bad we proue fewell for the fire A man hauing a tree in his Orchard if it bring forth nothing but leaues he will cut it and prune it and dung it but if after all this cost and labor it remaine still barren hee will then hew it downe as good for nothing but fewell for the fire Hereby wee may see how God will deale with vs Wee bee all Trees here planted in the Lords orchard he doth water vs with the preaching of the Word hee cuts vs and prunes vs. Esay 5. Luk. 8.4.5 Now if after much cost and labour wee shall remaine barren still if the Lord come three or foure yeares and still no fruite will be found Hee will then bethinke him to stub vs vp that wee couer not the ground So by Sowing of corne into the ground to mainetaine mans life our Sauiour leades vs to consider of another thing for as the Sower casts his Seede abroad into sundry sortes of ground and they according to their nature bring forth fruit accordingly Euen so the Minister of the Word scatters and sowes the seede of Gods word into the ground of mens hearts and as they be prepared so they bring forth fruit So by a Weauers shuttle wee see the shortnesse of mans life gone in a moment Dost thou see how the winde driues the chaffe and dust of the earth about giuing it no rest vntill it be cleane dispersed away Oh! consider then how the curse of God shal follow and torment the wicked Verse 4. of this psalm and neuer let their soules be at rest till it consume them Dost thou lie downe into thy bed euery night oh remember that thou must shortly lie downe in thy graue be couered with dust and therefore prepare to die in the Lord. Dost thou see the beautifull grasse and hearbs of the earth cut downe and wither away Esay 60. so thy beauty and riches shall fade and perish When thou seest a stinking carion there behold a picture of thine owne selfe for no carion is so loathsome to man as a rebellious sinner to God Dost thou put on thy cloths to couer thy nakednesse Oh labour for the precious robes of Christs righteousnesse That thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare Reue. 3.18 Dost thou but wash thy hands in water oh labour for the bloud of Iesus Christ to wash away the spots of thy sins Psal 51.15 Dost thou but sit downe to eate and to drinke to nourish thy body without which it could not liue Oh consider that thy soule doth much more stand in need of the bread of Life the food of thy soule Dost thou see sometimes brimstone burning oh consider and quake for feare of the dreadfull iudgement of God vpon Sodome and Gomer that were burned with fire and brimstone and how all sinners shall haue their portion in the Lake of fire and brimstone Gen. 19. Dost thou but take a booke into thy hand and open it leafe by leafe Oh consider that the time will come when the Bookes of thy conscience shall be opened Reu. 20. wherein all thy sinnes are written one by one and thou shalt then receiue according to thy workes And thus wee see that of all the creatures of God there is a double vse to be made of them The one Naturall the other Spirituall one Temporall the other Eternall Hee shall bee like a Tree planted by the Riuers of water THIS part of the similitude doth signifie vnto vs our implanting and ingrafting into IESVS CHRIST his Mysticall Body by the worke of GODS Spirit and by the meanes of a true and liuely Faith This word Planted it is a Metaphoricall speech and borrowed from the practise of Husbandmen who first take vp their plants out of the nurcery or place where they first spring vp and then Plant them in the Orchard or Vineyard So fareth it with man this Heauenly Plant. And the comparison holds good in diuers things First for the circumstance of time when the plants of the earth are thus remoued and that not vsually in Sommer when the heate of the yeare is vp and the sap is gone vp into the plant but in the winter time this is vsually to bee seene for the most part Euen so the time in the which the godly man is planted it is in the winter time that is the time of sorrow and sore affliction not in the Sommer of peace when all things outwardly may seeme to go well with a man he saith peace peace but when God doth giue vnto a man the sight of his sinne and lets him see the reward of sin euen eternall death Oh Rom. 6. when a mans sins doe thus muster themselues before vs and against vs Oh this winter time this time of affliction and sorrow now is the season of the remouing of this heauenly Plant Man Secondly as a Plant is remoued not when it is fruitfull but remoued to that end it may be fruiefull So fareth it with man this Mysticall Tree Wee are not fruitfull by nature before such time as we are planted and ingrafted into Iesus Christ for till then wee bring forth nothing but bitter and vnsauory fruite but wee are planted to that end we may bee fruitfull and