vine, and built a tower in the midft of it, and alfo made a wine-prefs therein: and he looked that it fhould bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild

grapes.

Thefe words defcribe other external benefits, which God conferred upon the vineyard of his church. He inclosed it with a fence, which ferved to mark its boundaries, to diftinguish it from neighbouring countries, to prevent the hand of fraud or violence from hurting it, and to hinder its rapacious enemies from injuring the vines. The land of Ifrael was encompaffed with excellent natural fences: on the west lay the Mediterranean fea; on the east was the river Jordan, the fea of Galilee, and the Dead fea; on the fouth were the deferts of Arabia, and the mountains of Idumea; and on the north was a ridge of mountains, called Antilibanus. All these, however, would have proved no better than bowing walls, and tottering fences, to guard its inhabitants, had not the Almighty fuperadded the protection of his kind providence. He himself, his favour, and power, were their fure defence; for he was not only the glory in the - midst of them, but a wall of fire round about them. He appointed falvation for walls and bulwarks, as was often fung in the land of Judah. Such was the wonderful, conftant protection which God afforded his people Ifrael, that, during the three folemn feftivals, of the Paffover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, when all the males went up to Jerufalem, and the whole land might have become an eafy prey to the nations around them, God preferved their country in fafety, and permitted not the neighbouring kingdoms to invade their poffeffions. And that no advantage derived from a complete fence might be wanting to his vineyard, he gave to Ifrael the ceremonial law, that wall of partition, which feparated them from all other people of the world, and kept them from incorporating with them. He gave them alfo the moral law, which in

ftructed

ftructed them in the duty they owed to God, and to one another; and ferved as an excellent mean to retain them within proper bounds in their whole conduct. I may add, that the judges, princes, and rulers, whom God raised up among them, were the useful inftruments of preferving them in order and fafety.Let us recollect with gratitude, the defence which God hath formed around us as a people, and the church he hath planted among us, whereby he hath in mercy guarded us from innumerable dangers, and protected us from our powerful enemies; whilft he hath favoured us with his law and gofpel, and, in many important refpects, put a difference between us and neighbouring nations. Thefe diftinguifhing favours ought to excite us to be fruitful in every good work.

And gathered out the ftones thereof. That a vineyard, or garden, be properly formed and cultivated, a fence must not only be put around it, but the ftones, which would mar its beauty, fpoil the growth of the vines, and prevent its fruitfulness, must also be gathered out. This neceffary benefit God likewife bestowed upon his church of old. In the figurative fenfe, in which this fong must be explained, the gathering out the ftones here mentioned, may denote the expulfion of the idolatrous nations which dwelt in Canaan, prior to the time in which the Ifraelitish church was planted in that land. These obdurate people had been infenfible to the revelations of the wrath of God against all unrighteoufnefs and ungodliness of men: they had remained, unaffected with the bleffings of his goodnefs, who gave them rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons; and when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful: they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and beasts, and creeping things; and therefore were fignificantly represented by the ftones of the field. Had thefe people been fuffered

fuffered to remain among the Ifraelites, they must have greatly spoiled the beauty of their church, obftructed its increase, and hindered its fruitfulness. They would have proved a fnare to the pofterity of Abraham, wherein they might have been entangled; and, by their idolatrous and vicious practices, that highly favoured nation might have been feduced from their obedience to God, into criminal cuftoms, and bad habits. This is plainly intimated in the pathetic difcourfe which Mofes delivered to them, recorded Deut. iv. To this figurative defcription of the Heathen our Saviour perhaps alluded, in the answer he gave to fome of the multitude, who afked him to rebuke his difciples -This benefit, which was remarkably conferred upon the church under the Old Teftament, in the days of Jofhua, and afterward still more eminently in the reign of David, is likewife enjoyed under the prefent difpenfation. In the fcriptures of truth, all hypocrites, all who know not God, and obey not the gofpel, are exprefsly excluded from the church of Jefus Chrift; and, in due time, a complete feparation fhall be made between the righteous and the wicked.

