to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his vineyard c. q. d. I see indeed they lightly set by my ordinary Sermons and therefore I purpose to leaue my accustomed manner of prophesying and fall to singing being vnto them rather as a Poet k Ezek. 33.32 than as a Prophet that so by their owne delights they may be allured Obser Thus God seekes to draw vs to himselfe with those baits which are somewhat agreeable to our pallat he doth compose himselfe to our disposition and euen as face answereth face in a glasse so doth he apply himselfe to fit the humors of mortall men Doe the Sages loue starres and dreames l Matth. 2. a bright shining starre and a dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God and direct them vnto Christ Doth Saint Peter loue fishing m Luke 5. he shall be wonne by a great draught of fishes Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose by his eloquence shall catch him at a Sermon What is it that can win vs which way soeuer our desires stand that is not sinfull God doth in his word allure vs The best things in earth and heauen are made our bait Let vs yeeld our selues therefore to be caught for with these doth the Lord seeke vs not for any need that he hath of vs but for our owne saluation In which Song we haue a Parable proposed of a fruitlesse Vineyard which after great care and cost of the painfull Husbandman bestowed on it is left desolate and forsaken for its barrennesse The Argument of it seemeth not to differ from that of the fore-going Chapters here being nothing said Argument of the Song that for substance was not before taught Luther The difference that is is only in circumstance the stile and method only being altered and changed The Scope and drift of the Prophet is The scope is three-fold first to get audience and attention And therefore he chooseth to deliuer his message in the sweetnesse of verse rather than in prose that so the eare hauing that which delighted it might without tediousnesse listen to that which was taught which being listened vnto might the better and more kindlier worke vpon them And questionlesse by this course he got him hearers for many would flocke to heare him sing who would not step ouer the threshold to heare him in his wonted veine Secondly that they might the sooner learne and better retaine what he did teach them For Verse being composed of certaine Musicall proportions both in the number and measure of feet and syllables are sooner and with greater delight learned and once being learned are longer retained as by experience we finde that our common people haue many vnwritten songs which are older than their great Grand-fathers Father those they learnt being children and neuer forget againe vntill their death yea by this meanes the remembrance of some things haue beene kept from many ages past which both Historie and Tradition had else for euer left neglected and forgotten Thirdly that he might bring them to a sight of their ingratitude and draw from them an impartiall sentence against themselues For looke as it is with the eie which both seeth and correcteth all other things saue it selfe so is it with the sinner when his owne case is proposed to him not as his owne but in the person of another he will soone see the fault and passe a iust sentence on it but else it cannot be espied Whiles n 2 Sam. 12. wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forcibly taken away the only Lambe of his poore neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the storie and how sharply euen aboue law doth he censure the fact o Vers 5. As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die See how seuere Iusticers we can be to our very owne crimes in others persons Had he knowne on whom the sentence would haue light it should not haue beene so heauie but now he is selfe-condemned The like was our Sauiours practise with the Scribes and Pharises in propounding p Matth. 21. that Parable of perfidious Husbandmen who beat the Seruants that were sent to receiue the fruits of the Vineyard and slew the heire and not without the like successe For being q Vers 40. asked what the Lord of the Vineyard would doe to such they answer 41. He will cruelly destroy them and let out the Vineyard to others 43. Then Christ infers Therefore I say vnto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof And this is the reason why our Prophet doth not only sing but sings a Parabolicall song propounding the truth in such an obscure manner vnder a continued similitude or allegorie like some expert Physitian who so cunningly wraps vp his pils and conueyes his dose that it begins to worke ere it be tasted And surely there is no one thing wherein is more vse of wisdome than in the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuery helps the disease in an vnwise destroies nature Diuision In which Song consider we First the Prooem or Preface to it verse 1. Secondly the Poem it selfe or body of it verse 1.8 The Prooem in these words Now will I sing to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his Vineyard wherein these particulars are obseruable First the Inditer or Author Instrumentall intimated in this particle I. Secondly the kinde of Treatise indited A Song Thirdly the manner of the Prophets publishing and deliuering it Will sing Fourthly the Dedication of it To his well-beloued Fifthly the warrant and authoritie for the publishing of it Of my well-beloued Sixtly the Subiect matter thereof Touching his Vineyard These in the Prooem As for the Poem we will then limb and branch it forth when we come to the handling of it Let vs now goe to the sickle of the Sanctuary and there weigh those words which we haue already numbred Now Some reade it Goe to or Goe to yet Exposition Muscul Moller As if the Prophet should stirre vp himselfe to sing and like the watchfull Cocke first clap his wings to awake himselfe before he crowes to awaken others Others reade it as we haue it Now or Now I pray hereby stirring vp his people to attention which reading is the best for the Hebrew particle Na noteth the motion of the minde to perswade or intreat Will I sing id est I will lift vp my voice and make a melodious sound modulating and singing the Song I haue composed To my well-beloued id est To the grace or praise of his well-beloued or as some in his defence Calu. Vrsin in loc Well-beloued Some there are who would haue Gods Israel to be meant hereby He so terming them in regard of the great loue he bare towards them and great care he had ouer
Master aboue you as you are aboue these who hath more power ouer you than you haue ouer them and therefore looke vnto your cariage The second attribute giuen to him is Lord of Hoasts The reasons haue beene before rendred and this one of the principall because all creatures are as his Hoasts executing his will and pleasure Whence learne wee Doct. God is a God of power God is a God of power He hath all creatures for his Hoasts ready pressed to fight his battels and reuenge his quarrels Moses sings this forth and proclaimes it abroad that n Exod. 15.3 The Lord is a man of warre his name is Iehouah Yea and that we might the better obserue it Almighty God hath spoken once and twice o Psalm 62.11 that power belongeth vnto him Verba toties inculcata vera sunt viua sunt sana sunt plana sunt Aug. One text repeated twice pressed againe and againe must needs bee plaine and peremptory and therefore wee will make no doubt of this truth for if we should his mighty workes of creation gubernation and redemption would conuince vs. Vse 1 Which being so how should this teach vs to feare this mighty God who hath such mighty armies and so many hoasts to destroy his enemies withall Hee need not arme himselfe with any weapons either offensiue or defensiue it is enough if hee but p Psal 68.1 Cal. in loc arise for then his enemies shall be scattered His souldiers are in a readinesse and if he doe but moue his little finger it is enough If hee say but to an hoast of frogs or flies or lice or grashoppers or caterpillers to all or any of them Goe they goe immediately and Pharaoh nor all his hoast shall euer bee able to withstand them Oh beware then of offending this mighty God for hee hath his armies in the heauens in the earth in the aire in the sea yea in hell it selfe A thousand waies he hath to reuenge himselfe vpon vs if we rebell Vse 2 Secondly if this bee so let the vngodly tremble for what greater corrasiue can come to the heart of a wicked man than the hearing of this truth that God is so strong so powerfull Hast thou found mee oh my enemie said wicked Ahab to good Eliah so may they say to euery creature they meet withall who haue God against them The number of the starres in the skie fowles flying in the aire beasts feeding in the field are numberlesse how infinitely infinite then is the number of thy enemies who art enemy to God In what a wofull and fearefull estate art thou when all that is within thee without thee aboue thee about thee God and man Angels Saints fish and fowles birds and beasts and all creeping things are vp in armes against thee to reuenge the Lords most iust and righteous quarrell What hope of heauen what hope of hauing accesse into Gods gratious presence in time of need Shouldest thou come with a petition to an earthly Prince and finde all his officers and attendants to oppose thee thou couldest haue but cold comfort of euer speeding in thy suit This is thy case yea far more wofull Bee not then secure for thy case is wretched What Cain sometimes said thou hast lust cause to feare q Gen. 4.14 Euery creature that meeteth me shall slay mee Thou walkest all day long as it were vpon a mine of gunpowder either by force or stratagem thou wilt bee surprised and taken Oh that men would once learne to meddle with their march and beware of contending with him that is stronger than themselues lest they be consumed in the end And lastly let the godly reioice yea let them sing for Vse 3 ioy seeing they haue such a God euen the Lord of hoasts r Psal 24. the Lord mighty in battell on their sides to preserue and keepe them It is a comfort to serue a Master that will take ones part in case of need but to serue such a Master as is able to defend one is a farre greater comfort Such a one is Å¿ Dan. 3.17 that God whom wee serue he is able to deliuer vs. England was sometimes said to haue a warlike George but the Papists being offended with vs to doe vs as they suppose a mischiefe haue robbed vs of our George And though to other Countries they allot a seuerall Saint imitating therein the Gentiles who going to warre had their seuerall gods for their Protectors as to Spaine S. Iames to France S. Dennis to Ireland S. Patricke to Rome S. Peter and S. Paul and the like yet England shall goe without They will leaue vs God alone to fight our battels and reuenge our quarrell For which honour and fauour all English hearts are bound heartily to thanke them Dr. Boys Spr. part p. 227. Let them keepe their George and giue vs this man of warre whose name is the Lord of hoasts in hauing him we haue enough If he be with vs we feare neither their Hee-Saints nor Shee-Saints nor a thousand more of them though they bee against vs And therefore as our Church hath taught vs in her Liturgy to pray so let vs pray continually O Lord saue thy people and blesse thine inheritance Giue peace in our time O Lord because their is no other that fighteth for vs but only thou O God Text. Is the house of Israel and the men of Iudah his pleasant plant Hauing spoken of the Vinitor and who hee was it followeth now to speake of the Vineyard and who it is The house of Israel and the men of Iudah saith my Text is it that is the whole body of the Iewes both Israel and Iudah euen both the Kingdomes Of both which we will speake iointly seeing they were but one body The house of Israel and the men of Iudah that is the seed and posterity of Israel and Iudah those people who issued out of their loines Whence note we Doctr. Good progenitors may haue a bad ofspring Good progenitors may haue a degenerate and vnregenerate ofspring Israel was good but his posterity naught Of the first brace of sonnes which the worlds eie did see u Gen. 4.14 one was a branded runnagate vpon the face of the earth such a one as was vndutifull to his father vnnaturall to his brother hereticall towards his God damnable to his owne soule From Adam come wee to Noah and of his lease of sonnes * Gen. 9.22.25 one was a Cham who takes an aduantage by his fathers weaknesse discouers his nakednesse and makes him the argument of his sport Come wee from him to faithfull Abraham of whose great care in the well nurtering and training vp of his children x Gen. 18.19 God himselfe doth witnesse yet his condition is no better for of his two sonnes Ismael was a scoffer y Cap. 21.9 And as it was thus with the father so it happened to be no better with his sonne Vnto Isaac is
