the too common defect of profession without practice, naming the name of Christ and not departing from iniquity. Others, again, it is to be feared, are downrightly insincere; they put religion on like a cloak, and lay it aside when it suits them ; like their Sun- day clothes, they wear it on the sabbath, but lay it past throughout the week. They impose on their fellow-men, they trifle with the Almighty, and deceive their own souls. 5. The Saviour’s dissatisfaction with barren professors. Many a time Christ comes to professors, and when he finds no fruit, no figs, no real goodness, nothing but leaves, oh, how he is disappointed! Many a time he is wounded in the house of his friends; many a time he has reason to be indignant with the false professor; many a time religion is scandalized by the leaf of profession and the life of sin. We can conceive Christ coming to such professors and saying—Was it for this you trod my courts? for this you joined yourself to my people? for this you sat at my table? for this you took the cup of salvation in your hand? for this you avouched yourself to be the Lord’s in solemn sacramental action? 6. His remonstrance. Besides the expression of just indignation, there is tender remonstrance on his part. That remonstrance may be supposed couched in some such terms as the following :—After all my care for you, and love to you, and provision for your salvation ; after all my goodness and grace to your soul; after all my sufferings, both in life and death; after all my agony of soul and anguish of body; after the many precepts I have given you, the exhortations I have addressed to you, the warnings I have sent you; after all the checks of conscience, and after all the strivings of my Spirit,—is this the return you make me? Have you so soon forgotten your covenant engagements; so soon forgotten all your vows; 80 soon belied the profession you made, saying by act, if not by word, “O Lord, I am thy servant: thou hast loosed my bonds”? Have you so soon and so sadly violated your pledged allegiance expressed in the words, “! am not my own; I am bought with a rice; and bound therefore to serve the Lord with body and spirit, which are the ord’s”? God forbid that this should be the case with any of ae May better things be hoped, and reasonably hoped, of us all, and “things that accompany salvation”! Let our motto be, ‘‘ Now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, we have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Let our conduct be in accordance with the statement, “I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet ; how shall I defile them?” Let our meditation be on ‘“ whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsvever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;” and “if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,” let us “ think on these things.” : III. Doom PRONOUNCED ON THE FIG TREE. 1. He stereotypes its state. Christ does not make this fig tree barren, he only stereotypes its barrenness; he found it in that state, and, as far as its condition of barrenness was concerned, he left it pretty much as he found it. It bare no fruit before, it should bear no fruit afterwards, and so no fruit for ever. As far, however, as his own action was concerned, he did more; for he withered its leaves, he scathed its trunk, he blighted it both root and branch. It was cursed, and so devoted to barrenness; it was dried up from the roots, and so inevitably destined to decay; it was completely withered, and so doomed to entire destruction. To the present hour the Jew has an unmistakable resemblance to this symbolic fig tree. Nationally, he is barked and peeled; he is a tree of which the branches are withered ; he is one of a nation on which the blight of Heaven rests; the curse has come upon them to the uttermost. He has neither Church, as in days of old, nor State, nor proper nationality. He has neither temple, nor priest, nor sacrifice. He is still doomed to the “ wandering foot and weary breast ”—one of a people resembling this withered fig tree to which the course of Heaven clings. 2. Applicability of the symbel to our own case. What is the conclusion from all this, and what is its connection with ourselves? Just that of which the apostle, in writing to the Romans (xi. 21, 22) speaks: “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity ; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” 3. Responsibility pertaining to the Church of God. It is no light matter to have the Church of God in our midst, its ordinances dispensed to us, its sacraments enjoyed by us, its doctrines proclaimed to us, its duties declared to us. What weighty respensibilities does all this impose? “ Unto whomsoever much
oH, x1. 1—33.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 151 ik a er as ee is given, of them shall much be required.” What a blessing, if we improve these privileges, and know the time of our merciful visitation! What a millstone weight of condemnation is hung about our neck, when, in the full enjoyment of ordinances, we prove ourselves at once unfaithful and ungrateful? We see here what Christ expects of us, and what he has every right to expect. He sees on us the leaves of profession ; he requires the living power of religion in our souls. He beholds the leaves of con- fession; he demands correspondence of character, conduct, and conversation, He has heard your proclamation with the lips to the effect, “‘ Henceforth shall the Lord be my God ;” he looks, therefore, for piety of heart and purity of life. He observes with you the show of godliness; he will not be satisfied unless you diffuse the savour of it all around, ‘Truth binds you to this; you have sworn, and must not go back ; you have vowed, and must fulfil your vow; you have avouched the Lord to be your God, and the covenant entered into may not be broken, except at terrible risk. Gratitude binds ne me What shall we render unto the Lord for all his gracious benefits and gifts us “ Love so amazing, so Divine, Demands my heart, my life, my all.”
Consistency binds to this. What can be thought of any one who enters into the most solemn engagements and then practically repudiates them? Our welfare, both for time and eternity, binds to this; for “ blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in bis ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”