DIuers expositions of this parcell of Scripture there be besides the literall.

The literall is plaine, that if wee be thankfull, when God is mercifull; praise him, when he hath deliuered vs; Then shal the earth bring forth her encrease; and God, euen our own God shall [Page 11] giue vs his blessing. Finis vnius beneficij, erit gradus futuri. One blessing shall bring on another.

In the mysticall sense, it is a prophecie of the comming of Christ, for whose comming Dauid prayes in the first verse of this Psalm, and in the second where hee cals him Gods face, and Gods way, and Gods sa­uing health. The same is here in my Text, that fruit which the earth shall bring forth.

Terra, The earth, that is, the Virgin Mary, Dabit fructum suum, shall bring forth her en­crease, shall beare a Sonne, and his name shall be Emanuell, God with vs. Thus the greatest and learnedst part both of new and old Writers expound it. Thats for dabit (shall bring forth.)

But now that the time is past, and that wee looke for no other Messias to come, we will follow the ordinary Latine Translation, Terra dedit, The earth hath brought foorth: and take the words as they lye in order, fitting them to the present time of Christs Nati­uitie, and the present businesse we haue in hand, which is recei­uing the Sacrament in remem­brance of his Death and Passi­on, who was as this day borne vnto vs.

1 First, for terra. The earth, the common mother of all: so Eue: Eue as of all, so by lineall descent of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ, who is our Mother after a more neere and more speciall manner, V­tra{que} mater; vtra{que} terra dicitur: but we must put difference, be­twixt [Page 13] these two earths, these two mothers, as great diffe­rence as betwixt coelum Aere­um, this circumference of aire, which now encompasseth vs: and coelum Empyraeum, those highest heauens, Gods Cham­bers of presence, which shall hereafter receiue as many of vs, as be his. This the Psalmist cals, terram viventium, & regionem vivorum, the Land and Region of the liuing. It is the earth which the meeke shall possesse, Math. 5. 5. As the earth of all other elements, is most vn­moueable, so are these coeli coe­lorum, these heauens of hea­uens, of all other heauens most stable. That, the ayerie heauen; mans habitation in this Taber­nacle of mortalitie, subiect to change: This, is his vnmoue­able seat of immortality. Eue [Page 12] [...] [Page 13] [...] [Page 14] vnstable, variable as the aire, de­ceiued by the Serpent, and de­ceiuing her Husband; beguiled, and seduced by the Prince of the aire, in the borrowed shape of the Serpent: turning Serpent her selfe, vnto his heart, vnto his hurt, to whom shee was gi­uen for a helpe: as a gift was she giuen by God in his bosom for his warmth, and comfort; like the young Maid that lay with Dauid in his old age: but as Iobs friend were to him, shee proues a miserable comforter, as his Wife, a snake in his bo­some, or the sting of a Serpent; shee is the very sting, whereby the old Serpent the Deuill, en­ters into man. Per illius latus nos petimur. Wee are stung through our mothers sides; thereby the venome of that sting hath entred into all man­kind, [Page 15] so suddenly spread it selfe through all the veines of their posteritie, that they our first Parents may bee said, as Saint Bernard speaketh, Sicut omni­um Parentes, ita & peremp­tores; & prius peremptores, quam Parentes: that is, as they were our parents to bring vs into the world, so were they our destroyers to bring vs to our end; and euen destroyers before Parents: as hauing stran­gled vs, and poisoned vs in their wombe, and brought vs into life, as dead men. But Ma­ry as stable, as those Heauens; as firme, as their Firmament; whose soule, hee who giuesIob. weight to the winds, establi­shed: From thence shee stood, and continued in the faith, she remained a Virgin; a Virgin, yet was her virginitie not barren. A [Page 16] virgin-fruitful-Mother, and yet a lowly hand-maid; most true­ly may shee be called, vesta, which is a title of the earths, quae vi stat, which stands strongly founded: the mother of all vestall Virgins, whose oile is alwaies in their Lamps, whose fire neuer goes out: so is shee Coelum coelorum, terra viventium, regio vivorum, the heauen of heauens, the land and country of the liuing, in that she is a chosen vessell set apart to beare the Sonne of the liuing God; in whom Gods chosen, whether dead, or quicke, shall all liue. For he is the God not of the dead, but of the liuing, Math. 22. 32. In comparison of Eue, who is but Hagar the bond-woman, shee is Sarah: Hierusalem which is aboue, which is free, which is the spi­rituall [Page 17] mother of vs all, Gal. 4. 26. As Adam was peccator ter­ra, very earth become a sinner; so much more was Eue, Terra peccatrix, as Origen cals her. SheOrigen. was a Dalilah to her Sampson, depriued him of his strength, helped the Deuill, (in stead of opening, which he pretended) to put out his eyes. Downe fell the house vpon his owne head, and others, his and her posteritie; who partake of the woe shee brought to her man: who is so farre from praising her, that hee accuseth her to God: Mulier quam dedisti mi­hi, dedit mihi de ligno mortis; The woman which thou hast gi­uen me, she gaue mee of the Tree of death. But Mary is that ver­tuous woman, who, with a loe I am here, may take downe Solo­mons, Si quis for such a one. She, [Page 18] girdeth her loines with strength, and strengtheneth her armes: another Abigail; Shee openeth her mouth with wisedome, the Law of grace is in her tongue, her children rise vp and blesse her; nor doth her husband one­ly praise her, but her Father, and her mother also, saying, Many daughters haue done ver­tuously, but thou surmountest them all. Thus whilest she in a fauourable construction may be said by her Sonnes vertue to be parentum reparatrix, postero­rum S. Bernard. vivificatrix, as S. Bernard cals her; the repairer of her parents, and the quickner of all after her. Shee hath turned backward Eua, into Aue. She is the good ground, blessed of the Lord. The Arch-angel Ga­briel saluteth her, Aue Maria gratia plena, &c. The daughter [Page 19] hath couered her fathers na­kednesse, and taken away her mothers shame; hath cloathed her with strength, and honour; shee for her may answer him; Behold, if the man fell by the woman, now is hee not raised vp againe, but by the woman. Hee must turne his excusing himself, accusing her, or rather blaming God, into a Confiteor for himselfe, a praise of her, and a thanksgiuing to God: Domi­ne, ecce mulier quam dedisti mi­hi, dedit mihi de ligno vitae, vel totum lignum vitae: Behold, Lord, the woman which thou ga­uest mee hath giuen mee of the tree of life. And thus much of the first word, the earth, and her thereby signified, Mary.

