be broughte to tryall and muche hinder the gratious growth of the Figge trée Let your godly heartes take that auncient precepte from Iehosophat that godly King vnto you which saith or rather Gods spirite in that place of the Chronicles 2. Chro. 19.6.7 Take heede what yee do for yee execute not the iudgementes of manne but of the Lorde and he wil bee with you in the cause and iudgements Wherfore now let the feare of the Lord be vpon you Take heede and doe it for there is no iniquitie with the Lorde our God neither respect of persōs nor receiuing of rewarde The Wine presse for you my brethren of the vulgare sorte is that Christian duety whiche of duty we owe one vnto an other teaching vs to liue godlily Titus 2 11. Gal. 6.9 soberly iustly and not to be weary of wel doing one to another but as candles alwayes light we so shine Math 5. that our workes may procure Gods praise Let vs doe good vnto all menne but especially to the Children of God And know wel that the Apostle to the Ephesians Gal. 6.10 teacheth this to be the end of our placing in the Vineyarde that we be wel exercized in the Wine presse saying Eph. 2.10 Wee are his workmāship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes whiche God hath ordayned that we should walke in them And thus muche of the first part concerning the great goodnesse and grace of God to his Churche this aduāced Figge trée And now beloued we approche to the reste of our Texte whiche setteth sorth vnto vs the sharpe and seuere sentence of God vppon the same Figge trée that was before so happilye harboured The seconde parte Then saide hee to the Dresser of thys Vineyard beholde these three yeres haue I come and sought fruit of this Figge tree and finde none Cutte it down why kepeth it also the groūd barren THis second parte of our text deare brethren containeth two speciall points First the Lordes long suffering the vnfruitfull Fig trée to stand in hys Vineyard wherein his great goodnesse is yet further declared Secondely hys heauy sentence vpon the Fig trée after the long abuse of his greate patience Then said he to the dresser of his Vinyard beholde these three yeres haue I come c. Oh happy Vinyard that hath such a Lord who doth not only plant it defend it fructify it but also doth daily visite the same calleth vpon his people offereth them the remembraunce of the ende wherefore they are so planted and placed in his holy Church He commeth firste in long patience to his slouthfull trées to sée if at lengthe they can take blossome and bring him fruite Note then good people the ende of your calling it is to be holy Heb. 3.13 liuely workers in the Lordes Vineyarde Iude. vers◠20.21.22.23 Esa 58. to laboure the Lords increase by teaching exhorting one an other while it is to day helping vppe some and pulling out other from the fire comforting the weake walking with the strong deliuering the oppressed and setting the prisoners frée restoring eche man hys right vsing no violence to the litle flocke but by godly example in life and daily practise to their good so to yéelde our Figges to our brethren that they séeing our good workes maye glorifie our Father whyche is in Heauen Math. 5.16 And thus shall we make oure calling and election sure as the Apostle Peter hath taught vs saying Giue al diligence thereto to bee partakers of the godlye nature sleeing corruption and luste ioyne moreouer vertue wyth youre fayth and wyth Vertue Knowledge and wyth knowledge temperance and with tēperaunce patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and with brotherlye kindenesse loue For if these things be among you and abounde they will make you that yee neyther shall bee ydle nor vnfruiteful in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christe The Lords people muste doe the Lordes workes the working God doth require a labouring people Forget not beloued that the Lorde of this Vineyarde doth in visiting vs often séeke for fruite Thrée thinges are of this Texte to be considered Firste hée commeth not hastily to looke if the trée be full of fruit although his soule desireth the firste ripe fruites but he louingly looketh as a manne desirous of some and if the trée be very sparing he doth not spéedely depart as angry at the same but he taketh the boughes tendrely into his holy handes and he lifteth vp the leaues therof and searcheth diligently if so there be any one Figge there once twice and thrice and verye often and if he at anye time comming find but some fruit be it but here and there a Figge he yet kéepeth a blessing for that trée But if after oftē comming and paineful searching he yet from whome nothing can be hidde can finde no fruite then pronounceth he his cursse vpon that Figge trée and saieth Cut it down c Oh the long loking eies of Gods mercie vpon the Figge trées of Englande He came vnto them in the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne and did mercifully plant vs he hath daylye since come by his Prophets ordinary extraordinary and all to trimme and proine vs Io. 15. that we abiding in his Christ might bring forth more fruite But hée hath by his correcting hande to London oh London looke to it thou City of God and other places with punishing roddes of plagues and sodaine deathes continually of late visited vs as thereby reprouing our wantes of fruite And now he stirreth vppe the courage of his Prophets the godly Preachers whiche truly feare him with one consent to sound as it were the solempne blaste of a laste visitation that if we can not yet be fruitefull Esay 65.