Ill. Gop’s EXPECTATIONS FROM THE VINEYARD OF THE CHURCH. 1. He sends his servants to claim a portion of the fruit. The parable shows in its immediate applica- tion the privileges of the Jews, their perversion and abuse of those privileges, and the consequent punishment. If, then, by the husbandmen we understand the ordinary ministers of the Jews’ religion, as the priests and Levites; the servants sent were the extraordinary messengers, the prophets raised up on special occasions and for special purposes, and other eminent preachers of righteousness. The householder or owner claimed a portion of the produce. The rent was thus payed in part of the fruit; it was to be in kind, on the well-known metayer principle, long so prevalent and still practised in parts of Europe; it was to consist of grapes, not gol’. The occupiers acknowledged the claim, but failed, or rather refused, to meet it, and were ruined in consequence. God expects fruit; why should he not? Who ever planted a vineyard that did not expect to eat of the fruit of it? Who, then, will venture to gainsay the justness of God’s claims? He is no hard Master; he is no rack-rent Proprietor; he does not “‘reap where he has not sown, nor gather where he has not strawn;” he never requires impossibilities. 2. Correspondence between the fruit of the vineyard and the owner’s expectations, The fruit of the spiritual vineyard should correspond with the expectations of the great proprietor in three respects. (1) In quality this corre- spondence should exist. He looks for grapes—good grapes off every vine which he has planted in his spiritual vineyard. ‘There is heart-fruit, consisting of faith, hope, charity, purity, the thoughts being purified by the inspiration of the Spirit; there is the lip-fruit of prayer, praise, holy conversation, edifying discourse, and speech seasoned with salt; life-fruit follows, and is manifested in works of faith, labours of love,
tience of hope, devotion of spirit, all holy living, and the necessary sequel in holy ating at the last. Ina word, God looks for holiness in all his people. He looks for those blessed and beautiful fruits of which St, Paul writes to the Philippians, when, summing up the Christian graces, he says, “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on [or take account of] these things.” He looks for those excellences of character, conduct, and conversation which St. Peter recommends to the strangers scattered abroad, saying, “ Giving all dilizence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God the Father had these fruits in view when he planted the vineyard, for he “ predestinuted us to be conformed to the image of his Son ;” God the Son prepared for them when he gave up the ghost, for it was to “redeem ua
188 THE GUSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [cu. xm 1—44.
from ail iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works ;” God the Holy Spirit provided for them when he renewed us in the spirit of our minds, making us new creatures in Christ Jesus, and so commenced our sanctifi- cation, He is waiting and willing to produce them; for “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper-= ance.” ‘The gospel calls us to holiness, and when embraced in sincerity and truth, produces it in increasing measure from day to day, leading us to the higher Christian life; for “the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” (2) But the quantity of the fruit borne must be directly proportionate to the grace bestowed. It must be in exact correspondence with the talents God has given us, and the time those talents have been lent us; with the mercies great and manifold which he has conferred upon us; with the privileges with which we have been favoured, and the period of their possession; in a word, with all the opportunities of whatever kind and advantages of whatever sort, which we have been permitted to enjoy. With every talent God is pleased to give us he says, “Occupy till I come.” Every one of the blessings bestowed—and oh, how great the number |—lays us under an additional obligation; every mercy im increased responsibility. Is it health or wealth? is it influence or example? or any other means of receiving good for ourselves, or imparting it to others? Whatever it is, it adds to our accountability, and, if abused, it will be sure to augment our guilt, and in the end aggravate our condemnation. 3. We are reminded, further, that the fruit must be in season; for “at the season,” that is, when the season for the fruit arrived, the proprietor sent his servants for the stipulated portion. “ When the time of the fruit drew near,” says St. Matthew; when sufficient time for growth and for reaching maturity has been allowed, the time of fruit draws nigh. After opportunities of use- fulness have been enjoyed, God comes to see how we have employed them. The righteous man yieldeth the right fruit in right quantity, and at the right time. This is his characteristic, as stated in the words of Scripture: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season.” In the natural world, every season of the year has fruit peculiar to itself. Spring has its flowers, in addition to its buds and blossoms; summer has its plants, and tubers, and waving fields of corn; autumn has its own abundant fruitfulness in golden grain, matured fruits, and ripened grapes. So in the spiritual world and in the vineyard of the Church ; in a season of prosperity God expects gratitude as well as gladness; in a season of adversity he expects patient resignation to his will; in a season of depression and consequent privation, he expects dependence on his providence; in provocation he expects meekness; in temptation, resistance by the help of God; in wintry days of darkness, contentment with the Divine allotments; im seasons of sunshine, humility ; and in all seasons diligent seeking and faithful serving of God.