THE BARREN TREE A Sermon Preached at Pauls Crosse October 26. 1623. BY THO ADAMS LONDON Printed by AVG MATHEVVES for IOHN GRISMAND and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Alley at the signe of the Gunne 1623. TO THE REVErend and learned Doctor DONNE Deane of St. Pauls together with the Prebend-Residentiaries of the same Church my very good Patrons RIGHT WORSIPFVLL NOt out of any opinion of this Sermons worth to which I dare not inuite your Iudicious eyes Nor any ambition to merit of my Patrons whom I read stiled Petty creators But in humble acknowledgement of your fauours I present this small Rent of Thankefulnesse the poore fruit of that tree which growes on your owne ground and hath not from the world any other sustenance Vouchsafe I beseech you your Patronage to the child who haue made the Father of it Your VVors deuoted Homager THO ADAMS To the Reader I Neither affect those Rheumaticke Pennes that are still dropping vpon the Presse nor those Phlegmaticke spirits that will scarse bee coniur'd into the orbe of employment But if modest forwardnesse be a fault I cannot excuse my selfe It pleased God Almighty to make a fearefull Comment on this his owne Text the very same day it was preached by his vnworthiest seruant The argument was but audible in the morning before night it was visible His holy Pen had long since written it with inke now his hand of Iustice expounded it in the Characters of bloud There was onely a conditionall menace So it shall be here a terrible remonstrance So it is Sure He did not meane it for a nine daies wonder Their sudden departure out of the World must not so suddenly depart from the memorie of the World Woe to that soule that shall take so slight a notice of so extraordinary a Iudgement We doe not say They perished Charitie forbid it But this wee say It is a signe of Gods fauour when hee giues a man Law Wee passe no sentence vpon them yet let vs take warning by them The Remarkablenesse would not be neglected for the Time the Place the Persons the Number the Maner Yet still wee conclude not This was for the transgression of the dead but this we are sure of It is meant for the admonition of the liuing Such is our Blessed Sauiours conclusion vpon a paralel instance Except ye repent YE shal all LIKEWISE perish There is no place safe enough for offenders but when the Lord is once vp in armes happy man that can make his owne peace otherwise in vaine we hope to runne from the Plague while we carry the Sinne along with vs. Yet will not our wilfull and bewitched Recusants from these legible Characters spell Gods plaine meaning No impression can bee made in those hearts that are ordained to perish For their malicious causelesse and vnchristian censures of vs God forgiue them our requitall be onely pitie and prayers for them Howsoeuer they giue out and I will not here examine that their piety is more then ours Impudence it selfe cannot denie but our Charitie is greater then theirs Now the holy feare of God keepe vs in the wayes of Faith and Obedience that the properation of Death may neuer preuent our preparation to die And yet still after our best endeauour From sudden death good Lord deliuer vs all Amen T. A. THE BARREN TREE LVKE Cap. 13. Vers 7. Then said hee to the Dresser of his Vineyard Behold these three yeares I come seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and find none cut it downe why cumbreth it the ground NEwes is brought to Christ of a certaine Iudgement which was not more Pilates then Gods vpon some Galileans who while they were sacrificing were sacrificed their blood being mingled with the blood of the beasts on the same altar Lest this should be wholly attributed to Pilates crueltie without due respect had of the omnipotent Iustice hee samples it with another of eighteene men miscarrying by the fall of a Tower No Pilate threw downe this here was no humane Executioner the matter of their death was morter and stones these bad no purpose to kill them This therefore must bee an inuisible hand working by an insensible creature the Iustrument may bee diuers the Iudge is the same Now Poena paucorum terror omnium as an exhalation drawne from the earth fired and sent backe againe to the earth smites onely one place but terrifieth the whole countrey So their ruines should be our terrours let them teach vs that they may not touch vs. They are hitherto but like Moses his Rodde turned into a Serpent not into a Beare or Lyon lest it should haue deuoured Pharaoh but into a Serpent that hee might be more afraid then hurt It is Gods speciall fauour to vs that others bee made examples for vs and not wee made examples for others Nothing could teach them let them teach vs. Of these fearefull Instances our Sauiour makes this vse setting downe a peremptory conclusion Vel poenitendum vel pereundum Except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Such vengeance is no way to bee auoyded but by repentance But here the Iewes might flatter themselues If wee be greater sinners then they how comes it to passe that wee speed better then they To this silent obiection Christ makes an Apologicall answere verse 6. You are not spared because you are more righteous but because God to you is more gracious You deserue such or sorer Iudgements and the reason of this impunitie is not to bee looked for in your innocence but in the Lordes patience nor because you are not worse to him but because hee is better to you who offers you space and grace to amend if at least at last you will bring foorth the fruites of Repentance There be some termes in the Text as that the Vineyard is the Church euery Christian a Fig-tree God the Owner euery Pastor a Dresser wherein your vnderstandings may well preuent my discourse these known and familiar things I take as granted of all hands It is a Parable therefore not to bee forced euery way nor made to warrant a conclusion which the Author neuer meant This were when it offers vs the company a myle to compell it to goe with vs twaine or to make Christes Messenger speake our errand Such is the trade of Rome what their owne policie hath made necessarie they will teach God to make good this is to picke darknesse out of the Sunne No. Verificatur in sensu suo like a good creature it does onely that it was made for A Parable is not like a Looking-glasse to represent all formes and faces but a well drawne Picture to remonstrate that person whereof it is a counterfeit It is like a knife with the haft it cutts not with the backe it cuts not it cuts with the edge A Candle is made to light vs not to heate vs a Stoue is made to heate vs not to light vs if this Parable like the Sunne may giue
