Marke 9. 44. A Tophet Esay 30. 33. for the antiquity of it Prepared of old for the equity prepared not onely for the Begger but for the King for the capacitie of it in bottome Deepe in compasse Large For the fuell of it Much VVood yea the Burning thereof is said to bee Fire and much Wood where fire is made to bee as fuell to the fire for the bellowes thereof it is the Breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone to enkindle it as the Lord euer liueth so this fire euer lasteth because the bellowes of Gods breath neuer fayleth Seeing the Scripture in this place likeneth vs vnto trees whose end as wee see is eyther to become building in the Lords House of his Kingdome or else fuell for the sulphury flames of Hell Lette vs in the name of GOD whose name is great wonderful and holy and in the feare of God whose iudgments wee perceiue to be so grieuous and terrible labour as blessed beames shining with the beames of most bright glory to bee couched in the building of the Lord and auoyd to become as cursed brandes appointed to be scorched with the hellish fire of euer continuing torments Lette vs make vse of the saying of holy Chrysostome Chrysost who saith that God doth menace vs with hell-fire because hee would not haue vs come vnto it Let men be wiser then children and let warned men bee as burnt children The burnt childe saith the Prouerbe dreadeth the fire though it bee but a fire materiall and quenchable Oh how much more ought wee to dread especially beeing warned that fire which is Immateriall and Vnquenchable that so wee may not be as Trees appointed for Tinder in the Diuells furnace but as Trees ordayned for Tymber in GODS Pallace As hetherto wee haue heard Man compared to a Tree so the godly man is not like vnto an ordinary or triuiall Tree of a common condition but as it followeth in this Psalme hee is as a Tree which first for the originall of it is Planted Secondly for the situation of it By the Riuers of VVaters Thirdly for the fructifying of it VVill bring forth her fruite in due season Fourthly for the flourishing of it VVhose leafe shall not fade First then this Tree is sette downe vnto vs by the originall of it Planted It commeth not vppe then of the own accord but as it is planted by Gods hand If it came vppe of it selfe then were it not of Gods planting if it bee not of Gods planting then must it bee Plucked vpp by the rootes But it is otherwise with this Tree which beeing in the number of those trees of righteousnesse spoken of by the Prophet Esay is with them in that place of Gods planting Esay 61. 3. and therefore come not vp of it selfe This Doctrine first disableth and infringeth the free-will of Man this missticall Tree vnto good because he must bee planted hee cannot plant him-selfe Indeed Man at his first creation had free-will vnto good but since his fall that blessing is fallen from him as writeth Saint Augustine Male vtens predidit se et liberum arbitrium Euilly vsing his free-will hee hath lost him-selfe and his free-will so Angust de libero Arbit that now it so standeth with him that his Sweet is turned into Sower his Righteousnesse into Vnrighteousnes his Light into Darknesse and the Freedome of his Will to that which is Good into a thraldome of the same into that which is Euill in so much as though it mought then bee said of him potuit non peccare hee could not haue sinned yet now it must bee said of him non potest non pecare hee cannot but sinne The truth of this point may appeare vnto vs by the proofe of a plentiful argument First what good can bee willed by him who being considered as hee is a meare naturall man is as a dead man dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephe. 2. 2. Colo. 2. 3. so dead as to bee made aliue hee must bee borne againe Iohn 3. 3. yea created againe Ephe. 2. 10. Secondly what good can bee expected from him as a fruit of his Free-will therevnto who is wholy prone vnto and totally possessed with that which is euill The immagination of mans heart is euill euen from his Gen. 8. 21. youth vp Whereout I may obserue vnto you first that man is euill second that the heart of man the fountaine of all his actions is euill third that the imaginations of that heart the streames as it weare and riuerettes deriued therefrom are euill fourth euer euen from his youth vp Which being necessarily so because the Scripture hath aâ—â—irmed it to bee so what I beseech you is left in man that is sound Yea what is there left in him that is not vnsound The like testimony wee finde Roman 5. 