so meane and base in the iudgement of the world if they be performed in such a sort as the word directeth are most acceptable fruites such as God will approue and reward He that is a seruant and in his seruice is put to many base workes yet if he performe the common duties of all Christians and likewise performe the workes of his calling in such a manner as the word teacheth him the worke of his seruice are good fruits And therefore Paul bad seruants be obedient to their Maisters in singlenes of heart Ephes 6.5 as vnto Christ not with eye seruice as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart As if by seruing their Maisters in a good sort they did serue Christ yea he lets them vnderstaÌ„d that God would reward that their seruice for whatsoeuer good thing any man doth that shall he receiue of the Lord Vers 8.2 Cor. 8.12 whether he be bond or free And elsewhere the Apostle teacheth that if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not This bringeth forth of fruite is amplified 2. waies 1. by that maner 2. by the measure of it First by that maner of it for they are said to bring forth fruit with patience And herein may also be seen a differeÌ„ce betwixt these and one sort of the other hearers Those that be coÌ„pared to stony grouÌ„d in time of tentation fal away so fayle both in professioÌ„ practise and the reason is because they want patience to beare the crosses that doe follow the word But these at all seasons and in all estates continue constant both in their profession and practise because they be endued with patience to endure all troubles that doe befall them for the words sake After ground is sowne with corne it endures many violent stormes and intemperate seasons faire weather and fowle frost and snowe cold and raine in winter heate and drought in summer before it can beare fruit in haruest So those who heare and receiue the word for the saluation of their soules doe oftentimes endure great troubles and suffer much affliction before they can bring forth the fruits of it Yet if they be endued with patience they will be content to beare all Hence it is that the Apostle telleth the Hebrewes Hâ—â—â— 1â— 36 that they had neede of patience that after they had done the will of God they might receiue the promise As if by patience they might be made able in those bloodâ—â— daies of cruell persecution to doe the will of God and so to receiue the promises And through want of patience they should faile â—n the deede and not obtaine the promise And for this cause he exhorteth vs to runne with patience the race that is set before vs. Heb. 12.1 As if none could hold out to the end of the race but onely the patient And therefore in the midst of the greatest persecutions the patience and faith of the Saints is commended and admired As when it was said Reuel 13.10 Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints because by patience in bearing the crosse and by faith in beleeuing to receiue the crowne they were made constant Thus will patience arme a man against all crosses so that by it he shall be made able manifestly to encounter with them and safely to passe through them and not be hindered by any of them in the obedience of the word How soeuer in others crosses and tribulations doe breede fainting and relapse yet in these hearers Rom. 5.3 â— tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed What is the cause that one hearer to preuent foâ—â—e inconuenience which he feareth or to remoue some trouble that he feeleth will refuse to performe the dutie taught him And another will rather chuse to endure all crosses and losses all disgraces and dangers yea imprisonment and death then sinne against his God but because the one wanteth patience the other is endued with patience So necessarie is patience for our practise So greatly doth it further vs in our obedience This should be a motiue to perswade euery one of you to seeke for patience It is in vaine to heare Gods word with intent to obey it vnles by patience you possesse your owne soules for otherwise your owne crosse will stop your course to turne you out of the way that leadeth vnto life The more patience the more obedience the lesse patience the lesse obedience wee should loue religion so dearely as we must be content to suffer persecution for the profession and practise of it and rather lay down our liues for the maintenance of it then faile in the obedience of it The same minde ought to be in vs which was in the blessed Apostle Paul who knowing that bands and afflictioâ—s did abide in euery place yet passed not for them Act. 20.24 neither was his life deare vnto himselfe so that hee might fulfill his course with ioy Act. 21.13 And when he was told by Agabus the Prophet that he must be bound in Ierusalem did openly protest that he was readie not onely to be bound but also to die there for the name of the Lord Iesus Yet consider that you cannot endure the least of those things vnles you be endued with patience you know not what may befall you hereafter and therefore pray vnto God that he will grant you patience to beare that which shall come In time of publike peace and