but the God of Israel yet desired he to be tollerated in one point that when he went with his Maister into the house of Rimmon and when his Maister leaned on his hand and he did bowe as his Maister and others did the Lord would be mercifull vnto him therein Though he misliked that idolatry in his heart yet because he could not enioy his gainefull place and office vnder his Maister vnles in that point he dissembled he for his gaine would in outward behauiour ioyne with others in that idolatrous worship he would be a Proselyte so farre as it might stand with his worldly commoditie but no further And the reason was because worldly lustes were not then mortified in his heart Iudas had diuers commendable things in him otherwise Christ would neuer haue chosen him to be one of the twelue he heard his sermons liued a long time ciuilly and preached the Gospell to others yet because couetousnes did still raigne in his heart for money he betrayed his Maister That rich yong man which came to Christ to knowe the way to eternall life had so kept the commandements for outward actes as Christ loued him yet because his corrupt affections were onely kept vnder and not killed he left Christ and had rather breake his commandement then leaue his owne wealth Herod as you heard did many things which Iohn Baptist taught yet because the word was not powerfull in his heart to mortifie his sinfull lustes he would not breake off his incest nor put away his brothers wife If you suffer the like affections to abide in your hearts your obedience will be no better You see by experience that corne growing among thornes is neither so much nor so good as that which groweth in other ground And that it might haue bene more and also better in the same ground if the thornes before the sowing had bene ridde vp Doe not then imagine that your obedience can either be plentifull or acceptable so long as these inordinate affections be harboured in your hearts Knowe this that though other affections be suppressed yet so long as these beare sway in you so long as they doe hinder you in good and prouoke you vnto euill you are not mortified by the spirit of sanctification for mortification is a change and reformation not of part onely but of the whole nature of man yea of all the faculties of the soule and of all the affections of the heart he that is washed saith Christ is cleane euery whit And will God accept of any fruites that come from an heart not sanctified Wherefore purge your hearts from these lustes And be willing to yeeld obedience as well to those commandements which seeme hard and vnpleasant vnto you as vnto those that be more easie and delightfull For this is not thanksworthy to obey those commandements which doe nothing crosse your worldly profits and carnall pleasures but herein is your dutifulnes especially seene if you be content to forgoe your profit and abridge your selues of your pleasures that so you may keepe the commandements of the Lord. Moreouer if those which bring forth such fruites as these be condemned what shal we say of them that be worse then these that bring forth very little or no fruit at all which heare much and practise almost nothing who receiue Gods seede into their hearts but bring forth the diuells fruits in their liues We haue many such hearers as the Prophet Ezekiel had the people came vnto him and sate before him and heard his words yet would not do them but with their mouthes made iestes and their hearts went after their couetousnes Let such knowe that not the hearers but the doers of the lawe are iustified And that they who be hearers onely and not doers of the word deceiue their owne soules To shew their folly and their daunger Christ compared them to a foolish man which built his house vpon the sand The raine fell the floods came and the windes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell and the fall thereof was great Iames likeneth them to a man that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse and when he hath considered himselfe goeth his way and forgetteth immediatly what maner of one he was They doe not onely lose their labour and reward but likewise prouoke the LORD to wrath and procure fearefull iudgements against themselues Their punishment shall be more grieuous then if they had neuer heard Christ shall say to them which heard him preach in their Cities and would not obey him Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not And hee sayd of the Iewes to whom he preached If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne The Ministers which haue preached vnto them shall one day be witnesses against them and their Sermons shall be so many billes of inditement against them As it is an haynous thing in the Ministers to say and not doe so is it also an haynous thing in the people to heare and not do yet are many of our people faultie this way There is no sinne forbidden but they may often heare it condemned by the word As the filthy sinnes of Whordome the beastlie crime of Drunkennesse the prophane sinne of Swearing the impious sinnes of polluting the Lords Sabboth the vncharitable sins of Iniustice fraude and oppression the malitious sinnes of rayling backbyting and slaundering and yet the people will not forsake them But like the presumptuous Iewes they steale murther commit adulterie sweare falslie and practise other sinnes and yet will come and stand before the Lord in the house where his Name is called vpon There be no duties of the first or second Table which they owe to God or man but they are often taught them and yet they doe as carelesly omit them as if they neuer heard them They content themselues with bare and idle hearing as if that were all which God requires as if that were sufficient to saue their soules Oh remember you what Christ sayth If yee know these things blessed are yee if you doe them Though you heare them neuer so often though you know them neuer so well yet are you not blessed except you doe them Would it not greatly discontent you to send your seruants each yeere to sow your fieldes with the best seede and yet after many yeres sowing to reape no croppe but to lose both labour and cost And doe you thinke that the Lord will bee well pleased to send his Ministers from yeere to yeere to sow the good seede of his holy word among you and yet after many yeeres labour to reape no fruit at all The Apostle teacheth that the land which drinketh in the rayne and bringeth forth fruit for them by whom it is dressed conceiueth blessing from God but that which beareth thornes and bryars is reproued and is neere
