A30122:384
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.
Ninthly; Where there is Peace and Unity, there is a sympathy with each other; that which is the want of one, will be the want of all; Who is afflicted, (saith the Apostle) and I burn not? we should then remember them that are in Bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer Adversity, as being our selves also of the Body, Heb. 13. 3. But where the Body is broken, or Men are not reckoned or esteemed of the Body, no marvel we are so little affected with such as are afflicted: Where Divisions are, that which is the Joy of the one, is the Grief of another; but where Unity, and Peace, and Charity abounds, there we shall find Christians in Mourning with them that mourn, and rejoicing with them that rejoice; then they will not envy the Prosperity of others, nor secretly rejoice at the Miseries or Miscarriages of any.
Last of all; I now come to give you Twelve Directions and Motives for the obtaining Peace and Unity.
First; If ever we would live in Peace and Unity, we must pray for it. We are required to seek Peace: Of whom then can we seek it with expectation to find it, but of him who is a God of Peace, and hath promised to bless his People with Peace? It is God that hath promised to give his People one Heart, and one Way; yet for all these things, he will be sought unto: O then let us seek Peace, and pray for Peace, because God shall prosper them that love it.