The Wild Vine, Title page – To the reader
THE WILD VINE: OR, AN EXPOSITION ON ISAIAH'S PARABOLICALL Song of the Beloued: Iſa. 5.1, 2, 3, &c.
By NEHEMIAH ROGERS, Paſtor of Meſsing in Eſſex.
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right ſeed: How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a ſtrange vine vntounto me? Ier. 2.21.
LONDON, Printed for Edward Brewſter, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the Signe of the Bible, at the great North doore of Pauls. 1632.
TO The Right Honourable and truly Noble Lord, ROBERT Earle of Warwick, Lord RICH, Baron of Leeze, &c.
Encreaſe of Honour here, and euerlasting Glory hereafter.
Right Honorable Lord;
MAy it pleaſe you to take in good worth this my bold attempt, in that vponupon ſo little knowledge and far leſſe deſerts, I hauehave aduentured ſo far, as to grace theſe my weake labours with your Noble name.
Beſides ſome perſonall and particular reſpects which I here let paſſe; I hauehave had ſome generall inducements hereunto; and this aboue the reſt, Your Honours louelove vntounto the Truth, and great regard of the Miniſterie thereof; which your more than ordinarie paines taking to heare holy Inſtructions, together with the great reſpect your Honour giues to ſuch as bring glad tidings of peace (whoſe feet (and much more their face)Rom. 10.15. are eſteemed by you as beautifull) are ſufficient arguments to euince. By which and other fruits of pietie you ſtill merit renowne to your Noble Name, and are zealouſly honoured of al that know you and louelove goodneſſe. into which number (I hopefully preſuming) hauehave thruſt my ſelfe, as being loth to bee hindmoſt in that acknowledgement which is ſo nobly deſerued, and ioyfully rendered of all; deſiring (as far as in me lieth) to make knowne vntounto the world that grace which lies lodged in your noble breſt, which being vnited to your greatneſſe, maketh ſo happie a compoſition, as that they who had no more than Natures light, eſteemed it only for trueaNobilitas ſola eſt at que unica virtus. Iuven. Nobilitie.
For whereas greatneſſe makes ſome men ſcornefull and imperious: yet whatbNec quicquam in te mutavit fortunae amplitudo niſi ut prodeſſe tantundem poſſes & velles Plin. epiſt. ad Veſpaſ. Plinius reports of Veſpaſian, may be truly ſaid of you; It hath changed nothing in you but this, that your power to doe good ſhould bee anſwerable to your will.
Yea, it may be iuſtly thought, that your Honour would teach men to take the meaſure of your greatneſſe, by your goodneſſe; of ſo euen a length and equall pace are they. And indeed ſo it muſt be, for ſhould Honour outrunne Honeſtie, it would hardly bee ouertaken.
But I muſt remember to whom I ſpeake, euen to ſuch a one as careth not for long ſalutations in the Markets: I hauehave done when I hauehave once againe craued pardon for my boldneſſe, and humbly requeſted at your Honours hands (whoſe goodneſſe hath not wont to magnifie it ſelfe more in giuing, than in receiuing ſuch like holy preſents) acceptation and countenance to what is here offered by a thankfull heart.
As for the Matter herein handled, I will not feare to ſay it deſerues it: And for the Manner I muſt ſay it needs it; whatſoeuer it bee, bee it not as it ſhould be, yet my will wiſheth it to be well; but as it is
I humbly betake it to your Honours fouourable protection: And ſo your Honour to the protection of the Highest.
Your Honours humbly and officiouſly deuoted in all dutie, NEHEMIAH ROGERS.
& TO The right vertuous and truly zealous Ladie FRANCIS, Counteſſe of Warwicke, and wife to the Right Honorable Lord, ROBERT Earle of Warwick, &c.
Encreaſe of Honour here, and euerlasting Glory hereafter.
Right Noble Lady;
MY attempt may ſeeme a wonder, but where IVDGEMENT ſearcheth out the cauſe, and Prudence guideth Wiſdome to weigh the circumſtance, the conceit of wondermēt ceaſeth. What hath induced mee to ioyne you with your Honourable Lord, needs no long relation: God hath cemented and combined you together with the neereſt & ſtrongeſt bands, and therefore I in my due honoring of both, preſume to conioyne you both in this one Dedication.
