name of good workes which neuerthelesse are neither the onely good workes nor the chiefest good workes For we looke upon our selves in the glasse of the law and try our selves thereby These workes are of two sorts some generall and others speciall The generall are such as concerne all among which the workes of the first Table being the first and great Commandements Math. 22.38 must have the first place to love God above our selves to feare him to beleeve in him to trust in him to pray unto him to serve and worship him to reverence his name and to sanctifie his Sabbath and the workes of the second Table are like Gal. 5.22.23 for the fruits of the spirit are manifest love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse faith meekenesse temperance and such like These belong to all and must be practised of all persons high and low rich and poore none may excuse themselves The speciall workes are such as belong to every man in his particular calling For as we have all a generall calling as we are Christians so we are set in severall callings such as are superiors and inferiors as the Magistrate and subject the husband and wife father and sonne master and servant we must labour to be found faithfull in these how low so ever our place be if we be found carefull and conscionable even the meanest servant that drudgeth in the Kitchin if his calling be nothing but to scoure spittes Eph. 6.6.7 or to wipe shooes yet if he be obedient to his Master as unto Christ not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servant of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men he is no lesse accepted of God in his place then he that preacheth the word or he that ruleth a kingdome Well or thou shalt let it alone These words are expresly mentioned but they or some such like must necessarily be understood as if it were said let it stand and continue in the Vineyard that it may bring forth more fruit as Ioh. Ioh. 15.2 15. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Doct. This teacheth us that the fruits of repentance obtaine the pardon and forgivenesse of all sinnes and offences Repentance obtaineth forgivenesse of sinnes and the favour of God and prevent Gods wrath and judgements and procure his love and favour He hath made a sure promise of remission of former offences to all such as truly turne unto him Thus the Prophet hath Wash you make you cleane take away the evill of your workes from before mine eyes c. then though your sinnes were as crimsin Esay 1.16.18 55.6.7 they shall be as wooll and though they were as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and chap 55. Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations c. let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him Ezek. 18.23 And the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and live where he coupleth these two together The truth of this point is farther confirmed by sundry examples as 2 Sam. 2 Sam. 12.13 12.13 When David had acknowledged his sinne against the Lord the Prophet said for his comfort The Lord also put away thy sinne The like we see in Manasseth when he was carried away captive and clapt up in prison being in great tribulation prayed unto the Lord 2 Chr. 33.12 and humbled himselfe greatly be fore the Lord God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him backe againe to Ierusalem and set him upon the throne of his fathers The Publican smote his brest saying Lord Luk. 18.13.14 be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you this man went downe to his house justified rather then the proud Pharisee The like I might say of Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 he obtained mercy and forgivenesse when he was converted so the penitent theefe upon the Crosse said to the Lord Iesus Lord Luk. 23.42.43 remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome and Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Mar. 1.4 Hence it is that the Evangelist witnesseth that Iohn did baptise in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes where we see he knitieth repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes together The reasons first Reason 1 all penitent persons shall have the blood of Christ Iesus to wash clense their soules from all their sinnes a singular benefit This reason the Prophet vrgeth Esay 1.17.17.18 For to speake properly nothing can clense us but Christs blood so foule and filthy we are and therefore it is called cleane water Ezek. 36.25 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 I will powre cleane water upon him and thus the Apostle Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinne Secondly such shall have right to carthly blessings and to a right use of them to their everlasting comfort as Esay 1. Ye shall eate the good things of the land Esay 1.19.20 but if they refused and rebelled they should be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us apply these things First conclude Vse 1 that all impenitent persons are out of Gods favour and protection and lye under all the plagues and punishments that God denourceth against sinners This is a fearefull estate and condition Deut. 28.16 to be cursed in the whole course of our life at home and abroad in the City and in the field in all that we put our hand unto Deut. 28. The curse of God bringeth with it all miseries of this life and of the life to come If then we repent not we die Secondly they that are truly penitent are truly happy for that man is blessed Psal 32.1.2 38.4 whose transgressions are for given and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity There cannot be a greater blessing befall us in this world then to get pardon of our finnes for all the burdens that we can beare are not to be compared to the burden of sin and therefore to be lighted of it is one of the greatest blessings of all the spottes staines that can sticke unto us Iam. 1.21 sinne is the filthiest and therefore to be clensed and washed from it maketh us cleane in his sight Lastly hence ariseth matter of comfort to all such as earnestly endeavour this worke of clensing and purging of themselves The vvay and the meanes to attaine
