the 26th to the end Some others put them all together and make them one Vision these being all parts of it Before I come to open this Vision or any parts thereof it will be needfull to shew you the scope of this Vision which will helpe us in the understanding of the same The scope of this Vision is to set forth the glory of God and this appeareth from the last verse of the Chapter where it is said This was the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord. The Spirit interprets all to be a manifestation of the glory of God This glory of God is evidenced two wayes 1. By his powerfull providence in the administration and ruling of all the creatures in the world For all creatures are under the command of God and he doth dispose of them for what services he pleaseth and not onely in the world but specially in the Church is his active providence preserving destroying as seemeth best in his owne eyes so that nothing is done there rashly or without his will nothing otherwise sooner or later then he hath decreed all creatures actions events come under his will rule and power 2. By a representation of Jesus Christ the Judge and Governour of this world who is the brightnesse of the glory of God and the expresse image of his Person and this from the 22. verse to the end of the Chapter as the other is from the 4. verse to the 22. This glory of God is presented to Ezekiel in this Vision for these ends 1. To breed in him an high reverence of divine Majestie The sight of great and glorious things doe awaken our dull heavie sensuall spirits naturally we are indifferent to the things of God and unlesse something transcendent and glorious be presented to us like Gallio we care little for other things therefore in Exod. 19.16 when the people saw the lightning and heard the thunder when God came downe upon the Mount in that glorious manner this awakened them and bred an awfull reverence in them of divine Majestie All the people that were in the Campe trembled 2. To prepare and fit him for entertainment of what God should speake unto him We are not alwayes in a frame to heare God speake there are great distempers in our spirits you have all experience enough of the truth of this therefore it is said Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God Be still let not your spirit be in a rage taken up with the world the cares feares pleasures and businesses of it be not parling with a lust but be still and know that I am God 3. It is to incourage him to his work and to frame his spirit to a ready execution thereof Ezekiel was to enter upon a heavie taske he was to deale with the stubborne Jewes a rebellious people He knew that Jeremiah had preached 35. yeares and other Prophets in times better then he was in and little or no good had been done upon this hard-hearted people Therefore lest Ezekiel should be discouraged that his heart might not faint but be quickned to the worke the Lord doth shew him his glory in these Hieroglyphicks his glory in these creatures his glory in his Sonne that so seeing the glory of God he might be warm'd oyl'd and incourag'd to run about this worke For the sight of glory is potent with a gracious heart to make it active for God We cannot says Peter and John in Act. 4.20 but speake the things which we have seene and heard Joh. 1.14 Mat. 17.1 2. Now they had seene his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God They had been in the mount seene Christ transfigured and his face shine as the Sunne And having seene his glory and heard his voice this incouraged them notwithstanding all difficulties to be active for him This was Gods way to appeare to his servants to incourage them to the worke he would set them about Exod. 3. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush To Joshua in a vision like a man with a sword in his hand Josh 5.13 2 King 6.17 Act. 10. To Elisha by horses and chariots of fire Peter being confirmed by a vision of a sheet let downe from heaven goes and preacheth to the Gentiles And Ezekiel here hath vision upon vision that so being strongly confirmed he might not feare the faces of Jewes or Babylonians but proceed with life and spirit about the worke he was sent Note The sight of Gods glory is very efficacious upon the spirits of men If God let out his glory it will worke strangely upon good and bad When they came to apprehend Christ saith he to them Joh. 18.6 I am he It is conceived that Christ let out some glimpse of his glory this did so astonish them that presently they recoyled and fell to the ground Isaiah when he saw the glory of the Lord Isa 6.5 6. he cryeth out Woe is me I am undone I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell among a people of uncleane lips And then God manifesting his glory so farre for his good that his lips were touched by an Angel Now Lord saith he here am I send me I am ready to goe though it be on a message of death though it be to root up Nations and Kingdomes So it was with Job I have heard of thee saith he by the hearing of the eare Job 42.5 6. but now mine eye seeth thee that is thy glory Wherefore I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes I will speake no more against God I will doe whatsoever thou shalt command or expect at my hands So Isa 40.5 6. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together And what then All flesh is as grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field There is no greater or more efficacious way to take off your hearts from the creature Videnti Deum omnis creatura est angusta then to behold the glory of God There was no man that ever saw the glory of God but he looked upon the creature as nothing afterward I looked and behold a whirlewind came out of the North c. In this Verse we have the first part of the vision and it is of a Tempest A whirlewind is a sudden wind which takes up what is obvious and carrieth it in a circular motion wheeling it about and hurling it here and there Theodoret calls it the blast of a storm the Septuagint a wind which takes away trees houses lesser things A Lapid and disperseth them Some have been eye-witnesses of whirlewinds in Italy which have taken away stabula cum equis stable with horses carried them up into the aire and dashed them against the mountains so mighty are these whirlewinds in some countreys Out of the North. The Northern winds are very piercing and if we respect the Prophet in this whirlewind it was to
smitten dumb Dan. 10.15 breathlesse verse 17. 5. To testifie two things first thankfulnesse for some mercy received or promised upon this ground Abraham fell on his face Gen. 17.23 when God appeared to him and told him that hee would make a covenant with him and multiply him exceedingly hee fell on his face to manifest as his humility so especially the gratefull frame of his spirit towards God for such a mercy 2. Reverence worship and respect unto divine Majesty falling upon the face notes so much in the language of Canaan 2 Chro. 20.18 Jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord and worshiped him so bowing in Psal 72.9 is to note reverence and worship They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust they shall come in to Christ and by bowing their faces to the ground and licking the dust of his feet shall testifie their reverence and subjection unto him so Isa 49.23 That which made our Prophet fall down on his face here was feare and amazement at the apprehension of the Majesty of Christ the great glory that appeared newnesse and dreadfulnesse of things in the Vision Observ 1. See what mischiefe sin hath done unto us it hath disabled us from partaking of our greatest good the sight of glory is the happinesse of the creature when Peter saw Christs transfiguration but dimly hee said O Master it 's good being here but sin hath made us incapable of the sight of glory Peter and the rest fell upon their faces and could not behold it as otherwise they might Cum magno moerore pensare considerare cum lachrymis debemus in quantam miscriam infirmitatem cecidimus qui ipsum bonum ferre non possumus ad quod videndum creati sumus Gregory in his 8th Hom. saith it 's matter of great mourning to consider wee are fallen into such an estate as that wee cannot behold what would make us happy wee cannot indure that good that glory which God created us to behold yea such weaknesse hath sin brought us to that wee cannot bear the sight of the appearance of the likenesse of glory They are weake eyes that cannot indure the Sun-beams they more weake that cannot indure the light which is more remote from the brightnesse and glory of the Sun and so here man cannot indure the glory of the Lord nor the likenesse of it nor the appearance of the likenesse 2. That the sight of glory is an humbling thing when the Prophet saw the appearance of the glory of the Lord hee falls upon his face then hee is conscious of his own weaknesse and worthlesnesse then hee trembles and sees the great disproportion between Majesty and nothingnesse Isa 40.5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it and then followes all flesh is grasse glory will convince us that wee are but grasse it 's not hearing will do it at least not so effectually seeing and seeing of glory doth humble mightily seeing of miserie causeth grief mine eye affecteth mine heart but seeing of glory causeth godly sorrow Job 42.5 6. Now mine eyes seeth thee Nisi aliquid de aeternitate in mente videremus nunquam in facie nostra poenitendo caderemus Gre. I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes when hee saw the Lord and his glory then hee abhorred himself his own righteousnesse all his confidences duties and what ever the heart and wit of man catcheth hold of and repented and said What am I unto God the great the glorious God he is so infinitely glorious and distanced from mee that I am no better then dust and ashes Isaiah and worthy to be buried under them out of his sight and so Isaiah when he saw the glory of the Lord then was hee sensible of his own vilenesse and cryes out Wo is mee I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips though a Prophet yet a man of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts he had heard the Seraphims cry Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory but this wrought not so powerfully as the sight of his glory now hee saw his sin what a great and soul sinner he was and therefore saith he Wo is me c. 3. That those be throughly humbled with the sense of their own vilenesse and weakness are fittest to hear divine truths and to receive divine mysteries Ezekiel falls on his face and then heares a voyce so was it with Daniel flesh and blood is apt to be lifted up to trust in something of its own men look at and like their own parts their graces some confidence or other we are apt to catch hold of but we must let all go below