A Divine Herbal Together with a Forest of Thorns, Text 1 – Title page 4
THE FORREST Of THORNES.
THE FOVRTH SERMON.
HEB. Chap. 6. Vers. 8.
But that which beareth thornes and bryers, is reiected, and is nigh vntounto cursing, whose end is to be burned.
THis verse begins with a word of Dsiunction; But. The Raine of grace falls vponupon the good ground: it returneth berbes; it receiueth blessing. But that which beareth thorns and bryers, is reiected, and is nigh vntounto cursing. &c. It is vndeniably true, that S. Paul Act. 20. 27.knew no Purgatory: otherwise, he that shunned not to declare to men all the counsell of God, would not in a voluntary silence hauehave omitted this mysterie. He deliuers two sorts of Grounds, the good and the bad; the one blessed, the other neere vntounto cursing. Hee knew no meane, either betwixt good and euill men, or betwixt reward and punishment, blessing and cursing. It seemes that Christ him…elfe was ignorant of that point, which the Papists know so soundly, and beleeue so roundly.Mat. 13. 24. For he sayes, In Gods Field, whatsoeuer growes is either corne or cockle: for the one whereof a Barne is prouided; for the other, vnquenchable Fire. A third sort, betweene herbes and weedes, had either the Master or the Seruant knowne, they would hauehave acknowledged.
This first word of the Text, But, is a strong engine set to the wals of Purgatory, to ouer-turne them, and ouer-burne them with the fire of hell. For they are imaginary pales, that diuide hell and Purgatorie: take away your conceit, and they are both one: all is hell. For surely hell was raked, when Purgatory was found; and it is nothing els but a larder to the Popes Kitchin. What fancie soeuer founded it, their wittes are foundred, that labour to maintaine it. For they cannot tell vsus, vel quid sit, vel vbi: what it is, nor where it is. They cauill with vsus for want of vnity and consent in iudgement.De Purgat. lib. 2. cap. 6. Yet Bellarmine recites eight seuerall opinions amongst them, about the place: And concludes at last, that it must remaine among those secrets, Quae suo tempore aperientur nobis; which shall bee vnfolded to vsus in their times. Some thinke the torments of it to consist in fire, others in water: some that the afflicters are Angels, other that they are Deuils. So they teach omni modo, that which is nullo modo: and because it is vbique, is therefore nullibi. Howsoeuer, it being the Popes peculiar; and in his power to command the Angels to fetch out whom hee list; mee thinks the Popes are strangely vnmercifull, that in all this time none of them hath made a generall Gaole-deliuerie. But our Purgatorie is the blood of Iesus Christ, 1. Ioh. 1.which clenseth vsus from sinne. And they that hauehave no portion in this blood shall be reiected, are nigh vntounto cursing, and their end is to be burned.
The barren, or rather euil-fruited ground is the ground of my discourse: and according to the common distinction of Euill, here is a double euill in the Text. Vnum quod malus facit, alterum quod malus patitur. An euill which the wicked man doth; and an euill which he suffers: an euill that is sinne, and an euill that is punishment for sinne. In the former the wicked are agents; in the latter, patients. The one euill is done by them, the other vponupon them. They offend Gods iustice, and GOD in his iustice offends them. They hauehave loued cursing, and cursing shall be vntounto them: they desired not blessing, and it is farre from them. They produce Thornes, and the end of thornes is to bee burned. The first and worst euill (for the other, though euill to them, is good in Gods good Iustice) is sinne. Herein 1. the wicked are compared to bad ground. 2. their iniquities to thornes and bryers. 3. and the manner how so ill weeds arise from this ground, is said to be bearing. The earth that beareth thornes, &c. Here first obserue,
1 The different word the Apostle vseth. For the good earth, hee sayes, it is foreign bringing forth herbes. For the euill, it is foreign, bearing, not bringing forth. As if good workes were brought forth like children, not without paine and trauell: euill workes but cast out like froth or skimme; as easily vented, as inuented. Therefore the earth is said ebullire, to bubble or boile out such things, as meere excretions. Our prouerbe sayes, An ill weed growes apace. Herbes grow not without preparing the ground, planting and watring them by seasonable deawes and diligence. Weeds are common: it is hard to set the foote besides them. The basest things are euer most plentifull. Plurima, pessima. I hauehave read of a kind of mouse, that breeds sixe score young ones in one nest. Whereas the off-spring of the Lyonesse or Elephant is but single. You shall find your furrowes full of Cockle and da…ell, though you neuer sew them. The earth, sayth the Philosopher, is now an own mother to weeds, and naturally breeds and feeds them: but a stepmother to good herbes. Man by a procliuitie of his own naturall inclination, is apt to produce thornes and bryers: but ere hee can bring forth herbes, Graces, God must take paines with him. No husbandman so labours his ground, as God our hearts. Happy earth, that yeelds him an expected haruest. But that which beareth Thornes is neere to be cursed and burned.
2 Obserue, that a wicked man is compared to bad earth, and that fitly in 5. respects.
1 For basenesse. The earth is the heauiest of all Elements, and doth naturally sinke downewards; as if it had no rest, but in the center; which it selfe is. A wicked man is base-minded, and sinkes with a dull and ponderous declination; not regarding the things aboue, but these below. He hath commune with men sursum os, but with beasts, deorsum cor. All his affections hauehave a low obiect, not out of humilitie, but base deiection. His hope, desire, louelove, ioy, are set on these inferiour things: and like a Mole, he digs still downewards, till he come to his Center, his owne place, Hell.Acts. 1. Telluris inutile pondus.
