The Returning Backslider, Sermons · Sermon 13
THE THIRTEENTH SERMON.
HOS. 14.9.
—J am like a greene firre-tree, from me is thy fruit found.
THIS holy Prophet, as wee heard heretofore, did prophecie more then ſixtie yeares among the tenne Tribes, even untill the time immediately preceding their captivity and miſery, in like manner as Ieremy and Ezekiel did to the other Jewes. Now becauſe in the worſt times God alwayes had a remnant, and yet hath: therefore it is the Prophets care in duplicate page duplicate page this Chapter which we have gone over, to inſtruct them in divers particulars of Reformation, as we have heard at large: To returne to the Lord, to take words to themſelves: which words (as we have heard) are alſo taught them: backt with many ſweet promiſes and incouragements, in Gods anſwer to their petitions. The laſt whereof inſiſted and ſtood upon was this, that God promiſeth to be like a greene firre-tree unto Ephraim (who perſonated all the ten Tribes) Ephraim thought before to ſhadow and fence himſelfe by Idols, and league with other Idolatrous Nations, which were like Ionas rotten gourd unto them, poore ſhadows and defences, (but ſaith God) I will bee a firre-tree for ſhadow to Ephraim, to defend him from all dangers whatſoever, and then in the next place he ads From me is thy fruit found.
A firre-tree, is a greene tree, but it hath no fruit, the excellencies of the creatures are applyed to God but not the defects. Therefore when compariſons are taken from the creatures and given to God, we muſt alway except the defects, ſupplying the ſame by ſome other cleering compariſon. So God is not onelyonly a firre-tree for ſhelter and defence, but he is a fruit-full tree, ſo a firre tree is not, and therefore without compariſon▪ God hath more in him then any creature hath. For all that excellency which is in all the creatures is in him, and that in a farre more eminent manner: therefore hee is both a ſhelter and fruit. If a paſſenger in diſtreſſe have not onelyonly a firre tree to ſhelter him and ſhadow him, but a fruit tree alſo to feed him, he thinkes he is made, when God thus comforts him. So a Chriſtian he hath not onelyonly ſhelter from the wrath of God; but hee hath alſo a place of reſt and quiet, the mercy of God to keepe him, and the Word and Sacraments to feed him. God is a fruit tree, as well as a firre tree.
From mee is thy fruit found.
That is, whatſoever is gratiouſly or comfortably good to us, in us, or iſſues from us, is all from God; hence firſt of all we obſerve for our inſtruction,
Obſerv. From a mans ſelfe comes nothing that is gratiouſly good.
Whatſoever is ſavingly good is altogether from God,Joh. 15.5. without mee (ſaith Chriſt) you can doe nothing: S. Paul was wondrous charie of this point, 1 Cor. 15.10. he ſaith, he laboured more abundantly then they all: yet not I, (he recalls himſelfe) but the grace of God in him that did all: and of my ſelfe, as of my ſelfe, I cannot ſo much as thinke a good thought. Jt is from God that we have meanes to make us fruitfull, and from the gratious working of his Spirit comes it that they are effectuall; that we think a good thought, or open our mouthes to ſpeake a good word, it is from Gods Spirit inabling us thereto. Open thou my mouth (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) and my lips ſhall ſhew forth thy praiſe. We are toung-tyed, and our lips ſealed unleſſe God open them, we cannot ſpeake one ſavoury ſeaſonable word to further our accompt; we may ſpeake empty words, but never a word comes from the heart that is gratious and good, but it muſt be by the Spirit of God. It is he who workes all our workes in us and for us.Iſa. 26 12. Phil. 1.6. He begins the good worke in us, and perfects it to the day of the Lord, the truth of this is wondrous cleere.
If this be ſo, then undoubtedly the differences in the graces of men it is from another; meerely from God, and Gods Spirit. There is indeed difference in men, but this is originally fetched from the grace of Gods Spirit. The good uſe of freedome that we talke ſo much of, it is from God, as well as the indowments of it. Wee have free will, but the uſe of it is not in our power,Phil. 2.13. to uſe this or that at our pleaſure: for, It is God which gives the will and the deed, of his good pleaſure. Not onelyonly the deed, but the will too, we ſhould make the will an Jdoll elſe. For ſo many wills ſo many Idols, if we thinke one man in himſelfe can difference himſelfe by his will.
Againe in that God ſaith, from me is thy fruit found: we may learne hence,
Obſerv. That fruit that is gratious comes from us and from God too.
