not mercy a little of the hair shall be preserved when the rest goes to the fire sword and wind when all flesh had corrupted their wayes a generall flood was brought in Noah and his family were saved when Sodom was burnt with fire and brimstone Lot was bound up in the skirt of God when Athaliah slew all the seed royall Ioash was hid and escaped that treachery that butchery 2 King 11.1 2. No storm sinks all ships no plague famine war eat up all particulars God will have a number exempt Isa 1.9 God left them a small remnant a few clusters after the Vintage when the cities were to be laid waste the houses unpeopled a great forsaking to be in the midst of the land Isa 6.11 12. in the 13th verse it 's said but yet in it shall be a tenth God would spare a number though small he is mercifull hath tender bowels remembers his covenant his name and therefore in his hottest wrath shewes some mercy this made Ieremiah say Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed he and some few more were hid from the common calamities they met with mercy in the midst of fire and sword this made Habakkuk pray Hab. 3.2 In wrath remember mercy 8. That the paucity preserved in common calamities are not all precious truly godly here was hair bound up in the skirt kept from fire sword destruction yet some of that hair of that number must be thrown into another fire reprobates for the present escape as well as elect vessels some choyce ones may be cut off and some vile ones may be kept In the flood all were not naught that were destroyed nor all good that were saved there was a wicked Cham in the Ark and Lots daughters that escaped the fire of Sodom were none of the best that fire had not purged out their lust and those were set at liberty from the brick and clay of Egypt afterward were destroyed for their unbelief Iud. 5. they were patient in their bondage preserved in the red Sea tempted God murmured in the wildernesse and there were destroyed of Serpents 1 Cor. 10.9 they were murmurers fornicators Idolaters unbelievers that God delivered from the tyrannie of Pharaoh and after perished by the stroke of God In a storm Cedars and Oaks are smitten when bushes and briers are spared and yet after they are cut up and cast into the fire Sinners may escape present wrath but there is wrath to come Luke 3.7 9. God may take occasion from the sin of some to bring in judgement upon all he must take of the remnant preserved and throw into the fire and out of that fire went forth fire into all the House of Israel Shechem ravisheth Dinah from thence the Lord took occasion to bring the sword by Iacobs sons upon the Shechemites who slew their males spoyled the city and took their sons and daughters captives Gen. 34. Davids sin in numbering the people and God sent in a plague amongst them for his sin which slew 70000. of them 2 Sam. 24. The people were not innocent if so God would not have destroyed them they were defiled with the contagion of his sin or under the guilt of others God may let in a judgement into a family city kingdom upon the sin of some one or few and when it 's in it may extend to all or most in them when one house is on fire all the rest are in danger that are neer and oft times do suffer Hanuns discourtesie to Davids messengers his sin against the law of nations provoked God and cost the Ammonites and Syrians dear for God stirred up Davids spirit who warred upon them and slew many thousands of them 2 Sam. 10. VER 5 6. Thus saith the Lord God This is Ierusalem I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her 6. And shee hath changed my judgements into wickednesse more then the nations and my Statutes more then the countries that are round about her for they have refused my judgements and my Statutes they have not walked in them c. IN the ensuing part of the Chapter is the explanation of the types and in this explanation you have First the subject or head to be shaven opened unto you and that 's Jerusalem vers 5. Secondly Gods dealing with Ierusalem in the same verse Thirdly the motives that made him proceed in such a judiciall way verse 6 7. Fourthly Threatning of judgements answerable to the types from the 8. verse to the end This is Ierusalem It was not Ierusalem literally but represented Ierusalem it was a sign of the city that was to be shaven This head to be shaven is here by the Lords own mouth pronounced to be Ierusalem which was not only the head city of Iudah but of the whole world Things and persons that are eminent among others are call'd the heads or chief of them 1 Sam. 15.21 they took the chief or head of the things should have been destroyed and Chap. 9.22 Hee made them sit in the chiefest place and for persons Deut. 1.15 I took the chief of the Tribes that is the heads of them Psal 110.6 the heads over divers countries and so here Ierusalem was the head and principall of all other cities built upon mount Sion and