A30122:352
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.
Thirdly, The Unity and Peace of the Church makes Communion of Saints desirable. What is it that embitters Church-Communion, and makes it burdensome, but Divisions? Have you not heard many complain that they are weary of Church-Communion, because of Church-Contention? but now where Unity and Peace is, there Christians long for Communion.
Thirdly, The Unity and Peace of the Church makes Communion of Saints desirable. What is it that imbitters Church-Communion, and makes it burdensom, but Divisions? Have you not heard many complain that they are weary of Church-Communion, because of Church-Contention? but now where Unity and Peace is, there Christians long for Communion.
David saith, that he was glad when they said unto him, Let us go to the House of God, Psal. 122. 1. Why was this, but ⟨p. 24⟩because (as the third verse tells us) Jerusalem was a City compact together, where the Tribes went up, the Tribes of the Lord, to give thanks to his Name. And David speaking of the Man that was once his Friend, doth thereby let us know the benefit of Peace and Unity, Psal. 55. 14. We (saith he) took sweet counsel together, and walked to the House of God in company. Where Unity is strongest, Communion is sweetest and most desirable. You see then that Peace and Union fills the People of God with desires after Communion: But on the other hand, hear how David complains, Psal. 120. Woe is me, I sojourn in Mesech, and that I dwell in the tents of Kedar. The Psalmist here is thought to allude to a sort of Men that dwelt in the deserts of Arabia, that got their livings by Contention; and therefore he adds, ver. 6. That his Soul had long dwelt with them that hated Peace. This was that which made him long for the Courts of God, and esteem one day in his House better than a thousand; this made his Soul even faint for the House of God, because of the peace of it; Blessed are they (saith he) that dwell in thy House, they will be still praising thee. There is a certain