The Song of the Beloved Concerning His Vineyard, Part 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
The louelove and merciemercy of God to the …e… declared in this, that hee plan… his Vineyard with the choiſe V… verſe 2.
AFter that the Prophet had ſpok… of the place of the Vineyard, … the hedging about, and cle… thereof, he alſo ſpeaketh of the plan… The planting of the Vineyard.as alſo of the kind of vine where wit… was planted: and as without this, all … reſt is nothing worth, ſo neither can … labour and coſt be quited, except … plants be of a good kind. Therefore … Prophet ſayth, He planted it with the … plant: The Hebrew word is *Sorek. Vitis electa. Gen. 49. 11.Sorek▪ t… is, the choiſe Grape. Of this kinde … Vine ſpake Iacob, when he bleſſed … ſonne Iudah, ſaying: Hee ſhall bind … aſſe foale vntounto the Vine, and his aſſes colt … to the beſt Vine: He ſhall waſh his garm… in Wine, and his cloake in the bloud … Grapes. And this kind was wont to gro… … the valley of Palestina, where Samſon …ued Dalila, which valley was alſo na…edIudg. 1…. after the Vine, by the which the …ountry was moſt commended.
2. Now, as the beſt things are ſet …orth… by the things of beſt price and …ſtimation: ſo here, as by the Vineyard, …e Prophet ment the people of Iſrael, …hich the Lord choſe and tooke from …ong all other people: ſo alſo by the …oiſe Vine, or the beſt Plant, he vn…erſtandethWhat is ment by the choice Vine. the beſt and choice perſons … and among that people of Iſrael, eſ…ecially of them of the houſe of Iudah, … Dauid (of whom is mention made in …ſalm. 78. 71. and Salomon, and ſome …ch others, whom the Lord God had …oſen, illuminated, and inſpired with … principall ſpirit, and made zealous and …le, ſome to rule and gouerne: ſome … teach and inſtruct the people: ſome … miniſter in the houſe of the Lord: …nd eueryevery one of them to ſerue God, and …enefit the Common wealth in his▪ ſeue…all calling, according to the law & word …f God. And that this choice vine noteth …ſpecially them of Iudah, the Prophet himſelfe in his expoſition of the Parab… witneſſeth it, ſaying: The man of Iudah… his pleaſant Plant. Ver. 7.
3. Of this Plant ſingeth the Pſalmi… and telleth vsus from whence it was take… and how it was planted after that t… place was cleanſed and prepared, ſayi… to the Lord: Thou haſt brought a Vine … From whence this Vine came.of Egypt, thou haſt caſt out the Heathen a… planted it. That is, thou haſt brought th… choſen people out of Egypt, and haſt … out the ſtonie hearted Chanaanites, an… planted that people in the land, wher… they dwelled: Pſal. 80. 8. And of this h… ſpeaketh yet plainer. Thou haſt driuen … the Heathen with thine hand, and plan… them, thou haſt deſtroyed the people of t… land, and cauſed them to grow: that is, tho… haſt gathered out the ſtones, euen the ſ…o… nie Chanaanites, with thy mightie pow… and deſtroyed them, as things noyſo… and vnprofitable: and thou haſt plant… thy choiſe Vine, euen thine elected people, and cauſed them to proſper in tha… good land.
