Judah and his Companions and on another stick For Joseph Ephraim or the house of Israel and his companions not one of them were out of Gods thoughts Their forefathers had been 400 years in Egypt were tyrannized over by cruel Task-masters lookt upon as contemptible but the Lord had an eye to them cared and wrought for them They have now layen 1600 years in darkness in a desolate and despised condition yet doubtless they are not forgotten Gods thoughts are upon them to do them good again Fourthly Observe Typical and obscure things will excite men to inquire after the sense of them This is intimated in the 18. ver When the children of thy people shall speak unto thee saying Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these God knew they would inquire Common things are neglected but things strange and mysterious are dived into sought after When Ezekiel was to dig through the wall cover his face and remove his stuff then the people were stirr'd and said What doest thou Chap. 12.9 Those typical actions bred inquisitiveness in their spirits When the Lord Christ spake Parables they sought to him to know the sense and meaning of them Fifthly Observe God is pleased to direct his Prophets and Servants what to say unto the People when they come to question with them about things If this people come to Ezekiel to know what he meant by the two Sticks his writing upon them and holding them in his hand the Lord tells him what he shall say unto them say Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim c. When God sent Moses unto the people he was timorous lest he should not know what to say to the people how to answer their questions but see how God directs and instructs him Exod. 3.13 14. Moses said unto God when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say unto me What is his name what shall I say unto them I know not how to answer that question See what now follows And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM And he said Thus shalt thou say I AM hath sent me unto you Thus God taught him what answer to give the people So Ezek. 14. when the Elders came to inquire somewhat of Ezekiel God told him what answer to give them It was given in of God by his Spirit to the Apostles what answer to give Governors and Rulers when they â—ere brought before them Mat. 10.19 Vers 20 21 21. 20. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes 21. And say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen whither they be gone and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own Land 22. And I will make them one Nation in the land upon the Mountains of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all THe Explication of the Typical Sticks is laid down in these and the subsequent verses Vers 20. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes The Prophet was not to do this privately but to write upon the sticks and to hold them in his hand so that all might see them and hereby be provoked to inquire what the mystery of them was and so become partakers of the consolation intended thereby Vers 21. Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen whither they be gone 〈◊〉 this verse is promised the reduction of the twelve Tribes comprehended under these words the children of Israel out of all Countries where they were scattered into their own Land Not only Judah and Benjamin should be gathered up and brought into Canaan again but the rest of the Tribes also This is a great and gratious Promise And will gather them on every side The ten Tribes being carryed away by Shalmanezer were placed in Haloth and Habor by the river Gozan and in the cities of the Medes 2 King 17.6 they were seated in the utmost parts of his Dominions North and East and the other Jews whom Nebuchadnezzer led away captive were scattered up and down his manifold Provinces as appears Esth 3.8 Now God would look on every side and gather them up out of all Quarters Vers 22. And I will make them one Nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel Being brought into their Land here God adds three great Promises more The first is uniting of them into one Nation who had some hundreds of years been divided and at bitter enmity one against another And one King shall be King to them all After the division made by Jeroboam you read of several Kings they had Kings of Judah and Kings of Israel There were two Kingdoms and divers Kings of them both but the Kingdoms being united into one the Lord promiseth them not a succession of Kings over them but one King to Rule over them both They should be one Kingdom and have one King This is the second great Promise And they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all This is the third Promise and it 's a great one also viz. they shall continue a Kingdom one Kingdom and never be torn or rent in pieces any more There shall be no Rehoboam's or Jeroboam's to cause divisions in it It will add some light to the words under consideration if we make inquiry Whether the Type of the two Sticks be fulfilled by the incorporating of the two Nations into one and making of them one Kingdom It 's affirmed by some that this Hieroglyphical Prophesie was fulfill'd at the Return of the two Tribes out of Babylon For then Cyrus King of Persia made a Proclamation throughout all his Kingdom to this purpose Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia All the Kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem which is in Judea Who is there among you of all his people the Lord his God be with him and â—â—t him go up 2 Chron. 36.22 23. The Proclamation excepts no persons no Tribes but gives full liberty unto all The ten Tribes having been now 204. years or there abouts in Captivity it 's likely were weary of their condition and so willing to return into their own Countrey and so they took the opportunity before them For it 's evident that some of the ten Tribes did â—eturn to Jerusalem Of the Levites there were 74. Ezra 2.40 Nehem. 7.43 and of the Priests who were of that Tribe as appear 1 Chron. 24.1 2 7. Exod. 6.16 18 20. Nehem 7.39 there were 973. Paul was of the Tâ—â—â—e of Benjamin
Antichrist Some make David to be the Prophet prophesying of Gog Ps 9.5 Thou hast destroyed the wicked one that is thou shalt destroy Gog that or the wicked one call'd by some Antichrist whom Gog was a type of To this accords that in Isa 11.4 With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Gog in the Type and Antichrist in the Antitype 2 Thess 2.8 Beside this place in Isa some fix upon Isa 17.12 13 14. and make that a Prophesie of Gog. Some took Ps 68.14 When the Almighty Scattered Kings i. e. Gog and Magog Rivet in Lat. in locum Jerem. 1 14. Out of the North an evil shall break forth upon all the Inhabitants of the Land It 's granted Gog was to come out of the North quarters v. 15. of this 38 of Ezek. and so was Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 10.22 He speaks rather of Nebuchadnezzar than of Gog Moreover his Prophesie was but a little before Ezekiels dayes and much of it in his dayes whereas here it 's said Of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the Prophets of Israel Others therefore referr it to the Prophesie of Enoch mentioned Jude 14. who spake of the Lords coming with 10000 of his Saints but nothing of Gog is there specified That in Joel 3 is more satisfying as to the business in hand Viz. v. 2.9.11.14 I will gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and spoyled my Land c. This we may conceive was prophesied of Gog. 1. Because the Jewes were to come out of Captivity into their own Land before this was done It 's probable that therefore Gog and the Nations conspir'd together to invade and destroy them because they were setled safely in their Land v. 1. 2. Because Gog was to fall upon the Mountains of Israel to perish in the Land of Judaea Ezek 39.4 Thou shalt fall upon the Mountains of Israel thou and all thy bands and the people that is with thee To which agrees that of Joel 3.12 13. Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge the Heathen round about put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe c. 3. Because of the like effects Ezekiel saith when Gog and his Army shall be destroyed there shall be a great shaking in the Land of Israel v. 19. So Joel 3.15 16. at the destruction of the Nations and their Princes the Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining The Lord also shall roar out of Sion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the heaven and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israel If it be said Joel is but one Prophet and the Text speaks of Prophets and so of them as if it were a common thing amongst them to prophesie of or against Gog. To this may be answered that most of the Prophets might speak of Gog though they writ not of him for all which the Prophets prophesied did neither themselves nor others alwayes pen and here it 's said by whom I have spoken not by whom I have written Moses spake what was not written Hebr. 11.24 25 26 27. So Enoch Jude v. 14 15. as Christ himself did Joh. 21.25 By my servants in Hebrew is In or by the hand of my servants and for in those dayes many years it 's in the dayes of those years they did prophesie of Gog that God would bring him upon the Jewes First Observe The Lord doth infallibly kâ—ow things to come He revealed to the Pâ—ophets of old this Gog here spoken of hundreds of years before he was neither was God deceived for in the time appointed he came He whose understanding is infinite Psal 147.5 must needs know all things past present and to come should any thing be unknown to God his understanding should not be infinite Mans knowledge is borrowed from Creatures to which he gives neither beeing nor operation but God's knowledge is from himself He knows all that is possible in his Power and all that is future in his Will Creatures can neither bee nor operate without Him He hath such clear vision of all things that his knowledge must needs be certain Should he be deceived in any particular there should be darkness in him but He is light and in him there is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 1.5 Secondly Observe The Prophets delivered many things which were not recorded The Prophets of Israel spake of Gog and yet we cannot find any direct satisfying place in holy Writ concerning him In Mat. 27.9 you have words cited for Jeremie's which you cannot find in all his Prophesies the words are these Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying And they took the 30 pieces of silver the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel did value Matthew saith not that which was written but that which was spoken Jeremy had delivered these words and many other doubtless which are no where to be found And if any ask How came Matthew by them He had them by Tradition say some others by Revelation which is safest to say Solomon he spake of Trees from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon even unto the Hysop that springeth out of the wall He spake also of Beasts and of Fowls and of Creeping things and of Fishes 1 King 4.33 but what he said of these is not to be found or known Had not Paul helped us to that blessed truth of Christ It is more blessed to give than to receive Act. 20.35 we had never met with it Thirdly Observe Those God sends to make known his mind to men he owns honours and protects My servants the Prophets of Israel Those had spoken against Gog and made known his mind teaching him God owns for his servants honours them with this Title Prophets of Israel and being his he hath a special care of them Psal 105.15 Do my Prophets no harm If the servants and Embassadors of Earthly Princes be honourable and have protection from them much more are the servants and Embassadors of the King of Glory honorable and under Divine Protection If David would not put up the wrong done to his servants he sent to Hanun 2 Sam. 10. Neither will God let the wrongs done to his servants the Prophets of Israel go unpunished 2 Chron. 36.16 Fourthly Observe It s not an accidental or casual thing that enemies do come against the Church The Lord brought Gog against this People and the Prophets had prophesied many years that God would do so They made it known to the world what God had decreed to do Gog could not have stir'd or mov'd one foot towards the Land of Israel unless God had appointed
watchman And so in the Church-State if the wicked man be warned of his way and turn not from it he shall dye in his iniquity his bloud lyes at his own dore upon his own head the watchman is free Fourteenthly Observe There is great necessity that the watchmen deal faithfully and tell the people of their danger and sin Their souls their bloud lye at stake upon it if they be not faithfull their lives their souls go for it Those watchmen that are silent are cruel bloudy and soul-murthering men they murther the souls of the people and their own souls also those that speak that cry aloud that tell the people throughly of their sins not fearing their frowns nor respecting their favours that so if it be possible they may save their souls these are the most faithful watchmen Many wonder that the spiritual watchmen are so zealous particular that they open the nature of sin so much threaten such terrible judgements of God against sinners and preach damnation unto them that they are so frequent in such wayes but cease to wonder their souls are in jeopardy if they do it not If a mans whole estate were in hazard if he did not tell such a man that he were a lyar a drunkard and would he forfeit his estate through silence No he would tell him of his sins again and again The watchmans soul lyeth at pawn and he forfeits that if he should not tell sinners of their sins and warn them to turn from them Hence was it that Paul said Necessity is laid upon me and we unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 he preached and warned sinners night and day Acts 20.31 Lastly Observe That the watchmen warning the people and the people taking warning they do both secure themselves If the watâ—hman Politicâ—l or Spiâ—itual blow the Trumpet warn the â—â—ople he shall deliver his own soul if the people take waâ—ning they deliver their souls Safety lyes in warning and it hearkning to waâ—ning let not the watchmen of God be sleepy or silent but warn the people constantly that so they may save themselves and others Verses 10 11. Therefore O thou Son of man speak unto the house of Israel Thus ye speak saying if our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how should we then live Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel HEre begins the second Generall part of the Chapter which is a confirmation of the Prophet against those Calumnies the Jews made against the truth and justice of God The first is in the 10. vers The second in the 17. and 20. verses The Calumnie they raised against the truth of God was this in the 5. verse its said he that takes warning when the watchman gives it shall deliver his soul this said the Jews had not truth in it for Chap. 24.23 The Prophet had told them they should pine away for their iniquities therefore there was no hope for them though they took warning at the watchmans mouth we are appointed to destruction and it s in vain to mind what the watchman saith This is answered in the 11. verse But to open the words Vers 10. Therefore O thou son of man speak unto the house of Israel God had set Ezekiel to be a watchman unto the house of Israel to observe their sins and tell them thereof and here he commands him to do his duty speak unto the house of Israel thus The house of Israel was not now the 10 Tribes but the 2 Tribes left of the 10. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us Jerusalem being now taken or upon the taking the Jews were more sensible of their sins and so felt the weight of them in that sad judgement was upon them or coming upon them By transgressions and sins not only the guilt but the punishment of them is meant they had felt much in the time of Jerusalems siedge and more now in the taking of it God visited their iniquities upon their heads And we pine away in them When Gods hand is upon persons for their sins they consume and moulder away the pain and anguish they are under melts their fat eats up their strength and brings them to skin and bone Nemakkim it is from Muk or Makak which is to grow lean to become feeble to be dissolved in Mareorem into corruption or rottenness How should we then live The Jews seeing Jerusalem now in the enemies hand and themselves going into captivity speak desparingly saying We are like never to see good day but must pine away under the judgements that are upon us how should we then live its in vain to warn us and tell us of repenting and turning to the Lord we must dye in the condition we are in Vers 11. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God This oath of God hath been spoken of Chap. 16.48 Ch 5. vers 11. It s the oath which God most uses Life is the most precious of all things and that God swares by as sure as I live or am the living God it is true which I say or let me not be the living God if I speak false you think I am a hard Master that you shall pine away in your sins and find no mercy though you should repent and return you are greatly deceived As I live saith the Lord c. He swares not by a truth that was question Numb 14.11 Nor by his Omnipotency for that was doubted of Ps 78.19 but by his life which was never in questioned The Learned observe that when this word Chai is referred to God so that himselfe swares or men sware by him it s written with Patach under it as here and in other places but when it is referred to men then it s written Chai with Tzere as Gen 42.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the life of Pharaoh or as sure as Pharaoh lives So in 2 Sam. 11.11 You have them both together in 1 Sam. 20.3 Chai Jehovah vechei Naph shecha As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that c. The Septuagint reads the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not The Vulgar is Nolo mortem impit I am unwilling the wicked should dye the French ie u'appette point I covet not am not greedy of the death of the wicked Junius Si delector If I delight in the death of the wicked Vatablus Piscator Non delector I delight not in the death of the wicked or I am not delighted therewith Montanus hath it Si volam in morte impii If I shall will in the death of the wicked for so runs the Hebrew Im Echphotz bemoth Harashang The word Chaphetz signifies to
Allmighty God Rev 19.15 Pauls sufferings made him famous Phil 1.13 much more Christs Fifthly He had extraordinary Titles as Immanuel Isa 7.14 The stone of Israel Gen 49.24 The Lord our Righteousnesse Jer 23.6 The power and wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 The heir of all things Heb 1.2 King of Kings and Lord of Lords Revel 59.16 The Light of the world John 8.12 The glory of Israel Luke 2.32 The Prince of Life Acts 3.15 Judge of quick and dead Acts 10.42 The Image of the invisible God Col 1.15 The Head over all things Ephes 1.22 The Lamb of God John 1.29 The Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 1.5 The Sun of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 His name is wonderful Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Isa 9.6 Sixthly He had extraordinary honour When he was brought into the world God commanded all the Angels to worship him Heb. 1.6 He stir'd up the spirits of the wise men of the East directing them by a star to come and worship him Mat. 2.11 When he was baptized Heaven was opened the Spirit descended like a Dove and a voice from Heaven said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth 3.16 17. When he was transfigured Moses and Elias appeared unto him and the same voice of the Father was heard again with some addition This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him and he committed all judgement to the Son that so all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father John 5.23 Take this plant of renown for the Christian Church and it is renowned for that it is planted in Christ Col 2.7 Eph. 4.15 bears the name of Christ James 2 7. is his Spouse Rev 21.9 John 3.29 under his Government Eph 5.24 freed from the bondage of the Ceremonial Law Gal 4.1 2 3 4 5. hath cleerer manifestations of Gods love in Christ Eph 2.7 extends further then ever the Jewish Church did to the Gentiles to all Nations Isa 54.1 2 3. chap 60.3 chap 62.2 Rev 21.24 25. and had such miraculous effusion of the Spirit upon many of the members of it Acts 2.3 4. 1 Cor 12.8 9 10. and is the habitation of God Ephes 2.22 visible and irremoveable as Mount Sion Mich 4.1 2. Matth 16.18 The ground and pillar of truth 1 Tim 3.15 And they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the Land In Jacobs dayes there was a great famine and his family had been consumed if Egypt had not afforded releif In Davids dayes many suffered by the three years famine then 2 Sam 21.1 There was a sore famine in Ahabs dayes 1 Kings 18.2 and questionless many perished with hunger in the siege of Jerusalem Lam 4.9 and many who were scattered abroad not having to satisfie their hunger became a prey to hunger it self The promise here is They shall no more be consumed with hunger they shall have plenty of all good things there shall be no corporal nor spiritual hunger there Teachers had been removed into corners Isa 30.20 There Prophets had been cut off and were glad to be hid in Caves 1 Kings 18.4 but God would set up shepherds over them which should feed them and they should not be lacking Jerem 23.4 Their eyes should see them Isa 30.20 The word for consumed is Asuppe from Asâ—ph which signifies to gather together to take away and to consume In time of famine men get together consult how to relieve themselves and when all means fail the famine consumes them and takes them away The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall not be few in number they shall have abundance and multiply Neither bear the shame of the heathen any more The Hebrew word for shame is Celemmah which signifies reproach the Babylonians and others where the Jewes were scattered did reproach them and said Sing us one of the songs of Sion Psal 137.3 You are the holy people have holy ordinances and holy songs sing us one of those songs you thought your selves safe in your holy City that your God would protect you from all the Nations but where is your God what 's become of your City Temple and Confidences are you not in our hands are you not in bondage and captivity ye are servants unto us and shall never be at liberty more thus did they bear the shame of the Heathen they were a reproach a proverb a taunt and a curse in all places Jer 24.18 but God would set them at liberty roule away their reproach and make them honourable They should be a praise Zeph 3.19 At that time I will undo all that afflict thee and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fame in every Land where they have been put to shame And vers 20. I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth when I turn back your captivity First Observe The Lord Christ himself his renown and that the Church hath by him is from the Lord. I will raise up a plant of renown Christ is call'd The Word John 1.1 and God made that Word flesh vers 14. He is call'd a Rod a Branch Isa 11.1 and God caused that Rod to come out of the stem of Jesse and that Branch to grow out of his roots God planted Christ at first in the Virgins womb and from thence he grew up through Gods wise disposing of things to be a plant of renown And Luke 1.32 The Angel said to Mary he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord shall give him the Throne of his Father David This God performed and so made him a man a plant of renown he gave Christ to the Church he planted him in Sion Isa 28.16 and so all the glory the Church had by him which was and is exceeding much came originally from the Lord Christ is therefore call'd The gift of God John 4.10 Secondly Observe Christ is fruitfull and yeelds good fruit He is a plant of renown were this plant barren or did it bear evill fruit it could not be a plant of renown it would be a plant of contempt This plant is that Tree of Life Rev 22.2 which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month No barrenness at all was on this Tree it had plenty and variety of fruit Summer and Winter and the goodness of this fruit the Church will tell you of Cant 2.3 I sat under his shadow with great delight his fruit was sweet to my taste If the shadow of this Tree was very delightsome certainly the fruit of this Tree was exceeding sweet The man sick of the Palsie found the sweet of this fruit when Christ said unto him Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee Mat 9.2 Thousands can tell you how sweet the fruit of this Tree hath been to their tasts to their souls Acts 10.38
