A30122:229
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.
Besides, the giving up of the Fig-tree, is before the Execution. Execution is not always presently upon the Sentence given; for after that a convenient Time is thought on, and then is cutting down: And so it is here in the Text. The Decree, that he shall perish, is gathered from its continuing fruitless quite through the last Year, from its continuing fruitless at the end of all Endeavours: But cutting down is not yet, for that comes with an after-word; Then after that thou shalt cut it down.
So then, that I may orderly proceed with the Observation, I must lay down these two Propositions.
Prop. 1. That the Day of Grace ends with some Men before God takes them out of this World. And,
Prop. 2. The Death, or cutting down of such Men, will be dreadful. For this cut it down, when it is understood in the largest sense, (as here indeed it ought) it showeth, not only the Wrath of God against a Man's Life in this World, but his Wrath against him Body and Soul. And is as much as to say, cut him off from all the Privileges and Benefits that come by Grace, both in this World, and that which is to come.