when the Gospell is defended by the authoritie of Magistrates men may endure some secret and priuate persecutiâ—â— by inferiour persons Especially in theâ—e popish parts where some hold of Christ some of Antichrist where papists grow headstrong through impunâ—tâ—e And where many are Protestants in shew but Papists in truth If they cannot persecute you by the sword they will persecute you by the tongue If not by fire and fagot as they were wont yet by priuate wrongs and spitefull displeasures Gen. 21.9 Yea the Church is no better now Gal. 4.29 then was Abrahams house in which the sonne of the bond woman by scoffes and mockes did persecute the sonne of the free woman Genes 4. Did not Caine and Abell sacrifice together yet Caine enioyed Abell because his sacrifice was better accepted and afterward flew him for it 2. Cor. 11. â—6 Was not Paul often in perills among false brethren And did you not heare out of Bernard how the Church complained that in her peace Pâ—xapagâ—â—â— pax 〈…〉 non 〈…〉 33. she had greatest bitternes Of a peaceable time he said Et pax est non est pax there is peace and there is not peace peace from Pagons peace from Heretikes yet not peace indeed from the sonnes Many friends were foes indeed We must therefore in all times looke to receiue some affliction for the
most inuincible a most perseuering will Prudentius that ancient and Christian Poete (13) Fleuit negator denique ex ore prolapsum â—efas cùm mens maneret innocens animusque servaret sidem Kathemerin Hymn ad galiâ—cant paulo post initium thus wrote of Peters denyall With mouth his Maister who deny'd Hee for that cryme did weepe When innocent his minde remainde And Faith his heart did keepe Leo Bishop of Rome thus saith of Peter (14) Adsiâ—t dextera domuni lesu christi quae labentem te priusquam dâ—ycereris exciperet firmitatem stands inipso cadendipericulo recepists vidit in te dominus non fidem fictam non delectionem auersam sed con-stantiam fuisse turbatam De passâ— dom ser 9. The right hand of the LORD IESVS CHRIST was present which took thee vp as thou was falling before thou was cast downe And thou receiuedst streÌ„gth to staÌ„d in the very danger of falling The Lorde saw in thee not that thy Faith was fained nor thy loue turned from him but that thy Constancie was troubled Weeping abounded when affection fayled not and the fountaine of Charitie washed the words of fearfulnes Neither was the remedie of abolishing deferred where there was not iudgement of will Theophilact doth make this paraphrase (15) quamvâ—s brevâ—tpore concutâ—endus sis sed habes recondita sâ—mina fidei Etiamsi folia abiecerit Pâ—enma spiritus inuadentis sed radix viuet non deficiet fides tua In Luc. 22. of the wordes of Christ to Peter Luke 22.32 Although within a short time thou must be shaken yet thou hast the seedes of faith lying hid Although the spirit or winde of the inuader shall strike off the leaues yet the roote shal liue and thy Faith shall not fayle Bernard said (16) Etsi princepts apostolorum in profundum negationis submergitur non est tamen qui de manu dei possit erâ—ere serm de tripl cohaerent vinc clan glut Though Dauid be branded with the marke of horrible crimes though the chiefest of the Apostles bee plunged into the depth of denyall Yet is there none that can take them out of Gods haÌ„d And in an other place (17) Petrus cuÌ„ peccauit chariâ—atem 〈◊〉 â—â—isit quia peccauit pâ—itus in veritateÌ„ quam in charitatem cum se non esse meÌ„titâ—â— est in re cuins totus erat in corde de natura digâ—it amor diâ—iâ— cap. 6. Peter when he sinned he lost not Charitie He sinned rather against veritie theÌ„ against charitie when he told a lye that hee was not his in deede whose wholly he was in heart And therefore the loue of Truth did presently wash away the denyall of falshood When hee could not be plucked out of Gods hands wheÌ„ he had charitie when he was wholly Christs in hart did hee euen then at that instant want faith Surely no. These things appertâ—ine not to vnbelieuers Beda ascribed such vertue to Christs prayer for the confirmation of Peters faith that he thus expounds them (18) Ipse tuaem sidem 〈◊〉 satana teÌ„tante dâ—ficiat orando pretext In Luc. 22. li. 6. I haue by praying kept thy faith sale that it shall not fayle when Satan tempteth thee The Maâ—ster of Sentences resoluing the question whether Peter had the faith of Christs Passion when hee saw with his owne eyes CHRIST as man to suffer Answereth (19) Lumb sent lib. 3. dis 24. B. That he had faith of his Passion not in that hee belieued that man suffered but in that he belieued hee was God that suffered thereby signifying that he had not lost his faith at the time of Christs Passion Caietane sayd (20) Defecit confessio sid 〈◊〉 cum tâ—r Christum negaâ—â—t sed non deficit fides quonâ—am timore negaâ—it non incredulitate Luk. 22.32 Peters confession of faith failed when he thrice denyed Christ but his faith failed not because hee denyed through feare not through incredulitie Tollet also (21) Petrâ—â— nec negavit esse christum fidem ve eius abâ—ecit sed negauit senouisse eum In Luc. 12. annot 23. that Peter neither denyed him to be