of gold in great and mightie mountaines of ground or like the gleaning Esay 7. of the eares of corne after the haruest is past or the gathering of grapes the vintage being ended they lie but scattering and very thinne one in a citie two Ierem. 3. 14. in a tribe wheras Romish Idolaters counterfet Professors and impudent transgressors such as are not ashamed to glory in vngodlinesse and prostitute their deeds of darknesse vnto publike notice are the greatest part yea very neere the whole number of such as are called Christians Not to speake of that Antichristian Spawne and Popish frie though not one of the least and lightest burdens vnder which as the labour of her wombe this our Land groaneth Proceed we vnto the second sort and who is there so blind or deafe that doth not behold or heare how plentifully this our Sion is furnished yea rather how lamentably be pestered with a numerous brood of Apish professors and Mocke-Christians as I may tearm them such as in outward appearance might seeme deseruedly to bâ—â—â—eâ—stred in the roll and ranked in the number of true Nathaneels but are Iohn 1. 47. indeed as ranke false and perfidious as Ioab or Judas They would seeme by the An outside singularly commendable if thâ—â—â—side 〈◊〉 anâ— vâ—â—table precisenesse of their habit and demurenesse of behauiour to be truly mortified to the world To giue them their due which our English Prouerbe will not deny the Deuil himselfe they will reproue sinne refraine from swearing celebrate the Saboth yea many houres of the weeke dayes in hearing of the Word labouring if they like the Preacher to digest it in their memories by penning and mutuall conference in a word oh the sanctitie of the Deuill they will pretend a great deale of faire and religious dealing seeme to bee Gods white children but oh the Deuillishnes of these Saints doth it not plainly appeare that they are little better then Deuils transformed into 2. Cor. 11. 14. Angels of light fell and cruell Wolues couered and clothed in Sheep skins making Religion to serue but for a Stalking horse wearing Christs Liuery for their owne conueniency that so they may the more safely and vnsuspectedly compasse their secret vnsacred endes hath not Time the mother of Truth reuealed this for a truth that there are none more vniust in their dealings none more couetous deceitfull full of pride enuy hatred malice and all vncharitablenesse then they though they take vpon them a more strict profession of Christ then ordinary In a word as the Trojans were neuer more damnified thâ—n when Aeneas did put on harnesse like vnto theirs breaking into the midst of their troops like a member of their army So the true Nathaneels of our Israel yea godlinesse it selfe neuer receiued more disgracefull affronts then haue bin and are continually most vnhappily occasioned by the counterfeit pietie of these so common hypocriticall professors As Iudas betrayed Matth. 26. 49. Christ into the hands of his enemies so these haue and doe continually betray the holy calling of Christianitie and the sincere Professors therof vnto the sharper tongues of lewd-liuing Libertines and vngodly Atheistes yea of many framed of a more sober honest and tractable temper to be scourged lashed with tearmes of disgrace for let a man out of a holy reuerence vnto the sacred Maiesty of God make conscience of an Oath let him out of a sincere heart bee carefull to sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord in all holy and religious exercises let him vow himselfe to all sobrietie and temperance and be zealous for the Lord of Hosts in reproouing vngodlinesse In a word let him heartily desire and accordingly truely endeuour to keepe a good conscience in all things both toward Actes 24. 16. God and man not partaking in the sinful courses of these wicked times but laboring so far forth as in him lyeth according to that measure of grace hee hath receiued to liue within the limits and compasse of an holy profession it is reputed but precisenesse he is ordinarily derided vnder the name of a Catharist or Puritan and of the most hated and detested as much if not more then a treacherous bloody Papist or damnable Atheist Thus the seeming-Saints of our age by their ouer-hasty running after Christ for sinister respects haue cast the true Nathaneels of our Israel behind hand in their iust credit and estimation Iohn 1. 47. the world measuring the feet of all professors by the Last of these false professors And not onely doth counterfeit pietie Hypocrisie thus flourish to the great contempt reproach of sincere professors but in the third place we may obserue that all vngodlinesse hath aduanced it selfe and taken heart Iniquity hath put on a brow of brasse and Impiety like a shamelesse strumpet attended by Impudency hath taken vp her standing in euery street and corner of Court City and Countrey Ambition base flattery perfidie drunkennesse couetousnesse prodigalitie pride lechery luxury injustice theft murther adultery feareful swearing and periury contempt of the Manna and Ministers of Gods holy Word and what seldom heard-of crimes in former ages are not the familiar minions and darlings of these Times It is a tedious taske and would prooue but an irkesome discourse to trouble your eares with a particular enumeration of all the sinnes that roost yea raigne in this Land for it may be truly said of it as the Poet in his Epigramme vnto Caesar concerning his Theater Quic quid fama canit donat arena tibi Martial There is almost no sinne so peculiar to any forraigne Countrey which is not presented to the life vpon the stage of this Land and there is almost no person of what place or fashion soeuer that doth not act his part in them more or lesse Thus vngodlinesse is become an Epidemicall disease like a Contagious leprosie it hath infected and runne ouer the whole Body of this Land and no part more then this Citie in so much that it may truely be said of vs as the Prophet of the Iewes We are a sinnefull Esa 1. 4. 5. 6. Nation a people laden with iniquitie The whole head is sicke the whole heart is heauy from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption And which doth consummate our iniquitie though wee are so desperately sicke of sinne that wee lye euen at the doore of death and there bee scarce so much as a thresh-hold betweene vs and eternall destruction yet who is there that with patience wil suffer the Preacher Gods Deputy-Physician for the good of his soule so much as to lay his finger vpon those his cankred sores of sin which suffered to run on their course will vncurably corrupt and irrecouerably cast away the whole man both body and soule Sinne especially that which ordinarily thrusteth it selfe into the seruice of any calling and like the siluer
vomit and instead of bringing forth Vuas grapes wee haue brought Esay 5. 4. forth Labrucas wild grapes our grapes are grapes of gall our clusters be bitter our wine is poyson of dragons and the cruell Deut. 32. 32 33. gall of Aspes My beloued will God thinke we suffer himselfe to be thus deluded from time to time Are we sure he will alwayes looke vpon vs with a fauourable aspect and neuer shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure O let vs beware of carnall securitie it is as dangerous and fearfull an euill as the soule imbarqued in the body can meet with whilst sayling in the Sea of this world Certainly if his so many gentle and mercifull visitations will not reclaime vs from our dissolute courses but wee will stil frequent our old sinfull haunts drawing iniquitie with cartropes and sinne with â—he cords of vanity he will lay aside all lenitie deale with vs more roughly â—â—sa patientia 〈…〉 or and seuerely It is not a pruning-knife some fauourable affliction some fatherly correction shall serue the turne for behold hee hath put an axe into the hand of the destroying Angel not like Abimelech to cut downe some boughes Iudg. 43. from the trees no he hath giuen him a straight charge a strict commission if he find any tree any man that bringeth not forth good fruit to hew him down euen at the very root that is by death to root him out of the land of the liuing which is the first particular penaltie the Excision Euery tree not bringing forth The first penalty an Excision good fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is hewen downe Doe but consider I beseech you the fearefulnesse of this penaltie True Aequa lege necessitas Hâ—â— Carm. lib. 3 Ode 1. Sortitur insigneis imos Omne capax mouet vrna nomen What man liueth and shall not see death Psal 89. 47. Hebr. 9. 27. There is a Statute for it Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed vnto all men once to die Death is Gods Sergeant â—uiâ—â—sâ—i contiâ—it 〈◊〉 â—estat Sâ—â— Ep. 1â—0 vnto whose arrest the whole suruiuing race of Adam is subiect as well the godly as the vngodly and therfore it is not here said that he which bringeth not forth good fruit shall dye but shall be hewen downe to signifie the fearefulnesse of that death which shall befall him The godly man hee that bringeth forth good fruit shal die but he is happy in his end for that he departeth this life in the sweet peace of conscience which he hath obtained through faith in Christs blood wherby he is reconciled vnto God sealed vp vnto the day of redemption so that the misery of death is vnto him the death of all misery and his last end the beginning Dies isle quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterninatalis est Sen. Ep. 1â—2 the birth day of eternity And therefore laetus lethuÌ„ excipit come Death when it wil come it is truly heartily welcome finds him ready willing with much vnfained ioy to entertaine the stroke which shal separat his soule body that so being freed from the prison of his body he may enter into his masters ioy be Matth. 2â— 21. crownd with glory happinesse in the highest heauens In regard wherof wheÌ„ Jusius dum per mâ—ntem evita tollitur non exciditur sed ia vberius solum transfertur Fran. Luc. Brâ—giens in locum by Death he is taken out of this life he cannot be said to be hewen down but rather transplanted into a more fruitful soile On the other side the vngodly man that bringeth not forth good fruit but is barren in all goodnesse and only fruitfull in the daÌ„nable works of darknes he shal die but a death far different froÌ„ that of the righteous for being besotted with the pleasures of sinne and hauing his affections fast glewed to the things of this world when Death arresteth his Body his Soule wil depart out of it like sawdust grated out of the belly of an hard Oke with much labour and striuing so vnwilling and loth it will be to breake vp house and bid farewell vnto the world Yea for as much as he neuer endeuoured to keep a good Conscience toward God and man therefore his guiltie Conscience like the euill Spirit which vexed Saul shall most 1 Sam. 16. 14. fearefully wracke and torture him and a wounded spirit who can beare saith the Prou. 18. 14. Prouerbialist and thus in the anguish and bitternesse of his Soule he shal be broken Iob 24. 20. like a tree the Axe of Death shall cleaue rent his soule and body asunder with all violence and terror he shall bee hewen downe saith my Text. But is this all shall this Tree thus fell'd there lie and rest and rot where it falleth I meane shall his soule and body thus parted so perish as that he shall cease euer to haue a being any more and consequently a feeling of any further misery Certainly though sinful man be likevnto the beasts that perish yet he doth not perish like the beasts whose bodies are turned into ashes and their spirits vanish as soft ayre and are no more No his soule is an immortall substance and his body though in the eye of a carnall Sadducee it seemeth so to perish as that it shall neuer haue a being any more yet it shall at the last day by the power of God be restored to its iust proportion for after Death there must come a Iudgment particular of the Soule when it departeth from the body generall of Soule and body at the generall resurrection So that this fearfull hewing downe is but as the Prologue to a more tragicall feareful Scene it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of sorrowes the forerunner of more fearefull torments For after the axe of Death hath with all violence cleft and rent his Soule and Body in sunder after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is thus hewen downe it followeth in the next place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is cast into the fire hee is throwen headlong into the flames of Hell And this second penaltie his exastion is The second pâ—naltie an Exustion indeed principally that which causeth his dissolution to be so comfortles full of terrour For when the hand of God lyeth heauy vpon him to hew him downe by death it is not the separation of his soule body that doth so much trouble him nor the leauing his beloued world that doth so much afflict him no nor the cruel gnawings of his guilty conscience that doe so wrack torture him otherwise then ioyned with the present apprehension of being cast into this fire which he then foreseeth will most certainly befal him after his dissolution And no maruell if the apprehension thereof strike such â— dread terror into his departing Ethic. 1 â—9 soule for what Aristotle
