his Father Sanctify them with thy trueth thy word is the trueth And the Apostle teacheth that GOD doth sanctify the Church clense it by the washing of the water through the word Now thē the plaister must be applyed to the place that is wounded or sore If it be applied to any other place it will do no good If the disease come frō the hart or inward parts it is in vain to lay the plaister to the head to the eare to the hand or to the foote so long as the heart inward parts are not cured they will minister new corrupt matter to the outward parts If then our hearts be corrupt we must not onely be content to apply the word to the eares by hearing it to the head by vnderstanding it to the tongue by talking of it but also to the heart for the purging of it at the first and for the guiding of it alwaies afterward 2. Againe the heart is the seate of the affections you must therefore receiue the word into your hearts that so it may worke on your affections both to sanctifie them as also to stirre them vp vnto good Thou must loue the word trust in the word and reioyce in the word or rather thou must loue God trust in God and reioyce in God because of his word as was shewed before in the example of Dauid Thou canst not doe this vnles thou receiue the word with thy heart As meate cannot nourish thy body vnles it be receiued into thy stomacke And as seede can neuer sprout nor come vp vnles it be cast into the furrowes and clods of the earth no more will the word profit thy soule vnles it be receiued into thy heart 3. Moreouer the heart is the commander of the whole man and sets all on worke according to the disposition of it selfe Of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh as saith our Sauiour A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things As the primum mobile doth turne all the other inferiour orbes round about with it And as the watch wheele of a clocke guideth all the other wheeles If it stand they stand if it goe they goe if it goe slowly they goe slowly if it go swiftly they go swiftly So doth the heart of man rule and order all the senses and parts of his body either to good or euill they are exercised as it is affected Those then that would be obedient hearers of the word must needes receiue and embrace it with their hearts that so their hearts louing and lyking and beleeuing it may set all their senses and all the parts of their bodies on worke to practise it 4. Lastly the heart is the safest place for it As sowne corne if it lye on the top of the furrowes may easily be deuoured by the fowles of the ayre but if it be hid and couered is free from that danger so the word which thou hearest if it goe no further then thy eares or head it is easily taken from thee but if it descend to the bottome of thy heart it may there be safelie kept It is an heauenly treasure And therefore thou must imitate that man who finding a treasure in the field did hide it and for ioy thereof went and sold all that he had to buy that field Though men will suffer their baser stuffe and wodden vessell to be more common and lye more open and remaine in greater danger yet their best and most costly stuffe their iewells and coyne they will lay vp in the safest places So seeing the word of God is most precious of great value and worth lay it vp safely in the bottome of the heart And if this be a property of good hearers to heare the word with their hearts then those who bring their bodies to the Church and leaue their hearts at home who draw neere to God with their lippes and with their eares when their hearts are farre from him cannot be good hearers If thou wouldest be of that number prepare thy heart before hand and while thou hearest let not thy heart be thinking on any by-matters but onely attend to that heare with thy heart as well as with thy eares and then shalt thou be blessed by thy hearing 2. Againe note hence more specially the qualitie and disposition of their hearts who heare profitably they heare with an honest and good heart It is not any kind of heart that will make your hearing profitable it must be an honest and good heart Though thou shouldest heare with thy heart as well as with thy eares yet vnles it be a good heart it will little auaile thee For in the goodnes of the heart consisteth a maine difference betwixt these hearers and some of the former Those which be compared to stony ground did heare with their harts For they are saide not onely to heare but also to receiue the word with ioy Yet were they not good and honest hearts They were hard and stony and would not suffer the worde to take rooting deepe enough And those that be resembled to Thornie ground did heare with their hearts yet were their hearts not good They were full of worldly cares and carnall delights which afterward choaked the word But these receiued it with good and honest hearts and therefore did both retaine it and obey it In describing of the qualitie of this their hart Christ here vseth two words which be of a neere yet not of the same signification There is some difference ketwixt them the one properly signifieth faire beautifull seemly and comely the other signifieth good and excellent The one noteth the outward apparent qualitie the other expresseth the inward nature and inherent propertie of the thing And so here by is signified that the heart of these hearers is good each way both outwardly before men manifesting it self to be good by open profession by aboundance of fruites and by constant perseuerance And also inwardly in it selfe and before God by a sincere sanctification and holie disposition And so their heart differeth from the heartes of the former hearers For though they in receyuing the Worde with ioy in belieuing it and bringing forth some fruites of it did make some faire showe and gaue some outward signe of a good heart yet their heart was not effectually sanctified within and they made those faire showes but for a time Afterward they reuolting in time of Tentation or failing in their fruites thorough worldly cares and voluptuousnes bewrayed the filthinesse of theyr hearts Those then that would bee good hearers must haue good hearts both waies Both inwardly in their owne nature and inclination as also outwardly before men by the fruites and testimonies As is the heart so will the hearing be Good meete will not nourish that mans bodie who hath a bad stomacke that cannot well
Math. 13. 19. touching whom we may obserue 2. things 1. the manner of their hearing 2. the issue and euent of their hearing 1. the manner of their hearing is not here expressed yet is mentioned Math. 13. 19. they heare and vnderstand not 2. The issue and euent of their hearing which is set forth by the diuells practise and behauiour toward them And that is described 1. by the manner 2. by the end of it 1. by the manner of it for he is said to come and take the word out of their hearts 2. by the end wherefore he doth so which is double he doth it to preuent 2. things which they might receiue by hearing the one being subordinate to the other the former being a meane of the later and the later being a reward of the former the one is least they should belieue the later is least they should be saued 2. The second kind of ground was stony who are ment thereby is specified vers 13. Another sort of vnprofitable hearers who are described by 4. properties whereof the two first declare their present estate and the two last their future condition 1. they receiue the word with ioy 2. they haue no rootes 3. they belieue for a while 4. In time of temptation they fall away 3. The third kind of ground was thornie which also representeth another sort of bad hearers described vers 14. by the causes and by the effect or issue by the causes for 3. things are named which like thornes choake the seede of the word 1. cares 2. riches 3. voluptuous liuing by the effect or issue that followeth thereupon they bring forth no fruite 4. The fourth and last kind of groūd was good ground in which the seede sprang vp and did beare fruit That is a resemblance of good hearers as appeareth vers 15. And those are described by 3. properties 1. by the manner of their hearing they heare with an honest and good hart 2. by their keeping of it after they haue heard it 3. by their fruitfulnes And that is amplified 2. waies 1. by the maner of it heare with patience 2. by the measure and varietie of it some bring forth more some lesse in Math. 13. 23. Mar. 4. 20. some thirty some sixtie some an hundred fold 1. To begin first with the first and so to proceed in order to the rest Christ sheweth what is ment by the seede when he saith the seede is the word of God By which tytle is plainely manifested the vertue force and efficacie of Gods word As seede is the beginning and cause of all the fruit afterward reaped so is the word the beginning and cause of all goodnes in vs euen of all grace in the heart of all good words in the mouth and of all obedience in the life And as good seede if it be well sowne in a fertile soyle will yeeld fruit so the word being well taught to capable and docible persons wil produce some good fruit for the glory of God and for their comfort and saluation The word is resembled to many things in regard of the power and vertue of it As to an hammer that will bruse vs to a fire that will either purge or consume vs to a light that will direct vs to salt that will season vs to a sword that will defend vs to seede that will beget vs to foode that will nourish vs to goades that will pricke vs forward so also to seede that being sowne wil yeeld plentie of fruit because of it owne nature through Gods ordinance and blessing it will prouoke people to obedience If therefore you receiue it and doe not beare fruit the fault is in you and not in it you are but barren soyle vnworthy of such seede Moreouer it is to be obserued that Christ compareth the word to seede that is sowne for in the propounding of the parable he said the sower went out to sowe his seede and now he saith the seede is the word meaning the seede sowne Mathew saith that the diuell catcheth away the word sowne in the heart And Marke saith that the sower soweth the word And therefore it must needs be vnderstood of the word preached The word of God as it is written in the scriptures and conteyned in the bookes of the old and new testament is good seede indeed yet it is as seede in the barne vnthrashed or as seede laid vp in the garner but the word read and expounded preached and applyed to Gods people is as seede sowne in a field And preachers be the sowers of it for albeit Christ doth not expresly declare who be the sowers yet that is apparant from other circumstances for if the word be the seede sowne then they who preach the word are the sowers And if they who heare the word taught be the ground in which the seede is sowne then the persons who teach them and whom they heare are the sowers So Christ by preaching the word was a sower yea the chiefest of all others the ground was his the seede was his he like a good husbandman with his owne hands did sowe his own seede in his owne field So the Apostles were likewise sowers Christ was a sower to the Iewes onely they also to the gentiles he in the little field of Iudea they in the large field of the whole world Wherfore S. Paul said If we haue sowne vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things as also we together are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandry And so all those who preach the same word which they did are sowers for as the sower filleth his hand with seede and casteth it abroad among the furrowes of the field not setting it seede by seede or choosing a peculiar place for euery seede but lets it lye as it lighteth So the preacher disperseth and dispenseth the word in a mixt people not able to giue it successe but as it pleaseth God to giue a blessing and as the hearts of the hearers are prepared for it Hence then wee may learne the necessitie of preaching no sowing no reaping As you cannot in any field reape a crop of corne at haruest vnles it were sowne with good seede at the seede time no more can any fruits of grace or any good works bee found in the Church or children of God vnlesse the seede of the worde bee sowne among them Indeed there may be sometimes good sowing and little good fruit to be reaped As the Lord did all that could bee done to his Vineyard and yet it brought forth nothing but wild grapes but if there be no sowing it is impossible to gather any fruit at all Christ therefore sayd Except the wheat corne fall into the ground it abideth alone Our hearts are the ground they must be sowne with the seede of Gods worde otherwise they will bee altogether barren or else bring forth nothing but briars and brambles thornes and