2 For coldnesse. Experience teacheth that the earth is cold; & coldnes is a natural quality pertinent to it, though accidentally there be bred in it fierie vapours. The wicked man hath a cold heart, frozen vp in the dregs of iniquitie; though there be an vnnaturall heat sometimes flaming in him; the fire of lust and malice tormenting his bowels: but this is no kindly heate to warme his conscience. That is deriued from the fire of the Temple, that neuer goes out, and only giuen by Iesus Christ, that baptizeth with the holy Ghost, and with fire.
3 For foulenesse. The squalid earth (for we speake not heere of any good ground) is called Lutulenta terra; miery and noysome: yet is it neate and cleane in comparison of a sinne-contaminated soule. The body was taken from the earth; not the Soule: the body shall resolue to the earth; not the soule: yet the polluted soule is more sordid, then either a leprous body, or a muddy earth. In the eye of GOD, there is no beautie so acceptable, no foulenesse so detestable, as the soules. The Doue carried the prayse of beautie from the Peacocke, by the Eagles iudgement: that though the Peacocke liuing had the fayrer plumes, yet dead he hath but a blacke liuer. Gods iudgement of all mens fairenesse, is by the liuer, the cleanesse of the heart in his eye-sight.
4 For obscuritie and darkenesse; the earth is called a place of blacke darkenesse, the land of forgetfulnesse. So Iob and Dauid tearme it. The wicked Soule is full of darkenesse, thicknesse of sight, caecitie of vnderstanding; not seeing the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God. Our Gospell is hid to those that are lost. 1. Cor. 4. 4▪Whose minds the god of this world hath blinded. …ugo.There is in them Hebetudo mentis, which is acutae rationis obtusio, carnalis intemperantiae crassis sensibus inducta. They are so vtterly ignorant of heauen, that (as it is in the Prouerbe) ne pictum quidem viderunt: they hauehave not seene it, so much as in the mappe or picture. As to men shut vp in the low cauernes of the earth, not so much as the sunne, and starres, and the lights of heauens lower parts hauehave appeared. Tolerabilior est poena, viuere non posse, quam nescire. Ignorance is a heauier punishment then death; sayth the Philosopher.Se…. Darkenes is their desire, because their deeds are euill. Perhaps at last, after a long dotage on their darke delight, earth; they come to heare of a better & richer countrey: and then take onelyonly with them the Lanterne of Nature to find it. But so erepto lumine can delabrum querunt. Hauing lost the light, they grope for the Candlesticke. A man that comes into his house at midnight, sees nothing amisse: in the day-light he finds many things misplac'd. Nature is but a darke Lanterne, when by it we endeuour to ransacke the conscience. OnelyOnly the light of grace can demonstrate all the sluttish and incurious misorders in our soules.
5 The maine resemblance betweene an euill ground and worse man, consists in the ill fruites, that they both produce: bryers and thornes; and such (not onelyonly vnhelpefull, but) hurtfull vices. This is the principal analogie, which our Apostle intends; the pith and marow of this reference. But before we come to a particular anatomizing of this Subiect, some obseruable doctrines fall profitably to our instruction. Obserue therfore.
1 The word of God will worke some way. It fals not vponupon any ground in vaine; but will produce herbes or weeds. It is such Physicke, as will either cure or kill. It mollifies one, makes another more hard.Acts. 2. Some hearts it pricks, others it terrifies, though conuerts not, as it made Foelix tremble. None euer heard it, but they are either better or worse by it.1. Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified, vntounto the Iewes a stumbling blocke, vntounto the Gentiles foolishnesse. But vntounto them which are called, both of Iewes and Greeks, the power of GOD, Heb. 4. 12.and the wisedome of God. In this Epistle it is called a double-edged sword, &c. It is either a conuerting or conuincing power; sealing receiuers to redemption, contemners to reiection. The word which I hauehave preached, shall iudge you in the latter day.
If this doctrine were considerately digested in hearers hearts, what a zealous preparation would it worke in their soules! It would bring vsus to these seats with other minds, if we remembred, that wee returne not backe to our owne doores the very same wee came out; but either somewhat better,Act. 13. 7. 8. or much worse. Sergius Paulus was turned, Elimas obdurated at one Sermon. After our Sauiours heauenly Sermon. Iohn 6. Some went backe, Ioh. 6. 66.and walked no more with him; that Christ bespake his Apostles, Will ye also goe away? Others stucke more close.Verse 68. Lord, to whom shall we goe? Thou hast the words of eternall life. The Prophet Esay speakes fully to this purpose. As the raine commeth downe, Esay. 55. 10.and returneth not backe, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may giuegive seede to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not returne vntounto mee voyd; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The word that we hauehave preached, shall either saue you, or iudge you. It shall be either a copy of your pardon, or a bill of your inditement at the last day. Iohn Baptist cals the Gospell a Fan, that will distinguish betweene true and false children, betweene Wheate and Chaffe. It will make knowne the faithfulnesse of those,Mat. 3. 12. that with honest harts embrace it; and scatter hypocrites like chaffe, by reason of their insolid leuity. Simeon so prophecied to Mary the Virgin of her Son, That he should be the fall and the rising, the reparation and ruine of many:Luke. 2. 34. and whiles he is set for a signe Which shall bee spoken against, by this meanes the thoughts of many hearts shall be reuealed. The word is like fire, that hath a double operation vponupon the seuerall subiects it works; stubble or gold. It fires the one, and fines the other. Some hearts it enflames with zeale to it: other it sets on fire to quench, impugne, persecute it. It is to conuersion, if beleeued; to confusion if despised. Lo, Christ, himselfe preaching, some faithfully entertaine, others reiect;Mat. 8. as the Gergesens, that had rather hauehave their hogges saued then their soules.
