esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo But he must needs bee with the deuill which is not with Christ. But before wee passe from this Purgatory let vs obserue two things which will ouerthrow all this building The first is the place of this Purgatory where it should bee and that they know not Some thinke it to be neere hell but then the passage say others to heauen will be too long Some say it is neere heauen but this will not passe for currant for it is not fit that such a place should be so neere heauen Some thinke it in the mid-way betweene both Others thinke it to bee euery where but in the end it will prooue to bee no where Secondly obserue their disagreement about the punishment Some say the soules are punished by good Angels Others say no It is not a worke fit for them but rather for euill spirits Some thinke they are tormented by fire and others say by water Now if they are ignorant of their torments how can they finde a fitte meanes to deliuer them out for it is necessarie that the Physician haue knowledge of the disease before he can minister a fit remedie vnto the patient Thus while they disagree about the torments wee agree in this that there is none And herein I cannot forget one thing namely the vnmercifulnesse of the Pope that knowing the soules to be so tormented in Purgatory would not out of his Holinesse deliuer them foorth sooner But now of late dayes and though the Pope can as they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soules out of Purgatarie yet will they not without money no penny no Pater-noster I may conclude the trueth of Purgatorie with the deliuery of soules to bee as true as that of Mahomet that the Angell of death drewe Moses his soule out of his nostrilles by the smell of an apple of Paradise But one thing I am sure of that they are a hotter Purgatorie to the Saints of God then their imaginary Purgatorie to the soules departed In the third place let vs see what warrant they haue for their merits and supererrogations here they bring the saying of the Apostle that euery man shall receiue according to his workes Also they bring the saying of Christ where hee saith great is your reward Ergo our workes doe merit and deserue But for answere to this we haue-at hand out of the wordes themselues for the Spirit saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for workes noting out a desert but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to workes to shew the measure of the reward Saint Gregory notes It is one thing to render according to workes another for workes for in that it is saide according vnto workes the qualitie of the worke is vnderstood that whose workes appeare to be good his recompence should be glorious not because the worke doeth merit any thing at all but because hee hath promised to reward vs according to the qualitie of the same But they produce more proofes yet as that yee may bee counted worthy the kingdome of heauen and they shall walke with mee in white for they are worthy It is true they are worthy in and by Christ for he being ours all things are ours as the Apostle shewes and wee are worthy because of his promise for God hath made himselfe a debtor non accipiendo sed promittendo not by receiuing any thing at our hands but by promising We doe not say redde quod accepisti sed redde quod promisisti render that thou hast receiued but render that which thou hast promised That wee are not saued for our workes and merits is manifest first by the word of God let Dauid speake for all the Prophets and he will tell vs that God crowneth vs with mercy and compassion And let Paul speake for all the Apostles we are saued 〈◊〉 by the workes of righteousnesse but according to his mercy for eteruall life is the gift of God And to conclude with the saying of Christ when yee haue done what yee can yet say wee are vnprofitable seruants So then it is euident by the word of the Lord that our workes merit not I might also shewe you the iudgements of the Fathers in this point which ioyne with vs in this that we merit nothing by our workes but to comprise many in one and not to totall all in iust account I say with Barnard sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiant merita it is sufficient to merit to knowe that our merits are not sufficient Besides I could shewe some of their owne Doctors which are of our opinion as Paulus Burgenses Thomas Aquinus Durandas Dionisius Carthusianus Belermin others are constrained to confesse the truth of our doctrin that works are not meritorious I will conclude with this in euery merit these things must concurre