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15 they shoulde tell thée O Englande that then this hys Vineyarde shall be taken from thée and thou caste out of it and shalt sée it giuen to a nation that shall bring forth his expected fruite Oh Englande GOD make thée carefull and mindefull of this seuere sentence Cutte it downe Secondly let vs here note how the Lorde saith not I haue come and found no Blossomes but I haue come and founde no fruite Fruite and apte fruit beloued is that whych the Maister of the Vineyard expecteth Blossomes are blowne awaye with a blaste Buddes are beaten downe with stormye tempestes but swéete fruite is moste méete for the Lordes mouthe But it is a harde thing for the bitter Figge trée to alter hys nature Wherefore he often draweth the vigoure of the earth to féede his bitternesse Looke vppon the Iewishe Figge trée and the Lord comming after long expectation for good fruite what fruites founde he Esay sayeth Esay 5.4 Hee looked that it shoulde bryng foorthe Grapes but it broughte foorthe Wilde Grapes viz. hee looked for iudgement but beholde oppression Vers 8. for righteousnesse but beholde a crying of them that are oppressed throughe
Metaphor Euery mā hūteth his brother with a net And my brethren lette vs examine the common condition of most parts now in Englāde shal not we perceiue these sins to aboūd in the same looke to our earnest profession of the Gospell in the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne whō God in his mercie long preserue ouer vs euer in hys Christ how we hungred the truth thē how we ioyed of Gods Ministers how we desired heauēly encrease prepared our liues to answere the Gospel we clensed our Churchs our hearts houses of popish Idolatry we reedified the same with the squire of the word that in such zeale namely the Potentates Bishops Citizens of London other many godly ones as we were no whit inferior to the Iewes whiche with Nehemias Ezra Esra 3. 5 Nehe. ca. 3. ca. 4. repayred the ruinous walles of Ierusalem But beloued let vs with a simple eye looke into euery state almost in Englād now we shal right sorowfully sée a catholike cooling of this former zeale to Gods house Partly by the malice of Sathā in his seruants the Papists séeking by persuasion al policie to hinder the former work offring vs their help to build whose purpose is wholy to pul down And partly Esra 4.2 by our owne wearinesse of well doing which contenting oure selues with our firste building Haggai 12.4 haue taken surcesse for a time to build pul downe rebuild againe to our great cost the Countries great paine our braue bowers sumptuous towers to féed our fantasies and pore mēs eies but the building of Gods holy house to the encrease of faith vertue in true religiō we haue almost laide aside except a few sommer gatherings by grace conserued vnto God May wée not therfore admonish Magistrats Ministers godly men to apply this voice of the spirite of God to his holy churche which firste was sente to Ephesus viz. I knowe thy workes sayth God and thy labour Reuel 2.2 and thy patience and how thou canste not forbeare them whych are euil and hast examined thē which say they are Apostles and are not and haste found them lyars and haste suffered for my names sake and hast patience and for my names sake haste laboured and haste not fainted Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee bycause thou haste lefte thy first loue Remember therefore from whence thou haste fallen and repent and doe thy firste workes or else I will come shortly and remoue thy Candlesticke We are all lesse louing lesse labouring and lesse zealous in religion than earst we haue béene yea one and all of vs which the Lordes spirite the true discerner of all things doth call here a falling from our first loue and threatneth a comming to cut vs downe if we preuent not his spéedy cōming to our candlesticks O Lord for thy mercies sake graunt to our godly Prince and all hir noble Counsellors to the Bishops and learned Fathers to the Iudges Preachers and godly people thoughe Sommer gatherings thy grace that they may all in their callings and spirites take hold of their first loue and do their firste good workes in thée and by thy Christe that our Candlesticke thy holy gospel and Church hir Maiestie and this our hapy state may firmely stand to thy glory and our continuall comfort for thy holy names sake But if ther be such a weaknesse in Gods Sommer gatherings in England whiche yet are the best beloued of the Lord what are wée to looke for in the rest whyche are but hypocriticall Nemo rectus sayth the