new joyes in God in Christ in the Promises in the Saints and inables us to rejoyce and glory in tribulations Rom 5.3 Fourthly It intitles us to diverse new and excellent things As First To the New Covenant When a man hath a new heart and a new spirit he hath an interest in the New Covenant Jer 31.31 33. The law of sin and principles of Satan and the woâ—ld were writ in the old heart and old spirit and so the party was under the Covenant with death and hell Isa 28.15 but in the new heart is written the Law of God the Law of faith Rom 3.27 Heb 8.10 and so they are under the New Covenant which is call'd Grace Rom 6.14 Secondly To New Names Where there is newness of heart and spirit there they are sealed in their fore-heads with new Names their Title is New Creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 The Seed of Abraham Isa 41.8 Servants of Righteousnesse Rom. 6.18 Children of Light John 12.36 Conquerours Rom 8.37 Gods workmanship Ephes 2.10 Kings and Priests Rev 1.6 Temples of God 1 Cor 3.16 The glory of God Isa 4.5 New born Babes 1 Pet 2.2 His Saints Psal 149.9 Vessels of Gold and Silver 2 Tim. 2.20 Wise Virgins Matth 25. Heirs of Salvation Heb 1.14 Thirdly To a New Lord and Master When their hearts were old Satan was their Soveraign They walked according to the Prince of the aire Ephes 2.2 2 Tim 2.26 His lusts they did execute John 8.44 But having new hearts they have a new Lord a new Master and that is the Lord Christ Phil 1.1 Paul a servant of Christ He had a new heart and now he had a new Master which was Christ he would serve Satan no longer but Christ who dyed for sinners that they might live unto him 2 Cor. 5.15 When the hearts and spirits of men are new they are dead to their old Masters and have new Rom 7.4 Christ is the Husband and Head of every one renewed by his grace he is Lord and Master of all such 1 Cor. 7.22 Matth 23.8 Fourthly To a New Guard Such have a Guard of Angels about them before as they were without God so without the protection of his Angels exposed to all dangers but having new hearts and new spirits being new creatures they have a multitude of the Heavenly Host not only to praise God for their new-birth as they did at Christs birth Luke 2.13 but to attend and protect them Heb 1.14 Are not the Angels ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation and none shall be such but those that have new hearts and new spirits for flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor 15.50 Fifthly To New Alliance this change is wrought in them Blasphemers Idolaters Adulterers Drunkards Murtherers Lyars Vnbelievers Hypocrites and all profane ones they the very Devils themselves John 8.44 But when they have new hearts and new spirits then they have new kindred as a man that marries a woman all her kindred becomes his so here all that have new hearts and spirits are his kindred who hath a new heart he is allied unto them all Math 23.8 All ye are brethren All the Saints throughout the earth how great how learned how rich how gifted or gracious soever they be are all brethren yea the Angels are brethren unto those that have new hearts Rev. 19.10.22.9 and that which is beyond all Christ himself is their Brother and Father Math. 12.49 50. Heb 2.12 13. Sixthly To the New Mansions in the City made without hands John 14.2 saith Christ In my Fathers house are many Mansions and I go to prepare a place for you You have right and title to them ye have new hearts ye believe in God vers 1. and I go to prepare and fit places for you in those Mansions Fifthly The excellency of a new heart is this That it sets an high price upon the things of God and a low price upon the things of the world how goodly soever they appear whereas before the things of the world were magnified and the things of God slighted When Paul had another heart and another spirit then before then he had no confidence in the flesh then he did not value his great priviledges he counted them and all things but losse for Christ they did damnifie him rather then advantage him and therefore lookt upon them as dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of no worth chaffe dirt excrements in respect of Christ his righteousnesse and knowledge of him Phil. 3.7 8 9. all which had an excellency and were so prized by Paul that he was willing to lay down his life for them Acts 21.13 When Simon Magus offered the Apostles money for to have power to give the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands Peter in his own name and in the name of the rest said Thy money perish with thee we value not bags of gold and silver but the things of God Acts 8.19 20. When the Conjurers had the Devils cast out of them and new hearts given them they brought forth their books which they had highly valued and burnt them before all men and so many they burnt as came to fifty thousand pieces of silver Acts 19.19 and instead of these they prized the books of Moses the Prophets and Apostles A new heart sees excellency in spiritual things and saith It cannot over value them but for other things it puts them under its feet Sixthly It s excellent in that it doth really make God its end and aims at his glory in its operations before self was all now God is all Acts 20.23 24. Paul was told by the Spirit of God that bonds and afflictions did abide him every where that his life was in danger now had not Paul been a man of a new heart and spirit he would have shifted for himself and let the preaching of the Gospel have fallen but being such an one what saith he None of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my selfe so I may finish my course with joy and the Ministry I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the Grace of God That was Pauls end to make known the grace of God in the Gospel towards poor sinners that so they partaking of that grace might give glory to God and God be glorified by him God and his glory were so in his eye that he gave out a rule for all Christians to eye and mind God and his glory in all things 1 Cor. 10.31 Seventhly It s the principle of eternal life and happinesse When God puts life light and grace into the heart and so makes it new he hath begun our admission into Heaven and happinesse this new heart and spirit are the water springs up into everlasting life John 4.14 They are the Eagles wings will carry you not only up to Heaven but into Heaven Concerning this new heart and new spirit there be divers mistakes
which signifies to make dark obscure black all the Trees in the Assyrian Empire or in that part of Lebanon which belonged thereunto I caused to be affected with the fall of this Cedar And all the Trees of the field fainted for him All other Kings saith Maldonate not only Kings but all sorts were involved in this common calamity they were so sensible of their sufferings thereby that they fainted the word for fainting is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to cover for grief and Metaphorically to faint When grief is great then it causeth deliquium animae Vers 16. I made the Nations to shake at the Sound of his fall When high and great Trees fall they make a great noise and so did this King when he fell his own Subjects and other Nations were much troubled at his fall When I cast him down to Hell with them that descend into the pit In ver 15. it s said he went down to the Grave or Hell and here that God cast him down to Hell it s the same word God brought him from his height to the state of the dead he made him like those that were in the pit And all the Trees of Eden the choice and best of Lebanon all that drink water shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth Those Kings and others which were gone before into the pit he speaks of as living and watered Trees when they should see this great Cedar cut down and brought into the same condition with themselves they should be comforted in that state they were in that is the common condition of great and small The Hebrew for choice and best of Lebanon is the Election and goodness of Lebanon Vers 17. They also went down into Hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword Those Trees before mentioned their condition was like theirs who were slain with the sword and so was this Assyrians he was cut off from all his glory and greatnesse and laid amongst the slain And they that were his arm that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the Heathen His Princes Nobles Councellours Souldiers and Confederates these suffered with him and had some comfort that they had him with them in the Grave or in Hell The Septuagint for those words were his arme read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his seed his posterity and friends were cut off with him First Observe The greatest Princes and Powers in the world have their day to leave their greatnesse and go down to the dust In the day when he went down to the Grave The King of Assyria had his day to come down from all his height and glory and to lye among the slain some dye natural some violent deaths be they great or small dye they must It s appointed unto men once to dye Heb 9.27 And as some have their day to grow high and great in the world so their day to descend into the Grave and be no more in the eye of God then a stinking carkasse Secondly Observe When great Monarchs and Princes are cut off the Lord fills all with mourning fainting and shaking When the Assyrian went down to the Grave the Lord caused a mourning made changes and alterations at Sea and Land He made Lebanon to put on black the Trees of the field to faint and Nations to quake at the sound of his fall so was it when the King of Tyrus was destroyed Ezek 26.15 16. ch 27.35 When the gods of the earth are slain and dye like men the earth and all other creatures have a kind of sense thereof and are affected at changes Thirdly Observe When great Oppressors and Tyrants fall it affords some kind of comfort to the dead All the Trees of Eden the choice and best of Lebanon all that drink water shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth c. You have this livelyly set forth Isa 14.9 10. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming it stirreth up the dead for thee even all the chief Ones of the Earth it hath raised up from the Thrones all the Kings of the Nations All they shall speak and say unto thee art thou also become weak as we art thou become like unto us Whether this was Senacherib Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar it matters not whoever he was he was a great Tyrannicall Prince and when he fell the dead rejoyced at it and comforted themselves that he was become like unto them Vers 18. To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatnesse among the Trees of Eden yet shalt thou be brought down with the Trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the Earth thou shalt lye in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword this is Pharoah and all his multitude saith the Lord God This verse is the Application of the former example unto Pharoah The Protasis was from the 3. verse hither and in this 18. is the Apodosis The same Question is put here to Pharoah whâ—ch was in the 2. vers To whom art thou like in glory and in greatnesse among the Trees of Eden Look about Pharoah thou seest that thou art not like to the Assyrian in Lebanon Well who among the Trees of Eden art thou like for glory and greatnesse it may be thou equallest some of them be it so yet thou must be brought down with them to the nether parts of the earth to the Grave or to Hell thou that art like them in sinning must be like them in suffering Thou shalt lye in the midst of the uncircumcised In Cha. 28.10 It was said of the Prince of Tyrus Thou shalt dye the death of the uncircumcised that was without any hope of eternall life and here it 's said of Pharoah Thou shalt lye in the midst of those that are uncircumcised that is He should lye in a hopelesse and perishing condition of soul and body for ever as those did who were not in Covenant with God This is Pharoah and all his multitude saith the Lord God This is his condition and the condition of his Princes Nobles and People whatsoever thoughts he or they may have of themselves this must be their end Observe God teaches men by the examples of others what they must look for Here by the Assyrian Cedar the Aegyptian Pharoah is taught what to expect He being like the Assyrian in his sins had no cause but to conclude that Assyrian judgements would befall him What was he for his pride and wickednesse driven out destroyed brought down to the Grave Hell and an everlasting suffering so must I my wayes being the same with his like sins call for like judgements As the Assyrian was set out for the instruction of Pharoah so God sets up Pharoah for the instruction of all Princes and People to the end of the world This is Pharoah and all his multitude CHAP. XXXII Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. And it came
