dwell but thou diddest thy selfe reiect God and didst cast the LORD thy Redeemer out of his owne Vineyard thou diddest with a loud cry in the sight of the Sunne and in the hearing of the Gentiles protest Wee will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs wee will haue no King but Caesar Thou diddest lead him out of thy City diddest crucifie him without the gate calling for the guilt of his innocent bloud not onely vpon thine owne head but also vpon the heads of all thy posterity And now the Lord is risen vp again and is departed the Vine is remoued and planted elsewhere and as for that olde Vineyard it is burnt it is burnt with fire and the wilde beasts of the forrest haue deuoured it vp Seeing then the Lord will not bee without a Church on earth without a Vineyard Psal 80. if wee demand where it is now 1. it is euident that since Iudah is for her contempt laide waste the Lord hath planted his Church in the desert of the Gentiles secondly it is as euident that according to the prophesies he hath enlarged the bounds therof and hath made it vniuersall and Catholike so that there is no City nor Nation which will receiue that eternall roote to bee planted in it which may not become a part of his Church and Vineyard This appeareth by the maner of Gods proceeding When Paul and Apollo the Lords workmen went forth to worke in what City soeuer they stayed they made a Vineyard Paul planted Apollo watered and by their industry the Lord had a new Church in Corinth a Church at Ephesus a Church in Galatia in Thessalonica in Philippi the other Apostles and Euangelists did the like in other Countries planting Vineyards as farre as India so that if any man would know where the Lords Church is wee need not seeke for secret marks and tokens These Vineyards are easily discerned from other partes of the earth And yet not by their fruits for often they bring forth wilde grapes but by their roote that is planted in them in what Country or place soeuer that Vine which came downe from heauen is planted wheresoeuer it is outwardly receiued as the roote and spring of mans life and saluation where there is Baptisme to ingraft and incorporate the new professed branches and the food of the word and the communion of the Lords Supper to make them encrease and grow there is a Vineyard because there both is his vine the means to make it spread to the Lord of hosts and therefore there is his eye and care and prouidence and protection there he expecteth fruit for wheresoeuer God vouchsafeth to bestow the outward grace of the knowledge of Christ Act. 16.9 and to continue the sowing of his seed of life it is an euident token that he hath some people in that place Thus of those seuen seuerall Vineyards and Churches in Asia with their Angels and ouerseers Reuel 1. though one Church was purer then another and some were so degenerated that the great LORD of the Vineyard doth threaten them with desolation and remouing the vine root yet his carefull eye was ouer them all hee that seemeth to bee gone into a farre Country yet was seene walking in the midst of them and as it were holding them in his hand And thus to seeke no other marks and notes of the Church then this present Parable affoordeth what greater assurance can we haue to our selues that the Lord hath chosen vs for a part of his Vineyard then this that he hath with such care and long assiduity laboured to plant the knowledge of Christ crucified among vs that he hath raysed vp such multitudes of Labourers amongst vs and indued them with excellent faculties and graces and sent them into his Vineyard to follow his spirituall husbandry that hee hath so many thousands dayly ingrafted into him by Baptisme that he so mightily protecteth them with his defences so continually feedeth them with the knowledge of his word so importunately calleth at their hands for the fruits of a Vineyard and no doubt receiueth some for it is impossible that all these things should be in vaine as not from God seeing not so much as the raine and snow from heauen doe returne againe in vaine Esai 55.10.11 The second question which the Vineyard moueth is concerning the state of the Lords Churches their purity or corruptions heere on earth whether they are alwayes cleane and not sometimes through the negligence of the Ouerseers ouergrowne with weeds or through their priuate couetousnesse sometimes planted among with other plants For first the Church of Iudah howsoeuer at this time in the dayes of Vzziah it held the publike profession of God purely yet was it both now so generally corrupted in maners that in Esai 1. God cryeth against it Ah sinfull Nation laden with iniquity corrupt children which haue forsaken the Lord After in the dayes of Ahas both Prince high Priest and people euen the whole outward