The Song of the Beloved Concerning His Vineyard, Part 2 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
The Lords ſentence and commination, viz.
…d now I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard, verſe 5.
…Oraſmuch as the houſe of Iſrael, and the Iewes, would not be moued at all to the performance of their dutie, …hich was, that they ſhould hauehave walked the way of the Lord, being fruitfull in …od works) either by the conſideration …his benefits, or his expectation of their …od fruites, or by the equitie of his cauſe …hich he referred to their iudgements, or … his wofull moane & patheticall com…aint of their monſtrous vnkindneſſe to…ards him; he proceedeth in his ſuite a…inſt them, and now (at the length)A comination. …reatneth them with his heauy iudgements and plagues, the which, he did ful… determine to caſt on them, except the… repented.
2. When Chriſt in the Goſpell ha… propoſed the Parable of the perfido… hu…bandmen and the Vineyard, to th… prieſts and rulers of the Iewes▪ he therevpon asked them, ſaying: When therefor… the Lord of the Vineyard ſhall come, wh… The Iewes out of their owne words are both iudged and condemnedſhall he do to theſe husbandmen? and the… gaue the ſentence of condemnation againſt themſelues, ſaying: He will crully destroy thoſe wicked men, &c. And th… Lord replyeth: Therefore I ſay vn…o … that the kingdome of God ſhall be taken fro… you, &c. Here our Sauiour hauing gotte… of thoſe Iewes the ſentence of condemnation▪ againſt themſelues, ratifieth th… owne words, and threatneth them with the iudgements of God for their wickedneſſe: Therefore I ſay vntounto you, &c. S… dealeth the Prophet, and ſayth in th… name of the Lord: And now will I tell yo… what I will do to my Vineyard.
3. Indeed there is ſomething purpoſedThere is a iudgement denounced, which in the due time ſhall be executed on the guiltie. to be done, & a worke to be wrough… in his time, that the eares of all them th… heare thereof, ſhal glow, as ſayth the Pro…het, for they hauehave mocked me & decei…ed mine expectation (ſayth the Lord) …erefore ſhal they alſo be mocked & de…iued: they loathed bleſſings, they ſhall …erfore hauehave curſings: they contemned …ercie, they ſhal therfore hauehave ſeueritie: …ey ſhal be troubled as with a ſtorme in …e ſea, with a ſword in an houſe, with a …oath in a garment, with a ruſt in yron, …ith a fire among thornes: they ſhall find …eir enemies to be as ſtrong as Gyants, … ramping as Lions, as cruell as Beares, … fierce as Tygars; they ſhall be ſpoyled …d puniſhed; and then, be conſtrayned … acknowledge their owne vnkindneſſe …d ſinnes againſt me. And this is that …hich Moſes propheſied of long before, …hereof the Prophets preached in their …es, and Chriſt himſelfe confirmed and … …ea…ed on the latter Iewes, which in …e due time was alſo accompliſhed.
4. By this we may perceiue, that their …nnes were not ſmall againſt the Lord, …ho was ſo mightely prouoked to high …iſpleaſure: and that, as their great …nnes moued him to great wrath, ſo the end of this wrath is the death of th… irrepentant ſinner: for as without ſinne, there is no diſpleaſure; ſo without diſpleaſure, there is no death, no miſerie: for man was not ſubiect either to death or miſerie, vntill he had ſinned. But thi… will appeare the more, if we duely conſider, firſt who they be which are here threatned to be puniſhed, and then who he is, which threatneth and puniſheth them.
5. But who are threatned to be puniſhed?1 The Lords owne Vineyard is threatned. Amos 3. 1: 2. euen the Vineyard of the Beloued, the houſe of Iſrael, the people of the Lord, for they hauehave rebelled againſt him: neither doeth the Lord omit both to threaten, and alſo to beate and puniſh them for the ſame. Thus iudgement beginneth at Gods houſe (as the Apoſtle ſayth) and if it be ſo, what ſhall be the end of the vngodlie? S. Paul layeth theThe old Iſraelites. 1. Cor. 10. caſe of the old Iſraelites before the Corinthians, and telleth them, how they are made examples to them that come after. They might hauehave bene examples to the latter Iewes, had they had grace, and thoſe latter Iewes may be examples for …s. Therefore let vsus not be high mindedRo. 11. …ut feare, for if God ſpared not the natu…ll braunches, neither will he ſpare vsus. if …e be polluted with the like abhominati…s. The Scriptures are ſtored with theſe …d ſuch like cominations and threats of …dgements, not I ſay, not againſt the …entiles and Heathen people, but againſt …e people of Iſrael and Iudah, as the ſha…g of a rodde ouer the ſtubborne ſer…nt and rebellious child.
