in the world men of soul or foulie men but not one of them did know God or seek after God Paul therefore hath laid it down for an universal Maxime That the animal natural or soulie man receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Whilest he is without the spirit of God they are no better than foolishnesse unto him and so are rejected by him Sixthly Observe The principle of spiritual life and motion is the spirit of God I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk Immediately upon the putting in of the spirit into the heart of any there is life and motion men live and move spiritually Some make grace the principle of life and motion but all grace flows from the spirit Gal. 5.22 23. Ephes 5.9 and why should grace have that honour is due to the spirit It was the entrance of the spirit which quickned the dead bodies of the Witnesses and caused them to move Rev. 11.11 and it is the entrance of the spirit which quickens dead souls and causes them to move We must beware of an error here which hath siezed upon divers of late viz That because the spirit is in us and the principle of life and motion that therefore the spirit doth all Matth 10.20 It is not ye that speak but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you so it is not you that do but the spirit in you and if the spirit speaketh and do all we must sit still and leave our selves to the spirits motions and actings This is a dangerous error know therefore That though the spirit be in men and the principle of life and motion yet it doth not act or work without us in the putting in of the spirit we are Passive John 3.6 we concur no more to our birth then a child doth to its generation but when the spirit is in us and hath quickned us then there is the co-operation of man with the spirit Rom 8.16 The spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit vers 26. It helpeth our infirmities Acti agimus the spirit acts us and we co-act with it If the spirit did all then the spirit should repent believe and not man but what cause hath the spirit to repent or believe it never sinned it stands not in need of help or mercy that place Matth 10.20 is not absolutely to be taken that they did not speak for so it should be false Luke 12.12 The holy spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say They spake and the spirit taught them to speak the place is to be taken comparatively not you but the spirit that is it is rather the spirit than you the spirit is the principle which sets you on For men to sit still and leave all to the spirit is a grieving of the spirit and contradicts what the spirit hath given out Matth. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you The spirit would have us use means and doth most vigorously assist us when we are most diligent in the use of them Prov. 2.3 4 5. 2 Chron. 15.2 Quest If the spirit be put into us dwell in us and be the principle of life and motion what need the soul look unto Christ for any fresh or further supply Answ 1. It is granted there is a sufficiency and fullnesse in the spirit yet because it is the will of God that we should look unto Christ we are bound to do it Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Authour and Finisher of our faith 2 Tim. 2.1 Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and Paul himself 2 Cor. 12.8 9. looked up to Christ for more help notwithstanding he had a fullnesse of the spirit within him Acts 13.9 Answ 2. The spirit is not the head of the body though it be in the body that honour is Christs Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the Body the Church and from it the whole body receiveth influence Eph. 4.15 16. Col. 2.19 it s requisite therefore that every member in the body should look up to the head Seventhly Observe God first makes men good and then they do good first he puts his spirit into them and then they walk in his wayes It is said of God himself He is good and doth good Psal 119.68 He is first good and then good comes from him so God makes men good by the infusion of his spirit and then they bring forth spiritual fruit Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Since mans fall amongst all the sons of men God finds none good Rom. 2.10 There is none righteous no not one if any be so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath made him so by his spirit he hath made him a new creature so fitted him for good works the Tree must first be good before the fruit be good amongst men good actions are first done and then men are reputed good but with God it is otherwise he makes men first good and then they do good actions they do not make themselves good by their free will by frequent acts of good but God puts in his spirit towards which they contribute nothing and thereby they are made good and act answerably then their actions have life in them worth in them and are suitable to God who is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth Let men look heedfully to themselves and not stand upon their actions men may do many actions outwardly glorious and magnified by men themselves being corrupt and naught if men have not the spirit of God in them their actions are no better than corrupt fruit of a corrupt Tree they do not please God and if any have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his He is neither good nor doth good Eighthly Observe In what heart soever the spirit dwells there will be outward and visible manifestations of it Grace within will appear without I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes to keep my judgements and to do them The spirit is like the Sun in the Firmament which cannot be hid long though it may be clouded for a season the Cough and Grace are of such natures as will not be concealed and the spirit is of that nature as it will diâ—â—â—â—er it self in the man it is within causing him to change his courses and to walk in other wayes then ever he walked in When the spirit is put into a swearer a lyar an unclean person an extortioner a bloudy persecutor it makes the swearer fear an oath the lyar speak truth from his heart the unclean man to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour the extortioner to make satisfaction and give half of his goods to the poor and the bloudy persecutor to love and preach the Gospel he persecuted so demonstrating it self to
did not God destroy his Army and relieve them publickly and privately though there were now no Cityes left God could and did raise them up many Cityes though there were no people to inhabit those Cityes raised God could raise them up men and did make them exceeding populous even as populous as Jerusalem was at her solemn Feasts more populous than ever Fourthly Observe The end of Gods deliverances works and mercies is that God may be acknowledged and glorified When I have brought them out of Babylon planted them in Sion built their Cityes filled them with inhabitants and blessings of all sorts Then shall they know that I am the Lord that I am not like the heathenish gods and lords but that I am faithfull omnipotent gracious and merciful worthy to be honoured and adored by the house of Israel CHAP. XXXVII Verse 1. The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middest of the Valley which was full of bones 2. And caused me to pass by them round about and behold there were very many in the open valley and lo they were very dry IN the former Chapter he spake of the Jews Return out of Babylon and likewise of the Kingdom of Christ In this Chapter also he proceeds to comfort the Jews assuring them of their Return who well-nigh despaired thereof and of the union of the two houses Judah and Israel The parts of this Chapter are 1. A Vision of dry bones presented to the Prophet from the 1. ver to the 11. 2. The Interpretation and Application of this Vision from the beginning of the 11. to the end of the 14. 3. A Type of two Sticks and the uniting of them from the 15. to the 20. 4. The explication of the Type from the 20. ver to the end Vers 1. The hand of the Lord was upon me By hand of the Lord the Chaldee understands the spirit of Prophesie which did enlighten and affect the mind of the Prophet so also do divers others But some take it for the power of God upon him or a Divine instinct which like an hand pul'd or mov'd him to some other thing as Chap. 8.3 It was the Spirit of God came upon him as Chap. 3.14 And why it s called the hand of God see Chap. 1.3 And carryed me out in the Spirit of the Lord. The Hebrew may be read thus and is by Mâ—ntanus And the Lord carryed me out in the Spirit that is I was rapt out of my self and my spirit was carryed by the Lord to have a sight or view of Bones If we take the words as they are the sense is this The Spirit of God being upon me carryed me out in the spirit of Prophesie which is the Spirit of the Lord his body was not carryed from place to place He had a Prophetical Vision And set me down in the middest of the valley The Prophet seem'd to himself to see a Hand and to be led out by that hand into a certain Valley all which was Visional not real He names no particular Valley A-lapide saith it was in Campo Sennaar Mesopotamia and Chaldaea were Plains but whether it were in either of them is not specified In vallies Prophets were wont to have Visions Our Prophets first Vision was by the River Chebar and Rivers are alwayes in Vallies and in this Valley it s conceived by some as Lavater observes was this Vision but it s safer to judge that this Valley was also Visionall Which was full of Bones This Valley or Plain was no burying place for then the bones would not have layen upon the face of the earth and been exposed to view Some make these bones to be the bones of all Mankind being dead and to respect the general Resurrection but they are out nothing of that is here intended Some make them to be the bones of the Babylonians but the Prophets scope here is not to comfort them it s the Jews condition he points at and therefore by bones are meant the Jews as is clear v. 11. These Bones were Visional also not real for then they should not have him unburyed suffering reproach Some Jews have an Opinion that these bones were the bones of those Jews that dyed in Babylon and one Rabbi Jose a Galilaean saith That Ezekiel raised those dead Jews many of which return'd into the land of Israel and had children there that when this fell into controversie among the Jews one Rabbi Juda the Son of Bathira stood up and said Ego sum oriundus ex posteritate illorum quos Ezekiel in vitam revocavit I am of that race which Ezekiel raised and shewed the Phylacteries his Parent put upon him and had received from those were rais'd Verse 2. And caused me to passed by them round about The Lord would have the Prophet to take exact notice of them and therefore made him to pass Savif savif undique undique on every side on every side that so he might observe the number and quality of them and where they lay which he did for it follows And behold there were very many in the open valley The number of these bones was great pass'd number and they lay in open view in an open Valley where he had a full sight of them And loe they were very dry These bones were not cloath'd with flesh juycy and full of marrow which had been more easily rais'd to life if so but they were dry all the moysture was out of them they had lain long nigh 70 years in that condition and were almost become earth First Observe It was the Spirit of God mov'd the Prophets to give out those truths are now extant in the Scriptures that directed and enabled them to do what they did The hand of the Lord was upon me and carryed me out in the Spirit to see and give out what you have here The Prophets might not speak or act at their own pleasures but as the Spirit of God moved them 2 Pet. 1.21 so they spake so they acted It was the Spirit in the Prophets that testified against the Jews Neh. 9.30 The words of the Lord of hosts were in the hand and mouth of the Spirit before they were in the heads and mouths of the Prophets Neh. 7.12 The Apostles had the Spirit falling upon and filling them before they gave out Divine truths Act. 2.4 which verified what Châ—ist had said of the Spirit John 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you All the truths Paul hath given forth for the Instruction Edification and Consolation of the Church of Christ he received from the Spirit of Christ Hence he saith 1 Cor. 11.23 I received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And Chap. 14.37 The things I write unto you are the commandements of the Lord he had them all from his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 13. Secondly Observe The true Messengers and Servants of God come not
from the right side of the house at the South-side of the Altar 2. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate Northward and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh Eastward and behold there run out waters on the right side 3. And when the man that had the line in his right hand went forth Eastward he measured a thousand cubits and he brought me through the waters the waters were to the ancles or waters of the ancles 4. Again he measured a thousand and brought me thorow the waters the waters were to the knees Again he measured a thousand and brought me thorow the waters were to the loyns 5. Afterward he measured a thousand and it was a River and I could not pass over for the waters were risen waters to swim in a River that could not be passed over IN this Chapter are two principal parts 1. A Vision of waters and the description of them from Verse 1. to Verse 13. 2. The bordering and dividing the Land from Verse 13. to the end Concerning the waters they are described 1. From their Original or Place whence they spring and flow ver 1 2. 2. From their increase ver 3 4 5. The man with the measuring line in his hand having led our Prophet up and down to view the Temple the parts and appurtenances of it brings him again to the door of the House that is to the door of the Temple or Sanctuary And behold waters issued out from under c. Vilalpandus makes these waters to be those subterraneal waters which were carried in pipes under ground and issued forth into the Priests Court to wash the Sacrifices and purge away the blood excrements and filth occasioned by the slaying so many Sacrifices for certainly had there not been aquaeducts about Solomons Temple to have cleansed the places where the Sacrifices were slain and prepared it would have been an unsavoury and unhealthful place These waters issued forth some from the threshold some from the South-side of the Altar and so ran away From these waters the Lord takes occasion to speak of spiritual waters The Water came down from under from the right side of c. The Temple was upon an high Mountain Ezek. 40.2 therefore the waters are said to come down and they came from the right side of the House that was the South-side for the front of the House standing towards the East when a man stood and lookt East-ward his right hand or side was towards the South The Altar for Burnt-offering was before the porch of the Temple and at the South-side thereof did these waters run Our Prophet having seen the spring and rice of the waters is led out of the inner Court by the way of the North-gate and brought to the uttermost East-gate where he first entred and it was to behold how the waters ran out there on the right side also The words in Hebrew are Maiim mepaccim aquae phialantes peccah signifies to flow but lente tanquam e phiala manando he saw the waters run there gently and pleasingly they run not fiercely as a torrent but gently as oyl poured out of a vial These waters though they run gently yet increased mightily for upon Christs measuring out a thousand cubits they became waters of the ancles upon his measuring out the two thousand cubits they rose to be waters of the knees upon his measuring out the third thousand of cubits they ascended to be waters of the loyns and upon measuring the fourth thousand they became waters for swimming they could not be waded through they were so deep even a great River impassible What these waters do signifie is worthy enquiry Some make these wate s to signifie the prosperity of the Church that great happiness which the Jews had after their return from Babylon This was an outward mercy and but for a little season for they suffered great and grievous things by Antiochus and others in the Maccabees times But here some spiritual mercy is intended by the waters others therefore understand by them the waters of Baptism which Christ instituted and so came from the Altar viz. the side of Christ but these waters are too shallow to be Ezekiels waters A third sort make them to be the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit It s true the Spirit is said to be poured out Joel 2.28 but it s not to be understood of the person of the Spirit which is infinite indivisible and immoveable but of the gifts and graces of the Spirit with such with him who saith Per aquas istas gratiae benedictiones divinae quibus in Ecclesia dei frumitur designantur A fourth sort interpret these Waters of the Gospel the glad tidings touching mans salvation by Christ which is compared to water frequently in Scripture Isa 11.9 The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea The knowledge of the Lord Jesus shall abound as the waters of the Sea see Joel 3.18 Zech. 14.8 We may take the Gospel with the gifts and graces of the Spirit to be these waters for the Gospel is veliculum Spiritus the ministration of the Spirit as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.8 And the Spirit with the graces and gifts are oft compared to water as well as the Gospel See Ezek. 36.2 Isa 44.3 and 41.18 Acts 2.17 John 4.14 and 7.37 38 39. Now it remains to shew wherein they are like unto water 1. Water cleanseth it purges away the filth of the body and other things So doth the Gospel with the gifts and graces of the Spirit cleanse the souls of men and purge their hearts from sin and filthiness John 15.3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you Christ spoke unto them the Gospel and that was the word together with the Spirit which made them clean from their unbelief disobedience and other sins 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit The Spirit accompanying the Gospel purified their souls and made them obedient to the truth Ezek. 10.36.25 2. Water moistens and softens the earth which before was dry and hard so that there was no entrance for the plow but being well watered with the rain of Heaven its soft and fit for the plow So the Gospel the Doctrine of Christ moistens and mollifies hard and heavy hearts Those that put Christ to death were hard-hearted sinners but when they heard Peter preach the Gospel and some of that water fell upon their hearts they were softned and became sensible of what they had done They were pricked in their hearts and said Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2.37 So Paul was a stout and stubborn fellow but the water of the Gospel did so supple him that it made him yield and say Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 3. Water cools heat the heat of the earth and air
Egypt was as women fearfull and weak like women Isai 19.11 12 13 14 15 16. God being against Pharaoh all his Councels Enterprizes were blasted all his forces broken all his Cities made desolate and all his people consum'd or carried into Captivity better he had had all the Princes of the world against him then God for whomsoever he is against must be ruin'd Fifthly observe The flourishing and perishing of Kings Kingdoms and Armies is from the Lord. I will strengthen the Arms of the King of Babylon and put my Sword in his hand but I will break Pharaohs Arms and they shall fall down One of these great Kings should prosper his Kingdom flourish his forces stand and conquer the other should perish his Kingdom be laid waste and all his forces broken and scattered What King State or Army soever God is with he will strengthen uphold what King State or Army soever he is against he will break ruine and bring to nothing whatever their Strength Wealth or Councels are Sixthly observe Tyrannical wicked Kings oft come to very sad ends he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man Herodotus saith he was strangled by the Egyptians which had revolted from him to Amasis The Holy Scripture tells you what ends Adonibezek Athaliah Jezebel Ahab and Senacherib came unto Pilate who put Christ to death was deposed banished and at last slew himself at Lyons in France Of Thirty two Emperors who persecuted the Christians scarce any of them dyed a natural death some were poysoned some kill'd by the Soldiers some sentenc'd by the Senate and some slew themselves Galerius had such a Loathsome disease as that he could not indure the stink of it but slew himself to avoid it Vid. Fox Act. Mon. vol. 1. pag. 40 41. Seventhly observe God is the Author of Wars he sets one Tyrant against another and gives Commission how far they shall proceed I will put my Sword into the hand of the King of Babylon and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt Nebuchadnezzar was a great Tyrant and God set him upon Pharaoh another great Tyrant and ordered him how far he should go even over all Egypt Tyrants cannot stir till God move them the Sword is his if he will not put it into their hands they cannot take it up and when he hath put it into their hand they cannot go one foot further then he hath appointed them CHAP. XXXI Vers 1 2. And it came to pass in the Eleventh year in the Third month in the First day of the month that the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man speak unto Pharaoh King of Egypt and to his multitude Whom art thou like in thy greatness THis Chapter as the two former is a Prophesie against the King of Egypt and in it you have these parts First the Chronologie of the Prophesie ver 1. Secondly the occasion of it viz. His Pride and confidence in his greatness ver 2. Thirdly a confirmation of his ruine set out by an example a majori ad minus from the Third verse to the Eighteenth wherein is notably described the Glory of Assyria her sin and fall thereupon Fourthly the Application of all to Pharaoh vers 18. Vers 1. In the Eleventh year in the third month in the first day of the month The Prophet had not Prophesies given in every month it was a month and Twenty-four days from the last Prophesie to this which was one month and eight or nine days before the destruction of Jerusalem and in the Eleventh year of their Captivity the Third month and First day of the month The Hebrew for First day of the Month is una mensis one of the month is an Hebraisme common in the Scripture as in Gen. 1.5 The Evening and the Morning were one day so is the Hebrew that is the first day Luke 24.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon one of the week that is the First day of the week Vers 2. Speak unto Pharaoh King of Egypt and to his multitude Pharaoh was a great King and had a great Multitude of Men Horses and Chariots and conceited himself greater then he was but how great soever he were in realitie or conceit God orders a Prophet to speak to him and to demand a question of him The Prophet was in Babylon Pharaoh in Aegypt and how he could speak to him appears not It s impossible that he should undertake so long a journey as t is from Babylon to Egypt It s more consonant to truth that he pen'd this Prophesie and sent it unto him by one means or other Whom art thou like in thy greatness This was the Question Ezekiel must propound to him and it was an upbraiding question taxing him for his pride arrogancie and vain confidences He had like most Kings many Flatterers who flattered him into a conceit that he was greater then other Kings yea so great in power that he might incounter God himself The Lord therefore thought meet to take down his Spirit by this question Whom art thou like in thy greatness what like unto me thou art so far from that as that thou art not comparable to some mortal men What sayest thou to the King of Assyria art thou greater art thou stronger then he no he went far beyond thee in Power Dignitie and Greatness yet for his pride arrogancie and confidences in what he had he was utterly destroyed and thinkest thou who art inferior to stand and avoid the Judgements of God when they come thou deceivest thy self First observe Kings are prone to be lifted up with and confide in their greatness Pharaoh sweld with his honor and multitude puting too much confidence therein Chap. 29.3 he is call'd the great Dragon and he lay secure in the midst of his Rivers saying my River is mine own and I have made it for my self he was proud and confident thinking none greater then himself Nebuchadnezzar was lifted up with his greatness Dan. 4.30 so was Sennacherib Isa 37.11 12 13. And not only wicked Kings but good ones have been overtaken with this evill David numbers the people and was too proud of and confident in his Multitudes 1 Chron. 21. Princes have many things to puff up their Spirits but God knows how to bring them down Secondly observe God will have them told of their Sins and taxed for them Go speak unto Pharaoh and say whom art thou like in thy greatness Thou proud Tyrant thou shalt fall though thou be great strong there is a greater then thy self and one stronger then thou art who hath sent a Prophet to tell thee of thy pride and arrogancie and to foretell thee of thy destruction Kings are no more to God then the meanest peasants if they sin they shall hear of it and smart for it Vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Behold the Assyrian was a Cedar in Lebanon with fair branches and with a shadowing shroud and of an high stature and