Israel when they saw the wrath of God kindled against them the chosen men of Israel smitten down Iosh 7.8 the Canaanites to preuaile against them to cry out O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backes before their enemies And when the people were smitten by the children of Benjamin with a greeuous slaughter they went up and came to the house of the Lord and wept and sate there before the Lord Iudg. 20.26 and fasted that day untill the even The third cause is Gods threatning to destroy for some generall or notorious sins reigning in the land crying unto God for vengance This moved these Ninevites to fast when Ionah the Prophet cryed out against them Chap. 1.2 because their wickednesse was come before the Lord. This is so urgent a cause that it prevailed with Ahab who by the instigation of wicked Iezabel sold himselfe to worke wickednesse for when he heard the fearful threatning denounced against him by the Prophet against his house he rent his garments put on sackcloth fasted 1 King 21.27 and humbled himselfe whereby he obtained a respit of the judgement a temporall reward for a temporal repentance The fourth cause is the calamity and misery of the neighbour Churches lying under the Crosse Psal 80.13 when the boare out of the wood doth waste them and the wild beast of the field devoure them to witnesse our communion of Saints and to shew a fellow feeling of their sighes and sorrowes that they also may doe the like for us This seemeth to be the cause of the assembly of the Congregation at Antioch they laboured mightily in praier fasting for the people of God dispersed among the Gentiles Act. 13.2.5 and specially for the poore Saints at Ierusalem persecuted through the cruelty of Herod Act. 12. The last cause why the Churches assembled in this manner was to crave a blessing from God when they did enterprize or execute any special work which highly cōcerned the church or cōmon wealth Act. 13.3 When the Church did lay their hands on Paul Barrabas they fasted and prayed cōmended them to the grace of God that he would prosper their ministery These were the reasons of such solemne assemblies And are not the same causes found among us Yes doubtlesse all of them presse us to the practise of this duty and call upon us for humiliation to move the Lord to shew mercy in these daies of trouble heavinesse Are not dāgers threatned on every side nay are they not already inflicted upon us Hath not the Lord a controversie against us for our common sinnes hath not iniquity the upper hand and is not godlinesse troden under foot And as for the miseries and desolations of the neighbouring Churches are they not in paine like a woman in travaile bring forth nothing but wind Psal 79.1.2.3.4 may we not say The heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and shed the blood of thy Saints like water that they are become a reproach to their enimies a scorne and derision to them that are round about them who say where is their God Lastly we enterprize great things how can we looke for a blessing if we crave it not with fasting and prayer doubtlesse this is the cause why we have no better successe in our endeavours because we trust in our multitudes munition pollicies and seeke not aright the God of heaven Let us come to the uses Vse 1 First it reproveth such as hold fasting to be meerly Iudaicall and ceremoniall a part of the rudiments of the Law which are shadowes of things to come and that it hath no use in the times of the Gospel And true it is this exercise had in it somewhat ceremonial and proper to the Iewes annexed unto it as one certaine and fixed day of the yeare Levit. 16. Levit. 16.29 Zach. 7.5 This shall be a statute for euer unto you in the seuenth moneth on the tenth day of the moxeth ye shall afflict your soules c. and it had sundry legal rites and facrifices annexed unto it But may we not say the like of the Sabbath is it to be holden wholly ceremoniall not to be obserued as moral because the day is changed and all the rites abolished together with the strict rest No doubtlesse there remaineth a Sabboth and holy day of rest for the people of God to the end of the world or else religion would soone perish out of the earth So we may say touching fasting true it is we find no setled time in the new Testament appointed and set apart to fast by the ordinance of Christ neverthelesse because the causes of fasting remaine which we noted before as great a necessity lyeth upon us as ever lay upon the Iewes when the like occasions shall be offered unto us that were offered unto them Now where the causes of the institution remaine there the things themselues must continue but the causes of the institution remaine therfore fasting it selfe must continue Be sides when our Saviour was blamed by the Pharisees Disciples the Disciples of Iohn because his disciples fasted not doth he exempt them vtterly from it discharge them from such practise as impertinent unto them No doubtlesse he only sheweth the unfitnesse of the present time Math. 9.15 but layeth a commandement upon them to do it afterward then shall they fast And they performed it accordingly Act. 13. Secondly it reproveth the Popish fasting to whom I may say as Paul sometime did to the men of Athens Act. 17.22 I perceive that in all things yee are too superstitious And indeed here is one mystery of iniquity The chiefe points of religion remaine in the Church of Rome howbeit in name onely not in nature in shew not in substance in appearance not in truth I may say therefore of them as Iohn doth to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy workes Revel 3.1 that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead They have the name of Christ of justification of the Scripture of prayer of faith of the Sacraments of repentance but they have set up a mock-Christ they have overthrowne his humanity and destroyed all his Offices they beleeve justification but it is by their owne workes they receive faith but it is nothing but a beleeving the word to be true which also the Devils doe they admit repentance but it is nothing else but penance and corporall chasticement they acknowledge the Scriptures but they have patched their Apochryphal additions unto them and their owne Traditions as unwritten verities to be of equall authority with them they use prayer but it is in an unknowne tongue they have the Sacraments but one of them they have defiled the other they have destroyed and turned it into the idolatrous and blasphemous Masse And herein lyeth the depth of Satan For if he should utterly have
no fruit then thou maiest cut it downe This is the summe of this Parable the application whereof is So God hath placed you of Iudea in a fertile place hath bestowed many blessings upon you and hath looked for good fruit from you but behold ye bring forth none I tell you therefore except ye repent that speedily ye shall all likewise perish Now for our better proceeding in the orderly handling of these words Observe herein 2. things An exhortation to repentance or a threatning of destruction to the impenitent vers 3. 