A Sermon on the Parable of the Sour, taken out of the 13. of Matthew. Preached at London by M. G. Gifford, & published at the request of sundry godly and well disposed persons.  
¶ Imprinted at London for Toby Cook, dwelling at the Tigers head in Paul's Churchyard. 1582.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL M. john Hutton Esquire, George Gifford wisheth health and increase of worship.  
IT is more than half a year (right worshipful) since I handled this parable of the Sour, in a Sermon at London, Being instantly urged by a friend which heard me, to put it in writing, although I was very unwiling, for sundry considerations, yet I made some promise if leisure should serve. Afterward when I would very gladly have been released at her hands whom I promised, I could by no means obtain it. I have therefore at the last so nigh as I could, set down in writing, that which I then uttered in speaking, I know that I have omitted some things in the particular applications, and exhortations which I made: & also I have added sonewhat which either than came not to mind, or else time did not serve to handle. I am bold to present & dedicate this my poor travel unto your worship, moved thereto with divers respects as thinking myself in duty bound, not only with this common & general bond that ye are one which long time have professed the glorious gospel of jesus Christ: but with divers more special, which are so well known unto you, that it were needless for me to recite them: only thus much, seeing I was born & brought up under you, my parents receiving benefits daily from you, I think I ought, when as I am not able to make any recompense, at least to show some token of a grateful mind. But especially I am moved hereunto, with consideration of the greatest blessing which all my kindred have enjoyed by you now so long, in providing & procuring their spiritual instruction. I pray you accept of my good will, & account of me as one which prayeth to the Lord for you, that he will multiply & increase his good gifts still in you, to the glory of his holy name, the benefit of his Church, & your endless comfort in jesus Christ. Amen.  
Yours for ever to command in the Lord, George Gifford.   

A Sermon upon the Parable of the Sour.  Math. 13. 
1 IN that day jesus went out of the house and sat by the Sea side.  
2 And there was gathered unto him a multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat down, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  
3 And he spoke many things unto them by▪ Parables, saying: Behold a Sour went forth to fowe.  
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side: and the fowls came & eat them up.  
5 Other fell upon stony ground, where they had not much earth, and by & by they sprang up, because they had not depth of earth.  
6 And when the Sun rose they were parched, and because they had no root they withered.  
7 Other fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  
8 Other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, one seed an hundredth fold, another sixty, another thirty.  
9 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.  
ALthough the jews, at such time as our saviour Christ came into the world, had the word of God among them: & had also the temple & Synagogues where they heard the same read & expounded: yet their state was very miserable, for Christ saith, they were as sheep without a shepherd: because their teachers, the Scribes & Pharisees, being choked with covetousness, & puffed up with vain glory, were become stark nought, corrupt in manners, and corrupting the word with their fond gloss: their teaching also was so cold, & with so little power even in that which they taught truly, that the people had no great list to hear them. But when john Baptist the forerunner of Christ, was raised up to publish the beginning of the Gospel, & to prepare the way for the Lord: he like a sounding & shrill Trumpet, with the power of his word shook their hearts, & roused their drowsiness, so that from his time the kingdom of heaven suffered violence. When Christ jesus himself uttered his voice in preaching, and his divine power in working wonders, there appeared such a wonderful majesty in his person, as did amaze the hearers: whereupon his fame was noised far & near, so that they came running out of all quarters of the land by heaps, for to see & hear him, they seemed to forget themselves & their state, in leaving all worldly affairs, as the husbandmen their plough, the Artificers their crafts & sciences, following him into the wilderness with their wives & their children laggering at their heels, so great was their zeal. So that, as before almost all did perish in that miserable state they were in: now it seemed that the greatest part, or at lest an innumerable multitude did with such care embrace the heavenvly doctrine▪ as that they should be most happy, & come to eternal life: but this was otherwise, for our saviour Christ showeth here, that of this great heap & rabblement of people, which were so zealous & traveled so far to hear him, there were three parts which did not profit by his doctrine but continued still damned & forlorn creatures, only one part of four, are true scholars. And because we be rank hypocrites, prone & ready to deceive ourselves, Christ jesus layeth open the matter so plainly, & in so familiar a kind of teaching, that unless we wilfully blind ourselves we cannot but see how the case standeth in every of us, each man in himself: for he taketh a similitude from a sour of corn, which going & casting his seed abroad, it lighteth upon sundry kinds of ground: some falleth by the way side, where the path is trampled & beaten smooth & hard, by men's feet, & is made like a pavement, & there it lieth above the ground altogether uncovered, the Fowls come by and by and pick it up.  
