Heaven's joy, FOR A SINNERS REPENTANCE. A SERMON PREAched at  the 4. of March, 1623. BY JOHN DENISON, Doctor of Divinity, and one of his Majesty's CHAPLAINS.  
LONDON, Printed by G. P. for john Budge, and are to be sold at the sign of the green Dragon, in Paul's Churchyard. 1623.   

To the Reader.  
I Understand (Christian Reader) that there will be an expectation of a Title, and an Epistle. I pity those Readers, who are moved only by so slender inducements, to peruse what is necessary. I have seen Titles, much dissonant from the Books, 
Quorum tituli remedium habent, pyxides venena. Lactan. 3.15.  like galley-pots, whose inscriptions have been Antidotes, and the matter contained in them Aconites: And have read Epistles, swelling with bubbles of great words, and promising Mountains, 
Proijcit ampulias, etc. Horac. de art Poet. Parturiunt montes.  when the work hath been poor, and yielded only Molehills. Yet have I condescended to custom, and the Printer. I cannot promise thee much in this little Sermon. If thou find in it, that which may further thy Repentance, it is that I have aimed at, both in the preaching and publishing it. And so, commending it to the blessing of God, and thee to his saving grace, I rest,  
Thine in the Lord, I. D.   

Heaven's joy, for a Sinners Repentance.  Luke 15.7. 
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven for one sinner that repenteth, more than for ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.  
AS skilful Physicians repair to those places, where many are sick and diseased, and the sick to such Physicians: So, our blessed Saviour, the great Physician of soul and body, resorted to those places, where people were diseased in body, or distressed in soul, and to him did such distressed ones resort.  

Chrysolog. ser. 168.  Now the Pharises, non minùs invidi quàm superbi, being a proud and envious generation, murmured enviously, and said proudly, This man receiveth Sinners, and eateth and drinketh with them. Hereupon our Saviour percutit, 
Caietan.  consolatur, provocat, checks the proud Pharises, comforts the humble Publicans, and stirs up every sinner to repentance. And, that he may hunt the Pharises out of these thickets of pride and envy, he delivers three parables, that the same be as a threefold cord, not easily broken. The first is, of a man that hath lost a sheep, and goes carefully after it. The second, of a woman that hath lost a groat, and seeks diligently for it. The third, of a father that joyfully receives his lost Son. These actions in those persons the Pharises cannot dislike, Now thus stands the case, These sinners are the lost sheep, the lost groat, the lost Son. Why then should the Pharises murmur at this gracious act of Christ, 
Luke 19.10.  who came to seek & save that which was lost? Yea, why should they not rather rejoice, as heaven doth? For behold, there is joy in heaven for one sinner that repenteth, more than for ninety and nine just persons, that need no repentance.  
In which words, may it please you to observe, 1. Quis, who it is that speaketh, in these words, I say unto you. 2. Quomodo, the manner of his speech, and it is in a Parable, whereof this word likewise is the word of application.  
3. Quid, the matter of his speech, and it is this, There shall be joy in heaven for, etc.  
And in that we will consider, first, who rejoiceth, secondly, for whom the joy is.  
The first of these is delivered in these general words, There shall be joy in heaven.  
The second in the words following, for one sinner that repenteth, etc.  
Wherein we have a comparison of persons, and their different condition.  
The comparison of persons in respect of 

1. quantity, one, opposed to ninety and nine.  
2. quality, A sinner that reputes, to them that need no repentance.    
Their different condition; There shall be more joy for that one, then for those ninety and nine.  
So that here the Person which speaks, may challenge our attention: It is the Son of God.  
The manner of his speech is worthy our consideration; It is the opening of that which was locked up in a parable.  
The matter of his speech yields great consolation; for it acquaints us with the joy of heaven, for a sinner's conversion.  
I say unto you.  
THese words may be opposed to the words of the proud Pharises, 
The first general point.  as a corrosive, to eat out their censorious humour. They said, This man receiveth sinners: therefore saith our Saviour, I say unto you: as if he should say, that which you, say savours of earth, of envy; that which I do, is an act of charity, and hath the approbation of heaven.  
They may be also a cordial to comfort the heart of an humble penitent.  
The troubled conscience will be ready to say with the Prodigal Son, My case is woeful, I have sinned against heaven, even against God, and his holy Angels: but hear what Christ saith, Repent, and heaven shall be pacified, God and his holy Angels shall rejoice for thee.  
They may likewise be a Preface, to stir up our attention. Here is our Pythagoras, and his Dico vobis, I say unto you, must rouse up our spirits, and raise up our attention to what he speaks: 
john 7.46.  for never man spoke like this man.  
When our Saviour said to Simon the Tanner, 
Luke 7.40.  as we read in the seventh of Luke, Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee: Simon answered, Master, say on: So should we (when Christ doth thus preface his speeches) long to hear what he will say, expect from him some remarkable matter, and say with Samuel, 
1. Sam. 3.10.  Speak, Lord: for thy servant heareth thee. Yea, we should so hear, that with the blessed Virgin, 
Luke 2.52.  we lay up all his sayings in our hearts.  

Second general point.  NOw the quomodo: the manner of his speech will be a further motive to this purpose: where under the leaves of Metaphors, 
Sub literis quasi sub foliis, etc. Chrysost. in Phil. hom. 4.  there lies hid much singular fruit of comfort. If in a great company one amongst the rest be vailed, every one's eye will be upon him, with neglect of the rest, who are not so. So when our Saviour doth thus (as it were) veil his speeches with parables, it should draw our ears to attention, and our hearts to consideration of that which is spoken: for sic loquitur, 
Basil in Psal. 4●.  ut auditorem excitet.  
These parables are like a medicine, and this word likewise, (as I said) like the application of the medicine. Pliny writes, 
Plin. Lib. 24.  that Democritus a famous Physician, having one Considia a noble Matron to his patient, because her weakness could not brook any Physic in the species, gave her the milk of Goats, which he caused to feed upon Mastic: so doth this gracious Physician of the soul, our blessed Saviour: Condulcet sermonem, saith chrysostom, 
Chrysost. in Rom. 6.  he doth so confect, and compose his heavenly medicines, that they may minister grace to every penitent patient.  
This was salomon's course, being King and Preacher of jerusalem; as it is in the twelfth of Ecclesiastes, He prepared many Parables: 
Eccles. 12.9.  and it followeth there immediately, The words of the wise are like goads, and nails, fastened by the Master of the assemblies. And surely, Parables and similitudes have much life in them; they have a marvellous piercing and fastening property; a piercing of the intellectual faculty, like goads, and a fastening in the memory, like nails. They pierce the understanding: forasmuch as ordinarily, nihil in intellectu, quod non prius fuerat in sensu, the senses are the soul's windows, to convey in the light of knowledge. Therefore it pleaseth God to teach us heavenly things by earthly. 
Chrysost. quo supra.  And as nurses speak to the Infant, in the Infant's language: so hath the Lord guided the tongues and pens of his sacred Orators and Secretaries, that they should speak to us, not so as he could enable them, but so as we might he able to understand them.  
Again, Parables are very powerful to work upon the Conscience. They set before a man, as it were in a glass, his virtues commended, or his vices condemned, in another, and cause him, before he is ware, to give sentence against himself. Thus our Saviour by the Parable of the householder, and the husbandman, 
Mat. 21.41.  extorted from the chief Priests, and Pharises that fearful doom upon themselves; 
Luke 19.22.  He will cruelly destroy those wicked men; That by the confession of their own mouths, they might be condemned. Thus Nathan by a Parable drew from David that sharp sentence upon himself; 
2. Sam. 12.5.  The man that hath done this thing, is the son of death: Yea, such a strong impression it wrought in him, that it made him retire himself, & with deep sorrow to bewail his sin, 
Psal. 51.  as his mournful penitential Psalm doth manifest.  
When Moses saw the burning bush, which I may call a visible Parable (as representing the state of the Church, which may be oppressed, but can never be suppressed) he said, I will turn aside, 
Exod. 3.3.  and see this great sight: so should we sequester our meditations to the due consideration of this our Saviour's close and application of an excellent Parable.  

The 3. general point.  Especially if we consider the Quid. what it is that he saith; for behold, it is matter of joy; and joy is that which every one desires to have and hear of; because, a joyful heart causeth good health, 
Proverb. 17.22.  whereas a sorrowful mind drieth the bones. Neither is this earthly, but heavenly joy; Earthly joy is rather desolation, 
August. Epist. 121.  than consolation, as S. Augustine saith. It is like the silver streams of a swift river, 
Chrysost. in Psal. 5  which glides away smoothly, and falls suddenly into the brackish Sea; but the celestial joy is constant; and permanent.  
There is joy in heaven: And no marvel, for no sorrow can have access thither. 
Reuel. 21.10.  The place yields joy, it is a goodly City, a glorious Kingdom: 
Mat. 25.34.  There (as the Psalmist saith) there is joy and gladness in the Tabernacles of the righteous, where the Angels sing halleluia's to the blessed Trinity: And as the place, so the presence yields joy; there are not only, The spirits of just and holy men, and innumerable company of Angels, 
Heb. 12.22.  and jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant: but there is also the presence of God, 
Psal. 16.11.  in whose presence is the fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore. 
Bern serm. 1. in Rom. 14.17.  Here God's servants gaudent in spiritu, there de spiritu. Their joy here ariseth from the sense, there from the presence of God's blessed Spirit.  
But who are they, that rejoice thus in heaven? Before I answer that, I must remove some Romish Rubbish. The Rhemists in their Annotations on this place write thus: The Angels, and other celestial spirits rejoice at every sinner's conversion: therefore our inward repentance is known to them; and betwixt the Angels, and the blessed souls of Saints: there is no difference in this case, the one being as highly exalted as the other, and as near God, in whom they see and know all things.  
Lord, what a number of falsehoods are wrapped up here in a few words?  
First, the Romish doctrine controls this Remish note: for if the souls of the patriarchs were (as they teach) then in Limbus Patrum, how could they be said to be as near God, as the Angels?  
Secondly, those that have taken upon them to marshal the host of heaven, have denied to the Saints this propinquity of place.  
Thirdly, to affirm, that the Saints do know our inward repentance, is both false and impious, as being an encroachment upon God's Royal prerogative, 
1. King. 8.39.  who only knows the hearts of all men.  
Fourthly, Whereas they say, that between the Saints and Angels there is no difference in this case: Even in this case there is a main difference: For, the Angels, 
Heb. 1.14.  being ministering Spirits, may, by conversing with men, judge probably of their conversion by their conversation: but how can the Saints, having no such office designed them?  
Fiftly, That place in the two and twentieth of Matthew, 
Mat. 22.30.  assumed by the Rhemists, for proof of their Paradox, is by them grossly perverted: They shall be as the Angels of God in heaven: For, albeit the Saints are like to the Angels in this, that they are freed from infirmity, iniquity and mortality. 
Fulgent. de Passion. Dom. lib. 3. It followeth not.  (as Fulgent. saith) yet that they are therefore like to them in all things, is a non sequitur. And this is the Rhemists' fallacy, They take that simpliciter, which is spoken secundum quid, as they might have learned of their own jansenius; yea, of themselves, if they had but reviewed their own Annotation upon that place.  
Lastly, whereas they say, that the Saints and Angels see all things in God, it is a vain and idle conceit. For the Angels, who are as near God as the Saints are, and do see as much in him as the Saints do, were ignorant of the Gentiles enfranchisement, 
Ephes. 3.10.  till it was made known to them in the Churches, by the Apostles preaching; And our Saviour saith, they know not the day of judgement. 
Mat. 24.36.  Neither doth this conceit make the Saints equal to the Angels only, but both Saints and Angels to Almighty God, in respect of that incommunicable Attribute, his Omniscience, whereof no creature is capable. So that this Romish speculum Trinitatis, is but speculum vanitatis: Their glass (as they call it) of the Trinity, is indeed a glass of vanity.  
Leaving therefore those celestial spirits, 
Who they are that reioyc for the repentance of a sinner.  the Saints, to such celestial joys, as they do certainly and happily enjoy; They are the holy Angels, and the blessed Trinity, even by general consent of Antiquity, that do here rejoice. 
The Angels rejoice.  The holy Angels are those amici, & vicini, mentioned in the sixth verse; those friends, which have idem velle, & idem nolle, 
Concur in will.  with Almighty God, and those neighbours, that are near to him in the place of bliss and happiness.  
Now the Angels do thus rejoice in respect of themselves, in respect of us, & in regard of Almighty God. They rejoice in respect of themselves, Quia numerus eorum repletur: 
Anselme in Ephes. 4.  Because their society is repaired by the accession of repentant sinners, which was diminished by the fall of the reprobate angels. They rejoice for us, in regard of the singular benefits that accrue to us by repentance. For as the damned spirits would be glad of our confusion; so these blessed Spirits rejoice for our conversion: they are our nurses, 
Psal. 91.11.  and carry us in their hands, and therefore rejoice for our advancement, when by repentance we are delivered from the power of darkness, 
Colos. 1.13.  and translated into the Kingdom of Christ jesus. They are our guard, 
Psal. 34.7  and do pitch their tents about us; so that they mourn, when they see us in Satan's camp, and rejoice, when by repentance we return to our Captain Christ jesus. They rejoice in regard of God; for Angeli eos amant, 
Chrysost. ad Pop. Antioch. ho. 22.  qui Dominum suum diligunt; The Angels love those that love their Lord and Master. And as a good and loyal subject rejoiceth in the honour of his Sovereign, and the enlargement of his dominions; so do the Angels rejoice when they see their Lord honoured, and his Kingdom enlarged by the repentance of a sinner. Therefore S. Bernard calls Lachrymas poenitentium, 
Bern in Cant. serm. 30.  vinum Angelorum, The tears of repentanis sinners, the wine of Angels, because they make them glad. Thus as jobs friends, after he was freed from his heavy afflictions, 
job 42.11.  came to comfort him: so the Angels our good friends, when they see us freed from the heavy burden of sin, do rejoice for us.  

The blessed Trinity rejoiceth. Verse 24.  Again, the blessed Trinity rejoiceth for our conversion.  
1 God the Father is that indulgent Father, who rejoiceth here for the return of his Prodigal Son. He that protesteth so solemnly, Ezech. 33. As I live, 
Ezech. 33.11.  I delight not in the death of a sinner; and calleth so passionately and compassionately, Turn you, turn you, for why will you dye, O you house of Israel? must needs rejoice for the conversion of a sinner. For more honour redounds to Almighty God, 

By the restoring of man that fell, then by the creation of the Angels. Beda.  
Aquiu. 1. sec. q 11. Ar. 9   restauratione hominum, quàm creatione Angelorum, as Beda saith. Yea, The conversion of a sinner (saith the schoolman) is a more glorious work, than the Creation of the world, because the one is transient, the other is permanent. Therefore as Abraham, 
Gen. 21.3, 8.  the father of the faithful, rejoiced at the birth of Isaac, and feasted it at his wearying; so our heavenly Father rejoiceth at our new birth; 
A heavenly banquet, Greg.  and it yields coeleste convivium, when we are weaned from our corruptions.  
2 As God the Father who created us, so God the Son who redeemed us, rejoiceth for our conversion. He that in the days of his flesh mourned for the hardness of men's hearts, 
Mark 3.5.  and rejoiced in the Spirit, when he saw Satan cast down like lightning: 
Luke 10.21.  and poor sinners, rescued out of the paws of that roaring Lion, cannot but be sensible of the happy condition of his servants. He that, when he was on earth, sighed, wept, sweat, fasted, prayed, shed his blood for the salvation of sinners; being now in heaven, must needs rejoice for a sinner's conversion, when he sees that his fasting, sweeting, bleeding, his sighs, prayers, and tears are not spent in vain. According to that in the three and fiftieth of Esaiah, 
Verse 11.  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.  
3 God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth us, 
Ephes. 4.30.  rejoiceth. For, as we grieve the Spirit of God by our sins; so we make him glad by our repentance, as the careful Physician is glad for the recovery of his sick patiented. You are the Temples of the Holy Ghost, 
1. Cor. 3.16.  saith the Apostle. Now when these temples shall be like the Egyptian temples, wherein was nothing, but a Cat or a Crocodile, the Spirit of God mourns, but when these temples shall be cleansed by repentance, and become like the Ark, which held the holy things of God, he rejoiceth.  
Thus as a man, having taken pains in setting, watering, and cherishing some fair plant, grieves to behold it eaten with the Canker; but when he sees the Canker killed, and the tree become flourishing and fruitful, rejoiceth in his labour: So God the Father, who hath planted us with a divine hand, God the Son, who hath watered us with his precious blood, & God the holy Ghost, who cherrisheth us with the influences of grace, beholding the Canker of corruption fretting in our souls, mourns; but seeing this Canker killed by repentance, and us, like good trees, become fruitful in good works, rejoiceth exceedingly.  
NOw this joy of the elect Angels, 
For whom this joy is in heaven.  and the blessed Trinity, is, for one sinner that repenteth. Almighty God, who hath recorded in his Calendar, the Book of Life, the names of all the Elect, neglects not one of them: So that, Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, 
Mat. 18.6.  it were better that a Millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the depth of the Sea. 
john 10.11. Luke 15.4.  He that is the good Shepherd, seeks after that one lost Sheep, and rejoiceth so when he hath found him; 
Chrysost. serm. 168.  Quia in uno, invenit omnes; because in finding that one, he finds every one.  
One link of his golden Chain must not be broken, because it is the dissolving of the whole; So that if ●ny one of his go astray, he sends after him, to reclaim him and when this wandering sinner returns by unfeigned repentance, he rejoiceth more in him, then in ninety & nine just persons.  

