shall I be hid I shall never more have Hope in thee Smile from thee nor expect Mercy at thy Hand Thus therefore Cain's Day of Grace ended and the Heavens with God's own Heart were shut up against him yet after this he lived long Gen. 4. 10. Cutting down was not come yet after this he lived to marry a Wife vers 17. to beget a cursed Brood to build a City and what else I know not all which could not be quickly done Wherefore Cain might live after the Day of Grace was past with him several hundred of Years Secondly I shall instance Ishmael Gen. 17. 25 26. Ishmael was a Professor was brought up in Abraham's Family and was circumcised at thirteen Years of Age Gen. 16. 12. But he was the Son of the Bond-woman he brought not forth good Fruit he was a wild Professor For all his Religion he would scoff at those that were better than himself Well upon a day his Brother Isaac was weaned at which time his Father made a Feast and rejoiced before the Lord for that he had given him the promised Son at this Ishmael mocked them their Son and godly rejoicing Then came the Spirit of God upon Sarah and she cried Cast him out cast out this Bond-woman and her Son for the Son of this Bond-woman shall not be Her with my Sou with Isaac Gen. 21. 9 10 11. Now Paul to the Galatians Chap. 4. 29 30 31. makes this casting out to be not only a casting out of Abraham's Family but a casting out also from a Lot with the Saints in Heaven Also Moses giveth us a notable proof thereof in saying that when he died he was gathered to his People Gen. 25. 17. his People by his Mother's side for he was reckoned from her the Son of Haâ—ar the Son of the Bond-woman Now â—he came of the Egyptians Gen. 21. 9. So that he was gathered when he died notwithstanding his Profession to the place that Pâ—araoh and his Host were gathered to who were drowned in the Red Sea these were his People and he was of them both by Nature and Disposition by persecuting as they did But now When did the Day of Grace â—nd with this Manâ— Observe and I will shew you Ishmael was thirteen Years old when he was circumcisedâ— â—nd theâ— was Abraham ninety Years old and nine Gen. 17. 24 25 26. the next Year Isaac was born So that Ishmael was now fourteen Years of Age. Now when Isaac was weaned suppose 〈◊〉 suck'd four Years by that account Theâ— Day of Grace must be ended with Ishmael by that time he was eighteen Years old Gen. 25. 12 c. For that day he mocked that day it was 〈◊〉 Cast him out and of that casting out the Apostle makes what I have said Beware ye young barren Professors Now Ishmael lived 〈…〉 Years after this in great tranquillity and honour with Men After this he also begat twelve Princes even after his Day of Grace was past Thirdly I shall instance Esau Gen. 25. 27 c. Esau also was a Professor he was born unto Isaac and circumcised according to the custom But Esau was a gamesom Professor an Huntsman a Man of the Field also he was wedded to his Lusts which he did also venture to keep rather than the Birth-right Well upon a day when he came from hunting and was faint he sold his Birth-right to Jacob his Brother Now the Birth-right in those days had the Promise and Blessing annexed to it Yea they were so entailed in this that the one could not go without the other wherefore the Apostle's Caution is here of weight Heb. 12. 16 〈◊〉 Take heed faith he 〈…〉 you a Fornicator or profane Person as Esau who 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 of Meat sold his Birth-right for ye know how that afterwards when 〈◊〉 would have inherited the Blessings he was rejected for he 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 though he 〈…〉 Now the ending of Esauâ—â— Day of Grace is to be reckoned from his selling of his Birth-right For there the Apostle points it lest there be among you any that like Esau sells his Birth-right for then goes hence the Blessing also But Esau sold his Birth-right long before his Death Twenty Years after this Jacob was with Laban Gen. 31. 41. â—2 6. and when he returned home his brother Esau met him Further after â—his when Jacob dwelt again some time with his Father then Jacob and Esau buried him I suppose Gen. 35. 28 29. He might live above forty yea for ought 〈◊〉 know above fourscore years after he had â—old his Birth-right and so consequently had put himself out of the Grace of God Three things I would further note upon these three Professors First Cain an angry Professor Ishmael 〈◊〉 mocking one Esau a lustful gamesome one Three Symptomes of a barren Professor For he that can be angry and that can mock and that can indulge his lusts cannot bring forth Fruit to God Secondly The Day of Grace ended with these Professors at that time when they committed some grievous Sin Cain's when he killed his Brother Ishmael's when he mocked at Isaac c. and Esau when out of love to his Lusts he despised and sold his Birth-right Beware barren Professor Thou mayst 〈◊〉 that in half a quarter of an hour from the evil of which thou mayst not be delivered for ever and ever Thirdly Yet these three after their Day of Grace was over lived better lives as to outward things than ever they did before Cain after this was Lord of a City Gen. 4. 