SERMON XIV.

THE PARABLE OF THE FIG-TREE,

LUKE Xiii. 7.

Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

IN my last discourse I took occasion, from the parable of the prodigal son, to dwell on the mercy shewn by God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to those who sincerely repent of their past neglect of duty, and bring forth the fruits of repentance by a change of life.

My present discourse will take another view of God's dealings with man, and shew what will be the portion of those, who, refusing to repent and change their way of living, still lead a life of carelessness, or gross and open sin, in despite of

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the mercy offered to those who have been strangers to Almighty God and his Son Jesus Christ, and the solemn threats which have been used to rouse them, and put them upon their guard.

To this end, St. Luke tells us, Christ spoke the following parable: "A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."

The owner of the fig-tree is Almighty God, the dresser Jesus Christ: the fig-tree itself the servants of Christ, committed to his charge by his heavenly Father, and received into his Church by baptism.

God's complaint in the parable is, that, though the fig-tree had been planted with due care, and a dresser of the vineyard appointed to look after it, and give it a

proper training, it still bore no fruit; in other words, that, though many Christians have been brought into the Church of Christ in their infancy, and have received instruction from their ministers, who act under the authority of Jesus Christ, they yet give no proof by their actions that they have paid any attention to the truths made known to them, and the holy rules of life laid before them from the Bible. God is described, after the manner of men, as being disappointed by this unfruitful state of his servants, and as resolved to cut them off, after having given them full time to reflect and amend their lives: but Jesus Christ begs for a farther delay of punishment. Though the fig-tree has been tried three years and found to bear no fruit, he entreats that another year of trial may be allowed, in which he will see what diligent care and attention can do; but he adds, that if these endeavours fail, he will no longer plead in favour of the unfruitful fig-tree, but leave it to be cut down.

From hence we learn, that the mercy of God, though great, has yet its limits; that it will not be carried beyond a certain point;

that they therefore, who continue to provoke him by a careless or a wicked life, must be prepared to meet the consequences, which, if delayed for a time, will only fall the heavier when God visits them in his anger.

This is a truth which cannot be too often repeated, or too strongly pressed on the attention of Christians. Many are led to mistake the mercy of God, which inclines him to delay punishment, for indifference : as if he cared not how his creatures acted, .nor took any account of their conduct. But this is indeed a dangerous, and may prove a fatal mistake. Nothing in heaven or earth is more certain-for the Holy Spirit himself has declared it—nothing is more certain, than that " the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God"."

And here it must be clearly understood, that not those only who live in the practice of gross sins, which the Bible loudly condemns, but they also who think not about their duty, and live as if the Gospel had

a Psalm ix. 17.