sit gratuitum non dibitum a nobis illi c. that it bee free not a debt that wee owe for if it bee a debt then it doeth not merit Now who dare say that he oweth not himselfe and all that hee hath or can doe vnto the Lord. And therefore wee can not merit so long as all wee can doe is due to God and not in our owne choyse to doe or not to doe 2. Sit vtile vel commodum illi c. That it be profitable and commodious for him of whom we merit But what profit hath God by all our good workes for how can he which is infinite receiue any more now whatsoeuer receiueth increase is not infinite but God is infinite and therefore our workes doe him no good And 3. there must be a preportion betweene the worke and the wages but what equalitie betweene afiait labour and an infinit reward I haue almost lost my selfe among these merit-mongers which haue altogether lost themselues among their suppoled merits Wherefore to ende in a word non pro merito not for thy merit sbalt thou receiue eternall life sed tantum pro gratia but for grace Now let me transport your meditations for a while among their prayers but not to pray with them for they pray to stockes images Saints and Deuils They haue a pretie distinction of prayer and worship namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latria belongs to God may not be imparted to men or Angels but Doulia may be giuen to God men and Angels It seemes they neuer obserued Augustine vpon this Doulia debitur Deo tanquam Domino religious seruice is due vnto God as hee is a Lord. Latria vero non nisi Deo tanquam Deo Religious worship is onely due to God as he is God Let it bee what it will bee all is due to the Lord and none to Saints or Angels I will set before you a dishe of this fruite for your iudgements to feede vpon but not for your affections to disgest And first
Agnitio peccati ct irae Dei The knowledge of sinne and of the wrath of God This knowledge is so needfull that without it we neuer flee from sinne witnesse that saying of Paul I had not knowne sinne but by the lawe for I had not knowen sinne except the lawe had said Thou shalt not lust By which it appeareth that by the iudgement of Paul concupiscence was no sinne and therefore hee in a happy and blessed estate as he saith in the 9 verse iudging himselfe to bee aliue and therefore sarte from repentance for his concupiscence because he did not see it to be a sinne But when the knowledge of sinne came by the Commaundement then hee rent his heart with contrition vers 10. And as he found this in himselfe so he commands it vnto others instructing them to meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may come to the knowledge of the trueth The like course Peter tooke with the Iewes to make their sinnes appeare vnto them that so he might drawe them to repentance which hee could not haue done without the sight of sinne for the whole neede no. Physitian saith Christ. No man will seeke to the Physitian before he feele his disease no man will repent before hee beleeues himselfe to be a sinner Nemofacit Legem nisi qui credit Legi No man doeth the Lawe but hee that beleeues the Lawe saith Ambrose Who will grieue for his sinne before hee sees that hee hath sinned In this sense a man may say as the Eunuch said when Philip asked him if he knew what he read How can I without a guide So may we well say how shall sinners repent before they knowe their sinne Therefore the counsell of Ieremie is to be followed Let vs search and try our wayes to finde out our sinnes for he that hideth his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them shall haue mercy The way to get pardon of sinne is first to know them 2. to repent for them This is the first effect of the plowe to discouer our sinnes To haue an acknowledgement of sinne these things are requisite First a skill in the word of God for there hee hath read a Lecture vnto vs both of good and euil sinne and vertue distinguishing the one from the other and painting them both out in their seuerall collours For that is it that is able to make it man wise vnto saluation Dauid asking this question of God Wherewith shall a man redresse his wayes Answere is made By taking heed vnto thy word for nothing doeth make sinne manifest what it is but onely Gods word The Deuill can but he will not Sinne is the lawe of his kingdome whereby it is gouerned and therefore this is to be obserued that the Deuill neuer taughtman to practise any thing but sinne as witnesseth the word of God and therefore farre from making sinne known vnto vs. The like proofe you may haue out of History as Augustine notes Does Paganorum