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A12996
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A treatise on the First Psalme. By Mathew Stonham. Minister and preacher in the cittie of Norwich
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Stoneham, Mathew.
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1610
(1610)
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STC 23289; ESTC S117850
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168,319
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238
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face of the earth yet yeeldeth shee her fruite in Grapes her Grapes in clusters and her clusters iu aboundance of plenty So is it with Man this misticall Tree whâ— the higher he is the more dangerfull hee is and the lesse fruitfull First he is the more dangerfull Locaquae aliis celsa ipsis praeupta videntur saith Seneca Those places which seeme Seneca to be stately vnto others are steepe vnto themselues they lay open vnto the contrary windes of alterations to the blasting lightnings of disaster aspects if they be subiects of their soueraignes if they be soucraignes yet of GOD who is the great Monarche and soueraigne of the world at the barre of whose tribunall they stand euer arreigned many of them as Pharaoh Antiochus Belshazzar Herod c. haue beene as with a flash of lightening both very suddenly and fearefully punished and confounded Who sit on their chaires of estate as sometime Damocles did on the throne of Dionysius hauing not one but many swords hanging ouer them a sword of Enuie from their equalls in forreigne states a sword of mutinies and insurrestions from their inferiors of poysnings from their feigned friends in their owne territories and of murtherings from their open enemies both forreigne and domestick It is an excellent saying of Hugo Victorinus Quatuor sunt quae trahunt Hâ—gâ—Victorinus elationis currum c. Foure things there bee which draw the chariot of Aduancement Desire of rule Loue of our owne praise Contempt Disobedience the wheeles of this Chariot are first Boasting of minde secondly Arrogancy thirdly Gloriousnesse of speech fourthly Leuity or lightnesse The driuer of this Chariot is the spirit of pride They who are borne therein are Louers of this world But farre from security is both this Chariot and they which are borne in it because as the same Author speaketh the horses are vnbrideled the wheeles easily turned the driuer froward and they but weak who are borne in it And therfore if the Chariot shal be ouerturned must needs bee the more grieuously bruised and more easily oppressed High places may be compared to the Cantharides whose outward shew is glorious but their inward working poysonous like a Tree which the higher it is the more danger it hath Secondly Man this misticall Tree the higher he is the lesse fruitfull as Trees vse to bee An high place vnlesse grace doth alter it occasioneth an high minde and an high minde is like an high Mountaine which the higher it is is also the barrener Saint Gregory saith Greg. in morall Radix cuncti mali et regina omnium vitiorum superbia Pride is the roote of all Euill and the Queene of all Vices How can a man then gather Grapes of this Thorne or Figges of this Thistle It is not possible It may also appeare vnto vs that man in regard of the state thereof is like vnto a Tree because as a Tree the lower he is the lesse dangerfull he is and the more fruitfull First hee is lesse dangerfull because hee is not subiect to Chaunges to Dis-fauours to Enuy to Insurrections Poysonings Murtherings as to so many seuerall raging wiâ—des blastings lightnings fearefull thunderbolts for as much as hee with little Dauid sitteth at home tending it may bee The Ewes great with young ones when his elder and stronger bretheren are mustred to maâ—ch vnder Sauls coullours against the Philistines 1 Sam. 17. The smaller the markeâ— the more hardly it is hitte But the greater the more easily it is pierced The smaller frye may escape the net when the greater fishes shall be entangled and needes must hee bee safe whose Lord Protector the Lord of hoastes becommeth by whose grace and blessing it commeth to passe that when the Bowe and the mighty are broken then the weake and humble gird them-selues with strength 1 Sam. 2. 4. And though the Lordes adueâ—saries bee proud like vnto them whome the Lord professeth That hee will resist 1 Pet. 5. 5. Yet shall they be destroied and out of Heauen shall the LORD thunder vppon them 1. Sam 2. 10. VVhile hee on the other side rayseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth the begger from the dung-hill to sette them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of 1 Sam. 2. 