vnderwent the heauiest trials especially when it hath beene for their Sauiours sake taking greater pleasure in their iron fetters than the proudest Courtier doth of his golden chaine It was Hardings inuectiue against our reuerend and pretious Iewell that we Protestants were worse than the very deuils For whereas bread and water and the Crosse could scar them away Princes could be rid of vs by no meanes but fire To whom that excellent Bishop answered that though it pleased his malitious humour to make but a iest of the bloud of Gods Saints yet it was no more ignominie for Lambes to suffer what Christ suffered than it was praise and credit for Wolues to betray him as Iudas did By our Zeale lastly may our loue be tried For whether it be an intention of loue as some would haue it or a compound of loue and anger as other describe it Certainly it is a spirituall heat wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Ghost improuing this good affection of loue as one of late hath well defined it By this Moyses discouered his loue for though hee were the meekest man vpon the earth yet he was not only grieued but wonderfully angry when he saw God to be dishonoured So Elijah Phineas Samuel Dauid Nehemiah and many others did the like as largely appeareth in their stories And surely if we loued the Lord it could not bee but wee would be zealous for the Lord. It is a cold loue that is not heated with this fire When men can disgest oathes and blasphemies as easie as the Ostridge iron and see God to be dishonoured without indignation let them conclude loue is wanting That same Spirit that descended first vpon the Lord Iesus in the similitude of a Doue descended afterwards vpon his Apostles in the similitude of fire As in somethings we should be meeke and patient so in other things hot and earnest Meeknesse in our owne causes but in Gods zeale and feruencie doth well And thus wee haue seene the first rule of triall wherein I haue beene somewhat large though I hope not ouer-large forgiue all good faults breuity in the next shall make amends The second way for the discouery of our loue is by our Speeches For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Experience makes this good The niggard will be talking of his niggardnesse the worldling of his wealth the voluptuous of his pleasures the ambitious one of his honours and preferments And whatsoeuer a man loueth most that will hee take his greatest ioy in talking of What commendation shall you heare the Huntsman giue of his Dogge The Faulkner of his Hawke How large are these in praising of their sport Thus is the tongue the Interpreter of the mind and by its language you may easily ghesse at the hearts meaning If the loue of God be there thy tongue will be the tell-tale and bewray it either in speaking of the Lord or for the Lord. Of him in commending or admiring him It was the loue of God in Dauids heart that fild his mouth with often praises The Spouse in the Canticles she loued much and praised much My welbeloued is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousands his head is as the most sine gold his lockes are bushie and blacke as a Rauen his eyes are as the eyes of Doues c. So shee goes on her tongue being as the Pen of a ready Writer hauing words at will to praise and admire euery thing that was in him So likewise for him the tongue will be imployed if loue bee in the heart Dauid will speake for God and for his truth euen before Kings and will not be ashamed To heare God to bee dishonoured his Word blasphemed his Gospell scorned his Children reuiled Loue cannot brooke It will worke within vs as Nature wrought in the sonne of Craessus of whom it is recorded that though he had beene alwaies dumbe yet seeing one come to kill his father the impediments and strings of his tongue were violently broken through the force of naturall affection so that he cried out Oh man kill not Craessus And surely wee may in this case say as that heroicall Luther said in the like Cursed be that silence that here forbeareth Thus may we make our tongues the touchstone of our hearts For as the doore-keeper said to Peter so say I Thy speech bewraieth thee The third and last way is by our workes and actions Loue is full of operation so shewes Saint Paul and hardly can it deny any worke which the party beloued doth enioyne Hence said Dalilah to Sampson How canst thou say I loue thee when thy heart is not with mee Thou hast mocked me these three times hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth Our blessed Sauiour makes this a rule of triall If you loue mee saith hee keepe my Commandements And againe thus Hee that hath my Commandements and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me And elsewhere thus You are my friends if you doe whatsoeuer I command you Thus Abraham made good his loue by his ready obedience to Gods command in offring vp his sonne and in leauing his owne Country to goe to that place whither God should send him And as loue maketh vs thus obedient and dutifull so it causeth vs to be bountifull and liberall as the Apostle speaketh For where the heart is inlarged the hand cannot bee straightned where the bowels are open the purse is neuer shut So that Herod may haue his pleasure which hee affects what cares hee though hee part with halfe his Kingdome What will a man spare from his speciall friend that may bee for his good All I haue is at his command to whom I haue giuen my selfe So said Iehosaphat to Ahab I am as thou art and my people are as thy people Ionathan loues Dauid as his soule and he will shew it by stripping himselfe euen to his sword and to his bow for the supporting and helping of his dearest Dauid Of so franke a disposition is loue that it will bee prodigall of its neerest and dearest things If Maries teares will wash her Sauiours feet she will powre them out and not thinke her haire too good to bee the towell No Spikenard shall bee too costly for his head whom her soule affects what though that vnguent might haue beene sold for some great summe of mony wherewith shee might haue done her selfe much good Yet shee had rather bestow it on her Sauiour than on her selfe because shee loued her Sauiour more than her selfe Thus loue will bee content to bee at cost for Christ and thinkes nothing too much that is done to him or for him As that renowned Master Fox of whom it is reported that hee would neuer deny Beggar that asked in Gods name Thus by our obeying of him and cost for him
signifying will and therefore gaue them the outward meanes sending vnto them Prophets Wisemen and Scribes messengers endued with all varietie of gifts administrations and operations and that not once but often How often would I haue gathered Often by the mouth of his seruants often by his owne selfe as the louing Hen is alwaies caring for her chickens alwaies clucking and calling them if they wander out of her sight neuer so little that shee may gather them and guard them from the mischiefe of all vermine But they would not they themselues gainesaid Where then lay the fault And so S. Stephen complaineth of the Iewes yea telleth them to their faces that they were stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares and did alwaies resist the Holy Ghost that is the worke of the Holy Ghost in the ministerie of the word and would not be wrought vpon But the Scripture speaketh of Gods hardning Pharaohs heart so that the meanes should not be profitable vnto him And God himself commandeth Isaiah to preach vnto the people that they may be hardned and so not conuerted True and yet in all this God cannot be charged with any fault or blame For it is a iust and righteous thing with God to punish sinne with sinne My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me so I gaue them vp vnto their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne counsels Thus then God doth this for a punishment of such as withstand and contemne those gratious meanes hee offers them for their good If Pharaoh harden his heart against the meanes God will harden his heart that he shall not profit by the meanes So then though Sathan hardneth as a malitious Author and man hardneth himselfe as a voluntarie instrument yet God hardneth no otherwise than as he is a iust Iudge and righteous auenger of sinne And secondly God doth not harden by infusing euill but by with-holding of his grace and forsaking of his creature which Diuines call spirituall desertion As the Sunne freezeth the water not by adding coldnesse to it but by keeping backe his heat so is God a deficient cause of hardnesse but no efficient thereof And this must be marked that we erre not in this point Now let vs make the Vse And first this frees vs from a slander that the Papists haue laid vpon vs in giuing out that we teach directly or by consequence that God is the author of sinne and only cause thereof Now whether this be true or no iudge you You now heare it taught that he is out of fault and may no way be charged with the least spot of sinne he is most holy iust and pure in all his waies and workes Now therefore the Lord be Iudge betweene them and vs. And secondly see how damnable and excuselesse shall the carelesnesse of the most be in the matter of their saluation to excuse and lessen their owne sinne they will not sticke to lay the fault on God himselfe and charge their Maker with their damnation They sweare swagger drinke to drunkennesse defile forbidden beds shoot at heauen with their blasphemous oathes and then fetch from Gods decree and purpose excuses for these their outragious wickednesses And why should fault be found with them If God would it should be otherwise Who hath euer resisted his will and why doth he yet finde fault He hath decreed it and his decree must stand If the Deuils in hell should speake what could they say more We haue fallen and God caused it Wicked and fearefull thoughts When Adam sinned he blamed his wife and shee God himselfe and we haue sucked the same milke but as it would not serue Adams turne no more will it serue ours Cease then thou foolish one from charging God or drawing him in as an accessarie to thy prophanenesse God would haue thee saued but thou wilt not He labours to make thee good and darest thou lay to his charge thy owne voluntarie badnesse Behold God is so farre from being guilty of thy miserie as that he giueth thee his Word his Sacraments and affordeth thee all good helps to mollifie thy heart iustifying himselfe by these proferd meanes of thy saluation that he hath no desire nor delight in thy destruction and darest thou charge him with thy damnation Thou saist If God would it should be otherwise if he please he could saue without these meanes True if we speake of his absolute power as was before shewed but it is his actuall power that thou must looke vnto and so he hauing tied the end and the meanes together cannot because he will not bring thee to the end without thy vsing of those meanes which tend vnto the end for that is the ordinarie course which he hath decreed to vse and which he will not alter but vpon speciall occasion as our Sauiour noteth in the cure of Naaman and in the feeding of the widow of Sarepta God hath ordained that a mans bodie should liue by the meanes of meat drinke sleep c. shouldst thou now neglect these meanes for the preseruation thereof and yet accuse God if thou growest sicke and weake c. because if he would he could continue health and strength vnto thee without these helps I am sure that all men would condemne thee nay that thou wouldst condemne thy selfe of solly and presumption Thou pleadest further Gods decree for albeit thou vse the meanes yet the end is already decreed and who can alter it But secret things belong vnto the Lord leaue them to him It is not for thee to pry into that Arke which is couered with a curtaine of holy secrecie not to be drawne aside vntill that day comes wherein we shall know as we are knowne That signed and reuealed will written in Tables published with trumpets is it to which thou standest bound Neither doth the necessitie of this Decree excuse for God doth not by his Decree force thee vnto euill but he findes thee euill and prone only vnto it of thy selfe He decrees that thou shalt be so or so and knoweth that thou wouldst be so had he neuer decreed it but seeing thou knowest not what this his decree is vse the meanes and condemne not God Thus learne to chamber thy tongue vaine man for God cannot be charged nor any way blamed with thy sinfulnesse and barrennesse Lay thy hand vpon thy mouth and condemne thy selfe for Thy destruction is of thy selfe oh Israel Say not what can I remedie it if God will not saue me for what can God doe more than he hath done for thee God raines vpon thee his holy deawes and is not wanting in his purging and pruning thee with his corrections He hath giuen thee strange and excellent meanes so that it is only thou that art wanting to thy selfe Heauen is good but thy ground is naught A cunning Caruer can cut the similitude of
any bill of complaint to God against them yet the sinne it selfe will cry though they be silent Clamitat in coelum vox sanguinis Sodomorum Vox oppressorum merces retent a laborum Euery sinne indeed hath its voice to discouer it selfe to God saith one and not a voice only but feet also yea and wings too to make way and speed into heauen for vengeance but yet there are foure sinnes and but foure as is obserued mentioned in Scripture that are said to cry The first is Homicide murther or manslaughter whereof Almighty God thus speaketh vnto Cain The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto mee from off the earth The second is Sodomie a sinne against nature whereof the Lord speaketh thus vnto Abraham Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me The third is this of Oppression as the places before quoted shew as also that of Habakkuk where the very timber and stone from the building that is founded vpon falshood and oppression is said to cry for vengeance from heauen The fourth is The keeping backe of the labourers hire as that place euen now brought out of S. Iames for the proofe of our point witnesseth These sinnes are not only vocall but importunate they will haue no nay but hale downe iudgements vpon the heads of the miserable authors and wretched actors of them So then it is impossible for oppressors to escape vnpunished and howeuer vengeance may seeme limpingly to pursue them yet it will ouertake them in the end without repentance hinder As for the poore oppressed this may serue for their comfort and it may teach them patience He that is ouerswayed with might against equitie right in some one Court yet is not out of heart nor hope so long as he may appeale to some other that is higher especially if he be perswaded of the integritie and vprightnesse of that Iudge to whom he makes Appeale Art thou then wronged and iniured by the mighty yet be not discouraged for though thou canst haue no helpe at mans hand yet there is a higher to whom thou maist appeale euen God in his holy habitation who beholds thy troubles heares thy sighes bottles vp thy teares is acquainted with all thy griefes and will right thy wrongs For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him at libertie from him that puffeth at him Heare this you fatherlesse and widowes you poore and needy ones and albeit these mighty Nimrods ride ouer your heads and plow vpon your backs making long furrowes there and thus wound your flesh yet let them not wound your patience but let your weake hands be strengthned and your feeble knees confirmed for behold your God will come with vengeance your God will come with recompence Commit therefore your cause to him who iudgeth righteously and see you asswage your griefe and sorrow when you are thus oppressed He will come he will come assuredly in due time he will come and deliuer you from out the pawes of the bloud-thirstie and cruell man Though Passion therefore possesse your bodies yet let Patience possesse your soules And now for the Ecce which is here twice vsed Behold oppression Behold a cry once vsing it is not enough Behold and behold againe One cals this a starrie note Another compares it to a hand in the margent of a booke pointing to some thing of great succeeding consequence Another compares it to the sounding of a trumpet before some proclamation Another to the ringing of a bell before the Sermon of some famous Preacher And indeed as often as it is vsed for it is vsed six hundred times in Scripture it is neuer vsed but in matters of great moment worthy of our deepest and most serious obseruation being still put for a word of wonder and note of admiration So here Behold the wonderfull and vnspeakable mercy and goodnesse of the Lord towards this his Vineyard how great things he had done for it and what meanes he vsed for the prosperitie and welfare of it yea in euery one of the former particulars behold it Againe behold the horrible ingratitude of this his Vineyard Ingratitude in its full proportion with all the dimensions of its vgly stigmaticke forme in it behold Yea we may moue attention from this word to all that hath beene said For there is nothing in this Song but deserues to haue this Character Behold to be stamped on it Consider well of all this Scripture examine euery parcell let not one iod or tittle passe away vnregarded God hath commended yea recommended what is here taught vnto vs with this remarkable note Behold yea behold againe See therefore that you haue beene here present with your minds as well as with your bodies And all you that are here present behold from the highest to the lowest for it deserues deepe pondering vpon Let him that hath eares to heare heare And let him that readeth consider Euen so consider we what hath beene said and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Table for the readier finding out the chiefe and most materiall things contained in this BOOKE A GOd cannot faile of his end in any of his Actions Pag. 139 Affections of people must be wrought vpon by Gods Ministers 58 Afflictions are Gods Winepresse 132 Not to bee bettered by our Afflictions is dangerous 199 Gods holy hand is in all Afflictions 223 Both the time measure and end of our Afflictions are ordered by God 224 Why God doth vse wicked instruments in the Afflicting of his people 225 How we may looke vpon second causes in our Afflictions 229 God is to be sought vnto when wee are Afflicted 230 They doe not disable vs from being Gods children 236 Amoz the father of Isaiah and Amos in the number of the small Prophets not both one 16 The Angels watch for the godly mans safety 111 Application is the life of Doctrine 278 Arrogancy a sinne to be auoided 101 Attendants of the godly honourable 121 Authority must bee shewed for what Gods Ministers doe deliuer 64 B BArren Professors are good for nothing 79 The world is full of such 159 Man degraded beneath the Beasts 85 Names of Beasts giuen to the wicked 254 Behold how often vsed in the Scriptures 318 It is euer vsed in matters of importance ibid. The abuse of Gods Blessings causeth the Lord to depriue vs of them 238 Pray for a sanctified vse of them 166 Bribery is no better than theeuery 308 Busie-medling dangerous 101 C CHildren are not saued by the faith of their parents 289 They should bee thankfull for religious Parents 295 Gods owne Children chastised 231 The Church weake in it selfe 79 112 She is
of the Church for all of them haue made the Catholique Church to be nothing else but the Romane Church and some of them haue made the Romane Church to be nothing else but the Pope And this is their One But now for Vse This vnitie or onenesse of Gods Vineyard should teach vs all vnitie and concord that professe our selues to be of this Vineyard And as in the naturall bodie there is a perpetuall sympathie betweene all the parts so ought there to be in this bodie mysticall If one member suffer all should suffer with it if one member be had in honour all should reioyce thereat The eye must not say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head againe vnto the feet I haue no need of you but euery member ought to be helpfull to its fellow-members willingly yeeld to euery one that which belongeth to them and according to that of S. Peter As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one vnto another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God For as the incolumitie of the bodie depends vpon the concord of the parts in the mutuall performance of their duties so the welfare of the Church when we thus shew ourselues to be members one of another And therefore as God hath called vs so let vs walke whether we be Magistrates Ministers or others Art thou a Magistrate Then thou as the head shouldst rule and gouerne wisely woe be to the bodie when the head is phrenzie drunken idle or the like see thou be not so but as the head doth heare and see taste and smell for the good of the inferiour members so shouldst thou in that place wherein God hath set thee Art thou a Minister Then as the Heart thou shouldst be the fountaine of life and vitall spirits doctrine like dew should distill from thy lips Little ioy haue the other members when the heart is sicke or heauy Art thou in meaner place a Tradesman Husbandman or the like then as the foot see thou be sound and seruiceable being ready to goe or runne for the least good that may betide the bodie And that vnitie and loue may the better be continued and maintained let these euils be auoided First Enuie or repining at the gifts of others a sinne too common and yet vnnaturall for doth the foot enuie at the head because it is preferd before it as more honourable Or is it discontented because it is clad in leather when it may be there is a chaine of gold about the necke or a pretious stone vpon the finger Each member is apparelled and decked with such ornaments and vestures as are most seemely for it A garter is vnseemely about the necke and so is a chaine about the leg A foule fault then it must needs be to enuie any in higher place for that credit honour and respect which they haue aboue vs. Secondly arrogancie and highmindednesse for any gift that is in vs aboue our brethren The eie is honoured with that necessary and noble sense of seeing and so is the eare with that worthy and needfull sense of hearing and the nose is preferred before them both in that profitable and vsefull sense of smelling Thus he that taketh place before all in some things must be content to giue place and come behinde others in some things else Let this cause thee to contemne none that are inferiour to thy selfe in shew Thirdly curiosity or busie medling with things belonging not vnto vs. The eie meddles not with hearing nor the eare with seeing nor the foot with either of them both but each member knowes its owne office and that it lookes to So arrogate not to thy selfe any thing out of thy owne calling but containe thy selfe within thy owne bounds and limits If a more should fall into the eie were the foot a fit member to be thrust into the eie to plucke it out No for though the foot be sensible of the trouble yet it leaues the helping of it to the hand It is neither fit nor comely for the people to meddle with the office of Magistrates directing them how to gouerne nor with the calling of Ministers teaching them how to preach And therefore let all take the Apostles counsell and study to be quiet medling with our owne businesse leauing other things to whom they doe concerne For a second vse Is the Church but one Then woe to such as are authors or fautors of any diuision or separation and so breake the vnity of the Church Such sinne grieuously as S. Paul sheweth writing to the Corinthians and auoucheth that such are carnall and walke as men What answer will Brownists and Separatists make to God at the last day Oh they were wicked Magistrates vngodly Ministers c. But if the head ake doth the foot refuse to beare it Or if the eie be blemished doth the rest of the members disdaine it or contemne it or whilest it remaineth in the body refuse to haue fellowship with it and renounce their owne part in the body because of it Me thinks this being well considered must needs conuince them But of these before Hitherto I haue beene in the Proposition of the Parable The prosequution explication or narration of it followeth now to be handled which beginneth at the latter end of the first verse and continueth to the end of the sixth Wherein we haue laid downe to be considered first the Vineyards Plantation in the latter part of the first and in the second verses secondly the Supplantation thereof in the foure next In the first of these we haue two things to intreat of as first of the Vinitors great paines and cost which he bestowed vpon it and secondly of his iust expectation which he made to receiue fruit from it His paines cost and care for this his Vineyards good appeares in six sundry particulars First in the situation of it for it grew 1. vpon a Hill 2. vpon a very fruitfull Hill In an horne of the sonne of oile for so the words are by which Hebraisme is set forth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of the place For by an horne is noted strength power and height vsually in Scripture and by oile fatnesse and plenty and by the sonne of oile is meant that which commeth of the oile and is of it A phrase vsuall amongst the Hebrewes And so wee reade of the sonne of daies of the sonne of death of the sonne of plenty and the like By this phrase then is noted thus much that they were excellendy seated both for pleasure and profit and in so fruitfull a place as if it had beene the sonne of oile and borne of it Secondly in the Protection of it for hee fenced and enclosed it in strongly that it might not be wasted nor any way annoied Thirdly in the Elapidation or Cleansing of it casting out the stones and preparing of the soile by purging it from all
