Camels vers 5. I will stretch out my hand I will cut thee off I will cause thee to perish I will destroy thee vers 7. I will open the side of Moab vers 9. I will execute judgement vers 11. I will stretch out my hand I will make it desolate vers 13. and thrice more in the Chapter afterwards Men are backward to eye God when judgements come they will not see his hand the hands of men they see and feel and thereupon fret rage meditate revenge disquiet themselves plot mischief and attempt changes but did they see Gods hand laying vengeance upon them they would see also how justly hee had done it even for their sins and so humble themselves bee quiet submit and accept the punishment of their iniquities God hath laid his vengeance upon Nations near us and farther off they do not they will not see the Lord or his hand but they shall see and bee ashamed for their envy at his people whatever vengeance is upon any Nation it s the Lords vengeance not mans Obs 4 It s Gods method to plague and punish the wrongers by the wronged The Edomites dealt wretchedly cruelly against the house of Judah they were the wrongers the oppressours and what saith God I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel They were the wronged The Edomites thought the Jews should never bee able to get up again or trouble them but God had his time to make them instruments to plague and punish those had intreated them so ill Obad. 21. The Lord caused Saviours to come up upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau after the Babylonish Captivity the house of Jacob grew strong became terrible as fire and burnt the Edomites as stubble and straw Those they had despised and insulted over at last they suffered by Obs 5 When God imploies men to bee instruments of executing his judgements they are carried forth so far as hee pleaseth They shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury God had conceived great anger against them had much fury to let out therefore they should destroy man and beast make it desolate from one end or side of the country to the other Obs 6 The vengeance of God is an awakening and distinguishing thing they shall know my vengeance that I am a God of infinite power most holy and just differing from all the Gods of the Nations Vers 15 Thus saith the Lord God because the Philistines have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a despightful heart to destroy it for the old hatred 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines and I will cut off the Cherethims and destroy the remnant of the Sea coast 17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall lay my vengeance upon them These verses are a Prophesy against the Philistines where you may take notice of 1 Their sin they were revengeful v. 15. 2 Their punishment cutting off destruction v. 16. 3 The manner of Gods punishing them v. 17. with furious rebukes 4 The End of his punishments v. 17. they shall know that I am the Lord. 15 The Philistines They came out of the loines of Casluhim Mizraim and Ham Gen. 10.6 13 14. Their Country was Palestina which was West of Judaea and bordering upon the Sea it had five great Cities in it Ashdod Gaza Askelon Gath and Ekron 1 Sam. 6.17 each of which had its Lord Josh 13.3 The Sept. calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alienigenae men of another stock race nothing allyed to the Jews They owned not the God of Israel but had other gods Judg. 6.10 Dagon was a chief God of theirs Jud. 16.23 they had an house of gods 1 Chro. 10.10 poor and petty gods that were confined to and comprehended in an house These Philistims were men of war they had the Jews under their power eighteen years together Judg. 10.7 8. yea forty years together Judg. 13.1 in Samuels daies they slew thirty thousand footmen at once and took the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.10 11. they slew Saul and his three Sonnes in another Battle whereupon they came to possesse many Cities of the Israelites 1 Sam. 31. They were the greatest enemies the Jews had and more frequent warres were between them and the Jews than any other Have dealt by revenge The Hebrew is Pro facere in ultione for that thou hast had to do in revenge which is an act of an ulcerous mind repaying evil for evil The word Nakam revenge hath affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or kam insurgere for ultor in laesorem insurgit The revenger riseth up against him hath wronged him be the injury real or in imagination and satisfyeth himself for the same The Philistims as they had oft conquered and kept under the Jews so they had oft been conquered and held under by the Jews Sampson in his daies plagued and slew many of them Judg. 14 15 16. chapters So in Samuels and Jonathans times they suffered much 1 Sam. 7.13 and chap. 14. but David 2 Sam. 5. 8. 21. Chapters was the great Champion that subdued them Hezekiah also smote them 2 King 18.8 and Vzziah brake down the walls of their strong Cities and built Cities among the Philistines 2 Chron. 26.6 These acts of the Jews lodged in their hearts rankled begate malitious thoughts in them and made them from Generation to Generation to meditate revenge and having an opportunity upon the Babylonians comming to besiedge Jerusalem they fell in with them furnished them with men ammunition and what they could to destroy the Jews And have taken vengeance with a despightfull Heart The words in the Original run thus And have revenged a revenge with contempt in the minde They contemned and despised them in their hearts mindes and were glad they had an opportunity to be revenged on them The Heb. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by Avenarius divexatio flagellatio Piscator reads the words Exereuerunt ultionem ex animo depopulatione they did from their heart take vengeance on Jerusalem by depopulating it They were very spightful against them and used them summo ignominioso contemptu with the greatest scorn and spightfulnesse they could Matth. 5.44 Pray for them that despightfully use you the word for despightful use is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mars bellum because where there are despightful actions there is hostilis veluti bellicus insultus an hostile and warlike insulting over others and seeking their harm yea oft their ruine To destroy it for the old hatred Montanus turnes the Hebrew thus Ad corruptionem inimicitia seculi to destroy through the enmity of the age its like they had great enmity against the Jews at that time but in the margent hee hath it Inimicitiis perpetuis
peace and safety Politicians think it weaknessâ— foolishnesse to suffer for Religion They can change it at pleasure and fall in with that hath most pompe and applause in the world Upon this account many have fallen from Protestantisme to Popery and from Christianity to Turcisme To save their skins they have parted with their Religions Many men make use of Religion as Mariners of the winds meerly to serve their own ends If Religion once crosse them they can cast it off and fall in with those waies of worship do suit their humours and further their designes Like children that having been held in by their Parents bestow themselves upon any to obtain their own ends These Elders saw their Law and worship were differing from the religion of the state where they were and so exposed them to many inconveniences and dangers they would therefore bee of the state Religion outwardly at least complying with that serving wood and stone Obs 4 God sometimes disappoints the designes and expectations of men who intend and resolve to forsake him and provide for themselves by sinful and Idolatrous waies That which cometh into your mind shall not be at all You would be as the Heathens but it shall not be I will not only deny your desires but dash your designes you seek Heathens favour and shall meet with Heavens frowns and miss of your aimes you would be Babylonians have the protection and blessing of Babylonish Gods but my thoughts are cross to yours that is in my minde shall stand not what is in yours that happinesse you hope for in the waies and worship of Babylonians you shall not finde Men think by going out to the world by conforming to base vile superstition and Idolatrous practices to get much but God in his infinite wisdome and justice disappoints them as Demas and Judas Vers 33 As I live saith the Lord God surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you Having shewed the ingratitude and untoward carriage of this People in Egypt in the Wildernesse in Canaan and their resolution to cast off God in Babylon here begins the fourth general part of the chapter viz. a denunciation of judgement for their Hypocrisy and other sinnes together with promises of mercy extending to the 45. vers In the ver you have 1 God asserting his authority and power over this people who thought to cast him off I will rule over you 2 The manner of his ruling over them which is 1 With Power 2 With Fury 3 The ratification of both and that is by oath As I live saith the Lord. Touching this Oath of God much hath been spoken already in this and former chapters With a mighty hand The Hebrew is Bejad chazakah in or with a strong hand with a rigid hand saith Castalio By mighty hand here is not simply meant Gods power but his power in punishing so the plagues of Egypt were Gods strong and mighty hand God would punish them for their dealings and to that purpose it should bee visibly and openly and therefore it follows With a stretched out arm Sometimes the stretching out of Gods arm notes powerful and visible deliverance Psal 136.12 sometimes powerful and visible punishment as here In the inflicting of punishments men stretch out their hands and armes which here after the manner of men is given to God With fury poured out Of dealing in Fury accomplishing fury and pouring out fury See before chap. 8.18.5.13.9.8 Will I rule over you Ruling imports soveraignty authority and power over others Here the Genus by a Senecdoche is put for the species the whole work of ruling for punishing and the summe of the words is this you think by withdrawing from mee and my worship and by Babylonizing to secure your selves to escape danger and all punishment but know assuredly you are my subjects I will not suffer you so to revolt from mee I will put forth mine hand and mine arm my fury punishing you for your rebellions and idolatries so that will you nill you me shall you acknowledge to be your Lord and Soveraign Obs 1 It s a vain thing to think of getting from under the dominion of God and impossible to accomplish these Elders thought To withdraw from under the Laws and government of the God of Israel and put themselves under the Babylonish Gods and Babylonian government but what saith God I will rule over you take what course you please trans orm your selves into Heathenish manners disperse your selves into by-corners villages Towns Cities plant your selves in what Province soever of the King of Babylons use what policy you can to cast off my yoak yet I will rule over you for you cannot go from my presence nor from my power In the second Psalm the Great ones of the earth thought to exempt themselves from the government of God and Christ Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us but they were laughed to scorn and vexed for it v. 3 4 5. Obs 2 The untoward carriage of Gods people causes him to deal more sharpely with them Rebelliousnesse in them produceth rigidnesse in him Their treachery bred severity With a mighty hand and fury poured out will I rule over you They thought to run from under him and he held a stricter hand over them They would not willingly obey as Sonnes hee made them obey as servants When Servants runne from their Masters they bestir them fetch them back with power punish them severely for their fugitivenesse and hold them harder to it than ever so did the Lord by these and made them know that hee ruled in Babylon as well as in Sion and turned his golden Scepter into an Iron rod and put a yoak of Iron upon them This is that the Lord told them in Moses daies that if they walked contrary to him hee would walk contrary unto them and punish them seven times more that is rule over them with greater severity Levit. 26. he would make his little finger heavier than his loines had been before Obs 3 God will punish those that shake off his worship to follow false waies with visible irresistible punishments These Elders were upon terms of Apostatizing from the God of Israel about to leave his Tents and to betake themselves to the Babylonish Temples therefore the Lord swears hee will rule over them with a stretched out arm hee would visibly punish them and with Fury poured out they should no more bee able to withstand it than a man can a great rain or floud When subjects are upon rebelling and would fall in with some other this kindles his fury causes him to punish them openly and irresistibly Apostacy is a provoking sinne It s a reproach to God his truths and ordinances It s a violating of all former Promises and ingagements unto God its high ingratitude and rebellion against God it s a great scandal unto all the godly especially the weak
that which redounds to his honour and praise Laudabor propter meam erga vos misericordiam atque beneficentiam Piscator Gentes laudabunt me propter liberationem vestram Vatablus Cum omnes nationes viderint vos a me esse liberatos sanctum me justum que judicabunt quod facerim quod promiseram Maldon Glorificabor sanctus potens mirabilis predicabor Pradus So A Lapide Pintus Lavater and thus diverse interpreters take it in this place I will bring you out of Babylon into your own Countrey unite you into Church order give you another Temple with all the Ordinances of it sanctify you by my word and Spirit cause you to worship mee with pure worship bringing me the best you have for Sacrifices that so you may praise mee for my goodnesse unto you and the Nations for the great things done for you The Lords bringing them out of the countrys where they were scattered was a great work and filled the Heavens with admiration making them to say The Lord hath done great things for them Psalm 126.2 and the Jews also to say The Lord hath done great things for us v. 3. when the Jews were brought out of Egypt it s said Psa 114.2 Judah was his Sanctuary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sanctitatem ejus or Sanctificatio ejus and so the French read it Juda fut sa sainctete God separated them from the Egyptians as these from the Babylonians to inhabit their praises and to bee worshipped by them and so they were his Sanctuary and Sanctification God doth Sanctify himself when he doth vouchsafe a people manifestations of his goodnesse wisdome mercy love and faithfulnesse and God is sanctified when a people doth that is pleasing and acceptable to God Numb 20.12 Because ye beleeve not to sanctify mee in the eyes of the children of Israel unbeleef is a non sanctifying of God and beleeving is a sanctifying of him Obs 1 God accounts not Apostates and Idolaters but those are true Israelites to bee his people his Church for in mine holy mountain there shall all the house of Israel bee those were Rebels and would serve wood and stone that would not hearken unto him hee purged out and the house of Israel purged must bee in his holy mountain God esteems those who are Godly true Beleevers Israelites indeed to bee his There bee none but such in the invisible Church Rom. 11.26 Gal. 6.16 but in the visible there bee tares and wheat yet God doth not reckon the tares to bee wheat they are Satans not the Lords Mat. 13.38 there be goats and sheep yet the Lord reckons not the goats to bee sheep Matth. 25.33 Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy holy hill hee that walketh uprightly and worketh c. Obs 2 Where-ever Gods people are scattered hee will bring them and all of them into or unto Sion to serve him In mine holy Mountain c. There shall all the house of Israel all of them in the Land serve mee God would bring them out of Babylon into Canaan from Heathenish mountains to his holy Mountain from the World and Synagogues of Satan into the true Church Where-ever God hath any sheep hee will gather them and all of them into his fold These verses do speak and hold out Gods dealing with his People under Christ and the Gospel wherein God would bring them from all Nations to enjoy the great and good things provided for them of which the Evangelical Prophet Isay speaks at large chap. 60. so Zach. ch 8.20 21 22. and hereof spoke our Lord Jesus Christ when hee said John 10.16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice When the Prodigal was in a far Countrey did not the Lord order things so that hee returned to his fathers house when the sheep was strayed and lost did not the Lord seek it out and bring it home to the fold Luke 15. and did not Christ send out his Apostles into all Nations to gathet in those were given him of the Father Mat. 28.19 20. Obs 3 The Lord is to bee worshipped especially in Sion in his holy Mountain in the solemn assembly There shall all the house of Israel serve mee It s not sinful to worship God any where 1 Tim. 2.8 or alone Matth. 6.6 but chiefly in the Congregation it should bee where his worship is publikely held forth and with the harmoniousnesse of many spirits held up where strangers may come in and see yea say God is here 1 Cor. 14.25 For hee is in the assembly of the Saints Psalm 89.7 This made the Prophet say Isa 2.23 it shall come to pass in the last daies that the mountain of the Lords house shall bee established in the top of the Mountains and shall bee exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it and many people shall go and say Come yee and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and hee will teach us of his waies and wee will walk in his paths But in our daies this gracious prophesy hath been greatly crossed for many have said Come let us go from the Mountain of the Lord from the house of the God of Jacob Let us go to our own Mountaine follow our own Teachings and walk in our own paths but God hath made it evident that their mounts are mounts of Corruption their Teachings Delusions their paths crooked and cursed Let us therefore take the Apostles counsel Heb. 10 13 24 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is Nor let us meet as the manner of some is viz. to wickednesse Let us fulfill the Prophesy call upon one another to go up to the Mountain of the Lord c. And say he will teach us his waies and wee will walk in his paths Obs 4 In the Lords mountain in the Church God will shew favour and mercy to his people There will I accept them That is pardon approve of and receive them when wee come to serve the Lord after his own way in Gospel congregations meeting in this name of Christ to know the mind of God and glorify him God is the Master of such assemblies hee dispenseth many mercies and distributes sweetest comforts therein Isa 60.7 they shall come up wâ—th acceptance to mine Altar is spoken of the Gospel times men should come from several quarters to the Christian congregations with acceptance God would meet them there welcome them thither there hee would blesse them see Jer. 31.12 Isa 66.18 2 Cor. 6. as every Christian so every congregation is the Temple of the living God therefore hee told the Church of Corinth hee would dwell in them bee their God and father and they should bee his people his Sonnes and
Daughters God would accept of them as a Father doth of his Children take pleasure in them and let out choice mercies unto them When the Disciples were met Jesus came to them bestowed his peace and Spirit upon them John 20.19.21 22. and see what mercies they met with who served him in his Temple Rev. 7.15 16 17 18. Obs 5 Where the person is accepted of God there the Actions and Sacrifices of that person are acceptable also There I will accept them and there will I require their offerings In Sion God would accept the men and in Sion hee would accept their services If Persons or Congregations bee not accepted of God themselves nothing they do or tender is welcome unto him Gen. 4.5 but if the parties bee under Divine favour their presents and duties are grateful Isa 56.6 7. those that joyned themselves to the Lord and took hold of his Covenant Them saith the Lord Will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyfull in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their Sacrifices shall bee accepted upon mine Altar They being in Covenant with God and offering in Sion unto God he was pleased with them and their offerings Mal. 3.1 3 4. when Christ the messenger of the Covenant should come refine them and bee delighted in by them then should the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem bee pleasant unto the Lord. God is desirous of the prayers praises and almes of a good man who is reconciled unto him they are sweet odours unto him so they are callâ—d in the next vers I will accept you with your sweet savour or savour of rest when God hath these his spirit is at rest being in a manner troubled when hee hath them not Hence prayers of the Godly are likened to incense Psalm 141.2 their bounty to the odour of a sweet smell Phil. 4.18 and their praise is preferred before the sacrificing of an Oxe Psal 69.31 Obs 6 God must have the best tendred up to him in our Sacrâ—fices and Serviceâ— hee calâ—â— for and expects the best from his people I require the first fruits of their Oblations the chief principal and best you have in all your holy â—hings If God have lean lanke lame imperfect Sacrifices offered to him it s a dishonour and offends him Mal. 1.8 if ye offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the Lame and sick is it not evil yes it s very evil it s extreamly evil the interrogation it self portends so much and being a double interrogation doubles the evil What offer it to mee man woâ—ld not accept of such offerings go try Offer it now unto thy Governour that is brought unto mee Go tender it to him will hee bee pleased with thee or accept thy person no I know hee will not and if man sorry sinful man like thy self will not accept such things should I the great God do it God is so far from accepting and shewing favour in this kinde that hee poureth out a curse upon him that doth so ver 14. Cursed bee the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing men think if they do something in religion give God a Sacrifice though it be blind lame sickly they shall have a blessing but see how the Lord brands them they are deceivers and whom do they deceive not God but themselves for instead of a blessing they meet with a curse such dealings with God cause him even then when hee uses to bee most propitious to throw forth curses Suitable hereunto is that in Hos 8.13 They Sacrifice flesh for the Sacrifices of mine offerings and eat it but the Lord accepts them not now will hee remember their iniquity and visit their sins if they did bring the best they had yet they had no respect to God but to their own bellies Obs 7 When the Lord brings his People out of a scattered Captive condition into Church order hee expects they should set up all his Ordinances I will require your offerings and the first fruits of your Oblations with all your holy things Circumcision Passeover Sacrifices c. Their being in Babylon was a representation of the Churches condition under Antichrist and as then they being freed from the Babylonish Captivity fell into the waies of worship formerly given out so now Christians being brought out of spiritual Babylon should do the like Neither let any say those gifts are lost which the Churches once had c. Ezra 2.63 those Priests that were put from their places because their Names were not found in the Genealogies the Tirshatha or Governour said They should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a Priest with the Urim and with Thummim that was never They lost at the Babylonish captivity 1 The Ark with the Mercie Seat and Cherubims 2 The fire from heaven 3 Sheimoh or Divine presence 4 The Urim and Thummim 5 The Spirit of Prophesy These all were wanting in the Second Temple yet they did not forbear to set up and use the Ordinances of God which formerly were appointed Obs 8 The Lord doth those things for his People which makes him honourable amongst them and others I wil bee sanctified in you before the Heathen The mercy and kindnesse he shewed them in bringing them out of Babylon and restoring to them their former injoyments set them on work to praise the Lord and made the Heathens acknowledge that God was faithful to them in keeping his promise Vers 42 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into the land of Israel into the Countrey for the which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers 43 And there shall yee remember your waies and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and yee shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your evils that yee have committed 44 And yee shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my names sake not according to your wicked waies nor according to your corrupt doings O yee house of Israel saith the Lord God In these verses you have the event and sequel of the Lords gracious dealings with this People in bringing them out of their Captivity into their own land again which is 1 Experimental acknowledgement of God and his goodness unto them v. 42.44 2 Conâ—â—deraâ—ion of their former waies v. 43. 3 Humiliation and Repentance for them And ye shall know that I am the Lord. They knew the Lord by the works of creation by the Prophets by the severe judgements he had executed upon them but that knowledge had not affected their hearts and brought them to fear worship and serve the Lord answerably but now upon that great mercy of being delivered out of Babylon which seemed a thing unpossible to them Ezek. 37.11 and being brought into Canaan they should have such knowledge of God as should descend to their
When the Lord gathers up his People out of the world and brings them into near relation to himself into Canaan and Church order hee looks they should review their former waies and bee much affected with them and throughly repent for them There shall ye remember your waies and all your doings wherein c. When brought into Canaan they were not only to eat the milk and honey to behold the glory thereof but they were to remember daies of old their sinnes in Babylon compliances with Babylonians how they had polluted themselves and provoked the Lord and thereupon to mourn kindly for their unkindnesses to him who had shewed such marvellous loving kindnesse unto them When God brings men out of the World now into Sion gives them the Milk and Honey of the Gospel shews them the glory thereof then they look back wonder at their wickedness and loath themselves for it saying who is like unto us in sinne and wickedness and who is like unto our God in grace and goodnesse in pardon and forgivenesse Micah 7.18 when it shall please God to bring the Jews out of that Babylon they are now in unto the true Canaan the Church of Christ they will remember their iniquities their bitter and bloudy doings against Christ mourn and loath themselves for the same Zach. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 Obs 3 Where repentance springs from sense of Love and kindnesse as it is real and deep so its secret and universal they should being brought into Canaan not onely remember their sinnes but they should loath themselves bee displeased so with themselves that they should smite and abhorre themselves and that in their own sight and for all the evils they had committed when no eye saw them they would spread all their sinnes before them and in the sight and sense of them be vile in their own eyes Vers 44. And they shall know that I am the Lord. These words wee had in the 42. v. wherein they were opened and expounded of an experimental knowledge When I have wrought with you for my Names sake Of these words see vers 9.14.22 The Vulgar is Cum benefecero When I shall have done good to you The Hebrew is When I have done to you or With you for my Name sake That is when I have dealt graciously and mercifully with you out of my free grace and for the honour of my name Not according to your wicked waies Of wicked abominations was spoken chap. 8.9 of wicked counsel chap. 11.2 of Wicked way and waies chap. 13.22.18.23 Those are wicked waies which lead from God from truth from just honest and good things In such they had walked long but God would not deal with them according to the wickednesse of their waies Significat aliquid ad imum usque funditus perdere corrumpere depravare quocunque id fiat modo sine medio Nor according to your corrupt doings The word for Corrupt is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to Corrupt even to the bottome throughly and such were they they were not a Little corrupt but totally corrupted in their judgements wills affections words and actions they were like a corrupt spring that sends forth nothing but corrupt waters Ezek. 16.47 Thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy waies Obs 1 The Lord is gratious and merciful unto the Sonnes of men deserving ill at his hands hee deals with them upon the account of his grace not their deserts What did their wicked waies and corrupt doings deserve at his hands but that hee should have poured out his fury and accomplish his anger upon them as it is ch 7.8 but hee wrought with them for his Name sake that is out of his free grace and favour he spared them hee pardoned them hee delivered them out of Babylon and brought them into Canaan When God seeth nothing in the Creature to put him on to shew mercy hee findes enough in his own Name to provoke him thereunto you have it four times in this chapter thrice before and here that hee wrought for his Name sake whatever mercy this people had it was from Divine favour not their desert If it was free Grace brought the Jews out of Babylon into Canaan what is it but freenesse fulnesse and riches of grace to bring men out of the world into the heavenly Canaan Predestination Calling Justification and Glorification are acts of meer grace and favour Eph. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 3.24 ch 8.30 1 Pet. 5.10 All the Sonnes of men injoy here or expect hereafter is from the bounty favour and mercy of God Psalm 103.8 9 10 11 12. Luke 12.32 to attribute ought to our own wills or indeavours is to derogate from God and darken the glory of his name and free grace Obs 2 God doth therefore deal gratiously with sinners that they may know him experimentally Yee shal know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my Name sake c. God works and so works that hee makes the hearts of men affected with his works and to say Psal 86.8 Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy works none so full of Glory so full of grace and mercy none so influential and operative upon the heart It s Gods scope and aim in doing good so freely and fully as hee doth to make himself known to the hearts of his People that so they may bee knit to him provoke them to admire him and live more fully to him Vers 45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto mee saying 46 Son of Man set thy face towards the South and drop thy word toward the South and Prophesy against the Forrest of the South-field 47 And say to the forrest of the South Hear the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shal devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flaming flame shal not be quenched and all faces from the South to the North shal bee burnt therein 48 And all flesh shal see that I the Lord have kindled it it shal not be quenched These verses are the fifth general part of the chapter viz. a parabolical Declaration of the destruction of Judea and Jerusalem Some refer these words to the next Chapter and make the beginning of that at the 45. v. of this The 45. v. sets before us the Divine Authority of this Prophesy against the Jews that were yet in Canaan the Prophet received it from the Lord it came from God to him before it went out from him to men In this 45. v. wee have 1 The Compellation Son of man of which heretofore 2 A Command to declare and utter the word hee had received set thy face c. Set thy Face Of this Expression in Chapter 4. 3 7. ch 6.2 ch 13.17 Hac phrasi ostendit strenue precidandum ess◠ita ut nullis minis frangatur nec so
and ruling any more in Judah None of them shall ever come to kingly dignity Vntill he come whose right it is Hebrew is Ad bo asher lo hammishphat which Jun. renders thus Donec venerit is cujus est jus ipsum till hee come whose right it is Aecolamp Donec veniat ei qui judicet untill it come to him who may judge Vatab. Donec is veniat cui jure convenit till hee come to whom of right it belongs The sense is the Crown shall neither fit nor bee fastened to any head till hee come that hath the true right to it and that is neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Zerubbabel nor Aristobulus Alexander or Hyrcanus who assumed Kingly dignity to themselves in time of the Maccabees but Christ the Messiah who is the true heir and successor of David when hee comes hee shall raise up the Kingdome of Judah being miserably afflicted destitute and lost to the eye of the world he changing it into a spiritual Kingdome shall restore it to as high yea an higher glory than ever it had The crown here was reserved and laid up for the Lord Christ who was born King of the Jews Mat. 2.2 to whom the Angel told Mary that the Lord should give the Throne of his Father David and that hee should reign over the house of Jacob for ever and have an endlesse kingdome Luke 1.32 33. upon this account it was that Nathaniel called him the King of Israel John 1.49 and that Christ said The Father hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne John 5.22 The Father had appointed Christ to bee King and Ruler Micah 5.2 gave him power Isa 9.6 hee was to succeed David sit upon his Throne and kingdome to order the same vers 7. and his right thereunto both Matthew in his first Chapter and Luke in his third do clear up shewing how he descended from David And I will give it him Christ when hee comes shall not bee kept off from his right I will give it him and hee shall have the Crown it will fit his head and sit fast upon it though hee come in a mean and low way yet he shall be King and reign Obs 1 The Lord doth lay the glory of Crowns and Scepters in the dust when hee pleases I will overturn overturn overturn it There is no Crown so sure to any Mortals head no Kingdome so stable but the Lord can pluck away the Crown shake the Kingdom to peeces throw out the possessors and dispossesse their Heirs He pulled the Crown from Zedekiahs head he brake his Kingdome in peeces hee threw him out of his Throne deprived him and his Sonnes of ever inheriting more Sometimes the Lord doth suddainly overturn Empires and Kingdomes as Belshazzars by Darius the Median Dan. 5.30 31. Sometimes hee proceeds gradually and so hee did with the Kingdomes of Israel and Judah Hos 5.12 I will bee unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottennesse a Moth eats up a garment by degrees now it makes one hole in it and anon another so Rottennesse enters by degrees into a Tree first into one branch then another after into the body and root So God by degrees eat up wasted and consumed those Kingdomes But bee it suddainly or gradually hee overturns them when hee pleases God overturned the Persian Monarchy by the Goat which had the notable Horn Dan. 8.5 that was Alexander the Great King of Greece and when hee was grown very great ruled according to his will his Kingdome was broken divided to others and not to his posterity Dan. 11.3 4. the Lord pluckt up his Kingdome and quartered it among those were not his Heires The Lord made the Scepter depart from Egypt Zech. 10.11 hee cut off him held the Scepter from the house of Eden Amos 1.5 hee breakes the staves of the wicked and the Scepters of the Rulers Isa 14.5 Crowns Scepters Kingdomes he tumbles down and laies in the dust Obs 2 When God overturnes Crowns and Kingdomes hee keeps them in such a condition while hee pleases I will overturn overturn overturn and it shall bee no more untill he come whose right it is This was neer five hundred years for from Zedekiahs deposal to the birth of Christ were four hundred ninety and two years which was a long season for his crown and kingdome to lye in darknesse and a desolate condition Hosea told us long since that the children of Israel should abide many daies without a King and without a Prince ch 3 4. the Kingdom of Israel was overturned by the hand of God above one hundred years before the kingdome of Judah and lyes overturned to this day and so hath been above two thousand years in a sad dark distressed condition When Kingdomes Scepters and Thrones are once overturned they are not quickly raised up again Their sinnes were great which caused the Lord to overturn them and hee lets them lye under the punishment of their iniquity many daies and years When Kingdomes are down many struggle to lift them up again to their former dignity glory and greatnesse but it must not it cannot bee till the Lords time come till he please to put forth his hand and do it Obs 3 The Lord Christ the promised Messiah was the true King of Judah and Prince of Sion Vntill hee come whose right it is and I will give it him The Father had appointed him to bee King given him the Kingdome and made it known long before his comming in the flesh Hee was spoken of Gen. 49.10 Hee was the Shiloh the Prosperer unto whom the gathering of the People should bee hee gathered Jewes and Gentiles together Hee was spoken of Numb 24.17 There shall come a star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel So in Psalm 45.6 7. The Scepter of thy Kingdome is a right Scepter and God hath annointed thee See Isa 11.1 2. ch 42.1 2 3. Jer. 23.6 Ezek. 34.23 24. Dan. 7.14.27 Zach. 9.9 In these places and many other the Kingdome of Christ his right thereunto and the Fathers donation thâ—rof unto him are spoken of The Peoples hearts were towards him and they would have made him a King John 6.15 however hee appeared to the world the Apostles beheld glory and majesty in him John 1.14 2 Pet. 1.16 and Pilate writ over his head This is Jesus the King of the Jews Mâ—t. 27.37 Christ was not a contemptible person whatever men thought of him the Father designed him to bee a King gave him a Kingdome the Prophets foretold his Kingly dignity he was born a King dyed a King he lives and reigns at this day King of Sion and of all Saints Rev. 15.3 wee have no cause to bee ashamed of our King but ought to honour him as wee honour the Father seeing all judgement is committed to him Joh. 5.22 23. Obs 4 The wisdome and goodnesse of the Lord towards his that when hee tells them of the severest judgement hee mingles some mercy I will
overturn overturn overturn Overturn the Church overturn the State overturn them for a long time which was very sad and bitter yet even now when hee is in a full carriere of overturning hee tells them of the comming of Christ who should bee their King wear the Crown and raise up the Kingdome again This was great mercy in the depth of misery if they lost an earthly Kingdome they should have a spiritual one if they lost a prophane and temporal King they should have a King of Righteousnesse an eternal King It is the method of the Lord when hee is bringing in dreadful judgements upon his People that have provoked him bitterly to lay in something that may support and comfort those have served him faithfully Amos 9.8 9 10 11. Behold The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord There was mercy mingled with judgement so in the next vers For Lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sive yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth here again is mercy in the midst of judgement So again in the two next verses All the sinners of my People shall dye by the sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us and what then In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the days of old here is goodnesse with severity Obs 5 That how contrary soever Gods actings appear yet he will make good his promises hee is mindful of them and will be faithful The Lord had promised to set up his Sonne Christ to bee King in Sion the hill of his holinesse Psal 2.6 that the Government should bee upon his shoulder Isa 9.6 that hee would cause a branch of Righteousnesse to grow up unto David and hee shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the land Jer. 33.15 what likelihood was there that these things should bee when the Lord overturns the land plucks up all by the roots and laies all in a dead condition and that for many daies and years They might have thought and said surely This death of the Crown of Church and State will bee the death of all those and other Promises but it was not so though a sentence of death was upon the land upon the Jews yet the living God kept life in the Promises hee minded them and said I will give it to him hee shall have this land the Kingdome and the crown hee shall sit upon Sion reign and execute judgement The actings of God sometimes are such that to mans apprehensions they will make void the Promises of God Psal 77.7 8. saith Asaph will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his Promise fail for evermore Gods hand was heavy upon him his proceedings with him such as his soul was greatly afflicted questioned the truth of his Promises and was ready to despair but what saith hee in the tenth verse This was my infirmity There was no infirmity in God hee had not forgotten his Promise it was not out of his sight though out of Asaphs mans faith may fail him sometimes but Gods faithfulnesse never fails him Psalm 89.33 God will not suffer his faithfulnesse to fail Gods operations may have an aspect that way the Devils temptations and our unbeleeving hearts may not onely make us think so but perswade us it is so when as it cannot be so for the Lord will not suffer it hee will not make a lye in his Truth or faithfulnesse so the Hâ—brew is hee is a God cannot lye he is truth speaks truth and not one of his Promises can or shall fail which may afford strong Consolation unto all that are under any promise of God Vers 28 And thou Son of man prophesy and say Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach even say thou The sword the sword is drawn for the slaughter it is fourbished to consume because of the glittering 29 Whiles they see vanity unto thee whiles they divine a lye unto thee to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain of the wickâ—â—â— whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end In these verses and the rest to the end is contained the Prophesy against the Ammonites Two waies were spoken of in the 19 20 and 21. vers One leading to the Ammonites the other to the Jews Nebuchadnezzar using divinations to discover unto which of these he should go Divine Providence over-ruled the Divination so that he was to make his military expedition unto Jerusalem Hence least the Ammonites should bee secure and insult over the Jews whose judgements were now comming upon them The Lord commands the Prophet to denounce judgement yea the same judgement unto them In his Prophesy we have 1 The judgement which is the sword ver 28. 2 The Causes of it 1 Reproach ver 28. 2 Impiety and inhumanity ver 29. 3 The place where it shall be vers 30. 4 The Similitudes to which the judgement is likened vers 31. 5 The Event thereof vers 32. 6 The Ratification of the Prophesy ibid. Concerning the Ammonites The Hebrew is Ad filios Hammon To the children of Ammon These Ammonites came of the Jewish Race for they were from Lot and his younger daughter Gen. 19.38 who being with child by him named her Sonne Ben-Ammi who was the Father of the Ammonites and for Lots sake who was the root of them the Lord shewed them kindnesse long after Deut. 2.19 when the Jews came into Canaan they must not distresse them nor meddle with them the Ammonites land was given to the children of Lot for a possession and so the Moabites vers 9. had their land upon that account but the Ammonites though descended from the Jews were bitter enemies to them and made war against them Judg. 11.4 1 Samuel 11.1 2. 2 Chronicles 20.1 They were notorious Idolaters they had Molech and Milchom among them 1 King 11.7 2 King 23.13 They were cruel and bloody Amos 1.13 Concerning their Reproach Some would have the words taken passively here for the reproach they suffred from the Chaldaeans but they are rather to be taken Actively for the Reproach which the Ammonites put upon the Jews So Vatablus understands the words and other interpreters A lapide affirms Opprobrium sive ignominiam Ammonitarum vocat quo Israelem affecerant that the Ammonites upbraided the Jews and their God as weak and unwarlike because Nebuchadnezzar was comming to them and durst not meddle with the Ammonites It s certain the Ammonites bare the Jews no good will and were glad of opportunities to vent that ancient
imagined against us by wicked ones let us make use of this Scripture and comfort our selves therein not breaking out into bitternesse and passion Obs 3 Reproaching and reviling Gods people when they are in affliction draws judgement upon the Reproachers and Revilers The Ammonites reproached the Jews when the Babylonish sword came upon them and here the Prophet must tell them the sword is drawn fourbished for slaughter and consumption of them Reproach in this kinde is a provoking sinne Gods Name Truths Ordinances suffer when his People are reproached for his correcting hand upon them for their iniquities Jer. 48.26 27. Make yee Moab drunken that is let the cup of Gods wrath bee given him let him have judgement after judgement drink so deep of divine fury that he shall not bee able to stand and why was this hee magnified himself against the Lord hee derided Israel verse 27. hee magnified himself against their border Zeph. 2.8 and this is called magnifying himself against the Lord for what is done against his People and their borders is done against him and Moab must be made drunk for it yea Moab also shall wallow in his vomit he also shall be in derision he shall be derided scorned in his misery as a drunken man who lys wallowing in his vomit Moab for reproaching should be reâ—roached yea grievously afflicted yea utterly destroyed Zeph. 2.8 9 Both Moab and Ammon reviled reproached the Jews and magnifyed themselves against their border Therefore as I live saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall bee as Sodome and the Children of Ammon as Gomorrah even the breeding of nettles and saltpits and a perpetual desolation The meaning is not that they should bee consumed by fire from heaven as Sodome and Gomorrah were but they should suffer extream and severe judgements at the hands of the Lord and be perpetually desolate as they were 29 Whiles they see vanity unto thee whiles they divine a lye unto thee The Hebrew is Bachazoth lack shane bicksom lack cazab In seeing to thy self a vain thing in divining to thy self a lye The Septuag runs to that purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In thy vision for vanity and in thy prophesying a lye to thy self The Ammonites like other Nations had their false Prophets Diviners and Soothsayers as you may clearly see from Jerem. 27.3 where the Prophet under the type of bonds and yoaks put upon his neck prophesyeth the subjection of the Nations unto Nebuchadnezzar and among others the Ammonites and verse 9. hee forbids them to hearken to their Prophets Diviners Dreamers Inchanters Sorcerers which told them they should not serve the King of Babylon They held them a sleep by telling them either Nebuchadnez would not come to them or if he did they were a strong people had strong Cities and needed not to fear any enemy But they saw vanity and divined a lye unto them and this is the sense of the words both according to the Hebrew and our translation To bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain Their false Prophets and Diviners put them on to insult over and trample upon the Jews when they were slain by the Chaldaeans assuring them of safety Or thus To give thee to the necks of them that are slain so the Hebrew may bee rendred and then the meaning is thy false Prophets and Diviners by their vanities and lyes do subject thee to the sword of Nebuchadnezzar and make way for thy destruction like the Jews Of the wicked whose day is come These words of the wicked are joyned with the former in the Hebrew El Tzauvere challe reshaim To the necks of the slain of the wicked and so is the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Translations and Expositors do joyn them and they may refer either to the slain or slayers noting their wickednesse some do refer them to the one some to the other In Hebraeo non est Syntaxis convenientiae ita ut intelligeâ—di sint confossi improbi sed rectâ—onis ut intel igantur conâ—ossi ab improbis Piscat Piscator by wicked understands the Chaldaeans and reads the words thus Eorum qui ab improbis confossi sunt upon the necks of them who are slain by the wicked Whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end The day of the Jews that was come wherein Gods judgements should cut them off and put an end to their iniquity of these words see ver 25. Obs 1 When the Lord threatens sinful Nations with sore judgements they have those amongst them which divert them from the truth possesse them with delusions and put them upon destructive practises The Ammonites were threatned here with the Babylonish sword but they neither beleeved Ezekiel nor Jeremy who told them the same thing chap. 27. Their false Prophets their Diviners beat them off from it possessed them with vanities and lyes put them upon insulting over the Jews when the hand of the Lord was most heavy upon them and so brought them to suffer by the same sword the Jews did It s just with God to give men and Nations over to beleeve lies and lying Prophets which shall lead them to destruction when they have stopt their ears against the true Prophets Ahab would not beleeve Micaiah but the false Prophets who spake words according to his minde but they were vanity lies and he smarted for it 1 Kin. 22. Obs 2 Though the Lord forbear sinful Nations long yet hee hath his daies and times of reckoning with and punishing of them the Jews day was come and their iniquity had an end The Ammonites day came and their iniquity had an end God punished them severely for their sinnes Ezek. 25. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were forborn long but God had his time for them Jer. 27.7 All Nations shall serve him and his Sonne and his Sonnes Sonne untill the very time of his land come then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him Babylon and its King had a time to sinne and a time to suffer God staid many daies yet had his day and came at the day appointed Jer. 50.31 ch 51.13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters abundant in treasures thine end is come and the measure of thy covetousnesse Babylon was insatiably covetous robbing the Nations of their riches but all her wealth could not purchase one daies respit from the wrath of God nor all her waters preserve her from the fire of his indignation the fire God sent in his day burnt up their habitations and lickt up the water of Euphrates whereon Babylon sate God bare long with us and the Nations about us but his day is come hee is visiting wee they have had our times of sinning and now must have our times of suffâ—ring Vers 30 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created in the land of thy nativity 31 And I will pour out
