good pleasure was to make choice of thys the moste notable Beacon of the land as thereby to expresse his anger vnto al if we repent not Againe the fire fel not on our dwelling houses at home but only on the house of God Euen therby not only to conuince vs of sinne for the abuse of hys holy Temple but also to signifie to the beste of oure soules that wée whyche beare the name of GOD his religion in our profession haue not in sinceritie aunswered oure faith and therefore are vnder the censure of Gods anger And surely thys double abuse is greate this daye in Englande For there is no place so egregiously polluted as the Churche of Paules or his worde more contemned in any place What meaneth else that accustomed walking and prophane talking in time of the Sermon there Neither is there any Nation more blessed wyth puritie of godly doctrine in trueth or any so blessed lesse fruitefull vnto GOD. Although I confesse it with thankfulnesse to God that his Gospel hath won to hym infinite soules in this nation which doe the Lorde his holy word Sacraments and Sabaoth as well in thys Citie as in the realme abroade But at the comming of thys firie Preacher we then cryed namelye thys Citie hir Graces Courte and the whole lande Lord we haue sinned spare thy people O Lorde And so our mediatour Christ stayed the fire And then also the Lorde stirred vp the heartes of our honorable aucthoritie to giue from hir Maiestie Proclamation to take away the abuse thereof whiche was an approued digging but alas how long did we obey euen but a short space for as the lawe came but for that house of stone so our stony heartes cast off with spéede the verye memorie of this iuste threatning Preacher And nowe who maketh accompts of it wel wel nay woe woe to vs if we so loosely looke about vs. O Lord what harts haue wée Shall a sodaine falling of a rotten and olde Turret of Syloah be by our Maister Christe instituted a doctour of repentance to the Iewes for the fall whereof reason coulde afforde vs some cause and shall wée or dare we so despise this speciall messenger from God this burned stéeple whych calleth vs al to daily repētance Come hither to me ye commers to the Citie saith Paules stéeple and beholde the anger of oure God For as ye sée me so I remayne corrected by his reuenging hande to cal you to repentance But O Lorde thou God of Heauen this Citie this land this place yea this day hath forgotten this Make vs mindefull O Lorde of thée and penitently sorrowfull for oure sinnes against thée we humbly beséeche thée for Christes sake And as Gods extraordinary preachers came not alone but had some one or other ioyned vnto them as Esay had Micah Ieremy had Ezechiel and Hoseas had Amos So this fire from Heauen hathe to associate his message in earth Gods swift arrowe and burning sword of pestilence chieflye in this Citie Psal 91.5.6 from whence it hathe bin sundry times in sundrye places dispersed and in suche sorte as oure gracious Quéene godly Magistrates haue gyuen forth holy lawes for prayer and fasting to moue the people to repētaunce thereby acknowledging this sword to be far other and beyond naturall cause of infection From heauen we haue hadde also a thirde extraordinary Preacher of Gods anger and warning to repentaunce whych hath bin termed The gentle warning the Lorde make vs méeke spirited in humble sorte to bée rightly warned by it But howsoeuer it fare with vs yet these termes and godly actes doe approue these for Messengers sent of GOD and that by our consent in worde and déede to our forewarning The blazing Starres I speake not of as hauing foresighte to sée thys cauill and why they to Englande more than to other countries wherefore I care to giue vs our own messengers From earth also the Lorde hathe moste notably cited vs to iudgement signified his sentence ready to be executed but for the mediation of our Christ and that alone What meaneth else that monstrous mouing of that twentye acres of grounde Anno. 1570. as oure allowed Chronicles do reporte or such sundry inundation of waters in euerye coast of our Country Such monstrous byrthes strange sicknesses and sodaine deaths But laste of all An. 1580. Aprilis 6 that vniuersall Earthquake and like watershake whiche draue vs into present feare and forced the whole state to Christian prayer and care to repent If nowe the Preachers of our time haue not cause to say Our God is angrie and prepared vnto battel wherfore also I would not haue you to forgett our present Irishe wars which although they be farre from the hearte yet God graunte vs to remember that his power is greate our sins are ripe and the enimies purpose that traiterous Doctor Saunders and his adherents right daungerous But if wée truely turne to the Lorde he will turne to vs and them with theyr aides to vtter confusion as his grace hath shewed himself a louing God to vs in their late ouerthrowe in those parts his name for euer be praised Nowe beloued Magistrates of bothe estates your office is at this instant required to digge and giue compose