the Deuils sake but the Deuill for sinnes sake And therefore to shut vp all with that exhortation of the Apostle Dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Hitherto we haue intreated of the Vineyards plantation The supplantation of it followes next to be handled which is contained in the 3 4 5 6 verses wherein we haue First the Lords Plea with them vers 3 4. Secondly the Verdict or Iudgement past vpon them vers 5 6. In the Plea we haue first an Appeale made to them vers 3. And secondly an Inditement against them vers 4. In the Appeale diuers circumstances are considerable As 1. The Manner of it which is not in commanding-wise as it might haue beene but by way of intreaty and request I pray you 2. The Matter requested and for which this Appeale was made and that is that they would discerne wisely of the matter and accordingly passe sentence Iudge 3. Who they be which are made Iudges of the cause and they are the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem euen the whole multitude 4. The Parties betweene whom the controuersie and variance is and they are God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and Israel the Defendant And now ô inhabitants of Ierusalem iudge I pray you betwixt me and my Vineyard c. And now or Now therefore These are the words of God himselfe q d. Seeing it is thus that my Vineyard hath so frustrated my hopes therefore now c. O inhabitants And men The words are in the Originall read in the singular not in the plurall number O inhabitant and man By whom some would haue the Lord Iesus to be meant as before was shewed but it is euident that here the Lord appealeth to the Iewes themselues and makes them Iudges in their owne cause referring the matter betweene him and them to their owne consciences And we know it is no rare thing in Scripture to finde one number put for another the plurall for the singular and the singular for the plurall Now the reason why the Lord speaketh to one man as it were rather than to all or to them all as if they were but one may be this because he would haue iudgement not as simply of them all together but particularly of euery one willing euery singular person of Iudah and Ierusalem to commune with their owne hearts and accordingly giue sentence And therefore Tremillius and Iunius with diuers others reade as the Originall hath it Ierusalem Iudah Iudah was the Country Ierusalem was the chiefe Citie in that Country and indeed one of the most famous Cities of the world full of people great amongst the Nations Princesse amongst the Prouinces and in one respect exceeded all other Cities in the world besides for therin was Mount Zion the place of Gods seruice and worship and therefore it was called the Citie of the Lord of Hoasts The Citie of God Iudge To iudge sometimes signifieth to passe an vpright or vnpartiall sentence against any true or false so Christ willeth the Iewes to iudge righteous iudgement and sometimes it is only taken for the vnderstanding and discerning of all things so meaneth the Apostle when he saith Let two or three speake and let the other iudge i. discerne what is spoken This latter some would haue only here meant as if the Lord did not require sentence but only an inspection into the cause But it may rather seeme the Lord requires not only that they should consider and discerne but also that they should speake their minde and giue sentence against such a Vineyard We shall not need to stand longer vpon Interpretation the other words are cleare we come now to Doctrine with the Vses and duties which we are to learne from each of the particulars And first from the Manner of this Appeale I pray you learne that With much meeknesse and mildnesse doth God proceed against sinners When he hath to deale with them he doth not come in furie and rage but in milde and peaceable termes with kinde intreaties He doth not as we see imperiously command them with Sic volo sic jubeo c. but vouchsafeth kindly to request them Iudicate quaeso I pray yee iudge The like was Gods manner of proceeding with Adam after his transgression Adam where art thou Who told thee thou wert naked Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I told thee thou shouldst not eat In the like manner he comes to Cain Where is thy brother Abel What hast thou done And so our blessed Sauiour how mildly did he deale with him that smote him vniustly If I haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill but if well why smitest thou me And what mildnesse and meeknesse did he shew to Iudas when he came to betray him euen at that time calling him friend Friend betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse In that parable of the mariage of the Kings sonne wherein Gods proceeding against wicked and vngodly professors who repent not of sinne neither doe beleeue in Christ is set forth this point may haue further confirmation for to him that hath not on a wedding garment the King saith thus Friend how camest thou in hither c. quietly and peaceably examining and conuincing him And this the Lord doth that he may the sooner and the better bring the sinner to a sight and sense of his sinne and fault and that he might if it were possible be pricked in his heart and be brought to see that it is out of loue which the Lord beareth to him as he is his creature and that he desireth not his death but his repentance that he might liue And certainly this milde and gentle kinde of dealing doth much sooner cause the offender to see his fault than a hastie and passionate proceeding doth or can So that vnworthy guest when he was so friendly dealt withall had nothing to answer but was speechlesse Herein let vs be followers of God as deare children in manifesting this notable fruit of the Spirit when we haue to deale with sinners which hath in it the very pith of loue which when it accompanieth a reprehension or obiurgation it is as that same pretious oile which shall not breake the head Let Ministers here learne how to deale with their hearers intreating exhorting beseeching euen then when they may lawfully command In things of this life see how men are faine to intreat and sue hard for that which is their owne and heart-glad they are if by any such course they can gather vp their debts How glad then may we be if by any earnest perswasion or faire intreatie we can gather vp the debt of obedience which our people owe vnto the Lord I will neuer thinke much to speake faire and friendly so that may follow thereupon And thus the Apostle Paul doth
together saith the Lord c. as if he should say If you are so well perswaded of the goodnesse of your cause and are so ready to accuse me and excuse your selues which is the propertie of all hypocrites let vs reason about the businesse and bring the matter vnto a triall that so it may appeare whether I or your selues be most in fault The like Plea he offers his people by the Prophet Ieremiah Wherefore I will yet plead with you saith the Lord and with your childrens children I will plead And by the Prophet Micah he summons them to the like businesse willing them to plead the cause with him as it were at euen hand offering to make answer to whatsoeuer they could obiect or lay vnto his charge and he cals vpon the hils and mountaines to be witnesses yea Iudges of the cause Heare O ye mountaines saith he the Lords controuersie and ye strong foundations of the earth for the Lord hath a controuersie with his people and he will plead with Israel O my people what haue I done vnto thee and wherein haue I wearied thee testifie against me c. And the maine reason hereof is that the Iustice of God might hereby be cleared and euery mans mouth stopped That he might be iustified when he speaketh and cleared when he iudgeth But the Apostle reproueth such as dare word it with the Lord and dispute with him about his proceedings Who art thou O man saith he that pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus c. True for though God be content to offer it for the clearing of his iustice and conuiction of the sinner yet it is ouer-great-boldnesse and sawcinesse for any man to require and demand it Here was Iobs failing Ieremiahs weaknesse and Dauids infirmity Make these vses of this point First let it serue for our Instruction that wee admire the rich mercy and great goodnesse of the Lord who is content so to abase himselfe as to put his holy actions and proceedings to our scanning and plead with vs Clay and Dart Dung and Wormes-meat about his iust and righteous proceedings Should he vse Martiall law against vs and as soone as euer we offend like Draco write his lawes in bloud vpon vs it were but iust and right Now for him to come and reason with vs and plead about the iustice of his cause before hee proceeds to iudgement this deserues acknowledgement and admiration in the highest degree Should the wood quarrell with the Carpenter or the Iron with the Smith or the clay with the Potter Would they doe thus And yet there is more difference betweene God and vs than is or can be betweene the Carpenter and his wood the Smith and his Iron the Potter though he were a King and his pot though it were of the worst fashion or for the basest vse O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and louing kindnesse of our God! How vnsearchable is his goodnesse and his mercies past finding out Secondly let it bee for Admonition vnto vs that we beware how we taxe God of the least iniustice in any of his proceedings for he is so assured of the equity of his actions as that he feares not the scanning of them by his very enemies yea so farre is he from fearing it as that hee will prouoke them to a pleading with him that doe accuse him Now we know none call for a day of triall but such as are well perswaded they are of the surer side as for those that doe euill they hate the light as our Sauiour speaketh lest their deeds should bee reproued Bee thou then contented with his will hee hath reason for his actions though thou knowest it not This is a lesson wee cannot hit on the best of vs are much wanting in it Wee can all say It is a shame to contend with the Almighty yet when his hand lies any way vpon vs then Oh that I might speake with the Almighty Holy Iob while he was himselfe acknowledgeth this but being tried with affliction then he forgat himselfe for which God sharply reproues him and then Iob cries peccaui and acknowledgeth his owne vilenesse and promiseth amendment Whatsoeuer God doth acknowledge to bee most iust Say not what a hard case is this or how can this stand with iustice But learne thou better things and with Ely say It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And with Mauritius remember that of Dauid Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements What thou canst not vnderstand inquire not a reason of but reuerence it Couldst thou vnderstand it thou shouldst much more vnderstand that thou hast no reason to complaine though it were for the reprobation of thy husbands wiues childes or owne soule The Parties who are appointed Iudges in the cause are in the next place to be considered and they are themselues You inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah He doth not put the businesse to this or that friend to arbitrate neither doth he call vpon heauen and earth nor on the mountaines and strong foundations as he doth elsewhere to heare the quarrell for it might haue beene thought these would haue beene partiall But he makes his aduersaries themselues the Iudges of the cause Whence note we God will fetch witnesse from his aduersaries owne consciences for the iustifying and condemning themselues God will neither chuse nor vse any other Iudge to condemne man than man himselfe Thus the Lord after hee had vsed all good meanes for the conuerting of Ephraim and Iudah demands of no other than of themselues what hee should doe more And so our Sauiour after hee had propounded that Parable of the Vineyard let out to wicked husbandmen requires of the Priests and Rulers their iudgement and they sentence them and in them themselues thus That they were worthy to be destroied and to haue the Vineyard taken from them and let out to others who should render the fruits in their seasons The like I might shew of Pharaoh who by force of conscience was made to iustifie the Lord to his owne confusion And of Adonibezek who acknowledged when Iudah had taken him and cut off his thumbs and toes that as he had done by others so had God required him And of Iudas who read the sentence against himselfe there being none else to doe it Besides many other of whom mention is made in Scripture whose mouthes haue beene opened to reade their owne doome to the iustifying of the Lord and condemning of themselues Hereunto tends the Apostles speech when hee telleth vs that the sinner is subuerted and sinneth being selfe-condemned Thus God loues to haue a sinner accuse himselfe before hee accuse him condemne himselfe before hee condemne him See then here the vse of conscience and
own saluation no maruell then if he preferred it before the honours and treasures of Egypt the like did blessed Paul who professeth that for Gods glory in the saluation of the Iewes he could wish himselfe accursed or separated from Christ Remarkable also is the Apostles care in the cure of the Creeple that the least part of Gods praise might not cleaue to their fingers but all might be ascribed to the Lord. The 24. Elders cast their Crownes before the Throne they emptie themselues of all glory merit and worthinesse whatsoeuer that they may giue all praise vnto the Lord. And lastly haue we not our Sauiours owne example for our imitation who both by praier and practice sought his Fathers glory and only it Father saith he glorifie thy name and againe I honour my Father and seeke not my owne glorie And in that sweet praier of his I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses and haue so many examples before vs for our encouragement let vs lay aside all pride of heart selfe-loue vaine-glorie and euery such like weight and sinne which doth so easily beset vs and in simplicitie of heart aime at our masters praise in all we vndertake Euery dull iade will follow though he will not leade the way we are but iades in Christianitie and godlinesse if we continue carelesse when so many haue gone before vs in this dutie Remember further how we pray Doe we not desire daily the hallowing of Gods name now to say it with our mouthes and not seeke it in our liues is damnable hypocrisie a sinne that God abhorres Doe we not likewise pray that Gods will may be done in earth as it is in heauen Now tell me how doe the Angels spend their time doe not they cry continually one vnto another Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hoasts the whole earth is full of his glory Oh take heed lest thou multipliest lies as thou multipliest praiers see that thy heart and tongue be not at variance what thou praiest for with thy lips see thou practisest in thy life Let not your workes giue your tongues the lye Againe for our further encouragement hereto consider we the benefit that comes hereby For by glorifying God we bring glory to our selues the greatest fruit thereof redounds to vs His glory is as himselfe eternall infinite and so abides in it selfe not capable of our addition to it or detraction from it As the Sunne which would shine in its owne brightnesse and glory though