me oh my God Let it not be thought an ill husband owes it or one that is negligent and slothfull in his businesse but let thy care appeare in dressing of it that the fruits of all heauenly graces may abundantly spring forth and grow to the praise and glory of thy name And so much of the Husbandman A word or two of his Possession Hath a Vineyard This Vineyard is the Church as we haue seene before together with the reasons of the similitude The obseruâ—tion is The Church is Gods heritage For the further proofe thus we reade Destroy not thy people and thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance which thou broughtest out The Lords portion is his people Iacob is the lot of his inheritance The Lord hath anointed thee to be Captaine of his inheritance said Samuel to Saul They haue driuen me this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saith Dauid Why wilt thou swallow vp the inheritance of the Lord said that same wise woman vnto Ioab when he battered the walls of Abel Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt saith the Psalmist And againe Saue thy people and blesse thine inheritance feed them also and liâ—t them vp for euer Yea the Lord of Hoasts shall blesse saying Blessed be Aegypt my people and Israel my inheritance Now for Vse let vs hence take notice whence it is that the deuill doth so molest the Church and see the reason why the wicked doe so afflict her It is not so properly for their owne sake as for the owners They maligne and spight it because God doth countenance and grace it as being the Lord and possessor of it An enuious man we know will mischiefe the bruit beast of him he beares a spleene vnto and will not sticke to wrong his very dogge and all to despight the owner Dost thou then persecute the Church or any member of the Church The more wretch thou for let me tell thee thy hate is not originally and properly to them pretend what thou wilt pretend but to God himselfe whose inheritance they are And secondly seeing the Church is Gods inheritance and peculiar possession let none that professe themselues to be of the Church giue themselues from him to any other but let vs liue to him and die to him for whose vse we are enclosed Yee are not your owne therefore glorifie God in your soules and bodies saith the Apostle for they are his If his then not the worlds nor the fleshes nor the deuils Why then doe we suffer these or any of these to sowe tares and corrupt seed in Gods closures Why doe wee endure the plants of wickednesse to be set in his field And why doe wee bring forth fruit vnto our selues or any other rather than vnto him Remember whose thou art or at leastwise dost professe thy selfe to be and be no longer for the weeds of sinne nor for voluptuous pleasures to feed on as bullocks doe on pasture land but be thou Gods garden of sweet flowers his Vineyard of fruitfull grapes and bring all vnto him for first fruits and tenths that thou maist be his blessed land and possession for euermore Lastly this may assure vs for our comfort that seeing we are his heritage he will not easily leaue vs nor forsake vs if we bring forth fruit vnto him Naboth could not be drawne to part with the inheritance of his Fathers though Ahab made him neuer so large proffers for it and much lesse will God who gaue it for a law and ordinance that none should sell away their inheritance for euer but if in case that any of his people had sold away any part thereof then he or his kinne should redeeme it againe if they were able And in case of inabilitie that which was sold should remaine in the hand of him that bought it vntill the yeere of Iubile in which yeere it should goe out and then euery man should returne againe vnto his owne possession Surely he that made this law will bee mindfull of it and will not easily be driuen to giue ouer his owne inheritance which he hath chosen And if in case for the barrennesse thereof he should forsake it for a time as hee did this people Israel yet it would bee but for a time and not perpetuall in the end he will returne againe vnto his owne And thus much briefly for this point Now further in that the Prophet speaketh in the Present tense My beloued hath a Vineyard Albeit the whole Church of Israel and Iudah was at this time so generally corrupted as that from the Crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing found but wounds swellings and sores full of corruption as he had before testified wee doe obserue that Albeit a Church bee corrupted with error and idolatry yet it is still to be accounted Gods Church till he haue diuorced and forsaken her Thus in the daies of Ely Israel was called Gods people and so his Church albeit they were not then separated from all false waies and Elyes sonnes sons of Belial saith the text who knew not the Lord remained amongst them So Moses calleth Israel Gods people when he was vpon the Mount yet at that time they were in the very act of their Idolatry which was not vnknowne to Moses for God himselfe enformed him thereof So in this our Prophets time albeit this people were sunke deepe in rebellion and idolatry yet for all that God himselfe doth call them his people Israel doth not know My people doth not consider Turne wee our eyes from the estate of the Church in these times to after times as it was vnder the Gospell and we shall see the truth of the point propounded Looke vpon Ierusalem in our Sauiour Christs time and we shall see the eleuen Tribes were become Apostates and the Church amongst them was wonderfully corrupted both in Doctrine and manners as appeareth by our Sauiour Christs seuere reproofe of both yea the Temple it selfe was almost become a den of theeues full of buyers and sellers Yet at this time it was the true Church of God else the Euangelist would neuer haue called it the Holy City In Saint Pauls time the Corinthians were called the Church of God and yet at that very instant some of them were in an heresie others in incest and othersome that had not repented of their filthinesse Such was the estate of the Churches of Asia yet the title of true Churches were giuen to them Those therefore that condemne the Church of England for a No-church and make a separation from it in regard of the errours and corruptions that are in it are farre from the spirit of Christ and the Prophets and Apostles