had the Temple the Prophets the true worship and presence of God so Ierusalem as the head gave light influence and motion to the whole body the Law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Isa 2.3 from thence all parts of the body had instruction and direction I have set thee in the midst of the nations and countries round about These words have occasioned some to think that Ierusalem was the heart and center of the earth lying in the midst of it on the South was Africa on the North Scythia Armenia and Pontus on the East Asia and on the West Europe and with these great parts of the world it was compassed about Hence the Spirit of God also affirms it to be in the midst of the earth Psal 74.12 and Ezek. 38.12 And infinite wisdome appeared in it that so the sound of Law and Gospel might disperse the better into all parts of the world But this opinion must not be taken in a Mathematicall sense as if it were so in the midst of the earth as that all other parts should be equidistant from it in their extremes as the line from the center for so it will hardly admit of truth some quarters of the world being of larger extent then others In the midst of the nations and countries we need not to extend to the whole world but only to those that were neighbouring thereunto or if we will have an eye to all nations and countries of the earth we must expound in the midst among or in and the sense then is safe I have set thee in or among the nations as head and chief thus
the wicked and that for speciall ends I have set thee in the midst of the nations and God had peculiar ends in it The nations and countrey about was full of ignorance Idolatry and prophaneness God recorded his name at Jerusalem set his worship there and them in the midst of the nations that they might make known the true God the true Religion the true way of Worship that they might by their holy lives win those that were without bring them in to serve the God of Israel and had the Jewes been consciencious of their wayes faithfull and spirituall in their worship they might have prevail'd much with the nations to have turned from their Idols and other sins to the living God at least have convinc'd them of the evill of their own wayes and the excellencie of Gods wayes Therefore Moses used this Argument to perswade the Jewes to keep Gods Statutes Deut. 4.6 Keep and do them saith he for this is your wisdome and understanding in the sight of the nations which shall bear all those statutes and say Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people Examples of ciâ—â—es and nations are convincing and perswasive Orators if they be â—â—lly â—eakons on a hill whose light extends far great cities have influence into all the counties and countreys round about they came from all places to Jerusalem from Sheba 1 King 10.1 from Ethiopiae Acts 8.27 from Parthia Mosopotamia Lybia Rome and many other parts Acts 2.9 10. and what they saw and heard at Jerusalem that fastned upon them What is done in great cities is much observed and goes forth to the ends of the earth Rev. 17.5 Babylon the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth 4. Ingratitude is a sin that provokes heaven it self it caused God the giver to upbraid Jerusalem the receiver I set thee in the midst of the nations I made thee the head put honour upon thee call'd thee my city was thy defence glory strength I gave thee my Judgements and Statutes and what hast thou done corrupted thy self corrupted the nation changed my judgements into wickednesse and rejected them this troubled the Lord greatly in all ages Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord Oh foolish people and unwise is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath hee not made thee c. and notwithstanding all that God had done for them and was to them yet they corrupted bespotted themselves dealt perversly and crookedly with God so Isai 1.2 Heare O heavens and give eare O earth I have brought up children and they have rebelled against mee Oxen and Asses were more respective of their owners then they were of their God and therefore God upbraids them with it God had done much for that people his Law Prophets Temple Worship Miracles choycest blessings of heaven and earth were for them and yet they were ingratefull therefore God calls heaven and earth to witnesse against them how unreasonable they were in their carriage towards the Lord so in Jer. 2.12 he puts it higher Be astonished O yee heavens at this be horribly afraide very desolate and why should there be such a change in the heavens because Gods people had made a dreadfull change on earth God had been a fountain of living waters unto them fill'd them with comforts of all sorts made them green and flourishing and now they had forsaken him for puddle and broken cisterns of their own ingratitude troubles heaven and earth Bernard saith mans ingratitude troubled