rammes shall 1 Sam. 15. 22. we faile to bee obedient Is there nothing more displeasing to God then disobedience which is therefore branded with the marke of rebellion and stiled the Sinne of witch-craft and shall we like to be disobedient O how 1 Sam. 15. 23. much better were it for vs to submit our selues to the commandements of Gods voyce that wee may become fruitfull as the vine Psal 128. 3. then feele the voyce of his iudgements which will cause vs to shiuer for feare and breake into shiuers though we be as tall as the Cedar that Psal 29. 5. so our duty in becomming fruitfull trees may answer to his authority who commandeth vs to be trees bringing forth fruit Thirdly wee are to bring forth fruite in regard of God because he is gloryfied by it Let your light so shine before Math. 5. 16. men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Our Fructifying then is made Gods Gloryfying What greater praise and cause of ioy can theâ—e bee vnto vs then to see the glory of him inlarged who hath prepared for vs a far most excellent and an eternall weight of glory Doth the King of glory crowne man 2 Cor. 4. 17. Psal 8. 5. with glory and worshipp and shall not man augment and increase the glory and worship of the King of glory Was it not a wofull voyce as euer was bruited in Izraell which occasioned the wife of Phinehas old Elies soâ—ne to call hiâ— sonne Ichabod because the glory was departed from Izraell And shall it not bee a rumor of farre more mournefull report to haue it noysed that glory is departed from the God of Izraell Is God so iealous of his honour 1 Sam. 4. 21. that he will giue it to no other and shall wee bee cold Esay 42. 8. in tendering to him the thing nee so greatly loueth The Heathen thinke they bestowe a kinde of glory on their Idols when they make them of Gold or siluer but it is most true that wee shall magnifie the glory of the God of heauen if as fruites of this â—ree wee shall charitabley bestow our gold and siluer The Wise man saith Ecclesi 10. 23. That the glory of the ritch is the feare of the Lord But we may say that the charitable fruite of the ritch is the glory of the Lord. The glory of man without gloryfying 1 Math. 2. 62. of the Lord is but dung and wormes but this dung and worme by glorifying God shall be made gloryous When Phil 3. 21. Christ shall come to iudgement hee shall come with power and great glory With power Why to punish no Mar. 13. 26. doubt the reprobate with glory Why to glorifie no doubt the godly that they which haue as the sonnes of God brought forth the fruite of their planting in ascribing vnto him and procuring for him glorious praise may be in Gods good time recâ—â—â—ed into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 21. Secondly wee are as trees of Gods planting to become fruitfull in regard of the ghospell that it may bee beutified by it that as the feete are beutifull of them which bring vnto vs the glad tâ—dings of the Gospell Rom. 10. 15. So also the hands of them may be bountifull which do receiue the same If we heare the words of the Gospell and bring not forth the fruites of the Gospell We are like barren ground which receiueth seed from the hand of the Husband-man and yeeld him no increase As a woman is not adorned with outward apparrelling as with broyded hayre or gold put about or the putting on of apparell but when the hid man of the heaâ—t is vncorrupt 1 Pet 3. 3. with a meeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much sette by So the Gospell cannot be said to be beautified when the outward partes thereof are materially garnished with Emblemes decked with stones of price or filletted with gold but when the inward sence thereof is so digested in the heart as the same also prospereth fâ—uctifieth in the outward actions and dealings of our life The Apostâ—e protesteth that he is not ashamed of the gospell of CHRISTE Oh wee ought to bee euer and seriously Rom. 1. 16. carefull that the gospell of Chriâ—â— be not ashamed of vs shall the Turks grace their Alcaron with good works which are earnestly vrged aâ—dâ—lâ—igently practised among theâ— and shal not we beutify the most holy gospel of Christ by adding the fruits of the Pomgranates to the bels of Aron the substance of our good deeds to yâ— sound of Gods glad tidings Is the Gospel a light that shmeth in darknesse And shal wee become as a thicke and pa pable darknesse to blinde Luke 1. 79. and obscure this light Hath GOD giuen the Word that blessing if wee haue grace to apprehend it that it would iusufie â—rrchsie and might one day glorifie vs and shall not wee so much as beautifie it The way to 〈◊〉 t is to â—â—â—â—â—fic by it As the Philippians profitting Philip 4. 1. by the labours of Paul are câ—lâ—ed Acrowne so they 〈◊〉 according to the precepts of the Gospell become plentifull in good workes become a Crowne to the Gospell to dignifie and grace the same It is said that an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woman is a crowne to her husband but â—â—ee that maketh 〈◊〉 ashamed is rottennesse to his bones l â—ou 12. 