Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Wherein the Text is opened.
THe lippes of the wiſe doe feede many, ſaith the wiſe Salomon. How truly was this ſaying verified in our bleſſed Sauior Ieſus Chriſt, who (being the Wiſedome of his Father) delighted (as it was foretold of him) to open his mouth in a Parable, and to vtter dark ſayings of old. And as in the whole courſe of his life, his mouth was a wel-ſpring of waters of life, euermore ſending forth the ſtreames of ſweete refreſhing doctrine; ſo chiefely towards his end (in the fore-ſight of his neere approaching departure) doth hee enlarge himſelfe more than ordinarie, in diuers moſt worthy ſpeeches, to inſtruct and comfort his ſorrowfull Apoſtles. In this Chapter amongſt the reſt, intending to perſwade them to goodneſſe of life, he layes downe certaine grounds as a foundation, whereon to raiſe his purpoſed exhortation. One ground ſtandeth faſt in theſe two Verſes, which containe a ſweete and comfortable Parable, wherein our Sauiour ſets out the care, that himſelfe and his Father take of his Churches welfare. Himſelfe he compareth to the body of the Vine, from whence the ſweete ſap of all heauenly graces, is plentifully deriued to eueryevery branch, according to the capacity and meaſure of euerie one. His Father he compares to an Husbandman, who doth plant, and mound, and dreſſe this Vine: and laſt of all, gather the fruit thereof in his owne eternall and vnſpeakeable glory and praiſe. And (that the matter may be better noted) he proſecutes this part of the compariſon more at large, ſhewing the principall husbandry of GOD the Father about this Vine. This husbandrie is ſet out by the ſubiect and parts of it. The ſubiect of Gods husbandrie is deſcribed by the common nature and different kinds thereof. The common nature is in thoſe words, EueryEvery branch in me; that is, eueryevery profeſſor of Chriſtian religion; eueryevery one that maketh himſelfe or others beleeue, that hee beleeueth in Ieſus Chriſt, and imbraceth the heauenly doctrine of the Goſpell. Faith in Chriſt maketh a branch, I meane the externall profeſſion of faith; and if it be true, then doth it make a true branch; if hollow and fained, then a branch alone in appearance. The kindes of branches are two; ſome that do not bring forth fruit, ſome that doe. Some profeſſours of religion are ſound-hearted, and ſome are hypocriticall. And the care of the Lord extendeth it ſelfe to eueryevery particular profeſſor of either kindes: of thoſe that carrie a ſhew of beeing Chriſtians, ſome do liue a godly life in the ſight of the world, and ſome doe not; and the Father of Heauen carrieth himſelfe, as beſeemeth his Wiſedome, Iuſtice and Goodneſſe vntounto both. And this is the ſubiect of his Husbandry.
The parts of it are two; and thoſe different, according to the different kinds of branches; The vnfruitfull branch he cuts off: that is, the hypocrite he doth bring to eternall deſtruction, fitting and ripening him for hell, by more and more ſeparating him from Chriſt, and all the benefits of Chriſt, till hee hauehave finally brought him to damnation. EueryEvery falſe Chriſtian, whoſe life is not in ſome degree and good meaſure agreeable to his profeſſion, is by God plagued and puniſhed with eternall death; and eueryevery of Gods ordinances, and whatſoeuer elſe befalleth him, is turned (through his owne wickedneſſe, and Gods iuſt hand againſt him) into a meanes of working out, and increaſing his damnation. And this is one part of the Lords Husbandry, his ſeuerity againſt hypocrites. The ſecond part is that, that concernes good branches, repreſenting the goodneſſe of God or the ſound-hearted Chriſtian, ſet out in the matter, and end or effect of it. The matter is purging or pruning. The Gardener with his pruning-knife doth cut off ſuch vnprofitable and luxuriant twigges from the branches, as would hinder the increaſe of grapes: ſo God by diuers meanes which hee hath in a readineſſe, and by name, afflictions, ſanctified to that purpoſe, doth diminiſh, ſubdue and mortifie the corruptions and diſordered affections of his true-hearted ſeruants, which would elſe hinder them from liuing in holy and Chriſtian manner before him. The end of this pruning, and alſo the effect (for theſe two termes are often incident, yea alwayes, if a wiſe and ſufficient worke man hauehave the managing of any buſineſſe) is no hurt to the branches, but euen the greateſt good that may be, for the increaſe of their fruitfulneſſe, the cauſing of all vertues to grow in them, and the enabling of them more and more to conforme their liues according to the doctrine of godlineſſe. And ſuch is the order and meaning of this verſe. Now I proceede to collect ſome neceſſary poynts of doctrine from thence.