with the coelestial influence of his graces and blessings that wee may bring forth the fruits of faith piety and all other christian vertues and fruits worthy of repentance Luk. 3. 8. And this he worketh by the means and faithfull diligence of his ministers preachers of his word for they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some way or other labourers with God in this husbandry Ye are saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods husbandry wee are Dei cooperarij we together are Gods labourers Their office the Apostle setteth downe Improue rebuke exhort And all this by the grace of God which worketh in vs both the will and the deed who hath ordeined vs that we shold bring forth fruit 2. Wee haue here a strong motiue of thankfulnes to our louing God for this his fatherly care of his Church which gratitude the Lord expecteth at our hands which wee must manifest in bringing forth good fruit We should resemble the good ground saith Seneca quae vno accepto dat centū which rendreth an hundred for one it receiueth God soweth his seed plentifully requireth of vs a plentifull haruest For euen as wee seeke fruit of the ground whereon we bestow our seed curse hat ground which yeeldeth no recōence so God requires but the fruit of obedience piety and holy conuersation which if we yeeld not we are subiect to the curse Heb. 6. 7. For the earth which drinketh in the raine that cometh oft vpon it and bringeth forth hearbes meete for them by whom it is dressed receiueth a blessing of God but that which beareth thornes and bryars is reproued and neere vnto cursing whose end is to be burned And I would to God that cursed fruit were not found amongst vs mentioned Deut. 32. vers 32. Their vine is the vine of Sodome and of the vines of Gomorah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters bee bitter Adest dominus qui fructum expectat facundos viuificat steriles damnat Amb super Luk. 3. The Lord is present which respecteth fruit the fruitfull he quickeneth the barren he condemneth Surely there is no sinne that more displeaseth God then ingratitude for benefites The first sinne wherewith the Prophet Esay by Gods commanddement vpbraided the people of the Iewes was vnthankfulnesse for so many benefites receiued For thus he beginneth his prophesie Heare O heauens and hearken O earth For the Lord hath said I haue nourished and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people haue not vnderstood Esay 1. verse 2. 3. As the memory of no vertue is more firme then of a benefite receiued so scarce is there any vice worse then ingratitude Among the Romanes if a bondslaue were set free and afterwards found to bee iustly taxed of ingratitude it was lawfull for this fault to reuoke his libertie againe and to retaine him in his former seruitude Wee wonder at monsters as repugnant to nature as are the Centaurs Satyres a man with foure heades and such like but wee wonder not at Dogges Wolues Foxes Hares Cats c. because their forme and proportion is agreeable to nature So we maruel not at other vices which proceed of our frailty and are incident to our naturall corruption though we loath them as gluttony drunkennesse lust wrath enuy c. and such other damnable vices but ingratitude as an odious monster an vnnaturall vice a prodigious exorbitant all good men detest and wonder at For as it is a thing naturall amantem redamare to repay loue for loue because loue is onely requited with reciprocall loue So it is a monstrous thing not to loue againe and shew our selues vnthankful to our louing God who is such an infinite benefactor to mankinde The very Ethnikes and Paganes shall rise in iudgement against Christistians and condemne them for their ingratitude towards God When the Tarentines were besieged of the Romanes and were in danger through famine to yeeld themselues and their Cittie into the hands of their enemies the Rhegians ordeining a feast euery tenth day sent reliefe vnto the Tarentines for which benefite when they were deliuered from the Romanes and in memory of their former misery they instituted an yearely feast which they called Ieiunum saith Aelianus variae hist lib. 5. Prophane histories are full of such like examples And is it not a shame that Ethnikes and men without God in the world should condemne Christians of ingratitude and that the sparkles and darke glimse of reason and honesty should worke more with them then the light of faith and bright beames of piety can preuaile with vs Whoso is thankfull for small benefites receiued deserueth to receiue greater of his friend and God hateth ingratitude not so much for his owne as for our sakes because t doth as it were close vp Gods hands of liberality and turneth his face from vs. For the hope of the vnthankfull shall melt as the winter yee and flowe away as vnprofitable waters saith the wise man VVisdome 16. 