many thousands of Christians haue sacrificed their deerest bloud in their Sauiours cause gainst that proud Mahumetan Rabshecai who being possest of the Easterne parts spits defiance to the Christian world pouring forth blasphemous threats against all the professors of the Name of Christ If worldly felicitie be a note of the Church then there it is and they all false professors who haue beene subdued by his conquering sword But the Spouse of Christ is in this life like a pilgrime diuorced from her beloued her weapons are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not carnall but spirituall she is like a shippe continually tost at sea though neuer ouer-whelmed shee is like an house built vpon a rocke by the sea shore which is obnoxious to many a tempestuous flaw In this life she is militant in the other triumphant here she hath praelium there praemium here her labour there her reward here her seed-time there her haruest and therefore this iust person in my text is not said that he is but he shall be like a tree Like a tree Man is compared to a tree each part of him hauing some correspondencie and resemblance with the parts of a tree The beauty of his youth is likened to the blossomes of trees which eyther in a short time of themselues or with the Sunnes heate drie vp and wither away His haire which couereth his head and adornes his body is resembled to the leafes which couer the tops and vpper parts of the trees His breath to the sweet odor which trees of themselues send forth in the spring His radicall moisture oyle and balsamum whereon the naturall heate feedes and is maintained may be likened to the oyle and sap of trees which they of themselues sweate forth His disciplination and nurture to the plantation and grafture of trees His bloud which disperseth it selfe by the veynes as branches through all the body may be compared to those riuers of waters which being carryed by brookes ouer all the earth and through the pores of the earth doe secretly incorporate themselues into the rootes of those trees and by their moisture feed and maintaine the flourishing estate of euery tree Plato in generall saith that euery man is a tree turned topse-turuy making his head as it were the roote his members the branches to which I will adde that his words are the leafes his workes the fruit Gods graces the riuers of water by which euery tree is or ought to be planted From this resemblance of man vnto a Tree many notions doe offer themselues to our consideration each of them attended with his seuerall instruction 1 As a Tree which bringeth forth no good fruit so a man which bringeth forth no good workes in the branches of his faith is good for nothing but to be hewen downe and cast into the fire 2 As a tree if it be not well planted the fruit therof groweth sowre wilde and distastfull so a man if he be not well nurtured and disciplind 3 As a tree in the Spring so a man in the spring of his youth abounds with many luxuriant stems which by carefull education may easily be pruned and lopt off 4 As a tree though his first off-spring be from the earth and his roote in the earth erecteth his body and branches vpward toward heauen so man though his roote and off-spring be from the earth dust and ashes yet ought he to erect the branches of his soule and affection toward heauen and heauenly things in a diuine contemplation of his creator But although man in many things be like vnto a tree yet in this one thing must he be most vnlike Trees ordinarily bring forth fruit but once in the yeere but the whole life of man must be nothing else but a continuall haruest bearing fruit at all times as well in the Winter of his aduersitie as in the Summer of his prosperitie as well in the Spring of his youth as in the Autumne of his age he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee must still haue leafes and these leafes must not wither nor fade but with them hee must heale the nations of the earth the outward barke and rine of his conuersation must serue as a rule to direct others and as they report of the figge-tree so the fruit of this tree must ripen as fast as it is gathered Vno auulso non deficit alter Virg. Aeneid 6. Aureus simili frondescit virga metallo That golden tree in Virgil enamoled round about and beset with all the richest pearles of the Poets refined wit and inuention Aureus folijs lento vimine ramus Ibidem was but Brasse and Lead in comparison of this tree planted like the tree of life in the midst of the Garden of my Text. I haue not beene learned in the language of the eloquent nor hath my tongue beene dipt in the ouer-flowing waters of abundant passion yet were it so with me Eloquence her selfe might here be silent for what ornament of wit what dowry of tongue with all the riches of his language can sufficiently adorne and set forth the glorious and flourishing beauty of this tree whose outward barke and rine surpasseth the Diamond in beautie his buds the