being once in Christ we shall then as liuing Plants of that liuely Stock bring forth fruit incontinently In particularly this Planting hath in it two things 1 Plucking vp 2 Setting downe The plucking vp shadowes out vnto vs three things in the conuersion of a sinner First our separation from the world hee cannot be in Christ that hath his rooting still in the earth amongst the men of the world and therefore as wee haue heard before wee must be carefull that wee walke not in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of the sconnefull They are as so many noysome shrubs that will be ready to fret the tender Plants of the Lord and to annoy them and therefore wee must bee remoued from amongst them that is must haue no secret society with them Secondly it signifies our deliuerance from the power of originall sinne thus For as a Plant once remoued receiues no more iuice nor nourishment from the old earth from which it is remoued but from that soyle into the which it is planted So fareth it with this heauenly Plant being regenerate and ingrafted into Iesus Christ there will follow such a change of will affection vnderstanding and the like faculties of soule and body that whereas before they were altogether earthly carnall and vaine so now they minde heauenly things being sanctified by the Spirit of Grace and the power of Nature Rom. 6. that is that old sap of sinne being done away Thirdly it signifies a Christian mans sorow for sinne for as no Plant can bee remoued from one place to another but the axe and other instrument of the Husbandman must bee laid vnto it and many a roote must bee
no body harme a very kinde and euill honest man c. Well is this all This will not serue to proue him a good Christian Iohn 15.6 Esay 5. For now is the Axe put to the roote of the tree euery Tree that brings not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire Wee know what became of the fig-tree that had goodly leaues and faire shewes was it not accursed And the tree that the Husbandman digged and pruned and watered was it not in the end hewen downe and reserued for no other vse but fewell for the fire and this will be the end of many of our ciuill honest men so called whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues or others conceiue of them Oh then how fearefull a thing is it to bee trees bringing forth leaues and no fruite as is the condition of all hypocrites For they shall finde at last what it is to bee as a barren Tree in the Lords Vineyard For that shall bee taken away from them which they seeme to haue as proud Iesabell and her painted face shall both of them perish together On the other side the elect of God that bring forth fruite as well as leaues they shall both bee preserued together and grow in grace and knowledge heere in this life and at the last when these daies of sinne shall haue an end they themselues shall bee gathered into the place of rest the Syon of the Lord and their works shall follow them Reu. 14.13 And howsoeuer workes iustifie not a man being the best of them weak and imperfect heere yet by our workes as the euidence of our vertues wee shall bee iudged at the last This shewes that their estate is Vse 2 ten times worse and more fearefull that brings forth nothing but cursed and bittter fruite of sinne and disobedience A Husbandman will not suffer a Tree to grow in his Orchard if it either bring no fruit or else bitter sowre or vnsauory fruite so bad as none can eate them nor there is no vse of them but will hew it downe and cast it into the fire Oh! then Consider this yee that forget God yee that liue in continuall practise of sinne you that bring forth no other fruite but horrible Oathes Blasphemy Drunkenesse Whooredome c. That by the Axe of Gods vengeance yee shall bee hewen downe and to the fire yee must go If Trees as bee barren and bring forth no fruit shall be destroyed and cast into the fire how much more such miserable wretches Math 3.10 25.41 Heb. 6.7 whose whole life is nothing else but a heaping of sinne vnto sinne and all prophanesse against God and man If the rich man were damned that did not giue of his bread to poore Lazarus good Lord what shall become of those that take away and as it were grind the faces of the poore In a word if the not being fruitefull in good workes shall bee punished so sharpely and seuerely what shall then become of those that euen abound in all manner of most abhominable sinne and iniquity Oh! consider this yee that forget God least I teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you Vse 3 Let this admonish euery man to try himselfe to looke vnto his owne soule Thou art a Tree in Gods Orchard the Lord hee husbands thee dost bestow cost on thee to water and dresse thee by his Word and Sacraments Mercies and Iudgements Well Hee comes to