A Divine Herbal Together with a Forest of Thorns, Title page 1 – Part 1
A DIVINE Herball, Or, THE PRAYSE OF FERTILITY. The SECOND SERMON.
MATH. 25. 29.
VntoUnto euerie one that hath shall be giuen, and he shall hauehave abundance.
AVGVST.
Magnae Virtutis est, cum foelicitate luctari:
Magnae foelicitatis est, à foelicitate non vinci.
LONDON, Printed by George Purslowe, for Iohn Budge, and are to be solde at his shop, at the great South-dore of Pauls, and at Brittaines Burse. 1616.
A DIVINE HERBALL, OR The prayse of Fertillitie.
THE SECOND SERMON.
HEB. Chap. 6. Vers. 7.
For the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vponupon it, and bringeth forth herbes meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiueth blessing from God.
THAT difference which the Philosophers put betweene learning and mettals, wee may truly find betweene humane writings and Gods Scriptures conferred. They that digge in the one, finde Paruum in magno, a little gold in a great deale of ore. They that digge in this rich field (which the wise Merchant solde all hee had to purchase) finde Magnum in pa… no, much treasure in a few words.
Wee hauehave heard how the good earth is beholding to God for his holy Raine: the next circumstance obiects to our meditation this earths thankfull fertility. It bringeth forth herbes meete for them by whom it is dressed. EueryEvery word transcends the other; and as it excludes some vicious defect, so demonstrates it also some graduall vertue.
1. It brings forth. It is not barren like a dead ground that yeelds neither herbes nor weedes. This is no idle heart, that doth neither good nor harme; that like a meere spectator of the world, sits by with a silent contemplation for whom was made that Epitaph:
Here lyes he, was borne and cryed,
Liu'd threescore yeares, fell sicke and dyed.
Doing neither profit nor preiudice to the Countrey hee liued in. Heere is no such stupid neutralitie, nor infructuous deadnesse. It brings forth.
2. They are not weedes it produceth, but herbes. A man had as good do nothing, as doe naughty things. It is lesse euill to sit still, then to runne swift by in the pursuite of wickednes. They that forbeare Idlenesse, and fall to lewdnesse, mend the matter, as the Diuell (in the tale) mended his dames legge; when he should hauehave put it in ioynt, he broke it quite in pieces. It is not enough that this ground brings forth, but that it yeelds herbes. Of the two, the barren earth is not so euill as the wicked earth: that men pittie, this they curse. It brings forth herbes.
3. Neither is it a paucity of herbes this ground affordeth, but an abundance: not one herbe, but herbes; a plurall and plentifull number. There is neyther barrennesse nor barenesse in this ground; not no fruites, not few fruits, but many herbes.
4. Lastly, they are such herbes, as are meet for the dresser: such as God expects of the garden, who planted it: such as hee will accept, not in strict iustice for their owne worth, but in great mercy for Iesus Christ. Meet for them by whom it is dressed.
We hauehave now opened the mine, let vsus digg… for the treasure. Foure demonstrations commend this good Ground.
1. It is fruitfull.
2. It is fruitfull in good.
3. It is fruitfull in much good.
4. It is fruitfull in such good, as the Dresser lookes for.
1. Fertillitie. It brings forth.
BArrennesse hath euer beene helde a curse, a shame, a reproch. So the mother of Iohn Baptist insinuated, Luke 1.Luke 1. 25. Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the dayes wherein he looked on mee, to take away my reproach among men. When God will bring the Gospell, and with it saluation to the Gentiles, he is sayd to take away their barrennesse. So was it prophecied, Esay, 54. 1. So was it accomplished, Galat. 4. 27. Reioyce thou barren that bearest not, breake forth and crye (with ioy) thou that trauellest not: for the desolate hath many moe children, then she that hath an husband. The primordial praise of this good ground is, that it is not barren. This Fertillitie in the Christian heart, doth 1. conclude thankfulnesse. 2. exclude idlenesse.
