The Song of the Beloved Concerning His Vineyard, Preface – Quotation
The Preface to the Reader.
THE Lord God, ſeeing that the houſe of Iſrael, and the men of Iudah, (the which he had choſen, bleſſed, and beawtified before all the nations of the earth) notwithstanding all his benefits powred forth on them, would neither feare and ſerue him according to his word, nor yeeld vntounto his goodneſſe the pleaſant fruites of Godlineſſe: but rather, as Children moſt ingratefull towards their moſt louing and deare father, rebelled againſt the Lord their God, and angred him with their monstrous and manifold abhominations: neither by the exhortations, reprehenſions, admonitions, threatnings, and often preachings of the Prophets in the Name of the Lord, they could be moued to repent and turne to the Lord: but rather continued wallowing in their ſinnes without repentance, to the high diſpleaſure of God, and their owne horrible destruction: he now at the length putteth a Parable in the mouth of his Prophet Iſayah, which concerneth the whole matter, and ſendeth him therewith to thoſe vnthankfull children. Agayne, the Prophet moued by the Spirit of God, conſidering how little he had preuailed after all his long preachings, propheſies and labours employed and bestowed on them: and how little they esteemed his plaine words and ordinarie dealing among them, he endeuoureth another way then before he accustomed, and vſeth another kind of ſtile and veine of ſpeaking. And therefore he ſayth, that he will now, not propheſie, or preach, or ſpeake, as he was wont to do vntounto them: but ſing a Song: namely, the Song of his Beloued concerning his Vineyard. The which being done, he expoundeth and applieth to the ſtate and condition of the people of Iſrael and Iudah, to whom he had propoſed the Parable, and of whome he had ſung the Song. And by this, he would (if it were poſsible) moue and ſtirre vp them, who, as yet, would not be moued by any other wayes or meanes. Now, hauing taken in hand to modulate this ſweete Solace of the Prophet, I meane, the Song of the Beloued concerning his Vineyard, I hauehave thought good, not only to expound, but alſo to apply the ſame, obſeruing therein (as neere as I could) the methode and order of theThe diuiſion of the matter into three parts, ſinger thereof: and therefore I hauehave made thereof three generall parts, viz.
1. A Proeme, or a preparation to a Song or Parable.
…. The Song or Parable it ſelfe, with the expoſition thereof.
3. The Application of the ſame for inſtruction and admonition, to this people and time.
The firſt part is made of theſe wordsThe firſt part hath fiue circumſtances, or branches. of the Prophet, Iſay. 5. verſ. 1. Now will I ſing vntounto my Beloued, a Song of my Beloued, concerning his Vineyard. And this part yeeldeth to our conſideration theſe fiue things: viz.
1. The perſon of the Prophet, being the Actor, whereof there is made one Chapter. Chap. 1.
2. The manner of his dealing with the people, which is in a Song, as Chap. 2.
3. The kinde and nature of his Song, which is a Canticle and Parable: as, Chap. 3.
4. The perſon, to whome he conſecrateth the Song: whic… is, to his Beloued, as, Chap. 4.
5. The Title of the Song, which is, Of his Beloued concerning his Vineyard, as, Chap. 5.
The ſecond part is made of the words immediatly following: viz. My Beloued had a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill, The ſecond part hath 6. branches.&c. vntounto the end of the ſixt verſe, and …eeldeth theſe ſixe things to be conſidered: viz.
1. The great louelove and merciemercy of God towards the people of Iſrael and Iudah, and thereof are made eight Chapters, as 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
…. The Lords expectation of their fruitfulneſſe in good works, and thereof are made two Chapters, as in Chap. 9. and 10.
…. The horrible ingratitude of the people of Iſrael and Iudah, yeelding the vnpleaſant fruits of wickedneſſe and ſinne, as in Chap. 11. and 12.
…. The Lords appellation to their owne guiltie conſciences: and his requeſt of iudgement of themſelues in the caſe, as in Chap. 13.
…. The Lords complaint againſt them, with his repoofe of them for their vnkindneſſe, as in Chap. 14.
The Lords iuſt ſentence of condemnation and terrible commination of the execution of the ſame againſt them: and hereof are made foure Chapters, as in Chap. 15. 16. 17. 18.
