Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A00463
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The barren tree a sermon preached at Pauls crosse October 26. 1623 / by Tho. Adams.
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Adams, Thomas, fl. 1612-1653.
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1623
(1623)
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STC 106.5; ESTC S121018
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27,714
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66
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be turned into Mutes we are speachlesse O would he aske vs for any thing but fruites Matth. 22.12 but what should be expected from the Figtree but Figges Of euery soule here hee seekes for fruites Of the Magistrate that he bring foorth the fruites of Iustice determining causes with sinceritie of decision and conuenience of expedition being so far as equitie permits a husband to the widdow and a father to the fatherlesse Of the Minister that hee bring forth the fruits of knowledge Aarons Rod was his Pastorall staffe in one and the same night it brought forth buds and blossomes and fruit Fruitfulnesse is the best argument that God hath called vs there is not a plant of his setting but the very branches thereof shall flourish I doe not say our paynes shall alwayes conuert many Soules that is Gods fruite not ours Hee chargeth vs to bee industrious in Preaching let Himselfe alone with the worke of sauing Of the priuate man he expects the fruit of his calling to bee idle is to bee barren of good and to bee barren of good is to bee pregnant of all euill Bella gerant alij Protesilaus edit but let vs that are called to worke worke in our calling otherwise at last wee shall make but a sorry answere to that Question Vbi fructus Let vs all produce the fruits of Charity rich men doe good turnes to themselues as they play at Tennisse tossing the Ball to him that will tosse it to them againe seldome to the poore for they are not able to bandy it backe Pride cuts and Ryot shuffles but betwixt them both they deale the poore but a bad game The fruite of Christianitie is Mercie when the rich like full eares of Corne humble themselues to the poore earth in Charitie Feed him that feeds you giue him part of your Temporalls from whom you expect Eternalls you cloathe Christ with your blackes on earth hee will clothe you with his glorious whites in heauen Our mercie to others is the Fruite of Gods mercy to vs. Fruite Nothing is created for it selfe but so placed by the most wise prouidence that it may conferre something to the publique good though it be but as the Widowes two Mites to the Treasurie The poorest creature yeelds some Fruit wherein it doth imitate the goodnesse of the Maker We know not readily what good Serpents and Vermine may doe yet certainly they haue their fruit both in sucking vp that poyson of the earth which would be contagious to man in setting off the beautie of the better pieces of creation Aug. for though the same hand made both the Angels in heauen and the wormes on earth yet the Angels appeare the more glorious being so compared besides their hidden vertues abstracted from our knowledge Of stones they make yron rubbish serues to raise Bulwarks the small pebble for the sling wormes and flyes are bayts for Fishes euery thing is enabled with some gift for the vnniuersall benefit and to produce those fruits is their naturall worke The Sunne comes foorth of his Chamber like a Bridegrome fresh and liuely and reioyceth as a Gyant to runne his diurnall course to lighten vs with his refulgent beames to generate cheere and mature things with his parentall heate this is his fruite In his absence the Moone and Starres adorne the Canopie of Heauen reflecting their operatiue influence to quicken the lower world this is their fruites The curled cloudes those bottles of raine thinne as the liquour they containe flye vp and downe on the wings of the winde deliuering their moyst burdens vpon the earth teats whereon the hungry fields and pastures doe sucke yet they expect no haruest from vs this is their fruites The subtill winds come puffing out of their cauernes to make artificiall motions wholesome ayres and nauigable seas yet neither earth ayre nor sea returne them recompence this is their fruits The earth in a thankefull imitation of the Heauens lockes not vp her treasures within her owne Coffers but without respect of her priuate benefit is liberall of her allowance yeelding her fatnesse and riches to innumerable creatures that hang on her breasts and depend vpon