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 Rimmon and when his Maister leaned on his hand and he did bowe as his Maister and others did the Lord would be mercifull vnto him therein Though he misliked that idolatry in his heart yet because he could not enioy his gainefull place and office vnder his Maister vnles in 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 otherwise 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 actes 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 thornes 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 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 these be condemned what shal we say of them that be 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 Ezekiel had the people came vnto him and sate before him and heard his words yet would not do them but with their mouthes made iestes and their hearts went after their couetousnes Let such knowe that not the hearers but the doers of the lawe are iustified And that they who be hearers onely and not doers of the word deceiue their owne soules To shew their folly and their daunger Christ compared them to a foolish man which built his house vpon the sand The raine fell the floods came and the windes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell and the fall thereof was great Iames likeneth them to a man that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse and when he hath considered himselfe goeth his way and forgetteth immediatly what maner of one he was They doe not onely lose their labour and reward but likewise prouoke the LORD to wrath and procure fearefull iudgements against themselues Their punishment shall be more grieuous then if they had neuer heard Christ shall say to them which heard him preach in their Cities and would not obey him Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not And hee sayd of the Iewes to whom he preached If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne The Ministers which haue preached vnto them shall one day be witnesses against them and their Sermons shall be so many billes of inditement against them As it is an haynous thing in the Ministers to say and not doe so is it also an haynous thing in the people to heare and not do yet are many of our people faultie this way There is no sinne forbidden but they may often heare it condemned by the word As the filthy sinnes of Whordome the beastlie crime of Drunkennesse the prophane sinne of Swearing the impious sinnes of polluting the Lords Sabboth the vncharitable sins of Iniustice fraude and oppression the malitious sinnes of rayling backbyting and slaundering and yet the people will not forsake them But like the presumptuous Iewes they steale murther commit adulterie sweare falslie and practise other sinnes and yet will come and stand before the Lord in the house where his Name is called vpon There be no duties of the first or second Table which they owe to God or man but they are often taught them and yet they doe as carelesly omit them as if they neuer heard them They content themselues with bare and idle hearing as if that were all which God requires as if that were sufficient to saue their soules Oh remember you what Christ sayth If yee know these things blessed are yee if you doe them Though you heare them neuer so often though you know them neuer so well yet are you not blessed except you doe them Would it not greatly discontent you to send your seruants each yeere to sow your fieldes with the best seede and yet after many yeres sowing to reape no croppe but to lose both labour and cost And doe you thinke that the Lord will bee well pleased to send his Ministers from yeere to yeere to sow the good seede of his holy word among you and yet after many yeeres labour to reape no fruit at all The Apostle teacheth that the land which drinketh in the rayne and bringeth forth fruit for them by whom it is dressed conceiueth blessing from God but that which beareth thornes and bryars is reproued and is neere
digest it before it be sent to other partes but eyther leaues it rawe or turnes it to grosse humors No more can sound Doctrine profite that man that hath a corrupt and wicked heart If this be so that no man that hath a bad heart should come to heare and if he doe come he shall loose his labour and neuer be made better by hearing But wee knowe the contrarie manie haue beene amended by hearing yea theyr bad haue bene made good This must be vnderstoode of the whole acte of hearing Not onely of the time before they come to heare but also of the whole Time while they are in hearing Those men which had badde hearts before they came to heare and still haue badde heartes all the time of their hearing and goe away with as badde hearts as they brought with them shall neuer reape profite by theyr hearing But if theyr heattes were badde before yet are changed and sanctified by their hearing they are profitable and fruitfull hearers The hearts of those three thousand which were conuerted by one of Peters sermons were not good till they heard him preach but then were their harts pricked and made good And at that instant they became fruitfull hearers For they receyued the worde gladly were baptized added to the church and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers The heart of Lydia was not good before shee heard Paul but God then opened her hart by opening it made it good and it being made good caused her to attend to his doctrine and to bring forth the fruites of it by kind entertaining of her teachers That vnbelieuer and vnlearned man which as the Apostle writeth came in when all did prophecie brought a bad heart with him For he was rebuked of all and iudged of all and the secrets of his heart made manifest yet was his hart made good in the very time of hearing and therefore did he fall downe on his face and worship God and said plainely that God is in you indeed Wherefore knowe this that so long as thy heart is bad thy hearing cannot be good but so soone as thy heart is changed thy hearing shall be profitable Some write that Manna tasted according to the disposition of the caters to the good it had a sweete and pleasant taste euen such a taste as they desired but to the bad a bitter and loathsome taste Though this be vncertaine Augustine once wrote it for certaintie but afterward doubted of it because he could find no warrant for it but onely in Apocrypha yet the like may be seene in the word of God our heauenly Manna It tasteth it nourisheth and profiteth the hearers according to the seuerall dispositions of their hearts To them which haue good hearts it is sweet comfortable and profitable to them which haue corrupt hearts it is loathsome terrible and vnprofitable This should teach euery one of vs to looke to our hearts and see that they be good that so we may be fruitfull hearers husbandmen haue great care to make their ground good and fertile before they sowe it If it be barren they will marke it they will set mucke and dung on it to make it more fruitfull As carefull should thou be to make thy heart good seeing it is the soyle in which the Lords heauenly seede must be sowne If it be not good alreadie vse all good meanes to make it good pray earnestly vnto God that he would sanctifie it by his holy spirit And if it be good labour to make it better the better it is the more fruitfull shall thy hearing be And for this purpose heare the word oftner for it will make thy heart better The longer that the ground of your fields is tilled and sowne the more bare and barren it will be But it is not so with the ground of your hearts the oftner and the longer they are sowne with the seede of Gods word the more fruitfull will they be Such is the nature of this heauenly seede that it will not make the ground more barren but more fertile by often sowing As the seede is good that is sowne in your hearts so let the soyle be made answerable vnto it and then you neede not to doubt of a plentifull encrease Let not so good seede be lost by lighting into bad soyle heare with penitent hearts with sanctified hearts with beleeuing hearts with resolued hearts to receiue and obey whatsoeuer is taught out of the word and you shall be happy hearers 2. Furthermore we may hereby discerne who haue good hearts who haue bad It is the goodnes of the heart that makes the hearer to bring forth fruit It is the corruption of the heart that hinders his fruitfulnes Those then that heare much and practise little haue bad hearts but those that heare and practise the word in their liues haue honest and good hearts Though none knowe the heart of another immediately and directly but God alone who is the onely searcher of it yet as the Physition can iudge of the inward temperature of the body by the pulse and as wee may iudge of the tree by the fruits so may we iudge of the inward goodnes and badnes of the heart by the outward behauiour in the life And to keepe me to the present comparison of this parable If a man knew a field sowne in a good sort with good seede yet afterward did see the corne to be thin and course and yeeld no good crop he will say the ground is barren But if he passe by a close toward haruest time and see the corne very thicke and rancke and beare a long eare full of corne he will say it is good land So if we knowe people to be well taught and yet yeeld little obedience in their liues we may iustly suspect that their hearts be not vpright before God but if we see them reforme their liues according to the word auoyd those sinnes which it forbiddeth and practise those duties which it commendeth and that in a constant course of their conuersation we may be assured that their hearts be honest and good If therefore you would haue others to thinke that you haue honest and good hearts shew forth the fruits of the word in your liues The second speciall propertie in these hearers is their keeping of the word They doe not onely receiue it with their hearts and lay it vp in the bottome of them but likewise there they keepe it fast They will not let it goe out thence nor suffer any to take it from them The originall word as some haue obserued is very emphaticall and importeth a keeping with much labour and difficultie And so fitly expresseth the manner of their keeping which is with striuing and strugling against their owne corruptions against Sathans suggestions and against the worlds allurements Though all conspire and ioyne their forces together yet doe they keepe it
in this verse and the rest 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 frō 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 Though 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 them and to encourage them in their labours when they see them vnprofitable vnto a great number Christ spake this Parable especially of him selfe 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 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 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 meeknesse them that be contrarie minded prouing if any time God will giue them repentance They who be vnprofitable 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 serueth 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 soules 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 Wee haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes but he shall say I know you not depart from mee all yee workers of iniquitie And the Apostle saith We are to some the sauour of death vnto death and vnto others the sweete sauour 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 likewise they who heare vnprofitably stall bee damned And therefore as Christ afterward exhorteth you in this Chapter Take heede how you heare As many seeke and find not because they seeke amisse Many runne and obtaine not because they runne amisse Many aske and receiue not because they aske amisse So many doe heare and profite not because they heare amisse Some imagine that if they be no Recusants if they be no prophane contemners of the Word and Sacraments but repayre to the Church euery Sabboth day heare diuine Seruice Sermons orderly as by Law they are enioyned they are good Christians sure to bee saued But let thē know that they may do all these things yet not be saued They may offend in the manner of their hearing and then their case will be no better then if they heard not at all The Diuell is very subtill and this is one of his subtilties whereby he deceiueth many people to their perdition First he labours by all meanes if it be possible to keepe them from hearing because he knows it is Gods ordinance and is afrayde least it bee powerfull in them But if hee cannot keepe them backe from hearing he deceiueth them with this conceit that any kind of formall hearing will serue their turne But do not herein beleeue the father of lies beleeue Christ who is the way the life and the trueth He tels you that there be 3. sorts of hearers which shall not be saued onely one sort among 4. shal be saued And therefore examine your selues what kinde of hearers you bee and doe not cortent your selues with that hearing that shall not edifie your soules Now let vs come to the seuerall kinds in particular And first let vs see who are they which receiue the seede on the high-way Some hearers are compared to such ground You know that if Land lye by the high-way side or an high-way lye through the middest of a plowed field some seede in the sowing wil fall on the high-way and so be lost Therevnto are some hearers compared and that very fitly For first as the high-way is not kept seuerall and priuate but lyeth open and common to all trauellers and passengers so these mens hearts are not enclosed and kept seuerall for heauenly things but lye open to all tentations and suggestions of the Diuell to all inticements of the world and to all idle thoughts vaine imaginations and that in the time of hearing Againe as the high-way is so troden and trampled by the feet of passengers that it cannot couer the seede or if it shoulde couer the seede yet the trampling will so harden the soyle as the seede can neuer sproute So these mens hearts are so hardened by wandering thoughts both in and immediatelie after hearing as the word cannot enter or at least cannot take any rooting in their hearts And as corne sowne in the high-way will neuer yeelde croppe like other ground so these hearers will neuer yeelde such fruit of the worde as others doe But who are these
Mathew sets downe one propertie of them and Luke another Mathew saith They are such as heare and vnderstand not There be 2. sorts of hearers who vnderstaÌ„d not the word 1 Some through naturall infirmitie through defect of capacity conceipt vnderstaÌ„ding memorie If these naturall faculties be not perfit they cannot possibly vnderstand the word which they heare but of these Christ doth not heare speake this is rather an infirmitie then a fault rather a punishment of sin then sin it selfe God may beare with their weaknes especially if their mind and vnderstanding be as weak in apprehending worldly matters as it is in diume If they vnderstand the fundamentall grounds of Religion If they mislike this their infirmitie desire to haue it redressed If they haue a care according to their small capacity to encrease in knowledge And if they frame their liues according to the measure of knowledge which they haue receiued 2. Some vnderstand not the word through negligence carelesnes contempt who heare the word but heed it not regard it not marke it not care not much for it let it passe as it coÌ„meth and are thinking of some other matter while they should attend to it who are so farre from laying it deepe in their hearts as they will not suffer it long to continue in their heads Of these persons doth Christ heere speake for he noteth it as a great fault in them and opposeth them to those who receiue the word with ioy And fitly are they resembled to the high way as before was declared This kind of hearers is not wanting in these daies who marke and vnderstand little or nothing of that we speake though wee speake neuer so plainely If they heare a long discourse of worldly matters they giue attentiue eares can carry it away repeat it to others but let them heare a poynt of necessarie doctrine on an article of their faith discussed they conceiue little and afterwards can rehearse nothing at all So that in them is fulfilled that Prophecie of Esay applyed by Christ to the obstinate Iewes By hearing they heare vnderstand note by seing they see perceiue not Let them know that their hearing shall not profit them vnles they vnderstand Indeed there be some who vnderstand what they heare yet shall reape no benefit by it yet is there not any who shal haue any coÌ„modity by that which he heares and vnderstands not Wherefore we must say to them as Christ said to the multitude heare and vnderstand you loose your labour in hearing if you vnderstand not The Eunuch thought it impossible for him to vnderstand the scripture he reade without a guide yet thereby implyed that if he had a guide he could vnderstand Our people haue such guides and yet many of them vnderstand little If one aske them the meaning of a text which they heard lately and learnedly pithily and plainly expounded they cannot tell the sense of it If one aske their opinion touching a point of doctrine lately taught them they are not able to speake any thing of it which declareth that they vnderstood it not and so they proue themselues to be no good hearers Some say they are not learned they are of a dull capacitie yet they haue a good meaning and as good an heart as those who vnderstand most they hope God will beare with them and accept of their good meaning when as they should rather accuse themselues of negligence If they did duly prepare themselues and carefully attend they might vnderstaÌ„d much more then they do But let them first know that though they be not learned and cannot reade yet ought they and may be able to vnderstand for God hath furnished preachers with learning and appoynted them so to explane the word that the simple may vnderstand it Euen as Ezra and the Leuites reade the booke of the lawe distinctly and gaue the sense and caused the people to vnderstand it Though thou be not able to vnderstand the word of thy selfe yet may â—st thou be made able by them yea and shalt be made able to vnderstand the most necessatie points of saluation before thou canst be made fit for heauen yea many of the most necessarie points are so easie of themselues that thou may vnderstand them at the first hearing if thou wilt carefully marke them The entrance into Gods word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple And therefore if thou vnderstand not thou should rather blame thy selfe for want of attention then for want of capacitie or learning Againe know this that God will neuer accept of thy good meaning nor of thy good heart vnles thou d oin some competent measure vnderstand his word for it is the word rightly vnderstood that must direct thy good meaning and correct thy heart thou maist thinke thy meaning is good and thy heart good when both be naught as indeed they are if thou vnderstand not the word aright And how should God accept of thy good meaning voyd of vnderstanding It is but the sacrifice of fooles blindnes was a blemish which made beastes vnfit for sacrifice And doest thou thinke God will accept thy blind deuotion deceiue not thy owne soule herein but seeke for vnderstanding There be some that be desirous to vnderstand what they heare and it may be would gladly knowe how they may be able I would aduise them to doe these 6. things 1. Let them prepare themselues before they come to heare As we must prepare our selues before we pray if we will not pray vainely and as we must prepare our selues before we come to the Sacrament if we will not receiue it vnworthily so must wee prepare our selues before we heare if we will not heare vnprofitably The husbandman prepares his ground by plowing it before he sowe it If thou goe rashly to heare without preparation thou shalt yeeld no more fruit then a field that is sowne before it be plowed Thou maist prepare thy selfe by considering before hand that the word which thou goest to heare is not the word of a mortall man but the word of the euerliuing God that not man onely speakes vnto thee but that God speaketh vnto thee in and by the man That the word is the power of God to saluation that one day thou must giue account to God for thy hearing If thou doest seriously consider these things before hand they will prepare thee to heare with more reuerence and vnderstanding Againe prepare thy selfe by vnfained humiliation for thy former sinnes least God for the punishment of them should blind thy vnderstanding when thou hearest Likewise prepare thy selfe by renewing thy faith in the truth of Gods word and of his promises knowing that the word will not profit the hearers vnles it be mixed with faith 2. Pray earnestly vnto the Lord that he would enlighten thy minde by his holy spirit for the naturall man perceiueth not the things of God neither can
