sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oathe And Christ sheweth Math. 5.45 that by doing good to al we may be children of our heaueÌ„ly father who dealeth so in making his sunne to shine on the euill and good and sending a raigne on the iust and vniust Hereby a man may be led into a fooles paradise and made to thinke that he is happy when he is miserable and that God is his friend when he is his foe And a most dangerous deceit this is hurtfull to himselfe and odious to God hurtfull to himselfe because it will make him secure and to content himselfe with his present estate and neuer seeke to better it yea it will cause him to contemne the word which should make him better and to thinke that he is already as good as the word can make him And therefore he will refuse to heare it often and when he heareth it is without profit he deceiueth himselfe in his owne imagination Cal. 6.3 seeming to himselfe that he is somewhat when he is nothing And therefore putteth off from him the curses of the law as not deserued by him but applyeth to himselfe the blessings of the Gospell as if they properly belonged vnto him I would we had none such deceiued rich meÌ„ in this our age Those that be such let them know that this fond conceit is odious to God for he threatneth that when a man heareth the curses of the law and blesseth himselfe in his heart saying Deut. 29.19.20 I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornenes of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennes vnto thirst The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but then the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in his booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen Wherefore let all rich men take heede lest they be thus deceiued let them know that riches are common both to good and bad yea that the worst often haue them and the best often want them and therfore let not the hauing of them make them to presume any whit the more on Gods sauour or lesse feare his iudgments 2. Riches deceiue men in respect of the nature of them In making them to thinke that they be farre better then indeed they are That they are good in their owne nature that they make theÌ„ better that haue them That they yeeld the greatest blessings benefits comforts that man receiueth on the earth That those who enioy them are the happiest and those who want them are the most miserable in the world This is a notorious deceyt for they are not good in their owne nature but onely in the vse Not good to all but onely to the good who knowe how to vse them aright They are not Riches in trueth but in showe and doe as much differ from true riches as the shadowe differâ—th from the substance Happie men may want them miserable men may haue them Naball had them when Dauid wanted them The Rich Glutton that at at his death was sent to hell torments had them in abundance when as Lazarus who after death was carryed to Abrahams bosome did want them The Apostles had neither golde nor siluer and yet were happie They make fewe better but many worse and are occasions of much euill Neyther can they yeeld any great benefits to the owners 1. P. â—t 1.18 either for soules or bodies They cannot redeeme our soules wee were not bought with corruptible things as siluer and golde The whole world and all the wealth thereof were not a sufficient Ransome for one soule Math. 16.26 nor a full satisfaction to God for one sinne They rather hinder then further our saluation Can they exempt men from Gods iudgements Doe not Rich men feele them as well as poore Can they free our bodyes from diseases Are not Rich men subiect to diseases as well as poore men Can they preserue vs from death Doe not Rich men dye as well as poore All the benefits which you can reape by them are no better Luk. 16. no more then the Rich Glutton had who was costly cladde and daintily fedde Are not they then fondly deceiued who thinke so highly and make so great account of them Wherefore take heede least you be thus deceyued This deceyte is also a Thorne in the heart to choake the worde It will cause men to set theyr heartes on Riches to loue them and desire them and seeke them more then they ought It will make them to serue God and keepe his word no further then it serueth for their commoditie If the word command anything which they thinke will hinder their profite they will rather transgresse the word then forgoe their gaine Such men will not get and employ their wealth as the word doth direct but would haue the word and the teachers thereof to allowe them to get and employ their wealth as they list Take heede of this deceit If thou be delâ—â—ed in this sort euery trifling commedotie will hinder you in obedience to the word 3. Riches deceiue men in regard of their effects because they will not pâ—â—fâ—rme that which they seeme to promise and which their owners expoâ—ted at their hands They seeme to promise and men expect nothing but good from them and yet they bring much euill with them As thornes doe beâ—re greene leaues white flowers and â—â—â—cre blossomes yet vnder the same doe carry sharpe prickes that will â—â—â—ke a men to bleede if he doe not â—â—ndle them choysely and warily So riches doe promise to men great ease high honour many pleasures and much contentment and yet withall they bring great paine much trouble and little contentment They are not gotten without great labour nor kept without great care and feare nor lost without great sorrowe August de ciâ—â—t deâ— lib. 21. cap. 5. And so they are little better then the apples of Sodome which seeme to be faire and ripe and fit to be eaten but if one taste them they vanish into powder and smoake And that which is worse they will seeme to make a man more fit and yet in truth doe oftentimes make him more vnfit for Gods seruice They puffe vp his heart with pride they make him more secure and careles of heauenly things lesse to feare God and his iudgements and lesse to regard and obey his word And therefore the Lord not without iust cause gaue warning before hand to the people of Israel that when they were placed in Canaan Deut. 8.11 a land that flowed with milke and hony and had eaten and filled themselues with the fruites thereof they should beware that they forgat not the Lord their God not keeping his commandements and his ordinances And afterward he thus complaineth of them Ier. 22.21 I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prospertie but thou saâ—â—â—st I will not heare this hath
he that heareth the word and vnderstandeth it Mat. 13.19 And although the first sort of bad hearers are sayd to heare and not vnderstand Yet the other two fortes are insinuated to haue vnderstood for how could they receiue the word with ioy vnlesse they vnderstood it How could cares of the world the deceitfulnesse of riches and voluptuous liuing choake the word after it was heard vnlesse it had beene vnderstood So that as the vnderstanding of the word is not sufficient to make you good hearers so on the other side the want of vnderstanding declareth you to be bad hearers All good hearers vnderstand the word though not onely they Good hearers must practise that which is taught them But how can they practise that which they vnderstand not 3. They agree in their affection to the word Those that be as stony grouÌ„d receiue the worde with ioy So also doe these good hearers though the thing it selfe be not expresly meÌ„tioned The Gospell is glad tydings and reioyceth the hearts of all that embrace it There is no commendable propertie in the reprobate and vnprofitable hearers but it is found in the elect and profitable hearers and that in a more excellent manner And therefore those who are nothing mooued nor comforted by the word are worse then some bad hearers and must not be reckoned in the number of good hearers Notwithstanding in this description of these good hearers wee may perceiue that in diuers other things they differ much from all the former hearers and therein doe greatly exceede and excell them all They are described by three properties and by them all they differ from the rest 1. By the manner of receiuing the word They receiue it with an honest and good heart 2. By the maner of reteyning it They keep it 3. By the maner of practising it They bring forth fruit and that with patience and plentie Touching the first propertie 2. things may bee noted The one more genenerall and that is the instrument of hearing it is with the heart The other more speciall and that is the qualitie and disposition of their heart it is an honest and good heart 1. Concerning the former we may hence obserue that those who will be profitable hearers of Gods most holy word must heare it with their hearts not onely with their eares to harken vnto the sound of it while it is vttered nor onely with their heads to vnderstand that which is deliuered but likewise with their hearts to keepe it and obey it Deut. 6.6 The Lord required of the Iewes that the words which he commanded them should be in their heart The wise man thus exhorted his sonne Proâ— 3.1.3 Forget not thou my law but let thine heart keepe my coÌ„mandements binde them on thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart And for this cause when Lydia went to heare Paul Act. 16.14 the Lord opened her heart that so she might attend to the things which Paul spake If her hart had bene shut so as the word could not enter in she had bene an vnprofitable hearer but God opening her heart that shee might receiue the word into it shee became a profitable hearer And there is great reason why al profitable hearers should receiue the word with the heart and into the heart 1. For the reformation and direction of the heart Gen. 6.5 by nature mans heart is corrupt yea all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are onely euill continually And out of the heart remayning corrupt come euill thoughts Mat. 15.19 Murthers Adulteries Fornications Thefts false Testimonies Slaunders such like sins which defile the man as Christ teacheth Now the worde is an Instrument of sanctification Ioh. 15.3 Christ said his Disciples were al clean through the word which he had spokeÌ„ to them And praâ—ed to his Father Ioh. 17.17 Sanctify them with thy trueth Ephe. 5.26 thy word is the trueth And the Apostle teacheth that GOD doth sanctify the Church clense it by the washing of the water through the word Now theÌ„ the plaister must be applyed to the place that is wounded or sore If it be applied to any other place it will do no good If the disease come froÌ„ the hart or inward parts it is in vain to lay the plaister to the head to the eare to the hand or to the foote so long as the heart inward parts are not cured they will minister new corrupt matter to the outward parts If then our hearts be corrupt we must not onely be content to apply the word to the eares by hearing it to the head by vnderstanding it to the tongue by talking of it but also to the heart for the purging of it at the first and for the guiding of it alwaies afterward 2. Againe the heart is the seate of the affections you must therefore receiue the word into your hearts that so it may worke on your affections both to sanctifie them as also to stirre them vp vnto good Thou must loue the word trust in the word and reioyce in the word or rather thou must loue God trust in God and reioyce in God because of his word as was shewed before in the example of Dauid Thou canst not doe this vnles thou receiue the word with thy heart As meate cannot nourish thy body vnles it be receiued into thy stomacke And as seede can neuer sprout nor come vp vnles it be cast into the furrowes and clods of the earth no more will the word profit thy soule vnles it be receiued into by heart 3. Moreouer the heart is the commander of the whole man and sets all on worke according to the disposition of it selfe Of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh as saith our Sauiour Math. 12.34.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things As the primuâ—â— mobile doth turne all the other inferiour orbes round about with it And as the watch wheele of a clocke guideth all the other wheeles If it stand they stand if it goe they goe if it goe slowly they goe slowly if it go swiftly they go swiftly So doth the heart of man rule and order all the senses and parts of his body either to good or euill they are exercised as it is affected Those then that would be obedient hearers of the word must needes receiue and embrace it with their hearts that so their hearts louing and lyking and beleeuing it may set all their senses and all the parts of their bodies on worke to practise it 4. Lastly the heart is the safest place for it As sowne corne if it lye on the top of the furrowes may easily be deuoured by the fowles of the ayre but if it be hid and couered is free from that danger so the word which thou hearest if it goe
