THE SPRING A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE PRINCE AT S. IAMES On Mid-lent Sunday LAST By DANIEL PRICE Chapleine in ordinarie to the PRINCE and Master of Artes of EXETER Colledge in OXFORD MATTH 3.8 Bring foorth fruit worthy amendement of life LONDON Printed for Roger Iackson and are to bee sold at his Shop in Fleetestreete fast by the Conduit 1609. To the Right Honourable Lord worthy the confluence of all Honours ROBERT Earle of Salisburie Lord High Treasurer of ENGLAND one of the Oracles of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Counsell Knight of the most illustrious order of the GARTER c. MOst Noble Lord this Sermon the Spring preached in the Spring garden of this land the Princes Court is offered to your Honourable Acceptance and Patronage It is a free-will offering Obseruance did appoint it Zeale did kindle it Study did enflame it Pietie did sacrifice it and now duetie doth offer it The aboundant fruitfulnesse of your Lordshippe doth challenge this from all other both for your ablenesse and willingnesse to good workes wherein you beatifie your selfe and beautifie this Land the Lord reward you according to your harts desire He that hath them hath blessed your Honour with the Treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding and hath giuen you the heart of prudence the eye of prouidence the eare of iustice the heart of Religion and the spirite of deuotion and hath made your Honour a most speciall nursing father of his two deare Daughters this Church and common wealth Ride on with your Honour because of the worde of truth of meekenesse and righteousnesse and the Lord shall bee with you and shall blesse you with the Grace of Glory here and the glory of Grace hence And so in all obseruance I rest To be commaunded by your Lordshippe DANIEL PRICE THE SPRING MATH 3.8 Bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life THe Yeare the Circle of time is so intorteled as that Annus is become Annulus for one day telleth another and one night certifieth another that all things are in a Consumption and time that consumeth all things is it selfe consumed In the Generall distinction of Seasons Salomon the Prince of Preachers accommodated a time not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oportune time to euery thing and among the rest a time to plant and a time to plucke vp that which is planted Nyssenus followeth the Allegorie God our father is the husbandman Wee are his husbandry the Soule is the ground the Seede is the word The Preachers do plant Baptisme doth water the Spirit is the Winde Repentance is the Dewe and Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse is the Sunne and as in Nature so in Grace there is a Winter and Summer a fall and Spring a time of planting and a time of supplanting At that season of the yeare I haue already handled the Fall of the Leafe At Richmond October 1 1608. as I doubt not but this high and Honourable presence doe remember and therefore now I haue chosen out a Text fit for this season the opening of the yeare the flouring of the figge tree the blooming of the Lilly the budding of fruit the flourishing of Flowers and the resurrection of all those buried hearbes whose honour lay in the dust vntill the Spring had againe apparrelled the earth with various and glorious ornaments It was the springing voyce of the spring who was Oriens eximo Cant. 3. Oriens ex alto in the Canticles Arise my loue my faire one and come away for behold Winter is past the raine is gone away the flowers appeare in the earth the time of the singing of birdes is come the voyce of the Turtle is heard in our land the Figge tree hath brought foorth her young sigges and the vines with their small grapes haue cast a sauour Arise my Doue my Loue my faire one and come away Pliny Sâ—linus The voyce of the Turtle as the Naturalist obserueth is a mourning voyce Turtur non canit sed gemit The Turtle singeth not but mourneth Quid per turturem nisi Ecclesia quid per terram sponsi nisi vitailla beata designatur Greg. mag in Cantica What is meant by the Doue but the voice of the Church what by the land of the Spouse but the life of the blessed sayth Gregory we haue already heard the loud voyce of Iohn the voyce of the beloued Iesus the moning voyce of the Church the mourning voice of the Turtle I hope the crying voyce of Iohn hath begot the weeping voyce of