N00458:493
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 I.
Learn hence how much Sinners are beholden to Gods faithful Ministers. As little as they love them, yea as much as they despise and possibly hate them, yet they little know how much they do for them: many a time ⟨p. 214⟩when Judgment was ready to have broken in, and Gods anger was kindled, and began to burn, these have stepped in, and given a stop to it. It is true, they dealt plainly and openly with such as live and lie in sin, and despise the offers of grace made in the Gospel; and this is their faithfulness: they have discovered Gods anger, and cannot but cry aloud, and call earnestly unto men; they cannot let them alone; they speak home, and this many times vexeth sinners; they love not to be disquieted; and this makes such to cry out of them, as if they were the only Troublers of Israel. Yea they are often put upon it to denounce the threatenings of the Word of God against men that will not repent; and foolish creatures are ready to say, we see what they would be at, they desire and long for our mischief: but little do they think the mean while, what deep resentments they entertain upon their hearts of these things; how the danger they are in affects them. As they cannot let sinners alone, so neither can they let God alone: they are as earnest in their supplications to him for them, as they are in their warnings of them: did you know what pleadings, what entreaties, what importunities, they are using in their behalf; how loth they are that you should perish, how earnest they are with God that he should save you, that he would turn you, and have ⟨p. 215⟩mercy upon you, it would make you to entertain better thoughts of them: nor can all your unworthy reflections upon them, turn them from so doing, though they grieve and account it to be hard measure, so David,