which haue corrupt hearts it is loathsome terrible and vnprofitable Vse 1 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 heating be And for this purpose heare the word often 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 scade 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 encâ—ease 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 Vse 2 2. Furthermore we may hereby discerne who haue good harts 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 we 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 care 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 conuâ—â—sâ—tion 〈◊〉 may be assured that their hearts be honest and good Iâ— therefore you would haue others to thinke that you haue honest and good hearts 〈◊〉 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 Katâ—chousie They will not let it goe out thence nor suffer any to take it from them Beza Annot maâ—or in locum 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 world allurements Though all conspire and ioyne their forces together yet doe they keepe it so safe and sure as that they cannot wrest it from them And herein they also differ from all the former hearers The first sort lost it as soone as they receiued it euen while they were in hearing the diuell tooke it from them The second sort kept it a while but not long for they beleeue for a time they keepe the word no longer then they kept their faith Though they kept both in time of peace yet they lost both in time of persecution The third sort kept the word yet not long when as afterward it was choaked by cares and pleasures it was taken from them But these kept it for euer neither the diuel by his suggestions nor other men by their persecutions nor their owne lusts by their prouocations can depriue them of the word Such an hearer was the blessed virgin the mother of Christ she kept all her Sauiours sayings in hâ—r heart Luk. 2.51 she did not only lay them vp but also kept them And not onely in her head but likewise in her heart and not some onely but all his words And such keepers are all profitable hearers for if the word enter into mens harts and afterward goe out againe it will doe them little or no good at all Though the meate which a man eateth be receiued into his stomacke yet vnles it continue there for a time and be there digested it will not nourish and seede his body Though seede be cast into the furrowes yet vnles it doe there remaine for a season to sprout and take rooting it will not yeeld any crop to the reapers Euen so though the word should be receiued into the heart yet vnles it doe there abide it cannot fructifie in the life But if it be there safely kept it will bring forth plentifull encrease And therefore Christ said Luk. 11.28 Happie are they which heare the word of God and keepe it Yea he accounteth them more happie for that their keeping of it then was the wombe that bare him and the pappes that gaue him sucke The benefite of this keeping is double 1. It serueth for direction for the word kept in the heart will direct a man in his life teaching him what sins to auoyd what duties to performe It will be a lanterne vnto his feete and a light vnto his path It will be a guide to say vnto him Isai 30.21 this is the way walke in it when he turneth to the right hand or to the left Psal 119.11 And therefore Dauid said of himselfe I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee As if the hiding keeping of the word in the heart were a speciall and an effectuall meane to keepe men from sinne And he also writeth of others The mouth of the righteous will
Gospells sake And therefore seeke for patience at all seasons that so in the time of persecution and in the time of peace you may continue constant in the profession and practise of Gods word 2. Moreouer this their bringing forth of fruite is amplified by the measure of it which was great in all yet not alike in all All were fruitfull yet there was great difference and varietie in the qualitie of their fruite some brought forth lesse some more Though this be not here noted in this Euangelist Math. 13.8.23 yet is it mentioned by the other two Euangelists Mar. 4.8.20 and that both in the propounding of the parable and in the exposition of it They say some brought forth thirtie fold some sixtie fold some an hundred fold So much did each seede multiplie and encrease Wherein Christ speaketh according to the qualitie of the best ground in Iudea The whole land was very fertile as the scripture teacheth It was a land that flowed with milke and hony and therefore would yeeld great encrease of corne The worst of it was as good as the best of our ground and therefore the best must needes be exceeding fruitfull The ground of other lands haue yeelded great encrease When Isaacke sowed corne in Gerar he receiued an hundred measures for one that he sowed Genes 26.12 Forraine writers record that Byzazâ— in Africa Plin. Hist lib. 18.10 for one bushel of seede yeelded an 150. of encrease That the countrey of the Euhesperites yeeldeth an hundred fold Herodot in Melpom lib. 4. pag. 125. The countrey of the Cynopeans three hundreth fold And the land of Babylon in some parts hath bene so fruitfull Etan Clio. lâ— 1. p. 35. that it neuer yeelded lesse then two hundred fold sometime three hundred fold Now â—he land of Canaan especially in some parts and in a seasonable yeare was not inferiour to them and therefore would yeeld great encrease yet not all alike some parts of it was more fertile then other and so brought forth greater store of fruit Thereby doth Christ set forth the diuersitie of fruitfulnes in his hearers All good hearers yeeld plentie of fruit yet some more some lesse The word worketh powerfully in them all yet more powerfully and effectually in some then in others So fruitfull is the seede of the word that of a few graines there springeth an admirable encrease of all vertues A plentifull store of all graces in the heart many heauenly meditatioâ—s holy thoughts and godly motions in the minde all sorts of good words in the mouth and all manner of good workes in the life yet all good hearers haue not all these in the same qualitie and number In some they more abound in others lesse And therefore as before you sawe some difference betwixt bad hearers so here you may behold some varietie and difference among good hearers For one doth much exceede another in the multitude and encrease of fruites according to the measure of Gods grace giuen to euery one The Rhemistes teach Annot. on Math. 13.8 sect 1. that this difference of Fruites is the difference of merits in this life and rewards for them in the next life See postscript Sect. 15. according to the diuersitie of states As that the hundred fold agreeth to virgins professed threescore fold to religious widowes thirtie fold to the maried And hence would many popish writers proue the excellencie and dignitie of single life aboue widow-hood and mariage Answ But therein they manifestly declare that they neither vnderstand the sâ—â—pe of the parable nor the meaning of Christs exposition 1. For first it is apparant that Christ spake it not of receiuing fruits or rewards but of bearing and bringing forth the fruits of obedience Though these be so linked together as the one sort doth certainely follow the other yet doe they much differ The one sort of fruits are our deeds performed by vs vnto God the other sort are Gods rewards which hee in mercy bestoweth on vs and which we receiue from him The one sort are the fruits of grace here brought-forth for a time on the earth the other are the fruits of glory receiued and enioyed in heauen for euermore Of the former kind Christ speaketh For it was not his purpose to shew the difference betwixt men in heauen but a difference betwixt good hearers in bringing forth the fruits of the word on the earth Euen as before he noted a difference betwixt bad hearers not as they shall be hereafter in hell but as they are now liuing in the world how then can his words proue any merit of workes or difference of merits in the next life 2. Christ in this parable spake not of any outward estates or different degrees of men in the world but onely of diuers sorts of hearers People of all estates and conditions did then heare him and afterward heare the Apostles and doe now heare vs. Now Christ teacheth that of what state or condition soeuer they be whether single persons or maried or widowes they shall beare fruites according to the manner of their hearing and according to the inward disposition of their hearts And therefore a maried person hearing in a better manner and receiuing the word with a better heart then a virgine then a widowe shall bring forth more fruites of the word and receiue more benefite by his hearing 3. Againe God will neither respect nor reward any for their outward estates and conditions but for the right vse of them and for their good cariage and godly behauiour in them And therefore Augustine said In psal 75. Meâ—or est marit at a humalâ—s quam virgo superbâ— An humble maried woman is better then a proud virgin And Cyrill compared virgins which had chastitie of body without puritie of minde In lâ—â—â—t lib. 2. in fine without grace in the heart and obedience in their liues vnto those fiue foolish virgins that had lampes without oyle and were not suffered to enter into the bridegromes wedding chamber And Augustine preferred maried martyrs before chaste virgins De virginit cap. 45. But to leaue them with their absurd collection and to come to the doctrine here entended by Christ we are here taught that many may heare the word of God together and all be profitable hearers and all be saued by their hearing yet all doe not profit alike nor bring forth the same fruites of obedience in their liues but some fewer some more according as their hearts are prepared and according as it pleaseth the Lord to bestowe his graces Yea though they all heare one and the same man and the same sermons and one heare as often as another yet may one be more plentifull in the fruites of the word then is another All furrowes of the same land doe not bring forth an equall number of eares and all eares of the same furrowe doe not beare an equall number of graines but some more some lesse as it
16 2. Iob 12 4. who seems to be of Iuâ—as his minde and say quorsum perditâ—o haec The pentions giuen by his maiestie for the maintenance of preachers in these popish partes might well be spaced 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 Math 20 15. to doe with mine owne as I will Is thine eye euill because I am good They may here behold and if they please take a tast of the meate wherewith his Maiesties subâ—â—tls are daily fed Though their diet be horâ—â—ly yet I hope it is holesome though the manner of teaching be plaine yet is it profitable especially for such people as I am appointed to instruct My indiâ—â—all hearers can testifie that these sermons were sutable to my ordinary teaching and that in penning them I haue altered very little either for matter methode or stile I thinke few will complaine of the vnprofitablenes of our labours but those who doe reioyce thereat and would haue vs remoued lest our labours should become more fruitfull hereafter who would rather haue the countrey still remaine addicted to popery and impiety then brought to the obedience of the Gospell How fruitfull our labours haue bene your Lordship can better iudge then any of them Yet must we needes confesse that the fruitfulnes thereof hath bene and still is greatly hindered by two sortes of persons namely by popish priests and profane Pypers The priests like Samballat and Tobiah nehem 4 7 8 hinder vs in edifying the Lords Temple and labour to pull downe as fast as we build vp like the old seducers they creepe into houses and lead captiue 2 Tim 3 6 simple women laden with sins and led with diuers lusts 2 Tim 38 They withstand vs as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses Yea they subuert whole houses Tim 1 11 teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre They are sent by the Pope to recouer if it were possible the reuenews rents tributes which once he had out of this kingdome who hauing no other meanes wherby to liue haue raised a gainefull trade of seducing and through couetousnes 2. Pet 1 3. doe make marchandise of the peoples soules 1. Sam. 28.7 Though it pleased his Maiestie to banish them yet as a Witch was found in Endor after that Saul had banished all out of Israel So now vpon diligent search many priests might be found in these parts Though they lurke in secret corners and dare not shew their faces yet may we traâ—e them by their footesteps and take notice of their presence by their practises euen as we may discerne where a snaile hath crept on the wall by the slime which it leaueth behind it Who maryeth our recusants