nance and perseverance of believers. Weak as they are in themselves, their Root is in heaven, and never dies. " When I am weak," said Paul, " then am I strong." (2 Cor. xii. 10.)
We are meant to learn, secondly, from these verses, that there are false Christians as well as true ones. There are " branches in the vine " which appear to be joined to the parent stem, and yet bear no fruit. There are men and women who appear to be members of Christ, and yet will prove finally to have had no vital union with Him.
There are myriads of professing Christians in every Church whose union with Christ is only outward and formal. Some of them are joined to Christ by baptism and Church-membership. Some of them go even fur- ther than this, and are regular communicants and loud talkers about religion. But they all lack the one thing needful. Notwithstanding services, and sermons, and sacrament, they have no grace in their hearts, no faith, no inward work of the Holy Spirit. They are not one with Christ, and Christ in them. Their union with Him is only nominal, and not real. They have " a name to live," but in the sight of God they are dead.
Christians of this stamp are aptly represented by branches in a vine which bear no fruit. Useless and unsightly, such branches are only fit to be cut off and burned. They draw nothing out of the parent stem, and make no return for the place they occupy. Just so will it be at the last day with false professors and nomi- nal Christians. Their end, except they repent, will be destruction. They will be separated from the company of true believers, and cast out, as withered, useless branches, into everlasting fire. They will find at last, whatever they thought in this world, that there is a worm that never dies, and a fire that is not quenched.
9g EXPOSITOKY THOUGHTS.
We are meant to learn, thirdly, from these verses, that the fruits of the Spirit are the only satisfactory evide?ice of a man being a true Ghristiaii. The disciple that " abides in Christ," like a branch abiding in the vine, will always bear fruit.
He that would know wliat the word " fruit " means, need not wait long for an answer. Repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, holiness of life and conduct, these are what the New Testament calls " fruit." These are the distinguishing marks of the man who is a living branch of the true \^ine. Where these things are wanting, it is vain to talk of possessing dormant grace and spiritual life. Where there is no fruit there is no life. He that lacketh these things is " dead while he liveth."
True grace, we must not forget, is never idle. It never slumbers and never sleeps. It is a vain notion to suppose that we are living members of Christ, if the ex- ample of Christ is the only satisfactory evidence of saving union between Christ and our souls. Where there is no fruit of the Spirit to be seen, there is no vital religion in the heart. The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus will always make Himself known in the daily con- duct of those in whom He dwells. The Master Himself declares, "Every tree is known by his own fruit." (Luke vi. 44.)
We are meant, lastly, to learn from these verses, that God will often increase the holi?iess of true Ghristia7is by His providential dealings with them. " Every branch," it is written, " that beareth fruit. He purgeth it, that it may bear more fruit."
The meaning of this language is clear and plain. Just as the vine-dresser prunes and cuts back the branches of a fruitful vine, in order to make them