The Song of the Beloved Concerning His Vineyard, Part 2 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
…. The Lords complaint againſt his vnkind people in theſe words: viz.
…hat could I hauehave done more to my Vineyard that I hauehave not done to it? Why hauehave I looked that it ſhould bring forth grapes, and it bringeth forth wild grapes? verſ. 4.
AFter that the Lord had appealed to the iudgement of the people, touching the caſe betweene him and …em, and obtained audience, he openeth …e whole matter; and firſt, he doeth not …ly repeate his manifold benefits be…owed on them, but alſo cleareth him…lfe of all fault which peraduenture they …ould hauehave caſt on him, and then bothAn action of vnkindneſſe commenced by God againſt the Iewes. …ommenceth his Action of ingratitude …gainſt them, and proueth the ſame to …heir faces. Therefore he ſayth, verſe 4. …hat could I hauehave done any more to my …ineyard, that I hauehave not done vntounto it? Why …aue I looked that it ſhould bring forth …rapes, and it bringeth forth wilde grapes? As if he ſaid: ye cannot ſay, that ye wanted any thing which of my part ſhoul… hauehave bene done for you: wherefore the… hauehave yee ſo recompenced mee? wha… moued you to vſe mee ſo? are yee no… too ingratefull againſt me? Lo, in thi… we ſee not only a very patheticall complaint of the Lord againſt this people of Iſrael, but alſo the reaſon of the ſame.
2. Theſe two points the Prophet H… ſey Hoſ…ah. 6.combineth, when he ſaith in the Lord… behalfe: O Ephraim, what ſhall I do vntounto 1. A complaint. 2. The cauſe thereof.thee? O Iudah, how ſhall I intreate thee? By Ephraim, he meaneth the houſe o… Iſrael: by Iudah, the Iewes. This is the complaint: he addeth a reaſon thereof, ſaying: Your goodneſſe is like a morning cloude, and like a deawe that quickly goeth away: whereby he noteth their inconſtancie and deceitfulneſſe. This complaint is alſo very patheticall, as if the Lord had ſtriued with himſelfe to hauehave vttred ſomething more, then he could in words expreſſe. And this doeth the manner of the ſpeech by interrogationThe manner of the ſpeech. or expoſtulation fortifie, hauing in it indeed a more emphaſis and force, then he had onelyonly ſayd, in a playne affir…ation; I am not able to do any more …en I hauehave done for Ephraim: nor to …treate Iuda better then I hauehave intrea…d him. I know not what more I ſhould …ue done for my Vineyard, then I …ue done. In this ſort ſpeaketh the …ord in Ieremy, 31. 20. ſaying: Is E…hraim my deare ſonne, or pleaſant child? though he would ſay, No, no: for he …th dealt vnfaithfully with me. And …us ſayth the Lord againe, clearing him…fe, Ierem. 2. 5. What iniquitie hauehave your …hers found in me, that they are gone …re from me, and hauehave walked after va…tie, and are become vayne? as if he …yd: None at all.
3. And here, the Lord expoſtula…g with the houſe of Iſrael, ſeemeth reuiue and call into remembrance,The Lord puts them in mind of his owne goodneſſe towards them. …at wonders and workes, what bene…es and bleſſings hee had wrought, …ne, and beſtowed on an vnkinde …d ingratefull people. As if he would …ue ſayd: O houſe of Iſrael, and men of …dah, conſider well & remember, what I hauehave done for you: hauehave I not powr… forth many bleſſings and benefites o… you? hauehave I not done and wrought man… ſtrange and wonderfull workes amon… you? yea, and ſuch, as none elſe could do did not I make choyce of thee for m… ſelfe before all the nations vnderunder the he… uens? when thou diddeſt wallow in th… Ezek. 16. 6.miſerie, vile and contemptible, did not looke vponupon thee, pitie thee, and promiſ… thee life? did not I ſpread my skirts o… thee, and couered thy filthineſſe? did no… I ſweare vntounto thee, and made a couenan… with thee? did not I waſh thee with water, and annoynted thee with oyle: an… clothed thee, and ſhooed thee, and gir… thee about, and decked and adorned the… with gold, ſiluer, and fine linnen, and ſilk… and broydred worke? did not I feede thee with fine flower, and honey, and oyle, and made thee beawtifull? and did not I for thee all things elſe, either pleaſant, profitable, or conuenient eueryevery way? And was this of thy goodneſſe … was it not rather of my louelove and merciemercy▪
4. Againe call to mind and conſider, ô houſe of Iſrael, and man of Iudah, wha… I hauehave done: did not I make choyce ofThe Lord ſheweth how prouident and carefull he was of his Vineyard. …he Place, as ſtrong, plentifull, and plea…nt for my Vineyard? did I not hedge …e ſame about with my grace, and diuine …rotection? did I not caſt out the ſtony …arted Canaanites before thy face, and … things that might hurt or annoy thee? …d I not plant in thee the pleaſant Sorec …d beſt plants, and ſtored thee with …ly, zealous, and godly men? did not …ith coſt and care build a Tower in the …ddeſt of thee? haddeſt not thou a …emple for my worſhip, and noble …ngs and Princes, and many mightie …rkes in the middeſt of thee for thy bet… beawtie, glorie, and defence? did …ot make a Wine-preſſe therein, and …red thee with the burthens of the …ophets, and admonitions, and com…ts, and comminations, and exclama…ns, and exhortations, and all things elſe the health of thy Soule, to ſtirre thee and enable thee to be fruitefull and …nkfull?
