The Profit of Godliness, Sermon 11
LUKE 13.6.
He came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Serm. 11. Preached January 22. 1661.
CHAP. VII.
THE words being a Parable, are spoken of God after the manner of men, who alwayes seek fruit where they plant, plough, and sow seed; so God expects to gather fruit from them whom he planteth, and bestoweth on them all means which tend to make them fruitful in every good work; and his finding no fruit, is mens not doing what God requireth and approveth of: where God gives means of repentance and faith, there not repenting, not believing, not obeying, is Gods not finding fruit.
He found none.
None] is taken either comparatively, or absolutely. 1. Comparatively, as who should say; none to speak of, it is so little in the best. 2. Absolutely, none at all, so it is here, because he threatens to cut it down.
God oftentimes finds no fruit on them from whom he expects so much.Obser. Where much is expected, there none is gathered; he finds no repentance, no faith, no holiness, no sobriety, no temperance, no godliness, no knowledge of God, no fear of God. Many men stand in the Lords Vineyard, like May-poles in a street, haveing neither root nor sap, neither bark, nor leaf, nor fruit; or as the figg tree which our Saviour cursed, that withered all over from top to root. They are as prophane, ignorant, ungodly persons, as those men are on whom God bestoweth no converting means: as very Infidels and Atheists as the most barbarous Indians and Cannibals in any part of the world.
CHAP. VIII.
IN handling this Doctrine, I shall first lay down some Propositions by way of Explication, that none may deceive themselves, thinking they bear fruit, when indeed they bring forth no fruit at all: then I shall shew the causes of this unfruitfulness, why God finds none in them.
Propos. 1 The first Proposition is, that God accounteth nothing to be fruit, but what is true, right and good; it must be true faith, true repentance, true holiness; if thy faith be not saving faith, it is no faith; if thy repentance be not godly, it is not repentance: if thy love be not unfeigned, and thy obedience be not sincere, it is not the fruit of love nor of obedience; if those graces thou thinkest thy self to have, be not the noble and the royal off-spring of the Spirit of God in thee, thy graces are not graces. Thy temperance, thy sobriety, thy bounty and charity to the poor, if they proceed not from the spirit of regeneration, is no fruit at all; they are but the Apples of Sodom, beautiful to the eye, but all rottenness within; all the good that grows on an unregenerate man, Austin called splendida peccata, glittering sins. Hence it is that the Scripture calls upon us to bring forth fruits meet for repentance; that is, they must be agreeable to true saving repentance; otherwise they are none at all in Gods account: God finds no fruit, where he finds no truth of grace. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit saith our Saviour; our fruit must be good, pleasing, grateful to God, or else it is no fruit; wild grapes are no fruit at all.
Propos. 2 It is fruit God seeks for: it is not leaves, blossoms, buds; these are not fruit: God may find these things where he finds no fruit at all.
1. What if God findeth the green and broad leaves of Christian profession on thee? it is nothing: profession of p…ety without godliness is nothing but the wild grapes of hypocrisie, which the soul of God abhorreth; no man counteth that a fruitful tree, that beareth leaves only.
2. What if God find on thee the fair blossoms of external righteousness without inward holiness? it is no fruit in Gods account; the Pharisees brought forth such blossoms, yet saith John to them, bring forth fruits meet for repentance; God expects better fruit: see we not in nature, that many trees bring forth blossoms, yet bring no fruit at all?
3. Again, What if God findeth the fruits of religious duties? yet without faith and holiness this is no fruit in Gods account. A man full of religious duties without true grace, is a figg-tree full of leaves, without fruit. Albeit it be most true, that he that brings forth true grace, aboundeth in all religious duties, there is no tree that bringeth forth fruit without leaves, but many bring forth leaves without fruit.
