N00458:248
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.
1. Hence they who despise the office and work of the Ministry, despise God. Such as reproach them, reproach God himself. It is not to be denied, but that there are th•se who are preferred among men to the place of the Ministry, whose unworthy Carriage in it, and mismanagement of it, makes them deserve to be exploded, and not acknowledged to be called by God, or approved of him: but this ought not to be interpreted as redounding to the ignominy of the work it self, or the contempt of those whom God hath made faithful in it. It is true, Christ could do his work without them, but he hath pleased to choose this way to dispense himself in; and that employment which God himself hath seen meet to put honour upon, ought not to be vilified or thought light of, by such as profess themselves to be his people, and to hope for his salvation.
1. Hence they who despise the office and work of the Ministry, despise God. Such as reproach them, reproach God himself. It is not to be denied, but that there are th•se who are preferred among men to the place of the Ministry, whose unworthy Carriage in it, and mismanagement of it, makes them deserve to be exploded, and not acknowledged to be called by God, or approved of him: but this ought not to be interpreted as redounding to the ignominy of the work it self, or the contempt of those whom God hath made faithful in it. It is true, Christ could do his work without them, but he hath pleased to chuse this way to dispense himself in; and that employment which God himself hath seen meet to put honour upon, ought not to be vilified or thought light of, by such as profess themselves to be his people, and to hope for his salvation.
2. We are here also acquainted with the Duty of Gospel Ministers. The Title her• put upon them, is not only a character of their dignity, but of their duty […] Their ⟨p. 96⟩work is to dress the Vineyard. The word signifies one that is to work about the vines; i.e. to do the business that appertains to the tending and looking after them: and this intimates that there is no little care and charge lying upon those that are engaged in the Ministry, no little labour incumbent on them to be exercised withal; and this will appear from the consideration of two things in the Comparison or Title.