4. The fiugali and fruitfull Christian may bee compared to this huâ— wifely and painefull Woman which thereby becommeth a Crowne to the Gospell as shee to her husband but if hee shall bee idâ—e or euill dooing eyther nothing or naught therein becommeth â—ee a shame to the Gospell as such a Wife is to her Husband yea and in some sort rottennesse to the bones thereof because hee grieueth the holy spirit of GOD I phes 4. 30. The Gospell Matth 13. is sayd to bee the Kingdome of GOD. Did Salomon so garnish the Porche of the Temple that it was there-vpon called Beautifull and shall not wee reioyce Acts. 3. 2. that by our â—â—uitâ—s not the Porch of the Temple which may haply not seeme much but the Temple it selfe and the Holy of Holyes of the Temple is adorned because the Gospel and by coâ—â—â—quencâ— the Kingdome of God which contâ—ineth the whole frame of the Temple not onely materiall but also dragogicall i beautified Thirdly we are as Trees of GODS planting to become fâ—uâ—tâ—full in regarde of man both our selues and others Touching our selues wee are as Trees to become fruitfull to make our saluation sure For certaine it is that though wee bee not saued by our workes yet can we not bee saued with-out our workes Non sunt causa regnandi sed via regni saith Saint Bernard They are not the cause Bernard of reigning but the way of the Kingdome As a man then cannot come to his iournies end
vita Christus saith Saint Ambrose All new things which Christ hath not taught doe wee of right condemne because Christ is life to the faithfull This doctrine of the benefit which may come by the workes of Supererogation is a new thing which Chrâ—st in his holy word hath neither by expresse testimony nor by way of consequence taught and therefore by the iudgement of reuerend Ambrose is not onely to bee reiected buâ— which is more condemned iure damnamus c. Secondly it can neuer bee available vnto vs because it wanteth meanes Indeed it is true concerning Christ that 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse is become our Righteousnesse 1. Coâ—inthians 1. â—0 In which sence wee are said to put on the LORD IESVS CHRIST Rom. 13. 14. that so being araied in the garments of our elder brother Christ we may obtaine the blessing of God our Father as Iacob cloathed in the rayment of his elder brother Esau gott the blessing of Genes 27. 15. Isaake his father But all this is done by the meanes of faith which in this matter serueth as an hand to apprehend apply and gird about vs the sauing roabes of our blessed Redeemer but that this hand should apprehend and fixe the handfast vppon any creature besides him it were to make another name vnder heauen whereby wee looke to be saued then by the name of IESVS contrary to that the Apostle confirmeth Act. 4. 12. It were to putt our confidence in Ierem. 17. 5. man and to make flesh our arme and to with-draw our heart from the LORD Ierem. 17. 5. and so to deserue to be punished with that curse which the Prophet Ieremy in the same place denounceth against such c. There is no application of Righteousnesse without Faith which Faith in a right of propriety belongeth vnto CHRIST only If then it shall bee fastned vppon any creature it must of necessity bee much deragatory from him and so become as a whet-stone to sett an edge on his wrath to punish it to auenge it For shall not the Lord visite for these things Shall not his soule bee auenged on such an acte Ierem 5. 29. as this Sithence then this doctrine of the workes of Supererogation appeareth to bee vnpossible both in regard of our insufficiency by Nature and Grace and also that it wanteth Warrant and meanes Lett vs not I besâ—ech you builde our hope vppon such floating and sandy foundations Let vs not which aâ—e Christians in looking after works of Supererogation from others performe that which may be a derogation from Christ Let vs know that if wee haue any imputed Righteousnesse it must bee onely Christes Concerning any other righteousnesse if wee will haue it auayle-able for vs it must by the grace of GOD be wrought by our selues not brought from others As another mans meat cannot nourish mee but mine owne another mans garment cannot warme me but mine owne another mans eye cannot guide me but mine owne another mans strength cannot inable mee but mine owne another mans health cannot make mee sound but mime owne so to conclude another mans workes shall not auaile mee but mine owne Therefore must we all in generall and each one in particular be like a tree which will bring forth her fruite in due season c. not the fruit of another The fourth branch of the fructifying of this Tree is Opportunity in due season A word spoken much more a deede done in due season is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer Prouerbes 25. 