is likelyest to make way for the message they bring of what kind soever Here the Prophet was to warn them to tell them of their sins and the danger of them and who would not receive an admonition from God when it comes in his name backed with his authority when God in it seeks our good the freedom of us from death and damnation the bringing of us unto glory and salvation and especially when the soul of the watchman lyeth at stake for the sinner if he do not admonish the sinner Can any sinner be so obstinate as not to consider relent and return when God shall send one in his name unto him and the Prophet shall say Sir I come from God unto you and my life is at stake for you if I tell you not of your sins I am a lost man give me leave therefore to deal plainly with you you are covetous unclean proud froward ignorant unbelieving having a form of Godl nesse without the power and unlesse you take another course and serve the living God otherwise the you do you will perish soul and body eternally but if yâ—u will hearken I will shew you the good and right way the way everlasting which will make you blessed for ever When a watchman comes and deals thus with a sinner hath he cause to be angry No he hath cause to fall down and say Of a truth God is in you and with you I thank you for your counsell and seasonable admonitions and through the grace of God I will improve them and turn to that God who is so gracious and would have sinners come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved Ninthly Observe The Lord knowes who are wicked When I say to the wicked man The world calls them wicked who are righteous and those righteous who are wicked but it is not so with the Lord he knows who is an hypocrite who is covetous who is a lyar a formalist an enemy to grace and holinesse Known unto the Lord are all his works Acts 15.18 And he knoweth who are his 2 Tim 2.19 and who are not his there is not one Goat in the world but the Lord knows him not a Wolfe or Lyon but he takes notice of them he knew the house of Israel better then Ezekiel who dwelt amongst them whom he said was wicked was so indeed It matters not much what the world saith of men it call'd Paul a Babler Acts 17.18 An Heretick Acts 24.14 A Pestilent Fellow vers 5. But what said God of him Acts 9.15 He is a chosen Vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel Jobs friends and the Devil said Job was an hypocrite but God said He was a perfect man fearing God and eschewing evill Job 1.1 That men are what God who cannot lye who cannot be deceived pronounces them to be if he in his word do call a â—an for an hypocrite an unbeliever covetous proud c. he is so Tenthly Observe The Power of life and death is in the hand of the Lord. When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely dye God hath authority over the lives of men and can pronounce a sentence of death upon them at his pleasure He Commission'd Saul to smite Amalek to slay man and woman infant and suckling Oxe and Sheep Camel and Asse 1 Sam. 15.3 Whâ—n Ahab let Benhadad go a man that God had appointed to destruction therefore saith he Thy life shall go for his and thy people for his people 1 Kings 20.42 The power of life and death God challengeth to himself Deut. 32.39 I kill and I make alive I wound I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of mine hand By this argument he proves himself to be God and it s none but God that kills or gives life Psal 68.20 Vnto God the Lord belong the issues from death The Hebrew is Lammaneth Totzaoth Exitus ad mortem the goings out to death its God that turns the key and le ts out the breath it s he puts a period to the life of the Creature would any live let them fear the Lord and depart from evill for The fear of the Lord prolongeth dayes Prov 10.27 Moses uses this argument to perswade them to love obey and cleave to the Lord He is thy life and length of thy dayes Deut. 30.20 Men have their lives from God and he draws the thread of them out to what length he please and therefore men should love fear obey and cleave to that God if they do not he will cut the thread of their lives asunder Prov. 10.27 The years of the wicked shall be shortned by one sicknesse judgement or other their dayes and years shall be shortned of what they might have been Eleventhly Observe Those watchmen that are unfaithfull in their places and do not tell the people of their sins and danger their account will be dreadful If thou doe not speak to warn the wicked from his way his bloud will I require at thy hand If a politicall watchman be unfaithful so that a man perish by the sword without warning his bloud lyeth upon the watchmans head and if the Ecclesiastical watchman be unfaithful and do not warn the wicked upon what pretence soever the bloud of that wicked man dying in his sins will be required of the watchman it lyes upon his head and he must answer for it the case of this latter watchman will be more dangerous then of the former because the one is to answer for the life of a man the other for the soul of a man which is of great price Let lazy sleepy perfidious watchmen look to it they suffer men to perish through their default and their bloud lives souls stand ingaged for the sâ—me Twelfthly Observe The failing of the watchman will not excuse or priviledge the wicked man If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall dye in his iniquity Though he be not told that he is in a wrong way though he pretend ignorance that will not serve turn he shall dye in his iniquity warn'd or unwarn'd the watchman hath not done his duty what then must this exempt the wicked man from punishment No he hath not done his duty he should have minded studyed the Law of God walked according to that and have made it a Lamp unto his feet and a light unto his paths Psal 119.105 But his neglect of his duty and ignorance rather will aggravate then extenuate his fault the Law was near unto him and he might have known what was forbidden and so have avoided the same Thirteenthly Observe Those that regard not the warning of the watchmen they bring certain destruction upon themselves Whosoever hears the sound of the Trumpet and takes not warning his bloud shall be upon his own head If the enemy cut off that man he himself is guilty of his own death not the political
desire love delight in a thing as Gen 34.19 Shechem delighted in Dinah he desired her loved her and took delight in her Chophetz notes the highest delight content that can be taken Psal 16.3 in whom is Col Cheph-Zi all my delight that is my greatest delight Now here it s said God hath not pleasure in the death of the wicked This is not an absolute negative denying God wholly to have delight in death or in the death of sinful wicked man or of any sinfull man for God took delight in the destruction of Pharoah and his Hoast in the red Sea which Moses shews saying Exod 15.1 He hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea God sent Saul to smite Amaleck utterly to destroy him and all his when Agag was spared with the best of the sheep and oxen was he not wrath with him 1 Sam. 15.3.11.23 When Jehu cut off Ahabs house what said the Lord Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in my eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy children of the fourth Generation shall sit on the Throne of Israel 2 Kings 10.30 The destruction of Ahabs house was pleasing to God he commended he rewarded it And that God takes no pleasure in the destruction of a sinfull wicked man is contrary to these Texts Deut. 28.63 Prov. 1.26 27. Isa 1.24 Jer 14.12 The words they are not to be taken as an absolute negative but comparatively thus I have pleasure in the turning of the wicked from his wayes rather then in his death or its more pleasing to me that a wicked man should turn and live then that he should continue and dye Such an expression is that in 1 Cor. 1.17 Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospell Not absolutely not to baptize but rather to preach then to baptize he had more pleasure in my preaching then in my baptizing and so here Let me not live if I have so much pleasure in the death of a sinner as in his turning from his sin By Death here some understand eternall Death and it cannot be otherwise saith Quistorpius for he speaks of that death which may be avoided by repentance and turning to God but temporal death cannot be avoided either by the penitent or impenitent But to him that well considers this place it will appear that here it s spoken of a temporal and violent death for vers 3. He speaks of the sword coming upon a Land They were at this time either straitly besiedged or newly taken by Nebuchadnezzars forces and complain'd that their sins were upon them provoking God to destroy them that they pin'd away and there was no hope for them of life though they should repent them of their iniquities this God answers unto and tells them if they turn from their evill wayes there is hope they shall live for repentance prevents and removes judgements that are destructive The Ninivites by their repentance prevented the destruction of themselves and their City at Davids repentance the plague was stayed Ahabs humbling himself prevented Gods bringing the evill in his dayes So that its true of natural death that cannot be avoided by penitency or impenitency but a violent death may a death by sword by famine by plague by wild beasts may 2 Chro 7.14 If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and wâ—ll heal their Land Had he spoken of eternall death it had been no answer to the Jews objection Lavater tells us that by Death is meant Malum and by Life Bonum Men by their sins bring sad calamities and judgements upon themselves they cause God to punish them with variety of evills which he hath no pleasure in nor they cause to complain of Lament 3.33 39. He had rather they should turn from their sins and live comfortably But that the wicked turn from his way and live The word for wicked is Rashang which the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the irreligious lewd ungodly man here wicked wicked in opinions wicked in practice troublesome to God and man running the wrong way The word for way signi ies a path which leads from place to place and men walk in it Metaphorically it s applyed to the customes manners actions religions and lives of men Jer. 16.2 Pro 1.19 Prov 21.2 of this before Chap. 16.61 The sense lyeth thus As I live I delight not in the death of the wicked but if the wicked turn from his way and live or shall live that is according to what I have prescribed in my word I shall delight in this or thus If he turn from his sinfull way that he may live and live comfortably I shall delight in it Turn ye turn ye from your evill wayes Here is an earnest exhortation of them unto repentance setting out the mercy and goodnesse of God who was ready and willing to pardon them upon their turning from their evil wayes The doubling of the word notes the earnest and reall intention of God in it The sum and substance of the words is to shew that if sinners repent of their former wickednesse he will forgive them and take pleasure in them Turn ye turn ye from your evill wayes If ye pine away under my judgements the fault is yours you turn not from your idolatries oppressions perjuries and profanations of my Sabbaths and Ordinances these are wayes of death but if ye would hearken to my wayes and turn unto them they are wayes of life Of turning hath been spoken Chap. 14.6 The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turn you by turning turn throughly from your evill wayes For why will ye dye O house of Israel Ye are the Nation I took and brought out of Egypt by a strong hand Deut 4.34 Ye are the people that entred into Covenant with me avouched me to be your God Deut. 26.17 and I you to be my peculiar people vers 18. ye are they upon whom I have bestowed great priviledges holy Ordinances to whom I have shewed mercy and truth Ps 76.1 2. Ps 98.3 ye are the people I have taken most delight in of all people under Heaven whom I have most honoured done most for and made the greatest promises unto Jer. 31.33 34. Chap 33.8.14 Why therefore have you left me and my wayes and fallen into wayes of death why do you wound and stab your selves if you have no regard to me yet pity your selves cease from those wayes will be your death Why will ye dye O house of Israel Is it not better to live in my wayes then to dye in your own First Observe The guilt and punishment of sin are heavy and consuming things Our transgressions and our sins are upon us and we pine away in them Guilt alone is
a great burden A stone saith Solomon Prov 27.3 is heavy and the sand weighty but a fools wrath is heavier then them both and guilt is heavier then them all A wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 What is guilt then with punishment but a consuming a devouring thing When David had sinned and Gods hand was upon him what saith he Psal 38.3 There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin Mine iniquities are gone over my head◠as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me v. 4. I am feeble and soar broken I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart v. 8. Gods hand and his own guilt did eat up his spirit and bring him to the gates of death this made him to say Psal 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth The word for beauty notes that is desireable in man whatever is desireable that melts away when God doth visit man for sin A little touch of a mans hand crusheth the wings and hazards the life of the moth a little touch of Gods hand where guilt is marrs the beauty strength and desireables of man Secondly Observe Sinners under sad judgements are apt to despond yea to despair If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how should we then live They had greatly sinned against God stood it out against his Prophets threatning judgements and now the judgments were come upon them their hearts sunk within them and they conclude there is no mercy for them our sins are great Gods judgments heavy upon us he is resolved now upon our destruction and what course soever we shall take all is in vain What these said in Judaea the like said they in Babylon Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts We are like the bones in a Grave that have all the marrow dryed out of them or like a branch of a Tree cut off and all the sap dryed out of it there is no hope we should ever live go to Jerusalem and grow there again into a Church or State Not only the wicked but even a Godly man may be in a desponding yea a desparing condition as David himself Psal 31.22 I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Thou wilt never look upon or favour me more So Asaph Psal 77.7 Will the Lord cast off for ever will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore hath he forgotten to be gracious c. What sad expostulations were these of a good man Thirdly Observe The cavills objections and unbelief of sinners put God unto his oath As I live saith the Lord it s not so as you fancy I have told you that if you turn from your evill ways you shall live that I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner Ezek 18.21 22 23 27 28 31 32. But ye believe not my word ye cavill against it and say ye shall pine away in your sins that what course soever ye take ye shall not live Men are backward to believe the word of God and deal worse with God then with man they will give credit to an honest man upon his word but not to God yea how many do believe the Devils suggestions and delusions who is the father of lyes and will not believe the word of God and what a harsh thing is it that men will not attribute so much to God as to the Devil Eve took the Devils bare word in Paradice she put not him to his oath when he said ye shall not dye