N00458:385
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. Consider that you have to do with a God who will not be mocked. It is true, he is a gracious, and merciful, and long-suffering God, but beware of misimproving these Discoveries; know it therefore that he is an Holy G od too, & jealous for his great Name; he shows his rich mercy to you in that he gives you the privileges of his house, and lays out so much upon you in it; in that he bestows on you the Gospel favours, and waits that he may be gracious to you; but he is not to be trampled upon, his goodness is not to be despised; he will be glorified in them that draw near unto him; be not therefore deceived, think not that he will be trifled withal by sinners; he is a terrible God in his Church, and all they there that will ⟨p. 160⟩dare him to it, by their living in sin, shall find him to be so to their cost.
1. Consider that you have to do with a God who will not be mocked. It is true, he is agracious, and merciful, and long-suffering God, but beware of misimproving these Discoveries; know it therefore that he is an Holy G od too, & jealous for his great Name; he shews his rich mercy to you in that he gives you the priviledges of his house, and lays out so much upon you in it; in that he bestows on you the Gospel favours, and waits that he may be gracious to you; but he is not to be trampled upon, his goodness is not to be despised; he will be glorified in them that draw near unto him; be not therefore deceived, think not that he will be trifled withal by sinners; he is a terrible God in his Church, and all they there that will ⟨p. 160⟩dare him to it, by their living in sin, shall find him to be so to their cost.
2. Consider the Covenant under which you stand. hath its threatenings as well as its promises. There are indeed great and precious promises held out to all those that are in the Covenant; but they are also under severe menace; and by virtue of their station in the visible Church, they are equally related to the one as to the other. Do not forget that the Gospel Covenant hath its conditions, and accordingly as men are under them, so it speaks to them comfort or terror. It saith, if you believe you shall be saved, but it saith too, if you believe not, you shall be damned; it saith, if you bear fruit you shall be commended, but it also assures you, that if you bear none you shall be condemned: yea, as it hath better promises, so it hath more severe threatenings than the first Covenant had. Think it not to be enough to say, I am in the Covenant, and so to run away with a carnal confidence, that all is well: But put your selves upon a thorough search, and enquire what part of the Covenant you stand under; there is a vast difference between being under the Covenant-promise, and threatening; nothing is more comfortable than the former, nothing more amazing than the latter: and know it, that if you abide barren still, this is your condition, and you may well expect to have the threatening accomplished upon you.