The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-03
THE SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR MAY 7.
Subject: "The Vine and the Branches'
John xv., 1-11-Golden Text: ~ Am
the Vine, Ye Arc tho Branches," John
w. 1s-comm entary on tho Lesson.

the Vine, Yo Are tho brancnes, ooAAA
w., 16-Commentary on tho Lesson.
1. IT am the true vine." The genuine,
the ideal, the perfect vine. He is the ono
who can fulfil to them the perfect relation
of q vine to its branches, In distinction
from O natural vine; and from every other
who has been called vine; and from az
things that might seem to be the source OF
the Christians life and power. AS the vine
through them all and Is their life, 50 Jesus
is the sustaining power OF the Christian :
kingdom. and the source Of the lie in all
His disciples. They are all born from
above by the Spirit. They all live In and
through Him. ITO live Is Christ" Take
Christ away from the church, and It ts
dead, a separated branch, house without
afoundation, limb anputated from
man.
2. every branch In me that beareth not
fruit" These are the external professors
the merely baptized members, who have
no life and never had-though they belong
those who are Joined to Christ by intel
lectual conviction, who accept Of Him and
His teachings with their minds, but do not
obey Him nor love Him. Judas wRs one
example, Simon Magus another. "He TAX
eth away" Because their presence In.
lures the other bran ches; and their remain 4
ing Is OF no benefit to themselves. AS
long as there Is hope Of their bearing fruit
they are permitted to remain, and are
pruned and cared for. Every branch
that beareth fruit, he purgeth 1t" Cleans
sound between the taking away (hairei) OF
the fruitless brapch and the purgtng
(kathaireD Of the = uitful branch. "In the
East dressers wash the leaves and shoots
and tendrils and clusters, each by itself In :
turn, 80 as to clear of the dust and mold"
&C. 8. Robinson. But the principal
method OF purging is by pruning ("purge"
is used In old English books on husbandry
to express pruning). The cleansing and
pruning are the work Of the Holy Spirit,
through the discipline Of life. through tho
limitations OF life by the divine proyl-
dence, through the Word OF God. All tho
discipline of life is pruning Of the exuber-
ant growth Of the will, the feelings, the
passions, the desires, all the motive forces
OF our natures.
8. "Now ye are Clean" The same word
as "purgen;. In y. g. Through the word"
All Jesus 's teaching and training for three
wears had been cleansing and pruning:t the
disciples. Imperfect as they were, they
were bearing good fruit and were pre-.
pared to bring forth great deal more and
q great deal better fruit, as We gee In tho
Acts. The fruit is the faith, love and
lesson. It includes all the fruits Of the
spirit-love, toy, peace. long-suferlng,.
etc. Goal. ", %. 2s). It'includes the Ten
Commandments and the Beatitudes and all
the Sermon on the Mount. It includes all
Iabors for the conversion OF souls and for
blessing OF mankind. 1t is not measured
by the results, the amounts OF money
given, the number OF souls save1, as We
are too often inclined to measure fruits;
but by the love, the obedience, the graces,
the devotion, which lead to these outward.
results, as we see In Christ's words about
the widow'stwo mites.
4. "Abide in Me, and in you" Con-
tinue your connection With Ne by trusting,
loving and obeying Me. After am gone
still continue In Me as you have done so
far. Let all your strength, your wisdom,
your plans, your hopes depend on Ne, as
souls grow by contact with other souls.
The larger and fuller the spirit with whom
we come in touch, and the more the points
Of contact, the more free and strong Is our
growth. 1
s. "The same bripget forth much fruit"
"Grapes of Eshcol, In heavy clusters" No
man can make things grow. He can get
them to grow by arranging all the clrcum-.
stances and fulfilling all the conditions,
but the growing is the WORK OF God. What
man can do Is to place himself In the midst
OF chain of sequences. While man prays
in faith, God acts by law. "For without
Me-" Apart from Me, as branch separated
from the vine.
s. "And they are burned" Because mo;
better use can be made OF the vine-wopd;
it is absolutely worthless (Ezek. 15). The
forces OF nature, the energies OF God N
ko IL fn n
by decay, Of whatever Is dead-a dead
branch, q dead arm, q dead plant. The
rain and sunshine that make 1t flourish
when alive destroy 1t when dead. This
applies to churches and to individuals
God does not desire to have fruitiess
churches large und prosperous. He lets
them wither away. The churches that
keep nearest to Christ will grow the largest
The Christian that neglects his union with
Christ will find that bis religious and moral
life wither away, in TIM
z. "And My words abide in you" Ex.
planning and illustrating how they abide In
ting all their conduct grow out OF bis
teaching, and be conformed to It. Eye
shall ask what ye will, and It shall be done
unto you" Because such are SO tmbued
with Gods will that they will nsk what is
Gods will to give, for Gods glory, IN sub
mission to His wisdom and love. 1t Is al
ways safe to answer prayers made IN such
circumstances. Every true Christian Will
aim at great things, and ought to ask Tor
grea: things, and expect great things.
8. Herein" In the abundance OF the
Because they represent God to men; be-
cause the fruits are the expression OF
Gods character and goodness, which are
His glory; because thus will they bring IN
His Kingdom, and all the men and angels
shall see the consummation OF Gods Work
of redemption, which also Is His glory.
$50 shall ye be My disciples" Learners
in the school OF Christ, followers OF HIS
teaching, enjoying His rewards.
9. CAS- the Father hath loved Me, so
have loved you" This Is o marvellous
statement Of the measure ana the quails7
OF Christ's love 70. us. It Is true, warm,
personal, seeking our best good, unfatlingr,
When We wish to know how much Jesus
loves US, let Us remember how much the
Father loves His only beQotten Son. Con.
tinue. Abide; the same Greek word used
SO often In these verses. The next verse,
10, shows how they are to do 1t.
20. If ye keep My aommandmentsI
even as have kept" etc. Even
for Christ there was only one way TO con,
tinue in the love OF the Father. They could
see, therefore, tnat IL was tue oniy ""J
for them.
IL. "These things havo spoken unto
you, that" One object Of all this teaching
was true Joy, because Joy is the flower and
fragrance Of true life, tho crown OF life,
the proof Of its pertectness: It is great
10Y to be the conductors Of Gods blessings
to others. THAT Ny joy" The same
kind Of joy that have, and to be obtaineo
in the same wav