digest it before it be sent to other partes but eyther leaues it rawe or turnes it to grosse humors No more can sound Doctrine profite that man that hath a corrupt and wicked heart If this be so that no man that hath a bad heart should come to heare and if he doe come he shall loose his labour and neuer be made better by hearing But wee knowe the contrarie manie haue beene amended by hearing yea theyr bad haue bene made good This must be vnderstoode of the whole acte of hearing Not onely of the time before they come to heare but also of the whole Time while they are in hearing Those men which had badde hearts before they came to heare and still haue badde heartes all the time of their hearing and goe away with as badde hearts as they brought with them shall neuer reape profite by theyr hearing But if theyr heattes were badde before yet are changed and sanctified by their hearing they are profitable and fruitfull hearers The hearts of those three thousand which were conuerted by one of Peters sermons were not good till they heard him preach but then were their harts pricked and made good And at that instant they became fruitfull hearers For they receyued the worde gladly were baptized added to the church and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers The heart of Lydia was not good before shee heard Paul but God then opened her hart by opening it made it good and it being made good caused her to attend to his doctrine and to bring forth the fruites of it by kind entertaining of her teachers That vnbelieuer and vnlearned man which as the Apostle writeth came in when all did prophecie brought a bad heart with him For he was rebuked of all and iudged of all and the secrets of his heart made manifest yet was his hart made good in the very time of hearing and therefore did he fall downe on his face and worship God and said plainely that God is in you indeed Wherefore knowe this that so long as thy heart is bad thy hearing cannot be good but so soone as thy heart is changed thy hearing shall be profitable Some write that Manna tasted according to the disposition of the caters to the good it had a sweete and pleasant taste euen such a taste as they desired but to the bad a bitter and loathsome taste Though this be vncertaine Augustine once wrote it for certaintie but afterward doubted of it because he could find no warrant for it but onely in Apocrypha yet the like may be seene in the word of God our heauenly Manna It tasteth it nourisheth and profiteth the hearers according to the seuerall dispositions of their hearts To them which haue good hearts it is sweet comfortable and profitable to them which haue corrupt hearts it is loathsome terrible and vnprofitable This should teach euery one of vs to looke to our hearts and see that they be good that so we may be fruitfull hearers husbandmen haue great care to make their ground good and fertile before they sowe it If it be barren they will marke it they will set mucke and dung on it to make it more fruitfull As carefull should thou be to make thy heart good seeing it is the soyle in which the Lords heauenly seede must be sowne If it be not good alreadie vse all good meanes to make it good pray earnestly vnto God that he would sanctifie it by his holy spirit And if it be good labour to make it better the better it is the more fruitfull shall thy hearing be And for this purpose heare the word oftner for it will make thy heart better The longer that the ground of your fields is tilled and sowne the more bare and barren it will be But it is not so with the ground of your hearts the oftner and the longer they are sowne with the seede of Gods word the more fruitfull will they be Such is the nature of this heauenly seede that it will not make the ground more barren but more fertile by often sowing As the seede is good that is sowne in your hearts so let the soyle be made answerable vnto it and then you neede not to doubt of a plentifull encrease Let not so good seede be lost by lighting into bad soyle heare with penitent hearts with sanctified hearts with beleeuing hearts with resolued hearts to receiue and obey whatsoeuer is taught out of the word and you shall be happy hearers 2. Furthermore we may hereby discerne who haue good hearts who haue bad It is the goodnes of the heart that makes the hearer to bring forth fruit It is the corruption of the heart that hinders his fruitfulnes Those then that heare much and practise little haue bad hearts but those that heare and practise the word in their liues haue honest and good hearts Though none knowe the heart of another immediately and directly but God alone who is the onely searcher of it yet as the Physition can iudge of the inward temperature of the body by the pulse and as wee may iudge of the tree by the fruits so may we iudge of the inward goodnes and badnes of the heart by the outward behauiour in the life And to keepe me to the present comparison of this