to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his vineyard c. q. d. I see indeed they lightly set by my ordinary Sermons and therefore I purpose to leaue my accustomed manner of prophesying and fall to singing being vnto them rather as a Poet k Ezek. 33.32 than as a Prophet that so by their owne delights they may be allured Obser Thus God seekes to draw vs to himselfe with those baits which are somewhat agreeable to our pallat he doth compose himselfe to our disposition and euen as face answereth face in a glasse so doth he apply himselfe to fit the humors of mortall men Doe the Sages loue starres and dreames l Matth. 2. a bright shining starre and a dreame shall instruct them in the truth of God and direct them vnto Christ Doth Saint Peter loue fishing m Luke 5. he shall be wonne by a great draught of fishes Doth Augustine loue eloquence Ambrose by his eloquence shall catch him at a Sermon What is it that can win vs which way soeuer our desires stand that is not sinfull God doth in his word allure vs The best things in earth and heauen are made our bait Let vs yeeld our selues therefore to be caught for with these doth the Lord seeke vs not for any need that he hath of vs but for our owne saluation In which Song we haue a Parable proposed of a fruitlesse Vineyard which after great care and cost of the painfull Husbandman bestowed on it is left desolate and forsaken for its barrennesse The Argument of it seemeth not to differ from that of the fore-going Chapters here being nothing said Argument of the Song that for substance was not before taught Luther The difference that is is only in circumstance the stile and method only being altered and changed The Scope and drift of the Prophet is The scope is three-fold first to get audience and attention And therefore he chooseth to deliuer his message in the sweetnesse of verse rather than in prose that so the eare hauing that which delighted it might without tediousnesse listen to that which was taught which being listened vnto might the better and more kindlier worke vpon them And questionlesse by this course he got him hearers for many would flocke to heare him sing who would not step ouer the threshold to heare him in his wonted veine Secondly that they might the sooner learne and better retaine what he did teach them For Verse being composed of certaine Musicall proportions both in the number and measure of feet and syllables are sooner and with greater delight learned and once being learned are longer retained as by experience we finde that our common people haue many vnwritten songs which are older than their great Grand-fathers Father those they learnt being children and neuer forget againe vntill their death yea by this meanes the remembrance of some things haue beene kept from many ages past which both Historie and Tradition had else for euer left neglected and forgotten Thirdly that he might bring them to a sight of their ingratitude and draw from them an impartiall sentence against themselues For looke as it is with the eie which both seeth and correcteth all other things saue it selfe so is it with the sinner when his owne case is proposed to him not as his owne but in the person of another he will soone see the fault and passe a iust sentence on it but else it cannot be espied Whiles n 2 Sam. 12. wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forcibly taken away the only Lambe of his poore neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the storie and how sharply euen aboue law doth he censure the fact o Vers 5. As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die See how seuere Iusticers we can be to our very owne crimes in others persons Had he knowne on whom the sentence would haue light it should not haue beene so heauie but now he is selfe-condemned The like was our Sauiours practise with the Scribes and Pharises in propounding p Matth. 21. that Parable of perfidious Husbandmen who beat the Seruants that were sent to receiue the fruits of the Vineyard and slew the heire and not without the like successe For being q Vers 40. asked what the Lord of the Vineyard would doe to such they answer 41. He will cruelly destroy them and let out the Vineyard to others 43. Then Christ infers Therefore I say vnto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof And this is the reason why our Prophet doth not only sing but sings a Parabolicall song propounding the truth in such an obscure manner vnder a continued similitude or allegorie like some expert Physitian who so cunningly wraps vp his pils and conueyes his dose that it begins to worke ere it be tasted And surely there is no one thing wherein is more vse of wisdome than in the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuery helps the disease in an vnwise destroies nature Diuision In which Song consider we First the Prooem or Preface to it verse 1. Secondly the Poem it selfe or body of it verse 1.8 The Prooem in these words Now will I sing to my well-beloued a song of my beloued touching his Vineyard wherein these particulars are obseruable First the Inditer or Author Instrumentall intimated in this particle I. Secondly