all the world were blinde and did wilfully shut their eies against it so God will euer be most glorious let men be neuer so obstinate or rebellious Yea God will haue glory by Reprobates though it be nothing to their ease and though he be not glorified of them yet he will glorifie himselfe in them Yet notwithstanding this he will trie how we prize his glory and how industrious we are to magnifie and exalt it wherein if he finde vs painfull he will plentifully reward it and returne glory for glory according to his promise Them that honour me will I honour Lastly if all that hath beene said worke not vpon vs yet let the danger that followes vpon the neglect of this dutie moue vs. How many examples are recorded in Scripture of Gods iudgements vpon such as did either derogate from God or arrogate to themselues any part of that praise which was due vnto his name Moses and Aaron yet his owne deare seruants were debarred out of the Land of Promise because they glorified him not at the waters of strife The high-Priesthood was remoued from the house of Ely and the wrath of God was kindled against him for the iniquitie of his sonnes which he saw in them and staied them not and so honoured them aboue the Lord. When Nebuchadnezzar vaunted vainegloriously of that great Babel which he had built by the might of his power and to the honour of his Maiestie how was he debased his kingdome was taken from him he was driuen from amongst men and sent to grasse with the beasts of the field for seuen yeares space vntill he was made to know that the most high God ruleth in the kingdome of men And lastly remember Gods hand on Herod who taking to himselfe the glory which was due vnto the Lord when the people applauded his eloquent oration was immediatly smitten by the Angell of God and was eaten vp of wormes and so gaue vp the Ghost Now all these things happened vnto them for ensamples vnto vs and they are written for our admonition vpon whom the ends of the world are come to the intent that we should not doe as they haue done lest despising him we be despised as they were Let these things be laid to heart and kindly worke vpon vs so as that whatsoeuer we are we may be it In him through him and for him Begin all your workes in God and end in God yea dedicate your selues vnto him No Tradesman can endure to haue any of his chiefe tooles which he hath made or wherewith he worketh vsed to a wrong end Man is one of Gods chiefe instruments whom he hath made for his owne honour and therefore cannot endure that he or any of his members should be instruments of wickednesse to his dishonour And let all good Christians take heed lest they doe any thing which may cause God or his Gospell to be blasphemed The lewd life of one professor doth more harme and tends more to Gods dishonour than the lewd life of an hundred Atheists as daily experience maketh good Let a prophane wretch that neither feareth God nor reuerenceth man liue in the grossest sinnes that can be thought of there is hardly one word of reproofe or dislike vttered Let another that professeth religion be ouertaken through infirmitie and that but once in all his life then are the mouthes of all the prophane multitude opened against the very truth and profession it selfe These are your Bible-bearers your professors your men of the holy house see their fruits Thus euery little aberration in a Professor is noted when outragious wickednesses of prophane wretches is nothing at all regarded When the lesser starres be eclipsed none takes knowledge of it but if the Sunne be once then euery one obserues it what cause therefore haue all such to be carefull of their cariage Looke to thy selfe therefore thou that art a professor of the Gospell thou dippest in the same dish with Christ and therefore thou of all other shouldst be farthest off from dishonouring his name Dauid tooke it more to heart that those who did eat bread at his table did despise him than that others did that Absolom should seeke his life than that Shemei should rayle vpon him And thou my sonne Brutus art thou one of
and honour but Learning followes Homer with a staffe and wallet the studie of Diuinitie brings contempt and beggerie Looke how it was with the Iewes vnder the tyrannie of Egypt so is it now with vs when we should make bricke worke in our profession we are enforced to gather straw seeke out for sustenance and yet if our tale of bricke be not made vp we are cried out vpon for being idle But God heares our cries and will one day plead our cause In the meane time let such places and Parishes as would haue their Ministers thus to follow close their callings see that they so prouide for their certaine maintenance as that they may without distraction follow it We haue done with the Prooem Now we come to the Poem or Song it selfe My welbeloued hath a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill c. Wherein is set forth Gods great loue towards his people Israel and Iudah and their horrible ingratitude and disobedience towards him together with their fearefull and finall ruine for that their disobedience All which is darkly and obscurely propounded vnder a continued similitude or allegorie of an vnprofitable Vineyard which did not answer the cost and expectation of the Vinitor by bringing forth of fruit meet for him that dressed it In opening whereof we need not doubt of finding out the true and proper sense and meaning in the Generall as who this Vinitor is and who the Vineyard and what the fruit these being explained and expounded by our Prophet vers 7. But in the Particulars there is question As what is meant by Hill Fence Stones Plant Tower Winepresse forasmuch as these parts are not followed by him and are diuersly interpreted by Expositors By Hill some vnderstanding the field of this world others the citie of Ierusalem which was higher than all other Cities and the Countrie thereabouts And others the Land of Canaan a land flowing with milke and hony By Fence or Hedge some vnderstand the Law which was giuen by Moses whereby the people of Israel were fenced in and kept within compasse Others the Couenant which God made with his people the Iewes wherwith he did hedge them in vnto himselfe to be his peculiar people And others vnderstand thereby the Diuine protection by which as by an hedge the Lord did continually protect his people By Stones some vnderstand their wicked Kings Saul Ahab and the rest who by their wicked practises did hinder the growth of Gods Church Others the Gentiles and Heathen people the Canaanites and Hittites with the rest whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel Others vnderstand thereby all kinde of Idolatrie Errors Abominations which the Lord purged his people from And there are some others who by stones vnderstand the Wall wherewith the Lord did make the fence or hedge and that because the word here vsed signifieth as well to build with stones and gather them together for that end as to remoue stones By the choice Plant some would haue the Lord Iesus to be meant and that because the Prophet speaketh in the singular number both in the Parable and in the exposition of it He saith not Vines or Plants but a Vine or Plant and the man of Iudah not the men of Iudah Others vnderstand thereby the best and choisest persons amongst that people especially them of the house of Iudah as Dauid Solomon and the rest whom God had chosen and endued with an excellent measure of his Spirit for rule and gouernment and others vnderstand it more largely for the whole body of that people the stems and branches of Abraham Isaak Iacob those honourable Plants By Tower some vnderstand their Prophets Priests and Princes whom the Lord gaue vnto them to watch as out of a tower ouer them for their good Others would haue vs vnderstand thereby Ierusalem that great Metropolitan Citie of the Iewes And others the Temple which was built therein By Wine-presse that was therein some doe vnderstand the Doctrine of the Prophets their exhortations and reprehensions whereby they did labour to bring the people to repentance Others Passions and Afflictions which the Lord laid vpon them for their sinnes And others vnderstand thereby the Altar in the Temple vpon which they did offer vp their sacrifices and oblations Thus we see the diuersitie of opinions concerning these particulars and the variety of paths wherein our Interpreters walke so that it is no easie matter to take the right yet amongst all I had rather follow them who by this fruitfull Hill vnderstand the Land of Canaan For of it the Scripture thus speaketh The Land whither you goe to possesse it is a land of hils and vallies and drinketh water of the raine of heauen A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eies of the Lord thy God are alwaies vpon it from the beginning of the yeere euen vnto the end of the yeere A good land and large flowing with milke and honie By Fence or Hedge his mightie protection whereby he defended and preserued his people from all their enemies This was that hedge which the Lord made about Iob and about his house and about all that he had on euery side And this hedge did the Lord promise to make about Ierusalem so that none should hurt it Of which Fence reade at large Psal 90. By Stones the Canaanites and Hittites of whom Dauid thus speaketh Thou didst driue out the Heathen with thy hand and plantedst them thou didst afflict the people and cast them out Of which Stones say some Iohn Baptist speaketh when he telleth the Iewes bragging they had Abraham to their father that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham But that I deliuer not for doctrine By choise Plant the seed of Abraham Isaak Iacob the men of Israel and Iudah as appeares verse 7. One number there being put for another the singular for the plurall a thing vsuall in Scripture And thus we reade Thou hast brought a Vine out of Aegypt thou hast cast out the Heathen and planted it Thou preparedst roome before it and didst cause it to take deepe root and it filled the land The hils were couered with the shadow of it and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars She sent out her boughes vnto the Sea and her branches vnto the riuer And else-where thus I had planted thee a noble Vine wholly a right seed How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine vnto me In both which places the people of Israel are meant By Tower the glorious Temple that was in Ierusalem that stately edifice or building according to that of the Prophet He built his Sanctuary like high Palaces like the earth which he hath established for euer And so is it termed else-where A Tower of the flocke the strong hold of the daughter of Sion By Wine-presse the ministerie of the
the Wood or of the Leaues or of the Fruit there being no property in the one which is not in a sort answered in the other For the Root that we know sendeth sappe to euery Stem and Branch whereby they flourish and bring forth fruit and vnlesse they continue in the root they can neuer thriue nor prosper for thence it is whence they haue their moisture Thus the Church and euery true member of it receiueth the life and sappe of grace from Iesus Christ who is the root and into whom the multitude of true beleeuers are engrafted whereby they grow and bring forth fruit to God So that vnlesse they continue in him they cannot prosper but must needs fade and wither according to our Sauiours speech As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in mee I am the Vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee you can doe nothing If a man abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them vp and cast them into the fire and they are burned In the Branches there is great resemblance diuers wayes 1. There are many branches in the root yet all make but one Vine so all the faithfull in the congregation and all the congregations of the faithfull in the whole world make but one only Church And albeit there are threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet saith Solomon speaking in the person of Christ my doâ—e my vndefiled is but one And so witnesseth S. Paul Now are they many members yet but one bodie One as sucking sap from one and the same root liuing by one and the same spirit and ruled by one and the same head Christ blessed for euer But of this more hereafter 2. All the branches of a Vine though they seeme to stand alike in the stocke are not alike fruitfull neither doe they all draw sap and moysture from the root for as some are fruitfull and flourish so some againe are barren and wither which are cut off and cast into the fire Thus is it in the Church visible all the members thereof are not alike incorporated into the root through the inuisible bonds of the spirit neither doe they bring forth fruit in him Some there are who are onely externally engrafted others there are who are also internally The former sort are such members of the Church visible who by externall baptisme haue giuen their names to Christ and so entred into the profession yet indeed are not Christs because they haue not the Spirit of Christ for though they are baptized with water yet they are not with the holy Ghost They haue Iohns baptisme but not Christs baptisme This kinde of Sacramentall engrafting will suffer a cutting off because they haue not the sap of grace ministred vnto them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees and branches The other sort are they who besides the outward engrafting are also inwardly engrafted by the holy Ghost into the stocke Christ Iesus and doe liue in him and grow in him and bring forth fruit to the praise of his name Notwithstanding both these sorts as they communicate together in the outward bonds of one profession as they visibly continue together