parable If a man knew a field sowne in a good sort with good seede yet afterward did see the corne to be thin and course and yeeld no good crop he will say the ground is barren But if he passe by a close toward haruest time and see the corne very thicke and rancke and beare a long eare full of corne he will say it is good land So if we knowe people to be well taught and yet yeeld little obedience in their liues we may iustly suspect that their hearts be not vpright before God but if we see them reforme their liues according to the word auoyd those sinnes which it forbiddeth and practise those duties which it commendeth and that in a constant course of their conuersation we may be assured that their hearts be honest and good If therefore you would haue others to thinke that you haue honest and good hearts shew forth the fruits of the word in your liues The second speciall propertie in these hearers is their keeping of the word They doe not onely receiue it with their hearts and lay it vp in the bottome of them but likewise there they keepe it fast They will not let it goe out thence nor suffer any to take it from them The originall word as some haue obserued is very emphaticall and importeth a keeping with much labour and difficultie And so fitly expresseth the manner of their keeping which is with striuing and strugling against their owne corruptions against Sathans suggestions and against the worlds allurements Though all conspire and ioyne their forces together yet doe they keepe it
so shall you be able to keepe them for euer Wherefore be carefull to vse these meanes What is the cause why people heare much and keepe little but are like to bottomlesse barrels which let water runne out as fast as it is powred in That of all the Sermons which they haue heard in their whole life time they haue scarce the abridgement of one left in their heartes or heades for their direction and consolation But euen because they haue neglected these meanes Vse them hereafter and you shall finde how well they will make you able to keepe that which you heare And bring forth fruite The third and last propertie in these hearers is this They bring forth fruite And this is another speciall difference betwixt them and all the rest For the rest eyther bring forth no fruite at all as the first sorte or but for a time as the second or imperfect fruite and in some things onely as the third But these bring foorth not for a while but continually not in some things onely but in all and that type and perfect Fruite If good seede bee sowne in good ground it vsually bringeth foorth fruite for the vse of them which owe it and sowe it So if some Doctrine bee preached and people heare it with good heartes it will bring foorth fruite in theyr liues These fruites are brought forth not by profession but by practise and doe consist not so much in wordes as in deedes And therefore Paule prayed that the Philippians might be filled with the fruites of Righteousnes And that the Colossians might please God in all things being fruitful in all good works And he saith of the Romanes That they being freed from sinne and made seruaants vnto GOD had theyr fruite in Holynesse So that this fruite cannot be vnderstood of the reward which the saints receiue in heauen but of the obedience which they performe on Earth for that is a fruite which they receyue this is a fruite which they bring forth That they receiue from God this they yeeld vnto God that is a fruit of glory this is a fruit of grace See then the disposition of these good hearers They doe not onely heare the word with their eares and vnderstand it with their mindes and keep it in their hearts but they doe also practise it in their liues This is the chiefest end of all the rest Therefore doe they heare it and learne it and keep it in their hearts that they may order their liues by it and practise it when occasion is offered Happy are all those which thus heare For as Iames saith Who so looketh into the perfect law of liberâ—ie and continueth therein hee not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke shal be blessed in his deede If therefore you would haue your hearing to be acceptable to God and comfortable to your owne soules let it end in obedieÌ„ce Ground that is sowne with good seede though it shoot forth a broad and rancke blade will not content the owner vnlesse it bring forth a good croppe No more can you please the Lord by hearing vnderstanding and professing the word vnlesse therewithall you bring forth fruite of obedience in your liues All the knowledge and learning that men can possibly haue in any Arte or Science is nothing worth without practise And can you thinke that your knowledge in matters of Religion will profite you any whitte without practise And indeede wee learne no more then wee practise As that Pambo acknowledged who hearing the first Verse of the 39. Psalme I said I will take heede to my wayes least I offend with my