A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Book 2 · Part 2 · Subpart 32
Christ the true Vine.
Joh. 15.1.
foreign. I am the true Vine: And Verse 5. I am the *A Vine, in Latine, Vitis, quia lenta, because flexible, from Vi…o…, to bind with Twigs; or as Scaliger says, ex ferendo Vino, because it bears Wine. 'Tis called in Greek foreign, from the Adverb foreign, una, cum, together, with; of the Hebrew foreign, Ham, cum, and foreign, which in the Ioniam Dialect signifies Wine. 'Tis called in Heb. foreign Kerem, a Vine or Vineyard; or, foreign, Gephe…, &c.Vine.
IN this Text the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to express what he is to his Church and People, by the elegant Metaphor of a Vine; the Nature and Properties of which, with the Parallels and Disparities follow.
Metaphor.
I. THe Vine seems not so lovely, stately and amiable to look upon as some other Trees; 'tis not so high and lofty as the Cedar, nor to be compared for strength to the Oak; nor for Beauty to the Palm or Firr-Tree.
II. The Vine nevertheless hath a more honourable Name given to it than other Trees. The Lord's choicest Plantation (the Church) is exprest by it; and therefore 'tis dignified with the Title of Goodly and Noble.Ezek. 17.8 Jer. 2.21. Psal. 80.9.
III. The Vine gives large Shoots, grows much in its young and tender Age, and brings forth Fruit in a short time after it is planted.
IV. The Vine wonderfully abounds with Sap, and inward Virtue, bearing and nourishing many large Branches, which spread exceedingly; yet all partake of its Root and Fatness (as it is said of the Olive-Tree) where there is enough to feed all,Rom. 17.17. and make them flourish and bear Fruit abundantly.
V. The Vine is a most fruitful Plant. A great Naturalist tells us of one Stock, one single Vine planted by the Empress Livia, Plin. l. 14. c. 4.that yielded 12 Amphoras (that is, 108 Gallons of our measure) of good Wine yearly. There are sometimes found hundreds of Grapes upon one Cluster, several Clusters upon one Branch, and abundance of Branches upon one Stock. The Scripture when it would express Plenty, borrows a Term from the Vine, which denotes Increase.Psal. 128.3. Thy Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine upon the Walls of thy House.
VI. The Vine brings forth pleasant Fruit, sweet and delightful beyond others; 'tis said to make glad the heart of Man. Give Wine to those that are of heavy heart; Psal. 104.15. Prov. 31.6, 7.let them drink and forget their Poverty, and remember their Misery no more. When the new Wine languisheth, the merry-hearted do sigh; Isa. 24.11.all Joy is darkned, the Mirth of the Land is gone.
VII. The Vine yields profitable Fruit; The Blood of the Grape (as 'tis called, Deut. 32.14.) is a great Strengthener and Supporter of Nature. Paul advises Timothy to drink a little Wine for his Stomacks sake,1 Tim. 5.23. and often-infirmity. The good Samaritan is said to pour in Oil and Wine into the Wounds of the Man that fell among Thieves.Luk. 10.34.
VIII. The Vine is a shadowy Plant, its spreading Branches and large Leaves afford a delightful and refreshing Shade, and is therefore used for covering of pleasant Arbors.
IX. 'Tis a very soft and tender Plant; so that if it be, cut bruised, or any way wronged, it will abundantly weep and bleed out its Sap and Moisture, as Naturalists report.
Hieron. Tragu… in his Com. de Stirp. l. 3. p. 1059.X. An eminent Writer saith, That the Tears of the Vine (like Gum congealed in the Stock of it) dropt into dim Eyes, remove the little Clouds that begin to gather there, drive away Darkness, and clear the Sight: And further saith, Quid possit Vitis, & alia quae fundit, sermone explicare nemo potest; that no Tongue could sufficiently tell the Virtues of the Vine:Plin. l. 14.1. the like says Pliny.
Parallel.
I. JEsus Christ in his state of Humiliation, did not appear in that outward Glory, Pomp and Magnificence, which the proud Grandees of the Earth glitter in; he was not entertained with the Royalties of Imperial Palaces (for his Kingdom was not of this World.Mat. 8.20. Joh. 18.36.) He was look'd upon in comparison of the Mighty Men, who are compared to the Cedars of Lebanon, and Oaks of Bashan, as a poor mean and contemptible Shrub; as the Prophet foretold: He shall grow up before him as a Tender Plant, Isa. 53.2, 3.and as a Root out of a dry Ground; he hath no Form nor Comliness, and when we shall see him, there is no Beauty, that we should desire him.