like one visible body vpon that one root Christ Iesus on whom they all outwardly professe that they depend as on the fountaine of their sap and life so they both together make this visible Vineyard and Church on earth 3. There is no branch of any tree that exceedeth it in growing and spreading forth it selfe in one weeke yea night how exceedingly is it shot So the true members of the Church exceed all others in growth in grace they are still spreading forth their branches growing from one degree of grace vnto another They are all for Addition and Multiplication nothing for Diuision or Substraction except in euill They sing the song of degrees adding to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and to Brotherly-kindnesse Charitie They be not like the old Moone in the wane but like the new euer in her increasings 4. The branches of the Vine grow the better for their prâ—ning and not the worse bringing forth after it is cut more and better grapes not worse nor â—ewer Thus the Church and true members of the Church the more they bee afflicted the more they flourish as the people of Israel vnder Pharaohs tyranny the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Thus the Church of God euer riseth in its ruine prospereth in its persecution The bloud of Martyrs is but the seed of it and the chopping off their heads but as the pruning of this Vine And as Ioseph said so may euery true Christian say The Lord hath made me fruitfull in the Land of my affliction Their tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and that maketh not ashamed And thus for the resemblance in the branches Now in the Barke or Rinde let vs compare them we see that the Barke of the Vine seemeth more withered dry than the Rinde or Barke of any other Tree whateuer yet it hath plenty of sap and abundance of moisture vnder it Thus the Church of God seemes blacke and deformed outwardly to the worlds eye which onely beholdeth and iudgeth the Rinde by reason of the scorching heat of persecution yet she is inwardly glorious and beautifull for there the inuisible graces of Faith Feare Hope Loue Patience Holinesse are hid This shewes the Psalmist The Kings Daughter is all glorious within and the Church maketh this confession of her selfe I am blacke but comely oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem as the tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Soloman And this is the cause that her mothers children looke vpon her and are angry with her In the Wood let vs see what likenesse we can finde 1. That we know is the weakest and feeblest wood of any other The trees of the Forest are strong and tall but the Vine so weake that it cannot beare vp it selfe without a stay or prop. Thus the Church of any society is least able to helpe it selfe it cannot stand against a storme without the prop of Gods protection by reason of her naturall weaknesse It is a weake tent in it selfe not fortified with any wals A small flocke of sheepe very impotent and feeble An humble and poore people yea a very worme for so the Lord calleth her Feare not thou worme Iacob and ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee
stocke and let in the imps no man can graft so without the word no hope of this benefit And this that hath beene said ouerthrowes a point of naturall and Popish religion viz. That a man may be iustified and saued by his good workes when by this that hath beene said we see that good workes can only be the fruits of persons already iustified and that which followes cannot be the cause of that which went before The fruit cannot make the tree to be good it doth only declare and manifest that it is good according to that speech of our Sauiour The tree is knowne by his fruit In the second place that thou maist be fruitfull see thou plant thy selfe by the running brookes Seat thy selfe vnder a powerfull Ministerie that so thou maist be partaker of those waters which flow from vnder the threshold of the Sanctuarie Water we know causeth fruitfulnesse as drought doth famine The inundations of the riuer Nilus caused Aegypt to be so fruitfull So these spirituall waters will cause vs mightily to fructifie and increase and make vs spring vp as amongst the grasse and as willow by the water courses Thus the Church as it was planted in a fruitfull field so was it likewise placed by great waters insomuch that it grew and became a spreading vine And the godly man being planted by the riuers of waters brought forth his fruit in due season Is it then the true desire of thy soule to fructifie and bring forth fruit See then that thou frequent the Sanctuarie of the Lord. Can the rush grow vp without mire or can the flag grow vp without water Is it possible that thou shouldst increase in grace and goodnesse and yet neuer drinke of the waters of Shiloah It cannot be If therefore thou hast not in thy owne fountaine seeke to thy neighbours and carry thy pitcher with thee for nothing can more dangerously or vncomfortably be wanting to thy soule Besides see thou labour for humilitie and tendernesse of heart The ground which is hard and stonie is vnfit for fruit as our Sauiour hath manifested in that parable of the seed For neither can the seed sowen take any root neither will it drinke in the raine that the heart of it might be moistned It may be the outside may be a little washie but it gets not in to prepare it to fruitfulnesse Thus hardnesse of heart keeps the soule dry and barren And surely here is the reason why after so long time of preaching there doth so little fruit appeare Much water hath beene powred on vs many a gratious Sermon hath beene preached to vs but what are we the better The inuincible hardnesse of our hearts will not suffer one drop of these heauenly deawes to sinke into our soules How many handfuls of good seed doe Gods Seeds-men daily cast amongst vs and can they say with Isaac that they haue reaped an hundred fold as he did in the land Alas So farre are they from seeing such an increase as that they would be heart-glad of thirty nay of ten Yea let me tell you many Ministers would be glad if they could see their seed againe and what is the reason but this that mens hearts are so stonie flintie Labour then for greater tendernesse of heart if thou wouldst bring forth more fruit in thy life and see thou retaine the waters and drinke in the raine hold fast what thou hearest by conscionable meditation Fourthly thou must beware of ouershadowing thy heart by any sinfull lust whereby the warme beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse is kept from it Husbandmen haue euermore a great care of this and will not by any meanes endure to haue their young nurseries ouershadowed by any bough or tree but so plant them as that they may enioy the benefit of the Sunne-beames for no ground or plant will euer proue good which hath not a fauourable aspect from the heauens And thus our hearts are made fruitfull by the heauens answering the earth as Hosea speaketh though in another sense I meane when Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse darteth the beames of his gratious countenance and fauour vpon our soules warming and cherishing Pauls planting and Apolloes watering with the influence of his grace for without him we can doe nothing nor haue any life in vs. And therefore beware lest through superfluitie of lusts or inordinate desires through worldlinesse and couetousnesse or any other such like sinne thy soule be so shaded as that this Sunne of righteousnesse cannot shine vpon it if thou wouldst grow fruitfull Fiftly a speciall care must be had to the root that that grow well if we would bring forth fruit abundantly Now faith is that same radicall grace which must especially be regarded if that thriue not no other grace can prosper Foolish then and preposterous is their care who seeke and studie how to be laden with the other fruits of Gods blessed Spirit as with Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Meeknesse Temperance and the like and yet neglect the looking to this grace of faith This is no otherwise saith one than if a man should water all the branches of a tree and not the root Sixtly and lastly we must be earnest with the Lord that he would make vs fruitfull and giue vs wisdome from aboue which wisdome saith S. Iames is full of good fruits Call vpon him earnestly and frequently for grace and not only so but withall seeke the prayers of Gods Vine-dressers his Ministers and desire them to be earnest with God for you that you may be fruitfull for how euer this vngratefull world contemneth and despiseth these yet the truth is they can preuaile much with God and if they should not oftentimes rise vp and stand in the gap woe would be to thousands for the barrennesse of their liues And thus I haue shewed you the way how of barren you may become fruitfull If then any amongst you that heare me this day doe hereafter continue barren and fruitlesse it must needs be because they are wilfull or slothfull or both for put in practise what now you haue been taught and I dare passe my word and pawne my credit that in a short time the barrennest professor in this congregation will bud and blossome and bring forth fruit abundantly For what should hinder Is there any fault in the Husbandman to be found Surely no for we haue heard it before proued that he is no way wanting nor defectiue and therefore cannot iustly be charged with the barrennesse of any mans heart or life as hereafter shall be cleared Where then lies the fault Is it in the stocke or root No neither for we haue lately heard how liuely and full of iuyce it is insomuch that whosoeuer is set into it doth incontinently fructifie and bring forth fruit If then there be any want it must be in thy selfe in not vsing the meanes that hath beene now prescribed Oh that
men would now at length be brought to looke about them and suffer themselues to be so farre preuailed with as to make tryall of these meanes in vprightnesse and sinceritie of heart Consider I beseech thee with thy selfe how exceedingly hitherto thou hast frustrated the Lords hopes and expectations as likewise in what a wofull estate and condition thou hast liued and still liuest in whilst thou art vnder that same curse that heauy curse which is neuer farre from thee Cut it downe why cumbers it the ground Vrge therefore and presse thy soule vnto this fruitfulnesse and in some good measure answer the Lords hopes hereafter and content not thy selfe with shewes and leaues but as a tree of righteousnesse do thou shew forth thy grapes and figs and sweet fruits for that is it which God expects But we are fruitfull members of the Church we heare the word receiue the Sacraments and delight therein we keepe good orders in our families speake against common abuses and reforme euils in our selues and ours what would you more Yet something may be wanting The fig tree had leaues enow and by the flourishing greenesse seemed to promise great store of fruit no wonder then if such faire greene leaues as these cause many a soule to deceiue himselfe and others also when alas all this and more than this may be and is in many who are like to haue the doome that figge-tree had Neuer fruit grow on thee more And therefore before thou boastest see thy fruits haue these properties First looke that the fruit thou boastest of be proper fruit It must be thy owne done by thy selfe not by a Deputie nor Atturney Thus the godly man is compared to a tree that bringeth forth her fruit in due season It must not then be borrowed fruit for so an heart as stonie and barren as Cheapside it selfe may be made a far richer garden than some of those are where those herbes brought thither naturally grew The Papists indeed would faine make vs to beleeue that if our owne lampes be without oile we may goe and borrow of our neighbours to supply our wants For holy men of God say the Rhemists haue done not only that which they ought to doe but more than was required at their hands as for example Iohn Baptist fasted more than he was commanded and Mary liued more strictly than she was required now these superabundant works as a Church treasurie becommeth an aduantage to others who are more defectiue and indeed hang as it were vpon the Popes tally for who giues most But these workes of supererogation are workes of superarrogation our Sauiour hath taught vs this lesson When we haue done all we can we are but vnprofitable seruants And therefore let none build their hope vpon such a sandy foundation as the good workes of others another mans meat cannot nourish me another mans garment cannot warme me another mans eie cannot guide me neither can another mans workes saue me You call vpon your Minister to preach for himselfe vpon your seruants to doe their worke for themselues and vpon your Captaine to leade his company for himselfe and therefore let me call vpon you to doe good duties by your selues and for your selues Let not great men thinke to goe to heauen by their Chaplaines nor Wiues by their Husbands nor Parents by their Children nor seruants by their Masters by whom vsually they are religious here and thinke to be glorious hereafter Let me craue your patience a little in hearing a Storie which though in it selfe it be idle and fained yet may be of good vse to set forth a truth vnfained There was a certaine man saith the Legend which would neuer goe to Church himselfe but euer when he heard the Saints bell ring would say to his wife Goe thou to Church and pray for thee and me one night he dreamt that both he his wife were dead that they knocked together at heauen gate for entrance Peter being the imagined and supposed Porter lets in the wife but keepes out the husband telling him thus She is entered in both for her selfe thee For as she