An Exhortation to All

p. 1An EXHORTATION to All: To use Utmost Endeavours TO Obtain a Visit of the God of Hosts.

Return, we beseech Thee, O God of Hosts: look down from Heaven, and behold, and Visit this Vine.

THE State of the Church of Israel, when this Psalm was Penned, was very Calamitous (as appears from the Matter of the Psalm it self) both with respect unto Sins and Judgments. And the whole Psalm is a Prayer in the Name and Behalf of the Church, unto God for Deliverance. In the Verse before us, we may consider,

1. THE Description of the Church Prayed for, by that Metaphor of a Vine. To Explain which we may observe,

(1.) THAT Jesus Christ Himself as Mediator, God-Man, and as Head of the Church is the True Vine, Joh. 15.1. Christ compares Himself to a Vine p. 2according to His usual Custom of taking Similitudes from things Common and Obvious; such were Vines in Judea, Deut. 8.8. Planted by the sides of their Houses, Psal. 128.3. Probably of that House where Christ was when He spake those words. Christ is the Principal Vine, for whose sake the Church of Israel was compared to a Vine or Vineyard, because out of that Church the Messiah was to come who is the True Vine. Christ is that Vine, as God-Man, Mediator, to whom the Father hath given this Prerogative to have Life in Himself, Joh. 5.26.

AND to be a quickning Spirit unto those implanted into Him, and who are given to Him to be His Members, 1 Cor. 15.45. Christ is therefore likened to that which is the chief part of a Vine, Namely the Root and Stock, when as His Members are but like the Branches. Christ as He is Man is of the same Nature with the Branches, as He is God He supplies the Branches with Spiritual Life and Grace. The Humane Nature of Christ is as the Conduit through which the Gifts of the Holy Spirit flow unto His People. As Mediator He both Merited Grace for Men, and Infuses Grace into Men; and more truly and perfectly nourishes Believers unto Eternal Life, than a Vine doth its Branches; as an Head of influence unto them. Christ is then the true and proper Vine, others but secondarily so; and depending on Christ, and deriving all their Spiritual Life from Him; and obtaining all they have, for His Sake: And that they are Vines in any sense is because God the Father to Glorify His Son, hath given them to Him in an Everlasting Covenant, to be brought unto Union and Communion with Him.

p. 3MANY Phrases in this Psalm, may be referred to Christ; He is Gods Joseph, Verse 1. to whom belongs the Right of Primogeniture; to be the First born of every Creature. He is the Man of Gods Right Hand, v. 17. Gods Benjamin, who is Exalted to sit at Gods Right Hand, and if this glorious Benjamin were not there, we should not be admitted to see Gods face. He it is whom God the Father hath made Strong for Himself▪ v. 15, 18. Who did stand and feed in the Strength of the Lord and in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God, Micah 5.4. And as Christ intended to make His Church conformable to Himself; so in some respect, He would be like to His Church; therefore He would be the Branch, the Vine, the Fruit of the Earth, and would be brought out of Egypt, v. 8. Math. 2.15. So that Gods dispensations to His Church were Typical of the Messiah in many things: Therefore also the same Title of a Vine, comprehends both Christ and His Church; as the Name of Christ is also given to His Mystical Body the Church, 1 Cor. 12.12.

NOW God the Father hath Engaged Himself to be the Husbandman, when Christ condescends to be the Vine; the Father will and doth always manifest His gracious Presence with Christ as Head of the Church, to Assi◊t and Help Him and Strengthen Him: and out of Respect and Love to the Lord Jesus Christ it is, that the Father takes any Notice in a way of Pity, Compassion and Grace, of any Men or Societies of Men upon Earth.

(2.) THE Invisible Church of the Elect are likened to a Vine or Vineyard: The◊◊ are the Branches ingrafted into Christ. It is an intellectual Mystical p. 4Vineyard; The Mystical Paradise of God, partly in Heaven, and partly on Earth. As God Planted an Earthly Paradise in the Garden of Eden, which did excel all the rest of the Earth; so since the Ruine of Mankind by Adam's Apostacy, God will have a Remnant among fallen Mankind in every Age and Generation, to be His Vineyard, Garden, Orchard (or Eden, Eccl. 2.5.) depending on and United unto Christ, the Second Adam: For God in His Infinite Wisdom so ordered the things of the first Creation, that they might be Natural Types of what He would do in the New Creation of all things by Christ.

p. 4THE Church is Gods Vineyard, which His Own Right Hand hath Planted, v. 8, 15. It is a Garden inclosed, Cant. 4.12. Planted and Formed for Himself, to shew forth His Praise, Isai. 43.21. Set a-part for His Own peculiar Use, Service and Delight; The Church owns no other Master but Christ, reserves all her fruit for Him, and keeps faithful to Him. Those Planted into this Vineyard, tho' by Nature they are Wild Plants, and of the Wild Olive, yet are made Noble Vines and a Right Seed, by Effectual Calling and their Implantation into Christ. The Creating Power of Gods Right Hand is put forth in infusing Grace into them: Mans Nature brings not forth the fruits of the Spirit without the Skill and Husbandry of Him that made it: We are therefore called Gods Husbandry, 1 Cor. 3.9. …