Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Containing the fourth vſe.
BVt now it is time that we turn our ſelues vntounto the fruitfull branches,The ſruitfull muſt be comforted therein. to diuide vntounto them that comfort, which GOD hath allotted vntounto them, & which this text affordeth, and they ſtand in need of. For all thoſe therfore that do bring forth fruit in Chriſt, in ſuch ſort as hath bin ſhewd, we hauehave much good to ſpeake, and ioyfull tidings to deliuer. Wee are to aſſure and ſecure them, againſt all the feares of their owne hearts, againſt all the cauils of Satan, and falſe cenſures of the wicked world, that they be not hypocrites, but true-hearted, and ſincere Chriſtians. Whoſoeuer amongſt you findeth, that in his ſoule, the conſideration of Gods infinit goodnes through his onelyonly Son, hath had ſuch a powerfull working, that it hath euen knit his heart ſaſt vntounto the author of ſo great kindneſſe; and made him euen ſay and ſweare within himſelf, that he would ſurely keep his righteous iudgements; & made him conſtant in taking all pains to mortifie his corruptions, & to doe his duty in eueryevery thing, according to the diuine direction: ſo that there is no one thing ſo comfortable to him, as when he can carry himſelfe in ſome good maner, as beſeems the Goſpel of Chriſt; & nothing doth more humble & abaſe him, than when he fails of this holy walking; & if it were demaunded of his very ſoule, what in all the world he moſt hartily deſires and would faineſt attaine in all his life? his hart would make this anſwer for him, that it is to pleaſe God, to get acquaintance with his duty, and to accompliſh it accordingly: this he wiſheth, this hee longeth for, this he coueteth more, than all wealth or greatneſſe, or other gailded toy, that the world hath to giuegive him. I ſay now in Gods name to eueryevery ſuch perſon (and require him in Gods name to giuegive credit vntounto my words, becauſe they are infallibly grounded on Gods Word) that he ought to be of good comfort, that he is a true Chriſtian, and no diſſembler, & that for ſuch an one he ought to take himfelfe, notwithſtanding all the blemiſhes, errors, ignorances, imperfections; and it may be alſo ſometimes groſſe out-ſtrayings of his life. Brethren, the true-hearted had neede to bee made to vnderſtand their trueth, as well as the falſe-hearted their falſehood. For as the latter out of his ſelfe-liking diſpoſition is ready to flatter himſelfe with ſweet words; ſo the former, out of his acquaintance with his own guileſulnes, and the ſight of his owne badneſſe and vnworthineſſe, is ready to threaten himſelfe ouerſharpely, and to charge himſelfe eagerly (though wrongfully) that he is but an hypocrite. But now ye ſeruants of God, conſider that it is a fault to moleſt your ſelues with cauſeleſſe accuſations of your ſelues, or to be ignorant of the vnſpeakeable fauour that God hath ſhewed you, or to deny the bleſſed work of his good Spirit in you. Yea you are bound in conſcience to acknowledge your own true-heartednes, and with hearty thanks vntounto God, & much chearefulnes in your ſelues, to approue your ſelues to him, and to your owne conſciences. I confeſſe, that it is far more dangerous to hope then to feare without a cauſe: but yet the inconueniences of theſe falſe ſeares, are alſo very many & very great. When a man that is vpright. doth not account himſelfe ſo to be, he is vnable to thinke comfortably of dying, and leauing this World; he is backward to prayer; he can hardly giuegive thanks for any thing; he cannot long for the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; he cannot ſo much delight himſelfe in the contemplation of heauen; he cannot be ſo patient in affliction: he cannot be ſo abundant in godly ſpeeches, to the edification of others, as elſe hee might be. Theſe feares therefore (though by God they be made profitable for the beating downe of pride, and for the ferretting out of the reliques of guile that remaine in vsus) are yet (vnleſſe they be ſeaſonably oppoſed & remoued) very noyſome and hurtful, & (like an Eaſt wind, cold and dry) do bite & nip the branches, and cauſe the grapes to grow, but few, and little, vponupon them. Wherfore you muſt be giuen to vnderſtand, that fruitfulneſſe may well ſtand with the hauing many weakeneſſes, ſins and corruptions; though not with the allowing, excuſing, maintaining, extenuating, denying, and wilfull winking at any. Thou haſt manifold corruptions in thee, much pride, vaine-glory, worldlineſſe, luſt, paſſion, reuengefulneſſe, & twenty other like. But tel me; Doſt thou ſee and feele theſe corruptions? Doſt thou conſtantly obſerue the motions & riſings of them with griefe, diſlike, deteſtation, & iudging of thy ſelfe for them? Doſt thou make oppoſition to them, by preſſing on thine heart the promiſes, threates and precepts of the Word? by conſideration of the death and ſufferings of Chriſt, by groanes in thy ſelfe, and by ſupplications vntounto God; and ſo keepeſt them from vſuall breaking forth in extremitie and groſſeneſſe? or if they do at any time breake forth, doſt thou arraigue thy ſelfe for them in Gods preſence? not ceaſſing to wound and pierce thine owne heart, till thou findeſt it wrought to a renewed loathing of them? not ceaſſing to confeſſe them to the Lord, and cry for his helpe, till thou haſt renewed in thy ſelfe a firme purpoſe of no more returning vntounto them? Doſt thou theſe things, I ſay, in all thy faults, weakneſſes and wandrings? then I affirme, that thou mayeſt be, and art fruitfull, notwithſtanding all theſe faults; and I tell thee, for the comforting of thine heart, that theſe things cannot bereaue thee of the title and priuiledgeof a fruitfull branch, and an vpright perſon. Againe, thou art very defectiue in vertues of all kindes, in faith, in meekeneſſe, in patience, in thankefulneſſe, in heauenly-mindedneſſe, and the reſt: But doſt thou take notice of theſe thy defects? Art thou grieued and aſhamed of them? Doſt thou call vponupon God to make a ſupply? and call on thy ſelfe to labour for an encreaſe of them? Doſt thou ſtirre vp thy ſelfe to grow in theſe graces? & not excuſe, pleaſe, and content thy ſelfe in duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page thy wants; pretending that eueryevery man muſt hauehave his faults, and ſo haſt thou, thus ſleightly paſſing them ouer? then I aſſure thee againe, that for all thy wants thou art yet fruitfull in Chriſt, and ſo vndoubtedly a true Chriſtian. For to fruitfulnes is not required an actuall knowing and doing of all Gods will, but a labouring and ſtriuing to know and do the ſame, and that conſtantly, out of louelove vntounto him, & for his glory. Wherefore if the louelove of the Lord do ſo inflame thy ſoule, that thou reſiſteſt earneſtly to all thy corruptions; and if the intention and purpoſe of pleaſing and honouring him, doe ſo conſtantly ſtand before thine eies, as to make thee take continuall paines, to reforme and amend thy ſelfe; I dare pronounce thee a fruitfull branch, & a ſound-hearted Chriſtian: and I doe now require and enioyne thee, to fall downe before the Lord with heartie praiſes, for this ſo vnſpeakeable goodnes of his, in ingraffing thee into the right Oliue, and making thee a liuing member of his Sonne the Head and Prince, in whom all fulneſſe dwelleth. Yea, I wiſh thee to reioyce, & to delight thy ſelfe in abundance of peace, through the certaine acknowledgement of thine happy eſtate that thou art not alone in, but alſo of the Church, and truely partaker of the fatneſſe and verdure of the right Oliue tree. To know a mans ſelfe fruitfull in ſome degree, will make him fruitfull in an higher. The man that ſuſpecteth himſelfe to be worſe than nothin, goes fearefully & faintly about his buſineſſe: but he that is certaine hee hath ſomething of his owne (though not ſo much as he would) is chearefull and forward in following his calling. It doth likewiſe euen dampe the courage of a good Chriſtian, in following the trade of godlineſſe, when hee is ſtill cauſeleſly accuſing himſelfe to hauehave no truth, no ſinceritie, no vprightneſſe: but to know that hee hath truth indeed (and yet is farre ſhort of perfection), this encourageth him to goe forward in ſtriuing after perfection. The conſolation that pietie affordeth, is a principall furtherer of our good proceedings in it; and therefore thou muſt take comfort in the truth of thy beginnings, that thou mayeſt goe forward with a liuelier pace, and greater diligence. Conſider heere, how that our Sauiour doth not name the bringing forth of as much, and as faire fruit, as others, for the note of a good and pleaſing branch, but ſimply the bringing forth of fruit: and therefore if thou beeſt in any degree fruitfull, though neyther ſo much as thou wouldeſt, or ſhouldeſt, or ſeeſt others to bee; yet there is iuſt cauſe of receiuing comfort. Indeed the littleneſſe of our fruit ſhould humble vsus, but not diſcourage vsus. It ſhould ſtand before our eyes, to keepe vsus from pride, not from peace; to ſtop vsus from conceitedneſſe, not to hinder our comfort in God. Satan that deſireth to make all things harmefull vntounto vsus, labours alſo to turne the reliques of ſinne (which remaine in vsus), to the ouer-much diſquieting and terrifying of our conſciences, and to the ſhaking of our faith, and interrupting the conſolations we might enioy in God: but let vsus not yeeld to the ſubtiltie and malice of Satan in this behalfe. When thou ſeeſt thy ſelfe failing in the meaſure of fruit, obſerue this fayling well, but turne it not the worſt way. Let it make thee charge thy ſelfe with too much negligence, not with vtter hollowneſſe; conclude from it, that thou art but weake and feeble, not that thou art but an hypocrite and dlſſembler. And now let all Gods people, chiefly thoſe that are full of doubts and feares, depart away confirmed and eſtabliſhed in comfort: let their ſpirits be at peace within them, and let them feede of the fat and ſweete portion, which the Lord hath allowed them. The ioy of the Lord will bee their ſtrength; theſe comforts will ripen their fruites, as the Sunne-beames doe the fruites of the earth, and they ſhall with moſt eaſt and aſſurance grow better and better, when they find the comfort and benefit, of being truly good already. So then conclude thou thus for thy ſelfe; eueryevery fruitfull branch is a true Chriſtian, I am fruitfull (though not of ſo large, faire & ripe cluſters as others, yet) of Grapes: my life is truly holy and good (though not approching ſo neare to perfection as it ſhould); and therefore I will not doubt to eſteeme my ſelfe a true Chriſtian, and to giuegive the Lord the glory & praiſe, and take to my ſelfe the comfort and peace of my ſinceritie. And ſo we hauehave ſpoken of the obiect of Gods Husbandrie; the parts of which we will hereafter entreat of at ſome conuenient time, if God afford vsus life and opportunity.
Deo Solí gloria.
FINIS.
GODS HVSBANDRY: THE SECOND PART.
TENDING CHIEFLY TO THE REFORMING OF AN HYPOcrite, and making him true-hearted.
AS IT WAS DELIVERED IN CERtaine Sermons, and is now publiſhed.
By WILLIAM WHATELY, Preacher of the Word of God in Banbury in Oxfordſhire.
1. Cor. 4.5.
The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſſe, and make manifeſt the counſels of the hearts.
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Thomas Man, dwelling in Pater-noſter-row, at the ſigne of the Talbot. 1622.