17. Ishmael was after this father of twelve Princes Gen. 25. 16. and Esau after this told his Brother I have enough my Brother keep that thâ—â— hast to thy self Chap. 33. 8 9. Ease and Peace and a prosperous Life in outwards is no sign of the Favour of God to a barren and fruitless Professor But rather of his Wrath that thereby he may be capable to treasure up more Wrath against the day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Let thus much serve for the proof the first Proposition namely That the day of Grace ends with some Men before God takes them out of this world Now then to shew you by some Signs how you may know that the day of Grace is ended or near to ending with the Barren Professor And after that thou shalt cut it down First He that hath stood it out against God and that hath withstood all those means for Fruit that God hath used for the making of him if it might have been a fruitful Tree in his Garden he is in this danger and this indeed is the sum of the Parable The Fig-tree here mentioned was blessed with the application of means had time allowed it to receive the nourishment but it outstood with-stood overstood All All that the Husband-man did All that the Vine-dresser did Signs of being past Grace But a little distinctly to particularize in four or five Particulars First Sign The Day of Grace
God owneth and will stand for This Man I say by his Profession suggesteth this to all that know him to be such a Professor Men meerly natural I mean Men that have not got the devilish art of Hypocrisie are afraid to think of doing thus And of the rest durst no Man join himself to them but the people magnified them Act. 5. 13. And indeed it displeaseth God They have brought saith he Men uncircumcised into my Sanctuary And again Isa. 1. 12. When you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts saith God They have therefore learnt this boldness of none in the visible World they only took it of the Devil for he and he only with these his Disciples attempt to present themselves in the Church before God The Tares are the Children of the Wicked One the Tares that is the Hypocrites that are Satan's Brood the Generation of Vipers that cannot escape the Damnation of Hell Had a Fig-tree planted in his Vineyard He doth not say He planted a Fig-tree but there Was a Fig-tree there he Had or found a Fig-tree planted in his Vineyard The great God will not acknowledg the barren Fig-tree or barren Professor to be His Workmanship or a Tree of his bringing in only the Text saith He Had one there This is much like that in Matthew Chap. 15. 13. Every Plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Here again are Plants in his Vineyard which God will not acknowledg to be of his planting and he seems to suggest that in his Vineyard are many such Every Plant or all those Plants or Professors that are got into the Assembly of the Saints or into the Profession of their Religion without God and his Grace shall be rooted up And when the King came in to see the Guests he saw there a Man that had not on a Wedding-garment and he said unto him Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a Wedding-garment Matth. 22. 11 12. Here is one so cunning and crafty that he beguiled all the Guests he got and kept in the Church even until the King himself came in to see the Guests But his subtilty got him nothing it did not blind the Eyes of the King it did not prevert the Judgment of the Righteous Friend how camest thou in hither did overtake him at last even a publick rejection the King discovered him in the face of all there present How camest thou in hither My Father did not bring thee hither I did not bring thee hither My Spirit did not bring thee hither thou art not of the Heavenly Father's planting How camest thou in hither John 10. 1. He that cometh not in by the Door but climbeth up some other way the same is a Thief and a Robber This Text also is full and plain to our purpose for this Man came not in by the Door yet got into the Church he got in by climbing he broke in at the Windows he got something of the Light and Glory of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in his Head and so hardy Wretch that he was he presumed to croud himself among the Children But how is this resented what saith the King of him Why this is his Sign The same is a Thief and a Robber See ye here also if all they be owned as the planting of God that get into his Church or Profession of his Name Had a Fig tree had one without a Wedding-garment had a thief in his Garden at his Wedding in his House These climbed up Some other way There are many ways to get into the Church of God and Profession of his Name besides and without an entring by the door 1. There is the way of lying and dissembling and at this gap the Gibeonites got in Josh. 9. 3 4 c. 2. There is sometimes falsness amongst some Pastors either for the sake of carnal Relations or the like at this hole Tobiah the enemy of God got in Nehem. 13. 4 5 6. 3. There is sometimes negligence and too much uncircumspectness in the whole Church thus the Uncircumcised got in Ezek. 44. 7 9. 