N00458:435
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.
This the Landlord insinuates as a reason why he will have this figtree to be cut down, why cumbers it the ground! Not only, why doth it bear no fruit; why doth it do not good? why doth it make me to lose all my cost and care about it? The word [cumber] as was formerly intimated, signifies, to render a things idle, to make it to do no work; and it is the ground that it doth this detriment unto: and under this resemblance we may take the occasion to observe how not only useless, but mischievous too, barren professors are in the visible Church: and there are several things by which it may be illustrated.
THis the Landlord insinuates as a reason why he will have this figtree to be cut down, why cumbers it the ground! Not only, why doth it bear no fruit; why doth it do not good? why doth it make me to lose all my cost and care about it? The word [cumber] as was formerly intimated, signifies, to render a things idle, to make it to do no work; and it is the ground that it doth this detriment unto: and under this resemblance we may take the occasion to observe how not only useless, but mischievous too, barren professors are in the visible Church: and there are several things by which it may be illustrated.
1: A barren fruit-tree in a vineyard is a very great disgrace to it. The credit of a vineyard, is that it yields much fruit: this ⟨p. 184⟩is it which gains it esteem, and makes it to he preferred before the wilderness. Every tree then that bears proportionably, confers its share to this credit, and consequently, any one that bears nothing diminisheth from it, and is oftentimes more taken notice of than the others that do bear; & it is certain, that there is a great deal of reproach that accrues to the Church of Christ, by the occasions of those in it that do not bring forth the fruits which God requires of them. As God expects more, so men look for more of such than of others: and as it is a shame for such who make an eminent profession, and have so many advantages for it, to do nothing for the glory of God, so the reflection is wont to be made upon the whole, and the Church of Christ which they appertain unto must have dirt cast upon them for it; and they shall suffer more reproach for one such, than get commendation from an hundred exemplary Christians, from the world, who envy the their reputation, and wait for matter of scandal against them. This is one argument Paul useth with the Jews to convince them,