Quest. It is our fruit and Gods: ſo that there is a ſubordination of gratious workes under God: the fruit we have is from God, yet it is our fruit too. How can this be? Sol. Yes eaſily, we ſpeake the words, but it is God that opens our lips. We beleeve, but it is God that gives us grace to beleeve. We doe the action, but God gives us grace to do it.Acts. 16.14. God opened the heart of Lydia to beleeve, ſo that God and we meete together in the ſame action. We have parts, underſtanding, will, affections, bodies and ſoules, therefore the actions are ſaid to be ours, becauſe God workes in us as underſtanding creatures, but God ſets the wheele a going, ſo that the actions are originally his, and ours ſubordinately under him. From mee is thy fruit found.
If ſo be that God and man joyne in one action, From mee is thy fruit found, Why good works cannot merit.as though he ſhould ſay, whatſoever thou haſt or ſayeſt that is good, it is from me; here we ſee how and why good workes cannot merit, though they come from God, as all goodneſſe doth; yet in regard they come from us too, we add ſome tainture thereunto from our corrupt nature. What God and Chriſt himſelfe doth is abſolute and perfect, as Juſtification: but what fruit he workes in us, there is ſomewhat of the old Adam in us, which taints the beauty of the worke: it is Gods fruit comming from him, and yet our fruit alſo comming from us: which being ſo much tainted ſhould humble us, in that we adde nothing to the truth of Gods worke in us, but abaſement and defilement by our corruptions: From mee (ſaith God) is thy fruit found, ſo much as is ſupernaturally good: but becauſe our nature is not altered on the ſuddaine but ſtill taſts of the old leaven, therefore there can be no meriting of Salvation by any workes we doe,1 Cor. 5.7. becauſe they are not perfectly good.
Vſe. 1 The cleering of theſe points in our judgement,For Humiliation. they ſerve to worke in us a deepe Humiliation, ſeeing that we have nothing in our ſelves but ſtaines and defilements, all that is good in us comming from God. From me is thy fruite found. What is from our ſelves then, if all good in us comes from God? vve are a barren and a curſed ſoyle, nothing that is good can come from us, even as the Earth vvas curſed after Adams fall, and brought forth nothing but briers and thornes, ſo our ſoule naturally is a curſed ſoyle in it ſelfe, and brings forth nothing but weeds and thornes. Our hearts are like the barren wilderneſſe, full of evill noyſome luſts and affections. Therefore this ſerves to abaſe us, that we be not lifted up vvith any good in us, for as that is altogether from Gods Spirit, ſo likewiſe we of our ſelves add nothing to it but ſomewhat which may deminiſh the value thereof.
Vſe. 2 Heere againe for matter of judgement, you have a difference betweene the ſtate of nature,For Information of judgement. and the ſtate of grace, I meane of innocent nature, for in Adam wee had a ſtanding in our ſelves, being truſted with our owne good, but now under the ſecond Covenant, under the ſecond Adam, Chriſt Jeſus, we have many graces to fit us for Heaven, and many good works we doe, but all the fruit wee have and yeeld is from God. So that now this is a grand difference, Adam as it were had the keeping of his owne happineſſe locked up in himſelfe, but we have our happineſſe, graces, and whatſoever is good for us ſhut up in Chriſt, as the Spring and Fountaine, which is the reaſon of the perpetuall ſtability and permanent condition of Gods children, once his and ever his. And put the caſe we want this or that helpe, yet this prejudiceth not the perpetuity of the condition of Gods children, becauſe thoſe graces which come immediately from Gods Spirit, may be conveyed ſometimes without meanes, as well as with them. Therefore whatſoever decay is in the branches that are grafted into this noble Vine Chriſt Jeſus, in whom we bare all the fruit we beare; yet notwithſtanding there is life everlaſting for us in the roote, which is by little and little diſtilled into us. The leaves may fall, outward things may decay, but there is life alway in the roote of a Chriſtian, becauſe he is in Chriſt, and hath his fruit from him: he cannot want fruit, no more then Chriſt can want influence and vigor.Iohn. 15.5. Which ſhewes us the excellent ſtate of a Chriſtian under the new Covenant of grace, that now we fetch all out of our ſelves, and it is happy for us that we doe ſo. For without Chriſt wee can doe nothing, as without the ſoule the body can doe nothing, ſo without the Spirit of Chriſt, we can doe nothing, from him is all. This is the reaſon why we muſt not truſt to any grace in our ſelves that comes from us, becauſe grace comes from God in Chriſt, truſt God the Spring whence it comes, whoſe the fruit is, God the Father in Chriſt, from whom all fulneſſe comes, and is derived unto us: or elſe wee make but an Idoll of grace, if we truſt too much to grace, looke to the Spring whence all comes to us: From me is thy fruit found.