your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evill She believed him presently But men will not take Gods bare word they put him to his oath As I live saith the Lord. It s a great thing for God to speak but more for him to swear he that made the world with a word is not believed upon his word he must take his oath upon it so that it stands God in more to be believed in the world then it did to make the world his single word sufficed for the one his oath was required for the other O beatos nos quorum causa Deus jurat O miserr imos si nec juranti Domino credimus Tertul Si non credimus promittenti Deo credamus juranti Deo Jerom And here appears the great goodnesse of God that for the good of man will please to take an oath O happy we for whose sake God swears O most unhappy we if we believe not God swearing Having therefore Gods word and oath let us believe firmly and stagger no more Fourthly Observe Sinners in what condition soever they be have no cause to despond or despaire of mercy so that they turn from their evill wayes Let them be great sinners old sinners sinners under judgements ready to be destroyed and cut off by the hands of enemies as these were yet if they turn from their sins there is hope of mercy for them For First God takes pleasure rather in their conversion and salvation then in their death and destruction I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked-turn from his way and live If a State say to a company of its Subjects who are Traytors and upon trayterous designs I have no pleasure in your wayes which lead unto death but my pleasure is that you turn from them and live is not here a large door of hope opened unto them whatever their Treasons be Secondly Least men being deeply guilty should suspect the reallity of God herein for guilt is full of jealousies the Lord sweares to it and that by his life which is the most unquestionable thing of all for none doubts whether he be the living God As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure c. So that here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods word and oath two sufficient bonds to secure it Thirdly Here is Gods command and earnest desire of their turning Turn ye turn ye from your evill wayes When a mans servant is abroad in some dangerous design and his Master commands him again and again to leave it off and come home to him or if the servant be in a deep water and the Master sees he will be drown'd if he come not back again he calls to him and commands him to return is not this an argument that he seeks his good and would have him safe Fourthly God sets the strongest arguments before them that can be thought of life and death If ye go on there is no hope of mercy you must dye if you will turn here is life ye shall live here is great mercy They are not left unto uncertainties whether they shall
have life or no but life is propounded and offered unto them and where that is promised there is a wide door of mercy opened God is troubled at it that sinners forsake mercy and embrace it not Why will ye dye Why will ye not turn from your evill wayes unto me the living God Am I so ill a God Have I dealt so unkindly with you as that you will not come unto me testifie against me tell me wherein Like that in Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearyed thee testifie against me If there be any such thing lye in the way I am ready to remove it Fifthly Observe The nature of true repentance lyeth in turning Turn ye turn ye God at first made man upright with his face towards himself but he sought out inventions and turn'd away from God to the creature which was a madnesse to leave an universal everlasting and satisfying good for a particular fading and an unsatisfying good this madness is in the hearts of all men Eccl 9.3 till they come to repenting turning again unto God and setting him in his right posture to behold the Lord. This turning must be from his evil wayes Turn ye from your evill wayes and from all of them Ezek. 14.6 Chap. 18.21.31 Else it s no turning if the heart be towards any one sin lust creature or evill way it s not turn'd his back is towards God and not his face he prefers a creature a lust before God Sixthly Observe Sinners are the Authours of their own destruction Why will ye dye They went on in their idolatry profaness oppressions pollutions of Sabbaths c. and so brought judgement upon themselves 2 Chron 36.16 They mocked the Messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldaeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of the Sanctuary and had no compassion on the young man or maiden c. So in Christs dayes he would have kept Jerusalem from destruction but Jerusalem her self would not she brought it upon her selfe Matth. 23.37 The Corinthians abuse of the Supper brought judgement upon them 1 Cor. 11.30 And the false Teachers brought swift destruction upon themselves 2 Pet. 1.1 Verses 12 13 14 15 16. Therefore thou son of man say unto the children of thy people The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression as for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickednesse neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousnesse in the day that he sinneth When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own righteousnesse and commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall dye for it Again when I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawfull and right If the wicked restore the pledge give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not dye None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live THese words do explain and confirm what God had said in the 11 vers and that by way of contraries 1. He sets a righteous man before them and bids the Prophet tell them That if a righteous man turn from his righteousnesse and become wicked his righteousnesse will not benefit him but his wickednesse will bring judgement upon him 2. He sets a wicked man before them and bids the Prophet tell them That if he turn from his wickednesse that shall not prejudice him he shall not fall thereby but he shall live Here is nothing in these verses of Gods decrees of life or death of salvation or condemnation and mens being under them It s said whilest they are righteous they are under the decree of life and salvation and when they cease from their righteousness they are under the decree of death and condemnation and so if a man be righteous one day and wicked another and that interchangeably all dayes of his life he doth daily passe from under one decree to another forward and backward I find no foundation in the words for such a conceit they hold out Gods dealings with men here in this world according to the conditions he finds them in if they be just and righteous he will bless them if they be unjust and wicked he will punish them the one shall live comfortably the other shall be cut off by some judgement here is nothing pointing at the decrees of God Vers 12. The righteousnesse of the righteous What righteous man is here meant the 15. verse informs us viz. a man legally righteous such a man as restores the pledge gives again what he hath robbed and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity If a wicked man did these things he was righteous it s therefore a righteousnesse of the Covenant of works not the righteousnesse of faith here spoken of a moral not a Gospel righteousnesse which the 13. verse is clear for calling it his own righteousnesse Shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression The word for transgression is Poshang which signifies sin scienter contumaciter commissum presumptuous and wilfull sin rebellion apostacy Sometimes it is taken for any sin or failing as Lament 1.22 Do unto them as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions Jeremiah had no great sins against light he did not rebel against God his transgressions were such as are the ordinary failings of men so it s used Job 13.23 And the Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the day he shall erre Let him have done never so much good and continued long in so doing that shall not deliver him in the day of his erring transgressing fayling Had Adam stood many dayes months years and then eat of the forbidden fruit all his righteousnesse would not have delivered him and so here under the Covenant of works there is no deliverance upon any failing But rather it notes here some grievous sin and way of wickednesse which exposes unto and hastens Gods judgements As for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickednesse Let the wickednesse of the wicked be great of what kind soever against God and man idolatry profaness oppression c. it shall not bring destruction upon him make him to fall and perish when he repents of it turns fom it and walks in those wayes that are contrary thereunto then his former sins shall not be imputed to him nor the judgements deserv'd
far differing from theirs and Ezekiel must declare the Lords not his own thoughts unto them And 1. He charges them with their sinfull practices 2. Denyes them the possession of the Land Ye eat with the bloud It was commanded before the Law was given That they should not eat bloud Gen 9.4 Levit 19.26 That is neither bloud let out from the flesh nor bloud with the flesh one reason is given Levit. 17.14 Ye shall eat the bloud of no manner of flesh for the life of all flesh is the bloud thereof The Hebrew is Nephesh the soul of all flesh is the bloud thereof Nephesh is put sometime for the whole man as Gen 46.26 All the souls of the house of Jacob that is all the persons sometimes for the more noble part of man viz the reasonable soul Mat. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Sometimes for the affections as Deut 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and with all thy soul Sometimes for the life as Isa 53.12 He hath poured out his soul unto death that was his life John 10.15 and so it s rendred and to be taken in the place cited the life of all flesh is the bloud thereof bloud properly is not the life or soul of flesh but the life or soul is said to be in the bloud or bloud Propter spiritus vitales animales qui animae organa virtutis ejus vehicula sunt sanguine evaporant Another reason why they might not eat bloud Duet in Gen cap. 9.4 is in the 11. vers of that Chap. I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your souls for it is the bloud that maketh an atonement for the soul The bloud being to be offered upon the Altar represented the bloud of Christ which was to be shed for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 and therefore not to be eaten A third reason was that they might not be cruell and bloudy minded but might in a special manner take heed of shedding mans bloud which is the ground of the prohibition Gen 9.4 5. But they minded neither the prohibition it self nor the reasons of it they did eat with the bloud that is they did eat the flesh with the bloud in it or they did eat the bloud drawn out from the flesh Some make question in these dayes whether they may eat bloud and the ground of it is from Acts 15.29 where it s ordered that Christians should abstain from bloud and things strangled But those that scruple eating of bloud do not scruple the eating of things strangled as Fowls and Rabbits and there is as much reason for that as the other as for the thing it self I shall only say what Christ saith Matth. 15.11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man but that which cometh out of the mouth this defileth a man And Paul Titus 1.15 Vnto the pure all things are pure And 1 Tim. 4.4 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving And lift up your eyes towards your idols Idolatry was forbidden in the Law with great severity Deut 17.2 3 4 5. Exod 22.20 Chap 20.4 5. yet these Jews minded idols and affected them Of lifting up the eyes to Idols see Chap. 18.6 it notes adoration of them and expectation of help from them And shed bloud Shedding of bloud was a grievous sin and here it may be understood either of their oppressing innocent ones taking away their lives illegally or else of their children which they offered to Molech which was forbidden unto them Levit. 18.21 of which bloudy sacrifices was spoken Ezek 16.20 21. And shall ye possesse the Land This is a stinging interrogation intimating that whoever possessed it they should not What do you look to possesse the Land that do such things that are so impious and prophane Did I nâ—t cast Heathens for their wickedness out of the Land you are in and do you think to continue in it that have exceeded them in wickednesse Ezek 5.6 No no the Land is not for you Abraham did not such things you are not his seed therefore you shall not inherit the Land Vers 26. Ye stand upon your sword Not you are in arms to defend your selves against Babylonians but you trust in your strength are ready for spoil violence and shedding of innocent bloud When any offended them in word or deed they meditated revenge and laboured by the sword to right themselves there was no place for justice but the Land was full of bloody crimes Ezek 7.23 Ye work abomination Of Abominations and what sins are so call'd was spoken Chap 5. vers 9. Chap 18. vers 12 13. In the 3. Observation Ye do that is detestable and loathsome to the very senses And ye defile every one his neighbours wife Adultery was a grievous sin and punishable with death Levit. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 yet this sin was frequent amongst them Jer 5.7 8. Cap. 7.9 9.2 That honourable state of marriage was abused and the bed defiled and it was a common and universal practice amongst them every one defiled his neighbours wife And shall ye possesse the Land Do ye trust in your swords violate all justice shed innocent blood do abominable things defile your neighbours wives and yet presume you shall possesse the Land O impudent creatures brazen-faced sinners what vain perswasions have you taken up its madness for you to dream of possessing the Land rather then such as ye shall inherit it it shall lye desolate without inhabitant The word here for to possesse is Jarash which is a word contrariae significationis that signifies contrary things as to possess and dispossess Josh 23.5 The Lord shall drive them from out of your sight and ye shall possesse their Land Here Jarash signifies to drive out and to possess when the Lord saith Shall ye possesse the Land his meaning is they shall be dispossessed of it and driven out of it First Observe Men in great misery under grievous afflictions are apt to flatter and deceive themselves with one vain confidence or other These Jews were conquered by the Babylonians had their City Temple Strong holds and pleasant places all laid waste they were a company of poor people that inhabited the wastes of the Land yet they flattered themselves with this conceit that they should inherit and possesse the Land and why there was a number a multitude of them Abraham was one and he inherited the Land we are many and it s given to us Their afflicted condition might have wrought other apprehensions in them and made them see and say All the chief Ones of the Land are cut off or carryed away captives the Land is fallen into Nebuchadnezzars hands we are his servants and slaves left to Till the Land and dresse the Vineyards that so a revenue may be raised for him but as for our selves we are like
