many think they have the same when they have it not There be several things which cause men to judge so First Outward Reformation When men cease from their former lewd courses when they give over their drunkenness whoredome swearing lying oppression and other scandalous practices they think themselves and are reputed of others to be new men and so to have new hearts but know A man may have escaped the pollutions of the world have changed his manners yet retain his old heart a Swine may be washed and yet reserve her Swinish nature Herod reformed in many things yet had an unreformed heart Mark 6.20 Luke 3.20 Chap. 9.9 The Scribes and Pharisees were whited Sepulchres they had beautifull out-sides they appeared righteous unto men but what were their hearts were they not full of hypocrisie and iniquity Matth 23.27 28. Shame among men fear of punishment death hell terrours of conscience afflictions strength of reason and hope of profits and reward may make a man reform his life and manners his heart being still naught a man formerly deboist and wicked may become a new man and yet not have a new heart Secondly Morall virtues cause many to be deceived about this new heart because they are temperate just prudent faithful to their friends true in their speeches patient under afflictions seek the publique good not their own interest are chaste and courteous unto all they thereupon conclude that they have the new heart and new spirit here spoken of but all these are no more then were found in heathens Scipio Aristides Cato Aemilius Lepidus Lucretia and others excell'd in morall virtues The Romane faith was in great esteem in all the world because the Romans kept their word and made good whatever they promised Many Heathens excell'd in morallities and did virtuous actions for virtues sake yet they had no new hearts or spirits they knew not what regeneration was they were strangers to the Life of God and Faith they attained to what they had by their own industry and what they did was not done according to the mind of God in his Word and so referring to his glory they sought their own glory in all Thirdly A form of godliness When men have left their old wayes of sin and taken up a way or form of godlinesse which is new to them they imagine themselves to be new and to have new hearts they read pray hear meditate and worship God with their hearts which they never did before and hence they ground a newness in their hearts The Jews have a form of godlinesse at this day yet are they cast off of God and numbred amongst unbelievers Rom 11.20 Such was their godliness as persecuted true godliness Acts. 13.50 1 Thess 2.15 The Heathens had forms of godlinesse Plato taught men not to sleep without repentance for their sins Hermes instructed them to pray earnestly unto God and continually for repentance to call upon him in the day and not to forget him in the night they worshipped by nature those were no gods Treatise of Moral Philosophy Gal. 4.8 Forms of worship they had though they worshipped blindly Socrates saw further then the most of them who said God must be worshiped only that way which he hath appointed yet neither Socrates nor the rest of the Heathens had new hearts Christians have forms of godlinesse yet all among them have not new hearts among Papists and Protestants are many religious but few pious they have the form of godliness but not the power Painted fire is not true fire and all that worship God do not worship him in newness of spirit the most do worship him with old hearts Fourthly Some are deceived upon this ground that they have the Law in their hearts approve of truth make conscience of their wayes have peace within and so determine their hearts are new But here is a great mistake the Law is in mens hearts by nature Rom 2.14 15. The Gentiles which had not the Law did by nature the things of the Law and so shewed the work of the Law written in their hearts When they did ill their consciences did accuse them and when they did well they did excuse them and so they had peace here was nothing supernatural where there is a new heart a new spirit there is something supernatural men have not these by descent from their parents but they are given they are put in by God I will give you a new heart and I will put within you a new spirit The Law that all men have in their hearts is by virtue of Creation not of the new Covenant that is another Law Jer 31.33 which is from grace not from nature where this Law is written the heart is new and so doth not only approve of truth in general but knows and approves of truth as it is in Christ Eph 4.21 and as it is according to godliness Truth in a new heart provokes unto Godliness and maketh conscientious towards God and men Acts 24.16 Looking at Christ for peace Rom 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God the conscience being purged from dead works by the bloud of Christ Men have sound peace in their new hearts It s false peace which men of old hearts have they bribe their consciences with doing something and that is their peace Fifthly New Relations make some to fancy they have new hearts and new spirits they are under Church priviledges they are Citizens of Sion inhabitants of Jerusalem in relation to Christ and his Ordinances this may be and yet without newnesse of heart or spirit Relations make not alterations in mens hearts Simon Magus was baptized stood in relation to Christ and the Gospel yet his heart was the same it was before Acts 8. The Jews gloried they were the seed of Abraham John 8.33 Yet they were of their father the Devill vers 44. and had bloudy hearts vers 40. seeking to kill Christ Rom 2.28 29. Outward priviledges may be as Circumcision of the flesh where there is no Circumcision of the heart and Paul tels us Gal 6.15 That Circumcision nor uncircumcision avail any thing but a new creature they may be where the new creature is not himself had many priviledges Phil. 3. when he was far from newness of heart Sixthly Gifts They breed mistakes in divers persons those that have choice and great gifts perswade themselves they have new hearts and spirits that they are gracious and good but there is a vast difference between gifts and grace 1. Gifts make not a man a Christian Heathens had great gifts as Tully Seneca Plato Aristotle Plutarch Its grace makes a Christian the Gentiles were not Christians and so not acceptable to God till they were sanctified by the Holy Spirit Rom 15.16 They may make a man an useful man not a good man Acts 11.24 It s faith and the graces of the Spirit make a good man 2. All gifts do seldome or never meet in one man but graces do
the first Vision unto Ezekiel and so he doth in this last he was a Master-builder and appointed of God to build the House Zech. 6.12 13. Thus speaks the Lord of Hosts saying Behold the Man whose Name is the Branch that is Christ he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory And that this Man was Christ his appearance declares for it was like the appearance of Brass and so Christ Revel 1.15 is said to appear His feet were like unto fine Brass and here his countenance or whole body appeared like unto Brass that is free from spot beautiful bright and shining Christ was without blemish or spot 1 Pet. 1.19 He was holy harmless undefiled Heb. 7.26 He was fairer then the children of men Psal 45.2 With a line of Flax in his hand and a measuring Reed These be the Instruments which this man had a Line and a measuring Reed Such Instruments are proper to Architects and Master-Builders and being in the hand of Christ do demonstrate him to be the chief Builder of the Church The line of Flax was to measure the great spaces of the ground viz. the Floors Court and Compass of the Buildings and Walls The Reed was to measure the Buildings the thickness length and breadth of them Of such a Line and Reed is spoken of in Zech. 2.1 2. Rev 11.1 Chap. 21.15 A Reed is smooth round and light and therefore fit for measuring they were plentiful in those parts And he stood in the Gate The Hebrew is he standing in the