nunquam bene uiuendi sanxisse doctrinam Those Gods of the Pagans neuer established the doctrine of liuing well for they neuer had care of those Cities that gaue them diuine honour And as the Deuill can and will not so nature is blind and cannot Therefore if the blinde lead the blinde they both fall into the ditch There is a kinde of Sympathie betweene sinne and nature onely the word of God can doe it The second thing that is necessary for the acknowledgement of sinne is the illumination of Gods spirit to worke true vnderstanding and iudgement in vs. Paul prayes that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ that father of glory might giue vnto vs the spirit of wisedome that the eyes of our vnderstanding might bee onlightened that we might knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs. So that it is grace that giues vs true vnderstanding to iudge betweene sinne and vertue It is not the Preachers voyce that serues the turne Non verbis hominis fit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit deus vt intelligatis The words of man cannot make man to vnderstand the word of God but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand Hereunto tend the wordes of Christ. I will send the holy Ghost and hee shall reprooue the world for sinne no man sees sinne in others nor in himselfe that he should reproue it but by the spirit The third thing necessary whereby we may come to the acknowledgement of sinne is a diligene searching into our selues and an examination of our actions as Dauid saith I haue considered my wayes and 〈◊〉 my feete into thy testimonies for it is not enough for vs to consider sinne in others as Horac saith Cur in amicorum vitium tam cernis acutum Quamaut aquila aut sorpous Epidarlins Why doest thou into thy friends ill cariageprie With a quicke Eagles or a serpent eye No let the eyes of our vnderstanding bee looking into our selues as they said to Dauid See to thine owne house O Dauid So I say to thine owne heart O Christian to finde out thy particular sinnes Thus you see that the knowledge of sinne is needfull and you see also how to come to the knowledge thereof Now hauing seene how the spirituall and terrene plow doe agree in the first part let vs come vnto the second which is how the terreno plow doth teare and rent the ground So the spirituall plow teareth vp the soule that there is dolor propten peccatum offensum Deum A sorrow for sinne and for offending God wherein the heart is exceedingly greeued insomuch that no man can expresse the sorrow thereof For awounded spirit who can beare saith the wiseman and a sorrowfull mind drieth vp the boanes And yet this wounded spirit and sorrowfull mind wee must endure For the godly heart is neuer void Vuohospite recedoute alius statim subintrat One guest being gone another straight comes in Thus he is vexed that is to say haled and hurried by strong and violent force Of which Augustine saith Nihil est miserius misere non miser ante seipsum nothing is more miserable then a miserable soule not to comprehend her 〈◊〉 miserie O great is the sorrow of such a plowed soule That as Barnard saith Si msipsum 〈◊〉 speico 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si inspecio me ipsum fere non quaeo If I looke not into my selfe I know not my selfe If I looke into my selfe I cannot indure my selfe So that they say with Dauid Out of the deepe I cried vnto the Lord. And this is the state of the poore penitent soule The consideration hereof teacheth vs that the dolor of heart is no true marke of reprobation for then God would not exhort hereunto as here he doth Sorrow is the
are in the state of grace or no. Knowe yee not that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates Me thinkes the same wisedome should bee obserued with the soule as is with the body A man prooues his horse that he be not deceiued a man casteth vp his estate that he prooue not a begger and shall wee not prooue the state of our soules that we bee not damned A man be he neuer so poore will not out of one house till he be sure of another and shall we depart this life and not bee sure of heauen O no. The Mandarins hold it a thing vnfortunate to die before they haue made ready their sepulchres I hope a Christian then should be more wise for his soule to worke out his saluation with feare fearing to depart before hee hath finished the same Therefore let vs liue well as long as wee haue time for neither the Pilot when the shippe is drowned nor the Physition when the sicke man is dead profiteth any thing at all and therefore make your calling and election sure that you may