watchman And so in the Church-State if the wicked man be warned of his way and turn not from it he shall dye in his iniquity his bloud lyes at his own dore upon his own head the watchman is free Fourteenthly Observe There is great necessity that the watchmen deal faithfully and tell the people of their danger and sin Their souls their bloud lye at stake upon it if they be not faithfull their lives their souls go for it Those watchmen that are silent are cruel bloudy and soul-murthering men they murther the souls of the people and their own souls also those that speak that cry aloud that tell the people throughly of their sins not fearing their frowns nor respecting their favours that so if it be possible they may save their souls these are the most faithful watchmen Many wonder that the spiritual watchmen are so zealous particular that they open the nature of sin so much threaten such terrible judgements of God against sinners and preach damnation unto them that they are so frequent in such wayes but cease to wonder their souls are in jeopardy if they do it not If a mans whole estate were in hazard if he did not tell such a man that he were a lyar a drunkard and would he forfeit his estate through silence No he would tell him of his sins again and again The watchmans soul lyeth at pawn and he forfeits that if he should not tell sinners of their sins and warn them to turn from them Hence was it that Paul said Necessity is laid upon me and we unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 he preached and warned sinners night and day Acts 20.31 Lastly Observe That the watchmen warning the people and the people taking warning they do both secure themselves If the watâ—hman Politicâ—l or Spiâ—itual blow the Trumpet warn the â—â—ople he shall deliver his own soul if the people take waâ—ning they deliver their souls Safety lyes in warning and it hearkning to waâ—ning let not the watchmen of God be sleepy or silent but warn the people constantly that so they may save themselves and others Verses 10 11. Therefore O thou Son of man speak unto the house of Israel Thus ye speak saying if our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how should we then live Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel HEre begins the second Generall part of the Chapter which is a confirmation of the Prophet against those Calumnies the Jews made against the truth and justice of God The first is in the 10. vers The second in the 17. and 20. verses The Calumnie they raised against the truth of God was this in the 5. verse its said he that takes warning when the watchman gives it shall deliver his soul this said the Jews had not truth in it for Chap. 24.23 The Prophet had told them they should pine away for their iniquities therefore there was no hope for them though they took warning at the watchmans mouth we are appointed to destruction and it s in vain to mind what the watchman saith This is answered in the 11. verse But to open the words Vers 10. Therefore O thou son of man speak unto the house of Israel God had set Ezekiel to be a watchman unto the house of Israel to observe their sins and tell them thereof and here he commands him to do his duty speak unto the house of Israel thus The house of Israel was not now the 10 Tribes but the 2 Tribes left of the 10. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us Jerusalem being now taken or upon the taking the Jews were more sensible of their sins and so felt the weight of them in that sad judgement was upon them or coming upon them By transgressions and sins not only the guilt but the punishment of them is meant they had felt much in the time of Jerusalems siedge and more now in the taking of it God visited their iniquities upon their heads And we pine away in them When Gods hand is upon persons for their sins they consume and moulder away the pain and anguish they are under melts their fat eats up their strength and brings them to skin and bone Nemakkim it is from Muk or Makak which is to grow lean to become feeble to be dissolved in Mareorem into corruption or rottenness How should we then live The Jews seeing Jerusalem now in the enemies hand and themselves going into captivity speak desparingly saying We are like never to see good day but must pine away under the judgements that are upon us how should we then live its in vain to warn us and tell us of repenting and turning to the Lord we must dye in the condition we are in Vers 11. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God This oath of God hath been spoken of Chap. 16.48 Ch 5. vers 11. It s the oath which God most uses Life is the most precious of all things and that God swares by as sure as I live or am the living God it is true which I say or let me not be the living God if I speak false you think I am a hard Master that you shall pine away in your sins and find no mercy though you should repent and return you are greatly deceived As I live saith the Lord c. He swares not by a truth that was question Numb 14.11 Nor by his Omnipotency for that was doubted of Ps 78.19 but by his life which was never in questioned The Learned observe that when this word Chai is referred to God so that himselfe swares or men sware by him it s written with Patach under it as here and in other places but when it is referred to men then it s written Chai with Tzere as Gen 42.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the life of Pharaoh or as sure as Pharaoh lives So in 2 Sam. 11.11 You have them both together in 1 Sam. 20.3 Chai Jehovah vechei Naph shecha As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that c. The Septuagint reads the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not The Vulgar is Nolo mortem impit I am unwilling the wicked should dye the French ie u'appette point I covet not am not greedy of the death of the wicked Junius Si delector If I delight in the death of the wicked Vatablus Piscator Non delector I delight not in the death of the wicked or I am not delighted therewith Montanus hath it Si volam in morte impii If I shall will in the death of the wicked for so runs the Hebrew Im Echphotz bemoth Harashang The word Chaphetz signifies to
strength Chap 24.21 The mountain of Israel shall be desolate that none shall passe through The Land of Israel was full of mountains which were not barren but some for Pasture some for Vines some for Cedars and other Trees and some for Cattle when they were so many paths were made to the mountains and they were frequently visited but they should be desolate without Cattle Trees Vines or any to passe by or through them none should come over the mountains to worship at Jerusalem Vers 29. Then shall they know that I am the Lord when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed Here the finall cause of Gods destroying them and their Land is pointed out and that is the glory of God in their acknowledging his just proceedings before they said His wayes were not equall but now they should acknowledge the equity of his wayes and that they had deserved such things First Observe When God is resolved upon punishing a people there is no place or refuge to secure them from his stroakes and judgements Here were men got into waste places into open fields into forts and caves yet none of these secured them the Lord had sworn to destroy them and the sword finds out those in the waste and ruinous places the wild beasts finding others in the open fields devoure them and those were got into the forts and hid in caves the pestilence and famine consum'd they thought to flye and hide themselves from the vengeance of God but it could not be had they gone down to the bottome of the Sea yea down to Hell God would have met with them there Amos 9.2 3 4. No Town no Fort no Field no Cave can protect that person whom God pursues if men and beasts cannot come at him God hath the Arrowes of famine and pestilence to shoot into his sides and liver Let us take heed how we offend God and provoke him to set upon our destruction there is no place person or priviledge can protect us from his stroke let us get into Christ hide our selves in him in the clefts of that rock then we shall be safe whatsoever storms are abroad Secondly Observe It s mens sins which lay Lands waste and bring remarkable judgements upon them Canaan was laid desolate the pomp of her strength ceased the mountains had none to pass by or over them yea The Land was laid most desolate and why because of all their abominations Their sins exceeded the sins of the Heathens and they had answerable judgements their manifold abominations brought manifold judgements They had the best Land in the world and should have been the best people but they degenerated and provoked God so by their abominations that he made their plagues wonderfull great and of long continuance Deut 28.59 Seaventy years did they suffer and the Land also which suffering they brought upon themselves and the Land as the Lord tells them Zech 7.14 They laid the pleasant Land desolate they by their abominations did it they caused the Temple to be burnt the testimonies of divine presence to be removed the Cityes fields and mountains to be desolate Thirdly Observe By severe judgements God convinces men of the equity of his way and causes them to give glory to his name Then shall they know that I am the Lord when I have laid the Land most desolate because of all c. Severe judgements awaken conscience sharpen the understanding and cause men to search judge and condemn themselves and withall to justifie the Lord they have influence into Heathens Jer 22.8 9. Many Nations shall passe by this City and they shall say every man to his neighbour wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this great City Then they shall answer because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other gods and served them Thus they justified God and gave him glory when they saw his terrible judgements upon Jerusalem and the Land of Canaan Verses 30 31. Also thou son of man the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses and speak one to another every one to his brother saying Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness IN these verses and the rest to the end of the Chapter is contained a reproof or complaint of the captives in Babylon for their detraction hypocrisie and covetousness 1. Their detraction in the 30. Vers 2. Their hypocrisie in the end of the 30. and most of the 31. 3. Their covetousness in the end of the 31. Vers 30. The children of thy people It s not the children of my people God would not own them they were so wicked but the children of thy people Of these words before vers 2. Still are speaking against thee by the walls and in the dores of the houses To speak against God or man is to detract from them and disparage them 2 Chron. 32.16 Senacherib by his servants spake against the Lord and against Hezekiah and that they said was detracting from the power of God and truth of what Hezekiah had said Acts 28.22 As concerning this Sect we know that it is every where spoken against that is it s disparaged and condemned for a wicked Sect. Numb 12.1 Myriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman and said hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses hath he not also spoken by us Their speaking against Moses was detracting from him So here their speaking against Ezekiel was to defame and disparage him and this they did openly and privately by the walls where any met and in their dores where friends met Some take the words thus the children of thy people are speaking of thee by the walls and in their dores they give thee good words and consult of coming to thee but I conceive the former sense best And speak one to another every one to his brother saying Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. Though they vilified the Prophet yet now one being come to him that had escaped at the destruction of Jerusalem they excite and stir up one the other to go to the Prophet and hear what he had to say The smiting of Jerusalem was a great affliction unto them and they hoped to hear somewhat from him to refresh and comfort them especially seeing that he had spent three years in speaking against the Nations and said nothing unto them Vers 31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh They flocked to the Prophet in Troops as people use to do to publique places for religion or pleasure they hasten thither crowd