who baptizeth their children but they Not one recusant is maryed not one of their children is baptized by our ministers Shall we thinke that they who hold Matrimonie to be a sacrament would liue together as man and wife and neuer be maried Can we imagine that they who hold baptisme to be absolutely necessarie to salvation will suffer all their children to remaine vnbaptized Therein they verifie the Poets saying In vetitum nefas gens humana ruit Before we had any statute lawe against mariages and baptizings by popish priests it was a rare thing to heare of any one who offended that way But since that law was made it hath bene a rare thing in this countrey to heare of a Recusants mariage solemnized or a Recusants childe baptized by any of our ministers So as if our law-makers had foreseene the issue it may be they would haue forborne the making of that law least as Solon thought of a law to be made against Parricides they should put men in mind of such an offence What is the reason of this their wilfulnes Not onely impunitie our lawes made against them being like an vntimely birth dead assoone as borne and wanting execution which is the life of them but especially because the priests doe euermore excite them to disobedience and will canonize them for holy confessours for that their contemptuous breach of our lawes And whence commeth it that scarce one of an hundreth of all our Recusants and non-communicants would come to take the oath of allegiance when they were therevnto lawfully called but because the priests disswade them from it by authoritie of the Popes bulles and by warrant of the Cardinalls bookes Augustine acknowledged that through feare of the imperiall lawes put in execution Epist 48. ad viacent not onely some few persons but likewise many whole cities who formerly had bene Donatists became right Catholikes So if our lawes might be duely executed of not against all papists yet against the priests I doubt not but within a while we should drawe most of the people to due conformitiâ— Leges principum recte imploraâ—i aduerlus bostes fidei modoid fiat animo corrigendi non studio vindicandi August epist 48 All their bookes haue bene answered all their dispersed pamphlets confuted and many disputations haue bene graunted them Seeing then that after so many conuictions they remaine obstinate I hope all will acknowledge with the same Father that wee may lawfully craue the execution of the lawe against the enemies of the faith Vides epist 50.60.61 127 167. if it be done with a minde to correct and not with a desire to reuenge Moreouer I cannot but lament and with griefe of heart complaine that still in this part of the countrey the course of religion is exceedingly hindered the fruites of our labours greatly frustrated the Lords Sabboth impiosly profained by publike pyping by open and lasciuious dancing on that day That it is not consecrated as holy to the Lord but rather kept as a feast of Bacchus and Venus That pyping should put downe preaching that dancing should draw the pâ—oplâ— from their dutie That for one person which we haue in the Church to heare diuine scruice sermons and catechisme euery pyper there being many in one part should at the same instant haue many hundreds on the greenes Our learned and late (2) P. Martyr comment in Iudic 21 19 21 fol. 177 Sunler comment â—n Exode 20 8 diuines doe teach that the â—irgines of Israel gining themselues to dancing on their feast day did thereby abuse it And that it was no maruaile if at the same time they were all raâ—â—sned for the punishment of that their sinne Gregory Nazianzen (3) Orat in Cansta natuit paulo pâ—st miâ—â—m exhorteâ—hâ—s people to celebrate their feastes diuinely anâ— not by dancing And (4) Contra Iâ—ha â—orat 2. prope finem accounteth the vseâ—csit â—ashâ—h like things anhethâ—â—â—h maner of celebrating feastes Isidor â—â—aâ—us (5) Apud Daâ—â—ae loc com tâ—tâ—esius
warrant of Gods word are but as chaffe to the wheate Ier. 23.28 and beeing taught in the Church will yeeld no more fruit then chaffe that is sowne in a field Leuit. 19.19 Vnder the Lawe God woulde not permit the Iewes to sow the same field with mingled seede And shall we thinke Secpectfortis Secl 3. that now vnder the Gospell he will permitte vs to teach for doctrines mens traditions to mingle trueth with error and his diuine Oracles with humane inuentions Vse 1 Wee therefore that bee sowers must see that our seed be good As the Husband-man against seed-time will not onely prouide good seede but will also winnow it fanne it and try it that so he may neither sow chaffe nor light corne nor darnell but pure graine which is like to fructifie So wee before wee come to the Pulpit must try and examine our doctrine that it bee sound and that we deliuer nothing but that which will edifie the hearers And because Non owins fort omnta tellus Each grounde will not beare each kinde of graine Wee must like wise and carefull Husband-men sow that seed which is fittest for our ground and deliuer such doctrines as are most fitting for the capacitie and present condition of the Auditorie that will yeeld the best encrease Vse 2 And you Christian people as you must take heede how you heare so also take heede what you heare It is the word of God not the word of the Diued It is the word of Christ not the word of Antichrist that must make you fruitfull As you haue great care that your ground be sowne with sound and cleane seede so be carefull that your soules bee instructed with sound and wholsome doctrine 1. Ioh. 4.1 Beleeue not euerie spirit but try the spirits whether they bee of God 1. Thes 5.21 Despise not Prophesying but try all things and hold that which is good Act. 17.11 With the Noble-men of Berea search the Scriptures daylie whether those thinges bee so which are taught you What you finde contrary thereto that reject as tares what is not warranted thereby blowe away as chaffe what is proved thereby that receiue as good seede into the furrowes of your heartes I know the Popish Seminaries will not suffer you to trye their seede you must trust them and take in vpon theyr word but we allowe and require you to trye ours If two men offer you Seede to sowe your ground and the one bid you trye it and view it well the other tell you of it but keeps it in his sacke you must not viewe it whether dealing would you like better whether seede would you receiue If theyr seede were good if they taught Gods worde they would not refuse tryall Vers 12. And they that are beside the way are they that heare IN the formerverse you haue heard the exposition of the seede Now see the exposition of the ground in this verse and the reft There were 4. sortes of grounds mentioned CHRIST sheweth that by them hee meant 4. sortes of hearers some good some bad Before wee come to speake of them seuerally and particularly we may note one thing in generall froÌ„ them all That as the same seed sowne in diuers kinds of ground doth not fructify in all alike in some it yeeldes little or no fruite at all in some both good and plentifull fruit So the same doctrine taught to diuers people doth not profit all alike It may profit some nothing at all others verie much Thoâ—â—h seed bee neuer so good yet badnes of ground may spoyle it and cause the sower to lose both labour and cost Euen so though the doctrine wee teach bee neuer so good and profitable yet through the ill disposition of the hearers it may become vnfruitfull This seede doth fructify or not fructify according to the qualitie disposition of the ground into which it is cast If the ground be bad the seed perisheth if the ground be good it encreaseth And because some mens hearts be as a barren ground and other mens harts be as a fertile soile in some it yeeldeth no fruit at all in some it yeeldeth great abundance This difference may by seene in each mixt company and populous congregation to which wee preach It was found among Christs hearers it was founde among the Apostles hearers and may also be found among ours The consideration whereof serues for the instruction both of Preachers people 1. Of Preachers to comfort thâ—m and to encourage them in their labours when they see them vnprofitablâ— vnto a great number Christ spake this Parable especâ—â—â—y of him selse and of his hearers He taught the true word of God in the best maner that might be yet did he not profite all his hearers he had 4. sorts whereof three were vnprofitable one onely was profitable The Disciple must not be better then his Master if hee be no worse let him be well content It doeth not a little grieue the Ministers of the Gospell to take great paines in teaching the truth and that in a good manner and yet see most of their hearers to receiue little or no profit at all but still remaine after many yeares teaching non sâ—mnaâ—tâ—â—sed susâ—â—pientis â—â—lpâ— as ignorant as Popish and prophane as they were at the first Yet let them not be dismayed it was Christs owne case the fault is in the hearers not in the teachers Châ—â—s in Mâ—t. 13. hom 45. God wil reward thee for thy paineful preaching though few doe profit by it Let not their fault hinder vs in our dutie but let vs instruct with meck nesse them that be contrarie minded 2. Tim. 2.25 prouing if any time God will gâ—ue them repentance They who be vnurofitable hearers now may proue profitable hereafter Till the time of bearing fruit doe come wee know not which will proue good ground which will proue bad 2. This also seruâ—th for the instruction of hearers Seeing that these 3. kinds of bad grounds do paint out 3 sorts of bad hearers who neuer receiue profite to their foules by the word which they heare You must know that you may be receiuers of this heauenly seede You may be hearers of Gods most holy word and yet be neuer the better for it neuer come to heauen by it Three parts of Christs hearers were bad as appeareth by this Parable And he telleth vs that many shall say Luk. 13.26 Wee haue caten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast tâ—ught in our streetes but he shall say I know you not depart from mee all yee workurs of imquitie And the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 2.16 Wâ—e are to some the sanour of death vnto death and vnto other the sweete sanour of life vnto life Euery kinde of hearing will not saue your soules It must be good and profitable hearing with good hearts to vnderstand beleeue and obey what you heare Yea not onely they who wilfully refuse to heare but
receiuâ— the worde with â—oy For the present time they reioyce in the doctrine of the Gospell it cheareth their hearts delighteth their soules contenteth their mindes mooueth their affections and is to them the most ioyfull newes that euer they heard and yet for all that they are but vnprofitable hearers Such an hearer was King Herode 〈◊〉 6.20 when Iohn Bapâ—â—â—â—â—â— preached hee heard him gladly not onely willingly but also cheerefully and ioyfully hee tooke delight and pleasure in hearing of him and yet afterward was the author of his death Such hearers were most of the Iewes for Christ told them Iob. 5.38 That Iohn was a burning and sinning lampe and that they would for a season haue reioyced in his light They ioyed in his doctrine yet but for a season Hee preached but a while Christ fore-saw that if hee had liued and preached longer they would haue forsaken him Such hearers also were the Capernaites Ioh. 6. who liked Christs doctrine so well as that they followed him for a while but afterward forsooke him Such hearers had the Apostles And such heaâ—ers haue we at this day These hearers are not like Pharoh Exod. 5.2 who said Who is the Lord that I stould hear his voyce Nor like those impious persons who say to God Depart from vs Iob. 21.14 for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Nor like the Iewes Act. 13.45 who spake against those things which were taught by Paul contradicting them rayling on them thrusting the Apostles from theÌ„ They do willingly heare the word they approue the doctrine of it they loue it like it and reioyce to heare it They wil rather say to Preachers Act. 10.33 as Cornelius his kinsmen said to Peter We are all here present before God to heare all thing that are commaunded thee of God And if these hearers reioyce in the word they will not scorne to be taught by the Ministers but very willingly submit themselues to the Ministâ—ry of the word They will be as forward as any in frequenting Sermons for who will not desire to heare that often which comforteth his heart Yea they may sharply reproue and seuerely censure them as impious and prophane who are carelesse and negligent in hearing of Gods word Yea they may reuererce the Minister as Herode did Iohn Baptist they may patronage protect and countenance him they may maintaine him and be very bountifull toward him for â—ho will not make much of him that dâ—th greatly