2. That thornes are produced, the fault is not in the good Raine, but the ill ground. What could I, Esa. 4. 5.sayth God, hauehave done more to my Vineyard? I hauehave done inough to make it beare good grapes. Wherefore then, or from what cause brings it forth wild grapes? The earth desires the influence of heauen, and showres from the cloudes, to make it fruitfull. It is granted: the Sunne shines, the dewes fall. The Garden hereupon brings forth herbes, the desart thornes. If these blessings of heauen were the proper cause of the weeds; why hath not then the good ground such cursed effects? The euerlasting lampe of heauen sends forth his sauing rayes: and the sacred deawes of the Gospell fall on the pure and vncleane heart. There it is requited with a fertile obedience: here with an impious ingratitude. Let not the mercy of God be blamed for this mans miserie. Perditio ex se: God hath done enough to saue him. S. Augustine directly to this purpose. Simul pluit Dominus super segetes, De benedict. Esauet Iacob.& super spinas. Sed segeti pluit ad horreum, spinis ad ignem: & tamen vna est pl…uia. GOD at once raines vponupon the herbes and the thornes. VponUpon the herbs or good seed, to shoot it vp for his barne, for himselfe; vponupon the thornes to fit them for the fire: yet is it one and the same raine.
This shall couer the faces of Libertines with …uerlasting confusion; who are euermore rubbing their owne filthinesse on Gods puritie; and charging him as the authour of their sinnes. If the Diuels in hell should speake, what could they say more? wee hauehave falne from our happinesse, and God caused it. Reprobate thoughts! Men hauehave spilt bloud, defiled forbidden beds, strucke at Princes with treasons, ruin'd countries with depopulations, filled the earth with rapes, and shot at heauen with blasphemies; and lay their damnation on their Maker: deriuing from his purpose excuses of their wickednesse. The ineuitable decree of Gods counsell is charged: the thought of that hath made them carelesse: so with good food they poison themselues. Willing fooles, racke not your beleefe with impossibilities. Behold! God is so farre from authorizing your sinnes and falls; that he raines on yo… the holy deawes of his word to mollifie your hearts. Iustifying himselfe by this proffered meanes of your saluation, that he would not the death of a sinner. O but his hidden will is to damne vsus. Mad men, that forsake that signed will, written in tables, published with trumpets, commanded with blessings, cursings, promises, menaces, to which eueryevery soule stands bound! and fall to prying into those vnsearchable mysteries, couered with a curtaine of holy secrecy, not to be drawne aside till the day comes, wherein we shall know as we are knowne.
Cease aspiring man to roote thy wickdnesse in heauen; and to draw in God as an accessary to thy profanenesse. God would hauehave thee saued, but thou wilt beare thorns and briars, though thou endangerest thy selfe to cursing. Is this the requitall for his mercy? Are all his kindnesses to thee thus taken? That when he hath done so much to bring thee to heauen, thou wilt taxe him for casting thee to hel? when he hath so laboured to make thee good, thou wilt lay to his charge thy owne voluntary badnesse. No: iustifie God, and magnifie his merciemercy. Accuse thine owne corrupt heart, that turnes so good and alimentall food into offensiue crudities. Say, Heauen is good, but thy ground is naught. Fatnesse and iuyce hath been bestowed on thee, but thou hast yeelded pestilent and noysome fruits. Lay not the fault on heauen, but on the natiue corruption of thy owne heart, that hath decocted the goodnesse of God into venome.
3. This obseruation shall make way (and giuegive place) to another. That the ground is very vnthankfull, which answeres the kindnes of heauen in rayning on it, with bryars and thornes. Wretched man, that receiues so blessed deawes from the fountaine of merciemercy, and returnes an vngratefull wickednesse. Vnthankefull it is; as failing in both these essentiall parts of Gratitude; acknowledging, and requiting a benefite: and so guilty both of falshood and iniustice. Say the wicked did confesse Gods mercies, yet where's their obedience? True thankfulnesse is called Gratiarum actio, non dictio. Whiles for holy deawes they render vnholy weedes, this disobedience is the greatest Ingratitude. The silence of our tongues; the not opening our lippes, to let our mouth shew forth his prayse, is a grieuous vnthankfulnesse. He is of an euill disposition, that conceales or dissembles a benefite. This is one branch of Ingratitude: but our speech hitherto keepes but lowe water; let vsus rise vp to view the mountenous billows of that ingratitude here taxed; a reall, actual, sensuall, senselesse vnthankfulnesse: if it bee not a degree beyond it, and vnthankfulnesse too poore a word to expresse it. Meere ingratitude returnes nothing for good; but this sinne returnes euill for good. Silence in acknowledging is too short: we must thinke of a contumacious and contumelious retribution. God, after his mercifull raine lookes for some herbs of Grace, when he walks down into his Garden, to see whether the Vine flourished, Cant. 6. 11.and the Pomegranates budded. And behold weedes, stinking weedes, stinging weedes; thornes and bryars! Here is Ingratitude in ful proportion, wiith all the dimensions of his vgly stigmaiticke forme. This is that wickednes, which brings the ground here to reiection, malediction, combustion. Obserue further that
4. Wicked men proue commonly so much the worse, as they might hauehave been better: and diuert the means of their conuersion to their confusion. The more raine of the Gospell they receiue, the more abundantly they thrust forth the thornes of iniquities. The rootes of these bryars are surely earthed in their hearts, and do boyle out at the warme deaws of the Word. It fares with them, as with a man of a surfeted stomach: the more good meate he eates, the more hee increaseth his corruption. The former crudities vndigested, vnegested, hauing the greater force, turne the good nutriment into themselues. There is such an antipathie betwixt the good word of God, and the heart of a reprobate; that the more it wrastles to bring him to heauen, the more he wrastles against it, that hee might be damned. Tully mentions a Countrey, wherein a great drought and heat maketh abundance of mire and dirt; but store of raine causeth dust. It is here experimentally true: the plentifull raine of Gods blessed word is answered with the dusty and sandy barrennesse of mens euill liues. So the Sunne, shining vponupon vncleane dung-hils, is said to cause a greater stench: yet no wise man blames the beames of the Sunne, but the filthinesse of those putrified heapes, for such offence. The Sunne of righteousnesse hath sent downe the glorious rayes of his Gospell among vsus… the wicked hereupon steame out the more noysome and stenchfull fruites. VponUpon whom shal the accusation light; Gods comfortable heate of merciemercy, or our putrid and ranke iniquities? Sometimes the Sunnes heat working vponupon a muddy and baneful obiect, breeds horrid serpents. No wonder then, if this raine of the Gospel ingender in reprobate minds, weeds, and prickles. The Cicones hauehave a riuer, that doth harden the bowels,Ouid. and make the entrals stony: a strange operation in them that drink it. But if the water of life do harden the hearts of Pharaohs, and exasperate the mischiefes of a malicious Elimas, let the imputation of fault light where it is deserued. It was a strange protestatiō, that God had against Israel. I hauehave nourished and brought vp children, and they hauehave rebelled against me. Esa. 1. 2.I hauehave brought them vp in my house, and taught them my precepts, and yet (as if my instructions and fauours had made them worse) they hauehave rebelled against me. Thus when the Sunne is hottest, the springs are coldest: and the more feruent the louelove of God is to vsus, the more cold is our charity to him, and to others for him. As if the sweet dews of Hermon had made the hill of Syon more barren.
It is written of the Thraeian flint, that it burnes with water, and is quenched with oyle: a fit Embleme of those wicked soules, that are the worse for Gods endeuour to better them. But such contrary effects hath the Gospell in contrary natures. As by the heat of the Sunne waxe is softned, and yet clay is hardned: so by the preaching of the word, the hearts of such as shal be saued, are mollified; but the hearts of the lost are further obdurate. God in his wis… iustice wil be euen with men: since they will not bee the better for his fauours, they shal be the worse. Seeing they wil not bring forth herbes, they shall cast forth weeds: and he that might not in their saluation, will be glorified in their subuersion. For application.
This Raine hath falne vponupon vsus all: how hauehave wee entertained it? where bee our herbes? It is obiected against vsus, that our forefathers who wanted this raine, brought forth more herbs, then we that hauehave it. That they in the daies of ignorāce did more then they knew; that we in the light of the Gospel know more then we do. Apollonius among other wonders writes one most wonderfull: that there was a people, which could see nothing in the day, but all in the night. What, hath the Sunne blinded vsus? Cannot wee see to serue God so well in the light, as they did in the darke?
It was once said, Ignoti nulla cupido: but now it may be inuerted; Noti nullus amor: we little esteeme the Gospel, because it is frequent amongst vsus. The long enioying it hath dulled our estimation. Full children are weary of their bread, and play with it. Like the Indians, that hauehave such store of gold and precious stones, that they truck them away for glasses and rattles. Perhaps the cold legs of custome will bring vsus to Church: and we are content to heare the Preacher taxing our frauds, vsuries, oathes, oppressions. May be for some shew of deuotion, wee will aske counsell at his lips: but say what he will, wee will not part with our sinnes.
The Princes of Israel came to Ieremie, and intreat him to inquire of the Lord fot them:Ier. 42. promising, that whatsoeuer direction the Lord should send they would obey. The Prophet accordingly presents their supplication to God. God answers You shall not goe into Egypt, Ier. 43.lest you be destroyed: but abide still in Iudah, and you shall be safe. When they heard this Oracle, because it was not their humours, they replied, We will goe into Egypt. This was their purpose from the beginning, (though they dissembled a will to know Gods mind) which if Gods command crosseth, they will crosse his command: they will goe into Egypt. So people will be content to heare what God sayth to them by his Ministers: but if hee speake not what pleaseth them, they will follow their owne affections. Wee are such nice and froward pieces, that the more God wooes vsus, we are the further off. As it is with some shallow professors of Musicke, sayth the Poet.
Omnibus hoc vitium cantoribus,Hor. lib. 1. inter amicos,
Vt nunquam inducant animum cantare rogati.Sat. 3.
When they are most earnestly intreated, they make most daintie to sing or play. So the more the Lord cals for our praises, the more hoarse are our voices, the more harsh our notes; or perhaps we will not sing at all. But if God hath giuen vsus musicke, and we will not dance; as Christ reproued the Iewes; wee shall mourne in sadnesse for our obstinate refusall of profered mirth. You hauehave heard Herodotus tale of the Piper. He came to the water-side, and piped to the fishes: they would not dance. Hee tooke his net and caught some of them; and being throwne vponupon drie land they began to leape and skip vp. Nay, quoth the Piper, I offered you musicke before, and you would none: now you shal dance without a pipe. Men commonly regard the Songs of Sion, as they doe musicke heard late at night in the streets, whiles they are in bed. Perhaps they will step to the windore, and listen to it a while; and presently to bed againe. So men step from the couch of their lusts and sinnes to, Church, heare the Sermon; and then to bed againe; lulling themselues in their former securitie.
