fession of that worthy name, the Lord Jesus Christ; but this profession is but a cloak? he secretly practiseth wickedness: He is a glutton, a drunkard, or covetous, or unclean. Well, saith God, I will loose the reins of this professor; I will give him up to his vile affections I will loose the reins of his lusts before him; he shall be entangled with his beastly lusts; he shall be overcome of ungodly company. Thus they that turn aside to their own crooked ways,. Psal. cxxv. 5. "the Lord

shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity." This is God's hand immediately; God is now dealing with this man himself. Barren fig- tree, hearken, Thou art crouded into a profession, art got among the godly, and there art a scandal to the holy and glorious gospel; but withal so cunning, that, like the sons of Zeruiah, thou art too hard for the church; she knows not how to deal with thee. Well, saith God, I will deal with that man myself, Ezek. xiv. 7, 8. "I will answer that man myself." He that sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes and appears before me: I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb; and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and he shall know that I am the Lord."

But, 2dly, God doth sometimes cut down the barren fig-tree by the church, by the church's due execution. of the laws and censures which Christ for that purpose hath left with his church.* This is the meaning of that in Matth. xviii. 1 Cor. v. and that in 1 Tim. 1. 20. upon which now I shall not enlarge. But which way soever God dealeth with thee, O thou barren figtree, whether by himself immediately, or by his church, it amounts to one and the same: for if timely repentance. prevent not, the end of that soul is damnation. They

* Dissolute actions from such as profess the religion and name of Christ, are baneful and fatal stumbling-blocks to wicked and worldly men, and matter of much grief and lamentation to the upright christian. Intimate familiarity with loose and ungodly professors, ought

to be avoided.

They are blasted, and withered, and gathered by men, God's enemies; and at last being cast unto the fire, burning must be their end: "That which beareth briars and thorns, is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned," Heb. vi. 8.

2. Again, sometimes by Cut it down, God means, cast it out of the world: Thus he cut down Nadab and Abihu, when he burned them up with fire from heaven, Numb. xvi. 31, 32, 33. Thus he cut down Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, when he made the earth to swallow them up. Thus he cut down Saul, 1 Sam. xxxi. 4. when he gave him up to fall upon the edge of his own sword, and died. Thus he cut down Ananias, with Saphira his wife, when he struck them down dead in the midst of the congregation, Acts v. 5-10. I might here also discourse of Absalom, Ahitophel, and Judas, who were all three hanged: The first by God's revenging hand, the other where given up of God to be their own executioners. These were barren and unprofitable fig-trees, such as God took no pleasure in, therefore he commanded to cut them down. The Psalmist saith, Psal. Iviii. 9. "He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath."

Barren fig-tree, hearken: God calls for the ax, his sword, bring it hither, here is a barren professor: Cut him down, why cumbereth he the ground?

Why cumbereth it the ground?

By these words the Lord suggesteth reasons of his displeasure against the barren fig-tree; it cumbereth the ground. The Holy Ghost doth not only take an argument from its barrenness, but because it is a cumberground, therefore cut it down; wherefore it must needs be a provocation.

1. Because, as much as in him lieth, he disappointeth the design of God in planting his vineyard; "I looked that it should bring forth fruit."

2. It hath also abused his patience, his long suffering, his three years' patience.

3. It hath also abused his labour, his pains, his care, and providence, of protection and preservation; for he hedges his vineyard and walls it about. Cumber-ground all these things thou abusest. He waters his vineyard, and looks to it night and day; but all these things thou hast abused.