comfort his heart Yea after they haue heard they may talke and conferre of the doctrine among their familiar acquaintance for who will not often talke of that which reioyceth his heart Of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh All these thinges may be found in these hearers of the second sort who notwithstanding are reckoned among vnfruitfull hearers See then what faire shewes an vnregenerate man may make in heating of Gods word And consider it seriously that not onely the publike persecutors bitter raylers wilfull contemners carelesse and forgetful hearers but likewise some that loue and like the word diligently attend it and finde some comfort in it may be out of the state of grace and kept backe from entring into heauen A fearefull thing to consider it should rowse vs out of security and make vs looke well to the maner of our hearing There be some who are nothing at all mooued with the worde neither terrified with the threatnings and curses of the lawe nor comforted with the heauenly blessings and sweete promises of the Gospell whoâ—â— wee may compare as Christ did the Iâ—wes vnto little children which sitte in the markets and call to their fellowes and say We haue piped vnto you Mat. 11.17 and you hâ—â—â— not daunced we haue mourned vnto you and you haue not lamented We sing both mercy and iudgement and yet they are not moued Seeing Christ reckâ—â—â—th Quest them in the Catalogue of fruitlesse hearâ—rs who are so moued as they reioyce at the word what is to be thought of them who are no more touched then if their hearts were of Adamant If this ioy may be found in the vnregenerate it will be hard to disâ—erne who are regenerated It is a propertie of the regenerate to reioyce at the word Dauid said Thy testimonies haue I taken as on heâ—itage for euâ—r â—sa 119.111 fâ—r they are theiâ— of mine hâ—art 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 The holy peâ—â—â—le of the Lord made great â—o 〈…〉 like the werâ—â— which â—izra thâ— Lâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—au the them Act. 2.41 Those three thoâ—â—â—â—and which were conneâ—ted by â—â—â—â—y Sermon did reâ—â—iue his wâ—â—â—d 〈◊〉 The Fuâ—â—uch conuerted by Phillip the â—aylâ—r conuerted by Paul recâ—â—â—ed their dâ—â—trine with ioy of heart 〈◊〉 there no difference betwixt the regenerate â—nd the vnregenerate in this their ioy Answere Indeed both of them receiue the word with ioy yet there may be found great difference betwixt the ioy of the one and the ioy of the other They differ inâ—h se foure things 1. In the cause of it and that is â—â—â—aith And therefore Paul calleth it Phil. 1.25 The ioy of faith The ioy of the regenerate man ariseth from a instifying faith whereby he beleeueth that all the promises of God in Christ shall be performed to him in particular The vnregenerate hath onely a generall historicall faith whereby he certainely beleeueth that many shall be saued by grace in Christ hath some doubtfull hope that he is one of the number but no certaine assistance As if there be many offenders in the same prison one is certainely assured that the King hath graunted pardon to a great number of them hopeth that he is one yet is not sure And another is assured that he is one of the number Both of them will reioyce yet there will be difference betwixt their ioy 2. In the measure and degree for the regenerate haue a greater measure of ioye then the vnregenerate The regenerate haue as great or greater ioy in the word then in any thing else whatsoeuer Therefore Dauâ—d sayde I haue had as greate delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches Psal 119.14 The Lawe of thy mouth is better vnto mee vers 72. then thousands of gold and siluer I reioyce at thy word vers 162. as one that findeth a great spotle Their ioy is so great that S. Peter saith 1. Pet. 1.7 They reâ—oyce with ioy vnspeakable It may be felt it cannot be expressed The greatnesse of their ioy Mat. 1â— 44 Christ setteth forth by the exaâ—ple of a man who finding a treasure hid in the fielde for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyâ—th tâ—es â—ld But the ioy of the vnregenerate is nothing so great They seldâ—â— aâ—◠〈…〉 so great ioy in the worde as in the world but neuer greater Thâ—ir worldly prosits their earthly honours and preferments their carnall pleasures d ee as
blade but neuer to beare a ripe eare So they who haue hearts altogether hardened will not heare or at least not receiue the word of God at all into any part of their hearts but those who haue hearts partly soft and partly hard may receiue the word and retaine it for a time but will neuer bring forth the fruites of it Wherefore the holy Ghost saith in the Psalmes and it is applyed by the Apostle Psal 95.7.8 to the hearers of the Gospell To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 Because the hard hearted can neuer he are the word of God so reuerently and effectually as they ought to doe the Lord biddeth vs not to harden but to soften our hearts if we will heare his voyce The harder the heart is the more vnprofitable shall be the hearing the softer the heart is the more profitable shall the hearing be Againe this hardnes will cause men to deny the word in time of tentation The moysture and softnes aboue is the cause of receiuing the word with ioy and beleeuing for a time but the hardnes and drinesie below is the cause of reuolting afterward When Gods hand was heauie on Pharoh he somewhat relented humbled himselfe and confessed his sinne but as soone as it was remoued here-turned with the dogge to his vomit and became as obstinate as euer he was before So if a mans heart be mollified onely in part he may relent while he heares the word and may embrace it with peace but in time of persecution may grow as hard as euer he was before euen as yron is soft in some measure while it is in the fire but becommeth hard againe when it is cold Let vs not therefore content our selues with an vpper softening but see that our hearts be softened to the very bottome that they may melt like waxe at the fire 2. King 22.19 as good king Iosiahs heart did when he heard the lawe read I knowe that none of our hearts are so lost as they should be But if thou fee-lest thine owne hardnes doest mislike it desirest earnestly that it may be more and more mollified and doest vse all good meanes for the further mollifying of it thy heart either is alreadie or shall be within a while so softened as it may receiue the word profitably to thy saluatioÌ„ If Goates blood being warme can soften the hard Adamant Gortandâ—â—pl mart doubt not but the blood of Christ can sufficiently mollifie thy heart though it were as hard as a rocke If thou pray earnestly vnto God to take away the stony heart of thy body Ezek. 36.2 and to giue thee an heart of flesh be assured that he will performe it seeing he hath promised it by his holy Prophet 3. Let vs now come to the third propertie of these hearers They belieue for a time Mathew and Marke say they endure for a season that it they endure in their with out a while They doe belieue yet not long But it is to be considered what kinde of faith this is Though the Papists teach that there is but onely one kinde of faith See postscript Sect. 4. Sect. 5. Sect. â— yet may we find many seuerall distinct kindes thereof in the holy scriptures There befoure kindes of faith One is proper and peculiar to Gods elect and to the regenerate The rest are common both to the elect and the reprobate That which is proper and peculiar to the elect is a true iustifying faith See postscript Sect. 7. Sect. 8. whereby a man doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for the pardon of his sinne and the saluation of his soule Tit. 1.1 This is called by S. Paul the faith of Gods Elect because onely they and all they be endued with it And therefore it is said Act. 13.48 that as many as were orduned to eternall life beleened Though all of them doe not receiue it at the same time but some sooner sâ—me later yet is there not any of the I 〈◊〉 but at one time or other they doe receiue it This is called an vnfayned faith 1. 〈◊〉 1.5 〈◊〉 or a faith without dissimulation or hypoâ—â—â—e because it is not counterfaited and is a faith in deed and in truth and is seated not in the tongues or the head but in the bottome of the heart This faith is said to purifie the heart Aâ—â— 15.9 〈◊〉 13.10 and is called the faith of the Saints because none haue it but those who be sanctified By this faith are we now iustified without the workes of the law and by this Rom. 3.2 must we be saued as the Apostle proueth at large in his Epistles â—phâ—â— 2.8 But this is not the faith here spoken of Againe there be other kindes of faith See postscript Seâ—l 9.1 Cor. 1â— 2 which be common both to the Elect and reprobate And these are either extraordinarie or ordinarie Extraordinarie as the faith of working miracles whereof the Apostle speaketh saying If I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing Iudus the childe of perdition had this faith as well as the rest of the Apostles for he wrought miracles as well as they And many shall say to Christ haue not we in thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great miracles to whom he shall answere I neuer knew you depart from me Math. 7.22 ye workers of iniquitic This was extraordinarie giuen to some fewe at the first preaching of the Gospell but hath ceased long agoe The ordinary kindes of faith which may be found in the reprobate are two in number See postscript Seâ—l 10. Seck 11. The one is called an hystoricall the other a temporarie faith The one I say is called an hystoricall faith or a dogmaticall because it is a bare knowledge and acknowledgment of the historie of the scriptures and of the things written therein concerning God his workes his promises and concerning Christ his merites and benefites without any apprehension of the things knowne and acknowledged Ioh. 5.46.47 This is the faith whereby men beleeue Moses and his writings Act. 26.27 This is the faith which Paul would needes fasten on Agrippa 〈◊〉 1.1 August dâ—tâ—â—p to beleeue the Prophets This is not fides qua credimus in deum sed qua credimus deo id est credeâ—e vera esse quae loquitur â—orm 181. Creâ—ere veâ—â—â—â—â—e 〈…〉 mulâ—◠〈◊〉 possunt August 〈◊〉 Iam. 2.19 It is not the faith whereby we belieue in God but the faith whereby we belieue God that is whereby we belieue all things to be true which he speaketh And so differeth very much from a iustifying faith This faith is sound in the vnregenerate They may belieue all things to be true which are written though they little regard them yea this
him was content to acknowledge himselfe to be one of his Apostles and at his sending to go abroad to preach the Gospell So did Simon Magus he was baptized into the Name of Christ and continued with Philip as a Disciple of Christ Mat. 22.14 And so doe all those who be called and not chosen 6. The last degree of this temporary faith is outward obedience vnto the Gospell This was likewise in Iudas His cariage was so honest among the Apostles all the time of Christs passion that when Christ told them Mat. 26.22 that one of them should betray him they did not suspect him any more then any of the rest yea Mar. 14.19 euery one did as much suspect him selfe as Iudas and therefore euery one sayd Master is it I Yea Ioh. 13.24 they caused Iohn who then leaned on Iesus brest to aske him who it was And Christ did manifest him by giuing him a soppe before they could tell who it was And so this faith doeth farre excell that dead faith whereof S. Iames speaketh which is destitute of good works Iam. 4. Yet euen in this respect is it much inferior to a true iustifying faith In regard of outward obedience they differ three wayes 1. In the cause or fountaine whence it proceedeth The obedience of the one proceedeth from an heart which hath the corruption of it suppressed and restrayned but not mortifyed and the affections builded but not changed by regeneration But the obedience of the other proceedes from a pure heart and a good conscience the corruption whereof is not onely repressed and kept vnder but likewise mortifyed and the affections not onely brydeled but also changed by regeneration Yea and the man himselfe is in Christ become a new creature 2. In the measure for the one may yeeld obedience in many things yet seldome in all things he vsually taketh libertie to liue in some one grosse sinne or other Mar. 6.20 eyther openly or secretly As Herode did many things which Iohn Baptist taught him yet continued still his whoredome hee would not put away his brothers wife though he was taught so to doe Mat. 14.4 But the other is carefull to avoyde all manner of sinnes whatsoeuer and to performe all duties alike knowing that if hee faile in one point hee is guiltie of all Iam. 2.10 And though sometime he fall by infirmitie yet he lyeth not long he riseth againe by repentance 3. In the continuance for the one continueth not lâ—ng in his innocencie at last by one occasion or other his corruption will breake forth and carry him to some grosse sinne or damnable apostacie Iudas for a while liued ciuilly but at last was drawne through couetousnesse to betray his Maister Simon Magus for couetousnesse would haue bought and solde the giftes of the holy Ghost and beeing reprooued for that fault became a notorious apostate Hos 6.4 And therefore the righteousnesse of such is fitly resembled to the morning deaw which is dryed vp and gone as soone as the Sunne ascendeth on high But the other perseuereth in his vprightnesse vnto the ende hee hath a good begining and a good ending Euen as Iob who neither by the suggestions of Sathan nor by the losse of his goods nor death of his children nor diseases of his body nor aduise of his wife nor vncharitable censures of his friends coulde bee induced to sinne against God Now then seeing heereby you may discerne what this faith is how it differeth from a sauing faith examine your selues of your faith to see whether it be this or no doe not content your selues with such a faith as is not able to saue your soules Aboue all things see that you haue a special application inward renouation for therein consisteth the very life and soule of sauing faith As you haue seene the nature and degrees of this faith so now see the continuance for it is here sayd They beleeue for a time A while they receiue this faith not alwayes they lose it in the end As they are hypocrites for want of synceritie in the bottome of their hearts so likewise are they temporizers for want of continuance in their courses The Rhemistes in their marginall notes on these wordes would haue this to be obserued against the heretikes as it pleaseth them to terme vs that say Faith once had cannot be lost and that he which now hath not faith neuer had Dâ—â—â—lisicat lib. 3. c. 14. Bellarmine and other Papists alleadge this place to prooue that true faith once had may be quite lost Staplet prompt in for 4. post dom poseh But we answere that the faith whereof Christ heere speaketh may be quite lost so as a man which once had it may want it afterward yet Christ doth not here speake of the true iustifying faith of Gods elect but of the temporary faith See postscript Sect 13. which may be in the reprobate as hath beene shewed before And this is apparant out of the words of the text For the persons who thus beleeue are compared to stony ground who by reason of the hardnesse of their hearts are no more able to bring forth fruite then stony ground is able to yeelde a good croppe of corne God forbidde that wee should imagine that any of the elect in the state of grace should be no better then these In the 15. verse Christ speaketh of them resembleth them to good ground and sayeth they heare the word with a good and honest heart do keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Againe the persons here spoken of are sayd to want rootes and so their graces are like corne sowne on the top of a rocke which wanteth depth of earth to send downe and feede the rootes Now dare they say that true justifying faith wanteth rootes or is it in any mans heart where it hath nothing to grow vpon Doeth not the Apostle teach Ephes 3.17 that they in whose hearts Christ doth dwell by faith are rooted and grounded in loue And that they who haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord are rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith True iustifying faith is the roote of all vertues Laudo fructum bom operis sed in fide agnoscoradicem Prafat uâ— enarr on which they grow and from which they receiue life nourishment efficacy Augustine said of Abrahams offering of his sonne I commend the fruit of the good worke but I acknowledge the roote in faith And shall we then say that it hath no rootes it selfe Certaine it is that a true iustifying faith once had can neuer be lost Psal 31. Vide August prefat in Pâ—a 139. Col. 2.5 Rom. 11.29 for it is called a stedfast faith in Iesus Christ It belongeth to that calling and is one of those giftes of God which are without repentance And so it hath beene reckoned long aâ—oe by that ancient Father Augustine and thereby proued neuer to fayle
those that be worse who will not heare it who will not beleeue it who doe mislike it yea maligne him that teacheth any thing that is against their pleasures or profites and are ready to worke him some mischiefe Oh that these woulde consider their estate and remember how farre they are from that profitable hearing which must saue their soules 2. The second thing to be obserued in generall respecteth the causes of their choaking which are three in number Cares of the worlde riches and voluptuous liuing From all which together wee may learne that noysome lusts and bad affections in the heart doe greatly hinder the fruitfull hearing of Gods word Yea though the heart be much mooued with the word for a time and be very like to profite by hearing and the hearer haue a purpose to follow the word yet corrupt affections of care couetousnesse and voluptuousnesse will hinder the fruitfulnesse of the worde As thornes are to ground that is sowne so are these affections to the hearers of Gods word You know that although the Soyle were reasonable good of it selfe yet if thoâ—nes grow among the corne they will not suffer the ground to yeâ—lâ—e any good crâ—ppe So if hearers haue indifferent good mindes of themselues especially if some froward affections were expelled yet so long as those affections remaine in them they will hinder the growth of the worde And therefore Peter exhorteth vs 1. Pet. 2.1.2 first to lay aside all maliciousnes all guile 〈…〉 â—â—tion and â—nuie and then as new borne babes to desire the syncere milke of the worde that we may grow thereby Iam. 1.21 And Iames biddeth vs lay apart all filthinesse and superfluitie of maliciousnes and receiue with meeknes the ingrafted word which is able to saue our soules If grosse humours abide in the stomacke they will not suffer it to digest the meate which is eaten but will make it rather to hurt then to nourish the body So if there be froward and inordinate affections in your harts they will so hinder the efficacy of the word as it shall not profite you to the saluation of your soules Vse This shoulde teach you so often as you come to heare to looke vnto your hearts and to emptie them of all wicked affections remayning in them As you are carefull when you plow and sow your fields to rid vp by the rootes all thornes bryars and bushes lest they should hinder the corne So be you carefull to free your heartes from these badde affections when you come to heare Mat. 10.16 Christ biddeh you to be as wise as Serpents Now this is one poynt of the Serpents wisedome as the learned doth teach Epiphan contra haresâ—har 37 Ambros praefat in enarrat Psal 37. Bernard de modo vivend serm 28. Ier. 4.4 That when he is thirstie he goeth from his hole to the water yet before he drinke he casteth vp the poyson which was neere his throate Imitate him therein If any poyson of bad affections be found in your hearts expell them lest they hinder the efficacy of the word Yea as the Prophet saith Breake vp your fallow ground and sow not among thornes Be circumcised to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your hearts that so you may heare to the profit comfort of your soules Let vs now see in particular and seuerally what are the things which like thornes doe choake the seede of the word Three be here named The first of them is Care and because there be two kindes of care the one a godlie and spirituall care 1. Cor. 7.32 33. to care for the things of the Lord how we may please him and to care for the things of the soule how it may bee saued The other a worldly and carnall care to care for the things of the world how to please men and how to prouide for our bodies in this world Mat. 13.22 In the other Euangelists both in Mathew and Marke they are called Mat. 4.19 for distinction sake Cares of the world These cares are as thornes to choake the word in the hearers hearts They do oftentimes keepe men from hearing at all Luk. 10.40.41 Martha was carefull to prouide good fare for her guests troubled herselfe about many things when with her sister Mary shee should rather haue heard Christs doctrine Those guests who were innited to the wedding feast Luk. 14.18 made excuses that one had bought a Farme and must needes goe see it another had bought 5. yoke of Oxen and must goe prooue them another had maried a Wife and therefore could not come Worldly cares keepe many from the Church who would not be absent if their worldly businesse did not draw them another way yet will not bee present if their absence serue for their gaine So doe these cares make their hearing altogether vnprofitable euen as thornes make the sowne ground vnfruitfull Some haue their hearts so exercised with thinking and plotting of worldly matters that they cannot attend to the word deliuered Others hauing beaten their braines and busied their heads before fall to sleepe when they should heare Others that bee awake and listen haue no loue nor liking of that which is taught The thinges of the worlde haue so put their mouthes out of taste as they can finde no sweetnesse in the word Others attend seeme to like all wel for a time yet afterward the cares of the worlde enter into their heades and heartes and driue the worde out of them euen as one naile driues out another There may be in them for a time some striuing and strugling betwixt the world and the word but the world ouercomes in the end and maketh them no better then if they had neuer heard Christ bad his Disciples take heede to themselues Luk. 21.34 least at any time their hearts were oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life and least the last dâ—y should come on them at vnawares Because cares of the world doe oppresse the heart as wel as surfetting and drunkennes and make vs vnfit for his comming to Iudgement Our people are much oppressed with worldly cares they rise early and lye downe late and eate the bread of carefulnes they busie their heades they beate their braines they weary their bodies they breake their sleep they weaken their strength they hinder their health and shorten their liues with carking and caring toyling and moyling about worldly affayres and this is one speciall cause why they heare so much and profite so little These then who would be profitable hearers must before and after their hearing keepe these cares out of their heartâ—s Let them remember the exhortation giuen by Christ Mat. 6.25 Be not carefull for your life what you shall eate nor what you shal drinke nor for your body what rayment yee shall put on Is not the life more worth then meate and the body then rayment Which of you by taking care is
but in this with their wills In other things the deceiued doe of themselues soone espie the cosenage and seeke to helpe themselues but in this many are deceiued continually and yet cannot discerne it yea if another tell them of it yet will they not beleeue it In other fraudes the deceiuers are most in fault but here the deceiued are in greatest fault for riches deceiue you not through their owne craft 〈◊〉 through your corruption not through their frauduleÌ„t perswasions but throgh your fond affections not through their bad practises but through your madde behauiour Riches are no causes but occasions of the deceit Men take occasion by them vse them as meanes to deceiue themselues Rom. 7.11 As Paul sayd of Sinne and the Law Sinne tooke occasion by the Commaundement and deceiued me and thereby slew me So may we say of mans corruption and riches His corruption taketh occasion by riches to deceiue himselfe and therby to destroy himselfe He is deceiued by the supposed pleasantnesse of riches as Eue was deceiued by the pleasantnes of the Apple And as Eue was more to be blamed then the Apple so is the rich man more to be blamed then his riches Quest If riches doe so dangerously deceiue men how may we vse riches that they may not deceiue vs nor like thornes hinder the fruit of the word Answ You neede not to cast them away as Crates the Thebane and some other Philosophers did They are the good blessinges of God and may be well vsed for Gods glory and mans good Obserue these 5. Rules and they shall not deceiue you nor choake the word in your hearts 1. Set not your affections on them desire them not too earnestly loue them not too dearely according to the instruction of the Kingly Prophet If riches increase Psal 62.10 set not your hearts thereon but rather as the Apostle exhorteth They which vse this world 1. Cor. 7.31 let them be as though they vsed it not It is your inordinate affection toward them that makes them