The Father’s hand is upon His own — ever in love — to increase their fruitfulness: “Every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” Purging is oftentimes painful and grievous, and we are prone to miss the divine mind as to it when experiencing it, but love orders all for the divine glory and the soul’s welfare. Things spring up in us and quietly develop and grow, of which, perhaps, we are but little conscious, but which, nevertheless, would seriously retard our progress in moral conformity to Christ’s image, if permitted to go on. We are under the care of the Husbandman. The saints are God’s husbandry (1 Cor. 3:9), and the pruning knife is graciously applied in love. Precious dealings! needed because of the deceitfulness of the heart while passing through this present scene.
W. W. Fereday,
Bible Treasury, 20:150