state fell to Idolatry and by little and little so corrupted their waies that as Ezechiel chargeth her shee went beyond her sister Samaria in spirituall fornication and idolatry And yet notwithstanding this her vncleannes shee is still counted the Lords Spouse though a harlot also and the Lords vineyard though for the outward face in most part cleane degenerated yea and the Lord by his Prophets wooeth her as his owne because shee had not absolutely renounced his couenants otherwise God had no publike visible Church and Vineyard at all vpon the earth in those dayes Nay I may goe further and affirme of Israel that though it not onely worshipped God by calues and after in Ahabs time did set vp Baal also the god of the Gentiles and then as the Prophet chargeth them halted between God Baal yet the Lord not only in this place calleth it his Vineyard and professeth Ier. 3.9 I am a Father to Israel Ephraim is my first borne But his mercifull presence in the middest of these abominations did not clean forsake thē but that he had of his Prophets continually amongst them and many messages of kindnes he sent to their state and many miraculous deliuerances he wrought for them and after almost three hundred yeares Idolatry when Israel was for this their irreuocable obstinacy in rebellious fornication to be cast off into the hands of her enemies and yeelded vp to captiuity yet he is as it were distracted within himself Hos 8. How shal I deliuer thee vp O Ephraim My heart is turned within mee I will not yet execute the fiercenes of my wrath for though Ephraim were a prodigal sonne yet he was counted a sonne to his last being euen till he gaue vp the seale of circumcision and outward profession of the name of the God of Israel Can then an Idolatrous Church be counted the Lords Church and a degenerate Vine that onely groweth vpon another roote and bringeth forth wilde fruit of another kind
therefore conceiued no need of repentance and redemption by an other Sauiour Thus he generally affirmeth of the Iewes whose eares and hearts were by custome growne more then as all men naturally are so obstinately hardned in contempt against the word of truth that Mat. 11.21 had the signes and wonders that were done amongst them beene done in Tyre and Sydon nay in Sodom they would haue repented in Sackcloth and Ashes as the Nineuites did at the preaching of Ionas onely And this is that obstinate opposition of some against the ordinary meanes of mans saluation that caused not onely the Prophets to mourn but our Sauiour Christ to sit down and to weepe ouer Ierusalem when he saw that shee would not bee gathered to her Redeemet as if Christ should haue said as God by our Prophet What could I haue done more for my Vineyard which I haue not done 3 After the consideration of this so exceeding great cost and care bestowed vpon the Lords Vineyard wee are in the third place to looke vnto the end of these his labours and husbandry bestowed on his Church that is the same which euery man which plāteth a vineyard doth expect of his plants fruits I looked for grapes fruites naturall and proper to a Vine proper to a Christian that receiueth the nature the sappe the spirit of the roote Christ Why the good workes and fruites of Christians are compared to grapes and themselues to vines I partly shewed before For as nothing is created for it selfe so the poorest creature that GOD hath made is inabled with some gift to imitate the bounty and goodnesse of the Creator and to yeeld somthing from it selfe to the vse and benefit of others and this is their naturall worke thus the Sun and Moone and Starres as they are indued with light vertue so they restlesly moue to impart their light and influence to the inlightning and quickning of the inferiour world Thus doe the cloudes flie vp and downe emptying themselues to inrich the earth of which notwithstanding they reape no haruest Thus doth the earth without respect of her priuate profit liberally yeelde her riches and fatnes to the innumerable armies of creatures which all sucke her brests and hang on her for maintenance as on their common mother and not to depart frō our Parable thus doe all fruit-bearing trees spend themselues and the principall part of their sappe and moisture not on the increase of themselues but in making some pleasant fruit or berry of which neyther they nor their young springs shall taste and this when it is ripe perfect they voluntarily let fall at their masters feet thus neither doth the Vine make her selfe drunke with her owne grapes nor the Oliue annoint her selfe with her own oyle and yet they striue to abound with fruites For the more euery thing furthereth the common good of the world the higher is the excellency of the nature thereof and the greater resemblance it hath to the Creators goodnesse Now when heauen and earth are fruitfull in their kinde when neyther beast nor tree are idle but are alwaies bringing forth something to the good of others when not onely the creatures vnder man but the blessed Angels of heauen are ministring spirites perpetually and willinglie seruing for our good when God the father himselfe with the Lord our King are yet working and diuiding the streames of their goodnesse to the best behoofe of the world how can it bee allowable that when all the Armies of heauen and earth the Creator with the creatures are thus busied in bringing forth fruit onely man should remaine vnfruitfull his faculties and graces idle himselfe a burthen to the earth It cannot be for not onely the Church of God for the gathering of her children the propagation of truth and piety amongst them but the world it selfe for the vpholding of her estate doth necessarily require mans fruits for seeing we grow together as members in a body and branches in a tree the life and sappe strength and helpe of the root and head cannot be deriued to vs vnlesse it be conuaied by ioynts and by sinewes by armes and by boughes by the mutuall ministery of man by the works of iustice and mercy from one to another and therefore vnlesse the Pastor yeelde the fruit of his light and knowledge vnlesse the Magistrate do yeelde the fruit of his iustice and authority vnlesse euery priuate man doe yeeld forth the fruite of those faculties graces which they receiue not for themselues but for the good of the body they are no parts of Christs body neyther haue they the spirit of the head the spirite of loue in them but they are theeues and murtherers enemies to Christ and to his Church they starue his body and purloine from their fellow members those good things which the mercifull head hath so intended by them to vs that the benefite might be ours and the thanks theirs and al might grow by the naturall fruits of loue But here ordinarily ariseth in the mind of man a vaine shift which much hindreth his fruitfulnes and maketh him draw in all to himselfe and recall his sappe from the fruits into the roote againe and that is a false reasoning with himselfe that because doe he the best he can yet his fruits will bee earthly and sowre and neuer perfect and kindely ripened because were they neuer so perfect and abundant yet they cannot merite lifes eternity to him that beareth them and because that which is wanting is fully supplied in the all-sufficient fulnesse and superrogatiue merits of the head and therefore it is but lost labour to spend himselfe in bringing forth such vnperfect fruites so helpeles in the worke of his owne saluation thus doth iniquity lie vnto her selfe and turneth the truth of God into a lie for though those three promises are all true yet the conclusion we inferre vpon them is altogether vncoherent True it is that though wee bee ingrafted into the eternall Vine Christ yet wee retaine something of the nature of the olde stocke whence wee were taken which giueth to our best fruites an earthly taste and some relish of the olde man True it is that though we are planted with the best heauenly plants of piety yet they grow in a forraine soile and in a colde clime farre from the Sun and our fruites are not concocted and perfect euen our most spirituall fruits our prayers haue not a pleasing taste vnlesse they haue some sweetning But this defect is supplyed by the great Angell of the couenant who when he presenteth these our fruits to God the great husbandman addeth to them of his owne precious incense which helpeth their infirmity and harshnes and maketh them acceptable Renel 8.4 Again true it is that these our fruits were they neuer so abundant and as excellent as mans perfectly restored perfection can afforde yet can they not merite those crownes and kingdomes and the eternity of that glory but
same kingdome though hee be gone first through Gods mercy you shall shine as starres together and therefore seeing good my Lord he sleepeth but you are waking he is in heauen and you on earth what part or parcell of his writings can challenge as of right protection frō any man that liues saue only your self who haue so truely loued him in his life and so redoubled your affection vpon him in his since his death which his religious constant and truly sorrowfull widdow with her fatherlesse children doe finde and freely confes powring out incessāt praiers to almighty God for you and yours And how can you want the blessings of heauen which haue the widdow and fatherlesse to intercede for you vpon earth Oh giue mee leaue to say of your Lordship concerning this without suspition of flattery as Saint Hierom writes of Origen in his preface before his booke vpon the Canticles In ceteris libris omnes alios