the saying Lord Lord a bare externall profession of our faith and outward Communion with the Church is not sufficient vnto saluation except wee lead an vncorrupt life correspondent to the same doing that which is right and good and speaking truth from our heart It is not sufficient to rely vpon the Churches outside as the Papists doe vpon the succession of Roman Bishops vpon the multitude of Roman Catholicks vpon the power and pompe of the Roman Synagogue crying with the Iewes of old templum Domini the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. It is not enough with the carnall and carelesse Gospeller to place all Religion in the formall obseruation of all outward seruice and ceremonies for a verball Christian only is a reall Atheist according to that of S. Paul In word they professe to know God but in their workes they denie him we must take heed that wee bee not Christians in lip and not in life making as holy Martyr Bradsord sayd a maske of Religion or rather a very vizard with eyes and mouth and nose fairely painted and proportioned to all pretences and purposes but if we be indeed the children of God we must in true sincerity of heart be Doing of good The Kings daughter is all glorious within and also without within as hauing a cleere conscience and truth in the inward affections a cleane heart and a new spirit without as hauing on for a garment a vesture of gold wrought about with diuers colours shee is cloathed with righteousnes as with a garment and hath it wrought most gloriously with the deeds of mercy which as a checker worke of diuers colours embroidered with the pure silken twist of a helpfull and vpright conuersation garnish her holy profession The Doing of good is the certificate of a Christian the character of a mans faith making his calling and election sure And Although it may be obiected that a hypocrite may seem iust in Doing good and yet bee abominable before God not doing that which is good for righteousnesse sake facto pius sceleratus coâ—em as the Poet pithily spake Wee behold the man not the minde the worke not the will the fact not the faith the action not the end yet the iudgement of charity belongs properly to men but the iudgement of certainty to God From whence wee must labour in our wel doing not so much to approue our selues to men as to God who seeth our hearts And that we may not be negligent nor flouthfull heerin and thinke that because our workes iustifie vs not and God seeth wee loue him well although wee doe little good on earth to encourage vs to well doing on the one side and to preuent such conceits on the other the holy Ghost in Psa 24.3 4. in Esay 33 15. in Psa 15. and many places describes a sound member of the Church rather by workes then faith and of all the fruits of fayth almost innumerable make choice of those that concerne our neighbour in all which saith is yet presupposed according to the Apostolicall axiome whatsoeuer is not of saith is sinne fides est operum fomes as Paulinus spake and as our Church the nest of good workes for bee our birds neuer so fayre and our leaues neuer so fresh and greene all are but lost if they be not brought forth in a true beleefe for admit a man were as iust as Aristides in his gouernment as true of his word as Pomponius as louing and kinde to his countrey as Curtius at Rome Mecaenas at Thebes Codrus at Athens who exposed themselues to voluntary death for their neighbours and countries sake yet if these workes proceed not from a heart purged by faith no happinesse can follow this Doing of good no true peace to the conscience nor eternall rest to the soule for without faith it is impossible to please God Yet when these are conceiued and brought forth in faith the Lord as it is sayd of Abel and his offring hath respect to both the worke it selfe Gen. 4.4 and him that wrought it and as it is said of Noahs sacrifice the Lord smelleth a sweet sauor of rest and is well pleased with them Gen. 8.2 Heb. 13.16 A man may deceiue himselfe and others with a fained profession of faith an inward and hidden grace therefore the holy spirit will haue euery mans fayth to be tried and known by his fruits By their fruites yee shall know them Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles And howsoeuer eternall life be promised to sayth and eternall damnation be threatned to infidelity yet the sentence of saluation and of damnation shall be pronounced according to workes as the clearest euidence of both Matt. 25.34 but with the Apostle I will shew you yet a more excellent way This precept then of Doing good is of large extent in that it concerneth all duties and all degrees of men not only in common as we are men and so bound vnto that ius gentium to render euery man his due but in particular in our seuerall vocations and callings to expresse