another to hear what word the Lord gave out to the Prophet and they come being excited one by another and sit before the Prophet as Gods people they attended to what he said as if they meant punctually to observe the same but they did not do what he said their hearts were not in the business what worshipping was this of God to give him an ear and the world their heart So to speak against the Prophet behind his back and to speak fair shew much love to his face was not this hypocrisie did they not carry it religiously towards God and cunningly towards the Prophet However they carryed it the Lord saw their hypocrisie and discovered the same The Scribes and Pharisees wore long robes made long prayers and under pretence of them devoured widowes houses but the Lord Christ knew their hypocrisie and made it known though religiously and craftily carryed Matth 23. Fourthly Observe Many hearers pretend much love and kindnesse to the Prophets and yet behind their backs afford them not a good word When these Jews came to the Prophets house they shew'd much love with their mouths but when they were by the walls and at their own doors they shew'd as much ill will with their mouths they spake against him they slandered him they disgraced him out of the same mouth came bitter and sweet The Jews and Herodians pretended much love to Christ and said Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the persons of men tell us therefore what thinkest thou is it lawfull to give Tribute to Caesar or no Matth 22.16 17 18. Here they shewed much kindness with their mouths when there was gall and bitterness in their hearts Fifthly Observe When men draw neer to God in any duty of his worship he principally looks which way the heart stands whether that be real and towards him Their heart saith God goeth after their covetousness It went not after the word after God himself Isa 29. This people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their hearts far from me When their bodies were in the Temple their hearts were in their shops when their lips were speaking to God their hearts were conversing with the creatures Gods eye was upon their hearts The heart is the principal part in man and its the principall thing God aims at Prov 23.26 My son give me thine heart not thy hatt thy hand thy tongue thy foot but thine heart Whatever he hath without the heart is nothing but having the heart he hath all whatever is wanting let the eye be wanting a man is blind let the leg be wanting a man is lame let the whole body be wanting a man is sick yet if God have the heart he hath all Delilah had Sampsons bodily presence yet that sufficed her not because she thought she had not his heart Judg 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me God hath no love from us nothing of us when our hearts are not with him Sixthly Observe Men have carnall hearts in spiritual duties These men were hearing Ezekiel prophesie and whilest they were hearing their hearts went after their covetousness the word was in their ears and the world in their hearts Ezekiel tells them of the things of God and they mind the things of the earth To be earthly minded at any time is blameable Phil 3.19 but to be so in spiritual things is grievous it s a despising a debasing of them when the things of God of Christ Heaven Salvation Life Grace and Glory are presented unto us which should take up our thoughts abundantly affect our hearts powerfully for us then to mind the dust sticks straws and pebbles on the earth to have our hearts upon them this is Zimmah a great wickedness horrible ingratitude Rom 8.6 To be carnally minded is death it argues a dead soul it tends unto death and ends in eternall death Seventhly Observe Covetousnesse is a sin adheres to Professors These that came to hear the Prophet and sat before him as the people of God their hearts went after their covetousness they had hearts exercised with covetous practices as it is in 2 Pet 2.14 The Pharisees made profession of religion they were hearers of Christ but the Text saith they were covetous Luke 16.14 Judas an Apostle and follower of Christ had a covetous heart and sold his Master for 30 pieces of silver Mat 26.15 Demas forsook Paul having loved the present world 2 Tim. 4.10 While he was with Paul his heart was in the world John seeing this evill incident to Christians disswades them from the love of the world by a strong argument 1 John 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him He doth not know God to be his father and love him as a Father that loves the world he may think say and swear that he loves the Father but the Spirit of truth saith The love of the Father is not in him Let Christians therefore take heed of this sin for besides that it argues the love of God is not in us it choaks the seed of Gods word which should beget grace in us Matth 13.22 it makes us idolaters Eph 5.5 yea Covetousâ—esse unfits us for Church communion 1 Cor 5.11 it shuts us out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 it exposes us to wrath Col. 3.5 6. to Gods hatred Psal 10.3 to a curse 2 Pet. 2.14 Verses 32 33. And lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear thy words but they do them not And when this cometh to passe lo it will come then shall they know that a Prophet hath been among them Vers 32. Thou art unto them as a very lovely song THe Hebrew is Ceshir agavim sunt canticum amantium as a song of Lovers so the word is rendred Jerem 4.30 Thy lovers will despise thee it s the same word Lovers have delightfull songs to please their ears and pass away time so the Prophets preaching was delightfull unto them to hear but as in musick and singing there is nothing comes of it when done so they heard the Prophet but nothing came of their hearing The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the voice of a Psaltery which was an instrument to sing unto The French is Comme une chauson de plaisanterie as a song of jesting or scurrility which greatly affect carnall hearts Some render the words eris illis canticum subsannatorum thou wilt be to them a song of scoffers that is however they seem to be greatly pleased and affected with thy prophesying yet in their hearts they laugh at thee and deride thee Of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play
Is it a small thing for you to weary men but will ye weary God also They refused to hear the Prophets and to hear God they wearied both with their delayes shifts and thought it a small matter but God judged it not so as the 16. 17. vers shew God blessed Jerusalem with choyce and various mercies and she sacrificed her children unto idols here she was unthankfull to God unmercifull unto her own flesh and thought it a matter of nothing Ezek 16.20 Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter Saith God Thou thinkest so but I think they are crying sins and will visit thee accordingly ver 38. Fifthly Observe God will distinguish between the oppressors and the oppressed between the bad and the good he will punish the one and deliver the other Behold I even I will judge between the fat Cattel and the lean and because the fat and strong ones thrust with their sides and shoulders and push'd with their horns therefore God would feed them with judgement they should have according to their deserts and destroy them but for the weak diseased oppressed he would save them Rich men and those that are great in the world being wicked do unjust things thrust hard at the people of God keep them under cut them short deprive them of their rights and liberties yea oft push them so with their horns that they drive them out of all their enjoyments Jerem 40.12 Chap 43.5 Isa 16.4 Let mine out-casts dwell with thee Moab The Goats and Rams had driven some of the â—lock not only out of the fold but out of the field this God beholds and will recompence upon the oppressors heads Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Japiach lo from him that would insnare him Lot sighed and groaned in Sodom and when the Sodomites did puff at him and seek to insnare him the Lord arose and set him in safety 2 Pet. 2.7 8 9. See Psal 37.37 38 39 40. Did not the Lord of late make a distinction among us between Cattel and Cattel hath he not judged the fat and strong ones punished the Rams and He-goats and provided for his Flock some there be still that thrust with the side and shoulder that push with their horns with whom ere long God will reckon and without repentance he will destroy them Vers 23 24. And I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my seâ—vant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it HEre begins a sweet Prophesie of Christ and his Kingdome with many benefits which the Flock of God shall have therein 1. An happy Condition under him and his government vers 23. 2. God to be theirs vers 24. 3. A Covenant of peace vers 25. 4. Protection vers 25 28. 5. Security vers 25 27 28. 6. Watering and fruitfulnesse vers 26 27. 7. Freedom from enemies vers 27. and evills ver 29. 8. The presence of God vers 30. And I will set up one shepherd over them Some make this shepherd to be Zerubbabel who came of the Race of David and brought the Jews out of Babylon into their old pastures again viz into the Land of Canaan where they had their Temple Worship and Ordinances as in former dayes but if we consult Chap 37.24 25. where he speaks of the same person you shall find things there incompetent to Zerubbabel and must refer unto Christ and the things mentioned here were not fulfilled in Zerubbabels dayes By Shepherd is meant the Lord Christ who is frequently so called in Scripture as 1 Pet 2.25 John 10.16 Zech 13.7 Isa 40.11 and not simply a Shepherd But First The true Shepherd John 10.2 He that entereth in by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep that is the true shepherd and dischargeth that trust committed unto him most faithfully Secondly The good shepherd John 10.11 14. Never any like him for goodness he laid down his life for his sheep he knew them exactly and was so conversant with them that they knew his voice he took not away from but gave fleeces unto his sheep and supplyed all their wants Thirdly The great shepherd yea that great shepherd of the sheep Heb 13.20 He made the sheep he owns the sheep he hath more and greater Flocks then any other shepherd in the world he stands and feeds them in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the name of the Lord his God Micah 5.4 Fourthly The chief shepherd 1 Pet 5.4 He sets all others over his flock and they are under him 1 Cor 12.28 Eph 4.11 They are sheep he is head of the Church Eph 1.22 and their shepherd Psal 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd saith David who was a Prophet and a King both an Ecclesiastical and a Political Shepherd Fifthly One shepherd as here One either in opposition to the multitude they had before which wrong'd the Flock Jer 12.10 Many Pastors have destroyed my Vineyard they have troden my portion under foot of which sort Christ speaks John 10.8 All that ever came before me are Thieves and Robbers Or One that is the first or only Shepherd unto whom none is comparable the only wise shepherd that gave out living and effectual truth Eccles 12.11 The words of the wise are as goads and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one shepherd that is from Christ the only shepherd all the Masters of Assemblies had their words from Christ which ever did any souls good This shepherd did not intrude himself into the office but was call'd and sent of God I will set up The Chaldee Paraphrase is I will raise up one Governour over them and he shall govern them This expression of setting up is in the New Testament set out by giving John 3.16 by sending Gal 4.4 by sealing John 6.27 And he shall feed them This word feed notes the whole office of a shepherd which is briefly set out vers 4. viz Strengthning the diseased or weake healing the sick binding up the broken bringing back that which was driven away seeking up that which was lost and ruling gently Others make these things the compleat office of a shepherd viz providing good and wholesome pastures for them bringing back those that go astray keeping â—hem from Wolves and wilde Beasts and healing those which are ill affected All these were found in Christ Isa 61.1 2 3. Luke 4.18 19. Isa 40.11 Jer 3.15 Isa 27.3 Psal 23.1 2. Micah 5.4 John 10.4 The difference between this shepherd and all others First He is an universall shepherd all flocks are his God saith Psal 50.10 The Cattel upon a thousand Hills are mine and Christ saith The flocks in a thousand Countries are mine the
