Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-04-29
international ge5salls.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY z.
Text of the Lesson, John xv, Ill.
Memory Verses, G-S-GOlden Text,
John XIV, documentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.

is the husbandman. The principal
thought of this part of His discourse seems
to be that of bearing fruit to the glory of
God. In verse 16 He says that He chose
and ordained them that they should bring
forth fruit that should abide In Rom.
vii, 4, we are said to be married to the
Lord to bring forth fruit unto God. In
John iv, SO; He spoke of fruit unto life
eternal. In Rom. Vi, %, it is fruit unto
holiness. The true vine is in contrast to
Israel, which was the vineyard of the Lord
of Hosts, but though planted noble vine
became turned into the degenerate plant
of a strange vine unto the Lord lisa. V, q;
Jer. ii, 2D.
g. every branch in Me that beareth
not fruit He taketh away, and every
branch that bcareth fruit He purgeth 1t,
that it may bring forth more fruit. " These
words were spoken to eleven true disciples
whom He had already taught that they
could never perish and no power could
pluck them out of His hand John x,
27-29), so that we must not seek to find
here any reference to the possible loss OF
the soul. 1t is wholly question of fruit
bearing or otherwise, and the husband
mans treatment of the fruitful and un-
fruitful branches.
8. "Now We are clean through the word
which have spoken unto you" He had
told them in chapter xiii, 10, that they
were clean every whit, thus describing
their standing in Him, accepted in the Be-
loved (Eph. i, g.. But He also referred to
a need of constant cleansing in daily life
because of contact with the world This
is spoken of also in chapter xvii, II, and
Eph. V, 26. There is sanctification that
is ours by the one Offering of Christ once
for all, and all who are justified are also
sanctified (Heb. x, TO- IA; Cor. vi, 1D.
4. abide in Me and I in you. AS the
branch cannot bear fruit Of itself except
it abide in the vine, no moro can ye cx-
cept We abide in Me-" In Hos. xiii, 8;
xiv, 8, He says, "In Me is thine help;
from Me is thy fruit found;" in lisa. xiv,
"a; XVI, 12: "In the Lord have l right
eousncss and strength. Thou also hast
wrought all our works for us" Every
where the teaching is that we have the
treasure in earthen vessels that the excel
lency of the power may be of God and not
of us (II Cor iv, y. How, then, shall we
abide? Hudson Taylor says that he made
great efforts to abide until he saw that it
needed weakness and not strength to
abide.
s. II am the vine; ye are the branches.
He that abidcth in Me and in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit, for with
out Me We can do nothing" The margin
says severed from Me" Yet many try to
do much that they call good apart from
Him. But He says it is all nothing. 1t
may be a great nothing or small moth
ing, but unless He does it through us 1t
will be only wood, hay and stubble to be
burned up and result in nothing but loss.
Is it not wonderful to consider that the
vine makes itself dependent upon the
branches to bear fruit? Grapes are never
gathered from the main stem Of the vine,
but always from the branches, new growth.
6. "If man abide not in Me, he is cast
forth rs branch and is withercd, and
men gather them and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned" This helps to
explain the first clause of verse 2. The
branches that do not bear arc like the salt
that has lost its SAVIOR and is trodden un-
der foot or man Math. ', lS).
Z. "If ye abide in Me and My words
abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you" This is
about the same rs chapter xiv, 13, IA, and
includes the thought of being about His
business and seeking only His glory.
Abiding in Him includes our weakness
yielded to His strength, His strength
made perfect in our weakness, His life
made manifest by His Spirit in us. The
Spirit works through and by the word.
s. Herein is My Father glorificd, that
ye bear much fruit; so shall yc be My dis
ciples." In chapter viii, 81, He said, "If
We continue IN My word, then are ye My
disciples indeed" The word in us will
cause us tn continue in His word, and by
the word and the Spirit we shall be filled
with the fruits of righteousness which are
by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise
of God (Phil. i, 1D. The fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentle
ness, goodness, faith, mcckncss, temper
ance (Gal. V, 22), and whatever God does
with us or wherever He places us we may
be sure that His desire is to have us bear
more fruit.
9. "As the Father hath loved Me, so
have loved you; continucye in My love. "
We must pcrsiStcntly believe that He loves
us with an unchanging love, an cverlast-
ing love, love that brought Him from
heaven to earth for us, u love that spared
not Himself and will therefore with Him.
self freely give lis all things (Jer. XXI, 8;
Rom. viii, 32). We must ever believe. The
Son of God loved me and gave Himself for
me (Gal. ii, 20), and in all our service the
thought of our hearts should be Unto
Him who loved me QOveth mel and washed
me from my sins in His own blood" (Rcv.
i, 81.
10. "If ye keep My commandments, ye
shall abide in My love, even us l have kept
my Fathers commandments and abide in
His love-" He did always those things
that pleased the Father (chapter viii, 29).
But how can We be in any measure thus
pleasing unto Him? The answer is found
in such passages as II Cor. vi, 16, "God
hath said, will dwell in them and walk
in thcm," and Heb. xiii, 20, 21, The
God of peace working in you that which
is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus
Christ" If you ask how it is to be done,
what is our part, the answer is in Rom.
vi, 13; xii, /: yield yourselves unto God,
as those that arc alive from the dead.
Present your bodies living sacrifice and
be not conformcd to this world"
II. "Thcse things have I spoken unto
you that NV ioy might remain in YOU and