to make a brief collection of the heads of all that was spoken before implying that much hath been said of Christ by others and that the chief heads of all should be summed up brought together and be found in Christ Much was spoken by David of Christ much by Isaiah much by Ieremy Zachariah Ezekiel now the summe of all that is in them and in the rest shall be gathered together as in one head you shall meet it all in Jesus Christ He is the Magazine and Treasury of all their strength and wealth the chief things that ever have been spoke by the Prophets formerly they are all concentred in him He is the Alpha and Omega the Alpha of Genesis The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head and the Omega of the Revelations The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all So that all between Genesis and the Revelation leads either directly or collaterally unto Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.10 The Prophets prophecied of grace that should come unto you searching when or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow See here they shewed you the grace that should come the Spirit testified in them of the sufferings of Christ and of the glory that should follow They were Seers and they saw Christ and the glory of Christ and they lead the people up to Christ Thus you have the scope and occasion of our Prophets prophecying and writing it was to convince them of the heavie captivity of seventy yeers to strengthen Ieremyes prophecy to incourage the Church of God in Babylon and to lead them unto Christ 2. In the next place we are to shew you the nature and condition of this Prophecy which is full of Majesty obscurity and difficulty Nazianzen saith Orat. 23. That Ezekiel is the chiefest of all the rest for matter of admiration and acuteness he is the greatest of all the Prophets and the deepest which made Ierome say there was in this Prophecy of Ezekiel a sea of Scripture hee is so deep a labyrinth of the mysteries of God he is so dark so difficult if he do but equalize other Prophets in dignity and worth yet he exceeds them in difficulty and darkness It must be said of this Prophet as of Pauls Epistles 2 Pet. 3. There are some things in them hard to be understood and so there are many things in this Prophet which are hard to be understood There are some strange words in him such as are no where else in Scripture to be found He hath dark visions in him such as will exercise the greatest abilities in the world to find out the aim of God and those truths that are wrapped up in them he hath uncertain Chronologies and Chorographies mysticall Parables forain Histories and many transcendent matters which may awaken your attention and do call for the uttermost of mans industry in the opening Hence it was counted rashness for any one to read this Prophet till he was thirty yeers of age And Ierome tels us Maldonat that it was prohibited among the Iewes that any should read the beginning of Genesis the book of Canticles the beginning or ending of this Prophet till he were thirty yeers of age Ante aetatem sacerdotalem The Rabbins think it not lawfull to interpret this Prophet but only by touching some generall things in it particular things might not be descended into One saith A Lapid Ezekiel is Ieremy vail'd a hand shut up and you know not what is in it like a book sealed up and none can open it or knowes what is written within These expressions have been used to set forth the darkness and difficulty of our Prophet And I will appeal unto you all this day that if that question were put to you when you shall read this Prophet which Philip once put to the Eunuch Acts 8.30.31 Vnderstand you what you read might you not all answer without blushing How shall we understand without a guide And who is sufficient to guide your understandings through this difficult and dark Prophecy For mine own part I durst not have ventured to launch into this deep unless I had been requested unto it And being called unto it I desire to go out in the strength of the Lord and to be as a Star in his hand guided by his Spirit to lead you through the difficulties of this Hieroglyphicall Prophet But you will say If this Prophet be so difficult and dark surely hee is not seasonable nor sutable to these times some other Scripture might have had the preheminence For this take two or three answers First I finde that many Interpreters have fallen upon this Prophet in troublesome and tumultuous times Gregory the great he writ and preached upon this Prophet when the Barbarians were almost at the gates of Rome and when the sword was devouring multitudes Ierome likewise studied and writ upon this Prophet what time Alaricus King of the Goths took Rome and wasted all and filled the Christian world with teares and blood Calvin that great Light of Europe spent his last breath upon this Prophet and in times that were not very peaceable but stirring and troublesom Lavaters Lectures upon this Prophet were together with the commotions in France Gallicis tumultibus and he professeth that he did the more willingly give up himself to the study of this Prophet that so hee might free his spirit from the sad thoughts of the publike and private mischiefs which were in his dayes and acknowlegdeth this was a remedy to him against many evills Secondly I answer that compare our times a little with the times and state of the Iewes and wee shall see some seasonableness in handling this Prophet at this time 1. The sins the Prophet cryes out of amongst them are rife amongst us the sins then were Idolatry Superstition oppression corruption in the worship of God luxury uncleanness prophaneness scorning at goodness hiding their eyes from the Lords Sabbaths and the like Now I ask are not all these sins alive and too lusty in our Kingdome at this time and in this City wherein we live 2. There was then a malignant party which was active and at work and did oppose and hinder the reformation what lay in them which was on foot by Ieremy by Ezekiel by the three Children by Bacuch by the Rechabites all these and many others opposed the corruptions of the times laboured to have a reformation in the worship of God to bring the people back again from their corrupt wayes to the Lord but there was a great opposition by the malignant party and the chief opposers then were the Priests and the false Prophets who poysoned the judgements of the people who suggested false things unto them who fed them with vain hopes with corrupt opinions and deceivable doctrines the chief of the Priests were
to his Prophets truh's suitable to his Providence Here 's a Roul full of lamentations mournings and woes sad things and such things the Lord was bringing upon them there is a sweet Analogie between Gods Word and Works His works are his Word fulfill'd Psal 148.8 Fire and hail snow and vapour storm wind fulfilling his Word when there is thunder and lightning snowes rains and winds these are fulfillings of Gods Word no providences do crosse his Word but all perform it Gods works are the best Commentaries upon his Word and had we the wisdome to bring his Word and Works together we should see a sweet harmony between them This Roul given the Prophet and Gods proceedings with the Jewes after were proportionable they felt what here was writ all that is done in world now is the fulfilling of what is writ when God gave John his Revelation he laid in truths to suit with his providence and works to the end of the world it 's liber providentialis and many things in it are acting in our dayes and before our eyes though we discern it not there be truths for these times and it 's their advantage that can take them up 5. That dreadfull things hang over the head of a sinfull guilty Nation Ezekiel Chap. 3. Ver. 1 2 3. 1. Moreover hee said Son of man Eat that thou findest eat this Roul and go speak unto the House of Israel 2. So I opened my mouth and hee caused mee to eat that Roul 3. And hee said unto mee Son of man cause thy belly to eat and fill thy bowels with the roul that I give thee Then did I eat and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetnesse THese words and to the end of the 15th Verse by some Expositers are made part of the second Chapter and when the division of Chapters was made about 457. yeers since it had been more suitable to have ended the second Chapter at the 4th or 15th Verse of this Chapter then where it is but wee will take it as wee find it In the Chapter you have 1. A farther Narration of Ezekiels Call to the 12th Verse 2. A Declaration of what befell him thereupon from the 12th to the 16th 3. A new Revelation with the events following it unto the end of the Chapter In the first part of the Chapter you have two things The first is the continuance of Christ his Speech and the Prophets actions about the sacramentall sign viz. the Roul Secondly a renewall of his sending to prophesie which is from the third verse to the 12th In these Verses is little that needs explaining that hath most difficulty in it is the eating of the roul what eating is here meant how could the Prophet eat a great roul a thing not credible without prejudice of his health life or both Answ He that commanded him to eat could have prevented all danger and prejudice if the eating had been corporall and literall but it 's conceived here that the eating was not literall but spirituall per visionem saith one Expositer non re ipsa sed spiritu saith another and that in the 10th Verse of the Chapter confirms us in it where it 's said All my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart and heare with thine eares this was the eating to heare meditate and believe his journey was spirituall his work was spirituall he was to go and prophesie and such was his meat spirituall meat and spiritually eaten But why is hee bid to eat the roul had not seeing and reading been more suitable look on it read it why is the mouth brought in rather then the eye or eare Answ The Scripture doth attribute excellency to and place naturall and supernaturall vertue in that organ or sense by which it 's exercised Gen. 2.7 God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life the meaning is he put a soul into him the nostrils are not the seat of the soul but because the breath in the nostrils doth manifest the presence of the soul in man and discovers it therefore it 's said hee breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and so here Ezekiel is said to eat the roul not to see or heare it because by the mouth the gift of prophecie which was given him by the roul was to be manifested and discovered to the people Cause thy belly to eat Could his or can any mans belly eate this seems a strange speech but take it thus eating is taken in Scripture not only for chewing but for all the actions belonging to meat as concoction and consumption of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Hebrew word signifies to eat to dissolve to consume and so that sword and fire in Scripture are said to eat that is to dissolve and to destroy the meaning then is do thou by this roul as the stomach and belly do by meat when they get good thereby the one doth not presently reject nor the other transmit but they retain the meat draw out all the vertue concoct it live and work in the strength of it so here let thy belly eat that is concoct digest the truths thou hearest by serious meditation and by faith do not like those that have weak and sickly stomachs that quickly return what they receive and get no benefit thereby but do thou take in all the arguments and truths of this roul do thou so concoct and consume them by the stomach and belly of meditation and faith that they may become thy nutriment thou mayest feel the power and efficacy of them in thine heart and act accordingly And fill thy bowels Satisfie thy self take enough be not content with a little Observ 1. That our obedience unto Christ must be absolute and simple Eat that thou findest saith Christ what ever thou findest there might something unsavory bitter have been tendered to the Prophet even that which nature abhors how ever he must eat it not dispute the case but yeeld obedience when Christ commands blind obedience is the best to do it upon that ground Authoritas pracipientis est ratio praecepti and no other here the commanders will is warrant for the fact Luke 5.5 this prevail'd with Peter Master wee have toiled all night and have taken nothing neverthelesse at thy word I will let down the net Christs word was all unto him he look'd not at his labour lost at his gain to come but at the word of Christ and that was warrant enough to him so other Apostles when Christ call'd them and bid them follow him they left all and straightway followed him they consulted not with flesh and blood they made no objections chose not what they would themselves but submitted to Christs will Abraham left his countrey at Gods call and knew not whither he should go and this was true obedience with men we must not be so tractable as to do things meerly upon their wills and commands they are no gods their
