The Barren Fig Tree, Section 21 – Section 30
Why cumbereth it the Ground.]
By these words the Lord suggesteth Reasons of his Displeasure against the Barren Fig-tree; It cumbereth the Ground. The Holy Ghost doth not only take an Argument from its barrenness, but because it is a Cumber-ground, Therefore cut it down; wherefore it must needs be a provocation.
1. Because, as much as in him lieth, he disappointeth the Design of God in planting his Vineyard; I looked that it should bring forth Fruit.
2. It hath also abused his Patience, his … suffering, his three Years, Patience.
3. It hath also abused his Labour, his Pains, his Care, and providence of Protection and Preservation: for he hedges his Vineyard, and walls it about. Cumber-ground, all these things thou abusest. He waters his Vineyard, and looks to it Night and Day, but all these things thou hast abused.
Further. There are other Reasons of God's Displeasure; As,
First, A Cumber-ground is a very mock and reproach to Religion, a mock and reproach to the Ways of God, to the People of God, to the Word of God, and to the Name of Religion. It is expected of all Hands, that all the Trees in the Garden of God should be fruitful; God expects Fruit, the Church expects Fruit, the World, even the World conclude that Professors should be fruitful in good Works; I say, the very World expecteth that Professors should be better than themselves: But, barren Figtree, thou disappointest all: Nay, Hast thou not learned the wicked Ones thy Ways? Hast thou not learn'd them to be more wicked by thy Example, (but that's by the by): Barren Fig-tree, Thou hast disappointed others, and must be disappointed thy self. Cut it down, why cumbereth it the Ground?
Secondly, The Barren Fig-tree takes up the room where a better Tree might stand I say, it takes up the room, it keeps, so long as it stands where it doth, a fruitful Tree out of that place, and therefore it must be cut down. Barren Fig-tree, Dost thou hear? Because the Jews stood fruitless in the Vineyard; Therefore, said God, Mat. 21. 33-41. The Kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a Nation that shall render him their Fruits in their Season. The Jews for their barrenness were cut down, and more fruitful People put in their room. As Samuel also said to barren Saul, 1 Sam. 15. 28. The Lord hath rent the Kingdom from thee, and hath given it to thy Neighbour that is better than thou; the unprofitable Servant must be cast out, must be cut down, Mat. 25. 27.
Cumber-ground! How many hopeful, …nclinable, forward People, hast thou by thy fruitless and unprofitable Life, kept out of the Vineyard of God; for thy sake have the People stumbled at Religion; By thy Life have they been kept from the Love of their own Salvation. Thou hast been also a means of hardening others, and of quenching, and killing weak beginnings. Well, Barren Figtree! look to thy self, (thou wilt not go to Heaven thy self, and them that would, thou hinderest); Thou must not always Cumber the Ground, nor always hinder the Salvation of others: Thou shalt be Cut down, and another shall be planted in thy room.
Thirdly, The Cumber-ground is a Sucker, … draws away the Heart and Nourishment from the other Trees. Were th… Cumber-ground cut down, the other would be more fruitful; he draws away that fatness of the Ground to himself, tha… would make the other more hearty and fruitful. One Sinner destroyeth much good Eccl. 9. 18.
The Cumber-ground is a very Droan i… the Hive, that eats up the Honey tha… that should feed the labouring Bee; … is a Thief in the Candle, that wasteth the Tallow, but giveth no Light; he is th… unsavory Salt, that is fit for nought b… the Dunghil. Look to it Barren Fig-tree.
And he answering, said unto him, Lord, l… it alone this Year also, until I shall d… about it, and dung it; and if it be… Fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down, vers. 8, 9.
THese are the words of the Dresser o… the Vineyard, who, I told you, … Jesus Christ (for he made intercession fo… the Transgressors.) And they contain Petition, presented to an offended Justice, praying that a little more time, an… Patience might be exercised towards th… barren, cumber-ground Fig-tree.
In this Petition there are Six things considerable;
First, That Justice might be deferred, O that Justice might be deferred. Lord …et it alone, &c. a while longer.
Secondly, Here is time prefixed, as a space to try if more means will cure a bar…en Fig-tree. Lord let it alone this Year also.
Thirdly, The means to help it, are propounded, until I shall dig about it, and dung it.
Fourthly, Here is also an insinuation of a Supposition, that by thus doing, God's expectation may be answered, And if it bear Fruit, Well.
Fifthly, Here is a Supposition that the barren Figtree may yet abide barren, when Christ hath done what he will unto it, and if it bear Fruit, &c.
Sixthly, Here is at last a Resolution, that if thou continue barren, hewing Days will come upon thee. And if it bear Fruit, well, And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
But to proceed according to my former Method, by Way of Exposition.
