A DIVINE HERBALL OR GARDEN Of GRACES.

I Presume, heere is no Atheist to heare and denie;Rom. 1. 16. The Gospell is the power of God to saluation. I hope here is no Libertine; if there be, let him heare also: It is the power of God to confusion. [Page 2] It is a double-edged Sword, Heb. 4. 12. and giues, vel vitam, vel vindi [...]tam, either instruction, or destruction. It is Fire, that doth melt waxe to repentance, and harden clay to vengeance. It is here a Raine or Deaw falling on the ground of mans heart; causing one soyle to bee fertile in good workes, another to abound with weedes of impiety: For it returneth not backe to him that sent it, in vaine. That it conuayes grace to vs, and returnes our fruitfull gratitude to God, is a high and happy mercy. That it offers grace to the wicked and by their corrupt natures occasions greater impietie, is a heauy but holy iudgement.

Not to trauell farre for Diuision, heere lyes Earth before vs. And as I haue seene in some places of this Iland, one hedge parts a fruitfull medow, and a barren heath: so of this Earth, Man; the same substance for natures constituti­on, clay of the same heape in the creating hand of the Potter; for matter, masse, and stuffe, none made de meliore luto; though in respect of Eter­nities Ordination, some vessels of honour, of dis­shonour others; here be two kindes, a good and a bad soyle: the one a Garden, the other a de­sart: the former an inclosure of sweet herbes, ex­cellent graces: the latter a wild and sauage Forrest of Bryars and thornes, scratching and wounding offences.

For the better ground we wil consider. 1. The operatiue meanes, or working cause of the fertili­ty; the raine that commeth often vpon it. 2. The [Page 3] thankefull returning of expected fruite; it brin­geth forth herbes meete for them, by whom it is dres­sed. 3. The reward of mercy; it receiueth bles­sing from God.

All is an Allegory. The Earth is Man: the Raine, Gods Word: the herbes are Graces: and the Blessing, is a sweet retribution and accumulation of mercie.

A DIVINE HERBALL, OR The prayse of Fertillitie.
THE SECOND SERMON.

THAT difference which the Philosophers put betweene learning and mettals, wee may truly find betweene hu­mane writings and Gods Scriptures conferred. They that digge in the one, finde Paruum in magno, a little gold in a great deale of [Page 34] ore. They that digge in this rich field (which the wise Merchant solde all hee had to purchase) finde Magnum in pa [...] no, much treasure in a few words.

Wee haue heard how the good earth is be­holding to God for his holy Raine: the next circumstance obiects to our meditation this earths thankfull fertility. It bringeth forth herbes meete for them by whom it is dressed. Euery word transcends the other; and as it excludes some vi­cious defect, so demonstrates it also some gradu­all vertue.

1. It brings forth. It is not barren like a dead ground that yeelds neither herbes nor weedes. This is no idle heart, that doth neither good nor harme; that like a meere spectator of the world, sits by with a silent contemplation for whom was made that Epitaph:

Doing neither profit nor preiudice to the Coun­trey hee liued in. Heere is no such stupid neu­tralitie, nor infructuous deadnesse. It brings forth.

2. They are not weedes it produceth, but herbes. A man had as good do nothing, as doe naughty things. It is lesse euill to sit still, then to runne swift by in the pursuite of wickednes. They that forbeare Idlenesse, and fall to lewdnesse, [Page 35] mend the matter, as the Diuell (in the tale) men­ded his dames legge; when he should haue put it in ioynt, he broke it quite in pieces. It is not enough that this ground brings forth, but that it yeelds herbes. Of the two, the barren earth is not so euill as the wicked earth: that men pittie, this they curse. It brings forth herbes.

3. Neither is it a paucity of herbes this ground affordeth, but an abundance: not one herbe, but herbes; a plurall and plentifull number. There is neyther barrennesse nor barenesse in this ground; not no fruites, not few fruits, but ma­ny herbes.

4. Lastly, they are such herbes, as are meet for the dresser: such as God expects of the garden, who planted it: such as hee will accept, not in strict iustice for their owne worth, but in great mercy for Iesus Christ. Meet for them by whom it is dressed.

We haue now opened the mine, let vs digg [...] for the treasure. Foure demonstrations com­mend this good Ground.

• 1. It is fruitfull.
• 2. It is fruitfull in good.
• 3. It is fruitfull in much good.
• 4. It is fruitfull in such good, as the Dresser lookes for.

THE GARDEN OR A Contemplation of the Herbes.
THE THIRD SERMON.

THat the Herbes of our graces may be meete for the dresser; contentful to GOD, who hath planted, watred, hus­banded the Garden of our hearts; wee will require in them foure vertues: Odour, Taste, Ornament, Medicinall Vertue.

[Page 62] 1. That they haue a good odour. God is de­lighted with the smell of our graces. My Belo­ued is gone downe into his Garden, Cant. 6. 2. to the beds of spi­ces, to feed in the gardens, and to gather Lillies. The vertues of Christ are thus principally pleasant; and all our herbes onely smell sweetly in his Gar­den. Because of the sauour of thy good ointment, Cant. 1. 3. thy name is as ointment powred forth, therefore doe the Virgins loue thee. This sauour is sweetly accepta­ble in the nostrils of God. All thy garments smel of Myrrhe, Psa. 45. 8. Aloes, and Cassia: It is his righteous­nesse, that giues all our herbes a good odour: and in him it pleaseth God to iudge our works sweet. When Noah had built an Altar, Gen. 8. 21. and sacrificed burnt offerings on it, the Lord smelled a sweet sauour and sayd, I will not againe curse the ground any more for mans sake. Mat. 2. Myrrhe and Prankincense were two of the oblations, which the Wise-men offered to CHRIST being an Infant.

[Page 63] The way to make our herbes smell sweetly, is first to purge our garden of weedes. For if sinne be fostered in our hearts, all our workes will bee abominated. God heareth not the prayers of the wicked.Leuit. 26. 31. If yee will walke contrary to mee, saith the Lord, I will bring your sanctuaries vnto desola­tion, and I will not smell the sauour of your sweete o­dours. But being adopted by grace in Christ, and sanctified to holinesse, our good works smell sweetly, Phil. 4.Phil. 4. 18. I haue receiued of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. It seemes, GOD highly esteemes the herbe Chari­tie in our gardens. Hee that serueth the Lord, shall smell as Lebanon: Hos. 14. 6. 7. hee shall growe as the Vine, and his sent shall bee as the wine of Leba­non.

Man is naturally delighted with pleasant sa­uours, and abhorres noysome and stinking smels. But our God hath purer nosthrils, and cannot a­bide the polluted heapes of iniquities. The Idle man is a standing pitte; and hath an ill-sauour'd smell, an ill-fauour'd sight. The drunkard is like a bogge, a fogge, a fenne of euill vapours: God cannot abide him. Your couetous wretch is like a dunghill; there is nothing but rottennesse and infection in him. Omnis malitia eructat fumum. All wickednesse belcheth forth an euill sauour. Wonder you, if God refuse to dwell with the V­surer, Swearer, Idolater, Adulterer? There is a [Page 64] poyson of lust, a leprosie of putrefaction in them: no carryon is so odious to man, as mans impie­ties are to God. Yea the very oblations of defi­led hands stinke in his presence.Esa. 66. 3. Hee that sacrifi­ceth a Lambe, is as if hee cut off a dogges necke, &c. As if Ass a foetida was the only supply of their gar­dens. But good herbes giue a double sauour: one outward to man, another inward to God. The sweete smoke of a holy sacrifice, like a subtil ayre, riseth vp to heauen; and is with God before man sees or smels it. It also cheares the hearts of Chri­stians, to behold Christian workes. Reuerence to the Word, hallowing the Sabaoths, releeuing the poore, deeds of mercie, pittie, piety, giue a delightful sent: solacing the soules of the Saints, and pleasing him that made them both men and Saints. Therefore Hearken vnto me, ye holy chil­dren, Eccl. 39. 13. and budde forth as a Rose growing by the brook of the fielde. Giue ye a sweet sauour, as frankincense, and flourish as a Lilly, send forth a smell, sing a song of prayse, and blesse the Lord in all his workes.

2. That they taste well. Many a flower hath a sweet smell, but not so wholsome a taste. Your Pharisaicall prayers and almes smelt sweetly in the vulgar nosthrils: taste them, and they were but rue, or rather worme-wood. When the Pharise sawe the Publican in the lower part of the Temple, standing as it were in the Belfrey; he could cry, Foh this Publican: but when they were both tasted, by his palate that could iudge, the Publican hath an herbe in his bosome, and [Page 65] the Pharise but a gay, gorgeous, stinking weede. The herbes, that the Passeouer were eaten with, were sowre: yet they were enioined with sweet bread. Sowre they might be, but they were whol­some. Herbes haue not onely their sauour, but their nutriment. He causeth the grasse to growe for the cattell, Psa. 104. 14 and herbe for the seruice of man: that he may bring food out of the earth. Herbs thē are food, and haue an alimentall vertue. So we may both with the herbes of charitie feed mens bodies, and with the herbes of piety feede their soules. A good life is a good sallet: and in the second place to precepts, are vsefully necessary good exāples. The bloud of Martyrs is sayd to haue nourished the Church. The patience of the Saints, in the hottest extremity of their afflictions, euen when the flames of death hath clipped them in their armes; hath been no lesse then a kindly nourish­ment to many mens faith. It is expounded by an vniuersall consent of Diuines, that one of those 3. feedings, which Christ imposed on Peter, is Pasce exemplo; let thy life feed them. Blessed Gardens that yeeld herbes, like Iothams vine, that cheare the heart of both God and man. Iudg. 9 [...] 13. The Poets fain'd, that Nectar & Ambrosia were the food of their Gods. Iupiter Ambrosia satur est, est Nectare plenus. But the true Gods dyet, is the vertues of his Saints, wherwith he promiseth to suppe, when he comes into their hearts. Faith,Reu. 3. 20. loue, patience, meeknes, honestie; these dishes are his dainties.

