Thirty-One Select Sermons 2, Sermon collection · Sermon 6

Thirty-One Select Sermons 2 · Sermon collection · Sermon 6

p. 589The Keepers of the Vine-yards, muſt keep their own Vineyard.

At a Faſt before the Parliament, Iune 13. 1650.

CANT. 1.6.

My mothers children were angry with me, they made me Keeper of the Vine-yards, but my own Vine-yard I have not kept.

THE duties of godlineſs are of two ſorts, either ordinary or extraordinary, and both are alike neceſſary in their ſeaſon: Your veſſels for daily uſe, your ordinary waſhing is commonly ſufficient, but you do ſometimes ſcow…r them when you will have them bright: and your ordinary tilling your Land is enough uſually, but you do p. 590ſoil it when you would have it fruitful, &c.

And of this nature is the duty that now we ſet upon, and being extraordinary muſt not be reduced to an ordinary practiſe, for which cauſe your ſtata jejunia, are by our Divines generally condemned, being contrary to the nature of an extraordinary ſervice,Ameſ. Ameſ. caſ. p. 19.

In extraordinary duties we may expect an extraordinary preſence, and we are to look for it; indeed there is not a ſervice but the Lord hath promiſed a bleſſing to it: they are all wells of ſalvation, out of which the ſoul may with joy draw water: they are all of them but faſciae Chriſti, the garments with which he goes forth amongſt men, & they all of them ſmell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Caſsia, Pſal. 45.8. but yet this King of Saints, though he keeps a conſtant royal Table, at which with the Saints he himſelf ſits, Cant. 1.12. yet he ſometimes makes a feaſt like a King, and gives to all his people extraordinary entertainment, he doth never go forth amongſt his people but he doth ſpargere miſsilia, diſpence a dole; but there are extraordinary times when the bounty and munificence of the King more appears, and then the priſons are opened, and the Conduits run with wine, and the Cocks with roſewater, &c. And the great ground of faith to raiſe your expectations is, that the Lord Chriſt hath in his own perſon and practice ſanctified the duty of faſting to this end: Why did Chriſt faſt, ſeeing he had no diſobedience, or bodily diſtempers, nor no diſtemper of Spirit? &c. Why was he baptized, ſeeing he had neither ſins to be pardoned or ſubdued? there were two ſpecial reaſons for it.

Firſt, that he might fulfill all Righteouſneſs, and all p. 591duties laid down in the Word, that he might perform them; as that in his active obedience there might be a conſummatum eſt, as well as in his paſſive.

Secondly, that he might ſanctifie the duty, and leave a bleſſing upon it unto us; for he did faſt as Mediator, with reference to his body. Chriſt did all as the firſt fruit, which did ſanctifie the whole crop. Maledictioni benedixit, paupertatem ditavit, ignominiam glorificavit: Luther.Luther. Surely, he that is able to ſanctifie death in his own perſon, is able alſo in his perſon to ſanctifie duty, and this is the duty that the Lord hath highly honoured in all the great reformations that ever were in the world. In the example of Moſes, Elias and Chriſt himſelf: and therefore we may expect, if we ſeriouſly intend reformation, God will honour and bleſs it unto us alſo. But, if it be ſuch a faſt as the Lord hath choſen, and in which he delights, it muſt be a day for a man to afflict his ſoul, for that is the duty of a faſt, Iſa. 58.5. I know the Hebrews do put ſoul for perſon, and the humiliation ſhould reach to the whole man, but yet ſo as that which is the main in the man do not paſs unhumbled, nor un-affected: rend your hearts and not your garments, it is the ſoul hath the great hand in the ſin, it is the ſoul that is the ſole and the arch-rebel againſt the Law: now only to humble the body is but Mountebank-like, to lay ſalve to the weapon, but not to the wound. And it is inforced, Lev. 23.29. that ſoul that is not afflicted that day, ſhall be cut off from amongſt the people, &c.

And there is nothing that will afflict the ſoul like to ſin, it being of all evils the greateſt, when it is felt, and p. 592by the lively coming of the Commandment, it revives, and the man dies; anſwerable unto the reformation, ſuch muſt be the humiliation; now there is a double reformation that we do profeſs to endeavour: perſonal, and National; there can be no expectation of the latter without the former, therefore both muſt be laid to heart, and that chiefly in your own particulars, by you whom the Lord (we hope) will uſe in this great work: he that will be a veſſel of honour for the Maſters uſe, muſt be purged; and when Ioſhuah was to negotiate a publick reformation, and to adminiſter a publick ſervice, his filthy garments muſt be taken away, and he cloathed with change of rayment, Zach. 3.4. there are no mens ſins that are of ſuch dangerous conſequence as yours; and your perſonal ſins have an influence upon your publick imployments and ſervices; and the ſins of ſuch a man do ſend up a prohibition, and will blaſt the wiſdom of his head, and the labour of his hands; and their perſonal ſins are a great ground and cauſe of National ſins: Ita nati eſtis ut bona vel mala veſtra ad Rempublicam pertineant: Tacit.Tacit. In omnibus peccantibus pecco: Proſper.it is a ſad ſaying of Proſper: if ever you would have National Iudgements removed, and mercies to be conferred, you muſt be affected with National ſins firſt; for as an ungodly man cannot love his brother, becauſe he doth not love himſelf, Non diligit proximum, quia non diligit ſeipſum: and ſo he can never be affected with other mens ſins: his eyes cannot guſh out Rivers of tears, becauſe men do not keep the Law of God, &c. becauſe he is not affected with his own; for ſin is filthineſs, and therefore it is the more loathſom to a man the neerer he is to it; therefore my work at this day ſhall be to ſet your own ſins before you, that you may pluck out the beam that p. 593is in your eye firſt, and ye ſhall be able to ſee clearly to pluck out the beams that are in the eyes of the Nation, and to affect your hearts with your own perſonal guilt and neglects: if the Lord be pleaſed to make me inſtrumental this day, that it be unto you a day of atonement, I ſhall look upon it as a great mercy, and a great ſtep unto our National deliverances and protections; and as for more publick miſ-carriages and the other parts of the work of this day, I hope God will be with the ſpirits of thoſe his ſervants that afterward are to carry on the work of this day.