gather thee Berachamim gedolim When God gathers his out of Babylon a state of confusion that is mercy and when he brings them into Sion to behold the order beauty and glory thereof that is great mercy and God will not leave them there but go on with them and heap great mercies still upon them see Isa 49.18 19 20 21 22 23. Jer. 32.37 38 39 40 41. Secondly Observe Justification is a gracious act of God upon a sinner I will sprinkle clean water upon you It s Gods prerogative to forgive and blot out sins Mark 2.7 Isa 43.25 and this he doth freely it s an act of grace and mercy Rom 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace Now in this act nothing is done in a sinner there is no grace infused no change made in the heart by it there be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therein it s upon a sinner justifying grace is subjectively in God objectively on man for its a judicial act of God which puts nothing into the creature Rom 3.22 It s upon all them that do believe Thirdly Observe The bloud of Christ applyed by the Spirit of God is efficatious to free sinners from the guilt of their sins and of all their sins of what bind soever they be I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean Their sins were great very great they were guilty of bloud oppressing the widow and fatherless of idolatry of despising and profaning holy things Ezek 22.8.26 They were under the guilt of all crying and notorious sins Ezek 16.47 worse then Sodom or Samaria then the Nations Ezek 5.7 yet the Lord would cleanse them by the bloud of Christ there was virtue in that to cleanse them from their old spots from their deep guilt yea from all their guilt they should be clean from all their filthinesses As water washeth all the filth out of a cloath so doth the bloud of Christ all sin out of the soul 1 Joh 1.7 The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin the guilt of our thoughts words acts neglects there is no sin defiles the conscience so but the bloud of Christ will purge it away Heb 9.14 Chap 1.3 Christs bloud is of great virtue it purges away all sin and procures peace Coloss 1.20 So that being justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath as it is Rom 5.9 Fourthly Observe All sin defiles and makes guilty before God yet some sins defile more then others and make more deeply guilty God would cleanse them from all their filthinesse from every sin that had poluted them and made them guilty and from their idols which had made them more deeply guilty Idolatry hath more guilt adhering to it then many other sins that 's a sin breaks Covenant with God deposes God and sets up an Idoll in his stead Verse 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh THis is another great promise even a promise of Regeneration and in it there is considerable 1. The party promising I I I I. 2. The things promised 1. A new heart 2. A new spirit 3. Removall of the stony heart 4. An heart of flesh 3. The parties to whom the Lord will do these things You You You. 4. The manner of Gods doing these things which is by giving putting and taking away A new heart also will I give you By heart in Scripture is signified the judgement and understanding Eph 4.18 The will and affections Prov 23.26 and the conscience 1 John 3.20 all which are here comprehended in the word heart New notes sometimes that which is for substance new totally new as new ropes Judges 16.11 12. A new wife Deut 24.5 New gods Deut 32.17 And sometimes that which is only for quality new as the new Moon Isa 66.23 From one new Moon to another The Moon is not new for substance but renewed with light new in regard of quality so New tongues Mark 16.17 They had not their old Tongues plucked or cut out of their mouths and other new ones put in but these Tongues they had before had new Languages put into them new gifts and graces Here then by A new heart is not intended one new for substance or nature of it but the same heart altered for the qualities of it renewed and indued with other qualities then it had before such qualities are wrought in the heart that a man thereupon is said to be regenerate or born again John 3.3 5 6 7. and to be a new creature Gal 6.15 This new heart lyeth not in those common gifts which many have yet without alteration in their hearts Judas had a covetous an earthly an old heart notwithstanding those great gifts he had He could cast out Devils and heal all manner of sicknesses Matth 10.1 4. And those Matth 7.22 23. Who had the gift of prophesie of casting out Devils and working wonders had no new hearts for Christ sends them going for workers of iniquity but it lyeth in grace infused which is a principle of light and life supernatural and permanent Man since the fall of Adam is in a state of darknesse and death Ephes 5.8 Chap 2.5 and when grace is infused that brings light and life unto the heart John 8. â—2 it s call'd The light of life and when a blind heart sees a dead heart lives there is a great and glorious alteration so that it is become a new heart it hath a new principle which is supernatural and permanent call'd The Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Divine to shew the supernaturalnesse of it and Nature to shew the permanency of it And a new spirit will I put within you These very words we had Ezek 11.19 where they were largely opened New spirit there was interpreted to be those excellent qualities and graces God put into the soul and shewed upon what account they were call'd Spirit and New Here I conceive a new spirit is added Exegetically being the same with a new heart This new heart or new spirit causeth the partie in whom it is to look at God as a Father and so to honour him Mal. 1.6 To love him 1 John 5.1 To fear him 1 Pet. 1.17 To yield obedience to him Rom 6.17 1 Pet 1.14 15. Patiently to bear his chastisements Heb 12.6 7 8 9. To eschew sin and work righteousnesse 1 John 5.18 Chap 3.9 10. To acknowledge how he hath offended him Luke 15.18 To pray fervently unto him Rom 8.15 To be like unto him in mercifullnesse and doing of good Luke 6.36 To delight in his wayes and to have communion with him and his Son Christ 1 John 1.3 To worship him in spirit and truth John 4.23 To be thankfull alwayes unto him for all things Ephes 5.20 To live nobly and spiritually minding the things of Heaven Rom 8.5 1 Pet 1.14 John 3.6 2 Cor
5.16 And to love those that are regenerate 1 John 5.1 and these doing so God their Father hath a special care of them and love unto them Matth. 6.26.32 Luke 11.13 Chap 12.32 Will I give you will I put within you The new heart and new spirit comes from God he that to the Authour of every good and perfect gift is the Author of the same Now in the working of this new heart and new spirit there be several Attributes of God set on work As First His infinite mercy That he should mind sinners who have old rotten filthy hard dead hearts within them so at enmity with God that they would pull him out of Heaven had they power to do it for God to mind such hearts and spirits and make them new so as to affect him and his wayes argues unspeakable mercy loving kindness superabundant It was a time of love when God saw Jerusalem in her bloud and said unto her live Ezek 10. It was infinite love infinite mercy for him to pity Jerusalem in such a case and to say so unto her the same it is when God makes of an old heart a new heart of an old spirit a new spirit Secondly Gods infinite power is imployed in this work The making of a dead heart to live a blind heart to see an old heart and spirit to become new requires an omnipotent arm By the preaching of the word men have great convictions strong resolutions and are perswaded almost to be Christians but those convictions and resolutions dye away and they never come altogether to be Christians altogether to be new hearted and new spirited till the Lord put forth his allmighty power and create new hearts and spirits in them it s a work of creation Psal 51.10 2 Cor. 4.6 Eph. 2.10 And such hearts and spirits are call'd new creatures Gal 6.15 2 Cor 5.17 Thirdly Infinite wisdome The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer 17.9 It s beyond the knowledge of man it hath so many windings turnings pretences shifts arguments wiles depths methods as that none but God knows it he being infinitely wise can answer all the objections arguments and subtle distinctions of the heart so that it shall be silent Mans heart whilest its old hath the cunning of the old Serpent in it and pleads hard to keep its old principles its old ungodly lusts its old ignorance its old darkness its old formal wayes of worship its old fleshly confidences its old delights and pleasures its old company its old customes its old aims and ends which were selfe it musters up many arguments to defend these and who can convince the heart of the evill of these and take it off from them but God by his infinite wisdome To make an heart or spirit which hath so many oldnesses in it new argues more skill and wisdome then dwels in any creature Fourthly His Infinite holinesse and purity When God takes an old heart which is as dark as hell as stinking as any Sepulchre Math 23.27 an old spirit which is as unclean and loathsome as the Devils are when he takes these and makes them new he scatters darkness abolisheth death separating filthinesse and instead thereof brings in marveilous light 1 Pet. 2.9 A glorious life Ephes 4.18 And true holinesse vers 24. which import that God is light without darknesse life without possibility of dying holinesse without any spot or imperfection When the wind cleanseth the aire infected pestilential and stinking it argues the wind is pure when a vessel or house is noysome and one cleanses and sweetens them as not enduring them in that condition it argues their cleanlinesse and if they could make them new it would argue it much more so here God makes them new He puts them into the fire that they may be refined and partake of his holinesse Heb 12.10 Its Gods holy arme which makes an unholy heart to become holy and glorious in holinesse The dignity and excellency of this new heart and new spirit is worthy the notice First It s that doth discriminate and difference a man from all others They that have old hearts old spirits and new hearts new spirits differ as much from them as light from darknesse life from death holinesse from filthinesse a man with a new heart a new spirit is a living man whereas others be dead Ephes 2.1 He is a seeing man whereas others be blind 1 Jok 5.20 1 Cor 2.14 He is pure whereas others are filthy 1 Pet. 2.9 Tit 1.15 Hereby a man is differenced from all profane civill and moral men from all gifted men from all hypocrites what specious forms of religion and holinesse soever they have whoever hath a new spirit is distinguished from all other spirits yea from the Devils who are but unclean spirits Secondly It doth ennoble a man A new heart and new spirit doth not only distinguish from others but makes more excellent then others Prov 12.26 The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Righteousnesse is one of the qualities in the new heart in the new spirit Eph 4.23 24. and that Nobilitates a man such a one is born not of blood that is not of the Princes and Nobles of the world who stand upon their blood and greatnesse nor of the will of the flesh that is not in the ordinary way nor of the will of man viz not by education and School principles but of God John 1.13 He is descended from the highest the King of Kings he is of the most Royal blood even the blood of God Acts 20.28 Others are vile but he is precious Jerem 15.19 2 Pet. 1.1 He is partaker of the Divine Nature and lives the life of God 2 Pet. 1.4 Ephes 4.18 Thirdly It fills them where it is with new joyes New things affect much when the Apostles had new tongues given them they were greatly affected therewith and when men have new hearts new spirits they abound in joy the greater the mercy the more full the joy If when a sinner is converted there be joy in Heaven what joy is in the sinners heart then When Christ came to Zacheus and gave him a new heart a new spirit he was fill'd with joy Luke 19. and new joyes Before his joy was to get money by any means and treasure it up now his joy was to disperse make satisfaction and to give away vers 8 9. His new heart begat in him new joyes and inabled him to joy in that he could not do not think of before without sadness So Paul when he had a new heart and spirit he had new joyes fullnesse of them in those things he could not rejoyce in before 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulations Chap 12.10 He took pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses Here 's the excellency of a new heart and a new spirit it fills with
