THE FRUIT.

I.

EXPECTATION.

"HEREIN is my Father glorified if ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples." These are the Master's words, and words more emphatic know I none. "So shall ye be my disciples." That is to say, "As ye are fruitful, as ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be owned, blessed, delighted in by Me; so shall ye be named, recognised, acknowledged by my Father; so shall ye be known and honoured amongst men." The common unassailable verdict in earth and heaven consequent on fruit-bearing shall be, "He is Christ's disciple; he is a Christian indeed; he is a branch of the living Vine.”

The final cause of a vine is the production of grapes. Nothing else that the vine can do or be can possibly compensate for the want of that. If these are not

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forthcoming the whole tree is naught. It fails to fulfil the one end of its existence. Its presence in the vineyard is a fraud, an incumbrance, and, as in the case of the barren fig-tree, its fitting fate is the axe and the fire. It has a name to live, but for all practical purposes the tree is dead; it has sunk into a noteless level with the barren thorn and the useless briar, whose end is to be burned.

This is true of the disciples of Jesus Christ. They are chosen by His grace, enclosed within the hedges of His love and care, grafted into Himself, cultivated, tended, that they bring forth fruit, much fruit; fruit that is to distinguish them from all the world besides. If they are branches of a Vine, then grapes are looked for as naturally as light and heat are expected from the rising sun; or as from grain carefully scattered in the furrow, men look for golden grain.

If there is but a little fruit, that is to be regarded as altogether unsatisfactory, for vines are very fruitful. To mend that state of things, as we shall see directly, the branch is pruned and trained that it may bring forth more fruit. "Fruit,"

"much fruit,"

the Master uses; that is the measure of His expec

tation; this is the result He proposes to realise in

His disciples, and from this aim and purpose He will never move one jot. For this the branch is grafted, proved, pruned, trained, providentially handled, "that he may bring forth fruit." If he produces no fruit he is shed off, cast away as good for nothing. "What do ye more than others?"

It matters little what amount of show the Christian may make; to what dimensions he may seem to extend; what amount of green, fair foliage he may exhibit, nor how all this may flutter and rustle, and gleam in the breeze and sun. All this and fruit is well enough, and is in full accord with the nature of the new life. But all this and no fruit is a libel on the generous nature of the Vine, and the verdict of truth, in spite of all the gay garments that rustle and stir, is "good for nothing."

Here let every reader examine himself, prove his own self, and see whether he be in the faith or no. What says your life about this thing? What is the witness of your conscience? What says the church within whose fences you are trained and tended? What says the world whose curious and observant eyes are ever peering in among the foliage of your daily life? What says the Divine Husbandman who walks through His vineyard and

His garden to fruits? Let us our mind. Let our conscience.

behold and pluck His pleasant bring the thought fairly home to us present it fairly and clearly to Let us apply this true Ithuriel's spear. "Let every man prove his own work." "Herein is my Father glorified," and herein alone, "if ye bear much fruit."

"If the root-stock be a vine,

'Twill bear the grapes that bring the wine;

If the vine produce no grape,

It cannot from the fire escape.

"If the grapes are few and small,
Better 'tis than none at all;
Pruning may increase the store,
Larger clusters than before.

"If the branch be in the vine,
If in life the two combine,
If the vine hath living root,
On the branch is living fruit.

"Jesus, I would fruitful be,

More and more resemble Thee;
Help me, Lord, much fruit to bear,
Clusters many, large and fair."

II.

GOOD FRUIT.

"MUCH fruit." It is no light thing, O man, to be a Christian. The honours that attach to this name are far away the highest and the noblest that a man can wear. The riches with which it can endow him far surpass the treasures of nobles and the wealth of kings. The peace and happiness it furnishes, all the resources of the world fail to supply ; and the future heritage it ensures is nothing less or lower than joint-heirship with the crowned Christ. But its obligations are tremendous, its responsibilities are exceeding great. Its duties are many, and are as binding as the laws of eternal love can make them, and may not, even the least of them, be cheapened, slighted, or set aside.

The Saviour, as I have already said, speaks concerning fruit with an especial emphasis which denotes the vital importance He attaches to it. He plainly tells His disciples that this was the purpose