Queſt. Againe, for further inſtruction; What is the Reaſon that ſome have more grace then others, and more comfort, ſome having grace and comfort in one degree, and ſome in an other.
Sol. Hence it is, from me is thy fruit found: it comes from the freedome of God in Chriſt, who according to his good pleaſure gives the will and the deed, whence we have grace ſometimes in the vigour, ſometimes in a weaker and leſſer degree, the fault being in our ſelves too. Yet notwithſtanding there is a liberty in the Spirit of Chriſt, to give a more or leſſe meaſure of grace, to ſhew that our good we doe ſprings not from our ſelves. Which alſo is the reaſon of the difference betwixt Chriſtians, becauſe God will ſhew that he is the diſpoſer and the diſpencer of his owne graces, and comforts. And that is the reaſon alſo why we muſt performe this duty of waiting upon God in the uſe of meanes, though we finde no ſenſe of grace, and comfort from him for the preſent, From him our fruit is found. Waite his leiſure, he ſuſpends grace and comfort untill a fit time, in regard of the degree: but yet there is alway ſome grace left, though hee ſuſpends the increaſe thereof untill a fit time, becauſe hee would have us know that it is of his giving. Chriſtians who are acquainted herewith, they w…ll not tie God to their time, but humbly goe on in the uſe of meanes, who though they finde not their ſpirits and their comforts enlarged ſo as at other times, nor ſo great, nor as other folkes are, yet can ſay, Lord thou giveſt the Will and the Deed according to thy good pleaſure, all comes from thee, therefore I will uſe the meanes and depend upon thee, becauſe J have all from thee freely. God gives a ſpirit of Prayer, and then the thing we pray for, all is from him, From me is thy fruit found. Doe we finde the Ordinances fruitfull, the preaching of the Word to open our underſtandings, to kindle our affections, to inlighten our judgements, it is the Spirit of God that joynes with the meanes, that are dead of themſelves, to make them fruitfull: what are the Ordinances without God, but empty conduit pipes of themſelves? therefore, From me is thy fruite found.
Vſe. 3 This ſhould teach and direct us alſo in all things to looke up to God in all uſe of meanes, Lord I may reade, heare, and uſe helps and meanes long enough to little or no purpoſe, unleſſe thou give a bleſſing,1 Cor. 3.6. Paul may plant and Apollo may water, but if thou give not fruite from Heaven, all is to no purpoſe. Wee forget this, and therefore proſper accordingly. We thinke we can worke fruit out of the meanes by our owne wit, Oh! It is not ſo, whatſoever is comfortable or gratious in the uſe of meanes, it is meerely by Gods bleſſing. And therefore ſeeing all our fruit whatſoever that is good comes from God, let it ſtirre us up to practiſe the ſpirituall worſhip of God, to adore God, to beg of his fulneſſe in Chriſt Jeſus: and likewiſe to reſigne our ſelves in all conditions unto him, Lord I put my ſelfe upon thee, all my fruit is from thee, thou canſt ſanctifie any condition unto me. This adoration and reſignation, are parts of the ſpirituall worſhip of God. And likewiſe the ſervice of the Lord in feare and reverence, that inward ſervice of the Spirit, all depends upon this, that all our fruit is from God▪ therefore I muſt ſerve him, and ſerve him as he muſt be ſerved in Spirit and Truth. What makes a man reverence another?Ioh. 4.24. I depend upon him, without him J ſinke, will this make a man ſerve man? and will it not make us ſerve God, and ſerve him with feare? what breeds an awfull feare? this that if he withdraw his influence, I fall into ſinne, deſpaire, and diſcomfort: ſo that the ground of all feare of God, and ſervice ſpringing from this feare, it is from hence, that from him all my fruit, all my grace, and comfort is found, therefore I muſt have grace to ſerve him, as a God in feare. For if the ſoule be not poſſeſt and ſeaſoned with this heavenly doctrine, that all comes from him, then ſurely where is Gods ſervice? what becomes of it? where is that adoration, and magnifying of God in our hearts? where's that putting off our ſelves upon him in all condions?
