SERMON V.

LUKE xiii. 6, 7, 8, 9.

"He spake also this 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 text is a very well known passage of Scripture, and it is one that deserves to be well known; to be understood, and remembered, and felt by every one of us. And if any do not understand the meaning of this parable, or do not feel its solemn import, their understandings must be very dark, and their hearts very hard indeed.

For it is not necessary for a person to be very learned, and a good scholar, and to have great abilities, to perceive that this parable is meant to teach us, that when God gives to people spiritual advantages, he expects from them spiritual improvement. When a farmer plants an apple tree in his orchard, he expects it to bear fruit. So when Almighty God gives a man a Bible to read-a

church to go to a minister to teach him-and reason and sense to understand what he reads and hears, He expects to find that man's heart and life different from those of heathens and pagans, who do not enjoy these advantages. And if this is not the case, God is disappointed in His expectations; and when His patience and forbearance are worn out, He lays hold on the axe of death, and cuts the worthless and useless sinner down.

And a person's heart must be very dead and hard indeed, who does not feel the awful and solemn nature of this parable; and if any of us hear it and read it from time to time, without its stirring up our hearts within us, and making us serious and thoughtful about our own condition and prospects, we have reason to fear, that our hearts are stony ones, and that God's Holy Spirit has not yet softened them; and so, that we have no religion belonging to us, nor any part or portion with the real people of God and heirs of glory.

The ideas which this parable suggests, are few in number, and simple and obvious in nature; and all we want is, a willing mind and ready heart to receive and retain its important truths. If God vouchsafe us these, we shall not hear and consider this portion of His holy word in vain.

We shall notice,

I. THE PARABLE.

II. THE INTERPRETATION.

III. THE PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT THERE

OF.

I. THE PARABLE. We have here mention made of

A person, who was master or proprietor of a vineyard, an inclosed piece of ground, where, in

hotter climates than our own, vines are planted and cultivated for the production of wine. We have, moreover, mention made of

A fig tree, which belonged to the owner or master of this vineyard-a tree of which he was very fond, and took great care. It was perhaps of a very choice kind; and so, instead of planting it out in the hedge, or by the road side, or in the open field, he had it set in his vineyard, the safest and richest spot of all, and where he supposed it would be perfectly secure from harm, and be sure to bear an abundant crop of the best fruit. We have further an account of

The master's visits to the fig tree. He had it planted in his vineyard, and in due time he came to look for fruit upon it. But there was none. The next year he did the same; but the fig tree was still barren. The third year he comes again; and much to his surprise and mortification, there was not, even then, a single fig on the whole tree.

Upon this, being grieved and angry, he calls for the person employed as gardener, or keeper, or dresser of the vineyard; and pointing out to him the barren fig tree, says, "Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?"

Hereupon the gardener or vine dresser, interposes and intercedes for the fig tree. He does not take the axe and cut it down at once, as he was bidden; but asks that a little longer time may be allowed it, and that more means may be used for its advantage and improvement. "Lord," says he, "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."

D

Whether the owner or master of the vineyard consented to this proposition or not, we are not told. It is implied, however, that he did-that the fig tree was spared one year more; but whether it bore any fruit or not, Christ leaves us to guess. Having thus noticed the parable, we proceed to declare,

II. THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF; and this, as I said before, it requires no great wisdom and learning to discover.

The owner of the vineyard is Almighty God. To Him belongs this world and all things here, as well as heaven and all things there. All things and all persons are His property-His by right of creation and providence. God has this claim of ownership even in the dumb brutes of the field; but He has another and a stronger one in us, His rational creatures. For we are not our own, having been bought with a price. He has purchased us, and redeemed us, not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.

The dresser or keeper of the vineyard is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is His office to intercede for sinners-to be their Advocate with the Father-to make peace between God and man. "He ever liveth," saith the apostle, " to make intercession for us." And as the vine-dresser is represented in the parable as employed in getting a respite for the barren worthless fig tree, so is the gracious Saviour constantly employed for the good of guilty lost sinners; and as it was the intercession of the vine-dresser, and that alone, which saved the fig tree, so it is the mediation of Jesus Christ, and that only, which procures for us either present pardon or future happiness.

The vineyard in which the fig tree is represented as having been planted, is that part of the world, in which the knowledge of the true God prevails, and the way of salvation is pointed out. This vineyard, in the days of our Lord, extended only to Judea, and Jerusalem, and Galilee, and a few places besides. But now that the Bible has been translated into so many languages, and the gospel is preached among so many nations, God's vineyard is much enlarged, and we have promises in Scripture that in due time it shall cover the face of the whole earth, and that all nations shall partake in its advantages and blessings.

The fig tree spoken of in the parable, may be considered as representing either the Jewish people and church, or unconverted sinners of every nation and in every age. It may be considered as representing

The Jewish people and church. This people, you know, God loved and took care of in a very particular way. For many years it was in bondage in Egypt-God delivered it therefrom-carried it through the wilderness-settled it in the land of Canaan-and gave it the knowledge of Himself and of the truth, when all the rest of the world was left in spiritual darkness and ignorance. Thus the fig tree was planted in the vineyard.

But the Jews made little or no use of all their great advantages and privileges. They were, for the most part, a very wicked and unbelieving people, continually offending and displeasing God, and departing from His commandments; having the form of real religion indeed, but nothing or little of the substance. It was a fig tree, bearing leaves, but nothing else; no fruit grew on its branches.