day which was a day fitting for visions of God It was now a year two moneths and upwards since he had his first vision As I sate in my house Having been now six years in Captivity the Prophet and others had hired or builded themselves houses This was a house of some capatiousnesse the Elders of Judah sate before him in it That is the chief of those that were brought with Jehoiachin into Babylon 2 Kings 24 12. And why they should come sit there is inquirable It was not to catch advantages against the Prophet as some fansie Not to consult of their Civill affairs in Babylon others were more fit for such things then Prophets but it was to beare of the Prophet what the Lord intended to doe with Jerusalem and the Jewes there what the meaning of the types and visions hee had was whether hee had any word of their returning from that condition they were in or they came to see if he had any word to speake unto them being the Sabbath day for on those dayes it was ord nary for the people to goe to the Prophets 2 Kings 4.23 And Ezekiel sate composed and disposed to speak the Word of God to those came to him The hand of the Lord God fell there upon me The powerfull operation of the Spirit of Christ seiz'd upon him and was as a hand carrying him on to that worke he was appointed unto he had a mighty impulse of the Spirit and was at a man wrapt ouâ— of himselfe wholly acted by the Spirit See Chap. 1.3 where hath beene spoken of the hand of the Lord. That the Lord takes speciall notice of the times in which he gives out truths and visions to Prophets and people Obser 1. he keeps an exact account of those yeares moneths and dayes In the sixth yeare the sixth moneth and fifth day c. So in the first Chapter In the thirtieth yeare the fourth moneth the fifth day the word of the Lord came unto him You have the time mentioned in the 20. Chap. vers 1. The seventh yeare and the fifth moneth the tenth day of the moneth So in 26.1.29.1.31.1.32.1.40.1 In these places there is speciall notice and account set downe of the time wherein God gave out his truth and visions to the Prophet and by him to the people In the 24. Chap. 1.2 the year moneth day and name of the day are written down when Jerusalem was besieged and a parable put into the Prophets mouth and not onely was it thus in Ezekiels but also in other Prophets dayes Zech. 1.1 Chap. 7.1 Hag. 1.1 Chap. 2.1.10 What ever mens thoughts are of truths when they are tendered unto them the Lord looks upon it as a work of great concernment and registers the time when it s done in such a year the City Land had Fasts every moneth and the Prophets Preacht such Truths and Texts unto them such a moneth they had a thanksgiving day and the Text was c. Especially in times of Affliction God takes notice what truths are commended by the Prophets unto men and therefore the time in Ezekiel is more particularized then any where else because many were now in Captivity the rest were comming and of all truths those will cost dearest that are preacht unto us in our afflictions and not improv'd 2. That great ones in times of afflictions wil seek unto the Prophets and prize vision when its rare The Elders they came to his house sate there expecting some word from him Ezekiel was a Priest and a Prophet Chap. 1.3 and Priests did teach as well as Sacrifice 2 Chron. 15.3 Israel was without a teaching Priest Levit. 10.8 9 10 11. Mal. 2.7 The Priests lipps should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth These Elders the Princes and chiefe ones were come to seek it at Ezekiels mouth now they were in captivity now Priests and Prophets were scarce and now great ones that before little regarded the Prophets and Priests that mockt them despis'd and misus'd them 2 Chron. 36.16 Now they get to Ezekiels house wait upon him and long to hear a word from him Afflictions abate the pride of great mens spirits remove prejudice awaken conscience convince of sin Gods greatnesse and Authority over the highest the shortnesse of life of judgement and that eternall condition is comming and when it s so with great ones they will be glad to goe to a poor Prophets house and heare a word from him Jeroboam when his sonne was sicke sends to Ahijab the Prophet to know what should become of him 1 Kings 14.2 3. Naaman in his leprosie goeth to the Prophet Elisha for helpe 1 Kings 5. see Isa 37.2 Jer. 37.3 There you shall finde great ones even the greatest seeking to the Prophets in their troubles 3. Meeting in private houses to enjoy Gods Ordinances is ancient warrantable The Elders came to the Prophets house sate there to hear the Word of the Lord this was above 2000. yeares agoe therefore ancient and the Prophet taught them in private they worshipped God in a house they kept the Sabbath there and therefore not unlawfull this was frequent in Christs and the Apostles dayes Luke 10.38 39. In Marthas house Christ preached Acts 20.7 The Disciples met every first day in houses and chambers and when they were so met Paul preached to them And Acts 2.46 They brake bread from house to house That is privately in opposition to the publique saith De. Dieu And Acts 5.42 In every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ In Cornelius house they did it Act. 10.33 34. In the Jaylors hâ—use they did it Acts 16.32 The high Priests cryed out of such meetings and thought the Temple and Synagogues which were allowed by Authority were sufficient But this would not suffice the Apostles they preached in publique to convert the Jewes in private to strengthen the Christians they would not be tyed to places when Christ by his Doctrine and practise had warranted them to preach and worship any where John 4.20 21. 1 Tim. 2.8 In Tertullians time such meetings were counted factious and schismaticall But he vindicates the same saying Hoc sumus congregati quod et dispersi hoc universi quod et singuli neminem laedentes neminem contriâ—lantes quum probi quum boni coeunt cum pii cum caâ—ti congregantur non est factio dicenda sed curia at e contrario illis nomen factionum accommodandum est qui in odium bonorum et proborum conspirant c. in Apologet Wee are the same congregated and together as we are asunder we hurt we grieve none When good and godly men meet together it 's no conventicle but a Court They are a Conventicle a Faction that in hatred of Good men meet and plot against them pretending they are the cause of all evils and disturbances In the Prelats dayes there was much rigour and severity used against godly meetings of this nature
came unto me saying 2. Sonne of man set thy face towards the mountaines of Israel and prophesie against them 3. And say Ye mountaines of Israel heare the word of the Lord God Thus saith the Lord God to the mountaines and to the hils to the Rivers and to the Valleys Behold I even I will bring a sword upon you and I will destroy your high places 4. And your Altars shall be desolate and your Images shall be broken and I will cast downe your slaine men before your Idols 5. And I will lay the dead carkases of the Children of Israel before their Idols and I will scatter your bones round about your Altars 6. In all your dwelling places the Cities shall be laid waste and the high places shall be desolate that your Alters may bee laid waste and desolate and your Idols may be broken and cease and your Images may be cut downe and your workes may be abolished 7. And the slaine shall fall in the midst of you and ye shall know that I am the Lord. IN this Chapter you have First a command to Prophesie in the two first Verses Secondly the Prophesie it selfe in which are three thing First A threatning of desolation to the Land of Judea the Idolls Altars and men thereof in the 3 4 5 6 7 Verses Secondly a promise of mercy unto them in their scattered condition verse 8 9 10. Some should escape the Judgements repent of their evill waye and know the Lord. Thirdly a prefiguration of the griefe they should have for the Judgements to come upon them which are repented Verses 11 12 13 14. Junius observes this Prophesie to have been on the Sabboth day the one and twentieth of the fifth moneth in the sixth year of their Captivity and on the twenty eighth day of the same moneth the Prophesie in the next Chapter and on the fifth day of the sixth moneth the Vision in the eighth Chapter God honoured his owne day with giving out his Word by Revelations and Visions that day they rested from their labour and were fittest to heare see and receive divine thinge It was now above a yeare since Ezekiel had his first Vision for that was in the fifth day of the fourth moneth and fifth yeare of the Captivity this in the sixth yeare and fifth moneth The Prophets had not all communicated to them at once but by degrees as infinite wisedome saw best and the Church understands not all at once what they wrote but now a little and then a little as it pleases God to let in light Vers 2. Set thy face towards the Mountaines of Israel Turne thee unto them speake boldly and freely Prophesie their destruction The Mountaines of Israel were diverse There was Mount Ebal and Mount Gorizzim Deut. 27.12 13. Mount Carmel 1 Kings 18.19 Mount Horeb 1 Kings 19.8 Mount Zemâ—raim 2 Chron. 13.4 Mount Gilead Cant. 4.1 Mount Ephraim Joshua 17.15 Mount Naphtali and Mount Judah Joshua 20.7 Mount Hermon 1 Chron. 5.23 Mount Lebanon Judges 3.3 Mount Tabor Judges 4.6 Mount Bethel Josh 16.1 Mount Moriah 2 Chron. 3.1 Mount Zion Psal 125.1 Mount Olivet Luke 19.37 which is called the Mount of corruption 2 Kings 29.13 because Solomon had built there High places for Ashtoreth Chemosh and Mileome and not onely in that but diverse other of these Mountaines were Altars and Images which provoked the Lord and therefore he bids the Prophet to prophesie against them He speakes to the Mountaines Hills Rivers and Vallies to heare the Word of the Lord. This kind of speaking sets out the weightinesse of the Prophesie the vehemency of affection and seem'd to convince the Jews of their insensiblenesse and incurablenesse they were so hardened in sinne that there was as much hope of doing good to these creatures as to them by the Word Here is a Prosopopeia attribution of sense to dumbe creatures Res insensibiles videbantur suo modo sentire sensus autem compotes non sentichant which is frequent in Scriptures Deut. 32.1 Give eare Oh yee Heavens and I will speake heare Oh Earth the words of my mouth So Jer. 2.12 Isa 1.2 Hence the earth t is said to tremble the hills to move at the wrath of God Psal 18.7 Psal 76.8.114.7 Winds and Seas to obey Matth. 8.27 All creatures are more ready to obey the will of their Creatour then man it Apostrophees are therefore oft made from the sensible and rationall Creatures to those that are void of both to set out the stupidity of Man and his unworthinesse of the Word The Lord passes by the Masters and lookes to the Servants neglects Men and speakes to the Mountaines that so he might provoke them to consider To the Rivers The vulgar is Rupibus to the Rocks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aphikim in the Hebrew doth signifie Channells Isa 8.7 Psal 18.15 The King of Assyria shall come up over all his Channels and goe over all his banks 2 Sam. 16.22 The Channels of the Sea appeared It signifies also the waters that runne in the Channels Job 6.15 As the streame of brookes they passe away And Psal 126.4 As the streames in the South Hence it is rendred Rivers Joel 3.18 Ezek. 35.8 from Aphak which signifies to containe and corroborate and both these the Channels doe they containe the Waters keep them within their bancks and strengthen them being kept together so that they runne with force and beare burdens The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes Thickets and woody places which use to be about waters Valleys By the water sides and in the Valleys they provoked God Jer. 49.4 Why gloryest thou in the Valleys They trusted in their flowing and fat Valleys Isa 57.5 They enflamed themselves with Idolls under every green Tree slaying the Children in the Valleys under the clifts of the Rocks And Jer. 32.35 They built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the sonne of Hinnon to cause their Sonnes and Daughters to passe through the fire unto Molech and this Valley was afterward called The Valley of slaughter Jer. 19.6 and the reason is given Jer. 7.32 33. they had slaine their Children there and God punished them with a great slaughter there and defiled the place with their blood which they had formerly defiled with their sinne A Sword upon you That is the Assyrians armed with instruments of Warre they should come and lay all waste breake downe Altars cut downe Groves digge downe Hils dry up their Channels and let out their waters The high places They are first mentioned in Leviticus Chap. 26.30 They were Mountaines or Hills where the people worshipped 2 Chron. 1.3 taken from the practice of Heathens who chose out pleasant places woody Hills and recesses where they built Chappels Temples and Altars to their gods Numb 22.41 Balack brought Balaam into the high places of Baal where there was a Temple or Chappell for the worship of Baal and therefore in the next Chapter
he bids him make seven Altars that they might worship their god Baal there Heathens had many such places Deut. 12.23 Yee shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the Nations served their gods upon the high Mountaines the Hils and every greene Tree you shall overthrow their Altars breake their Pillars burne their Groves with fire hew downe the graven Images of their gods and destroy the names of them out of that place God would not have his people to worship him in any heathenish wayes or with heathenish Rites but they built themselves High places Images and Groves on every high hill and under every greene Tree 1 Kings 14.23 Jeroboam made an house of high places 1 Kings 12.31 They were to sacrifice in the Tabernacle when they had speciall and propheticall warrant they might sacrifice any where and after the Arke was taken which had stood at Shiloh 343 yeares and was moveable from place to place then it was lawfull for the people to offer in the high places Before the Temple was built notwithstanding the destruction of the High places threatned by Moses Levit. 26.30 By Amos Chap. 7.9 by Hosea 10.8 and other Prophets many of Gods people sacrificed in the high places under Trees and elsewhere as Gideon Judges 16.19 Samuel 1 Sam. 9.19 David 2 Sam. 24.25 Solomon 1 Kings 3.4 Manoah Judges 13.19 Elijah 1 Kings 18.31 32 c. God accepted their sacrifices and wincked at this errour but their sacrificing after in the high places did bitterly provoke God and the complaint was that the high places were not taken away 1 Kings 22.43 1 Kings 15.14 They continued till Hezekiah's dayes who removed them 2 Kings 18.4 But Josiah utterly destroyed them out of the Land 2. Chron. 34.3 Yet those Kings that came after restored them againe It is said of Jehoahaz He did evill in the sight of the Lord according to all that his Fathers had done 2 Kings 23.32 Vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Your Images shall bee broken Hebrew Chammanechem the Sunne Images Chammah is a name given to the Sunne Job 30.28 from Chamam calere because of the great heat thereof and Chammanim is Sunne Images Hence Jupiter Hammon who had a famous Temple in Affrica wherein was the Image of the Sunne as A Lapid in Levit. 26.30 hath it Macrobius lib. 1 Saturn c. 23 and Macrobius shewes that Jupiter and the Sun were the same The Idolatrous Jewes were accustomed to worship the Sun 2 Kings 23.5 Ovid. l. 2. Metam They burnt incense to the Sunne And because the Heathens were wont to worship the Sunne under the figure of a Charriot and foure Horses it is said The Kings of Judah gave Horses and Charriots to the Sunne v. 2. The Rabbies thinke these were living Horses which drew a Charriot dayly toward the East and some fitting in it did salute the Sunne in the Kings name others more probably conceive these Horses and Chariots were pourtrayed Effigies set up at the entring in at the house of the Lord in honour of the sunne and so set above their Altars 2 Chron. 34.4 Buxtorf and Junius call them Subdiales statuae Statues that stood a broad and were exposed to the Sun Aben Ezra thinkes they were houses or Chappels made for the worship of the Sunne I conceive they were Images set up for that purpose you have mention made of them in Isa 27.9.17.8 Some thinke they were little Courts wherein were Altars and fire preserved upon them in honour to the Sunne Calvin thinkes them so cald ab aestu because Idolaters runne after them as Adulterers doe after Whores Others from Chemab furor Deod on Levit 26.30 because they are carryed with fury to that service Vid. Buxtorf in Chamam Isa 57.5 Inflaming your selves with Idolls I will cast downe the slaine men This seemeth a strange speech slaine men are not standing It is also to prophane pollute need not casting downe The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar renders interfectos vestros They are slaine men that fall downe to Idolls that serve other Gods men appointed to be slaine or confossos vestros your wounded men For Shalal is perforare and its probable that many being wounded by the Chaldeans would flye out of Jerusalem to the Hils Altars Groves and Idols for safety and there the Lord would destroy them before the Idols their enemies should find them out and make an end of them Hosea 10.8 They shall say to the mountaines cover us and to the Hills fall on us They were in great feare distresse and hid themselves yet that prevented not their death Jer. 12.12 The spoylers are come up upon all high places through the Wildernesse for the Sword of the Lord shall devour from the one end of the Land even to the other end of the Land and no flesh shall have peace They should finde no favour at their Altars in fight of their Idolls Idolaters conceit that the gods in honour of whom they set up their Altars and Images will relieve them in distresses and turne aside evill from them but it should not be they should find no mercy Sennacherib was slaine before Nishrosh his god Isa 37.38 It is also in the 5. and 6. verses Before their Idols Gillulim dunghill gods excrementitious Deities from Galal dung So it s rendred in the 1 Kings 14.10 Quod circumvolutions emittitur even mans dung which is most loathsome and unsavoury This name is put upon Idols to shew how they doe stinck in the nostrills of God and make the Worshippers of them filthy stinking creatures they are like Swine that feed upon and wallow in dung Idolls defile the soule and body both for usually spirituall uncleannesse and bodily doe goe together Idolatry and Adultery are companions Jer. 5.7 8. They worship other gods and neigh after their neighbours Wives Idols doe defile and cause defilement Ezek. 22.3 Thou makest Idols against thy selfe to defile thy selfe V. 5. Altare polluitur contactu cadaveris Calv. I will lay the dead carkasses of the Children of Israel c. They should want buriall be exposed to open shame their Altars be defiled with blood and bones Josiah polluted the Altar with the bones and carkasses of dead men 2 Kings 23.16 20. And Jeremy tells of the bones of Kings Princes Priests Prophets Bones blood carkasses pollution because they are signs of death and fruits of sin and Inhabitants of Jerusalem that should be taken out of their Graves be spread before the Sunne Moone and host of Heaven whom they worshipped and not to be buryed but should be for dung upon the face of the Earth They had served dunghill Idolls and God would make them dung yea in the place where they had so sinned should they suffer this heavy judgement even before the Idols The Jewes used to bury the bones of their Kings with Gold Silver costly Garments Crowne Scepters and Armes Prophets and other chiefe men had some pretious things
which was a City in the Land of Hamath where Pharaoh put Jehoahaz in bonds 2 Kings 23.33 In the borders of the Moabites neer the Wildernesse spoken of in Deut. 8.15 a great and fearfull Wildernesse full of fiery Serpents and Scorpions where was drought and no water God would make their Land not onely desolate and desolate like this Wildernesse but more desolate I will stretch out my hand upon them There is difference between Gods stretching out his hand to a people and upon a people The first notes invitation to repentance Isa 65.2 I have stretched out my hands all they day unto a Rebellious people The second notes smiting punishing destroying Isa 5.25 The anger of the Lord is kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them Jer. 51.25 Behold I am against thee O destroying mountaine and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee c. Vpon and Against notes the same thing When Gods hand is upon a Land or people it s against them and so the phrase oft runs Jer. 15.6 Thou art gene backward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee and will destroy thee See Exod. 3.20 The sins of the people lay wast the Land they fell to Idolatry and so God stretched out his hand upon the Land and layd it waste This people were so degenerate corrupted besotted with their owne wayes that they understood little of Gods they fell to the sins of the Nations and those sins in a speciall manner stupifie All sin doth it but Idolatry and false Worship most hence Jer 10.14 speaking of such sinners he saith Every man is brutish in his knowledge Idolaters know not God how he is provoked by their wayes What foolish doings it is to goe out from God therefore in this Chapter its four times They shall know that I am the Lord 7.10.13.14 CHAP. VII 1 Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me saying 2. Also thou Sonne of man thus saith the Lord God unto the Land of Israel An end the end is come upon the four corners of the Land 3. Now is the end come upon thee and I will send mine anger upon thee and will judge thee according to thy wayes and will recompence upon thee all thy abominations 4. And mine eye shall not spare thee neither will I have pity but I will recompense thy wayes upon thee and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee and yee shall know that I am the LORD THIS Chapter as the former is Propheticall of the destruction of the Jewes and of their Land First In it is a denuntiation of their totall Ruâ—â— in the 2 3 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 verses Secondly In â—he rest of the Chapters is a Declaration of their calamities and the causes thereof Of the first Verse hath been formerly spoken and likewise of The Sonne of man and most things 〈◊〉 se Verses In the second Verse the Prophet is in geâ—â—â—â—ll acquainted with the mind of GOD towards Israel and in the two next more specially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 2. Also thou Sonne of man The Hebrew is And thou O Sonne of man Here is a Nominative case absolute without reference to any thing the like you have Psal 41.12 As for mee thou upholdest me in mine integrity The Hebrew is and I in the Nominative Thou upholdest me Ego in integritate supportasti me Zech. 7.5 Did you fast at all unto mee even to mee this last mee is Ego Jeiunasti mihi ego saith the Originall Eccles 2.15 As it happeneth to the Foole so it happeneth even to me Secundum eventum stulti etiam ego eveniet mihi Such Hebraismes you have 1 Sam. 25.24 Gen. 27.24 and in Isa 11.10 Psal 11.4 you have Nominative Cases put absolute as Thou here in the Text and it serves to quicken up the Prophets spirit and to put him into a readinesse of Prophesying And then Ezekiel attend prophesie Vnto the Land of Israel or concerning the Land of Israel It s not spoken of all the Tribes Ten were gone long before into Captivity but by a Synechdoche of the Tribe of Judah which yet remained undestroyed An end the end is come The word End is doubled and mentioned againe in the third Verse Now is the end repeated in the sixth Verse An end is come the end is come these repetitions are not in vaine they set out First the zeale intention and speed of the speaker Secondly the evidence certain y and weight of the thing spoken of Thirdly they serve to make the deeper impression End notes destruction yea a generall destruction Gen. 6.13 The End of all flesh is come God would bring a Flood upon the whole Earth take away all flesh and this is cal'd the End of all So here God had dealt mercifully with them formerly but now he would be severe and make an end of them Vpon the four Corners of the Land Hebrew is Wings which metaphorically expresses the parts of the Land Wings are extensive things and the parts of Judea that extended from Jerusalem East West North South are called the Wings or Corners thereof and the end should come not onely upon the extreame parts of the Land but the whole Land Vpon all their Cities Habitations and Quarters from one end to the other What our Prophet calls here the four Corners or Wings of the Land Christ cals Mat. 24.31 the 4 winds they shall gather his Elect from the four winds or quarters of the World Obser 1 That Kingdomes and Churches have their periods they may continue for some hundreds of yeares but at length they expire the Kingdome and Church of Judah flourished many years from Saul their first King to Zadekiah their last were 480 yeares but then you see an end is come the end is come an end of the State an end of their Church an end of all comforts of all glory and greatnesse The Assyrian Persian Grecian and Roman Monarchies had their ends their glory was layd in the dust after it had dazeled the Worlds eyes a few yeares Wisedome strength greatnesse riches were found in them but neither any or all of these preserved them from seeing corruption The seven famous Churches in Asia are gone and since that time many other Churches and Kingdomes have been ruined Is not an end comming if not come upon many Kingdomes at this day let Germany Denmarke Ireland speake No State no Church no condition under the Sunne is everlasting all have their changes and their ends Psal 119.96 I have seene an end of all perfection but thy Commandement is exceeding broad There is nothing in the World so firme perfect lasting bus it's subject to corruption Kingdomes are subject to Warres Plagues Famines Treacheries which ruine them Churches are subject to Errors Heresies Schismes corruptions prophanesse which ruine them And all other things have principles of destruction in themselves which bring them to an end within the
compasse of a few years But thy Commandement is exceeding broad it goeth beyond the terme of these perishing things it 's not for a hundred or thousand years and so to expire but it abides for ever Obser 2 2. God will premonish before he doth punish a sinfull people he comes not upon them unwarned he tels them before hand what they must looke for If a generall destruction be decreed ready to be executed he will hint it to his Prophets they shall declare it to the people that those that are the Lords may be awakened brought to repentance be secur'd from eternall ruine if not the temporall and that the rest may be convinced of their own evill ways and may justifie the proceedings of the Lord. Vers 3. 3. Now is the end come upon thee They having the common sicknesse of mankind in them to put off judgements and the day of evill when threatned as if there were no such thing or at a great distance The Lord brings the judgement home to them and cuts off all their shifts Now is the end upon thee now is the finall destruction and for Thee not for others that live among the Nations not for thy Posterity that comes after thee Not for the Tribes are carryed away but for thee that art secure and fearest not Now is the end it s very nigh some yeares were to passe before the end came it was now the sixth yeare of their Captivity and Zedekiah that succeeded Jehoiachim was upon the sixth yeare of his Reigne at Jerusalem and the ninth yeare the tenth month began this finall destruction 2 Kings 25.1 Then came Nebuchadnezzar with all his Forces into the Land and besieged Jerusalem and in the eleventh yeare the fourth and fifth moneths it was accomplished Vers 2 3 4 8 9 10. So that here was three or four years before this end came five and upwards before it was fulfilled yet it s sayd Now is the end come upon thee Things future in Scripture are spoken of as present or past Isa 1.8 The daughter of Zyon is left as a Cottage in a Vineyard Chap. 24.10 The Citie of confusion is broken downe every house is shut up that no man may come in There is a crying for Wine in the streets This is spoken as present and it was yet to come Chap. 42.22 This is a people robbed and spoyled Revel 18.2 Babylon is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of Devils John 3.18 Hee that beleeveth not is condemned already These Scriptures speake of things as past and were then to come the Lord useth to speak so in his word of things future sometimes as present sometimes as past because with him is no difference of times and for that they are as certainely to take place as if they were doing or done God looks not upon time as we doe that is future we thinke to be at a great distance that is to come 2 3 7 20 or 100. yeares hence that we apprehend very remote and hath little influence into us or operation upon us but God looks upon things at little and great distances as present Now is the end come upon thee 70 yeares he calls a present little moment Isa 54.7 8. 1 Pet. 4.7 The end of all things is at hand 1 John 2.18 It is the last houre It is about 1600 yeares since the spirit of God spake thus by Peter and John and yet the end of all things is not come the last hour is not out times future are present with God and so propounded to us that they might worke the more strongly upon us cause us to feare God more to be sober and watch unto Prayer I will send mine anger upon thee God had formerly delt sparingly with them now and then chastised them with rods now he would be more severe and chasten them with Scorpions he had kept in his wrath formerly but now he would send it forth in strength they should not have gentle corrections but terrible Judgements he would send out wrath and not mercy Anger here is put for the effects of anger punishments judgements by a metonymie of the efficient Will judge thee according to thy wayes Judging is sometimes put for sentencing of persons or things Rom. 2.16 In the day that God shall judge the secrets of men That is passe a sentence upon them sometimes for punishing Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge That is punish And so here I will judge thee First I will punish and least it may be thought God in his anger should exceed measure in punishing it s added According to thy wayes not according to my wayes but thine which in the judgement of any or all must be equall looke what thou hast done and deserved by it that thou shalt have the word Wayes is metaphoricall and notes mens manners actions courses of life Prov. 21.2 Every way of a man is right in his owne eyes so Psal 1.1.6 Mens owne devises Judges 2.19 Custome Jer. 10.2 And in this place their actions and conversations are cal'd wayes because their affections the feet of the soule are in them and they lead unto some place as wayes doe all actions have a tendencie to Heaven or Hell This phrase is expounded by that in Hos 4.9 I will punish them for their wayes They have done evill and shall suffer for it And will recompence upon thee all thine abominations The Hebrew is I will give or put upon thee c. The Vulgar is Ponam costra te I will put against thee all and others have it I will repose or turne back upon thee all thine abominations hitherto thou hast put them upon me Reponam Juni and I have borne them now I will returne them and lay them upon thy selfe God would now reward them for their abominations Hos 4.9 I will punish them for their wayes and reward them for their doings Their reward shou'd returne upon their owne head Obad. 15. Obser Gods Judgements prevent sinners expectations they are nearer men then they conceive Now is the end come the Prophet in Babylon sees it but they at Jerusalem apprehended it not none would beleive that destruction should come upon Jerusalem Lam. 4.12 Yee put farre away the evill day Amos 6.3 they put it farre from their thoughts hearts if it came in at all they looke upon it as comming in after Generations and not in theirs Ezek. 12.22 It was come to a Proverbe in Israel the dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Vers 27. The vision that hee seeth is for many dayes to come and hee prophesieth of the times that are afarre of they grew secure fear'd not the threatnings put upon them at a great distance and what lay in them nul'd the Prophesies and therefore in the 28 Verse God saith There shall none of my words be prolonged any more God would hasten the punishment of them and they should suddainely overtake them Isa 29.1 5 6. Woe to Ariel