There are some, that care for hearing it no more: but sit downe with a conceit of their owne sufficiencie. They know as much as all the Preachers can tell them: let the youth go to be Catechized. So the sluggish and irreligious Master sits at home, whiles hee sends his seruants to Church. There is an old tale, idle in it selfe; the vse may be good. A certaine man that would neuer go to Church, when hee heard the Saintsbell, would say to his wife. Goe thou to Church and pray for thee and me. One night he dream't, that both he and his wife were dead, and that they knocked together at Heauen-gate for entrance. S. Peter (by the Legend) is Porter, and suffred the wife to enter in, but kept the husband out: answering him, Illa intrauit pro se ette: She is gone in both for her selfe and thee. As thy wife went to Church for thee, so shee must goe to heauen for thee. The Morall instructs eueryevery one to hauehave a personality of Faith, and a proprietie of deuotion: that himselfe seruing GOD, himselfe may bee blessed of God.
It now remaines, to examine more narrowly the nature of the sinnes these vngodly hearts produce.Lib. 21. cap. 16. They are called Thornes and Bryers. Plinie sayth that the Thorne is more soft then a Tree, and more hard then an Herbe: as if it were some vnkindly thing; and but an vnperfect excrement of the earth. For the Philosopher sayth, It is not the intent of kind, that Trees should be sharpe with prickles and thornes: but he would hauehave it caused by the insoliditie and vnfastnes of the tree. By which meanes the cold humour is drawne out by the pores ere it bee concocted: whereupon for scarcitie of matter, it is hardned by the sunne; and …o shaped and sharpned into a thorne.
But it is vnquestionable truth, that God created the thornes and bryers on the earth. Some thinke, because it is sayd, Gen. 3.G…n. 3. 18. in mans punishment, Maledict… esto terra propter te: Cursed be the earth for thy sake. Thornes and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee: that therefore if mankind had not sinned, the ground should hauehave produced no such thing. But the most receiued opinion, and consonant to truth is; that these Thornes and bryers should hauehave been, though man had neuer faln: but they should not hauehave been noxious and hurtfull to him. Now let vsus consider what resemblances may be found, betwixt those naturall, and these allegoricall thornes and bryers.
1 Where is abundance of thornes, there is most commonly a barren ground. For they hinder the happy influence of the heauens, the kindly heat of the sunne, the deawes of the clouds, and all those working causes of fertillity. God prearmes Ezekiel, that he should not wonder at the barrennesse of Israel, Ezek. 2. 6.for bryers and thornes shall be with thee. Let no man maruell at our vnprofitable times; we hauehave too many Bryers and thorns among vsus: which do what they can to hinder the goodnes of heauen to vsus, or our goodnes to heauen. That which is sowne nigh or among thorns seldome prospers. Our Sauiour saith, that the Seede sowne in some hearers, brought forth no fruite;Mat. 13. for the Thornes choked it. The very company of the wicked is harmful, for they are as thorns to stifle any goodnes. The companion of fooles shal be afflicted, saith Salomon. He dwels among thorns, that shall wound him. To lay no more affliction vponupon him then Salamon there meant; as appeares by the opposite member of the verse: he shall endure a priuation of what good soeuer he had; and a position of their lewdnesse. A good man with ill company, is like a liuing man bound to a dead corps: that will sooner suffocate him, then hee can reuiue that. The Soule that liues among thornes shall hardly thriue. Therefore saith the Lord of the vineyard concerning the barren tree. Cut it downe, Luke. 13. 7.why troubles it the ground?
2 Thornes and bryers grow most commonly on heapes, and seldome are found single, or destitute of company of their owne kinde, And though they be troublesomely harmefull to other trees, yet they fold and embrace one another, without hurt. It is so vsually seene, that wicked men hold together, and sinnes grow in vnited clusters. There is a combination of the vngodly; euen so farre as to the very participation of their estates.Pro. 1. 14. Cast in thy lot with vsus; wee will hauehave all one purse. They are intangled in mutuall amity, like beds of Eeles; nothing but thunder can break their knots.Mat. 5. 46. Is it much, sayth Christ, that you purpose diligere diligentes, to louelove them that louelove you? Why, bryars and thornes do it, euen Publicans doe the same. Yea, I would to God, their vnity did not shame ours. We see here, that one of the Papists chiefe marks of their church is not infallible; their cōsent or vnity: when bryers & thorns hauehave it. The Pharises, Saduces, Herodians conspire against Christ: may be, they with the rest. Sins grow in heaps, like thornes in bushes: where are some, are many. The Apostle brings them in by couples & companies. Gluttonie & Drunkennes, Chambering and wantonnesse, Rom. 13. 13.strife and enuying. Me thinkes Gluttonie & Drunkennes come in like an Englishman, and a Dutchman. Chambering & Wantonnes like an Italian and a Venetian. Strife & Enuie like a Spaniard and a Frenchman. These sins being so Nationall, and naturall to the countreys: to ouer-drinke in Germanie; to ouer-eate in England; to wantonize in Italie and Venice; to quarrel in Fraunce, and to be enuious in Spaine; Enuie being euer the bosome-companion of Pride.
3 Thornes and bryers, by reason of their thicknes and sharpnes, are refuges for Serpents, Snakes, Addars, and such other venemous beasts. Where the vngodly hauehave a strong part, oppression, rapine, robberie, murder, and all those fatall and deathstriking serpents are fostered. God, when he told Ezekiel. Ezek. 2. That bryers and thornes should be with him; addes in the very next words, And thou shalt dwell among Scorpions. Therefore in Latine, Rubetum is a place of bryars and brambles; and Rubeta is a toad, and that land-toad, the most venemous of the kinde. It is dangerous sleeping neere such places. He that liues among the wicked, hath no neede of security, but to hauehave cleere and circumspect eyes; lest either the thorns pricke him, or the Serpents vnderunder the thorns sting him. Woe is me, sayth the Psalmist, that I must remaine in Mesheck, and dwell in the tents of Kedar.