Luke 17 17.  But as our Saviour said concerning the Lepers, & novem ubi sunt? Where are the nine? so may I say, Where are these ninety and nine just persons? Surely it is here, as it was there, the writ will be returned with a non sunt 
Verse 18.  inventi: they are not to be found. Solomon tells us, 
Eccles. 7.20.  that there is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not. S. john saith, If we say, 
1. john 1.8. james 3.2.  We have no sin, we deceive ourselves. Yea, S. james acknowledgeth, (without excluding himself) that in many things we offend all. Quomodo potest esse iustitia, ubi non potest deesse culpa? How then, 
Bern. serm. 5. in Isaiah.  saith Bernard, can we stand upon our righteousness, when as we cannot be free from sinfulness? There is no man so righteous, but it may be said unto him in our Saviour's words, Vnum tibi deest: There is one thing wanting to thee. 
Mark 10.21.  Yea surely many things. Therefore S. Augustin said truly, 
August. de ciu. Dei, 19.27.  our justice consists rather in remission, than perfection: Where then are these ninety & nine just persons? I answer, the Scriptures speak of two sorts of just persons; there are some just opinion, in conceit and opinion; some veritate, in truth.  
There are some who are just in conceit only: such were they of whom our Saviour speaks, 
Mat. 9.12, 13.  The whole have no need of the Physician, but the sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Those whole and righteous, are the same that these just people are; 
Nomine iusti, te superbi. Chrysost.  men just in title, but proud in truth; whose proud spirits raised up in them a high conceit of righteousness: and as those needed not the Physician: so these need not repentance. And the like stupifaction we find upon the conscience of the vaunting Pharisee, 
Luke 18.11.  I thank God (saith he) I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess. Here is a man that is just and sinneth not, as appeareth by the negative and affirmative branches of his confession: But this was opinion tantùm, only in his own conceit. And such were these Pharises, whose folly our Saviour here checks very justly: as if he should say, I tell you, there is more joy for one of these penitent sinners, which you despise, them for ninety nine such just persons as you are, who are just only in conceit.  
Again, as there is justice in conceit, so is there also in truth, and that both passive and active; there is justice by imputation, & justice in action: So Abraham believed in God, 
Gen. 15.6.  and that was counted unto him for righteousness; and in obedience to God's commandment he was ready to sacrifice Isaac, 
Gen. 22.10.  and so he was just in action: So was he just, as S. Paul describeth justice, 
Rom. 4.6.  and as S. james doth. Now this passive justice, which is by imputation, 
jam. 2.21.  is perfect, 
Rom. 4.5.  because it is the act of God which caused the Apostle to make that comfortable challenge, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? It is God that justifieth. 
Rom. 8.33.   
But the active and inherent righteousness is not so, 
A house begun, Bern. in Psal. 91.  it is but domus inchoata, as S. Bernard saith: and this building is never perfected, until we come to that House, whose founder & builder is God. It was therefore a worthy speech of famous Constantine to Acesius the Novatian, 
Socrat. histor. lib. 1. cap. 7.  that stood upon this absolute justice: Para tibi scalam, Acesi, etc. Get thee a Ladder Acesius, by which thou mayst climb to heaven alone.  
Brightman, upon the third of the Revelation, hath a harsh comparison, and a worse Conclusion. He makes the Church of Laodicea a type of the Church of England, but most injuriously: For what? can he find nothing that is good and worthy of commendation in this Church, as our Saviour found none in the Church of Laodicea? This comparison is bad, but his Conclusion is worse: Would to GOD thou wert totally Romish, 
utinam totus Romanus esses, vel plenam reformationem susciperes. Eccles. 7.16.  or wouldst embrace a full reformation. You see here, that there is a reason of salomon's Counsel; Be not just overmuch. Shall a Church, because she cannot obtain a perfect reformation, reject her union with Christ? What more impious? And shall a Christian, because he cannot attain to an absolute perfection, cast off all care of Christianity, and betake himself to a debauched kind of life? What more absurd?  
If Brightman had that full reformation he desires, yet a Brownist would take up that utinam against him, because his would not be a perfect constitution of a Church. And were he turned Brownist, the Anabaptist would use his utinam also, because, he hath retained the mark of the Beast. And, 
Tertullian said truly. Et pariter laedunt gelidum feruensquè lavacrum: sic nimium sapere stultum facit improba secta ad Senatorem.  if he should embrace Anabaptism, the Familist would come upon him with that utinam, because he had not obtained the lovely being. Thus erroneous singularity hardly finds any Centre; and when men run into extremes, they precipitate themselves into endless vanities. The Apostles sapere ad sobrietatem: to be wise to sobriety, is a singular blessing. 
Rom. 12.3.  We know, there are diverse degrees of active righteousness, according to the measure of grace, severally imparted to the servants of God. Some there are, who, for their eminency in grace, 
1. Chron. 11.  are like David's three Worthy's; some like his thirty, who were valiant, yet attained not to the honour of the three; some of an inferior rank, yet good Soldiers too. And so are there scholars of diverse forms in the School of Christ, and soldiers of diverse ranks in his camp, yet good Christians too. As one Star differs from another in glory, so do the servants of God in grace. job shined like the daystar in the East. 
job 1.1, 8.  He was a perfect and upright man, and none like him in the earth: yet may a less measure of grace make a man capable of this title of a just person. For, whosoever is justified by faith in Christ, and sanctified in some measure, by the Spirit of God, may truly be called a just man, albeit he be not free from infirmities & frailties; because his frailties and imperfections are covered with the mantle of Christ's merits; and his sincere, though weak endeavours, are accepted of Almighty God as perfect actions; according to that 2. Cor. 8.12. If there be in us a willing mind, God accepteth not according to that we have, but according to that we have not. And so, these ninety nine may be called just, 
In their degrees.  suis gradibus, and need no repentance comparatiuè, by way of comparison, as having not so much need as others, who have sinned more grievously. For as it was in the legal pollutions, some had not so much need of cleansing as others: so is it in the spiritual, according to our Saviour's saying, He that is washed, 
john 13.10.  needeth not to wash, saving his feet only. And such just persons also may our Saviour seem to speak of, in regard of the comparison: For (to speak exexactly) there is small, yea, no joy in heaven for such as are righteous only in conceit.  
But this may seem strange, if it be seriously considered; 
Rom. 9.14.  Is there unrighteousness with God? Shall not the judge of all the world do right? 
Gen. 1●. 25.  If God shall more respect a notorious sinner, that is converted, than another, who hath not been so deeply drenched in sin, how can we clear his justice? 
Magna relinquere, amare minora, Dei potestatis est. Chrysolo. serm. 168.  To this I might answer with Chrysologus, To leave the greatest, and to love the meanest, is in God's power, and at his pleasure. He will ever be a free dispenser of his favours, 
Rom. 9.15.  and will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy. But a distinction will satisfy this doubt, without recourse to the Sanctuary of God's secret and absolute will.  
This joy may be said to be respective, or accidental. Respective, in regard of circumstance thus: there is more joy for such a notorious sinner, because that such a one being effectually called, commonly becomes the most serious penitent, and the soundest convert. Such a one will be more humble, more devout, more diligent than other, in the service of God. Such do exceedingly hunger & thirst after righteousness. 
Mat. 5.  By them the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force, as Christ speaks. 
Mat. 11.12.  It is with such converts, as with iron, and other cold and solid metals, which, being thoroughly heated, are hotter than other substances, & remain so longer. The Scriptures yield us two notable instances in this kind. Marry Magdalen was a notorious sinner, 
Chrysost. de Penitent. hom. 5.  etiam omni delicto convoluta, as Chrysost. saith; and being converted, who like her in her repentance, that not only bedewed her cheeks with her tears, but shed them so abundantly, 
Luke 7.38.  that she washed our Saviour's feet with them? Who more constant in following Christ? for she never left him, till he left the world, and was translated to heaven: And her encomium, given her by our Saviour is this, Many sins were forgiven her, 
Luk. 7.47.  therefore she loved much. And S. Paul, who had been a famous persecutor, when he was called in the way to Damascus, did he not hold a proportionable correspondence in his conversion & conversation? None more displeased with himself for his sins, than he; none more humble, more devout, more diligent in the service of God than he. As before he was a chief sinner; so he now became a chief Labourer in the Lord's Vineyard. So that in this respect, 
1. Tim. 1.15. 1. Cor. 15.10.  the holy Angels, and the blessed Trinity may rejoice for the conversion of such a notorious sinner, more than for ninety and nine, who having not sinned so heinously, have not repent so seriously, nor reform themselves so effectually.  
Again, this joy may be called accidental; not that there is any thing accidental in God: but as Cyprian, his tract de duplici martyrio, (speaking of this subject) saith, Scriptura secundum humanos affectus loquitur. The Scriptures speak to us after the fashion and affections of men. Now with men, such is the accidental & adventitious joy, as here is mentioned, & this with other the like actions & affections, are, for our capacity, ascribed to Almighty God. Though a man have many Children, and love them all well, yet if one have been dangerously sick, and be recovered, or been taken captive, and is delivered, he rejoices more, for the present, in that one, then in all the rest. And so doth our heavenly Father rejoice, when one of his children is delivered from the sickness of sin, and the captivity of Satan, as appears by the parable of the father's feasting, at the return of his prodigal Son; of whom Tertul. saith, 
Tertul. de penitent. cap. 8.  Chariorem senserat quem amiserat: He esteemed this regained son which was lost, most dear unto him. The more dangerous the fight, 
Quantò maius periculum in bello, tanto maius gaudium in triumpho. Aug. confess 83.  the more joyful the triumph. Loss and want, gain more desire and delight, than fruition can. The lost sheep is diligently looked after, when the restare scarce looked on. How acceptable is a calm after a storm? how comfortable the bright Sunshine, after a dark & gloomy day? 
Nazian. de. Cypr. Orat.  how delectable the pleasant spring, after the sad winter? Transisse à morte ad vitam, vitae gratiam duplicat: 
Bern. in Cant. serm. 68  To be restored from death to life, makes life much more acceptable. And what is the restoring of a sinner to the state of grace, by repentance, but life from the dead, 
Rom. 11.15.  as the Apostle speaks? And this was the ground of the father's joy, in the last verse of this Chapter; This thy brother was dead, and is alive again. Thus there is a joy, for a man remaining in the state of grace, like the still continued current of a river, and there is a joy for a sinner restored to the state of grace by repentance, which is like the interrupted stream of the same river, which, having got passage, runs strongly & violently. But in a word, to speak punctually, these speeches import thus much, that repentance is Deo gratissimum, 
Cypr. quo supra.  (as Cyprian saith) that which is most acceptable to Almighty God.  
Hitherto I have opened my text; Now I will draw to an end with some words of Application.  
And is there such joy in heaven for the repentance of a sinner! why then should any penitent sinner despair? Shall a man continue mourning, when heaven rejoices for him? shall he be dejected on earth, whilst the Angels do carol it in heaven? This is dangerous to man, and odious to God. It is dangerous to man: Non tam graue pugnantem vulnerari, 
Chrysost. ad pop. An●●o. hom. 80.  etc. saith Chrysost. It is not so dangerous to be wounded as desperately to refuse to be cured. It is hateful to God, as that which calls into question his glorious attributes of Power, Truth & Mercy. His Mercy, which is over all his works; His Truth, 
Psal. 145.  who hath protested solemnly, As I live, 
Ezech. 33.  I delight not in the death of a sinner; His Power, who is able to do exceeding abundantly, 
Ephes. 3.  above all that we can ask or think. The cause of despair is sin, especially some notorious sin, which wounds the soul more dangerously: but oppose to this the infinite mercy of Almighty God. Say not to me (saith Chrysost.) My sin is great, and how can I be saved? Quod tu non potes, 
Chrysost. ad pop. hom. 80.  tuus potest Dominus: That which thou canst not do, thy merciful God can. God's mercies are exceeding great, and must not be measured with our shallow scantling. Yea, they are infinite: 
2. Sam. 24.14. Mensuram non habent. Chrysost. de poenit. hom. 3.  So that if thou be truly penitent, thy sins, in comparison of God's mercy, are but scintilla ad Mare: a spark, in comparison of the Sea. And can a spark of fire live in the vast Ocean? Again, consider these lively precedents of Gods gracious pardon, granted to penitent sinners. Is thy sin great? so was Peter. Are they many? 
Mat. 26.70, 74. Luke 7.47.  so were Marry magdalen's. Are they foul? 
john 8.3.  so were the womans taken in adultery. Are they cruel? so were Paul's. 
Act. 22.4. Psal. 51.14.  Are they bloody: so were David's. Yet behold, all these upon their serious repentance obtained mercy. And it is very observable, that our Saviour, 
jansen. Concord. cap. 146.  after his resurrection, In consolationem poenitentium, for the comfort of true penitents, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, & to Peter, who had been grievous sinners. Your hands are full of blood, saith the Lord to the jews, 
Isaiah 1.15.  When you spread them out, I will hide my face: yet upon condition of repentance, 
Verse 17, 18.  he calls them to a parley of peace. Cease to do evil, learn to do well; Then come, let us reason together, saith the Lord; Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Nulla est macula, (saith Anselm) Sin can never take so deep a die, 
Anselme in 1. Cor. 12.  but by true and unfeigned repentance it may be washed away.  

August. hom. 27. ex. 50.  When S. Augustine had delivered a point of doctrine like this, some objected that he opened a gap to sin; but he truly answered, that it was Portus poenitentiae, a haven to which a penitent sinner should repair, and was therefore rather a door & motive to repentance. And reason, because this joy of the Angels in heaven, & comfort of men upon earth, depends upon this repentance. 
Non meis verbis sed amentiae suae culpa tribuenda est. Rom. 6.1.  And as Chrysost. said in the like case, If any hereupon will take boldness to sin, it is his own folly, not my fault. Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbidden. This indeed were a wicked, a wretched resolution. 
Fulgent. de penitent.  Fulgentius saith truly, As to repent without hope is mere desperation, so to hope without repentance, is vain presumption. That is a worthy caveat that Chrysost. gives to this purpose; Pervert not the order, 
Ordinem' non pervertas, ne utilitatem perdas. Chrysost. de poen. ho. 3.  lest thou lose the benefit. A man must keep a right method, that will have true comfort; Thou must not sin, that thou mayst repent, but thou must repent if thou have sinned. 
Medicamentum propter vulnus etc. Ambros. de poenit. 2.10.  The wound is not ordained for the Plaster, but the plaster for the wound. And so, sin was not ordained for repentance, but repentance for sin. And what is the end of this our Saviour's speech, and all that I have said, but that you & I, and every one of us, be thereby stirred up to repentance?  
The ancient fathers have given many Eulogiums to this duty, to stir us up to the diligent practice of it. Peccata absoluit, 
Cassiodor. in Psal. 31. Diabolum superat coelum aperit. Chrys. de penitent. hom. 3.  etc. It procures both remission & reward, saith Cassiodore. It subdues the devil, and opens to us the door of heaven, saith Chrysost. Neither is this a slender motive, that it yields joy to heaven: Tu ergo laetare Angelos, saith S. Ambrose: & so say I, Let us all endeavour, that heaven may rejoice for us, which must be effected by our repentance. A man that is wounded, may easily be persuaded to seek for cure. 
Peccatum vulnus paenitentia medicina. Chrysost. de paenit. hom. 3.  Now sin wounds, repentance cures. Should we not seek for it? A man in a dangerous shipwreck, will gladly lay hold upon a plank, to save himself, from drowning. Est naufragis tabula, saith Tertullian, 
Tertul. de paenit. cap. 4.  repentance is a plank to save our souls from drowning in the gulf of eternal perdition. should we not lay hold on it? 
Paenitentia pacem operatur. Bern.  A subject that hath offended his Sovereign, will be glad of means of pacification; behold, repentance is the means to make our peace with God; should we not be glad of it?  
Oh the miserable condition of them, who remain impenitent! whilst they cannot mourn for their sins, they make heaven mourn for them; they deprive themselves of unspeakable comfort, lie under the wrath of God, and are liable to eternal condemnation, according to that in the 2. Rom. 5. Thou, after thy hardness, and heart that cannot repent, treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath. 
Chrysost.  Hoc nobis Deus insevit: God hath planted this principle in every man's heart, that sin must be punished, either in this life, or in the life to come: either in this life by unfeigned repentance, or in the life to come, by eternal torments. Now if any, notwithstanding all this, will yet remain impenitent, and hope for mercy; let him hear what Chrysost. saith, 
Chrysost. in ●. Corinth. hom. 23.  Quomodo Deum rogas ut tibi parcat, cùm tu tibi minimè parcas? How canst thou desire God to have compassion upon thee, when thou hast no compassion upon thyself? Aulus Gellius writes, that the Romans sent the Carthaginians hastam, 
Aul. Gel. lib. 10 cap. 27.  & caduceum: a spear and a white wand, the ensigns of war & peace, and offered them their choice. So deals the Lord with us; upon our repentance he offers us conditions of Peace; but if we stand out, he proclaims open war against us, by his holy Harold the Prophet Isaiah, 
Isai. 48.22.  saying, There is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord.  
Repentance, I know, is irksome to flesh & blood, but the issue thereof is comfortable; 
2. Cor. 7.10.  for it is to salvation. And how much better is it to mourn and sorrow here, where comfort is to be had, then in hell, where there is no hope, no help? Better it is to weep here for our sins, where our seed of tears may procure us a joyful harvest, 
Psal. 126.5.  then to reserve them for that place, where is nothing but weeping & gnashing of teeth. What are a few sighs or tears, to those eternal torments of hell? What is the abandoning of a few vain and transitory pleasures, to the rivers of celestial & permanent joys? I may say in Nazian. words, Haec negotiatio est omnium praestantissima: 
Nazianz. Orat. de Cypr.  No traffic in the world like this, to change a little sorrow, for a great deal of joy; yea, for infinite and endless joys.  
It was a moderate speech of that devout father to Eugenius. Non dico semper etc. I do not exhort thee to restore thyself to thyself always, 
Bern. de consider. ad Eugen.  I do not desire thee to do it often, but only sometime. And that which he speaks of Eugenius his retiring himself to consideration, I may apply to the sequestering of ourselves to the actions of humiliation; as fasting, prayer, repentance. I do not exhort you to do it always; nay, I do not now press you to do it often. Yet in all reason, some times are to be set apart to these duties; for shall we have times of feasting, and not of fasting? of mirth, & not of mourning? of sinning, and not of repenting? And if there be any, behold, the present time doth especially invite us hereunto. For the Church hath anciently sequestered this time of Lent, for these holy duties, in especial manner; In regard of our Saviour's Passion, in respect of his Resurrection, 
Which are at this time celebrated.  and for the celebration of the blessed Sacrament. In regard of his Passion, and that fitly: for by our humiliation we do, in some sort, partake with Christ in his Passion; according to that in the 8. Rom. 17. If we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him. For albeit we are not called to follow him to mount Caluary, that our hands & feet may be pierced with the nails, our sides with the spear, and our heads with the Crown of thorns; yet, whosoever will have comfort by Christ, must have his heart pierced with remorse for his sins, that he may be partaker of that benediction, Blessed are those that mourn, 
Mat. 5.  for they shall be comforted.  
Again, in respect of his resurrection; Easter, as Leo saith, is the greatest of all Christian solemnities. The Nativity of Christ is indeed a high Festival, but his Resurrection surpasseth it. For, when Christ came into the world, he went down like David into the valley to encounter Goliath, in the opinion of men, like David, 
1. Sam. 17.  a weak champion for such a combat; but when he arose from the grave, he came up, like David out of the valley, a glorious Conqueror.  
Now Lent is, 
Leo de Quadrages. serm. 3.  ad Paschale festum praeparatio, a preparation to the great solemnity of Easter, that we may keep that feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, 
1. Cor. 5.  and be worthy partakers of the blessed Sacrament. S. chrysostom more than once, calls it sanctam Quadragesimam, the holy time of Lent; not because the time is in itself more holy than others; but because that this time should be dedicated, and we, at this time, devoted to holiness in especial manner. Yea, Leo doubted not to say, Parùm religiosus, etc. 
Leo de Quadrages. serm. 1.  If a man be not religious at this time, there is little hope that he will be at any time.  
To conclude therefore; Seeing we have the time inviting us, and our Saviour's comfortable speech exciting us; Let us search & try our ways, 
Lam. 3.40.  and turn unto the Lord; Let us meet him with broken and contrite hearts; let us seek mercy from him, with prayers & tears of true repentance, that heaven may rejoice for us. In a word, if there be any one, which hath heard me this day, whose heart hath smitten him for his sins, & his soul is touched with remorse, with a purpose of reformation (as I hope there are many) then may I say in our Saviour's words, 
Luke 19  This day is salvation come to this house. You have made heaven glad: The holy Angels, and the blessed Trinity do this day rejoice for you, & you shall one day rejoice in heaven, in the presence of those holy Angels, and that blessed Trinity, and that joy shall never be taken from you: which the Lord for his mercy's sake, and for the merits of our blessed Saviour, grant us; To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, Majesty and dominion, now and for ever, Amen.  
FINIS.   

A SUB-POENA FROM THE STAR-CHAMBER OF HEAVEN. A Sermon preached at Paul's Cross the 4. of August. 1622. With some particular Enlargements which the limited time would not then allow. By DAN. DONNE, Master of Arts, and Minister of the Word.  August. Confess. lib. 8. cap. 12. Tolle, Lege: Tolle, Lege. 
LONDON, Printed by Augustine Mathewes for John Grismand, and are to be sold at his Shop in Paul's Alley at the Sign of the Gun. 1623.   

Honoratiss. Dominis. JOHANNI COM. DE holderness, VICECOM. HADDINGTON, ET BARON DE KINGSTON AD THAMESIN, etc. ET DOMINO HENRICO HOBART, MIL. ET BARONET. CAPIT. IVST. DOMINI REGIS DE BANCO. NEC NON VIRO VERE REVERENDO MULTIS QVE NOMINIBUS COLENDO JOHANNI DONNE DOCTORI IN SACRA THEOLOG. ET DECANO ECCLESIAE DIVI PAULI LONDON.  
DANIEL DONNE HAS SVAS QVALES CVNQVE MEDITATIONES HUMILLIME. D. D. D.   