5. An amplification or enlargement thereof in the residue The amplification or illustration is By examples By a parable The examples are of the Galileans Eighteene upon whom the tower fell and slew them The second amplification which is by parable we will relerue to the proper place handle the same particularly For all these things belong vnto us as well as unto those to whom they were spoken by our Saviour and may be applied to us as well as unto them The doctrine of repentance was never more needfull to be preached and the threatning also as fully concerneth us Except we repent we shall likewise perish as Marke 13. least we passe by the exhortation uttered to the Disciples by our Saviour as impertinent to us he addeth What I say unto you Mark 13.37 I say unto all Waâ—ch So it is in this place as if he had said what I say unto these I say unto all Repent Wherefore Doct. the generall point that Christ laboureth to presse and perswade is to worke in them and in all others repentance The way to prevent Gods judgments is to amend our lives This teacheth that the onely way to prevent and escape the judgments of God is to amend our lives and turne unto him with all our hearts and to repent from dead workes We live in the dayes of many judgments some lying heavy upon us others hanging over our heads so that we may say with the Prophet Psal 1â—0 1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord and 42.7 deepe calleth unto deepe at the noyse of thy water spoutes all thy waves and thy billowes are gone over me The meanes ordained of God to revoke his heavy hand gone out against us is to turne from our evill wayes See this Deut. 4. Deut. 4.29 30 31. after that God punisheth his people for their sinnes he saith When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shall be obedient unto his voyce hee will not forsake thee nor destroy thee 2 Chro. 17.13.14 if thou seeke him with all thine heart and with all thy soule Thus the Lord said to Salomon 2 Chro. 7. If I shut up heaven that there be no raine or if I command the Locustes to devoure the land or if I send postilence among my people if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne Ier. 3 22. and will heale their land And the Prophet Ieremy bringeth in the Lord speaking Math. 3.7.8.10 Returne ye back-sliding children I will heale your backsliding So doth Iohn the Baptist reprove the Pharisees O generation of vipers who hath warned you to sly from the wrath to come bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance and now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire So then the onely way to stay Gods hand and to stop his judgments now that his arrowes fly through the land is to returne from all our evill wayes and to cause others to returne The reasons follow Reas 1 First because untill we repent all judgements hang over our heads and shall overtake us as they did the old world as they did Sodome and Gomorrha as they did Pharaoh and infinite others We may be destroyed by fiery Serpents burned in the fire drowned in the waters swallowed up in the earth as Dathan and Abiram and may looke every day for some plague or other to find us out and seaze upon us Secondly when we truly repent forgivenesse of sinnes and other blessings do follow For repentance and remission go together We see this in the Ninevites Ionah 3.10 God saw their workes that they turned from their evill wayes and he repented of the evill he had said he would do unto them and he did it not If then we would prevent Gods judgments Vse 1 first we must beware of all false counterfeite turnings and by-pathes of our owne invention and walke in the Kings high way Some make confession of our selues to have sinned and to say I am a sinner to be true repentance but thus every civill man should repent Some make all kind of sorrow and greefe and sheding of teares to be turning to God but so should Esau repent Some content themselues with a little humbling and an outware casting downe of themselues to hang downe their heads for a day like a Bulrush but so should Ahab repent Some thinke every good word Lord Lord to be repentance and if they can but say Lord have mercy upon me they have truly repented but so should every sicke man repent Others turne not from sinne untill sinne turne from them and they leave it not till they can follow it no longer but thus every old man repenteth Others turne from one sinne to an other as many from one disease into another and from evill to worse as it were from a fever into a frenzy Lastly others turne from some sinne but not from all they will keepe some beloved sinne still but thus Herod and Iudas repented but this must be the Covenant that we make with God to keepe us from all sinne remembring that he which faileth in one point is guilty of all Iam. 2.10 All these blind wayes wherein the greatest sort doe walke must be avoyded of us True it is wicked men may walke in all these pathes they may confesse their sinnes and desire others to pray for them but this is an enforced repentance this is compulsion not conversion and thus Pharaoh repented whereas true repentance must be voluntary and as a free-will offering They may confesse some heinous and capitall sinne knowne to others as well as to themselues whereby they have brought shame and confusion upon themselues howbeit they will not confesse all but thus Iudus repented saying I have sinned Math. 27.4 in that I have betrayed innocent blood but he acknowledged not his covetousnesse that he was a theefe and kept the bagge They have often some remorse and touch of conscience but it is a great deale more for the punishment threatned or inflicted then for the sinne committed if they might any way escape
the immediate hand of God rather then endure these manifold miseries that are upon them and those that belong vnto them Secondly it leadeth us to thinke that our hope and comfort is not heere upon the earth Our happinesse and the time or place of our resting and refreshing is not heere We must not looke for an heaven in this life but make our selves ready to take up our crosse and follow our Master Our Saviour never promiseth his Disciples to live ever in prosperity and be free from all adversity O how many followers should he have if the profession of his name were coupled accompanied with honour and temporall glory as appeareth by the Shechemites that would be circumcised for gaine Ioh. 6.26 Gen. 34. and by those that sought him because they did eate of the loaves and had their bellies filled Ioh 6. but he forewarneth them in all places of grieuous troubles he sent them out as sheepe in the middes of Wolves he telleth them that they will deliver them up to the Councils and scourge them in their Synagogues and the Apostle was assured by the holy Ghost Act. 20.26 that bands and afflictions did abide him It shall not be thus in the life to come when the Lord shall wipe away all teares from our eyes 1 Cor. 15.19 therefore the Apostle saith If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable This is the description of such as are wicked men Psal 17.14 their portion is in this life Psal 17. they lay up for themselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt where theeves breake through and steale and where their treasure is there is their heart also Math. 6.19 Math. 6.19.21 they say let us eate and drinke for to morrow we dy 1 Cor. 15. The happinesse of a godly man is heereafter Phil. 1.23 to be dissolved and to be with Christ is best of all Phil. 1. When this earthly house of this his Tabernacle is dissolved he hath a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil. 3.20 2 Cor. 5. his Conversation is in heaven and from thence looketh for a saviour Phil. 3. Col. 3.1.2 he seeketh those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3. he setteth his affections on things above not on things on the earth Thirdly seing be oftentimes chastiseth his children while worldly men feele nothing at all it behoveth us to beare his chastisements cheerefully humbly and patiently