“And if it bear fruit, well.”  And if the outlay of all my labor doth make this fig-tree fruitful, I shall count my time, my labor, 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 threatenest to bring upon a people.

These words therefore inform us, that if a barren figtree, 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 misspending 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.

“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 favor slighted; neither is the Lord Jesus so provoked with any thing, as when sinners abuse his means of grace.  If it be barren and fruitless 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 are 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.”

“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 a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”  Matt. 23:37,38.

Yet it cannot be but that this Lord Jesus, who 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—­it cannot be but that a heart so full of compassion as his, should be touched to behold this professor must now be cut down.  “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.”

When Christ giveth thee over, there is no intercessor, no mediator, no more sacrifice for sin; all is gone but judgment, but the axe, but “a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”  Heb. 10:26-28.

The day of grace ends with some men before God takes them out of this world.  Now, then, I would show you by some signs how you may know that the day of grace is ended, or near to ending with the barren professor.

First sign.  The day of grace is like to be past, when a professor hath withstood, abused, and worn out god’s patience:  then he is in danger; this is a provocation; now God cries, “Cut it down.”