of Israel Whether Edom secretly muttered out or openly vented her blasphemies The Lord heard them Ammon said Aha against Gods Sanctuary when it was profaned and against the Land of Israel when it was desolate and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity Ezek 25.3 And Moab said the house of Judah is like unto all the Heathen When they said so was the Lord deaf Zeph 2.8 I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon whereby they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border The Lord heard and remembred what they said and made it known to all Ages so did he hear what Tyrus the Sea-City said insultingly against Jerusalem Ezek 26.2 He took notice of the Letter that Rehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Scribe and the rest of their companions wrought against Jerusalem Ezra 4.8 There is nothing said or thought against the people of God but he is privy to it Lament 3.61 saith Jeremy Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me God heard not only what their wicked tongues spake but also what their vile hearts imagined yea all that they imagined he hears imaginations Secondly Observe God will convince and make blasphemers know that he heard their blasphemies And thou shalt know that I the Lord have heard all thy blasphemies Men blaspheme Heaven and Earth they speak proudly against God Christ Scriptures Ordinances and flatter themselves that they shall never more hear of their blasphemies they think God minds them not but God hath times to make such black mouth'd wretches to know that he heard them even all of them when God visited Edom with the sword then they should know it when death comes or judgement after death then shall they know what they have said If men must give account of every idle word they speak Matth 12.36 much more of reviling and blasphemous words Thirdly Observe The revilings and blasphemies uttered against the people of God God accounts as spoken against himself The Edomites spake against the Jews and the mountains of Israel but thus saith the Lord With your mouth ye have boasted against me and have multiplyed your words against me It s my self you reproach and speak against when you deal so by my people What Moab said against the house of Judah Ezek 25.8 God saith was against himself Jerem. 48.26 42. Moab hath magnified himself against the Lord. When the wicked spake against Gods servants truth and Sanctuary David saith they reproached God Psal 74.22 Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily it was God they reproached As wicked men act against God when they act against his people 2 Chro 14.11 Numb 16.3 with Numb 27.3 so they speak against God when they speak against his people all the bitter reviling and provoking speeches they utter against them God hears reckons as vented against himselfe and will recompence into the bosomes of his enemies Verses 14 15. Thus saith the Lord God When the whole earth rejoyceth I will make thee desolate As thou didst rejoyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate so will I do unto thee thou shalt be desolate O mount Seir and all Idumea even all of it and they shall know that I am the Lord. IN this Conclusion of the Chapter the Lord further declares his mind concerning Idumea and tells her she shall suffer when all others shall rejoyce and why because she rejoyced at the sufferings of the house of Israel Vers 14. When the whole earth rejoyceth If we refer the word earth to the Land of Judaea the sense may be this When I shall make that whole Land rejoyce or if we understand by earth the other parts of the world the meaning is When I shall bring my people out of captivity and cause the whole earth to rejoyce thereat then will I make thee desolate but Scriptures do hint it to us that Edom was made desolate before the return of the Jewes from Babylon Jerem 25. 27. Chap. tells us that Edom was given to Nebuchadnezzar and was to drink the Cup of Gods wrath like other Nations and sundry Expositers agree in this That shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem Edom was laid desolate Some other interpretation therefore of the words is to be looked out we may refer earth to Idumea and then the sense will be this As the whole Land of Idumea hath rejoyced at the desolation of the Israelites so will I make it wholly desolate The Hebrew favours this interpretation for it is thus As the whole Earth or Land hath rejoyced in desolation I will do unto thee Piscator goeth this way and saith Sicut laetatur tota ista terra seil Edomaea As all this Land namely Idumea hath rejoyced in desolation so will I do unto thee O Idumea Vers 15. As thou didst rejoyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate The Edomites when they saw the Temple burnt Jerusalem made even with the ground and all the Land turned into a wilderness they rejoyced at it Obadiah 12. They of Edom rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction when they saw men and beasts cut off the Godly Cityes ruin'd and the pleasant Land laid waste they laughed at it and said Aha so would we have it The inheritance of the house of Israel This inheritance was the Land of Canaan which God gave to Abraham Gen 15.7 and to his seed Exod 32.13 To Jacob and Israel did God give Canaan the lot of their inheritance Psal 105.11 And this Land was the Lords inheritance Exod. 15.17 He dwelt in it and own'd it for his Land and when the wicked invaded it the Psalmist said O God the Heathen are come into thine inheritance Psal 79.1 and vers 10. of this Chapter it s said The Lord was there It was both the Lords and his peoples inheritance and when it was made desolate the Edomites were glad thereof So will I do unto thee Thou hast rejoyced at the calamities of others and others shall rejoyce at thy calamities thou didst insult speak proudly when the inheritance of the house of Israel was laid waste and thou shalt meet with such dealings when thine inheritance shall be laid waste thy Cityes shall be destroyed man and beast shall be cut off and the Nations shall be glad of it Thou shalt be desolate O Mount Seir and all Idumea even all of it When sad judgements are upon Lands some parts are spared as Strong Holds great Cityes Port Towns and the like but so severely should the enemy deal with Mount Seir and Idumea that nothing should be left all even all should be utterly ruin'd and made desolate First Observe The generality of people are apt to go the wrong way to rejoyce at the evill of Gods people All Idumea rejoyced The whole earth the people of it
Will his Attributes his Works his Word are his Name All these set out God make him known and so are his name even the name of his holinesse or his holy name There is no name under Heaven like unto the Lords it s an holy name and so glorious a great name and so dreadful We should sanctifie the name of God which is done by believing Num. 20.12 When Moses and Aaron did not believe God they did not sanctifie his name but when men believe Gods Word then they sanctifie his name It s done also by fearing to displease him Isa 8.13 Isa 29.23 It s done also by acknowledging his name to be holy Math 6.9 when men praise him Secondly Observe The profaning of Gods holy name as it is a trouble unto him so it sticks and abides upon him Other provocations passe away but this settles upon his spirit see here what hold it took vers 20. They profaned my holy Name and vers 21. The house of Israel profaned my holy name among the heathen vers 22. Mine holy name which ye have profaned among the heathen Thrice the Lord mentions their profaning of his name yea in the next verse as if he could not shake this act of theirs out of his mind he mentions it twice more My name which was profaned which ye have profaned Gods name being holy is dear unto him and the profaning of it makes deep impressions in his heart Thirdly Observe Temporall mercies are not merited at Gods hands by men I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel What was it God did not for their sakes viz deliver them from their Babylonish bondage and bring them into their own Countrey these were temporal mercies and though there were Godly men amongst them as Ezekiel Daniel Mordecai Ezra Nehemiah and others yet with all their prayers fastings suffering and holinesse they did not merit these outward mercies liberty safety plenty possessions are not the merit or purchase of the creature but the gift of God 1 Tim 6.17 He giveth us all things richly to enjoy Have men more or lesse of these outward things they are upon free gift not any defert and if we deserve not temporal things much lesse do or can we deserve spiritual and eternal things which are of a transcendent nature if we do not deserve an outward deliverance an earthly Canaan how shall we deserve a spiritual deliverance an Heavenly Canaan all things of that nature are free gifts Luke 12.32 Rom 6.23 Fourthly Observe The good God doth unto his Church be it temporal or spiritual is for his own sake What I do saith God I do it for mine holy names sake there is nothing to move me but my own name that is holy great and glorious and I will for my names sake do much for my Church and People That they were preserved in Babylon was for his holy names sake that they were brought out of Babylon was for his holy names sake that they were replanted in Canaan was for his holy names sake that they had a Temple Sacrifices Priests Prophets Ordinances again was for his names sake when they were neer to destruction often in former dayes God wrought for his names sake Ezek 20. so Isa 48.8 9. It s not for the enemies sake that God doth preserve or deliver his people nor for their sakes their prayers tears faith obedience holinesse that he doth great things for them bestow great mercies upon them but it is for his own names sake For mans sake God cursed the earth Gen 8.21 but it s for his names sake that he blesseth it the choicest mercies Gods people have are for his names sake they have pardon of sin for his names sake Psal 25.11 1 John 2.12 Purging of sin for his names sake Psal 79.9 Leading in the paths of righteousnesse for his names sake Psal 23.3 Quickning of their dead and dull hearts for his names sake Psa 143.11 Though his people much offend him yet he forsakes them not for his great names sake 1 Sam 12.22 The Lord doth all freely and for the honour of his name let us then say with the Prophet Whatever we have not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name be the glory Not unto us who are thy creatures not unto us who are Tools in thy hand but to thy name which is the ground root and spring of all our mercies be the glory all the glory and that everlastingly Fifthly Observe God will not suffer his holy and great name alwayes to lye under aspersions and reproaches of men I will sanctifie my holy and great name which was profaned among the heathen even in the midst of them He will vindicate his honour and glory Great men when their names are blemished do stand upon it and will vindicate them with much cost and labour so God when wicked ones have profaned his name and darkned the glory thereof will stand upon it and do that which shall clear his name before all his enemies Goliah for many dayes defyed the God of Israel and the Armies of Israel but not long after the Lord vindicated his holy and great name by stirring up and strengthning of David to take off his head 1 Sam 17.45 51. When the King of Assyria and Rabshakeh blasphemed the name of God as they did Isa chap. 36. 37. did not the Lord quickly send an Angel and destroy their great Army of one hundred fourscore and five thousand and so by this stroke of his made his holy and great name glorious and dreadful He will scatter the smoak and venemous vapours that ascend from the tongues and lives of profane persons to hinder the beams of his glorious name from shining as the wind scatters clouds from before the Sun and as by destruction of his enemies so by delivering of his servants Sixthly Observe When God doth great things for his people and they honour his name for them then very heathens will be convinced acknowledge God and give glory to his name The heathen shall know that I am the Lord when I shall be sanctified in you that is in your deliverance before their eyes then you will magnifie my name and they will magnifie my name which hath been profaned then they will see and say that I am another kind of God then their idol gods are that I am omnipotent faithfull holy wise Psal 126.2 When the Lord turn'd the captivity of his people as they said The Lord hath done great things for us so the heathens said The Lord hath done great things for them So much of God appear'd in taking them out of Babylon that Jewish and Babylonish Tongues were constrained to speak out the power truth and goodnesse of God Seventhly Observe Things difficult and in the eye of man impossible are facile to and feasible by the power of God The Jews were among the heathens who by their Laws power and vigilancy kept them in great bondage they were scattered into