8. They which are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh Sauour the things of the flesh that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their wisedome which should be most sauoury in them is become fleshly that which should be most sauory in them is corrupted If that which is most sauory in man euen his best partes is fleshly and corrupted What may we then conclude concerning that which is almost vnsauory in him but that it is most defiled polluted vncleane Thirdly the proofe of this point appeareth by the Contestations and Witnesse-bearing euen of the Gentiles them-selues who no doubt having deriued the same from the blessed fountaine of the Scriptures doe auouch and testifie the truth of this matter To omitt the residue I will insist on the Authority of two of the chiefest of them Plato writeth that vertues are in-bred in men afflatu numinis by the inspiration of the god-head Plato Arist Ethi lib. 1. Aristotle sayth Si quod donum dei est faelicitatem illud esse statuendum est c. If there be any thing which is the gift of God we must determine that to bee Faelicity or Blessednesse But this Blessednesse is no other thing saith he but the best action which proceedeth from the best faculty of the mind But how Per virtutem praestantissimam by the best Vertue which best Vertue cannot properly intimate any other thing vnto vs But God Fourthly the ancient and most flourishing times of the Church hath both affirmed and confirmed approued and proued the soundnesse of this Truth That Man of him-selfe cannot plant him-selfe in any good course as may be made manifest vnto vs both by Counsels and also by the wrightings of the most Orthodoxall fathers of the Church Amongst other Councells the Councell of Carthage and the Mileuitane Councell may giue vs satisfaction which both concerning this poynt haue beene anciently holden against Pelagius and with a sentâ—nce authorised by the Scriptures haue condemned mans Free-wil vnto good as haereticall Among the Orthodoxall Fathers S. August hath said It is true Man when he was first created receiued great Augu. sâ—r de corp
as the couetous minded Worldling to whome it was said Thou Foole this night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee Luke 12. 20. that such as are couetous are Earthly minded Philip. 3. 19. and thereby haue their heartes cleauing vnto the Earth for which cause must they much more become an Abhomination vnto the LORD then those Creeping thinges which naturally go with their Bellies vppon the ground Leuit. 11. 20. that though they haue some Kingdome yet haue they but a small portion of the Earth and that the least fixed Star in the Firmament as the Astrologians testifie is eighteene times bigger then the whole Earth that the Heathen Man could say by the Light of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An vnsatiable desire of getting is the greatest mischiefe among men that Couetousnesse worshippeth Angels not of Glory but of Gold euen the Creature for the Creator making Goods as they call them their Chiefest Good and Gold a God because Couetousnesse is Idolà try Coloss 3. 5. That to conclude â—iuitiarum hommâ— non sints ponitur vllus Man hath no end in getting or in his desire to gette But as hee which hath the dropsie the more hee drinketh the more hee thirsteth So the Earthly-minded Cormorant the more hee possesseth the more hee coueteth multiplying his possession but not increasing his ioy as we read Esay 9. 3. of multiplying the nations and not increasing their ioy Secondly this Meditation would beat and beare downe the Monster of Ambition by pondering that though the Ambitious man be growing so long as he is liuing yet doth hee no more then the slimy and brutish Crocodile that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Thus resisted hee proud Nimrod Saul 1 Pet. 5. 5. Haman Holofernes Herod c. Thus gaue hee grace to humble Abraham Dauid Mordochee Iudeth Iohn Baptist That it is not the Sweete Figge-tree nor the Fatte Oliue-tree nor the Pleasant Vine but the tearing and renting Bramble that presumptiously vsurpeth The dignity Judge 9. 8. 9. 10. Phauorinus of a Kingdome that the ambitious man according to the fage iudgement of a wise Gentile is Ridiculus odiosus miserabilis to bee laughed at to bee hated to bee pittyed To be laughed at is hee because hee seeketh after honors not measuring his owne strength whether he can bee able to beare them to bee hated because hee coueteth to bee aloft rather for the glory and honour of him-selfe then for the good and lucre of his Country to bee pittied is hee because it fareth with him for the most part as with the Snaile who it may bee climbeth vppe to the highest branch of the tree yet neuer attayneth to the full toppe thereof because the windes happely vnto whose force it is then most exposed puffeth and bloweth it downe in whome is verified that saying Tolluntur in altum Vt lapsugrauiore ruant Ciaudia lib. 1. They are more aduanced in their raise that they may be more bruised in their fall The Ambitious man is an eye-sore to others and a sore to him-selfe as one saith Honores tumores Honors are Tumors and Tumors are sores Esay 1. 