To the Reader.  
COurteous Reader, I have in the Title-page of this Book rendered a sufficient reason of the Excrescency of this Sermon. Yet for thy more particular satisfaction, understand, that from the Beginning of it to the 52. Page, I preached it word for word, as it is Printed. Now because many at the Cross had run into Desperate Debts, Borrowed so much Time of the Auditory, as they never meant to repay: therefore I resolved to content myself with a brief Paraphrastical Explication of the Particulars that remained, and so, to keep myself out of Debt; rather than Borrow what I thought I should never repay. Since, being solicited to Publish what I then Preached: that each Part might enjoy its just Proportion for the Exact Composition of the whole, I have enlarged myself in Those last Particulars: and Commend my Pains therein to thy Candid Interpretation. If thou meet with any Faults in the Print, they are I dare promise but Literal, and such as will scarce puzzle the most Illiterate. Correct them, if thou please, with thy Pen. If there be any thing amiss either in the Method, or Matter: thy Friendly Information shall be Thrice acceptable. In the mean time, I advice Thee to Read with understanding, to Remember what thou dost Read: And the Lord give thee grace to practise what thou dost remember. Farewell.  
Thine in Christ, DAN. DONNE.   

A SUBPOENA from the Star-chamber of Heaven.  LUKE 3.9. 
Now is the Axe laid unto the root of the the trees: every tree therefore not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
THis Text at the first blush, appeareth like itself, bearing a face of utter ruin and destruction: parallel unto that of the Edomites, Psa. 137.7. Down with it, down with it, even to the ground. It beginneth with the Axe, and endeth with Fire, two merciless instruments of ruin & destruction. The former makes work for the latter; the Axe for the Fire: for the Axe is laid unto the root of the tree, that the tree being cut down, may be cast into the fire. The entrance into this Text doth something resemble that into Paradise: there was a flaming sword, 
Genes. 3.24.  Gen. 3.24. here a fearful Axe: yet both fare different for their ends: that was forcibly to drive Man back from the way, but this is forcibly to drive man into the way unto the Tree of life: that, whilst he seriously considereth his fearful estate, how that his transgressions have made him like a Tree, unto the root whereof an Axe is laid to hew it down, that it may be cast into the fire, he may presently turn unto God, and in due time bring forth fruits meet for repentance, lest he also be hewn down by the Axe of God's wrath, and so perish for ever.  
This sacred Writ may not unfitly be termed a Subpoena, sent from the Star-Chamber of Heaven, the high Court of Almighty God, and served by john the Baptist, God's especial Bailiff, upon certain Pharisees and Sadduces that came unto his Baptism: wherein is given th●m to understand, that they must not, as formerly they had done, content themselves with an outward form of repentance, a seeming godly sorrow for their sins: but must manifest the truth thereof in bringing forth fruits worthy repentance, making their appearance out of hand before almighty God in all holiness and righteousness of life under pain of both temporal and eternal destruction. Now this Subpoena is expressed by way of Parable, or Metaphor, wherein God is resembled unto an Husbandman, or Gardiner traversing his ground, with an Axe in his hand, having this resolution in his heart; not to suffer any Tree to grow in his Orchyard, that doth not bring forth good fruit, but to cut it up even at the very root, and to make of it fuel for the fire. The whole World is God's Orchard: the men in the world are the trees of this Orchyard: that man which bringeth not forth the good fruit of good living, the Lord will utterly root up out of the land of the living: for, Now is the Axe laid unto the root of the trees; every tree therefore not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
For the resolution of this Writ, may it please you to take three things into your consideration.  
1. The parties whom it summons and concerns, expressed, 

1. Indefinitely, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, trees.  
2. Vniversally, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, every tree.    
2. The thing required of every tree, and that is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth good fruit.  
1. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth, there is a production.  
2. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth fruit, there is a fructification.  
3. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth good fruit, there is a qualification.  
3. The Penalty, in case the parties prove delinquent, and that is set down,  
1. as intended, in the first words, Now is the Axe laid unto the root of the trees.  
2. as inflicted, in the words following, Every tree therefore not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
In the Penalty, as intended, observe,  
1. the Instrument for the performing of it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an Axe.  
2. the Application of it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it is laid to the trees.  
3. the Place or part unto which it is applied, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unto the root of the trees.  
4. the Time of laying this Axe unto the root of the trees, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, now, now is the axe laid unto the root of the trees.  
In the penalty, as inflicted, we have to observe,  
1. The duplicity of it.  

1. an excision, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is hewn down.  
2. an exustion, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is cast into the fire.   
2. The Certainty of it, intimated in the tense, wherein it is expressed: It is not said, The tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire, but is hewn down, and cast into the fire, it being as certain as if it were already inflicted.  
3. The Generality, or large extent of it, no tree shall scape, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Every tree not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
These are the particulars observable in this text; I have here as ye see, Magnum in paruo, a little world of matter in a few words; 
Bu●linger. in 3. Matth.  Singula verba suam habent epitasin, each word hath his weight, and is not lightly to be passed over: therefore something of every thing, plainly of all: I pray God as profitably unto all.  

The first general Part.  And first of the Parties, whom this Writ doth summon and concern; indefinitely, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, trees: not natural, but metaphorical; for by trees is meant men. And let not this Metaphor seem strange: 
Mark ●. 24.  for as he did that was our Saviour's patient for the recovering of his eye sight, so may we see men, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, like trees. It is the allusion of that renowned Heathen, 
Aristotle.  that Man is planta inversa, a tree turned upside down: his head is the root, his body the trunk, his arms and legs the main branches, his fingers and toes the lesser boughs, his skin the bark, his soul the life of the whole. And in the sacred Scripture, we find it a familiar metaphor, to express Man by a tree: 
Matth. 12.33.  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by the fruit. Where by tree is meant man; by fruit, his works: both jews and Gentiles are by Saint Paul termed trees, Rom. 11. 
Rom. 11.  the jew a good Olive tree, the Gentile a wild Olive tree. Not to multiply instances, let one place speak for all. The Prophet David describing the state of 
Psalm. 1.5.  the child of God, he shall be (saith he) like a tree planted by the rivers of waters. Thus man is a tree, cuius radix, voluntas: folium, cogtatio: flos, sermo: fructus, opus, saith Ludolphus: 
De vita Christi.  his will is the root, his thought the leaf, his speech the flower, his work the fruit.  
Now as of Trees, some are high and lofty, as the Cedars; some low, as the shrubs: so of Men, some are high and mighty, like the Cedars of Lebanon, and the Oaks of Basan, public men, men of eminent place in Civil and Ecclesiastical government: some low like shrubs, private men, men of inferior note and condition: This Subpoena concerneth not only some one tree particularly, a princely Cedar, or petty shrub; but indefinitely, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, trees, that is, any trees: yea universally, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, every tree: not only Genera singulorum, some Princes, some Priests, some People: but singula generum, all Princes, all Priests, all People. So that you cannot say unto me, as the Apostles unto our Saviour, 
Matth. 26.22.  when he told them that one of them should betray him, Is is I? or, is it I? or as the high Priests to judas, Matt 27.4. What is it to us? For as our Prognosticators in the Frontispiece, & Title page of their Almanacs, that they are calculated for the Meridian of some particular Town, or City, but may serve generally for the whole Country: So may I say of this Subpoena, though it was particularly served upon the jews that came to be baptised of john in the river of jordan; yet it concerneth all, both jews and Gentiles, for whose sins our blessed Saviour shed forth the jordan of his precious blood: And therefore God doth send me, though the meanest of those that minister and serve at his Altar, to serve this Subpoena upon every one here present: Clamo & mihi ipse, I except not myself: Non enim tam improbus sum, ut curationes aeger obeam, sed tanquam in eodem valet udinario jaceam de communi malo vobiscum colloquor, remedia communico. As Seneca most sweetly, and more particularly to his Lucilius, Ep. 27. Seeing therefore it is directed to every one of us, let every one of us in the fear of God, as we tender the good of our own souls, harken with reverence and attention what God in this Writ requireth of us; and the Lord of his mercy give us grace & power to perform it.  
That which God in this Writ requireth of us, is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
The second general part.  to bring forth good fruit.  
1. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth, there is a Production.  
2. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth fruit, there is a fructification.  
3. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth good fruit, there is a qualification.  
First for the Production, 
1. A Production.  Every tree must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, bring forth. This verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of action: and action is the life of the world. The Celestial creatures have their continual motion, the Sublunary are estated in alteration 
* Officiosum hoc animal Deus creavit, & naturalis est sibi exercitiorum instantia: otium vero in naturale. Obest enim inertia cunctis corporis membris, nulli autemvt animae. E● namque cum continuò sit naturaliter mobilis ociari non patitur. Aqu in loc●̄.  Man the great worlds little sum, hath an active soul infused into an organical body: nothing is more natural unto him then to be in action. Sloth is not more the bane of the body, then of the Soul: for the Soul (saith Aquinas) being always naturally movable, cannot endure to be out of action. A garment out of wearing, is subject to the M●ath: Iron not used, contracteth rust; standing waters, corruption. The wheel that lies still, is a fit Loom for the Spider to work in. 
* Otium puluinar Satanae.  When man is idle, out of action, the Devil is ready at his elbow to press him for his Soldier. What is the reason that many do so lust after their dalilah's, offer so much incense unto Venus, and sacrifice so often to her Shrine? Is it not because they are Idle? For as our learned Postiller hath observed it, 
Doctor Boys.  Unchaste folly is for the most part begot of an idle brain, and hatched in a lazy body. Otia dant vitia. Men in doing nothing, learn to do nothing but evil: yea, like soft wax, they are then capable of any impression, fit to do the Devil any service. Singularly commendable therefore is that Discipline which is practised in Cassan, 
The Preachers Travels.  a principal city in Parthia: there no idle person is permitted to live among them. Sure I am in God's vineyard none must stand idle. Adam even in his innocency must dress & keep the garden of Eden. 
Gene. 2.15.  Man is borne to labour as the sparkles that fly upward, saith job It is every man's Calling to work, 
job 5.7.  
Gene. 3.17.  to eat his bread in the sweat of his brows; but to be idle, neither Church nor Commonwealth affordeth any such Calling. In both some labour, some look over, but none must look on, standing like cyphers to make up a number, or fill up a room: God will not allow such dead trees any room in his Orchard: none must be dry and barren, but all bearing Trees, Every tree must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth.  
All Trees must be bearing Trees, 
2. A Fructification.  Trees that bring forth: but this is not all: there must be fructification as well as production. Every Tree must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth Fruit. We read that our Saviour, 
Matth. 21.19.  going from his lodging in Bethany unto the City of jerusalem, saw a Fig tree in the way, went unto it, and finding nothing thereon but Leaves, left it not as he found it, but cursed it; so that it presently withered away. My beloved, understand the Moral, for Christ knew well enough, it was not the time of the year for the Fig tree to bring forth fruit: no, 
Ludolph. de vita Christi.  Non ficus, sed fidem, non fructus arboris, sed fructus operis quaesivit. He sought not for Figs but for Faith, not for the fruit of the Tree, but for the fruit of Works. It is not with God as it is with Man: Though we will not suffer dead Trees to stand in our grounds, but will dig them up by the roots, and have them carried forth to the Fire; yet we will suffer many trees and plants to grow in our grounds, not because they bring us forth any fruit, or are otherwise profitable unto us, but because they adorn and beautify the ground with their pleasing variety. But God, as he will not suffer a dead stock to cumber his Orchard; so he cannot endure fruitless and unprofitable Trees, such as grow pro forma tantùm, only for fashion's sake, that are all for leaves and flowers, but nothing for fruit. It is not the carrying of a Bible under the arm, It is not the frequent repairing unto God's Temple to hear his Word, that maketh a sound and acceptable Christian in the sight of God: for though Happy is that house, and blessed always that Congregation, wherein Martha complaineth of Mary: 
Foelix domus & beata semper congregatio ubi de Maria Martha conqueritur. Serm. de Virgins' Assumpt.  as saith Saint Bernard: Though it be a joyful sight and a blessedness to the beholding eye, when men and women are so Reliously affected as they can find in their hearts to sequester themselves from their worldly cares to go to God's Church; yet who is ignorant that this may be done for half ends, and sinister respects, to have our brains swimming in knowledge, and our tongues tipped with the Scripture Dialect, that so we may beget an opinion of our holiness in others, and the better work out our more private ends. It is not therefore I say, sufficient that we be frequent hearers of the Word, unless we be doers also: It is not a formal conformity, in passages of Piety, it is not the turning up of our eye unto heaven, it is not a volubility of discourse in cases of Christianity that will serve the turn, all this is but a mere flourish, but a bringing forth of leaves and flowers; whereas God will have every Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring forth fruit.  
And though nothing but Fruit, 
3 The Qualification.  yet not any fruit will serve his turn: it must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: bad, but good. Every tree must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth good fruit, the fruits of holiness and sanctification.  
The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated Bonum g●●●● 〈…〉 ●fie pulchrum be 〈…〉 we must bring 〈…〉: ●t must be beautiful in the 〈◊〉 of Men: and good in the sight of God: our fruit must be beautifull ●n the sight of Men; for our lives must so shine before men, that they may see our good Works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. 
Matth. 5.16.  Our fruit must be also good in the sight of God; for he will not be put off with counterfeit piety: with him it is no better than double impiety: for so shall we find it in our reckonings at the last day. Both then must go together: we live here in the sight of God and Man, and therefore must with Saint Paul, 
Acts 24.16.  herein exercise ourselves, that we may have a good Conscience void of offence toward God and toward man. Most true it is, Only good fruit is ever beautiful, but that which is only beautiful, is never good. Indeed the Pharises had their fruits, such as were beautiful, full of beauty unto the eye, they had their Almsdeeds, 
Matth. 6.  their Prayers, their Fast, excellent works, excellent fruits of Piety, at the first blush beyond all compare, not to be paralleled, they being presented unto the eye of the world in so absolute and complete a form: But were they as they appeared to be? Certainly nothing less: for our Saviour making a narrow search into the nature of them, found that they were nothing better than the fruit which Solinus reporteth to grow in Sodom, which is in show like other fruit, but being touched there is a strange discovery, Extimae cutis ambitio fuliginem favillaceam cohibet, the outward rind or skin is but a case that is full of filthy soyly embers, and stinking ashes: So their outward piety was but a case to cover their inward impiety; their fruits carried a fair gloss, seemed by their outside to side with the best: but All is not gold that glisters: within they were full of pride, vain glory, and hypocrisy: men did see what they did, and thereby happily did glorify God; but what they did, was only to be seen of men, and therein they did dishonour God. Indeed such fruits ordinarily go for currant with man, because he receiveth direction for his Judgement, as he is informed by his outward senses. But it is not so with God: his Allseeing Eye, piercing the most inward and secret parts, he prizeth every thing according to the inward worth, and judgeth of the works of piety, as they proceed from the inward purity; so that he will not be satisfied with false and counterfeit fruits: Such Wares are not warrantable, not merchantable with God; he requireth truth in the inward parts: 
Psalm. 51.6.  he will have every tree, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to bring forth fruit, not only outwardly beautiful, but inwardly good and sound.  
Every man, as ye have heard, is a tree, every branch of a good tree bringeth forth good fruit, so must each part of man: our Hearts must be fruitful, in sanctified thoughts, and holy desires: our tongues must bring forth gracious words, such as may magnify Gods holy name, and minister grace and comfort unto others: our Hands must work the things that are good in the sight of God and man: our Feet must walk in the ways of peace: in a word, we must give all our members servants unto righteousness in holiness; 
Rom. 6.19.  Abounding in the fruits of the Spirit, 
Galat. 5.22.  in love, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, patience, and in every good work, that may make us perfect men in Christ Jesus. For this were we elected before the world: 
Ephes. 1.4.  God the Father did choose us in Christ his Son before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. For this were we created into the world, whereas all things were made to serve for the use of man, man was made to serve his Maker: For this end were we redeemed out of the world: 
Luke 1.74.  For Christ delivered us from the hands of our enemies that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. For this purpose doth God sanctify us in this world with his Holy Spirit: I will put my Spirit within you, 
Ezek. 36.27.  and cause you to walk in my Statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. And for this shall we be glorified in the world to come: Come ye blessed of my Father, 
Matth. 25.34.  take the Inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat, etc. Thus will God crown the holy lives of his servants with an eternal weight of glory: Such honour shall have all his Saints, which are fruitful in good works: not that they do by their fruits of holiness, and works of piety, 
No man can merit heaven.  merit so glorious a remuneration: alas, what can we plead for by way of merit at God's hand? seeing when we have done all that we can do, yea, that we are commanded to do, which is more than we can do; 
Luke 17.10.  we are but unprofitable servants, saith our Saviour. And what is the reward for unprofitable servants, which God will render unto them at the last day? Why, this is their fearful Sentence, 
Matth. 29.30.  Cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. No, my beloved. Eternal life is not of man's merit, but of the mere gift of God through jesus Christ our Lord: 
Rom. 6.23.  As a reverend religious Prelate of our Church hath observed, 
Doctor King, Bi. of London.  we may read of a Mercy-seat in the Temple of God, but never hear of a Stool of Merit, but in the Chapel of Antichrist. Indeed God doth in many places of his Scripture promise the kingdom of heaven to all that lead a religious and holy life; but this his promise is not grounded upon a foresight of any merit in man, but proceedeth merely from the free grace and bounty of God, who herein dealeth with us, as a loving and bountiful father with his child, promising him some gift of great worth, for the performance of some small piece of service, happily for making unto him a leg, or the like: that so by his bounty he may bring his child on willingly to tender that reverend respect, which otherwise of duty he is bound to do. Holiness of life and conversation is that which God strictly commandeth and accordingly requireth from every Christian: It is (as you have heard) the end of our Election, Creation, Redemption, Sanctification, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to bring forth good fruit. If we search the Bible from the beginning to the ending, we shall find this to be the very pith, the marrow, the main subject, and life thereof: yet behold the great goodness of God, what he might command and compel us unto, in the name of our Sovereign Lord and maker, he doth (considering our weakness and infirmity) entreat and woo us unto, in the language of a loving and bountiful Father. 
Serm. 3. de verbis Domini.  As S. Augustine most sweetly, Nobis praemia repromittit, ut nobis obsequia debita seruitutis extorqueat, he doth make unto us a promise of remuneration, to draw us to the performance of that service which in duty we own unto him in the whole course of our life and conversation:  quos nolle seruire conspicit sponte, suorum beneficiorum possit promissionibus invitare, that whom he sees will not freely serve him of his own accord, he might lovingly and friendly invite, by promising a reward.  