Gate His posture was * Stabat quasi ad Ministerium accinctus Standing his place was in the Gate He stood there to direct the Prophet to shew him the measures of the Temple and other things to manifest he hath command of the Temple and may keep out and let in whom he pleased Versâ— 4. And the Man said unto me Son of Man Behold with thine eyes c. In this verse the end of the Vision is held forth which is that Ezekiel throughly understanding the things comprehended in it might communicate them to others Here the Lord Christ is call'd Man for that in time he was to be incarnate and the Son of Man speaks to Ezekiel and commands him two things 1. To give the most diligent and best attention as possible might be and therefore calls for not only the eyes and ears but the heart also Behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee his heart must go with his senses and seriously ponder what was presented Some things were to be seen some things were to be heard and all to be considered and why he was brought thither for that end 2. To make known what he should see hear and observe Declare them to the House of Israel he must not keep things to himself but publish them to others to the Church and People of Israel First Observe The Lord keeps an exact account of the time of his Church and Peoples sufferings He is the best and most punctual Chronologer of all in Heaven and Earth Men and Angels may mistake misreckon but the Lord doth not cannot In the 25. year of our captivity in the beginning of the year in the 10. day of the month in the 14. year after the City was smitten in the self same day Here the Years the Months and Days of the Jews captivity was observed of the Lord. When we are in misery and suffering conditions we think God forgets us Psal 79.5 Psal 89.46 but he takes notice of every Hour Day Month and Year Secondly Observe When the Church is low in the worst most desperate and deplorable condition even then the Lord hath a care of his Church Now the Temple City and Land of Canaan were utterly laid wast the people many of them destroyed the rest in Babylon without hope of ever seeing their own Country ch 37.11 In this condition the Lord appears to Ezekiel and gives him a most singular and excellent Vision concerning the Restauration of the Church the Extent Dignity and Glory of it whereby he shewed both the Prophet and the People whose hearts were fill'd with sorrow When the Church is in the Wilderness under persecution in Egypt or Babylon the Lord is solicitous for it Zech. 1.14 I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousie Thirdly Observe The Church is Mount Sion or Mount Sion is the Church wherein God makes known his mind for the comfort of his Ezekiel was carried in spirit into the Land of Israel and set there upon a very high Mountain viz. Mount Sion which typed out the Church of God and there he had this glorious vision there sweet consolation was given forth for the afflicted The Church is sometimes call'd a Garden and Fountain sealed as Cantic 4.12 Sometimes a Vineyard Mat. 20.1 Sometimes an House 1 Tim. 3.15 Sometimes a City Psal 46.4 Isai 60.14 Sometimes a Mountain Psal 2.6 And it 's so call'd for the hieghth the glory and the strength of it Mountains are high conspicuous and strong and so is the Church On Mountains is good aire so likewise is in the Church Hills are nearer heaven then other places they are below the Church is above the World Fourthly Observe The Church is well seated and well ordered Vpon which was as the frame of a City it 's seated upon a Mountain the Mountain of Gods Decree Power and Truth it 's well ordered for it 's as the frame of a City where every thing is in his right place and all fitly joyned together Psal 122.3 Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compacted together and the Church is a body fitly joyned together and compacted Ephes 4.16 Hence strength and beauty are to the Church it being so seated and so united The one made Christ say The gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16. and the other made Salomon to say It was beautiful as Tirzah and comely as Jerusalem Cant. 6.4 Fifthly Observe The Man Christ who is sinless and glorious is the chief Builder and exact Measurer of the Church and things belonging to it Behold a Man whose appearance was like the appearance of Brass with a Line of Flax in his hand and a Measuring-reed Christ without spot full of glory and wisdome is the Master-builder Mat. 16.18 chap. 21.33 Hab. 3.3 Prophets Apostles Ministers are his Servants Under-officers instructed directed and rewarded by him He is Architectus the Line and Reed are in his hand he measures all the Trees and Stones used in this Building the outward and inward Courts with all their appurtenances He was the Son of Joseph a Carpenter and some mystery might lye in that Sixthly Observe The way into Sion and unto the Father is by Christ he stands in the gate of the Temple ready to receive any
Israel by Jordan from the border to the East Sea that is the Lake of Sodom or Dead Sea as some interpret it But Numb 34.11 it is extended to the Sea of Chinnereth Eastward which is the Sea of Tiberias or Lake of Genesaret John 6.1 Luke 5.1 The South border is set forth unto us in ver 19. and it is from Tamar which Maldonate makes Jericho Others a Town near the Dead Sea and from hence to Meribah or the waters of Strife in Kadeh in the Wilderness of Zin Numb 20.13 27.14 and so to the River which led to the great Sea that River is called Sihor Josh 13.3 Jer. 2.18 and the River of Egypt Numb 34.5 and diâ—tinguished the Tribes of Simeon and Judah from Egypt as Sinetius saith and ran into the Mediterranean Sea which is the great Sea so called in respect of the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias and of the Dead Sea which were little ones to that To this great Sea came the South border The West border is in ver 20. from the border of the great Sea that is from the place where the River of Egypt exonerates it self into the Mediterranean Sea which by Geographers is called Rhinocura and so to Hamah in the North-West towards Mount Hor. This tract by the Sea was the West border Numb 34.6 The Prophet being shewn the borders of the Land in the fore-going Verses is brought here to see the division of it in the three last Verses And the division was to be according to the Tribes ver 21. and this division was to be not ad placitum but per sortem the lot was to fall upon it ver 22. Ye shall divide it by lot the Hebrew is ye shall make it fall that is under lot They might not pick and chuse what part of the Land they had a minde unto but take their portion where the lot fell and here it is ordered that strangers and their children shall not be excluded from inheriting Not all strangers were to have this priviledge but those that should come and dwell amongst them and beget children It was not so in the division of the Land by Moses and Joshua strangers might not inherit amongst them which clearly intimates there was to be a change of the Mosaical state Strangers might come into any of the Tribes which Sanctius understands of Proselytes whose number was great as he saith And into what Tribe soever they come there they were to have inheritance so that now the difference between strangers and natives Jews and Gentiles was to cease and they both had the same priviledge Having given you the litteral sense of the words now let us see what may be the spiritual sense of them for in the letter they were not fulfilled after the return froâ— Babylon but mystically under the Gospel they were 1. Then here is held out unto us The great extent and largeness of the Church under Christ and the Gospel The Land mentioned signifies the Churches state and the bordering of it out North East South West the extent of it into all parts The Christian Church is larger then the Jewish that was shut up in one Nation now it reaches to all Nations Mat. 28.19 neither Asia Africa Europe nor America are excluded Mat. 24.14 Luke 20.47 Rev. 15.4 The Church under the Gospel is