our fayth by Doing of good as wee are Magistrates or Ministers Masters or Seruants in what estate degree or condition of life it hath pleased God to place vs. For know ye all that not onely those generall duties of Christianity as the hearing of the word c. are required wherein if we fayle all the world can witnesse against vs and euery one quasi digito will point at vs and crie open shame of vs not onely these I say are carefully to be performed but moreouer the particular offices whereunto we are called for the propagation of Religion and piety or the preseruation of order iustice and equity in the Church or Common wealth and our priuate familie are seriously to be attended and executed Hoc agire in the sacrifice of the heathen gods was a precept much vsed and obserued how much more in the seruices of the God of heauen should the said precept Doe yee this that is intend and apply all the faculties of your minde to the doing of it be kept inviolable What other thing doth the Apostle insinuate when he saith He endeauored to haue alwaies a cleere conscience toward God and men but this point in hand That there ought to be a concurrence of our holy carriage towards God and vpright demeanor towards men Requisite it is saith Chry. ut rovereÌ„ter se quis habeat ad divina landabiliter coÌ„uersetur cum hominib that euery good Christian should serue God reuerently with hearty deuotion and man righteously with a ready minde and a liberall disposition Men are to be regarded in the way of right and equity propter famam God is to be reuerenced in the way of Religion and piety propter conscientiam Holinesse and righteousnesse are the meane parts of Gods image in man Ephes 4. Neither can wee be assurd that we are regenerated vnlesse we finde in our selues a marriage
the pulse of the arme so iudgement is made of the spirituall soundnesse of the heart not so much by wordes and lookes as by the fruits of the hands He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen which doeth the will of my father which is in heauen saith our Sauiour Mat. 7.21 And if yee know these things happy are ye if you doe them Iohn 13.17 S. Aug. De civit Dei l. 6.6.2 reporteth that Varro the great Philosopher did read so much that it was admired how he could write any thing againe he wrote so much that another could hardly read now admit a man had as great knowledge in Diuinity as he in Philosophie that hee could speake with the tongue of men and Angele and had not loue whereby to doe good he were as an inane nihil sounding brasse a tinckling cymball 1. Cor. 13.1 Lastly the Apostle in the cited place telleth vs that faith must worke by loue else it is no faith So here our Prophet requireth the same First faith trust in the Lord. But let it worke by loue in doing good In which sentence both the Prophet and the Apostle set forth the perfection of a Christian in this life which consisteth in 2. parts Inwardly in sayth to God Outwardly in doing good to men 1. Inwardly to God by faith which needeth not our good workes Psal 16.2 O God my goodnesse extendeth not to thee 2. Outwardly to men by good workes which neede not our faith as it is written in the named place But to the Saints that dwell vpon the earth In which respect S. Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 1. sayth that doing of good is pro sacrificijs accepted of God as a Sacrifice Heb. 13.10 Yea prae sacrificijs more then sacrifice Hosea 6.6 I will haue mercy and not sacrifice For to be mercifull is the sole work common to man with God as Synes nor indeed can we any way more neerely resemble God which is most good then in our doing of good Greg. To the necessary performance whereof in the next place we are inuited by many and those most forcible reasons first Reason 1 Because in doing of good wee shall so shew our loue to God So Christ testifieth in Iohn 14.16 If yee loue mee keepe my commandements Heerein our loue to God is made manifest in walking as it becommeth his children The comparison is mod proper if we marke it for as in nature when children are neither in outward feature of the body nor inward qualities of the minde like to their parents which begat and brought them foorth wee say that such children degenerate and grow out of kinde neither can they be outwardly iudged to belong to their parents by reason of that great dissimilitude and vn likelines of maners Euen so on the contrary when we see in the world men walking in by-paths of their own and no way like to their heauenly father in holinesse and righteousnesse no way resembling him which hath begot them in Christ in doing of good we may and iustly say of such that they degenerate and grow out of kinde they do not patrizare tread in their fathers steps going about alwayes doing of good after the example of Christ Iesus our