Christ represents himself as the true Vine. 313 SECT. clxxiv. Our Lord uttered these words in the near views of a grievous assault from the prince of this world, who is the prince of darkness; but there was no corruption in him to take part with the Ver 30 enemy. Too much, alas, does he find in us to abet his temptations let us earnestly pray that the grace of Christ may be sufficient for us; and that as his love to the Father engaged him to go through this painful conflict with the tempter, his love to us 31 may make us partakers of his victory. In his name let us set up our banners; and the powers of hell shall flee before us. : SECT. CLXXV. Christ represents himself under the emblem of a vine, and exhorts his disciples to faith and persevering obediencee. John XV. 1-11. JOHN XV. 1. I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandınan. SOME JOHN XV. 1. John OME accident occasioning a little delay be- SECT. fore they left the guest-chamber, in which elxxv. they had eaten the passover, our Lord improved the precious moments in addressing his disciples XV.1 to the following purpose : I am, said he, the true and most excellent vine; by its union with whom my church is nourished; and my Father is the husbandman, who has planted this vine, and by whom it is cultivated, that it may 2 Every branch in produce delightful clusters for his service. And 2 every branch that is in me by an external profession, which yet is found to be a barren branch, me a Some accident occasioning a little delay, &c.] This may be gathered from the conclusion of the foregoing chapter, where our Lord had said, Arise, let us go hence: for it seems very unreasonable to imagine that our Lord would address so important a discourse as this to eleven persons, as they were walking, especially in the streets of Jerusalem, at this public time; much less would be pour out so solemn a prayer as that in chap. xvii. in such a circumstance: yet John xviii. 1. (sect. elxxxi.) strongly implies that all that follows between this and that happened before he went forth from Jerusalem. I conclude, therefore, that all this passed before they quitted the house where the passover was eaten, though they probably rose from the table as soon as those words, Arise, let us go hence, were spoken. A short delay might leave room for this; for any one who will make the trial will find that these three chapters may be deliberate and ly read over in a quarter of an hour, and b The true and most excellent vine.] c That 314 clxxv. No branch can bear fruit but by abiding in him. and every branch that SECT. and bears no fruit, he taketh quite away; that me that beareth not is, he cuts it offin his righteous judgment, and fruit, he taketh away: entirely separates it from me: but every [branch] beareth fruit, he purJohn XV. 2. which brings forth fruit, he purgeth, that is, he geth it, that it may prunes and dresses it, and on the whole, exerbring forth more fruit. cises such wise and kind discipline towards it (though that discipline may sometimes seem severe,) as may best answer the great end of its production, that it may bring forth yet more fruit, than which there can be nothing more 3 desirable . 3 Now ye are clean, I have spoken unto you. And thus it is with you; for now the traitor a state of union with the vine, and be nourished cannot branch bear 5 I am the vine, ve bringeth forth much 5 I repeat it again, as a matter of the utmost c That it may bring forth more fruit.] This strongly suggests a very sublime and important thought, t. that one of the noblest rewards God can bestow on former acts of obedience, is to make the soul yet in 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast The fruitless branch shall be burned in the fire. is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ve shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye shall ye be my disciples. bear much fruit; so 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I in my love. 315 in med, he is rejected and cast out with disdain SECT. But as for you, my faithful servants, I assure 7 And it is surely with the highest reason I would 9 loved you: continue ye engage you to make this your aim: because as the Father has loved me, so have I also loved you, with the most constant and invariable affection: continue therefore in my love, and always be solicitous so to behave, as may, on your part, 10 If ye keep my maintain the friendship inviolate. And if you 10 shall abide in my love; diligently and constantly keep my commandeven as I have kept ments, then you will assuredly continue in my my Father's command- love; even as I have always kept my Father's ments, and abide in his commandments, and so continue in his love; for this is the most solid evidence of it, which I give to my Father, and require from you. commandments, ye love. d If any one does not abide in me.] It is strange that any should think this text a conclusive argument against the doctrine of perseverance; when to be in Christ VOL. VII. These (ver. 2) so plainly signifies making an ex- or sincere. Rr 316 SECT. clxxv. Chist again commands his disciples to love one another. These things I have spoken to you, not to grieve 11 These