Some falleth into stony ground or rocky, or as S. Luke saith upon a rock: where there is a little thin crust of earth in the top, & some moisture in which the seed is a little covered: & because the earth which doth cover it is but shallow, it springeth up quickly & brancheth, & is fresh & green, & being so good, seemeth to be forward corn, & such as would yield to the husbandman a plentiful harvest: but because the root can not spread itself deep enough to suck juice out of the ground, for the nourishment of the blade, when the parching heat of the Sun lighteth upon it, than it is dried up, and scorched, and dieth, and never bringeth forth fruit. Some other doth fall among thorns: there is depth of earth for the seed to grow, so that it springeth up, and not only a blade, but also a stalk, and cometh so far as to have the ear: but the thorns grow up with it, overshadow and choke it, insomuch that the Corn in the ear, can not have the benefit of the Sun to make it ripe: therefore the fruit that it seemeth to bring forth cometh to nought. Some other seeds fall into good ground, and grow up, and bring forth seasonable fruit, one kernel an hundredth, another sixty, another thirty. This is the Parable: Now for the meaning of it, we are not to seek far, neither to go by conjectures, for Christ himself doth expound and interpret every part of it a little after in this Chapter: I need not but to lay open his Exposition. The seed is the word of God: the sour of it is the Preacher and publisher of the same: for as the Sower doth fill his hand and so casteth it abroad upon the ground, not setting it seed by seed, or choosing a place for every seed, but where it lighteth: even so the Preacher doth cast forth the word among the people: and look how the ground is into which it falleth, so doth it prosper: for your hearts are the ground upon which it is cast: you that are the hearers and among whom the seed is sown, have every one a heart which is one of these four sorts of ground, upon which the seed falleth: & because the seed hath been & is still daily sown among ye, I think this parcel of Scripture is very fit and agreeable: even as a touchstone for every one to try himself withal, whether he have rightly embraced the Gospel, and to his salvation: for what a sottishness were this, when we have so just & plain a rule, not to measure ourselves with it. But going on, on, nothing consider whether we be not one of those three evil sorts of ground, which receive the seed, but bring forth no fruit, thinking we be well if we profess the Gospel or hear it, after any sort. Let us go forward: those which receive the seed by the way side, are they which hear the word and do not understand it, then cometh the evil one, or as Saint Luke saith, the Devil, and taketh it away from their heart. In these first kind of hearers, we have to observe, how that their hearts being hard and smooth like a path that is trampled and beaten with men's feet the word hath no entrance, but lieth above uncovered: for like as when a man casteth an handful of corn upon a very hard & smooth path, it is all one as if it were cast upon a pavement: so also through the custom & deceitfulness of sinning, the devil hath made the hearts of these unmeet to receive the heavenly seed of the word: & look how ye see Crows & other fowls follow the heels of the Sour, to pick up & devour such karnells as do lie uncovered: in like manner do the devils come like greedy fowls into the assemblies, where the word of God is preached, to take it away from the hearts of the people, that it may not grow there. This peradventure will seem strange to some, that Satan should have any entrance into the Church among God's people, especially when they be about the best and most holy exercises of hearing the word and of prayer. How strange soever it may seem, and how many soever have been, or be of that fond & doltish opinion, to think that the Devil hath nothing to do with them, or cometh not near them, when they be about these holy things: we are to believe Christ who telleth us the contrary: & we are wisely to consider, that when we are nightest that which should do our souls good, then is this enemy readiest at hand, and doth most busily bestir him. If this were not uttered by our Saviour Christ himself, we might wonder, and for mine own part I would not cease wondering to see many hearers which carry away almost nothing which is to any purpose: let a man tell a long story in a worldly matter, they have wit enough to recite it in order again, and to keep it in remembrance a long time after: but let the Preacher speak never so plain, although they sit and look him in the face, yet if ye inquire of them so soon as they