Prophets and the discipline of the Church whereby the fruits of true repentance were pressed forth and they caused to bring fruits of new obedience to the glory of God and their owne soules good And this is the sense amongst all the former I approue and fasten on as iudging it to be the best and least dangerous it being consonant to other Scriptures as I haue before shewed Howeuer I intend not to dwell on it nor largely to insist on euery one of these particulars but will content my selfe with pointing at some generall obseruations arising most naturally and clearely when I come to the handling of them Now for the Parts In this Song or Poem there is considerable first a Parable vers 1 -7 Secondly the application of it vers 7. The Parable is briefly propounded vers 1. and then more largely prosecuted from the second verse vnto the seuenth In the Proposition of it we haue 1. The Vinitor 2. and his Vineyard generally to speake of My welbeloued hath a Vineyard By welbeloued he meaneth God himselfe as before we haue seene And by vineyard he meaneth the Church visible as in the application vers 7. we may see By which similitude the nature and condition of the Church is vsually set forth in Scripture and by none more For indeed there is no earthly thing that doth better resemble it than a vineyard doth as will appeare if we compare the one with the other either in generall or more speciall respects And first more generally A Vineyard we know is a place seuered and hedged in from the open champaine or common It doth not of it selfe spring vp or naturally grow but it is planted by hand and Art and so it is made a Vineyard And thus the Church is called and separated from the rest of the world both in life and conuersation and is gathered by the word Thou art an holy people vnto the Lord thy God saith Moses and he hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe aboue all Nations that are vpon the earth And againe I am the Lord your God which haue separated you from other people This is that Solomon saith A garden enclosed is my sister whereby he vnderstands the Church my spouse A spring shut vp a fountaine sealed And this our Sauiour telleth his Disciples Yee are not of the world I haue chosen you out of the world Thus we see God hath taken it in out of the vast wildernesse of this wretched world and hath imparked it with the pales of his mercy and separated it from all other grounds whatsoeuer to be a Vineyard for himselfe Secondly a Vineyard requires great paines and diligence after it is once planted and stands in need of daily husbanding and dressing no field more And thus the Church of God requires daily looking to there must be pruning propping weeding stoning and continuall watering by the preaching of the word else all will runne to ruine And therefore when our blessed Sauiour ascended vp on high he gaue some to be Apostles and some to be Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and others Teachers and all was to husband his Church that it might be brought vnto perfection to which it cannot very suddenly be brought The hardnesse of our hearts the flintinesse of our affections and the stinking weeds of wickednesse are not at one instant but by degrees remoued Should then the husbanding of it be neglected it would soone decay and the estate of the Church would proue worse than the estate of a No-Church A Vineyard of any other field is most subiect to be wasted by wilde beasts and lieth open to the prey of many kindes of spoyles and that in regard of its pleasant shadow and sweet fruit So the Church of God of all other places and societies is exposed to greatest dangers The old Fox and his young Cubs studie to destroy the Vines and lay this Vineyard waste It is like a Lillie amongst thornes assaulted on the one side by vnbeleeuers and on the other side by misbeleeuers On the right hand by the contentious oppositions of Schismatikes and on the left hand by the blasphemous propositions of Heretikes openly wronged by cruell Tyrants secretly wringed by backbiting hypocrites These breake in peeces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage Would any man take the Churches picture then let him saith Luther paint a silly poore maid sitting in a wood or wildernesse compassed about on euery side with hungry Lions Wolues Bores and Beares and with all manner of cruell and hurtfull beasts and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her euery moment and minute for this is her condition in the world And what is the cause of this her trouble and molestation What hath the righteous done Surely godlinesse and grace is that which breeds the quarrell Aristides must be banished out of Athens because he is iust and Christians must be throwne to the Lions because they are Christians The Dragon is wrath with the woman and makes warre with the remnant of her seede marke now the reason because they kept the Commandements of God and had the Testimony of Iesus Christ A Vineyard of any other possession is most deare to him that holds it that he will not part withall on any tearmes The Lord forbid it me said Naboth to Ahab that I should giue the inheritance of my fathers vnto thee Thus is the Church more deare and precious to the Lord than all other societies in the world Hee loueth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Iacob It is precious in his sight He will giue men and people for her life It is a Crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diadem in the hand of her God Hence it is called The beauty of the earth The standard of the Nations The holy Citie A citie whose walles and gates are of precious stones and the streets of gold The rose of the field The Lilly of the Vallies The fairest amongst women An Orchard of Pomgranats A Fountaine of Gardens A well of springing waters And being compared with other societies As a Lilly amongst thornes and like the Apple-tree amongst the trees of the Forest So then by all these comparisons it is euident that there is no society in the world so excellent none so worthy none so amiable none so louely none so deare none so precious vnto the Lord as is his Church And thus in generall we haue seene what excellent proportion and congruity there is between them and how liuely by a Vine-yard the nature and condition of the Church visible is set forth Now more particularly if we compare the Church and the Vine it selfe together we shall finde the resemblances manifold either in respect of the Root or of the Branches or of the Barke or of