the rest of the Saints in Babylon so that the Spirit is co-essentiall with the Father and the Son and it 's a person otherwise how could it have taken up the Prophet and carried him and it 's distinct from the Son who is described to be upon the Throne and to give commands unto the Prophet and the Spirit here is brought in distinct from him most cleere in that place in Matth. 3.16 17. where the Spirit is distinguished from the Son baptized and from the Father acknowledging Christ his Son in whom hee was well pleased 3. Great Saints have great infirmities Ezekiel goes in bitternesse in the heat of his spirit hee was in a froward humour in a great distemper the Vulgar hath it in indignatione spiritus there was indignation in his spirit to the worke some have thought this affection of the Prophet Non prorsus vitiosum not altogether sinfull yet some sinfulnesse and vitiosity to be in it cannot be denyed it 's granted by Calvin that it did distare a gratia spiritus and for him after so cleer and strong a Call to refuse to be in a chafe to withstand was affectus penitus vitiosus if not vilis he had rather have been out of service then in it lien hid among the people then have been an Ambassadour of Christ unto them he had rather they should have perished without Vision then that himself should be a seer amongst them here was the weaknesse of this good man I could tell you of Abrahams Jacobs Moses Davids Pauls and Johns failings there was never since sin entred any Saint sine omni macula in many things we sin all Jam. 3.2 And yet the Apostles were fill'd with the Spirit there was a fulnesse of grace in them and in the Prophets yet neither the one nor the other were omni prorsus exuti carne notwithstanding all their graces and excellencies they did still terrestre aliquid spirare and now where ever the Spirit comes it neither extinguisheth nature nor corruption wholly in this life the best wine hath its dregs and its lees and the best of Saints hath his spots and weaknesses there is no perfection in any 4. Holy men set down their own infirmities which is an argument of the truth of the Word and the divine nature of it men that are meere men seek their own glory and will not shame themselves in their Writings but the Pen-men of Scripture having received another Spirit are content to shame themselves so God may have glory his truth credit his people caution and comfort all these are in the setting down of their own sins when holy men confesse their weaknesses set them down as Moses Exod. 4. as David Psal 51. as Jonas Chap. 1.4 as Paul 1 Tim. 1. as John Rev. 22.8 God is glorified by their shame it 's evidenced what God did for and by these men notwithstanding their sins men are perswaded of the truth of the Word seeing they spared not themselves and would not bury their own thoughts in silence others that see the slips of such men of God are admonished thereby to look to their standings and to be watchfull and these are beaten down with the sense of their failings see it 's the common sicknesse of the Saints and not their case alone which is some ease unto them 5. That some truths of God sweet in the reception oft prove bitter in the operation the roul that Ezekiel did eat ver 3. was sweet as honey at first unto him but now hee was to go and put it in practice he found it bitter and sought to decline that service it was like pils sugared over sweet in the mouth but being dissolved in his bowels viscera torquebat torminibus lacerabat praecordia He was upon the wrack and sick of the businesse and perplexed that he had eaten such a roul The stony ground heard the Word with joy it was sweet to the taste but after it was bitter when persecution and temptation came those hearers were offended and fell away Matth. 13.20 21. the word of joy proved a word of bitternesse unto them and it 's so to most men at one time or other they find it a sad and difficult thing to act those truths are sweet to the understanding Rev. 10.9 10. John eat the little book it was sweet in his mouth bitter in his belly that is in the operation of it John saw that those truths writ in it would beget hatreds persecutions imprisonments banishments martyrdome c. When wee come to find the operations of truths that they will cost us deare deare friends deare liberties deare lusts deare lims deare lives we find a bitternesse in truths though formerly they have been like Ezekiels roul and Johns little book to our mouths 6. Mans wisdome and spirit is opposite to the wisdome and Spirit of the Lord Christ Christ calls sends Ezekiel in his infinit wisdome hee thinks it best for him to go to these captive Jewes this rebellious house The Spirit enters into Ezekiel assures him of his Call assumes him assists him and yet hee is averse in bitternesse in the heat of his spirit hee shewes the antipathy between his wisdome and Christs his spirit and the Spirit of Christ they closed not There are principles of opposition in godly men to the wayes of Christ and his Spirit so far as they are unregenerate so far they are opposite Rom. 8.7 The carnall mind is enmity against God it 's in the originall the wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God there is flesh in the best men that flesh hath wisdom it hath a spirit the flesh is the old man a whole man and must have a spirit in it to act it such a one as it is and both the wisdome and spirit of the flesh are enmity to God unsubject to his Law and Will and enmity to man they work death and end in death Jonas had such wisdome and such a spirit in him when he ran from God but it had cost him his life if God had not been more gracious then he dutifull Paul complains hee found a law in his members warring against the law of his mind Rom. 7.23 Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit the work of the flesh is lusting and warring against the spirit it is with a godly man as it was with Rebecca she had great struglings in her womb and what was the cause of it there were two nations in her womb one contrary to the other Gen. 25.22 23. and there is heaven and earth in a godly mans heart which are contrary and make great struglings The same soul commands obedience opposeth obedience the same will that delights in the Law of God hath a crosse motion to the law of sin the heart that trusteth God doubts of his favour while we are believing unbeliefe is opposing Mark 9.24 I believe Lord help my unbeliefe 7. Saints may do the Will of God unwillingly if not against their
be it great or small short or long it hath this name in the Hebrew language Jer. 3.8 a Bill of divorce is mentioned the word in the originall is Sephar a book of Divorce It was the use of the Jewes to call any Writing though it had but a few lines in it Sephar a book And so a Catalogue that had not many names in it is called a book Mat. 1.1 The book or the catalogue of the generation of Jesus Christ This Book of Ezekiel is large having eight and fourty Chapters in it and may rather be called a Volume then Sephar a Book a Bill a Catalogue Some Books in the Scripture that are far less then this of Ezekiel have that title Esther which is not long hath this title Megillath Esther the Volume of Esther or the Book of Esther so it is in your Bibles The word cometh from Gabal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to roll or fold up for the use of the Jewes was to fold up their Writings as being the best way to preserve them from dust and other dangers These two words are sometimes found both together as in this Prophet Chap. 2. v. 9. There was sent unto the Prophet a hand and in it there was Megillath Sephar a roll of a Book The Jewes had many Megillaths many such volumes or rolls especially five which they did use at severall times There was the Megillath of the Canticles which they read at the Feast of the Passeover because it contained much of the love of God to the Church and in the Passeover they apprehended much of Gods love towards them 2. Then they had the Megillath of Ruth which was read a◠the Feast of Pentecost because it contained the Genealogie and originall of David their King who was so beloved and dear unto them 3. They had the Megillath of Ecclesiastes and that they read at the Feast of Tabernacles in memory of Gods protection of them forty yeers in the Wilderness because that volume did contain in it many acts of Gods providence which watcheth over his people continually The fourth was the Megillath of Esther which was read in the Moneth of Adar because that discovered the plot of Haman and the goodness of God that did deliver them from that imminent danger The last Megillath was the Book of the Lamentations and this contained as the summe so the bewailing of the Babylonish captivity which was grievous unto them This Book they read in the fifth Moneth which was answerable to the latter end of July These were all little books little volumes Ezekiel is rather a Megillath and Ezekiel must be one volume a book written in the Babylonish captivity some five hundred and fourscore yeers before Christ so that it is above two thousand two hundred yeers since this book was written From hence you may observe First the Wisdome of God in causing this and other books to be written A book is a writing the originall word signifieth to write Here is the wisdome and goodness of God that the Prophecies of Ezekiel and other Prophets should be written God will have his Church furnished with and regulated by written truths not unwritten traditions The Jewes they had their Cabbala which they say were full of secret Mysteries The Papists they have their Traditions they call them unwritten verities and wee call them unwritten vanities We have a sure word of Prophecie to stick unto and they uncertain fancies which corrupt the worship of God and indanger immortall souls Bellarmine hath a whole book de Verbo Dei non scripto of the Word of God unwritten such words of God wee acknowledge not It was the wisdome of God that the Prophets should write and that their writings should be extant When the Lawyer asked Christ what he should do to inherit eternall life Christ doth not send him to unwritten Traditions or to Jewish Cabbala's but he sends him to a known and written Law What is written in the Law how readest thou Luke 10.26 So wee must look to what is written and how we may reade not what they tell us was revealed to such a Saint and hath continued to so many generations and is the truth of God these are delusions The writings of the Prophets and Apostles are sufficient for us and wee acknowledge the infinite goodness of God in that these should be written for us to have resort unto If this Prophets others and Apostles works had not been written there would have been great inconveniences some things would have been forgotten some neglected many things corrupted and all things in time questioned and so the whole truth would have been without authority in the hearts of people Secondly see here the providence of God likewise in preserving this book of Ezekiel which was written in Babylon for there was the Prophet and there he had his visions for a book to be preserved in Babylon is a wonder The Law was lost in Sion in Manasses his dayes and found again in Josiah his time If the Law may be lost in Sion much more may a Prophecie be lost in Babylon and if not lost in Babylon yet it might have been left in Babylon if not left there it might have miscarryed in their return if not then yet when Titus and Vespasian took and sacked Jerusalem it might there have perished and been utterly extinguished and we never have heard of this Prophecie of Ezekiel But here is the hand of God manifested in it that though this Prophecie were revealed to Ezekiel in Babylon and run through so many hazards yet it should be preserved to this very day Again see where is the true antiquity This book was written five hundred and fourscore yeers before Christ two thousand two hundred yeers ago and is not this book now very ancient other Prophets and the whole Scripture are the true Antiquity Papists and many amongst us stand upon antiquity and what is their antiquity The Fathers or some Heathen Writers are their antiquity But what is the true antiquity but the Word of God That is Prima veritas and pura veritas the first truth and the pure truth that is the fountain all other are but muddy channels When any points are in controversie they flie to Fathers and to Antiquity and what is found there they take for truth but this is to desert God and run to man My people have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Jerem. 2.13 and hewed them out cisrerns broken cisterns that can hold no water I am the fountain saith God my Scriptures are the fountain of living waters yet they run to their own pits and cisterns that hold no water Some moth-eaten and old writings some ancient copies that have lain hid some hundreds of yeers from the world are brought forth obtruded upon people for truths and they must be truths But for your direction know that if they be not in the Kings Records what ever writings they be never regard
them and if you will search never search into inferiour Courts search not books that are on this side the Kings Court that are made of late but go to the King of heavens Records have recourse to his Court look into the Law of God Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them throw them by that truth which is found in any writings and not to be drawn out of Gods Book is not from antiquity these are the true Records here is the true antiquity And so much for this word Book The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezekiel that is the name of our Prophet Among the Jewes there were no Sir-names but every man had onely one name as Samuel David Isaiah Jeremie Ezekiel c. This name Ezekiel doth signifie the strength of God or one strengthened by God He had a great work to doe he needed great strength for that work He was to deale with wicked Princes wretched people such as were exceeding opposite desperately wicked impudent hard-hearted rebellious Therefore Chap. 3. vers 8 9. Behold saith God I have made thy face strong against their faces and thy fore-head strong against their fore-heads c. The Hebrew words here for strong are Chazakim and Chazak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have made thy faces Chazakim strong I have given thee many faces and I have given thee many strengths strong both in the singular and plurall number all the strengths that is fit for a Prophet that had such a great task to undertake and goe about He was to reprove them for their sinnes to threaten Gods judgements to vindicate Gods justice in bringing them into captivity himselfe was to endure much hardship and many conflicts for which ordinary strength would not suffice therefore he is fitly called Ezekiel the strength of God or a man strengthened of God Or thus Ezekiel doth signifie one girt of God Cingere vineire for Chazack is to gird or bind and Ezekiel is one whom God hath girt and bound up for some imployment answerable to that expression of Paul Behold saith he I goe goe bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem so you read it but it may be bound to the Spirit Acts 20 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God goes before me and I being bound to the guidance of the Spirit doe follow the same whithersoever it leads me So here our Prophet was girt up of God from the world bound in or to the Spirit and so followed that which way soever it led him Touching this name of Ezekiel you may observe a note or two First see the wisedome of God in giving names sutable to the events that doe follow and fall out afterward Ezekiel was to deale with a stubborne people a rebellious house that did oppose heaven that did stand it out against God to the uttermost There was need therefore of a strong Prophet to subdue their rebellious spirits If an ordinary man had come he would soone have been discouraged his spirit would have sunk and fallen within him therefore here the Lord ordereth it so that a name shall be given unto him which shall be sutable to the event he shall be a man of God he shall be strong strengthened girt up of God to deale with a proud rebellious obstinate people You may find in Scripture divers names that have been imposed through the wisedome and guidance of God upon parties before their birth and the event hath answered afterward very fully as Gen. 17. Thou shalt call his name Isaac Isaac signifieth laughter and Isaac proved matter of laughter to his father and mother all their dayes he was a dutifull sonne you never read that Isaac fell into such sinnes as some other of the Patriarchs and Prophets fell into He was a child of laughter to them So 1 Chron. 