Here we have the Churches condition ſet forth to us, which ſhall be the ſame for the firſt 6000. years w^ch being ended; according to the Jewiſh accompt, poſtea ſabbatum; the time of Satans ſeduction is at an end for Poperie, but the time of his perſecution is not; the witneſſes are not yet ſlain, &c. but there will come a time when in this reſpect Satan alſo ſhall be bound. In fine ſexti milleſsimi anni malitia omnis aboleatur e terra: Lactant.Lactant. de divin. Imper. p. 576. It is black as the Tents of Kedar, but yet comely as the Curtains of Solomon; there is a very great comlineſs under the Churches blackneſs, with which in her ſuffering ſhe ſupported her ſelf

Here we have alſo the cauſes of the Churches blackneſs, which is the Sun in general: it was not natural and blackneſs that grew out of her ſelf, but from the Churches adverſaries: the Sun hath lookt upon me, perſecution hath ſcorcht me; but yet it was not only from enemies without, though it is true; as the Lilly amongſt thorns, ſo is my love amongſt the daughters, tot hoſtes, quot extranci: Tertul.but it is from thoſe of the ſame family; the Churches enemies are thoſe of her own p. 594houſe, my mothers children; matris filios, non patris vocat: men born in the ſame Church, and claiming the ſame intereſt in the Church with the true members; qui maxime conjuncti videbantur qui ſeſe Eccleſiae nomine venditant; Mercer.Mercer. Hoſtes Eccleſiae inteſtini, authoritate ſua ad ipſius perniciem abutentes. Beza.Beza. They were angry with me: the word foreign ſignifies iram vehementem, excandeſentiam, bitter fierce anger, anger exaſperated and kindled as a flame; the ſame word is uſed, Iſa. 41.11. All they that were incenſed againſt thee ſhall be aſhamed, and the men of thy ſtrife ſhall periſh, foreign. ſo the Septuagint: they ſtrive with me, or they fought againſt me: the bittereſt indignation againſt the Church, and the bitterſt oppoſition is from thoſe within it ſelf, her mothers children: the ground of the greateſt perſecution of the Church is laid in the compoſition and conſtitution of the Church: and therefore the flouriſhing and proſperous condition of the Church in the latter daies is upon this gronnd, Iſa. 54.12,13. When the foundations are laid with Saphir, the windows made of Agates, and the gates of Carbuncles: de hominibus, non de doctrina; Calvin.Calvin. Then great ſhall be the peace of the Church; in right couſneſs ſhalt thou be eſtabliſhed, and thou ſhalt be far from oppreſsion, &c. To conſtitute Churches of a mixed multitude, as it laies the matter of all Church corruption, ſo it laies the foundation of the bittereſt Church perſecution.