liue in comfort die in peace and rise in glory And thus you haue heard and seene the haruest of grace The next circumstance obiects to our meditation the haruest of glory and here I must confesse I want a head to inuent a heart to conceiue knowledge to vnderstand iudgement to determine memory to retaine and a tongue to expresse What a croppe the haruest of glory is for as it is written Eye hath not seene care hath not heard what God hath prepared for those that loue him Situ altissimum it is high in situation quantitate maximum great in quantity natura purissimum pure in nature luce plenissimum full of light capacitate amplissimum and exceeding large for continuance eternall and for quantitie infinite I may with more peace of conscience to my selfe and greater profit to you shewe you how to come to so great a glory then to tell you what it is The manner THe last branch of this haruest is the manner which is according to merey so saith my text lephi chesed and we may reade and turne it thus to the face of mercy or to the fauour of grace or to the mouth of beneuolence or the fauour of hope all meeting as so many lines in one center shewing that all things temporall and spirituall are of the mercy of God For neither our plowing nor sowing deserueth this haruest but Gods mercy giuing it It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in God which sheweth mercy This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace for grace First God giues grace to serue him and then hee giues a second grace as the reward So Augustine on this obserues Ipsa fides gratia est faith it selfe is grace Et vita aterna gratia est progratia And life eternall is grace for grace But is it come to this to bee for all our plowing of repentance and sowing the seede of obedience still of mercy Obserue then that man hath nothing of deseruing and by vertue of merit so doeth Christ tell vs that when we haue done all that we can yet are wee still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnprofitable And if it please you to take another witnesse you may from the Syriach word battila vnprofitable And thus by the mouth of two witnesses this sentence is firme when all is done wee are vnprofitable Siinutilis est qui fecit omnia c. If hee bee vnprofitable which did all what reward is due to vs then Surely none of the blessed promises of God but a fearfull looking for of iudgement And therefore the Apostle desired not to bee found in the puritie of his owne workes because thereby he could not be saued but in the righteousnesse of Christ. It is manifest therefore that there is no saftie in our workes because the spirit teacheth vs to flee from them as not a sure refuge to trust vnto And to this tends that saying of Iuda where he saith we should looke not for the reward of works but the mercy of God which as it did initiat vs into grace so it must consummate vs to glory The trueth whereof will yet more plainly appeare by this proposition Those works which are not perfit deserue nothing But the workes of the Saints are not perfit Ergo Our workes deserue nothing For how can an euill cause produce a good effect We know that Qualis causa talis effectus Such a cause such effect Man is not so iustified not so sanctified Vt non sit in nob is peccatum That there should bee no sinne in vs and while it is in vs it is a stayne to our workes as a little milke changeth the fountaine of water and a cloud obscureth the light of the Sunne And so what patience without murmuring what faith without doubting what zeale without coldnesse what loue without hatred what charity without couetousnesse what knowledge without ignorance what chastitie without concupiscence and what obedience without defect So saith Esai that our righteousnesse is as a stayned cloth And as Augustine saith Multum boni facit sed non perfectum bonum facit He doth much good but not that which is perfectly good So that wee haue neede to goe to God and aske pardon rather for the sinne in the worke then a reward for the good Then to conclude the Saints reape this haruest Non pro merito not for merit sed pro gratia but for grace I must not let passe now the doctrine of Popery which teacheth a doctrine contrary to this namely that wee are not simply beholding to God but in some sort to our selues as to workes And they make two kindes of workes or merits the one is Meritum de congruo merit of congruity which are preparatiue workes that goe before iustification Such were the works of Cornelius as they say which though they be not meritorious ex debito institiae by due debt of iustice yet do deserue at