Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 9
THE NINTH LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION.
IOHN, CHAP. XV. VERS. 1.2.3.4.5.6.
I Am that true Vine, and my Father is that Husband-man.
2 Euerie branch that beareth not fruit in mee, hee taketh away: and euerie one that beareth fruite, hee purgeth it, that it may bring foorth more fruite.
3 Now ye are cleane, through the word which J hauehave ſpoken vntounto you.
4 Abide in mee, and I in you: as the branch cannot beare fruite of it ſelfe, except it abide in the Vine; no more can yee, except yee abide in me.
5 I am that Vine: yee are the branches: hee that abideth in mee, and I in him, the ſame bringeth foorth much fruit: for without mee can yee doe nothing.
6 If a man abide not in mee, hee is casten foorth as a branch, and withereth: and men gather them, and caſt them into the fire, and they burne.
WEE heard alreadie (Brethren) in the fourteenth Chapter of this Goſpel, the Lord, a little before his departure out of the world, his conference onlie with his Diſciples: and partly comforteth them, partly exhorteth them. Nowe in this Chapter, and the next, hee inſiſteth in that ſame purpoſe: partlie exhorting, partly comforting them …rſt in this Chapter hee exhorteth his Diſciples to that vnion with him: Secondly, to that brotherly louelove: laſt, hee returneth to that conſolation begun in this Chapter, comforting them againſt the hatred and perſecution of the worlde. Before hee come to the exhortation to that vnion with him, hee premitteth in the beginning of the Chapter a generall doctrine, wherein he denounceth an heauy judgement, The cutting away of ſuch members who bring foorth no fruite: and hee promiſeth an increaſe of grace to them who would bring foorth fruit: & ſo he prepareth them to that vnion wherevnto he exhorteth them. He ſetteth down theſe grounds, as cōmon both to the denuntiation, and to the promiſes: Firſt, that he himſelfe is the true Vine tree: Secondly, that the Father is an Husbandman. On this ground hee deduceth a judgement to thoſe who will not bring foorth fruite: and mercy to them who will bring foorth fruit. The Lord, when he was in the worlde, was wont to ſtand vp in the middeſt of the people, and with an high voyce to point out the fulneſſe of grace that was in himſelfe, and that ſerued to life: and that by ſimilitudes and compariſons, taken from thinges earthly, ſeruing to the comfort of this life. Sometimes hee ſayth, I am that Bread of Life, as in the ſixt Chap. of this Goſpel, Verſ. 48. Sometimes hee ſayeth, I am the Light of the worlde, as in the eight Chap. verſ. 12. Sometimes he ſayth, J am the Way, the Trueth, and the Life, as in the 14. chap. verſ. 6. The Lord then is the Bread, and the true Bread, that feedeth the ſoule to life euerlaſting: the Lord is the only Light, that illuminateth the dead ſoule: the Lord is only that Way, that leadeth to Life: the Lord is that Vine tree, which furniſheth all ſap, juyce, and ſuſtentation, to all them who as branches are ingraffed in him: and take him away, all men are drie, like a ſticke: and no man without him can bring foorth fruit, no more than a withered ſticke can bud out in flowres. In compariſon of other thinges, hee is ſayde to bee the true Bread, the true Light, the true Vine, &c. becauſe he ſubſtantially and eſſentially is ſo: the creatures are onelyonly ſo accidentally, and by way of participation. The ſecond ground: My Father is an Husbandman. The compariſon betwixt the Father of our Lord Ieſus, and the husbandman, ſtandeth not in all points: the husbandman giueth not the ſap and nouriſhment, or life to the Vine tree: the Vine tree of the own nature hath the ſap within it: only the husbandman intertaineth the ſap and life which is in the tree: But this Husbandman, the Father, communicateth with his Son, the whole ſap of life, which is himſelfe. As the Father hath life in himſelfe, ſo hath he giuen to the Sonne to hauehave life in himſelfe. Ioh. 5.26. The Father in that eternal generation communicateth his life with his Son: but the compariſon ſtandeth in this, As the husbandman, in time of yeere, cutteth downe the vnfruitfull