be out at the Church doors, ye shall easily perceive that (as the common saying is) it went in at the one ear, and out at the other. They will say peradventure, after this manner, It was a good Sermon, I would we could follow it: he said very well: he is a perfect ready man in the Pulpit. But ask, what doctrine did he handle? Then are they at a pause, and set at a dead lift. They will make this answer: we are not able to carry away so much as other can, nevertheless we hope that we be as good toward God, as they that carry away most. They will also confess that the word of God is good, and that we should be ruled by it. Let us therefore dearly beloved, (if we desire not to be of the number of these) mark well the subtle sleights, and policy of the Devil, how he handleth & conveyeth the matter with this kind of people. There is no doubt of this, but that if he can he will draw away the mind from coming to the Sermon, one pelting let or other must come in the way: if there be no worldly business to be done: then a pair of cards or tables or some honest recreation, it should be now no good civility to part company when friends are met together: this is the surest way if it may be obtained: but what if he fail herein? They come to the place where the séede-shall be sown, sit down, & mind to hear: then the next way is to come with them, and to attend at their elbow, seeking how to deprive them of the word. Now his best way is to bring them asleep because they were then as good be absent: or into a slumber, that they may hear only a sound and a confused humming, without any perseverance of the things uttered: or else when they hear any perfect sentence, or a few sentences, they know not why they be uttered, because they heard not that which went before. Such as are not so drowsy headed, being wakeful, he seeketh still to convey some thoughts into their minds, whereabouts they may be occupied, and their understanding drawn away: the mind of a man being light and inconstant, if he can put in but one motion, it oftentimes draweth with it so many links as make up a whole chain, in the mean time the Preacher goeth on, and he understandeth not what was said, & so when his mind returneth, he can have no sound knowledge of the things uttered, but a confused opinion: into these by thoughts, men are oftentimes brought, even by occasion of some word or sentence which they heard uttered, & are carried so far, that they cannot of long time recover their mind to bring it again to the matter. Seeing this great danger, we ought when we come to hear God's word taught, to make account that we go about a very hard work, that we go to encounter with Satan hand to hand, who seeketh then most busily to steal away our heart: that he may make the word fruitless in us, & cause us to sin grievously against God. Theridamas is no one man which maketh conscience of hearing the word rightly, which setting these things together, the reverence we own unto it, the stedines of our mind, which should be upon it, and the care to keep it, but will easily grant that it is as hard and painful a travel to do this, as for the man that worketh in the sorest bodily labour. Here is therefore a lesson for every man to apply to himself when he is going to hear the word, to think, I am now going about a great work, I shall be too weak if the Lord God do not mightily assist me: for I am not to sit down there at ease, but to wrestle and struggle with the Devil, & with all the corruptions of mine own flesh, and hardness of my heart: that my mind may be kept steadfast upon the word, that I may receive it with all reverence & fear, as the word of the great and glorious God: not to judge of it at mine own pleasure, but to crave wisdom from the Lord: not to hear it and to let it go, but to keep it as a most precious jewel locked up in my heart, that I may guide myself thereby. And we shall be a great deal the rather moved to this diligence, if we consider what a companion we carry about with us, and what a guest we lodge withal, when we he such as hear the word, and do not keep it. For Christ telleth us that it is the devil which doth this: which as a greedy Fowl devoureth the seed which was sown in our heart: if any make none account to have him possessing their mind, & hardening their hearts against the word: then let them continue in their sloth to hear with drowsy minds, to hear & not to understand: to regard the holy word, but as the word of a man: to make little account to keep it. But if he think it a most miserable thing to have so filthy a beast, and so foul a spirit to lodge in his breast: if he think it to be a most vile slavery, to be vanquished & overcome of so horrible an enemy, to be lead