and honour but Learning followes Homer with a staffe and wallet the studie of Diuinitie brings contempt and beggerie Looke how it was with the Iewes vnder the tyrannie of Egypt so is it now with vs when we should make bricke worke in our profession we are enforced to gather straw seeke out for sustenance and yet if our tale of bricke be not made vp we are cried out vpon for being idle But God heares our cries and will one day plead our cause In the meane time let such places and Parishes as would haue their Ministers thus to follow close their callings see that they so prouide for their certaine maintenance as that they may without distraction follow it We haue done with the Prooem Now we come to the Poem or Song it selfe My welbeloued hath a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill c. Wherein is set forth Gods great loue towards his people Israel and Iudah and their horrible ingratitude and disobedience towards him together with their fearefull and finall ruine for that their disobedience All which is darkly and obscurely propounded vnder a continued similitude or allegorie of an vnprofitable Vineyard which did not answer the cost and expectation of the Vinitor by bringing forth of fruit meet for him that dressed it In opening whereof we need not doubt of finding out the true and proper sense and meaning in the Generall as who this Vinitor is and who the Vineyard and what the fruit these being explained and expounded by our Prophet vers 7. But in the Particulars there is question As what is meant by Hill Fence Stones Plant Tower Winepresse forasmuch as these parts are not followed by him and are diuersly interpreted by Expositors By Hill some vnderstanding the field of this world others the citie of Ierusalem which was higher than all other Cities and the Countrie thereabouts And others the Land of Canaan a land flowing with milke and hony By Fence or Hedge some vnderstand the Law which was giuen by Moses whereby the people of Israel were fenced in and kept within compasse Others the Couenant which God made with his people the Iewes wherwith he did hedge them in vnto himselfe to be his peculiar people And others vnderstand thereby the Diuine protection by which as by an hedge the Lord did continually protect his people By Stones some vnderstand their wicked Kings Saul Ahab and the rest who by their wicked practises did hinder the growth of Gods Church Others the Gentiles and Heathen people the Canaanites and Hittites with the rest whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel Others vnderstand thereby all kinde of Idolatrie Errors Abominations which the Lord purged his people from And there are some others who by stones vnderstand the Wall wherewith the Lord did make the fence or hedge and that because the word here vsed signifieth as well to build with stones and gather them together for that end as to remoue stones By the choice Plant some would haue the Lord Iesus to be meant and that because the Prophet speaketh in the singular number both in the Parable and in the exposition of it He saith not Vines or Plants but a Vine or Plant and the man of Iudah not the men of Iudah Others vnderstand thereby the best and choisest persons amongst that people especially them of the house of Iudah as Dauid Solomon and the rest whom God had chosen and endued with an excellent measure of his Spirit for rule and gouernment and others vnderstand it more largely for the whole body of that people the stems and branches of Abraham Isaak Iacob those honourable Plants By Tower some vnderstand their Prophets Priests and Princes whom the Lord gaue vnto them to watch as out of a tower ouer them for their good Others would haue vs vnderstand thereby Ierusalem that great Metropolitan Citie of the Iewes And others the Temple which was built therein By Wine-presse that was therein some doe vnderstand the Doctrine of the Prophets their exhortations and reprehensions whereby they did labour to bring the people to repentance Others Passions and Afflictions which the Lord laid vpon them for their sinnes And others vnderstand thereby the Altar in the Temple vpon which they did offer vp their sacrifices and oblations Thus we see the diuersitie of opinions concerning these particulars and the variety of paths wherein our Interpreters walke so that it is no easie matter to take the right yet amongst all I had rather follow them who by this fruitfull Hill vnderstand the Land of Canaan For of it the Scripture thus speaketh The Land whither you goe to possesse it is a land of hils and vallies and drinketh water of the raine of heauen A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eies of the Lord thy God are alwaies vpon it from the beginning of the yeere euen vnto the end of the yeere A good land and large flowing with milke and honie By Fence or Hedge his mightie protection whereby he defended and preserued his people from all their enemies This was that hedge which the Lord made about Iob and about his house and about all that he had on euery side And this hedge did the Lord promise to make about Ierusalem so that none should hurt it Of which Fence reade at large Psal 90. By Stones the Canaanites and Hittites of whom Dauid thus speaketh Thou didst driue out the Heathen with thy hand and plantedst them thou didst afflict the people and cast them out Of which Stones say some Iohn Baptist speaketh when he telleth the Iewes bragging they had Abraham to their father that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham But that I deliuer not for doctrine By choise Plant the seed of Abraham Isaak Iacob the men of Israel and Iudah as appeares verse 7. One number there being put for another the singular for the plurall a thing vsuall in Scripture And thus we reade Thou hast brought a Vine out of Aegypt thou hast cast out the Heathen and planted it Thou preparedst roome before it and didst cause it to take deepe root and it filled the land The hils were couered with the shadow of it and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars She sent out her boughes vnto the Sea and her branches vnto the riuer And else-where thus I had planted thee a noble Vine wholly a right seed How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine vnto me In both which places the people of Israel are meant By Tower the glorious Temple that was in Ierusalem that stately edifice or building according to that of the Prophet He built his Sanctuary like high Palaces like the earth which he hath established for euer And so is it termed else-where A Tower of the flocke the strong hold of the daughter of Sion By Wine-presse the ministerie of the