elder brother Againe although we must walke yet it is as children and therefore weakly yet notwithstanding they shew their loue in that they walke and follow so well as they can desirous to goe on further if they could And this is kindly accepted of a louing father So is it with Almighty God whose mercies are far greater then our desires or endeuors are or can be who when hee seeth vs like louing children following in the same way which he leadeth vs accepteth our will for the deed crowning his owne worke in vs. For although wee as children cannot tread in the same steps as he speaketh of Ascanius in the Poet sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis Yet we tread and as we can goe along the very same way and in this true and childlike resemblance of him wee shall much delight our holy father This is the very argument which our Sauiour vseth to the Iewes Iohn 8.39 which stood much vpon their prerogatiues nil nisi Cecropides they boasted themselues to bee Abrahams seede but hee telleth them that their boasting was in vayne of their father since they were so much degenerated from him that they were no longer to bee accounted and called the children of Abraham For when they tolde him Abraham is our father Iesus answered them if yee were Abrahams children yee would doe the workes of Abraham For Abraham by his good workes glorified God and shewed his loue to him in walking as his childe so must all the true seed of Abraham be doing of good to shew their loue to God Whereby moreouer God is glorified For like as when a childe obserueth in most dutifull maner what his father commandeth this redoundeth to the prayse of the father Omnet enim omnia bona dicere laudare fortunas meas qui filium haberem tali ingenio praditum So the Lord is glorified in his children when they intend and seeke his honor and glory by their obseruing him in doing good The costly rayment wherwith others are clothed maketh to the praise of the worker so it is sayd of the good huswife giue her of the fruit of her hands and let her workes prayse her in the gates Prou. 31.31 So the doing of good redoundeth vnto God whose glory ought to be the end of our life and scope of all our actions as Paul teacheth Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe let all be done to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.30 Reason 2 2. Because in doing good we shall so shew our loues to our selues and that in a two fold respect 1. in quieting our owne conscience 2. in making our election certayne As touching the first namely the peace of conscience S. Paul to Timothy 1.1.19 counselleth him to hold fast the fayth and keepe a good conscience now indeed what greater peace can be brought to the conscience then that which ariseth out of our doing of good through a liuelie fayth And As touching the second S. Peter carnestly exhorteth 2. Pet. 1.10 Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure which cannot bee more effectually performed then by our doing of good This alone was the reioycing of the holy Apostle What Not that he had preached not that hee had wrought miracles or done extraordinary workes but that in obedience to Gods commandements and in sincerity of heart hee had his conuersation in the world So likewise his comfortable farewell to the world is grounded vpon his fayth which was shewed by loue through both concluding the peace of his conscience and the assurance of his election I haue fought the good fight I haue kept the fayth I haue finished my course henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4.7
conuersation honest and harmelesse that the name of God may not be blasphemed among the Gentiles and not only so but that they may winne those that are without by their holy cariage and conuersation according to that of the Prophet Isaiab 61.9 Their seed shal be known among the Gentiles and their of spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed And if this reason bee not sufficient let me lead you yet further Reason 4 Because this is the commandement of God to the performance whereof we are inuited à praemio from the reward à periculo from the danger That God commands it without further reason why is sufficient reason for vs to do it And that it is the command of the highest it appeareth in many places Eschew euill and doe good To doe good forget not Date eleemosynam Luke 11.41 Charge the rich that they bee fruitfull in good workes and heere be doing good And in many places which command implies obedience if we go no further then the command it selfe for he that commanded it to be done is that mighty one high aboue all men and angels by whose command all things were made for dixit factuns est but that the Lord might leaue vs inexcusable and that euery mouth might be stopped he hath enforced the same by a