Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/513

 eth not  good  fruit  shall  be  cut  down  and  cast  into  the fire."   (Matt.  iii.  10.)

II. Apply this  parable  to  yourself  and  to  your  own soul. The Heavenly  Husbandman  has  planted  you  as  a choice  vine  in  the  vineyard  of  His  Church. He has  exposed you to  the  sun  of  divine  enlightenments,  and  watered you with  the  stream  of  His  grace. He has  provided  you, in fine,  with  everything  necessary  to  produce  plenty  of excellent  fruit. He may  perhaps,  however,  justly  say  of you:  "  These  three  years  I  come  seeking  fruit  on  this  fig-tree,  and  I  find  none;"  that  is,  I  find  no  fruit  corresponding to  my  anxious  exertions  for  the  tree. What then must be  done?

III. " Let  it  alone  this  year,  also." Who knows whether God  has  determined  that  this  shall  be  the  last year of  your  mortal  life,  or  that  if  you  do  not  during  this year yield  the  fruit  which  He  wishes  He  will  withdraw His more  abundant  graces  from  you,  and  not  afford  you so many  helps  as  He  has  done  of  working  out  your  salvation. " I  gave  her  time  to  do  penance,"  He  says  in the  Apocalypse  (ii.  21),  but  we  abuse  that  time. He resents our  carelessness  and  closes  His  hand;  then  "time shall  be  no  more." (Apoc. x.  6.)  The  same  helps  which we formerly  enjoyed  will  no  longer  be  in  our  possession; and though  we  can,  we  shall  not  secure  our  last  end. Make, therefore,  good  use  of  the  present  time,  for  the night of  death  cometh,  during  which  "  no  man  can  work." (John ix.  4.)