2 Dedit, this is the second.

The earth hath giuen or brought forth; but how, De­dit [Page 20] quae data est? The woman that thou gauest mee, agrees to Mary, as well as to Eue. Mary, a Virgin, how shal she conceiue, who neuer knew man? and if not conceiue, how shall shee bring forth? or how shall shee be a mother? The property of the earth is to receiue: she may bee called one of the Horse­leaches Daughters, which still cryes, Giue, giue, and is neuer satisfied. Earth is the mother of all things, and the matter of all things: Materia, (as Seneca saith) per se iners iacet, matter of it selfe is vnactiue, vnlesse some artificer by mouing make something of it; Mater se habet, sicut materia: The Mother in all generation, is like the Mat­ter in artificiall composition. A Mother Mary is, but not a common mother; For she is a [Page 21] Virgin; and a Virgin she is, yet free from that, which is neuer satisfied, the barren wombe: both a Virgin and a mo­ther, and so scaped the curse both of bearing, and of bar­rennes. The mothers womb is filled without the embracings of a Father: a Virgin without touch of man is quicke with child, conceiues, and beares a Son; remaining a pure Virgin, becomes a true Mother: thus S. Austin. S. Bernard comparesNumb. 17. 8. her first to Aarons Rod, though not moistened, yet budding, that is, bearing a child, with­out the knowledge of a man.

Secondly, vnto Gedeons FleeceIudg 6. 37. which was shorne off the flesh, without wounding the flesh: so Christ took flesh of the Vir­gins flesh, without losse to her Virginitie. The Psalmist pro­phecies [Page 22] hereof, Psal. 72. He shall come down like the dew vpon the Fleece, and as the showre of rain, that watereth the earth. So then Mary is but the earth. The Fa­ther of mercies had regard vn­to the lowlinesse of his Hand­maiden. Thence is it, that the heauenly dew descends, the holy Ghost comes vpon her, the power of the most High ouershadowes her. Maria de­dit, quia data est: et hoc ipsum dare, est datum ei: [...] Hayle Mary full of grace; Her fulnesse of grace, is no more then freely beloued, or receiued into fauour: her gi­uing, is but giuing her selfe, sequacem materiam, as a pliant matter, following the hand of the artificer, as Seneca sayes; or as Saint Austin speakes con­cerning the preparing of her [Page 23] heart; Vt mente prius concipe­ret quam ventre; corde pareret, prius quam corpore: she concei­ued Christ in her soule, before shee felt him in her wombe; and brought him forth in her heart, before hee was borne of her body. Her faith, and obe­dience is expressed in that her last answer to the Angell: Be­hold the seruant of the Lord, bee it vnto mee, according to thy word: Thus, dedit, & edidit. She hid not her treasures in the earth, as the earth hides her treasures, but shee brought forth. A lowly handmaid is be­come a great mother. Terra dedit fructum, The earth hath brought forth her encrease: which is the third point.