dyes with an hard heart perisheth for ever And I will give you an heart of flesh The heart of flesh is opposed to the stony heart and it implyes several things which are considerable As First Softnesse tendernesse a stony heart is hard but an heart of flesh is tender and soft The Scripture speaks of a soft tongue Prov 25.15 and of a soft heart Job 23.16 that is an heart free from stonynesse and obduration Some flesh is brawny and hard some very tender as the flesh of those mentioned Deut 28.56 The heart of flesh is an heart like the tenderest flesh even the flesh of a child new-born Secondly Sensibleness Some flesh is so hardned as that it feels nothing some is so tender its sensible of the least touch The drunkards flesh felt not the stripes when he was beaten Pro 3.35 but Josiahs heart was sensible of the anger of God when he heard the Law only read 2 Chr 34. Christs heart was tender sensible of our infirmities he was touched with the feeling of them Heb 4.15 the least infirmity he was affected with for he had an heart of flesh an heart without any stonyness at all in it and where an heart of flesh is its sensible of the least sin the least dishonour to God vain thoughts risings of corruption extravagancy of affections all sins are burdensome to it the man of such an heart hath his senses exercised to discern between good and evill Heb 5.14 Thirdly Meltingness A stony heart never melts but an heart of flesh is of a melting nature Josiahs heart was not only affected with the Law read but melted also into tears 2 Kings 22.19 His heart was tender and he humbled himself before the Lord. So David Psal 22.14 My heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels how did it melt after Nathan had told him of his sin Psal 51. so after his numbring of the people 2 Sam 24.17 Peters heart was of this nature for after Christ looked upon him he went out and wept bitterly Luke 22.62 Such were their hearts Ezek 9.4 who sighed and cryed for all the abominations which were done in the midst of Jerusalem An heart of flesh melts and mourns that God is dishonoured by others but most of all that he hath been dishonoured by him in whom it is that man that hath an heart of flesh sheds most tears for the wrongs himself hath done unto God Luke 15.18 19. Fourthly Teachablenesse A stony heart is indocible inflexible it repels and keeps out truths but an heart of flesh admits and receives truths it is yielding and teachable When Lydiacs hard heart was turned into flesh Acts 16.14 she attended unto the things which were spoken by the Apostle she received them and believed them she was a good Scholar and constrained her Teachers to come and abide at her house that she might learn more of them vers 15. Paul no sooner had his heart of stone made flesh but he manifested a teachablenesse in himself Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do I am a blind Pharisee and have been all my dayes out of the way I desire now to learn and to be taught of thee whom I ignorantly blasphemed David shut not his eyes against the light as many hard-hearted persons do he prayed That the Lord would open his eyes that he might behold wonderous things out of the Law He was oft begging of God to teach him O teach me the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Psal 119.18.33 He was willing to see to hear and to do Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power When the stony heart is removed and an heart of flesh put in the room of it that is a day of power and then the people so hearted are willing to hear the Lord speak to understand his counsels and to resolve their wills into Gods so that his will is theirs Cor carneum quod ante ad alterius arbitratum fingitur Fifthly Obedientialnesse A stony heart is refractory contradictory disobedient but a fleshy heart is yielding and obediential it is Cor sequari an heart which follows God as Elisha followed Elijah virtue went out of the mantle and constrained him to do so and the virtue gone out from God into an heart of flesh prevails with it and causeth it to follow God to yield obedience unto him Caleb had another spirit then the rest of the Jews had and he followed the Lord fully Numb 14.24 His spirit was not obstinate but obediential and where-ever this heart of flesh is it is so far from being contentious against the truth or with-holding the truth in unrighteousness as that it obeys the truth heartily Rom 6.17 The Excellency of a tender heart First It s the Mansion of Gods holy Spirit When the heart is tender and fleshy God puts in his holy Spirit into it as in the next verse appears The Spirit it self is a tender thing and takes no content in an hard heart Isa 57.15 It s in the heart of humble and contrite ones that the Spirit dwells The Corinthians were babes in Christ very tender and they were Temples of the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.1.16 How excellent is a tender heart that the Spirit of Grace Heb 10.29 the Spirit of Glory 1 Pet 4.14 should take it up for its habitation It was there before as an Agent not as an Inhabitant Secondly It cannot endure the dishonour of God it s much affected yea afflicted thereat When Rabshakeh blasphemed and reviled the God of Israel how was Hezekiah afflicted at it He rent his cloaths covered himself with sackcloath and went into the house of the Lord sends for Isaiah begs his prayers spreads the blasphemers Letter he had received before the Lord and cryed unto him for help to vindicate his own name 2 Kings 19.1 2 3 4 14 15 16 17 18 19. Hezekiah had a tender heart and herein was the excellency of it he was deeply affected with the dishonour of God Davids heart was touched throughly when men violated the Law of God and dishonoured his name Psal 119.136 Rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law None of his own afflictions his persecution by Saul his expulsion by Absolom did draw so many tears from him as the dishonour of Gods name that made his tender heart like a Fountain which sends forth Rivers the heathens who had hard hearts said of their heathenish King It s not meet for us to see the Kings dishonour Ezra 4.14 And can Christians see the dishonour of the God of Heaven Those that have hearts of flesh cannot endure to see it if they cannot help the same they will mourn and mourn abundantly for it Thirdly It s a strong defence against all sin it quickly feels the nature of sin and so flyes from it Touch tender flesh with a Needle or Pin it endures not the same it cryes
my judgements and do them He knows that to fear God and keep his Commandements is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 Twelfthly Observe That man that hath the spirit of God is for righteousnesse as well as holinesse He is a second Table man as well as a first Table man he is conscious towards man as well as towards God he keeps the judgements set between man and man as well as walks in the statutes which are between God and man as Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Rom. 13.9 Not to defraud thy brother in any matter 1 Thess 4.6 To do to others as we would be done unto our selves Luke 6.31 To condescend to those of low estate to recompence to no man evill for evill but to overcome evill with good Rom. 12.16 17 21. Blessing them that curse you and praying for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 To forbear and forgive one another Col. 3.13 To bear one anothers burdens Gal. 6.2 Every man to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour 1 Thess 4.4 To speak evill of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men Titus 3.3 To put away all bitterness wrath anger clamour and evil speaking with all malice and to be kind and tender hearted one to another Ephes 5.31 32. Not to lye but speak the truth every man with his Neighbour vers 25. To distribute to the necessities of Saints Rom. 12.13 To lend looking for nothing again Luke 6.35 c. These be judgements God hath set in his infinite wisdom between man and man and whosoever hath the spirit of God dwelling in him keeps these and many other mentioned in sacred writ David had respect to all the Commandements of the Lord Psal 119.6 Those which concerned men as well as those concern'd God for they are all of equall authority being from the same God and branches of his infinite wisdome the one tending to mans good and Gods glory as well as the other which David knew and therefore kept So Paul his care was not only to mind the duties of holiness towards God but those of righteousness towards men Acts 24.16 Herein saith he do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Had he not kept the judgements set of God between man and man his conscience had not been innocent but because he did keep them therefore he could say Acts 25.10 To the Jews have I done no wrong and to the Corinthian Gentiles we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man 2 Cor. 7.2 He had the spirit within him which carryed him forth strongly to do just righteous and equall things and to move others thereunto Phil. 4.8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things He writ these words unto the Philippians as his last words that so they might take the deeper impression in them knowing that if second Table duties were not done first Table duties would be in vain See how the Lord with indignation takes up the Jews for failing in their duties towards men though they did their duty towards him Jer. 7.6 9 10. Will ye oppress the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and come and stand before me in this house what do you come hither for to