N00458:374
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. That God must and will be glorified in all those Attributes of his which he displays to the children of men. God doth all things for himself; his own glory is his own last end in all his works of Efficiency, and therefore he manageth the whole discovery of them, with an eye fixed on this end: he had been glorious in himself, if he had never manifested any of his Perfections to the creature; but if he do thus make himself known, he will bring about his declarative glory by ⟨p. 153⟩it: it is that which is dear to him, and he will not part with it. If therefore he be patient with sinners, and wait upon them when he might destroy them; if he defer his revenge, and suppress his anger, he will have the honour of this, he will get to himself a name by it.
2. That God must and will be glorified in all those Attributes of his which he displays to the children of men. God doth all things for himself; his own glory is his own last end in all his works of Efficiency, and therefore he manageth the whole discovery of them, with an eye fixed on this end: he had been glorious in himself, if he had never manifested any of his Perfections to the creature; but if he do thus make himself known, he will bring about his declarative glory by ⟨p. 153⟩it: it is that which is dear to him, and he will not part with it. If therefore he be patient with sinners, and wait upon them when he might destroy them; if he deferr his revenge, and suppress his anger, he will have the honour of this, he will get to himself a name by it.
3. That for which God waits upon sinners under the Gospel is to see if they will bear fruit. That which is the end of a tree's planting, is that which a man expects of it, and for that it is he lets it grow, and waits from year to year to see if it answers the end, Text. Men are planted in Gods Vineyard on purpose for fruit; there are none standing there of whom it is not expected. Now the Husbandman knows that time must be allowed to trees planted, for their fructifying; and he is wont to think, that though such a tree doth not this year answer his expectation, but goes over, and bears nothing; yet it is possible it may make amends for it the next year and if then it also misseth, yet if it doth but blossom, and bid fair for it, though all fall off and die away, he is willing to try one season more, as being loth to cut it down if it may be prevented: but still all his patience is, because he supposeth it may at last bear: Thus God expresseth his waiting upon sinners to be upon such a presumption,