Christ more then his crosse nails whippings reproaches yea his death for Christ to become man to suffer all for man and he to be unthankfull this pierced him to the heart most and when God doth much for kingdomes and cities and they prove ingratefull it puts God into an upbraiding way Isa 5.4 I did so and so for my Vineyard Oh what could have been done more I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up trod downe laid waste it shall have briers and no rain shall fall upon it 5. Those have the name and face of Gods people may become worse then Heathens Jerusalem changed Gods Statutes into wickednesse that was ill but she did it more then the nations which was exceeding ill hence you find Ezek. 16.46 47 48. that the sins of Jerusalem exceeded the Samaritans and Sodomites Thou hast not walked after their wayes nor done after their abominations but as if that were a very little thing thou wast corrupted more then they in all thy wayes their sins were inconsiderable to Jerusalems and because Sodoms sins being so great notorious as that they fetched fire from heaven and God could forbear them no longer it would hardly be received that Jerusalems sins were worse then Sodoms the Lord swears to it As I live saith the Lord God Sodom and her daughters have not done as thou and thy daughters have done the nations and countreys about never sinned so desperately against God as those professed his name and went for his people and you have the sentence of heaven for it Jer. 2.10.11 Passe over the Iles of Shittim and see send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing hath a nation changed their gods which are yet no gods but my people hath changed their Glory for that which doth not profit the turpitude of their fact is fully set out it was such as could not be parallel'd among Heathens inquiry was made the report given in that the Gentiles changed not their gods they would not alter their lawes and worship they had from men but the Jewes parted with their glory when they would not part with their shame they let go their Religion which was divine Hos 9.10 and without any just cause changed Gods judgements and statutes into wickednesse into that which neither did nor could profit they were changelings chopt away heaven for earth God for Idols and his worship for mens inventions this made the Lord say of them Jer. 3.5 Behold thou hast spoken and done evill things as thou couldest What could they do worse then let the infinite glorious wise most holy and blessed God go for Idols and Idolatrous worship when the heathens would not let their gods goe that were of base and corruptible materialls made by the hands and art of men that could neither see heare or help them What could Manasses doe worse then he did 2 King 21.11 VER 7 8. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Because you multiplyed more then the Nations that are round about you and have not walked in my Statutes neither have kept my Judgements neither have done according to the judgements of the Nations that are round about you 8. Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I even I am against thee and will execute judgements in the midst of thee in the sight of the Nations c. THe 7th verse is of the nature of the sixt and hath in it motives unto God to proceed in judgement
God when God is in his jealousie hee speaks dreadfull things and doth answerably to speak in zeal is to decree an irrevocable and bloody sentence Hence Josh 24.19 hee is a jealous God and then followes and will not forgive your transgressions and Deut. 29.20 The Lord will not spare his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses in this Book shall lie upon that man What man the man that breaks covenant with God gâ—ing out to false worship and thereby putting him into jealousie which as it 's the rage of a man and makes him cruell in the day of vengeance so it 's the rage of God and makes him without pity or mercy when hee executes vengeance he will then accomplish his wrath and not spare powre out all his wrath and vengeance VER 14 15. Moreover I will make thee waste and a reproach among the Nations that are round about thee in the sight of all that passe by 15. So it shall be a reproach and taunt an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee when I shall execute judgement in thee in anger and fury and furious rebukes I the Lord have spoken it IN the 14th Verse are two judgements more laid down desolation and reproach this last is aggravated from the extent of it to the nations round about and all that passed by In the 15th you have the repetition of the last judgement and the ends of both annexed which are First for information Secondly for astonishment I will make thee waste That is Jerusalem with the Villages and all the land adjacent Judah was a fruitfull land Isa 5.1 the glory of all lands flowing with milk and honey Ezek. 20.6 Moses calls