double reason For hoofac vines do this A praemiâ— and thou shalt liue There is a reward greater then our seruice Againe he that looketh in the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke the same shall bee happie in his deed which happinesse is no lesse then eternall life then which what reward can be greater Againe wee are exhorted by good workes on earth to lay vp for our selues treasures in heauen to bring somewhat into Gods exchequer as the Israelites to the Tabernacle whereof in singular confidence clayming an especiall interest in Gods fauour and expecting the promised recompence we may say with Nehemiah Remember me O God concerning this For albeit the glory of God bee the vltimus terminus of our cogitations actions well doing and principall motiue of our good workes and as it were the primum mobile of our obedience yet as Aquinas in the actions of our obedience whilest we seeke the aduancement of Gods glory in the first place we may as a secondary obiect or adiunct respect our owne commodity and haue an eie to our owne reward for shall Iob or any one serue God for nothing But as S. Augustine saith in Pal. 100. Nisi Deus per misericordiam parceret non inueniret quos per iustitiam corenaret Except God should spare in mercy he should finde none to crowne in iustice For as conscious to our selues of our many imperfections in our best actions of defects and faults in the end matter maner or measure of our obedience we must supplicate and say misericordia tua meritum meum thy mercie is my merie pardon me according to thy great mercy In hope and expectation of which infinite reward we must in our seuerall callings dailie be doing good exercising our selues in works of piety and pity that so our soules as fields of sincerity being daily more and more charged with the deeds of mercy we may at length be accomplisht with the erest and crowne of eternall glory as himselfe hath promised Matt. 5. Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Luk. 6.35 Iohn 14.1 They shall be called the children of the highest and therefore haue a dwelling place in their fathers house For Quimiseretur proximo soeneratur domino he that casts his bread vpon the waters shall after many daies find for a crumme a crowne for one mite a million for a drop of cold water a full draught of that heauenly water wherof hauing tasted he shall neuer thirst any more and in a word for the gleanings and refuse of our vintage a ful measure pressed and running ouer saithfull is he that promised to performe it But if we cannot be wonne by reward let vs be wrested by danger for feare of punishment for feare and anguish shall be vpon euery soule that doeth euill and take and bind that vnprofitable seruant and cast him into vtter darknesse there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth this is their portion for euer ignorans ignorabitur Primosâ—â—â— Aquin. hee that will not know God by doing good shall not be known of God among those to whom he shall shew himselfe good These forenamed reasons first to shew our loue to God in walking as his children secondly to shew our loue to our selues In quieting our consciences In making our election sure Thirdly to shew our loue to our neighbours In witnessing our faith In winning them by our godly conuersation Fourthly in yeelding obedience to the commandement of God In respect of the reward In respect of the danger These reasons I say as a cord diuinely twisted are sufficiently able to moue vs to and to confirm vs in the doing of good Vse 1 First then let vs sling this stone into the brazen foreheads of our Aduersaries which in their shamesse chalenges of our Religion dare tell the world that we are all for faith nothing for good workes all for saying but nothing for doing And that we hold workes to saluation as a Parenthesis to a clause that it may bee perfect without them Heauen and earth shall witnesse the iniustice of this calumniation and the consciences of all which heare vs shall bee our compurgators which testifie that there is no lesse necessity of doing good workes then if you should bee saued by them and th t though you cannot be saued by them as the meritorious cause of your glory yet that you cannot be saued without them as the necessary effects of that grace which brings glory We say and maintaine that fides nuda is fides nulla a naked faith is no true fayth to the conuiction of that lewd slander of Solifidianisme For although we doe not wee dare not make inherent righteousnesse the cause of our iustification yet wee say it is the effect thereof though with the Papists we make it not the Vsher yea rather the Parent of iustification yet we require it as the companion at least the Page thereof But some man may say what matters it if both ascribe the whole worke to God For comes it not all to one if one pay a summe for me or giue it me to pay my selfe These things may seeme little dissonant to some mens cares yet the spirit of God hath made them vtterly incompatible For it is written To him that worketh the wages is not imputed of grace but of debt if by grace now not of works for else grace should be no more grace Rom. 4.4 Ephes 2.8 for neither is it grace any way if it bee not free euery way saith Aug.
of them both To what end hath the grace of Soluation appeared if not to this end to teach vs to liue godly in respect of our great and glorious maker and master to liue soberly in respect of our selues to liue iustly in respect of our neighbours if we haue with the ouerweening Pharisee great godlinesse in our philacteries fringes and care-seruice frequenting the Lectures of the Law not caring how wee liue we shall seeme holy without righteousnesse and if with the simple seduced Saduces we liue honestly and ciuilly but beleeue nor Angels spirits nor resurrection wee shall appeare righteous without holinesse either of these commeth short of that obedience which is required of God who will not be serued with holinesse only nor righteousnesse only but with both Againe to what end hath the Lord giuen vnto euery one a seuerall gift and talent in this present world if not for this end to employ them in Doing of good in our seuerall places to the glory of his name and good of his Church This matter then of Doing good concerning vs all is to be considered of vs all in particular Particularly the Magistrate must bee carefull to Doe good Vp and be Doing of good you Magistrates exercise your talents a great measure of well-doing is expected from you God and man call daily for it and you shall well performe it if you will rise betimes with Dauid and punish the workers of iniquity if in the zeale of Phineas you will execute iudgement in Israel if you will for the better examples sake sanctifie the Lords Sabbath your selues and command the sanctification of the same by others if you will countenance the good defend the fatherlesse take the cause of the poore into iust consideration weed out and root out from the city of the Lord all vnprofitable members inordinate walkers dissolute liuers search Ierusalem with lights for these linkers in the theeuish corners of the City which are the Deuils closets wherein he sits close studying and contriuing all villany and mischiefe and afterward put in execution take heed you winke not at these nourish them not but suppresse them let them not come in your way except it be to punish them hoc agite principatum quemgeritis ornare adorne your places with your carriage in so good a place Doe much good God hath put the sword in thy hand to doe this businesse therefore thou must doe it then goo on with cheerfulnesse and courage in thy place the Lord shall be with thee shew thy selfe a man Particularly the Minister of Gods word must be zealous of Doing good painfully labouring with wholsome doctrine threathing the thunder-claps of Gods iudgements against all impenitent workers of iniquity and pouring the balme of Gilead into the wounds of the distressed Samaritan opening the mystery of the word of life whereby many bee made wise vnto saluation and that the man of God may be perfectly furnished to euery good worke And in 〈◊〉 word euery particular degree of men high and low rich and poore publikely in the Church priuately in the family must exercise themselues in doing of good yeelding obedience to the commandements of God and labouring in their lines and conuersations to make a reall yea a royall manifestation of the fayth which they professe by Doing of some good But there is a more proper obiect of our Doing good namely to the poore wherein that wee may not any way mistake the Scripture hath set downe certaine cautions and confined vs to certaine limitations summarily cou ched in that prouerbiall verse viz. Est modus in dando quid cur cui quomedo quando Beyond which bounds wee may not passe Let vs take a running view of them Fiue rules are heere to bee obserued in our Doing good 1. What we giue 2. Why we giue 3. To whom we giue 4. How we giue 5. When we giue 1. What. We must giue that which is our owne honor the Lord with thy substance not another mans and with the first fruits of thine increase Prou. 3.9 2. Why must we giue Because God commands it loue the stranger Leu. 19.34 then loued when releeued because Christ demands it Date cleemosynam Luc. 11.41 hee that giues all requires but some a cup of cold water a crust of bread and because the spirit commends it for a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 The Rabbines say tithe and be rich the Lord giue and be rich he that giueth to the poore lendeth to the Lord Prou. 19.17 Qui miseretur proximo foeneratur Domino 3. To whom must we giue To all Gal. 6.10 While we haue time let vs doe good to all especially to the houshold of faith Thus God is rich in goodnesse vnto all euen his enemies in causing the sunne to rise vpon the iust and vniust Matt. 5. but especially to the faythfull which in regard of the small number are called a houshold these Dauid preferred O Lord my goodnes extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth my delight is in them Psal 16.2.3 And as touching the poore wee must make discretion Steward of the Kitchin lest we prooue our selues guilty of foolish pity for there are of poore 1. impotent 2. labouring Seeke out these in the backe lanes if they seeke not thee and releeue them but for the idle poore and sturdy poore giue them not except it be a whip and a pasport and therin the more liberall the fewer beggars in Israel 4. How must wee giue The Apostle hath directed The Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer 2. Cor. 9.7 God loueth a willing giuer Againe abundantly hee that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth plentifully shall reap plentifully To this end the oyle of our charity must be compounded rightly As Moses was commanded to put into the oyle certaine spices so God would haue euery Christian Almesgiuer to play the Druggist first our almes must be like myrrh which distils from the tree without cutting or incision so must charity without compulsion Secondly Cinamon hot in taste hot in operation so must our almes neither stone cold as Nabal nor lukewarme as Laodicea but hot as it is sayd of Iohn Baptist of Constantinople whose daily practise was to releeue the poore Thirdly Cassia as sweet as the former but low the embleme of humility so giue but not vainegloriously Fourthly Calamus an odoriferous powder but of a fragill reed So giue but acknowledge thy weakenesse thinke it not meritorious periculosa domus corum qui meritis sperant saith Bernard dangerous is that house which thinks to winne heauen by keeping house dangerous because ruinous no say you are vnprofitable seruants But lest I grow tedious Fiftly consider the time when we must giue while we haue time during our life thus was Dorcas sayd to bee full of good workes while she liued Salomon so aduifeth Prou. 3.28 Say not vnto thy neighbour goe and come againe to morrow and I will
proclaime thy owne worth for he that seeth in secret will reward thee openly But because there are more rare therefore I hasten to the next Thirdly there are that giue and drop siluer but not with discretion to those which either haue no need or are not worthy Some feed the Spaniel I meane the Sycophant who neuer will leaue begging while any continues giuing some feed the Gray hound the riotous prodigall some the Mastife the gullet theefe still gaping for more some the Curre the criticall slanderer for whom the hooke is a fitter morsell then the bait some to the Cormorant which study nothing but Apicius in his art of Munchers whose greatest manhood is seene at the table in quartering and caruing dead carkases but this is giuing of the childrens meat to dogs some againe to the poore but not so made of God but from the Deuils bones and books cards and dice wine and women and such like husbandry Fourthly there are that regard not how they giue they giue but with grudging with pining with pinching with constraint being drawne like a Beare to the stake they part from a penny as from a drop of blood nor will they be any further bountifull then the statute law compels them Fifthly there are that giue but regard nor the time for either they giue when there is no need or when they can no longer keepe the poore shall be fed at their dore when they are carryed to their graue and so bee clothed when they must be naked for which charity they are more beholding to their testament then will for it should not haue beene giuen if it could haue beene kept And for this they are more beholding to their death-bed then them where it often falleth out that the poore mourne indeed not so much for their death as for that they dyed no sooner Here is a generation of crooked carnall and faithlesse giuers like Saint Iohns generation of vipers which although they continue giuers shall not be gainers whom yet I forewarne to fly from the wrath which is to come by bringing forth fruits worthy of amendment of life Let this lastly be the vse for obedience Vse 4 Wherefore dearely beloued whilst the wizards of the world like to that couetous Cardinall which preferred his portion in Paris before his part in Paradise exercise themselues wholly in ioyning house to house and land to land and account it the greatest point of cunning to gaine and retaine good estates good farmes good fields good friends good houses good horses good clothes euery thing else good for themselues but neuer