II. Jesus Christ hath a Name above every Name;Phil. 2.9. he infinitely excels whatsoever is good, great and glorious in Angels, Saints and Men.Heb. 1.14. The spendor and Stateliness of Monarchs Courts is nothing in comparison of that unexpressible Lustre and Majesty that surrounds him. The Heavenly Luminaries are dim to him; he is the Royal Ofspring of Heaven, of the sublimest Extraction. When he bringeth the first begotten into the World, he saith, Heb. 1.6.and let all the Angels of God worship him.
III. Christ when in his young and tender Age,Luk. 2.52. grew much in favour both with God and Man; and when he was twelve years old, disputed with the Learned Doctors, hearing them, and asking them Questions; Luk. 2.46, 47.and all that heard him were astonished at his Ʋnderstanding and Answers, &c.
IV. J…sus Christ is full of Life and Divine Vertue; the Treasuries of his communicable Graces are immense and unspeakable;Col. 1.19. Joh. 1.14.All Wisdom and Knowledg are hid in him: In him all Fulness dwells: his People, mystically united to him, are his Branches; them he supplies with spiritual Quickning, Nourishment and Growth, and though scattered over many Kingdoms and Nations, his Protection environs them round about, provides a sufficient Supply for their spiritual Wants, which is to be found no where else.Joh. 15.6. If a Man abide not in me, (saith he) he is cast forth as a Branch that is withered, &c.
V. Christ the Spiritual Vine, is not only a green, spreading and flourishing Plant, but also exceeding fruitful; he was so in his Life,Acts 10.38. 1 Cor. 13. going up and down doing good, both to the Bodies and Souls of Men; fruitful in his Death. In that Cluster there is much choice Fruit;Dan. 9.24. as Atonement, Reconciliation, Redemption, Victory over Sin and Satan, the abolishing of the Law, and establishing the everlasting Righteousness: he was fruitful in his Resurrection, Ascention, Intercession, &c. The Graces of the Spirit, Holy Ordinances,Hos. 14.8. and Promises of Eternal Life, are all Fruits of this heavenly Vine; from him is all our Fruit found. See Metaphor Light.
VI. The Lord Jesus brings forth the most pleasant and most desirable Fruit. I sate down under his Shadow with great delight, saith the Spouse,Cant. 2.1. and his Fruit was pleasant to my Taste. No Cup so refreshing as the Cup of Divine Consolation.Eph. 2.1, 5, 6. No Wine nourishes or quickens the Body so much as the Love of Christ, Peace with God, Reconciliation, Pardon of Sin, Justification, Adoption, &c. Psal. 34.8.These Blessed Fruits of this mystical Vine do chear, feed and enliven a Drooping and Languishing Soul.
VII. The Lord Jesus yields Fruit every way profitable.2 Thes. 2.17. Rom. 1.5. Rom. 5.11. 2 Cor. 4.1. All the Good that Soul or Body is capable to receive, flows from him, and is the Fruit of his Love, purchased by his Death, and communicated by his Word and Holy Spirit: It warms, supports and strengthens the Souls of his People. His Grace is of a healing,Eph. 2 5, 8. Psal. 103.4 quickning, and vivifying nature. See Metaphor, Wine and Ointment, &c.
VIII. Jesus Christ is a Shadow to his Church, a hiding-place from the Wind, Cant. 2.3. Isa. 32.2.and a Cover from the Tempest; as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land: He defends from the Rage of Satan, from Sin, from the Fury of Man in the heat of Persecution; yea from the wrath of God,2 Sam. 22.2, 3, 4. Isa. 53.5. Lam. 3.22. by which (were it not for the interposition of this blessed Skreen or Shade) we should be scorched, burnt, yea utterly consumed. See Rock, Apple-Tree, &c.
IX. Christ, the Spiritual Vine (being affronted,Luk. 19.41 rejected and abused by the rebellious, obstinate and unbelieving Jews) when he approached and beheld the City,Mark 3.4. He wept over it, was grieved for the hardness of their Hearts;Mat. 26.38. but more especially when he came under the execution of Divine Wrath for Mans sake, and in his stead, which he did willingly undergo;Isa. 53.7. Luk. 22.44 how did his bruised and abused Body sweat (as it were) great drops of Blood, until he yielded up his blessed Life and precious Spirit for us?