Peters preaching Did not the Iaylor beleeue by hearing of Paul Though all doe not beleeue who doe heare because some heare amisse yet is hearing Gods ordinance to beget faith Those then that desire faith must heare and receiue the worde Those that may heare and will not cannot beleeue Wofull is their case who heare not at all for whence can they haue faith if they heare not Feareful is their case who hear seldome they haue no faith or a weake faith But happie are they who heare often and well they beleeue and shall be saued 2. Another thing is to be obserued in respect of the Diuell namely what an enemie he is vnto faith for he takes away the word as it is entring into mens hearts lest they should beleeue This is the very cause why he is so busy in hindering the worde because hee would keepe men from faith And no maruell though he be a deadly enemie vnto faith he knowes that the word will not profite the hearers vnlesse it be mixed with faith He knowes that by faith we are iustified in Christ that by faith we obtaine remission of sinnes and euerlasting life Very loath he is that we should enioy these blessings and therfore will do what he can to hinder vs of faith which is the hand whereby we receiue them He knowes that without faith it is impossible to please God And that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Vnwilling he is that we should better please God then himself doth but gladly would he make all our actions sinfull like his He knoweth that faith is the shield whereby we quench all his fiery darts that it is the victory whereby wee ouercome the world one of his Champions And therefore wil seeke to keep this weapon out of our hands lest himselfe his champion be foiled therwith We may now say with the Apostle All men haue not faith And no maruell seeing the Diuell is a spightfull foe against it and will hinder as many from faith as possibly he can At the end of the world as Christ fore-told the son of man shall scarce find faith on the earth Let it not seeme strange for as at all other times so then especially will he keepe men backe from faith his wrath shall then be great because hee shall know his time is short Doe not therefore imagine that it is an easie thing to get faith and that thou canst beleeue when thou list thou canst not haue faith but in despight of the Diuell so long as he can hinder thee by any meanes thou shalt not beleeue The Lord must enable thee to frustrate his attempts and must bestow this gift on thee against his will otherwise thou canst neuer receiue it But the more he labours to keepe vs from faith the more earnestly should we labour to obteyne it the more he hateth it the better should we loue it If it were not a most excellent grace he would not hinder vs of it 2. The other end why hee taketh away the word is this Lest they should be saued Where also two other like things may be considered one in respect of the word and faith another in respect of the Diuell 1. In respect of faith and the word that they will bring men to saluation For whereas Christ saith the Diuell takes the word out of mens hearts lest they should beleue be saued he therby insinuateth that if the word enter into the heart do there abide worke faith in it the man shall be saued And so he shall indeed For the Gospell as Paul saith is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Graecian And it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And therefore the Evangelist saith These things are written that yee might beleeue and in beleeuing haue life through his Name The word bringeth vs to faith and faith to life euerlasting If we get the one we cannot fayle of the other Oh what an heauenly comfort is this to a beleeuing soule Cannot the Diuel by all his practises and pollicies hinder the worde from working faith in thy heart feare him not he cannot possibly hinder thee of eternall saluation in heauen Looke what assurance thou hast of thy present faith the same assurance mayst thou haue of the future saluation of thy soule If thou now beleeue thou shalt receiue the end of thy faith which is the saluation of thy soule But if Sathan so take the worde from thee that thou dost not beleeue neuer looke for saluation in heauen Onely he that beleeueth shall be saued 2. In respect of the Diuell hee is an vtter enemy to the saluation of mens soules he taketh away the word and hindereth them from faith that so hee may preuent their saluation This is the end of both the former The Diuell is enuious vnwilling he is that any of vs should enioy that glory in heauen which he hath lost As hee droue Adam and Eue out of the earthly Paradise so doth he what lyeth in him to keepe vs from the heauenly Paradise He goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure As the Ammonites Moabites Amalekites and many other heathen people would haue hindered the Israelites from entering into the land of Canaan So the Diuel all his Angels seeke to hinder vs from the Kingdome of heauen And as the Israelites subdued them before they could get possession So must wee through the mightie power of Christ subdue the Diuell before wee can enioy that most happy and glorious Kingdome Lastly to conclude all the poynts touching these hearers See what excellent things they lose who suffer the Diuell to take the worde out of their hearts They loose saith which is much more precious then gold as Saint Peter saith And hereafter they shall lose the saluation of their soules which is more worth then all the world For as CHRIST sayeth What aduantageth it a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule You may thinke it little danger to suffer the Diuell to take the worde out of your heartes And it may be some had rather haue it taken from them then the least parte of their worldly riches but know that it is a precious Iewell If you keepe it you retaine all grace and happinesse with it If you leaue it you lose all goodnes with it Oh then when you haue heard it make much of it and keepe it safely and be content rather to lose any thing yea all things that you haue then lose it If you did truely know and would duely consider the danger of this losse you would be more carefull to keepe the word and more afrayde of losing it You who haue Deedes of your Lands and Leases of your houses are very carefull to keepe them safely you will keepe them vnder locke and key and that
and growe for a while but not long if heate drought doe come it will be parched and wither away for lacke of moysture Such is the case of some hearers their hearts being mollified in part somewhat soft aboue but very hard below toward the bottome will not suffer the word to take any deepe rooting in them It may enter into their harts yet it cannot pearce into the bottome of them It may be some rooting yet very ebbe and shallow It may prosper for a while and they make some profession of it yet not long And in regard hereof they become vnprofitable hearers So as from hence we may obserue a double danger and inconuenience of an heart that is not throughly mollified to the bottome It both hindereth the rooting of the word and also the fruitfulnes of it 1. It hindereth the rooting of the word so as it cannot possibly go deepe enough the word should descend to the bottome of the heart and there take rooting and be continually nourished with the moysture of it but it cannot descend so farre vnles it be throughly mollified Not onely they whose hearts are altogether hard as was the hart of Pharaoh when he heard Moses and Aaron and the Scribes and Pharises when they heard Christ but also they whose hearts are softened onely in part are vnprofitable hearers As not onely those rockes which be bare on the top and altogether hard and haue no manner of soyle and moysture aboue but likewise those which be couered with a litle moysture and earth aboue but not much are vnfit to receiue seede The one will not receiue the seede at all nor suffer it to sprout or shoote forth a blade the other will cause it to sproute and shoote forth a blade but neuer to beare a ripe eare So they who haue hearts altogether hardened will not heare or at least not receiue the word of God at all into any part of their hearts but those who haue hearts partly soft and partly hard may receiue the word and retaine it for a time but will neuer bring forth the fruites of it Wherefore the holy Ghost saith in the Psalmes and it is applyed by the Apostle to the hearers of the Gospell To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Because the hard hearted can neuer heare the word of God so reuerently and effectually as they ought to doe the Lord biddeth vs not to harden but to soften our hearts if we will heare his voyce The harder the heart is the more vnprofitable shall be the hearing the softer the heart is the more profitable shall the hearing be Againe this hardnes will cause men to deny the word in time of tentation The moysture and softnes aboue is the cause of receiuing the word with ioy and beleeuing for a time but the hardnes and drinesse below is the cause of reuolting afterward When Gods hand was heauie on Pharoh he somewhat relented humbled himselfe and confessed his sinne but as soone as it was remoued he returned with the dogge to his vomit and became as obstinate as euer he was before So if a mans heart be mollified onely in part he may relent while he heares the word and may embrace it with peace but in time of persecution may grow as hard as euer he was before euen as yron is soft in some measure while it is in the fire but becommeth hard againe when it is cold Let vs not therefore content our selues with an vpper softening but see that our hearts be softened to the very bottome that they may melt like waxe at the fire as good king Iosiahs heart did when he heard the lawe read I knowe that none of our hearts are so soft as they should be But if thou feelest thine owne hardnes doest mislike it desirest earnestly that it may be more and more mollified and doest vse