Now how did they vent their diſpleaſure? it was by putting them upon difficult and diſtracting imployments: for I do not underſtand that of Churches, becauſ the Church is in Scripture commonly called a Vine-yard: the Vineyard of the Lord of Hoſts is the houſe of Iſrael, Iſa. 5. and the Lord brought a Vine out of Egypt, p. 595and planted it, &c. neither did theſe mothers children take ſo much care of Churches, but they laid all the care of the Churches upon them, and they took none at all; both the care of Church and Common-wealth was laid upon them: and by this means they were diſtracted and hindred from that which is proper unto themſelves, and ſhould have been the ſpecial part of their care: or elſe with Zanch. I underſtand vineam pro quacunque cura aut occupatione ruſtica: Zanch.the keeping of a Vineyard is matter of great labour and continual watchfulneſs. Cum aliquid conatu maximo ſtudioque curandum eſſe dicitur, vineae nomen ſupponitur; vinea pro maximo negotio ſumitur; & ratio eſt, quia vinea aſsiduitatem, perpetuum & indefeſſum laborem Agricolae deſiderat: So it was uſed after a ſort perpetually for any hard and continued labour, as Horace hath it, l. 2. ep. 1. Vt vineta egomet caedam mea: and this is called pruning his own Vineyard; But this is a Metaphor moſt commonly put for the Church, Iſa. 5.1. Mat. 5.20. hire Labourers into the Vineyard, Mat. 21.33,39. But are carnal men in the Church ſo ſollicitous for the Church, that the Vineyard muſt have a Keeper, they that endeavour to break down the wall thereof, and leave it open unto the beaſts of the field? and if they would have a Keeper, whether they made ſo good a choice as that the Church ſhould be Keeper? Surely, they would never have placed them in authority that they were ſo angry with; they would have exalted ſome of their own ſpirit, and party as commonly the manner of men is; be they never ſo vile (which is one of the great abominations of the times and this age) and they by their power over the Vineyard could make Keepers who they would; they could ſet who they pleaſed over p. 596the Vineyard: Surely the meaning is this, they did themſelves witheraw the ſhoulder from the publick work, and left it in the Churches hands; that either they muſt now ſtick to it, or all muſt fall to the ground, and the Vineyard be wholly laid waſt; as for their part, the work was hazardous; they were to meet both with Foxes, and with a wild-Bore alſo, one to deſtroy the graſs, but the other to root up the Vineyard; and therefore it is good to withdraw the hand, and let all be made waſte; let all former labours and coſt be loſt, and all the culture that hath been uſed about it, and let us forfeit all our hopes; though we have looked for fruit, yet let the enemy gather it, though the Vine-yard have been watered with blood at the root, which Hiſtorians ſay, is above all other, a means to make it fat and fruitful: If Gilead abide beyond Iordan, and Dan remained in ſhips, Reuben did hear the bleating of the flocks, and Aſher abode in his own beraches, and Iſſachar be couched between two burdens: in this caſe Zebulon and Nepthali are by their brethren made Keepers of the Vineyard, for the burthen is laid upon their ſhoulders, or elſe all muſt be laid waſte, and all trodden down by the beaſts of the field, and ſo they did not make themſelves Rulers of the Vineyard; but the neceſſity that their brethren put upon them did it; and that this is the meaning, you may ſee by the word in the Hebrew, foreign poſuerunt: they did put me Keeper, it was a thing that I did not ſeek after, but it was that which they put upon me, and that through the neceſſitie that they brought me into; and upon this the interpretation of Mr. Brightman and Cotton, and they that make this a prophetical hiſtory, do fully agree; for they ſay this is ſpoken in the perſon of Iudah, the two tribes of the p. 597ſons of the mother here ſpoken of, and the ten tribes that were their brethren and made up one Church of God together with them, & they by their withdrawing themſelves did put a neceſſitie upon the tribes to maintain the worſhip of God, and the Church of God amongſt them; but the evil begun in their withdrawment, and ſo there was a neceſſity put upon the children of Iudah, to appear for God and to keep the Temple, the worſhip and the Ordinances thereof; and ſo by this means the care of the Vineyard was devolved upon them, the reſt having diſſerted it, and almoſt it hath fallen to the ground; Gods people ar many times neceſsitated unto publick ſervices, becauſe others ſinfully and unworthily deſert it.

But yet the Church of Chriſt being thus put upon imployment, utters a ſad complaint, but mine own Vineyard I have not kept: Luther ſaith, it is gravis quaerimonia, Luther.a very ſad complaint: and Bernard, Ego huius loci occaſione meipſum reprehendere ſoleo, quod animarum ſuſeperim curam, qui meam non ſufficerem cuſtodire: ſancta acſi dicat ſponſa, ſe curis alienis intentam, non curaſſe quod maxime curatum oportuit: Bernard.And as Mercer hath well obſerved, Emphaſi non caret foreign vinea mea quae mihi, Provinciam ſcilicet ſibi a Deo concreditam vocat: Mercer.in which in a more ſpecial manner man is concerned, and unto which in all his publike imployments he is engaged to have reſpect.

Hence the obſervations are plainly three.

Firſt, the Keepers of the Vineyard have more peculiarly Vineyards of their own to keep; which is by God committed to them, of which they can ſay in a ſpecial manner, My Vineyard which is mine.

Secondly, their keeping of the Vineyard may p. 598many times hinder them from keeping their own Vine; the care and imployment about the publick, though conſcienciouſly undertaken, yet may be a deverſion to a man from ſomething that doth more ſpecially concern him, and as a duty lie upon him.

Thirdly, a man cannot look upon his publick ſervice with comfort, if he do neglect his own vine: for it is that which the Church in the middle of all her publick imployments doth here bitterly complain of.

Doctrine.

The Keepers of the Vineyard have yet a more peculiar charge from God of their own Vineyards: There are two ſorts of Watchmen, Cant. 3. the Watchmen that go about the City, and there are the Watchmen of the wall: and both are for the ſafety of the City, as here the Keepers of the Vineyard are, and the ſafety thereof; and I know its a high honour to be employed by God in ſuch a work, and therefore they have very eminent titles given unto them both in the Scripture; they are called the Angels of God, and they are for protection, they pitch their Tents about you, Rev. 2.1. 2 Sam. 14.17. they are fathers, Iob. 29.15. No men have more honourable titles: pietatis & poteſtatis nomen: A term of care and tenderneſs, as well as of authority and power; they are alſo the ſheilds of the earth, Pſal. 47. ult. and a ſhield is a kind of partition wall between a man and danger, all is for preſervation. But yet they that are themſelves the Keepers of others, and for the good of others, they have all of them ſomething p. 599of their own committed unto them by God to keep.

And this Vineyard that is committed unto perſons to keep, is two-fold.

Firſt, keep thy heart.

Secondly, keep thy houſe. For they are in a ſpecial manner thy own Vineyard.

Firſt keep thy heart, Prov. 4.23. above all keeping, keep thy heart: it was the great care of David, Let my heart be ſound in thy ſtatutes: I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou ſhalt inlarge my heart; and it was the grand honour of David, that his heart was upright with God; and it is made the pattern of his ſincerity to the Governors that followed, &c. and it was the grear comfort of Hezikiah when he came to dye, after he had ruled the people skilfully all his daies, Remember that I have walked before thee with a perfect heart: and it is this that is the bitter reflexion upon all the good that Iehu had done after that glorious teſtimony of God to him, thou haſt done all that was right in mine eyes, and which was in my heart. 2 King. 10.30,31. but he took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Iſrael with all his heart, &c.