Why God doth promise a reward to good works.  This doth God, to make it known and manifest unto the sons of men, 1. how sweet and pleasing a savour the sacrifice of our holy Obedience doth send up into the nostrils of the most High. 2. That none shall ever inherit the joys of heaven, but such as do wholly endeavour and bend themselves forward to bring forth good fruit here on earth; such as labour for the inward sanctity, and lead a holy and religious course of life. And 3. that they shall be as sure to participate of this his promised bounty, as if by their deserts and merits they were interested in it. And that the Sun of God's grace and bounty may yet more clearly and freely reflect its beams upon the eyes of your understanding, I hold it not unfitting before we proceed any further in a word or two to remove out of the way the opinion of Man's merit, which like a thick mist and dark cloud the enemies of the cross of Christ, have cast before it, to the great obscuring and impairing of the glorious splendour thereof. It is a point, I take it, well worth the time, and may justly plead for your Christian attention. Sure I am, it maketh much for the promoting of God's glory, and the furthering of our own Good: for when we seriously consider the insufficiency of our own works to save us, we may learn a point of true wisdom, not to lean upon the broken staff of our own Merits, which will surely deceive us, but wholly to rely upon the loving mercies of God, which are sure, and will never fail us. Thus Gods shall be all the glory, and ours all the good.  
I am not ignorant, that many of our modern Divines have not a little studied this point, and left the fruits of their learned Labours unto the broad eye of the wo●ld, that who so list may look into them, and receive satisfaction to the full; for nothing of substance can be superadded unto that, which they have already set forth: yet I think it not amiss, considering the present occasion, to borrow a little handful out of the liberal harvest of their labours, and present you with a taste of their fruirs dressed after my own fashion: I doubt not but it will be pleasing unto some, I hope and pray that it may be profitable unto all. Happily I may herein seem to some to make an impertinent digression from my text; but who so well weigheth the drift of the Holy Ghost, shall find, and consequently bear me witness, that I do not beg my Theme, pick a quarrel with that which the text of itself will not seem to afford and offer. That which God in this Writ requireth of us, is the bringing forth of good fruit: this is the main thing intended in this text, and pressed upon pain of God's furious wrath, and fiery displeasure for ever, signified in being cut down, and cast into the fire. As if he had said more fully, yet briefly and plainly thus: If ye bring forth good fruit, ye shall be saved: but if ye do not bring forth good fruit, ye shall be damned. Now, the not bringing forth of good fruit, being the meritorious cause of our Damnation, (as you shall hear afterward) one would think on the contrary, that the bringing forth of good fruit, is a meritorious cause of our Salvation.  
That we cannot by way of Merit challenge so magnificent a remuneration, as God out of his great goodness doth bind himself by promise to confer upon the Sons of Men for their pious and god●y conversation, may be plainly demonstrated unto you by diverse particulars I will at this time contract myself in five. In every Work to make it meritorious there are five things requisite. 
Our works no● meritorious for five Reasons.   

1. Gratuity.  
2. Utility.  
3. Propriety.  
4. Purity.  
5. Parity.   
1. That Work which doth merit any thing at God's hand must of necessity be opus Gratuitum, a freewill Offering, a work of Gratuity, and in no wise due for any other cause or respect. Seeing then we own of duty unto God whatsoever we are or have; undoubtedly whatsoever we do, can merit nothing at God's hand.  
2. There must be Utility, that Good which we do, to make it meritorious, must be profitable and commodious unto him, at whose hands we merit any thing. But no action of ours of what strain soever it be, can bring any benefit, any commodity unto God: for as Eliphaz said unto job, 
job 22.23.  May a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy ways upright? His Interogation doth argue a strong negative resolution: as if he had said in a word, No man's righteousness can be any way profitable unto God: and therefore we can merit nothing at God's hand.  
3. In that by which we merit any thing we must have an absolute propriety; it must be our own. Now Good works, Good fruits are not our own, they are Gods: we cannot of ourselves so much as Will, much less work that which is Good, for it is God that worketh in us both the will and the deed: 
Phil. 2.13.  Therefore we can merit nothing at his hand.  
4. There must be a Purity, our works must be performed according to that absolute Perfection and Purity which God in his revealed will requireth of us: they must be vindicated and freed from all uncleanness and imperfection, which no man so long as he liveth in the flesh can undertake for the best and choicest fruit he bringeth forth: for even our best actions, were they narrowly scanned, in some thing or other Carnis putredinem sapiunt, 
Lib, instit. de Justif. fidei, Cap. 10.  as Caluin noteth, do savour and relish of the Corruption of the Flesh: happily they have leaned to some sinister respect, or have not been performed with such sincerity and alacrity as God requireth.  
5. To make our works meritorious, there must be a Parity, there must be some proportion and equality between that Good we do, and the reward we receive for it: Now what Parity, what Proportion between our works which are but temporal and finite, and the reward which is eternal and infinite: The Natural Philosopher, and any one that is not a mere natural, will tell us that Finiti ad Infinitum nulla est proportio, there is no proportion between that which is finite and that which is infinite. Therefore our choicest fruits, our best works being defective in every one of these five particulars which ought necessarily to concur for the making of them meritorious, it is strange there should live in this great light of the Gospel any that dare attempt such a work of darkness as to stamp man's works with the Character of Merit. Sure I am in the Word of God we cannot so much as find the Word Merit Indeed God doth very frequently in the Sacred Scripture promise a reward to the godly, and hence they fond collect that the godly do merit by the holiness of their lives: as if between reward and merit there were a mutual relation, that no reward is given but upon a presupposed merit. For answer whereunto, I may tell them, as our Saviour the Sadduces, 
Matth. 22.19.  That they err not knowing the Scriptures: for as the Learned have observed, that which by Saint Matthew is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Reward, 
Math. 5 46. Luc 6. 32.  is by Saint Luke termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Grace, favour or thankes; to signify unto us, that when God rewardeth the righteousness of men, the reward is not to be ascribed to any worth or dignity in the Creature, but wholly to the benignity of the Creator: not to any desert or merit in Man, but unto the mere grace and mercy of his Maker. For as Saint Paul 2 Ephes. 8.9. 
2 Ephes. 8.9.  a place worth the noting, By Grace we are saved through Faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast himself. The Case being so clear, we may be bold to affirm that most blasphemous is the practice of the Papists who both in Pulpit and Press so stiffly contend to enthronize the imperfect, impure works of sinful man in the Chair of Merit, in which nothing by right but the holy and perfect obedience of the Son of God can sit. My beloved, I dare confidently affirm it for truth, and you may boldly take it upon that term, that no Mortal by building him up a Babel of his merits can ever reach Heaven: Heaven being a transcendent, too high for the short reach of humane merit. The fairest face hath some Mole or Freckle: the soundest Pomegranate, some rotten Kernel: Corruption is a great part of the best: yea the best even from their conception are wholly overrun with corruption, from which they can never be throughly purged till the soul and the body by death be parted and put asunder: by reason whereof even our best actions are stained, our best fruits we bring forth are foully blemished, and will not endure the Just eye of heaven to behold them as they are in themselves: the serious consideration of this made the Prophet David thus pray unto God: Enter not into judgement with thy servant, 
Psal. 143 2.  for no flesh is righteous in thy sight: Therefore my beloved, instead of standing like Proud Pharises upon the tiptoes of of our own goodness, let us with the Penitent Publican truly humble ourselves before the throne of his Sacred Majesty for our manifold transgressions which bring us under the curse of the Law: for the manifold sinful imperfections and blemishes even in the best fruits that ever we brought forth, for which we stand guilty before him: Let us reject the menstruous and rotten rags of our own righteousness, 
Esa. 64.6.  wholly relying upon the loving mercies of our heavenly Father, which he hath set forth unto us in his Son jesus Christ, who himself alone by his most perfect and all-sufficient obedience hath merited our redemption from the wrath to come, and purchased for us a Kingdom that cannot be moved. 
Heb. 12.28.  This hath he done for us: but how? under condition of our new obedience; of putting off the old Ma●, and putting on the new: of forsaking the crooked paths of Sin, and following the strait way of Righteousness: So that being redeemed and bought with the price of the Lamb, we must not think we may live according to the lusts of our own hearts and whatsoever seemeth good in our own eyes, for this is nothing else but a trampling of the blood of Christ under our feet, a turning of the grace of God into wantonness, the only way to make ourselves uncapable of that inestimable bounty of our blessed Redeemer: No, no; such as are justified by the blood of Christ, and have any saving portion in his bitter death and passion, are also sanctified by his blessed Spirit unto all holy obedience, to bring forth good fruit, the fruit of good living: This is the true Character and cognisance of such as are of the household of Faith: For as the tree is known by the fruit: 
james 2.18.  so is Faith made manifest by the works of righteousness. The bringing forth of good fruit is via Regia, the Kings, yea every Christians highway wherein he must walk, if he make any account to attain unto that Spiritual Caanaan, to be a free Denizon of the holy jerusalem, that city above, the mother of the elect. For as among the Antique Romans, the two Temples of Virtue and Honour were so contrived, that none could have access unto the latter, unless he did take the former in his way: So it is with us, God in his eternal decree hath set down this resolution, which like the Laws of the Medes and Persians will admit of no alteration, that none shall obtain the life of Glory, but such as live in the state of Grace: The penny is paid only to such as labour in God's vineyard. 
Matth. 20.2.  The Crown of righteousness is laid up only for those that fight a good fight, 
2. Tim. 1.6, 7.  and finish up the course of their lives in the faith of jesus Christ. Hence that of the Prophet David, 
Psal 37 27.  Eschew evil and do good, and live for ever. To draw up all in a word, though we can never be saved for bringing forth good fruit, yet we can never be saved without it, such is the necessity thereof: Sola fides justificat, sed non solitaria. It is a common, a known position, Only faith doth justify us, but not faith alone: only faith doth justify, as the Instrument by which we apprehend and lay hold on the Obedience of Christ, the only meritorious cause of our salvation; but not faith alone, that is, a barren, a dead faith, a faith without fruits; for that is no saving, no justifying faith: and therefore every tree must bring forth good fruit. 
Haeretici hodieconsilia carnes dederunt, & doctrinam Ba●aam tenuerunt,- nec ipsas Dei leges aut mandata esse ad salutem necessaria, sola fide omnes sal●ari.-  viam spi●itualem destruerent, omnem de peccatis & virtutibus sa●n●m d●ctrin●m venena●is suis dogmatibus infecerunt- negando ullam bon●rum op●rum veram iustitiam, aut ad salutem necessariam, & consequenter omnia in Sola si●e collocan●o. Stapl. promptuar. Mor. in Domine. 7. Pentecostes.   
This is the Doctrine we Preach and Press. See then by the way, the impudent malignity of our broad-mouthed adversaries, the brats of Romish Babylon, in traducing and branding our Protestant Ministers for Solifidian Preachers, such as in their Sermons are all for faith, and nothing for fruits. Thus like cursed Vipers they vent out the venom of their malice upon us, of purpose to bring our persons and doctrine into contempt with their hoodwinked Proselytes, and all because we will not with them beyond truth, add to the worth of good works, and detract from the sole efficiency of Christ his obedience. Maugre their virulent malice, this is our abundant comfort, that besides the testimony of our own clear consciences, which are unto us as many 
* Conscientia mille testes.  millions of witnesses: those many learned and religious Treatises of our Churchmen, which have undergone the Press, & are at this present extant: that little world of Christian people by our ministry fed to their everlasting happiness, those many holy and blessed Angels always present at our solemn sacred Assemblies: and God himself, who is all in all, and above all, will subscribe to our white Innocence, and their black Impudence.  
Oh my beloved, I would to God all of us, both Priests and people, could as generally wipe away this their foul and false aspersion, by bringing forth of good fruit, as by our general preaching and professing the necessity thereof. But alas, the never too much to be lamented misery, whilst out of our zeal to God's glory, we labour to maintain the sacred prerogative of Christ his obedience, and labour to pull down those proud pillars of merit which our Adversaries of their own heads have erected to the honour of man's worthless works, and the dishonour of God, we carelessly neglect, and scarce so much as once think upon that which is God's chiefest glory, and the life of our Christian profession, bringing forth good fruit.  
I remember I have read this censure of the Roman State, Omnium honorum principum imagines in uno posse exculpi annulo, that the pourtratures of their good Princes might be cut out within the compass of a little ring. Oh my beloved, is it not as justly to be feared, that the like may be as truly affirmed of us? So small is the number of those in this our Sardis, 
Reuel. 3.4.  which have given up their names unto Christ, (if we may take the liberty to censure the tree by the fruit) that should the Lord send forth a jeremy to make inquisition for a man, 
jerem 5.1.  that is, a good man, 
job 1.  one that like job truly feareth God, and is fruitful in all holiness, he would return, if not with a non, yet with a vix est inventus, scarce is such a creature found. Good men being like little veins of gold in great and mighty mountains of ground; 
Esay 7.  or like the gleaning of the ears of corn after the harvest is past, or the gathering of grapes the vintage being ended: they lie but scattering and very thin, one in a city, 
jerem. 3.14.  two in a tribe, whereas Romish Idolaters, counterfeit Professors, and impudent transgressors, such as are not ashamed to glory in ungodliness, and prostitute their deeds of darkness unto public notice, are the greatest part, yea, very near the whole number of such as are called Christians.  
Not to speak of that Antichristian Spawn and Popish fry, though not one of the least and lightest burdens under which, as the labour of her womb this our Land groaneth. Proceed we unto the second sort; and who is there so blind or deaf that doth not behold or hear, how plentifully this our Zion is furnished, yea rather how lamentably be pestered with a numerous brood of Apish professors, and Mocke-Christians, as I may term them, such as in outward appearance might seem deservedly to b● registered in the roll, and ranked in the number of true Nathaneels, 
john 1.47.  but are indeed as rank false and perfidious, as joah, 
An outside singularly commendable, if the inside he answerable.  or Judas They would seem by the preciseness of their habit, and demureness of behaviour, to be truly mortified to the world. To give them their due, which our English Proverb will not deny the Devil himself: they will reprove sin, refrain from swearing, celebrate the Saboth, yea many hours of the week days in hearing of the Word, labouring if they like the Preacher to digest it in their memories by penning and mutual conference: in a word (oh the sanctity of the Devil) they will pretend a great deal of fair and religious dealing, seem to be Gods white children: but (oh the Devillishnes of these Saints) doth it not plainly appear, that they are little better than Devils transformed into Angels of light? 
2. Cor. 11.14.  fell and cruel Wolves covered and clothed in Sheepskins, making Religion to serve but for a Stalking horse, wearing Christ's Livery for their own conveniency, that so they may the more safely and unsuspectedly compass their secret unsacred ends? hath not Time the mother of Truth revealed this for a truth, that there are none more unjust in their dealings, none more covetous, deceitful, full of pride, envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness than they, though they take upon them a more strict profession of Christ then ordinary?  
In a word, as the Trojans were never more damnified, th●n when Aeneas did put on harness like unto theirs, breaking into the midst of their troops like a member of their army: So the true Nathaneels of our Jsrael, yea godliness itself never received more disgraceful affronts, then have been and are continually most unhappily occasioned by the counterfeit piety of these so common hypocritical professors. 