6. Thirdly this Meditation would beate and beare downe the Monster of drunkennesse by weighing that it maketh a Man a Beast yea worse then a Beast for as much as a Beast taketh that measure which is conuenient for Nature and then is satisfied but Man seeketh not onely to content Nature by Naturall appetite but to quench Nature by Artificiall quaffings beeing heerein farre more beastly then the Beast in that the Beast is still susteined on his legges whereas Man cannot stand but while his head waueth Braine swimmeth Heart faileth him hee reeleth falleth by his reeling and lieth still beeing fallen that on a Drunkard which cannot beare it the world cryeth shame as on him whose legges foundereth hands shaketh head reeleth countenance is disfigured eyes inflamed tongue swolne belly belcheth and whole man to conclude is become a scorne of men because hee seemeth to bee the out-cast of the people that against a Drunckard which can beare it God denounceth a Woe Woe be to them Esay 5. 20. that are mighty to drinke Wine and to them which are strong to powre in strong drinke that Saint Chrysostome calleth Châ—â—st Senâ—ca the Drunkard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Liuing not Body but Carkasse That Drunkennesse is nothing else as one speaketh but a voluntary madnesse a madnesse is it so dangerous as it hath caused the great Conquerour of the World Alexander the great neuer therein to conquer him-selfe but to bee conquered by his passions so as hee slew his most deere friend Clytus burnt the renowmed Quint. Curâ—â— Citty Persepolis stabbed his Physition and committed many other filthy and infamous deedes that to conclude the Drunckard as writeth Saint Ambrose Though Ambros hee swalloweth downe the Wine is swallowed vp of the Wine abhorred of God despised of Angels derided of men destitute of Vertue confounded of Denills and trampled vpon by the feete of all men The like may bee said that this Meditation will doe with Gluttony Incontinencie Malice and that grand sinne of which Trismegistus saith that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great disease of the Soule I meane of Mercurius Trismegist Atheisme which execrable rather then miserable sect though they bee both because they giue little heede to the Booke of GOD or the sacred volume of the holye Scriptures if they would a little more strictly draw home the loose reines of their inconsiderate Sensuality and meditate some-what more seriouslye on the bookes of Nature conteined in the greater volume of the great World and the smaller Tome of Man him-selfe who is called the Little World they could not choose but assume and challenge to them-selues that name which the Scripture giueth them that they are fooles The foole hath said in his heart there is no God By this then which hath beene spoken may in some Psal 14. 1. measure appeare the danger which commeth by the neglect the good that ariseth by the Practise of Meditating If Philosophy bee the study of Wisdome and the knowledge of Christianity bee the true Wisdome then bee Christians alone the true Philosophers one saith of the life of a Philosopher that it is a perpetuall Meditation much more then ought the life a Christian so to bee as heere wee see that the taske of the Godly man in his paines is to meditate The second thing is the subiect of his paines in his lawe before we mentioned the aâ—te of meditating out-spread and at large more generally â—now are wee to consider the same as it is reduced and bound vp vnto the subiect more specially in his lawe doth hee meditate Dauid doth measure the mannage of a Godly mans behauiour by the cariage of his owne vertue I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy wayes Yea and his meditation hath Psal 119. 15. beene
accompanied and strengthened and actuated by the co-operation or fellow-working of the spirit of God The Scriptures of God thus qualified may in seuerall properties bee likened vnto water First water serueth as a Looking-glasse wherein a man may see the blemishes and defilements of his countenance so is the word of GOD as a Glasse Iam. 1. 23. Whereby a man may perceiue the spottes and staâ—nes of his soule Secondly Water doth not oâ—ely shew and detect these blemishes and defilements but also can cleanse and washe them away so the word of GOD hath a puâ—gatiue vertue if it shall bee employed to wash away and purifie the blottes and staines of our spirits and conscices For which purpose after the Kingly Prophet Danid had propounded that demaund Where-with-all sâ—all a young man cleanse his way hee forth-with makketh this answer Euen by ordering him-selfe according to thy word Psal 119. 