vicerit in Cantico Canticorum seipsum vicit So in other of your paynfull works you goe beyond others but in this worke of piety you exceede your selfe But not to trespasse too far vpon your Lordships patience seing thus the God of mercy hath moued your heart sincerely to affect the Author of this Sermon and next vnder God to regard his widdow and fatherlesse children let me presume to make this sute further vnto you in the behalfe of this the liuing Image of his soule the first fruit of his published labours that you being a Reuerend father of the church would giue it your blessing before it goe abroad yea that blessing which Iacob sent with his sonnes into Egypt Gen. 43.14 God Almighty giue you mercy in the sight of the man in the sight of the proud man that you may make him humble in the sight of the poore man that you may make him content in the sight of the stubborne man that you may make him yeeld in the sight of the penitent man that you may binde vp and powre wine and oyle into his wounds in the sight of the barren man that you may make him fruitfull in the sight of euery man that you may touch their consciences and winne their soules but especially in the sight of our Ioseph our Iesus who euer so blesse your Lordship that your waies may bee prosperous your sorrowes easie your comforts manie your vertues eminent your conscience quiet your life holie your death comfortable your election sure and your saluation certaine Amen Your Honours humbly deuoted Hamlett Marshall GODS LOVE TO HIS VINEYARD ESAY the 5. VERSE 2.3 Now therefore O Inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah Iudge I pray you betweene mee and my Vineyard What could I haue done any more to my Vineyard which I haue not done vnto it Why haue I looked for grapes and it bringeth forth wilde grapes WHereas the beginning of mans saluation the spur and goad which driueth him to Christ is the sence of his owne imperfections and terror of his owne sinnes Strange it is how auerse wee are by nature from this first meanes of our conuersion strange how blinde how partially how corruptly we iudge in our owne causes eyther not once considering or not faithfully acknowledging our own transgressions which forceth God in the ordinary courses of mans saluation sometimes to deale by policies and deuises and to propose his owne case to him not as his owne but in Parables and in the person of others that drawing him from himselfe he might also draw from him an vnpartiall sentence against himselfe Thus God dealt with Dauid when he lay asleepe in the sinne of Bershebah and would not awake himselfe to consider of his owne estate that when Dauid had giuen a seuere sentence against the rich man that slew the poore mans lambe and had pronounced death against him with an oath As the Lord liueth hee shall surely die The Prophet might strike him to the heart with the sentence of his owne mouth Thou art the man Thus and thus hast thou done And to omit the manifolde examples in Scriptures of this kind thus doth our Prophet in this place deale with the people of Iudah he proposeth to them a Parable and because it should bee taken vp in euery mans mouth he setteth it downe in verse and maketh a song of a Vineyard which after the infinite care cost of the husbandman in planting fencing weeding watering pruning it could not bee wonne to bring forth any thing but wild vnwholesom as the word signifieth stinking grapes wherin hauing euery mans secret iudgement that such an vnprofitable vine-yard were to bee left desolate and neglected hee concludeth out of this their owne seueritie against themselues Verse 7. Surely this Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel the men of Iudah are his pleasant plants and he looked for iudgement and behold oppression for righteousnes and behold a crying And first by the way for the Parable it self God hath iudged it profitable thus to teach his Church sometimes by parables which though they be vayles and shadows do hide vnder them spiritual mysteries yet when they are opened and vnfolded they giue a great light to the thing which they shadowed and by their sensible similitude proportion they breed a sensible conceit of things remoued from sense Now to discourse of this whole Parable time will not permit I haue made choice of that one part onely in which the case of the Vineyard is put to the iudgement of the people that is their owne cause is referred to their owne arbitrement Now therefore O inhabitants c. Iudge I pray you c. In which wordes is comprehended the summe of the whole 1. The Church of Israel is proposed vnder the figure of the Lords vineyard 2. Is set downe the Lords care of prouision for his Vineyard What could I haue done for my Vineyard which I haue not done 3. The end of Gods care and benefites fruits good works I looked for grapes 4. The Churches vnthankefulnes It bringeth forth wilde grapes 5. and lastly the iudgement which passed on it Iudge I pray you First for the Church of Israel thus figured by a vineyard As there is one Creator both of heauen and earth so wonderfull are the similitudes and resemblances of one order of his creatures to another of things sensible to things intelligible whereby in earth wise men do beholde a shadow of heauen it selfe but of earthly things which represent spirituall nothing doth more liuely expresse the nature of the visible Church then doth a Vineyard A certaine householder saith our Sauiour Math. 21. planted a Vineyard And Iohn the 15. I am the Vine and yee are the branches and my Father is a husbandman For what property can wee finde in the one which is not in a sort answered in the other Both Church and Vineyard neither of them doe as selfe-sowne things naturally spring and multiply out of the earth both are to bee planted by
hand and by arte Non exsanguinibus nec ex voluntate carnis sed ex Deo saith Saint Iohn of the Church Both Vine Church grow vp the meanest of all plants they cannot beare vp themselues without props and stayes euen as the Elme is to the Vine so is the ciuill state vnto the Church Both in regard of their naturall weakenes are taught to twine their armes and their branches one within an other embrace sustaine and strengthen one another as it were growing in one by loue when they flourish and are suffered to spread nothing so enlargeth it selfe As Plinie speaketh of Vines Sine modo crescunt So the Church spreadeth forth her armes from the sea vnto the riuer from one end of the world vnto the other In the time of their flourishing estate and their summer no plant is so pleasant euery thing harboreth vnder their shadow but when winter commeth and the persecutions of stormes take away their beauty no plant standeth so poore so deformed so contemptible to the outward eye the rich the noble the worldly wise like their greene leaues doe commonly fall away Both Vineyard and Church both must bee strongly fenced els they lie open to the prey of many kinds of spoiles both must bee pruned and kept vnder with continuall cutting els they grow out luxuriously and become wilde and as for their fruits when they proue fruitfull how are their weake branches laden with grapes how doe their fruites exceed their strength how doe they bring forth their grapes in bunches and clusters vnited in loue as the Apostle Saint Iames speaketh of the fruits of righteousnes that they are brought forth in peace of them that loue peace And as for the kinds of their fruits all other fruits in comparison are as nothing It is the fruit of these two vines which ministreth mirth and comfort to all the world and as the vine speaketh Iudg. 9. cherisheth the heart both of God and man Fruits of mercy and loue how doe they warme and cheare vp the weake hearts fruits of Iustice and Equity how doe they ease and relieue the oppressed soule God Angels and men reioyce when these Vines are laden with these fruits For when they are vnfruitfull both sorts of Vines are of all trees most vnprofitable seruing for no vse but for the fire This is then the nature of Gods Church It is a spirituall Vineyard the roote whereof is but one Christ Iesus the second Adam Other foundation sayeth the Apostle can no man lay Other Plants shal be rooted out Into him the multitude of beleeuers are planted into him they grow for all the branches of it are of their own nature wilde taken from the old stocke the first Adam euen as many as the Lord our God shall call and they are set into that eternall Vine the second Adam by ingrafting Now as in Grafts though all in like manner stand in stockes and are fastned to them with outward bonds yet all doe not incorporate themselues by drawing sappe from the root therby growing in it and bringing forth fruite so there is an outward ingrafting into Christ by outward visible bonds of vnion the outward profession of the faith of Christ and the outward Sacrament of Incorporations the society and company of which outward professions so visibly ingrafted doe make the visible Church and Vineyard of God on earth And with this visible and outward ingrafting and by meanes thereof there is wrought an inward ingrafting and incorporating through the inuisible bonds of the spirit also in which some doe grow into the stocke and receiue sappe and life from the roote euen the participation of the spirit of life from Christ and doe bring forth fruit in him the company of which onely doe make vp that mysticall body of Christ which is to man inuisible because the bond is inuisible These two sorts of grafts howsoeuer to our eyes they stand alike in the stocke and do