went to Church for thee so she is gone to heauen for thee This is the Fable The Morall is good and instructs euery one to haue a personality of faith and proprietie of fruit that himselfe seruing God himselfe may be blessed of God So willeth the Apostle Haue reioicing in thy selfe alone and not in another It is his owne faith the iust shall liue by and a mans owne workes that he must giue an account of For at the last day the question will not be what hath he done but what hast thou done And therefore let thy grand care be to prouide an Answer to that Question which will put the greatest part of the world to a Nonplus See then that thou preach for thy self if thou haue a calling thereunto pray for thy selfe giue thankes for thy selfe serue God for thy selfe and thus make the Prouerbe good which otherwise is deuillish Euery man for himself God for al. And yet to auoid all scruples I would not so be vnderstood as if we might not ioine with others in holy duties for that we may yea must or that we are not to pray for others or haue others pray for vs for this ought to be only we are not to content our selues with what is done by them vnlesse we ioine in heart and doe the like our selues Neither doe I thinke it a thing vnlawfull but fitting if a Samuel be in presence that he should performe these holy duties be it in any family and blesse the meat be it at any mans table for at such a time the Lord and Master of that house or family how great soeuer should giue way But as for children to giue thankes at their Fathers board except in case before that they are Prophets I thinke it not expedient Sure I am Christ neuer put his Disciples to it though they were men growne vp and of ripe yeares but euer gaue thankes himselfe And therefore the practise of many parents is too too childish who make their children their chaplaines and if they be out of the house grace shall be out of the parlour as if it were vnbeseeming their worthinesse to call vpon God for a blessing vpon what they eat Secondly our fruit it must be kindly fruit For no man gathereth grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles Good ground we know bringeth forth fruit of the same kinde and nature with the seed that it was sowed withall and not tares when wheat was sowne nor cockle when barley was cast into the ground Thus a Christian mans fruit must be such a conuersation as may beseeme the Gospell thy fruits may not be fruits of the flesh which are so rife so ripe yea rotten No nor fruits of ciuill righteousnesse wherewith many content themselues concluding they are trees
knowes not how to intreat such whose goodnesse is but as the morning dew and whose righteousnesse is but as a cake not turned who haue some good purposes and motions in their minds and so begin to blossome but within a short space suffer all to fade See then thou bring thy actions to perfection let thy resolutions bee brought to execution and suffer them not to perish like an abortiue birth Thou hast a purpose to leaue thy vngodly course of life and sinfull trade and take a new course c. Thou blossomest very faire what a pitty is it if the frost should nip these in the head Many make their purposes like our Eeues and their performances like our Holy-daies Seruants worke hard vpon the one that they may haue the more liberty to play vpon the other So doe they labour hard vpon their purposes but are idle and play vpon their performances But purpose without performance is like a Cloud without Raine and not vnlike to Hereules club in the tragedie of a great bulke but the stuffing is mosse and rubbish Would such blossomes bring a man to heauen Baalam and many other wicked wretches who are now in torments would haue gotten thither long agoe The fiue foolish Virgins intended to goe in with the bridegroome but before the time their lights dropt out If a bare Intention would serue the turne Gods Church on earth would be fuller of Saints and his Court in heauen fuller of Soules Good motions and resolutions are to be respected but thou must vp and be doing else God distasts them A fift property of good fruit is vniuersalitie It must be All fruit as Isaiah speaketh fruits of the first and second table of holinesse towards God and righteousnesse towards man for what God hath ioyned may not be diuorced Particulars were infinite Fruits inward as good Thoughts motions purposes good Desires longings faintings after God and his graces good Affections as Loue Ioy Feare Sorrow Patience Compassion c. Fruits outward as Good words sauourie speech pure and wholesome language And good workes such as we are bound to performe within the compasse of our calling whether Generall or Speciall In a word Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report those things must we thinke on to doe and as Mary said to the seruants Whatsoeuer hee saith doe it so say I Whatsoeuer the Lord commands that must be done wee may not picke and chuse and doe what best likes vs but as once Israel said so must we alwaies Whatsoeuer the Lord commandeth that will we doe True it is many points of our Masters will wee know not but our desire must be to know And many things we doe not but our desire must bee to doe for our obedience must reach to Gods whole reuealed will Euery Christian duty thou must make account belongs to thee as well as to any other and therefore as a man that is to plant an Orchard will be sure to get of euery good fruit some so doe not heare of any fruit that good is but carry it home and set thy heart therewith Memorable was the practise of blessed Bradford who was content to sacrifice his life in Gods cause He vsed to make vnto himselfe a Iournall or day-booke wherein he vsed to set downe all such notable things as either hee did see or heare each day that passed If he did heare or see any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe and added a short prayer wherein hee craued grace and mercy that hee might amend If he did heare or see any plague or misery hee noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercie vpon me Oh that wee would tread in this Saints steps how much more fruitfull should we then bee than now wee are Lastly our fruit must bee constant fruit Constancy crownes all Thus it is said of the blessed ground It bringeth forth fruit with patience And herein wee may not bee like to other trees wihch grow barren with their age but we must bring forth fruit in our old age and continue fat and flourishing nay not so much as a leafe must fade or faile there must not be any appearance of being out of the state of grace none of vs must seeme to be depriued or come short of entering into Gods rest Alas for such who haue left bearing yea lost their very leaues and shewes of profession which formerly they haue made being now worse than that cursed fig-tree which was greene what hope haue these who come short of those that come short of heauen Shall the former fruitfulnesse of such professors be regarded or rewarded Surely no All their righteousnesse which they haue done shall neuer be mentioned but in their trespasse that they haue trespassed and in their sinne that they haue sinned in them they shall die And if euery man shall receiue according to his fruits then such shall one day feed vpon the bitter fruit of their Apostacie and Back-sliding and finde how bitter a thing it is to forsake the Lord and feele what they will not now be brought to beleeue That it had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of truth than thus to haue departed from the holy commandement Looke then thou walke not in a good course for a fit but bee constant to the death and so receiue the crowne of life For glory and immortalitie is the part and portion only of such as by constancie in well-doing seeke it To you saith our Sauiour which haue continued with mee in tentations haue I appointed a kingdome as my Father hath appointed me a kingdome And thus we haue seene what is necessarily required that our fruit may be acceptable and pleasing vnto God Now then thou that braggest of thy faithfulnesse and fruitfulnesse tell me darest thou abide the triall Why then answer me to these Interrogatories which I propound vnto thee Is thy fruit thy owne Is it done by thy owne selfe and in thy owne person Dost thou rest and rely vpon thy owne faith and liue by it and by no mans else Againe tell me is thy fruit kindly answerable to the good seed that hath oftentimes beene cast into thy heart and beseeming the stocke wherein thou saist thou art engrafted Is not swearing lying cogging and dissembling and such stinking fruit as this the fruit thou bearest I demand againe dost thou obserue the time and season not contenting thy selfe in doing good for matter vnlesse also thou doe it then when God may haue most glory by the doing of it Answer me yet further Dost thou labour that thy fruit may come to some perfection Not resting thy selfe in this that thou bloomest blossommest but still art striuing that euery bud
come vnto his hearers with I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God And We beseech you that you would be reconciled vnto God And againe I Paul my selfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ These are his vsuall exhortations And surely when Ministers speake thus to sinfull men and proceed after this manner with them I beseech thee by the mercies of God I pray thee that thou wouldest leaue thy drunkennesse profanation of Gods Sabbaths swearing c. and be reconciled vnto God it must needs strike deep into their hearts if they be not sealed vp with hardnesse vnbeleefe Let Magistrates hence learne to shew mercy compassion and all tokens testimonies of loue towards malefactors euen then when Iustice is to be executed and punishment inflicted that offenders may see it is not malice but Iustice that inflicteth that punishment vpon them and that it is not their bloud but their good and the good of others which is sought And thus dealt Ioshua with Achan after he was apprehended for that execrable wickednesse which he had committed and whereby all Israel was troubled My sonne saith he I beseech thee giue glory vnto the Lord God of Israel and make confession vnto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from me For want of this Iehu the king of Israel is threatned to be punished For albeit he executed the iudgements of the Lord against the house of Ahab according to Gods command yet doing it with a cruell and reuengefull minde without all pittie and compassion God was displeased and saith he will reuenge the bloud of Iezreel vpon the house of Iehu Let all Christians in generall take out this lesson which the Lord himselfe doth here and elswhere teach vs by his practice and in informing or reforming offending persons let vs vse all moderation and meeknesse endeuouring in the quietest mildest manner to conuince them of their sins In so doing we shall first tread in the steps of God himselfe Secondly giue obedience to Gods commands which require vs to Restore such as are fallen with the Spirit of meeknesse Thirdly manifest we haue the Spirit of God in vs by the fruits whereof this is one Fourthly haue some hope that our reproofes admonitions exhortations c. shall be profitable for if euer we doe good it must be by weight of good Arguments pressed in meeknesse of wisdome with mildnesse of spirit that must be as sugar without which the bitter pils of reproofe will not be swallowed But alas we cannot hit of those steps which our heauenly Father hath trodden in and wherein our blessed Sauiour hath gone before vs. How doth that hastinesse in many of vs Ministers who because we see not present successe of our labours are ready to surcease our pains forgoe all sort with this truth or that Iniunction which S. Paul giueth to Timothie and in him to all other Ministers In meekenesse instruct those that oppose themselues if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth How doe those bitter iests taunts and reproches cast out against such as are in miserie what though they be euill doers standing at the bar to be iudged and arraigned vsually to be heard in the places of Iustice Iudgement by such as are in place of authoritie come nigh this copy which God hath set How can we see we imitate God like good childrē when hauing to deale with friend or foe we grow hot and boisterous if we be alittle moued Alas for vs oh that we could but remember Gods peaceable proceeding euen with the vessels of his wrath learne more mildnesse But are we to deale thus mildly with all may some demand is there no time when nor no person to whom rigour and seueritie must be shewed Surely much patience and lenitie must be vsed euen vnto the very worst vntill it be despised and wilfully contemned and then if it be cleare no meeknesse will serue to winne men it is high time to vse seueritie toward such who by milde intreaties will not be perswaded And thus our blessed Sauiour though in his first Sermon he pronounceth Blessings yet in his other he denounceth Woes curses against the Scribes and Pharisees when as the former did not worke vpon them Let this teach vs likewise to admire the great goodnesse and vnspeakable mercy of the Lord. Men commonly are intreaters for those things which are profitable to themselues but who is he that is earnest with another to doe that which tends only to the profit of him with whom he dealeth If a man of himselfe cannot see what maketh for his owne good and doe it of his owne accord we thinke him well worthy to smart for his owne folly But here see Gods dealing with vs the sons of men who desireth and intreateth vs to sit in iudgement against our selues and why surely for this end that he might not iudge vs for as the Apostle speaketh If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord so that the profit hereof would be our owne How should our hearts relent how should we be ouercome with this kindnesse of the Lord who so graciously mercifully requesteth intreateth vs for our own welfare And lastly is God so milde euen when he hath to deale with sinners and doth he proceed in such quiet and peaceable termes euen with wicked and vngodly ones then let this stay the hearts of Gods people for assuredly with them he will not be rigorous nor extreme If these fare so well certainly Gods children shall fare farre better Lift vp then thy deiected spirit and cheare vp thy disquieted and perplexed conscience thou poore one who tremblest vnder Gods hand for thy manifold infirmities as the childe doth vnder the rod and be not out of heart or hope The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy who will not alwaies childe neither will he keepe his anger for euermore He beareth patiently with the wicked his slaues his vassals and will he not with thee who art his childe his darling Is it possible that he should be worser towards thee who seekest his face than he is with them who seeke it not at all That cannot be And thus much for the Manner how he maketh his Appeale Now for the Matter or thing it selfe for which he doth Appeale and that is Iudgement Iudge I pray you He doth not say condemne these or iustifie my procedings but iudge aduise take counsell and accordingly passe sentence Thus God is content to submit his courses vnto scanning and to bring his proceedings with the sonnes of men vnto a triall before he proceed to iudgement In the first Chapter of this Prophesie we reade how the Lord doth as it were prouoke the people to a pleading with him Come now and let vs reason