and not faint under the crosse as men out of heart Heb. 12.6 veing he correcteth every son whom hereceiveth and loveth and with this we should comfort our selves and strengthen the feeble-minded support the weake and be patient toward all men This condemneth all murmuring and complaining under the Crosse which causeth the Lord oftentimes not to remove but rather to double his strokes upon us When Parents perceive their children grow stubborne and wayward froward and foolish under the rod doe they not rather encrease their punishment then let them alone Lam. 3.33.36 Thus doe we constraine the Lord to deale with us true it is he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feete and to subvert a man he approveth not but when we are impatient and fret against him this is not the way to stay his hand and to call backe his judgements but rather to provoke him against us to strike againe and againe Motives to patience and to double and treble his strokes upon us Now there are sundry motives to move us to this patience and to stay us from all impatience First God useth bodily afflictions to cure spirituall diseases Every paine preventeth the paines of hell by drawing us to Christ We may learne more by adversity then we can doe by prosperity Manasses learned more in Babylon then in Ierusalem and profited more in prison then in his palace 2 Chro. 33. In prosperity David said I shall never be remooved but in adversity he confessed Psal 30.6.119.71 it was good for him to have beene afflicted that he might learne the statutes of God whereas before he was afflicted he went astray but now he kept his word Secondly the sorrowes and anguish we endure alas what are they if they be compared to those dolours and paines which Christ our saviour suffered for us for he might say more truly then any other Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me Lam. 1.12 wherewith the Lord afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Thirdly our sorrowes are a thousand times lesser then our sinnes have deserved Let us enter into our owne hearts and consciences to try and find out this point and we shall easily discerne our sinnes and offences to exceed all our paines Fourthly nothing commeth upon us but that which the Lord hath sent and laid upon us affliction springeth not out of the dust though dust and ashes judge after that manner We looke too much to second causes to finde the cause of our visitations as also we trust too much in outward meanes and remedies to remove the same The Prophet saith Psal 39.9 I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it This consideration wrought patience in him And our Saviour teacheth us to lift up our eyes higher then the earth Math 10.29 and to rest in his providence Are not two sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father Fiftly God hath not given us ouer into the hands of our enemies to be chastened but he correcteth us with his owne mercifull hand When David had his wish to chuse his owne chasticement either warre famine or pestilence all sharpe weapons able to wound to death he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God then by men or other meanes 2 Sam. 24.14 2 Sam. 24. Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man for the very mercies of the wicked are cruelty For if we stood at the discretion of mercilesse men as sundry our bretheren at this day in other places doe and heard the alarme of battel sounding in our eares when mourning is in our streets Amos 5.16 and we should heare crying in all our high wayes Alas alas and all places be filled with weeping and wailing when the blood of the Saints shall be powred out like water that cannot be gathered up againe when so many widowes and fatherlesse children are left to lament we would confesse it a great mercy to fall into the hands of God and not of men if we considered aright these things Sixtly all the afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory laid up for us in the life to
soone be changed the difference wil soon be espied They are now as a Lyon within a grate or a Wolfe kept in a chaine Let the Lyon loose set the Wolfe at liberty ye shall soone see him as fierce and cruell as ever he was Remember what they were when they bare sway such as they were then such they are now in heart affection such as the fathers were such are their children a cruell a barbarous a bloody generation ever delighted with shedding blood Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath not given us as a pray unto their teeth and let them fulfill the measure of their sinnes that upon them may come all the righteous blood which they have shed upon the face of the earth Above all the Galileans c. or those eighteene c. The examples of others and the miserable event upon them are propounded to teach the Disciples and all others to turne o God these men judging these punishments to be the wages of unrighteousnesse Doct. Examplesf Gods judgments upon some are profitable to others This teacheth that the example of Gods judgements which he useth and executeth upon nations kingdomes cities families houses and particular persons are profitable meanes to stay from that euil which God hath chastised in others In the glasse of others wee may looke upon our owne faces We see this Deut. 24. Remember Miriam Deut. 24.9 what the Lord thy God did upon her by the way 2 Sam. 11.20 21. after ye were come forth out of Egypt the Like is noted 2 Sam. 11. Wherefore approched ye so nigh the City when ye did fight knew ye not that they would shoote from the wall who smote Abimelech the sonnes of Ierubesheth 2 King 9.31 did not a woman cast a piece of a Mil-stone upon him from the wall that he died c. Math. 24.37 The words of Iezabel are grounded upon this foundation Luc. 17.27.32 Had Zimri peace that slew his master Christ our Saviour chargeth all to beware of excesse propounding the examples of Noah and Lot to tye up their hearts to looke after the appearance of Christ in glory and to draw them from the love of the world and afterward he addeth to the same end Remember Lots wife So that we see Dan. 5.20.22 the examples of Gods judgment in former times are profitable to them that come after to hold them in the wayes of righteousnesse and to keepe them from the pathes of death This is proved plainely from the unchangable nature of God Reason 1 he is one and the same now as he was in former times his words are not yea and nay but yea and amen he is not variable and unconstant Mat. 3.6 Iam. 1.17 like a reed shaken with the winde hither and thither but remaineth ever the same Psal 102.27 With him is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning he is the Lord he changeth not and his hatred against sinne is no way diminished 1 Cor. 10.11 6. Secondly from the end of Gods chasticements which is to respect others as well as those that are chasticed for they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Rom. 15.4 and these things are our examples to the intent we should not lust after evill things as they also lusted Now let us apply these things Behold