Christs body haue they more holines or more vertue in them thē Christs body had Seeing the diuell comes to hearers let vs before we heare and afterward we haue heard arme our selues against him 2. The diuels practise he taketh the word out of their hearts The heart is not here taken strictly and properly but generally for the minde and affections yet cannot the diuell immediately directly by himselfe worke vpon the soule or heart of man that belongeth onely vnto God who alone is the searcher of the heart The diuell worketh immediately indirectly by meanes euen by externall obiects outward senses and corporall phantasies he taketh the word out of the hart by interrupting the phantasie and making it vnfit to conuey any thing to the vnderstanding or to the heart and by conueying other thoughts into the heart and turning the minde another way so as it shall no longer affect the word nor thinke of it any more Neither can he take it by violence without their liking that heard it but with their consent he taketh it onely from them who were careles hearers who neuer suffered it to sinke deepe into their hearts but being like to the high way side did not couer it with the moyst mouldes of holy affections yea he taketh it from those who neuer had any great loue vnto it and therefore might easily be perswaded to let him take it In regard of this his practise Christ in the propounding of the parable compared him to the fowles of the ayre because as they will follow the sower and will picke vp that which lyes by the high way side or any other place vncouered so the diuell haunteth the assemblies where the word is preached that he may take from the hearers that which hath bene taught Yea in this respect the diuell is farre worse then any fowles They eate the seede of necessitie because they want other foode to nourish them but he of malice he needeth it not it doth no good to him And therefore he taketh it away not to doe himselfe any good thereby but to doe them harme from whom he taketh it Againe the birds are soone satisfied and that with a litle if they haue once eaten their fill they flye away and leaue the rest though it lye vncouered but the diuell is neuer satisfied till he haue picked vp euery graine that is not couered in thr bottome of the heart Birds are easily kept away or driuen away but it is an hard matter either to keepe the diuell away or driue him away from those that heare carelesly till they alter the manner of their hearing he will not be kept from them See then what an enemie the diuell is to hinder the efficacie of Gods word in mans heart As the preacher laboureth to cast the word into the heart so be to take it out He thrusteth many euill things into the heart he put treason into the heart of Iudas to betray Christ he filled the heart of Ananias to lye vnto the holy Ghost So also doth he keepe all manner of good from the heart by the one he would make vs bad by the other he would hinder vs from being good Except it be in praying hee doth not trouble a man so much in any busines as in hearing of Gods word because he is afraide lest man should be conuerted and saued thereby This his practise is euidently seene in many It appeareth by the euent that he taketh the word from many of our hearers for when the people haue heard the preacher speake a whole houre together and deliuer many profitable points of doctrine and that very plainely yet few can repeate any thing at all many will say they like him well he is a good man and made a very good sermon yet cannot tell one word that he spake What is the reason hereof the diuell hath taken it out of their hearts and heads Report to them an humane historie tell them some strange newes or a tale for their worldly profit or corporall health they will keepe it well enough and at any time and in any company will relate it very readily but teach them a mysterie of saluation instruct them in a dutie to God or man they forget it as soone as they haue heard it What is the cause hereof but this the diuell knowes that the one will neuer profit their soules nor further their saluation and therefore he will not take it from them he is afraid lest the other should profit their soules and further their saluation and therefore he labours to depriue them of it If a man put coyne in a chest and wares in a chamber and within a while come and finde none there he will say a thiefe hath bene there So if people heare much and keepe little or nothing it is certaine the diuell hath bene there to steale it out of their he◅ts This should teach euery one of vs that be hearers to looke well to our selues and carefully to keepe that which we haue heard The diuell will doe what he can to depriue vs of it If he cannot keepe thee from hearing he will if he can rob thee of that which thou hast heard If thou be carelesse in keeping he will be sure to take all from thee You knowe that if a man haue some speciall goods and looke negligently vnto them and care not much whether he keepe them or loose them and a cunning thiefe be very desirous of them he is like within a while to get them Wherefore as Abraham droue away the Fowles that troubled him when he was sacrifising so driue yee away the Diuell who troubleth you whē you heare Euen as you chase away the birds that would eate vp the corne sowne in your fields And as by harrowing of your sowne fieldes you couer the seed with earth that so the Fowles may not deuoure it and that it may better fructify So couer the seede of the worde in the furrowes of thy affections and let it enter deepe into thy heart and so shall it both be safe from the Diuell and fit to yeeld fruit in thy life This practise of the Diuel is amplified by the ends of it which are two the one subordinate to the other The former is least they shoulde beleeue Whence we may obserue two things one in respect of the word and another in respect of the Diuell 1. In respect of the word namely that the hearing and receiuing of the word is a speciall meane to bring men to faith for the Diuell doth therefore hinder men in hearing least by hearing they should beleeue Saint Paul sayth That faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God How can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and and how can they heare without a Preacher And those for whom Christ prayed must beleeue in him through the Apostles word Was not the Eunuch brought to faith by Philips teaching Did not Cornelius beleeue by
in the safest place of your houses because you hold your lands liuings by them and may lose your lands and liuings if you lose them As carefull should you be to keepe the word you hold your inheritance by it It is your euidence If it be taken from you you shall lose faith and Gods fauour in this world and the happy possession of an euerlasting and glorious Kingdome in the world to come And they that are on the stones are they which when they haue heard receiue the word with ioy Now followeth the exposition of the second kind of ground to wit the rockie and stonie ground Christ declareth who are meant thereby euen another sort of vnprofitable heaters And that he might the better lay open their nature and condition and let all men see who they are he describeth them at large by 4. seuerall properties 1. They heare and receiue the worde with ioy These hearers goe farther then the former The former sort heard the word but vnderstood it not if they vnderstood the words they vnderstood not the matter But these are not blamed for that fault they vnderstood it well and therefore are sayde to receiue it their receiuing of it is made a distinct thing from their hearing Again the other lost it as soone as they heard it the Diuel soon took it from them but these keepe it a great while euen all the time of peace they doe not renounce it till they be presecuted for it Moreouer those did not affect it the Diuell kept it from entring deepe into their hearts he tooke it presently out of their hearts lest it should worke vpon their affections they were such as heard it for fashion sake yet had no great liking or loue of it in their hearts These do much affect it it pierceth their hearts it moueth their affections they reioyce in it Lastly those did not so beleeue as these doe either they did not beleeue it at all or with an hystoricall faith onely beleeue it to be true but not making such profession of it nor yeelding such outward obedience to it as these doe as afterward shall be shewed The first propertie is that they receiue the worde with ioy 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 when Iohn Baptist 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 That Iohn was a burning and shining 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 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 hearers haue we at this day These hearers are not like Pharoh who said Who is the Lord that I stould hear his voyce Nor like those impious persons who say to God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Nor like the Iewes who spake against those things which were taught by Paul contradicting them rayling on them thrusting the Apostles from thē 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 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 Ministery 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 reuerence 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 who will not make much of him that doth 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 hearing 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 whom wee may compare as Christ did the Iewes vnto little children which sitte in the markets and call to their fellowes and say We haue piped vnto you and you haue 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 reckoneth them in the Catalogue of fruitlesse hearers 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 discerne who are regenerated It is a propertie of the regenerate to reioyce at the word Dauid said Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the ioy of mine heart The holy people of the Lord made great ioy because they vnderstood the words which Ezra the Leuites had taught them Those three thousand which were conuerted by Peters Sermon did receiue his word with ioy The Eunuch conuerted by Phillip the Iaylor conuerted by Paul receiued their doctrine with ioy of heart Is there no difference betwixt the regenerate and the vnregenerate in this their ioy Indeed both of them receiue the word with ioy yet there may be found great
and growe for a while but not long if heate drought doe come it will be parched and wither away for lacke of moysture Such is the case of some hearers their hearts being mollified in part somewhat soft aboue but very hard below toward the bottome will not suffer the word to take any deepe rooting in them It may enter into their harts yet it cannot pearce into the bottome of them It may be some rooting yet very ebbe and shallow It may prosper for a while and they make some profession of it yet not long And in regard hereof they become vnprofitable hearers So as from hence we may obserue a double danger and inconuenience of an heart that is not throughly mollified to the bottome It both hindereth the rooting of the word and also the fruitfulnes of it 1. It hindereth the rooting of the word so as it cannot possibly go deepe enough the word should descend to the bottome of the heart and there take rooting and be continually nourished with the moysture of it but it cannot descend so farre vnles it be throughly mollified Not onely they whose hearts are altogether hard as was the hart of Pharaoh when he heard Moses and Aaron and the Scribes and Pharises when they heard Christ but also they whose hearts are softened onely in part are vnprofitable hearers As not onely those rockes which be bare on the top and altogether hard and haue no manner of soyle and moysture aboue but likewise those which be couered with a litle moysture and earth aboue but not much are vnfit to receiue seede The one will not receiue the seede at all nor suffer it to sprout or shoote forth a blade the other will cause it to sproute and shoote forth a 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 to the hearers of the Gospell To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Because the hard hearted can neuer heare 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 drinesse 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 he returned 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 as good king Iosiahs heart did when he heard the lawe read I knowe that none of our hearts are so soft as they should be But if thou feelest 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 saluatiō If Goates blood being warme can soften the hard Adamant 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 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 is they endure in their faith but 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 yet may we find many seuerall distinct kindes thereof in the holy scriptures There be foure 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 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 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 that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued Though all of them doe not receiue it at the same time but some sooner some later yet is there not any of the Elect but at one time or other they doe receiue it This is called an vnfayned faith or a faith without dissimulation or hypocrisie 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 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 must we be saued as the Apostle proueth at large in his Epistles But this is not the faith here spoken of Againe there be other kindes of faith 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 sothat I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing Iudas 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
their corrupt affections which they could not brydle They differ from the second sort because they fall away in time of tribulation and persecution These fall away in time of peace and prosperitie those were vrged by externall meanes coÌ„ming from others these are drawne away by internall meanes proceeding from themselues Those were hindered in their perseuerance and fruitfulnesse through the waÌ„t of good these through the hauing of euill euen sinfull lusts and bad affections in their harts which like thornes choake the word which they heare Those renounced their profession these keepe their profession and yet are vnfruitfull These hearers are not all alike for though the word be choaked in them all yet it is not choaked in all by the same causes meanes In some it is choaked by worldly care in others by the deceitfulnes of riches and in the rest by voluptuousnesse And therefore touching these heareâ—s we may obserue some things in generall which concerne them all ioyntly together and some things in particular which concerne them seuerally The things in general which concerne them all are two whereof the one respecteth the time of their choaking the other respecteth the causes of their choaking 1. The time of their choaking for it is said of them That when they haue heard and are departed or gone their way they are choaked c. They are not choaked while they are in hearing but rather afterward when they are departed from the Sermons and goe about their worldly affaires then are they choaked by those things whereon their hearts were set As thornie grouÌ„d may haue some good moyst mouldes and depth of soyle and cause the seede sowne in it to sprout and come vp but afterward will not suffer it to prosper the thornes in time will choake it So may a man heare the word reuereÌ„tly and attentiuely marke it carefully and receiue it willingly yea hee may take it to be the word of God indeed and the onely word that must saue his soule hee may wish that hee were able to follow it and haue a purpose to follow it and yet afterward bee hindered in the obedience of it by the corruptions of their owne heart As Pharaoh was huÌ„bled while the haÌ„d of God was heauy vpoÌ„ him but became as hard as he was before wheÌ„ it was remoued And as some are Sea sicke while they are on the water but well again wheÌ„ they come to land And as the hardest Mettals are hot soft and pliable while they are in the fire but become colde hard and stiffe when they are taken out of the fire So are some hearers much moued while they are in the Church and so long as they heare and yet afterward when they are gone away and betake themselues to their worldly affayres loose the efficacie of the word and become transgressors of it These are vnprofitable hearers the word which they heare will not saue their soules Men may often heare after this maner and yet neuer come to heauen Doe not therefore content your selues with these present motions while yo are in hearing but let them continue and shew their efficacie after you haue heard when occasion is offered in your liues Let not the word onely moue your affections but also mortifie them And let it not onely stirre vp your affections while it is hard but direct them and ouer-rule them in your conuersation afterward Let not any thing in the world or any affections in your owne hearts hinder your obedience to the word You know that the Sâ—…nne who being commaunded by his Father to worke in his Vineyard did promise and purpose to goe and went not was condemned for not fulfilling the will of his Father And do you thinke that you shall be taken for dutifull children to God Almightie if while you heare his word you loue it and like it and purpose to follow it and yet afterward by some sinister occasions be hindered in the obedience of it Know this that God will neuer accept of good purposes without good performance nor of good motions in your mindes without good maners in your liues There be some couetous and voluptuous persons farre worse then these of whom Christ here speaketh for these doe heare and receiue the word willingly for the present they are choaked afterward But there be some couetous worldlings and voluptuous Epicures who will not heare at all or not with any patience They will not receiue the seede at all and doe choake it as soone as they receiue it Such were the Pharisies who mocked Christ when he taxed their couetousnes Such were the Iewes who would not heare the Lawe of the Lord but said vnto the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophecie not vnto vs right things but speake flattering things vnto vs Prophecie errors Who would haue none to be their Prophet but he that would lie falsly would prophecie to them of wine and strong drinke And such be those in our dayes who cannot endure to heare any thing spoken to curbe them of their carnall pleasures or abridge them of their worldly profites who raile against the Preacher hate him as Ahab did Michaiah and heare him with no more patience and liking then the Iewes heard Stephen when their hearts brast for anger and when they gnashed at him with their teeth But if these hearers who giue reuerent attention to the word when it is deliuered haue some good liking of it and a purpose to obey it would obey it but that it doth crosse their pleasures and profites are reckoned in the number of vnfruitfull hearers What may be thought of 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 profits and are ready to worke him some mischiefe Oh that these would consider their estate and remember how farre they are froÌ„ that profitable hearing which must saue their soules 2. The second thing to be obserued in general respecteth the causes of their choaking which are three in number Cares of the world riches and voluptuous liuing From all which together we 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 wil hinder the fruitfulnesse of the word 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 thornes grow among the corne they will not suffer the grouÌ„d to yeelde any good croppe 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 groweth of the word And therefore Peter exhorteth vs first to lay aside all malitiousâ—es all guile and dissimulation and enuie and then as new borne babes to desire the syncere milke of the word that wee may grow thereby And Iames biddeth vs lay apart all filthinesse and superfluitie of malitiousnes and receiue with meeknes the ingrafted word which is able to saue our soules If grosse humors 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 efficacie of the word as it shall not profit you to the aluation of your soules 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 left they should hinder the corne So be you carefull to free your heartes from these badde affections when you come to heare Christ biddeh you to be as wise as Serpents Now this is one poynt of the Serpents wisedome as the learned doth teach 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 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 In the other Euangelists both in Mathew and Marke they are called 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 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 inuited to the wedding feast 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 least at any time their hearts were oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life and least the last day 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 hearts Let them remember the exhortation giuen by Christ 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 able to adde one cubit to his stature It is not sufficient for you to free your mindes from these cares while you are in hearing but likewise beware lest they entangle you afterward Expell them so soone as they enter into your mindes euen as you will cut vp thornes bryars and thistles which you see spring vp among the corne after it is sowne If they be in your hearts before you heare they will keepe you from attending from vnderstanding or else from affecting that which you heare And if they enter into your heartes after you haue heard they will hinder you from practising that which before you liked and purposed to obey Such enemies are they to your fruitfull hearing Who then would haue his minde disquieted with them What will some man say must we haue no care of any thing at all must wee set all at sixe and seuen and let the world wag must we be like some idle and prodigall vnthrifts who cast away all care Not so we must distinguish of care Est solicitudo diligentiae solicitudo dissidentiae There is a care of diligence when men in a good manner and due measure vse all honest and lawfull meanes to get and to keepe thinges needfull for this life and for the maintenance of themselues and those which belong vnto them The Wise-man sendeth the sluggard to learne this care of the Pismire who prepareth her meate in the Summer and gathereth her foode in the haruest And the Apostle saith that if there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namelie for them of