pray to hear the Law to offer Sacrifice and think I am pleased with these duties no no I will destroy the Temple where ye worship and I will cast ye out of my sight as I have done all your brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim vers 14 15. It is in vain to be religious if we be not righteous such Religion is a dreadful provocation of God as you may read Isa 1.10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Many are religious in these dayes but where is a righteous man He that doth righteousness just and equal things is righteous 1 John 3.5 Let us learn as to walk in Gods Statutes that is to be religious so to keep his judgements and do them that is to be righteous for of the three great things which God requires of man this is the first Micah 6.8 What doth the Lord require of thee O man but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Vers 28. And ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your Fathers and ye shall be my people and I will be your God THis verse comprehends in it both temporal and spiritual mercy as repossession of their Land and Gods renovation of Covenant with them And ye shall dwell in the Land which I gave to your fathers God had long before this time given Canaan unto Abraham and his posterity who through their sins were driven out of the same and made captives in Babylon but he would bring them back again and set them in it which resembled Gods gathering of his out of all Nations and bringing them into the Church of Christ the City of God the spiritual Canaan And ye shall be my people and I will be your God Like words to these we had Ezek. 11.20 Ch 14.11 Ch 34.31 and therefore shall not stand upon them The sense of them is this You being in Babylon think your selves cast off of God and that ye shall never again have the honour to be his people and to have him for your God but your thoughts are not as mine for ye shall come again to Canaan and there I will own you for my people and ye shall own me for your God ye shall be my people to worship me and I will be your God to blesse you ye shall be my people to depend upon me and I will be your God to protect you ye shall be my people to obey my Commands and do my Will and I will be your God to exalt and honour you ye shall be my people to love fear honour me and to stand for me and my glory and I will be your God to counsel comfort delight in and to deliver you and to plead your cause against all your enemies First Observe There is nothing difficult or impossible to God though it be so in the eye of man The Jews thought it an hard if not a thing impossible for them to get from under the Babylonish yoke into their own Countrey but God thought not so saith he Ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your fathers I will break off every yoke which hinders and remove every mountain which lets And this he did with ease for he did but stir the heart of Cyrus King of Persia to make a Proclamation to this purpose That whoever among the Jews had an heart to go up to Jerusalem might do
did not God destroy his Army and relieve them publickly and privately though there were now no Cityes left God could and did raise them up many Cityes though there were no people to inhabit those Cityes raised God could raise them up men and did make them exceeding populous even as populous as Jerusalem was at her solemn Feasts more populous than ever Fourthly Observe The end of Gods deliverances works and mercies is that God may be acknowledged and glorified When I have brought them out of Babylon planted them in Sion built their Cityes filled them with inhabitants and blessings of all sorts Then shall they know that I am the Lord that I am not like the heathenish gods and lords but that I am faithfull omnipotent gracious and merciful worthy to be honoured and adored by the house of Israel CHAP. XXXVII Verse 1. The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middest of the Valley which was full of bones 2. And caused me to pass by them round about and behold there were very many in the open valley and lo they were very dry IN the former Chapter he spake of the Jews Return out of Babylon and likewise of the Kingdom of Christ In this Chapter also he proceeds to comfort the Jews assuring them of their Return who well-nigh despaired thereof and of the union of the two houses Judah and Israel The parts of this Chapter are 1. A Vision of dry bones presented to the Prophet from the 1. ver to the 11. 2. The Interpretation and Application of this Vision from the beginning of the 11. to the end of the 14. 3. A Type of two Sticks and the uniting of them from the 15. to the 20. 4. The explication of the Type from the 20. ver to the end Vers 1. The hand of the Lord was upon me By hand of the Lord the Chaldee understands the spirit of Prophesie which did enlighten and affect the mind of the Prophet so also do divers others But some take it for the power of God upon him or a Divine instinct which like an hand pul'd or mov'd him to some other thing as Chap. 8.3 It was the Spirit of God came upon him as Chap. 3.14 And why it s called the hand of God see Chap. 1.3 And carryed me out in the Spirit of the Lord. The Hebrew may be read thus and is by Mâ—ntanus And the Lord carryed me out in the Spirit that is I was rapt out of my self and my spirit was carryed by the Lord to have a sight or view of Bones If we take the words as they are the sense is this The Spirit of God being upon me carryed me out in the spirit of Prophesie which is the Spirit of the Lord his body was not carryed from place to place He had a Prophetical Vision And set me down in the middest of the valley The Prophet seem'd to himself to see a Hand and to be led out by that hand into a certain Valley all which was Visional not real He names no particular Valley A-lapide saith it was in Campo Sennaar Mesopotamia and Chaldaea were Plains but whether it were in either of them is not specified In vallies Prophets were wont to have Visions Our Prophets first Vision was by the River Chebar and Rivers are alwayes in Vallies and in this Valley it s conceived by some as Lavater observes was this Vision but it s safer to judge that this Valley was also Visionall Which was full of Bones This Valley or Plain was no burying place for then the bones would not have layen upon the face of the earth and been exposed to view Some make these bones to be the bones of all Mankind being dead and to respect the general Resurrection but they are out nothing of that is here intended Some make them to be the bones of the Babylonians but the Prophets scope here is not to comfort them it s the Jews condition he points at and therefore by bones are meant the Jews as is clear v. 11. These Bones were Visional also not real for then they should not have him unburyed suffering reproach Some Jews have an Opinion that these bones were the bones of those Jews that dyed in Babylon and one Rabbi Jose a Galilaean saith That Ezekiel raised those dead Jews many of which return'd into the land of Israel and had children there that when this fell into controversie among the Jews one Rabbi Juda the Son of Bathira stood up and said Ego sum oriundus ex posteritate illorum quos Ezekiel in vitam revocavit I am of that race which Ezekiel raised and shewed the Phylacteries his Parent put upon him and had received from those were rais'd Verse 2. And caused me to passed by them round about The Lord would have the Prophet to take exact notice of them and therefore made him to pass Savif savif undique undique on every side on every side that so he might observe the number and quality of them and where they lay which he did for it follows And behold there were very many in the open valley The number of these bones was great pass'd number and they lay in open view in an open Valley where he had a full sight of them And loe they were very dry These bones were not cloath'd with flesh juycy and full of marrow which had been more easily rais'd to life if so but they were dry all the moysture was out of them they had lain long nigh 70 years in that condition and were almost become earth First Observe It was the Spirit of God mov'd the Prophets to give out those truths are now extant in the Scriptures that directed and enabled them to do what they did The hand of the Lord was upon me and carryed me out in the Spirit to see and give out what you have here The Prophets might not speak or act at their own pleasures but as the Spirit of God moved them 2 Pet. 1.21 so they spake so they acted It was the Spirit in the Prophets that testified against the Jews Neh. 9.30 The words of the Lord of hosts were in the hand and mouth of the Spirit before they were in the heads and mouths of the Prophets Neh. 7.12 The Apostles had the Spirit falling upon and filling them before they gave out Divine truths Act. 2.4 which verified what Châ—ist had said of the Spirit John 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you All the truths Paul hath given forth for the Instruction Edification and Consolation of the Church of Christ he received from the Spirit of Christ Hence he saith 1 Cor. 11.23 I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And Chap. 14.37 The things I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord he had them all from his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 13. Secondly Observe The true Messengers and Servants of God come not