obey it If your hearts be set on wealth it will so deceiue you that no sinne can be gainefull but you will be ready to practise it and no dutie bring any damage but you shall neglect it Is not the desire of money the roote of all euill What makes some to lye in their bargayning some to sweare vainely falsly some to vse fraude and cousonage some to oppresse and wrong others but an immoderate desire of riches This is the very spawne of all sinne in vniust dealing therefore learne to moderate it Doth not Christ say that he who loueth father or mother sonne or daughter wife or children or his owne life more then me is vnworthy of me hee cannot be my Disciple And is he worthy of him or can be his Disciple who loueth lands liuing wealth and riches better then him Doth not hee say If any man loue me hee will keepe my word Those then that transgresse his word for their owne aduantage and sinne against him to get to keepe or to encrease their riches doe they not loue their riches better then him 2. Be content to employ your riches as the word directeth you You are but Stewards of your riches the Lord is the owner and wil one day call you to giue an account for your Stewardship you must not therefore vse them as you list but as he will how he would haue you to vse them he teacheth you by his word Wherefore make the word your Counsellour in all your dealings Doe not get your wealth by any other meanes then the word alloweth doe not keepe it any longer then the word permitteth and doe not otherwise bestow it or spend it then the word approueth Then cannot your riches hinder but will rather further your obedience the vse of them will be a practise of the word 3. Account the word of God and the graces and blessings conueyed vnto thee thereby greater riches and more precious Iewels then all the wealth of the world Know that godlinesse as the Apostle teacheth is great gaine Be of Pauls minde who thought all things but losse for the excellēt knowledge sake of Christ Iesus our Lord for whom hee counted all things losse and did iudge them to be dung that hee might winne Christ. As the soule is more excellent then the body and as heauen is more excellent then the earth so those thinges whith belong to the soule and come from heauen are more excellent then those things which belong to the body and come from the earth If thou doe so esteeme of them thou wilt not suffer the wealth of the world to hinder thee of them If thou canst not enioy both together thou wilt rather forgoe wealth then the word The want of this due estimation causeth riches to be an hinderance to many They thinke too highly of worldly wealth but too basely of Gods word and his graces and therefore had rather get and keepe ther wealth then obey thé word and increase in grace 4. Pray earnestly vnto God that he would giue thee grace to vse riches aright euen for the glory of his Name for the good of thine owne soule and for the benefit of others Say vnto the Lord with Dauid Encline my heart to thy testimonies and not to couetousnesse for thy heart cannot be enclined to both together Pray thus before thou come to hear pray thus after thou hast heard And in all thy dealings of the world pray to God to plucke these thornes out of thy heart lest they hinder thee in the obedience of his word The more thou prayest thus the lesse shall the deceitfulnes of riches hinder thee 5. Though thou abound in wealth yet be not proud but be as lowly and humble as if thou liued in want for GOD resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble Paul would not haue commaunded Timothie to charge rich men that they be not high minded vnlesse there were some danger that way They are in danger of being proud and when they are proud they are in danger of disobedience for proude men will despise the word and will thinke scorne to be taught their dutie and to be reproued for their faults by a poore Minister and will no further obey the word then they thinke it may stand with their credit and honour Know that God is no respecter of persons the poore may be as acceptable to him as the rich he more respecteth mans disposition and behauiour then his outward estate If thou be poore be not dismayed if rich be not proud Lastly if riches deceiue men and hinder them in the obedience of the word let not the poorer sort alwaies follow the example of rich men Their riches doeth often choake the worde which they heare so as it taketh no effect in their hearts nor yeeldeth any fruit in their liues If then the poorer sort will doe as they doe they will prooue vnprofitable hearers In worldlie matters the poorer sort will follow them no further then serueth for their present profite If the rich should sow among thornes and reape a course croppe of corne at haruest through ill husbandry the poore will not be drawne by their example to vse the like ill husbandry nor bee content to reape the like croppe but whatsoeuer the other doe they will be carefull to dresse their ground after the best manner and seeke to make the best profite of that little lande which they occupie And why then should they imitate their ill husbandry in spirituall and heauenly thinges If in Christs time and the Adostles time the poore had beene led by the example of the rich very few had embraced the Gospell many of them did receiue it though most of the rich did reiect it Consider this that their example will not excuse you before God your meane estate hath least impediments The wise man desired God to giue him neither riches nor pouertie but to feed him with foode conuenient lest being full hee should deny GOD or beeing poore should steale and take Gods Name in vaine And therfore as ground without thornes yeeldeth greater increase then that which is ful of thornes So you who be of middle and meane estate should performe greater obedience then those that be exceeding rich or very poore The third and last thing that as a thorne choaketh the word is voluptuous liuing or the pleasures of this life Though Mathew omit this yet Marke mentioneth it as well as this Euangelist and calleth it The lusts of other things or lusts about other things This differeth from the former for men may be rich and yet enioy no pleasure Salomon sayde hee saw this euill vnder the Sunne and it was much among men A man to whom God had giuen riches and treasures and honour and wanted nothing for his soule of all that it desired but God gaue him no power to eate thereof but a strange man shall eate it vp This is
disposition of their hearts And therefore a maried person hearing in a better manner and receiuing the word with a better heart then a virgine then a widowe shall bring forth more fruites of the word and receiue more benefite by his hearing 3. Againe God will neither respect nor reward any for their outward estates and conditions but for the right vse of them and for their good cariage and godly behaulour in them And therefore Augustine said Mâ—lior est maritata humilis quam virgo superba An humble maried woman is better then a proud virgin And Cyril compared virgins which had chastitie of body without puritie of minde without grace in the heart and obedience in their liues vnto those fiue foolish virgins that had lampes without oyle and were not suffered to enter into the bridegromes wedding chamber And Augustine preferred maried martyrs before chaste virgins But to leaue them with their absurd collection and to come to the doctrine here entended by Christ we are here taught that many may heare the word of God together and all be profitable hearers and all be saued by their hearing yet all doe not profite alike nor bring forth the same fruites of obedience in their liues but some fewer some more according as their hearts are prepared and according as it pleaseth the Lord to bestowe his graces Yea though they all heare one and the same man and the same sermons and one heare as often as another yet may one be more plentifull in the fruites of the word then is another All furrowes of the same land doe not bring forth an equall number of eares and all eares of the same