tongue confessed that he had not learned it in many yeeres because he had not in many yeres attained to the right practise of it We should be carefull to bring forth these fruits both in respect of God and also in respect of our selues First in respect of God because they serue for his glorie Therefore say de CHRIST to his Disciples Herein is my Fathet glorified that yee beare much fruite And therefore Paul prayed that the Philippians might be filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and prayse of God Those which glorie in the Lawe and breake it doe dishonour God but they which heare it and obey it do honour him If then you haue any zeale of Gods glorie bring foorth those fruites Againe in respect of our selues because we shall receiue the reward of theÌ„ Those that haue theyr fruite in holines shall haue their end in eternall life The works of darknes are vnfruitfull works they bring no good to the authors but the workes of Righteousnes are fruitefull and procure a great rewarde to the doers The fruits of grace are the seedes of the fruites of glorie He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape eternall life Let vs therefore as the Apostle exhorteth vs not be wearie of well dooing for in due season wee shall reape if we fainte not Let vs be stedfast and vnmooueable aboundant alway in the worke of the Lorde For as much as wee knowe that our labour is not in vayne in the Lorde Yea let vs bee fruitefull in all good dutyes as well in those that abridge vs of our fleshlie delights and worldly gaine as in other seeing the losse and want of those here shal be recompenced with greater pleasures and profites in the Kingdome of Heauen But take heede least you be deceyued in iudging amisse of these Fruites For some haue erred in taking those to bee good Fruites which are none and those to be none which are 1. These fruites come of the seede and bee of the same kinde and nature with the seede As nothing is good seede but the Worde of God so nothing is to bee taken for good Fruite but the practise and obedience of the Worde And therefore the actes of Will-worship the Obseruations of vnwritten Traditions and the practise of mens precepts are not the fruites heere spoken of The Lord may say to them that bring foorth such fruite Who required these thinges at your handes These things as the Apostle saith may haue a shewe of wisedome in voluntary Religion and humblenesse of minde and in not sparing the Bodye nor hauing it in estimation to satisfie the flesh yet they perish with the vse they are after the commandements doctrines of men and therefore cannot please the Lord. God requires that you who haue beene taught the word should bring forth the fruites of it and not the fruites of humane traditions If a man sow his field with corne and it bring forth more grasse then corne it will not content him the grasse would haue growne there though it neuer had beene sowne with corne In like sort if you be taught the word of God and be more carefull to obserue mans traditions theÌ„ Gods truth you shall not please the Lord therby but rather
offend him 2. Againe as some haue erred in taking those to be fruits which are not so on the other hand some haue erred in taking those to be no fruits which indeed are good fruits Know you that the practise of euery dutie coÌ„manded in the word is good fruit Notwithstanding as there be diuers kindes of seede some of one graine some of another also diuers kindes of fruits some of one graine some of another So there be diuers kinds of doctrines diuers kinds of duties And as al fields are not sowne with the same graine but some with one kinde some with another as they will best beare So all doctrines and duties are not imposed and enioyned to all persons but some to one some to another according to their calling place and estate And therefore as all fields doe not bring forth the same graine but euery one that kind wherewith it was sowne So all persons cannot performe the same duties but some one kinde some another according to their estate and calling The Magistrate therefore bringeth forth one kind of fruite the minister another the people another The father one kind the child another the Maister one kind the seruant another The rich one kind the poore another Yet as that is accounted a fruitfull field which bringeth forth a plentifull encrease of that graine wherwith it was sowne though it be not the least graine of all So those persons are fruitfull hearers who carefully performe all such duties as belong to their place state and calling though they be not able to performe such good workes as are accounted the greatest and most profitable Some haue imagined that the Founding of Colledges and Schooles erecting of Hospitalles buylding of Churches bountyfull Almes giuen to the Poore and such great good workes which can be performed by a fewe are the onely or chiefest good-Fruites Though wee will not denye but that these