N00458:305
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.
USE II.
Let every such one be exhorted to keep a strict account of these things. If God doth thus, it then loudly calls upon us to do so too; and to move us hereto, Consider,
1. The neglect of this duty is one great reason of the barrenness of professors. A careless frame of spirit; a neither regarding the operations of the Lord, nor observing the framings of their own•souls; this makes multitudes to live as if they had neither duty ⟨p. 126⟩nor danger before them: and how often have we God complaining of his people that they would not consider, mentioning it as the leading cause of all the other things which he had to Article against them for? this not laying of things to heart made them secure and regardless, of themselves.
2. This reckoning, if any thing, will quicken you to present duty. I am sure that it carries matter of awful awakening in it, and helps to convince us how much we are concerned to see that our matters be good; to think that we have to do with a God, who is so strict in observing and recording, and is consequently like to be so exaction reckoning, with us. Paul thought it to be an argument of strong persuasion,