all good meanes for the further mollifying of it thy heart either is alreadie or shall be within a while so softened as it may receiue the word profitably to thy saluatiō If Goates blood being warme can soften the hard Adamant doubt not but the blood of Christ can sufficiently mollifie thy heart though it were as hard as a rocke If thou pray earnestly vnto God to take away the stony heart of thy body and to giue thee an heart of flesh be assured that he will performe it seeing he hath promised it by his holy Prophet 3. Let vs now come to the third propertie of these hearers They belieue for a time Mathew and Marke say they endure for a season that is they endure in their faith but a while They doe belieue yet not long But it is to be considered what kinde of faith this is Though the Papists teach that there is but onely one kinde of faith yet may we find many seuerall distinct kindes thereof in the holy scriptures There be foure kindes of faith One is proper and peculiar to Gods elect and to the regenerate The rest are common both to the elect and the reprobate That which is proper and peculiar to the elect is a true iustifying faith whereby a man doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for the pardon of his sinne and the saluation of his soule This is called by S. Paul the faith of Gods Elect because onely they and all they be endued with it And therefore it is said that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued Though all of them doe not receiue it at the same time but some sooner some later yet is there not any of the Elect but at one time or other they doe receiue it This is called an vnfayned faith or a faith without dissimulation or hypocrisie because it is not counterfaited and is a faith in deed and in truth and is seated not in the tongues or the head but in the bottome of the heart This faith is said to purifie the heart and is called the faith of the Saints because none haue it but those who be sanctified By this faith are we now iustified without the workes of the law and by this must we be saued as the Apostle proueth at large in his Epistles But this is not the faith here spoken of Againe there be other kindes of faith which be common both to the Elect and reprobate And these are either extraordinarie or ordinarie Extraordinarie as the faith of working miracles whereof the Apostle speaketh saying If I had all faith sothat I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing Iudas the childe of perdition had this faith as well as the rest of the Apostles for he wrought miracles as well as they And many shall say to Christ haue not we in thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great miracles to whom he shall answere I neuer knew you depart from
will deceiue those that trust to them They will faile vs in our greatest neede as namely at the houre of death That rich man who enlarged his barnes and laid vp goods for many yeares when he was in great hope of enioying them long had his soule taken from him that night and knew not who should enioy them Naked came we into this world and naked must we returne wee brought nothing into it neither must we carry any thing out of it hic acquiruntur hic relinquntur here they are gotten and here they are left All those waies doe riches deceiue men And whom they deceiue in their hearts they choake the word Such impediments are they to the word as they hinder many from receiuing and professing it Christ said the poore receiue the Gospell And Paul said you see your calling that not many mightie or many noble are called but God hath chosen the weake ones to confound the mightie and base and despised ones to confound the noble So likewise they hinder men in the obedience and practise of the word Rich men are more bound to serue the Lord then the poore for on whom he bestoweth much of them he requireth much As he is more bountifull to thē so should they be more dutifull to him yet oftentimes it commeth to passe that they seldomer heare it and lesse obey it then others doe But the greater is their sinne and the more fearefull shall be their iudgement if they doe not amend You then that be rich looke well about you take heede lest your riches deceiue you and in deceiuing you make the word fruitles It had bene better neuer to haue enioyed them then thus to be deceiued and hindred by them Salomon thought this to be an euill sicknes which he saw vnder the sunne to wit riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill And is it not verified in them whose Riches doe choake the worde in their hearts and make it vnfruitfull in their liues what greater euil could befall them Do they not hereby endanger their owne soules In a woefull case they are and farre worse then the poorest in the world CHRIST sayth vnto such Woe be vnto you that are rich for yee haue receyued your consolation Some comfort they may find now but none hereafter And Iames saith to them Go too now yee Rich men weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vppon you your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust therof shal be a witnes against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vppe Treasure for the last dayes Though now they feare no danger yet one day they shall feele it to their great sorrowe It is strange to see howe craftie and wise Rich men bee in worldly affaires In all their dealings they take such good heed that they can hardly bee deceiued by any yet in spirituall matters touching the saluation of theyr soules they may easily bee ouer-reached They are to theyr great losse often deceyued and yet doe not perceiue it Their owne riches deceiue their soules and yet they cannot discerne it nor will acknowledge it Oh consider that as the Diuell may deceiue you and as other men may deceiue you so also your own wealth may deceiue you and that as dangerously as any It may so deceiue you as it may procure your euerlasting destruction if in time you do not espie it and redresse it CHRIST would neuer haue said that the deceitfulnes of Riches as Thornes choake the seed of the word vnlesse riches did deceiue men and make them vnfruitfull hearers Let his words then be an admonition to make you take better heede There is not any one of you but if a Friende tolde you of a Couzener that had beguyled manie and went about to deceyue you to your great dammage you would take warning and eyther refuse to haue any dealings at all with the man or else if by necessity you were compelled thereunto you would be so very circumspect in your dealings that hee should hardly defraud you Christ Iesus here lets you vnderstand that riches are deceitfull and that in deceiuing men they hinder them in that which serues for Gods glory and the good of their owne soules And will not you receiue warning and beware of them Take heede of them they seeme to be your good friends and much to pleasure you yet is there falshood in their fellowship The better you like them the more you loue them and the more you trust them the more readie are they to deceiue you And indeed this is one of the strangest and grossest deceits that can be found in the world In other matters men are deceiued against their wills but in this with their wills In other things the deceiued doe of themselues soone espie the cosenage and seeke to helpe themselues but in this many are deceiued continually and yet cannot discerne it yea if another tell them of it yet will they not beleeue it In other fraudes the deceiuers are most in fault but here the deceiued are in greatest fault for riches deceiue you not through their owne craft but through your corruption not through their fraudulēt perswasions but throgh your fond affections not through their bad practises but through your madde behauiour Riches are no causes but occasions of the deceit Men take occasion by them vse them as meanes to deceiue themselues As Paul sayd of Sinne and the Law Sinne tooke occasion by the Commaundement and deceiued me and thereby slew me So may we say of mans corruption and riches His corruption taketh occasion by riches to deceiue himselfe and therby to destroy himselfe He is deceiued by the supposed pleasantnesse of riches as Eue was deceiued by the pleasantnes of the Apple And as Eue was more to be blamed then the Apple so is the rich man more to be blamed then his riches If riches doe so dangerously deceiue men how may we vse riches that they may not deceiue vs nor like thornes hinder the fruit of the word You neede not to cast them away as Crates the Thebane and some other Philosophers did They are the good blessinges of God and may be well vsed for Gods glory and mans good Obserue these 5. Rules and they shall not deceiue you nor choake the word in your hearts 1. Set not your affections on them desire them not too earnestly loue them not too dearely according to the instruction of the Kingly Prophet If riches increase set not your hearts thereon but rather as the Apostle exhorteth They which vse this world let them be as though they vsed it not It is your inordinate affection toward them that makes them to deceiue you and hinder you in the obedience of the word The more you loue them the lesse will you loue the word the lesse desire wil you haue to heare and learne it and the lesse care to
vanitie and an euill sicknesse Some are so miserable as they cannot finde in their hearts to vse their riches for their owne comfort but let them lye by them as a sicke man doth his meate Againe there be many who liue in pleasure and yet enioy little wealth who waste their wealth in wantonnesse and care little for riches so that they may haue their pleasure for a time Such are the wanton youthes of our age who like the prodigall Sonne spend their patrimonie by riotous liuing These carnall pleasures will no lesse choake the seede of the word and hinder the fruites of it then cares of the world or deceitfulnesse of riches Salomon was a myrrour of wisedome yet when hee gaue himselfe to voluptousnesse he forgat himselfe neglected his dutie to his Creator and gaue way to abhominable Idolatrie And for this cause did Iob sacrifice for his children when they were feasting lest the pleasures thereof should make them blaspheme God in their hearts And Paul sayd that the widdow which liueth in pleasure is dead while she is aliue because such are no more able to performe the duties of Christians then one that is dead is able to performe the office of a man These pleasures hinder the fruitfulnes of the word in three respects 1. In regard of the nature of the word the obedience therof it affordeth no such carnal pleasures as the natural man desireth though it yeeld spirituall and heauenly pleasures yet it it yeeldeth no corporall or carnall pleasures And therfore voluptuous persons who minde nothing but their pleasures haue no care to obey the word which bringes them no such pleasures as they desire Nay the word doth crucify our lusts doth curbe moderate our pleasures And therefore the naturall man who hath his heart wholy set on pleasures and will not be stinted in the vse of them cannot endure it 2. In regard of the effect of pleasures they breede securitie in the heart make it more vnfit for grace more prone to vice lesse fearefull of sinne and punishment And therefore it is sayd That Whoredome and Wine take away the heart Pleasure like another Cyrce so enchanteth mens mindes