desart without any to inhabit it And here we haue a higher degree than either of the former for though the enemie might ouercome them and spoile their country yet there might remaine some Citie and albeit some Cities might be assailed and destroyed yet some houses in those Cities might still continue Or say it should so fall out that all their Cities and houses in their Cities should be laid leuell with the ground yet some men might haply escape by flight and afterwards returne and build new houses Cities and erect new lawes and gouernment But in that he threatens to lay it waste and make it a desolation all hope is gone This is that which the Lord speaketh in the next chapter where he seemeth to comment vpon these words The Cities shall be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be vtterly desolate And the Lord will remoue men farre away and there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land All which befell this people at their carrying away into Babylon and much more fully and compleatly was it fulfilled after Christs time when Ierusalem was vtterly destroyed so that one stone was not left vpon another To which time some referre it It shall not be pruned nor digged By cutting or pruning he seemeth to vnderstand fatherly discipline and correction which now he would with-hold from them according to that in the first of this prophesie Why should you be stricken any more As if he should haue said I see it is but lost labour to smite you for the more I correct you the worse you proue And by digging he vnderstandeth that point of husbandry whereby the earth is drawne into ridges or heapes chiefly about the vines which is so conuenient and necessarie in such places where vintages are as that without it the vines will neuer prosper And here hee alludeth vnto such husbandmen as hauing barren vineyards and fruitlesse trees doe neglect to prune or cut them dung or digge about them because they take no pleasure nor delight in them But there shall come vp briers and thornes By briers and thornes some here vnderstand the Gentiles according to that of our Sauiour Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled But we may better vnderstand thereby Idolatry and superstition with other errors and abominations that for want of Gods husbandry should as afterwards there did grow vp amongst them And thus sinnes and transgressions are compared to thornes and briers elsewhere in Scripture And that fiâ—ly 1 For their wounding and pricking those that handle them for whom doth not sinne wound whom hath it not stung that euer dealt with it 2. For their holding together and twining one within another Sinnes grow in heapes and where you finde any you may finde many And therefore when the Apostle speakes of them hee couples them Chambering and wantonnesse gluttonie and drunkennesse strife and enuying thus they grow like thornes in hedges by companies 3. Because they choake the plants and hinder them from the Sunnes hear and influence of heauen thus the seed is choaked by these thornes as our Sauiour teacheth And therefore S. Peter willeth to lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings those cursed thornes and briers and then As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine vpon it By clouds vnderstand we the Prophets and by raine the Word The Metaphor is vsuall Moses thus begins his Song My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew as the small raine vpon the tender herbe and as the showres vpon the grasse And so the word of the Lord came to Ezechiel and said Sonne of man set thy face towards Ierusalem and drop thy word towards the holy places and prophesie against the land of Israel And thus Amos speaketh to Amaziah Thou saiest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac In which places it is apparant that Gods Prophets are as clouds and their words or prophesies like drops of raine Now in comparing the raine and the word we shall finde good resemblance in sundry particulars as 1. In regard of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. cleansing the aire 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardned earth In each one of which if wee should spend time we should finde an excellent agreement but especially in a sixth respect It is a principall meanes and subordinate cause that all things fructifie and grow And therefore this must needs be a heauy iudgement and argue Gods hot displeasure against his Vineyard in commanding the clouds to raine no more raine vpon it according to that charge giuen to Micah Prophesie ye not vnto them seeing that without it it was impossible the Vine should grow or flourish Thus we see that as by briers and thornes the Plants should be choaked so for want of raine their very roots should wither And thus much for the literall exposition Now to come to some particular obseruation And now goe to I will tell you This is the vsuall manner of Gods dealing To warne before he strikes and foretell the iudgement before he inflicteth it He punisheth none before he hath admonished them smiteth none before he hath forewarned them That of the Prophet Amos makes this good Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets He sendeth his Heralds to proclaime warre before he makes it and foretels them of such iudgements as he is purposed to inflict that they may forewarne others Take the old world my brethren for an ensample did hee not foretell the destruction of it vnto Noah before he brought that great Deluge vpon the earth And was not Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse vnto them whose hand taught them as much as his tongue His businesse in building the Arke was a reall Sermon to the world wherein at once were taught mercy and life to the belieuer and to the rebellious destruction And did he not the like by Sodome and Gomorrah vnto whom hee sent his seruant Lot whose righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deeds Was not this likewise his dealing with Pharaoh and his people did he not againe and againe admonish them and threaten them by his seruants Moses and Aaron that if they would not let his people goe he would doe thus and thus vnto them And so with the Niniuites vnto whom he sent Ionah with this erie Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne And with Ierusalem which was often forewarned by his Prophets and by our Lord himselfe of her destruction before it fell Two reasons may be rendered for this
the whole world were at her command hauing with her a rasor as if shee could at her pleasure cut off and end mans happinesse bearing in her right hand the sterne of a ship as if shee could turne about all things at her pleasure and in her left hand the horne of abundance as though all plenty came from her Which palpable Idolatry that was amongst them should be renounced and abhorred by vs Christians Yea so farre should it be had in detestation that the very name of Fortune should not once be named amongst vs and much lesse any thing ascribed to it whereof we see not an apparent cause Secondly seeing afflictions are inflicted by the hand of God this should teach vs patience as it did Dauid when Absolon rose vp against him I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it It must needs be a bold audacious impudencie to murmur in afflictions considering God is the author and inflicter If our inferiour strike vs we reuenge it treble if an equall we requite it if a superiour we haue learned this wisdome not to repine or if we mutter yet not to vtter our discontent Thinke whose hand strikes It is Gods who-euer be the instrument the blow was his whatsoeuer was the weapon It is vsually seene that in corrections comming immediatly from Gods hand we are not ordinarily so impatient as in those which come by meanes of wicked instruments and what is the cause but this we doe not so apparently behold Gods holy hand striking vs in these latter as in the former Did we but seriously consider that it is God that scourgeth vs by them we would be then ashamed of our folly in being angry at the rod without any regard of the smiter in snarling like dogs at the stone neuer considering the flinger Doe we not see how patiently Lords and Nobles condemned to die suffer the stroke of death at the hands of the base hangman shewing therein their subiection and obedience to their Prince Euen so should we quietly and patiently endure all the indignities that are offered vnto vs by wicked worldly men therein giuing testimonie of our obedience to God who vseth them as instruments of his iustice to correct vs. See then that thou dost so neuer seuer the crosse from Gods hand though there be neuer so many instruments but Heare the rod who hath appointed it so shalt thou with patience and meeknesse beare that affliction that is inflicted But if otherwise if when the crosse comes thou art willing to see any thing rather than God running vpon inferiour causes gazing on men or meanes regarding more the staffe wherewith thou art smitten than the hand mouing and ruling it it will then be intolerable and thou must needs breake the bounds of patience But may we not haue an eye vpon second causes Are we vtterly to neglect the instruments of our afflictions In all afflictions we are to consider not only the action and worke as it is simply naturall and the disposition of them to the manifestation of Gods glory and our good in which respect God is the chiefe author of them but also an accidentall confusion and malignitie of the action which is wholly to be ascribed to mans corruption by whom it is performed in regard of which malignitie and sinne we are to haue some respect vnto them that we may hate and flie that euill and iniustice that is in them and vse all good and lawfull meanes whereby we may crosse them in their wicked purposes and free our selues from their iniuries and oppressions hauing herein the word of God for warrant which enioyneth vs to vse all honest courses that spirituall wisdome can suggest vnto vs for our preseruation and safetie Thirdly if God be the author of affliction this may serue for direction vnto vs what course to take in time of danger euen that which is giuen vs by the Prophet Hosea to come and returne vnto the Lord for it is he that spoiles and he must heale it is he that wounds and he must binde vp there is none that can take off Gods hand but himselfe He is a foolish malefactor that seekes to the executioner and not vnto the Iudge yet as foolish are we who in the day of trouble rest vpon vaine helps that cannot profit hoping to haue releefe from some Saint or Angell in heauen or which is worse from Coniurers and Witches here vpon the earth As sometimes the Heathen man said If I cannot intreat the gods I will goe vnto the deuils and as King Ahaziah did who being sicke sent to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether he should recouer of his disease or no. Wofull is that cure which is wrought by such Physitians We haue learned better things The generall rule for all troubles is Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me As the eyes of seruants therefore looke vnto the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a maidon vnto the hand of her Mistresse so our eyes shall wait vpon thee our God vntill that thou haue mercy on vs. And lastly seeing God hath a hand in all afflictions that befall this may afford great comfort to the godly in that they are not left into the hands of their cruell and crafty enemies but are in the hands of so gratious and mercifull a God and louing Father through whose sweet hand the sharpest and bitterest afflictions doe passe As for our aduersaries they are but as the rod in the hand of him that smites As therefore the rod can of it selfe doe nothing further than the force of the hand vsing it giues strength vnto it no more can they doe any thing vnto vs further than they haue power giuen them from aboue Boisterous Tubeco may haply dismay vs with his thundering speeches but let vs know there is an ouer-ruling hand to moderate and restraine him The swinging rod the childe sees in his fathers hand may somewhat terrifie him yet the childe may certainly perswade himselfe his father will so vse it as it shall doe him no more harme than a smaller one would doe Let the wicked storme and fiet and breathe out threatnings against Gods Church and people this we know assuredly they may doe what they can but they cannot doe what they would And thus much for the first circumstance which concerneth the Auther or inflicter of the iudgement Now followeth the second which concernes the punished or the parties on whom it is inflicted and they are Gods owne people a people whom hee chose for his peculiar before any other people in the world beside it was his Vineyard his owne enclosure as these words thereof and it doe note vnto vs. Let this then be our obseruation hence That God will not spare his owne people if they sinne against him but will visit their transgressions with the
