Sermon 13 - I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found - Hosea 14:8.
THE THIRTEENTH SERMON
I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.—HOS. 14:8.
THIS holy prophet, as we heard heretofore, did prophesy more than sixty years among the ten tribes, even until the time immediately preceding their captivity and misery, in like manner as Jeremiah and Ezekiel did to the other Jews. Now, because in the worst times God always had a remnant, and yet hath, therefore it is the prophet's care, in this chapter which we have gone over, to instruct them in divers particulars of reformation, as we have heard at large, 'to return to the Lord,' 'to take words to themselves,' which words, as we have heard, are also taught them, backed with many sweet promises and encouragements in God's answer to their petitions: the last whereof insisted and stood upon was this, that God promiseth to be like a green fir-tree unto Ephraim, who personated all the ten tribes.
Ephraim thought before to shadow and fence himself by idols, and league with other idolatrous nations, which were like Jonah's rotten gourd unto them, poor shadows and defences; but saith God, 'I will be a fir-tree' for shadow to Ephraim, to defend him from all dangers whatsoever; and then in the next place he adds,
'From me is thy fruit found.'
A fir-tree is a green tree, but it hath no fruit. The excellencies of the creatures are applied to God, but not the defects. Therefore, when comparisons are taken from the creatures and given to God, we must always except the defects, supplying the same by some other clearing comparison. So God is not only a fir-tree for shelter and defence, but he is a fruitful tree. So a fir-tree is not; and therefore without comparison, God hath more in him than any creature hath. For all that excellency which is in all the creatures is in him, and that in a far more eminent manner; therefore, he is both a shelter and fruit. If a passenger in distress have not only a fir-tree to shelter him and
shadow him, but a fruit-tree also to feed him, he thinks he is made when God thus comforts him. So a Christian, he hath not only shelter from the wrath of God, but he hath also a place of rest and quiet, the mercy of God to keep him, and the word and sacraments to feed him.
God is a fruit-tree as well as a fir-tree.
'From me is thy fruit found.'
That is, whatsoever is graciously or comfortably good to us, in us, or issues from us, is all from God. Hence first of all we observe for our instruction, From a man's self comes nothing that is graciously good.
Whatsoever is savingly good is altogether from God. 'Without me,' saith Christ, 'you can do nothing,' John 15:5. Saint Paul was wondrous chary* of this point. 1 Cor. 15:10 he saith 'he laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I' (he recalls himself), 'but the grace of God in him that did all;' and of myself, as of myself, I cannot so much 'as think a good thought.' It is from God that we have means to make us fruitful, and from the gracious working of his Spirit comes it that they are effectual. That we think a good thought, or open our mouths to speak a good word, it is from God's Spirit enabling us thereto. 'Open thou my mouth,' saith the psalmist, 'and my lips shall shew forth thy praise.' We are tongue-tied and our lips sealed unless God open them. We cannot speak one savoury, seasonable word to further our accompt. We may speak empty words, but never a word comes from the heart that is gracious and good, but it must be by the Spirit of God. It is he who works all our works in us and for us. 'He begins the good work in us, and perfects it to the day of the Lord,' Isa. 26:12, Phil. 1:6. The truth of this is wondrous clear.
If this be so, then undoubtedly the differences in the graces of men, it is from another, merely from God and God's Spirit. There is indeed difference in men, but this is originally fetched from the grace of
God's Spirit. The good use of freedom, that we talk so much of, it is from God, as well as the endowments of it. We have free will, but the use of it is not in our power, to use this or that at our pleasure; for 'it is God which gives the will and the deed,' Phil. 2:13, of his good pleasure. Not only the deed, but the will too; we should make the will an idol else. For so many wills, so many idols, if we think one man in himself can difference himself by his will.
Again, in that God saith, 'From me is thy fruit found,' we may learn hence, That fruit that is gracious comes from us and from God too.
It is our fruit and God's, so that there is a subordination of gracious works under God. The fruit we have is from God, yet it is our fruit too.
Quest. How can this be?
Sol. Yes, easily. We speak the words, but it is God that opens our lips.
We believe, but it is God that gives us grace to believe. We do the action, but God gives us grace to do it. God opened the heart of Lydia to believe, Acts 16:14, so that God and we meet together in the same action. We have parts, understanding, will, affections, bodies and souls. Therefore the actions are said to be ours, because God works in us as understanding creatures; but God sets the wheel a-going, so that the actions are originally his, and ours subordinately under him,
'From me is thy fruit found.'
