St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-10-25
FRUIT BEARING.
A Condition Which Is Essential to
Discipleship.

A Condition Which Is Essential to
Discipleship.
Sermon by the "Highway and BY
wayl Preacher-Important Les
SONS from the Figure of the
Branch and the Vine.
oo oroau No.
paper Col
Chicago, 1902
Text.-"Herein is My Father glorified,
that We bear much fruit; SO shall We be MY
disciples. 1853
The Figure of the Vine.-No object
was more familiar to the eyes of our
Saviour or His disciples than were the
great spreading grape vines with their
immense clusters of luscious fruit
hanging in purple glory amidst
the sheltering green of the vines
foliage. The landscape of Palestine
was fringed with the fruitful plants.
Probably, <any times after the work
of the day was over in the little car
penter shop at Nazareth, Jesus sat
under the cool retreat of the grape ar
Dor and, with the Old Testament books
in His hand, had become familiar with
the metaphor of the prophets. 10
dwell under the vine and fig tree was
emblemat tic of domestic happiness and
peace; the rebellious people of Israel
were compared to wild grapes" ''an
empty vine," 'the degenerate plant
of strange vine," and in 1saiah's par
able of the vineyard He saw picture
of Israel and of Gods patient dealing
with them. With what interest He
must have searched out each separate
reference as the light broke in upon
His soul of the true meaning of every
symbol and parable. Is it any won
der that during His ministry He should
make frequent use of the symbol Of the
vineyard and the vine to illustrate His
teachings? The most beautiful and
most profound of all His utterances
is the last final word with His disci-
plies before His crucifxion.
The passover supper had been eaten
and the new supper instituted which
was to commemorate His sacrifice for
them. The quiet sadness and solemn
impressiveness of the evening gather
ing in the upper room linger with
them as they go out into the GOODNESS
of the night and pass on their way to
the garden of Gethsemane. for it is
possible that the last portion of Jesus
talk with His disciples was spoken
while on their way to the garden, If
they were not actually within its Dor
ders, with the suggestive grape vines
on every hand, outlining their leafy
foliage against the darker background
of the night.
"You see that splendid vine over
yonder We have passed it and ad-
mired it many many times during
the years we have been together. Do
you remember that hot day after the
weary travel when we rested here and
refreshed ourselves with the luscious
fruit? Well, what that great, strong
vine is to the branches and the fruit,
1 am to you in the spiritual life. You
remember as we sat under the shade
of that olive tree there, we watched the
faithful husbandman going over the
vine and caring for it. Here the prun-
ing knife was used, there the destroy
ing growth which had attacked the
branch was removed, and the branch
purged; little farther along a dead
branch was still clinging to the vine.
It had failed to put forth leaf and
fruit with the return of the season
because its channels were choked and
the life-giving nourishment of the vine
could not flow through it. This dead
branch the husbandman quickly sew
cred from the vine and cast it from
him. All the thought and hope of the
husbandman rested in that splendid
vine. Fruit was what he was after,
and any thing which interfered with its
growth was cut and pruned and purged
away. My Father is the Husbandman
of the True Vine. Every branch in Me
that beareth not fruit He taketh away:
and every branch that beareth fruit,
He purgeth it, that it may bring forth
more fruit. I am the Vine, ye are the
branches: he that abideth in Me, and
in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without Me We can do moth
ing. Ii man abide not in Me, he is
cast forth as branch, and is withered;
and men gather them, and cast them
into the fire, and. they are burned.
"Herein is My Father glorified, that
We bear much fruit; so shall ye be my
disciples
Fruit Bearing.-Our text brings be-
fore us an exhaustless theme. The
marvellous conceptions which it sug-
gests would supply material for
many sermons instead of one. The
theme to which we are going to spe-
cially direct your attention is that OF
Fruit Bearing. At this time of the
year how Nature seeks to force this
lesson upon us. The waving fields
of tasseling corn gladden. the farm
er's eve, and as he makes ready the
corn crib for the ripening harvest he
reioices in the Fruit Bearing of his
broad acres. What if Natures voice
is not heard, and his soul is dead to
the call of God to bear fruit even as
his fields yield him the increase?
A stroll through the orchard is q
wonderful and inspiring sight. The
bending branches groan under their
weight of fruit, and each red-cheeked
apple expresses in visible form the
mission of that tree and the purpose
of Nature in giving the sun and the
rain. Fruit Bearing is the harmonious
melody ringing all through the orchard,
and what if the soul rests unmoved
in the presence Of such lavish giving
on the part of Nature and fails to learn
tho lesson of Fruit Bearing? "My Fa-