A30122:85
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.
3. There is a Fruit that is vile, and ill-tasted, Jer. 24. how long soever it be in growing; the Root is dried, and cannot convey a sufficiency of Sap to the Branches to ripen the Fruit. These are the Fruit of such Professors, whose Heart is estranged from Communion with the Holy Ghost, whose Fruit groweth from themselves, from their Parts, Gifts, strength of Wit, natural or moral Principles. These, notwithstanding they bring forth Fruit, are called empty Vines; such as bring not forth Fruit to God.
Their Root is dried up, they shall bear no Fruit; yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved Fruit of their Womb, Hos. 9. 16.
4. There is a Fruit that is Wild; I looked for Grapes, and it brought forth Wild Grapes, Isa. 5. 4. I observe, That as there are Trees and Herbs that are wholly right, and noble, sit indeed for the Vineyard: So there are also their Semblance, but wild; not right, but ignoble. There is the Grape, and the wild Grape; the Vine, and the wild-Vine; the Rose, and canker-Rose; Flowers, and wild-Flowers; the Apple, and the wild-Apple, which we call the Crab. Now Fruit ⟨p. 26⟩from these wild things, however they may please the Children to play with, yet the Prudent and Grave count them of little or no value. There are also in the World a Generation of Professors, that notwithstanding their Profession, are wild by Nature; yea, such as were never cut out, or off, from the wild Olive-tree, nor never yet planted into the good Olive-tree. Now these can bring nothing forth but wild Olive-berries, they cannot bring forth Fruit unto God. Such are all those that have lightly taken up a Profession, and crept into the Vineyard without a new-birth, and the blessing of Regeneration.