chasten as many as hee loveth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth which is as the sprinkling on of salt to keep us from corruption The trees of the field are little regarded Planta ferax falcem patitur petitque frequentem Putationes redintegrant juventam afferunc Scal. in Theop. but those of the garden are often look't unto and repaired In exercising of us God dealeth with us as with sonnes correcting us in judgement for our reformation not consuming us in fury to our destruction A plant cut unseasonably dyeth but cut in due time it prospers the better The times and seasons are in Gods hands he doth then purge his children when it may be most for their discipline and amendment that our old errours and infirmities may passe away and we being regenerated may walke in newnesse of life as in pruning the withered and dry branches are taken away and young twigs doe shoot forth that may be fruitfull Let us never forget Gods dealing with us when hee did stretch out his hand Anno 1625. and did threaten to destroy the tree with the fruit thereof and to cut off branch and rush in one day by the noisome pestilence lopping off many ten thousands and leaving the chiefe body of the tree naked and bare yet then he preserved us in safety we were delivered from the mouth of that Lion and we are still defended by the shield of his favour that we may glorifie his Name by a godly conversation Will not all this move us to return unto the Lord His benefits conferred his fatherly reprehension his protecting us by his providence when he severely punished others Behold I have set before you life and death I have declared Gods mercy towards us and his judgement upon others Now what tribute or offering doth the Lord require of us but only the fruit of our thoughts in meditation upon his word and works the fruit of our lips in shewing forth his praise and the fruit of our lives in serving him acceptably with reverence and godly feare We all professe that wee are branches of that Root Mat. 7.17 12.33 Christ Jesus Now every good tree brings forth good fruit and a corrupt tree evill fruit for by their fruit ye shall know them Can a fig-tree beare olive berries Jam. 3.12 or a vine figs If the root be holy so are the branches If wee bee members of Christ Rom. 11.16 wee must doe the workes of our heavenly Father Doe wee desire that every tree in our ground should be fruitfull and yet will we our selves be barren As some parents would have their children walke in a good way yet they themselves will runne into excesse of riot Shall others be excited by the divine blessings and powerfull meanes that they have enjoyed to bring forth the good fruit of obedience and wilt thou who hast been a partaker of the same blessings bring forth impietie and rebellion As the influence of the same Sunne ripeneth the sweet grape and the sowre crab but such wild trees are not suffered long to continue in the Paradise of the Church Every plant which my Father hath not planted shall be rooted up only the fruitfull trees shall be supported and strengthened Being planted in that garden in the midst whereof is the Tree of life which doth distribute of its grace and vertue unto all the trees that are round about it Of Christs fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace Ulmus vitis Ruta ficus It is observed what a sympathie there is among the trees how divers of them prosper best when they have such and such stand nigh unto them and some of them will never beare Exciso mare palmite sterilescit foemina Perottus Sands trav This we know assuredly that we can doe no good thing unlesse we have our ability from Christ who is that tree which is described to beare twelve manner of fruits and to yeeld the fruit every moneth Rev. 22.2 As he is so in himselfe full of grace and truth evermore doing good unto us and bestowing all kinds of blessings upon us so he gives power to us who receive him to become the sonnes of God enabling us in some measure to bring forth not one or some few kinds but divers and sundry fruits The Apostle when hee speakes of the fruit of the Spirit hee nameth love and joy and peace then he addes long-suffering and gentlenesse and yet these are not all for he annexeth goodnesse faith Gal. 5.22 meeknesse temperance And elsewhere expressing the fruit of the Spirit hee mentioneth righteousnesse and truth He that delights in planting Dapibus mensas onerabat inemptis Primus vere roosam atque autumno carpere poma Virg. will not be satisfied with some few sorts of fruit and in being provided for a short time or a part of the yeer but will be desirous of the best choice and varietie that may be and to have such fruit as may be usefull during the whole yeere Some that may bee ripe with the soonest and other that may endure a long time taking speciall contentment in that which is most durable that he may be provided when others are destitute Oh that wee were wise for the good of our soules wee would be more delighted in seeking for graces that wee might be perfect and thorowly furnished unto every good worke than any man can bee in these outward contentments and with an holy emulation wee would be more covetous of the spirituall gifts wherewith others are adorned than ever Ahab was of Naboths vineyard 1 Kin. 21. What diligence would wee give to adde to our faith vertue 2 Pet. 1.5 and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity for if these be in us and abound wee should not be Barren nor Unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore when wee see the Almond tree of any man to blossome betimes and to promise a plenteous increase when wee see a young man cleansing his way by taking heed thereunto according to Gods word let us also bee thereby provoked to redeem the time and to remember our Creatour in the daies of our youth When wee observe another mans Vine to bee laden with goodly clusters when we take notice of a man who doth good and rejoyceth in the workes of his hands as Solomon speaks let us also be excited to labour for that gladnesse in our hearts Eccles 3.12.22 which is better than the increase of come and wine Morus quafi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Antiph Serior at Morus nunquam msi frigore lapso Germinat sapiens nomina falsa gerat Alciat Psal 74.47 For Mulberries now it is Sycomores When wee view the Mulberry tree of another man to forbeare sending forth any buds untill the danger of
land yet Gods messengers who doe carry these clusters into the heavenly Canaan shall for ever enjoy the felicity of that better Country If we take the Church to be the Vineyard as it is oft-times called then we must consider every true beleever to be a Vine unto which he may well be likened Ut ex eâ fluat quod nimium est Scal. in Theop. For as in graffing of the Vine it was usuall to let the stocke in regard of the aboundant moisture to bleed divers dayes before the Cyons was fastened thereunto so there is a time of mourning before the Lord doth put joy into the heart We doe first lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse before we receive the ingraffed word This is the weakest of all plants and must be sustained by the sides of the house Psal 128.3 Jamjam contingit summum radice flagellum Catul. Qualiter aequaevo sociatam palmite vitem Ultuus amat Stati as David speaketh or by some wall or frame or such like stay or else be joyned to some tree so we being feeble and infirme in our selves are supported by the favour and goodnesse of God Such as make flesh their arme or trust to any outward help 2 Kin. 7.17 doe as Joram did who leaned upon the hand of that man which was soone trodden downe That shore and strength upon which they rested may suddenly be taken away from them Si quid attigerit ultrò amabit quidem viriosius amplexabitur c. Tertul. The Vine being thus weake in it selfe doth by the tendrels or small strings seeke to catch hold upon any thing it doth touch and to grasp it fast Ut se erigat claviculis suis quasi manibus c. Cicero Adeo ramos string it ut crasse scere prohibeat Scal. that it may be sustained thereby Thus we being sensible of our owne frailty should apprehend the gracious promises and rich mercies of Almighty God and adhere unto Christ by a lively faith Gen. 32.26 Jacob would not let the Angel goe except he blest him so we by applying the merits of our Redeemer unto our soules doe receive a blessing from the Lord. When wee doe tie our selves unto our Creatour by the cords of love which is the bond of perfectnesse as a Sacrifice unto the Altar we shall be kept from falling and the Serpent shall not have power to fold himselfe about us who are so neerely united to our heavenly Father The Vine-tree is not fit for any use but onely to beare fruit shall wood be taken thereof to doe any work or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessell thereon Ezek. 15.3 An unfruitfull Christian is the most unprofitable creature that is a heavie burthen to the earth a cumbrance to the ground no better than the wild gourds in the pot a vexation to the righteous soule and a stumbling block to the wicked Other trees may beare fruit upon the young sprigs that did shoot out in the former yeere but this doth exceed them all bringing forth grapes upon the new branches in the same yeere in which they did proceed from the body of the Vine thereby teaching us even in the very beginning of our profession to become fruitfull and profitable in our conversation running the waies of Gods Commandements Psa 119.32.60 and without delay making haste to keep his Statutes How can they that have neglected so great salvation and deferred to returne unto the Lord expect that he should heare them when in affliction they seeke him early seeming fervent in prayer when they first begin to call upon his Name and cry unto him O God make speed to save us O Lord make haste to help us whereas they during their whole life it may be these forty yeers long have grieved the good Spirit and erred in their hearts putting the evill day of Gods judgement and the good day of true repentance far from them But there is fruit of a better rellish to be gathered from the Vine if that be prevented by the frost Gelatione cohibita in sequenti anno duplum dabit Scal. in Theop. and hindred from bearing one yeere in the following yeere it will recompence that losse by a twofold restitution If we have been as trees without fruit we must not still persist in impiety and live to the lusts of men but labour to redeem the time by abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord that as Ahimaaz over-ran Cushi 2 Sam. 18.23 who was sent before him so we may supply by our diligence and chearfull obedience what was wanting in time And as Saint Paul who was last called 2 Cor. 11.5 