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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85668	An exposition continued upon the XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, and XXIX, chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, vvith many useful observations thereupon. Delivered at several lectures in London, by William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1658 (1658)	Wing G1856; Thomason E954_1; ESTC R207608	447,507	627

as their only King and Lord. There will I accept them The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 volam eos se Montanus renders it I will will them when it referres to God The Heb. root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is bene-velle favere acceptare as here it imports 1 Pardoning and passing by whatever formerly offended 2 Sam. 24.23 when David would offer a sacrifice for his sinne in numbring the People and for stopping the Plague saith Araunah the Lord thy God accept thee that is pardon thy sinne and remove the judgement Jer. 14.12 When they offer burnt offering and an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them Non-accepting was Non-pardoning and that appears most clearly Levit. 1.4 Hee shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering and it shall bee accepted for him to make the attonement The laying his hand upon the head of the Sacrifice noted the laying of his sins upon the same and it God accepted the Sacrifice his sinnes were forgiven and peace was made but when hee accepted it not there was no pardon no peace When God therefore saith here I will accept them the sense is hee will pardon them 2 Approving receiving with favour and delight Job 42.8 Him will I accept God would hear and regard the prayer of Job for his three friends Eccl. 9.7 Eat thy bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is well pleased with thee and what thou hast done so Psal 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his People and this also is included here I will accept them that is approve of favour and take delight in them Vatabl. reads it Benigniter eos complectar or benevolentia prosequar I will deal kindly with them and pursue them with favors The French is illec iz seur seray propice I will bee Propitious to them I will remember their sinnes no more I will shew them great kindness Some render the words There will I take pleasure in them When they are come to my holy Mountain to a Church state again being purged from their sins through my Grace I will take pleasure in them as a Husband in a Wife as a Father in his Children There will I require your offerings Formerly the Lord had refused their Offerings and manifested his displeasure against them and their offering as Mal. 1.10 I have no Pleasure in you saith the Lord of Host neither will I accept an Offering at your hands see Amos 5.21 22 Jer. 6. ●0 Isa 66.3 ch 1.11 but now hee would bee so farre from refusing hating and prohibiting of them that he would call for them and accept them Offerings The Hebrew word for Offerings is Terumah which notes any Offering freely given to the Lord and frequently it s put for the Heave-Offering so called because it was lifted up unto the Lord. If wee take it in this sense it s by a Senecdoche put for all their Offerings but we may keep to the words as they are And the first fruits of your Oblations The Hebrew is Veeth reshith mashoshecem the beginning of your elevations Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-fruits of your separations The Vulg. is initium decimarum vestrarum the beginning of your tenths Vatab. The first fruits of your gifts The Jews say they were to bring the first fruits of seven things onely viz. of Wheat Barley Grapes Figgs Pomegranats Olives and Dates but God was to have whatever opened the wombe first of man or Beast Exod. 13.2 which may also come in amongst first fruits Oblations and Sacrifices do differ thus that is properly an Oblation which is offered etiamsi nihil circa oblatum fiat though nothing bee done to it or about it Sacrifices are offered bur aliquid circa sacrificatum fit something is done to it and about it The Sacrifice was to bee killed flayed cut in peeces or the like By first f●uits of Oblations wee may understand the principal and chief Oblations for Reshith notes praecipuum prestantissimum the choicest and most excellent as well as primum the first And Calvin interprets it Florem vel quod excellit in donis vestris that which was the flower and excellency in your gifts So Lavat primitias munerum optima pretiosissima vocat the best and most pretious things they had he calls first fruits With all your holy things The Hebrew is In all your Sanctifications Kodesh sometimes noted the Temple or Sanctuary sometimes their Sacrifices sometimes their Festivities and sometimes whatever was Dedicated to Divine worship Here we may take it in the last sense and so the French carry it En toutes vos choses dediees Vatab likewise reads it in omnibus sacris vestris in all your holy things Calvin expounds it in toto cultu meo in all my worship and so the sense runs well with that before I will require your offerings and the first fruits i. e. The principal of your oblations in all your dedications and holy things and in all my worship Some read the words in omnibus rebus quas conserva veritis mihi in all the things you shall prepare set a part and conserve for me If wee read it with all your holy things the sense is that the sacrifices Temple Priests Solemnities and festivals should be restored Vers 41 I will accept you with your sweet savour Of Sweet Savour or Savour of rest as the Hebrew is you heard in the 28. v. of this chapter and in the 19. v. of the 16. Chapter They should bee pleasing and delightful unto God as a sweet