…. Well, after all theſe tokens of my …e and merciemercy towards thee: did not I …e for grapes and expect good fruites? yea, I ſtayd and wayted from time … God puts them in mind of his owne good expectatiō.time, to ſee if thou wouldeſt yet at leng… bring forth any good and pleaſant fruit vntounto me: for as I am mercifull, of lon… ſuffring, and would with all mine hear… rather wayte for the repentance of a ſi… ner, then haſtely to condemne and deſtroy him, if there may be hope there of: ſo I hauehave ſtayd and wayted for the… to yeeld me good fruites: I looked fo… grapes, that is to ſay, for Iudgement, a… Iustice: I hoped that thou wouldeſt performe thoſe duties which in my La… I had preſcribed thee to performe: ſo I formed thee for my ſelfe, to ſhew for… Iſa. 43. 21.my prayſe.
6. But after all thoſe bleſſings a… Here the Lord chargeth them with ingratitude. The cauſe of his complaint. Iſa. 43. 21.tokens of my louelove, what haſt thou yee… ded me to anſwere my louelove, and ſatisf… mine expectation? Thou haſt not called vponupon mee (ô Iacob) but thou ha… wearied mee (ô Iſrael.) Thou haſt n… brought me the ſheepe of thy burnt o… frings, neither haſt thou honoured m… with thy ſacrifices, &c. but thou ha… laden me with thy ſinnes, and weari… mee with thine iniquities. Thy fath… hath ſinned, and thy teachers hauehave …anſgreſſed againſt mee: and thou haſt …eelded mee in ſteed of grapes, wilde …rapes: that is, for Iudgement and Iu…ce, oppreſſion, and a crying: wic…edneſſe, and iniquitie, Eccles. 3. 16. …mos. 5. 7. Thou haſt brought forth …to mee for liberalitie, couetouſneſſe: …r ſobrietie, dronkenneſſe: for repen…nce, impenitencie: for louelove, enuie: …r chaſtitie, filthie luſt: for long-ſuf…ing, haſtie reuenge: for humilitie,They had no reaſon to behaue themſelues ſo towards the Lord. …de: for merciemercy, crueltie: for iuſtice, …urie: for iudgement, oppreſſion: for …odneſſe, naughtineſſe. And why haſt …ou ſo done? what reaſon hath moued …ee to behaue thy ſelfe ſo towards …e?
7. Thus did the Prophet Nathan in … name of the Lord vpbrayd Dauid … King, and he ſayd: Wherefore haſt 2. Sam. 12. 9.…u deſpiſed the commandement of the Lord … God to do euill in his ſight? And thus Sa…el charged and vpbrayded Saul, and …d: Thus and thus haſt thou done: Where…e haſt thou not obeyed the voyce of the 1. Sam. 15. 19…rd? And in this ſort, Moſes charged andDeut. 32. 6. expoſtulated the old Iſraelites, ſaying▪ D… ye ſo reward the Lord, ô ye fooliſh nation a… vnwiſe? But why hauehave yee done thus what can yee alleage for your ſelues t… iuſtifie your ſelues in this point? Surel… ye are wholy inexcuſab… …fore me, an… as naked as Adam was a… his fall, neyther are ye able with fig leaues to coue… your filthineſſe and ſhame.
8. Thus are they accited, and draw… to the barre of Gods iudgement, a… hardly charged vpō the Lords complain… They ſtand arraigned in the open Seſ… ons before the eyes of all the world, wit… guilty conſciences and trembling heart… and find no reaſon to excuſe thēſelues … vnkindnes, nor any way to eſcape eith… the ſentence of cōdemnation, or the execution of that iudgemēt which is denou… ced againſt them for ſuch their monſtro… ingratitude, and well worthy: for why di… they ſo requite the Lords goodneſſe, t… yeeld him wild grapes, when he require… and expected fruites anſwerable to h… louelove, wiſdome, coſt, care and diligenc… They had no reaſon at all ſo to decei… his hope, to fruſtrate his expectation, a… … behaue themſelues ſo frowardly to…ards him, as they themſelues cannot …ooſe but in their conſciences graunt, …d with their tongues confeſſe the ſame …fore God, and all his holy Angels.