3 Thirdly, rightly is she called magna mater, a great mother, for shee is the mother of God. [Page 24] Our first mother Eue, was pla­ced in Paradise, but Paradise it selfe, is placed in this our mo­ther earth, fructū dedit non di­vinum, sed Deum, she brought forth her encrease, which was not onely, diuine, but the Diui­nitie it selfe: That in the Poet Nec nulla interea est inaratae gra­tia terrae: may thus be changed, Maxima concessa est in-aratae gratia terrae, &c. The greatest, blessedst, and fruitfullest en­crease that euer was, was giuen to this vntilled ground. Blessed is she aboue all women, in the blessed fruit of her wombe, is she thus blessed. An vnplowed ground may, and doth bring forth thornes, and thistles; but this fruit which Mary bare, was perfect God, and perfect Man, Christ Iesus. As God, the Word in the beginning, he is opposed to grasse which withereth, and [Page 25] the flower which fadeth, Es. 40. 8 In this very opposition, hee is good fruit, that good fruit which shall stand for euer. As he became man, the Word made flesh, he is the flowre of the field: nay hee is hay, and withered grasse: for loe he is made hay and laid in a manger; As both, he is the fruit of the earth. Ma­ry is the mother of Christ, God-man. I am the bread of life (saith himselfe) and if bread, then the fruit of the earth: bread of life, therefore the best fruit, the purest wheat, of which, whosoeuer eates, he shal neuer hunger: therefore is hee eternall fruit; that best fruit which shall stand for euer: and againe, I am the true Vine, a Vine, therefore fruit of the earth; a true Vine, therefore the best fruit, the water, the iuyce, [Page 26] the blood of life; Whosoeuer drinketh his blood shall neuer thirst: therefore is hee euerla­sting fruit. And this fruit, the more common it is, the better it is. Markes of com­munity, are these; Quicun{que} vult, Come vnto mee all, Buy without money; was neuer fruit so pretious, and yet so cheape; so common, and yet so rare and singular. A sonne is borne, ha­uing no man to his father, (saith Saint Austin) the same was the maker of his mother; he that made the earth, is made the fruit of the earths wombe.

The Word and wisdome of the Father becomes an Infant, cannot speake; he that rules the Starres, suckes his mothers dugges. See, and wonder to see the strong supporter of the world, caried in the armes of a [Page 27] weake woman. See now, and take a taste, yee that are ingraf­ted into this Vine, yee that are branches thereof, and are part of the crumnes of this bread, presently shall yee taste, and see, and hereafter more fully, quoniam Dominus suavis est, that the Lord is good, Psal. 34. This fruit is as pleasant to the taste, as pleasing to the eye; nor is it priuate, no man bard from it; how then is it sayd, Terra dedit fructum suum, The earth hath brought forth her en­crease? which is the 4 point.

4 Fourthly, That of the Euan­gelists, Matthew and Luke may serue for answer; Luke like an ascending Angell caries him to the head of Iacobs lad­der, the sonne of Adam, the Luke 3. 38. Son of God. Matthew brings him down to the foot thereof. [Page 28] And Iacob begat Ioseph, the Husband of Mary, to whom was borne Iesus, Mat. 1. 16. Luke most carefull that his Diuinity bee obserued, hath [...] that which shall be born in her, & not [...] of her: But Matthew, as to the ea­sier lesson of the two, pointing vs to his humanity first, hath, [...], and not [...]. So CHRIST IESVS is to Mary, fructus suus, and not suus; her fruit according to his humanitie; and not her fruit, in regard of his Diuinity; and yet if you ioyne both together, her fruit: He was his mothers fruit also, as being fruitfull vn­to her, her sanctifier, and her Sauiour. It was the fruit of her wombe, who preuented her with singular grace on earth; meaning to giue her singular [Page 29] glory in Heauen. No fitter Mother for God, then a Vir­gin; no fitter Sonne for a Vir­gin then God; that out of herVt de immacu­latâ immacula­tus prodiret, qui omnium macu­las esset purga­turus, Bernard. vnspotted, vnspotted he might come, who was to clense the spots of all men. Her fulnesse of grace, his gift; of whose ful­nesse, she receiued more fully; and al we, haue receiued accor­ding to measure: her humi­lity, his gift; that from her be­ing humble, hee might come humble, and meeke in spirit: thus is hee her fruit, by like­nesse or similitude. Againe, as he was man, so was he her fruit according to kinde. Now if you adde tuum to suum, and nunc temporis, (this present time) to both, he was her fruit, which shee brought forth in tempore suo, in her due season, Psal. 1. 3. Not vnkindly [Page 30] fruit, but seasonable, in vere novo, in the spring of grace; in plenitudine temporis, in the ful­nesse of time, Gal. 4. 4. And thus much of terra dedit fru­ctum suum. The earth hath brought forth her encrease: that is, Maria virgo peperit filium Christū, The Virgin Mary hath brought forth Christ her son. Now taste, and see how sweet fruit the Lord himselfe is: the more you taste, the more you may see: the more you see or taste, yee shall finde him the sweeter; fructus iste quos quan­tos fructus dedit? This fruit, how good, and how good store of fruit hath it brought forth?

1 First, Christ is terra de ter­ra, the second Adam, the sonne of Dauid, the sonne of Mary, borne of her according [Page 31] to the flesh, descended of our mother Eue, her seed, of which it is promised, Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman shall bruise (or break) the Serpents head, which though hee chiefly did by the power of his Godhead, yet may wee not thence separate and deuide his humanity. He is stiled as truely thus, The sonne of Man, or the sonne of Mary, as thus, the Son of God: And therefore (in regard that this is an article of our Creed, that he was borne of the Virgin Mary) wee may bee bold to call him earth, of his earthly mother ac­cording to that maxime in ciuil law, Partus sequitur ventrem, The birth is, as the belly is.