22.9 His name shall be Solomon for I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his dayes and the event was answerable to his name So Josiah 1 Kings 13.2 it signifies the fire of the Lord and Josiah was the fire of God indeed to make a reformation to pull downe Jeroboams Altar and to offer upon it the Priests of the high places that had burnt Incense upon it to burn mens bones thereon to throw out idolatry and to destroy the high places So the name of our blessed Saviour which was imposed before his birth Thou shalt call his name Jesus They shall call his name Emanuel he shall save his people he shall be God with us and it was so Luke 1. Call his name John John noteth Gracious and he was gracious in the eyes of his very enemies he had favour in the eyes of Herod favour in the eyes of the people Gods wisedome is seen in ordering of names before-hand sutable to events that follow afterward 2. This should direct parents to impose incouraging names upon their children What incouragement was it to Ezekiel to think of his name the strength of God a man girt up of God for some great designe and imployment Names at first were imposed for distinctions sake and not only so but to shew the hopes and desires of parents touching their children for the time to come Obvirtutis auspicium imponunt u◠vocabula Jeron Good names were prognosticall Parents expected and children were incouraged much by them Leah nameth her son Judah which is praise that she might praise God for him and he might do things worthy of praise all his dayes and the Tribe of Judah did worthily in Israel Thus much from the name of Ezekiel The Boook of the Prophet Ezekiel This word Prophet is not in the Hebrew The Book Ezekiel or the book of Ezekiel But it is in the body of the Prophecie Chap. 2. v. 6. They shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them Prophet is from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifies one that foretells things to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word Nabi of Naba which signifies to fore-know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-tell or discover things Some derive it from a root which signifieth to bud to bring forth for as a tree drawes sap from the earth sends forth that sap into leaves and fruit becomes profitable and serviceable unto man so doth the Prophet he drawes sap from the root which is God from him he hath many hidden deep and divine truths which hee reveals and sends forth for the delight and benefit of others Prophets were of two sorts distinguished by the Temples some were Prophetae priores and others Prophetae posteriores The former Prophets were those of the first Temple the latter Prophets were those of the latter Temple and they were Haggai Zachariah Nehemiah Ezra and Malachi these Prophets continued but forty yeers after the second Temple was built and then did Prophecie
heaven opened in this City in a week How many visions have you from the Prophets What manifestations of truths are there What discoveries of the minde and will of God to your souls are there in these dayes I saw visions of God saith Ezekiel and so may you The Word of the Lord came expresly The Hebrew is emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ssendo fuit om iâ—o fuit fiendo factuÌ„ est the Word of the Lord by being hath been or hath altogether been had much being in me Besides the visions I saw there was a reall communication of truths to my understanding evident and expresse commanands from God came unto me and it came so as it had entrance and abiding in me Accurate factum est there was an accurate and reall work of it upon me and in me Prov. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep sound wisdome the word for sound wisdome in the originall is that which is essence or being intimating that all other things are nothing and the Word of God that hath only substance and being in it making substantiall where it comes and so here it gave being and was an ingraffed word in the soul and heart of the Prophet so that the meaning is the Word came with that evidence and clearnesse unto mee that I could not withstand it it had such entity and substance in it that it made me of a common man a Prophet And the hand of the Lord was there upon mee The hand of the Lord is taken in two senses especially in Scripture 1. For judgement or punishment so you have it Acts 13.11 speaking of Elymas the Sorcerer saith Paul The hand of the Lord shall be upon thee and thou shalt be blind Gods hand was upon Elymas and he was stricken blind for perverting the Deputy In this sense it is not taken here 2. The hand of the Lord is taken for prophecy When the Lord doth come upon the sons of men and stirs up their spirits to prophecy that is the hand of the Lord. But yet this is not all It noteth the vertue and power of the Spirit of God which came upon the Prophet not shaking disturbing and throwing of him down as some Rabbies conceive but changing comforting elevating and exciting the spirit of the Prophet to see divine mysteries and notes also that efficacy and power which did set on the Word upon the heart and conscience of the Prophet that power which did subdue all opposition carnall reasonings and remove all impediments whatsoever stuck upon the heart of the Prophet and hindred him in that work which God would have him to undertake It is this hand of the Lord that makes the Word mighty spirituall lively according to that in Hebr. 4.12 the Prophet felt the intrinsecall vertue of this hand the Spirit of God in his own heart it was a quick and lively word unto him This intrinsecall vertue of the Spirit if it reached not the Prophets hearers yet it abode in the prophecy and it remains an efficacious prophecy to this day It 's worth inquisition what the vertue of the Spirit is expressed here by the hand of God There are three things in it The hand is 1. Symbolum roboris 2. Index veritatis 3. Instrumentum operationis 1. The hand is Symbolum roboris the Type or Embleme of strength therefore of a strong man we say he is a man of his hands that is the symbol of his strength So the Spirit of God is a Spirit of strength the hand of God notes the strength of God and the Holy Ghost is the power and strength of God Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee And greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world The Spirit of God that is in the hearts of his children he is of more strength then Beelzebub the prince of Devils and god of this world 2. The hand is Index veritatis the hand or finger doth shew a thing If you would have a man goe this way or that way you shew him or point him with the finger you direct him with your hand Salomon Prov. 6.13 speaking of the wicked man saith He teacheth with his fingers that is he shewes others by his hand to do wickedly the Spirit of God is Index veritatis this hand of God doth shew you the truth 1 John 16.13 14. He shall shew you saith Christ things to come He shall take of mine and shew it unto you It is the Spirit of Christ this hand of God that sheweth you all things you will never know truths till this hand point to them and teach you you may have notions in your head and guessings in your spirits and bosomes but the reality and certainty of things will never be attained to till the spirit of God acquaint you with them 3. The hand is Instrumentum operationis the instrument of action men do all by the hand therefore it is called the Organ of organs by the Philosopher So the Spirit of God that doth all Zach. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit I will do all by that saith God It is the Spirit of God that doth convince it 's the Spirit that doth convert it 's the Spirit that doth dictate and inspire godly men it 's the Spirit that sanctifies it 's the Spirit that leads into truth that comforts the Spirit is the great agent the hand of God by which God doth all his works It was the Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters at first the Spirit of God was the agent in the work of creation and the great agent in the work of redemption and salvation These phrases being thus opened observe hence 1. That the Prophet received what he delivered to them from God The hand of the Lord was there upon me and the Word of the Lord came expressly The Prophets must deliver to the people what they receive from God and not what they bring of themselves They must not bring their own visions their own conceits what seemeth good in their own eyes but they must bring the Word of the Lord to the people They must not speak according to the humours of the people as they move them as they would have them but they must speak as the Spirit of God moves them as God will have them 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 11.23 and Paul saith What I have received of the Lord that I deliver unto you he would not deliver any thing he had from the world or from himself but what I received from the Lord that I deliver unto you Ministers they are Gods Seeds-men and they must have their seed from God else they will sow tares 2. It is of much concernment for Ministers to see they have a good and clear Call to their Ministery Ezekiel here stands much upon it I saw
heaven opened I saw visions of God and the Word of the Lord came expresly to mee and the hand of the Lord was there upon mee Here were strong evidences of his Call to the work he was to go about Ministers are to be the mouth of God to the people and the mouth of the people to God both are weighty businesses they deal about the eternall truths of the eternall God your immortall souls and the everlasting condition of them The glory of God is concredited in a great measure unto them the great things of the Kingdome of Christ are put into their hands to dispense as God shall move and give them opportunity Had they not need therefore to see to it that their Call be right and to make it out strongly and clearly that God hath sent them If they can clear it up that God hath sent them they may expect his assistance his blessing his protection and successe in their labours How ever things prove this will be their comfort in the midst of opposition reproach persecution hazard of liberty and lives I was called of God I am in his work in his way he brought me into his Vineyard hee will stand by mee I will go on let him do with me what he pleaseth The clearnesse of a mans Call will add much comfort to a mans spirit in a black day it makes conscientious pitifull and painfull a Ministers call being evident the peoples consciences will be satisfied will receive his doctrine then will they look upon him as their Pastor and Teacher reverence him for his works sake and are likely to receive much good by him Whereas otherwise if the Calling of Ministers reach no higher then a Patron or Prelate there is seldome any good comes either to Ministers or people therefore it concernes them to look narrowly to it that their Calling be of God cleare and strong to themselves else they cannot make it out to others neither shall finde that comfort nor do that good which otherwise they might 3. That in corrupt times when Religion the Chuâ—ch and Gods glory are greatly indangered God then takes care to raise up some extraordinary servants to vindicate his truth in his people his glory all was brought now to a desolate condition false Prophets prevailed Religion suffered Gods honour was low and now God takes Ezekiel that was one of the ordinary Priests before and bestowes a larger measure of his Spirit upon him and raiseth him up to be a Prophet and sets him awork to do great things in Babylon Though now men be not called immediatly by the voyce of God and Christ as of old yet by extraordinary instincts and motions of Gods Spirit they were heretofore and are still put upon great services Philip was a Deacon by his ordinay Calling but by extraordinary instinct and hints of Gods Spirit he was raised up to be an Evangelist and to do greater service unto the Church of God So Luther that was a Frier at first by extraordinary instinct of Gods Spirit was raised up to purge errors out of the Church and to glorifie God especially in clearing the doctrine of Justification by Free grace So Zwinglius Wickliffe and others in our dayes God hath not left himself without witnesse at this day he hath stirred up the spirits of some to do him great and extraordinary services 4. That those Ministers are fittest to speak to the people that finde the Word of God to have being in them The Word of the Lord came expresly to mee the Word of the Lord had being in him was ingraffed in him When the Word is a word of being in our hearts then it will be a word of power in your consciences That which comes from our hearts will reach to yours and will be effectuall in you otherwise the Word is but an empty sound it cometh from the teeth outward and reacheth but to your eares and seldome goeth down into your souls 5. Take this note that there are principles of opposition in the dearest servants of God to the work of his Spirit It is said the hand of the Lord came upon mee invaded mee so some render it I stood out against God I had my carnall reasonings I had stubbornnesse and opposition in my will I said there was a Lion in the way and I pleaded hard against this work and service But the Spirit of God came upon me came mightily upon me came with a strong hand upon me as he saith came so upon me that it subdued all my carnall reasonings subdued the stubbornness of my will it removed all my shifts and pretences and brought me off to go about the Work of God Is it not thus with most Christians When you would pray when you would do good is not evill present with you But when the Spirit of God cometh upon you it will overcome that indisposition that sluggishness that opposition it will work down distempers and frame you sweetly to go about the work of a God as it did Ezekiel 6. That the Word and Ordinances of it that visions and revelations do the heart of man reall good when divine vertue goes along with them otherwise not What if Ezekiel had seen never so many visions what if God had spoken never so expresly unto him unlesse the hand of God had been upon him too unlesse the Spirit of God had improved those visions and ingraffed those words in him all had been as an empty sound all had been as meer shadowes and sights to him But when the Spirit of God goes along then there is efficacy and benefit in any Ordinance take away the Spirit from the Word and Ordinances of God and they will be but dry bones without meat or marrow take the Gospel which is called the ministration of the Spirit if the Spirit be not in it the choisest promises the sweetest truths there what are they they are Literae damnatoriae and Leges mortis they are letters and lawes of death to the soul When the hand of the Lord is upon an Ordinance and upon a man in that Ordinance then is there good gotten and then doth the soul gain 2 Cor. 10.4 Our weapons are mighty through God 7. That all spirituall good received and done by the Saints is from the operation of Gods Spirit which therefore is called Gods hand Luke 11.20 If I by the finger or hand of God cast out devils this finger Mat. 12.28 is called the Spirit of God If I by the Spirit of God cast out Devills That which is called finger in one is called the Spirit in the other Now doe men receive any good have you faith have you love patience meeknesse understanding zeale godlinesse any all graces It is this hand of God that hath wrought them Doe you doe any divine good unto others It is this Spirit of God that workes by you and inableth you to doe that good Act. 6.10 They were not able to resist the wisedome and Spirit by