to deceiue you and hinder you in the obedience of the word The more you loue them the lesse will you loue the word the lesse desire wil you haue to heare and learne it and the lesse care to obey it If your hearts be set on wealth it will so deceiue you that no sinne can be gainefull but you will be ready to practise it and no dutie bring any damage but yâ—â— shall neglect it Is not the desire of money the roote of all euill 1. Tim. 6.10 What makes some to lye in their bargayning some to sweare vainely falsly some to vse fraude and cousonage some to oppresse and wrong others but an immoderate desire of riches This is the very spawne of all sinne in vniust dealing therefore learne to moderate it Doth not Christ say Mat. 10.37 that he who loueth father or mother sonne or daughter wife or children or his owne life Luk. 14.26 more then me is vnworthy of me hee cannot be my Disciple And is he worthy of him or can be his Disciple who loueth lands liuing wealth and riches better then him Doth not hee say Ioh. 14.23 If any man loue me hee will keepe my word Those then that transgresse his word for their owne aduantage and sinne against him to get to keepe or to encrease their riches doe they not loue their riches better then him 2. Be content to employ your riches as the word directeth you Luk. 16.2 You are but Stewards of your riches the Lord is the owner and wil one day call you to giue an account for your Stewardship you must not therefore vse them as you list but as he will how he would haue you to vse them he teacheth you by his word Wherefore make the word your Counsellour in all your dealings Doe not get your wealth by any other meanes then the word alloweth doe not keepe it any longer then the word permitteth and doe not otherwise bestow it or spend it then the word approueth Then cannot your riches hinder but will rather further your obedience the vse of them will be a practise of the word 3. Account the word of God and the graces and blessings conueyed vnto thee thereby greater riches and more precious Jewels then all the wealth of the world Know that godlinesse as the Apostle teacheth is great gaine 1. Tim. 6.6 Be of Pauls minde who thought all things but losse Phil. 3.9 for the excelleÌ„t knowledge sake of Christ Iesus our Lord for whom hee counted all things losse and did iudge them to be dung that hee might winne Christ As the soule is more excellent then the body and as heauen is more excellent then the earth so those thinges which belong to the soule and come from heauen are more excellent then those things which belong to the body and come from the earth If thou doe so esteeme of them thou wilt not suffer the wealth of the world to hinder thee of them If thou canst not enioy both together thou wilt rather forgoe wealth then the word The want of this due estimation causeth riches to be an hinderance to many They thinke too highly of worldly wealth but too basely of Gods word and his graces and therefore had rather get and keepe ther wealth then obey the word and increase in grace 4. Pray earnestly vnto God that he would giue thee grace to vse riches aright euen for the glory of his Name for the good of thine owne soule and for the benefit of others Say vnto the Lord with Dauid Psal 119.36 Encline my heart to thy testimonies and not to couetousnesse for thy heart cannot be enclined to both together Pray thus before thou come to hear pray thus after thou hast heard And in all thy dealings of the world pray to God to plucke these thornes out of thy heart lest they hinder thee in the obedience of his word The more thou prayest thus the lesse shall the deceitfulnes of riches hinder thee 5. Though thou abound in wealth yet be not proud but be as lowly and humble as if thou liued in want for GOD resisteth the proude 1. Pet. â— 5 and giueth grace to the humble 1. Tim. 6.17 Paul would not haue commaunded Timothie to charge rich men that they be not high minded vnlesse there were some danger that way They are in danger of being proud and when they are proud they are in danger of disobedience for proude men will despise the word and will thinke scorne to be taught their dutie and to be reproued for their faults by a poore Minister and will no further obey the word then they thinke it may stand with their credit and honour Know that God is no respecter of persons the poore may be as acceptable to him as the rich he more respecteth mans disposition and behauiour then his outward estate If thou be poore be not dismayed if rich be
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 Quid resert si hoc vel illo modo pâ—reas Aâ—â—â—la â—â—â—ocunâ— modo perenuâ—â—â—â— semâ—nâ—â— parâ—â—er 〈…〉 13. â—omil 45. they hope all is well with them The couetous worldling condemnes the voluptuous epicure And the voluptuous epicure condemnes the grâ—edie 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 dâ—â— 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 amoÌ„g 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 covetousnes 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 caâ—nall 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 perâ—â—â—â—ed in such an holy manner as he recâ—uireth Though they seeme to begin well yet their inward lusts doe â—o â—inder them that they cannot bring their actions to a due perfection but waxe wearie of doing well And either â—uite cease from their enterprises begun or elsâ— 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 â—â—â—dience whose hearts are still prossessed with the care of the world and the pâ—â—â—sâ—res of this lifâ— They may perfâ—â—me many good duties yet faile in sâ—â—e maiâ—e duâ—â—e And yet those which they performe cannot â—lease the Lord we haue prâ—gâ—â—â—â—â—xâ—mples hereof in the scriptures Nâ—aâ—â—an the Syrian being cured of 〈◊〉 leapâ—osie by the Prophet Elisha â—â—â—â—ed vnto him to worship none other God but the God of Israel yet desired he to be tollerated in one point that when he went with his Maister into the house of Rinâ—mon and when his Maister leaned on his hand 2. King 5.10 and he did bowe as his Maister and others did the Lord would be mercifull vnto him therein Though he mâ—slâ—ked that idolatry in his heart yet because he could not enioy his gainefull place and office vnder his Maâ—ster vnles â—n that point he dissembled he for his gaine would in outward behauiour ioyne with others in that idolatrous worship he would be a Proselyte so farre as it might stand with his worldly commoditie but no further And the reason was because worldly lustes were not then mortified in his heart Iudas had diuers commendable things in him other wise Christ would neuer haue chosen him to be one of the twelue he heard his sermons liued a long time ciuilly and preached the Gospell to others yet because couetousnes did still raigne in his heart for money he betrayed his Maister That rich yong man which came to Christ to knowe the way to eternall life had so kept the commandements for outward aâ—tes Mar. 10.21 as Christ loued him yet because his corrupt affections were onely kept vnder and not killed he left Christ and had rather breake his commandement then leaue his owne wealth Herod as you heard did many things which Iohn Baptist taught yet because the word was not powerfull in his heart to mortifie his sinfull lustes he would not breake off his incest nor put away his brothers wife If you suffer the like affections to abide in your hearts your obedience will be no better You see by experience that corne growing among thornes is neither so much nor so good as that which groweth in other ground And that it might haue bene more and also better in the same ground if the thorâ—es before the sowing had bene ridde vp Doe not then imagine that your obedience can either be plentifull or acceptable so long as these inordinate affections be harboured in your hearts Knowe this that though other affections be suppressed yet so long as these beare sway in you so long as they doe hinder you in good and prouoke you vnto euill you are not mortified by the spirit of sanctification for mortification is a change and reformation not of part onely but of the whole nature of man yea of all the faculties of the soule and of all the affections of the heart Ioh. 13.10 he that is washed saith Christ is cleane euery whit And will God accept of any fruites that come from an heart not sanctified Wherefore purge your hearts from these lustes And be willing to yeeld obedience as well to those commandements which seeme hard and vnpleasant vnto you as vnto those that be more easie and delightfull For this is not thanksworthy to obey those commandements which doe nothing crosse your worldly profits and carnall pleasures but herein is your dutifulnes especially seene if you be content to forgoe your profit and abridge your selues of your pleasures that so you may keepe the commandements of the Lord. Moreouer if those which bring forth such fruites as those be condemned what shal we say of them that the worse then these that bring forth very little or no fruit at all which heare much and practise almost nothing who receiue Gods seede into their hearts but bring forth the diuells fruits in their liues We haue many such hearers as the Prophet Ezekâ—â—l had the people came vnto him Ezeck 33.31 and sate before him and heat this words yet world not do them but with their mouthes made iâ—stes and their
no further then thy eares or head it is easily taken from thee but if it descend to the bottome of thy heart it may there be safelie kept It is an heauenly treasure And therefore thou must imitate that man who finding a treasure in the field Math. 13.44 did hide it and for ioy thereof went and sold all that he had to buy that field Though men will suffer their baser stuffe and wodden vessell to be more common and lye more open and remaine in greater danger yet their best and most costly stuffe their iewells and coyne they will lay vp in the safest places So seeing the word of God is most precious of great value and worth lay it vp safely in the bottome of the heart Vse And if this be a property of good hearers to heare the word with their hearts then those who bring their bodies to the Church and leaue their hearts at home who draw neere to God with their lippes and with their eares when their hearts are farre from him cannot be good hearers If thou wouldest be of that number prepare thy heart before hand and while thou hearest let not thy heart be thinking on any by-matters but onely attend to that heare with thy heart as well as with thy eares and then shalt thou be blessed by thy hearing 2. Againe note hence more specially the qualitie and disposition of their hearts who heare profitably they heare with an honâ—st and good heart It is not any kind of heart that will make your hearing profitable it must be an honest and good heart Though thou shouldest heare with thy heart as well as with thy eares yet vnles it be a good heart it will little auaile thee For in the goodnes of the heart consâ—steth a maine difference betwixt these hearers and some of the former Those which be compared to stony ground did heare with their harts For they are saide not onely to heare but also to receiue the word with ioy Yet were they not good and honest hearts They were hard and stony and would not suffer the worde to take rooting deepe enough And those that be resembled to Thornie ground did heare with their hearts yet were their hearts not good They were full of worldly cares and carnall delights which afterward choaked the word But these receiued it with good and honest hearts Kale kaâ— agathe and therefore did both retaine it and obey it In describing of the qualitie of this their hart Christ here vseth two words which be of a neere yet not of the same signification There is some difference â—etwixt them the one properly signifieth faire beautifull seemly and comely the other signifieth good and excellent The one noteth the outward apparent qualitie the other expresseth the inward nature and inherent propertie of the thing Beza aâ—or maâ—â—â— in 〈◊〉 locâ—â— And so hereby is signified that the heart of these hearers is good each way both outwardly before men manifesting it self to be good by open profession by aboundance of fruites and by constant perseuerance And also inwardly in it selfe and before God by a sincere sanctification and holie disposition And so their heart differeth from the heartes of the former hearers For though they in receyuing the Worde with ioy in belieuing it and bringing forth some fruites of it did make some faire showe and gaue some outward signe of a good hearâ— yet their heart was not effectually sanctified within and they made those faire showes but for a time Afterward they reuolting in time of Tentation or failing in their fruites thorough worldly cares and voluptuousnes bewrayed the filthinesse of theyr hearts Those then that would bee good hearers must haue good hearts both waies Both inwardly in their owne nature and inclination as also outwardly before men by the fruites and testimonies As is the heart so will the hearing be Good meâ—te will not nourish that mans bodie who hath a bad stomacke that cannot well digest it before it be sent to other partes but eyther leaues it â—â—we or turnes it to grosse humors No more can sound Doctrine profite that man that hath a corrupt and wicked heart Obiection 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 Answere 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 Acts 2.37.41.42 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 Act. 16.14 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 1. Cor. 14.24.25 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 Augustin epist 118. c. 3. Retract 2.20 Some write that Manna tasted according to the disposition of the eaters to the good it had a sweete and pleasant taste euen such a taste as they desired Roffens lib. 1. c. 12. but to the bad a bitter and loathsome taste Though this be vncertaine Augustine once wrote it for certaintie Heskins parlâ—â—iâ—it 3.12 but afterward doubted of it because he could finde 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
