suffering Thus then we see that our enemies could not so farre preuaile did not God permit them neither would he suffer them so farre to preuaile did it any way tend to his dishonour or our dammage Our God is omnipotent doing what he will and suffering no resistance in that he will not Nemo nos laedit nisi qui Deum vincit so that only he which can ouercome him can hurt vs. That godly gloriation then which the Apostle vseth against the enemies of our soules may fitly be vsed by vs against the enemies of our bodies c Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs And then a little after d Vers 35 37. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. Thus as if all these had been but flea-bitings he doth triumph ouer them And then in a straine beyond all admiration hee goeth on thus e Vers 38 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If then we be Gods though Satan and sinners would yet they can doe nothing against vs that shall be for our hurt and though God himselfe can yet he will doe nothing to vs that shall not turne to our endlesse and euerlasting good Further in that it is said The wall shall not only be broken but that it shall likewise be trodden downe we may see as in a glasse the beastly and brutish disposition of the enemies of the Church Doct. No beast is more sauage than the enemies of Gods Church No beast of the field doth shew it selfe more raging or rauenous than doe the wicked when God suffers them to breake into his Vineyard for the afflicting of it Looke as it is with beasts who doe not only eat and deuoure but tread downe and spoile when they come into good pastures more than they eat so is it with them and therefore Scripture giues them names agreeing with their natures they are called f Psal 124.7 Fowlers g Mic. 7.2 Hunters h Psal 53.4 Canibals and men-eaters They are also named i 2 Tim. 4.17 Psal 58.6 Lions and this was Neroes stile who was the first that stained his sword with the bloud of Christians as Eusebius sheweth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie They are likewise called k Psal 80.13 Boares The Boare out of the wood doth waste it and Buls yea strong l Psal 22.12 buls of Bashan They are also compared to m 21. Vnicornes n Psal 58.4 Beares Leopards o Psal 74.13 14. Prou. 17.12 Psal 3.7 Dragons Serpents Aspes Adders and they haue their hornes tusks teeth talants mouthes iawes pawes checkbones giuen to them These names they haue made good in all ages If we should view the Scriptures or reade ouer the Histories of the Primitiue Church we should finde plenty of examples for the confirming hereof Such and so great cruelty hath beene practised by them towards Gods people that as Euschius affirmeth p Eccles Hist lib. 8. cap. 3.10.11 it farre exceedeth the credit of any relation If we come to our owne times we shall not want examples of their cruelty for the prouing this truth What vnnaturall cruelty was it to take the infant q Acts and Mon. pag. 1864. issuing out of the mothers wombe in the midst of the flame and cast it in againe with their forkes that as the off-spring of an heretike it might burne together with her O blessed babe to be no sooner borne but as soone baptized with fire before thou art lapped in swadling clothes to be crowned with martyrdome and before thou fully breathest in the breath of life thou happily breathest out thine owne innocent soule to God But out vpon such cruelty such transcendent outragious cruelty Are these Catholikes Are these they that hold it for an article of their faith that all children dying vnbaptized are damned and yet would wittingly put this innocent childe to death before it had receiued baptisme Can any iudge otherwise but that they purposed to haue flung this infant both bodie and soule into a fire on earth and the fire in hell both at once Cursed be their wrath for it was cruell And is it not yet fresh in the memorie of our fathers how cruelly they dealt not only with the quicke in burying them aliue as Marion at Burges r Pag. 816. but also with the dead in vnburying them as they dealt by Wickliffe Å¿ Pag. 1780. digging vp his bones one and forty yeeres after his death and burning them and so by Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford t Pag. 1785. and Mr. Bucer and Phagius at Cambridge besides others And herein their cruelty exceeds that which is in some beasts Vrsi non sauiunt in cadauera which extends it selfe only to the liuing and not vnto the dead But the rage and cruelty of Sions enemies extendeth it selfe euen as the kindnesse of her friends doth u Ruth 2.20 both to the liuing and the dead to the one as well as to the other We finde in Historie that the first founders of Rome were nourished by a Wolfe certaine it is that the off-spring of that people haue the hearts of Wolues being sauage and cruell Their Citie it was first founded in bloud * Aug. de Ciu. Dei lib. 15. cap. 5. the bloud of a naturall germane brother Romulus slaying his brother Rhemus to settle the kingdome in his owne person And as it was with the Citie so was it with the Papacie for the