which he spake Stephen spake by the Spirit of God If you heare if any good be done or received it is from the Spirit which is the hand of God Therefore you should know to whom to give the glory and honour of all your receipts and of all your actions 8. Note here That the Messengers of God should come not onely with the Word of God but also with the hand of God they should â—â—ing his truths and his Spirit Ezekiel the Word of the Lord came expresly to him and the hand of the Lord was upon him It is needfull that Ministers come not onely with Law and Gospel with the Word of God but that they come with the very hand even the Spirit and power of God for all the efficacy and good done is by the Spirit If a Minister come and bring the letter onely without the Spirit what evidence will there be to his owne soule of the certaintie of those things whereof he speakes How will he be able to see into the spiritualnesse of them to know that they are of God and that they are to be commended to the people in the name of God when he wants the Spirit of God to discerne them himselfe What prevalency can there be in the hearts of hearers when the Minister comes not with demonstration of the Spirit What bottome is there for the faith of men where there is the wisedome of words without the power of the Spirit The hearers get most good when Gods letters come to them not without his seale evidencing they are his letters Hence saith Paul 1 Cor. 2.4 5. My preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Then doth the faith of hearers stand in the power of God when the Ministers come with evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of God Last of all From these three verses generally considered observe That when Gods servants are in deepe afflictions then are usually brought in the sweetest consolations Here is Ezekiel taken out of his own Countrey deprived of his estate and friends of the Temple of Gods Ordinances and solemne Assemblies and of all the sweet and good that Jerusalem afforded He is brought into Babylon he is a captive there he is solitary now by the River side he was in a distrest and forlorne condition What man here would be in Babylon now and not think himselfe very miserable When Ezekiel was in this condition heaven is opened visions are seene God speaks expresly unto him the hand of the Lord is there upon him So that you may see when we are in deepe affâ—ictions many times God commeth in with his sweetest consolations Gen. 15.1 Abraham in the Chapter before had gotten a victory and rescued Lâ—t his brothers sonne out of the hands of sundry Kings and being come home he falleth into a shaking fit and is filled with feare lest those Kings should reinforce their strength come upon him and his and destroy all While he is in this agony God commeth to him Feare not Abraham I am thy shield and exceeding great reward God came in his deepe distresse and brought in a sweet refreshing to his soule Elijah that great Prophet and worthy servant of God after he had made a sacrifice of Baals Priests and Jezabel sought after him to slay him and had vowed that he should die the death 1 King 19. if there were no more men in the world he was forced to flie for his life and he flieth into the Wildernesse and there was a great famine neither bed nor bread he had there and whither to goe he knew not he had many enemies he hardly knew a godly man left he was even weary of his life now he sitteth downe under a Juniper tree and desireth that God would take away his life It is enough now O Lord saith he take away my life for I am not better then my fathers I am even willing to die the world is so wretched and there so much hatred of thee and thine Ahab and Jezabel are against me all the Countrey and Land cry out of me as the troubler of Israel and to what purpose should I live any longer While he is in this condition God sendeth an Angel unto him and an Angel with bread to feed him and with glad tydings to comfort him John when he was in Patmos banished by Domitian in a place where were the condemned parties belonging to the State of Rome those that were the most desperate and vile wretches that they would faine be rid of they sent them to Patmos John was there and while he was there he had those revelations that were full of glory and excellency The three Children when they were in the fiery furnace the fire did them no hurt but loose their bands and set them at libertie and then one like the Sonne of God commeth and walketh amongst them and comforteth them in those fiery flames In deepe distresses then God doth often let out himselfe he dwelleth in the darknesse and letteth out himselfe and becommeth light to those that are in darknesse You know that passage in the booke of Martyrs of Glover and Austen Mr. Glover was sad and full of feares some dayes before he was to suffer his spirit was downe he quaked and trembled to thinke of the stake and of that bitter cup he was to drinke he was afraid that he should deny his Saviour and undoe his soule But the night before he was to suffer he cryed out unto Austen Ob Austen he is come he is come I knew a woman in travell M rs A. G. and in that travell whereof shee dyed who had been sometime in darknesse and having much sought God and waited for the revelation of his countenance when shee was almost spent in her travell and come neare her end upon a suddaine shee sprang up and fixing her eyes towards heaven said He is come he is come he hath kissed me with the kisses of his mouth his love is better then wine I will not exâ—hange my condition with the greatest Prince in the world the Lord is infinitely good he hath not deceived me neither will he ever deceive any Shee had these impressions upon her spirit till the breath went out of her body Thus God in great distresses in deepe afflictions bringeth in seasonable and sweet consolations And I looked and behold a whirlewinde came out of the North c. Wee are now come to the Vision some make five Visions in this Chapter The first is a Vision of a tempest in this fourth verse The second is of the foure living creatures with their description from this verse to the 15th The third is of the wheeles from the 15th verse to the 22. The fourth is of the Firmament from the 22. verse to the 26th The fifth is of a Throne with one in it from
Papists do nor disabilities as sundry Christians do but looke out some promises made of such things as are commanded see free Grace and draw strength from thence through the promise to inable us to stand upon our feet being down to walk being up and to persevere in the walking 7. It is the Spirit of God that inables to discerne the things of God and assures our spirits of the truth and reality of them the Spirit entred into the Prophet set him upon his feet that hee heard him that spake unto him now having the Spirit hee was fitted to heare Christ inabled to judge of what hee spake to satisfie his soul concerning the truth reality and excellency of his Doctrine Job 10.27 My sheepe heare my voyce and a stranger will they not follow Verse 5. they can distinguish between the voyce of Christ and all others and how come they to do it they are Sheep not Goats not Wolves not Foxes and how come they to be Sheep Christ powres out his Spirit upon them that enters into them and brings them into the fold and inables them to heare and know the Shepheards voyce and the Shepheard himself 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God If the Apostle had not had the Spirit and the Spirit of God hee could not have apprehended the things of Christ and the Gospel they are such deep and spirituall things that none but the Spirit of God can search out or discover being searched out into whom the Spirit enters spiritualizing his heart and head he is a man fit to trade with Christ and to heare him speak for Vers 15. the spirituall man judgeth all things hee hath a principle within to taste and discern the nature of them hee only hath a fitnesse though not a fulnesse to judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee hath a discerning faculty and according to the measure of that hee judgeth VER 3 4 5. 3. And he said unto me Son of man I send thee to the children of Israel to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against mee they and their fathers have transgressed against mee even unto this very day 4. For they are impudent children and stiff-necked I do send thee unto them and thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the Lord God 5. And they whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare for they are a rebellious house yet shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them EZekiel being raised comforted and fill'd with the Spirit fitted to heare the Lord Christ and to do him service In these verses we have his Call to his Office and the parties specified he is sent unto and the reason of his sending to them His Call in these words I send thee The parties hee is sent unto are the children of Israel who are described to be First a rebellious nation and this their sin is amplified three wayes 1. It 's against mee 2. It 's the same evill their fathers have done they transgressed against me and so have their children 3. It 's continued to this day Secondly impudent children Thirdly stiff-necked Fourthly a rebellious house The reason of his sending is that they might know there hath been a Prophet among them I shall first open the words of this third verse and after give you the Observations I send thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mittens In the Hebrew it is I am sending thee or about to send thee the present tence in the Scripture noteth the purpose and firm resolution of the mind Luke 19.8 saith Zachâ—us the half of my goods I give to the poor that is I purpose and decree to give them it 's the firm resolution of my minde but it notes more here I send thee I intend and am resolved to make thee a Prophet that is not all I ordain constitute thee to be a Prophet for mitto here non propositum mittentis nec motum missi sed auctoritatem significat and that will appeare from Jer. 14.14 The Prophets prophesie lies in my Name they pretend saith God that they have commission and countenance from me but I sent them not I never intended or constituted them to be Prophets they never had authority from mee I commanded them not neither spake unto them they went of their own heads for their own ends and if they be Prophets they are lying ones my authority did never establish them but it shall punish them Children of Israel That is the Jewes that were brought into Babylon who were call'd the children of Israel from Jacob who wrestling with God and prevailing had his name changed from Jacob to Israel Gen. 32.28 Thy name shall be no more Jacob but Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed Not Israel because he had seen God as some interpret it nor Israel because hee was a man right with God but Israel is of a word signifies to rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominari instar principis se gerere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the addition of el to it and so it followes in the verse because thou hast prevailed with God here was a good root but the branches were degenerate the sons of Israel were not like their father Israel a praying and prevailing people sons of Israel according to the flesh externall shews and in opinion so the most of them were but they did not follow the faith and purity of their father Israel Rom. 9.6 They are not all Israel that are of Israel A rebellious Nation The word for Nation is in the plurall number Goiim which word is mostly in Scripture applied to the unbelieving Gentiles those that were without God and strangers to the common-wealth of Israel as Hab. 1.5 The Heathens and Psal 106.42 He gave them into the hand of the Heathens it 's Goiim the Septuagint renders it Into the hands of their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Jewes accounted the Gentiles and in disgrace call'd them Goiim an abominable Nation and at this day they call the Christians so and make that name which was common before to all Gentiles now since Christ to be speciall to Christians The Turks they call Ishmaelites and Aethiopians Cushites but the Christians Goiim an abominable Nation and here the Spirit of God calls them Goiim a rebellious Nation by way of contempt The Prophet prophesied against the Syrians Egyptians Babylonians and others which in common sense of the word were the Nations but here it 's put upon the Jewes who were as vile in the eyes of God as the Gentiles were in theirs for they had forsaken the truth entertained their Idolatries and corruptions and turned aside Ad nesaria scelera to notorious wickednesses something of most Nations about them they
had taken in and so are call'd Goiim Nations as if they had had the wickednesse of all the nations or because they were divided in their false and Idolatrous worship some were for the Ammonitish way some the Moabitish some for other wayes most for wrong wayes and this made them like the Nations who had their severall wayes and to deserve the brand of Goiim Rebellious Hammordim the rebellious ones of Marad which signifies to fall off to apostatize to rebell and resist it 's like the practice of men against States and Princes when they have made Lawes for their Subjects to live by and they have accepted of those Lawes and then fall off with-draw from their subjection obedience and shake off their yoke it 's call'd rebellion Gen. 14.4 the King served Kedorlaomer twelve yeers and in the thirteenth rebelled that is shook off those Lawes and yokes they were under In the Law sense rebellion is a traitorous taking up arms against the State be it by the naturall Subjects or by others formerly subdued or by whomsoever when arms are taken up to overthrow the setled Laws of a Kingdome and Religion setled by those Laws this is rebellion against that State and that State may preserve it self the Law of Nature Reason and Religion warranting the same I am not to speak of rebellion in this sense but Theologically when men will not be under the Laws and Government of Christ but go a whoring after their own lusts and inventions or others then they rebell so the other Tribes told Reuben Gad and Manasseh Josh 22.16 What trespasse is this you have committed against the God of Israel to turn away this day from following the Lord in that you have builded you an Altar that yee might rebell this day against the Lord Turning from God and taking up our own or others inventions is rebelling against God The Vulgar hath it to the apostatizing Nations Ad Gentes apostatrices and the Septuagint renders the word Rebell in Nehem. 6.6 to apostatize thou and the Jewes think to apostatize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and apostasie is a wicked departing from God and his truth acknowledged and confessed to false wayes of worship and such were the Israelites at this time they had left the God of Israel and chosen other gods and served Idols which made the Lord to say Jer. 2.11 Hath a nation changed their gods which yet are no gods but my people have changed their glory such is the apostasie of Antichrist and his followers they have departed from the true God and his worship and set up false gods and false worship so that he and all his children are Goiim Hammordim a rebellious an apostatizing nation Against mee It 's not against their King their high Priest but against mee In pactum meum Jerom. against my Covenant saith Jerome God had made a Covenant with them not only a spousall covenant I will betroth thee to mee for ever Hos 2.19 But a matrimoniall covenant I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other gods before me Exod. 20.2 3. God said hee would have them and no other people to be his God kept the Covenant on his part and was no Polygamist to that day hee took not in any other nation but they brake with him and took in other gods and brought them not into the City only but into the Temple and provoked their God to jealousie Even to this day The Hebrew is to the body strength essence of this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even this self-same day these very words you have in Lev. 23.14 untill the self-same day had not this people been brutish they might have seen what an unprofitable thing it was to bestow honour upon Altars Idols to set up corrupt invented worship they might have seen what truth and force was in Propheticall threats how powerfull God was to save and to destroy for now they were carryed out of their own Countrey they were in Babylon a most Idolatrous place subject to the nations they so disdained and had been some yeers in bondage yet even here to that present time they were addicted to their old wayes and served false gods night and day Jer. 16.13 Transgresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word signifies to sin not ignorantly or of infirmity but wilfully ex superbia Isai 1.2 I have brought up children and they have rebelled it 's the same word is in the Text they have proudly voluntarily sinned against mee the Septuagint therefore render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have prevaricated with me rejected mee they have taken mee out of the way who was established to be their God and have willingly brought in other gods and this word pashagn is of larger extent then marad say Rabbies but in Scripture they are promiscuously used Hos 14.9 the transgressors shall fall therein those go from under the command of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and oppose him Obser 1. That it 's Christs prerogative to set up and send officers unto the Church I send thee I that fit upon the Throne that am Jehovah that is to come that have all power in mine hand that can save and destroy that am the great Prophet of my people I send thee So Mat. 28.18 19. Christ is invested with all power and therefore sends Officers to all nations Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers it was Christ gave them and set them up in the Church Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ we are set up and sent by him who is the Head of the Church the Authour of all Offices and Lord of all Offficers Hence followes 1. That those Offices and Officers are holy and warrantable which depend upon the will and authority of Christ Jer. 1.5 not those are of the wils and authority of men as all are in the Romish Synagogue and too many are amongst us Apostles Prophets Euangelists they were of Christ but being extraordinary are ceased Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons Christ hath given to be standing Officers in the Church and their callings wee acknowledge holy and lawfull but all others of humane institution and so unholy and unwholesome for the Church The Papists deny the calling of Pastors and Teachers in the reformed Churches to be lawfull because they are not sent by the Pope and ordained by his Bishops and so in succession from Christ but it 's cleer that Pastors and Teachers were given of Christ before ever Popes or Prelates were thought on Ephes 4.11 And as for them the Pope and his Clergie wee may safely say that neither himself nor any of his Hierarchy ever had any lawfull calling because none of them are sent of Christ hee will never own it that he sent any of them neither were they ordained according to the will of Christ and his Apostles 2.
finde a reward in heaven if none on earth 5. That those are sent of God must deliver not their own but Gods message and thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the Lord God a Prophet is os Dei and it 's great honour to him that the great God will speak by his tongue Thou shalt be as my mouth Jer. 15.19 So Jeremy had Gods words put in his mouth Chap. 1.9 and those hee must speak not his own words what God commanded that he must speak and not what himself fancied When a man comes furnished with the word of God then hee comes as a man of God with authority and power this made the Apostle say our weapons are not carnall not the words of mans wisdome but the Oracles of God which are mighty through God Acts 20. he delivered the whole counsell of God and not his own VER 5. And they whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare for they are a rebellious house yet shall know there hath been a Prophet amongst them HEre the end or reason of the Prophets sending is given I send thee to this people to take away all pleas and pretences of theirs thou shalt prophesie unto them and tell them of their sins what I require at thy hands and if they will not heare I have not left my selfe without witnesses they shall know c. they would otherwise have had to object against thee and said If we had had a Prophet in our captivity to have reproved us for our sins to have shewed us Gods displeasure our danger and the way to escape we would have ceased from our evill wayes have learned righteousnesse and laid hold of offers of mercie and grace but we had not to reprove or instruct us wee perished for want of visions It 's true wee had Prophets in our countrey but there they were common and we did not much regard them but had one been given us now in this desolate afflicted condition we would have hearkened obeyed c. This objection God takes away and tells them whether they will heare or no a Prophet they shall have he will not be wanting to them they shall have no cause to object against or complain of him A rebellious house The originall is a house of rebellion it 's in the abstract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and notes the strength and provocation of their sin the Vulgar hath it the exasperating house the house that provokes and vexes the Lord Domus exasperans Irritans Sept. Domus amaricans In amaritudinemme convertunt or the imbittering house that imbitters God and so the Septuagint renders that in the third verse which have rebelled against mee which have turned mee into bitternesse and made me deal bitterly with them A house not because God dwelt amongst them and was now driven out by their rebellions but a house because they were the family and seed of Israel and this parenthesis is inserted to arm the Prophet against their obstinacie that he understanding before hand what they were might not be despondent but proceed cheerfully in his work what ever he met withall Observ 1. That there be few that heare and receive the Word savingly I send thee to this people and there be not many among them that will entertain thy message or believe the word that I put into thy mouth Whether they will heare or forbeare for they are a rebellious house this strongly imports they would not heare not savingly but rather oppose the truth there was a great number of them in Babylon yet very few hearkened to the Prophet and so was it before they went into Babylon Isa 53. Who hath believed our report we have preached and made report of God and Christ in the Temple in the Synagogues in the gates and streets but Who hath believed us Isaiah was a Princely Prophet had a Princely language and yet neither among the great ones at Court nor inferiour sort was there any considerable number for Isa 8.18 He saith I and the children the Lord hath given mee are for signs and wonders in Israel if they had been many they would not have been for wonders that is a wonder which is rare unusuall and it 's a rare unusuall thing for men and women to believe the Word of God multitudes flock to the gates and posts of Wisdome but few lay up sound wisdome in their hearts â—â—x cent â—simum quimque sore fiddem Calv. â—t Es 51 Quot esse putatis qui in eâ—vitate nostra salventur infestum quidem est quod d cturus sum d cam tamen non possunt in tot millibus centum inveniri qui salventur quin de his dubito Quanta enâ—m est in juvenibus malitia quantus in senibus torpor nemo zelum habet multitudo sumus saeni inordinatum mare Chrys Ad fidem plures veniunt sed ad coelestia regna pauci perducuntur Greg. Hom. 19. in Euang. many hearers few believers 1 Cor. 1.22 Wee preach Christ crucified unto the Jewes a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishnesse the generality of both reject Christ and his Doctrine of those that heare the Gospel scarce the hundreth man is a believing man saith Calvin and Chrysostome exceeds him in his 40. Hom. Ad pop Antioch hee thinks that scarce the thousand man that hears the Word will be saved It 's conceived by some Expositers that in Antioch were above an hundred thousand people and yet this Father feared that hardly an hundred of them were right Noah preached unto the old world and few or none hearkened When the Jewes were in the Wildernesse how few hearkened unto the voyce of the Lord of 600000 only Caleb and Joshua hearkened obeyed and entred into Canaan set aside all prophane hearers all negligent ones all forgetfull all unbelieving and unpracticall hearers and you shall find the number very few of saving hearers many come to heare but few get into heaven And you know what Christ hath said That narrow is the way to life and few there be that find it but broad is the way to destruction and many there be that go in thereat Let Christ speak hee is not heard not received let Satan or Antichrist do it they are heard and followed Josh 5.43 I come in my Fathers Name and yee receive mee not if another shall come in his own name him yee will receive When Antichrist came hee was received Rev. 13.3 And all the world wondred after the Beast and worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast The Doctrine and worship of the Beast was easie suitable to carnall spirits but the Doctrine of Christ is spirituall deep contrary to our fleshly and sinfull principles and herein the greatnesse of the mysterie of the Gospel is set out that few do heare and believe 2. See the infinite goodnesse of God that will give a Prophet to such a people as this they were rebellious had sleighted rejected abused
found sweetnesse in the wayes of the flesh at last felt and acknowledged the bitternesse in sin and in that sin Eccles 7.26 I finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is snares and nets Prov. 5.4 her end is bitter as wormwood The bitternesse in sin will be tasted at one time or other Jer. 2.19 It is an evill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God 5. A rebellious people grow worse by the means of grace let them heare the Word or have it tendred to them they are more obstinate opposite then before the point rises thus Whether they will heare or no for they are a rebellious house they will not heare they will not receive thee nor thy message but out of their old malice and rebellious dispositions they will be the worse for a Prophet sent unto them more hardned they will be against thee thy person thy Doctrine thy conversation thy calling they will quarrell and question all Jer. 44.16 17. As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but wee will certainly do what ever thing goeth out of our own mouth they were the worse for the Prophet Facier do sacâ—emus is the Hebrew more obstinate and set against him and the truths hee delivered in doing wee will do since thou hast spoken to the contrary we are more resolved and set upon it When Christ the great Prophet was sent unto the Jewes did they not grow more hard vile and opposite to him and his Doctrine did they not question his calling and quarrell at his conversation Luke 4.18 when Christ had told them that the Spirit was upon him and that hee was sent to preach the Gospel Deliverance Liberty the acceptable yeere and spake so as that they wondred at the gracious words proceeded out of his mouth yet in the 28th verse it 's said All they that were in the Synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him unto the brow of the hill that they might cast him down headlong Christ was a Nazaren and yet thus would the Nazarenites have served their Prophet their Messiah their own Citizen they would have thrown him down and broke his neck and bones together which made Ambrose say Est pejor magistro Discipulorum haeredâ—tas Ambr. That these men were worse then the devill because when hee had Christ upon the top of the pinacle hee offered not to throw him down but said Throw thy self down but these would have thrown him down with their own hands wicked men storm and rage against Christ his Doctrine and doings Luke 6.11 when hee had confuted their corrupt opinions about the Sabbath and heal'd the man with the withered hand it 's said They were filled with madnesse and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus you may see how the words of Christ ripened their corruptions the Gospel is like the Sun which ripens weeds as well as corn crabs as well as good fruit the vine of Sodome as well as the vine of Sibnah Deut. 32.32 Isa 16.8 and the Vineyards of Timnah amongst the Philistines Judg. 14.5 as the Vineyards of Engedi among the Israelites Can. 1.14 And so the Word of God and Gospel of Christ ripens the corruptions of the rebellious as well as the graces of the regenerate Judas treason the Pharisees hypocrisie are ripened by the Word as well John's love and Nathaniels sincerity in the hottest countreys are the rankest poyson the most venimous Serpents and in England which is zona torrida for the means of Grace is the bitterest enmity to godlinesse here are the rankest Serpents that ever lived 6. That God will leave wicked men without excuse it 's Gods intention they shall never be able to challenge mee nor to justifie themselves Gods primary intentions where hee sends Prophets and meanes of grace are the good of his elect their comfort sanctification and salvation but his secondary intentions are the inexcusablenesse of the wicked and their just damnation Hence is it that the Apostle saith wee are the savour of life unto life and the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 There is a sort of men that the Gospel is a sweet savour unto they smell life in it and it revives them it works unto life and these are the elect ones but there is another sort that the Gospel is a favour of death unto they smel death in it and find deadly effects from it they are hardned worsned imbittered and so it works unto death it 's like a strong Sent that kills immediatly and those it proves so unto are the reprobate the lost whose mindes the God of this world hath blinded 2 Cor. 4.4 Christ also tels us Joh. 9.39 For judgement I am come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might bt made blinde his first aim was at those under election to do them good to make them see the secondary end and aim was to make others blind that is such as were in a reprobate condition when God sends his Word to any place it shall and must prosper in the thing whereunto hee sends it Isa 55.11 be it to win and draw or to harden and make inexcusable see Isa 6.9 10. Go and tell this people Heare ye indeed but understand not see ye but perceive not make the heart of this people fat make their eares heavie and shut their eyes c. And this Scripture is six times in the new Testament repeated intimating that as people are hardened under the meanes so they are inexcusable having had the means and it 's a dreadfull condition to have Law or Gospel Prophets or Apostles and not to thrive by them Christ pronounces a woe to the Cities Matth. 