The Barren Tree, Title page – To the reader
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 hauehave made the Father of it,
Your VVors. deuoted Homager THO: ADAMS.
To the Reader.
I Neither affect thoſe Rheumaticke Pennes, that are ſtill dropping vponupon 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 onelyonly 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 vponupon them, yet let vsus 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, vponupon 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 vsus. 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 vsus, God forgiue them: our requitall be onelyonly pitie and prayers for them. Howſoeuer they giuegive 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 vsus 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 vsus all. Amen.
T. A.