A30122:358
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.
Peace is to Churches as Walls to Cities; nay, Unity hath defended Cities that had no Walls; it was once demanded of Ageslaus, why Lacedaemon had no Walls; he answers (pointing back to the City) That the Concord of the Citizens was the strength of the City. In like manner, Christians are strong when united, then they are more capable to resist temptation, and to succour such as are tempted; when Unity and Peace is among the ⟨p. 30⟩Churches, then are they like a Walled Town; And when Peace is the Church's-Walls, Salvation will be her Bulwarks.
Peace is to Churches as Walls to Cities; nay, Unity hath defended Cities that had no Walls; it was once demanded of Ageslaus, why Lacedemon had no Walls; he answers (pointing back to the City) That the Concord of the Citizens was the strength of the City. In like manner, Christians are strong when united, then they are more capable to resist temptation, and to succour such as are tempted; when Unity and Peace is among the ⟨p. 30⟩Churches, then are they like a Walled Town; And when Peace is the Churche's-Walls, Salvation will be her Bulwarks.
Plutarch tells us of one Si••rus that had 80 Sons, whom he calls to him as he lay upon his Death-bed, and gave them a shea• of Arrows, thereby to signify, that if they lived in Unity, they might do much, but if they divided, they would come to nothing. If Christians were all of one Piece, if they were all but one Lump, or but one Sheaf or Bundle, how great are the things they might do for Christ and his People in the World, whereas otherwise they can do little but dishonour him, and offend his.