that heathen oracle of learning said of the naturall death of the Body as one who saw no farther then the twilight of Nature would giue him leane may more truely be auerred of this second penalty that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of terribles As Zeuxis that excelleÌ„t painter desiring to draw Junocs picture exactly viewed al the Agrigentine Virgins with a curious eye pickt out siue of the choycest Pieces Nature did afford amongst them out of which for the composition of her picture he abstracted and expressed with his pencill what he apprehended more accurate and excellent either for proportion or beauty So the liueliest resemblance can be framed of this fearfull penalty is by presenting vnto our fantasie all the torments that euer seized vpon the sons of Adam in this vally of misery and out of them to make choice of such as are most exquisite acrimonious and intolerable and out of these if it were possible to extract a Quintessence and to inflict this quintessence of tormeÌ„t vpon one man and yet when we haue done all this this all is as nothing we shall haue framed but a dull a weake Idea of this penalty For the Eie hath not seen the Eare heard nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man as what ioyes God hath prepar'd 1 Cor. â— 9. for those that loue him so what sorrowes he hath laid vp for those that leaue him And therfore as the Painter presenting the sorrow of the father of Iphigenia when she was to be sacrificed drew him with his face couered as confessing his Art insufficient to expresse in his visage a griefe of that degree so being at this time according to my propounded Method to present so terrible fearfull a penaltie as to be cast into hell fire my best course I coÌ„fesse were to cast ouer it the vaile of silence as being best coÌ„scious of my own insufficiency for a task of such transcendeÌ„cy Yet vnwilling my particular weaknes should frustrate the generall expectation of so Honourable an Audience And fearing my silence in a point of such importance may occasion some to sleight their owne ruine and neglect their speedy reformation For such is naturally our slauish disposition that notwithstanding all the gracious and glorious promises of the Gospell vnlesse the terrors of the Law be punctually propounded vnto the vnderstanding and so reflect and beate vpon the Conscience wee walke without either feare or wit in the wayes of vngodâ—inesse and as if wee had taken a liberall Dosis of Opium are cast into a Spirituall Lethargie and fall into Hell before we so much as dreame of Damnation Therefore a word or two more particularly for the description of the fearefulnesse of this particular penaltie For I intend not though the case might iustly require it to entertaine you with a particular discourse of the seuerall punishments wherein all the powers and parts of each damned Wretch to his greater terror shall haue their share as those Positiue of intollerable cold the Worme that neuer dyeth palpable darkenesse the horrid aspect of the Deuils and infinite moe the least of all which is most horrible too heauie for Nature to Pectorâ— gâ—â—eroso non tam molestuÌ„ estrerum augugustia premi quam abundantia gloria priuari Stapl. promp mor. Mali non tantuÌ„ dolebunt de ipso tormento quam quod repellentur a tali consortio Ludolph Si nulla externa poena torqueret haec sola sufficerâ—t Mestreth ex Chrylost sustaine in her greatest strength Neither will I speake of the perpetuall priuation of the blessed vision of a most glorious God and happy societie of the holy Angels and glorified Saints a penaltie by all Diuines both antique and neotericke determined to be more terrible and fearefull then all the Positiue miseries Hell yea tenne thousand Hells can affoord The large and learned labours of Others concerning these particulars shall at this time saue me a labour I would gladly draw towards a conclusion and therefore must desire so much fauour as that I may confine my selfe vnto this in my Text as being most frequent in the Scripture and of a Positiue torment the most fearefull and intollerable Ex vngue Leonem I shall in it giue you as it were the length of Hercules foot and so leaue you to guesse at the full pourtaiture of his whole body The Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire There are three things that do more Hell fire most fearefull for three causes punctually discouer vnto vs the fearefulnesse of this Penaltie The first is the Extremitie of it Many are the torments which cruell Multa sunt ab hominibus excogitata supplicâ—â— sed nullum acuâ—us nullum vchementius nullum acrius igut Bellaâ— de gem Columb lib. 2. cap. 2. Tyrants the Deuils Engineers haue framed in the forge of their hellish inuention to make poore Nature suffer But of all there is none more acute none more vehement none more acrimonious then that which is effected by Fire and yet for extremity of heat so infinite are the degrees whereby this Hell fire surpasseth our Heaâ—th fire that the most expert Mathematician is vnable to take their true distance Nebuchadnezzars Furnace though heatedâ— seauen times more then ordinary yet it compared with the extreme heate and feruour of this Fire is but as the Chill-warmth of the Sunne in an extreme cold Winters day or as the meere picture of Fire vnto the Fire which is Pictured this Fire burneth in such extremitie that in it the least moment of Paine will swallow vp whole Ages of forepast pleasures Secondly the fearefulnesse of this Penaltie appeareth in the Vniuersalitie of it this terrible Fire burneth not a singer onely or a hand or a foot but the Math. 10. 28. whole body yea the whole man both body and soule For as both like Simeon and Leui haue beene brethten in the euill of Sinne So both shall be brethren in the euil of suffering both shal be tormented in this Flame be cast into this Fire Thirdly the fearefulnes of this Penaltie appeareth in the Perpetuitie of it Though the whole man be extremely terribly tortured yet it were some comfort if this acrimonious Penalty might haue either some ende or some ease In Corporall griefs it is an experimentall Maxime ministreth some comfort vnto the sick Patient a Disease the sharper Nâ—mo potest â—alde dâ—lere diâ— Seneca â—p 78. Praceps moâ—bus alterum facieâ— aut exuâ—guâ—tuâ— aut extingâ—et Ibid. Do'or quâ— ineitation to cuius in alienaâ—ione fluporemque conuerlituâ— hoc itaque solatum est vasti doâ—oris quod necesse est desinas illum sentire si nimis sensiris Senec. Ibid. the shorter the more violent the lesse permanent It is impossible saith Seneca for a man to be in great paine and a great while in paine for either it wil suddenly leaue Him or He suddenly
that can befall vâ— freely to disport our selues in all licenciousnesse Yet if wee did but deliberately weigh our owne case as indeed it neerely concerneth vs so to doe Laying the pleasures of sinne which can last but for a little season in one Scale and the Penaltie for sin which will hold out to eternity in the other if wee did but seriously consider that the wrath of God is reuealed from Heauen against Rom. 1. 18. all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnes of men as the Apostle speaketh that the Lord hath whet his Sword and bent his Bow and hath made his instruments Psal 7. 12. 13. ready to wound the hayrie Scalpe of him that goeth on in his wickednesse as the Prophet Dauid speaketh That the axe of his wrath is already laid vnto the roote of the Trees and that hee is resolutely determined that those Trees those Men which bring not forth good fruit shal be hewen downe and cast into the fire into Hell Fire there to be extremely and totally tormented eternally it would beget in our hearts a mortall hatred euen of our bosome and best beloued corruptions and worke with vs euen in the middest of our sinfull pleasures as the Handwriting vpon the Wall with Belshazzar Dan. 5. 6. in the midst of his Iollitie it would cause our countenance to be changed our thoughts to trouble vs the ioynts of our loines to be loosed and our knees to smite one against the other it would make vs with the Iailor to tremble and and fall before the Ministers of God Acts 16. 29. 30. say Sirs what shall we doe to bee saued Oh it is a terrible and fearefull thing Raro antecedentem scelestum deseruit pede paena claudo Car. lib 3. ode 2 to fall into the hands of the liuing God Though hee hath leaden heeles yet hee hath iron hands Serò sed serio He is indeed Tarditatem vindictae Supplic ij grauitate compensat slow to proceed in Iudgment but when he comes as come hee will hee strikes home and layes it on heauily Therefore my Beloued let vs take heed The certaintie of the penâ—lâ—â—â— we doe not dally with God and slight his terrible Iudgements as if they did nothing concerne vs for that the Lord will render vengeance vnto the children of disobedience and visit the iniquities of impudent and impenitent sinners with the intollerable eternall torments of hell fire is a truth as cleare as that God is truth wee haue it deliuered from his own mouth and recorded vnder his owne hand his sacred Word endited by the Holy Ghost hath most clearely reuealed it vnto vs and questionlesse we may venture to take his word and build vpon it for God is not as man Numb 23. 19. that hee should lye neither as the sonne of man that he should repent hath hee sayd and shall he not doe it and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Certainly Heauen and Earth shall sooner passe away Luke 16. 17. saith our Sauiour then the least iot or title of the Law shall fall And therefore the penaltie here threatned shal most certainly be inflicted Yea to intimate the vndoubted certaintie thereof it is not heere said in the future Tense The tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire but is â—ewen downe and cast into the fire it being as certaine as if it were already inflicted So hee which beleeueth not is already Iohn 3. 18. condemned saith our Sauiour The Law hath already denounced the Sentence of malediction against the Sinner Cursed is hee that confirmeth not all the Deut. 27. 26. words of the Law to doe them And what the curse of the law is is not vnknown to the veriest Babe in Christianitie it is the eternall destruction of body and soule in hell fire So that there is nothing wanting vnto the certaintie of this Penaltie but a more solemne declaration and a reall execution thereof which shall be then effected when the Sonne of man our Lord Iesus Christ shall come in the clouds in his Glory accompanied with all his holy Angels to iudge the quicke and the dead then shall hee pronounce that dreadfull Sentence of condemnation Discedite a me maledicti Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels and then shall it be put into execution for they shall goe into euerlasting torments verse 46 And let no man delighting in impiety The Generalitie or exteâ—â— of the Penaltie delude his own soule with a vaine hope of impunitie let him not thinke to escape the iudgement of God whilest he commiteth Rom. 1 32. such things as are worthy of death for the Lord is a powerfull and an impartiall Iudge Who can stand before his wrath or who can abide the fiercenesse of his wrath His wrath is powred out like fire and the very Rocks are broken by him saith the Prophet King Nebuchadnezzar though a most puissant Prince a great Tree as the Scripture stiles him Dan. 4. 11. strong and high vnto heauen in whose boughes the Birds of the ayre did build their nests yet saw in a Vision a Watcher a holy One comming downe from Verse 14. Heauen who cried alowd Succidite arborem Hew downe the Tree and Destroy it Tophet is prepared for the Esay 30. 33. King saith the Prophet Esay Though his excellencie mount vp vnto the heauens and his head reach vp to the clouds yet shall he perish for euer like his owne dung saith Iob. Iob 20. 6. 7. Regum timendorum in proprios greges Reges in ipsos imperium est Iouis Hâ—r Carm. lib. 3. Ode 1. Clari Gygant â—o triumpho cunsta supercilio mouentis God hath an vnresistable power ouer the most Commanding Princes By him Kings raigne Princes Nobles and all the Pro 8. 15. 16. Iudges of the earth doe rule saith Salomon the greatest Prince that euer ruled vpon the earth At his foot stoole the mightiest Monarchs must lay downe their Crownes and make their appeaâ—ance before his most dreadfull presence submâ—ting themselues to be censured and sentenced and suffer according to their demerits God spareth none though neuer so mightie yea for that respect hee dealeth more sharpely with them For as Hieronimus Guadalupeâ—sis vpon this Text obserueth The more Potent a man Quanto quisque potentior sinon ferat fâ—uctum tonto maiori dâ—gnus est supplicio qui â—occasio est multis non ferendi bonos fructus Scilicet in vulgus manout exemplâ— regentum Claudianus is if he doe not bring forth good fruite the greater punishment he deserueth because He is an Occasion vnto many of their not bringing forth good fruit Men ordinarily suffering theÌ„selues to be directed lob-led by the exaÌ„ple of their Superiors like the Spaniard that held his neck awry because Alphonso of Arragon his king was
of it no tree shall scape for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery tree not bringing forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire These are the particulars obseruable in this text I haue here as ye see Magnum in paruo a little world of matter in a few words Singula verba suam habenâ— Bullinger in 3. Matth. epitasin each word hath his weight and is not lightly to be passed ouer therefore something of euery thing plainly of all I pray God as profitably vnto all And first of the Parties whom this The first generall Part. Writ doth summon and concerne indefinitely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trees not naturall but metaphoricall for by trees is meant men And let not this Metaphore seeme strange for as he did that was our Sauiours Markâ— 3. 24. patient for the recouering of his eyesight so may wee see men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like trees It is the allusion of that renowned Heathen that Man is planta inuersa Aristotle a tree turned vpside downe his head is the root his body the trunke his armes and legges the maine branches his fingers and toes the lesser boughâ—s his skinne the barke his soule the life of the whole And in the sacred Scripture we find it a familiar metaphor to expresse Man by a tree Either make the tree good and his Matth. 12. 33. fruit good or the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is knowen by the fruit Where by tree is meant man by fruit his workes both Iewes and Gentiles are by Saint Paul tearmed trees Rom. 11. Rom. 11. the Iew a good O liue tree the Gentile a wild O liue tree Not to multiply instances let one place speake for all The Prophet Dauid describing the state of Psalm 1â— the child of God he shall be saith hee like a tree planted by the riuers of waters Thus man is a tree cuius radix voluntas folium cogtatio flos sermo fruct us opus saith Ludolphus his will is the Devita Christi root his thought the leafe his speech the flower his worke the fruit Now as of Trees some are high and loftie as the Cedars some low as the shrubs so of Men some are high and mightie like the Cedars of Lebanon and the Okes of Basan publike men men of eminent place in Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernment some low like shrubs priuate men men of inferiour note and condition This Subpoena concerneth not onely some one tree particularly a princely Cedar or petty shrub but indefinitely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trees that is any trees yea vniuersally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery tree not onely Genera singulorum some Princes some Priests some People but singula generum all Princes all Priests all People So that you cannot say vnto me as the Apostles vnto our Sauiour when hee Matth. 26. 22. told them that one of them should betray him Is it I or is it I or as the high Priests to Iudas Matt 27. 4. What is it to vs For as our Prognosticators in the Frontispice Title page of their Almanaâ—ks that they are calculated for the Meridian of some particular Town or Citie but may serue generally for the whole Countrey So may I say of this Subpoena though it was particularly serued vpon the Iewes that came to be baptized of Iohn in the riuer of Iordan yet it concerneth all both Iewes and Gentiles for whose sinnes our blessed Sauiour shed forth the Iordan of his precious blood And therfore God doth send mee though the meanest of those that minister and serue at his Altar to serue this Subpoena vpon euery one here present Clamo mihi ipse I except not my selfe Non enim tam improbus sum vt curationes aeger obeam sed tanquam in eodem valetudinario jaceam de communi malo vobiscum colloquor remedia communico As Seneca most sweetly and more particularly to his Lucilius Ep. 27. Seeing therefore it is directed to euery one of vs let euery one of vs in the feare of God as we tender the good of our owne soules hearken with reuerence and attention what God in this Writ requireth of vs and the Lord of his mercy giue vs grace power to performe it That which God in this Writ requireth The second generall part of vs is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth good fruit 1. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth there is a Production 2. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring foorth fruit there is a fructification 3. Wee must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth good fruit there is a qualification First for the Production Euery tree 1. A Production must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth This verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of action and action is the life of the world The Celestiall creatures haue their continuall motion the Sublunary are estated in alteration * Officiosum boc animal Deus creauit naturalis est sibi exercitiorum instantia otium vero in naturale Obest enim inertia cunctis corporis membris nulli autemvt anime Eâ— namâ— cum continuo sit naturaliter mobilis ociari non patitur Aqu in locâ— Man the great worlds little summe hath an actiue soule infused into an organicall body nothing is more naturall vnto him then to be in action Sloth is not more the bane of the body then of the Soule for the Soule saith Aquinas being alwayes naturally mooueable cannot endure to be out of action A garment out of wearing is subiect to the Meath Iron not vsed contracteth rust standing waters corruption The wheele that lyes still is a fit Loome for the Spider to worke in * Otium puluinâ—r Satanae When man is idle out of action the Deuill is ready at his elbow to presse him for his Souldier What is the reason that many doe so lust after their Dalilahs offer so much incense vnto Venus and sacrifice so often to her Shrine Is it not because they are Idle For as our learned Postiller hath obserued it Vnchaste folly is for the most part Doctor Boys begot of an idle braine and hatcht in a lazy body Otia dant vitia Men in doing nothing learne to doe nothing but euiâ—l yea like soft wax they are then capable of any impression fit to do the Deuil any seruice Singularly commendable therfore is that Discipline which The Preachers Trauels is practised in Cassan a principall citie in Parthia there no idle person is permitted to liue among them Sure I am in Gods vineyard none must stand idle Adam euen in his innocency must dresse keepe the garden of Eden Man is borne Gene. 2. 15. to labour as the sparkles that fly vpward saith Iob It is euery mans Calling to Iob 5. 7. worke to eat his bread in the sweat of his brows but to be idle neither Church nor Gene. 3. 17. Comonwealth affordeth
leaue it And if neither his Disease be suddenly taken from him nor he from his desease yet certainly his Paine cannot long continue in extremity but will at length be translated into a stupiditie it will produce a Stupefaction and numnesse in the parts it affecteth and so the Partie ouersensibly affected ceaseth to be sensible of his griefe Againe a violent and virulent Disease though it be a long time ere a man can wholly shake it off and bid it farewell sometime not till his last of time Diseases Silongus est habet intercapedinem dat refectiom locuâ—â— multum temporis donat necesse est vt exurgat desimat Jdem ibidem commonly comming on Horsebacke but going away on foote yet it is no small comfort vnto the sicke Patient that it commeth but by fitts it doth not keep a continuall Terme in his body but hath sometimes its recesses and Vacations it doth not alwayes sit in commission sometimes it hath an intermission and leaueth Man to himselfe to recollect his scattered spirits and repaire the ruined and crasie walls of his earthly Tabernacle whereby he is the better enabled to hold out against the furious assaults thereof Besides there are diuers artificiall Confections which the skilfull in Physicke are able to prescribe and prepare if not for the extirpation of his disease yet at least for the remission and mitigation of his Paine there are lenitiues to asswage and quallifie the raging madnes thereof Howsoeuer at length that Catholike Esculapius Doctor Death will one day visit the perplexed Patient and giue him a dyet drink that will vndoubtedly cure him of all his griefes Thus I say though a man bee infested with a disease that doth extremely plague and torture him yet he hath these comfortable hopes and helpes to sustaine him in it either He and his Disease will suddenly take their last farewell one of an other or if it continue any time with him it will in processe of time through extremity of pain produce a stupefaction or admit of some friendly intermission or at least of some gentle remission to make it the more supportable howsoeuer the Patient and his paine must one day part and then there is an end of all his sorrowes But alas it is not so here he that is cast into this fire is not capable of the least of all these comforts for the extremity of his paine is perpetuall his torments are both endles easeles It was indeed the opinion of Origen August lib 21. de Ciuitate Dei Cap 17. and his Disciples that all the damned yea euen the Deuils themselues should one day be absolued from their paines Tanto inuenitur erraâ—e dâ—formus contra Des veâ—bâ— peruersius quanto sibi videtur sentire â—lementius August ibidem and receiued into the sociâ—tie of the Saints which though it be a very merciful opinion yet it is a very foule errour and hath bin therefore iustly exploded by the Church as contradicting both reason and plaine text of Scripture Reason requireth a correspondeÌ„cy between the reward of righteousnes and the wages of iniquitie that as he which like a good tree bringeth forth good fruit shall be remoued from earth to heauen there to inherite euerlasting felicitie so hee which like a bad tree doth not bring forth good fruit should be cut downe from off the face of the earth and cast into perpetuall misery And the sacred Scripture doth plainly informe vs that Exinferno nulla redemptio from Hell there is no redemption As none can go from Heauen to Hell so none can goe from Hell Luke 16. 26. to Heauen No their heauinesse is continuall their plague desperate and cannot bee cured The breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle the Esay 30. 33. fire of Hell and being once kindled it neuer either of it selfe goeth out or can be put out for it is fire euerlasting and Math. â—5 41 Esay 66. Exod. 3. 2. vnquenchable and whosoeuer is call into it like Moses bush shal be burned but neuer consumed he shall there continue eternally both body soule in vnspeakable misery The extremitie of his paine shall not produce in him the least stupefaction for he shall be eternally and totally perfectly sensible of this fire His paine shall not admit of the least intermission or remission there shal not be the least moment of time but in which he shall feelingly confesse I am most extreamely and fearefully tormented in this flame He shall not obtaine so much as a drop of cold water in the eternity of his extremity to coole the tip of his tongue It is no smal content vnto one that is afflicted with a violent burning Feuer that he can turne and tumble himselfe too and fro in his bed in a vaine hope of ease But Hee that is cast into this fire shall be no more able to moue himselfe then a Tree that is hewen downe and cast into the fire For seeing that Jiqui â—â—erunt â—â—c 〈◊〉 Dâ—mand â—â—â—unt vincuâ—â—dâ—râ—m pentâ—◠〈◊〉 ligatu â—â—nibus pedibus mittentur in pananâ— aeternam Guil. Paris Math. â—2 Eâ—tâ—liquod soâ— amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sâ—câ—â— habuisse doloris Iob 16. 12. through his dissolute course of life hee often broke the Chaine of Gods Commandements he shall therfore by Gods commandement be fast tyed hand and foot witâ— such chaines as hee shall not be able to breake thus bound he shall be cast into Hell And whereas in Miserie it is accounted some Comfort to haue Companie Hee that is cast into this Fire shall indeed haue Companie but such as like Iobs friends will proue vnto him but miserable comforters their company shall be so little for his consolation as that it shal much conduce for the augmenting his affliction For not to speake of the horrid aspect of his Tormentors and the fearfull howlings of the Tormented hee shall then see those in hell with him of whose damnation himselfe was the procuring cause and this shall adde infinitely to his paines for as Hee who by his godly counsell and religious conuersation hath bin an instrument to conuert others vnto God shall shine as the starres in the firmament Dâ—n 12. 13. haue a peculiar reward of glory aboue others so Hee who by his wicked and lewd conuersation hath occasioned the fal of others shal for it besides his more generall paines haue some more speciall torment inflicted vpon him so that the very sight of such for whose sake he sustaineth his peculiar torments shall bring no small affliction to his Soule And hence it was as Diuines haue obserued that Diues being in Hell fire requested Abraham to dispatch Lazarus Luke 16. 27 28. to his Fathers house to premonish his Brethren that they might not come into that place of Torment not for any good hee intended toward his Brethren for Hell is as farre from Charitie as Heauen from Enuy but out of feare lest his paines should
