The fruit of the branch is directly traceable to the root. Sever the connection, the branch dies, and no fruit is produced. By virtue of our union with Christ, we bring forth fruit. Every bunch of grapes has been first in the root. It has passed through the stem, flowed through the sap vessels, and fashioned itself externally into fruit. But it was first in the stem. Also, every good work was first in Christ, and then it is brought forth in us. Christian, prize this precious union in Christ, for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness which you can hope to know. If you wre not joined to Jesus Christ, you would be a barren bough indeed. Our fruit comes from God. The fruit owes much to the root, but it also owes much to external influences. How much we owe to God's grace and providence! He provides us constantly with quickening, teaching, consolation, strength, or whatever else we need. To this we owe all of our usefulness or virtue. The gardener's sharp-edged knife promotes the fruitfulness of the tree by thinning the clusters and by cutting off superflous shoots. So it is, Christian, with that pruning which the Lord gives to you. "My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15: 2). Since our God is the author of our spiritual graces, let us give to Him all the glory of our salvation.