Further, there are other reasons of God's diplea

sure; as

(1.) A cumber-ground is a very mock and reproach to religion, a mock and reproach to the ways of God, to the people of God, to the word of God, and to the name of religion. It is expected of all hands, that all the trees of the garden of God should be fruitful: God expects fruit, the church expects fruit, the world, even the world, concludes, that professors should be fruitful in good works; I say, the very world expecteth that professors should be better than themselves; But, barren fig-tree, thou disappointest all: Nay, hast thou not learned the wicked ones thy ways? Hast thou not learned them to be more wicked by thy example? (but that is by the by). Barren fig-tree, thou hast disappointed others, and must be disappointed thyself: "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

2. The barren fig-tree takes up the room where a better might stand; I say, it takes up the room, it keeps, so long as it stands where it doth, a fruitful tree out of that place, and therefore it must be cut down. Barren fig-tree, dost thou hear? Because the Jews stood fruitless in the vineyard, therefore said God, Matth. xxi. 33-41. "The kingdom of heaven shall be taken from -you, and shall be given to a nation that shall render him their fruits in their service." The Jews for their barrenness were cut down, and more fruitful people put their room. As Samuel also said to barren Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 28. "The Lord hath rent the kingdom from thee, and hath given it to thy neighbour that is better than thou;" the unprofitable servant must be cast out, must be cut down, Matth. xxv. 27.

F

in

Cumber

my blow, or, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" Wilt thou not hear yet, barren fig tree? Wilt thou provoke still? Thou hast wearied men, and provoked the justice of God: "And wilt thou weary my God, also?" Isa. vii. 13.

Lord, let it alone this year.

Lord, a little longer! let us not lose a soul for want of means, I will see if I can make it fruitful, I will not beg a long life, nor that it still might be barren, and so provoke thee. I beg, for the sake of the soul, the immortal soul, Lord, spare it one year only, one year longer, this year also: If I do any good to it, it will be in a little time. Thou shall not be over-wearied with waiting; one year and then,

Barren fig-tree, dost thou hear what a striving there is between the vine-dresser and the husband-man for thy life?"Cut it down," says one; "Lord, spare it," saith the other: It is a cumber-ground, saitli the Father: One year longer prays the Son: "Let it alone this year also."

Till I shall dig about it, and dung it.

The Lord Jesus by these words supposeth two things, as causes of the want of fruit in a barren fig-tree; and two things he supposeth as a remedy.

The things that are a cause of want of fruit, are, 1. It is earth bound. Lord, the fig-tree is earth-bound. 2. A want of warmer means, of fatter means. Wherefore accordingly he propoundeth,

1. To loosen the earth; to dung about it.

2. And then to supply it with dung: "To dig about it, and dung it. Lord, let it alone this year also, until I shall dig about it." I doubt it is too much groundbound; "The love of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, (Luke xiv.) lie too close to the roots of the heart of this professor. The love of riches, the love of honours, the love of pleasures, are the thorns that choke the word;" 1 John ii. 15, 16. "For all that is

in the world, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life, are not of the Father, but enmity to God;" how then, (where these things bind up the heart) can there be fruit brought forth to God? Barren fig-tree, see how the Lord Jesus, by these very words, suggesteth the cause of thy fruitlessness of soul. The things of this world lie too close to thy heart; the earth with its things have bound up thy roots; thou art an earth-bound soul, thou art wrapped up in thick clay.* "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him;" how then can he be fruitful in the vineyard? This kept Judas from caring for the poor, John xii. 6. This kept Demas from the fruit of self-denial, 2 Tim. iv. 10. And this kept Ananias and Sapphira his wife, from the goodly fruit of sincerity and truth, Acts v. 5, 10. What shall I say?

These are foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition: for the love of money is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 9, 10. How then can good fruit grow from such a root, the root of all evil?"Which while some covet after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." It is an evil root, nay, it is the root of all evil: How then can the professor that hath such a root, or a root wrapped up in such earthly things, as the lusts, and pleasures, and vanities of this world, bring forth fruit to God?

Till I shall dig about it.

Lord, I will loose his roots, I will dig up this earth, I will lay his roots bare; my hand shall be upon him by sickness, by disappointments, by cross providences; I will dig about him until he stands shaking and tottering, until he be ready to fall; then, if ever, he will seek to

take

The desire of honour, dignities, titles, and places, which tend to gratify our pride, and pamper the flesh, are not of God; they are neither excited by him, nor are pleasing to him, but are the desires of the men of this world, who seek all their portion and happiness in it, and proceed intirely from that corruption which is in them, that carnal mind which is enmity against God.