universal and invisible 2. Those that are Subjects or Members of this Church are not Hypocrites but Israelites Those that were not Israelites and true Israelites were not to be in this Church Hypocrites scandalous ignorant and unregenerate persons are often in if not the major part of particular visible Churches but of the universal Church of Christ they are not that consists of true Israelites such as Nathaniel was John 1.48 of Jews inwardly such as are circumcised in heart and spirit Rom. 2.29 of such as are enrolled in Heaven Heb. 12 23. of sealed ones Rev. 7. and these stood with the Lamb on Mount Sion Rev. 14.1 These made up the Church and body of Christ 3. The priviledges of this Church do equally belong to all the members of it ver 14. Ye shall inherit it one as well as another None hath preheminence above others in the things of Christ and God As the Jews could not say This Land is more mine then yours I have the priviledges you have not so a Saint a Christian a true member of the universal Church cannot say The Church or priviledges of it are more mine then others who are in the same for all are one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.28 and there is but one Body one Spirit one hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all Ephes 4.4 5 6. it is one and the same grace of God one and the same righteousness of Christ one and the same eternal life which they are interested in 4. The state of Christians in the Church and all the spiritual blessings they have therein are of free grace and meer mercy This land shall fall to you for inheritance verse 14. and ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance verse 22. It was freely given them and what good soever was there in all the milk and honey thereof In like manner the bringing of men into Sion to be members of Christs Body and all the spiritual milk and honey they enjoy in that state is of meer grace and good pleasure Saith Christ himself No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him John 6.45 God hath given unto Christ some men John 17.2 and those God hath given to Christ he brings them to Christ from whom they have milk wine and honey 5. The Church of God under the Gospel consisted of Gentiles as well as of Jews This appears from this That strangers might sojourn amongst them The Gentiles were strangers being neither of the seed of Abraham nor of the Commonwealth of Israel Ephes 2.12 but they were under Ch ist to be in Canaan that is in the Church John 10.16 Of these Christ spake when he said Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring that is into the fold It was prophesied in Isa 49.22 that the Gentiles should come in Thus saith the Lord God behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sons in their arms and thy daughters shall he carried upon their shoulders c. The Gentiles and their children should believe and come into the Church of Christ And Isa 56.6 7. Also the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord to be his servants c. eveâ— them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my house of Prayer Isa 65.1 Zach. 2.11 Many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people Tâ—ese Prophesies and many other to the same purpose are made good and
unto the Jews and the one thousand two hundred and sixty days put for years are drawing to an end and God is about some great things to be done in the world and will ere long break forth That by this City is represented the Church some Rabbins themselves do acknowledge for though they deny our Christ to be the Messiah because he never built them such a Temple and City as Ezekiel describes yet they acknowledge this City and Temple to be understood not corporally or literally but mystically and spiritually And the Talmudists affirm That by Jerusalem we are to understand the gathering of the Gentiles to Christ or the whole body of Christians There be several things observable concerning this City or Church of Christ 1. That it is well and strongly founded usually Cities are built upon hills and mountains which are the strongest parts of the earth and so was this City chap. 40.2 Ezekiel saw the frame of this City upon a very high mountain and on such a mountain is the Christian Cfiurch built on the mountain of Gods Decree and Power on the mountain of Righteousness and Truth it s built upon Christ the rock of ages such a rock as the gates of hell cannot shake or shatter John tells us of this City the new Jerusalem that it had twelve foundations three on every square which were sure firm and would never fail The Lord Christ the holy Scriptures and the Doctrine of the holy Prophets and Apostles must fall to the ground before the Church shall be ruined 2 Tim. 2.19 2. It is comely and beautiful Cities which are built four square especially are so and such was this City it had four thousand and five hundred measures on each quarter there was nothing unfightly on any of the four quarters they were all parallel and had gates alike in them which presented it very delightful to the eye the Church of Christ is comely and beautiful its built not of unhewen stones or timber but such as are well hewen and orderly laid together Hence the Church of Corinth is called Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 and the Church in general the City of the living God Heb. 12.22 The Church is such a building such a City as is full uf comeliness and beauty it s a congregation of Saints Psal 149.1 It s the garden of Christ Cant. 4.12 his Kingdom Matth. 13.41 his Spouse whom himself saith is fair yea the fairest among women Cant. 1.8 pleasant verse 16. and beautiful 7.1 the Church is Christs body Eph. 1.23 the Spirits Temple 1 Cor. 3.16 and therefore hath curious work in it very glorious and beautiful What David said of Sion Psal 50.2 that it was the perfection of beauty is most true of the Church under Christ and in Christ it s the perfection of beauty Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 3. The greatness and amplitude of this City it had four thousand and five hundred measures Eastward West North and Southward it was eighteen thousand measures in compass which sets out the greatness and vast extent of the Church of Christ Zach. 10.10 God saith he will bring the Jews from Egypt and Assyria and so multiply them that place shall not be found for them Isa 49.20 The children shall say in thine ears that is in the ears of the Church the place is too strait for me give place that I may dwell The Christian Church is spoken of which should multiply so that their habitation must be enlarged as it is Isa 54.1 2 3. Now the tents and curtains of Sions habitation are stretched to the ends of the earth Psal 2.8 Mal. 1.11 From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof 4. The City hath access unto it from all parts great Cities have many gates East gates West gates North gates and South gates so had this City twelve gates in every quarter three which signifies unto us the great access should be unto the Church of Christ from all parts not onely Jews should come out of the twelve Tribes to enter and dwell in this City and be under the Government of it but multitudes of Gentiles out of all nations and quarters of the world should do so Rev. 7. John saw not onely twelve thousand Jews enter in at each gate but a great multitude also which no man could number of all Nations kindreds peoples Tongues The Jews were numerable forty four thousand but the Gentiles were above so many millions the number of them which entered by the gates was innumerable 5. The happiness of this City which is from the Lords inhabiting there and giving it its denomination the name of it shall be Jehovah Shammah The Lord is there Alexandria was not so happy in Alexander nor Constantinople so happy in Constantine nor Jerusalem in Solomon as this City shall be in Jehovah We read in sacred Scripture of a golden City Isa 14.4 of a Royal City 1 Sam. 27.5 of a renowned City Ezek. 26.17 But their glory and happiness was a shadow to the glory and