be excellent fruits in theyr kinde if they proceed from a good roote and bee directed to a right ende Yet are there many other good Fruites that may bee as acceptable to God and as comfortable to the dooers Not onely the common dutyes of all Christians but likewise the particular dutyes of euery mans especiall calling and estate though it be neuer so meane and base in the iudgement of the world if they be performed in such a sort as the word directeth are most acceptable fruites such as God will approoue and reward Hee that is a seruant and in his seruice is put to many base workes yet if hee performe the common dutyes of all Christians and likewise performe the workes of his calling in such a manner as the word teacheth him the work of his seruice are good fruites And therefore Paule bad seruants bee obedient to theyr Maisters in singlenesse of heart as vnto Christ not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God froÌ„ the heart As if by seruing theyr Maisters in a good sorte they did serue Christ Yea he lets them vnderstand that God would reward that their seruice for whatsoeuer good thing any man doth that shall hee receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free And elswhere the Apostle teacheth that if ther be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not This bringing forth of fruite is amplified two wayes 1. by the maÌ„ner 2. by the measure of it First by the maner of it for they are said to bring forth fruit with patience And herein may also be seen a difference betwixt these one sort of the other hearers Those that are compared to stony ground in time of tentation fal away so faile both in profession and practise and the reason is because they want patience to beare the crosses that doe follow the word But these at all seasons and in all estates continue constant both in their profession and practise because they be endued with patience to endure all troubles that doe befall them for the words sake After ground is sowne with corne it endures many violent stormes and intemperate seasons faire weather and fowle frost and snowe cold and raine in winter heate and drought in summer before it can beare fruit in haruest So those who heare and receiue the word for the saluation of their soules doe oftentimes endure great troubles and suffer much affliction before they can bring forth the fruits of it Yet if they be endued with patience they will be content to beare all Hence it is that the Apostle telleth the Hebrewes that they had neede of patience that after they had done the will of God they might receiue the promise As if by patience they might be made able in those bloodie daies of cruell persecution to doe the will of God and so to receyue the promises And thorough want of patience they should fayle in the deede and not obtayne the promise And for this cause hee exhorteth vs to runne with patience the race that is set before vs. As if none could holde out to the ende of the Race but onely the patient And therefore in the midst of the greatest persecutions the patience and faith of the Saints is commended and admyred As when it was said Heere is the Patience and the Fayth of the Saintes Because by patience in bearing the Crosse and by faith in belieuing to receyue the Crowne they were made constant Thus will Patience arme a man against all Crosses so that by it hee shal be made able manifestly to encounter with them and safely to passe thorough them and not be hindred by any of them in the obedience of the word Howsoeuer in others Crossâ—s and Tribulations doe breede faynting and Relapse yet in these Hearers Tribulation bringeth foorth patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed What is the cause that one hearer to preuent some inconuenience which hee feareth or to remoue some trouble that hee feeleth will refuse to performe the dutie taught him And another will rather chuse to endure all Crosses and losses all disgraces and dangers yea imprisonment and death then sinne against his God but because the one wanteth patience the other is endued with patience So necessarie is patience for our practise So greatly doth it further vs in our obedience This should be a motiue to perswade euery one of you to seeke for patience It is in vaine to heare Gods word with intent to obey it vnles by patience you possesse your owne soules For otherwise your owne crosse will stoppe your course to turne you out of the way that leadeth vnto life The more patience the more obedience the lesse patience the lesse obedience we should loue Religion so dearely wee must bee content to suffer persecution for the profession and practise of it and rather lay downe our liues for the maintenance of it then fayle in the
