fession: an external church symbolized by the fig-tree; he explored that church—from the ultimates to the very inmost of its natural professions; there was no fruit, there was nothing but leaves, not even the principles of external good or charity; there was no fruit in the fig-tree of Jewish profession, therefore its doom was sealed, it was brought to an end, and was from henceforth given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
"Thank God," say many, perhaps all of us, "we are not as they." Alas! this is all arrogance on our part; many of us, most of us, are quite as bad as they. We think that we have the true Church among us, because we have the true faith; but this faith is valueless unless it is joined to goodness. True religion is not merely an abundance of leaves, but the bringing forth fruit to perfection; herein is the Lord glorified, that we bring forth much fruit. The leaves are but the garments of religion, the fruit is its life; and "the life of religion is to do good."
August Third.
THE BARREN FIG-TREE.
"And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet."—Mark xi. 13.
THE various commentaries which have been made upon the scriptural account of the barren fig-tree, may serve as a caution against the common error of attempting to supply want of information by ingenious conjecture.
The seeming inconsistency of expecting to find fruit before the proper season, and of cursing the tree