was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles so we in spirituall endowments and glorious reward may bee made equall unto them who entred the worke before our selves Where the fruit of this tree is most esteemed In agro Aureliano vina excellentissima Nulla vinea vetula sed c. Ibid. they doe not suffer any old Vines to grow but replenish the ground with new whose fruit is most acceptable thereby teaching us to put off the old man and to be renewed in our mind putting on the new man Ephes 4.23 which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse The Lord satisfieth our mouth with good things Psal 103.5 so that our youth is renewed like the Eagles And the Lord satisfieth our soule with his mercy so that his graces are revived and repaired in us by the worke of the quickning Spirit John 2.8 He turned the water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galile and hee sends the comfortable showers Initia vini esse aquea Ibid. that doe moisten and cherish the roots of the Vine causing them to produce their fruit in which there is a blessing Hee turneth our sorrow into joy Isa 65.8 our weeping into rejoycing John 16.20 He maketh the barren woman to be a joyfull mother of children and hee maketh the barren heart to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit Psal 113. and giveth wisedome and all heavenly blessings liberally above that which wee can aske or thinke Our lot is falne to us in a good ground we are planted in a fertile soile we receive the best gifts from the open hand of a bountifull Father Now as the Vine doth draw much vertue and nourishment out of the earth Necesse est eam multum quoque trahere Ibid. that it may produce abundance of goodly clusters and great plenty of large leaves and long branches so we should derive much strength and power from that fulnesse which is in Christ that wee may bee complete and furnished unto every good worke being fitted to performe any holy duty being prepared to suffer any triall or affliction which the Lord shall be pleased to impose upon us As upon the Vine there be great store of grapes joyned together in
ADAM IN HIS INNOCENCIE BY WILLIAM BLOYS Esquire LONDON Printed by Robert Young for George Lathum at the signe of the Bishops head in Pauls Church-yard 1638. ADAM IN HIS INNOCENCIE I Have heretofore engaged my selfe to shew how Medit on 42. Psal Ver. 6. those places that in themselves are most delightfull may by our good improvement become most profitable Which I intended of the pleasures of a Garden the best fruit whereof will be to carry up our thoughts into heaven And this being the time wherein I see every thing put forth I am admonished to doe likewise and thereby to discharge my promise It may be thought a strange enterprise and unadvised choice to undertake this new discovery and to attempt a reformation in that Instrumentum duorum vitiotum vanitatis torporis desidioe sepulchrum Lips which hath been the instrument of two vices vaine Ostentation and dull Stupidity wherein many doe offend as by intemperate eating of the fruit to the prejudice of the health of their body so likewise by excessive delight in affected rarities and fond curiosities to the depravation of their mind whereas if they were endued with divine wisedome and could restraine their extravagant desires within the proper limits of reason and moderation they might gather singular contentment in the use thereof It was the employment of Adam in the estate of innocency to dresse and keep the garden of Eden which in respect of the fertility of the place needed no husbandry but that he might be a law to his posterity The knowledge of trees and herbes did well beseem Solomon himselfe who was the wisest of men Having named him Cyrus Attalus Massanissa Cato c. it will be superfluous to rehearse other Kings Potentates who have seriously addicted themselves to this worke Abraham would not plant a grove Gen. 21.33 but hee would call upon the Name of the everlasting God then much more ought we in planting an orchard the apple tree so farre excelling the trees of the wood to worship the Lord. Cant. 2.3 It pleased the Almighty to forbid his people to eate of the trees that they should plant in the first three yeeres Deut. 20.20 in which time the fruit was to be counted as uncircumcised Levit. 19.23 but in the fourth yeere all the fruit should be holy to praise the Lord withall During the time of their abstinence they might consider that by reason of the sin of man who had corrupted his way and filled the earth with violence and contagion this good creature of God was not so pure unto them but that it had need to be sanctified by the word of God and by praier and ever after the first of the ripe fruits were to be offered unto the Lord without delay Yea Exod. 22.29 Nec ante gustare quam diis consecrassent Turneb the very Heathens when their fruit came to maturity dared not so much as taste of it untill they had consecrated some part thereof unto their gods Should wee accomplish this worke of plantation without seeking for a blessing it were just with God to blast our endeavours with barrennesse that the trees of the Land should not yeeld their fruits or though they doe that wee should not gather them or though we doe that we should not eate of them The story is not unknowne of him Ancaeus in Naâ— Com. Mythol who gave occasion to that Proverbe Senex in Perotto Many things fall between the cup and the lip Or lastly though we did brutishly devoure them without looking up to the giver God may punish our usurpation as hee did the excesse of Noah they may be in the mouth as honey for sweetnesse but bitternesse in the end To avoid these punishments and to obtaine Gods blessing upon us in all that we set our hands unto let us labour to make an holy use of the creatures and to be heavenly minded in all our actions It was anciently thought Hortosque contra invidentium effascinationes dicari videmus Plin. Sec. that gardens had a speciall immunity against the charmes and machinations of the malignant If wee could exalt our selves in these high contemplations that infernall Serpent should never fold himselfe about us It is reported of Caesar Ut assectatorem à se ablegaret Turneb that he selected a garden remote from the city being on the other side of the river that he might free himselfe from petitioners and attendants It will be our greatest wisedome in these places to retire into our selves laying aside those waighty cares and troubles whereby we are pressed downe lifting up our hearts unto the Lord looking unto Christ and he also will looke upon us in mercy and behold us under the tree as he did Nathaniel John 1.48 And as Amos being a gatherer of Sycomore fruit was taken to be made a Prophet of the Lord unto whom he revealed his secret so we shall come to be more perfectly instructed in the good pleasure of God The invisible things of God Rom. 1.20 that is his eternall power and Godhead are seen by the creation of the world being considered in his workes Mans speciall vocation was the study of the creatures wherein hee might discerne the wisedome of the Creatour There is plentifull variety of good meditations obvious to every beleever and able to satisfie the understanding with endlesse contentment The great volume of nature the book of the creatures is laid open before us and in every leafe and page and line of it God hath imprinted such evident characters of his divine properties such-lively representations of his glory that we may runne and reade his excellency therein Psal 145.10 All thy workes shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee they shall speake of the glory of thy Kingdome and talke of thy power Thus every good Christian being a tree of righteousnesse of the Lords planting is full of sap replenished with the influence of that gracious Spirit and filled with prudence duely to ponder the infinite majestie and incomprehensible greatnesse of God by those visible expressions which are continually presented unto him The ungodly are not so but as if they had eaten of the fruit of the Lote-tree which made them that eate of it to forget their native country they remember not whose off-spring they are Dulcedine Loti liquerat patriam Alciat they be unmindfull of the celestiall Jerusalem which is the mother of us all and doe as much neglect to seek that heavenly Canaan as Abraham did to returne to Haran from whence he came These may fitly be compared unto that bird Humi aliquo casu depreheâ—si Apodes nullo negotio capiuntur Scal. in Arist which if by any casualty it happened to be upon the ground it was readily taken as not being able to raise it selfe In like manner they are readily overwhelmed by the snare of the fowler while they
thou shouldest not be moved when thy foundation is placed upon so weake a substance but rather prepare for thy death for in a moment thou maist goe to the grave and lye downe in the dust And if the tree fall towards the South or towards the North in the place where the tree falleth there it shall lye If thou hast inclined to the Sunne of Righteousnes and hast extended thy branches in seeking for the beames of his mercy and the influence of his grace to refresh thy soule that thou mightest be enabled to bring forth good fruit then thou shalt have comfort in the end but if thou hast withdrawne thy selfe from the light of Gods countenance and art best pleased in the darke shade of rest and ease never seeking for heavenly blessings then great will be thy fall How can any man thinke for a long time to escape unpunished John 15.2 when God doth take away every branch and hew downe every tree that beareth not fruit Infoecundas vivere diutiùs Scal. in Arist Quae coluntur arbores celeriùs senescere cogimus eas multum operis facere Idem in Theop. See Bishop Juels life Doctor Reynolds and Master Boltons life And yet if the Lord should deferre his speedy execution of judgement against thine evill workes as it is noted that the barren trees live longest and the most fruitfull consume themselves by much bearing representing those holy men which have wasted their strength by their godly labours yet notwithstanding if thou dost persist in impiety thou shalt not be acquitted Job 21.30 but art reserved to the day of destruction Eccles 8.12 Though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet it shall not bee well with him neither shall he prolong his daies which are as a shadow because hee feareth not before God Quid tu◠ignoras magnas diu crescere unâ horâ extirpari◠Q Curt. The tree which hath been many yeeres growing up may bee cast downe in an instant Although thou hast been spared for a long time yet vengeance may suddenly overtake thee wherefore let my counsell be acceptable unto thee Dan. 4.27 and breake