11. that had the means of Grace and mighty works done in them and repented not he tells them it shall be more tolerable for Sodome then for them at the day of judgement cursed Sodomites that were destroyd with so dreadfull a judgement from heaven shall find more favour at the day of judgement and more ease in hell after that day then any that have had the Gospel and means of grace and not profited by them let us learn to tremble at the Word of God heare it as the Word of God as that Word shall judge us and receive the truths of God with love lest otherwise God sends us strong delusions and we be damn'd for not being the truth 7. Wicked men shall one day be awakened and see what mercy what means offers of grace they have refused and sleighted they shall know that there hath been a Prophet amongst them the time shall come that they shall see and feel that I was neer that my Word was among them that salvation was at their dores they shall finde mee a severe Judge that would not
accept of mee a tender father men go on a long time in a carelesse sleepie or scorning way but when sicknesse comes death is before them and they ready to take possession of an eternall condition then their conscience stings them and they feel what an evill it is that they have opposed neglected undervalued the Prophets and Sons of the Prophets The Adulterer will be roused out of his pleasing dream and soft bed at last Prov. 5.12 13 and say How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof and have not obeyed the voyce of my teachers nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me there will be strong convictions in the bosome of such a finner and conscience will sound in his eares and set upon his spirit those truths of his teachers that formerly have been despised When Pharaoh and the Egyptians were in the red sea and the old world had the flood about its eares what languages did their consciences speak did they not tell them they had had Moses and Noah Prophets and Preachers of righteousnesse and gave no ear to them did they not sting them to death and make them cry out and say O that wee had hearkened to those servants of the living God whilest wicked men are hearing sometimes their consciences are netled and gall'd Act. 5.17 The high Priest and all with him when they heard and saw what was done by the Apostles they were filled with indignation and John 8.59 the Jewes were so vexed at Christ that they took up stones to cast at him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disserrabatur Super Martyrem Stephanum dentibus colubrinis stridebant quem quasi serpentem in corde habebant Aug. Serm. 6. de sanct and those that heard Stephen Act. 7.54 they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth with the Saw of anger malice and envie they were even sawn in sunder and gnashed on him with their teeth and if the Word were so terrible while they had shifts to evade the stroke of it and comforts to allay the power of it what would it be to them at last when all shifts and comforts should fail them Some have confessed their consciences have been so cudgell'd at the hearing of some men as they never were in all their dayes before others that truths have been so darted into them they could not get them out in a week or moneth after they have stuck like arrowes in their livers and have been half-deaths unto them Mortes dimidiatae what will the Word be at last unto rebellious sinners it will arrest them and be most terrible unto them Zach. 1.6 Did not not my words take hold of their fathers it did and will do in these dayes John 12.48 the Word of Christ will judge and condemn sinners be an Anathema Maranatha unto them and they shall know it 8. That the Prophets shall be witnesses at last for or against their hearers they shall know there hath been a Prophet amongst them his person his pains his truths his life his sufferings his death will all come in for witnesses one day every Prophet every Preacher that Christ sends is a witnesse as well as an Officer or a Minister Acts 26.16 I have made thee a Minister and a witnesse all faithfull Ministers are Christs witnesses Act. 1.8 They beare witnesse of Christ and his Doctrine and if wee receive not him and his doctrine they will be Christs witnesses against us when the Lord Christ shall say to a people I have knockt at your dores many yeers together but yee would not open unto me I tendered life and salvation grace and glory in my Gospel and Ordinances but you would none of them you had your Farmes Oxen Wives to take up your thoughts Mammon to serve honour and praise to seek of one another examples of men to follow c. as for mee and my Prophets my Ministers you despised or only gave the hearing and that was all and my charge is not false here are my witnesses What say you to it Speak you Ministers of such a City and such a place What did you not preach many a Sermon shed many a teare swet many a drop make many a prayer for them did yee not earely and late watch for the good of their soules c Yea Lord but they would not receive us they would not believe our report wee made of thee they would not take thy yoke upon them c. wee shook off the dust of our feet against them This will be dreadfull when such witnesse of the Prophets comes in against hearers VER 6. And thou Son of man be not afraid of them be not afraid of their words though bryers and thornes be with thee and thou dost dwell among Scorpions be not afraid of their words nor be dismaid at their looks though they be a rebellious house THe Prophet being struck down with the sight of his glory which sate upon the Throne in the former Chapter is lifted up and comforted by the Spirit in the two first verses and call'd to publique service in the three next and that among a wreched rebellious people In this and the two next Verses the Lord Christ gives him instruction concerning his Office First negatively in the 6th verse Be not afraid of them I have made thee a Prophet and it 's not for a Prophet to feare the face of man Secondly positively in the 7th verse where hee informs him whose words he must speak unto them Thou shalt speak my words unto them it 's not for a Prophet to speak his own words but the words of him that sends him Thirdly both negatively and positively in the 8th verse Be not thou rebellious like the rebellious house they will not heare me submit to my Lawes walk in my wayes they go after their own counsels wils lusts but be not thou like them and then positively open thy mouth and eat that I give thee In the 6th verse you have 1. The Appellation Son of man 2. The Instruction Prohibition or Duty Be not afraid which is often repeated in the Verse 3. The causes and grounds of feare are specified which are divers First the quality of their persons thou maist pretend they are great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes and Nobles but be not afraid Mehem from them The second cause is their words they will reproach thee and seek by evill speeches to discourage thee but Be not thou afraid of their words The third is their looks they will look strangely frown bitterly swell against thee and brow-beat thee Be not dismaid at their looks The fourth is their disposition 1. Metaphorically by Briers Thorns and Scorpions they will scratch and teare sting and kill 2. Literally They are a rebellious house Feare not be not afraid be not dismaid c. These words are four times mention'd in the verse to shew our aptnesse unto fear and to shew the forwardnesse of the Lord Christ
do oft cover divine fire that it seems dead but wee must stir up our selves blow off those ashes and blow up the fire of grace that it may burn and shine be usefull to our selves and others The Prophet complains in Esa 64.7 There is no man that stirreth up himself to take hold of me they are like men asleep that sit still and do nothing The Vulgar is Non est quic onsurgat 6. When man hath done all hee can the efficacy and fruit is from God Ezekiel opened his mouth but the Lord Christ caused him to eat the roul hee makes it effectuall it 's not our stirring up our graces opening our hearts putting forth our selves to the utmost that will make an Ordinance effectuall without Christ it 's hee must do the deed Joh. 15. Without mee yee can do nothing Ezekiel could not eat the roul nor digest it being eaten not act being digested and so the Apostles though branches in the Vine could draw no sap from the root unlesse that sent it up when sent up could not send it forth without him if send it forth into clusters could not ripen it without him all is from him hee gives grace exercises strengthens and prospers grace Paul may plant but there is no rooting of those plants but by Christ Apollo may water but no growth no increase but by Christ 1 Cor. 3.6 7. Ministers and all should feed liberally upon the Word Fill thy bowels with this roul not taste of it a little but feed and fill themselves there is great variety in the rouls of God and wee may feed upon them all and fill our selves with divine truth Matth. 13.52 Every Scribe instructed to the Kingdome of heaven hath a treasury of things new and old as a Housholder hath all meats wines houshold-stuff and furniture that is needfull both old and new so should a servant of God have old and new truths those of Moses and the Prophets and the Mysteries of the Gospel also Col. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you richly he means not some part of it but the whole Word of God it 's not limited to any part but spoken indefinitly and so includes all and it must not be in the Assemblies in the Houses only but it must be in you and dwell in you you must know it and have it in readinesse as you know those dwell in the house with you and are ready to do any service for you The Corinthians were inriched in all knowledge and wee should so abound with divine knowledge that there should be no place for errors in us the Word of God should be in our hearts in our heads in our lips in our lives wee all should be like Ezekiels roul written within and without 8. The Word of God is sweet and delightfull to the soul it was as honey for sweetnesse there is nothing more sweet then honey the word is as sweet as it yea Psal 19.10 Sweeter then the honey or the honey combe the greatest sweetnesse is in the Word of any thing in the world The sweetnesse is in the Revelations of the Counsels and Mysteries of God Christ which is sweet to know for knowledge is pleasant Prov. 2.10 And the more excellent the knowledge the more pleasant it is It 's a word of life Phil. 2.16 and life is sweet and the more spirituall the life is the more sweet still it converts the soul Psal 19.7 it 's Pabulum animae call'd by Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.2 sincere milk and that is sweet nourishing unto eternall life It 's the grace of God brings salvation Tit. 2.11 and the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 and herein is sweetnesse it sanctifies Joh. 17. it comforts the soul in all straits and afflictions Psal 119.29 I had perished in mine affliction unlesse thy Law had been my delight it satisfies the conscience which nothing else can do It shewes the equity of Gods judgements and dealings with wicked men and so the sharpest threats and most dreadfull judgements are sweet to a gracious heart here was a Roul full of lamentations mournings and woe and yet when the Lord commends it to Ezekiel he finds sweetnesse in it not that he was not sensible and affected with the miseries coming upon him for he was not withous naturall affection but seeing the righteousnesse of God in his judgements towards them hee could not but be affected with a spirituall joy and finde sweetnesse therein his Will being revealed and that which a gracious heart rests in VERS 4 c. 4. And hee said unto me Son of mâ—◠〈◊〉 get thee unto the house of Israel and speake with my words unto them 5. For thou art not sent unto a people of a strange Speech and of a hard Language but to the house of Israel 6. Not to many people of a strange Speech and of hard Language whose words thou canst not understand surely had I sent thee to them they would have hearkened unto thee 7. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto mee for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted 8. Behold I have made thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead strong against their foreheads 9. As an Adamant harder then flint have I made thy forehead feare them not neither be dismayed at their looks though they be a rebellious house 10. Moreover he said unto me Son of man all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart and heare with thine eares 11. And go get thee to them of the captivity unto the people and speak unto them and tell them Thus saith the Lord God Whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare IN these Verses is a renewall of the Prophets sending to his Propheticall Function and they have in them matter of incouragement and manifestation what he must expect 1. Matter of incouragement And 1. In that hee was not sent to a people of a strange language that understood him not Vers 5 6. that would be discouragement to preach to a people should not know what a man said this was not the Prophets case but he was to go to the house of Israel whom he knew whose language he understood who also understood his 2. In that Christ had strengthened and fitted him for that service Vers 8.9 and would yet do more for him give him more truths reveal more Propheticall things unto him Vers 10. 3. That it should be all one to him whether they heard the Prophet or not Vers 11. The other thing is manifestation what he must expect 1. More from Heathens then from them Vers 6. end surely had I sent thee to them they would have hearkened 2. Obstinate refusall of him and his Prophecy Vers 7. The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee and it 's proved by a double argument First they will not hearken unto mee is an argument from the