the high God Though Plinius Secundus be an enemie to Christians and a persecutor of them yet their holy and godly conuersation shall make him to certifie the Emperour his Master Traian that they are harmelesse persons Thus let thy life bee holy and innocent and then thou maist fetch a testimony from the conscience of the very enemie And as Dauid said sometimes to Micol obiecting vnto him that euen his owne seruants contemned him for his dancing before the Arke p 2 Sam. 6.22 Of the seruants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour So say I euen those wicked ones that outwardly traduce thee and reuile thee cannot but inwardly they must acquit thee and commend thee their heart and conscience shall speake for thee euen then when their tongue and lips doe speake against thee And when euer it shall please the Lord to set their consciences on the racke or to compasse them about with the snares of death then shall their tongue be constrained will they nill they to discouer what now lies hidden for the iustification of thy righteousnesse Then they crie out oh send for such a man or such a woman they will pray for me and doe me good and giue me comfort and doe we not see daily that they sooner trust for all their talke such as they terme Hypocrites Dissemblers and Precisians with their goods and with their children and with their portions yea and with their soules also before any other The last thing propounded to our consideration in this Appeale is the Parties betweene whom the variance is and they are the Lord and Israel God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and the whole body of the people euen all Israel and Iudah the Defendants As vnequally matched as euer were Earth and Heauen Strength and Weaknesse or the great Beemoth and the silliest worme that creepes in the chinkes and crannies of the earth God contends with man he that is excellent with them that are but dust who then is like to haue the day Text. Betweene mee and my Vineyard And is it possible that there should be a controuersie betweene God and his Vine which he planted with his owne right hand Betweene him and that people whom he had so highly honoured Then it will follow that Doct. Sin is a make-bate betweene God and man Sinne will make bate and stirre vp strife betweene God and his dearest people There is no Citie no not Ierusalem no people no not Israel nor Iudah be they graced with neuer so many priuileges crowned with neuer so many blessings but sinne will set the Lord and them at variance The Lord hath a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land saith Hoseah q Hosea 4.1 2. because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land c. Sinne was the breeder of it Babylon r Isay 13.19 the glory of the Kingdomes the beautie of the Caldees excellencie yet her pride set her and God at variance so that her Palaces were made dens of Dragons wilde beasts of the field did lie there their houses were cages for vncleane birds Owles did dwell there Satyres did dance there with dolefull creatures were they filled And thus Sodome Å¿ Gen. 19.24 sometimes as faire and beautifull as Paradise it selfe was set at variance with the Lord by reason of her sinnes t Ezek. 16.49 Pride Idlenesse and Fulnesse of bread c. bred the quarrell and was the cause that shee was made u Zeph. 2.9 a perpetuall desolation And will not those seuen famous Churches of Asia * Reuel 1. 2. 3. Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea Philadelphia Sardis in the midst whereof God is said to haue his walke witnesse as much Did not their sinnes cause the Lord to contend with them a long time and in the end make him to giue vp their Land to be inhabited by Zijm and Ochim Turkes and Infidels What shall I need to say more Such a variance it made betweene God and the Angels x Iude 6. as that they were turned out of Heauen Betweene God and our great Grand-father as y Gen. 3.22 that he was droue out of Paradise Betweene the Lord and Moses z Deut. 32.51 52. as that it kept him from Canaan And such a contention daily it breeds betweene God and men as that infinite thousands are thereby kept a 1 Cor. 6.9 Reuel 21. out of the Kingdome of Heauen Let all wicked ones hence take notice of their estates Vse 1 which by this Doctrine they may as clearely see as in a glasse For doth sinne set God and man at oddes and is it a make-bate betweene them Then certainly such as liue in it and harbour it cannot be at peace with God What peace saith Iehu to Ioram b 2 King 9.22 so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many So say I What peace so long as that make-bate is harboured in thy brest Nay c Isay 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God For what d 2 Cor. 6.14 fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is thy enemie and e Matth. 5.25 hath against thee and therefore see thou agree quickly with thy aduersarie We say in a prouerbe He is poore that God hates true none so poore as the wicked are for what though they haue riches honours friends c. when there is a controuersie betweene God and them f 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge for him said old Ely to his sonnes but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him Seeke therefore reconciliation cast that make-bate our of thy bosome which stirs vp all this strife Sinne is thy owne creature destroy that and God must needs loue thee who art his creature but if thou wilt not then expect no peace but contention and destruction If the Pot will needs contend with the Potter it cannot be but it must be broken Thou art but an earthen Pitcher in the hand of thy Maker and he can full easily dash thee against the wall and stampe thee into powder It is good counsell that the Wise-man giues thee g Eccles 6.10 Contend not with him who is mightier than thy selfe and if thou beest not a foole I aduise thee to follow it lest Woe and Alas come too late Vse 2 And secondly See here the reason why the Lord doth so often bend his browes and turne away his face from his owne people in displeasure Sinne is it that bred the quarrell that was it which causeth it The fashion of many in the day of affliction is to crie out of euill tongues that haue forspoken them and surely say they we are bewitched but if we looke well about vs we shall finde the grand-witch to lie
this is the portion of their cup. He will indeed iudge the iust man for his transgressions in this life but m Psal 68.21 hee will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh on in his trespasses Yea in n 2 Thess 1.8 9. flaming fire shall God come taking vengeance on them that know him not and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power o Reuel 6.15 16 Then shall the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bond-man and euery free-man whose names are not written in the Lambes Booke hide themselues in dens and in the rockes of the mountaines And say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe But as it was with the old world when God rained from heauen the greatest showre that euer the earth did or shall sustaine their shifts were bootlesse so will it now be They then thought to ouer-climbe the iudgement and haste vp to the highest mountaines and being there with some hope looke downe on the swimming valleyes But alas the water begins to ascend to their refuged hilles and within a small time the place of their hopes becomes an Iland now they hitch vp higher to the tops of the tallest trees but soone after the waters following ouertake them halfe dead with hunger and with horror Thus those mountaines could not saue those in that day of water nor these mountaines these in this day of fire for the very heauen p Verse 14. shall depart as a scrowle that is rolled vp together and euery mountaine and Iland shall be moued out of their places and what hope then remaines in them of securitie or refuge Tremble tremble at this all you vngodly ones q Psal 4. Stand in awe and sinne no more A iudgement is reserued for you deceiue your selues no longer Weaknesse in Gods children must be corrected and shall wickednesse in you escape vnpunished Is it possible you should thinke it Mee thinkes it is a thing impossible you should be so senselesse No no if God thus afflict his children he will neuer suffer disobedient bastards to goe free hee whips the one with rods hee will scourge the other with Scorpions For r Prou. 11.31 Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth and therefore much more the wicked and the sinner And this for the first vse A second followes This serues for admonition to the best that they beware Vse 2 of sinne for if they will take libertie to breake Gods lawes let them looke for stripes God loueth his like a wise Father aiming at their good and chuseth rather to profit than to please and not fondly and effeminatly like some foolish mother who giues her selfe to follow the foolish lusts and appetite of her childe he hath his rod lie by him and will discipline vs and if we enter into a course of sinning he will reclaime vs by his chastisements And therefore let no man thinke nor say he is safe because he hath some assurance of his election and therefore cannot be depriued of saluation For though thou beest in the state of happinesse for the life to come yet thou maist fall into great misery in this life present Dauid was as well elected as thy selfe and as safe from being condemned as thou art or canst be and yet such calamities befell him as made him Å¿ Psal 32 4. groane and crie yea roare so that his bloud was dried vp and his moisture was like vnto the drought in Summer yea he felt as great anguish as if his bones had beene broken or all out of ioynt and therefore be not high minded but feare For it is not the vertues that thou hast that can be a warrant to thee to fall in vice nor yet thy profession or religion no nor yet election that will keepe the rod from off thy backe if thou play the foole in committing folly I confesse God will not wipe out those whose names he hath written in the booke of life nor damne any of his elect which are in Christ yet if they or any of them wax wanton hee will whip them to the purpose and make them tame The Magistrate wee know hath many punishments for offenders besides death and gallowes hee hath the stocks the whipping-post the pillory the gaole And so hath God more iudgements besides damnation hee hath his stocks his whip his little-ease his purgatory for his owne in this world though hee doe not reprobate them yet hee may so hide his face and conceale their pardon from them as that they may finde little difference betwixt a reprobate and themselues t Psal 2.10 11 12. Be wise now therefore oh yee Christians bee instructed all yee godly of the earth Serue the Lord with feare and reioice with trembling Kisse the sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Vse 3 And lastly from hence much Comfort may bee gathered in as much as afflictions doe not disable vs from being Gods It was Gedeons weaknesse to argue Gods absence by them u Iudg. 6.13 If the Lord be with vs why then is all this befallen vs saith he Fond nature thinkes God should not suffer the winde to blow vpon his deare ones because her selfe makes this vse of her owne indulgence But wee shall reade * Heb. 11.36 37. that none out of the place of torment haue suffered such or so many afflictions as his dearest children There is no reason then why we should imagine that Gods fauour is the lesse towards vs when we are exercised though with great and heauy afflictions for x Prou. 3.10 whom he loueth he doth chastise and neerest to God fullest of sorrowes as one saith y Clem. Alexand. well Hence is it that the Apostle enformeth vs after this sort z Heb. 12.5 13. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne whom he receiueth If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes For what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not But if you be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are you bastards and not sonnes Furthermore we haue had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and wee gaue them reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits and liue For they verily for a few daies chastened vs after their owne pleasure but he for our profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse Now no chastening for the present