A PLAINE AND PROFITAble Exposition of the Parable of the Sower and the Seede Wherein is plainly set forth the difference of hearers both good and bad To which is added a learned answer to the Papists in diuers points of Controuersie betweene vs and them the heads whereof are set downe in the pages following Luke 8. 18. Take heede how yee heare LONDON Printed for William Bladen and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible at the great North-doore of Pauls 1625. SECT 1. 2. THe word written and the word preached both one SECT 3. Nothing to be preached but what is written SECT 4 5. Of diuers kindes of faith SECT 6 7. Of iustifying faith SECT 8. Iustifying faith proper to the Elect. SECT 9. The faith of miracles SECT 10. The name of historicall faith SECT 11. The difference betwixt historicall and iustifying faith SECT 12. Of Temporary faith SECT 13. Whether Iustifying faith may bee lost SECT 14. Whether Peter lost his faith SECT 15. Of Virginitie and Mariage SECT 16. A friendly admonition to all ignorant Papists against the lies and falshoods of their Priests and lesuits TO THE MOSTREVEREND FATHER IN God George Lord Bishop of Chester RIght Reuerend When I first preached these Sermons I little thought to haue put them forth to publike view yet such hath bene the importunitie of some of my best hearers in mouing me to penne them or some others of my Sermons As I might haue bene thought vnkind and vncurteous if I had altogether denied that their godly and earnest request And the rather was I perswaded by them because it was hoped that the publishing of these might yeeld some benefite not onely to those persons who formerâ—… heard them but likewise to those who hereafter should reade them It is well knowne that the papists make small account of hearing Gods word preached they hope to be saued rather by sight then by hearing Though hearing be a dutie commanded by God exacted by the prophets Enioyned by Christ Required by the Apostles and practised by all good people Though it be an apparent signe of Gods Elect. An infallible marke of Christs sheepe A true note of Gods Saints An euident token of our spirituall kinred with Christ. A plaine testimonie of our happines A comfortable assurance of our perseuerance Though it be an ordinarie and effectuall meane of our conuersion of working faith of receiuing the spirit of obtaining fellowship with Christ and of enioying saluation in heauen And though the neglect and contempt of it hath bene and shall be seuerely punished Yet the papists little regard the word preached seldom will vouchsafe to heare it As they doe wilfully refuse to heare vs so doe they iudge it to be neither greatly necessarie nor much profitable to heare their owne teachers Moses was read and preached euery Sabboth in the Iewes Synagogues It was the custome of Christ and his Apostles to preach to the people in the Synagogues euery Sabboth day The ancientest of the fathers testifie that in their times the people heard a sermon each Lords day And diuers councills haue made decrees for the continuance of that custome in succeeding ages Yet the Romish prelates haue made it a precept of their Church that euery one shall see a masse on each Sabboth but will not make it a precept to heare a sermon each Sabboth As if the often sight of a masse were more necessarie and more profitable then the hearing of a sermon And as if the Sabboth were better sanctified and the peoples soules more edisied by the masse then by the preaching of the word As the priests are accustomed often to say masse but seldome to preach so the people for one sermon which they heare do see fortie or fifty masses Imitating that king who saw three masses each day but seldome heard any sermon And being admonished by Lewis king of FraÌ„ce that he must not bestow all lâ—s time on masses but sould oftner heare sermons answered that he had rather often see his Friend then heare one speaking of him though hee spake neuer so good thinges As if they might with their eyes see Christ corporally present in masses and could onely heare some talke of him at sermons Wherein as they doe most blasphemously preferre their owne inuented idoll before Gods most holy ordinance So doe they bewray their ignorance touching the necessitie and efficacie of the word preached If they would duely consider the scope and doctrine of this parable they might easily perceiue that the hearing of the word is as necessarily required for the direction of their liues and the saluation of their soules As the sowing of the ground with good seed is necessarily required of them that would reape a plentifull crop at haruest And that it is not the sight of their abhominable idoll but the reuerend hearing of Gods sacred word that must make them fruitfull in all good workes Againe wee cannot but acknowledge that the Lord hath sent many skilfull and painefull Husbandmen to sowe his sielde with vs who according to their office and dutie sow it in due season after a good maner and with the best seede And yet it yeeldeth litle fruite People heare much learne litle and practise lesse Which cannot be imputed to the want of good preaching but rather