“And I will then say to my soul,
    ’Thou hast much goods laid up;
  Now therefore take thine ease, and fill
    Thy thoughts with earthly hope.”

  But God said unto him, “Thou fool! 
    I will require of thee
  This very night thy soul; then say
    “Whose shall this plenty be?”

  The fool is he who layeth up
    For himself treasure here,
  And calleth earthly pleasure, gain,
    And earthly riches, dear.

VI.

THE LOST SHEEP.

  The publicans and sinful poor,
    Did come to Christ the Lord
  When He was on the earth, that they
    Might hear his gracious word.

  The Scribes and Pharisees complained,
    That He did these receive;
  And murmur’d loud to all around,
    And would not Him believe.

  “This man receiveth sinful ones,
    And talks and eats with them;”
  When Jesus heard it, He did speak
    This Parable to them: 

  If you should have an hundred sheep,
    And one of them astray
  Should go, would you not leave the rest,
    And go out on your way,

  To find the one that’s lost, and bring
    It on your shoulder home? 
  And when you’ve found it, you would say,
    “Go, bid my neighbours come,

  “That they may all rejoice with me,
    For I have found that one
  Of all my sheep, that left the fold,
    And wander’d off alone.”

  “E’en so,” said Jesus, “there is joy
    In Heaven when sinners come;
  The angels strike their harps anew,
    And welcome sinners home.”

VII.

THE BARREN FIG TREE.

  A certain man a fig tree had,
    He look’d for fruit thereon,
  And year by year he came and sought,
    But still it yielded none.

  He said unto his servant, “Wait
    No longer, cut it down;
  I’ve sought these three years here for fruit,
   And finding there is none,

  “Why cumbereth it the ground?” “O, no,
   Let it alone this year,”
  The servant said, “I’ll nurse it well,
    Perhaps it then will bear.

  “But if it will not bear, when I
    Have dug and dress’d around,
  Why, cut it down, it will not yield,
    It cumbereth the ground.”

  Just so it is with those who hear
    The Saviour’s welcome voice;
  Who still refuse His grace to know,
    And make the world their choice.

  The Saviour will not always bear
    With those who from Him stay;
  And those who long His grace despise,
    Will grieve His love away.

VIII.

THE UNJUST JUDGE.

  He spake another Parable,
    To show that men should pray
  And never faint, but pray in faith,
    And plead from day to day.