The Barren Fig Tree, Section 20
Cut it down.
There be two manner of cuttings down;
First, When a Man is cast out of the Vineyard.
Secondly, When a Man is cast out of the World.
First, When a Man is cast out of the Vineyard. And that is done two ways.
1. By an immediate hand of God.
2. By the Churches due execution of the Laws and Censures which Christ for that purpose hath left with his Church.
First, God cuts down the Barren Fig-tree by an immediate Hand, smiting his Roots, blasting his branches, and so takes him away from among his people. Every Branch, saith Christ, that beareth not Fruit in me, He (my Father) taketh away, Joh. 15. 2. He taketh him out of the Church, He taketh him away from the Godly. There are two things by which God taketh the barren Professor from among the Children of God.
First, Strong Delusions.
Secondly, Open Prophaneness.
First, By strong Delusions, such as beguile the Soul with damnable Doctrines, that swerve from Faith and Godliness; Isa. 66. 3, 4. They have chose their own Ways, saith God, and their Soul delighteth in their Abominations; I also will chuse their Delusions, and will bring their Fears upon them. I will smite them with blindness, and hardness of Heart, and failing of Eyes; and will also suffer the Tempter to tempt and effect his hellish Designs upon them; 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11, 12. God will send them strong Delusions, that they may believe a Lie▪ that they all may be damned who believe not the Truth, but had pleasure in Vnrighteousness.
Secondly, Sometimes God takes away a barren Professor by open Profaneness. There is one hath taken up a Profession of that worthy Name, the Lord Jesus Christ; but this Profession is but a Cloak, he secretly practiseth Wickedness: He is a Glutton, a Drunkard, or Covetous, or Unclean. Well, saith God, I will loose the Reins of this Professor, I will give him up to his vile Affections, I will loose the Reins of his Lusts before him, he shall be entangled with his beastly Lusts, he shall be overcome of ungodly Company. Thus they that turn aside to their own crooked ways, Psal. 125. 5. The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of Iniquity. This is God's Hand immediately; God is now dealing with this Man himself. Barren Fig-tree, hearken, Thou art crouded into a Profession, art got among the Godly, and there art a scandal to the Holy and Glorious Gospel; but withal so cunning, that like the Sons of Zerviah, thou art too hard for the Church; She knows not how to deal with thee. Well, saith God, I will deal with that Man my self: Ezek. 14. 7, 8. I will answer that Man by my self he that sets up his Idols in his Heart, and puts the Stumbling-block of his Iniquity before his Face, and yet comes and appears before me; I will set my Face against that Man, and will make him a Sign and a Proverb; and I will cut him off from the midst of my People; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
But, secondly, God doth sometimes cut down the barren Fig-tree by the Church, by the Churches due execution of the Laws and Censures, which Christ for that purpose hath left with his Church. This is the meaning of that in Mat. 18. 1 Cor. 5. and that in 1 Tim. 1. 20. upon which now I shall not enlarge. But which way soever God dealeth with thee, O thou barren Fig-tree, whether by himself immediatly, or by his Church, it amounts to one and the same. For if timely Repentance prevent not, The end of that Soul is damnation. They are blasted, and withered, and gathered by Men, God's Enemies; and at last being cast into the Fire, burning must be their end. That which beareth Briars and Thorns, is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned, Heb. 6. 8.
And again, sometimes by cut it down, God means, cast it out of the World: Thus he cut down Nadab and Abihu, when he burned them up with Fire from Heaven, Numb. 16. 31, 32, 33. Thus he cut down Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, when he made the Earth to swallow them up. Thus he cut down Saul, 1 Sam. 31. 4. when he gave him up to fall upon the edg of his own Sword, and died. Thus he cut down Ananias with Saphira his Wife, when he struck them down dead in the midst of the Congregation, Acts 5. 5. 10. I might here also Discourse of Absolom, Ahithophel and Judas, who were all three hanged: The first by God's revenging Hand, the other were given up of God to be their own Executioners. These were barren and unprofifitable Fig-trees, such as God took no pleasure in, therefore he commanded, to cut them down. The Psalmist saith, Psal. 58. 9. He shall take them away as with a Whirl-wind, both living, and in his Wrath.
Barren Fig-tree, hearken; God calls for the Ax, his Sword, bring it hither▪ here is a barren. Professor, Cut him downn, why cumbereth he the Ground?