You must not however suppose from this parable, or from what I have been saying to you, that you are not to live industriously, or that you are to neglect your earthly duties. On the contrary, we should work diligently in whatever station of life we are placed, knowing that while we are pleasing our earthly master, we shall also be doing the will of our heavenly Master.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE.

Luke xiii. 1-9.

"THERE were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering 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."

Miss Morton. I have made you read from the beginning of the chapter, though the parable begins properly only at the 6th verse, for I want to show you what it was which made our Saviour speak this parable to the people. What did some of the people present come to complain to Jesus about?

Emily. Of Pilate having mingled the blood of some of the Galileans with their sacrifices.

Miss M. What does that mean?

Mary. That Pilate had killed some of the Galileans. Miss M. Yes; and had mixed their blood with the blood of those animals which they were offering in sacrifice to God. They were performing a religious service, offering sacrifices at the altar of God: but they were not even there safe from the hands of Pilate. Surely, if any where they might have hoped for safety, it would have been there. In God's house we are as it were shut out from the world: we are in His presence. Read Psalm lxxxiv. 3.

Mary reads. "Yea, the sparrow hath found her ant house, and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young: even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God."

Miss M. Tell me why we never offer any animals in sacrifice to God now?

Jane. Because Jesus Christ offered Himself once for all.

Miss M. Quite right; He is the propitiation, or satisfaction for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John ii. 2. Is

there, however, no kind of sacrifice which we can offer to God?

Kate. The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

Miss M. Very well. Read Hebrews xiii. 15, 16. Elizabeth reads. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

Miss M. What is the meaning of a sacrifice?
Charlotte. An atonement.

Miss M. The sacrifices offered up by the Jews were of two different kinds: one was as an atonement for their sins, the other to express gratitude to God as thank-offerings for His mercies and blessings. Can you remember any instance in the Bible of a sacrifice being offered up to God as a token of gratitude?

Ellen. Noah, when he came out of the ark. Gen. viii. 20.

Miss M. Quite right; to show how thankful he was for having been preserved, when the rest of mankind had been destroyed by the flood. Now what do we read was Jesus' answer to these people ?

Mary. He said, "Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered these things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Miss M. He was showing them that they were not to suppose these Galileans to have been greater sinners than others who had not been killed, but that, if we do not all repent, we shall also perish. He was making them look to themselves, and reminding them that they had need of repentance. We are not to

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think that because a person meets with trials in this life he is a greater sinner than others who are happier. Read Hebrews xii. 6.

Kate reads. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Miss M. And John ix. 2, 3.

Elizabeth reads. "And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Miss M. You see here our Lord says, it was not as a punishment for sin that this man was blind, it was that the works of God might manifest or show forth themselves in him. Still you must not suppose that sorrows and afflictions are never sent in token of anger. God sometimes causes us to be afflicted in this world in order that we may repent of our sins, and be happy in that which is to come. When we see others around us in any misfortune, let us not be too ready to think that they are greater sinners than ourselves, and to judge them: but, on the other hand, when God sees fit to send us any trial, let us be careful to turn it to the best account, and examine ourselves, to see in what way we have offended Him. Now read the 4th and 5th verses of the chapter.

Susan reads. "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Miss M. Our Lord again repeats what He had told them before: that if they did not repent of their sins,

they should perish everlastingly,-not only, as in the instances before them, by the death of the body, but also by that of the soul. We will now begin the explanation of the parable, and I will show you afterwards how it applies to what has gone before. What tree did a man plant in his vineyard ?

Emily. A fig tree.

Miss M. When he came to seek fruit upon it did he find

any

?

Mary. No.

Miss M. What is this parable generally called?

Kate. The barren fig tree.

Miss M. When we talk of ground being barren, what do we mean?

Ellen. Ground on which nothing will grow.

Miss M. Yes; and a barren fig tree means one which will not yield any fruit. What does the man then do?

Selina. He says to the dresser of the vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Miss M. Who is the dresser of the vineyard?

Mary. The man that took care of the trees.

Miss M. Was this the first time that the owner of the vineyard had come expecting to find fruit, and had been disappointed?

Susan. No; he had come three years, and had never found any fruit.

Miss M. He had had patience for three years, but when at last he found that it did not bring forth any