it a good land a land of brooks waters fountains deeps that spring out of vallies and hills a land of Wheat and Barley Vines Fig-trees Pomgranats a land of Oil Olives and honey a land where nothing was lacking the stones of it were iron and in the hils was brasse Deut. 8.7 8 9. it was the Lords land Hos 9.3 Immâ—â—uels Isa 8.8 a land that God cared for and watched over all the yeere long Deut. 11.12 Egypt was an inconsiderable land to this vers 10. that was prophane this was the holy land Zach. 2.12 the pleasant land Zach. 2.14 it was well built well till'd and greatly peopled yet this land must be laid waste they should be in ariditatem like a river dried up that if you looke for water in it there is none so if look for a Temple Worship or Ordinance c. in Jerusalem there is none their cities and habitations are burnt their gardens unfenced their trees cut down their Vines undressed their fields untilled and all made a wildernesse a land of briers and thorns Isa 7.24 And this was fulfill'd as you may see in Nehem. 2.17 Lam. 1.4 The wayes of Sion do mourn because none come to the solemn feasts 2.2 3.5.18 and the adversaries hand was upon all her pleasant things Lam. 1.10 Hence the Church complains Isa 64.10 11. Thy holy Cities are a wildernesse Sion is a wildernesse Jerusalem a desolation our holy and beautifull house where our fathers praised thee is burnt up with fire and all our pleasant things are laid waste see here the truth of divine threats and the mischief of sin it so exasperates God that he turns a fruitfull land even his own land into barrennesse saltnesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 107.34 A reproach among the nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God would make them not only for a waste but also for a reproach Charaph is simply to reproach to disgrace and that 's not all they should have but they should be for a taunt also and that 's more Vide de Dieu in Mat. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Giddeph to blaspheme revile and so it 's used Mat. 27.39 for Matthew writ his Gospel in Hebrew where it 's said they reviled Christ and wagged their heads so should this people be reproached and revil'd have bitter taunts and sarcasms thrown at them Jer. 24. They shall be removed to all kingdomes of the earth for their hurt to be a reproach a Proverb a taunt and a curse hence grew those reproaches and imprecations Let it be with thee as it was with Zedekiah his family and followers Plaga Zedekia tangat tâ— fit frater servus Zedekia Vatab. and Jer. 29.22 the curse in the captivity was The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon roasted in the fire this judgement was very sore reproaches and taunts are bitter things piercing deep scarce any thing afflicts an ingenuous spirit more then they do Zedekiah feared nothing more then reproach and mocking Jer. 38.19 I am afraid lest the Jews fall to the Chaldeans deliver me into their hand and they mock me it was a sad thing to be stript of all their cities the land to be laid waste but much more to be expos'd to scorn yea publikely of all and that by the appointment of the Judge even God whom they took to be their friend and that to the nations they had hated and held tributary many yeers this was exceeding pungent especially they being the top and glory of all nations it was fulfill'd Lam. 2.15 16. All that passe by clap their hands at thee they hisse and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem saying Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty The joy of the whole earth All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee they hisse and gnash their teeth they say We have swallowed her up certainly this is the day that we looked for we have found we have seen it The Lord hath done that which he had devised he hath fulfilled his Word An instruction The Vulgar is Exemplum this act of God upon Jerusalem exposed so to reproach should be an example to the Heathen The Hebrew is musar from jasar to bind to discipline to instruct the judgements of God upon his people are vincula bonds to bind up Heathens from their sins they are disciplinae reproofs unto them being guilty of great sins they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instructions to teach them to repent of their sins because the Jewes by their holy lives did not excite the nations to inquire after and serve the true God therefore their judgements shall be their instructions teach them to fear and forsake their Idolatry they could reason thus If God spared not the holy city the holy people the holy land when they fell to Idolatry uncleannesse and other vile sins how will he spare us if we be found in the same wayes his judgments are exceeding dreadfull we will take warning their sufferings shall be our safety if judgements were to be instructions to Heathens and wrought upon them shall they not much more be so to Christians the ruines of Germany the blood of Ireland the
