A30122:176
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, 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. The Kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from you, and shall ⟨p. 61⟩be given to a Nation that shall render him their Fruits in their Season. The Jews for their barrenness were cut down, and more fruitful People put in their room. As Samuel also said to barren Saul, 1 Sam. 15. 28. The Lord hath rent the Kingdom from thee, and hath given it to thy Neighbour that is better than thou; the unprofitable Servant must be cast out, must be cut down, Mat. 25. 27.
Cumber-ground! How many hopeful, inclinable, forward People, hast thou by thy fruitless and unprofitable Life, kept out of the Vineyard of God; for thy sake have the People stumbled at Religion; By thy Life have they been kept from the Love of their own Salvation. Thou hast been also a means of hardening others, and of quenching, and killing weak beginnings. Well, Barren Figtree! look to thy self, (thou wilt not go to Heaven thy self, and them that would, thou hinderest); Thou must not always Cumber the Ground, nor always hinder the Salvation of others: Thou shalt be Cut down, and another shall be planted in thy room.
Cumber-ground! How many hopeful, •nclinable, forward People, hast thou by thy fruitless and unprofitable Life, kept out of the Vineyard of God; for thy sake have the People stumbled at Religion; By thy Life have they been kept from the Love of their own Salvation. Thou hast been also a means of hardening others, and of quenching, and killing weak beginnings. Well, Barren Figtree! look to thy self, (thou wilt not go to Heaven thy self, and them that would, thou hinderest); Thou must not always Cumber the Ground, nor always hinder the Salvation of others: Thou shalt be Cut down, and another shall be planted in thy room.