6. But who threatneth, and who pu…heth2. God threatneth and puniſheth his people. the people of God? who durſt be …bolde to reproue them? to threaten thē? … correct and puniſh them? The Pro…et telleth them, that God taketh this …ter into his owne hand, and doth both …reaten and beate them that bee of his …ne houſe if they offend him, as a Mai…r his ſeruant, as a father his child: and …at he expreſſeth in theſe words: Now will tell you what I will doo to my Vineyard. …heſe are the words of God, which the …rophet ſpeaketh vntounto them: and hee …th not, I will appoint or command this … that Tyrant, or this or that perſon to …ecute this thing: but I will doo it my ſelfe: yea, I will correct and puniſh my Vineyard mine owne people with rod… with ſtripes. An hard caſe is it no doubt, when a father ſhall be cōſtrained through the ſtubborne wickedneſſe of his owne children, to be ſeuere & cruell vntounto them▪ Yet loe, they, euen they whom hee hath brought vp, hauehave abuſed his goodneſſe ſo far, that hee is iuſtly prouoked to puniſ… and grieue them with ſeueritie.
7. Thus ſaid the Lord by his Prophet to Dauid▪ Behold, I will raiſe vp euill againſt thee out of thine owne houſe. 2. Sam▪ 12. 11. And Iſay ſaith, that for the ſinne of the people, God will take away from Ieruſalem and from Iudah, the ſtay and the ſtrength, a… the ſtay of bread, and all the ſtay of water, Iſa… 3. 1. Againe▪ The Lord ſhall make bald th… heads of the daughters of Zion: and the Lor… ſhall diſcouer their ſecret parts: Verſ. 17. Againe: The Lord ſhall waſh the filthineſſ… off the daughters of Zion, and purge th… bloud of Ieruſalem out of the middes therof by the ſpirit▪ of Iudgement, and by the ſpirit o… burning. Iſa. 4. 4. Againe, The wrath o… the Lord is kindled againſt his people▪ and hee hath ſtretched out his hand vpo… them, and hath ſmitten them. Iſa. 5▪ …5. And … ſaith the Lord himſelfe by the Pro…het Habaouk▪ Chap. 1. 5. I worked worke … your dayes, a worke which ye… will not …eleeue, if a man would declare it you? …ct. 13. 41. And he meaneth his iudge…ents on the …ewes for the contempt of …s word, the abuſe of his bleſſings, which … ſaith …e wil himſelf execute. So he ſaith … Ieremie▪ againſt the kings of Iudah: I wil Ier. 22. 7.…epare a deſtroy… …th his weapons for …ee.By this euil, he meaneth plagues, not that God is Author of ſinne. Amo. 3. 6.
8. And this acknowledged the ſeruant … Ieh…ram, is hen hee ſaid to Eliſha tou…ing the g…eat plague of famine that was … Samaria in the ſl…g… of the King of A…m: Behold… this euill commeth of the Lord. … King. 33. For there is not euill in a Ci… which the Lord hath not done ſaith Amos: by this euill hee meaneth thoſe …lictions and troubles which ſell vponupon …e Cities of Iſrael and Iudah for theyr …nſgreſſions… and were inflicted by the …ord himſelfe … according … hee before …reatned them, ſaying▪ I will ſend a …e vppon Iudah. and it ſhall deuoure …e places of Ieruſalem: Amos. 2. 5. Againe he ſaith: I will viſit you for al… your iniquities: Chap. 3. 2. And the Prophet Iſayah in this place vſeth the Pronowne and particle, Ego, which beeingEgo. propoſed for an Emphaſis, addeth to the matter the more vehemence. As in the 15. of Gen. verſ. 7. the Lord ſaith: Euen I the Lord, which hauehave brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees. By this it appeareth, that the Lord himſelfe both threatneth and puniſheth his people for their rebellion and ſin, whoſoeuer be his executioners.
9. Notwithſtanding, the goodneſſe of God is ſeene euen heere alſo, in two1. Gods goodneſſe appeareth in two things. things: firſt, that he doth not puniſh them before hee giueth them warning thereof by his Prophets: ſecondly, that he puniſ… them not by & by, but deferreth it as ye… and theſe two poynts he expreſſeth in thoſe two words: firſt he ſaith; Now I will tell you … ſecondly, hee ſaith, What I wil… doo: that is to ſay, what (not now, but) hereafter in the time to come, I will do… to my Ʋineyard.
10. Of the firſt ſaith the Prophet Amos: God giueth warning before he… plagueth them that offend him.Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he reuealeth his ſecrets to his ſeruants the …rophets. And this merciemercy did the Lord …ew vntounto the olde world, when he war…ed them by Noah, of the plague enſu…g. And the like he did to Sodome andGen. 6. 13. Gen. 19. …omorrah by Loth, but moſt of all hath …is merciemercy bin declared on the Iſraelites: … whom the Lord ſent his ſeruants the …rophets, from time to time, to admoniſh …em of his diſpleaſure, and to call them … repentance. And in this, he would that …e ſhould vnderſtand, how loth he is to …eſtroy a ſinner, and how willing he is, …at he ſhould conuert and liue. There…re, when we heare thoſe threatnings and …monitions denounced and giuen to vsus … the Lords Miniſters, let vsus not con…mne nor diſdaine them, but know, that …e Lord by theſe meanes is willing wee …ould vnderſtand his pleaſure: be admo…ſhed to flie thoſe future deſtructions2. Gods long ſuffering in not plaging thē by and by as ſoone as they offend him. …hereof we be warned in the time of his …race.