rod and their iniquities with strokes The Scriptures propose many examples our eares haue heard many reports our eyes behold daily many presidents which may confirme this Doctrine What dolefull complaints doe we reade that the Church maketh euery where in the Lamentations Behold oh Lord how I am troubled my bowels swell my heart is turned within me for I am full of heauinesse The sword spoileth abroad as death doth at home c. How lamentably doe the godly bemoane themselues and the estate of the Church in the Prophesie of Isay Be not angry O Lord aboue measure neither remember iniquitie for euer behold see we beseeth thee we are thy people Thy holy cities axe a wildernesse Zion is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desolation Our holy and our beautifull house where our Fathers praised thee is burnt vp with fire and all our pleasant things are laid waste And how doth the Prophet Dauid expresse the burden of his afflictions wherewith he was afflicted in the Booke of the Psalmes Thine arrowes saith he sticke fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne And againe thus The sorrowes of death compassed mee and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow and many such like patheticall complaints he makes The whole Booke of the Iudges may be a proofe for this truth wherein wee see how the people of Israel proceeding to doe euill in the sight of the Lord he sold them into the hand of his and their enemies We might further instance in Solomon Asa Iehoshaphat Iosiah Hezekiah and others all which make this good that God spareth not his owne people when they sinne against him Two Reasons may be giuen hereof First That the Lord might declare himselfe to be un aduersary to sinne in all men and that the wicked may see he is not partiall to any when his commandements are not regarded Secondly That he may reduce his seruants from running on headlong with the wicked to perdition For were wee altogether exempted from the rod how wanton and froward would we grow and into how many perils would wee cast our selues And so saith Saint Paul When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world But did not Christ giue himselfe for his Church and shed his bloud for their redemption was not their sins punished in him How comes it then to passe they are still subiect to Gods heauie visitations True it is that Christ did beare away all our punishments but he hath not freed vs from fatherly corrections Now when God afflicteth his in this world it is more for medicine than for punishment more for a correction than for a penaltie Losses crosses pouertie imprisonmeent sicknesse yea death it selfe are not to vs punishments nor curses properly but fatherly chastisements being inflicted as furtherances of sanctification not as meanes of satisfaction And thus you haue this obiection answered and my doctrine confirmed viz. God will not spare any no not his owne people when they sin against him Which being so this may terrifie wicked and vngodly ones who make a trade of sinne driuing after it as it was said of Iehu in another case as if they were made and yet imagine because God for a time holdeth his peace and keepes silence that hee is such a one as themselues a louer and approuer of their wicked waies But oh you fooles how long will you loue folly and when will you grow wise Doth God correct the flock of his owne pasture the children of his owne houshold and shall you goe scot-free Doth the Lord chastise them so heauily the burden of whose sins Christ hath borne in his bodie on the crosse and shall such as Christ neuer died for no nor yet prayed for escape shall not many prayers and teares sighes and groanes petitions of Gods Saints requests of the Spirit together with the daily intercession of Iesus Christ Gods only and welbeloued in whom he is well pleased keepe off such bitter things from them who but now and then breake out Woe and alas then what shall become of you who neuer pray sigh nor shed teare for sinne for whom Gods blessed Spirit makes no request and who haue no interest in the mediation and intercession of that iust and righteous Aduocate who sinne not of infirmitie and weaknesse but boldly and presumptuously with a high hand against the Lord Thinke of an answer to those interrogatories which the Spirit of God propoundeth to thee in holy Writ Loe I beginne to bring euill on the Citie which is called by my name and shal you goe vtterly vnpunished And againe Behold they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup haue assuredly drunken and art thou he that shalt escape And againe If these things be done to the greene tree to them who haue in them the sap of grace what shall be done to the drie to them who haue no moisture of goodnesse And againe If iudgement first beginne at vs who are the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare What answerest thou to these why speakest thou not And now O my God behold how I am troubled my bowels swell my heart is turned within me for I heare an answer true but terrible The Lord indeed will trie the righteous in his furnace but the wicked and such as loue iniquitie doth his soule hate vpon the wicked shall he raine snares fire and brimstone and stormie tempest this is the portion of their cup. He will indeed iudge the iust man for his transgressions in his life but hee will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh on on his trespasses Yea in flaming fire shall God come taking vengeance on them that know him not and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Then shall the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bond-man and euery free-man whose names are not written in the Lambes Booke hide themselues in dens and in the rockes of the mountaines And say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe But as it was with the old world when God rained from heauen the greatest showre that euer the earth did or shall sustaine their shifts were bootlesse so will it now be They then thought to ouer-climbe the iudgement and haste