Christ nor cast away his faith but denyed that he knew him Catharinus likewise that (22) Commentar in epist ad Galat 2. p. 260. Peter could not lose his faith for the Lord had peculiarly prayed for him that his faith might not faile And least it might be thoght that he praied for that Sea only and not for his person he called him by his old name Simon To wit for thee Simon particularly Maldonarus vpon these wordes All yee shall be offended by me this night (23) Non signisiâ— at fidem apostolos perdituros fidem enim nemo eorum perdidit ne petrus quide ipse quinegavit c. Comment in Math. 26.31 saith that Christ did not signifie that the Apostles should loose thâ—yr faith For none of them lost it No not Peter himselfe who denyed him Although some olde Authors were wont so to speake as if hee lost his faith Not distinguishing the confession of faith from faith it selfe and the denyall of Christ from the losse of faith which are farre different things And so afterward (23) Comment in Mat 27.75 The vulgar error of them is to be taken heede of who thinke that Peter lost his faith (24) Ore negauâ—â— animo râ—tinuâ—â— Comment in Luk. 22.32 For he lost not his faith but denyed it which diuines say is another thing And besides this he saith their opinion is false who think that Peter lost his faith by denying He denieth with his mouth but kept it in his heart as we haue heard Ambrose teaching on Psalm 43. See then what a clowde of witnesses wee haue against Bellarmine But it would make any man to wonder to behold his inconstancy in this point For he plainely contradicteth himselfe eueÌ„ like a right Iesuite holding the affirmatiue or negatiue as it best serued his present purpose When hee would proue that faith and iustice may be lost (25) De Iustificat lib. 3. cap. 14. he produceth Peters example to proue it as if he lost both He sorteth him with Adam as if he lost his faith and iustice in the same manner that Adam did at his fall brought himselfe to the same estate though hee recouered his former state as well as Adam Yea herein the Cardinall equalleth Peter with the diuel with Saul with Iudas with Simon Magus Though hee make him vnlike to them in the recouery of it because hee got his faith againe but they could not Yet for the manner of loosing it and for his present estate after it was lost till it was recouered againe he maketh him altogether equal with them Yet at other times and vpon other occasions he teacheth the coÌ„trary When he pleadeth for the pope that his holines cannot erre (26) De Romam pontifiâ— lib. 4. cap. 3. sect est igitur tertia At
which haue corrupt hearts it is loathsome terrible and vnprofitable Vse 1 This should teach euery one of vs to looke to our hearts and see that they be good that so we may be fruitfull hearers husbandmen haue great care to make their ground good and fertile before they sowe it If it be barren they will marke it they will set mucke and dung on it to make it more fruitfull As carefull should thou be to make thy heart good seeing it is the soyle in which the Lords heauenly seede must be sowne If it be not good alreadie vse all good meanes to make it good pray earnestly vnto God that he would sanctifie it by his holy spirit And if it be good labour to make it better the better it is the more fruitfull shall thy heating be And for this purpose heare the word often for it will make thy heart better The longer that the ground of your fields is tilled and sowne the more bare and barren it will be But it is not so with the ground of your hearts the oftner and the longer they are sowne with the scade of Gods word the more fruitfull will they be Such is the nature of this heauenly seede that it will not make the ground more barren but more fertile by often sowing As the seede is good that is sowne in your hearts so let the soyle be made answerable vnto it and then you neede not to doubt of a plentifull encâ—ease Let not so good seede be lost by lighting into bad soyle heare with penitent hearts with sanctified hearts with beleeuing hearts with resolued hearts to receiue and obey whatsoeuer is taught out of the word and you shall be happy hearers Vse 2 2. Furthermore we may hereby discerne who haue good harts who haue bad It is the goodnes of the heart that makes the hearer to bring forth fruit It is the corruption of the heart that hinders his fruitfulnes Those then that heare much and practise little haue bad hearts but those that heare and practise the word in their liues haue honest and good hearts Though none knowe the heart of another immediately and directly but God alone who is the onely searcher of it yet as the Physition can iudge of the inward temperature of the body by the pulse and as we may iudge of the tree by the fruits so may we iudge of the inward goodnes and badnes of the heart by the outward behauiour in the life And to keepe me to the present comparison of this parable If a man knew a field sowne in a good sort with good seede yet afterward did see the corne to be thin and course and yeeld no good crop he will say the ground is barren But if he passe by a close toward haruest time and see the corne very