Vſe. 4 Againe this inforceth another part of Gods ſpirituall and heavenly worſhip, cleaving to God in our affections, eſpecially theſe two, in our Faith and Love, that as all comes from and by Chriſt Jeſus, ſo thereby we may draw from him the fruit of grace and comfort. So that this ſpiritual cleaving and uniting of our ſoules to Chriſt, it comes from this that I have all from him, therefore I muſt cleave to him, ſeeing whatſoever is ſpirituall, holy, and comfortable I muſt have from him. Therefore if we would worſhip God in Spirit and Truth, as we ſhould doe, and ſet him up in his due place in the ſoule, let us labour to have our judgements ſanctified in this, that all comes from God. If we were ſurely grounded in the Goodneſſe, Mercy, and Riches of Gods grace, and knew that all our fruit comes and is from him, this would make us to conclude, that therefore it is reaſon that we ſhould worſhip him and depend upon him ſtrictly. As the Prophet ſpeakes of Idols,Ier. 10.5. that they can neither doe us good nor harme, inforcing that they ſhould not feare them, ſo wee may ſay of all other things diſtinct from God, they can neither doe good nor harme, except God inable them. Will you be ſlaves to men, they cannot doe good nor harme, but as God uſes them whoſe creatures they are. Therefore the worſhip of God is alſo founded hence; that God does all good or harme; if men doe it, they doe it from him, he gives them leave, as it is ſaid of Shimei, 2 Sam. 16.10.God bid him raile on David. If they doe us good, they are his conduits, whereby he deriveth good to us: therefore all is from him? we ſee then how all the true and hearty worſhip of God comes from this; From mee is thy fruit found.
Vſe. 5 This ſhould make us likewiſe as to worſhip God in ſpirit and in truth; ſo to be reſolute in good cauſes whatſoever come of it, looke for a ground and then be reſolute: becauſe all comes from God, who will ſand by us in his owne cauſe and quarrell.
But if I forſake this and that ſuppo…t, I ſhall lay open my ſelfe to injuryes and wrongs.
Marke what the Spirit of God ſaith: Ye that love the Lord hate that which is evill. Pſal. …9.10.But if I hate that which is evill, Idols, &c. As Ephraim here doth, I ſhall be deſpiſed and trampled upon. No, (ſaith he) God preſerves the ſoules of his, hee will be a ſhield and a buckler: Pſal. 84.a Sunne and a ſhield, and no good thing ſhall be wanting to them that leade a godly life. God will be a Sunne for all good, and a ſhield to keepe off all ill, therefore let us be reſolute in good cauſes; Whence comes all ſhifting, halting, imperfect walking, and inconſtancie in the wayes of God, but from this, that men know not where to have men? they are not grounded on this, that whatſoever is fruitfull and good comes from God, who will give whatſoever is fruitfull and good in depending upon him. This made the three children in Daniell couragious, they knew they ſhould have fruit from God; that is, grace, comfort and peace, the beſt fruit of all. And therefore know O King, Dan. 3.18.that we will not worſhip thine Idoll, nor fall downe before it. So holy Heſter being well grounded could ſay,Heſt. 4.16. If I periſh I periſh: I know the cauſe is good and if all helpe in the creature be remooved and taken away, yet I ſhall have fruit in God.
Let us therefore carry this about us as a principle of holy life, to know that our good is hid up in God, and not in the creature; ſo that if all helpe were taken away, yet we have it immediately, purer and better in the fountaine. What if there were not a creature in the world to helpe me? what if all were againſt me? yet God may make all their powers and indeavours fruitfull. There is ſuch fruit from God, that he can make the worſt things which befalleth us fruitfull, when he pleaſeth; there is a bleſſing in curſes and croſſes, a good fruit in them: who can doe him harme that God turneth the bittereſt things he ſuffers to his good. Let none be daunted in a good cauſe, but goe on reſolutly, ſeeing God hath all in himſelfe. Was not Moſes forty dayes without any earthly comfort on the mount?Exod. 34.28. Mat. 4.2. and Chriſt alſo without naturall ſuſtentation ſo long? did not God give light without a Sunne in the firſt creation? we are tyed to meanes but he is not. We thinke if ſuch friends and helps be taken away, that then all is gone, but what were they? were not they meanes which God used at his good pleaſure, and cannot hee give comfort without them? yes certainely, the greateſt comfort and grace is oft-times given immediately from God, when he ſalutes the ſoule by his owne Spirit, as he did Paul and Sylas in the dungeon, who in the midſt of diſcomfort,Act. 16.25. had their ſpirit inlarged to ſing hymnes at mid-night: God reſerving that comfort for that time. Therefore ſeeing all comfort is from God, and hee is not tyed to this or that meanes, nay can bleſſe all contrary meanes, is not this a ground of Reſolution?