furrowe doe not beare an equall number of graines but some more some lesse as it pleaseth the Lord to giue an encrease The consideration whereof serueth for the instruction of all sorts of good hearers whatsoeuer measure of fruits they doe bring forth 1. First this may comfort those good hearers who profite not so much in hearing as some others doe doe not attaine to such a measure of knowledge nor are able to yeelde such aboundance of fruite as others doe If theyr hearts bee holy and good if they doo all of Faith and sinceritie and desire to bring forth more fruites God will account them profitable Hearers and accept of theyr obedience And the Worde which they heare shall saue theyr soules As Husbandmen are glad of all Eares which haue Corne in them though some bee longer some shorter some containe more graines some contayne fewer yet will they gather all into the Barne So God doth accept of all persons that bring foorth the fruites of the word and will bring to Heauen as well those that haue lesser as those that haue more fruits Such is his Mercie and Bountie that although hee requyre the same measure of all yet finding difference among them because of the diuersitie of his grace hee doth so receyue the first and the best as hee doth not refuse the second and middle-sorte nor yet reiect the last and least Vnder the Lawe there were some Sacrifices cheaper some more costly If men or womeÌ„ by reason of theyr pouertie were not able to offer the better the Lord was coÌ„tent to take the meaner And therefore CHRIST commended the pore widdowes two mytes aboue all the great gifts which rich men cast into the treasurie And vnder the Gospell the Seruant which receyued two Talents and by employment made them foure was commended and rewarded of his Maister as well as he that had receiued fiue and made them tenne And they that wrought but one houre in the Vineyard receiued the same penny at night with them that had borne the heate and burden of the day Wherefore let not thyne owne penurie and other mens plentie of fruite dismay thee but consider That if thou practise what thou knowest doest as many good workes as the Lord doth enable thee and art willing and desirous to doe more if ability were afforded and occasion offered thou art a good hearer and mayest goe to heauen with those that farre exceede thee in the number of their fruites Yet let not any take occasion hereby to be more backward and sparing in their fruits as if a small quantitie would serue the turne All of vs ought to striue to bring forth abundance yea each yeere more then other Those which be planted in the house of the Lord do flourish and bring forth in their olde age It is to be feared that he who desireth to be no better is not good at all and he that desireth to bring forth no more fruites bringeth forth none at all that be good Let them vnderstand that none bring forth such store of fruit as they ought And that he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally God will crowne his owne gifts in vs. The more fruits they beare heare the more glorie shall they enioy in heauen Let them therefore striue to abound more more in all good fruits knowing that this consolation belongeth not to the which will not abound with more though they might but onely to those which would abound with more and cannot being hindered by their infirmities or through want of abilitie and opportunitie In them GOD will take the will for the deede and will no lesse reward them then those who hauing more meanes and better abilitie haue brought forth more fruits 2. Lastly this diuersitie of fruit in good hearers may teach them that bee more plentifull in hearing them then others be not to be proud of theÌ„selues nor to despise those that bring forth fewer for both of them are reckoned in the number of good and profitable hearers They which bring forth some lesser fruits may haue good hearts may be iustified may be sanctified may be in fauour with God and at last enter into heauen as wel as thou who aboundest with more Paul laboured more abundantly then all the Apostles and suffered more then any of them And therefore farre more then any common Christian. Though toward his end the remembrance therof did much comfort him so as he could say I haue fought a good sight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is layde vp for me the Crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue vnto me at that day Yet hee addeth these words concerning his copartners in the reward And not onely vnto mee but vnto all them also that loue his appearing Because many others who came short of him in the abundance of labours and sufferings should be crowned as well as he Dost thou surpasse others in the multitude of fruites be not high minded doe not despise them for what hast thou which thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou of it as if thou hadst not receiued it If thou abound more then others thou mayst
A PLAINE AND PROFITAble Exposition of the Parable of the Sower and the Seede Wherein is plainly set forth the difference of hearers both good and bad To which is added a learned answer to the Papists in diuers points of Controuersie betweene vs and them the heads whereof are set downe in the pages following Luke 8. 18. Take heede how yee heare LONDON Printed for William Bladen and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible at the great North-doore of Pauls 1625. SECT 1. 2. THe word written and the word preached both one SECT 3. Nothing to be preached but what is written SECT 4 5. Of diuers kindes of faith SECT 6 7. Of iustifying faith SECT 8. Iustifying faith proper to the Elect. SECT 9. The faith of miracles SECT 10. The name of historicall faith SECT 11. The difference betwixt historicall and iustifying faith SECT 12. Of Temporary faith SECT 13. Whether Iustifying faith may bee lost SECT 14. Whether Peter lost his faith SECT 15. Of Virginitie and Mariage SECT 16. A friendly admonition to all ignorant Papists against the lies and falshoods of their Priests and lesuits TO THE MOSTREVEREND FATHER IN God George Lord Bishop of Chester RIght Reuerend When I first preached these Sermons I little thought to haue put them forth to publike view yet such hath bene the importunitie of some of my best hearers in mouing me to penne them or some others of my Sermons As I might haue bene thought vnkind and vncurteous if I had altogether denied that their godly and earnest request And the rather was I perswaded by them because it was hoped that the publishing of these might yeeld some benefite not onely to those persons who formerâ—… heard them but likewise to those who hereafter should reade them It is well knowne that the papists make small account of hearing Gods word preached they hope to be saued rather by sight then by hearing Though hearing be a dutie commanded by God exacted by the prophets Enioyned by Christ Required by the Apostles and practised by all good people Though it be an apparent signe of Gods Elect. An infallible marke of Christs sheepe A true note of Gods Saints An euident token of our spirituall kinred with Christ. A plaine testimonie of our happines A comfortable assurance of our perseuerance Though it be an ordinarie and effectuall meane of our conuersion of working faith of receiuing the spirit of obtaining fellowship with Christ and of enioying saluation in heauen And though the neglect and contempt of it hath bene and shall be seuerely punished Yet the papists little regard the word preached seldom will vouchsafe to heare it As they doe wilfully refuse to heare vs so doe they iudge it to be neither greatly necessarie nor much profitable to heare their owne teachers Moses was read and preached euery Sabboth in the Iewes Synagogues It was the custome of Christ and his Apostles to preach to the people in the Synagogues euery Sabboth day The ancientest of the fathers testifie that in their times the people heard a sermon each Lords day And diuers councills haue made decrees for the continuance of that custome in succeeding ages Yet the Romish prelates haue made it a precept of their Church that euery one shall see a masse on each Sabboth but will not make it a precept to heare a sermon each Sabboth As if the often sight of a masse were more necessarie and more profitable then the hearing of a sermon And as if the Sabboth were better sanctified and the peoples soules more edisied by the masse then by the preaching of the word As the priests are accustomed often to say masse but seldome to preach so the people for one sermon which they heare do see fortie or fifty masses Imitating that king who saw three masses each day but seldome heard any sermon And being admonished by Lewis king of FraÌ„ce that he must not bestow all lâ—s time on masses but sould oftner heare sermons answered that he had rather often see his Friend then heare one speaking of him though hee spake neuer so good thinges As if they might with their eyes see Christ corporally present in masses and could onely heare some talke of him at sermons Wherein as they doe most blasphemously preferre their owne inuented idoll before Gods most holy ordinance So doe they bewray their ignorance touching the necessitie and efficacie of the word preached If they would duely consider the scope and doctrine of this parable they might easily perceiue that the hearing of the word is as necessarily required for the direction of their liues and the saluation of their soules As the sowing of the ground with good seed is necessarily required of them that would reape a plentifull crop at haruest And that it is not the sight of their abhominable idoll but the reuerend hearing of Gods sacred word that must make them fruitfull in all good workes Againe wee cannot but acknowledge that the Lord hath sent many skilfull and painefull Husbandmen to sowe his sielde with vs who according to their office and dutie sow it in due season after a good maner and with the best seede And yet it yeeldeth litle fruite People heare much learne litle and practise lesse Which cannot be imputed to the want of good preaching but rather to the want of good hearing the fault is rather in the ground then in the sower or in the seede The seede is good and great store is sowne but the ground is barren The doctrine is sound and the maner of teaching prositable but the people heare amisse and so for want of good hearing loose the fruite of many good sermons because the profit of hearing dependeth on the maner of hearing A medicine sitly prescribed and rightly compounded looseth his vertue in curing the patients disease if it be not duly administred and orderly receiued We to our great griese loose our labour in preaching and the people to their great perill loose their labour in hearing because they heare amisse As therefore I was at first enduced to preach these sermons so was I afterward perswaded to penne them that by them the simpler sorte for whose sake onely I do now publish them might haue some plain direction how to heare for their profit There be some among vs who seeme to be of Iudas his minde and say quorsum perditio haec The pentions giuen by his maiestie for the maintenance of preachers in these popish partes might well be spared or else conuerted to other more necessarie vses what good doe they in the countrey Whom his Maiestie may answere And no doubt if he heard their murmuring speeches would answere them roundly as the Maister of the Vineyard answered the murmuring labourers Is it not lawfull for me to doe with mine owne as I will Is thine eye euill because
in this verse and the rest There were 4. sortes of grounds mentioned CHRIST sheweth that by them hee meant 4. sortes of hearers some good some bad Before wee come to speake of them seuerally and particularly we may note one thing in generall frō them all That as the same seed sowne in diuers kinds of ground doth not fructify in all alike in some it yeeldes little or no fruite at all in some both good and plentifull fruit So the same doctrine taught to diuers people doth not profit all alike It may profit some nothing at all others verie much Though seed bee neuer so good yet badnes of ground may spoyle it and cause the sower to lose both labour and cost Euen so though the doctrine wee teach bee neuer so good and profitable yet through the ill disposition of the hearers it may become vnfruitfull This seede doth fructify or not fructify according to the qualitie disposition of the ground into which it is cast If the ground be bad the seed perisheth if the ground be good it encreaseth And because some mens hearts be as a barren ground and other mens harts be as a fertile soile in some it yeeldeth no fruit at all in some it yeeldeth great abundance This difference may by seene in each mixt company and populous congregation to which wee preach It was found among Christs hearers it was founde among the Apostles hearers and may also be found among ours The consideration whereof serues for the instruction both of Preachers people 1. Of Preachers to comfort them and to encourage them in their labours when they see them vnprofitable vnto a great number Christ spake this Parable especially of him selfe and of his hearers He taught the true word of God in the best maner that might be yet did he not profite all his hearers he had 4. sorts whereof three were vnprofitable one onely was profitable The Disciple must not be better then his Master if hee be no worse let him be well content It doeth not a little grieue the Ministers of the Gospell to take great paines in teaching the truth and that in a good manner and yet see most of their hearers to receiue little or no profit at all but still remaine after many yeares teaching as ignorant as Popish and prophane as they were at the first Yet let them not be dismayed it was Christs owne case the fault is in the hearers not in the teachers God wil reward thee for thy paineful preaching though few doe profit by it Let not their fault hinder vs in our dutie but let vs instruct with meeknesse them that be contrarie minded prouing if any time God will giue them repentance They who be vnprofitable hearers now may proue profitable hereafter Till the time of bearing fruit doe come wee know not which will proue good ground which will proue bad 2. This also serueth for the instruction of hearers Seeing that these 3. kinds of bad grounds do paint out 3. sorts of bad hearers who neuer receiue profite to their soules by the word which they heare You must know that you may be receiuers of this heauenly seede You may be hearers of Gods most holy word and yet be neuer the better for it neuer come to heauen by it Three parts of Christs hearers were bad as appeareth by this Parable And he telleth vs that many shall say Wee haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes but he shall say I know you not depart from mee all yee workers of iniquitie And the Apostle saith We are to some the sauour of death vnto death and vnto others the sweete sauour of life vnto life Euery kinde of hearing will not saue your soules It must be good and profitable hearing with good hearts to vnderstand beleeue and obey what you heare Yea not onely they who wilfully refuse to heare but likewise they who heare vnprofitably stall bee damned And therefore as Christ afterward exhorteth you in this Chapter Take heede how you heare As many seeke and find not because they seeke amisse Many runne and obtaine not because they runne amisse Many aske and receiue not because they aske amisse So many doe heare and profite not because they heare amisse Some imagine that if they be no Recusants if they be no prophane contemners of the Word and Sacraments but repayre to the Church euery Sabboth day heare diuine Seruice Sermons orderly as by Law they are enioyned they are good Christians sure to bee saued But let thē know that they may do all these things yet not be saued They may offend in the manner of their hearing and then their case will be no better then if they heard not at all The Diuell is very subtill and this is one of his subtilties whereby he deceiueth many people to their perdition First he labours by all meanes if it be possible to keepe them from hearing because he knows it is Gods ordinance and is afrayde least it bee powerfull in them But if hee cannot keepe them backe from hearing he deceiueth them with this conceit that any kind of formall hearing will serue their turne But do not herein beleeue the father of lies beleeue Christ who is the way the life and the trueth He tels you that there be 3. sorts of hearers which shall not be saued onely one sort among 4. shal be saued And therefore examine your selues what kinde of hearers you bee and doe not cortent your selues with that hearing that shall not edifie your soules Now let vs come to the seuerall kinds in particular And first let vs see who are they which receiue the seede on the high-way Some hearers are compared to such ground You know that if Land lye by the high-way side or an high-way lye through the middest of a plowed field some seede in the sowing wil fall on the high-way and so be lost Therevnto are some hearers compared and that very fitly For first as the high-way is not kept seuerall and priuate but lyeth open and common to all trauellers and passengers so these mens hearts are not enclosed and kept seuerall for heauenly things but lye open to all tentations and suggestions of the Diuell to all inticements of the world and to all idle thoughts vaine imaginations and that in the time of hearing Againe as the high-way is so troden and trampled by the feet of passengers that it cannot couer the seede or if it shoulde couer the seede yet the trampling will so harden the soyle as the seede can neuer sproute So these mens hearts are so hardened by wandering thoughts both in and immediatelie after hearing as the word cannot enter or at least cannot take any rooting in their hearts And as corne sowne in the high-way will neuer yeelde croppe like other ground so these hearers will neuer yeelde such fruit of the worde as others doe But who are these
and growe for a while but not long if heate drought doe come it will be parched and wither away for lacke of moysture Such is the case of some hearers their hearts being mollified in part somewhat soft aboue but very hard below toward the bottome will not suffer the word to take any deepe rooting in them It may enter into their harts yet it cannot pearce into the bottome of them It may be some rooting yet very ebbe and shallow It may prosper for a while and they make some profession of it yet not long And in regard hereof they become vnprofitable hearers So as from hence we may obserue a double danger and inconuenience of an heart that is not throughly mollified to the bottome It both hindereth the rooting of the word and also the fruitfulnes of it 1. It hindereth the rooting of the word so as it cannot possibly go deepe enough the word should descend to the bottome of the heart and there take rooting and be continually nourished with the moysture of it but it cannot descend so farre vnles it be throughly mollified Not onely they whose hearts are altogether hard as was the hart of Pharaoh when he heard Moses and Aaron and the Scribes and Pharises when they heard Christ but also they whose hearts are softened onely in part are vnprofitable hearers As not onely those rockes which be bare on the top and altogether hard and haue no manner of soyle and moysture aboue but likewise those which be couered with a litle moysture and earth aboue but not much are vnfit to receiue seede The one will not receiue the seede at all nor suffer it to sprout or shoote forth a blade the other will cause it to sproute and shoote forth a blade but neuer to beare a ripe eare So they who haue hearts altogether hardened will not heare or at least not receiue the word of God at all into any part of their hearts but those who haue hearts partly soft and partly hard may receiue the word and retaine it for a time but will neuer bring forth the fruites of it Wherefore the holy Ghost saith in the Psalmes and it is applyed by the Apostle to the hearers of the Gospell To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Because the hard hearted can neuer heare the word of God so reuerently and effectually as they ought to doe the Lord biddeth vs not to harden but to soften our hearts if we will heare his voyce The harder the heart is the more vnprofitable shall be the hearing the softer the heart is the more profitable shall the hearing be Againe this hardnes will cause men to deny the word in time of tentation The moysture and softnes aboue is the cause of receiuing the word with ioy and beleeuing for a time but the hardnes and drinesse below is the cause of reuolting afterward When Gods hand was heauie on Pharoh he somewhat relented humbled himselfe and confessed his sinne but as soone as it was remoued he returned with the dogge to his vomit and became as obstinate as euer he was before So if a mans heart be mollified onely in part he may relent while he heares the word and may embrace it with peace but in time of persecution may grow as hard as euer he was before euen as yron is soft in some measure while it is in the fire but becommeth hard againe when it is cold Let vs not therefore content our selues with an vpper softening but see that our hearts be softened to the very bottome that they may melt like waxe at the fire as good king Iosiahs heart did when he heard the lawe read I knowe that none of our hearts are so soft as they should be But if thou feelest thine owne hardnes doest mislike it desirest earnestly that it may be more and more mollified and doest vse all good meanes for the further mollifying of it thy heart either is alreadie or shall be within a while so softened as it may receiue the word profitably to thy saluatiō If Goates blood being warme can soften the hard Adamant doubt not but the blood of Christ can sufficiently