The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-26
The Vine.

: i
end to existence.
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The Vine.
(selected for Tho -Dlspatch)
Il II am the true vine. Ye are the
branches"--St. John, xv:1-5.
was It a green tendrll swaying across
the window Of that upper room" which
3sugeested:to our Lord this way Of de-
sscrbing Himself? Or was the fruit o
f the vine still upon the table? Or was
it on the road to Gethsemane, when they
saw. the smouldering fires onft olivetn
where the vine-dressers were bottling the
DAYS DRESSINGS? Or was It to turn their
minds to moro spiritual tho,1hts that He
used tho chosen type Of Israel ina deep
err sense?
All that the rose Is to the Englishman,
or the thistle to the Scotch or the sham
rock to the Irish-all thai and much more
than that-was the vine to Israel. II was
a picture Of herself. It was an epitone
OF her history. 1t was symbol OF he1
duty and her ideal destiny.
In that fearful hour, under the COM
bined pressure of inward feeling and out
ward circumstance. our Lord laid bare
the DEPTHS Of His heart concerning Him
self
a vine Is precious to its owner and
Israel was dear to God. Avine cannot
escape tie pruning knife. Israel did not not
escape sharp and dreadful discipline. 1t
n Ii j u LEI I /. r..s "a .r,L -" A
is a terrible thing to be the vine Of God
and to know 1t!
The vine is a fine parable Of unselfish-
5ness-yea, rnore-it is utter crlcifixion of
self. the complete humiliation Of self.
Watch 1t as 1t grows! It makes no dis
play OF gay flowers. It Is not allowed
to grow freely but tied to a stake and Its
arms bound as If to q cross. AS It's clus-
tiers form the husbandnan quickly comes
with shears and pruning hook to thin out
the punches and to strip from 1t even the
modest glory that God has given It.
Then at last comes the hour when the
grapes are ripe. May 1t not retain tta
wealth for little space to show what II
has achieved? But no!
"The hands stand ready to tear down
the treasures of the grapes; the feet are
there to tread them In the wine press,
gathered I'M until the blooded rivers of the
wine run over and the land is full OF
Joy. But tho vine is stripped and desc
late. having given all"
Our Lord was thus the true vine. He
loved others better than He loved Him.
self; and though It involved the cross
for Him, He was willing to spend Himself
for the redemption Of the human race.
The vine is the picture of frutfulncss
The fencing. the binding, the thinning
out and all the discipline of the vlne-life
lis for one end--to produce perfect and
abundant fruit. If 1t fails in that 1t Is
an absolute failure.
Tho suffering of our Lord had this end
in vlew--for suffering In itself He had
no love; He never went out OF His way
to seek It, But when 1t was Gods Will.
when 1t came as the result and test OF
obedience. Hej bowed Ills head and barred
His bosom to 1t all
Leafless, fruitless. llfeless seemed the
stock Of the worlds great vine-but has
It not borne It's fruit? Ask that world
to- day! "And We see tho branches" Then
tho same spirit must reign In us as was
revealed In Him. We must put IN all
things. the will of God before our will.
we must love our neighbors as We love
ourselves. There arc some who are far
into this secret; SELF Is cast OUT self
will is crucihed; the sign of the cross
is upon all they say and do. Some are
sufferers. not murnlurirg not rebelling.
but waiting quietly, trusting peacefully
through long days and nights Of pain
Some arc active helpers In the world,
visiting the sick, patient with tho fretful
and forward. taking constant thought for
the needy. Some are full Of missionary
spirit, caring little for loneliness or dan
ger or toll or death In the burning pas
sion to proclaim Christ.
] In one aspect all who have believed In
! His flame. are the fruit OF the vine, be-
| cause all good that is In them Is the re-
suit of His past and present ministry.
And again they are the branches, be-
cause lie expects that they shall bear
! fruit in their turn and thus farther ex-
tend the blessings OF His Kingdom and
the glory of His name
Every word of truth. every custom Of
helpfulness. every beneficient institu-
ton, every Joy or blessing is but another
example of the varied and abundant
frutfulness of Christ, the true vine.
TO be branch, means duty and re ],
sponslbllty. TO be branch OF the true
vineo is to be in conact with the life