III. Lastly, we have here the branches abiding in the Vine, and
therefore fruitful.

Our Lord deals with the little group of His disciples as incipiently
and imperfectly, but really, cleansed through 'the word which He has
spoken to them,' and gives them His exhortation towards that conduct
through which the cleansing and the union and the fruitfulness will
all be secured. 'Now ye are clean: 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 Me.'

Union with Christ is the condition of all fruitfulness. There may be
plenty of activity and yet barrenness. Works are not fruit. We can
bring forth a great deal 'of ourselves,' and because it is of
ourselves it is nought. Fruit is possible only on condition of union
with Him. He is the productive source of it all.

There is the great glory and distinctive blessedness of the Gospel.
Other teachers come to us and tell us how we ought to live, and give
us laws, patterns and examples, reasons and motives for pure and
noble lives. The Gospel comes and gives us life, if we will take it,
and unfolds itself in us into all the virtues that we have to
possess. What is the use of giving a man a copy if he cannot copy it?
Morality comes and stands over the cripple, and says to him, 'Look
here! This is how you ought to walk,' and he lies there, paralysed
and crippled, after as before the exhibition of what graceful
progression is. But Christianity comes and bends over him, and lays
hold of his hand, and says, 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
rise up and walk,' and his feet and ankle bones receive strength, and
'he leaps, and walks, and praises God.' Christ gives more than