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 you shall neglect it Is not the desire of money the roote of all euill 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 that he who loueth father or mother sonne or daughter wife or children or his owne life 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 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 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 Iewels then all the wealth of the world Know that godlinesse as the Apostle teacheth is great gaine Be of Pauls minde who thought all things but losse for the excellēt 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 whith 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 thé 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 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 and giueth grace to the humble 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 not proud Lastly if riches deceiue men and hinder them in the obedience of the word let not the poorer sort alwaies follow the example of rich men Their riches doeth often choake the worde which they heare so as it taketh no effect in their hearts nor yeeldeth any fruit in their liues If then the poorer sort will doe as they doe they will prooue vnprofitable hearers In worldlie matters the poorer sort will follow them no further then serueth for their present profite If the rich should sow among thornes and reape a course croppe of corne at haruest through ill husbandry the poore will not be drawne by their example to vse the like ill husbandry nor bee content to reape the like croppe but whatsoeuer the other doe they will be carefull to dresse their ground after the best manner and seeke to make the best profite of that little lande which they occupie And why then should they imitate their ill husbandry in spirituall and heauenly thinges If in Christs time and the Adostles time the poore had beene led by the example of the rich very few had embraced the Gospell many of them did receiue it though most of the rich did reiect it Consider this that their example will not excuse you before God your meane estate hath least impediments The wise man desired God to giue him neither riches nor pouertie but to feed him with foode conuenient lest being full hee should deny GOD or beeing poore should steale and take Gods Name in vaine And therfore as ground without thornes yeeldeth greater increase then that which is ful of thornes So you who be of middle and meane estate should performe greater obedience then those that be exceeding rich or very poore The third and last thing that as a thorne choaketh the word is voluptuous liuing or the pleasures of this life Though Mathew omit this yet Marke mentioneth it as well as this Euangelist and calleth it The lusts of other things or lusts about other things This differeth from the former for men may be rich and yet enioy no pleasure Salomon sayde hee saw this euill vnder the Sunne and it was much among men A man to whom God had giuen riches and treasures and honour and wanted nothing for his soule of all that it desired but God gaue him no power to eate thereof but a strange man shall eate it vp This is
his right hand are pleasures for euermore Those farre excell all the pleasures of the garden of Eden They yeelde full contentment and make all them happie which doe enioy them Therefore seeke especially for them A woefull thing it is to enioy pleasure in this life which is but short and to endure paine in the other life which is eternall If you cannot be partakers of both together seeke for the better Make Moses choyce who refused the delights of Pharaohs Court and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Lastly from the consideration of all these Thornes together wee may obserue that not one onely corrupt affecction but likewise manye corrupt affections in mans heart doe choake the seede of the word Euen all these three mentioned before A man may as well be hindered by one of them as byan other as well by any one of them as by all of them It is not impossible to finde them all three in one the same man A man may be much perplexed with worldly cares how to get and encrease riches and when he hath gotten them hee may be deceiued by them in thinking too highly of them in louing them too dearely and trusting too much vnto them He may then also liue in pleasure he may be carefull to get riches and to encrease them that so hee may consume them on his owne lustes By reason of his worldly care and the deceitfulnes of his riches he may be sparing and niggard-like in relieuing of others yet in regarde of voluptuousnes he may spend much on himselfe That Rich-man Luke 12. had much goods layde vp for himselfe for many yeares Not any for others but all for himselfe and therefore he would liue at ease eate drinke and take his pastime And the rich glutton which would not giue so much as the crums that fell from his table to poore Lazarus was giuen to pleasure spent much on his owne back belly Such men as these haue many thornes growing in the field of their hearts they haue many impediments to hinder them in the obedience of the word And therefore cannot be profitable hearers and diligent practisers of the word The more thornes growe in a sowne field the lesse corne is reaped at haruest So of all carnall hearers these yeeld the least fruit Yet are these three things distinguished one from another as was shewed before are oftentimes seuered in their subiects one of them may be found in one man and not either of the other And one of the other may be found in another man and not that A man may be carefull and yet poore A man may be rich and yet not giuen to pleasure And all of them haue their speciall and seuerall effects one hindering after one manner and another after another manner And therefore any one of these is able of it selfe to hinder the fruitfulnes of the word You knowe there be many kindes of thornes with vs there be white thornes and black thornes hawthornes and slowthornes And the word in the originall is taken not onely for thornes but likewise for bryars and brambles and any thing that hath prickes And therefore as one kind of thornes if there be many of that kind may as well hinder the fruitfulnes of your fields as many kindes So one kind of corrupt affections in your harts may hinder the efficacie of the word as well as many And therefore as when you plow and sow your ground you rid vp not onely one kinde of thornes and bryars but likewise all of each kind So when you heare the word expell out of your hearts not onely all bad affections of one kind but likewise all bad affections of each kind It is lamentable to see how fondly people deceiue themselues herein Many men doe harbour one noysome lust one corrupt affection or other in their hearts and because they keepe out many others they hope all is well with them The couetous worldling condemnes the voluptuous epicure And the voluptuous epicure condemnes the greedie and miserable worldling The couetous man thinketh that he is a good Christian because he is not giuen to prodigall licentiousnes And the voluptuous man would be esteemed a good hearer because hee abhorres worldly cares and miserable couetousnes But let them both knowe that either of these two sinfull lustes are sufficient to condemne their soules and let them not purge their hearts from the one alone but from both together if they will be fitte soyle for the Lords seede The last thing to be obserued in these hearers is the effect of their choaking namely what is the issue and euent that befalls them when they are thus choaked by those corrupt lustes they bring forth no fruite Though they doe not fall away from their profession as those hearers mentioned in the former verse but still continue professours and hearers of the Gospell yet are they vnfruitfull in their profession The originall word doth properly signifie that they doe not bring forth any full and perfect any ripe and truely fruite As if they might bring forth some kinde of fruite yet no good fruite no full corne nor profitable gaine Corne sowne amōg thornes may yeeld some kinde of fruite yet not such as will please the husbandman It will be an vntimely fruite it will wither away before it be throughly fed and fully ripe It will be very thinne on the ground when it is reaped it will proue nothing but short eares and small gaines and when it is threshed nothing but light corne and vnprofitable Such is the obedience of those men which be giuen to couetousnes and voluptuousnes they may performe some outward duties yet not many onely such as doe not hinder them in their worldly profits nor abridge them of their carnall pleasures And those which they doe performe are very imperfect neither acceptable to God nor comfortable to their owne soules They are not such as God exacted they doe not proceed from such sinceritie of the heart neither are they directed to that right end neither are they performed in such an holy manner as he requireth Though they seeme to begin well yet their inward lusts doe so hinder them that they cannot bring their actions to a due perfection but waxe wearie of doing well And either quite cease from their enterprises begun or else efaint much in their proceedings before they bring any thing to a good end Whence first we may take notice of the nature qualitie and maner of their obedience whose hearts are still possessed with the cares of the world and the pleasures of this life They may performe many good duties yet faile in some maine dutie And yet those which they performe cannot please the Lord we haue pregnant examples hereof in the scriptures Naaman the Syrian being cured of his leaprosie by the Prophet Elisha vowed vnto him to worship none other God
vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Are you as soyle sowne with the Lords seede and dressed by his Husbandmen and yet yeelde no fruite for his glory and for the comfort of those that take paines among you And will you expect a blessing from the LORD Those that be such may rather feare a curse Did not CHRIST curse the Figge Tree which bare leaues but no fruite if they still continue barren their case shall be worse then theirs of Sodome and Gomorrah for if the Sermons which haue beene preached among vs had beene preached in Sodome and Gomorrah they had repented long agoe in sack cloath and ashes but therefore shall it be easier for them of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Iudgement then for these disobedient people Take heede lest by your contempt of the word you lose it Christ taketh his Kingdome from them that be vnfruitfull and will giue it to a Nation which shall better bring forth the fruits thereof If you often sow a fielde with good corne and at haruest can reape no good croppe you will sow it no longer you will let it lie and sow some other And can you thinke that GOD will still continue his worde to you if after long sowing you will not yeeld any fruit It is a speciall fauour and mercie of God to haue the Gospell among vs. God hath not dealt so with euery Nation Happie are our eyes to see those things which we see and happie are our eares to heare those thinges which we heare Many righteous men would haue beene glad to haue seene and heard them and yet could not Let vs walke worthie of this blessing that it may bee continued to vs and to our posteritie Uerse 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the word and keepe it YOV haue alreadie heard the exposition of three sorts of ground and what kinde of hearers were signififyed thereby Now see the exposition of the fourth and last kinde of ground And that was good ground in which the seede sowne sprang vp and brought forth fruit with great encrease Vnto this ground good and profitable hearers are compared As all the other groundes set forth to our view the nature and properties of bad hearers so this describeth the conditions of good hearers Before we come to the speciall properties of these hearers in particular we are to obserue one thing in generall and from the coherence to wit That although Christ had diuers sorts of hearers and nany of them were bad some one way some another way yet all of them were not bad some were good and profitable hearers all his seed was not lost some sell on good ground yeelded plentifull encrease Though the Scribes and Pharises and many of the common multitude were bad hearers yet the Apostles and many other Disciples were good hearers did keepe the word in their hearts and brought forth fruit in their liues And therfore he told the Iewes that whereas they neyther receiued Iohn nor him Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a Diuell The Son of man came eating drinking and they sayd Behold a glutton and a drinker of wine a friend of publicans and sinners They woulde neither receiue the one for his austeritie nor the other for his affabilitie yet Wisedome is iustifyed of her children And hee gaue thanks vnto his father because that although he had hid these thinges from the wise and men of vnderstanding yet he had reuealed them vnto babes Though some of his hearers in Capernaum tooke offence at his doctrine of eating his flesh drinking king his blood and from that time went backe and walked with him no more Yet the Apostles would not forsake him but frely ackdowledged that they would neuer leaue him because he had the words of eternall life and they did beleue that he was the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God When he preached in the Temple at the Feast of the Tabernacles there was dissention among his hearers Some sayde Of a truth this is the Prophet Others sayd This is the Christ. Some sayde Shall Christ come out of Galilie Others said Neuer man spake like him At another time some that heard him saide hee had a Diuell and was mad and blamed men for hearing him any longer Others said These are not the wordes of one that hath a Diuell Can the Diuell open the eies of him that was borne blind Such diuersity of hearers had Christ his worde did not worke alike in all that hard it Some waxed worse some were made better by hearing of it The like effect was seene in Pauls hearers When he and Barnabas preached at Iconium a great multitude both of Iewes and Graecians beleeued though there were some vnbeleeuing Iewes that stirred vp and corrupted the mindes of the Gentiles against the brethren In that deuision of the Citie though some were with the Iewes yet some were with the Apostles And when he preached at Athens some mocked him for his doctrine of the Resurection some would heare him againe as if they were not fully resolued but desired to be further instructed yet certaine men did cleaue to Paul beleeued as Denys a Iudge of Mars Streete Damaris a woman and others with them And thus it pleaseth GOD still to blesse the Ministerie of his seruants Though they cannot conuert all yet they doe conuert some they doe not altogether lose their labour As there is no field so barren but if it be sowne some seede will come vp and yeeld encrease so is there no place or congregation so bad but if the truth be there sincerely taught it will in time winne some Though some continue obstinate and remaine as ignorant as Popish and as prophane as euer they were before they heard Yet Wisedome shall be iustifyed of her children as many as are ordayned to eternall life shall beleeue Some shal be called and by hearing shall grow in knowledge in grace and obedience This may comfort and encourage vs in our labours Though it bee some griefe to see many non proficients who heare much and are neuer the better yet if it please the Lord to giue some happie issue vnto our labours that wee edifie some though not all that wee profite a few though not many wee should therewith be content and praise the Lord for it If indeede wee should conuert none at all yet must wee not faint but still continue our paines and expect a reward at the Lords hands for he will reward our laboures though we should do others no good thereby And therefore the Prophet sayd I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God It is not our worke but the Lords worke to conuert soules Paul may plant Apollos may water but it
is God that giueth the encrease Wee haue receiued and taken vpon vs Curam non curationem A care and a charge not a curing Non est in medico semper releuetur vt ager It is not in the power of the Physition to cure his sicke patient at his pleasure Euery one of vs shall receiue a reward Secundum laborem non secundum prouentum according to his labour not according to his fruit As Bernard well obserued And therefore Paul sayd not I haue profited more then all but I haue laboured more then they all And rather reioyced in the abundance of his labours then in the fruitfulnesse of his laboures It a quaeso fac tu quod tuum est Nam Deus quod suum est satis absque tua solicitudine auxietate curabit Doe then I pray thee that which is thy office and dutie God will haue care enough of that which belongeth vnto him sayd the same Bernard But if we conuert and edifie some by our poore Ministerie we may comfort our selues by them and say of them as Paul did of the Corinthians Yee are the seale of our Apostleshippe in the Lord. And as hee did of the Thessalonians What is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing Are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming When wee sow good seede in the Lords field the enuious man soweth tares Wee must not looke that in a populous congregation all should be good and true hearers If some onely be good and profitable hearers let vs praise GOD for them and pray vnto him dayly to encrease their number But to come neerer to the properties of these hearers in particular In the description of them and by comparing them with the former hearers wee may easilie perceiue that in some thinges they doe agree with them in some thinges they differ from them and doe much excell them There were some commendable thinges in diuers of the former hearers and would haue wrought good in them if they had beene well vsed In these things doe these good hearers agree with them They haue the selfe-same things though in a better maner and with better vse 1. They agree with them in that they heare as well as the rest All the persons spoken of in this Parable are hearers both good and bad and they all heare one and the same doctrine though not after one and the same maner nor with the like efficacy and fruit And therefore those which refuse to heare eyther through error as our Recusants or through contempt and negligence as some carelesse and carnall people are so farre from beeing the ground here mentioned as that they are worse then the bad ground spoken of before There cannot be any goodnesse in their hearts nor yet in their liues Can any field yeeld a good crop of corne at haruest which was not sowne at the seede time They are worse then many reprobates haue beene and are How then can they looke to be as good as the Elect are and shall be 2. They agree in the vnderstanding of the word for it is sayd in Mathew He that receiueth seed in good ground is he that heareth the word and vnderstandeth it And although the first sort of bad hearers are sayd to heare and not vnderstand Yet the other two sortes 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 groūd receiue the worde with ioy So also doe these good hearers though the thing it selfe be not expresly mētioned 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 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 Forget not thou my law but let thine heart keepe my cōmandements binde them on thy necke and write them vpon the table of thine heart And for this cause when Lydia went to heare Paul 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 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 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 Christ said his Disciples were al clean through the word which he had spokē to them And praied to
his Father Sanctify them with thy trueth 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 thē 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 frō 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 thy 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 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 primum 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 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 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 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 honest 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 consisteth 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 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 ketwixt 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 And so here by 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 heart 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 meete will not nourish that mans bodie who hath a bad stomacke that cannot well
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 her heart she did not onely lay them vp but also kept them And not onely in her head but also 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 vnlesse it continue there for a time and be there digested it will not nourish and feede 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 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 this is the way walke in it when he turneth to the right hand or to the left 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 speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the lawe of 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 saluatiō so shal they continue therein for euer Whereupon Iohn saith 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 himself 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 be 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 word 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 hearts 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 word 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 therfore 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 and did the same to a wise man which built his house vpon a rocke the raine fell the floodes came and the winds 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 tentations can ouerthrow him In the same respect Christ said Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me my Father taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite hee purgeth 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 For as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance He who first made them good will cōtinue them in goodnes He will confirme thē vnto the end that