many think they have the same when they have it not There be several things which cause men to judge so First Outward Reformation When men cease from their former lewd courses when they give over their drunkenness whoredome swearing lying oppression and other scandalous practices they think themselves and are reputed of others to be new men and so to have new hearts but know A man may have escaped the pollutions of the world have changed his manners yet retain his old heart a Swine may be washed and yet reserve her Swinish nature Herod reformed in many things yet had an unreformed heart Mark 6.20 Luke 3.20 Chap. 9.9 The Scribes and Pharisees were whited Sepulchres they had beautifull out-sides they appeared righteous unto men but what were their hearts were they not full of hypocrisie and iniquity Matth 23.27 28. Shame among men fear of punishment death hell terrours of conscience afflictions strength of reason and hope of profits and reward may make a man reform his life and manners his heart being still naught a man formerly deboist and wicked may become a new man and yet not have a new heart Secondly Morall virtues cause many to be deceived about this new heart because they are temperate just prudent faithful to their friends true in their speeches patient under afflictions seek the publique good not their own interest are chaste and courteous unto all they thereupon conclude that they have the new heart and new spirit here spoken of but all these are no more then were found in heathens Scipio Aristides Cato Aemilius Lepidus Lucretia and others excell'd in morall virtues The Romane faith was in great esteem in all the world because the Romans kept their word and made good whatever they promised Many Heathens excell'd in morallities and did virtuous actions for virtues sake yet they had no new hearts or spirits they knew not what regeneration was they were strangers to the Life of God and Faith they attained to what they had by their own industry and what they did was not done according to the mind of God in his Word and so referring to his glory they sought their own glory in all Thirdly A form of godliness When men have left their old wayes of sin and taken up a way or form of godlinesse which is new to them they imagine themselves to be new and to have new hearts they read pray hear meditate and worship God with their hearts which they never did before and hence they ground a newness in their hearts The Jews have a form of godlinesse at this day yet are they cast off of God and numbred amongst unbelievers Rom 11.20 Such was their godliness as persecuted true godliness Acts. 13.50 1 Thess 2.15 The Heathens had forms of godlinesse Plato taught men not to sleep without repentance for their sins Hermes instructed them to pray earnestly unto God and continually for repentance to call upon him in the day and not to forget him in the night they worshipped by nature those were no gods Treatise of Moral Philosophy Gal. 4.8 Forms of worship they had though they worshipped blindly Socrates saw further then the most of them who said God must be worshiped only that way which he hath appointed yet neither Socrates nor the rest of the Heathens had new hearts Christians have forms of godlinesse yet all among them have not new hearts among Papists and Protestants are many religious but few pious they have the form of godliness but not the power Painted fire is not true fire and all that worship God do not worship him in newness of spirit the most do worship him with old hearts Fourthly Some are deceived upon this ground that they have the Law in their hearts approve of truth make conscience of their wayes have peace within and so determine their hearts are new But here is a great mistake the Law is in mens hearts by nature Rom 2.14 15. The Gentiles which had not the Law did by nature the things of the Law and so shewed the work of the Law written in their hearts When they did ill their consciences did accuse them and when they did well they did excuse them and so they had peace here was nothing supernatural where there is a new heart a new spirit there is something supernatural men have not these by descent from their parents but they are given they are put in by God I will give you a new heart and I will put within you a new spirit The Law that all men have in their hearts is by virtue of Creation not of the new Covenant that is another Law Jer 31.33 which is from grace not from nature where this Law is written the heart is new and so doth not only approve of truth in general but knows and approves of truth as it is in Christ Eph 4.21 and as it is according to godliness Truth in a new heart provokes unto Godliness and maketh conscientious towards God and men Acts 24.16 Looking at Christ for peace Rom 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God the conscience being purged from dead works by the bloud of Christ Men have sound peace in their new hearts It s false peace which men of old hearts have they bribe their consciences with doing something and that is their peace Fifthly New Relations make some to fancy they have new hearts and new spirits they are under Church priviledges they are Citizens of Sion inhabitants of Jerusalem in relation to Christ and his Ordinances this may be and yet without newnesse of heart or spirit Relations make not alterations in mens hearts Simon Magus was baptized stood in relation to Christ and the Gospel yet his heart was the same it was before Acts 8. The Jews gloried they were the seed of Abraham John 8.33 Yet they were of their father the Devill vers 44. and had bloudy hearts vers 40. seeking to kill Christ Rom 2.28 29. Outward priviledges may be as Circumcision of the flesh where there is no Circumcision of the heart and Paul tels us Gal 6.15 That Circumcision nor uncircumcision avail any thing but a new creature they may be where the new creature is not himself had many priviledges Phil. 3. when he was far from newness of heart Sixthly Gifts They breed mistakes in divers persons those that have choice and great gifts perswade themselves they have new hearts and spirits that they are gracious and good but there is a vast difference between gifts and grace 1. Gifts make not a man a Christian Heathens had great gifts as Tully Seneca Plato Aristotle Plutarch Its grace makes a Christian the Gentiles were not Christians and so not acceptable to God till they were sanctified by the Holy Spirit Rom 15.16 They may make a man an useful man not a good man Acts 11.24 It s faith and the graces of the Spirit make a good man 2. All gifts do seldome or never meet in one man but graces do
breath so that they lived stood up and were full of vigour When God accompanies his Word it is a Creating-word an Inlivening-word yea and a Killing-word Ezek 11.14 It came to passe when I Prophesied that Pelatiah died It 's said of Elisha that he should slay those escaped the sword of Hazael and Jehu 1 King 19.7 But how should that be for he was no sword-man it was to be done by his Prophesying which was sharper then their Swords Fifthly Observe In the Resurrection men shall have their own bodies and souls again This Vision of the dry bones is by the Fathers and others held to be a lively representation of the Resurrection And see here the bones came together bone unto his bone the same bones which were united before were united again in this Resurrection and the sinews the flesh the skin belonged to them formerly the same came and covered them again so the same souls the same breath came and entred into them and they lived The Father had not the soul or body of the Son or the Daughter the soul or body of the Mother but every one had their own bodies and souls Job was of this faith saying Though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold Job 19.26 27. Sixthly Observe The souls of men do no sleep with their bodies in the dust nor vanish into nothing The Prophet calls for the soul of every body here to come from the four winds that is from those parts where they were Had they been in the bones or dust of the earth or vanished into nothing the Lord would not have directed the Prophet to have call'd for them from all parts of the world Verse 11. Then he said unto me Son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel behold they say Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts 12. Therefore prophesie and say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Behold O my people I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel 13. And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves O my people and brought you up out of your graves 14. And shall put my Spirit in you and ye shall live and I shall place you in your own land then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it saith the Lord. The Vision being related to the Prophet here Application of it is made by God himself to the house of Israel And here we may consider 1. The Complaint of the house of Israel ver 11. 2. Gods gracious Promises unto the house of Israel ver 12 14 3. The event or sequel thereof ver 13 14. Verse 11. These bones are the whole house of Israel The Bones themselves were not the house of Israel but they signified and represented the Condition of the house of Israel which being captive in Babylon were like unto the dry Bones in the open Valley To insist a little upon the Resemblance between them 1. The Bones were many very many the Valley was full of bones when they were quickned they made a great Army So were the Jews in the Valley of Babylon they were very many Those came out with Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were 49897. or Fifty thousand wanting One hundred and three Exra 2.64 65. Besides those that came with Ezra afterward Chap. 8. And many there were which never returned In those 70. years they were in Babylon they multipled into a great number 2. The Bones were without skin flesh and sinews the Worms Fowls or Wild beasts had eaten up them So the Jews were stript of Wealth and Substance the Babylonians had eaten up that Lament 1.10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her plâ—asant â—hings whatsoever Jerusalem had desirable the Babylonians laid their hands upon And ver 11. All her people sigh they seek bread they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul The Chaldaeans dealt hardly with them in the time of their Captivity Jerem. 50.17 33. They broke their bones they held them fast and wearyed them with burdens and Taxes they flea'd off their skins eat their flesh and suckt their bloud 3. The Bones were disjoynted and separated from their places one here another there So the Jews were rent from their Habitations and Countrey and were scattered all over Babylon Ezek. 34 6. My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth that is chiefly the Babylonish earth They were forced out of Sion and dispersed into all parts of Babylon This made Jeremiah to say Chap. 50.17 Israel is a scattered sheep The Princes the Nobles the Priests the Prophets and the People were all scattered one from another the Bones of that Common wealth were pulled all asunder and thrown into several places 4. The Bones were dry yea very dry they had no moysture or Marrow in them Such was the house of Israel being in the furnace of Babylon Their long Captivity with the evils attending it had dryed up their moysture and marrow They wanted the Milk and Honey they had in Canaan for their bodies and the Manna they had for their souls they were without a Temple the Ordinances of it so that not only their bodies but their souls also were as dry bones for they said They were without hope 5. The Bones being uncovered lay exposed to the reproach and injury of any foot that passed by them And the Jews the time of their being in Babylon were exposed to scorns and injuries from all sorts Ezek 36.14 15 30. Lam. 5.1 Psal 137.3 The whole house of Israel was a derision and scorn to the Babylonians Behold they say Our bones are dryed This speech Our bones are dryed is Proverbial and notes a most miserable and forlorn condition such as those dry bones lay in so far off were they from life that the Prophet could not see a possibility thereof The Jews in Babylon were in such a condition they saw no possibility of their returning Captivitas est mors civilis Captivity and Servitude under enemies is a civil death such men are like those are dead and their bones dryed And our hope is lost Hope is the Element by which the afflicted live the Anchor of the soul in a storm the bladder keeps up a man from sinking when in deep waters and upholds a man in life when death knocks at the door but these Jews had lost their hope and were at the brink of despair they said We hoped a long time to return to our own land but we were deceived here we are held fast Jer. 50.33 Let who will hope to see Canaan again our hope that way is dead and in Babylon we must die We are cut off for our parts This is a Proverbial and Metaphorical expression taken either
