God is spoken of in the parable as coming to visit this fig tree; and He did visit the Jews very often. By His servants the prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, He came to visit them, and to inquire into their spiritual state; and finally by His Son Jesus Christ He visited them personally, to see whether they would still continue in their unbelief and sin, a barren and unfruitful fig tree; or whether they would at last repent, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. And though Almighty God was very angry with the Jews, yet Christ interceded for them from time to time, and procured a respite for them; and when He was on earth, He spent full three years in going about persuading them to attend to the concerns of their souls, and to be reconciled to God, and to receive Himself as their Saviour. But all in vain. They did not receive His words-they imagined there was no danger-they flattered themselves with the idea that they were God's favourites-they put their best and only friend, Jesus Christ, to death-and so the "Cut it down" was at last spoken, the Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem, and after killing a vast number of Jews, carried the rest away into captivity. And this was the miserable end of the fig tree, as representing the Jewish church and people. But the fig tree may be considered in another point of view, and one more personally interesting and important to us, viz. as representing,

Unconverted persons of every nation, and in every age, enjoying religious advantages and gospel privileges. Such were the Jews of old time, and such are most nominal Christians in the present day, fig trees planted in the Lord's vineyard, yet barren and unfruitful. Let us consider

Our religious circumstances and condition, and compare them with those of other nations. We have the word of truth in our hands, and the way of life and peace by our Lord Jesus Christ is continually preached to our ears. If our souls are finally lost, it will not be because we did not know the way to save them. If we take the wrong road instead of the right, and perish eternally, it will not be because we had no one to show us which was the safe and heavenly path. No; Almighty God has spared no pains with us. All vineyard blessings are ours; and while our poor heathen fellow creatures are still left in the wilderness, in spiritual darkness and ignorance, we are favoured in a way in which no nation of the world ever yet has been, no, not even the Jews themselves. But alas!

There are many persons enjoying Christian privileges and religious advantages, who are like the fig tree in the parable, barren and unprofitable. How few of the inhabitants of any parish are really Christian people! how few live to God's glory! how few are travelling to heaven! Yet they all partake of the same privileges-sit in the same church-hear the same sermon-have the same Saviour preached to them-and are told one and the same truth Sunday after Sunday, "He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." There is, indeed, in the Lord's vineyard, no lack of fig trees bearing leaves; and many there are which even bear blossoms, the blossoms of hope and promise. That is to say, there are abundance of persons of outwardly moral and religious behaviour and conduct, people that are respectable and amiable in their habits and

manners, and who look, when not examined very closely, like real Christians. But how few are there who bear fruit-who possess the substance and reality, as well as the show and form, and have the inward principles of faith and love, as well as the outward garb and garments of religion!

Now all these barren fig trees, from time to time, God cometh to visit; and when He finds His expectations disappointed-that spite of all their advantages and privileges, they are no better this year than they were the last-that they go on as ever, attending church and listening to sermons, yet forgetting Christ-neglecting their soulsloving the world-indulging in sin-He is angry, and says, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground"

And some are cut down; for some Christ intercedes no longer; their day of grace is over, and no more space for repentance is given them.

But for many Christ intercedes, and begs a little more time; and having obtained it, He sends them fresh warnings, and urges them with new motives and arguments, and His Holy Spirit often striveth with them; and many a time their consciences are alarmed, and their hearts are softened, and they become almost Christians, and one step more, and they would be altogether such. Sometimes, indeed, such is the happy result; the fig tree, barren for many years, bears fruit at last, and all is well. The sinner long impenitent and unbelieving, learns at last the value of his soul, and cleaves to Christ with purpose of heart; and God is no longer angry with him, but blesses him and causes him to grow and increase, till fit to be transplanted and taken to heaven. But more frequently this is not the case;

and then, the year of respite having passed, and the sinner still continuing in his sins, the axe of death is laid at the root, and the barren fig tree is cut down, never to rise again.

Let us endeavour to make,

III. SOME PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUBJECT; and learn from the parable,

That no one escapes the notice and observation of Almighty God. The owner or master of the vineyard in the parable, had a vast number of trees planted in his vineyard, but he did not overlook or pass by one of them. Each of them was examined, and the fig tree among the rest.

Now I fear many ignorant and foolish persons imagine, that among the multitude of sinners that are in the world, and the vast number of sins that are daily committed, themselves and their own sins will scarcely be noticed, or will not excite much displeasure on the part of God, nor do their souls much harm. Let me tell every individual in the habit of entertaining such ideas, that there is no one moment of their lives, in which the eye of the Almighty is not fixed on them. If God looks at any of us, He looks at each of us. If any one's sins are noted down in His book, the sins of every one are. Yes, God knows us all, and all about us-our names-our places-our circumstancesour hearts our lives. He knows every fig tree planted in His vineyard, and there is not one that escapes His notice now, or will escape His judgment hereafter. Observe, moreover,

That God keeps an account against us of our religious privileges and opportunities. The owner of the vineyard knew how long the fig tree had been planted there; how many years it had enjoyed

its advantages; how many harvest seasons had passed since it was first planted. And in like manner, God reckons up our Sabbaths, and the years of spiritual privilege we have enjoyed, and all the means of grace He has given us. And in respect of some of us, instead of saying, "Three years I come seeking fruit," he might perhaps say, Thirty years I come seeking fruit of this fig tree. This person has now lived so many years, and he has been listening to the gospel, and has been intreated to turn to the Lord, and to be wise, and to consider his latter end, ever since he was a child. But blessings and benefits, temporal and spiritual, have all been lost and wasted upon him. He does not care any more for me now, than he did twenty years ago. He does not think any more about his soul, than he did when he was a child. More days will only bring more guilt. It is a worthless barren fig tree-cut it down.'

Might not God say this in respect of many of us? and would He not be just in doing this to many of us? Observe further,

That religious advantages are not religion. The fig tree in the parable had every possible advantage, but a barren and unprofitable tree it was. And so, many enjoy the greatest spiritual advantages, and religious opportunities, who have no more real religion in them than the poor heathen themselves.

Yet how common is it for people to content themselves with the enjoyment of the one, without seeking the possession of the other! But if sinners are thus easily satisfied, God is not. What did our Lord say to the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida? "Woe unto you." And why? Because,