the Soole is the round-Hale BY the former handle of the Soole called also the Broade Hale is signified the turning about 7 Correction of the words and works c. and correction of the heart minde and inwarde affection of the Soule Now by this second called the Round-hale there is noted also a correction of mans words workes actions conditions and endeuours that therein the conuersion might be not onely in the minde or inward man but also without in the members so in the whole man is a perfect conuersion answerable not onely to the Greeke Metonoiah but also to the Hebrue Teschubah the altring or renewing not onely of the minde but of the whole man That is the meaning of the Prophet when hee saith Turne againe vnto the Lord Conuert thou vs and we shall be conuerted The order thereof wee may learne from the practise of the cunning Phisitian who endeuouring to alter the constitution of his sicke Patient applieth to cold causes hotte medicines and to hotte humours colde things as that with the cause of euery maladie The order of conuersion might with his contrary be best maistred and suppressed the like we may take from the vsage of the husbandman who into his hungry fields brings the fattest soyle into snapy and wet places hotte lime ashes and sand into high earth the sound marrle and into stony ground the cleanest worthe Euen so in this conuersion it is required that against wicked vices there be opposed all godly vertues Thus taught our Sauiour Christ who came into the world to saue sinners and thereto as Simeon prophecied to be the downe-falling Luk. ◠and the vprising of many in Israel which is meant not onely of sundrie persons diuersly affected to whom he allots a contrary retribution but also of one and the same singular person or persons in whom he destroyeth the kingdome of sinne that in the same he might set vp and establish the kingdome of righteousnesse And in this hee wrought the ruine of pride by his humility the ruine of auarice by his liberalitie the ruine of luxury by his chastitie the ruine of enuie by his charitie the ruine of gluttony by his sobrietie the ruine of wrath by his patience the ruine of sloath by his diligence in a word the ruine of all wickednesse by his righteousnesse A certaine man endeuouring to perswade to this patterne counselled as thus translated Vnto the sicknesse of the Soule the contraries apply Giue Niggard of thine owne thou wanton bend to chastitie Turne Enuie into loue and Pride to good humilitie Yeeld Glutton to Sobrietie thou wrathfull patience loue In fine to bridle youthfull flesh the Rodde of Nurture proue Luk. 3.5 This rule taught Iohn the Baptist in his preaching of Repentance Let euery hill bee brought lowe let euery valley bee filled vp let thinges which are crooked be made straight and that which is rough be made plaine The same Ezechiel hath without a metaphor saying Ezec. 18.21 Let the vngodly man turne away from his vngodlinesse and doe the thing that is right And Daniel counsailing Nabuchadnezar thus Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse Dan. 4. and thine iniquitie by mercie The meaning is that men should cast away the deedes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light that the errour of their liues might bee redressed and themselues turned to the truth and brought from the power of Sathan vnto the Lord their God This is the enkindling of the blacke cole which hauing fire in it shineth bright yea this is the well culturing of mans vntrimmed land wherby the face and forme thereof being changed renewed and all things perfected hee is made liable both in body and minde to the heauenly and soueraigne seede Howbeit we must neuer forget this that both the beginning the proceeding and the effecting of this holy worke of mans Conuersion is not of mans owne will or abilitie but that which belongeth onely to his grace who hath created him and by his Spirite in his Sonne renueth them which belong vnto his kingdome The necessitie and manner of the Lords diuine worke therein hee declareth in his disputation with Nichodemus concerning the same saying Verily verily I say vnto thee Io. 3.5 except that a man be borne of water and of the Spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Where he meaneth the Spirituall water whereby wee are baptized by the holy Ghost into newnesse of life The which being an especial worke of God not onely aboue mans abilitie but farre beyond his wisedome to conceiue he is bound to ascribe the praise thereof vnto the Lorde and with continuall inuocations and praiers desires of his goodnesse that as hee is most willing to worke this conuersion in vs by his Spirite we may not any way refuse the good motions of the same but euermore yeeld our selues readie both in minde and members to suppresse vices by the exercises of holy vertues and to turne away from all euill to follow and encline vnto all that is good by the helpe and grace of God in his sonne Iesus CHAP. XXII The ninth part of the Soole is the Chaine 8 The combination of Vertue AFter the two Hales or Handles wee regard the Chaine or Iron-Rope the which being fastned to the Tractorie and grapled to the yokes the whole Soole is pulled forth by the Oxen This Chaine or Rope is made of many Rings or linckes fastened one within an other so as one of thē being drawn forth all the other must of necessitie follow To such a matter aymed those auncient The three Graces wise and gratefull men who framed their three Xarisetes or Graces so as Xaris charin pherei One grace held supported or prouoked an other By this is fitly depainted the true combination prouocation of those motions which are agreeable to the lawe of God inspired and kindled by his diuine Spirite yea those very heauenly vertues and graces which are deriued vnto vs by a measure from the fulnesse of Christ and are appointed to sustaine and followe one an other in these persons regenerate Of this spake Saint Iohn when he saide that From his fulnesse we all receiue Grace Ioh. 1. vpon Grace or one vertue following an other And no doubt of the same spake Paul when hee would that such as beleeued should thereto adde not onely vertue but Proceede from vertue to vertue that is to adde one vertue to an other vntill they were made perfect in Christ But Saint Peter iumpeth iust to the Graces 1. Pet. 15. and numbreth vp sixe particular Linckes for this Chaine saying Giue yee all heede that yee minister in your faith vertue in your vertue knowledge in your knowledge temperance in your temperance godlinesse in your godlinesse brotherly kindenesse in your brotherly kindenesse loue Whereas hee saith Giue ye all heede that ye minister in your faith vertue c. He meaneth not that the power of the action or
reioyce not that ye were sorie but that you sorrowed to repentance for ye sorrowed godly so that in nothing ye were hurt by vs for godly sorrow causeth Repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of but the worldly sorrow causeth death Wherein also distinguishing the godly sorrow that is the Christian contrition froÌ„ that which is vngodly he sheweth the ends and fruits of eyther And truly as that medicine which draweth forth from the sick mans heart the venemous humour of his disease and prepareth him for the sweete and healing potion This godly contrition draweth out of the sinners hart the poisoÌ„ of the wicked fact and mittigateth the biting and sorrow of the conscience albeit it pierceth and woundeth the same for by this shall be made euen a soueraigne medicine to heale the wound of it owne piercing comparable therein to that ointment or plaister which made of the Spider or flie that stingeth a man shall easily heale mitigate the paine therof This is a practise vsed in the cure of the body in the which that is thoght no lesse needfull that a veine bee opened when the Phisitian perceiueth the blood infected But the sinner is throghly infected both in body and minde and so inflamed therewith that he will be soone agonized and dead indeede if his veine be not soone opened euen the Cordiall veine from whence the rankour of malice and wicked imaginations may bee drawne forth Gen 6. For the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill euery day Therefore saide the Lord Circumcise your hearts Roote your hearts Let the sinner forsake his owne imaginations This commenceth the Action of mans Mortification and is the first part of Repentance so needfull as that without it men cannot repent indeede Ps 51. and 126.6.7 But hauing the same in the right constitution of minde wee are accepted with the Lorde though we sowe in teares wee reape in ioy wee enter the gate of right Repentance wee mooue the Lord GOD to pitie vs wee finde mercie with his grace and finally bee directed from hel to heauen and from eternall death to eternall life through the merits of the Sonne of God CHAP. XV. The second part of the Soole of pietie is the Shippe NExt to the Share is the Shippe 2. Humiliation of the Spirit which is that member of the Soole whereon the Share is fastened and this noteth the humiliation of the Spirite wrought by that true feare of GOD whereby mans heart being contrite the minde is also so humbled and made poore in his owne conceit as that it casteth off all boldnesse of it owne strength wisedome iustice wealth and estimation Hereof it is that a man chooseth to be an abiect in the house of God and preferreth all others before him when hee considereth his owne vilenesse as Dauid did acknowledgeth himselfe to bee but dust and ashes as Abraham did esteemeth himselfe vnworthy of Gods manifold mercies as Iacob did standeth a farre off and is afraide to looke vp to heauen as the poore Publican did dreadeth to take the holy name of God in his mouth as Solomon did desireth to be but as a seruant in Gods house as the prodigall Sonne did in the house of his father esteemeth himselfe a worme and no man as Christ did thinketh both himselfe and his house vnwoorthie of Christ as the Ruler didde and saith to Christ Lord goe from me for I am a sinfull man as Peter did In a word as this humble Spirit casteth down and condemneth and contemneth himselfe as a seruant vnprofitable in thought word and deede so hath hee no desire to bee praised before God or man because hee seeth and feeleth in himselfe nothing worthie commendation but rather sinne damnation This is contrary to the humour of the worlde which hunteth after the vaine glory of the same and thinketh magnificently of her followers therein disdaining and contemning the whiles the humble and lowly men of Spirit Howbeit the Lord Iesus as hee himselfe was humble and meeke Mat. 52. and would that all his Disciples should follow him therein so hee pronounceth those persons blessed for that to them belongeth the kingdome of heauen neyther as he saith shall any be admitted into the same but such onely as be truly humbled and in the meekenesse of Spirit become as children the which Augustine considering saide that this was indeede the first the second and the third point yea the highest and cheefest point of Christianity Why humility is likened to the Shippe And worthily is this vertue compared to the Shippe in the Soole for that as the Ship is not only that peece which holdeth the Share but is placed beneath next to the earth so the humiliation of the Spirit holdeth fast the true Contrition of the heart the which without the same would soone bee abated and yet how low soeuer this be placed vnder some other parts of the Soole and next the ground with the Shippe yet as Nazianzen said ypsus arozenthe etapeinosen it goeth before exalâ—ation and honour Therfore Saint Iames counselled Be yee humble vnder Gods mighty hand that he may exalt you in the time conuenient For God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the lowly And to strengthen all the Lord himselfe saith Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly of heart and ye shal finde rest for your soules for he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted CHAP. XVI The third part of the Soole is the Culter THe third member of this Soole is Confession of the Mouth 3. ConfessioÌ„ of Mouth compared to the Vomere Vomer or that which we call the Culter The Culter hath his name of cutting or diuiding the Vomer is so called a Vomendo that is of vomiting or casting foorth any thing from the stomacke This Culter is that which cuts diuideth openeth that which the Share pierceth casting or separating the sound earth some on this side some on that as a man may thereby see not onely a diuision or opening of the parts but also the very bottome or ground of that earth And thereto that Confession of the Mouth beeing compared is defined the expresse manifestation of our sinnes eyther publikely or priuately eyther to God Confession to God or to men that to God is when our Consciences touched with the diuine Law we so acknowledge our sinnes before the Lord that we confesse our selues most worthy damnation both of body and soule therein we accuse not Gods Iudgements but implore his great mercies and praise his glory which iustifieth the sinner not of desert but of his diuine grace in his Sonne that to man is when hauing hurt or offended our brethren Confession to man we willingly acknowledge confesse our faultes vnto them with an humble and hearty desire of pardon And this confession is sometimes priuate as when the faultes be priuate and sometimes publike as when the faultes be publike alwaies accompanied with a promise