savour is unto man They were wont when at Jerusalem to offer incense and sweet things unto God and hee accepted the same and they should do it again after their return and bee accepted Both they and their Sacrifices should bee a sweet odour unto God this and the like expressions in the old Testament the Apostle alludes unto in Phil. 4.18 2 Cor. 2.15 Eph. 5.2 When I bring you out from the People and gather them out of the Countries c. These words wee had before in the 34. v. where they sounded judgement but here mercy And I will be sanctified in you before the Heathen The Hebrew is I will sanctify my self when sanctification refers to God it imports 1 Vindication of his Name being polluted and dishonoured by the Sonnes of men as Ezek. 36.23 I will sanctify my great name which was prophaned among the Heathen which yet have prophaned in the midst of them 2 Making himself known and acknowledged to be holy just and powerful so it s to bee taken Ezek. 28.22 They shall know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgements in her and shall bee sanctified in her so Levit. 10.3 by the fury and judgement upon Nadab Abihu God sanctified himself he made himself known to be a holy just and dreadful Majesty 3. Gods doing of

and more The Jews who had the pleasant land the Prophets Temple Oracles and Ordinances of God grew worse than any of the Nations see Jer. 2.10 11. Ezek. 16.47 2 Chron. 36.15 16. It is observable that men living in the Christian world and where besides a multitude of other mercies they have the Gospel to do them good to draw them to God to direct and inable them to work righteousnesse and go beyond Heathens in all things yet in many things they fall short of them some of them and diverse in many things are worse than the worst of them If mercies and means prove not the savour of life they ripen and perfect mens corruptions and become the savour of death was there heard of amongst the Heathens such a wretch as Judas was who betrayed such a Master as hee did Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum were the more unhappy and exposed to the deeper condemnation because they had more mercy and means Obs 3 Not doing what God commands is not hearkening and not hearkening is rebellion They rebelled and would not hearken unto mee they did not cast away the abominations of their eyes nor forsake the Idols of Egypt They rebelled because they hearkened not they hearkened not because they did not it s like they heard God commanding but hearing and not doing they did not hearken Doing is knowing of God Jer. 22.16 and doing is hearkening to God Deut. 34.9 but not doing is not hearkening and not hearkening is rebellion hence not doing is called rebelling against the command of the Lord Deut. 1.26 going backward Jer. 7.24 rejecting of the words and Law of God chap. 6.19 hardening of the neck Neh. 9.16 Our father 's dealt proudly hardened their necks and hearkened not to thy Commandements its pride and hardnesse of heart not to hearken unto God and his commands Obs 4 Mens not hearkening unto God puts him upon thoughts and purposes of punishing them and that severely Then I said I will pour out my fury upon them and accomplish consummate perfect mine anger against them Then when they would not do as I bid them I had thoughts and resolutions to destroy them When the glorious great and onely wise God shall speak to the creature to do that which tends to its great good and shall not bee heard but disobeyed and slighed this provokes God and procreates thoughts of destruction when they hearkned not but sinn'd so in the business of the calfe it was in the heart of God utterly to destroy them Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and not onely them but their name from under heaven Deu. 9.14 had not Moses poured water upon this fire and quenched it hee had done it they had no longer been a people nor had any memorial left of them of this speaks David Psal 106.23 he said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath least hee should destroy them This is spoken of God after the manner of men when they are offended they purpose and resolve to destroy those have provoked them but some friend interposes prevails with them and prevents them as Abigail did David so Moses here prevented the Lord by his prayers and intreaties from destroying this people Mens perverse dealings with God do put him upon intentions of their ruine Deut. 32.16 I said I would scatter them into Corners and would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men Vers 9 But I wrought for my name sake that it should not bee polluted before the Heathen among whom they were in whose sight I made my self known unto them in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt In this verse are set down Gods last kindnesses to this people being in Egypt and they are two 1 His sparing of them for his names sake 2 His bringing them out of that condition Touching the first in the latter part of the former vers God had said he would pour out his fury upon them and accomplish his anger against them in the midst of Egypt but foreseeing and considering what would bee the event thereof if hee should do so viz. that his name would suffer and be polluted here he provides for the honour of his own name and spares them But I wrought The Hebrew is I did or have done not what I purposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feci but what was most convenient for mee to do what was for the honour of my name when I saw that like to suffer Fr. mais j ' eu esgard a mon nom I did that which prevented it I took care of my name had respect unto it For my name sake Name in the Scripture as it referres to God is sometimes put for God himself as Psalm 33.21 and Nehem. 