N00458:369
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. The evidence of the Doctrine, that it is so,
2. The ground of it, or the reason why it is so.
1. For the evidence of the Doctrine, or that it is so: and here we need to look no farther than the Scripture warnings, threatenings, and examples which do abundantly illustrate it. For Warnings and Threatenings how many might be produced? let a few suffice. What did God say to and of the •old World in Noah's time? Gen.6.3. My spirit shall not always strive. He saith indeed that it shall be long, but assures them it shall have an end: and how did God urge his advice upon the Jews by his Prophets, but by such a consideration? see Isa. 55. 6. seek the Lord while •e may be found; intimating that he would not else be ever so, and Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise, &c. lest my fury, &c. When God saith lest, it intimates that there is such a thing, for he doth not fright them with bug bears; and a like expression we have […] 6. 8. Be instructed, &c. thus also he presi••• the Church of ⟨p. 151⟩Ephesus, Rev. 2. 5. As for Scripture Examples, giving us to understand that it hath been so; that God hath been weary with forbearing, and caused his anger to break in upon such as have been his visible people, and enjoyed Vineyard-privileges; they are for our admonition, and tell us that what God hath done, he may do again, yea and will too upon the like provocation given him: And here; if we speak of a people in general, Israel of old stand for monuments of this to the end of the world: how near God had taken them to him we find upon record; they were the only people that he had in the World; they were his vineyard which he had planted, and fenced, &c.