they may be blameles in the day of the Lord. Hath he not promised to make an euerlasting couenāt 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 For this purpose did Augustine alleadge that and other places And further saith Sicut operatur vt accedamus sic operatur ne discedamus As he worketh that we may come to him so doth he worke that we 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 vtterly extinguished A man in a traunce seemeth dead for a time yet doth he reuiue because his soule is in him So shall these within a while recouer because grace still remaineth in them Hence then must we learne to keep the word that so we may enioy these benefites and be reputed good hearers The Apostle exhorteth vs to let the word dwell in vs plenteously teaching and admonishing vs. It must not lodge in vs as a stranger doeth for a night in his Inne 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 Musitian 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 Heare for afterwards as the Lord speaketh by his Prophet As Ioseph in yeeres of plentie 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 in stead 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 priuie 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 like the wise Virgins who kept Oyle in their Lamps for al seasons A carefull Householder will not cast away an implement because he hath no present vse of it but will keepe it for 7. yeeres thinking the within that space he may need it No more do you reiect any doctrine which serues not for your present purpose keepe it stil in your hearts the time may come when it may much comfort your hearts much edifie your soules and bee a good direction for your liues We haue in these dayes few such hearers Many mens hearts are like a broken pitcher that will hold no water Or like to Siues which hold water no longer then they are kept in the water There be some who are desirous to heare much and yet they keep little they forget as fast as they learne As it is better to eate lesse meate and keepe it in the stomacke and digest it then to eate much and presently to cast it vp againe So is it better to heare lesse and keepe it well then to heare much and presently forget it No more shall profit vs then that we keepe What must we doe that we may be able to keepe it 1. Emptie your hearts of euil thoughts and wicked imaginations worldly cares and carnall lustes and if they be once expelled keepe them still out for as you often heard they will choake the word Isaack and Ishmael could not dwell together in one house The Arke of God and Dagon could not stand together in one Temple No more can the word and these lustes be kept together in one heart therefore keepe them out that it may be kept in Countrey Farmers hedge and ditch and make good fence round about their sowne fieldes lest beastes should breake in destroy the corne So must thou gard defend thy heart lest these vngodly lusts break in and destroy the seede of the word 2. Meditate often of that which thou hast heard that is also a good meanes to keepe it it will imprint it more deeply in thy heart and cause it to worke more effectually vpon thy affections In this respect he is reputed a blessed man that doth meditate in the Law of God day night Beastes after they haue eaten their meate will chew the cudde fetch it vp againe out of their belly and chew it ouer a new Such were cleane vnder the Lawe fittest for meate vnto man and for sacrifice vnto GOD. The best learned in olde and late times haue thought that holy meditation is signisied thereby You must then after you haue heard call the doctrine to minde againe meditate of it so it will best nourish your soules and make you most fit for the Lords seruice He that neglecteth this cannot long keepe the word 3. Vse holy and Christian cōference with others touching that which you haue heard This was commaunded vnder the Law The Lord enioyned the Iewes that the words which he commaunded them should bee in their hearts yet not that onely but they must rehearse them continually to their children Yea euery one must talke of them when he taried in his house when he walked by the way when he did lie downe and when he rose vp It was practised and approued vnder the Gospell The two Disciples that trauelled to Emaus conferred together touching Christ Christ liked their conference so well as hee vouchsafed them his presence made a third person in the conference and opened to them the Scriptures which foretold his death and resurrection and made their heartes to burne within them while hee talked with them and did manifest himselfe to them to confirme their faith in the truth of his resurrection So graciously did he approue and blesse that holy exercise In conference we may helpe others and others may helpe vs one bringing that to the others memorie which hee had forgotten So also we may helpe our selues for that which is then repeated is more surely imprinted in the memorie and is not afterwards so easilie forgotten 4. After thou hast heard pray earnestly vnto God that hee will imprint his word in thy heart He promised by his Prophet that in the new couenant of grace he would put his Lawe in the inward parts of his people and write it in their hearts The Lawes of the former concnant hee wrote in Tables of stone but the Lawes of the latter couenant hee will write in the fleshly tables of mens hearts If he write them in your hearts by the finger of his holy spirit they shall neuer be rased or blotted out Wherefore pray earnestly vnto him that hee would write them and
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 behaulour in them And therefore Augustine said Mâ—lior est maritata humilis quam virgo superba An humble maried woman is better then a proud virgin And Cyril compared virgins which had chastitie of body without puritie of minde 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 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 profite 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 pleaseth the Lord to giue an encrease The consideration whereof serueth for the instruction of all sorts of good hearers whatsoeuer measure of fruits they doe bring forth 1. First this may comfort those good hearers who profite not so much in hearing as some others doe doe not attaine to such a measure of knowledge nor are able to yeelde such aboundance of fruite as others doe If theyr hearts bee holy and good if they doo all of Faith and sinceritie and desire to bring forth more fruites God will account them profitable Hearers and accept of theyr obedience And the Worde which they heare shall saue theyr soules As Husbandmen are glad of all Eares which haue Corne in them though some bee longer some shorter some containe more graines some contayne fewer yet will they gather all into the Barne So God doth accept of all persons that bring foorth the fruites of the word and will bring to Heauen as well those that haue lesser as those that haue more fruits Such is his Mercie and Bountie that although hee requyre the same measure of all yet finding difference among them because of the diuersitie of his grace hee doth so receyue the first and the best as hee doth not refuse the second and middle-sorte nor yet reiect the last and least Vnder the Lawe there were some Sacrifices cheaper some more costly If men or womeÌ„ by reason of theyr pouertie were not able to offer the better the Lord was coÌ„tent to take the meaner And therefore CHRIST commended the pore widdowes two mytes aboue all the great gifts which rich men cast into the treasurie And vnder the Gospell the Seruant which receyued two Talents and by employment made them foure was commended and rewarded of his Maister as well as he that had receiued fiue and made them tenne And they that wrought but one houre in the Vineyard receiued the same penny at night with them that had borne the heate and burden of the day Wherefore let not thyne owne penurie and other mens plentie of fruite dismay thee but consider That if thou practise what thou knowest doest as many good workes as the Lord doth enable thee and art willing and desirous to doe more if ability were afforded and occasion offered thou art a good hearer and mayest goe to heauen with those that farre exceede thee in the number of their fruites Yet let not any take occasion hereby to be more backward and sparing in their fruits as if a small quantitie would serue the turne All of vs ought to striue to bring forth abundance yea each yeere more then other Those which be planted in the house of the Lord do flourish and bring forth in their olde age It is to be feared that he who desireth to be no better is not good at all and he that desireth to bring forth no more fruites bringeth forth none at all that be good Let them vnderstand that none bring forth such store of fruit as they ought And that he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally God will crowne his owne gifts in vs. The more fruits they beare heare the more glorie shall they enioy in heauen Let them therefore striue to abound more more in all good fruits knowing that this consolation belongeth not to the which will not abound with more though they might but onely to those which would abound with more and cannot being hindered by their infirmities or through want of abilitie and opportunitie In them GOD will take the will for the deede and will no lesse reward them then those who hauing more meanes and better abilitie haue brought forth more fruits 2. Lastly this diuersitie of fruit in good hearers may teach them that bee more plentifull in hearing them then others be not to be proud of theÌ„selues nor to despise those that bring forth fewer for both of them are reckoned in the number of good and profitable hearers They which bring forth some lesser fruits may haue good hearts may be iustified may be sanctified may be in fauour with God and at last enter into heauen as wel as thou who aboundest with more Paul laboured more abundantly then all the Apostles and suffered more then any of them And therefore farre more then any common Christian. Though toward his end the remembrance therof did much comfort him so as he could say I haue fought a good sight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is layde vp for me the Crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue vnto me at that day Yet hee addeth these words concerning his copartners in the reward And not onely vnto mee but vnto all them also that loue his appearing Because many others who came short of him in the abundance of labours and sufferings should be crowned as well as he Dost thou surpasse others in the multitude of fruites be not high minded doe not despise them for what hast thou which thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou of it as if thou hadst not receiued it If thou abound more then others thou mayst
say with the Apostle It is not I but the grace of God which is with me and by his grace I am that I am The more lowly thou art the better are thy fruites The more and the better graines that an eare of corne hath in it the lower it will bowe downeward but the fewer and the worse graines it hath the higher and straighter will it stand vp Euen so the more good fruites for number and the sounder for qualitie that any man hath the more lowly and humble will he be The prouder he is and the more he insulteth ouer others the fewer worse be his gifts and fruits Therfore be lowly and humble not Arrogating to thy selfe but ascribing to God the glory of all thy fruites Not disdayning any for the small measure of their fuits but honoring them for their good beginning and praying to God that they may abound more and more And this I pray for you all as the Apostle did for the Phlippians that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that yee may discerne things that differ that yee may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnes which are by IESUS CHRIST vnto the glorie and prayse of GOD. The Lorde graunt you all these things for his mercies sake in his beloued Sonne Amen A POSTSCRIPT to the Papists in Lancashire I Am not ignorant how hasty and rash manie of you bee in condemning all things spoken and written against the Doctrine of your moderne Priestes If you vouchsafe to reade our wrytings you commonly giue no more fauourable Censure of them then Iulian the Emperour gaue of the Ancient Fathers bookes who thus said of them I read I vnderstood I condemned And we might iustly answere you as Basil and other Learned Byshops answered him Thou hast read but not vnderstod For if thou hadst vnderstood thou wouldst not haue condemned Some of you are like those men whereof the Apostle Iude spake who condemne those things which they knowe not Others of you knowe and vnderstand more yet reiect all things as erronious and Hereticall which you knowe to be contradictorie to the positions of your popish priests Yea many of you be such vnequall iudges that although you cānot but approue almost all points in the booke yet if there bee but one only thing which you distaste you presently condemne all the rest for it And take it to bee as a leafe of Coloquyntis which marreth a whole messe of pottage and as a deade Flye that spoyleth a whole boxe of Oyntment In regard whereof I may iustly feare your sharpe and bitter censures of these my Sermons nowe put foorth to open sight I can expect no more indifferencie and fauour at your hands thē others my betters haue formerly found Notwithstāding as often hereto fore I haue laboured by many meanes to giue you satisfaction in your Doubtes and demaundes both by priuate Conference with diuers of the Layitie by seuerall Answeres made to the wrytings of the learned on your side and also by open disputations with your priests as some of you cannot denie if you would testifie truth So would I now giue you full contentment if any reasonable thing will content you for all such exceptions which I thinke you wil take against these Sermons Whereas the learned on your side doe charge vs that in our sermons and writings we interpret the Scriptures according to our owne fancies and priuate conceits and not according to the vniforme sense giuen by the Fathers and the common exposition of the Church and thervpon would perswade you not to heare or reade or belieue any thing which we proue by the scriptures I will make it apparant that in those points of cōtroucrsie touched in these sermons and confirmed by seuerall texts of scripture I haue the consent of the ancient Fathers and also of many of your owne late wryters Cardinall Bellarmine acknowledgeth that before the Pelagian heresie arose the Fathers did not exactly handle the questionof Praedestination by grace but onely when occasion was offered did briefly set down their opinions And that Chrysost did not plainly preach preuēting grace because at that time they were not risen vp which denyed it As if the Fathers did speake and write plainely fully of those poynts onely which were controuerted and impugned in those dayes Now is it certaine that few of those poyntes which I mentioned were called into question in their dayes There were many controuersies de eo quod creditur non de eo quo creditur as the M. of Sentences out of Augustine distinguisheth of the things to bee beleeued or of the obiect of faith yet not of the habite of faith or of the gift or qualitie whereby we beleeue And therefore the trueth is not to be gain-sayed though we could not produce very pregnant and plentifull testimonies out of their writings touching the nature and kindes of faith Notwithstanding they haue not left themselues without witnes in that they do vpon occasions declare their iudgements therein which serue to confirme the trueth on our side These testimonies of theirs and the testimonies of your owne Doctors I did forbeare to recite in the Pulpit or write in the copie of the Sermons that so I might auoyde tediousnes Yet hauing diligently perused them and hoping that they would be of force with some that duly consider them I thought good to set them apart by themselues and to adde them as a postscript after all SECT II. WHereas I taught that the word of God is the spirituall seede which must bee sowne in our hearts to make vs fruitfull in all good workes And that Preachers ought to teach and people ought to heare and receiue nothing but the word and did limit the word to the word written I know it crosieth the doctrine of some in your Church and therefore may perhaps be misliked by you First your countrey-man Doctor Stapleton writing a Postill for the instruction of Popish Preachers could not finde in all this Parable any poynt to be obserued against vs but onely this that the word is the seed And will haue not the word written but the word preached to be the seede Yea he maketh two words of God the one Now what is preaching but expounding of Scripture and deliuering the true sense of it As appeareth by the practise of Ezra and the Leuites who reade the Lawe of God distinctly and then gaue the sense and caused the people to vnderstand what was read Those then who in their Sermons deliuer the true sense of the word written according to those seuerall kindes of expositions must needes deliuer the word of GOD euen the selfe-same word that is written Againe not onely the things expresly set downe in the Scriptures but likewise such things as by sound and necessarie consequence bee collected thence are taken for written truthes and not
Math. 13. 19. touching whom we may obserue 2. things 1. the manner of their hearing 2. the issue and euent of their hearing 1. the manner of their hearing is not here expressed yet is mentioned Math. 13. 19. they heare and vnderstand not 2. The issue and euent of their hearing which is set forth by the diuells practise and behauiour toward them And that is described 1. by the manner 2. by the end of it 1. by the manner of it for he is said to come and take the word out of their hearts 2. by the end wherefore he doth so which is double he doth it to preuent 2. things which they might receiue by hearing the one being subordinate to the other the former being a meane of the later and the later being a reward of the former the one is least they should belieue the later is least they should be saued 2. The second kind of ground was stony who are ment thereby is specified vers 13. Another sort of vnprofitable hearers who are described by 4. properties whereof the two first declare their present estate and the two last their future condition 1. they receiue the word with ioy 2. they haue no rootes 3. they belieue for a while 4. In time of temptation they fall away 3. The third kind of ground was thornie which also representeth another sort of bad hearers described vers 14. by the causes and by the effect or issue by the causes for 3. things are named which like thornes choake the seede of the word 1. cares 2. riches 3. voluptuous liuing by the effect or issue that followeth thereupon they bring forth no fruite 4. The fourth and last kind of groūd was good ground in which the seede sprang vp and did beare fruit That is a resemblance of good hearers as appeareth vers 15. And those are described by 3. properties 1. by the manner of their hearing they heare with an honest and good hart 2. by their keeping of it after they haue heard it 3. by their fruitfulnes And that is amplified 2. waies 1. by the maner of it heare with patience 2. by the measure and varietie of it some bring forth more some lesse in Math. 13. 23. Mar. 4. 20. some thirty some sixtie some an hundred fold 1. To begin first with the first and so to proceed in order to the rest Christ sheweth what is ment by the seede when he saith the seede is the word of God By which tytle is plainely manifested the vertue force and efficacie of Gods word As seede is the beginning and cause of all the fruit afterward reaped so is the word the beginning and cause of all goodnes in vs euen of all grace in the heart of all good words in the mouth and of all obedience in the life And as good seede if it be well sowne in a fertile soyle will yeeld fruit so the word being well taught to capable and docible persons wil produce some good fruit for the glory of God and for their comfort and saluation The word is resembled to many things in regard of the power and vertue of it As to an hammer that will bruse vs to a fire that will either purge or consume vs to a light that will direct vs to salt that will season vs to a sword that will defend vs to seede that will beget vs to foode that will nourish vs to goades that will pricke vs forward so also to seede that being sowne wil yeeld plentie of fruit because of it owne nature through Gods ordinance and blessing it will prouoke people to obedience If therefore you receiue it and doe not beare fruit the fault is in you and not in it you are but barren soyle vnworthy of such seede Moreouer it is to be obserued that Christ compareth the word to seede that is sowne for in the propounding of the parable he said the sower went out to sowe his seede and now he saith the seede is the word meaning the seede sowne Mathew saith that the diuell catcheth away the word sowne in the heart And Marke saith that the sower soweth the word And therefore it must needs be vnderstood of the word preached The word of God as it is written in the scriptures and conteyned in the bookes of the old and new testament is good seede indeed yet it is as seede in the barne vnthrashed or as seede laid vp in the garner but the word read and expounded preached and applyed to Gods people is as seede sowne in a field And preachers be the sowers of it for albeit Christ doth not expresly declare who be the sowers yet that is apparant from other circumstances for if the word be the seede sowne then they who preach the word are the sowers And if they who heare the word taught be the ground in which the seede is sowne then the persons who teach them and whom they heare are the sowers So Christ by preaching the word was a sower yea the chiefest of all others the ground was his the seede was his he like a good husbandman with his owne hands did sowe his own seede in his owne field So the Apostles were likewise sowers Christ was a sower to the Iewes onely they also to the gentiles he in the little field of Iudea they in the large field of the whole world Wherfore S. Paul said If we haue sowne vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we reape your carnall things as also we together are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandry And so all those who preach the same word which they did are sowers for as the sower filleth his hand with seede and casteth it abroad among the furrowes of the field not setting it seede by seede or choosing a peculiar place for euery seede but lets it lye as it lighteth So the preacher disperseth and dispenseth the word in a mixt people not able to giue it successe but as it pleaseth God to giue a blessing and as the hearts of the hearers are prepared for it Hence then wee may learne the necessitie of preaching no sowing no reaping As you cannot in any field reape a crop of corne at haruest vnles it were sowne with good seede at the seede time no more can any fruits of grace or any good works bee found in the Church or children of God vnlesse the seede of the worde bee sowne among them Indeed there may be sometimes good sowing and little good fruit to be reaped As the Lord did all that could bee done to his Vineyard and yet it brought forth nothing but wild grapes but if there be no sowing it is impossible to gather any fruit at all Christ therefore sayd Except the wheat corne fall into the ground it abideth alone Our hearts are the ground they must be sowne with the seede of Gods worde otherwise they will bee altogether barren or else bring forth nothing but briars and brambles thornes and
thistles Experience may verifie this Looke into those places and Parishes where the worde is neuer taught or to those persons who will not heare though they might and you shall find nothing among them but Atheisme Popery and prophanenesse Yet in those places where it is taught and heard wee may finde the frutes of holinesse and righteousnesse If not among all yet among many The consideration whereof should mooue the Ministers of the Gospell to bee instant in season and out of season as Paul exhorteth them The lesse they preach the lesse shall they profite the people The more seede they cast into the furrowes of the peoples hearts the greater plenty of fruit may they expect We should follow Salomons aduise who sayth In the morning sow thy seede and in the euening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall bee alike good What shall wee answere to the Lord our Maister and owner of the fielde if through our negligence in sowing his fielde of the Church yeelde him not such store of fruit as otherwise it might haue done And you people should likewise apply this to your selues and learne from hence to heare often If you contemne the word will not suffer your hearts to bee sowne with the seede of it you shall bring forth no good fruit but remaine as a barren Heath Doe you not remember what the Apostle saith That the ground which beareth thornes and bryars is reprooued and is neere vnto cursing whose ende is to bee burned Fearefull is their case who are such ground yet no better can they bee who refuse to heare As you are content to haue your fieldes sowne yeerely that so you may reape a croppe at Haruest So must you bee content to haue your hearts cōtinually sowne with this heauenlie seede that so you may be fruitfull in all grace and godlines though your fields be sowne but once a yeare yet must your hearts be sowne continually because you should yeeld and beare fruit continually As we are content to bestowe our paines in sowing this seede continually though it be as toylesome a labour as you finde in your seede-time so be ye willing and readie to receiue this seede into the furrowes of your hearts continually that so you may from time to time abound in fruit for Gods glory and your owne comfort But whose word is it that is this spirituall seede It is not the word of Angell or of man but the word of God This seede did Christ sowe and none else And therefore he said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me As my Father hath taught me so I speake This seede did the Apostles sow none else For when Christ sent them abroad he bad them teach all Nations to obserue all things which he had commanded them All those thinges must be taught yet nothing else And lest they should forget what those things were hee promised to send the Holy Ghost who should bring all thinges to their remembrance which he had told them who should lead them into all trueth Because as hee sayd hee shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake And so carefull were the Apostles to sow this seede onely as they did confidently protest that they receiued of the Lord that which they deliuered to their hearers And if they or an Angell from heauen or any man preach otherwise then they had receiued let him be accursed And no other seed must we sow if we will make the people fruitfull Christ and his Ministers sow none but good seede in his field If bad seede as Tares or Cockle be sowne it is done by the enuious man the Diuell and his instruments As there be doctrines of God so there bee doctrines of Diuels namely errors and heresies those be as tares among wheate and doe greatly hinder the fruitfulnesse of the good seede There be also doctrines of men as the inuentions of their owne heads vnwritten verities Decrees of Popes Canons of Counsels traditions of the Church which wanting the warrant of Gods word are but as chaffe to the wheate and beeing taught in the Church will yeeld no more fruit then chaffe that is sowne in a field Vnder the Lawe God woulde not permit the Iewes to sow the same field with mingled seede And shall we thinke 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 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 omnis fert omnia 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 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 Diuell 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 Beleeue not euerie spirit but try the spirits whether they bee of God Despise not Prophesying but try all things and hold that which is good 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 reiect as tares what is not warranted thereby blowe away as chaffe what is proued 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 it 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 former verse you haue heard the exposition of the seede Now see the exposition of the ground
Peters preaching Did not the Iaylor beleeue by hearing of Paul Though all doe not beleeue who doe heare because some heare amisse yet is hearing Gods ordinance to beget faith Those then that desire faith must heare and receiue the worde Those that may heare and will not cannot beleeue Wofull is their case who heare not at all for whence can they haue faith if they heare not Feareful is their case who hear seldome they haue no faith or a weake faith But happie are they who heare often and well they beleeue and shall be saued 2. Another thing is to be obserued in respect of the Diuell namely what an enemie he is vnto faith for he takes away the word as it is entring into mens hearts lest they should beleeue This is the very cause why he is so busy in hindering the worde because hee would keepe men from faith And no maruell though he be a deadly enemie vnto faith he knowes that the word will not profite the hearers vnlesse it be mixed with faith He knowes that by faith we are iustified in Christ that by faith we obtaine remission of sinnes and euerlasting life Very loath he is that we should enioy these blessings and therfore will do what he can to hinder vs of faith which is the hand whereby we receiue them He knowes that without faith it is impossible to please God And that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Vnwilling he is that we should better please God then himself doth but gladly would he make all our actions sinfull like his He knoweth that faith is the shield whereby we quench all his fiery darts that it is the victory whereby wee ouercome the world one of his Champions And therefore wil seeke to keep this weapon out of our hands lest himselfe his champion be foiled therwith We may now say with the Apostle All men haue not faith And no maruell seeing the Diuell is a spightfull foe against it and will hinder as many from faith as possibly he can At the end of the world as Christ fore-told the son of man shall scarce find faith on the earth Let it not seeme strange for as at all other times so then especially will he keepe men backe from faith his wrath shall then be great because hee shall know his time is short Doe not therefore imagine that it is an easie thing to get faith and that thou canst beleeue when thou list thou canst not haue faith but in despight of the Diuell so long as he can hinder thee by any meanes thou shalt not beleeue The Lord must enable thee to frustrate his attempts and must bestow this gift on thee against his will otherwise thou canst neuer receiue it But the more he labours to keepe vs from faith the more earnestly should we labour to obteyne it the more he hateth it the better should we loue it If it were not a most excellent grace he would not hinder vs of it 2. The other end why hee taketh away the word is this Lest they should be saued Where also two other like things may be considered one in respect of the word and faith another in respect of the Diuell 1. In respect of faith and the word that they will bring men to saluation For whereas Christ saith the Diuell takes the word out of mens hearts lest they should beleue be saued he therby insinuateth that if the word enter into the heart do there abide worke faith in it the man shall be saued And so he shall indeed For the Gospell as Paul saith is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Graecian And it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And therefore the Evangelist saith These things are written that yee might beleeue and in beleeuing haue life through his Name The word bringeth vs to faith and faith to life euerlasting If we get the one we cannot fayle of the other Oh what an heauenly comfort is this to a beleeuing soule Cannot the Diuel by all his practises and pollicies hinder the worde from working faith in thy heart feare him not he cannot possibly hinder thee of eternall saluation in heauen Looke what assurance thou hast of thy present faith the same assurance mayst thou haue of the future saluation of thy soule If thou now beleeue thou shalt receiue the end of thy faith which is the saluation of thy soule But if Sathan so take the worde from thee that thou dost not beleeue neuer looke for saluation in heauen Onely he that beleeueth shall be saued 2. In respect of the Diuell hee is an vtter enemy to the saluation of mens soules he taketh away the word and hindereth them from faith that so hee may preuent their saluation This is the end of both the former The Diuell is enuious vnwilling he is that any of vs should enioy that glory in heauen which he hath lost As hee droue Adam and Eue out of the earthly Paradise so doth he what lyeth in him to keepe vs from the heauenly Paradise He goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure As the Ammonites Moabites Amalekites and many other heathen people would haue hindered the Israelites from entering into the land of Canaan So the Diuel all his Angels seeke to hinder vs from the Kingdome of heauen And as the Israelites subdued them before they could get possession So must wee through the mightie power of Christ subdue the Diuell before wee can enioy that most happy and glorious Kingdome Lastly to conclude all the poynts touching these hearers See what excellent things they lose who suffer the Diuell to take the worde out of their hearts They loose saith which is much more precious then gold as Saint Peter saith And hereafter they shall lose the saluation of their soules which is more worth then all the world For as CHRIST sayeth What aduantageth it a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule You may thinke it little danger to suffer the Diuell to take the worde out of your heartes And it may be some had rather haue it taken from them then the least parte of their worldly riches but know that it is a precious Iewell If you keepe it you retaine all grace and happinesse with it If you leaue it you lose all goodnes with it Oh then when you haue heard it make much of it and keepe it safely and be content rather to lose any thing yea all things that you haue then lose it If you did truely know and would duely consider the danger of this losse you would be more carefull to keepe the word and more afrayde of losing it You who haue Deedes of your Lands and Leases of your houses are very carefull to keepe them safely you will keepe them vnder locke and key and that
doctrine of the Gospell is true and euery part of it that it teacheth vs the right way to heauen and that all things therin contained shal certainely be accomplished both for the condemnation of vnbeleeuers and for the saluation of beleeuers In regard hereof Christ saith He that receiueth his testimonie hath sealed that God is true As Paul sayde I consent to the Law that it is good So this beleeuer will say I consent to the Gospel that it is good Yea he will auouch with the same Apostle This is a true saying and worthy by all meanes to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners Herein also this faith agreeth with an hystoricall a iustifying faith And therefore those who in their hearts wil not assent to the truth of the gospel are meere Infidels though they liue in the Church yet they haue no faith at al. 3. A third degree is that he hath a desire in his heart of the pardon of his sin of the saluation of his soule through the merey of God merits of Christ. Euen as Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like vnto his though he had no care to liue the life of the righteous nor prepare himselfe for death as the righteous man doth And as the people of the Iewes who followed Christ from place to place whē they hard him speak of the bread which cōmeth from heauen giueth life to the world desired him euermore to giue that bread And yet many of them afterward fell from him Yea moreouer they which haue this faith may not onely haue this desire in their hearts but may also expresse it by prayer to God Almightie and by vsing the meanes of saluation They may seek to enter in at the straight gate and shall not be able As Christ saith many shall doe Herein they go beyond those that haue onely an hystoricall saith for many haue it yet contemne Christ and his merits neuer seeke for saluation by him rather feare him then loue him and with the Diuels beleeue and tremble Yet herein they come short of them who haue a iustifying faith for their desire is not so earnest nor so constant nor so effectuall Not so earnest for the desire of the elect is vehement and very earnest set foorth by hungring thirsting which are vehement and strong appetites in them that haue long wanted meate and drinke yea the strongest desires that can be found in man but these men haue a desire in a lesser measure Neither is their desire so constant for it comes but by fits and may soone be gone againe like to lightning which is a sudden flash and soone gone But the desire of the other is like the light of the Sunne which is permanent Their desire may be quenched before they haue fully obtayned the thing desired but the desire of the other can neuer be satisfyed till they be assured that they haue gotten the thing they wanted Nor yet is it so effectuall in vsing the meanes of saluation with such care diligence painefulnesse and constancie The one sort think no paines too great no labour too long the other thinke lesse will serue the turne and therefore leaue off or lessen their labour in vsing the meanes before they haue gotten sauing grace for their soules 4. The fourth degree is this They may haue an apprehension of Christ and his benefites an inward feeling of some grace and a perswasion of Gods fauour in Christ. So they are sayde to taste of the heauenly gift and to taste of the good word of God and to be partakers of the holy Ghost as was shewed before Which wordes must needes import a particular apprehension and an inward cense of some good receiued and some fauour expected As some of the Israelites tasted of the fruites of the Land of Canaan did thereby perceiue what a good Land it was and conceiued some hope of enioying it and yet neuer enioyed the Land but perished in the wildernesse So these beleeuers may haue a taste of heauenly gifts and an hope of enioying euerlasting glory and yet perish in the end And indeed these beleeuers could not haue receiued the word with such ioy as was spoken of before vnlesse they had an apprehension of Gods fauour and some sense of grace in their hearts Yet herein doe they greatly differ from the regenerate 1. In the seat and so in the synceritie of these graces for these beleeuers hearts are as stony ground they cannot receiue the worde into the bottome of their hearts nor suffer the rootes of it to goe deepe enough and so their faith graces are not rooted in the bottome of the heart but sticke in the superficies or vpper part of it All things in them are superficiall and they full of hypocrisie Whereas the iustifying faith and the sauing graces of the regenerate are like a solide body hauing three dimensions length breadth and depth and do possesse the deepest and lowest parte of the heart 2. In the reason and ground of this their apprehension And so it is nothing but vaine presumption for it is built vpon false and mistaken grounds they take the shadow for the substance doe ouerweene their owne graces and take their faith to be vnfayned their repentance to be sound and their regeneration to be effectuall when indeede they are not And so they are like vnto beggers who in their sleepe dreame that they are become very rich 3. In the measure and therefore their apprehension of heauenly things is compared to tasting because the heart doth as it were but with the tip of the tongue lightly taste these spirituall things and doth not feed on them Look what difference there is betwixt Cookes and others that taste meat before it be serued vp to the table the guests that eat the same at the table the same difference there is betwixt the vngenerate the regenerate touching the measure of grace which they receiue Though the regenerate do here receiue but the first fruits of the spirit do know in part and prophesie in part beleeue in part find no perfection in thēselues yet haue they a greater measure then the vnregenerate 4. In the sense iudgement of their want The one wanteth more and yet doth lesse discerne his want like the Angel of Laodicea who thought he was rich whē he was poore miserable naked The other wanteth lesse and doth better discerne his want and therefore will say with that man in the Gospell I doe beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And with the Apostles Lord encrease our faith Yea the one like a Pharisie is proude of that which hee thinketh he hath the other is humbled by knowing what he wanteth The one contenteth himselfe with that which he hath groweth secure and laboureth not to better his estate the other striueth to grow in grace as
he groweth in yeeres 5. The fift degree of this temporary faith is outwarde profession of the Gospell A man may haue an hystoricall or dogmaticall faith yet neuer make profession of it As many of the chiefe Rulers among the Iewes beleeued in Christ but because of the Pharisies did not confesse him But they who haue this temporary faith do professe Christ as long as they keepe it So did Iudas he called Christ his Master did follow 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. 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 that one of them should betray him they did not suspect him any more then any of the rest yea euery one did as much suspect him selfe as Iudas and therefore euery one sayd Master is it I Yea they caused Iohn who then leaned on Iesus brâ—st 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 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 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 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 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 long 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 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 yourselues 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 Bellarmine and other Papists alleadge this place to prooue that true faith once had may be quite lost 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 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 iustifying faith wanteth rootes or is it in any mans heart where it hath nothing to grow vpon Doeth not the Apostle teach 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 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 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 By this faith we are iustifyed as the Apostle plainely and often teacheth and our aduersaries cannot denie though they hold that we are not iustifyed by it alone Now if we be iustified we shall also be glorified Yea whosoeuer thus beleeueth shall not be confounded The Saintes doe keepe this faith in the hottest persecution that can befall them And therefore in describing the cruell tyrannie and grieuous persecution vnder the greate beaste which opened his mouth to blaspheme GOD and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen and made warre against the Saints led many into captiuitie and killed many with the sword The holy Ghost breaketh forth into these speeches Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints because the Saints doe not loose but keepe and expresse their patience and faith in such afflictions Neyther can Sathan by his tentations depriue them of faith as appeareth in the example of Peter Sathan desâ—red to winnow him as wheate yet for his comfort Christ told him that hee had prayed for him that his faith might not fayle Christs prayer was not in vaine Hee at another time acknowledged to his Father that he heard him alwaies And therefore though Peter did afterwardes fall most grieuously in denying his Maister and that with an oathe and with cursing himselfe yet did hee not loose his faith It remayned in his heart though hee did not professe it with his mouth Neyther could this be a singular prerogatiue to Peter for Christ hath as well prayed for others as for him not onely for all the Apostles but likewise for all those that should beleeue in him through their word And therefore in the midst of all afflictions and tentations they shall be kept constant in faith Hee who gaue them faith will make them to continue their faith as he who made them good will make them continue in goodnes He is so faithfull that he will not suffer them to be tempted aboue that which they be able to beare but will giue them the issue with the tentation Their faith may be assaulted but not destroyed weakened but not wasted ecclâ—psed but not extinguished hidde and couered as the Sunne vnder a cloude and fire raked vnder the ashes but not abolished The act of it may be lost for a time but not the habite for if their faith may fayle and they perish why did the Apostle say that after they beleeued they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased by Christ And how is it true that they are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation And if iustifying faith may not be lost then it is certaine that if any fall away and vtterly loose their faith they neuer had it Diuers of Christs Disciples did seeme to beleeue in him yet afterward forsooke him and thereupon he said to them there are some of you that beleeue not And the Euangelist addeth a reason for Iesus knewe from the beginning which they were that beleeued not and who should betray him As if there were some of his Disciples that beleeued and some beleeued not namely those that tooke offence at his doctrine and forsooke him as also Iudas the traitour Euen while they followed Christ they wanted this faith Doth not S. Iohn say of reuolters they went out from vs because they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they should haue continued with vs. Who then doe fall away from the Church but only those who indeed were neuer of the Church were in it but not of it And who are they that liue in the Church and be not of it but those that want a true iustifying faith for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated into his mysticall body the Church But as for the faith spoken of in this my text it may be lost yea it is of such a nature that seldome it is kept to the end of a mans life Inward tentation by the diuell or outward persecution by men may rob the owners of it It is like to corne growing in the house top which may flourish for a while in the spring time but in heate and drought of summer will wither away And herein consisteth a maine difference betwixt iustifying and temporary faith the one is perpetuall the other for a time And no maruaile thogh it continue not long seeing it is built on temporary causes namely these three 1. It ariseth from curiositie for these beleeuers will heare and learne receiue and professe the Gospell for the newnes of it As the Iewes reioyced for a â—…me in Iohns light especially for the noueltie of it And as the Athenians would heare Paul preach and would know the meaning of his doctrine because as they said he brought certaine straÌ„ge things to their eares And they gaue theÌ„selues to nothing but to tell and heare some newes Bernard noted diuers sorts of persoÌ„s who desired knowledge of heauenly matters seueral ends for which they desired it And the first was of theÌ„ who desired knowledge onely for this end that they might know and this is fowle curiositie Now you know that a wonder lasteth not loÌ„g They who haue curious heads and itching eares after noueltie will not long like the same thing but as the Israelites at the first liked their Manna because it was a strange kind of meate but afterward loathed it wheÌ„ they had bene a while fed with it So these men at the first hearing of the Gospell for the strangenes of the doctrine may admire it receiue it with ioy and professe the faith thereof and yet afterward waxe wearie of it 2. It often ariseth from pride and vaineglory Because others doe condemne the enemies of the Gospell but doe like and loue honour and commend those that beleeue it professe it liue accordingly they to get credit honour among men will professe the faith of Christ submit themselues to his holy Gospel EueÌ„ as the Pharisies did fast and pray and giue almes to be seene and praised of men These persons as Bernard said desire knowledge that themselues may be knowne and this is foolish vanitie which men cannot escape the girding taunt of the scoffing Satyricke Scire tum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter It doth thee nought auayle to knowe vnles thy knowledge others knowe Those that embrace and professe religion for this end cannot continue constant If the time should come that true Christians should be reuiled and euill spoken of should be made as the filth of the world and the ofscouring of all things as the Apostles were these men would renounce their faith 3. It often proceedeth from couetousnes for the getting and keeping of wealth and riches that they may clime vp to high
preferment in the world As appeareth in those who sought out Christ and followed him from place to place not so much for the miracles which they had seene and doctrine which they had heard as for the loaues whereof they had eaten and wherwith they were filled There be others saith Bernard who deserue knowledge that they may sell it for money for honour and this is filthy lucre There be other two ends whercat some doe aime for some desire knowledge that they may edifie others and this is charitie some desire knowledge that themselues may be edified and this is wisedome And these are to be allowed but all other ends are to be condemned Those that professe Christ for worldly profit are not Christians but marchants of Christ as Ignatius tearmeth them And will professe his Gospell no longer then it may stand with worldly profit As may be seene in Demas who for a time was such a professour of the faith that S. Paul reckoned him in the Cathologue of the Saints which saluted the Colossians Yet Paul afterward thus wrote of him Demas hath forsaken me and hath embraced this present world As an house will fall if the foundation be remoued and fire will goe out of it selfe if fewell be withdrawne so these mens faith will faile if the Gospell bring no gaine but losse And seeing those temporizing professours haue these causes propounded to themselues in hearing and receiuing the word in beleeuing and professing it with ioy their faith cannot be sincere for nothing is sincerely done vnles it be done for Gods glory And if it be not sincere it cannot be sound and firme And both waies it differs from iustifying faith for as it doth all things of sinceritie for God himselfe for Christ himselfe for the spirituall and heauenly benefites of Christ as farre as humane infirmitie will permit so is it firme and constant being built on such grounds as will not shrinke Do not therefore content your selues with this temporary faith but seeke for â—hat which will abide for euer as well in persecution as in peace as well in time of tentation as out of tentation for if your faith faile Sathan will preuaile against you your hope is gone you loose the fauour of God and the saluation of your owne soules you must be faithfull vnto death if you will receiue the Crowne of life Did not Christ commend Mary for choosing the good part which should neuer be taken away from her Imitate her in your choyse of faith The one will faile you when you stand in most neede of it As in the time of tentation in the time of affliction and at the houre of death But the other will abide with you to comfort and strengthen you at all seasons and against all the enemies of your saluation If once you get it whether you liue long or die soone whether you be assaulted with many suggestions or be free from tentation whether you passe away your daies in peace or vnder the crosse you shal be able at your last end to say to the great comfort of your soules with the Apostle I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue vnto me 〈◊〉 that day 4. The fourth and last propertie of these hearers is their reuolting which is here set forth by the time or occasion as also by the manner of it First by the time and occasion that is the time of tentation There is a double tentation that doth befall men the one is spirituall and inward the other is corporall and outward The spirituall and inward tentation is from the diuell And therefore he is often called the tempter and is said to tempt vs. And his suggestions and practises against vs are called tentations The corporall and outward tentation is from men who doe afflict vs who doe hurt and persecute vs. And so all outward crosses corporall afflictions and bloody persecutioÌ„s are called tentations that is trialls because they try what men are whether dissembling hypocrites or sincere Christians whether their faith be fained or vnfained wauering or stedfast little or great And of this tentation must this place be vnderstood for in Mathew and Marke it is called tribulation and persecution for the word Christ foresaw that the hearers and professours of the Gospell should afterward be graciously persecuted he therefore foretold what it should worke in this kind of hearers it would cause them to reuolt For the manner of it it is said in Mathew and Marke they are offended and that by and by and immediately but here they goe away they depart will not stand to it as men of courage but shrinke and fall away And this commeth to passe by reason of their owne hardnes as this parable declareth for as stony grounds mingled with some earth are commonly hotte and will cause the corne cast into them to sprout and come vp very speedily but will not suffer the rootes to goe any reasonable depth into the earth there to be fed with moysture therefore in the dry season of summer the blade of the corne will wither together with the rootes So these men though they haue some good motions and affections in their harts receiue the word with chearefulnes and seeme to be very forward for a time yet in time of persecution all their goodnes will be dried vp they will loose their first loue to the word and fall from their former profession They neuer did cleaue to Christ with their whole hearts and therefore are more easily drawne away Men may fall away from Faith eyther by errour and Heresie or by sinne and wickednesse By errour and heresie as did Hymeneus and Alexander who made ship-wracke of Faith As did Hymencus and Phyletus who erred concerning the Truth Saying that the Resurrection is already past and did destroy the faith of many As did Nicholas whom for his profession was chosen for a Deacon yet afterward became an Arch-hereticke first Founder of the heresies of the Niâ—â—laitanes And as those did of whom Saint Paul prophecyed that in the later times Men shall depart from the Faith and giue heede vnto spirites of Errors and doctrines of Diuels And as those that in former Ages fell from the Truth to the Heresies of Arrius Pelagius Nestorius and other damnable Heretickes And as those that in the dayes of Queene Mary did fall from the truth of the Gospell formerly professed to the Errours and Idolatrie of the Church of Rome Againe men may fall away by sinne and wickednes in their liues as those who put away a good Conscience As those who beginne in the spirite but ende in the flesh As those who turned backe after Satan As those who had escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST
are yet tangled againe therein and ouercome whose latter ende is worse then the beginning Fulfilling the Prouerbe The Dogge is turned to his owne Uomite the Sowe that was washed to the wallowing in the myre Now these doe not fall away in part only and for a time as the Apostles did at Christs Passion but wholly and perpetually This is a fearefull falling away Corporal relapses into naturall diseases are not so dangerous to the body as these relapses into errour and sinne are dangerous to the soule For by them men procure to themselues a double punishment Poenam damni poenam sensus A punishment of losse For they loose the reward of their former profession and obedience If the Righteous forsake his righteousnes and commit iniquitie all his righteousnes shall be forgotten and he shall die in his iniquitie saith the Lord. Likewise a punishment of sense and that so greeuous as it had bene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnes theÌ„ after they haue knowne it to turne away from the holy coÌ„maundement giuen vnto them By their backsliding they more dishonour God and offend others then if they neuer had made any profession at all And therefore their punishment shall be greater then if they had neuer knowne the Gospell Here then see the danger of persecution it driues many from Christ Such is the disposition of some as they will not suffer any thing for the Gospell they like and loue it when it brings peace and prosperitie with it but they bid iâ— farewell when it brings persecutioÌ„ Though Christ hath suffered much for them yet will they not suffer any thing for him they would faine raigne with him but they will not suffer with him nor for him And therefore if they be called to beare the crosse they will rather renounce the Gospell then beare the waight of it But let them know that if they deny Christ or his word before men he will deny them before his father in heauen he that setteth his hand to the plough and looketh backward is vnfit for the kingdome of God Let vs arme our selues against this danger that we may continue constant in the day of triall Let not any crosses make vs wearie of well doing knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not And because persecution can neuer harme vs if our hearts be good let vs take heede as we are exhorted by the Apostle left there be in any of vs an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away froÌ„ the liuing God but exhort one another daily lest any be hardened with the deceitfulnes of sin If any of your hearts be not yet mollified so as the word of God cannot take deepe rooting in the bottome of them troubles for the Gospell can no sooner befall you then you will renounce it but if your heartes bee throughly mollified if the word take deepe rooting and worke iustifying faith in you neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednes nor perill nor sword shall separate you from the loue of Christ but in all these things you shall be more then conquerours And finally if it be such an hainous offence to fall away in time of persecution what shall we say of them who fall away in time of peace those doe it by compulsion by force and violence these of their owne accord those doe it halfe against their will but these most willingly those to saue their own goods and preserue their liues these to saue neither being in danger of neither those by constraint these through contempt Those among their enemies who were readie to hurt them if they would not recant these among their friends who will helpe them if they abode constant Those in the field where they feared an ouerthrow these in a laÌ„d of peace where they expected no combat These must needes be more faultie and more inexcusable Those subiects who yeeld to the enemies through feare and for safegard of their liues are more fauoured and more easily pardoned then they who being in no danger did willingly run to the enemies and of their owne accord ioyne with them against their lawfull Prince Oh then what fauour can those expect at Gods hand who in these our happie daies and in this our peaceable land doe fall away from the truth of the Gospell to poperie and profanenesse These are farre worse then dastardly cowards for they yeeld not till they see some danger these yeeld before any danger appeareth These are like those wicked ones who flie when none pursueth them We should resist vnto blood striuing against sinne As Christ shed his blood for the saluation of our soules so should we be readie to shed our blood for the maintenance of his Gospell How farre are they from this who fall away before they sawe any enemies to resist what hope can they haue of mercy from Christ who are so easily turned from the sincerity of his Gospell which they should defend with their dearest blood Thinke seriously of this and take heede of declining in such an happie season Remember Lots wife as Christ biddeth you And consider that she for looking backe toward Sâ—dome was turned into a pillar of salt and that to season vs withall as Augustine thought Deceiue not your selues but knowe for a certaintie that the hearing of the Gospell will not further your saluation but rather aggrauate your condemnation if you fail away from it either in the time of persecution or in the time of peace Vers. 14. And that which fell among thornes are they which haue heard and after their departure are choaked with cares c. NOw followeth the exposition of the third kind of ground which noteth vnto vs a third kind of hearers And those also are bad hearers The ground is full of thornes There is some reasonable depth of soyle yet the seede and the corne sprouted is choaked by thornes and bryars that come vp among it so as it yeeldeth no good crop at haruest In like sort there be some hearers whose hearts are not so hard as the former and who are not tryed by tentation and persecution as they weâ—e whose hearts seeme to be much mooued and deepely pierced with the word and liue in such peaceable times and places that they are neuer called to suffer for the word and yet all is afterward marred by corrupt affections which are not yet mortified but still liue and raigne in their hearts And so these hearers suffer much from both the former kindes The first sort were hindered in their fruitfulnesse by the Diuell who tooke the word out of their hearts The second sort were hindered by other meÌ„ who persecuted them for the Gospell But this sort are hindered by their own carnall and worldly lustes They differ from the first kind because those vnderstood not the word but these vnderstand it and would haue embraced and obeyed it but that it crossed
his household hee denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidell This care ought to be in all There is also a care of diffidence and distrust which is an inordinate care when we keepe no measure in our care when we are not content to vse lawful but also vse vnlawfull meanes and when wee will not depend on Gods mercifull prouidence for a blessing on the meanes but forecast before hand what shall bee the successe and disquiet our mindes with thinking what shall be the issue and with fearing an ill euent This care wee must renounce as a fruit of vnbeliefe and as a thorne that will choake the seede of the word We must with diligence and care vse necessarie and lawfull meanes but leaue the issue to him who knoweth best what to doe We must cast this burden on the Lord as the Psalmist teacheth vs and hee shall nourish vs. Wee must cast all our care on him as the Apostle exhorteth for hee careth for vs. Let vs rest in his good pleasure and be content to take in good part whatsouer hee sendeth knowing that all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue God And so our care shall not hinder the fruitfulnesse of the word 2. But to proceede in the text what is the second thorne that choaketh the word Christ here nameth riches they are as dangerous this way as worldly cares Though some confound these two and make both but one thorne yet is there indeede great difference betwixt them They are heere distinguished one from the other as well as voluptuous liuing is distinguished from them both And in truth they are oftentimes seuered and not found together in some persons A man may be perplexed with worldly care yet not grow rich thereby The poore are oftentimes as carefull how to liue and to get wealth as the rich yea sometime more carefull because their charge is greater and their wantes more but their meanes be fewer and weaker It may bee GOD doth plague their great care with great want the more carefull they are the more needfull they bee If they woulde bee lesse carefull They might bee lesse needfull Againe rich men are sometime without care As is seene in the godlie Abraham was rich so was Iob both in the beginning and also in the later end of his daies and yet both of them free from distrustfull care yet are riches as pricking thornes to choake the word as well as those cares Not onely they who vexe themselues with griping cares how to get and how to exercise their wealth but likewise those who thinke they haue enough already and care not much for more but like the rich man in the Gospell say to their soules Liue at ease eate drinke and take your pastime you haue much goods laid vp for many yeares may be vnprofitable hearers Although this Euangelist nameth riches simply and absolutely without any addition yet is he to be expounded by Mathew and Marke who call this thorne the deceitfulnes of riches And that declareth the manner how they choake the word namely by deceiuing the owners Then bee they thornes when they deceiue If thou enioy them and vse them in great plentie yet shall they not choake the word in thy heart vnles they first deceiue thy soule but if they once deceiue thee they will choake thee Not the world but the cares of the world not riches but the deceitfulnes of riches make the word fruitles And certaine it is that they deceiue many because they make many vnfruitfull hearers In regard whereof Christ said we cannot serue God and riches And that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen And Paul said they that will be rich fall into tentations and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition And while some haue lusted after them they erred from the faith and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes And Iames said Whosoeuer will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God And Iohn said If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him But how doe they deceiue men we would faine knowe that will some say I answere that riches deceiue men foure waies 1. In respect of the cause of them They make the owner beleeue that God in speciall fauour and mercy did bestowe them vpon him and that he would neuer haue giuen him such abundance vnles he had dearely loued him And therefore imagineth that he is deepe in Gods bookes and in greater fauour then those that sustaine losses and endure wants This is a grosse deceit Salomon teacheth that a man knoweth neither loue nor hatred of all that is before him that is he neither knoweth whether God loue him or hate him by his outward estate neither by his riches nor by his pouertie And he giueth a reason because all things come alike to all men And the same condition is to the iust to the wicked to the pure and to the polluted to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oathe And Christ sheweth that by doing good to al we may be children of our heauēly 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 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 mē 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 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 fauour 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 thē 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 differeth 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 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 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 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 any thing 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 deluded in this sort euery trifling commoditie will hinder you in obedience to the word 3. Riches deceiue men in regard of their effects because they will not performe that which they seeme to promise and which their owners expected 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 beare greene leaues white flowers and sweete blossomes yet vnder the same doe carry sharpe prickes that will make a man to bleede if he doe not handle 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 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 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 I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prosperitie but thou saidst I will not heare this hath bene thy manner from thy youth Dauid in the time of his exile and persecution committed no such sinnes as he did when he was setled in his kingdome And it hath bene obserued and confessed by many of the learned that the Church more abounded in pietie and zeale when it was persecuted and poore then when it was peaceable and endowed with riches And thereupon it was said Religio peperit diuitias sed silia deuorauit matrem Religion brought forth riches but the daughter hath deuoured the mother That as the Church encreased in possessions so it decreased in vertue Some write that whē Christian Emperours with good entents enriched the Church with lands and possessions a voyce was heard to crye This day is venome or poyson powred into the Church And afterward the Church began to complaine and say In pace mea amaritudo mea maxima In pace mea amaritudo mea amarissima In my peace my bitternes is the greatest In my peace my bitternes is the most bitter Not so bitter before by the death of Martyrs and conflict with Heretikes as now by the manners of the household So that not a fewe but many haue bene deceiued and corrupted by riches this way and therefore all had neede to looke to themselues 4. Lastly riches deceiue men in respect of the continuance Many trust to them and hope to enioy them long when as they are presently depriued of them Thus was Dauid deceiued In his prosperitie he said I shall neuer be moued the Lord of his goodnes had made his mountaine to stand strong but thē the Lord did hide his face and he was troubled In regard whereof Salomon saith Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon that which is nothing for riches taketh her to her wings like an Eagle which flyeth into the heauen And Paul bad Timothie charge rich men not to trust to vncertaine riches vncertaine they are and therefore not to be trusted they
