Cut It Down by Jos. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 22, 1872

Cut It Down.

By Jos. Clarke

DECISIVE words! Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground? The land upon which this tree stood was valuable. Some good and fruitful tree might as well stand there in its place. It had stood there for many a year, and had had the care of the skillful and industrious gardener, and no fruit was borne. What was to be done? It must bear fruit or come down.

Alas! how many a tree has bowed before the woodman's ax, because it would not bear fruit. It grew, it flourished, it looked thrifty and handsome, was well proportioned and large; but it bore no fruit. No other trees looked so well as this, perhaps. Others bowed beneath their load of fruit. Often the branches broke, and marred the beauty of the bearing trees. Some of them had become quite bent and homely and deformed from continued and liberal bearing; but this tree stood there alone in worthless barrenness. Who has not seen such trees? But the gardener entreats for one more year of grace. It is given. All the skill of the gardener is exhausted upon this tree. The spring opens. How he watches the opening buds of promise! How he rejoices in the profusion of blossoms, and the autumn of richness and glory! Lo, the ripe and luscious fruit! What joy the servant feels, as he displays to the proprietor the full-laden tree!

So has it been. The Son of God entreats for the sinner, Spare him one more year! One more year? No more than that? Perhaps one more month; one more week; or one more day. But who is this sinner? Oh! it is one of the trees in the garden. It is one of the professors of religion. His profession is fair; plenty of leaves, but no fruit. Bear fruit, then, O barren tree, or be cut down. The ax is sharp and glittering. It only waits the day appointed. The ground is valuable. Another tree must fill thy place, or thou must bend beneath thy load of fruit. Jos. CLARKE.