that like bruite beastes they are altogether giuen to sensuallitie and wholy neglect their dutie to God 3 In regard of the matter of pleasures for many carnall pleasures consist in the vse of vnlawfull thinges and in the practise of some sinne Now if a mans heart bee set on pleasure then to satisfie his pleasure hee will sinne against GOD as Eue did in eating the forbidden fruite And as Herode did who though hee heard Iohn Baptist gladly and did many thinges that he taught yet he would not put away his brothers wife as he was commaunded Voluptuous persons wil not embrace such doctrine nor follow such teachers as condemne their vnlawfull pleasures They will not suffer wholesome doctrine as Paul fore-told but after their owne lusts get them an heape of teachers to trie whether any will tollerate their sinfull pleasures and them will they like best Uolupt as est escamalorum Pleasure is the baite of sinne And man is taken with pleasure as the fish with an hooke As the Fisherman couereth his hooke with a baite that the fish biting at the baite may be catched with the hooke So the Diuell doeth baite many sinnes with pleasure that man receiuing the pleasure may be catched with the sinne In regard whereof the voluptuous man who will not bee abridged of any pleasure committeth many sinnes against God and fayleth often in the obedience of the word He may often heare the word yet will not obey it in any point which crosseth his pleasure As some sicke patients are content that the Physition prescribe them a dyet and sometime aske him a question whether such meate be good for them or no though the Physition who best knowes what is hurtfull for him doe forbid them some kinds of meate yet haue they so strong an appetite to some of those meates as for all his direction they will not forgoe them but onely would haue beene glad if he would allow them So men come to heare the worde and thereby to learne what is good and ill for the health of their soules though the Preacher giue them good direction yet so earnest is their desire of pleasure that they will take their delight in those thinges which hee by the worde doeth forbid This may teach vs to take heede of pleasures If our hearts be drawne away with them wee shall be barren soyle We professed and promised in our Baptisme to renounce the vaine pompe and glorie of the world and all carnall desires of the flesh shall we then by seeking following them choake the word in our hearts Although before our conuersion we were as the Apostle speaketh of himselfe and others disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures yet now after our conuersion we must forgoe many pleasures that so we may yeeld better obedience to the word of God It was foretold by Paul that in the last daies shall come perilous times for men should be louers of pleasures more then louers of God I may say to you as Christ sayd of Isaiahs Prophecy This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares now are come those perilous times Now doe many men loue their pleasures more then they loue God The loue of God is seene in keeping his Commaundements Those then that are more carefull take more paines and defray more charges to satisfie themselues in their pleasures then to glorify God by the obedience of his word Are they not louers of pleasures more then louers of God And those that wilfully breake Gods Commaundements that so they may enioy their pleasures as some by whoredome others by surfetting and drunkennesse others by scoffing and iesting others by lasciuious dancing riotous gaming wanton sports prophane pastimes on the Sabboth day Are they not louers of pleasure more then louers of God And if they loue their pleasures more then they loue God they may rather be counted prophane Epicures then godly Christians The greater their pleasures is now the greater will their paine be hereafter Many of these are so addicted to their pleasures as they will not by any meanes be reclaymed wee finde it an harder matter to reforme them then to reforme other offenders The Phylosophers obserued that many fel from other Sects to the Epicures but not any from the Epicures to other Sectes When we speake against their pleasures wee but speake to the bellie which wanteth eares Surdo canimus they are like the deafe Adder that stoppeth her eare But if they will take no warning let them goe on and trie what will become of them in the end Reioyce O young man in thy youth as Salomon speaketh and let thine heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the
his right hand are pleasures for euermore Those farre excell all the pleasures of the garden of Eden They yeelde full contentment and make all them happie which doe enioy them Therefore seeke especially for them A woefull thing it is to enioy pleasure in this life which is but short and to endure paine in the other life which is eternall If you cannot be partakers of both together seeke for the better Make Moses choyce who refused the delights of Pharaohs Court and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Lastly from the consideration of all these Thornes together wee may obserue that not one onely corrupt affecction but likewise manye corrupt affections in mans heart doe choake the seede of the word Euen all these three mentioned before A man may as well be hindered by one of them as byan other as well by any one of them as by all of them It is not impossible to finde them all three in one the same man A man may be much perplexed with worldly cares how to get and encrease riches and when he hath gotten them hee may be deceiued by them in thinking too highly of them in louing them too dearely and trusting too much vnto them He may then also liue in pleasure he may be carefull to get riches and to encrease them that so hee may consume them on his owne lustes By reason of his worldly care and the deceitfulnes of his riches he may be sparing and niggard-like in relieuing of others yet in regarde of voluptuousnes he may spend much on himselfe That Rich-man Luke 12. had much goods layde vp for himselfe for many yeares Not any for others but all for himselfe and therefore he would liue at ease eate drinke and take his pastime And the rich glutton which would not giue so much as the crums that fell from his table to poore Lazarus was giuen to pleasure spent much on his owne back belly Such men as these haue many thornes growing in the field of their hearts they haue many impediments to hinder them in the obedience of the word And therefore cannot be profitable hearers and diligent practisers of the word The more thornes growe in a sowne field the lesse corne is reaped at haruest So of all carnall hearers these yeeld the least fruit Yet are these three things distinguished one from another as was shewed before are oftentimes seuered in their subiects one of them may be found in one man and not either of the other And one of the other may be found in another man and not that A man may be carefull and yet poore A man may be rich and yet not giuen to pleasure And all of them haue their speciall and seuerall effects one hindering after one manner and another after another manner And therefore any one of these is able of it selfe to hinder the fruitfulnes of the word You knowe there be many kindes of thornes with vs there be white thornes and black thornes hawthornes and slowthornes And the word in the originall is taken not onely for thornes but likewise for bryars and brambles and any thing that hath prickes And therefore as one kind of thornes if there be many of that kind may as well hinder the fruitfulnes of your fields as many kindes So one kind of corrupt affections in your harts may hinder the efficacie of the word as well as many And therefore as when you plow and sow your ground you rid vp not onely one kinde of thornes and bryars but likewise all of each kind So when you heare the word expell out of your hearts not onely all bad affections of one kind but likewise all bad affections of each kind It is lamentable to see how fondly people deceiue themselues herein Many men doe harbour one noysome lust one corrupt affection or other in their hearts and because they keepe out many others they hope all is well with them The couetous worldling condemnes the voluptuous epicure And the voluptuous epicure condemnes the greedie and miserable worldling The couetous man thinketh that he is a good Christian because he is not giuen to prodigall licentiousnes And the voluptuous man would be esteemed a good hearer because hee abhorres worldly cares and miserable couetousnes But let them both knowe that either of these two sinfull lustes are sufficient to condemne their soules and let them not purge their hearts from the one alone but from both together if they will be fitte soyle for the Lords seede The last thing to be obserued in these hearers is the effect of their choaking namely what is the issue and euent that befalls them when they are thus choaked by those corrupt lustes they bring forth no fruite Though they doe not fall away from their profession as those hearers mentioned in the former verse but still continue professours and hearers of the Gospell yet are they vnfruitfull in their profession The originall word doth properly signifie that they doe not bring forth any full and perfect any ripe and truely fruite As if they might bring forth some kinde of fruite yet no good fruite no full corne nor profitable gaine Corne sowne amōg thornes may yeeld some kinde of fruite yet not such as will please the husbandman It will be an vntimely fruite it will wither away before it be throughly fed and fully ripe It will be very thinne on the ground when it is reaped it will proue nothing but short eares and small gaines and when it is threshed nothing but light corne and vnprofitable Such is the obedience of those men which be giuen to couetousnes and voluptuousnes they may performe some outward duties yet not many onely such as doe not hinder them in their worldly profits nor abridge them of their carnall pleasures And those which they doe performe are very imperfect neither acceptable to God nor comfortable to their owne soules They are not such as God exacted they doe not proceed from such sinceritie of the heart neither are they directed to that right end neither are they performed in such an holy manner as he requireth Though they seeme to begin well yet their inward lusts doe so hinder them that they cannot bring their actions to a due perfection but waxe wearie of doing well And either quite cease from their enterprises begun or else efaint much in their proceedings before they bring any thing to a good end Whence first we may take notice of the nature qualitie and maner of their obedience whose hearts are still possessed with the cares of the world and the pleasures of this life They may performe many good duties yet faile in some maine dutie And yet those which they performe cannot please the Lord we haue pregnant examples hereof in the scriptures Naaman the Syrian being cured of his leaprosie by the Prophet Elisha vowed vnto him to worship none other God
