And here it wil be seasonable to give you the sum and parts of the Chapter and to shew you more clearly the coherence of the text The Vision doth most neerly concern Jerusalem in the 3. Vers you shal see the Cherubins standing on the right side of the house that is of the Temple of Jerusalem The proper end of the Vision was to shew the certainty and the neer approach of the destruction of the Jews the living creatures Gods Angels were armed with power from God to take vengeance on them they were winged swift for execution and Jerusalems wo came running upon wheels There 's a tow-fold judgment threatned to Jerusalem which cuts the Chapter into two parts 1. The Lord first shews to the Prophet that he wlll burn the City with fire in the 7 first Verses The Lord spake to the man clothed with linnen and said go in between the wheels and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the Cherubims and scatter them over the City and he went in in my sight Ezekiel and took the fire accordingly ver 7. and went out to do execution 2. Then secondly the Lord sheweth to the Prophet and testifieth by his appearing in the Temple that he is about to depart from the Temple City and Nation from the 8. Ver. to the end most plainly in the 18. Ver. Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house Now before the Lord goeth quite away his voyce eries to the City O Wheel O Jerusalem repent or else O Jerusalem I will have no more to do with thee I will depart and suddain and fearful destruction shal come upon thee The sum of all is An O! of Commination ever follows an O! of Reprehension if the Lord call to a people and they be not humbled and reformed then the Lord will cry against them in his wrath even with the cry of a travailing woman and quite forsake them and utterly destroy them Hear what the Lord saith concerning the Jews Jer. 44. 4. I sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising early and sending saying Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate There 's an O! of Admonition and Reprehension 5. But they hearkened not nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness to burn no incense unto other gods 6. Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth and was kindled in the Cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem and they are wasted and desolate as at this day The Application will come close to Norwich to England to our selves hear and tremble As for the sins of Jerusalem and Judah I am sure we are as deep as they Had I time to gather a catalogue of sins out of Ezekiel you would verily think that he had received his visions in our City the very same sins are as rife with us as with the Jews You shall find them accused if you read the Prophesie of abominable Idolatry gross Superstition Corruption in the worship and service of God horrible contempt of the Word despising mocking persecuting Gods Messengers scorning at all goodness perfidiousness breaking their Covenants with God and man Fearful prophanation of Gods holy Sabbaths barbarous oppression pride luxury fulness of bread abundance of idleness hardness of heart and unmercyfulness to the poor there was then a strong Malignant party that with all their wit and strength opposed the Reformation endeavored by Jeremiah Ezekiel and others and now what think you mutato nomine change but the name for Ierusalem read Norwich for Iuda and Israel read England and doth it not hold right are not those sins and many more ours When the Lord saw that their iniquity was great and their sin very grievous he cryed unto them with a mighty voyce for it was in the Prophets hearing the voyce came from the Throne over the Temple in Ierusalem and Ezekiel was by the river Chebar in Babylon a voyce indeed that could reach so far So loud the Lord cryed O Wheel an O of Reprehension and admonition O do not these abominations which my soul hateth but they refnsed to hearken I know you cannot miss applying of it hath not the Lord cryed in our ears by his sons of thunder have not the faithful messengers of the Lord shewed the people their transgressions and rebuked them sharply Have they not discovered their dangers and called them to repentance saying O do not these abominable things which the Lord hateth Mark how God proceeds with them when he sees they continue thorns and briers and scorpions and rebellious and an obstinate people then with a stretched out hand from heaven he reacheth forth to Ezekiel a roll of a book and when it was spread before the Prophet he saw that it was written within and without and there was written therin lamentations and mourning and wo he threatens dreadful destruction he cries out Chapter the 7. An end the end is come upon the four corners of the Land an evil an only evil shal suddainly come and in this 10. Chap. The Execution is begun the Angel scatters coals of fire about the City I would to God