1.11 who desire to fear thy name that is God himself hee is the object of fear Isa 8.13 sometimes it s put for Gods Titles Psal 83.18 Exod. 3.13 14 15. sometimes for the Attributes of God as Exo. 33.19 compared with cha 34. ver 6 7. sometimes for the glory esteem and renown of God Psalm 8.9 and Psalm 76.1 here it s put for Gods attributes and honour Three of his attributes had been questioned if hee should have destroyed this people in Egypt 1 His Faithfulnesse for God had promised and sworn to bring them out of Egypt as it is vers 6. and Gen. 15.14 ch 48.4 and had hee not done it Egyptians and others would have charged God with breach of promise with unfaithfulnesse 2 His power and almightinesse for they would have said he was not able to bring them from under the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh that their power was beyond the power of the Jews God 3 His mercy that hee had a people professed him to bee their God but hee was so mercilesse that he destroyed and cut them all off a thing that the Heathen Gods never did to any which worshipped them Now had the case been thus how had Gods honour been laid in the dust his glory stained and renown eclipsed That it should not be polluted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word to Pollute in Hebrew signifies Originally to grieve to cut and metonimically to pollute to violate prophane Dolere secare perforare cum dicitur de rebus sacris violare polluere prophanare which are grievous and cutting When Gods name is polluted wee are not to conceive any actual defilement to adhere to it for Gods name can no more bee defiled than the beams of the Sun It s said to bee polluted 1 When it s not hallowed that is not acknowledged not esteemed to bee holy honourable excellent as the Sabbath when it was not sanctified it was polluted so here when the glory due to Gods name is not acknowledged it s a polluting of his name 2 When its sleighted and not used

but know I have resolved spoken it and will do it I am not man to repent of what I speak or do Obs 1 Sinful Cities and creatures are apt to confide in one thing or other in their wisdome strength power r●c●es friends Jerusalem thought shee had wherewith to ke●p ff all j●●gements or sufficient to inable her to wrastle with th m ●f they came Can thine heart indure can thine h●nds bee stro●g Jerusalem thought so had confidence that way else the Lord would not have put these questions to her Ezek ●6 15 Thou didst trust in thy beauty in thy wealth in ●hy ●als in thy Souldiers in thy Counsellors in thy Temple in thy mountaines which were thy beauty In Jeremies dai●s its evident that the wise the rich and strong men of Jerusalem did too much confide and glory in their wisdome their riches and strength ch 9.23 Zephany saith of Jerusalem that shee trusted not in the Lord ch 3.2 her confidence was in falsehood Jer. 13.25 that was in things proved false and deceitful one of this kind was the Egyptian strength Isa 30.2 Ezek. 17.17 not onely did Jerusalem confide in falsehoods but Babylon also Isa 47.10 and Rabbah Jer. 49.4 she once trusted in her wickednesse saying none seeth mee The other in her treasures saying who shall come unto me It s not good to lean to our own wisdome to rest upon our owne strength or strength of others who ever makes flesh within or flesh without his arme lies under a curse Jer. 17.5 but he trusts in the Lord and in him only he hath the blessing ver 7. Obs 2 God hath his times to reckon with sinners to make them smart for their evil doings In the daies that I shall deal with thee God had his day to deal with Egypt Ezek. 30.9 as in the day of Egypt hee met with Egyptians in the red sea hee had his day to deal with Midianites Isa 9.4 as in the day of Midian when God smote them by the sword of Gideon Judg. 7. that was the day God dealt with them men have their daies to sin and God hath his daies to smite Ahab had his day to do wickedly and God had his Day to deal with him 1 King 22 34 35. Ahaz had his time to transgress and God had his time to distresse him for his transgressions 2 Chro 28.19 20. Ephraim had his Daies of sinning and God had his Day of rebuke to lay Ephraim desolate Hos 5.9 the Jews had their Day to make a Calf and God had his day to cut off three thousand of them Exod. 32.28 men sinne and think to hear no more of their sinnes but God remembers them and hath his days to visit for them He hath a day for every one is proud and lifted up Isa 2.12 hee hath a day for those decree unrighteous decrees that write grievousnesse that wrong widows and fatherless ones Isa 10.1 2 3. hee hath his Day to deal with them and so to deal with them that they shall not know what to do what will yee do in the day of visitation to whom will yee flie for help and where will yee leave your glory Men will bee thinking what to do whether to flie how to dispose of themselves and what they have but the day of the Lord will bee darkness and distress unto them Whoever takes a time to sinne against God must expect a time wherein God will deal with him for so sinning Rom. 2.6.9 God will render to every man according to his deeds he hath his Day to render tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil he hath his Day wherein hee will judge the secrets of men ver 16. would you see good Daies eschew evil and do good seek peace and ensue it 1 Pet. 2.10 11. Note 3 Gods judgements discover the vanity and rottennesse of humane confidences Can thine heart indure Can thine hands bee strong in the daies that I shall deal with thee When I shall bring the sword plague and Famine no thy heart will faint thy hands will bee feeble If at the tydings of judgements their heart melted their hands were feeble every spirit faint and all knees weak as water as it is ch 21.7 what were they at the presence sight and sense of those