God he could say I am an earthen vessell if there be heavenly treasure in it hee that sate upon the Throne put it in for mine own part I am the Son of man like all the children of Adam and if there be any difference hee made it and if there be any glory hee shall have it so Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly then they all that seems a derogating speech but hee corrects himself for it yet not I but the grace of God that was with mee 3. To let Ezekiel and others see the rich bounty and goodnesse of God in that he would take a Son of man who is earth frail and worthlesse and exalt him to so high and honourable a condition and specially at such a time as this was when God was wroth with his inheritance laid them waste had brought them into Babylon and was stripping them naked of all comforts yet now to give them a Prophet to call out Ezekiel this could not but put his spirit and all their spirits into admiration of Gods goodnesse Stand upon thy feet Here is the Command of Christ Ezekiel I see thou art a frail man stricken with great feare and canst not indure my glory and presence stand up this is not for thy hurt but good I appeare not to confound thee but to comfort thee not to cast thee down but to exalt thee Stantis est div norum auditio non resu pini Apollin Why doth the Lord command standing 1. It 's a fitter posture for hearing then lying on the ground was Stand that thou mayest recover thy spirits and heare the better what I shall say unto thee so the Angel bid Daniel stand upright Dan. 10.11 Oracles are for standers not prostrate ones therefore when Balaam came with the Oracles of God to Balak he said Rise up Balak and heare Numb 23.18 shew thou reverence and respect to the Word of God for Kings were wont to stand when messengers from God were brought unto them so Eglon rose out of his seat when Ehud told him hee had a message from God unto him Jud. 3.20 Eusebius tels us of Constantine the great Nefas esse institutis de Deo disputationibus negligentes aures praebere Euseb de vita Constant that hee did heare the Word standing and being requested to rest himself in his royall throne which was set there for that purpose hee refused and being pressed after long time of hearing to sit down with a sterne countenance hee answered It were a great sin in me not to heare attentively when God is spoken of 2. To shew that all mundane things should be beneath us when wee deal with God wee must not lie down and imbrace them but stand up and have them under our feet Jerome saith the Saints stand and tread all down Sanctorum est stare but sinners they fall and imbrace the earth and furniture of it Rev. 12.1 the Church hath the Moon under her feet all sublunary things are under the Saints feet not in their hearts or over their heads 3. That he might be in a posture for service Ephes 6.14 Stand having your loynes girt prostration on the earth is no posture for imployment but standing is and the Lord Christ would not have his so affected with his greatnesse and glory so reverentiall as to be hindred or disabled from his service holy reverence doth not make idle or inept to service Stand on thy feet therefore saith Christ and be in a readinesse to execute what I command The words being opened now take the Observations Observ 1. That the Lord Christ is full of bowels and comspassions Ezekiel was fallen down upon his face the glory of the Vision and greatnesse of him that sate upon the Throne had conquered and fell'd this our Prophet to the earth and there hee lay as a man wounded and without strength but Christ leaves him not in this condition but speaks and that kindly to him Son of man stand upon thy feet he is affected with his infirmity sensible of his fears and troubles the man that fell among thieves going from Jerusalem to Jericho being plundred and wounded found no pity from the Priest and Levite but much from the good Samaritane when he saw him hee had compassion on him he went to him bound up his wounds put in oyle and wine set him upon his own beast was content to go on foot by him brought him to an Inn and took care of him and paid for his cure Luke 10.33 34 35. This Samaritane was Christ who pitied Adam and in him man-kinde that went from Jerusalem the state of perfection to Jericho a state of change for as Chemnit observes Jericho signifies the Moon and so a changeable condition the Priest and Levite notes the Law with all its additaments they passed by and never reached or healed the wounded soul of man but Christ the Samatitane with the grace of the Gospel and blood of the Covenant with that oyle and wine cured man brought him upon his own shoulders to the Church to Jerusalem again and there took care for him we have not a legall high Priest which is without bowels and can do little for us but we have an Euangelicall high Priest full of bowells and mercy such an one as is touched with our infirmities Heb. 4.15 which should incourage us with boldnesse to come unto his Throne which is a Throne of Grace compassion 2. That those are humble and smitten down with sense of their own vilenesse weaknesse or worthlesnesse through the sight of glory and greatnesse Christ quickly raises to comfort again our Prophet was down in the end of the former Chapter and in the