will deceiue those that trust to them They will faile vs in our greatest neede as namely at the houre of death That rich man who enlarged his barnes and laid vp goods for many yeares when he was in great hope of enioying them long had his soule taken from him that night and knew not who should enioy them Naked came we into this world and naked must we returne wee brought nothing into it neither must we carry any thing out of it hic acquiruntur hic relinquntur here they are gotten and here they are left All those waies doe riches deceiue men And whom they deceiue in their hearts they choake the word Such impediments are they to the word as they hinder many from receiuing and professing it Christ said the poore receiue the Gospell And Paul said you see your calling that not many mightie or many noble are called but God hath chosen the weake ones to confound the mightie and base and despised ones to confound the noble So likewise they hinder men in the obedience and practise of the word Rich men are more bound to serue the Lord then the poore for on whom he bestoweth much of them he requireth much As he is more bountifull to thē so should they be more dutifull to him yet oftentimes it commeth to passe that they seldomer heare it and lesse obey it then others doe But the greater is their sinne and the more fearefull shall be their iudgement if they doe not amend You then that be rich looke well about you take heede lest your riches deceiue you and in deceiuing you make the word fruitles It had bene better neuer to haue enioyed them then thus to be deceiued and hindred by them Salomon thought this to be an euill sicknes which he saw vnder the sunne to wit riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill And is it not verified in them whose Riches doe choake the worde in their hearts and make it vnfruitfull in their liues what greater euil could befall them Do they not hereby endanger their owne soules In a woefull case they are and farre worse then the poorest in the world CHRIST sayth vnto such Woe be vnto you that are rich for yee haue receyued your consolation Some comfort they may find now but none hereafter And Iames saith to them Go too now yee Rich men weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vppon you your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust therof shal be a witnes against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vppe Treasure for the last dayes Though now they feare no danger yet one day they shall feele it to their great sorrowe It is strange to see howe craftie and wise Rich men bee in worldly affaires In all their dealings they take such good heed that they can hardly bee deceiued by any yet in spirituall matters touching the saluation of theyr soules they may easily bee ouer-reached They are to theyr great losse often deceyued and yet doe not perceiue it Their owne riches deceiue their soules and yet they cannot discerne it nor will acknowledge it Oh consider that as the Diuell may deceiue you and as other men may deceiue you so also your own wealth may deceiue you and that as dangerously as any It may so deceiue you as it may procure your euerlasting destruction if in time you do not espie it and redresse it CHRIST would neuer haue said that the deceitfulnes of Riches as Thornes choake the seed of the word vnlesse riches did deceiue men and make them vnfruitfull hearers Let his words then be an admonition to make you take better heede There is not any one of you but if a Friende tolde you of a Couzener that had beguyled manie and went about to deceyue you to your great dammage you would take warning and eyther refuse to haue any dealings at all with the man or else if by necessity you were compelled thereunto you would be so very circumspect in your dealings that hee should hardly defraud you Christ Iesus here lets you vnderstand that riches are deceitfull and that in deceiuing men they hinder them in that which serues for Gods glory and the good of their owne soules And will not you receiue warning and beware of them Take heede of them they seeme to be your good friends and much to pleasure you yet is there falshood in their fellowship The better you like them the more you loue them and the more you trust them the more readie are they to deceiue you And indeed this is one of the strangest and grossest deceits that can be found in the world In other matters men are deceiued against their wills 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 but through your corruption not through their fraudulēt 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 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 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 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 set not your hearts thereon but rather as the Apostle exhorteth They which vse this world 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
vanitie and an euill sicknesse Some are so miserable as they cannot finde in their hearts to vse their riches for their owne comfort but let them lye by them as a sicke man doth his meate Againe there be many who liue in pleasure and yet enioy little wealth who waste their wealth in wantonnesse and care little for riches so that they may haue their pleasure for a time Such are the wanton youthes of our age who like the prodigall Sonne spend their patrimonie by riotous liuing These carnall pleasures will no lesse choake the seede of the word and hinder the fruites of it then cares of the world or deceitfulnesse of riches Salomon was a myrrour of wisedome yet when hee gaue himselfe to voluptousnesse he forgat himselfe neglected his dutie to his Creator and gaue way to abhominable Idolatrie And for this cause did Iob sacrifice for his children when they were feasting lest the pleasures thereof should make them blaspheme God in their hearts And Paul sayd that the widdow which liueth in pleasure is dead while she is aliue because such are no more able to performe the duties of Christians then one that is dead is able to performe the office of a man These pleasures hinder the fruitfulnes of the word in three respects 1. In regard of the nature of the word the obedience therof it affordeth no such carnal pleasures as the natural man desireth though it yeeld spirituall and heauenly pleasures yet it it yeeldeth no corporall or carnall pleasures And therfore voluptuous persons who minde nothing but their pleasures haue no care to obey the word which bringes them no such pleasures as they desire Nay the word doth crucify our lusts doth curbe moderate our pleasures And therefore the naturall man who hath his heart wholy set on pleasures and will not be stinted in the vse of them cannot endure it 2. In regard of the effect of pleasures they breede securitie in the heart make it more vnfit for grace more prone to vice lesse fearefull of sinne and punishment And therefore it is sayd That Whoredome and Wine take away the heart Pleasure like another Cyrce so enchanteth mens mindes that like bruite beastes they are altogether giuen to sensuallitie and wholy neglect their dutie to God 3 In regard of the matter of pleasures for many carnall pleasures consist in the vse of vnlawfull thinges and in the practise of some sinne Now if a mans heart bee set on pleasure then to satisfie his pleasure hee will sinne against GOD as Eue did in eating the forbidden fruite And as Herode did who though hee heard Iohn Baptist gladly and did many thinges that he taught yet he would not put away his brothers wife as he was commaunded Voluptuous persons wil not embrace such doctrine nor follow such teachers as condemne their vnlawfull pleasures They will not suffer wholesome doctrine as Paul fore-told but after their owne lusts get them an heape of teachers to trie whether any will tollerate their sinfull pleasures and them will they like best Uolupt as est escamalorum Pleasure is the baite of sinne And man is taken with pleasure as the fish with an hooke As the Fisherman couereth his hooke with a baite that the fish biting at the baite may be catched with the hooke So the Diuell doeth baite many sinnes with pleasure that man receiuing the pleasure may be catched with the sinne In regard whereof the voluptuous man who will not bee abridged of any pleasure committeth many sinnes against God and fayleth often in the obedience of the word He may often heare the word yet will not obey it in any point which crosseth his pleasure As some sicke patients are content that the Physition prescribe them a dyet and sometime aske him a question whether such meate be good for them or no though the Physition who best knowes what is hurtfull for him doe forbid them some kinds of meate yet haue they so strong an appetite to some of those meates as for all his direction they will not forgoe them but onely would haue beene glad if he would allow them So men come to heare the worde and thereby to learne what is good and ill for the health of their soules though the Preacher giue them good direction yet so earnest is their desire of pleasure that they will take their delight in those thinges which hee by the worde doeth forbid This may teach vs to take heede of pleasures If our hearts be drawne away with them wee shall be barren soyle We professed and promised in our Baptisme to renounce the vaine pompe and glorie of the world and all carnall desires of the flesh shall we then by seeking following them choake the word in our hearts Although before our conuersion we were as the Apostle speaketh of himselfe and others disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures yet now after our conuersion we must forgoe many pleasures that so we may yeeld better obedience to the word of God It was foretold by Paul that in the last daies shall come perilous times for men should be louers of pleasures more then louers of God I may say to you as Christ sayd of Isaiahs Prophecy This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares now are come those perilous times Now doe many men loue their pleasures more then they loue God The loue of God is seene in keeping his Commaundements Those then that are more carefull take more paines and defray more charges to satisfie themselues in their pleasures then to glorify God by the obedience of his word Are they not louers of pleasures more then louers of God And those that wilfully breake Gods Commaundements that so they may enioy their pleasures as some by whoredome others by surfetting and drunkennesse others by scoffing and iesting others by lasciuious dancing riotous gaming wanton sports prophane pastimes on the Sabboth day Are they not louers of pleasure more then louers of God And if they loue their pleasures more then they loue God they may rather be counted prophane Epicures then godly Christians The greater their pleasures is now the greater will their paine be hereafter Many of these are so addicted to their pleasures as they will not by any meanes be reclaymed wee finde it an harder matter to reforme them then to reforme other offenders The Phylosophers obserued that many fel from other Sects to the Epicures but not any from the Epicures to other Sectes When we speake against their pleasures wee but speake to the bellie which wanteth eares Surdo canimus they are like the deafe Adder that stoppeth her eare But if they will take no warning let them goe on and trie what will become of them in the end Reioyce O young man in thy youth as Salomon speaketh and let thine heart cheere thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the
so shall you be able to keepe them for euer Wherefore be carefull to vse these meanes What is the cause why people heare much and keepe little but are like to bottomlesse barrels which let water runne out as fast as it is powred in That of all the Sermons which they haue heard in their whole life time they haue scarce the abridgement of one left in their heartes or heades for their direction and consolation But euen because they haue neglected these meanes Vse them hereafter and you shall finde how well they will make you able to keepe that which you heare And bring forth fruite The third and last propertie in these hearers is this They bring forth fruite And this is another speciall difference betwixt them and all the rest For the rest eyther bring forth no fruite at all as the first sorte or but for a time as the second or imperfect fruite and in some things onely as the third But these bring foorth not for a while but continually not in some things onely but in all and that type and perfect Fruite If good seede bee sowne in good ground it vsually bringeth foorth fruite for the vse of them which owe it and sowe it So if some Doctrine bee preached and people heare it with good heartes it will bring foorth fruite in theyr liues These fruites are brought forth not by profession but by practise and doe consist not so much in wordes as in deedes And therefore Paule prayed that the Philippians might be filled with the fruites of Righteousnes And that the Colossians might please God in all things being fruitful in all good works And he saith of the Romanes That they being freed from sinne and made seruaants vnto GOD had theyr fruite in Holynesse So that this fruite cannot be vnderstood of the reward which the saints receiue in heauen but of the obedience which they performe on Earth for that is a fruite which they receyue this is a fruite which they bring forth That they receiue from God this they yeeld vnto God that is a fruit of glory this is a fruit of grace See then the disposition of these good hearers They doe not onely heare the word with their eares and vnderstand it with their mindes and keep it in their hearts but they doe also practise it in their liues This is the chiefest end of all the rest Therefore doe they heare it and learne it and keep it in their hearts that they may order their liues by it and practise it when occasion is offered Happy are all those which thus heare For as Iames saith Who so looketh into the perfect law of liberâ—ie and continueth therein hee not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke shal be blessed in his deede If therefore you would haue your hearing to be acceptable to God and comfortable to your owne soules let it end in obedieÌ„ce Ground that is sowne with good seede though it shoot forth a broad and rancke blade will not content the owner vnlesse it bring forth a good croppe No more can you please the Lord by hearing vnderstanding and professing the word vnlesse therewithall you bring forth fruite of obedience in your liues All the knowledge and learning that men can possibly haue in any Arte or Science is nothing worth without practise And can you thinke that your knowledge in matters of Religion will profite you any whitte without practise And indeede wee learne no more then wee practise As that Pambo acknowledged who hearing the first Verse of the 39. Psalme I said I will take heede to my wayes least I offend with my tongue confessed that he had not learned it in many yeeres because he had not in many yeres attained to the right practise of it We should be carefull to bring forth these fruits both in respect of God and also in respect of our selues First in respect of God because they serue for his glorie Therefore say de CHRIST to his Disciples Herein is my Fathet glorified that yee beare much fruite And therefore Paul prayed that the Philippians might be filled with the fruites of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and prayse of God Those which glorie in the Lawe and breake it doe dishonour God but they which heare it and obey it do honour him If then you haue any zeale of Gods glorie bring foorth those fruites Againe in respect of our selues because we shall receiue the reward of theÌ„ Those that haue theyr fruite in holines shall haue their end in eternall life The works of darknes are vnfruitfull works they bring no good to the authors but the workes of Righteousnes are fruitefull and procure a great rewarde to the doers The fruits of grace are the seedes of the fruites of glorie He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape eternall life Let vs therefore as the Apostle exhorteth vs not be wearie of well dooing for in due season wee shall reape if we fainte not Let vs be stedfast and vnmooueable aboundant alway in the worke of the Lorde For as much as wee knowe that our labour is not in vayne in the Lorde Yea let vs bee fruitefull in all good dutyes as well in those that abridge vs of our fleshlie delights and worldly gaine as in other seeing the losse and want of those here shal be recompenced with greater pleasures and profites in the Kingdome of Heauen But take heede least you be deceyued in iudging amisse of these Fruites For some haue erred in taking those to bee good Fruites which are none and those to be none which are 1. These fruites come of the seede and bee of the same kinde and nature with the seede As nothing is good seede but the Worde of God so nothing is to bee taken for good Fruite but the practise and obedience of the Worde And therefore the actes of Will-worship the Obseruations of vnwritten Traditions and the practise of mens precepts are not the fruites heere spoken of The Lord may say to them that bring foorth such fruite Who required these thinges at your handes These things as the Apostle saith may haue a shewe of wisedome in voluntary Religion and humblenesse of minde and in not sparing the Bodye nor hauing it in estimation to satisfie the flesh yet they perish with the vse they are after the commandements doctrines of men and therefore cannot please the Lord. God requires that you who haue beene taught the word should bring forth the fruites of it and not the fruites of humane traditions If a man sow his field with corne and it bring forth more grasse then corne it will not content him the grasse would haue growne there though it neuer had beene sowne with corne In like sort if you be taught the word of God and be more carefull to obserue mans traditions theÌ„ Gods truth you shall not please the Lord therby but rather
