DISCOURSE: 1690
CHRISTIANS BRANCHES OF THE TRUE VINE
John 15:1-2. I am the vine, and my Father is the husband-man. 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.
THE union which subsists between Christ and his Church is mysterious: the Scripture sets it forth both in figurative and plain expressions. It is spoken of not as a speculative or doubtful point, but as well known [Note: John 14:20.]. It is declared in the text under a beautiful similitude:
Christ is the vine—
If this was a continuation of our Lord’s discourse, the idea of a vine might arise from what he had just before said respecting the fruit of the vine [Note: Luke 22:18.]: if it was spoken in his way to the Mount of Olives, it might be suggested by his passing through a vineyard. The representation respects Christ not personally, but as united to his Church.
In this view it fitly exhibits our union with him—
[This union is not natural to any. We are, by nature, plants of a degenerate vine [Note: Jeremiah 2:21.]: we are, however, separated from it by Almighty power [Note: Ephesians 1:19-20.], and are made willing to be united to Christ [Note: Psalms 110:3.]: we are then engrafted into Christ by the Spirit on God’s part, and by faith on ours [Note: Ephesians 3:16-17.]. Thus we become branches of the true vine; and the union, when formed, is intimate and inseparable [Note: 1 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 8:35; Romans 8:39.]
It expresses, moreover, our dependence on him—
[A branch derives all its fructifying power from the root: so believers receive all their grace out of Christ’s fulness [Note: John 1:16.]. Hence it is that Christ is so precious to them [Note: 1 Peter 2:7.]: hence, too, they determine to live entirely by faith on him [Note: Galatians 2:20.]
The Father is the husbandman—
The husbandman has many offices to perform—
[He engrafts the scions, digs about them and dungs them, guards them from the weather, prunes the luxuriant branches, &c.]
The Father performs these offices—
[He chooses (but not for their superior goodness) what scions he will: he separates them from their stock by the means he judges best: he engrafts them, in his own time and manner, into the new stock: he continues to promote their good by his word, his Spirit, and his providence: he separates or combines, renews or changes, the various means of culture, as he sees occasion.]
His treatment of the branches is suited to their state—
There are “branches in Christ,” which are so only in appearance—
[They have never been thoroughly separated from their old stock: they have never been truly engrafted into Christ. The change wrought in them has been only partial: they bring not forth such fruit as the living branches do.]
These the Father “taketh away”—
[They are a disgrace to the vine, and to the husbandman himself: he, however, exercises forbearance towards them [Note: Luke 13:8-9.]. His culture of them, in the meantime, shews their unfruitfulness to be of themselves [Note: Isaiah 5:4.]; but he will ere long separate them from the others. He will take them away, in order to burn them [Note: ver. 6.]. How fearful should we be lest we be found such branches at last! And how carefully should we examine our fruit, in order that we may not be self-deceived [Note: Matthew 7:17-20.]!]
There are other branches, which are vitally united to Christ—
[They manifest that they are so, by the fruits which they produce.]
These the husbandman purges and prunes—
[Notwithstanding their fruitfulness, they need the pruning-knife. Afflictions have a tendency to make them more fruitful. God therefore sends them afflictions of various kinds. This he does to “every one of them [Note: Hebrews 12:6-8.]:” he even promises affliction to them as a blessing [Note: Jeremiah 30:11. with Hebrews 12:10-11.]
Let us then INQUIRE whether we be living branches of the true vine—
[Let us study to answer the ends of all his care. If we be indeed fruitful branches, let us welcome affliction as a blessing in disguise. Let us, above all, seek to be confirmed in our union to Christ, and our dependence on him [Note: Colossians 2:6-7.]