mollifie thy heart though it were as hard as a rocke If thou pray earnestly vnto God to take away the stony heart of thy body and to giue thee an heart of flesh be assured that he will performe it seeing he hath promised it by his holy Prophet 3. Let vs now come to the third propertie of these hearers They belieue for a time Mathew and Marke say they endure for a season that is they endure in their faith but a while They doe belieue yet not long But it is to be considered what kinde of faith this is Though the Papists teach that there is but onely one kinde of faith yet may we find many seuerall distinct kindes thereof in the holy scriptures There be foure kindes of faith One is proper and peculiar to Gods elect and to the regenerate The rest are common both to the elect and the reprobate That which is proper and peculiar to the elect is a true iustifying faith whereby a man doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for the pardon of his sinne and the saluation of his soule This is called by S. Paul the faith of Gods Elect because onely they and all they be endued with it And therefore it is said that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued Though all of them doe not receiue it at the same time but some sooner some later yet is there not any of the Elect but at one time or other they doe receiue it This is called an vnfayned faith or a faith without dissimulation or hypocrisie because it is not counterfaited and is a faith in deed and in truth and is seated not in the tongues or the head but in the bottome of the heart This faith is said to purifie the heart and is called the faith of the Saints because none haue it but those who be sanctified By this faith are we now iustified without the workes of the law and by this must we be saued as the Apostle proueth at large in his Epistles But this is not the faith here spoken of Againe there be other kindes of faith which be common both to the Elect and reprobate And these are either extraordinarie or ordinarie Extraordinarie as the faith of working miracles whereof the Apostle speaketh saying If I had all faith sothat I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing Iudas the childe of perdition had this faith as well as the rest of the Apostles for he wrought miracles as well as they And many shall say to Christ haue not we in thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great miracles to whom he shall answere I neuer knew you depart from
his household hee denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidell This care ought to be in all There is also a care of diffidence and distrust which is an inordinate care when we keepe no measure in our care when we are not content to vse lawful but also vse vnlawfull meanes and when wee will not depend on Gods mercifull prouidence for a blessing on the meanes but forecast before hand what shall bee the successe and disquiet our mindes with thinking what shall be the issue and with fearing an ill euent This care wee must renounce as a fruit of vnbeliefe and as a thorne that will choake the seede of the word We must with diligence and care vse necessarie and lawfull meanes but leaue the issue to him who knoweth best what to doe We must cast this burden on the Lord as the Psalmist teacheth vs and hee shall nourish vs. Wee must cast all our care on him as the Apostle exhorteth for hee careth for vs. Let vs rest in his good pleasure and be content to take in good part whatsouer hee sendeth knowing that all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue God And so our care shall not hinder the fruitfulnesse of the word 2. But to proceede in the text what is the second thorne that choaketh the word Christ here nameth riches they are as dangerous this way as worldly cares Though some confound these two and make both but one thorne yet is there indeede great difference betwixt them They are heere distinguished one from the other as well as voluptuous liuing is distinguished from them both And in truth they are oftentimes seuered and not found together in some persons A man may be perplexed with worldly care yet not grow rich thereby The poore are oftentimes as carefull how to liue and to get wealth as the rich yea sometime more carefull because their charge is greater and their wantes more but their meanes be fewer and weaker It may bee GOD doth plague their great care with great want the more carefull they are the more needfull they bee If they woulde bee lesse carefull They might bee lesse needfull Againe rich men are sometime without care As is seene in the godlie Abraham was rich so was Iob both in the beginning and also in the later end of his daies and yet both of them free from distrustfull care yet are riches as pricking thornes to choake the word as well as those cares Not onely they who vexe themselues with griping cares how to get and how to exercise their wealth but likewise those who thinke they haue enough already and care not much for more but like the rich man in the Gospell say to their soules Liue at ease eate drinke and take your pastime you haue much goods laid vp for many yeares may be vnprofitable hearers Although this Euangelist nameth riches simply and absolutely without any addition yet is he to be expounded by Mathew and Marke who call this thorne the deceitfulnes of riches And that declareth the manner how they choake the word namely by deceiuing the owners Then bee they thornes when they deceiue If thou enioy them and vse them in great plentie yet shall they not choake the word in thy heart vnles they first deceiue thy soule but if they once deceiue thee they will choake thee Not the world but the cares of the world not riches but the deceitfulnes of riches make the word fruitles And certaine it is that they deceiue many because they make many vnfruitfull hearers In regard whereof Christ said we cannot serue God and riches And that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen And Paul said they that will be rich fall into tentations and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition And while some haue lusted after them they erred from the faith and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes And Iames said Whosoeuer will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God And Iohn said If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him But how doe they deceiue men we would faine knowe that will some say I answere that riches deceiue men foure waies 1. In respect of the cause of them They make the owner beleeue that God in speciall fauour and mercy did bestowe them vpon him and that he would neuer haue giuen him such abundance vnles he had dearely loued him And therefore imagineth that he is deepe in Gods bookes and in greater fauour then those that sustaine losses and endure wants This is a grosse deceit Salomon teacheth that a man knoweth neither loue nor hatred of all that is before him that is he neither knoweth whether God loue him or hate him by his outward estate neither by his riches nor by his pouertie And he giueth a reason because all things come alike to all men And the same condition is to the iust to the wicked to the pure and to the polluted to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oathe And Christ sheweth that by doing good to al we may be children