to the want of good hearing the fault is rather in the ground then in the sower or in the seede The seede is good and great store is sowne but the ground is barren The doctrine is sound and the maner of teaching prositable but the people heare amisse and so for want of good hearing loose the fruite of many good sermons because the profit of hearing dependeth on the maner of hearing A medicine sitly prescribed and rightly compounded looseth his vertue in curing the patients disease if it be not duly administred and orderly receiued We to our great griese loose our labour in preaching and the people to their great perill loose their labour in hearing because they heare amisse As therefore I was at first enduced to preach these sermons so was I afterward perswaded to penne them that by them the simpler sorte for whose sake onely I do now publish them might haue some plain direction how to heare for their profit There be some among vs who seeme to be of Iudas his minde and say quorsum perditio haec The pentions giuen by his maiestie for the maintenance of preachers in these popish partes might well be spared or else conuerted to other more necessarie vses what good doe they in the countrey Whom his Maiestie may answere And no doubt if he heard their murmuring speeches would answere them roundly as the Maister of the Vineyard answered the murmuring labourers Is it not lawfull for me to doe with mine owne as I will Is thine eye euill because
the one halfe of the Sabboth in as wanton and lasciuious dancing as euer was vsed by any The ancient Christians would not celebrate the solemne daies of the Emperour with bone-fires publike dancings and drinkings And were defended by Tertullian for that their refusall because they would celebrate those daies rather by conscience then by wantonnes because that were to expresse a publike ioy by a publike shame And those things which were not seemely on other daies were not seemely on the Emperours solemne daies Chrysostome would not suffer the people to set vp the image of the Empresse with publicke dancings and stage-playes Neither would he tollerate any pyping and dancings at weddings The councell of Laodicia forbad dancing at weddings and enioyned Cleargie men to depart from meetings where it was vsed Yet our people iudge it an honest and lawfull keeping of the Lords Sabboth to pype and dance all the afternoone And who are greater maintainers of this impietie then our recusants and new communicants Their purses are euer open for the â—yring of the pyper their children and seruants alwaies ready to dance after him and themselues seldome fayle to be spectators By this meanes they keepe the people from the Church and so continue them in their popery and ignorance Though we often preach against this abuse though we let them knowe that the best learned in the Romish Church haue condemned it as a tricke of wantonnes as a prouocation to lust as a breach of the seuenth commandement and an exercise vnfit for the Sabboth yet sturdo canimus They will not forbeare it because they are not restrained by authoritie Augustine witnesseth that the Bishops of his time were accustomed to suppresse such vaine and filthie dancings As your Lor doth treade in their steps by painefull preaching so if you would imitate them by reforming this great disorder you might greatly further the fruit of our ministery The papists of our time and countrey doe esteeme so little of the authoritie of the Canonicall scriptures and ascribe so much to humane writings that though we proue our doctrine by most pregnant places of scripture yet they will not beleeue it vnles they be assured that the old Fathers and their owne late writers haue taught the same Therein dissenting from the ancient Fathers who would try and iudge of mens words and writings by the Canonicall scriptures but would not iudge of the doctrine of the scriptures by humane writings I haue therefore added vnto the sermons a Post-script to papists to let them vnderstand that what we preach in the pulpit against them is not onely warranted by the diuine scriptures but is also witnessed by the fathers and some of their owne Church And therefore if they condemne vs as heretikes for teaching such doctrine we may say to them as Augustine said to Iulian the Pelagian condemning him for teaching the same doctrine touching originall sinne which other Father 's taught Who seeth not that openly you condeme vs and secretly you condemne them yet haue you the same iudgement both of them and vs. These sermons together with the Postscript I now offer vnto your Lordship not as if the matter of them were worthy your reading but rather that they being approued by your iudgement and protected by your authoritie may better escape the spitefull censures of enuious and superstitious persons As also that I might thereby testifie my thankefulnes to your Lordship who not onely from time to time haue much countenanced and greatly furthered my poore ministerie in these backeward partes but also of late considering my long labours and small meanes of maintenance did procure the continuance of that Pension which was graunted vnto me by the royall gift of two famous Princes when as some vpon stinister pretences and by indirect meanes went about to abridge me of a great part thereof Thus presuming of a pardon for this my boldnes I humbly commit your Lordship to the mercifull protection of Almightie God who long continue your health and happie estate and make you a blessed instrument of much good vnto his church Your Lordships in all dutie to be commanded WILLIAM HARRISON THE DIFFERENCE OF HEARERS Or an exposition of the parable of the Sower Luk. 8. vers 11. 