in our own eyes if we will be fit auditors of Christ we must fall down at the feet of his Throne if wee will heare him speak from his Throne Jam. 4.6 he giveth grace to the humble they finde the choycest favours at his hands Moses a meek man yea the meekest of all living and God shewed himself the most to him and so to him as not to others Numb 12.8 He spake to him mouth to mouth Deut. 34.10 There arose not a Prophet in Israel like to Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Isa 66.2 And I heard a voyce of one that spake This is the second effect following his sight of the glory of God hee first falls upon his face and then hears a voyce this was the voyce of him that sate upon the Throne and was so glorious that the Prophet could not behold him it was not the voyce of the heavens Psal 19.3 nor of the thunder Psal 29.3 but of Christ and the voyce of Christ is taken in the Scripture First for an extraordinary voyce having extraordinary power with it Joh. 5.28 those that are in the grave shall heare his voyce that is the power of his voyce shall fetch them out of their graves Secondly for the doctrine of Christ Joh. 10.27 My sheep heare my voyce that is my Doctrine they do not hear Christ immediately speaking but they heare his Gospel his Ministers opening it unto them Thirdly for the speech of Christ speaking unto others Act. 9.4 I heard a voyce saying Saul Saul c. such is the voyce here Christ speaking himself unto Ezekiel This Vision and Voyce was First to affect the Prophet that hee might be humbled awakened quickned up and prepared to the work the Lord Christ intended him Secondly to confirm him 1. In his call to his Ministery hee was to be a Prophet to this people in a strange Land and therefore hath an extraordinary call to it Christ from heaven appeares 2. In the truth of his Prophecie hee should utter nothing but what he had from Christ the author of all truth hee would put words
the more bitter were the Jewes against that way and that was antecedent to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus 6. He makes that people base and contemptible in the eyes of others they lose their honour and glory they were the head whilest God was with them but they became the tail when hee was against them Observ 3. That the Lord will be known by executing of judgements he will not smite in secret in a corner of the Land or City but in the midst of them and so as his judgements should come abroad be seen and heard of the nations the Jewes thought God like themselves Psal 50.21 because hee was silent they felt him not a revenger and therefore would make him a partaker in their sins God would vindicate himself and execute judgement in the midst of them the Gentiles were blind deeming judgements to be casuall but God would so deal with Jerusalem inflict such punishment as that they should see and say they were not accidentall but from the God of heaven so that here the equity and greatnesse of judgements are held out they sinn'd and grievously in the midst of the nations and are punished accordingly in the sight of the nations This was an addition to the Jewes misery that their enemies should be witnesses of what they suffered Ad Scapul c. 3. Tertul. tels of Claudius Hermianus who persecuted the Christians bitterly Nemo sciat ne gaudeant Christiani and the rather because his wife was turned to that sect as hee call'd it he being smitten with the just hand of God said Keep it secret lest the Christians rejoyce VER 9 10. And I will do in thee that which I have not done and whereunto I will not do any more the like because of all thine abominations 10. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee and the sons shall eat their fathers and I will execute judgements in thee and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds THese verses contain further aggravations of Jerusalems miseries The 9th verse tels you they should be such the world had not seen nor should see the 10th verse specifies some particulars The 9th verse extends to the time past and to the time future and falls into examination whether true in either part First I will do in thee that which I have not done had not God dealt severely with the old world with Sodom and Gomorrah with the Egyptians who◠〈◊〉 drowned yes he had but their sins being not so grievous as the Jews their judgements were not so great the sorest was that of Sodom and Lam. 4.6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater then the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment it was a sharp but short punishment Jerusalem had severity and length of time therefore it 's added verse 9th That they be slain with the sword are better then they are slain with hunger their judgement is easie But was not the siege of Samaria as sad a judgement as this executed against Jerusalem 2 King 6.28 29. there the women eat their own children and suffered great distresse through famine Answ The women eat their children but it came not to that extremity as that the fathers should eat their sons and the sons the fathers as here it was And Secondly that was not taken as Jerusalem was and burnt many put to the sword many carried into captivity This part of the verse you see cleared that respects the time to come is more difficult I will not do any more the like Did God do his utmost now did he not do as much or more against Jerusalem and its inhabitants for putting Christ to death When Titus besieged Jerusalem did they not eat their children one another die with famine did not the plague and sword destroy ran not their blood down the streets out at the gates and affected their very enemies came not the wrath of God upon them to the utmost 1 Thes 2.16 and said not the Lord Christ Matth. 