chiefest in malignancy and opposition this you shall see 2 Chron. 36.14 15 16. All the chief of the Priests and the people transgressed very much they polluted the house of the Lord they mocked the messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets this was the practice of those times Was there ever any great disorder corruption in the Church or any sedition treason almost in the State but some of the chief of the Priests have had their hands in it When the Calf was set up in Moses his dayes Aaron the Priest had his head and hand in it when David was a dying Adonijah makes the sedition and stir in the Kingdome but Abiathar the Priest had a great hand in it Both in the State and in the Church you may well observe that the chief of the Priests have had their hands in the evill in the trouble And have not we now a malignant party that oppose the reformation intended and begun Do they not set themselves with all their might against the Ieremies Daniels Ezekiels and Rechabites of the Land that will not defile themselves There is such a party you all know that do oppose godliness that despise the Prophets scorne the Saints make sad the hearts of the righteous and strengthen the hands of wickedness therefore this prophecy may be seasonable enough in regard of that malignant party that doth oppose too openly 3. They had lost their countrey their choysest comforts they were in captivity and constant jeopardy of their lives if they provoked the Babylonians they were ready to fall upon them and root them out presently and those at Ierusalam were in danger every day to have their liberties estates consciences Religion and lives taken from them And are not we like unto them and are not we even in a Land of liberty in a state of captivity Do not our estates our liberties our consciences our Religion our lives and all lie at the stake Wee are even in Babylon in the midst of Sion wee are in a sad and heavie condition therefore this Prophecy may be seasonable now considering our estate is so like to theirs 4. The times then were such that they loathed Manna ordinary and plain truths would not down unless truths were new and transcendent they were weary of them and slighted them Ieremy was too plain a Prophet for them too low and God gives them Ezekiel a dark and hard Prophet And is it not so in these dayes we have been fed with Manna so long that we loath Manna as a wormy thing If we have not something new unheard of transcendent we are weary wee think it not worth our going out of doors if so then here is a Prophet that may be sutable to these times and your desires God gave them this Prophet in a time of affliction and there was something in it for afflictions open mens understandings Vexatio dat intellectum and inlarge their capacities when people are under pressures then their understandings are quickest then they are most apprehensive therefore God gave them such a Prophet as might sute with their condition in exercising their parts and graces to the full when at the best Now is a time of affliction if your spirits be awakened and the bent of them be after high and hard things lo here are difficulties and transcendencies for you here are high things to draw up your thoughts to exercise your spirits be they never so choice and apprehensive One thing more for the seasonablenesse of this Prophet it is said heaven was open Ezekiel saw visions of God If ever God hath opened heaven since Christ now he hath done it in these sad times God hath now caused is causing you every day to see visions out of the Prophets and out of the Gospel These expository Lectures are openings of heaven and let out cleare and choice light unto you from heaven therefore seeing heaven is opened let visions of God be counted seasonable and become acceptable unto you But if this Prophet be so dark and difficult what is the benefit and fruit we shall have by him This is the next head wee are to come unto and the benfits of this Prophet are these the darker the Prophet is the more of God may you look for from him God dwelleth in darkness as well as in light Psalm 18.11 He made darknesse his secret place And Exod. 19.9 God came to Moses in a thick cloud Tenebrae sunt latibulum Dâ—i and there Moses had the most of God Here God is coming to you in a dark Prophet and questionless you shall find much of God in him here you shall see much of Gods mercy in upholding and comforting the spirits of his people and providing for them in a strange land here you shall see much of Gods justice in punishing sinners for their sins and iniquities here you shall see much of Gods truth in fulfilling of prophecies here you shall finde much of Gods power in subverting of Kings and Kingdomes here you shall finde much of his manifold Wisdome in these dark visions here you shall finde more of God then you expect 