the Church in you that so hauing beene planted and watered now Gods graces in you may bee increased and you may bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Man was once placed in Paradise now Paradise is placed in man Praedestination Vocation Iustification Glorification bee the foure Riuers of Paradise the vnderstanding is the tree of knowledge Beliefe the tree of life In the fall after the Creation there was an Angell with a flaming sword set to keepe out man now there is an Angell set in man to keepe out Sathan the Angell is Christ the sword the worde and the administration of the word hee vseth this sword sometimes as a pruning knife as in the Canticles sometimes an axe as in Mathew Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire Math. 3.10 It was the Proclamation of Ieremie O Earth Earth Earth heare the voyce of the Lord I may ioyne my Text with that Proclamation and as Ezechiel was sent to Preach to drie bones Ier. 31. and Iohn Baptist to the drie desart and Ieremy to the drie earth so may I say to the drie empty bare barren desart desolate hearts of vnfruitfull hearers O earth earth earth bring foorth fruites worthy amendment of life Iohn Baptist here seeth the Pharisies heape together to heare him and knowing that they came hypocritically onely to heare hee requireth that they also belieue and beleeuing professe and professing practise and so bring foorth fruit worthy amendment of life Be not dead or withered or barren or hardened for that is feareful and acursed but bring forth not buddes nor blossomes nor flowres nor flourishes for these may be fained but bring forth fruits not the fruits of the world they be but fancyes or the fruits of the flesh they bee but folly not the fruit of honour it is but pompous folly not the fruit of strength it is glorious vanity not the fruites of pleasures they bee voluptuous sensuality not the fruit of riches they are immanent inconstancy not the fruits of long life it is but transient mutability Worthy fruites worthy not of earthly prayse or of worldly prize but that high hopefull holy liuely happy heauenly calling of amendment of life Bring forth fruites worthy amendment of life First a Production bring forth second a Fructification fruit Diuision third the fruites perfection fruit worthy amendment The first against
verbum Austen Hom. de Sanct. 44 the seruant Iohn Baptist was borne of a barren woman IESVS the Sauiour of a Virgine the voice by a barren woman the word by a Virgine Mary was as a Palme Elizabeth as a Cedar Neuer such a Palme but many such Cedars Sara barren and yet the mother of Isaack Rebecca barren yet the mother of Iacob Rachei barren yet the mother of Beniamin Manoa barren yet the mother of Sampson Hanna barren yet the mother of Samuel Elizabeth barren yet the mother of Iohn Baptist the Father of my Text More blessed are these barren then they that had many children Isaack the Heyre apparant of the Promise Iacob the Supplanter little Beniamin the Patriarch Sampson the strong Samuel the Seer Iohn Baptist a Prophet and more then a Prophet all of them most Honourable in their generation the seed of the barren and yet many of them were sent to sow the barren world yea and out of the seede of the barren Isaacks seede became as the starres of Heauen or the sand of the Sea and all Nations of the earth were blessed in his seed The Eagles Embleme is sublimius to flye loftier euen to behold the Sunne as Plinie noteth the Sunnes Embleme is celerius swifter Ald. Emb. Sotinus Psal 19. the Gyant refreshed to runne his course as Dauid speaketh The Wheate in the Gospell hath this Embleme perfectius riper First the Blade then the eare then full corne Ezechiels Emblem is profundius deeper first to the ancles Marke 4.28 then to the knees Ezec. 47.4 then to the thighs Luke 14.10 Christes Emblem was Superius sit vp higher Carolus Quintus Embleme was vlierius Goe on further the woman with child hath this Embleme plenius fuller vntill she bring forth and so ought euery Christian that is not drie and hardened and barren and withered to mount loftier with the Eagle to runne swifter with the Sunne to grow riper with the Wheate to wade deeper with Ezechiel to sit vp higher with the Guest to passe on further with the Emperour to waxe fuller with the Woman that so they may bring foorth fruite in due season Many are long in bringing forth fruit they are as long barren