478
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew— the offenses charged against those on the left hand are all of them neglects of duty: “ Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hun gered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.” It is remarkable, too, that the only curse pronounced by our Savior, whilst on earth, was that against the barren fig- tree. And thus it was ever the sin of omission which He especially rebuked: “ Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life.” “ O Jerusalem, Jeru salem, 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.” “ For every one that doeth evil, hateth the light; neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” The reason of this special condemna tion of unfruitfulness is plain. Sloth ful, inconsistent Christians do far more harm to the cause of religion than blas pheming infidels. The false disciple is a stone of stumbling and a rock of of fense, and retributive justice makes his punishment worse than having a mill stone about his neck, and being cast into the depth of the sea. Matt. 18:6. The blasphemer is like the breaker at sea; it gives warning of danger by the roar and dashing of the waves. The inert, impassive, immovable disciple is the sunken rock that wrecks, in a mo ment of hope and confidence, the stately vessel, with her precious freight of im mortal souls. , It may be well to remark, that the 20th verse, ( “ wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them,” ) is not the mere repetition of the 16th verse. It con tains rather the summary of the tests
giiHiiiinuijiliuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiliiliHiiniiiiiiiliHiiiiiiiiinrnirniiluiiiiiiiiiiHiiuuif Unfruitfulness Is Sin DAN IEL H . HILL, 1859 . ....... ......mini .. 111111 ... 11111 .... min .. nun ... .
HE language of the 19th verse of Matthew 7 is very impres sive. It is not the corrupt tree, but the tree which bring-
eth not forth good fruit, that is to be hewn down, and cast into the fire.* And so in the figure employed, our Savior does not speak of noxious plants, such as the Upas tree, but of the barren— the thorn and the thistle. And this is characteristic of all our Lord’s teach ing. He condemns neglect of duty more frequently than positive sin; un fruitfulness more than yielding bad fruit. The burden of His parables is the sin of barrenness. The seed by the wayside, the seed among thorns, and the seed on stony ground, all represent the Word received into unfruitful hearts. The householder that let out his vineyard to husbandmen who would not render him the fruits in their sea son, was but a type of the Lord in His dealings with the Jewish nation, which did not render to Him the .peaceable fruits of righteousness. The poor wretch. at the marriage feast had neg lected to put on the wedding garment. The five foolish virgins had neglected to put oil in their lamps. The slothful ser vant, who hid his one talent in the earth, was cast into outer darkness for neglecting to put his Lord’s money to the exchangers. The unprofitable ser vant, who laid his one pound up in a napkin, was deprived of it, because he neglected to put his Lord’s money into the bank. In the parable of the supper, the offense was neglecting to come to the feast. In the parable of the fig-tree, it was to be cut down, because the lord had come for three years seeking fruit, and finding none. And so, too, in the vision of judgment, as given in the
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs