The Song of the Beloved Concerning His Vineyard, Part 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
The louelove and merciemercy of God towards the Iewes expreſſed in this, that he hedged his Vineyard about, verſe 2.
IT ſeemeth to ſome, that the Prophet obſerueth not the right order of huſbandmen,The hedging of the Vineyard. who begin firſt to plant before they hedge their Vineyards. And to that order it ſeemeth that our Sauiour in Math. 21. 33. alludeth when he ſayth, that the houſholder planted a Vineyard, and hedged it round about. Howbeit, we ſhould rather reſpect the matter and drift of the Prophet, then his methode, being certaine, that the Lord (who is only wiſe) did not plant only his Vineyard in ſuch a place, but alſo added all things neceſſarie both for the defence, ſaferie and proſperitie of the ſame. And yet we ſhal not neede to ſubuert the Prophets order inThe Prophets order may be obſerued. this, ſeeing that according to the ſame, it may be true enough, that the Lord firſt …edged his Vineyard, and made all things ſafe and ſure about the very place thereof, before that he planted therein the choice Vine, as thoſe husbandmen accuſtome to do, which before they till and ſow their land, do firſt hedge and fence it ſtrongly round about.
2. And this ſhal appeare plaine enough, …f by this hedge we vnderſtand either the Lawe of Moſes (as ſome expound it) or the Diuine Protection, whereby the Lord gouerned, defended, and preſerued the children of Iſrael, and of the which, they …nioyed the benefit and commoditie long …ere they came into the land of Chanaan: Reade Pſal. 105 8. 13. 14.but then and there they felt the ſweete ſauour of the ſame moſt aboundantly, as that Vineyard which is enuironed and well fenced round about with a moſt mightie and ſubſtantiall hedge. And in this reſpect the Prophet obſerueth ſuch an order, as well became the Lords wiſe proceeding by his prouidēce in this matter, whereof Chriſt ſpake ſummarily.
3. This Hedge is expounded ſometimesBy the hedge, is noted ſometime the Law: Munſter. in Iſa. 5. to ſignifie the Law giuen by Moſes, by the which the people of Iſrael was kept in order within, and well defended from the foes without; and without the right vſe whereof, they reteyned neither good order nor ſafetie, but confuſion and ruine: howbeit, the Hedge here chiefely noteth the Diuine Protection, by the which (as by an hedge) theThe Diuine Protection. Lord both defended and preſerued the children of Iſrael. Of this hedge ſpeaketh the Pſalmiſt, ſaying: Who ſo dwelleth Pſal. 91.vnderunder the defence of the moſt higheſt, ſhall abide vnderunder the ſhadow of the Almightie. Againe, There ſhall none euill happen The commoditie of this hedge.vntounto them, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling: for he ſhall giuegive his Angels charge ouer thee, to keepe thee in all thy wayes. This hedge did the Lord promiſe to make about Ieruſalem, when he ſayd by the Prophet Zacharie, I my ſelfe Zach. 2. 5.will be a wall, or hedge of fier round about her. And in this time, he reproued the Deuourer for their ſakes, neytherMala. 3 11. did he ſuffer him to deſtroy the fruite of the ground, nor was their Vine barraine in the field, as ſayd the Prophet Malachie.
4. This is that hedge, with the which the Lord did compaſſe Eliſha round about, when to defend him from the rage of the Syrian ſouldiers, he ſent horſes2. King. 6. and chariots of fier, which enuironed the Citie of Dathan where Eliſha was. And this hedge did the Lord God make round about Iob, and all that he had, ſoIob. 1. 9. ſtrong, that the Diuell himſelfe could not ſo much as touch him. Therefore he ſayd, Doth Iob feare God for nought? haſt thou not made an hedge about him, and about his houſe: and about all that he hath on eueryevery ſide? thou haſt bleſſed the worke of his hands, and his ſubstance is increaſed in the land. That is, hath not Iob good cauſe to ſerue God, ſeeing God protecteth him and his houſe and ſubſtance, and bleſſeth and proſpereth him? but if the Lord would remoue from him this hedge, he ſhould ſoone be as bare as euer Adam was, when he ſought with fig leauesGen. 3. 7. to couer his nakedneſſe.
5. Indeed, whenſoeuer this hedge is gappedThe want of the hedge. Pſal. 80. (in the Lords diſpleaſure) there is then neither ſafetie nor proſperitie at all: for (as the Pſalmiſt ſayth) the wild Boare out of the wood, and the wild Beaſts of the field do deuour them within: that is, the cruell Tyrants, and ſuch as hate both the people of God, and the holy religion, are preſt and ready to inuade and deuoure them. The Aſſyrians wanted this hedge, when2. King 17. 25. being in the cities of Samaria, they were deſtroyed of Lions, which the Lord ſent among them, for that they feared not the Lord. And this hedge was gapped, before this, to the Iſraelites, when the Philiſtines entred into the Vineyard, and ſmote 30.1. Sam. 4. 10. 11. thouſand footemen of Iſrael, and tooke away the Arke of God, with the which (as the wife of Phinez complained) the Glory of Iſrael was departed.
6. When the Pſalmiſt on a time perceiued this hedge to be gapped, through the which the wild Boare of the wood, and the wild Beaſts of the field had entred the Vineyard, he lamented, and complained vntounto the Lord in the behalfe of the diſtreſſed people, and prayed alſo to him in theſe words: Returne we beſeech thee, ô God of hoaſts: looke downe from heauen, Pſal. 80, 14.and behold and viſite this Vine, and the Vineyard that thy right hand hath planted, and the yong Vine, that thou madeſt ſo ſtrong for thy ſelfe. He deſired, that the Lord would yet in mercy repaire againe this hedge vntounto them, and defend them: andDeut. 11 11. 12. that (as Moſes ſayd) he would watch ouer them, to preſerue and protect them from the beginning of the yeare, vntounto the end thereof, as he had in times paſt.
7. This is that hedge, which Moſes calleth the refuge and defence of Iſrael, the ſhield of their help, and the ſword of their glorie. This did the Lord cauſe to go before all, to proceede with all, and to compaſſe, keepe and defend all. This began in our election, was ſtretched forth in our calling, floriſhed in our redemption, ſhined in our ſanctification, and ſhall be perfected in our glorification, through the merit of the Sonne of God. This wasPſal. 105. 14. Exod. 14. Ioſh. 3. 16. & 4. & 5. as a wall vntounto the Iſraelites both on the right hand and on the left hand, when they came through the red Sea, when they paſſed ouer Iordan, when they marched towards the land of Chanaan, whiles they proſpered in the holy land, and glorifyed the Lord their God in their hearts.
8. And this is the Hedge, by the which the Lord (through his Sonne) bleſſeth, proſpereth, and preſerueth both vsus and our houſes, and all that we hauehave, whiles we truly ſerue him, maugre the ſurie of our foes. Therefore, let vsus be thankfull vntounto God, and reteine his Grace, to ſerue him with reuerence and feare, ſo ſhall this hedge be maintained for our continuall ſafetie, peace, and comfort.