Lord, let it alone this Year also.
Here is astonishing Grace indeed, astonishing Grace! I say, that the Lord Jesus should concern himself with a barre… Fig-tree; that He should step in to stop… the blow from a barren Fig-tree. True▪ He stopt the blow but for a time; Bu… why did he stop it at all? Why did no… he fetch out the Ax? Why did he not do Execution? Why did not he cut it down? Barren Fig-tree! 'tis well for thee that there is a Jesus at God's right Hand, a Jesus of that largeness of bowels, As to have compassion for a barren Fig-tree, else Justice had never let thee alone to cumber the Ground as thou hast done. When Israel also had sinned against God, down they had gone, But that Moses stood in the breach, Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone, said God to him, that I may consume them in a moment, and I will make of thee a great Nation. Barren Fig-tree, dost thou hear? Thou knowest not how oft the hand of Divine Justice hath been up to strike, and how many Years since thou hadst been cut down, had not Jesus caught hold of his Father's Ax. Let me alone, let me fetch my blow, or cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? Wilt thou not hear yet, Barren Fig-tree? Wilt thou provoke still! Thou hast wearied Men, and provoked the Justice of God; And wilt thou weary my God also? Isa. 7. 13.
Lord, let it alone this Year.]
Lord, a little longer, lets not lose a Soul for want of means; I will try, I will see if I can make it fruitful, I will not beg a long Life, nor that it might still be barren, and so provoke thee. I beg for the sake of the Soul, the immortal Soul, Lord spare it one Year only, one Year longer, this Year also; if I do any Good to it, it will be in little time. Thou shalt not be over-wearied with waiting, one Year and then.
Barren Fig-tree, Dost thou hear what striving there is between the Vine-dresser and the Husband-Man for thy Life. Cut it down, says one; Lord, spare it, saith the other: 'Tis a cumber-ground, saith the Father: one Year longer prays the Son, Let it alone this Year also,
Vntil I shall dig about it, and dung it.
The Lord Jesus by these words supposeth two things, as Causes of the want of Fruit in a barren Fig-tree, and two things he supposeth as a Remedy.
The things that are a cause of want of Fruit, are,
1. 'Tis Earth-bound; Lord, the Fig-tree is Earth-bound.
2. A want of warmer Means, of fatter Means.
Wherefore accordingly he propoundeth;
First, To looser the Earth, to dig about it.
Secondly, And then to supply it with Dung; to dig about it, and dung it. Lord, let it alone this Year also, until I shall dig about it. I doubt it is too much ground-bound, The Love of this World, and the deceitfulness of Riches (Luke 14.) lie too close to the Roots of the Heart of this Professor. The love of Riches, the Love of Honours, the Love of Pleasures, are the Thorns that choak the Word; 1 Joh. 2. 15, 16. For all that is in the World, the Lusts of the Flesh, the Lusts of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, are not of the Father, but enmity to God); how then (where these things bind up the Heart) can there be Fruit brought forth to God? Barren Fig-tree, see how the Lord Jesus, by these very words, suggesteth the cause of thy fruitlesness of Soul. The things of this World lie too close to thy Heart; the Earth with its things have bound up thy Roots. Thou art an Earth-bound Soul, thou art wrapt up in thick Clay. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him: how then can he be fruitful in the Vineyard? This kept Judas from the Fruit of caring for the poor, Joh. 12. 6. This kept Demas from the Fruit of Self-denial, 2 Tim. 4. 10. And this kept Ananias and Saphirah his Wife, from the goodly Fruit of Sincerity and Truth, Act. 5. 5, 10. What shall I say, These are foolish and hurtful Lusts, which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition; for the love of Mony is the root of all Evil, 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. How then can good Fruit grow from such a Root, the Root of all Evil; Which while some covet after, they have erred from the Faith, and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows. It is an evil Root, nay it is the Root of all Evil: how the… can the Professor that hath such a Root, or a Root wrap'd up in such earthly things, as the Lusts, and Pleasures, and Vanities of this World, bring forth Fruit to God!
Vntil I shall [dig] about it.]
Lord, I will loose his Roots, I will dig up this Earth, I will lay his Roots bare; my Hand shall be upon him by Sickness, by Disappointments, by cross Providences; I will dig about him until he stands shaking and tottering, until he be ready to fall; then, if ever, he will seek to take faster hold. Thus, I say, deals the Lord Jesus oft-times with the barren Professor; he diggeth about him, he smiteth one blow at his Heart, another blow at his Lusts, a third at his Pleasures, a fourth at his Comforts, another at his Self-conceitedness; thus he diggeth about him: This is the way to take bad Earth from his Roots, and to loosen his Roots from the Earth. Barren Fig-tree, see here the Care, the Love, the Labour and Way, which the Lord Jesus, the Dresser of the Vineyard, is fain to take with thee, if happily thou mayest be made fruitful.