4. Neither doe the wicked, onelyonly with their thorns and bryars, hinder others passage, but euen their owne. No maruell, if it be so difficult for an vngodly man to get to heauen; for hee hedgeth vp his owne way. Men multiply their transgressions to infinite, and cast vp innumerable thornes, yet hope well to be saued. But in vaine he purposeth to trauell to Ierusa…em, that hedgeth vp his owne passage.Pro. 22. 5. Thornes and snares are in the way of the froward: not of Gods setting, but of their owne planting. For (the next words testifie) hee that keepeth his soule, shall be farre from them. There are hindrances enough to heauen, though the wicked make none themselues. The diuell will looke, that the way shall not bee easie. Neither hath God set saluation vponupon such termes, that we may play and get it. The kingdome of heauen is got by violence: and they must striue, that wil passe the narrow gate. Satan hath so many plots and tricks to deceiue them; so many tentations, and corruptions to oppose them; that they hauehave no cause to fense vp the way themselues, against themselues, with a hedge of their owne thornes. Heauen-gates will not fall downe before men, as the iron-gates of the Citie to Peter, of their owne accord. Nay,Acts. 12. 10. If the Righteous s…arcely be saued, where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare?1. Pet. 4. 18.
5. Sinnes are fitly compared to thornes and bryars, for their wounding, pricking, and such harmefull offenses. Therefore they are called tribuli, a tribulando; from their vexing, oppression, and tribulation they giuegive those that touch them. The wicked are such Calthrops to the Countrey, boring and bloudying her sides. Either pricking the flesh, or tearing of the fleece; as bryars and bushes that robbe the sheep of their cotes, which come to them for shelter. A great man wicked is like Abimelech, whom Iotham calls a Bramble in his Parable.Iudg. 9. 8. The Oliue would not leaue his fatnesse, nor the Figge-tree his sweetnesse, nor the Vine his goodnesse, to bee promoted ouer the trees. But the aspiring Bramble vsurpes it: and (as if he were some great Cedar) he calls the Trees to trust vnderunder his shadow. But when poore men come to this Bramble for refuge, here they loose a locke and there a locke, til they are left naked, Yea, the clothes are not onelyonly rent from their backes; but like the sonnes of Sceua exorcising the euill spirits, they depart not away naked onelyonly,Acts 19. 16. but wounded. Their garments satisfie not these bryars, scarce their bloud aud liues.
These Bryers and Thornes hauehave such pricking and wounding effects, in regard of three obiects, whom they strike. For sins are like Thorns. 1. To men. 2. To Christ. 3. To the owne consciences of the committers. First to men. Plinie mentioneth three sorts of Bryers.Lib. 21. cap. 16.
1. The moorish Bryer, that onelyonly growes in ranke and fen…e places, & is nourished with rotten mud, and such squalid putrefaction. There is a generatiō of men like these bryars, giuen to drunkennesse, whose affections are fed only with the moisture of the pot. They cannot liue but in fenny and moorish places. Pliny saith, that addars & toads louelove and eat the fruits of these bryars; and it is the food of serpents. The effects of drunkennes (in like sort) is a condiment for the diuell. Augustine somewhat neare our purpose, when he compares drunken places to the fens; where are bred snakes and serpents, and such vile noxious things, which eueryevery yeare must be burned. It were a good turne, if these morish brambles were stocked vp by the roots. If you ask how you should rid them; I will not point you to the Fen-men, who to make quick dispatch of their anoiances, set fire on their fens: but I wil giuegive you another precedent. When a king asked how he might be rid of certain noisome fowles, which came abundantly flying into his land; one answered him. Nidos eorum vbi que destruendos: that the only means was to destroy their nests in eueryevery place. So if you would be shut of these morish bryers, the course is to destroy their nests; their haunts, and rendeuous, as they terme them; the common quagmires of all filthinesse. The ale houses are their nests & cages, where they exhaust and lauish out their goods, and lay plots and deuises how to get more. Hence they fal either to robbing, or cheating; open courses of violence, or secret mischiefs: till at last the Iayle prepares thē for the gibbet. For lightly they sing thorough a red lattice, before they cry through an irō grate. And when those bryars are hamperd, & put into prisons; it is said, that those places teach them more villanie then they knew before. That when a lewd fellow comes out of prison, he is furnished with such a pack of mischiefs, that he now sets vp schoole, and teacheth others. It is wonderfull, that places ordained for reformation, should bee instructions of worse lewdnes. I speak not against mercy: but experience & truth witnesseth that the mercy of some times is crueltie. And the pittie to a notorious malefactor argues vsus of a hard heart, & of vnmercifulnes to the common-wealth. The sparing of rapes, robberies, whoredomes, cheatings, frauds, vniust measures, false balances, occasioneth, yea encourageth the like. If thou be a Magistrate, deputed to iudge it, and sparest a man that hath shed bloud; the next bloud he sheddes thou art guilty of. Thou consentest to the second robbery of a thief, that hast remitted him the first. A Father brings in a notorious malefactor arraigning at the bar before the Iudge. When the mother coms, miserādavlulatione, with bitter weeping desiring mercy for her son.
The wife Lachrimabili voce, with mournefull speech, imploring merciemercy for her husband. The little children plorantibus ocellis, with crying eyes, beseeching mercy for their Father. The people wishing he may be spared for the goodlinesse of his person. Yet sayth the Iudge, Non misereor modo: I pitie, but must not spare. Pereat vnus, potius quam vnitas. Better one perish, then all. Weed vp the implacable thornes, for they will keepe the ground barren. It hath beene sayd, Beare one iniurie and prouoke more: but here in case of iustice, forgiue one publick iniury, I mean a fact of horrid nature as I formerly taxed, and you prouoke and encourage many. The Marriners would faine saue Ionas; but when there is no remedy, they will rather loose one Ionas, then all themselues.
