DAVIDS BLESSED MAN OR A SHORT EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST Psalme directing a Man to true Happinesse Wherein the Estate and Condition of all Mankinde is laid downe both for this life and that which is to come The second Edition profitably amplified by the Author SAMVEL SMITH Preacher of the Word of God at Pritwell in Essex 1. TIM 4.8 Godlinesse hath the promise of the life present and the life that is to come LONDON Printed by NICHOLAS OKES and are to bee sold by SIMON WATERSON at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Crowne 1616. ⧠TO THE HONORABLE SIR ROBERT RICH KNIGHT OF THE BATH AND SON and Heire to the Right Honorable ROBERT Lord RICH and to the Honorable and vertuous Lady the Lady FRANCIS RICH his wife S.S. wisheth all true comfort in this life and Eternall happinesse in the Life to come HONORABLE IT is reported that when one presented vnto Antipater King of Macedon a treatise of Happinesse that hee reiected it with this answer I am not at leasure your Honor shal finde this a treatise tending to Happinesse and shewing the way to euerlasting blessednesse yet I assure my selfe it shall finde better intertainement at your hands and that you will finde leasure at your leasure to peruse it J must ingeniously confesse that many haue many times handled many points of doctrine deliuered in this treatise yet I haue done it after another method Jf the water I haue drawne from this Well shall delight you J hope it will not tast the worse being brought vnto you in this vessell I offer here vnto your view the Anatomy of Dauids blessed Man or a short Exposition of the first Psalme directing a man how he may be truly blessed Jt is not without desert that Ierome doth call this book of the Psalmes The Treasury of learning for out of it most frequent testimonies are brought by our blessed Sauiour himselfe And this first Psalme is a Compend or an abstract of the whole booke of Psalmes directing the way to true happinesse The text J am sure is excellent for the purpose but for my manner of handling it I leaue it to the censure of Gods Church In Preaching I haue euer counted plainnesse the best eloquence and the carriage of matters so that those of the lowest forme may learne somewhat the soundest and the surest learning For surely we are so fallen into the dregges of time which being the last must needs be worst that Security hath so possessed all Men that they will not be awaked but if at any time the word of God or any good motion of Gods Spirit hath met with them presently Security whispers them in the one eare that though it be fit to thinke of such things yet it is not yet time Youth pleades a priuiledge though many millions of yong men are in hell for want of timely repentance And Presumption warrants thē in the other eare that they may haue time hereafter And thus men spend their daies vntill at last their houre-glasse be run and time then is past Now if your Honor shal lay this to heart in the strength of your yeares it shall bee your chiefest wisedome And if to bee religious in all ages hath been held to be true honor how much more honorable is it in so impious an age It is religion godlinesse that shal embalme your name and make it shine before men and glorifie your soule amongst Angels Mary her box of Oyntment shall neuer be forgotten for Godlinesse hath the promise of this life that which is to come and without it there is no internall comfort to bee found in conscience nor externall peace to bee looked for in this world nor eternall happinesse to bee hoped for in the next Now how can Religion but promise to herself a zealous patrō of your honor being the son heire of so gratious and religious a father who hath shewed himselfe a faithfull Dore-keeper in the house of his God Let his godly example teach you not to drinke of those stolen waters or rather indeed the bloud of soules wherwith too many in these gold-thirsty daies doe purchase Acheldama vnto them theirs The Lord keepe this euer frō the purpose of heart in his seruants who haue so honourable and weighty a trust committed vnto them Let that exhortation of Dauid to his son Salomon be euer in your honorable minde And thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts If thou seeke him hee will bee found of thee but if thou forsake him hee wil cast thee off for euer The God of heauen so vouchsafe to water you and yours with the dew of heauen that with the godly man in this psalm you may prosper as trees of his planting and so bring forth fruit in due season in this A Table of the Principall Doctrines contained in this Booke VERSE 1. DOctrine 1. The godly man alone is blessed pag. 21. Doct. 2. The occasions of sinne are to be auoided pag. 46 Doct. 3. We must shun the company of wicked men pag. 53 Doct. 4. Wicked men are euer deuising of mischiefe pag. 61 Doct. 5. To