The vine-dresser prunes them, that they may bear more grapes; God also prunes the fruitful branches of the true Vine, to make them more fruitful. The vine-dresser takes his knife, and carefully cuts away all that is hurtful, or barren, or dead. God also takes His pruning knife-affliction, trial, sorrow-and gently chastens His servant, His child. Not because He is angry with him, not to give him pain; but because He loves him, and in order that he may bear more fruit.

When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, He said, "And ye are clean, but not all," for Judas was then among them. But now Judas was gone, and now He said the very same thing, but without adding, "but not all." He had spoken the word of life to them, and they had believed; they were true branches; and at that particular time the Husbandman would not prune, or chasten them, for then they stood in need rather of comfort than of chastisement. "Now ye are clean," now ye are in no immediate need of the pruning-knife. The time would come when it would be used. is in the Greek a connexion between "purgeth" or prunes, and "clean," which does not appear in the English.

There

And now the Lord turns to the disciples, and addresses them directly as His branches. He speaks to us too; to us all.

We are to abide in Him, and He in us. We are not to trust in any seeming union with Him; but to make sure of being really joined to Him by faith, and then to keep that union, to abide, or stay, in Him.

All depends on our union with Christ. Without Him,—that is, apart from Him, not joined to Him,— we can do nothing. As a branch, separated from the

vine, is a dry and worthless thing, without life, so is a person who has no living union with Christ. The branch. for a time may keep its shape and colour, but it is dead. The nominal Christian may keep up the form and profession of godliness, but he too has no life in him. The dead branch is cast into the fire as fuel; the dead professor is at length cast forth too.

The branch bears fruit by its union with the tree; the Christian by his union with Christ. As the sap flows from the vine into the branches, so does spiritual life flow from Christ into those who are in Him by faith. By abiding in Him, he may even bring forth much fruit. None apart from Him; much by abiding in Him.

When we thus abide in Christ, there is nothing that grace cannot do for us, and in us. Let us ask for the Spirit, let us pray that our union with our Lord may be strengthened, and that we may bear much fruit to the glory of God. This is the promise, "Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Our Lord does not mention the branches that bear little fruit. He would fix our thoughts on bearing much. That will glorify the Father; and that will prove us to be disciples indeed. Let us earnestly desire this. A bunch here and there on the branch would not satisfy the vine-dresser; our Father also looks for much fruit in us. Some, on their part, seem content with very little; but let us seek much, and more and more. "Grow in grace."

9

Jesus calls His Disciples Friends.

CHAP. XV. 9-16.

"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved 10 you continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in 11 His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might 12 be full. This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man 14 lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, 15 if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth Í call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have 16 made known unto you. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you."

UR Lord now leaves the figure of the vine and the

O branches; yet it is not to be lost sight of. In all

that follows, we are still to bear it in mind; indeed in ver. 16 He again alludes to it.

How wonderful is this, "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you!" The Father's love for the Son is a perfect love; and so is our Saviour's love for

His disciples. But He adds, "Continue ye in My love." Does He mean His love to us, or ours to Him? His love to us. As though He had said, "I have loved you with a perfect love: be faithful to Me; do nothing to forfeit My love; prize it above all things; and live in the belief of it."

He said before, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." Now He says, "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide [or, continue] in My love." By obedience they would show their love to Him; but by obedience

-a willing obedience-they would also continue in His love to them; He would love them still as His loving and obedient disciples, and they, with a conscience unburdened by wilful sin, would live in the happy sense of His love.

Once more He likens their and His case to that of the Father and Himself. He had obeyed the Father perfectly, and the Father loved Him with a perfect love; thus did He continue in His Father's love: let such be their aim; even so let them continue in His love.

Does this seem impossible? At least, it is to be our desire and aim. No true disciple can put any limit to his obedience. He can desire nothing short of a full obedience to every word of his Lord. And besides, is not help promised? Will not the Comforter come? "Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." He spoke these things, not to burden or discourage us, but to make us happy in Him; that His joy might abide in us, and that our joy might be full and complete, not a half joy or a clouded joy.

How do the various parts of God's truth fit into each other, and make one beautiful whole! He has spoken

before both of love, and of keeping His commandments, but as distinct the one from the other; now He says, "This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." By keeping His commandments they were to show they loved Him, by keeping His commandments they were to abide in His love to them, and His very commandment was that they should love one another. When He was gone, let them love one another, even as He loved them.

This is what we also are to do. He has gone long ago; but His words remain; and that, in full force. This is His will with regard to us-nay, His commandment-that we should love one another; not a little, but perfectly; not in some things only, but in all things, great and small; that, feeling and knowing His love to us, we should take Him as our pattern, and love one another even as He loved us.

We can aim no higher; can aim no higher than

No love can go beyond His. but let us aim no lower. We to love as He loved, for "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends; and this was what He was going to do, and to do for them, for us, for all true disciples.

He calls such His friends; they are dear to Him. Observe once more the same mark as before: "Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you; obedience was the proof of love, obedience was the badge of His friends. Not only was, but is. Still He says, says to us," Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

Friends! Friends of Jesus! Called so by Him! It were honour enough to be the servant of such a Master, the very lowest servant in His household. But He would