If so be that God and man join in one action ('From me is thy fruit found;' as though he should say, Whatsoever thou hast or sayest that is good, it is from me; here we see how, and why good works cannot merit, though they come from God, as all goodness doth), yet in regard they come from us too, we add some tainture thereunto from our corrupt nature. What God and Christ himself doth, is absolute and perfect, as justification; but what fruit he works in us, there is somewhat of the old Adam in us, which taints the beauty of the work.
It is God's fruit, coming from him, and yet our fruit also, coming from us; which being so much tainted should humble us, in that we add nothing to the truth of God's work in us, but abasement and defilement by our corruptions. 'From me (saith God) is thy fruit found,' so much as is supernaturally good; but because our nature is not altered on the sudden, but still tastes of the 'old leaven,' 1 Cor.
5:7, therefore there can be no meriting of salvation by any works we do, because they are not perfectly good.
Use 1. The clearing of these points, in our judgment, they serve to work in us a deep humiliation, seeing that we have nothing in ourselves but stains and defilements, all that is good in us coming from God, 'From me is thy fruit found.' What is from ourselves then, if all good in us comes from God? We are a barren and a cursed soil, nothing that is good can come from us. Even as the earth was cursed after Adam's fall, and brought forth nothing but briers and thorns, so our soul naturally is a cursed soil in itself, and brings forth nothing but weeds and thorns. Our hearts are like the barren wilderness, full of evil, noisome lusts and affections. Therefore this serves to abase us, that we be not lifted up with any good in us; for as that is altogether from God's Spirit, so likewise we of ourselves add nothing to it, but somewhat which may diminish the value thereof.
Use 2. Here, again, for matter of judgment, you have a difference between the state of nature and the state of grace, I mean of innocent nature, for in Adam we had a standing in ourselves, being trusted with our own good; but now under the second covenant, under the second Adam, Christ Jesus, we have many graces to fit us for heaven, and many good works we do, but all the fruit we have and yield is from God. So that now this is a grand difference. Adam, as it were, had the keeping of his own happiness locked up in himself; but we have our happiness, graces, and whatsoever is good for us, shut up in Christ as the spring and fountain, which is the reason of the perpetual stability and permanent condition of God's children, once his and ever his. And put the case, we want this or that help, yet this prejudiceth not the perpetuity of the condition of God's children,
because those graces which come immediately from God's Spirit, may be conveyed sometimes without means, as well as with them.
Therefore, whatsoever decay is in the branches that are grafted into this noble Vine, Christ Jesus, in whom we bear all the fruit we bear, yet notwithstanding there is life everlasting for us in the root, which is by little and little distilled into us. The leaves may fall, outward things may decay, but there is life alway in the root of a Christian, because he is in Christ, and hath his fruit from him; he cannot want fruit, no more than Christ can want influence and vigour, John 15:5.
Which shews us the excellent state of a Christian under the new covenant of grace, that now we fetch all out of ourselves, and it is happy for us that we do so. For without Christ we can do nothing. As without the soul the body can do nothing, so without the Spirit of Christ we can do nothing; from him is all. This is the reason why we must not trust to any grace in ourselves, that comes from us, because grace comes from God in Christ. Trust God, the spring whence it comes, whose the fruit is: God the Father in Christ, from whom all fulness comes, and is derived unto us, or else we make but an idol of grace, if we trust too much to grace. Look to the spring whence all comes to us. 'From me is thy fruit found.'
Quest. Again, for further instruction, What is the reason that some have more grace than others, and more comfort, some having grace and comfort in one degree, and some in another?
