Gods Husbandry, Sermon 2 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. Shewing the order of the words and points to be handled.
COncerning the ſubiect of Gods Husbandry, wee hauehave already ſpoken, namely, of the branches of the Vine, in which wee hauehave conſidered, a diſtribution of them into their ſeuerall kinds, and a diſtinction of them by their ſpeciall differences of fruitleſſe and fruitfull. Let vsus now proceed to declare the parts of Gods Husbandry, which are diuers, according to the diuerſe nature of the branches. For the vnfruitfull branch, the hypocrite, he carries himſelfe towards it, as beſeemeth a good husband; he cuts it off, that is to ſay, he doth by little and little ſeparate him from Ieſus Chriſt, and from the benefits of Chriſt, with whom hee ſeemed once to bee vnited: Cauſing that he loſeth the good things he ſeemed to hauehave, and ſo by falling off from thoſe appearances of goodneſſe which were in him, hee diſcouereth himſelfe to hauehave but counterfeited, till, proceeding to greater ſinfulneſſe, at laſt eternall death doe ouerwhelme him. But for the fruitfull branch, the vpright-hearted Chriſtian, the Lords dealing with him is farre otherwiſe: hee is alone purged or pruned. The hypocrite is himſelfe taken off from the Vine, the true Chriſtian hath onelyonly ſomething taken off from him, that he may very well ſpare, being pared about to the remoouall of that, that by continuing vponupon him, would hauehave done him much hurt. You all know what the naturall pruning is, viz. the cutting off from the branches, ſuch vnprofitable and ouergrowing twiſts, leaues, or the like, as doe no way benefit the branch, but hurt it rather, in cauſing the fruit thereof to be leſſer and ſcanter then it might be. The thing ſignified heereby, is the ſubduing of the corruptions of Gods ſeruants, viz. their pride, paſſion, ſelfe-louelove, earthly-mindedneſſe, voluptuouſneſſe, and the like diſorders, which if they were not mortified, they would runne all out into a faire ſhew of profeſſion, not at all fructifying in an holy conuerſation: but when theſe corruptions are taken away by diuers needefull meanes, as the Lord himſelfe knowes the fitteſt meanes (for he is but an ill Vine-dreſſer, that wanteth his pruning inſtruments, then is that end obtained, which God intendeth) and then follows that effect wherein themſelues reioyce, viz. they bring foorth more fruit. They become more rich in the worke of the Lord, more plentifull in all godlineſſe and righteouſneſſe, and in all excellent ſeruices to God and man. They doe more good, they liue more profitably and ſeruiceably, and are eueryevery way more abundant in all the fruits of the Spirit, ioy, peace, louelove, righteouſneſſe, temperance, meekeneſſe, goodneſſe, and the reſt, then euer elſe they would hauehave beene. And thus you may ſee, that in theſe words we are led to ſpeake of foure moſt neceſſary points. The deſtruction of hypocrites The corruptions of Gods true Saints, in that they need pruning. The helpe they hauehave againſt theſe corruptios by pruning. And the good they get by this pruning, viz. growth in godlineſſe: of which, whilſt I doe ſpeake with as much plaineneſſe and euidence as I can, let me craue you alſo to attend with all diligence and reuerence.
CHAP. II. Shewing the certaine deſtruction of hypocrites, and the degrees and meanes thereof.
Doct. 1 All hypocrites muſt be deſtroyed.COme hither therefore, I pray you, in the firſt place, and behold the end of the hypocrite; He is to be cut off. All falſe-hearted, guilefull, and hollow profeſſors of Chriſtian Religion, that are not in truth, which they ſeeme in appearance, ſhall by degrees be ſurely brought to nought and deſtroyed. The Lord will no more ſuffer ſuch perſons to remaine in his Church vndiſcouered and vnconfounded, then a good huſbandman will ſuffer dry and rotten branches to remaine vponupon the trees of his Orchard vncut off. So you hauehave it in the other Parables alſo,Matth. 3.10. The tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit, is hewne downe and cast into the fire, ſaith Iohn the Baptiſt, to the men that came to his Baptiſme. The houſe that was built vponupon the ſand, when the winde, raine, and tempeſt did beate vponupon it, was quickly tumbled vnderunder foot,Matth. 7.17. and the fall thereof was great, ſaith our Sauiour, in the concluſion of his Sermon on the mount. The ſtony ground alſo withered away in the heate, and the thorny was ouerrunne with thornes. The earth that drinketh in the raine which commeth vponupon it, and bringeth forth no better fruit then thornes and bryers, is neere vntounto curſing, whoſe end ſhall be burning, ſaith the Author to the Hebrewes: And from him that hath not, (meaning in truth) that ſhall bee taken away which he ſeemed to hauehave, as our Sauiour tells vsus. Saint Iohn doth giuegive vsus examples of this ruine of diſſemblers, ſaying of many in his time, They went out from vsus, becauſe they were not of vsus. Thus hath the Lord beene abundant in diſcouering his intended vengeance againſt the counterfeit Chriſtian.