beginning of this he is up again The humbling from the sight of God his glory and greatnesse is the most effectuall humbling and the most speedy effectuall and sweetest comfort doth follow it Job after he had seen God and humbled himself thereupon his captivity is turned his comforts multiplied Job 24.5 6.10.12 So Isaiah being humbled upon the sight of glory presently a Seraphim comforts him touches his lips with a coal from the Altar and saith Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin is purged Daniel was humbled for his own sins the sins of his forefathers and the afflictions of the Church Dan. 9. and the Lord sent Gabriel to comfort him who told him hee was a man greatly beloved and that he came to give him skill and understanding verse 22.23 God doth not humble and throw down his to leave them but reaches out a hand to raise them 3. That man carries about him principles of humiliation he is the Son of man the son of the earth Isa 31.3 The Egyptians are men and not God Adam velo el they are weak and worthlesse things and so are not only Egyptians but Israelites all men and so have no cause to be puffed up at all but great cause to be humbled Job call'd corruption his father and
of the Lords house that Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon took away from this place and carryed them to Babylon And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the sonne of Jehoiakim King of Judah with all the captives of Judah that went into Babylon Here is a false Prophet contradicts all that Jeremiah had spoken touching the seventy yeers captivity The false Prophets likewise in Babylon they were at work and they strengthen the hands of the false Prophets at Jerusalem by their doctrine Jer. 29.8 9. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Let not your Prophets and your Diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you neither hearken to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed for they prophecy falsly unto you in my name I have not sent them saith the Lord. And in the 24 25 26 27 28. verses of the same Chapter you shall find that Shemaiah the Nehelamite sent Letters from Babylon to all the Priests and to all the people that were at Jerusalem accusing Jeremiah for a mad man for making himself a Prophet for sending Letters to them in Babylon for lengthening out the captivity to seventy yeers for incouraging them to build houses to plant gardens to eat the fruit of them he would have Jeremiah imprisoned and set in the stocks Thus Jeremiah was accused cryed down at home and abroad his prophecy was sleighted scorned by many and most were troubled at what Jeremiah had prophecied This made such work both at Jerusalem and at Babylon that the people of God were much despondent and their enemies mightily insultive Now hereupon the Lord stirreth up Ezekiel powreth out his Spirit upon him calleth him forth to prophecy setteth him a work to justifie Jeremiah and to ratifie what he had fore-told concerning the Babylonish captivity threatning ruine to the City and Temple to Kingdome and King to their Nobles Priests and all the people Hereupon saith Josephus the prophecy of Ezekiel as soon as ever it was written I conceive he meaneth not the whole Prophecy but some part of it was sent to Jerusalem but little fruit came of it For Zedekiah being then King and having seen it he would neither believe Jeremy nor Ezekiel but presently concludes that both were lyers and false Prophets and that upon this ground Jeremiah had said Chap. 21.7 that Zedekiah should be carryed captive into Babylon and Ezekiel denyed that he should see Babylon Chapt. 12.13 Hereupon saith Zedekiah they were both false here is a contradiction the one saith I shall be carryed into Babylon the other saith I shall not see Babylon But God quickly made this good 2 King 25.7 for shortly after Nebuchadnezzar came besieged Jerusalem took Zedekiah captive put out both his eyes bound him with fetters of brass carried him to Babylon which he never saw From hence by the way you may observe first upon what sleight and weak grounds Princes and people will cast off prophecies and truths of God even upon mistakes and misapprehensions Zedekiah could not apprehend what truths there were in these two prophecies had he compared one thing with another hee might easily have seen truth but small matters will make Princes and people turn off the truths of God especially when they are not sutable to their own spirits and in these dayes people can without much ado turn off any truths Ministers bring if they be not sutable to their apprehensions and fancies 2. That God will make good the word of his Ministers and Prophets though they seem contradictory to mens fancies and sense Jeremiah saith that Zedekiah shall go into Babylon and Ezekiel saith he shall not see Babylon God makes it good notwithstanding the prophecy is thrown away The word of God shall take hold upon Princes Nobles people and slay them if they have despised and stood out against it But from this generall scope of Ezekiels prophecy that hee is sent to strengthen and justifie Jeremy take this observation That it is good for Ministers to strengthen the doctrine works hands and hearts one of another A Prophet is questioned trod under foot