whereas the Rock did only signifie Christ So Gen. 41.26 The seven good kine are seven years and the seven blasted ears are seven years none of these were years but all of them signifie so many years So Dan. 4.22 The tree which Nebuchadnezzar saw whose top reached to heaven and branches to the ends of the earth is said to be Nebuchadnezzar himself It is thou O King that is it signified him it was not him himself The Papists trouble the world with their absurd sense of those words Mat. 26.26 28. This is my body and this is my bloud they will have them to be taken literally and make us lose our senses that we may believe the Bread and Wine are the very flesh and bloud of Christ but we neither see nor tast any such thing only we believe that they represent the same unto us and are to convey the fruit and benefit of Christs death unto us Thirdly Observe Gods people are sometimes brought into great streights and exigents they know not what to do they are heartless and hopeless Our bones are dryed our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts They saw nothing but destruction before them they saw no possibility of escaping they thought their condition desperate Such was Josephs condition when his Brethren cast him into a pit Gen. 37.24 Such was the Israelites condition at the Red-sea when the Egyptians were behind them the Sea before them and no door of hope left unto them Exod. 14. their hope was gone and nothing but death presented it self unto them ver 11. when the Anchor of hope is broken men are in a Sea of troubles tossed up and down ready to sink every moment Job himself was somtime in this case Chap. 7.6 My dayes are swifter then a Weavers shuttle and are spent without hope he had neither hope of restauration to his former condition nor of continuance of his life he looked only to make the grave his house and darkness his bed Chap. 17.13 14 15. His hope was gone and he thought he must go to corruption and the worms Fourthly Observe When men are in great Afflictions they manifest great weakness These Jews being in such an afflicted condition they forgot what Promises God had made to them of Returning after 70 years Jer. 25.12 13. Chap. 29.10 They minded not Gods Power or Faithfulness but said We are cut off for our part God hath cut us off from our Land and cast us into this Furnace of Babylon where we shall be consumed When Saul hunted David like a Partridge upon the Mountains and his life was in Jeopardy Did he not say in his heart I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27 1. Here he manifested his weakness greatly God had told him he should be King and sent Samuel to annoint him Chap. 16. but he forgot this and gave way to the reasonings of flesh Jeremiah being in a suffering condition scorn'd and defam'd by the People he resolves to cast aside his Commission and speak no more in the name of the Lord he curses the day of his Nativity and the man brought tidings of his Birth wishes He had slain him from the womb or that the womb had been his grave c. thus did he declare his infirmities Chap. 20.8 9 15 16 17. not considering what God had promised him Chap. 1.5 8 9 17 18 19. The like did Job Fifthly Observe There be states of men in this life which do resemble the dead and they are two especially both which are here held forth 1. The state of great and long Afflictions These Jews in their Captivity are likened unto dry bones men in their graves This made Jeremiah say Lament 3.6 He hath set me in dark places as they that be dead of old The state of Death is a state of Darkness and so is the state of Affliction Isa 59.10 We grope for the wall like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes we stumble at noon day as in the night we are in desolate places as dead men They were in deep Affliction and destitute of all Counsel they saw no way or means how to get out of the same David being under great Calamities goes further and shews you that such a state is not only a state of Darkness but of Consumption of being Forgotten and Broken Psal 31.9 12. I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind I am like a broken vessel So Psal 44.19 Thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death He calls great Afflictions the place of Dragons because they sting bite and indanger a mans life the shadow of death death is very near and overshadows the man is in them his grace is designing and he is ready to be put thereinto This consideration made Heman say his soul being full of troubles My life draweth nigh unto the grave I am counted with them that go down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength free among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou remembrest no more and they are cut off from thy hand thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps He shews you clearly that great Afflictions especially Soulâ—â—fflictions are a state of Death 2. The state of Sin which these Jews were in for it 's said I will put my Spirit into you and ye shall live At that time they were dead being in an unregenerate estate Men being in their sins are no better then in a state of death They are in Darkness ignorant of Christ the Gospel and Mysteries thereof Ephes 5.8 They are in bondage to their Lusts and to Satan 2 Pet. 2.19 Rom. 6.16 2 Tim. 2.26 Joh. 8.44 They are senseless eyes they have and see not ears and hear not hearts and understand not Matth. 13.14 15. They have hearts of stone and are past feeling Ephes 4.18 19. They are corrupt and unsavory Ephes 4.22 Rom. 3.13 This is the condition of sinners which the Gospel accounts and calls A state of Death Mat. 8.22 Joh 5.25 Ephes 2.5 Col. 2.13 Sixthly Observe God is afflicted with the afflictions and sufferings of his people O my people you are in your graves here in Babylon you are afflicted reproached oppressed but I am sensible thereof and do sympathize with you in that condition not a word is spoken against you not an unjust act done unto you but I hear I feel the same The words are twice mentioned O my people O my people in the 12. and 13. verses to shew the Lord was much affected with their calamities and languishing condition When the Jews were in Egypt that house of Bondage and in the Wilderness they were like men in their graves oft covered with the shadow of death and Did not God pity them Psal 106.44 He regarded th ir
14.20 21. There shall be no Canaanites then in the house of the Lord of hosts Then shall be the new Heavens and new Earth wherein shall dwell righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 that is Righteous persons such as shall do righteous things for there shall be no exacting no violence no destruction but salvation and praise Isa 60.17 18. There shall the righteous flourish Psal 72.7 Fourthly Observe We ought to think and speak honourably of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and Saints of God God thought and spoke honourably of David of Jacob He calls them His servants that is an honourable Title which he gives them Fifthly Observe The Jews and their Posterity shall inherit their Land again become a Kingdom and continue so under Christ for ever They and their children and their childrens children shall dwell in the Land and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever All other Kingdoms have been shaken broken but this shall abide Daniel speaks of it in his 2. Chap. ver 44. The God of heaven shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Revel 11.15 The Kingdoms of this World must become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Vers 26 27. 26. Moreover I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and will set my Sanctuary in the middest of them for evermore 27. My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people HEre are more Promises given forth to the houses of Judah and Joseph being gathered out of the Nations and united into one house As 1. Of a Covenant of Peace 2. Of placing or disposing them 3. Of multiplying of them 4. Of God's dwelling amongst them Vers 26. Moreover I will make a Covenant of peace with them The Hebrew is I will strike or cut a Covenant with them Caratti lahem berith shalom Carath signifies to cut and to cut off by death 1 Sam. 31.9 the Philistines cut off Sauls head And 1 Sam. 28.9 Saul cut off those had Familiar-spirits and the Wisards out of the Land also to cut off from place and power as 1 Sam. 2.33 But when it 's joyned with Berith it alwayes signifies to strike or make a Covenant because it was a custom when they made Covenants to kill some beast or other cut it in the midst and pass between the parts thereof manifesting by so doing that if they brake Covenant they deserved to be cut in pieces Gen. 15.9 10 18. Jerem. 34.18 This practise was among the Heathens who cut a Swine in pieces Stabant caesâ firmabant faedera porcâ Virg. Aeneiad lib. 8. pass'd between them and so made Covenants The Covenant here which God would make with the two houses was a Covenant of Peace The word for Peace is Shalom by which the Hebrews understand not only outward quietness but all kind of outward happiness Hac voce appellant quicquid in bonorum censu habetur hoc est quicquid expeti aut optari potest Grot. Whatsoever they count in the number of good things and desirable that they comprehend under the name of Peace and when they wish all happiness to a man they wish him Peace Maldonate tells us that the Covenant of Peace here is the Gospel wherein we see Christ hath pacified all things by the bloud of his Cross Coloss 1.20 And Lavater saith it 's call'd a Covenant of Peace Quia Christi merito pax inter Deum nos constituta est not only outward but inward Peace The Jews had some Peace at their return out of Babylon but in the time of the Macchabees they had long bitter and bloudy Wars When Christ came there was Peace for a time but not long after his death they and their Nation were destroyed by the Romans The Covenant of Peace here is promised to the two houses who were not then but still are to be united and when they shall be united God will make good his promise He will strike a Covenant of Peace with them which shall not be for a few years but as it follows It shall be an everlasting Covenant with them God will not make a Truce with them for dayes months and years but a Covenant for ever The Jews opposed Christ when he came first and had little outward or inward Peace but when he shall reign over both Houses they shall have everlasting Peace And I will place them In the Original it is Vnethattim Et dabo eos I will give them Piscator confesses he doth not ken the sense of these words Ghappe he saith this is it I will place them in the holy Land Vatablus is of the same mind interpreting them thus I will place them in my Land The Chaldee is Benedicam eis I will bless them And Mariana to that purpose saith Dabo eis sc Benedictionem I will give them a blessing The Vulgar is Fundabo eos which Pinus expounds thus I will place them in a firm Land where they shall have a solid foundation Oecolampadius more fully Dabo eos tali conciliatori qui est mea benedictio in gentes I will give them to Christ whom I have promised to be a blessing to the Nations which sense I conceive the best for he spake in the verse before of dwelling in the Land where their Fathers dwelt In that Land God would give them to Christ And multiply them This multiplication is not only in a Natural sense to be taken but in a Spiritual also Non tam secundum carnem quà m secundum spiritum promittit augendum Israelem saith Lavater Their increase will be great and they shall be Believers Sutable to which is that in Isa 54.13 All thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children And will set my Sanctuary in the middest of them for evermore The word for my Sanctuary is Mickdashi which Montanus renders Sanctificationem meam My Sanctification The Chaldee and others call it Sanctuarium meum My Sanctuary The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My holy things Mariana saith Ecclesiam My Church After the return of Judah and Benjamin from Captivity they had the Temple rebuilt which in process of time was utterly destroyed but here the Lord speaks of setting his Sanctuary in the middest of the two houses being united God will have his Church and Worship eminently amongst them Oecolampadius saith Non aberit Templum divinitatis Christus Jesus They shall not be without a divine Temple viz. Christ Jesus He shall be the Temple amongst them Rev. 21.22 And as he shall be their Prince for ever so shall he be their Temple and Sanctuary for ever Vers 27. My Tabernacle
that robbed them It 's incident to all People and Nations to spoil and rob the People of God and so these Goggites and their Confederates they compassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City saith John Rev 20.9 In all ages the Church hath been made a prey of by one or other but the time shall be when it shall spoyl her spoylers and rob her robbers First Observe God will give Victories to his Church and People which seem incredible Here is pointed out such a Victory as is full of wonders and matters incredible Their number is as the Sand of the Sea and all of them Horsemen and cloth'd with all sorts of Arms Chap 38.4 yet conquer'd Their weapons serve for seven years firing and their bodies are seven moneths in burying as it follows in vers 12. Will not this be a wonderful Victory Do not these things seem incredible God of old gâ—ve great and strange V ctories to his People as the drowning of Pharaoh in the Red Sea the slaying of Senacherib's vast Army in a night by an Angel Great Victories since Christ his time have been The Christians have had signal Victories against the Turk And Sanctius tells you of a wonderful Victory which the Spaniards had against the Saracens when at one Battail they slew two hundred thousand of them and lost but twenty five men but when ever this overthrow of Gog shall be it will exceed all former Victories Secondly Observe The Lord makes that advantageous to his People which their Enemies intended to damnifie and ruine them by The Bows Arrows Hand-staves and Spears shall serve the Saints for fuel with which the Goggites thought to destroy them The Sword of Goliah with which he thought to have slain David and many Israelites was afterwards given into the hand of David and serviceable unto him 1 Sam. 21 9. The wise and wonderful Providence of God so over-rules and orders things that it makes Instruments of death the comforts of life The Chariots of Sisera that came for destruction were to the Jews for use and recreation Thirdly Observe After the over-throw of Gog and Mâ—gog Antichrist and his Adherents the Church of God shall have great peace All their weapons of warr shall be burnt they shall make head no more against the Saints After the devouring of Gog and Magog by fire from Heaven Rev. 20.9 The gates of the New Jerusalem were never shut Rev. 21.25 They feared no Enemies they had great peace Fourthly Observe The People of God shall have a day of recompence for the wrongs and injuries they have sustained They shall spoil those that spoiled them and rob those that robbed them The Goggites of the world do fleece the Servants of God eat their flesh suck their bloud and gnaw their bones but the day is coming when the wicked shall be a spoil and prey unto them which sets out the righteousness of God in his wayes and judgements What can be more equal then that he who spoils should be spoyled See Isa 33.1 Woe to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with thee when thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be spoyled and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously they shall deal treacherously with thee Vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. 