off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore if it may bee a lengthening of thy tranquillity The longer thou continuest in thy sinnes the stronger are the cords of vanity thy nature is corrupt of it selfe being as a law in thy members and an inveterate custome of doing evill is as a second nature and both doe warre against the Law of God The young plant that hath been set but a short time may be plucked up with small labour whereas that which hath been fixed divers yeeres cannot be removed without much difficulty If thy corruptions be firmly rooted by ancient residence within thee how canst thou get the dominion over them How wilt thou be able to prevaile against them There is no meanes under heaven whereby thou canst hope for deliverance but only by the favour and love of God Then pray unto him to have mercy upon thee and to make thee the branch of his planting the worke of his hands that hee may be glorified Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord It is hee that doth cause Israel to blossome and bud Isa 27.6 and fill the face of the world with fruit If we had not the dew of heaven we should not have the fatnesse of the earth If we had not the comfortable heat of the sunne we should not have the fruit of the trees without the grace of God there can neither be beginning nor increase of spirituall blessings The bud of a good desire the blossome of a pious resolution the fruit of a vertuous action proceeds from the Lord the readinesse to will the power to performe is the gift of God and doth come from the Father of lights All our labour is in vaine except the Lord gives his blessing It is vaine to rise up early to sit up late to spend the whole day in digging and planting and watering unlesse that he doth cause the worke of our hands to prosper Now being sensible of this our infirmity that we can doe nothing of our selves wee ought to bee the more thankfull in remembring the benefits that we have received from the good will of the Almighty God who hath not left us destitute of any meet helpe whereby we may be fitted to bring forth good fruit Psal 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderfull workes which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speake of them they are moe than can be numbred There are divers things required to make the plants sprout and yeeld their increase as the kindnesse and fertility of the ground and hath not God enriched us with his blessings and refreshed us with his mercies The dropping of the aire and hath he not sent his Word as a sweet showre to satisfie our thirsty soules The changes and seasons of the yeere and hath he not given us a Winter Feigus cohibet intus calorem corroborat Scal. in Theop. wherein to gather strength and prepare for future time and a Summer wherein to shew forth his goodnesse and to produce good fruit The influence of the Sunne and hath not the Sun of Righteousnesse shined clearly unto us and seemed to be even fixed in this our Hemisphere How few bee there that can remember the bright and chearfull morning of this glorious day I pray God to make this one day as a thousand yeeres that never any may see the end of this time untill the end of all things come when time shall be no more Having so constantly enjoyed such excellent blessings Sands trav Laetissimae arberes atque fertilissimae Non fit contrariorum vicissitudo nihil obtundit est aequabilitas Scal. in Theop. let us be fruitfull In Egypt many of the trees beare fruit and most of them their leaves all the yeere in regard there is no contrariety in the aire but alwaies an equality that doth promote and further the trees in their bearing Now wee having uncessantly the happy fruition of all good meanes that may be helpfull unto us ought to abound more and more in good workes and to walk worthy of so great love What could the Lord have done for us that hee hath not done We have been planted as a tree by the waters Jer. 17.8 and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and seeth not when heat commeth but her leafe is green and she is not carefull in the yeer of drought nor ceaseth from yeelding fruit And as the tree is pruned and many of the boughes cut off that the residue may be more fruitfull so the Lord hath corrected and rebuked us that wee might be free from security and learne to amend our lives and walke in obedience Rev. 3.19 Hee doth
inquisitive in discovering that which hath stollen away our graces than Laban was in seeking for his gods Gen. 31.35 No faire allegation may satisfie us no goodly pretence may content us There may be an image laid in the bed in the place of David There may be a strong delusion in the heart in stead of the lovely truth or the lively grace Saul was very diligent in seeking to find out him that did eate any food contrary to his unadvised adjuration 1 Sam. 14. but he did never looke into his owne heart to prove himselfe that he might remember from whence hee was fallen and repent and doe his first workes strengthening the things that remained which were ready to dye in him Hee profest that he knew God when in workes he denied him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate He boasts of performing the commandement when he was cursed for doing the worke of the Lord negligently God commands him to destroy Amaleck but hee will save a King though he lose a Kingdome Hee destroyeth that which was vile