grace vpon grace as the following of one vertue after an other in great abundance And this is that which the Spirite alludeth vnto in Apo 22. Let him which is righteous be yet more righteous and let him which is holy be yet more holy And this tendes to the perfection of them which proceede from vertue to vertue vntill they come to bee perfect men in Christ This was obserued well in Noah the Righteous Gen. 6. who as it is testified by Moses was Righteous in perfections for so the words signifie to the which the holy Spowsesse alludeth in her shining garments Apo. 22. being interpreted by Saint Iohn to bee the Iustifications or Perfections of the Saints The second thing promised is Riches not of this worlde but of God The holy Apostle as alluding to Salomon saith that Godlinesse is great Riches Riches of Godlinesse Here is not onely Riches but great Riches and indeed Great is that Mysterie of Godlinesse hauing all the promises both of this life and of the life to come as the Apostle witnesseth The riches of this world is transitorie and vaine but this is that which being obteined is of more value then all worldly treasures the which they easily contemne that haue this Iewell in possession Therefore as worldly men seeke after the riches of the world the godly are incited and perswaded to lay vp their treasures in heauen in the which they haue and shall enioy with all Societie life light rest peace abundance of all good things securitie and eternitie Thirdly although in the former the fruite of Righteousnesse and reward of Pietie is plainely expressed yet Salomon addeth one other word to ratifie and strengthen the same Pro. 21.21 saying They which follow after Righteousnesse and mercie shall finde Honour Honour By the which he meaneth not onely that ioynt commendation of good men for some laudable vertues the fauour of God in this world honouring them which honour him Ro. 8. but also the Glory which shall be reuealed of the which as all the glorie of this world so all the afflictions of this time are not worthy as S. Paul saith neither the thing beeing of that high excellencie can we eyther speake thereof as it is nor comprehend the same in thought passing indeede as dooth that peace of God all mans vnderstanding But as the glory of Christ Iesus was extolled in that the Father manifested him in the flesh by the operation of his Spirite in his mightie workes and merits for mans saluation and as the glory of the Father appeared in those his louing mercies declared towards men in his deare sonne Iesus so doth the glory of man appeare first in this world by that it pleaseth God to declare him by his grace iustified sanctified adopted called elected and honoured in his Sonne Iesus Next in the resurrection exaltation and glorification of Iesus who hath taken on him mans nature and the same preserued and glorified hath taken seise and possession for man in the kingdome of his Father Thirdly it shall be most apparant when being set and placed on the right hand of Christ in the great iudgement wee shall not onely be commended in our labours done by faith before both Angells and men yea in the presence of the most High God but being pronounced iust and the blessed Saints of the Father we shall receiue the honour of that his most glorious kingdome prepared for vs from the beginning The fift Reason is taken from the apt comparison with the Raine 5. The comparison with the Raine by the which the former arguments are not onely confirmed but amplified The Lorde commeth to raine downe Righteousnes here Righteousnesse is likened to the Raine which commeth downe from heauen and that as for many so chiefly for these causes First for that the Raine cleanseth the aire from the corrupt vapours which rise of the earth 2. The Raine of all other waters is the sweetest in taste 3. It is more subtile and light then any other water 4. It is pure without mixtures 5. It watereth the barren earth to make it fertile 6. It giueth nourishment and comfort to the fishes in the Sea and other waters 7. It qualifieth the force of fiers 8. It makes the land tractable to the labour of the Husbandman 9. It washeth cleane the waies wherein men trauell 10. It commeth downe from aboue and not from beneath In semblable manner Righteousnesse is of that nature that it cleanseth the cogitations of men from noysome affections and studies It is the sweetest solace of a godly mans minde it easeth their consciences which thereby discharged of the burthen of sinne aspire to the heauens It is not contaminated with the fantasies of vaine persons nor the doctrines of deceiueable Heretickes It giueth moysture to our barren natures whereby wee yeeld forth fruite acceptable to the Lord. It asswageth the ardencie of mans concupiscence It perswadeth both our bodies soules to yeeld obedience both to the will and word of God It cleanseth our conuersations as whereby we may the better trauel to the harbour of health And comming downe from the Lord is of his Highnesse made vnto vs an influence of his grace and goodnesse as whereby wee be so seasoned and tempered as we remaine acceptable vnto his glory 6. The manner of bestowing it Sixtly the manner of powring downe these Graces as Raine on the Earth puts vs in minde of three principall Vertues in the Lord which bestowes them as first his large bountie secondly his fine liberalitie thirdly his exquisite wisdome His bountie is apparant in his gift his liberalitie in the abundant largenesse thereof and his wisedome in an orderly disposition The gift is of his loue his liberalitie of his abundant riches and his wisedome of his eternall prouidence He giueth and that freely without respect of any reward or any thing in man mouing him therevnto In his liberalitie hee giueth to euery man abundantly yea the very wicked are not left without the sense of his goodnesse in that he sendeth forth his Raine to fall as well on them as on his Saints The Prophets are full of Metaphors to set forth this the Lords liberalitie to men Although therfore there was a time when the Prophet Ioel threatned the disobedient with warres and troubles in the which they should bee constrained to breake vp their Plough Shares into Swordes Ioel. 3.10 whereon should follow famine and ruine in the Lords anger Yet the Prophet Isay to declare this large liberalitie of the Lord at an other time prophesied that the people should conuert their Swordes into Plough Shares and their Speares into Sythes Isa 2.4 for he would send them great plentie of fruites in the time of peace Thirdly as the Lord powres downe the Raine with an orderly dispositiō on the earth so powres he forth the effects and fruites of righteousnesse on his people after his diuine will in wisedome as