and aboue all you must take care that standing in the gappe to stoppe the breache for the people you be not like wicked as the people for their shall you perishe before them and great shall be our confusion The Lorde Mayor muste not be a Protestaunt during his office and a Papist after and so for his office sake shewe himselfe occupied about the Fig trée of his City but he with his brethren ought to be touched and sealed in hearte to the Lorde that at all times as they are preferred to their people so they bée godly religious vpright holye aboue the people that their prayer and Christian practize maye ben defence for the Citie not onely against the pernitious purpose of the euill disposed but also against the iust reuenging hand of God whē he warneth vs of iminent danger So likewise muste the Bishoppes those reuerende Fathers and the other councellours and gouernors abroade be and haue the same condition engrauen in their spirite with the pensil of God that they may repaire the broken hedge remoue the hindering matter from the roote of the Fig trée and lay compose to moisten supple and comforte the life therof Which grace God grant you for your selues and vs for Christes sake But our texte doth directe your holy labours vnto two things First that you take from the trée that whiche doth hinder the growth to the fruit therof Then that you lay to the roote of the same that dung or compose whiche may administer helpe to the life of it But I praye you lette pore Haggai Haggai 1.1 delyuer vnto Zorobabel and Iehosuah the thing whiche mightily doth hinder the growth of the Figge trée whych may séeme to youre discretions so
A SERMON preached at Paules Crosse the 23. of Aprill being the Lords day called Sonday 1581. By Anthonie Andreson ¶ Printed at Londō by Ralph Nevvbery Anno. 1581. ¶ To the right worshipful Esquiers maister Edmund Andreson Sergeaunt at Lawe to the Queenes moste excellent Maiestie and to Maister Thomas Fanshawe hir Maiesties Remembrauncer in hir honourable Court of Th exchequer Anthony Andreson Minister of Gods holye Gospell sendeth most Christian salutations AS it pleased god of his prouident purpose in his mercie to call mee your poore kinsmā to that notable place and honourable Audience at Paules Crosse to sound forth the word of his Grace whiche in the simplicitie of my soule I carefullye there deliuered So his wisedome hath further vsed the godlye and of good iudgement and not a fewe to drawe from me my promisse to profite hys people further abroad by the same his holye worde in the office of this my willing pen whiche laboure of mine therein I haue by the Lordes goodnesse now so faithfully here set down as I suppose neither anye Methode is altered or matter omitted that by me then was there spoken Happily some other wordes in some places are vsed as otherwise it were not possible vnlesse I shoulde haue firste penned and then conned my Sermon by hearte whiche had bin a heauy laboure bothe lothsome needlesse I praise God of his mercies to whose glorie I speak it but the felf same substāce of doctrine matter maner and order which both your worships with the rest thē heard is here continued If therefore it nowe seeme to obtaine lesse consider the action is past yet here is the same matter but wanting the voice gesture and person of hym that spake it But no doubt Gods spirite shal open the harts of the Readers to receiue it his seede to their comfort if they with desire of gaine to their consciences turne ouer these little leaues And I praie God in and by our Christe that it maye fructifie as muche as my desire is and that is so much as possibly I can craue And were it of much more valor as it is for the handling but in midle sorte no other choice woulde I make than to bothe your Worshippes my good cousins as to them to whome I owe my selfe for your louing and continuall friendships towardes me This my poore gifte therefore accepte of your good natures as from the heart of him that wisheth you the whole treasures of God for euer to enrich you in body spirite and soule to eternall life Whose defence be euer yours and your for euer his in Christe our Lorde Amen Your kinsman and wel-willer to his power in Christe AN. ANDRESON At my Chamber in London Iune 6. 1581. Emanuell Let vs pray c. Luke 13.6 He spake also this Parable A certaine man had a Figge tree planted in his Vineyard And he came and sought fruite thereon and found none then said he to the dresser of his Vinyard Behold this three yeres haue I come sought fruit of this Figge tree and finde none cut it downe why keepeth it also the ground barren And he answered said vnto him Lord let it alone this yere also till I digge rounde aboute it and dung it And if it beare fruite wel if not then after thou shalt cutte it downe RIghte honourable learned dearely beloued in our sauioure Christe this sacred portion of Gods holy scripture thus read vnto you is spoken by oure Maister Christ as a parable most fit to expresse the wilful ignorance and obstinate rebelliō of that pernitious