278 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY. 



branches, Isa. xvi. 8. Jer. v. 10. the might and power of the nation 

 were the full swelling bunches. The basis of the metaphor was ever 

 the idea, that ' Israel is the first, the most holy nation on the earth, 

 that God himself is the founder and protector of it.' 



The curiously- wrought and splendid vine, above described, which 

 Herod introduced into the temple, was a symbol of this peculiar, 

 proximate, and joyful relation in which God stood to Israel. The 

 patriotic Jews, as they looked at it, thought with joy and pride of 

 the high dignity and pre-eminence of the people. To go out and 

 to enttr under the vine, was a phrase, by which they denoted a peace- 

 ful, fortunate, and contented life. Hence this ornament, extended over 

 the entrance to the holy place, was as striking and full of meaning, 

 as it was edifying to the Jews : hence each contributed his own to 

 increase its magnificence, and thus authenticate himself as a worthy 

 member of this holy and glorious nation. 



Jesus having thus depicted himself as the individual who was 

 prefigured by this vine, the ideas, which he would express by this 

 parable, could not have been misunderstood. 



This parable, therefore, more immediately concerns THE APOS- 

 TLES. Jesus does not merely represent himself under the metaphor 

 of a vine, in the more confined sense of A TEACHER, but in the more 

 exalted and comprehensive one of THE MESSIAH sent from heaven 

 TO FOUND A NEW KINGDOM OF GOD. He considers his apostles as 

 THE BRANCHES in Him, not merely as DISCIPLES and FRIENDS, but 

 as DEPUTIES and ASSISTANTS. chosen and called by Him, TO FOUND 

 AND EXTEND HIS KINGDOM. The CONNEXION which he would main- 

 tain between himself and them, consists not merely in LOVE and 



FRIENDSHIP, but in THE TRUE EXECUTION OF HIS COMMANDS, 



grounded on a faith in his exalted nature and dignity. The FRUITS 

 which he expects from them, are not merely FAITH and VIRTUE, 

 which are the concerns of all Christians, but important SERVICES IN 

 THE EXTENSION OF CHRISTIANITY. And he INCITES them to per- 

 form them by a promise of Divine grace and assistance. 



The expression of ' sitting every man under his own vine,' (1 

 Kings iv. 25. Mic. iv. 4) probably alludes to the delightful Eastern 

 arbors, which were partly composed of vines. Norden speaks of 

 vine-arbors as being common in the Egyptian gardens ; and the 

 Prasnestine pavement in Shaw's Travels, gives us the figure of an 

 ancient one. The expression is intended to refer to a time of pub- 

 lic tranquillity and of profound peace. 



In the passage of Isaiah to which we just now referred, there is 

 mention made of a wild grape, which requires notice; ' And he 

 looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild 

 grapes,' Isa. v. 2. Jeremiah uses the same image, and applies it to 

 the same purpose, in an elegant paraphrase of this part of Isaiah's 

 parable, in his flowing and plaintive manner l But I planted thee 

 a sorek, a scion perfectly genuine ; how then art thou changed, and 

 become to me the degenerate shoots of the strange vine ! ' Chap, 

 ii. 21. By these wild grapes, or poisonous berries, we must under- 