11. bring forth fruit in due season is so to bring forth fruite as it may seeme best to bee interpreted as the foyson thereof may doe most good and that not for our selues alone but for others euen yeelding our fruit as Trees doe where-vnto wee are compared which fructify not for them-selues which are rather burdened then bettered thereby but rather for others who shall gather them For this cause hath God made vs his Stewards that wee should dispose of his blessinges to the good of others the Magistrate by gouerning the Minister by teaching and euery particular man in his particular calling by doing that hee doth not as the Machiauell and Polititian of this world to his owne priuate good but if hee bee the Sonne of GOD ought hee to bee like the Sunne of the World which hauing receaued that rich portion of light without which all thinges should remaine in darkenesse shineth not for it selfe which seeth nothing but to and for others and those not the good alone but the bad also So is it the duty of vs to doe good vnto all Especially to them Which are of the houshold of faith From whence wee may obserue that more specially and with a more tender care we must doe good vnto them which are of the houshold of faith but in a more generall acceptance vnto all men not vnto our friendes only but to our enemies also For if we loue them which loue vs what thanke haue we Do not the publicanes euen the same If then our enemy hunger we Math. 5. 46. must feed him if he thirst we must giue him drinke Rom. 12. 20. As they which must not bee ouer-come malo culpae with the euill of the fault but must ouercome malum paenae the euill of the fact with goodnesse Rom. 12. 21. Iudas was Christes enemy and that in the highest pitch of emnitie A Wolfe in sheepes clothing an enemy vnder the maske of a friend yet when he gaue him that kisse wherwith he betrayed him as noteth S. Hilarie Dominus non respuit c. The Lord refused it not to teach vs saith that S. Hilar in Math. Cano. 32. Father Inimicos omnes eosâ— quos sciremus maxime in nos desaeuituros diligire To loue euen our enemies and those whome we should know yâ— they will most rage against vs. The further we profit in this point the nearer wee come to God him-selfe for as to doe euill for euill is a bestiall thing to doe good for good is a morall thing to do euil for good is a diuellish thing so to doe good for euill is a diuine thing wherein certainly wee doe in good measure expresse the nature of GOD him-selfe who is so Maximus the Greatest as hee is also Optimus the best By thus doing shall wee eyther winnne our enemies to their head CHRISTE or heape coales of fyre on their head Rom. 12. 20. And for our selues in Gods due season for bringing forth our fruite in due season wee shall bee dignified with our Head Christe Iesus hauing crownes of glory on our owne Heades for all euerlastingnesse Hauing handled the sanctifying of this Tree I am in the fourth place to deale with the flourishing of it Whose leafe shall not fade By Leafe in the Scripture is vnderstood as it may in this place also bee taken the Outward shew and appearance of man Thus the Tree which Nabuchadnezzar dreampt off which was indeed him-selfe was sayd to haue Leaues that is
without his way so can wee not ariue at the Kingdome of God the vtmost goale of our race without this way of Workes to walke in Hence commeth it to passe that the Fâ—gge-tree which being mercyfully spared for three yeares space yet remayned barren hath this dome passed against it that it should be cut downe Luke 13. 7. that the vnprofitable seruant hauing â—eceiued but one Talent making no aduantage of it but burying it in the Earth had this Talent taken from him and was him-selfe cast into vtter darknesse where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth That it Math. 25. 30. is sett downe as a definitiue sentence against vs all that vnlesse our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall by no meanes enter into the Kingdome of heauen Math. 5 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be two negatiues which according to the propriety of the Greeke tongue maketh the stronger negation seruing as two boltes to shutte such out of the Kingdome of heauen When Christ shall come to his iudgement hee shall not giue his sentence against the godlesse and reprobate ones that they should as cursed depart from him into eucâ—lasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels because they starued the hungry tooke the drinke from the thirsty dislodged the stranger robbed the naked of his garments maâ—e the haile sicke and imprisoned them which were at liberty therein doing that which they ought not to do but because they gaue no meate to the hungry imparted no drinke on the thirsty lodged not the stranger cloathed not the naked visited not the sicke and imprisoned therein leauing that vndone which they ought to do Math. 25. 41. 42. 