If thou wouldest make Christ good cheare in [Page 66] the parlour of thy conscience, bring him the herbes of obedience. Doe not say, I would haue beene as kinde and liberall to my Sauiour as the best, had I liued in those dayes, when he blessed the world with his bodily presence. But now I may say with Mary Magdalen: They haue taken away the Lord, Ioh. 20. 2. and I know not where to finde him. Damne not thy selfe with excuses. Wheresoe­uer his Church is, there is he; exercise thy piety. Wheresoeuer his members are, there is he; exer­cise thy charity. Thou art very niggardly, if thou wilt not afford him a sallet, a dinner of herbes. Yet, sayth Salomon, A dinner of greene herbes with loue, is better then a fatte Oxe with hatred.

3. That they be fitte to adorne. Herbes and flo­wers haue not only their vse in pleasing the no­strills, and the palate, but the eye also. They giue delight to all those three senses. Good workes are the beauty of a house, and a better sight then fresh herbes strew'd in the windores. The Cham­ber, where Christ would eate his Passouer, was trimmed: and the Palace of our Princely Salomon is paued With Loue of the daughters of Ierusalem. Cant. 3. 10.

There is no ornature in the World like good deeds: no hanging of Tapestry, or Arrase, comes neere it. A stately building where an Idolater dwells, is but a gawdy coate to a Sodome-apple. When you see an Oppressour raising a great house from the ruines of many lesse; depopula­ting a Countrey to make vp one Family; buil­ding his Parlours with extortion, and cimen­ting [Page 67] his walls with the morter of bloud: you say, there is a foule Minotaure in a faire Labyrinth. Be a man dead, it is a foolish hope to reare im­mortalitie with a few senselesse stones. Perhaps the Passenger wil be hereby occasioned, to com­ment vpon his bad life; and to discourse to his company the long enumeration of such a mans vices. So a perpetuall succession of infamie an­sweres his gay sepulchre: and it had bin better for him, to haue been vtterly inglorious, then inex­cusably infamous. The best report, that can be drawne from him, is but this. Here lyes a faire Tombe, and a foule carcase in it.

These things doe neither honest a man liuing, nor honour him dead. Good works are the best ornaments, the most lasting monuments. They become the house wherein thy soule dwelleth, whiles it dwels there: and blesse thy memorie, when those two are parted. A good life is mans best monument: and that Epitaph shall last, as if it were written with a pen of iron, and claw of a Diamond; which is made vp of vertuous acti­ons. Good herbes beautifie more then dead stones. Wheresoeuer thou shalt be buried, ob­scurity shall not swallow thee. Euery good heart that knew thee is thy Tombe; and euery tongue writes happy Epitaphes on thy memoriall. Thus height vp your soules with a treasure of good works. Let your herbes smel sweetly, let them tast chearfully; let them adorne beautiously. So Gods palate, his nosthrils, his sight shall be well pleased.

[Page 68] 4. That they be medicinable; and serue not onely as Antidotes to preuent, but as medica­ments to cure the soules infirmities. The poore mans physicke lyes in his Garden: the good soule can fetch an herbe from his heart (of Gods planting there) that can helpe him. Plinie writes of a certaine herbe, which he calls Thelygonum; we in English, The grace of God. A happy herbe, and worthy to stand in the first place, as chiefe of the garden. For it is the principal, and (as it were) the Genus of al the rest. We may say of it, as some write of the Carduus benedictus, or Holy-thistle; that it is herba omnimorbia; an herbe of such vertue, that it can cure all diseases. This may heale a man, who is otherwise nullis medicabilis herbis. Wretched men, that are without this herbe, The grace of God, in their gardens.

THE FORREST Of THORNES.
THE FOVRTH SERMON.

THis verse begins with a word of Dsiunction; But. The Raine of grace falls vpon the good ground: it returneth berbes; it receiueth blessing. But that which beareth thorns and bryers, is reiected, and is nigh vnto cursing. &c. It is vndeniably true, that S. Paul Act. 20. 27. knew no Purgatory: otherwise, he that shunned not to declare to men all the counsell of God, [Page 104] would not in a voluntary silence haue omitted this mysterie. He deliuers two sorts of Grounds, the good and the bad; the one blessed, the other neere vnto cursing. Hee knew no meane, either betwixt good and euill men, or betwixt reward and punishment, blessing and cursing. It seemes that Christ him [...]elfe was ignorant of that point, which the Papists know so soundly, and beleeue so roundly.Mat. 13. 24. For he sayes, In Gods Field, what­soeuer growes is either corne or cockle: for the one whereof a Barne is prouided; for the other, vnquenchable Fire. A third sort, betweene herbes and weedes, had either the Master or the Seruant knowne, they would haue acknow­ledged.

This first word of the Text, But, is a strong engine set to the wals of Purgatory, to ouer-turne them, and ouer-burne them with the fire of hell. For they are imaginary pales, that diuide hell and Purgatorie: take away your conceit, and they are both one: all is hell. For surely hell was raked, when Purgatory was found; and it is nothing els but a larder to the Popes Kitchin. What fancie soeuer founded it, their wittes are foundred, that labour to maintaine it. For they cannot tell vs, vel quid sit, vel vbi: what it is, nor where it is. They cauill with vs for want of vni­ty and consent in iudgement.De Purgat. lib. 2. cap. 6. Yet Bellarmine re­cites eight seuerall opinions amongst them, a­bout the place: And concludes at last, that it must remaine among those secrets, Quae suo [Page 105] tempore aperientur nobis; which shall bee vn­folded to vs in their times. Some thinke the torments of it to consist in fire, others in water: some that the afflicters are Angels, other that they are Deuils. So they teach omni modo, that which is nullo modo: and because it is vbique, is therefore nullibi. Howsoeuer, it being the Popes peculiar; and in his power to command the An­gels to fetch out whom hee list; mee thinks the Popes are strangely vnmercifull, that in all this time none of them hath made a generall Gaole-deliuerie. But our Purgatorie is the blood of Iesus Christ, 1. Ioh. 1. which clenseth vs from sinne. And they that haue no portion in this blood shall be reiected, are nigh vnto cursing, and their end is to be burned.

The barren, or rather euil-fruited ground is the ground of my discourse: and according to the common distinction of Euill, here is a dou­ble euill in the Text. Vnum quod malus facit, alte­rum quod malus patitur. An euill which the wic­ked man doth; and an euill which he suffers: an euill that is sinne, and an euill that is punishment for sinne. In the former the wicked are agents; in the latter, patients. The one euill is done by them, the other vpon them. They offend Gods iustice, and GOD in his iustice offends them. They haue loued cursing, and cursing shall be vnto them: they desired not blessing, and it is farre from them. They produce Thornes, and the end of thornes is to bee burned. The first and worst euill [Page 106] (for the other, though euill to them, is good in Gods good Iustice) is sinne. Herein 1. the wic­ked are compared to bad ground. 2. their ini­quities to thornes and bryers. 3. and the manner how so ill weeds arise from this ground, is said to be bearing. The earth that beareth thornes, &c. Here first obserue,

1 The different word the Apostle vseth. For the good earth, hee sayes, it is [...] bringing forth herbes. For the euill, it is [...], bearing, not bringing forth. As if good workes were brought forth like children, not without paine and trauell: euill workes but cast out like froth or skimme; as easily vented, as inuented. Therefore the earth is said ebullire, to bubble or boile out such things, as meere excretions. Our prouerbe sayes, An ill weed growes apace. Herbes grow not without preparing the ground, planting and watring them by seasonable deawes and di­ligence. Weeds are common: it is hard to set the foote besides them. The basest things are e­uer most plentifull. Plurima, pessima. I haue read of a kind of mouse, that breeds sixe score young ones in one nest. Whereas the off-spring of the Lyonesse or Elephant is but single. You shall find your furrowes full of Cockle and da [...]ell, though you neuer sew them. The earth, sayth the Philosopher, is now an own mother to weeds, and naturally breeds and feeds them: but a step­mother to good herbes. Man by a procliuitie of his own naturall inclination, is apt to produce [Page 107] thornes and bryers: but ere hee can bring forth herbes, Graces, God must take paines with him. No husbandman so labours his ground, as God our hearts. Happy earth, that yeelds him an ex­pected haruest. But that which beareth Thornes is neere to be cursed and burned.

2 Obserue, that a wicked man is compared to bad earth, and that fitly in 5. respects.

1 For basenesse. The earth is the heauiest of all Elements, and doth naturally sinke downe­wards; as if it had no rest, but in the center; which it selfe is. A wicked man is base-minded, and sinkes with a dull and ponderous declination; not regarding the things aboue, but these below. He hath commune with men sursum os, but with beasts, deorsum cor. All his affections haue a low obiect, not out of humilitie, but base deiection. His hope, desire, loue, ioy, are set on these inferi­our things: and like a Mole, he digs still downe­wards, till he come to his Center, his owne place, Hell.Acts. 1. Telluris inutile pondus.

2 For coldnesse. Experience teacheth that the earth is cold; & coldnes is a natural quality perti­nent to it, though accidentally there be bred in it fierie vapours. The wicked man hath a cold heart, frozen vp in the dregs of iniquitie; though there be an vnnaturall heat sometimes flaming in him; the fire of lust and malice tormenting his bow­els: but this is no kindly heate to warme his con­science. That is deriued from the fire of the Temple, that neuer goes out, and only giuen by [Page 108] Iesus Christ, that baptizeth with the holy Ghost, and with fire.

3 For foulenesse. The squalid earth (for we speake not heere of any good ground) is called Lutulenta terra; miery and noysome: yet is it neate and cleane in comparison of a sinne-conta­minated soule. The body was taken from the earth; not the Soule: the body shall resolue to the earth; not the soule: yet the polluted soule is more sordid, then either a leprous body, or a muddy earth. In the eye of GOD, there is no beautie so acceptable, no foulenesse so de­testable, as the soules. The Doue carried the prayse of beautie from the Peacocke, by the Ea­gles iudgement: that though the Peacocke li­uing had the fayrer plumes, yet dead he hath but a blacke liuer. Gods iudgement of all mens fairenesse, is by the liuer, the cleanesse of the heart in his eye-sight.

4 For obscuritie and darkenesse; the earth is called a place of blacke darkenesse, the land of forget­fulnesse. So Iob and Dauid tearme it. The wic­ked Soule is full of darkenesse, thicknesse of sight, caecitie of vnderstanding; not seeing the glori­ous libertie of the Sonnes of God. Our Gospell is hid to those that are lost. 1. Cor. 4. 4▪ Whose minds the god of this world hath blinded. [...]ugo. There is in them Hebetudo mentis, which is acutae rationis obtusio, carnalis in­temperantiae crassis sensibus inducta. They are so vtterly ignorant of heauen, that (as it is in the Prouerbe) ne pictum quidem viderunt: they haue [Page 109] not seene it, so much as in the mappe or picture. As to men shut vp in the low cauernes of the earth, not so much as the sunne, and starres, and the lights of heauens lower parts haue appeared. Tolerabilior est poena, viuere non posse, quam nescire. Ignorance is a heauier punishment then death; sayth the Philosopher.Se [...]. Darkenes is their desire, because their deeds are euill. Perhaps at last, after a long dotage on their darke delight, earth; they come to heare of a better & richer countrey: and then take onely with them the Lanterne of Na­ture to find it. But so erepto lumine can delabrum querunt. Hauing lost the light, they grope for the Candlesticke. A man that comes into his house at midnight, sees nothing amisse: in the day-light he finds many things misplac'd. Nature is but a darke Lanterne, when by it we endeuour to ransacke the conscience. Onely the light of grace can demonstrate all the sluttish and incuri­ous misorders in our soules.

5 The maine resemblance betweene an euill ground and worse man, consists in the ill fruites, that they both produce: bryers and thornes; and such (not onely vnhelpefull, but) hurtfull vices. This is the principal analogie, which our Apostle intends; the pith and marow of this reference. But before we come to a particular anatomizing of this Subiect, some obseruable doctrines fall profitably to our instruction. Obserue therfore.

1 The word of God will worke some way. It fals not vpon any ground in vaine; but will pro­duce [Page 110] herbes or weeds. It is such Physicke, as will either cure or kill. It mollifies one, makes ano­ther more hard.Acts. 2. Some hearts it pricks, others it terrifies, though conuerts not, as it made Foelix tremble. None euer heard it, but they are either better or worse by it.1. Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified, vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke, vnto the Gentiles foolishnesse. But vnto them which are called, both of Iewes and Greeks, the power of GOD, Heb. 4. 12. and the wisedome of God. In this Epistle it is called a dou­ble-edged sword, &c. It is either a conuerting or conuincing power; sealing receiuers to redemp­tion, contemners to reiection. The word which I haue preached, shall iudge you in the latter day.

If this doctrine were considerately digested in hearers hearts, what a zealous preparation would it worke in their soules! It would bring vs to these seats with other minds, if we remem­bred, that wee returne not backe to our owne doores the very same wee came out; but either somewhat better,Act. 13. 7. 8. or much worse. Sergius Paulus was turned, Elimas obdurated at one Sermon. After our Sauiours heauenly Sermon. Iohn 6. Some went backe, Ioh. 6. 66. and walked no more with him; that Christ bespake his Apostles, Will ye also goe away? Others stucke more close.Verse 68. Lord, to whom shall we goe? Thou hast the words of eternall life. The Prophet Esay speakes fully to this purpose. As the raine commeth downe, Esay. 55. 10. and returneth not backe, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may giue seede to the sower, [Page 111] and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that go­eth forth out of my mouth: it shall not returne vnto mee voyd; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The word that we haue preached, shall either saue you, or iudge you. It shall be either a copy of your pardon, or a bill of your inditement at the last day. Iohn Baptist cals the Gospell a Fan, that will distinguish betweene true and false chil­dren, betweene Wheate and Chaffe. It will make knowne the faithfulnesse of those,Mat. 3. 12. that with ho­nest harts embrace it; and scatter hypocrites like chaffe, by reason of their insolid leuity. Simeon so prophecied to Mary the Virgin of her Son, That he should be the fall and the rising, the reparation and ruine of many:Luke. 2. 34. and whiles he is set for a signe Which shall bee spoken against, by this meanes the thoughts of many hearts shall be reuealed. The word is like fire, that hath a double operation vp­on the seuerall subiects it works; stubble or gold. It fires the one, and fines the other. Some hearts it enflames with zeale to it: other it sets on fire to quench, impugne, persecute it. It is to con­uersion, if beleeued; to confusion if despised. Lo, Christ, himselfe preaching, some faithfully enter­taine, others reiect;Mat. 8. as the Gergesens, that had ra­ther haue their hogges saued then their soules.

2. That thornes are produced, the fault is not in the good Raine, but the ill ground. What could I, Esa. 4. 5. sayth God, haue done more to my Vineyard? I haue done inough to make it beare good grapes. [Page 112] Wherefore then, or from what cause brings it forth wild grapes? The earth desires the influence of heauen, and showres from the cloudes, to make it fruitfull. It is granted: the Sunne shines, the dewes fall. The Garden hereupon brings forth herbes, the desart thornes. If these blessings of heauen were the proper cause of the weeds; why hath not then the good ground such cursed ef­fects? The euerlasting lampe of heauen sends forth his sauing rayes: and the sacred deawes of the Gospell fall on the pure and vncleane heart. There it is requited with a fertile obedience: here with an impious ingratitude. Let not the mercy of God be blamed for this mans miserie. Perditio ex se: God hath done enough to saue him. S. Augustine directly to this purpose. Si­mul pluit Dominus super segetes, De benedict. Esauet Iacob. & super spinas. Sed segeti pluit ad horreum, spinis ad ignem: & tamen vna est pl [...]uia. GOD at once raines vpon the herbes and the thornes. Vpon the herbs or good seed, to shoot it vp for his barne, for himselfe; vp­on the thornes to fit them for the fire: yet is it one and the same raine.

This shall couer the faces of Libertines with [...]uerlasting confusion; who are euermore rub­bing their owne filthinesse on Gods puritie; and charging him as the authour of their sinnes. If the Diuels in hell should speake, what could they say more? wee haue falne from our happinesse, and God caused it. Reprobate thoughts! Men haue spilt bloud, defiled forbidden beds, strucke [Page 113] at Princes with treasons, ruin'd countries with depopulations, filled the earth with rapes, and shot at heauen with blasphemies; and lay their damnation on their Maker: deriuing from his purpose excuses of their wickednesse. The ine­uitable decree of Gods counsell is charged: the thought of that hath made them carelesse: so with good food they poison themselues. Wil­ling fooles, racke not your beleefe with impossi­bilities. Behold! God is so farre from authori­zing your sinnes and falls; that he raines on yo [...] the holy deawes of his word to mollifie your hearts. Iustifying himselfe by this proffered meanes of your saluation, that he would not the death of a sinner. O but his hidden will is to damne vs. Mad men, that forsake that signed will, written in tables, published with trumpets, commanded with blessings, cursings, promises, menaces, to which euery soule stands bound! and fall to prying into those vnsearchable my­steries, couered with a curtaine of holy secrecy, not to be drawne aside till the day comes, where­in we shall know as we are knowne.

Cease aspiring man to roote thy wickdnesse in heauen; and to draw in God as an accessary to thy profanenesse. God would haue thee sa­ued, but thou wilt beare thorns and briars, though thou endangerest thy selfe to cursing. Is this the requitall for his mercy? Are all his kindnesses to thee thus taken? That when he hath done so much to bring thee to heauen, thou wilt taxe him [Page 114] for casting thee to hel? when he hath so laboured to make thee good, thou wilt lay to his charge thy owne voluntary badnesse. No: iustifie God, and magnifie his mercie. Accuse thine owne corrupt heart, that turnes so good and alimen­tall food into offensiue crudities. Say, Heauen is good, but thy ground is naught. Fatnesse and iuyce hath been bestowed on thee, but thou hast yeelded pestilent and noysome fruits. Lay not the fault on heauen, but on the natiue corrupti­on of thy owne heart, that hath decocted the goodnesse of God into venome.

3. This obseruation shall make way (and giue place) to another. That the ground is very vnthankfull, which answeres the kindnes of hea­uen in rayning on it, with bryars and thornes. Wretched man, that receiues so blessed deawes from the fountaine of mercie, and returnes an vngratefull wickednesse. Vnthankefull it is; as failing in both these essentiall parts of Gratitude; acknowledging, and requiting a benefite: and so guilty both of falshood and iniustice. Say the wicked did confesse Gods mercies, yet where's their obedience? True thankfulnesse is called Gratiarum actio, non dictio. Whiles for holy deawes they render vnholy weedes, this disobe­dience is the greatest Ingratitude. The silence of our tongues; the not opening our lippes, to let our mouth shew forth his prayse, is a grieuous vnthank­fulnesse. He is of an euill disposition, that con­ceales or dissembles a benefite. This is one [Page 115] branch of Ingratitude: but our speech hitherto keepes but lowe water; let vs rise vp to view the mountenous billows of that ingratitude here tax­ed; a reall, actual, sensuall, senselesse vnthankful­nesse: if it bee not a degree beyond it, and vn­thankfulnesse too poore a word to expresse it. Meere ingratitude returnes nothing for good; but this sinne returnes euill for good. Silence in acknowledging is too short: we must thinke of a contumacious and contumelious retribution. God, after his mercifull raine lookes for some herbs of Grace, when he walks down into his Gar­den, to see whether the Vine flourished, Cant. 6. 11. and the Pome­granates budded. And behold weedes, stinking weedes, stinging weedes; thornes and bryars! Here is Ingratitude in ful proportion, wiith all the dimensions of his vgly stigmaiticke forme. This is that wickednes, which brings the ground here to reiection, malediction, combustion. Obserue further that

4. Wicked men proue commonly so much the worse, as they might haue been better: and diuert the means of their conuersion to their confusion. The more raine of the Gospell they receiue, the more abundantly they thrust forth the thornes of iniquities. The rootes of these bryars are surely earthed in their hearts, and do boyle out at the warme deaws of the Word. It fares with them, as with a man of a surfeted stomach: the more good meate he eates, the more hee increaseth his cor­ruption. The former crudities vndigested, vne­gested, [Page 116] hauing the greater force, turne the good nutriment into themselues. There is such an an­tipathie betwixt the good word of God, and the heart of a reprobate; that the more it wrastles to bring him to heauen, the more he wrastles against it, that hee might be damned. Tully mentions a Countrey, wherein a great drought and heat ma­keth abundance of mire and dirt; but store of raine causeth dust. It is here experimentally true: the plentifull raine of Gods blessed word is an­swered with the dusty and sandy barrennesse of mens euill liues. So the Sunne, shining vpon vn­cleane dung-hils, is said to cause a greater stench: yet no wise man blames the beames of the Sunne, but the filthinesse of those putrified heapes, for such offence. The Sunne of righteousnesse hath sent downe the glorious rayes of his Gospell a­mong vs [...] the wicked hereupon steame out the more noysome and stenchfull fruites. Vpon whom shal the accusation light; Gods comforta­ble heate of mercie, or our putrid and ranke ini­quities? Sometimes the Sunnes heat working vp­on a muddy and baneful obiect, breeds horrid ser­pents. No wonder then, if this raine of the Gos­pel ingender in reprobate minds, weeds, and pric­kles. The Cicones haue a riuer, that doth harden the bowels,Ouid. and make the entrals stony: a strange operation in them that drink it. But if the water of life do harden the hearts of Pharaohs, and exaspe­rate the mischiefes of a malicious Elimas, let the imputation of fault light where it is deserued. [Page 117] It was a strange protestatiō, that God had against Israel. I haue nourished and brought vp children, and they haue rebelled against me. Esa. 1. 2. I haue brought them vp in my house, and taught them my precepts, and yet (as if my instructions and fauours had made them worse) they haue rebelled against me. Thus when the Sunne is hottest, the springs are coldest: and the more feruent the loue of God is to vs, the more cold is our charity to him, and to others for him. As if the sweet dews of Hermon had made the hill of Syon more barren.

It is written of the Thraeian flint, that it burnes with water, and is quenched with oyle: a fit Em­bleme of those wicked soules, that are the worse for Gods endeuour to better them. But such con­trary effects hath the Gospell in contrary natures. As by the heat of the Sunne waxe is softned, and yet clay is hardned: so by the preaching of the word, the hearts of such as shal be saued, are mol­lified; but the hearts of the lost are further obdu­rate. God in his wis [...] iustice wil be euen with men: since they will not bee the better for his fauours, they shal be the worse. Seeing they wil not bring forth herbes, they shall cast forth weeds: and he that might not in their saluation, will be glorified in their subuersion. For application.

This Raine hath falne vpon vs all: how haue wee entertained it? where bee our herbes? It is obiected against vs, that our forefathers who wan­ted this raine, brought forth more herbs, then we that haue it. That they in the daies of ignorāce did [Page 118] more then they knew; that we in the light of the Gospel know more then we do. Apollonius among other wonders writes one most wonderfull: that there was a people, which could see nothing in the day, but all in the night. What, hath the Sunne blinded vs? Cannot wee see to serue God so well in the light, as they did in the darke?

It was once said, Ignoti nulla cupido: but now it may be inuerted; Noti nullus amor: we little e­steeme the Gospel, because it is frequent amongst vs. The long enioying it hath dulled our estima­tion. Full children are weary of their bread, and play with it. Like the Indians, that haue such store of gold and precious stones, that they truck them away for glasses and rattles. Perhaps the cold legs of custome will bring vs to Church: and we are content to heare the Preacher taxing our frauds, vsuries, oathes, oppressions. May be for some shew of deuotion, wee will aske counsell at his lips: but say what he will, wee will not part with our sinnes.

The Princes of Israel came to Ieremie, and in­treat him to inquire of the Lord fot them:Ier. 42. promi­sing, that whatsoeuer direction the Lord should send they would obey. The Prophet accordingly presents their supplication to God. God answers You shall not goe into Egypt, Ier. 43. lest you be destroyed: but abide still in Iudah, and you shall be safe. When they heard this Oracle, because it was not their humours, they replied, We will goe into Egypt. This was their purpose from the beginning, (though [Page 119] they dissembled a will to know Gods mind) which if Gods command crosseth, they will crosse his command: they will goe into Egypt. So people will be content to heare what God sayth to them by his Ministers: but if hee speake not what plea­seth them, they will follow their owne affections. Wee are such nice and froward pieces, that the more God wooes vs, we are the further off. As it is with some shallow professors of Musicke, sayth the Poet.

When they are most earnestly intreated, they make most daintie to sing or play. So the more the Lord cals for our praises, the more hoarse are our voices, the more harsh our notes; or perhaps we will not sing at all. But if God hath giuen vs musicke, and we will not dance; as Christ repro­ued the Iewes; wee shall mourne in sadnesse for our obstinate refusall of profered mirth. You haue heard Herodotus tale of the Piper. He came to the water-side, and piped to the fishes: they would not dance. Hee tooke his net and caught some of them; and being throwne vpon drie land they began to leape and skip vp. Nay, quoth the Piper, I offered you musicke before, and you would none: now you shal dance without a pipe. Men commonly regard the Songs of Sion, as they doe musicke heard late at night in the streets, whiles they are in bed. Perhaps they will step to the windore, and listen to it a while; and present­ly [Page 120] to bed againe. So men step from the couch of their lusts and sinnes to, Church, heare the Sermon; and then to bed againe; lulling them­selues in their former securitie.

There are some, that care for hearing it no more: but sit downe with a conceit of their owne sufficiencie. They know as much as all the Prea­chers can tell them: let the youth go to be Cate­chized. So the sluggish and irreligious Master sits at home, whiles hee sends his seruants to Church. There is an old tale, idle in it selfe; the vse may be good. A certaine man that would neuer go to Church, when hee heard the Saints­bell, would say to his wife. Goe thou to Church and pray for thee and me. One night he dream't, that both he and his wife were dead, and that they knocked together at Heauen-gate for entrance. S. Peter (by the Legend) is Porter, and suffred the wife to enter in, but kept the husband out: answe­ring him, Illa intrauit pro se ette: She is gone in both for her selfe and thee. As thy wife went to Church for thee, so shee must goe to heauen for thee. The Morall instructs euery one to haue a personality of Faith, and a proprietie of deuotion: that himselfe seruing GOD, himselfe may bee blessed of God.

It now remaines, to examine more narrowly the nature of the sinnes these vngodly hearts pro­duce.Lib. 21. cap. 16. They are called Thornes and Bryers. Plinie sayth that the Thorne is more soft then a Tree, and more hard then an Herbe: as if it were some vn­kindly [Page 121] thing; and but an vnperfect excrement of the earth. For the Philosopher sayth, It is not the intent of kind, that Trees should be sharpe with prickles and thornes: but he would haue it caused by the insoliditie and vnfastnes of the tree. By which meanes the cold humour is drawne out by the pores ere it bee concocted: whereupon for scarcitie of matter, it is hardned by the sunne; and [...]o shaped and sharpned into a thorne.

But it is vnquestionable truth, that God crea­ted the thornes and bryers on the earth. Some thinke, because it is sayd, Gen. 3.G [...]n. 3. 18. in mans punish­ment, Maledict [...] esto terra propter te: Cursed be the earth for thy sake. Thornes and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee: that therefore if mankind had not sinned, the ground should haue produced no such thing. But the most receiued opinion, and consonant to truth is; that these Thornes and bry­ers should haue been, though man had neuer faln: but they should not haue been noxious and hurt­full to him. Now let vs consider what resem­blances may be found, betwixt those naturall, and these allegoricall thornes and bryers.

1 Where is abundance of thornes, there is most commonly a barren ground. For they hin­der the happy influence of the heauens, the kind­ly heat of the sunne, the deawes of the clouds, and all those working causes of fertillity. God pre­armes Ezekiel, that he should not wonder at the barrennesse of Israel, Ezek. 2. 6. for bryers and thornes shall be with thee. Let no man maruell at our vnprofi­table [Page 122] times; we haue too many Bryers and thorns among vs: which do what they can to hinder the goodnes of heauen to vs, or our goodnes to hea­uen. That which is sowne nigh or among thorns seldome prospers. Our Sauiour saith, that the Seede sowne in some hearers, brought forth no fruite;Mat. 13. for the Thornes choked it. The very com­pany of the wicked is harmful, for they are as thorns to stifle any goodnes. The companion of fooles shal be afflicted, saith Salomon. He dwels among thorns, that shall wound him. To lay no more affliction vpon him then Salamon there meant; as appeares by the opposite member of the verse: he shall en­dure a priuation of what good soeuer he had; and a position of their lewdnesse. A good man with ill company, is like a liuing man bound to a dead corps: that will sooner suffocate him, then hee can reuiue that. The Soule that liues among thornes shall hardly thriue. Therefore saith the Lord of the vineyard concerning the barren tree. Cut it downe, Luke. 13. 7. why troubles it the ground?

2 Thornes and bryers grow most commonly on heapes, and seldome are found single, or de­stitute of company of their owne kinde, And though they be troublesomely harmefull to other trees, yet they fold and embrace one another, without hurt. It is so vsually seene, that wicked men hold together, and sinnes grow in vnited clusters. There is a combination of the vngodly; euen so farre as to the very participation of their estates.Pro. 1. 14. Cast in thy lot with vs; wee will haue all [Page 123] one purse. They are intangled in mutuall amity, like beds of Eeles; nothing but thunder can break their knots.Mat. 5. 46. Is it much, sayth Christ, that you pur­pose diligere diligentes, to loue them that loue you? Why, bryars and thornes do it, euen Publicans doe the same. Yea, I would to God, their vnity did not shame ours. We see here, that one of the Papists chiefe marks of their church is not infallible; their cōsent or vnity: when bryers & thorns haue it. The Pharises, Saduces, Herodians conspire against Christ: may be, they with the rest. Sins grow in heaps, like thornes in bushes: where are some, are many. The Apostle brings them in by couples & companies. Gluttonie & Drunkennes, Chambering and wantonnesse, Rom. 13. 13. strife and enuying. Me thinkes Gluttonie & Drunkennes come in like an English­man, and a Dutchman. Chambering & Wantonnes like an Italian and a Venetian. Strife & Enuie like a Spaniard and a Frenchman. These sins being so Nationall, and naturall to the countreys: to o­uer-drinke in Germanie; to ouer-eate in England; to wantonize in Italie and Venice; to quarrel in Fraunce, and to be enuious in Spaine; Enuie be­ing euer the bosome-companion of Pride.