the Application were not so manifest as that none can miss it We have continued a stiff-necked people we have walked stubbornly kicked at reprehension and we have hated to be reformed and now the Lord hath scattered coals of fire about our Cities and Country even the hot fire of war and contention the coals of juniper blown up by the spirit of division O the fire burns the fire burns poor England is consuming apace and is like to be turned into ashes shortly And here I cannot but set a hand to point at two remarkable Circumstances by the way One is the Circumstance of the place whence the coals were taken namely from between the Cherubims in the Temple to admonish that they were Temple-sins that kindled the fire of Gods wrath contempt of the Word and Ministers false Doctrine Corruption in Gods Worship Prophanation of the Sabbath Sacriledg and Idolatry nothing doth so much incense the Lord and provoke him to fury as Temple-sins Corruption in Religion and Doctrine The other Circumstance remarkable is the person that takes and scatters the coals about Jerusalem it 's the man clothed with linnen who is described in the 9. Cap. ver 2. 4. to have a writers inkhorn by his side whose office there was to set a mark upon the foreheads of them that mourn which sure is none other but the Lord Jesus Christ in the former Chapter you see him a protector a Saviour here in this Chapter he is a consumer a destroyer Christ first comes to seek and to save to call sinners to repentance but if they hearken not then he changeth his work and he comes armed with flaming fire to execute vengeance upon all impenitent persons O sad condition when Christs comes in anger against a people then is ruine dreadful and
furnished table bottles and flagons delicious dishes and a deale of Kitchin-stuff But what service do they as Magistrates Truly nothing at all that I can discern either for Church or Common-wealth These are only a kind of embossed nayls such as are driven into garments collars coaches trappings of horses chaires and other things only for state and ornament they have great and glorious bossed and gilded heads but a little ridiculous stalk hardly enough to hold their own or to keep them from falling out of their places they are so close driven that nothing can hang on them There are other of the high Nayls hang very full of things But of what Are they vessels of the Sanctuary Oh no such matter they bear up a deal of the Devils houshold-stuff Upon one there hangs a company of drunken ale-houses swearers prophane persons Sabbath-breakers cheaters and sharks these are upheld and born up bythem when honest men are thrown down to the ground Upon another hangs a knot of Anabaptists Antinomians Brownists Independents and others of the same bran disturbers of Sions peace these are countenanced and born up on high whilest the Orthodox party are sleighted cast off and suffered to fall flat on the ground Upon another depends a cluster of persons Popishly affected Malignants lignants Incendiaries such as these are born up and born out too upon all occasions Oh there 's too too many such rotten rusty misimployed nails 2. The middle nails they are the Ministers of the word the Clergy as they call them wel what hangs upon the most of them What but a plurality of livings A black gown or Canonical coat A service-service-book or book of homilys There did hang a while agone abundance of Copes Surplisses Alters Crucifixes Images and such trash til they were taken down by a strong hand But for powerful and frequent preaching prayer and the weighty works of the Ministry as strengthening the weak healing the sick binding up the broken bringing again that which was driven away and seeking that which was lost there 's nothing of all these to be seen amongst them Are these indeed for the glory of their fathers house 3. The lowest sort of nails they are the ordinary people Gentry and Commons Oh! What abundance of empty nails do we see round about Nothing at all hangs upon them only they take up a place in the wall There is a generation of Gentlemen and others and wel parted men too able to undergo good service and yet live without any calling any office any imployment at all as if they were born to no other end but only to spend and scatter what their progenitors had scraped together and left them but they wil not put under their shoulder to bear any burden of profitable employment in Church or Commonwealth See see what commonly hangs upon them bundles of hair Sampsons locks bushy periwigs dogs dice drabs cards and tables bottels of generous wine and flagons of strong drink red eyes swollen bellys and black souls nothing else at all Gentlemen are these things for the glory of your fathers house There are a company of idle Vagrants and sturdy Rogues that wander up and down the streets and lanes and high-ways ragged nails that stick out almost every where