the kinde of Treatise indited A Song Thirdly the manner of the Prophets publishing and deliuering it Will sing Fourthly the Dedication of it To his well-beloued Fifthly the warrant and authoritie for the publishing of it Of my well-beloued Sixtly the Subiect matter thereof Touching his Vineyard These in the Prooem As for the Poem we will then limb and branch it forth when we come to the handling of it Let vs now goe to the sickle of the Sanctuary and there weigh those words which we haue already numbred Now Some reade it Goe to or Goe to yet Exposition Muscul Moller As if the Prophet should stirre vp himselfe to sing and like the watchfull Cocke first clap his wings to awake himselfe before he crowes to awaken others Others reade it as we haue it Now or Now I pray hereby stirring vp his people to attention which reading is the best for the Hebrew particle Na noteth the motion of the minde to perswade or intreat Will I sing id est I will lift vp my voice and make a melodious sound modulating and singing the Song I haue composed To my well-beloued id est To the grace or praise of his well-beloued or as some in his defence Calu. Vrsin in loc Well-beloued Some there are who would haue Gods Israel to be meant hereby He so terming them in regard of the great loue he bare towards them and great care he had ouer
will take no warning Hee need not to giue thee any warning of his iudgements thou gauest him no warning of thy sinnes no respit yet that God might approue his mercies to thee he giues thee warning and respit of repenting How loth art thou oh blessed God to strike that threats before He that delights in reuenge surprises his aduersarie whereas he that giues warning desires to be preuented Were we not wilfull what need wee euer feele smart Oh that this might teach vs wisdome to see the euill Vse 2 and flie from it which that we may the better doe Diuers waies God forewarneth vs of vengeance 1. By the ministery of his seruants let vs diligently obserue the vsual waies whereby the Lord premonisheth and they are sundrie As first By the ministerie of his seruants the Prophets whereby he foretelleth when wrath is readie to fall vpon vs for our sinnes By them he foretold t 2 Chron. 36.15 16. the Israelites of the King of the Caldeans comming vp against them whom they laughed to scorne and contemned and by them Ierusalem was fore-warned as was before noted Their threatnings therefore and menaces should not bee lightly despised but feared not passed ouer but preuented not derided but applied to our consciences For though they die u Zach. 1.5 yet Gods word shall liue and his iudgements they denounced seize vpon vs except we die to sinne 2. By signes in the heauens 2 By signes and wonders of which sort was that Earthquake which happened * Amos 1.1 Zach. 14.5 in Vzziahs daies in the whole Countrey And those strange apparitions seene in the heauens a little before the destruction of Ierusalem as that Blazing starre like a sword which hung ouer the Citie a whole yeeres space Horses and Chariots with armed troopes of men seene in the aire the Eclipse of the Moone for twelue nights together with many other wonders Ieseph de Bell. Iud. lib. 7. cap. 12. whereof Iosephus hath at large written as that voice heard in the Temple the night before the Feast of Pentecost Let vs depart from hence And the constant crying of one about the walles for a long space Woe Matth. 24.32 woe woe to Ierusalem and the like And thus doth God forewarne vs of the end of the world as our blessed Sauiour sheweth 3. By lesser iudgements 3 By lesser and lighter iudgements by gentle and fatherly corrections that by them we may be brought to turne vnto him and so escape further vengeance Thus were the Israelites often warned from the Lord sometimes x Amos 4.8 he smote them with Blastings and Mildewes and at other times by giuing their Gardens Vineyards Fig-trees and Oliue-trees to the Palmer-worme to deuoure and when these warnings would not serue then he sent amongst them the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt and slew their young men with the sword and tooke away their horses c. And when nothing would serue he ouerthrew them as he ouerthrew Sodome and Gomorrah And so our Sauiour hauing foretold many euils that should come vpon Ierusalem for their contempt of the Gospell and refusing of grace offered addeth y Matth. 24.6.8 All these are but the beginnings of sorrowes the end is not yet There were more in number and greater in weight to follow after these Thus lesser iudgements are as it were the prints of Gods foot whereby we may trace him if he be come out against vs. 4 By the death of the godly 4. By the death of the godly and such as feare his name are future iudgements forewarned especially if they be such as are great and eminent whether in Church or Common-wealth If these be taken away it is a fearefull signe that some grieuous iudgement will ouertake the remnant of the people This is that wherof our Prophet Esay speaketh z Isay 3.1 2 3. Behold the Lord the Lord of hosts doth take away from Ierusalem the mightie man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophet and the prudent and the ancient The Captains of fiftie and the honourable man and the Counsellor c. And elsewhere thus a Cap. 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to his heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come Thus was that good King Iosiah dealt withall b 2 King 22.20 not long after whose death followed the Captiuitie of Babel In that graue wherein he was interred the libertie glory and peace of Iewrie lay also buried And so Luther after whose death presently followed that miserable calamitie vpon Germany which hee had often foretold would come vpon them for their contempt of the Word and which he desired he might neuer liue to see as Caluin obserues in his Comment vpon that place of Isay last quoted Cap. 57.1 These are some wayes whereby the Lord fore-warneth vs that euill is at hand and therefore it behoueth vs when by any of these he premonisheth vs of danger nigh we c Amos 4. prepare to meet him and preuent it And surely if euer there was cause then now there is why we should humble our selues before him in sackcloth and ashes for who can be ignorant of the many warnings we haue had in each particular kinde The Turtles of this Land haue groaned out the sad tunes of woe and misery God hath so guided the hearts and tongues of his Ministers as that they all euen as one man doe constantly crie out with that Iesus the sonne of Anani a little before the destruction of Ierusalem Woe to England and to the inhabitants thereof by reason of such outragious wickednesse as euery where aboundeth which thing is not lightly to be passed by but deserues pondering on For certainly if wee be not perswaded to feare their threatnings we shall in the end be constrained to feele them whether wee will or no. Besides what strange signes and wonders and what varietie of them haue we lately seene both in the heauens and vpon the earth What wonderfull and mightie tempests fearefull thundring and lightning hath lately happened This present yeere 1622. on August 19. whereby much hurt hath beene done at Sea many ships and barkes cast away and that in the safest Rodes and Harbours of this land As appeares in that relation of the tempest which hapned in Deuon the yeere and moneth aforesaid which is in Print besides the almost incredible hurt done by land throughout this Kingdome the violence of the winde thunder and lightning being such as that in many places West-ward whole fields of Corne haue beene blasted stackes of Corne scorched and here with vs the Corne hath beene so dispersed and scattered as if it had beene sowen againe and so beaten out of the eares as if it had beene threshed on the floore so that with the Mildew and blasting which was sent vpon our Corne in generall before our haruest
euen to the soule Take Ierusalem for an ensample and set that famous Citie before thine eyes Did euer any people taste more of Gods patience or drinke deeper of the cup of his mercifull forbearance than Ierusalem famous Ierusalem did How long did he spare them how many wayes did he forewarne them And when nothing would serue how was his patience turned into furie c Matth. 24.2 Not one stone left vpon another and the inhabitants and their posteritie made slaues and vagabonds for this 1600 yeeres Say not then with Agag d 1 Sam. 15.32 Surely the bitternesse of death is past because thou art a while forborne No no the longer before the reckoning the greater the account will be Patientia laesa fit furor And euermore remember that there is no wrath so furiously outragious as that which ariseth from patience long obstinately abused See therefore in the next place thou beest admonished Vse 4 to beware how thou abusest this patience and long-suffering of the Lord And see thou follow the Apostles direction e Rom. 2.4 Let it leade thee to repentance Happy thou if thou doe thus vse it And indeed except thou dost so thou neuer makest the true and proper vse thereof f Psal 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou maiest bee feared saith that Kingly Prophet Gods children doe feare God g Hos 3.5 and his goodnesse and feare to offend God in regard of his goodnesse Ioseph reasons thus i Gen. 39.8 My Master hath dealt thus kindly with mee c. how then can I commit this great wickednesse So must all Gods children reason Vse 5 Againe this may be for Imitation As God is and hath beene towards vs patient and long-suffering so let vs bee towards others That hastie spirit of calling for fire from heauen for euery disobedience was sharply k Luke 9.54 reproued by our blessed Sauiour Let vs learne to haue an eie to the rich patience of our God who is daily by vs prouoked and after his example tolerate the froward infirmities of our ignorant brethren l 2 Tim. 2.25 with meeknesse instructing them rather than with rashnesse of zeale reiecting them and in case of wrong say not I will recompence euill It was a good specch and comming out of a Heathens mouth deserues the more regard m Socrates I will willingly neither suffer wrong nor doe it but if I must chuse one I will rather chuse to suffer than to doe But why speake I of the Heathen vnlesse to shame vs when we haue God himselfe to imitate How patient is he towards reprobates and vessels of his wrath If thou puttest vp an iniury patiently once or twice thou hast thy selfe highly in admiration and in thy owne conceit deseruest to bee chronicled for a rare patterne of patience But God doth beare with thee and other many thousand times in a day write after that copy and forgiue n Matth. 