the Deuils sake but the Deuill for sinnes sake And therefore to shut vp all with that exhortation of the Apostle Dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Hitherto we haue intreated of the Vineyards plantation The supplantation of it followes next to be handled which is contained in the 3 4 5 6 verses wherein we haue First the Lords Plea with them vers 3 4. Secondly the Verdict or Iudgement past vpon them vers 5 6. In the Plea we haue first an Appeale made to them vers 3. And secondly an Inditement against them vers 4. In the Appeale diuers circumstances are considerable As 1. The Manner of it which is not in commanding-wise as it might haue beene but by way of intreaty and request I pray you 2. The Matter requested and for which this Appeale was made and that is that they would discerne wisely of the matter and accordingly passe sentence Iudge 3. Who they be which are made Iudges of the cause and they are the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem euen the whole multitude 4. The Parties betweene whom the controuersie and variance is and they are God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and Israel the Defendant And now ô inhabitants of Ierusalem iudge I pray you betwixt me and my Vineyard c. And now or Now therefore These are the words of God himselfe q d. Seeing it is thus that my Vineyard hath so frustrated my hopes therefore now c. O inhabitants And men The words are in the Originall read in the singular not in the plurall number O inhabitant and man By whom some would haue the Lord Iesus to be meant as before was shewed but it is euident that here the Lord appealeth to the Iewes themselues and makes them Iudges in their owne cause referring the matter betweene him and them to their owne consciences And we know it is no rare thing in Scripture to finde one number put for another the plurall for the singular and the singular for the plurall Now the reason why the Lord speaketh to one man as it were rather than to all or to them all as if they were but one may be this because he would haue iudgement not as simply of them all together but particularly of euery one willing euery singular person of Iudah and Ierusalem to commune with their owne hearts and accordingly giue sentence And therefore Tremillius and Iunius with diuers others reade as the Originall hath it Ierusalem Iudah Iudah was the Country Ierusalem was the chiefe Citie in that Country and indeed one of the most famous Cities of the world full of people great amongst the Nations Princesse amongst the Prouinces and in one respect exceeded all other Cities in the world besides for therin was Mount Zion the place of Gods seruice and worship and therefore it was called the Citie of the Lord of Hoasts The Citie of God Iudge To iudge sometimes signifieth to passe an vpright or vnpartiall sentence against any true or false so Christ willeth the Iewes to iudge righteous iudgement and sometimes it is only taken for the vnderstanding and discerning of all things so meaneth the Apostle when he saith Let two or three speake and let the other iudge i. discerne what is spoken This latter some would haue only here meant as if the Lord did not require sentence but only an inspection into the cause But it may rather seeme the Lord requires not only that they should consider and discerne but also that they should speake their minde and giue sentence against such a Vineyard We shall not need to stand longer vpon Interpretation the other words are cleare we come now to Doctrine with the Vses and duties which we are to learne from each of the particulars And first from the Manner of this Appeale I pray you learne that With much meeknesse and mildnesse doth God proceed against sinners When he hath to deale with them he doth not come in furie and rage but in milde and peaceable termes with kinde intreaties He doth not as we see imperiously command them with Sic volo sic jubeo c. but vouchsafeth kindly to request them Iudicate quaeso I pray yee iudge The like was Gods manner of proceeding with Adam after his transgression Adam where art thou Who told thee thou wert naked Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I told thee thou shouldst not eat In the like manner he comes to Cain Where is thy brother Abel What hast thou done And so our blessed Sauiour how mildly did he deale with him that smote him vniustly If I haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill but if well why smitest thou me And what mildnesse and meeknesse did he shew to Iudas when he came to betray him euen at that time calling him friend Friend betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse In that parable of the mariage of the Kings sonne wherein Gods proceeding against wicked and vngodly professors who repent not of sinne neither doe beleeue in Christ is set forth this point may haue further confirmation for to him that hath not on a wedding garment the King saith thus Friend how camest thou in hither c. quietly and peaceably examining and conuincing him And this the Lord doth that he may the sooner and the better bring the sinner to a sight and sense of his sinne and fault and that he might if it were possible be pricked in his heart and be brought to see that it is out of loue which the Lord beareth to him as he is his creature and that he desireth not his death but his repentance that he might liue And certainly this milde and gentle kinde of dealing doth much sooner cause the offender to see his fault than a hastie and passionate proceeding doth or can So that vnworthy guest when he was so friendly dealt withall had nothing to answer but was speechlesse Herein let vs be followers of God as deare children in manifesting this notable fruit of the Spirit when we haue to deale with sinners which hath in it the very pith of loue which when it accompanieth a reprehension or obiurgation it is as that same pretious oile which shall not breake the head Let Ministers here learne how to deale with their hearers intreating exhorting beseeching euen then when they may lawfully command In things of this life see how men are faine to intreat and sue hard for that which is their owne and heart-glad they are if by any such course they can gather vp their debts How glad then may we be if by any earnest perswasion or faire intreatie we can gather vp the debt of obedience which our people owe vnto the Lord I will neuer thinke much to speake faire and friendly so that may follow thereupon And thus the Apostle Paul doth