3 Thornes and bryers, by reason of their thicknes and sharpnes, are refuges for Serpents, Snakes, Addars, and such other venemous beasts. Where the vngodly haue a strong part, oppression, rapine, robberie, murder, and all those fatall and death­striking serpents are fostered. God, when he told Ezekiel. Ezek. 2. That bryers and thornes should [Page 124] be with him; addes in the very next words, And thou shalt dwell among Scorpions. Therefore in Latine, Rubetum is a place of bryars and bram­bles; and Rubeta is a toad, and that land-toad, the most venemous of the kinde. It is dangerous slee­ping neere such places. He that liues among the wicked, hath no neede of security, but to haue cleere and circumspect eyes; lest either the thorns pricke him, or the Serpents vnder the thorns sting him. Woe is me, sayth the Psalmist, that I must re­maine in Mesheck, and dwell in the tents of Kedar.

4. Neither doe the wicked, onely with their thorns and bryars, hinder others passage, but euen their owne. No maruell, if it be so difficult for an vngodly man to get to heauen; for hee hedgeth vp his owne way. Men multiply their transgres­sions to infinite, and cast vp innumerable thornes, yet hope well to be saued. But in vaine he purpo­seth to trauell to Ierusa [...]em, that hedgeth vp his owne passage.Pro. 22. 5. Thornes and snares are in the way of the froward: not of Gods setting, but of their owne planting. For (the next words testifie) hee that keepeth his soule, shall be farre from them. There are hindrances enough to heauen, though the wicked make none themselues. The diuell will looke, that the way shall not bee easie. Neither hath God set saluation vpon such termes, that we may play and get it. The kingdome of heauen is got by violence: and they must striue, that wil passe the narrow gate. Satan hath so many plots and tricks to deceiue them; so many tentations, and cor­ruptions [Page 125] to oppose them; that they haue no cause to fense vp the way themselues, against them­selues, with a hedge of their owne thornes. Hea­uen-gates will not fall downe before men, as the iron-gates of the Citie to Peter, of their owne ac­cord. Nay,Acts. 12. 10. If the Righteous s [...]arcely be saued, where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare? 1. Pet. 4. 18.

5. Sinnes are fitly compared to thornes and bryars, for their wounding, pricking, and such harmefull offenses. Therefore they are called tri­buli, a tribulando; from their vexing, oppression, and tribulation they giue those that touch them. The wicked are such Calthrops to the Countrey, boring and bloudying her sides. Either pricking the flesh, or tearing of the fleece; as bryars and bushes that robbe the sheep of their cotes, which come to them for shelter. A great man wicked is like Abimelech, whom Iotham calls a Bramble in his Parable.Iudg. 9. 8. The Oliue would not leaue his fat­nesse, nor the Figge-tree his sweetnesse, nor the Vine his goodnesse, to bee promoted ouer the trees. But the aspiring Bramble vsurpes it: and (as if he were some great Cedar) he calls the Trees to trust vnder his shadow. But when poore men come to this Bramble for refuge, here they loose a locke and there a locke, til they are left naked, Yea, the clothes are not onely rent from their backes; but like the sonnes of Sceua exorcising the euill spirits, they depart not away naked onely,Acts 19. 16. but wounded. Their garments satisfie not these bryars, scarce their bloud aud liues.

[Page 126] These Bryers and Thornes haue such pricking and wounding effects, in regard of three obiects, whom they strike. For sins are like Thorns. 1. To men. 2. To Christ. 3. To the owne consciences of the committers. First to men. Plinie mentioneth three sorts of Bryers. Lib. 21. cap. 16.

1. The moorish Bryer, that onely growes in ranke and fen [...]e places, & is nourished with rotten mud, and such squalid putrefaction. There is a generatiō of men like these bryars, giuen to drun­kennesse, whose affections are fed only with the moisture of the pot. They cannot liue but in fen­ny and moorish places. Pliny saith, that addars & toads loue and eat the fruits of these bryars; and it is the food of serpents. The effects of drunkennes (in like sort) is a condiment for the diuell. Augu­stine somewhat neare our purpose, when he com­pares drunken places to the fens; where are bred snakes and serpents, and such vile noxious things, which euery yeare must be burned. It were a good turne, if these morish brambles were stocked vp by the roots. If you ask how you should rid them; I will not point you to the Fen-men, who to make quick dispatch of their anoiances, set fire on their fens: but I wil giue you another precedent. When a king asked how he might be rid of certain noi­some fowles, which came abundantly flying into his land; one answered him. Nidos eorum vbi (que) de­struendos: that the only means was to destroy their nests in euery place. So if you would be shut of these morish bryers, the course is to destroy their [Page 127] nests; their haunts, and rendeuous, as they terme them; the common quagmires of all filthinesse. The ale houses are their nests & cages, where they exhaust and lauish out their goods, and lay plots and deuises how to get more. Hence they fal ei­ther to robbing, or cheating; open courses of vio­lence, or secret mischiefs: till at last the Iayle pre­pares thē for the gibbet. For lightly they sing tho­rough a red lattice, before they cry through an irō grate. And when those bryars are hamperd, & put into prisons; it is said, that those places teach them more villanie then they knew before. That when a lewd fellow comes out of prison, he is furnished with such a pack of mischiefs, that he now sets vp schoole, and teacheth others. It is wonderfull, that places ordained for reformation, should bee instructions of worse lewdnes. I speak not against mercy: but experience & truth witnesseth that the mercy of some times is crueltie. And the pittie to a notorious malefactor argues vs of a hard heart, & of vnmercifulnes to the common-wealth. The sparing of rapes, robberies, whoredomes, chea­tings, frauds, vniust measures, false balances, occa­sioneth, yea encourageth the like. If thou be a Magistrate, deputed to iudge it, and sparest a man that hath shed bloud; the next bloud he sheddes thou art guilty of. Thou consentest to the second robbery of a thief, that hast remitted him the first. A Father brings in a notorious malefactor arraig­ning at the bar before the Iudge. When the mo­ther coms, miserādavlulatione, with bitter weeping desiring mercy for her son.

[Page 128] The wife Lachrimabili voce, with mournefull speech, imploring mercie for her husband. The little children plorantibus ocellis, with crying eyes, beseeching mercy for their Father. The people wishing he may be spared for the goodlinesse of his person. Yet sayth the Iudge, Non misereor mo­do: I pitie, but must not spare. Pereat vnus, poti­us quam vnitas. Better one perish, then all. Weed vp the implacable thornes, for they will keepe the ground barren. It hath beene sayd, Beare one iniurie and prouoke more: but here in case of iustice, forgiue one publick iniury, I mean a fact of horrid nature as I formerly taxed, and you prouoke and encourage many. The Marri­ners would faine saue Ionas; but when there is no remedy, they will rather loose one Ionas, then all themselues.

2. Plinies next sort of Bryers are Tribuli agre­stes, Field-bryers; which are (sayth he) shrewd ene­mies to tillage, and the fruits of the earth. This Iland of ours, within these late dayes, hath bred a great number of these field-bryars: which vnnatu­rally turne their mother into barrennesse. Op­pressors, Inclosers, Depopulators, Deportators, Deprauators; that runne the land to ruine for a priuate benefite: and work out a particular gaine from a publicke and generall losse.

Gaine said I? Where is it? Did you euer know Inclosers prosper? I will speake boldly. I neuer knew great man grow greater by his depopulati­ons: and I hope no man will say, he hath growne [Page 129] better by them. Corne-fields are turned to sheep­walkes; once-inhabited townes feede Oxen; and Churches are made Shepheards Cottages: and yet the doers of all this neuer the richer. They keepe lesse Hospitality; for a few roomes in London serue their turnes: they extort sorer rents, and yet they haue neuer the more money. It cannot bee denyed, but the maine end of these courses was profite, and euhansing their estates: and loe, in this very end GOD crosseth-them. Speake what you will of their pride, of turning the alms they should giue to the poore into feasts for the rich, of their infrugall courses: I say con­fidently, hic digitus Dei: here is the very hand of God striking them. Man, though hee hath au­thority, will not looke to these Field-bryars; but let them waste and forrage, and play the Abime­lechs; but God will. But if wee doe not looke to it, let me say to you, as Iotham to the Shechemites of that aspiring Bramble, Iudg. 9.Iudg. 9. 20. If fire come not out of Shechem to deuoure Abimelech; fire will come from Abimelech to deuoure Shechem. If you vndoe not the oppressions of the Field-bryers, their op­pressions will vndoe vs all.

3 There is the Town-bryar too, which grow­eth in our mounds and fenses, and about the clo­sing of townes. You in the City haue no great plenty of these bryers; yet you are troubled (in a metaphoricall sense) with Towne-bryers, and Ci­ty-brambles: which would not a little vexe you, if you were not those your selues.

[Page 130] 1. What say you to the Vsurer? Is hee not a Thorne amongst you? If you were not Vsurers your selues, you would confesse it. But they say, the most horrible vsurie in the world is here practi­sed, to 40. in the hundred: nay, to doubling of the principall in one yeare. A landed Gentleman wants money, he shall haue it; but in commo­dities: which some compacted Broker buyes of him, for halfe the rate they cost him, in ready money. Are these Christians? dare they shew their faces in the Temple? But I know, you haue been often told of these things. In a word, euen the gentles [...] vsury is a most sharpe thorne, and pricks the side of the Countrey till the bloud fol­lowes. An Vsurer with his money, is like a man that hath no worke of his owne, yet keepes a ser­uant to let out: and takes not onely hire of others for his dayes labour; but chargeth him to steale somewhat besides, and neuer to returne home emptie. You vnderstand me: I neede not further apply it.

These are vile winding and wounding bryers, that fetch away clothes, and skinne, and flesh too. Now the mercie of God ridde vs of these thornes. And let vs know it is for our sinnes, that God suffers Vsurers among vs. It may be he per­mits them, as he did the Cananites for a while in Israel, lest the wilde beasts should break in vpon them. Lest pride, and haughtinesse, and vnclean­nesse should spill mens soules by a full estate of wealth. God suffers Vsurers like Horse-leeches [Page 131] to suck and soke them: thereby (possibly) to hum­ble them. Yet in meane time, I may say of them, as Iosuah did of those Cananites;Iosh. 23. 13. that they are pricks in our sides, and thornes in our eyes.