〈◊〉 glory To which end also Iudith the humble hand-maid of the Lord faith Thou O Lord art the helpe of the humble and of litle Ones and a defonder of the weake and a protector of them that are for-saken and the Saviour of them which are Iudg. 911. without helpe Like a Tree the lower the safer Secondly Man this misticall Tree the lower hee is the more fruitfull therein not vnlike to the Vallies Humility is not onely the foundation of our Righteousnesse S. Chrysoft as S. Crysost writeth but of our Religion which according to the testimony of blessed Iames If it bee pure and vndefiled before GOD euen our Father visiteth the fatherlesse and Widowes in their aduersities and causeth a man to keepe him-selfe vnspotted of the Worlde I am 1. 27. By consequence wherof it may appeare that none can sincerely haue eyther true Purity in him-selfe in keeping himselfe vnspotted of the Worlde or true Charity toward other in visiting the fatherlesse and widowes vnlesse hee bee religious which true Religion man cannot haue without Humility Humility therefore it is the ground-worke of euery good worke like a Tree the lower the fruitfuller The fourth and last thing wherein Man may be likened to a Tree is the end of a Tree The end of a Tree is eyther to become when it is cutte downe timber for building â—t fuell for burning So Man this Misticall Tree being cutte downe by the axe of death becommeth eyther as an holy Timber to bee built in the Heauenly Ierusalem a member of that Spirituall house mentioned 1. Pet. 2. 5. Wherein our building in Heauen shall not bee like vnto that building vppe to Heauen as it was intended Gene. 11. 4. That proued but a Babell a matter of confusion as in the same chapter is manifest but so shall this building 2. Coâ—in 5. 1. bee reared vppe in Heauen As it shall become aâ—ernall A building where the Stone shall not crye out of the wall and the beame out of the tymber shall answere it VVoe bee vnto him which buildeth a Towne with bloud and erecteth a Cittye by iniquitie Abacu 2. 11. 12. But shall sing like the Seraphins one to another holy holy holy is the Lord of hoastes the whole world is full of his glory Esay 6. 2. As Math. 21. 12. We read of an house of prayer so shall we then be in an house of praise Furthermore Man this misticall Tree beeing cutte downe by the Axe of Death otherwise becommeth as fuell for the fire but for what fire Not for The fire Materiall which when matter fayleth forth-with goeth out but for Fire Alasse Immateriall Infernall Vnquenchable Math. 3. 12. which goeth not out
bee no vertues but the Image of them as the Image of Dauid was shewed by Michol to delude Saul her fathers messengers for Dauid him-selfe 1. Sam. 19. 16. These their vertues are done by the wicked first for shew as Hypocrites like a dung-hill couered with snowe white without but full of stench and pollution within Hypocrites though they be as fire without whot and bright yet bee they as water within first cold as water secondly as we vse to say in a prouerbe Weake as water They haue it may be the coulour and appearance of salt but not the smacke and rellish of it What tast is there 〈◊〉 the white of an Egge Iob. 6. 6. so may we say what tast is there in the salt of an Hypocrite The spirit of GOD witnesseth of an Harlot that Prou. 5. 3. 4. her lips dropp as an hony-combe and her mouth is more soft then oyle but the end of her is bitter as worme-wood and sharp as a two-edged sword That which there is said of the Harlot may also bee verified of the Hypocrite that the sweetnesse of hony and smoothnesse of oyle is in his outward countenance and appearance but within lurketh euen the bitternesse of worme-wood and the dissembling of a double heart like the wounding of a two-edged sword How can then euen the vertuous actions if it bee lawfull so to call them of such as masâ—ke vnder the vizard of Hypocrysie be prospered by GOD who will bee worshipped not in shew and doubling but in spirit and truth Iohn 4. 24. Yea how shall hee not rather not onely defeate and dis-prosper them but also euen vtterly auenge and confound them to giue these Hypocrites their portion With Hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 24. 