Within this grand story of redemption, trees figure prominently in many other ways. Benefits of trees are numerous and varied. Because trees are essential for human life and flourishing, tree metaphors appear frequently in the Biblical message. Between the tree of life in Genesis and in Revelation, how are we to live? Like a tree!
7 This grace of God which saueth hath appeared to all men;Water, wine, milke freely offered by Christ. this heauenly foode Christ Iesus, by preaching the Gospel, is offered to all, as Manna the heauenly bread, by faith to feede vpon; and as a liuely fountaine to drinke of, to euerlasting life. All are of mercie, grace, and fauour freely called; al may come, and freely feede, without penie or penieworth. The grace of God is free, remission of sins is free:Contra Pelag. de origin peccat. cap. 24. freely graunted, freely giuen, without monie. The price of our redemption is neither golde nor siluer: Through grace ye are freely saued. For it cannot be grace any way which is not euerie way free, saith S. Augustine.
Ash Of Gods: Redemption MAC
26 Thus being naked and vtterly destitute in our selues we seeke all things in Christ Iesus.The truth seeketh to throw downe men, and to aduance Christ. Him onely we acknowledge to be our wisedome, our iustification, our sanctification, our redemption, our [Page 15] priest, our sacrifice, our king, our head, our mediator, our phisition, our waie, our trueth, our life. In our selues we finde nothing but pouertie, and weakenesse; praise, and honour, and glorie wee giue to him. The onely marke we ayme at is to set vp his throne, to aduaunce his kingdome, to make it knowne that in him the Father hath layde vp all the treasures of heauen, to the ende that vnto him the thirstie may repaire for water, the hungrie for bread, the naked for cloathes, and wee all for all things needeful to the safetie of our soules and bodies.
22 From these general perswasions they traine the people to particulars,Frō the excellencie of their sacrifice. teaching many other shamefull things; but this aboue all other, as most needefull to be held of all, that the masse is a sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead, strong and effectuall to take away sinne, forcible in ridding soules out of Purgatorie paines. But S. Paul teacheth that Christ was offered vp once to take away all sinne; and by that one oblation, because it was perfect, obteined the full deliuerie and redemption of his Church. The bloud of Christ doeth cleanse vs from all sinne. Therefore we neede not their aftercleansings, which in trueth are defilings. With these and other like false and subtile perswasions they leade the simple people to the pit of destruction.
5 And here wee haue to praise our God,The vnitie which is in ye Church of England at this day touching religiō; the disagreement about some smaller things outwardly apperteining to religion. that in publike doctrine touching the substance of religion wee all agree in one truth; we all builde vpon one foundation, Christ Iesus slaine and offered vp for our full redemption according to the doctrine of the scriptures. So much the greater pitie it is that there should be such dissent in matters of small importance, in rites and circumstances, that by contention in such things the course of the Gospel should be hindered, Christs aduersaries strengthened, and his church offended. The ministerie cannot bee well executed without her rites, which rites are left indifferent to euerie policie, [Page 81] so that they be not disagreeing from the word, so that they tend vnto edification, so that they be seemely and according to decent order. Bee it graunted that some rites vpon some consideration might be bettered or omitted: yet can I not say neither any man, I suppose, can prooue that any thing is set downe to be obserued in the Church, wicked or contrarie to the woord. And it were scarse wisedome when as in many yeres a beautifull and a costlie house is builded, if a windowe be set a litle awrie, or some small like eye sore doe appeare, in respect thereof to disturbe the whole house, to put it downe, and laie it flat with the ground. For euerie change being so full of perill, surely these great alterations vpon so light aduise, these newe common wealthes, howsoeuer they be shadowed with the plausible name of reformation, yet in seeking (for vndoubtedly this is sought and that by many) to haue the patrimonie of the Church diuided, mangled, and impaired, they threaten the vtter ouerthrowe of learning and religion. For take away liuing at which roote this axe especially striketh, and ye take away learning; take away learning, and yee ouerthrowe teaching; take away teaching, and what shall become of the church of Christ?Prou. 29. Where there is no vision there the people cannot choose but come to decaie. There is no state (no not the state of a prince excepted to whom feare, honour, obedience, and tribute is due) that may more rightly chalenge a competent and sufficient liuing than the minister of the word of God. They seeme to haue put out the verie light of nature in themselues, which repine at the reasonable maintenance of them that minister before the Lorde in these sanctified labours. For who doeth plant a vineyard and doeth not eate of the fruite thereof? or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flock? Marke how the scriptures both in the Lawe and in the