here the great kindnesse of God who teacheth and instructeth us many wayes Vse 1 not onely by his word by his mercies by his present judgments by his promises by his threatnings but even by examples of things recorded that have fallen out all of them were written for our good The moe wayes we have the moe meanes God hath used the more inexcusable we are We are giuen to looke upon examples and to behold what is done by others and to follow them even in evill but as we see the examples so let us beleeve the punishments that befell them also Woe unto them and wretched is their estate that are not moved by examples of Gods judgements What will move and peirce our stony hearts if these things will not move us to turne unto him neither the hammer of his word nor the iron rod of his judgements Nay while we lye under a grievous visitation are we any whit softned or do our hearts relent What teares have we shed or what hath our behaviour beene or what sinnes have we forsaken O what can be said of us but that we are brasse and iron a stubborne and stiffe necked generation a people that are secure and senselesse and have our consciences as it were seared with an hote iron God hath executed sundry judgments upon us he hath given us cleannesse of teeth and want of bread in all our places Amos. 4.6.9 yet we have not returned unto him he hath smitten our great Gardens and the fruits of the earth with blasting and mildew yet we have not returned unto him he hath sent among us the pestilence after the maner of Egypt and now threatneth us with the sword of the enemie yet we have not returned unto him what marveill then when we profit by none of them and nothing will doe us good if he make us fearefull examples to others This we read Deut. 29. When God hath brought all the curses of the law upon the land the generation to come of their children that shall rise up after them when they see the plagues of the land and the sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon it made like the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorah shall say Deut. 29.24.25 Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land what meaneth the heat of this great anger then men shall say because they have forsake the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers c. The Lord God setteth former examples before our eyes to teach us and he will teach our posterity by the examples of his judgments before our eyes to teach us and he will teach our posterity by the examples of his judgements fallen upon us When the generation to come shall read and heare of his great judgments upon us that he hath smitten downe many thousands of us in his great wrath and heavy displeasure so that the former plagues will be forgotten in comparison of this if yet we will not returne and repent he will double and trebble his strokes and encrease his plagues yet seven times more and cause this to be forgotten in comparison of those to come and when any shall aske wherefore hath the Lord done this unto his people shall not men say as the truth is because they were warned and they would not be warned Is it not for the raigning sinnes in it that cry to heaven He hath spoken unto us and besought us by innumerable his mercies but they will not enter now he is constrained to send his destroying Angel and to scourge us with furious mortality and yet our dul
particular parts thereof in order as they lye And first there is propounded in the parable the greatnesse of Gods patience waiting long for fruit the first the second and the third yeere Some read the words by warrant of an ancient coppy after this manner Behold there are three yeeres since the time I come c. and thus also the vulgar Edition readeth the place Whereby it may appeare that this communication was had in the beginning of the fourth yeare after the baptisme of Christ And albeit he speake in the time present I come Doct. yet he meaneth he came in the time past or I am wont and accustomed to come God is very patient as Math. 26.23 From hence we learne that the favour of God to his Church his patience is great infinite he is not easily moved nor quickly provoked He is of much patience even toward them that obey not much more toward his deare children he is of a forbearing nature and will not poure out all his wrath neither execute his justice upon offenders so soone as they deserve it He expecteth many dayes moneths and yeares for the conuersion of sinners Esay 65.2.3 48.9 he spreadeth out his hand all the day long unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good c. Ier. 35.15 Math. 22. a people that procureth me to anger continually to my face and chap. 4.8 for my names sake will I deferre mine anger and for my praise will I refraine for thee that I cut thee not off His patience is so great that it exceedâ—th the height of heaven Psal 103.11.13 and goeth beyond the love of women We see it in the old world nay we need not seeke farâ—e to prove it nor goe out of our selves we have all good experience thereof The reasons are plaine Reasons 1 Sometimes to the inten this enemies should not thereby take occasion to blaspheme his name which is holy throughout all generations as Deut. 32. I said I would scatter them into corners Deut. 32.26.27 I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemie lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Hence it is also that Moses groundeth his prayer upon such a point as this Exod. 32. Exod. 32.11 Why doth thy wrath waxe hote against thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand Numb 14.13.14 wherefore should the Egyptians speake and say for mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them from the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth and againe in an another place Then the Egyptians shal heare it and they will tel it to the inhabitants of this land c. Secondly are not we the workmanship of God he knoweth our weaknesse that we are nothing but dust and ashes neither able to answer him one of a thousand he considereth whereof we are made he remembereth that we are but flesh Psal 103.14 yea as a wind that suddenly passeth away as Psal 103. So the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 57. I will not contend for ever Esay 57.16 neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made Thus God rejoyceth not to be alwayes smiting in regard of our enemies lest they should insult over the Church and in regard of our owne frame and frailty lest we should be consumed and come to nothing First Vse 1 therefore take notice how the Lord exerciseth his patience toward his servants which he doth divers wayes first he powreth not out all his wrath he proceedeth by steppes and degrees Hab. 3.2 and when his people pray unto him in judgement he remembreth mercy Or else wee should immediatly be consumed Heb. 12.29 for why our God is a consuming fire Math. 17.5 Secondly he sent a Saviour and redeemer as a remedy of our sinnes in whom he is well pleased and he hath appeased the wrath of his father 1 Ioh. 2.1 1.7 Ioh. 3.16 for we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous his blood clenseth us from all sinne Is it then any marvell if God be patient toward his people and do not keepe his anger for ever Esay 65.1 Thirdly he sendeth to his enemies an Ambassage of peace before they seeke to him and is found of them that never asked for him he setteth up his ordinances among them Psal 147.19.20 as meanes to reclaime them for he sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not knowne them Hence it is that he hath committed the word of reconciliation to his Ministers who as the ambassadours of Christ beseech us to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fourthly he is infinitly patient in that he putteth off the day of judgment to so long a day 2 Pet. 3.9 as 2 Peter 3. the Lord is not slacke of his comming but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Secondly is his kindnesse great then blessed are they that belong to him who have the God of Iacob for their refuge because his mercy is endlesse and his compassion infinite Such shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty happy are they that put their trust in him as Iam. Iam. 5.11 5. Behold we count them happy that endure we have seene the end of the Lord for he is very pitifull and mercifull Lastly it putteth us in minde of sundry good duties both toward God and toward one another First to seeke the Lord with a steadfast faith because we deale not with one that stoppeth his eares against us but heareth the cryes of his servants helpeth them This the Prophet presseth Amos. 5. Seeke the Lord and ye shall live Amos. 5.6.14.15 seeke good and not evill c it may be that the Lord God of hostes will be gratious unto the remnant of Ioseph The ungodly haue no promise of his patience who hate the good and love the evill Secondly it behoveth us to repent us of our sinnes withall our hearts and that betimes For albeit he be patient yet he is also just and therefore we may not dreame of such a patience as shall destroy his justice Mockers at Gods judgments This reproveth such as make a mocke of his threatnings and feare them no longer then they are upon them The Lord threatned the Egyptians to raine downe a very grievous haile upon man and beast Exod. 9. and willed them not to abide abroad in the field but what followed Gen. 19.15 he that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh
to repentance to bring forth good fruit They shal have God himselfe to helpe strengthen and assist them to cause them goe through with that worke If any aske what is the way and what be the meanes to attaine unto it and to lead us by the hand to enter into that course I answer First to account no sinne in it owne nature light or small This is that withholdeth us from repentance and draweth iniquity with cords of vanity Esay 5.18 and sinne as it were with a cart-rope to suppose it to be a slight thing that we may doe a little that we neede not be so precise to sticke at a little like the sluggard that giveth way to a little sleepe a little slumber Pro. 6.10 a little folding of the hands to sleepe but we must assure our selves that though there be difference betweene sinne yet all finne is heinous none to be accounted little Rom. 6.23 as Rom. 6. the wages of all sinne is death Secondly to avoyde all occasions and allurements that may draw and entise us to sinne as we are commanded to abstaine from all appearance of evill and Iude saith Others save with feare 2 Thess 5.22 Iude vers 23. pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted with the flesh Thirdly to accustome our selves to subdue the smaller and lesser sinnes that at the last we may subdue and overcome the greater like a captaine who to hearten encourage his souldiers bringeth them where the weakest enemies are encamped Fourthly to oppose the law the curse the last judgment and such like against all sinne whatsoever and therefore Salomon saith Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Lastly to remember that the least sinne cost the blood of Christ our Saviour to make satisfaction and brought him from the bosome of his father to take our nature upon him and in that nature to dye for us Psal 49.7.8 No man can by any meanes redeeme his brother neither give to God a ransome for him so precious is the redemption of the Soule And if not then after that thou shalt c. This latter clause of the sentence is defective in the former part as the former was in the latter part The meaning is if this fig-tree will not bring forth fruit that is of repentance after all the labour of digging and dunging bestowed upon it after this thou shalt cut it downe Doct. This teacheth that all trees which are in the Vineyard are not fruitfull trees All that are in the Church are not true members of the true Church neither are all which are in the Church members of the Church but many hypocrites in it as there are evill humours in the body which are no parts of the body So it was in the house of Abraham so it was in the house of Isaac for all are not Israel which are of Israel Rom. 9.6.7 2.28 neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called So there is a Iew which is one outwardly and there is a Iew which is one inwardly as there is a circumcision which is in the flesh and a circumcision of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God This will farther appeare by the title given to the Reason 1 visible Church It is the garden of God in a garden all are not good and wholsome herbes and on the tree all is not fruit but some leaves The Church is the floore where in is both corne and chaffe Mat. 3.12 13.24.47 the field wherein groweth both wheat and tares the net that catcheth all sorts of fishes both good and bad the pasture where in feed both sheepe goates some are sheepe in shew and semblance that inwardly are ravening wolues in sheepes clothing others are sheepe indeed and in truth some by outward calling and profession and in the eye of the Church others by grace and inward regeneration and in the eye of God Secondly all that be within the Church be not the elect of God Math. 20.16 therefore all cannot be beleevers for many are called but few are chosen It is the house of God in a great a great house 2 Tim. 2.30 there are not onely vessels of Gold and of Silver but also of wood and of earth some to honour and some to dishonour Thirdly it is compared to the Arke of Noah wherein as there were both cleane beasts and uncleane and men cleane and uncleane So all that are in Church are not by and of the Church 1 Ioh. 2.19 as 1 Iohn 2. they went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us c. This serveth for reproofe Vse 1 and that of sundry sorts First it confuteth them that hold the godly alone to be members of the visible Church whereas the barren fig-tree was planted in the vineyard as well as the other trees Secondly it reproveth such as forsake the visible Church for the wickednesse of them that live in it and doe in that respect condemne it for no Church Thirdly it convinceth such as dreame of perfection in the Church The floore cannot be throughly purged in this life that there