A30122:340
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.
But further; Do we not all agree, that Men that preach the Gospel, should do it like Workmen that need not be ashamed? and yet how little is this considered ⟨p. 17⟩by many Preachers, who never consider before they speak of what they say, or whereof they affirm? How few give themselves to study, that they may be approved? How few meditate and give themselves to these things, that their profiting may appear to all?
For the Lord's sake let us unite to practise those things we know; and if we would have more Talents, let us all agree to improve those we have.
See the Spirit that was among the Primitive Professors, that knowing and believing how much it concerned them in the propagating of Christianity, to show forth Love to one another (that so all might know them to be Christ's Disciples) rather than there should be any complainings among them, they sold all they had: Oh how zealous were these to practice, and with one Shoulder to do that that was upon their Hearts for God! I might further add, how often have we agreed in our Judgment? and hath it not been upon our Hearts, that this and the other Thing is good to be done, to enlighten the dark World, and to repair the breaches of Churches, and to raise up those Churches that now ⟨p. 18⟩lie a gasping, and among whom the Sou• of Religion is expiring? But what […] we more than talk of them? Do no• most decline these things, when they either call for their Purses, or their Persons to help in this and such-like Work• as these? Let us then, in what we know• unite, that we may put it in practice remembering, that if we know these things, we shall be happy if we d them.