A30122:236
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, I shall instance Ishmael, Gen. 17. 25, 26. Ishmael was a Professor, was brought up in Abraham's Family, and was circumcised at thirteen Years of Age, Gen. 16. 12. But he was the Son of the Bond-woman, he brought not forth good Fruit, he was a wild Professor: For all his Religion, he would scoff at those that were better than himself. Well, upon a day his Brother Isaac was weaned, at which time his Father made a Feast, and rejoiced before the Lord, for that he had given him the promised Son; at this Ishmael mocked them, their Son, and godly rejoicing. Then came the Spirit of God upon Sarah, and she cried, Cast him out, cast out this Bond-woman and her Son; for the Son of this Bond-woman shall not be Her with my Son, with Isaac, Gen. 21. 9, 10, 11. Now Paul to the Galatians, (Chap. 4. 29, 30, 31.) makes this casting out to be, not only a casting out of Abraham's Family, but a casting out also from a Lot with the Saints in Heaven. Also Moses giveth us a notable proof thereof, in saying, that when he died, he was gathered to his People, Gen. 25. 17. ⟨p. 83⟩his People by his Mother's side, for he was reckoned from her, the Son of: Ha•ar; the Son of the Bond-woman. Now •he came of the Egyptians, Gen. 21. 9. So that he was gathered when he died, notwithstanding his Profession, to the place that Pharaoh and his Host were gathered to, who: were drowned in the Red Sea; these were his People, and he was of them, both by Nature and Disposition, by persecuting as they did. But now, When did the Day of Grace •nd with this Man• Observe, and I will show you: Ishmael was thirteen Years old when he was circumcised, •nd the• was Abraham ninety Years old and nine,