fruit be hewen downe and cast into the fire Consider this all yee whom the Lord hath blessed with the fruite of the Wombe least this temporall blessing proue 7 Parents your eternall bane Thinke it not enough that yee bring forth children into the world and prouide for them an earthly inheritance vnlesse yee also bring them vp vnto the Lord and so fit them for the Kingdome of Heauen Alasse what is their first generation more then their Corruption for they are shaped in wickednesse Psal 51 5. and conceiued in sinne and so poore Infants Damnati antequam nati they are damned before their mothers are deliuered and being so what is your Temporall prouision vnto them though neuer so plentifull if after their ioy in this World if they know any they be so farre from knowing any in the next that on the contrary they lye howling in Hell flames for euer If therefore you truely loue your Children for their sakes vndertake a second labour and bring forth this good fruite of your Fatherly loue towards them once more trauell in paine of them but as Paul did of the Galathians till Gal. 4. 19. Christ be formed in them labour that they may be begotten a new in Christ by 1. Pet. 1. 23. the immortall seede of the Word and bee made heyres of the Kingdome of Heauen Let it be your care whatsoeuer it cost to haue them brought vp euen from their Child-hood in the feare of God That when they leaue this world they may attaine vnto the Land of euerlasting life there to raigne with Christ world without end And if you will not doe thus much for their sakes at least doe it for your owne sakes For know to bring forth this good fruit of true fatherly affection to bee carefull for the Spirituall well-fare of your Children and to promote and further it to the vtmost of your power is a dutie God strictly inioyneth And if through neglect hereof your Children Ephes 6. 4. rebell against God he will require their blood at your hands For as God doth visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children So he doth visite the sinns of the Children vpon the Fathers For an instance remember Old Eli when his 1. Sam. 2. Sonnes trespassed against God He did not sharpely reprooue and correct them but suffered theÌ„ to run on in their Sins this was his ruine In a word remeÌ„ber the IudgeÌ„t here threatned in my Text be moued thereby to bring forth the good fruite of true Fatherly affectioÌ„ instruct your Children in the feare of the Lord reproue correct theÌ„ wheÌ„ they offend the Lord least the Lord hew you downe and cast you into the fire In like manner yee Children remember the Rocke out of which yee 8 Children were hewen the Stocke whereof yee are stemmes your Parents from whom next vnder God yee haue receiued your naturall beeing Oh wound not their tender hearts with your vntoward carriage and rebellious courses the only course to accelerate and hasten their heads to the graue but like good Children bring forth the good fruit of filiall feare and affection that yee may exhilarate reioyce their Soules to the prolonging of their dayes Reuerence them inwardly in your hearts outwardly in your Behauiour yeeld vnto them all dutifull obedience in the Lord least ye pluck their Curse vpon your heads and the Lord hearing it hew you downe cast you into the fire 9 Masters of families Yee that haue the care of Seruants committed to your charge bring forth the Good fruite of Good Masters in your seuerall Families doe vnto your Seruants that which is iust and equall Col. 4. 1. knowing that yee also haue a Master in Heauen Command them not but in the Lord and that louingly Allow them a befitting competency be it in matter of indâ—ment for the Backe or aliment for the Belly and doe not with-hold their wages from them But aboue all instruct them in the knowledge and feare of God as well by your examples as precepts and allow not their profanation of the Lords Sabaths the least Conniuence Least the Lord hew you downe and cast you into the fire And yee that are Seruants serue your 10 Seruants Masters faithfully both in word and deede and obserue them with all respectiue reuerence and submit your selues vnto them to obey them in the Lord least the Lord hew downe you also and cast you into the fire In a word to drawe towards a conclusion giue me leaue to drawe out an Eare or two of the Corne we haue already inn'd for I feare growing too voluminous and large in particularizing farther Yee haue heard how gracious and bountifull a God the Lord hath vowed to shew himselfe vnto all those that submit themselues vnto his lawes and labour to serue him faithfully in bringing forth good fruite in leading a holy and religious course of life that he will reward and crowne their holy endeauours with an eternall weight of Glory in the kingdome of Heauen Yee haue likewise heard how seuere and terrible a Iudge hee will reueale himselfe vnto all such as runne disobedient and rebellious courses that hee will wound the hayrie Scalpe of euery one that goeth on in his wickednesse yea that hee will hew downe and cast into the fire euery Tree not bringing forth good fruite If therefore the sweete blessings of Gerizim the louing mercies of God cannot worke vpon our rebellious hearts to reclaime vs from our wicked wayes let the bitter cursings of Eball the dreadfull terrours of the Law make vs feare to offend least the Lord in his wrath deliuer vs vp vnto a reprobate minde and in that fearefull estate hew vs downe that is by a violent Death rent our Soules and Bodies a sunder cast vs both soule body into the fire to be intollerably eternally tormented in the flames of Hel. My beloued as God is Iealous of so he is Zealous for his glory if he be not glorified a nobis of vs by our conuersion he will be glorified de nobis vpon vs by our confusion if we do not turne vnto him he wil turne vs into Hell â—or it is a conclusion so ratified as neuer to bee repealed that Euery one whether Iew or Gentile bond or free high or low rich or poore Euery tree not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire O then let euery one of vs make a diligent search into his owne bosome iudge himselfe least he be iudged of the Lord. Let vs dissect rip vp that body of sinne which is within vs not only that Naturall corruption which we haue all alike succâ—ssiuely receiued from our first PareÌ„ts but also those personal transgressioÌ„s which euery man hath made himselfe guilty of more or lesse Then hauing faithfully laid open our sinfulnes let vs look on it with a loathing eye a lamenting heart vnfeinedly deploring the time
