VEH. 6—9. ST. LUKE. 481
alsomightbe savedthroughtheChurch.Hence itfollows,And
heansweringsaiduntohim,Lord,letitalonethisyearalso.
He soonperceivedhardnessof heartand prideto be the
causesof the barrennessof the Jews. He knew therefore
howtodiscipline,who knew how to censurefaults.There
foreaddsHe, tillI shalldigaboutit. He promisesthatthe
hardnessoftheirheartsshallbe dug aboutby theApostles'
spades,lesta heapofearthcoverup and obscuretherootof
wisdom.And He adds,and dung it,thatis,by thegraceof
humility,by which eventhefigisthoughttobecomefruitful
towardtheGospelofChrist. Hence He adds,And ifitbear
fruit,well,thatis,itshallbe well,butifnot,thenafterthat
thanshaltcutitdown. BEDE. Which indeedcame topass
underthe Romans, by whom the Jewishnationwas cutoff,
andthrustoutfrom thelandofpromise.
Arc. Or,in anothersense,thefigtreeistheraceofman- Aug.kind.For thefirstman afterhe had sinnedconcealedwithu 1sup'
figleaveshisnakedness,thatis,themembers from whichwe
deriveour birth. THEOPHYL. But each one of us alsois
a figtreeplantedin the vineyardof God, thatis,in the
Church,or in theworld.
GREG. But our Lord came threetimesto the figtree,Greg.
becauseHe soughtafterman'snaturebeforethe law,under in
thelaw,and under grace,by waiting,admonishing,visiting;
butyetHe complainsthatforthreeyearsHe foundno fruit,
fortherearesome wickedmen whose heartsareneithercor
rectedby thelawofnaturebreathedintothem,norinstructed
byprecepts,nor convertedby themiraclesofHisincarnation.
THEOPHYL.Our natureyieldsno fruitthough threetimes
soughtfor;onceindeedwhen we transgressedthecommand
ment in paradise;the secondtime when they made the
moltencalfunder the law; thirdly,when they rejected
theSaviour.But thatthreeyears'time must be under
stoodto mean alsothe threeages of life,boyhood,man
hood,andoldage.
GREG.But withgreatfearand tremblingshouldwe hearGreg.thewordwhich follows,Cut itdown : why cumberethittheuhlsup'
yround?For everyone accordingto hismeasure,inwhat
soeverstationof lifehe is,excepthe shew forththe fruits
ofgoodworks,likean unfruitfultreecumbereththeground;
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