wrath and for reproach Many Nations since the fall of man for their sins are defunct extinct and buried in the darknesse of oblivion Obs 5 Judgements come not upon Nations without the Lord but because the Lord hath appointed them The Ammonitish Nation must bee fuel for the fire no more remembred and why For I the Lord have spoken I that am faithful and will not falsity my word I that am able and can inflict what is threatned I have spoken decreed and appointed such things and they must come to pass CHAP. XXII Vers 1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto mee saying 2 Now thou son of man wilt thou judge wilt thou judge the bloudy City yea thou shalt shew her all her Abominations 3 Then say thou Thus saith the Lord God the City shedeth bloud in the midst of it that her time may come and maketh Idols against her self to defile her self 4 Thou art become guilty in thy bloud that thou hast shed and hast defiled thy self in thine idols which thou hast made and thou hast caused thy daies to draw neer and art come even unto thy years therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen and a mocking to all Countries 5 Those that bee near and those that bee far from thee shall mock thee which art infamous and much vexed 6 Behold the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their power to shed bloud 7 In thee have they set light by Father and mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger in thee have they vexed the Fatherlesse and the widow 8 Thou hast despised mine holy things and prophaned my Sabbaths 9 In thee are men that carry tales to shed bloud and in thee they eat upon the mountains in the midst of thee they commit lewdness 10 In thee they have discovered their fathers nakednesse in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution 11 And one hath committed Abomination with his Neighbours wife and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in Law and another in thee hath humbled his sister his fathers daughter 12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed bloud thou hast taken usury and increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbour by extortion and hast forgotten mee saith the Lord God IN this 22 Chapter you have three messages of the Lord to the Prophet The 1 Is from the beginning to the 17. vers wherein a large Catalogue of Jerusalems sins are set down with intermixture and addition of some threatnings and judgements 2 Is from the 17. vers to the 23. wherein is declared what the house of Israel is likened unto and what the Lord will do with it 3 Is from the 23. to the end wherein is laid forth the general corruption of all sorts both Prophets Priests Princes and people with certainty of their destruction 1 Moreover the word of the Lord c. Prophets stir not till God stirres them after God speaks to them they may speak to others God hath more still to communicate unto Prophets notwithstanding he hath communicated much Moreover the word c. besides all delivered this I have had from the Lord. 2 Wilt thou judge Wilt thou judge the bloudy City The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shaphat signifies to judge and because in judging two parties are to bee dealt withall one wronging the other wronged hence the word notes sometimes to plead for to defend sometimes to sentence and punish In this place the former of these is most suitable Son of man wilt thou excuse defend and plead for this City I tell thee its a bloudy City a City that hath wronged me and must not bee pleaded for Of these words were spoken before ch 20.4 If wee read them as Montanus Aecolampadius and some others do thus wilt thou not judge wilt thou not judge the bloudy City that is wilt thou not reprove and tell it throughly of its iniquities what wilt thou faint give over and winke at the wickednesse thou seest is it not a part of thy prophetical office to lift up thy voice like a trumpet and to tell my People of their transgressions remember thine office connive not at their sinnes but cry out against them In this sense it affords this note That Propheticall men are oft discouraged ready to cease from their work and need to bee roused and quickned thereunto by the Lord. The bloudy City The Hebrew is The City of blouds Jerusalem which is so called because shee had shed much innocent bloud and was become very cruel Jer. 19.4 yee have filled this place with the bloud of Innocents and 2 King 21.16 Manasses shed so much innocent bloud therein that hee filled Jerusalem from one end to the other therewith yea so bloudy was Jerusalem that she filled the land with bloud and bloudy crimes Ezek 7.23 ch 9.9 and how bloudy this City was appears in the 3 4 6 9. vers of this chapter Obs The sinnes of a City and Nation may bee such that God will not have his Prophets to plead or intercede for them but to cry out against them Sonne of Man wilt thou judge wilt thou judge the bloudy City I know thou art very charitable and ready to speak for them but the City is so bloudy and full of Abominations that I will not have thee to appear or move for them but thou must set their sinnes in order before them and thunder out my judgements against them When there is a fulnesse of sinne so that its universal in all sorts sinners are grown impudent and obstinate then the Lord stops his ears and the mouths of his Prophets hee will have no pleading for such a people This was the case of Jerusalem sinne had spread it self through all rankes of people as you shall finde in this Chapter and her Children were impudent and hard hearted Ezekiel 3. verse 7. 3 The City sheddeth bloud in the midst of it that her time may come Jerusalem shed bloud in the midst of her self so is the Hebr. That is publice impune sine timore publikely fearlesly freely against law and light of nature without all shame That her time may come She fills up the measure of her sinnes that so the time of her destruction may make haste And maketh Idols against her self In the former words was a violation of the second table and in these is a violation of the first Of the word gillulim Idols or dung-hill Gods hath been spoken in former Chapters The Septuagint hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 devices Jerusalem devised Idols and waies of worship shee fetched in the gods of other Nations and devised some of her own but they were against her self shee thought they made for her but they tended to her destruction 4 Thou art become guilty in thy bloud that thou hast shed The word for guilty is ashamt and the Original asham signifies to do wickedly shamefully Jerusalem in shedding
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 râ—câ—es friends Jerusalem thought shee had wherewith to keâ—p ff all jâ—â—gements or sufficient to inable her to wrastle with th m â—f they came Can thine heart indure can thine hâ—nds bee stroâ—g Jerusalem thought so had confidence that way else the Lord would not have put these questions to her Ezek â—6 15 Thou didst trust in thy beauty in thy wealth in â—hy â—als in thy Souldiers in thy Counsellors in thy Temple in thy mountaines which were thy beauty In Jeremies daiâ—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 thâ— 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
Jerusalem Jer. 4.6 7 9 13. Jerem. 52.4 Zeph. 1.14 15. The ten Tribes not hearkning to the Prophets and Seers but proceeding in their wicked waies 2 King 17.12 13. found the Lord had a day to send Salmanaser who spoiled the Land besiedged Samaria three years and carried them away Captive into Assyria which was the verifying of Isaiahs prophesy against them chap. 17.4 In that day it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean The glory and fat of Jacob were their Princes Counsellors Souldiers wealth and strong holds which the Assyrian deprived them of and made Jacob thin and lean God had his day to visit Egypt by shaking his hand over it Isa 19.16 The Lord had his day to make Tyre forgotten seventy years according to the daies of one King Isa 23.15 about that time which Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem hee also took Tyre and the great merchandizing of it was interrupted seventy years so long as the Jews were in Babylon which Isaiah calls the daies of one King The daies of Kings and so other men who lived at ease were usually counted seventy years or thus according to the daies of one Kingdome that is the daies of the Babylonian Kingdome from the time of taking Tyre for seventy years after that Kingdome ceased and Darius the Median took it Dan. 5.31 Obs 4 When a land and people retain their filthinesse and rest uncleansed after mercies judgements and means used to do them good God doth not onely with-hold mercy but deny hope of mercy Judea was the land uncleansed and shee should have no rain in the day of Indignation Her sinnes kept back the rain in a litteral sense Jer. 3.2 3. and cut off the hope of rain in a metaphorical sense Zeph. 1.17 18. I will bring distresse upon men that they shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord They shall see nothing tending to their comfort but all working against them for it follows Their bloud shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shall bee able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy Gold and silver will do much but nothing in the day of wrath Prov. 11.4 that place in Isa 8.21 22. is observable They shall passe through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to pass when they shall bee hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upwards and they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darknesse c. When Senacherib or Nebuchadnezzar should invade the Land the Famine should bee so great and the men of Judea so hungry that they should fret and curse their King their God The one because he prevented not their misery the other because he delivered them not out of it and they should look up to heaven down to the Church and find help from neither nor hope of mercy any where trouble darknesse anguish were before them and they should bee driven to them they disgrace the true Prophets vers 18. they listened to false Prophets and Lyars ver 19. they tryed not them and their doctrin by the Law and Testimonies ver 20. therefore God brought evil upon them yea such evil as they were helpless and hopeless Vers 25 Thero is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring Lyon ravening the prey they have devoured souls they have taken the treasure and pretious things they have made her many widows in the midst thereof In this vers and the 28. you have the sins of the Prophets expressed which defiled the land and made it to bee called the land uncleansed and they are 1 Conspiracy 2 Cruelty like roaring lyons c. 3 Murther and that of soules they have devoured c. 4 Covetousness they have taken the treasure and the pretious things 5 Inhumanity or impiety they have made her many widows 6 Flattery and lying ver 28. A conspiracy of her Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ligare colligare metaphorice dicitur de animorum colligatione conjurare facere ligam The Hebrew for Conspiracy is kesher which is from a root or word which signifies to bind to tye together as Jer. 51.63 Isa 49.16 and metaphorically is referred to the minds of men combining together as 1 Sam. 18.2 The Soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David Nick-sherah ligata erat was united bound to inleagued with the soul of David and 2 Sam. 15.31 Ahithophel is among the Conspirators with Absolom backsherim in conspirationibus his minde with others were united in a conspiracy against David so 2 Kin. 12.20 Jehoash his Servants arose and made a Conspiracy The Hebrew is They conspired a Conspiracy they were all of one heart and minde and it was to kill their Master Here the Prophets had a Conspiracy it s spoken of the evil Prophets they met in Jerusalem they consulted and consented to prophesy the same thing that none should Prophesy otherwise Nequis secu◠doceat quam ipsi ita uno ore mentiantur utque oppugnent prophetas Dei. Lavat if they did they would cry them down and those should follow them thus they made a Conspiracy against the true Prophets and those were truely religious opposing God and godliness You may read how they set themselves against Jeremy chap. 26.8 and stirred up the Princes and people against him ver 13. how they prophesyed the same things Jer. 23.17 chap. 6.14 Like a roaring Lyon ravening the prey Lyons are fierce and cruel especially when hungry and it s observed of them that they first roar Vid. Sanct. in Isa 31.4 whereby they scare men and beast and then hunt after the prey So these Prophets did roar against the true Prophets and their followers Jer. 26.11 This man is worthy to dye not to bee silenced imprisoned or banished but to dye nothing but death will suffice them they were greedy of the prey and said he should surely dye ver 8. They have devoured souls Soules that is men Pestilentibus doctrinis aeternae damnationi bnoxios reddebant by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole They preached dreams and visions of their own heads whereby they seduced 〈◊〉 undid multitudes Ezek. 13.10 Jerem. 14.13 chap. 23.13 when Prophets do not tell people of their sinnes they destroy them Ezek. 3.18 and so when they present their own phansies instead of Gods word Jerem. 23.22 with 32. had they delivered the word of God they should have turned men from their evil waies but by their lies and dreams they made them to erre They have taken the treasure and pretious things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word for Treasure is Cosen which Montanus renders robur strength and so it s used Isa 33.6 and riches
