s the pruning-knife, cutting away the
shoots of the self-life, that the whole energy of the soul may be
directed to the manifesting of the life of the Lord Jesus. It may seem
a grievous waste to see the floor of the hothouse or vineyard littered
with fronds and shoots and leaves, but there need be no lament: the
branches of the autumn will well repay each stroke of that keen edge
with fuller, richer fruit. So we gain by loss, we live as we die, the
inward man is renewed as the outer decays.

The knife is in the Father's hand; let us never forget that. He will
not intrust this delicate and difficult work to man or angel. Shall we
not be in subjection to the Father of our spirits and live? Blessed be
the Father of our Lord Jesus, and our Father in Him. He that spared
not Christ may be trusted to do the best for us.

Employing the same word, the Master said, "Now ye have been pruned
through the word that I have spoken to you." Perhaps if we were more
often to yield ourselves to the pruning of the Word, we should escape
the pruning of sore pain and trial. If the work were done by the
golden edge of Scripture, it might make the iron edge of chastisement
needless. Therefore, when we take the Word of God in hand, let us ask
the great Husbandman to use it for the pruning away of all that is
carnal or evil, so that His life may have unhindered sway.

But if we will not bear fruit we must be taken away. We shall lose our
sphere of Christian service, and be exposed as hollow and lifeless
professors. The vine-branch that has no wealth of purple clusters is
good for nothing. Salt which is savorless is fit neither for the land
nor the dunghill. Vine-branches that bear no fruit are cast into the
fire. Professors that lack the grace of a holy temper, and the beauty
of a consistent life are taken away. "Men cast them into the fire and
they are burned."

These three years the Divine Husbandman has come hungrily seeking fruit
of thee, yet in vain. Nevertheless, He will spare thee for this year
also, that thou mayest mend thy ways. This is the reason of thy
multiplied anxieties; He is pruning thee. If thou bearest fruit, it
will be well, eternally well; but if not, then it is inevitable that
thou shalt be cut away as dead and useless wood.

XV

"Abide in Me, and I in you"

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in