roote in mens hearts as the Seede in the earth secondlie in that it groweth to a blade or hearbe thirdlie in that it beareth or shutteth forth an eare and fourthlie in that it yeeldeth the full corne in the eare This our Sauiour doeth not onely confirme but addeth three other Reasons of this Analogie wherof the first is taken from the continuall growing of the Seede the second from the fructification thereof the third from the vse The first is found in that similitude of the Kingdome of heauen Marke 4.26 where a man casteth Seede in the grouÌ„d sleepeth and riseth vp night and day the Seed springeth groweth vp he not knowing how The second Matth 13.8.24 in the example of that Seed which falling into the good ground toke roote grewe vp and brought forth fruit some thirtie some sixtie some an hundred folde The third is that Parable of the good Seed which the husbandman tooke sowed in his field which in the time of haruest was gathered from the tares and brought into the barne for the vse commoditie of the husbandman Whereby is seene the wonderfull nature of the Seede in growing the great encrease the goodly commoditie therof to him rhat laboureth in the same for this is that immortall Seede Ioh 3. whereby men are engendred to life euerlasting the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue Therfore the Lord willing that his children should be drawen forth of the darkenes into the light from ignorance vnto the true knowledge of God and so preserued by Faith iâ— him thus exhorteth Search yee the Scriptures for they testifie of me hee that hath eares to heare let him heare that is the word of life he that hath an hearâ— to conceiue let him conceiue it hee that is wise let him hearken and follow it hee that wil be blessed let him meditate therein day and night neither is the holie Scripture without abundant store of those and such like exhortations admonitions and perswasions to the thankfull acceptation and right vse of this soueraine good Seede the Word of God the which therefore the true seruants of God doe beleeue embrace obey Io 8. 10. according to that saying My Sheepe heare my voyce and he that is of God heareth the word of God CHAP. XI The kinde of Soyle wherin the good Seede is to be sowen with the manner of the manurance therof AS the Lord God hath not onely required of his people those two noble vertues Iustice Mercie but also taught them how to procure expresse the same by two metaphoricall words taken from the labour of the husbandman in his field as Sowing and Reaping so now by two other like wordes as Fallowed ground Ploughing he declareth first in what kinde of lande the Seede should be sowen and then by what kinde of husbandry the land is to be tilled and prepared for the Seede The land lyable to this vse 1. The land fallowed is named in the first tongue Nîr made of a verb which signifieth either to till the ground or to eradicate cast forth the thorns weedes of a land before it be sowen with good corne that worde vseth the Prophet Hosey Hos 10 1â— Ier 4.4 Laur Val Seruius the which Ieremie confirmeth in that when he had said Plough vp your Nîr or fallow ground he added and sowe not among the thornes The Latines translate it Noualé which noteth either that land which is yearly renewed with manurance seede or that which is first broken vp with tillage or manurance and made fit for the seede we call it the fallowed land as namelie that which was sometimes ouergrowne combred with thistles bryars weeds and such like noysome things and afterward by the wisedome labour of the good husbandman turned vp so let lie at rest for that yeare to the end that the weedes and those noysome herbs being mortified and the soyle mollified made better it might be fit to receiue Seede they eare following in the which sense not onely Paulus Iurisconsultus Varro and Plinie haue taken it but also the Poet who therof hath written Virgil Alterius idem tonsas cessare Nouales Et Ségnem patiere situ durescere campum Againe Impius haec tam culta Noualia Miles habebit Hee meaneth such principall grounds as had bene well curried and prepared with the great labour toyle of the husbandman the losse wherof hee much bewailed So by this fallowed land is vnderstood that which is well cultured and seasoned for the Seede by the metaphor ot translation sometimes places sometimes persons or any other thing which by the study endeuour lab out or diligence of man is made fit and applyable to the vse of that whereto it is destinated or appointed Next although the worde of this Action is Plough yee breake yee or turne yee vp is in the holie tongue generallie applied to euerie kinde of labour which the husbandman vndertaketh for the culturage and better manurance of his land yet it chiefly signifieth that which is to be performed with the Plough or Soule drawen of the Oxen called of the Hebrewes Machrescheth The Israelites went down to the philistines Machrescheth 1. Sam 13. â—0 to sharpen euery man his Share or Soole which worde is made of that verbe which signifieth to plough the field as with Oxen or horses As it is said in the law Thou shalt not plough thy field with an Oxe an Asse yoked together So it is saide that Iobs Oxen were ploughing in the fielde and Samson from thence tooke that parable If ye had not ploughed with my he offer Iudg 14.18 ye had not found out my riddle But as the former word so also this by translation signifieth sometimes the malice of theÌ„ that afflict or oppresse others sometimes necessary corrections and punishmentes for the amendement and preparation of mens hearts to pietie goodnes somtimes the whole action endeuour right course of a Christian in his calling of whom ther is daily required a renouation by a meditation or exercise in Gods law considering his naturall concupiscence and continuall slydings Of the first acceptation wee heare the Psalmist in the person of Christ thus to complaine Malice The Ploughers ploughed vpon my backe and made long surrowes Psal 129. From this kinde of labour Salomon disswading men Pro 3. saith Thou shalt not plough euill vpon thy neighbour or brother that is thou shalt neither imagine nor execute anie euill thing on thy brother Hos 10. This Hosey calleth the Ploughing of iniquitie The like hath Eliphaz in Iob Iob. 4.8 they that plough iniquitie and sowe wickednes reape the same * Of the second signification 2. Correction Hos 10.10.11 the Lord in Hosey saith Vt is my desire that I should chastise them afterward he saith Ephraim is as an Heaffer vsed to delight in threshing