speake of wisedome Psal 37.30.31 and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the lawe of his God is in his heart and his steps shall not slide If you will carefully and safely keepe the word in your hearts you shall shew forth the fruit of it in your liues 2. It serueth for perseuerance It will make a man constantly to continue in grace in obedience in the Lords fauour and in state of saluation It is certaine that so long as men keepe the word in their harts they cannot wholy fall away from God Now those that heare with good and honest hearts shall alwaies safely keepe it neither can the diuells tentations nor the worlds persecution rob them of it neither can their owne corrupt affections being mortified expell it out of their hearts Though other hearers may loose the word by those meanes yet not any of these which haue these honest good harts And therefore as they are now in grace in state of saluatioÌ„ so shall they continue therein for euer Whereupon Iohn sayth 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neyther can he sinne because he is borne of God He cannot sinne totally and finally so as he should thereby quite cut off himselfe from grace and from saluation Wherefore this propertie of these hearers confuteth their opinion who hold that a man once in state of grace may vtterly fall away and become a reprobate If any will obiect that so long as they keepe the word in their hearts they cannot fall away but they may loose the word it may bee taken out of their hearts and then they may perish I answere That in this their argument they begge the question for neyther can any other take the worde from them neyther shall they lose it of themselues For this perpetuall keeping of the word is a speciall propertie in these good hearers whereby they differ from all other hearers As their heartes are farre better then the rest so shall they better keepe the word then any of the rest Those bad hearers which had their hearts mollified but in part or had their hearts fraught with worldly cares and voluptuousnes may receiue and keepe the worde for a time and loose it afterward as you heard before but these who haue honest and good hearts shall keepe it and bring forth fruit This is a maine difference betwixt them that the rest keepe it for a time these keepe it for euer If these hearers might afterward loose it as well as the rest and bring forth no fruites of it then were there no difference betwixt them and the former But certainely there is great difference And therefore those who receiue it and keepe it not long receiue it with bad hearts Those who receiue it with good and honest hearts shall keepe it vnto the end In this respect Christ compared him that heard his words Mat. 7.24.25 and did the same to a wise man which built his house on a rocke the raine fell the floodes came and the windes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell not for it was founded on a rocke So firmely is this hearer built on Christ that sure immoueable Rocke that no troubles tryals persecutions or tentationes can ouerthrow him In the same respect Christ sayd Ioh. 15.2 Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me my Father taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite hee puâ—geth it that it may bring forth more fruit To signifie that none are cut off but barren branches those that be fruitfull shall neuer be cut off but be made more fit to beare more fruit If it be further obiected that so long as their hearts are honest good they shall keepe the word bring forth the fruits thereof but their hearts may be corrupted and lose that goodnes and then they shall lose the word I also answere that if their hearts be once made such good honest hearts as be here spoken of they shall neuer be wholy finally corrupted they shall keepe their goodnes to the end Rom. 11.29 For as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance He who first made them good wil continue them in goodnes He will confirme theÌ„ vnto the end that they may be blameles in the day of the lord 1. Cor. 1. Hath he not promised to make an euerlasting couenaÌ„t with his people and neuer to turne away from them to doe them good and to put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him Delâ—ono perâ—â—â—â—â—aâ—t lib. 2 cap. 7 For this purpose did Augustinâ— alleadge that and other places And further saith Sâ—ut operatur vt accedâ—â—â—â—s siâ— operatur 〈◊〉 discedamus As he worketh Quâ—fecâ—t bonos facier perseuerare in bonoâ— de perseuerant sanâ—t c. 12. that we may come to him so doth he worke that wee may not depart from him I confesse the grace and goodnes of the heart may lie for a time as fire vnder ashes yet is it neuer vtterlie extinguished A man in a traunce seemeth deaâ— for a time yet doth hereuâ—â—o because his soule is in him So shall these within while recouer because gracest 〈◊〉 â—â—aâ—eth in them Vse Hence ther â—â—st we learne to keep the word that so wee may enioy these benefites and bâ—â—eputed good hearers The Apostle exhorteth vs to let the word dwell in vs plenteously Col. 3.16 teaching and admonishing vs. It must not lodge in vs as a stranger doeth for a night in his â—nâ—â— but haue continuall residence and abode as a man hath in his dwelling house The voyce of it must not be like the stroke of a Musician which onely affecteth a man while he heareth the sound but rather like the receipt of a Physition which worketh in the body a long time after it is taken It may be while you heare some doctrines you knowe no present vse of them yet keepe them in your hearts for the time to come Isai 42.23 Heare for afterwards as the Lord speaketh by his Prophet As Ioseph in yeeres of plenty layd vp store for yeeres of famine And as the Ant in summer gathereth prouision for winter So must we at one time learne instructions which may stand vs instead at another time In time of peace we must furnish and prepare our selues for warre in health for sicknes in prosperitie for aduersitie in life for death The Lord will not admit vs to be of his priuy Counsell to acquaint vs before hand how hee will vse vs and what he will bring vpon vs wee must therefore so keepe the word as we may be prepared for all occasions and know how to behaue our selues in all estates We must be lâ—â—e the wise Virgins who kept Oyle iâ— their Lamps for al seasâ—â—s A carefull Householder will not cast away an implement because he hath no present vse of it but will keepe it for 7. yeres
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 approue and reward He that is a seruant and in his seruice is put to many base workes yet if he performe the common duties of all Christians and likewise performe the workes of his calling in such a manner as the word teacheth him the worke of his seruice are good fruits And therefore Paul bad seruants be obedient to their Maisters in singlenes of heart Ephes 6.5 as vnto Christ not with eye seruice as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart As if by seruing their Maisters in a good sort they did serue Christ yea he lets them vnderstaÌ„d that God would reward that their seruice for whatsoeuer good thing any man doth that shall he receiue of the Lord Vers 8.2 Cor. 8.12 whether he be bond or free And elsewhere the Apostle teacheth that if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not This bringeth forth of fruite is amplified 2. waies 1. by that maner 2. by the measure of it First by that maner of it for they are said to bring forth fruit with patience And herein may also be seen a differeÌ„ce betwixt these and one sort of the other hearers Those that be coÌ„pared to stony grouÌ„d in time of tentation fal away so fayle both in professioÌ„ 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 Hâ—â—â— 1â— 36 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 bloodâ—â— daies of cruell persecution to doe the will of God and so to receiue the promises And through want of patience they should faile â—n the deede and not obtaine the promise And for this cause he exhorteth vs to runne with patience the race that is set before vs. Heb. 12.1 As if none could hold out to the end 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 admired As when it was said Reuel 13.10 Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints because by patience in bearing the crosse and by faith in beleeuing to receiue the crowne they were made constant Thus will patience arme a man against all crosses so that by it he shall be made able manifestly to encounter with them and safely to passe through them and not be hindered by any of them in the obedience of the word How soeuer in others crosses and tribulations doe breede fainting and relapse yet in these hearers Rom. 5.3 â— tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed What is the cause that one hearer to preuent foâ—â—e inconuenience which he feareth or to remoue some trouble that he 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 stop 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 wee should loue religion so dearely as we must be content to suffer persecution for the profession and practise of it and rather lay down our liues for the maintenance of it then faile in the obedience of it The same minde ought to be in vs which was in the blessed Apostle Paul who knowing that bands and afflictioâ—s did abide in euery place yet passed not for them Act. 20.24 neither was his life deare vnto himselfe so that hee might fulfill his course with ioy Act. 21.13 And when he was told by Agabus the Prophet that he must be bound in Ierusalem did openly protest that he was readie not onely to be bound but also to die there for the name of the Lord Iesus Yet consider that you cannot endure the least of those things vnles you be endued with patience you know not what may befall you hereafter and therefore pray vnto God that he will grant you patience to beare that which shall come In time of publike peace and when the Gospell is defended by the authoritie of Magistrates men may endure some secret and priuate persecutiâ—â— by inferiour persons Especially in theâ—e popish parts where some hold of Christ some of Antichrist where papists grow headstrong through impunâ—tâ—e And where many are Protestants in shew but Papists in truth If they cannot persecute you by the sword they will persecute you by the tongue If not by fire and fagot as they were wont yet by priuate wrongs and spitefull displeasures Gen. 21.9 Yea the Church is no better now Gal. 4.29 then was Abrahams house in which the sonne of the bond woman by scoffes and mockes did persecute the sonne of the free woman Genes 4. Did not Caine and Abell sacrifice together yet Caine enioyed Abell because his sacrifice was better accepted and afterward flew him for it 2. Cor. 11. â—6 Was not Paul often in perills among false brethren And did you not heare out of Bernard how the Church complained that in her peace Pâ—xapagâ—â—â— pax 〈…〉 non 〈…〉 33. she had greatest bitternes Of a peaceable time he said Et pax est non est pax there is peace and there is not peace peace from Pagons peace from Heretikes yet not peace indeed from the sonnes Many friends were foes indeed We must therefore in all times looke to receiue some affliction for the