should be nothing but wheat in the Church of God the servant cannot plucke up all the tares in this life Math. 13.28.29 lest while they gather up the tares they root up also the good seed with them This serveth to pull up by the rootes the dotage of the Anabaptists and familie of Loue for never was there such a Church in this life as they dreame off neither shall there be hereafter Secondly see here the difference betweene the Church in this life and that in the life to come betweene the Church militant triumphant For here the Church complaineth that it is blacke both in regard of the affliction and infirmities therof in this life albeit it be also comely Cant. 1.5 blacke in respect of it selfe but comely or lovely in respect of Christ But after this life all blacknesse and imperfections shall be done away when Christ Iesus shall present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 but that it should be holy without blemish No unrighteousnesse then shall enter therein Revel 21.27.4 neither any thing that is uncleane or any thing that defileth then God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away Lastly it exhorteth us never to give rest to our soules until we become the Israel of God true members of the visible Church because to such to none others the promises of
standeth Esay 1.6 might I not say with the Prophet from the sole of the foote even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not beene closed neither mollified with oyntment and after this might I not lead you a long in the spirit Ezck. 8.6.15 as God did the Prophet Ezekiel and after many sinnes much prophanenesse say Turne thee yet againe and behold greater abominations then these I might point out unto you such not to speake of the greater and higher sort whose doings I know not as make religion nothing else but a matter of pollicy and forget the high God that hath set them up on high but turne ye yet againe and ye shall see other abomination How many in this cleere light of the Gospel remaine in darknesse and blindnesse and in the shadow of death that know not the right hand from the left that is truth from errour which know nothing of God neither can give any even the least account of their faith worse then children in understanding yea how many say to God with the wicked Iob. 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him and behold greater abominations then these Others are wholly given over to the world men possessed with a spirituall dropsie the more riches encrease the more they desire and the more they set their hearts upon them that they bury the remembrance of heaven and of heauenly things as if they should abide and continue upon the earth for ever the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choke all good things How many perswade themselves to be highly in Gods favour because they are blessed with outward blessing who shame not to say I see God blesseth us as well as the purest and precisest of them all But understand ye unwise among the people must all needes be well because God forbeareth for a time to punish or shall we continue in our sinnes because he continueth his mercies towards us What should I speake of the contempt of his word and the prophanation of the Sabbath May we not turne our selves yet againe and see these greater abominations then the former which are common and capitall crimes swarming in every place And might we not from these turne our selves to swearing and and drunkennesse in every streete A rare thing to find a parish without a common drunkard and as rare to find an house without a common swearer These are the principall causes of his visitations these are the sinnes that bring the pestilence among us let us labour to keepe out these The ends of Gods lenity and patience or all the care we can take and diligence that we can use shall not be able to keepe it from us Let us not therefore flatter our selves in our sinnes and so abuse his patience let us not thinke we are justified because we are not striken Gen. 15.16 Math. 23.32 There are other end of Gods bounty and patience First to let us alone to fill up the measure of of our sinnes that then he may fill up the measure of his judgements from whence arise sundry profitable meditations we see his infinite mercy and compassion who ceaseth not nor giveth over to waite for their conversion who have deserved already to be punished and such as he hath determined to destroy so that we may say with the Prophet he desireth not the death of a sinner Ye see that he is most just and never punisheth without our deserts neither will he suffer sinners to go unpunished albeit he hold his peace keepe silence a long time We see that howsoever we offend all is cast upon an heape that the measure being full Ioh. Feri in Gen. 15. enarrat pressed downe and running over certaine destruction might fall upon us Let us not account sinnes to be small or slight matters for how light and little soever they may seeme to be yet they adde somewhat to the heape as every graine of corne serveth to fill the bushell We see it is a speciall token of his mercy and favour when he punisheth quickly or at the beginning and suffereth us not to runne on from one sinne to another for thereby the heape of our sinnes is diminished We see on the contrary it is a token of Gods great displeasure when he delayeth and differeth to punish for thereby the heape of sinne groweth and encreaseth and consequently the punishment Lastly as God is faithfull and suffereth not his to be tempted above that they are able so also he is just and beareth with the wicked untill they proceed to a certaine point or period beyond which they cannot passe Thus he suffereth sinners to grow to their height to teach us that our nature declineth from worse to worse unlesse we be staied by a stronger hand And this is the first end of his lenity Secondly it may be the dressers of this barrâ—ne vine by their continuall intercession as his faithfull remembrancers have obtained some respit and forbearance as this fig-tree mentioned in this parable Thirdly it may be there is yet a remnant to be gathered from among us and the number of the elect not yet accomplished as Iob. 10. Other sheepe I have that are not of thiâ— fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce Ioh. 10.16 and there shall be one fold and one Sheepheard Such then as belong unto him must in his good time be brought to repentance Fourthly that the reprobate may be more and more hardned and so perish everlastingly 1 Sam. 2.24 Secondly concluded the wofull wretched estate of those that despise the riches of his goodnesse and patience For they are most certainely in worse case of all others whom God doth most blesse and beare with all except they repent nay worse then Turkes and Infidels and it had been a thousand times better for such prophane sinners that they had never received such blessings and tasted so plentifully of his fatherly kindnesse then to take occasion by his bountifulnesse to continue and increase in sinne as may plainely appeare by those cities which our Saviour upbraided where his word had beene preached and his workes had beene seene Math. 11. Math. 11.22.42 because it should be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment and more easie for the land of Sodome and Gomorah then for them It shall not be enough for us to say Oh God is mercifull and Christ died for us For because God is mercifull shall we be sinfull or because he hath beene more mercifull to us then to others shall we be more sinfull then others Or because Christ Iesus hath died for us shall we live in our sinnes Heb. 10.29 and by our prophanenesse crucifie him againe and tread under our feete