9. Thirdly water hath no colour in it so the worde of GOD is and ought to bee with-out glosse The word of God is and ought to bee like God himselfe with-out coulour or shadowe Iam. 1. 17. If the Water hath any colour it is that most ordinarily which it receiueth from the skye whose colour it for the most part â—epresenteth if it hath any other colour it is but artificiall and accidentall so the word if it receiueth any colour it ought to bee that whose tincture is from aboue otherwise it is to bee reputed forreigne and adulterine Fourthly Water quencheth heate so the worde of God also restinguisheth the heate of our ouâ—r-inflamed passions which may appeare vnto vs First by the repressing of the enkindled passion of lust Which is as a fire which neuer leaueth as saith Saint Basill till it hath consumed Basâ—â—â—de Virginita the matter which it hath beene bred in a fire which if a man bee but singed with blisters doe certainly arise thereof yet the word serueth as water to quench it Secondly it may appeare vnto vs by the restinguishing of the inflamed passion of wrath a flame that ariseth of the ouer-heating of bloud for which cause the Prophet Dauid Psal 18. 7. 8. speaking of Anger mentioneth there-withall smoake consuming fire and the kindling of Coales S. Basil saith also Basil Hom. de ira that the Angry man à daemonibus neque formae neque animâ— affectu differt differeth not from the Deuills neither in forme neither in affection of minde whose kingdome is in fire to shew that Anger is fierie yet the worde of GOD by the sacred praecepts therein serueth as water to quench it Thirdly it may appeare vnto vs by the putting out of the ouer-hott passion of praeposterons zeale which if it bee not alayed with knowledge will prooue like Iames and Iohn who forth-with would haue commanded fire froÌ„ heauen to haue consumed the Samaritans where as in the Luke 9. 53. same place they alledge the example of Elias our Sauiour Christ made answer vnto them that their spirit was different from that of Elias for they knew not which no doubt was knowne to Elias what spirit they were of Luke 9. 55. This intemperate zeale may bee compared to the feauer Hâ—cticke which consumeth the body wherein it is The very cause and originall is this of trouble and tumults among men in reasonings and dâ—sputations as writeth Gregory Nazianzen Like to the ouer-swift motion of Gregor Naz. oration 21. the highest Sphaeres in the heauens which vnlesse it were repressed and allayed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or counter-motion of the inferior Orbes would as it is probable set the whole world on a fire like the benefit of the water of the word to represse and redresse vnbridled zeales-violence Fiftly and lastly Water doth fructifie and make fruitfull those places which bee watered and drenched by it An example of this matter wee haue in Nilus The inundations of whose streames fructifieth euen to this day the whole country of Aegipt in which sence most properly in this place the word of God is to be accepted and thereof to abound with fruite or to fructifie in aboundance To this intent Iesus the sonne of Sirach among other things where-vnto hee resembled Simon the sonne of Oniah who had beene very bountifull and beneficiall vnto his countrey likeneth him to expresse the better the fruites of his well-doing to the Lâ—lies by the Springs of waters And when God had ordeined his Paradise appointed Eccle. 50. 8. hee also the riuers of Pishon Gihon Hiddekell and Perath to water the same and to cause it to bee fruitfull to intimate vnto vs the barren ground of our hearts the Trees here spoken of cannot fructifie with-out the Water of the Word and therefore are they heare sayd for their better fructification to bee as a Tree planted by the waters Secondly this Tree is said to bee planted by the riâ—ers of waters where-out I am first to handle the Quality a Riuer Secondly the Plurality Riuers of waters First this Tree is said to bee Planted by those waters which for their quality are a riuer Two remarkable properties be obserued in a Riuer first that the guise thereof is to flowe forth without standing second that by reason of this perpetuall flow it holdeth fresh and sweete without corrupting In the first place the quality of a Riuer is to flow without standing answerable where-vnto ought the Word to bee as a riuer euer-flowing by the currant of a double streame the one of reading the other of preaching The riuer of the word floweth and ought to flow by yâ— streame of reading a thing which though not in so great râ—easure as preaching yet hath beene very profitably begun and from time to time continued in the Church of God When the children of Isarel stood halfe of them ouer against Mount Garizim and halfe ouer against Mount Eball Ioshuah read al the words of the Lawe the blessings and cursings according to all that was written in the booke of the law there was not a word of all that Moyses had commanded which Ioshuah red not hefore the congregation of Israell as well before the women and children as the stranger that was conuersant among them Ezras also is said to read the Law of Moyses in the broad place of the gate of the Temple from Ioh. 8. 