Emerods his blossomes Pearles his gumme the Ruby and Christall his fruit the golden Apples of Hesperides his leafe true leafe-gold which neyther withereth nor fadeth This is that Tree whereon groweth those rich Onyx-stones which carry in them the names of the children of Israel engrauen and embost in gold This is that Tree which S. Iohn saw Reuel 22. planted by the water of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the Throne of GOD and from the Lambe which brought forth her fruit in due season and bare twelue manner of fruits and gaue fruit euery moneth yea as good fruit as the golden Apples of the tree of life But least this iust man should deeme that this fruit of his good workes is by nature not by grace by merit not by mercy from his proper generation and not from his spirituall regeneration in Christ by vertue of the sap and moisture which naturally is in the roote and not by the riuers of waters which supernaturally water the garden of his soule it is added in my Text that the iust shall be as a Tree planted Planted Planted by that heauenly husbandman by whom whatsoeuer is not planted shall be rooted out and cast into the fire This word planted which the seauentie render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by Aquila rendred transplanted which doth agree either to the person of Christ transplanted from heauen to earth or to euery iust and righteous person who is translated and as a tree transplanted from the workes of the old man to the workes of the new from the seruitude of the Law to the libertie of grace from a land whose riuers streame with bloud to a land that flowes with milke and honey That tree which was vnhappily
times in the bitternes of their soule cry out with Dauid abissus abissum inuocat fluctus tui Psal 42. 7. supra me transierunt one deepe of sorrow calleth another deepe by the noyse of the water spouts thy waues and flouds are gone ouer me though the waters of affliction in this life rage and be impetuous so that the very mountaines of their faith shake at the surges of the same yet shall they at length be planted as flourishing trees by those riuers of water whose christall streames make glad the citie of God From these waters I will fetch some and euery Christian may more water of comfort to refresh his afflicted soule with this or the like meditation That although in this life he be like a vine spoiled bleeding with compunction of griefe and as a tree planted by riuers of salt waters euen riuers of teares yet these riuers of brinish teares shall be as the morning dewe distilling from heauen which shall nourish the fruit of our workes moysten the root of our Faith and make our soules bring forth fruit in due season Which bringeth forth fruit When man was first endowed with a soueraigne command ouer all the creatures here on earth it was enioynd him by his maker not onely to fill the earth with men but as Origen writeth replete carnem vestram quae terra est bonis operibus bring forth fruit in the earth of your flesh Which fruit is two-fold internall and externall the first is infused the other acquisite the first are the vertuous habits of the minde the other good workes flowing and proceeding from these habits The first S. Paul cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. Gal. 5. as loue ioy faith long-suffering and the like the second he cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of righteousnesse Phil. 1. 11. so that hee who is righteous Phil. 1. 11. must bring forth the fruit of his righteousnesse who is iust the fruit of his iustice liberall the fruit of his liberalitie lest hee be hewen downe and cast into the fire Neyther must wee onely bring forth fruit but euery man must bring forth his fruit he that is planted as a Cedar in the Paradise of this world must bring forth the fruit of Cedars an Oliue the fruit of Oliues euery tree his owne fruit and not onely so but wee must not curiously entermeddle with the fruit and affaires of other men spartam suam quam nactus est vnusquisque ornet euery man must striue and endeauour in the ground of his owne vocation wherein God hath planted him to bring forth his fruit that is such fruit as is proper and peculiar to his vocation and not to the vocation of others least seeking to be what others are thou loose thy selfe in seeking to be euery body thou proue to be no body in seeking to excell in all things thou proue a foole in euery thing Vzza must not touch the Arke nor meddle with the Priests office ne sutor vltracrepidam let not the Shooe-maker goe beyond his Last the Pedler beyond his packe the Painter beyond his pensell but let euery man keepe himselfe within the sphaere of his owne profession It is reported as a pleasant Fable by Leo Africanus of a little bird which is of so strange a condition that shee can liue very well both in the water and in the ayre and sometimes liues in the one sometimes in the other of this bird when the king of birds demandeth tribute she flyeth presently into the water saying shee is a fish and no bird afterward when the king of fishes demandeth tribute of her she flyeth into the ayre saying shee is a bird and no fish euen so these dissecta animalia these particoloured trees semivirique boues semibouesque viri these branches which bring forth now Almonds now Acornes now Figs now Thistles now the fruit of this man now the fruit of that mans vocation indeed bring forth none much lesse mature fruit and in due season A good word saith Salomon spoken in his due place and I adde also a good work or any good fruit brought forth in due season is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer Prou. 25. 