And the grounds of it are theſe four.

Firſt this is properly your own: it is the ſoul is the darling, it is the ſoul is the man, it is foreign: therefore he that doth loſe his ſoul, is ſaid in another place to loſe himſelf. It is true that there is a great truſt committed unto a man in other things, but yet they are all but this worlds goods: a mans eſtate is no more, and a mans honour is no more: nay a mans inward gifts and abilities of his mind are no more: they do all dye with him; if there be tongues, they ſhall ceaſe, and knowledge p. 600it ſhall vaniſh away, 1 Cor. 13.12,13. Now if propriety be an engagement, as we do love perſons and things becauſe they are our own, Chriſt loved his own, he loved them unto the end, &c. Surely there is nothing that is your own like unto your heart; therefore keep thy heart above all keepings; for if thou loſe thy ſoul, thou art a loſt man, and a Son of perdition.

Secondly, this Vineyard above all others is in danger, and the moſt fought againſt. Firſt by ſin, 1 Pet. 2.11. it is againſt the body and ſtate, and brings all plagues upon both, but it is eminenter againſt the ſoul, Numb. 16.38. ſinners againſt their own ſouls; ſo that as it is really the act of the ſoul, the ſin of the ſoul; for ſin is in the ſoul as grace is; it is radicaliter in corde, & redundanter in corpore, as ſin is mainly the act, Micha 6.8. the ſin of my ſoul, &c. it is the miſchief of ſin which doth really light upon the ſoul, and it is to the prejudice thereof.

Secondly, Satan mainly fights againſt the ſoul, he is Abaddon, the deſtroyer, he ſeeks to devoure all the man. I, but its the ſoul that is the ſweet morſel that he doth continually with greedineſs gape after; he doth take away the word: it is, Mat. 13. leaſt they ſhould ſee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and be converted: it is the converſion of the ſoul that he really is an enemy to and when he knows he can hinder the ſalvation of a ſoul, there is no ſuch pleaſure to him; for there is no walking in the narrow way without entering at the ſtraight gate; Satan is the envious one foreign: now as the greateſt merciemercy is that of the ſoul; ſo the greateſt envy of Satan is that which reacheth unto the ſoul.

p. 601Thirdly, the main Judgements of God are upon the ſoul; as the greateſt bleſſings from God are ſpiritual, ſo the greateſt Judgements from God are alſo ſpiritual; and that is, when he doth ſuffer the ſoul to proſper in a way of ſinning, Hoſ. 8.11. they made them Altars to ſin: Altars ſhall be unto them to ſin. Magna eſt ira quando peccantibus non iraſcitur Deus, Ierom.Jerom. Tu dixiſti Domine, & ita eſt, ut omnis malus animus ſibi ipſi ſit poena: Auſtin.Auſt.

Thirdly, anſwerable to the proſperity of the ſoul, ſo do all things elſe proſper; all proſperity is to be meaſured by it, oh. 3.2. So Paul did meaſure all his proſperitie, 2 Cor. though his outward man did decay, ſo his inward man was renewed, it was that he could rejoyce in, becauſe he meaſured his proſperitie be that of his ſoul: and otherwiſe for a man to have an enate, honour and a high place in the world, and to mount all the ſteps of honour, and to proſper in it, in waies of briberie and blood: all this is but that Pſalm 106.15. foreign, which Muis tranſlates repletienem emaciantem, Muis.a fulneſs that doth cauſe a leanneſs in the ſoul; to be indutus purpura cum conſcientia pannoſa; truly that man doth not proſper whoſe ſoul proſpers not, though all things elſe be according to the deſire of his heart, &c.

Fourthly, this will have a very great influence upon your government: and therefore keep this Vineyard, Pſal. 47. ult. Magiſtrates are ſaid to be Shields of the earth, they ſhould be ſcuta Deo, as well as hominibus; to keep off the Judgements of God, to ſtand in the gap with Moſes and Ioſhua, who did this in a common ſlaughter and David in a publick famine &c. And is he like to prevall with God for a people, who hath neither p. 602communion with God nor intereſt in him? is he like to turn away Judgement who is every day inſtrumental in procuring it, and who is alſo to be fuel for the ſame conſuming fire? And in reſpect of men alſo, there is a power over the bodies and eſtates of men, and there is a power over their hearts and in their conſciences; and ſuch a one God doth give unto gracious Magiſtrates, as we ſee he gave his people of old, as David, &c. There is a double Image that a Magiſtrate muſt bear; an Image of God in him as a man, as well as upon him as a Magiſtrate; and the heart of men will ſtoop to them that are ſuch Magiſtrates: Let me tell you, It is not a Scepter, a Sword, nor a Mace, a Navy, nor an Army, that can long govern a Nation. An evil heart will deſtroy a mans wiſdom, and will blaſt his government, and make it unſucceſsful, whatever he be, though he be never ſo great a Polititian, and never ſo much admired and cryed up by men, yet if he be not a godly man, be ſhall not proſper: the Lord was with him, and whatever he did, he made it to proſper. I, that is the true ground of all ſucceſs in government: therefore be ſure keep your own Vineyard &c. But you will ſay How ſhall we make our Government proſper? Take there directions

