Israel is a Vine emptying its self

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, 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 empty out all their strength that they have and all their parts meerly into leaves, and have goodly branches, make goodly outward profession, and goodly words they give, and will speak much of religion, but nothing but leaves, nothing but words all this while.

Pliny in his 17. Book and 22. Chapter, says of Vines, that it is fit (at least for two years together after their planting) 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. And truly this is that that has 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, has 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? No, 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? Now that's a thing that is altogether laid aside, any work of humiliation, but presently they sprout out into leaves. My Brethren, whatever may be said, or whatever heretofore has seem'd to be preached [to the contrary] yet certainly if rightly understood has been but the same things that must of necessity be acknowledged; we do not press humiliation as the condition of the Covenant of Grace, we look not at it so, 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 wicked 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? 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 comfort it is gone away from them presently, 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 professors as these shall wither and be cast out. The pruned Vines bring forth the best fruit; and therefore that's observable: compare Isaiah 5 with the 27, there's a note very observable: in the 5. Chapter, God complains of his vineyard, that he lookt for grapes, and they brought forth wild grapes; but there the Prophet speaks of the time before the Captivity: but in the 27. Chapter there is a scripture that seems to refer to the times after the Captivity, and there the vineyard of God is said to be a vineyard of red wine, and God speaks much to 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 (says 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, [Israel is an empty Vine;] they turn it thus: Is a spoiled Vine. And Luther refers it to the emptying of the abundance of her riches and prosperity; indeed these two go together, emptiness of fruit, and being emptied of our comforts and prosperity, to be spoiled: Israel has spoiled her self, and I have for her sins let the spoilers come among them, and so has emptied her of all her good; even while she enjoyed 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 there: That sin will empty a land of all the blessings God has bestowed, or empty a family, or person. Sin is an emptying thing, sin empties lands, and families, and persons of all their outward comforts, in (Isaiah 4:11) there God threatens the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness for sin; and Oh! how has it emptied many parts of our land? How has sin emptied us? What empty 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 esteem of all round about us, yet Oh now! now has the Lord sent his emptiers to empty us; as in (Nahum 2:2) The Lord has turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches. This text is fulfilled towards many parts of this Kingdom at this day.