34. 35. morning to middâ—y before the Men and the Women and all the multitude hearkned therevnto 1. Esd 9. 41. they so approued it as they weare very attentiue Thus read Baruch the sermons of Ieremy Paule exhorteth Timothy to giue Bar. 1. Iâ—r 36. attendance as well to reading as exhortation and Doctrine 1. Tim. 4. 13. The same Apostle chargeth the Thessalonians that his Epistle should be read to all the brethren the Saints 1. Thessalo 5. 27. Hee also instructeth the Ephesians that by reading his Epistle they mought know his understanding in the mistery of Christ Ephes 3. 4. What should I tell you that Moses had them
which preached him in that he was read in the Synagogue euery Saboth Act. 15. 21. Or what should I alledge that there is an Happinesse proclaymed euen for him which readeth Apoca. 1. 3. or that Tertulian calleth reading of the Scriptures the feeding of the soule and that the most ancient and pure Church had there Lectore readers c. Wee hold him vnwise who saith that the least starre in the Firmament hath no glory because it is not therein comparable to the Sunne No lesse sencelesse is he to be adiudged who shall deny Reading of the word euen in the open assembly to haue no profit in it because it yeeldeth not so much fruit as Preaching The gifts of Gods spirit in the Church are like the starres in heauen one differing from another in glory 1. Corin. 15. 41. so one of these gifts differeth from another in glory Preaching hath his portion in a greater measure of glory Readinâ— hath his shate in a lesser measure of glory one of the streames of the flowing Riuer of these Riuers here spoken of The other streame whereby the current of the word of God floweth it is by preaching which consisteth in the true vnderstanding right deuiding saithfull interpreting zealous vttering powerful applying either of the iudgments or the mercies of God as occasion shall serue to the hearts and soules of the people vnto the which personally Timothy successiuely all they which beare the office of Timothy euen the whole Ministery of GOD are exhorted 2. Tim. 4. 2. Preach the word be instant in season and out of season improoue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Ministers of this Function Matth. 5. 13. are the Salt of the Earth by whose praecepts the minde of man beeing seasoned should not bee corrupted with the contagion of vices are the light of the world Matt. 5. 14. because they are to inlighten as it were the smaller Lampes of others by the more bright Cresset-light of their doctrine are the Trumpetters which ought to sound with courage the Trumpet in Syon and to shoute in the holy Mountame are the disposers of Gods secrets to make the people acquainted with GODS â—oel 2. 1. counsels 1. Coxinth 4. 1. are Watch-men from the Watch-tower to fore-tell the people of dangers to come Ezech. 33. 7. are shepheards First to strengthen the weake sheep secondly to heale the sick sheep thirdly to binde vp the broken sheepe fourthly to bring againe the stray Sheepe fiftly to seeke vp the lost Sheepe Ezech. â—4 4. A blessing of the Word preached a streame of the Riuer here intended The Church of Rome would haue these waters of the Scriptures to bee no flowing Riuers but as standing pooles for which purpose they intercept and damme vp the course and current of them by locking them vp in â—strange language contrary to the olde custome euen of that Church Quando benedictiones caetera omnia Lira in Corin cap 14. fiebant in vulgari lingua When blessings and all other things were done in the vulgar tongue If all other things were done in the vulgar tongue then was reading of the Scripture also so performed A manner was this neuer altered in the Grecke-Church both anciently in vse as also at this day continued in Russia the regiment of which Church haue beene deriued from the Greeke Hierarchie where they haue through-out that large Empire their Church-seruice all and altogether read and celebrated in Disâ—ouery of Engâ—shmen pag. 290. their owne mother tongue that euery man may vnderstand it The second remarkable property in a Riuer is that by reason of the continuall flowing it holdeth out fresh and sweet with-out corrupting otherwise is it then with that stagnum piscatorium the standing Fish-poole of them who doe passe all things sub annulo pâ—scatorio vnder the signet of the Fisher-man and doe vaunt that they sit in Peters-Chayre which was a Fisher-man for as in a Riuer successiuely waue follows after waue and streame after streame a great auoydance oâ— corruption and a maine continuance of wholsomnesse so ought the doctrine which floweth in the currant of this Riuer of the holy Scripture to bee pure not taynted haile not vnsound true not erronious sincere and orthodoxall not corrupted and Schismaticall a streame like God him-selfe the Fountaine from whome it is derived Iere. 2. 