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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85667	An exposition continued upon the sixt, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, with useful observations thereupon. Delivered in severall lectures in London, By William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1649 (1649)	Wing G1854; Thomason E577_1; ESTC R206361	436,404	591

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 m●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

Gods wrath sometimes is so hot that it takes not onely away the present comfort but even the future hope of temporall things they should have no benefit of the year of Jubile when it came they should not return again although they should suffer much long be alive at a time when mens hopes were wont to be fully answered for their lands and houses yet they should be without hope they dealt hypocritically with God they were an hypocriticall nation Isa 10.6 And the hope of hypocrites shall perish be cut off be a spiders webbe Iob 8.13 14. They grow great and greene but God hath judgements to cut them down they are fastned to the wals of the house as the Spiders web but God hath a beesome of destruction to sweepe them away what ever wicked mens hopes are of greatnesse here and happinesse hereafter yet God in his wrath can and oft doth blast them altogether Iob 14.9 Thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth and thou destroyest the hope of man Observ 4 4. The judgements decreed and given forth by the Ministers of God shall certainly take place The vision shall not returne without its accomplishment efficacy and fruit God foreknows all emergents oppositions events nothing can withstand or finally impede the execution of his decrees and threats hee is wise in appointing them faithfull to perform them and mighty in the execution of them Isa 43.13 I will worke and who shall lett it When God hath not promised or threatned none can let his working much lesse when the word is gone forth of his mouth and himselfe is engaged to make it good see Isa 55.11 My word shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please God will see to it constantly that it be so and seeing it s so and God now working in his judgments Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him for he spake and it was done Psal 33.8 9 Observ 5 Mens sins doe not strengthen them but weaken them No man shall strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life there is no strength comes in by sin it deprives us of our strength it blinds the mind prejudices the strength of reason it wounds the spirit guiltieth the conscience which accusing causeth despondency and makes asham'd it adds weight to all afflictions fils with feares and so produceth discouragements it keeps out the comfort benefit of the Ordinances makes God out with us all creatures against us brings a curse upon our undertakings subjects us to the curse of the Law and sentence of Condemnation any of these will weaken the heart of a sinner much more all In Ezek. 16.8 Jerusalems sinnes are reckoned up and vers 30. How weake is thine heart seeing thou dost all these things They do not strengthen but sink thee Innocency Righteousnesse strengthens Prov. 28.1 Observ 6 6. Sin is the life of a wicked man as blood is the life of all flesh Levit. 17.14 It maintaines and strengthens the life so iniquity is the life of all sinful flesh wicked men live upon wicked ways It 's pastime to a foole to doe wickedly Prov. 10.23 There is a life of sinne in the soule and things of Iniquity maintaine that life Christ lives in and by the Father John 6.57 A godly man lives in Christ 2 Tim. 3.12 And a wicked lives in sin delights in it feeds upon it 1 Tim. 5.6 She that liveth in pleasure is dead Observ 7 7. When God comes in judgment there is nothing can strengthen or secure a sinful people against the punishment of their Iniquity no power no policy no priviledge no wealth Jerusalem had as much to plead as any place in the World and those people had the choisest priviledges of all others Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the families of the Earth therefore will I punish you for al your Iniquities They were known above others none had so many miracles speciall providences blessings truths Prophets ordinances none were seated better oftner delivered honour'd with such Titles as they were and no people sin'd as they sin'd their sins exceeded the Heathens Ezek. 5.6 And now neither their priviledges nor their sins could exempt them from or relieve them under their sufferings Their iniquities hastned the Enemies sharpned their swords and arm'd them with severity to their utter destruction there is nothing in creatures in the ways of wickednesse to help in the day of wrath Amos 2.13 14 15 16. CHAP. VII 14. They have blown the Trumpet even to make all ready but none goeth to the battle for my wrath is upon all the Multitude thereof IN this Verse is set downe one of the most grievous calamities that could befall them namely despondency of mind they were called upon to Battle but none had a heart to goe forth to it and the cause is given my wrath is upon them all Some conceive these words to be spoken Ironically and read them thus Blow the trumpet let all be in a readinesse O ye Jewes call forth call together your strong Souldiers let all arm and hasten to meet the Enemy he is come into your Quarters ready to assault you in your Cities Where are you why doe you not appear in the open fields or stand upon your Guard to defend your Countrey and Cities you are cowardly spiritlesse men There is none goeth to the Battle Such Ironies and Sarcasmes the Scripture sometimes hath Isa 8.9 Associate your selves O yee people and yee shall be broken in pieces Isa 21.5 Arise yee Princes and anoint the Shield Belshazar and his Nobles were voluptuous the Medes were comming to his destruction undermyning the wals of Babylon and here the Spirit of God upbraided him and his Princes for their effeminacy and cowardlinesse We may take them literally They have blown the trumpet given publique notice to City and Countrey to make ready for Warre but none stirs none goe forth they are without spirit The first mention of Trumpets we find in Scripture is Exod. 19.16 And there they were used at the giving and promulgation of the Law and to this day in many places Lawes are proclaimed with the sound of Trumpets They were also used to proclaime Fasts and convocate solemn Assemblies Joel 2.15 Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctsie a Fast call a solemne Assembly and solemn Feasts Psal 81.3 In worship 2 Chron. 5.12 13. In the journeying of their camps Numb 10.2 For then the cloud that used to be over them remov'd Numb 9.22 Then Moses prayed Numb 10.35 And then the Trumpet sounded vers 5 6. It was also used to warne the people against the danger of Warre Ezek. 33.3 And in their Wars Josh 6.9 Here they blow the Trumpet to warn them of the danger to quicken them up to prepare against it There was loud sounding and vehement crying arme arme arme and none went out to the Battle

