the falling tower or the sinking ship, or the accident on the railway or in the coal mine, sweeps men away in a moment into eternity, so in a moment shall every impenitent sinner find that the day of mercy is closed-that the door which was so long open is shut-that life with its opportunities is over-that eternity with its unchangeableness is begun. Do you remember the rich man in the last parable? He probably died with every comfort around him. We read of no shocking accident in his case; and yet, in one moment, what a change! "In hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." What matter was it to him, then, whether he died in his bed, or was shipwrecked, or killed in any other sudden way? Now, whenever you hear of a sudden or terrible death among your neighbours—and how many such there are, thought of for a moment, and then forgotten-let those words of our blessed Lord sound in your ears, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." It is our privilege, as Christian men and women, to be so walking in peace with God and in His holy ways-that we should fear no evil—that, living or dying, we should be the Lord's; but we must take heed to ourselves that it is so with us. Then, whatever happens to our bodies, we shall not perish. Our Lord says, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear

Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

He goes on here to tell them a parable of a certain man who had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and who came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. You know when a man plants a vineyard or garden, and fences it round, and digs it and dungs it, and waters it and takes pains with it, he does so because he wants fruit out of it; otherwise it would be all wasted trouble. If a tree is growing on a piece of waste ground, or in a wild wood, nobody is looking for fruit from it, or caring whether it brings forth fruit or not. But it is a different matter if it has been planted in a garden. If we have planted an apple-tree in our garden, for instance, will we not look every year whether there are apples upon it? And if we always find none, we will say at last, we must cut it down and throw it away, for it is only taking up room. Now, at the time that our Lord spake this parable, there was a people, as you know, the Jewish people, whom God had chosen above all others, had planted them as it were, in His garden-had taught them, and cared for them, and loved them, but he also expected fruit from them-good fruit. He came and sought it, and did not find it. He came year after year. He waited patiently, but He found none; and what was He at last constrained to

say in spite of all His love and tenderness, "These three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground ?" The vine-dresser or gardener in the parable, to whom this order was given, says, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it." He entreats even a little more patience and forbearance. He would fain save the tree, as our blessed Lord would have saved Jerusalem; but what does he add, "If it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." The unfruitful tree cannot remain in the vineyard. We know how it fared with those to whom the parable was spoken. Not only did our Lord Himself go about among them three years, teaching and warning them; but after they had put Him to death, and He was risen again, before He ascended up to heaven, He charged His disciples that "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” He would give them one more chance, if so be they would only bring forth fruit unto God, turning unto Him in true repentance. He would even then seek to save them; but they would not be saved, and so they were cut down and cast away. You know how He mourned over them. In the end of this same chapter it is written (Luke xiii. 34), “O

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate and verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me until ye shall say, Blessed is he that shall come in the name of the Lord." great was our Saviour's love who mourned thus over His murderers! How fearful their sin who rejected such a Saviour!

How

But this parable was not given to us that we might think what great sinners the Jews were, but that we might remember our Lord's warning, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Let us remember that we Christians have been planted in the Lord's vineyard now. We are no longer trees in the wild wood, but in the garden of God; and He is looking what fruit each one of us is bringing forth. He will not overlook or pass by any tree in His garden, not the smallest ; and He cannot allow any unfruitful tree to remain there. Remember the words, "Ifit bear fruit, well; and, if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." And so it befell the Jews, much as they were loved and sorrowed over. They are cast out and wanderers over the earth to this day.

But what fruit has God seen in you or in me? Has He not been very patient with us? Has He

not come year after year seeking fruit? Has He found any, or has He found none? Oh! let us honestly ask ourselves this question before it be too late. It is not enough that we have done no great harm, as we think. But have we brought forth fruit to God? We are in His garden. We are His baptized children, and He requires fruit, good fruit, from us, or we must be counted cumberers of the ground. Think what He has done for us. Think what He has given to us; no less than His only-begotten Son, to save us when we were utterly lost; and He has permitted us to be baptized into Him-has made us His children in Him-and does he not look for the fruit of all this? Does He not look that we should live as His children, loving to know His will and desiring to do it, and using diligently all the means of grace by which He would prepare us for His kingdom. How many are contenting themselves with wishing that they were good, or with acknowledging that they are not good? Will that help us, do you think? Is that bringing forth fruit to God, acknowledging that we are not doing so? Then why are we not doing so? Do not let us say we cannot. Is it not written (Luke xi. 13), “If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?-the Holy Spirit,