The greatest sinners exhorted and encouraged to come to Christ, and that now without…

Instr. 3. Hence they that call themselves Christians, and yet bear little or no fruit, are a dishonour to the blessed Name of God. And yet alas how many such are their! Christians who are barren fig-trees, or barren Vines in the Lord's garden, that have the leaves of Profession growing on them, but not the Fruits of practise: That when the Lord cometh to them looking for fruit, He findeth nothing but leaves, a mere formal profession, of whom He may justly say cut them down, why •umber they the ground? There are others that have blossoms only. Convictions of sin and Duty, and beginnings of Reformation are Blossoms. Many have had these who never brought forth the fruit of true Repentance, and Faith, and Holiness. Oh how have they dishonoured God, and what a […] case are their souls in! Naturalists […] that if a tree blossom, and yet does […] bear fruit, it is many times a sign that it will dye; So when persons have Convictions, and Troubles of Conscience, and begin to set upon the practice of holy Duties, but notwithstanding these illuminations are not throughly converted, it is a sad sign that their souls shall dye forever. The Apostle speaks of trees whose fruit withered, without fruit▪ twice dead, Jude. 12. They that ⟨p. 111⟩have had convictions, and some external Reformations; and after that return to their former evil ways again, are twice dead. And don't we see some withered professors of Religion! The time was when they made a fair show, a glorious profession, but all is withered away into sapless Formality. Such may well fear that they were never truly implanted into Christ, and therefore are they cast forth and withered.

Instr. 3. Hence they that call themselves Christians, and yet bear litle or no fruit, are a dishonour to the blessed Name of God. And yet alas how many such are their! Christians who are barren fig-trees, or barren Vines in the Lord's garden, that have the leaves of Profession growing on them, but not the Fruits of practise: That when the Lord cometh to them looking for fruit, He findeth nothing but leaves, a meer formal profession, of whom He may justly say cut them down, why •umber they the ground? There are others that have blossoms only. Convictions of sin and Duty, and beginnings of Reformation are Blossoms. Many have had these who never brought forth the fruit of true Repentance, and Faith, and Holinass. Oh how have they dishonoured God, and what a case are their souls in! Naturalists that if a tree blossome, and yet does bear fruit, it is many times a sign that it will dye; So when persons have Convictions, and Troubles of Conscience, and begin to set upon the practice of holy Duties, but notwithstanding these illuminations are not throughly converted, it is a sad sign that their souls shall dye forever. The Apostle speaks of trees whose fruit withered, without fruit twice dead,