2. This prophecy is an exact History of the time of the Jewes being in captivity in it you have many passages of Nebuchadnezzars reign and government of his acts abroad and at home and of Gods dealing with his people in the time of this their seventy yeers captivity Were not Daniel and Ezekiel extant wee should have such a great losse as the world could not tel how to repair it the acts of Gods dealing with his Church and people in that seventy yeers would be swallowed up in a Chaos of darkness 3. You shall see for what sins God subverteth and overthroweth Kingdomes and States In this Prophet you shall find that the Lord doth ruine glorious Churches great Cities mighty Kingdomes men of great renown families and posterities and the particular sins for which he doth it Namely for false worship Idolatry injustice uncleannesse prophaning of his Sabbaths contempt of his Word abuse of his Prophets and sins of that nature So that as it is Prov. 21.30 There is no wisdome no counsel nor understanding against the Lord. God will overthrow even Kings and their Councels Kingdoms with their Nobility and Gentry with their Magistrates and people God will overthrow them when he once sets upon such a worke such a designe There is no standing out against him 4. You shall see here also the different carriage betweene the godly and the wicked in times of Judgement When judgements are abroad in the world the inhabitants of the earth should learn righteousness but wicked men they grow more active against God more impudent more desperate and hard-hearted they combine and plot together to roote out the righteous this you shall see in this Prophecie And for the godly you shall finde that when judgements are neare and upon them they are mourning in secret they get together
they that feare God speake often one to another they fast they pray they redeeme the time they worke out their salvation with feare and trembling they give God no rest they will be at it at midnight In a word you shall finde the carriage of the godly to be exceeding contrary to the carriage of the wicked 5. Here you shall find Gods new Covenant wherein you shall see the riches of free grace God doing all both making the Covenant and performing it both commanding and giving what he doth command unto your soules 6. You shall finde that this Prophet is an Evangelicall Prophet for he points at Christ he will shew you where he is he will lead you to the Temple where you shall see Christ with his line in his hand and measuring out a Temple for the times of the Gospel measuring of his worship his worshippers and all that doth concerne the new Jerusalem Much of Christ will be found at least in the conclusion of this Prophet 7. You shall have a lively representation of the uncertainty of all things and of all conditions in this world In Lament 4.12 it is said there that the Kings of the earth and all the Inhabitants of the world would not have beleeved that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem None thought none of the Kings of the earth none of the Kings of Israel beleeved that ever Jerusalem which was so fortified by mountaines round about should be taken by the enemy But you shall see in this Prophet that even Jerusalem the Citie of God the Temple that was the glory of the world and Sion the perfection of beauty they are all laid wast Neither Prince Priest Prophet Nobles nor any are spared but all are destroyed all are carried into captivitie all are brought under the sonnes the precious sonnes of Sion are carried away into Babylon So that there is no place no condition no prerogative that can priviledge any from the hand of God where once sinne is come to a perfection Prov. 14.34 Righteousness exalteth a Nation but sinne is a reproach to any people Let them be Jewes or Gentiles let them be Kings Priests or Prophets when sin is growne to a height then the wrath of God comes to a perfection and God will lay a Sion wast God will raze a Temple God will carry a Iehojakin a Zedekiah Prince and Prophet Priest and People into captivitie Is Sion gone is the Temple razed is Ierusalem laid in the dust What confidence then can any Kingdome can any Citie have Let not England let not London be secure Feare and Tremble Repent of sinne Take heed of provoking God Looke beyond the Kingdomes of the earth Looke up to heaven and make sure of that Kingdome which cannot be shaken which cannot be taken from you Thus you have some of the benefits that are to come by this Prophet We are now to fall upon the generall division of the Prophecy In this Prophet you have 1. The Preface wherein is contained Gods appearing to Ezekiel his calling of him and strengthning of him in his office And these are laid downe in the three first Chapters 2. You have the Prophecy it selfe wherein you have these foure things 1. The destruction of the Iewes by the Babylonish captivitie with the causes thereof