Concupiscence is the roote Consent the trunke Bad desires the braunches Lewde words the buds Vile actions the flowers Lewde customes the fruites Sathan did plant Suggestion did water Continuance in sinnne doth increase them Necessitie in sinne doth ripen them Iudgement doth gather them and Hell doth burne them Because they bee not fruites worthy amendement of life That you may know them both in the fifth to the Gallat 22. you may take a suruey of them both The fruites of the flesh are Adulterie Fornication Vncleannesse Gal. 5.21 Wantonnesse Idolatrie Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulation Wrath Contentions Seditions Heresies Enuie Murthers Drunkennesse Gluttonie and such like The fruites of the spirit are Loue Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance The forbidden fruit of Paradise proued accursed but the fruit of that fruit more accursed so the fruits of the flesh bee most hatefull and fearefull but the fruites of those fruites exceede Pride is a fruit of the flesh but the fruit of the fruit exceedeth It blindeth the eyes darkneth the minde deceiueth the vnderstanding depriueth the reason disguiseth the countenance maketh the proude man in the sight of men a foole in the sight of God a Diuell The fruit of this fruit thrust the Angels out of heauen ouerthrewe the Tower of Babel confounded the Tongues drowned Pharaoh depriued Saul hanged Haman slew Baltasher changed Nebucadonosor into a beast Luxurie is the fruit of the flesh but the fruit of this fruit bringeth polution before God vncleannesse before men filthinesse to the body rottennesse to the bones it burnt Sodome slew the Sichemites destroyed the Beniamites cursed Ruben beguiled Dauid betrayed Sampson deceiued Salomon Enuie is the fruit of the flesh but the fruit of that fruite excelleth it it punisheth it selfe fretteth the heart shortneth the life eateth the flesh consumeth the Spirit turneth a man into a Dogge a Christian into a Diuel it made Caine enuie Abels sanctitie Rachel Leahs faecunditie Saul Dauids felicitie Sathan mans innocencie Haman Mordecaies honestie the Pharisees Christs heauenly Dietie Drunkennesse is a fruite of the flesh but the fruite of this fruite exceedeth It confoundeth the braine consumeth the body drowneth the iudgement stealeth away the sense witte memorie health credit friends and all And hath ouerthrowne not onely many thousand particular men but many great Houses Families Cities Countreyes Nations Generations for this last sinne is more presumed vpon then almost any other for since that God made that promise neuer more to drowne the world the world hath almost drowned themselues by this beastly vgly monstrous loathsome Inundation The Doctrine Doctrine that good works must be worthily performed or else they bee not fruits worthy The difference between digna and digne is much Arte Aethick Justus Justa Iuste many doe worthy workes but not worthily and therefore it is not to bring Digna worthy fruites which vnworthy men may vnworthily doe but God also requireth dignus digna digne the name of goodnesse in the doer the rules of goodnesse in the things done and the end of goodnes in the doing for Caine offered Simon Magus beleeued Herod listened Foelix feared Saul obeyed Iezabel fasted the Pharisies prayed these were worthy fruites but not worthily performed There may be a zeale without knowledge aknowledge without conscience a loue without Holinesse a Prayer without Faith a Faith without fruites otherwise had not the Pharisies lost so many Prayers so many Fasts so many watches so many works so many washings so many tythings so many howrs in hearing reading interpreting Moses the Prophets otherwise had not the Papists lost so many Orisons so many obseruations deuotions contritions confessions satisfactions penances pilgrimages so much labour in examining their hart chastening their flesh whipping the body punishing the Soule The fruits of Faith as all the Fathers agree Aug. Ambr Bernard Ierom Theop. Theodoret Epiphanius all others in their writings obserue are Repentance and good works these are the fruites worthy amendment of life Ctesias in describing India maketh mention of a tree that besides fruites droppeth and distilleth certaine teares of which are made pretious Amber The true Christian must be like this tree his workes must be his fruites his repentance his distilled droppes The droppes of the Vine-tree are prescribed against the Leprosie hee that is a branch of the true Vine must yeelde these droppes against the Leprosie of sinne and so hee shall bee sure to bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life though not worthy merito condigni of eternall life yet worthy in some sorte merito congrui of amendment of life The Vse The vse hereof is to incite you all by all the mercies of God as euer you hope to stand before the Throne of Grace to bring foorth at the length some fruites acceptable to God profitable to men auaileable to your owne Soules that yee no longer turne the Grace of God into wantonnesse not looking vpon Faith with the eye of curiosity but hearing with the eares and heartes of obedience rather bringing good mindes then sharpe wits to Sermons that so Religion may no more flie in the ayre of your opinion but be setled in your soules to fruitfull operations Iohn Baptist you heare crieth out for Reformation a thing long prayed for and sought for in the former Ages of Idolatry sudore sanguine with the bloud of Myriades of Martyrs The last Centurie