Scripture Verse

A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Luke 13:6–9

Introduction

portrait
Henry Beecher (1813–1887)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1749.

Music: Mil­len­ni­um, from the Ply­mouth Col­lect­ion, by Hen­ry W. Beech­er, 1855 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Harwich (Ma­son) Lo­well Ma­son, The Sac­red Harp or Ec­lec­tic Har­mo­ny (Cin­cin­na­ti Ohio: Tru­man & Smith, 1835), page 115 (🔊 pdf nwc)
portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Lyrics

The Lord of earth and sky,
The God of ag­es praise,
Who reigns en­throned on high,
Ancient of end­less days,
Who length­ens out our tri­al here,
And spares us yet an­oth­er year.

Barren and wi­thered trees,
We cum­bered long the ground,
No fruit of ho­li­ness
On our dead souls was found:
Yet doth He us in mer­cy spare
Another, and an­oth­er year.

When jus­tice bared the sword,
To cut the fig tree down,
The pi­ty of our Lord,
Cried, Let it still alone;
The Fa­ther mild in­clines His ear,
And spares us yet an­oth­er year.

Jesus, Thy speak­ing blood
From God ob­tained the grace
Who there­fore hath be­stowed
On us a long­er space;
Thou didst on our be­half ap­pear,
And lo, we see an­oth­er year!

Then dig about our root,
Break up the fal­low ground,
And let our gra­cious fruit
To Thy great praise abound;
O let us all Thy praise de­clare,
And fruit un­to per­fect­ion bear!