the Wood or of the Leaues or of the Fruit there being no property in the one which is not in a sort answered in the other For the Root that we know sendeth sappe to euery Stem and Branch whereby they flourish and bring forth fruit and vnlesse they continue in the root they can neuer thriue nor prosper for thence it is whence they haue their moisture Thus the Church and euery true member of it receiueth the life and sappe of grace from Iesus Christ who is the root and into whom the multitude of true beleeuers are engrafted whereby they grow and bring forth fruit to God So that vnlesse they continue in him they cannot prosper but must needs fade and wither according to our Sauiours speech As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in mee I am the Vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee you can doe nothing If a man abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them vp and cast them into the fire and they are burned In the Branches there is great resemblance diuers wayes 1. There are many branches in the root yet all make but one Vine so all the faithfull in the congregation and all the congregations of the faithfull in the whole world make but one only Church And albeit there are threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet saith Solomon speaking in the person of Christ my doâ—e my vndefiled is but one And so witnesseth S. Paul Now are they many members yet but one bodie One as sucking sap from one and the same root liuing by one and the same spirit and ruled by one and the same head Christ blessed for euer But of this more hereafter 2. All the branches of a Vine though they seeme to stand alike in the stocke are not alike fruitfull neither doe they all draw sap and moysture from the root for as some are fruitfull and flourish so some againe are barren and wither which are cut off and cast into the fire Thus is it in the Church visible all the members thereof are not alike incorporated into the root through the inuisible bonds of the spirit neither doe they bring forth fruit in him Some there are who are onely externally engrafted others there are who are also internally The former sort are such members of the Church visible who by externall baptisme haue giuen their names to Christ and so entred into the profession yet indeed are not Christs because they haue not the Spirit of Christ for though they are baptized with water yet they are not with the holy Ghost They haue Iohns baptisme but not Christs baptisme This kinde of Sacramentall engrafting will suffer a cutting off because they haue not the sap of grace ministred vnto them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees and branches The other sort are they who besides the outward engrafting are also inwardly engrafted by the holy Ghost into the stocke Christ Iesus and doe liue in him and grow in him and bring forth fruit to the praise of his name Notwithstanding both these sorts as they communicate together in the outward bonds of one profession as they visibly continue together like one visible body vpon that one root Christ Iesus on whom they all outwardly professe that they depend as on the fountaine of their sap and life so they both together make this visible Vineyard and Church on earth 3. There is no branch of any tree that exceedeth it in growing and spreading forth it selfe in one weeke yea night how exceedingly is it shot So the true members of the Church exceed all others in growth in grace they are still spreading forth their branches growing from one degree of grace vnto another They are all for Addition and Multiplication nothing for Diuision or Substraction except in euill They sing the song of degrees adding to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and to Brotherly-kindnesse Charitie They be not like the old Moone in the wane but like the new euer in her increasings 4. The branches of the Vine grow the better for their prâ—ning and not the worse bringing forth after it is cut more and better grapes not worse nor â—ewer Thus the Church and true members of the Church the more they bee afflicted the more they flourish as the people of Israel vnder Pharaohs tyranny the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Thus the Church of God euer riseth in its ruine prospereth in its persecution The bloud of Martyrs is but the seed of it and the chopping off their heads but as the pruning of this Vine And as Ioseph said so may euery true Christian say The Lord hath made me fruitfull in the Land of my affliction Their tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and that maketh not ashamed And thus for the resemblance in the branches Now in the Barke or Rinde let vs compare them we see that the Barke of the Vine seemeth more withered dry than the Rinde or Barke of any other Tree whateuer yet it hath plenty of sap and abundance of moisture vnder it Thus the Church of God seemes blacke and deformed outwardly to the worlds eye which onely beholdeth and iudgeth the Rinde by reason of the scorching heat of persecution yet she is inwardly glorious and beautifull for there the inuisible graces of Faith Feare Hope Loue Patience Holinesse are hid This shewes the Psalmist The Kings Daughter is all glorious within and the Church maketh this confession of her selfe I am blacke but comely oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem as the tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Soloman And this is the cause that her mothers children looke vpon her and are angry with her In the Wood let vs see what likenesse we can finde 1. That we know is the weakest and feeblest wood of any other The trees of the Forest are strong and tall but the Vine so weake that it cannot beare vp it selfe without a stay or prop. Thus the Church of any society is least able to helpe it selfe it cannot stand against a storme without the prop of Gods protection by reason of her naturall weaknesse It is a weake tent in it selfe not fortified with any wals A small flocke of sheepe very impotent and feeble An humble and poore people yea a very worme for so the Lord calleth her Feare not thou worme Iacob and ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee
Bishop in which callings then they liued like Epicures hauing nothing of a good Christian saue the title only Yea Princes of this Land haue renounced their Crownes and Kingdomes and entered into Monasteries and haue put their sonnes and daughters into Cloysters Shall not these condemne vs Nay will not the very heathen rise vp one day in iudgement against vs who haue giuen their sonnes for sacrifice vnto their Idols and caused them to passe through the fire thinking them not too deare to be offered to their gods Let vs looke on these and be ashamed of our selues For certainly the best and noblest amongst the sonnes of men are a thousand-fold more vnfit for that high place than that calling is or can be thought vnworthy of them And as for such as are already called to this high place let all beware of despising of them It is the Apostles rule that they which rule well should haue double honour First honour of countenance and then of maintenance one of these is not enough without the other for it must be double Beautifull are the feet saith this our Prophet Isaiah of them that bring good tidings that publisheth saluation c. If their feet be beautifull how beautifull should their face be who should be so welcome to vs as these who more esteemed or reuerenced Remember how the Lord hath euery way endeuoured to make them so as by giuing them titles of highest respect as Embassadors for Christ and Messengers for the Lord of Hoasts Fathers the first title of honour that was in the world Angels which are the noblest of the creatures Besides he hath giuen them wonderfull authoritie He hath put the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen into their hands to open and to shut Power to remit and retaine sinnes Thus the Lord is pleased to ratifie their regular proceedings in the Court of Heauen Likewise he hath giuen them extraordinary gifts aboue the common rate as Knowledge Experience Comfort and the like Is it safe despising these whom God hath thus highly dignified A last vse may be for comfort vnto vs who wait at Gods Altar Let vs count it our honour to be called hereunto and preferre it before all other callings whatsoeuer not giuing way to any thoughts of discontentment in respect of the many ignominies or persecutions that we daily doe or are like to vndergoe so as to be grieued at the Lords leading of vs to so toilesome and in mans iudgement disgracefull a vocation or to be moued to leaue and giue ouer our function in that respect As sometimes that Cardinall of Loraine did who after he had preached once vnto the people and was therefore derided by the Prelates of his Order left off vtterly the Office of preaching as a calling too base for his Cardinals Hat-ship Let this be farre from vs. If we doe our duty the world will hate vs True But if we doe it not God will curse vs By the first we are in danger to lose our goods our names our liues by the second our soule our heauen our God Now whether it be better to pelase God or man iudge ye Let euery Minister therefore doe his dutie and albeit most in the world contemne vs yet we shall finde some in the world who are not of the world that will reuerence and respect vs. So long as the widow of Sarepta hath any oile we shall not want Howeuer though here we haue troubles to weary vs yet in the end we shall haue heauens ioy to refresh and comfort vs. It is enough we haue deserued our worke shall haue a reward And thus much for the first particular to be considered in this Preface the second followes And that is the nature and kinde of the Treatise indited and is A Song or Poem And here occasion is offered to speake somewhat in the defence of Poetric and Verse The Position is Poesie and Poetrie is an Art and exercise ancient lawfull and praise-worthy The practises of the seruants of God make this good Moses that man of God was excellent herein as appeareth by that same Canticle which he made in commemoration of Gods goodnesse for his peoples deliuerance out of Egypt and for the destruction of their enemies which Song is held to be the most ancient Song that euer was I am sure it is that we reade of in Scripture and is thought to be first composed in Hexameter verse though it is not certaine For it is no easie matter to finde out the Scansion of verse vsed amongst the Hebrewes such was the varietie of their Measures As also by that which he made a little before his death which he commanded should be taught the Children of Israel yea the text saith he himselfe wrote it and taught it them Thus Deborah and Barak also composed a Song and sang it to the Lord. So Dauid that same sweet singer of Israel had an excellent gift this way as is euident by that same funerall Song or Epitaph which he made for Saul and Ionathan after their deaths Besides diuers Odes and Hymnes which he composed to the honour of God in various kindes of Verse This likewise was the practise of Christians in the Primitiue Church as Eusebius reporteth out of Philo Iudaeus They contemplate saith he not only diuine things but they make graue Canticles and Hymnes vnto God in a more sacred ryme of euery kinde of metre and verse If any doubt remaine notwithstanding what hath beene shewed of the truth of our propounded point let then this be considered of how Verse is the forme of speech which it hath pleased that wise and all-knowing Spirit to choose to reueale a great part of his reuealed will in for besides those speciall Psalmes and Canticles before mentioned there are sundry parts and bookes of holy Scripture Poetically pend as the booke of Iob the booke of the Psalmes the booke of the Prouerbs with Solomons Ecclesiastes and Canticles as the most learned Fathers of the Church haue testified And many other parcels of holy Scripture which we haue meerely translated into Prose are Verse in the Originall This me thinkes should put all out of doubt For who can be so irreligious as to think or imagine that the Holy Ghost would euer haue vsed any vndecent or vnlawfull manner of expression of his holy Mysteries and cause vs to giue credence to this truth viz. Poetrie and Poesie is an Art and exercise lawfull and praise-worthy The commendable properties of which Art appeare in these two ancient Verses Metra parant animos Comprêndunt plurima paucis Aures delectant pristina commemorant Which I finde by one thus Englished to my hand Verse doth the soule prepare and much in briefe affords It rauisheth the eare and things long past records There is Ryme Reason or Reason for Ryme First it prepares fits the soule for holy duties
therfore we vse Psalmes before our Sermons 2. It comprehends much in a little as we see in the Psalmes For what are they but a Compendium of both Testaments 3. It delighteth the eare and causeth it to hearken more attentiuely as we haue before seene in the beginning 4. And lastly it is a great helpe to memorie and causeth things once learned long to be retained as we finde by experience in children and others what they learne in Ryme they neuer forget againe to their dying day Now to apply the point This may serue first to informe our iudgements concerning the lawfulnesse hereof that so this exercise and Art which is by some wrongfully held in contempt may be brought into a more reuerend esteeme for what is the maine cause so many speake against Poetrie but an ignorant misconceit they haue thereof imagining it to be but a vaine inuention of man and an vnfitting language for to expresse holy and sacred matters and mysteries by But that which hath beene said before serues for the discouery and I trust shall also for the recouerie of this error God hath vsed Verse to expresse a great part of his reuealed will vnto vs and hath mingled many of his heauenly precepts with the sweet and pleasing straines of Poesie and Numbers And therefore let it neither be thought a vaine and vnnecessary curiositie nor yet as some others doe a horrible and damnable impietie True it is in these wretched daies for the most part we shall finde that the subiect of Poesie is wantonnesse and lasciuiousnesse wherewith the mindes of youth are wonderously bewitched But yet as one said of Musicke we may say of it The proper and principall subiect of it is the Almighties praise Shall we then condemne the lawfull vse with the vnlawfull abuse That may not be Let vs cast away the fashion but keepe still the stuffe Let not the exercise it selfe be abhorred nor the vse thereof condemned but the corruption thereof For certainly there is no Art that doth set forth the glory of God which is the chiefe end of mans creation with so much excitation and expression as this Art doth And therefore by some it is preferred to all Arts and Sciences To conclude this vse if euery Art be the gift of God and if it be of him to inuent and finde out curious workes to worke in gold and siluer and in brasse c. Then must it likewise be of him to guide the pen and giue the tongue for speaking such excellent things and after so elegant a manner The like might be said for her sister Musicke This may likewise serue for a Reprehension of such as abuse this Art which in it selfe is so lawfull and commendable and by their wantonnesse cause it to grow contemptible And thus doe vainer Poets who by their lasciuious rymes luftfull Sonnets Plaies and Entersudes bring shame vnto the Art disgrace to Poesie and dishonour to the giuer The like is the practise of wicked Fidlers and Baladmongers who make it their profession and get their liuing by poisoning many a soule in alluring their mindes vnto vanitie with their bewitching harmonie and tempting charmes of lasciuious Musicke A shame it is that such Vermine should be suffered in so well a gouerned Common-wealth as this is And the greater is our shame in that our Magistrates haue no more care for the putting such good Lawes in execution as are already enacted for the punishment of these Come we now to the third circumstance propounded in this Preface to our consideration and that is the manner of the Prophets publishing this Poem which he did indite I will sing As the former particular gaue occasion to speake of the lawfulnesse of Poesie and versifying so doth this for the authoritie and lawfulnesse of Voice-Melodie and Singing Let the point be this Songs and Poems artificially modulated may lawfully be sung for the setting forth of Gods praise This I will make good both by precept and practice out of the Old and New Testament Out of the Old Come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs make a ioyfull noise to the rocke of our saluation Let vs come before this presence with thanksgiuing and make a ioyfull noise vnto him with Psalmes And againe Make a ioyfull