viz. their sinnes This is laid downe in the next 21. Chapters 2. Threatning of judgement and destruction to severall Nations that had insulted over the people of God being carried away captive and the hand of God being upon them these were the Ammonites the Moabites the Edomites the Philistines the Assyrians and Babylonians And this he doth from the 25. to the 33. Chapter 3. Sharpe reproving of the Iewes for their iniquitie for their hard-heartednesse for their not improving the hand of God upon them exhorting them to repentance he tels them of freedome some mercy and deliverance and after that againe of affliction and trouble that shall befall them And this he doth from the 33. to the 39. Chapter 4. A typicall Prophecy concerning Christ and spirituall freedome through him laid downe in the vision of the new Temple and of the new Ierusalem from the 39. Chapter to the end wherein there will be many glorious things made knowne in due time Thus you have the generall division of the Prophecy To come to the Chapter Ver. 1 2 3. Now it came to passe c. In this Chapter you have 1. Ezekiels first vision from the fourth verse to the end of the Chapter 2. In the three first verses you have 1. The time what yeare what moneth what day this vision was ver 1 2. 2. The place 1. generall the land of the Chaldeans 2. particular by the river of Chebar ver 3. 3. Together with this you have the occasion his being there among the Captives 3. The subject of this Vision Ezekiel Described 1. From his office a Priest 2. From his parentage the sonne of Buzi 4. The Author of this Vision God I saw visions of God such visions as came from God Now it came to passe c. Now The word in the Originall is And And it came to passe It seemes a strange beginning of a booke especially when it referres to nothing said or writ before There are many of the books of sacred Writ begin on this manner as Exodus Leviticus Numbers Iosuah Ruth Samuel Kings and divers others In historicall books it may note the series connect things antecedent with things consequent but in propheticall books it cannot note or make a connexion with things foregoing Jonas begins his Prophecy so and what was the antecedent to make up the connexion Here is the Quere and difficultie why the Prophet should begin his book on this manner And it came to passe Some satisfie the doubt thus They make it an idiome or proprietie of the Hebrew tongue to begin books with this particle And or Now and so they make nothing of it But surely this is not all there is something wrapped up in this Now or And Van. which may be of instruction and use to us Now or And it came to passe The Prophet doubtless was meditating upon the condition he was in meditating of the condition that he had been in Time was that we were at Jerusalem that we went with joy to the Temple to the solemne Assemblies that we heard the voyce of God that we saw his glory his beauty his power and his strength there Time was that we had communion with the Saints that we sung songs of Sion together with chearfulnes and with joy we had precious Ordinances honourable Sabbaths Sacrifices that did cheare our hearts and seale up pardon of our sinnes to us and intimate the good will of God in Christ to our soules wee sate under our Vines and under our fig-trees and were in safetie But now now we eate the bread of mourners wee drinke our own teares Now wee are deprived
vid. â—â—b de viden Deum Hom. 2. 2. q. 174. 175. and absent in the flesh Augustine and Aquinas are of opinion that Moses and Paul saw God in his essence but they were men and not without their errors for had they seen Gods essence their faith had ceased being swallowed up in vision The School-man would help it thus the light of glory in them had not a permanent being but was given them transitively Esse permanâ—ns per modum transeuntis But this answer will not bear up the opinion for faith and vision of glory cannot consist in a larger tract or in the least instant of times as in one man there cannot be a perfect and obscure light together the full light of the Sun and least degree of darknesse cannot at once be in the eye And farther if they saw the essence of God they had not the act of faith but evidence for if a man had seen Rome and after remembers it Non habet fidem sed evidentiam de eo quod vidit he saith not he believes there is such a City but hee hath seen it and so of Gods essence It must not be granted that ever any saw Gods essence you have incontrollable authority for it Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time Durand saith these words are to be understood exclusively 1. Of corporeall vision for with a bodily eye none ever did or shall see God 2. Of intellectuall naturall Vision because a naturall understanding cannot attain unto the cleer vision of God 3. Of the vision of comprehension from all created understandings though Angels and Saints in heaven see