If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. This withering, it will be observed, comes before the burning, just as the withering is preceded by the taking away (John 15:2). The thing intended seems to be the decay and disappearance of all that in religion (and in many cases this is not little) which even an external connection with Christ imparts to those who are destitute of vital religion. And [men] gather them. Compare what is said in the parable of the Tares: "The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity" (Matthew 13:41).
And cast them into the fire, and they are burned. The one proper use of the vine is to bear fruit. Failing this, it is useless, except for fuel. This is strikingly set forth in the form of a parable in Ezekiel 15:1-8, to which there is here a manifest allusion: "Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?" - Why is it planted in a vineyard, and dressed with such care and interest, more than any other tree except only for the fruit which it yields? - "Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will a man take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?" - Does it admit of being turned to any of the purposes of woodwork, even the most insignificant? - "Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel" - that is the one use of it, failing fruit; - "the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned" - not an inch of it is fit for anything else: "Is it meet for any work?"