Matth. 26.49.  As judas betrayed Christ into the hands of his enemies; so these have and do continually betray the holy calling of Christianity, and the sincere Professors thereof unto the sharper tongues of lewd-living Libertines, and  Atheists; yea, of many framed of a more sober, honest and tractable temper, to be scourged & lashed with terms of disgrace: for let a man out of a holy reverence unto the sacred Majesty of God, make conscience of an Oath: let him out of a sincere heart be careful to sanctify the Sabbath of the Lord in all holy and religious exercises: let him vow himself to all sobriety and temperance, and be zealous for the Lord of Hosts in reprooving ungodliness. In a word, let him hearty desire, and accordingly truly endeavour to keep a good conscience in all things both toward God and man, 
Acts 24.16.  not partaking in the sinful courses of these wicked times, but labouring so far forth as in him lieth, according to that measure of grace he hath received, to live within the limits and compass of an holy profession, it is reputed but preciseness, he is ordinarily derided under the name of a Catharist or Puritan, and of the most hated and detested as much, if not more, than a treacherous bloody Papist, or damnable Atheist. Thus the seeming Saints of our age, by their overhasty running after Christ for sinister respects, have cast the true Nathaneels of our Israel behind hand in their just credit and estimation: 
john 1.47.  the world measuring the feet of all professors by the Last of these false professors.  
And not only doth counterfeit piety, Hypocrisy thus flourish to the great contempt & reproach of sincere professors: but in the third place we may observe, that all ungodliness hath advanced itself and taken heart. Iniquity hath put on a brow of brass, and Impiety like a shameless strumpet, attended by Impudence, hath taken up her standing in every street, and corner of Court, City, and Country: Ambition, base flattery, perfidy, drunkenness, covetousness, prodigality, pride, lechery, luxury, injustice, theft, murder, adultery, fearful swearing, and perjury, contempt of the Manna and Ministers of God's holy Word; and what seldom heard-of crimes in former ages, are not the familiar minions and darlings of these Times! It is a tedious task, and would prove but an irksome discourse to trouble your ears with a particular enumeration of all the sins that roost, yea reign in this Land: for it may be truly said of it, as the Poet in his Epigram unto Caesar concerning his Theatre:  
Martial.  Quicquid fama canit, donat arena tibi. 
There is almost no sin so peculiar to any foreign Country, which is not presented to the life upon the stage of this Land: and there is almost no person of what place or fashion soever that doth not act his part in them more or less. Thus ungodliness is become an Epidemical disease: like a Contagious leprosy it hath infected and run over the whole Body of this Land; and no part more than this City: in so much that it may truly be said of us as the Prophet of the jews, 
Esa. 1.4.5.6.  We are a sinful Nation, a people laden with iniquity: The whole head is sick, the whole heart is heavy, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is nothing whole therein but wounds, and swellings, and sores full of corruption. And which doth consummate our iniquity, though we are so desperately sick of sin that we lie even at the door of death, and there be scarce so much as a threshhold between us and eternal destruction; yet who is there that with patience will suffer the Preacher, God's Deputy-Physician for the good of his soul, so much as to lay his finger upon those his cankered sores of sin, which suffered to run on their course, will uncurably corrupt, and irrecoverably cast away the whole man both body and soul. Sin, especially that which ordinarily thrusteth itself into the service of any calling, and like the silver Shrines of Diana, 
Acts 19.24.  bringeth in any emolument, or revenue, must have a Protection, must not be touched. The corrupt courses of those which appertain to Courts of justice, the sacrilegious practice of Church-robbers, fraudulent and unconscionable dealing in private commerce; these and the rest of your bosom and best beloved sins prove but unplausible, but harsh Themes for a Preachers invective. Sure I am, we may speak it feelingly, we are sensible of no less: for deal we ingeniously & faithfully in reproving the corruptions of the time? do we lay open your beloved sins unto the life? our labours are entertained with laughter, and our fidelity requited with a world of neglect and injury. Are not these the fruits that call this our land their mother soil? I would to God they did not: I dare presume ye will all pass your words that I have delivered nothing but truth: and I may safely add, nothing to that which might have been delivered for truth: for like those whom Moses sent to spy out the land of Canaan, 
Numb. 13.23.  I have cut down but a Branch, with a Cluster of the Grapes that grow in this our Eschol, and have brought with me but a Sample of that cursed fruit this land in great plenty affordeth. O that we who have so liberally participated of the superabundant love and bounty of God, should thus above measure abound in iniquity. The time was (O that we had the grace seriously to consider it) the time was, when we were without Christ, 
Ephe. 2.12, 13  and were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and were Strangers from the Covenants of Promise, and had no hope, and were without God in the world: but now, through the Mercy of the Almighty, we who were once a fare off, are made near by the Blood of Christ, that so we might be no more strangers and Foreigners, but Citizens with the Saints, and of the Household of God. Again, 
Jam tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet.  whereas other Nations do ride even up unto their horsebridles in blood, have their cornfields depopulated, their Towns unpeopled, their nearest kindred, and dearest acquaintance most cruelly butchered, and their whole country exposed to the injury of Arms. We through the great Goodness of God, sit every man under his own Vine in peace: The Lord of his mercy continue it long amongst us: whereas other Nations suffer the famine of the Word, or at least have it served out unto them mingled with the Cockle and Darnell of Popish errors and traditions: We, God be thanked, have the Word most plentifully and purely preached among us; yea such plenty of the word we enjoy, that like the Israelites, we are crop sick, and loath that heavenly Manna, which our forefathers in the time of Popery & persecution so much longed after. I pray God this bring not a scarcity of spiritual Bread amongst us. Whereas others have been straitened for the ordinary sustenance of nature, and wasted with misery, hanging up their harps upon the trees, and translating the sorrows of their souls into mournful ditties, and so ending their miserable lives: 
Psal. 144 13.14.  Our Garners on the contrary, have been full and plenteous with all manner of store: Our sheep have brought forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets: our oxen have been strong to labour, we have no leading into captivity, no complaining in our streets. In a word, no Nation under the Sun can prescribe and plead a greater portion of the immense Treasury of God's mercy and favours, than ours: the least of all which should for ever bind every one by way of thankfulness to consecrate himself both soul and body unto the service of his so benign and bountiful a God, in all holy obedience, and newness of life, to bring forth good fruits, the fruits of holiness and sanctification: But alas, we are so fare from bringing forth this good fruit, that on the contrary, we are barren in all goodness, and only fruitful in the damnable works of darkness, sucking in sin, as fishes do water; like swift Dromedaries, running with full speed into all ungodliness, 
Prou. 10.23.  making it a pastime to do wickedly: neue● so much as once dreaming of that dreadful day of account, that great and terrible Assizes of the Lord, wherein he will execute his wrath and vengeance upon the children of disobedience. O my beloved, let us take heed we be not deceived. This is the will of God, saith the Apostle, even your sanctification: 
1 Thes. 4.3.  now the will and pleasure of God is not barely propounded unto man as a thing arbitrary, or of no great consequence, whether performed or not: for as with bountiful promises, so with fearful penalties, it is in sacred Scripture frequently pressed, the Lord as he hath a Gerizim, 
Deut. 11.29.  for blessing, so he hath an Eball for cursing. As he will most graciously and liberally recompense all such as work righteousness, with an immarcessible crown of glory: so he will most severely and terribly reward all workers of iniquity with an unmerciful weight of misery. They which like good trees bring forth good fruit in due season, their leaf shall not whither, saith the Psalmist, they shall flourish for ever: 
Psalm. 2.  But they which do not bring forth good fruit, shall be like the chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth, they shall perish for ever: so saith the Baptist here in my text, Every tree not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire, which is the third general Part observable in this sacred Writ, 
The third general part.  the penalty attending delinquents, such as perform not what God in this Writ requireth.  
The Penalty is here expressed, 1. as intended, 
God premonisheth before he punisheth.  Now is the Axe laid unto the root of the trees, 2. As inflicted, Every tree not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. A Merciful Method, and well beseeming the God of Method, who is full of mercy: though our sins be so numerous and heinous, that like unto that of cain's, 
Genes. 4.10.  they do even call and cry unto God for present vengeance: though our iniquities be so enormous, and grown to so great a height, that they reach up unto Heaven, and even pull God out of his Mercy-seat, to enter into judgement with us, to empty out the full Vials of his wrath upon us to our present fearful confusion: yet, Oh the goodness of God, he dealeth not with us sinful miscreants according to our deserts, and as many a merciless Creditor with his Debtor, who covertly without the least noise procureth an Execution against him, and serveth it upon him, happily to his irrecoverable undoing, not so much as once fore-acquainting him with his Resolution, that so he might in time think upon some honest course for prevention.  
No, my beloved, though man's ways are full of cruelty, yet God's ways are full of mercy: He would have all the world to know, that he is not delighted in the death of a sinner, 
Ezek 13.23.  but had rather he should turn from his wickedness, & bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, and so live for ever: and therefore, as Jonathan shot three arrows to forewarn David of saul's displeasure, 
1. Sam. 20.  that he might the better provide for his safety: so almighty God first in mercy proclaimeth his wrath & indignation, before in justice he proceed to Execution. First, he is pleased to foretell us that for our transgressions, for our not bringing forth good fruit he intendeth a severe penalty against us, before such time as he suffer it to be inflicted upon us: 
Praemoniti. Praemuniti.  that so we being forewarned of that fearful evil which from God is like to befall us for our falling away from God, we might in time make our peace with him, & so prevent the execution of his wrath. For the more effectual performance whereof, that we may the more carefully and speedily address ourselves, proceed we according to our propounded method, to take some punctual notice of the fearfulness of his fury displayed in the particulars of the penalty. Now is the Axe laid unto the root of the trees: Every tree therefore not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire.  
Each word (as you have heard) beareth a part and every part doth most evidently demonstrate the Greatness of God's wrath and indignation against us, and is of power to imprint Characters of terror in our hearts, were they as hard as rocks of Adamant.  
To take up the words as they lie in their order.  
First, behold the Lord of Hosts is already up in arms, and his wrath, like jehu the Son of Nimshi after jehoram marcheth most furiously after us: 
2 King. 9.10.  yea to our greater terror it hath already wrought itself within distance; for Now, even Now is the axe laid unto the root of the trees. Secondly, consider we the instrument apprehended for the execution of his wrath, 
Musculus in locum.  it is not Coulter Sarmentarius, a pruning knife, but Securis excisionis, a ruining Axe. Thirdly, this ruining Axe is not vibrata, 
Gorthan in locum.  brandished or shaken over the trees, but posita, it is put, laid close to the trees. Fourthly, this ruining Axe is not laid ad truncum aut ramos, 
Bullinger.  to the body or boughs of the trees, but ad radicem, to the fountain of life, the root, which once hurt or cut, de tota arbore actum est, the whole tree doth perish, and is past all hope of shooting forth again. Such is the penalty here intended, and is pronounced, as inflicted, Every tree not bringing forth good fruit, is hewn down, and to make it more fearful, is cast into the fire.  
There was a custom among the ancient Romans that their Consuls had as Ensigns of their authority bundles of rods, and an Axe carried before them: Rod● the 〈◊〉 of justice to cut them off in case they proved incorrigible, and would not be reform with any favourable correction. In like manner Almighty God hath his Pruning knife, and his Axe: Having planted his Ground with Trees, and not finding them fruitful according to his expectation, like an expert and careful Gardener with his pruning knife he shreddeth and pareth off the luxuriant branches, and useth all such means for their fructification, as in his heavenly wisdom he apprehendeth most prevalem and effectual. 
Quamdiu spes est remedii, stercoratione aut putatione subvenitur arborum vitiis: caeterum ultimae desperatio tis indicium est quotier Securis admovetur radi●i. Bull.  Thus for many a year with much patience expecting their improvement, at length the season of fructifying being come, wherein he resolved to put a period to his patiented expectation, he walketh towards his Plantation with an Axe in his hand, resolved if after his so great care and cost he find any Trees that do not bring forth good fruit, to cut them up by the roots and cast them by for the Fire.  
In a word or two, to add a little more light unto the darkness of the letter. This Axe laid unto the root of the Trees doth signify nothing else but the vengeance of God which hangeth over our heads ready to fall suddenly upon us to our fearful confusion. 
Ne●p vero novum est securim & gladium in Scriptures poni pro gravi dei vindicta. Idem ibid.  My beloved, doth not the cloudy and heavy countenance of these Time's promise and presage as much? Certainly take we a true Inventory of our general Apostasy from all godliness and piety, we cannot look for less. I but the Lord is merciful and Gracious, 
Exod. 34.6.  slow to anger and abundant in Goodness and truth, reserving mercy for thousands. True my beloved, and have we found him less? Do not all those gentle and more favourable courses he hath taken for reclaiming us from our sinful courses speak as much? May not the Lord justly expostulate and reason the case with us, as he did with his beloved Vineyard. 
Esai 5.  He hath Planted us in a most pleasant & fruitful soil: he hath encircled & hedged us round about with his loving mercies: & what could he have added more unto that which he hath already done? How oft, how long hath he laboured for our conversion by the preaching of his Word: Sermon upon Sermon, with extraordinary earnestness and importunity knocking at the doors of our hearts, that hearing him we might open unto him, and he enter in unto us: 
Psalm. 51.10.  He I say, who only is able to create in us clean hearts, and make us fruitful in all holiness. And to make his Word the more powerful for our conversion, how often hath he actuated it by many temporal afflictions, which he hath inflicted upon us: as inundations of waters, dearth of corn, loss of our fortunes, loss of our faithful friends, and such as had deepest interest in our affections: sometimes scourging us with the refractariness and disobedience of those which through natural or civil reference are nearest and dearest unto us: sometimes making these houses of clay (our mortal bodies) Hospitals for pestilential and painful diseases: sometimes suffering the high-prized treasure of our reputation to be rifled by wretched Shimeyes. But alas, what hath all this pruning prevailed? What good work have these and the like afflictions wrought upon us! Happily for the present they have a little humbled us, and wrung out of us a repentant tear, with a protestation of new obedience, of bringing forth better fruit for the time to come then formerly we had done: but this repentance of ours hath been as the Prophet speaketh; but as a Morning cloud, 
Hos 6.4.  and as the morning dew it hath gone away; like Dogs we have quickly returned to our own vomit, 
2 Pet 2.22.  and instead of bringing forth Vuas, grapes, 
Esay 5.4.  we have brought forth Labrucas, wild grapes: our grapes are grapes of gall, our clusters be bitter, 
Deut. 32.32, 33.  our wine is poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of Asps. My beloved, will God, think we, suffer himself to be thus deluded from time to time? Are we sure he will always look upon us with a favourable aspect, and never shut up his loving kindness in displeasure? O let us beware of carnal security: it is as dangerous and fearful an evil, as the soul embarked in the body can meet with, whilst sailing in the Sea of this world. Certainly, if his so many gentle and merciful visitations will not reclaim us from our dissolute courses, but we will still frequent our old sinful haunts, drawing iniquity with cartropes, and sin with the cords of vanity, he will lay aside all lenity, 
●●sa patientia sit si●●or.  & deal with us more roughly and severely. It is not a pruning-knife, some favourable affliction, some fatherly correction shall serve the turn: for (behold) he hath put an axe into the hand of the destroying Angel, not like Abimelech, 
judg. ● 43.  to cut down some boughs from the trees: no, he hath given him a strait charge, a strict commission, if he find any tree, any man that bringeth not forth good fruit, to hue him down even at the very root: that is, by death to root him out of the land of the living, which is the first particular penalty, the Excision. 
The first penalty an Excision.  Every tree not bringing forth good fruit, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is hewn down.  
Do but consider, I beseech you the fearfulness of this penalty. True.  