performed it but performed it so as that the Cure is become as dangerous as the disease and religion hath taken as deepe a wound in the Reformation as shee had in the deformation for in place of the hypocrisie of seeming there is brought in the impudency of neither beeing nor seeing and to cure superstition a neglect of deuotion to auoide the opinion of meriting a defect of the care of well doing to take away the superfluity there is not enough left for the necessity of the Church the faith which was wont to bee in words is scarse found in the oathes of men the Doctrine of the Church not followed the censures of the Church not feared The pride and excesse of the Clergy taken away and the pouerty and contempt of the Cleargy remaining then there were woodden Priests golden liuings now golden Priests woodden liuings The Garden of the Spouse blasted her trees blemished her branches withered her fruites vanished that as hee said No feare of God so I say no fruite for God in the land and yet who is not thought a Professor who is not thought religious It was worthily obiected to an vnworthy fellow in Rome who putting on a graue countenance in the Senate was taken vp thus Plutarch Quis te ferat aedificantem vt Crassus caenantem vt Lucullus loquentem vt Cato who can abide thee building vaine-gloriously as Crassus banqueting riotously as Lucullus and yet speaking grauely as Cato so may it bee asked who can abide that those that are as great Church-robbers as Nabuchodonosor as enuious as Haman as riotous as Balthazar as proude as Herod as disobedient as Corah should bee thought Religious or should offer to take the word of the Lord in their mouths and yet hate to be reformed My speech draweth to the close The place wherein I speake representeth that tree of Theophrastus which at euery time doth bud and blossom and beare fruit O euer let there bee found here some ripe some drawing to their ripenesse some in the flower some in the bud of hope some plentifull in fruit if there were no other motiues to incite this presence and if neither watering planting nor any other meanes would draw you yet the President of our young Cedar might draw all that make their nest vnder the shade of his Greatnesse seeing his Highnesse like to that YOVNG PRINCE is increased in wisedome and stature Esay 9. and fauour with God and men It was but the speech of a Poet Exeat Aula qui vult esse Pius that Godlinesse is no good Courtier I hope it and with the bended knees of my Soule pray for it that that position neuer take place here but that holinesse may crown this house for euer and that not onely in the Chappell and Clossetts but that the face of godlinesse may bee seene in the presence and the heart of goodnesse attend the inmost Priuy Chambers that euery one here may in euery action both publike and priuate yeeld a sauour of God and a taste of godlinesse and bring forth fruites in due season fruites worthy amendmēt of life that so this Court may bring forth encrease and God euen our own God may giue vs his blessing yea God may blesse v◠and we all and the endes of the world may feare him and we may yeeld Glorit to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost as it was in the beginning both now and euer world without end Amen FINIS
in the world to come Neuer to bring foorth any more Reape ye shal but bring forth ye shall not but yee shall reape the fruit of iudgement of punishment other fruit neuer bring foorth sinne henceforth Neuer any more deade trees cut off from the land of the liuing deade branches cut off from the tree of life It was a lamentable complaint that the mother of Tobias made for her sonne Thou light of our eyes staffe of our age comfort of our life hope of our posterity al the ioy that we had was in thee haue we forsaken thee But it will be a more lamentable sorrow when the wicked shall find they haue forsaken all the hope and ioy comfort and light and happines of him But I come to the 2. part Not buds or blossoms or flowres 2. Part. or flourishes but fruites GOD doth not so much respect Adiectiues as Aduerbes as the Canonist teacheth and God doth not loue Flowers Canonists so much as fruit as my Text proueth The Spouse in the Canticles had Roses Lillies but except that one Rose of the fielde and one Lillie of the Valley shee prayseth the Pomegranates and Vines Figs and Grapes and Oliues and Camphire and Spikenard and Cynamon and Saffron and Incense and Aloes Shee had her flourishing Garden of Lillies but shee had also her fruitfull Garden of nuts and Apples and Pomegranates In all the Scripture I read but of one Flowre that is praysed and that Rose from the roote of Iesse sprung in the Vallyes Cant. 2.2 and grew among thornes and flourished in the Winter and withered in the Spring and was the most fragrant flower that euer grew It was the Lilly among Thornes A flower not easily to bee gathered for we must vndergo much labour and smart if wee will enioy it the Head thereof is crowned with Thornes the Heart is pierced with a Speare Ansten the hands and feete strucke through with Nailes It is a Lilly among thorns From the flowre we haue receiued fruit and to this Flower we consecrate all our fruit not leaues of good profession not blossomes of good purposes nor branches of great semblances but fruit for as of false prophets so of true professors Christ hath spoken Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos yee shall know them by their fruites There may be trees without branches and branches