A00564:137
The black devil or the apostate Together with the wolf worrying the lambs. And…The blacke devil or the apostate Together with the wolfe worrying the lambes. And…
The black devil or the apostate Together with the wolf worrying the lambs. And the spiritual navigator, bound for the Holy Land. In three sermons. By Thomas Adams.The blacke devil or the apostate Together with the wolfe worrying the lambes. And the spiritual navigator, bound for the Holy Land. In three sermons. By Thomas Adams.
London: printed by William Jaggard, 1615London: printed by William Iaggard, 1615
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Vacuity. It is Empty.
1. Vacuitie. It is Empty.
True faith is never alone. It is in the very act of Justification, sola, but not solitaria. Good works as inseparable attendants, or rather effects, accompany it. Where these are, there is no emptiness. But in this Apostate or black Devil, there is neither the Mistress nor the Maids, Faith nor good works: therefore the room of his heart is empty, and capable of receiving the unclean spirit. Perhaps in this vacancy & absence of the power of Satan, there might be an abstinence from gross impieties, but there was no hearty alacrity to the troublesome works of godliness, therefore he is justly said to be empty. We know, that the forbearance of monstrous ⟨p. 46⟩[…] ⟨p. 47⟩[…] ⟨p. 48⟩and world-noted wickedness is not enough to justify before God, or to acquit us from eternal malediction: the Tree is doomed to the fire, that yields not good fruits, although it yield no evil. Even infructuous barrenness brought Christs curse on the fig-tree. Sour grapes are not only displeasing to God, but no grapes: and condemnations flood reacheth further then to drown obstinacy; for it fetcheth in also Infertility. God is departed; and you know, that Seed vacant there will be no paucity of intruders. What house stands long Tenant-less? No marvel then, if an empty vessel be never exalted to honour.
True faith is neuer alone. It is in the very act of Iustification, sola, but not solitaria. Good works as inseparable attendants, or rather effects, accompany it. Where these are, there is no emptinesse. But in this Apostate or blacke Deuill, there is neither the Mistresse nor the Maides, Faith nor good workes: therefore the roome of his heart is empty, and capable of receiuing the vncleane spirit. Perhaps in this vacancy & absence of the power of Satan, there might be an abstinence from grosse impieties, but there was no hearty alacrity to the troublesome workes of godlines, therefore he is iustly said to bee empty. We know, that the forbearance of monstrous