God yet not comprehensively and 1 Tim. 6.16 whom no man hath seen nor can see there 's a deniall both of the fact and the possibility Aust himself confesseth in l. 2. de Trin. C. 16 17 18. That the substance of God is not ullo modo corporaliter visibilem not to be seen at all with the eyes of flesh and the rule of School-men touching visions and apparitions is infallible that the nature of God is not seen with the eyes of the body but only some corporeall thing is exhibited which being visibly seen or sensibly perceived God is invisibly represented to the understanding Al. Halcus But Moses saw God face to face Exod. 33.11 So Jacob saw God face to face Gen. 32. Answ Those Patriarchs and Prophets that are said to see God saw him in divers resemblances and this is an unanswerable argument that they never saw Gods essence for that is pure immixt alwayes alike neither standing nor sitting having no parts no shape or likenesse to any thing therefore saith Athenasius those Fathers saw God in some creature Deum non fuiss ab antiquis pâ—râ—bus vâ—sum nost 〈◊〉 assumptioâ—e creatu ae secundum Deitatem vero esse 〈◊〉 v sioâ—â—em not in his own nature for it is invisible Again this phrase of seeing God face to face in the Hebrew dialect imports two things First Familiarity Secondly Perspicuity 1. Familiarity they had familiar converse with God Deut. 5.4 the Lord talketh with you face to face you asked him questions and he gave you answers and it 's evident that this is intended in the phrase Exo. 33.11 The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend Moses questioned it with God and God most friendly answered him So in Numb 12.8 Mouth to mouth will I speak with him it notes the presentiality and familiarity of God with Moses 2. Perspicuity cleernesse they saw God face to face that is comparatively others saw God in dreames and visions which were more obscure but these saw God more cleerly had more illustrious visions of God they saw Gods back-parts these saw Gods face and the phrase is used in the New Testament 1 Cor. 13.12 Then shall wee see face to face that is more fully and perfectly then here but whether wee shall see the divine essence in patria in heaven is questionable Chrysost Hom. 14. on John saith That before the incarnation the Son of God was Angelis invisibilis and if they in their glory saw not the divine nature of Christ it 's like wee shall not Whether Christ saw the Father or Holy Ghost with the eyes of his body is questionable if some doubt it others deny it Halens grants that the soul of Christ saw God perfectly from his conception but hee saith not the eye of his body saw him Aquinas saith that glorified eyes shall see God in that manner as now our eyes do see the life of man life not seen with a bodily eye as a thing visible by it self but by the intervention of something else and so accidentally becomes sensible it 's our understanding not the eye reacheth life and so in God But in 1 John 3. we shall see him as hee is Answ He speaks of a new and unutterable way of seeing God Wee shall see him as hee is to be seen mediante lumine gloriae the beams of the Sun so fill the eye that wee cannot behold the nature of it and whether it be so in heaven wee shall not know till wee come there let us get holinesse and then wee shall see him will resolve this doubt Observ 1. That all the glory is seen of God in this life any wayes is but the appearance and likenesse of the glory of God There was much and great glory in this vision there is more in the world in the creatures more in the Church and yet all this is only a shadow and a small appearance of the glory of God If we should see ten thousand Torches lighted up in a dark night they make a glorious light yet are they nothing to the light of the Sun when that comes torch-light star-light seem appearances of light rather then light it self So when the glory of God shall be revealed it will darken all other glory and there was not so great a difference between the light in Goshen and darknesse in Egypt as there will be between the glory of God and that glory now appeares in the world The glory of God is neither expressible or comprehensible by any or all the creatures The glory that Isaiah saw on the earth and that Ezekiel saw in the heavens did not expresse the thousand part of this glory and neither heaven not earth are able to comprehend the same 2. See the infinite goodnesse of the Lord that will expose that to the eyes of his servants which is so deare unto him his own glory Precious things of Princes and great ones are not common for the view of all but choyce friends favorites shall see them God hath nothing more precious then his glory yet this shall his choyce friends and favourites see and because they cannot see it in the perfection of it God will draw a picture of it with his own hand and hold forth to the eyes of his here Ezekiel had an appearance of