giue euill counsell is a horrible sinne pag. 67 Doct. 6. The falles of godly manie pag. 74 Doct. 7. A godly man doth euer walke with God pag. 79 Doct. 8. Wicked men described pag. 84 Doct. 9. A godly man sinnes not with deliberation pag. 88 Doct. 10. Wicked men proceed by degrees to be exceeding sinful 99 Doct. 11. The marke of a lewd and wicked man pag. 107 VERSE 2. Doct. 1. Not to do euill is not sufficient it is damnable not to do good pag. 115 Doct. 2. A godly man performes godly duties cheerfully pag. 122 Doct. 3. The law of God is a godly mans chiefe delight pag. 134 Doct. 4. A godly man sets some time a part euery day for Gods seruice pag. 140 VERSE 3. Doct. 1. Ministers duty to instruct the simplest p. 158. Doct. 2. A double vse of all the creatures of God pag. 162 Doct. 3. All men that are not ingrafted into Iesus Christ are miserable pag. 170 Doct. 4. Onely the regenerate man is happy and blessed p. 176 Doct. 5. Members of Iesus Christ are euer fruitfull p. 189 Doct. 6. A true note of a godly man to waite all opportunities to do good p. 207 Doct. 7. Perseuerance required in each child of God p. 213 Doct. 8. By our vnion with Christ we are made sure of perseuerance p. 222 Doct. 9. God doth euer blesse the godly endeuours of his children p. 228 VERSE 4. Doct. 1. The estate of the wicked most miserable pag. 243 Doct. 2. The estate of the wicked exceeding changeable pag. 258 Doct. 3. The destruction of the wicked is vnreuokable pag. 269 VERSE 5. Doct. 1. The certainty of the day of iudgement
come wouldest be assured that thou art the childe of God in his fauour reconciled vnto him in Iesus Christ wouldest thou bee assured of the saluation of thy soule Oh labour then to become a godlie and a religious man repent of thy sinnes past amend thy life walke before God in new obedience labour to keepe faith and a good conscience hate euery euill way cleaue vnto the Lord delight in his word let it be the ioy of thine heart then certainely thou shalt bee Blessed and happpy for euermore Vse 5 To conclude if the godly man be blessed then the wicked man must of necessity be cursed if the estate of the righteous and religious man be so comfortable and blessed then the estate of the wicked and vngodly must needes be miserable and cursed according to that of Moses vnto the Israelites Deu. 28.15 If thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God as indeede Obedience is farre from a wicked man howsoeuer he may come with Saules painted Sacrifice Ps 119.21 what followes Thou shalt bee cursed in bodie and cursed in soule c. Againe Thou hast destroyed the proud and cursed are they that erre from thy Commaundements And this miserie of a wicked man doth consist in these things especially First Wherein the wicked are cursed that hee can haue no assurance that hee is the childe of God that he is reconciled to God in Iesus Christ or in his fauour nay he may assure himselfe that hee is out of his fauour and that God hates him as his enemy and that he will manifest his wrath and displeasure vpon him by plaguing him here in this life and by damning him for euer in the life to come Yea the Lord beginnes that condemnatory sentence in the heart of a wicked man in this life For euerie sinne which a wicked man doth commit there ariseth many times within their Consciences accusing thoughts and there is also a Sentence within him giuen out against him presently after he hath committed sinne there is a sentence within him gone out against him by themselues iudgement is gone out against themselues which sentence albeit the wicked man doe not marke yet the voyce of his owne disordered affections crying out so loud that hee cannot heare ths voyce of his owne conscience accusing and condemning him yet many times in this life affection is silent as to Balthazar and Iudas Dan. 5. Mat. 27. then conscience doth pronounce sentence against him with a shrill voyce 1. Ioh. 3.20 Now if a mans conscience doe condemne him God is greater then his conscience and will much more condemne him But assuredly in the day of iudgement it will crye aloud in the eares of the Lord against the sinner for iudgement and vengeance And this is not the least misery vnder which the wicked man remaines being out of Christ Secondly hee can haue no assurance that his sinnes bee pardoned but rather may be assured that his sinnes stand vp in account against him Reu. 20 13 and that hee shall bee condemned for them For it is that prerogatiue which belongs onely to the godly man to haue his sinnes couered Euen the Blessed Man Ps 32.1.2 but as for the wicked and vngodly the Lord is farre from iustifying them but their sinnes remaine yet in Gods booke of account and shall assuredly one day bee layd to their charge when the booke shall be opened and their horrible sinnes made manifest to the whole world euen to Men and Angels euen