And planted it with the choiceft vine. However excellent the fituation of a vineyard, though it be well laid out, and highly improved, yet if planted with bad vines, all the labour and expences will be in great measure loft. The chief excellence, therefore, of a vineyard, confifts in its being planted with the beft vines. Accordingly this circumftance is here particularly mentioned. God planted his church of old with a noble vine, and wholly a right feed: he enriched his vineyard with the choiceft vines. He pitched upon Abraham, his friend, as the ftock from whom, through his rich bleffing, and kind providence, there fprung fhoots in number, as the ftars in heaven, and the fand by the fea-fhore. There was

* Luke xix. 49.

indeed no intrinfic, fuperior excellence in this great patriarch, or his defcendents, but what was the gift of the Father of lights, who made them to differ; whofe choice rendered them choice vines; and who, contrary to nature, graffed them into the true vine, from whence, deriving nourishment, they became good and fruitful. Among that generation of Ifrael whom Joshua introduced into the land of Canaan, and planted in it, there were many illuftrious perfons, who were eminent for faith and holinefs; and who gave memorable proofs of obedience to God, of whofe mighty acts they had been witneffes, and of whofe bounty they had largely participated. Incorporated by excellent laws, diftinguifhed by peculiar privileges, and honoured with confpicuous marks of divine approbation, this vineyard is juftly faid to have been planted with the choiceft vine.In this refpect, what is here faid of the Old-Teftament church, afforded only a faint reprefentation of the felicity of the church under the New Testament, at the head of which stands Jefus Chrift, the true vine; with his branches, the apoftles, and their numerous renowned followers, who were filled with the fruits of righteoufnefs. Upon us then the benefit here mentioned, hath been conferred in a more eminent degree than upon Ifrael of old; and, by this circumftance among others, we are brought under the strongest obligations to bring forth fruit unto God.

And built a tower in the midst of it. This is the fifth benefit which the prophet here mentions, as having been bestowed upon the church of old. Towers were anciently erected in vineyards, as places of defence against the hoftile attacks of enemies : they were intended to be the refidence of thofe who kept them: they ferved as ornaments to the vineyards, and conduced to the pleafure of their proprietors. By the tower, which God is here faid to have built in the church of Ifrael, may be meant, the city of Jerufalem,

which ferved the fame purposes to them as a tower to a vineyard. That famous city was remarkable for being a place of great ftrength and fecurity, as appears from the defcriptions given of it in fcripture, and the attempts of the many powerful enemies which it refifted. The kings of Ifrael, and their countellors, who were the guardians of the public safety, refided there: the prophets, and the priests alfo, to whom was committed the infpection of the vineyard, had likewife their refidence in this metropolis. It was a great ornament to the Ifraelitifh nation, renowned for its beauty and fituation, the joy of the whole earth, wherever its fame had reached. In its palaces God was known for a refuge. For lo, the kings were affembled, they paffed by together. They faw it, and fo they marvelled, they were troubled, and hafted away It was the place wherein God put his name, in which he delighted to dwell, upon which his eyes and his heart were fixed continually for good; and when, in his good pleafure, he built up the walls thereof, he was pleafed with the facrifices of righteousnefs, with burnt-offerings, and whole burnt-offerings, which were offered upon his altar. On thefe, and other accounts, we fuppose, that the city of Jerufalem, which was thought to be fituated near the midst of the land of Canaan, was the tower which God built in the vineyard of his ancient church.-Corre fponding to this privilege, we, under the New Teftament, enjoy advantages equal, yea, greatly fuperior to thofe which Ifrael derived from their famous metropolis.

And alfo made a wine-press therein. This is the fixth, and laft-mentioned advantage which the church anciently enjoyed: the others, paffed over in filence, may be fuppofed, or included, in thofe which are expreffed. I imagine every vineyard hath commonly a wine-prefs made in it, or near it, for fqueezing and ex

Pfal. xlviii. 1. et feq.

trading