12. 11. The parable is this The seede is the word of God 12. And they that are beside the way are they that heare afterward commeth the diuell and taketh the word out of their hearts least they should beleeue and be saued c. CHrist Iesus our blessed Sauiour did no sooner begin to preach the Gospell but had many hearers With such authoritie did he teach such excellent and profitable doctrine did he deliuer such admirable miracles did he worke to confirme his doctrine and such great fame of him was spread abroad that all people were willing and desirous to heare his sermons yea all manner of persons out of all coastes and quarters of the land flocked vnto him in great multitudes Wherevpon he not onely taking a view of their number but also duly considering their disposition how al of them came not with same intent and purpose how all of them were not alike qualified for profitable hearing and how all of them should not receiue the same benefit by hearing of him he propounded a parable of a sower of corne to declare the diuersitie of hearers who be vnprofitable who be profitable hearers Lest any should imagine that by any kind of hearing they might be saued he lets them vnderstand that there be bad hearers as well as good And because many of them were husbandmen who liued by tilling and sowing of land and all of them were well acquainted with matters of that nature for their better capacitie he fetched his similitude from husbandry This parable is first propounded then expounded propounded in the 5. 6. 7. 8. verses of this chapter whereof I forbeare to speake because the doctrines thereof may be better considered in the exposition It pleased Christ for the instruction of his disciples and for the edification of his Church in future ages to expound this parable And it is the first parable which wee find penned with his exposition The occasion of the exposition is set downe in the two verses immediately going before namely a question moued by the Apostles what should be the meaning of it And a reason rendred by Christ why he would explane it to them and not to others because it was giuen to them to knowe the mysteries of the kingdome of God but not to others Now in the verses following is conteyned the matter of the exposition which is double the former respects the seede the later respects the ground The seede saith Christ is the word of God The ground was of foure kinds and signifieth 4. sorts of hearers 1. The first kind of ground was the high way What hearers are signified thereby is declared here vers 12. and more may be supplied out of
his right hand are pleasures for euermore Those farre excell all the pleasures of the garden of Eden They yeelde full contentment and make all them happie which doe enioy them Therefore seeke especially for them A woefull thing it is to enioy pleasure in this life which is but short and to endure paine in the other life which is eternall If you cannot be partakers of both together seeke for the better Make Moses choyce who refused the delights of Pharaohs Court and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Lastly from the consideration of all these Thornes together wee may obserue that not one onely corrupt affecction but likewise manye corrupt affections in mans heart doe choake the seede of the word Euen all these three mentioned before A man may as well be hindered by one of them as byan other as well by any one of them as by all of them It is not impossible to finde them all three in one the same man A man may be much perplexed with worldly cares how to get and encrease riches and when he hath gotten them hee may be deceiued by them in thinking too highly of them in louing them too dearely and trusting too much vnto them He may then also liue in pleasure he may be carefull to get riches and to encrease them that so hee may consume them on his owne lustes By reason of his worldly care and the deceitfulnes of his riches he may be sparing and niggard-like in relieuing of others yet in regarde of voluptuousnes he may spend much on himselfe That Rich-man Luke 12. had much goods layde vp for himselfe for many yeares Not any for others but all for himselfe and therefore he would liue at ease eate