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Ghost? Ah when you shall see your companions who fled to Christ in this revival, shining "forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," and filling all the arches of heaven with their bursting praise, and you yourselves cast out among devils; with what agonies will you remember this day as you pour upon the ear of hell the eternal lamentation, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" How many thousand times will you wish that you had gone to hell before this revival; that you had been in hell while those sermons were preached, while those companions were pressing into the kingdom. My poor hearers, I shall meet you at that tribunal. Perhaps I shall know you under all the disguise of damnation. Perhaps I shall look in your face as you writhe in agony, and say, Why would you die? why did you not listen to those entreaties which used to burst from breaking hearts? O what will be your thoughts then? what your deep and torturing musings upon the past? How bitterly will you lament your present folly,—the strange stupidity which now seals up your senses. I hear you cry, "For a few vapid pleasures I lost a deathless soul: I might have spent my eternity in yonder heaven, and now I sink in everlasting fire." Ah, my dear hearers, why should unbelief drag you down to this? You do not believe a word of all' that I am saying, or you could not remain so stupid, -you would be convulsed with horror. But why will you not believe? Why will you not examine? Why will you hug infidelity as your protector against conscience? Why will you love "darkness rather

than light because" your "deeds" are "evil?" Why will you refuse to come "to the light lest" your "deeds should be reproved?" If your unbelief could stop the approach of the judgment,— could disrobe Christ of his terrors,-it might avail; but now it is only marching up to the battery of the enemy with your eyes and ears closed. Can you have a particle of reason left? If you have why will you not exert it? Why will you die? How long shall God command you in vain? shall Christ entreat you in vain? shall the Holy Spirit woo you in vain? How long shall parents, shall ministers, shall christian friends, beseech you and weep over you in vain? But if your purpose is unchangeable, go, and extract what you can from the creature, and break your parents' heart, and lie down in hell. Go and take your fill of damnation. But drag not down your companions with you. In mercy leave them to God and to heaven if you yourselves are resolved to take the plunge.

SERMON X.

THE FRUITLESS FIG TREE.*

LUKE XIII. 6-9.

He spoke 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 the 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?"

In this parable the vineyard represents the visible Church, and in a larger sense the world. The trees are the members of the visible Church, and in a larger sense mankind in general. The planter and owner of the vineyard is God. The dresser is the Lord Jesus Ghrist.

The first idea suggested by the parable is, that men are placed in this world for no other end than to bring forth fruit to God. For what other end are fig trees planted in the vineyard but to bring forth

* Preached in a revival of religion.

fruit? You were not sent into the world to buy and sell and get gain. The only reason why you are here rather than not here, is, that you may have an opportunity to serve your Creator and Master.

Another idea suggested is, that God has an absolute right to all the services which men are capable of rendering. Shall not he that planted the vineyard eat the fruit thereof? Has not he who created the materials of which you were made, and then formed them into men, and breathed into them immortal souls; and created the world, and placed men in it, and owns it all; has he not a right to all the services which you can possibly render? Can you be justified in living to yourselves a single hour?

Another idea is, that to render his vineyard fruitful God has appointed one to dress it. This dresser, the Lord Jesus Christ, waters his trees with the dews of heaven, fences round them with his protecting providence, prunes them by affliction, and supports them when they are ready to fall, until he can lift his hand to heaven and say, "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?" He has made a full revelation of God and of a future state,-of man's duties, ruin, and recovery. He has given his word and ordinances; he has sent out his Spirit; he has filled the world with expostulations and entreaties; until it can be said, If they hear not these, neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.

Another idea is, that God attentively watches men to see if they are fruitful. The owner of the

vineyard is represented as coming year after year; that is, as often as fruit was to be expected. God attentively observes men as often as they have an opportunity to perform public or private worship, to hear a sermon, to drop a word of instruction, to relieve the poor, or to cast their gifts into his treasury. On such occasions he fixes his eye upon them as though they were the only objects of his attention. And as he is always expecting fruit, he always watches them. His eyes follow them into every corner. If a sinful deed is done in darkness,-if a vain word is uttered in secret,-if an unhallowed thought lurks in the heart,-lo he knoweth it altogether.

We are further taught that there are some trees in God's vineyard on which, when he comes year after year seeking fruit, he finds none. Every unregenerate man is of this description. Though his life may be regular towards his fellow men,-though he may observe the forms of devotion, and even transact with covenants and sacraments, yet as his heart is always under the dominion of selfishness, he never brings forth any fruit which a holy God can approve. There are many who not only do not bring forth good fruit, but are constantly bringing forth bad fruit. They profane the sabbath, they take the name of God in vain, they reproach religion and its professors, they are wholly buried up in the world. A hundred times a day they violate the rule to do to others as they would have others do to them. How certain that such do not answer the end for which they were sent into the

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