any Authours whatsoever Obser 1 1. In case of peoples security repetition of the same thing is necessary they were fearelesse of judgements secure of their Estates put farre off the evill day and see how the Lord doubles and trebles his threats An evill an onely evill an end the end is come is come is come is come is come is come six times and further behold behold it s come the severall expressions of the season the morning the time the day of trouble and then it watcheth is come is neare why doth the spirit of God repeate all those even to awaken them out of their security to convince them as of the certainty so the suddennesse of the judgement and to make the greater and deeper impression upon them things once spoken passe away but being iterated are like to take some hold of mens eares and affections this Prophet is very repetitious of Threats and Judgements and presseth them frequently they were neer finall destruction and therefore the spirit of God urgeth such things oft in the mouth of this Prophet that so no meanes being left unattempted he might awaken all and gaine some Christ pronounces the same words eight times in one Chapter Woe unto you Scribes Pharises Hypocrites Matth. 23.13 14 15 16 23 25 27 29. to affect them with the eminencie of their danger and others with the evill of their wayes Obser 2 2. Gods judgements may seeme to linger but they doe not slumber wicked men God beares with and forbeares long even so long that they thinke his judgements are layd to sleep or dead as in the 2 Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation There is no Christ to Reigne or Judge the Flood is dryed up and the fire to consume the World is not yet kindled but Verse 10. The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with great noyse and the Element shall melt with fervent heat Chap. 2. Ver. 3. Whose judgement lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not Gods judgements what ever sinners thinke are awake and footing of it and hastening to their Ruine That which the wicked call a lingering and slumbering judgement Gods spirit cals in the 1. verse Swift destruction it will be upon them before they see their doings or repent of their Sinne Revel 6.2 4 8. you shall finde that judgements come riding in they make haste Obser 3 3. That God keeps judgements quiet till he please It may watch but cannot walke or worke till he seale a Commission God hath variety of judgements creatures in a readinesse to doe him service he hath Angels Stars Winds Waters Sword Famine Pestilence c. but no one stirs till he say goe they watch to heare his voice to doe his will they move not at the call of man their motion is onely at the appointment of their great Creator If he bid Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzaradan with thousands of Babylonians to arise and hasten to the Ruine of Jerusalem they are watchfull swift and active to execute his commands All creatures are Gods Army and have cause sufficient to watch for the Ruine of man because mans sin hath subjected them to ruine and imbondag'd them to corruption but here is the wisedome power and mercy of God he keeps all in their banks and without warrant from the great Generall the Lord of Hosts no attempt is made against any The morning is come unto thee That they might be affected he tels them the Day is broke the morning is come and the day of trouble beginneth he would have them be no longer in the darke but to look abroad to see how providences were working to fulfill Prophâ—siâ—â— The Originall word is diversly rendered Some thinke he alludes to the practice of the Jewes who executed Delinquents in the morning according to that in Jer. 21.12 Psal 101.8 God would early bring the Sword upon them and there is an emphasis in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Morning which was the most observable and deplorable morning that ever they had such a morning was Sodoms when fire and brimstone rain'd upon it Gen. 19.23 24. Such a morning was the King of Israels Hos 10.15 it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maturare mane surgere and signifies Matutinum quid some morning some early thing Ex usu Chaldaeo and Alapide interprets it Primum germen the first bud that is upon any tree the early the morning bud and so the sense is Judgements are budding breaking forth appearing and as near as Spring and Summer is when a Tree buds and blossomes or as the word is The morning is come you have thought judgement slept that it was still evening not past midnight but the morning is come judgement not onely watcheth but is rising risen comming forth and it will be early upon thee The Septuagint implies there was a connexion and series of evills comming upon them Aquila hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nexus complicatio prospectionem as if the evill they had foreseen and feared were now comming upon them the Chalde Coronam diadema so the word is used in Isa 28.5 and because it notes Royall power it s thought the King of Babylon is here meant the Vulgar is Contritio breaking into pieces La sentence du matin in the margent of the French grinding to dust is come upon thee Maldonat Contractio besieging is come and thou must be in a narrow compasse Shindler Revolutio ad te Nebuchadnezzar shall returne compasse thee about as a Crowne and carry thee into Captivity The day of trouble is neere The Hebrew word notes great trouble vexation with tumult and destruction Haiom Mebumah or a day of sore trouble you may hear the Prophet Isaiah describing such a day Chap. 22.5 It is a day of trouble and of treading downe of perplexety by the Lord God of Hosts in the Valley of vision breaking downe the Walls and of crying to the Mountaines God hath dayes of trouble for Kingdomes and when they come there is great distresse and great destruction 2 Chron. 15.5 6. In those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity This was a time or day of trouble for Israel In Scripture is mentioned a day of Calamity Psal 18.18 a day of Wrath Job 20.28 a day of Battell Psal 140.7 a day of Vengeance Jer. 46.10 a day of evill Prov. 16.4 of Rebuke Hos 5.9 of Slaughter Jer. 12.3 of Burning Mal. 4.1 of Destruction Job 21.30 And all these may be in a day of trouble You shall find many of them together in the 1 Zeph. 14 15 16
17. where he speakes of the day that Ezekiel doth The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere and hasteth greatly even the voyce of the day of the Lord the mighty man shall cry there bitterly That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wasting and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of Clouds and thick darknesse a day of the Trumpet and Alarum against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers and I will bring distresse upon men that they shall walke like blinde men c. Non gloriae montium Vulgar Non repercussio montium Montan. Non Echus montium Jun. Not the sounding againe of the Mountaines The Land of Israel was full of Mountaines Psal 125.2 As the Mountaines are round about Jerusalem and Judah was a Hill Countrey Luke 1.39 About these hils were their Vines planted and it was a Land of Vines Deut. 8.8 Isa 7.23 and at their Vintage when they gathered their Grapes they had many Labourers who to sweeten and facilitate their paines made great shoutings Jer. 35.30 An Eccho is a reflexion of sounds and is made upon walls woods banks rocks hills Isa 16.10 which made the Mountains to Eccho and resound but now there should be no joyfull sound but the ratling of Armes noyse of Charets neighing of Horses cry of Souldiers these should be heard in the Mountaines Or thus upon the Hils and Mountaines they had their Idols and Altars Chap. 6.13 and where Idolaters sacrificed there they had their Musick Songs and Dances which made the Mountaines to ring and were as the glory of them but now there should be a day of slâ—ughter and dreadfull clamour of enemies should be in the Mountaines the glory of them stained with the blood of men slaine there should be groaning mourning howling schreeking of men and women wounded and wronged Or thus you thinke all threats empty sounds as an Eccho from a Mountaine which presently vanisheth but you shall find the day of trouble no Eccho worke it will be reall and make you in the bitternesse of your spirits cry to Rockes and Mountaines and seek to hide your selves in the clifts of them Ver. 8. The eighth Verse hath formerly been opened onely you have Powring out of Fury for accomplishing fury Chap. 5.13 and it is the same for substance God would not hold in his fury any longer he would give full scope unto it freely fully strongly would he proceed in his fury against them all which are included in the word Powre out So for the ninth Verse I am the Lord that smiteth You thinke it is the Chaldeans the second cause but ye shall know that it is the Lord himselfe CHAP. VII 10. Behold the day behold it is come behold it is come the morning is gone forth the Rod hath blossomed Pride hath budded 11. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickednesse none of them shall remaine nor of their multitude nor of any of theirs neither shall there be wailing for them IN these Verses he goes on to shew the approach and extent of their Ruine it was at hand and none of them should remaine and likewise the causes thereof Pride and Violence Of morning was spoken in the sixth Verse but I must open something here for the words are difficult The Rod hath blossom'd By Rod sundry Interpreters understand Nebuchadnezzar whom they conceive so called Jer. 1.11 and that in Isa 10.5 O Assyrian the Rod of mine anger refers not onely to Senacherib but also to Nebuchadnezzar A Rod in the Scripture sense denotes First Power strength Psal. 2.9 a Rod of Iron Secondly Afflictions heavy Judgements Psal 89.32 I will visit your transgressions with a Rod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly Rigid and harsh Government Isa 14.5 The Lord hath broken the staffe or Rod of the wicked That is their rigorous and cruell Government Nebuchadnezzar had great strength sorely afflicted the Land of Judah he was an Iron Rod that brake them in pieces and rul'd them rigidly in Babylon Jehoiakim was kept 37. yeares in prison Jer. 52.31 The rod blossometh That is was in a readinesse to come and smite Jerusalem after blossoming comes fruit and the fruit that this Rod bare was fruit unto death Pride hath budded This King and people lifted up themselves above others Vir Superbiae Vatablus turnes it and meanes it of Nebuchadnezzar and prided themselves in their greatnesse strength riches and victories Jer. 50.31 God saith of Babylon I am against thee O thou most proud The Hebrew is I am gainst thee Pride These Babilonians were pride it selfe in Dan. 4.30 You may heare the King priding himselfe in this language Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Both King and people were proud and their pride budded forth and appeared to all when they put out Zedekiah's eyes slew his sonnes before his face and said sing us one of the songs of Zion Psal 137.3 Others by Rod understand the state of Judah and Jerusalem so the word Rod is used in Scripture Jer. 48.17 How is the strong staffe broken and the beautifull Rod That is the state and dignity of Moab and thus we may understand it The word for Rod signifies a Tribe as in Num. 1.4.16.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either because they grew out of the stock of Jacob as branches doe out of a Tree or because the names of the 12. Tribes were written upon rods Num. 17.2 and the word being Hammatteh the Tribe the rod carries me to conceive its meant of Judah rather than of Nebuchadnezar And the sense runs in a continued allegory Judah is compared to a tree that blossoms buds and brings forth its fruit it had blossom'd or flourished so the word is Psalm 90.6 And now the fruit was growing ripe their sins were great the measure of them almost full and punishment grew near and weighty The sinnes mentioned are 1. Pride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That pride So the Hebrew is there was eminency in it Judah was grown very proud Jer. 13.9 The Rulers were score ful Isa 28.14 I will marre the pride of Judah the great pride of Jerusalem And wherein appeared this great pride vers 10. They refuse to heare Gods word they walked in the imaginations of their owne hearts after other Gods to serve and worship them the proud men told Jeremiah be spake falsely Jer. 43.25 This sin reigned among men and women also Isa 3.16 The daughters of Sion are haughty and walke with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe making a tinckeling with their feete They had great bravery tinkling ornaments Caules round moon tires chaines bracelets muflers bonnets leg-ornaments headbands rings eare-rings nose-jewels changeable suites of apparell mantles crisping pins glasses fine linnen hoods and vailes They were
removed their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord they shall not satisfie their souls neither fill their bowels because it is the stumbling blocke of their iniquity SUNDRY Calamities are set downe before he persists in the addition of more every verse hath his peculiar calamity In the 16. is contained their flight In the 17. their feeblenesse In the 18. their sorrow and shame and in the 19. ver the insufficiency of the creature to helpe in the time of trouble I begin with the 16. It 's misery to bee in danger especially of life and to be put to flye for it as these were when the Enemy came to their wals and gates some fled and escaped to the mountaines The Originall is their escapers shall escape those I have appointed to famine sword pestilence shall be consumed by them but those I have appointed to escape they shall escape and get to the mountaines where they shall be like doves of the valleyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew Root whence Doves comes signifies to prey upon to oppresse circumvent make sad and the Dove is subject to prey oppression circumvention and mourning as much as any Fowle Hence two things in the Dove are aim'd at Fearefulnesse and Mourning First the Dove is a trembling fearefull creature any little noise makes it flye Hos 11.11 They shall tremble as a Dove The sight of the Hawk the noise of her bels or wings doth multiply fears in a Dove and so should those Jewes that escaped be full of fears flye to rocks and mountains as Doves for fear of hawks and dare not stirre they should hide themselves there and be affraid to speak to groan out their griefe lest they should be discovered and dye for it 2. It 's a mourning creature Isa 38.14 I did mourn as a dove saith Hezekiah And Isa 59.11 We mourn sore like Doves Doves sit solitary and mourne when they have lost their young their mates are wounded by any meanes yea it 's their nature as to tremble so to mourn and so should these Jewes sit and mourn they should have no joy of their lives their losses the place they should be in yea the thought of life should be matter of mourning unto them Of the valleyes There were not Doves of mountaines and Doves of valleyes but they are so called either because they did oft feede and appear there as Fowles of the Aire are so called because they are oft in the Aire or for that being pursued by Fowlers they fled to the valleys and hidde themselves there not enduring to be in open places or because they did breed in the holes of rockes which were towards the valleys In Job you have mention of clifts of the valleys Job 30.6 Or because they mourned in the valleys there they made a mourning or dolefull noise All of them mourning every man for his Iniquity Here is the cause of their calamity viz. their iniquity this was a Serpent in the bosome and gave them no rest had there been no Enemies at their gates at their heels their own sins besieged pursu'd them Observ 1 In common calamities when danger is abroad those that have escaped and got hiding places think not themselves secure these were in the mountains in the holes of the rocks and yet as fearfull as Doves trembling that the Babilonians were so nigh fearing discovery and death every moment a spirit of feare ceases upon sinners at such times that imprisons reason and holds them in bondage They are fallen into the hands of Divine judgements which are dreadfull those were like Lyons before were as silly Doves Jer. 48.28 Observ 2 2. That the fruit of sin is sorrow every one of them shall mourne for his iniquity before they sported in their sins now they should sigh for them their consciences were asleep through custome of sinning Gods judgments had now awakened them and they brought their sins so to mind that they wept and sorrowed sorely for them they had gone on in their idolatrous oppressing and provoking ways long they saw no cause to be sorry all was well with them but when trouble came their sinnes appeared their soules were sad and filled with apprehensions that drew bitter tears from them What is the fruit of wantonnesse whoredome Prov. 5.11 Solomon tels you that such a sinner shall mourn at last when his flesh and his body are consumed That of Job is suitable for him his flesh upon him shall have paine and his soule within him shall mourn Job 14.22 Eves sin had sorrow and sorrow multiplied greatly multipied Gen. 3.16 God told them Levit. 26.14.16 That if they sinned they should have sorrow of heart And Deut. 28.65 Sorrow of mind And they had that plentifully Isa 65.14 Yee shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howle for vexation of spirit Sin causes howling mourning David when he had sin'd it made him to roar Psalm 32.3 only his terrors were penitentiall these unprofitable shewed their misery but made no way to mercy This sorrow was the fruit of sin godly sorrow is the fruit of the spirit that lookes at the punishment which removed the guilt and filth of sin still abides this at the sinne and would have that destroyed though the judgments never be taken away Hos 14.2 2. This changes the minde not that its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophets Sermons could not draw teares from them while there was hope Gods judgments did it when it was too late Vers 17. All hands shall be feeble Fear made them flye and fear made them feeble where great fear fals upon any there the hands grow weake and are not able to doe their office the spirits retire to the heart to relieve that lest life should faile and thereupon the hands become weake The trumpet was blown all cal'd upon to make ready but none went out to Battle and why their hands were feeble they could not hold and handle their weapons to defend themselves their knees were feeble they could not flye to save themselves There is a treble feeblenesse of hands one naturall as when a man hath naturally a weaknesse lamenesse in his hands 2. There is one accidentall as when a mans hands are by some stroak fall wound made feeble but such feebleness is not here meant 3. There is a metaphoricall weakness which ariseth from despondency of mind through fear and fearfull apprehensions In this sense wee are to take it so it 's oft used in the Scripture Jer. 6.24 The report of the Northern Forces was come to them and what then Our hands wax feeble anguish hath taken hold of us Jer. 50.43 2 Sam. 4.1 Job 4.3 Ezek. 21.7 Isa 13.7 Je. 47.3 In all these places is mention of weaknesse feeblenesse of hands which is to be taken in the metaphoricall sense their hands were not able to doe what they should and formerly could have done and here
satisfie their soules nor fill their bellies Such shall be the famine and want of bread that all their wealth shall not purchase bread enough to relieve and satisfie them though they have houses ful of all wealth yet their bellies shal have want and soules faint for hunger Soul here is put for the appetitive vertue as in Math. 6.25 Take no care for the life what yee shall eate or drinke The word is for the Soule that is for the appetite God will provide Here they tooke care for their bellies and appetites and had little or nothing Because it is the stumbling blocke of their iniquity They had no use or benefit of their estates when they had most need of them and why here is the cause they were the stumbling blockes of their iniquity By Iniquity some Expositors understand punishment and then the sense is That their silver and gold were the occasion of these sad judgements fell upon them Their Wars fiering of the City and Temple and their leading into Captivity The former translation hath it For this ruine is for their iniquity it renders stumbling block ruine and shews the cause it s for their iniquity and so iniquity is taken properly for sinne not punishment They had sinn'd and this ruine or judgement of casting away their silver and gold of finding no help of being hungry and unsatisfied was upon them for their sinne This sense is truth but the Hebrew being thus because it hath been the stumbling blocke of your iniquity It leads to this sense that their wealth was the matter and occasion of their sin their silver gold and great estates occasioned them to sinne more fully and more fowly and therefore these judgements came upon them their estates bred their sins and brought their judgments That wealth is the occasion and fewel of sinne appeares thus Rich men in Scripture are set out as apt to trust in their estates to be high-minded 1 Tim. 6.17 To glory in what they have Jer. 9.23 They are liberal to their own backs and bellies but hard hearted to the poor Luke 16.19 20 c. They answer roughly Prov. 18.23 They scorne others Psalm 123.4 They are covetous deceitfull having treasures of wickednesse in their houses Mica 6.10 They oppresse the poor corrupt Justice and fill all with violence vers 12. They keepe backe the wages of Servants and Labourers they live in pleasures wantonly securely James 5.4 5. They little mind Christ and his wayes John 7.48 Matth. 19.23 24. When Christ cals they have their yokes of Oxen which draw them so fast from Christ that all his sweet invitations prevail not they are prone to and prodigall in false Idolatrous worship Isa 46.6 What wickednesse doth not wealth prompt men unto Jer. 5.27 28. They are waxen rich and what then they are fat shining their faces their apparrel glisters but it follows they overpasse the deeds of the wicked the richer they are the worser they doe their riches are fuel to their lusts and cause them to act with more heate and strength Hence Christ cals them unrighteous Mammon Lu. 16.9.13 Riches are mens Mammons gods that open the door wide for and strongly entice to unrighteous and wicked things therefore wealth is cal'd wickednesse Psalm 52.7 Speaking of a wicked rich man he strengthens himselfe in his wickednesse In the margent its substance and notes wealth gotten by a mans labour Wealth gotten most honestly hath some-what in it which through our weaknesse and corruption may draw us to wickednesse and therefore here it fals under that notion Obser 1 That the creatures which promise the most help and raise expectation highest in times of trouble can do little or nothing for us Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord Things precious and powerful can doe nothing for the owners in the day of distresse Zeph. 1.18 Prov. 11.4 They cannot deliver they cannot profit in the day of mans jealousie wealth will not profit much lesse in the day of Gods wrath But it s said Eccles 7.12 Money is a defence And Chap. 10.19 Money answereth all things Money may defend from poverty humane wrongs but not from sicknesse death or the wrath of God and it may answer for all our debts to men but not for our debts to heaven It 's not the fruit of your body can answer for the sinne of your soule Mica 6.7 much lesse the fruit of yâ—ur purse The profit men labour for in their health wil not profit in the day of Gods wrath Judas 30. pieces could not stil one throb of his Coâ—science Herods royal Robes Scepter Crown greatnesse could not protect him from the teeth of a few feeble worms nor all Jerusalems gold and silver the Jewes from the fury of the Mâ—des Isa 13 17 18. It 's not all your wealth can keep the plague out of the City or secure your lives when it s come In a Famine is not one loaf of bread more satisfying than all the gold of the earth Silver and gold are not eatable greene hearbs are more serviceable in such a case then they are Let the counsel of Gods Spirit therefore prevail with you Pro. 23.4 5. Labour not to be rich cease from thine owne wisdome Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainely make themselves wings they flye away as an Eagle towards heaven Here are 3. arguments against it 1. It 's humane wisdome not divine to do so 2. They are inconsiderable things they have no being in them they are not sufficient to helpe and deliver you in your streights 3. They are uncertain things they make wings to themselves and flâ—e away they are like birds in the nest that seeme to dwell there but presently their feathers grow and they are gone and their wings are Eagles wings they flie swiftly strongly from you A fire in a night â— therefore set not your hearts to get riches or if they be gotten set not your hearts upon them 2. That wealth in the day of Gods wrath when he deales with sinners iâ— so far from advantaging that it prejudiceth and wounds They shall cast their gold in the streets c. They found it did them hurt In prosperity they plead prerogative and must have their will and in adversity they have their prerogative above others but it is a prerogative of woes If any suffer goe into captivity they doe it first Amos 6.7 Nâ—buzâ—radan tooke the rich and fat ones with him and left the poore that had nothing to dresse the Vine-yards and possesse the Land Jer. 39.10 These had the priviledg of safety when others had a prerogative of misery The wealth of these men did multiply their woes 1. One wound to them was that they had not believed the Prophets threatning the ruine of their estates 2. That they had gotten their estates by unlawfull meanes 3. That they had done little good but much hurt
Some are so prophane and atheisticall that they thinke God sees regards not the things done here below Psal 94.5 6 7. They breake in pieces Gods people afflict his heritage slay murther widows and fatherlesse ones yet say the Lord shall neither see nor regard it And in Psal 10.11 He saith God hath forgotten he hideth his face and will never see it and not only Gods actuall seeing but his power of seeing and knowing things here is denyed Jab 22.13 How doth God know can he judge through the darke clouds Some have confidence to say God sees no sin in his children and others blush not to say he sees not the sins of and in the wicked and so God shall see no sin at all they make him an unseeing and unknowing God David cals this brutishnesse Ps 94.8 9 10 11. He that made the eye shall not bee see He that teacheth man knowledge shall not be know Yea saith he the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men and that their thoughts are vanity What is most remote from mans eye and knowledg that God knows exactly afar off Psal 139.2 And denounceth a woe to men of such thoughts and practises Isa 29.15 Woe to them that seeke deep to bide their counsell from the Lord and their workes are in the darke and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us God seeth them God knows them and pronounceth a dreadfull woe against them because mens lives doe proclaim that they believe not Gods Omnisciency therefore God professeth it openly Isa 66.18 I know their workes and their thoughts He had observ'd all within and without therefore they should be consum'd Gods eye is upon all our wayes and works let us every day do as God did review them and see that they be good 6. God in his judgments will proceed with sinners according to their ways and deserts Job 34.10 11 12. Elihu proves there that God will not doe wickedly nor pervert judgement and why for the worke of a man shall be rendered unto him and cause every man to find according to his wayes God is most just therefore takes notice of all thoughts counsels projects attempts and actions that so he may deal answerably with men Jer. 32.19 His eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give every one according to his wayes That in Revel 18.6 seemes to crosse this truth when God will judge Babylon shee must have double punishment her cup must be doubled God doth not command here that Babylon should be twice punished for the same sin that were not according to the rules of Divine Justice Double here hath reference to Babylons dealings with the Church She did greatly afflict Sion and now God would have Babylon to have double afflion to that Babylon did injustly in oppressing Sion Sion should do righteously in destroying Babylon and observe the word double render unto her double according to her works If she have twice as many strokes judgments twice as much blood shed as Sion had its according to her workes she deserves it and nothing can be too much for her therefore Jer. 51.49 As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall so at Babylon shall fall the slaine of all the earth The Babylonian Empire was a little world to Israel and cal'd it's selfe the universall Empire and Babylon said shee was the Queen and the only City of all others Isa 47.7 8. The golden City Isa 14.4 But now when God would punish Babylon for her bloodinesse against Sion not only should Babylon's chldren that dwell in her be destroyed but all her Subjects in her great Territories should be slain for her sake Alapid understands it of Rome heathnish or together with her which sets out the greatnesse of her punishment suâ—table to her deserts and is well cal'd double for the death of one Israelite deserves the death of two Babylonians 7. They that will not know God in the way of his mercies they shall know him in the way of his judgments God had walked in paths of mercy amongst this people many years and they minded not God honoured him not in the middest of mercies but fed according to their pastures and forgat God therefore he brought heavy judgments upon them and saith They shall know that I am the Lord. This phrase is used above 50. times in this Prophet and assures us that God will be known and that amidst his enemies and with an experimentall knowledge for that is the meaning of the words not a literal and brain knowledg Isa 26.11 When thy hand is lifted up they will not see But they shall see They will not see to fear to repent but they shall see that is have experience of the strength of his hand to their shame and destruction The phrase of knowing I am the Lord sometimes refers to mercies as Exod. 6.6 7. God would bring them out from the burthens and bondage of Aegypt take them for his people then they should know him to be the Lord. So in Exod. 16.12 1 Kings 20.28 God would give them Manna deliver up enemies into their hands And they should know c. That is have experience of his mercy truth and loving kindnesse Sometimes and mostly it refers to Divine judgment especially in this our Prophet God would bring in the Chaldeans with the sword and those grievous calamities attend it and they should know that he was the Lord that is they should have reall experience of his Authority and power over them they should feele the bitter fruits of his displeasure in them CHAP. VIII VERSE 1. And it came to passe in the sixth yeare in the sixth moneth in the fifth day of the moneth as I sate in mine house and the Elders of Judah sate before mee that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon mee IN this and the three next Chapters you have the grievous sinnes and answerable punishments of the Jewes at Jerusalem laid downe with some other things considerable This eighth Chapter hath three things in it 1. An Introduction to a new Vision vers 1. 2. The Vision it selfe from the beginning of vers 2. to the end of vers 17. 3. A Declaration of Gods severe dealings with them vers 18. In the Introduction to this Vision you have these particulars 1. The time exactly set downe when it was in the 6. yeare the 6. moneth the 5. day 2. The place where it was As he sate in his house 3. The persons before whom it was The Elders of Judah sate before me 4. The cause of it The hand of the LORD fell there upon mee For the time It was now the sixth yeare of Jehoiachins cptivity and in the sixth moneth The Jewes first month is Nisan the second Jiar the third Sivan the fourth Thamuz the fifth Ab and the sixth Elul and answereth to that is called August The fifth day of this moneth had hee this vision which Junius saith was the Sabbath