Hor Carm. lib. 3 Ode 1. — Ae qua lege necessitas,  
Sortitur insigneis & imos:  
Omne capax movet urna nomen.  

Psal. 89.47. Hebr. 9.27.  What man liveth and shall not see death? There is a Statute for it, Statutum est omnibus semel mori. It is appointed unto all men once to die. 
Cui nas●i contigit mori restat. Sen. Ep. 110.  Death is God's Sergeant, unto whose arrest the whole surviving race of Adam is subject, as well the godly as the : and therefore it is not here said, that he which bringeth not forth good fruit, shall dye; but shall be hewn down; to signify the fearfulness of that death which shall befall him. The godly man, he that bringeth forth good fruit, shall die: but he is happy in his end: for that he departeth this life in the sweet peace of conscience, which he hath obtained through faith in Christ's blood, whereby he is reconciled unto God, & sealed up unto the day of redemption: so that the misery of death is unto him the death of all misery, and his last end the beginning, 
Dies iste quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterninatalis est. Sen. Ep. 102.  the birthday of eternity. And therefore laetus lethum excipit, come Death when it will come, it is truly & hearty welcome, & finds him ready & willing with much unfeigned joy to entertain the stroke which shall separat his soul & body, that so being freed from the prison of his body, he may enter into his master's joy, 
Matth. 25.21.  & be crowned with glory & happiness in the highest heavens. In regard whereof, 
Justus dum per mortem e vita tollitur, non exciditur, sed in uberius solum transfertur. Fran. Luc. Brugiens in locum  when by Death he is taken out of this life, he cannot be said to be hewn down, but rather transplanted into a more fruitful soil. On the other side, the  man, that bringeth not forth good fruit, but is barren in all goodness, and only fruitful in the damnable works of darkness, he shall die, but a death far different from that of the righteous: for being besotted with the pleasures of sin, and having his affections fast glued to the things of this world, when Death arresteth his Body, his Soul will departed out of it like sawdust grated out of the belly of an hard Oak, with much labour and striving: so unwilling and loath it will be to break up house, and bid farewell unto the world. Yea, for as, much as he never endeavoured to keep a good Conscience toward God and man, therefore his guilty Conscience, like the evil Spirit which vexed Saul, 
1 Sam. 16.14.  shall most fearfully wrack and torture him, and a wounded spirit who can bear? 
Prou. 18.14.  saith the Proverbialist: and thus in the anguish and bitterness of his Soul he shallbe broken like a tree: 
job 24.20.  the Axe of Death shall cleave & rend his soul and body asunder with all violence and terror, he shall be hewn down, saith my Text.  
But is this all? shall this Tree thus felled, there lie and rest and rot where it falleth? I mean, shall his soul and body thus parted, so perish, as that he shall cease ever to have a being any more, and consequently a feeling of any further misery? Certainly, though sinful man be like unto the beasts that perish, yet he doth not perish like the beasts, whose bodies are turned into ashes, and their spirits vanish as soft air, and are no more. No, his soul is an immortal substance, and his body, though in the eye of a carnal Sadducee, it seemeth so to perish, as that it shall never have a being any more; yet it shall at the last day by the power of God be restored to its just proportion: for after Death there must come a judgement particular of the Soul, when it departeth from the body; general, of Soul and body at the general resurrection. So that this fearful hewing down is but as the Prologue to a more tragical & fearful Scene: it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the beginning of sorrows, the forerunner of more fearful torments. For after the axe of Death hath with all violence, cleft and rend his Soul and Body in sunder, after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he is thus hewn down, it followeth in the next place, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, be is cast into the fire, he is thrown headlong into the flames of Hell.  
And this second penalty, his exastion, 
The second penalty, an Exastion.  is indeed principally that which causeth his dissolution to be so comfortless & full of terror. For when the hand of God lieth heavy upon him to hue him down by death, it is not the separation of his soul & body that doth so much trouble him, nor the leaving his beloved world that doth so much afflict him, no, nor the cruel gnawings of his guilty conscience that do so wrack & torture him, otherwise then joined with the present apprehension of being cast into this fire, which he then forseeth will most certainly befall him af●er his dissolution. And no marvel, if the apprehension thereof strike such a dread & terror into his departing soul: 
Et hic. ● c. 9  for what Aristotle that heathen oracle of learning said of the natural death of the Body, as one who saw no farther than the twilight of Nature would give him lean, may more truel● be averred of this second penalty, that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the most terrible of terribles. As Zeuxis that excellent painter desiring to draw Junocs' picture exactly, viewed all the Agrigentine Virgins with a curious eye, picked out five of the choicest Pieces Nature did afford amongst them, out of which, for the composition of her picture, he abstracted and expressed with his pencil what he apprehended more accurate and excellent, either for proportion or beauty: So the liveliest resemblance can be framed of this fearful penalty, is by presenting unto our fantasy all the torments that ever seized upon the sons of Adam in this valley of misery; and out of them to make choice of such as are most exquisite, acrimonious, and intolerable, and out of these, if it were possible to extract a Quintessence, and to inflict this quintessence of torment upon one man: and yet when we have done all this, this all is as nothing: we sha●l have framed but a dull, a weak Idea of this penalty. For the Eye hath not seen, the Ear heard, nor hath it entered into the Heart of Man, 
1 Cor. 2.9.  as what joys God hath prepared for those that love him, so what sorrows he hath laid up for those that leave him. And therefore as the Painter presenting the sorrow of the father of Iphigenia, when she was to be sacrificed, drew him with his face covered, as confessing his Art insufficient to express in his visage a grief of that degree: so being at this time, according to my propounded Method, to present so terrible & fearful a penalty, as to be cast into hell fire, my best course, I confess, were to cast over it the veil of silence, as being best conscious of my own insufficiency, for a task of such transcendency. Yet unwilling my particular weakness should frustrate the general expectation of so Honourable an Audience: And fearing my silence in a point of such importance may occasion some to slight their own ruin and neglect their speedy reformation: For such is naturally our slavish disposition that (notwithstanding all the gracious and glorious promises of the Gospel) unless the terrors of the Law be punctually propounded unto the understanding, and so reflect and beat upon the Conscience, we walk without either fear or wit in the ways of ungodliness, and as if we had taken a liberal Dosis of Opium, are cast into a Spiritual Lethargy, and fall into Hell before we so much as dream of Damnation. Therefore a word or two more particularly for the description of the fearfulness of this particular penalty: For I intent not, though the case might justly require it, to entertain you with a particular discourse of the several punishments, wherein all the powers and parts of each damned Wretch to his greater terror shall have their share; as those Positive of intolerable cold, the Worm that never dyeth, palpable darkness, the horrid aspect of the Devils, and infinite more, the least of all which is most horrible, 
Pectori generoso non tam molestum est rerum angugustia premi, quam abundantia & gloria privari. Stapl. promp. mor. Mali non tantum dolebunt de ipsò tormento, quam quod repellentur a tali consortio. Ludolph. Si nulla externa poena torqueret haec sola sufficeret. Mestreth ex Chrysost.  too heavy for Nature to sustain in her greatest strength. Neither will I speak of the perpetual privation of the blessed vision of a most glorious God, and happy society of the holy Angels and glorified Saints: a penalty by all Divines both antique and neotericke determined to be more terrible and fearful, than all the Positive miseries Hell, yea ten thousand Hells can afford. The large and learned labours of Others concerning these particulars shall at this time save me a labour. I would gladly draw towards a conclusion, and therefore must desire so much favour as that I may confine myself unto this in my Text, as being most frequent in the Scripture, and of a Positive torment the most fearful and intolerable. Ex ungue Leonem. I shall in it give you, as it were the length of Hercules foot, and so leave you to guess at the full pourtaiture of his whole body. The Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.  
There are three things that do more punctually discover unto us the fearfulness 
Hell fire most fearful for three causes,  of this Penalty.  
The first is the Extremity of it.  
Many are the torments which cruel Tyrants the Devil's Engineers have framed in the forge of their hellish invention to make poor Nature suffer: 
Multa sunt ab hominibus excogitata supplicia, sed nullum acutius, nullum vehementius, nullum acrius igne. Bellar. de gem. Columb. lib. 2. cap. 2.  But of all; there is none more acute, none more vehement, none more acrimonious than that which is effected by Fire: and yet for extremity of heat, so infinite are the degrees whereby this Hell fire surpasseth our Hearth fire, that the most expert Mathematician is unable to take their true distance. Nebuchadnezars Furnace, though heated seven times more than ordinary, yet it compared with the extreme heat and fervour of this Fire is but as the Chill-warmth of the Sun in an extreme cold Winter's day, or as the mere picture of Fire unto the Fire which is Pictured: this Fire burneth in such extremity, that in it the least moment of Pain will swallow up whole Ages of forepast pleasures.  
Secondly, the fearfulness of this Penalty appeareth in the Universality of it: this terrible Fire burneth not a finger only, 
Math. 10.28.  or a hand, or a foot, but the whole body, yea, the whole man both body and soul. For as both like Simeon and Levi have been brethren in the evil of Sin: So both shall be brethren in the evil of suffering, both shall be tormented in this Flame, be cast into this Fire.  
Thirdly, the fearfulness of this Penalty appeareth in the Perpetuity of it. Though the whole man be extremely & terribly tortured, yet it were some comfort if this acrimonious Penalty might have either some end or some ease. In Corporal griefs it is an experimental Maxim, 
Nemo potest valde d●lere & di● Seneca ●p 78. Praeceps morbus alterum facies, aut extingu●tur aut extinguet. Ibid. Do●or quò incitatior, ●o citiùs in aliena●ione fluporemque convertitur, hoc itaque solatium est vasti doloris quod necesse est desinas illum sentir● si nimis senseris. Senec. Ibid.  & ministereth some comfort unto the sick Patient, a Disease the sharper the shorter: the more violent, the less permanent. It is impossible (saith Seneca) for a man to be in great pain and a great while in pain: for either it will suddenly leave Him, or He suddenly leave it. And if neither his Disease be suddenly taken from him, nor he from his disease; yet certainly his Pain cannot long continue in extremity, but will at length be translated into a stupidity; it will produce a Stupefaction and numbness in the parts it affecteth: and so the Party oversensibly affected ceaseth to be sensible of his grief.  
Again a violent and virulent Disease though it be a long time ere a man can wholly shake it off and bid it farewell, sometime not till his last of time, 
Si longus est, habet intercapedinem, dat refectioni locum, multum temporis donat, necesse est ut exurgat & desinat. Idem ibidem.  (Diseases commonly coming on Horseback, but going away on foot) yet it is no small comfort unto the sick Patient that it cometh but by fits: it doth not keep a continual Term in his body but hath sometimes its recesses and Vacations: it doth not always sit in commission; sometimes it hath an intermission, and leaveth Man to himself to recollect his scattered spirits, and repair the ruined and crazy walls of his earthly Tabernacle, whereby he is the better enabled to hold out against the furious assaults thereof.  
Besides, there are diverse artificial Confections which the skilful in Physic are able to prescribe and prepare, if not for the extirpation of his disease, yet at least for the remission and mitigation of his Pain: there are lenitives to assuage and qualify the raging madness thereof. Howsoever at length that Catholic Esculapius Doctor Death will one day visit the perplexed Patient, and give him a diet drink that will undoubtedly cure him of all his griefs. Thus, I say, though a man be infested with a disease that doth extremely plague and torture him, yet he hath these comfortable hopes and helps to sustain him in it: either He and his Disease will suddenly take their last farewell one of an other; or if it continue any time with him, it will in process of time, through extremity of pain, produce a stupefaction, or admit of some friendly intermission, or at least of some gentle remission, to make it the more supportable: howsoever, the Patient and his pain must one day part, and then there is an end of all his sorrows. But alas, it is not so here, he that is cast into this fire, is not capable of the least of all these comforts: for the extremity of his pain is perpetual, his torments are both endless & easeles.  
It was indeed the opinion of Origen and his Disciples, that all the damned, 
August. lib, 21. de Civitate Dei, Cap 17.  yea, even the Devils themselves, should one day be absolved from their pains, 
Tanto invenitur errare deformius, & contra Dei ve●b● perversius, quanto sibi videtur sentire clementius August. ibidem.  and received into the society of the Saints: which though it be a very merciful opinion, yet it is a very foul error, and hath been therefore justly exploded by the Church, as contradicting both reason, and plain text of Scripture. Reason requireth a correspondency between the reward of righteousness, and the wages of iniquity: that as he which like a good tree bringeth forth good fruit, shall be removed from earth to heaven, there to inherit everlasting felicity: so he which like a bad tree, doth not bring forth good fruit, should be cut down from off the face of the earth, and cast into perpetual misery. And the sacred Scripture doth plainly inform us that Ex inferno nulla redemptio, from Hell there is no redemption: As none can go from Heaven to Hell, 
Luke 16.26.  so none can go from Hell to Heaven; No, their heaviness is continual, their plague desperate, and cannot be cured. The breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone, 
Esay 30.33.  doth kindle the fire of Hell; and being once kindled, it never either of itself goeth out, or can be put out: 
Math. 35.41. Esay 66. Exod. 3.2.  for it is fire everlasting and unquenchable: and whosoever is cast into it, like Moses bush, shall be burned, but never consumed: he shall there continue eternally both body & soul in unspeakable misery. The extremity of his pain shall not produce in him the least stupefaction: for he shall be eternally and totally perfectly sensible of this fire. His pain shall not admit of the least intermission, or remission there shall not be the least moment of time, but in which he shall feelingly confess, I am most extremely and fearfully tormented in this flame. He shall not obtain so much as a drop of cold water in the eternity of his extremity, to cool the tip of his tongue.  
It is no small content unto one that is afflicted with a violent burning Fever, that he can turn and tumble himself too and fro in his bed in a vain hope of ease: But He that is cast into this fire, shall be no more able to move himself, 
Ji qui fuerunt hic dissoluti D●i mand●torum vincul● d●r●mpentes, tunc legatu manibus & ped●bus mittentur in panam aeternam. Guil. Paris. Math. 22. Est aliquod solamen in mise●is sectos habuisse doloris. job 16.12.  than a Tree that is hewn down and cast into the fire. For seeing that through his dissolute course of life he often broke the Chain of God's Commandments: he shall therefore by God's commandment be fast tied hand and foot with such chains as he shall not be able to break: thus bond he shall be cast into Hell.  
And whereas in Misery it is accounted some Comfort to have Company: He that is cast into this Fire, shall indeed have Company, but such as (like jobs friends) will prove unto him but miserable comforters: their company shall be so little for his consolation, as that it shall much conduce for the augmenting his affliction. For (not to speak of the horrid aspect of his Tormentors, and the fearful howl of the Tormented) he shall then see those in hell with him, of whose damnation himself was the procuring cause: and this shall add infinitely to his pains: for as He, who by his godly counsel, and religious conversation hath been an instrument, to convert others unto God, shall shine as the stars in the firmament, 
D●n. 12.13.  have a peculiar reward of glory above others: so He who by his wicked and lewd conversation hath occasioned the fall of others, shall for it, besides his more general pains, have some more special torment inflicted upon him: so that the very sight of such for whose sake he sustaineth his peculiar torments, shall bring no small affliction to his Soul. And hence it was (as Divines have observed) that Dives being in Hell fire, requested Abraham to dispatch Lazarus to his Father's house, 
Luke 16.27, 28.  to premonish his Brethren, that they might not come into that place of Torment: not for any good he intended toward his Brethren, (for Hell is as fare from Charity, as Heaven from Envy) but out of fear lest his pains should be augmented through their presence, he having corrupted them by his bad example.  
In a word, 
Simon Pauli Suerinensis.  Sicut nihil in Coelo desideratur quod non invenitur: ita nihil in inferno invenitur quod desideratur: as in Heaven there is nothing desired which is not found: so in Hell there is nothing found which is desired. 
Dabitur miseris vita mortalis, morientur & semper erunt. Cassiodorus. Reuel. 9.6.  He that is cast into Hell fire, shall seek Death, but shall not find it: he shall desire to dye, but Death shall flee from him: He shall desire ease, but be so fare from the least hope of obtaining it, that whether the present pain he sustaineth in such extremity, by virtue of this fire, or the present thought of the perpetuity thereof be his greatest affliction, it is hard to determine.  
I am not ignorant, that this penalty is Paradoxical to natural Reason: for first, it being a Position in Philosophy, That the Agent is more Noble than the Patient, how can this Fire which is generally held Corporeal, afflict the Soul which is Spiritual? Again, 
Esay 33.14  this Fire being of a devouring nature, how can it burn the Body; and not at length consume and reduce it to nothing, the body being naturally as combustible as Chaff? Hear indeed is Saint Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: as Simonides in another case: so must I confess in this, Quò diutiùs mecum cogito, eò minùs invenio: The more I seek into it, the more I am to seek in it: It is a great Mystery, a Gordian Knot, which natural Reason cannot untie. What Saint Augustine for the former Quaere, 
Lib. 21. de Civit. Dei, cap. 10.  Fit miris, sed veris modis, may also satisfy for the latter. That this Corporeal Fire doth afflict the Soul, which is Spiritual: that it continually burneth the Body, but never consumeth it, is not more strange than true. 
Non nulla animalia in ignibus v●uere in ●st●one sine combustione,- per mi●●culum omn●potentissimi Creatoris, ib. c. 9  The same Father, for the settling of our Faith in this point, instanceth in diverse Creatures, and more particularly the Salamander, that doth miraculously live in the fire without being consumed. Man's weakness is unable to determine the power of God, it exceeding all that we can possibly apprehend. These therefore being ineffable Mysteries, are not to be measured by the scantling of natural Reason. Our best course is to believe it here, lest for our unbelief we be made to feel it hereafter.  
But it may be replied, That to punish Man eternally, who sinned but temporally, may argue God of Injustice, and Cruelty. Saint Gregory doth excellently well demonstrate the Equity of this Penalty. 
* Iniqui cum sine deniquerut, quia cum fine vixerunt: nam voluissent utique si potuirsent sine sine vivere, ut p●ssent sine sine p●e●are Ostendunt enim quod in peccato semper vivere cup●unt, qui nunquam desinunt peccare dum viwnt, Greg. ●, Dialog  The wicked, saith he, sin but for a time, because they live but for a time: By their good wills they would never dye, that they might ever sinne: For they show they would ever live in Sin, because they never leave sinning so long as they live. And therefore, as he elsewhere speaketh: 
Ad districti iudicis sententiam per●●●●t, ut nunquam ea cant supplium, quo imens in vac vita nu●quam voluit carere peccato: & nullus detur iniquo terminus vitiones, qui quam 〈◊〉 ut aut h●●ere novit ●ermi●um ●ri●●●s, Greg. 3. lib. Moral.  It standeth with the justice of God, to visit man with a perpetual Penalty, who if he might would live perpetually in Iniquity. Besides, Man in sinning offendeth an Infinite Majesty, and therefore in all equity deserveth an infinite misery, to be afflicted with endless torments. But why do I stand disputing upon the equity of this penalty? as if it were a fit thing to call God to an account for his judgements  
Certainly though they be secret, yet they can never be unjust, for as Abraham unto God; 
Gen. 18.25.  Shall not the judge of all the world do right?  
We see then the fearfulness of that Penalty which God will after this life inflict upon sinful man: he shall be cast into Hell fire, there to be tormented extremely, to be extremely tormented totally, to be extremely and totally tormented eternally. O what an eating torment is but the aching of a Tooth? What a sharp and piercing pain to hold but a finger in the fire: but to be all on fire of Hell? to have no part free? for the whole man to be nothing else but a torment in extremity, and so to continue without the least hope of ease world without end? We cannot but apprehend and confess an intolerable an unexpressible penalty.  
But to what purpose do I labour to set forth the fearfulness of this penalty? When we speak of these things, do we not participate of Cassandra's blessing? Though we speak the truth and nothing but the truth, yet as the Prophet complaineth, 
Esay 53.2.  Who will believe our report? Or at lest who will be reform by it? If we consult with the extraordinary sinfulness of this age wherein we live, the horrible security of many, and those outrageous and unheard of villainies every where practised and perpetrated even in the eye of the Sun, it will plainly appear that the greatest part of mankind take Hell fire to be but Inane terriculamentum, a silly Scarecrow to keep man in awe and order, an Old wife's fable, a mere Poetical fiction: so little doth it prevail with them for their reformation: Certainly, My beloved, were our belief in this point as sound and our Meditation thereon as Serious as our living is sinful; O, what a holy and blessed change would it work both in our consciences and conversation.  
Tully writeth of one Damocles a Parasitical Courtier, 
Tuscul. lib 5.  that though placed in the seat-royal of Dionysius his Sovereign, and presented with a banquet of the choicest rarities, and to wrap up the whole History in a word, liberally furnished with whatsoever his heart could desire for the accomplishment of his conceited happiness, yet when bestowing his eyes about him he espied a glittering Sword hanging over his head in a Horse hair ready to cleave & split him in twain every moment. Which as the former, was done at the command of Dionysius to let him see his error, that he beheld his happiness in a false Glass. The just fear of his imminent danger did so captivated his freer jollity, that he then began extremely to loathe what before he did so entirely love: his delicate iuncates were unto him but as unsavoury viands, and his delightful objects but as music in a time of mourning: he than had rather part with his happiness upon even terms, then purchase it at so dear a price. In like manner though naturally we are infinitely delighted in following the lusts of our own hearts, and repute it the only happiness that can befall us freely to disport ourselves in all licentiousness: Yet if we did but deliberately weigh our own case, as indeed it nearly concerneth us so to do, Laying the pleasures of sin which can last but for a little season in one Scale, and the Penalty for sin which will hold out to eternity in the other; if we did but seriously consider that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
Rom. 1.18.  of men, as the Apostle speaketh: that the Lord hath whet his Sword, 
Psal 7.12.13.  and bend his Bow, and hath made his instruments ready to wound the hairy Scalp of him that goeth on in his wickedness, as the Prophet David speaketh. That the axe of his wrath is already laid unto the root of the Trees, and that he is resolutely determined that those Trees, those Men which bring not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, into Hell Fire, there to be extremely and totally tormented eternally, it would beget in our hearts a mortal hatred even of our bosom and best beloved corruptions, and work with us even in the midst of our sinful pleasures as the Handwriting upon the Wall with Belshazzar in the midst of his jollity: 
Dan. 5.6.  it would cause our countenance to be changed, our thoughts to trouble us, the joints of our loins to be loosed, and our knees to smite one against the other: it would make us with the jailer to tremble and and fall before the Ministers of God, 
Acts 16.29.30.  & say, Sirs what shall we do to be saved? 
Raro antecedentem scelestum deseruit pede paena claudo. Car. lib 3. ode 2  Oh, it is a terrible and fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  
Though he hath leaden heels, yet he hath iron hands. 
Tarditatem vindictae Supplicij gravitate compensat.  Serò, sed seriò, He is indeed slow to proceed in judgement, but when he comes, as come he will, he strikes home, and lays it on heavily. Therefore, my Beloved, let us take heed we do not dally with God, 
The certainty of the penalty.  and slight his terrible judgements, as if they did nothing concern us: for that the Lord will render vengeance unto the children of disobedience, and visit the iniquities of impudent and impenitent sinners with the intolerable eternal torments of hell fire, is a truth as clear as that God is truth: we have it delivered from his own mouth, and recorded under his own hand: his sacred Word indicted by the Holy Ghost, hath most clearly revealed it unto us; and questionless, we may venture to take his word and build upon it: 
Numb. 23.19.  for God is not as man that he should lie, neither as the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it? Certainly, Heaven and Earth shall sooner pass away, 
Luke 16.17.  saith our Saviour, than the least jot or title of the Law shall fall. And therefore the penalty here threatened, shall most certainly be inflicted. Yea, to intimate the undoubted certainty thereof, it is not here said in the future Tense, The tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, but is hewn down and cast into the fire: it being as certain, as if it were already inflicted: So he which believeth not, 
john 3.18.  is already condemned, saith our Saviour. The Law hath already denounced the Sentence of malediction against the Sinner, Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to do them: 
Deut. 27.26.  And what the curse of the law is, is not unknown to the veriest Babe in Christianity: it is the eternal destruction of body and soul in hell fire. So that there is nothing wanting unto the certainty of this Penalty, but a more solemn declaration, and a real execution thereof: which shall be then effected, when the Son of man our Lord jesus Christ shall come in the clouds in his Glory accompanied with all his holy Angels, to judge the quick and the dead: then shall he pronounce that dreadful Sentence of condemnation, Discedite a me maledicti, 
Matth. 25.41.  Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, and then shall it be put into execution, for they shall go into everlasting torments, verse 46  

