Selected quad for the lemma: land_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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soule Men rather busie themselues to gather the fruites of earth then to yeeld the fruites of heauen Heere is strength of nature and fulnesse of stature but still a defect of grace Perhaps Christ hath now some faire promises of fruits heereafter Luke 9 61 Let mee first go bury my Father then But a thousand to one he finds something in Domo left by his father that keepes him a Domino from following his Master To preuent this it is his caution to the entertained seruant Forget thine owne people Psal 45.10 and thy fathers house rather forgoe and forget thy fathers house then thy Makers seruice 3. In old age now the decay of body should argue a decay of sinne The taste finds no relish in ryot the eares cannot distinguish Musicke the eies are dimme to pleasing obiects very Desire failes now all things promise mortification Hee that cannot stirre abroad in the world what should he doe but recollect himselfe and settle his thoughts on the world to come Now fruites or neuer Not yet Morositie Pride and Auarice are the three diseases of olde age men couet most when they haue time to spend least as cheating Tradesmen then get vp most commodities into their hands when they meane to breake Still hee comes seeking fruite and is returned with a Non Inuentus If yet it weare but as the Prophets signe to Hezekiah This yeare yee shall eate such as groweth of it selfe and the second yeare such springeth of the same and in the third yeare yee shall sowe and reape c. the third yeare might afford him somewhat But doth hee forbeare all trees thus long No some are snatch'd away in the flower and pride of their life yea they bee not fewe that will not allow themselues to liue but with ryot and intemperance hasten their owne endes before they haue well begun or learned what life is like bad Schollers that slubber out their bookes before they haue learned their lessons That in stead of Non est fructus wee may say Non est ficus the tree it selfe is gone And that goodly person which like a faire ship hath bene long a building and was but yesterday put to sea is to day sunke in the Maine We doe not eate drinke and sleepe and take such refections of nature vt non moriamur that wee might not die that is impossible but that wee should not dye barren but beare some fruits vp with vs to him that made the Tree Seeking It is fit wee should offer our fruits to God and not put him to seeke for his owne We should be like those ripe-figs Nath 3.12 that fall into the mouth of the eater The best liquours are they that drop from their cells of their owne accord without pressing The most acceptable of all oblations be the Free-will-offerings Howsoeuer let vs bee sure not to disappoynt the Lord when he seekes On this Fig-tree It is fit that hee that plants a Vineyard should taste of the Wine good reason Prou. 27.18 his owne tree should yeeld him some fruite considering what hee hath done for it he may well challenge it 1 He hath planted vs wee spring not vp naturally as the Oake growes from an Acorne the Peach from a stone but a gracious hand hath set vs. We are not borne of flesh nor of the will of blood Iohn 1 1â— or of man but of God 2. Hee hath planted vs in his Vineyard within the enclosed Garden of the Church Had he left vs to the vnregarded wildernes without any Dresser to looke to vs there might haue been some excuse of our barrennesse The ground that is left to it selfe is in a manner blamelesse though it be fruitlesse But in Vineasua which he hath fenced in with his prouidence blessed with his fauing influence husbanded with his Dressers diligence forwarded with the beames of mercy and showres more precious then the deawes of Hermon that fell vpon the hill of Sion Where wee participate the fatnesse of the ground are fed with vnperishing Manna compassed about with Songs of deliuerance and haue seene our desires vpon his and our enemies Where Righteousnesse is our walls and Peace our bulwarkes and the wayes bee milke where we set our feet 3 Wee are Figtrees not brambles no man expects Grapes from thornes Math. 7.16 Not Okes or Cedars to be a dwelling for the Storkes But Figtrees apt for fruit for pleasant fruit If the rest be fruitlesse they serue for other purposes but what shall become of the barren Figtree 4. Hee is our Lord and Querit suum he seekes but his owne If our owne Kine giue vs no milke our owne sheepe afford vs no wooll our owne land returne vs no encrease we are displeased whereas these be reasonlesse creatures but we haue sense aboue common nature reason aboue sense grace aboue reason We are but tennants of these Christ is Lord of vs our sinnes bring the curse of barrennesse vpon them but there is no fault in God if we be vnfruitfull 5. He comes seeking not threatning raging wounding not felling downe the tree nor stocking it vp by the rootes but seeking Dignatur expectare fructus cui licet eradicare Infructuosos Man is a loser by the barrenesse of his garden-tree were there not a tree left God is neuer the poorer Now lay all these together a Lord that owes vs wee are his trees to come into his Vineyard where he may be confident wee liue on his ground to looke vpon a Figtree made of an apt disposition to good fruit such a one as himselfe hath planted not casually grown vp a tree not neglected but whereon hee hath bestowed great care and cost wayting not destroying what can we plead for it if it be fruitlesse God is our Lord and Proprietary England is his Vineyard euery one of vs his Fig-tree thus planted watered blessed by his gracious mercy Hee comes to vs with patience that should run to him with penitence seeking our fruites that should make tender of them vnsought waiting that might command now feare obedience and thankefulnesse keepe vs from sending him backe with a Non inuenio I finde none Fruit. This is that inseparable effect that God expects from euery Tree planted in his Garden Rom. 7.4 We are married to Christ to what ende That we should bring forth fruits vnto God Hee seekes not for leaues buds or blossomes but fruites Could leaues content him wee would not leaue him vnsatisfied he should haue an Arbour large enough to reach to the Worlds ende Psalm 19.4 Our tongues runne apace not seldome faster then our wittes Wee are Gods debters and if hee will take our words so that 's all hee is like to haue Might buds please him or blossomes wee haue intentions to good certaine offers and shewes of obedience which we weare like a cloake or some loose garment that when Lust calls wee may quickly slip off But when he seekes for workes all our Consonants