her as their common mother for maintenance Of the beasts that feed vpon her Kine giue vs their milke Sheepe their wooll euery one payes a tribute to man their vsu-fructuary Lord this is their fruites Fruit bearing Trees spend not all their sappe and moisture vpon themselues or the increase of their owne magnitudes but the principall and purer part of it is concocted into some pleasant Fruites whereof they nor their young Springs euer come to taste but they proffer it vs and when it is ripe they voluntarily let it fall at their Masters feete Neuer did the Oliue annoynt it selfe with the owne Oyle nor the Vine make it selfe drunke with the owne Grapes nor the Tree in my Text deuoure the owne Figges yet they all striue to abound with Fruites Let me raise your Meditations from earth to heauen the holy Angels there are called Ministring Spirits those royall Armies fight for vs against our enemies like Nurses they beare vs vp in their armes and though vnseene doe glorious Offices for vs this is part of their fruit Iohn 5.17 The blessed Trinitie is alwayes working Hitherto my Father worketh and I worke The Father by his prouidence and protection the Sonne by his mercy and mediation the Holy Ghost by his grace and sanctification all diuiding the streames of their goodnesse for the best behoofe of the world The more any thing furthers the common good the more noble is the Nature and more resembling the Creator The Earth is fruitfull the Sea the Ayre the Heauens are fruitfull and shall not man bring foorth fruites for whom all these are fruitfull While all the Armies of Heauen and Earth are busied in fructifying shall Man of more singular graces and faculties be idle a burden to the world and himselfe Both the Church of God for the propagation of pietie and the world it selfe for the vpholding of his estate requires our Fruites If Happinesse consisted in doing nothing God that meant Adam so happy would neuer haue set him about businesse but as Paradise was his Store-house so also his work-house his pleasure was his taske There is no state of man that can priuiledge a folded hand Our life is Vita pulueris non puluinaris Landes Meanes and Moneyes men make the protections of Idlenesse whereas Adam commaunded the whole earth yet worke expected him In Paradise all things did labour for man now man must labour for all things Adam did worke because he was happy wee his children must worke that wee may bee happy Heauen is for ioyes Hell for paines Earth for labour God hath three houses this is his Worke-house that aboue is his Ware-house O then let vs bee fruitfull that others benefit may bee ours our benefit theirs and the glory of all the Lords If Magistrates yeeld not the Fruits of Iustice Ministers
oris not ore gladij with the Sword of the Spirit not a Rouillac's Knife If God had ment such a cutting downe Nero had bene a fitter instrument then Paul Psal 19 We read that their sound went through the World but that their Sword went through the World we neuer read Cut it downe How then Succide that is Succidendam minare threaten that I will cut it downe Cast them out of my sight Eijce Iere. 15.1 that is Eijciendos pronuncia say that I will reiect them Quod moritur moriatur Zach. 11.9 Quod succidendum est succidatur That which dyeth let it die God sometimes sends such farewels and defiances to sinners that will not repent Ephraim is ioyned to Idols let him alone Reuel 22.11 If they will not be perswaded to returne let them go on to their ruine let them alone If any man will be vniust let him be vniust He that will be filthy let him be filthy still let them perish Abeat pereat profundat perdat Cut it downe This was Sententia eris the sentence of the mouth but it may be this was not Consilium cordis the purpose of his heart Saepe Deo minante quod peccans meretur peccanti non fit quod Deus minatur Nor can this tax God of leuitie for he that speakes with condition of repentance may change his word without suspition of lightnesse Tu muto sententiam tuam Deus mutabit suam Thus was Niniueh cut downe Aug euersa estin malo vt aedificaretur in bono the subuersion was menaced the conuersion was intended The Father shuts his rebellions Sonne out of doores will not allow him a lodging not so much as among his seruants yet hee does not meane to let him perish with hunger and cold in the streetes but when he hath well smarted for his disobedience vpon his humble submission he is re-entertained The very mercies of the wicked are cruell but the very iudgements of God are sweet This Cutting downe is Medicinale not mortale Disciplinans non eradicans for restitution not