2 Secondly to make no more parts of this part, it is most properly and truly said of this heauenly-earthly fruit, that [Page 32] hee hath brought forth his fruits also; All the temporall blessings, or spirituall graces, the encrease of the one in vs, of the other vpon vs: Ipse dedit vt fructum suum, He brought them forth as his fruit, they are from him; our tenure of them holds in capite. Euery good gi­uing, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the Father of lights, Iames 1. 17. Hee is the true light, &c. Iohn 1. 9. Hee gaue himselfe vnto vs, and for vs; In him are all treasures hidden, Colos. 2. 3. So with himselfe he gaue vs all things: he gaue himselfe for vs, in dying for vs; to vs, in being borne vnto vs; hee was borne vnto vs, that we might be new borne to him, in him. For therefore did he take vpon him our flesh, that we might receiue [Page 33] from him his spirit; by recei­uing it, receiue him; and from him, and it, power to be the Sons of God; borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the wil of man, but of God. Oh the sin­gular wisdome of God; Oh the mystery of our saluation, which hee began as now to worke in medio terrae, i. in vtero virginis Mariae: in the middest of the earth, that is, in the wombe of the Virgin. The Deuill by the ministry of the Serpent powred in the poyson through the eares of the woman, into her heart; and so therewith in the head-spring poysoned all her posterity. God by the mini­stery of an Angell, of the Arch­angell Gabriel (by interpreta­tion the power of God) cary­ing in his very name the mat­ter of his message; Christ [Page 34] the power of the most high, breathed his word through the eare of the Virgin, into her heart and wombe; It is Saint Bernards; That so the counter­poyson might enter the same way, that the poyson entred. From the soale of our foot to the crowne of the head, there was no part sound and whole in vs: foule and le­prous were wee from our mo­thers wombe; there was the plaister first placed, where the wound was first receiued, be­ing conceiued of the holy Ghost, hee hallowed his mothers wombe,