more then ever we read of formerly It can hardly be shewn in Scripture ●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

of wrath are said to come out of the Temple they had been there before the Lord. 6. Those are employed by the Lord must be carefull that they countenance no corruptions in worship Neither Christ nor the Angels would come at the false Altar which Ahaz had caused to be set up but they goe to Gods Altar the Brazen Altar by this they stood not the other Symbolizing with Idolatrous worship persons and things God allows not Deut. 12.30 They must not enquire after the Nations gods Levit. 18.3 They must not doe after the doings of Egyptians or Canaanites When Gods people were in Babylon of their condition there the Prophet speaks they must not touch any uncleane thing Isa 52.11 much lesse may they touch any in Sion therefore Paul press●th that phrase 2 Cor. 6.17 upon the Corinthians who were too forward to symbolize with corruptions touch no uncleane thing marry not with unbelievers be not at their feast eating idolothytes goe not to law before the Judges u●e none of their rites countenance nothing of their worship you wil be defiled offend your weak brethren Let all those things goe and what ever you lose or suffer I will be your Father receive you if you be cast off or out and make good all your losses God would not have his touch or countenance any corruptions in worship The primitive Christians would not cast a little incense into the fire to countenance an Idoll You know in Tertullians dayes it was counted unlawfull for Christians to weare a garland because it conform'd them unto heathens and what warrantablenesse hath been in our surplessing crossing kneeling cringing aloaring observation of dayes consecration of places These have conform'd us to Papists and brought an imputation upon us On Rev. 1.10 that we have Romaniz'd rather then Evangeliz'd The Rhemists condemn the Heathenish names of the week dayes Sunday Munday c. because it 's a countenancing of Heathen corruption it were well that we let fall all holy dayes because the keeping of them is a countenancing of their corrupt observations of them In Psalm 16.4 and Calvin saith Fidelibus fas non est ullo symbolo ostendere sibi cum superstitiosis esse consensum by our ceremonies and service we harden'd the Papists begat hopes in them of our return to them and griev'd if not stumbled wounded the godly weak amongst us 7. In times of judgement as God discountenances false worship so hee discovers and countenances his owne way of worship Christ and the six Angels here came not at the Altar and Idoll of Jealousie which was now in credit but to the brazen Altar which they had set by and now the false worship must downe the true and good way be countenanced Ahab maintaining Baalitish worship and Prophets God sent a famine 1 Kings 18. which brought them all low and God now stirr'd up the spirit of Elijah to ruine the false prophets and worship and raise up his owne therefore by sacrificing hee discovers the false and true worship the false and true God and therefore after sacrificing the people halted not any longer betweene two opinions but their hearts were turned back to the Lord and they cryed The Lord he is the God the Lord he is the God vers 39. In Josiah's dayes Gods wrath was abroad 2 Kings 22.13 and then was the Law found and Idolatry rooted out Chap. 23.4 When God visits for errors and corruptions in worship then he opens a doore for truth which was shut up and there is great reason for it that he may cleare and vindicate his proceeding● When truth and Gods wayes are discovered and countenanced then stoners see they have been out acknowledge the equity of Gods judgements if not repent of their follies The axe was at the root of the tree when the Gospel came in their corruptions of the law false interpretations and traditions were discover'd condemn'd and the glorious truths of the Gospel by degrees were let in When Christ had the whip in his hand and was purging the Temple he had the truth in his mouth My house shall be called the house of prayer John 2.15 16. Math. 21.12 13. and yee have made it a denne of thieves VERS 3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house and he called to the man cloathed with linnen which had the writers Inkehorne by his side HEre our Prophet hath a sad sight he sees the glory removed from its place and going away which presaged no good to Jerusalem The parts of the vers are these 1. The subject of this glory The God of Israel 2. The motion of this glory or glorious God he was gone and in his going you have 1. Terminu●● quo from the Cherub c. 2. Terminus ad quem to the threshold of the house 3. What he did he call'd 4. To whom to the man cloathed with linnen c. The glory of the God of Israel For the glori●us God of Israel some take it per hypallagen I have spoken of these words before Chap. 8.4 We may hold to the words and understand thereby some visible signe of the gracious presence o● God It 's thought our Prophet alludes to that in Ex●d 25.22 Upon the Arke were two Cherubims between those the mercy-seate wa● where God appeared and from whence he gave ou● his mind to Moses and others Numb 7.8 9. Moses heard God speak from the mercy-seate and that God now had left his place he had dwelt sate in so long for those expressions you have 2 K. 19.15 Psal 99.1 now he was with-drawing his presence and denying them assistance Others think by the glory of God here to be meant that glory which the Prophet had formerly seen Ch. 1.28.3 Ch. 23 8.4 This visionall glory the sign● of Gods presence went away according to that Chap. 10.4 The glory of the Lord went up from the Cherubims Cherub being put for Cherubims which is usu●l in Scripture to put one number for another Wee may safely take either of these senses because this vision Ezekiel had of Christ was a signe of D vine presenc● as the mercy-seat was the going away of it or this glory doe both clearly evidence to us that God was departing which is the scope of the Spirit here Gone up from the Cherub Pradus denyes that the Lord left the Cherubims and went without them to the threshold but together with them and Deodate seems to be of that opinion in his notes upon the place but the Text it self leads us to think otherwise for Ch. 10.18 The glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house and stood over the Cherubims which shews that the glorious Lord returned to the Cherubims he had left To the threshold of the house The Sept. have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in serenum sub dio th●y say the Lord went out of the Temple into the open