Gods hands of congruity The other they call Meritum de condigno merits of condignity when the reward is iustly due by debt and such are the works of the Saints But this distinction of workes wee approoue not of For these workes done before iustification though they seeme to haue a shew of goodnesse in themselues yet are they not pleasing to God because the persons are not iustified and his worke that is not iustified is abominable in the sight of God Secondly they are not done in faith and Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne so that these cannot be preparatiue workes Againe for those workes done after sanctification we deny not but that they are pleasing and acceptable to God yet doe they deserue nothing by vertue of their worth as Ambrose saith In respect of others that is other men they are worthy but in respect of the thing
87 2 How the Papists abuse the word of righteousnes from 87 to 100 3 Why the word is righteous 101 to 102 4 Of the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them 103 to 107 2 In the sowing-time 1 How obedience seemes lost 108 2 Why thereward is not yet 109 3 Great gaine in obedience 111 4 We are to doe good to many 112 5 We are to doe the beast good 113 6 How the wicked sowe 114 7 World make obedience a labour 115 3 In the persons 1 Great men not too good to serue God 118 to 119 2 Poore not too meane to serue God 120 In the haruest time are 1 propertie of the worke 2 the manner of it 1 Generall obeydience euer rewarded 121 to 124 1 In the propertie 1 How obedience bringeth earthly blessings 125 to 127 2 The haruest of assurance of heauen 129 to 134 2 In the manner 1 All we haue is of mercy 135 2 Papists merits 136 to 137 In the consequence are 1 the action Seeke 2 the obiect the Lord. 3 the cause it is Time 1 In the action 1 We must serue God in our owne persons 139 2 That it is a labour to seeke and why 140 2 In the obiect 1 Of the name Iehouah 143 2 To seeke God in his word 145 3 The seuerall seekers 146 to 147 4 To seeke the loue of God 148 to 149 In the compelling cause 3 In the time past in it 1 The longer in sinne more cause to turne to God and why 150 to 154 2 In the time to come 1 Take time while time is and why 154 to 155 2 The continuance in seeking 156 to 157 3 How and when he come 157 4 The metaphor of the raine 158 to 159 5 Raine for teaching 161 6 Raine for abundance 162 A Table of the principall words in this Booke A A meane in words 69 Assurance of heauen here 129 Apology of the world 116 Apologie for the Church 35. 56 Adultery how committed 29 All the lawes to be executed 80 B Bishops lawfull 55. 56 Brokers 30 Blind Magistrates 82 Best good to be done 114 Boldnes of Ministers 77 Blasphemy of Papists 102 C Couetousnesse 26 Corruption of nature 16 Continuance in obedience 191 Ceremonies 39. 40 Custome in sinne 155 Church of England true Church comming of God how 157 Continuance in sinne 156 D Discipline of 3. sorts 38. 39 Death of sinne where 63 Dissembling protestants 113 Drunkennesse 19. 146 Dumbe Magistrates 82 Dead to sinne 63 Deuil cause of sinne 17. 18 Dead in sinne 152 Doctrnie of England pure 36 37 E Exchange 32 Error of Papists 132. 87 Engrosers 13 Earth for man 5. 7. 8. 9 Euill actions 66. 67 F Free will 97 Faith of our owne 75 Faith the nature of it 130 Faith only in this life 131 G Grace the power of it 72 Good to be done to many 112 God no cause of sinne 16 Gaine in obedience 111 Great men serue God 119 Good how to doe it 106 H Hypocrites 12 Heart most regarded 8. 9. 10 Heart to be rent 61 Hurt of euillworks 70 Hope of the godly 110 Haruest of magistrats 123 Ministers people 124 Haruest temporall 125 Haruest of grace 124 Heart in obedience 105 Hospitalitie 123 I Inclosers 24 Idolatry of Papists 95 Infidelity of ingrossers 24 Instruction 81 Iehouah what it is 143 Iustified how 167 K Knowledge of the word 105 Knowledge of sinne 57. 58. Knowledge of good and micked men 72 Knowledge of the heart 75 Kill sin in the heart 63 L Loue of God to he sought 148 Labour to seeke 115 Lookes wanton 29 Long in sinne 154. 155 loeke vp the word 88 to 90 Lawyer a seeker 139 Lawyer little trueth 21 M Mean in words 69 Merits of Papists 93. 136 Mortifie sinne 70 Magistrates to punish sinners 78. 79. 85 Man to worke his saluation out 73 Mercie of God 133 Murmuring 52. 53 Man part with all creatures 4 Mercie of God gause of this crop 115 Mercie of God greater then sinne 154 Merchants falow ground 21 N Nature of faith 35 Nature of the wicked 15 Nature of merits 96 Names cut off 5 O Obedience seemes lost 108 Oppression 22. to 25 Obedience profitable 122 Ordinances of God 141. 