be able to resist and could that great Councell in the 4th of the Acts prevail against Peter and John We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Vers 20. So Stephen was too stout for all his adversaries Act. 6.10 Such vertue was put into Basil the great you know how he answered the Ruler and stood impregnable against his threats who went and told the Emperor saying Victi sumus Rex in Ecclesiae hujus negotio vir ille minis est superior verbis robustior persuasionibus fortior You must set upon some other man more ignoble or force him openly you shall never overcome him with threats this made Nazianzen say of him that he was percutientibus adamas dissidentibus magnes Could all the policy of the Conclave and power of Antichrist conquer that divine vertue was put into Luther The wicked may drive the godly from their standings not from their stedfastnesse 5. That the Messengers of God being call'd and strengthened by Christ are to go on animo intrepido Fear them not neither be dismayed at their looks though they be rebellious c. If they be strong or against thee I am stronger that am with thee if they frown I smile if they watch to do thee hurt I watch to do thee good if thy Doctrine provoke them yet it pleases me From the 10th Verse observe 1. That the heart is the treasury where the truth should be laid up Receive my words in thine heart hee must heare with his eare but that is not enough he must also admit the word into his heart and lay it up there what is in the head may soon be lost but what is in the heart abides Books lockt up in the closet are safe and truths laid up in the heart are secure Jam. 1.21 Laying aside all filthinesse and superfluity of malice or naughtinesse receive in meekness the ingraffed word they must first put out of their hearts filthiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malice wrath what ever had possession of the heart and kept out the Word and open their hearts to entertain the Word that as it 's with a graffe put into a stock so it might be with the Word in their hearts even be an ingraffed Word a word to root and grow there and bear fruit in the life Luke 8.15 The seed on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit The heart is the ground this seed will grow in David knew this and therfore hid the Word of God in his heart Psa 119.11 And why there that I might not fin against thee This corn will not let the weeds grow when the Word is in the heart it keeps under all corruption it makes them languish and come to nothing many do by the Word as by their Jewels they hang them at their ears that is the place for them and so the Word is only in their eares they heare and that is all it enters not into their hearts and therefore is subject to casualty the Devill world pleasures one thing or other steal it away or make it unfruitfull but the heart is the right and best place for that treasure A godly mans treasure is in the heart within anothers is in the eare and without many heare the Word with the eare but receive it not into the heart and that is a worthlesse hearing Joh. 8.47 The Jewes heard Christ preach yet he tells them their hearing was no hearing yee heare not Gods Word because yee are not of God They heard but not with the heart the truth entred not abode not with them let us look to our hearing and lay up the truths of Christ in our heart Luke 2.19 Mary kept those sayings and pondered them in her heart 2. All the truths of Christ must have interest in the heart Psal 40.8 Thy Law is within my heart hee doth not say a Precept or two a part or half the Law is within my heart but thy Law the whole Law some truth none is so bad but hee would give entertainment unto truths of mercy truths of liberty truths of case and comfort truths in credit so men might pick and choose what truths they listed they would imbrace them but when truths are reproached will subject to danger losse difficulties when they strike at our lusts call for mortification self-deniall conformity to Christ c. then men will scarcely afford truth their eares much lesse their hearts hence those expressions in Scripture of mens perverting the wayes of God Acts 30.10 of being contentious against the truth Rom. 2.8 speaking evill of it 2 Pet. 2.2 of resisting it 2 Tim. 3.8 yea persecuting it Acts 22.4 There be many truths that flesh and blood cannot indure some have torn out parts of Scripture because crosse to their lusts and lives it 's known what hath been done to the Word of God in Ireland and England too of late dayes Some are enemies to the whole truth most to some parts of it but wee must receive all the words of Christ if the least tittle of the Law and Gospel be more durable and excellent then heaven and earth Matth. 5.18 there is sufficient reason it should have interest in our hearts let the truths be what they will so they be the words and truths of Christ we should receive them and that which makes us receive one should make us receive all Do I râ—ceive one because it 's from Christ then I should receive all because they are from Christ if I do not receive all I may miscarry for refusing of one truth Psal 219.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements From the 11th Verse observe 1. That affliction is a fit time for instruction Gâ—t thee to them of the captivity they were in Babylon stript of all captives under Nebuchadnezzar and now the Lord judged it a fit season for a Prophet to be sent unto them when people are in misery they see the uncertainty of life the insufficiency of all creatures the sinfulnesse of sin that the wrath of God is a dreadfull thing thoughts of death and eternity are upon them and now is a good season to bring the truths of the eternall God unto them Vexatio dat intellectum it makes men consider look about inquire how they may be delivered where to get safety When a kingdome is in danger a Parliament is seasonable when there is war in the gates then counsell and instruction are welcome and when people in captivity a Prophet amongst them will do well 2. When Gods people degenerate he owns them not for his Get thee to the captivity and to thy people God own'd them not now his care of them and affection towards them is much abated God doth look upon things and persons that hee formerly took delight in being corrupt as not his own Isa 1.14 Your new moons and appointed feasts my
morning of hope and after that an evening of sorrows changeable conditions which the watchman must indure 2 Tim. 2.3 Paul counsels Timothy to indure hardnesse as a good souldier of Christ Souldiers must not only stand sentinell in the night and day but go upon desperate services such a watchman was Paul 2 Cor. 11.23 to the 30th He saith In stripes he was above measure in prisons frequent in deaths oft five times he had forty stripes save one thrice was hee beaten with cords once stoned thrice he suffered shipwracke a night and a day in the deeps in perils every where in wearinesse painfulnesse watchings fastings cold nakenesse c. The scouts and sentinels are exposed to the greatest hazards they are taken first you know the Ministers are the men stricken at in these dayes they are likeliest to meet with the first and greatest dangers Josh 3. when the people were to go through the waters of Jordan the Levites and Priests were first to go in and to stand therein till all the people passed over it 's the watchmen are to meet with the waters of affliction and to stand in them 6. That the Church and people of God the house of Israel are subject to dangers enemies otherwise what should a watchman need cities armies do not send out scouts and watchmen if there were no enemies where there is watching and warding you may be sure of it there is danger The Church is like a ship tossed at sea among rocks sands with winds and waves and needs the most skilfull Pilot to direct and steer it it 's like a Lamb among Lions and needs the most watchfull Shepherd they were in much danger in Babylon amidst scoffing enemies and the Church is not safe in Sion her children are the Wheat and the world thresheth them they are the Vine the Clusters and the wicked rend presse tear them what is the colour of the Church but black Schismes have so divided her Errors so shaken her Heresies so tossed her and Persecutions so battered her that shee is black and blew and hardly a sound part left in her The Church is besieged with devils and wicked men open enemies secret hypocrites indangered daily out of its own bosome and bowels do those arise that threaten the ruine of it daily Act. 20.30 the Church hath bred Eutychians Nestorians Pelagians Antitrinitarians and a generation of Vipers in our dayes that under pretence of the Church would eat up the true Church and certainly it had been done if wee had not had a better watchman then Ezekiel Isa 27.3 I the Lord do keep it lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day 7. The watchmen are not for themselves but for the flock for the whole I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel not some particular person not some part not to half but to the house of Israel when one is become a watchman hee hath a great trust committed to him and must look to that the welfare of the whole depends on him as a man as a Christian he may foresee danger and hide himself but as a watchman hee may not foresee it run away and leave the flock to spoil hee must discover it discharge the trust reposed in him and see to the safety of the whole with the hazard of himself if he do not so he will shew himself a treacherous watchman a false fearfull self-seeking Prophet the good of Sion and not of self should be aimed at in every Prophet in every Minister but wee may take up the Apostles complaint in Phil. 2.21 all seeking their own and not the things be Jesus Christs not his Gospel his Church his government Paul had the care of all the Churches upon him 2 Cor. 11.28 And for Corinth hee sought not theirs but them Chap. 12.14 their safety their peace comfort growth in knowledge in faith in all spirituall excellencies and why he looked upon them as his children his bowels his heirs and therefore would communicate all hee could to them and do what was in his power for them Hence he saith in the 15th verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will very gladly spend and be spent for you the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes to be at cost with them to take some pains he would pray for them preach to them write to them do much but the other word notes the spending of all so that hee would keep back nothing at all his state his strength should go Super impendar so that hee would empty himself wholly and when that was done then his spirit his blood his life should go Besides that false Apostles or teachers will do I will do more if they will give you of their estates you shall have all mine if they will take pains I will take more if they will venture their liberties to do you good I will venture my life and all for you let them go far I will go beyond them gladly will I be spent for you it 's for your souls not for your estates and though he should get nothing by it hee would do it though they should love him the lesse here 's a great Apostle of a greater spirit and of the greatest charity hee was carefull of all those he was a watchman unto faithfull in seeking their good and should be a precedent unto us Now I come to the two particular duties of the watchman laid down in the Verse Therefore heare the word at my mouth there is the first And give them warning from me there is the second Observ 1. That none have such a sufficiency of light knowledge grace but they must depend upon Christ for more Ezekiel had seen and heard muc◠the Spirit entred into him he had eaten the roul yet hee must attend upon Christ and heare the word at his mouth no Prophet no Apostle no Minister hath a perfection of knowledge or knoweth the whole mind of Christ Paul studied to know Christ more and more and so did other Apostles if they had not received daily they could not have given daily 2. The Ministers must learn as well as teach heare before they speak and it 's Christ they must heare of him they must learn Thou shalt heare the word at my mouth they must have a word but it must be a word of Christ hee spake immediately to Ezekiel hee speaks in his Word to us Matth. 17.4 Heare him saith the Father and why hee is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased what he saith is truth he had it from my bosome out of my counsels and it 's pleasing unto me therefore heare him and Mat. 23.8 One is your Master even Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctor o◠〈◊〉 vic he is the only teacher according to the mind of God hee is the leader in the way in the right and good way Then Prophets Ministers must learn and be learned but their learning is not to be fetch'd