whethersoever we go and are ready to catch our garments and tear us almost in pieces and there 's nothing hangs on them but the sweat of other mens brows purses and garments and such things as they have torn from honest passengers Others there are of all sorts that indeed are cruelly loaden there hangs upon them huge bundles of oaths rapine Blasphemies Adulteries Treasons railings filthy speeches and all kind of sins but they wil bear no burden of service in the Church or Common-wealth Whereto shal I liken this accursed generation They are like unto Ezekiels vine-tree of which he speaks thus Son of man What cometh of the Vinetree above all other trees And of the Vine-branch which is amongst the trees of the Forrest Shal wood be taken thereof to do any work Or wil men make a pin thereof to hang a vessel thereon No No the Vine-stalk if once cut up wil not make a peg to hang a bottel on it wil not be profitable for any thing But what 's the end Behold it 's cast into the fire for fewel the fire devoureth both the ends of it and the midst of it is burnt is it meet for any work So shal it be with this unprofitable generation Therefore thus saith the Lord God As the Vine-tree among the trees of the forrest which I have given to the fire for fewel so wil I give them and I wil set my face against them they shal go out from one fire and another fire shal devour them Surely such nails as these shal not be suffered to stand long in the wall if a man see a nail stick up in his house of no use wil he not presently knock it out There were abundance of such nails as these in Juda and God knocked them out and threw them into Babylon Christ himself passeth sentence upon all such Cast that unprofitable servant into utter darkness there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25. 30. Hear and tremble all you useless nails You unprofitable burdens of the earth Be you men or women that take up places in the world and do no service in the world in the name of the Lord I pass upon you Shebnas doome ver 25. In that day saith the Lord of hosts shal the nail that is fastned in the sure place be removed and be cut down and fall and the burden that was upon it shal be cut off for the Lord hath spoken it Of Exhortation and that is manifold and various to divers sorts of persons and to several dutys I am to direct my word of exhortation to 1. Magistrates 2. People The 1. Exhortation to the Magistrates You are all nails some higher some lower Remember that you are not for ornament only but chiefly and principally for use In the name of God let every one in his place do the office of a nail Truly all things in the Church and Common-wealth lye disorderly at this time or hang very dangerously and ready to fall and miscarry I beseech you let it be your care to uphold things let every nail bear something yea though you weaken your selves for the common good Take your charge in some particulars and that very shortly I speak to wise men a word wil suffice 1. Keep the peace Magistrates know your office you are all Commissioners for the peace and this is that which we are enjoyned to pray for you in authority That under you we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty The nail holds things together when they are hanged upon it which lay scattered and sundred one from another before Yes upon one good pin they keep close How are the people
slanders report vile things of thee and hereupon thou art vexed and discontented And what 's the reason of all this impatience Thou lookest only at second causes and dost not consider that the voice of the Lord over-rules and sets all the wheels on work It was said in my hearing O Wheel There is not the least motion of the least wheel without his special providence Shemei curseth because God bids him curse Be therefore patient in all changes in all conditions under all afflictions murmure not repine not object not against the dispensations of Gods wise providence but ever resolve with David to be dumbe not to open thy mouth because the Lord it is that doth it Psal 39. 9. Again secondly this may be applyed for the comfort of Jerusalem for the consolation of the Church and people of God and that many ways 1. In the times of confusion as it is with us this day The Chariot-wheels of our Kingdom move strangely and dreadfully how are they hurried up and down backward and forward hither and thither and we are all in a maze we know not what to think of things nor what to do nor whether to turn us all is like to be overthrown and broken and turned topsy-turvy Truly we can see nothing by the wheeling of things but ruin of all of Religion and Laws and utter desolation of the whole Land But here 's our comfort it 's not a young rash Phaeton that sits in the coach-box who wants both skil and power to guide his fathers fiery steeds No No it 's the Ancient of days that sits in the seat of glory he commands