142 Obedience rewarded 121. P Pleasure of sinne 18 Profit of sinne 18 Patrons 24. 25 Pride 13. 27 Profit in words 71 Pardons 98 Purgatory 90. 91 Prayer to Saints 95. 96 Plow our selues 76 R Reward not yet 109 Raine the maner of it 159 Raine for teaching 160 Rob-altar seekes 139 Kighteousnesse of sanctification 168 Righteousnesse of iustification 166. S Slanders of the Papists 102 107 Seeke in our own persons 139 Seeking of sinne 146 148 Swearing 27 Subiect of faith in vs 74 Sathan rules the sinner 17 Sleeping magistrates 80 Sowing of the wicked 114 Sorrowe how differs in the good and bad 61 62 T Trueth not to be found 21 22 Trueth in words 67 68 Tongue to be mortified 65 Translation of the word 88 to 90 Time to seeke 150 Theft of engrossers 23 Thankes-giuing 161 Time past 150 Time to come 154 V Vsury 25 100 Vse meanes to saue the sinner 77 Vnwritten verities 97 Vnmercifulnes of the Pope 99 Vlcer of sinne 152 W Workes not perfit 135 Word righteous why 101 Wicked no right to any thing 143 Wicked sinne of purpose 14 Workes of righteonsnesse 103 Word our rule 84 Whoredome 28 In commendation of the Author VErtere si agricolas terrā est nunc laude docendo Virgilius dignus laudibus esse puto Dignum hunc nostrarum quae animarū cura libellum Sit qui nostra docet vertere corda bene Alex. Bradley To my worthy friend his Celestiall Husbandry THe Husbandry which these dead leaues doe bring Thy liuely voyce did once sweetely sing That thy learned and iudicious hearers thought The Celestiall haruest to them had brought Thereby their hearts so did inflame That they desir'd to heare it once againe Io. Ga. THe ground mans heartis Gods word the plow The harrow repentance is to breake it now The seede obedience sowen in our liues The raine Gods grace whereby it also thriues Then vse it and it will bring Thee to heauen there to sing Then now Prayse God for the gaine And the Author for his paine T. H. THE CELESTIALL husbandry RIght Honorable and well beloued in our best be loued I knowe that many haue been the flowers that my brethren the Prophets haue gathered out of the garden of Gods word giuing a fragrant smell in this place so that I know not what flowers to gather to present you withall that formerly yee haue not seene Yet in this my meditation I considered of my worthy Auditors and so fitted my text accordingly Some of them being Iudges and Magistrats that fitly I might speake to them of Iustice. An other part of them being inferiour subiects that also I might speake to them of obedience In a word considering that heere are vsually auditours of all sorts I
haue made choyce of such a text as doth speake to all persons I feared to speake of Iudgement least it should make the weake harted to tremble Or of mercy least the wicked should be secure Therefore I haue ioyned them together OSEA 10. 12. SOwe to your selues in righteousnesse reape after the measure of mercy breake vp your fallow ground for it is time to seeke the Lord till he come and raine righteousnesse vpon you QVo brevior co obscurior The shorter this Prophesie is the more mysticall In the holy Scripture these two things euer do concurre Sententia breuis res ampla A finit sentence an infinit sence as in a litle mapp we see a world of Coūtries what the foote cannot measure in many dayes the eye passeth ouer in a moment This text is a little Mappe of the whole body of Diuinitie turnes ouer vnto vs a golden lease whose inke is Nectar and the penne the wing of Angels for the matter expressed is wholly celestiall Quis sit finis iustorum it iustificantium iustos I will in somesort open the euerlastiing dores and heere shewe you the King of glorie and in him your glorie Therefore let an holie reuerence possesse your soules and say with Iacob This place is fearfull none other but the house of God and the gate of Heauen where will appeare the loue of God in his Iudgements to the sonnes of men who in promising mercie omits iudgment but in threatning iudgment remembers mercy as heere in this place And now as you intend to trauell with me in this way tye your considerations vnto two generall heads The first is a precept The second is the consequent The precept is affirmatiuelie set downe and is illustrated by a metaphor taken from the husbandman First by the plowetime Innouate vobis nouale Plowe vp your fallowe Secondly by the seede time Seminate vobis in iusticia sowe to your selues in righteousnesse Thirdly by the haruest time Metite in ore misericordiae Euery one of these times offer 3. branches apeece First the subiect the fallowe grownd 2 The propertie of the worke Plowe 3 The