judgements they were like men without hearts and spirits without hands and legs Gods judgements are fires which consume mens confidences and make them see their own weakness men think they shall stand in the evil day But if they cannot stand against the frownes and fury of the Creature how will they stand before the dreadful Creator if Foot-men horse-men the swellings of Jordan Jer. 12.4 weary sink men what will the Lord of Hosts do if they cannot bear the lesser judgements how will they bear the greater If Bryers and thornes conceit themselves to be Oaks and Cedars can they indure the fire Isa 27.4 they will be burnt to ashes what they said of Jehu 2 Kin. 10.4 Two Kings were not able to stand before him how then shall we stand He is comming with the sword May wicked Cities more fully say of God the old world could not stand before him Sodome and Gomorrah could not stand before him how then shall wee stand Egypt had men like fatted bullocks but when the Northren storme came upon them they turned back they fled away together they did not stand because the day of their calamity was come upon them and th● time of their visitation Jer. 46.21 you may see what strong mighty and couragious men will do when God deals with them Joel 2.14 15 16. their hearts could not indure their hands their feet were not strong to act or stand Let us not sinne provoke the Lord by our vain confidences for he is stronger than man Obs 4 That the word of the Lord shall take place whatever mens thoughts are they Thought Nebuchadnezzar would not come or if he did that they and the Egyptians should be able to deal with them and prevent those evils were threatned by the Prophets but I the Lord have spoken it and will do it Where hee hath a mouth to speak hee hath a hand to do It s not any power can hinder I will work and who shall let it Isa 43.13 not Devils or Men can do it neither will the Lord revoke what hee hath said and so prevent judgements intended Isa 31.2 hee is wise and will bring evil and will not call back his words Men often speak threaten and then after eat their words call back their threatnings saying they were uttered in passion inconsiderately and so shew their folly But God when he speakes it s in wisdome his words shall stand and not bee removed or cald back Amos 6.11 Hence is it that Jer. 44 28. the Lord saith They shall know whose word shall stand mine or theirs They shall see in a little time that their words are vanity foolish and come to nothing and that my words

would have men so love their wives as to honour them whatever objection lies in the way 1 Pet. 3.7 though the wife bee the weaker vessel yet shee must bee honoured her weaknesse must not hinder her honouring a Venice Glasse is a vessel of more honour in the house than a brasse pot The Husband is to honour his wife by making known bosome secrets to her by taking her counsel and advice by speaking well of her as his glory and crown by trusting her by esteeming of her above others and by taking her part against all others If God did not approve of love in Husbands producing such effects hee would not have said Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times and bee thou ravished alwaies with her love Prov. 5.19 God would have men abound in their love to their wives and because they fall short therein he bids them erre in their love for so is the Hebrew Tishgeh Tamid errabis jugiter thou shalt love thy wife rather too much than too little And did Husbands consider besides Gods command and Christs example how it would further their prayers prevent temptations and honour a married condition they would love their wives more conscientiously sincerely spiritually strongly Obs 3 Our nearest and dearest comforts are in the hand of the Lord to dispose of as he please Behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes I have let thee injoy her thus long I have continued her with thee many daies and years but now I take her away shee shall abide with thee no longer a prudent wife is from the Lord given by him hee brought the woman unto Adam Gen. 2.22 and as hee gives hee takes at his pleasure hee took away Sarah from Abraham Gen. 23. Elijah from Elishah 2 King 2.3 and Rachel from Jacob Gen. 35. Wives Husbands Children Friends are onely lent us of the Lord for a season and when that season is expired hee takes them to himself wee should therefore in all such cases look unto the hand of God Obs 4 That God can and sometimes doth suddainly deprive us of our choicest comforts I take away the desire of thine eyes with a stroak There was no antecedent sicknesse no visible symptomes of death but in a moment was Ezekiels wife snatched away How suddainly was the fire kindled that consumed Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.2 There went out fire from the Lord and devoured them presently was not Sodome overthrown in a moment Lamen 4.6 Did not the Lord strike fourteen thousand and seven hundred with the Plague in a moment Num. 16.44.49 were not all the first-born of the Egyptians smitten and destroyed in an hour at midnight Exo. 12.29 Was not Sisera in a minute deprived of his breath and head Judg. 5.26 God hath a scourge yea many scourges to slay suddainly Job 9.23 hee hath arrows to shoot which wound suddainly Psal 64.8 there is no foresight no preventing of them nor cure of their wound How unexpectedly was Rachel made childlesse Matth. 