my judgements and do them He knows that to fear God and keep his Commandements is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 Twelfthly Observe That man that hath the spirit of God is for righteousnesse as well as holinesse He is a second Table man as well as a first Table man he is conscious towards man as well as towards God he keeps the judgements set between man and man as well as walks in the statutes which are between God and man as Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Rom. 13.9 Not to defraud thy brother in any matter 1 Thess 4.6 To do to others as we would be done unto our selves Luke 6.31 To condescend to those of low estate to recompence to no man evill for evill but to overcome evill with good Rom. 12.16 17 21. Blessing them that curse you and praying for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 To forbear and forgive one another Col. 3.13 To bear one anothers burdens Gal. 6.2 Every man to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour 1 Thess 4.4 To speak evill of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men Titus 3.3 To put away all bitterness wrath anger clamour and evil speaking with all malice and to be kind and tender hearted one to another Ephes 5.31 32. Not to lye but speak the truth every man with his Neighbour vers 25. To distribute to the necessities of Saints Rom. 12.13 To lend looking for nothing again Luke 6.35 c. These be judgements God hath set in his infinite wisdom between man and man and whosoever hath the spirit of God dwelling in him keeps these and many other mentioned in sacred writ David had respect to all the Commandements of the Lord Psal 119.6 Those which concerned men as well as those concern'd God for they are all of equall authority being from the same God and branches of his infinite wisdome the one tending to mans good and Gods glory as well as the other which David knew and therefore kept So Paul his care was not only to mind the duties of holiness towards God but those of righteousness towards men Acts 24.16 Herein saith he do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Had he not kept the judgements set of God between man and man his conscience had not been innocent but because he did keep them therefore he could say Acts 25.10 To the Jews have I done no wrong and to the Corinthian Gentiles we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man 2 Cor. 7.2 He had the spirit within him which carryed him forth strongly to do just righteous and equall things and to move others thereunto Phil. 4.8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things He writ these words unto the Philippians as his last words that so they might take the deeper impression in them knowing that if second Table duties were not done first Table duties would be in vain See how the Lord with indignation takes up the Jews for failing in their duties towards men though they did their duty towards him Jer. 7.6 9 10. Will ye oppress the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and come and stand before me in this house what do you come hither for to pray to hear the Law to offer Sacrifice and think I am pleased with these duties no no I will destroy the Temple where ye worship and I will cast ye out of my sight as I have done all your brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim vers 14 15. It is in vain to be religious if we be not righteous such Religion is a dreadful provocation of God as you may read Isa 1.10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Many are religious in these dayes but where is a righteous man He that doth righteousness just and equal things is righteous 1 John 3.5 Let us learn as to walk in Gods Statutes that is to be religious so to keep his judgements and do them that is to be righteous for of the three great things which God requires of man this is the first Micah 6.8 What doth the Lord require of thee O man but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Vers 28. And ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your Fathers and ye shall be my people and I will be your God THis verse comprehends in it both temporal and spiritual mercy as repossession of their Land and Gods renovation of Covenant with them And ye shall dwell in the Land which I gave to your fathers God had long before this time given Canaan unto Abraham and his posterity who through their sins were driven out of the same and made captives in Babylon but he would bring them back again and set them in it which resembled Gods gathering of his out of all Nations and bringing them into the Church of Christ the City of God the spiritual Canaan And ye shall be my people and I will be your God Like words to these we had Ezek. 11.20 Ch 14.11 Ch 34.31 and therefore shall not stand upon them The sense of them is this You being in Babylon think your selves cast off of God and that ye shall never again have the honour to be his people and to have him for your God but your thoughts are not as mine for ye shall come again to Canaan and there I will own you for my people and ye shall own me for your God ye shall be my people to worship me and I will be your God to blesse you ye shall be my people to depend upon me and I will be your God to protect you ye shall be my people to obey my Commands and do my Will and I will be your God to exalt and honour you ye shall be my people to love fear honour me and to stand for me and my glory and I will be your God to counsel comfort delight in and to deliver you and to plead your cause against all your enemies First Observe There is nothing difficult or impossible to God though it be so in the eye of man The Jews thought it an hard if not a thing impossible for them to get from under the Babylonish yoke into their own Countrey but God thought not so saith he Ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your fathers I will break off every yoke which hinders and remove every mountain which lets And this he did with ease for he did but stir the heart of Cyrus King of Persia to make a Proclamation to this purpose That whoever among the Jews had an heart to go up to Jerusalem might do
was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sons of the living God This is spoken of the Land of Canaan There he did disown them and there he would own them again Testimony to this truth gives Jeremy Chap. 50.4 5. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and all the children of Judah together going and wâ—eping they shall go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant That in Isa 2.2 3. speaks to the same purpose and most clearly that Isa 11.11 And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assiria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Chush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Ilands of the Sea And in the 12. And he shall set up an Ensign for the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth Here is mention of a second gathering of them from Assyria which hath not yet been fulfilled but shall when the Lamb stand upon Mount Sion with his 144000 sealed out of all the Tribes Rev. 14.1 Chap. 7.4 Consider Isa 65.17 18 19 21 22. Thirdly Observe The Lord knows how to and can reconcile divided Nations I will make them one Nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel The Jews were divided into two Nations or Kingdoms There was the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah and they were at great enmity such enmity that they would have no commerce one with another Joh. 4.9 The ten Tribes went under the name of Samaritans the other were call'd Jews They were of divers Religions ver 22. They had their Calves at Dan and Bethel the true worship was at Jerusalem The enmity grew so great between them that they were at open Wars and sought the destruction of one another Those of Israel and Samaria slew in Judah 120000 valiant men in one day and carryed away captive of their brethren 200000 women sons and daughters and those they slew was in a rage reached up to heaven 2 Chron. 28.6 8 9. Now notwithstanding all the rage fury enmity bitterness was in them one against another God knows how to reconcile them and make them one Nation one People so that Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Isa 11.13 but they shall agree and cordially love one another The Jews and Gentiles were at a greater distance than the Jews amongst themselves yet God knew how to reconcile them and did it Eph. 2.12 13 14 15 16. Vers 23. Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them so shall theybe my people and I will be their God IN this verse there lyeth before us 1. The renouncing of their Idolatrous wayes and other evils 2. Deliverance of them from the places they were captive in 3. Spiritual cleansing or Sanctification of them 4. Renewal of the Covenant between them and God Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their Idols The Jews were much addicted to Idolatry no sooner were they out of Egypt but they parted with their earings to make a Calf Exod. 32.34 When they were in the Wilderness they joyned themselves to Baal-Peor Numb 25.3 In time of the Judges when in the Land of Canaac they served other Gods Judg. 10.13 And after the rent of Jeroboam the ten Tribes did worship the Calves at Dan and Bethel 1 King 12.29 30. Judah also trod in the same steps committing Adultery with stones and with stocks Jer. 3.8 9. But when they should be united into one Nation and Kingdom again Israel should cease from her Calves and Judah from her Idols they should no more go a whoring after them whereby they defiled themselves and the Land Nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions Sanctius thinks these three words Idols Detestable things Transgressions to signifie one and the same thing to set forth the sinfulness of Idols and false Religions they are detestable and cause the greatest Breaches between God and Men. The word for Transgression is Pesha which notes Apostacy Rebellion a proud and malicious violating of a Command We may by Transgressions here understand not only their Idolatries but their other capital and crying sins When God pleases to call and convert the Jews and from them into one Nation then they shall loath themselves and their former doings But I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned They were scattered up and down into divers Countries and into several parts in those Countries where they setled themselves and sâ—nn'd by conforming to the Heathen amongst whom they dwelt Ezek. 20.32 Jer. 44.8 But in what Countries soever they were the Lord would have an eye to them and deliver them And will cleanse them The word in Hebrew for cleansing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taher which is contrary to Tamee signifying to defile pollute and because a thing defiled hath lost its beauty some make Taher to import Munditiem nitentem shining or beautiful cleansing for when the filth of things is taken away there is a splendor and beauty God saith here He will cleanse them that is from their Idolatry and other sins by the bloud of Christ and by his holy Spirit So shall they be my people and I will be their God Now they lie in a desolate condition and are looked at as cast off of God yea themselves conclude they are cut off from me ver 11. But when they are gathered out of the Countries where they are dispersed and cleansed from their iniquities then will I manifest to all the World That they are my people and that I am their God they themselves shall see and know it They shall acknowledge me to be their God and I will acknowledge them to be my people The Covenant between us shall be renewed and manifested First Observe from the two verses before this and the next That when God begins to shew mercy to his people afflicted He multiplies mercies upon them He would take them from among the Heathen bring them into their own Land make them one Nation set one King over them continue them in the same condition take their hearts off from Iâ—â—s cleanse them from their defilements take them into Covenant with himself give them David to be their King and keep them in doing of his will Here is a series of many and great mercies The like you had Chap. 36.24 25
