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view and judgment of the church, rightly brought in thither, to wit by confession of faith, of sin, and a shew of repentance and regeneration: thus false brethren creep in unawares. All these things this word planted intimated; yea, further, that the church is satisfied with them, consents they should abide in the garden, and counteth them sound as the rest. But before God, in the sight of God, they are graceless professors, barren and fruitless fig-trees.

Therefore, it is one thing to be in the church, or in a profession; and another to be of the church, and to belong to that kingdom that is prepared for the saint, that is so indeed. Otherwise, "Being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east-wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew," Ezek. xvii. 10.

Had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard.

In his vineyard. Hypocrites, with rotten hearts, are not afraid to come before God in Sion. These words, therefore, suggest unto us a prodigious kind of boldness and hardened fearlessness: For what presumption higher, and what attempt more desperate, than for a man that wanteth grace, and the true knowledge of God, to croud himself (in that condition) into the house or church of God? or to make profession of, and desire that the name of God should be called upon him?

For the man that maketh a profession of the religion of Jesus Christ, that man hath, as it were, put the name of God upon himself, and is called and reckoned now (how fruitless soever before God or men) the man that hath to do with God, the man that God owneth, and will stand for. This man, I say, by his profession, suggesteth this to all that know him to be such a professor. Men merely natural, I mean men that have not got the devilish art of hypocrisy, are afraid to think of doing thus: "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them; but the people magnifieth them," Acts v. 13.

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And, indeed, it displeaseth God: "They have brought," saith he, "men uncircumcised into my sanctuary." And again, Isa. i. 12. "When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?" saith God. They have therefore learned this boldness of none in the visible world, they only took it of the devil; for he, and he only, with these his disciples, attempt to present themselves in the church before God. "The tares are the children of the wicked one:" The tares, that is, the hypocrites, that are Satan's brood, the generation of vipers, that cannot escape the damnation of hell.

Had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard.

He doth not say, He planted a fig-tree, but there was a fig-tree there; he had, or found a fig-tree planted in his vineyard.

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The great God will not acknowledge the barren figtree, or barren professor, to be his workmanship, or a tree of his bringing in; only the text saith, he had one there. This is much like that in Matth. xv. 13. Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Here again are plants in his vineyard, which God will not acknowledge to be of his planting And he seems to suggest, that in his vineyard are many such. Every plant, or all those plants, or professors, that are got into the assembly of the saints, or into the profession of their religion, without God and his grace," shall be rooted up.'

"And when the King came to see the guests, he saw there a man that had not a wedding garment: And he said unto him, Friend how camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment?" Matth. xxii. 11. 12. Here is one so cunning and crafty, that he beguiled all the guests; he got and kept in the church, even until the King himself came to see the guests. But his subtilty got him nothing; it did not bind the eyes of the King; it did not pervert the judgment of

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the righteous. "Friend how camest thou in hither?" did overtake him at last, even a public rejection; the King discovered him in face of all present. " How camest thou in hither?" my Father did not bring thee hither? I did not bring thee hither; my Spirit did not bring thee hither; thou art not of thy heavenly Father's planting: "How camest thou in hither?" John x. i. "He that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." This text also is full and plain to our purpose; for this man came not in by the door, yet got into the church; he got in by climbing; he broke in at the windows; he got something of the light and glory of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in his head; and so (hardy wretch that he was) he presumed to croud himself among the children. But how is this resented? What saith the King of him? Why, this is his sign," the same is a thief and a robber." See ye here also, if all they be owned as the planting of God, that get into his church, or make profession of his name.

Had a fig-tree: Had one without a wedding-garment, had a thief in his garden, at his wedding, in his house. These climbed up some other way. There are many. ways to get into the church of God, and possession of his name, besides, and without an entering by the door.

1. There is the way of lying and dissembling; and at this gap the Gibeonites got in, Josli. ix. 3, 4, &c.

2. There is sometimes falseness among some pastors, either for the sake of carnal relations, or the like; at this hole, Tobiah, the enemy of God, got in, Nehem. xiii. 4, 5, 6.

3. There is some negligence, and too much uncircumspectness in the whole church; thus the uncircumcised got in, Ezek. xliv. 7-9.

4. Sometimes again, let the church be never so circumspect, yet these have so much help from the devil, that they beguile them all, and so get in. These are of that sort of thieves that Paul complains of; "false

brethren

brethren that are brought in unawares," Gal. ii. 3, 4. Jude also cries out of these, " Certain men crept in unawares," Jude iv. Crept in! What, were they so lowly? A voluntary humility, (Col. ii. 22, 23.) a neglecting of the body, not in any humour. Oh! how seemingly self-denying are some of these creeping things, that yet are to be held (as we shall know them) an abomination to Israel, Lev. xi. 43, 44.

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold, and of silver, but also of wood, and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour," 2 Tim. ii. 20. By these words the apostle seems to take it for granted, that as there hath been, so there still will be, these kind of fig-trees, these barren professors in the house, when all men have done what they can; even as in a great house there are always vessels to dishonour, as well as those to honour and glory; vessels of wood, and of earth, as well as of silver and gold: So then there must be wooden professors in the garden of God, there must be earthen, earthy professors in his vineyard; but that methinks is the biting word, and some to dishonour.' That to the Romans is dreadful, Rom. ix. 21, 22. but this seems to go beyond it; that speaks but of the reprobate in general, but this of such and such in particular: that speaks of their hardening but in the common way, but this, that they must be suffered to creep into the church, there to fit themselves for their place, their own place, Acts i. 25. the place prepared for them of this sort only: As the Lord Jesus did once to the Pharisees, "These shall receive greater damnation," Luke xx. 47.

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Barren fig-tree, fruitless professor, hast thou heard all these things? Hast thou considered that this fig-tree is not acknowledged of God to be his, but is denied to be of his planting, and of his bringing unto his wedding? Dost not thou see that thou art called a thief, and a robber, that hast either climbed up to, or crept in at another place than the door? Dost thou not hear, that there will be in God's house wooden and earthly professors, and

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that no place will serve to fit those for hell, but the house, church, the vineyard of God? Barren fig-tree, fruitless Christian, do not thine ears tingle.

And he came and sought fruit thereon.

When a man hath got a profession, and is crowded into the church and house of God, the question is not now, Hath he life, Hath he right principles, but, hath he fruit? he came seeking fruit thereon. It mattereth not who brought thee in hither, whether God or the Devil, or thine own vain-glorious heart but hast thou fruit? Dost thou bring forth fruit unto God? "And let every one that nameth the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, depart from iniquity," 2 Tim. ii. 19. He doth not say, and let every one that hath grace, or let those that have the Spirit of God; but, "let every one that nameth the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, depart from iniquity."

What do men meddle with religion for? Why do they call themselves by the name of the Lord Jesus, if they have not the grace of God, if they have not the Spirit of Christ? God therefore expecteth fruit: What do they do in the vineyard? let them work, or get them out; the vineyard must have labourers in it: “Son, Go work to-day in my vineyard," Matth. xxi. 28.— Wherefore, want of grace, and want of spirit, will not keep God from seeking fruit: "And he came and sought fruit thereon," Luke xiii. 6. He required that which he seemeth to have: every man in the vineyard, and house of God, promiseth himself, professeth to others, and would have all men take it for granted, that an heavenly principle is in him; why then should not God seek fruit?

As for them, therefore, that will retain the name of Christians, fearing God, and yet make no conscience of bringing forth fruit to him, he saith to such, "Away! As for you, go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me," &c. Ezek. xx. 39. Barren fig-tree, dost thou hear? God expecteth

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