2.16.18 when Herod slew the children God hath various stroaks and suddain ones to take away us and our comforts by gun-powder by fire c. Mans calamity comes suddainly and he is broken suddainly without remedy Proverbs 6.15 The consideration hereof should cause us 1 To fear the Lord that can strike such stroaks as to deprive us of our chief comforts in a moment wee should sanctify him in our hearts and make him our fear that so he may be a sanctuary unto us to defend us and not a hammer or sword to strike or destroy us 2 Not To promise long continuance of any creature comfort unto our selves use them for the present but expect not much nor long continuance of them 1 Cor. 7.29 The time is short let them that ha●e wives b●e as if they had none Isa 3.22 Cease ye from man whose breath is in his c. 3 To prepare for death Men put off the evil day and are spared in an evil time when the stroak falls suddainly upon them Eccl. 9.12 They spend their daies in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Job 21.13 which is a sad thing but if men spent their daies in getting grace labouring to win Christ and bee found in him their end would be happy though their death be suddain for blessed are those dye in the Lord Rev. 14.13 live every day therefore as your last day Obs 5 Bitter and great afflictions are not alwaies arguments of Gods hatred and indignation Ezekiel was a Prophet a choice servant of the Lords yet from him doth God take away the desire of his eyes which was a very bitter and grievous affliction if wee consider the aggravations were in it 1 Hee was now in Captivity among Babylonians where his wife was a sweet companion and comfort unto him in the midst of all the troubles reproaches and difficulties he met withall 2 Shee was taken away not in the common way of men and women but by a suddain stroak such stroaks go to the quick wound deep and might have sunk our Prophet had not the Lord given him a little notice of it 3 That it should bee to Type out the destruction of the Temple and City of Jerusalem that God should suddainly strike and take away his wife thereby to represent the suddain ruine of them could not but be grievous to him 4 Hee is forbidden to mourn weep or performe any funerall rites for her might hee have sighed mourned wept that would have eased his heart might hee have used the Jewish Rites and Customes at her death and burial that would have testified respect and love unto her but hee might not do either of them So then by these aggravations you see hee had no light affliction upon him and whatever they were in them was nothing of divine hatred and indignation Aaron was the Saint of the Lord Psalm 106.16 and him the Lord gave a bitter Cup to drink off hee slew two of his Sonnes at once both the eldest Exod. 6.23 and for offering a little kitchin or strange fire which was not prohibited though not commanded being the first time and then forbad him and his other Sonnes to mourn for them Levit. 10.1 2 6. Christ was more than a Prophet than a Saint hee was a Son the onely begotten the wel-beloved yet hee had a cup given him to drink which had more gall and wormwood in it than any yea than all the cups the Prophets and Saints had before or since Afflictions argue not Gods hatred if wee say so wee shall condemn the generation of the righteous and falsify the truth for it s said whom I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. 3.19 Those therefore that have bitter and heavy afflictions should take heed how they yeild unto the perswasions of Satan and corruption saying surely if God loved you hee would never deal so by you Obs 6 That mourning for the dead is not unlawful Ezekiel would have mourned wept and used

us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us that when it commeth amongst us it may save us out of the hand of our enemies But God had a day quickly after that to deprive them of it vers 11. The Ark of God was taken the Philistims took it and slew thirty thousand footmen Ephraim gloried in his children but God had his time to pluck them away Hos 9.11 12. Their glory shall flee away like a bird from the birth and from the won be and from the conception though they bring up their children yet will I bereave them and there shall not bee a man left their priding themselves in their children and increase made the Lord to diminish them hee took his times for that purpose when Jonas idolized the gourd the Lord had his day to smite it Jon. 4.7 Jacob was over fond of Joseph and God had his day to send him far from him Gen. 37. Obs 3 That when God is most angry executing his severest judgements then even then some are spared some finde mercy When the Lord should take away the Temple City their Sonnes and daughters and make good all the dreadful threatnings given out by Jeremy and Ezekiel against the Jews by Plague Famine Sword Wilde Beasts which was as black and sad a time as ever they saw even then some escaped Hee that escapeth in that day It was hard for any to escape when such an Army of Babylonians so cruel and bitter had lain so long round about Jerusalem watching as Lyons for the prey yet some did escape Jeremy saith Lament 2.22 in the day of the Lords anger none escaped or remained hee doth not mean absolutely none for himself escaped and divers others his meaning is that they were few in comparison of those who suffered Since the beginning of the World hath it been heard that God was so severe in any judgement executed upon the Sonnes of men as to shew no tokens of Mercy when hee drowned the World hee shewed great mercy to Noah and his Family when hee consumed Sodome and Gomorrah to ashes hee gave Lot and his Daughters their lives for a prey and when hee made Jerusalem here a spectacle of his vengeance hee made an out-let and escape for some he is a God that in wrath remembers mercy and doubtlesse in that great overflowing and drowning made in the low Countries at this time as he hath shewed much severity so he hath not forgotten mercy Obs 4 God at his pleasure puts singular honour upon his faithful servants the Prophets Hee tells Ezekiel that when hee shall have accomplished what hee had prophesyed against Jerusalem