43. Seeing then the fruitlesse Figgeâ—tree was to bee cutte downe The vnprofitable seruant to bee cast into vtter darknesse Where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth That vnlesse our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises Wee cannot enter by any meanes into Gods kingdome that Christ shall giue his sentence when he commeth to iudgement not onely according to that which wee haue euill done but also according to that which wee haue not well done It appeareth that with-out good workes with-out good deeds the fruites of this Tree our Saluation iâ— not sure and so by consequence that by good workes by good deeds the friutes of this Tree our saluation is made sure If wee take a lease of House or Land or of some other matter of like nature for certaine yeares wee will carefully looke vnto it that the instruments and conueyances thereof bee not wauering floating or doubtfull in any one point of it but that they be most certaine firme and infallible Behold here not a lease of our owne purchasing but a deed of gift of Gods free granâ— passed ouer vnto vs not of earthy houses and lands but of heauenly mansions and territories not for a certaine terme of yeares but aeternall in the heauens And shall not wee haue a care to assure it to confirme it to ratifie 2. Câ—â—in 5. 1. it A worke is this of good workes a fruite by which wee are both to bee knowne vnto men by their fruites Matâ—h 7. 20. Matth. 7. 23. yee shall know them and with-out which God will not know vs In regarde of men also others beside our selues are we as Trees to become fruitfull whether they bee our brethren by grace or aduersaries to grace First our brethren by grace doe expect at our hands that wee should bee fruitfull both they which are not called that they may bee wonne as the Ecclesiasticall Hiâ— ories report concerning Iustmus Martyr that hee seeing the patient constancie and the vnvanquishable vertue of the Martyrs of those times became him-selfe a Martyr as also they which are already called that they may the rather bee incouraged to leuell them-selues according to our rule and guide them-selues according to our direction to worke according to our patterne that when they see our Patience they may follow after Patience when they see our Humility they may follow aâ—ter Humility when they see our Chastity they may follow as-Chastity when they see our Constancy they may follow after Constancy When they see our Zeale they may follow after Zeale euen as the Apostle willeth whâ—â—â—ce 1. Cor. 14. see loue to follow after loue That as wee goe before and make Christ to bee the Load-starre of our direction so they may follow after and make vs to bee the Leuell of their intention as writeth the same Apostle 1. Corint 11. 1. Bee yee followers of me euen as â—am of Christ In respect of men like-wise are we as Trees to become fruitfull which are aduersaries to Grace that wee may silence their words and stoppe thier mouths who doe whet their tongues and strengthen there sides to both declaâ—me and exclaime against vs saying or rather crying out then saying that if we be not Nullisidians that is such as haue neither Faith nor Religion yet beâ—ray wee our selues to bee Solifidians that is which â—aue â—aith onely without Workes the fruites of Religion This if they meane concerning our Doctrine the â—ead of this obiection hath often beene cut of but that it with Hydra sorth-with bringeth vp another Quoâ—â—â—dit in sedem capitis caedemque prioris that speedâ—â—h no better then his follow â—â—d before him But if they meane it concerning our manners Oh may not the guilt of our conuicted consciences gall our heartes with griâ—ffe and dye our faces with blushing in regard of our defectiue miscariages in this behalfe God hath indeed planted vs his Vineyeard on a fruitfull hill of his Church hedged vs in with the shield of his protection hath gathered out the â—ones of errors and planted vs with the best Plants both of Doctrine and Sacramenâ—s and nath built in the middest of it the towre of Discipline and when hee mought iustly looke for grapes because he may say in regard of his paynes what could I haue done any more to my vineyeard that I haue not done Esay 5. 4. yet doe we either bring forth no grapes or if they bee any at all they bee no better then wilde grapes The same God also hath planted vs as Trees by the waters of his word whose streames are as riuers â—lowing without standing fresh without corrupting to water and moisten our rootes thaâ—â—o our branches may wax fruitful are we not by reason of our corruption become as those Trees whâ—ch being fixed in the riuers Silarus and Eurimenus Du. 〈◊〉 wâ—â—k 1. day 3. haue both boughes and barkes and leaues and fruites turned into sâ—â—ne Stone may we be sâ—id to be turned into because our stony hearts are become like vnto the stony Mat 13. 5. ground barâ—en and fruitlesse It is rather three times twenty yeares then three yeares since the Lord hath spared vs as the fig-tee was spared Lâ— 13. 17. For asmuch then as hee hath yeare by