A30122:374
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.
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.
It is a sad presage of an approaching Famine, (as one well observes) not of Bread nor Water, but of hearing the Word of God, when the thin Ears of Corn, devour the plump full Ones; when the lean Kine devour the fat Ones; when our Controversies about doubtful things, and things of less moment, eat up our Zeal, for the more indisputable and practical things in Religion; which may give us cause to fear, that this will be the Character by which our Age will be known to Posterity, that it was the Age that talked of Religion most, and loved it least.
Look upon those Churches where Peace is, and there you shall find Prosperity: When the Churches had rest, they were not only multiplied, but walking in the Fear of the Lord, and the Comforts of the Holy Ghost, they were edified it is when the whole Body is in it together, as with Joints and Bands, that they increase with the Increase of God.