Antichrist Some make David to be the Prophet prophesying of Gog Ps 9.5 Thou hast destroyed the wicked one that is thou shalt destroy Gog that or the wicked one call'd by some Antichrist whom Gog was a type of To this accords that in Isa 11.4 With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Gog in the Type and Antichrist in the Antitype 2 Thess 2.8 Beside this place in Isa some fix upon Isa 17.12 13 14. and make that a Prophesie of Gog. Some took Ps 68.14 When the Almighty Scattered Kings i. e. Gog and Magog Rivet in Lat. in locum Jerem. 1 14. Out of the North an evil shall break forth upon all the Inhabitants of the Land It 's granted Gog was to come out of the North quarters v. 15. of this 38 of Ezek. and so was Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 10.22 He speaks rather of Nebuchadnezzar than of Gog Moreover his Prophesie was but a little before Ezekiels dayes and much of it in his dayes whereas here it 's said Of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the Prophets of Israel Others therefore referr it to the Prophesie of Enoch mentioned Jude 14. who spake of the Lords coming with 10000 of his Saints but nothing of Gog is there specified That in Joel 3 is more satisfying as to the business in hand Viz. v. 2.9.11.14 I will gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and spoyled my Land c. This we may conceive was prophesied of Gog. 1. Because the Jewes were to come out of Captivity into their own Land before this was done It 's probable that therefore Gog and the Nations conspir'd together to invade and destroy them because they were setled safely in their Land v. 1. 2. Because Gog was to fall upon the Mountains of Israel to perish in the Land of Judaea Ezek 39.4 Thou shalt fall upon the Mountains of Israel thou and all thy bands and the people that is with thee To which agrees that of Joel 3.12 13. Let the Heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there will I sit to judge the Heathen round about put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe c. 3. Because of the like effects Ezekiel saith when Gog and his Army shall be destroyed there shall be a great shaking in the Land of Israel v. 19. So Joel 3.15 16. at the destruction of the Nations and their Princes the Sun and the Moon shall be darkned and the Stars shall withdraw their shining The Lord also shall roar out of Sion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the heaven and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israel If it be said Joel is but one Prophet and the Text speaks of Prophets and so of them as if it were a common thing amongst them to prophesie of or against Gog. To this may be answered that most of the Prophets might speak of Gog though they writ not of him for all which the Prophets prophesied did neither themselves nor others alwayes pen and here it 's said by whom I have spoken not by whom I have written Moses spake what was not written Hebr. 11.24 25 26 27. So Enoch Jude v. 14 15. as Christ himself did Joh. 21.25 By my servants in Hebrew is In or by the hand of my servants and for in those dayes many years it 's in the dayes of those years they did prophesie of Gog that God would bring him upon the Jewes First Observe The Lord doth infallibly kâ—ow things to come He revealed to the Pâ—ophets of old this Gog here spoken of hundreds of years before he was neither was God deceived for in the time appointed he came He whose understanding is infinite Psal 147.5 must needs know all things past present and to come should any thing be unknown to God his understanding should not be infinite Mans knowledge is borrowed from Creatures to which he gives neither beeing nor operation but God's knowledge is from himself He knows all that is possible in his Power and all that is future in his Will Creatures can neither bee nor operate without Him He hath such clear vision of all things that his knowledge must needs be certain Should he be deceived in any particular there should be darkness in him but He is light and in him there is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 1.5 Secondly Observe The Prophets delivered many things which were not recorded The Prophets of Israel spake of Gog and yet we cannot find any direct satisfying place in holy Writ concerning him In Mat. 27.9 you have words cited for Jeremie's which you cannot find in all his Prophesies the words are these Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying And they took the 30 pieces of silver the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel did value Matthew saith not that which was written but that which was spoken Jeremy had delivered these words and many other doubtless which are no where to be found And if any ask How came Matthew by them He had them by Tradition say some others by Revelation which is safest to say Solomon he spake of Trees from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon even unto the Hysop that springeth out of the wall He spake also of Beasts and of Fowls and of Creeping things and of Fishes 1 King 4.33 but what he said of these is not to be found or known Had not Paul helped us to that blessed truth of Christ It is more blessed to give than to receive Act. 20.35 we had never met with it Thirdly Observe Those God sends to make known his mind to men he owns honours and protects My servants the Prophets of Israel Those had spoken against Gog and made known his mind teaching him God owns for his servants honours them with this Title Prophets of Israel and being his he hath a special care of them Psal 105.15 Do my Prophets no harm If the servants and Embassadors of Earthly Princes be honourable and have protection from them much more are the servants and Embassadors of the King of Glory honorable and under Divine Protection If David would not put up the wrong done to his servants he sent to Hanun 2 Sam. 10. Neither will God let the wrongs done to his servants the Prophets of Israel go unpunished 2 Chron. 36.16 Fourthly Observe It s not an accidental or casual thing that enemies do come against the Church The Lord brought Gog against this People and the Prophets had prophesied many years that God would do so They made it known to the world what God had decreed to do Gog could not have stir'd or mov'd one foot towards the Land of Israel unless God had appointed
Exod. 23.22 I will be an Enemy unto thine Enemies and an Adversary unto thine Adversaries Whoever set themselves against Israel have the God of Israel against them Secondly Observe Wicked men may be in great honour and have great power Gog here one whom the Lord declared himself against was a Prince a chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal Ahashuerus an Heathen Idolater had honour and power enough when he had 127. Princes under his command Esther 1.1 Thirdly Observe There be seeming contradictions in holy Scriptures In one God saith Behold I am against thee O Gog In another I will cause thee to come up from the North parts or sides and will bring thee upon the Mountains of Israel God was with Gog and against Gog with him by his Providence to bring him forth to manifest his spleen and gall against the Land of Israel and against him by his Power and Justice to destroy him for his cruelty and bloudiness Gen. 14.14 It 's said Abraham pursued the Enemies unto Dan. And Josh 19.47 There was no Dan in Abraham's dayes for it was so call'd from Dan the son of Jacob who was long after him Moses who writ the Book of Genesis speaks of it as it was call'd in his days not as it was call'd in Abraham's dayes Joh. 1 21. When John was asked the question whether he were Elias he said I am not but Mat. 11.14 Christ saith of John This is Elias which was for to come John denies himself to be Elias personally which was the sense of the Questionists and Christ affirms that he was Elias mystically that Elias Malachy spake of chap. 4.5 There be many Scriptures seeming to destroy one another but if rightly understood they do sweetly comply and shake hands together Fourthly Observe Gods hand is in the undertakings of Enemies against the Church I will cause thee to come and bring thee upon the Mountains of Israel and if thou lingerest I have uncum seu avium a sixt hooked-hook to draw thee Warrs are not fortuitous but by a special hand of God he brings forth Enemies as to correct his Church by them so to destroy them in the presence and view of his Church being corrected Were not Gods hand there they would ruine the Church and because his hand is in such things therefore are they ruin'd After Pharaoh had afflicted the Jews the time appointed God drew him on into the Red-Sea and there in the face and view of them sunk him like lead into the bottom of the deeps Fifthly Observe It 's in the Lord to disable and disappoint Warriours when they are ready for battle When Gog and his Souldiers should have the Bow in the left hand and the Arrow in the right hand then I will smite the Bow out of the one and the Arrow out of the other hand saith the Lord. All military strength he can easily blunt and make all weapons of warr inefficacious he can take off the wheels of Charriots Exod. 14.25 He breaks the Bow he blunts the Sword and makes all weapons form'd against Israel unprosperous at his pleasure Isa 54.17 God stopt Rhehoboam when he was going with a great Army to fight Jeroboam and bring the ten revolted Tribes to himself 1 King 12. God hath oft put such fear into the hearts of Souldiers that when it hath come to a pitch'd Battail they have presently thrown down their weapons and call'd for quarter Sixthly Observe That in the same place where G d shews rich mercy to the godly even there he executes severe judgements upon the Enemies Thou shalt fall upon the Mountains of Israel Upon those Mountains in that Land the Lord had shew'd marvellous kindness to his people Psal 76 1 2 3 4. and there should Gog fall In the Red-Sea God preserv'd the Israelites and destroyed the Egyptians where the one met with signal mercy there the other had severe judgement so Joel 3.2 I will gather all Nations and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them there for my people God would punish them even there where he had done much for his 2 Chron. 20 26. The Valley where Jehoshaphat blessed God for a Victory it 's conceived to be here meant and call'd the Valley of Jâ—hoshaphat The powers of darkness have oft and still do invade the Mountains of Israel the places and persons among whom God doth record his Name and there God overthrows them Seventhly Observe That Armies and others are exposed to publick shame and miserable ends is of God Thou shalt fall upon the open field and I will give thee to the ravenous Birds of every sort and to the Beast of the field to be devoured Want of buryal is amongst Gods judgements Jer. 8.2 14.16 To lye in open view dead and to be mangled torn by Fowls Beasts Swine and Dogs is a dishonourable and lamentable thing but how dishonourable or lamentable so ever it be it 's the Lords doings He makes wicked Armies and Persons sometimes as dung upon the face of the Earth They lye unburyed rotting and stinking Eighthly Observe What the Lord speaks that shall certainly take place Thou shalt fall upon the open field for I have spoken it saith the Lord God With God is not yea and nay what he saith is truth must infallibly be effected As nothing can be done unless the Lord speak so nothing can fail of being done when the Lord hath spoken Josh 21.45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel all came to pass God promised them to root out the Nations to plant them in Canaan and to do much for them and all God had spoken was made good so when God threatens evil whatsoever he speaks in that kind must be fulfilled because he is faithful and able to make good his word whoever opposes Ninthly Observe When God begins to visit the Enemies of his Church he makes progress therein Not only shall Gog fall and all his Bands and people but God will send a fire on Magog also and upon the Isles that dwell carelesly they thought themselves invincible being fortified by the Sea but when God arises to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth who are Enemies to his he goes from Countrey to Countrey at Land and from Isle to Isle at Sea When God draws the Sword and gives it Commission it proceeds from place to place and is restless till all at Sea and Land be cut off who are numbered out for destruction Jer. 47.6 7. O thou Sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into thy scabbard rest and be still How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon and against the Sea-shore there hath he appointed it God appoints the Sword to visit at Land and at Sea when he begins with the Enemies of his People he will make an end with them Tenthly Observe