18.22 not seuen times but seuenty times seuen times if thou beest so often wronged And be thou transformed into the same image of God from glory to glory Vse 6 Lastly hence may perplexed and disquieted consciences who tremble vnder Gods hand fearing the power of his wrath by reason of their sinnes haue a vse of Comfort for the lifting of them vp It is Gods nature to be patient be not therefore out of hope Hee is long ere he be prouoked and when he is prouoked easie to be appeased An earthly father will not take euery aduantage against his childe hee will tell him and forewarne him before hee doth correct and punish him And why should we thinke God harder than our selues How long beares he with such as neuer grieue mourne nor complaine of sinne will he then be hasty to marke what is done amisse by such as grone vnder the burden of their corruptions He spareth such as neuer so much as say o Ier. What haue I done and is it possible that he should not spare such as with the Prodigall crie out p Luke 15. Father I haue sinned Certainly if the wicked fare so wel the godly shall fare much better and be thou perswaded so And thus much for the Premonition the Execution followes I will take away the hedge thereof Text. and it shall bee eaten vp and breake downe the wall thereof and it shall be trodden downe c. Here according to our propounded method consider we first the Party punishing and who it is that doth inflict this iudgement on them and that is the Lord himselfe I will take away c. Thence obserue Gods holy hand hath a speciall stroake in those afflictions and visitations which are laid vpon his Church and befall his people whosoeuer be the instrument Doctr. Gods hand is in all afflictions that doe befall vs. What truth more strongly confirmed in holy Writ than this Doe wee not there reade thus q Iob 5.6 Affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground r Esay 45.7 I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things Å¿ Esay 28.21 The Lord shall rise vp as in mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that hee may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act t 1 Sam. 2.6 7. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue hee bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth vp u Deut. 32.39 I euen I am hee and there is no god with me I kill and I make aliue I wound and I heale neither is there any that can deliuer out of my hand And * Amos 3.6 What euill is there in the City vnderstand it of the euill of punishment that I haue not done Hereupon doth the Church x Hos 6.1 mutually exhort one another to returne vnto the Lord because he hath torne and hee will heale hee hath smitten and hee will binde vp And by S. Peter wee are instructed to y 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt vs in due time And hereupon Ioseph though of his enuious brethren sold into Aegypt saith z Gen. 45.8 God hath sent mee hither And Dauid being cursed by Shemei said a 2 Sam. 16.10 God had bid him curse And Iob robbed by the Sabaeans saith b Iob 1.21 God hath taken away Reas And how can it otherwise be seeing that c Matth. 10.29 a sparrow falleth not to the ground nor a haire from off our heads without the prouidence of the Almighty as our Sauiour hath taught vs If then Gods prouidence reacheth to matters of such small weight it must needs reach to matters of greater moment Obiect If any now obiect That wicked and bad men yea the Deuill himselfe doth persecute
of heart nor hope so long as he may appeale to some other that is higher especially if he be perswaded of the integritie and vprightnesse of that Iudge to whom he makes Appeale Art thou then wronged and iniured by the mighty yet be not discouraged for though thou canst haue no helpe at mans hand yet there is a higher to whom thou maist appeale euen God in his holy habitation who beholds thy troubles heares thy sighes bottles vp thy teares is acquainted with all thy griefes and will right thy wrongs o Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him at libertie from him that puffeth at him Heare this you fatherlesse and widowes you poore and needy ones and albeit these mighty Nimrods ride ouer your heads p Psal 66.12 and plow vpon your backs making long furrowes there and thus wound your flesh yet let them not wound your patience but q Isai 35.3 let your weake hands be strengthned and your feeble knees confirmed for behold your God will come with vengeance your God will come with recompence Commit therefore your cause to him who iudgeth righteously and see you asswage your griefe and sorrow when you are thus oppressed He will come he will come assuredly in due time he will come and deliuer you from out the pawes of the bloud-thirstie and cruell man Though Passion therefore possesse your bodies yet let r Luke 