4. What if God find on men some good desires, motions, purposes, some affections to godliness? if these grow not into act, God finds no fruit on such: good affections may be called buds, but buds are no fruits: in nature we find many trees abound with buds in the spring time, yet bring forth no fruit at all in the time of fruit-bearing: buds are frequently nipt with the frost, and so die; even so it is with many men, they may abound with good motions, good affections, good purposes, but they die, and come to nothing: God finds no fruit on them.
5. Admit God cometh, and findeth all these growing on a man; he bears leaves of profession, blossoms of external righteousness, and is full of good affections: as in nature, fruit hearing Trees bear all these; yet if God finds no faith in his heart, no sound repentance, no sincere obedience, this man is a barren figg-tree in the Lords Vineyard, whom he will cut down; for we must bring forth that very fruit which God requireth, or we bear not at all. God will not be put off with leaves and blossoms: Oh it is pitty that such men should be fuel for the fire of hell, yet they shall be: and if God will do this to these green trees, what will he do to the dry trees?
Propos. 3 There are very many on whom God finds none of these things; he cometh to some, and seeks for the leaves of profession on them, and findeth scarce any leaves on them: how many are there who bear the excellent name of a Christian, yet nothing of Christianity is found in them! he comes and seeks for the very knowledge of God; they have not the knowledge of God: he comes and seeks for duties in them, he finds not so much as praying or reading among them: many there are that know not how to pray; they are as barren in duty, as if they never were taught what duties God requireth; he cometh and seeketh for morality and civility on them; he finds not the fruit growing on them: civil righteousness and common honesty grow but here and there on some professing Christians. He comes and seeks for some good purposes, dispositions, and affections in them; he finds not a good purpose in them, no love to holiness, no desires after it, yea not so much as any love and delight in any thing, way, or person that is holy.
Propos. 4 It is grievous when he comes, and seeks but finds no fruit that pleaseth him: but it is much the worse, when he finds on them such fruit as his soul loatheth and abhorreth, Isaiah 5.4. He looketh for grapes, but behold wild grapes: behold stinking grapes, which stink in the nostrils of God, men and Angels; yea stink in the nostrils of a civilized Pagan: Behold he finds drunkenness, swearing, fornication, adultery, all manner of open and notorious vices, fruits which can please none but Devils. Yea, though God useth all means to beat down this cursed fruit by his threatnings and judgements; yet as they say of some trees, the more they are beaten, the more fruitful they are: so there are too many among us, the more they are threatned, reproved, exhorted, and pressed to leave those abominable vices, the more abounding they are in those Sodomitical fruits; They are drunkarns, and so they will be; they do and will swear, notwithstanding all the powerful means used to make them bring forth better fruit. As the speculative Atheist saith in his heart, there is no God; so the practical Atheist saith in his heart, God shall find no other fruit on me but drunkenness and swearing; they resolve to be wicked, and set repentance and holiness at defiance: Oh what a change doth wickedness work in men! Consider them as planted by God in his Church, they are figg-trees; but their own wilful and obstinate wickedness hath turned them into briars and thorns, who are nigh unto cursing, and their fearful end is to be burnt in Hell.
CHAP. IX. Sheweth whence it is, and what are the causes why God finds none in them.
HEre let me speak to you what God himself speaks to such fruitless men, Isa. 5.3, 4. Now then ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye men of Judah judge I pray you between me and my Vineyard: here God refers the matter to be judged of even by those of whom he complaineth: What is to be done more to my Vineyard which I have not done to it? Consider and judge whether I am in fault or you, that ye are so unfruitful: judge whether I have neglected any means of making you fruitful. God doth and will appeal to all our consciences, to judge between him and us who is in fault. I may thus paraphrase on the words; Ye inhabitants of Walsall, and ye men of this Congregation, judge I pray you, between God and your selves, who is in fault, that so much drunkenness, swearing, Sabbath-breaking, cursing, lying, oppression, fornication abounds among us; you may and will find that God is in no fault; but you are in the only fault that he finds no fruit on you; that he finds no faith, no repentance, no holiness on you: that he finds such wild grapes, such stinking fruit growing on you, and abounding in you. I will first shew that God is not in fault, nor are Ministers in the fault; but we our selves are only in fault.
