Aspects of Piety 12
Aspects of Piety Intro
Style is of some importance but content is fundamental. Adams says 'Indeed, rhetorical flourishes without solid matter is like an Egyptian bondwoman in a queen’s robe' (In the preface to his 1614 set of sermons The Devil’s Banquet. Works 3, p xxxii)
In the course of his sermons, he considers a wide variety of themes. In these posts we wish to consider something of what he had to say in the central area of Christian piety. From the time of Elizabeth we can trace an increasing interest in matters of personal piety but the interest goes back to Tyndale, Bradford and the Reformers. Adams himself declares that 'The main intents of all preachers and the contents of all sermons aim to beat down sin and to convert sinners'. (Also in the preface to The Devil’s Banquet. Works 3, p xxxii)
This he seeks to do by a variety of means. We wish to outline some of his more distinctive approaches.
At the end of a sermon on Psalm 94:19 called Man’s Comfort in a passage typical of his style he likens sin, repentance and pardon to the English Spring months of March, April and May. 'Sin comes in like March, blustering, stormy, and full of bold violence. Repentance succeeds like April, showering, weeping, and full of tears. Pardon follows like May, springing, singing, full of joys and flowers.'
In the course of his sermons, he considers a wide variety of themes. In these posts we wish to consider something of what he had to say in the central area of Christian piety. From the time of Elizabeth we can trace an increasing interest in matters of personal piety but the interest goes back to Tyndale, Bradford and the Reformers. Adams himself declares that 'The main intents of all preachers and the contents of all sermons aim to beat down sin and to convert sinners'. (Also in the preface to The Devil’s Banquet. Works 3, p xxxii)
This he seeks to do by a variety of means. We wish to outline some of his more distinctive approaches.
At the end of a sermon on Psalm 94:19 called Man’s Comfort in a passage typical of his style he likens sin, repentance and pardon to the English Spring months of March, April and May. 'Sin comes in like March, blustering, stormy, and full of bold violence. Repentance succeeds like April, showering, weeping, and full of tears. Pardon follows like May, springing, singing, full of joys and flowers.'By way of application, he says 'If our hands have been full of March, with the tempests of unrighteousness, our eyes must be full of April, with the sorrow of repentance; and then our hearts shall be full of May, in the true joy of forgiveness.'
Sin, repentance and forgiveness are themes that Adams often deals with and an examination of what he says on these three great subjects will give us a good idea of his approach. Adams spoke of sin in order to excite repentance and repentance in order to help people to find forgiveness. He tends to spend more time on sin and less on repentance and forgiveness. As he himself might have put it, in his sermons March is longer than April and May.
Posts will follow we trust then on these three subjects.
Sin, repentance and forgiveness are themes that Adams often deals with and an examination of what he says on these three great subjects will give us a good idea of his approach. Adams spoke of sin in order to excite repentance and repentance in order to help people to find forgiveness. He tends to spend more time on sin and less on repentance and forgiveness. As he himself might have put it, in his sermons March is longer than April and May.
Posts will follow we trust then on these three subjects.
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