Gospell doe beate vpon this point. In the Lawe it is saide, Thou shalt not mussle the mouth of the Oxe. 1. Cor. 9. Doeth God take care for Oxen? No his care is for vs. For our cause it is that he hath saide, The labourer is worthie of his hire. 1. Tim. 5. For our cause he hath ordeined, that they which preache the Gospell, should liue of the Gospell. Hee had a care of his church,Gal. 6. and therefore gaue charge, Let him that is taught in the word make him that taught him partaker of al his goods. This is large yet but reasonable. For if we haue sowen vnto you spiritual things, [Page 82] is it a great matter if wee reape your carnall things? is it much to make vs partakers of all your goods?1. Tim. 5. The Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour, specially they which labour in the woord and doctrine. 1. Thess. 5. They which labour amongst you, and are ouer you in the Lorde, and admonish you, haue them, saith the Apostle, we beseeche you in singular loue, for their works sake. It was foreseene no doubt by the spirite, how Gods portion should be pinched; howe the ministers of the word should be contemned; howe iniuriously men in these last vncharitable daies would seeke for the hauocke and spoile of the Church: this mooued him in so large and ample sort to speake of maintenance, and honour due to his ministers. If any man bee slowe and rechelesse in dooing his office, if there bee any Idol-sheepeheard that feedeth himselfe onely and not his flocke; let him be reformed or remooued: But for the fault of a fewe, that the whole state should be subuerted, and the patrimonie of the church of Christ spoiled and deuoured, it were verie hard. No prince, nor people, Christian or Heathen, could euer consent to such a thing without sacrilege. Wel, as we are at vnitie in substance of religion; so God graunt that at length in these things also we may agree and be as one; euen as becommeth the congregation of Christ, which is a societie linked and knit together, not sundered by diuision, and rent in peeces by varietie of opinions and iudgements. To this vnitie Paul exhorteth, Be of one meaning. This vnitie Christ commendeth to his Disciples saying, Be one.
12 S. Paul complaineth grieuously of some walkers.Walking in heresie. Many there are, saith he, that walke, of whom I haue told you often, and now tell you weeping. Phil. 3. They are enemies of the crosse of Christ. The crosse of Christ is taken here for the passion of Christ, which suffered on the crosse. Whoso offereth vp Christ againe once offered and sacrificed for our sinnes, he is an enemie to the crosse of Christ. To seeke remission of sinnes, redemption, iustification, satisfaction or saluation elsewhere than in Christ crucified, is to bee an enemie to the crosse of Christ, and to walke not in the high way of trueth, but in the bypathes of wicked men.
THE greater and better part of holie Scripture either setteth foorth Gods goodnesse towards vs,As we haue redemption at the hands of God, so he at ours should haue the duty of continuall holinesse and righteousnes of life. or our duetie towards him. In these fewe but most pithie woords of Zacharie both are comprehended. The great benefite we receiue from God is our redemption in Christ. The dutie which wee owe to him againe, is in holinesse and righteousnesse of life continually to serue him. He toucheth our redemption in one word, but in many words explicateth the dutie which we owe for it vnto our redeemer: giuing vs hereby secretly to vnderstand, that men are easilie taught to knowe; but hardly brought to doe their masters wil. We are rich in al speech [Page 153] and vnderstanding,1. Cor. 1. but in deedes ful poore and barren. We know much but litle doe we, although amongst other things knowne this be one;Luc. 11. that, He which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes: Matth. 23. and this another; that, Not euerie one that saith Lord Lord, but he which doth the will of the father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen. Wee are for all this such as those Pharisees were whom Christ reprooueth because they saide and did not.Matth. 7. Euen such we are become, as Iude doth describe: Wels without water, Clowdes without raine, Ep. Iud. Trees without fruite, dead; though not as yet pulled vp by the rootes. Wee are hearers of the woord, and yet skantly that: but workers of the woord we are not. God graunt that the woord wherein wee nowe glorie bee not one day to our shame: that the Gospel of saluation beare not witnesse against vs and condemne vs: that the words which Christ hath spoken vnto vs heape not iudgement vpon our heads: that this be not our condemnation also,Iohn 3. that light beeing come into the worlde wee loue darkenesse more than light. Surely if wee continue to professe in woords,Heb. 6. and denie in deedes; to crucifie to our selues our Sauiour Christ afresh; to feede vpon our vomit, and to welter in the lothsome myre of our filthie sinne:2. Pet. 2. wee shall make our selues vnwoorthie of the kingdome of God,Acts 13. wee cannot claime the benefite of Christs merits, neither bee partakers of that glorious redemption which Zacharie heere remembreth vnto vs: but the bloud of Christ shall be vpon our heads, and wee shall perish in our sinne as being guiltie of our owne damnation.Osee. 13. Thy destruction O Israel is of thy selfe. 2ff7e9595c
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