The Instrumental Prophesying v. 4 7 9 10. 2. The Principal v. 5. 2. The Formal which is expressed 1. By coalition of bone to bone v. 7. 2. By cloathing of the bones with flesh sinews and skin v. 8. 3. By the entrance of breath v. 10. Verse 4. Prophesie upon these bones and say unto them O ye dry bones hear the word of Lord. This seems an absurd thing that the Prophet should prophesie unto Creatures insensible unintelligible void of life It was as if God should bid a man preach unto an heap of stones or dry chips which are incapable of hearing But though these Bones were incapable of hearing Ezekiels voyce yet they were not incapable of hearing Gods voyce for all creatures even the most senseless hear the Lord when he speaks the stormy winds fulfil his word Psal 148.8 The Heavens and the Earth Isai 1.2 Whales and Ravens Jon. 2.10 1 King 17.4 The Lord intended to bestow life upon these bones and that they might have life they must hear his word which had inlivening vertue in it There is an obediential vertue in every creature to yield to the will and command of the Creator and when it doth so then it 's said to hear the voyce of the Lord then properly men hear God when they do what he requires Vers 5. Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live These words prevent an Objection which the Prophet might have made saying It s in vain for me to prophesie to these dry bones what ever I shall say over them or unto them will come to nothing and prove ridiculous if any take notice thereof No saith the Lord it shall not be so for Behold I will cause breath to enter into them and they shall live The Septuagint saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I bring upon you the Spirit of life Others render the words thus Behold I do make the Spirit to enter into you or I am about to bring the Spirit into you and ye shall live that is I am ready to breathe life into you or I will breathe the breath of life into you It 's life is here promised which he mentions first to encourage the Prophet though it were performed last for the bones must first be united then be cloathed with sinews flesh and skin before the breath of life enters Verse 6. And I will lay sinews upon you The Hebrew for Sinews is Gidim which is from Gadad Turmatim oonncurrere quia nervi in corpore ad sensus motus officia concurrant c. The nerves in the body do concur unto the duties of sense and motion Some Nerves are soft some are hard the soft are specially for sense and they come from the Brain the hard are chiefly for motion and they come from the Marrow in the back-bone Here God would cause these visional Bones to have visional Sinews which might fit them for sense and motion And bring up flesh upon you The word for Flesh is Basar which Synechdochically signifies sometimes Men and sometimes other living creatures but here it notes that part of mans body which is simplex mollis rubicunda simple soft and ruddiest such flesh would God bring up upon these Bones The Hebrew for bring up is I will make to ascend God would cause flesh to grow up and ascend out of those dry bones And cover you with skin When the bones had sinews and flesh God would not leave them so it 's unsightly to behold naked raw flesh He would give them a garment viz. cover them with Skin Incrustabo vos cute saith Montanus I will crust you over with skin Superextendam in vobis Cutem saith the Vulgar I will stretch over you a Skin The word for Skin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be naked Though the flesh were covered with skin yet was not the skin covered with any artificial covering And put breath in you and ye shall live These words are the same with those in the 5. verse Now when the bones had their sinews flesh and skin and were fitted for the breath of life they should have it The Septuagint is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give my Spirit upon you that shall beget life in you and cause you to live And ye shall know that I am the Lord. These dry bones being so Metamorphosed and raised to a living condition should acknowledge the mighty hand of the Lord and be convinced that he was able to do whatsoever he pleased Verse 7. So I Prophesied as I was commanded The Prophet stood not disputing the case with God but he understanding the mind of God presently set himself to fulfil it And as I prophesied there was a noise What Ezekiel Prophesied to these bones is not so much to be questioned he had direction from God what to say unto them even those words ye have in the 4 5 6 verses And as he was Prophesying before he had uttered all given him in commission there was a noise not of thunder or of Angels or of an Earthquake but of the bones themselves which being many dry and stirring could not but make a great noise This noise was an evident demonstration of Divine presence and power put forth in this Miraculous work And behold a shaking These bones that were dead and dry now began to stir and shake they moved from their places Maldonate thinks that the earth was moved that so the bones which were in the graves and under the earth might come forth but these were bones lay in an open valley not under the earth Their shaking or concussion was cum impetu with force It was Divine Power made them to shake and move Some refer this shaking to the invasion of the Babylonians by the Medes and Persians at what time the Jews obtain'd their liberty And the bones came together bone to his bone As timber in an house so are bones in the body the strength and support of all The Hebrew word for a Bone is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etzem from Atzam to corroborate and make solid Bones are robur soliditas corporis the strength and solidity of the body These bones came together not promiscuously the bones of one man or woman to the bones of another man or woman but bone to his bone that is every bone of the same man to his right place and every bone of the same woman to its right place the rib-bones thigh-bones and ancle-bones came every one to his proper place and so united together Verse 8. And when I beheld loe the sinews and the flesh came up upon them and the skin covered them above Here was a strange sight to see dry bones come creeping together every one to coalesce and joyn in his due place making up a perfect Skeleton and out of that sinews flesh and skin to ascend this was such a sight that neither Ezekiel nor any man had ever seen
affliction he looked upon them and pitied them yea he made their enemies to pity them ver 46. In the book of Judges Chap. 10 16. you have a notable expression to this purpose it 's said there His soul grieved for the misery of Israel Tikzar naph 〈◊〉 abbreviata est anima ejus His soul was shortned When things are laid to heart they dry and shrink up a mans spirits God laid their misery so to heart that his soul was as it weâ—e shrunk up and shorten'd Seventhly Observe There is no state of affliction sin or death but God can and will raise his people out of the same O my peâ—ple I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves Though they had layen 70 years in their graves God would open them When earth lies long undigg'd when graves continue long unopen'd it 's the harder to remove the earth and open the graves What difficulty soever there was in the way God would step over it and do the thing Job lay buried in the grave of Affliction a long season but at length God opened his grave and led him out Job 42.10 The Lord turned the captivity of Job David was in the grave of affliction but God raised him out of it Psal 40 2. He brought me up out of an horrible pit Elacu stupendo saith Munster Out of the miry clay that is out of the deepest and extremest misery Mary Magdalen lay in the grave of sin was in a state of spiritual death and Christ he quickned her he forgave her sins Luke 7.48 The Ephesians did among other Gentiles lie