21. Patience possesse your soules And now for the Ecce which is here twice vsed Behold oppression Behold a cry once vsing it is not enough Bernard Vega. Behold and behold againe One cals this a starrie note Another compares it to a hand in the margent of a booke pointing to some thing of great succeeding consequence Pontan Another compares it to the sounding of a trumpet before some proclamation Another to the ringing of a bell before the Sermon of some famous Preacher And indeed as often as it is vsed for it is vsed six hundred times in Scripture it is neuer vsed but in matters of great moment worthy of our deepest and most serious obseruation being still put for a word of wonder and note of admiration So here Behold the wonderfull and vnspeakable mercy and goodnesse of the Lord towards this his Vineyard how great things he had done for it and what meanes he vsed for the prosperitie and welfare of it yea in euery one of the former particulars behold it Againe behold the horrible ingratitude of this his Vineyard Ingratitude in its full proportion with all the dimensions of its vgly stigmaticke forme in it behold Yea we may moue attention from this word to all that hath beene said For there is nothing in this Song but deserues to haue this Character Behold to be stamped on it Consider well of all this Scripture examine euery parcell let not one iod or tittle passe away vnregarded God hath commended yea recommended what is here taught vnto vs with this remarkable note Behold yea behold againe See therefore that you haue beene here present with your minds as well as with your bodies And all you that are here present behold from the highest to the lowest for it deserues deepe pondering vpon Å¿ Matth. 13.9 Let him that hath eares to heare heare And t 24.15 let him that readeth consider Euen so u 2 Tim. 2.7 consider we what hath beene said and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Table for the readier finding out the chiefe and most materiall things contained in this BOOKE A GOd cannot faile of his end in any of his Actions Pag. 139 Affections of people must be wrought vpon by Gods Ministers 58 Afflictions are Gods Winepresse 132 Not to bee bettered by our Afflictions is dangerous 199 Gods holy hand is in all Afflictions 223 Both the time measure and end of our Afflictions are ordered by God 224 Why God doth vse wicked instruments in the Afflicting of his people 225 How we may looke vpon second causes in our Afflictions 229 God is to be sought vnto when wee are Afflicted 230 They doe not disable vs from being Gods children 236 Amoz the father of Isaiah and Amos in the number of the small Prophets not both one 16 The Angels watch for the godly mans safety 111 Application is the life of Doctrine 278 Arrogancy a sinne to be auoided 101 Attendants of the godly honourable 121 Authority must bee shewed for what Gods Ministers doe deliuer 64 B BArren Professors are good for nothing 79 The world is full of such 159 Man degraded beneath the Beasts 85 Names of Beasts giuen to the wicked 254 Behold how often vsed in the Scriptures 318 It is euer vsed in matters of importance ibid. The abuse of Gods Blessings causeth the Lord to depriue vs of them 238 Pray for a sanctified vse of them 166 Bribery is no better than theeuery 308 Busie-medling dangerous 101 C CHildren are not saued by the faith of their parents 289 They should bee thankfull for religious Parents 295 Gods owne Children chastised 231 The Church weake in it selfe 79 112 She is as a Garden enclosed 73 It stands in need of daily looking to ibid. She is exposed to many dangers 74 She is deare vnto the Lord. 75 93 She is but one 76 99 The more the Church is afflicted the more she flourisheth 78 She is outwardly blacke but inwardly glorious ibid. It is her priuiledge that God is her keeper 89 Why the Deuill seekes to persecute her 93 She may be corrupted with Idolatry 95 Church in England not to be forsaken for some wants 97 Which the Papists make to bee the Catholike Church 99 Her enemies are but weake 245 The miseries of the Church should moue vs to pitty her 265 Christ only deserues our loue 61 Members of the Church receiue the sap of grace from him 76 All that are in the Church are not truly incorporated into Christ 77 Comparisons may lawfully be vsed 82 Company of the godly to be frequented 55 Mans Conscience shall iustifie Gods proceedings 182 The Conscience shal one day be awakned 183 The Checks of it not to be neglected 183 198 Contention and discord the beginnings of warre 264 Conuersation of Christians should bee such as that our aduersaries may iustifie it 185 The Creature is become mans Schoolemaster 86 A double vse to be made of them 88 They are a defence for the godly 111 They are Gods hoasts 286 All of them are against the wicked 287 The godly Conquer when they seeme conquered 253 God remembreth mercy in his Corrections 257 D DEath of the godly a forerunner of Iudgement 213 Necessity of Gods Decree no excuse for wickednesse 196 Discipline not wanting in our Church 97 It is not of the essence of the Church 133 Dignity of the godly very great 121 The Deuill hath not power ouer any creature but by Gods