That God is not in fault, will appear if we consider these particulars.
1. God hath planted us in his Church a fat and fruitful soil: all the world without the Church is a barren heath, an howling wilderness, a place of salt-pits: had God lest us to stand in the barren heath of Paganism, we should have some excuse for our selves; but that God hath called us out from thence, and planted us in his own garden, in his Paradise, what excuse have we, or can we make? if a tree brings not fruit which stands in a fat and excellent soul, the fault is in the tree, not in the husbandman that planted it there: if a man standing in the Church of God, beareth not fruit, the fault is in man, not in God, who planted him therein: Our very being and standing in the holy Catholique Church obligeth us to bear fruit to God.
2. God hath carefully provided all necessary means requ site to enable us to bear f…uit. Isa. 5 4. What could be done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it? as if God had said, I have done enough for this peoples conversion and reformation: I have bestowed upon them, my word and Ordinances which are able to save their souls: I have sent forth labourers my Ministers to warn them to repent, to call and invite them to repentance: I have threatned evil against them, I have promised them all good, I have bestowed many mercies and benefits on them, and I have also punished them. I have given them all necessary instruments and means of salvation, and yet I find no fruit on them.
3. God hath offered grace to us, but men willingly reject the offers of God, 2 Cor. 6.1. We beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. God by the Gospel and our Ministry offereth his grace to you, but men receive it in vain, they make light of all Gods offers.
4. God oftentimes sends down his spirit to move upon mens hearts secretly and inwardly moving and exciting them to repentance; but men quench his motions, strive against h…s convictions, that all his spiritual and strong motions vanish like the print of a seal stamped upon water: Oh judge whether God be in fault that ye have no fruit growing on you.
Neither are Ministers in fault, that ye have no fruit on you: we do the duty of Ministers: we pray, we preach the word of God to you; we plant, we sow, we digg about you, we dung you; we teach and instruct you how to repent, how to believe, and we do the duty of diligent husbandmen in the Lords Vineyard: Judge I pray you between Ministers and your selves: What could we have done more to you that we have not done to you and for you? Every mans conscience shall one day lay the whole fault on themselves, that God found no fruit on them standing in his Vineyard.
Hereunto let me add, neither are the means in any fault: for the Ordinances of God are in their own nature as apt to make the soul fruitful, as ploughing, sowing, manuring is to make the earth fruitfull.
CHAP. X. Sheweth what fault is in our selves, that we bear no fruit to God.
1. THE grand cause is our evil, dead, depraved and barren hearts: if the tree be dead at the root, it will never bring forth fruit: if the ground be naturally barren; it will never bear fruit, though the husbandman should be never so laborious in ploughing, sowing, manuring it: though he buyeth the best seed which can be had for money, yet all is to no purpose, if the soil be by nature barren: it is so in spirituals; the hearts of men are desperately wicked and barren above all things, that though God by his Ministers useth all means to make them fruitful; they are diligent and zealous in preaching, praying, instructing, exhorting, reproving, yet all in vain; because the hearts of men are barren by nature, they are trees dead at the root. Apollo's watering, dressing and pruning it, is to little purpose.
2. Mens wretched unbelief is another cause: John 12.38. Lord, who hath believed our report? We preach, but men believe us not; we shew men the danger of sin, the horrors of hell, of judgement to come, and so perswade men to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance; but men do not believe us, therefore bring forth no fruit: so Heb. 4.2. The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith. For know, that to the bringing forth the fruit of saving faith, and repentance, a dogmatical or historical faith is necessarily required; for men will never repent of sin and turn to God, till first they assent to this doctrine as a truth, that God will turn all the wicked into hell: unbelief makes men say in their hearts there is no God, no heaven, no hell, no judgement: let us eat and drink, for too morrow we shall die, there will be an end both of our souls and bodies.