4. Sometimes again let the Church be never so circumspect yet these have so much help from the Devil that they beguile them all and so get in These are of that sort of Thieves that Paul complains of false Brethren brought in unawares Gal. 2. 3 4. Jude also cries out of these Certain Men crept in unawares Jude 4. Crept in What were they so lowly A voluntary humility Col. 2. 22 23. a neglecting of the Body not in any humor Oh how seemingly self-denying are some of these creeping things that yet are to be held as we shall know them an abomination to Israel Lev. 11. 43 44. But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also of Wood and of Earth and some to Honour and some to Dishonour 2 Tim. 2. 20. By these words the Apostle seems to take it for granted that as there hath been so there still will be these kind of Fig-trees these barren Professors in the house when all Men have done what they can Even as in a great house there are always Vessels to Dishonour as well as those to Honour and Glory Vessels of Wood and of Earth as well as of Silver and Gold So then there must be wooden Professors in the Garden of God there must be earthy earthen Professors in his Vineyard but that methinks is the biting word and some to Dishonour That to the Romans is dreadful Rom. 9. 21 22. but this seems to go beyond it That speaks but of the Reprobate in general but this of such and such in particular That speaks of their hardening but in the common way But this that they must be suffered to creep into the Church There to fit themselves for their place their own place Act. 1. 25. the place prepared for them of this sort only As the Lord Jesus said once of the Pharisees These shall receive greater damnation Luke 20. 47. Barren Fig-tree fruitless Professor hast thou heard all these things Hast thou considered that this Fig-tree is not ackdowledged of God to be his but is denied to be of his planting and of his bringing unto his Wedding Dost not thou see that thou art called a Thief and a Robber that hast either climbed up to or crept in at another place than the Door Dost thou not hear that there will be in God's House wooden and earthly Professors and that no place will serve to fit those for Hell but the House Church the Vineyard of God! Barren Fig-tree fruitless Christian do not thine Ears tingle And He came and sought Fruit thereon When a Man hath got a Profession and is crouded into the Church and House of God the Question is not now Hath he Life hath he right Principles but hath he Fruit He came seeking Fruit thereon It mattereth not
expecteth that the Fruits of Repentance be found to attend them Mat. 3. 8. Bring forth Fruits therefore meet for Repentance or answerable to thy profession of the Doctrine of Repentance Barren Fig-tree seeing thou art a Professor and art got into the Vineyard thou standest before the Lord of the Vineyard as one of the Trees of the Garden Wherefore He looketh for Fruit from thee as from the rest of the Trees in the Vineyard Fruits I say and such as may declare thee in Heart and Life one that hath made sound Profession of Repentance By thy Profession thou hast said I am sensible of the evil of Sin Now then live such a Life as declares that thou art sensible of the Evil of Sin By thy Profession thou hast said I am sorry for my Sin Why then live such a life as may declare This Sorrow By thy Profession thou hast said I am ashamed of my Sin Psal. 38. 18. yea but live such a Life that Men by that may see thy shame for Sin Jer. 31. 19. By thy Profession thou sayest I have turned from left off and am become an enemy to every appearance of evil 1 Thess. 5. 22. Ah! but doth thy Life and Conversation declare thee to be such an one Take heed barren Fig-tree lest thy Life should give thy Profession the lye I say again Take heed for God himself will come for Fruit And he sought Fruit thereon You have some Professors that are only Saints before Men when they are abroad but are Devils and Vipers at home Saints by Profession but Devils by Practice Saints in Word but Sinners in Heart and Life These Men may have the Profession but they want the Fruits that become Repentance Barren Fig-tree Can it be imagined that those that paint themselves did ever repent of their Pride or that those that pursue this World did ever repent of their Covetousness or that those that walk with wanton eyes did ever repent of their fleshly Lusts Where barren Fig-tree is the Fruit of these Peoples Repentance Nay do they not rather declare to the World that they have repented of their Profession Their fruits look as if they had Their Pride saith they have repented of their Humility Their Covetousness declareth that they are weary of depending upon God and doth not thy wanton actions declare that thou abhorrest Chastity Where is thy Fruit Barren Fig-tree Repentance is not only a sorrow and a shame for but a turning from Sin to God Heb. 6. it is called Repentance from dead works Hast thou that Godly Sorrow that worketh Repentance to Salvation never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. How dost thou shew thy carefulness and clearing of thy self thy indignation against Sin thy fear of offending thy vehement desire to walk with God thy zeal for his Name and Glory in the World and what revenge hast thou in thy Heart against every thought of Disobedience But where is the Fruit of this Repentance Where is thy Watching thy Fasting thy Praying against the remainders of Corruption Where is thy Self-abhorrence thy blushing before God for the Sin that is yet behind Where is thy tenderness of the Name of God and his Waies Where is thy Self-denial and Contentment How dost thou shew before Men the truth of thy turning to God Hast thou renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness 2 Cor. 4. 