11. And it shall come to pass at that day that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel the Valley of the passengers on the East of the Sea and it shall stop the Noses of the Passengers and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude and they shall call it The Valley of Hamon-Gog 12. And seven months shall the House of Israel be burying of them that they may cleanse the Land 13. Yea all the people of the Land shall bury them and it shall be to them a Renown the day that I shall be glorified saith the Lord God 14. And they shall sever out men of continual imployment passing through the Land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the Earth to cleanse it after the end of seven moneths shall they search 15. And the passengers that pass through the Land when any seeth a mans bone then shall he set up a sign by it till the Buryers have buryed it in the Valley of Hamon-Gog 16. And also the name of the City shall be Hamonah thus shall they cleanse the Land HAving spoken of the great over-throw which Gog and his should have and the great spoil the Israelites should get thereby Now the buryal of the dead carkasses and their bones comes under consideration where we have the place of the buryal the time how long they shall be burying the persons by whom the name of the place Vers 11. And it shall come to pass at that day that I will give unto Gog a place there of Graves in Israel When Gog and his Forces shall be slain lye exposed to the Fowls of Heaven and Beasts of the Field for a season then will the Lord give unto them a burying place they shall not alwayes lye putrifying above ground but they shall be laid in graves so that they shall neither be a prey to Fowls and Beasts nor offensive to Man alwayes This was favour that God should give his Enemies Sepulchres in Israel The Vulgar and Septuagint have it A place of Name or Renown putting Shem for Sham. It was honour enough for them to have graves there in Israel This honour had not Antiochus The Valley of the Passengers on the East of the Sea What Valley this was is not agreed upon by Interpreters Some affirm it to be a Valley near unto the Lake of Gennezareth or Sea of Tiberias others inform us it 's about Jordan some say it 's on this side Jordan some say on that side It 's most probable to be a Valley near the Salt or Dead-Sea where the five Cities Admah Zeboim Segor Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by Fire and Brimstone now call'd Lacus Asphaltites There as Junius notes men passed from Syria Mesopotamia Babylon and other Countries into Arabia foelix and Egypt whereupon it was call'd the Valley of Passengers and lay Eastward from Jerusalem as the next words shew on the East of the Sea that is on the Eastern Sea The Sea of Tyberias lay Northward but Mare Mâ—â—tuum lay Eastward And it shall stop the Noses of the Passengers Such a stink shall be in that Valley as shall cause the Passengers to stop their Noses or Mouths or both The Spirit of God may have some respect unto the Lake Asphaltites which sent forth poysonous and suffocating vapors so should the dead bodies of Gog and his send out such a loathsome infecting savour as Travailers should stop their Noses as not being able to indure the same There shall they bury Gog and all his multitude Though Gog had a buryal in the Land of Israel yet it was not in the
there is an Angel at every gate to keep out the unworthy Isa 52.11 Vers 13 14 15 16 17. 13. And these are the measures of the Altar after the Cubits the Cubite is a Cubite and an hands breadth even the bottome shall be a Cubite and the breadth a Cubite and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span and this shall be the higher place of the Altar 14. And from the bottome upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two Cubites and the breadth one Cubite and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four Cubites and the breadth one Cubite 15. So the Altar shall be four Cubites and from the Altar and upwards shall be four horns 16. And the Altar shall be twelve Cubites long twelve broad square in the four squares thereof 17. And the Settle shall be fourteen Cubites long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof and the border about it shall be half a Cubite and the bottome thereof shall be a Cubite about and his stairs shall look towards the East IN the 41. Chapt. 22. vers mention was made of an Altar which was of the Altar of Incense Here another Altar is presented to the Prophet which is Altare Holocausti the Altar of Burnt-offering which with the appurtenances of it is described and measured by the Cubit not the common Cubit which consisted of twenty four fingers breadth but the large or Royal Cubit which was an hands breadth more and is here said to be the Cubit that is a Cubit and a hands breadth by some call'd palmae Cubitus This Altar was a perfect square in length and breadth equal each was twelve Cubits the bottome breadth and border with the lesser and greater Settles have their several measures and distances it had Horns and Stairs The 15. verse in Hebrew is thus And the mount of God four Cubits and from the Lion of God and upwards four Horns so it is in the Margent Hareel the Mountain of God Some understand Focus Altaris the space where they put the wood which burn'd the Sacrifice Others make it the body of the Altar which being between two Settles or Benches was so tearm'd appearing like a little Mountain Haariel the Lion of God or of the strong God it 's conceiv'd was the Grate upon which the Holocaust was laid and this Grate was of the form of a Lion as Villalpandus saith but rather it was so call'd because as a Lion tears and devours the prey so the fire of this Altar did eat up the Sacrifices laid upon this Grate Whether the Apostle hath not some respect unto this or Solomon's Altar for Burnt-offerings when he saith Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 is considerable This Altar had Stairs to go up unto it yet God had forbid Steps or Stairs to be make unto his Altar and gives a reason for it Exod. 20.26 which was to be observed of men when they made Altars unto God but when the Lord prescribed the form of an Altar for himself he might according to his own good pleasure have it with Steps or without It 's probable Solomon's Altar had Steps being ten Cubits high as Sanctius and the Annotators observe the Priests also were to wear linnen breeches when they were sacrificing These Stairs looked toward the East That so when they sacrificed and worshipped God their backs might be towards the East and their faces Westward which the wise God ordered so that he might keep his people from conforming to and symbolizing with the Idolatrous Nations who with their faces Eastward worshipped the Sun-rising This Altar for Burnt-offerings was a type of Christ as those of Moses and Solomon were Exod. 27.1 2 Chron. 4.1 1. This Altar was but one so Christ is our Altar and our onely Altar Heb. 13.10 The Christian Church knoweth no other 2. It had a Grate whereon the Sacrifice was laid and fire put to it whereby it was burnt So Christ had a cross whereto he was fastened and there the fire of God's anger did fall upon him which was due to us for our sins Isa 53.5 Mat. 27.46 3. It had four Horns at the four corners thereof which signified the strength and sufficiency of Christ for all who should come unto him from the four corners of the earth When men were in danger of their lives they fled to the Altar and took hold on the Horns thereof 1 King 2.28 Exod. 21.14 and if they were not willful and presumptuous sinners they were safe What sinners soever shall come from any part of the world unto Christ and take hold of him by the hand of faith he shall be safe The four corners of his Altar are his wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 and He is able to save them take hold of him to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 4. This Altar was to be seven days cleansed and purified vers 26. of this Chapt. and Exod. 29.37 and so it was holy and whatsoever touched it was holy Herein is figured the perfect holiness of Christ who was most holy Dan. 9.24 and sanctified himself for the service of the Church and whoever toucheth him by faith is made holy and whatever is offered up to God upon his Altar likewise is holy This Altar sanctifieth the gift Mat. 23.19 Heb. 13.15 5. It was glorious and durable being of Shittim-wood and Brass Exod. 27.12 Of Cedar and pure Gold 1 King 6.20 And herein it represented the Diety of Christ which is most glorious and eternal Heb. 1.3 Chap. 9.14 6. It was call'd the mountain of God being on Mount Sion he did as it were dwell there and took pleasure in the sacrifices offered on it And is not Christ Hariel the mountain of God is not he the Altar in the mountain of the Lord's House Mat. 10 11. Heb. 13.10 Isa 2.2 Doth not God dwell in him Col. 2.9 Was he not a Sacrifice well pleasing to God Ephes 5.2 Are not we the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Ephes 5.20 And not onely so but the Lion of the strong God And is not Christ Haariel the Lion of the mighty God He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 The Lion of God to whom God hath given all power in heaven and earth Mat. 28.19 This Lion hath rescued us out of the mouth of that roaring Lion who intended and endeavoured to make a prey of all mankind 1 Pet. 5.8 Heb. 2.14 This Lion hath spoiled principalities and powers Col. 2.15 Purged away sin Heb. 1.3 Made reconciliation to God Dan 9.24 Abolished death and brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 The exact measuring of this Altar dictates this that Ministers should have and hold forth the full knowledge of Christ and especially of him crucified as an offering for sin for therein lieth the benefit of sinners to know Christ crucified Hence Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 professeth he determined
9.24 And lives for ever to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 He doth that always which the Priests did in the Feasts New-moons Sabbaths and Solemnities the virtue of this sacrifice is ever useful Vers 18 19 20. 18. Thus saith the Lord God In the first month the fiâ—st day of the month thou shalt take a young Bullock without blemish and cleanse the Sanctuary 19. And the Priest shall take of the blood of the Sin-offering and put it upon the posts of the house and upon the four corners of the settle of the Altar and upon the posts of the gate of the inner Court 20. And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth and for him that is simple so shall ye reconcile the house HEre we have an ordinance for cleansing the Sanctuary much like that ordinance in the 43. Chap. for cleansing the Altar of Burnt-offerings There was no suâ—h â—rdinance among the Mosaicals as Jerome Sanctius and others observe This was a new ordinance which the Levitical-law knew not and speaks out the newness of all under the Gospel the cleansing of the Church by the bloud of Christ who in due season being without sin was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5 21. And by his bloud wash'd away the sins of his Rev. 1.5 Heb. 13.11 and 〈◊〉 it made way for entring into the Holiest Heb. 10 19. And whereas the posts of the house and posts of the gate and four corners of the settle of the Altar were all sprinkled with bloud It tells us that all great or small whencesoever they come from East West North or South cannot be cleansed or saved but by bloud even the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.22 23. It 's nothing in man or from man himself not his righteousness free-will or sufferings which doth cleanse him from his sin that onely is from the virtue of Christ's bloud 1 Joh. 1.7 The 20. verse leads to speak of sins of ignorance Under the law there was a sacrifice for the men sin'd ignorantly Levit. 5.17 18. He was to bring a ram to the Priest and by the sacrificing of that his sin was forgiven him and peace made Here the ordinance differs from that In stead of a Ram must be a young Bullock sacrificed signifying that the bloud of Christ is for the erroneous simple ignorant as well as others When men sin wilfuâ—ly it 's dangerous Heb. 10.26 27. But for those are simple and through ignorance do erre there is a remedy provided 1 Joh. 2.7 My little Children I write unto you that ye sin not that 's impossible they might have replyed For in many things we sin all James 3.2 And if any man do sin that is through weakness ignorance simpleness strength of corruption or temptation we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins This remedy Christ holds out in the Gospel to such sinners and would have his Ministers do the like Gal. 6.1 If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one bring him to Christ cause him to look upon Hâ—m crucified and expiating his sin with His own bloud and then he will weep for his error his simplicity and so he is restor'd Vers 21 22 23 24. 21. In the first month in the fourteenth day of the month ye shall have the passeover a feast of seven days uncleavened bread shall be eaten 22. And upon that day â—hall the Prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a Sin-offering 23. And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a Burnt-offering to the Lord seven Bullocks and seven Rams without blemish daily the seven days and a Kid of the Goats daily for a Sin-offering 24. And he shall prepare a Meat-offering of an Ephah for a Bullock and an Ephah for a Ram and an Hin of Oyle for an Ephah IN these verses are ordinances for keeping the Passover c. Of the Mosaical you may see Exod. 12. and Levit. 23. from which this diffeâ—s in many things as Polanus notes and presents unto us Christ our Passover who was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 The Passover was In the first Month the fourteenth day when the Moon was at the Full and the Sun ascending all things began to revive which shew'd that Christ was not to be sacrificed presently after his birth but when the fullness of ceremonial light was come and that by his death Jewish shadowes being abolished true light life and reviving came into the world The feast of unleavened-bread shew'd how we are to keep the feast of the Christian-Passover viz. not with old leaven that is our old corrupt hearts neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened-bread of sincerity and truth Men should not come to his Ordinance with old malitious or wicked hearts but with hearts sincere and true all corrvution of nature doctrine and manners should be purg'd out And Christians should live their whole life noted by the seven dayes here free from hypocrisie lying malice and unrighteousness they should study and endeavour to be holy as God is holy It 's said vers 22. that the Prince must prepare for himself and for all the people a Bullock for a Sin-offering This Prince therefore seems not to be Christ but the High-priest who was sinful and offered first for himself and then for the people Heb. 7.27 Christ had no sin and so could not offer Sacrifice for himself For answer hereunto know that Christ considered in himself was an immaculate Lamb without blemish 1 Pet. 1.19 An High-priest holy harmless undefiled Heb. 7.26 But consider him as our surety as head of the body so he had sin His own self did bear our sins in his own body 1 Pet. 2.24 He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 He was offered to bear the sins of many Heb. 9.28 The Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 And was numbred with transgressors vers 12. Our sins were imputed to him so that he stood as a sinner and malefactour in our stead and offered up himself a Sacrifice for himself that is for his body the Church Thus nothing hinders but by Prince here we may understand Christ The Burnt-offering and Sin-offering which were to be daily set out the virtue of Christ's death and intercession which is not for a day or a few years but for ever or they may acquaint us with the Saints their total and constant dedication of themselves unto God and his service An Hin of oyle Of the Ephah Bath Homer and Cor was spoken in the former part of the Chapter An Hin was for liquid things and contain'd as much as twelve Logs and each Log contain'd six Eggs so that an Hin held as much Wine or Oyle as seventy two Eggs and according to some is three quarts of our English-measure Vers 25. In the seventh month