The Generality or extent of the Penalty  And let no man delighting in impiety delude his own soul with a vain hope of impunity; let him not think to escape the judgement of God, whilst he committeth such things as are worthy of death: 
Rom. 1 32.  for the Lord is a powerful and an impartial judge: Who can stand before his wrath? or who can abide the fierceness of his wrath? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the very Rocks are broken by him, saith the Prophet. King Nabuchadnezzar, though a most puissant Prince, a great Tree, as the Scripture styles him, strong and high unto heaven, 
Dan. 4.11.  in whose boughs the Birds of the air did build their nests, yet saw in a Vision a Watcher, 
Verse 14.  a holy One coming down from Heaven, who cried aloud Succidite arborem, Hue down the Tree and Destroy it. Tophet is prepared for the King, 
Esay 30.53.  saith the Prophet Esay. Though his excellency mount up unto the heavens and his head reach up to the clouds, yet shall he perish for ever like his own dung, 
job 20.6.7.  saith job.  
Regum timendorum in proprios greges, 
Hor. Carm. lib. 3. Ode, 1.   
Reges in ipsos imperium est jovis,  
Clari Gygant eo triumpho,  
cuncta supercilio moventis.  
God hath an unresistahle power over the most Commanding Princes: 
Pro 3.15.16.  By him Kings reign, Princes, Nobles and all the judges of the earth do rule, saith Solomon the greatest Prince that ever ruled upon the earth. At his footstool the mightiest Monarches must lay down their Crowns and make their appearance before his most dreadful presence, submitting themselves to be censured and sentenced and suffer according to their demerits. God spareth none though never so mighty: yea, for that respect he dealeth more sharply with them. For as Hieronimus Guadalupensis upon this Text observeth, 
Quanto quisque potentior sinon ferat f●uctum tanto maiori d●gnus est supplicio, qui ●occasio est multis non ferendi bonos fructus. Scilicet in vulgus manaut exempla regentum. Claudianus.  The more Potent a man is, if he do not bring forth good fruit, the greater punishment he deserveth, because He is an Occasion unto many of their not bringing forth good fruit: Men ordinarily suffering themselues to be directed & lob-led by the example of their Superiors, like the Spaniard that held his neck awry because Alphonso of Arragon his king was wry neckt.  
It is no man's Greatness that can shelter him from the smoking shower of God's wrath. Even that Mitred man of Sin, which treadeth Sceptres under his feet, and exalteth himself above all that is called God, though he plead both a canonising and a confounding power, yet He also shall one day be brought before the Bar of God's justice, to be arraigned for all his Abominations, wherewith he hath infatuated and besotted both himself and Gods Inheritance, and shall drink of the dregges of God's wrath cup, the promerited reward of his works.  
And let no hoodwinked Catholic deride this peremptory assertion, as proceeding from a distempered brain: for I know what I say: If his Holiness cannot procure his own immunity from the pains of Purgatory, as for example, 
De Gemitu Columbae, li. 2. c. 9  Pope Innocentius the third, who as Bellarmine writeth, is to continue there till Doom's day: much less shall he be able by his pretended power to deliver himself from hell fire. Now if these lofty Cedars of Lebanon, and sturdy Oaks of Basan cannot avoid the stroke of the Axe, but shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, what shall become of the lesser trees, the lower shrubs? Certainly, God will be impartial in his judiciary proceed: his eye will spare none. 
Rom. ●. 9, 11, 12. v●●●●●.  Tribulation & anguish upon Every soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. With him there is no respect of persons: for as many as have sinned without the Law, shall also perish without the Law: and as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be judged by the Law. 
Psalm. ●●. ●1  God will wound the hairy scalp of Every one that goeth on in his wickedness, saith the Prophet David. 
Ez●kiel 18.4  The soul that sinneth shall dye. Indeed the Gibeonites could gull Captain joshua with their old shoes, their mouldy crusts, 
joshua ●. 4, 5.  and thread bare garments, and so save themselves from his sword: But God hath oculum in Sceptro, as he is omnipotent, so he is omniscient: he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Psalm. 13●, ●.  the Heart's searcher: he knoweth us all, and all our ways too well to be deceived by us. 
Cic. office li. 3.  It is not the wearing of a Gyges' Ring can keep us out of God's sight: for there is nothing that hath a being in nature, which is not the object of his eye. If I say, 
Psal. 139.11.12  Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be a light about me; yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.  
In a word, when the Lord shall call the sons of men to a particular account for their transgressions, then vana salus hominum, as saith the Psalmist, Man's help is all but in vain. Though hand join in hand, 
Prou. 11.25.  saith Solomon, the wicked shall not escape unpunished: that is (saith our English Gloss) Though they make never so many friends, or think themselves never so secure, yet they shall not escape. It is not the fantastical treasure of the Saints Supererogative works under his Holiness lock and key can serve the sinners turn in that day: for the Wise Virgins could not lend any Oil, 
Math. 25.6.  lest they should lack for themselves. It is not any man's Potency can be his Protection: for the most powerful Monarch is but as a Potter's vessel, easily broken into shards and shivers with the least touch of God's iron rod. 
Reuel. 2.27.  It is not the subtle pate of the deepest Politician can prevail for any man. For the wisdom of the World is but foolishness with God. 
1 Cor. 1.20. Esay 29.14.  I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent, saith the Lord. No course can be taken to disappoint God of his revenging purposes: for as the Prophet hath it, 
Amos 2.14, 15, 6.  The flight shall perish from the swift: and the strong shall not strengthen his force: neither shall the mighty save his life: nor he that handleth the bow shall stand: and he that is swift of foot shall not escape, neither shall he that rideth the horse save his life: And he that is of a mighty courage among the strong men, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the lord 
Omnis sine person●rum exceptione, sin excusationum algatione, sine alicuius cuosione. Gorth in locum.  So that without any personal exception, without any excusive allegation, without any particular ones evasion, Every tree, every man not bringing forth good fruit, the fruits of holiness and sanctification, shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
Every tree not bringing forth Good fruit: Many in their own account pass for current Christians, and are persuaded they shall go for no less with God, when they are called to give up their accounts unto him, if they do not bring forth bad fruit: 
Luke 18 11.  if like the proud Pharise they can but plead for themselves, Not guilty as other men, Extortioners, , adulterers: If they can say, We are no Drunkards, no Swearers, no spendthrifts, no grinders of the Poor, and the like: If like Saint john's Herb, which (as Cooks report) being put into the pot, procureth nor good nor hurt to the pottage: so if they do no hurt, though they never do any good; if they be honest harmless men, as they are commonly styled, such as neither meddle nor make with others: but live quietly, (it is no matter for religiously) among their Neighbours, all is well: they hope in God to go to Heaven as sure as the best. Alas, poor miserable wretches, how palpably, how grossly they deceive themselves, Ixion-like embracing a Cloud instead of juno: like Chameleons feeding upon the airy hope of that happiness they shall never find. Indeed, Not to do evil is commendable; but not to do good, is culpable, is condemnable. Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: 
Math. 25.30.  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth: And here in my text, Every tree not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. 
Luke 16.  We do not read that the Rich man in the Gospel despoiled Lazarus of any thing whereof he was possessed: yet because he did not open unto him the bowels of compassion, and cause to be tendered unto him wherewith to sustain him in his want: therefore Hell mouth was opened to swallow him up unto everlasting torments.  
Now the reason is this, 
1. john 3.4.  we read in john, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Sin is the transgression of the Law: and the transgression of the Law is Sin, and the wages of Sin is Death. 
Rom 6.23.  Now the Lords Mandates are as well Affirmative, for the ensuing of Good, as Negative, for the eschewing of Evil: and the Affirmative as well as the Negative under the Curse require exact obedience. So that, He is no less liable unto the Laws malediction Qui omittit facienda, which omitteth things to be done, then Qui facit omittenda, He which doth things to be omitted. The last and great Assizes will fully and plainly resolve this case, determine this point. 
Matt. 25.41.  for, Then shall the Son of man say unto the Goats on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devils and his Angels: Here is the Curse. Hear we the Cause: It followeth, For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I thirsted, and ye gave me no drink; I was naked, and ye clothed me not: Sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Where we may see the bare omission of the good works of mercy the procuring cause of perpetual misery: ratifying the Position in my Text, that every Tree not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.  
Now if Every Tree not bringing forth forth good fruit shall be thus served: how fearfully shall it far with those trees that do not only not bring forth good fruit, but also bring forth bad fruit? 
Dionyst●● Carthusianus in loc●  Si sola omissio aternoigne punitur, vitiosa actio quid meretur? If the bare omission and neglect of a pious office be punishable with everlasting fire: what doth a vicious action deserve? Si sterilitas condemnatur, continuata impietas, foeda delectatio, affectuosa peccati prosecutio quam dirè torquebitur? If sterility and barrenness be condemned: how direfully shall continued impiety, wallowing with delight in the stinking puddle of iniquity, an affected prosecution of all ungodliness even with greediness be tortured and tormented? 
Non minoris est criminis haben i tollere, quà cum possit & habes indigen●ibus denegare. Ambr. in quedam Ser.  If those shall be thrust into Hell that have not relieved the poor and needy in their want and misery; what shall be come of such as lay violent hands upon their Patrimony? If such as neglect the performance of Religious duties whether towards God or Man are guilty of everlasting damnation; How shall they escape the dreadful judgement of God which like the unrighteous judge fear nor God, nor man: 
Luke 18 4.  but live in the wilful breach of their Maker's Laws? If such shall most certainly be condemned as are only barren in goodness: what shall be come of those that are also fruitful in the damnable works of darkness? If the Fig tree for not bringing forth good fruit must be cursed, 
Math. 21.19.  how shall the Vines of Sodom and Gomorrha escape which bring forth bad fruit, 
Deut. 32.32, 3●.  fruit bitter as Gall, Deadly as the poison of Dragons.  
O Consider this all ye that forget your God, 
Psal. 50. ●2.  that forget your own good in being strangers from the life of God, lest the Lord in his wrath hue you down, and there be none to deliver you. For if God spared not his blessed Angels, nor his beloved Israel when they brought forth the cursed fruit of rebellion and disobedience: how shall he spare us that are but dust and ashes: Worms and not Men: by Nature mere aliens from the Common wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise: seeing in lewdness of life and Conversation we are nothing inferior to the Collapsed Angels or rejected Israelites?  
My beloved, I must ingeniously acknowledge with the Prophet jeremy, 
jeremy 1.6.  Puer sum, et nescio loqui, I am but a child and know not how to speak: fitter like an Auditor to sit at Gamaliels feet, 
Acts 22.3. Matt. 23.2.  then like a Doctor in Moses chair. Yet seeing the Lord hath called me to this place, and put his word into my mouth: I beseech you suffer with all patience and reverend attention, a word or two of premonition and exhortation. It may please God so to magnify his strength in my weakness, as to make the words which he hath taught me effectually powerful for the reformation of your lives, and consequently for the everlasting salvation of your Souls and Bodies.  
Shall every tree not bringing forth good fruit be hewn down and cast into the fire? 
1 Clergy  O lay this unto heart with me ye Chariots and horsemen of Israel, ye that are of the house of Aaron and the Tribe of Levi, my beloved fellowlabourers in the work of the Ministry. Let us consider that the Lord hath committed unto us the dispensation of his Word, 
1 Cor. 4.1. 1. Pet. 1.23.  that most precious and immortal seed whereby Christ may be conceived in us, and we become spiritual Fathers of many Children in Christ. 
1. Cor. 4.15.  O then let every one of us in the fear of God, according to the Talon wherewith we are entrusted, so labour in the Word to be found faithful dispensers of the Word, feeding the flock of Christ concredited to our charge with savoury food in season, 
2. Tim. 4.2.  & out of season, that we may become fruitful in begetting children unto Christ for the enlarging of his Kingdom. Let us remember that the Church is God's vineyard, the People his plants, and we the Ministers his hired servants, to labour in his vineyard that it may yield forth fruit unto the Lord. And though john Baptist may have a backfriend in Herod's court, yet let us not be put to silence, or discouraged, but boldly with a h art strike with the Sword of the Spirit at the head of that Serpent Sin, in whomsoever we see it: remembering that we are Ambassadors for Christ, 
2 Cor. 5.20.  One who is able to maintain his cause even against the Devil himself. But above all, let us labour to put life into our labours, by bringing forth the fruit of good living, that so we may the better win our people to entertain the sincere Profession of the Truth, and save our own Souls at the day of the Lord Jesus. 
Serm. de Sancto Benedicto Abbate.  For as Saint Bernard most sweetly, Sermo vivus & efficax Operis est, plurimum faciens suadibile quod dicitur, dum monstrat factibile quod suadetur: We shall easily persuade the people to practise what we preach, when what we preach, we practise. In a word, let us remember, that as there it a Vae mihi si non evangelizavero, a woe unto the Minister if he do not labour in the Gospel: so there is a vae mihi si non bene vixero, a woe unto the Minister if he do not live according to the Gospel: for every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, the fruit of good living shall be hewed down and cast into the fire.  
In the next place think upon this ye People of this place, 
2. Laiety.  of this City, of this Land. Sure I am, there is no Nation under the Celestial Poles, professing the faith of Christ over which the Lord hath placed so Learned, so Laborious, so Religious a Clergy as over This. Consider how in it ye are blest of God, that so ye may bless God when ye consider of it: Bless God? but how! why, bless him in Sacrificing unto him the Calves of your lips: 
Hosea 14.2.  Bless him in consecrating unto him the short remnant and remainder of your lives: Bless him in a reverend estimation of his holy Ordinances: In a word, 
1 Thess. 5.12, 13.  Bless him in your singular love unto those that are over you in the Lord, that are dispensers of his sacred mysteries: lest ye be hewn down and cast into the fire.  
And do ye not so? I would to God I could pass by you concerning these particulars, especially the latter, without apprehending any just cause for your general reprehension. It is a Sore I no more but touched, but named before, intending in this place to handle it more at large, and to apply unto it a corroding Plaster, if it were possible, to draw away the malignant quality wherewith it is so much infested: that it is even swo●ne up as high as Heaven, to the pulling down (as is justly to be feared) upon this Land, a sudden Babel of confusion, without some speedy reformation.  

Gal. 4.15.  I doubt not but there are some Galathians amongst us that would pluck out even their own eyes, to do Paul good. 
1 Kings 17.  That there is some Zareptan, that would even hazard the hastening her own hunger-starving to communicate unto Elishaes' necessities: for whose sakes, I am persuaded, the Lord hath been many ways gracious unto this Land, and suspended the infliction of his fearful judgements which for our sins we have long since justly deserved. But alas, all these Some, these Galathians, these Zareptans are but a small Sum, scarce to be called a number, in respect of those that are contrarily affected. For as it was the sin of jeroboam, 
1 Kings 12.3.  with which he is branded unto posterity by the Spirit of God, that he made Priests of the lowest and basest of the People: so it is a sin may be seen and read in great characters upon the foreheads of most in this Land, that they make Priests the lowest and basest of People: the lowest, by depriving them of their allotted Maintenance; the basest, by prosecuting them with all unreverence. Not to speak of the former, and therein of those violent, malevolent, unchristianlike courses wherein they are very frequent, and fruitful for the despoiling, and robbing us of those revenues God out of his holy wisdom hath set apart, and consecrated for the maintenance of those that minister and serve at his Altar, that so they might make the Levites to stoop unto them, and hang upon their sleeves like beggars for their Alms and voluntary contributions. How unreasonably do they load the Prophets of the Lord with all the injuries & indignities their devilish malice can invent? The sacred title of our thrice honourable Function is but a term of disgrace in the mouths of these scoffing ismael's, whose malignant spleen is such, that they will not stick to strike at us with the sword of their virulent tongues, even in the face of the world, as we walk in the open streets. Nay, such is the height of their impudence, that they will not forbear to offer violence unto the honour of our Calling, even before Gods own face, even in the Sanctuary itself, which hath always been reputed a place of privilege, as if they would out-beard & outbrave almighty God himself. Is it possible such a high-handed disrespect and contempt should reign where the Gospel of Christ is so plentifully, and so sincerely preached?  
But I do the less marvel at it, when I call to mind the base usage wherewith the Son of God, 
Hebr. 6.20.  that High Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, was saluted in the days of the flesh: He was in the world (saith the beloved Evangelist) and the world was made by him, 
john 1.10, 11.  and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Nay, they did not only not receive him, but did, as ye may read at large in the History of his life, prosecute and persecute him with a world of indignities, even unto the death. 
Math. 10.24, 25  Now the Disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough (saith our Saviour) for the disciple to be as his master is, and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household? Our Lord hath drunk unto us out of this bitter cup, and we must resolve to pledge him round. O thrice happy we, if we could so apprehend it, that he is pleased to accept us into his sufferings. For if we suffer with Christ, 
2 Tim. 2.12.  we may be assured we shall also reign with Christ. But unhappy all those whose delight to grieve our spirits by their disrespective carriage and unconscionable courses, shall make us to be called Great in the kingdom of heaven: yea, thrice unhappy and accursed, if they break not off this their sinfulness by a more sanctified and conscionable course of life. We are indeed but weak Earthen vessels, 
2 Cor. 47.  as the Apostle styleth us. We are sinful men, men full of sin, and therein not unlike your selves: let him that is among you with out sin cast the first stone at us. 
john 8.7.  Yet consider that we are your Spiritual fathers; 
1 Cor. 4.15. Reuel. 3.1.  that we are the Angels of God, and Ambassadors for Christ. 
2 Cor. 5, 20.  If we be your Fathers, where is our honour? What though Elisha be bald? shall the children of Bethel call him Baldpate unpunished? 
2 Kin. 2. 2●, 23.  No, two Bears come out of the Forest, and tore them in pieces. What though Noah be drunken? shall his son Ham mock and deride him without a curse? 
Genes. 9.25.  No, Canaan is cursed, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. If we be Angels of God and Ambassadors for Christ, where is that homage and reverence you own unto us in the name of our Lord and Master? Will an earthly Prince, which is but a piece of clay, take to heart as done to himself, whatsoever indignity is offered unto his Ambassadors? And will not Almighty God be sensible of that dishonour which is daily done unto his Ambassadors?  
I have heard credibly related, how superciliously and contemptuously the Palsgrave's Country hath looked upon their Clergy. In what case that Country now standeth, I suppose the remotest Christian Region is not ignorant. I will not presume peremptorily to determine that this one sin hath been the procuring cause of so fearful a judgement. Thus much I am sure of, that the contempt of the Messengers of God cost jerusalem a desolation. 
2 Chron. 36 16  God is so tender over his Prophets, that he will not have them so much as touched: he hath reproved even Kings for their sakes. So sensibly he is affected with the wrongs they sustain, that he taketh them as done to Himself. Do ye rob them of their Tithes? 
Malac 3.8.  Ye have rob me, saith the Lord. Do ye neglect and despise them? Ye despise me, saith Christ, 
Luke 10.16.  and him that sent me, even God the Father. And will not the Lord revenge these wrongs? Yea, hath he not already in some measure punished this land for them? Have not the Coals your Forefathers have stolen from God's altar, set their nests on fire, brought a curse upon their substance, that it hath not thrived unto a third generation? yea, whilst they and you have denied God his Tenth part, hath not God taken away your Nine parts, and given you only a Tenth?  
Again, hath not the Lord taken unto himself many conscionable and painful Ministers, which according to the course of nature might have lived long, to have been worthy Instruments for your everlasting good, because ye have so undervalved them, and set so low an estimate upon them? But alas, my Beloved, these are but flea-bite if compared to the removing of our Candlestick from amongst us: 
Reuel. 2.5.  and is it not justly to be feared, that he hath even at this present some such work in hand? I pray God he hath not. But say he do continue the light of his Gospel amongst us: yet what benefit can accrue unto us by this light, if we be taken from it, and cast into utter darkness? This God can do, and will do, if we do not bring forth better fruit: for every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. O consider of this, all ye whose greatest glory is to be the scourge of the Clergy; lest that High Priest Christ jesus take you in hand, and ye be made to howl eternally in Hell, for contemning his Substitutes, his low Priests here on earth. Let the Word of the Lord, and the Ministers thereof be precious in your sight, that you & your posterity may be precious in the sight of the Lord. Have those that are over you in the Lord, & labour amongst you in singular love, if not for their own sakes, yet for their Master's sake, and for their works sake, considering how like Candles they consume and waste themselves away to light you in the way unto perpetual happiness. Give unto them double honour, and cut them not short of their due reverence & maintenance, lest the Lord in his fury cut you off from the state of mercy, lest ye be hewn down and cast into the fire.  
I have, I suppose, not a little exceeded your expectation, I am sure, my first intention in giving so much way unto this last particulars extension: but the time I have borrowed of you in it, I will God willing, repay you to the full in the rest that follow.  
Shall every tree not bringing forth good fruit be hewn down and cast into the fire?  
My Honourable Lord, 
3 The Lord Maior.  I will give you but a word, take heed God do not one day give you a blow. He hath ordained you a Magistrate under his Majesty, and hath put the Sword of justice into your hand. I would desire you to take notice, that he hath also an Axe in his hand: therefore like a good tree bring forth good fruit in that place wherein he hath set you: be the Orphan's father, and the Widow's husband: be of a good courage, and be zealous for your great Lord and Master, your Maker the Lord of hosts: protect and countenance the good; correct and cut down the bad, lest the Lord hew you down and cast you into Hell fire. 
4 judges and Lawyers.   
Ye Reverend judges of the Land, and all ye that travel in the Study and Practise of the Law, remember there is a dreadful Judge above you, even the Lord of Heaven and Earth, who will one day call all of you to a strict account for all your courses. Therefore like good trees bring forth good fruit in your several places, as you will answer it at the Bar of his Tribunal. Let neither the fear of greatness, nor unrighteous Mammon; let neither private spleen, nor particular affection so prevail with you, as to interturbe and overturn the course of justice: but walk uprightly and conscionably, as having the fear of God before your eyes, lest he hue you down and cast you into hell fire. 
5 Tradesmen.   
All ye that exercise yourselves in Civil commerce, come hither and consider what I shall say unto you. What will it advantage you to be Lords over the whole world, & to lose your own souls? 
Luke 9.25.  Therefore so Sell and Buy, and Barter, that ye make not shipwreck of a Good Conscience, & lose the kingdom of heaven into your Bargains: that is, deal honestly and sincerely with all men, as it becometh the Servants of Christ: and do not go about cunningly to entrap any with terms of Equivocation, and to cheat them with false Wares, Measures, and Weights: for these things are an abomination unto the Lord. But above all things, take heed of that most frequent and most fearful custom of swearing worth and credit into your Commodities; lest while ye labour to make them merchantable, and good pennyworths with man: ye lose your credit and your penny, that is, your Crown of Glory with God. Think upon it, for believe it the time will come, when the Lord shall weigh you in his Balance, as he did Belshazzar, and shall, 
Da● 9, 25.  if he find you too light, separate you from the Kingdom of Heaven as fare as the East is from the West, and the North from the South: for every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the Fre.  
In the next place take notice of this all ye, 
6 Married folk.  whom the Lord hath linked together in Holy and Honourable Matrimony: that so ye may bring forth fruit beseeming so holy and so honourable an estate. Make conscience of performing those several Offices and respects God in his Sacred Word requireth of you one towards another. Be Careful Religiously and Constantly to observe and pay those Solemn vows ye made before God and Men at the Solemnisation of your Nuptials. More particularly and principally seeing God hath made you One of Two, 
Gen. 2.24.  suffer not the Devil to make you Two of One: but live peaceably, discreetly, and loyally together: nourish mutual affection, 
1. Thess 4.4.  and possess your vessels, that is, your bodies in holiness and honour: and keep yourselves one to another as undefiled members of Christ's Body, 
H●b 13.4  free from lusting after strange flesh, lest ye be hewn down and cast into the Fire.  
Again, shall every Tree not bringing forth good fruit be hewn down and cast into the fire?  
Consider this all ye whom the Lord hath blessed with the fruit of the Womb, 
7 Parents.  lest this temporal blessing prove your eternal bane. Think it not enough that ye bring forth children into the world, and provide for them an earthly inheritance: unless ye also bring them up unto the Lord, and so fit them for the Kingdom of Heaven. Alas, what is their first generation more than their Corruption? 
Psal. 51 5.  for they are shaped in wickedness and conceived in sin: and so poor Infants, Damnati antequam nati, they are damned before their mothers are delivered: and being so, what is your Temporal provision unto them, though never so plentiful: if after their joy in this World (if they know any) they be so fare from knowing any in the next, that on the contrary they lie howling in Hell flames for ever? If therefore you truly love your Children, for their sakes undertake a second labour, and bring forth this good fruit of your Fatherly love towards them, once more travel in pain of them, but as Paul did of the Galathians, till Christ be form in them: 
Gal. 4.19.  labour that they may be begotten a new in Christ by the immortal seed of the Word, 
1. Pet. 1.23.  and be made heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let it be your care, whatsoever it cost, to have them brought up even from their Childhood in the fear of God. That when they leave this world, they may attain unto the Land of everlasting life, there to reign with Christ world without end. And if you will not do thus much for their sakes, at least do it for your own sakes. For know, to bring forth this good fruit of true fatherly affection, to be careful for the Spiritual welfare of your Children, and to promote and further it to the utmost of your power, is a duty God strictly enjoineth. And if through neglect hereof your Children rebel against God, 
Ephes. 6.4  he will require their blood at your hands. For as God doth visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children: So he doth visit the sins of the Children upon the Fathers. For an instance remember Old Eli: 
1. Sam. 2.  when his Sons trespassed against God, He did not sharply reprove and correct them: but suffered them to run on in their Sins: & this was his ruin: In a word, remember the judgement here threatened in my Text, & be moved thereby to bring forth the good fruit of true Fatherly affection: instruct your Children in the fear of the Lord: reprove & correct them when they offend the Lord: lest the Lord hue you down and cast you into the fire. 
8 Children.   
In like manner ye Children, remember the Rock out of which ye were hewn, the Stock whereof ye are stems: your Parents from whom, next under God, ye have received your natural being. Oh wound not their tender hearts with your untoward carriage and rebellious courses, the only course to accelerate and hasten their heads to the grave: but like good Children, bring forth the good fruit of filial fear and affection, that ye may exhilarate & rejoice their Souls to the prolonging of their days. Reverence them inwardly in your hearts, & outwardly in your Behaviour: yield unto them all dutiful obedience in the Lord, lest ye pluck their Curse upon your heads, and the Lord hearing it, 
9 Masters of families.  hue you down & cast you into the fire.  
Ye that have the care of Servants committed to your charge, bring forth the Good fruit of Good Masters in your several Families: do unto your Servants that which is just and equal, 
Col. 4.1.  knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven. Command them not but in the Lord, and that lovingly. Allow them a befiting competency, be it in matter of indument for the Back, or aliment for the Belly; and do not withhold their wages from them. But above all, instruct them in the knowledge and fear of God, as well by your examples, as precepts: and allow not their profanation of the Lords Sabaths the least Connivance: Lest the Lord hue you down and cast you into the fire.  

