Aspects of Piety 11

Some Examples 2
5. The points themselves are fleshed out with quotations, sayings, classical allusions, illustrations, stories and fables, similes, metaphors and similar devices. Adams argues ‘God has given us … liberty … not only to nakedly lay down the truth, but with the helps of invention, wit, art, to prevent the loathing his manna. … But … all our hopes can scarce help one soul to heaven.’ (Works 1, p 335).
He often uses Latin and, rarely, Greek, but this is nearly always translated. Often he quotes the Latin to show an alliterative connection not found in English. His favourite ecclesiastical authors are early church fathers such as Augustine, Ambrose and Chrysostom and Bernard of Clairvaux. He also quotes from secular classical authors, Reformers and near contemporaries.
One can get the flavour from these quotations, chosen almost at random,
It is not a sufficient commendation of a prince to govern peaceable and loyal subjects, but to subdue or subvert rebels. It is the praise of a Christian to order refractory and wild affections, more than to manage yielding and pliable ones (Works 1, p 265).
He runs about the seats like a pick-purse; and if he sees a roving eye he presents objects of lust; if a drowsy head, he rocks him asleep, and gives him a nap just the length of the sermon; if he spies a covetous man, he transports his soul to his counting house; and leaves nothing before the preacher but a mindless trunk (Works 2, p 39).
… which way soever a wicked man uses his tongue, he cannot use it well. … He bites by detraction, licks by flattery; … All the parts of his mouth are instruments of wickedness .… lips, teeth, throat, tongue. The psalmographer on every one of these has set a brand of wickedness … This is a monstrous and fearful mouth; where the porter, the porch, the entertainer, the receiver, are all vicious. The lips are the porter, and that is fraud; the porch, the teeth, and there is malice; the entertainer, the tongue, and there is lying; the receiver, the throat, and there is devouring (Works 3, p 21).
6. The love of brief and pithy, often alliterative sayings is a characteristic of his work. Examples abound. Again we choose at random
… many go to hell with the water of baptism on their faces and the assurance of salvation in their mouths.
Generation lost us; it must be regeneration that recovers us.
If men were God’s friends, they would frequent God’s house: there is little friendship to God where there is no respect of his presence, nor affection for his company.
Worldly friends are but like hot water, that when cold weather comes, are soonest frozen.
If we open the doors of our hearts to his Spirit, he will open the doors of heaven to our spirit. If we feast him with a ‘supper’ of grace, Rev 3:20, he will feast us with a supper of glory.
(Works 1, pp 62, 256; Works 2, pp 83, 138; Works 3, p 37)
7. The scriptural hermeneutic is generally sound, though some expositions are rather idiosyncratic. Sometimes individual words are taken up and expounded in a surprising but generally profitable way. Scripture serves both as a source book for illustrations and supporting arguments.
8. Another feature is the way Adams will often take up a minor point and expand on it. Because Pro 14:9 speaks of fools in the plural Adams distinguishes the sad, glad, haughty and naughty fool. In A contemplation of the herbs it is the one word herbs from Heb 6:7 that leads to his consideration of some 13 herbs or flowers, to each of which he attaches a virtue, which he then expounds.
Adams’ method means that almost every line is rich with spiritual teaching. One cannot read very far in his sermons without finding something spiritually striking and wholesome.