but the God of Israel yet desired he to be tollerated in one point that when he went with his Maister into the house of Rimmon and when his Maister leaned on his hand and he did bowe as his Maister and others did the Lord would be mercifull vnto him therein Though he misliked that idolatry in his heart yet because he could not enioy his gainefull place and office vnder his Maister vnles in that point he dissembled he for his gaine would in outward behauiour ioyne with others in that idolatrous worship he would be a Proselyte so farre as it might stand with his worldly commoditie but no further And the reason was because worldly lustes were not then mortified in his heart Iudas had diuers commendable things in him otherwise Christ would neuer haue chosen him to be one of the twelue he heard his sermons liued a long time ciuilly and preached the Gospell to others yet because couetousnes did still raigne in his heart for money he betrayed his Maister That rich yong man which came to Christ to knowe the way to eternall life had so kept the commandements for outward actes as Christ loued him yet because his corrupt affections were onely kept vnder and not killed he left Christ and had rather breake his commandement then leaue his owne wealth Herod as you heard did many things which Iohn Baptist taught yet because the word was not powerfull in his heart to mortifie his sinfull lustes he would not breake off his incest nor put away his brothers wife If you suffer the like affections to abide in your hearts your obedience will be no better You see by experience that corne growing among thornes is neither so much nor so good as that which groweth in other ground And that it might haue bene more and also better in the same ground if the thornes before the sowing had bene ridde vp Doe not then imagine that your obedience can either be plentifull or acceptable so long as these inordinate affections be harboured in your hearts Knowe this that though other affections be suppressed yet so long as these beare sway in you so long as they doe hinder you in good and prouoke you vnto euill you are not mortified by the spirit of sanctification for mortification is a change and reformation not of part onely but of the whole nature of man yea of all the faculties of the soule and of all the affections of the heart he that is washed saith Christ is cleane euery whit And will God accept of any fruites that come from an heart not sanctified Wherefore purge your hearts from these lustes And be willing to yeeld obedience as well to those commandements which seeme hard and vnpleasant vnto you as vnto those that be more easie and delightfull For this is not thanksworthy to obey those commandements which doe nothing crosse your worldly profits and carnall pleasures but herein is your dutifulnes especially seene if you be content to forgoe your profit and abridge your selues of your pleasures that so you may keepe the commandements of the Lord. Moreouer if those which bring forth such fruites as these be condemned what shal we say of them that be worse then these that bring forth very little or no fruit at all which heare much and practise almost nothing who receiue Gods seede into their hearts but bring forth the diuells fruits in their liues We haue many such hearers as the Prophet Ezekiel had the people came vnto him and sate before him and heard his words yet would not do them but with their mouthes made iestes and their hearts went after their couetousnes Let such knowe that not the hearers but the doers of the lawe are iustified And that they who be hearers onely and not doers of the word deceiue their owne soules To shew their folly and their daunger Christ compared them to a foolish man which built his house vpon the sand The raine fell the floods came and the windes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell and the fall thereof was great Iames likeneth them to a man that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse and when he hath considered himselfe goeth his way and forgetteth immediatly what maner of one he was They doe not onely lose their labour and reward but likewise prouoke the LORD to wrath and procure fearefull iudgements against themselues Their punishment shall be more grieuous then if they had neuer heard Christ shall say to them which heard him preach in their Cities and would not obey him Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not And hee sayd of the Iewes to whom he preached If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne The Ministers which haue preached vnto them shall one day be witnesses against them and their Sermons shall be so many billes of inditement against them As it is an haynous thing in the Ministers to say and not doe so is it also an haynous thing in the people to heare and not do yet are many of our people faultie this way There is no sinne forbidden but they may often heare it condemned by the word As the filthy sinnes of Whordome the beastlie crime of Drunkennesse the prophane sinne of Swearing the impious sinnes of polluting the Lords Sabboth the vncharitable sins of Iniustice fraude and oppression the malitious sinnes of rayling backbyting and slaundering and yet the people will not forsake them But like the presumptuous Iewes they steale murther commit adulterie sweare falslie and practise other sinnes and yet will come and stand before the Lord in the house where his Name is called vpon There be no duties of the first or second Table which they owe to God or man but they are often taught them and yet they doe as carelesly omit them as if they neuer heard them They content themselues with bare and idle hearing as if that were all which God requires as if that were sufficient to saue their soules Oh remember you what Christ sayth If yee know these things blessed are yee if you doe them Though you heare them neuer so often though you know them neuer so well yet are you not blessed except you doe them Would it not greatly discontent you to send your seruants each yeere to sow your fieldes with the best seede and yet after many yeres sowing to reape no croppe but to lose both labour and cost And doe you thinke that the Lord will bee well pleased to send his Ministers from yeere to yeere to sow the good seede of his holy word among you and yet after many yeeres labour to reape no fruit at all The Apostle teacheth that the land which drinketh in the rayne and bringeth forth fruit for them by whom it is dressed conceiueth blessing from God but that which beareth thornes and bryars is reproued and is neere
is God that giueth the encrease Wee haue receiued and taken vpon vs Curam non curationem A care and a charge not a curing Non est in medico semper releuetur vt ager It is not in the power of the Physition to cure his sicke patient at his pleasure Euery one of vs shall receiue a reward Secundum laborem non secundum prouentum according to his labour not according to his fruit As Bernard well obserued And therefore Paul sayd not I haue profited more then all but I haue laboured more then they all And rather reioyced in the abundance of his labours then in the fruitfulnesse of his laboures It a quaeso fac tu quod tuum est Nam Deus quod suum est satis absque tua solicitudine auxietate curabit Doe then I pray thee that which is thy office and dutie God will haue care enough of that which belongeth vnto him sayd the same Bernard But if we conuert and edifie some by our poore Ministerie we may comfort our selues by them and say of them as Paul did of the Corinthians Yee are the seale of our Apostleshippe in the Lord. And as hee did of the Thessalonians What is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing Are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming When wee sow good seede in the Lords field the enuious man soweth tares Wee must not looke that in a populous congregation all should be good and true hearers If some onely be good and profitable hearers let vs praise GOD for them and pray vnto him dayly to encrease their number But to come neerer to the properties of these hearers in particular In the description of them and by comparing them with the former hearers wee may easilie perceiue that in some thinges they doe agree with them in some thinges they differ from them and doe much excell them There were some commendable thinges in diuers of the former hearers and would haue wrought good in them if they had beene well vsed In these things doe these good hearers agree with them They haue the selfe-same things though in a better maner and with better vse 1. They agree with them in that they heare as well as the rest All the persons spoken of in this Parable are hearers both good and bad and they all heare one and the same doctrine though not after one and the same maner nor with the like efficacy and fruit And therefore those which refuse to heare eyther through error as our Recusants or through contempt and negligence as some carelesse and carnall people are so farre from beeing the ground here mentioned as that they are worse then the bad ground spoken of before There cannot be any goodnesse in their hearts nor yet in their liues Can any field yeeld a good crop of corne at haruest which was not sowne at the seede time They are worse then many reprobates haue beene and are How then can they looke to be as good as the Elect are and shall be 2. They agree in the vnderstanding of the word for it is sayd in Mathew He that receiueth seed in good ground is he that heareth the word and vnderstandeth it And although the first sort of bad hearers are sayd to heare and not vnderstand Yet the other two sortes are insinuated to haue vnderstood for how could they receiue the word with ioy vnlesse they vnderstood it How could cares of the world the deceitfulnesse of riches and voluptuous liuing choake the word after it was heard vnlesse it had beene vnderstood So that as the vnderstanding of the word is not sufficient to make you good hearers so on the other side the want of vnderstanding declareth you to be bad hearers All good hearers vnderstand the word though not onely they Good hearers must practise that which is taught them But how can they practise that which they vnderstand not 3. They agree in their affection to the word Those that be as stony groūd receiue the worde with ioy So also doe these good hearers though the thing it selfe be not expresly mētioned The Gospell is glad tydings and reioyceth the hearts of all that embrace it There is no commendable propertie in the reprobate and vnprofitable hearers but it is found in the elect and profitable hearers and that in a more excellent manner And therefore those who are nothing mooued nor comforted by the word are worse then some bad hearers and must not be reckoned in the number of good hearers Notwithstanding in this description of these good hearers wee may perceiue that in diuers other things they differ much from all the former hearers and therein doe greatly exceede and excell them all They are described by three properties and by them all they differ from the rest 1. By the manner of receiuing the word They receiue it with an honest and good heart 2. By the maner of reteyning it They keep it 3. By the maner of practising it They bring forth fruit and that with patience and plentie Touching the first propertie 2. things may bee noted The one more genenerall and that is the instrument of hearing it is with the heart The other more speciall and that is the qualitie and disposition of their heart it is an honest and good heart 1. Concerning the former we may hence obserue that those who will be profitable hearers of Gods most holy word must heare it with their hearts not onely with their eares to harken vnto the sound of it while it is vttered nor onely with their heads to vnderstand that which is deliuered but likewise with their hearts to keepe it and obey it The Lord required of the Iewes that the words which he commanded them should be in their heart The wise man thus exhorted his sonne Forget not thou my law but let thine heart keepe my cōmandements binde them on thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart And for this cause when Lydia went to heare Paul the Lord opened her heart that so she might attend to the things which Paul spake If her hart had bene shut so as the word could not enter in she had bene an vnprofitable hearer but God opening her heart that shee might receiue the word into it shee became a profitable hearer And there is great reason why al profitable hearers should receiue the word with the heart and into the heart 1. For the reformation and direction of the heart by nature mans heart is corrupt yea all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are onely euill continually And out of the heart remayning corrupt come euill thoughts Murthers Adulteries Fornications Thefts false Testimonies Slaunders such like sins which defile the man as Christ teacheth Now the worde is an Instrument of sanctification Christ said his Disciples were al clean through the word which he had spokē to them And praied to
