The Song of the Beloved Concerning His Vineyard, Part 2 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
…Vhat fruites they are, which the Lord requireth: viz.
Iudgēment and Iuſtice.
THe Prophet Iſayah in the 7. verſe of the 5. Chapter (expounding the Parable he had propoſed) telleth what …hoſe fruites are which the Lord God loo…ed for and required to be yeelded to him …f his Vineyard in the due time, ſay…ng: he looked for Iudgement, and forIudgement, Iuſtice. Miſchpat. Zadarah. …ustice: the which two words are …ften times combined and ioyned togi…her, and diuerſly taken, according to the diuers formes, parts, and actions, to th… which they be placed, vſed and applie… Sometimes they be referred to the duti… The dutie of the Magiſtrates.of the Magiſtrates onelyonly: ſometime… to them, and to the duties of all other alſo; ſignifying in the one, the ordidinarie function, and publike adminiſtration; and the ordinarie and lawfull knowledge and diſcerning of cauſ… according to certaine preſcript lawes, whereby the Innocents are defended▪ the guiltie are puniſhed, and iuſtice i… The dutie of ſubiects and of Chriſtians one towards an other.adminiſtred to euerie perſon. In the other, that ciuill obedience and eternall right which men owe and are bound by the law, to yeeld one to an othero… them.
2. Againe, as they be applied to th… The Magiſtracie.magiſtrate and his office, two things … conſidered; namely to condemne and puniſh the malefactors, & that is Iudgement and to abſolue the Innocents, and to defend them from the iniurie of the wicked… and this is Iuſtice: as Chap. 1. verſ. 17. SoDauid. it is reported of Dauid the chiefe Magiſtrate in Iſrael, hee did Iudgement an… Iustice to all the people. 2. Samuel. 8. And this did Salomon execute in thatSalomon. …emorable example of the two harlots …at pleaded before him for the liuing …ild. He ſhewed Iustice, when he gaue …e child to his owne mother: he gaue …dgement, whē he condemned the other …hich had falſely accuſed the iuſt and in…cent. So alſo Iehu did yeeld Iudgement Iehu.killing the Prophets of Baal, & Iuſtice preſeruing the Prophets of the Lord. …nd thus the holy Ghoſt commandeth to iuſtifie iuſt matters, and to con…mne wicked matters, the which who doeth, ſhall be ſaid to yeeld Iudgement …d Iustice: and the which two things, the …ord doth expect and require of all them …at be put in authoritie, as Iere. 22. 3.
3. As the words are referred to the3 The people and their duty. …ople, and their dutie, they comprehend the works and things which the Lord …th commanded and required of man, …pecially thoſe which are conteined in …e ſecond Table of the Lawe, by the …hich they ſhould declare and confirme …eir Religion before men, as Chriſt com…anded:Math. 5. So let your light ſhine before men, …hat they may ſee your good works. Theſe indeed are the fruites of the feare of GodFruites of the feare of God. and the ſignes of holy Religion, the which, whoſoeuer bringeth not forth (howſoeuer he be entitled either in the Church, or in the Common-wealth) he i… either as that barrain fig tree without figs and as that Vine without grapes: or th… bitter roote that bringeth foorth bitter fruite, and that euill man, that from the euill treaſure of his heart bringeth forth that which is euill.
4. And theſe two words may in this1. The mind and conſcience. 2. The word and action. part be aptly referred, the one to the mind and conſcience: the other to the word & action: in the which, the one is as the tree, the other as the frute, expreſſing the kind of the tree. And this cannot but draw mē to a more neere examination of themſelues. EueryEvery one is ready to ſay, that he loueth God, and that he beleeueth well: but this is certaine, that he only loueth God, and hath faith, that loueth his neighbour, his brother, and hath an earneſt deſire to do thoſe works, and to performe thoſe duties which the Lord hath enioyned him in his lawe. And we cannot ſay, that that man hath a liuely and ſound faith, and is a right worſhipper of GodFaith and workes. according to thoſe commandements conteined in the firſt Table) who expreſſeth not the ſame by a good worke, by an holy life: for faith which worketh …ot, is a dead faith; but by the worke, …oth the life and the qualitie of the faith … manifeſt. Therefore ſayth S. Iames, Shew me thy faith by thy workes.