11. There is one fruit of our youth Prou. 25. 11. another of our middle age and a third of our old age as there is one flower and beautie of the Spring another of the Summer and a third of the Autumne and these all are to be brought forth at their diuers seasons The fruit which we should bring forth before wee come to olde age is the fruit of a good life the fruit which wee must bring forth in the season of our old age is the fruit of a good death according to that of Seneca ante senectutem studebam vt benè viuerem in senectute vt benè moriar There is no season of our age vnfit to bring forth some fruit of righteousnesse but the season of the time wherein wee ought most to stretch the sinewes of our industrie to bring forth these fruits are especially in the season when wee are tempted to doe euill or in the season when occasion is offered to doe good The fruits of a Christian they are ripe at all times his haruest to gather them is at all times of the yeere When hee is tempted to Lust then is his haruest of Chastitie to Gluttonie then of Abstinence to Anger and reuenge then is his haruest of Mildnesse and moderation When thou seest thy brother imprisoned then is thy season to visite him naked then to clothe him hungry then to feede him wrongfully opprest then to relieue him in want and extremitie then to succout him Thou must not concredit the disposing of thy almes to the too-often-carelesse performance of succeeding heyres but thou must be thy owne Almoner and so shalt thou be fure to haue thy Will kept and to bring forth thy fruit in due season Such as shall deferre all their good workes till the end of their dayes and leaue their goods by others to be distributed are like a man that carries a candle behinde him in the darke which may benefit those that follow after him but not himselfe Such as all their life time by extortion and greedy oppression wrong the poore and vpon their death-beds bequeath some pettie Legacie to clad a few in Frize and stop the mouthes of Orphanes with loafes of bread who otherwise would cry for vengeance for their oppression from the GOD of Heauen doe not bring forth their fruit in due season nor are not like trees but rather like that Lion which Sampson killed which although it was rauenous in his life time and mankinde yet being dead had some little honey in his mouth Such as are called to be lights in the Church and shine not in their profession such as are called to the sacred function of the Ministerie in the Spring of their youth and strength of yeeres
A SERMON PREACHED at S. Maries Church in Oxford the 12. of Iuly 1612. Being the Act Sunday BY THOMAS ANYAN Fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge LONDON Printed for H. F. 1612. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE Lady Alice Countesse Dowager of DARBY the vertuous VVife of the right Honourable THOMAS Lord Ellesmere L. high Chancellor of England and Chancellor of the Vniuersitie of Oxford my singular and especiall good Lord. Right Honourable THose many encouragements which beyond the measure of my deserts it hath pleased your gracious fauour from the ouerture of your loue to shew towards mee may iustly claime at my hands some thankefull acknowledgement thereof Sapientis est Lib. de bene said Seneca benè debere beneficium benè soluere interdum autem solutio est ipsa confessio So fals it out with me right Honourable who hauing receiued more then I can deserue and wanting power to requite Nam tibi quod soluat non habet arca Jouis my heartiest prayers must be your best payment and no other requitall then a thankfull acknowledgement which if I should forget I were worthy as Alexander once serued one to be branded in Plutar. the fore-head with Ingratus hospes Accept therefore I beseech you of the offer of these my slender and worthlesse endeauours sheltred vnder the patronage of your worthy name which if you will please to grace with the viewing and reading ouer you shall adde life to these dead lines depriued of the breath of a liuely voyce wherewith sometime they spake and put now bloud spirit into the veines of this dead carkasse and animate it a new with the breath of your Honourable fauour wherewith you haue animated mee in all my proceedings and giuen life to my languishing and faint hopes which otherwise would not haue beene or beene expired The remembrance of which your honourable fauours shall draw life from my last breath and shall be a motiue daily to stirre me vp to sacrifice to you and for you the calues of my lips and hourely to send vp the incense of my prayers to almighty God to send downe vpon your deere Lord my R. and H. Master your selfe and both your happily-ioyned Issues what prosperitie in this life can be desired and what happinesse in the other can be conceiued Your Honors euer at command in all dutie THO. ANYAN Yorkehouse Aug. 29. A SERMON Preached at St. Maries in Oxford PSAL. 1. 