Firſt, keep a good conſcience foreign. And in this …xerciſe my ſelf daily, ſaith Paul, to keep a conſcience void of offence. Government is a burdenſome thing, and therefore it is ſaid, that Chriſt hath the Government upon his ſhoulders, Iſa. 9.6. It is not barely work for the head only, wherein lies the ſtrength of the man; it is a great miſery to lay a great burden on a galled back. Do not live and be acted by principles without you, as the manner of men is; Perſius — Nec te p. 603quae ſiveris extra: is a good Motto for a Chriſtian: Nec ſpe nec metu: a good Motto for a Souldier: Sit miſer qui miſer eſſe poteſt, as Luther ſaies; the applauſe of men, or the reproach of men, is but a ſmall matter unto him who reſolves to keep his integrity, that his heart may not reproach him when he dyes: in the middle of all thy employment lay thy ear to thy heart, and obſerve the ſpeaking of conſcience within thee, whether to accuſe or condemn thee; for that is but divini judicii praeindicium: Men in their day, judge before the time, and therefore many ſuch Judgements ſhall be repealed; when the hidden things of darkneſs ſhall be manifeſted, and the counſels of the heart revealed.

Secondly, be you diligent in making of your calling and election ſure, 2 Pet. 1.10 and indeed your condition requires it more then other mens, becauſe your ſervices and your hazards are greater then other mens: There are (as ſome obſerve) two caſes in which God doth give his people early aſſurance ſometimes, when he doth make others wait longer for it, for God doth diſpence aſſurance after the nature of temporal bleſſings, according to no ruled caſe, but in a priviledge way.

Firſt, When he hath an intention men ſhall dye betimes, and therefore he will perfect their graces early.

Secondly, when God hath great Services immediately to employ men in after their converſion, which was the caſe of Paul. It is too much for any one to conflict with dangers without, and terrors within at once, when a man carries his life in his hand, and if then the thoughts of eternitie ſeiſe upon him, and diſtract him in his way; but when a man can ſay, I know my Redeemer p. 604lives: and when this earthly houſe is diſſolved, I have a building not made with hands eternal in the heavens: and a man can with this light of the Lord walk through darkneſs; then the man can walk upon the high places of the earth, and his ſoul tread down ſtrength.

Thirdly, keep your ſouls conſtantly in waies of communion with the Lord; it is an excellent rule for Magiſtrates, Mich. 6.8 to do Iuſtice, and love mercy, and walk humbly with their God, that the unction of God may be upon your hearts as well as upon your offices, that you may be every day annointed with freſh oyl: ye have need of new direction every day anſwerable to your freſh occaſions and occurrences; and it is a happy thing when a Magiſtrate can go to God in a ſtraight, as David at Keilah, Lord, will Saul come down? I beſeech thee tell thy ſervant: and when there is a continual ſecret entercourſe between him and God, as 1 Sa. 9.15. and the Lord told Samuel in his ear; a man hath his urim and thummim to conſult with, an Oracle to go to from day to day; and you have need of new aſſiſtance and encouragements daily, anſwerable to the new difficulties that do preſent themſelves, and ye are the nails upon which all the burthen hangs, Iſa. 22.24. and therefore you had need be faſtned in a ſure place; therefore it is that which the Lord did promiſe unto Jeſus Chriſt when he did undertake the government of the world, Iſa. 42.6. I have called thee in righteouſneſs, I will hold thee by the hand, he ſhall not faile nor be diſcouraged: and truly there is nothing in the world can do it, unleſs the Lord daily ſtretch a banner of love over you, &c.

Fourthly, keep your ſelves from the ſins that do ordinarily p. 605attend high places and imployments, Pſalm 18.23. It is Davids great care to keep himſelf from his own iniquity: and they are commonly theſe.

Firſt Pride, having your hearts lifted up above your brethren; it is a hard matter to keep a mans heart low in a high place, and to be like a ſpire-ſteeple, minimus in ſummo, ſmalleſt at top; for you are made of the ſame clay with other men: only, as it is with the rainbow, it is but a common wattery cloud, and only by reflection it is enameled; rara virtus eſt humilitas honorata. Bernard.Bernard.

Secondly, Coveteouſneſs. It is one of the qualifications required in a Magiſtrate, Exod. 18.21. that he be one hating covetouſneſs; and the bain of Magiſtracy is when every one is for his gain from his quarter, Iſa. 56.11. the word in the Hebrew is foreign ab extremitate ſua: as far as he can reach and extend his authority, all is to fetch in gain for himſelf, and for his own advantage: for ſo, dives poteſtas pauperem facit …rempublicam: Salvian.

Thirdly, Mercileſneſs, in laying heavy burdens upon others, which you will not touch with the leaſt finger: The four perſecuting Monarchies are compared unto beaſts for this cauſe, Dan. 7.2. Ye are called Fathers in the Scripture, & you ſhould have compaſſion anſwerable to that relation you are called Gods and ſhould in this in a ſpecial manner ſhew your ſelves children of your heavenly Father: it is a ſad thing when it ſhall be ſaid of you, their poſſeſſors ſlay them, & hold not themſelves guilty; their own Shepherds pitty them not, Zach. 11.5,6. but ſpecially there is a tenderneſs to be uſed to the conſciences of men: thoſe I mean that are truly conſciencious: p. 606and when by their general walking and by long experience you have in the judgement of charity ground to judge of it to be conſcience, and not will, nor humour; ſuppoſe it be an error or a want of light in ſome things in which their judgement is not truly informed, ſhall we not ſay, God will reveal even this unto them; See the indulgence of God unto a froward child, Iſa. 5.7. I have ſeen his waies, and I will heal him, &c. and of Chriſt to Thomas who was a little willful alſo in his unbelief. The complaint of old was under our former Governors, that if a wicked man had a dead member to be cut off, they did turn the back to the ſword of Juſtice: but if a Saint had but a hair to be pared off, then they did turn the edge of the ſword and ſtrike a full blow: let it not be ſo ſaid of you, when you rule over men, and thoſe your brethren, whoſe Repreſentatives you know you are, and profeſs your ſelves to lead by the cords of men, and the cords of love: amor neſcit cogi: for they will never give Governors a place in the hearts of men, Ezck, 34.18 I will judge between the fat and lean cattle: for the fat eat up the good paſture and tread down the reſidue; they drink of the good water, and they foul the refidue with their fect, &c. this doth provoke the Lord to come in to Judge between them, yea to feed them with Judgement, &c.

Fourthly delayes in Judgement: to defer Juſtice, is the next door to injuſtice: and he in whoſe power it is to do a man right, doth him wrong all the time his right is delayed: therefore let Iudgement be executed ſpeedily, and let Juſtice run down … River, and Iudgement as a mighty ſtream: the … Nation is great in this reſpect that men … their undoing upon a …ommitte… from day to … they …, or elſe if a p. 607Committee be procured it is with reſpect unto ſome few particular buſineſſes in which themſelves are engaged and when they are ended one is gone this way, and another that, as if nothing were to be done for love of Juſtice, but barely to pleaſure friends by whom they have been ſollicited; and by this means men do commonly ſay, the remedy … worſe then the diſeaſe; and the beſt is a brtar and as a thorny hedge: as it is, Mich. 7.4 the ſheep come for ſuccor, their fleſh is torn away: you ſhould Iudge, foreign; when as it is the Apoſtles rule, and it will hold in all publick adminiſtrations, and ye ſhould be nails for the ſmall veſſels as well as the great cups and flaggons. Your Iuſtice ſhould be as large as Solomons wiſdom, to reach as well to the hyſop as unto the Cedar.

Secondly, you have another Vineyard, and that is your houſe, which in a more ſpecial manner is yours alſo: for Magiſtrates have the ſubjects only in imperium, but not in patrimonium: and for this Joſhua 24 15. I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord; if he cannot by his authority work it amongſt the people, yet he reſolves it in his own family: though he cannot thruſt them out of the Nation, yet he will put them out of his houſe and family; and it was the miſery that David did bewail when he came to dye, though my houſe be not ſo with God, &c.

He that cannot rule well his own houſe, how is he able to rule the Church of God? &c. and here give me leave to preſs a few things.

Firſt, walk you exemplarily in your family. Pſal. 10.1 3. I will walk in the middle of my houſe with a perfect heart: the matter is not ſo much what you are abroad in common view; there is many a man that is like unto p. 608to the carbuncle, that which Rurus ſaith, Tranſlucet ad modum ardentis prunae: Rurus.and yet if you touch it, it is key cold.

Secondly, let the Ordinances of God be ſet up in your family, that at leaſt if you cannot joyn unto other Churches, you may have a Church in your houſe, which was the honour of ſome of the private Saints in Scripture: Ahraham had his Catechiſed ſervants, Gen. 14.14. the Hebrew word is, foreign and it was the great honor that God did put upon him, I know that he wil teach his family to fear the Lord: There are many men that make great ſhows of Religion abroad, that if we look into their families, there is little difference between them and the families of the Heathen that know not God.

Thirdly, do not countenance thoſe that are evil for any reſpect. Aſa would not bear with the Queen his Mother if ſhe ſet up an Idol in a grove, but he depoſed her from being Queen, &c. Ierom.there is no relation that is to ſtand between God and duty: per calcatum perge patrem: Ierom. And in this caſe its our duty as it is Ieroms rule: and in ſuch caſes Ieſus Chriſt put no difference between his Mother and another woman. VVhat have I to do with the woman? &c. and David, Pſal. 101.6,7. My eyes ſhall be upon the faithful in the Land, that they may dwell with me; he that is perfect in his way ſhall ſerve me: he that works deceit ſhall not dwell in my houſe: it is grace only that makes the difference with God; ſurely it ſhould be the main difference with us alſo▪ it is a common evil in a Magiſtrate, their ſervants oppreſs the people, but ſo did not …, ſaid that godly Magiſtrate, for the fear of my God, &c. and Zeph. 1.9. there will come a day when the Lord will puniſh them that leap p. 609upon the threſhold, and fill their maſters houſes with violence and ſpoyl: qui praeda onuſti, laetabundi, limen tranſilientes: Druſius.So Druſius. They did rejoyce that they had gotten a booty, and in ſuch ſervants that are for their turn the maſters can rejoyce; but thou doſt then covet an evil covetouſneſs unto thy houſe.

Fourthly, be diligent to know the ſtate of thy family, and by conſequence in bewailing the ſins of it, Pro. 27.23. be diligent to know the ſtate of thy flock, & look well to thy herds: de diligenti rei familiaris adminiſtratione intelligitur: Cartwr.Cartwright. Next unto the ſtate of a mans own heart, it is an evil to be a ſtranger to the ſtate of his own houſe; and a man ſhould be much in bewailing family evils and decaies, as we ſee it in David when he came to dye, though he make my houſe not to grow, &c.

