A30122:373
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.
Sixthly, As want of Unity and Peace keeps those out of the Church that would come in, so it hinder the growth of those that are in. Jars and Divisions, Wranglings and Prejudices, eat out the Growth, if not the Life of Religion. These are those Waters of Marah, that embitter our Spirits, and quench the Spirit of God. Unity and Peace is said to be like the Dew of Hermon, and as a Dew that descended upon Zion, where the Lord commanded his Blessing, Psal. 133. 3.
Sixthly, As want of Unity and Peace keeps those out of the Church that would come in, so it hinder the growth of those that are in. Jars and Divisions, Wranglings and Prejudices, eat out the Growth, if not the Life of Religion. These are those Waters of Marah, that imbitter our Spirits, and quench the Spirit of God. Unity and Peace is said to be like the Dew of Hermon, and as a Dew that descended upon Sion, where the Lord commanded his Blessing, Psal. 133. 3.
Divisions run Religion into Briars and Thorns, Contentio•s and Parties. Divisions are to Churches like Wars in Countries: Where War is, the Ground lieth waste and untilled, none takes care of it. It is Love that edifieth, but Division pulleth down: Divisions are as the North-east Wind to the Fruits, which causeth them to dwindle away to nothing; but when the Storms are over, every thing begins to grow. When Men are divided, they seldom speak the Truth in Love; and then no marvel they grow not up to him in all things, which is the Head.
Divisions run Religion into Briars and Thorns, Contentio•s and Parties. Divisions are to Churches like Wars in Countries: Where War is, the Ground lieth waste and untill'd, none takes care of it. It is Love that edifieth, but Division pulleth down: Divisions are as the North-east Wind to the Fruits, which causeth them to dwindle away to nothing; but when the Storms are over, every thing begins to grow. When Men are divided, they seldom speak the Truth in Love; and then no marvel they grow not up to him in all things, which is the Head.