John 15

John 15:1

And as he was going on the way, he said to those that were near him, John, &c., I am the true (see note [f] ch. vi.) generous fruit-bearing vine, Jer. ii. 21, my blood as the blood of the grape shall rejoice the heart of God and man, Judg. ix. 13; and my Father, who hath thus planted me in this world here below, hath the whole ordering of all that belongs to me, and every branch, every believer, every member of my mystical body.

John 15:2

Every barren member of my body (every unprofitable disciple or Christian) he proceeds to excision of, every one that is fruitful he diligently pruneth, and useth all other probable means to render it more fruitful.

John 15:3

You are already sanctified by the operation of my doctrine and spirit upon you, though you may need farther pruning in order to that greater degree of fruitfulness, ver. 2.

John 15:4

Do ye therefore take care, by your obedience and constancy, that I may be so fastened in your hearts, that I may never be out of them, or be provoked to withdraw myself from you, for this presence of mine is absolutely necessary to you to make you fruitful; as a branch cut off from the vine withers presently, is far from bringing forth any fruit, so he that falls off, or is by my Father’s just judgment on

John 15:15

And certainly I have long dealt with you as friends, far above the condition of servants, who use not to know their master’s intentions or counsels or purposes, but only to do his commands, but I have received you as friends and confidents into my bosom, to make known all my Father’s will unto you.

John 15:16

And this I have done toward you by way of prevention, out of free undeserved kindness to you, and of my own accord, put you in this blessed course, enabled you to fructify and bring forth abundance of fruit to the honour and praise of God; appointed you to go abroad into all the world, and bring in an harvest of converts to heaven, which is a real and a durable fruit, and that which shall be advantageous to you also; devolve on you the benefit of having all your prayers heard by God, all your wants supplied by him, which you shall present to him in my name.

John 15:17

All this concerning my love to you I inculcate and repeat on purpose, as an obligation to you, that (as the most eminent way of return which I expect from you to all this) you live in charity one toward another.

John 15:18

And if ye find by experience that impious and hypocritical worldlings do, instead of believing, resist and persecute you, there is no reason that this should give you any discouragement; you are to expect that, and arm yourselves against it by this consideration, that such as these persecuted me before you, and so as I began in love to you, so I have had the first taste of the enmity and hatred of the wicked men of this world.

John 15:19

These men’s opposing and hating you will be a comfortable symptom to you, that you are a peculiar people of mine, dignified above and separated from the rest of men.

John 15:20

And that you are likely to meet with such entertainment need not be strange to you, when you remember how oft I have foretold you of it, that you could not in reason expect any better treating than I have met with before you; if they have persecuted me, in all probability they will persecute you also, and, on the other side, you have no more reason to expect of the world that it should receive your preaching, than that it should receive mine.