Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 2 · Verse 15
Verſ. 15. Take us the Foxes, the little foxes, that ſpoile the Vines; for our Vines have tender Grapes.
Here is a charge given, and the reaſon thereof rendred; in which charge we have, 1 who gives it; 2 to whom; and 3 what is the charge it ſelf.
Firſt then, it is Chriſt, the Maſter of the Vineyard, who gives the charge, as he calls Himſelf, the Maſter and owner thereof, Eſa. 5. and is declared to be, Pſal. 80. and Matth. 20. 1.
Secondly, thoſe to whom the charge is given, are Paſtors and Princes, or Miniſters and Magiſtrates; the one armed with the ſpirituall, the other with the civill Authority, both being from the Lord, and both here to be imployed for the Lord, againſt the enemies of his Church; the one to act his part, praedicando; the other his part, as Deut. 13. 5. puniendo; the Miniſter drawing his ſword, Epheſ. 6. by convincing the hereſie; the Magiſtrate his ſword, Rom. 13. by coercing the heretick, and as the Miniſter of God, taking vengeance on evill doers.
Thirdly, the charge it ſelf, is, to take the foxes, even the little foxes; where we have to conſider; 1 who are theſe foxes, and why ſo called; 2 who are theſe little foxes; and 3 how they ſhould be taken.
Firſt then, by theſe foxes, falſe Teachers are underſtood, the worſt ſort of enemies that the Church has, and therefore onelyonly here mentioned; this we may ſee to be clear, Ezek. 13. 4. where the Lord ſpeaking of falſe Prophets, that followed their own ſpirit of errour, ſaies, O Iſrael, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deſerts: and who therefore are thus compared;
1. In compariſon of their ſubtlety and craft, by making a ſhew of truth and piety, as Herod did of worſhipping Chriſt, Matth. 7. 15. when they go about to advance the myſtery of errour and iniquity, and, as our Saviour ſaies, comming in ſheeps cloathing, but inwardly being nothing but devouring woolvs; which ſubtlety they have from that great Fox, the Devill, who winded himſelf craftily in credit with our firſt parents, as their friend, when he proved their greateſt foe; and who can transform himſelf into an Angell of light: And therefore no marvell, that his miniſters imitate him, as the Apoſtle ſhewes, 2 Cor. 11. 15. Amongſt which foxes, the great Romiſh Fox is the principal, and therefore figured out to us by that Beaſt in the Revelation, that was horned like the Lamb, but ſpake like the Dragon; and whoſe emiſſaries likewiſe, the Locuſts of that bottomleſſe pit, have mens faces, and womens hair, declaring thereby, their fair and alluring pretences; but they have Lions teeth, and Scorpions rails under theſe, deſtroying ſimple ſoules.
2. The fox is not onelyonly crafty, but cruell, and blood-thirſty of the blood of the flock; therefore Herod is called a fox, Luk. 13. 32. alſo Pharaoh, Exod. 1. 10. And ſo is that Roman fox cruell, and ever has been, againſt the Saints of God; and therefore is called that ſcarlet whore, that is drunk with the blood of the Saints, and of the Martyrs of Jeſus, Rev. 17. 6. And ſo likewiſe are all the foxes, his emiſſaries; witneſſe the many, partly performed, and partly intended maſſacres, of the profeſſors of the truth, their bloody Inquiſition, and league at the Councill of Trent.
3. The fox goes never ſtraight forward, but tortuoſis incedit amfractibus; or by crooked windings, & in cavernoſis latitat amfractibus; and he lurketh in ſuch places: Even ſo theſe forenamed foxes, walk not with a ſtreight foot in the Goſpell, nor followes the ſtreight rule thereof; but in crooked windings, and by-waies of errour, and human traditions, not leading to God by Chriſt, but by Saints and Angells their mediation; nor to his merits onelyonly and ſatisfaction, but to others, or their own in purgatory, &c. and uſing all deceitfulneſs of error to compaſſe their ends, and advance their power and pride.
4. The time when they ſpecially invade, is the night, when all are aſleep, both ſhepherd and ſheep; even as in like manner we ſee that while the ſervants were aſleep the envyous man ſowed his tares amongſt the good ſeed: even ſo there do theſe foxes ſpecially invade Chriſts flock to catch them as their prey, and by their diveliſh doctrine to deſtroy their ſoules, when either they find a flock without a paſtor at all, or when they find a ſleepy idol, and ſlouthfull ſhepheard, and an ignorant flock: but on the contrary, where a well inſtructed people are, who know Chriſts voice and can diſcerne it from a ſtranger, as we have it, Joh. 10. and Cant. 5. And where ſuch a paſtor is, as Jacob, or David, or thoſe to whom the Angel appeared and annunced Chriſt's birth, who were watching carefully their flocks in the night, there theſe foxes dare not come, nor cannot prevaile.