exercise themselues in Doing good to others let vs all of vs if we would be accounted godly wise and prouident indeed be most of all carefull and earnest for the world which is to come wherewith that we may be really possessed and so royally blessed let vs neuer be weary of well-doing for in due time we shall reape if we faint not And for you whom it hath pleased God to endow with a more liberall portion of the things of this life so to account it the best Christian policie by your good works on earth to lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen and and euery day to bring in somewhat into Gods Exchequer as the Israelites into the Tabernacle the remembrance whereof may long after both in life and death comfort you It is an hard sentence of some Casuists concerning their fellowes that few rich mens Confessors shall be saued for that hapily they dawbe vp their consciences with vntempered morter soothing them vp in their sinnes let this be the care of those whom it may concerne For vs wee desire to be faithfull to God and you and therefore roundly tell you Doe good O ye rich men if euer you looke to receiue good if you be not rich in good works you cannot be rich in heauen as Cyrus said that he made himselfe rich while he enriched his friends so lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen whiles you make the poore your friends on earth If you looke for the interest of glory in heauen you must pay the principall of beneficence in earth Be not therefore like mount Gilboah fruitlesse and barren Be not like the Oliue tree which when Goats lick it fruitfulnesse doth leaue it Be not like a Vine tree the more boughs the lesser and sewer grapes Be not like a Cloue tree so hot by nature to rob the neighbour plants of moisture But be thou like that tree of Dauid planted by the waters side by regeneration bringing forth fruit in due season by sanctification whose leaues shall not fall by continuation Goe thou and doe likewise bring forth and multiply if euer thou hope to be planted in the new Ierusalem thou must bring forth twelue manner of fruits yea the leaues must bee beneficiall Bring forth then not flowers or flourishes blossomes or semblances onely but fruits not fruit of the world for that 's folly nor fruit of the flesh that 's frailty nor fruit of the eyes that 's fancy but meet fruits for contrition of heart reformation of life sanctification of soule Let not the children of this world excell the children of light they are fruitfull but not beneficiall multum sed malâ—â—â— there is greene fruit of imperfectnesse red fruit of blood thirstinesse yeallow fruit of gall and bitternesse 〈◊〉 colored fruit of drunkennesse earth-colored fruit of couvetousnesse pale-colored fruit of lasciuiousnesse these are trees but not of Gods planting these the Deuill plants suggestion waters continuance encreaseth necessity ripens iudgement gathers and bell burneth Be not thou like vnto those Indian Pandorae of whom it is reported that they haue white hoare heads in their youth and black haire in their age Or like Hermogenes of whom Antiochus said that hee was in his childhood an old man and in his old age a child be not thou more expert vnder thy Catechizers in principles of piety and as thou growest vpward in yeeres to grow downewards in grace like the she Wolfe which they say hath an yeerly defect in her procreation the first time she beareth fiue the secoÌ„d foure the third three the fourth two the fifth one and then remaineth barren the child of God must not so doe he must goe from strength to strength and grow from grace to grace bringing forth most good in their age like Caleb strong in his old age for gouernment and warre like Ruth shewing more goodnesse in the latter end then beginning like the Sunne in the Firmament which is swiftest at his setting so the sonnes of God must be best at their ending Let a good Christian be like vnto a sheepe in which euery thing is good and vsefull his fleece good his fell good his flesh good his entrals yea all is good and so a sanctified Christian is a seruant to all the seruants of God euery good gift in him is profitable to some he lendeth his fleece clothing the naked to some his bread in feeding the hungry to some his eyes in becomming a guide to the blinde to some his strength in becomming feet to the lame to some his vnderstanding in becomming an instructer to the simple at all times and to all persons in all places Doing of good Wherefore let vs be of Vlysses minde in Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. let vs see our Tombes honored by Doing good while we liue this is the way to make our names truly famous and our memories eternall here lasting hereafter euerlasting here renowned among men there crowned among Saints and Angels in the Kingdome of glory FINIS