The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-09-20

to expect 1ru1t. Anu as the nusDono-
man cuts out and Gusts away the un-
fruitful branches, so will God do with
you, o soul! IL you fail to bear fruit
to His honor and glory. No matter
how beautiful leaf and foliage you
are growing in your life, II the fruit
Is lacking you have missed the SUI
preme purpose of God in you, and are
cast out to be burned as useless and
dry branch. With what impatience
would you go year after year to the
fruit tree in yonr orchard that failed
to bear the fruit which you have n
right to expect, and for which the
tree was given room In your garden!
At last the exclamation would burst
from your lips: "Cut. it down, for
why cumbereth il the grounds" And
can you, o soul! knowing that this
life? Can you rightfully demand more
of your fruit tree than God has right
to demand of you? Can your belly be
satisfied with the good things which
Nature gives in eloquent testimony OF
the necessity of Fruit Bearing, and
your soul not recognize its obligation
to God to bear fruit in its turn?
Conditions of Fruit Bearing.-You
are to bear fruit, but not the fruit
which is grown apart from the Vine
in the life Of the unregenerate man.
"As the branch cannot bear fruit Of
itself, except it abide in the vine; no
more can We, except We abide in Me-"
Here is the secret of Fruit Bearing:
the kind of Fruit Bearing which is able
to satisfy God. Apart from the True
Vine you may be able to grow fruits
Of character and life which will de-
ceive the world. but you cannot deceive
God, and the false fruit will be cast
out with the severed branch which
gave it birth and both will be burned.
If you would bear fruit you must
abide in the Vine.
But how to become part of the Vine
is of first Importance. No one by Ma
ture is part of the True Vine, but we
may be grated therein. This process
is realized Mt conversion. Faith in
Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son
of God and the Saviour of the world
brings us into the vital relationship
to the True Vine which enables us
to bear fruit to the satisfying, or, as
our text puts it, to the clarifying, of
God. The figure of the vine and the
branch shows how close and vital is
the relationship which is sustained be-
tween Christ and those who have been
,leansed in His precious blood and
have been born new creatures in Him
In fact, as Mr.. Moody used to say:
"God has made no provision in the
Bible for isolation. Scripture expires
sions all show contrary state OF
things: We are branches in the vine
members in the body, stones in the
temple, brothers and sisters in the
| family, bearing a close relation to each
other. We have first to look up and
realize our relation to God; and then
| to learn the various relationships we
have to our neighbors. All are in their
| different inches, filling the place GOO
| has given them; and we must desire
not only to serve God, but by love to
serve one another"
The condition of vital Importance to
Fruit Bearing is abiding in the Vine
| The bearing of fruit follows as most
inevitable result. If the life of Christ
the Vine, is flowing through us, the
branches, it will be as natural for us tC
bear fruit as for the rain to fall from
the overshadowing cloud upon the
earth. AS the sap responds to the
wooing of springtime, and comes
coursing through the channels ano
ducts of the parent trunk and send.
the throb of awakening life to the
outermost branches, so the life OF
| Christ, the True Vine, flows to the
branches which abide in Him, and the,
feel the electric thrill of that life which
is unending. The sap in the natura
vine serves three-fold purpose, ever
as does the life of Jesus Christ as /
flows through the believer: First, i
keeps the branch in n healthy condi
ton; second, it helps 1t to grow, IN,
third, it compels Frrit Bearing.
A healthy branch must be fed b,
the life of the vine. II anything oc
ours to disturb the normal condition
of the vine, and restrict the flow O
sap to the branch, an enfeebled con
dition ensues, growth is stopped
and Fruit Bearing made impossible
Make ligature around the brancl
Of n vine, cutting off a part of tn,
life-giving, growth-feeding sap, an,
see how long your branch will re
main healthy. The fresh green o
the foliage will disappear, the bari
will dry and shrivel, and it will TAX,
but a glance to see that the brancl
is in an unhealthy and dying condi
ton. Is there something pressin,
upon your life which is cutting of
from you the flow of the vital life o.
Christ? Are the "cares of this worlt
and tn. deceitfulness of riches," tn,
desire for selfish pleasure, the yield
ing to the feshly appetites and lusts
the cherishing of some hidden sin
choking the channel of your life, ant
preventing the Christ life reaching
you? Each succeeding day which
passes while such condition exist,
brings more deafness to the branch
and makes 1t harder to recover
healthy state again. The branch t,
be healthy must have unrestricte,
flow of sap from the vine; and you
dear Christian friend. must have n
structures in your life which woul
cut of the life-giving presence O