The golden age is now retur­ned, wee clensed of Originall corruption, the fuell of actuall [Page 35] transgressions; wee are restored to grace, and enabled to walke as children of light. To this end, heauen was made earth, that earth might be made hea­uen; the sonne of God became the sonne of man, that the sons of men might bee made the sonnes of God: whilest the Son of God, made man, gaue vs his conception to clense ours; his whole life to instruct ours; his death to bee the death of our death; his resurrection, to raise vs vp from death to life; his ascension, to crown vs as conquerors ouer all his con­quered, and our (of vs to bee subdued, already weakned) ene­mies. Here is a taste of those heauenly fruits, which this earth, this flowre of the earth, this heauenly fruit of the earth hath giuen vs. Numquid terra [Page 36] illa sola debuit dare fructum suum? Ought this earth alone bring forth its encrease? (It is Saint Augustines question) and this is the answer? Terra nostra multo magis debet dare fructum suum; much more ought our earth bring forth its en­crease; if Christ wrought so hard to worke out our saluation; if hee wrought so for vs, in vs, on vs; wee must not lie fallow, stand idle, sit still, but set to our hands, and work our selues to his will, that wee also may bring forth our encrease in due season. God hath done his part. To make our earth fruitfull, he hath rained downe his Sonne vpon vs; who, to teach vs where to begin, sent a cloud before him, his Forerunner Iohn Baptist preaching vnto vs, Baptismū poenitentiae, the bap­tisme [Page 37] of repentance, which is as Tertullian cals it, canditatus re­missionis, & sanctificationis in Christo subsecuturae, i. a petiti­oning, a suing, a standing for the remission of sins, thats the first degree; and of sanctificati­on in Christ following, thats the second; a regency and full mastership. Behold God raign­ing (saith Saint Austin) Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand, Mat. 3. 2. Heare him thunder if you turne to Luke 3. Feare him when hee thunders, entertaine his golden showers with open lap. Origen vpon Ezech. hath tremorem cordis, Hom 14. A new kinde of earthquake, the trembling of the hart, not when the bones shiuer, but when the soule shakes, as in an ague, wherewith God is pleased, and thereupon makes his counte­nance [Page 38] Shine vpon vs, Super quem respiciam? &c. Whom shall I looke vnto saith God, Euen to him that is poore & of a contrite spirit, & tremble that my words, Esa. 66. 2. Saint Gregory shewes vs the manner of this earth­quake; the truth leauing a deepe impression of it selfe in the soule of the hearer; the soule in consi­deration thereof, is troubled and disquieted, fals a quaking and shaking. This is vox commoti­onis magnae, Ezec. 3. 12. A noise of great rushing. When a sin­ner mourns, weeps, and washes his soule with teares of repen­tance: by contrition, makes deepe furrowes in his owne heart, thence is comforted by the holy Spirit, inhabiting a heart thus prepared; watred & clensed, Benedicta gloria Do­mini de loco suo: Then followes [Page 39] blessing vpon blessing. The wings there striking one a­gainst another, is the encrease of vertues. Virtus virtutem ex­citat, One vertue prouokes ano­ther. Eagles wings, and they are Iouiall birds, whose beakes broken vpon the rocke Iesus Christ, their youth is renewed, their feathes multiply; they bring forth, not a bud or blos­some, but fruit; not one eare of corne, but many; and sundry fruits, worthy repentance: Hu­mility the ground-work of the rest (which the earth, and Mary the mother of God, and God, who for our sake became earth, may teach vs:) fruitful­nesse in Virginity to follow that: and other innumerable graces wherein God himselfe came vnto vs, as in a golden showre. Let vs receiue him [Page 40] raigning; Let his Kingdome come; if that of grace bee not yet come vnto thee, looke for him thundering. The day of iudgment will come, will thou nill thou; hee shall iudge the peo­ple righteously. Qui venit hu­milis, veniet excelsus; qui ve­nit iudicandus, veniet iudicatu­rus: Hee that once came in hu­mility, will come againe in glory; he that at first came to be iudg'd, will at last come to iudge the quicke and the dead. Acknow­ledge Christ in his lowlinesse, and hee in his highnesse will know thee. Loue him as thy Sauiour, thou needest not feare him as thy Iudge. That he may more, & more encrease his gra­ces in thee, bee thankfull vnto him, and speake good of his name. This is another principall fruit, which Christ his incarnation [Page 41] requires at our hands, which wee are to yeeld with glad­nesse, and ioy: to ioyne these to the former, feare and trem­bling. Nam benè conueniunt, & in vna sede morantur, Laeti­tia, & Timor: Ioy and feare a­gree in the same subiect, accor­ding to that of the Psalmist. Servite Domino in timore, & exultate ei cum tremore: Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce vnto him with reuerence. This is the Day which the Lord hath made, let vs reioyce therein. Nay, this is the Day, which made the Lord: Aurea nunc verè sunt saecula. At least now is the blessed memorie of the fulnesse of time, able to make a fresh spring, in the most bar­ren heart, and that in the dead­est of cold winter. Which day that wee may know, how to [Page 42] celebrate, and so our fruit may bee seasonable. Mary, Zacha­rie, the Angels, are our pat­ternes. Maries Magnificat; Za­charies Benedictus; The Angels Song; Glory to God in the high­est heauens, theres a heauenly quire of them. Cheerefull gi­uers of thankes, cannot but make heauenly harmony. Ne­uer greater cause of ioy, ne­uer of thanksgiuing. Gods Wisedome, Truth, Iustice, Mercy, and Goodnesse towards vs, were neuer before so cleare­ly manifested, as in the Birth of Christ: therefore vpon this occasion, are wee to raise our notes of ioy, and thankes to the highest, and lowdest straine: as the Angels here­vpon increased their number of parts: not to sixe Cheru­bims, as in the vision of Esay, [Page 43] not to twenty foure Elders, as in the Reuelation; but a great multitude of Angels, like ar­mies, were heard to praise God. Neuer since the begin­ning of the world, such a sight seene, neuer such a noise heard. And thus much to fit this Text vnto the Day.

Now for the busines. Dominus dedit terram: The Lord brought forth the earth. God set Mary apart as a chosen vessell of ho­nour to beare Christ. Terra de­dit fructum: The earth brought forth her encrease. Mary is from hence become the mother of Christ: Fructus dedit fructus suos: her encrease or fruit, brought forth his fruit. Christ the fruit of Maries wombe, hath brought forth vnto vs, his many and sun­dry fruits: all which in this Sa­crament wee may reape: For [Page 44] himselfe being in this Sacra­ment (as questionlesse he is) and all treasures being in him; in it we receiue him, and with him all treasures. This bread, the staffe of life, is none other but the Lord of life: that bread is his body, and that wine is his blood: his blood is indeed that wine which cheares the heart of man. All the fruits that earth can yeeld, are to be found here. They are all comprised vnder these two Elements, of bread, and wine; that, the best of things solide; this, of things liquid; both superexcellent nutriments, not for a temporary life onely, but nourishing vs vp euen vnto life euerlasting: of which holy sacrament, that wee may bee worthy receiuers, and therein of the body and blood of Christ, and therein reapers of all bodi­ly, [Page 45] and spirituall benefits, and graces, which concerne this life, and a better, before we do pre­sume to come to this holy har­uest feast; wee must, first exa­mine the dead grounds of our barren hearts. Nouantes noua­lia; plowing vp the fallow fur­rowes thereof, with repentance, and contrition for our former sinnes. This Sacrament was in­stituted for remembrance that Christ dyed for vs, and the re­membrance that Christ died for vs, cannot but first make vs looke to the cause, and occasi­on, wherefore Christ was faine to die for vs.