that hee should bee informed thereof that hee would give some or others their lives for a prey that they might bring him tydings thereof and so lift up his head against all his adversaries who looked upon and counted him a false Prophet Herein was great honour put upon the Prophet hee that escapeth shall come unto thee to cause thee to hear it c. So God honoured Abraham in telling him what hee was about to do unto Sodome Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do no hee is a Prophet a friend of mine my faithful servant and hee would not conceal the matter from him So Amos 3.7 The Lord revealeth his secrets to his Servants the Prophets hee sends a messenger unto them even his holy Spirit to acquaint them with what hee is doing and with what hee hath done so hee sent an Angel to Joseph to tell him that Herod was dead who sought the life of the young child Mat. 2.20 Obs 5 God hath his times of shutting and opening the mouths of his Prophets Thou shalt speak and bee no more dumbe after this time the Prophet was as a dumb man towards the Jews because they beleeved not his Prophesies entertained him not as a Prophet but sleighted mocked and scorned him for those unusual Passages of his which the Lord put him upon therefore the Lord took him off from being a Prophet unto them he had no more word for them the false Prophets went on still but the true Prophet is silenced mens sinnes do cause the Lord to stop the mouths of his Prophets their unbeleef unprofitablenesse perverse constructions they make of what is said and done by them their hearkening to lies errors and vain visions of false Prophets do discourage them and cause them to bee silent Thus Peoples untoward carriages made Jeremy resolve to bee silent and Preach no more in the Name of the Lord Jerem. 20.9 The Prophets then had and the Prophets now have great discouragements and cause enough to bee silent and God may cause them to bee as dumb unto them removing them into corners or taking them away the peoples sinnes rob them of spiritual mercies Ezek. 3.26 I will make thy Tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumbe and shalt not be to them a reprover for they are a rebellious house Their sinne deprived them of Prophesy and made the Prophet dumb Let us look to it that our sinnes deprive not us thereof and make our Prophets dumbe God may in justice make them dumb to us and open their mouths to others If you would still hear the Prophets speaking unto you let the Lord see you practising what they present unto you in his name yea let the Lord hear you praying for them and then see what is written and promised Isa 30.19 20 21. then your Teachers shall not bee removed into corners but your eyes shall see them and your ears shall hear them Obs 6 That Prophets when they are discouraged silenced and become signes unto the People they are to be patient waiting upon the Lord to make good what they have spoken in his name and for the opening of their mouths again Ezekiel was a sign unto them being silenced and discouraged hee was patient expecting that God should accomplish what hee had prophesyed and open his mouth again which hee did In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him that is escaped CHAP. XXV Vers 1 The word of the Lord came again unto me saying 2 Son of Man set thy face against the Ammonites and Prophesy against them 3 And say unto the Ammonites hear the word of the Lord God Thus saith the Lord God Because thou saidst Aha against my Sanctuary when it was prophaned and against the land of Israel when it was desolate and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity 4 Behold therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession and they shall set their Palaces in thee and make their dwellings in thee they shall eat thy fruit and they shall drink thy milke 5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for Camels and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks and yee shall know that I am the Lord. 6 For thus saith the Lord God because thou hast clapped thine

it his work to increase wealth Which is the practice of most Princes and people in the world Mens corrupt natures and carnall wisdome carrie them unto it Prov. 23.4 Labour not to bee rich cease from thine own wisdome Mens wisdome put them on to bee rich it heartens them thereunto but it is such wisdome as the Scripture condemnes The Arabian Proverb is Hoffing Historia orientali Non est justicia cum avaritia justice and covetousnesse dwell not together a just man covets not what is anothers but a covetous man will have the prey where-ever he findes it and violate bounds to satisfy his lusts Ahabs sicknesse was not cured till he had eaten Naboths vineyard and drunk his blood There is a story among the Arabians of one that had the world presented to him in the shape of an Old woman whom hee asked how many husbands shee had shee said innumerable the party asked what was become of them shee said shee had killed them all then it was replyed by the party I wonder that other men are so foolish that seeing how thou hast used thy former husbands they should still be in love with thee Obs 3 Prosperity makes men proud and insolent Thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches They begate great thoughts in him and swelled his heart above his brethren It s hard to keep the heart low in prosperity It s a common saying and too true as rises my good so rises my bloud Beggars having gotten estates account themselves Princes and Princes being rich think themselves gods When Amaziah prospered in his war against the Edomites his heart was lifted up and being but a thistle hee accounted himself a Cedar 2 Chron. 