noise vnto God all ye Lands sing forth the honour of his name Praise the Lord for he is good sing praises vnto his name for it is pleasant As in these and many other places it is commanded So by many of Gods faithfull seruants we may finde it hath beene practised For Israel sang this song Spring vp oh well Sing you vnto it Dauid and Solomon did likewise vse it and gaue appointment how the Iewes should sing Psalmes in their Temple So did Moses Deborah and Barak with others more as in the proofe of the former Doctrine appeared In the New Testament it is commanded in these expresse words Speak to your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melodie in your hearts vnto the Lord. And againe Is any amongst you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes And there also we finde it vsed by Paul and Silas who at midnight prayed and sang praises to the Lord and by Christ and his Apostles whose example is without exception who sang a Psalme together as at other times so that night in which our Sauiour was betrayed Thus out of holy writ we haue proued the point Much might be brought likewise for the further confirming of it our of Ecclesiasticall Historie if it were as needfull as easie so to doe of the practise of Christians since Christs time but of that much I will alledge only at this time that testimonie which Plinius secundus a Heathen who liued about 200 yeares after Christ gaue vnto the Emperour Traian in the behalfe of Christians They vse saith he to rise before day to celebrate Christ in Psalmes as God And as Socrates reports neither Constantine nor Theodosius euer began a battell but first they and their souldiers sung Psalmes and made supplications to the Lord. Let vs now come to some profitable vse And first it serueth soundly to lesson such as condemne this exercise or deride such as vse it either in publike or in priuate Such mockers are euery where to be found who as they deride all other parts of Gods seruice so amongst the rest this But if it be a worke of Gods spirit to sing and if Gods children sing with the spirit as S. Paul auoucheth then against whom doe these open their mouthes whom doe they blaspheme A lamentable thing it is that in a Land professing the Gospell and after the continuance of the publike preaching thereof so many yeares such an ancient laudable and holy exercise should be made a matter of scorne in the seeming of any The Lord lay not this sinne vnto our
reioyce in tribulation and sing in the very stockes with Paul and Silas though thou be persecuted and afflicted railed vpon and reuiled by euill men yet seeing there is no law against thee and the curse which maketh these things bitter is remoued from thee thou needest not feare them before they come nor be discouraged when they are come but è contra if thou bring not forth the fruits of the Spirit then assure thy selfe that whatsoeuer losse or crosse befals thee they fall vpon thee with a curse the venome and sting is in the taile of them they tend â—o thy perdition Were these things well weighed by vs how could we then but labour to be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Men of this world commonly comfort themselues with this that how euer they faile yet the Law cannot take hold vpon them Be thou a fruitfull branch and this comfort thou maist haue for the Law Morall is no killing letter to thee Fourthly The circumstance of time cals vpon vs to bring forth the fruits of obedience Our Master hath suffered vs our first yeare already yea our second nay our third or rather our third score yeare for is it not rather three times twentie yeares than three yeares since the Lord hath spared vs as he spared the Fig-tree For as much then as he hath yeare by yeare for so long succession of yeares sought for fruit of vs and found none it is now high time to looke about vs and bring forth plentie or else with feare and trembling it is to be expected that we shall stand no longer but be stubbed vp and haue that sentence passed against vs which was sometimes passed against the Fig-tree Cut it downe why cumbereth it the ground Besides these Motiues our blessed Sauiour vseth many more in that same sweet Sermon which he preached to his Disciples a little before his departure from them and as some thinke in the way betweene the place where he did eat the Passeouer and the Garden wherein he was betrayed Herein saith he is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit Our fruit-bearing tends much to Gods glorifying and in glorifying him our glory doth consist for the glory of man without glorifying his Maker is but dung and wormes but this dung and wormes by glorifying God shall be made glorious Now the only way to bring glorie to his name is by bringing forth the fruit of our planting Againe he saith By this we shall be his Disciples that is know and haue a testimony that we are so and indeed without fruit none can haue his vocation adoption or engrafting into Christ sealed vp vnto his soule He then that is vnfruitfull wants this testimony which euery one desires to haue and none to be without Againe he telleth them this was the end of their election before time and speciall vocation in time Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordained you that you should goe and bring forth fruit Besides if a man endeuour to bring forth fruit he is sure to speed when he hath any suit to God and therefore in the same verse he addeth this as a reason to his exhortation That whatsoeuer they should aske of his Father in his name he might giue it them If all this will not serue to make vs fruitfull that which our Sauiour