4. Some would, that by this Vine w… This Vine ſometimes noteth Chriſt.ſhould vnderſtand our Lord Ieſus Chriſt▪ whom the father promiſed to Abraham, and ratified to his ſeede, beeing borne in …he Tribe of Iudah: and the rather would …hey it ſhould ſignifie Chriſt, for that the Prophet ſpeaketh in the ſingular number …oth in the Parable and in the expoſition of the Parable. He ſaith not Vines or Plants: but a Ʋine, or a Plant Sorec. And …ee ſaith, not the men of Iudah are his Plants: but, his pleaſant Plant, is Iſ…h…ehudah: the man of Iudah. And to this, may alſo that of the Pſalmiſt bee applied, which in the Goſpell is performed by Chriſt, who was called out of Egypt afterMat. 2. 15. …he death of Herod, alluding to an other Propheſie which ſaid, Out of Egypt hauehave Hoſ. 11 1.… called my Sonne. And indeed, albeit this ſingular kind of ſpeech may well be refer…ed to that ſingular kind of Vine, or cho…en Grape, and ſignifie that peculiar peo…le, whom the Lord God choſe from and …boue all other Nations of the earth: yet will I not denie, but that the Prophet in …his, may poynt vntounto him, who ſaid vntounto …is Diſciples, I am the Vine: ye are the Branches: that is, vntounto Ieſus Chriſt theIoh 15. 4. …rue head of the holy Church, in whom (doubtleſſe) that was truly verified an… accompliſhed, which was prefigured by the deliuerance of the Iſraelites out o… Egypt, and by planting of the choiſe an… holy people of God in the pleaſant lan… of Chanaan. And in this, the louelove & merciemercyChriſt was borne in the Tribe of Iudah. of God appeared moſt bountifully vntounto this people: that he vouchſafed the… his owne ſonne, according to the Propheſie, which ſaith: When Iſrael was … child, then I loued him, and called my ſo… out of Egypt. And this Plant is to all othe… preferred, without compariſon, as the… onelyonly true Vine in whom the Lord is w… pleaſed, and the ſame in whom the true beleeuers doo proſper and beare fruit… Ioh. 15. 4.
5. Others alſo by this choiſe Vine, hauehaveThe church. The holy religion. vnderſtood the Church and holy religion, the which the Lord placed and planted in and among that people, where alſo he was of long time beſt …erued and honored. Howbeit, the beſt learned of our age… hauehave expounded it ſimplie of the holy & zealous men of Iudah, (as I ſaid before) and ſo they hauehave tranſlated the place as wee hauehave accepted it: He planted it with …he beſt Plants: The men of Iudah are his …leaſant Plants. And indeede, theſe being by his goo… Grace framed and made like▪ vntounto the Image of Chriſt the true Vine, whom they immitate as the right branches of the ſame, in tenne things: as firſt in the Roote. 2. in the Stem. 3. in the Barke. 4. in the Branches. 5. in the Leaues. 6. in the Flowers. 7. in the Sap. 8. in the Fruite. 9. in the congruitie of the Grapes. 10. in the vſe of the Wine, that is to ſay:
6. Firſt, as the Roote of the Vine1 The Roote. then beſt proſpereth and beareth when …t is planted in that conuenient hill or …oyle which is ſet againſt the heare of the Sun, hath a pure ayre and ſweet humor: ſo doth the ſoule and mind of the godly man the beſt proſper, whē it reſteth in the louelove of God, in the iuſtice of Chriſt, and in the ſweete operation of the holy Ghoſt. 2. As the Stē of the Vine among all other trees,2 The Stem. exceedeth in growing from degree to degree: ſo the godly man encreaſeth daily in godlines far beyond al others, proceeding frō one vertue to another, as of the which ſpake Salomon: Many daughters there be which gather riches togither: but thou goeſt beyond them all. Pro. 31. 29.
3. As the Barke or rinde of the Vine appeareth3. The Barke or Rinde. withered and drie, notwithſtanding it hath plentie of ſap within it, chiefly in the winter: euē ſo, howſoeuer the godly mā appeare vnderunder the croſſe of affliction, yet is he repleniſhed with the ſweete liquor of life: for the Kings daughter is Pſal 45. Canti. ….glorious within, though ſhe ſeeme blacke and deformed without.
4 Fourthly, as the branches of the Vine be naturally flexible and hang downeward,4. The Branches. eſpecially in the time of bearing of fruite, as offering both her ſelfe and her fruites to them that will vouchſafe to take thereof: ſo the godly man is both humble and liberal, willing to ſubmit himſelfe to others, and to giuegive to others, of that which he hath. 5. As the leaues of the Vine do both cleanſe & heale the woūds5. The Leaues. and ſoares of them that take and applie them: ſo the words of a godly man being (as it were) wholſome and ſeaſoned with the ſalt of the heauenly wiſdome, do both purge and heale all the wounds & enormities of ſinfull cōſciences, as it is ſaid; he ſent his word and healed them. 6. As the flowers6. Pſal. The flowers. of the Vine do by their wholſome ſmell and ſent expell eueryevery venomous thing, …rom the which therefore the Serpents …nd venomous wormes do flie in the time …f their blowing: euen ſo the good life …nd manners of the godly man, expelleth wicked imaginations from the hearts, and …ndgodlineſſe from the hands of many of …hem that behold them.