foundation of that See was laid in bloud Suffocaâ— Phoca imperium stabilisque papatum Guil. Stamph when Phocas slew his liege Lord and Emperour And cruelty and bloudshed is at this day the ensigne and badge of that Church The habit of that harlot is according to her heart x Reu. 17.6 purple and scarlet and her diet is the diet of the Canibals I saw her drunken with the bloud of the Saints Can we thinke this to be the religion that God doth take delight in which vpsetteth and vpholdeth it selfe by such cruelty Reason But what 's the reason why the enemies of the Church are so outragious Surely it may soone be giuen they are led by the spirit of the deuill and he doth participate of his nature vnto them he is y 1 Pet. 5.8 a roaring lion a z Reuel 12. cruell dragon a subtle serpent a false accuser of the brethren and he labours to haue his like him in cruelty and mischiefe We hasten to the Vses Vse 1 And first let vs all
take it yet this will follow The godly and their seed are the noblest plants and choisest persons Such as are godly Doctr. The godly are the choisest chiefest such are most excellent n Psal 16.2 3. My goodnesse saith Dauid extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where see how that Kingly Prophet honoureth such as are Saints with the name of Excellent and Worthies of the earth And Solomon his sonne affirmeth as much when he telleth vs o Prou. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour i. he is better beloued and graced of God and hath that in him which maketh him more honourable than any other who is vnrighteous and sinfull And our Prophet Isaiah calleth the godly in plaine termes p Isay 4.5 The glory Vpon all the glory saith he shall be a defence Thus as the godly goe before all other in virtue so they goe before them in honour and as they exceed others in pietie so they surmount them in excellencie Reason And that this is truth viz. That the godly are the noblest and choisest persons may appeare further if we consider 1. Their Race and Pedigree for they are descended q 1 Pet. 2.9 of the bloud royall they r 1 Iohn 3.9 are borne of God being Å¿ 2 Cor. 6.18 sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And whereas other men are called children of the earth or t Colloss 3.6 children of disobedience or u Hos 10.9 children of iniquitie or * Ephes 2.3 children of wrath or x 1 Sam. 26.16 children of death or y Iohn 8.44 children of the Deuill or z 17.2 children of perdition or a Matth. 23.15 children of Hell we shall finde that all the godly are called either b Iohn 12.36 children of light or c Acts 3.25 children of the Prophets or d Rom. 9.8 children of the Promise or e Mark 2.19 children of the wedding chamber or f Matth. 8.12 children of the Kingdome Thus for birth and bloud they exceed all other of the earth besides 2. Their kindred are vere rich and noble For their Father they haue him g Psal 95.3 in whose hands are all the corners of the earth and the strength of all hills is his also h 4.5 The Sea is his for he made it and his hands prepared the dry land A great God is he and a great King aboue all gods For their Mother they haue a great i Psal 45.9 Queene who hath Kings daughters and honourable women for her attendants k vers 13. being clothed in rayment of gold and needle worke For their Brethren they haue Christ the great heire of the world l Heb. 2.11 who is not ashamed to call them Brethren and all Saints vpon the earth besides Now m 1 Sam. 18.23 seemeth this a light thing vnto you 3. Their Place and Dignitie is very great they are in high place and office being made by Christ n Reuel 1.6 Kings and Priests vnto God his Father They are in high authoritie to command and rule like Kings and Priests who haue the chiefest roomes of all 4. Their Attendants are honourable The o Psal 34.7 91.11 glorious Angels that are aboue and which excell in strength doe euermore wait vpon them and are become p Heb. 1.14 ministring spirits sent forth to minister for those who are heires of saluation Yea Kings and Queenes q Isay 49.23 are but as nurses to them and they must doe them homage worshipping with their faces towards the earth and licking vp the dust vnder their feet What shall we need to speake of other things wherein one man is wont to excell another and thereby wax glorious and become renowned Who are wise besides these Are not these only r Deut. 4.6 A wise prudent and vnderstanding people Who are valiant but these Are not these the Å¿ 2 King 2.12 13.14 Chariots and horsemen of Israel Who goe fine but these Are not these they t Reuel 3.5 19.8 who are arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining Doe not these goe clothed with the golden and silken robes of Iesus Christ and of his Spirit Who fare so well as these Are not these fed u Iohn 6.33 with Manna the bread of life Haue not these prepared for them * Isay 25.6 A feast of fat things euen a feast of fined wines of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified Who are out of debt but these Hath not Christ discharged them of all their x Matth. 