captive & kept thrall under such a tyrant: then let him think also how miserable a thing it is to be such a kind of ground as doth receive the seed by the way side: for undoubtedly howsoever men seem to defy the devil, and curse him as though he should not come nigh them, yet seeing it is no mortal man but the Lord jesus Christ himself, who telleth us here that the devil is not only nigh, but in these kind of hearers, even hardening their hearts, & blinding their eyes, we ought most constantly to believe it. He that shall deeply weigh the estate of our church at this day, will soon be brought to confess, that there be many of this first sort of hearers, they shall perceive it right well by this, that they are not able in any wise to judge or put difference between sound and sincere preaching, and vain prattling: they know not when the Preacher doth minister unto them wholesome food, & when there is nothing but chaff & wind: ye shall hear them highly commend some Sermon, as a matter worthy to be written in letters of gold, when as indeed it deserveth not so much as to be noted with a coal. I speak not of those silly wretches, which were never as yet acquainted with preaching, for it is no great marvel, though they be not able to discern chalk from cheese: or being blind for to judge of colours, but to such as long time have been hearers, & yet never the wiser, because they are not able to judge when sound and necessary conclusions are drawn out of the word: but is all one with them, whether the reason that is made be good or bad, strong or weak: yea further ye shall perceive that even a little show of a reason although never so doltish, being against true godliness, doth more prevail with them, than a multitude of infallible proofs, although they be never so sure: and that which is so gross & absurd that a child may laugh at, seemeth to them a very strong pillar to lean unto. There needeth no more when a man preacheth unto them, but a glorious show of learning, a sweet ringing voice, & matters so strange & strangely handled, that they may be brought into a wonderment of that they know not. And Satan hath many chapplaines fit for this turn, to serve the vain humour of such people, & to set forth themselves after a pompous sort: more seeking their own vain glory, than the glory of the Gospel, in the conversion of the people. The second kind of ground are they which receive the seed upon the hard rock, where there is some entrance, & the word hath a shallow root in them, for as it were the top of their heart is soft after a sort, and there it is covered a little, & it groweth up quickly, and springeth fresh, they seem to be stout and excellent professors, they brag of great zeal: a man would take them to be sincere, & so they take themselves: but when the Sun ariseth, that is, the fiery trial or parching heat of persecution, they stumble & fall away, and because the word had no deep root in them, it withereth and bringeth forth no fruit: these also are not profited by the word of grace, but are still cast aways and damned creatures: in this kind of ground, or in these hearers, if we note well, we shall see that which is strange and wonderful: when Christ saith and testifieth of them, that they receive the word with joy: these he not blasphemers or persecutors of the word: they be not contemners which regard not at all to hear it: they come not under a show or pretence as to a thing which otherwise they have no care nor feeling of, or which they delight not for to hear, but how? They receive it with joy, & take such pleasure therein, that returning they can say, surely this was a very notable piece of work & well handled, I am glad that I heard it, it doth me even as much good as my meat, I would go a mile to hear the like again. Is not this then marvelous and fearful, that a man may go thus far, & yet be a castaway, and a forlorn wretch? It is not a thing to be wondered at when the holy scriptures give sentence against those traitorous villains which set themselves against God, and tread down his laws: but when God uttereth this sharp sentence against this zealous kind of men, if it cause us not to wonder, yet it may make us to tremble, when we see that a man may proceed thus far in religion & yet be damned. When we understand that a man may be zealous, & ready to hear preaching, understandeth, carrieth away, letteth it grow in his heart, hath some joy in it, and yet never the better, abiding still under the curse. But there be some which will object against me & say, this is no good manner of teaching, for the use of true teaching is to build up and edify the faith: but this seemeth to take away the certainty of faith from all, so that no man can tell whether he shall be saved: For by what means can a man make a better trial & proof of his faith then this, that he giveth ear to God's word, understandeth it, carrieth it away, & joyeth in it? If such a man may be damned, who may not despair? I auninwere with S. Paul. 1. Cor. 10. 