these their most secret sinnes which now they haue committed neuer so closely in the darke shall then come to light and they shall not haue so much as one figge-leafe to couer their nakednesse or one friend to speake so much as one word to the LORD Chiefe Iustice of Heauen and Earth but their own consciences beeing as a thousand witnesses against them they shall then bee held euen speechlesse and the Lord will manifest vpon them the fiercenesse of his wrath in that day Thirdly hee can haue no peace of conscience Esay 57. For there is no peace to the wicked but alwayes carries about him an euill conscience that will neuer giue him rest but is as the flashings of hell-fire vnto him or else hee hath in him a dead and sleepy conscience scared as it were with an hot Iron that hee feeles not the weight and burthen of his sins Which iudgement is no way inferiour to the former Mal. 3.5 Ioh. 5.45 Iosu 24.27 Iam. 5.3 Oh miserable then is the state and condition of the wicked that haue no true peace in life nor death nor after death for the LORD himselfe at the last shall bee a iudge and a witnesse against them Moses the righteous seruants of God shall be a witnes against them yea the dust of their feet that brought the glad tidings of peace shall witnesse against them the stones of the field the posts of their houses their mote-eaten garment all shall come in against them to hinder their peace with God and their owne consciences will they nill they shall cry aloud and say Righteous art thou oh Lord and true are thy iudgements Fourthly hee can haue no hope nor any assurance that he shall bee saued but is either carried away with a carnall perswasion or presumption which will deceiue him in the end their consciences being seared or else most iustly feare that they shall bee damned their consciences being awake Now then if this bee the fearefull and most woefull estate of all wicked men that liue in sinne without repentance Who then would liue in such an estate of life to gaine a Kingdome in so great danger of eternall death and damnation euery day they arise why doe not such repent and turne vnto GOD that so they may be saued Fifthly and lastly if a man bee out of Christ vnregenerate let him abound neuer so much in wealth liue in honour bath himselfe in pleasures yet remaining still in his sinnes he can take no sound comfort in any of these Tit. 1.13 For to them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Their sweete sauours and pleasant smels are stinch their meats and drinkes are gall and wormewood their delicate fare is poyson their costly apparell as menstruous cloth and their life a death and they shall one day answere for euery bit of bread they haue eaten as theeues and vsurpers of those things that are none of theirs for of proper right they belong vnto the godly man thus haue we briefly seene wherein the wicked man is cursed and miserable That doth not walke in the counsell of the c. THe godly mans vertues bee heere first set downe by a Negatiue contestation in these words Hee walketh not in the counsell of the wicked Out of which wee may obserue that there is a counsell of the wicked And this is either priuate amongst themselues
precious in their eyes but rather it is irkesome and tedious vnto them it is bitter and vnsauourie It fareth with people in these dayes as it did with those olde people of the Iewes vnto whom should I speake and admonish that they might heare Behold their eares are vncircumcised and they cannot hearken vnto it the word of the Lord is a reproach vnto them and they haue no delight therein Ieremie 6.10 Now that men haue no delight to the word of God which is the very power of God to saluation it may appeare First because men and women take no delight in Hearing Reading and Meditating on the word of GOD you shall finde a great number that will buy other profane bookes that will hardly buie the Booke of all Bookes the holie and sacred Bible And if they buie it yet they spend no time in perusing of it in reading and meditating of it Other Bookes are delightfull and pleasant to flesh and bloud and this is the reason they doe so much desire them but withall this sheweth that they be carnall not borne anew for if they were then would they bestow lesse time in reading and perusing those prophane and vnprofitable Bookes and would bestow more time in reading and meditating on this blessed Booke of God yea and the small account men make of Gods Ministers whom the Lord calles his Messengers and Embassadours yea the Angells of the Church Vse 2 Secondly seeing all the dueties that wee owe to God either of hearing praying c. must be performed of vs not vpon compulsion but willingly and cheerefully we learne that euery action is accounted of by God not according to the worke it selfe but according to the affection of the doer This the Lord himselfe doth