vine tree, and cheriſheth that which is fruitful; ſo the Father of our Lord Ieſus, dreſſeth his vine trees, cutteth away rotten members, & purgeth the fruitfull, that they may be more fruitfull. Take vp this ground ſhortly: The Father of our Lord Ieſus is ſuch an husbandman, as neuer one was: firſt he giueth ſap to his Son, & then thorow him all ſap cōmeth to all men & women: all ſap floweth out of the Lord Ieſus, which is the Vine tree, to all his owne children. Now we come to the denuntiation, EueryEvery branch that bringeth not foorth fruit in me, the Father will cut away: The promiſe is, Euerie one who is ingraffed in me, & beareth fruit, the Father will purge them, ſo that they may be able to bring foorth more fruit. Wee hauehave to marke what are theſe branches, & what is this fruit. By theſe brāches I vnderſand the whole viſible Kirkes in the world, whether they bee ingraffed truly or not in the Lord Ieſus, whether they be corn or chaff, ſheep or goats, true Chriſtians or hypocrits, they are called branches. By the fruit is vnderſtood good works: It is as needful to them, who are ingraffed in the Lord Ieſus, to bring foorth good works, as to the vine tree to bring forth wine berries, being filled with ſap. But for the farder clearing of this mater, we ſhal ſpeak ſomthing of this compariſon: as the husbandman, who hath a vineyard, wil hauehave all his care ſet vponupon the vineyard, becauſe it is both his pleaſure, & his profit: ſo the whole care of the Father is vponupon Ieſus Chriſt his Son, for he is his vine tree: the whole joy & glory of the Father is in the Son: all the care the Father hath, is in the Son, in him he acquiſces, & is well pleaſed. Next, if there be a vine tree in the vineyard that the husbandman loueth wel, he wil hauehave al the branches numbred of that tree: he wil not let them go out of his eye. So there is not in all this world a ſeruant of the Lord Ieſus, but the Father hath them all numbred: they are all in his eyes. Ye remember in the parable of the Marriage banquet (Mat. 22.11.) it is ſaid, when they were all come in, the King commeth in alſo, to view the banqu…t: what meaneth this, but the care of the Father, that he hath of his branches, who are ingraffed in Chriſt? The King is the Father of Heauen: he who is married, is the Son: & they who are called, are the branches. The eye of the Father is vponupon all the members, good & bad: yea, that hypocrit who wanted the wedding garment, was ſoone ſeene by him. Let him be an hypocrit who wil, king or beggar, the Lord wil point him out in his own time. Now laſt, the huſbandman in the own time will dreſſe the vine tree: he taketh away the vnfruitfull, and purgeth the fruitful: Euen ſo the Father of our Lord Ieſus, goeth to his vine tree, & vieweth the branches, & in his own time wil come with his ſnedding knife, & will cut off the hypocrit: & he will purge the fruitfull, & the next yeere it will bring forth more fruit. The Father cutteth off hypocrits: & this we hauehave ſeene: And then againe in the faithfull he augments regeneration and grace. Mark this Text well, & ye ſhall ſee the pleaſandeſt vine tree that euer was in the worlde, with the roote, the body of the tree, the branches, & the fruits budding forth in eueryevery branch: the root of this vine tree is the Father, who is the Fountain of all life: the body of the vine tree is the Son, the brāches are men & women ingraffed by faith in the body: the fruit of the tree is good works: the ſap of life is in the Father, he is the groūd of al grace, & ſendes this his ſap to the body of the tree, the Son: & the Son hath all the grace that is in the root: & then the body of the tree ſendes ſap to the branches: & then the brāches being filled with ſap, bring forth fruit as neceſſarily, as a vine tree can bring foorth fruite. So if yee would take vp the nature of theſe works, ye ſhal vnderſtand, that good works ſpring not from fleſh and blood, they come not from the power of men & women, & from nature and free-wil. So fooliſh Papiſts will ſay, that men will doe good workes of nature, and of free-will: No, no, theſe works proceede not of nature: no, there