2. Plinies next sort of Bryers are Tribuli agrestes, Field-bryers; which are (sayth he) shrewd enemies to tillage, and the fruits of the earth. This Iland of ours, within these late dayes, hath bred a great number of these field-bryars: which vnnaturally turne their mother into barrennesse. Oppressors, Inclosers, Depopulators, Deportators, Deprauators; that runne the land to ruine for a priuate benefite: and work out a particular gaine from a publicke and generall losse.
Gaine said I? Where is it? Did you euer know Inclosers prosper? I will speake boldly. I neuer knew great man grow greater by his depopulations: and I hope no man will say, he hath growne better by them. Corne-fields are turned to sheepwalkes; once-inhabited townes feede Oxen; and Churches are made Shepheards Cottages: and yet the doers of all this neuer the richer. They keepe lesse Hospitality; for a few roomes in London serue their turnes: they extort sorer rents, and yet they hauehave neuer the more money. It cannot bee denyed, but the maine end of these courses was profite, and euhansing their estates: and loe, in this very end GOD crosseth-them. Speake what you will of their pride, of turning the alms they should giuegive to the poore into feasts for the rich, of their infrugall courses: I say confidently, hic digitus Dei: here is the very hand of God striking them. Man, though hee hath authority, will not looke to these Field-bryars; but let them waste and forrage, and play the Abimelechs; but God will. But if wee doe not looke to it, let me say to you, as Iotham to the Shechemites of that aspiring Bramble, Iudg. 9.Iudg. 9. 20. If fire come not out of Shechem to deuoure Abimelech; fire will come from Abimelech to deuoure Shechem. If you vndoe not the oppressions of the Field-bryers, their oppressions will vndoe vsus all.
3 There is the Town-bryar too, which groweth in our mounds and fenses, and about the closing of townes. You in the City hauehave no great plenty of these bryers; yet you are troubled (in a metaphoricall sense) with Towne-bryers, and City-brambles: which would not a little vexe you, if you were not those your selues.
1. What say you to the Vsurer? Is hee not a Thorne amongst you? If you were not Vsurers your selues, you would confesse it. But they say, the most horrible vsurie in the world is here practised, to 40. in the hundred: nay, to doubling of the principall in one yeare. A landed Gentleman wants money, he shall hauehave it; but in commodities: which some compacted Broker buyes of him, for halfe the rate they cost him, in ready money. Are these Christians? dare they shew their faces in the Temple? But I know, you hauehave been often told of these things. In a word, euen the gentles… vsury is a most sharpe thorne, and pricks the side of the Countrey till the bloud followes. An Vsurer with his money, is like a man that hath no worke of his owne, yet keepes a seruant to let out: and takes not onelyonly hire of others for his dayes labour; but chargeth him to steale somewhat besides, and neuer to returne home emptie. You vnderstand me: I neede not further apply it.
These are vile winding and wounding bryers, that fetch away clothes, and skinne, and flesh too. Now the merciemercy of God ridde vsus of these thornes. And let vsus know it is for our sinnes, that God suffers Vsurers among vsus. It may be he permits them, as he did the Cananites for a while in Israel, lest the wilde beasts should break in vponupon them. Lest pride, and haughtinesse, and vncleannesse should spill mens soules by a full estate of wealth. God suffers Vsurers like Horse-leeches to suck and soke them: thereby (possibly) to humble them. Yet in meane time, I may say of them, as Iosuah did of those Cananites;Iosh. 23. 13. that they are pricks in our sides, and thornes in our eyes.
2 What doe you thinke of Adulterie? Is it not a Thorne, yes, a sharpe thorne, wounding the purse, enuenoming the body, condemning the Soule. The ground that beares it is lust: the sappe that feeds it, is fulnesse of bread and Idlenesse: the heate that makes it glow, grow, and shoote, is lewd and wanton speech, and effeminate gestures: infamie is the budde; pollution the fruite; and the end Hell-fire. And as Caietan and Theophilact obserues on 1. Thes. 4.Thess. 4. 4. that the Apostle hauing bid men possesse their vessell in holinesse, he addes; And let no man goe beyond or defraud his brother in any matter: that this circumuention may be applied to Adulterie, when a man is deceiued of his bosome-spouse; who is hired to the subornation of bastards. So that lightly, concupiscence and cousenage goe together. As that wickednesse, of all others, neuer goes but by couples. For Adulterers non possunt ire soli ad diabolum. Ierom.An Adulterer cannot goe alone to the Deuill.
3 Corrupt and consciensce-les Lawyers you will confesse to bee sharpe and wounding brambles, and exceedingly hurtfull. A poore Client among them, is as a blind sheepe in a thicket of thornes: there is no hope of his fleece, it is well if he carry away his flesh whole on his backe. A motion this terme, an order next; instantly al cross'd: scarce the twentith order sometimes stands: execution is suspended, a writ of errour puts all out of course. Oh the vncertaine euents of suits! I hope, sayes the poore bloud-drawne wretch, I shall hauehave an end of my suite next terme; nay, nor the next terme, nor the next yeare. Foole! thou art gotten into a suite of durance; almost an immortall suit. And when the vpshot comes, perhaps the mispleading of a word shall forfet all. It is a lamentable vncertaintie, and one politicke addition of ficklenesse to the goods of this world, that no man might set his heart vponupon them: that an estate bought, truly payd for, and inherited, shall bee gone vponupon a word; sometimes vponupon a sillable; vponupon a very bare letter, omitted or mis-written by the Scriuener. These are scratching bryers. If what is wanting in the goodnes of the cause, be supplyed by the greatnes of the fees, their tongs shall excuse their tongs for their contra-conscient pleadings. The Italians hauehave a shrewd prouerbe against them. The Deuill makes his Christmassepyes of Lawyers tongs and Clerks fingers. This prouerbe I leaue with them; and come to their kinsmen.