11. In the ſecond, appeareth his moſt …iſe deliberation and mercifull long ſuf…ring. But what need hath the Lord to …dmoniſh vsus before hand of plagues enſuing? to ſtay for our amendment? to d… ferre to power downe the thunderbol… of wrath vponupon ſinfull and miſerable m…n▪ Surely, wee may well wonder at this th… Lords goodneſſe with the Pſalmiſt, whichPſal. 8. 4. H. …. 2. 6. ſaid: Lord, what is man, that thou ſhouldeſt … mindfull of him? or the ſonne of man, that th… wouldeſt conſider him? Is not this ſpoke… for our ſakes, and a leſſon giuen▪ to inſtruc… and …each vsus? he ſheweth that the thoght… of the Lord and his waies, are not like ou… thoughts, or our waies: but that for hi… Iſa. 55.names …ke, and for his praiſe, he will defe… Iſa. 84. 9.his wr…, and refraine, as he ſaith by hi… Prophet, to puniſh offenders. Therefor… he is ſlow to anger, and forbeareth long… yet he puniſheth men when they offen… him, to waight for their repententance… and that when ſoeuer the fruits of our faith appeareth, and we declare our ſelues ſuch as forſake our wicked wayes and vngodly imaginations, hee is moſt readie to ſhewe… merciemercy and to forgiue vsus our ſinnes. Howbeit,The long ſuffering & goodneſſe of God, ſhould not emboldē vsus in ſinne. this is not ſpoken to embolden vsus in our ſinnes, nor that we thereby preſum… on his goodneſſe: for as he is ſlow to anger towards them that are cureable by repentance: ſo is he of great power towards …em that preſume & continue obſtinate, …deſtroy them. Let vsus not therefore pre…me and ſinne more and more, becauſe …s goodneſſe forbeareth yet to puniſh …: but rather let this his goodneſſe leade … to repentance and newneſſe of life.
12. To this end the Lord deferred to …ſtroy the old world, after he had giuen …em warning thereof by Noah an hun…ed and twentie yeares: in all the which …e, they had ſpace to repent. Thus …e Lord made a ſtay to deſtroy So…me, after he had told Abraham thereof, …d had warned them by Loth one whole …ht. Thus the Lord allotted vntounto Ni…ie fortie dayes: thus the Lord waited … the children of Iſrael in the wilder…ſſe fortie yeares; and after that, in the …es of the Iudges, of the Kings, of the …ophets; many yeares after hee had …rned them, did hee defere to puniſh …em: Hezekiah had the time of his life, …d Ioſiah, had his life alſo of reſpit, …fore the Babilonicall captiuitie.
Laſtly: the latter Iewes hadde fortie …res allotted them to repent, after that Chriſt had foretold them of their fina… deſolation: And wiſhed (with all his ha… for their returne and amendment; th… which, when he found not, he ſighed, an… thus complained: Oh that my people ha… (… Pſal. 81. 13. 14.their time) hearkened vntounto m…: and Iſra… had walked in my waies: I would ſoone ha… humbled their enemies, and turned mine ha… againſt their aduerſaries?
13. But notwithſtanding this forewa… ning and the long ſuffering of the Lord… the Vinyard of the Lord, which brough… forth wilde grapes, and turned IudgementThe Iewes conſidered not of Gods merciemercy and long ſuffering of thē. into Worme-wood, and Iuſtice into iniurie) would neither acknowledg… their vngodlineſſe as yet, nor repent o… their ſinnes, nor regard the Lords merciemercy… but as a froward generation, they reſiſte… the holy Ghoſt; and as the fathers did, ſ… did the children: and worſe alſo, degenerating and declining farther and farthe… eueryevery day from the good nature of they… heauenly father, through the malice o… the diuell▪ to whom they gaue place, an… brought forth fruites more agreeable t… him, then anſwerable to the louelove an… goodneſſe of God.
14. Beſides all this, when the LordIſa. 22 12. 13. 14. God of hoaſtes did call them vntounto wee…ing, and mourning, and to baldneſſe, and … girding in ſackcloth, that is, to repētāce: …ehold, they in contempt of his word had …y & gladneſſe; ſlaying oxen, and killing …eep: eating fleſh, and drinking wine: ma…ng great cheare; ſaying in diriſion of the …rophets and their preachings, Let vsus eate, …inke and be merrie: for they ſay, to morrow … ſhall die. Therefore it was meete, that … which had enriched them with bene…es, ſhould now reproue them, and threa… to power out his wrath vponupon them. …d now let vsus heare what is denounced …d threatned to be caſt on them in the … of their viſitation.