N00458:180
The barren fig trees doom. Or, A brief discourse wherein is set forth the…
The barren fig trees doom. Or, A brief discourse wherein is set forth the woeful danger of all who abide unfruitful under Gospel privileges, and Gods husbandry. Being the substance of sixteen sermons preached on Christ's parable of the fig-tree. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Four lines from Matthew]The barren fig trees doom. Or, A brief discourse wherein is set forth the woful danger of all who abide unfruitful under Gospel priviledges, and Gods husbandry. Being the substance of sixteen sermons preached on Christ's parable of the fig-tree. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Four lines from Matthew]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
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.
2. Hence God is honoured by his Visible Church proportionably to the good fruits which they bear. This is the proper and only way in the which they can so serve to his praise, as to answer the end of their being a Church. The rest of mankind shall answer his designs upon them, in some other way; for God will have his honour upon all: but except these serve God, do the works of God, yield the fruits of Obedience, they live in vain: and consequently, the more careful and constant they are in these services the more honour ⟨p. 65⟩they bring to God. Every act of true Obedience hath of this in it, when then these are multiplied, God hath great glory by such.
2. Hence God is honoured by his Visible Church proportionably to the good fruits which they bear. This is the proper and only way in the which they can so serve to his praise, as to answer the end of their being a Church. The rest of mankind shall answer his designs upon them, in some other way; for God will have his honour upon all: but except these serve God, do the works of God, yeild the fruits of Obedience, they live in vain: and consequently, the more careful and constant they are in these services the more honour ⟨p. 65⟩they bring to God. Every act of true Obedience hath of this in it, when then these are multiplied, God hath great glory by such.
3. The Church consists of individuals, and consequently the honour which God hath by his Church, is by the individuals in it. The Church is an aggregate body, it is made up of particular persons; and the duty of bearing fruit lies upon every one of them: what therefore God expects of his Church is personally expressed, as well as jointly; a Vineyard consists of particular plants; by the bearing of these, the fruitfulness of the Vineyard is known? and the way for the Owner to know whether it answers its ends, Is to go from tree to tree, and see how they bear; and in no other way is he acquainted with the state of the whole. If every one in the Church be faithful to God, that is a faithful Church indeed: so many as there are belonging to it that are otherwise, do make It to come so far short, and to be unto such a degree barren; God therefore observes each, because he will know the state of his Vineyard.