24.21 that there should be at that time such tribulation as was not from the beginning of the world nor ever should be how then is it truth in our Prophet that God saith I will not do any more the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The Hebrew word for no more doth not alwayes signifie perpetuity but sometime a long tract of time or a considerable space 2 King 6.23 the heads of Syria came no more into the land of Israel that was for a certain time they did not but yet afterward they came again as appears in the next verse so Isa 2.4 Nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more it 's spoken of Christs time and for some yeers there was quietnesse in the world but after the Gospell spread wars were learned and practised again one place more in Gen. 46.29 Joseph fell on his fathers neck and wept on it a good while it 's the same word so then God would not do so any more that is for a good while a long season for that age and generation 2. We do not find that ever there was such a hand of God upon a people that the fathers should eat their sons in an open visible way and the sons the fathers as there it was The Scripture mentions not the like again scarcely any story in the world and in this particular it may exceed all that ever God had done or would do God never would do Chemohu like that again No such president should be after it and so that they should be scattered into all parts of the world 3. Some Interpreters conceive the words that which I have not done and whereunto I will do no more the like to be an usuall phrase amongst the Hebrewes to set out the greatnesse of the judgement Because of all thine abominations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word signifies a hatefull thing such as is loathsome and dangerous The Septuagint do frequently render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a thing so detestable as Propter foeditatem nemo non aversatur a wickednesse of which ne-fari liceat it 's so offensive unsavory the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abominari signifies such a thing as a man omibus sensibus abhorreth that a man indures not patiently to heare see or speak of it points out notorious sins of all kinds I shall name some unto you the counterfeiting of the sexes men by wearing the womens and women the mens apparell this was an abomination unto the Lord Deut. 22.5 incestuous marriages Adulteries Sodomie Buggery Lev. 18.26 27. he had mentioned the sins and then calls them abominations falshood in weights and measures Deut. 25.14 15 16. Idolatry as 1 Pet. 4.3 Abominable Idolatries and so odious are Idols that they are call'd abominations 2 Chron. 15.8 Asa put away the abominable Idols the Hebrew
within shee was all glorious within so if Christs Throne the outside of it be so glorious what is hee in the Throne all glorious all glory Joh. 1.14 Wee beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten If Apostles saw glory in him being on earth in his low condition what did our Prophet see in him being above the firmament in his Throne and glorious condition The Scriptures set him out not only to be glorious but glory Psal 24.8 King of glory Jam. 2.1 Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory in respect of persons The word Lord in the second place is not in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but thus it stands there have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the glory so that Christ is glory and the glory the glory of heaven the glory of the world the glory of Sion the glory of the soul and not only is Christ glorious and glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but hee is Heb. 1.3 the brightnesse of glory that is spotlesse perfect intense exceeding glory hee is the brightnesse of the glory of the Father or the Fathers glory shines out most brightly and intensly in the Son the Fathers glory in the whole creation is but darknesse to his glory in Christ and therefore he is brightnesse of glory and every thing that comes from Christ hath some beames of glory in it his works are called glorious Luke 13.17 they rejoyced for all the glorious things done by him the liberty he purchased is glorious liberty Rom. 8.21 his Church is glorious Ephes 5.27 his Gospel is glorious 1 Tim. 1.11 6. That Christs Throne must not be of common stone but precious ones of Saphires the pavement of God was of stones or bricks of Saphire Exod. 24.10 and Christs throne must be of Saphires the Church is Christs Throne visible and conspicuous as the heavens Jerem. 3.17 Jerusalem is called the throne of the Lord and the Churches under the Gospel are the throne of Christ hee sits in the Congregations and bears rule in them Rev. 2.13 I know where thou dwellest where Satans seat or throne is there was a congregation of persecutors Idolaters and unclean parties for such sinners are mentioned in the 13. and 14. verses and this company was the seat and throne of Satan many congregations are thrones of iniquity and shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee Psal 94.20 But godly congregations are the Seat and Throne of Christ Now as the conscience which is the invisible seat of Christ must be pure 1 Tim. 3.9 holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience so must the visible Seat of Christ be pure the congregation where hee will sit and reigne therefore the promise is Isa 54.11 12. that the state of the Church under the Gospel shall be better then it was under the Law there all stones were laid in the building but here should be a difference made God wll lay stones with faire colours Saphires Agats Carbuncles and pleasant stones and that it 's meant of Gospel-times and Churches the words following in the 13. verse shew All thy children shall be taught of the Lord which Christ applies to these times Joh. 6.45 So then the Churches now are to be of Saphires such as have a heavenly vertue and purity in them not of Sand-stones Tode-stones or any High-way-stones they are fitter to make Satan a seat then Christ a Throne 1 Pet. 2.5 they are called lively stones not dead stones that have no true grace in them but lively ones they must be that make a house a throne for Christ Stones that it may be a solid building lively that it may be a usefull profitable building and Saphire that it may be a pure and glorious building 7. Judiciary power is put into the hand of Christ not only as God but as man there was the appearance of a man above upon the Throne there sate the Sonne of man Acts 23.3 and sitting upon the Throne imports power and power judiciall therefore when Christ tels his Disciples of sitting upon the twelve thrones hee tells them also of judging the twelve tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 and that Christ had such power and that as Sonne of man appeares Joh. 5.27 The father hath given the Son authority to execute judgement because hee is the Son of man verse 22. hee hath committed all judgement to the Son both judgement of actions things and persons Acts 17.31 God will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man hee hath ordained the last judgement shall be by Christ even that great judgement So particular judgements here as now Christ sate in judgement upon Jerusalem and sentenced them to death and captivity And because judgement is opus potestatis an act of power therefore Christ himself tels us that all power in heaven and earth is given unto him Mat. 28.18 8. The Lord Christ actually ruleth the world and all things in it hee sits upon the Throne and exerciseth his power and authority 1 King 2.12 There sate Solomon upon the throne of David his Father that is hee ruled the kingdome and all the affaires of it so Christ sitting upon the Throne presents to us his active ruling the Prophet might see hee held the globe of the world in his hand that hee raised tempests out of the North sent abroad the four living creatures in the severall parts of the world that hee orders the wheels and causes them to stand or go at his pleasure the Lord Christ is not out of office or idle now in heaven though hee sits upon a Throne of glory at his Fathers right hand hee is not neglective of the world he upholds it by his power Heb. 1.3 hee sends out his Angels to minister unto his verse the last hee still gives gifts to men and provides for his Church Ephes 4. and makes the Word the favour of life or death to men hee restraines the wrath of enemies and hedges up their wayes hee makes use of them as rods to drive his stragling sheepe into the fold hee subdues hearts and spirits to himself and protects them being subdued hee discovers confounds the enemies plots and persons 9. The Lord Christ doth govern all with great tranquillity and with great facility hee sits upon the Throne and doth all that imployes quietnesse of mind A sedate temper there is no passion or perturbation in him hee is a Lion for his power a Lamb for his meeknesse hee rules by counsell and wisdome in much quietnesse Act. 17.31 he judgeth in righteousnesse and what hee doth is done without difficulty let him speak the word and presently it 's done if hee bid Nebuchadnezzar go and sack Jerusalem carry them away to Babylon hee goes hee accomplisheth his will fully 10. That Christ is ready ever to heare the causes and complaints of his Church he sits upon the Throne other Judges are of the Bench and Throne and parties agrieved
thorns some dung but it is the dung of beasts which being dried by the wind and Sun burns well and supplies the necessity of the needy but the dung of man for firing hath scarce been heard of this he should take and in the embers and ashes thereof bake his miscell any bread to set out the great scarcity of fuell both in their fiege and in their captivity this was a very irksome businesse for a Prophet to gather the dung of men to dry it make fires with it and prepare his diet with such unsavory fire and that in their sight not privately this did much trouble him but especially to eat such bread this sets out also the great haste and hunger they should be in they should not stay till the bread was baked in an Oven but presently hastened their dough to the fire though never so unwholsome Vers 13. Defiled bread Because in Lev. 19.19 they were forbid to fow their fields with mingled seed it hath been conceived thence that this was call'd defiled bread because of the mixture of grain wheat barley beans c. but mingling of seeds neither made the ground nor the bread polluted for he is not after bid to change the seeds but the dung it was that made it polluted bread the baking of it in so noysome a fire and this set out the course and polluted diet they should eat not only when they were besieged in Ierusalem but when they should be in Babylon Vers 14. I have not eaten of that which dieth of it self or is torn in pieces neither came there abominable flesh in my mouth Whosoever toucheth or eateth of these was unclean Lev. 11.39 40.22.8 Deut. 14.21 and so for their excrements the Lord is carefull they should not be defiled with them Deut. 23.10 11 12 13 14. Lev. 5.3.7.21 It doth not appeare any where in Scripture that bread prepared thus is defiled only here in the former verse God calls it so and the Jewes had tender delicate stomachs which did abhor all unclean things and therefore they used much washing and oft washed their hands before meat The strength of the Prophets argument lyeth thus Lord I have never eaten any abominable polluting flesh and how shall I now eat defiled bread I have ever kept my self from what thy Law hath forbidden and how shall I now defile my self with that which nature it self abhors Vers 15. Cowes dung for mans dung This was lesse terrible to nature this relaxation was of advantage to the Prophet not to the people for when the siege came they did more horrid and unnaturall things then eat bread bak'd in Cowes or mans dung as you may read Lam. 4.10 Vers 16. I will break the staffe of bread The staffe of bread is a metaphoricall expression borrowed from staves used by those are weak sickly and aged by their staves they help and support themselves such a staff is bread to the frail nature of man and man that hath it blessed unto him finds it as a staffe to stay up his fainting spirit This phrase imports two things First the vertue and nourishment comes by bread and hence it 's said to strengthen mans heart Psal 104.15 Secondly the bread it self there may be much bread and little vertue in it and contrary little bread and much vertue in it as in the Widows meal and oil 1 King 17.14 But when God will break the staffe of bread hee ever takes away the one if not the other the plenty of bread if not the vertue of it Lev. 20.26 When I have broken the staffe of the bread ten women shall bake their bread in one Oven and they shall deliver you their bread again by weight and yee shall eat and not be satisfied The Greek for breaking the staffe of bread renders it afflicting with penury of bread as breaking of bread Act. 2.46 notes plenty and communicating of food so breaking the staffe of bread implies want and scarcity Psal 105.16 He called for famine upon the land and brake the whole staffe of bread so that the land could not sustain them and Isa 3.1 The Lord of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staffe the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water God would take away the plenty and the vertue hee would not blesse either unto them hence it 's said Hos 4.10 They shall eat but not have enough not be satisfied Mich. 6.14 to drink and not be filled to cloath themselves and not to be warm Hag. 1.6 Some would here understand by breaking the staffe of bread to be meant only a deficiency not an insufficiency but I conceive God would take away both their bread and the blessing of that remain'd according to that in Deut. 28.17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store God would take away panem nutrientem panis nutrimentum that the blessing being remov'd they might be weakned and the bread being remov'd they might be consum'd The word Makak signifies contabescere to pine away Vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a man in a consumption and not only so but foetere foetidum fieri to become noysome and loathsome and so it 's us'd Psal 38.5 My wounds stink and are corrupt so they should not only consume but grow loathsome and unsavory as it 's usuall with those are almost famished Observ 1. That Gods judgements upon a sinfull people are seldome single but one succeeds in the neck of another before the Prophet had been put upon a siege and now he must expresse a famine and mind them of eating polluted bread in another land In the 28. Deut. and 26. of Lev. God threatens judgement after judgement till he hath consum'd them it 's long before God begins to strike but when he once strikes he will go on and dispatch his work and make an end of an impenitent people and so recompence his slacknesse to punishment with severity and succession of judgements Amos 4. God had judgements which like fish-hooks should snatch them away cleannesse of teeth droughts blastings pestilence c. Ezek. 14. God hath sword famine pestilence and noysome beasts to send one after another and what one leaves the other shall devour God smote them with the sword in Ireland and hath not the famine followed it we are under the edge of the one and shall be I feare under the teeth of the other 2. That a famine upon any is a distressing judgement if God send it upon Jerusalem they shall find it very heavie when David was put to that hard choyce 2 Sam. 24. hee would not have the sword or famine to come upon him or his Curtius reports of Alexander Lib. 6. that warring against the Bactrians hee and his were besieged with such a famine as they were forc'd to eat up their horses that carryed their necessaries when the Carthaginians besieged Saguntus in Spain they were brought to such miseries with a famine that they