teach when he saith This people come neare mee with their mouth and honour mee with their lippes but their hearts are farre from mee Esay 29.13 And therefore were their Sacrifices abhomination to the Lord as hee againe saith in another place I can not away with your new Moones And this was it made the poore Widdowes mite commended aboue the rest that offered of their superfluity Luke 31.3.4 He that shall giue a cuppe of colde water to a Disciple Mat. 10.41 in the name of a Disciple he shall not loose his reward Alas what is the bestowing of a mite a brasen token or what is a cuppe of cold water are they in thēselues anie thing worth to merite any thing at Gods hand No no but God accepteth the manner more then the matter how they are doone more then what is done Which may teach vs to labour to haue our affections tryed that whatsoeuer we doe in the seruice of Almightie God may bee done in truth and sincerity of heart This was Iobs comfort when hee sayd O Lord I haue esteemed thy word more then my ordinarie foode This was the Prophet Dauids comfort when hee could say Oh how doe I loue thy Law it is my meditation continually Psalme 119. verse 97. And this shall be our comfort when wee shall goe the way of all flesh that wee can say with good King Ezechias Remember O Lord that I haue walked before thee in truth and with an vpright heart That we haue not beene painted sepulchres desiring to be accounted righteous before men but within full of all rottennesse and corruption but haue laboured rather to be approoued of God Oh how ought our hearts and soules to be inflamed in a holy and godly zeale towardes the word of God the lawe of the Lord here spoken of yea wee ought more earnestly to long for the waters of this well of life then euer Dauid did for the waters of the well of Bethlem and when we haue tasted how sweet the Lord is neuer oh neuer to deale with the Lord as the people of Israel did Io. 4.15 which loathed the Manna that was sent them from heauen But much better shall it bee for vs to cry out with the woman of Samaria Lord giue me to drinke of these waters for these waters being once tasted of will kepe a man that hee thirst not againe but shall euer bee refreshed by the same to eternal life Lastly let vs heerein labour to Vse 3 manifest our vnfained loue and liking of the Word and Law of God euen by our obedience thereunto that wee desire to frame our liues thereafter to obey the doctrine and word of God in heart and life to be reformed by it and to bee conformed to it CHRIST maketh this to bee the eare-marke of those that are his Sheepe namely this That they heare his voyce and follow him And againe Iohn 10. Heereby shall all men know that yee are my Disciples and loue mee if yee keepe my Commandements So heereby shall men know that wee loue the Lawe of God if wee studie to keepe it to obey it in heart and life But if wee haue in vs no care to liue thereafter but breake the Lawe of God continually and rebell against his Commandements how can wee be sayd to loue the Lawe of God If a man should say hee loueth the Kings Lawes and likes them well and yet should euery day breake them wittingly and willingly and bee euer playing the Traytor would not all men condemne him as an hypocrite and a lyar So though most men doe say they loue the Word of God and delight in his Lawe yet seeing they doe daily breake it and rebell against it wittingly and willingly by swearing lying prophaning of his Sabaoth drunkennesse swilling pride vncleanenesse c. It is manifest they haue no loue vnto it Thus much of the first part shewing that the godly man is well affected to the heauenly Doctrine of the word of God it is the delight and ioy of his heart Now in the second part of the Verse the Prophet Dauid sheweth the exercise of a godly man that as in his heart he loueth and liketh the Word and heauenly Doctrine of the Lawe of God so in his life hee is conuersant in the same his Meditations are much spent therein hee is said to meditate therein day and night That is the godly man doth much muse and meditate often exercising his minde with calling to minde and remembrance the heauenlie Doctrines comforts and instructions of the word of God and this hee doth not slightly and carelesly but seriously and with good aduice and to this end doth euermore set some time apart euery day morning and euening two times a day at least for the performance of this godlie duetie Doth meditate day and night Doctr. 3. The Lawe of god is a godly mās chiefe delight HEere wee see still that a godly man and one that shall bee truely blessed the Lord requireth that he be no stranger and such a one as seldome or neuer searcheth the Scriptures but that hee be much and often exercised in the holy and serious meditation of Gods Law in the diligent searching perusing and particularly
