A HITS deals the Lord by useless and barren professors who do but cumber his ground, Matth. iii. 10. " And now^ also the ax is laid '^ to the root of the trees ; therefore every tree that brings not forth '^ good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire." And Luke xiii. 7. *' Then said the dresser of the vineyard, Behold, these three years I '• came seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none ; cut it down ; ^' why curabereth it the ground T'' These three years, alluding to the time of his ministry, he being at that time entering upon the last half-vear, as one observes, by harmonizing the evangelists ; so long he had waited for the fruit of his ministry among those dead-hearted Jews ; now his patience is even at an end : cut them down (saith he) why cumber they the ground .? I Avill plant others, (viz. the Gentiles) in their room. This hewing down of the barren tree dotli, in a live- ly manner, shadow forth God's judicial proceedings against formal
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARJTHLY THINGS. 155
and empty professors under the gospel : and the resemblance clearlj holds in these following particulars :
1. The tree that is to be hewn down for the fire, stands in the or- chard among other floinishing trees, where it hath enjoyed the be- nefit of a good soil, a strong fence, and much culture ; but being bar- ren, these privileges secure it not from the fire. It is not our stand- ing in the visible church by a poweriess profession anion o- real saints with whom we have been associated, and enjoyed the rich and excel- lent waterings of ordinances, that can secure us from the wrath of God, Matth. iii. 8, 9. " Bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and " think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our fa- *' ther."" Neither Abraham, nor Abraham's God, will acknowledge such degenerate children ; if Abraham's faith be not in your hearts, it will be no advantage that Abraham's blood runs in v<^ur veins. It will be a poor plea for Judas, when he shall stand before Christ in judgment, to say. Lord, I was one of thy family, I preached for thee ; I did eat and drink in thy presence. Let these scriptures \ye consulted, Matth. vii. 22. Matth. xxv. 11, 12. Rom. ii. 17, and 25.
2. The husbandman doth not presently cut down the tree because it puts not forth as soon as other trees do ; but waits as long as thefe is any hope, and then cuts it down. Thus doth God wait upon bar- ren dead-hearted persons, from sabbath to sabbath, and from year to year ; for the Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Pet. iii. 9. Thus the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah upon those dry trees, who are now smoking and flaming in hell, 1 Pet. iii. 29. He waits long on sinners, but keeps exact accounts of every year and day of his patience, Luke xiii. 7. " These three vears." And Jer. xxv. 3. these twenty-three years.
3. When the time is come to cut it down, the dead tree cannot possibly resist the stroke of the ax ; but receives the blow, and falls before it. No more can the stoutest sinner resist the fatal stroke by death, by which the Lord hews him down ; Eccl. viii. 8. *' There is *' no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit ; nei- " ther hath he power in the day of death, and there is no discliaro-e *' in that war." When the pale horse comes, away you must into the land of darkness. Though thou cry with Adrian, O my poor soul ! whither art thou going? Die thou must, thou barren professor; though it were better for thee to do any thing else than to die. What a dreadful shriek will thy conscience give when it sees the ax at thy root, and say to thee, as it is Ezek. vii. 6. " An end is come, the " end is come ; it watcheth for thee ; behold it is come." Oh ! saith Henry Beauford, (that rich and v/retched cardinal, bishop of Winchester, and chancellor of England, when he perceived where- Vintohemustgo) wherefore must I die ? Ifthe whole realm would save
156 HrSBAXpRY SPIRITUAL IZED ; OR,
my life, I am able either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it, Tie (quoth he) will not death be hired? Will riches do nothing? No, neither riches nor pohcy can then avail.
4. The side to which the tree leaned most while it stood, that waj it will fall when it is cut down : and as it falls, so it lies, whether to the south or north, Eccl. xi. 3. So it fares with these mystical trees, I mean fruitless professors : Had their hearts and affections inclined and bended heaven- ward whilst they lived, that way, no doubt, they had fallen at their death ; but as their hearts inchned to sin, and even bended to the world, so when God gives the fatal stroke, they must fall hell- ward and wrath- ward : And, how dreadful will such a fall be !
5. When the dead tree is carried out of the orchard, it shall never be among the living trees of the (.>rchard any more ; many years it grew among them, but now it shall never have a place there again. And when the barren profcsror is carried out of the world by death, he shall never be associated with ihe saints any more : He may then say, farewell all ye saints, among whovn I lived, and with whom I so often heard, fasteci, ind prayed : I shall never see your face more ; Matth. viii. 11,12. "I say unto you. that many shall come from the " east, and west, and north, and south, and shall sit down with " Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven ; but the *' children of the kingdom sliill be cast forth into outer darkness; *' there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.""
6. AVhen the dead tree I- carried out of the orchard, the husband- man cuts off its branches, and rives it asunder with his wedges. This also is the lot of barren professors : " The Lord of that servant will " come in a day when he looketh not for him, and will cut hini *' asunder ;" he shall be dissected, or cut abroad, Luke xii. 46.
Now therefore '* consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear (or *' rend) you in pieces,"" Psalm 1. 22. O direful day ! v.hen the same hand that planted, pruned, and watered thee so long, and so tender- ly, shall now strike mortal strokes at thee, and that without pity ! *' For, he that made them, will not have mercy on them ; and her *' that formed them, will shew them no favour," Isa. xxvii. 11. For the day of mercy is over ; and the day of his wrath is fully come.
7. When this tree is cleaved abroad, then its rotten, hollow inside appears, which was the cause of its barrenness ; it looked like a fair and sound-bodied tree, but now all may see how rotten it is at the heart ; so will God in that day, when he shall dissect the barren prt^fessor, discover the rottenness of his heart, and unsoundness of his principles and ends : Then they who never suspected him before^ shall see what a hollow and rotten-hearted professor he was.