our charge Vse 2 And so to fall from reprouing to perswading and exhorting let euery one beware how they refuse or reiect the Ministerie as thinking themselues their friends or children too high for it and it too low for them No man may be thought to be too good to serue God at his Altar and to administer at his Table If any so thinke he deceiueth himselfe and ouer-valueth his owne condition Amongst the Iewes the x Ioseph Antiq. 11. hist tripart lib. 9. Euseb hist 10. Alex. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 8. Priests were sometimes matched into the bloud Royall Numa Pompilius would be a Priest amongst the Romanes And the Aegyptians chose their Kings from amongst their Priests and shall we then thinke basely of them our fore-fathers counted it an honour to haue one of their children an Abbot or a Bishop in which callings then they liued like Epicures hauing nothing of a good Christian saue the title only Yea Princes of this Land haue renounced their Crownes and Kingdomes and entered into Monasteries and haue put their sonnes and daughters into Cloysters Shall not these condemne vs Nay will not the very heathen rise vp one day in iudgement against vs who haue giuen their sonnes y 2 Chron. 33.6 for sacrifice vnto their Idols and caused them to passe through the fire thinking them not too deare to be offered to their gods Let vs looke on these and be ashamed of our selues For certainly the best and noblest amongst the sonnes of men are a thousand-fold more vnfit for that high place than that calling is or can be thought vnworthy of them And as for such as are already called to this high place let all beware of despising of them It is the Apostles rule z 1 Tim. 5.17 that they which rule well should haue double honour First honour of countenance and then of maintenance one of these is not enough without the other for it must be double a Isai 52.7 Beautifull are the feet saith this our Prophet Isaiah of them that bring good tidings that publisheth saluation c. If their feet be beautifull how beautifull should their face be who should be so welcome to vs as these who more esteemed or reuerenced Remember how the Lord hath euery way endeuoured to make them so as by giuing them titles of highest respect as b 2 Cor. 5.20 Embassadors for Christ and c Mal. 2.7 Messengers for the Lord of Hoasts d 2 King 13.14 Fathers the first title of honour that was in the world e Reuel 1.20 Angels which are the noblest of the creatures Besides he hath giuen them wonderfull authoritie He hath put the f Matth. 16.19 Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen into their hands to open and to shut g Iohn 20.23 Power to remit and retaine sinnes Thus the Lord is pleased to ratifie their regular proceedings in the Court of Heauen Likewise he hath giuen them h Ephes 4.8 9 10 11. extraordinary gifts aboue the common rate as Knowledge Experience Comfort and the like Is it safe despising these whom God hath thus highly dignified Vse 3 A last vse may be for comfort vnto vs who wait at Gods Altar Let vs count it our honour to be called hereunto and preferre it before all other callings whatsoeuer not giuing way to any thoughts of discontentment in respect of the many ignominies or persecutions that we daily doe or are like to vndergoe so as to be grieued at the Lords leading of vs to so toilesome and in mans iudgement disgracefull a vocation or to be moued to leaue and giue ouer our function in that respect As sometimes that Cardinall of Loraine did who after he had preached once vnto the people and was therefore derided by the Prelates of his Order left off vtterly the Office of preaching as a calling too base for his Cardinals Hat-ship Let this be farre from vs. If we doe our duty the world will hate vs True But if we doe it not God will curse vs By the first we are in danger to lose our goods our names our liues by the second our soule our heauen our God Now whether it be better to please God or man iudge ye Let euery Minister therefore doe his dutie and albeit most in the world contemne vs yet we shall finde some in the world who are not of the world that will reuerence and respect vs. So long as the i 1 King 17.9 widow of Sarepta hath any oile we shall not want Howeuer though here we haue troubles to weary vs yet in the end we shall haue heauens ioy to refresh and comfort vs. It is enough we haue deserued our worke shall haue a reward And thus much for the first particular to be considered in this Preface the second followes And that is the nature and kinde of the Treatise indited and it is A Song or Poem And here occasion is offered to speake somewhat in the defence of Poetrie and Verse The Position is Doct. Poetry is an Art ancient and commendable Poesie and Poetrie is an Art and exercise ancient lawfull and praise-worthy The practises of the seruants of God make this good Moses that man of God was excellent herein as appeareth by that same k Exod. 15.1 Canticle which he made in commemoration of Gods goodnesse for his peoples deliuerance out of Egypt and for the destruction of their enemies Iosephus de Antiqu lib. 7. which Song is held to be the most ancient Song that euer was I am sure it is that we reade of in Scripture and is thought to be first composed in Hexameter verse though it is not certaine For it is no easie matter to finde out the Scansion of verse vsed amongst the Hebrewes such was the varietie of their Measures As also by that which he made l Deut. 32. a little before his death which he commanded should be taught the Children of Israel yea the text saith m Cap. 31.19 vers 22. he himselfe wrote it and taught it them Thus n Iudg. 5.1 Deborah and Barak also composed a Song and sang it to the Lord. So Dauid that same o 2 Sam. 23.1 Qui noster Orpheus est Euthy sweet singer of Israel had an excellent gift this way as is euident by that same p 2 Sam. 1.17 Ioseph de Antiq. lib. 7. cap. 10. funerall Song or Epitaph which he made for Saul and Ionathan after their deaths Besides diuers Odes and Hymnes which he composed to the honour of God in various kindes of Verse This likewise was the practice of Christians in the Primitiue Church as q Eccles Hist lib. 2. cap. 16. Eusebius reporteth out of Philo Iudaeus They contemplate saith he not only diuine things but they make graue Canticles and Hymnes vnto God in a more sacred ryme of euery kinde of metre and verse If any doubt remaine notwithstanding what hath beene shewed of the truth of our
All creatures in their kinde glorifie their Maker Motiues to seeke after Gods glory and employ themselues in the setting forth of his praise h Psal 19.1 The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke by their admirable structure motions and influence they preach his praise and that 1. All the night and all the day without intermission for i vers 2. one day telleth another and one night certifieth another 2. In euery kinde of language for k vers 3. there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard and 3. In euery part of the world in euery Country Citie Towne Village Parish for l vers 4. Their sound is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Thus m Bellarm. in Psal 19. saith one they be diligent Pastors preaching at all times And learned Pastors as preaching in all tongues And Catholike Pastors preaching in all Townes And the subiect of all their preaching is no other than the glory of God And as the Heauens so doe the Fowles of the Heauens as the n Ier. 8.7 Storke Crane Turtle Swallow And so also the beasts of the field for o Isay 1.3 the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib as I say sheweth Remember againe how little glory God getteth at the hands of most in the world which I thus make euident Put case the whole world should be diuided into foure parts three of the foure we shall finde to be ouerspread with Turcisme Paganisme c. they not so much as professing the true God in Christ and therefore amongst them God can get no glory but is continually dishonoured by their liues and actions so that there is but a fourth part of the world if that which doth professe him in his Sonne and amongst those though all professe him in word how many are there which denie him by their workes Should we make a subdiuision and againe diuide that fourth and least part into foure parts more we shall finde the least part truly to seeke his honour One part we shall finde are Hereticks who rob him of his glory by their superstition and Idolatrie A second part are Atheists and notorious euill liuers who are so farre from honouring him as that they daily belch out blasphemies against him A third part are Hypocrites and carnall Protestants backsliders and luke-warme Christians who p Isay 29.13 honour him with their lips but haue their hearts farre from him Now there is but a fourth part and hardly that who are sincere and faithfull and if they should not bend themselues with all their might to maintaine and aduance Gods glory it would be trodden vnder foot of all Should not this consideration be a spurre in our sides to make vs forward in this dutie Call to minde the practices of Gods Saints Moses that man of God q Exod. 32.32 preferred it before his own saluation no maruell then if he preferred it before r Heb. 11.24 the honours and treasures of Egypt the like did blessed Paul Å¿ Rom. 9.2 who professeth that for Gods glory in the saluation of the Iewes he could wish himselfe accursed or separated from Christ Remarkable also is the Apostles care in the cure of the Creeple t Acts 14.11 that the least part of Gods praise might not cleaue to their fingers but all might be ascribed to the Lord. The 24. Elders u Reuel 4.10 cast their Crownes before the Throne they emptie themselues of all glory merit and worthinesse whatsoeuer that they may giue all praise vnto the Lord. And lastly haue we not our Sauiours owne example for our imitation who both by praier and practice sought his Fathers glory and only it * Iohn 12.28 Father saith he glorifie thy name and againe x 8. 