Prophet No man kéepeth hys heart and his hand by that line that the lawe of his God the simplicitie of his soule doth direct vnto him And surely if you wil not wilfully be blinde when didde you euer reade heare or sée of greater hypocrisie than is nowe resiante in Englande The Papist supposeth it his greatest grace to coulour his Italian hearte with hys Papisticall hypocrisie For lette hym bée accompted Papisticall by the superiours and Lorde howe hée protesteth the contrarye and if hys inferioure enforme him then he frowneth sweateth sweareth and taketh it hotely but yet there is no greater poyson in the Toade nor fixed hatred in the Serpente or rigoure in the roaryng Lyon huntyng for hys praye Gen. 3. than lurketh vnder the sugred tongues of oure Italienated Papistes For the poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes Againe what dissimulation amongest menne of all sorts in eache degrée O Lorde it is a worlde to sée Abels countenaunce but Caines hearte amongest confederates friendes parteners and cobrethren vniuersallye abroade It hathe béene called the holy water of the Courte but in euerye corner of the lande at thys daye are greate Welsprings of this infernall Lake If yée buy but corne of the husbandmanne there is deceit if you deale with the Artificer beholde swéete wordes and sleightie subtiltie But trafique or craue counterchaunge with the Marchaunte or Vsurer in Citie or Towne excepte some speciall man of GOD and beholde a graue countenaunce a sugred tong and séemely welcome but if thou deale wyth hym he is as a thornie hedge Thou takest hym for a shilter but if he haue delyuered thy clothes from some stormy raine yet ere thou escape from vnder him he will all to scratch thy fleshe If he bit thee not to the very bones Oh séeming friendship and sure hypocrisie O Lorde preserue thy holy ministery from hypocrisie and kéepe hir farre from Iustice seate But Micah Micah 7.3 saide in his time of it thus To make good for the euil of his handes the Prince viz. the great Rulers in the lande asked and the iudge iudged for a rewarde therfore the great man hee speaketh oute the corruption of hys hearte and so they wrappe it vppe The beste of them is as a bryar and the moste righteous of them is sharper than a thorny hedge The daye of thy watchemen and thy visitation commeth then shall bee theyr confusion No maruayle beloued for a generall iniquitie can not but begette an vniuersall cutting downe Woulde God hypocrisie had not spred his wings so largely in Englande pierced so déepe as to the harts of many sorts in hir or so cunningly couloured his vgly shape as he hathe at this day For no where shal religion godlinesse or honesty offer hir selfe in England but hypocrisie dare aduenture to presume of some preferment in that place He is the vesture of the proude the habite of the adulterer the gowne of the Vsurer and the beste attyre for the Macheuil The Atheist girdeth him about him and no treason can be broched besides him He delighteth not to dwell with beggers but offereth salutations to sacred states the Lorde graunte all godly Princes and Potentates eies to sée hym and spirites to discerne him for his glorye and oure beste good But haue we likewise vniuersall Crueltie and doe wée lay watch to forstall our brethren surely thys sinne
muche more worthye of receit as that the same is sente to youre memories by that Princely Prophet Dauid And it is that Psal 1.1 Zorobabell and Iehosuah of a milde purpose haue vsed to the enimies of thys trée such mercilesse pitie that by suche ouermuche lenitie thrée pestilent cancre wormes are bred in the earth about the roote and eate vppe the life of the Figge trée But if they be not with spéed digged and cast away to the helpe of his life it is of necessitie that he muste be cut down The firste is the cancre of Popishe conspyracie and their wicked counsell The seconde is the stiffe and stubborne standing in sinne and the defence thereof And the thirde is that the scorning Atheist pestilent Papiste and subtile hypocrite are set with and aboue the godly in the chayre of aucthority which is by their abuse become greately the chaire of scorners If thys earth be not remooued the Cancre wormes excéedinglye bréede and the barren trée must perishe The conspiracies of the Papistes and their wicked coūcels they be eyther publique or priuate Publique but yet among themselues at their solemne places of appointed méetings where for their Counter caked Christ against the Lorde and his annointed they consulte and mightly conspyre awayting onely theyr trauailing day of such Popish conception As the laste good Fridaye in our partes was a suspected number gathered neare vnto a suspected place where that horrible sacrilegious Masse if it often be not may with greate ease voide of feare be daily sacrificed Their priuate persuasions are greate and wrought by sundry sometime by wandering Priestes harboured of no beggars sometyme by popishe Phisitions greatly magnified of our greater Papistes and these secreately sollicite the Romishe religion