things have you by any intimation that I suspect the since- I spoken unto you, that my joy might reJohn rity of your regards to me; but that you may main in you, and that XV. 11. be so fortified and animated against the tempta- your joy might be full. tions of life, that my joy and complacency in you, as my faithful friends, might still continue; and [that] your joy in me may be maintained in its full height, and may greatly increase; as it certainly will, in proportion to the advancement of your resolution and zeal in Ver. my service. IMPROVEMENT. How desirable it is that we may learn from this discourse to Iregard Christ, at all times, as the spiritual Head, from whom life and vigour are to be derived to all his people! Let us by the exercise of an unfeigned faith abide in him as the true vine; as 4, 5 being always sensible that without him we can do nothing; and that, if we are in him only by an external profession, we are not 6 only in danger of being cut off, and taken away, but shall in the 2 end be cast into the fire. May we rather be purged and pruned, though it should be with the most painful dispensations of provi8 dence; if by this means our fruitfulness may be promoted to the glory of God and to the benefit of the world! May his word ope3 rate daily upon us, to cleanse us from remaining pollutions! and if we thus desire to be clean, let us take heed to our way, according to the tenor of that word. (Psal. cxix. 9.) 7 We see our encouragement to pray; let us take it from Christ, and not be dismayed, nor yield to unbelieving suspicions. As 9 the Father has loved Christ, so does he also love his people. Let us preserve and cultivate this sacred friendship; and, whatever it may cost us, let us endeavour to continue in his love, and to avoid whatever would forfeit it; making it above all things our 10 care to keep his commandments. Christ always observing those of his heavenly Father, cannot but always and invariably continue the object of his love and delight: may our conduct be such as that he may see reason to rejoice in us; and then we shall also have the surest foundation for a sublime and solid joy. SECT. clxxvi. John XV. 12. SECT. CLXXVI. Christ renews his exhortation to mutual love, and declares the Jews inexcusable in their unbelief. John XV. 12, to the end. JOHN XV. 12. JOHN XV. 12. mandment, that ye UR Lord, in order to impress the principles THIS is my com- love He did not deal with them as servants but as friends. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 317 John love one another, as I minds of his disciples in the most powerful man- SECT. have loved you. ner, recommended it to them at large on this clxxvi. tender occasion, and proceeded in his discourse to the following purpose: This is in a peculiar XV. 12. manner my commandment to you, which, by all the obligations you are under to me, I charge and conjure you to observe, That ye all do most cordially and constantly love one another; even, if it be possible, with as great an ardour as that with which I have loved you; so as to be ready to sacrifice your lives for each other, as I expose and resign mine for you. (Compare John xiii. 34; and 1 John iii. 16.) And surely I can give no 13 more solid and important evidence of my affection to you; for no man has ever manifested, or can indeed imagine, greater and more disinterested love than this, that a man should be willing not only on some sudden alarm to hazard, but on the coolest deliberation to submit to lay down his life for the preservation and happiness my of his friends. Now as I am about to give 14 soever I command you. you this grand demonstration of my love, so I assure you, that you are, and shall be acknowledged as my friends, and shall certainly share in the blessings of my death and life, if you practically acknowledge my authority, and are so influenced by my love as to do whatsoever I command you. I do not any longer call you servants, 15 though I have sometimes used the phrase, and formerly have seen it necessary in some points to but I have called you treat you with reserve; for the servant is not let friends; for all things into the secrets of his master, and knoweth not particularly what his lord doth: but I have not only in words called you my friends (Luke xii. 4, sect. cxi.), but on the whole have treated you as such; for all things that I have heard, and received in charge from my Father, I have, so far as was convenient, declared to you in the most condescending and endearing manner, as you very well know. 14 Ye are friends, if ye do what 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for not what his lord doth: the servant knoweth that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. a I do not any longer call you servants : for the servant knoweth not, &c.] Mr. Locke (in his Reasonableness of Christianity, p. 105) refers this to the caution with which our Lord had spoken of his being the Messiah; some instances of which have been already pointed out. See noter on John iv. 26, Vol. VI. p. 166. b All things that I have heard from my Father I have declared to you.] Our Lord had, no doubt, the fullest view of the Remember scheme of redemption undertaken by him; |