of our heauēly father who dealeth so in making his sunne to shine on the euill and good and sending a raigne on the iust and vniust Hereby a man may be led into a fooles paradise and made to thinke that he is happy when he is miserable and that God is his friend when he is his foe And a most dangerous deceit this is hurtfull to himselfe and odious to God hurtfull to himselfe because it will make him secure and to content himselfe with his present estate and neuer seeke to better it yea it will cause him to contemne the word which should make him better and to thinke that he is already as good as the word can make him And therefore he will refuse to heare it often and when he heareth it is without profit he deceiueth himselfe in his owne imagination seeming to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing And therefore putteth off from him the curses of the law as not deserued by him but applyeth to himselfe the blessings of the Gospell as if they properly belonged vnto him I would we had none such deceiued rich mē in this our age Those that be such let them know that this fond conceit is odious to God for he threatneth that when a man heareth the curses of the law and blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornenes of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennes vnto thirst The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but then the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in his booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out
vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Are you as soyle sowne with the Lords seede and dressed by his Husbandmen and yet yeelde no fruite for his glory and for the comfort of those that take paines among you And will you expect a blessing from the LORD Those that be such may rather feare a curse Did not CHRIST curse the Figge Tree which bare leaues but no fruite if they still continue barren their case shall be worse then theirs of Sodome and Gomorrah for if the Sermons which haue beene preached among vs had beene preached in Sodome and Gomorrah they had repented long agoe in sack cloath and ashes but therefore shall it be easier for them of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Iudgement then for these disobedient people Take heede lest by your contempt of the word you lose it Christ taketh his Kingdome from them that be vnfruitfull and will giue it to a Nation which shall better bring forth the fruits thereof If you often sow a fielde with good corne and at haruest can reape no good croppe you will sow it no longer you will let it lie and sow some other And can you thinke that GOD will still continue his worde to you if after long sowing you will not yeeld any fruit It is a speciall fauour and mercie of God to haue the Gospell among vs. God hath not dealt so with euery Nation Happie are our eyes to see those things which we see and happie are our eares to heare those thinges which we heare Many righteous men would haue beene glad to haue seene and heard them and yet could not Let vs walke worthie of this blessing that it may bee continued to vs and to our posteritie Uerse 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the word and keepe it YOV haue alreadie heard the exposition of three sorts of ground and what kinde of hearers were signififyed thereby Now see the exposition of the fourth and last kinde of ground And that was good ground in which the seede sowne sprang vp and brought forth fruit with great encrease Vnto this ground good and profitable hearers are compared As all the other groundes set forth to our view the nature and properties of bad hearers so this describeth the conditions of good hearers Before we come to the speciall properties of these hearers in particular we are to obserue one thing in generall and from the coherence to wit That although Christ had diuers sorts of hearers and nany of them were bad some one way some another way yet all of them were not bad some were good and profitable hearers all his seed was not lost some sell on good ground yeelded plentifull encrease Though the Scribes and Pharises and many of the common multitude were bad hearers yet the Apostles and many other Disciples were good hearers did keepe the word in their hearts and brought forth fruit in their liues And therfore he told the Iewes that whereas they neyther receiued Iohn nor him Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a Diuell The Son of man came eating drinking and they sayd Behold a glutton and a drinker of wine a friend of publicans and sinners They woulde neither receiue the one for his austeritie nor the other for his affabilitie yet Wisedome is iustifyed of her children And hee gaue thanks vnto his father because that although he had hid these thinges from the wise and men of vnderstanding yet he had reuealed them vnto babes Though some of his hearers in Capernaum tooke offence at his doctrine of eating his flesh drinking king his blood and from that time went backe and walked with him no more Yet the Apostles would not forsake him but frely ackdowledged that they would neuer leaue him because he had the words of eternall life and they did beleue that he was the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God When he preached in the Temple at the Feast of the Tabernacles there was dissention among his hearers Some sayde Of a truth this is the Prophet Others sayd This is the Christ. Some sayde Shall Christ come out of Galilie Others said Neuer man spake like him At another time some that heard him saide hee had a Diuell and was mad and blamed men for hearing him any longer Others said These are not the wordes of one that hath a Diuell Can the Diuell open the eies of him that was borne blind Such diuersity of hearers had Christ his worde did not worke alike in all that hard it Some waxed worse some were made better by hearing of it The like effect was seene in Pauls hearers When he and Barnabas preached at Iconium a great multitude both of Iewes and Graecians beleeued though there were some vnbeleeuing Iewes that stirred vp and corrupted the mindes of the Gentiles against the brethren In that deuision of the Citie though some were with the Iewes yet some were with the Apostles And when he preached at Athens some mocked him for his doctrine of the Resurection some would heare him againe as if they were not fully resolued but desired to be further instructed yet certaine men did cleaue to Paul beleeued as Denys a Iudge of Mars Streete Damaris a woman and others with them And thus it pleaseth GOD still to blesse the Ministerie of his seruants Though they cannot conuert all yet they doe conuert some they doe not altogether lose their labour As there is no field so barren but if it be sowne some seede will come vp and yeeld encrease so is there no place or congregation so bad but if the truth be there sincerely taught it will in time winne some Though some continue obstinate and remaine as ignorant as Popish and as prophane as euer they were before they heard Yet Wisedome shall be iustifyed of her children as many as are ordayned to eternall life shall beleeue Some shal be called and by hearing shall grow in knowledge in grace and obedience This may comfort and encourage vs in our labours Though it bee some griefe to see many non proficients who heare much and are neuer the better yet if it please the Lord to giue some happie issue vnto our labours that wee edifie some though not all that wee profite a few though not many wee should therewith be content and praise the Lord for it If indeede wee should conuert none at all yet must wee not faint but still continue our paines and expect a reward at the Lords hands for he will reward our laboures though we should do others no good thereby And therefore the Prophet sayd I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God It is not our worke but the Lords worke to conuert soules Paul may plant Apollos may water but it
