Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/512

 or not  you  belong  to  this  vine. Besides, "  every  branch which  beareth  fruit  He  will  purge  that  it  may  bring forth  more  fruit." (John xv.  2.)  The  husbandman  improves or  purges  the  vine  by  pruning  and  incision;  so does  God  act  in  regard  to  His  friends  by  sending  them afflictions and  by  suffering  them  to  be  tempted. Learn hence to  receive  these  trials  willingly  from  the  hands  of God,  as  so  many  helps  to  your  advancement  in  virtue.

III. The branches  which  bear  no  fruit  "shall  wither, and  they  shall  gather  him  up  and  cast  him  into  the  fire." (John xv.  6.)  "  The  branch,"  says  St.  Augustine,  "  must either  bear  fruit  or  be  cast  into  the  fire." Take care, therefore, to  bring  forth  fruit  in  due  season;  let  the grapes be  genuine  and  not  sour  grapes,  lest,  like  a  dry withered bough,  you  be  cut  off  and  cast  into  the  fire which will  burn  forever.

I, "  A  certain  man  had  a  fig-tree  planted  in  his  vineyard, and  he  came  seeking  fruit  on  it  and  found  none." (Luke xiii.  6.)  This  fig-tree  represents  every  Christian planted by  God's  own  hand  in  the  vineyard  of  His Church, to  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  good  works,  God wishes this  tree  to  grow  and  produce  fruit,  and  to  gain this object  He  leaves  nothing  undone  on  His  part;  He warms  it  with  the  sun  of  faith,  and  waters  it  with  the streams of  His  divine  grace. He even  forces  it  in  some manner to  produce  fruit  by  every  attention  on  His  part. But if,  after  all  His  exertions,  it  will  not  produce  fruit, He orders  it  to  be  cut  down,  for  "every  tree  that  yield-