to men in towne and fieldes and in their weary beddes and muche moleste the valor of the Figge trée But these sinners stande the more stiffely in their Italienated sinne bicause they stande in that way whiche manie of oure Worshipfull and Noble States be delighted in to whiche Popishe sinne all lashing luste is fixed and their state dothe bréede suche stoutnesse as it is euen at this day déemed a sin eyther to reproue thē for it or thys Cancre worme of deathe in them And can we looke to haue eyther Atheisme Popery or Popishe hypocrisie once but a little disgraced so long as the Chaire of aucthority in most of our shires is filled with the Popish scorner Sundry letters are carefully sent many times to search out Papists but they come to the handes of suche often as haue more cause to be called themselues than to be in commission to conuent others And what is then done the packet once receiued happily there is some priuye packing of the Popishe Iustice to those knowne or suspected so as for the tyme non est inuentus is a good returne So is God dishonored hir Maiesties godly endeuor disturbed hir honorable Councell set to Schoole and the poore Figge trée vndigged to hir death You sée then of necessitie it is if ye wil my Lordes whiche haue the authority to place into the Chayre of Iustyce rightly digge the hurting matter from the Figge trée you must take away this earth that countenaunce and purpose whyche earste haue fedde these cancre wormes I meane that lenitie mercilesse pitie whyche in hope to win thereby the hollow Papist haue greatly hurt and hyndered the true hearted Protestant And the verye grounde of your labour and firste setting the spade to the earth is and muste here begynne to digge out the Papist from the Chaire of auctority For you may not forgette that not onely they are fruitelesse themselues but they make the grounde also barrē wheresoeuer they rule yea they bite at the prospering Figge trée they whet the téeth of theyr confederates and are practising their purpose vnder the pretence of hir Maiesties power against the branches that their cunning maye excell againste the bodye and the verye roote of the trée of thys common weale in the day of their decrée But if that the Atheiste hypocriticall and scorning Papiste were altogither discontinued the seate of authoritie No doubt thereof but their agents the Popishe practitioners that so conspire into the heartes of men against Gods truth durste not or could haue such fréedome neither suche standing in sin or so mightie preuailing aide woulde be lent vnto it Oh Lorde worke this yet more effectually for thy holie names sake and for thy loue to the dresser of oure Figge trée And London London thy Rulers and Gouernours muste well looke vnto it For a little digging in the Countrie dothe driue these cancred Papistes into thée So as thou arte become a mother to manye godlye So also a Nurse vnknowen to thée to manye a wicked Papist whiche breake vp their being in the countrey and lurke in the Citie of London and so are moste safe when they are nearest the place of their deserued daunger as neare to the court the Councell the Bishoppes consistory Westminster Hall and the sworde of authoritie Wherefore my Lord Bishop muste be still vigilant the Iudges diligent the Mayor painefull all to picke oute the scorning Papiste thys pestilent cancre worme which for more safetie créepeth so neare the roote of the Figge trée The reuerende Fathers muste bée holpen with the aide of theyr preaching brethren The godlye Iudges with the help of their associats And surely praised be God for it Englād had neuer in mans memory so manye good christian Lawyers whych with their study to the Common laws haue bin so able to benefite the bodies in the common weale as now they are by their increase in godly knowledge of his holy laws to furnish well the Fig trée to hir growth in spirite for the good successe to hys church This thē remaineth my Lords that you being our godly Fathers of the law endeuor with godly strife to excel one another in digging and that you become for your zeale in knowledge so religious and for youre dexteritie in Iustice so vpright that al other godly Iudges succéeding you may with reuerent regard feare to pronounce the sentence of Iustice after you leaste they should not equall your equitie to Papist or Protestant but chiefly in digging of euil matter from the Figge trée To your godly furtherance herein I pray you reade Psalm 101. The seconde worke of the Magistrate of either estate is to laye to the roote of the Figge trée that which maye supple and comfort and mightily help the weakened life of the same and is here by our heauenly dresser exampled vnto suche namely earnest and hearty prayer vnto God to humble his church to quicken hir to make supple and nimble hir veynes by his spirite that hys sap may be vigent and working in hir making hir more more fruitfull And then to dung the same trée that is to indicte to it such godly exercises as maye rightly humble theyr heartes and supple their soules before God And that