N00458:293
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.
PROPOSITION III.
2. That God keeps an exact account of all this patience, and these pains. He hath a Book of memorial, in which he enters upon the record all his layings out upon them. Books of Register are in the Scripture ascribed to God, after the manner of ⟨p. 119⟩men, to intimate to us, that he hath the exact account of such things with him, that he keeps them in remembrance, and forgets none of them. For this reason we have him so often, in his word, giving his people close hints of what he had b•n doing for them at this & that time, and how long he had bin at it, Jer 25.2. and else-where. He observes and keeps the account how many Sermons they have heard, what Counsels were given to them here and there, how many Sabbaths, they have had the advantage of, how many of his servants he hath sent to speak to them, what they said; how many applications his spirit hath made to their souls, how long it is from the first day to this And if any shall enquire, what makes God so accurate in recording these memorials, There are two reasons for it.
1. God sets an high value upon these favours of his which he thus affords unto men. He looks upon them to be extraordinary kindnesses, That any should be planted in his Vineyard, and there have the privilege of all the tendance of it: he therefore saith of such, that he hath known them after a singular manner,