beleeueth shall not be confounded because they doe not put their hope in him Now who that hath any vnderstanding in Religion will say that the faith which is able to saue a mans soule and the faith which is not able to saue a mans soule are both one in kind in nature and substance And that those who are tormented in hell can truely say that while they were on earth they had the very same faith which brought the Saintes to the Kingdome of heauen By that which hath bene spoken touching this point you may vnderstand what a kinde of faith is taught by the greatest Doctors in the Romish church what is the best faith which they require of the people euen an hystoricall faith to giue assent to the truth of things reuealed Which faith as hath bene prooued may be in wicked men in Reprobates in men out of the state of grace in men that shall goe to hell Yea such a faith as is found in the very diuels of Hell What saluation can be obtained in that Church whose preachers teach no better faith Who would be ledde by such guydes I knowe that they would make a difference betwixt the faith of their right Catholickes and the faith of diuels because the one hath Charitie alwayes accompanying it the other wanteth Charity But they might consider that according to their doctrine this maketh no essentiall but a meere accidentall difference Seeing they teach that the same assent to the truth of things reuealed is in some with charitie and in others without charitie in cuideÌ„tly appeareth that according to their doctrine Charitie is not a proper immediate necessary and essentiall propertie of it but meerely accidentall Indeed wee hold that Charitie is a proper necessary effect of a iustifying faith so as faith is no sooner wrought in the heart of any but forthwith hee is endued with loue (45) Vel quòd vna esset de ratione altâ—â—s vâ—l quod vna necessariò nasceretur ab altera c. Licet chaâ—tas oriatur ex fide tameÌ„ non oritur vt propria passio quae necessariò fluâ—t a subiecto sed vt virtus adquam alia disponit inclinat De Iustif lib. 1. cap. 15. Sect quintum argum He cannot but loue him in whom he belieueth and of whose loue and fauour he is perswaded And therefore charitie though it do not make yet it may declare the essentiall difference and the nature of this faith But seeing it is no such necessary effect of their assenting faith it can neyther make nor declare any essentiall difference of it And therefore he who wanteth charitie may haue the same faith in substance that hee hath who is endued with Charitie Bellarmine going about to proue that true faith meaning theyr assenting faith may bee separated from loue draweth one Argument from the proper reason nature of them both If they cannot be seuered saith he 46 It is eyther because the one is of the reason or being of the other or that the one doth necessarily arise from the other Not the first because Faith charitie are not one vertue but two And besides that haue diuers subiectes actes and obiectes For faith is in the vnderstanstanding Charitie in the will Faith belieueth charitie loueth Faith respecteth the first trueth Charitie the chiefe good Not the second because although charity arise of faith yet it doth not arise as a proper passion which doth necessarily flowe from the subiect but as a vertue vnto which an other doth dispose and encline And Thomas Aquinas saith Seeing (47) Cum charitas fit extra essentiam fides per eues aduentum vel recessum non mutatur substart ea eius In Ron. 1 â—ect 6. Charitie is without the essence of faith by the comming or departure of it the substance of faith is not changed And although Bellarmine holde with the school-men that Charitie is the forme of faith yet he (48) Formam esse extrinsecam no intrinsecaÌ„ que det illâ— won vt sit sed vt moueatur De Iustif lib. 2. cap. 4. tteacheth that it is an outward not an inward forme And such a forme as doth not giue beeing vnto it but motion Howe then can it make it make any essentiall differeÌ„ce betwixt that faith which hath it and that faith which wanteth it I know that the Fathers do sometime note loue as a difference betwixt the faith of Christians and diuels and betwixt the faith of good Christians and bad Yet do they not make it the onely difference betwixt them they teach an essentiall diffeteÌ„ce by belieuing in God with trust and confidence Againe they might better make it a difference of theyr faith then the Papists can make it a difference of the faith which they teach because it was a necessary and proper effect proceeding from that their faith not from any other For those that do so belieue in God with hope and confidence of his mercie and goodnes towards them cannot but loue him But papists haue no such confidence nor assuraÌ„ce in their faith which should make them to loue God they may haue all theyr faith without loue And therefore loue cannot distinguish it essentially from the faith of diuels So then to shut vp this point it still remaineth apparent that in the nature and substance there is no difference at all betwixt popish assenting faith and the faith of diuels And surely those that now content themselues with such a faith as is no better in substance then the faith of diuels may iustly feare least hereafter they shall haue no better estate in substance then the deuils haue SECT XII THe last kinde of faith which I mentioned I called a Temporary faith which differeth from a dead faith because while it lasteth it bringeth forth outward fruites And yet is not the same with a iustfying faith because it commeth short of it by many degrees doth not saue any and continueth not vnto the end This faith is scarce knowne to the papists very fewe of their writers make any mention of it Yet lest any should thinke that it is a new coyned tearme and a newly inuented faith I will shew what authors write of it Augustine long agoe (1) Quae sit stabilis fides siuchistorica temporalis siue spiritualis aeterna De verarelig cap. 50. vsed the name and tytle together with the name of Historicall faith as before I declared Bernard (2) Mittunt nos ad quandam fidei trifariam diutsionem vt dicatur sides mortua sicta probata c. Fictam aute ego arbitvor illam vocari fidem quae suscepta quidâ—m excharitate vita moueri inchoat ad bene operandum sedâ—n perseâ—â—â—ns defiâ—it moritur tanquam abortiua Eo vtique 〈◊〉 sictam dixerim nominatam quo vasasiâ—ulâ— vocamus fiâ—â—tâ—â—â— ron quia vâ—delâ—cet vtilia non sint quamdâ—â—â—â—rant scu quâ—a fraâ—â—lia cum sint diu minime durant De hac siâ—â—â—
certainely be saued (1) Fidâ—s quae per dilection moperatur neminâ—m perâ—re permittet D fide opâ—riâ— c. 16. The Faith which worketh by loue suffereth no man to perish said he So in another place when he (2) Omnes qui siâ— credâ—nt tanquam lâ—pides sunt viâ—i de quibus templumd â—â—â— difi atum â—st tanquam ligna imputribilia quibus arca illa compacta est quae in diluuio mergâ—non potuâ—t In Psa 130. inâ—â—o exhorted men to a true and right faith so to beleeue in Christ as that they loued him Not to beleeue in him as the Diuels did who though they beleeued yet did not loue Christ and therefore saide to him What haue wee to doe with thee thou Sonne of God But so to beleeue him as wee loue him and say not What haue wee to doe with thee but rather say Wee belong to thee thou hast redeemed vs. He therevpon inferreth that all they which thus beleue are as liuely stones of which the Temple of God is built and as those neuer putrifying plancks and timber of which the arke was made that could not bee drowned in the Flood If they that thus beleeue cannot perish then their faith cannot be lost for they are kept and saued by faith If any wiâ—â— answere that if they â—eepe their faith they shall not perish but they may lose their faith and so perish Let them heare the same Father in plain tearms denying that For speaking of the praedestinate (3) Horum sâ—es out omâ—â—o non deficit â—ut siqui sunt quorum deficit reparatur antequâ—â—n vâ—â—a ista finiatur del ta quae â—â—ter currerat inâ—quitate aâ—â—â— in finâ—m persâ—uerâ—ntâ—â—d putatâ—â— August de correct grat cap. â— he faith These mens faith which woâ—â—eth by loue eyther doth not fayle at all or if there be some of them whose faith fayleth it is repayred before this lâ—fe bee ended and the iniquitie which came betwixt being blotted out they are reputed to haue perseuerance vnto the end And further teacheth that they whose faith finally faileth were neuer of the number of the elect nor of the number of Christs Disciples Yet more plainely afterward (4) Pro his igâ—tur interpâ—llante Christoâ—ne defâ—â—at fides eâ—râ—â—â— sine dubio non dâ—sâ—aâ—â—ct vsâ—â— insineâ—n ac per hoâ— persâ—â—â—n abâ—t vsque ad 〈◊〉 nee câ—â—n â—sa pâ—râ—â—anâ—ntem â—â—tae hâ—ius intâ—â—â—t siâ—â— De corâ—â—pâ— gratcap 12. Christ therefore praying for these that their faith might not faile without doubt it shall not fayle vnto the end and therefore it shall continue vnto the end neyther shall the end of this life finde it otherwise then continuing This hee speaketh of them who were called according to Gods purpose as the words immediately going before doe â—est fie In whom as there hee saith the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And in this respect hee there preferreth the state of the praedestinate aboue the estate of Adam in Paradise And sheweth that this gift of perseueranâ—e is more needfull for the praedestinate now because they are assaulted with so many and so great Tentations And at last (5) 〈◊〉 homo Dâ—â— non olâ—â—â—z â—mierecâ—r â—â—â—m conâ—ecutuâ—â— est 〈◊〉 sodel a esset verâ—â—◠〈…〉 concludeth the faithfull man not onely because he hath obteynâ—d mercy that he may be faithfull but also because his sâ—â—th i◠〈…〉 not When he glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. Beda rehearseth (6) Sine panâ—â—nâ—â— sunt Dona vocâ—tâ—o Detâ—d est â—sinâ— mutâ—ione stabilitur fixâ— sâ—â—t in Rom. 11.29 the words of Augustine touching the efficacie of Christs prayer in keeping the faith of them who be called according to Gods purpose from fayling recâ—oneth faith as one of those gifts of God that are without repentance and saith they are without repentance because they are stedfaâ—tly fastened without changing And those who beleeue are taught of God and none of them shall perish because Christ looseâ—h none of these whome the father hath giuen him Gregory the great did very fitly distinguish of Gods gifts (7) 〈◊〉 Alia sâ—nâ— dona â—lliâ—◠〈◊〉 quibus â—dâ—â—tamâ—â—â—â—â—aquâ—m pertingitâ—â—â— Alta quâ—bus â—â—te san â—â—â—pro 〈…〉 â—tiluâ—â—te â—â—larâ—utâ—r mansuct â—â—o nâ—mque â—unâ—â—â—tas pâ—tâ—â—tia sidâ—s sâ—es charitas dona cuis sunt sine quabus ad vitam hoâ—mnâ—s â—eruenire ne â—uaquam possunt c. In hâ—s 〈…〉 sine quibus ad vitam pâ—ruâ—nire non poâ—â—â—nt spiritâ—es sanct is in 〈…〉 â—â—ue electis omnibus sâ—mpermanet c. Moral lib. 2. cap. 42. and she â—eâ—l the difference betwixt them in regard of continuance There be some gifts of his without which a man cannot attaine to life There be others by which holines of life is declared for the profit of others for meekenes humilitie patience faith hope charitie are his gifts but those without which men can neuer come to life but prophecie the gift of healing diuersitie of tongnes iâ—terpretation of speech are his gifts yet such as shew the presence of his power for the correction of the beholders In those giftes therefore without which men cannot come to life the holy Ghost doth alwayes abide in his preachers or in all the elect But by the other he doth not alwayes abide To the same effect hee likewise speaketh else-where (8) Insâ—nctâ—â—â—m cordâ—bus â—uxta qua dam vâ—â—tutes empeâ— pâ—râ—nâ—nâ—â— c. In fidâ— spe chaâ—â—tate alysâ— donâ—s sine quiâ—â—us aâ—l câ—lâ—stâ—m pâ—triam non potâ—st vâ—rire pâ—rfesâ—ocum cordanâ—â—â—esâ—â—t Suâ—er Ezechâ—â—â— homil 5. saying The holy Ghost according to certain vertues doth alwayes abide in the harts of the Saintes But according to other hee doth come and goe away goe away and come againe For by Faith Hope and Charitie and other graces without which a man cannot come to Heaueâ— he neuer forsaketâ— the hearts of the perfect Bernard (9) 〈◊〉 Domâ—nâ— serm 10. propounded a question How any of those who are vnited to Christ by faith can be cut off from him as vnfruitfull branches are cut off from the Vine Seeing he that is coupled with Christ is one spirite with him And answered it by distinguishing of faith that there is a dead faith a fained faith a perueâ—se faith and a right faith And therevpon inferred that hee whoÌ„ had any of the three former might be cut off but he who had the last could not be cut off from that Vine Hee shall abide in Christ and beare fruite and the Father will purge him that hee may beare more fruite Most of the learned Papists seeme to come neere vnto vs in this point Though (10) Saepius peâ—cando saepius recidivando co tandem perventunt vt fidem ipsam amittant c. Promptuar dâ—â—â—â—â— 4. post epâ—pâ— â— Stapleton teach that faith cannot be lost by euery mortall sinne but by sinning often and falling often into the same sinnes it may be lost As the rootes of a Tree will not