the living creatures to draw the wheels which way he pleaseth and that by his only word and after all the wheelings and crooked turnings of his providence he knows the way to bring about a happy peace and settlement in this Church and Kingdom which the Lord of his mercy grant O thou son of God that sittest between the Cherubins drive on drive on by thy wisdom and power to thine own glory and the comfort of thy poor dejected people 2. Again doth the voice of the Lord command all wheels This then may comfort the Church and people of God against all potent enemys Indeed the enemys of Jerusalem are commonly many and mighty such as were the Babylonians and Assyrians these were the great high and terrible wheels which God was now bringing over Jerusalem to break it in pieces they were now coming upon the City the ratling of the wheels was heard and they could not but come for it was cryed unto them from the Lord O Wheel come and execute the fury of my wrath upon Jerusalem Now the same powerful voice can give the wheels a check and call them back again this is the Churches comfort Saul pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon he and his numerous Army turned upon him as a dreadful wheel and wheeled about the mountain to have crushed him in pieces but when he was in his swiftest motion it was cryed unto him from the Lord O Wheel O Saul come back There came a messenger unto Saul saying haste thee and come for the Philistins have invaded the Land So Saul returned from pursuing after David here the wheel was drawn off Let the wheels run on never so furiously if God do but cry to them they must come back if he cry to the wind peace it ceaseth and if he say to the raging sea be stil there 's presently a great calm Marc. 4. 39. It is not hard for him to curb and call in his creatures Saul was a bloody persecutor a restless wheel running over the faithful servants of God Act. 9. but v. 4. he had a check it was cryed unto him from the son of God Saul Saul why persecutest thou me You have seen Princes Prelates Potentates moving fiercely against the Church but the Lord in our hearing and sight hath given them a check and cryed unto them O Wheel go no further and they have stood stil or gone back The wheels come not towards us by blind chance but upon Gods call they move not a hairs breadth further then God bids them and when hepleaseth he calls them back by the word of his mouth this is the Churches comfort 3. And yet here 's a further comfort to Jerusalem Doth the voice of the Lord command all wheels Then let not the Church and people of God be troubled when they are at a low ebb when their dangers are great their enemies many and mighty and all succour fails and there 's none to help them when they are without all strength let them not dispair God sits upon the throne and commands the wheels he can call in help from unexpected places In the 2. book of the Kings chap. the 6. God calls for a great wheel even Benhadad King of Syria with his mighty host to break Samaria and Samaria was brought into great straits a potent enemy without and a grievous famine within and no help appeared all seemed desperate but Chap. 7. upon the prophets intercession as I conceive the Lord called in wheels to their help on earth all help failed therefore the Lord relieves them from above for he made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise in the aire of Chariot wheels and a noise of horses even the noise of a great host and these imaginary wheels in the heaven which the voice of God called in to the rescue of Samaria discomfited the Syrians put them all to flight they ran away as fast as they could and now there is plenty peace and joy in the City Thus the mighty Jehovah that sits above upon the throne can bring order into the Church out of confusion he can make the most formidable enemies of the Church to go back yea to fall backwards he can call in help to his Church when they are at their wits end and all by the word of his mouth Here is Jerusalems comfort I have done with the general Doctrine Now in the 3. place I return to the parts of my text to handle them I purpose to search and examine every particular and I doubt not but we shal find something as we go that may be useful You may remember the parts were three 1. The word cryed 2. To whom the word was cryed 3. The witness in whose presence the word was cryed Of these strictly and in their order The Lord be with us 1. The word cryed O Wheel in the singular number mark that The prophet speaks in the plural as of many As for the wheels says he but the man upon the throne crys out in the singular as if there were but one wheel in all What 's the reason of this It is because the wheels though they be many and their motions different yea contrary yet all move to one and the same end they all joyn as one in bringing about Gods work In mans eye there are many an