as any The world hath expected Elephantinum Partum and yet when it hath beene brought forth Horatius Parturiunt montes nascetur ridiculus mus The best deede that euer they did was that they died and so the world was rid of such drie empty windy bare barren dead withered hardened Tenants who neuer did good or had any mind of goodnesse The Spouse in the Canticles is moued to come away for the Figge-tree sayeth Christ hath brought forth her young figges neuer did any tree bring forth better fruites then the Figge-tree and neuer did any tree bring forth worse fruits then the Fig-tree The good fruit was Zacheus who climbed into a tree that from a tree he might behold Christ who was to suffer on a tree for mans saluation this fig-tree bare most pretious fruite euen such as Christ himselfe vouchsafed to plucke a happy tree that bare such precious fruite as Zacheus was but thrise happy Zacheus that so happily climbed on that happy tree the tree brought forth Zacheus Zacheus brought forth a confession the tree such fruit that fruit such faith that Christ professed this day is Saluation come vnto this house Luke 19.9 forasmuch as he is also becomme a Sonne of Abraham Hee that could haue raysed out of the stones sonnes to Abraham hath raised out of a wild figge-tree a sonne vnto Abraham heere was the good fruit of the Figge-tree For the bad fruit the Rabbins affirm that the tree in Paradise from which Adam Eue tooke the forbidden fruit was a figge tree and many hold that the tree that Iudas hanged himselfe on was a fig tree as Iuuencus the Poet testifieth Exorsusque suas Laqueo sibi sumere poenas Informem rapuit ficus de vertice mortem And to these wee may ioyne that God cursed no tree but the figge tree Mald. in 27. Math. It was an inhumane speech of Timon when hee saw a woman hanging on a figge-tree that had hanged her selfe he wisht that all trees might beare such fruit it had beene a speech sauouring of humanity to haue said as Christ said of the figge-tree neuer such fruit grow on thee more The vse of the Doctrine is to moue vs that wee bee not vnfruitfull in the worke of the Lord The Vse hath God so cared for vs and planted and watered and dressed and hedged vs in The word the seed so oft falling Christ the son of righteousnesse so oft shining the dew of Heauen Manna so oft shedding the holy spirite the winde so often blowing and yet shall wee remaine dead drie barren hardned withered and accursed Trunkes In the Gospell of Luke you may obserue the Parable of the figge tree in the Vineyeard Luke 13.6 which did not bring foorth hee came and sought fruit and found none then said behold this three yeares haue I come and sought fruit of this figge-tree and finde none cut it downe why keepeth it the ground barren I know that some of the Fathers interprete it onely of the Synagogue of the Iewes and so that the three yeares wherein Christ expected fruit Greg. Hom. 31 in Euang. were the three times 1. before the Law 2. in the Law 3. after the Lawe as Gregory on the 31. Homily on the Gospell Ambr. in Luk. 13. or the three Lawes the first Naturall the second written by Moses the third Euangelicall by Christ as Ambrose vpon the 13. of Luke or the three gouernements of the Iewes the first vnder the High Priests Theoph. in La. can Atb. q. 16 the second vnder Iudges the third vnder Kings as Euthâ—mias on that Gospel obserueth But Theophilact and Athanasius and Saint Basil doe expound it more largely Basil Br. in Js 5. to signifie the three ages of Men Childhood youth and old age and that the Lord doth look expect fruit in euery one of these yeares in euery one of these States when hee hath expected againe and againe then hee proceedeth to that fearefull sentence Cut it down why keepeth it the ground barren It was the 21. of March this present Moneth as Maldonat on the Gospell obserueth Maldonat that Christ the way seeing a figge tree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon and then said neuer fruit grow on thee henceforth Christ the way is yet in the way Mat. 21.19 he knoweth your sitting downe and your rising vppe hee vnderstandeth your thoughtes for hee is about your pathes and about your beds Psal 139.1 and spieth out all your wayes and wordes and works and thoughts If he should come as he hath often come and find no fruits in many of vs O how terrible would that sentence be Neuer beare henceforth Neuer no Neuer neither in this world nor