is not a good worke, but it floweth from that life which is in the Father, and is communicated to the Sonne: there is not ſo much as a charitable, or a good thought, but it floweth from the life of God. So all the good we doe, is as fruits flowing from that roote. And thou were not imped in Chriſt, and ſo as a wild Oliue, partaker of the ſappe of that true Oliue, it would paſſe thy power to thinke a good thought, and thou wouldſt do no more good, than a withered ſtocke can. Now marke this: When as it pleaſeth the Lord to tranſport vsus from that rotten roote of Adam, and to ſet vsus in Ieſus Chriſt, the ſeconde Adam, then whereas before wee brought foorth but ſtinking fruit and dead workes, as the Apoſtle calleth them: (all is but filth and ſtinke, without the life of God in Chriſt, let be all theſe workes which are forbidden in the Law: and it were a good worke, hee polluteth it, becauſe hee medleth with it, and there be nothing but nature) being once ingraffed in Ieſus Chriſt, then the creature beginneth to drawe out ſo fruitfull ſappe, and ſo delicate, that all the ſappe of the Vine tree is nothing in compariſon thereof: And when wee hauehave gotten of that ſappe, then the fruit commeth out, and floweth with a ſweet ſmelling ſauour: fra once the heart begin to ſucke of that life, the verie ſmelling of the life of Ieſus Chriſt, wil appeare in the works, & in the words. It is true indeed, & we may find it al, there is euer in all our fruites, in all our deeds, and wordes that proceede out of our mouth, ſome bitterneſſe & ſourneſſe in the beſt of vsus all: the cauſe is, howbeit we be ingraffed in Chriſt, yet that old life abideth intill vsus all: & ſo the fruit we bring out as it hath a ſauour of Chriſt, ſo it ſtinketh of the old man: the beſt worke that wee bring out, is partly ſweete, and partly ſoure, and the worde ſauoureth of bitterneſſe: but and we be highly diſpleaſed for the bitterneſſe, then wee hauehave this comfort, We may bee aſſured, the Father is purging vsus: and this hope, That when we ſhall bee with Chriſt, our fruits ſhall all ſauour of that life of God in Chriſt: and this ſhould augment our joye.
Next, wee ſee wha… neede wee hauehave euen to bee purged, and to make a perpetuall progreſſe in regeneration: if the Father ſhould leaue off to cleanſe the liuely branches that are in the Lord Ieſus, as ſoone the liuelieſt ſhould turne in rottenneſſe, and then the naturall corruption ſhould ouer-goe vsus, except hee were euer ſnedding vsus: and of liuely members, wee ſhould become dead: All our ſtanding and perſeuerance is of him. Another thing: as vnpoſsible as it is that the Father of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt ſhould leaue off to purge the members of Chriſt; euen as vnpoſsible is it, that that mēber can fal away: if it were poſsible that the Father ſhould leaue off his office, then it might be poſsible that men ſhould fall away. No, the Father can neuer leaue off his office: & they who are once ingraffed in Ieſus Chriſt, ſhall neuer be cut off. It is a falſe doctrine of the Papiſts, who ſay, that a man once ſanctified, may become vnsanctified: it is an horrible blaſphemie, and a lie againſt the holie Ghoſt. The laſt thing I marke: Looke how needfull is it that the Father play the part of an husbandman in purging; as needfull it is that eueryevery branch grow in holineſſe & ſanctification: the Father cannot purge the branches in vain; but as he purgeth the branches from their own nature, ſo the branches muſt bring out berries: So if they who profeſſe themſelues to be Chriſtians, make no grouth, & neuer mend in holineſſe, it is a tokē, that the Father of our Lord Ieſus purgeth them not: and then they are not branches. So take heed. Men will hunt greedily after honor, riches, and pleaſure: but this is the thing thou ſhouldeſt chiefely ſtriue to, That thou make much grouth in Ieſus, & that thou find thy ſoule in better diſpoſition this yere, than it was the laſt: that thou may be a true member of Ieſus Chriſt. This for the denunciation of the ſentence againſt the branches that bring foorth no fruit, and the promiſe to them that bring foorth fruit.