6.12 sinnes which are called debts and y Coloss 2.14 cancelled the bonds Who haue peace within and without but these z Rom. 5.1 â—hil 4.7 2 Cor. 5.19 God is now reconciled with them so that they haue peace not only with God himselfe and his creatures but also with themselues in their owne soules and consciences Who enioy health but these Their soules are sound and well and daily they goe on a Psal 84.7 from strength to strength till they appeare perfect in Sion Who speakes so pure a language as these Their language is the b Isay language of Canaan out of their mouths c Coloss 4.6 no filthy vnsauourie nor rotten communication doth proceed What shall I say more Who can compare with these who haue the heauens for their d 1 Pet. 1.4 inheritance the Scriptures for their euidences the Sacraments for their seales and the Holy Ghost for their assurer e 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Who haue all things theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods Vse 1 Now if this be so that The godly are the choisest plants and chiefest personages why then are such most contemned and accounted according to S. Pauls saying f 1 Cor. 4.13 as the filth of the world and off-scowring of all things But let me say to worldlings as the Apostle of those great ones who put the Lord of life to death g 1 Cor. 2.8 If they had knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of life and glory So didst thou but know who these are and what manner of persons they are whom thou thus despisest thou wouldst more respect them yea loue and reuerence them nay kisse the very ground they goe vpon Indeed they seeme outwardly blacke and weather-beaten but what then Yet vnder that basenesse and blacknesse is hid great honour and beauty Within that leather purse is a pretious pearle In those earthen pots is abundance of golden treasure As meane and base as they seeme in thy eyes they are children of God great Heites and Princes and shall one day reigne with Christ in glory Be therefore well aduised and disdaine them not Had h 2 Sam. 16. Shemei euer thought that Dauid should euer haue recouered
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 c Esay 27.9 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 d Phil. 4.8 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 e John 2.5 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 f Exod. 19.8 24.3.7 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 g See Master Sampsons Preface to Bradfords Sermon of repentance 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 h Luke 8 15. 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 i Psal 92.14 and continue fat and flourishing nay not so much as a leafe must fade or faile k Psal 1.3 there must not be any appearance of being out of the state of grace l Heb. 4.1 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 m Ezek. 18.24 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 n 2 Pet. 2.21 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 o Reuel 2.10 and so receiue the crowne of life For p Rom. 2.7 glory and immortalitie is the part and portion only of such as by constancie in well-doing seeke it To you q Luke 22.24 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 may bee brought to maturity and ripenesse Besides all this dost thou truly and vnfainedly desire and endeuour to bee fruitfull in all good workes making no exceptions like a lazie seruant at any of Gods Commands seeme they neuer so hard or harsh so meane or base And lastly tell mee dost thou continue constant in bearing fruit not giuing ouer in the yeere of drought but euen then continuest fresh and flourishing What answerest thou Canst thou stand out this triall And doth thy conscience witnesse that these things are so Why then indeed thou art a fruitfull branch and hast whereof to reioice in as much as thou bearest fruit to God who doth so accept it that he will reward it r Hebr. 6.7 For the earth that drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth
take notice first of the poisonfull Vse 1 nature of sinne which corrupteth and altereth the nature of all things be they neuer so good so excellent making that hurtfull which in it selfe is healthfull Christ the Word the Sacraments the Creatures yea God himselfe are by it made occasions of euill Yea looke as Gods wisdome and goodnesse can draw good out of the greatest euill as out of mans fall Iudas his treason the Iewes abiection c. So mans sinne can draw euill out of the greatest good and make it hurtfull and pernitious to his soule Should wee not then hate it and abhorre it And secondly of the wretched estate of the sinner who is poisoned by sinne Needs must his condition be fearefull who brings swift damnation on himselfe not only by foule grosse sinnes but euen by the most holy things of God as the wicked doth For as m Rom. 8.28 all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose as witnesseth the Apostle So by a rule of contraries to them who are vnregenerated all things worke together for the worst They corrupt all things they defile all things Their tongues are Adders speares