29. Qui grate beneficium accipit primam eius pensionem soluit Hee that thankfully receiueth a benefite hath made the first requital saith Seneca Nothing did more winne the loue of Augustus Caesar to Furnius and made him facile and willing to grant other thinges vnto him then that when hee had obtained pardon for his Father who tooke part with Anthonie hee said Haec vna O Ceasar abs te mihi facta est iniuria effecti vt viuerem morerer ingratus This onely iniury O Caesar thou hast done mee in that thou makest mee liue and dye as an vnthannkefull man Signifying that so great was this benefite that hee was insufficient euer to requite it Eraesmus Apophth lib. 7. Take wee heede therefore brethren of this barbarous sin of ingratitude towards God Thirdly all Pastours are here taught by this example of Christ who spake vnto the people by easie and familiar parables and similitudes studiously and wisely to frame their Sermons according to the capacity of the people and not to affect a a strange stile and phrase of speech or to vse verbis sesquipedalibus as Eusebius Libr 4. Cap. 11. writeth of the Marcionites high and loftie words For nihil frigidius doctore qui verbis duntaxat philosophatur Neque enim hoc doctoris sed hystrionis est saith Chrysostome Homil. 1. Act. 1. Nothing is more cold and foolish then that Teacher which disputeth onely in words neither is it the part of a Teacher but rather of a player And verbis ludere apud imperitū vulgus admirationē sui facere indoctorū hominū est Hier. in Epist ad Neop By playing and dallying in words to bring the vnlearned people in admiration of him is the property of ignorant and vnskilfull men Far otherwise did the Apostle Paul which came
of euill custome they still proceede in their sinfull courses The enemy all this while is spreading his net he knoweth his oportunity now is the time hee may most preuaile he entreth thy house like a theefe when thou sleepest Blessed therefore saith the Spirit of God is hee that watcheth and keepeth his garments least he walke naked and men see his filthinesse Apoc. 16. 15. Consider beloued and with a carefull heart consider that none were excluded from the mariage of the bridegrome the heauenly ioyes but such as were not prepared which slept and wanted oyle in their lampes Math. 25. If those seruants bee blessed as the Lord witnesseth whom the Lord when hee cometh shall finde waking Luke 12. 37. Then surely cursed most wretched shall he be whom the Lord shall finde sleeping secure and carelesse If thou wilt not watch I will come vpon thee as a Theefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come vpon thee saith the Spirit of God Apoc. 3. 3. As the bird is hardly taken wich is flying and in motion but when she sitteth shee is in most danger so the aduersary catcheth none but such as are negligent and carelesse of their soules As the sweet waters are euer in motion and running so the standing waters are neither sweet nor holsome and ingender nothing but hurtfull and poysosoned things In a forsaken house where none doe inhabite vncleane beasts increase as rats mice serpents Beasts which lye long on the ground and walke not they say loose their hooffes The birds which sit long in their nests loose their feathers And it is a prouerbe Priuilegio non vtentes vel abutentes perduni illud A priuiledge may be lost by not vsing or abusing it So he falleth from Gods grace is depriued of the good seede easily admitteth the tares of wicked desires which sleepeth is idle and negligent to keepe carefull watch ouer his soule Now for how many causes this spirituall negligence is dangerous let vs briefly vnfold Hee that is to make a long iourney and the time short hee cometh not to his iourneyes end except he keepe continuall walking We are all trauelling towards heauen our eternall country the way is long because many temptations and difficulties are to bee ouercome many good deeds are to bee done in the worke of the Lord many euils are to bee suffered in the way before wee come thither Our time is the time of this life which is very short but a moment a vapour a thing of nothing instans est momentum est ictus oculi est but an instant a moment the twinckling of an eye yea the time wherein wee liue which is but the present time is so short and fleeting that it cannot bee circumscribed Why then are we carelesse why loyter we why sleepe wee in the way why are we so negligent in our iourney Againe when a man is expected and looked for of his Lord it is not meete that hee should make haste be carefull and vigilant but all the Saints of God yea God himselfe expecteth vs in our heauenly countrye If a man bee inuited of a great man to a feast were hee not worthy iustly to be blamed if he should linger by the way and come too late were hee not in danger that coming out of season bee should bee excluded and shut out But our Sauiour calleth vs all to his great Supper the banquet of eternall glory the euerlasting feast of all blessednesse and shall wee shewe our selues carelesse and not rather hasten with all alacrity and cheerefulnesse of heart Againe when there are many impediments in the way either because it is hard to finde or infested with Theeues and such like difficulties is it not meete that the Traueller should walk so much the more warily and expeditely But in the way towards heauen are many temptations many diuels lye in waite many difficulties laid before vs let vs therefore cast away all sleepe and negligence and speedily go forward in the way of eternal life If thou shouldest haue a friend who kindely should offer thee his friendly helpe and meanes to escape any imminent perill shouldest thou not greatly offend such a friend in neglecting these meanes But God freely offereth his grace and holy spirit to all that by faithfull and feruent prayer craue the same at his handes by which meanes we may assuredly escape all perils obiected in the way of saluation Lastly hee that omitteth the oportunate time allotted him for the obtaining of any thing doth not he deserue grieuously to bee taxed of great negligence Fronte capillata post est occasio calua Occasion hath long locks before but is bald behinde to teach vs not to slip the present occasion least being past we can take no hold to pull it backe againe And this life is the time that God hath in mercy giuen vs to worke in The night of death cometh when no man can worke Ioh 9. 4. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of saluatiō 2. Cor. 6. 2 Let vs therfore watch and be sober 1. Thes 5. 6. For while men slept the enemy came and sowed tares saith this text Thirdly I obserue in that it is said this enemy of mankinde watched his oportunity to sow his tares while men slept That our owne negligence and security giueth the diuell aduantage and victory ouer vs for not by his owne power but through our slothfull carelesnesse he sowed tares among the wheate Therefore saith S. Iames Resist the deuill and hee will flye from you Iamees 4. If any man by his aduersary should be called into the law and bee in danger not onely of his goods but also of his life the which aduersary hath no power of himselfe but is such a one that if he resist and oppose himselfe against him hee is easily vanquished Who is so mad so blockish and slothfull as not no resist and stoutly withstand such an aduersary who is so sottish to feare such an enemy and to suffer himselfe to be ouercome but such an aduersary is the diuell by his temptations and suggestions hee laboureth to bring vs to the barre and tribunall of Gods seuere iustice but if we hold vp the shield of faith the sword of the spirit which is the word of God the breast-plate of righteousnesse continuall and deuoute prayers c. and other parts of our Christian panoplie mentioned Ephes 6. like a dastard he betaketh him to his heeles and flyeth from vs. It is therefore our owne fault and negligent slothfulnes that we are ouercome that he soweth his tares in the field of our soule And therefore the Apostle Peter saith to Ananias Acts 5. 3. VVhy hath Sathan filled thine heart He doth not say why did Sathan tempt thee for that is his perpetual practise but why diddest thou giue way to him why didst thou suffer him to enter in and to fill
expressed in these words ver 15. And your feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace The metaphor is thus They that go to the warres prouide themselues of good bootes and shooes and with them do fence and arme their legges and feete from the cold wet and stripes of their enemies and that they may bee the more prompt and ready to fight So the Christian Souldier should arme the feete of his minde with these spirituall shooes to wit readinesse in all places to confesse and if we be called of God to preach the Gospell to all men It is called the Gospell of peace because it preacheth reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ and because by the name peace among the Hebrues are signified all felicity and all good things and the Gospell bringeth all happinesse vnto vs. And aboue all take the Shield of Faith wherewith yee may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Here is the fourth part of the spirituall armour In the warre ye know that the shield is necessary with which the whole body is couered the strokes repelled and the darts receiued if a man knoweth in battell how to vse it And in our spirituall fight the shield of faith is most necessary aboue all the rest but to what end The Apostle addeth wherewith ye may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked that is of the Diuell When hee saith fiery darts he alludeth to the ancient manner for in old time as it is yet in vse among the Indians and other barborous nations they were wont to cast their darts infected with poison against their enemies by which the bodies of the wounded were so inflamed that they might hardly bee cured The darts of the Diuell are all temptations and his tares wherewith hee laboureth to draw vs vnto all manner of sinnes against which wee pray in the Lords prayer And leade vs not into temptations but deliuer vs from euil They are called fiery because they are dangerous and deadly if they bee admitted and do easily kindle the heart vnto infinite sinnes so that it cannnot easily bee cured for one sinne inflameth the heart vnto another as drunkennesse to wantonnesse wantonnesse to murther We see in Dauid who for the loue of Bathshaba he deuised how to slay her innocent husband Vrias 2. Sam 11. The darts of the Diuell therefore are indeed fiery but they are quenched with a sound faith in Christ Iesu VVhom resist strong in the faith saith the Apostle Peter And Saint Iohn This is the victory that ouercometh the world euen our Faith 1. Ioh. 5. 4. Heere wee see that all temptations of the Diuell are as artificiall fires more to bee feared then all the fires or fireworkes in the world which if they enter once into our hearts they kindle a most deadly fire Marke but them that are wounded with malice or wrath doe they not burne with a desire to bee reuenged And those whose hearts auarice hath seized how they are inflamed with a desire to haue all Those who once are pierced with the flames of fornication and whooredome doe wee not see how they burne to haue their fill of their most infamous filthy and inordinate lusts Those who are inflamed with anger and wrath doe they not cast out fire out of their mouthes their eyes do sparkle their nosthrils smoake their mouthes breath out fiery threatnings and rayling speeches And those who are caried away with ambition desire of honour or vaine-glory c. But if thou say that thou neuer didst feele any paine but rather pleasure in thy passions how then can they bee so fiery I answer so much the worse is it with thee for this argueth thy wound to be incurable when thou art past feeling and that this fire wil draw vnto it another to wit the fire of Gods wrath and heauy displeasure which will precipitate and throw thee downe headlong into the fire of hell They then that yeelde and are ouercome with these fiery darts of Sathan shew plainly that they are destitute of this impenetrable shield of Faith wherewith we may easily driue backe and extinguish all his fiery darts on which side soeuer they be For if by faith wee haue feeling of Gods fauour and loue towards vs and are fully assured that he will be a good and mercifull father vnto vs then his loue which is kindled in our hearts by faith his spirit which he hath giuen vs doth cause vs to hate abhor and detest all euill and strongly resist temptations Next he cometh to the Helmet Take the Helmet of saluation vers 17. It is called Galea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of saluation â—er metonimiam because it bringeth saluation or is salutaâ—is holsome for it defendeth the head But what this spirituall Helmet is the Apostle teacheth 1. Thess 5. 8. Putting on the hope of saluation for an helmet The Diuell by all meanes laboureth to bring vs to desperation for then hee thinketh himselfe sure of vs. The Apostle therefore willeth that euen as in earthly battels Souldiers couer their head with an Helmet So we should fortifie our heart and minde against all the insults of the Diuell with a sure hope of eternall saluation obtained freely for vs by Christ without our merites And most certain it is that there is no kinde of temptation which may not be ouercome if we hold fast the most certaine hope of eternall saluation and therefore Rom. 8. We are saued by hope They that despaire of the victory fight no more but yeeld themselues into the hands of the enemy as they that conceiue an assured hope of the victory fight couragiously and strongly And as the Helmet or head-peece is very necessary for him that is in the brunt of battell among so many arrrowes and shot which flye on euery side for without the same hee should quickly bee wounded and slaine So is hope most necessary for vs which is the companion of patience to withstand and beate backe all the assaults of Sathan For the assurance of saluation that wee haue promised vnto vs in Christ doth make vs inuincible in this fight Take heede therefore brethren that in any case the diuell shake not our hope of saluation in Iesus Christ but still let vs go armed with this Helmet that wee bee not wounded by this enemy Vita vitae mortalis spes est vitae immortalis saith Saint Augustine The life of our mortall life is the hope of the life immortall Spes animum in aeternitatem erigit idcirco nulla mala exterius quae tolerat sentit Greg. Hope erecteth our minde into eternity and therefore it feeleth no euils which it outwardly suffereth The sixth part of this spirituall armour is the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Now hee cometh to describe that part of armour wherewith we must strike and expel the enemy from vs as are Sword Speares Gunnes c.
SATHANS Sowing Season By William Est Minister and Preacher of Gods word in Bydeford 1 PET. 5. 8. Bee sober and watch for your aduersary the Diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for Richard Bonian and are to bee sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Floure de Luce. 1611. CLARISSIMO ET OMNIBVS VERAE NOBILITATIS ORNAMENTIS HONORATISSIMO DYNAstae Domino Guilielmo Comiti Bathoniensi bonarum Literarum verbi diuini Proeconum Patrone singulari GVILIELMVS ESTVS HVNCSVVM LIBELLVM IN GRATI ANImi testimonium dedicat consecratque To the Christian Reader IT is not long ago courteous Reader that I handled the same subiect in substance as in this succeeding Treatise in my Booke intituled The Scourge of Security or the expulsion and returne of the vncleane spirit which after it passed the perusing of some of my learned and sincere friends they wished that I had beene more copious and sharpe then therin I was in scourging the carnall security that is so farre spread abroade in all sorts in this pampering and selfe louing age Which sparingnesse in reprouing I haue in this following discourse in part amended according to my simple and single talent not hiding it in the earth or keeping it to my selfe but opening it to thy view and desiring the exchange of thy feruent and faithfull prayers for this my well wishing to thy saluation and that it may at the generall account be returned to him that first gaue it with increase of true zeale and knowledge both in thee and me And I humbly pray that I who reproue this sinne of security in thee which is the open gap to let in all thy spiritual enemies into thy body soule may my selfe flye it and thereby bee the more carefull how wee displease so gracious a God and grieue so louing a Father as we haue in heauen Thine in the Lord WILLIAM ESTH SATHANS Sowing Season MAT. 13. 24. vnto ver 39. The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a man which sowed good seed in his field c. THIS parable consisteth in genere didascalico for instruction doctrine painting out the estate of the Church militant in this life in which the good and the euill the wicked and the godly are mixed together and suffered vntill the end of the world when they shall for euer be separated by the Lord. The whole may bee reduced in general into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proposition and application The proposition is contained in the whole pericope of the parable the application is added by Christ himselfe from ver 36. vnto vers 44. But more fully and particularly all may be distinguished into these foure heads or members The first expresseth with what prouident care this heauenly householder watcheth ouer his Church in manuring tilling and dressing the field thereof and in sowing the seede of all vertues therein verse 24. The second sheweth the wonderfull industry and subtilty of the enemy of mankinde in seeking and labouring by all meanes to worke our destruction by sowing in our hearts the poysoned and noysome seede of all iniquity and the fit oportunity hee watcheth for the effecting therof v. 25 The third containeth a question with an admiration of the seruants about the plucking vp of the same v. 27. The fourth expresseth the answere concerning the time when God shall separate and diuide the good from the euill and the different state of them both vers 29. and 30. Euery part thereof I will for your better edification explane and apply by a seuerall Protasis and Apodosis and afterward set downe the obseruations and doctrines Now for the first part the Protasis or proposition is thus Euen as a man that soweth good seede in his field and vseth all meanes that it may fructifie and bring forth good fruites Apod So Christ the sonne of man soweth in his Church the good seede of his word that it may bring forth good fruit to the ioyfull haruest of eternall life that he may purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes Tit. 2 14. And herein is the Father glorified that ye beare much fruite and become my Disciples saith our Sauiour Io. 15. By the kingdome of heauen is vnderstood the state of the Church militant in this life for all things which are spoken in this parable are expresly said of Christ to go before the time of haruest or of the end of the world It is called the kingdome of heauen by a metaphor taken from an earthly kingdome because God by the preaching of the Cospell beginneth his kingdome in the hearts of men which is within vs Luk. 17. 12 is righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Romans 14. 17. Secondly hee is compared vnto a man sowing good seed in his field This is the Sonne of man verse 37. that is Christ who is called the Son of man Psal 8. 4. Dan. 7. 13. because hee is the onely begotten Sonne of God from all eternity very God who in time tooke flesh of the virgin Mary and was made man Thirdly the field is the world where per metonymiam subiecti are vnderstood the men liuing in the world Againe by a Synecdochen generis pro specie not promiscually euery man but the Church to whom the Gospell is preached is signified Fourthly the good seede are the children of the kingdome vers Ibid. that is the faithfull and elect which are called here the good seede per metonymiam effecti for the instrumentall cause because by the word of God that immortall seede they are borne anew 1. Pet. 1. 23. and are made the sonnes of God Ioh. 1. 12. And they are called the children of the kingdome because in this life by faith they enioy the kingdome of grace and the benefites thereof and in the life to come they shall be heires of the kingdome of glory First we here learne in this the Lords husbandry that our heart by nature is that barren and vnfruitful field which bringeth forth nothing but the thorns brambles and weeds of vices For it is euill from his youth Gen. 8. which drinketh iniquity like water Iob. 15. in it dwelleth no good Rom. 7. 18. out of it proceede murthers adulteries fornications thefts slanders c. which defile the man Matth. 15. 19. But Christ is the good husbandman which soweth the good seed in the field of our soules maketh it grow and increase therein 1. By plowing and turning vp this spirituall field when hee stirreth vp in our minds the knowledge of our sins rooteth vp the thornes brambles of vices by the preaching of the law 2. He dungeth and dresseth the same when with the sweet shower and heauenly dew of his Gospell hee reuiueth our hearts nourisheth vs with his holy spirit and irrigateth and watereth vs