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; VOL.in. 2 i