people of Iewry which now for their vnfruitefull hearing and contemptuous reiecting of the greate graces offered them by the word of God are in shorte time vtterly to bée caste vnder the cursse of Gods malediction The occasion of this Parable was the carping spéeches of the Samaritanishe Iewes in cause of Pilates crueltye against the Galileans whose bloude hée had mingled with their pretenced sacrifices which abused the sacrifices of right religion in the most curssed purpose to open rebellion whiche purpose being moste vngodly God vsed that ciuill power to méete with their attemptes before they had begonne their indeuoure althoughe in muche crueltie the President vsed right reuenge The reporte whereof was brought to Christ as therby either to drawe from Christe some sharpe censure of the President his cruell acte or else to terrifie his sacred person in cause he taught vnder so seuere a Ruler But the Lorde sawe their subtiltie and aunswered them with greate discretion affirming the execution of the sinners to be iust leauing the maner of doing to be decided before the Lorde and by their owne tidings tooke happy occasion to teach thē the doctrine of repentance saying Were these only sinners I tel you nay But except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And God himselfe by that other kind of correction in Ierusalem dothe also forewarne you that not onely those .xviij. vpon whome the Turret of Siloah fell were sinners but also your selues yet left aliue are likewise righte guiltie of death And if you doe not by this his ordinarie and extraordinarie hande take occasion to amend your liues ye shall al likewise perishe But you are sharpe of sight into other mens actions and most blinde to sée your owne estate But beholde it is euen like to this Parable A certaine man hadde a Figge tree c. The Lorde hathe planted you Ierusalites in his fruiteful lande hée looketh for your holinesse of lyfe to hym hée laboureth to all that maye bee that you shoulde be fruitefull but often comming hée findeth you euer barren Therefore it is not long ere you shall be cut downe to your vtter confusion And thys was fulfilled by Vespasian and Titus aboute fortie yeares after the ascention of our Sauiour Christe And thus muche for the Iewish Figge tree The argument or summe of thys Parable is that manye are often suffered of GOD to remaine whilste some are weeded oute that yet deserue lyke castyng forthe wyth others from the Vineyarde And that this long suffering of oure good GOD is to drawe vs to repentance but if we abusing his grace do remaine rebellious our contumacie shall cause vs with vehement force to be throwen from the Church and common weale of Gods electe to the gaping gulfe of extreame hate and perfecte misery The partes of this Parable in my iudgement are two First here is sette downe right notably the singular grace and goodnesse of God to his people shadowed here by this Figge trée Secondly the constrained sētence of Gods Iustice to and vpon the same place and people where before he hath notwithstanding diffused his abundant grace The former parte is approued in these wordes A certaine man hadde a Figge tree planted in his Vineyard c. The second in these Cut it down why keepeth it the ground also barren c. The great and singular goodnesse of God shineth here most brightly as wel in
be broughte to tryall and muche hinder the gratious growth of the Figge trée Let your godly heartes take that auncient precepte from Iehosophat that godly King vnto you which saith or rather Gods spirite in that place of the Chronicles 2. Chro. 19.6.7 Take heede what yee do for yee execute not the iudgementes of manne but of the Lorde and he wil bee with you in the cause and iudgements Wherfore now let the feare of the Lord be vpon you Take heede and doe it for there is no iniquitie with the Lorde our God neither respect of persōs nor receiuing of rewarde The Wine presse for you my brethren of the vulgare sorte is that Christian duety whiche of duty we owe one vnto an other teaching vs to liue godlily Titus 2 11. Gal. 6.9 soberly iustly and not to be weary of wel doing one to another but as candles alwayes light we so shine Math 5. that our workes may procure Gods praise Let vs doe good vnto all menne but especially to the Children of God And know wel that the Apostle to the Ephesians Gal. 6.10 teacheth this to be the end of our placing in the Vineyarde that we be wel exercized in the Wine presse saying Eph. 2.10 Wee are his workmāship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes whiche God hath ordayned that we should walke in them And thus muche of the first part concerning the great goodnesse and grace of God to his Churche this aduāced Figge trée And now beloued we approche to the reste of our Texte whiche setteth sorth vnto vs the sharpe and seuere sentence of God vppon the same Figge trée that was before so happilye harboured The seconde parte Then saide hee to the Dresser of thys Vineyard beholde these three yeres haue I come and sought fruit of this Figge tree and finde none Cutte it down why kepeth it also the groūd barren THis second parte of our text deare brethren containeth two speciall points First the Lordes long suffering the vnfruitfull Fig trée to stand in hys Vineyard wherein his great goodnesse is yet further declared Secondely hys heauy sentence vpon the Fig trée after the long abuse of his greate patience Then said he to the dresser of his Vinyard beholde these three yeres haue I come c. Oh happy Vinyard that hath such a Lord who doth not only plant it defend it fructify it but also doth daily visite the same calleth vpon his people offereth them the remembraunce of the ende wherefore they are so planted and placed in his holy Church He commeth firste in long patience to his slouthfull trées to sée if at lengthe they can take blossome and bring him fruite Note then good people the ende of your calling it is to be holy Heb. 3.13 liuely workers in the Lordes Vineyarde Iude. vers◠20.21.22.23 Esa 58. to laboure the Lords increase by teaching exhorting one an other while it is to day helping vppe some and pulling out other from the fire comforting the weake walking with the strong deliuering the oppressed and setting the prisoners frée restoring eche man hys right vsing no violence to the litle flocke but by godly example in life and daily practise to their good so to yéelde our Figges to our brethren that they séeing our good workes maye glorifie our Father whyche is in Heauen Math. 5.16 And thus shall we make oure calling and election sure as the Apostle Peter hath taught vs saying Giue al diligence thereto to bee partakers of the godlye nature sleeing corruption and luste ioyne moreouer vertue wyth youre fayth and wyth Vertue Knowledge and wyth knowledge temperance and with tēperaunce patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherlye kindenesse loue For if these things be among you and abounde they will make you that yee neyther shall bee ydle nor vnfruiteful in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christe The Lords people muste doe the Lordes workes the working God doth require a labouring people Forget not beloued that the Lorde of this Vineyarde doth in visiting vs often séeke for fruite Thrée thinges are of this Texte to be considered Firste hée commeth not hastily to looke if the trée be full of fruit although his soule desireth the firste ripe fruites but he louingly looketh as a manne desirous of some and if the trée be very sparing he doth not spéedely depart as angry at the same but he taketh the boughes tendrely into his holy handes and he lifteth vp the leaues therof and searcheth diligently if so there be any one Figge there once twice and thrice and verye often and if he at anye time comming find but some fruit be it but here and there a Figge he yet kéepeth a blessing for that trée But if after oftē comming and paineful searching he yet from whome nothing can be hidde can finde no fruite then pronounceth he his cursse vpon that Figge trée and saieth Cut it down c Oh the long loking eies of Gods mercie vpon the Figge trées of Englande He came vnto them in the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne and did mercifully plant vs he hath daylye since come by his Prophets ordinary extraordinary and all to trimme and proine vs Io. 15. that we abiding in his Christ might bring forth more fruite But hée hath by his correcting hande to London oh London looke to it thou City of God and other places with punishing roddes of plagues and sodaine deathes continually of late visited vs as thereby reprouing our wantes of fruite And now he stirreth vppe the courage of his Prophets the godly Preachers whiche truly feare him with one consent to sound as it were the solempne blaste of a laste visitation that if we can not yet be fruitefull Esay 65.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15 they shoulde tell thée O Englande that then this hys Vineyarde shall be taken from thée and thou caste out of it and shalt sée it giuen to a nation that shall bring forth his expected fruite Oh Englande GOD make thée carefull and mindefull of this seuere sentence Cutte it downe Secondly let vs here note how the Lorde saith not I haue come and found no Blossomes but I haue come and founde no fruite Fruite and apte fruit beloued is that whych the Maister of the Vineyard expecteth Blossomes are blowne awaye with a blaste Buddes are beaten downe with stormye tempestes but swéete fruite is moste méete for the Lordes mouthe But it is a harde thing for the bitter Figge trée to alter hys nature Wherefore he often draweth the vigoure of the earth to féede his bitternesse Looke vppon the Iewishe Figge trée and the Lord comming after long expectation for good fruite what fruites founde he Esay sayeth Esay 5.4 Hee looked that it shoulde bryng foorthe Grapes but it broughte foorthe Wilde Grapes viz. hee looked for iudgement but beholde oppression Vers 8. for righteousnesse but beholde a crying of them that are oppressed throughe