thicke and rancke and beare a long care full of corne he will say it is good land So if we knowe people to be well taught and yet yeeld little obedience in their liues we may iustly suspect that their hearts be not vpright before God but if we see them reforme their liues according to the word auoyd those sinnes which it forbiddeth and practise those duties which it commendeth and that in a constant course of their conuâ—â—sâ—tion 〈◊〉 may be assured that their hearts be honest and good Iâ— therefore you would haue others to thinke that you haue honest and good hearts 〈◊〉 forth the fruits of the word in your liues The second speciall propertie in these hearers is their keeping of the word They doe not onely receiue it with their hearts and lay it vp in the bottome of them but likewise there they keepe it fast Katâ—chousie They will not let it goe out thence nor suffer any to take it from them Beza Annot maâ—or in locum The originall word as some haue obserued is very emphaticall and importeth a keeping with much labour and difficultie And so fitly expresseth the manner of their keeping which is with striuing and strugling against their owne corruptions against Sathans suggestions and against the world allurements Though all conspire and ioyne their forces together yet doe they keepe it so safe and sure as that they cannot wrest it from them And herein they also differ from all the former hearers The first sort lost it as soone as they receiued it euen while they were in hearing the diuell tooke it from them The second sort kept it a while but not long for they beleeue for a time they keepe the word no longer then they kept their faith Though they kept both in time of peace yet they lost both in time of persecution The third sort kept the word yet not long when as afterward it was choaked by cares and pleasures it was taken from them But these kept it for euer neither the diuel by his suggestions nor other men by their persecutions nor their owne lusts by their prouocations can depriue them of the word Such an hearer was the blessed virgin the mother of Christ she kept all her Sauiours sayings in hâ—r heart Luk. 2.51 she did not only lay them vp but also kept them And not onely in her head but likewise in her heart and not some onely but all his words And such keepers are all profitable hearers for if the word enter into mens harts and afterward goe out againe it will doe them little or no good at all Though the meate which a man eateth be receiued into his stomacke yet vnles it continue there for a time and be there digested it will not nourish and seede his body Though seede be cast into the furrowes yet vnles it doe there remaine for a season to sprout and take rooting it will not yeeld any crop to the reapers Euen so though the word should be receiued into the heart yet vnles it doe there abide it cannot fructifie in the life But if it be there safely kept it will bring forth plentifull encrease And therefore Christ said Luk. 11.28 Happie are they which heare the word of God and keepe it Yea he accounteth them more happie for that their keeping of it then was the wombe that bare him and the pappes that gaue him sucke The benefite of this keeping is double 1. It serueth for direction for the word kept in the heart will direct a man in his life teaching him what sins to auoyd what duties to performe It will be a lanterne vnto his feete and a light vnto his path It will be a guide to say vnto him Isai 30.21 this is the way walke in it when he turneth to the right hand or to the left Psal 119.11 And therefore Dauid said of himselfe I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee As if the hiding keeping of the word in the heart were a speciall and an effectuall meane to keepe men from sinne And he also writeth of others The mouth of the righteous will
speake of wisedome Psal 37.30.31 and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the lawe of his God is in his heart and his steps shall not slide If you will carefully and safely keepe the word in your hearts you shall shew forth the fruit of it in your liues 2. It serueth for perseuerance It will make a man constantly to continue in grace in obedience in the Lords fauour and in state of saluation It is certaine that so long as men keepe the word in their harts they cannot wholy fall away from God Now those that heare with good and honest hearts shall alwaies safely keepe it neither can the diuells tentations nor the worlds persecution rob them of it neither can their owne corrupt affections being mortified expell it out of their hearts Though other hearers may loose the word by those meanes yet not any of these which haue these honest good harts And therefore as they are now in grace in state of saluatioÌ„ so shall they continue therein for euer Whereupon Iohn sayth 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neyther can he sinne because he is borne of God He cannot sinne totally and finally so as he should thereby quite cut off himselfe from grace and from saluation Wherefore this propertie of these hearers confuteth their opinion who hold that a man once in state of grace