happiness of this City they were cities without God Jehovah was not there but here will the Lord himself be These words Jehovah Shammah import 1. The presence of God in the Church and that is a happiness to have his presence when God left the Temple and City of Jerusalem that was their great misery Hos 9.12 His presence in Heaven makes it Heaven and his presence in the Church makes it happy Thus saith the Lord I am returned unto Sion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy mountain Gods presence makes it a City of Truth and an holy mountain and that City is happy which hath truth and holiness in it Zech. 8.3 2. His continuance in it he will not be ut hospes in diversorio sed ut haeres in patrimonio he will dwell there he will not leave this city nor depart from it as he did from Jerusalem of old and as he did from the Jews after their captivity Jer. 32.40 I will not turn away from them to do them good Ezek. 37.26 I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore Rev. 7.15 He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell with them It is the happiness of a Saint to have the Comforter and his great happiness to have the same abide with him and that for ever Joh. 14.16 So it s the happiness of the Christian to have Christs presence and exceeding happiness to have it for ever 3. His upholding and preserving of it the Church is Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 He said in Isaiahs days I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires I will make thy windâ—ws of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy border of pleasant stones Isa 54.11 12. and when the Lord shall do this he will
Institutions of Christ shall we Symbolize with them in the Superstitions of Antichrist Fidel bus fas 〈◊〉 est uâ—â—â—oâ—ymâ—â—o ostendere sibi cumsuâ—e stitioâ—s esse con sensum in Ps 16. Judicious Calvin saith it is unlawful for Beleevers to manifest by any Rite that they Symbolize with superstitious ones Mr. Paget tels us that Temples wherein Idols and Idolatrous Service are still retained and dayly practiced cannot lawfully be frequented nor walked in In his arrow against separat pag. 319. because of of the wo incurred by reason of scandal Mat. 18.7 Marcus Bishop of Arethusa having pul'd down an Idolatrous Temple at the command of Constantine and being put upon it by Julian Theâ—dor l. 3. câ—p 6. juxta 〈◊〉 either to build it up again or pay for building of it he denied both a small summe was demanded his answer was it is as great wickedness to give a half-penny towards such a work as to give the whole he suffered great tortures rather then he would contribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one half-penny to promote Idolatry Arrow against seperat pag. 253. and the forenamed Paget holds it to be the dutie of a Christian man rather to die then give any thing for the furtherance of Idolatry though it were but a half-penny De cerona militis Tertullian defends and commends the Christian Souldiers that would not wear a Crown of Laurel like the Heathens and Rhenanus in his argument before that Booke of Tertul. saith curandum fuit Christianis ne profanis Ethnicorum ritibus subscribere viderentur Mor. same quam Idolâ—thritist esci August de â—ono conjugâ—l c. 16. It concerned the Christians to take heed of complying with their Rites Another of the Fathers saith it were better to be starved to death than to eat things offered to Idols Those take part in the ceremonies of Idolaters offer to Devils and joyn themselves to the service of Idols 1 Cor. 10. Reader it is dangerous to Symbolize with the Superstitions Rites and inventions of men Do not Judaize do not Gentilize do not Romanize but see you Christianize Nothing in Worship pleaseth God but what is his own what man brings is spurious pollutes his Ordinances and frustrates his commands Math. 15.6 That comes from God is set up by him carries to him is pure and approved of by him False Worship and mixtures with the pure Ordinances of God are as smoak to his eyes Vineger to his teeth Ezek. 8.6 an abomination to his spirit and when they come into his Sanctuary he goeth out of it and far from it God had chosen Sion to dwell in Psal 132.13.14 Ezek. 9.3.11.23 There was the glory but when the people grew prophane the Princes and Priests corrupted his worship then the Glorious Lord and Glory of the Lord left them Gods Worship is his Name and that is so dear unto him that he will not endure any humane mixtures therewith but shew vehement Indignation against them Hos 4.15 Ier 23.16 Per ministeristerium verbale saith Boderianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leigh in critica sacr service of the word id in Rom. 12.1 if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the milke of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it the service of the Word and had rather mens souls and bodies should perish then his Name be polluted go ye serve every man his Idols but pollute ye my holy Name no more c. Ezek. 20.39 Keep off therefore from false Worship and mixtures of men you are not to come there you are not to hear those teach such things but to decline them as Serpents in the way and as poyson in your meats you are to feed on nothing but the sincere milk of the Word and to Worship God only with * Word-service Rom. 12.1 Such as is appointed and ordered by the Word not contrarie to or besides it The jealousie of the Lord about matters of his worship appeared eminently in Ezekiels Temple which represented the Church under the Gospel where nothing was to be of the Priests devising but the Rule was they shall keep my Laws and my Statutes in all my Assemblies and they shall hallow my Sabbaths Ezek. 44.24 The Assembiles are the Lords in them must be not mens but his Lawes and Statutes otherwise his Assemblies are robbed and wronged his Sabbaths polluted and profaned Some say Imperium sequitur Ecclesia the false Church may but the True Church sequitur Christum It follows Christ His sheep hear his voice and not Strangers They say Christ we know and Paul we know but who are you They will not comply with false wayes and mixtures but stand for pure worship and pure Ordinances Vt caelâ—m tâ—rrae m scerâ— contingu merito tatâ—m pluâ—â—s esse nobis debet sincâ—rus Dei cultas sacâ—o sancta eâ—us veritas in quo nobis repoâ—ta est 〈◊〉 â—â—â—u quam ceâ—tam â—undi Câ—lv Epist Com. in Tot. Col. 2 â—â— saying Let heaven and earth be confounded yet the sincere worship of God and his holy Truth in which eternal life is laid up for us deservedly ought to be and shall be more dear unto us then an hundred worlds Happie be the souls are so resolved they will buy the Truth what ever it cost them and it will be no Symonie they shall find in Gods pure wayes where nothing of man is Gods gracious presence large discoveries of himself transformation into his Image intimate communion with him sensation of his goodness strong consolations and increasments with the increases of God which will make all losses and sufferings and fit men for the New heavens new earth wherein shall dwell righteousness which the Lord hasten and for which let us beleevingly and patiently wait giving diligence that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Reader if thou hast found any benefit by the four former parts uppon Ezekiel or shalt gain any by this give God all the Glory who hath led me through the difficulties and depths of this Prophet and vouchsafe him an interest in thy prayers who hath spent his strength for thee and be at some pains to read what he hath taken much and long paines to write The faithful God who makes good his promises put his spirit into thee and cause thee to walk in his Statutes to keep his Judgements and do them So prayeth He that affactoinately desireth the spiritual and eternall good of souls W. G. The 1th of the 3d. Month. 1662. ERRATA PAge 5 in marg r. Junium p 6 l 24 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 6 l 24 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 10 l 18 dele are p 13 l 32 r. Psal 90.11 p 23 l 29 r Taphanehes p 24 l 2 r. this l 21 put the comma after nigra p 30 l 26 r. brake 32 l 23 r Noak p 50 l 21 r. bejad l 27 r. Oecolampadius p 56 l 19 r. Akdir
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
be nothing but the very Land I will take that for a possession so shall I enrich my self inlarge my borders and become great Such thoughts and hopes were once in Tyrus she looked to be made by the sufferings of Jerusalem Ezek 26.2 Tyrus said against Jerusalem she is broken that was the Gates of the people she is turned unto me I shall be replenished now she is laid waste Tyrus expected that Jerusalem being ruined all the trading should come to her that the great concourse of people Jerusalem had should enter her Gates and tread her Streets Obadiah tells us that the Edomites laid hands on the Jewish substance in the day of their calamity vers 13. They coveted their wealth thirsted after their Land and sought to advance themselves by their ruins Secondly Observe The desires hopes and expectations of the wicked come to naught The Edomites coveted Canaan hoped and waited for it but the Lord was there and disappointed them they were shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem destroyed by the Babylonians Jer 27.3 6. God had given them into Nebuchadnezzars hand David tells you Psal 112.10 That the desire of the wicked shall perish and Solomon saith Prov 10.28 That the expectation of the wicked shall perish they desire and expect the fulfilling of their desires but themselves their desires and expectations come to naught in Prov 11.23 Solomon hath a strange expression it s this The expectation of the wicked is wrath Do men look for wrath No but the event of their expectation is such they meet with the wrath of God these Edomites looked for the Land of the Jews and lost their own Thirdly Observe The Lord keeps and disposes of Lands as he pleases He was in Canaan The Lord was there he was patron of it he kept it out of the Edomites hands he reserved it for his people again Hence Obadiah ver 17. saith The house of Jacob shall possesse their possessions They shall come again and inhabit their Countrey which God reserved for them Jer. 49.1 2. When the ten Tribes were carryed away the Ammonites who dwelt neer the Tribe of Gad intruded into it and the Cityes of it but see what God saith in vers 2. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will cause an Alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heap and her Daughters that is lesser Towns shall be burnt with fire then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs Israel shall return out of captivity and possess his own Land and the Ammonites also which for a season got part of his Fourthly Observe Whatever the fate of a Land is whatever calamities it lyes under yet the Lord is not far from it he is in it Judaea was laid waste the Temple and Cityes in it ruined man and beast cut off enemies on all sides seeking to get it in whole or in part and notwithstanding it was in such a case in such danger The Lord was there God is said to dwell in darknesse Ps 18.11 He made darknesse his secret place Here was a Land of darknesse and God hid himself in it he was there though the Edomites saw him not When Babylonians lay waste Sion drive out the inhabitants thereof yet they cannot drive out God he is in Sion and will abide in Sion The Bear out of the wood not long since was wasting and the wild beast of the field devouring they drove many out of our Sion but they could not drive God out he was here when the face of all things was lamentable Vers 11. Therefore as I live saith the Lord God I will even do according to thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them and I will make my self known amongst them when I have judged thee In this and the two next verses you have a further discovery of Mount Seirs sins and how God would deal with the inhabitants thereof and all confirmed by oath I will even do according to thine anger Thou hast been angry with my people yea angry unto death and I will do accordingly not that God would be angry but he would punish them severely for their anger Anger is not a boyling of the bloud and spirits about the heart as some have made it for that is rather an effect then the nature of it Ira est appetitio reddendi malum ei qui malum retulit It s an inordinate desire of returning evill to him whom we conceive hath wronged us And according to thine envy The Edomites envyed the Jews who prospered into a Kingdom and grew renowned Ezek 16.13 14. The nature of envy is to grieve at the good of another man and to think it an evill to our selves that we are exceeded by others in any thing Invidia est tristitia de bono alieno aestimato ut malo proprio quatenus per bonum alienum apprehendimus nos ab altero superci an envious man is afflicted that any is equall to him or above him Which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them Hatred is an enmity of the appetite to things or persons apprehended contrary to its good and contentment The Edomites looked at the Jews as enemies as contrary to their good and content and so hated them There is a twofold hatred or rather two degrees of hatred the first is aversion which only flies from what is hated we hate Toads Serpents and such venomous creatures and flye from them the second is persecution which pursues the thing hated to destruction the one respects the evill simply the other the thing or person in which the evill is apprehended to be with this last kind or degree of hatred were the Edomites infected and so envying them sought their ruine And I will make my self known amongst them when I have judged thee I will execute judgement upon thee deliver thee and thy wealth into the hands of thine enemies and my servants shall behold my glory in punishing thee and my mercy in delivering them my people shall know what a God I am when I have visited you for your hatred envy and wrath against them they shall find me a God exercising mercy as you have found me a God executing judgements as I have made my self known to you in my power and justice so I will make my self known to them in mercy and loving kindness First Observe One sinful affection sets others on work The Edomites hatred set their anger envy on work They used these out of their hatred of the Jews they hated them and that hatred stir'd up their anger to do them harm and their envy to persecute them unto death The Apostle saith of love 1 Cor. 13.4 5. It envies not it is not easily provoked it thinks no evill But hatred envies is easily provoked and thinks nothing but evill it s a root of bitterness and brings forth bitter fruit it makes use of
be in them The spirit in Scripture is compared to Fire Matth 3.11 to a mighty wind Acts 2.2 to a fountain or spring John 7.38 39. to an ointment 1 John 2.27 to the oyl of gladnesse Psal 45.7 All which things will be seen heard or smelt and set out the spirits manifestation of it self The spirit is an active thing and makes its inbeing-known by mens outward actions as the in-being of the soul is by speaking and walking the sap keeps not alwayes in the root but ascends disperseth it self into every branch and by leaves blossoms and fruit declares the life and nature of the Tree many whose lives do testifie what they are cheat their own souls with this delusion They have honest hearts and are inwardly good though they be not so gracious and holy outwardly as others yea though corruptions do break out sometimes inwardly they are good but let such know it is impossible there should be grace Christ or the spirit within them and these not appear in their tongues and lives For out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaks and the hand acts The corruption breaks out testifies there is a corrupt graceless Christless and spiritless heart within Ninthly Observe When men have received the spirit of God they are assisted and enabled by it to proceed and persevere in the wayes of God I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements As the stonynesse of their hearts and power of their wills could not hinder God frâ—â—â—utting in his spirit so the stonyness being removed the liberty or power of the will cannot hinder the spirit from carrying on the men in whom it is in the wayes of God it complyes and co-operates with the spirit therein Mans Will after the spirits infusion and work upon it neither doth nor can hinder his proceeding and persevering in the wayes of God for if so mans will should frustrate the promise of God and make him in one part of it unfaithful for he that said I will put my spirit within you said also I will cause you to walk in my statutes to keep my judgements and do them he saith not If man will it shall be so but I will have it so The spirit of God is stronger than Satan 1 John 4.4 Stronger than mens wills and corruptions and will put forth his strength to maintain the truth and faithfulnesse of him who put him within men for that end that he should assist them against whatever should hinder their progress and perseverance in his wayes The spirit writes the Law of God in the hearts of men 2 Cor. 3.3 teaches them to understand the same 1 John 2.27 and enables them to obey all truth 1 Pet. 1.22 They obeyed the Truth through the spirit that caused them to walk in the way of truth notwithstanding Satans temptations the strength of their own corruptions and liberty of their wills Those that have the spirit are led by it and cannot be under the dominion of sin or Satan Rom. 6.14 They are under grace under the conduct of the spirit which will never let them apostatize and perish 1 John 3.9 There is a seed in them which will never suffer them so to degenerate as to become the seed of the Serpent Tenthly Observe Those that have the spirit in them do make godlinesse and the wayes of God their businesse and delight here in this world They walk in his statutes that 's their work trade recreation no businesse lyes more upon them than to be godly The world they are dead unto it Gal. 6.14 and use it as if they used it not 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. And sin they are dead unto they have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darknesse Ephes 5.11 but they are alive unto God Rom 6.11 They spend their time and strength for him they live to his praise and glory So Paul Phil. 1.21 saith To me to live is Christ Vita mea non nisi in rebus Christi occupatur My life is employed and laid out in the service and interest of Christ Those that have the spirit in them live in the spirit and walk in the spirit according to Gal. 5.25 They shew forth the vertues of him that hath put in the spirit within them and the vertues of the spirit being within them David had the spirit of God within him and he made godlinâ—â—â—e his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his principal businesse and the statutes of God his delight Psal 119.164 Seaven times a day do I praise thee vers 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee vers 97. Gods Law was his meditation all the day Psal 71.15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse and salvation all the day Psal 25.5 On thee do I wait all the day Psal 84. â—0 A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the Tents of wickedâ—esse Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Where is a King where is a Christian that mindeth godlinesse as David did or delights in the wayes of God as he did May it not be taken up for a lamentation that most Christians declare that neither Christ nor the spirit is in them because they neither seek the things of the one nor savour the things of the other Phil. 2.21 Rom. 8.5 Eleventhly Observe A man indowed with the spirit must walk in Gods statutes and in his only I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes they must not worship God any other way then he hath appointed in his word Inward and outward worship must be appointed by God for who knows what will please God but himself he is a glorious and holy spirit infinitely and only wise and that only must we stick unto as pleasing unto him which himself appoints Mens inventions and appointments in worship defile mens souls provoke divine Majesty a godly man therefore is very tender in point of worship and will practice nothing therein but what he hath found a cleer foundation for out of the word of God he knows that when Nadab and Abihu brought strange fire before God it brought a strange judgement upon them from God Levit. 10.1 2. He knows that all worship after the Commandements and Traditions of men is in vain Matth. 15.9 He knows no Coin is currant in the Court of Heaven but that which hath the Image and Superscription of God himself upon it he knows what God hath said Ezek. 20.18 19. Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their judgements nor defile your selves with their idols I am the Lord your God walk in my statutes and keep
then they will remember their evill doings their bitterness against Christians and bloudynesse against Christ and loath themselves for the same Zech. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 Thirdly Observe Where repentance comes it makes a change in mens judgments affections and lives They should loath themselves in their own sight for their iniquities and for their abominations What they approved of before delighted in and practised that they should look upon as abominable loath and turn from Repentance begins in mens minds and judgements altering them and when they are altered the affections and conversation will alter when the Prodigall repented there was a change inward and outward Vers 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel IN this Verse is comprehended the ground of all the gracious and great Promises specified in the words before and following And 1. It is expressed Negatively It is not for your sakes 2. Implyed Affirmatively It is for the Lords sake Not for your sakes do I this God saw nothing in them to move him to bring them out of Babylon or to do ought for them in Babylon but he beheld that in them which might have moved him to destroy them he saw how they profaned his holy name among the Babylonians vers 21. he saw how they intended to turn heathens and worship wood and stone Ezek. 20.32 Being Gods people they thought God was bound to do much for their sakes and that he should not deal justly with them if he did not mind them do for them see how they expostulated with God Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest it not wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge They did in effect tell God he dealt not well with them they deserved better things at his hands than they had therefore said the Lord here Not for your sakes do I this Be it known unto you Take notice that what conceits soever ye have of your own worth or deserts because ye are my people and of the seed of Abraham my friend yet I do not bring you out of Babylon for your worth or merits sake I do nothing upon that account and proclaim it openly unto you and all the world Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes Your wayes are so far from meriting at my hands that they merit not at the hands of men they are of that nature as you ought to be ashamed and confounded for them of the words ashamed and confounded was spoken Chap. 16.52 54 61. First Observe Men are apt to think they deserve something at Gods hands The house of Israel thought she had suffered a long and sore captivity and having fasted and mourned every fift and seaventh month throughout the seaventy years Zech 7.5 she conceived God now should deal unkindly yea unjustly if he should not do some great thing for her now it was just for him to remember all her tears sighs prayes fastings and sufferings to set her at liberty and give her repossession of her Land rewarding her with old and new priviledges Matth. 7.22 Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull works They thought they had merited Heaven by their doings and looked for some wonderful reward for their wonderful works The labourers which came into the Vineyard at the third and sixt hours thought they deserved more of the Lord of the Vineyard than they that went in at the ninth and eleventh hours Matth. 20. Prone is corrupt nature to conceit it merits somewhat at the hands of God But Secondly Observe Mens wayes are such as they ought to be ashamed of themselves and fear destruction from God for them Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel they are such as you should blush at and loath to behold and make you fear least my judgements should sieze upon you for them Nehem. 9.30 31. What saith he of them Lord thou gavest them into the hand of the people of the Lands that is thou didst cast them into captivity for their own wayes and what then Neverthelesse for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume them They had cause to fear consuming had not mercy and great mercy stepped in they had been utterly consumed So Jeremy Lament 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed If it be mercy that our persons are not destroyed what do our works or wayes deserve from him Thirdly Observe The Promises God makes unto and the mercies he bestows upon his people are free and for his own sake Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you I have promised To sprinkle you with clean water to put a new heart into you to give you my spirit to save you from all your iniquities to bring you again to Sion to give you many mercies there to do you much good but these I do not for your sakes you deserve them not but for mine own sake for mine own honour and name as vers 22. I do not this O house of Israel for your sakes but for mine holy names sake For mans sake come judgements the earth was cursed for Adams sake Gen 3.17 For Achans sake the Israelites fell and fled Josh 7. For Jonas sake the Sea was tempestous Jon 1.4.12 But when mercies come at Land or Sea it is for the Lords own sake He made all things for himself Prov 16.4 for his own names sake and what good soever he doth to any Nations or Persons is not for your sakes but for his own holy names sake When the Jews were neer destruction he wrought for his names sake Ezek 20.9 So when we were neer to destruction oft times in these Nations the Lord wrought for his own names sake not for our sakes Let us give God the glory of what he hath done for our Nation and for our selves and say Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake Vers 33 34 35. Thus saith the Lord God In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the Cities and the wastes shall be builded And the desolate Land shall be tilled whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by And they shall say this Land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden and the waste and desolate and ruined Cities are become fenced and are inhabited IN these Verses the Lord proceeds in Temporal Promises and tells them what he will do for them after he hath cleansed them from their sins 1. Their Cityes and waste places shall be re-edified 2. Their Cityes shall be inhabited 3. Tillage of the Land 4.
in Summer and heat of the body in hot weather Many bathe themselves in the water to cool them Dives begg'd a little water to cool his tongue Luke 16.24 The waters of the Gospel have a cooling vertue in them they cool the heat of persecution Mat. 5.11 12. they cool the heat of our passions James 3.20 Mat. 5.22 they cool the heat of temptations Rom. 16.20 1 Cor. 10.13 James 12.12 they cool the heat of our lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 Rom. 8.13 1 Tim. 6.9 10. they cool the scorchings of a guilty Conscience and fire of Hell Matth. 12.31 and 11.28 1 John 1.7 4. Water makes the earth fruitful When they wanted rain there was barrenness and famine Jer. 14. but when they had the former and latter rain all things flourished and abounded Ezek. 34.26 27. I will cause the shower to come down in his season there shall be showers of blessings and the tree of the field shall yield her fruit c. Litterally these words are true and spiritually also and set out the fruitfulness of those who were to live under the sweet showers of Gospel Doctrine They should be like a watered garden Jer. 31.12 The doctrine of the Lord is as the rain and dew which falling upon the tender herbs and grass causes them to grow Deut. 32.1 When Zacheus was watered with this water he became very fruitful and gave half of his goods to the poor Luke 19.8 others sold all and laid the money down at the Apostles feet Acts 4.35 They were abundant in love and in good works 5. Water quencheth thirst satisfies and revives the thirsty soul It was their drink in the infancy of the World and is still in some hot Countreys Sampson when like to perish for thirst having some water out of the jaw-bone of an Ass he revived and was satisfied Judg. 15.18 19. The waters of the Gospel have this property also when the soul is a thirst there is no water quenceth that thirst but the water of life which the Gospel sheweth and conveyeth unto us The Gospel hath this water of life in it Christ and the Spirit which it makes men partakers of The great and precious promises are satisfying things the righteousness and Spirit of Christ are satisfying and reviving things Peter found it so when he said to Christ Lord to whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life Let others go to what Brooks Pits or Cisterns they will to quench their thirst we will never go from thee who hast the words of eternal life who art the Fountain of living Waters and canst satisfie us for ever John 6.68 This Water quencheth unlawful desires and satisfieth Spiritual desires 6. Some waters have a curing and healing vertue The Pool of Bethesdah healed all manner of diseases Joh. 5.4 There be waters in our Land which have healing vertue in them Such be the waters here mentioned for they healed other waters v. 8. Gospel waters will heal sick souls and bodies The Centurion said to Christ Lord speak thou but the wâ—rd onely and my servant shall be healed and it was so Mat. Mat. 8.8 13. Christ cast out Devils with his word and healed all that were sick ver 16. The Gospel is not onely a pattern of wholesome words but of healing words also there is no spiritual disease in the soul but the Gospel hath healing vertue to cure it therefore it is called the Gospel of Salvation Ephes 1.13 and the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 7. Some waters are very cordial and do greatly comfort the spirits of man None more then the waters of the Gospel by which the Spirit the true solid eternal Comforter flows into the heart The Gospel and good things of it are set out by Water Milk and Wine Isa 55.1 all which are comforting things The Gospel is glad-tidings and affords strong and everlasting consolation to the soul 2 Thess 2.16 2 Cor. 3.5 Jeremiah saith the Word of God was the joy and rejoycing of his soul chap. 15.16 David professes he had perished in his affliction had he not drunk of these Cordial Waters Psalm 119.92 To come to those Observations which we may pick out of these Verses Observ 1. That as it is Christ who makes known the things of the Temple so he doth the same not all at once but he makes known some at one time some at another Formerly Christ had revealed much to the Prophet and here he brings him again to the door of the House and shews him waters he had not seen before We are not capable of much at once like children we must have line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little Ezekiel is instructed a little in one place and a little in another place as he was capable So Christ the wise and chief Builder of the Temple deals with him and revealed one thing after another unto him and so he dealt with his Disciples John 16.12 Observ 2. The waters of the Gospel the gifts and graces of the Spirit do flâ—w from Sion from Jerusalem where Ezekiel had his vision Chap. 40.2 The bitter waters of the Law flowed from Mount Sinai but the sweet waters of the Gospel flowed from Mount Sion Isaiah long before prophesied whence