digest it before it be sent to other partes but eyther leaues it rawe or turnes it to grosse humors No more can sound Doctrine profite that man that hath a corrupt and wicked heart If this be so that no man that hath a bad heart should come to heare and if he doe come he shall loose his labour and neuer be made better by hearing But wee knowe the contrarie manie haue beene amended by hearing yea theyr bad haue bene made good This must be vnderstoode of the whole acte of hearing Not onely of the time before they come to heare but also of the whole Time while they are in hearing Those men which had badde hearts before they came to heare and still haue badde heartes all the time of their hearing and goe away with as badde hearts as they brought with them shall neuer reape profite by theyr hearing But if theyr heattes were badde before yet are changed and sanctified by their hearing they are profitable and fruitfull hearers The hearts of those three thousand which were conuerted by one of Peters sermons were not good till they heard him preach but then were their harts pricked and made good And at that instant they became fruitfull hearers For they receyued the worde gladly were baptized added to the church and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers The heart of Lydia was not good before shee heard Paul but God then opened her hart by opening it made it good and it being made good caused her to attend to his doctrine and to bring forth the fruites of it by kind entertaining of her teachers That vnbelieuer and vnlearned man which as the Apostle writeth came in when all did prophecie brought a bad heart with him For he was rebuked of all and iudged of all and the secrets of his heart made manifest yet was his hart made good in the very time of hearing and therefore did he fall downe on his face and worship God and said plainely that God is in you indeed Wherefore knowe this that so long as thy heart is bad thy hearing cannot be good but so soone as thy heart is changed thy hearing shall be profitable Some write that Manna tasted according to the disposition of the caters to the good it had a sweete and pleasant taste euen such a taste as they desired but to the bad a bitter and loathsome taste Though this be vncertaine Augustine once wrote it for certaintie but afterward doubted of it because he could find no warrant for it but onely in Apocrypha yet the like may be seene in the word of God our heauenly Manna It tasteth it nourisheth and profiteth the hearers according to the seuerall dispositions of their hearts To them which haue good hearts it is sweet comfortable and profitable to them which haue corrupt hearts it is loathsome terrible and vnprofitable This should teach euery one of vs to looke to our hearts and see that they be good that so we may be fruitfull hearers husbandmen haue great care to make their ground good and fertile before they sowe it If it be barren they will marke it they will set mucke and dung on it to make it more fruitfull As carefull should thou be to make thy heart good seeing it is the soyle in which the Lords heauenly seede must be sowne If it be not good alreadie vse all good meanes to make it good pray earnestly vnto God that he would sanctifie it by his holy spirit And if it be good labour to make it better the better it is the more fruitfull shall thy hearing be And for this purpose heare the word oftner for it will make thy heart better The longer that the ground of your fields is tilled and sowne the more bare and barren it will be But it is not so with the ground of your hearts the oftner and the longer they are sowne with the seede of Gods word the more fruitfull will they be Such is the nature of this heauenly seede that it will not make the ground more barren but more fertile by often sowing As the seede is good that is sowne in your hearts so let the soyle be made answerable vnto it and then you neede not to doubt of a plentifull encrease Let not so good seede be lost by lighting into bad soyle heare with penitent hearts with sanctified hearts with beleeuing hearts with resolued hearts to receiue and obey whatsoeuer is taught out of the word and you shall be happy hearers 2. Furthermore we may hereby discerne who haue good hearts who haue bad It is the goodnes of the heart that makes the hearer to bring forth fruit It is the corruption of the heart that hinders his fruitfulnes Those then that heare much and practise little haue bad hearts but those that heare and practise the word in their liues haue honest and good hearts Though none knowe the heart of another immediately and directly but God alone who is the onely searcher of it yet as the Physition can iudge of the inward temperature of the body by the pulse and as wee may iudge of the tree by the fruits so may we iudge of the inward goodnes and badnes of the heart by the outward behauiour in the life And to keepe me to the present comparison of this parable If a man knew a field sowne in a good sort with good seede yet afterward did see the corne to be thin and course and yeeld no good crop he will say the ground is barren But if he passe by a close toward haruest time and see the corne very thicke and rancke and beare a long eare full of corne he will say it is good land So if we knowe people to be well taught and yet yeeld little obedience in their liues we may iustly suspect that their hearts be not vpright before God but if we see them reforme their liues according to the word auoyd those sinnes which it forbiddeth and practise those duties which it commendeth and that in a constant course of their conuersation we may be assured that their hearts be honest and good If therefore you would haue others to thinke that you haue honest and good hearts shew forth the fruits of the word in your liues The second speciall propertie in these hearers is their keeping of the word They doe not onely receiue it with their hearts and lay it vp in the bottome of them but likewise there they keepe it fast They will not let it goe out thence nor suffer any to take it from them The originall word as some haue obserued is very emphaticall and importeth a keeping with much labour and difficultie And so fitly expresseth the manner of their keeping which is with striuing and strugling against their owne corruptions against Sathans suggestions and against the worlds allurements Though all conspire and ioyne their forces together yet doe they keepe it
so safe and sure as that they cannot wrest it from them And herein they also differ from all the former hearers The first sort lost it as soone as they receiued it euen while they were in hearing the diuell tooke it from them The second sort kept it a while but not long for they beleeue for a time they keepe the word no longer then they kept their faith Though they kept both in time of peace yet they lost both in time of persecution The third sort kept the word yet not long when as afterward it was choaked by cares and pleasures it was taken from them But these kept it for euer neither the diuel by his suggestions nor other men by their persecutions nor their owne lusts by their prouocations can depriue them of the word Such an hearer was the blessed virgin the mother of Christ she kept all her Sauiours sayings in her heart she did not onely lay them vp but also kept them And not onely in her head but also in her heart and not some onely but all his words And such keepers are all profitable hearers for if the word enter into mens harts and afterward goe out againe it will doe them little or no good at all Though the meate which a man eateth be receiued into his stomacke yet vnlesse it continue there for a time and be there digested it will not nourish and feede his body Though seede be cast into the furrowes yet vnles it doe there remaine for a season to sprout and take rooting it will not yeeld any crop to the reapers Euen so though the word should be receiued into the heart yet vnles it doe there abide it cannot fructifie in the life But if it be there safely kept it will bring forth plentifull encrease And therefore Christ said Happie are they which heare the word of God and keepe it Yea he accounteth them more happie for that their keeping of it then was the wombe that bare him and the pappes that gaue him sucke The benefite of this keeping is double 1. It serueth for direction for the word kept in the heart will direct a man in his life teaching him what sins to auoyd what duties to performe It will be a lanterne vnto his feete and a light vnto his path It will be a guide to say vnto him this is the way walke in it when he turneth to the right hand or to the left And therefore Dauid said of himselfe I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee As if the hiding keeping of the word in the heart were a speciall and an effectuall meane to keepe men from sinne And he also writeth of others The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the lawe of God is in his heart and his steps shall not slide If you will carefully and safely keepe the word in your hearts you shall shew forth the fruit of it in your liues 2. It serueth for perseuerance It will make a man constantly to continue in grace in obedience in the Lords fauour and in state of saluation It is certaine that so long as men keepe the word in their harts they cannot wholy fall away from God Now those that heare with good and honest hearts shall alwaies safely keepe it neither can the diuells tentations nor the worlds persecution rob them of it neither can their owne corrupt affections being mortified expell it out of their hearts Though other hearers may loose the word by those meanes yet not any of these which haue these honest good harts And therefore as they are now in grace in state of saluatiō so shal they continue therein for euer Whereupon Iohn saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neyther can he sinne because he is borne of God He cannot sinne totally and finally so as he should thereby quite cut off himself from grace and from saluation Wherefore this propertie of these hearers confuteth their opinion who hold that a man once in state of grace may vtterly fall away and become a reprobate If any will obiect that so long as they keepe the word in their hearts they cannot fall away but they may loose the word it may be taken out of their hearts and then they may perish I answere That in this their argument they begge the question for neyther can any other take the word from them neyther shall they lose it of themselues For this perpetuall keeping of the word is a speciall propertie in these good hearers whereby they differ from all other hearers As their hearts are farre better then the rest so shall they better keepe the word then any of the rest Those bad hearers which had their hearts mollified but in part or had their hearts fraught with worldly cares and voluptuousnes may receiue and keepe the word for a time and loose it afterward as you heard before but these who haue honest and good hearts shall keepe it and bring forth fruit This is a maine difference betwixt them that the rest keepe it for a time these keepe it for euer If these hearers might afterward loose it as well as the rest and bring forth no fruites of it then were there no difference betwixt them and the former But certainely there is great difference And therfore those who receiue it and keepe it not long receiue it with bad hearts Those who receiue it with good and honest hearts shall keepe it vnto the end In this respect Christ compared him that heard his words and did the same to a wise man which built his house vpon a rocke the raine fell the floodes came and the winds blew and beat vpon that house and it fell not for it was founded on a rocke So firmely is this hearer built on Christ that sure immoueable Rocke that no troubles tryals persecutions or tentations can ouerthrow him In the same respect Christ said Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me my Father taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite hee purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit To signifie that none are cut off but barren branches those that be fruitfull shall neuer be cut off but be made more fit to beare more fruit If it be further obiected that so long as their hearts are honest good they shall keepe the word bring forth the fruits thereof but their hearts may be corrupted and lose that goodnes and then they shall lose the word I also answere that if their hearts be once made such good honest hearts as be here spoken of they shall neuer be wholy finally corrupted they shall keepe their goodnes to the end For as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance He who first made them good will cōtinue them in goodnes He will confirme thē vnto the end that
so shall you be able to keepe them for euer Wherefore be carefull to vse these meanes What is the cause why people heare much and keepe little but are like to bottomlesse barrels which let water runne out as fast as it is powred in That of all the Sermons which they haue heard in their whole life time they haue scarce the abridgement of one left in their heartes or heades for their direction and consolation But euen because they haue neglected these meanes Vse them hereafter and you shall finde how well they will make you able to keepe that which you heare And bring forth fruite The third and last propertie in these hearers is this They bring forth fruite And this is another speciall difference betwixt them and all the rest For the rest eyther bring forth no fruite at all as the first sorte or but for a time as the second or imperfect fruite and in some things onely as the third But these bring foorth not for a while but continually not in some things onely but in all and that type and perfect Fruite If good seede bee sowne in good ground it vsually bringeth foorth fruite for the vse of them which owe it and sowe it So if some Doctrine bee preached and people heare it with good heartes it will bring foorth fruite in theyr liues These fruites are brought forth not by profession but by practise and doe consist not so much in wordes as in deedes And therefore Paule prayed that the Philippians might be filled with the fruites of Righteousnes And that the Colossians might please God in all things being fruitful in all good works And he saith of the Romanes That they being freed from sinne and made seruaants vnto GOD had theyr fruite in Holynesse So that this fruite cannot be vnderstood of the reward which the saints receiue in heauen but of the obedience which they performe on Earth for that is a fruite which they receyue this is a fruite which they bring forth That they receiue from God this they yeeld vnto God that is a fruit of glory this is a fruit of grace See then the disposition of these good hearers They doe not onely heare the word with their eares and vnderstand it with their mindes and keep it in their hearts but they doe also practise it in their liues This is the chiefest end of all the rest Therefore doe they heare it and learne it and keep it in their hearts that they may order their liues by it and practise it when occasion is offered Happy are all those which thus heare For as Iames saith Who so looketh into the perfect law of liberâ—ie and continueth therein hee not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke shal be blessed in his deede If therefore you would haue your hearing to be acceptable to God and comfortable to your owne soules let it end in obedieÌ„ce Ground that is sowne with good seede though it shoot forth a broad and rancke blade will not content the owner vnlesse it bring forth a good croppe No more can you please the Lord by hearing vnderstanding and professing the word vnlesse therewithall you bring forth fruite of obedience in your liues All the knowledge and learning that men can possibly haue in any Arte or Science is nothing worth without practise And can you thinke that your knowledge in matters of Religion will profite you any whitte without practise And indeede wee learne no more then wee practise As that Pambo acknowledged who hearing the first Verse of the 39. Psalme I said I will take heede to my wayes least I offend with my tongue confessed that he had not learned it in many yeeres because he had not in many yeres attained to the right practise of it We should be carefull to bring forth these fruits both in respect of God and also in respect of our selues First in respect of God because they serue for his glorie Therefore say de CHRIST to his Disciples Herein is my Fathet glorified that yee beare much fruite And therefore Paul prayed that the Philippians might be filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and prayse of God Those which glorie in the Lawe and breake it doe dishonour God but they which heare it and obey it do honour him If then you haue any zeale of Gods glorie bring foorth those fruites Againe in respect of our selues because we shall receiue the reward of theÌ„ Those that haue theyr fruite in holines shall haue their end in eternall life The works of darknes are vnfruitfull works they bring no good to the authors but the workes of Righteousnes are fruitefull and procure a great rewarde to the doers The fruits of grace are the seedes of the fruites of glorie He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape eternall life Let vs therefore as the Apostle exhorteth vs not be wearie of well dooing for in due season wee shall reape if we fainte not Let vs be stedfast and vnmooueable aboundant alway in the worke of the Lorde For as much as wee knowe that our labour is not in vayne in the Lorde Yea let vs bee fruitefull in all good dutyes as well in those that abridge vs of our fleshlie delights and worldly gaine as in other seeing the losse and want of those here shal be recompenced with greater pleasures and profites in the Kingdome of Heauen But take heede least you be deceyued in iudging amisse of these Fruites For some haue erred in taking those to bee good Fruites which are none and those to be none which are 1. These fruites come of the seede and bee of the same kinde and nature with the seede As nothing is good seede but the Worde of God so nothing is to bee taken for good Fruite but the practise and obedience of the Worde And therefore the actes of Will-worship the Obseruations of vnwritten Traditions and the practise of mens precepts are not the fruites heere spoken of The Lord may say to them that bring foorth such fruite Who required these thinges at your handes These things as the Apostle saith may haue a shewe of wisedome in voluntary Religion and humblenesse of minde and in not sparing the Bodye nor hauing it in estimation to satisfie the flesh yet they perish with the vse they are after the commandements doctrines of men and therefore cannot please the Lord. God requires that you who haue beene taught the word should bring forth the fruites of it and not the fruites of humane traditions If a man sow his field with corne and it bring forth more grasse then corne it will not content him the grasse would haue growne there though it neuer had beene sowne with corne In like sort if you be taught the word of God and be more carefull to obserue mans traditions theÌ„ Gods truth you shall not please the Lord therby but rather
disposition of their hearts And therefore a maried person hearing in a better manner and receiuing the word with a better heart then a virgine then a widowe shall bring forth more fruites of the word and receiue more benefite by his hearing 3. Againe God will neither respect nor reward any for their outward estates and conditions but for the right vse of them and for their good cariage and godly behaulour in them And therefore Augustine said Mâ—lior est maritata humilis quam virgo superba An humble maried woman is better then a proud virgin And Cyril compared virgins which had chastitie of body without puritie of minde without grace in the heart and obedience in their liues vnto those fiue foolish virgins that had lampes without oyle and were not suffered to enter into the bridegromes wedding chamber And Augustine preferred maried martyrs before chaste virgins But to leaue them with their absurd collection and to come to the doctrine here entended by Christ we are here taught that many may heare the word of God together and all be profitable hearers and all be saued by their hearing yet all doe not profite alike nor bring forth the same fruites of obedience in their liues but some fewer some more according as their hearts are prepared and according as it pleaseth the Lord to bestowe his graces Yea though they all heare one and the same man and the same sermons and one heare as often as another yet may one be more plentifull in the fruites of the word then is another All furrowes of the same land doe not bring forth an equall number of eares and all eares of the same furrowe doe not beare an equall number of graines but some more some lesse as it pleaseth the Lord to giue an encrease The consideration whereof serueth for the instruction of all sorts of good hearers whatsoeuer measure of fruits they doe bring forth 1. First this may comfort those good hearers who profite not so much in hearing as some others doe doe not attaine to such a measure of knowledge nor are able to yeelde such aboundance of fruite as others doe If theyr hearts bee holy and good if they doo all of Faith and sinceritie and desire to bring forth more fruites God will account them profitable Hearers and accept of theyr obedience And the Worde which they heare shall saue theyr soules As Husbandmen are glad of all Eares which haue Corne in them though some bee longer some shorter some containe more graines some contayne fewer yet will they gather all into the Barne So God doth accept of all persons that bring foorth the fruites of the word and will bring to Heauen as well those that haue lesser as those that haue more fruits Such is his Mercie and Bountie that although hee requyre the same measure of all yet finding difference among them because of the diuersitie of his grace hee doth so receyue the first and the best as hee doth not refuse the second and middle-sorte nor yet reiect the last and least Vnder the Lawe there were some Sacrifices cheaper some more costly If men or womeÌ„ by reason of theyr pouertie were not able to offer the better the Lord was coÌ„tent to take the meaner And therefore CHRIST commended the pore widdowes two mytes aboue all the great gifts which rich men cast into the treasurie And vnder the Gospell the Seruant which receyued two Talents and by employment made them foure was commended and rewarded of his Maister as well as he that had receiued fiue and made them tenne And they that wrought but one houre in the Vineyard receiued the same penny at night with them that had borne the heate and burden of the day Wherefore let not thyne owne penurie and other mens plentie of fruite dismay thee but consider That if thou practise what thou knowest doest as many good workes as the Lord doth enable thee and art willing and desirous to doe more if ability were afforded and occasion offered thou art a good hearer and mayest goe to heauen with those that farre exceede thee in the number of their fruites Yet let not any take occasion hereby to be more backward and sparing in their fruits as if a small quantitie would serue the turne All of vs ought to striue to bring forth abundance yea each yeere more then other Those which be planted in the house of the Lord do flourish and bring forth in their olde age It is to be feared that he who desireth to be no better is not good at all and he that desireth to bring forth no more fruites bringeth forth none at all that be good Let them vnderstand that none bring forth such store of fruit as they ought And that he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally God will crowne his owne gifts in vs. The more fruits they beare heare the more glorie shall they enioy in heauen Let them therefore striue to abound more more in all good fruits knowing that this consolation belongeth not to the which will not abound with more though they might but onely to those which would abound with more and cannot being hindered by their infirmities or through want of abilitie and opportunitie In them GOD will take the will for the deede and will no lesse reward them then those who hauing more meanes and better abilitie haue brought forth more fruits 2. Lastly this diuersitie of fruit in good hearers may teach them that bee more plentifull in hearing them then others be not to be proud of theÌ„selues nor to despise those that bring forth fewer for both of them are reckoned in the number of good and profitable hearers They which bring forth some lesser fruits may haue good hearts may be iustified may be sanctified may be in fauour with God and at last enter into heauen as wel as thou who aboundest with more Paul laboured more abundantly then all the Apostles and suffered more then any of them And therefore farre more then any common Christian. Though toward his end the remembrance therof did much comfort him so as he could say I haue fought a good sight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is layde vp for me the Crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue vnto me at that day Yet hee addeth these words concerning his copartners in the reward And not onely vnto mee but vnto all them also that loue his appearing Because many others who came short of him in the abundance of labours and sufferings should be crowned as well as he Dost thou surpasse others in the multitude of fruites be not high minded doe not despise them for what hast thou which thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou of it as if thou hadst not receiued it If thou abound more then others thou mayst
he produceth Peters example to proue it as if he lost both He sorteth him with Adam as if he lost his faith and iustice in the same manner that Adam did at his fall brought himselfe to the same estate though hee recouered his former state as well as Adam Yea herein the Cardinall equalleth Peter with the diuel with Saul with Iudas with Simon Magus Though hee make him vnlike to them in the recouery of it because hee got his faith againe but they could not Yet for the manner of loosing it and for his present estate after it was lost till it was recouered againe he maketh him altogether equal with them Yet at other times and vpon other occasions he teacheth the coÌ„trary When he pleadeth for the pope that his holines cannot erre he auoucheth That Christ by his Prayer obtained this priuiledge for Peter that hee should neuer loose true Faith though hee was tempted of the diuel Which he maketh more then the gift of perseuerance because hee is saide to perseuere to the ende who falleth and riseth againe and so is found faithfull in the ende But the Lord obtained for Peter that he could not euer fall so farre as belonged to Faith And brings in diuers Fathers to testifie this And afterwards answering them who alledge Peters denyall to proue that the Pope may erre Hee saith that Peter denyed Christ with his mouth not with his heart And therefore Peter lost the confession of faith but not faith it selfe And confuting them who held that Faith was onely in the brest of the Uirgine Mary at the time of Christes passion Hee saith it is not probable that the Apostles then lost their faith seeing Christ sayde to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy Faith might not faile Is this man to be credited who is so vncertaine in his opinion and so contrary to himselfe Is there such double-dealing to be found in the great Oracle of Rome Did hee thus write of forgetfulnes or of wilfulnes and set purpose wherein will you belieue him In the negatiue or in the affirmatiue Both are taught by him A wise man finding him so contrary to himselfe will belieue him no further then hee soundly proueth the thing which he writeth SECT XV. IN the last poynt of the Sermons touching the diuersitie of Fruite brought foorth by the hearers of Gods word I confuted the obseruation of some Papists who thence would proue the excellencie of virginitie before widow-hood or Mariage As if the hundred-folde belonged to Virgins sixty-fold to Widowes and thirty-folde to Marryed persons If those 3. reasons which then I alledged will not satisfie you I will adde more 1. That collection cannot be warranted by any word or circumstance in the Parable but onely from the exposition of some few Fathers And therfore the Rhemists spâ—ake presumptuously in saying that this difference of fruits is the difference of merites in this life and that an hundred fold agreeth to Virgins when as no sillable nor word in all the Parable doth import so much when as all the force of the argumeÌ„t dependeth on the interpretation of some fewe Fathers And Bellarmine writing of Euangelicall Councels had no reason to place the argument drawne thence among testimonies of Scriptures but should rather haue sorted it with the testimonies of the Fathers 2. The Fathers who so expound it doe not giue the litterall sense of the place but deliuer an allegoricall or anagogicall exposition of it As Maldonatus acknowledged saying that Augustine and the Fathers spake so not interpreting the Scripture but preaching to the people Now the best learned among the Papists as Sixtus Senensis Bellarmine and others doe teach that no forcible arguments can be drawn from any sense but onely from the literall sense because that which is gathered immediately from the words is certainely the meaning of the Holy Ghost but it is not alwaies certaine that other senses bee intended by the Holy Ghost 3. There is not any one Father saue onely Ierome who so expoundeth it as the Rhemists doe That an hundred folde agreeth to Virgines but eyther expound it in the same maner that I did or otherwise apply those differences of fruite then Ierome did Will they forsake all the the rest of the Fathers follow one Were they not sworne according to the decree of the Councell of Trent and according to the Bull of Pius 4. neuer to expound Scripture but according to the vnanimous consent of the Fathers Would they or will others wittingly and wilfully forsweare themselues that so they may crosse vs and get some shew of patronage for the dignitie of their vnchaste votaries And whom doe they follow Euen him that of all the Fathers is least worthy to be respected in this point being very partiall and no indifferent Iudge of this matter Beatus Rhâ—nanus said All the old writers and especiall Ierome himselfe were little indifferent to mariage chiefely esteeming virginitie and chastitie It is certaine that Ierome for this cause was euill spoken of at Roma When hee had written his bookes against Iouinian in commendation of virginitie aboue mariage they so displeased many as that Pammachius his olde scholesollew fignifying so much to him by a letter he was faine to make an apologie for himselfe And they who found fault with him for that were neyther meane nor base nor few Erasmus saith that hee alwaies exceeding much fauoured virginitie and for that was more vnequall to mariage then certaine Bishops would haue had him Yea and that his bookes offended many beccause he seemed to be more forward in the commendation of virginitie then hee ought and harder against mariage But although that hee by that his application did preferre virginitie before mariage yet doth he acknowledge that marryed persons are good soyle do bring forth one sort of those fruits namelie thirtie fold And whereas some in those dayes as more vnequall to mariage as hee thought referred the 100. fold fruite to Martyrdome and 60. fold to Virgins 30. fold to Widowes hee blamed them for it saying If the coniunctions of mariage bee holy why are they excluded from good fruit And so he ouerthroweth the force of Bellarmines argument drawne from hence to prooue that single life is an Euangelicall councell That which Christ doth not command saith he but commend he counselleth Now in the opinion of Ierome Christ doth here commend mariage though not commaund it and it yeeldeth good fruite as well as single life though not altogether so great store And therefore if the one be an Euangelicall Councell the other also is But now I will shew that the rest of the Fathers doe otherwise exopuÌ„d the wordes then Ierome did And therefore hee being alone must not be followed Cyprian alluding to the words giueth indeed an allegoricall exposition yet hee saith that the first number 100. folde