soul is due to thee, and I let out what I can, though I have not enlargements and comforts, though I feel not that I get by duty to my self, yet in obedience to thee, and that I might lift up thy Name, and that I might worship thee, I am resolved to go on in such duties as thou requi∣rest of me; trie but this way, and see whether you will not grow more fruitful in prayer than you did before.
But to pass that, I find that some turn the words thus, (as Pareus) An empty Vine he is, although he treasure up fruit unto himself: and so we may understand emptiness by that word that I have opened to you, a spoiled Vine, he is a spoi∣led Vine, and he is emptied of all his prosperity, and ri∣ches, and glory, that he had, although he seeks to trea∣sure up unto himself. And indeed in such a kind of rea∣ding there is a very profitable Note.
They seek to treasure and enrich themselves, to lay up and provide for themselves now, that they may have store by them come what will come, but this will not do saith God, Israel must be a spoiled empty Vine for all this.
Now that's the Note or Meditation hence, That when God is spoiling and emptying a Nation, it is a vain thing for men to think to provide for themselves: This certainly is not the time when God is spoiling and emptying of a Nation, or other parts of the Kingdom for men to have their thoughts now to scrape an estate to themselves and get even from the evils of the times to enrich themselves, by Places and by Offices to enrich themselves, certainly there can be little ho∣nor in such an estate, or little comfort: It is the frame and guize of a vile spirit to think of enriching of themselves in such times as these are, certainly it must needs be a very low spirit that minds the enriching of its self in such times as these are; what God may cast men in by extraordinary providence at any time we speak not of that, or by some e∣minent service; but certainly if it shall prove that God in his mercy shall put an end to such times as these are, when