What is conceiued and reported of your Honours worth, thorow all our Countrey, I must paſſe ouer in ſilence, for well I know your excellent modestie will not ſuffer ſuch (though deſerued) a relation: Your Honour rather affecting to doe things deſeruing Fame, than Fame it ſelfe: And like the fixed ſtarres, the higher God hath ſet you, the leſſe you deſire to ſeeme.
I confeſſe I am (as yet) but a Stranger in theſe parts, yet must he be more ſtrange that meeteth not with the report of your Honours vertues: whoſe diligent paines in gaining knowledge of holy things, and conſcionable practiſe of what you know: whoſe humble, ſober, wiſe, courteous, and modest cariage (rare vertues to be found in Ladies of ſo high a place and ranke) are ſo many tongues, and mouthes, and pens, without mine, to publiſh your due praiſes.
And though through the corruption of theſe times, this age is growne ſo baſe, as that one cannot thinke any to be the better or the worſe for the report that flies of them, vnleſſe they be eye-witneſſes either of their good or ill; yet where the ſound is all ſo honourable, I dare be confident of an holy inclination, & gratious diſpoſition; which hath giuen me ſuch encouragement, as that I hauehave little need to miſdoubt either your Honours acceptation of this Treatiſe, or to aduiſe your vſe: for I perſwade my ſelfe that you wil not only view the title and Epiſtle (as the faſhion of moſt Patrons is) but the whole book alſo in ſome of thoſe houres which your Honour redeemes (I dare ſay) for ſoule employments, from thoſe idle and exceſsiue cuſtomes wherein too many Ladies pleaſe themſelues and none elſe.
But I know that your Honor will be better pleaſed, if I turne praiſes into praiers: therefore I will endeuour to ſupply that want, this way; beſeeching the God of Maieſtie and mercy, to ſanctifie your heart, yet more and more; who with the New-yeere giuegive you new ſupplies of the graces of his Spirit, and gratiouſly to encreaſe in you the ground of all true Honor, Goodneſſe.
Let me not offend in offering ſo meane a worke to ſo worthy a Perſonage: the weaker it is, the more need hath it of a worthy Patron, therefore
I humbly betake it to your Honours fouourable protection: And ſo your Honour to the protection of the Highest.
Your Honours humbly and officiouſly deuoted in all dutie, NEHEMIAH ROGERS.
TO THE READER.
HE that feaſts high Eſtates, muſt ſeeke out for forraine Cookeries, and fantaſticall diſhes to pleaſe their pallats; but hee that in true charitie inuites home his plaine honeſt neighbours, doth well enough if he prouide ſuch homely fare as ſhall be competent and befitting men of meaner qualitie: It is the plaine Country-man I feaſt, commonly called the Good-man; And therefore for thee Reader to expect any curious Diuiſion, rare Inuention, or Rhetoricall compoſition in this Treatiſe, would be as vaine and idle, as to hope to meet with puft paſte at a Plow-mans table.
As for thoſe who driue their flockes vponupon the mountain tops, for eueryevery ſpeare of graſſe they there ſpie growing, I neither enuie them,Qui ſua metitur pondera ferre poteſt. Martial. nor dare follow them, for I confeſſe ingenuouſly my abilitie and gifts will not ſuffer me: Or if they would, yet I would forbeare, and rather chuſe to feed my ſheep in the valleyes where is graſſe enough, handling the Doctrine of Faith and Good life, than to trauell in the controuerted points of Predeſtination, Free-will, Church-gouernments, &c. for hee is blinde who ſees not that mens braines are full, but their hearts are emptie. Our tongues runne ouer, but for twentie good words, we hauehave not one good work; which is our ſhame.
If then thou loueſt not plainneſſe, lay this booke by, for ſuch as louelove it; for though ſuch diet be not for thy tooth, yet there are thouſands of good ſoules, who like better with ſuch pulſe, than with daintier fare, growing faſter in knowledge, and ſtronger in the Faith, with ſuch plaine Inſtructions, than by more learned Treatiſes. But if thou be ſuch a one as deſireſt rather to hauehave thy conſcience, than thy curioſitie ſatisfied; thy heart ſeaſoned, and ſoule profited, than thy eares tickled with pleaſingneſſe of words; thou art hee for whom this was penned: And thou art welcome. I hauehave ſaid; doe thou reade; God bleſſe thy reading. And doe thou remaine mine, as I am
Thine in Christ, N. ROGERS.