applying of the heauenly doctrine of the word of God And indeede this is heere set downe as a true fruit of our loue to the word as the loue of the word is made a true fruit of a godly man for as it is impossible a man should be truely religious and feare God yet haue no sound loue nor delight in the word of God so is it likewise impossible a man or woman should truly loue the word of God in their heart that seldome or neuer bestow any paines in the serious and earnest meditation of the same Dauid calls God to witnes that the loue he bare to the law of God was exceeding great when he said O how do I loue thy Law Psa 119.97 And in the same verse he seemes to proue the same to God it is my meditation continually which indeed is a note of true loue to be euer thinking of the thing beloued And in very deed the carefull and diligent study the often and earnest meditation of the word of God is the very life and strength of all our worship and seruice of God for if men should reade much and neuer meditate it would doe them no good if men should heare much often neuer meditate they should be little the better If men should pray much and often and neuer meditate they should finde small comfort If men come often to the Sacraments and doe not before and after meditate of the Couenant of grace they should not receiue much good thereby so that you see that Meditation is all in all it puts life to our reading hearing praying receiuing and without it al our reading hearing praying and receiuing will stand vs in small stead For without this Meditation this Lawe that is the word of God will eyther in time be forgotten whereby wee shall become vnmindefull of it or else it will prooue as a Talent hid in the ground vtterly vnfruitfull vnto vs for this Meditation indeed is the third steppe of a true conuert The first is to heare the word of God readily the second to remember it diligently and the third to Meditate on it seriously and this is compared to the Chewing of the Cud Deut. 14.6.7 which is neuer found in the vncleane but in the cleane beasts True it is that hearing and reading the Word will beget knowledge but Meditation is the speciall meanes to worke vpon the affection for else all our knowledge shall onely be in generall idle and swimming in the brayne which may well bee called braine-knowledge but no heart-knowledge but by serious Meditation wee doe applie that wee heare to our owne selues in particular laying the Doctrine to our owne hearts applying it to our selues to comfort our sad soules to humble them for our sinnes and to square our liues thereby that wee may in all things keepe a cleare conscience before God and man The Lord giues Ioshuah a straight charge to doe thus Let not the Booke of the Lawe depart out of thy mouth But meditate therein day and night That thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and thou shalt then haue good successe Ioshua 1.8 and Deuteron 6. vers 6.7.8 And thus the seruants of God haue been much exercised in meditation and thereby haue growne woonderfull not only in knowledge but in practise as we may see in Dauid Psa 119. who tooke great delight in Gods Lawe and made it his meditation continually And of Isaac it is reported that hee went out into the fieldes in the euening to meditate Genesis cha 24. This reprooues the common fault Vse 1 in the world that most men vtterly neglect this duety seldome or neuer settle themselues to meditate in the Lawe of God and his heauenly Doctrine It is hard to finde a man or woman that makes any conscience of this duetie to set themselues apart and set themselues in Gods presence to call to minde that they haue heard and learned to applie it to themselues in particular to humble them or to comfort them And this is the cause why most men hearing and reading so much as they haue yet profit so little in knowledge faith repentance and obedience They can be content to heare the word preached and taught and it may be now and then to reade a chapter but to thinke vpon it to ruminate vpon the word of God and as it were to chew the Cudde to call the same to minde againe to applie it to themselues to labour to profit by it this they cannot indure this they care not for For if men did carefully meditate of the things they heard and read how could they be so ignorant in Gods word as most be So voyde of knowledge faith repentance humilitie zeale patience and the like gifts and graces which accompany godlie and holie meditation For bookes of Statutes men wil not only haue them in their houses but at their fingers ends but Bible they haue none And if they haue it lieth vpon the deske or table and they reade it not And if sometimes they reade yet they neuer meditate thereon This may admonish all men as Vse 2 they loue their owne soules to make more care and conscience of the performance of this duetie to call to minde that wee doe heare or reade to thinke and muse vpon it to chew the Cudde to lay it to heart yea and to applie it to our owne soules and consciences in particular This is like the rumination or chewing of the Cudde to lay it to bee found onely in the cleane beasts whereas they which chewed not the Cudde Deuter. 