Sol. Hence it is: 'From me is thy fruit found.' It comes from the freedom of God in Christ, who according to his good pleasure gives the will and the deed, whence we have grace sometimes in the vigour, sometimes in a weaker and lesser degree, the fault being in ourselves too. Yet, notwithstanding, there is a liberty in the Spirit of Christ, to give a more or less measure of grace, to shew that our good we do springs not from ourselves. Which also is the reason of the difference betwixt Christians, because God will shew that he is the disposer and the dispenser of his own graces and comforts. And that is the reason also why we must perform this duty of waiting upon God in the use of means, though we find no sense of grace and comfort from him for
the present, 'From him our fruit is found.' Wait his leisure. He suspends grace and comfort until a fit time, in regard of the degree; but yet there is alway some grace left, though he suspends the increase thereof until a fit time, because he would have us know that it is of his giving. Christians who are acquainted herewith, they will not tie God to their time, but humbly go on in the use of means, who though they find not their spirits and their comforts enlarged so as at other times, nor so great, nor as other folks are; yet can say, Lord, thou givest the will and the deed according to thy good pleasure, all comes from thee; therefore I will use the means and depend upon thee because I have all from thee freely. God gives a spirit of prayer, and then the thing we pray for, all is from him, 'From me is thy fruit found.' Do we find the ordinances fruitful, the preaching of the word to open our understandidgs, to kindle our affections, to enlighten our judgments? It is the Spirit of God that joins with the means, that are dead of themselves, to make them fruitful. What are the ordinances without God, but empty conduit-pipes of themselves? Therefore,
'From me is thy fruit found.'
Use 3. This should teach and direct us also in all things to look up to God in all use of means. Lord, I may read, hear, and use helps and means long enough, to little or no purpose, unless thou give a blessing. Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but if thou give not fruit from heaven, all is to no purpose, 1 Cor. 3:6. We forget this, and therefore prosper accordingly. We think we can work fruit out of the means, by our own wit. Oh! it is not so! Whatsoever is comfortable or gracious in the use of means, it is merely God's blessing. And therefore seeing all our fruit whatsoever, that is good, comes from God, let us stir us up to practise the spiritual worship of God, to adore God, to beg of his fulness in Christ Jesus, and likewise to resign ourselves in all conditions unto him. Lord, I put myself upon thee; all my fruit is from thee; thou canst sanctify any condition unto me. This adoration and resignation are parts of the spiritual worship of God. And likewise the service of the Lord in fear and reverence, that inward service of the Spirit; all depends upon this, that all our fruit is from God. Therefore I must serve him, and serve him as he
must be served, in spirit and truth, John 4:24. What makes a man reverence another? I depend upon him; without him I sink. Will this make a man serve man? And will it not make us serve God, and serve him with fear? What breeds an awful fear? This, that if he withdraw his influence, I fall into sin, despair, and discomfort. So that the ground of all fear of God, and service springing from this fear, it is from hence, that from him all my fruit, all my grace and comfort, is found; therefore I must have grace to serve him, as a God in fear. For if the soul be not possessed and seasoned with this heavenly doctrine, that all comes from him, then surely where is God's service? What becomes of it? Where is that adoration and magnifying of God in our hearts? Where's that putting off ourselves upon him in all conditions?
Use 4. Again, this enforceth another part of God's spiritual and heavenly worship, cleaving to God in our affections, especially these two, in our faith and love; that as all comes from and by Jesus Christ, so thereby we may draw from him the fruit of grace and comfort. So that this spiritual cleaving and uniting of our souls to Christ, it comes from this, that I have all from him, therefore I must cleave to him; seeing whatsoever is spiritual, holy, and comfortable I must have from him. Therefore if we would worship God in spirit and truth, as we should do, and set him up in his due place in the soul, let us labour to have our judgments sanctified in this, that all comes from God. If we were surely grounded in the goodness, mercy, and riches of God's grace, and knew that all our fruit comes and is from him, this would make us to conclude that therefore it is reason that we should worship him and depend upon him strictly. As the prophet speaks of idols, that they can neither do us good nor harm, Jer. 10:5, enforcing that they should not fear them, so we may say of all other things distinct from God, they can neither do good nor harm, except
God enable them. Will you be slaves to men? They cannot do good nor harm, but as God uses them, whose creatures they are. Therefore the worship of God is also founded hence, that God does all good or harm. If men do it they do it from him, he gives them leave; as it is said of Shimei, God bid him rail on David, 2 Sam. 16:10. If they do us
good, they are his conduits, whereby he deriveth good to us; therefore all is from him. We see then how all the true and hearty worship of God comes from this, 'From me is thy fruit found.'
Use 5. This should make us likewise, as to worship God in spirit and in truth, so to be resolute in good causes, whatsoever come of it.
Look for a ground, and then be resolute; because all comes from God, who will stand by us in his own cause and quarrel.
But if I forsake this and that support, I shall lay open myself to injuries and wrongs.