his prophecy thrown out as false an Ezekiel is stirred up to justifie a Jeremy When Ministers justifie one another the work goes on with more strength when there is a double witness to a truth it will seal it more strongly to the heart God gave foure Euangelists one had been a great mercy but that things might be ratified in your hearts sealed up in your consciences you have foure Euangelists each one strengtheneth the doctrine and things of another So the consent of Ministers and Prophets is a great matter to ratifie truths in the hearts and consciences of people and to establish the Church It is good therefore for an Ezekiel to strengthen a Jeremy 2. More specially the scope of the Prophet is to comfort the captives that were then in Babylon for they began now to be troubled that they had hearkened to Jeremiah yeelded to the King of Babylon because Jeremy had prophecied that Jerusalem should be destroyed the Temple burnt and that all should be laid waste whereas Jerusalem stood still and now five yeers were gone and nothing done unto the City or Temple for it was in the fifth yeere of Jehoiachins captivity that Ezekiel began his Prophecie They now began to be discouraged that they had left their habitations that they had hearkned to Ieremy so far as to come to Babylon they were likewise disheartened in Babylon they met with much hardship there being put upon building planting sowing and other difficulties yea the Babylonians themselves scoffed at them and said Sing us one of your songs of Sion This made them to droop and to wish O that we were at Ierusalem again that we had never hearkened to Ieremy The Iewes also at Ierusalem reproched them and they said they were men of cowardly and base spirits discouraged with the words of a timerous and lying Prophet one Ieremy and thereupon yeelding themselves into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar they wretchedly betrayed the City Religion and their Countrey these things went to the very bowels and reins of the godly and did greatly disturb them Hereupon the Lord to support their spirits to comfort them in these their distresses and to be an Ezekiel even the strength of God unto them stirreth up Ezekiel sets him on work Lastly the scope of the Prophet is the same with the rest of the Prophets viz. to lead unto Christ as you may see by reading Luke 24.44 Act. 3.18.21.24 They spake of Christ and led to him but it is more especially aimed at by this our Prophet who begins with the Law executed a Captivity but ends with a Temple and restauration by Christ thereby leading the people that were captives in Babylon to Christ the King of Ierusalem In Ephes 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you have this expression That he might gather together in one all things in Christ the word notes to summe up or
in pede ad quem pertinebat onus totius corporis quod per lincam rectam incumberet De Subtil they are called the strong men and Cant. 5.15 Christs legs are said to be as pillars of marble and Scaliger saith that mens firmnesse is in their feete on which the burden of the whole body directly depends Here then we have the firmnesse and constancy of Angels to goe on in Gods work no burthen can make them buckle no act no force can put them out of their way no wearinesse can make them sit still Angels will meet and stop Balaam and give him commands the Angel will have Lot out of Sodome The sole of their feet was like the sole of a Calves foot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As it were the sole of a round foot Quasi planta pedis rotundi pedes rotundos like a globe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cumt alaribus Horat. Ad omnen occasionem nutum Dei. so the Hebrew signifieth both round and a Calf that is fat and hath round feet smooth round and movable to carry any way the Septuagint hath it winged feet Mercury the Poets god was painted with shoes which had wings This sets out unto us both the swiftnesse of Angels of which before and also their usefulnesse to move any way to do service in any part of the world like a Bowle or Globe is equally disposed for motion into any of the four quarters of the world so are the Angels ready to move any way upon every occasion and hint from heaven man cannot do so one man is fit for one service not for all one is fit for counsell another for war a third for Sea a fourth for Land c. They sparkled like the colour of burnished brasse Steel or Brasse being polished or burnished shines very beautifull and sends out eye-dazling beams such as have much glory in them and by this colour of their feet we are led into these observations Obser 1. That the Angels are unpolluted in all their ministrations they contract no filth no soile to their feet when they are in motion they are pure spirits act purely and abide most pure their feet are like polished not polluted burnished not blemished brasse and so hold forth to us an example of purity in our ministrations that wee should be conversant in them so as to be unblemished 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up holy hands c. 