earth is the receptacle of all seeds of all bodies and ponderous things whatsoeuer so is mans heart the receptacle of all opinions sectes documents Arts Sciences yea the swallow of all sinnes abhominations and euils in the world Sixtlie as the earth hath in it manie hollow places and such as are inscrutable so hath the heart of man which therfere is called prauum inscrutabile wicked and vnsearcheable Seuenthlie and lastly the earth being not tilled and manured beareth naturally bryers thornes thistles nettles such being the effects of the curse Gen. 3. Euen so mans heart without discipline or spiritual culturing bringeth forth all kind of corâ—upt naughty imaginations sinnes euill deeds â—nd like fruites such as Christ tells vs defile the man And surely here may we see the true image â—f the Olde Adam who hath as saide Bernard Bern in 30. Serm ê‘voâ—de 1. Cor. 15. a â—hreefolde oldnes namely that of the heart that of â—he mouth and that of the body in the which we offend three manner of wayes that is to say in â—hought in word and in deede In the heart are â—ound carnall worldlie desires that is the loue of the flesh and the loue of the world Likewise in the mouth there is double inueteration as Arrogancie and Derogacie Also a double oldnes is in the body that is heynous wicked actions All these are the Olde Mans image and require in vs to be renewed On the other side the heart of the repentant yea The heart of the penitent and godlie of the godlie Man is compared to the Land fallowed or well manured First in regard of the labour theron emploied Next for the aptnes of the same to receiue retaine the seede Thirdly for the fertillitie thereof for it hath pleased the wise husbandman namely God to exercise and to improue the same with his hand and hidden graces whereby hee hath mortified therein the bryers Ioh. 3 3. thornes thistles tares and renewed the same in the best maÌ„ner of the spirituall georgie and therby hath giuen it power to procreate yeeld forth the happie Fruites of those good Seedes and Plantes thereon bestowed This is a speciall Fallowing of the spirituall Land as wherein may be seene a true Mortification Mâ—â—tifiâ—â—â—â—â—n and a right Renouation Râ—â—â—â—â—tioÌ„ so often commended vnto vs in the sacred Scriptures By the former our corrupt Nature is mortified and subdued all godly lustes killed sinne vtterlie suppressed And by the latter wee are made able both to conceiue those spirituall good motions and to beare and bring forth fruits worthie amendment newnes of life So that now whereas we were sometimes in darknes could not coÌ„ceiue the good things of the spirit of God 1. Cor â— that is to say without the feare of God without hope without ioy in God and so all vnfit for the kingdome of God as that Old Man Now are we lightned in our minds we haue new motions kindled in our hearts by the Word and by the holy Spirit that is we haue the true knowledge of God faith and boldnesse in Christ the feare of God right inuocation loue ioy in god hope and other good spirituall vertues vnder the gouernment of Iesus our Prince To this exhorted the Apostle 1. Cor. 15 As wee haue borne the Image of the earthly man so let vs beare the Image of the heauenly Man This heauenly Man is Christ by whom we haue a triple Nouitie or Newnesse as the same Bernard writeth opposite to the triple oldnesse of the Old Man that is to say the Newnesse of the heart of the mouth of the body Concurring the first the Apostle saith Be yee renued in the Spirite of your minde Ephes 4. and put yee on the New Man which according to God is recreated in Righteousnesse and holinesse of truth For the second he saith Let not any euill word come out of your mouth but that which is good to the edification of faith that ye may giue grace to the hearers And for the third he saith Ro. 6.19 As yee haue giuen your members seruants to to vncleanenesse and to iniquitie to commit iniquitie so now giue your members seruants vnto Righteousnesse in holinesse And this Bernard Bern. Renouetur ergo Cor noctrum c. draweth to particulars saying Let our hearts be renued from fleshly and worldly lustes that those being excluded â—he loue of God and of our heauenly Father may bee brought in Let all arrogancie and derogation bee banished our mouthes that in the place thereof may succeed the true confession of our sinnes and the good estimation of our neigbours And for those hainous and wicked actions which appertaineth to the corruption of the body let Continencie and perfest innocencie be embraced as where by the contrary vices may bâ—e expelled and ouercome by these contrary vertues This kinde of Renouation worketh the Lorde Iesus dwelling in vs by faith according to that his saying Beholde I make all thinges new The same dwelling in our harts is our true wisdome in our mouth the very truth and in our person the right iustice To this husbandrie chiefly aymed the Prophet when prophesying of the returne of the Iewes from their captiuitie and of the reedifying of Ierusalem he said in the Lordes name thus I will cause you to dwell in the Cities and the desolate places shal be builded and the desolate land shal be tilled whereas it lay waste in the sight of all that passed by This meant the Apostle when hee aduised the Collossians Col. 3. to mortifie theyr earthly members when he willed the Romanes Ro. 13. to cast away the deedes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light when hee exhorted the Corinthians 1. Cor. to beare the Image of the heauenly By this is euery one taught his owne condition and estate according to that saying Know thy selfe and thereby endeuour the sooner to assay to purge out the grosse corruptions of his nature so to be prepared for the heauenly graces least it be said of vs that whiles we peruse all others we neglect our selues And what gaine they who either for vaine-glory or greedie lucre or any worldly respects seeke to pleasure others and the whiles make themselues castawaies The sicke man who knoweth not his owne estate seeketh not for a Phisitian nor studieth to preuent his owne daunger vntill it bee ouerlate God graunt wee may looke better to our selues hereafter then heretofore wee haue done and in the true feare of the diuine Iustice be terrified from sinne and by the consideration of his fatherly loue and mercie bee incited and encouraged to Righteousnesse and Mercie Then shall the Spirite of Discipline inhabit our hearts and therein the good seed sowne bring forth the good fruite in great abundance to the honor of God and comfort of our soules CHAP. XIII The Plough wherewith the land of the Righteous is fallowed and
