend themselues forward to bring forth good fruit here on earth such as labour for the inward sanctitie and lead a holy and religious course of life And 3. that they shall be as sure to participate of this his promised bounty as if by their deserts and merits they were interested in it And that the Sunne of Gods grace and bounty may yet more clearly and freely reflect its beames vpon the eyes of your vnderstanding I hold it not vnfitting before we proceed any further in a word or two to remooue out of the way the opinion of Mans merit which like a thick mist and darke cloud the enemies of the crosse of Christ haue cast before it to the great obscuring and impayring of the glorious splendor thereof It is a point I take it well worth the time and may iustly plead for your Christian attention Sure I am it maketh much for the promoting of Gods glory and the furthering of our owne Good for when wee seriously consider the insufficiency of our owne works to saue vs we may learne a poynt of true wisedome not to leane vpon the broken staffe of our owne Merits which will surely deceiue vs but wholly to relye vpon the louing mercies of God which are sure and will neuer faile vs. Thus Gods shall be all the glory and ours all the good I am not ignorant that many of our moderne Diuines haue not a little studied this point and left the fruits of their learned Labours vnto the broad eye of the woâ—ld that who so list may looke into them and receiue satisfaction to the full for nothing of substance can bee super-added vnto that which they haue already set forth yet I think it not amisse considering the present occasion to borrow a little handfull out of the liberall haruest of their labours and present you with a taste of their fruirs dressed after my owne fashion I doubt not but it will be pleasing vnto some I hope and pray that it may be profitable vnto all Happily I may herein seeme to some to make an impertinent digression froÌ„ my text but who so well weigheth the drift of the 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 saued 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 godâ—y 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 fiue things requisite Our vvorkes noâ— meritorious for fiue Reasons 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 Iob 22.23 May a man be 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 Phil. 2.13 Therefore 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
abundantia gloria priuari Stapl. promp mor. Mali non tantuÌ„ dolebunt de ipsò tormento quam quod repellentur a tali consortio Ludolph Si nulla externa poena torqueret haec sola sufficeret Mestreth ex Chrysost too heauie for Nature to 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 punctually discouer vnto vs the fearefulnesse Hell fire most fearefull for three causes of this Penaltie The first is the Extremitie of it Many are the torments which cruell Tyrants the Deuils Engineers haue framed in the forge of their hellish inuention to make poore Nature suffer Multa sunt ab hominibus excogitata supplicia sed nullum acutius nullum vehementius nullum acrius igne Bellar. de gem Columb lib. 2. cap. 2. 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 Hearth fire that the most expert Mathematician is vnable to take their true distance Nebuchadnezzars Furnace though heated 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 finger onely Math. 10.28 or a hand or a foot but the whole body yea the whole man both body and soule For as both like Simeon and Leui haue beene brethren 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 Nemo potest valde dâ—lere diâ— Seneca â—p 78. Praeceps morbus alterum facies aut extinguâ—tur aut extinguet Ibid. Doâ—or quò incitatior â—o citiùs in alienaâ—ione fluporemque conuertitur hoc itaque solatium est vasti doloris quod necesse est desinas illum sentirâ— si nimis senseris Senec. Ibid. ministreth some comfort vnto the sick Patient a Disease the sharper 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 leaue it And if neither his Disease be suddenly taken from him nor he from his disease yet certainly his Paine cannot long continue in extremity but will at length be translated into a stupiditie it will produce a Stupefaction and numnesse in the parts it affecteth and so the Partie ouersensibly affected ceaseth to be sensible of his griefe Againe a violent and virulent Disease though it be a long time ere a man can wholly shake it off and bid it farewell sometime not till his last of time Si longus est habet intercapedinem dat refectioni locum multum temporis donat necesse est vt exurgat desinat Idem ibidem Diseases commonly comming on Horsebacke but going away on foote yet it is no small comfort vnto the sicke Patient that it commeth but by fitts it doth not keep a continuall Terme in his body but hath sometimes its recesses and Vacations it doth not alwayes sit in commission sometimes it hath an intermission and leaueth Man to himselfe to recollect his scattered spirits and repaire the ruined and crasie walls of his earthly Tabernacle whereby he is the better enabled to hold out against the furious assaults thereof Besides there are diuers artificiall Confections which the skilfull in Physicke are able to prescribe and prepare if not for the extirpation of his disease yet at least for the remission and mitigation of his Paine there are lenitiues to asswage and quallifie the raging madnes thereof Howsoeuer at length that Catholike Esculapius Doctor Death will one day visit the perplexed Patient and giue him a dyet drink that will vndoubtedly cure him of all his griefes Thus I say though a man bee infested with a disease that doth extremely plague and torture him yet he hath these comfortable hopes and helpes to sustaine him in it either He and his Disease will suddenly take their last farewell one of an other or if it continue any time with him it will in processe of time through extremity of pain produce a stupefaction or admit of some friendly intermission or at least of some gentle remission to make it the more supportable howsoeuer the Patient and his paine must one day part and then there is an end of all his sorrowes But alas it is not so here he that is cast into this fire is not capable of the least of all these comforts for the extremity of his paine is perpetuall his torments are both endles easeles It was indeed the opinion of Origen and his Disciples that all the damned August lib 21. de Ciuitate Dei Cap 17. yea euen the Deuils themselues should one day be absolued from their paines Tanto inuenitur errare deformius contra Dei veâ—bâ— peruersius quanto sibi videtur sentire clementius August ibidem and receiued into the societie of the Saints which though it be a very merciful opinion yet it is a very foule errour and hath bin therefore iustly exploded by the Church as contradicting both reason and plaine text of Scripture Reason requireth a correspondeÌ„cy between the reward of righteousnes and the wages of iniquitie that as he which like a good tree bringeth forth good fruit shall be remoued from earth to heauen
Supererogatiue workes vnder his Holinesse locke and key can serue the sinners turne in that day for the Wise Virgins could not lend any Oyle Math. 25.6 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 preuaile for any man For the wisedome of the World is but foolishnesse with God 1 Cor. 1.20 Esay 29.14 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 Amos 2.14 15 6. The flight shall perish 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 saue his life And he that is of a mightie courage among the strong men shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. Omnis sine personâ—rum exceptione sin excusationum algatione sine alicuius cuosione Gorth in locuÌ„ So that without any 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 Luke 18 11. if like the proud Pharise 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 spend thrifts 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 ayerie 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 darkenesse Math. 25.30 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 Luke 16. Wee doe not reade that the Rich 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 1. Iohn 3.4 wee read in Iohn that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinne is the transgression of the Law and the transgression of the Law is Sinne and the wages of Sinne is Death Rom 6.23 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 Qui omittit 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 Dionystâ—â— Carthusianus in locâ— Si sola omissio aternoigne punitur 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 Non minoris est criminis habeÌ„ i tollere quà cum possit habes indigenâ—ibus denegare Ambr. in quedam Ser. If those shall bee thrust 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 as 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 Iudge feare nor God nor man Luke 18 4. 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 fruit must bee cursed Math. 21.19 how shall the Vines of Sodome and Gomorrha escape which bring foorth bad fruite Deut. 32.32 3â— fruite bitter as Gall Deadly as the poison of Dragons O Consider this all yee that forget your God Psal 50. â—2 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