The third part hath two Chapters,The third part is an application of the matter, as ver. 7. and is made not only of the example of this Prophet, who hath applied this Parable to the people of his time, as verſ. 7. but alſo of the example of Chriſt Ieſus in the Goſpell, whom alſo his Apostles, Peter, Paul, Iude, Iames, and other his Miniſters, hauehave immitated, vſing to make ſuch like Parables and Similitudes, perpetuall instructions, and admonitions, by a ſound application of them to the posterities, eſpecially to the people in their times. So in thoſe two laſt Chapters, hauehave I (in the feare of God) applyed the preſent Song or Parable (for an inſtruction and admonition) to this our tim… and Nation, and that the ſooner, leaſ… whiles we be buſied in gazing on th… ſtate and condition of others, we either forget or neglect our owne. Neithe… may we thinke, but that both this and other ſuch Songs and Parables in the law, in the Prophets, in the Pſalmes, and in the Goſpell, may be worthely made applicatorie, not only to them to whome they were then propoſed: but alſo to all others in the posteritie, who are drenched in the ſame or like ſinnes; the which in thoſe Songs and Parables were reproued, and that both the one and the other, are kept in the holy Register, and layd downe (as Paul ſayth) for examples vntounto vsus, who thereby be warned alſo to take heed, that we neither contemne nor abuſe the louelove and mercies of God, nor proue vnkind towards his goodneſſe, after all his large bounties powred forth on vsus: but that (as we are moſt bounden) we yeeld him the pleaſant fruites of gratitude, and holy workes, the which he requireth and expecteth: leſt we be both worthelie reproued, and rightlie recompenced with ſuch greeuous plagues, as our ſinnes do iustly deſerue, and the which the Lord hath yet in his mercy withholden from vsus, moſt willing by his ſo long-ſuffring, wee ſhould bee drawne to repentance. The Lord God graunt, that we may yet now at length be perſwaded (by the motion of his holy Spirit in our hearts, and the ſound of his word in our eares) to beleeue, that this is written and reſerued for our learning alſo, and not for the Iewes onelyonly: and that we may thereby the ſooner conſider of our preſent ſtate and condition, and learne to be wiſe by the conſideration of the hard haps of others, rather then to be ſchooled by Experience, the mistreſſe of fooles: which hath cauſed many a wretched wight to ſing the Song of had I wiſt: when elſe they might hauehave modulated the Lords holy Song in their owne land in peace, to their exceeding ioy, and beſt ſolace. Moreouer, albeit that the wiſe man needeth not to hauehave line vponupon line, and leſſon vponupon leſſon, here a little, and there a little, (as thoſe fooliſh Iewes needed to hauehave, whome therefore the Prophet …ſayah reproueth, and vntounto them, all was little enough): yet becauſe the Readers for the moſt part, vnwilling to be wearied with large diſcourſes, like bet…er of briefe lines, then of long leſſons, I hauehave for their ſakes diſpoſed the parts into certaine particular Chapters, according to the matters and circumstances of the ſame, as ye may perceiue, being (indeed) moſt willing (after the example of this Euangelicall Prophet) to vſe that way and meane, which might beſt procure Readers, and allure hearers, of that which ſhall bring reſt to their Soules, and do them moſt good.
More thine, then his owne, in the Lord Ieſu, Ioh. Carpenter.
Iſai. 5.
…ow will I ſing to my Beloued, a Song A proeme, or preparation to a Song.of my Beloued, concerning his Vineyard.
…erſ. 1. MY Beloued had a Vineyard in a very fruitfull …ill.
Verſ. 2. And he hedged it, and …athered out the ſtones of it: and …e planted it with the beſt vine: and …e built a Tower in the middeſt …hereof: and made a Wine-preſſe …herin: and he looked, that it ſhould …ring forth grapes: but it brought …orth wilde grapes.
Verſ. 3. Now therefore (O inha…itantThe Song. of Hieruſalem, and man of Iu…ah) iudge (I pray you) betweene …e and my Vineyard.
Verſ. 4. What could I hauehave done more to my Vineyard, that I hauehave …ot done to it? Why hauehave I looked that it ſhould bring forth grapes and it bringeth forth wilde grapes
Verſ. 5. And now, I will tell▪ yo… what I will do to my Vineyard: will take away the hedge thereof and it ſhal be eaten vp: I wil break… the wall thereof, and it ſhall b… trodden downe.
Verſ. 6. And I will lay it waſte▪ it ſhall not be cut, nor digged: bu… bryars and thornes ſhall grow vp▪ I will alſo commaund the Cloudes that they rayne no rayne vponupon it.
Verſ. 7. As for the Vineyard of theThe Application of the Song. Lord of hoaſts, it is the houſe of Iſrael▪ and the man of Iudah, the plant of his pleaſure: of theſe he looked for Iudgement, and loe; Oppreſsion: for Iuſtice, and loe, a Crying.