For, there is a curſe on the families of men, and that curſe many times cleaves to the houſe, as we ſee it in the family of Ely, though a godly man; and of David, I will bring evil upon thy houſe, &c. And there ſhall not be an old man in the houſe of Ely for ever; Conſider what a ſad thing it is for God to curſe a family. To entail mercies and promiſes on a family is ſweet, &c. and as bitter is the entailing of a curſe.

Doctrine 2.

The Keepers of other Vineyards, do many times neglect their own Vineyards; See the inſtance of Iehu in the Magiſtracy, and of them in the miniſtery, Mat. 7 we have propheſied in thy name, & we have eat and drank in thy preſence, and in thy name have caſt out Devils: and we have done many mighty works for thee in the world.

Men employed in the higheſt affairs in Church and p. 610ſtate, and God hath uſed them as inſtruments of much good to others, yet they themſelves may be caſtawaies: and the reaſons are theſe.

Firſt, their imployments do take up their hearts: there is ſomething of the thorn in every earthly employment, and it ſucks the ſtrength of the ſoul, and a mans heart is apt to be drawn out inordinately to them, and to be over-ſhot into them, that there is no place for any thing elſe to grow there: and thoſe ſweet retirements of ſoul with God from day to day he is a ſtranger to, when he wakes and ſhould be with God: now a crowd of worldly affairs preſs in upon him, and ſo by this means his ſoul is drowned in them. It is ſtrange to obſerve the higheſt degrees of temporary Believers, and that is the thorny ground; they were men that had great works upon them, and were in high eſteem in the Church: men of great gifts and eminency; and thoſe that had ſuffered much for God, and the Goſpel: and yet, licitis perimus omnes: they periſh in the unlawful uſe of lawful things: the creatures had taken up their hearts, and they were ſet upon them, and loſe their ſouls in the perſuite of them, and calmely lay down in their graves, and be caſt away in a calm before they are aware.

Secondly, they do take off the heart; for pectora noſtra duas non admittentia curas; there can be no place; for, intus exiſtens prohibet alienum: when a mans heart goes out unto a thing, as Davids heart went out after Abſolom: and their hearts in Ezek. 31.33. went after their covetouſneſs; ſet it upon God, and duties oftentimes, but its attendance is taken off by the affairs to which it is accuſtomed.

There is that poyſon in the creature, it is not only p. 611deceiving, but its defiling, and there is that curſe unleſs a man be very watchful, that will creep upon him in all imployments about the creature whatſoever; the heart will be taken off from God thereby; there is a ſtrange kind of Idolatry, ſummus ſeculi reatus, that doth vent and diſcover it ſelf in the hearts of men in this kind, that the heart ſhall be taken off from duty whileſt he is in the way of duty, and a lower imployment ſhall dead his heart unto that which is higher and more excellent, and yet the man ſhall pleaſe and ſatisfie himſelf fully in the one, with the conſtant and daily neglect of the other; and yet this ſhall be given unto him as a Rattle to ſtil his conſcience if it cry, that he is called to publick employment; if he be diligent in that, he thinks he hath done enough, &c.

Thirdly, a man that hath ſo neglected his own Vineyard, cannot look upon it but with grief, notwithſtanding all his care of other Vineyards committed to his truſt and care; and it is a ſad thing in theſe reſpects.

Firſt, it is ſaid to think how I have neglected the great duties for which I came into the world; it is true, you are to ſerve your generation by the will of God: and there is a reſpect unto God to be put upon your meaneſt actions; Do all to the glory of God, and it is this bent of the heart through Chriſt that makes them to be accepted of grace in ordine ſupernaturali: But yet though there be duties done to men wherein God is ſerved, yet the main of the man is to be laid out in the ſervice of God, and the duties between God and the mans own ſoul; walk in and out before the people, yet Solomon my Son, know the God of thy Fathers and ſerve him, &c. it is ſad to ſee the great Commandment neglected, &c.

p. 612Secondly, it is ſad to think how many precious opportunities and advantages I have loſt: how many ſweet motions and admonitions of the ſpirit have I poſted unfruitfully over, and made the Lord to ſpeak in vain in ſweet illapſes of the Spirit: the Lord hath called upon me, but my worldly thoughts did lodge within me ſtill, and there was no place in my heart for ſuch calls from God, and inſinuations, &c. Surely there is a way of enjoying God even in worldly imployments, and God would never have put the ſoul upon them, that he might ſerve God in them to their own diſadvantage, that they ſhould have loſs of him by it: Enoch walked with God, and he begat ſons and daughters, Gen. 5.19. he did not retire and ſeparate himſelf from the affairs of this life, &c. And the Angels that are imployed by Chriſt in the things of this world; for the ſpirit of the living creatures is in the wheels, and they are finite creatures and cannot be in a two-fold ubi at one and the ſame time, and yet they loſe nothing of the beatifical viſion all the time of their adminiſtration; but their Angels, yea even while they are imployed for them, behold the face of their Father who is in heaven, Mat. 18.10. and we need not loſe our viſion by our imployment, if the fault were not our own, and and therefore it is ſad, becauſe it is our own ſin that is the cauſe.