use slander Frâ—a fait extorsion par violence fraud force any way to accomplish their wills and desires And exercised robbery These words are the same in the Hebrew with those chapt 18.12 hath spoiled by violence There the verbe is in the singular number and the substantive in the Plural here the Verbe is in the Plural and the Substantive in the Singular number They did steal and get from one another what they could secretly or openly which was violence and robbery and this they did frequently they were exercised in it And have vexed the Poor and Needy The word for vexed here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with oppressed or used oppression of which with the other words Poor and Needy was spoken chap. 18.7.12 ch 16.49 the Poor and Needy should have been counselled comforted not vexed or oppressed Yea They have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Of Oppressing the stranger hath already been spoken in the 7. vers of this chapter The Hebrew for wrongfully is belo mishphat absque judicio without right The French is Sans au cune jugement without any justice or equity They did injustly oppresse the stranger against all law add right There was no justice amongst them in their dealings with natives or strangers only fraud and force took place Obs 1 That People are usually such as those over them in Church and State are The Prophets the Priests the Princes were wicked and the People were like unto them The Prophets were covetous and thereupon oppressed taking the treasure and pretious things vers 25. the Priests violated the Law and prophaned the name of the Lord ver 26. The Princes for dishonest gain did dishonest and cruel things vers 27. and here the People were like them covetous using oppression and exercising robbery Micah 3.11 the heads thereof that is of Sion judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for mony Here the chief in the state and Church had their eies upon the reward the hire the mony and to enjoy the same they would do say any thing Covetousness is the root of all evil and causeth all sorts of men in whom it s found to comply with the humors of others for its own interest and to make a prey of those do oppose the same and were not the people suitable unto these that were over them Jer. 5.31 The Prophets Prophesy falsely and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so the false Prophets by their lies and flatteries did strengthen the wicked Priests in their practices they took into their hands so the words may bee read more power than they should Accipiebant munera ad suas manus Mont. in Margent and gifts which they should not and the people love to have it so they love to hear the Prophets lies and to feed the Priests with gifts to bear them up in their waies cha 6.13 from the least of them to the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priest The word for prophanation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissimulare dolose agere as well as profane agere every one dealeth falsely and how came it to bee so the people learned it of those in place Jer. 23.15 From the Prophets of Jerusalem is Prophanenesse gone forth into all the Land the word may bee rendred hypocrisy dissimulation deceit the false Prophets were notorious Hypocrites Deceivers themselves and they infected all the Land with their leaven It was the Prophets and Priests principally that made the Kings glad with their wickednesse and the Princes with their lies Hos 7.3 and when a Prince or Ruler hearkens to lies all his servants are wicked Prov. 29.12 Wicked Prophets and Priests make wicked Princes wicked Princes make wicked servants and wicked Subjects They tell them tales lies accusing unto them those are contrary to their waies designes and interest or not forwarders thereof whereupon Princes set their servants creatures agents on work to obstruct and pervert justice to intrap and crush such persons This was much practised in late daies The Prelates possest the Princes with their lies and falsehoods concerning the book of sports on the Lords day concerning Altars â—nd Altar-worship and they quickly infected all their Servants and too many of their Subjects therwith so that if the Prophets Priests and Princes be naught the people are too like unto them Obs 2 Covetous Practises in deceiving of or in getting and griping from others is plain thee very the people of the land have used oppression or deceit as your margents have it and exercised robbery When Covetousnesse puts men upon deceitfull practises as to use false weights false lights false measures its robbery so when corrupt counterfeit imbased materials bee put off for sound and good bee it in monies cloathing corn meal wines flesh fish any vendible commoditie it s in the judgement of God robbery so exacting of Fees expedition money taking advantages of mens necessities of forfeitures of Bonds or lands with-holding of servants and labourers wages altering of wills forgeing of deeds warrants Luke 19.8 Levit. 19.13 thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning the word for defraud notes wresting and plucking from a man and is the same with the word for oppressing here so that he who oppresseth who wrests any thing from another by subtlety hee plaies the Theif hee robs him so for the hired mans wages when the time agreed upon for paiment comes you must not defer one night one day longer its oppression its robbery and cries out against men James 5.4 when many for greedinesse of gain bought and sold in the Temple Christ called them Theeves you have made it saith Christ A den of theeves Mat. 21.13 the Priests for gain gave way to others to buy and sell doves and other things which were of use for offerings sacrifices they made them who bought the same for such purposes pay dearly for them and for this they were called theeves not simply for being in the Temple it was their Covetous practises their deceiving their griping that made Christ brand them with that name When men out of Covetousnesse do grate upon others defraud and over-reach them in bargaining or otherwise they are robbers and such doings is called robbery Amos 3.10 They know not to do right saith the Lord who store up violence and robbery in their Palaces they were so exercised with Covetous practises that they knew not to do right onely they were acquainted with theevery Niniveh was such a City Nahum 3.1 it is full of lies and robbery all shops all places in it were full of them I fear London is too like Niniveh full of lies and robbery are not mens hearts tongues hands exercised with covetous practises
in their own phansies shifts evasions they have till their iniquity bee discovered and judgement surprizeth them Psalm 36.2 that wretched art they have of putting off the evil day of shifting the threats and judgements of God undoes them and many pretious souls are too well skilled in this wretched art and work of putting off the Promises and Mercies of God from themselves which greatly prejudice their Peace and Comforts and gratifies the enemy of their souls Those make conscience of their waies that desire to bee purged and wait on God in the use of means they lye not under these threats but are under many gratious Promises especially that Psalm 145.19 hee will fulfill the desire of them that fear him Obs 2 Those professe themselves Gods People may bee such sinners as that God resolves their destruction excluding all hope of mercy Jerusalem which was the Lords City and the People of it his had so sinned that God would irrevocably destroy both it and them I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to passe and I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare c. God was fully set upon it and therefore peremptorily cuts off all hope of mercy Jerem. 16.5 I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercy Asaphti collegi I have gone up and down and gathered up my peace my kindnesses and mercies and carried them away from this people what hope was then left for them both the great and the small shall dye in this land Gods heart was so against them that Moses and Samuel could not incline it towards them if they should intreat for them chap 15.1 and therefore saith God cast them out of my sight I have no pitty no mercy for them Ezek. 9.30 As for mee mine eie shall not spare neither will I have pitty if God would not spare them who would if he would not have pitty on them who could they were hopeless their case was desperate chap. 5.8 11. Behold I am against thee I will not have any pitty Jer. 11.11 I will bring evil upon them which they shall not bee able to escape Obs 3 When God cuts off hope of mercy and brings sinners into a forelorn condition the fault is in their own not the Lords it s their own doings their own waies which bring irrevocable judgements upon them according to thy waies and according to thy doings shall they judge thee thou hast been irrevocable in thy sinnes and I am irrevocable in my judgements thou hast gone on to commit great iniquities and I am going on to execute answerable punishments I could not prevail with thee to desist from sinning and thou shalt not prevail with mee to desist from destroying thou by thine obstinacy madest me without hope of thy amendment and now by my threatnings I have made thee hopelesse of any mercy Jerusalem might thank her self that shee was brought to so desperate a condition Jerem. 13.22 if thou say in thine heart wherefore come these things upon mee why must I bee besiedged why must Plague Famine and Sword devour my Children why must I bee burnt to ashes and have no mercy shewed mee The Answer is for the greatness of thine iniquity and what that iniquity is you have specified cha 16.11 12. they forsook God worshipped other gods walked after the imaginations of their own hearts and did worse than their fathers they sinned till there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 Jerusalem with her children provoked God so that his glory his Truth his Name his Prophets must have suffered if they had been spared therefore the Lions roared upon Israel yelled and made his Land waste when his Cities were burnt and without inhabitant what said God Jerem. 2.15.17 hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken God Vers 15. Also the word of the Lord came unto me saying 16 Sonne of man behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroak yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep neither shall thy tears run down 17 Forbear to cry make no mourning for the dead bind the tire of thine head upon thee and put on thy shooes upon thy feet and cover not thy lips and eat not the bread of men 18 So I spake unto the People in the morning and at even my wife dyed and I did in the morning as I was commanded The second general Part of the Chapter begins here being a Prophesy declaring the destruction of Temple and City represented under the Type of the suddain death of Ezekiels wife This Type is in the words read the interpretation is in the words following The parts of these verses are 1 The Divine Authority for this Type and for what is commanded and done thereupon v. 15. 2 The Narration of the Type ver 16. Son of man behold I take away from thee the desire c. 3 Several Commands laid upon the Prophet v. 16 17. 4 The Execution of the Type v. 18. 15 The word of the Lord came unto me The false Prophets ran when they were not sent and spake when they had no word but Ezekiel was sent cha 2.3 and hee had a word from God when hee spake hee durst not bee the mouth of God to others untill the Lord had opened his mouth to him the spirit of Prophesy brought the word to him and then moved him to utter it to others 16 Son of Man Hee saith not man of God or Sonne of God but Son of Adam for so the Original is that is son of him was made of the earth that had an earthly beginning Ezekiel thou art a weak worthlesse Creature that ere long must away to the earth from whence thou camest see thy heart do not swell with the Prophetical honour I have put upon thee the many appearances of my spirit unto thee nor bee thou refractary that I put thee upon hard services or command thee hard things when thy Father Adam disobeyed mee I turned him out of Paradise obey therefore my voice and do what I command thee therein shalt thou show thy self a Sonne of God Behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes By Desire of thine eyes is meant Ezekiels wife v. 18. The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The desires of thine eyes This Expression The desire of the Eyes Rem charam significat it imports a thing very dear to one and what is dearer to men than their wives There bee many things to indear a woman to her husband 1 She was made for man 1 Cor. 11.9 The man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man shee was made an help meet for man Gen. 2.18 2 She is a gift of God Prov. 19.14 3 She is joyned to man by a divine Ordinance and is made one with him thereby Gen. 2.24 Matth. 19.5 1 Cor. 6.16 Ephes 5.31 4 Shee is the glory of Man 1 Cor. 11.7 man represents
Zephany 2.8 7 Behold therefore I will stretch out my hand upon thee Thou hast clapped thy hands against mee and my people therefore I will stretch out my hand upon thee that is against thee It shall bee upon thee to break and destroy thee I have held in my hand a long time but now I will stretch it out and thou shalt feel the power of it Zeph. 1.4 I will stretch out mine hand upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with the Priests After stretching followed cutting off So Ezek. 14.9 I will stretch out mine hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of my People Israel I will deliver thee for a spoil to the Heathen In the fourth verse it was said I will deliver thee to the men of the East here to the Heathen Those men of the East were Heathens whom the Jews hated as uncircumcised Judg. 18.15 as Doggs Matth. 15.25 26. Christ speaks according to the esteem the Jews had of the Gentiles To them they should bee for a spoil The word for spoil is lebag which Montanus renders in cibum for meat but Piscator thinks it put for Lebaz in predam for a prey but that is not needful because the word Bag it self signifies meat a Portion as Dan. 1.5 8. The Portion of the Kings meat bag hammelech God would deliver the Ammonites to bee meat unto them they should feed upon them and what they had as they had done upon the Jews they should eat their fruit and drink their milk And I will cut thee off from the people Thou art now a Nation among others but I will cause thee to cease from being a Nation either by destroying of thee or sending thee into captivity scattering thee amongst the Heathens If thou bee a people at all thou shalt bee a people without any head without a Name thou shalt bee removed far from the people thou now borderest upon and they shall know thee no more thou and thy name shall both perish so much the next words import I will cause thee to perish out of the Countries I will destroy thee These last phrases do interpret the former causing them to perish out of the Countrys is cutting them off from the People and destroying of them is both The Hebrew word for perish and destroy do signify an utter and total destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Shidler dicitur de omnimoda rei perditione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Kirker significat personam vel rem aliquam ita abolere ut ejus nihil reliquum maneat The Septuagint joyns them both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will destroy thee out of the Countries with a destruction that is utterly Obs 1 The Lord having contended with his own family hee contends with others First he had a Controversy with the Jews and now hee enters into Controversy with the Nations Son of man set thy face against the Ammonites and Prophesy against them hee had formerly set his face against the Jews and prophesied sad things against them which being done hee must set his face against others and prophesy not onely dura but durissima the hardest things against them even utter destruction When Gods people have drunk of the Cup then it shall bee given unto others Jer. 25.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. God began with Jerusalem his own People and Family and then caused the cup of his fury to pass unto all Nations and Kingdomes So Isaiah after hee had begun with the Jews and declared what dreadful judgements God would bring upon them hee turns aside to the Nations and laies the burden of the Lord upon them and that in nine Chapters together from the beginning of the 13. to the end of the 21. judgement oft begins at Gods house as Amos 3.2 you onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquities God would begin with them Ezek. 9.6 Begin at my sanctuary but hee ends elsewhere Psalm 75.8 when Gods people have drunk the red wine in the Cup the wicked must drink the dregs the Cup passeth from place to place till all be drunk off Jerem. 25.29 Loe I begin to bring evil upon the City called by my name and should yee bee utterly unpunished ye shall not bee unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth Have I begun with mine own City and People and do you think to go free no the sword is commissioned to come unto you if that have eat the flesh of my Sons and Drunk their bloud much more shall it eat your flâ—sh and bones and drink your bloud If Jerusalem go down other Cities will not stand if God spare not his own Temple hee will not spare Satans Synagogues when the green trees are cut down that stood in the garden the drye trees must expect the Axe which stand in the forrest Obs 2 That the Lord takes notice what the waies and carriages of Nations are towards him and his Thou saidst Aha against my Sanctuary when it was prophaned and against the Land of Israel when it was desolate All the secret consultings plottings revilings attempts that are against the worship waies and people of God among Heathens and Heathenish spirits are minded by the Lord Psalm 66.7 his eyes behold the Nations the men of them their thoughts words and waies when the Nations gathered themselves together against Sion and said let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Mic. 4.11 God then looked upon them and observed the workings of their hearts heads tongues and hands yea their rage and imaginations hee animadverts Psal 2.1 Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagin a vain thing Hee observed how insultingly the Babylonians carried it against his Jeremy 50.11 Psal 137. they rejoyced they laughed they said sing us one of the songs of Sion they and the rest of Sions adversaries mockt at her and her Sabbaths whatever the Nations now do devise plot speak or enterprize against the people of God hee that sits in heaven beholds the same and laughs them to scorn Obs 3 To laugh at and insult over the calamities of others is a grievous and provoking sinne 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 it went into captivity Behold therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East for a possession c. Because the Ammonites insulted clapped their hands stamped with their feet were heartily glad at the sufferings of the Jews and vented their spight against them therefore God was exasperated so as to threaten the Ammonites ruine and utter extirpation They were the Neighbours bordering upon them they were their confederates in league with the King of
thou hast said it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes notes purposing determining as in 2 Chron. 2.1 Solomon determined to build an house vajomer hee said that is hee purposed in himself to do it but here it s more than purposing and determining the Prince of Tyrus said hee spake it out what hee thought in his heart hee uttered with his lips I am a god El ani I am the strong one I give being to this City and State I uphold the same on mee they all depend from mee they have counsel comfort and protection I do what I list my power extends far and near I open the door and ports for all the Isles and Nations to trade with thee O Tyrus and I can prohibite them at my pleasure I have fill'd thee with the riches and rarities of all the Nations I have done great things I am beyond others mighty and powerful a god and worthy of such honour as becomes the gods I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the Seas As God is in the Heavens which are inaccessible none being able to come thither to wrong or harm him so am I in Tyrus seated upon a rock in the heart or midst of the Seas none can come at mee to do mee prejudice I am without fear I am in the Seat of God not subject to the malice or power of any Mortall whatsoever All the Merchants bring presents unto and adore mee I have power wealth honour and all things glorious and delightfull my Seat is no other than the seat of God here was the great pride of this Prince who arrogated to himself a Deity and affected divine honour Yet thou art a man and not God The Hebrew is Thou art Adam and not El thou art of earth and not of heaven thou art a weak sinful man that canst do nothing for others or thy self what thou El the strong God no thou forgets what thou art hee that is El will break thee in peices like a potters vessel and make thee know thou art man and not God that there is no difference between thee and other men if they bee infirm and feeble things subject to changes sorrows sicknesses and death so art thou Though thou set thine heart as the heart of God Thou hast had such thoughts of thy strength thy glory thy wisdome that thou hast perswaded thy self thou art become a god another god or as god The thoughts of Gods heart are that hee is strong glorious great and wise and thou takest up his thoughts by heart the thoughts imaginations and devices of it are meant This Prince of Tyrus dreamed that hee was as fit and able to rule in the Seas as God was in heaven and that his wisdome strength and government made him as honourable and glorious as the Lords made him that hee was invincible like God himself Obs 1 The Lord takes notice of mens hearts in what frame they are Thine heart is lifted up Men cannot look into the Heart being shut up in an house of clay but the eies of the Lord peirceth through our mud walls and beholds our hearts and workings of them 1 Sam. 16.7 the Lord looketh on the heart wee look upon actions faces outward appearances but God looks inward and fixes the eye upon the heart and so that hee knows what is in his heart and how it works hee understands all the thoughts thereof and the imaginations of those thoughts 1 Chron. 28.9 not onely the rude drought but what imaginations are thereupon Hee knows mens inwards exactly and can tell you whose hearts are proud and whose are humble whose are froward and whose are meek whose are chaste and whose unclean Obs 2 Princes and great ones are prone not onely to be proud but to deifie themselves The Prince of Tyrus his heart was lifted up and hee said I am a God This is the height of Pride to make ones self a God to arrogate that which is due unto the Lord God had said it I am God and there is none Else I am God and there is none like me Isa 46.9 now what Pride what blasphemy was it for this Prince to say I am a God There be two things which God challengeth to himself vengeance Deut. 32.35 and God-ship Isa 44.8 This Prince robbed God of one making himself God Sundry of the Heathen Emperours would either bee called or worshipped as Gods Caligula made himself a God erecting a Temple with his image in it ordaining Priests and most costly Sacrifices to bee offered there to himself Domitian by a publike edict ordained that in all writings wherein he should bee mentioned upon any occasion Fitz her bert 2 Par. ch 12. Vilalp he should be called Dominus Deus Lord God A mad humour of deifying themselves also invaded Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar Such is the frame of Antichrists spirit 2 Thess 2.4 He as God sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Obs 3 Haughtinesse and pride of spirit do precede and presage the destruction of men This Prince was near unto utter ruine and before it his heart was lifted up hee said I sit in the seat of God I punish and I spare whom I please but quickly after hee was thrust out of his seat and made an example of divine vengeance for his Pride and presumption Edoms heart was proud and high even before the Lord threw her down Obad 3. 4. verses The hearts of Samariaes inhabitants were greatly swollen with pride and tympaniz'd when the Lord threatned to bring the adversaries of Rezin against them Isa 9.9 10 11. Herods pride bred the wormes that did devour him Prov. 16. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit c. Obs 4 Whatever thoughts and conceits Princes or others have of themselves yet they are but dust and ashes poor inconsiderable things in respect of God Thou art a man and not God though thou set thine heart as the heart of God hee was a worthlesse despicable thing notwithstanding hee deified himself men phansye themselves Elohims Jehovahs when they are but Adams and Enoshes Jehoiakim made his neast in the Cedars when hee was but earth a despised broken Idol Jer. 22.23 28 29. Great men have great thoughts ranking themselves among the Gods of the earth but as David expresseth it among the gods there is none like unto the Lord Psal 86.8 they are earthen proud foolish dying gods Psal 82.6 7. but God is in heaven holy wise everliving the greatest and best of the Sonnes of men is no better than a bryar or thorn to him Isa 27.4 he is a consuming fire and what is a bryar or thorn to such a fire In Isa 31.3 it s said the Egyptians are men and not God they had high thoughts of themselves and the Jews had higher they looked at them and not at the Lord they thought every Egyptian was El a strong God but the Egyptians were Adams not El men
Jews but whatever opposition was made or difficulty appeared in the way God said I will bring again the Captivity of Egypt Had they bound them all in fetters laid them in dungeons set guards of souldiers to have kept them all these should not have hindered the reduction of them for as Jehoshaphat acknowledged in his prayer God rules over all the Kingdomes of the Heathens and in his hand there is power and might so that none is able to withstand him 2 Chron. 20.6 no King no Counsel no Countrey no Army no created power is able to withstand him The Jewes who had laien longer in Babylon and were like dry bones in the grave without hope Ezek. 37.11 but God made good his word hee brought them out with a strong hand breaking in peices gates of brass and cutting insunder bars of Iron Obs 5 It s the same hand the same God that drives men out of their Countries and comforts into deep and long afflictions abroad and brings them back out of the same to injoy their countries and comforts God scattered the Egyptians among the Nations hee threw them forty years into Captivity and hee brought them out again from the Nations and from their Captivity into the land of Pathros into the land of their Commerce God lead them out and hee brought them in hee afflicted them and hee comforted them God conducted them outward and inward as the losse of their Countrey was a great affliction unto them so the repossessing of it was a greater consolation unto them God threw the Jews into Babylon those deep and brackish waters they were so long pickled in and he brought them out again to the sweet waters of the Sanctuary Long afflictions have comfortable ends the Jews seventy years sufferings ended in everlasting kindnesses Isa 54.8 They shall be there a base Kingdome The word for Base is Shephalah which the Septuagint render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Montanus humile a vile base low Kingdome Martinius saith humile is quod non est elevatum a terra it should be like a low Shrub that is little above the earth such as that Kingdome Ezek. 17.6 of low stature Some Kingdomes are great high like Cedars of Lebanon and oakes of Bashan Others are small like vines and Shrubs that creep upon the earth Such a Kingdom should the Egyptians be They were not free but in subjection to the Babylonians Persians Alexander the Great to Ptolomy the Romans who made Egypt a Province after that it was under the Saracens and Turks 15 It shall be the basest of Kingdomes Not onely shall it bee base as many Kingdomes are especially after warres but it shall bee the basest of Kingdomes It should have lesse power dignity and liberty than other Kingdomes Neither shall it exalt it self any more above the Nations It had got power and Dominion over other Nations the Pharaohs of Egypt had power over the land of Judaea and the Kings of Judah 2 King 23.33 34 35. and other Nations but after this it became an underling and nothing remarkable is mentioned about it in the word of God here God put a band of iron and brass upon this Kingdome to keep it from rising again it shall not exalt it self any more above the Nations For I will diminish them that they shall not rule over the Nations I will make the Egyptians few and the Kingdome little The Hebrew for Diminish is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maat to make little or few in number When either or both of these are done there is a diminishing Their number might increase yet they bee diminished in power liberty and dignity so that other Nations should look upon them as contemptible Obs 1 When Kingdomes are ruined brought to utter desolation and have lain so a long time God is able to raise them up again Egypt was made desolate from one end to another man and beast cut off the Egyptians scattered into remote parts yet what saith the Lord They shall be there a Kingdom Egypt shall bee possessed again inhabited become a Kingdome after forty years desolation God can raise up great structures out of heapes and ruines When a Kingdome is brought to ashes the Lord can out of those ashes bring forth another The Lord causes Kingdomes to cease Hos 1.4 hee plucks them up Dan. 11.4 Jer. 1.10 and hee plants and builds them up again Jer. 18.9 Judea and Jerusalem lay waste seventy years and then God returned the Jews from Babylon built their City planted their land made them a people again Obs 2 The wise providence of God in restoring and ordering of Kingdomes mingles judgement with mercie They should bee a Kingdome but a base Kingdome they should want that dignity power and Liberty they had formerly So the Kingdome of Judah after Josiahs daies was low and base Ezek. 17.6 14. Pharaoh and Nebuchadrezzar kept it under It s from the Lord what condition Kingdomes shall bee in they shall be honourable or base as he pleases Obs 3 Those that lift up themselves above others shall proportionably be brought down beneath others Egypt exalted it self above the Nations they were proud haughty insolent but Egypt exceeded them therein and what came thereof it shall be the basest of the Kingdomes consider what Kingdomes is basest amongst them all and Egypt shall be baser than that it as was the highest in pride so it should be the lowest through baseness and most contemptible The Lord poures out contempt upon Kingdomes and Kings Nebuchadnezzar was a Son of pride and did not God drive him out from among men and make that proud King graze among the beasts and abase him proportionable to his Pride and cause him to say those that walk in pride he is able to abase Dan. 4. and in his time he will abase all such he hath abased Kingdomes Kings and Potentates in our daies who sweld with Pride The learned Jews tells us what God saith of every man whose spirit is lift up Ego ipso non simul possimus habitare in mundo Buxtorf Apoth Hebr. 16 And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel Whilst Egypt flourished abounding with men horses and charets the Jews had an eye unto them and leaned much upon them Isa 30.2.31.1.36.6 9. Ezek. 17.15 but the Lord laid it waste brake the pride of its power made it base and kept it in that condition that the Jews might not confide in it for when they hung so upon the Egyptians for help that drew them on to their Idolatrous practises and to break the leagues they had made with others Which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance The Hebrew is Mazcir gnavon or avon which Montanus renders Commone factor iniquitatis the remembrancer of iniquity The Vulgar hath it docentes iniquitatem teaching iniquity and so refer it to the Egyptians who being familiar with the Jews taught them to do evil but the words refer to confidence which brought their iniquity to remembrance
to bud In that day or after that time when his justice had fallen upon Egyptians then his Mercy should bee extended to Israel Jerem. 50.4 5. when the Medes and Persians should have laid Babylon waste and made her land desolate what then In those daies and at that time saith the Lord the Children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping that is for gladnesse for the mercy vouchsafed them they shall go and seek the Lord their God they shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward When the Babylonians were brought into bondage then God gave the Jews their liberty Isa 10.26 27. when the Assyrians should bee destroyed then should the Jews bee eased of their burdens Obs 2 How low weak afflicted soever the Church bee God is able to raise it up to bring it to glory strength and to a flourishing condition The house of Israel was low and much afflicted the Horn of it weak and hardly visible yet God caused the Horn thereof to bud When we look upon some beasts they have no hornes but in a short time their heads do bud and bring forth hornes which are their strength So God in a little time would cause the glory strength happinesse of his Church and People to appear though at that time they lay in the dust The Church of God looks oft times like a dry and dead tree but his divine influences makes it bud blossome and flourish Isa 35.1 the desert shall rejoyce and blossome as the rose it shall blossome abundantly When Sion was turned into a wildernesse he made it like Eden and her desert like the garden of God Isa 51.3 when the Church was in the most desolate and hopelesse condition hee made it glorious beautiful and strong when the Tabernacle of David was quite fallen nothing but ruines and breaches discernable what said the Lord in that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it This was done litterally after their return out of Babylon when the second Temple was built and the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin grew up into one body but spiritually in Christs time not in the resurrection of his body from the grave but in bringing in the Gentiles after his ascention to make up all the breaches and ruines were made in the Jewish state so it s applyed Act. 15.16 God that gives being to things that are not can give more glorious and excellent beings to things that are Obs 3 When God shews kindnesse to his Church hee gives his Prophets and Servants matter freedome and opportunity of speaking and professing the true faith publikely When the Lord caused the horn of the house of Israel to bud when he shewed favour to his people then hee gave Ezekiel the opening of the mouth In the times of enemies prevailing Prophets are silent or prophesy faintly if they have matter to utter they want freedome they whisper mutter and speak as it were clauso ore and oft have not opportunity to do so much Amos 5.13 they are necessitated to be silent but when times grow better and God shines upon his people then the Prophets are full of matter free to speak and want not seasons to declare the goodnesse of God then they are not afraid or ashamed openly to professe the Truth and to praise the Lord. The opening of the mouth is the gift of God the illnesse of the people and times may shut the mouths of Prophets but none can open them but God Since God began to shew mercy to his people in this land hath he not vouchsafed the opening of the mouth to his Prophets their mouths were shut in the Prelates daies but now there is a great opening Blessed be the Lord for it Obs 4 The end of Gods shewing kindnesse to his Church and opening the mouthes of his Prophets is that hee may have honour and glory thereby from all sorts And they shall know that I am the Lord They Babylonians they Jews shall acknowledge that I have done these things and that I am the Lord. FINIS A Table containing the Principall things in the precedent Expositions A ABomination of the Eyes what Pag 31 32. Abundance happinesse lies not in it 479. Dangerous Pag 525 Abstract oft rendred by the concrete Pag 121 122 Accepting what it imports Pag 123 124 Action Actions of men are over-ruled by the Lord. 175. see youth Pag 554 Adultery The Punishment thereof Pag 307 Adonai what it notes Pag 486 Affliction God hath times to shew mercy in them 18. hee reveals himself by one way means or other to the afflicted 19. what brings sad afflictions 218. may bee long yet are not endlesse 571. in them persons do strange things 311. they are cups 312. bitternesse argue not hatred Pag 365 366 Aholah what Pag 291 Aha what it notes Pag 386 Aholibah what Pag 292 Agate whence named Pag 471 Alienate what Alienates God Pag 303 Altars high places Pag 89 Affections Conjugal pleâ—sing to God Pag 363 Ammonites their Original 198 386. Enemies to the Jews ibid. they reproached them 199. insulted over their miseries 387. how called 389. their despight Pag 391 Arme stretching out of Gods arm what it notes Pag 101 Army nothing without Gods assistance 554. it and its Commanders may labour serve and suffer much and yet bee disappointed 584. they are Gods instruments Pag 585 Apostates their punishment and evil of Apostacy 103. God accounts not them his Pag 127 Aram who descended from him Pag 469 470 Arvad a City and where Pag 455 B BAbylon a description of it Pag 25. Babylonians how called Pag 388 Bamah what Pag 89 Baalmeon Pag 401 Bashan Pag 448 Blasphemy wherein it consists Pag 83 Balm Pag 472 Best God must have the best sacrifices and services Pag 130 Bed the bed of love what 299. when defiled 302. two sorts of beds Pag 322 Bethie Shimoth a City and where Pag 401 Boiling-pot 329 331. sinners boiled in it to purpose Pag 333 Beauty of wisdome what 498 subject to spoil 501. perfection of beauty in what 50â— marr'd by what Pag 525 Bryars who are such Pag 534. 535 536. C CAlamus what Pag 474 Calamity suddain and what it should work 365. laughing at Calamitie grievous 395. why we should not Pag 396 397 Chronology of some things and times specially to be â—oted 330 546. best kept in adversity Pag 582 Carim what it signifies Pag 173 Camels their strength and nature Pag 390 Captivity what the Jews lost then Pag 132 Cassia what Pag 473 Chittim and the Isles thereof Pag 450 Canaan upon what account said to flow with milk and honey 22 23. of what length and breadth 24. Commendations of it ibid. wherein it excelled Babylon 25 26. what sorts of people in it 271 differenced from other lands 443. Godly shall bee brought in to it Pag 541 Christ hee hath