A30122:175
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.
First, A Cumber-ground is a very mock and reproach to Religion, a mock and ⟨p. 60⟩reproach to the Ways of God, to the People of God, to the Word of God, and to the Name of Religion. It is expected of all Hands, that all the Trees in the Garden of God should be fruitful; God expects Fruit, the Church expects Fruit, the World, even the World conclude that Professors should be fruitful in good Works; I say, the very World expecteth that Professors should be better than themselves: But, barren Figtree, thou disappointest all: Nay, Hast thou not learned the wicked Ones thy Ways? Hast thou not learned them to be more wicked by thy Example, (but that's by the by): Barren Fig-tree, Thou hast disappointed others, and must be disappointed thy self. Cut it down, why cumbereth it the Ground?
First, A Cumber-ground is a very mock and reproach to Religion, a mock and ⟨p. 60⟩reproach to the Ways of God, to the People of God, to the Word of God, and to the Name of Religion. It is expected of all Hands, that all the Trees in the Garden of God should be fruitful; God expects Fruit, the Church expects Fruit, the World, even the World conclude that Professors should be fruitful in good Works; I say, the very World expecteth that Professors should be better than themselves: But, barren Figtree, thou disappointest all: Nay, Hast thou not learned the wicked Ones thy Ways? Hast thou not learn'd them to be more wicked by thy Example, (but that's by the by): Barren Fig-tree, Thou hast disappointed others, and must be disappointed thy self. Cut it down, why cumbereth it the Ground?
Secondly, The Barren Fig-tree takes up the room where a better Tree might stand I say, it takes up the room, it keeps, so long as it stands where it doth, a fruitful Tree out of that place, and therefore it must be cut down. Barren Fig-tree, Dost thou hear? Because the Jews stood fruitless in the Vineyard; Therefore, said God, Mat. 21. 33-41