4 Corrupted Officers, who are also sharpe and sharking brambles. Their office is a bush of thorns at their backes, and they all to rent the countrey, with briberie and extortion. These men seeke after authority, and commanding-places, not with any intent of good to the common-wealth, but to fill their owne purses, to satisfie their owne lusts. As some louelove to bee poring in the fire, not that they care to mend it, but onelyonly to warme their owne fingers.
5 We hauehave Papists amongst vsus; looke to them, they are rankling thornes, and renting bryers. False Gibeonites they are; and howsoeuer they pretend their old shooes, the antiquitie of their Church, we hauehave euer found them thornes; ready to put out our eyes, and (if they could) the eye of the Gospell. They exclaime against vsus for persecution; and cry themselues (lowder then oyster-women in the streets) for patient Catholicks, Saints, Martyrs. But match the peace they enioy vnderunder vsus, with the tyrannie they exercised ouer vsus; the burning our Fathers at stakes, the butchering our Princes, their conspiracie against our whole Realme, their continuall bending their weapons against Soueraignes and subiects throtes; and you will say, they are thornes. I hauehave read of a bird, that when men are deuout at their sacrifice, takes fire from the Altar, and burnes their houses. All their blacke treasons, and bloudy intendments, they deriue from the Altar; and pleade the warrant of Religion, to set our whole Land in combustion. O that these brambles were stock'd vp: that Ishmael were cast out of dores, that Sara and her sonne Isaac might liue in quiet.
6 There are furious male contents among vsus: a contemptible generation of thorns; that (because their hands are pinion'd) pricke onelyonly with their tongs. They are euer whining, and vponupon the least cause filling the world with importunate complaints. These are sauage & popular humors, that cannot suffer eminency to passe vnreproched. But they must vellicate goodnes, and gird greatnesse; that neither the liuing can walke, nor the dead sleepe, in quiet. Affecters of innouation, that are euer finding fault with the present times: any thing pleaseth them but what is. Euen the best blessings of God scape not their cēsures: neither do they esteem by iudgement, or pronounce by reason: they find fault with things, they know not wherefore, but because they do not like them. Beware these thornes: they are like the wheeles of some cunningly wrought fire-workes; that flie out on all sides; and offering to singe others, burne themselues. Laudant veteres, &c. as if no times were so miserable as ours. As if the ciuill wars of France, or the bloudy Inquisitiō of Spain, or the Turkish crueltie in Natolia, where hee breeds his souldiers; or at home, the time of the Barons war; or yet later, the persecution of a Boner; were none of them so cruell, as these dayes, when eueryevery man sits and sings vnderunder his owne figge-tree. Sure if they had once tasted the bitternesse of war, they would better esteem of their peace. These are pestilent thornes: nothing but feare keeps them from conspiracie. Nay, so they might set the whole land on fire, they would not grudge their owne ashes.
7. There are bryers too growing neere the Church; too neare it. They hauehave raised Church-liuings to foure and fiue yeares purchase: and it is to be feared, they will shortly racke vp presentatiue liuings, to as high a rate, as they did their impropriations, when they would sell them. For they say, few will giuegive aboue sixteene yeares purchase for an impropriate Parsonage; and I hauehave heard some rate the donation of a benefice they must giuegive, at ten yeares: what with the present money they must hauehave, and with referuation of tythes, and such vnconscionable trickes; as if there was no God in heauen, to see or punish it. Perhaps, some wil not take so much: but most will take some; enough to impouerish the Church, to enrich their owne purses, to damne their soules.
One would thinke, it was sacriledge enough to robbe God of his maine tythes: must they also nimme away the shreddes? must they needes shrinke the whole cloth, (enough to apparell the Church) as the cheating Taylor did, to a dozen of buttons? Hauing full gorged themselues with the parsonages, must they picke the bones of the Vicaredges too? Well sayth S. August. Multi in hac vita manducant, quod postea apud inferos digerunt. Many deuoure that in this life, which they shall digest in hell.
These are the Church-briers; which (let alone) wil at last bring as famous a Church, as any Christendome hath, to beggerie. Politicke men, begin a pace alreadie to with-hold their children from Schooles and Vniuersities. Any profession els better likes them; as knowing, they may liue well in whatsoeuer calling, saue in the ministery. The time was, that Christ threw the buyers and sellers out of the Temple; but now the buyers and sellers hauehave throwne him out of the Temple. Yea, they wil throw the church out of the church if they bee not stayed. But some may say to me, as one aduised Luther, when he began to preach against the Popes vsurpation and tyrannie, You had as good hold your peace. This wickednesse is so powerfull, that you will neuer preuaile against it. Get you to your study, and say, Lord hauehave mercy on vsus, and procure your selfe no ill will. But be it good will, or be it ill will, we come hither to speake the truth in our consciences. And if these Church-thornes will continue their wickednesse, bee it vntounto them as they hauehave deserued. If they will needs go to hell, let them go: we cannot helpe it, let them perish. I had purposed the discouery of more Brambles, but the time forbids it. I would to God, we were well freed from those I hauehave taxed.
THE END Of Thornes. THE FIFT SERMON.
ESA. 9. 18.
Wickednesse burneth as the fire: it shall deuoure the Bryers and Thornes, and shall kindle in the thickets of the Forrest, and they shal mount vp like the lifting vp of smoke.
GREG. lib. 4. Dialog.
Ad magnam iudicantis iustitiam pertinet, vt nunquam mortui careant supplicio, qui nunquam viui voluerunt carere peccato.
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.