Now the necessitie of Christs dying for vs, was occasioned by our sinnes: so then howso­euer, as Christ his birth cannot but bee a cause of ioy vnto vs: quia nobis natus est puer; for that [Page 46] a child is borne vnto vs: so his death cannot but bee grieuous vnto vs, because the innocent Lamb, was slain for the nocent: yet God doth commend vnto vs the griefe of our owne sins, before the griefe of his Passion: according to that which hee saith to the daughters of Ieru­salem, Weepe not for me, but for your selues. Repentant teares the best bathe for a leprous soule: Repent (saith Christs Precur­sor) for the Kingdome of hea­uen is at hand; paratum paratis, euen ready for them that are ready for that. What is the Kingdome of Heauen? Euen the Gospell, euen the author of the Gospell, Christ Iesus. For the re­ceiuing of which, they are made ready, in whom Iohn Baptists preaching hath wrought re­pentance. Repentance, & faith [Page 47] goe together, like needle and thread. Repentance the needle to make the wound, faith the thread to sow it vp: The water of repentance may too much coole vs, therefore the fire of faith must heat vs againe; with­out which heat, repentance turnes to despaire, as in Iudas, who hung himself: with which heat, it expels feare, and turnes to perfect loue, as in Mary Mag­dalen, who loued much, be­cause many sinnes were forgiuen her. Shee washeth Christ his feet with her teares, and wipes them with the haire of her head. The haire of her head, formerly the subiect of her pride, is now the instrument of her humili­tie; and her teares, the foule spokes-men of her lustful griefe, for the absence of her many lo­uers, are now become faire en­tertainers, [Page 48] with vnspotted loue, and vntainted ioy, of one only, worthy, louely guest, blessing the receiuers house, with his blessed presence. The first showre of her teares, were teares of sorrow, and repentance; but the latter showre which ouertooke the first, were teares of loue, and ioy; where with she washed, and bathed his feet, (in such abundance were they shed,) and that out of a liuely sense, and feeling, that she was become a Disciple of his; hee had washed her feet, as hee did his Disciples, Iohn 13. Fitly is the Gospell called water, be­cause it hath the effects of wa­ter; It cooleth, and it clenseth corrupt cogitations, much more foule actions, which foule, and defile the soule. The holy spirit is both water, and [Page 49] fire; fire to purge drosse; water to quench the fire of lust, and to cleanse the foulenesse of sinne, which lust conceiuing, brings forth. At the eighth vers of the fore-cited Chapter, Christ saith to Peter, If I wash thee not, thou shalt haue no part with me. Hee that hath no part in that washing, hath no part in the supper following; no part in that supper, no part in the sacrament; no part in the sacra­ment, no part in Christ; no part in Christ, no part in the King­dome of Heauen.

That I may stirre you vp therefore to godly sorrow, (sorrow for sinne, which is only of all sorrowes iustifiable) that so ye may (if it please God to giue you the grace) weepe, wash, and bee washed, and bee made cleane, and so made fit to [Page 50] bee made partakers of Christ, and his last Supper.

