N00458:527
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.
4. Hence they are not willing to despair but hope still concerning them. Despair of doing good, is that which e•eryates the spirits, and puts a damp upon all activity, yea makes men to cast off all endeavours: whereas on the other hand, hope oils the wheels, warms the heart and gives activity to compassion: they are not therefore willing to think that sinners are hopeless: though they have been careless and obstinate, yet it is possible that God may give them repentance, and they may come in at last: their ha•d heart may be softened, they may be brought to see the evil of their doings, and made to mourn ⟨p. 230⟩for and turn from them; God can change them and means may be blessed unto them for good; they are not out of the reach of Almighty power to convert and save them.
4. Hence they are not willing to despair but hope still concerning them. Despair of doing good, is that which e•eryates the spirits, and puts a damp upon all activity, yea makes men to cast off all endeavours: whereas on the other hand, hope oyls the wheels, warms the heart and gives activity to compassion: they are not therefore willing to think that sinners are hope•ess: though they have been careless and obstinate, yet it is possible that God may give them repentance, and they may come in at last: their ha•d heart may be softned, they may be brought to see the evil of their doings, and made to mourn ⟨p. 230⟩for and turn from them; God can change them and means may be blessed unto them for good; they are not out of the reach of Almighty power to convert and save them.
5. This therefore makes them beg time for farther trial. They do it not with any design to aggravate the sinners guilt, though it unhappily proves so too often in the event; they would not make any mans miseries more and greater, if they could help it, but all they do in this regard, is in hope that it may be their Salvation; it is because they are not willing that these should perish: and because all their hope is in a farther probation, which only will allow unto them the opportunity of using means for their good, or unto sinners the opportunity for repentance: They do therefore seek unto God that he would grant this their request, and for that reason the vinedresser asks but one year more because it is merely for probation that he desires it.