drinke and take his pastime And the rich glutton which would not giue so much as the crums that fell from his table to poore Lazarus was giuen to pleasure spent much on his owne back belly Such men as these haue many thornes growing in the field of their hearts they haue many impediments to hinder them in the obedience of the word And therefore cannot be profitable hearers and diligent practisers of the word The more thornes growe in a sowne field the lesse corne is reaped at haruest So of all carnall hearers these yeeld the least fruit Yet are these three things distinguished one from another as was shewed before are oftentimes seuered in their subiects one of them may be found in one man and not either of the other And one of the other may be found in another man and not that A man may be carefull and yet poore A man may be rich and yet not giuen to pleasure And all of them haue their speciall and seuerall effects one hindering after one manner and another after another manner And therefore any one of these is able of it selfe to hinder the fruitfulnes of the word You knowe there be many kindes of thornes with vs there be white thornes and black thornes hawthornes and slowthornes And the word in the originall is taken not onely for thornes but likewise for bryars and brambles and any thing that hath prickes And therefore as one kind of thornes if there be many of that kind may as well hinder the fruitfulnes of your fields as many kindes So one kind of corrupt affections in your harts may hinder the efficacie of the word as well as many And therefore as when you plow and sow your ground you rid vp not onely one kinde of thornes and bryars but likewise all of each kind So when you heare the word expell out of your hearts not onely all bad affections of one kind but likewise all bad affections of each kind It is lamentable to see how fondly people deceiue themselues herein Many men doe harbour one noysome lust one corrupt affection or other in their hearts and because they keepe out many others they hope all is well with them The couetous worldling condemnes the voluptuous epicure And the voluptuous epicure condemnes the greedie and miserable worldling The couetous man thinketh that he is a good Christian because he is not giuen to prodigall licentiousnes And the voluptuous man would be esteemed a good hearer because hee abhorres worldly cares and miserable couetousnes But let them both knowe that either of these two sinfull lustes are sufficient to condemne their soules and let them not purge their hearts from the one alone but from both together if they will be fitte soyle for the Lords seede The last thing to be obserued in these hearers is the effect of their choaking namely what is the issue and euent that befalls them when they are thus choaked by those corrupt lustes they bring forth no fruite Though they doe not fall away from their profession as those hearers mentioned in the former verse but still continue professours and hearers of the Gospell yet are they vnfruitfull in their profession The originall word doth properly signifie that they doe not bring forth any full and perfect any ripe and truely fruite As if they might bring forth some kinde of fruite yet no good fruite no full corne nor profitable gaine Corne sowne amōg thornes may yeeld some kinde of fruite yet not such as will please the husbandman It will be an vntimely fruite it will wither away before it be throughly fed and fully ripe It will be very thinne on the ground when it is reaped it will proue nothing but short eares and small gaines and when it is threshed nothing but light corne and vnprofitable Such is the obedience of those men which be giuen to couetousnes and voluptuousnes they may performe some outward duties yet not many onely such as doe not hinder them in their worldly profits nor abridge them of their carnall pleasures And those which they doe performe are very imperfect neither acceptable to God nor comfortable to their owne soules They are not such as God exacted they doe not proceed from such sinceritie of the heart neither are they directed to that right end neither are they performed in such an holy manner as he requireth Though they seeme to begin well yet their inward lusts doe so hinder them that they cannot bring their actions to a due perfection but waxe wearie of doing well And either quite cease from their enterprises begun or else efaint much in their proceedings before they bring any thing to a good end Whence first we may take notice of the nature qualitie and maner of their obedience whose hearts are still possessed with the cares of the world and the pleasures of this life They may performe many good duties yet faile in some maine dutie And yet those which they performe cannot please the Lord we haue pregnant examples hereof in the scriptures Naaman the Syrian being cured of his leaprosie by the Prophet Elisha vowed vnto him to worship none other God