the blood of the new Testament as an unholy thing and doe despite to the spirit of grace God for bid Lastly let all stand in feare to provoke him and breake off his patience least there come a wofull and heavy reckoning in the end Let us take heed and beware of after reckonings We are wary enough to prevent them in our dealings with men and ought we not to be wise more in our reckonings with God The increase of sins bringeth with them an heavier waight of vengance upon our selves when the Lord beginneth to enter into judgment with us He is slow to wrath and proceedeth leysurely but when once he commeth he striketh home We cannot be brought to feare before him because he doth not presently strike but be not deceived he is all this while fetching his blow the higher he lifteth his hand the heavier it lighteth and the sorer he striketh This the Prophet notably expresseth Psal Psal 7.12.13 7. If he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrowes against the persecuters O that we could alwayes when we heareor read understand what we heare and marke what we read according to the commandement of our Saviour who so readeth Math. 24.15 let him understand There the Prophet compareth the Lord to A man of warre Exod. 15.3 that taketh some time to scoure up his sword bright and to sharpen the edge and point thereof to strike and wound his enemie as also to an archer that taketh a certaine time to bend his bow and to make ready his arrowes but in the end he draweth them up to the head never misseth his marke being more skilfull then those Benjamites that could sling stones at an haire bredth Iudg. 20.16 and not misse so that he shooteth sure and meaneth to pierce deepe to the very heart of all his aduersaries Thus it is with the Lord when we thinke him forgetfull oftentimes or unmindfull of justice and judgment we must thus judge that he is whetting his sword and bending his bow drawing out his arrowes and preparing to shoot all which require some time and therefore let us feare before him and not tarry untill his judgements be upon us Why combereth it the ground Hitherto of the commandement to cut down the figtree now we come to the reason The owner propoundeth the justice of his former doome or sentence The word importeth and signifieth not onely to make unprofitable fruitlesse barraine and good for nothing but to hinder the growth of other things which might be planted in the roome thereof that might bring forth good fruit They that professe the Gospel if they be not fruitfull are unprofitable and hurtfull to themselues and others Doct. Evill minded men are altogether unprofitable and full to the vvhole society where they remaine Iudg. 19.22 20.13 Iosh 7.11.12 This teacheth that evill minded men are noysome hurtfull and unprofitable to themselves and to others wheresoever they abide untill they be removed We see this in the rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram how hurtfull they were to the whole assembly Numb 16. in the shamelesse uncleannesse of Zimri and Cosbi Chap. 25. A notable example hereof is at large expressed Iudg. 20.15 Those wicked Beniamites the sonnes of Belial that committed folly in Israel were the causes of the ruine of many thousands and brought the whole tribe to a low ebbe yea this often falleth out to the children of God when they provoke him to wrath We see this in David 2 Sam. 24. When he had numbred the people in the pride of his owne heart 2 Sam. 24.17 and had exalted himselfe in his owne strength he said I have sinned and have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house Hereby many thousands perished The like we see in Ionah chap. 1. he forsooke his calling and the commandement of God he must be cast into the sea or else the passengers in the ship must perish who had beene almost drowned through his disobedience Ionah 1.11 for the sea wrought and was tempestuous And no marveil Reasons 1 For first they are the meanes and causes of judgments and punishments to others among whom they live as well as to themselves as trees twise dead reserved to the fire A tree albeit it were dead in it selfe and albeit it did keepe the ground barrne and hinder the growth of a better in his place yet it killeth not another that standeth beside it but one wicked man hurteth and destroyeth another and therefore we must needes judge such to be hurtfull and dangerous to an whole family or society We feare judgements but we seeke not to know and remove the true cause thereof The faithfull are commanded to depart out of Babylon Revel 18.4 the mother of fornications that they be not partaker of her sinnes and that they receive not of her plagues wherby we see these follow each other infection participation destruction He that is infected himselfe never resteth till he have made other partakers of his sinne and from them both followeth the destruction of them both as we shall shew afterward Secondly they are unprofitable hurtfull and dangerous and why because other vines and trees cannot prosper and florish or bring forth fruit neere unto them When any part of the body is putrified it passeth and spreadeth from ioynt to ioynt and from one member to another 2 Tim. 2.17 as the canker or gangrene fretteth or eateth the flesh next unto it so where loose livers are many others are brought to the same loosenesse and stand in danger to go to wracke 2 Cor. 5.6 Gal. 5.9 To this purpose the Apostle saith Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Sinne is fruitfull and compared to the child in the wombe it groweth apace one sinne begetteth another and one sinner infecteth another which bringeth forth death Iam. 1.15 This reproveth such as reioyce in the fellowship of the ungodly and delight wholly in their company Vse 1 For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse or what communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what agreement hath he that beleeveth with an infidel But what is more common in every place then this that which the Lord himselfe could never doe to reconcile these contraries and bring light and darknesse nay heaven and hell together sinfull men professe themselves able to doe These goe about to set God to schoole and to make God and the devill Christ and Belial good friends Gen. 3.15 God in the beginning put enmity betweene the woman and the serpent betweene her seed and his seed but these have broken downe this hedge and pulled away the wall of partition and have set them together againe The