25. Prosperity begets Cedarish spirits Hos 13.6 They were filled and their heart was exalted when they had plenty then they grew proud and forgat God there is an aptnesse in men to dote upon the creature when they have much and to magnifye themselves This Agur knew when hee prayed that God would not give him riches lest he should bee full and deny God Men are ready to attribute their riches to their wisdome industry favour of their friends c. hereby they exclude and deny God they allow him no hand o interest therein they say who is the Lord that we should bee thankful unto him wee are not beholding at all to him or very little thus they deny and belye the Lord too s●heword Cathash signifies you that prosper in this world take heed to your hearts least being drunk with this wine you discover your nakednesse Vers 6 Therefore thus saith the Lord God because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God 7 Behold Therefore I will bring strangers upon thee Here the Lord tells the Prince of Tyrus what hee must look for at his hands for his sinnes especially his Pride because hee magnified himself and would be as God therefore hee must expect destruction Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God The Hebrew is Hast given thine heart as the heart of God Thou hast given liberty to thy heart to think high and great things yea to think thy self equall with God hee thought the infinite glorious great God had not other thoughts in him or vaster than himself and this was setting his heart as the heart of God 7 I will bring strangers upon thee That is Nebuchadnezzar with his Forces gathered up out of several Provinces Ezek. 26.7 they were men of a strange language of strange manners and out of strange Countries they were strangers to the Tyrians The terrible of the Nations The word for terrible is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aritze which Montanus renders robustos the strong The Vulgar robustissimos the most mighty Vatab. Tyrannos gentium the Tyrants of the Nations French Les plus hideux the most hideous Septuagint saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pestilentes pestilent men that should bee as a Plague or pestilence is to a Town or Country Ours the terrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aratz signifies fortem violentum se exhibere through power to bee formidable to others so should the Chaldaeans be to the Tyrians They shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdome By Beauty of wisdome understand what ever beautiful things the Prince had gotten by his wisdom as beautiful shipping beautiful Army beautiful treasure and riches a beautiful City a beautiful throne c. The Chaldaeans should come and destroy all the beauty of his wisdom all that by his policy and craft hee had gotten Or thus thou thinkest by thy Counsells art and devices to prevent the taking of the City and thy selfe which couldst thou do it would make thy wisdome beautiful and glorious but they shall draw their swords and prevail against all thy counsels machinations plots and attempts to secure the City and thy self They shall defile thy brightness Thou art now in a glorious Kingdome and shinest upon thy seat and throne all the Isles and Nations behold thy splendor but the Chaldaeans shall come and cut thee off and defile thy brightnesse with thine own bloud they shall take away thy kingly dignity and life also The French read the words Savilleront ton excellence 8 They shall bring thee down to the pit The word for Pit is Shachath which signifies corruption and also a Pit or grave because that is the place of corruption Men in their Graves do see corruption they turn to dust It s a Proverbial speech noting death Prov. 28.17 a man that doth violence to the bloud of any person shall flye to the Pit that is bee cut off and thrown into the grave so here the strangers should cut off the Prince of Tyrus and cause him to perish Thou shalt dye the death of them that are slain in the midst of the Seas Thou art in a City upon a rock well walled fortified and manned thou thinkest thy self secure invincible but thou shalt bee like those are slain at Sea and thrown over-board or sunk into the depths thereof For Kings to be slain by forreiners is dishonourable when slain not to be buried as Kings is a greater dishonour to bee cast out and drowned as common men is a height of dishonour 9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God Thou hast said thou art a God but when the enemies shall bee before thy gates when hee shall seize upon thee and bee ready to thrust thee through what wilt thou then say Wilt thou say thou art a God no thou wilt shew thy self a man thou wilt bee full of fears and at thy wits end Thou shalt be a man and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Then shall the vanity of thy thoughts appear thou shalt see thy self a man and not God thou hast thought thy self El the strong powerful and stable God but thou shalt find thy self Adam weaknesse misery instability 10 Thou shalt dye the deaths of the uncircumcised

