The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 119

they are provided for: "My liUle children, these things write I unto yon, that ye si11 not. And if any man sin "-if any one of you little children Bin, grievous and aggravated as yovr sin may be-" we have an Advocate with the ~•ather, Jesus Cbrist the righteous: and he is the Propitiation fur ovr sins" (1 John ii. 1, 2). God vindicates such a penitent. He restores his soul. He renews his peace. He re-estab- lishes his tarnished reputation. He puts a new song in his mouth (Pa. xl. 1-3 ; Isa. xii. 1, 2; lvii. 18, 19).-E. B. P. Ver. 13.-" The fruit of their doi11gs." This expression isa moat suggestive one. It occurs three times in the Prophet Jeremiah. In Jer. xvii. 10 God declares, as one of the signs of his omniscient, heart-searching power, that he can not only recompense each individual according to his ways, but" according to the fruit of his doings.n In Jer. xxi, 14 a similar declaration is addressed to the royal house of David: "I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings.n And in Jer. xxxii. 17-19 the prophet expresses his admiration at the discriminating omnipotence of God-" great in counsel, and mighty in work : for thine eyes are open upon the ways of the sons of men: to give unto every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his dcings." Our text calls for exposition and admits of illUBtrati(J'TI,. I. EXPOSITION, An act is one thing; the fruit of that act is another thing. By fruit we understand that which is the natural result of the acts we perform. Those natural results under the reign of moral law we might foresee. Acts, like trees, bring forth fruit "after their kind." For such fruit we are held responsible. Responsi- bility varies according to knowledge acquired or attainable. A child's falsehood, though fraught with lifelong disasters, is less criminal than the less injurious lie of an adult. But we cannot disconnect our acts and their fruit. We cannot kill them in the eeed, or nip them in the bud, or blight them in the flower; they will bear fruit of scme kind. We are not held responsible for what we may call the accidental issues of our acts. Our good may be evil spoken of. The most unjustifiable inferences may be drawn from our words or deeds. Our Lord's teaching has been the occasion of discord in families and strife in states (Matt. L 34-36). St. Paul's doctrine was per- verted (Rom. iii. 8). A clear judgment is needed to discern what will be the natural e:fl'ect of our conduct. We may not, dare not, leave our influence on others ont of the account. We must use the enlightening Word, and pray for the aid of the illuminating Spirit, that we may acquire an enlightened conscience. And then we must seek so to live that the fruit of our doings wi!l bring honour to God and be for our own "praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." II. ILLUSTRATION. Our first class of illustrations will be those in which the fruit -0f our doings, like the fruit of the tree in the garden, is " good n and "pleasant to the eyes," and " to be desired " as food for the soul through all eternity. L 1'he life and work of JeS'U,s Christ. The" good Master"" went about doing good." He did the will of him that sent him, and in doing it "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." What is the fruit of these doings? Eternity alone can reveal. His reward will be according to it-according to the glory brought to God a.nd the blessedness to men (Iss. !iii. 11, 12). 2. The characters and labours of devoted seruants of Ohrist. The life and work of Christ is a pattern and an encouragement to all his followers (Luke vi. 40). Sow now the seed of Christian living and doing. It may seem to be lost, like the seed cast on the surface of flooded lands, but you shall find it after many days. You may die without seeing the fruitage in this life; you may rest from your labours, but your works will follow you (Gal. vi. 7-9). Incidents confirm- ing tbis frequently come to light. At a Unitarian anniversary in New England a few years ago, one of the ministers, speaking of the small results of his work, added, " It must be remembered where my field is. The Connecticut valley is the home of Jonathan Edwards, and though he has been dead a century, he is a great name and a power for orthodoxy through o.11 that country to-day." A devoted pastor, Rev. Thomas Hall, laboured for twenty-seven years at Heckmondwike, Yorkshire, amid great dis- couragement because he saw so little fruit from his labours. His successor could report that for a long time after his death most of those who were added to the fellowship of the Church acknowledged their indebtedness to their deceased pastor for their first religious impressions or some other special spiritual help. Take courage, fellow- 122 THE BOOK OF MICAH. [en. vn. f---20.