proprietie of the persons your Plowe vp your fallowe grownd Secondly the seede time 1 Sowe There is the Propertie of the worke 2 Righteousnesse there is the matter to worke vpon 3. To your selues There is the extent of it Sowe to your selues in Righteousnesse Thirdly the haruest time 1 The action or worke reape 2 The manner According to mercy this is the precept and the parts therof and now the consequent followes and is amplified thus first by an argument taken from their negligence For it is time to seeke the Lord Secondly by an argument taken from the benefit of it till he come raine righteousnesse vpon you In the 1 obserue an action seeke there is the propertie of it 2 whom the Lord there is the obiect of it 3 why for it is time There is the compelling cause for it is time to seeke the Lord. In the second part obserue how longe donec vewiat vntill he come there is the continuance of it 2 Et doceat iustitiam vobis and teach you rightcousnesse there is the ende of it First by the acte to teach 2 by the qualitie righteousnesse 3 the persones you this is the consequent with the parts thereof so that now if you will take a generall veiwe of these wordes you shall finde euery word a sentence and euery sentence a world of matter it wants but a skilfull workeman A Scripture very necessarie for these dayes and I thinke not vnfit for this present auditorie Albeit to them whose eares are alwayes listininge after nouelties it may seeme to triuiall yet I doubt not but to those that come with willing mindes to learne it will proue very profitable Therefore you Right Honorable whom God hath vouchsafed his owne name vnto heere vpon earth with reuerence attend it It is the ground of iudgment therefore ye most worthy Iudges may liften vnto it it is the end of controuersies therefore yee skillfull Lawyers may take notice of it Here is matter of ciuill obedience therefore ye inferiours may fitly learne it also it is the instrumentall cause of faith and repentance therefore ye beleeuers may earnestly embrace it Shimgnu debar Iehouah Thus who so begins and ends his dayes shall dye the death of the lighteous and his last end shall be like vnto his The matter in the whole is an exhortation vnto holinessed ana consequent enforcinge The exhortation comes now in hand being considered I by the plowe time secondly by the seede time 3 by the haruest time The plow time by order is first to be handeled Aud in that I noted 1 the supiect of the worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallowe ground 2 The property of the worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 New plowe 3 The propriety of the persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your And now the subject doth challenge the first place THE SVBIECT NIru Fallow ground In euery scripture we are to con sider Sententiam et intentionem The sentence the intent Quid dicitur et quid intenditur What is said and what is intended Euery scripture being to be considered either litterall or metaphoricall Litterall when sence and sentence agree As cursed is the earth for thy sake Gen. 3. 17. metaphoricall when one thing is spoken and another thing is meant I will power waters vpon the dry ground So here we must vnderstand him that hath heauen for his seeling the earth for his pauement the Sunne Moone starres for his hangings the creatures for his diat and the Angels for his attendants Man is called euery creature by the mouth of our Sauiour Mat 28. Because he hath a participation of the best good in all creatures and so more excellent then all Stones haue a being but not a life Plants haue a being and life but not sence Beasts haue a being life and sence and yet none understanding Angels haue being life sence and vnderstanding But in man ye may behold a Mappe of all these For he hath a being with stones life with plants sence with beasts and vnderstanding with the Angells A most sweet abstract or compendium of all crèatures perfections Yea be not proud because of all these for thou art but earth Earth is the lowēst of all elements and the Center of the world Earth must be earth liuing earth to dead earth Respice aspice prospice looke back what thou wast see what thou art and consider what thou shalt be Dust thou wast earth thou art and to dust thou shalt returne as Saith Phocylydes Ex terra corpus nobis est rursus in illam Selumur et puiuis sumes Our body is of earth and dying must Returne to earth for man is made of dust So then it is earth The difference is this liuing earth walkes vpon dead earth and shall at the last be as dead as his pauement that he treads vpon I