and refuse and spared the best of the sheep and oxen for a sacrifice unto the Lord or rather unto Mammon out of avarice and rebellion And as if himselfe were not so devout hee saith the people spared the best to sacrifice when as he is named to bee the chiefe agent in that confederacie It may seem hee had little reason to speake of a sacrifice and to charge God thus foolishly and falsly 1 Sam. 15.9 15. considering the little acceptance and bad successe hee found after his formeâ—â—â—ffering Samuel had told him hee would come downe to Gilgal and sacrifice sacrifices yet hee would not deferre untill he came but without any warrant from Gods Word hee forced himselfe 1 Sam. 13.12 and offered burnt offerings Whereupon the Prophet charged him with the breach of Gods commandement and told him his Kingdome should not continue Let his example admonish us to be vigilant in taking heed lest we leave our first love and be beguiled of our reward We cannot be too carefull in trying our selves and discovering any losse or impediment whereby our spirituall estate is impaired In the Parable there is a woman propounded worthy of our imitation who when shee had lost one of her ten peeces of silver shee sought diligently till shee found it Psal 119.72 The Law of God is better than thousands of gold and silver If we have broken any one of the ten Commandements wee should seeke for Gods mercy in forgiving our transgression and restoring unto us the joy of his salvation and should rejoyce more in his love delivering us from perdition and condemnation than any one doth that findeth great spoiles The Image of Almighty God in the beginning was stamped upon man and the superscription of his power and dominion by which hee did apprehend that loyaltie and subjection which was due to the King of glory Now since our gold became drosse that inscription was obliterate and that image defaced which is againe renewed by the merits of Christ who gave himselfe for us that hee might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes As hee hath purged our sinnes Heb. 1.3 so he expects that wee also should purifie our hearts Jam. 4.8 and purge our selves from all evill that wee may bee prepared unto every good worke 2 Tim. 2.21 There are divers and sundry helpfull meanes to bee used about the roots of trees Plin. Sec. l. 17. c. 27. de stercoratione and some especially belonging to particular trees either to revive them and make them flourish or to cause them to beare fruit or to meliorate and amend their fruit In such great choice I will select those two which are mentioned by the Dresser of the vineyard who saith Luke 13.8 I will digge about the figge-tree and dung it Not that he intends to digge about it only to make way for that which he should apply unto the root In laxiore solo plantae laetiores in denio saepe strangulantur Fitque quasi nova terra quae vetus erat Interpolatur enim Aer edomat simul imbres patitur but when either of these remedies apart and both together are commodious hee would use them joyntly for the more certaine cure of that barren tree First then we observe that digging about the roots is very beneficiall unto the tree which is apt to bee strangled in a stiffe and stubborne earth where the root can find no passage to spread it selfe Densato solo in crustam nequit subire alimentum Scal. in Theop. but growes very kindly in a loose earth that is refreshed and dissolved by this meanes and becomes more capable of the showers and made every way more favourable unto the plant Etiam radices circumcidisse prodest Plin. Sec. Also such of the lesser roots as are cut asunder doe send forth many small strings which disperse themselves in the ground and are effectuall for the good of the tree Now if men bee thus industrious in labouring to make their trees fruitfull then we ought to use all meanes possible so much as in us lieth that our hearts may bee fruitfull Let us put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge Col. 3.10 and be carefull to maintaine good workes Tit. 3.8 that are profitable unto us This digging about the tree may fitly bee represented by that which Saint Paul writes in his two Epistles to Timothy In the former he saith 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee Let not the grace of God in thine heart be there buried as dead earth that lies at the root of the tree and is not profitable And not satisfied with that which hee had spoken before in the second Epistle he doth againe presse upon him that former exhortation with a description of the manner how it ought to be performed 2 Tim. 1.6 I put thee in remembrance that thou stirre up the gift of God which is in thee as the earth is stirred in digging If there be any power or vertue therein it will then appeare If there bee any grace or holinesse wee should excite the same by the worke of the quickning Spirit Doe not thou abide in a dead estate void of the new life but come forth with Lazarus arise out of the grave of corruption that God may be glorified by thy good conversation In the next place he saith Hee will dung the figge-tree that it may beare fruit I intend not to rehearse the severall substances which are nominated by divers * Lotium suillum aut stercus ad arborum radices addi praecipit ut Favulum malorum fiat c. Cato Vel Pabulum malorum i.e. pro cibo vel quod immundo lotio mala delectentur Turneb Stercoratio fit ex