An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]

Israel is a Vine emptying its self.

That is an aggravation of emptiness when we empty our selves, when God is not wanting to us in means, but we are the Cause of it. And what is the cause of emptiness, but the emptying out our strength and spirits to our lusts and the world? No mervail though we have no fruit for God, and strength in his service, when we let out all to other things.

And the old Latin here turns it,* 1.1 A leavie vine. And the Seventy they have it, A Vine that brings forth goodly branches: And yet it's said here empty, that is, all the strength and juyce of it is let out in the goodliness of the branches and leaves. Oh! so, many Professors in these daies they emp∣ty out all their strength that they have and all their parts meerly into leaves, and have goodly branches, make good∣ly outward profession,* 1.2 and goodly words they give, and

will speak much of Religion, but nothing but leaves, no∣thing but words all this while.

Pliny in his 17. Book and 22. Chapter,* 1.3 saith of Vines, that it is fit (at least for two years together after their plan∣ting) that they should be cut down to the very ground, that they may not sprout out in leaves, and so to lose their juyce and strength at the root.* 1.4 And truly this is that that hath lost the hopeful beginnings of many yong people in these times, they have presently sprouted out into leaves; for never was there a more hopeful time of yong people than at the beginning of this Parliament, and no greater encouragement was there than from them at that time, (I will not say it is wholly lost,) but Oh! how many of them that began to understand the waies of God, hath let out all their strength in leaves, and contests, and disputes, and wranglings, and strange kind of opinions, and little fruit is come of any thing? Nay, there is little savor at all in their spirits; Oh! how happy had it been if so be that God had kept them down in a work of humiliation to the very ground for a yeer or two together?* 1.5 Now that's a thing that is altogether laid aside, any work of humiliation, but presently they sprout out into leaves. My Brethren, what∣soever may be said, or whatsoevee heretofore hath seem'd to be preached [to the contrary] yet certainly if rightly understood hath been but the same things that must of ne∣cessity be acknowledged; we do not press Humiliation as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace, we look not at it so,* 1.6 but Humiliation keeps the spirits of men low, and empties them of themselves, and keeps them down, (I say) this is that which would have made them a great deal more fruitful, and they could not have run up as meer leaves, and their strength spent: and so, how many of them are fallen off again, not only to be slight and vain, but to be wic∣ked and ungodly, and quite naught, because they were not kept down low for a while, but God ordering things that they should live in times of liberty, Oh! how luxurious

have they grown that way?* 1.7 When God lets a people grow rank and prunes them not, they quickly grow barren. We had never so many rank Christians as we have at this day that grow out in luxurious branches, and they think they have over-topt all, because they can talk more than others do, when as there are some poor Christians that grow low to the ground, and when they get a little com∣fort it is gone away from them presently,* 1.8 and they walk humbly before God, and no body takes notice of them, but are despised and contemned, O! these will grow and be delightful to the pallate of God, when such rank pro∣fessors as these shall wither and be cast out. The pruned Vines bring forth the best fruit; and therefore that's ob∣servable:* 1.9 compare Isa. 5. with the 27. there's a Note very observable: In the 5. Chapter, God complains of his Vin∣yard, that he lookt for Grapes, and they brought forth wild Grapes; but there the Prophet speaks of the time be∣fore the Captivity: but in the 27. Chapter there is a Scrip∣ture that seems to refer to the times after the Captivity, and there the Vinyard of God is said to be a Vinyard of red Wine, and God speaks much unto it what it should be after the time of the Captivity, it should bring forth the best kind of Wine, for then God prun'd it; they thought that God would come in a furious manner upon them, no (saith he) Fury is not in me, but this is all the fruit, to purge away their sin. The Vines that are prun'd bring forth the best and the most fruit.

But I find other Interpreters upon this text,* 1.10 [Israel is an empty Vine;]* 1.11 They turn it thus: Is a spoiled Vine. And Luther refers it to the emptying of the abundance of her ri∣ches and prosperity; Indeed these two go together, Emp∣tiness of fruit,* 1.12 and being emptied of our comforts and prosperity, to be spoiled: Israel hath spoiled her self, and I have for her sins let the spoilers come among them, and so hath emptied her of all her good; even while she enjoy∣ed her outward prosperity, she was emptied of the blessing

of God upon her; but after the Lord emptied her even of all her outward good too.

And that's the Note from thence:* 1.13 That sin will empty a Land of all the blessings God hath bestowed, or empty a family, or person: Sin is an emptying thing, sin empties Lands, and Fami∣lies,* 1.14 and persons of all their outward comforts, in Isa. 4. 11. there God threatens the Line of confusion, and the Stones of emptiness for sin; and Oh! how hath it emptied many parts of our Land?* 1.15 how hath sin emptied us? what emp∣ty houses are there in many places? houses that were wont in every room of them to be fill'd with furniture so brave and glistering, now the Owners come into their houses and look upon the bare walls and see them empty of all the rich furniture that was in them; Oh! what empty chests, that were fill'd with such brave cloaths heretofore, now they are broken to pieces, and those places that were fill'd with diet and plenty are now empty; Barns empty, Purses empty, and Bellies empty, and the Veins of men emptied even of their very blood; Oh! how are we a spoiled Vine now at this day! the Vine that a while since was so delightful to God and man, and so glorious even in the e∣steem of all round about us, yet Oh now! now hath the Lord sent his emptiers to empty us;* 1.16 as in Nahum. 2. 2. The Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their Vine brances. This text is fulfilled towards many parts of this Kingdom at this day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vitis fron∣dosa vulg. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. bonos ha∣bens pal∣mitis. 70.
• * 1.2

  Worldly Professors.
• * 1.3

  Plin. lib. 17. cap. 22
• * 1.4

  Yong Pro∣fessors shold be kept down.
• * 1.5

  The bene∣fit of tho∣rough hu∣miliation.
• * 1.6

  How Hu∣miliation shonld be preached.
• * 1.7

  A dange∣rous thing for yong professors to be in times of Liberty.
• * 1.8

  Low Chri∣stians.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 5. compared with chap. 27. explained.
• * 1.10

  Expos. 2.
• * 1.11

  Vitis spoli∣ala, direp∣ta.
• * 1.12

  Luther.
• * 1.13

  Obs.
• * 1.14

  Isa. 34. 11
• * 1.15

  Applied to England.
• * 1.16

  Nah. 2. 2.