to forsake sin, we are led to inquire, whether we "steadfastly purpose to lead a new life;" then, with regard to the ground of our hope for pardon and acceptance, whether we have " a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ;" then, as a test of our religious affections, whether we entertain " a thankful remembrance of his death;" and, lastly, as a proof of the validity and efficacy of our faith, according to the instruction of St. John that he who loveth God must love his brother also, we are taught to examine whether our religion inclines us to be in charity with all men." Questions such as these, ramified into the minute details of individual duty and experience, will furnish ample particulars for ascertaining both our habitual character and our temporary frame.

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But as a regular series of questions is too apt to degenerate in time into a mere form, it may be well to vary the process of selfexamination in other ways, especially by perusing a suitable portion of Scripture, and grounding on it such practical inquiries as suggest themselves to the mind. The Gospel or Epistle appointed by the church for the day will often be found admirably adapted for this purpose. Works of practical divinity are also eminently serviceable to suggest suitable beads for selfexamination. But, perhaps, no method is more generally beneficial than to inquire minutely into our conduct as husbands, brothers, fathers, friends, masters, servants, or members of such or such a calling in society; for in every relation of life a vigilant and tender conscience will find ample materials for self-scrutiny, ample incentives to self-renunciation, ample inducements to vigilance, humility, and prayer. The inquiry must go, in fact, to one plain broad question, whether we in any way indulge any known sin, or whether we in any way habitually neglect any known duty.

It is necessary for the Christian, throughout these investigations, to keep in mind the distinction before mentioned between a legal and an evangelical self-examination. For this purpose it may be often advisable, especially in the more advanced stages of the religious life, to enter rather into the nature and guilt of sin generally, than into individual details of sins and duties. No particular words or actions of a flagrant kind may have occurred; but the true Christian will not be satisfied with this; for he feels that he has a corrupt heart, that his affections are not duly under controul, that he has many remaining sins and infirmities, and that he does not love and serve God as he ought and desires to do. He will dwell upon the loathsomeness of sin in the Divine sight; its contrariety to the mind and example of his Saviour; its tendency to grieve the Holy Spirit, to damp his own joys, and to disgrace his holy profession. And hence will result that deep. habitual penitence which has refe rence rather to his general tastes, habits, and principles, than to a few casual words or actions which may or may not correctly mark the real tenor of his character.

Another highly beneficial part of sacramental preparation is devout meditation; especially to the established Christian, who, having reason to hope that he possesses true habitual preparation, must be especially anxious to bend his mind, under the blessing of God's Holy Spirit, to the attainment of a frame fitted to the sacred season, Previous meditation seems eminently calculated to effect this object: it was while David was musing that the fire kindled, till at length he spake with his tongue. divine ordinance of which we are speaking affords abundant topics and incitements for the exercise of this faculty. As a sacrament, it calls upon us to bind ourselves by new vows of fealty to the Great Captain of our Salvation. As the

the ground? And he answered and said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it; and if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

IN the opening of this chapter we learn that some persons present with our Lord, told him of an awful occurrence which had recently taken place. Certain Galileans, who had come to worship at Jerusalem, had been slain during the feast by Pilate, and their blood was thus mingled with their sacrifices. It would appear from the manner in which our Lord received the intelligence, that an impression had been produced on the minds of the people, as if this calamity had been inflicted by God on account of some peculiar and enormous wickedness of which the sufferers had been guilty. To remove this error, and to ground upon the melancholy event an important lesson, our Lord asks whether they supposed that these Galileans had been sinners above all the Galileans; or that eighteen other persons, who had been killed by the falling of the tower of Siloam, were sinners above all who dwelt at Jerusalem. And his reply to the question is, "I tell you nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish," thus teaching us the indispensable necessity of repentance, of a thorough change of heart and life, of the renewal of our souls in the image of God, if we would escape the destruction which must at length fall on the world of the ungodly.

The object of the parable which follows, and which has been taken as the text, is not so much to enforce the necessity of repentance, as to shew the long-suffering of God; the danger of presuming upon it; and, above all, the necessity of proving that our repentance is genuine, by its fruits. It bears on this last point most directly and impressively. It may, indeed, have

a primary reference to the state of the Jews, as it was so affectingly described more than seven hundred years before, by the prophet Isaiah in his fifth chapter; a description which applied with at least equal force to the same people in our Saviour's time. How long had God borne with this rebellious race; how long had he waited to see whether either his judgments or his mercies would produce any effect upon them; how often did he renew his attempts to soften their stony hearts, aud to bring them to yield fruit to his glory! But the culture, so perseveringly bestowed, proved vain ; and the command was at length given to root them out of their land: "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

But the parable must also be regarded as having a reference to the case of individuals; and in this view it is chiefly important for us to consider it. It exhibits to us the manner of God's dealings with his professed worshippers. If they bear fruit to his glory, well. If not, if they continue impenitent, and unfruitful, they shall be cut down as cumberers of the ground;' they shall perish for ever.

The persons to whom the parable applies are evidently members of Christ's visible church, persons who make a profession of religion, and enjoy the means of grace. They are fig-trees planted in his vineyard; and the lesson which is intended to be conveyed to all such persons is, that their profession, to be of any use to them, must be accompanied by those fruits of love and holiness which God requires. And this is a doctrine which is established, not by this parable merely, but by the whole tenor of Scripture. every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." "Wherefore be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls."

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But let us consider, more particularly, what are the fruits which we ought to produce, in order to shew that our repentance is genuine, and our profession sincere.