14 6.7 were vncleane This is the marke and propertie of a godlie and Blessed man whereas the not doing it is the marke of a wicked vngodly man Let vs then remember that we make the word of God our Meditation continually Many men meditate much some in one thing and some in another as they are led by fond affection some thinke of honours some of pleasures some of riches some of one thing and some of another And of these they doate and dreame talke and speake continually But heere wee are taught another lesson namely that our mindes must especially be set vpon the word of God that must be our delight and the ioy of our heart 3. Point The last point in this Verse is the circumstance of Time namely not by fittes But the godly man keepes a continuall course in the study and meditation of the word of God so as hee setteth apart some time for the worship and seruice of God at least twice a day to meditate and study in Gods Booke Hence wee learne that euery one Doctr. 4. A godly man sets some time apart euery day for Gods seruice that will liue a godly life and so please God that he may find comfort to his owne soule and be blessed in the end must set some time apart euery day for
borne anew Iohn 3.6 Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.21 none but such as do repent and beleeue in Christ Iesus and bee the true and liuely members of his Mysticall Body And to the end that wee bee not deceiued in so weighty a matter but that wee may assuredly know whether Christ dwell in our hearts by his Spirit and we dwell in him by faith so as we be true and liuely members of his mysticall Body let vs try it by these two waies First by the power of Christs death Secondly by his resurrection If thou bee a member of Christ thou shalt finde the power of Christs death daily crucifying the old man and eating out the corruption of thy nature for as wee see in a mans body when there is much dead flesh in a wound they lay corzie medicines to it to eate it out so the death of Iesus Christ applyed to our hearts by faith doth fret and eate out as a corzie the corruption of Nature Rom. 6.1.23 Rom. 6. 7.8 our dead flesh So as Christ by his death maketh all his members die vnto sinne so as they can not liue in the bondage and slauery of sinne Now then proue your selues you hope to bee saued by Christ Iesus But bee not deceiued Christ died for none but such as bee vnited to him his true and liuely members And none are his members but such as find and feele the power of his death to mortifie kill and weaken the power of sinne and naturall corruption Doe you then find sinne to die in you Doe you finde the strength of your corruption to bee abated the heate of it to bee alayed Doe you feele Christes death fretting it out so as you can say I hate sinne I abhorre sinne It is as bitter as Wormewood vnto mee Doe you finde this change in your liues that you leaue your old sinnes labouring to get out of ignorance to leaue swearing lying stealing drinking whooring c. then your case is good it is an euident token that you are ingrafted into Iesus Christ But if on the contrary part you finde that sinne is as strong now as euer it was and that you are the same now that you were seuen yeares agoe now dying to sinne and rising to newnesse of life Oh deceiue not youe owne soules any longer your case as yet is fearefull you bee not the liuely members of Iesus Christ but wilde Oliues dead branches good for nothing but fewell for the fire The secoÌ„d property of this tree Which bringeth forth her fruit in due season This Tree whereunto the godly man is compared is most like to bee the palme tree Maler in Psalm 1. THis is the second property of that Tree whereunto a godly man is compared namely as it is wel planted and seated by the Riuers side where it hath continuall iuice and nourishment and is well watered Euen so likewise it is fruitfull and yeeldeth sweete and pleasant fruit to him that planted it And that In due season Euen so the godly man being ingrafted into Iesus Christ Palma gaudâ—â— rignis totoque animo bibere gaudet Pli. lib. 13.4 Psal 92.12 as by a riuers side and being a liuely member of his Mysticall Body hee bringeth forth much good and pleasant fruite and that in Due season When as it may best stand for the glory of God and the good of man Heere wee see then who are the true and liuely members or Iesus Doctr. 