saith in the beginning of that chapter me thinks should awaken vs for Euery branch that beareth not fruit he taketh away and presently after If a man abide not in me viz. to bring forth fruit he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Much more might be said for the pressing of this so necessarie a dutie My desire is to say enough and but enough now what hath beene spoken is enough if God shall please to accompanie it with his grace and operation of his blessed Spirit without which neither this nor all that can be said will be enough to worke vs hereunto By this time haply thy heart may smite thee for thy barrennesse and the Spirit may begin to worke within thee a desire after the fruits of holy life insomuch that out of the longing desire of thy soule which thou hast of fruitfulnesse thou wilt now come to me as those Publicans and souldiers came to Iohn saying What shall we doe Or as that Lawyer came to Christ with Master what shall I doe If this be thy next question what thou shouldst doe to become fruitfull I would aduise thee to follow these directions See thou be remoued out of thy naturall soile and be engrafted into another stocke For that thou maist be fruitfull thou must be as it is said of the godly man in the first Psalme A tree planted because by nature the best of vs are but as wilde Oliue and if euer we become fruitfull trees we must of necessitie be transplanted from the first Adam into the second The tree must be good before the fruit can be Either make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree euill and the fruit euill saith our Sauiour for men gather not grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles As a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit so neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Vntill thou be a plant planted in the house of the Lord and engrafted into Christ by a true faith and made a new creature by Regeneration hauing a beleeuing heart and a good conscience thy fruit can neuer be good all thy workes are as so many sinnes yea thy best works are but as rotten weeds Thornes and Thistles thou bringest forth and therefore art nigh vnto cursing whose end is to be burned but being once engrafted into this stocke Iesus Christ thou canst not but bring forth fruit incontinent though not such plenty and store of fruit as afterwards for such a liuely power of life is in it that wert thou as dry as Aarons withered rod yet thou shalt presently be changed into a flourishing and fruitfull tree As the Theefe vpon the Crosse who no sooner was set into it but he beares fruit in an instant 1. Reprouing his fellow theefe for his sinne in railing vpon Christ 2. Iustifying Christ and pleading his innocencie giuing a good testimonie of him 3. Condemning himselfe acknowledging Gods righteousnesse in laying that punishment vpon him 4. Crauing mercy and forgiuenesse from his Sauiour desiring him to remember him when he came into his kingdome so thou being ioyned vnto him that is raised from the dead shalt bring forth fruit vnto God Labour therefore to be engrafted The ordinarie meanes is the word preached for as in grafting so here God is the husbandman Christ the stocke Beleeuers the imps the Spirit the sap the word the sawe the Sacraments the ligatures As therefore without a knife or sawe to open and riue the
of righteousnesse because they pay euery man his owne deale iustly truly and so carry themselues as that no man can say blacke is their eie when notwithstanding they are void of all true pietie and sanctitie No nor fruits of externall profession of Religion or outward reformation But the fruit God expecteth from thee must be kindly resembling the Author which is the Spirit of grace and that holy and pure seed which is the word of grace Such fruits as those reckoned vp by the Apostle Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith c. other fruits than these or the like to these beseeme not Christians As for fornication vncleannesse couetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you saith the same Apostle as becommeth Saints Neither filthinesse nor foolish talking nor iesting which are not conuenient If it becommeth not a Saint once to name these things much lesse to beare them and bring them forth Muddie water is lesse offensiue in a puddle than in a fountaine Brambles and briars doe a great deale better in a hedge or thicket than in a garden knot Let one worldling doe as another worldling does but let no worldlings practice be a president to thee What if my Lady Iesabel and other gentlewomen in Court and Citie haue such a complexion such haire not as God hath made but as the deuill hath beene the dyer of as one of the Ancient speaketh what if they disguise themselues like harlots more like than attiring themselues as chaste Matrons what is that to thee And what if many it may be the greatest in your countrie Master Iustice or thy Land-lord will drinke till they be drunken sweare lye and breake Gods Sabbaths wilt thou imitate and follow them in their lewdnesse It beseemes thee not learne more manners than to doe as such great ones doe The consideration of whom I am should teach me what a one I should be Thinke then thus with thy selfe I am a tree of righteousnesse a branch of the true Vine the planting of the Lord whose heart hath beene sowed with pure seed and shall I bring forth such fruit will such workes become me Good Nehemiah being perswaded to flie and saue his life would not but said to him that perswaded him vnto it Should such a man as I flie and who is there that being as I am would goe into the Temple to saue his life I will not goe in Now therefore O God strengthen my hands So say thou when thou art entised vnto lewdnesse Should such a one as I doe thus Shall I sweare swagger drinke to be drunke or the like I will not doe it For who is there being as I am what heart hauing been sowed with such seed as mine hath beene would bring forth such fruit so vnanswerable thereunto Now therefore O Lord strengthen my hands giue grace to withstand for I will not doe thus Thirdly our fruit if acceptable must be timely and seasonable This is a commendable property in our grounds trees plants that they bring forth their fruit in due season as it is said of that tree which was planted by the riuers of water whereto the godly blessed man was resembled If our corne should not eare vntill haruest was past nor our trees bud vntill after Midsummer men might looke to haue but small store of fruit and to reape but a sorrie and slender crop Thus the grace of our fruit is the seasonablenesse of it God himselfe for our example hath an appointed time and fit season for all his workes But is any time vnseasonable for the bringing forth of fruit I answer Yes A good worke may be vnseasonable as well as fish or flesh For the clearing this wee are to know there is a difference of good things to bee performed by vs Some good things are as continuall acts to be performed by all persons at all times and in all places from the doing whereof no part of our life is exempted because they reach to all times of this life and yet only to this life As for example the exercise of Faith Repentance Mortification Amendment of life working out our saluation with feare and trembling seeking reconciliation with God and such like these are daily and hourely to be performed by euery of vs and yet for these there are sometimes and seasons more fit though all be fit wherein if they be done they will be more acceptable As to repent in the day of our youth and to remember our Creator before our old yeeres come Who will not confesse that young age is a fitter time to learne the Horne-booke or Primmer in than old yet it is better for a man of three score to learne his A. B. C. than die a dunse so for repentance God takes no delight to pledge the deuill and drinke those snuffes and dregs that he hath left Other good duties we are bound to doe that reach not to all times and places but are limited to some particular place time and season As hearing reading set and solemne Prayer Singing Conference Almes-deeds and the like and these are they that may vnseasonably be performed Take an instance In time of publike exercise while the Minister is preaching here is not fit time for any person to fall a praying otherwise than by eiaculation or lifting vp the soule to God for hee is now Gods mouth and by him the Lord is speaking vnto vs now it is no point of good manners to speake to our betters before they haue made an end of speaking And so while the Minister is praying for a man then to fall a reading is vnseasonable for he is now the voice of the people to the Lord and all must ioyne with the congregation in that dutie And let not this seeme strange to any for it is an old policie that the deuill hath to iustle out a greater good by a lesse He can be well content that we should doe duties for matter good so we dishonour God in the sinfull manner of performance of them Neither let any thinke I speake against these duties for my desire is that men would pray more reade oftner c. but only against the vnseasonablenesse in the performance of them which maketh our best seruice in Gods esteeme no better than the sacrifice of fooles Wisely then obserue thy time and bring forth fruit in the right Quando in the due season For know it for a truth all duties done vnseasonably are hopelesse fruitlesse Fourthly our fruit must be ripe fruit if commendable Would a husbandman respect that tree which euery yeare doth bud and blossome like many of our outlandish plants but neuer bring any fruit to its perfection And yet if haply he should delight in it and nourish it in his Orchard because of the sweetnesse of the blossome or fairenesse of the leafe or flower which may yeeld a comfortable shade in the heat of Summer yet God will neuer He
rod and their iniquities with strokes The Scriptures propose many examples our eares haue heard many reports our eyes behold daily many presidents which may confirme this Doctrine What dolefull complaints doe we reade that the Church maketh euery where in the Lamentations Behold oh Lord how I am troubled my bowels swell my heart is turned within me for I am full of heauinesse The sword spoileth abroad as death doth at home c. How lamentably doe the godly bemoane themselues and the estate of the Church in the Prophesie of Isay Be not angry O Lord aboue measure neither remember iniquitie for euer behold see we beseeth thee we are thy people Thy holy cities axe a wildernesse Zion is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desolation Our holy and our beautifull house where our Fathers praised thee is burnt vp with fire and all our pleasant things are laid waste And how doth the Prophet Dauid expresse the burden of his afflictions wherewith he was afflicted in the Booke of the Psalmes Thine arrowes saith he sticke fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne And againe thus The sorrowes of death compassed mee and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow and many such like patheticall complaints he makes The whole Booke of the Iudges may be a proofe for this truth wherein wee see how the people of Israel proceeding to doe euill in the sight of the Lord he sold them into the hand of his and their enemies We might further instance in Solomon Asa Iehoshaphat Iosiah Hezekiah and others all which make this good that God spareth not his owne people when they sinne against him Two Reasons may be giuen hereof First That the Lord might declare himselfe to be un aduersary to sinne in all men and that the wicked may see he is not partiall to any when his commandements are not regarded Secondly That he may reduce his seruants from running on headlong with the wicked to perdition For were wee altogether exempted from the rod how wanton and froward would we grow and into how many perils would wee cast our selues And so saith Saint Paul When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world But did not Christ giue himselfe for his Church and shed his bloud for their redemption was not their sins punished in him How comes it then to passe they are still subiect to Gods heauie visitations True it is that Christ did beare away all our punishments but he hath not freed vs from fatherly corrections Now when God afflicteth his in this world it is more for medicine than for punishment more for a correction than for a penaltie Losses crosses pouertie imprisonmeent sicknesse yea death it selfe are not to vs punishments nor curses properly but fatherly chastisements being inflicted as furtherances of sanctification not as meanes of satisfaction And thus you haue this obiection answered and my doctrine confirmed viz. God will not spare any no not his owne people when they sin against him Which being so this may terrifie wicked and vngodly ones who make a trade of sinne driuing after it as it was said of Iehu in another case as if they were made and yet imagine because God for a time holdeth his peace and keepes silence that hee is such a one as themselues a louer and approuer of their wicked waies But oh you fooles how long will you loue folly and when will you grow wise Doth God correct the flock of his owne pasture the children of his owne houshold and shall you goe scot-free Doth the Lord chastise them so heauily the burden of whose sins Christ hath borne in his bodie on the crosse and shall such as Christ neuer died for no nor yet prayed for escape shall not many prayers and teares sighes and groanes petitions of Gods Saints requests of the Spirit together with the daily intercession of Iesus Christ Gods only and welbeloued in whom he is well pleased keepe off such bitter things from them who but now and then breake out Woe and alas then what shall become of you who neuer pray sigh nor shed teare for sinne for whom Gods blessed Spirit makes no request and who haue no interest in the mediation and intercession of that iust and righteous Aduocate who sinne not of infirmitie and weaknesse but boldly and presumptuously with a high hand against the Lord Thinke of an answer to those interrogatories which the Spirit of God propoundeth to thee in holy Writ Loe I beginne to bring euill on the Citie which is called by my name and shal you goe vtterly vnpunished And againe Behold they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup haue assuredly drunken and art thou he that shalt escape And againe If these things be done to the greene tree to them who haue in them the sap of grace what shall be done to the drie to them who haue no moisture of goodnesse And againe If iudgement first beginne at vs who are the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare What answerest thou to these why speakest thou not And now O my God behold how I am troubled my bowels swell my heart is turned within me for I heare an answer true but terrible The Lord indeed will trie the righteous in his furnace but the wicked and such as loue iniquitie doth his soule hate vpon the wicked shall he raine snares fire and brimstone and stormie tempest this is the portion of their cup. He will indeed iudge the iust man for his transgressions in his life but hee will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh on on his trespasses Yea in flaming fire shall God come taking vengeance on them that know him not and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Then shall the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bond-man and euery free-man whose names are not written in the Lambes Booke hide themselues in dens and in the rockes of the mountaines And say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe But as it was with the old world when God rained from heauen the greatest showre that euer the earth did or shall sustaine their shifts were bootlesse so will it now be They then thought to ouer-climbe the iudgement and haste
behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crie Here we see first what fruits they were which God especially expected and they were fruits of the second Table Iudgement Righteousnesse And secondly what were the fruits which they returned namely Oppression A crie I might obserue hence from the Prophets elegancie adorning of his speech Rhetorically by a figure thus much that Rhetoricke is an Art sanctified by Gods Spirit and may lawfully be vsed in handling of Gods word There might be brought diuers instances out of holy Scripture wherein all the parts of Rhetoricke are vsed and euery approued rule of it practised yea euen in this very Prophesie But I hasten towards a conclusion and therefore passe from this with a word of admonition to all that we beware how we condemne the lawfull vse with the abuse For the Art it selfe is to be approued and onely the abuse thereof to be condemned But I come to the particulars in my Text. He looked for iudgement righteousnesse He doth not say he expected Oblations and Sacrifices which this people were abundant in as Chap. 1. 11. but he expected that Iudgement and Iustice should be administred the cause of the poore pleaded and all good duties and offices of loue should be shewed towards our brethren and those who were in need Sundrie points might hence be raised but I will only obserue this one which is as the summe of all The works and duties of the second Table are in speciall manner expected and respected by God In the first Chapter of this Prophesie wee may reade how forward this people were in the outward duties of the first Table offering multitude of sacrifices and burnt offerings of Rammes and the fat of fed beasts c. But God he cals them off and tels them he would none because they had no regard of the duties of the second Table for their hands were full of bloud Then exhorting them to repentance hee wils them to testifie the truth thereof by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance And for their better direction he instanceth in some particulars making choice not of such duties as immediately concerne himselfe but of such as especially concerne our neighbour Seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse pleade for the widow As if he had said vnto them You offer multitudes of sacrifices and obserue solemne daies and Feasts the new Moones and Sabbaths and the like and are not wanting in the outward duties of the first Table But I especially respect the duties of the second wherein you haue beene wanting and therefore labour to finde out what is right and seeke after that iustice that God requires in his Law dealing with others as you would be dealt withall giue ouer your crueltie exercise mercie and stretch forth your helping hand for the releeuing and defending of such as are in need And in the 58. of this Prophesie we may reade how God reiects their prayers and fastings because they regarded not to shew mercy and kindnesse vnto the poore and needie and withall shewes them what manner of Fast it was that he required namely to loose the bands of wickednesse to vndoe the heauie burdens and to let the ppressed goe free To deale bread vnto the hungrie to bring the poore that are cast out vnto their houses to cloath the naked and the like This was the Fast that God did especially respect In the Prophesie of Micah we may reade what large proffers the wicked make They will come with burnt offerings and calues of a yeere old they will offer thousands of Rammes and ten thousand riuers of oile they would giue their first borne for their transgression the fruit of their bodie for the sinne of their soule so that God would be pleased herewith But yet all this would not please him He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humbly with thy God without this all the former is nothing worth Thus we see verified what we finde recorded by the Prophet Hosea I desire Mercie and not Sacrifice It is better pleasing vnto God to see the duties of Iustice and Righteousnesse of Mercie and louing kindnesse performed to our neighbour than to haue Sacrifices neuer so many or great seuered from these done vnto himselfe The workes and duties that the second Table requires to be performed of vs are most expected and respected by him For the touchstone of piety and true religion towards God is our iust and righteous dealing with our brethren Herein are the children of God knowne and the children of the Deuill whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee that loueth not his brother True faith is operatiue and worketh by loue and is to be manifested by our workes without which it is to be iudged dead as S. Iames speaketh No maruell then if God doe so much set by the practise of these duties Which serueth to reproue such as bring forth faire leaues of profession in the first Table but are little or nothing at all in the duties of the second Table In the outward and publike exercises of religion they are very diligent as in repairing to the Congregation hearing the Word receiuing of the Sacraments and the like But looke on them in those things which concerne men and there you shall finde them exceedingly faulty being vnmercifull vniust and vnrighteous in their dealings Certainly the religion of these men is in vaine their best seruices doe stinke in Gods nostrils when righteousnesse towards man is wanting Let all such as are in the place of iustice for to them this is especially intended aduisedly consider of this and beware how they turne iudgement into gall and wormewood as Amos speakes and the fruit of righteousnesse into hemlocke I would such would often put Iobs question to their soule What shall I doe when God riseth vp and when he visiteth what shall I answer him It would be a good meanes to make them take vp his practise Not to with-hold from the poore his desire nor cause the eies of the widow to faile not to lift vp their hand against the fatherlesse though they saw their helpe in the gate and might doe it vndiscerned Yea let vs all consider this and endeuour to bee conscionably iust and vpright in our dealings betweene man and man When the question is made to God what manner of men should dwell in his Tabernacle and rest in his holy Mountaine i. which should haue a good estate here and an habitation in heauen for euermore he describeth them by their innocent and harmlesse behauiour towards their brethren He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart Certainly hee regardeth that worke very much which hee rewardeth with such and so great wages And hee is well pleased with that