The Barren Fig-Tree (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition): The Doom and Downfall of the Fruitless Professor

by John Bunyan

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
The Age of Enlightenment profoundly enriched religious and philosophical understanding and continues to influence present-day thinking. Works collected here include masterpieces by David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as religious sermons and moral debates on the issues of the day, such as the slave trade. The Age of Reason saw conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism transformed into one between faith and logic — a debate that continues in the twenty-first century.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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Source Library: British Library

ESTCID: T058450

Notes: The 'Exhortation' is separately paginated.

Imprint: London : printed for Jonathan Robinson, 1709. Collation: 114;54p. : ill.,port. ; 12°

Genres: Theology

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1682

About the author

John Bunyan, a Christian writer and preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August.

Reviews

[Micah Natal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book/sermon is a wake up call for anyone content with outward religion but no true fruit. It’s punchy, urgent, and sobering. It is a warning shot that points straight to Christ. Highly recommend!

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that the more I read from the writings of John Bunyan [1], the more I appreciated his spirited defense of godliness and the fierceness of his rhetoric about the complacency of the religious world he found at the time.  I first became familiar with Bunyan as the author of Christianity's most famous allegory, Pilgrim's Progress, then with another of his allegories that demonstrated he was not a "one-hit wonder" as a writer, and then with his excellent poetry.  This book, though, is one of Bunyan's several excellent published treatises on matters of Christian living that demonstrate his excellence of thought that led him to be an excellent writer in other genres where he is more famous.  This short book of 36 pages is an exceedingly obscure one, but without a doubt it is a most excellent work that is relevant now and that contains a great deal of worthwhile discussion about the Gospels and the biblical viewpoint of fruits and how they are to be demonstrated by believers.  There is a lot in this little booklet that would be triggering to many contemporary readers.

The contents of this treatise are pretty straightforward and definitely worthwhile.  The book begins with a note by the editor concerning the delay in publication of the book and then a preface from the author as well, both of which take up a few pages before Bunyan begins in earnest.  And once Bunyan begins in earnest this is a deeply powerful and pointed discussion of the lack of fruitfulness of many who profess a faith in Christianity, the biblical view of fig trees and a detailed exegesis of Jesus' parable of the barren fig tree.  Although this treatise is a short one it is certainly detailed and full of intriguing commentary on fig trees and related matters, including the economic value of fig trees and the remarkable patience of Jesus Christ concerning the fruits shown (or not shown) by professors, which is the author's sly way of referring to those who profess a faith in Christianity but are not necessarily genuine believers, all the more sly given that Bunyan was himself a blue-collar worker and not as well educated as most prolific writers about Christianity then or now.  The last third or so of the treatise contains a vivid and picturesque discussion of the fate of those who fail to become fruitful before it is time for judgment.

The fact that this book is so politically incorrect with regards to Christianity is a positive rather than a negative aspect of its overall quality.  Bunyan spent years in prison for preaching without a license, and his statements about the lack of Christian vigor in his country were true then and are even more true now.  Any criticism Bunyan makes about the apathy and general lack of spiritual fruit for the English church of the seventeenth century can be stated at least ten or a hundredfold about the contemporary English speaking Church in the UK, US, and various dominions.  I am quite pleased to have been able to find this little work, even though it is certainly a pointed one, and one can be grateful to God and to Jesus Christ that they act with such considerable mercy and longsuffering and forbearance towards people and do not quickly judge and condemn where they certainly could do so entirely justly regarding our own fallen and corrupt contemporary culture.  This book is a worthwhile one that we who profess a belief in Christ had better show fruit resulting from repentance and from the indwelling presence of God's spirit within us, or else the consequences will eventually be dire indeed.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

[Светлана · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough, emphatic, repetitive, with a super-abundance of related Scriptures. (All things to expect from Puritan literature.)

Bunyan gets a lot of mileage out of a small parable here in this discourse, which reads like an extremely long sermon. While I think that Bunyan might have more to say about the idea of "the reprobate" (being beyond repentance or beyond grace) than the Bible does, his zeal for real repentance is quite a challenge in our current day and age which believes that "we will all float on" to heaven.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good info, but really dry reading. I had a hard time getting into it.

[Jonathan Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

English:
+ Excellent sermon that speaks to the heart and conscience.
+ Good insight into a sermon from ancient times, in which the preacher doesn't mince a word.
+ Bunyan proves/quotes virtually each of his statements with verses from various biblical books (very impressive...).

- Partly too allegorical...

German:
+ Ausgezeichnete Predigt, die das Herz und Gewissen anspricht.
+ Guter Einblick in eine Predigt aus alter Zeit, in der kein Blatt vor den Mund genommen wurde.
+ Bunyan belegt/ zitiert quasi jede seiner Aussagen mit Versen aus verschiedensten biblischen Büchern (sehr beeindruckend...)

- Teilweise zu allegorisch...

[Valerie Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. just wow!!! this book brought such a small parable to life!! so vivid! a MUST READ for any professing believer! i maxed out my copies of quotes on the app.... i've never had that happen before :) i have highlights and notes all over this book :)