Suffer a little the words of instruction, of reproofe, con­solation, and exhortation. 1 First, for instruction, Terra dedit fructum; Mary bore Christ. Will ye learne how you all may be Maries, and beare Christ? how you may bee Io­sephs and Maries, the blessed Parents of your Sauiour; nay, more blessed then they? Mater mea, (saith Austin) quam appel­laui felicem, inde mater est, inde felix, quia verbum Dei custodi­uit, non quia in illa verbum Caro factum est: Mary was blessed, not so much for that the Word was made flesh in her wombe; but because shee kept and laid vp the Word of God in her heart, Her kindred according to the flesh, had nothing profited [Page 51] her: Tulisset fructum, sed non suum; Shee had borne fruit, and had beene fruitfull to others, but fruitlesse to her selfe; vnlesse shee had more happily borne Christ in her heart by faith, then in her womb according to the flesh. Thus may you all beare Christ, if you lay vp his Word in your hearts. Verbum incarnat, qui conuertit in opera. You make the Word flesh, if yee doe that which you heare; if yee yeeld obedience to his holy will, turning his Word, into good life, and good workes. Thus also ye that are single, ye that are Virgins, may imitate Maries fruitfulnesse in her virginitie. These, euen our good workes, are our true-borne children, not one­ly lawfully, but graciously be­gotten, by which Christ is new [Page 52] borne in vs, as wee are new borne in him; but if wee con­tinue in our old sinnes, wee make as much as lyes in vs, the birth of Christ abortiue; like Snakes and Adders, we strangle Christ in his Cradle, and cruci­fie afresh the Lord of life; who as this Day was borne a Saui­our vnto vs. Confiteamur, fra­tres, confiteamur: Let vs con­fesse, brethren, let vs confesse; Terra nostra spinas dedit; our earth hath brought foorth, as yet, nothing but thornes, to wound Christs temples with­all. Let vs now endeuour to bring forth flowers at least to delight his smell; that hee may say of vs, as that holy Patri­arke of his Sonne; Behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed, Gen. 27. 27. if not [Page 53] corne, and wine, to cheere his heart, and to make him re­ioyce in vs, whilest wee re­ioyce in him. The better day the better deed, if wee haue not yet begunne to bring forth fruits of repentance, faith, and loue; Let vs now begin these good workes, on this good day. New workes will be sutable to the new yeare. For a New-yeares Gift; let vs present our selues to God, new-men. God hath beene good vnto vs all, in suffering vs to liue to see this day, this good day: his good­nesse toward vs, is to prouoke vs to bee good. Worldlings labour to bee rich: let vs Chri­stians not fashion our selues to the world; but let our chiefe labour henceforth be, to be good, and to doe good. By being good, wee are not onely [Page 54] good to our selues, but to the place also wherein wee liue. When as for our sakes, who worship him, God many times spares euen the contemners of his worship, and holy seruice. One good Moses to stand in the gap, in the breach, saues all Is­rael. Till Lot be gone out of Sodome, God cannot execute his iudgements vpon the rest of the wicked inhabitants there­of. A good man therefore that feares God, is in this regard to bee cherished, to bee much made of, as being com­mune bonum, an vniuersall good; because for his sake wee fare the better at Gods hands; his onely repentance, may make GOD many times repent him of the euill, which hee purposed against vs. On the other side, as the Greeke [Page 55] Poet speakes, [...], &c. often­times a whole towne or City, fares the worse for one wicked man, who dwels in it. If there bee such a noisome weede a­mongst vs growing, wee must all ioyne to weed him out; hee wants the wedding garment, and is not to bee admitted to this Feast. For the earths sake which wee beare (if it beare bad fruit) the very earth which beares vs, is oft cursed. It groa­neth vnder our burden, suffe­ring for vs, desolation, famine, and wilde beasts. It is Gods threat to the very earth wee tread on. Auferam de ea homi­nem & pecus. I will take away both man and beast out of it: Wherein, saith Origen, The earth as a good mother reioyceth in good children, which are not a [Page 56] shame to her, and shee mourneth for those who are a dishonour to their Father. Laetatur non super bestiis, & rapidis feris: shee re­ioyceth not in wilde and raue­nous beasts, but in men, tame and gentle creatures. Giue me leaue to speake the truth plain­ly. Those wilde beasts, wee our selues are, as long as there is pride in vs, contention a­mongst vs: Whilest couetous­nesse, and cruelty in our hands, vnmercifulnesse in our hearts, lust in our loynes, remaine vn­weeded, not rooted out. For these things is the wrath of God come vpō vs: euen for yeelding Christ thornes, in stead of his fruit: therefore haue some of vs beene visited with sicknesse in our owne bodies; some with death, and griefe for death of friends; some with losse of [Page 57] temporall goods, some affli­cted in mind, which is of all o­ther, the most grieuous afflicti­on: all of vs haue felt some scourge or other; happy we, if wee can make vse of it, as of a fathers rod to make vs better.