X. The Grace of Christ,Rev. 3.…8. the Spiritual Vine, is precious Eye-Salve, which removes those thick Clouds of Darkness and Ignorance that are upon the Understanding; by which a Soul spiritually comes to have a clear Prospect of those never-fading Glories of the other World, and plainly discerns the gilded Follies and transitory Vanities of all things here below. In a word, no Tongue can sufficiently exalt the transcendent Virtues of this ever-blessed Vine.
Metaphor.
I. THe Vine is a Plant of an earthly Extract; the choicest and goodliest are only the Plantation of Men.
II. The Vine is not always green; the Leaves fall off in Winter. You may look for Fruit when the Vintage is gathered, and find none.
III. The Fruit of the Vine taken to excess, is offensive to God, hurts and injures the Soul, breeds Diseases and destructive Humours in the Body, bereaves Men of Reason, intoxicates the Brain, &c.
IV. The Fruit of the Vine diminishes, by gathering Cluster after Cluster you may soon strip it off all.
V. The Fruit of the Vine is only good for the Body.
VI. The Vine wants Support; unless it be underpropt, it falls, being not able to bear the weight of its own Branches.
Disparity.
I. CHrist is of an heavenly Original and Extraction,Joh. 6.51. a Vine of God's own planting, who prepared a Body for him,Heb. 10.5. and appointed him to the work of Redemption. He is the true Vine, Joh. 15.1…and God the Father is the Husbandman; no other could plant so Noble a Vine as Christ is.
II. Christ, the Spiritual Vine, perpetually flourishes, always abounds with Fruit, and knows no Winter; he is the same from Generation to Generation, Heb. 13.8. Jam. 1.17.yesterday, to day, and for ever, without variation, or shadow of turning; there's always a full Vintage, that never diminishes, withers, nor decays, never grows old, but ever remains in its full growth and absolute Perfection.
III. The Fruit of Christ, the Spiritual Vine, never hurts any; no danger of Surfeit here; the more you eat and drink the better 'tis; here's no fear of Excess. The Wine of Consolation neither gluts nor inflames, nor intoxicates, but nourishes, and feeds the Soul, still begetting a sharper Appetite for more.
IV. All the Believers in the World may partake plentifully of the Fruit of the Spiritual Vine (the Lord Jesus) every day,Mat. 5 6. Mat. 11.28. Isa. 55.1. yea, every moment; there's enough for Millions, and to be taken freely, yet the Store is never the less. How many have been nourished thereby since the beginning? yet 'tis as full as ever, and so will ever be.
V. This Fruit is good for the Soul; it comforts and revives the Inward Man.
VI. Christ the Spiritual Vine, is of excellent Strength and Ability to support his spiritual Branches, (the Saints) and needs no help from any another.
Corollaries.
I. FRom this Metaphor we may learn what an infinite Blessing and unspeakable Mercy the Lord Jesus Christ is to his Church, and all true Believers; how helpless Saints are of themselves; for the Branches cannot stand without his Divine Support, nor bear Fruit,Jo…. 15.4. unless this blessed Root communicates Sap and Nourishment to them.
II. It shews what a sweet and blessed Union there is between Christ and Believers; such a Relation as is betwixt the Root and Branches; 'tis a Mystical (yet the nearest and most real) Union.
III. It shews, That our whole Dependence ought to be on Christ; for he only can uphold us, as the Root does the Branches: Without him we can do nothing; we can neither grow,Joh. 25.5. bear Fruit, nor stand firm in a boysterous and tempestuous Season, nor suffer for his Name; but with his help we can do all.
IV. It shews, That Christ is very sensible of all the Wrongs, Injuries and Outrages that are done to his Saints: They that lay hold on, and offer Violence to the Branches,Zech. 2.8. come very near the Tree; such touch the Apple of his Eye. And let Believers be sweetly comforted from hence; That under all their Decays, and want of more Grace, there is abundance of more Sap and Spiritual Nourishment in the Root and Body of this Blessed Vine, which (according to the nature of the Metaphor) shall in due time be communicated to all the Branches, that are truly grafted in him, which shall revive them, and make them flourish both with Leaves and Fruit, to the Glory of God and their own Eternal Happiness.
This Humble Plant calls for our Imitation:
This Noble Plant deserves our Adoration:
Its early Fruit provides us early Food;
Its Plenty stores us with what's rich and good:
Its pleasing Sweetness gratifies our Taste;
Its Profit fills us without fear of Waste;
Its Shadow shelters from Extreams of Heat,
(Circling the Church) His choicest Cabinet;
A Tender Plant; How can we then abuse him?
An Eye-Salve; healing all the Blind that use him.