{
 "id": "john-newton/the-barren-fig-tree",
 "title": "The Barren Fig-Tree",
 "ordinal": "103",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Newton",
 "poet_slug": "john-newton",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Olney Hymns",
 "book_slug": "olney-hymns",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 103,
 "container": "Book I On Select Texts of Scripture",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1779,
  "venue": "Olney Hymns (1779)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_olney-hymns-in-three-bo_newton-john_1779",
   "https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/bulletin/computerised-index-to-the-olney-hymns/",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/john-newton_william-cowper_olney-hymns",
  "file": "book-1.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Olney_Hymns_%281840%29",
   "https://archive.org/details/olneyhymnsinthre00cowpuoft"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-15"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 36,
  "n_stanzas": 6,
  "n_parts": 6,
  "longest_line_chars": 43,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [
  {
   "ordinal": "I",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    0,
    1
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "II",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    1,
    2
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "III",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    2,
    3
   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "IV",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "V",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
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   ]
  },
  {
   "ordinal": "VI",
   "title": null,
   "stanza_range": [
    5,
    6
   ]
  }
 ],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "The church a garden is,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "In which believers stand",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Like ornamental trees",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Planted by God’s own hand!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "His Spirit waters all their roots,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And every branch abounds with fruits.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But other trees there are",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "In this enclosure grow,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Which, though they promise fair,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Have only leaves to show:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "No fruits of grace are on them found,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They stand but cumberers of the ground.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The under gardener grieves,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "In vain his strength he spends,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "For heaps of useless leaves",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Afford him small amends:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "He hears the Lord his will make known,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To cut the barren fig-trees down.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "How difficult his post,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "What pangs his bowels move,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To find his wishes cross’d,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "His labours useless prove!",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "His last relief is earnest prayer,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Lord, spare them yet another year.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“Spare them, and let me try",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "What further means may do;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "I’ll fresh manure apply,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "My digging I’ll renew:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Who knows but yet they fruit may yield?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "If not⁠—’tis just, they must be fell’d.”",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If under means of grace",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "No gracious fruits appear,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "It is a dreadful case,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Though God may long forbear:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "At length he’ll strike the threaten’d blow,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And lay the barren fig-tree low.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}