1. For the former; GOD hath giuen him Raine for this purpose, that he should bring forth fruite: if hee should take the raine, and not answere the senders hopes, he were vnthankful. The good man considers the end why he receiued any blessing, and examines what God meant in conferring on him such a benefite. Hath God giuen him wisedome? Salomen hath taught him to Let his fountaines be dispersed abroad, Pro…. 5. 16.and his riuers of waters in the streets. Whether thy knowledge be great in diuine things, tanquam luminare maius; or in humane, tanquam luminare minus; remember our Sauiours lesson Math. Mat. 5. 15.5▪ Put not your light vnderunder a bushell, but vponupon a candlesticke; that it may giuegive light to all that are in the …. Let your light shine before men, &c. They that are Gods lights, must waste themselues to giuegive light to others.Aug. Conf. lib. 12. cap. 25. Non licct habere priuatā, ne priue…ur …a. To keep it priuate is the way to be depriued of it. So the old verse. Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc sciat alter. As we must not be wise in our selues, so nor onelyonly wise to ourselues. Hee that conceales his knowledge, cancels it, and shall at last turne foole. Doe not inclose that for seuerall, which God hath meant common. The not imploying will be the impayring of Gods giftes.
This is the fruite, which the good ground must send forth for all the feeds of grace sowne in it. Neither doth this instruction bound it selfe with our spirituall; but extend also to our temporall gifts. Hast thou riches? when God scattered those blessings vponupon thee, in the seed-time of his bountie, he intended thou shouldst returne him a good croppe at the haruest. Be thankfull then, in doing that with them for which God gaue them. Custos es tuarum, non dominus, facultatum. Thou art a deputed Steward, not an independant Lord of thy wealth. God ment them to promoue, and helpe forward thy iourney to heauen; let them not retard thy course, or put thee quite out of the way. Thou art a thankfull ground, if thou suffer thy riches to bring forth those fruites, which the hand of God lookes to gather from them. … mercifull; be charitable; be helpfull. Stips pauperum, the saurus diuitum. The rich mans treasure is the poore mans stocke. The distressed soule asks but his owne. Christ may say to thee in the Beggars person; Pay (not giuegive) me a penny thou owest me. Da mihi ex eo quod tibi dedi: de meo quaero, Chrys.non de tuo: da & redde: GiueGive mee of that which I gaue thee: I demaund some of my owne, not of thine: it is more properly a restoring then a gift. Petimus que damus que vicissim. Thou askest the Lord, and he giueth thee: but on this condition, that thou giuegive him some of it backe againe. Thou art more truly the beggar: and God but a demaunder of a iust and easie retribution. This is not all.
God did also meane, that thy selfe should take comfort in these things. It is a part of that Blessednesse, Psal. 128. 2.which the Psalmist promiseth to him that feareth the Lord. Thou shalt eate the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall bee well with thee. For God gaue wine (for this purpose) to make glad the heart of man, Psal. 104. 15and oyle to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen his heart. How doth man diuert Gods goodnesse, when he turnes his blessing into a curse, and puts his good creatures from their intended vses! The Lambes are for thy cloathing, Prou. 27. 25.and the Goates are the price of thy field, sayth the Wise-man. Thou must weare the wooll, and drinke the milke of thy owne flocke. Neither be so sparing, as to starue thy selfe in the middest of thine owne plenty. As the couetous wretch, that dares not eate an egge, lest he should loose a chicken. Nor so profuse to thy own lusts, that thou shouldst giuegive all, vel veneri, vel ventri: not that surfets or wine should sluce out thy estate into thy belly. Not that with vnnecessary quarrels of lawe, thou shouldst afflict and weary thy neighbours. O madnesse! that to put out both thy brothers eies, thou shouldst put out one of thine owne: nay, both thine owne for one of his. Ingratefull men for Gods great mercy; that what they get by peace with forraines, vainly spend it in ciuill warres: where the Lawyers set them together, as men clappe on vnwilling Mastiues! Most commonly they fight at the long weapon, a tedious, wearying, weather-beaten sute. Sometimes they fight close; Poniard and Pistoll, killing quarrells: laying traynes for one another, till both be blowne vp. Can the backe of charitie beare no loade? Are the sinewes of louelove growne so feeble? Alas fooles! you get both nothing but the blowes; the Lawyer goes away with the victory. He fills his purse, and you come home both well beaten.