Theſe words might hauehave moued his Diſciples to be feared, and to hauehave heauy hearts: therfore the Lord, who ſaw all their cogitations, meeteth them, to comfort them, (Howbeit he ſpeake not to vsus, he comforteth vsus by his holy Spirit) and he letteth them know that that denunciation perteined not to them, becauſe they were liuely members: they were cleane through the worde which hee had ſpoken to them. Our leſſon is, When thou heareſt a denunciation of judgemēt or promiſe of mercy, make euer application to thy ſelfe, and ſay, Lord, perteineth this judgement to me? and, O Lord, perteineth this mercy to mee? Without this application, there is no generall doctrine can do good, or edifie thee. So when we heare of this, that ſome are liuing branches, & ſome dead, we ſhold enter in triall with our ſelues whether we are to abide with Chriſt, or to be cut off, and caſten into the fire. It is true, we hauehave not Chriſt to ſpeak with vsus, and to reſolue vsus of ſuch doubts: yet the Lord hath neuer left anie faithful man or woman ſo deſtitute, but he gets a certification & aſſurance, that he is a liuely member. The Lord, if he be in any man or woman, he ſhall make that perſon know, that he liueth in them. The moſt ſenſible thing in the worlde, is the life of Chriſt: as ſenſibly w…l the creature feele the life of Chriſt in their harts, as they wil feel this natural life. Beſides this, if the ſap of Chriſt be in a ma, the fruit wil burſt out: & if thou wouldſt know a man, look to his life & good works: let his life teſtify whether he be a liuely mēber or not: if their life teſtify otherways, I teſtify to thee, in the Name of God, they are no liuely mēbers. Certainly Chriſt cānot dwel within one, but he muſt vtter himſelf in the hand & tong. Now hereafter he ſubjoynes the reaſon wherfore they are clean, & how they are made cleane, By the words, saith he, that J hauehave ſpoken, ye are made cleane: wherefore ſpake I ſo much to you, but to make liuelie members of you, who were drie branches? The way to make a man a liuely branch, is the worde of Ieſus: it cleanſeth the ſoule which is foule: My word is Spirit and Life, John, 6. verſ. 63. It is the force of the Spirit to purge the ſoule. The worde, ſayeth Peter, is that immortall ſeede of regeneration, 1. Epiſt. Chap. 1. verſ. 23. Our ſeede is mortall, and ſo if wee hauehave not another ſeede of God, wee are but dead. It is no maruell, that the word of God purgeth, becauſe it is Life and Spirit: Looke but to that experience that godlie men hauehave in hearing the worde of Ieſus Chriſt and that joye that riſeth in the heart. What meaneth this? Will the vvordes of anie man worke this joye in the heart? No: but when men heare theſe promiſes of life, and of grace, and conſolation, O what conſolation, what peace, what reſt, what joye will the ſinner get! And this teſtifieth, that the worde is powerfull to worke in the ſoule that life of God. The houre ſhall come, ſayeth the Lord, that the dead ſhall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and they that ſhall heare, ſhall liue, John, 5. verſ. 25. 1 Pet. 1. verſ. 22. Our ſoules are purged by the hearing of the worde. If this bee the meane the Lord hath ordained to get life, let vsus take pleaſure to heare the worde: And I ſaye, that man that hath not a pleaſure in ſome m…aſure to heare the word, but cōtemneth it, is no mēber of Chriſt, and hath neuer beene truely ingraffed in Chriſt, nor got neuer of that ſappe which is in Chriſt, and neuer wiſt what Ieſus Chriſt was. As thou therefore wouldeſt liue, and as thou wouldeſt bee sanctified in this life, & glorified with the Lord in the Heauēs, take pleaſure to heare this word: & if thou would taſte any ſweetnes of Chriſt, grow in holineſſe: and chiefely, ſeeing thou muſt leaue this world, begin to liue this life, which neuer ſhall hauehave an end.