12. He that thinketh he standeth, let him take heed he do not fall. If the admonition were necessary to the Corinth's, it is necessary for us all One of the principal ends & uses of preaching, is to give men warning that they do not deceive themselves with every kind of faith or joy in the word: but to look for good & sound trial in themselves: which is not the way to bring men to despair, but to bring them to true godliness: to cause them to shake of security & looseness in the service of God: to beware least their hearts be hard still within: it causeth men to try themselves lest they should be deceived by a vain shadow of a dead & fruitless faith: for Christ saith, that these believe (for so it is expressed by S. Luke the 8. 13.) & joy in the word, and yet are damned. Then let us come to the particular applying of this point: to see how we are to deal with ourselves. When ye receive the word take heed that ye give it depth of earth enough, look that your heart be not soft and pliable enough a little above, and a hard rock of stone within, but see that it be digged and softened to the bottom, that the word may take root deep enough. Alas, what a miserable thing is it, when Christ hath given us warning here so plainly, for a man to be a zealous gospeler, not only willing to hear, but hath an earnest desire, and travelfeth to hear, taketh pleasure & delight when he heareth, yet nevertheless, because he taketh no heed thereto, his heart within is so stony, that he heareth but to his further increase of damnation. Many think it goeth well with them, when as they receive this testimony from men: he is a sound Protestant, he favoureth & delighteth in the truth, these indeed be great tokens of the fear of god, but yet we are not to rest in them: our chief dealing is between God & our heart: & that in this thing whether our heart be not hard and rocky. Those are a thousand times happy, which feel melting hearts & soft affections, so that God's word doth pierce into them, and causeth them to tremble at the majesty & power of the same: their tender heart doth sigh & mourn for their iniquity. As on the contrary part, they which make no conscience of sin, but are hardened in their affections, although they seem to be in good case, yet are they cursed and miserable. Let every man therefore that goeth from the Sermon, carry this with him: I hear by Christ's own words that there is a stony ground where the seed falleth: where it groweth but not deep enough, it springeth up but doth not bring forth fruit, this is a woeful case, if I should be in the number of these, for then all my labour is lost, which I bestow in frequenting Sermons, yea, it were much better that I had never heard: I feel that I joy in it, I would not for any thing but I had heard it: but Christ saith that the reprobate, some of them do hear the word with joy, so that if I look not narrowly to mine own heart, I may for all this be damned: therefore I must not satisfy myself with this, but see that I cover the word deep enough, that my heart be softened in such sort, that I feel the root goeth deep, yea, so deep, that it can never be rooted out: And therefore let him continually cry unto God and say: O Lord make soft my hard and stony heart: let it be a melting heart, that thy holy word may grow in it for ever. I would to GOD, this doctrine of our Saviour Christ, might make every of us to tremble and shake (as indeed if it were well weighed, it is so fearful, that it might cause the hair of our heads to stand up) for then would we not so loosely and securely walk in the hardness of our hearts: there would not be so many backsliders in time of persecution: there would not be so many brave boasters and praters of Religion, who are ready to pull in their horns, and to kid their heads, so soon as there is any fear of danger, or likelihood of persecution: neither would men bear themselves in hand that they ●e jolly Professors, when they have but a little tasted of the word, and are no more but empty barrels, which give a great sound. Here than we be set a work with great toil, to have this same hard stony ground made soft, and fit to receive this heavenly seed. And he which is not careful in this point, to take pains, ye shall see him wax so hard, that even as a continual rain dropping upon a Rock of stone maketh it never the softer, so nothing can make his heart to relent. This may teach us then to cease