2. Canst thou commend thy self to every Man's conscience in the sight of God And he sought Fruit thereon Secondly God expecteth Fruits that shall answer that Faith which thou makest Profession of The Professor that is got into the Vineyard of God doth feign that he hath the Faith the Faith most holy the Faith of God's Elect Ah! But where are thy Fruits Barren Fig-tree The Faith of the Romans was spoken of throughout the whole World Rom. 1. 8. and the Thessalonians Faith grew exceedingly 2 Thess. 1. 3. Thou professest to believe thou hast a share in another World Hast thou let go this barren Fig-tree Thou professest thou believest in Christ is he thy Joy and the Life of thy Soul Yea what conformity unto Him to his Sorrows and Suffering What resemblance hath his Crying and Groaning and Bleeding and Dying wrought in thee dost thou bear about in thy body the dying of the Lord Jesus and is also the Life of Jesus made manifest in thy mortal body 2 Cor. 4. 10 11. Barren Fig-tree Shew me thy Faith by thy Works Shew out of a good Conversation thy Works with meekness of wisdom Jam. 2. 18. 3. 13. What Fruit barren Fig-tree what degree of Heart-Holiness for Faith purifies the Heart Act. 15. 19. What love to the Lord Jesus for Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. Thirdly God expecteth Fruits according to the Seasons of Grace thou art under according to the rain that cometh upon thee Perhaps thou art planted in a good Soil by great Waters that thou mightest bring forth Branches and bear Fruit that thou mightest be a goodly Vine or Fig-tree Shall he not therefore seek for Fruit for Fruit answerable to the means Barren Fig-tree God expects it and will find it too if ever He bless thee For the Earth which drinketh in the rain that comes oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for him by whom it is dressed receives blessing from God but that which heareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7 8. Barren Soul How many showers of Grace how many dews from Heaven how many times have the Silver Streams of the City of God run gliding by thy Roots to cause thee to bring forth Fruit These Showers and Streams and the Drops that hang upon thy Boughs will all be accounted for And will they not testify against thee that thou oughtest of right to be burned Hear and tremble O thou barren Professor Fruits that become thy profession of the Gospel the God of Heaven expecteth The Gospel hath in it the Forgiveness of Sins the Kingdom of Heaven and Eternal Life But what Fruit hath thy Profession of a belief of these things put forth in thy Heart and Life Hast thou given thy self to the Lord and is all that thou hast to be ventured for his Name in this World Dost thou walk like one that is bought with a price Even the price of precious Blood Fourthly The Fruit that God expecteth is such As is meet for himself Fruit that may glorify God God's Trees are Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified Fruit that tasteth of Heaven abundance of such Fruit For herein saith Christ is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much Fruit John 15. 8. Fruits of all kinds new and old the Fruits of the Spirit is in all Goodness and Righteousness and Truth Fruits before the World Fruits before the Saints Fruits before God Fruits before Angels O my Brethren What manner of Persons ought we to be who
can be in Peace For do we not see daily that as soon as Men come to a clearer understanding the Mind of God to say the best of what they hold that presently all Men are Excommunicable if not Damnable that do not agree with them do not some believe and see that to be Pride and Covetousness which others do not because it may be they have more narrowly and diligently searched into their Duty of these things than others haveâ— what then Must all Men that have not so large acquaintance of their Duty herein be Excommunicated Indeed it were to be wished that more moderation in Apparel and Secular Concernments were found among Churches but God forbid that if they should come short herein that we should say as one lately said That he could not Communicate with such a People because they were proud and superfluous in their Apparel Let me appeal to such and demand of them if there was not a time since they believed and were baptized wherein they did not believe laying on of Hands a Duty and did they not then believe and do they not still believe they were Members of the Body of Christ And was not there a time when you did not so well understand the nature and extent of Pride and Covetousness as now you do And did you not then believe and do you not still believe that you were true Members of Christ though less perfect Why then should you not judg of those that differ from you herein as you judged of your selves when you were as they now are How needful then is it for Christians to distinguish if ever they would be at Peace and Vnity between those truths which are essential to Church-Communion and those that are not Thirdly Vnity and Peace consists in our making one Shoulder to practise and â—ut in execution the things we do know Phil. 3. 