13. Secondly from hence may I note their pluralitie in that this Tree is not Planted by a Riuer but by Riuers of Waters to shew that the measure of this word and of the fruite that commeth by it ought not to bee in scantnesse and barrennesse but in plenty and aboundance so as it may not lodge for a night or soiourne for a season but dwell in vs and that not in any stinted or scanted measure but plenteonsly not in some but in all Wisdome not onely so as wee doe receiue Documents and instruâ— ctions from others but so as wee may in some good sort bee able to teach and admonish our selues Coloss 3. 16. This was the estate of the Ancient Church as writeth Saint Chrysostome Nunc verbum Dei inter nos habitat abunde cum omni sapientia c. Now doth the worde Chrysost in Rom. cap. 1. of GOD dwell among vs aboundantly with all wisedome c. This also ought to bee the condition of the Church at all times and is God bee praised of this our English-Church at this time where-in the Belles of Aaron are continually sounding not in some but almost in all congregations not at some but well-nigh at all times The Lord giue vs his grace that according to the free endowments of his most gracious fauours wee beeing as Trees a long time planted by the Riuers of these waters may fructifie so in our knowledge as wee become not barren in our practise Vnto whome much is committed of them shall much bee required Oh much hath beene euery Luk. 12. 48. way committed vnto vs Beholde wee haue beene planted not of our selues but by the hand of GOD not in any drye or barren wildernesse but by the foysoning and fructifying waters of the holy Scriptures not neere some small and shallow-running becke or brooke but vpon a Riuer neither yet vpon a Riuer onely as of one but Riuers as many therefore of vs must much and euery way much necessarily bee required much skill in truth much wil to good much comfort in contemplation much fruit in action much knowledge much practise Oh let vs not then where the word is most plentifull there leest account of it most dis-regard it like affected toward the Word which is dearer then thousands of gold or siluer as the Indians are towards their gold and siluer which because they haue the veines and mines thereof among them therfore beare they but a slight loue and slight affection towards it But lette vs receiue it with our earâ—s lodge it in thalamo cordis euen in the chamber of our heart practise it
〈◊〉 Christi Aug. in psal 90. Aug. 〈◊〉 de Verbis Apost 7. grâ—ce of free will but by sinning hee hath lost it The same Father else-where breaketh â—orth into this Paetheticall â—â—clamation Oh free will which without God art euill The same Father in another place calling as it were fora Psalme of mercy at the handes of God Vttereth these speaches Miserere mei deus c. Haue mercy vppon mee O God againe haue mercy vpon me O God and the third time haue mercy vpon me O God as if he would therein include a mistery of the Trinity Wherfore saith he because I haue vertue by the which I may deserue thee Notse Wher-ore then Because I beare the freedom of wil wherby my merrit Orig. in Rom. Ierom in Jerem cap. 16. Chrysest ser 1. de adâ—ent domini â—mâ—â— os de voca ent lib. 2. cap. 2. Bernard de gra liber arbitrio may go before thy grace Not so But of thine own mercy The like but that I would bee short mought bee alledged to whome I referre the Reader out of Origen Ierome Chrysostome Ambrose Bernard with many others By all which and more that mought be alledged it is cleare and euident that man in this his estate of depraued nature hath no Free-wil vnto good as he which is dead to vertue wholly prone to vice in his will which is blind in truth sharp-sighted to error in his vnderstanding Let vs not therefore presume on the sinewes of our strength as if therby wee could make our selues good neither yet trust to the wings of our own worthinesse as if we therby could mount into heauen for how shall we be able being borne alost with the sicke feathers oâ— those feeble wings to mount vp into glory When the freedom of our wil to goodnes is so inthralled eclipsed as we cannot therby plant our selues in Grace vpon earth for we are as Trees not planting our selues but planted by God For he shall be as a Tree planted Secondly this doctrine in that man this misticall Tree must Be planted establisheth and confirmeth the free Grace of God by which when we faile to plant our selues yet as yet appeareth by the text are wee planted The Lord must first turne him-selfe vnto vs before wee can bee turned vnto him Lament 5. 