marveling, when we see so many which willingly give themselves to be taught, and have still little remorre of sin. The Lord for his mercy sake make us wise and sharp sighted to judge of ourselves: not to be lead on forward in a carnal profession, but to give credit to our heavenly teacher, who hath here opened his holy mouth to instruct us so plainly, and before hand to warn us of the great danger: that we may stir up ourselves, and the quickened in our dull spirits, with all humble submission, and bowing down our necks, to receive the doctrine of our Lord, and to open our hearts in such sort that he may dig in them, and thrust in his spade to the bottom. For otherwise, it cannot go well with us. If this were practised among us, we should not have so many old rusty Protestants: which if a man talk with them from morning to night, they are able to continue speech in reciting stories and places of Scripture, and will utter matter against the doctrine of the Pope: but let a man urge them with the doctrine of regeneration, and stand upon the necessity of sincere repentance, showing them that they must be truly humbled under the burden of their sins, that they must mortify and subdue their carnal lusts: this is to hard a crust for their old teeth. This matter doth mar all: this doth rob them of their glory: and therefore they cannot willingly abide▪ to hear of it. Let us come now to the third kind of ground, which receiveth the seed among the thorns: here is depth enough of earth: so that as the second sort of hearers seemed to go far beyond the first, so these seem to go far beyond them, and to come nigher to eternal life, for here the word doth grow and hath root so deep, that it springeth forth so far, that Christ saith it groweth up, and the thorns grow up with it, the stalk doth shoot forth the ear, and lacketh but riping. For this may be proved by Saint Luke, who saith that they be not (Telesphorountes) that is, such as bear ripe and timely fruit: for these professors do many good works, and seem to bring forth the fruits of the Gospel: and that in such wise that men cannot always discern them, but think their deeds to be notable: but Christ jesus doth show that their works before God, (who only cannot be deceived) are as Corn which lacketh riping, which being overshadowed with bushes, withereth in the ear and cometh to nought: this is a dangerous case if we look not to it: That a man may hear the Gospel preached, carry it away, be moved thereby to do many good works: and yet be damned. He is a thousand fold mad therefore, which doth not look to himself in this point: to try what soundness there is in the fruits of his faith, and how sincerely he doth embrace God's word. As before I said, that some would object and say, this will destroy the faith, so am I sure that here it will be said much more: because this seemeth to take away the surest trial of faith: if a man may not by and by say, I have good works, therefore I have the true and lively faith: I answer, that whosoever hath any good work in him, the same hath the true faith, which hath brought forth that good work, because it is impossible without faith to do any good thing, or to have any good motion or intent: but withal I say, that it is one thing to seem good before men, and another thing for to be good indeed before God. In outward appearance, there is little difference between the good deeds of them which fear God sincerely, and the untimely fruit of worldlings: but God whose eye doth not look upon the outward show, but the inward affection, seeth which proceedeth of faith, and which doth proceed of vain glory, or some other sinister respect, & putteth as great difference between them, as he did between the sacrifices of Cayn & Abel. We must take heed then, that the fruits of our faith be ripe & timely, otherwise they be good but in show. We must come then to see first what these thorns are: in S. Matthew they are called, the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches: in Saint Luke: the cares of riches, & pleasures of this life. And in very deed, these thorns do grow together. For were it not for the pleasures of this life, there would be no cares of riches: he which doth seek greedily for wealth, it is either because he would be able to have wherewithal to fill the lusts of the flesh, and to pamper his body delicately: or else to set forth himself in pride, & to climb ambitiously to honour. For so long as a man doth take pleasure in any of these, so long he is covetous & raketh together so much, that as the common saying is, he raketh up the Devil and all. What must we do then? Our hearts are as a ground that is rank, & bringeth forth many weeds: we are set a work as God speaketh by his Prophet jeremy. chap. 4. 4. Blow up your fallow, & sow not among the thorns: we must put all diligence & care that our hearts may be rid of such noisome weeds as will choke the word of God, & make that it shall not bring forth fruit in us. So long as we suffer any of these in us, either to love dainty & delicate feeding of our flesh, and to fill ourselves with the lusts thereof, or to be gallant in the eyes of men, & hautely to lift up ourselves in our vainglorious minds, & for the maintenance of these delights bend our care to the world: so long shall we be unprofitable scholars in the school of Christ. Alas poor men which would feign come to God, & yet are glued to the world, they offer one hand to Christ, & the other to the devil: they can talk of the spirit, & yet are led by the flesh: the gospel is in their mouth, & covetousness lodgeth in their hearts: their works glister & are green before men, and are withered before God: they seem to be faithful & are faithless, to be heirs of glory, & yet are the children of confusion. There are great plenty of these hearers, & specially in such places, where there is wealth and honours: how many fall away cheked with the world? And yet we are not afraid of ourselves to take heed that we stand fast. A great mercy of God it is that we have not only the doctrine laid before us, but also fearful examples: so that we may buy our wit with other men's cost. For when we see the world with delights and pleasures, with covetousness and ambition, to carry away those which profess the Gospel, is not our own matter in hand, are not we made of the same metal they are, doth not the world assault us as it doth them? Yes, and we shallbe overcome also, if the Lord have not mercy upon us. The hardness of this work, ought not to discourage or make us slack, but hearing what Christ saith, whom we ought to believe, the more hard, the more we are to stir up ourselves, unless we make small reckoning of the salvation of our souls. He that shall yield and give over the digging up of these thorns, because he perceiveth they grow deep in his heart, and spring as fast as he can cut them: is not worthy to enter into life: be which will not continually till and weed this ground, may well have the Gospel in some sort for to grow in him, but not to save him. dearly beloved we must be surely persuaded of this, that as there be many godly men, so have they attained it with great labour and toil, yea, they are still set a work and cannot come to an end, because these thorns cannot be utterly ro●ted out.  
Those are greatly overseen which think it to be an easy thing to profess Christ unto salvation: & make no further account but to be Gospelers, at ease: if they can vanquish in disputation, to think they have won the field: no, no, they have a heart which is hard to overcome: they have thorns which will not easily be destroyed: here lieth the victory and getting of the spurs: this man shall be crowned because he hath willingly given up himself to the power of God's grace to purge his heart, and to make room for the holy word, that it may grow there alone, and not be overshadowed and choked. Now let us mark well that which is said here, both of the stony and also of the thorny ground, how far they proceed in professing Christ, and embracing his Gospel: and we shall plainly see, how greatly those carnal Gospelers which will not have faith to be tried by the fruits, are deceived: Faith, faith, (say they) is that which doth justify, it is true indeed, but not a fruitless faith: whosoever believeth shall be saved: it is even so, but not after every kind of belief: for then why should not these two sorts of hearers be saved, it is marvelous when the Scripture is so evident, & our saviour Christ speaketh so plainly, that this gross & doltish error should possess the minds of so many. But indeed it is a sweet doctrine, when a man may let lose the rains to all the lusts of the flesh, at the least thus far, not to vere & torment himself in subduing them, & yet by faith to be saved. When heaven & hell meet together, and God and the devil be reconciled, then shall these fleshly Epicures, and vain proud men come to their happiness. When Christ shall deny that which he hath here uttered, then shall these be true believers.  
Let men therefore take heed that they be not deceived, nor made slack in looking to the fruits of their faith & mortification of vain fleshly lusts, through the profane prattling of such worldly belly Gods: believe not them, but believe jesus Christ, who telleth you that it is not enough to hear the word, & to receive it with joy, & to let it grow in us, unless it bring forth reasonable and timely fruit in us.  