That you may the better conceiue of Gods Wiſedome and Iuſtice herein; we will ſhew you in what degrees, and by what inſtruments, the Lord doth cut off theſe dry branches. The degrees are likely theſe, and thus they follow one vponupon another. Firſt, whereas they had ſome workes of common grace beſtowed vponupon them, as the inlightening of their mindes, in ſome meaſure, to conceiue diuine truths, the framing of their wils to a liking of exerciſes of piety, a gladneſſe to heare and ſpeake of the Word, a gladneſſe of the company of good men, and the like; theſe workes are (by Gods iuſt Iudgement, becauſe they refuſe to make a good vſe of them, in turning all to the thorow changing of their hearts, and reforming of their liues) euen quite withdrawne from them; and ſo there followes a ſenſible withering: they care not for the Word, they care not for the company of the Saints, that once contented them, and Religion ſeemeth nothing ſo goodly a thing vntounto them, as ſomtimes it did. Secondly, whereas they had once the ſpirit of reſtraint beſtowed vponupon them, to hold downe their corruptions, and to keepe the badneſſe of their hearts from ſhewing it ſelfe in extremity: the Lord doth now pleaſe to remooue theſe bars, ſo to auenge himſelfe vponupon their ingratitude and ſtubbornneſſe, that did winke with their eyes, and reſiſt the offers of louelove made to them, and refuſe to open the doore when hee ſtood there and knocked, and to giuegive them ouer into the hands of their owne euill natures, that they may breake foorth openly, and diſcouer themſelues how rotten they were at heart, by running into ſome ſuch vile practice as carries them quite away, ſo that they neuer returne againe by repentance, nor neuer ſhew themſelues to be ſoundly humbled for the ſame. Then doth he ſend the temptations of Satan, together with the affrightments or allurements of the world, whereby they are ſo cleane pule away from the ſhew of godlineſſe, that at laſt, they grow profeſſedly cold and careleſſe in open ſhew, bearing before them an allowance of themſelues, in ſuch their luke-warmeneſſe; yea, perhaps alſo they turne very enemies of that goodneſſe which they ſeemed to hauehave; fall out with thoſe perſons that they ſeemed beſt to louelove; brooke leaſt that company that ſeemed moſt to ſatisfie them, and become bitter, harſh, ſharpe, violent, in ſpeaking euill of thoſe perſons and things that were once approoued by them; and laſtly, ſome miſerable and fearefull end (wherein they are either ſwallowed vp of horrible deſpaire, or ſold ouer to the moſt ſtony hardneſſe that may be) doth rent them from the land of the liuing, and ſend them downe to hell. And ſo is fulfilled that of our Sauiour in the ſixth verſe, The branches that abide not in him, are caſt foorth and wither, and gathered, and caſt into the fire and burnt. Now the meanes of cutting them off, are many, euen all things that doe befall them: for all workes together to the ruine of them that ſell themſelues ouer into the hands of ſinne, as well as for the good of them that worke righteouſneſſe: but chiefly the Word of God it ſelfe (a two-edged ſword) becauſe they will not yeeld vntounto it, that it might cut off their corruptions from their ſoules, becomes a ſauour of death, a weapon of vengeance, to cut off their ſoules from God: for by their often reſiſting it, and much ſetting of their wits and conſciences vponupon the tenters, to ſhift and dally with it, they become blinder and blinder, and harder and harder, till at length they bee ſold ouer vntounto vtter blindneſſe, and giuen cleane into the power of ſinne and Satan, from which they ſeemed once to be redeemed. And thus was Iudas cut off, as the Scriptures ſhew vsus. Hee was firſt a thiefe, allowing himſelfe in his couetouſneſſe and purloyning, and not heeding the checkes of his owne heart, which, eueryevery man muſt needs know, would be apt to be moouing within him, being a perſon of ſo great knowledge as he was, and after he prooued a very deuill, when he dipt his hands into the warme and innocent blood of his heauenly Maſter, and well-knowne Sauiour. The Lord, to puniſh his guile, in not oppoſing his couetouſneſſe and falſhood, put him cleane vp into the hands of the deuill, and his owne both rage and lucre, till Satan had poſſeſſed him, with a full purpoſe of turning on the Phariſes ſide, (where he ſaw more likelihood of riſing) and of making himſelfe a faire way into their fauours, by ſelling his Maſter vntounto them for a little money. And thoſe reproofes and warnings of our Sauiour Chriſt, which ſhould hauehave withdrawne him from this reuolt and treaſon, did nothing elſe through his deſperate wilfulneſſe, but inrage, imbitter, and inuenome him; prouoking him more and more againſt his Maſter, till he was ſeparated from the very ſhew of his former appearing goodneſſe, and changed from being Chriſts Apoſtle, to be his apprehender: and a little after he was vtterly cut off, and gathered and throwne into the fire and burnt, when deſpaire was ſent againſt him in ſuch fierceneſſe, that it droue him to hang himſelfe, that is to ſay, to leape quicke into hell, his owne place, as Peter calleth it. So alſo was Achitophel, the type of Iudas, cut off, and ſo Amaziah, and Ioaſh, and Ananias, and Saphira, and many more: and ſo alſo are all hypocrites ſooner or later cut off, being caryed away, either with hereſies, or ſchiſmes, or perſecutions, or worldlineſſe, or voluptuouſneſſe, and at laſt with deſpaire or hardneſſe, with ſome heauy hand of God likely, and damnation for the vp-ſhot.