Now in the next words, after he hath laide down the grounds, he commeth to the firſt exhortation: Abide in mee, and I in you. The meaning of the exhortation is this, Ye hauehave begun to be joyned with me in Spirit, and in fayth: as yee hauehave begun, ſo continue in that vnion to the ende. He ſayth not, Abide ſtill with me, and I with you: but abide in mee. Theſe wordes hauehave a greater ſignification than the other: they ſignifie a ſtraiter vnion with Chriſt: for Brethren, yee muſt marke, the members of Ieſus Chriſt, not onelie abide with him here, and dwell with him: but eueryevery one of them abideth in him, and dwelleth in him: as yee ſ…e the branches of the tree, they are not ſayde ſo much to abide with the tree, as to abide in the tree: ſo are we in him. And on the other part, the Lord Ieſus is not ſaid only to abide with his Kirke on the earth: but howbeit hee bee in the Heauens, to dwell in his Kirke, and in eueryevery member, who belieueth in him: yea, in all their hearts: euen as yee ſee the tree abideth in her branches, ſo the Lord Ieſus, the Vine tree, abideth in his branches.
This place requireth that wee ſpeake ſomewhat of this vnion the members hauehave with Chriſt, and hee with them: This conjunction betwixt Chriſt and his members, who are faythfull, ye muſt not imaginate to be a bodily and naturall conjunction, as ye ſee is betwixt creatures, as the head with the body, it is not ſo groſſe a conjunction: there is no conjunction bodily, ſo neare, & ſo ſtrait, as that conjunction of Ieſus Chriſt, nowe in the Heauens with his members: the heade is not ſo ſurely joyned with the body by nearnes, as the Lord Ieſus, our Head, is joyned with eueryevery member, who belieueth in him vponupon this earth: The body and the head may bee ſeuered, but the members of Ieſus Chriſt, once truely ingraffed in him by his Spirit, and by fayth, ſhall neuer be cut off: all the powers of Heauen and Hell, ſhall not ſeparate them. What ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of Ieſus Chriſt? ſhall hunger and ſworde, &c. yea, in theſe wee are more than victorious, Rom. 1.35.37. So yee ſee this conjunction, is not to bee imagined to bee a groſſe conjunction, as the Papiſtes imagine: (but I leaue them:) But this conjunction is ſpirituall, and myſticall: I call that a ſpirituall vnion and conjunction that we hauehave with him, becauſe it is wrought after an heauenly and ſpirituall manner, and is made not with bodily bandes, as ligamentes and ſinewes, but with ſpirituall and heauenly bandes: the one of them is called the Spirit of Ieſus Chriſt, the other is called Fayth. To make that coniunction betwixt vsus and him, hee ſendeth out of the Heauens his holy Spirit, into our hearts: and wee getting that Spirit, ſende vp to the Heauens againe to him, our fayth. Then yee ſee two bands, to make this conjunction: this conjunction muſt be mutuall; ſo that as hee ſendeth downe his Spirite to vsus, ſo wee muſt ſende vp our fayth to him. The order of the working of theſe two bandes would bee conſidered: Wee neuer begin firſt: no man beginneth firſt to gripe Chriſt, but he muſt gripe vsus firſt: all thinges begin at him, and his affection is to vsus firſt: ere we louelove him, hee loueth vsus: and becauſe he imbraceth vsus ſo friendly with his louelove, therefore wee louelove him: and the ſenſe of the louelove of God in Ieſus Chriſt were not in vsus firſt wrought, wee would neuer louelove him: Euen ſo is it in that conjunction, & if he neuer conjoyned himſelfe with vsus firſt, we would neuer gripe him. Paul, to the Philippians, Chap. 3. Verſ 12. he ſtriueth to get a gripe of him, by whom he was first griped: And this ſhould bee our ſtrife, To ſtriue euer to gripe Chriſt and if this bee not thy ſtrife, miſerable ſhall bee thine ende: as it is in that conjunction, ſo it is in the perſeuerance: No man can perſeuer in that louelove, and in that fayth, except it pleaſe the Lord to abide with vsus by his Spirit. In one worde: all grace beginneth at Chriſt: and if we hauehave any grace, all floweth from him.