befall according to our doctrine deliuered Secondly The Deuill is more forward and readie to doe euill than any Witch can be for he is like a roaring Lion going about seeking whom he may deuoure and like a red or fiery Dragon burning in malice against Gods Church and people so that hee needs not to be stirred vp or sent by a Witch hee being so forward and watchfull of himselfe to doe mischiefe Whence it followes there is no more nor lesse hurt done than would be done if there were no Witches for as the Deuill can doe nothing to hurt the poorest creature before he haue power granted vnto him from the Lord so when he is permitted and hath his power granted he is not so sottish as not to execute his power except some Witch doe send him true it is if he can he will doe it as intreated and sent by Witches so cunning and craftie is hee that hee may doe the more harme vsing them but for a colour to drawon worser matters Thirdly the Deuill is the commander the Witch is but his drudge and seruant He is the god of this world and ruleth with power in the hearts of the children of disobedience shee is but his slaue and subiect to serue him and not command him and vsing her as his instrument hee wholly directeth her heart vnto the wickednesse And therefore whereas there be many naturall causes in the bodies of men and beasts of tortures lamenesse and of death it selfe which though the learnedst and most expert Physitian cannot espie yet hee can see and know and can coniecture very neere the time when they will take effect he plyeth it with the Witch and enflameth her minde with malice and moueth her to send him against that partie vpon which sending the man or beast suddenly and strangely are tormented fall lame and die and then hee telleth her that he did it vpon her sending and command when indeed shee obeyeth him being led by his suggestion and not he her The like is his practise when God giues him libertie to strike with bodily plagues any of the godly for the triall of their faith and patience hee couets if hee can to bring it thus about So that wee see shee is but his drudge and not he her seruant Let vs not then bee so deluded by this deceiuer neither stand in feare of any witch or sorcerer but of God alone for neither one or other can any way molest or hurt vs vntill God please to giue way and suffer them For a second vse seeing none can hurt vs vntill God giue way let this serue for Admonition vnto vs all that would liue in safety that we keepe in with God for if he be our friend what need wee care who be our enemies If he be with vs who can be against vs Be then of Dauids resolution to make God thy shield and buckler thy refuge and thy fortresse and thus being in Dauids taking thou maiest be in Dauids tune The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid I will not bee afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about Though an hoast should encampe against me my heart shall not be troubled though warre should rise against me in this I will be confident For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pauilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me hee shall set mee vp vpon a rocke I end this vse as Dauid ends that Psalme Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Thirdly this may serue to daunt the hearts and proud spirits of the wicked who insult ouer the godly because they are so few so meane so simple and so weake and pride themselues oftentimes in the conceit of their owne geeatnesse power policy and malicious intendments against the godly But these grosly deceiue themselues for let them know their rage and power is limited by the Lord so that they cannot doe what they list but what God will they cannot execute what they please but what pleaseth him Let Atheists Papists and all other prophane persons desist from deuising euill against Gods Sion A Prophet of their owne side will teach them it is in vaine to curse whom God hath blessed Lastly as Noahs Doue brought in her mouth an oliue leafe so doth this doctrine bring with it tidings of peace and comfort to such as are in Christ For if it be so that man cannot hurt vntill God giue way then Let all those that put their trust in thee reioice let them euer shout for ioy because thou defendest them let them also that loue thy name bee ioyfull in thee For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous with fauour wilt thou compasse him as with a shield What the Apostle speakes in case of damnation may bee spoken also in case of danger There is none vnto them They are alike safe in euery place euen in the midst of their mortall enemies as amongst their kindest friends and so likewise at all seasons for whereas the wicked who are without God are like a bird without a nest or a beast without a den liable to any storme that ariseth and danger that befals yet it is otherwise with the godly they know whither to goe to bee hid from the strife of tongues and violence of Tyrants Gods fauour ioyned with his mighty power and faithfulnesse is a strong tower thither the righteous runne and are exalted which fort and castle of defence is euery where and no time is vnseasonable to repaire vnto it no place an impediment to hinder them from it no bodily weaknesse can disable them of it their iourney may be vndertaken at midnight as well as at mid-day and they may runne apace as they sit in their houses or lie in their beds and the feeblest creeple may make as good speed as the swiftest footman the wals thereof can no enemy scale the forts thereof can no aduersary batter well may our enemies assault vs but no multitude nor power can preuaile against vs because he that is with vs is stronger than they that are against vs so that the flouds of great waters can neuer come nigh vs. Oh the security and felicity of the faithfull maruellous great it is who haue such a tower to flie vnto and such a shield to couer and compasse them round about as is impenetrable no sword no dart nor shot can possibly strike them vntill it pierce him so fenced are they in their goods in their cattell and in all that belongs vnto them that no wicked spirit by any art can come neere to touch them without a speciall commission from the Almighty When Philip King of Macedon had slept a sound sleepe and at length
though it is apparant that the tenths were got in old time from vs by most false and forged cauillations we only craue our owne we would aske no more nor willingly take lesse for our whole dutie is still required then why should not our whole due be paid And yet that the world may learne of vs contentednesse as well by our practise as our doctrine we would for the present take in good part and rest contented with a part of our owne And some competent portions out of the Impropriations proportioned to the quantitie of the charge imposed and the gifts and paines required would for a time be a reasonable satisfaction in our Ministerie vntill our state found it selfe either better enabled or more straitly tied in conscience to full restitution And therefore let all such as haue Impropriations in their hands be hereby moued to make some restitution in whole or part as their estates may beare as some already haue done to the disburdening of their consciences and good example of others But here I looke to haue that counsell giuen me which one did once giue Luther when he first began to preach against the Popes vsurpation and tyrannie You had as good hold your peace this wickednesse is so powerfull that you will neuer preuaile against it Get you to your studie and say Lord haue mercy on vs and procure to your selfe no ill will Well if the worst come I can but speed as others haue done before me I feare indeed I doe but beat the aire for his deuill is not easily cast forth The sonnes of Zeruiah are too hard for vs vnlesse Christian Magistrates who are nursing fathers to the Church doe by their power with good Nehemiah worke a reformation and compell them to bring their tithes againe into the house of God It is the Kings euill no hand but his can heale it But as the Prophet said in another case For Zions sake I cannot hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake for the poore Churches sake I cannot cease and I would to God that Gods Ministers were here Boanerges sonnes of thunder to thunder out Gods iudgements against this horrible sinne of sacriledge And that all we who haue any thing to doe with any of these persons how great soeuer would cry aloud against them and not spare that if it be possible they might be rowsed and awakened out of this same sinne which in many places causeth prophesying to faile and consequently the people perish Leaue we now the Church and come we to the Common-wealth and there we shall meet with more of this bloudy generation First such as my text here especially speakes of corrupt Iudges and Magistrates Who iudge not the fatherlesse neither doth the widowes cause come before them as Amos speaketh who turne iudgement into wormwood and gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into Hemlocke who afflict the iust take a bribe and turne aside the poore in the gate from their right These the Prophet Zephaniah is not afraid to call roaring Lions and rauening Wolues And our Prophet Isaiah being very bold calleth them companions of theeues and why so did they take purses by the highwaies No but they tooke bribes in their chambers Euery one loued gifts and followed after rewards c. And as the Prophet Hosea speaketh they loued to say with shame Giue yee Now I pray you what difference is there betweene Giue yee and Deliuer yee except it be this Giue yee goeth often in chaines of gold whilst Deliuer ye lieth in fetters of iron before God there is no difference betweene the euery and briberie I doubt not but this kingdome will afford as worthie Iudges and Magistrates as any Land or people in the world And as Iustinian said so with a safe conscience many of our Rulers may They can lift vp their hands cleane to God to the King and to the Law and make protestation with iust and vncorrupt Samuel They haue defrauded none they haue oppressed none Yet I wish and therein I hope doe no man harme that all could say so Then would not Iustice be made a hackney to be backed for money neither could a golden spurre doe any thing to bring her to the desired iournies end of iniury and wrong But oh the wickednesse of these times wherein with Solomon we may obserue many a iust man to perish in his righteousnesse and the wicked to prosper in their wickednesse Is a man well monied then saith the Prouerbe he is too heauie to be cast for what is wanting in the goodnesse of his cause the greatnesse of the Fees will make vp So that the rich may say vnto the poore as Aesops Wolfe vnto the Sheepe when they were in contention together Thou hast a better cause than I but I haue stronger teeth than thou Gaine and rewards be the Remora to the ship of Iustice Shee cannot now be called the Speed but the Delay A Motion this Terme an Order next and instantly all is crossed A writ of Error puts all out of course Iethro was not pleased as it seemes to see causes hang from morning to euening had he liued in these daies how would it haue grudged him to see them hang from Terme to Terme from yeare to yeare And the best causes to be vsed as fore legges are by vnconscionable Chirurgions held long in hand not for the difficultie of the cure but for the gaine thereof The poore Client is faine to trudge vp this Terme and next emptying his purse with paying Fees to one and to another and still the web of his suit is drawne out of a greater length till he want weft to prosecute it and so after all his paines and cost is in the end enforced to let it fall Or say he haue the day yet he makes no sauing match by reason the charges of his suit are greater than the costs that shall be awarded Oh the vncertaine euents of suits besides the trouble I hope to see an end this Terme of my suit saith the poore bloud-drawne wretch when alas he sees no end the next Terme nor next after that yea oftentimes the next and next yeare is past first His suit is a suit of Durance almost an euerlasting suit And thus while the poore oppressed runnes to them who should be as a shelter from the winde and a couert from the tempest it oftentimes fals out that with the silly sheepe running in a storme to the hedge or thicket they are so ensnared amongst the thornes and briers as that they can hardly winde and wrest themselues out without losse of wooll and coat what with delaies demurres and a thousand trickes which money will finde out they lose their fleece and carry away their flesh whole vpon their backes with much adoe If this weather hold many men will goe nigh to be of the minde that Themistocles was sometimes of who professed