Wherefore assure thyself, O fruitless one,
that thy ways must needs be open before the eyes of the Lord. One
black sheep is soon espied, although in company with many; it is
taken with the first cast of the eye; its different color still
betrays it. I say, therefore, a church and a profession are not
places where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from God,
that seeks for fruit: "My vineyard," saith God, "which is mine, is
before me." Song 8:12; Psa. 26:8; 1 Kings, 9:3; Song 4:13-15.
Barren soul, how many showers of grace, how many dews from heaven,
hast thou enjoyed! How many times have the silver streams of the
city of God run gliding by thy roots, to cause thee to bring forth
fruit! These showers and streams, and the drops that hang upon thy
boughs, will all be accounted for; and will they not testify against
thee, that thou oughtest of right to be burned? Hear and tremble, O
thou barren professor!
When a man seeks for fruit on a tree, he goes round it and round it,
now looking into this bough and then into that; he peeps into the
inmost boughs and the lowermost boughs, if perhaps fruit may be
thereon. Barren fig-tree, God will look into all thy boughs.
There is a man that hath a hundred trees in his vine yard, and at
the time of the season he walketh into his vineyard to see how the
trees flourish; and as he goes and views and pries and observes how
they are hung with fruit, behold, he cometh to one where he findeth
naught but leaves.
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