Againe that it might take deep root in our hearts to the bringing forth of good fruit plentifully in our liues hee hath watered and refreshed this his Inheritance with infinite remarkable testimonies of his singular sauour as it were with so many * Tum pater omnipotenâ— sâ—cundis 〈◊〉 aether c. Virg. 2. Gâ—org sweete fructifying showers from heauen and to infuse a quickenâ—ng power into the ground of our hearts he hath caused the Sunne of Peace * Pax 〈◊〉 vites sucâ—os codi◠〈…〉 derect v 〈…〉 Tib. lib. 1. leg 1. 3 the Mother of Plenty for these many yeares to shine vpon vs. In a word what medicinall courses hath hee neglected which in the iudgement of man might conduce to the furthering of our fruitfulnes He hath pared off our riotous Twigs and lopped off our luxuriant Branches ript vp our Rind opened our Roots that is he hath scourged vs with sundry kinds of Crosses and Afflictions that thereby hee might call vs backe from wandring abroad after the bewitching pleasures of Sinne to serue Him the onely true and euerliuing God with a sound and vpright heart in all holinesse of life and conuersation All which layd together wee haue no reason to thinke that praying vnto God in the Church once a weeke the hearing of a Sermon once a moneth a strict obseruation of the Saboth once a quarter a Receiuing of the Sacrament once in sixe moneths a Feasting of the poore once a yeare will serue the turne No God will not be satisfied with such a Barren and Dwarfling Obedience he will not bee contented with the Gleanings of Haruest with heere a Bery and there a Bery as it was with the shaken Oliue Tree Esay 17. No Euery tree must bring forth good fruit plentifully for Vnto whom soeuer much is giuen of him Luke 12. 48. shall be much required saith our Sauiour So that it doth stand vs euery one in hand accordingly to endeauour the reall answering of Gods iust expectation lest in the day of his wrath wee haue the dâ—eper share in his just indignation For Quantò maior gratia tantò amplior posteà Quo clariâ—r lux 〈◊〉 graâ—â—ae 〈◊〉 gra 〈…〉 paenas mundâ—â—n gratitud nem sibi accelâ—rate Chemâ—â—t peccantibus poena saith Saint Chrysostome God will at the Last day proportion out the punishment of a sinner according to the meanes of grace he hath afforded him in the time of his sinning At the worlds great Sessions it shall go harder with Chorazin and Bethsaida then with Tyrus and Sidon it shall goe harder with Capernaum then with Sodom because God did more abound in the meanes of grace to Chorazim Bethsaida and Capernaum then to Tyrus Sidon and Sodome Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to deale so liberally with vs in the meanes of Grace let vs in the name of God endeauour in some proportion to answer his bountie in our measure of grace Let vs labour to be full of the sweet fruits of the Spirit Let vs labour to bee strong in the Faith and as Saint Peter speaketh 2 Pet. 1. â— c. With our Faith let vs ioyne Vertue with Vertue Knowledge with Knowledge Temperance with Temperance Patience with Patience Godlinesse with Godlinesse Brotherly Kindnesse and with Brotherly Kindnesse Loue. In a word let vs labour to abound in euery good worke that may make vs pleasing and acceptable vnâ—o God let vs bring forth good fruit Abundanter Plentifully Thirdly and lastly lest all our labour 3 Perseuerantly proue but in vaine we must bring forth good fruit Perseueranter Perseuerantly For to what purpose is it if a Souldier at the first onset couragiously encounter with the Enemy and before he hath obtained the victory throw away his Armes Or what doth it profit a Mariner to commit himselfe to the Sea and to enioy the benefit of a faire gale of Wind euen vnto his desired Ports mouth if then the wind doe turne and so turne him backe againe before hee can thrust into the Port Happily thou hast beene just and hast done that which is lawfull and right as it is in Ezec. 18. 5. Ezek. 18. More particularly as the Prophet there expresseth himselfe Thou hast not eaten vpon the Moun aines nor lift vp thine eyes vnto Idols nor defiled thy neighbours wife nor oppressed any but hast restored to thy Debtour his Pledge thou hast spoyled none by violence thou hast giuen thy Bread to the Hungry and couered the Naked with a Garment thou hast not giuen forth vpon Vsury neither taken any Increase thou hast withdrawen thy hand from iniquitie executed true Judgement betweene man and man thou hast walked in Gods Statutes and kept his Iudgements to deale truely Thus farre hast thou gone and in these good courses thou hast continued a long time and in so doing hast done well But tell mee what will all this thy righteousnesse auaile thee if afterward thou shalt fall away from God and intangle thy selfe againe 2 Pet. 2. â—0 in the filthinesse of the world like the Dog that returneth to his owne vomit and the Sow that is washed to her wallowin the myre If the righteous turne away Ezek. 18. from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie shall hee liue saith the Lord. No All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned In his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye Ezek. 18. Yea It had been better for him neuer to haue acknowledged the way of Righteousnesse as the Apostle 2 Pet. 2. speaketh then after hee hath knowne it to turne from the holy Commandement deliuered vnto him For the latter end of that man is worse then the beginning If therefore thou wouldst make sure worke for the good of thy Soule and store vp comfort for thy selfe against the day of death and that great day of wrath then thou must not relye vpon thy former righteousnesse as the Rich man in the Gospell did vpon the store he Luke 12. 19. had treasured vp in his Barnes and say Soule take thine ease and freely disport thy selfe hence-forward in the delights of sinne for thou hast already brought forth good fruit plentifully which will serue thee for many yeares No thou must bring forth good fruite Perseuerantly for it is not here said euery tree Quae non fecit which hath not brought forth good fruit but euery tree non faciens not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire So that fecisse non sufficit it sufficeth not formerly to haue brought forth good fruit vnlesse thou continue in so doeing perseuerantly No man saith Christ putting his Luke 9. 62. hand to the Plough and looking backe is fit for the Kingdome of Heauen Sola perseuerantia Bernardus singularis summi regis est filia saith a Father ea enim sola est haeres regnâ— Coelorum Perseuerance is the only Daughter