5. The Fox, eſpecially in his hole, is a vile ſtinking beaſt, and ſo what has been the vile ſtink of theſe Romiſh foxes, from their great one to the leaſt, in their lives and converſations, and in their cloiſters, Nunneries, and other places, let their Popes lives and others of their owne Regiſters teſtifie.
Secondly, by theſe little Foxes, are underſtood falſe teachers who ſubtilly and by degrees bring in errors in the Church, and therefore even in their beginnings and firſt bud when they ſeeme to be but little hurtfull or dangerous, are to be adverted, and taken heed unto, as hurtfull enemies to the Lords vines. Theſe are they who privily (ſayes Peter) were to bring in damnable Hereſies, 2 Pet. 2. 1. and who were doing ſo even in the very Apostles times, who were moſt watchfull: for even then the myſtery of iniquity was working as the Apoſtle tells us, 2 Theſſ. 2. 7. ſetting downe the particulars, Coloſſ. 2. 18. and 1 Tim. 4. 3. The reaſon why ſuch little foxes ſhould be in their very beginnings curbed and taken, the Apoſtle Paul gives; ſaying, For they will increaſe unto more ungodlyneſs, 2 Tim. 2. 16, 17. and their word will eare as doth a canker, of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus, little foxes even in Pauls dayes. The proofe whereof likewiſe Chriſt's church too truly found, in the Method of introduction of Idololatreia, by bringing in, firſt, foreign adoration of Images, by making of ſuch and placing them in Churches, worſhipping and invocation of Saints, by ſet dayes at firſt only for commemoration of their piety and conſtancy in ſuffering, &c. And the like, in riſing to the heighth of Papal dignity in the Eccleſiaſtick government Whence the Apoſtle very well calles the wiles of the dive… that arch and old fox, foreign.
Thirdly, theſe foxes are to be taken, as the Apoſtle Peter in like manner tells us, ſaying, But theſe as naturall brute beaſts are made to be taken and deſtroyed, 2 Pet. 2. 12. But how and by whom? doubtleſſe, as has been already ſaid, both by faithfull Miniſters, and zealous Magiſtrates, the one by the ſword of the Word ſtrongly confuting their Hereſies, and by Excommunication caſting them forth of the Church: and the other if they yet continue obſtinate and infeſt the vines, by civill and corporall puniſhment catching and deſtroying them, leſt they deſtroy the vines that have but tender grapes, that is, ſeduce ſimple ſoules while they are as yet but only young and weake.
But why ſaith Chriſt, Take us the foxes, and not ſimply, …ake the foxes, or particularly take me the foxes, but in common, take us the foxes? I anſwer, 1. This is to ſhow, that the taking of theſe foxes redounds both to Gods glory and his Churches good, and therefore whoſoever is negligent in doing of his duty, Miniſter or Magiſtrate, he neither tenders Gods glory, nor his Churches good, 2. This is likewiſe to ſhow for the Churches great comfort, that Chriſt and ſhe have common friends and foes.
Laſt of all, the reaſon of the taking theſe foxes, is, their ſpoiling of the vines, by which are underſtand the members of Chriſt's church, againſt whom theſe foxes do ſet themſelves for hurt; compared here unto vines, Iſay. 5. Pſal. 80. as elſe where frequently in Scripture, Matth. 20. &c. For the reaſons following.
1. The vine is called noble, Jer. 2. 21. So are the godly, and Gods Church beyond all other ſocieties, Pſal. 16. 2.
2. It has not outward beauty, but is full of inward ſap; ſo neither has the Church, like that whore, Rev. 17. But is beautifull within, through the aboundant ſap of grace.
3. It is weake, and therefore needs under-propping: and ſo is the Church of her ſelf, but is under-propped by Chriſt, Cant. 8. 5.
4. It muſt be alſo hedged about for defence, Iſai. 5. 5. Pſal. …0. 12. and ſo muſt the Church alſo, chiefly by divine protection.
5. It ſpreads farre in the boughs thereof, Pſ. 80. 11. And ſo does the Church in her members to the utmoſt ends of the earth, Pſal. 2.
6. It is the moſt fruitfull of any tree, and ſo is the Church and her true members, …oh. 15.
7. If it be otherwiſe, it is moſt unprofitable of any tree, and fit only for the fire: and ſo are the members of the viſible church, Ezek. 15. 3. Joh. 15. 6. and like unſavory ſalt, Matth. 5. 13.