obedience of it The same minde ought to be in vs which was in the blessed Apostle Paul who knowing that bands and afflictions did abide in euery place yet passed not for them Neyther was his life deare vnto himselfe so that hee might fulfill his course with ioy And when he was tolde by Agabus the Prophet that hee must be bound in Ierusalem did openly protest that hee was readye not onely to be bound but also to dye there for the Name of the Lord IESUS Yet consider that you cannot endure the least of those things vnlesse you be endued with patience you knowe not what may befall you heereafter 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 persecution by inferiour persons Especially in these popish parts where some hold of Christ some of Antichrist where papists grow head-strong through impunitie And where many are Protestants in shewe but Papists in Truth If they cannot persecute you by the Sworde they will persecute you by the tongue If not by fire and fagot as they were wont yet by priuate wrongs and spitefull displeasures Yea the Church is no better nowe then was Abrahams house in which the sonne of the bond-woman by scoffes and mocks did persecute the sonne of the free woman Did not Cayne and Abel sacrifice together yet Cayne enuyed Abel because his Sacrifice was better accepted and afterwardes slewe him for it Was not Paule often in perilles among false Brethren And did you not heare out of Bernard howe the Church complained that in her peace shee had greatest bittâ—rnes Of a peaceable time he said Et pax est non est paz There is peace and there is not peace peace from Pagons peace from Heretikes yet not peace indeede from the sonnes Many friendes were foes indeede We must therefore in all times looke to receyue some Affliction for the 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 theyr bringing forth of fruite is amplified by the measure of it which was great in all yet not alike in all All were fruitefull yet there was great difference and variety in the qualitie of theyr fruite some brought forth lesse some more Though this be not heere noted in this Euangelist yet is it mentioned by the other two Euangelistes and that both in the propounding of the Parable and in the Exposition of it They say Some brought foroth thirtie folde some fixty folde 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 yeelde great encrease of Corne. The worst of it was as good as the best of our grounds and therefore the best must needes bee 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 Forraine writers record that ByzazuÌ„ in Africa for one bushell of seede yeelded an 150. of encrease That the countrey of the Euhesperites yeeldeth an hundred fold The countrey of the Cynopeans three hundreth fold And the land of Babylon in some parts hath bene so fruitfull that it neuer yeelded lesse then two hundred fold sometime three hundred fold Now the 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 Theâ—…by doth Christ set forth the diâ—â—â—sitie of fruitfulnes in his hearers All good hearers yeeld plentie of fruâ—… 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 meditations 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 that this difference of Fruites is the difference of merits in this life and rewards for them in the next life according to the diuersitie of states As that the hundred fold agreeth to virgins professed threescore fold to Religious widowes thirty folde to the marryed And hence would many popish writers proue the excellencie and dignitie of single-life aboue Widow-hood and Mariage But therein they manifestly declare that they neyther vnderstand the scope of the Parable nor the meaning of Christs Exposition 1. For first it is apparant that Christ spake it not of receyuing fruites or rewards but of bearing and bringing forth fruites of obedience Though these be so linked together as the one sorte doth certainely followe the other yet doo they much differ The one sort of fruites are our deeds performed by vs vnto God the other sorte are Gods rewardes which hee in mercy bestoweth on vs and which wee receyue from him The one sort are the fruites of grace heere brought foorth for a time on the Earth the other are the fruits of glory receyued and enioyed in Heauen for euermore Of the former kinde 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
onely assent to the doctrines but also doe beleeue that the things which we aske to be done shall be accomplished by God which we call an assurance Stella also as plainely maketh two kindes of Faith There is a faith saith he whereby we beleeue whatsoeuer is to be beleeued and this is a theologieall vertue There is another faith which is a certaine confidence to wit that whereby we beleeue that the Lord will giue vs that which we aske of him I could produce more witnesses speaking to the same purpose but I spare them till I come to speake of the seuerall kindes by themselues yet consider that not onely the ancient Fathers but likewise some great Clearkes in the late Romish Church haue made diuers kindes of faith Why then should we be condemned as Heretikes for teaching the same SECT VII LEt vs now come to the seuerall kinds of faith in particular And let vs first coÌ„sider a little touching iustifying faith It may be you will mislike two things in that description of it which I set downe in one of the precedent sermons The one respecteth the nature of it the other respecteth the persons that be endued with it because some of your side teach contrary therevnto 1. Touching the nature of it I shewed that by it a Christian doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for his present iustification and for his future saluation I know it as well as you that many of your learned meÌ„ teach the contrary and therefore I feare that you will rather beleeue them then me The Rhemists say that to apprehend Christs righteousnes by faith is a phâ—ntasticall apprehension of that which is not And that it is a false faith And afterward that the Apostle knewe not speciall faith the forged faith of Protestants whereby euery one of these new Sect-maisters and their followers as it pleaseth them in the meeknes of their spirit to tearme vs beleeue their sinnes are remitted and themselues shall be saued And else-where that a speciall faith is a forged faith that neither Paul nor Iames nor any other sacred writer euer knewe or spake of any such faith Cardinall Bellermine maintaineth that Faith is neither Fiducia an assurance of Gods mercie or the Pardon of a Man 's owne sinnes nor yet Notitia a cknowledge of such thinges but but onely a firme and certaine assent to the truth of those things which God hath propounded to be deliuered Doctor Stapleton calleth them Heretickes who place the whole nature propertie vertue and greatnes of faith in a particular applicatien of Gods geuerall promises to Belieuers Indeed that which they say is true if there were no other faith taught in the word nor wrought in the hearts of Christians then that which is generally taught and found in the present Romane Church But they which vnderstand the word aright and are iustified by Faith do know and feele another kinde of faith farre surpassing that Bellarmine doth much wrong vs and more trouble himselfe in this point then needed He saith that they differ from vs in the obiect of iustifying faith because we whom he commonly calleth by the name of Heretickes doe restraine it to a sole promise of a speciall mercy And afterward spendeth many chapters in prouing that the obiect of a iustifying faith is not a speciall mercy but all things which God hath reuealed For we doe not hold that the promise of a speciall mercy to a man in particular is the obiect of a true iustifying faith vnder the new testament we finde none such made to any of vs The generall promises of mercy in Christ are the material obiects which being indefinitly propounded it is an acte of faith to make a true Christian to apply them particularly to himselfe But to come to the matter now in question It may easily be proued that a iustifying faith is not onely an assent to the truth of things reuealed in the word but likewise an apprehension and particular applying of the generall promises of Gods mercies and Christs merits for the remission of sinnes In the scriptures faith is called a receiuing of Christ. And a receiuing of the promise Can there be a receiuing of a thing without application was Christ receiued generally of all together for all together and not particularly by euery one for himself When Thomas saide to CHRIST My God and my Lorde Did not he especially and particularly applye Christ and his benefites to himselfe who was GOD and Lorde to all true Christians Yet Christ gaue it the name and Tytle of Faith saying vnto him Because thou hast seene mee thou belieuest And maketh that his faith the very same with their faith who were blessed for belieuing when they had not seene Yea with the faith of Gentiles For Augusti thinketh he did thereby preach and commend the faith of the Gentiles When Paul saide Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Did hee not applye particularly to himselfe Christ and his benefites yet this hee did by that faith whereof hee spake immediately before euen by that faith in the Sonne of God whereby he then liued Is not Christ that bread which must nourish our soules and is not Faith the eating of him as himselfe declareth at large Ioh 6. Whervpon Augustine said What preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly belieue thou hast eaten And can there be any eating vnlesse there be be a speciall Application of the meate to the person that is fed Doth not euery one pray in particular for speciall mercie And is not euery one to belieue that what he asketh he shall obtaine And certaine it is that whosoeuer doth worthilie by Faith receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper hee doth by faith particularly receiue Christ and all his benefites and particularly applyeth all the promises of Gods mercies in him Bellarmine confesseth that they agree with vs that Faith is necessarily required for the profitable receiuing of the Sacrament And is there not an Analogie betwixt the signes and the thing signied Looâ—…e then how wee receiue the outward Signes so must wee by faith receiue the thing signified As therefore euerie one doeth particularly with his owne hand receiue to himselfe and for himselfe the outward signe So euery one that belieueth doth particularly receiue to himselfe and for himselfe Christ and all his benefites Let vs come to the Fathers It may be some of you will neither yeeld to scriptures alleadged by vs nor yet to any reasons vnles you may heare the Fathers speake as we doe That godly Martyr Cyprian said that although a man daily rehearsed all the articles of the creede Yet he doth not beleeue in God who doth not place in him onely the assurance of his whole felicitie he holdeth that faith is a confidence or assurance and not in generall of the happines and saluation of
Yet vnto this faith assent of reason and the minde that it may be called a perfect faith there ought also to be adioyned a certaine sure and firme trust of the heart whereby the belieuing soule doth so stay vpon trust to the worde and truth of God that without all doubting whatsoeuer it is he hath it as sure as if he held it in his handes And hee further addeth that this is the Faith and not that assent of reason which the Lord euery where required of them whome hee vouchsafed to heale Of that he spake when he saide Daughter be of comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole And this is the same Faith which maketh prayer effectuall which Christ and Iames require in them that pray Didacus Stella hauing distinguished of faith that there is one to belieue whatsoeuer is to be belieued called a Theological vertue another is a Considence by which we belieue that the Lorde will giue whatsoeuer we aske He saith that without this faith 1. this Confidence our sinnes cannot be forgiuen For although a man belieue all thinges contained in holy Scriptures to be true and all things which the Church belieueth yet if he shuld not trust and most certainly belieue that they shall be forgiuen him they should neuer be forgiuen him And saint Iames saith Let him aske in faith nothing doubting To the like purpose doth he afterward distinguish of faith describe the later kinde saying Faith is taken two wayes One way for the habite of belieuing according to which we doe assent to the trueths of the Scripture And this is the Faith without which it is impossible to please God And this is one of the three Theologicall vertues 1. Cor. 13. And by this faith a belieuer differeth from an Infidell There is another faith which is called a Confidence whereby a man asketh of God confidently hoping and belieuing most certainly that he shall obtaine of the Lord that which he asketh Which faith is needefull for him that prayeth otherwise hee shall neuer obtaine any thing If this be the faith required of them that pray aright it is the faith of all Gods Saints and of them which are iustified for they pray often and are heard And if this man write truely then those who teach and haue no other faith then an assent to the truth of things reuealed can neuer obtaine pardon of their sinnes nor haue their petitions graunted Tollet taught and that out of Euthymius that Faith in many places of scripture is takeÌ„ Not for the assent of the minde but for the assuraÌ„ce of the will Iansenius also writeth the same Therfore most rightly as appeareth it may be saide that by the name of Faith in the Gospells wheÌ„ saluation or the obtaining of those things which wee desire is ascribed vnto it both these are comprehended both that firme assent in things to be belieued concerning God and Christ and also a Confidence conceyued from his goodnesse c. For these two doe so cleaue together that neyther can there be any Confidence without Credulitie neyther can Credulitie without Confidence obtayne any thing of God And to the same effect afterward thus These two to wit Credulity and Confidence seeme to be included together in the name Faith when it is set downe that the Lord saâ—d According to your Faith be it vnto you That the meaning may be As ye belieue that I can heale you and for this doe trust that I will heale you So be it vnto you If then by the testimonie of these Authors Faith bee often so taken in the Scriptures And if this be the only Faith whereby we obtaine such things at the handes of God Why should wee be condemned as Hereticks for teaching such a faith Ought not we to haue such a faith in Christ for the saluation of our soules that those men had in him for the curing of their bodyes Though Stapleton denie this speciall Considence yet hee acknowledgeth that for one and the same faith Christ gaue them both outward inward health Paulus Burgensis saith that Abraham by the Faith which was imputed to him for Righteousnes did not onely belieue that he should be the Father of many Nations but rather that he his seed should obtaine euerlasting life in heauen In Genes 15. Addit 2. The Diuines of Colone taught that through the faith of the word of God working in vs true Contrition and Repentance and other works of preuenting grace we are iustified as by a certaine cause preparing and disposing vs. But through the Faith whereby without doubting we doe firmely trust our sinnes are forgiuen vs through Christ wee are iustified as by a cause receiuing it And also adde further that the Righteousnes of Christ is the cause of our Iustification not as it is out of vs in him but as and when the same is imputed vnto vs for Righteousnes yet so that it be apprehended by faith Cassander who was so highly esteemed for learning and wisedome that two Romane Emperors Ferdinand and Maximilian 2. sent to him for his aduise howe to compound the controuersies in religion approueth their opinion saith that Booke was greatly commended of all the Learnedst diuines through Italy France as a Booke that excellently relateth the summe of the Ancients opinion touching religion out of whose writings the booke is as it were confirmed And with great approbation citeth these words out of it Wee confesse it to be true that it is altogether required for the iustifying of a man that a man doe certainly belieue not onely generally that for Christ sinnes be forgiuen to them that be truely penitent but also that they be forgiuen to the man himselfe for Christ by faith Hee also alledgeth out of the Ratisbone booke these words We call a liuely faith a motion of the holy Ghost whereby they who truely repent are lifted vp to God and doe truely apprehend mercie promised in Christ that now they truely perceiue that they haue through the free goodnes of God receiued remission of sinnes and reconciliation for the merits of Christ and doe crye Abba Fâ—ther And therevpon hee inferreth that rightly agreeably to the scriptures it is saide that this is the nature of a Iustifying Faith that it perceiue that feeling of Gods fauour which the holy Ghost worketh in vs. And further addeth that to obtaine Iustification Such a Faith is required whereby a man after the example of Abraham doth not doubt of the promise of God through distrust but aboue hope belieueth vnder hope that God will impute to him that belieueth in him who raised Iesus from the dead this Faith to his iustification and will not impute his sinnes to him An example whereof as he saith we haue in the cure of corporall diseases which beareth an image of the inward cure For there Christ required a Faith whereby a man did belieue that Christ
and of a professed Christian become an Infidell but he who hath a true Justifying faith cannot quite loose it he may fall in outward shew onely still retayning faith in his heart so did Peter in his fall as shall afterward appeare but he who falleth away indeed and in truth totally and finally neuer had this iustifying faith Marcellinus Bishop of Rome seemed to fall into infidelitie when he sacrificed to Idols did he then loose his faith was he then become an Infidell indeed Then may the Bishop of Rome not onely erre in matters of faith but likewise quite loose his faith and become an Infidell yea an Infidell then may be the head of the Romane Church To auoyd this inconuenience Bellarmine answereth that he was neither Hereâ—icke nor Infidell but onely in outward acte for feare of death did sacrifice to Idolls As if he kept faith in his heart when he performed the outward act of an Infidell And of Liberius another Bishop of Rome he likewise saith That though it be true that he subscribed to the Arian heresie yet hee was no Hereticke but onely sinned in outward acte as Marcellinus did Why then may we not say that a Iustified beleeuer though hee through feare fall to the outward act of Infidelitie yet still keepeth faith in his heart Moreouer the testimonies which I alleadged out of the Fathers are absolute generall as well against the losing of faith by infidelitie as against the losâ—oâ—g of it by sinne But if any did fall to Infidelitie not onely in outward act but also in hart totally in deed in truth they were iudged by the Fathers neuer to haue had this faith Augustine said that those who doe not perseuere but so fall away from Christian faith and conuersation that the end of this life finde them such out of doubt at that time when they liued well and godly were not to be reckoned in the number of the elect and of them who are called according to his purpose So hee writeth of the Discciples which forsooke Christ at Capernaum That they were called Disciples the Gospell so speaking and yet they were not Disciples in truth because they abode not in his word According to that which he saith If yee abide in my Worde yee are verily my Disciples Therefore because they had not perseuerance As they were not truely the Diseiples of Christ So neyther were they truely the sonnes of God Euen when they seemed to bee and were so called And if they were not truely the Sonnes of God they had no faith For by Faith are we made the Sonnes of God as the scripture teacheth Yea the same Father professedly expoundsng the place of Iohn where those Disciples are mentioned saith They were to be reckoned among vnbelieuers though they were called Disciples If any suspect that I wrest his wordes contrary to his meaning Let him reade Maldonatus a Papist who writeth that 52 the Disciples which beleeued not when they followed Christ were Iudas and the murmurers And that Augustine and Beda doe thinke that those which went backe neuer had faith no more then those which S. Paul said were turned backe after Satan But of what faith must this be vnderstoode What faith did those Disciples and othe Reuolters want when they were taken for Disciples and Christians Was it an Hystoricall or assenting faith The Iesuites will not yeeld that Castor holdeth that all in the Church haue such a faith yea though they be as Tares among wheat bad fish among good foolish virgins wanting oyle in their Lamps as the guest wanting a wedding-Garment and like the incestuous Corinthian Bellarmine auoucheth that all in the Church are such beleeuers though they be wicked ones and instanceth in the forenamed Parables as if all the persons noted therein had that faith though they wanted charity good works Those Disciples and other reuolters before their backe-sliding were in the Church and yet wanted faith As Christ himself Augustine and others haue taught And therefore seeing that by the doctrine of the Iesuites they could not want an historicall and assenting faith they must needs want another faith namely a true iustifying faith But of all others Michael Medina is most plaine and copious in this point as in parte I declared when I spake of a temporary faith yet more may be added to shew his resolute opinion that none haue true faith but they which keepe it to the end According to Christian veritie saith he onely that is to be iudged a true faith which hath the efficacy of obtayning saluation According to that Hee that beleeueth in mee hath eternal life And afterward he addeth That true faith indeede doth consist with true loue but that onely is called true loue by a moral truth which hath perseuerance and continuance And that the Scripture neuer called the faith of them who beleeue for a time to be true saith And that those who are damned neuer had true faith And in conclusion he asked Soto whether he is to be called faithfull or a friend who should be ioyned vnto him for an houre by frieÌ„dship and faith which if he will not say because continuance and constancie is of the nature and being of true faith and charitie then cannot such offenders be called true beleeuers in Christ. Cardinall Bellarmine holdeth against some who then liued that Christ did not onely pray that Peter might continue in faith and in the fauour of God vnto the end but that he also prayed a little after for the perseuerance of all the Apostles yea also of all the elect Ioh. 17. Holy Father keepe them in thy Name whom thou hast giuen me How then can the Faith of any of the Elect faile Shall wee thinke that Christs Prayer was not heard Doth not hee else-where acknowledge that the Father heard him alwayes Was his prayer effectuall against the losse of grace and faith by sinne not against the losse of them by Infidelitie Then was his prayer heard but in part How can they proue that difference SECT XIIII IN prosecuting this point I produced Peuer for an Example who though he denyed his master with an Oath yet still kept Faith in his heart And least any should thinke that this was a speciall priuiledge in Peter I shewed that Christ prayed for others as well as for him Now if there be any who imagine that Christ prayed for them after a different maner and to another end let them remember what I alleadged before out of Augustine touching Christs prayer for all the elect namelie That Christ praying for them that their Faith might not fayle without doubt it shall not fayle vnto the end and therefore shall continue vnto the end neyther shall the end of this life find it otherwise then remayning But because that Bellarmine and others doe teach that Peter did quite loose his faith and the righteousnes thereof I will