1. One class of those fruits results from the very nature of the Gospel. The Gospel reveals to us a great salvation: it announces that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, hath come to save a lost world; that he hath shed his blood, a ransom for their sins; and that, through the efficacy of his death and righteousness, all who come unto him, believing in his name, and repenting of their sins, shall find mercy and acceptance, not for the merit of any thing they have done, or can do, but for the alone merit of their Saviour. What, then, are the dispositions of mind which become us in this view of the nature of the Gospel? A deep sense of our own sinfulness and misery by nature; an earnest desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold on the offered salvation; and an entire and exclusive trust, for pardon and every blessing, on the atoning sacrifice and death, and the prevailing intercession, of our Divine Redeemer. These are the necessary and indispensable evidences of our being really what we profess to be -the people of God.

2. With these dispositions are inseparably linked, an ardent love to our blessed Saviour, and an entire devotedness of heart and life to him who lived, and suffered, and died for us. If our trust be indeed placed in him alone for salvation; if we see that we are ruined and undone without him; if we believe the love wherewith he hath loved us, then will be be dear to us. We shall love him in return; we shall shew then our love by our ardent desire and unwearied efforts to please him; we shall devote ourselves unreservedly to his service; we shall reverence his authority; we shall be obedient to his will; we shall labour to be conformed to his CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 229.

image, to imbibe his spirit, and to tread in his steps.

3. These are fruits which are common to all true Christians, and without which their profession is vain and worthless. But there is another class of obligations arising out of our particular situations in life, to which it is incumbent on us to attend. We must therefore consider what are the peculiar duties and temptations arising out of our various relations, whether as rich or poor, high or low, rulers or subjects, masters or servants, parents or children, friends or neighbours, merchants or labourers, ministers or people, in order that we may be enabled to fulfil the one and to avoid the other. Vain are all our pretensions to godliness, if these relative obligations be overlooked or carelessly performed. And according as we are enabled to fulfil them in the fear and love of God, and from an affectionate regard to the welfare of our fellow-men, may we judge of the genuineness of our repentance and the soundness of our faith.

The parable clearly shews that God's eye is ever upon us; and that he weighs our thoughts, purposes, designs, and actions. Let us realize to ourselves this searching scrutiny; and let us consider how many of us have long been hearing the faithful admonitions of the word of God, and how little fruit it has produced in us. From our earliest days we have had a place in his church; we have professed the faith of Christ; we have enjoyed opportunities of sound instruction; we have been advised, admonished, warned, threatened, entreated. Another year has passed over our heads, bringing with it many new warnings and solemn appeals to our conscience; many mercies to win us to God, many judgments to shew us the awfulness of his displeasure. Can we say, on looking inwards, that God, who sees the heart, sees that we have profited

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by these means of grace, and that we have not been wholly barren and unfruitful trees in his vineyard? Does he see that our hearts, by nature alienated from him, have been changed; that they are now in a right state, full of his love and devoted to his service? Is it at least our great effort and desire that they should be so? If not, are we not exposed to the tremendous displeasure of the Almighty? May not the very year which we have commenced be the allotted limit of God's forbearance and our probation? May not the sentence have already gone forth against us"Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

This sentence is very expressive. The fig-tree was not only useless, but noxious. It occupied ground which might have been profitably employed. Thus it is with the unfruitful professor of religion. He is not only worthless in himself, but hurtful to others. He conveys a false view of the nature and effects of religion, and disinclines men to embrace it. The worldly look at him and say, What has religion done for him? Has it made him more self-denied, more forbearing, more upright, more pure, more indifferent to the things of time and sense than other men? And they conclude that a religion which, with such a profession, combines such a practice, can only produce the effect of adding hypocrisy to their other sius. Woe upon woe is denounced in Scripture upon the man who thus casts a stumbling-block in the way of others, and causes them to think and speak evil of that holy Name by which he has presumed to call himself.

But we learn, as we proceed, that this barren fig-tree was not at once cut down, but was spared for a farther trial. The dresser of the vineyard said in reply, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it; and if it

bear fruit, well." It would have been impossible to have set before us in a more affecting manner the forbearing mercy and interceding love of Christ our Saviour. The forbearance of the Almighty, even in ordinary life, is apt to strike the worldly observer. He sees those who are notoriously profligate, who outrage by their conduct all laws both Divine and human, still spared, if peradventure they may be brought to repentance; and he is forced to acknowledge the longsuffering and the clemency of God. But we wish to confine our view at present to persons of a different character; to those who at least externally profess a regard to God and his authority, and who yet bear no fruit to his glory. Even such as these, aggravated as is their unfruitfulness by the peculiar circumstances in which they are placed by their professed reception of the truths which the others reject, are also borne with. Their period of probation also is prolonged, through the gracious intercession of their Saviour. It is He, of whom, perhaps, they have little thought, who has been obtaining for them this protracted space for repentance, this further extension of the forbearing mercy and sparing goodness of God. And can we help remarking, how every circumstance in Scripture is calculated to raise that Saviour in our esteem and affection; and how aggravated must be our ruin at last, if all this profusion of love and grace should prove unavailing?

And what does the vine-dresser himself say will be the effect of such continued unfruitfulness? "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it; and if it bear fruit well, and if not,"-if, after all this forbearance the fig. tree should still prove unproductive," then, after that, thou shalt cut it down." Thus does our Saviour deal with those unfruitful members of his visible church, for