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of persons ought yee to be in all manner of holy conversation here it 's answered like Angels 2. That the works of God by Angels or men done rightly with a streight foot that is done according to Gods will have much glory and efficacy in them they shine like the polished brasse there is their glory and sparkle there is their efficacy When the Angel destroyed Senacharibs host what glory and efficacy was in that work When the Angel came to Manoah and went up from him in a flame of fire how glorious was this sight how efficacious was the work in the heart of Manoah John preached the truth with a right foot and without delay when call'd to it and hee was a burning and a shining light Joh. 5.35 Herod found him so Mark 6.20 He feared John knowing hee was a just and holy man the glory of his justice and holinesse shines into his head and the power of them affected his heart hee knew hee feared actions done according to Gods will hold forth much of God in them 1 Cor. 14.24 If an unbeliever come in and heare them prophecy that is according to the minde of God carry the action as becomes the Church and the presence of God he is convinced and almost converted and saith God is in you of a truth hee sees so much glory feels so much power that hee can contain no longer c. Isa 52.7 Their feet are beautifull to your eyes and their actions are efficacious in your hearts Gods will is the Standard and measure of all actions and when they are done according to it they are very glorious and beautifull 3. That they are cheerfull in the wayes and works of God they go not dully about their service their feet do shine they have more delight in doing one act of Gods will then wee have in doing all the naturall acts of our lives you shall finde them in a sweet posture and frame alwayes Rev. 4.9 they give glory honour and thanks to God and Rev. 5. they are brought in singing and singing a new song which notes their cheerefulnesse and intention of it so in Luke 2. ver 13 14. Angels are the Quiristers of heaven they make heaven heavenly The last part they are described by is their hands VERS 8. They had the hands of a man under their wings SOme would make sixteen hands to each living creature or face but that 's not likely we finde no number set down and therefore will be content to leave that undisputed whether two four eight or sixteen Hands they had and hands of a man and that under their wings on their four sides The hand notes action Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findest to do do it with thy might So Prov. 3.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist 3. de anima The Philosopher calls it the Instrument of Instruments and saith God hath given to man two speciall Organs to the body the hand to the soul reason and look what use reason is of to the soul the hand is of the like use unto the body yea soul reason body are all beholden to the hand for the service that it doth the great things in families Cities Kingdomes are done by the hand Scalig. faith Scal. exercit 256. Nature hath armed man with three things Reason Speech Hands Reason is the hand of the understanding Speech the hand of Reason and Hand the Executresse of Speech that doth the commands all things would be as dead if the hand did not quicken them by the spirit and motion of art Obser 1. That Angels are fit for service they have hands and hands are not made in vain they are for work where there are no hands no power strength or way to put forth that power there is no fitnesse for service but Angels have power and wayes to execute that power they have hands not for ornament but for action 2. That Angels do their works rationally they have the hands of a man look as men do manage the works of their hands judiciously and wisely so do Angels there is nothing defective superfluous perverse rash indiscreet or culpable in their ministrations they know all circumstances and misse not in any how wisely did the Angel manage the businesse with Mary Luke 1.28 hee salutes her shee feares In the 30. verse hee comforts her and tels her shee should conceive and have such a son as never woman had and when she doubted of it ver 34. How shall this be seeing I know not man ver 35. the
not intrude into those things which we have not seen vainly puft up with our fleshly minds but be content to be ignorant of their natures and many of their actions and excellencies till we come to glory Now from their parts we come to their motions and it 's said Vers 9 They turned not when they went they went every one streight forward Vers 12. And they went every one streight forward whither the spirit was to go they went and they turned not when they went Vers 14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning They turned not when they went Which way soever they moved they turned neither face wings nor bodies but went streight forward there was no digression regression wandring no circulation but their motion was streight they moved in linea recta they move and move not impertinently but directly By this motion of Angels is set out Gods government in the world they are his agents our Prophet seemes to crosse himself in ver 14. it 's said they ran and returned and ver 17. they returned not when they went here in this 9th they turned not when they went this knot must be loosed or else our Prophet will suffer The Solution of this doubt is that the