Our Leſſon is, When we heare the Lord exhorting vsus after this manner, Abide in mee, and I in you; anſwere, Abide in mee, Lord, and I ſhall abide in thee: Lord, except thou abide in me, I will fall. and ſuch like, when the Lord ſayeth, Belieue in me: ſay, Lord, take a gripe of mee by thy Spirit, firſt. So when it is said, LoueLove mee; anſwere, Lord, louelove thou mee firſt; for the louelove I hauehave to thee floweth from the louelove thou haſt to me.
Now wee come to the reaſons the Lord vſeth to moue his Diſciples, to abide in that vnion with him: The firſt argument hee vſeth, is from good works, and a sanctified life: and this is the argument, Except yee abide in that vnion with me, there cannot bee ſuch a thing that any of you can bring foorth fruit: Therefore as thou wouldeſt liue an holy life, abide in me, and ſticke faſt by me. He declareth this b… a compariſon, Except the branch abide in the Vine tree, it can bring foorth no fruit: So except yee be ingraffed in me, and abide in me, the true Vine tree, no more can yee produce good works. Marke it, this reaſon craueth a conſideration of an higher ground: the ground is this, There is a neceſsitie laide vponupon euerie man and woman in the worlde, to liue an holie life, as euer they would ſee the face of God. Nowe this neceſsitie being laide, come to the reaſon: But ſo it is, No man can liue an holie life, except he abide in Chriſt: Therfore as euer any man wold taſte of life, let him ſtriue to bee in Chriſt, and neuer let Chriſt depart from him not a foot breade. Ye ſee in this reaſon, the way to ſtrait any man to belieue in Ieſus Chriſt: firſt thou who wouldeſt belieue in Chriſt, haſt a neceſsity laid on thee, that thou leade an holy life, thou muſt be changed, thou muſt hauehave a new life: otherwayes, take thee thy doome, thou ſhalt neuer ſee the face of God: & I pronoūce in the Name of the great God, that if thou liue not an holy life in ſome meaſure, thou ſhalt neuer ſee the face of God. The Lord ſaith to Nicodemus, Ioh. 3. Except a man be borne againe, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God. The next ground: Without Chriſt Ieſus there is no power to doe good: without him thou canſt not think a good thought: without him thou art but a drie ſticke, without anie ſappe. Then I aske, how can the Papiſtes, who affirme, that we hauehave free-will naturallie to doe good: how can they, I ſay, perſwade a man to belieue in Chriſt? They deceiue the worlde. Can this bee a good doctrine? No, I pronounce, in the Name of the great God of Heauen, Except a man denude himſelfe of nature, except hee ſtand vp naked, and ſay, Lord, there is no power in me to anie good whatſoeuer, hee ſhall neuer get Chriſt: Except wee bee perſwaded, that without Chriſt we can doe nothing, and that wee are but drie ſtickes, the ſoule ſhall neuer cleaue till him: But when the ſoule ſhall heare and knowe this, then it ſhall runne with griedineſſe to gripe him. This for the firſt argument.