may vtterly fall away and become a reprobate If any will obiect that so long as they keepe the word in their hearts they cannot fall away but they may loose the word it may bee taken out of their hearts and then they may perish I answere That in this their argument they begge the question for neyther can any other take the worde from them neyther shall they lose it of themselues For this perpetuall keeping of the word is a speciall propertie in these good hearers whereby they differ from all other hearers As their heartes are farre better then the rest so shall they better keepe the word then any of the rest Those bad hearers which had their hearts mollified but in part or had their hearts fraught with worldly cares and voluptuousnes may receiue and keepe the worde for a time and loose it afterward as you heard before but these who haue honest and good hearts shall keepe it and bring forth fruit This is a maine difference betwixt them that the rest keepe it for a time these keepe it for euer If these hearers might afterward loose it as well as the rest and bring forth no fruites of it then were there no difference betwixt them and the former But certainely there is great difference And therefore those who receiue it and keepe it not long receiue it with bad hearts Those who receiue it with good and honest hearts shall keepe it vnto the end In this respect Christ compared him that heard his words Mat. 7.24.25 and did the same to a wise man which built his house on a rocke the raine fell the floodes came and the windes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell not for it was founded on a rocke So firmely is this hearer built on Christ that sure immoueable Rocke that no troubles tryals persecutions or tentationes can ouerthrow him In the same respect Christ sayd Ioh. 15.2 Euery branch that beareth not fruit in me my Father taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite hee puâ—geth it that it may bring forth more fruit To signifie that none are cut off but barren branches those that be fruitfull shall neuer be cut off but be made more fit to beare more fruit If it be further obiected that so long as their hearts are honest good they shall keepe the word bring forth the fruits thereof but their hearts may be corrupted and lose that goodnes and then they shall lose the word I also answere that if their hearts be once made such good honest hearts as be here spoken of they shall neuer be wholy finally corrupted they shall keepe their goodnes to the end Rom. 11.29 For as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance He who first made them good wil continue them in goodnes He will confirme theÌ„ vnto the end that they may be blameles in the day of the lord 1. Cor. 1. Hath he not promised to make an euerlasting couenaÌ„t with his people and neuer to turne away from them to doe them good and to put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him Delâ—ono perâ—â—â—â—â—aâ—t lib. 2 cap. 7 For this purpose did Augustinâ— alleadge that and other places And further saith Sâ—ut operatur vt accedâ—â—â—â—s siâ— operatur 〈◊〉 discedamus As he worketh Quâ—fecâ—t bonos facier perseuerare in bonoâ— de perseuerant sanâ—t c. 12. that we may come to him so doth he worke that wee may not depart from him I confesse the grace and goodnes of the heart may lie for a time as fire vnder ashes yet is it neuer vtterlie extinguished A man in a traunce seemeth deaâ— for a time yet doth hereuâ—â—o because his soule is in him So shall these within while recouer because gracest 〈◊〉 â—â—aâ—eth in them Vse Hence ther â—â—st we learne to keep the word that so wee may enioy these benefites and bâ—â—eputed good hearers The Apostle exhorteth vs to let the word dwell in vs plenteously Col. 3.16 teaching and admonishing vs. It must not lodge in vs as a stranger doeth for a night in his â—nâ—â— but haue continuall residence and abode as a man hath in his dwelling house The voyce of it must not be like the stroke of a Musician which onely affecteth a man while he heareth the sound but rather like the receipt of a Physition which worketh in the body a long time after it is taken It may be while you heare some doctrines you knowe no present vse of them yet keepe them in your hearts for the time to come Isai 42.23 Heare for afterwards as the Lord speaketh by his Prophet As Ioseph in yeeres of plenty layd vp store for yeeres of famine And as the Ant in summer gathereth prouision for winter So must we at one time learne instructions which may stand vs instead at another time In time of peace we must furnish and prepare our selues for warre in health for sicknes in prosperitie for aduersitie in life for death The Lord will not admit vs to be of his priuy Counsell to acquaint vs before hand how hee will vse vs and what he will bring vpon vs wee must therefore so keepe the word as we may be prepared for all occasions and know how to behaue our selues in all estates We must be lâ—â—e the wise Virgins who kept Oyle iâ— their Lamps for al seasâ—â—s A carefull Householder will not cast away an implement because he hath no present vse of it but will keepe it for 7. yeres