10 Servants.  And ye that are Servants, serve your Masters faithfully both in word and deed: and observe them with all respective reverence, and submit yourselves unto them to obey them in the Lord, lest the Lord hue down you also, and cast you into the fire.  
In a word, to draw towards a conclusion, give me leave to draw out an Ear or two of the Corn we have already inned: for I fear growing too voluminous and large, in particularising farther. Ye have heard how gracious and bountiful a God the Lord hath vowed to show himself unto all those that submit themselves unto his laws, and labour to serve him faithfully in bringing forth good fruit: in leading a holy and religious course of life: that he will reward and crown their holy endeavours with an eternal weight of Glory in the kingdom of Heaven. Ye have likewise heard how severe and terrible a judge he will reveal himself unto all such as run disobedient and rebellious courses, that he will wound the hairy Scalp of every one that goeth on in his wickedness: yea, that he will hue down and cast into the fire every Tree not bringing forth good fruit. If therefore the sweet blessings of Gerizim, the loving mercies of God cannot work upon our rebellious hearts, to reclaim us from our wicked ways: let the bitter cursings of Eball, the dreadful terrors of the Law make us fear to offend: lest the Lord in his wrath deliver us up unto a reprobate mind, and in that fearful estate hue us down: that is, by a violent Death rend our Souls and Bodies a sunder: & cast us both soul & body into the fire, to be intolerably & eternally tormented in the flames of Hel. My beloved, as God is jealous of, so he is Zealous for his glory: if he be not glorified a nobis, of us by our conversion: he will be glorified de nobis upon us, by our confusion: if we do not turn unto him, he will turn us into Hell: for it is a conclusion so ratified, as never to be repealed: that Every one whether jew or Gentile, bond or free, high or low, rich or poor: Every tree not bringing forth good fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. O then, let every one of us make a diligent search into his own bosom, & judge himself, lest he be judged of the Lord. Let us dissect & rip up that body of sin which is within us; not only that Natural corruption, which we have all alike successively received from our first Parents, but also those personal transgressions which every man hath made himself guilty of, more or less. Then having faithfully laid open our sinfulness, let us look on it with a loathing eye & a lamenting heart: unfeignedly deploring the time wherein to our just damnation, had we our deserts, we have not only brought forth no fruit, but also naughty fruit, fruit cursed & abominable: & herein, not only dishonoured God ourselves: but also, to our further damnation, drawn others to do the like by our lewd examples: for which, let us go with faith in the blood of jesus Christ to the throne of Grace, imploring mercy at the hands of our heavenly Father, who is ready & willing to embrace with the arms of his mercy, all such petitioning him for grace in the Name of his Son: & let us for the time following, entertain this settled resolution into our hearts, faithfully to labour in the reformation of all those faults we lament: And which is the consummation & perfection of our repentance, let us crown our holy resolutions by putting them into action: by bringing forth fruit worthy amendment of life, as it is in the verse before my Text, or as it is here in my Text, by bringing forth good fruit, by leading in our several places & callings a right holy & religious course of life. For it is not a bare entertainment of better courses into our thoughts, of dead, of naked purposes: nor an outside of Religion, an outward conformity to the service of God, will preserve us from the wrath to come: the former being but a bringing forth of good leaves, the latter but of good flowers, or if of fruit, but of such as is false and counterfeit: No, we must either bring forth good fruit, that is, as ye have heard, Fruit not only outwardly beautiful and good in the eye of man, but also inwardly good and sound in the sight of God, or we must undergo the wrath of God be hewn down, and cast into the fire. Such fruit must every Tree bring forth, and that 

1. Properanter, presently.  
2. Abundanter, plentifully.  
3. Perseveranter, perseverantly.    

We must bring forth good fruit  First, we must bring forth good fruit properanter, presently; it is a task we must take in hand out of hand: 
1. Presently.  as much is implied in the letter of my text, Every tree, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not bringing forth good fruit, that is, Now, presently (for it is a word of the present tense, and doth urge a present task) shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. This Speed is emphatically pressed in the first words of my text, Now is the axe laid unto the root of the trees; as if the Baptist had more largely delivered himself thus: It is no delaying the time of your turning unto God: he hath tarried your leisure so long, that he is resolved to attend you no longer: therefore look to yourselves, God will now be but a word and a blow: for he hath already taken his Axe, the instrument of death, into his hand: yea he hath already lifted up his arm to strike: nay more, he hath so fare set forward his blow, that he hath even laid his Axe to the root of the trees, resolutely determining to make his blow, to hue you down out of hand, and cast you into the fire, if ye do not presently repent, & bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life. O then, my beloved, I beseech you let us consider, that now only is the time of making or marring our fortunes for ever. Alas, what is our life but a blast? Spiramus, expiramus: we breath, and instantly our breath is gone. So it is, that no man living can assure unto himself the least moment of time beyond that which he doth at the very instant enjoy. Indeed the Devil, to lead us on in our sins, would persuade us, that Nature hath sealed unto us a long Lease of our lives; and that we need not as yet trouble our heads with repentance; there will be time enough for that hereafter. But the truth is, we hold this fading breath but as God's Tenants at will. He may and will, if it please him, without the least warning take it away from us. But suppose we may live long, and repent time enough hereafter, for that poenitentia vera nunquam sera, 
Poenitentia sera, raro vera.  True repentance is never too late: yet are we sure we can repent when we please? No, True repentance is the gift of God, and it is just with him to deny it that man at his death, which hath so carelessly neglected it throughout the whole course of his life.  
So that in a word, in mora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it is but a folly, yea extreme madness to dally and delay the time of our conversion, considering the imminent wrath of God, and our own frailty. Sure I am, As the tree falleth, so it lieth; as Death leaveth us, so judgement findeth us. Let us therefore even Now, whilst it is called to day, begin to work out our salvation with fear & trembling: When the night of Death cometh, no man can work. Let us Now, whilst the acceptable little time of salvation lasteth, unfeignedly repent, and call upon God for mercy. Let it suffice that we have spent the time passed upon the lusts of our own hearts, in brining forth the corrupt fruit of the flesh, in drunkenness, in swearing, in profaneness, in pride in uncleanness, and the like: Let us Now begin to awake out of sin, and to walk in newness of life: lest the Lord do suddenly before we so much as dream of it hue us down, and cast us into the fire.  
Secondly, 
2. Plentifully.  we must bring forth good fruit abundanter, plentifully. It is the Encomium Christ giveth his Spouse the Church, 
Cant. 4.14.  that she is an Orchard full of sweet fruits. And Saint Paul affirmeth of the Romans, 
Rom. 1, ●. Rom. 15.14.  that their faith was published throughout the whole world. & Rom. 15. I am persuaded, saith he, that ye are full of goodness, & filled with all knowledge; and of the Thessalonians he affirmeth, that their faith did grow exceedingly, 
1 Thess 1.3.  and their love did generally abound. My beloved, th●se & the like testimonies of the Saints are recorded for our imitation. The plain truth is, God cannot away with starveling trees, such Professors as are Non-proficients. If therefore we mean to avoid the stroke of his axe, & to be freed from the torments of hell fire threatened in my text, we must like good trees thrive in our spiritual estate, we must increase and grow in grace and goodness, we must abound in every good work that may make us perfect men in Christ jesus; we must bring forth good fruit plentifully  
And good reason hath God to require it at our hands, 
W●y God expecteth at our hands bringing forth of good fruit plentifully.  considering the extraordinary cost & care he hath bestowed upon us to this end and purpose. For first as hath been said before, he hath been pleased to sow the pure seed of his Word in no place so plentifully as in this land, in no place of this land so plentifully as in this City.  
Again, that it might take deep root in our hearts to the bringing forth of good fruit plentifully in our lives, he hath watered and refreshed this his Inheritance with infinite remarkable testimonies of his singular savour, as it were with so many 
* Tum pater omnipotens faecundis imbrious aether, etc. Virg. 2. G●org.  sweet fructifying showers from heaven: and to infuse a quickening power into the ground of our hearts; he hath caused the Sun of Peace, 
* Pax albeit vites, & suc●os codid● vu●, funderet v● nat● tesla paterna merum. Ti●. lib. 1. leg. 1.  the Mother of Plenty, for these many years to shine upon us. In a word, what medicinal courses hath he neglected, which in the judgement of man might conduce to the furthering of our fruitfulness? He hath pared off our riotous Twigs, and lopped off our luxuriant Branches, ripped up our Rind, opened our Roots: that is, he hath scourged us with sundry kinds of Crosses and Afflictions, that thereby he might call us back from wand'ring abroad after the bewitching pleasures of Sin, to serve Him the only true and everliving God, with a sound and upright heart in all holiness of life and conversation. All which laid together, we have no reason to think, that praying unto God in the Church once a week, the hearing of a Sermon once a month, a strict observation of the Saboth once a quarter, a Receiving of the Sacrament once in six months, a Feasting of the poor once a year will serve the turn. No, God will not be satisfied with such a Barren and Dwarfling Obedience: he will not be contented with the Glean of Harvest, with here a Bery, and there a Bery, as it was with the shaken Olive Tree, Esay 17. No, Every tree must bring forth good fruit plentifully: for, Unto whom soever much is given, 
Luke 12.48.  of him shall be much required, saith our Saviour.  
So that it doth stand us every one in hand accordingly to endeavour the real answering of God's just expectation, lest in the day of his wrath, we have the deeper share in his just indignation. For Quantò maior gratia, 
Quo clarior lux verbi & gratiae off● get, 〈◊〉 gra●●iores paenas mundi ingratitud●nem sibi accelerate. Chemnit.  tantò amplior posteà peccantibus poena, saith Saint chrysostom. God will at ●he Last day proportion out the punishment of a sinner according to the means of grace he hath afforded him in the time of his sinning At the world's great Sessions it shall go harder with Chorazin and Bethsaida, then with Tyrus and Sidon: it shall go harder with Capernaum, then with Sodom: because God did more abound in the means of grace to Chorazim, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, then to Tyrus, Sidon, and Sodom. Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to deal so liberally with us in the means of Grace: let us in the name of God endeavour in some proportion to answer his bounty in our measure of grace. Let us labour to be full of the sweet fruits of the Spirit: Let us labour to be strong in the Faith, 
2 Pet. 1.5 etc.  and (as Saint Peter speaketh) With our Faith let us join Virtue; with Virtue, Knowledge; with Knowledge, Temperance; with Temperance, Patience; with Patience, Godliness, with Godliness, Brotherly Kindness; and with Brotherly Kindness, Love.. In a word, let us labour to abound in every good work, that may make us pleasing and acceptable un o God: let us bring forth good fruit, Abundanter, Plentifully. 
3 Perseverantly.   
Thirdly and lastly, lest all our labour prove but in vain, we must bring forth good fruit Perseveranter, Perseverantly. For to what purpose is it, if a Soldier at the first onset courageously encounter with the Enemy: and before he hath obtained the victory, throw away his Arms? Or what doth it profit a Mariner to commit himself to the Sea, and to enjoy the benefit of a fair gale of Wind even unto his desired Ports mouth: if then the wind do turn, and so turn him back again before he can thrust into the Port? Happily thou hast been just, and hast done that which is lawful and right, as it is in Ezec. 18.5. 
Ezek. 18.  More particularly, as the Prophet there expresseth himself, Thou hast not eaten upon the Mountains, nor lift up thine eyes unto Idols, nor defiled thy neighbour's wife, nor oppressed any, but hast restored to thy Debtor his Pledge: thou hast spoilt none by violence; thou hast given thy Bread to the Hungry, and covered the Naked with a Garment; thou hast not given forth upon Usury, neither taken any Increase: thou hast withdrawn thy hand from iniquity, & executed true Judgement between man and man: thou hast walked in God's Statutes, and kept his judgements to deal truly. Thus fare hast thou gone, and in these good courses thou hast continued a long time, and in so doing haste done well: But tell me, what will all this thy righteousness avail thee, if afterward thou shalt fall away from God, 
2 Pet. 2.20.  and entangle thyself again in the filthiness of the world, like the Dog that returneth to his own vomit, and the Sow that is washed, to her wallowin the mire? 
Ezek. 18.  If the righteous turn away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, shall he live? saith the Lord. No, All his righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: In his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he dye. Ezek. 18. Yea, It had been better for him never to have acknowledged the way of Righteousness, 
2 Pet. 2.  (as the Apostle speaketh) then after he hath known it, to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto him: For the latter end of that man, is worse than the beginning.  
If therefore thou wouldst make sure work for the good of thy Soul, and store up comfort for thyself against the day of death, and that great day of wrath: then thou must not rely upon thy former righteousness, 
Luke 12.19.  as the Rich man in the Gospel did upon the store he had treasured up in his Barns: and say, Soul take thine ease, and freely disport thyself henceforward in the delights of sin; for thou hast already brought forth good fruit plentifully, which will serve thee for many years. No, thou must bring forth good fruit Perseverantly: for it is not here said, every tree, Quae non fecit, which hath not brought forth good fruit: but every tree non faciens, not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire: So that fecisse non sufficit, it sufficeth not formerly to have brought forth good fruit, unless thou continue in so doing perseverantly.  
No man, saith Christ, 
Luke 9.62.  putting his hand to the Plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. 
Bernardus.  Sola perseverantia singularis summi regis est filia, (saith a Father) ea enim sola est haeres regni Coelorum: Perseverance is the only Daughter of the King of Heaven, for she only is Hair to the Kingdom of Heaven. ●herefore saith our Saviour to his Disciples, 
Matth. 24.13  Qui perseveraverit, h● that continueth to the end shall be saved; 
Revel 2.10.  and to the Church of Smyrna, Be thou faithful unto the death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. And upon these terms doth Saint Paul assure himself, and every faithful Christian a Crown of righteousness: I have fought a good fight, 
2. Tim. 7.8.  and have finished my course; I have kept the faith. Hence forth is laid up for me the Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love that his appearing. The absolute necessity of this Perseverance for all such as expect the Happiness of a better life, hath so deeply sunk into the thoughts of God's Children in all ages, that they have constantly resolved to suffer the bitterest torments the pregnant malice of the Devil and his Factors could inflict upon them; rather then to lose the blessed hope of their Heavenly inheritance. If therefore we respect our Future Happiness, let us not be like th● plant Ephemeron, which doth spring and flourish, and fade in a day: but as the Olive tree flourisheth and fru ifieth all the year long so let us continue in bringing forth good fruit perseverantly. To be short, the way to Heaven though it be Narrow yet it is Long: and our life at the Longest but Short. Let us therefore, that we may the better compass so great a journey, get up betimes out of our beds of Sin, even in the morning of our age, at the first hour of the day; and quickly make ourselves ready, that so we may set forth betimes towards the Celestial Canaan. And when we have once set our feet in the way of righteousness, the d●rect and only Road to that Holy City, If at the end of our lives, when we can travail no longer, we would rest in Abraham's bosom: let us labour to imitate him in his journeying unto the terrestrial Canaan: that is, 
Gen. 12 9  let us eundo pergere, still be going forward from grace to grace, whatsoever Remoraes do encounter us in the way, whatsoever afflictions do befall us having our eyes fixed upon those heavenly joys, whereof the troubles and afflictions of this life are not worthy. The older we grow in years, the more let us grow in goodness: Let our Works, our Love, our Service, our Faith, 
Reuel. 2.19.  our Patience be like the Thyatirians, more at the last then at the first. Thus like good Trees, bringing forth good fruit presently, plentifully, perseverantly; we shall at length be brought by him who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending, 
Reuel. 1.8.  unto the beginning of that unspeakable Happiness which shall have no ending.  
But happily you will reply in the words of Saint Paul, 
2 Cor. 2.16.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? who is sufficient for these things? Is not our Father an Amorite, and our Mother a Hittite! The best of men by Nature is no better than a Briar, 
Micha 7.4. Math. 7.  a Thorn, a Thistle. And do men gather Grapes of Thorns, and Figs of Thistles? Ex Spinis non nascitur Rosa. Such as is the Tree, such is the Fruit. 'tis true: And therefore to bring forth Good fruit presently, plentifully, perseverantly, we must be engrafted into the true Vine, and abide in it. I am that Vine, saith Christ, 
john 15.5.  and ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth good fruit: For without me ye can do nothing. 
verse. 6.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch that is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. But how are we engrafted into Christ? by Faith. How do we abide in Him? By Love.. How doth He abide in us? by his Holy Spirit: through whose gracious operation we are enabled to bring forth the good fruits of the Spirit: Now for as much as no Arm of Flesh can command this Faith, this Love, this Holy Spirit,  

Therefore  
O LORD GOD, we do here in all humility address ourselves unto thy divine Majesty, entirely desiring thee in mercy to look down from Heaven upon us miserable wretches here on earth. We acknowledge, O Lord, and thou knowest, that of ourselves we have no power to order our ways aright unto thee: for we are a crooked generation, a people by nature the children of wrath: so that if thou shouldest leave us to ourselves, we must look for no less, then like fruitless Trees to be hewn down, and cast into the fire. But, good God, remember that thou art our Creator, and we thy Creatures: that thou art our Father, and we thy children. Oh, neglect not the work of thine Hand; neither suffer us thy children to perish: but look upon us in the sweet compassions of a tender hearted Father: for the blood of Christ pardon all our sins past: throw behind thy back those cursed fruits we have hitherto continually brought forth to the dishonour of thy Great and Glorious Name, that they may never be laid unto our charge: and enable us for the time to come to do what thou requirest, and then require what thou wilt, and we will do it. O Lord stretch forth thine hand, and engraft us by a true and lively Faith into the Body of thy Son jesus Christ. Dwell in us, O heavenly Father, and blessed Son by thy holy Spirit: that by the gracious and powerful operation thereof, like good trees we may bring forth good fruit, that we may every day more and more abound and increase in grace and goodness, till we come to be perfect men in Christ jesus. Graciously hear us, most merciful Father, and grant us whatsoever thou knowest to be good for us, and that for thy Son and our Saviour jesus Christ his sake. To whom with thee and the blessed Spirit, be ascribed of us and of all thy Saints, all praise power and Glory for ever. Amen.   
FINIS.