Doctrine 1: The Visible Church Is God's Vineyard

DOCTRINE I. The Visible Church is Gods Vineyard.

The Spirit of God is pleased very often to use this resemblance to express it by.

The word properly signifies a place where vines are planted and husbanded: but in the common usage of it, is extended to a plat for vines, figs, and olives, all of which they were wont of old to plant in their vineyards. Men were used to have their vineyards, and so has God His; that is his visible Church: Here two things:

1. In what respect it is resembled by a vineyard?

2. On what account it is said to be God's vineyard;

1. In what respect it is resembled by a vineyard?

A. To distinguish it from the rest of the world; which is therefore compared to a wilderness, in opposition to the Church: and hence all those things wherein [illegible] is a difference between those two, and one is rendered in a better state than the other, are here to be considered: we may in particular refer to (Isaiah 5:1, 2) where we have the principal things taken notice of, namely,

1. A vineyard is a select plat of ground taken off from that which is common, at the choice of the owner. It is designed for a special use, and therefore the prudence and pleasure of the owner is employed in making choice where, and on what spot he will have it, and by this choice it is separated from his other land, and devoted to such an use. Thus the Church is a particular company of men, taken from the rest of the world, at the pleasure of God, to be to him a peculiar people. Though he is Lord of all the world yet he has not as yet pleased to extend the bounds of his Church to all, but it is planted where and as he sees meet, Christ therefore assigns it to his mere pleasure (Matthew 11:25).

2. Vineyards were wont to be planted on fruitful hills; so is the Church of God, verse 1. A hill for its conspicuousness and pleasant situation, being for delight as well as profit: the visible Church is to be visible; they are, as it were, on a hill (Matthew 5:14). They are not to be ashamed of their profession, but to own it openly and before men. And a fertile place, fit to produce profit to the owner, suitable for the growth of vines, and such plants as are to be planted in it. All places in the world, and all persons are in themselves alike capable of being spiritually fruitful; but where God plants his Church, he makes such places fertile; and if there be any place where fruit is brought forth to his praise, it is there.

3. A vineyard is wont to be fenced in for its preservation, and safety from damage: the barren wilderness uses to be left open and common, for all manner of wild beasts to range in, and feed upon; but a vineyard is fenced, verse 2. And as a fence is to divide between that and the other ground, so to be a security to it, that beasts may not come in and devour it; because so all the industry and cost of the owner would be lost, and the plants exposed to be trodden down and wasted. Thus has God made a fence between his visible Church and the rest of the world; he has set up a wall or hedge about it, to keep out such as are enemies to him and his people; and carefully preserves it from mischief: this respects the special providence of God, or that care which he takes in looking after it, in being a wall of fire round about it.

4. A vineyard is wont to be planted with select plants. In the wilderness plants grow of themselves; but in a vineyard none are suffered, but such as are set by the keeper at the pleasure of the owner, and he is wont to make choice of such as are most likely and promising; and here the skill and choice of the husbandman determines. There is a special providence of God in bringing men into the visible Church, and giving them a station there; he takes whom he will, and leaves whom he will; and usually in the first plantation of churches, there are men eminent and desirable, verse 2. He planted it with the choicest vines (Jeremiah 2:21): I planted you a noble vine.

5. The husbandman is wont to use greatest care and pains in manuring of his vineyard: and this is expressed, verse 2. He gathered out the stones, &c. and there are two things in it; a removing of all impediments, that would hinder the fertility of it, as throwing out stones, and weeding up such hurtful plants, as are apt to spring up, shade the other, and eat out the heart of the land; and the applying of all dunging digging and mending to it, that is accommodable to make it bear. Thus has God been wont in his visible Church, to give them all helps and advantages in ordinances and providences to further and encourage them in holiness, and godly conversation: there are no prudent courses omitted or neglected. He therefore calls them to judge in this affair, verse 4.

6. Vineyards were wont to have towers built in them, verse 2. They were in danger of being robbed, and for that reason they set a watch-house in the midst of them, where they kept some or other to have inspection of the vineyard, and secure it from thieves: this points to God's special care of, and vigilant providence over his Church, looking after it, that it be kept from the inroads of such as would be willing to do mischief in it: thus we have God's declaring his care in this respect (Isaiah 27:2), for this cause all such as devour it, are said to offend (Jeremiah 2:3).

7. They used also to have a wine-press placed in the vineyard, verse 2. And the use of it was to tread the grapes in, and press out the juice of them, and so prepare the wine to be drunk; for both the fat and the press are comprehended in this word. This word, [Winepress] is in Scripture used metaphorically for God's judgments upon his enemies and the afflictions that he brings upon his people, and for the sufferings of Christ: properly it was an instrument of preparing the fruit for some noble service; and it notes to us all the helps which God affords to his people in his Church, for their faithful serving him, and making their obedience acceptable to him: and here the sufferings of Christ challenge the first place, without which we could not be accepted; though all other helps to both faith and obedience are also comprehended.

Vineyard is planted with a design of the owner's profit, all wise agents design something in what they do: no man plants a vineyard, but he would eat and drink of the fruits of it; it is therefore with this expectation that he is at the cost and labor with it; and so God looked that his vineyard should yield grapes (verse 2). This is spoken after the manner of men; God knows what every one will do: but it is rational to expect in the ordinary course, that a vineyard, well manured, will answer the owner's design; and why should not the visible Church do so, in respect of God, who has been at as much expense upon them?

All plants in a vineyard do not answer the owner's end and expectation. There are some that bear no fruit at all, others that degenerate, and their fruit is sour, and not fit for the use for which it was planted; although some other improvement may possibly be made of it: and all that are in the visible Church, do not answer the husbandry that has been laid out upon them. As there are fruitless branches in a vine, so there are fruitless fig-trees in a vineyard, that do just contrary to expectation (verse 2), but this will come in an after consideration.

On what account the visible Church is said to be God's vineyard?

Not only on a general account, as the whole creation is called his, but upon more special and peculiar reasons, it is to be acknowledged for his property, and that more especially.

Because he has done all that for it whereby it is made a vineyard, it is all his doing; he planted, he fenced it, &c. all the cost and labor which has been laid out upon it is his charge: God tells them that he planted them (Jeremiah 2:21), and whom shall the vineyard call Master, but him who made it so? All the world lay in common, all mankind were alike by their apostasy, and God was under no obligation to them, or necessity lying on him to extend this favor to any, or to these more than others, to bring them into such an estate as that, but he, of his good pleasure, because he had a mind to make them his people, dealt thus with them.

Because the visible Church, and they that are in it, are by profession devoted to him. There is an outward sanctification, or consecration of them to the service of God: they do by covenant, declare that they are none of their own but his. This properly belongs to the profession of Christians, and they that deny it, deny themselves to be such: they say they are God's property, and have given themselves up to him and his service. Every time they renew their covenant, they anew assert it: this is their plea with God in trouble (Jeremiah 14:9), "We are called by your Name."

Because he expects more service and glory from these than from other men, he will be glorified in all men; but he looks that these should glorify him: he requires it, waits for it, and will be very angry at them if they do not pay it him. He reckons that all which he has done for them more than others, should engage them to love him more than they do, and to endeavor to bring forth much fruit, whereby he may be glorified (John 15:8), and if they fall short here, they frustrate these expectations, that is, they come behind of what in reason was to have been expected of them.

Because all the profit of the vineyard belongs to him. Who is the owner but he who receives the rent of the vineyard; or he to whom it is in justice due? It is true, God is not profited as to his eternal glory, by the best services of any of his creatures; but his declarative glory is in this way advanced, his Church therefore are peculiarly said to be to him for a name, and for a praise (Jeremiah 13:17).