more then ever we read of formerly It can hardly be shewn in Scripture â—hat ever any met together in private to worship the Lord were surpriz'd molested taken or imprison'd For their publique preaching they were frequently questioned and suffered It s not so evident that they did for their private meetings These they had in Babylon without imputation or molestation and shall not Sion be as indulgent to her children as Babylon was to her enemies If not Babylon wil rise up in judgement against such sons of Sion 4. God honours holy meetings though they be private the hand of the Lord fell there and then upon the Prophet Where two or 3. meet together in a sacred manner God will be in the midst of them Matth. 18.20 He will be President of that meeting and powerfull in it not only shew his presence and power in an ordinary way but many times extraordinarily as at this time John 20.19 When the Disciples were assembled in private Jesus stood in the middest of them and said peace be unto you And so in the 26. v. when they were met in private Christ came amongst them he honoured their meetings in a speciall manner with his presence blessing and miracles The world hath prejudice against such meetings speaks ill and attempts the ruine of them but Christ thinks honourably of them puts honour upon and manifests his acceptance of them Acts 2.1 2 3. When the Apostles were got together in a hou e the cloven tongues of fire sate upon each of them and they were filled with the holy Spirit Acts 10.44 While Peteter was preaching in Cornelius house the holy Ghost fell upon them And you will scarcely find such visible signes of Gods presence in publique as were then in private I speak not this to disparage publique meetings God is in the solemn Assemblies there his glory and power is seene But to take off that Odium is in the hearts of many against all private meetings 5. Those wait upon God in the wayes of his worship are not loosers by it The Elders came to the Prophet sate there expected something from him and they had more then ordinary They beheld the hand of God upon the Prophet and were made witnesses of that vision hee had and partakers of the same The people that flocked after Christ into the field had the Word beside that the loaves fishes Joh. 6. When the Disciples were met together to worship the Lord the first day of the weeke Christ came to them breath'd upon and gave them the holy Ghost John 20.19.22 Paul seekes God in prayer Acts 9.11 and continued in it behold he prayes he was at it night and day and Ananias was sent to him to help him to his sight and to the holy Ghost so that he might see men and how to save men Old Simeon and old Anna the Prophetesse they came into the Temple to serve the Lord and at that time Christ is brought in whom they see and magnifie God for Luke 2. In Acts 16.13 You read how Paul left the City and went to a river side where women did usually meet to pray thither many were come and to them Paul preaches Lidias heart is opened and Christ let in who was before a stranger unto her and besides this she was baptized and gain'd the company of the choisest Apostles vers 14 15. Cornelius Acts 10. fasts and prayes and he hath an Angel sent to him to assure him that all was accepted in heaven and to help him to the speech of an Apostle whom hearing he received the holy Ghost vers 44. Men lose not but gain greatly by waiting upon God in his Ordinances If they have not what they expect sometimes they have more then they look for at other times Blessed is the man that heareth me saith Christ Prov. 8.34 watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors They are blessed already and unexpected blessings are waiting for them 6. That former operations and impressions of the Spirit suffice not the holiest of men when new services are to be done Ezekiel was a holy Prophet hee had the hand of God the vertue of the Spirit falling upon him before Chap. 1.3 entering into him Chap. 2.2 strongly upon him Chap 3.14 And yet all this was not sufficient there was new work for him new visions to be seene and given out and the hand of the Lord fell anew upon him New employments must have new influences new tryals must have new strength If we trust to antecedent receipts we shall miscarry Peter fail'd when hee came to encounter with a new tryal he lean'd upon what he had and looked not up for more Paul he stood when buffeted by a messenger of Satan and why being conscious of his own weaknesse and insufficiency of what he had received he sought to God who told him my grace is sufficient for thee not the graces I have given thee but the grace I have to give thee If a messenger of Sathan molest thee be too strong for thee I have a messenger even my Spirit of grace that shall come and comfort thee that is stronger then all and shall uphold thee Paul had experience of this and therefore counsels Timothy 2 Tim. 2.1 To be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus Though he had unfeigned faith knew the Scripture from a child had a gift given him by the laying on of Pauls hands yet hee must not be strong in these but in the grace of Christ see his strength lye there former impressions of Christ Spirit ware out and receiv'd vertue is soone spent Wee must looke for new Influences Impressions and Operations of the hand of Christ else all will be too little Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow And Sampson called unto the Lord and said O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me I pray thee only this once Judges 16.28 VERSE II. Then I beheld and loe a likenesse as the appearance of fire from the appearance of his loines even downward fire and from his loines even upward as the appearance of brightnesse as the colour of Amber OUr Prophet being in an extasie the Lord Jesus Christ appeares unto him as a man and is described First Generally and that is by a likenesse of fire he seem'd to him to be a man of fire or as the appearance of fire 2. More particularly and 1. From his loines downward and the appearance thereof was as fire 2. From his loins upward the appearance whereof was 1. As brightnesse 2. As the colour of Amber Christ being presented here as a man of fire it 's worthy consideration to examine the grounds of it The Jewes had sinned exceedingly provoked God by their Idolatry to great jealousie and being now resolv'd upon their destruction he gives out a fiery vision of Christ unto the Prophet which appearance was sutable to
divine wrath and these God cals for and emplâ—yes yet to fetch in the Chaldeans for destruction of the City and inhabitants of it Angels are defenders and destroyers of Cities Chaldie is qui constituti sunt ut perdant civitatem Every man with his destroying weapon in his hand A man in the Hebrew it is not every man but the meaning is that not any shouâ—d appeare without his weapon every one that came should bring it in his hand Destroying weapon Heb. Instrument of his destruction that is not with an instrument to destroy himselfe but with an instrument to destroy otheâ—s a deadly instrument Observ 1. The Lord will not alwayes be silent and beare with sinners he will cry out against them the longer he hath been silent the louder he will cry at last here God held his peace long or spake in secret to the Prophet shewing him the sins of this City how grievous they were what abhominations they had committed and that being done he cryes out of them calls for executioners to be avenged on them Isa 42.14 I have long time holden my peace I have beene still and refrained my selfe now will I cry like a travailing woman I will destroy and devour at once A travailing woman feeles paine but keepes as long as shee can from discovering the same but when her throwes and pangs come strongly upon her she cryes out of her pains and cals for help So God had borne with their sins restrain'd his fury and vengeance but being overcome with the greatnesse of their sins wearied with their iniquities he cryes out and cals for help of Angels and men to avenge him of his adversaries Mica 6.9 The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City He called aloud unto them his patience was expired Spâ—riâ— exasperated his voyce was now intended as being in a streight and decessicâ—â—ed to proceede to judgement Amos 2.13 Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves A cart is long a loading and when it s greatly loaded oft it breake and all is laid in the dust So God being pressed breaks silence brings in dreadfull and inevitable judgements therefore the flight shall perish from the swift c. 2. The Lord usually makes known his judgements before he executes them He cryed in mine eares Ezekiel shall know the Lords intendments before he doth any thing against the City people before notable judgements come upon men Gods method is to reveale them God told Noah of the flood Gen. 6.13.17 The captivity of the tenne Tribes was not hid from the Prophets 2 Kings 17.14 15 16. This Babylonish captivity was known to Isaiah Jeremiah Amos 7.7 8 9. Ezekiel and others 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. Christ told the Apostles of the destruction of the Temple and miseries that should befall the City before they fell out Mat. 24.1 2. Luke 19.41 42 43 44. Upon this ground Amos is bold and saith Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Chap. 3.7 There is no necessity upon God for revealing his judgments he doth execute many secretly and openly which were never heard of till felt but Gods ordinary way with his people was to let them heare of his judgements before-hand he made them known to the Prophets and Propheticall men Joseph had the 7. yeares famine reveal'd to him Gen. 41. And God would not hide his purpose of ruining Sadome from Abraham Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe No I will not Abraham is my friend he shall know my thoughts Jonas is acquainted with Gods intentions touching Nineveh that great City and the judgments now upon us were not unfore-seen the servants of the Lord had notice of them many yeares since and spake of these tempestuous dayes This God doth to stop the mouth of iniquity that wicked men may not object God came upon them without warning This Lyon roares before he devoures the prey The Lord of Hosts sounds the Trumpet before he comes to battaile hee tels his Prophets and Ministers of Justice that they may give warning unto others that they may prepare to meete the Lord that they may tremble at his judgements repent reform return to God or else perish most justly and that the godly seeing his care herein for ye might work out your salvation with feare and trembling draw others out of their dangerous conditions exercise their graces more fully and intercede earnestly with God for averting mitigating removing or sanctifying of his judgements Abraham intreated for Sodome and Jeremiah for the Jewes when they knew GODS minde was to destroy them 3. No judgments evils come upon any States or Churches but at the Lords call and appointment Let the visitation of the City draw neare or cause the visiters to come God hath soveraign authority over all creatures he is Lord of Hosts and when he gives out the word then judgements step forth and the executioners of them appear 2 K. 8. 1. There was a seven yeares famine in the Land and how came this Elisha tels the Shunamite woman that the Lord had call'd for it he commanded it to come forth of his treasury of judgements When David had sin'd in numbring the people God sent him a sad message by Gad his seer which was this Shall seven years famine come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three moneths before thine enemies while they pursue thee or that there be three dayes pestilence in the Land One of these David was to chuse and the Pestilence he chuseth which God sent amongst them 2 Sam. 24.12 13.14 15. Judgements are in Gods hand and let out at his pleasure He cals for the sword and gives it commission to goe up and downe Ezâ—k 14.17 He saith sword goe through the Land Hos 11.6 Abide on the Cities He causeth his sword to devour flesh and his arrowes to be drunk with blood Deut. 32.42 Judgements come not till God call them they goe not but where he directs them they hurt not any or more then he appoints nor cease till he command There is nothing casuall accidentall in them but they are by the determinate counsell and will of God 4. When the Lord is in his fury he is not only intense upon but hastning of judgements He cryed with a loud voyce which sets out his intention he would have executioners of his judgements draw neer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polan renders the word appropinquate celeriter seu omni conatu studio make speed and hasten Zeph. 1.14 The great day of the Lord is neare it is neare and hasteth greatly The time was neare and all things in heaven and earth making hast to their destruction yea great hast God brings on judgments sooner then they are expected Did not the Chaldeans come with speed and hast upon them his horses were swifter then Eagles Jer. 4.13 Then Leopards Hob. 1.8 And are any creatures
God for â—â— as man but he mediated then ut homo promissus now hee mediates ut homo exhibitus Isa 53.5 The Prophet speaking of Christ saith he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed The Prophets faith and in his the faith of the Jewish Church looked upon Christ as already wounded slain and fetched healing vertue from his stripes Christs death was their life his Crosse their crown 2. That the Lord Christ is the chief Commander of all Angelicall and humane forces he was in the midst of these six military Angels that were to bring in the Chaldean forces at the severall gates of the City Hee was their Generall from him they had their Commissions and without a word from him they could not stirre All power in heaven and earth was given him Math. 28. His prerogative it was and is to call forth Angels and send out Armies Rev. 19.4 The Armies which were in heaven followed him that is Christ hee was their Leader and his name is King of Kings and Lord of Lords vers 16. And certainly where Christ goes in the head of Armies there will bee great slaughter 3. When judgements are abroad and the godly are in danger Christ mediates and intercedes for them Now the Jewish Church and State were at the doore of destruction and publâ—que calamities ready to involve all Christ he appears like a Priest with linnen cloaths to offer sacrifice on their behalfe and to mediate for them When imminent dangers were at hand or judgments upon the people the Pâ—iests were to appear to stand between the Lord and them making intercession for them Num. 16.47 And so in Joel 2.17 Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weepe between the porch and the Altar and say spare thy people O Lord. And here Christ being a merc full h gh Priest shewes himselfe and interposeth for the Saints who were to meet with a terrible tempest The like did Christ when he was in the flesh on earth he saw what a storm was comming upon Jerusalem what persecution upon the Saints and therefore John 17. he intercedes with his Father for Apostles and believers vers 16.20 When Steven was questioned and in jeopardy of his â—if heaven was opened and he saw Christ standing at the right hand of God Christ pleaded his cause propitiated for his sins and incouraged him in his sufferings 4. Christ hath a speciall care of his in times of trouble he appears with an Inkhorn to write down wâ—â—â— is said and done against them to make known the mind of Gâ—d to them to seal and discriminate them from others to givâ—â— mâ—â—â—ssi â—s to those he employes to cut off the enemies of â—is peoâ—lâ— Rev. 7 2 3. There were four Angels had power given them to haâ—â— the earth sea but there was another Angell ascending from the East having the seal of the living God viz. Christ for so Expositors understand it and this Angell the Lord Christ cryed with a loud voyce saying hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of God in their fore-heads Christ had great care of his Churches for by Earth Sea Trees some of the learned understand the Church in severall places by Earth the Inland Churches by Sea the Maritime and by Trees the mountaine and woodland Churches Christ would not have these hurt till all the godly in them were sealed It s prophecyed in Mal. 4.1 2. That when it 's a fiery day of the LORD the Sonne of righteousnesse shall rise with healing in his wings to them that feare the LORD Chap. 1.3 4. When the locusts came out of the bottomlesse pit and had power like Scorpions given them to sting and doe hurt there was a command that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree That is No Christian that had life in him weak or strong but only those had not the seale of God in their fore-heads that is those had no life no greennesse in them and they were subject to hurt others Mar. 4. when the Disciples were in a grievous storm the waves beat so into the shipp that they fill'd it they were affraid and suspeâ—ted the care of Christ and therefore said Mr. carest thou not that we perish Yea saith Christ I have a speciall care of you and presently you shall see it he rebuked the winds said to the sea peace he still and immediately the wind ceased and there was a calme And from rebuking the winds Seas he fals to rebuke them for their fear and faithlesnesse they perceiv'd not yet that he cared for them aswell sleeping as waking though his body slept yet his spirit was awake his care for his is constant and intense When he was to leave the world how full of trouble were the hearts of his Apostles and how full of care and compassion was Christ towards them laying down severall grounds of comfort for them in the 14 15 16 and 17. Chapt. of John 5. Those are upon great and publique designs should begin with God consult with him These 7. here go in and stand by the Altar enquire of God what his pleasure is whither he will send them what he had to doe for them and what ever it was that hee would counsell and prosper them So have the Worthies of God done Ezra 8.21 When he was to come from Babylon about the great work of the Temple he sought God extraordinarily for direction assistance and protection which he obtain'd of God vers 23. Jehoshaphat when the Moabites Ammonites and others came out to warre against him hee began with the Lord in prayer and fasting and from him had encouragement and successe 2 Chro. 20. So Asa he began with God when Zerah had a thousand thousand in the field against him he knew that the Lord was the Lord of Hosts and that thâ—â—e uncircumcised ones came against him therefore lookes up to him and saith O Lord thou art our God let not man prevaile against thee and hereupon the Lord smote the Ethiopians 2 Chron. 14.11 12. One reason why Armies miscary is because they confide in their owne strength and policy and leane not wholly upon the Lord seeking to him in the first place Joshuah miscaryed in a great businesse in making peace with the Gibeonites Josh 9. and the reason is given they asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord vers 14. All businesses for the right managing and successe of them depend upon the Lord it 's he blesses or curses therefore it 's wisdome it 's necessary to looke up to him at the beginning lest through neglect of Divine Majesty wee lay the foundation of our enterprizes in wrath Christ being to choose Apostles which was a great work he prayed all night before Luke 6.12 13. And the Angels that were to powre out the vials
aire bâ—t it 's said the glory of the Lord went to the threshâ—ld not over it or beyond it and it s conceiv'd to be the threshâ—ld of the Priests Court The Lord went thither 1. To shew he was now going from the Temple where was such impure worship and leaving his glorious high Throne aâ— iâ—'s call'd Jer. 17.12 The Jewes thought the Lord was coâ—fiâ—'d to the Temple and the Prophets to the holy land 2. Because he was to pronounce sentence against this wicked idolatrous oppressing people which he would not doe in Sancto Sanctorum or in the Temple which was the place of his gracious presence and a type of Christ and mercy by him In the gates of the City they sate in judgement Amos 5.15 And God here at the threshold gives sentence against them 3. To treat with the men stood at the brazâ—n Altar and to give them commissions and instructions touching those were to be spared and destroyed The Lords way of manifesting his gracious presence in his Church was by some notable signe or other Observ 1. The glory was gone up it was there before When God was pleased with his people he evidenced his presence by some speciall signe Exod 13.21 22. When the Church came out of Egypt the Lord came before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light They had guidance and protection from the Lord Christ whose presence was evidenced by these visible signs out of which the Lord also spake sometime Psal 99.7 After they had the Tabernable Arke and Mercy-seat where God met them communed with them Exod. 25.22 They had the Vrim and Thummim to enquire of God and receive answers by Numb 27.21 1 Sam. 28.6 In Solomons days God manifested his gracious presence in the Temple by a cloud 1 Kings 8.10 God answered Elijah by fire and manifested with whom his presence was 1 Kings 18.38 And so under the Gospell Christ the Lord manifested his presence with his Church by visible signes Acts 2.3 Cloven tongues like fire sate upon each of the Apostles And Chap. 4.31 The place was shaken where they were and they were filled with the holy Ghost And Christ hath left his Word and Sacraments as signes of his presence in the Christian Church 2. The signs of Gods presence are the glory of God So the Text calls them The glory of the God of Israel was gone up All those visible signes before mentioned were the glory of the Lord so the spirit is pleased to call the sign of Gods gracious presence 1 Kings 8.10 11. The cloud that fil'd the Temple it s cald the glory of the Lord index symbolum gloriae Domini A lapid Psalm 29.9 In his Temple doth every one speake of his glory The Ordinances there have much of GODS glory in them and they are his glory 3. Gods with-drawing the signes of his gracious presence from his Church people is a forerunner of heavy judgements Here the glory of the God of Israel went up from the Cherub and shortly after the men with their slaughter-weapons are set on work to destroy It 's Gods method to take away the speciall tokens of his presence and love from a people and then to bring in sad judgments People sin and hereupon the glory removes and jugments draw near Exod. 32. The people made a Calfe upon which God denies to go with them as he had done Chap. 33.3 now they should not have visible signs of hâ—s presence And of them it's said vers 35. of Chap. 32. The Lord plagued the people because they made a Calfe c. When God would not answer Saul by dreams by Vrim or Prophets then his destruction was near at hand Among other signes of GODS presence there be these 1. Efficacy of the word that it works mightily in the hearts of people The Lord was with the Apostles and how mightily did the word work but when the word is inefficacious powerlesse its evident the glory of the Lord is departing and judgements dreadfull enough at hand The Prophet prophecyed to the people but the word wrought not Isa 6.9 10. Hearing they understand not seeing they perceive not their hearts were fat their eares heavy and their eyes shut Now the word was inefficacious to them and how long shall this be saith Isa Vntill the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant the houses without man the land be utterly desolate Sixe times is this Scripture quoted in the N. T. 2. Unity and love of Sâ—ints Psal 133.1 Isa 19.14 A perverse spirit Where brethren dwelt together in unity there the Lord commanded the blessing vers 3. and shewed his gracious presence where love is God dwels 1 John 4.16 But where bitternesse and division encrease Satan hath much interest hearts heads tongues hands are divided every where Isa 9.21 Manasseh is against Ephraim Ephraim against Manasseh and both against Judah Mat. 24. love is grown cold Instead of fervent love are fervent contentions in stead of love without dissimulation are crafty underminings in stead of covering infirmities are rakings in one anothers hearts When the breaches were stopped in the walls of Jerusalem the enemies were very wrath Neh. 4.7 God hath promised to close breaches Amos 19.11 Let us improve the promise and importune him to fulfill it for rich mercy depends upon is Isa 30.26 Unity is an humane savior of Kingdoms and Churches division is Abaddon Apollyon an hellish destroyer Mat. 12 25. A Kingdome divided cannot stand God is departed from it Division hath turned Religion into disputation driven God from the heart to the head and now men are polemical rather then practicall in Divinity 3. Activity of men in place for God where God is present there is courage Josh 1.9 2 Chron. 13.12 But when he withdraws men are without spirit divine influences cease a numnesse seizeth upon them and they act faintly be it in Church or State Hos 7.11 God was departing from Ephraim if not departed and Ephraim was a silly dove without heâ—rt void of counsell and courage and so fit for prey and spoile Ephraim was quickly spoiled after the Lord left them 4. Safety protection Jer. 1.19 Psal 46.5 Isa 27.3 Judges 16.20 21. When God was departed from Sampson the Philistims took him and put out his eyes Least any hurt it I will keepe it night and day Where there is keeping watching there is presence but is not our safety almost iâ— not altogether gone can we challenge safety of any thing estates liberties lives religion have not our Armies smarted had blows and breaches is not our land spoiled and under grievous pressures Are we not for a prey and none delivereth Isa 42.22 4. The Lord doth not willingly depart from his people when they have provoked him Hee goes from the Cherub to the threshold of the house and there stands as loth to goe any further he had
of minde griefe is a heavy burthen and causes men to sigh as those that are burthened Exod. 2.23 The children of Israel sighed by reason of bondage The heavy bondage they were under made them groane and sigh and so these here had the burthen of Jerusalems abhominations upon them and that made them sigh Prov. 29.2 When the wicked beareth rule the people mourn It 's the same word they mee◠with heavy pressures make them sigh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gravius sonat quam ח ana ק graviorem notat gemitum quam ana ח That cry This notes such sorrow as exceedes sighing and must vent it selfe in a more full way viz. with crying vehemently as wounded men use to doe when they breath out their soules Ezek. 26.15 The wounded cry when the slaughter is made And Jer. 51.52 Through all the land her wounded shall groane or cry It 's the same word so that the meaning is they did sigh greatly and cry out bitterly for the abhominations were in Jerusalem Obser 1. The Lord looks upon the world with a discriminating eye some he looks upon to be marked and some to be left unmarked all are not equall in Gods thoughts or eye some from eternity he predestinated some he passed over and now in time some he eyes for salvation Prov. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good some he sets by for perdition his eye distinguisheth between the pretious and the vile Psal 34.15 16. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and the face of the Lord is against them that doe evill He beholds both but with a different aspect one sort he beholds to doe good the other to cut off Psalm 11.4 His eye-lids try the children of men he lookes fixedly upon them and as they are so he deals with them Iob 36.7 It 's said he with-draws not his eyes from the righteous They are the delight of his eyes but the wicked are thorns provocations to his eyes Isa 3.8 2. When the Lord proceeds to judgment of Cities Churches People Kingdomes he doth it judiciously considerately he doth not powre out wrath from heaven at all adventures let it light where and upon whom it will but he makes enquiry who are fit to be punished and who to be spared Psal 9.7 The Lord hath prepared his throne for judgement And then vers 8. Hee shall judge the world in righteousnesse And vers 12. He makes inquision for blood The oppressed he will relieve the oppressors he will cut off When judgements are abroad especially Warres all things seem to move confusedly and wicked men to doe what they list they will destroy all before them but they cannot the judgments are the Lords and he carries them on judiciously there be eyes in the wheels and a Divine spirit in them and they doe not move they cannot move otherwise than the wise God will have them 3. In the worst times God hath some who are faithfull and serve him Violence had fill'd the land the Idoll of Jealousie was set at the Altargate chambers of Imagery in the wals of the Temple the Antients of Israel worshipped the forms of creeping things and abominable beasts the women wept for that shamefull Idoll Tammuz corruptions abounded in Church and State yet some faithfull ones the Lord had that were undefiled The Church of God did never totally faile nor ever shall When all flesh had corrupted its wayes the wickedness of man was grown great When the earth was fill'd with violence Gen. 6.5.11 12. yet then even then was Noah untainted He was just and perfect in his generation and walked with God vers 9. In Ahabs dayes when Jezebel cut off the Prophets of the Lord and he vexed the righteous with his will-worship abominable idoletries and forced them to flye to Jerusalem and things were so extreamly ill the righteous so wasted that Elijah a Prophet thought there was none left in Israel but himselfe even then the Lord tels him there were 7000. which had not bowed their knees to Baal nor kissed him 1 K. 1.18 They have shew'd that false god no reverence contracted no pollution by doing as the rest did when Ahaz who is stigmatiz'd for his wickednesse 2 Chron. 28.22 when he reign'd cut in pieces the vessels of the Temple and shut up the door◠of the Temple and made Altars in every corner of Jerusalem vers 24. yet his own sonne Hezekiah was godly at that time and hated the wayes of his Father When Christ came there was a Joseph and Mary a Zachariah and Elizabeth a Simeon and Anna with some few others and the times were exceeding bad then In the depths of Popery were pauperes lugdunenses of whom Reinerus a Popish Inquisitor writes that they had a great shew of godlinesse because they liv'd justly before men believed all things well concerning God and all the Articles of Faith only they blasphemed and hated the Church of Rome God had his Hus Jerome of Prague and Luther in times bad enough 4. The number of men to be sav'd in Jerusalem is few Commission is given to the man with the Inkhorne by his side to goe and search through Jerusalem and where he found any mourning sighing to mark them and surely this number was very few he is not to mark stree s families but particular persons which notes the paucity of those that were truly godly and to be saved In Aegypt the bloud was upon the lintell and side posts of the doore and so whole families there escaped but here in Jerusalem the mark is not upon the door but the fore-head many doores whole families were passed over here and there one found and marked take a place or two to this purpose Jer. 5.1 Runne to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seeke in the broad places thereof if yee can finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it Here God bids them search and see if they could finde a man and bring forth so that the City might be spared but they could not find one This satisfied not God they might be carelesse in that work overlook some man that did it God therefore will search himselfe Ezek. 22.30 I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before mee for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none Neither man nor God could finde any these expressions shew that the number of the godly was very few that those were so durst not appeare in publique because the times were so prophane and perillous but hid themselves and mourned in secret Few is the number of true believers and true mourners there were two Prophets Jeremiah and Vriah the Rechabites Baruch the Scribe Ebedmelech the Black-a-moor with some few beside The thought of the scant number of the good ones sadded the heart