Again, let us mark how strong and invincible an Argument may be gathered out of this text against all contemners and despisers of the word, such as care not for hearing: these three sorts of hearers, are before them, & nearer to christianity than they, and yet come short: therefore it must needs follow, that such ignorant Atheists, as neither know, nor desire to know any thing above this world, are very far from God, although they would seem with their mouth & lips to draw near unto him. For if this matter were well observed, men would not regard nor have those men in estimation to be good & honest, who are very dogs or swine, not regarding the precious pearl of the Gospel, but ready to bark & bite at those which bring it. Let a man inquire thus, not of a few, but of the greatest part of men, how say ye to such a man, what think ye of him? he is (say they) a very good man, a good natured man, a gentle person trusty to his friend, sure of his word, & doth keep as good an house as any man of his calling in all this shire. But how is he affected unto God's word: is he zealous in religion? Nay surely, I did never hear that he did deal the way, he is a very quiet man, no meddler at al. O notable honest man, as devout in the laws of God as the horse which he rideth upon, as careful to have gods glory advanced, as the swine in the ●●ie, a great deal behind these unprofitable hearers, which are ●●●●● ways: & yet forsooth being very bruit beasts before God (in the state they be in, yet unless the Lord call them to be zealous of his glory) they must be reputed for the best men. Our fields are full of such cattle as these, and if the Lord do not put too his helping hand; our case is very miserable. If any of those which were so zealous to hear, that they would to their hindrance in worldly matters leave off their business, and follow preaching, as these which flocked to hear Christ, were yet nevertheless relected, because they did not so sincerely as they should: what shall we say of those which will not step out at their doors, even when they have nothing to do, unless it be to sit at cards or tables. If such a man may be damned, as is moved with some delight, when he heareth the word preached: What shall we judge of those wooden blocks and sottish men, who feel no more joy in it then a post, when it is uttered unto them? If there be some go to destruction, which conform themselves and have a show of fruit by the word: where shall those wretches appear, whom the holy word of God cannot move one whit, to reform their disordered & beastly behaviours. I need not stand to mueigh out of this place against those hellhounds, which dare open their mouths to reproach and slander the setting forth of the Gospel. The Lord diminish the number of them.  
The last kind of ground, are the good hearers, which do not only receive the seed, but also bring forth the fruits there of. Although not every one a like or in the same measure, for some bring forth an hundredth fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold, according to the measure of God's graces in them.  
Although here be great odds in bringing forth the fruits, yet they be all accepted and accounted for good ground, true Christians, and sincere professors of godliness: now as we be taught here that it is required of all to be doers, as S. james saith, and not hearers only cha. 1. ver. 22. so are we also taught, not to despise or rashly to condemn those, which do not bring forth so great a measure of fruit as others do: True it is, as Christ saith, herein is my father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit. john. 15. 8. But it is also as true which he saith in the second verse of the same chapter, Every branch that bringeth forth fruit, he purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit. Then to bring forth most, is most of all to be desired, that God may have the greatest glory: to bring forth the least is not to be contemned, because the Lord in time doth purge them, & make them more fruitful. I need not to stand here for to handle many things, or to make large exposition, the matter is exceeding plain, there is no more but this, that all our care in hearing & professing the Gospel, be to receive it into good ground, and to bring forth the fruits thereof. What should I stand to rip up the shameful abuse in the contrary, to utter how many evil fruits there be in many which are Gospelers. This should be but as it were to light a candle in the clear Sun shine, for all men do see them. I do not speak this, as though it should not be good to cry out against them: but because the former things which I have now uttered, do fully disclose them. And therefore I will here end, desiring the Lord to write these things in our hearts, which we have heard with our outward ears, and to make us good ground, to receive the heavenly seed, & to bring forth fruits of the same, that glorifying him in this world, we may be glorified of him in the world to come, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  
FINIS.