Concupiscence is the roote Consent the trunke Bad desires the braunches Lewde words the buds Vile actions the flowers Lewde customes the fruites Sathan did plant Suggestion did water Continuance in sinnne doth increase them Necessitie in sinne doth ripen them Iudgement doth gather them and Hell doth burne them Because they bee not fruites worthy amendement of life That you may know them both in the fifth to the Gallat 22. you may take a suruey of them both The fruites of the flesh are Adulterie Fornication Vncleannesse Gal. 5.21 Wantonnesse Idolatrie Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulation Wrath Contentions Seditions Heresies Enuie Murthers Drunkennesse Gluttonie and such like The fruites of the spirit are Loue Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance The forbidden fruit of Paradise proued accursed but the fruit of that fruit more accursed so the fruits of the flesh bee most hatefull and fearefull but the fruites of those fruites exceede Pride is a fruit of the flesh but the fruit of the fruit exceedeth It blindeth the eyes darkneth the minde deceiueth the vnderstanding depriueth the reason disguiseth the countenance maketh the proude man in the sight of men a foole in the sight of God a Diuell The fruit of this fruit thrust the Angels out of heauen ouerthrewe the Tower of Babel confounded the Tongues drowned Pharaoh depriued Saul hanged Haman slew Baltasher changed Nebucadonosor into a beast Luxurie is the fruit of the flesh but the fruit of this fruit bringeth polution before God vncleannesse before men filthinesse to the body rottennesse to the bones it burnt Sodome slew the Sichemites destroyed the Beniamites cursed Ruben beguiled Dauid betrayed Sampson deceiued Salomon Enuie is the fruit of the flesh but the fruit of that fruite excelleth it it punisheth it selfe fretteth the heart shortneth the life eateth the flesh consumeth the Spirit turneth a man into a Dogge a Christian into a Diuel it made Caine enuie Abels sanctitie Rachel Leahs faecunditie Saul Dauids felicitie Sathan mans innocencie Haman Mordecaies honestie the Pharisees Christs heauenly Dietie Drunkennesse is a fruite of the flesh but the fruite of this fruite exceedeth It confoundeth the braine consumeth the body drowneth the iudgement stealeth away the sense witte memorie health credit friends and all And hath ouerthrowne not onely many thousand particular men but many great Houses Families Cities Countreyes Nations Generations for this last sinne is more presumed vpon then almost any other for since that God made that promise neuer more to drowne the world the world hath almost drowned themselues by this beastly vgly monstrous loathsome Inundation The Doctrine Doctrine that good works must be worthily performed or else they bee not fruits worthy The difference between digna and digne is much Arte Aethick Justus Justa Iuste many doe worthy workes but not worthily and therefore it is not to bring Digna worthy fruites which vnworthy men may vnworthily doe but God also requireth dignus digna digne the name of goodnesse in the doer the rules of goodnesse in the things done and the end of goodnes in the doing for Caine offered Simon Magus beleeued Herod listened Foelix feared Saul obeyed Iezabel fasted the Pharisies prayed these were worthy fruites but not worthily performed There may be a zeale without knowledge aknowledge without conscience a loue without Holinesse a Prayer without Faith a Faith without fruites otherwise had not the Pharisies lost so many Prayers so many Fasts so many watches so many works so many washings so many tythings so many howrs in hearing reading interpreting Moses the Prophets otherwise had not the Papists lost so many Orisons so many obseruations deuotions contritions confessions satisfactions penances pilgrimages so much labour in examining their hart chastening their flesh whipping the body punishing the Soule The fruits of Faith as all the Fathers agree Aug. Ambr Bernard Ierom Theop. Theodoret Epiphanius all others in their writings obserue are Repentance and good works these are the fruites worthy amendment of life Ctesias in describing India maketh mention of a tree that besides fruites droppeth and distilleth certaine teares of which are made pretious Amber The true Christian must be like this tree his workes must be his fruites his repentance his