power. If we are convinced of our own barrenness, we are sure our fertility must come from God.

II. Let us, secondly, consider, THAT THE WORLD AS THE BARREN FIG-TREE, IS CURSED. God cursed the ground for man's sake, "In sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field."1 True it is, inanimate nature cannot feel, but God powerfully displayed by it his hatred for sin; He turned rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein."2

We also see the brute creation suffer on account of the sin of man; I have heard a person observe, he was puzzled at this, that the brute creation should be subjected to so much suffering; but it is my opinion, that the aggregate of the happiness of the brute creation exceeds the aggregate of their suffering, by, at least, one half. In this act, our Saviour taught his disciples another lesson; namely, this, the tendency of sin to destroy universal being; it would carry its destruction to the throne of

1 Gen. iii. 17, 18.

2 Psalm cvii. 33, 34.

God, it would annihilate Deity itself: yes, my brethren, such is the tendency of sin; and we learn this lesson when we see nature decay, when we see the brute suffer. In this curse man is included, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them; " completely cursed-cursed for every transgression-at all times, and in all places: it is sometimes objected to us, that we come to church to curse our neighbours-this is false; we come to read the curses God has pronounced against sin, to awaken the slumbering sinner; hear what God himself has said to the sinner. If there be any careless unawakened sinner present, let him listen; "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee: cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out." This curse

store.

1 Deut. xxviii. 15-19.

M

is extended to every one who does not possess the faith of Jesus Christ; to every one who is not clothed with the righteousness of Christ; this is no new doctrine which I am inventing, but it is founded on the truths of God's word.

Again: III. SOONER OR LATER THE WORLD MUST BE DESTROYED; how soon destruction cometh sometimes when we see men of this world enjoying riches-adding house to house, and field to field, we are tempted to envy them, but think of the curse that rests upon them, and you will not for a moment exchange conditions with them.

Again: God's destruction of inanimate creation is destined to shew his abhorrence of sin. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."1

Again: All who are not changed, who are rebels against God, will be involved in this destruction. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord

12 Peter iii. 10.

Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. One thing I would observe, while at the same time I would not deprive God of his right to inflict vengeance-that man courts that vengeance. He invites God to punish him. Man's misery does not flow from the sovereignty of God, but proceeds exclusively from the creature's transgression. "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction."2 Consult your own experience-live in the habit of examining the workings of your own hearts when you are studying the word of God.

I have witnessed the dreadful consequences that have arisen from the conduct of those, who, when they study the word of God, forget themselves, and omit to look into their own experience, and endeavour to make out a system of their own; and what a system has it proved! On the contrary I have seen the happy effects in those who, in studying the word of God, at the same time closely peruse the workings of their own minds. Some are perplexed about the doctrines of election and reprobation; I say

12 Thess. i. 7-9.

2 Rom. ix. 22.

to such, lay aside your books of divinity; attend exclusively to your Bible; and peruse with diligence at the same time the workings of your own hearts. The sinner wishes to throw himself in the way of destruction.

IV. Again; Jesus makes known his character and power, in thus cursing the fig-tree, as a GOD OF VENGEANCE IN THE MIDST OF MERCY-the Lion of the tribe of Judah to devour-a Lamb without blemish to atone : there is something very beautiful even in this curse of Christ's. He did not curse his enemies, but he cursed inanimate nature, that could not feel, proclaiming thus his power, but, at the same time, shewing his mercy. Yes, he is mighty also to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Read the history of Jerusalem; see the vengeance of the Saviour there exhibited, when he is provoked to inflict his vengeance upon his enemies. The wars of the city of Jerusalem are doubtless typical of those wars he will wage against his foes. Man is the creator of his own misery, and the siege of Jerusalem exemplifies this. The Jews were in a great measure the creators of their own misery by their obstinacy; even the heathens who besieged them, "pitied them. If God were to leave us to ourselves, we should soon create a hell for ourselves.