Thirdly, it is ſad to ſee ſo many glorious works rejected, and ſo much labour loſt, that ſhall never redound unto the mans account: as we ſee in Iehu, it was a great work and ſervice that he did: and ſo that of Cyrus, but yet neither of their ſervices ſtood upon record in reference to an eternal acceptation: Now to ſee a wiſe Counſellor, and a Statiſt, and a valiant Souldier, p. 613and a painful miniſter lay out himſelf unto the utmoſt, and eat the bread of carefulneſs all his life time; and yet when he comes to give up an account, all is but a Cypher, becauſe his main work went not on, becauſe he took no care of his own Vineyard: therefore the Lord rejects his care of others: as one ſaies, Si mihi daretur optio, eligerem Chriſtiani ruſtici ſordidiſsimum & maxime agreſte opus, prae omnibus victoriis & triumphis Alexandri, Caeſaris, on Gen. 31. for his work to be burnt, and the man to ſuffer loſs when he hath beſtowed a great deal of pains in the building of it, &c.

Fourthly, it is more ſad for the perſon to periſh, and after all this to be caſt away, that he that did ſave others, ſhould himſelf be deſtroyed: he that was inſtrumental to ſave Kingdoms, and to ſettle Nations, that he himſelf ſhould periſh: and he that did caſt out Devils ſhould be himſelf condemned with the Devils: who would not pitty ſuch a man that had gone along with and acted with the better party all his life time, and ſeemed very induſtrious and zealous in it alſo, as Iehu did, and been active in reformation and reſolute, and yet the man caſt away, becauſe of the neglect of his own Vineyard: for as Heaven and Hell divide the world: ſo will Chriſt, and he is making preparation for it at the laſt day, Pſal. 125.5. he will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, with whom they ſeemed to have little acquaintance in times paſt: but the Lord will put every man thus in his own place, with thoſe of his own rank, whatever now he may ſeem to be a covering Cherub. Ezek. 28.14,16.

Vſe.

Now for the Lords ſake, I beſeech you, as you are p. 614made Keepers of the Vineyard, ſo be ſure that you do keep your own Vineyard; if you could ſettle the Common-wealth in the moſt happy and flouriſhing condition that you could deſire, all this would be nothing to thee, thou ſhouldſt never ſee when God comes; for no man can receive benefit by others that keeps not his own Vineyard; let me tell you the ſweeteſt fruits that the ſoul ſeeds on all his life time, are thoſe that he gathers from his own Vine; and to quicken you to it, take but theſe few conſiderations.

Firſt, ye muſt all appear before the Iudgement ſeat of Chriſt: as he told his friends when he came to dye, he ſhould not appear before God as a Doctor, but he ſhall be diſ-robed of all thoſe any further then they refer to his works done in his body; but as a man only he ſhall appear and be Judged: death doth pluck the Princes Crown off his head, and the Iudges robes from off the back, and the Lord ſhall Iudge you without reſpect of perſons: not ſo much how you have kept others, but how your own Vineyard: tantus quiſque eſt quantus eſt apud deum: the Lord doth not value any man by his greatneſs, or place, or his honour, or his office, but as he is inſtrumental in ſervice, and as he did keep his own Vineyard.

Secondly, it is a comfortable argument to ſuch a man, that he is placed in ſuch a publick imployment in mercy, if it doth not cauſe him to neglect his own Vineyard: and if he doth neglect it, it was in Iudgement that he was placed there: that creature which doth draw the heart off from God and duty, was given in a curſe: and though it be a bleſſing in the thing yet it is a curſe to the man: if the table be a ſnare, its a curſe: Iratus dat amanti quod male amat: and ſo it is p. 615of imployments alſo: there is a difference between the graces of a condition and the gifts of it. Iudas had the one, and ſo had Saul: but it was Paul and David had the other; and therefore the one might keep other Vineyards, but the other they alſo keep their own, and that was a token they were called in mercy; if thereupon thy heart neglects God, and thou grow remiſs in reference unto thy eternal eſtate, take heed this be not foreign to thee, and after all thy Religion, this is the time when God will turn thee off.

Thirdly, know that if you neglect your own Vineyards as Magiſtrates, there is a Iudgement will come upon you: remember Ezek. 21.10. Chriſt in his Iudgements will put no difference, he will lay you aſide as a veſſel in which there is no pleaſure, and caſt you out alſo as an abominable branch, Zach. 11.16. there is a Iudgement threatned on Magiſtrates, thy right arm ſhall wither, and thy right eye ſhall be put out: he ſhall loſe the gifts for government: for they be of that nature that they may decay and be utterly loſt, as it was with Saul when the Spirit of the Lord departed from him; and all his authority and ruling power with the people ſhall be taken away, and the place that he had before in the hearts of the people, he ſhall loſe for ever.

Fourthly, if you periſh, there will be more rejoycing then at the downfall of any men in the world: therefore do not gratifie the enemies ſo much, that watch for your halting: and with Triumph the enemy will ſay, How is the hammer of the earth broken? you that God hath made victorious, and you have ſet your foot upon the necks of your enemies; yea how would Satan rejoyce at ſuch a fall, and all the damned ſpirits would ſport themſelves as it were, Iſa. 44.9,10. art p. 616thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer the ſon of the morning, &c. and there are no men in the world that will periſh with ſo much ſhame and confuſion of face as you will do if the Lord reject you: Therefore to conclude all, ſuffer this word of exhortation: ſeeing your mothers children have made you Keepers of the Vineyard, look upon that charge, and let it not be neglected; for the account of Nations will be dreadful when you come to give an account of your Steward-ſhip: but however, above all keepings, keep your own Vineyard.