confesse and own the man before his Father in heaven who shall confesse and own him here on earth It s a great priviledge to be owned by the Lord Heb. 11.16 God is not asham'd to be called their God Notwithstanding all the Saints sinnes and infirmities God is not ashamed of them When they were in Aegypt God owned them Ezod 3.6 7. he tels Moses he was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and that he had surely seene the affliction of his people Victoria a holy Virgin under Dioclesian being asked by the Proconsul if shee would goe with her brother Fortunatianus a Heathen answered no because I am a Christian and they are my brethren which keepe the commands of God Let not us be asham'd of God and his cause but openly and truly professe him and his wayes wee shall loose nothing by it 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I wil honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed If we have shame with men and honor with God vilified on earth be accepted in heaven we have no cause to be discouraged It s likely the godly here were reproached threatned hardly used but because they honour'd God God own'd them and who ever honour'd God and was not honour'd by him The 3. children would not obey Nebuchadnezzars command nor worship his image Dan. 3. but honour the God of Israel trust in him for help rather dye in his cause then dishonour him at all and did not the Lord honour them with his presence Acts 3.18 19 20.31 with safety and deliverance VVhen Peter and John were bold in the cause of Christ and would preach the truth notwithstanding the command of Rulers to the contrary presently after God honour'd them miraculously shaking the house and filling them all with the holy Ghost and if you ask how you shall honour God it 's answered by purging your selves from the corruptions of the times 2 Tim. 2.20 If a man purge himselfe he shall be a vessell unto honour and by standing for the truths of the times 7. Another observation is that the faithfull are so far from complying with the wickednesse of the times that they sigh and cry for the abhominations thereof 1. They comply not wickednesse is powerfull and hath its arguments of pleasure profit countenance to draw good men to side with her but they are things intractable How can I doe this wickednesse Gen. 39.9 and sinne against God David hee would not sit with the wicked he hated the congregation of evill doers Psalm 26.5 And see what he resolved upon Psal 101.4 5 6 7 8. he would rather cut them off then countenance them Grace is as strong in the Saints as corruption is in the wicked The vigor of faith 1 John 5.4 The power of the Spirit 1 John 4.4 And the efficacy of Christs prayer John 17.15.20 doe keep the servants of God from complying with the wicked When all flesh had corrupted its wayes yet Noah was incorrupt Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation Ahab could not get Micaiah to comply with the Court and suit with the humour of the times Godly are like fish in salt waters they grow not brackish they loose not of their sweetnesse Zacharie and Elizabeth in the great corruptions at Christs comming in the great scarcity of good men yet they walked in all the commandements of the Lord blamelesse not in the commands of the high Priests and Pharisees Isa 8.11 God hath spoken to the righteous with a strong hand and instructed them that they should not walke in the wayes of the wicked here the godly did not bow to the Image of Jealousie joyne with the 70. Elders in offering Incense they wept not for Tammuz they put not the branch to their nose 2. They sigh and cry for the abhominations are in their times they bewaile the sins of others Psal 119.53 Horrour hath taken hold on me because of the wicked that forsake thy law vers 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy word Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 was vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites Yea vexed from day to day what he saw and heard was a continuall vexation unto him The Lord Christ Mar. 8.12 He sighed deeply in his spirit said why doth this generation seek after a signe when they honour'd him with their garments cast in the way when they acknowledged him King and magnified him Luke 19.36.38 even then he weeps over Jerusalem for her impenitency others sins and the judgments of God comming upon her vers 41. The two witnesses Rev. 11.3 prophecy in sack-cloath which was the habit of mourners Mordecai Daniel the Ninevites and others when they mourn'd wore sack-cloath so did these witnesses bewailing the abhominations and tyranny of Anti-christ the desolations of the Church and delusions of the people 2 Cor. 12.21 When I come again I feare my God will humble mee among you and that I shall bewaile many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness fornication and lascivious which they have committed This mourning is 1. hearty reall they sigh they groane it 's not a light matter the abhominations were weighty and pressing upon their spirits 2 Pet. 2.7 the word there for vexed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Laert in lycone Morbo ◠confectus debilitatus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it s then to be rendred word for word oppres'd under the conversation of the ungodly in wantonnesse the ungodli's wanton wicked conversation is an oppressing evill unto the godly and afflicts their hearts as the Aegyptians afflicted the Israelites Acts 7.24 Moses avenged the oppressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lots soul was vexed vers 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he tormented wracked his soule a metaphor taken from engines they did torment withall his soule was troubled as a man upon the wrack Ier. 4.19 My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart What was the matter there was the sound of the trumpet and war 2. As it was cordial so it was constant and great griefe they sighed and cryed a little sufficed not it continued Ier. 9.1 2. Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of tears that I might weepe day and night The Prophet wished himselfe turned into waters into a fountain that weeping day and night he might with a flood of teares carry downe the floods of iniquity which he saw So Ezra 9.3 when he saw the holy seed match with strangers the Princes and Rulers to be chiefe in the trespasses he rent his garments plucked off the haire of his head and beard and sate downe astonied his grief was such as made him astonied 3. It s inward and outward they sigh they cry there are expressions of their griefe it was not hidden but ev'dent they declared how their soules were oppressed how they were fil'd with griefe and could not forbeare Christ
wept over Ierusalem Micah when hee considered the sinnes of Samaria and Ierusalem with the heavy judgements were comming Chap. 1.8 saith I will waile and howle I will goe stript and naked as if sorrow had bereft him of his wits I will make a wailing like the Dragons and mourning like the Owles Vid. a Lapid Sanct. what they say of the Dragon and Owles mourning great mourning with outward expressions are set out thereby Iob 30.29 I am a brother to Dragons and a companion to Owles or Ostriches 4. Universall not for some few or great abhominations but for all the abhominations Church State City Family-abhominations they laid all to heart and left none unbewail'd Why doe the godly sigh and cry 1. God is dishonoured by the sins of others as well as by our owne and the godly are grieved when God is dishonour'd by any Psalm 119.136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keepe not thy law Davids afflictions drew not so many tears from him as the sins of others not his banishment by his sonne as the breach of Gods law by the wicked Nothing went so to his heart as the dishonour of God whose glory shining in his word and Ordinances is dearer to the godly then their lives Elijah desired to dye when he saw God so dishonoured by Ahab and Iezabel The eye is for two things for sight and tears if we see God dishonoured presently our eyes should be filled with teares 2. If we mourn not for the sins of others we draw them upon us we make them ours they mourned here for all their abhominations left they should be found guilty of any And 1 Cor. 5. The Corinthians were d filed with the sin of the incestuous person because they did not mourn and doe their duty to affect his heart or remove him from their body Bradford praid the Lord to forigve him his other mens sins 3. It 's argument we mourn for sin as sin when we mourn for it in others Sinne is the breach of the Law any where and if I grieve sigh cry for it in my selfe and not in others it s some selvish respect not the nature of sinne which causeth that mourning he hates poison as poison hates it every where in whose handsoever it be and he mourns for sinne as sin would neither himselfe nor have others violate the law of God 4. The sins of others are of a destroying nature as well as our own they may destroy Armies States Churches Councels Eccl. 9.18 One sinner destroyeth much good One Achan one murtherer may undoe a land he defiles it brings perill upon it 2 Sam. 21. 1 2 3. God appointed a speciall sacrifice to expiate murther Deut. 21. and no satisfaction was to be taken for a murtherers life Numb 35.31 Saul slays the Gibeonites unjustly and the 3. years famine is upon David and his people The death of the Levites Concubine and Benjamins refusall to deliver up the Delinquents to justice caused a bloody Warre and the death of above 65000. men 5. It argues strength of grace to mourn for others sins censuring and reproaching of others for their sins argues strength of corruption and mourning for them argues strength of grace a sound spiritual constitution such an one was in Christ he prayed for the hardnesse of others hearts Mar. 3.5 6. They mourn for abhominations they doe great service for the places where they live they stand in the gappe they keep off Gods judgements When the people had sinn'd in making a Calfe and Gods judgments were breaking in upon them did not Moses mourn weepe pray before the Lord and keepe off the sad things were hastning towards them Psal 106.23 He said he would have destroyed them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath least he should destroy them Mordecai is bitternesse he mourned for Hamans villany bloodines evil befalling Gods people and prov'd a deliverer of them he was a son of contrition and after a sonne of consolation The mourners teares oft quench the fire of Gods wrath divert judgements if not but destruction comes as here yet the mourners have this testimony in their breast that they drew not down the vengeance on the Church or State 7. They are blessed that mourn Math. 5. These here were marked had testimonies of Gods good will towards them Jeremie was a mourner Chap. 9.1 and Chap. 15.11 saith God there I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evill Here was a blessing promised and the faithfull God could not but perform it When the earth is watered by the heavens its blessed but when the earth waters the heavens when we put tears into the Lords bottle when wee mourn and weepe for the abhominations of the earth there is a greater blessing Psal 12.5 For the sighing of the needy I will arise and set c. Isa 57.18 I will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners 8. Others mourn for the sins of men that are not men The land mourns because of swearing Ier. 23.10 The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in paine Rom. 8.22 For what should we mourn 1. For effusion of so much blood in the Kingdome and spoiling so many Townes when Ziklag was burnt it s said David and those with him wept till they had no more power to weepe 1 Sam. 30 4. What would David do if he were now alive amongst us to see Countries and Kingdomes consum'd with civill wars Isa 22.4 Looke away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people For it is a day of trouble and treading downe Josh 7.9 and of perplexity by the Lord God of hoasts in the valley of vision breaking downe the walls and flying to the mountaines Ier. 31.15 A voyce was heard in Ramah lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted because they were not Rachel was buryed in Bethlehem Gen. 35.19 and Rama was not far from it she is put for the Bethlemiticall women who wept bitterly for their children were slain and carried that way into captivity and should not England weep because thousands of her children are not many precious ones are gone the sword hath drunk their blood If Martha and Mary wept for one Lazarus the friend of Christ why should not all our Martha's and Maries weepe when so many Lazarusses so many friends of Christ have been cut off Isa 57.1 The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart 2. That Justice takes not place but rather injustice and oppression Isa 59.11 We roare all like beares and mourn sore like doves we looke for judgement but there is none And vers 14 15. Justice stands afar off equity cannot enter he that departs from evill makes himselfe a prey and the Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no judgement The oppressed cry 3. For
have shem punished When Ahab had murthered Naboth 1 Kings 21. this message was sent unto him In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogges licke thy blood even thine vers 19. and it was made good Chap. 22.38 2 K. 9.26 10. Gods judgments are as extensive as sinners sins they must slay not only Sanctuary-sinners but City-sinners they had sin'd every where the Land was full of violence and now the Land City Sanctuary were full of bloody men and bloody judgements and as they had fil'd all with sinne so they must fill all with slain ones When sins are generall judgements are answerable Isa 8.8 speaking of the King of Assyria it 's said he shall passe through Judah he shall overflow and goe over he shall reach unto the necke and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadths of thy land This is spoken of Senacherib who like a flood over all the land came up to the necke viz. Jerusalem but Nebuchadnezzar came not only up to the neck to Jerusalem but into it and overflowed the head he drowned all in blood where there was no mark there was no mercy to be shewed 11. God after long forbearing is intense upon and speedy in his judgements observe the phrases in these verses which shew it Goe ye through the City spare none slay utterly begin at my Sanctuary defile the house fill the courts with the slain goe ye forth These expressions set out the bent and intensivenesse of Gods spirit in this work he would have his executioners hasten about it and dispatch all out of hand 12. Gods instruments do readily obey his commands of what nature soever they be here they are appointed to harsh bloody services to destroy utterly all sorts and conditions of men women children without pitty and they went forth and slew in the City God commanded and they presently obey'd not holinesse of the place multitude of persons to be destroyed or danger of mistaking the mark'd ones did retard them VERS 8. And it came to passe while they were slaying them and I was left that I fell upon my face and cryed and said Ah Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in the pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem THis verse is the second generall head of the Chapter and contains the Prophets intercession for Israel when he saw what bloody doings was in the Temple and City by the slaughter-Angels he is affected therewith he cannot hold but falls down and cryes out Ah Lord God c. In the verse you may consider 1. The occasion of the Prophets interceding or moving cause thereof which is double 1. The peoples slaughter 2. His owne solitarinesse I was left 2. The circumstances or adjuncts thereof which are 1. Falling upon his face 2. Crying 3. The intercession it selfe where you have 1. A patheticall invocation of God Ah Lord God 2. An efficatious deprecation of judgement wilt thou destroy all the residue c. For opening of the words 1. We must enquire how the Prophet here saith I was left There were many seal'd and spar'd which makes the difficulty Some think the Septuagint passed by these words and left them out left they should seem contrary to what went before Theodoret adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was left alone but the Hebrew is I was left 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For understanding of this phrase you may take notice that its usuall in Scripture when great destructions are to say few or none are left Judg. 4.16 All the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword and there was not a man left yet Sisera if no others was fled So in 1 Kings 19.14 Elijah saith They have slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I onely am left when there were 7000. that bowed not their knees to Baal If this satisfie not 2. I was left That is left with the seal'd ones all were destroyed besides or 3. Of these in the Temple or belonging to it I was left Our Prophet saw them all slain and the slaughter-men were gone out into the City and there they were destroying and as they had spared none in the Temple so he might feare there would be few spared in the City and so safely say I am left That they in the Temple were not spar'd appeares thus they were not seal'd and all such were to suffer the destroyers commission was not to come neare the mark'd ones but to slay without pitty all others And besides the man that mark'd them was bid to goe through the City and mark there not to come at the Temple at all there were none to be mark'd there they practised justified abhominations they did not mourn for them Those had to doe with the holy things were most unholy and suffered in the Temple yet it 's not safe to think or say that all the Leviticall race were cut off at this time and in this place for Jer. 52.24 Seraiah the chiefe Priest and Zephaniah the 2d Priest and three keepers of the door with others were carryed to the King of Babylon and put to death in Riblath I fell upon my face Falling upon the face in order to prayer notes great sorrow and humiliation Numb 14.5 when the people would make a Captaine and return to Aegypt Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Assembly they were deeply affected with that evil So Moses when hee heard what Corah and those of his faction said he fell upon his face Numb 16.4 And Joshuah when Israel fell through Achans sin he fals to the earth upon his face prayes Chap. 7.6 Sometimes they stood and prayed 1 Kings 8.22 Sometimes fitting Neh. 1.4 So Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us Sometimes kneeling Dan. 6.10 Sometimes prostrate upon their faces as here and when it comes to this posture it argues great griefe and sorrow as in Christ Matth. 26.38 My soule is exceeding sorrowfull And v. 39. He fell on his face and prayed So Ezekiel being fill'd with sorrow that all sorts were now a slaying that no mercy must be shewed he falls upon his face and cries out Ah Lord God The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a token of griefe and used in such cases as they cryed out for griefe Jer. 1.6.4.10 and is sometime exprest by alas Josh 7.7 Judg. 6.22 Joel 1.15 Sometimes by woe as Ezek. 30.2 Woe worth the day where it 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These be two chiefe names of the most High the one noting his Dominion the other his Essence the Prophet had an eye to these seeing God about to destroy as if hee should have said thou hast being of thy selfe and hast given being to these thou that art Soveraign over all and canst call backe the destroyers ah Lord God doe it It s Jehovih not Jehovah and some observe
that it s used so when the servants of God were most intense and affected in prayer as in Deut. 3.24.9.26 and Gen. 15.28 in which places its Jehovih and both Abraham and Moses were exceeding earnest with God Wilt thou destroy all the residue in Israel c. This deprecation is very argumentative and hath many considerations to divert God from destroing of them The first lyeth in the word Thou wilt thou who hast chosen Sion and said it should be thy rest for ever Psal 132.13 14. Wilt thou who hast made a Covenant with the p ople and twearest by thy holinesse to David that his seede sh uld endure for ever as the Sunne and Moone Psal 89.35 36 37. Wilt thou who promisedst Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed wilt thou now disannull thy promises breake Covenant and shew thy selfe forgetfull of all yea unfaithfull The 2d is in the word Destroy what will nothing suffice but destruction thou saidst If they brake thy Statutes and kept not thy commandements that thou wouldst visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes but thy loving kindnesse thou wouldst not utterly take from them nor suffer thy faithfullness to faile Psal 89.31 32 33. But if thou destroy and that without pitty mercy where is thy loving kindenesse where is thy faithfulnesse 3d. Is in the word Israel which was a moving word and put God in mind how deare they had been unto him Israel was his Sonne his First-borne Exod. 4 22. His chosen ones Isa 44.1 His glory Isa 46.13 Israel he had brought out of Aegypt and done great things for Exod. 18.1.8 9. It s Israel is so deare to thee whom thou hast done so much for and wilt thou destroy Israel Israel here is put for Judah by a synechdoche 4. In the residue of Israel there be ten tribes gone already into captivity yea a great part of th' other two tribes are now in Babylon and wilt not thou have compassion on the little remnant that is remaining 5. All the residue What shall all of them be destroyed and utterly man woman childe they are all slain in the Temple most in the City Didst not thou bid me bind up a few hairs in my skirts Chap. 5.3 thereby typifying out that some should be saved Didst not thou tell me Chap. 6.8 Yet will I leave a remnant and what now Lord must all the residue be cut off I be a lying Prophet and thou false in thy word O doe it not doe it not 6. In powring out of thy fury it notes emptying of himselfe as clouds vials buckets when all is in them is powred out and the argument runs thus Lord must all thy fury be powred out at once where are thy bowels thy mercies thou sayest thou reservest wrath for thine enemies Nahum 1.2 wilt thou powr it all out upon thy people and reserve none for heathens for thine adversaries for whom properly thy fury is Isa 59.18 O reserve thy wrath for them and powr it not out upon us 7. Vpon Jerusalem This is the place thou chosest and where thou didst set thy name 2 Kings 23.27 This City was the perfection of beauty and joy of the whole earth Lam. 2.15 The City of God the great King and Lord of Hosts Psal 48.1.28 The holy Citie Isa 52.1 It had the holy Temple the holy Ark the holy Sacrifices and Ordinances the holy Priests and Prophets the holy Law Here only was God known and his name great Lord wilt thou powr out thy wrath upon Jerusalem thou wilt then have no place left thee in the world to be worshipped in what will become of thy name thy glory all thy holy things Thou wilt have no Church no people no praise in the earth Nay the adversary will mocke and blaspheme and what will the mark'd ones think and say when Jerusalem is laid wast the pledge of their hope may they not say we looked for light but behold darknesse we expected a Messiiah but our hopes are cut off we have our lives for a prey and that is all The godly doe sympathize with the miseries of others Obser 1. the Prophet here is affected greatly with the judgements of God upon this people When the Prophets told them of Gods judgements comming upon them they thought hardly of the Prophets they could not heare them 2 Chron. 36.16 they conceiv'd the Prophets hated them and meant them no good but when the things they fore-told came to passe they pittied them and mourned for them Ezekiel through deepe sense of their slaughter falls downe and shed tears as they shed blood their bodies were wounded and his heart was wounded wounded for their sins wounded for Gods wrath and heavy judgements were now upon them Jer. 9.1 Oh that my head were waters mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people Jeremiah so sympathiz'd with them that he had a mind neither to eate drink or sleep but only to weep night and day tears should be his meat drink and sleep Such a sympathizing man was Moses Deut. 9 12 13. When the people had sin'd in making them a Calvish god and Gods wrath was comming out to their destruction what did Moses vers 18. Hee fell downe before the Lord forty dayes and forty nights and did neither eate bread nor drinke water because the people had sin'd and provoked God to anger Here was a man affected with their miseries I was afraid saith he of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wrath against you to destroy you Forty dayes did Moses mourn for them and humble himselfe and this kind of mourning 40. dayes in case of judgement some think riseth from Gods raining upon the world 40. dayes and 40. nights Answerable to which Moses Eliah and Christ fasted mourned and prayed and so to Nineveh 40. days was given them to prevent their destruction This duty of sympathizing with others in their misery was Davids practise though they were wicked and rewarded him evill yet if they were in misery Psalm 35.11 he would share in it When they were sicke his cloathing was sack-cloath he humbled his soule with fasting Wicked men laugh and are glad at the miseries of the godly but the godly sigh and mourn at and for the miseries of the wicked they remember the Apostolicall command Rom. 12.15 Weepe with them that weepe that will be some ease to them to see others sensible of their condition This makes them like to Christ himselfe Heb. 4.15 Hee is touched with our infirmities Judgements are upon the Kingdome many of Gods deare servants as well as others suffer hard things 1. Take notice of their grievances burthens dangers 2. Mind them 3. Be tender affectioned towards them And 4. helpe them what you can and this is true sympathy 2. The servants of God that draw neere him in time of his judgements are conscious
thee with more thy Doctrine is not pure thy person is not cleane that thou thinkest is acceptable with God that provokes him and where thou expectest favour there wrath is due you shall find in sacred writt that God punishes lesse then mens sins deserve but never above according to their sins is the usuall phrase Psalm 28.4 Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickednesse of their endeavours give them after the works of their hands render to them their desert All these phrases evidence that God in the punishment of sinners exceeds not the merit of them if he come up to that it s all The judgments now upon Germany Ireland England doe not exceed the sins of the places The iniquities of them are exceeding great 4. Gods patience is exceeding great he beares long til sins be excessive the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great God might have prevented the greatnesse of it cut them off many years before but he let their sins grow great to manifest the greatnesse of his patience He is oft ten times in the Scripture said to be long-suffering When he was provoked much by his people and they deserv'd that his patience should end and wrath begin what saith the Text 2 Kings 13.23 He would not destroy them nor cast them from his presence as yet Yet there was more patience in God yet it was not long-suffering So Chap. 8.19 Iehoram King of Iudah walked in the wayes of Ahab and did evill in the sight of the Lord yet the Lord would not destroy Iudah His compassion would not suffer him to grow into passion rather then destroy them for their sins he would yet beare the burthen of their sins So Jer. 34.4 Yet heare the word of the Lord O Zedekiah King of Judah Gods patience is not yet worn out it will be very shortly O yet heare the word of the Lord and ye shall not dye by the sword God beares long with sinners but he will not alwayes forbeare Psalm 37.10 Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be 5. That Churches and States degenerating from Gods ways goe on to a height of sinning their iniquity is exceeding great the land is full of blood the City full of perversnesse When they fell to Idolatry they were idolatrous to purpose they multiplyed Gods Altars sin'd more then the Nations round about them Ezek. 5.7 They fetched in the gods of all Nations to them they had the Image of Jealousie every forme of creeping things and abominable beasts and all the Idols of the house of Israel Ezek. 8.5.10 They wept for Tammuz and worshipped the Sunne and when they began to shed blood they made progresse in bloody passages till the whole land was filled with blood and when they began to be perverse the City was fill'd with perversnesse of spirit perversenesse in opinions perverting of judgement it s not easie to make stay in the wayes of sinne its going down hill wicked men wicked States and Churches grow worse and worse Ezek. 16.25 Thou hast built thy high places at every head of the way and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred and hast opened thy feete to every one that passed by and multiplyed thy whoredomes Jerusalem abounded in Idolatry and was insatiable in wickednesse v. 28 29. When it 's ill in the Church it s not well with the State If there be corruptions in the one there will be confusion in the other Idolatry deniall of providence and Divine presence was in the one and shedding of blood and perverting of justice was in the other When the first Table is violated the second Table will not be preserv'd If men make not conscience of sins against God they will not make conscience of sins against men If there be Atheisme in the Church there will be Tyranny in the State If Idolatry in the Sanctuary there will be perverting of equity in the Citie VERS 10. As for mee also mine eye shall not spare neither will I have pitty but I will recompence their way upon their head IN this verse is presented to us 1. Gods severity He will not spare he will not pittie 2. The equity of his dealing I will recompence their way upon their heads These words have been spoken of Chap. 5.11 7.4 Gods not sparing not pittying intimates a contrary disposition severity cruelty Isa 13.18 They should have no pitty they should not spare but dash the young men to pieces they should be cruell to all sorts When God handled Job so sharply Chap. 16.13 what said he His archers compasse me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder doth not spare he powreth out my gall upon the ground Here was a contrary disposition to pitty and sparing And Job 30.21 hee tels God that he is become cruell to him And God professes Jer. 30.14 that he had wounded them with the wounds of an enemie and with the chastisement of a cruell one Vpon their heads that is upon themselves the head is put for the whole man 2 K. 2.3 Knowest thou that the Lord wil take away thy Mr. from thy head to day that is from thee Pro. 10.6 The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just that is upon the just Psal 66.12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads that is us Head here may be mentioned because they devised mischiefe therewith The sins of Gods owne people fetch the greatest severity from him Obser 1. the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great and as for me mine eye shall not spare c. No people under heaven were so deare to God as the Israelites Hence Israel is put for Gods Elect ones both Jewes and Gentiles Rom. 11.26 Gal. 6 16. And a Jew for a true worshipper of God Rom. 2.29 Yet when these sinn'd God became more severe against them then others Ezek. 9.8 9. Behold I am against thee and will execute judgements in the middest of thee I will doe in thee that which I have not done and whereunto I will not doe any more the like No such dreadfull judgements ever before any City as Jerusalem No such wrath powred out upon any as upon the Jewes As they had more love and favour from God then others whilst they were faithfull to him so they had more wrath and fury from him when they forsooke him Amos 3.2 You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities They only were the family of his love and they only were punished above others They were made as evident a pattern of justice as ever they were of mercy for God executed judgement among them in anger in fury and furious rebukes Ezek. 5.15 Yea hee set his jealousie against them and dealth furiously with them he delivered them up to those dealt hatefully with them Ezek.