3. He shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that bringeth forth his fruit in his season THat which a Westmonasteriensis Stories report of a strange childe vnited in heart and breast but diuided in the vpper parts hauing one face alwayes laughing and the other alwayes weeping may serue as a fit embleme and liuely image of this sacred hymne which being vnited together in the whole but diuided in the parts seemes as it were to haue two faces wherof the one is alwayes lightsome with the rayes of gladnesse the other alwayes clouded with sorrow and euerlasting horror And as there are onely two places and ends of our iourney whereunto wee must all repaire after our long pilgrimage here vpon this bale of earth heauen and hell so likewise are there onely two sorts and kindes of people which must trauaile in the same the reprobate and regenerate the habits and condition of both which are here described of the one in the three first of the other in the two latter and of both together in the last verse of this Psalme An Epitome of which two sorts of people was heretofore represented vnto vs in Abel and Caine Sarah and Hagar Isaac and Ismael Iacob and Esau and are Lib. 2. de Ciuit. c. 18. by great S. Austen compared vnto two Cities which two loues built the extreame loue of God and the extreame loue of our selues The loue of our selues euen to the contempt of God built the earthly and reprobate citie the loue of God euen to the contempt of our selues built the heauenly citie the one ascribeth all glory vnto God the other challengeth all Gods glory vnto her selfe The one saith the same Father is truely gloriosa the other is onely gloriatrix of the one it is said O how glorious are the titles which are said of thee thou citie of God! But of the other it may be said O how glorious are the titles which thou sayest of thy selfe O citie of the world But hearken I beseech you with reuerence what the holy Prophet saith of them both in this Psalme the one saith he is as chaffe which the winde driues away but the other is blessed and shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of waters which shall bring forth his fruit in due season In which description of the prosperitie of the godly there are two parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a narration and an exornation the narration in the two former verses the exornation in the third which I now haue read vnto you Where mee thinkes not onely the person here described in my Text but my Text it selfe may fitly be resembled vnto a Tree the branches of my Text are like the branches of trees at this time of the yeere full laden with faire and goodly fruit The chiefe materiall of which the body and branches of this tree are compounded is a Proposition which containeth in it a Description and a Comparison or rather a comparatiue description of the life of a regenerate man vnto the life of a flourishing and fruitfull tree The parts of this proposition are in number foure first the Subiect secondly the Copula thirdly the Attribute and fourthly the Adiuncts of this attribute The subiect of this Proposition and of all these attributes here in my text is the Pronoune of the third person hee by which may be vnderstood and implied three persons viz. Christ the Church and the righteous man The Copula is the Verbe substantiue erit for so reade the seuentie Arius Montanus Vatablus and the Latine vulgar onely Iunius est the matter being of no consequence the Hebritians vsing these two tenses promiscuously one for the other The attribute is a similitude or resemblance like a tree The adiuncts of this attribute are these planted by the riuers of water which shall bring forth his fruit in due season All which being ioyntly annexed vnto the principall attribute like a tree doe make it perfect and absolute and are together with their principall attribute to be referred to the subiect he who as he is a man is likened to a tree as he is a man regenerate is likened to a tree planted as hee is a man regenerate by the waters of Baptisme and the fountaine of Gods graces is likened to a tree planted by the riuers of waters his actions are compared to the effects of trees his working to bringing forth his workes to the fruit the time of his working and labour in his vocation to the