Epif?L ^ofS. Pam/toTitus. CHAP.3.14. fends hisProphet with his word among them , but to what ende : Gee, make theheart ofthin peoplefatte, and theirwe: heauie, and/hut their eies, X43 lee theyfee with their tier, awd Beare with their cares, and vnderßánd with their hearts , and conuert,awl Ihealethem : fo chegood meancs of falua- tion doe filch perlons no good. And let no man thinke that this mefl'age onely concerned the Imes ; for it is repeated fixe times in thenewTe- tlament, that we (hould not {lightly paffe it oiler, but feare the like judgement, ifwe be found in the like finne. 4. After all thefe commeth 4 thebeanie fentence, vnto whichby all thefe this (inner bath beetle pre- pared; Cut him downe,bring now theaxe,for thepruning knife hath don Lui.r3s. him no good; hew himdowne by death from the minifirie vnder which he hash been fo long fruitlefle, bindhim hand and fooce,make a faggot of him, and call him into hell fire:caft I fay that vnprofitable feruant in- to utter darkeneffe,there (hall be wailingand guafhing oftecth:and this is the wofull hire ofvnfruitfulneffe. The third point is the hinderancesof this fruitfulneffe, the cheife of Hi.aerseeesef which are thefe. r. Superfluitieof lufls,and inordinate delires which are `n.: Eruicfulncs three. as dead branches, and therefore mull he loppedoff before fruit can be expeí1ed : the denial! of a mans idle fo fpare as coreupt is the flrfî leffon in Chriflianitie. 2. The vnfirnclTeofthe Foyle, as ifit be (Ionic or nere $ vnto a tockewhere it cannot take deepe roots ; the hard and (bony heart fuffereth not any good feed to take roote, and much leflè rifevp co fruit. Or if the foyle be a drie ground on which the raine falls not, or an high andhillieground on which the raine liaieth not; fo the haughtie and proudheart fhucteth off the raine as fall as it commeth , it moillenech thecrufi andoutfide a little, but it (laieth not ro get within it topre- pare it to fruitfulnetfe. Or if theground be (haded that the Sunne can- nor, or fieldome loo'ke vpon it : if the rnindeand affeElions are other- wifedifiraElcd,rhat feldome men let themfclues vnder themeanes of in- ltruElion; the Sunneof righteoufneffe (pining in his Church, not en- lightening, not warming nor cherifirtng them, not bringing back a new fpring vpon them , how can we expe6t fruit from fuch,vnletíewe can Tooke that a tree which hath been fruirleffeall the (Limner, (hould be la- den with fruit in the midfl of winter. ;. Sundrie vaine conceits fug. 3 gelledby the Deuil,and affentedveto by men to kcepe them in vnfruit- full courtes. As a. many will not flicke to obie6i; I hope notwith(lan- ding I haue not beenehitherto fo fruitful!, as you fpeake of, yet I haue donewell enough all this while, andwhy may not I doe fo ilill ; and thus refoluebecaufeGod hat'h vied patienceand (pared them , beewill therefore fpare them (fill in their vnfruitfulnefie. But this is theDeuills logicke; the cleanecontrarie whereof is the conclufionof the Scrip- A a a ; cure.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=