N00458:525
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. They also know that God is wont to give a blessing to his Servants industry in the use of means. Though all success depends absolutely upon God, and we cannot by all our care and endeavours bring home one soul to Jesus Christ; yet because God hath appointed the Gospel to be the instrument of Conversion and salvation; and hath required his Servants to use diligence and constancy in the dispensation of it unto men, he is therefore wont to encourage their industry, by giving good success unto it; not but that he useth his Sovereignty here, but he frequently doth so: Paul, who laboured more than all the Apostles, won more Souls unto Christ than any of them: Diligence must needs be nearest to success.
2. They also know that God is wont to give a blessing to his Servants industry in the use of means. Though all success depends absolutely upon God, and we cannot by all our care and endeavours bring home one soul to Jesus Christ; yet because God hath appointed the Gospel to be the instrument of Conversion and salvation; and hath required his Servants to use diligence and constancy in the dispensation of it unto men, he is therefore wont to encourage their industry, by giving good success unto it; not but that he useth his Soveraignty here, but he frequently doth so: Paul, who laboured more than all the Apostles, won more Souls unto Christ than any of them: Diligence must needs be nearest to success.
3. Hence the Sinners danger, moving their compassion, engageth them to be more industrious with them. When they see, unregen•• ⟨p. 229⟩[…] men, by neglecting a day of grace, to ••ve provoked God to just anger, and that eager to discover it self in the tokens of his righteous severity, their hearts are thereupon ••irred in them, and they commiserate their dolefully dangerous condition, and that puts them to study what is their duty in this case, to prevent it: and because all that is in their power to do, is to be more earnest and instant in labouring with them for their good; now they shake off all their indispositions, and give themselves up to their work; they say, if I will not have this sinner to perish, I must pluck him as a brand out of the fire, I must cry aloud, and not spare him, but show him his transgression, and plead harder than ever with him.