5. For as men do commonly gather …uch kind of fruite, as either their trees or …heir ſeeds do naturally yeeld (as not figsSuch as the tree is, ſuch are the fruites. …f thiſtles, or grapes of thornes: but figs …f the fig trees, and grapes of the vines:) …o there ſpringeth frō a good faith and the …eare of God, not impuritie, not ſinne, …out holineſſe & righteouſneſſe, which are …he end of our redemption, as Zacharie …ngeth, Being deliuered from the hand of …ur enemies, to this end, that we ſhould ſerue God in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, before him, all the dayes of our life, without feare. And this conteineth louelove, merciemercy, gentleneſſe, peace, meekeneſſe, humilitie, longſuffring, and an obedient heart and endeuour to obſerue and keepe the lawe of God in all things. In and for the which, Chriſt himſelfe hath ſayd, that he will commend them that ſhall ſtand at hisMath. 25. right hand at the laſt Iudgement, as the notes and arguments of their faith and feare of God. And that the Prophet had this meaning, we may gather by this alſo, that he oppoſeth againſt Iudgement, Oppreſſion: and againſt Iuſtice, a Crying: as in that which followeth is more plainly declared.
6. The Prophet in this alludeth (as it ſeemeth) vntounto that place in Gen. 18. 9. where God commending righteous Abraham, ſayd, that he knew that AbrahamTo do iudgment and iuſtice, is to keepe the way of the Lord. would commaund his children, and his houſhold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord: he addeth, to do Iustice and Iudgement: to the obſeruation of the which way, (as to that which the Lord preſcribed them to do, and whereof he will call accompt) the Prophet calleth and allureth them. Lo, there is the fruite of faith and holy religion, expounded to be a walking in the way of the Lord: that is, a keeping of the Law of God.
7. This was commanded to the Iewes vnderunder theſe two words, Iuſtice, and Iudgement. And this Micheah teſtified that the Lord required of the people, to do iustlie, to louelove merciemercy, humble thy ſelfe, and to walke with God, Sapi. 6. 8. Chriſt alſo ſaid in the Goſpell, that the Iewes ſhould hauehave Iudgement, MercieMercy, Faith, being the waightie matters of the Law, Math. 23. 23. Which alſo S. Luke comprehendeth in theſe two words, Iudgement, and the louelove of God, Chap. 11. 42. Such pleaſant fruits yeelded holy Iob, of whom the Scriptures report,Iob yelded thoſe fruits. that hee was an vpright and a iuſt man, (though he were a Gentile and no Iew, to the condemnation of the Iewes) and the word is expreſſed, in that it is added: he feared God, and eſchued euill. Such fruits alſo both Zacharie, and his wife Elizabeth Zacharie and Elizabeth.yeelded among the Iewes, of whom it is written by the Euangeliſt, that they were iuſt before God. This Iustice was diſcerned in them by the fruits and outward appearance, and not by the cauſe, which only commeth of the free mercy of God in Chriſt: and therefore he addeth, that they walked in all the Commandements of the Lord without reproofe, Luk. 1. 6. And thus ſayth the Lord by this Prophet of Ieruſalem before her rebellion: It w… Ieruſalem had iudgement and iuſtice.full of Iudgement, and Iustice lodged therein. Whereby he meaneth thoſe works of the ſecond table, for vntounto thoſe works he oppoſeth fornication, murther, filthineſſe, rebellion, theft, couetouſneſſe, briberie, iniuſtice, &c. as Iſa. 1. 21. 22. 23.
8. Thus hauehave wee conſidered what fruites the Lord God expecteth and requireth of his Vineyard, ſuch as are both pleaſant to him, and profitable for the Vineyard. Theſe be the fruites, whereby wee expreſſe our thankefulneſſe to the Lord; then the which, nothing is more commendable in the iudgement of all good mē; then the which nothing is more delectable to be heard of, nor more acceptable to be cōſidered, nor more fruitfull to be performed. Whiles the inhabitors of Ieruſalem yelded this to the Lord, we heard him not to complaine, ſaying: I hauehave nouriſhed and brought vp children, but Iſa. 1.they hauehave rebelled againſt me: but we heard him to reioyce ouer them, and to commend them, ſaying, Ieruſalem which hath Iſay. 1. 21.promiſed fidelitie vntounto me (as a faithfull wife to her husband) is a faithfull City: it is full of Iudgement, and Iuſtice lodgeth therein.
9. All this premiſed, doth Moſes com…ehendDeut. 10. 12. 13. 14. 15. 20. 21. in theſe his words to the Iſrae…es. Now Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy …od require of thee? but to feare the Lord …y God, to walke in all his wayes, and to louelove …m, and to ſerue the Lord thy God with all …ine heart, and with all thy Soule: that thou …epe the Commandements of the Lord, and … Ordinances which I commaund thee this …y for thy wealth. Behold heauen, and the …auen of heauens is the Lords thy God, and …e earth with all that therein is. Notwith…nding the Lord ſet his delight in thy fa…ers to louelove them, and did chooſe their ſeede …ter them, euen you aboue all people.