7. As the liquor or ſap of the Vine be…ng cut in the ſpring time, droppeth forth7. The liquo… or ſap. much like thoſe teares that drop from the …yes of him mourneth: ſo the godly man …ho is afflicted, is often prouoked to …weepe, ſometimes for himſelfe, ſometimes …or others, ſometimes for that the glory of God is prophaned among men. 8. As the8. The fruite. …ruite of the Vine is ſweete in it ſelfe, plea…ant to him that vſeth it, and profitable to …he Vinitor: ſo the vertues of the godly …an are in himſelfe comfortable, to his …orethren delightſome, and profitable to …he glory of God. 9. As the Grapes9. The Grapes mixt togither. do well concord one with an other, and make as of many but one Wine: ſo not onelyonly the godly doo concord in the Vine Chriſt, but alſo all their good workes doo in a moſt ſweete harmonie and communion conſent one with another, to the prayſe of God, and comfort of men.
10. Laſtly▪ as the wine both comforteth10 The wine comforting and enflaming. and enflameth them that vſe it: ſo the ſpirituall vertues of the godly, do both comfort them that thereof take vſe, and enflame them with a feruencie of holy: zeale; eſpecially then, when it pleaſeth God to make the examples of thoſe holy men, applicable to them that either behold or heare thereof, through the vertue of his ſpirit. And herein alſo appe… reth that godly enuie, where many men beholding the forwardneſſe of others, do ſt…iue to excell them, and to run before them towards the goale of eternall life.
11. As all thoſe Chriſtian and godly vertues are found and be indeed actually and really reſting and raigning in the bodie of Chriſt without meaſure: ſo alſo are they by participation and application; found in the godly in a meaſure, whom the Lord hath and doth conforme to the image of his Sonne, and who indeed (as the members of Chriſt) do indeuour to follow the Lambe their head, whithei ſoeuer he goeth. Such a Vine did the Lord God plant in his Vineyard: & ſuch ſeeds …weth he in the Church, that ſo good an …iginall and begt…ning might happily …ue the ſemblable proceeding and ſuc…ſſe. Neither that any fault might be foūd … him touching his diſcretion and choiſe the Plants, howſoeuer the Vineyard …ould proue in the end, he made a chiefe …d ſpeciall choiſe of the beſt Vine.
12. Thus the Lord in the Goſpell tel…h,Frō whence the euill fruite commeth. how that the good man ſowed good ſeed …is field: and therfore when the tares ap…red to ſpring vp with the ſeed, and the …eſtion was asked from whence thoſe tares …e? hee, to cleare himſelfe of all fault, …d: I did (for my part) ſowe good ſeede: … thoſe tares are caſt in by the enuious man, …les men ſlept, to hurt and hinder the …peritie of my ſeede. And indeede, in … there be ſo many vngodly Miſcre… in the Church, and ſo many horrible …ominations and greeuous ſinnes in … world, it is not long of GOD good houſholder: for hee hath not …nted any ſuch Plants in the Church, … ſowen ſuch tares in the worlde: but the Enuious man, that is, the Diue… who hath in himſelfe nothing but wi… kedneſſe, it is he, that hath done this; h… hath conceiued miſchiefe, and brough… forth vngodlineſſe: he hath planted th… wilde grape, he hath caſt in the tares among the wheate in the field: he troubleth the Church with wicked & vngodly perſons; he peſtreth the world wi… noyſome and filthie abhominations, errours and ſinnes.
13. But the Lord God, who is … good and gratious to his Vineyard, ha… therein planted the choice Vine, and ſowe… the good ſeede: that is, godly and zealo… perſons, the true and right Religion, … godly and heauenly Graces, and ſpiritu… good vertues, the which kind of plan… and like ſeede, cannot but fructifie a… bring forth vntounto him the like fruites and if the fruites which appeare be no… this kind, eſteeme them not to be th… right fruits of this plant, or of this ſeed for men do not of thiſtles gather figs, n… of thornes grapes. Thus as the tree… well knowen by the fruites, ſo are me by their deedes; for the good man fro… the good treaſure of his heart, bringeth …orth that which is good: and the euill …an from the euill treaſure of his heart, …r…ngeth forth that which is euill.