visionall throne a more perfect pattern of the throne of his glory Surely if such thrones be glorious he is in them exceeds in glory the glory of heavenly things is farre beyond the glory of terrene things and the glory of God is infinitely beyond them both he is not only glorious and that in holinesse Exod. 15.11 In name Deut. 28.5.8 Isa 33.21 In majestie Psal 145.12 But hee is glory it selfe and therefore Acts 7.1 is cal'd the God of glory Psal 24.7 The King of glory Ephes 1.17 The father of glory he that creates begets disposeth of glory must needs be glory it selfe and not only glory but excellent glory 2 Pet. 1.17 4. Note what stones God takes pleasure in not any stones but in precious ones such as Saphirs are Exod. 24.10 Vnder his feete was a paved worke of a saphir stone He walks among Saphirs The Temple was made of stones glistering stones all manner of precious stones marble stones in abundance 1 Chron. 29.2 sits in a sapharine throne Stones which are beautifull and of a heavenly colour he affects of such he makes his throne Now the Church in Scripture is call'd the throne of God Jer. 3.17 Isa 54.11 12 13. speaking of the Churches of the Gospel which are the thrones of God and Christ he saith I will lay thy stones with faire colours and thy foundations with saphirs I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. You see what stones God would have in his Temples in his Thrones not ordinary common high way stones 1 Pet. 2.5 As lively stones be ye built up a spirituall house Here 's a house a spirituall one to be made and whereof of lively stones there must be not onely life in them but livelinesse dead and dull stones are not so fit for that service stones they must be that it may be a solid building lively that it may be a spirituall and usefull building and saphirine that it may be a pure and glorious building 5. Holy and good men are not able to beare Divine excellencies in their own nature not capable of immediatenesse to God here is a Firmament a Saphir stone a throne and these but in appearance and then a voyce heard none seene Had the Lord shewed himselfe as he is Ezekiel could not have endured it the glory and majestie of God would have confounded him If God should not regard mans weaknesse and muffle up his excellencies some way or other we could have no communion or converse with God Moses himselfe is not able to behold the glory of 6. Angels and all creatures are in a readinesse to do the will of God God when he is upon judiciary designes the Cherubims were under the Firmament neare to the throne and if the Lord did but speak the word presently they were ready to execute his pleasure Psal 103.20 They doe his commandment hearkning to the voyce of his word As soone as the sound comes to them they doe it if he bid them goe and stirre up Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Souldiers to come they doe it 7. The Lord is not forward to the execution of judgment here is the Lord sitting in judgement but yet they were not destroyed The Prophet hath vision after vision eates a roll full of lamentations mourning and woe sits 7. dayes at Telabib then is carried into the Plain bound dumb must pourtray Jerusalem upon a tyle lay siege to it lye upon his side 390. dayes then take a razor shave his head beard burn smite scatter bind up a third part of the haire After hath a type of a chain then is led by the Spirit to see Jerusalems sinnes After this sees the sixe slaughter-like men sent out to destroy and here the Lord is sitting in his throne and giving out judgement still against Jerusalem and all this time nothing is done VESS 2. And he spake unto the man cloathed with linnen and said goe in between the wheeles even under the Cherub and fill thy hand with coals of fire from between the Cherubims and scatter them over the City And hee went in my sight IN this verse you have 1. The speaker He that is the Lord Jehovah who was in the Throne some make it Christ 2. The party spoken to The man cloathed with linnen and who this was you heard opened in Chap. 9. vers 2. namely Christ who in regard of his offices is the servant of his father Isa 44.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold Hee had done service in marking the mourners and now was to doe it another way 3. The thing spoken or Commanded 1. Goe in betweene the wheeles even under the Cherub The wheels have been largely opened in the first Chapter the world and motions of it are set out thereby There were foure wheels by each Cherub one as appears by vers 9. Some take it thus Conceive the form of a waggon in the mids on each side two wheels the Cherubims riding in it or carrying of it two in the former part two in the hinder the Arke in the midst of it the foot-stoole of Divine Majestie and before this the Altar where the fire was and you may apprehend how the man was to goe between the wheels under the Cherub that is per enallagen numeri under the Cherubims and so to reach up his hand to the Altar and take coales This way it s easily comprehended but if wee come up close to the examination of the wheels we shall finde they were not at such a distance as here is made but one in another per angulos rectos vers 10. a wheel seem'd to be in the midst of a wheel and how the man cloathed with linnen went between them I cannot expresse but that hee did the Text affirmes and notes Christs interest in the wheels and Angels 2. Fill thy hand with coales of fire from between the Cherubims The altar was near the oracle before the Cherubims 1 King 6.22 The fire was between the Cherubims and the Cherubims above between the wheels and the man must come between both to fill his hand with coals of fire There was fire you know in the Temple on the Altar and it never went out Levit. 6.13 the fire shall ever be burning upon the Altar it shall never goe out The Jewes say of this fire that it was that Angels ladder to goe up to heaven by Ezek. 9.2 The 6. man 6. Angels stood by the brazen Altar and Judg. 13.20 The Angell appeared to Manoah and his wife ascended in the flame of the Altar Whether it was a ladder for Angels may be questioned but certainly it was a ladder to carry up their Incense and sacrifices unto God Ignis altaris erat quasi anima populi It might represent the Altar-fire of which its probable the Caldeans took and fired the Temple if not the Citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
tender'd their service they acknowledge and adore his Majestie and expect his will his commands No creatures are too great too good or glorious to wait upon Christ in any ministrations of his Heb. 1.6 Angels and all of them wait upon and worship him and are sent forth at his pleasure to Minister to whom he pleases v. 4. 2. The Angels are desirous to know the things of God and Christ in the Church they stood but where in the house of God in the Temple They are knowing creatures but they know not all things there be mysteries in the ways of Christ that they desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 and Paul tels us there is wisedome made known by the Church to Principalities and powers in heavenly places Eph. 3.10 3. The Lord manifests his pleasure by signes and actions as well as by speech They stood on the right side of the house that side was North-ward towards Babylon and this signified that thence should come their destruction they had seated the Image of jealousie there which provoked God to jealousie and he stirred up the Babylonians to come out of the North and lay them wast 4. Chirst he is Lord of the Temple He went in and then the Cherubims stood then the Court was fill'd with a cloud which notes a glorious Majesty and royall presence 2 Chron. 5.13 14. The house was fill'd with a cloud so that the Priests could not stand to Minister by reason of the cloud for the glory of the Lord had fill'd the house It 's Christ who hath all to doe in the Temple when he in the dayes of his flesh came into it he thrust out all corrupters and corruptions he walks in the midst of the 7. golden Candlesticks 5. When Christ is in the Temple doing the will of his Father any part of his office then doth his glory appear now he went into the Temple about judiciary service and it was fill'd with a cloud which sets out the Majestie and glory of Christ When he preached in the Temple or Synagogues his glory appeared Never man spake like this man all his Ministrations were beautifull and glorious John 1.14 We beheld his glory his glory appeared in all his works 6. Divine glory is usually hidden up in cloudy darkenesse when Christ came into the Temple here was a glorious Majesty but a cloud presently fill'd the Court covered up the glory When God came into the Temple in Solomons dayes a cloud fil'd and covered all So Numb 16.42 A cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud VERS 4. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the Cherub and stood over the threshold of the house and the house was fill'd with the cloud the Court was full of the brightnesse of the Lords glory THis verse mentions the first removall of glory where we have 1. Whence the removall was from the Cherub 2. Whether it was to the threshold it stood over c. 3. The events thereupon and they are 1. The filling of the house with a cloud 2. The Court with glory 3. The sound of the Cherubims wings which is in the next verse God had his Temple at Jerusalem in the most holy place of it was the Arke and the Cherubims covering it betweene these God was said to dwell or sit because he gave out answers thence in difficult cases and there he would be worshipped The Jewes grew proud of Gods presence and because they did not glorifie him as God but set up Idols and provoked him many wayes therefore the Lord resolved to leave them and ruine them and that is the scope of the vision here The glory of the Lord. This was Christ say Expositors who was in his glorious apparition and now in the Temple but going out of it He had once before done thus gone off from the Cherub to the threshold Chap. 9.3 but was return'd again and here the second time doth it he was now in a judiciary way and would leave the Temple if they did not presently prevent it by repentance Christ standing thus upon the threshold and being upon termes of departure behinde him was the cloud that fill'd the house there was darknesse but before the Lord Christ was light and brightnesse the Court which he stood looking into was full of brightnesse of the Lords glory The glory was now gone out of the Sanctuary into the Court. Observations suitable to this verse see upon Ezek. 9.3 yet take here these following When God is about to visit his Church with some sharp judgments he gives out some evident signs and tokens thereof Obser 1. Hee was now bringing in a sad judgement upon the Jewes and their glory goes up from the Cherub to the threshold which shewed God was about some great change God testified by the Arke which Noah made that he was about some great judgement and alteration of things in the State 2. Again note that Christ with the signs of his presence is the glory of the Temple where Christ is there is glory Hagg. 2.9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former How was that when as v. 3. the glory of the latter Temple in comparison of the former was as nothing Christ should personally come into it teach in it this was more then all typicall or visionall glory and externall beauty the other had Where Christ is there is glory and where his ordinances are there is glory 3. When Christ leaves the Temple nothing but darknesse remaines when he was upon the threshold there was a cloud behind him when he goes out of the Church glory light truth goe but night darknesse come in Isa 6.4 that hee calls here a cloud there hee calls smoake and when God leaves the Church then smoak and little else is to be found in it smoak of ignorance smoak of errours smoak of divisions smoaky and false worship quickly after smoaking judgements The Churches of Asia when Christ left walking among them darknesse over-spread them and smoaky judgements consum'd them 4. The way Christ goeth is glory or glorious he goeth out of the Temple and now before his face as he stands upon the threshold in the Court is brightnesse of glory his glory goeth with him before him he leaves darknesse behind him but hath brightnesse before him His departure from his people is glorious his ways and works of judgement are glorious VERS 5. And the sound of the Cherubims wings was heard even to the utter Court as the voyce of the Almighty God when hee speaketh HHre is the 3d event upon the Lords comming to the threshold and hastning to give judgement against this City the Angels doe rejoyce at it and applaud the act of Christ which the sound of their wings imports of this verse was spoken Chap. 1.24 This sound of their wings is described 2. wayes 1. From the extent It was heard even to the utter Court which was a great distance
or of great parts cannot elude or evade him VERS 6. Ye have multiplyed your slain in this Citie c. BEfore they had been prophane now their injustice appears Some think the men were not actually slain but oppressed and cruelly dealt withall violence and oppression being counted in the Scripture sense murther but it 's not probable that our Prophet would use such expressions as to multiply the slain and fill the streets with slain if none were slain Chap. 7.23 The land is full of bloody crimes And Chap. 9.9 The land is full of blood And Ezek. 22.2 It 's called the bloody Citie So in the 24.6 9. verses the Heb. is the City of bloods These great men who gave the ill counsell it 's likely that they crusht those opposed them and dealt with them as seditious as rebellious as enemies to the City and State Jeremie you know they sought his life petitioned the King that he might be put to death Jer. 38.4 And it 's probable that many which would not conforme to their idolatrous practises were cut off When the Lord is about to proceed in judgement against evill doers he declares the cause of his proceeding in such a way Obser When God intended to destroy the world he made knowne the cause thereof Gen. 6.5 6.11.12 When hee was about to fire Sodome he discovered to Abraham the ground of iâ— Gen. 18.20 VERS 7. The slain whom yee have laid in the middest of it they are the flesh and this Citie is the cauldron HEre the Lord shewes them who are the flesh in the cauldron Not in that sense they tooke it for they thought themselves should be the flesh live till old age in the City but the Lord tels them here that those they had slain unjustly whose carkasses lay in the streets and consum'd away they were the flesh boil'd in the cauldron Manasses had been bloody and Zedekiah was bloody and the slain were the flesh and so the City was a cauldron to them but not to the others I will bring them forth of the midst of it God tels them they shall neither live nor dye in it he would order things so that they should be carryed out of Jerusalem and for certainty of it the words are repeated in the beginning of the 9. vers Judgements of God cannot be waved by mens wits or power they jeered and made a construction of flesh and cauldron suitable to their own minds Obser and conceited they should dye in the City in peace but the Lord tels them no he would bring them forth out of the middest of it VERS 8. You have feared the Sword and I will bring a Sword upon you c. IEremie had counselled them to yeeld themselves Chap. 38.17 the King and rest through feare would not hearken They feared the sword and therefore sent to Aegypt for help Jer. 2.18 They feared the sword but not the Babylonish captivity the Lord brought both upon them Obser 1 Where guilt is there is fear they were deeply guilty of impiety and injustice they had sin'd against God by their idolatry against their brethren by their bloodinesse against the King of Babylon by breaking oath and covenant with him Ezek. 17.15 and now what ever they said it 's not neare yet they were full of feare God saw what timorous spirits they had If the horrour of their wicked acts did not seize upon them yet feare of wrath and judgement possessed them Psal 14.5 speaking of workers of iniquity he saith There they were in a great feare Heb. is they feared a fear but where was it in their consciences When the light of nature did convince them of their wickednesse there where the conviction was they feared greatly Prov. 28. The wicked flye when no man pursueth They feare and so fear that they flye to secure themselves from imaginary dangers Lev. 26.36 The sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them And Job 15.21 Eliphaz speaking of the wicked saith A dreadfull sound is in his eares The Heb. is a sound of feares such was in Richard the 3d whose hand was ever upon his dagger The wicked are a restlesse sea Isa 57.20 2. That which sinners fear the Lord brings upon them Saul feared the devolution of the Kingdom to another and it fell to David The Jewes feared lest the Romans should come and take away their place and Nation John 11.48 and they did doe it Prov. 10.24 The feare of the wicked it shall come upon him it 's comming towards him every day and will be upon him ere he dye After the flood the people feared scattering and therefore said Let us build a tower whose top may reach unto heaven Gen. 11.4 vers 8. The Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth Men that feare evils usually take surer courses to prevent them which justly brings the thing feared upon them Richard the third feared the Kingdome would not be firme to him his Nephews he murthers for security and this kindled fire in the Kingdome which quickly consum'd him The Prelats feared their standing to establish themselves they remove from jus regium to jus divinum they frame a new Oath with an c. in it to sweare all men to put to their shoulders for support of their tottering Kingdome but it is fallen it is fallen VERS 9. I will bring you out of the middest thereof OF these words before in the 7. vers And deliver you into the hands of strangers Not of the neighbour Nations for had they come against them because of commerce consultation language and some references to them the Nobles and great ones might have found favour therefore God would put them into the hands of strangers that understood not their language that had no inducements to shew favour to them that regarded neither great nor small They had destroyed their friends now strangers should destroy them I will execute judgements among you Of these words I spake Chap. 5. vers 8. The Lord can use any instruments to accomplish his judgements strangers heathens prophane ones Obser it matters not what the instruments be if the holy God use them his usage of them is holy and he orders all their thoughts counsels operations to accomplish his owne ends VERS 10 11. I will judge you in the border of Israel THe same words are in the 11. verse Where this was must be eâ—quired it 's generally thought to be at Riblath and the Scripture is for it 2 K. 25.6 some have thought it to be in Babylon but without warrant 2 Kings 23.33 Riblah was in the land of Hamath which lay on the North part of Canaan on the East side and Bonfrerius observes in his Onomasticon of Cities and places that Jerome thinks it to be Antiochia Adrichomius some Citie of Syria or Judaea in the Tribe of Nepthali and this the Scripture gives countenance unto Numb 34.11 12. Others think it to be a Province in Syria
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gressus removete prophani So those expressions ite in malam crucem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Jewes at Jerusalem thought the Jewes in Babylon to be cut off from their body they had unworthily left them and were not now worthy to have any interest in their God or land Obser 1 God deales gently with his servants notwithstanding their infirmities Ezekiel shewed some weaknesse in saying wilt thou make a full end of the residue of Israel When God in his hearing had appointed the mourners to be mark'd had answered him this question before Chap. 9. yet God beares with his weaknesse and speaks to him in a loving manner and saith Sonne of man and hee upbraids him not for any forgetfulnesse of what was done for any jealousie he had of Gods failing in making good his promise He saith not what troublest thou me any more thou hast had an aswer be gone be silent No the Lord knows our weaknesse Psal 103.13 14. As a father pittieth his children so doth the Lord them that feare him For hee knoweth our frame because we have weaknesses therefore doth God pitty he doth not punish but pitty the weaknesse of his Deut. 1.31 In the wildernesse the Lord thy God did heare thee as a man doth beare his sonne in all the way that ye went Sometimes the father carries the child in his arms sets it upon his knee and dandles it the crying peevishnesse halfe services cost trouble in its education he bears with all and so whatever is burthensome in Gods children he suffers it Acts 13.18.40 he suffered their manners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some thinke it put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Nurse beareth her child in her wombe in her armes feedeth it with her breasts so God suffered them Isa 63.9 He bare them and carryed them all the dayes of old and doth so still The Lord Christ beares our infirmities and puts up many a hard thing from us Peters denyall Paul and Barnabas contention Thomas his unbeliefe and not only the infirmities of one or two but of all Saints Heb. 4.15 He is touched and touched to the quicke with the feeling of our infirmities 2. Those have the name and shew of a Church are rigid cruel against those are the true Church they of Jerusalem say to th 'others get you farre from the Lord They were in captivity suffered hard and sore things there yet these adde afflictions to their affliction they tell them they are none of Gods people have nothing to doe with his worship and so cut them off from all hope Isa 10.6 They were an hypocriticall Nation and they persecute excommunicate those were faithfull and obedient to the will of God for those Jewes were in Babylon at the command of God and the counsell of Jeremiah yielded themselves to Nebuchadnezzar and were carryed away hereupon they at Jerusalem reject them and thrust them from God and his worship False worshippers ever hate the true The Samaritans and those worshipped the Calves hated the Jewes that differed in their worship from them 1 Thes 2.14 15. Yee brethren became followers of the Churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrey men even as they have of the Jewes who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophet and have persecuted us forbidding us to speake to the Gentiles v. 16. Thus the Papists and others deale with us because they have the name of Church and some corrupt Ordinances can plead succession of their Priests from Peter therefore they reproach us who are justly gone from them with the terms of Hereticks Schismaticks Synagogue of Satan the malignant Church that we have torn Christs coate renâ— our selves from his dody that we have shaken the Church nad troubled the whole world Thus with their virulent tongues do they asperse us thus Ishmael dealt with Isaac Gal. 4.29 Long agoe the worse persecuted the better thus is it now 3. Men of rigid and bitter spirits are puft up and conceited of their wayes and priviledges see it here they separate the other far from God bid them get them farr off which amounts to this you have nothing to doe with God or his ways God is not with you he is with us his Oâ—dinances are for us you are false erroneous but we are orthodox sound and the possession and priviledges of the Temple are ours they justifyed and prefer'd themselves above and before thoâ—e were in Babylon and boasted closely of their own worth and advantages Their malice blinded them and mâ—dâ— them boast foolishly Paul had a persecuting spirit at first and how conceited was he of his own wayes Acts 26.9 10 11. I verily thought with my selfe that I ought to doe many things contray to the name of Jesus of Nazareth and therefore he complained of the Saints got power from Authority to puniâ—h them Insinuated all arguments to make them odious to imprison them to put them to death therefore he compel'd them to blaspheme and persecuted them to strange Cities and fulfilled that which Christ had said John 16.2 They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time commeth that whosoever killeth you will thinke he doth God service They the Scribes and Pharisees they would not suffer the Christians to meet in their Synagogues and their Teachers to preach unto them but stirr'd up those had power in their hand to persecute and put them to death The Scribes and Pharisees were opinionated of their own wayes and could not endure others better then themselves Luke 18.11 12. saith the Pharisee I am not as other men are True for he was more better conceited of his own righteousnesse and further from mercie then the Publican 4. Men in false and corrupt wayes are glad they are ridde of those are conscientious bound up by divine truths and obedient to the will of God Ezekiel Daniel and others knew that if they had staid in Jerusalem and not yielded themselves to Nebuchadnezzar they had dyed for it they were acquainted with Jeremies prophesie and counsell which doubtlesse he had delivered in Jehoiachin's dayes as well as in Zedechiah's Chap. 21.9.38.2 That if they yielded themselves to the King of Babylon they should live which they durst not disobey and therefore it 's said 2 Kings 24.12 that Jehoiakim King of Judah went out to the King of Babylon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which act of his Josephus magnifies saying he was so good and just that he would not see the City to perish for his sake that the City and Citizens might be the safer he hearkned to Jeremies counsell Now these men that were left at Jerusalem were glad they were gone even Ezekiel and his brethren that were of his judgement and dâ—ffer'd from them and Jeremie they were weary of and those thought as he thought Jer. 38.4 So that men in false ways are desirous and glad to be rid of those conform not to
graciously tels them he would gather them out of the Countries and bring them back to Jerusalem 1. Quest By whom did the Lord gather them bring them to this Land againe Answ By three men especially whose names are very observeable Ezra Nehemiah and Zerubbabel Ezra signifieth a helper and he was a speciall helper of them under God out of Babylon Ezra 7.6 Nehemiah is the consolation of the Lord and he brought Divine consolation unto them Nehem. 2.18 and was as a God amongst them in conveying and comforting them many wayes as you may observe in the Book beares his name Zerubbabel is as Jerome will have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iste princepâ— in Babylonâ— and he that could bring this people out of such a Country and condition they were in had need to be a mighty Prince and so was he therefore Zach. 4.7 no mountainous strength of Devils or wicked men could stand before him Others interpret it one repugnant to confusion and so he was he led the people orderly out of that confused place and condition they were in even unto the holy Land and Divine order they had formerly injoyed there and thus Ventilator babel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ventilavit the fanner of confusion or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fluxus Babylonis he brake down the banke of Captivity and made way for the stream to flow from Babylon to Sion 2. Quest The promise here being made to the Captives in Babylon that were brought thither with Jechoniah whether had they any benefit of it that were now at Jerusalem and afterwards carryed Captive with Zedekiah into Babylon Answ Some think none of the Captives with Zedekiah returned or had any benefit of this promise and the reason I find given is because few returned but there may more be sayd for it 1. The promise was not made to them at Jerusalem but to the Captives in Babylon at that time 2. We find many excepted from entring into the Land of Israel after the Captivity Ezek. 13.9 the false Prophets are excluded the Land of Israel and Ezek. 20.38 The Rebels God sayth shall not enter into the Land of Israel and who were the Rebels but those refused to goe with Jechoniah who stayed at Jerusalem and sinned greatly against God and therefore are oft called the Rebellious house the Rebellious Nation Chap. 2. God saith he would plead with them as he did with their Fathers in the Wildernesse when they came out of Aegypt and there they dyed onely two of them entred into Canaan 3. That Chapter in Jeremiah of the good and bad Figges speakes to this businesse it s the 24. of Jeremiah where the good Figs are interpreted of Jeconiah and his Captives God saith he will acknowledge them set his eyes upon them for good bring them againe to the Land and plant them in it c. vers 5 6 7. The evill Figs are interpreted of Zedekiah and his Captives and them God will deliver into all the Kingdome of the Earth for hurt to be a reproach a proverb a taunt and a curse in all places Others conceive that some of Zedekiahs Captives returned to the Land of Israel and the grounds given are these First in the 9. Chap. some were marked that were godly and these being preserved and carryed away it s not probable they should be shut out from interest in that gracious promise I will gather you and give you the Land of Israel whoever were denyed the Land not the godly 2. Cyrus Decree was not restrictive but any Jew might returne 2 Chron. 36.23 Who is there among you of all the Lords people the Lord his God be with him and let him goe up Cyrus gave liberty to any or all to goe 3. I shall adde one thing and it 's that in Jer. 31.8 A great company shall returne thither above 40000. As you may read Neh. 7.66.67 And it 's probable that some of them were of those that Nebuchadnezzar brought with Zedekiah into Babylon Quest 3. Whether the gathering and deliverance of the Church out of Babylon be Typicall and a resemblance of the spirituall gathering and deliverance of the Church in time of the Gospel whether they referr to Christ or no Answ Those great deliverances out of Aegypt and Babylon had something in them representative of the Churches deliverance by Christ Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar point out Satan that held the Gentiles and Antichrist â—hat held the Christians in bondage till Christ as Moses and Zerubbabâ—l did deliver them Their comming out of Aegypt referrs to the time of Christ and the Gospell if you compare Hos 11.1 with Mat. 2.15 And for the Babylonish deliverance referring to Christ consider Ezek. 34.12.13.14 Where the Lord speakes of gathering and bringing his People from the Countries where they have been scattered to the Mountaines of Israel and then in the 23. 24. ver I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David he shall feed them and he their Shepheard I the Lord will be their God and my Servant David a Prince among them This one shepheard this David this Prince was Christ As is generally agreed upon by interpreters and Job 10.11 Christ tells them he is The good Shepheard Namely that one and only Shepheard spoken of in Ezekiel That of Rachel weeping for her Children when they went into Captivity Jer. 31.15 referd to the tyme of the Gospel and had its fulfilling then Mat. 2.17.18 and why their comming out should not also have reference to deliverances under the Gospell by Christ I see not Some interpret those words of Isa 19.1.2 Maldon Tollet The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the Captives c. to be meant literally of the Babylonish Captivity And you know how the Lord Christ Luke 4.21 saith This day is this Scripture fullfilled in your eares Obser 1 The Lords eye is upon his People he takes notice of them where ever they bee let them be in Babylon in the severall Countreys thereof he observes them Father when their Children are scattered here and there cannon take any notice of them they are out of their sight it 's not so with God let his Children be among Heathens as now the Jewes were among Lyons as Daniel was among waters and Fishes as Jonah was let them be where or in what condition soever he sees them observes considers them Proverbs 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place not of some one Countrey as Judea Aegypt Babylon but in every place of the World 2 Chron. 16.9 His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of his Gods eying of his is not a bare intuition but in order to their assistance to doe them good to put out strength from them 2. In low
and miserable conditions God sends in hope and helpe they were now stript naked of all their comforts amidst Barbarians in a servile sinking condition saw no likelyhood of bettering their condition being under the hand of a potent and severe Adversary yet now hope and helpe comes in I will gather you you that are Captives desolate more low and miserable then ever you were even you will I gather thus God lets in comfort to them in their comfortlesse estate and its Gods way to doe so When the Israelites cryed in Aegypt by reason of their bondage when they were sorely afflicted saith the Text God heard them remembred them looked upon them and had respect unto them Exod 2.24 25. And in the next Chapter he appeares to Moses tells him he had seen their affliction knew their sorrows and was come to deliver them vers 7 8. When people are outwardly or inwardly low its Gods method frequently if not constantly to afford reliefe Psal 116.6 I was brought low and he helped mee He was low in Sauls dayes low in Absoloms but the Lord helped him When power is gone from a people and none to be found in publique or private to help a people then are they in an afflicted miserable condition yet then God affords helpe Deut. 32.56 So Nehem. 9.27 In the time of their trouble when they cryed unto thee thou heardest them from Heaven and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them Saviours When the Jews were brought low by Haman and at the borders of death all of them God appeared in Esther Abasuerus turned the storme upon Haman himselfe and helped the Jewes in that strait 3. Things which are hard and seem impossible to flesh aâ—d blood are easie unto God How difficult was it to the judgement of those Captives to conceive a returne they were farr from Jerusalem the journeys long and dangerous they at Jerusalem had rejected them they were under a mighty Tyrant the terrour of Nations they were scattered in severall places imployed to servile worke for the profit pleasure of the Chaldeans as digging in their Mines plowing of their Fields dressing of their Vines if they should stirre to get away the King had command of 127. Provinces and could presently raise Forces to fetch them back or cut them off c. These and such like thoughts made it seem difficult if not impossible to them that they should ever returne againe to Jerusalem but the Lord would gather them it was an easie act to him no more then a Shepheard gathering of his Flock into the fold he whistles or sends out his Dogg and presently they all runne into his Fold so when God spake the word mov'd the heart of Cyrus he made a Proclamation for the Jewes to go up to Jerusalem and presently it was done In Ezek. 37.11 You may read the Jewes apprehensions of their conditions they say Our bones are dryed our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts They thought themselves like dead and dry bones that lye in the bowels or on the face of the earth without hope of life or ever returning into their owne Land but by the Parable of the dry bones which at a word of Prophesie were inlâ—veâ—ed raysed and made a great Army God shewed what he could easily doe in things seeming to man impossible and he applyes it to them Vers 12. Behold O my people I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the Land of Israel They conceived it as impossible for them to repossesse their Countrey as for a dead man to live buâ— it was easie with God There is nothing too hard for God he could bring a great Nation out of Sarahs dead womb Gen. 18.14 Jer. 32.27 God tells them that he is the Lord the God of all flesh and then askes them this Question Is there any thing to hard for me Did I not bring you out of Aegipt Laed you through the red Sea through the Wildernesse set you in the pleasant Land and can I not bring you back into it though scattered up and downe in Babylon Vers 37. Behold I will gather you out of all Countries whither I have driven you in mine anger and will bring you to this place and cause you to dwell safely Luke 18.27 Things unpossible with mâ—n are possible with God 4. Lands and Countries are the Lords to dispose of to whom he pleases I will give you the Land of Israel the Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the World and they that dwell therein Psal 24.1 And he disposes the Kingdomes thereof Psal 115.16 The Earth hath he given to the Sonnes of men There is not a Sonne of man which hath any spot of Earth or Kingdome in the World but the Lord gave it him he rules in the Kingdomes of men he takes them away and gives them to whom he will Dan. 4.31 32. He is God of all the Kingdomes of the Earth Isa 37.16 And Cyrus acknowledged that God had given them all to him Ezra 1.2 Being the Lords he may justly dispose of them as seems good to himselfe This Land of Israel was possessed by Canaan the Son of Cham and called the Land of Canaan but his Posterity for their wickednesse were spued out of it Levit. 18.25 and then God gave it to the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob whose name was changed to Israel and thence his Posterity called Israelites and so this the Land of Israel but they through their Idolatry and oppression forfeited this Land and now God had given it into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar after they had possessed it 850. yeares Sin thrusts people out of their Countrey and robs them of their rights and priviledges Isa 13.22 And had not God given them this Land againe they had had little or no right to it God gave it to Abraham when the Canaanites had it and he gives it to the Israelites when the Chaldeans had it 5. The afflictions of the Church though great and grevious yet have their period now Israel was in Babylon their Countrey City Temple Ordinances Publique worship were gone They were amid'st Idolaters prophane blasphemous persons in a polluted place which was very sad yet this condition should have an end God would gather them out from Babylon into the holy and pleasant Land where they should enjoy choice mercies againe God will not alwayes chide The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither keepe his anger for ever Psal 103.9 Here at the beginning of their Captivity Gods heart was relenting and he laid in this gratious promise to refresh them Man when he is offended is not onely angry but bares grudges in his heart seeks revenge and the ruine of them have wrong'd him as Haman Mordecai and the Jewes but it 's not so with God he may be angry for 70 yeares but that is not alwayes for ever Isa 54.7.8 It was but a moment a small moment