without fruites but branches growing without a tree are more strange Christ came into the world to find fruite and when he came to Icrusalem the Iewes presented him with branches and cryed Hosanna but the branches had no fruites for they soone shewed how vainely variable the opinions of men are constant only in inconstancy persisting in nothing but in change for they who had cryed Hosanna in the highest doe shortly after cry let him be crucified Bernard they who saluted him for their King doe presently protest they haue no King but Caesar they who met him with Oliue brāches do presently after present him with swords and staues they who spread their garments before him doe after despoile him of his garmentes they who adore him for the Sonne of God after preferre Barrabas an Assacinate before him These were branches deceiuing stealing fading flattering fawning vanishing branches teaching for euer those that haue such branches carried before them to contemne the base and mutable breath of that Monster the multitude neuer coueting their iudgement neuer trusting their affection neuer beleeuing their opinion but as the body remaineth one although the shadow bee at one time long at another time short so the Soule retaine the same constancy both in the sweet gale of the applause of men and in the bitter blasts of their opprobrious outrage let the storme root vp shrubbes but not Cedars let the winde tosse chaffe but not wheate and let vaine eyther honour or infamy moue no man who is not eyther light or weak let no noble spirit bee seruile in caring for the prayse or fearing the vniust disprayse of vulgar shallow braines if they be put vpon him let him resist the one with modesty vndergoe the other with grauity neuer being so carefull what the world will say of him as what God wil say to him when the world shall bee at an end for the prayses of the world be but branches I haue staide too long on these fruitlesse branches yet I hope you haue receiued some fruit in knowing them to be fruitlesse God regardeth not the tree without branches and yet not the branches without fruit he hath planted a Vine in euery one the branches of this Vine are the faculties of the Soule they must bring forth flowers vnto him namely good Desires they must bring forth fruit vnto him Arist euen good works the tongue to prayse him the feet to follow him the eares to heare him the hands to bee lifted vp to him the knees to bee bowed to him the eyes to be bedewed to him the vnderstanding alwayes to contemplate on him the memory alwayes to remember him the wil to delight in him the desire to affect him the soule to be enflamed and enfolded in the flames of his loue Iohn Baptist spake to the Pharisies who were most glorious in flourishes but wanted fruits O that hypocrisie had ended in them and not descended to our times It was a hereditary disease to the Pharisies it is no lesse to vs they had the voyce of Iacob but the hands of Esau feathers of the Eagle but the wings of the Ostrich they had the habite of sheepe but the disposition of Wolues Plut. I. ac Apo. like the Musitians that Diogenes taxed they had care of tuning their instruments not their minds like vnto Copper which had colorem non valorem auri like Great peeces of Ordinance in the time of Peace they had the fashion but lacked their charge They were the Masters the Players the Painters the Tyremongers the Visard-makers of their time they were the Images Semblances Pictures Statues Shadowes Sepulchres of their times empty clouds windy Pipes voide Tentes tinckling Cymbals drie Cesterns of their time They beare flowers but not fruites The Spouse in the Canticles inuiteth her welbeloued not onely to come to her garden Cant. 4.16 but also to come and eate of the fruites Psal 102. The Angels in heauen not onely sung the prayses of God but also doe the will the will of God Reucl. 1. The blessing in the Reuelation is not onely made to those that reade and heare but to those that keepe the words of that Booke S. Iohn commaundeth to loue not only in word and in tongue 1. Ioh. 3. but also in deede and in truth The Doctrine That the true Professors of the true faith are discerned by their liuely and effectuall workes Exfructibus corum is the Note mark Doctrine◠measure and Cubite of the Sanctuarie for the good and bad The high Priests garment had Pomegranates as well as Bels The
Sieling of the Temple had Palmes as well as Chaines The Cherubims had Wings as well as Feete The fountaines of Lebanon had Pitchers as well as Cesternes The Spouse had Vines as well as Lillies and her Pomegranates had Fruites as well as Flower and faith must haue a Nature as well as a Name we can neuer diuide lustre from this Diamond light from this Sunne life from this Soule heat from this Fire flowing from this Sea The true seruants of God may bee found with Abraham walking with Dauid running with Iacob wrestling with Paul following with the wise Virgins watching the good Seruants working with the good Tree bearing fruites The conflict betweene vs and our aduersaries about Faith and fruites hath beene much they in to much aduancing them some of vs too much extenuating them they so earnest for fruites that little lesse then blasphemously they affirme that they deserue Saluation We so negligent in fruites that to doe a good worke we think it superstition they so much hanging on the branches wee so much rooting at the roote as if wee would sue out a diuorce betweene Faith and Fruites neither of vs looking to