49 50. I honour my Father and seeke not my owne glorie And in that sweet praier of his y Iohn 17.4 I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which that gauest me to doe Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses and haue so many examples before vs for our encouragement let vs lay aside all pride of heart selfe-loue vaine-glorie and euery such like weight and sinne which doth so easily beset vs and in simplicitie of heart aime at our masters praise in all we vndertake Euery dull iade will follow though he will not leade the way we are but iades in Christianitie and godlinesse if we continue carelesse when so many haue gone before vs in this dutie Remember further how we pray Doe we not desire daily the hallowing of Gods name now to say it with our mouthes and not seeke it in our liues is damnable hypocrisie a sinne that God abhorres Doe we not likewise pray that Gods will may be done in earth as it is in heauen Now tell me how doe the Angels spend their time doe not they cry continually one vnto another z Isay 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hoasts the whole earth is full of his glory Oh take heed lest thou multipliest lies as thou multipliest praiers see that thy heart and tongue be not at variance what thou praiest for with thy lips see thou practisest in thy life Let not your workes giue your tongues the lye Againe for our further encouragement hereto consider we the benefit that comes hereby For by glorifying God we bring glory to our selues the greatest fruit thereof redounds to vs His glory is as himselfe eternall infinite and so abides in it selfe not capable of our addition to it or detraction from it As the Sunne which would shine in its owne brightnesse and glory though all the world were blinde and did wilfully shut their eies against it so God will euer be most glorious let men be neuer so obstinate or rebellious Yea God will haue glory by Reprobates though it be nothing to their ease and though he be not glorified of them yet he will glorifie himselfe in them Yet notwithstanding this he will trie how we prize his glory and how industrious we are to magnifie and exalt it wherein if he finde vs painfull he will plentifully reward it and returne glory for glory according to his promise a 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me will I honour Lastly if all that hath beene said worke not vpon vs yet let the danger that followes vpon the neglect of this dutie moue vs. How many examples are recorded in Scripture of Gods iudgements vpon such as did either derogate from God or arrogate to themselues any part of that praise which was due vnto his name Moses and Aaron yet his owne deare seruants b Numb 20.12 were debarred out of the Land of Promise because they glorified him not at the waters of strife The high-Priesthood c 1 Sam. 2.29 31. 3.13 was remoued from the house of
be betwixt their enemies and them As if God should say before they touch thee they shall ouercome mee ô Israel Let vs then goe on as God commanded them and keepe our selues in our waies and then feare nothing Vers 14. for God will fight for vs let vs hold our peace The third particular here mentioned is its Elapidation or cleansing He gathered out the stones thereof whereby is meant as before was shewed the Idolatrous heathen whom God t Psal 44.2 droue out before his Israel that they might not hinder this his Vineyards growth Hence we inferre It is not safe nor profitable for the Church to suffer wicked Idolaters Doct. Toleration of Idolatry is not for the Churches safety or other obstinate sinners to remaine within the Church Of such Gods Vineyard must be rid and his Church purged Will you heare in a few words what the Scriptures say for confirmation hereof It is commanded in the law u Deut. 13.1 seq that the false Prophet and seducing Idolater whether he be brother or sonne or daughter or wife or friend should bee taken away and slaine without mercie or pitie that all Israel may heare and see and feare and not dare to commit the like And againe * Deut. 29.18 There shall not bee amongst you man nor woman nor family nor tribe which shall turne away his heart from the Lord our God to goe and serue the gods of these Nations Besides it forbad x Leuit. 19.19 sowing of the field with mingled seed y Deut. 22.10 plowing with an Oxe and an Asse together the wearing of a garment of diuers things as linnen and woollen mixt together Now these lawes according to the letter seeme ridiculous Haec ad literam videntur esse ridicula Ordin gloss in Leuit. saith the glosse but the thing that God intends hereby to shew is that he cannot away with a mixt Religion The Church of Ephesus z Reuel 2.6 was commended for hating the workes of the Nicolaitans but Pergamus a Reuel 2.14 was reproued for suffering them that maintained the Doctrine of Balaam and Thyatira b Reuel 2.20 blamed for suffering Iesabel to teach and deceiue Gods seruants And why in Scripture are Idolaters called c Ios 23.13 Iudg. 2.1 stumbling-blocks snares thornes traps whips and destruction but because they proue so to the people amongst whom they liue Israel found them so and England did no lesse in Queene Maries daies and France doth so For from whence spring these commotions tumults horrible massacres and bloudy tragedies but from the diuersity of Religion amongst them Reason 1 And indeed what agreement hath light with darknesse or God with Belial The Lord can neuer digest two contraries though neuer so well mixed or wisely tempered in matters of religion as the Church of Laodicea d Reuel 3.16 sheweth Hereupon zealous Elijah exhorteth the people after this manner e 1 King 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him and if Baal be God goe after him Reason 2 Besides f 1 Cor. 5.6 Doe yee not know that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Sinne therefore being infectious the sinner is not to bee tolerated in the assembly of the righteous Take wee occasion hence to magnifie Gods name Vse 1 who hath beene so gracious to this his Vineyard which his owne right hand hath planted in this Land as to cleanse it of all such stones as might any way hinder the prosperity or flourishing estate of it Our streets are well swept and rid of that Popish rubbish wherewith formerly they haue beene much annoied Those dens of theeues are dispersed those buyers and sellers of Popish trash Monks Friers Massemongers and Iesuits are whipt out of the Temple and driuen from amongst vs He hath pulled downe that great Idoll of the Masse with other Idols that were set vp to bee adored and hath abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of false doctrine And withall hath blessed vs with so religious and prudent a King as is a constant Defender of the Faith and an open aduersary to superstition and Idolatry What shall we now render to the Lord for all these testimonies and tokens of his loue towards vs but take the cup of Saluation and praise with tongue and heart the name of God acknowledging his goodnesse in deliuering vs from the Romish bondage labouring to bring forth the fruits of the Gospell to the glorie of his name and our owne endlesse saluation This likewise serueth for the Admonition 1. Of Vse 2 Ministers whom God hath reposed such great trust and confidence in as to be the dressers and keepers of his Vineyard that wee be found faithfull and what lies in vs remoue whatsoeuer may any way annoy it For which end Christ hath not only committed vnto vs g Ephes 6. the sword of the spirit which is the word of God wherewith we may h Tit. 1. conuince gainsayers but also i Matth. 16.19 the keies of the kingdome that men being conuicted and not conuerted nor reclaimed they may be cast out and expelled either for a time as the incestuous k 1 Cor. 5.5 Corinthian was or for euer euen vnto the comming of the Lord Which kinde of excommunication the Apostle cals l 1 Cor. 16.22 Maran-atha of Mara the Lord and Atha he commeth being interposed for sound sake Which censure being so grieuous as it is for it is a deliuering m 1 Cor. 5.5 vp to Satan ought not be inflicted rashly for euery trifle but deliberatly in matters of weight and moment and in such cases as expresly shut out of the kingdome of heauen such as those the Apostle mentioneth 1 Corinth 6. because it is a declaration of that which is by God done in heauen In the execution whereof let all such as it doth concerne beware of filthy lucre and faithfully discharge what is committed to them not suffering the notoriously prophane to remaine within the Church lest others bee endangered and infected by their society for n 2 Tim. 2.17 their very words and much more their conuersation creepeth and corrupteth as a gangreene Verbum informans virga reformans 2. Magistrates who must second the word of information with the rod of reformation and backe the Ministers of the Word by the vse of the temporall sword which they must not o Rom. 13.4 beare for nought but as the Ministers of God take vengeance on them that doe euill These are Gods Surrogates and the Preachers hopes Our words are thought aire where their hands doe not compell Good lawes are made against the wicked and prophane but what are wee the better for Gods owne lawes without execution If those who haue the charge imposed and the sword put in their hands stand like the picture of S. George with his hand vp yet neuer strike it will fare full ill with the Vineyard of the Lord. Let it bee their care
some answerable returne That Parable which our Sauiour doth propound m Matth. 21.34 of the Vineyard let out to vnthankfull husbandmen is a pregnant proofe for when the season came and time of fruit drew neere that great Housholder sends out his seruants to those husbandmen that they might receiue the fruits And in the application of that Parable wee reade that Hee will let out his Vineyard to other husbandmen who should render him fruits in due season And when our Sauiour telleth vs n Iohn 15.2 of his Fathers purging and pruning of the Vine he withall sheweth vs what is his aime and scope therein namely that Christians should bee abundant in bringing forth of fruits beseeming their profession Reason There is good Reason for it For o 1 Cor. 9.7 who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke What husbandman bestowes his seed and paines vpon his land and doth not expect a good crop therefrom And is it not then iust and equall that the Lord should looke for some answerable returne for all his paines Vse 1 Let this then serue for our Instruction that wee answer this Husbandmans hopes in some good measure Let vs remember the end of all his cost and labour and consider with our selues the reason why we haue receiued so many blessings from him Let vs set before our eies his many fauours spirituall and temporall and then say whether hee hath not beene as carefull a Husbandman for England as euer he was for Israel Hath hee not taken vs out of the Romish Aegypt where wee grew not well and planted vs in a very fruitfull Hill in a Land flowing with milke and hony Hath he not fenced vs about with his mighty protection Remember 88. and 1605. and defended vs from many dangers and deuillish plots deuised against vs by the enemies of the truth So that neither Boare nor Beare Wolfe nor Foxe Turke nor Pope could yet inuade vs or preuaile against vs Hath hee not rooted out and expelled those ranckling thornes and renting brambles I meane the Papists and cast out of this his Vineyard the stumbling stones of superstition and baggage of mans traditions with the relikes of Idolatry hammering and beating downe the Popish Dagon And hath hee not planted choise plants in this his Vineyard giuing vs such Princes as may bee compared with the best Princes of Israel and Iudah vnder whom wee haue a long time enioyed the Gospell with the fruits of the Gospell Peace and Plentie so that wee may sit vnder our owne Vines and Fig-trees conferring of the waies of God and quietly enioying our goods and earthly happinesse No Church vnder heauen more enriched with treasures and gifts from God than ours is What could he haue done more for this his Vineyard than hee hath done And what can he expect lesse from this his Vineyard than he now doth abundance of sweet grapes and good fruits Yea in particular let euery one consider this and make application of it to himselfe Hath not the Lord chosen thee aboue many thousands in the world and afforded vnto thee such meanes as hee hath not granted vnto many who by nature are as good as thy selfe art Hath he not sent his seruants vnto thee earely and late to call vpon thee that thou shouldest bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Hath hee not often trimmed thee with his pruning-hooke of afflictions and crosses sometimes in thy friends at other times in thy goods sometimes one way at other times another and to what end hath all this beene but that thou shouldest bee fruitfull Thus should euery one commune with his soule and put the question to himselfe what God meant in being at such paines and cost with him that so those fruits may be found in vs which the hand of God lookes to gather from vs For to whom much is