Mark what the Spirit of God saith, 'Ye that love the Lord, hate that which is evil,' Ps. 97:10. But if I hate that which is evil, idols, &c., as Ephraim here doth, I shall be despised and trampled upon. No! saith he, 'God preserves the souls of his; he will be a shield and a buckler; a sun and a shield; and no good thing shall be wanting to them that lead a godly life,' Ps. 84:11. God will be a sun for all good, and a shield to keep off all ill; therefore let us be resolute in good causes.
Whence comes all shifting, halting, imperfect walking, and inconstances in the ways of God, but from this, that men know not where to have men? They are not grounded on this, that whatsoever is fruitful and good comes from God, who will give whatsoever is fruitful and good in depending upon him. This made the three children in Daniel courageous. They knew they should have fruit from God; that is, grace, comfort, and peace, the best fruit of all. And therefore 'know, O king, that we will not worship thine idol, nor fall down before it,' Dan. 3:18. So holy Esther, being well grounded, could say, 'If I perish, I perish,' Esth. 4:16. I know the cause is good; and if all help in the creature be removed and taken away, yet I shall have fruit in God.
Let us therefore carry this about us, as a principle of holy life, to know that our good is hid up in God, and not in the creature; so that if all help were taken away, yet we have it immediately, purer and better in the fountain. What if there were not a creature in the world
to help me? What if all were against me? Yet God may make all their powers and endeavours fruitful. There is such fruit from God, that he can make the worst things which befalleth us fruitful when he pleaseth. There is a blessing in curses and crosses, a good fruit in them! Who can do him harm that God turneth the bitterest things he suffers to his good? Let none be daunted in a good cause, but go on resolutely, seeing God hath all in himself. Was not Moses forty days without any earthly comfort on the mount? Exod. 34:28. And Christ also without natural sustentation so long? Mat. 4:2. Did not God give light without a sun in the first creation? We are tied to means, but he is not. We think if such friends and helps be taken away, that then all is gone; but what were they? Were not they means which God used at his good pleasure, and cannot he give comfort without them? Yes, certainly! The greatest comfort and grace is ofttimes given immediately from God, when he salutes the soul by his own Spirit, as he did Paul and Silas in the dungeon; who, in the midst of discomfort, had their spirits enlarged to sing hymns at midnight,
Acts 16:25, God reserving that comfort for that time. Therefore seeing all comfort is from God, and he is not tied to this or that means, nay, can bless all contrary means, is not this a ground of resolution?
Use 6. Therefore now make a use of comfort of it, seeing all fruit is from God, who is in covenant with his children in Jesus Christ, and who will improve all his attributes for their good, his wisdom, goodness, power, and mercy. Let them therefore take comfort to themselves, that howsoever the world may take their friends from them, riches, liberty, and what you will, can they take God and fruit from them? No! 'From me is thy fruit found.' If they could take away the Spirit of God, grace, and comfort from us, it were something; but can they do that? No! The worst they can do is to send us to heaven, to the fountain of all grace and comfort; so that in this world they cannot cast us into any condition wherein we cannot have communion with God, in whom all the scattered excellencies of the creature are gathered together, meeting as it were in a centre. It is he that comforts us in our friends, that shews bowels to us in our
mothers, wisdom and care towards us in our parents. The bowels of a mother, the care of a friend, the strength of wise assistance, hath he not all in himself, if all be taken away? He hath all. Therefore let
Christians comfort themselves, that they can never be in a condition wherein fruit shall be taken from them. The poor worldling labours all his life for fruit, riches, and friends; and when he dies, then his fruit faileth him and falls, his leaf withereth. What becometh of his fruit then? He laboured for that which yields him nothing but vexation and death. But a Christian doth otherwise; he labours for grace and comfort to keep his communion and peace with God; and when all is taken away, either by the injury and wrongs of men, or by the extremity of the times, or as all will, in the hour of death, his fruit is most after, in death, and after death, more than can be by our narrow hearts conceived in the excellency thereof. Oh! the excellent estate of a Christian! Imagine such a one to have a tree that grows in heaven, and sends forth fruit and branches to him in whatsoever state he is in. And so indeed God reacheth fruit from heaven to the soul, being in prison and misery. He reacheth from thence the fruit of grace, of spiritual strength and comfort: a blessed estate!
Therefore let Christians comfort themselves in their condition, 'that all their fruit is from him;' and that God especially will then shew himself abundant when they stand most in need of him. Other trees bear no fruit in winter and in storms, but God giveth fruit most in the worst times. He is a God that comforteth the abject. As it is 2 Cor.
