Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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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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one particular name Reuel 2. 3. Angelo Ecclesiae to the Angell of the Church To the Dresser Dressing implies labour and heedfulneesse I might here touch vpon the Ministers diligence that Christs Vineyard neuer lie rude and vnpolishd through his default But this age will looke to that well enough neuer did the Egyptians call so fast vpon the Israelites for making of Brickes as the people call on vs for making of Sermons our allowance of materials is much alike They think it recompense bountifull enough to praise our paines as if wee could liue like Camelions vpon the subtill ayre of Commendations So they serue vs as Carriers do their Horses lay heauy burdens vpon their backes and then hang belles at their eares to make them musicke But be our reward little or much God forbid we should slacke dressing the Vineyard of Iesus Christ To the Dresser Why to him Vt intercederet that he might pleade for the Tree So vnwilling is God to destroy that hee would haue vs manacle his hands with our prayers he would bee intreated to forbeare Exod. 32.7 Goe thy wayes downe for the people which thou broughtest out of Egypt haue corrupted themselues Why this to Moses That hee might pray for them He that meant to spare them in mercy meant withall that Moses should bee beholden to him for that mercie And Moses indeed chargeth the Lord sets vpon him with so holy a violence that as if his prayers could vincere inuincibilem he heares Let me alone O that euery Vine-dresser were full of this gracious affection to the trees vnder his charge yea who feares God and in some measure hath it not The people forgot Moses Moses remembers the people they could be merry and happy without him he would not be happy without them Men robbe vs of our meanes lode vs with reproches all our reuenge is to solicite heauen for them by our supplications they sue vs wee sue for them they impouerish our temporall condition wee pray for their eternall saluation Wee could neuer hope for good to our selues if wee should not returne them this good for their euill Corah had drawne a multitude to rebell against Moses and Aaron Numb 16.22 Moses and Aaron pray for their rebels They were worthy of death and they had it yet would these mercifull Leaders haue preuented it refusing to buy their owne peace with the losse of such enemies Yea they are so farre from caruing their owne iust reuenge that they would not haue the Lord to reuenge for them Let vs fill our hearts with this great Example the people rise vp against their Pastors the Pastors fall on their faces for the people Certainly if God had not meant to heare vs he would neuer inuite vs to pray But as it pleaseth Him to make vs His mouth to you so also your mouth to Him both to tell you what He doth say and to returne Him what you should say to preach against your sinns to pray for your soules Doe you heare vs pleade for Christ for Christ heares vs plead for you Indeed wee are men of polluted lippes and liues but as Gods power is not straitned through our weaknesse so nor is his mercy lessened through our vnworthinesse Therefore as Paul had his Vae mihi si non praedicauero Woe vnto mee if I Preach not So Moses in effect had his Vae mihi si non intercessero woe vnto me if I pray not God forbid I should cease praying for you But as all our Preaching can work no good vpon you but through the holy Ghost so all our Praying can bring no good to you but through Iesus Christ Wee pray for you forget not you to pray for vs. Indeed weake ones pray with vs malicious ones pray against vs couetous ones prey vpon vs fewe pray for vs. We intreat for you do you intreat for vs and that onely Mediator betwixt God and man plead for vs all The Complaint Behold I come c. This hath in it two passages His Accesse Behold these three yeares c. Successe I find none First the Accesse Behold Ecce is here a note of complaint Hee that can thunder downe sinne with vengeance raines on it showres of complaint Behold the Tree he might in a moment haue put it past beholding by throwing it into the infernall furnace Why doth he complain that can compell Habet in manu potentiam in corde patientiam there is power in his hand but patience in his heart To do Iustice we after a sort constraine him but his delight is to be mercifull He complaines All complain of lost labors the Shepheard after all his vigilance complaines of stragling Lambes the Gardiner after all his diligence of withering Plants the Husbandman after all his toyle of leane Fields and thin Haruests Merchants after many aduentures of Wrackes and Pyracies Tradesmen of bad debtors and scarcitie of monies Lawyers complaine of few Clients and Diuines of fewer Conuerts Thus wee complaine one of another but God hath iust cause to complaine of vs all Well if the Lord complaine of Sinne let not vs make our selues merry with it Like Sampson it may make vs sport for a while but will at last pull downe the house vpon our heads Cant. 2.12 The voyce of the Turtle is not heard in our Land Vox Turturis vox gementis True penitents bee more rare then Turtles The voyce of the Sparrow wee heare chirping lust of the Night-bird buzzing ignorance the voyce of the Scriech-owle croaking blasphemy of the Popiniay gawdy pride the voyce of the Kite and Cormorant couetousnesse and oppression these and other Birdes of that wing bee common But Non audita est vox Turturis who mournes for the sinne of the time and longs to bee freed from the time of sinne It was an vnhappy spectacle in Israel to see at once Lachrymantem Dominum and ridentem populum a weeping Sauiour and deriding sinners We complaine of our crosses and losses wee complaine of our maladies of our iniuries enemies miseries the Lord open our eyes and soften our hearts to see and feele the cause of all and to complaine of our sinnes I come The Lord had often sent before now he came himselfe euen by his personall presence accepting our nature The Sonne of God that made vs the Sonnes of men became the Sonne of man to make vs the Sons of God Hee came voluntarily we come into the world not by our owne wills but by the will of our parents Christ came by his owne will He came not for his owne benefit but ours What profit doth the Sunne receiue by our looking on him Wee are the better for his light not hee for our sight A shower of raine that waters the earth gets nothing to it selfe the earth fares the better for it He came for our fruites these cannot enrich him Psalm 16. Lord our well-doing extendeth not to thee Neuer came such an Inhabitant to our Countrey