Vntil I shall dig about it, and [dung] it.
As the Earth, by binding the Roots too closely, may hinder the Tree's being fruitful; so the want of better Means may be also a Cause thereof. And this is more than intimated by the Dresser of the Vineyard, until I shall dig about it, and dung it, I will supply it with a more fruitful Ministry, with a warmer Word. I will give them Pastors after mine own Heart, I will dung them; You know Dung is a more warm, more fat, more hearty, and succouring Matter, than is commonly the place in which Trees are planted.
I will dig about it, and dung it, I will bring it under an heart-awakening Ministry, the Means of Grace shall be fat, and good. I will also visit it with Heart-awakening, Heart-warming, Heart-encouraging Considerations; I will apply warm Dung to his Roots, I will strive with him by my Spirit, and give him some tastes of the heavenly Gift, and the Power of the World to come. I am loth to lose him for want of digging; Lord, let it alone this Year also, until I shall dig about it, and dung it.
And if it bear Fruit, well.]
And if the Fruit of all my Labour doth make this Fig-tree fruitful, I shall count my Time, my Labour and Means well bestowed upon it; And thou also, O my God, shalt be therewith much delighted: For thou art gracious, and merciful, and repentest thee of the Evil which thou threatnest to bring upon a People.
These words therefore inform us, that if a barren Fig-tree, a barren Professor, shall now at last bring forth Fruit to God, it shall go well with that Professor, it shall go well with that poor Soul. His former Barrenness, his former tempting of God, his abuse of God's Patience, and long-Suffering; his …spending Year after Year, shall now be all forgiven him. Yea, God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ will now pass by, and forget all, and say, Well done, at the last. When I say to the Wicked, O wicked Man, thou shalt surely die; if he then do that which is lawful and right, if he walk in the Statutes of Life, without commiting Iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall die, Ezek. 3. 3.
Barren Fig-tree, Dost thou hear! the Ax is laid to thy Roots, the Lord Jesus prays God to spare thee: Hath he been digging about thee? Hath he been dunging of thee? O barren Fig-tree, now thou art come to the Point; if thou shalt now become good, if thou shalt after a gracious manner suck in the Gospel-dung, and if thou shalt bring forth Fruit unto God, well; but if not, the Fire is the last. Fruit, or the Fire; Fruit or the Fire, Barren Fig-tree. If it bo…r Fruit, well.
And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.]
And if not, &c. The Lord Jesus by this, If, giveth us to understand, that there is a Generation of Professors in the World, that are incureable, that will not, that cannot repent, nor be profited by the means of Grace: A Generation, I say, that will retain a Profession, but will not bring forth Fruit: A Generation that will wear out the Patience of God, Time and Tide, Threatnings and Intercessions, Judgments and Mercies, And after all will be unfruitful.
O the desperate Wickedness that is in thy Heart! Barren Professor, Dost thou hear, the Lord Jesus stands yet in doubt about thee! There is an [if] stands yet in the way. I say, the Lord Jesus stands yet in doubt about thee, whether or no at last thou wilt be good; whether he may not labour in vain; whether his digging and dunging will come to more than last labour. I gave her space to repent, and she repented not, Rev. 2. 21. I digged about it, I dunged it; I gained Time, and supplied it with Means; but I laboured herein in vain, and spent my strength for nought and in vain. Dost thou hear, Barren Fig-tree! There is yet a Question, Whether 'twill be well with thy Soul at last?
And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.]
There is nothing more exasperating to the Mind of a Man, than to find all his Kindness and Favour slighted: Neither is the Lord Jesus so provoked with any thing, as when Sinners abuse his Means of Grace, if it be barren and fruitfless under my Gospel; if it turn my Grace into wantonness; if after digging, and dunging, and waiting, it yet remain unfruitful, I will let thee cut it down.
Gospel-means applied, is the last Remedy for a barren Professor; if the Gospel, if the Grace of the Gospel will not do, there can be nothing expected, but cut it down. Then after that thou shalt cut it down.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy Children together, as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings, and ye would not? Therefore your Houses are …ft unto you desolate, Matth. 23. 37, 38. Yet it cannot be, but that this Lord Jesus, wh… at first did put a stop to the execution of his Father's Justice, because he desired to try more Means with the Fig-tree▪ I say, it cannot be, but that an Heart so full of Compassion, as his is, should be touched, to behold this Professor … be cut down; Luke 19. … And when he was come near, he beheld the City, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy Peace, but now they are hid from thine Eyes.