16. Nevertheless wherein we have â—â—ained let us walk by the same Rule let 〈◊〉 mind the same things How sad is it to 〈◊〉 our Zeal consume us and our precious Time in things doubtful and disputable while we are not concerned nor affected with the practice of those indisputable things we all agree in We all know Charity to be the great Command and yet how few agree to practise it We all know they that labour in the Word and Doctrine are worthy of double Honour and that God hath ordained that they which Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel these Duties however others have cavil'd at them I know you agree in them and are persuaded of your Duty herein but where 's your Zeal to practise O how well would it be with Churches if they were but half as zealous for the great and plain and indisputable Things and the more chargeable and costly Things of Religion as they are for Things doubtful or less necessary or for Things that are no charge to them and cosâ— them nothing but the breath of Contention though that may be too great a price for the small things they purchase with it But further Do we not all agree that Men that preach the Gospel should do it like Workmen that need not be ashamed and yet how little is this considered by many Preachers who never consider before they speak of what they say or whereof they affirm How few give themselves to study that they may be approved How few meditate and give themselves to these things that their profiting may appear to all For the Lord's sake let us unite to practise those things we know and if we would have more Talents let us all agree to improve those we have See the Spirit that was among the Primitive Professors that knowing and believing how much it concerned them in the propagating of Christianity to shew forth Love to one another that so all might know them to be Christ's Disciples rather than there should be any complainings among them they sold all they had Oh how zealous were these to practice and with one Shoulder to do that that was upon their Hearts for God! I might further add how often have we agreed in our Judgment and hath it not been upon our Hearts that this and the other Thing is good to be done to enlighten the dark World and to repair the breaches of Churches and to raise up those Churches that now lie a gasping and among whom the Souâ— of Religion is expiring But what 〈◊〉 we more than talk of them Do noâ— most decline these things when they either call for their Purses or their Persons to help in this and such-like Workâ— as these Let us then in what we knowâ— unite that we may put it in practice remembring that if we know these things we shall be happy if we dâ— them Fourthly This Unity and Peace consists in our joyning and agreeing to pray for and to press after those Truths we do not know The Disciples in the Primitive Times were conscious of their Imperfections and therefore they with one accord continued in Prayer and Supplications If we were more in the sence of our own Ignorances and Imperfections we should carry it better towards those that differ from us then we should abound more in the Spirit of Meekness and Forbearance that thereby we might bring others or be brought by others to the knowledg of the Truth this would make us go to God and say with Elihu Job 34. 32. That which we know not teach thou us Brethren did we but all agree that we were erring in many things we should soon agree to go to God and pray for more Wisdom and Revelation of his Mind and Will concerning us But here 's our misery that we no sooner receive any thing for Truth but we presently ascend the Chair of Infallibility with it as though in this we could not err Hence it is we are impatient of contradiction and become uncharitable to those that are not of the same Mind but now a consciousness that we may mistake or that if my Brother err in one thing I may err in another this will unite us in Affection and engage us to press after Perfection according to that of the Apostle Phil. 3. 13 14 15. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press towards the Mark for the prize of the â—igh Calling of God in Christ Jesus And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you O then that we could but unite and agree to go to God for one another in confidence that he will teach us and that if any of us want Wisdom as who of us does not we might agree to ask of God who giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth no Man Let us like those people spoken of in the second of Isaiah say one to another Come let us go to the Lord for he will teach us of