in their graves of sin they were shut up under unbelief that was a weighty grave-stone that kept them under but God rolled away that stone opened their graves and brought them forth Ephes 2.1 You that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned Those aâ—e in a literal sense dead and in their graves God can open their graves and bring them forth also Lazarus had lain four dayes in his grave he was corrupted therein and stunk yet when Christ said Lazarus come forth the grave did open the dead man heard liv'd and came forth Joh. 11.43 44. The keys of life and death are in the hand of Christ be it a grave of affliction a grave of sin or a grave of the body Christ can turn the key open the grave and bring out thereof At last he will open the graves and bring foâ—th all the dead bodies Eightly Observe Nothing in men moves God to put his Spirit into them These Jews were in a despairing condition they said Our bones are dryed our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts They dispair'd dishonour'd God highly thereby and deserv'd to be cut off and perish for ever but see how God dealt with them he promises to put his Spirit in them ver 14. The giving of his Spirit is an extraordinary mercy and he gives it freely Their goodness did not encline God to give nor their sin hinder him from giving Gods choisest gifts are freest as Christ the Spirit and Gospel they are the acts of His good pleasure Ninthly Observe Spiritual life and comfort are from the Spirits indwelling in men I shall put my Spirit in you and you shall live Then they shall live as they had never lived they should live Spiritually Comfortably Natural life in its kind hath an excellency but it 's far beneath a Spiritual life which is call'd the life of God Ephes 4 18. So the comforts of a Natural life may have some sweet and pretiousness in them but they are comfortless comforts to those of the Spirit and Spiritual life Men destitute of the Spirit are dead men and have but dead comforts Those have the Spirit are living-men and have living-comforts The Spirit is a Spirit of life and comfort and wherever it comes it makes men lively and comfortable Tenthly Observe When the people of God are gathered into Canaan they shall have rest there God would bring these Jews out of Babylon into their own Land which was Canaan and there they should rest there 's no rest in Babylon God is gathering his people out of Babylon dayly He saith unto them as it is in Micah 2.10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest He is drawing and driving them out of Babylonish and Antichristian conditions and bringing them into Sion where there is true rest though not perfect rest that will be in the Heavenly Canaan whither in due time we shall come Vers 15 16 17 18 19. 15. The Word of the Lord came again unto me saying 16. Moreover thou Son of man take thee one stick and write upon it For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions then take another stick and write upon it For Joseph the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions 17. And joyn them one to another into one stick and they shall become one in thine hand 18. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee saying Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these 19. Say unto them Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Tribes of Israel his fellows and will put them with him even with the stick of Judah and make them one stick and they shall be one in mine hand THe Vision of the dry bones and Interpretation of them being ended here the Typical work of two Sticks and the uniting of them succeeds In the three first verses you have the Author of the Type and the Type it self in the two last direction what to say upon inquiry made after the meaning of the Type Vers 16. Moreover thou Son of man take thee one stick The Prophet before had a Vision here he hath a Command He must take a stick the Chaldee saith a Table the Septuagint a Rod the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lignum Wood. Wood or Stick is by a Metonymy of the matter put for a Table or Tally whereon something might be written So it was here he must write upon it For Judah and the children of Israel his companions These were the words to be written upon the Stick In the 17. of Numb v. 2. the Loâ—d commanded Moses to take twelve rods according to the number of the Tribes and Princes and to write every mans name upon his rod. To this doth the Lord allude here commanding the Prophet to take a Stick or Rod and write upon it For Judah that is let Judah the royal and noble Tribe be signified thereby And the children of Israel by these the Tribe of Benjamin is meant which clave to the house of David and fell not from Rehoboam to Jeroboam 1 King 12.23 2 Chr. 11.12 as the other Tribes did This Tribe did wholly adhere to Judah and some also out of other Tribes did some out of Levi and some out of
the rest 2 Chron. 11.13 14 16 17. Chap. 15.9 and these are call'd the children of Israel his companions that is Judah's companions because they forsook him not as others did All these were represented by this first Stick Then take another stick and write upon it For Joseph the stick of Ephraim Having finished the first Stick he is bidden to take another The Hebrew is take one stick that is one more and write upon it For Joseph As the other Stick was for Judah so this for Joseph viz. to represent the Tribe of Joseph which was the principal of the ten Tribes and his Stick is call'd the stick of Ephraim Ephraim was the Son of Joseph and the ten Tribes are usually call'd in Scripture by the name of Ephraim as Hos 4.17 Chap. 5.3 9 11 12 13 14. But here the Tribe of Ephraim is meant The Chaldee saith Lignum Ephraim est Tribus Ephraim Jeroboam who made the great rent in the house of David was of the Tribe of Ephraim and to him did the other Tribes adhere And for all the house of Israel his companions This Stick was for the whole ten Tribes which are call'd the house of Joseph Amos 5.6 The seed of Ephraim Jer. 7.15 Samaria Hos 8.5 And here The house of Israel All these did side with Jeroboam when he revolted and so were Companions with him with Ephraim and Joseph Long before this time the ten Tribes were carryed into Captivity by Shalmanezer King of Assyria but here the Lord thought upon them and ordered the Prophet to take a Stick for them Vers 17. And joyn them one to another into one stick The Hebrew is and make them come one to one to thee into one stick Those two Sticks he must joyn together and make one Stick of them Some do make a Miracle here saying That as Moses Rod was turn'd into a Serpent and Aarons blossom'd Exod. 4.3 Numb 17.8 by a miraculous work of God So did Ezekiel's Sticks unite together in his hand It 's true God by his Divine Power could unite them into one but here he bids the Prophet joyn them one to another into one Stick which he might do by some artificial means or else hold them together in his hand which might suffice for the purpose intended And they shall become one in thine hand They shall be Vnum in maâ—â—bus tuis so Montanus renders the Hebrew not they shall become but they shall be one thing or stick in thine hand they should no more appear to be two Sticks but one and the Characters writ upon them visible for every man to read The old Translation hath it They shall be as one in thy hand While he held them they were as one but had he let them go they had fallen asunder and been two Sticks as before Verse 18. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee saying In the 12 and 13. verses God had said O my people He own'd them for his here He terms them the Prophets people The children of thy people They were Ezekiels people because he was set of God a Watchman over them Chap. 3.17 Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these The Hebrew is Wilt thou not shew us Mah elleh lack What these things are to thee So the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is thine intention in taking these Sticks and holding them in thine hand what is the Interpetation thereof It is a Riddle unto us let us know the sense and meaning thereof Verse 19. Behold I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Trâ—bes of Israel his fellows The Stick of Joseph that 's the Tribe of Ephraim which was in Jeroboam's hand who was of that Tribe and not only that but nine more were under him and his Successors a long time 260 years or thereabout These ten Tribes made up the Kingdom of Israel which was divided from the Kingdom of â—â—dah and therefore are call'd Ephraim's fellows not Judah's All these represented by the Stick God would take and what would he do with them And will put them with him even with the stick of Judah and make them one stick and they shall be one in mine hand God would make these two Sticks one not one Tribe but one Kingdom They had been two Kingdoms at great enmity and were at this time scattered abroad among the Nations but the Lord promises to gather them together and to unite them so that there shall not be a Kingdom of Israel and a Kingdom of Judah but the Stick of Ephraim shall be united to the Stick of Judah they should be but one Stick one Kingdom and one King and that in the hand of the Lord the Septuagint saith in the hand of Judah First Observe True Types have God for the Author of them God bad the Prophet here take one Stick and another Stick and write upon them and thereby to type out the houses of Judah and Israel Had he taken these of his own head they had been nothing bastardly Types not true Types When Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of Iron saying Thus saith the Lord With these shalt thou push the Syrians untill thou have consumed them 1 King 22.11 This was a bold presumption of him to make Horns Typical without Command from God The event shew'd him to be a false Prophet and his Type to be a lying Type It 's peculiar unto God to make Divine Types Secondly Observe God can and doth make use of mean things to honourable purposes Sticks are mean and contemptible things trodden under foot yet God orders Sticks here to be taken writ upon to represent the two principal Houses in the World the house of Judah and the house of Israel and their uniting together here was high honour put upon these Sticks God made use of a Tile to pourtray Jerusalem upon Ezek. 4. And of Hair to Type out his Judgements Ezek. 5. which was a great honour unto such despicable things What honour did God put upon the Brazen Serpent to represent Christ thereby Numb 21.9 Joh. 3.14 As God puts honour upon mean thâ—ngs so upon mean persons 1 Cor. 1.28 The base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are He exalted Gideon and did great things by him Judg. 6. God took Amos an Heardman a gatherer of Sycamore fruit in vested him with the honour of a Prophet Amos 7.14 15. and by him confounded Amaziah the Priest of Bethel and Jeroboams Chaplain Thirdly Observe God hath a care of his people be they in never so poor broken scattered or despicable a condition The house of Judah had been now in Babylon upon 70 years the house of Israel 204 years if not more they were despised of men and seem'd forgotten of God but the Lord had them in remembrance and bids the Prophet write upon one stick For
be Jehovah Shammah he will uphold and preserve that building Matth. 16.18 Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail In ecclesia est Deus qui est suum esse omnium rerum esse praeservare He is the keeper of Israel Ps 121.4 I will keep this city from being besieged stormed or plundered 4. His making himself and his mind known in an especial manner as he did to Moses Exod. 6.3 I appeared to Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known unto them but unto Moses he was known by that name and imparted his mind unto him above others So shall it be in this city Isa 11.9 The earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah Isa 52.6 My people shall know my name Isa 60.16 Thou shalt know that is the Church that the Lord I Jehovah am thy Saviour They in Judah Israel Salem and Sion had other knowledge of God and his Name then the Nations had and they of this city shall have peculiar knowledge of God what others had in the ear they shall have in the eye what others had in the head they shall have in the heart Christ will make great and glorious discoveries of himself and of his mind unto the citizens of this city Rev. 11.19 The temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of the Testament Christ is the Temple of God and his Temple was opened in Heaven that is the Church frequently called Heaven in this Book of the Revelation The Ark in the Old Testament-Temple which had the Table of the Law and the pot of Manna in it typed out Christ the Gospel and mysteries thereof which held out that Christ the spiritual Ark shall not be hid Jehovah Shammah God is present in Christ and Christ will so open himself to this city that himself Father and mysteries of the Gospel will be more plain and manifest then ever 5. His ruling and governing of this City and it s a happy city which hath Jehovah Christ the King of Righteousness to govern it Zech. 14.9 Jehovah shall be King over all the earth and in that day there shall be one Lord not many Lords but one Lord even the Lord Jesus Christ Ezek. 37.22 One King shall be King to them all to all the converted Jews and Gentiles which make this city of God Zech. 6.13 it is said of Christ there that he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall hear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne Christ shall bear the glory not onely for building the Temple and the city but also for ruling because he will rule righteously and faithfully to the satisfaction of all Isa 11.5 Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins This girdle he never puts off but is girt therewith always shewing his readiness to be faithful and righteous in his government 6. The pouring out of his Spirit Jehovah is there to pour that out more fully what men had formerly was onely the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.23 A few had it poured out upon them but then will be a more plentiful effusion all the Citizens of this City shall be filled with the Spirit Zech. 12.8 He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God and the Angel of the Lord before them then shall the weakest by the Spirit of Christ abound in gifts and graces and be as David who excelled all in his days and his house shall be as God that is full of the Spirit or as the Angels that is having such grace qualities and estimation 7. The making the City and Citizens honorable and glorious then shall it be the renowned royal and golden City guilded with the beams of Christs glorious presence from the head commeth glory to the body A Wife shineth radiis mariti Christ gloria patris sui and this City with the glory and beauty of Christ His presence made the glory of the latter Temple and City greater then the glory of the former and this presence in this Temple and City will make the glory of it grrater then that of the larter Temple and City for then he was there in a state of humiliation but he shall not be so in this he will be in his reigning state and his citizens will be honorable Zech. 9.16 They shall be as the stones of a Crown lifted up not as common stones but as the stones of a Crown and not as stones of a Crown falling to the earth but as stones of a Crown lifted up to be put on the head of a King O quanta dignitas horum civium How great is the honour of these Citizens They are brought in Rev. 5.10 speaking of it themselves Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth And this is not all the honour for besides this they shall have every one three honourable names for Christ Rev. 3.12 will write upon them the name of his God and the name of the City of God and his own new name 8. The keeping them in unity and love The Citizens shall then be of one minde Zech. 14.9 In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one the invocation and Worship of his Name shall be one then shall that be fulfilled Zeph. 3.9 Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent The Hebrew is with One shoulder A metaphor taken ftom Oxen in the Yoke which draw together as with one shoulder so these Citizens shall joyntly and unanimously knit together and worship the Lord Christ There shall be no Schisms names of distinction as now there are far if when Christ left the World the Saints were all of one heart Act. 2.32 Much more so shall it be in this City when Christ shall be in the midst thereof and guide them by his Spirit into all truth 9. These words Jehovah Shammah import the great delight the Lord will take in this City and the Citizens threof in the Church and members thereof Isa 60.4 She shall be called Hephzi-bah that is my delight is in her Then it will appear the Church is his pleasant portion Jer. 12.10 And the dearly beloved of his soul Verse 7. His glory Isa 46.13 The throne of his glory Jer. 14.21 Yea the crown of his glory Isa 62.3 He will delight in them to do them good to communicate himself unto them Revel 7.15 16 17. He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat For the Lamb which it in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall