o the axe, or after we have been inserted
into Christ we loosen ourselves again and again, so that morning by
morning as the Father visits His tree He finds us dangling useless with
signs of withering already upon us. But in the end the Vinedresser's
patient skill prevails. We submit ourselves to those incisive operations
of God's providence or of His gentler but effective word which finally
sever us from what we once clung to. We are impelled to lay bare our
heart to Christ and seek the deepest and truest and most influential
union.

And even after the graft has been achieved the husbandman's care is
still needed that the branch may "abide in the vine," and that it may
"bring forth more fruit." There are two risks--the branch may be
loosened, or it may run to wood and leaves. Care is taken when a graft
is made that its permanent participation in the life of the tree be
secured. The graft is not only tied to the tree, but the point of
juncture is cased in clay or pitch or wax, so as to exclude air, water,
or any disturbing influence. Analogous spiritual treatment is certainly
requisite if the attachment of the soul to Christ is to become solid,
firm, permanent. If the soul and Christ are to be really one, nothing
must be allowed to tamper with the attachment. It must be sheltered from
all that might rudely impinge upon it and displace the disciple from the
attitude towards Christ he has assumed. When the graft and the stock
have grown together into one, then the point of attachment will resist
any shock; but, while the attachment is recent, care is needed that the
juncture be hermetically secluded from adverse influences.

The husbandman's care is also needed that after the branch is grafted it
may bring forth fruit increasingly. Stationariness is not to be
tolerated. As for fruitlessness, that is out of the question. More fruit
each season is looked for, and arranged for by the vigorous prunings of
the husbandman. The branch is not left to nature. It is not allowed to
run out in every direction, to waste its life in attaining size. Where
it seems to be doing grandly and promising success, the knife of the
vinedresser ruthlessly cuts down the flourish, and the fine appearance
lies withering on the ground. But the vintage justifies the husbandman.

III. This brings us to the third idea of the allegory--that the result
aimed at in our connection with Christ is fruit-bearing. The allegory
bids us think of God as engaged