careful not to press each, sentence in it too far ; and, in all parables, we must look at the great lesson which it contains, rather than at each clause. — The old saying is most true, that no parable stands on four legs ;" and in all parables there are parts which are only the drapery of the figure, and not the figure itself. Neglect of this caution does much harm to the souls of Christians, and is the cause of much crude and un- sound doctrine. — In the passage before us we must remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is not literally a vine, nor are be- lievers literal branches, nor is the Father literally a husband- man. We are dealing with figures and pictures, mercifully used in order to meet our weak capacities ; and we must take care we do not draw doctrinal conclusions from them, which contradict other plain passages of Scripture.
Even Maldonatus, the Romish commentator, here remarks : •'All the several parts of a parable are not always meant to be fitted to the thing signified by the parable. Many things in parables are said to fill up or adorn the narrative." Toletus says just the same.
Burgon remarks, " Let us, instead of perplexing ourselves with minor details, bear in mind that in interpreting each of our Lord's parables, the great purpose for which it was de- livered is ever to be borne in mind, if we would understand it rightly."
Our Lord's reason for choosing the illustration of " a vine " has caused much speculation. Some think that He drew the figure from a vine trained over the walls and windows of the upper chamber which He and His disciples were leaving. — Some think that He drew it from the famous golden vine, which or- namented the principal gate of the temple. — Some think that He drew it from the vines which He saw by the wayside as He walked to the garden of Gethsemane. — Some refer it to the " fruit of the vine " at the Lord's Supper. — After all, these are only guesses and conjectures. It was night when our Lord spoke, and of course nothing could be seen very distinctly. Nor is it necessary to suppose that our Lord drew His illustra- tion from anything but His own mind.
The expression " the true " applied to the vine is an argu- ment mudi used by those who think our Lord founded His par- able on a vine under His eyes. But is it not more likely that our Lord had in view those places in the Old Testament where the Jewish Church is compared to a vine ? (See Psalm Ixxx. 8 ; Jer. ii. 21 ; Ezek. xv. 2 ; Hosea x. L) It would then mean : " I, and not the decaying Jewish Church, am the true source of spiritual life." This to Jewish minds would be a very useful lesson.
For the use of the word " true " in a precisely similar way, see John vi. 82 ; " the true bread." It means the true, original, type vine, of which all other vines are only types and shadows.