giuen of them much shall bee required Oh! beware then that thou deceiuest not Gods hope he expecteth fruit of thee let him finde it in thee This point though plaine I finde so needfull to be pressed in this barren age as that I must be bold to pursue it and shew First the Motiues or Reasons inducing vs to fruitfulnesse And secondly acquaint you with some profitable meanes that must be vsed to make vs grow more fruitfull And thirdly acquaint you with the nature and quality of that fruit which we must bring forth that God may accept of it and take pleasure in it All which are necessary points to be handled in the prosecuting and following of this Vse Motiues to fruitfulnesse To begin with the Motiues besides what hath alreadie beene said and shewed of Gods deseruing it by reason of his paines and cost which strongly bindeth vs to obedience sundrie other Reasons may be brought As first Euery creature in it kinde is fruitfull The poorest creature that God hath made is enabled with some gift to imitate the goodnesse and bountie of the Creator and to yeeld something from it selfe to the vse and benefit of others The Sunne Moone and Starres as they are endued with light so they restlesly moue to impart their light and influence to the enlightning of this inferiour world The Clouds flie vp and downe emptying themselues to enrich the earth from which notwithstanding they reape no haruest The Earth liberally yeelds her riches and brings forth food for the maintenance of those innumerable armies of creatures that liue thereon Greene herbe for the cattell and oile and wine for man The valleyes stand thicke with corne the Mower filleth his Sythe and the binder vp of sheaues his bosome Thus it returnes fruits in abundance to the painfull tiller and dresser of it Yea what Herbe Plant or Tree growes vpon the earth which is not in its kind fruitfull spending it selfe and the principall part of its sap and moisture in bringing forth some pleasant berrie or other such like fruit which being ripe and perfect suffers to haue plucked from it for the good of man and voluntarily lets drop downe before his feet And doth not euery one dislike sterilitie in his grounds and barrennesse in his cattell expecting fruitfulnesse in all that belongs vnto him Now then how can it be allowable when heauen and earth are fruitfull in their kinde and neither bird beast nor plant are idle but are euer bringing forth for the good of their Lords and owners that only man should remaine vnfruitfull his faculties and graces idle and he himselfe a burden to the earth Shall not euery creature be a witnesse against man and rise vp in iudgement to condemne him if he be barren fruitlesse And therefore as the Earth to Man so let Man to God returne a blessed vsury ten for one nay thirtie sixtie an hundred fold Secondly the fruitfulnesse of a Christian is the ground-worke of all true prosperitie so that p Psal 1.3 whatsoeuer he
by a Deputie nor Atturney Thus the godly man is compared to a tree that bringeth forth h Psal 1.3 her fruit in due sâ—ason It must not then be borrowed fruit for so an heart as stonie and barren as Cheapside it selfe may be made a far richer garden than some of those are where those herbes brought thither naturally grew The Papists indeed would faine make vs to beleeue that if our owne lampes be without oile we may goe and borrow of our neighbours to supply our wants For holy men of God say the Rhemists i Supererogatio quasi super id quod erogatur Rhem. Annot. on Luke 10.35 2. Cor. 8.14 1 Cor. 9.16 haue done not only that which they ought to doe but more than was required at their hands as for example Iohn Baptist fasted more than he was commanded and Mary liued more strictly than she was required now these superabundant works as a Church treasure becommeth an aduantage to others who are more defectiue and indeed hang as it were vpon the Popes tally for who giues most But these workes of supererogation are workes of superarrogation our Sauiour hath taught vs this lesson k Luke 17.10 When we haue done all we can we are but vnprofitable seruants And therefore let none build their hope vpon such a sandy foundation as the good workes of others another mans meat cannot nourish me another mans garment cannot warme me another mans eie cannot guide me neither can another mans workes saue me You call vpon your Minister to preach for himselfe vpon your seruants to doe their worke for themselues and vpon your Captaine to leade his company for himselfe and therefore let me call vpon you to doe good duties by your selues and for your selues Let not great men thinke to goe to heauen by their Chaplaines nor Wiues by their Husbands nor Parents by their Children nor seruants by their Masters by whom vsually they are religious here and thinke to be glorious hereafter Let me craue your patience a little in hearing a Storie which though in it selfe it be idle and fained yet may be of good vse to set forth a truth vnfained There was a certaine man saith the Legend which would neuer goe to Church himselfe but euer when he heard the Saints bell ring would say to his wife Goe thou to Church and pray for thee and me one night he dreamt that both he his wife were dead that they knocked together at heauen gate for entrance Peter being the imagined and supposed Porter lets in the wife but keepes out the husband Illa intrauit pro se te telling him thus She is entered in both for her selfe thee For as she went to Church for thee so she is gone to heauen for thee This is the Fable The Morall is good and instructs euery one to haue a personality of faith and proprietie of fruit that himselfe seruing God himselfe may be blessed of God So willeth the Apostle l Gal. 6.4 Haue reioicing in thy selfe alone and not in another It is his m Hab. 2.4 owne faith the iust shall liue by and a mans n 2 Cor. 5.10 Luke 16.2 owne workes that he must giue an account of For at the last day the question will not be what hath he done but what hast thou done And therefore let thy grand 〈◊〉 be to prouide an Answer to that Question which will put the greatest part of the world to a Nonplus See then that thou preach for thy self if thou haue a calling thereunto pray for thy selfe giue thankes for thy selfe serue God for thy selfe and thus make the Prouerbe good which otherwise is deuillish Euery man for himself God for al. Preuention And yet to auoid all scruples I would not so be vnderstood as if we might not ioine with others in holy duties for that we may yea must or that we are not to pray for others or haue others pray for vs for this ought to be only we are not to content our selues with what is done by them vnlesse we ioine in heart and doe the like our selues Neither doe I thinke it a thing vnlawfull but fitting if a Samuel be in presence that he should performe these holy duties be it in any family and blesse the meat be it at any mans table for at such a time the Lord and Master of that house or family how great soeuer should giue way But as for children to giue thankes at their Fathers board except in case before that they are Prophets I thinke it not expedient Sure I am Christ neuer put his Disciples to it though they were men growne vp and of ripe yeares but euer gaue thankes himselfe And therefore the practise of many parents is too too childish who make their children their chaplaines and if they be out of the house grace shall be out of the parlour as if it were vnbeseeming their worthinesse to call vpon God for a blessing vpon what they eat Secondly our fruit it must be kindly fruit For no man gathereth grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles o Matth. 7. Good ground we know bringeth forth fruit of the same kinde and nature with the seed that it was sowed withall and not tares when wheat was sowne nor cockle when barley was cast into the ground Thus a Christian mans fruit must be such a conuersation as may beseeme the Gospell p Phil. 1.27 thy fruits may not be fruits of the flesh which are so rife so ripe yea rotten No nor fruits of ciuill righteousnesse wherewith many content themselues concluding they are trees of righteousnesse because they pay euery man his owne deale iustly truly and so carry themselues as that no man can say blacke is their eie when notwithstanding they are void of all true pietie and sanctitie No nor fruits of externall profession of Religion or outward reformation But the fruit God expecteth from thee must be kindly resembling the Author which is the Spirit of grace and that holy and pure seed which is the word of grace Such fruits as those reckoned vp by the Apostle q Gal. 5.22 23. Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith c. other fruits than these or the like to these beseeme not Christians r Ephes 5.3 4. As for fornication vncleannesse couetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you saith the same Apostle as becommeth Saints Neither filthinesse nor foolish talking nor iesting which are not conuenient If it becommeth not a Saint once to name these things much lesse to beare them and bring them forth Muddie water is lesse offensiue in a puddle than in a fountaine Brambles and briars doe a great deale better in a hedge or thicket than in a garden knot Let one worldling doe as another worldling does but let no worldlings practice be a president to thee What if my Lady Iesabel and other gentlewomen in Court and Citie haue such a complexion such haire
man to heauen Baalam and many other wicked wretches who are now in torments would haue gotten thither long agoe The fiue foolish Virgins intended to goe in with the bridegroome but before the time their lights dropt out If a bare Intention would serue the turne Gods Church on earth would be fuller of Saints and his Court in heauen fuller of Soules Good motions and resolutions are to be respected but thou must vp and be doing else God distasts them A fift property of good fruit is vniuersalitie It must be c Esay 27.9 All fruit as Isaiah speaketh fruits of the first and second table of holinesse towards God and righteousnesse towards man for what God hath ioyned may not be diuorced Particulars were infinite Fruits inward as good Thoughts motions purposes good Desires longings faintings after God and his graces good Affections as Loue Ioy Feare Sorrow Patience Compassion c. Fruits outward as Good words sauourie speech pure and wholesome language And good workes such as we are bound to performe within the compasse of our calling whether Generall or Speciall In a word d Phil. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are louely whatsoeuer things are of good report those things must we thinke on to doe and as Mary said to the seruants e John 2.5 Whatsoeuer hee saith doe it so say I Whatsoeuer the Lord commands that must be done wee may not picke and chuse and doe what best likes vs but as once Israel said so must we alwaies f Exod. 19.8 24.3.7 Whatsoeuer the Lord commandeth that will we doe True it is many points of our Masters will wee know not but our desire must be to know And many things we doe not but our desire must bee to doe for our obedience must reach to Gods whole reuealed will Euery Christian duty thou must make account belongs to thee as well as to any other and therefore as a man that is to plant an Orchard will be sure to get of euery good fruit some so doe not heare of any fruit that good is but carry it home and set thy heart therewith Memorable was the practise of blessed Bradford who was content to sacrifice his life in Gods cause g See Master Sampsons Preface to Bradfords Sermon of repentance He vsed to make vnto himselfe a Iournall or day-booke wherein he vsed to set downe all such notable things as either hee did see or heare each day that passed If he did heare or see any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe and added a short prayer wherein hee craued grace and mercy that hee might amend If he did heare or see any plague or misery hee noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercie vpon me Oh that wee would tread in this Saints steps how much more fruitfull should we then bee than now wee are Lastly our fruit must bee constant fruit Constancy crownes all Thus it is said of the blessed ground h Luke 8 15. It bringeth forth fruit with patience And herein wee may not bee like to other trees wihch grow barren with their age but we must bring forth fruit in our old age i Psal 92.14 and continue fat and flourishing nay not so much as a leafe must fade or faile k Psal 1.3 there must not be any appearance of being out of the state of grace l Heb. 4.1 none of vs must seeme to be depriued or come short of entering into Gods rest Alas for such who haue left bearing yea lost their very leaues and shewes of profession which formerly they haue made being now worse than that cursed fig-tree which was greene what hope haue these who come short of those that come short of heauen Shall the former fruitfulnesse of such professors be regarded or rewarded Surely no m Ezek. 18.24 All their righteousnesse which they haue done shall neuer be mentioned but in their trespasse that they haue trespassed and in their sinne that they haue sinned in them they shall die And if euery man shall receiue according to his fruits then such shall one day feed vpon the bitter fruit of their Apostacie and Back-sliding and finde how bitter a thing it is to forsake the Lord and feele what they will not now be brought to beleeue n 2 Pet. 2.21 That it had beene better for them neuer to haue knowne the way of truth than thus to haue departed from the holy commandement Looke then thou walke not in a good course for a fit but bee constant to the death o Reuel 2.10 and so receiue the crowne of life For p Rom. 2.7 glory and immortalitie is the part and portion only of such as by constancie in well-doing seeke it To you q Luke 22.24 saith our Sauiour which haue continued with mee in tentations haue I appointed a kingdome as my Father hath appointed me a kingdome And thus we haue seene what is necessarily required that our fruit may be acceptable and pleasing vnto God Now then thou that braggest of thy faithfulnesse and fruitfulnesse tell me darest thou abide the triall Why then answer me to these Interrogatories which I propound vnto thee Is thy fruit thy owne Is it done by thy owne selfe and in thy owne person Dost thou rest and rely vpon thy owne faith and liue by it and by no mans else Againe tell me is thy fruit kindly answerable to the good seed that hath oftentimes beene cast into thy heart and beseeming the stocke wherein thou saist thou art engrafted Is not swearing lying cogging and dissembling and such stinking fruit as this the fruit thou bearest I demand againe dost thou obserue the time and season not contenting thy selfe in doing good for matter vnlesse also thou doe it then when God may haue most glory by the doing of it Answer me yet further Dost thou labour that thy fruit may come to some perfection Not resting thy selfe in this that thou bloomest blossommest but still art striuing that euery bud may bee brought to maturity and ripenesse Besides all this dost thou truly and vnfainedly desire and endeuour to bee fruitfull in all good workes making no exceptions like a lazie seruant at any of Gods Commands seeme they neuer so hard or harsh so meane or base And lastly tell mee dost thou continue constant in bearing fruit not giuing ouer in the yeere of drought but euen then continuest fresh and flourishing What answerest thou Canst thou stand out this triall And doth thy conscience witnesse that these things are so Why then indeed thou art a fruitfull branch and hast whereof to reioice in as much as thou bearest fruit to God who doth so accept it that he will reward it r Hebr. 6.7 For the earth that drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth
forth hearbs meet for him by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing from God But if thou findest it otherwise with thee and art not able to endure the triall then let mee tell thee Thou deludest thy owne soule in thinking that thy leaues and shewes will or can answer Gods hopes and expectations neither canst thou comfort thy selfe in thy estate for it is wretched fearefull All such barren or rather euill-fruited ground is Å¿ Vers 8. nigh vnto cursing whose end is to be burned And so I am fallen into a vse of Reprehension of thousand Vse 2 thousands in the world who frustrate the Lords hopes and neuer thinke of making any returne vnto the Lord for his many mercies resting onely in the meanes of fruitfulnesse thinking that enough What abundance of dead ground is there in the world which brings forth iust nothing They thinke it will proue somewhat a troublesome iourney to goe towards heauen and therefore they sit them downe and fall fast asleepe Let these idle wretches know that though they sleepe out their time their t 2 Pet. 2.3 damnation sleepes not And what abundance of ground is there that for all Gods care and paines returne but leaues which are as good as nothing Numbers of carnall gospellers who content themselues with the forme of godlinesse denying the power thereof boasting much of this that they are harmelesse men and no drunkards whore-masters theeues vsurers extortioners and the like All this is well and I would to God all you that heare me this day could so boast Oh! how would it beautifie this Assembly But all this is not enough Negatiue Diuinitie and Christianitie which is so rife and growes almost in euery hedge is not the fruit that must answer Gods hopes The Parable u Matth. 25. dams the euill seruant for not doing good with his talent though hee mis-spent it not and Diues for not helping Lazarus though hee hurt him not It is not enough that thou canst say I bring forth no euill fruit I beare faire leaues c. For thou deceiuest Gods expectation if thou bringest forth no good and what euer thou thinkest of thy selfe or others thinke of thee thou canst not escape the fire For * Matth. 3.10 Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire And therefore be more wise than to trust to these faire leaues and shewes wherewith thou art richly decked and makest a goodly shew as the figge-tree did for they cannot saue thee from the curse And yet a worse kinde of ground than either of these Such ground as my Text speakes of which in stead of grapes brings forth wilde grapes that brings forth hedge fruit like the Heathen nay not so good but like those figges the Prophet Ieremie speaketh of They are euill very euill they cannot be eaten they are so euill x Deut. 32.32 Their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter Their wine is the poison of Dragons and the cruell venome of Aspes O Beloued weigh it if barrennesse and leaues will not cannot escape the axe and fire how shall the euill-fruited tree If the barren Vine fare so bad the wilde Vine must fare farre worse What hell and how many torments are prepared for oppressing Diues when Diues that but denied his owne shall bee so tortured and tormented in endlesse flames Shall he that giues not wring his hands then certainly hee that takes away shall rend his heart y Matth. 24.38 The old world did but eat and drinke plant and build mary and be merry things lawfull in themselues and yet were swept away with the besome of destruction And shall we thinke that liers swearers whoremongers malicious monstrous scandalous offenders whose workes are in themselues simply vnlawfull will euer escape vnpunished Certainly if omission of good workes be whipped with rods commission of impieties shall bee scourged with Scorpions At the hands of these and euery one of these will the Lord of the Vineyard require fruit and iudge them according to their workes Vse 3 And now before I leaue this point let mee giue a word of comfort to all such as finde themselues so qualified in some good measure as is necessarily required he should bee whose fruit God accepteth as wee haue before shewed Howeuer these haue in them many weaknesses and corruptions yet allowing and maintaining none let them assure and secure themselues against all the feares of their owne hearts and cauils of Satan or this wicked world that they are truly fruitfull and in some good measure answer the Lords hopes and expectation The husbandman as we see though hee receiue not a crop of an hundred fold yet hee will thinke it well and count his ground for good and his labour well bestowed if he might receiue sixty or thirty fold So though wee be not the best ground yet wee may be good ground as he may be a good seruant that is not best of all And it is not good ground that is reiected it is onely the bad and barren that God accepteth not z Hebr. 6.7 Let not then the littlenesse of thy fruit discourage thee though it humble thee It is not How much but How good that God doth especially regard We see the fruitfullest tree that groweth loseth many of her buds and blossomes some are smitten with blasting some are nipped with frosts and bitten with the cold and dry East-winde and some againe are eaten vp with wormes and caterpillers and if the tithe thereof come to perfection wee thinke it well Thus our buds and blossomes holy purposes and resolutions often perish sometimes in the very thought and goe no further sometimes they come to words we talke and tell what our purpose is and there it rests much adoe there is to bring them into workes the Deuill the world and flesh so nip vs with their temptations and if we when wee haue done all wee can can saue the tithe nay the tithe of the tithe of our resolutions and bring them to execution wee haue done well Looke more therefore to the quality than to the quantity of thy fruit though looke to both and see it bee not counterfait nor fained let that bee thy chiefest care that as men say of their plums and peares c. Here is but little but it is good I haue not many of them but them that be are very dainty they are right of such and such a kinde I dare assure you So thou maist say of thy Faith Repentance and Obedience Though it be very little and not so much as I could wish it were yet I assure my selfe it is of the right kinde true and good what is of it And then assure thy selfe to thy endlesse comfort and more cheerefull vndergoing of holy duties that thou art a fruitfull Christian and shalt euery day grow fruitfuller than other a Eccles 9.7 Goe then and eat thy bread with ioy and drinke thy wine
euen to the soule Take Ierusalem for an ensample and set that famous Citie before thine eyes Did euer any people taste more of Gods patience or drinke deeper of the cup of his mercifull forbearance than Ierusalem famous Ierusalem did How long did he spare them how many wayes did he forewarne them And when nothing would serue how was his patience turned into furie c Matth. 24.2 Not one stone left vpon another and the inhabitants and their posteritie made slaues and vagabonds for this 1600 yeeres Say not then with Agag d 1 Sam. 15.32 Surely the bitternesse of death is past because thou art a while forborne No no the longer before the reckoning the greater the account will be Patientia laesa fit furor And euermore remember that there is no wrath so furiously outragious as that which ariseth from patience long obstinately abused See therefore in the next place thou beest admonished Vse 4 to beware how thou abusest this patience and long-suffering of the Lord And see thou follow the Apostles direction e Rom. 2.4 Let it leade thee to repentance Happy thou if thou doe thus vse it And indeed except thou dost so thou neuer makest the true and proper vse thereof f Psal 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou maiest bee feared saith that Kingly Prophet Gods children doe feare God g Hos 3.5 and his goodnesse and feare to offend God in regard of his goodnesse Ioseph reasons thus i Gen. 39.8 My Master hath dealt thus kindly with mee c. how then can I commit this great wickednesse So must all Gods children reason Vse 5 Againe this may be for Imitation As God is and hath beene towards vs patient and long-suffering so let vs bee towards others That hastie spirit of calling for fire from heauen for euery disobedience was sharply k Luke 9.54 reproued by our blessed Sauiour Let vs learne to haue an eie to the rich patience of our God who is daily by vs prouoked and after his example tolerate the froward infirmities of our ignorant brethren l 2 Tim. 2.25 with meeknesse instructing them rather than with rashnesse of zeale reiecting them and in case of wrong say not I will recompence euill It was a good specch and comming out of a Heathens mouth deserues the more regard m Socrates I will willingly neither suffer wrong nor doe it but if I must chuse one I will rather chuse to suffer than to doe But why speake I of the Heathen vnlesse to shame vs when we haue God himselfe to imitate How patient is he towards reprobates and vessels of his wrath If thou puttest vp an iniury patiently once or twice thou hast thy selfe highly in admiration and in thy owne conceit deseruest to bee chronicled for a rare patterne of patience But God doth beare with thee and other many thousand times in a day write after that copy and forgiue n Matth. 18.22 not seuen times but seuenty times seuen times if thou beest so often wronged And be thou transformed into the same image of God from glory to glory Vse 6 Lastly hence may perplexed and disquieted consciences who tremble vnder Gods hand fearing the power of his wrath by reason of their sinnes haue a vse of Comfort for the lifting of them vp It is Gods nature to be patient be not therefore out of hope Hee is long ere he be prouoked and when he is prouoked easie to be appeased An earthly father will not take euery aduantage against his childe hee will tell him and forewarne him before hee doth correct and punish him And why should we thinke God harder than our selues How long beares he with such as neuer grieue mourne nor complaine of sinne will he then be hasty to marke what is done amisse by such as grone vnder the burden of their corruptions He spareth such as neuer so much as say o Ier. What haue I done and is it possible that he should not spare such as with the Prodigall crie out p Luke 15. Father I haue sinned Certainly if the wicked fare so wel the godly shall fare much better and be thou perswaded so And thus much for the Premonition the Execution followes I will take away the hedge thereof Text. and it shall bee eaten vp and breake downe the wall thereof and it shall be trodden downe c. Here according to our propounded method consider we first the Party punishing and who it is that doth inflict this iudgement on them and that is the Lord himselfe I will take away c. Thence obserue Gods holy hand hath a speciall stroake in those afflictions and visitations which are laid vpon his Church and befall his people whosoeuer be the instrument Doctr. Gods hand is in all afflictions that doe befall vs. What truth more strongly confirmed in holy Writ than this Doe wee not there reade thus q Iob 5.6 Affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground r Esay 45.7 I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things Å¿ Esay 28.21 The Lord shall rise vp as in mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that hee may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act t 1 Sam. 2.6 7. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue hee bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth vp u Deut. 32.39 I euen I am hee and there is no god with me I kill and I make aliue I wound and I heale neither is there any that can deliuer out of my hand And * Amos 3.6 What euill is there in the City vnderstand it of the euill of punishment that I haue not done Hereupon doth the Church x Hos 6.1 mutually exhort one another to returne vnto the Lord because he hath torne and hee will heale hee hath smitten and hee will binde vp And by S. Peter wee are instructed to y 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt vs in due time And hereupon Ioseph though of his enuious brethren sold into Aegypt saith z Gen. 45.8 God hath sent mee hither And Dauid being cursed by Shemei said a 2 Sam. 16.10 God had bid him curse And Iob robbed by the Sabaeans saith b Iob 1.21 God hath taken away Reas And how can it otherwise be seeing that c Matth. 10.29 a sparrow falleth not to the ground nor a haire from off our heads without the prouidence of the Almighty as our Sauiour hath taught vs If then Gods prouidence reacheth to matters of such small weight it must needs reach to matters of greater moment Obiect If any now obiect That wicked and bad men yea the Deuill himselfe doth persecute
all manner of store our sheepe bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets Our Oxen are strong to labour there is no breaking in nor going out there is no complaining in our streets In a word all honest Occupations and honourable Professions thriue vnder the peace that wee enioy For which Peace what cause haue we to be thankfull to the God of Peace Especially considering how often by our sinnes wee haue broken our truce with God and giuen an Alarum to the King of heauen by our Pride * Isay 3.16 and contempt of the Gospell x 2 Chro. 36.16 17. two vsuall fore-runners of the Sword And therefore in the midst of this our peace let vs not grow secure we haue not so many blessings but we may forfeit them all by our disobedience When wee most feared warre God sent vs peace Now we most bragge of our peace we may well feare that God will send vs warre Secondly for Reprehension of such as grudge their Vse 2 owne peace and well-fare and both wish and pray for warres Neuer good daies since so much peace say some and would we had warres againe say others Fooles that we are that know no better how to vse our peace and testifie so great vnthankfulnes for so great a mercy Had we beene in the coats of our fore-fathers or did we feele the scourge of warre as our neighbours doe we would better know how to esteeme this blessing and prize this garland of Peace We neuer saw our Townes and Cities burning whiles the flame gaue light to the souldiers to carry away our goods we neuer saw our houses rifled our Temples spoiled our wiues rauished our children bleeding dead on the pauements or sprawling on the mercilesse pikes we heare not the confused cries of men sounding in our distracted eares some dying others killing other insulting others resisting we see not our high-waies strawed with breathlesse carkasses men and horses wallowing in their bloud and the gastly visages of wounds and death in euery corner these things wee can only iudge of by report and heare-say did we know them by experience wee would not so repine at the peace wee now enioy Were it not a wofull and lamentable thing to see fire without mercie and without quenching consuming houses and eating vp all things making spare of nothing How much more to heare and see and feele the affliction of warre when all things are in confusion and combustion When y 2 Chro. 15.5 6. there is no peace to him that goeth out or in but great troubles to all the inhabitants when Nation is destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie and all are troubled with aduersitie Alas what good what profit what sweetnesse can we finde in these things And as these are to be reproued so me thinks I finde another sort of people to be sharply censured who goe a degree further than the former counting of warre but as a matter of sport and play So speaketh Abner Captaine of the Host z 2 Sam. 2.14 Let the young men now rise and play before vs. His meaning was that they should come forth and trie their valour one in hewing and cutting of another and so shew them a Vatah. Iun. in loc a bloudie play Such were those sword-plaies in vse amongst the Romanes wherein cruell spectacles were exhibited on each side in the shedding of humane bloud Such also are our challenges made and performed by Fencers vpon the stage now in vse amongst vs whereby Gods Image is oftentimes defaced and bloud spilt as water vpon the ground and yet what running and thronging to see such bloudie sights being counted by many but a sport or matter of recreation Which kinde of sauage and beastly spectacles Theodosius the Emperour abhorred and would neuer behold And one Demonax among the Athenians hearing the people consult about such plaies told them they must first breake downe the Altar of Mercie because such sights were so mercilesse and cruell Let all such as feare the Lord beware of countenancing such by our presence lest wee make our selues guiltie of their sinnes and stand as guiltie before the Lord of shedding that bloud which they doe shed Thirdly for our Instruction this serues Seeing there is such crueltie in warre and fearefulnesse and deuouring in the sword let vs take heed of the beginnings thereof and cut the cords of all contention and debate liuing peaceably one with another as brethren ought to doe b Iames. 4.1 From whence come warres and contentions amongst you saith Saint Iames are they not hence euen of your lusts that fight in your members These distempered lusts are the cause of all strife and contention causing a continuall warre within a man and oftentimes warres with other men to the ruinating not onely of priuate persons but of whole Families Cities Kingdomes The greatest warres haue beene kindled by priuate discords as Histories declare Let euery one then beware of sowing the seeds of diuision for in time they may come to yeeld a comfortlesse crop of cares and confusions Brawle not chide not one with another and as Saint Iames saith c Iames 5.9 Grudge not one against another for these are the foundations of warre and therefore haue no hand in laying them Ciuill dissentions ruinate a Common-wealth more than open warre as Ierusalem and Rome can testifie both which by priuate factions made themselues a prey to the common enemie The French and wee English also haue some experience hereof in those home-bred garboyles which were betweene the house of Lancaster and Yorke before they were vnited in which vnhappie quarrell there were cruelly butchered fourescore Princes of the bloud royall as one witnesseth d Cominaeus besides an infinite number of the comminaltie that were slaine And thus we see Saint Iames his saying true e Cap. 3.16 Where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of euill workes Lastly seeing there is misery and mischiefe in warre Vse 4 let this serue for exhortation that we f Rom. 12.10.15 mourne with them that mourne and weepe with them that weepe Our brethren in France and Germany are whirled about in these bloudie tumults they heare the dismall cries of cruell aduersaries crying kill kill the shrikes of women and infants the thundering of those murdering peeces in their eares while we lye g Amos 6.4.6 vpon beds of Iuory and stretch our selues vpon our couches and eat the lambes out of the flocke and the calues out of the midst of the stall while wee drinke wine in bowles and anoint our selues with the chiefe ointments We are strangers to those miseries they vndergoe in passion I pray God we be not strangers to their miseries in compassion which I feare I feare wee are Let vs thinke we see the calamities of warre with our neighbours eyes and feele them thorow their sides and let not the afflictions of poore Ioseph be forgotten And seeing they are in the
Reason And no wonder for God respecteth truth in the inward parts and not outward titles he regardeth substance more than shadowes Vse This being so let none content themselues with their good names or outward titles of honour that are giuen them but let them vse them as a spurre to stirre them vp to imitate such good men as haue beene before so named and surely this was one reason why this people were thus called by the name of Israel that they might hereby be put in minde of their pedegree and so of their predecessors pietie and consequently to make them ashamed of their owne apostacie who were so far degenerated from those religious men of whom they were descended Neither content thy selfe with that honorable title of a Christian or of a Professor or of a Protestant vnlesse thou makest good those names by a holy and godly life Tell me then thou that art thus called hast thou those gifts and graces which those names import hast thou receiued an ointment from that holy one hath he opened thy eies quickened thy dead heart sanctified thy vncleane affections If it be thus then indeed these names and titles are well befitting thee but if it be otherwise with thee if thou liuest loosely and prophanely thou maist blush so often as thou hearest thy selfe called Christian or Professor or the like for thou art nick-named and miscalled It is as if a Cobler should be called worshipfull or a Carr-man honourable and who could away with that Nay more it is a kinde of sacriledge vnder those holy names to liue an vnholy life Belshazzar sinned against God by excesse and intemperancie in his eating and drinking but in that he abused the holy vessels of the house of God to serue him to such prophane and vnholy vses was a sinne more fearefull and sacriledge most horrible Thus for thee as thou art a man to sinne prouokes Gods wrath and deserues damnation but to sinne vnder the Christian name and commit wickednesse as thou art a Gospeller it is with Belshazzar to abuse and prophane the holy vessels of Gods house and this must needs plunge thee into the hottest fire of hell Mountaignes Essaies To conclude this vse let me tell you what I haue read of a libidinous Gentleman who sporting with a Curtezan in a house of sinne happened to aske her name which she said was Mary whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not only cast off the harlot but amended his future life Art thou called a Christian and yet followest drunkennesse swearing c. let that very name cause thee to be ashamed of thy folly Let all apply what I forbeare to amplifie Further in that these people haue these titles Israel Iudah the names of their forefathers giuen them as titles of honour and names of excellency we learne a third lesson And obserue another note viz. Good Parents and Progenitors are great ornaments to their posteritie Doctr. Good Parents are ornaments to their posteritie Parents that are godly and religious doe no whit at all disgrace their children by their pietie and godlinesse but much countenance and grace them by it insomuch that it is an honour for posteritie to descend from such worthie Ancestors Solomons Prouerbe may be a sufficient proofe hereof r Pro. 17.6 Childrens children are the crowne of the elders and the glory of the children are their fathers to wit if they be godly and pious Besides sundrie instances and examples that might be brought for the confirming of this truth as of Abraham what an honourable title was it accounted to be called the son of Abraham and childe of Abraham The Iewes brag and boast therefore Å¿ Iohn 8.33 Matth. 3.9 They were Abrahams seed and they had Abraham to their Father And so it was indeed to them that walked in his steps and were like him in grace And so afterwards in Dauid what an excellent prerogatiue was it accounted to be to descend from him and be of his Family Reas For such are the seed of Princes and linage of Kings for thus hath God aduanced the godly to be t Reuel 1.6 Kings Priests and Prophets vnto himselfe they come of the noblest House and Family that is whose originall commeth not out of some corner of the earth but they spring of Christ of whom all the Families in heauen and earth are called And this is right and proper Nobilitie indeed Vse 1 This being so it first reproueth such Parents as hope to bring credit and renowne to their posterities by their lewd and sinfull courses they liue miserably and deale vniustly and open the mouths of all to crie out vpon their falshood and deceit their couetousnesse and extortion and yet thinke to raise vp their houses and aduance their names and adorne their children with glorie and estimation But this truth may discouer vnto such parents their folly and great madnesse for this is not the way to bring credit but disgrace to their posterities yea when they are dead and rotten their euill courses will be cast as dung in the faces of such as they leaue behinde as experience makes good Such a man saith one was this childes father What that Vsurer that Worldling that Extortioner that Drunkard that Whore-master saith another How can thy childe stand by and heare this without red cheekes it must needs be matter of shame and griefe vnto him First step to Heauen 42. Wouldst thou indeed be an ornament to thy childe and childs childe after thee then see thou be righteous and religious and so thy name shal be remembred in them when thou art dead Oh what a credit is it now accounted to be of the posteritie of Latimer Bradford Ridley and other of those men of God who suffered for the truth How are such esteemed and accounted of amongst all Let experience make thee wise and so liue thou that thy children also may account it their honour not their shame to name thee when thou art raked vp in the dust Secondly let Children who haue had or haue godly Vse 2 and religious parents be thankfull for them and repose their Gentry more in their forefathers vertues that they had than in their great lands and reuenewes that they possessed esteeming them the worthiest of all their Ancestors who were the godliest rather than they who were the wealthiest And withall let such be stirred vp to tread in their fathers steps for all that hath beene said is with this prouiso that we their children be adorned with their gifts and vertues For though wee descend from godly and worthy Ancestors yet if wee u Ezek. 18.10.13 degenerate from them as a base and bastard brood it can be no honour credit comfort nor commendation to vs. Put case a man haue a thousand pound land a yeere left him by his friends and he spend it all like the Prodigall * Luke 15. in riotous and voluptuous
that we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat and make the Epha small and the shekell great and falsifie the waights by deceit and buy the poore for siluer and the needie for shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheat They had long as it may seeme kept vp the corne for this purpose that it might grow deare and now they had a time to serue their turne in and they must set it to sale in all haste so that they thought the new moone and the Sabbath daies appointed for Gods owne seruice too long vntill they were a selling And now they intend to prey vpon the poore for they will sell little for much lessening the measure and enhancing the price The poore shall buy the refuse deare which is little worth and sell themselues cheape euen in a manner for old shooes to pay for it Here God sent corne and the deuill sent garners Nay in some sort they were worse than the very Deuill himselfe for he seemed to haue some charitie in him when he would haue had Christ h Matth 4. to turne stones into bread and so make a plentie in time of scarcitie but these endeuoured what in them lay to make a scarcitie in the midst of plentie turning bread into stones a tricke beyond the Deuill Are not these Oppressors 4 Vsurers who may well be compared to the Timber-worme which to touch is as soft as silke but hath teeth so hard as that it eats the Oake Or like the Beuer which biteth so sore Iul. Solin cap. 23. as that hee neuer looseth his teeth vntill hee haue broken the bones It may be truly said of these i Isay 59.7 Desolation and destruction is in their path wheresoeuer they set foot they make hauocke of all The Prophet Ezekiel doth hedge in this sinne betweene Bribery and Extortion k Ezek 22.12 In thee haue they taken gifts to shed bloud Thou hast taken vsury and increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by Extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord therefore I haue smitten my hands at thy dishonest gaine And in another place we shall finde that It and Oppression is made both one l Exod. 22.25 If thou lend money to my people with thee thou shalt not be an Vsurer thou shalt not oppresse him Thus by Gods owne testimonie these are Oppressors Not vnaptly may we compare the Vsurer to the nether Milstone which is slow and stirres not he sits at home and spends his time in a deuillish Arithmeticke in Numeration of houres daies and moneyes in Substraction from other mens estates and Multiplication of his owne vntill hee haue made Diuision betweene his soule and heauen and diuided the earth to himselfe and himselfe to hell His Broker we may compare to the vpper Milstone without which the nether Milstone may seeme vnprofitable that is quicke and stirring and runnes round The Poore like corne who betweene both these is grinded vnto powder Surely it is for our sins that God suffers Vsurers amongst vs It may be he suffers these a while as he did the Canaanites in Israel lest the wilde beasts should breake in vpon them lest pride and a full estate should spill mens soules yet wee may safely say of these as Iosua did of those they are prickâ—s in our sides and thornes in our eyes Now the mercie of God rid vs of them Let them bring what Excuses Apologies Mitigations Euasions or Distinctions they possibly can inuent let them reply Vsury is no sinne many learned men are of this opinion yet what are they the better if God himselfe be not of the same minde those learned men are of And let them tell me if their consciences can be so satisfied Would not the greatest Vsurer willingly giue an hundred pound bag to be secured in this point It is not safe wading farre in a questionable water Oh yet that there were hope with any sayings to moue then I would spend some time and take some paines in perswading these men who deale altogether in letting out their money to men their time to Mammon their body to pining their minde to repining their soule to Satan that they would fall to restoring because the sinne is retained vntill the gaines of Vsury be returned Which saying though it seeme hard Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur abâ—atum Aug. yet it is most true And what though they should in so doing restore all they haue I would tell them as the Prophet did Amasiah m 2 Chron. 25.9 The Lord is able to giue thee more than this A mansion in Gods kingdome is worth all thy cash But I speake to the belly that hath no eares Shew me the Vsurer except Zacheus that euer repented truly for as Humilitie is the repentance of Pride so is Restitution of this sinne I doubt not but there are some but they will be as daintie dishes in heauen as Venison is on a Plowmans table Wherefore I will forbeare any further dealing with these and rather speake in generall to all Oppressors of what kinde soeuer and so hasten to an end Let all such know as vse any kinde of iniustice vi or dolo by force or fraud against the poore and needie who are no way able to withstand them that they flay their skins off they grinde their faces yea eat their very flesh as somtimes that poore leane widow told Baldwin Acts and Mon. pag. 233. an Archbishop of Canterbury when she heard him boasting that he had neuer eat flesh in all his daies that he had eat vp hers in taking away her Cow whereby shee liued And let them call to minde the fearefull woes that are thundered out against them for this sinne There is a n Isay 3.14 15. Woe from Isaiah a o Ier. 22.13 Woe from Ieremiah a p Micah 2.1 2. Woe from Micah a q Hab. 2.12 Woe from Habbakkuk Woe and alas then that such can be secure Oh that such would now at length call themselues to account for their oppressions that some remorse might be wrought in their hearts if it were possible Such as these in former times haue beene executed Stow in his Summary as theeues are now amongst vs. Catillus a British King hung vp all oppressors of the poore And after him King Edward commonly called good King Edward banished such the Land Glanuil lib. 7. de leg consu Angl. cap. 37. Extra del Tur. cap. Quia in om And by the ancient Lawes of England the goods of oppressors dying without restitution were forfeit to the King and all his lands vnto the Lord of the Towne And it is apparant by the Canon-law that heretofore they haue beene denied Christian burial Were the same lawes still in force vndoubtedly it would be a good restraint And yet what is all this to expulsion out of Gods Kingdome Oh that these would bethinke them of that dreadfull day of