seeke fruit of thee it may bee hee hath come three foure seuen or ten yeares together and still thou hast no fruite but remainest still a barren Tree Well the Lord will not alwaies stay and waite for fruite at thy hands Luke the thirteenth chapter and ninth verse But wil say to the Vine-dresser Cut mee this fruitlesse and barren Tree downe why doth it couer the ground and keep it barren as it is in the fifth chapter of Esay The ground that receiueth the raine that comes often vpon it and brings forth fruite meete for him that dresses it receiues a blessing But that that brings forth Thornes and Bryars is sentenced with a curse whose end is to be burned Hebrewes the sixt chapter and the seuenth and eigth verses If yee haue not yet begun beginne now to bring forth fruite I meane the fruites of Faith the fruites of Repentance and the fruites of Obedience of a godly life and conuersation If yee haue begun already oh labour then to do it more bring forth more and more better fruit to abound in good works such trees as these are shall be spared and not destroyed Deuteronomy the twentieth chapter and the ninteenth verse But such trees as bring forth no fruite Hew them downe why cumber they the ground In due season The time described when a godly man doth bring forth fruit THat is in time conuenient when it may most serue for GODS glory and the good of our Neighbour So that here wee haue a further condition of this Tree set out by the circumstance of the time That it bringeth forth fruite in due season And wee know it is a commendable thing in our grounds and so in our trees that they bring vs out their fruite in their season If our Corne should not bee ripe till the Summer were ouer or our Trees beginne to bud in the Spring before Summer come men would looke to reape but small fruite Well as this is commended in our ground and in our Trees so is it no lesse commendable in our selues and a true note of a godly man and a blessing proceeding from his ingrafting into Iesus Christ that hee likewise bring forth fruit in due season In this obserue the godly care Doctr. 6. True note of a godly man to waite all opportunities to do good and the heauenly wisedome of a godly man and one that is the child of God that hee waites and watches his time and then readily takes the occasion to doe good Euery thing hath his time and season Seek the Lord while hee may bee found and call vpon him while hee is neere Esay 55.6.7 Out of which words wee gather that as there is a time when the Lord will bee found of them that seeke him which time is a godly mans Season for now doth hee seeke the LORD so there is a time when the Lord will not bee found and that a blessing cannot be obtained at his hands though a man seek it with teares as Esau did for so saith the Lord Because I haue cryed and called vnto you and yee would not heare Therefore the time shall come that yee shall cry and call vnto mee and I will not answere Prou. 1.24.28 Againe Exhort you one another daily while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 For our Hearing for our Reading Praying Singing and meditating c. There are times for each of these which the godly man doth in no wise omit And of this there is great reason for shall we not be as
applying of the heauenly doctrine of the word of God And indeede this is heere set downe as a true fruit of our loue to the word as the loue of the word is made a true fruit of a godly man for as it is impossible a man should be truely religious and feare God yet haue no sound loue nor delight in the word of God so is it likewise impossible a man or woman should truly loue the word of God in their heart that seldome or neuer bestow any paines in the serious and earnest meditation of the same Dauid calls God to witnes that the loue he bare to the law of God was exceeding great when he said O how do I loue thy Law Psa 119.97 And in the same verse he seemes to proue the same to God it is my meditation continually which indeed is a note of true loue to be euer thinking of the thing beloued And in very deed the carefull and diligent study the often and earnest meditation of the word of God is the very life and strength of all our worship and seruice of God for if men should reade much and neuer meditate it would doe them no good if men should heare much often neuer meditate they should be little the better If men should pray much and often and neuer meditate they should finde small comfort If men come often to the Sacraments and doe not before and after meditate of the Couenant of grace they should not receiue much good thereby so that you see that Meditation is all in all it puts life to our reading hearing praying receiuing and without it al our reading hearing praying and receiuing will stand vs in small stead For without this Meditation