8. That it may be ſo, great pains is taken about it, Iſay, 5. And ſo is about the Church by the Lords vine-dreſſers, Luk. 13. 7.
9. It muſt be pruned ſpecially, and is much better thereby: ſo muſt the Church by the croſſe and affliction, and with David She finds that it is good that ſhe is ſo.
10. The Vine with the grapes thereof ſend forth a good ſmell, Cant. 2. 13. Hoſea. 14. 7. and ſo do Chriſtians by their fruitfulneſs in holineſs, both upward towards God in Chriſt, and to all ſuch who ſee their godly example.
11. The vines (as we ſee here, and Pſal 80. 13.) have many enemies: and ſo has Chriſt's church, both open and ſecret, ſubtile and mighty.
12. The Husbandman plants them, Pſal. 80. 8. and has a care of their proſpering, purging, and preſervation: and ſo doth the Lord, of his Church, who therefore is ſo called, Joh. 15. 1. and to whom his Vine-yard is more deare then Naboths was to him, and none can take the ſame from him, or pluck any of his ſheep out of his hand.
13. There are many ſorts of vines, whereof we have already ſpoken on the 6. verſe of the 1. Chapter, as there are many ſorts of grounds ſpoken of in the parable of the ſower, Matth. 17. And ſo are there many ſorts of Chriſtians, but one ſort only which are the noble and goodly vine ſpoken of here, and whereof the Lords has ſuch a care. called elſe where by Jeremy, the right ſeed, Jer. 2. 21. and theſe are ſuch who, as Pſ. 1. 3. and Iſai. 5. diſappoints not the expectation of the Husbandman, but brings forth ſweet grapes and good fruit in due ſeaſon.
Now the ſpoiling of theſe vines is nothing elſe, but the perverting and drawing them from the truth by poiſonable Doctrine, and deceiving (as our Saviour ſayes) if it were poſſible the very elect, or (as the Lord ſpeaks by his Prophet) when under pretence of leading Gods people, ſuch miſ-lead them and cauſe them to erre, wherein theſe crafty foxes in the time of ignorance did ſo prevaile before the over-clouded eternall Goſpell (as we ſee, Rev. 9. 2.) beganne againe cleerly to ſhine, that (as we ſee, Rev. 13.) the whole world in a manner followed the beaſt.
Obſervations.
1. In this charge, which we ſee Chriſt gives both to Miniſters and Magiſtrates concerning his Church, we ſee the care that he has thereof, and of every true member that is therein, whereof for our comfort let us never doubt in whatſoever eſtate ſhe or we be in, both for protection and providence, although it were our caſe, as Iſraels in Egypt or at the redſea, or like that boat wherein he and his Diſciples were, Matth. 8. 24.
2. Here alſo we may behold the eſtate of Gods Church, that it ſhall never want enemies, both ſubtile foxes that will creep in among the vines to ſpoile them, and cruell boares out of the wilderneſs to waſte and deſtroy them, Pſal. 80. 12. And therefore ſhe ſhould arme her ſelf againſt both, and not think it uncouth although ſhe be infeſted by both; being herein conforme to her head, who had both cruel enemies who cryed crucifie crucifie, and a crafty boſome Judas who did betray his Maſter.
3. Their end and aime is to ſpoile the vines; where we may ſee the Malice of Satan in his inſtruments is, next to the head, now againſt the members of Chriſts body, that he may have no Church; which therefore they ſeek to ſpoile by poiſonable Doctrine craftily, or elſe to cut off by perſecution cruelly, and yet herein thorow Chriſts care and preſervation ſhalbe diſappointed, who by his ſpirit of truth ſhall lead his elect into all truth; ſo that it ſhalbe impoſſible that they can be deceived, and ſhall ſo preſerve his Lilly amongſt the midſt of thorns, that the gates of Hell, ſhall not prevaile againſt her.
4. Seeing it is the duty both of Magiſtrates and Miniſters each one in their own places to take order with the enemies of Chriſts church, they ought carefully to take heed thereto, as once they muſt give an account: and we ought all of us pray to God earneſtly that he would thruſt out many faithfull paſtors, more and more, and many zealous Magiſtrates into his Church, who may diligently do Gods work here injoyned, and hunt theſe hurtfull and ſubtle foxes, that ſpoil the Lords vines, which if they who ſhould hunt and take them, neglect, or that they be too ſtrong, the Lord will not fail to do it himſelf, as he did to Pharaoh, and that fox Herod, and others.
5. If Miniſters and Magiſtrates ſhould be the takers of theſe foxes, who ſpoil the vines; then it is a ſhame to ſee either of them prove foxes themſelves, and waſters of the Lord's Vine-yard.