21. Fulgentius a reuerend Father first will haue al the good Fulgent Epist ad Thcodor Senatorcm wee doe ascribed to the Grace of God second that when wee faint in any good action wee should craue a suppâ—y at the hands of God third that this minde of ours wherby we craue Grace is the worke of Grace which beginneth first to bee powred into vs that it may afterward bee begged of vs euen as the light of the ayre doth first go into the eye to cause it to see before it can see which otherwise though it were made to see remaineth blinde In his owne might shall no man bee strong and it is the 1 Sam. 2. 9. Lord which keepeth the feete of his Saints as in the same place From whence I may note vnto you two things first that euery man is vtterly dis-abled in him-selfe in his owne might shall no man bee strong second that the whole inable of man is from the grace of God It is the LORD which keepeth the fcete of his Saintes The Prophet Dauid Psal 119. 22. saith I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt inlarge my heart Whereout wee may obserue first that Dauid cannot runne the way of Gods Commandements vntill his heart bee enlarged second that none can enlarge his heart but God VVhen thou shalt enlarge my heart When as excellently writeth a learned late Writer all Zâ—nb de Religi Christ cap. de liber Aâ—bitrio good things may be reduced to three heads The first is yâ— good which appertaineth vnto the Sensitiue and Vegetatiue soule which is common with vs and the Beasts viz. to eat drink to be nourished to be healthfull to begett our like c. The second is yâ— good thing which belongeth to the reasonable soule life of man only viz al arts both Liberal and Mechanical Vertues Moral Political and ciuil Science and the whole body as it is called of Philosophy The third head of good things respect concerne a Spirituall Diuine and Super-caelestiall life begun here in this world consisting in the true knowledge of God and in faith and in the effects thereof regeneration obedience charity c. In the two former God saith he is a great helpe yea in the latter of the two the good things which doe concerne the humaine and reasonable soule of â—â—n Saint Augustine goeth so farre as hee will haue all Augusâ— cont Juli. Pelagi lib. 4. cap. 3. Artes to bee the gift of God but how-so-â—uer it bee it must needs bee granted that GOD hath the maine and principall stroake therein as experience may teach vs that those gifts doe more eminently appeare in some then they doe in other-some for no other reason but because it pleaseth God so to dispose of them But in the third head of good things of the life spirituall super-caelestiall diuine Man is wholy to bee excluded GOD is onely to bee admitted and his grace alone to bee acknowledged This is Gods dooing to the end that no flesh should reioyce in his presence but that euery mouth and tongue 1. Cor. 1. 29. mought bee open to confesse with the Apostle By the grace of GOD I am that I am and his grace which is in mee was not in vaine For his Grace is both the Fountaine 1. Cor. 15. 10 from whence any good thing is originally ordeined vnto vs and the conduict-pipe whereby it actually falleth vpon vs As when wee were made it was GOD that made vs and not wee our selues so when wee were redeemed it was GOD that bought vs and not wee our selues when wee became righteous it was GOD that iustifyed vs and not wee our selues when wee were made holye it was GOD which sanctified vs and not wee our selues To conclude if wee bee Planted Trees it is GOD that hath planted and not we our selues After the planting of this Tree am I in the second place to consider the situation By the Riuers of waters Mâ—ller in Psal 1. It is by the greatest likelyhood supposed that the Tree where-vnto the godly-man is heere compared should be the Palme-tree because Pliny saith of the Palme-tree Plini lib. 13. cap. 4. Palma gaudet riguis totoque animo biberc amat The Palme-tree reioyceth in watery places and hartely loueth to drinke much that is to bee much watered and this Tree in this place is sayd for the better fructifying of it to be planted by the riuers of waters First it is said to bee planted by the waters Secondly By the riuers of those waters By Waters in this place are to bee interpreted the holy Scriptures of God as they are