5. Members of Christ are euer fruitfull Christ who is a true godly man and who is planted as this good Tree in Iesus Christ the true Vine Namely such as bee carefull and endeuour themselues continually to bring forth the blessed fruite of a godly and Christian life Euery Tree is knowne by his fruite A Tree is not knowne by his rhinde nor barke nor branches nor yet by his leaues But euery Tree is knowne by his fruite Matthew the twelfth chapter and the foure and thirty verse a good Tree cannot but bring forth good fruite and a bad tree cannot but bring forth bad fruit So euery man is knowne by his fruite Hee that is a godly man and a true and liuely member of Iesus Christ can not but bring forth good fruite euen the fruit of good workes and a godly life so a wicked man cannot but bring forth bad fruit the workes of darkenesse of a wicked and vngodly life We see if a grift or sciene bee set into a good Stock and take aright it will appeare by the yeelding of fruit But if it doe not prosper then it withers and dies and is good for nothing but the fire So if any man seeme to bee a Christian and to be a member of Christ Iesus and yet bring not forth good fruite Surely his estate is fearefull while he is vnfruitfull he must be pulled away as a withered branch and to the fire he must go Mat. 21.19 A true Christian must not be like the tree which Christ Iesus cursed which had leaues and no fruit but he must be like to the Tree planted by the riuers side that will bring forth fruit in due season Yea that which is more They bring forth fruit in their age Psal 92.14 whereas euill men as the Apostle S. Paul saith 2. Tim. 3.13 wax worse and worse and fall away from God daily more and more this was the summe of the Doctrine of Iohn Baptist to his hearers that they would Bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Mat. 3.8 And the like is vsed by the Apostle Let your conuersation be such as becommeth the Gospell thing else but that grace of God in a mans heart whereby he beleeues the promise of saluation and the promises of the Gospell and applies them to his owne soule and therfore Saint Iames saith Iames 2. Shew mee thy faith by thy workes Dost thou delight in the Law of God and loue his Word Dost thou delight in his worship and calling on his Name Dost thou find thy faith to Purifie thy heart Acts 15.9 This is some part of that fruite which God requireth of thee This fruite Peter brought forth Thou art Christ the Son of the liuing God Math. 16.16 This was the fruit that the Disciple Iohn brought forth Ioh. 6.69 Ioh. 11.27 Wee beleeue and know that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God And indeed this is the first stone that is to bee laid in the building vp of a Christian and therefore very fitly called a Foundation and the Collossians are said to bee Rooted and Built and Stablished in the Faith Col. 2.27 And indeed this is that sure foundation that shall beare vp the whole frame of our soules against all windes and weathers It is the first worke of change in the heart and the first difference betwixt man and man when God by faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 It will suffer no vncleane thoughts vnlawfull lusts Note or wandring motions to
harbour there it guideth the affections loue hatred sorrow c. Such a man loues nothing more then God hates nothing more then sinne reioyceth in nothing more then in doing the will of God and sorrowes for nothing more their that hee should offend so good and gracious a God Againe it is the foundation of all our obedience For without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 And without it wee can neither pray heare or performe any duety that shall bee acceptable with God 2 Of repentance The second is the fruite of Repentance whereby a man is humbled for his sinnes past and is affraid of sinne in time to come This fruit of Repentance is of absolute necessity to saluation according to that of our Sauiour Except yee repent yee shall all perish Luk. 13.5 And onely godly sorrow must worke this true repentance in a man Godly sorrow causeth repentance in a man to saluation 2. Cor. 7.10 And therefore in the Scriptures are recorded the mournings of the godly in the daies of their humiliation Dauids Fainting Psal 6.6 Ezechias chattering like a Crane Esay 38.14 Iob abhorring himselfe in dust and ashes Peter weeping bitterly Math. 26.75 Mary Magdalene washing Christs feete with her Teares Luke 7.38 And Paul crying out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 Wee must mourne with these heere Psal 126.5 if wee will reioyce with them heereafter And surely if there were neither heauen nor hell neither reward nor punishment yet the godly would sorrow for sinne for offending their good and gracious God and louing Father Besides this sorrow in a godly man for his sins past he is exceeding affraid of sin in time to come as Dauid was who prayed vnto God so earnestly that hee would Stablish him with his free Spirit Psalme fifty one and the tenth verse That seeing hee had such woefull experience