their lips are instruments of guile their hands worke iniquitie and their feet are swift to the shedding of bloud Their wits they abuse to cauill with their wealth to oppresse their strength to steale their friends to bolster them out in all with their knowledge they beguile and deceiue the simple and vnstable soule The Scripture they make a couer for their prophanenesse for when they be espied or reproued they will tell you they doe no more than what they can iustifie by holy warrant Their mariage they abuse for lust their children for couetousnesse the day for open euill and the night for secret shame How neere must their damnation be when euery thing doth further it Euery word euery action yea euery thought doth hasten it Oh! the misery of the wicked who in the top of their happinesse and in the midst of their store and plentie are hastening to death to Hell Vse 2 Againe let this admonish vs not to content our selues with the enioyment of things in themselues good vnlesse we haue a sanctified vse thereof And surely herein many doe delude themselues in thinking all is well and they are the blessed of the Lord in that they haue so many good things and such plenty of Gods good blessings showred downe vpon their Tabernacles when alas as we haue seene many haue as much whose n Rom. 11.10 table becomes a snare vnto them and their prosperitie their ruine Doe not then content thy selfe in the simple enioyment of things good vnlesse they be good to thee Better be as poore as Lazarus than with Diues to haue much wealth and haue no grace to vse it o Eccles 7.11 Wisdome is good saith wise King Solomon with an inheritance but an inheritance without wisdome is passing hurtfull Vse 3 Lastly learne that the meanes which God affordeth for mans good shall neuer returne in vaine for if they further not mans saluation they will hasten his destruction and confusion If wee will not be the better for his mercies we shall be a great deale worse Some effect will follow thereupon if they produce not sweet grapes they will sowre For p Esay 55.10 11. as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread vnto the eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it saith the Lord The preaching of Gods word and all other of his ordinances is such physicke as will either cure or kill none euer heard the one or vsed the other but was thereby made either much better or much worse they became either more barren or more fruitfull The Word in Scripture is called q Hebr. 4.12 a two edged sword that cuts both waies it is either a conuerting or a conuincing power A sauour it hath to all either of death or life And looke as fire hath a double operation vpon the seuerall subiects it workes vpon it fires stubble but refines the gold So hath the Word some hearts as we haue heard it enflames with zeale and loue vnto it other hearts it sets on fire to persecute and molest it and the bringers of it At one Sermon r Act. 13.7 8. Sergius Paulus was conuerted and Elimas obdurated at another Sermon Å¿ Act. 17.4 5. some beleeued and some beleeued not And vpon our Sauiours preaching we may reade how t Iohn 6.66 some went backe and walked no more with him but others stuck more fast close vnto him knowing full well that he had the u Verse 68. words of eternall life and therefore whither should they goe Thus is it to conuersion if beleeued to confusion if despised How should this stirre vs vp to a zealous preparation before wee come to the house of God Wee returne not to our owne homes as we came from thence but wee are one step neerer to heauen or to hell Oh! what a griefe and heart-breake will it be vnto thee at the last day to see many who haue heard the Word with thee beene of the same Parish vnder the same Ministery sate in the same stoole to be receiued into heauen because they beleeued and repented and thou thy selfe thrust downe to hell for thy infidelitie and hard-heartednesse Looke therfore well about thee and regard the means * Exod. 4.3 When Moses threw the Rod out of his hand it became a Serpent but when he laid hold of it and tooke it to him it became that Rod wherewith he wrought those many and mighty miracles Thus if thou castest the word thou hearest from thee looke to finde it as a Serpent that will sting thee to the heart but lay hold of it and take it vp obey it and apply it and thou shalt haue the great worke of thy saluation wrought thereby Before we leaue this verse one thing more I would haue obserued The fruit that it brought forth is said to be wilde fruit The word as was before noted signifieth x Baaschim Vuas putridas seu foetidas Moller in loc Acerbas ac insuaues Vatab. such a kind of fruit which in smell is most odious and stinking and in taste most loathsome and vnsauourie And this teacheth vs thus much Doctr. The fruit of disobedience is a wilde and stinking fruit The fruit of disobedience and sinne is a stinking and vnsauourie fruit It is such a fruit as is odious and vnsauoury in Gods nostrils bitter and vnpleasant to his taste Moses in his last song speaking of the wicked and vngodly enemies of the