Angels being in their work appointed of God went on without turning or looking back til they came to the issue and end of it til they came to the place appointed and then they returned unto God to give account of their service and to receive new instructions They went not back after the work was begun but after it was ended what ever difficulties interposed in the way none of them could drive back or divert the Angels till their work was done and then they presently returned Obser 1. That the works of God in ordering the things of the world are streight Angels are as Gods hands and in them is the agency of his work and they go streight on and there be no windings no turnings in their operations the works of God seem crooked to us but there is nothing crooked in them A Carpenter that builds a house hath some pieces of timber long some short some bowing some streight of all which hee builds a goodly house but some rude ignorant fellow understands not the reason of that diversity and when the work is done there is nothing seen defective but all is streight and perfect so in the works of providence and divine dispensations in the world they seem crooked and therefore some have called providence crooked and winding but no such thing is in them Psal 18.30 His wayes are perfect Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect take the work of creation providence redemption they be without obliquity deformity or defect but men are not so and the reason is given for all his wayes are judgement that is all his administrations all his doings are judicious right and equall 2. That Angels persist in and carry on their work they are constant and persevere Constantia est in proposito perseverantia in opere Charles the 5th his Motto was Plus ultra Faelicitatis index ultimus dies Solon they turn not back they give not over but proceed to the end they are not slothfull weary unfaithfull but active lively holding on to the end This may be usefull to our thoughts Angels go on and lively in their work shall we be lazy they persevere shall wee draw back or turn aside Lots wife looked back and she was turned into a pillar of Salt Gen. 19.26 she looked to the things behind which was unwarrantable and God did severely punish her shee had part of Sodomes judgements which were brimstone salt and burning Deut. 29.23 And she was made a pillar of salt to season after-ages with the feare not only of backsliding but also of back-looking Josephus saith hee saw this pillar in his dayes Antiq. l. 1. c. 12 which was neer two thousand yeers after but Borchardus that liv'd some 300. yeeres since saith it was in his dayes Adrichomius saith it 's yet extant and the Targum hath it that it will indure to the day of judgement Whether this materiall pillar be extant or not is doubtfull Christ hath set up a spirituall pillar that will endure to the end to make us faithfull to the end Remember Lots wife Luke 17.32 Look back and die go on in the wayes and commands of God and live It was the reproach of the Israelites that they would have gone back to Egypt and they died for it in the wildernesse Matth. 10. Hee that endures to the end shall be saved and Luke 9.62 No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the kingdome of heaven A man plowing if he look back endangers the Oxen which plow and must needs make crooked furrowes and mar all so one that hath begun to plow in Gods field if he look back he is unfit for heaven Exod. 17.12 Moses hands were steady till the going down of the Sun and so must ours till the Sun set till our lives end Gal. 4.9 How turne yee againe to weake and beggerly Elements Gal. 5.7 Yee did run well It 's dangerous when either of these come in against a people but the godly have a promise Jer. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee 3. That they keepe close to the work in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They fetched no compasse to what is injoyn'd they divert neither one way nor other as they give not over so they turne not aside upon any pretence whatsoever but hasten to the execution of what is commanded how un-Angelicall are wee that have such roving spirits in all our imployments thoâ—gh we look not back yet we look aside God complains This people draw nigh with their lips but their heart is farre from mee they are in my house and in my work but their hearts are in neither they look towards me as if they were my people but their hearts look another way as if they were worldlings hypocrites like Watermen they rowe one way and look another Ezek. 33.31 With their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse wee are too guiltie of this evill our hearts are seldome at home What 's said of the Harlots feete Pro. 7.11 They abide not in her house the same may be said of our hearts they abide not in the house When you walke abroad and keepe the path the Spaniel that is with you ranges over much ground and seldome is in the path so is it with our hearts we may be in the path of duties but our hearts ranging over the world heaven and hell Jam. 5.17 Elias prayed earnestly in the Originall it 's he prayed in prayer intimating a man may be at prayer in prayer and yet be a prayerlesse man not pray and that because the heart is not in it So in hearing you