of his owne weakenesse he prayes vnto the Lord that hee would giue him his preuenting grace that hee might neuer fall into the like sin againe So the godly Israelites in Ezra his time Ezr. 9.10.3 when they had with griefe of heart bewailed their sinnes vnto God they resolue to make a Couenant with God and solemnly to bind themselues to put away their strange wiues whereby they had so much dishonoured him And so it is with all the faithfull euen as a good child hauing by his vntowardnesse vexed his father is carefull afterwards to please him againe by all meanes possible Well then dost thou finde these fruits of true repentance in thee art thou grieued and euen payned at thy heart for thy wicked life for thy ignorance vnbeleefe hardnesse of heart thy neglect of prayer and calling on Gods Name Art thou grieued for want of reuerence in Gods worship for thy abusing Gods Name by swearing cursing and banning for contempt of his Word and Sacraments for prophaning of his Saboaths carelesse gouerning of thy Family for thy malice vnbeleefe vncleane proud and couetous thoughts drunkenesse vncleanesse and the like Againe dost thou finde in thee an earnest desire to walke with God in obedience to all his Commandements to liue in no knowne sinne but in all things to please God to the vtmost of thy power These be the fruites of righteousnesse whereby wee are knowne to bee of God The third is the fruite of New Obedience or of a godly life 3 Of Obedience both in the obedience of Gods Lawes in the first and second Table Christ makes this the eare-marke of his sheepe To heare his voyce and follow him Ioh. 10. And wee are willed by the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews to cast away euery thing that presseth downe Heb. 12.1 and the sinne that hangeth so fast on and to runne with patience to the race that is set before vs. This was godly Dauids resolution I will runne the way of thy Commandements Psa 119 32 and Dauid describing the true worshippers of God Psa 119.1 Psal 15.2 saith They goe on from strength to strength seruing God in truth of heart without hypocrisie And it is said here That the fruit of a godly man doth neuer fade And howsoeuer the worke of mortification is neuer perfected in this life but that the remnants and reliques of sinne will still remaine euen in the godly themselues yet they euer sinne with griefe of heart and CHRISTS death doth set such a worke-against all sinne that the regenerate man can truely say It is not I but sinne that dwelleth in mee So then if thou desirest to please God in all his Commandements at all times and in all places and to doe all duties of loue vnto men required in the Commandements of the second Table shewing thy fruites in doing good to the poore distressed Members of Iesus Christ feeding cloathing and comforting them in their need In thy generall calling to bring forth the fruit of godlinesse to bee much and often exercised in Prayer Hearing Reading Meditating c. As also in thy particular calling to do thy duety with faith and a good conscience without fraude guile deceipt c. These be the fruits that are required in all those that are the Members of Iesus Christ and ingrafted into his mysticall body This Doctrine doth flatly condemne Vse 1 all such as vnfruitfull and barren Trees as bring forth no fruit of a godly righteous and religious life such as liue in continuall ignorance blindnesse hardnesse of heart in contempt of the Word prophanation of the Sabaoth our ciuill honest men which are so much admired if they bee not good Christians who should And if they bee not saued I know not who should goe to heauen Well euery good Tree brings forth good fruite Math. 7.17 Where bee your good fruites No fruit of faith no fruit of repentance nor new obedience but in stead thereof the fruites of infidelity hardnesse of heart and disobedience Alas that poore soules should thus goe blinde-folde to hell to thinke that such should be saued what then should become of hell As though a man might be a true member of Iesus Christ and ingrafted into his mysticall body and yet bee barren of good fruite No no it cannot bee for there is such a liuely power in this stocke of life Christ Iesus That they who are once ingrafted into him bring forth fruite incontinent As wee may see in the Theefe vpon the Crosse Luke 9. what fruite hee bare in an instant of time confessing first his owne sinnes secondly reprouing the sinnes of his companion Thirdly cleering Christ to be innocent Lastly praying that Christ would remember him when hee came into his kingdome And this wee may see in Zacheus Lydia c. Math. 22. Actes 16. Who were no sooner conuerted but brought forth fruit incontinently And yet wee see how many dry fruitlesse and barren trees deceiue the world as the figge-tree Christ Oh hee is a very honest man keepes a good house Math. 3.10 doth