The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-09-04
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.
by REV. +. Il. uARGREAvEs.

Lesson H. September 9Th.
JESUS THE TRUE VINE.
John 10, l-l6. Golden Text. John 5,
D. Time, Thursday evening, April 9th.
Place, an upper room in jerusalem
The lesson is continuation of that
memorable scene in the upper room at
Jerusalem, when Christ took leave ofIIis
disciples. The little company had risen
to go, but Jesus seemed anxious to say
more to them before lie took His final
departure, and so He spoke to them as
they stood around Him. IIisillustration
was at once beautiful and appropriate.
Probably the house in which they were
staying overlooked vineyard, and the
vines could be seen in the moonlight.
IL was now ten or eleven o'clock at night.
Pointing to thevines, it may be, Jesus
tells His disciples that in them they see
good Illustration of Himself and His
disciples. They were all familiar with
the vine and its cultivation, and could
readily appreciate the force of the simile,
the vine is the life Of the branches, from
whence they draw their srstenance and
strength. As the branches live in the
vine so they are able to bear good fruit;
but if they are cut off from the vine, they,
soon wither and die andure cast. out of
the vineyard to be burned. Christ is the
true vine. His disciples are the branches.
Each follower and each church is
branch. five livein Him and He in us
we shall bring forth fruit. If we forsake
Christ we shall cease to have spiritual
life, and will soon wither and die and be
cast out to beburnel. The true believer
and follower of Christ is living branch
of Il living vine. Although Jesus was
about die, He speaks of Himself as
living, and going to live and give life for
ever. He is still the living vine, and
those who follow Him constantly receive
life from Him. We live in Him hv faith
and love and earnest deeds and holy.
lives As vinedresser gives careful
attention to the vines under his charge
so our Father constantly cares for us
The vinedrcsser prunes and cultures
and trains the vines so as to make them
produce the largest quantity of the best
fruit. So our Father is ever pruning us,
removing things not in harmony with
Him, training us in many ways preparing
us according to His own purposes, so that
we may be able to bring forth large guam
titles of the best fruits
This must have been very gratifying to
the disciplesat that time. In the shadow
of the coming crucilixon they had the
Divine assurance that their Master would
ever live in them and give them living
aid and strength as certainly as the
branches drew life and nourishment from
the vine down there in the garden. And
then they had the further satisfaction of
knowing that their Heavenly Father
would watch over them and care for
them with even greater thoughtfulness
than the vinedresser would tend his
vines.
Comforting as this must have been to
the disciples, ii is mach more SO to us.
In the midst of an unbelieving genera
tion, with atheism and scepticism on all
sides, it is n blessed thought that we are
living in Christ, and lie is living in us.
Every day and every hour we may draw
life from Him, and every day and hour
the Divine Father is tenderiv watching
over us and carefully training US up
according to His own wisdom.
Lesson THOUGHTS.
l. Christ is the TRUE vine. Beware
of false noes.
>. True life is found only in tins vine.
3. To be cut of from it is death.
4, So live in it that you may bring
forth much fruit.