The next argument, taken from good workes, is in theſe words in the next verſe, I am the Vine tree, and yee are the branches: And if ye abide in mee, yee will bring out much fruite. They might aske, Is it not poſsible to bring foorth fruite without thee? Hee anſwereth, Without mee yee can doe nothing. The argument▪ If ye abide in mee, yee ſhall bring out much fruite: Not onelie fruit, but much fruite. The longer a man bee in Chriſt, the holier hee is. Take vp another ground of fayth, and an alluring argument, to drawe the heart to Ieſus Chriſt: this is the ground, That if a man would belieue in him, they ſhould not onelie be holie, and leade an holie life, but growe in holineſſe. This ground differeth from the other: the former ſtraiteth the ſoule: as for this, it is not a binding argument, but a ſecret alluring argumēt, If thou ſhalt belieue in Chriſt, thou ſhalt abound in holineſſe. Whom moueth this? Only thoſe who ſee themſelues withered, and faine would hauehave that ſappe of life in Ieſus Chriſt. Tell the ſoule, who ſeeth the owne miſery, that and if it bee in Chriſt, it ſhall liue, and will get the ſappe of life, it will rejoyce: it will not moue them who delite in a filthie and polluted life. Marke our nature, for the Lord knoweth it well, and according to it he ſetteth down arguments in order: there is not one, but ere they come to Chriſt, they muſt be ſtraited, and neceſsitie laid vponupon their backe; otherwayes we wil neuer ſeek to Chriſt, becauſe we are ſtubborn by nature. That neceſsitie that was laid vponupon Nicodemus, muſt be told to vsus all: there is neuer one of vsus, but wee are ſtraited with the ſame ſtraite: and when wee are ſtraited this way, except wee bee obſtinate, wee will run to Chriſt. Next, it is not enough to boaſt a man: if there bee but boaſting onelie, there will bee no beliefe. The Lord knewe this well, and therefore hee ſubjoyneth to this a faire alluring argument. Wee muſt not begin with faire words, but we muſt ſtrait men, as they would liue to belieue in Chriſt: and then come on with ſweete promiſes: If the Lord moue vsus not with faire promiſes, wee will bee obſtinate for euer. Surelie when a man ſeeth hee muſt doe ſuch a thing, and if hee doe it, hee will get ſuch a rewarde, that hee ſhall bee filled with ſappe, to bring foorth an holie life; well, will hee ſay, I ſee not onlie a neceſitie to belieue; but I ſee alſo, that if I doe it, I ſhall b… made a fruitfull branch, whereas I was but a rotten ſticke, to be caſten into the fire: and then he wil ſay to his ſoule, My ſoule, belieue in Chriſt, and ſticke vponupon him, and thou ſhalt ſee a bleſſed end.
Now another thing I gather: I ſee heere hee counteth much of good works, which he calleth fruits: & he moueth them to belieue from this argumēt of good works. The end of faith, is a ſanctified life: and the end of that vnion with Chriſt, is good works: As the grace of God in Chriſt, is to make a regenerate man, and of a dead ſticke, to make a liuelie branch, and Chriſt came into the worlde, to repare that loſt image of God in man; the ende of election is to liue an holy life, Epheſ. Chap. 14. The ende of our vocation, of our juſtification, is to liue an holie life. To Titus, Chap. 2. verſ. 11.12. The grace of GOD, that bringeth ſaluation to all men, hath appeared, and teacheth vsus, that vvee ſhoulde denie vngodlineſſe, and vvorldlie luſtes, and that vvee ſhoulde liue ſoberlie, righteouſlie, and godlily, in this preſent world. There is the whole end of the grace of God, and of the Goſpel. So if a man hauehave not good works in ſome meaſure, he felt neuer the grace of Chriſt: the grace of God may ſhine in their faces, but not in their hearts.
