New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-24
CHRIST THE TRUE VINE.
IN. Rsr J. b. Atkinson, at ne Eighteenth Street Methods
Epscopdt Church.

j.
Eptscopal Church.
The Rev. J. B. Atkinson of Detroit, Mich.
preached at the Eighteenth Street Methodist Episcopal
Church yesterday His text was taken from John xv,
8: lam the vine; ye the branches" The sermon
was substantially as follows:
Jesus was tho great Teacher the greatest OF all
eahcrs With the bread of life and the water OF saliva
ito l. with pardon and peace, with healing aud balm
Lord descended to the level Of the humblest Of the
and winning His way into their hearts by
borrowing His topics from familiar circumstances,
commonplace objects, and the scenes around Him.
The discourse from which the text Is taken spoken
s 30 s The Supper had been catan the boayer
Zone out 10 collect his band Jesus had told the disciples
s & their s dva or Of q s Y M
was going to prepare for them He had promised the
their dependence in Him-the vital union existing be
tween thom His union with His followers was such that
death and bodily harm would not sever it. They would
abide in Him though lie departed from them. 81 will
meyer leave you nor forsake You"
70 tho vine There q vital connection between the vine
and tho branches, which II severed, Is death to the
branches Is the sap which comes from the
root That which gives spiritual life and Joy to the disc
S SislDle Father This hidden relation, this Sc
represented by vine and its branches.
In further illustration of this great central truth this
desire notice, first In what respect Is Christ the true
branches. The sap which the life OF the branches flows
the vine into them SO Christ IL the source OF spir
itua life and growth TO all His disciples The Holy Ghost
which gives life, and power and strength and beauty
To Christian is sent by Christ the vine, from the
Father lie sstans them, He feeds them He nourishes
them Tho yinc also, Is the source OF rufuness to the
branches. Severed from the vne the branches become
ftless and dead Thus that Jesus is the source
OF fruifunss to those who abide in Him, and the fruit
they bear will partae Of His nature We ask in the
Ond place, " In what respect are Chrst's disciples
branches Of this vine - The branches belong to the vne
They virtually connected with IL, and cannot exist
without It, In Ike manner. Christians belong 10 Christ.
Their spiritual life proceeds from Him, and away from
Him they have life. The Christian life Ia entirely de-
pendent upon Christ, vtay connected with Him, that
lie can accomplish nothing Chriske and Godke with
out the most cordial connection with Him. Without
me ye do nothing" Dead by nature In Christ the
Christian has life. lie who has Christ In the heart will
show Christ in the life. All the praise for all the good
works the Christian performs Is due to Christ the
third place, let notice the relation between the branches
and the vine. This relation Ia mutual. Jesus says
" Abide In me. and In YOU" The branches In tho
vine they out OF II, they dependent upon It,
Again. this relation between the branches and tho vine
IA Intimate and vital. abide In me-" not me, not
with not by me. but In me. The branches are not
merely by the side OF the yne not merely touching as
n tied TO II they are In the vine, drawing their life and
beauty from II. No outward union will answer; no ex-
ternal relation will preserve the union SO true disc
Ple " CRgst not perey In wv Church, tied v ChTut