2 What doe you thinke of Adulterie? Is it not a Thorne, yes, a sharpe thorne, wounding the purse, enuenoming the body, condemning the Soule. The ground that beares it is lust: the sappe that feeds it, is fulnesse of bread and Idlenesse: the heate that makes it glow, grow, and shoote, is lewd and wanton speech, and effeminate gestures: infamie is the budde; pollution the fruite; and the end Hell-fire. And as Caietan and Theophilact obserues on 1. Thes. 4.Thess. 4. 4. that the Apostle hauing bid men possesse their vessell in holinesse, he addes; And let no man goe beyond or defraud his brother in any matter: that this circumuention may be appli­ed to Adulterie, when a man is deceiued of his bosome-spouse; who is hired to the subornation of bastards. So that lightly, concupiscence and cousenage goe together. As that wickednesse, of all others, neuer goes but by couples. For Adul­terers non possunt ire soli ad diabolum. Ierom. An Adulte­rer cannot goe alone to the Deuill.

3 Corrupt and consciensce-les Lawyers you will confesse to bee sharpe and wounding brambles, and exceedingly hurtfull. A poore Client among them, is as a blind sheepe in a thicket of thornes: there is no hope of his fleece, it is well if he car­ry away his flesh whole on his backe. A motion this terme, an order next; instantly al cross'd: scarce [Page 132] the twentith order sometimes stands: execution is suspended, a writ of errour puts all out of course. Oh the vncertaine euents of suits! I hope, sayes the poore bloud-drawne wretch, I shall haue an end of my suite next terme; nay, nor the next terme, nor the next yeare. Foole! thou art gotten into a suite of durance; almost an immortall suit. And when the vpshot comes, perhaps the mis­pleading of a word shall forfet all. It is a lamen­table vncertaintie, and one politicke addition of ficklenesse to the goods of this world, that no man might set his heart vpon them: that an estate bought, truly payd for, and inherited, shall bee gone vpon a word; sometimes vpon a sillable; v­pon a very bare letter, omitted or mis-written by the Scriuener. These are scratching bryers. If what is wanting in the goodnes of the cause, be supplyed by the greatnes of the fees, their tongs shall excuse their tongs for their contra-consci­ent pleadings. The Italians haue a shrewd pro­uerbe against them. The Deuill makes his Christ­massepyes of Lawyers tongs and Clerks fingers. This prouerbe I leaue with them; and come to their kinsmen.

4 Corrupted Officers, who are also sharpe and sharking brambles. Their office is a bush of thorns at their backes, and they all to rent the countrey, with briberie and extortion. These men seeke af­ter authority, and commanding-places, not with any intent of good to the common-wealth, but to fill their owne purses, to satisfie their owne lusts. [Page 133] As some loue to bee poring in the fire, not that they care to mend it, but onely to warme their owne fingers.

5 We haue Papists amongst vs; looke to them, they are rankling thornes, and renting bryers. False Gibeonites they are; and howsoeuer they pretend their old shooes, the antiquitie of their Church, we haue euer found them thornes; ready to put out our eyes, and (if they could) the eye of the Gos­pell. They exclaime against vs for persecution; and cry themselues (lowder then oyster-women in the streets) for patient Catholicks, Saints, Mar­tyrs. But match the peace they enioy vnder vs, with the tyrannie they exercised ouer vs; the bur­ning our Fathers at stakes, the butchering our Princes, their conspiracie against our whole Realme, their continuall bending their weapons against Soueraignes and subiects throtes; and you will say, they are thornes. I haue read of a bird, that when men are deuout at their sacrifice, takes fire from the Altar, and burnes their houses. All their blacke treasons, and bloudy intendments, they deriue from the Altar; and pleade the war­rant of Religion, to set our whole Land in com­bustion. O that these brambles were stock'd vp: that Ishmael were cast out of dores, that Sara and her sonne Isaac might liue in quiet.

6 There are furious male contents among vs: a contemptible generation of thorns; that (because their hands are pinion'd) pricke onely with their tongs. They are euer whining, and vpon the [Page 134] least cause filling the world with importunate complaints. These are sauage & popular humors, that cannot suffer eminency to passe vnreproched. But they must vellicate goodnes, and gird great­nesse; that neither the liuing can walke, nor the dead sleepe, in quiet. Affecters of innouation, that are euer finding fault with the present times: any thing pleaseth them but what is. Euen the best blessings of God scape not their cēsures: nei­ther do they esteem by iudgement, or pronounce by reason: they find fault with things, they know not wherefore, but because they do not like them. Beware these thornes: they are like the wheeles of some cunningly wrought fire-workes; that flie out on all sides; and offering to singe others, burne themselues. Laudant veteres, &c. as if no times were so miserable as ours. As if the ciuill wars of France, or the bloudy Inquisitiō of Spain, or the Turkish crueltie in Natolia, where hee breeds his souldiers; or at home, the time of the Barons war; or yet later, the persecution of a Bo­ner; were none of them so cruell, as these dayes, when euery man sits and sings vnder his owne figge-tree. Sure if they had once tasted the bit­ternesse of war, they would better esteem of their peace. These are pestilent thornes: nothing but feare keeps them from conspiracie. Nay, so they might set the whole land on fire, they would not grudge their owne ashes.

7. There are bryers too growing neere the Church; too neare it. They haue raised Church-liuings [Page 135] to foure and fiue yeares purchase: and it is to be feared, they will shortly racke vp presen­tatiue liuings, to as high a rate, as they did their impropriations, when they would sell them. For they say, few will giue aboue sixteene yeares pur­chase for an impropriate Parsonage; and I haue heard some rate the donation of a benefice they must giue, at ten yeares: what with the present money they must haue, and with referuation of tythes, and such vnconscionable trickes; as if there was no God in heauen, to see or punish it. Perhaps, some wil not take so much: but most will take some; enough to impouerish the Church, to enrich their owne purses, to damne their soules.

One would thinke, it was sacriledge enough to robbe God of his maine tythes: must they al­so nimme away the shreddes? must they needes shrinke the whole cloth, (enough to apparell the Church) as the cheating Taylor did, to a dozen of buttons? Hauing full gorged themselues with the parsonages, must they picke the bones of the Vicaredges too? Well sayth S. August. Multi in hac vita manducant, quod postea apud inferos dige­runt. Many deuoure that in this life, which they shall digest in hell.

These are the Church-briers; which (let alone) wil at last bring as famous a Church, as any Chri­stendome hath, to beggerie. Politicke men, be­gin a pace alreadie to with-hold their children from Schooles and Vniuersities. Any profession els better likes them; as knowing, they may liue [Page 136] well in whatsoeuer calling, saue in the ministe­ry. The time was, that Christ threw the buyers and sellers out of the Temple; but now the buyers and sellers haue throwne him out of the Temple. Yea, they wil throw the church out of the church if they bee not stayed. But some may say to me, as one aduised Luther, when he began to preach against the Popes vsurpation and tyrannie, You had as good hold your peace. This wickednesse is so powerfull, that you will neuer preuaile against it. Get you to your study, and say, Lord haue mercy on vs, and procure your selfe no ill will. But be it good will, or be it ill will, we come hither to speake the truth in our consciences. And if these Church-thornes will continue their wickednesse, bee it vnto them as they haue deserued. If they will needs go to hell, let them go: we cannot helpe it, let them perish. I had purposed the discouery of more Brambles, but the time forbids it. I would to God, we were well freed from those I haue taxed.

THE END Of THORNES.
THE FIFT SERMON.

OVr sinnes are thornes to others; some wounding with their direct blowes, others with their wipes, all with their examples. Man on­ly hath not felt their blowes; our Sauior also so found them: when hee was faine for our sakes to set his naked breast, his naked heart, his naked soule against them. They say, the Nightingale sleepes with her breast [Page 140] against a thorne, to auoide the Serpent. Christ was content to bee wounded, euen to sleepe to death with thornes, that hee might deliuer vs from that deuouring serpent, the great infernall Dragon. His head was not onely raked and harrowed with materiall thornes: Bern. Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum coronatur spinis That head which the Angelical spirits adore and trem­ble at, was crowned with thornes. But these my­s [...]call thornes, our iniquities, with fiercer blowes drew bloud of his soule. They doe in a sort still. Heb. 6. 6.Heb. 6. 6. They crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God a fresh, and put him to an open shame. Not in himselfe, for they cannot: but can them no thankes; they would, if they could: and to them­selues they doe it. Wretched men, will you not yet let Iesus Christ alone, and be at rest? will you still offer violence to your blessed Sauiour; and labour to pull him downe from his throne to his Crosse; from his peaceful glorie at the right hand of his Father, to more sufferings? You con­demne the mercilesse Souldiers, that platted a crowne of thornes, Mat. 27. 29. and put it on his innocent head. Sinfull wretch, condemne thy selfe. Thy sinnes were those thornes, and farre sharper. Thy op­pressions, wrongings, and wringings, of his poore brethren, offer him the violence of new wounds: thy oathes, thy fraudes, thy pride scratch him like bryers. Heare him complaining from hea­uen, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee? These Thornes grow on earth, yet they pricke Iesus Christ [Page 141] in heauen. Oh wee little know the price of a sin, that thus play the executioners with the Lord of life. Thinke, thinke; Christ felt your sinnes as sharpe thornes.

Lastly, you finde them thornes your selues, if Christ did not for you. When God shall enli­uen and make quicke the sense of your nummed consciences, you shall confesse your owne sinnes [...]ruell thornes to your soules, 2. Cor. 12.2. Cor. 12. 7. A thorne in your flesh, that shall buffet you with terror. For a while men are insensible of their iniquities. Christ, Math. 13. 22.Mat. 13. 22. calls the riches of this world thornes, which choke the good seede of the Gos­pell.

The common opinion of the world is, that they are goodly, fine and smooth things; furres to keepe them warme, oyle to cheare their faces, and wine to their hearts; of a silken softnesse to their affections. But Christ saith, they are thorns; stinging and choking thornes. And the couetous conscience shall one day perceiue in them, Tri­plicem puncturam, Ludolph. a threefold pricking. Laboris in acquisitione; they are gotten with trouble. Ti­moris in possessione; they are kept vvith feare. Doloris in amissione; they are lost with griefe.

Men commonly deale with their sinnes, as hedgers do, when they go to plash thorny bushes: they put on tyning gloues, that the Thornes may not pricke them. So these harden their hearts, that their owne thornes may giue them no com­punction. But all vanities are but like the fooles [Page 142] laughter, Eccl. 7. 6. which Salomon compares to the crackling of thornes vnder a p [...]t: they make a noise, and sud­denly go out. But sinne neuer parts with the wic­ked, without leauing a sting behind it.In. Galat. cap. 1. ver. 3. Luther saith, there are two fiends, that torment men in this world: and they are sinne, and a bad conscience. The latter followes the former: or if you will, the former wounds the latter: for sinne is the thorne, and the conscience the subiect it strikes. This thorne often pricks deepe; to the very heart. Acts 2. to the very bones, Psal. 38.Psal. 38. 3. There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne. I sid. lib. 2. So­liloquiorum. mens enim malae consci­entiae proprijs agitatur sti­mulis. Vis nunquam esse tristis? bene viue. Nunquam securus est reus animus. Wouldest thou neuer be sorrowfull? liue well. A guilty mind cannot be securely quiet. An euill mind is haunted and vexed with the thornes of his owne conscience. Sinne to the affections, whiles it is doing, is oleum vngens, supple oyle. Sinne to the conscience when it is done, is tribulus pungens, a pricking thorne. What extreame contraries doe often wicked conceits runne into? In their time of securitie they cannot be brought, to think sinne to be sinne. At last desperately, they thinke it such a sinne, that it cannot be forgiuen. At first they are delighted with the sense and smel of their iniquitie, as of a sweet rose: but the rose of their delight withers, and there is a thorne vnder it, that pricks the hart. Hereupon Salomon couples pleasāt vanitie, and troublesome vexation together. If that tickles the flesh, this shall wound the spirit. You shall heare an Vsurer in the madnes of presump­tion [Page 143] expostulating, what? may I not make bene­fit of my money? Obserue him, and in the end you shall heare him in the madnes of despaire, cry out of his owne damnation for it. At first they make question whether it be a sinne: at last they know it such a sinne, that they make question whether God will forgiue it. So men will looke to sin either too superficially, or too superstitiously. There was no danger saith the Drunkard, when he is asked how he seap'd such a passage: bring him backe in the sober moming to see, and hee falls downe dead in astonishment.

I need not further amplifie this point. Christ giues a vae ridentibus; Woe to them that laugh, for they shall weepe: and euery smile of sinne shall be turned to a grone of sorrow. They that exhibite their liues as sacrifices risuiet lubentiae; shall one day feele pricks, and goads, and thornes; scrat­ching and peircing their hearts: when (like the strucken deare, with the arrowhead rankling in his side) they shall not bee able to shift or change paines with places. Let this reach to our soules two instructions.

1 That we labour our hearts betimes to a sen­siblenesse of these thornes. A Thorne swallowed into the flesh, if it be not look'd to, rankles. Sinne without repentance, will fester in the soule; and is so much more perilous, as it is lesse felt. Oh the number of thornes that lie in many conscience, who complaine no more, then if they ayld no­thing. [Page 144] The pricke of a thorne is not so painefull at first, while the bloud is hote, as after a cold pause. Euerie man hath his complaints; & who liueth out of the reach of discontent? You shall heare tradesmen complaining of few or false customers. Labourers, of little worke, and lesse wages. Beggars complaine the want of Charity: and rich men the want of money. Merchants of rockes and Pyrats: Lawyers of short fees; and Clyents of long suits. But no man complaines of the thornes in his owne bosome. He nourisheth bryers there that wound him: and the heart is as dedolent,Ephe. 4. 19. as if it were past feeling. But where there is no discouerie of the disease, the recouery of the health is in vaine hoped for.

2 After sense of the smart will follow a de­sire of remedy. The throbbing conscience would be at ease, and freed from the Thorne that vexeth it. Dauid rores out for the very disquietnesse of his heart. The aking heart will make a crying tong, and wet eyes. Loe the mercie of GOD! A remedy is not sooner desired, then offred. The sacred Gospell directs vs to a medicine, that shall supple the heart, and draw out these thornes; though they stucke as thicke in it, as euer the ar­rowes did in Sebastian. They speake of the herbe Dictamnum, call'd of some Ditanie, that it hath a secret vertue to draw out any thing fastened in the body.Lib. 26. cap. 14. Plinie sayth, that this herbe drunke, Sagit­tas pellit. Experience telleth, that it is soueraigne [Page 145] to exhale a thorne out of the flesh. Our onely Dictamnum is the precious bloud of our merciful Sauiour IESVS CHRIST. A plaister of that is truely vertuall, to draw out all thornes from our consciences, Saucia [...]nimis, which is nulla medica­bilis herbis, is thus cured. Our sinnes drew bloud of him; that his bloud might saue vs. He was crowned with Thornes, that we might not be kil­led with thornes. He was wounded for vs, that we might not perish for our selues.

Take we heed, that we despise not this medi­cine. The law was so farre from drawing out these thornes, that it would driue them in further, and cause them to rankle in the heart, without a­ny hope of ease. It did but exasperate their stings, and giue them a deeper continuance of pricking. The mollifying and healing Gospell extracts their venome, and sucks out their poy­son. Let vs not dare then to vilipend this cordi­all and soueraigne medicine.

You perceiue that our sinnes are Thornes; and what is their onely remedy. Know now, that if they be not drawne out in this world, they shall be found thornes hereafter; when the owners shall heare Christs sentence, Goe yee cursed, &c. for the end of them is to be burned. So I come to the punishment: but I will soone haue done with that, which shall neuer haue done with those that must vndergoe it.

There is a threefold gradation in the Penalty, Reiection, malediction, combustion. Is reiected, is [Page 146] nigh vnto cursing, and the end thereof is to be bur­ned. And it seems to haue relation to a threefold distinction of time. 1. For the present, it is re­iected. 2. For instance or appropinquation, it is nigh vnto cursing. 3. For future certainty, the end of it is to be burned. As men commonly deale with thornes: first they cut them vp with bils and mattocks: then they lay them by to wi­ther: and lastly burne them in the furnace.

1 Reiection. This which we here translate (is reiected) is in the originall ( [...]) which may signifie Reprobios, or reprobatus: so Beza hath it; is reproued, or disallowed of God. This ground shall haue no ground in heauen, no part in God inheritance. It is reprobate siluer, not current with the Lord. No man desires to pur­chase Land, that will bring forth nothing but weedes: he will not cast away his siluer vpon it. And shall GOD buy so base ground, that will be no better, at so inestimable a price, as the in­corruptible bloud of his owne Sonne? It des­piseth the Lords goodnesse, and the LORDS goodnesse shall despise it. It is reiected. If any man sayth, this is Durus Sermo, let him consider of whom the Apostle speaketh, verse. 4. against whom hee concludes ab impossibili. It is impossi­ble, &c. A hard saying to vnderstand, but more, most heard to vndergoe. If God be driuen to loose all his paines and cost vpon an ingratefull heart, he will at last renounce it, and giue it ouer [Page 147] a desperate nature. As he in the Comedy, Abeat, pereat, profundat, perdat. If it will be filthy, let it be filthy still. If nothing will bring it to good­nesse, it shall be reiected.

2. The second degree of the Punishment is cursing: and this may seeme to exceed the for­mer. Gods curse is a fearefull thing. If you would view (though but in part) the latitude and extension of it, I refer you to the 28. of Deu­teronomy. But I purpose not to bee curiously punctuall, in the demonstration of these particu­lar degrees of the Punishment. That which I wil obserue, is this.

That God is more propense and inclined to blessing, then to cursing: more prone to shewe mercy, then to inflict iudgement. It is sayd in the former Verse, the good ground receiues blessing of God: receiues it presently, receiues it at once. But here of the euill ground; it is nigh vnto cur­sing: it is not presently cursed, but nigh vnto it. There is some pawse and delay: some lucida interualla misericordiae. The whole viall of wrath is not poured on at once. But first there is a de­spising or reiection; to let the wicked see, how hatefull their vices are in Gods sight. If this serue not, they are not sodainely cursed; but there is a breathing time, and a mercifull space betweene that and cursing; and betweene cur­sing and burning. So slowly doth GOD proceed to iudgement, so little haste he makes to the ex­ecution [Page 148] of his vengeance. Hee is speedy to de­liuer, to saue, to giue his blessing; but hee hath leaden feet when he comes to strike.

The vse of this to our selues is, that the pati­ent forbearance of God may leade vs to repen­tance, Romans the second and the fourth.Rom. 2. 4. The Prophet Ioel bids vs Rent our hearts, Ioel. 2. 13. and fall to weeping and mourning; Because the Lord is mercifull and slow to anger. Gods long-suffering is as a hand reached out, that points vs to re­pentance. Such is his goodnesse, that when all his terrors and menace; are set in their places, yet hee makes roome for Repentance, whensoe­uer it comes. And though they bee as ready to strike, as Abrahams hand was to Isaacs sacrifice; yet Repentance, tanquam vox Angeli, shall stay them. O blessed Repentance, how sweet and a­miable art thou! yet how few loue thee!

The great man, that thinkes he may securely be wicked, because he is honourably great; and dares affront the Pulpit, though the greatest Bi­shop in the land were preaching in it; cares not for repentance. The wealthy Gentleman, that can bung vp Hospitality into a Diogenes tubbe; nestle himselfe warme in a City-chamber, whiles Owles and Dawes parlour themselues in his countrey-manors: that (as it is storied of that Iew for the vse of his money) takes his rent in bloud; the heart-bloud of his racked Tenants; cares not for Repentance.

The countrey Nabal, that hoords his graine, [Page 149] and with it lockes vp his soule in a Garner, that the Sunne of Gods blessing may not come at it: that starues the poore, his family, himselfe; cares not for Repentance. The auarous Citi­zens, whom the glad Diuell can neuer find with­out a false measure in one hand, and a cozening waight in the other; that haue trickes in their sconces to ouer-reach the diuell himselfe; but that (like a cunning Fenser) he that taught them all their trickes, kept one to himselfe, to cheate them of their soules; care not for repentance. The muffled Lawyer, that hath no sense left aliue but his feeling, and waighs all causes by the poyse of gold; that talkes against others right and his owne conscience; that leades Iurie into pe [...]iury, with his fraudulent circumuentions; cares not for repentance.

The sharking Officer,Zosun. lib. 2. (that like Menelaus, an Armenian Archer in the wars betwixt Con­stantius and Magnentius) can shoot three ar­rowes at once, at one loose; wherewith hee wounds not one, but three at the least: the Prince whom hee serues, the person whom hee drawes bloud of, and the body of the Com­mon-wealth; cares not for repentance. I neede not speake of the Church-robber, the Vsurer, the Drunkard, the Proud, the vncleane adulte­rer: no man can think, that they care for repen­tance. O but they all purpose to repent. Spare them a while; they are but new set into the O­uen; not yet fully baked in their hot vanities: [Page 150] let them foke a little in their pleasures, and at last they will returne.Hos. 7. 4. They are as an Ouen heated by the Baker. Repentance is an ascent of foure steps: many get vp three of them, but climbe not to the fourth and best.

1. Some there are that purpose to amend their liues. But purpose without performance is like a Cloud without raine; not vnlike Hercules Clubbe in the Tragedy, of a great bulke, but the stuffing is mosse and rubbish. If the tree bee fairely blossom'd, and naked of fruite, it may speed as the Figge-tree in the Gospell. be curseo: or at least (it is as the euill ground here) nigh vnto cursing. Many that purposed to repent, are now in hell, as the fiue foolish Virgins, that inten­ded to goe in with the Bridegroome; but before the time their lights dropp'd out.

One sayd, that hell is like to bee full of good purposes, but heauen of good workes. If a bare Intention would serue, Gods Church on earth would bee fuller of Saints, and his Court in hea­uen fuller of soules. Ignorance and Sloth adul­terating, bring forth this lanke brood, this abor­tiue embrion, Purpose. Such a man is like an ill debtor, who will not pay God his due of deuoti­on till hee is old: and then hee cannot pay for want of (time & mony) space and grace to repent. We make (in these daies) our purposes like our Eeues, and our performances like the holy-daies: seruants work hard vpō the Eeues, that they may [Page 151] haue the more liberty to play vpon the Holy­dayes: so we are earnest, and labour hard on our purposes; but are idle and play vpon our perfor­mances. But Resolution without action, is a gol­den couch to a leaden Iewell.

2. The second round of this Ladder is Preparation. Some there are that will prepare, & almost set themselues in a readinesse for their iourney to heauen; yet neuer set one steppe for­ward. Preparation is indeed as necessary, as the dore is to the house: but as idle, if there be no house to the dore. It may (as Iohn the Baptist did for Christ) prepare the way of the Lord into our hearts: and it may be as vaite, as the Apothe­caries Beast, Testia Phar­macopolae. which hee promised his Patient would helpe him of all diseases; but before mor­ning it had eaten vp it selfe. Preparation is a ne­cessary antecedent to all great workes, Amos 4.Am. 4. 12. Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. But a man may prepare meate, and not feede: prepare meate, and not eate. Prepaeration does well, if reparati­on followes. A man may climbe both these rounds, and yet fall short of the true height of Repentance.

3. The third stairre is a Beginning to abstaine from some horrid iniquities; and as it were, an entring into a new path; but not going one step in it, without a voluntary reuolting. But Be­ginning is nothing to perfection. Some begin in [Page 152] the spirit, and end in the flesh: that s [...]lute Christ in the market place; take acquaintance of him in the street, but neuer bid him home to their houses. It is (vox praetereuntium derisoria) the speech of them that passe by. This man began to build. A house but begun is not fit to dwell in: and shall wee thinke that Gods Spirit will dwell in an inchoate habitacle, and not likely to be fi­nished? The Apostle sayth,2. Pet. 2. 21. It had been better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousness, then after they haue knowne it, to turne from the ho­ly commandement deliuered vnto them.

4 The fourth Round onely pleaseth God, and is good for our Soules, Repentance; without which the euill ground is neere to cursing; as it were at next dore by; and it shall come on him with a speedy visitation nisi interueniente poeniten­tia. This is the Bulwarke to defend vs from the shot of Gods thunder from heauen: this hed­geth vs in from his iudgements on earth. Woe to sinfull man without this: for he is neere to cur­sing; and his end is to be burned. Blessed Soule that hath it. Wheresoeuer it dwels, mercie dwels by it. If England hath it, it shall ease her of her thornes, Ezek. 28.Ezek. 20. 14. There shall be no more a pricking bryar vnto the house of Israel, nor any grieuing Thorne of all that are round about them.

3 The last and forest degree of the Punish­ment, is Burning. I will not discourse, whether [Page 153] the fire of that euerlastingly-hote furnace be ma­teriall or spirituall. Surely, it is strangely terri­ble; and wee are blessed, if wee neither vnder­stand it nor vndergoe it. The miserie of the dam­ned is vsually distinguished into the Paine of losse, and the paine of sense. Both implied in this verse, and expressed, Thessalonians the second, Chap. 1. Verse 8, 9.2. The. 1. 8. 9. Christ shall take vengeance on such as know not God, and obey not the Gospell of Iesus Christ, there is paine of Sense. They shall be punished with euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, there is paine of losse.

1. This Poena damni, or priuation of bles­sednesse, may seeme to be implyed in the first degree here mentioned, Reiection. The repro­bate are cast away of God. Much like that forme of the last sentence, Math. 25. 41.Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me, yee cursed: a fearefull sentence, a terrible se­paration. From Me, sayth Christ; that made my selfe man for your sakes, that offered my bloud for your redemption, & receiued these & these wounds for your remedie. From Me, that would haue healed, would haue helped, would haue sa­ued you. From Me, that inuited you to mercy, and you would not accept it. From Me, that pur­chased a kindgome of glory, for such as belee­ued on me; and will wrappe their heads with crownes of eternall ioy: Depart from Me. This is a fearefull Reiection, My friendship, my fel­lowship, [Page 154] my Paradise, my presence, my heauen, where is fulnesse of ioy, and pleasure for euermore, Psal. 16. vlt. are none of yours. They might haue been; they are lost. Neither shall they onely loose Christ, but all the companie with Christ: the Quire of glo­rious Angels, the society of his blessed Mother, the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, all the happy and holy Saints, with the whole host of heauen. They shall fret, and vexe, and bee ready to eate their owne galls, to see those triumphing in glo­ry, whom they on earth persecuted, martyred, tortured. They could here exercise their sauage tyranny ouer them; not onely denying their owne bread, but taking away theirs: they could despise, beate, maligne, vndoe, burne them at stakes: now the estate of both is changed: as A­braham told Diues. They are comforted, Luke 16. 25. and thou art tormented.

2. This is not all. The priuation of blessed ioyes is not enough: there must follow the posi­tion of cursed torments. For their Punishment is proportioned to their sinne, Ier. 2.Ier. 2. 13. They haue committed two euils. They haue forsaken the Lord, the fountaine of liuing waters, and hewed them out cisternes, broken cisternes that can hold no water. As they turned from their Maker, so their Ma­ker turnes from them: there is Poenadamni. As they fastned their delights on the creatures, so the creatures shall be their tortures: there is Poe­na sensus. They reiected God, and hee reiects [Page 155] them; they adhered to wickednesse, and it shall adhere to their bones for euer, and bring them to burning.

Their torments which are here expressed by Fire, haue two fearefull conditions, vniuersali­ty, and eternitie.

1. They are vniuersall, vexing euery part of the body, and power of the soule. It is terrible in this life, to be pained in euery part of the body at one time. To haue ache in the teeth, gowt in the feete, collick in the reines, &c. and to lye (as it were) vpon a racke, for innumerable diseases, like so many executioners, to torture him, is in­tollerable. But the largest shadowe of these tor­ments to their substance, is not so much as a lit­tle bone-fire to the combustion of the whole world.

2. They are eternall. If it had but as many ages to burne, as there be trees standing on the earth, there would bee some, though a tedious hope of their end. But it is such a Fire, as shall neuer be quenched. This word Neuer is feare­full. Though they raine floudes of teares vpon it, they shall bee but like oyle to encrease the flame: for the worme neuer dyes, the fire neuer goes out. You see the end of Thornes. Wickednes burneth as the fire: Esa. 9. 18. it shall deuoure the bryers and thornes, and shall kindle in the thickest of the For­rest, and they shall mount vp like the lifting vp of sm [...]k [...].

[Page 156] I resolued against prolixity. The generall and summary doctrine is this. That since the wicked ground, which beareth thornes and bry­ers, is neere vnto cursing, and the end thereof is e­ternall fire: it followes necessarily, that all they which lay the foundation of vngodlinesse, must needs build vpon condemnation. Let no man de­ceiue you: I. Ioh. 3. 8. He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell. If the course of a mans life be wicked, couetous, vncleane, malicious, idolatrous, adulterous, drun­ken; hee layes the ground-worke of his owne destruction; and precipitates himselfe to the malediction of God. Hee that layes the foun­dation in fire-work, must looke to be blowne vp. Perhaps this meditation, though it bee of vn­quenchable Fire, may yet worke coldly in our hearts; and leaue no impression behinde it; yet you cannot deny this to be true. He that would denie it must deny my Text, must turne Atheist, and reiect the holy word of God. Nay, he must thinke there is no God, no reuenge of wicked­nesse, no diuell, no hell. And he vndertakes a very hard taske, that goes about to settle this perswasion in his mind. No, no. Let no man de­ceiue you with vaine words: Eph. 5. 6. for because of these things cometh the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience. And in this passage I must value all men alike: of what stuffe, or of what fashion soeuer his coate be: if his life be full of bryers and thornes, his end is to be burned. What shall we then doe vnto thee, O thou preseruer of men, that [Page 157] wee may escape it? what,Mark. 1. 15. but Repent, and beleeue the Gospell!

Let the commination of hell instruct vs to preuent it: as the message of Niniuehs ouer­throw effected their safetie. 1. Let vs flie by a true faith into the armes of our Redeemer, that God reiect vs not. 2. Let vs poure forth flouds of repentant teares, that wee bee not nigh vnto cursing. 3. And let vs bring forth no more bry­ars and thornes, that our end may not be, to bee burned. Faith, Repentance, Obedience; this same golden rule of three, will teach vs to worke vp our owne saluation. This done, wee shall not be reiected, but knowne to bee elected: we shall be so farre from cursing. that we shal presently re­ceiue the blessing. And our End shall be, not fire, but glorie and peace.Psal. 37. 37. Marke the perfect man, and behold the vpright: for the end of that man is PEACE.