51. Weeping which commeth of heat and gâ—ashing of teeth which commeth of cold to them which are Luke-warme neyther whot nor cold as it is said of the Church of Laodicia S. Basil likeneth the hypocrite vnto the Idoll Bell externe quideÌ„ habenti aes lutum vero sub aere falgente absconditum Basil Hâ—mil in aâ—quo Script locos Hauing brâ—sse without but clay hidden vnder that shining brasse within Of this also may we be sure that the lott of the Hypocrites shall become by the iust iudgement of God like vnto the lott of Bell who beeing deliuered Dargon Hist Bell into the hand of Daniell which signifieth the iudgment of God was by him destroyed There-fore in regard of these vertuous actions of the wicked varnished ouer with the glosse of Hypocrisie cannot they be said to bee prospered but rather as the Scripture importeth to be confounded and ouer-whelmed The wicked are not so Secondly these their vertues are done by the wicked for praise of men Like vaine-glorious-ones who may deseruedly be censured to haue hunted after the winde and when they haue caught and as they thinke possessed it yet doe they but inherite the winde Prou. 11. 29. Vaine-glory is a limbe of pride and God which resisteth the proud 1. Pet. 5. 5. resisteth also these vaine-glorious actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The giftes of enemies are no giftes so the vertues of the wicked are no vertues vertues in name but not in nature pretending great matters in title but not in truth like Absolon whose name signifieth the Father of peace yet disturbed he his fathers peace and him-selfe became the sonne of rebellion Absolon to gett him-selfe a popular applause among men and a name on earth reared vp vnto him-selfe A pillar in the Kinges-dale to keepe his name in remembrance because he had no sonne which he called after his owne name 2. Sam. 18. 18. So the wicked exercise their vertues euen as the old World builded their Babell to gett them a name and a renowne amongst men But as Absolon was not prospered in his intendment for as much as what hee purposed one way God disposed another his end beeing to bee hanged by the hayre on an Oake to bee pierced through with dartes to be cast into a pitte in a Wood and to haue a mighty greate heape of stones layd vppon him 2. Sam. 18. 17. So these vaine-gloriously vertuous actions of the wicked shall be dispersed not prospered as the true vertuous actions of the godly shall be prospered not dispersed The wicked are not so Thirdly these their vertuous actions are done by the wicked for their owne good consisting eyther in Profit or in Praeferment like Polititians For their owne good consisting in profitt like vserers forbearing the present principall for future aduantage Thus the diuell him-selfe may bee said to bee a Well-doer who will as experience teacheth benefit and help the bodies to the end he may gaine and swallow vp the soules of men The wicked do also vertuous actions for their owne good consisting in Praeferment to gett mens heartes to the end that mens hearts thus gotten may giue them high place and aduancement This was the Diuells case who when he he had Christ vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world and would haue giuen them him also but not of simple charity and true bounty but vpon condition that he mought gaine the greatest honor that euer yet was yeelded to any creature namely that CHRIST the Son of God yea a GOD him-selfe at whose name euery knee should bow of thinges in heauen the good Angels of things in earth Men and of thinges vnder the Earth Diuels Phil. 2. 10. Should bow the knee yea which is more Luke 4. 5. Should fall downe and worship him This likewise is the case of all the wicked which are of their Father the Diuell Who will helpe vppe some-what inwordly pollicy the state of them which are downe to the end they may helpe their owne estate vpp But these vertuous doings of these vngodly dooers cannot be prospered because Christ will ouer-throw such Mony-changers themselues which change small that they may gaine great summes of money as some-time hee ouer-threw the â—ables of the Money-changers in the Temple Iohn 2. â—5 and make a scourge for the backes of such Merchandizers of Profit And for them which by this meanes affect preferment There exaltation shall prooue like an Exhalation mounting aloft and forth-with turned into lightning which shall bee cast downe the estate of Sathan him-selfe and the lotte of his followers who was seene to fall as lightning from Heauen Luk. 10. 18. Therefore though the Luk 10. 18. vertuous actions of the godly shall prosper yet may it bee said of the vngodly The wicked are not so Secondly the dooings of the wicked are those which hee vnder-taketh faciendo by action respecting his Vices Seeing his vertues haue beene found to haue no better successe his vices can much lesse bee expected to bee prospered The vices of the godly not simply but respectiuely were sayd to prosper because they lead him to a speedy wise and wary repentance But with the vngodly