3. Mens not receiving the seed of the word is another cause: it lies in the ear, and goes not down into the heart and conscience: men do but hear it, and never mind the word afterwards: every truth is taken from them: our Saviour in the parable of the sower, gives this as one cause why men are unfruitful, Mat. 13.4. Some feed fell by the way side, and the fouls of the air came and devoured it up: all seed cast on the high-wayes and beaten paths is food for Birds: so it is with men Gods Ministers sow the precious seed of the word, and it lies upon them like seed in the h…gh-way; the Devil comes and takes all from them, devoureth every grain of truth: what fruit can we expect from such?Paraeus in loc. A learned Divine on the place saith, By the high-way side are meant all ignorant, careless, and forgetful hearers of the word; and all prophane despisers of the word of God; from them the Devil catcheth all they hear for the good of their souls.
4. The hardness of mens hearts is a cause of unfruitfulness: the best seed cast upon rocks becomes unfruitfull: this cause our Saviour also give…h, Matth. 13.5. some fell upon stony places, in such places the seed can never take root downward, and bring forth fruit upward: this is the very reason why there is so much preaching and so little fruit: we Ministers plough upon rocks, sow upon stones; that all our calls to repentance prove ineffectual, Rom. 2.4. The Apostle coupleth hardness of heart and impenitency together; first hardness, then impenitency; this stony heart must be taken away before we can bring forth any fruit meet for repentance.
5. Mens hearts are over-grown with thorns and worldly weeds, and so prove …nfruitful: this cause is given by our Saviour, Matth. 13.22. He that receiveth seed, is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful: his heart is empty of grace, whose head is full of worldly cares; they choke the power of the word, they choke all motions and convictions, they take mens minds off from the meditation and practice of the word to the saving of their souls.
6. Mens love of the pleasures of sin, and hatred of the strictness of holiness is another cause. Luther said of himself, that till the grace of God had subdued him, that his soul hated the word Repent] he could not endure to hear of parting and turning from sin, and leaving the pleasures and profits of sin: even thus do the hearts of many wicked men, who have for a long while habituated themselves in sin, and have drunk deep of the pleasures thereof; they do hate and abhorr all exhortations and warnings to repent; they hate the Word Repent, and the very duty of repentance; they hate all holy strictness and preciseness, that all means prove ineffectual.
7. Mens taking of that for fruit which is not, is a great cause of their unfruitfulness: when men judge their leaves of profession, and blossoms of duty and external righteousness to be fruits, and rest there, no wonder if they be careless of bringing forth better fruit. How do good meanings pass with some for good fruit? how do occasional and temporary affections pass with others for good fruit? the Angel of the Laodicean Church conceived he was rich, and never looked further for better riches.
8. Another cause of unfruitfulness is the Devil; he is busie to sow his damnable tares where God soweth his seed; his wicked tares being more suitable to our depraved hearts, do spring up and grow, & make the word become unfruitful. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. If the converting and sanctifying power thereof be hid from any, that they feel not the working thereof, it is an evidence that such men are lost; that is, that they shall perish and be damned for ever: the reason why it is hidden from them, is, because the god of this world hath blinded their eyes, that is, the Devil hath shut their eyes, hardened their hearts against the light and power of the Gospel,
9. Mens own wilful carelesness is the cause of their unfruitfulness: how do men slight and neglect the very means of conversion, willingly turning away their ears from hearing the Law, and neglecting all means and duties, which in a natural moral way tend to make them fruitful: for albeit men are compared to trees, yet they are not altogether like trees, which contribute nothing to their own bearing of fruit: for men haveing reason and understanding, must do what they can by nature, and in a moral way do for the bearing of fruit: they must and can hear the word, but they will not; men must and can remember the word, but they do not; men must and can in a natural and rational way consider what the word of God saith, but they do not; yea men do not contribute so much as trees to their own fruit-bearing; for trees will suck that moisture which the heavens drop down upon the earth about them; but men do not suck moisture from the word which God raineth upon them. This may answer that great question, which the proud reason of men cavill…ng against God, puts forth.
