A30122:165
The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor showing…The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing…
The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor showing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.
London: printed for J. Robinson, 1688
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.
Secondly, Sometimes God takes away a barren Professor by open Profaneness. ⟨p. 56⟩There is one hath taken up a Profession of that worthy Name, the Lord Jesus Christ; but this Profession is but a Cloak, he secretly practiseth Wickedness: He is a Glutton, a Drunkard, or Covetous, or Unclean. Well, saith God, I will loose the Reins of this Professor, I will give him up to his vile Affections, I will loose the Reins of his Lusts before him, he shall be entangled with his beastly Lusts, he shall be overcome of ungodly Company. Thus they that turn aside to their own crooked ways, Psal. 125. 5. The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of Iniquity. This is God's Hand immediately; God is now dealing with this Man himself. Barren Fig-tree, hearken, Thou art crowded into a Profession, art got among the Godly, and there art a scandal to the Holy and Glorious Gospel; but withal so cunning, that like the Sons of Zerviah, thou art too hard for the Church; She knows not how to deal with thee. Well, saith God, I will deal with that Man my self: Ezek. 14. 7, 8. I will answer that Man by my self he that sets up his Idols in his Heart, and puts the Stumbling-block of his Iniquity before his Face, and yet comes and appears ⟨p. 57⟩before me; I will set my Face against that Man, and will make him a Sign and a Proverb; and I will cut him off from the midst of my People; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
Secondly, Sometimes God takes away a barren Professor by open Profaneness. ⟨p. 56⟩There is one hath taken up a Profession of that worthy Name, the Lord Jesus Christ; but this Profession is but a Cloak, he secretly practiseth Wickedness: He is a Glutton, a Drunkard, or Covetous, or Unclean. Well, saith God, I will loose the Reins of this Professor, I will give him up to his vile Affections, I will loose the Reins of his Lusts before him, he shall be entangled with his beastly Lusts, he shall be overcome of ungodly Company. Thus they that turn aside to their own crooked ways,