Vſe. 6 Therefore now make a Uſe of Comfort of it,Of comfort. ſeeing all fruit is from God, who is in Covenant with his Children in Jeſus Chriſt, and who will improove all his attributes for their good, his Wiſdome, Goodneſſe, Power and Mercy, let them therefore take comfort to themſelves, that howſoever the world may take their friends from them, Riches, Liberty, and what you will: can they take God and fruit from them? No, From me is thy fruit found. If they could take away the Spirit of God, grace and comfort from us it were ſomething, but can they doe that? no, the worſt they can doe, is to ſend us to Heaven to the Fountaine of all grace and comfort: ſo that in this world they cannot caſt us into any condition wherein wee cannot have communion with God, in whom all the ſcattered excellencies of the creature are gathered together meeting as it were in a center. It is hee that comforts us in our friends, that ſhewes bowels to us in our mothers, wiſdome and care towards us in our parents. The bowels of a mother, the care of a friend, the ſtrength of wiſe aſſiſtance, hath hee not all in himſelfe, if all be taken away? he hath all. Therefore let Chriſtians comfort themſelves that they can never be in a condition wherein fruit ſhall be taken from them. The poore worldling labours all his life for fruite, riches and friends, and when he dyes then his fruit faileth him and fals, his leafe withereth. What becommeth of his fruit then? he laboured for that which yeelds him nothing but vexation and death. But a Chriſtian doth otherwiſe, he labours for grace and comfort, to keepe his communion and peace with God, and when all is taken away, either by the injury and wrongs of men, or by the extreamity of the times, or as all will in the houre of death: his fruit is moſt after, in death and after death, more then can be by our narrow hearts conceived in the excellency thereof. O the excellent eſtate of a Chriſtian! imagine ſuch a one to have a tree that growes in Heaven, and ſends forth fruit and branches to him in whatſoever ſtate he is in. And ſo indeed God reacheth fruit from Heaven to the ſoule being in priſon and miſery. He reacheth from thence the fruit of grace, of ſpirituall ſtrength and comfort, a bleſſed eſtate. Therefore let Chriſtians comfort themſelves in their condition, that all their fruit is from him: and that God eſpecially will then ſhew himſelfe aboundant, when they ſtand moſt in need of him. Other trees beare no fruit in winter and in ſtormes, but God giveth fruit moſt in the worſt times. He is a God that comforteth the abject. As it is 2. Cor. 7. and here it is ſaid, that in him the fatherleſſe findeth Mercy: we have moſt fruit from him in the worſt times, then eſpecially he delighteth to ſhew himſelfe a God, when no comfort can be had from the creature.
Againſt future feares.Therefore doe not deſpaire, but lay up this againſt evill times, never feare for the time to come. Let the mountaines be caſt into the midſt of the Sea, and let the Earth and all rage, as the Pſalmiſt ſayes, and let things runne upon a head,Pſal. 46.2. come what can come, God is where he was, and Gods children are where they were, in regard of the maine comfort. They cannot be in ſuch a condition, as that they can be deprived of their God, and of his aſſiſtance, From me is thy fruit found. Therefore care not for any condition that thou art in, this or that, thou ſhalt have that condition which ſhall be comfortable to thee: though many like beaſts goe on, and looke for no fruit from God.
Vſe. 7 And let this alſo be an Incouragement to walke with God ſincerely and uprightly in all times, not fearing any creature, or danger from the creature, becauſe our fruit is from God. What if we looſe this or that, we know what was ſaid to Amaziah by the Prophet:2 Chro. 25.9. but what ſhall become of the hundred talents, ſaith he, God is able to give thee much more, ſo in the loſſe of friends, having this and that tooke from us, let us comfort our ſelves, I but God is not taken from us. He who derives comfort by this or that friend, can ſupply it better by his owne Spirit. And whatſoever we part with in a good cauſe, let us remember what Chriſt ſaith: Hee that parts with father or mother, Mat. 19.29.with houſe or land for my ſake, ſhall have a hundred fold in this world, and afterwards life everlaſting. He ſhall have all made up in grace, which is a hundred times better then any thing that is here, he ſhall have contentment which is better then the things themſelves: ſometimes he ſhall miſſing one worldly comfort, have more friends ſtirred up, but howſoever in want of one, he ſhall be ſupplied in an other comfort that he never dreamt of in this world. So that God is abundant to them that ſticke cloſe to him in ſincerity, hee ſhall finde him abundant in the things of this life, in one comfort or other.
Therefore by theſe mercies of God here mentioned,Exhortation. let us be intreated to be in love with the condition of a Chriſtian life; and ſay as Ephraim here, what have I any more to doe with my former corrupt courſes, or Idols? give a peremptory anſwer to all ſinnefull courſes and ſuggeſtions, either from others, or from our owne corrupt nature. What have I any more to doe with you? No, God ſhall be my God, for if I can reſigne my ſelfe wholly to God, and renounce the creature and all things elſe, God will be as a greene firre tree, and heare me; I ſhall looſe nothing by it. Be then in love with a Chriſtian courſe, for it is the ſweeteſt and the ſafeſt courſe, and never wants comfort from Heaven, and it is the moſt honourable courſe that can be, for it will hold our communion and peace with the great God of Heaven and Earth: for though we breake with others, we ſhall be ſure of him. In which caſe take heed of that baſe ſuggeſtion which the Divell himſelfe was aſhamed to owne,Job. 1.9. That wee ſerve God for naught. What ſhall we renounce Idolatry and wicked courſes, and thinke that God will not have fruit for us? ſhall I thinke if I leave my ſinnefull gaine, that I or my poſterity ſhall beg or ſtarve for it? doe we ſerve a God that hath no fruit? that is as a dead tree, or a barren wilderneſſe: No, we ſerve a God that had all in himſelfe before he made the world; and hath all the excellency in himſelfe contained in the creatures, it is not in vaine to ſerve him: Doth Iob ſerve God for nothing? ſaid the Divell. Therefore it is a ſuggeſtion worſe then ſatanicall, to thinke we ſerve God for nothing: or to thinke like thoſe Hypocrites mentioned by the Prophet;Iſa. 58.3. that God regards not our faſting, or our devotion. No, we ſhall not looſe a good word for God, not a teare but he hath a bottle for it, not a ſigh or a groane, or a farthing,Pſal. 56.8. not a minutes time well ſpent ſhall be loſt, he will pay us for every ill word we indure for his ſake, for every diſgrace, loſſe or croſſe, doe we ſerve that God there is no fruit in? From mee is thy fruit found?
Whatſoever our condition be in the world, let us comfort our ſelves with theſe things, and thinke that it is not in vaine to ſerve the Lord: for we cannot ſerve a richer nor a more kinde maſter and Lord: Firſt of all he gives us opportunity and meanes whereby fruit may be wrought in us, and then he works the fruit of grace and comfort in us, and afterwards rewards and crownes his owne fruite; but we add imperfections and inventions of our owne and ſo marre or ſtaine all, but we deale with a gratious God in covenant, who pitties us as a Father doth his children, accepts and rewards what is his, and pardons what is our owne. Therefore let this much be effectuall for the guiding of our lives, and comforting of us in a good courſe. If we take ill courſes we muſt looke for no fruit from God, but fruits of his diſpleaſure; if we eate of the forbidden tree, we ſhall eate and reape the fruits of our own waies, bitter fruits, for in this caſe Jeſus Chriſt who is a ſweet Saviour, will be a Judge to us; and he who is the Lambe of God will be angry, ſo as we ſhall reape the fruit of his indignation: In the Revelation, Reve. 6.16.divers are brought in deſiring the hils and mountaines to fall upon them, to cover them from the preſence of the Lamb. Let us not therefore turne a ſweet Saviour to a rigorous Judge, by adventuring upon courſes wherein we cannot looke for fruit: but let us commend our ſoules in well-doing unto him, as unto a faithfull Creator and Redeemer. 1 Pet. 4.19.And as it is Proverbs. 3. Let us acknowledge him in all our wayes, for it is good to acknowledge and looke to him: that is, looke to him for ſtrength, quickning, ſucceſſe, grace and light to direct us: acknowledge him in all our wayes, and treaſure up this comfort, that all fruit is found from God. If wee take good courſes, wee ſhall ever be fruitfull, and have fruit from him, out of his fulneſſe for (ſaith hee:) From mee is thy fruite found.
The end of the thirteenth Sermon.