John Trapp on Isaiah 5:1-2

CHAP. V.

Ver. 1. NOw will I ſing] Now, or Now I pray, as ſtirring up his Hearers to attention; for here beginneth his third Sermon. He had endeavoured (but with little good effect) to convince them of their deteſtable unthankfulneſs, Apoſtacy, and other enormities, in proſe: Now he reſolves to try another courſe, and to be unto them as a Poet rather then a Prophet, if haply they might be taken by the ſweetneſs of his verſe, and lovelineſs of his Voyce, as Ezek. 33.32.

Metra parant animos, comprendunt plurima paucis: Aures delectant, priſtina commemorant.

True it is that Poets for moſt part, are dulciſſimè vani, moſt ſweetly vain, as Auſtin ſaid of Homer. And ſome have noted well concerning St. Paul, that citing his country man Aratus (for he was a Cilician) he nameth him not, (but only ſaith, Certain of your own Poets, Act. 17.28.) notwithſtanding the Piety of his beginning, [non-Latin text not transcribed], or the Divineneſs of his Subject, the Heavens; more ſublime and pure matter then uſeth to be in the wanton Pages of other Poets. But our Divine Poet is of another alloy, and his holy Song is of the ſame ſtrain with that of Moſes, of Deborah and Barak, of Hannah, of David (qui noſter Orpheus eſt, ſaith Euthymius, the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael, 2 Sam. 23.1.) of Solomon with his Song of Songs; ſaving that this is lugubre carmen ſaith Oecolampadius, Et tragaediae quam comaediae ſimilius, a lamentable ditty, and more like a Tragedy then a Comedy: for though the Prophet begineth merrily, yet he endeth heavily: it is of Mercy and Judgement that he ſingeth.

To my well-beloved] i. e. to Chriſt the Churches Bridegroom, cujus amicus & adminiſter ſum, whoſe Paranymph I am and well-wiſher. See John. 3.29. 2 Cor. 11.2, 3. ſome render it for my Beloved, or in his defence.

A ſong] Or Poem, whereto this firſt verſe is the Proem or Preface. A ſpiritual ſong it is, moſt Artificially compoſed, and ſet out with the moſt exquiſite skill that might be.

Of my Beloved] Of him whom my ſoul loveth, as Cant. 1.7. Jonathan loved David, 1. with a love of Ʋnion, 1 Sam. 18.1, 2. with a love of complacency, ver. 19.3. with a love of benevolence, chap. 20.4. ſo doth a gracious heart love Jeſus Chriſt. My Love was crucified, ſaid Ignatius, Epiſt. 12. quae eſt ad Roman whoſe heart was even a Lump of Love.

Touching his Vineyard] That degenerate Plant of a ſtrange Vine unto him, Jer. 2.21. the plantation and ſupplantation whereof is here 1. parabolically propounded. Secondly, more plainly expounded. Some read it To his Vineyard: Others for his Vineyard. See Matth, 21.33.34. Mar. 1.1, 12. Luke. 20.9, 16.

My Beloved] See how oft he harps upon this ſweet ſtring, and cannot come off. What a man loveth he will be talking off, as the Huntſman of his hounds, the Drunkard of his cups, the worldling of his wealth, &c. Ten times in nine verſes together doth St. Paul mention the name of Jeſus, 1 Cor. 1. &c. ſhewing thereby that it was to him mel in ore, melos in aure, jubilum in corde, the ſweeteſt Muſick.

Hath a Vineyard] So the Church is here, ver. 7. and elſwhere frequently and fitly ſtiled: Confert autem vineae, ſaith Oecolampadius. To a Vineyard is the Church compared for ſundry reaſons:Nulla p[illegible: 1 letter]ſſeſſio majorem operam requierit. Cato. Itali dicunt Vinea eſt tinea. Soli antemeridiano, meridiano at que poſtmeridiano expoſtus. Piſc. as the great care men take about it, the great delight they take in it, the ſweet fruits they expect from it, the great worth of its fruit, the little worth of its ſtemm, Ezek. 15.3. if it prove fruitleſs, the lowly and feeble condition thereof, the continual need it hath to be dreſſed, ſupported, ſheltered, pruned, Joh. 15.2. [non-Latin text not transcribed], amputat, putat.

In a very fruitful hill] Heb. in an horn the ſon of oyl, that is an horny-hill, bowing like a half-Moon, and ſo expoſed to the Sun beams all the day long. Some ſay that Judea lyeth in the form of a horn, like as the Low-Countries do in the form of a Lion, unde Leo Belgicus. The ſon of oyl or fatneſs, that is exceeding ſat: Judas is called Sumen totius orbis, a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, Ezek. 20.6. a very Cornucopia of all comforts; Baſil telleth us that it was a Tradition of great Antiquity, that Adam when he was thruſt out of Paradiſe, ut dolorem leniret, for a mitigation of his grief, choſe Judea (that moſt fruitful Countrey) for a place to dwell in: whence it is that Sodom and her ſiſters (which were a part of that Countrey) are ſaid to be pleaſant as the garden of God, Gen 13.10.

Pro Sepivit alii vertunt Fod[illegible: 1 letter]t, paſtinavit, plantavit.Ver. 2. And he fenced it] Maceria munivit, He hedged it in, or walled it about, protecting his people from the rage of enemies wherewith that Countrey was begirt. God was a wall of fire to them. Zech. 2.5. and a wall of water to them, as Exod. 14.22. whence their land, though part of the Continent, is called an Iſland, Iſa. 26.6. not only becauſe ſeparated from other Countries, but becauſe ſecured and made—media inſuperabilis unda.

And gathered out the ſtones thereof] He not only caſt out the Cananites, but flatly forbad Idolatry, and all other wickedneſſes, [non-Latin text not transcribed] every ſcandal or rock of offence, that might hinder their growth, or turn them out of the way, Heb. 12.13.

And planted it with the choiceſt Vine] Heb. Sorek; the Vines of which place (Judg. 16.4.) may ſeem to be the beſt and choiceſt: like as now in Germany are the Vines of Herbipolis. See Jer. 2.21. The Saints of God are noble Plants and of choice ſpirits: they are the chiefeſt Perſonages, and of higheſt account in Heaven.

And built a Tower in the midſt of it] for both Beauty, Defence, and Conveniency. This may be meant of Jeruſalem, or the Temple therein, that Tower of the flock, and the ſtrong Hold of the Daughter of Gods people, Mic. 4.8. Religion ſet up in the power and purity of it, is the beauty and bulwark of any place.

And alſo made a Wine-preſs therein] for the preſſing of the Grapes, and ſaving of the Vine: but alaſs that labour might have been ſaved, for any grapes he gat, or wine he made.

Fallitur augurio ſpes bona ſaepe ſuo.

Little good is done many times, by the moſt preſſing and piercing Exhortations and Arguments uſed by Gods faithful Prophets.

And he looked that it ſhould bring forth grapes] i. e. good grapes, as little thinking ut opera perdatur & ſpes eludatur, to have loſt all his care and coſt, as he did. For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a Flock, and eateth not of the milk of the Flock? 1 Cor. 9.7.

And it brought forth wild-grapes] ſtinking ſtuffe, as, the word ſignifieth, that which was naught and noyſom: grapes of Sodom and cluſters of Gomorrah, Deut. 32.32, 33. He looked for the fruit of the spirit, but behold the works of the fleſh, Gal. 5. No whit anſwerable to his continual care, culture and cuſtody: they made him, as One ſaith, a contumacious and contumelious retribution. Thus the wicked anſwer Heavens kindneſs with an ungrateful wickedneſs.