May it please you looke to your Maker in the first Creati­on, and imitate him, Gather the waters vnder the heauen into one place, that the dry land may appeare: Abijcite à vobis omnis materiam peccati: Cast from you the matter of all, and euery sinne and corruption: Sic arida vestra non permanebit arida: So your dry land shall not con­tinue dry, barren, and fruitlesse. Now God drawes neere vnto you, draw you neere vnto God, & be enlightned: which if you doe, then are you no more Arida, that is, dry and vn­fruitfull [Page 58] ground; but Florida, earth made fit to beare fruit for the Lords haruest: if still through your neglect, and hardnesse of heart, yee remaine dry and barren land; Spinas & tribulos velut ignis escam ge­rentes, bearing thornes and thistles, fit fuel for hell-fire; Se­cundùm ea quae proferetis, etiam ipsi ignis esca efficiemini; euen according to your fruits which you bring forth, your selues shal encrease the matter, and the flames of that euerlasting neuer wasting fire. Euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shal be hewen downe, and cast in­to the fire; and euery withered branch which purging makes not fruitfull. Remember be­loued, where Christ saith, My father is a husbandman; Why then, ye are Gods husbandry: Co­lit [Page 59] ad fructum, He tills, that you may beare fruit; Yee are Gods building, hee builds you vp, repayres you, dwels in you: If you abide in Christ, and walke as new borne babes, as children of light, hating the workes of dark­nesse, mortifying your members which are on the earth, seeking those things which are aboue; Christ who abideth in you, shal make you fruitfull to good workes. These (as I sayd) are your true-borne children, by bearing these yee shall be saued: ye shall restore the golden age, and make the place you liue in, (were it worse then it is) a very earthly Paradise: Earth shall returne to earth, but such earth as this, terram possidebit, shall possesse the earth, the land of the liuing, the land which flow­eth with milke and honey: Bee [Page 60] the one, that yee may come to the other. This Sacrament which yee are now to receiue, was ordained for you to this very purpose: by receiuing whereof, wee are ioyned as neere to God, by his grace, as before we were ioyned to A­dam by his fall. Marke this for your comfort; The old Testa­ment gaue but the sprinkling of Christ his blood vpon their bo­dies, which was easily washed off, by their wallowing in the swigge of sinne: but the new Testament giues the drinking of his blood; which is a neerer coniunction of vs and Christ, then the loue of brother and brother, of father to sonne, or sonne to father; yea neerer then of husband and wife: of all which wee see the Deuill hath sometimes or other, [Page 61] wrought a dissolution: but this, to drinke Christs blood, to make his body our food, is such a coniunction, such a neere­nesse, as that the Deuill, with all his subtlety, and with all his power cannot dissolue, is not able to separate. The greatest promise that euer was made man, was this, to be made par­taker of Christ his Diuinity: The full performance of this promise, in this Sacrament we fully receiue. For by drinking of Christs blood we are not on­ly made partakers of the diuine calling, but euen of the Diuine nature of IESVS CHRIST: Bee our sinnes neuer so many, neuer so foule, let vs remem­ber, that there came not blood onely out of his sides when he dyed for vs, but water also; Sanguis ad redemptionem, aqua [Page 62] ad ablutionem: Christ is not Labrum aeneum, a standing ves­sell of brasse, wherein if wee wash, the water will bee vn­cleane: but Fons perennis, a fountaine of running water; so, though we bee neuer so filthy, be our sins neuer so great, neuer so many, theres water enough to clense vs, it selfe neuer a whit defiled. It is he who in the beginning said; Let the earth bud forth, the bud of the hearbe that seedeth seed, the fruitfull tree which beareth fruit according to his kind: and his Word was then, and hath been euer since powerfull: for still it is hee, who crowneth the yeere with his blessings; hee is onely able to restore you to your integrity, and make you such earth, as was the earth of the Garden of Eden, euen earth [Page 63] able to bring forth of it owne accord; hee will and shall mul­tiply blessing vpon blessing, as you shall multiply confession vpon confession; his name cannot bee ouer praised, nor can wee bee too thankfull. God blesseth vs, and we blesse him; in both, ours is the en­crease. For though we curse him, hee is not lessened: and when we blesse him, hee is not encreased; when wee blesse him he blesseth vs, and we en­crease and multiply: when we curse him, ours is the curse, we returne to dust whereof we were made, and are made meat for the Serpent, which Ser­pent (at our first fall) God laid his curse on, not on the man or woman (such was his loue to mankind,) which loue hee hath since more manifested, [Page 64] in salutari suo, in his sauing health; Let vs therefore take the cup of saluation, and pay our vowes to the Almighty. Benedictio in multiplicatione, he hath blessed, wondrously blessed and encreased vs; Let vs prayse him; illa pluvia, Gods blessing is the showre; hic fructus est, our thankfulnesse that is the fruit, therefore due to the husbandman; the fruit­fulnesse of women, and their chast desires of bearing chil­dren, to whom pertaine they, but to him? nature cannot challenge it: It is the God of Nature, Qui creauit omnia, quando non erant, ipse prolis suc­cessu facit permanere quod con­didit. He that gaue to all things a being, when they had no being, by succession of issue giues the same things a continuance. [Page 65] That wee are, moue, liue, it is in him, and from him: It is his gift: Hee feedes vs, clothes vs, and prouides for vs: Hee giues vs strength to labour, and rest after labour: O Melibaee Deus nobis haec otia fecit: It is hee who hath giuen vs these holy dayes, these dayes of rest: Let euery one of vs readily take vp the shepheards protestation, or resolution: Nam{que} erit ille mihi semper Deus: Hee shall bee my God for euer. Bona nostra dona eius: All our goods, are his gifts; all within vs, without vs, on euery side, his endow­ments: Et ipse bonorum no­strorum non indiget: he needs nothing of ours. When wee haue done all that we can, wee are but vnprofitable seruants to him: profitable stewards to our [Page 66] selues we may bee, if wee ac­knowledge this; and confesse, Deus facit, Deus donat haec omnia: God causes, God giues all these good things wee enioy, or haue ioy of; thats not e­nough: Solus donat: he alone giues all: Nothing haue wee which wee haue not receiued at his hand: This let vs ac­knowledge, this is the fruit that our earth ought to bring forth. And then shall wee flourish like a tree planted by the water side: Quae fructum affert suum in tempore suo. Wee shall bee that good earth which brings forth good fruit, which fruit hath seed in it selfe, accor­ding to his kind: fructus prae­sentium, fruits for the present: Semina futurorum, and seedes for the yeares to come: we shall haue root in our selues, rooted [Page 67] and grounded in Christ: Out of our hearts, as out of our trea­sures, we shall bring forth both new and old, as out of good ground, good, and permanent fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirtie fold.

Which grace our heauenly Father giue vs, and grant that we receiue not his seed which hath beene sowne this day, by the way side; nor that our fruits which wee bring forth, grow by the way side, and so the fowles come and deuoure them vp, but in the way, in him who saith, I am the Way, and is the Truth, & is the Life. To whom with the holy Ghost, three persons, one true ever-liuing God, &c.