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I. THE KIND OF FRUIT WHICH GOD REQUIRES FROM US — "good fruit."

II. THE MEANS WHICH GOD EMPLOYS TO RENDER US PRODUCTIVE of this kind of fruit, and which show how reasonable it is that He should expect it from us.

1. God has endowed you with a capacity to produce this kind of fruit.

2. In order to enable you to bring forth good fruit, God has supplied you with the gospel of His Son, which contains the means, motives, and influences of fruitfulness.

3. God has visited you with various dispensations of providence, and with various convictions of conscience.

III. THE CONTINUED UNFRUITFULNESS OF SOME PERSONS, NOTWITHSTANDING ALL THE MEANS WHICH THE GOD OF MERCY HAS EMPLOYED.

1. Some of these unfruitful persons are sensual and profane.

2. Some are intellectual, moral, and amiable.

3. Some are professors of the gospel.

IV. THE AXE WHICH IS LYING AT THE ROOT OF SUCH UNFRUITFUL PERSONS.

1. The axe which is lying at your root reminds you of the patience and long-suffering of God.

2. It reminds you of the critical circumstances in which you are placed.

3. It has sometimes admonished you of its being there.

V. THE AWFUL CONDITION TO WHICH SUCH UNFRUITFUL PERSONS ARE DOOMED.

1. The nature of this condition is indescribably terrible: "He is hewn down." The certainty that this condition will be incurred: "He is hewn," etc.

(J. Alexander.)

I. WHAT ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND BY THE AXE?

1. It may denote temporal judgments.

2. It may denote church discipline.

3. It may denote eternal wrath and vengeance. The axe laid to the root of the tree seems to imply its utter destruction.

II. BY WHOM IS THE AXE LAID?

1. Ministerially, by preachers of the Word.

2. By the inflicting of temporal judgments.

3. By God Himself. Whether it be an act of mercy or of judgment, He directs, strengthens for, and assists in it.

III. THE AXE IS LAID.

1. God's judgments are certain and inevitable.

2. They are near at hand when least expected, least prepared for.

3. These judgments already begin to operate.

(B. Beddome.)

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KJV: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

WEB: "Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.