these waters should come Isa 2.3 Out of Sion shall go forth the Law that is the Law of Faith not of Works and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem So in Zach. 14.8 And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem half of them towards the former sea that is East-ward and half of them towards the hinder sea that is West-ward In Summer and in Winter shall it be there shall be no time wherein these Jerusalem-waters shall cease flowing It is not Rome or any other City in the World which hath the honor to send out these waters but Jerusalem onely where was the true Church of God Observ 3. These spiritual waters although they flowed from Sion and Jerusalem yet Christ himself was the Fountain and Original of them they came from the door and threshold of the house Christ tells us He is the the door John 10.7 All spiritual water is in him all Heavenly Doctrine all gifts and graces When the Spirit moved holy men to speak as it is 2 Pet. 1.21 it received of Christ and shewed unto them John 16.14 and all the waters which flowed from the Apostles they received from Christ The Spirit was given them to fill their vessels and fitted them to carry these living waters from Jerusalem to all parts Acts 2.8 and Christ sent them forth to preach the Gospel all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him Col. 2.3 and he that believes in him receives living waters from him all gifts graces and divine truths are from him The waters of the Sanctuary flow from the Lord of the Sanctuary Observ 4. God would not have his Worshippers to conform to and comply with the
an honor to the place where they grow Observ 4. True Christians are always fruitful and nothing can hinder their fruitfulness They are trees that bring forth fruit according to their moneths and seasons neither heat nor cold doth blast their leaves no wind or weather doth consume their fruit but they go on and are fat and flourishing and still bring forth fruit in old age Psal 92.14 they are daily adding to their faith vertue to their vertue knowledge to their knowledge temperance to their temperance patience to their patience godliness to their godliness brotherly kindeness and to that charity These things are in true Saints and abound in them 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. The Corinthians abounded in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 Christians must always profess godliness and always practice it their leaf must always be green and their fruit always ripe there should not be a day or an hour wherein they should not be doing good or ready to do good and bear new fruit Jer. 17.8 Observ 5. The true cause of fruitfulness and such fruitfulness in Christians is the Doctrine and Grace of the Gospel Every tree brought forth fruit according to his moneth because the waters issued out of the Sanctuary Other waters had not such vertue such efficacy in them those sit under the heavenly dews and droppings of the Gospel they feel the influences of the Spirit they are most fruitful Observ 6. The holy profession and gracious language of true Saints are medicinable they heal the sores and bruises of sinners Their examples their savoury speeches do good like a medicine Prov. 12.18 The tongue of the wise is health and Prov. 15.4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life it yields good fruit And Women who are gratious win their husbands to the faith 1 Pet. 3.1 2. by their examples and good conversations and so they are healed and brought to Christ their leaves are for medicine Verse 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Thus saith the Lord God This shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve Tribes of Israel Joseph shall have two portions And ye shall inherit it one as well as another Concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers And this land shall fall unto you for inheritance And this shall be the border of the land toward the North-side from the great Sea the way of Hethlon as men go to Zedad Hamath Berothah Sibraim which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath Hazar Hatticon which is by the coast of Hauran And the border from the Sea shall be Hazar-enan the border of Damascus and the North Northward and the border of Hamath and this is the North-side And the East-side ye shall measure from Hauran and from Damascus and from Gilead and from the land of Israel by Jordan from the border unto the East Sea and this is the East-side And the South-side Southward from Tamar even to the waters of Strife in Kadesh the River to the great Sea and this is the South-side Southward The West-side also shall be the great Sea from the border till a man come over against Hamath this is the West-side So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the Tribes of Israel And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you which shall beget children among you and they shall be unto you as born in the Countrey among the children of Israel they shall have inheritance with you among the Tribes of Israel And it shall come to pass that in what Tribe the stranger sojourneth there shall ye give him his inheritance saith the Lord God THese Verses are the second part of the Chapter and contain 1. The bordering of the Land from ver 13. to ver 21. 2. The dividing of it from verse 21. to the end Something was said of the Land Chap. 45. and here that subject is proceeded in Verse 13. speaks in the general and saith the order whereby they were to inherit the Land must be according to the twelve Tribes of Israel East West North and South It is true that Levi had no border no possession Ezek. 44.28 yet twelve lots are spoken of because the Sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh come in for portions Josh 14.4 The children of Joseph were two Tribes Manasseh and Ephraim therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the Land See Josh 17.17 18. 1 Chron. 5.12 They had two portions the Hebrew is Lines because the portions were measured out by lines Verse 14. And ye shall inherit it one as well as another The Hebrew for one as well as another is a man as his Brother which is usual among the Hebrews For when they speak of two or more in the masculine gender they say vir frater ejus and when they speak of two or more in the faeminin gender they say uxor soror ejus the sense here is that they should all aequo jure possess the Land and each Tribe have an equal portion which differs much from the division made of old for Numb 33.54 Ye shall divide the Land by lot for an inheritance among the families and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance And if we grant with some that it was so here that a greater portion of land was given to the greater Tribe yet it is conceived from these words of Ezekiel that every one in each Tribe had an equal portion which was not so of old Concerning the which I lifed up mine hand to give it c. Of the Lords lifting up his hand mention was made Ezek. 20.56 15.28.42 and 36.7 and 44.12 and it notes Gods swearing that he would give the Land of Canaan unto their Fathers as Exod. 6.8 I will bring you in unto the Land concerning which I did swear to give it to Abraham to Isaak and Jacob the Hebrew is I did lift up my hand Vers 15. This shall be the border of the land toward the North-side from c. He describes first the borders of the whole Land and so makes way to the division of it more particularly He begins with the North border which was from that part of the great Sea viz. the Mediterranean Sea which lay Northward and so proceeded to Mount Hor and from thence to Hamah and so to Zedad-Ziphron and terminated in Hozar-enan Numb 34.7 8 9. which was in the North-East In this description of the Northern border more Towns are mentioned then in Numbers as Hethlon Berothah Sibraim Hazer Hatticon Henram and Damascus but the extension is the same from the great Sea to Hazar-enan ver 15 16 17. The East border is laid down ver 18. and that is that space which lies between Hauran Damascus Gilead and the Land of