Quest. The Question is, Why doth God blame men for not bearing fruit, seeing it is not in their own power?
Resp. 1. Who art thou O man that disputest against God, requiring a reason of his righteous judgements!
2. God doth not, and will not cut men down meerly for want of power to bear fruit, but because men do not what they may and can do in order to fruit bearing: God will damn men, not in that they cannot, but because they will not bear fruit: they love and like to bring forth wild grapes, and not sweet grapes: they love sin and perseverance in sin, rather than holiness and following after it: obstinacy of will is the proper cause of mens damnation.
10. God for the punishment of mens unfruitfulness under great means, and of long continuance, doth at last give them up, takes no care of them, and judicially permits them to be unfruitful: The Psalmist saith, He turneth a fruitful Land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. Psalm 107.34. it is for the wickedness of mens hearts and lives, that he saith to men, as Christ to the figg-tree, never let fruit grow upon thee more; never repent, never believe.
CHAP. XI. The Ʋses of the point.
Ʋse 1 LEarn hence how much sin hath depraved the nature of men; it hath made men so bad, that no good means can make them good: I have read of some waters that will turn trees cast into them, into stones, and it is sad that the waters of the Sanctuary should be an occasion of turning mens hearts into Rock and Adamant: Much means are given us, and God hath come and sought for fruit on us, and he finds none; and which is worse then none, how hath he come and sound instead of repentance and holiness, swearing, dunkenness, and all manner of detestable wickedness on us? and (which is worse than all) he still finds us abounding in all manner of wickedness: still men add dunkenness to thirst, oath to oath, sin to sin: how are the hearts and lives of men, like the field of the sluggard, over-runne with the abominable thorns of vice and sin!
Ʋse 2 Let me exhort and admonish every one of you to bring forth fruit; let God come and find some fruit growing on you: to day while it is called to day bring forth fruits meet for repentance, which are very pleasing and acceptable to God: oh do not disappoint God's expectations any longer.
1. Consider that God comes this day, this hour, this Sermon seeking for fruit; let him not complain and say, I find none, but still I find all wickedness in these men.
2. Consider that your sins are but the unfruitful works of darkness, Eph. 5.11. they will bring forth no good to your souls, nothing but wrath and vengeance.
3. What excuse will you, or can you make for your unfruitfulness! how will God stop all your mouths, when he shall say, I planted you in my Vineyard, I bestowed all converting means upon you, yet found I no fruit growing on you.
4. Consider what the Apostle saith of unfruitful men, Heb. 6.8. That ground which beareth briars and thorns is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be …urned: while you are unfruitful, you are rejected, you are nigh to cursing; the curse of God hangs over your heads, and every moment you are liable to be burnt in hell.
5. You may fear lest God should remove the Gospel from you, because of your unfruitfulness, according to that threatning of our Saviour, Matth. 21.43. Therefore I say unto you, the Kingdom of God (1.) the Gospel, shall be taken from you, and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruit thereof: 'Tis better for us that God should take away health, wealth, peace, corn, wine, oyl, sun, moon and stars from us, than to take away the Gospel from us: take that away, and all hopes of repentance, faith and salvation are taken away from us: take away the Kingdom of Heaven, and then Hell will take us.
Ʋse 3 How doth it concern us to begg Gods blessing on all the means of grace! Lord thou hast planted me in thy Vineyard under thine ordinances, yet without thee I cannot bring forth fruit: Lord say to my soul, Be fruitful and multiply: it is that word of blessing which to this day makes trees to bring forth fruit according to their kind. Finally, let God have all the praise from thee, who art by the means of Grace made fruitful: it is not the diligence of of Paul nor Apollos, nor Ministers, nor thy own diligence, but Gods own free giving the blessing to the means, will make thee to bring forth fruit.
LUKE 13.7.
Then said he unto the dresser of the Vineyard, Behold these three years come I, seeking fruit on this Figg-tree, and find none, Cut it down, why cumbreth it the ground?