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
befall according to our doctrine deliuered Secondly The Deuill is more forward and readie to doe euill than any Witch can be for he is like a roaring Lion going about seeking whom he may deuoure and like a red or fiery Dragon burning in malice against Gods Church and people so that hee needs not to be stirred vp or sent by a Witch hee being so forward and watchfull of himselfe to doe mischiefe Whence it followes there is no more nor lesse hurt done than would be done if there were no Witches for as the Deuill can doe nothing to hurt the poorest creature before he haue power granted vnto him from the Lord so when he is permitted and hath his power granted he is not so sottish as not to execute his power except some Witch doe send him true it is if he can he will doe it as intreated and sent by Witches so cunning and craftie is hee that hee may doe the more harme vsing them but for a colour to drawon worser matters Thirdly the Deuill is the commander the Witch is but his drudge and seruant He is the god of this world and ruleth with power in the hearts of the children of disobedience shee is but his slaue and subiect to serue him and not command him and vsing her as his instrument hee wholly directeth her heart vnto the wickednesse And therefore whereas there be many naturall causes in the bodies of men and beasts of tortures lamenesse and of death it selfe which though the learnedst and most expert Physitian cannot espie yet hee can see and know and can coniecture very neere the time when they will take effect he plyeth it with the Witch and enflameth her minde with malice and moueth her to send him against that partie vpon which sending the man or beast suddenly and strangely are tormented fall lame and die and then hee telleth her that he did it vpon her sending and command when indeed shee obeyeth him being led by his suggestion and not he her The like is his practise when God giues him libertie to strike with bodily plagues any of the godly for the triall of their faith and patience hee couets if hee can to bring it thus about So that wee see shee is but his drudge and not he her seruant Let vs not then bee so deluded by this deceiuer neither stand in feare of any witch or sorcerer but of God alone for neither one or other can any way molest or hurt vs vntill God please to giue way and suffer them For a second vse seeing none can hurt vs vntill God giue way let this serue for Admonition vnto vs all that would liue in safety that we keepe in with God for if he be our friend what need wee care who be our enemies If he be with vs who can be against vs Be then of Dauids resolution to make God thy shield and buckler thy refuge and thy fortresse and thus being in Dauids taking thou maiest be in Dauids tune The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid I will not bee afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about Though an hoast should encampe against me my heart shall not be troubled though warre should rise against me in this I will be confident For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pauilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me hee shall set mee vp vpon a rocke I end this vse as Dauid ends that Psalme Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Thirdly this may serue to daunt the hearts and proud spirits of the wicked who insult ouer the godly because they are so few so meane so simple and so weake and pride themselues oftentimes in the conceit of their owne geeatnesse power policy and malicious intendments against the godly But these grosly deceiue themselues for let them know their rage and power is limited by the Lord so that they cannot doe what they list but what God will they cannot execute what they please but what pleaseth him Let Atheists Papists and all other prophane persons desist from deuising euill against Gods Sion A Prophet of their owne side will teach them it is in vaine to curse whom God hath blessed Lastly as Noahs Doue brought in her mouth an oliue leafe so doth this doctrine bring with it tidings of peace and comfort to such as are in Christ For if it be so that man cannot hurt vntill God giue way then Let all those that put their trust in thee reioice let them euer shout for ioy because thou defendest them let them also that loue thy name bee ioyfull in thee For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous with fauour wilt thou compasse him as with a shield What the Apostle speakes in case of damnation may bee spoken also in case of danger There is none vnto them They are alike safe in euery place euen in the midst of their mortall enemies as amongst their kindest friends and so likewise at all seasons for whereas the wicked who are without God are like a bird without a nest or a beast without a den liable to any storme that ariseth and danger that befals yet it is otherwise with the godly they know whither to goe to bee hid from the strife of tongues and violence of Tyrants Gods fauour ioyned with his mighty power and faithfulnesse is a strong tower thither the righteous runne and are exalted which fort and castle of defence is euery where and no time is vnseasonable to repaire vnto it no place an impediment to hinder them from it no bodily weaknesse can disable them of it their iourney may be vndertaken at midnight as well as at mid-day and they may runne apace as they sit in their houses or lie in their beds and the feeblest creeple may make as good speed as the swiftest footman the wals thereof can no enemy scale the forts thereof can no aduersary batter well may our enemies assault vs but no multitude nor power can preuaile against vs because he that is with vs is stronger than they that are against vs so that the flouds of great waters can neuer come nigh vs. Oh the security and felicity of the faithfull maruellous great it is who haue such a tower to flie vnto and such a shield to couer and compasse them round about as is impenetrable no sword no dart nor shot can possibly strike them vntill it pierce him so fenced are they in their goods in their cattell and in all that belongs vnto them that no wicked spirit by any art can come neere to touch them without a speciall commission from the Almighty When Philip King of Macedon had slept a sound sleepe and at length