God Princes may not change any thing in the Worship of God abrogate or institute ought by their wills or power Vzziah was smitten with the leprosie for medling 2 Chron. 26. and Ahaz for his adding 2 Kings 16. his altering detracting and abrogating 2 Chron. 28. was branded for his wickedness They kept not at the post and threshold of the gate but entred into the inner Court 2. They are to countenance and maintain the Worship of God The Prince must stand at the post of the gate and see the Priests do their Office He found the Burnt Peace and Meat Offerings and the Priests prepared them that is fitted them for Sacrifices The Princes and Powers of the Christian World should countenance preserve propagate and maintain the true VVorship of God in their Territories VVhen Joash was made King he had the Testimony given unto him 2 Chron. 23.11 that was the Book of the Law And why was this given him It was to inform Princes that they should rule according thereunto that they should countenance preserve propagate and maintain the same and the VVorship it held forth 3. That Princes must worship the Lord publiquely on Sabbath days and when special occasions are as well as other people He shall worship at the threshold of the gate Let Princes be never so great rich learned wise yet they must fall down at Gods foot-stool serve him with fear and kiss the Son they must observe the times of Gods VVorship bow to him and not leave all to their inferiors 4. They must not impede the Worship of God The Prince shall go forth but the gate shall not be shut where he hath worshipped he must not hinder othâ—rs It was a vile practice in those who shut up the doors of the Lords house and would not let the people or Priests come there to worship 2 Chron. 28.24 Princes should see to it that the door be open for publique Worship not onely at the appointed times but upon special occasions If we take the Prince here to be Christ as Oecolampad and Polanus do then his coming to and standing by the post of the gate his sacrificing and worshipping do prefigure his coming in the flesh and his standing at the gate of Heaven for us offering up Prayers and Supplications for us with strong crys and tears Heb. 5.7 Luke 22.44 and whereas it is said The Priests shall prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offering this presignified the Priests delivering up Christ to be crucified for us Luke 24. â—0 The chief Priest and Rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him who was the Prince of life Acts 3.15 yet he laid down his life freely Joh. 10.17 18. And for his worshipping at the threshold of the gate it may point out that time when Christ being on the Cross said It is finished and so bowed his head and gave up the Ghost John 19.30 Now was he at the threshold of the gate for he said to the Thief immediately before This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23.43 Then his soul went forth of its earthly tabernacle and shortly after reassuming that he left the world and went to his Father John 16.28 The gates standing open until evening that so the people might come and worship at the door of the gate before the Lord this some interpret of the door of Mercy and Reconciliation which Christ hath set open for sinners during this life and if they come not thither before death and worship God then it s shut for ever against them On Sabbath days men should draw near to God seek Reconciliation with him for on such days the gate is widest open for Grace and Mercy On the six days it s shut that is comparatively shut Christians do celebrate Sabbaths and New-Moons when they have inward spiritual rest in their souls through faith in Christ and do receive light from him to see what is evil and so to avoid it and what is good and so to practice it In Vers 4 5 6 7. the Offerings Oblations and Sacrifices of the Prince for the Sabbath days and New-moons are mentioned The Olaâ— or Burnt-Offering for the Sabbath was to be six compleat Lambs without blemish and one Ram which differs much from the appointment in Moses days Numb 28.9 then there were but two Lambs here six are appointed And so the Meat-Offering is larger here then there but for the Offering in the day of the New-Moon it was short of that in Moses time for then two Bullocks seven Lambs and one Ram were appointed and here one Bullock six Lambs and one Ram are nominated for the Offering which shews the Levitical VVorship was to be changed And taking the Prince for one of the Princes of the earth it tells us he ought to provide for the VVorship of God But if we take this Prince to be Christ then it imports that Christ hath ordained more spiritual pure and efficacious VVorship on Sabbaths under the Gospel then was under the Law and more extensive then was before also that Jewish shadows are fled away by the coming in of the glorious light of the Gospel that old things are past away and all things become new Neomenâ—â— nostra est spiritualis est novum in Christo seculum saith Polanus These Sacrifices do point out Christ he was instar omnium he was the Lambs the Rams the Bullock the Meal the Flowre and the Oyl This Prince sacrificing of himself did more by that one and once Sacrifice then all the Sacrifices from the first to the last Hebr. 10.14 Verse 5. As he shall be able to give The Hebrew is the gift of his hand and so it s in the Margent in Verse 7. it is thus as his hand shall attain unto and in the eleventh as he is able that is as God hath blessed him God in that dispenced with mens disabilities in Moses Law Lev. 5.11 and 14.21 if they were poor and not able to bring Lambs or two Turtle Doves they must bring one Lamb or the tenth part of an Ephah of flower something he would have and to such a proportion But here it s left to mans liberty to give according to his ability no proportion is prescribed so men give freely what ever it be it shall be accepted God looks not for much where little is The grace and favour of God under the Gospel exceeds what was under the Law Verse 6. And in the day of the New moon New-moon days were holy and had special Sacrifices as in this ver 8. Numb 28.11 on those days they might not buy or sell or do worldly work Amos 8.5 but they were to look unto Christ of whom those days were shadows Col. 2.16 17. and to meditate of that light grace and comfort comes by him The gate of the inner Court was to stand open on these days as well as on Sabbaths ver 1. And Isaiah prophesied Isa 66.23 That all flesh should come to worship
upon his people 595. bears long with the worst of men 420. determines things most free and contingent 208. discovers plots of enemies ibid. knows infallibly things to come 217. when God manifests his love and wrath 225. can easily raise forces against his enemies 229. and easily ruine Armies 227. hath various ways to do it 228. convinces the wicked when in afflictions 266. whom God will honor 391 Godly No condition so grievous to them but shall end comfortably 375 Godliness To whom a delight 361 Gog whom 488 489. whence he came 212. prophesied of before 216. not Antiochus 224. Dreadful judgement upon him 226. great 232. where buried 247 Goodmen must be good before they can do good 366 Gospel Christs voice in it strong irresistable efficacious 394. earth shines with the glory of it ibid. it preserves order is not levelling 405. like waters and wherein 550 551 552. into what parts it went first 555. it goeth where Christ wil 556 557. gradually 558. hath depths in it 560. its pure and sufficient of it self 561. brings men unto God 569. runs like waters 570. without it what men are ib. it cures and quickens 571. fruitful 572 Grace will appear where it is 367. work of it free 403 â—ikened to water and wherein 550 551 552. gradualness in graces 559. all in the Church of free grace 〈◊〉 it recals sinners 588 589 Great ones have no cause to glory 84. Greatest go the wrong way 93. shall bear their shame though after death ibid. those that joyn with them in evil must suffer 228. may lie unburied 260 Guilt an heavy and consuming thing 121 H HAnd stretching out what it imports 348 249. lifting up what 284 Gods hand in mens acting against the Church 237. filling the hand what it imports 376 Hailstones fire brimstone 223 224 Har-el and Hanriel what 371 372 Hatred the nature of it 253. twofold 263. it sets other affections on work 264 Hearers how they carry it oft towards them they hear 164. 165. what the preachers are to them 170 not rest in hearing ibid. Heart most looked at in worship 165 carnal in spirituals 166. Heart and new what they note 317 318. old by nature 322. it s like a stone wherein 330 331 332. the evil of it 333. how cured 336 Heart It s God prerogative to alter hearts 337. its great mercy to have stony hearts removed 338. excellency of a tender heart 340 mistakes about a tender heart 342 343. legal natural tenderness 24â— 244. characters of a tender heart 345 346. how to keep it tender 347 348. its a great mercy it s the gift of God 341 Heathens what convinces them 310 Hell poor comfort there â—5 96 High those highest meet with most storms 328 329 Hin How much it contained 420 Holy things to be laid in holy places 332 333. those who have charge of them must be exact 387. not to be bought and sold 392 Holiness the law of Gods house 368 Hope what 439 Horns of the Altar what they signifie 371 House of Israel 242 408 Husbandry Gods work 396 397 Hypocrites will be discovered 164 I IDols ruine States 25. defile 298. Idolatry loathsom to God 300. it defiles more then other sins 316. they are karcasses 355. a wall between God and man 357 Jealousie to speak in the fire of it what 282. what is in jealousie 225. it breaks through all 269 Jerusalem highly esteemed by the Lord 352 353. in new Jerusalem shall be no invention of men c. 357. no night there 358 New Jerusalem exceeds Ezekiels City 604 Jews there conversion we may expect and pray for 462. shall repossess their land 463 480. given to Idolatry 465. shall be fully gathered 270 271 there is a day of mercy for all the Jews 272. for lasting mercies 275 offers of mercy to them first 584. shall come to Sion 589 Ignorance remedy for the sin of ignorance 417 418 Impenitency excludes from Temple mercies 364 Impossibles to man not so to God 374 Infamous they that make so shall be made so 286 287 Inheritance one to Jew and Gentile 585 Institutions of God like posts and thresholds 356. men must not make any like them ibid. Interrogations argue not ignorance in God 426 Judgements publick troublesom to neighbour nations 13. they make God known 12. in the forest some escape ibid 143. former not to be forgotten 13. suitable instruments execute them 17. nothing can s cure from them 26 157. they convince of the equity of Gods ways 158. threatned take place 172. they are oft lengthned out answerable to the time of mens sinning 258. what ever they be God is righteous 301. end of them 230 262. they begin but end not at Gods house 395 396. God executes some signal judgement 258. impartial 259. judgements upon the wicked are ingaging mercies to the godly 263 Justification what 315 K KAdash notes sanctifying and polluting 546 Kings and Kingdoms there flourishing and perishing in from the Lord 34. tyrannical Kings oft have bad ends 35 Kings are apt to be lifted up with their greatness 38. 39. must be told of their sins 39. its the Lord makes them great 246. have need of money to uphold them ibid. what brings dreadful judgements upon them 53â— why destroyed 55 69. They are lights and when put our sad events follow 73. 74 Kingdom No succession in Christs Kingdom 479 Subjects of it holy ibid. Knowledge not all a â—once 553 564. L LAmentations for siâ—s and ruines of others are from the Lord 65 Land Land in league 6. God hath ways to empty lands 16. They are his to dispose of 18 261 262 376. he can deprive them of their princes 26. made exemplary with judgments 27. what wastes lands 157. what ever condition it s in God is there 262. your own sins brings desolation 274 301 3â—2 their fruitfulness depends upon the Lord 293. desolate shall not always lye so 39â— God hath a peculiarity in some lands 214 Last made first 587 588. Law what 363. of Gods house why to be made known 366. chiefly to be observed 368 Liberty of speaking is from God 145 Life in the hand of God and death also 112. what is the principle of spiritual life and motion 365. its short 539 Liâ—e 285. what 291. mens lines must not be in Temple measurings 292 Lion of God who 372 Loath what in it 384. when men loath themselves for their sins 385 Looks forbidden to priests 393 Lybia whence so called 5 Lydia whence so named ib. M. MAgistrates good what they are 413 Magnifie when God magnifies himself 229 Mathematicians who fit for spiritual ones 261 Man though spared long shall suffer 101 Marriage whom the Priests were and were not to marry 394 Materials of the Church must be holy 368 Means what ever used God doth all 434 435 Mercies temporal not merited 308. choice mercies make men renounce former defilements 468. mercies gradually carried on 450. work more then judgements 384 Messiah upon what account