¶ Of Chryst and his vyneyarde, with an execraciō of couetousenese and of dronckennes.
CAPI. V.
[ A] NOw well then, I wyll synge my belo∣ued frende a songe of his vyneyarde.* 1.1 My beloued frende hathe a vyneyarde in a very frutefull plenteous grounde. This he hedged, this he walled rounde about, and and planted it with goodly grapes. In the myddest of it buylded he a towre,* 1.2 and made a wyne presse therin. And afterwarde when he loked that it shoulde brynge him grapes, it brought forth thornes. I shew•• you now my came (o ye cytezyna of Ierusalem and hole Iuda:) Iudge I praye you bytwene me and my vyneyarde. What more coulde haue ben done for it, that I haue not done? Wherfore then haue it gyuen thornes, where I loked to [ B] haue had grapes of it?
Well I shall tell you how I wyl do with my vyneyarde: I wyll take the hedge frome it, that it maye perysshe, and breake downe the wall, that it maye be troden vnder foote. I wyll laye it waste, that it shall neyther be twylled nor cut, but beare thornes and brea∣tes. I wyll also forbyd the cloudes, that they shall not rayne vpon it. As for the vine∣yarde of the Lorde of hostes, it is the house of Israell, and hole Iuda his fayre plan∣tynge. Of these he loked for equitie, but se there is wronge: for ryghtousnesse, loo, it is but miserye.
Woo be vnto you that ioyne one house to an other,* 1.3 and brynge one lande so nygh vnto an other, tyll ye can gerte no more grounde. Wyl ye dwell vpon the earthe alone? The Lord of hostes roundeth me thus in the eare: [ C] shal not manye greater and more gorgyous houses be so waste, that no man shal dwel in them? And ten akers of vynes shal gyue but a quarte, and thirty busshels of sede shal gyue but thre.
Wo be vnto them that ryse vp earlye to vse them selues in dronckennesse, and yet at nyghte are more superstuous with wyne. In those companyes are harpes and lutes, ta∣brettes and pypes, and wyne. But they re∣garde not the worke of the Lorde, and con∣sydre not the worke of his handes. Ther∣fore commeth my folke also in captiuitie, by∣cause [ D] they haue no vnderstandynge. Theyr glorye shall be myxte with hungre, and theyr pryde shall be marred for thyrste. Therfore gapeth hell, and openeth her mouth maruey∣lous wyde: that pryde, hostyng and wisdome with suche as reioyse therin, may descende in to it.
Thus shall man haue a fall, he shall be broughte lowe, and the hyghe lockes of the proude layd downe. But the Lord of hostes, that holy God, shall be exalted, and vntou∣ched, when he shall declare his equitie and ryghtousnesse af••er this maner: Then shall the lambes eate theyr appoynted fodder, and shall fede plenteoustye in the mountaynes. Woo be vnto vayne person that draw wic∣kednesse vnto them, as it were with a corde, and synne, as it were with a cart rope, which vse to speake on this maner: lette hym make haste now, and go forth with his worke, that we may se it. Let the counsel of the holy one of Israel come and drawe nye, that we maye knowe it.
Wo be vnto them that call euyl good, and [ E] good euyll: whiche make darcknesse lyghte, and lyghte darckenesse: that make sower swete, and swete sower.* 1.4 Woo be vnto them that are wise in their owne sight, and thynke them selues to haue vnderstandynge. Wo be vnto them that are cunnynge men to suppe out wyne, and expert to set vp dronkennesse. These gyue sentence with the vngodly for re¦wardes, but condemne the luste ca••••e of the ryghtous.
Therfore lyke as fyre licketh vp the str••w, and as the flame consumeth the s••••bble: euen so (when theyr roote is full) theyr blossome shall vanysshe awaye lyke dus•• or smoke: for