or shallower as occasion requireth according to the nature of the ground and discretion of the Plough-man By this Keye is signified that true faith in Christ before spoken of whereby Righteousnesse is apprehended and wee iustified and approoued before God For after the proportion of our faith and quality of our beliefe all those excellent graces and vertues are eyther lifted vp or letten downe strengthened or weakened neither is it possible that those former parts of true repentance shall be profitable to the sinner without this by the which whatsoeuer is done is acceptable to the Lord and whatsoeuer is wrought without it is sinful and vile for whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne by the testimonie of the Apostle therefore it is impossible without faith to please God He that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath life Aug. de verbis apostoli petr serm 27. Et lib. 1. de pecca iuait remiss c. â—0 de Ciuit. Dei li. 13. ca. 4. because that faith is the beginning of a good life to the which also belongeth eternall life As this is that foundation of things hoped for and the assurance of that which is not seene tunc est fides quando expectatur in spe quod in renondum videtur so is it made the very hand of the soule wherby we take hold on Iesus Christ and apply vnto our selues by his grace all his iustice merits and vertues whereof we be said to be iustified by faith because it pleaseth the Lorde to impute his proper Righteousnesse and vertues to such as apprehend the same by faith By this Abel offered vppe vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Caine Heb. 11. by this Henoch was reported of that hee pleased God by this Noah moued with reuerence prepared the Ark by this Abraham being called of God gladly obeyed him by this Sarah being well nigh a hundred yeares of age had strength to conceiue seed by this Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau concerning things to come to be briefe by this Moses and Iosuah and Rahab and Gideon and Barach and Iepthe and Sampson and Samuel and Dauid and the Prophets obtained a good report subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obeyed the promises stopped Lions mouthes quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battaile turned to flight the armie of the enemies c. For this is the very key euen the key of the sonne of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and which shutteth no man openeth And as without this no man pleaseth God but being iudged sinners are shut out from his fauour and abandoned so by this vertue of the Spirit and power of grace are offered and performed vnto vs that eternall happinesse and peace and all those heauenly treasures which our faithfull hope expecteth Worthily therefore said our Lord to such whom he was willing to helpe and preserue Haue faith in God For he that beleeueth is made holy by the diuine grace to remoue mountaines yea all things are made possible vnto him Finally this is the faiâ—hfull promise of him that is the very truth cannot lie that God louing the world Ioh. 3.16 hath giuen his only begotten Sonne to this end that all they which beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life and that the righteous man shall liue not by any his owne workes wisedome ability or merits but by his saith Hab. â— 4. This is that faith which commeth to a man by hearing of gods word which is brought vnto vs by his seruants the Preachers Ioh. 20. who are sent vnto vs from the Lord to preach the same To this end that men might beleeue that in beleeuing they might haue life throgh the name of Iesus And as the Pinne in the Soole is fitly placed in the very middest of the same so is faith mightily peazed betweene all other vertues as the very strength by the which they are fortified and tied together CHAP. XXVII The fourteenth and last part is the Tawe Spirituall Loue. THere nowe remaineth one other thing in this Soole no lesse necessarie then any of the former yea and that without the which all the former members of the same are nothing auaileable to this spirituall husbandry That is the Tawe or that yron Rope which embracing the Beame assureth it to the Tractory or Lambe By this is meant that Spirituall Loue which is so often commended and commaunded vnto the brethren of Christ as whereby not onely the mortification of the flesh is fastened to the faithfull hope and so the former is the better susteined and performed by the latter but also the whole Soole with his parts holden together by the helpe of the Key of Christian faith This is that sweete delight of a mans heart towardes something for the sake of some what August which runneth through desire and surceaseth in hope by a desire in lusting for and by a ioy in hauing it Neither if mans heart be good can it be good of any other occasion then by louing that well which is good nor can the same be euill if euer it be of any thing else sauing in not louing well that thing which is good As this Taw is made of three or foure yron rings or lincks of yron fastened one wtihin an other in the order of a chaine the greatest wherof compasseth or embraceth the Beame the second lincked to the first the third to the second and the fourth to the third which is also assured to the Tractory or Lambe So in the spirituall Taw which is Loue there bee foure kindes or branches 4. Branches of Loue. The first which is the highest greatest is the Loue of God the Father the second is the loue of God the Sonne the third is the loue of God the holy Ghost the fourth is the loue of man of God the Father as our Creator and maker of the Sonne as our redeemer and Sauiour of the holy Ghost as our sanctifier and consolator of man as our neighbour and brother Therefore it is commanded that we loue God the Father with all our heartes strength soule minde and whatsoeuer else we haue Loue him for he loued thee first loue him for hee sent his onely Sonne into the world that thou shouldest liue through him loue him for he is thy Father thy King thy God and best good for euer This is well resembled by the great Ring in the Taw which embraceth the Beame and pulleth on those other partes which follow it by which Beame as is before said is signified the Maceration or mortification of the flesh For as this Ring of the Taw compasseth the Beam so Loue compasseth or embraceth true maceration of the flesh in the godly who after the example of Christ being perswaded through Loue to take our flesh therin to be macerated mortified we are well pleased for the loue good affection they haue