King of Tyrus hee was a Sea mark to direct Kings and others who sit at the stern that they sail not that way hee did least they suffer shipwrack Thus God makes men serviceable after their death who were sinful and mischievous in their life time Obs 7 Sinful practises defile mens chiefest excellencies and glories and expose them to defilement Thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries by the iniquity of thy traffique Covetousnesse lying deceit violence pride luxury and such like sins attended their trading and these sinnes defiled the City the Court the Crown their Temples their worship and what ever was pretious unto them Sin is of a spreading nature defiling us and all wee have yea exposing all to ruine and destruction see Ezek. 5.11 the 7.24 the Jews defiled Gods Sanctuary with sin therefore God would expose them to be defiled by Heathens Obs 8 Mens own sins do breed their woes bring them into contemptible conditions and to utter destruction This Princes sinnes kindled the fire of Gods indignation in the midst of his City Palace and Sanctuaries and such a fire as devoured him and brought him to ashes Wood breeds the worms which eat it up Garments the moaths which consume them Men by their follies contract those distempers and diseases which rend them from the land of the living and enfranchise them among the dead It s the sin of a Nation that tears out the bowels of it and laies all the pleasant things therein waste It s Princes sinnes which shakes the Crown from their heads their injustice Tyranny covetousnesse prophanenesse throws them out of their Thrones leads them with scorn and causeth the Lord to pour his indignation upon them There is no Nation City or family roasted in the fire of divine dreadful judgements but themselves do bring the same upon themselves Israel destroyed her self Hos 13.9 that was by her Calves and idolatrous worship Ireland hath destroyed it self by her treachery and bloody doings and search into it you shall finde that Scotland hath destroyed it self by its own iniquities So Worcester by its own acts hath brought woes upon it self c. Many are brought to ashes at this time to bondage base and contemptible conditions because they fed upon ashes made lies their refuge doing dishonourable things Isa 26.11 the fire of their enemies shall devour them their sins were the material fire that they brought c. Obs 9 Gods judgements upon wicked Princes and places oft are such as that they become matter of astonishment and terror to others All that know thee among the People shall bee astonished at thee thou shalt be a terror Whosoever should hear what God had done to Tyrus and the Prince thereof should bee amazed thereat and tremble chap. 26.15 hee is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psalm 76.12 and makes them terrours to others Vers 20 Again The word of the Lord came unto me saying 21 Son of Man set thy face against Zidon and prophesy against it 22 And say thus saith the Lord God behold I am against thee O Zidon and I will bee glorified in the midst of thee and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgements in her and shall bee sanctified in her 23 For I will send into her pestilence and blood into her streets and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side and they shall know that I am the Lord. In these words you have a Prophesy against Zidon which is the third general part of the Chapter the authority of it is in the 20. v. and the Prophets Commission in the 21. v. the Prophesy it self in the 22. and 23. where destruction is threatned to Zidon by Pestilence and Sword and the Ends of Gods judgements declared 21 Set thy face against Zidon The word for to set notes a setting on purpose not carelesly Arte cura studio Vilalp but composedly intensively Amos 9.4 I will set mine eies upon them for evil and not for good Though formerly I have seriously and purposely set my self to do them good yet now I will with as much seriousnesse and resolvednesse set mine eies upon them or against them for evil I will look sowrely upon them So the Prophet must fix his face upon Zidon and look severely sutable to the judgement he had to threaten against it Zidon Of Zidon was spoken chap. 27.8 it was seated at the foot of Mount Libanus and terminated the bounds of Canaan in the North-west Justin saith it was built by the Phenicians and called Sidon from the multitude of fishes were there-abouts for they call a fish Zidon It was a rich and potent City having its King for Ethbaal the father of that wicked woman Jezabel was King of the Zidonians 1 King 16.31 They were idolaters for Ashtoreth was the goddess of the Zidonians De Diis Syris Syntag 2.6.2 1 Kin. 11.5 and Selden judges those four hundred Prophets of the groves which did eat at Jezabels Table to be the Prophets of this goddesse These Zidonians were for their manners and wickednesse like to the Tyrians no better than Thornes and Bryars unto the Jews and hence Ezekiel is commanded to Prophesy against them as Jeremy was Chapter 25.15.22 22 Behold I am against thee Some read the words thus Behold I come to thee not to shew thee kindnesse not to protect or comfort thee but I come to punish to destroy thee The words may also bee read Behold I am above thee or over thee thou art strong wise wealthy secure but I am above thee and thou canst not escape my hands But to take the words as here they are I am against thee thou hast mee thy enemy hitherto I have been thy friend caused thee to grow great and prosper but now I am against thee it s not men or Angels but I the Lord of all in heaven and earth that have the command of all creatures in my hand that shake the foundations of the earth and lay waste Kingdomes Cities at my pleasure even I am against thee And I will be glorified in the midst of thee Montanus reads the word glorified actively I will glorifye my self in the midst of thee thou hast dishonoured me by thy sins given mine honour unto Idols but now I will punish thee severely for what thou hast done and so vindicate my name make thee know that I am a God differing from thy false Gods and goddesses The Septuagint reads the word passively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so wee and many others I will be glorified and the sense is this I am against Zidon I will fight her get the victory over her by executing my judgements upon her and so I shall bee glorified by all that see my hand upon her God is glorified when hee punisheth evill doers and cuts them off Exod. 14.4 I will bee honoured upon Pharaoh and all his host v. 17. upon his Charets and his Horsemen and