real holiness^ no willingness to receive its Messiah. (John i. 11.) And hence, like the fig-tree, the Jewish church was soon to wither away. It was to he stripped of all its outward ornaments, and its memhers scattered over the face of the earth. Jerusalem was to he destroyed. The temple was to be burned. The daily sacrifice was to be taken away. The tree was to wither away to the very ground. And so it came to pass. Never was there a type so literally fulfilled. In every wandering Jew we see a branch of the fig-tree that was crushed.
But we may not stop here. We may find even more instruction in the event we are now considering. These things were written for our sakes, as well as for the Jews.
Is not every fruitless branch of Christ's visible church in an awful danger of becoming a withered fig-tree ? Be- yond doubt it is. High ecclesiastical profession, without holiness among a people, — overweening confidence in councils, bishops, hturgies, and ceremonies, while repen- tance and faith have been neglected, — have ruined many a visible church in time past, and may yet ruin many more. Where are the once famous churches of Ephesus, and Sardis, and Carthage, and Hippo ? They are all gone. They had leaves, but no fruit. Our Lord's curse came upon them. They became withered fisr-trees. The decree w^ent forth, " Hew them down." (Dan. iv. 23.) Let us remember this. Let us beware of Church-pride. Let us not be high-minded, but fear. (Rom. ii. 20.)
Finally, is not every fruitless professor of Christianity in awful danger of becoming a withered fig-tree ? There can be no doubt of it. So lonj]: as a man is content with
271
the leaves of religion — with a name to live while he is dead, and a form of godliness without the power— so long his soul is in great peril. So long as he is satisfied with going tochurch or chapel, and receiving the Lord's supper, and being called a Christian, while his heart is not changed, and his sins not forsaken — so long he is daily provoking God to cut him off without remedy. Fruit, fruit— the fruit of the Spirit, is the only sure proof that we are savingly united to Christ, and in the way to heaven. May this sink down into our hearts, and never be forgotten !