suddainely gone downe into hell and all his glory is defaced with him in his death for why the Lord hath spoken to him in his wrath and vexed him in his sore displeasure when he exalted the horne of his Annointed and placed his King on Sion his holy hill CHAP. XXXVI The second generall part containing the Reasons and motiues perswading all men to follow the godly husbandry wherein is seene the reward of Pietie with the conclusion THe Lord God Almighty as hee is the supreame King the highest Lord the Father eternall and the God of both heauen earth might iustly by such his powerfull authority haue commanded the Israelies An Argument of Gods great mercie as in their dutifull obedience to sow for righteousnes and to reape according to the measure of mercy without any other reason or respect And whereas hee might haue menaced and threatned the disobedient with the fiercenesse of his iudgements as he did the Iewes by the ministery of St. Iohn the Baptist as now the axe is laid to the roote of the tree and as Christ saith Except ye repent ye shall perish Howbeit * See what I haue said hereof in the Song of the beloued touching his vineyard in Isai 5. part 1. such is the Lords vnspeakeable mercie that applying himselfe to mans capacitie and weakenesse rather like a father then a King hee proposeth such reasons vseth such meanes as may rather gently allure and perswade them then in any sort terrifie force or compell them the which manner of inducement our Sauiour Christ imitating his good Father hath also vsed saying Come vnto me all yee that trauile and be heauie laden and I will refresh you learne of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest to your soules And of this kinde the Prophet Hoseah hath produced in number eight whereof as we wel obserue The first is taken froÌ„ the conuenience of the time The second from the fit opportunity thereof The third from the consideration of his fatherly loue affection The fourth froÌ„ the excellency of the things promised The fift from a comparison therof with the raine The sixt from the goodly maner of disposing therof The seuenth from the benefit of the same in such as receiue it The eight froÌ„ the consideration of his most gratious inclination and regard of his faithful children in that he commeth vnto them in his owne person either to performe or to see all things performed according to the purpose of his promise and their hearty desire The first reason as I said is taken from the conuenience of the Time The first Reason Time Iob. Ian. There was a time of deuiation a time of reuocation or reuouation a time of reconciliation and a time of peregrination of deuiation from Adam vnto Moses of reuocaâ—ion from Moses vntill the natiuity of Christ of reconciliation vnder the Gospell and of peregrination for all men in this worlde In and by euery which time there was also and is appointed vnto euery thing his season to be performed and effected vnder the Sun The which neuerthelesse is often and much neglected by worldly mem whereof Father Bernard could worthily complaine In sermon â—d colar Nil preciosius tempore heu nil bodie vilius inuentur nothing is more precious then time alas nothing in these daies is lesse regarded The Iewes in the daies of Heggaeus the Prophet being willing by him to set on and further the building of the Lords house answered him that the time thereof was not then come To whom the Prophet replied Is it time for your selues to dwell in your setled houses and the Lords house to lie waste Moreouer that they might consider that their present dearth of corne victualls and other necessary things fell on them as a iust plague for such their neglect of that house in the time appointed hee added Consider your owne waies in your hearts ye haue sowen much brought in little ye eate but ye haue not enough yt drinke but ye are not filled ye cloath your selues but ye be not warme and he that earneth wages puts the same into a broken bagge But now the Lord being gratious wills them to obserue the time as reason equity require the time for this businesse appointed by himselfe not after their wills saying It is time or the time is now come wherein ye should seeke the Lord. Such a thing entendeth Salomon in his Canticle Cant. 3. The winter is past saith he the summer it come the voice of the tirtle doue is heard in our Land the like hath S. Paul to the Romanes Rom. 13. It is now time that ye awake out of sleepe for the night is past the day is come neere and our redemption is neerer then when we first beleeued And the Prophet Hoseah seemes to say in effect thus O yee of the house of Israel and Iuda ye haue long enough and too long sought after vanitie in the errour of your minde ye haue ploughed iniquity too many daies and yeares ye haue beene as sheepe going a great whiles astray and as prodigall sonnes haue wandred farre from your good fathers house and the Lorde hath hither vnto in long suffering permitted you as the good father permits his young children to play the wantons for the which also he hath sometimes seuerely corrected you Again ye haue bin often called long scooled many times instructed in godlines now by this time ye should be no longer as children but such as are growen to the yeares of wisedome discretion It is therfore meete conuenient yee should know the time of your calling to walke in a new life as honestly worthily warily in a word putting away the former conuersatioÌ„ of your lusts ye should now serue the Lord in holines and righteousnes before him and so redeeme the time for the daies are euill and the enemie is malitious and subtile euer seeking to preuent hinder you with his mischiefes 2. The fit opportunitie But to this yee are the more excited when yee shall consider duly of the second argument which is taken from the fit opportunity of this time intimated by that perticle whiles or vntill that is whiles the Lord commeth or vntill hee commeth Wherein wee finde a fit allusion to the natures either of those birdes which obserue their fit times in the yeare as the Swallow the Nightingale the Storke or to the manner of those husbandmen which apprehend their seasons for sowing reaping and other workes of husbandry as the opportunitie is offered them or to those prisoners in bands who being guilty and trusting to the mercie and lenitie of their king for pardon and deliuerance wait the opportune time and then gladly accept the same Such a thing hath the Prophet where hee saith Isai 55. Seeke ye the Lord whiles hee may be found cal vpon him whiles he is neere the Psalmist Psal admonisheth To
and your Brother and Sauiour Therefore should yee also be patient which are his children and my brethren and by me preserued Againe God is patient to you ward therefore should ye also be patient not only towards him but also one towards an other of you And surely as the Soole is imperfect without the Ground-Rise neither can a Christian be a sufficient labourer in the Lords field or meete qualified for this Spirituall Plough without patience For by this hard things are easie grieuous matters are made tollerable and sowre thinges seeme sweete The contrition of the heart the humiliation of the minde the confession of the mouth the narration of the flesh and the hope of remission is mightily confirmed and established by this Christian vertue Therefore let vs harken therein to the Lord and his holy Apostles which exhort and perswade vs to helpe on the Plough with this powerfull Ground-rise CHAP. XX. The seuenth part of the Soole is the broad Hale THe sixt member of the spiritual Soole Conuersion of mind is called Stiua and englished the Handle or Hale on the which the Plough-man holding his hand by winding and wilding the same turneth the Soole and correcteth the worke comparable therein to the Mariner who holding the Helme of his Shippe turneth about the same and correcteth the errour of his course at his pleasure And of this as hauing a double vse there be two sorts as whereon either hand of the Plough-man might leane for the better framing of the worke The one is called the Broad handle the other the Round-handle to the former is fastened that which is called the Ground-rise by the which the furrow is cast vp and fully perfected and this noteth the Conuersion of the minde as the other the correction of the action both the which are no lesse necessarie then the turning of the turfes and amendement of the faults For the turfe being thereby loosed from the ground must bee altred as that which was before downeward turned vpward and that which was vpward turned downe Againe by this kind of correction that which was old must be renewed and the spinie turse changed into a gentle soyle But first of the former By this is meant the altring of the affection and the conuersion of the minde It is well knowne that the mind in his right nature is the same by whose light all inferiour vertues are directed and gouerned and by the which beeing well qualified a man is made able to iudge betweene truth and falshood good and euill But without this as deuoide of reason which hath her seate in the minde a man is comparable to the perishing beast Here was it where the Lord imprinted the image of his nature and happy had bin our condition had not that soueraigne image bene taken from sinful man But as saith the Wise man Man sought out many inuentions yea the Serpent as a venemous Salamander infected this part of mans soule which being therby as the roote of a tree poisoned could thenceforth naturally yeeld no wholesome fruit Isa â—7 â—0 Rom. 1.18 Thus man hauing his minde surcharged in most pittifull wise fel out of his wit as one cast into a lewd minde in the vanity whereof he walked hauing his cogitation darkened and became a stranger from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him But seeing the Lorde is willing man should be restored and brought home he giueth him by his spirite an alteration of mind being chaunged from euill to good from the diuell to God And this God chiefly required in that word of the wise man My sonne giue me thine heart for hauing thine heart I shall easily haue thy body also Mans hart and mans minde We may here note that the minde and the heart of man doe often signifie one and the same thing in the Scripture as the fountaine or roote of all his cogitations words actions and endeuours Adam had turned his minde or heart from God when he listned to his wife and turned to the Serpent but then he began to turne againe when hee ackowledged his sinne and sought to the Lorde for mercie The Israelites in the Wildernesse had forgotten God that made them but then they began to remember him and to chaunge their mindes when they began to repent So the Iewes captiued in Babylon for their auersion forgetfulnes of God Psal 137. began at length to turne towardes him and remember Sion Thus also Manasses and Dauid and Salomon and Peter and Paul turned from their former wicked liues wherein they had offended the Maiestie of God and came home againe humbly acknowledging their errours And this is that which our Sauiour teacheth in the comming home of the lost Sonne to his Faher against whom he had sinned being now of another minde and constitution then he was when hee went from home Saint Paul perceiuing not only the praise but the profit of this good alteration desired the Romans by the tender mercies of God to be changed by the renewing of their mindes Rom. 12.2 1. And S. Peter Pet. 4.1 put for our example Christ Iesus to whom hee would wee should in minde bee conformed Ier. 31. And this the Prophet vnderstoode in the person of the children of Ephraim who had beene estranged from Gods grace and now desired to bee reclaimed and receiued into fauour againe saying Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted for thou art the Lord my God But Dauid Wee neede new harts to shew the manner of this action desired God to create in him a new heart and renew the right spirit within him Where note that this worke must bee framed not of any thing in our selues but another heart is to be created that is not made or framed of that older heart but created that is of nothing by a new worke for the word to create is to make something not ex praeiacente materia but of nothing For so indeed need we to haue new made hearts that the holy Spirit may againe be renewed to vs in the same For it is certaine that wee haue turned away from the Lord with the Prodigall Sonne and louing darknesse more then light haue thought the pleasures of sinne for the time better then the diuine graces which last for euer wherein wee must confesse with Dauid Daniel that we haue egregiously erred transgressed and offended against God and the Angells But now wee are better resolued and thinking more reuerently of the Lord in goodnes are by this readie to renew our former loue and turning our hearts againe vnto our God doe endeuour to serue him in singlenesse of minde This is that which the Prophet Ioel would perswade when hee saith Rent your hearts and not you garments Ioel. 2.13 and turne to the Lord your God Loe this is that first Plough-handle and such is the true vse thereof Now let vs consider of the second CHAP. XXI The eight part of