intentions their actions and hearts layd together would confute one another Herod pretends to worship Christ but intends to murther him but these should have one heart within and without the same they should be inwardly and outwardly as Nathanael no guile was in his spirit in his lipps in his actions but the same heart was in all Col. 3.23 Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily 2. As respecting God They should look at God as the onely and adequate object of their heart they should be content with him alone they should not aske counsell confide in fetch comfort from or worship any other he onely had made Covenant with that people Cor integrum in veritate solide adunatum Deoâ— toti corpori Ecclesiae and they should owne him onely for their God Moses told them long before that the Lord their God was one Lord Deut. 6.4 And Samuel told them they must serve him onely 1 Sam. 7.3 And this could not be unlesse their heart was one David who was an one-hearted man sayd Psal 62.5 My soule wait thou onely upon the Lord. 2. One heart in regard of his worship that should be pure immixt and one Zach. 14.9 In that day shall there be one Lord and his name one by Name Interpreters understand Worship and that shall be one and answerable shall be their hearts Jer. 32.39 3. In respect of others First the judgement shall be one they shall agree together in fundamentals and substantiall points of faith though there be differences in circumstantials inferences consequences and points of inferiour alloy Phil. 4.2 they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think the same things be of the same mind 2. Their affections towards one another Acts 4.32 The multitude of them beleeved were of one heart and of one soule By these words One heart and one soule Beza understands Summa tum in doctrina tum in voluntatibus consensio and he â—ells us that in an old Copy he had there were these words more added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there was no dâ—ffâ—rence or controversie amongst them they were united in judgement and affections they had common faith and common affâ—ctions they beleeved the Gospell and loved Christs truth and one another dearly 3. In their converse and practice together they should be one hearted Acts 2.46 they continued dayly wiâ—h one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house In rebus omnibus agendis Ferus did eate their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Budaeus interprets of men sine livore their hearts were without envy or other evills they were single In this sense chiefly I conceive this one heartednesse is to be taken the union and harmony of their judgements affections and practises in spirituall things Quest When was this performed Ans Some thinke at their returne from Babylon they were one-hearted and united in their judgments affections and practises and some phrases in Scripture import it Ezra 1.5 Then rose up the cheife of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the Priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raysed to goe up to build the House of the LORD in Jerusalem They had the same minde and affection to that good worke to build the House of the Lord and Chap. 2.2 They came every one to his City Chap 3.11 All the people shouted with a great shout when they praysed the Lord because the Foundation of the House of the Lord was layd And Ch. 6.16 The children of Israel the Preists and the Levites and the rest of the children of the Captivity kept the Dedication of the House of God with joy These and such like passageâ— give occasion to thinke that there was a fullfilling of this truth at that time Others conclude it made good in the Apostles dayes when the Beleivers were so united as you read of Acts. 2.42.44.46 Chap. 4.32 The Beleivers yea the multitude of them were of one heart and one Soule Some are of judgement that its not yet accomplished because there were great divisions and contentions among the Churches in the Apostles times The Stick of Joseph and the Stick of Judah are not yet united they were never yet since the division made one Kingdom Vers 17 18 19 21. and therefore refer it to the calling of the Jewes when the two propheticall Mysticall sticks mentioned Ezek. 37.19.21.22.23 are united and made one Nation and have David their King ruling over them then shall there be this one heartednesse amongst them If we should put it upon the times wherein those great and glorious things spoken of Isa 60. shall be given into the Church we shall not much mistake there God saith I will make thine Officers peace and thine exactors righteousnesse violence shall no more be heard in thy Land the Lord shall be unto them an everlasting light and thy God thy glory thy people also shall be all righteous Which time I suppose may fall in with the New Jerusalem Deut. 21. in which should be no leannesse death sorrow crying or paine all things in it should be new having the glory of God Vers 4 5. Quest 2. Whether this union this one heartednesse be attaineable in this life Some judge it impossible that there should be one heartednesse in judgement affections and practice because of the difference of constitutions naturall abilities corruptions and temptations of men and unequall dispensations of grace and therefore referre it to our condition after this life Ans We must distinguish this one heartednes it s either incompleat and inchoative which is to be had in this life or compleat and consummative which is a piece of our happinesse in Heaven the Angels and Saints above injoy the same perfectly we who are here beneath have it onely in part Though there be differences in the lesser things of Religion yet we agree in the weighty things thereof and are one hearted in them and were there no possibility of being so and being more and more so the Lord would not here have promised it nor the Apostle exhorted to it 1 Pet. 3.8 Be you all of one minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idem sentientes consentientes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are they qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which thinke the same things yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehends as Gerard observes upon the place Consensionem in fidei veritate vitae sanctitate Paul 1 Cor. 1.10 prayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement let there be no deficiency no redundancy but a sweet coherency as in the members of the body So Phil. 2.2 Be yee like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind He would not onely have them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sundry other places the Apostle exhorts unto it
Ordinances are used promiscuously And here by them I conceive is ment the whose Law of God revealed This walking in his statutes is set out in holy writ by such expressions as these Viz. Walking after the Lord. Deut. 13.4 Walking before God 1 Kings 9.4 Walking in the light of the Lord. Isa 2.5 Walking in the truth John Epist 3. Vers 4. Walking in the name of the Lord Micah 4.5 Walking according to rule Gal. 6.16 And Walking with God Gen. 6.9 Keepe mine Ordinances Keeping imports 1. Remembring Luke 2.51 Mary kept all these sayings in her heart 2. Holding fast 2 Tim. 1.14 The good thing committed to thee keep that is hold fast here we must take in both remembering and holding fast but in order to doeing men may know remember and hold fast the mind of God but not doe the same Deut. 5.1 Heare O Israel the statutes and Judgements which I speake in your eares this day and keepe and doe them the Hebrew is keepe to doe them Doe them Doing implies 1. The performing and practice of them Psal 15.5 Facere â—st exacte custodire decenter quicquam operari He that doth these things shall never be moved 2. Fullfilling of things required 1 Kings 5.8 Saith Hiram to Solomon I will doe all thy desire that is fullfill thy desire both may be understood here not simply to doe but to doe exactly Obser 1. The end of Gods giving us temporall and spirituall mercies is that we should be obedient unto him He gathered them out of Babylon planted them in Canaan gives them onenesse of heart newnesse of spirit c. And why that they might walke in his statutes and keepe his Ordinances God hireth us with mercies to doe his will Psal 105.43.44.45 He brought forth his People with joy and his chosen with gladnesse and gave them the Lands of the Heathen and they inheritied the labour of the People that they might observe his statutes and keepe his Law 2 Sam. 12.7.8.9 David was obliged by Gods bountie to obedience why did God so much for his Vineyard Isa 5.2 but that it might bring forth Grapes the end of all mercies and meanes offorded us were to make it fruitfull in obedience All in Gods works in his word are so many inducements to obedience God hath given us the Earth and fullnesse of it and the end is to provoke us thereby to walke in his statutes He hath given us his good word choyce Oâ—dinances Heavenly Councells pretious promises profitable commands holy examples and his end in all these is to quicken us up to obedience It s the end of Election 1 Pet. 1.2 It s the end of Redemption Luke 1.74.75 It s the end of our new Creation Ephes 2.10 Paul beseeches the Romans By the mercies of God to present their Bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God Our mercies should prevaile with us we are Planted in a good Land we have the dewes of Heaven and fatnesse of the Earth God hath done great things amongst us and for us we have had wonderfull Deliverances and shall not we be incouraged thereby to walke in the statutes of our God Deut. 11.7.8 Your eyes have seene all the great Acts of the Lord which he did therefore shall you keepe all the Commandements which I command you this day Let the great things we have seen and heard put us upon obeying the Lord and so obeying him that our obedience may be 1. Generall God requires you should walke in all his wayes Deut. 10.12 2. Heartie yea with the whole heart Deut. 26.16 3. Constant Deut. 4.9 Gal. 6.9 4. Willing chearfull Phil. 2.14 Deut. 28.47 5. With strength and courage Josh 23.6 If we doe not walk in the statutes of the Lord and keepe his commands we know not God 1. John 2.3.4 We doe not love God 1 Joh. 5.3 Nor Christ Joh. 14.15 Our prayers will be unfruitfull and succeslesse 1 John 3.22 2. Note that walking in Gods statutes keeping his Ordinances and doing his will doe evidence the worke of grace in the heart and what the man is God would give them onenesse of heart newnesse and tendernesse of spirit that they might walk keepe doe c. If then they did so this declared what was within Luke 1.6 Zacharie and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse their wâ—lking witnessed their righteousnesse see 1 John 3.10 2 Chap. 29. Luke 6.44 What ever the fruit is such is the Tree Figgs doe not grow upon thornes nor Grapes upon brambles where you finde Grapes it is a Vine and not onely doth God and Christ know them but Mat. 7.16 you shall know them by their Fruits not by their leaves but their fruits not some few actions but by a dayly observatâ—â—n of them sometimes delay and times alwayes attention is required to discerne them 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godlinesse c. this may be discerned for vers 9. Their folly shall be manifest to all men James 2.18 Works â—re the glasse picture Child of faith Adam begat a Sonne after his Image and faith begets Children after its owne Image Abrahams offering of his Sonne decâ—aâ—ed his faith Heb. 11.17 Works justifie faith and faith justifies the man Some doubt whether works will prove grace whether sanctification will evidence justification But John tells us there is a witnesse of Water as well as of blood and of the spirit 1 Joh. 5.8 if the Law written in Bookes may be knowne and the sense of it evidenced by Commentaries surely the Law written in the heart may be knowne and evidenced by works 3. Grace in the heart will appeare in the life if there be a new spirit a tender heart there will be walking in the Statutes A new spirit cannot be imprisoned within but it will breake out into action when the seed is sowne in good ground it will not lye long under ground but spring forth Marke 4.20 Grace is light and that will manifest it selfe vers 21.22 God hath determined that hidden things shall bee manifested grace cannot alwayes be hid 1 Pet. 2.9 Such vertue will out 1 Thes 1.5.6.7 The Coritnhians were the Epistle of Paul written in his heart read and knowne of all men The Romans faith was spoken of throughout the World Rom. 1.8 That was in all the Churches of the World So their obedience Chap. 16.19 There be diverse things cannot be hidden as the light fire life the wind a spring and of this nature is grace which is all those its light and fire John was a burning and shining light Its life Luke 15.24 It s the wind of the spirit Cant. 4.16 Joh. 3.8 It s a Spring Joh. 7.38 A good Tree cannot bring forth evill fruit and it cannot but bring forth good fruit Acts 4.20 We cannot but speake the things we have heard and seene Paul when converted presently said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe He would not be idle
Hos 14.4 2. The presence of God amongst them Levit. 26.11.12 The Jewes were Gods people and he saith I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and will walk among you and be your God and â—ou shall be my People The Tabernacle and walking were arguments of his presence and evidenced him to be their God God is essentially present every where but especially present with his People Rev. 21.3 No Creature no Angel no representation of God but God himselfe shall be with them as a Father with his Children as a Husband with his Wife God will not onely be with them but in them 2 Cor. 6.16 He will indwell in them and walke in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The peculiar and speciall care of God over them Deut. 32.10.11.12 The Lord was as tender to them as any Creature could be to her young the Eagle is very carefull of her young carrying them not in her Tallons but on her wings So God deals by his People he preventeth harms that might befall them Psal 68.7 He went forth before his People and did march in the front of them through the Wildernesse Psal 77.20 Isa 26.20 God doth provide for and protect his People Deut. 33.27 Psal 125.2 Isa 4.5 Vpon all the glory shall be a defence 4. Deliverance if in streights dangers misery Exod. 3.10 I have seen the oppression come now therfore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my People out of Aegypt Ezek. 37.12 Behold O my People I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves Where God is a God to any he is a delivering God he is affected with their condition and sufferings Exod. 3.7 Isa 63.9 1 Sam. 9.16 Isa 3.15 5. Singular comfort Rev. 21.3.4 They shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them be their God and he shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine Isa 40.1.49.13.30.26.51.3 He doth encourage and hearten them Isa 41.10 6. Speaking and pleading for them Isa 51.22 Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Their cause is many times like to suffer men are unwise unfaithfull mannage it strangely but God will plead the cause of his people and he will not do it faintly as if he cared not whether his people should have the day or no but to purpose will he doe it Jer. 50.34 Their redeemer is strong the Lord of hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may gaine lest unto the Land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon Mica 7.9 Joel 3.2 7. Exalting and honouring of them Deut. 26.18.19 The Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar people and what then To make thee high above Nations in praise in name in honour God makes his people renewed Isa 28.5 He is a Crowne of glory unto them Isa 60.11 Thy God thy glory Jer. 2.11 Isa 43.4 8. Teaching and instructing of them Isa 28 26. his God doth instruct him to discretion Isa 51.4 Hearken unto me my people and give ear unto me my Nation for a Law shall proceed from me and I will mâ—ke my judgement to rest for a light of the people Deut. 4.36 Isa 48.17 9. Delight in them Isa 65.19 I will joy in my people no freinds can rejoyce more in one another no bridegroome more in his bride then God in his people them he calls his strength and his glory Psal 78.61 Yea a Crowne of glory Isa 62.3 Thou shalt be a Crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall diadem in the hand of thy God No King can delight more in a Crowne then the Lord doth in his people which are his Crowne Gods people are near unto him Psal 148.14 They are his jewells Mal. 3.17 His Portion Deut. 32.9 His Heritage Joel 2.17 His peculiar Treasure Exod. 19.5 The Hebrew Word Segullah noteth an exquisite treasure a thing very desirable singular and peculiar Eccles 2.8 The peculiar treasure of Kings Aquila hath it substance Vatablus a treasure intirely beloved Gods people are his choyce treasure dearly bloved Things we delight in we oft thinke upon and speake of and you may find this expression oft Viz. His treasure or peculiar people it s in Deut. 7.6 speciall people it s the same word so in Deut. 14.2.26.18 Psal 135.4 Titus 2.14 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Blessing and communicating choice and satisfying mercies where a People are his he will Crowne and load them with variety of blessings Psal 3 8. Thy blessing is upon thy People thy people are distingu shed from all others and thy blessings are distinct from all others Gods blessings note a plentifull bestowing of all good things as appeares Gen. 24.35 Ephes 1.3 Among his people are all his springs the lower and upper ones He blessed them with choice mercies with his secrets Psal 25.14 With his name Dan. 9.19 Isa 63.19 The Shulamite was so cald from Solomon Cant. 6.12 When God takes a people to himselfe that people is marryed unto him and it hath his name the Church is cald Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 With his holynesse Hebr. 12.10 With the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 With grace and glory Psal 84.11 Yea with satisfying mercies Psal 65.4.36.8 He will satisfy them with goodnes Jer. 31.14 With himselfe Gen. 15.1 Obser 1. God prepares a people for himselfe and then marries that people unto himselfe he gives them onenesse newnesse tendernesse of heart and spirit and then they shall be his people and he will be their God Ezek. 16.6.8 When thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse and thou becamest mine when Abraham was come out of his Country had left his idolatrous wayes walked uprightly before God then he hears I am thy God and the God of thy seed Gen. 17.7 This is the way of Christ Ephes 5.26.27 He is sanctifiing and cleansing of his Church that he may present it to himselfe a glorious Church without spot 2. It s great happinesse to have God to be our God many thinke happinesse to lye in other things but in nothing else onely in this it consists Psal 33.12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people wbom he hath chosen for his owne inheritance They are the blessâ—d people Psal 144.15 It is not thousands of Cattel ful barns laughter in the streets peace and plenty which make a people happy the happinesse of a people is in having God to be theirs Great parts honours friends estates doe not happifie a man but happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God Psal 146.5 When God is the God of a people he will doe great things for them 2 Sam. 7.23 He wil shew them the power of his workes Psal 111.6 He will not leave his people 1
lust Wine revelling banquetting and Idolatries are joyned together False worship and false wayes of worship are set out by such expressions as shew their hearts were taken therewith Numb 15.39 Isa 57.5 Chap. 66.3 Acts 17.16 2 Kings 21.21 Psal 97.7 Ezek. 16.17 18 19 20. 5. That is an object of hatred to the godly is an object of delight unto the wicked in the 18. Verse when the godly should come to the Land againe they would take away all the detestable things but the wicked their hearts would goe after them The hearts of the one sort were for them of the other were against them 6. God takes notice which way the heart lookes how it stands affected As for them whose heart walketh after c. Ezek. 20.16 Chap. 33.31 in the 14 Chap. 3 4 7. thrice God observes They had set up Idolls in their hearts The heart is the principall thing in man that God calls for Prov. 23.26 and therefore he lookes after it Revel 2.23 All the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reines and the heart 7. Things men are much taken with are detestable in the sight of God they affected detestable things Luke 16.15 That is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination with God When men bring into his worship things of their owne he accounts it iniquity Exod. 20.5 and the Authors thereof haters of him 8. Superstitious and Idolatrous persons shall not goe unpunished I will recompence their wayes upon their heads when they had made a calfe quickly after 3000 were slaine for it and though Moses mediated for them yet God tells Moses that in the day he visits he will visit their sin upon them Exod. 32.35 And verse the last The Lord plauged the people because they made the calfe which Aaron made God is jealous and cannot indure his glory should be given to another 9. When ever God punisheth or whom ever he punisheth he is just in his punishment I will recompence their way upon their owne head They shall have the fruit of their owne labours and its certaine thus saith the Lord you thinke your selves safe if vou can avoyd my stroke that your false gods shall secure you but it shall not be I will recompence your wayes upon your heads God may punish men sometimes lesse then they deserve but never more he is just and returnes their owne doing upon them Psal 7.16 VERS 22. Then did the Cherubims lift up their wings and the wheeles besides them and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above HEre begins the fifth part of the Chapter which is a further description of the Lords leaving the City The Cherubims wheeles and glory were at the East gate of the Temple Chap. 10.19 where you have the very words of this Verse Cherubims note out Angels and superiour causes Wheeles inferiour things with the motions of them and by the glory of the God of Israel is meant either the glorious Lord himselfe or somâ— visible signe of his glorious presence Obser All things are under the God of Israel he hath the eminence he is above wheeles and Angells are under him at his dispose if he give out the word the Cherubims move lift up their wings and order the wheeles VERS 23. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the City and stood on the mountain which is on the East side of the City HEâ—e you have Gods departure from the City To leave the Temple was greivous had he staid at the gates of it or in the City it selfe any where within the wals it had been mercy but he leaves the East gate which he calls the midst of the City and goeth forth unto the mountain which shewed God would now expose the City to the fury and spoyle of the Babylonians The glory of the Lord. Of this see before Chap. 10.4.18.19 Chap. 9.3 Chap. 8.4 Chap. 3.23 And stood upon the mountain There were many mountains about Jerusalem Psal 125.2 It was compassed about with them the mountaine which the glory went to and stood upon was mount Olivet or mount Olives Zach. 14.4 This mountain was before Jerusalem on the East and the glory of the Lord stood before at the East gate whence it removed and went up this mountaine for it was high and had ascents 2 Sam. 15.30 The standing of the glory upon this mountain may be eyther to see the ruine and destruction of the City and so to weepe over it as Christ did upon or neare the same mount Luke 19. or Secondly to upbraid them for their wickednesse there because they did abominable things in that mount whence it was cald the mount of corruption 2 K. 23.13 or Thirdly to make it typicall to represent the â—scending of Christ to Heaven which was from that place Acts 1.12 These things being granted yet I conceive there was somewhat else in it The glory of God had made severall stands before which they had not much minded now it goeth from the Temple and City to an high conspicuous mountain that they might take notice of Gods departure repent of their sins and use all possible meanes for recalling recovering and keeping the glory with them and Zach. 14.4 The promise is of returning and standing upon the same mount God is unwilling to forsake that people he hath vouchsafed his presence Obser 1. and communicated his favour unto no people in the World had God so nigh them as this people Deut. 4.7 Here God goeth out of the City but not quite away nor quite out of sight he steps to the mountain over against the City Before he had removed to the side of the Temple then from within the Temple to the threshould after that to the East gate and from thence â—o mount Oliv â— and God pauzed at every stand whether he should goe any further The Lord is loath to leave hâ—s people they put him upon it Ezek. 8.6 Seest thou the great abominations that they commit here that I should goe farre off from my Sanctuary they forced God out of all wheâ—as seeing him upon the leaving them thâ—y should have purg d the Sanctuary from all Idolls and false worship and have importun'd the Lord to stay among them when a frieâ—d is lâ—aving his freinds what intreaties what teares many times are used to stay him Acts 21.12.13 Jer. 14.7.8.9 2. God is not tyed so to any place or people buâ— when they grow wicked and defile his worship he may leave them and thâ— place where he hath recorded his name Mount Sion God hâ—d chosen above all places to dwell there Psal 132.14 This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it For ever is a long timâ— in Scripture sense and God had dwelt a long time with them but now the time was come of his departure now the holy Temple holy City holy people were all prophanenes unto him they had corrupted his worship polluted themselves and therefore
he waits is bountifull and would with his goodnesse and long suffering draw sinners to repentance Let others be like God a Minister should be patient not strive be gentle towards all men not bitter nor cursing in meekenesse instructing c. 2. Prophets must venture though the successe of their endeavours be uncertaine goe prepare stuffe for removing remove and from place to place It may be they will consider Prophets and others should look at Gods will not successe Divine pleasure is warrant sufficient for any to act let the issue be what it will Ministers Magistrates Parents must doe their duty it may be good will come of it It may be they will consider it s not a word of doubting but of hope and encouragement Thou shalt bring forth thy stuffeby Day in their sight The reason of this was that so all might see Princes Nobles and People and be inexcusable if they did not take warning Goe forth at even This was to shew the stealing away of the King Nobles and men of war by night as it is 2 Kings 25.4 The City was broken up and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the Gate between two walls which is by the Kings Garden and the King went the way towards the plaine Jer. 39.4 They fled and went out of the City by night even Zedekiah with the rest .. Dig through the wall c. To shew what great streights they should be in all gates should be beset all knowne passages stopt and they necessitated to breake through the wall and vers 7. Ezekiel saith he did it with his owne hand I dig'd through the wall with my hand In eminent danger any shift will men make pull stones out of walls c. Thou shalt beare it upon thy shoulders To shew that the People and Princes should carry away their pretious things upon their shoulders Thou shalt cover thy face that thou see not the ground Covering of the face was in use among the Jews and others 1. In case of disappointment and shame they did it Jer. 14.3 Their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with the vessells empty they were ashamed confounded and covered their heads 2. In case of sorrow and mourning 2 Sam. 19.4 When Absalom was slain David covered his face and cryed O Absalm my Sonne so in the 15 Chap. 30. David and the people had their heads covered and wept when they went up Mount Olivet 3. In case of guilt â—nd punishment for it Esther 7.8 When Haman was accused by Esther and to suffer for his villanous plot against the Jewes they covered his face as not worthy to see the sunne or earth here the Prophets covering was typicall and was to shew not onely what a darke moonelesse night Zedekiah should chuse to flie in but what a darke condition he should be in when his eyes should be put out therefore those words That thou see not the ground are added intimating that though he were carryed into Babylon yet he should not see that Land For I have set thee for a signe to the house of Israel And in the 11 ver I am the signe The word in Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Portentum from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth somthing beautifull specious drawing to admiration here it s put for a strange or wonderfull thing That might be pleasing to the eye but sad in effect and heavy to the heart and is the same with Oth and is rendered a signe in this place and others as in 2 Chron. 32 24. Isa 8.18 I and the Children thou hast given me are for signes and wonders There are both the words and point out the same thiâ—g and that is Signum or portentum quo futurus rerum eventus designâ—tur as Isa 20.3.4 His going naked and barefoot was a signe and wonder upon Aegypt and Ae hiopia and our Prophets digging the wall carrying out his stuffe and covering of his face made him a signe to the house of Israell they would not beleeve that they should goe into cap iviâ—y but this was a lively signe to convince them of it The Lord carryeth on his desiâ—ne in the World oft times Obser by foolish weak ridiculous means the Prophet must dig through the wall carry out his stuffe upon his shoulder remove from place to place and cover his face that he see not the ground these things seem'd childish and foolish unto the Jewes they thought him a silly or mad man so Chap. 4. He must take a Tile picture Jerusalem upon it he must build a sort cast a Mount set a campe and battering Rams against it he must also set an Iron pan for a wall between him and the City lye upon his left side and then upon his right side drinke water by measure aâ—d bâ—ke his bread in dunge c. All which seem'd poore ridiculous things in the eyes of the people but there was weight in them And I did as I was commanded I brought forth my stuffe by day as stuffe for captivity c. In this Verse is the obedience of the prophet to the type commanded and in the two next preparation to the application of the type Obser From the sixt Verse its mans duty readily to obey the Lord in whatsoever he commands be they things of such nature as to seeme ridiculous unworthy a man such as will expose him to scorne disgrace c. yet he is bound to doe them Our Prophet did as he was commanded he stuck not at the doing those things would make him a signe and fable in all Israel VERS 8 9. And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me saying Sonne of man hath not the house of Israel the rebellious house said unto thee What doest thou GOD had appointed the Prophet to doe those typicall things in their sight and now he comes to inquire what the people did or sayd upon his so doing and such was the blindnesse and stupidity of this people that they did not so much as inquire of the Prophet what these typicall passages meant The words in the 9. Verse are an interrogation and import a negative not an affirmative thus Hath not the rebellious house said unto thee what doâ—st thou No I know it hath not they dreamt rather of their owne returne out of Captivity then thought of their Brethrens coming into captivity who were at Jerusalem they rather derided the Prophet for those strange acts then consulted what they meant The Lord looks after his Messengers and messages Obser sent by them and will have an account what entertainment they have The Lord commanded Ez kiel to goe and doe such things which he did and here he comes and inquires what was the effect of those typicall actions whether the people apprehended his meaning in them or made inquirie after them have they come to thee have