7:6; and here is said, that 'in him the fatherless findeth mercy.' We have most fruit from him in the worst times. Then especially he delighteth to shew himself a God, when no comfort can be had from the creature.
Therefore do not despair, but lay up this against evil times; never fear for the time to come. Let the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea, and let the earth and all rage, as the psalmist says, and let things run upon a head; come what can come, God is where he was, and God's children are where they were, in regard of the main comfort, Ps. 46:2. They cannot be in such a condition, as that they can be deprived of their God, and of his assistance: 'From me is thy
fruit found.' Therefore care not for any condition that thou art in, this or that, thou shalt have that condition which shall be comfortable to thee, though many like beasts go on, and look for no fruit from God.
Use 7. And let this also be an encouragement, to walk with God sincerely and uprightly in all times, not fearing any creature, or danger from the creature, because our fruit is from God. What if we lose this or that? We know what was said to Amaziah by the prophet.
But what shall become of the hundred talents? saith he. God is able to give thee much more, 2 Chron. 25:9. So in the loss of friends, having this and that took* from us, let us comfort ourselves. Aye, but God is not taken from us. He who derives† comfort by this or that friend, can supply it better by his own Spirit. And whatsoever we part with in a good cause, let us remember what Christ saith. 'He that parts with father or mother, with house or land for my sake, shall have a hundredfold in this world, and afterwards life everlasting,
Mat. 19:29. He shall have all made up in grace, which is a hundred times better than anything that is here. He shall have contentment, which is better than the things themselves. Sometimes he shall, missing one worldly comfort, have more friends stirred up; but howsoever, in want of one, he shall be supplied in another comfort that he never dreamt of in this world. So that God is abundant to them that stick close to him in sincerity; he shall find him abundant in the things of this life, in one comfort or other.
Therefore, by these mercies of God here mentioned, let us be entreated to be in love with the condition of a Christian life, and say, as Ephraim here, 'What have I any more to do with my former corrupt courses, or idols?' Give a peremptory answer to all sinful courses and suggestions, either from others or from our own corrupt nature. 'What have I any more to do with you?' No; God shall be my
God: for if I can resign myself wholly to God, and renounce the creature and all things else, God will be as a 'green fir-tree,' and hear me. I shall lose nothing by it. Be then in love with a Christian course; for it is the sweetest and the safest course, and never wants comforts
from heaven: and it is the most honourable course that can be, for it will hold our communion and peace with the great God of heaven and earth; for though we break with others, we shall be sure of him.
In which case take heed of that base suggestion which the devil himself was ashamed to own, 'that we serve God for nought,' Job 1:9.
What! shall we renounce idolatry and wicked courses, and think that God will not have fruit for us? Shall I think, if I leave my sinful gain, that I or my posterity shall beg or starve for it? Do we serve a God that hath no fruit, that is a dead tree, or a barren wilderness? No; we serve a God that had all in himself before he made the world, and hath all the excellency in himself contained in the creatures. It is not in vain to serve him. 'Doth Job serve God for nothing?' said the devil.
Therefore it is a suggestion worse than Satanical, to think we serve God for nothing, or to think, like those hypocrites mentioned by the prophet, that God regards not our fasting or our devotion, Isa. 58:3.
No; we shall not lose a good word for God. Not a tear, but he hath a bottle for it, Ps. 56:8; not a sigh, or a groan, or a farthing, not a minute's time well spent shall be lost. He will pay us for every ill word we endure for his sake, for every disgrace, loss, or cross. Do we serve that God there is no fruit in? 'From me is thy fruit found.'
Whatsoever our condition be in the world, let us comfort ourselves with these things, and think that it is not in vain to serve the Lord; for we cannot serve a richer, nor a more kind master and Lord. First of all, he gives us opportunity and means whereby fruit may be wrought in us, and then he works the fruit of grace and comfort in us, and afterwards rewards and crowns his own fruit. But we add imperfections and inventions of our own, and so mar or stain all. But we deal with a gracious God in covenant, who pities us as a father doth his children, accepts and rewards what is his, and pardons what is our own. Therefore let thus much be effectual for the guiding of our lives, and comforting of us in a good course. If we take ill courses, we must look for no fruit from God, but fruits of his displeasure; if we eat of the forbidden tree, we shall eat and reap 'the fruits of our own ways,' bitter fruits. For in this case, Jesus Christ, who is a sweet Saviour, will be a judge to us; and he who is 'the Lamb