the moisture of the roote or branches When we see good works we must acknowledge them to bee fruites Austen and fruites that wee must beare vpon paine of damnation and yet to bee but fruites we must seeke out the root of them and when wee haue the roote we must haue regard to the moisture and iuyce whereby it is nourished for as the fruites of the earth grow from the roote and that roote liueth and hath vegetation not by it selfe but is fedde and preserued by the fatnesse of the soile warmth of the Sunne and benefite of the ayre vnder which it standeth so good works grow from faith and that faith liueth in the obiect the merites and obedience of Iesus Christ feeding and strengthing it selfe by the sweet influence and sappe of those diuine dewes of Mediation that in him wee liue in him we grow in him wee are grafted in him wee flourish in him we fructifie for without him though wee should wish to be as righteous as Noah as obedient as Abraham as holy as Iob as faithfull as Dauid as deuout as Daniel as zealous as Elias as cleare as the Sun or pure as the starres yet our fruits were not acceptable nay not tollerable in his sight hauing no opinion of our own wisedom no hope in our own works nor wisedome in our power The vse of this Doctrine is to contemn the folly of those that thinke that a bare and barren Faith will serue without any fruites or effect Doctrine eyther the frost of deuotion or the feare of the hate of superstition or the wind of contention hath blowne away our fruits Ientilet It was an obseruation of Ientilet vpon the Monks of his time that their Fasts were very fat and their prayers very leane I cannot say so of our Faith that it is fat but I am sure our fruits are very leane like to Pharaohs withered thinne blasted cares that it is a wonder that the leane starued carkasse of faith hath so long continued Luther gaue a good note to this purpose Luther that faith ought pinguescere operibus to waxe fat with fruites but alas fruites bee as leane as faith In times past saith wrought miracles and remoued mountains so may it yet if it were true for our sinnes that are as mountaines would be remoued as farre as the East is from the west but faith hath wrought a more prodigious wonder like the leane Kine that deuoured the fatte Kine our bare profession of faith hath eaten vppe the rich Almes and fruites and works and deedes of mercy A misery it is to see that there bee no fruites to bee gathered but onely the fruits of sinne and that whereas vertue and goodnesse can take no roote sinne beginneth in the buddes of infirmity and by little and little stealeth to the fruits of negligence and being increased and watered by custome it groweth to be the stout tree of contempt which will rather breake then bend to any instruction Surely beloued this is not the cause why God hath so planted and watered and kept and dressed his Vineyeard these bee not the rootes the plantes the branches the sprigges the buds the blossoms the flourishes the field fruits worthy amendment of life And so I come to the last part Not branches for the Iewes bare branches Part. 3. yet were accursed not flowers for the flower perisheth and the grace thereof withereth not leaues for the figge-tree had leaues and yet was not blessed not fruit for the Pharisies bare fruit and yet that fruit was despised their fruit was like to that fruit which groweth where Sodome and Gomorrah stood Iosephus faire and beautifull to the eye but being touched they dissolue to a sulphurous and vaporus fume more odious to the smell then they were pleasant to the sight S. Iohn therefore maketh difference betweene fruites fruites worthy of amendment of life in other things there is a differeÌ„ce as also in fruits I er 1.7 there is a pure and fresh Doctrine Math. 16 6. there is a sowre and leauened doctrine Mat. 9.7 there is a new wine of the Gospell and there is a mixt wine of Babylon Reu. 17.4 there are wholesome words 2. Tim. 1.13 There are vnwholesome words there is a Doctrine of God Eph. 4.29 there is a Doctrine of Diuels Ioh. 7.16 and there is a guiding word 1. Tim. 4.1 and a fretting word Gal. 5.22 fruites of the flesh and fruites of the spirit worthy and vnworthy fruites Lesbian vines be more honored by Aristole then the vines of Rhodes for vnder that Parable hee alludeth to successioÌ„ of his schoole chosing rather Theophrastus born at Lesbos then Menedemus born at Rhodes Aul. Gel. Nâ—ct Att lib. 13.5 there was some comparison betweene them for they were both good But these fruites that I speake of bee as contrary as light and darkenesse the Northerne and Southerne Poles not so Diametrally opposed the one against the other as these fruites of the flesh and Spirit Nor the comparison of Tares eating vp the Wheate Eagles feathers consuming all other feathers Moses Serpentes deuouring the Enchanters and Arke demolishing Dagon There are all kinds of fruit all colours of fruit in euill the greene fruites of vnperfectnesse the yellow fruit of Gall and bitternesse the redde fruit of blood and cruelnesse the tawny and Morian fruite of sinful deformednesse the Skie colour changeable fruit of vnstaiednesse the Leopard spotted fruit of vnholines the blush colour fruit of prophanesse and the redde colour fruit of drunkennesse the pale colour fruit of vncleannesse the flame colour truit of blasphemous wickednesse they haue many colours by the which they may bee knowen yet but onely one taste They are for the most part bitter sweete bad trees and bad fruite