distilled droppes The droppes of the Vine-tree are prescribed against the Leprosie hee that is a branch of the true Vine must yeelde these droppes against the Leprosie of sinne and so hee shall bee sure to bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life though not worthy merito condigni of eternall life yet worthy in some sorte merito congrui of amendment of life The Vse The vse hereof is to incite you all by all the mercies of God as euer you hope to stand before the Throne of Grace to bring foorth at the length some fruites acceptable to God profitable to men auaileable to your owne Soules that yee no longer turne the Grace of God into wantonnesse not looking vpon Faith with the eye of curiosity but hearing with the eares and heartes of obedience rather bringing good mindes then sharpe wits to Sermons that so Religion may no more flie in the ayre of your opinion but be setled in your soules to fruitfull operations Iohn Baptist you heare crieth out for Reformation a thing long prayed for and sought for in the former Ages of Idolatry sudore sanguine with the bloud of Myriades of Martyrs The last Centurie performed it but performed it so as that the Cure is become as dangerous as the disease and religion hath taken as deepe a wound in the Reformation as shee had in the deformation for in place of the hypocrisie of seeming there is brought in the impudency of neither beeing nor seeing and to cure superstition a neglect of deuotion to auoide the opinion of meriting a defect of the care of well doing to take away the superfluity there is not enough left for the necessity of the Church the faith which was wont to bee in words is scarse found in the oathes of men the Doctrine of the Church not followed the censures of the Church not feared The pride and excesse of the Clergy taken away and the pouerty and contempt of the Cleargy remaining then there were woodden Priests golden liuings now golden Priests woodden liuings The Garden of the Spouse blasted her trees blemished her branches withered her fruites vanished that as hee said No feare of God so I say no fruite for God in the land and yet who is not thought a Professor who is not thought religious It was worthily obiected to an vnworthy fellow in Rome who putting on a graue countenance in the Senate was taken vp thus Plutarch Quis te ferat aedificantem vt Crassus caenantem vt Lucullus loquentem vt Cato who can abide thee building vaine-gloriously as Crassus banqueting riotously as Lucullus and yet speaking grauely as Cato so may it bee asked who can abide that those that are as great Church-robbers as Nabuchodonosor as enuious as Haman as riotous as Balthazar as proude as Herod as disobedient as Corah should bee thought Religious or should offer to take the word of the Lord in their mouths and yet hate to be reformed My speech draweth to the close The place wherein I speake representeth that tree of Theophrastus which at euery time doth bud and blossom and beare fruit O euer let there bee found here some ripe some drawing to their ripenesse some in the flower some in the bud of hope some plentifull in fruit if there were no other motiues to incite this presence and if neither watering planting nor any other meanes would draw you yet the President of our young Cedar might draw all that make their nest vnder the shade of his Greatnesse seeing his Highnesse like to that YOVNG PRINCE is increased in wisedome and stature Esay 9. and fauour with God and men It was but the speech of a Poet Exeat Aula qui vult esse Pius that Godlinesse is no good Courtier I hope it and with the bended knees of my Soule pray for it that that position neuer take place here but that holinesse may crown this house for euer and that not onely in the Chappell and Clossetts but that the face of godlinesse may bee seene in the presence and the heart of goodnesse attend the inmost Priuy Chambers that euery one here may in euery action both publike and priuate yeeld a sauour of God and a taste of godlinesse and bring forth fruites in due season fruites worthy amendmēt of life that so this Court may bring forth encrease and God euen our own God may giue vs his blessing yea God may blesse v◠and we all and the endes of the world may feare him and we may yeeld Glorit to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost as it was in the beginning both now and euer world without end Amen FINIS