destitution for remidie not for ruine Indeed if all this denuntiation and threatning cannot perswade them to returne then comes their finall predition when they haue cut off themselues impenitently God will cut them off impartially But if we turne to deprecation and repentance he will turne to commiseration and forgiuenesse The Tree is barren and the Lord saies Cut it downe the Tree fructifies and he will say Let it stand O then let vs humble our selues and with seasonable repentance Cut downe our sinnes that this terrible Sentence may neuer Cut downe our soules The Reason Why cumbreth it the ground God is an vndependant Lord and needes not giue a reason of his doings for who can call him to account Rom. 9.20 Curita facis His Iudgements are not alwaies manifest they are alwaies iust nor doth he things because they are good but they are therefore good because hee doth them Should hee make short worke on the earth and dispatch all barren Trees in a moment yet thou continuest holy O thou worship of Israel If he strickes vs we are not wronged it is our desert and his Iustice If he spares vs we haue not merited It is his mercie Huic fit miserecordia tibi non fit iniuria that man receiues mercie thou hast no iniurie Yet that hee might bee iustified and the mouth of all wickednesse stopped he is content to giue a reason of this sentence Thinke not I deale hardly with this Fg-tree let vs conferre together and heare one another with patience I will shew thee sufficient reason of cutting it downe doe thou shew me some cause why it should stand My reason is It cumbers the ground Terram reddit otiosam inutilem It is not onely barren Formaliter but Effectiue In a word 1. It does no good 2. It doth much harme First It does no good therefore it is vnworthy of the nourishment Terra bona and Gens mala are an ill match an opulent Land and a pestilent People Aug. Peccator non est dignus pane quo vescitur The wicked man is not worthy of the bread bee eates of the water he drinkes of the ayre he breathes of the ground hee goes on The rich thinkes himselfe worthy of delicate viands costly garments dutifull attendance Quia-Diuts because he is rich yet he may not be worthy of a crumme a rag a respect Quia malus because he is euill It will one day grieue such fruitles Nabals when they must receiue a multiplicitie of torments according to the number of their abused benefits and they wil wish that they had not fared so well vpon earth that they might fare lesse ill in Hell They liue in the Vineyard eate the fat and drinke the sweet turning all this iuyce not into fruitfull clusters for the behoofe of Gods seruants but into their owne armes and branches raysing their Houses out of the ruines of Gods House What good doe they Cut them downe Eccles 2.26 Why cumber they the ground It is fit that the Riches of the sinner should bee laid vp for the righteous dentur dignioribus But if God should at once cut down all the barren Trees among vs there neuer was such a cry in Egypt as there would be about London What innumerable swarmes of nothing does beleaguer this Citie men and women whose whole imployment is to goe from their beds to the Tap-house then to the Play-house where they make a match for the Brothel-house and from thence to bed againe To omit those ambulatory Christians that weare out the Pauement of this great Temple with their feet but scarse euer touch stone of it with their knees that are neuer further from God then when they are neerest the Church To omit that rabble of begging and pilfring vagabonds that like beasts know no other end of their creation but recreation but to eate and drinke and sleepe What an armie of these might bee mustred out of our Suburbs But that Idlenesse hath disabled them to any seruice they are neither fit for God nor man Did they yet but like wormes and insects spend vp the corruption of the Land and leaue vs the lesse it were somewhat But they are worse euen diseases and vnwholsome ayres to breed infection among vs. Let Authority looke to their castigation or answere for their mischiefes so farre as they deserue let them not be spared Cut them downe Why comber they the Ground The barren Tree doth no good you see but that is not all It doth much hurt and that in two respects 1 It occupies the roome where a better Tree might grow The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you Math. 21 4â— and giuen to a Nation that will bring forth the Fruites thereof A fruitfull Nation would bee content with such a dwelling Christ foretels this mutation Paul shewes it accomplished They are broken off Rom. 11.19 that we in their places