1. Unfruitfulness is a shame : barrenness of old was counted a great shame. For a tree in winter to be unfruitful is no great wonder ; but in the spring and summer, to be without fruit, is a reproach to the tree : 60, in the winter of ignorance and popery, to have less fruit was less culpable ; but in the spring-time of the gospel, when the Sun of Righteousness hath shined so gloriously in our horizon, now to be without fruit is a re- proach not to be wiped away.
2. What account can the unfruitful Chris- tian give to God? God will come with this question. Where is your fruit? a godly man dies full of fruit; Job v. 26. " Thou shalt come to thy grave in full age, like as a shock of corn," &c. The unfruitful Christian comes to his grave, not as a shock of corn, but as a bundle of straw, fit only for the fire ; it is good to bethink ourselves what
answer we shall give to God for ojir barren- ness. The Lord hath planted us in a rich soil; he may say to us as to his vineyard, Isa. V. 1. " My beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill, and he fenced it, and planted it with the choicest vine," &c. " and he looked that it should bi ing forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes," (in a hill) hilly places are judged the fittest for vines to grow in, Psal. Ixxx. 10. there the sun comes best, and is of more force for ripening the grapes.
In a fruitful hill, that is in a very fat, rich soil. So may God say to us, I have planted you in a hilly place, you have been higher than the nations round about you, you have even been lifted up to heaven with ordi- nances ; the sunbeams of mercy, and Sion's silver drops, have faUen upon you ; but where is your fruit? your enjoyments are great, but what are your improvements? whom God finds without fruit, he leaves without excuse.
3. They that do not bring forth good fruit, shall never taste of the fruits that grow in heaven. Heaven is the garden of God, the paradise of pleasure, where the most rare delicious fruits grow ; there are fruits that the angels themselves delight to feed on: now, if you do not bring God your fruit, you shall never taste his frmt : you that do not bring forth the fruits of righteousness, shall never taste the fruits of paradise. O present Christ with your sweet spices, give him your myrrh, your spiced wine ; your myrrh, that is, repentance ; this, though it be bitter to you, is sweet to Christ. Those who have no myrrh or wine to give to God, shall never feed upon the Tree of Life, which bears several sorts of fruit.
4. Think of the heavy doom which will be passed upon the unfruitful person, ISIatt. XXV. 30. " Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness." This man had not embezzled his tident, but because he did not trade with it, and bring forth fruit, he is therefore sentenced.
Branch 2. It reproves such as bring forth evil fruit. They are not the trees of the garden, but the wilderness ; their hearts are a fruitful soil for sin, they bring forth pride, malice, superstition. &c.
TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7C7
Branch 3. It reproves such as bring forth good fruit, but to a bad end, IIos. x. 1. " Is- rael is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto liimself:" a man had as good bring forth no fruit, as bring forth fruit unto himself.
Quest. What is it for one to bring forth fruit unto himself?
Ans. When all the good he doth is for the magnifying of himself; the worm of pride gets into his fruit and spoils it. Prayer is good ; but when a man prays only to show his parts, this is to bring forth fruit unto liim.self: some pride it in their humbling confessions, which is as if Benhadad's ser- vants had been proud when they came before the king with ropes upon their heads, 1 Kings XX. 31. Works of mercy are good, but when a man gives alms, not so much to feed the poor, as to feed his pride, now he brings forth fruit to himself, and this fruit is worm- eaten. God will say to all such self-seekers, as once he did to the people of the Jews, Zech. vii. 5. " When ye fasted and mourned, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me ? " Sinners, did ye not bring forth fruit unto yourselves ?