somtimes seem to grow alike yet the Apostle distinguisheth most plainely with their seuerall bonds also Rom. 2.28 Hee is not a Iew who is a Iew outward neither that circumcision which is in the flesh but hee is a Iew who is a Iew within whose circumcision is of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose prayse is not of men but of God Notwithstanding both these sorts as they communicate together in the outward bonds of one profession as they visibly cōtinue together like one visible body vpon that one roote Christ Iesus on whom they al outwardly professe that they depend as on the fountaine of their sappe and life so they both together make this one visible Vineyard and visible Church on earth to which God speaketh by his Prophets that Vineyard which is sometimes fruitfull and somtimes bringeth forth wilde grapes And of this visible kind of Vineyard we are now to intreat Our next question therefore is where that Vineyarde may bee seene For in Esayes dayes Surely saith God the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel the men of Iudah are his pleasant plants All the world besides was as a wildernes and a forrest the habitation of wild beasts this onely was the Lords Paradice placed in the middest of the world and fenced in from all the world the subiect of our present Parable But the circumstances of this Church doc minister occasion of 3. doubts concerning the generall nature and state of Gods Church on earth which are necessary to be vnfolded first seeing the whole church of Israel and Iudah was at these times so generally corrupted as well in idolatry and superstition as in life manners that as it is Esay 1. From the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot there was nothing sound but wounds swellings and sores full of cerruption A doubt ariseth how it might be called Gods Church and Vineyard vnles an Idolatrous and erring Church notwithstanding may bee accounted Gods Church an adulterous wife Gods Spouse 2. Seeing the house of Israel at this day was diuided and Ephram separated from Iudah not onely in ciuil sort but in the forme of Religion also our next doubt is then how these two Churches are notwithstanding by the Prophet counted as one The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel though the men of Iudah be his pleasant plants And seeing both Iudah and Samaria are now laid waste and the Church and Vineyard there is vtterly destroyed our last doubt is where the Vineyard and Church of God may now be found on earth I will lightly touch them all speaking first of the place where the Church is secondly of her variable state her purity and corruption thirdly of her vnity how many particular Churches are notwithstanding one Now for the first where the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is Vnhappy Israel thou hadst an eternall promise Psal 132. ver 14. This said God is my rest for euer here will I
midst of the streets and this very commonnes of it breedeth a contempt so that as great noyse and loude sounds vnto which wee are continually accustomed doe not strike the eare but rather allureth sleepe and as the hand which at the first is soft and tender and galled with handy labours doth with vse waxe hard and gathereth a senselesse brawne so the eares of Iewes Christians are by custom not affected with the continual voice of God their hearts which at the first are tender galled and pricked with euery hard sentence of the word by dayly vse grow hard and vnsensible that whereas Nineuie repented at the hearing of one fearefull Sermon of the Prophet Ionas Israel was not strucken at the vsual thunder of so many fearefull prophesies neyther did the works wonders of our sauior bring thē to any sense of themselus Which if they had bin done in Tire and Sidon nay in Sodom and Gomorrah would haue drawn them to repentance in sackcloth ashes notwithstanding seeing this word preached is the only food without which the soule pineth and her life consumeth seeing by the streams of this water all faithfull men do grow as trees in whole countries planted by the water side which bring forth their fruites in due season there is no reason why the Lord should scant his children of this bread of strength and life because some without gouernement do abuse it to excesse or that his bounty should not bee magnified in whose house the prodigall sonne happily remembred that euen the seruants haue bread inough I come therfore to the last point of my Text to the consideration of the iudgement which is due to those vngratefull Vineyardes which notwithstanding the exceeding great means vsed for their good doe obstinately continue in bringing forth wilde fruites for the Lord the great Iudge referreth this controuersie between himselfe and vs to our own consciences our own case to our owne iudgements O inhabitants of Iudah iudge I pray you betweene mee and my Vineyard that is Iudge betweene your selues mee for though God beginneth his iudgement at his own house yet he goeth to this iudgement with a heauy hart as it were and a slow pace though vpon our continuall prouocations he giueth out words of highest reuenge As Esai 1.24 Ah I. will ease me of my aduersaries and auenge mee of mine enemies and as Hose 11. The sword shall fall vpon their Cities and consume their barres and I will meete them as a Beare robbed of her whelpes I will breake the kall of their hearts I will deuoure them like a Lion their Infants shall bee dashed in peeces and their women with child shall bee ripped yet when he is to com to the execution of these feareful sentences he stayeth himselfe as in the 18. verse of the same Chapter How shal I giue thee vp Ephraim How shal I deliuer thee vp Israel How shall I make thee as Adamah how shall I make thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within mee my repentings are rowled together I will not execute the fiercenes of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man c. which is the reason vvhy the Lord calleth man first to sit in iudgement vpon himselfe because as Cor. 11.13 If wee would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged of the Lord. Iudge therefor I pray you betweene mee and my Vineyard But vniust men that are so corrupt and partiall in iudging other mens causes when will wee bee vpright and vncorrupt in our owne causes when will a man condemne himselfe when will hee sift his secret corners and set his owne vvayes both seene and hidden before his own eyes when will he vpon exact examination giue that iust doom and sentence of death vpon his owne iniquities and vpon his owne head making true restitution what lyeth in him of all his wrongs and executing vengeance vpon al his vices and corruptions that there shall bee no need of appeale from his own partiall iudgement to the iudgement seate of God no need of the Lords after comming to punish those sinnes which are acknowledged condemned remoued and reformed and now mercy is implored for them and supplications put vp to the throne of grace for to them Esai 1. Come now sayeth God let vs reason together If thy sinnes were as red as crimson I will make them as white as snow though they be double dyed as scarlet I will make them like wooll To them that is spoken Malachy 3. I will spare you as a father spareth his owne sonne that serueth him But these sinnes that haue been so deeply rooted in vs and by long familiarity and custome are become deare to vs and which like that euill spirit Act. 16.16 doe bring gain pleasure to their masters there is little hope of our willing consents to root thē out We come like those Iews with minds resolued in our courses whatsoeuer the Prophets shall teach to the contrary And therefore what remaineth but that this Vineyard should expect the Lords sentence Now will I tell you saith God Ver. 5. what I will do A feareful thing to fal into the hands of the liuing God A sentence of depriuation of his graces A sentence of finall desolation onely by remouing his mercies and blessings by which onely it standeth by remouing his owne sauing presence from it 1. the hedge of his defence shall be taken away and then he shall not need to hisse to the nations to come against her she hath greedy enemies at home that lie in wait for the prey Secondly Hee will not maintaine the wall or proppes which vpholde her How can it then but fall downe to the ground and bee trampled on by the feet of euery wilde beast Thirdly He wil not bestow dressing and pruning of her by discipline and chasticements how can shee then but grow wilde Shee shall not be digged and weeded then will thornes and corruptions ouergrow her And yet by all these punishments the wrath of the Lord is not appeased for there remaineth one which taketh avvay all future hopes and possible meanes of any one branch to continue and liue in the middest of these former desolations Hee will commaund the cloudes that they raine no raine vpon her How then can the drie and barren earth bring forth any good I cannot I need not prosecute the particulars of this sentence wee all know how exactly and seuerely it is long since executed vpon the Vineyard of Israel and not a word of the Lord is fallen to the ground that Garden and Paradise of the earth that delightfull habitation of the mighty God of Israel wherein the light of life shined when all the earth besides was darkenesse lyeth now as waste as the wildernesse of Horeb and where the voice of the Bridegroome vvas heard and of him that did leade the dance vvith Tabrets and Harpes vvhere the people of God ioyned together in the ioyfull songs of