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
to the Gospell that we quite forget to obserue the Law As vpon some solemne Festiuall the Bells are rung in all steeples but then the Clockes are tyed vp there is a great vntun'd confusion and clangor but no man knowes how the time passeth So in this vniuersall allowance of libertie by the Gospell which indeed reioyceth our hearts had we the grace of sober vsage the Clocks that tel vs how the time passes Truth and Conscience that shew the bounded vse and decent forme of things are tyed vp and cannot be heard Still Fructum non inuenio I finde no fruits I am sorry to passe the Figtree in this plight but as I finde it so I must leaue it till the Lord mend it So I come to The Sentence Cut it downe A heauy doome Alas will nothing else expiate the fault May not the lopping off some superfluities recouer it Take from the Sinner the obiect of his vicious error deface the Harlots beautie that bewitcheth the Lasciuious pull the cuppe from the mouth of the Drunkard Nauseate the stomach of the Ryotous strip the Popiniay of her pyed Feathers rust the Gold vanish the riches of the Couetous take away Macah's gods perhaps he will make him no more If this will not doe cut off some of the armes branches weaken his strength sicken his body lay him groaning and bleeding on the bed of sufferance griue his heart-strings with the sense and sorrow of his sinnes any thing rather then Cut it down alas no fruit can grow on it then but sad despaire A mans house is foule or a little decayed wil he pul it down or rather repaire it There is hope of a Tree though the roote waxe olde in the earth and the stock die in the ground Iob 14 â— yet the springs of water may put new life into it but once cut downe all hope is cut down with it When a man hath taken delight in a Tree conueniently planted in his garden what varietie of experiments will he vse before he cuts it downe Alas thus poore silly men we reason we measure things that be vnmeasurable by things that be measurable by things that be miserable What wee in a foolish pitty would doe we thinke God in his mercifull wisdome should doe Yet which of vs wold endure a dead Tree three yeeres together in his Orchard We would say If it will not beare fruit to cheere vs it shall make a fire to warme vs. But the Lord hath bene fixe and thirtie Moones gracious in his forbearance giue him now leaue to bee iust in his vengeance If so much indulgence cannot recouer it there is little hope of it Cut it downe Cut it downe Who must doe this The dresser An vnpleasing office to him that hath bestowed so much labour vpon it esteemed it so precious hoped for some reward at his Masters hand for his diligence about it now to giue the fatall blow to Cut it downe And if it must fall let it be Manu aliena non sua let anothers hand doe it Hagar will not behold her dying Sonne dye he must she was perswaded Genes 21. Modo non videam Let me not see the death of the Childe But hee must obey Arbor non est Culâ—oris Cris sed Parris familias the Tree is not the Dressers but the Lords and his owne is at his owne disposing Cut it downe Cut it downe But how How can the Minister be said to cut downe a barren soule Some may conceiue here a reference to Excommunication Whether the Greater which depriues a man of all benefit by the Churches publike Prayers and the Societie of Christians 1 Cor. 5. Which St. Paul calls Tradere Satana to deliuer vnto Satan so himselfe Excommunicated Hymencus and Alexander 1. Tim. 1.20 deliuering them vnto Satan a miserable condition to be subiected to a slaue to a dogge a drudge but then especially fearefull when God grants vnto Satan a Writ or facultie Pro excommunicato capâ—endo The ignominy of ignominy besides the perill For as Christ protecteth all the Trees in his Vineyard so if any be transplanted to the wilde desart they are vnder the god of this world Or the Lesse which is indeed no other properly then an Act of the Churches Discipline whereby she corrects her vnruly children that smarting with the absence of wonted comforts they may be humbled by repentance and so recouer their pristine state This censure may bee either too cruell or to triuial Approued by the Counc of Trent Sess 26. The Church of Rome grants Excommunications for things lost a man hath lost his horse he may haue an Excommunication against him that detaines him so the Father may hap to Excommunicate his owne Sonne and for the body of a Iade hazard the soule of his Child Yea which is worse they publish Excommunications for sinnes not yet committed The Lord of a Mannor hath set a rowe of young Elmes he may haue an Excommunication against all those that shall do them any harme This is to hang a man before he hath done the fact that deferues it These in rite forcelesse bug-beare Excommunications the ridiculous affordments of a mercenary Power are not vnlike those old night spels which blind people had from mungrel Witches to set about their Orchards and Houses antidotes and charmes against theeuing wherein distrusting the prouidence of God they made themselues beholding to the Diuell for safetie Creditors that would bee paid in their moneys may procure an Excommunication against their Debtors if they pay not by such a day This were an excellent proiect for you Citizens a rounder course then arrests and tedious trialls at Law But it is to bee doubted that your Debtors would feare the Popes Parchment lesse then the Scriueners and an Excommunication farre lesse then an Outlary Ther 's but foure things exempted from the power of their Excommunication as Nauarrus notes a Locust an Infidel the Deuill and the Pope so he hath marched them so let them goe together For the Excommunicate must be a man a Christian mortall and an Inferiour now the Locust is not a man the Infidell is not a Christian the Deuill is not mortall and the Pope hath no Superior But too much of that this is a Parable and heere is no foundation for such a building Cut it downe How with an Axe of martiall yron This were an exposition fit for Doway or the Gunpowder-Enginers that by Cutting it downe vnderstood Blow it vp turning their Axe to a Petarre Had God said to them Cut it downe the axe had bin instantly heaued vp yea they did it when God said no such thing Rather then faile of cutting it downe they would haue stockd it vp roote and all this is their mercie But the Spirituall Axe is to cut downe Culpas non Animas when we reade of cutting downe remember it is meant of mens sinnes not of their soules Preachers indeed doe wound but it is Gladio