Now followeth the third argument, Except a man abide in me firſt, hee ſhall bee taken, and casten out, out of the Vineyarde: and next, as it were an vnfrui…full branch, hee ſhall wither: then when it is withered, wherefore ſerueth it? Shall it be imped againe? No, but it ſhall bee casten into the fire. The fire of Hell is for them who will not come to Chriſt: A man goeth not to Hell at once, but by degrees: Hee who hath not adoe with Chriſt, hee is caſten out of the Kirke: that is, the ſocietie of the Lords Elect: that is, the true and inuiſible Kirke: howbeit for a ſeaſon they remaine in the viſible Kirke outwardly. Another degree, Being out of that ſocietie, hee withereth: and the laſt degree, he is caſten into the fire. If faire offers will not moue a man to belieue in Chriſt Ieſus, then let the fire of Hell moue him. If thou wilt not belieue for faire promiſes, thou ſhalt ſee nothing but horrible judgement: and as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh to the Hebrewes, an vnquenchable fire. Tell a man nowe of beliefe in Chriſt, and of a ſanctified life, if they will belieue in him; it will not moue them, becauſe their delite is in murther, filthineſſe, and adulterie. Then I tell thee, in the Name of the great God, thou who art not moued with theſe promiſes, the fire of Hell abideth thee: tell them this. Indeede it is true, the godlieſt man that liueth, hath euer need to be holden in Chriſt, by a flame of fire, we are ſo inclined to infidelitie: Knowing, (ſayth the Apoſtle of himſelfe, 2. Corinth. Chap. 5.) the terribleneſſe of the Lord, wee bring men to Chriſt: that is to ſay, Wee doe our duetie in our calling: And if hee had neede to bee holden in awe, much more had wee. The godlie, who hauehave a wakened conſcience, will finde this: as ſoone as they beginne to fall away, a flame of fire ſtriketh vponupon them: for without Chriſt, there is nothing but fire, and the wrath of God ſeaſeth vponupon the necke of the ſinner, and neuer leaueth him, till it bring him to deſtruction, and ſhoote him into the fire of Hell. Indeede men and women will bee out of Chriſt, (where there is one who belieueth, there are ten who belieue not: and it is a rare thing, truelie to belieue in Chriſt: Some there bee who denie Chriſt altogether, and ſome who are prophane hypocrites,) and yet the very infidels will finde reſt into this worlde: and who will bee ſo wanton as they? the greateſt infidels, the wantonneſt: But thinke not, howbeit they bee at reſt, that the wrath of God leaueth them: No, the wrath of God is moſt vponupon them, when they are leaſt ſenſible of it, and perceiue it leaſt: for the wrath of God ſtriketh firſt the heart with a deafnes & ſtupidity: and next followes the bittereſt & dririeſt wakening that euer was. When the wicked cries peace, then that judgement comes on ſuddenly, as the pains on a woman trauelling in birth; and then driery & ſorowfull ſhall that wakening be. Now to end: take vp here the way to Hell, and that, ſtep by ſtep: The firſt ſtep of all miſery, is infidelity, when a man is without Chriſt, and hath no part with him: So when one departeth from Chriſt, either to the one hand, or to the other, he is in a ſtep to Hell: The ſecond, fra he fall away from Chriſt, he is taken and flung ouer the Dike, as hauing no ſociety with the members of Chriſt. (I vnderſtand the number of his ſecret ones, if the Lord in the Heauen excommunicate him.) The third degree: Once caſten ouer the Dike, then they begin to wither, and drie vp, and all grace goeth away. There is no grace, no mercy, no life, but to them who are in that bleſſed ſociety. Laſt, wherefore ſerue they, when they are rotten and drie? In that great day they are gathered together, and caſten into the fire of Hell. If any man would eſchew the laſt degree to Hell, (thinke not Hell a Bogill, for it is the ſoreſt burning in the world,) beware of the firſt degree: beware thou neuer ſwerue from Ieſus Chriſt, in any ſtep, but ſtriue to bind thy ſelfe in that vnion: When thou riſeſt in the morning, looke that hee be with thee, and thou with him: and ſo when thou lieſt downe at euen, looke euer thou bee in Chriſt: and if thou finde the heart ſweruing from him, and coldneſſe to grow in it, and thee to growe ſlacke, ſtriue euer to claime till him againe: and ſay, Lord, holde mine heart ſtill, that I decline not an ihtch from thee. Therefore, ſtriue euer to holde thee with Chriſt, and let not thy heart be blyth, except thou feele him againe in thy ſoule: and euer grow in holineſſe: be exerciſing thee this way, and thou ſhalt find in ſtead of feare, an infinit joy in Chriſt: And I promiſe to you, if ye will belieue in Chriſt, the joyfulleſt end that euer was: Only belieue: and ſeeing it ſtandeth in no mans handes to belieue, ſay to the Lord in your hearts, Lord, worke thou that fayth in vsus, for Chriſtes ſake: To whom with the Father, and the Spirit of Trueth, be all praiſe, honour, and glory, for euermore.
AMEN.