The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 260

tione whi<'h he in otl,er pla,oea Rl!l!1lmoa, nor lEschines, and Tbcopbmstus (see LXX., representing hie own Pel"BOnality ae perfectly E1wk. xv. 2). pR.ei,·e in the mutt.er, but he is olaiming for Ver. a.-Now ye are olean-pruned, purged, ,Teho•rnh of hosts the Mme rcla,tion to the cleansed, of the Divine Owner-by reason of true Vine ue he euet&ined to t.he degenerate the word (;1.0-yov) whioh I have ajloken to vine of the old covena,nt; but he calls him you. The Father h1te been operating this "my Father." Alford eRye, "The mn- cleansing process upon you by tho wholo of terittl orentione of God are only inferior the ~fil'a.Td. (see ver. 7), which 11re gnthercd exn.ruplee of that finer spiritue,( life and together into one mighty, quick, 11,n<l active orgnniem in which the creature is raised Logos. Ae we find in Heb. iv. 12, the Word up to partake of the DiYine nature" (see is sharper than a two-edgod sword, nnd Hugh Macmillan, D.D., • The True Vine'). capable of dealing summarily with" thoughts Vor. 2.-Every branoh in me; •.e. this and intents of the hoort." Augustine, on unitv of life between me and mine is this passage, admits that it is the Logo, graciously ho.ndled by the Father-my which gives o.11 its value to the water of Father ! The branches are of two kinds- baptism. kThis purifying, sanctifying prncess unfruitful and fruitful. The indefinite state- has been performed upon you," ~s Obrist. ment, in nomin11.tive absolute, co.Us great Then since "he wbo sanctifietli, 11.tld they attention to i~. " Every branch in me that who a.re sanctified, are o.11 of one," this con- be&reth no fruit," Then it is possible to come tinuance remains o.s the gracious possibility. into this organic relation with the true Vine, The vital sap proceeds from Christ alone, to be in it and to be a part of it, and to bring and not from our corrupted nature, which forth no fruit. If it were not for ver. 5 we must be grafted into his life o.nd become might say that these branches were nations, part of him. Many may seem to be 'Q cw,toms, institutions, o.nd the like; but the part of Christ, to be sacra.mentally or ou.t- context forbids it. The rdation to him wa.rdly united to him, and even to be draw, must therefore be one that is insufficient ing some real advantages from the oonto.ct, to secure life, or fruit, or continuance. and yet their end is fruitlessness, rottenness, Baptized, communicating, professing, par- removal, fire. The branches which bear tially believing Christians there may be in fruit never bring forth all they might pro- abundance, who, though in him, yet cannot duCA, never realize their ideal. The pruning, continue in him. (See stony ground, thorny cleansing process must pass over every soul, ground, and unripe ears, of the parable of that it may more adequately fulfil its destiny. the sower ; and the bad fish caught in The cleansing, searching power of the Word the net (Matt. :xiii; 1 John ii 19, etc.). will be freely exercissd by the Divine :e:e taketh away (cf. John the Baptist: Husbandman. " Every tree that bringeth not forth good Ver. 4.-But there is o. continuance of fruit is hewn down," Matt. iii 10; and most intimate relations to be sustained Dent. xx.xiL 32; Micah viL 1). What is between Christ 11.Ild his disciples. If the done with the valueless prnnings is said two clauses are "imperative," or rather afterwards. Every branah that bea.reth frnit, concessive, as many suppose, the finest mean- he prnneth (or, oleanaeth), that it may bring ing is evolved. Let these be the reciprocal forth more fruit. Let the non-reappenra.nce conditions, let it be that yon abide in me, of ,v lµol be observed. The BtUZmB rhythmu, and I in you. .(Meyer and Lange add to of Bengel is a mere accidental touch.. The the second clause l'•v;;,, '' I will abide in words a.tpfl and Ko.Ba.lp,, rhyme with each you," making it into a promise following other; but the latter word is not connected a comma,nd, and involving o. very strong with Ko.6a./p.,,,, a compound of o.'lp,,,,, nor is synergistic thought.) There is a mutual it equivalent to Ktzraf.p.,, the trne compound abiding or indwelling. The life-principle of ,u,:r;. with a.'lp,,, ; I.Jut it is derived from circulates through the brauches,just as they ,ca&,po,, clean. and means "to cleanse with perpetuate the living·eonnection between the libations," and perhaps "to prune with the branch and the centre of the life. Tho knife." The Husbe.ndman aims at more fruit, mutual relations show that humo.n nature ie more of meekness, gentleness, love, and faith- in in.finite need, and, apart from the new fulness, in fact, ell those fni.iu of tAe Spirit life-principle, will perish. The abiding of enumerated in Gel. v.22,23. The word,cAiil"', the bro.ncll in the vine suggests the continu- 1l8ed for "branch " in these verses, occurs ance of vit.al connection with tho living nowhere else in the New Testament. The stem, and supposes that connection kept up word 1CN1.Tios, elsewhere uaed (Matt. xiii. 32; by constant faith, so that the believer is in xxi. 8; LI.iv. 32; Me.rk iv. 32; xiii. 28; Rom. a position to draw life from tho legitimate lli. 16-21 ), means the Blllfl,)ler "branches" source. The ahiding of the vine in the of r. tree. The term means here vine-br&Dch, branch-" I in you "-is the perpetual inflow the eBBen!ial conatituent elements of the into the subordinate life, of the living grace vi!le itaelf, &Dd iii 10 used in .A.ristopho.nee, which makes the believer's life 0110 with his (/Jf, xv. 1-27.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. ,JOHN. 269