Well, the good ground knowes no such end for Gods blessings. He sees with the eye of faith, another intentionall and internall meaning for such bountie. He doth not say of his riches, as the Atheists of their tongues. Psal. 12.Psal. 12. 4. They are our owne. What hath Magistrate on the bench, or Preacher in the pulpit, or friend in priuate, to do with it? I waste none of theirs: let me doe with my owne, as I lift. But sayth the Apostle. Foole, what hast thou, that thou hast not receiued? And wherefore hast thou receiued them? To satiate thy owne lusts? or to bring forth fruit mee… for them, by whom thou art dressed? There is nothing, that a man can properly and in district termes call his owne, but his sinnes. His impieties, weaknesses, ignoranc…s, vices, lusts; these are his owne. All good things are Gods giftes, Iames 1. 17. Bee thankfull then, and after the raine of mercy, bring forth the herbes of obedience. You see what this Fertillitie concludes; Thankfulnesse. Heare now what it excludes.
2. Idlenesse. This good ground lyes not dead and barren: nor returnes all heauens raine with a naked and neutrall acceptation: it brings forth. You read, Luke 19.Luke 19. of a Seruant, to whom when his Lord had intrusted a Talent, he hidde it in the ground, as an Vsurer his money, to keepe it safe. And at his Lords returne, Domine ecce tuum: hee answered his account with, Lord behold thine own. I knew that thou wert seuerus Magister, a hard Master: therfore I thought it my securest course, to make good thine owne againe. But the Lord replyed, Ex ore tuo: Oh euill seruant, out of thy owne mouth I condemne thee. Thou shouldst then hauehave answered my austeritie, with thy laborious care of my aduantage. Therefore heare his doome.Mat. 25. 30. Cast ye the vnprofitable seruant into outer darknesse: there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth. Hee did not euill with his talent: no, it was enough to condemne him, he did nothing. There is abundance of this dead ground in the world, which brings forth nothing. Idle wretches, that sleepe out time and admonition: but their damnation sleepeth not. 2. Pet. 2. 3.It was neuer sayd, Samson hath lost his strength, till hee slept in the lappe of Dalila. Idlenesse doth neither get nor saue: there is nothing more emptie of good fruits, nor more abundantly pregnant with euill. That man doth ill, that doth nothing; and he looseth, whiles hee gaines not. Many beholding with cowardly and carnall eyes, what a long and t…oublesome iourney it is to heauen, sit them downe and fall fast asleepe. O barren grounds! will ye bring forth nothing? Is difficulty made your hindrance, that should bee a spurre to your more eager contention? Know you not, that the violent shall get the kingdome of heauen? Some can follow their dogges all day in the fielde: others hunt Mammon dry-foote in their shoppes yeare after yeare, and neuer complaine of wearinesse. Only an houre or two in the Church puts an ach into our bones; as if nothing wearyed vsus so soone as well-doing. Is it feare of too much labour, that keepes you from God? why doth not the same reason deterre you from seruing the diuell? His lawes are true burdens, and his seruice drudgerie.Mat. 11. 30. But Christs yoke is easie, and his burden light.
I'may boldly affirme it: your couetous man takes more paines to goe to hell, then the godly ordinarily to get to heauen. He riseth early, and resteth late, and eates the course bread of sorrow: and after tedious and odious miserie, goes to the Diuell for his labour. Shall we refuse easier pains, for a farre better recompence? It is but Satans subtiltie, that makes men beleeue the passage to life so extremely difficult, that it is impossible. Herein the Diuell doth like the inhospitable Sauages of some countries, that make strange fires, and a shew of dismall terrors vponupon the shores, to keepe passengers from landing. The Sluggard, sayes Salomon, doth but faine Beares and Lyons, (as the superstitious doth bugges) in the way; as apologies of idlenesse, that he may sit still and be at ease. The slothfull person is the Diuels shop, wherein he worketh engines of destruction. He is most busie in the lazie.Eccles. 9. 10. But whatsoeuer thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with thy might: for there is no worke nor knowledge, nor deuice, nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest. If thy soule be watred with the deaw of heauen, thou must needes bring forth. What?