nâ—ture Psal 92.12 The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Palm-trees and Cedars especially grow very high Amos 2.9 their tops reached to Heaven And did not the Thessalonians grow exceedingly in Faith and Charity 2 Thess 1.3 Did not Paul grow greatly when hâ—s Conversation was in Heaven daily Phil. 3.20 The Saints grow up into Christ in all things Ephes 4.15 5. Of Trees some are strong some are weak some are high some are low So is it with Saints some are strong and high as the Centurion Mat. 8.10 the Woman of Canaan Mat. 15.28 James Cephas and John Gal. 2.9 some are low and weak as the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.1 and the Hebrews Heb. 5.12 13. John hath ranked these spiritual trees into three sorts 1 John 2.12 13 14. Little Children Young Men and Fathers 6. They are fruitful and bear several kindes of fruit Hence the tree of the field is said to be mans life Deut. 20.19 that is it brings forth fruit of several kindes whereby the life of man is preserved and true Christians are not barren trees or trees which bring forth sowre or corrupt fruit but they are fruitful and their fruit is good fruit The Philippians were filled with fruits of righteousness Phil. 1.11 Dorcas was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did Acts 9.36 the Churches of Macedonia abounded in liberality 2 Cor. 8.2 and the Church of Corinth in every thing v. 7. some had tongues some interpreted some wrought miracles and some prophesied Those Widows which were to be taken into the Church had fruit much and variety of it they brought up children they lodged strangers they washed the Saints feet they relieved the afflicted and they diligently followed every good work 1 Tim. 5.9 7. Some trees are very fragrant well sented they perfume the air where they grow Hos 14.6 His smell shall be as Lebanon In Lebanon which was a great Mountain and fruitful Forrest were fair trees Cedars and Almuggin trees which filled the air with a sweet sent and like unto Lebanon Israel should be And Christ saith of his Spouse Cant. 4.11 The smell of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon The Churches garments are the graces and gifts with which the Spirit hath adorned her as Knowledge Faith Love Humility Zeal Wisdom c. These yield a good savour From the Church of Philippi was an odour of a sweet smell Phil. 4.18 The Church of Rome in Pauls days had a good sent her faith was spoken of throughout the whole World Rom. 1.8 Gaius was a tree very fragrant 3 John 2 5 6. and Demetrius alone had the smell of Lebanon of Firre-trees Cedars and Almuggins for he had good respect of all men and of the truth it self v. 12. 8. Trees are exposed to all winds weathers storms to heat and cold so are Saints Jer. 17.8 The man that trusts in God shall be as a tree planted by the waters and what though heat and drought come he shall be prejudiced by neither his branch is green before the Sun Job 8.16 There will be scorching heat and terrible blasts Christians do meet with Satans fiery darts the Dragons floods reproaches afflictions tempations troubles of all sorts they are exposed unto Psal 34.19 2 Tim. 3.12 Verse 8. These waters issue out towards the East-Countrey and go down into the Desart These are the places into which the waters of the Sanctuary did run Some render the Hebrew words Haggelilah hakadmonah into Galilee of the East Montanus Arith ad revolutionem orientalem or terminum orientalem to the Eastern border Galilee was Eastward from Jerulem and in it was Lacus Asphaltites the Lake of Sodom or Mare mortuum so called because no fish could live in it nor birds fly over it but dyed so deadly were the waters and vapors thereof Hither the Sanctuary waters came and they went down also into the Desart that is say some Expositors into the Mediterranean Sea which was in the West suitable to which interpretation seems that in Zach. 14.8 where living waters are said to go out from Jerusalem half of them toward the former sea that is the Salt or dead sea and half of them towards the hinder sea that is the Mediterranean sea Others conceive these waters of Ezekiel did run onely East-ward first into the dead sea and then out of that into the Desarts or Plains of Moab for here is not mention of several seas but there is of rivers ver 9. Nachalaim duo torrentes The effects of these waters are 1. Healing When they came into the dead sea they healed the waters thereof the Sanctuary waters made those deadly waters salubres utiles wholesome and profitable as the bitter waters of Marah were healed by a tree thrown in Exod. 15.25 and the waters of Jericho by a cruse of salt 2 Kings 2.20 21. 2. Production of Fishes and them in abundance These waters were fruitful waters ver 9. they begat life in dead creatures and caused Fish to abound as the Fish of the Sea exceeding many as it is in the end of ver 10. By Fish understand those that are wrought upon and brought in by the Gospel And they are so called 1. Because as Fish are generated of Spawn or Seed and Water so Believers are born of Water and the Spirit John 3.5 2. Fish it s conceived were not under the curse that fell upon the earth and things upon it not on the waters and fish therein so Believers are not under the curse of the Law Unbelievers are under condemnation and wrath John 3.18 36. but Believers are free from both 3. They keep fresh in salt and brackish waters and true Converts do so When there are brackish corrupt doctrines abroad hot and fierce persecutions by reason of them the sound Believer is not tainted with them Arianism Pelagianism Familism Rantism and Quakerism do not corrupt them and the greater troubles they meet with the more lively they are 4. Some Fish swim constantly against the stream Such are true Christians they swim against the stream they are not led by the multitude There be several streams one of Prophaness another of Flattery a third of Superstition a fourth of Lukewarmness and Formality a fifth of Carnal policy a sixth of Self-seeking Against all these and many others doth the sincere Christian swim and row daily 5. Fish live in and by the waters they cannot live in arido they presently dye without water And true Christians they live in and by the waters of the Sanctuary they live in and by the Spirit they drink in the waters of the Gospel These spritual Fish cannot live without them Rev. 22.1 there is a pure River of water of life wherein these live and swim 6. Fish of the same kinde do sort together It is so with true Converts they leave their old company and sort with those that are regenerate and godly David saith Psal 119.63 I am a
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
Worlds Worshippers They worshipped with their faces towards the East that was the Nations practice The Heathen Idolaters had their backs to the West but here the front of the House stood East-ward that when they came to worship the true God their backs might be toward the East and their faces towards the Sanctum Sanctorum which was West-ward When some Jews degenerated into Heathenish customs did worship with their faces towards the East Ezek. 8.16 and their backs towards the Temple God counted it an abomination it did greatly provoke him causing him to deal in fury with them and to shew them no pity Ezek. 8.17 18. God must be worshipped according to his own order and not after the rites and customs of others Observ 5. The Gospel spread first into the Eastern and Southern parts of the World it is said the waters issued out Eastward and came down from the South-side They were dry and hot Countreys and God took special care of them that they should be first watered In Galilee did Christ first preach the Gospel Mat. 4.23 and so all Judea over and after from Jerusalem these Gospel-waters flowed into all Nations Mat. 28.19 Go and teach all Nations Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature The Apostles were spiritual clouds and they were to water not onely Jerusalem and Samaria but the uttermost parts of the earth Acts 1.8 Observ 6. Those who are Preachers of the Gospel must look for hardship for travel and trouble for much heat much cold for many storms and tempests They that carry these waters must travel into all quarters East South North where be fierce winds parching heats terrible storms Preachers must expect temptations persecutions reproaches accusations imprisonments c. And notwithstanding these they must go on and carry Sanctuary-waters to all places Endure hardness saith Paul to Timothy as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ Gospel Preachers must not be dismaid at Northern or Eastern blasts nor faint at Southern heats Observ 7. Sanctuary-waters are no common but choice Mercies they are Right-side Mercies South-side Blessings The Gospel is a right-hand mercy Some mercies are left-hand and left-side mercies they are those of an inferior nature Others are right-hand mercies and such are those of the highest nature amongst which is the Gospel Rev. 5.1 I saw in the right-hand of him who sate upon the Throne a book written within and on the back-side sealed with seven seals and ver 7. Christ who was the Lamb took this Book out of the right-hand of God and so handed it over to us acquainting us with the mysteries and mercies in it Observ 8. The glorious and blessed truths of the Gospel do come from Christ Jesus as Mediator and making Reconciliation for us with God the Father These waters are said to flow from the Altar which was a type of Christ The Sacrifices offered upon the Altar were for Reconciliation and Christ being both Altar and Sacrifice hath reconciled man to God and as he doth this so the Waters flow from him so Gospel-truths are given out by him The Gospel is the purchase of the death of Christ seal'd with his blood and holds out strong arguments of our being reconciled to God and therefore it is called The Gospel of peace Ephes 6.15 These are the Observations from the two first Verses Now for those that flow from the other three Verses Observ 1. The Lord Christ as he is the Ahchitector of the Church so the Measurer of all things belonging unto it He is the Man in this Vision with the line in his hand nothing is to be done in his spiritual Temple but according to his will and direction Moses measured out all in the Tabernacle David and Solomon all in the Temple but Christ is the onely Measurer in this House Gospel-measurings are committed to the Son Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son and he is over his own House Heb. 3.6 to order and dispose all things as himself pleaseth Observ 2. The motion of Sanctuary-waters is not accidental or Humane but according to Divine Appointment Christ goeth forth Eastward measures a thousand cubits and then the waters flow that way and then he measures a thousand cubits more and so they flow another way That way Christ went with his line measuring the waters still flowed which imports that the preaching of the Gospel in one place and not in another is not casual or as man will but the Appointment of Christ He forbad his Disciples to go into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 10.5 6. Christ here measured out the cubits where these Gospel waters should flow Paul and those with him being forbidden to carry these waters into Asia and not suffered to go with them into Bythinia whither their wills were bent at length by a Vision they are directed into Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel there Acts 16.6 7 8 9 10. Christ had measured out a thousand cubits there for these spiritual Waters to flow It is at the Appointment of Christ what Countreys what Cities what Towns and what Families shall have these waters Observ 3. That as it is at Christs Appointment to what places these waters shall flow so likewise how far therein they shall flow So many cubits as Chrâ—â—â— measures out so far they shall flow and not further If he measure out a thousand cubits they shall extend so far if he measure out but five hundred cubits or one hundred onely the waters shall run to the borders thereof and not one cubit beyond nor one short So far as Christs line is stretched over any place so far the waters of the Sanctuary will and must flow Observ 4. The Doctrine of the Gospel is never rightly understood unless we be taught it by Christ He led Ezekiel into the waters of the Sanctuary so is the Hebrew bammaiim and we read it through them He instructed him in the nature and qualities of them Whosoever understands the Gospel savingly is led into that knowledge by the Spirit of Christ The Apostles themselves had not understood the Gospel had not Christ sent them his Spirit John 16.13 When he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth that is he will make you know all truth savingly The truths of Christ are spiritual and without the Spirit they are not discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 15. Many wade into these spiritual waters without Christ and his Spirit and they are of those who are said to be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3.7 Observ 5. The Doctrine of the Gospel conversion of sinners and graces of the Spirit proceedeth gradually 1. For the Doctrine of the Gospel that went out gradually like water out of a fountain which