which was sowed by the sower and is able to make the receiuer fruitfull in all good workes and heire of saluation in heauen To that which I deliuered in the sermons I will adde more for your satisfaction to proue them not to be Gods word nor to be taught by the preachers of the Gospell 1. Christ himselfe when he was vpon the earth was a Sower and a principall sower when he preached the word as is acknowledged by all writers in the parable Look then what word he preached that onely was the true word of God there called Seede and no other what hee taught not that was not the word of God For he called his Disciples friends because he had made known to them all things which he heard from his Father Now it is most euident that Christ neuer taught any Traditions of the church nor decrees of coūcels he often codemned the decrees of the Elders and the traditions of the Pharisies And tolde them that in vaine they worshipped God who taught for doctrines mens precepts But himselfe neuer taught any such He receiued his doctrine immediately frō his Father And therefore he said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent mee The things that I heard of him those speake I to the world As my Father hath taught mee so I speake these things Will they say that Doctrine receiued immediately from God and presently taught to people is at the first teaching of it a tradition Then all the visions of the Prophets and all the reuelations of Saint Iohn were traditions They holde onely those to be traditions which being not written are conueyed from one man to an other Againe though Christ receiued his doctrine from his Father euen as the Apostles did from him yet was it no other then that was caught and written in the Bookes of the olde Testament eyther by Types or Precepts or Prophecies or Promises And therefore he bad the Iewes Search the Scriptures because they testified of him And tolde them that Meses accused them For had they belieued Moses they would haue belieued him But if they belieued not Moses writings they could not belieue his words His Sermons were expositions of the Lawe and the Prophets Hee 11 tooke Texts to expound Hee alleadged Testimonies out of the Olde Testament to prooue his Doctrine And that both in his publicke Sermones and in his priuate conferences Whereas he preached pardon of sinne to all that belieued in him Peter tolde Cornelius and his companie To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his Name all that belieue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Augustine said perēptorily there was in the olde Testament so great preaching and fore-shewing of the New Testament that nothing are found in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall discipline which be wanting in these olde Bookes Yea he found so great consent of doctrine betwixt the two Testaments that he affirmed that in the Old the New was hid and in the Newe the Old was reuealed Let the Papists name any one doctrine taught by Christ which they take for a tradition and I will vndertake to proue it out of the old Testament Moreouer what Christ taught the Apostles afterward did write thogh not euery word yet the summe and substance of all Luke did perfectly search out all things from the beginning to write therof from point to point And said he made the treatise of his gospell of all that Iesus began to doe and teach vntill the day that he was taken vp Expositors hold that the Euangelists wrote all his wordes and deedes which he thoght worthy and fitte for the office of his dispensation Augustine saide whatsoeuer Christ would haue vs to read of his deeds and sayings he commanded them to write And althogh any one of the Euangelists did not of himselfe make a perfect narration of all Christs doctrines and deede Yet all of them together haue don it For they who wrote last tooke a viewe of those things which the former had written by direction of the spirit added such things as they had omitted It is testified by most Authors that when Iohn percceyued how other Euangelists wrote onely the things of one yeare euen the yeare after Iohns imprisonment hee approued those and in his Gospell added the things done and taught in the former yeares And because some Heretickes denyed the God-head of CHRIST he considering that other Euangelistes did at large describe his Humanitie but spake little of his God-head did in his Gospell write such thinges as proued him to be GOD. And added those Sermons which the rest had omitted And therevppon Sixtus Senensis saide against the Alogan Heretickes That from them all ioyned together there ariseth a most Consonant and most perfect Hystorie of our saluation It is then to be examined whether the Euangelistes haue written that Christ taught any traditions receyued from men If they write no such matter it is certaine that hee taught none at all Let our Aduersaries runne thorough the whole Newe-Testament and they shall not bee able to finde any one of theyr Traditions recorded by the Euangelistes as a doctrine taught by Christ. Seeing then Christ taught no traditions why should wee presume to teach any must wee not receiue from him the matter of our Doctrine and imitate him in the manner of teaching Saide not Ambrose well that wee doe iustly condemne all newe things which Christ hath not taught because Christ is the way to Belieuers If therefore Christ haue not taught that which wee teach euen we doe iudge it to be detestable 2. Againe the Apostle Paul was a painefull Sower and did sowe all the worde of God And therefore could protest to his hearers that hee had kept nothing backe from them but had shewed them all the counsell of God Now what word taught he Did hee teach traditions and mans ordinances Did he not teach only writtē truths Did he not proue his doctrine by the scriptures Did he not in his apologie before Festus auouch that hee taught none other things then those which the Prophetes and Moses did say should come And how could the Bereans haue examined his doctrine by the Scriptures if hee had deliuered anie thing not taught in the Scriptures Yea Saint Paul was so farre from preaching any other Doctrine then that which was written that hee denounced him to be accursed whether hee were man or Angell that should teach otherwise I knowe Bellarmine would elude that place by two seuerall answeres yet all in vaine First he saith that the Apostle speaketh not onely of the word written but of euery word whether it be written or it be by tradition But besides that hee beggeth the question he hath the wordes of the Text and the testimonies of the Fathers and of some Popish writers against him For the Apostle speaketh of that worde which