Land of Chaldea he must tell the Captives what should befall the Jewes at Jerusalem and in the Land of Israel They shall eat their bread with carefullnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It notes care griefe feare which commonly attend one the other the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with want before they rendered this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 want is a great affliction And drinke their water with astonishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stupescere admirari The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum interitu desparing of deliverance and life Chalde Cum stupore the French En desolation That her land may be desolate Judaea was the choycest of Lands a paradise to other Countries it abounded with milke honey corne oyle wine cattel silver gold and other pretious things but now it was to be laid wast now it should be stript of its inhabitants of its plenty and treasure the Hebrew is a plenitudine sua Because of the violence of them that dwell therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notes injury Tyranny spoyle The Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the wickednesse of them c. The Lord puts his servants oft upon troublesome service Obser 1. and sad actions for the conviction and benefit of others here Ezekiel must eat his bread with quakeing and drink his drinke with trembling he must dig through the wall and bear his stuffe upon his shoulder goe out at even cover his face remove his stuffe which were burdensome actions and Chap. 4. He must lye upon his left side three hundred and ninety dayes and then upon his left side forty dayes he must eat bread bak'd with Cowes dung and Chap. 5. He must shave his head and his beard make himselfe bald and unsightly So Hosea he must marry a Wife of whoredomes Chap. 1.2 Jer. 27.2 He must make yokes and bonds and put upon his neck These things were to signify what God would doe unto the Nations bring them into subjection to Nebuchadnezzar 2. It s Divine pleasure that when typicall and dark things are given out to the Prophets that they should make them knowne to the People Ezâ—kiel must tell the people what was in it that he eat his bread and drank his drinke in such a manner So for his digging and removing he must tell them what Mystery was wrapt up in it Say unto them this burden concerneth the Prince vers 10. here vers 19. Say to the people c. It s the duty of those are teachers in the Church to open things are mysterious what they meane and signify 3. God can mingle sorrowes with our comforts and make our choice comforts comfortlesse comforts they shall eat their bread with carefullnesse and drinke their drinke with astonishment God wouâ—d bring an enemy to the gates of Jerusalem and put them to such streights that they should neyther eat nor drinke with any comfort feare carefullnesse and astonishment would be gravell in there bread and gall in their drinke Adams comforts in Paradise were soone dampt Psal 127.2 To eate the bread of sorrowes Gen. 3.17 In sorrow shalt thou eat bread of sorrows was his bread and is his Childrens bread to this day onely some times God puts in more sorrow then at others there is bread of affliction 1 K. 22.27 Bread of mourners Hos 9.4 Here God would put in much sorrow affl ction and mourning quakeing trembling care and astonishment should possesse them their plenty should be turn'd into scarcity for wine they should have water and very little of that too for the finest of the wheat flower they should have bran and not their bellies full of that 4. It s sin the sin of Injustice oppression which cause God to lay wast a plentifull land that her land may be desolate from all that is therein because of the violence of them that dwell therein It s observ'd that the Jewes were and still are a covetous people It was their covetousnesse put them upon unjust acts of oppression and violence and God upon just judgements of Famine and desolation Psal 107.34 He turnes a fruitfull land into barrennes for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Mans wickednesse moves the Lord to lay plentifull and pleasant lands wast yet it s made their act Zech. 7.14 They layd the pleasant land wast they were the procreant cause they begat sin sin begat judgement and judgement begat desolation VERS 21.22.23.24.25.26 27 28. And the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man what is that proverb that yee have in the land of Israel saying the dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Tell them therefore thus saith the Lord God I will make this proverb to cease and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel but say unto them The dayes are at hand and the effect of every vision For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel For I am the Lord I will speak and the word that I shall speak shall come to passe it shall be no more prolonged for in your dayes O rebellious house will I say the word and will performe it saith the Lord GOD. Againe the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man behold they of the house of Israel say the vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he prophecyeth of the times that are far off Therefore say unto them Thus saith the Lord GOD. There shall none of my words be prolonged any more but the word which I have spoken shall be done saith the Lord God IN these verses you have the third part of the Chapter a confutation of those made an ill construction of the Prophets Prophesieâ— One kind of men gave no credence at all to what was Prophecyed but derided the Prophets saying when were you in Heaven or who told you the mind of God you are deceivers if any such thing had been as you speak of it had taken place ere this but nothing is done therefore we will not beleeve you Another kind of men were perswaded the Prophets spake truth but it was at a great distance long ere it was to take place and therefore grew secure Hence the Lord commands the Prophet to let them know that his words should certainly and shortly come to passe In the words consider 1. A complaint of a Proverbe What is that Proverbe which you have in the Land of Israel Vers 22. 2. The mention of the Proverb The dayes are c. V. 22.28 3. The confutation of it Vers 23. I will make this Proverbe to cease and they shall no more use it as a Proverbe in Israel c. 4. A confirmation of that confutation 1. From the Lords proceeding with the false Prophets and their vaine visions and flattering Divinations They should cease Vers 24. And 2. From the promise of making good his word and that speedily
Vers 25.28 What is that Proverbe which you have in the Land of Israel I shall open the Word Proverbe unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to beare Rule to Reigne to Excell and so a Proverbe is some notable speech which excels others and beares rule amongst men New Wine is not for old Bottles Doe men gather Grapes of Thornes Little Leaven leavens the whole lumpe Mashal signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lordly authentick sentence as the Proverbs of Solomon and such as these Viz. the Axe layd to the root of the tree Where the treasure is Sermo ad exhortationem aptus cujus per universum vitae curriculum utilitas dimanet Mich. Apostol Hesych in Lexic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basilius the heart will be also No man can serve two masters c. Or it s from the same root signifying to speake Similies or Parables Adagieâ— or witty sayings Hence the Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is the Parable which you have in the Land The Gospell expressâ—s a Proverbe by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 16.25 2 Pet. 2.22 And the Learned thinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Scaliger L. 3. Poet censet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because its a sentence goes up and downe by the way its common amongst men or thus it may rather be so called because its praeter viam besides the common way of speaking having something mysterious darke and difficult in it The Graecians say its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech usefull for this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because cast amongst the people for their use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. in Camillo Paraemia est oratio obscura quae per aliam dâ—scuram significatur Suidas in Collect. having much good and moderate darknesse in it They say also its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech vaild light in a darke Lanthorne Some Proverbs are obscure and signifie somewhat else then the words seeme to expresse As the Dog is turn'd unto his owne vomit againe and the Sow that was wash'd to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 So that in Ezek. 18.2 The Fathers have eaten sowre Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge Some are more plaine and easie as 1 Sam. 24.13 Wickednesse proceeds from the wicked So that among us truth begets hatred flattery friends Some were wicked and false and such had this people among them that in Ezek. 18.2 The Fathers c. And that in this place are wicked Proverbs The dayes are prolonged and every vision fayleth Herein lyes the evill of this Proverbe When the Prophets at the command of God prophesied sad things threatned destruction to Jerusalem Captivity to the people c. They not willing to heare of such things All those Visions they say they have had touching the Chaldaeans comming and laying us wast they are dreames fansies they have no weight no worth no truth in them put off all by this Proverbe thus If that the Prophets prophesie be true it s not for our dayes but the dayes of those are long after for the next the second or third Generation after as the dayes are prolonged say they or if they be false as its likely what need we feare or care every vision faileth they come to nothing they are words winde and thus wickedly they put off Propheticall threats and deluded their owne soules they layd not to heart their sinnes they used not any meanes to divert Divine wrath or to secure their owne soules and that because sinfully they prolong'd or disanul'd the Prophesies That men very wicked are very secure they look for peace liberty and long life Obser 1. even when they have greatly provoked the wrath of God against them what if we have find by violence in the land by corruptions and false worship in the Church and the Prophets have thundered against us with threatening judgements yet The dayes are prolonged we shall have peace walke at liberty and fill up the number of our dayes so in Chap. 11.3 It is not neer desolation is threatned by tâ—e Prophets from Chaldea but is not near let us build houses for our delight and dwell in them securâ—ly and take a course with Jeremiah and those of his stâ—eine which thinke to trouble us Jer. 7.9.10 They did Steal murder commit adultery sweare falsely burne Incense to Baal yet came and stood in the house of God and said We are delivered to dâ—e all these abominations the meaning is though we have done such things and have been greviously threatned for them by the Prophets yet we are delivered from their threats and are well safe without fear or danger and shall goe on in our old wayes when Gods threatnings are deser'd out of mercy that men may consider repent and prevent them they thinke they will never come and so grow more secure and more sinfull Eccl 8.11 Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil they go on more freely with more delight this makes the Lord oft to mind sinners of the dayes of his wrath Amos 4.1.2 Heare this word yee Kine of Bashan that are in the Mountaine of Samariah which oppresse the poore which crush the needy which say to their Masters bring and let us drinke They were secure and like Kine goared trod under the poorer sort and what must they heare this The Lord God hath sworn by his holynesse that loe the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away with hookes and your posterity with fish-hookes so Zeph. 1.14 The great day of the Lord is neare it is neare and hasteth greatly 2. Such is the corruption of man that beeing opposed it swells higher and vents it selfe oft times blasphemously the Prophets reproved them for their sins threatned the soarest judgements for them and how did they entertaine those threatnings Because men feel not Gods hand they thinke his threatnings winde their hearts boyld against the Prophets and their Messages and they uttered it with their tongues every vision fayleth there is no truth in the Prophets nor in their visions they are lyars and their visions lyes This was not onely contumelious to the Prophets but blasphemous against the Majestie of God and the truth of his word men that live under the word if their corruptions and lusts be not weakned and mortifyed they are ripen'd strengthen'd and grow to an insufferable height Jer. 17.15 They say unto me where is the Word of the Lord let it come now Thou tellest us of the word of the Lord but it s thine owne dreame if it be the Lords let it come now and we will believe it but if not it s thine and thou art a deceiver to tell us so 2 Pet. 3.3.4 In the last dayes
men sin with a high hand after judgements given out those sins add wings to judgement Mâ—l 3.5 I will be a swift witnesse saith God against Sorcerers Adulterers false Swearers those oppresse the hireling Widdow Fatherlesse and turne aside the stranger form his right He will come flying to judgement against them 2 Pet. 2.1 S nners are said to bring upon themselves swift destruction destruction makes hast to them when men shall scoffe at divine threats and jest at judgements this provokes God to hasten them Isa 5.19 Let him make speed and hasten his worke that we may see it They were so farre from fearing and beleeving the threats of God that they made a mock at them Hence saith the Lord Jer. 1.12 I will hasten my word to performe it I will take the first opportunity to make it good God will shorten the day of affliction for the Elects sake and hasten the dayes of judgement for thâ— wickeds sake The thoughts and hopes of wicked men about the threatnings of judgement are foolish and vaine Obser 1. they thinke and hope that either they will not come at all or if they doe it will be a long time after It shall be no more prolonged you conceit because the time is long that there is no such thing or that it will not be in your dayes but you are deceived such threats are groundlesse and hopes are vaine Jer. 5.12 They have belyed the Lord it is not he that speakes by these Prophets neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine and the Prophets shal become winde and the word is not in them they are deceived not we they looke for a black and sad day which will not come and we look for good dayes good things therefore the Prophet impersonating them saith Chap. 8.15 We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health and behold trouble they would not beleeve that ever an Adversary should have entred within the gates of Jerusalem Lamin 4.12 2. That what ever word the Lord speakes he will make it good I will speake and it shall come to passe what ever God hath spoken by the Prophets or Apostles yea what ever is spoken warrantably from the Word by any faithfull Minister of his he will accomplish the same he doth not possesse hit Servants with vaine Visions or flattering Divinations what ever he utters by them is Divine and infallible he is Jehovah a God of power and faithfulnesse sufficient every way to fulfill his promises and performe his threatnings Some take these words I am the Lord to be an Asseveration or an Oath and the fense to lye thus As sure as I am God Jehovah that have Being of my selfe and give being to all others so sure will I give Being to my promises and threatnings so that not onely Heaven and Earth must passe away before any tittle of any truth of the Lords shall fall to the ground but even God himselfe must cease to be before his Word shall be without effect Isa 44.24 I am the Lord that maketh all things That I am doth frustrate and confound Lyars Diviners Wizards and all Impostors as its Vers 25. that confirmeth the word of his Servant and performeth the Counsell of his Messengers Vers 26. What word soever Isaiah gave out the Lord confirmed and performed it He gave out the word touching Cyrus that he should be a Shepheard to Gods people that he should further the Jewes returne out of Babylon and building of the Temple and this was above two hundred yeares before his birth as Deodate saith in his Notes upon the place and about two hundred as our late Annotations have it But if we reckon by Scripture account you will finde it not so much for this Prophesie of Cyrus was delivered by Isaiah after Hezekiahs sicknesse Chap. 38. in which fifteene yeares were added to his dayes and from thence it was but an hundred twenty five yeares and fix moneths to Zedekiahs carrying into Captivity which was eleven yeares after the Captivity began for Chronologers doe reckon the beginning of the Captivity from the time of Jehoiachins carrying away and the Scripture countenances it Ezek. 1.2 So then reckon the Captivity from Jehoiachin seventy yeares and there are but an hundred and fourteen before and these make one hundred eighty four and this person prophesied of so long before did God in due time give to the World and stirre up to be helpefull to his people Ezra 1.1 2 3. and so made good to both what Isaiah sayd here and Jer. 29.10 Gods word must take place who ever gaines or looses by it Isa 55.12 The word that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne unto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it Zech. 1.6 My words and my Statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers God appointed them to doe so and they did accordingly Gods words overtooke them thinking to escape Daniel beares witnesse to this truth Chap. 9.12 He hath confirmed his words which he spake against us 5. The corrupt heads and hearts of men are subtile and prone to â—lâ—dâ— and put off those truths are presented unto them by the Servants of God the Lord sent his Prophets unto them early and late they being faithfull layd open the judgements of God â—â—ld them of their danger invited them to repentance mourned for the slight entertainment they found c. And what then they either mockt at them as it is in 2 Chron. 36.16 or charged them with falshoods and lyes Jer. 5.12 13. or resolved not to hearken to them Jer. 44.26 or put it off as not concerning them at all or if it did not for a long time for those were after them not the present Generation Ver. 27. of this Chapter The Vision is for many dayes and hee Prophesieth of the times are afarre of Thus were they witty and wicked against themselves to turne aside the stroak of Gods word which having been entertained might have done their soules good this was the practice in Christs and the Apostles times one thing or other still was pretended to wave the Doctrine of Christ as the meannesse of his person Matth. 13.55 56. John 7.27 his breaking of the Sabbath John 5.16.9.10.16 this man is not of God c. They sayd he blasphemed Matth. 9.3 that he deceived the people John 7.12 made himselfe a King and spake against Caesar John 19.12 they pretended his Doctrine to be new Acts 17.19 to be hard and severe John 6 60. to be against Moses Acts 6.11 that it was Hereticall Acts 24.14 that he spake too particularly to them Luke 11.45 that the Rulâ—rs and great ones received it not John 7.48 Have any of the Rulers c. That his Doctrine and the followers of it made great stirs where ever it came caused Sects and Schismes Acts
19.23.28.22 CHAP. XIII VERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. And the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man prophesie against the Prophets of Israel that prophesie and say thou unto them that prophesie out of their owne hearts hear yee the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God woe unto the foolish Prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing O Israel thy Prophets are like the foxes in the desarts Ye have not gone up into the gaps neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battell in the day of the LORD They have seen vanity and lying divination saying the Lord saith and the Lord hath not sent them and they have made others to hope that they would confirme the word Have ye not seen a vaine vision and have ye not spoken a lying divination whereas ye say The LORD saith it albeit I have not spoken THE former Chapter concern'd the King and the people this concernes onely the false Prophets and Prophetesses who taking upon them that Office were led by their owne spirits and deceiv'd the people with vaine visions and lying divinations to accomplish their owne ends against these doth the Lord set our Prophet Ezekiel on worke to prophesie severely In the Chapter you have two generall parts 1. A Prophesie against false Prophets in the first 16. Verses 2. A Prophesie against Women Prophets from the 17. Vers to the end In the first part you have the judgements and sins of the false prophets declared and laid downe 1. The judgements threatned against them which are in the 2. 3. 8. 9. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. 2. The sins causing those judgements threatned and they are expressed in the 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 16. Gods threatnings and their sins are promiscuously delivered by our Prophet and we shall handle them as they lye The 1. vers 2. 17. Doe shew the Author of this Prophesie and that was the Lord who bade Ezekiel Prophesie and set his face against them Our Prophet had Divine warrant for what he said and wisely prefixes it when he was to deale with false Prophets who had neither word nor warrant from God for what they said or did true Prophets have their Commission and Instruction from God In the 2. Verse you have 1. The appellation Son of man 2. A a command and that is two fold 1. Is to Ezekiel Prophesie 2. Is to the false Prophets Here ye the word c. 3. The kind of Prophesie and that is comminatory Prophesie against the Prophets of Israel 4. The sin that moves God to set the Prophet against them and that is They Prophesie out of their owne heart Against the Prophets of Israel Whether the Prophete in Babylon or in Zion you may demand for there were false Prophets in Babylon who were the Prophets of Israel because they Prophesied to the captive Jews Jer. 29.8.9 And there were false Prophets at Jerusalem Jer. 27.14 And they were the Prophets of Israel also We may understand this Prophesie of the false Prophets in both places That Prophesie out of their owne hearts Hebrew them that are Prophets out of their owne hearts Vulgar Prophetantibus de corde suo Cast Qui commenta sua vatici nantur To Prophecy out of theie ownr hearts is 1. To Prophecy upon their owne mâ—ere motion they are Prophets because themselves will be Prophets and they Prophesie because they will Prophesie they have no call to this Office but their wills they thrust themselves upon it 2. The things they Prophesie not their owne what their fancies lusts affections carnall reason suggest unto them those things they deliver their Prophesies came by the will of man 2 Pet. 1.21 For the Prophesie in old time came not by the will of man The true Prophets did not prophesie out of their owne hearts after their owne wills but they spake as they were moov'd by the holy spirit what that brought in they gave out Divine truths were presented to them and those they commended to the people but false Prophets had nothing of or from the spirit they had all out of their owne hearts yet pretended they were inspired and had the spirit 1. Kings 22.24 Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me unto thee Zedekiah and all the rest of the false Prophets thought they had the spirit of the Lord but it was the spirit of Satan a lying spirit they had vers 22. I will goe forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Quest If they speak out of their owne hearts why are they cald Prophets they are Prophets that speak from God and not themselves Answ The word Prophet is taken largely for any one that foretells things true or false and is common to good and bad the Scripture speaks according to the use of words Titus 1.12 One of themselves even a Prophet of their owne That was Epivunides a Poet for poets were commonly cald Prophets and so the Scripture gives the name to any foretelling things Baals Prophets 1 K. 18.19 And the Prophets of the graves in the 2 Pet. 2.1 There were false Prophets among the people Thus saith the Lord God Woe unto the foolish Prophets c. Here the Prophet proceeds in denouncing judgement and describing those false Prophets 1. The judgement denounced is in this word Woe French Malediction sur les fol Prophetes a little word but very comprehensive all evils are contained in it they promise all happinesse to the people but woe to themselves woe to their bodies woe to their soules woe to their names woe to them here woe to them hereafter the dreadfull judgements mentioned in the Revelations are called Woes Chap. 9.12 One woe is past and behold there come two more hereafter 2. The description of the Prophets they are foolish and this foolishnesse of theirs is evidenced two wayes 1. They follow their owne spirits 2. They have seen nothing Foolish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Vilis stultus caducus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies one Qui caret cerebro sapore Kirker so Montanus renders the word Prophetis caducis woe to the Prophets that faile in their prophesies and fall by them the Vulgar is Prophetia insipientibus Castal insanis These Prophets were subtile and crafty abounding with carnall and worldly prudence but in the things of God they were blind and foolish they cal'd light darknesse and darknesse light they were lifted up with their pretended Visions and Divinations they despised and insulted over the true Prophets they boasted themselves to be the men of Gods Counsell and laboured to be had in admiration of all they foresaw no danger but spake pleasing things to the people prophesying safety and good dayes and this was their foolishnesse There was no Divine wisedome or truth in them That follow their owne Spirit These words are answerable to those in the
treasure and pretious things those they would be sure to lay hands on Isa 56.11 They are greedy doggs which can never have enough and they are Shepheards that cannot understand they all looke to their owne way every one for his gaine from his quarter the words for Greedy in the Hâ—brew are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strong of soule appetite stomack they presently concoct digest whatever they take in Soules Ezek 22 25. Widows houses Matth. 23.14 It s knowne what great revenues the Popish Priests and Prophets have had in the Kingdomes under the Popish jurisdiction in King Johns days his Revenues were sixty thousand Marks and their 's seventy thousand Balaam was a false Prophet and he lov'd the wages of unrighteousnesse he would have cursed the people of God for reward if God himselfe had not withheld Numb 22. A Cardinall comming to Rome and seeing nothing but offering of moneys at the Election of a Pope sayd Ad hunc modum fiunt Pontifices Romani 4. Foxes are timerous creatures and when danger comes they runne to their holes When storms come they run to covert and shift for themselves so are false Prophets and Teachers 1 Kings 22.25 when trouble came Zedekiah fled into his holes he went from Chamber to Chamber to hide himselfe John 10.12 He that is an hireling and not the Shepheard whose owne the sheepe are not seeth the Wolfe comming leaveth the sheep and fleeth By Wolfe you may understand persecution danger when these approach and looke sternely upon the man hee fleeth nequitia semper est timida 5. The Fox runs up and downe from place to place doing mischiefe night and day Cantic 2.15 Take us the Foxes the lrttle Foxes that spoyle the Vines They ranne from Vineyard to Vineyard they spoyled the Grapes and Vines themselves so false Prophets and Teachers are like them in this they went up and downe in Israel they were at Samaria at Jerusalem Jer. 23.13 14. in Babylon Jer. 29.25 In Pauls dayes there were such who went up and downe from house to house and subverted whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake Tit. 1.11 and Christ tells us of such who compasse Sea and Land to make one Proselite are not Jesuits and Priests sent into most parts of the World to make Proselites and to spoyle the tender Vines and Grapes where they are 6. The Fox keeps his nature what ever you doe to him or doe with him you may chaine him up but you cannot change him it s questioned whether he can be tam'd if he get loose he is the same againe that ever he was so false Prophets In the Desarts Bacharaboth in the ruptures and breaches of the Hedges through which the Foxes and other beasts entred into the Vineyards some think there is nothing peculiar in these words its ordinary to say the beasts of the field the birds of Heaven and so the Foxes of the Desart but Desart notes places neglected without any fence in those places the Foxes abounded were most hungry and ravening It s a sad judgement to a people Obser 1. when the Prophets degenerate and become Foxes Foxes you know are a cumber a plague to the Countrey where they live and so are false Prophets where ever they come they caused the people to erre and destroyed the way of their paths Isa 9.12 They perverted and gainsayed what the true Prophets gave in they flattered the people and concealed their sins and judgements due to them Lamen 2.14 Thy Prophets have seene vaine and foolish things for thee and they have not discovered thine iniquities to turne away thy Captivity but have seene for thee false burdens and causes of banishment Jer. 50.6 Their Shepheaâ—ds have caused them to goe astray and sobrough destruction upon them Isa 9.16 The Leaders of this people that is Prophets and Priests cause them to erre and what then They that are led of them are destroyed Jer. 12.10 Many Pastors have destroyed my Vineyard they have trodden my portion under foot Foxes destroy Lambs poultry Vines but those destroy soules Bernard sets downe many qualities of false Prophets and Teachers In vita Malachiae they love to heare rule Fastum quaestum aestimant pietatem they thinke them selves happy if they may inlarge their borders they build stately Houses love full Tables exact of the poore looke strangely or bigg upon the inferiour sort and honour great ones they either teach not or teach for their bellies such Prophets are a burden if not destruction to those they are among and when the prophets are Foxes the Princes are Lyons and Judges Wolves Zeph. 3.3 4. 2. It s matter of greife and complaint to Heaven it selfe when the Prophets are subtile coveteous cruell O Israel thy Prophets are like unto Foxes God laid it to heart to see such Prophets amongst them as sought themselves and prey'd upon the people Isa 3.12 O my people they which lead thee or call thee blessed cause thee to erre and destroy the Way of thy paths Their leaders the Preists Prophets Princes did that which affected Heaven and provoked the Lord to cry out O my people Yee have not gone up into the Gapps c. Here the Lord proceeds in accusing these Prophets and this accusation respects 1. Their duty 2. The end of their duty 1. They are accus'd first not to doe their duty and that is set downe in two metaphoricall expressions 1. They went not up into the Gapps 2. They made not up the hedge 2. Not to have minded the end of their duty which was that the people might stand in battaile in the day of the Lord. Into the Gapps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In fracturas intercisiones Aun bresches in French Cast in ruinas It s judged by diverse of the Learned that this metaphor is taken from a Seidge where the Seidgers labour to make breaches in the Fortifications and walls of the place or City beseidged and it s their duty within who have the command and power to make up those breaches and stand for the defence of the people and place where they are but the Prophets did not this when judgement came in upon the people they stood not in the breaches to divert them had he spoken before of military men I should have rested in this sence of the word but having spoken of false Prophets and here by an Apostrophe turning to them we may consider a metaphoricall warre God was out with them against them Ezek. 5.8 He was the Enemy bringing judgements upon them the people the City Religion and their Laws the walls their sins the gapps which set in wrath upon them These Prophets did not oppose the sins of the people convince them of their idolatrie oppression security hypocrisie prophanenesse c. But eyther sin'd with them or winkt at their sins and so went not up into the Gapp to keepe out the severe judgements of God from crouding in upon them they should
have cald the people to repentance declared the judgements of God to have been at hand interceded mightily with the Lord for them and if possible have prevented judgement but these things they did not Ezek. 34.4 The diseased have yee not strengthened neither have you healed that which was sick neither have you bound up that which was broken nor brought againe that which was driven away nor sought up that which was lost When the people made a Calfe and worshipped it there was a great gap made in the Law in the true worship of God and now wrath was comming out and God would have destroyed them had not Moses stood in the breach to turne away his wrath Psal 106.23 Gaps therefore are the breaches which sins make Nor made up the hedges Hebrew is Non sepivistis sepem yee have not hedged a hedge Vulgar Non apposuistis murum yee have not set up a wall against all incursions This is a metaphor taken from Gardens Orchards Vineyards and Inclosures which having hedges made about them are secure from Swine and beasts breaking into them these Prophets in stead of making hedges for their defence they made gaps for their enemy The hedge about a Church and State is Divine protection sound Doctrine pure worship holinesse of life and execution of Justice and when there is a violation of either of these the hedge is broken downe and the way to make up the hedge againe is by fasting prayer and hearty repentance these Prophets minded neither sound Doctrine pure worship holinesse of life nor cald upon authority for execution of Justice there was a generall violation of all things in the Church and State and they layd it not to heart they neither fasted prayed nor repented but increased the violations trod downe the hedge more and made the gaps wider Ezek. 22.30 I sought for a man among them that should makâ— up the hedge and stand in the gappe before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none To stand in the Battaile in the day of the Lord. Their care should have been for the peoples good that when the day of the Lords fury and judgements came he should war against his people they might have been able to stand By Battaile understand not onely the Seidge they endured by the Babylonians but all â—fflictions and miseries which befell them and had the Prophets been faithfull to them the day of the Lords wrath would have been their day of repentance and so they might have stood and not fallen Obser 1. That peoples sins make way for judgements to come in upon them they break downe the wall and the hedge they make gaps and breaches they unfortifie a City unhedge the Vineyard and unarme a State Exod. 32.25 When the people had sinned Moses saw that they were naked a City now without walls an Army without Armes they lay open to the winds and stormes of Divine wrath 2 Chron. 28.19 Ahaz made Judah naked and how he transgressed sore against the Lâ—rd by his sinfull courses he brake downe the hedges and walls of protection and so made them a naked people Gods people have their hedges and fences about them Job 1.10 Hast thou not made an hedge about him and his house Isa 5.2 His Vineyard was fenced and walled Vers 5. and if they were carefull to fly sin their hedges would be without gaps their walls without holes but when they sin they make gaps and holes and the greater their sinnes the greater breaches still are made in them When David fin'd in numbring the people 2 Sam. 24. what a wide gap made he for the pestilence to come in and destroy seventy thousand When Vzzah made a breach in Gods Law by his sinne he made a gap for Judgement to come in upon himselfe Sin is a breach Isa 30.13 and ever makes way for judgments to enter Psal 89.31 32. If they breake my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes When they breake Gods Laws he will break them with his rods Mich. 7.13 The Land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein for the fruit of their doings by their sinfull actions they breake the bounds and by my just judgements I will make them desolate Hos 12.1 Ephraim dayly increaseth lyes and desolation How desolation By his lyes his lying pretences and practices he makes breaches for desolation to come in Isa 42.24 Who gave Jacob for a spoyle and Israel to the Robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned For they would not walke in his wayes neither were they obedient to his Lawes 2. It s the duty of the Prophets and servants of the Lord when gapps and breaches are made to goe up into them and make them up they are to stand between the people and Gods judgements when the people had find greatly and made way for soar judgements to come in upon them Exod. 32. Moses ascends into the gapp and makes up the breach he sets upon God by prayer and uses strong arguments to dâ—vert his wrath he besought the Lord his God and said Lord Why doth thy wrath waxe hot against thy people which thou hast brought forth out of the Land of Aegypt with great power and with a mighty hand wherefore should the Aegyptians speake and say for mischeife did he bring them out to slay them in the Mountaines and to consume them from the face of the Earth Turne from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evill against thy people Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy servants to whom thou swearest by thine owne selfe and said'st unto them I will multiply your seed as the starrs of Heaven and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed and they shall inherit it for ever And the Lord repented of the evill which he thought to doe unto his people Here was a true Prophet that stood in the breach and turned away wrath It was the practice of the good Preists and Prophets to doe so Numb 16. When the people murmured made a breach for the plague to come in upon them Aaron tooke his Censer fire from the Altar put in Incense hasted into the Congregation and made an attonement for the people and stood betweene the dead and the living and stayed the plague see Deut. 9.24.25.26 When Ezekiel saw the Slaughter-men sent out to slay young and old without pitty he steps into the gapp and saith Ah Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel Ezek. 9.8 in thy powring out thy fury upon Jerusalem Jeremiah was so frequent in the gap deprecating judgements interceding for mercy that the Lord forbids him to pray for that people Chap. 14 11. Chap. 7.16 Pray not thou for this people neyther lift up cry nor prayer for them neyther make intercession to me He usd to pray to cry to intercede 1 Sam.
7.9 10. and keepe off wrath from them Samuel when Israel had find and the Philistines were comming upon them he gets up into the gap offers Sacrifice and cryes to the Lord and he heard him discomfits the Philistines and delivers the Israelites This is that God lookes for when people have find that some man of God or other should thrust into the breach and prevent wrath Ezek. 22.29.30 The people of the Land have used oppression exercised Robbery vexed the poor and needy yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Here was the hedge broken downe and breadth enough for judgements to come in upon them and what then I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gapp before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none These false Prophets trod downe the hedge more and more made the gapps wider increased and hastned the judgements of God upon them 3. The Lord hath dayes of Battaile with his people appointed what tymes he comes forth to punish them with his judgements those are his dayes of Battaile God hath decreed times to deale with the sons of men for their iniquities and if they persist in sinning the Lord will take his dayes of warring against them You read in 2 Sam. 11.1 That Kings had a time to goe forth to battell it was at the returne of the yeare when it was spring or summer then they went out to war against their Enemies not in the winter but all times are alike to God to goe out to war with his enemies he can bring judgements upon sinners in winter spring summer yea he hath his peculiar times and days appointed to meet with wicked ones this day of the Lord in Scripture is call'd a day of darkenesse Joel 2.2 A day of evill Jer. 17.17 A day of Calamity Jeâ— 46.21 A day of Indignation Ezek 22.24 A day of Visitation Isa 10.3 A day of fierce anger Lament 1 12. A day of ruine Ezek. 27.27 A day of great slaughter Isa 30.25 A day of griefe and desparate sorrow Isa 17.11 A day of vengeance Isa 61.2 A day of Battell Zech. 14.2 What time soever God enters into a controversie with the sons of men walks contrary to them avenges the quarrell of his Covenant executes any judgments upon them it is the day of the Lord hence the day of judgement is call'd the day of Christ Phil. 1.10 2 Thes 2.2 Because then he shall execute wrath upon sinners 4. Those the Lord finds in their sins in the day of Battel they cannot stand before him they fall by the strength of his judgements When Vzzah sinned God made a breach upon him in the day of Battell and smote him dead 2 Sam. 6.6.7 When he smote Aegypt he made it desolate the fullnesse of it could not stand before him Ezek. 32.15 Israel is no more to God then a reed shaken in the waters 1 K. 14.15 one stroak of his will cut it downe Ephraim is no more then a tree to the axe If God smite the root dries up and no more fruit growes thereon Hosa 9.16 If God smite habitations be they never so costly stately great of what materialls soever they quickly fall Amos 3.15 When God reckons with Kings and Quâ—enes they cannot stand in judgement Jehoram God smites with sicknesse till his bowels fall out 2 Chron. 21.18 19. Vzziah sins and is smitten with leprosie Jezebel and Athaliah cut off by just judgement of his 2 Kings 9. and 11. Chap. he cuts off the spirits of Princes and is terrible to the Kings of the Earth Psal 76.12 Great Armies cannot stand in the day of the Lords anger 2 Chron. 13. Jeroboam had an Army of eight hundred thousand and Vers 15. God smote him and all Israel so that there fell downe slaine of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men Vers 17. David askes the question Psal 147.17 Who can stand before his cold If God can intend the cold so that men cannot endure it he can intend the heat also so that there is no abiding of it his wrath is hot fierce a consuming fire Ez 9.15 this made Ezra cry out Behold we are before thee in our trespasses but we cannot stand before thee because of this Chi is rendred here for but under correction it may be rendred but as in Gen. 45.8 It was not you sent me hither Chi haelohim but God When the Lord had smote fifty thousand and seventy men of Bethshemesh for their irreverent medling with the Arke what sayd the rest Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God No man in his sinne can doe it Nahum 1.5 6. The Mountaines quake at him the Hills melt the earth is burnt at his presence yea the World and all that dwell therein Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger His fury is powred out like fire and the rocks are throwne downe by him Let sinners be never so great stout when God comes in battaile he will overcome and therefore saith Ezek. 22.14 Can thine heart indure or can thine hands be strong in the dayes that I shall deale with thee Jerusalem thought so but she found it otherwise 5. The Prophets failing in their duty is one great cause of the peoples falling in the day of the Lords Battailes they went not up into the gaps they made not up the hedge for the house of Israel that they might stand c. therefore they fell the Prophets here are implyed to be builders and husbandmen builders to make a wall about the people who are the City of God husbandmen to make hedges and fences about them being the Garden Orchard and Vineyard of God Now when they neglect to do these they expose them to spoyle and ruine and provoke God to destroy all Samuel knew this and therefore 1 Sam. 12.23 God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Had he fayl'd in his duty sin would have increased wrath broken out and all have been overthrowne you have an observable place in Jer. 23.22 Had the Prophets stood in my counsell and had caused my people to heare my words then they should have turned them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings which had it been done they had prevented the Battaile and the peoples falling therein They have seen vanity and lying divinations saying c. Here is a further manifestation of the Iniquity of these Prophets 1. You have the nature of their visions discovered they were vanity and lyes 2. Their lying pretence for what they saw and said the Lord saith and the Lord hath not sent them 3. The fruit and effect of their Prophesie they made the pople to hope that they would confirme what they said they gave it out that God had revealed it unto them that they should not goe into captivity that those in Babylon should returne to Jerusalem
thee from off the face of the Earth this yeare thou shalt dye because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord So Hananiah the Prophet dyed the same yeare God was against Ahab and spake against him 2 Chron. 18.22 and the next tydings you heare of him is his death by the hand of the Lord Vers 33.34 So Levit. 20.3 I will set my face against that man and will cut him off If Gods face be against a man he will put forth his hand to destroy that man from before his face and Chap. 26.17 I will set my face against you and yee shall be slaine before their enemies Ananias and Saphira had God against them for their wilfull lying and presently his hand was upon them Acts 5. Gods judgements are cal'd his hand 1 Pet. 5 6. his mighty hand and if that fall upon any it will break them to pieces 3. The fruits of Gods displeasure are very grievous First they are shut out from the assemblies of Gods people they shall have no communion with the Saints those are deare to God All Davids delight was in them Psal 16.3 and when he was a little put by comming at the Assemblies of Gods people how did it trouble and afflict him Psal 42.1 2 3 4. As the Hart panteth after the water braâ—kes so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God My teares have been my meat day and night while they continually say unto me Where is thy God When I remember these things I pâ—wre out my soule in me for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God So in the 84. Psalme how did he long for communion with God and his people in the Sanctuary his soule longed and fainted for the Courts of the Lord his heart and flesh cryed out for the living God Vers 2. he counted a day in the Lords Courts better then a thousand he had rather be a doore keeper there then a favorite in Sauls house David knew there was much good to be had in the assemblies of Gods people and therefore he prized them so and was impatient of absence from them In the assemblies men have communion with God there his glory is seen Psal 29.9 In his Temple doth every one speake of his glory Psal 68.24 They have seene thy goings O God in the Sanctuary There his wisedome his power his mercy his truth his glory are evidenced the treasures of his grace opened and dispensed spirituall life begotten and maintained drooping soules are comforted raysed ravished there we admire adore magnifie and glorifie God there we heare of our duty towards God and man there we have fellowship with the Saints interest in their affections gifts graces counsels comforts admonitions exhortations and prayers in the Assemblies of Gods people you have the presence of God of Christ the spirit and the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 and what a soar judgement is it to be shut out from these assemblies blesse God for your liberties be thankfull for all the good you have in the Assemblies and walke so that you may honour truth and the God of Assemblies 4. Many that in their owne and the Worlds esteeme goe for true Prophets Saints will be in Gods time discovered to be Lyars Hypocrites false themselves thinke and others also that they are written in the writing of the house of Israel in the Book of life but their names were never there The Jewes sayd they were Abrahams seed God their Father but they were found false they were of their Father the Devill VERS 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Because even because they have seduced my people saying Peace and there was no peace and one built up a wall and loe others dawbed it with untempered morter Say unto them that dawb it with untempered morter that it shall fall there shall be an overflowing showre and yee O great Hail-stones shall fall and a stormy wind shall rent it Loe when the wall is falne shall it not be sayd unto you Where is the daubing wherewith yee have daubed it Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will even rent it with a stormy wind in my fury and there shall be an overflowing showre in mine anger and great Hailestones in my fury to consume it So will I breake downe the wall that yee have daubed with untempered morter and bring it downe to the ground so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered and it shall fall and yee shall be consumed in the midst thereof and yee shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the Wall and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter and will say unto you The Wall is no more nor they that daubed it To wit the Prophets of Israel which prophesie concerning Jerusalem and which see visions of peace for her and there is no peace saith the Lord God THE words before you present to us two things 1. The sinne of the false Prophets Viz. Seduction They have seduced my people and the manner how by saying peace by building and daubing a Wall with untempered morter Vers 10. 2. Gods proceedings with them and their Wall he will send a storme overthrow their Wall shame and confound them in the following Verses Because even because Hebrew is For that even for that the words are doubled and so emphaticall the like you have in Levit. 26.43 Because even because they despised my judgements Seduced Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hiphil errare fecerunt have caused to erre Vulgar is deceperint have deceived French Qu' ils out deceu mon peuple but causing to erre sets out the sense of the word more fully 2 Chron. 33.9 Manasseh made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre the false Prophets seduced him and he seduced them seduction is when men are led aside from the right way and upon false suggestions are carryed into a wrong way beleeve lyes and practice answerably Amos 2.4 Their lyes caused them to erre after the which their Fathers have walked Saying Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Integer perfectus because it preserves things Psal 37.11 The meeke shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace places persons intire whereas Warre wasts and consumes all Peace among the Hebrewes notes freedome from Warre tumults a quiet condition of life and all kind of outward happinesse therefore the Jewes when they wish happinesse to a man they wish him peace These Prophets told them in Babylon that they should have liberty and quick returne and their hearts desire in the Land of Judea they told those there that they should not need to feare Nebuchadnezzar or any forces of his they should live in safety be fat and flourishing wanting nothing One built up a Wall The word for one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iste or ipse Junius hic
they used to seduce and secure this people what ever they promised of helpe from Aegypt whatever they prophecyed of the Chladaeans not comming what ever they said of the peoples safety of Gods mercy and favour and good will towards them what ever they pretended of beeing sent from God of speaking his words of having his spirit c. God would discover all their imposturings and lay them open to the World so that nothing shall be left them but disgrace Some make the Temple and City to be the Foundation because they had the holy City and holy place where God had recorded his Name therefore they cryed peace peace flattered the people into a good condition and surrounded them with a wall of security therefore God would destroy both and discover their Foundation They shall be consum'd in the midst thereof You promise great matters to others that they shall within few yeares returne from Babylon come and dwell safely in Jerusalem but there is no safety in Jerusalem for your selves you shall be consumed in it that are so confident of the safety of it when a wall falls and foundations are discovered likely some doe suffer by it and so should these false Prophets here Quest In Jer. 4.10 You have these words uttered by the Prophet Ah Lord God surely thou hast greatly deceiv'd this people and Jerusalem saying Yee shall have peace whereas the Sword reacheth unto the soule If God promised them peace and deceived them doth he not herein resemble the false Prophets and so lessen their sin Answ 1. God did not promise them peace but threatned severe judgements against them by â—aiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel as you may see Isa 29.3.4.5.6 Jer. 9.9.10.11 Ezek. 5.8.9.10 2. Some make the Prophets here to speake in the name of the people and to personate them they thought the peace which was promised them by the false Prophets was from God and therefore finding the contrary doe charge God as wicked men in their distresses are wont to doe 3 The words may be taken by way of Interrogation thus Hast thou in deceiving deceiv'd this people hast thou promised them peace and brought the Sword upon them Is this thy manner of proceeding with thy people surely it cannot be thou art faithfull and canst not deny thy selfe 2 Tim. 2 13. Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should lye neyther the son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not doe it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good 4. If God promised them peace it was af er their returne from captivity not at the present and so Jer. 3.17.18 You shall finde it At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem neyther shall they walke any more after the imagination of their evill heart In those dayes the house of Judah shall walke with the house of Israel and they shall come together out of the land of the North c. 5. The Prophet might thus speake and say God had deceiv'd them because he suffered the false Prophets to propound their dreames lyes divinations visions and things of their owne hearts and spirits unto the people whereby they were greatly deceiv'd a man that suffers a thing to be done in ordinary speech is said to be the Author of it if a Physitian will not give Physick to cure a sick man if he dye of his sicknes it s Vulgarly said he is the cause of his death If the owner will not preserve a ruinous house from falling when it s fallen he is said to be the Author of its fall so here God is said to deceive them because he hindered not those false Prophets from deceiving them God saw how averse they were to truth how they slighted and mocked his Prophets 2 Chron. 36.16 And despised his words therefore in just judgement he gave them up to beleeve lyes falsehoods and deceivable things Obser 1. That false Prophets teachers seduce the people feeding them with vain hops They cryed peace peace al things shal be prosperous comfortable we shall have no warrs in our gates no Famine or plague in our Cities they gave out laeta vaticinia and so beguild the unstable and credulous people and sweld them with vast hopes They hop'd to see their brethren returne from Babylon to buy and sell to marry and build to grow great and see many good dayes the false Prophets fill'd Ahab with great hopes of victory at Ramoth Gilead goe up and prosper said they for the Lord shall deliver it into the Kings hand 1 Kings 22.12 These Prophets begat and maintained hopes in the hearts of the people they made them trust in the Temple and corrupt worship was in it therefore Jer. 7.4 Jeremiah sent to command them not to trust in lying words Saying the Temple of the Lord c. What ever wickednesse they committed yet if they appeared in the Temple and stood before the Lord they said they were delivered no threatnings of Jeremiah or others should take hold of them They made them trust in their strong holds and looke to the hills and mountains about them therefore Jer. 3.23 He tells them that in vaine they hoped for Salvation from the hills and from the multitude of Mountaines They thought because Jerusalem was so well fortifyed with high hills and great Mountaines that it could not be taken Jer. 21.13 Who shall come downe against us Or who shall enter into our habitations So Jer. 29.31 Shemaiah caused them to trust in a lye Chap. 49.4 Jerusalem said who shall come unto me Hananiah a false Prophet told the people that within the space of two full yeares Nebuchadnezzars yoake should be broken from off the neck of all Nations Jer. 28.11 vers 15. Jeremiah saith He made the people trust in a lye 2. It s a cleare argument of a blind and false teacher to speak things answerable to the humors and corruptions of men this people could not indure Jeremiah prophesying truth threatning judgement against them for their sins see Jer. 38 2.3.4 5. They desir'd to heare of pleasing things it was good tidings to them to heare that Nebuchadnezzar should not come against them nor make them tributary unto him therefore the Prophets prophesied it Jer. 27.14 They told them they should not serve the King of Babylon it was pleasing to them to heare of bringing back againe the Vessells of the Temple and Vers 16. These Prophets prophesied saying Behold the Vessells of the Lords house shall now shortly be brought againe from Babylon wherein could they have humored these people more you have a notable place in the 23. of Jer. 16.17 The Prophets that prophesie unto you make you vaine they speake a vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord Now that comes not from Gods holy mouth but mans carnall heart will
of it the like doe these the Prophets they seduce soules that is Men and Women with a false hope of peace and good dayes and so the evill day comes upon them unthought of and they are made a prey Will you hunt the soules of my people By this Interrogation the Lord manifests his displeasure they thought it was free for them to deceive the people with their Pillowes and Kercheifes with their flattering words false promises and to make gaine of them but the Lord would not let things passe so will you hunt their soules spoyle and prey upon them you shall be hunted your selves and taken in your lying Prophefies Will you save the soules alive of them that come unto you The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animat vobis vivificebitis will you make alive soules unto you these words may referre either to the false Prophetesses or to others if to the false Prophetesses the sense is this will you delude my people with vain hopes with promises of life and happy days that you may get from them meat and drink that so you may quicken and keep alive your owne soules what will you destroy your soules with your errours to feed your owne with bread and so Piscator reads the words Doe you hunt the soules of my people Vt animat vobis vivas conservetis if to others the sense is thus you hunt the soules of the people you insnare them with your lyes divinations and fained visions and will yee save them alive that come to you and beleeve what you say No while you perswade them they shall live you take away their life from them the very taking of them with your falshoods is their death you serve them as hunters their game when it s taken they kill it And will yee pollute me among my people c. This Verse containes severall sins also of these wicked Prophetesses 1. Their pollution of Gods Name 2. Their covetousnesse Handfuls of Barley and pieces c. 3. Their cruelty Slaying of Soules 4. Their partiality they slew those should have lived and spared those should have dyed Then the manner how all these were done By their lyes Will yee pollute me c. They pretended they were sent and authorised of God to prophesie that they had the spirit of God and were true Prophetesses that what ever they delivered should come to passe they crossed the true Prophets they strengthened the people in their finfull practises they made Prophesie contemptible and so prophaned the Name of the Lord caused many to fall to Atheisme and Apostasie This God would not beare at their hands therefore saith Will yee For handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread This is a kind of proverbiall speech setting out the meannesse of that worke which is so cheape Prophesie with them was at a vile and low price if any brought never so meane a reward as a little Barley in his hand or a crust of bread with him to these deluding Prophetesses presently they had a pleasing answer had these Women set their lying Prophesies at the highest rate it had not been warrantable to have prophaned Gods glorious Name for great rewards but for such petty gaine to expose his Name to scorne was extreamly wicked Cato upbraided Marcus Coelius as Gellius hath it Quod frusto panis conduci possit ut taceat vel loquatur To stay the soules that should not dye c. By soules you must understand Persons for soules are not to be slaine Matth. 10.28 They prophesied against the godly that they should dye and so deprived them of their peace comfort and apprehensions they had of Gods favour filled them with fears griefes and sad th ughts if they harkened to Jeremiah and submitted to Nebuchadnezâ—ar Or thus they stirred up the people against them were godly and would not adhere to them beleeving their Prophesies and provoke the Magistrates to restraine them yea to cut them off and so slew them before their time they should have lived longer by the course of nature had not these blood thirsty Prophetesses hastened their death To save the soules alive should not live They promised life peace happinesse to those they should have threatned Warre misery death Zedekiah and many with him had broken the bath made with Nebuchadnezzar to be tributaries to him and so deserved death upon that ground others oppressed filled the Land with bloody-crimes were notoriously Idolatrous and not worthy to live yet these were justified pleaded for and protected against the power of any would have had Justice executed It s not against the judgement of some learned ones to understand death and life here of eternall death and life these Women teachers threatned the righteous with eternall death shut Heaven upon them and opened Hell wide enough upon them and what lay in them slew their soules and for the others they promised Heaven and all joyes of it to them and so saved them alive they should not That its an old practice of Satan to trouble the Church as with false Prophets Obser 1. so with false Prophetesses God raysed up Women Prophets to honour that Sex and to helpe his people and the Devill rayses up Women to spread lyes to deceive and damnifie the people and to gaine by that Sex the more to his Kingdome Satan imitates God if he will have hee or shee Prophets the like will he have In the Church of Thyatyra was a Jezabel which called her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce the servants of Christ to commit fornication and to eate things sacrificed to Idols Revel 2.20 Jezabel disturbed Israel opposed and sought the death of the true Prophets maintained Idolatry so did this other Jezabel c. Nehem. 6.14 There is mention of one Noadiah a Prophetesse shee with other false Prophets prophesied against the building of the Temple incouraged Sanballat Tobias and others to hinder it laboured to possesse Nehemiah and the builders with feare Such there have been in former dayes and such will be Women that take upon them to teach and deceive unwary people such were Prisca and Maximilla the companions of Montanus the Heretick such are the Jesuitesses 2. It s the Character of false Teachers of what kinde soever Women or Men to flatter sooth insinuate and speak pleasing things the false Prophets cryed peace c. these false Prophetesses sow pillowes to all armeholes c. yea their scope is to please all sorts they observe the humours of men and so apply themselves to please answerably Isa 30.10 this was the disposition of the people Prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophesie deceit 2 Tim. 4.3 People would have Teachers after their owne lusts 3. False Prophesies flattering and erroneous Doctrines are the Snares and Nets with which false Teachers doe hunt soules Prov. 6.26 An Adultresse hunts for the precious life and these for the precious soules Ephes 4.14 They lye in wait to deceive Revel 20.8 It s the Devils
Doctrine they fill the godly with feares scruples griefe and discouragement What sadding Doctrines are among the Papists from their false Teachers as that of Auricular Confession all sins must be confessed to a Priest justification by workes Satisfaction Purgatory Transubstantiation that of the death of Infants before Baptisme falling away from grace keeping of the Law Traditions c. These with others are Doctrines which wound the hearts of the godly and much perplex them and are there not as sadding and heart perplexing Doctrines among us Viz. Denyall of the Sacred Trinity Christs Divine nature authority of the holy Scripture that God is the author creator and inventor of all sin that it it the same spirit is in the godly and the wicked that there is no Election but an universall Redemption that God sees no sin in his that the Law is of no use to Beleevers that Christ himselfe may sin as well as a Child of God that all dayes are alike the Lords day having no preheminence that Women may Preach that there is no power or rule in the Church but all in the Civill Magistrate as these opinions sadden the hearts of the godly so they strengthen the hands of those are wicked they goe on in their wayes and never thinke of returning to the Lord False Teachers which speak pleasing things undoe the soules of sinners they promise life when they should threaten death open to them their danger shew them the evill of their wayes and use the strongest arguments they can to awaken and reduce them Jer. 23.22 Had they caused my people to heare my words then they should have turned them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings 5. God hath his times to deliver his people from the flattery tyranny and policie of false Teachers I will deliver them out of their hand there was a day when the people were delivered from the tyranny and flattery of Ahabs false Prophets 1 Kings 18. Rev. 19.20 the Beast with the false Prophet c. were throwne into the Luke A Table containing the principall things in the precedent Expositions A ACcompt The faithfull may boldly give up their accompt 275. 276 Action Grace will breake out into action 456. actions more observable then words 477 Affliction it makes men minde God 16 before affliction men slight under it regard the Word of God 25. 137. 138 by them the Lord sanctifies 378. are the acts of God 383. no arguments of divine hatred 384. have their period 395 of themselves do not saÌ„ctifie 466 Angels have a care of communities 207 are at Gods command 208. 212. 325 in what sense called men 209. the bodies they assume not substantiall ibid Angels against us when God against us 211. they have their Commission from Christ 217. ready to doe the will of God 282. have power over the wheeles 285. God uses their ministery 286. desirous to know the things of God 291. applaud the judgements of God 294. have no hands 297. liken'd to fire ibid. watch to serve Châ—ist 298. honour Christ exceedingly ibid. furnished with ability for employments 300. do not things rashly ibid. Anger in God the degrees of it 196. described ibid. God hath times of being surious ibid. when that time is 197. Gods fury dreadfull 199. it hastens judgements 206. a generall destruction in the day of Gods wrath 250. God not alwayes angry 395. hath an admiring indignation at his peoples sins 496 Assemblies the sense of the word 531. two kinds of assemblies amongst the Jewes 532. much good in the assemblies of Saints 538 Astrologie judiciall astrologie unlawfull 499 Atheisme the cause of mans going from God 167. set out more fully 266 B Banishment or Captivitie is a civill death 11 12 Bloud bloudy crimes what 104. land full of bloud 264. what it notes ibid. Brethren a word of divers acceptions in Scripture 366 Burden what meant by it 482. burden of sin brings burden of judgement 485 Burials of Princes and Prophets with costly things 7 C Captivity Israels captivity 389. Jeconias captives and Zedekiahs whither of them returned 390 Casuall motions heere below not casuall 310 Chaine notes foure things 102 103. what sins bring chaines 105 Chaldeans liken'd to Fishermen and why 483 484. worst of heathen 107 Cherubims what 278. 467. why differenced by the Prophet 279. Coales of fire between the Cherubims what 284. attend upon Christ 290. why God said to dwell betweene the Cherubims 292. the sound of their wings what it imports 294. by the fire they tooke what meant 297. their hands and wings what they import 300. their motions uniforme 307. the severall resemblances of their faces 315 316. a doubt cleered 317. Cherubims subservient to God 325 Children how it can stand with Gods justice to destroy little ones 245 Christ the Angel of the Covenant 214 the three Offices of Christ ibid. Christ variously represented 215. commander in chief 217. mediates for his people ibid hath care of them 217 218. Christ the marker of Saints 234. hath power to save and to destroy ibid. Christ a faithfull executioner of Gods will 275. secures those his Father affects 276 Church shall never faile 12. Churches have their periods 33. God manifests his presence in the Church by some notable signe 223 it never totally failed 231. Churches and States degenerating goe on to a height of wickednesse 271. no visible Church but may fall 323. those have the name of a Church rigid against the true Church 369 there may be no true church where Church-ship is pretended 375. the notes some make of it ibid. the truth of Churchship whence fetcht 376. tares will be in the Church 465 Circumstances of things to be observed 363 Cities what ruines them 8. City full of perversnesse what 260. City a Cauldron and how 334 335. None can destroy it unlesse God give command 287 Cloud God often appeared in a cloud 290 Comforts God can make comforts terrors 286. God speakes comfortably when men speake bitterly 382. when they are comfortlesse 392. Comforts leave when God leaves 470. God can mixe sorrowes with comforts 490 Command commands of God to be readily obeyed 254. 480. supernaturall things commanded are not in vaine 346 Conscience cannot be compelled 423 424 Conversation of the wicked vexation to the godly 237 238. men of heavenly conversations are fittest to know Christ 148. Councells truth is not tyed to them 124 Counsell in counsell from great ones doth great mischief 339. dreadfull judgements upon evill Councellours 360. shewed in foure things ibid. Covetousnesse its greedy of gaine though a curse be in it 59. folly of it 80 Countries The Lord the disposer of them 394 395 Creatures helpe little 78 79. glory pompe ceaseth 110 Creatures all at Gods command 313 314. his spirit in all 321. not to eye second causes 320 Crying in man and in God how meant 202 203. reasons of Gods crying 202 203 Custome Gods people prone to take up heathenish customes 354.