this Lawe that is the word of God will eyther in time be forgotten whereby wee shall become vnmindefull of it or else it will prooue as a Talent hid in the ground vtterly vnfruitfull vnto vs for this Meditation indeed is the third steppe of a true conuert The first is to heare the word of God readily the second to remember it diligently and the third to Meditate on it seriously and this is compared to the Chewing of the Cud Deut. 14.6.7 which is neuer found in the vncleane but in the cleane beasts True it is that hearing and reading the Word will beget knowledge but Meditation is the speciall meanes to worke vpon the affection for else all our knowledge shall onely be in generall idle and swimming in the brayne which may well bee called braine-knowledge but no heart-knowledge but by serious Meditation wee doe applie that wee heare to our owne selues in particular laying the Doctrine to our owne hearts applying it to our selues to comfort our sad soules to humble them for our sinnes and to square our liues thereby that wee may in all things keepe a cleare conscience before God and man The Lord giues Ioshuah a straight charge to doe thus Let not the Booke of the Lawe depart out of thy mouth But meditate therein day and night That thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and thou shalt then haue good successe Ioshua 1.8 and Deuteron 6. vers 6.7.8 And thus the seruants of God haue been much exercised in meditation and thereby haue growne woonderfull not only in knowledge but in practise as we may see in Dauid Psa 119. who tooke great delight in Gods Lawe and made it his meditation continually And of Isaac it is reported that hee went out into the fieldes in the euening to meditate Genesis cha 24. This reprooues the common fault Vse 1 in the world that most men vtterly neglect this duety seldome or neuer settle themselues to meditate in the Lawe of God and his heauenly Doctrine It is hard to finde a man or woman that makes any conscience of this duetie to set themselues apart and set themselues in Gods presence to call to minde that they haue heard and learned to applie it to themselues in particular to humble them or to comfort them And this is the cause why most men hearing and reading so much as they haue yet profit so little in knowledge faith repentance and obedience They can be content to heare the word preached and taught and it may be now and then to reade a chapter but to thinke vpon it to ruminate vpon the word of God and as it were to chew the Cudde to call the same to minde againe to applie it to themselues to labour to profit by it this they cannot indure this they care not for For if men did carefully meditate of the things they heard and read how could they be so ignorant in Gods word as most be So voyde of knowledge faith repentance humilitie zeale patience and the like gifts and graces which accompany godlie and holie meditation For bookes of Statutes men wil not only haue them in their houses but at their fingers ends but Bible they haue none And if they haue it lieth vpon the deske or table and they reade it not And if sometimes they reade yet they neuer meditate thereon This may admonish all men as Vse 2 they loue their owne soules to make more care and conscience of the performance of this duetie to call to minde that wee doe heare or reade to thinke and muse vpon it to chew the Cudde to lay it to heart yea and to applie it to our owne soules and consciences in particular This is like the rumination or chewing of the Cudde to lay it to bee found onely in the cleane beasts whereas they which chewed not the Cudde Deuter. 14 6.7 were vncleane This is the marke and propertie of a godlie and Blessed man whereas the not doing it is the marke of a wicked vngodly man Let vs then remember that we make the word of God our Meditation continually Many men meditate much some in one thing and some in another as they are led by fond affection some thinke of honours some of pleasures some of riches some of one thing and some of another And of these they doate and dreame talke and speake continually But heere wee are taught another lesson namely that our mindes must especially be set vpon the word of God that must be our delight and the ioy of our heart 3. Point The last point in this Verse is the circumstance of Time namely not by fittes But the godly man keepes a continuall course in the study and meditation of the word of God so as hee setteth apart some time for the worship and seruice of God at least twice a day to meditate and study in Gods Booke Hence wee learne that euery one Doctr. 4. A godly man sets some time apart euery day for Gods seruice that will liue a godly life and so please God that he may find comfort to his owne soule and be blessed in the end must set some time apart euery day for