pourtraid upon it here are forts mounts tents rams iron-bands all which typed out Gods dealing with Jerusalem and in this language God had oft expressed himself by the Rain-bow in the heavens God speaks to the world Circumcision the Paschall Lamb the High priests Garments the stones in Aarons brest the sprinkling things with blood did all signifie and type out something to the people so Jeremiahs seething pot Chap. 1. his linnen girdle and bottles with wine Chap. 13. the Potters vessell Chap. 19. the basket of figs Chap. 24. and yokes of iron Chap. 28. and so all the Parables in the old and new Testament they utter forth the minde of God God hath throughout his Word abundantly exprest himself this way and the Lord doth it because types and figures make truth more evident and efficacious The Word affects the eare types and figures affect the eye and carry a greater efficacy with them then simple and plain speech The Parable of the barren fig-tree lost sheep prodigall son ten virgins c. had much life and efficacie in them so when Christ took a little childe and set before his Disciples Matth. 18. it wrought more effectuall upon them then many words and left deeper impression in them wee may therefore see the goodnesse of the Lord in it that affords us such helps in his Word as may affect our hearts most 2. That the Lord knowes things to come and reveals them at his pleasure hee knew that Jerusalem should be besieged by Nebuchadnezzar and discovers it unto the Prophet and causes him to make a draught of it which shewes a difference between the true God and all others they cannot foresee and foretell things to come are not Gods but the God of Israel can fore-see things though afar off Psal 1â—9 â— Thou understandest my thoughts afar off even from all eternity and hee only foretels things that fall not within the reach of creatâ—d abilities he fore-told the Messiah the Egyptian and Babylonian captivity and times of both there is nothing future hid from God we know not what shall be to morrow Jam. 4.14 but God knowes what shall be to morrow next yeere yea hundreds and thousands of yeers hence if time be so long and this proclaims him to be God even the only true God Isa 41.21 22 23. God calls there to other gods to bring forth their reasons whereby to prove their divinity let them shew what 's past and things that are to come and then hee will take them for strong reasons and acknowledge them gods with himself but to tell things past and things to come can none but the Lord himself and they to whom he reveals them 3. Gods appointment and authority makes things and actions mean and ridiculous in the eyes of the world to be weighty and of great use It seems to carnall reason a childish thing that the Prophet should take a Tile draw the City upon it make forts mounts warlike engines to batter it yea to take a pan of iron and set between him and the city these men of the world are apt to look at as ridiculous much like the practice of boyes in a snow that make forts mounts c. in sport but be not deceived what the infinite wise God commands is of great concernment how mean so ever the things and actions about those things appeare the legall worship if you look upon it in it self seems strange that they should kill so many beasts burn them to ashes that the Tabernacle and things belonging to it should be sprinkled with blood that they must refrain from such meats be unclean if they touch such things that they must be circumcised eat a paschall Lamb c. I say if wee look at them externally they seem irrationall things but if wee eye God commanding them they had an excellency and were of great use to them and instruments of much good now bread wine water in Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord seem mean things and such they are as are common to the world but Christs appointment to use these makes the difference that gives dignitatem pondus so that they are of great vertue to them that rightly partake of them the Pope and his Prelates have commanded and brought much into the worship of God Quicquid poterat disiderari ad eximium splendorem but it 's foolish unsavory unprofitable and efficacious only to make void the Ordinances and Commands of God and why because the Lord never commanded such things that is contemptible in the eye of man being commanded of God is honourable and efficacious when that is pompous decent honourable in the eye of the world being not commanded of God is despicable fruitlesse and frivolous 4. God is an enemie to sinfull Cities he bids the Prophet lay siege to Jerusalem and to batter it hee commands the ruine of a City is an enemie to that Citie Ezek. 5.8 Behold I even I am against thee saith the Lord Jerusalem was once beloved it was Gods rest and desire Psal 132.13 14. a faithfull city Isa 1.21 a holy ctty Isa 52.1 the city of the Lord Isa 60.14 but now it was become an harlot full of murthers the Princes of it were rebellious and companions of thieves Isa 1.21 23. the sins of Jerusalem were very great you may reade largely of them in the 16th of Ezekiel where you may find that Jerusalems sins and provocations exceeded Sodomes and Samaria's she justified them in their abominations they were little not the half of Jerusalems and therefore this made the Lord to say Jer. 32.31 This City hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger or for a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day that I should remove it from before my face there was no rank of men but had greatly provoked him Kings Princes Priests Prophets men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem vers 32. and therefore God was resolved to destroy it and to make it a curse to all nations Jerem. 26.6 and pronounced a wo to it in Zeph. 3.1 where yee farther see what a City Jerusalem was now become and what her citizens were Wo to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city She obeyed not the voyce she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord shee drew not neer to her God Her Princes within her like roaring Lions her Judges are evening Wolves they gnaw not the bones till to morrow Her Prophets are light and treacherous persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary they have done violence to the Law the just Lord is in the midst thereof c. And in the 6th verse their cities are destroyed so that there is no man no Inhabitant Sin makes God to lay wast great Cities Tyre Sidon Sodome Gomorrah Babylon Jerusalem felt the stroke and strength of Gods wrath 5. Nothing secures a sinfull city from ruine let it be strongly built well fortified
smitten dumb Dan. 10.15 breathlesse verse 17. 5. To testifie two things first thankfulnesse for some mercy received or promised upon this ground Abraham fell on his face Gen. 17.23 when God appeared to him and told him that hee would make a covenant with him and multiply him exceedingly hee fell on his face to manifest as his humility so especially the gratefull frame of his spirit towards God for such a mercy 2. Reverence worship and respect unto divine Majesty falling upon the face notes so much in the language of Canaan 2 Chro. 20.18 Jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord and worshiped him so bowing in Psal 72.9 is to note reverence and worship They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust they shall come in to Christ and by bowing their faces to the ground and licking the dust of his feet shall testifie their reverence and subjection unto him so Isa 49.23 That which made our Prophet fall down on his face here was feare and amazement at the apprehension of the Majesty of Christ the great glory that appeared newnesse and dreadfulnesse of things in the Vision Observ 1. See what mischiefe sin hath done unto us it hath disabled us from partaking of our greatest good the sight of glory is the happinesse of the creature when Peter saw Christs transfiguration but dimly hee said O Master it 's good being here but sin hath made us incapable of the sight of glory Peter and the rest fell upon their faces and could not behold it as otherwise they might Cum magno moerore pensare considerare cum lachrymis debemus in quantam miscriam infirmitatem cecidimus qui ipsum bonum ferre non possumus ad quod videndum creati sumus Gregory in his 8th Hom. saith it 's matter of great mourning to consider wee are fallen into such an estate as that wee cannot behold what would make us happy wee cannot indure that good that glory which God created us to behold yea such weaknesse hath sin brought us to that wee cannot bear the sight of the appearance of the likenesse of glory They are weake eyes that cannot indure the Sun-beams they more weake that cannot indure the light which is more remote from the brightnesse and glory of the Sun and so here man cannot indure the glory of the Lord nor the likenesse of it nor the appearance of the likenesse 2. That the sight of glory is an humbling thing when the Prophet saw the appearance of the glory of the Lord hee falls upon his face then hee is conscious of his own weaknesse and worthlesnesse then hee trembles and sees the great disproportion between Majesty and nothingnesse Isa 40.5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it and then followes all flesh is grasse glory will convince us that wee are but grasse it 's not hearing will do it at least not so effectually seeing and seeing of glory doth humble mightily seeing of miserie causeth grief mine eye affecteth mine heart but seeing of glory causeth godly sorrow Job 42.5 6. Now mine eyes seeth thee Nisi aliquid de aeternitate in mente videremus nunquam in facie nostra poenitendo caderemus Gre. I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes when hee saw the Lord and his glory then hee abhorred himself his own righteousnesse all his confidences duties and what ever the heart and wit of man catcheth hold of and repented and said What am I unto God the great the glorious God he is so infinitely glorious and distanced from mee that I am no better then dust and ashes Isaiah and worthy to be buried under them out of his sight and so Isaiah when he saw the glory of the Lord then was hee sensible of his own vilenesse and cryes out Wo is mee I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips though a Prophet yet a man of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts he had heard the Seraphims cry Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory but this wrought not so powerfully as the sight of his glory now hee saw his sin what a great and soul sinner he was and therefore saith he Wo is me c. 3. That those be throughly humbled with the sense of their own vilenesse and weakness are fittest to hear divine truths and to receive divine mysteries Ezekiel falls on his face and then heares a voyce so was it with Daniel flesh and blood is apt to be lifted up to trust in something of its own men look at and like their own parts their graces some confidence or other we are apt to catch hold of but we must let all go below in our own eyes if we will be fit auditors of Christ we must fall down at the feet of his Throne if wee will heare him speak from his Throne Jam. 4.6 he giveth grace to the humble they finde the choycest favours at his hands Moses a meek man yea the meekest of all living and God shewed himself the most to him and so to him as not to others Numb 12.8 He spake to him mouth to mouth Deut. 34.10 There arose not a Prophet in Israel like to Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Isa 66.2 And I heard a voyce of one that spake This is the second effect following his sight of the glory of God hee first falls upon his face and then hears a voyce this was the voyce of him that sate upon the Throne and was so glorious that the Prophet could not behold him it was not the voyce of the heavens Psal 19.3 nor of the thunder Psal 29.3 but of Christ and the voyce of Christ is taken in the Scripture First for an extraordinary voyce having extraordinary power with it Joh. 5.28 those that are in the grave shall heare his voyce that is the power of his voyce shall fetch them out of their graves Secondly for the doctrine of Christ Joh. 10.27 My sheep heare my voyce that is my Doctrine they do not hear Christ immediately speaking but they heare his Gospel his Ministers opening it unto them Thirdly for the speech of Christ speaking unto others Act. 9.4 I heard a voyce saying Saul Saul c. such is the voyce here Christ speaking himself unto Ezekiel This Vision and Voyce was First to affect the Prophet that hee might be humbled awakened quickned up and prepared to the work the Lord Christ intended him Secondly to confirm him 1. In his call to his Ministery hee was to be a Prophet to this people in a strange Land and therefore hath an extraordinary call to it Christ from heaven appeares 2. In the truth of his Prophecie hee should utter nothing but what he had from Christ the author of all truth hee would put words
into his mouth 3. In the whole race and work of his Ministery that hee might not be discouraged seeing that hee had seen such a vision heard such a voyce Thirdly to confirm the Jewes Gentiles all to whom this Prophecy should come of the Majesty reality and truth of it Note 1 God sets one sense awork after another his eye was taken up before with the sight of great and glorious things now his eares come to be exercised and fill'd with as choyce truths as the eye had objects and after there is a roll for his taste and touching God lets in mercy and goodnesse to us through every window and door Note 2 That grat feare doth astonish and hinder judgement hee heard a voyce but knew not whose it was feare doth disturb and surprize Ezekiel Chap. 2. vers 1. And hee said unto mee Son of man stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee IN the former Chapter wee met with great deeps and difficulties mysteries of a high nature and if any light have appeared in the opening of them let him that sits upon the Throne have the glory of it by his assistance we have gone over sundry rocks and through some deeps In quibus liberis gressibus locut onis nostrae inâ—repidum pedem ponamus Greg. Hom 9. in Ezek. and we desire by the same assistance to proceed and now wee are come from the Mountains to the Plains where wee may walk with more safety The glory of the Lord being set out in this government of the world in his dispensations towards his Church in the antecedent Chapter The scope of this Chapter is to corroborate Ezekiel smitten down with the sight of glory and to shew his Call unto his Propheticall Office the parts are the confirming sending and instructing of the Prophet 1. His confirmation and comforting is laid down in the two first verses 2. His sending in the three next to the sixth verse 3. His instructing from the sixth to the ninth after that mention is made of a roll in the two last verses and in the beginning of the next Chapter which is of much concernment as in its place may appeare The confirming of the Prophet is 1. By the Word of God in the first verse 2. By his Spirit in the second verse In the first verse are two things considerable 1. The party speaking 2. The matter spoken where you have 1. The Appellation Son of man 2. The Command Stand upon thy feet 3. The ground of it which is a gracious promise And I will speak unto thee It 's Christ who speakes and unto Ezekiel whom hee calls the Son of man the originall is the sonne of Adam that is of earthly man for as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.47 The first Adam was of the earth earthly and Adam signifies earth or red earth whereof his body was made and when we read in Scripture this phrase it notes out to us 1. Our base beginning that we are of the earth there is no man be he never so excellent high wise honourable but hee is the son of Adam terrae filius a brat of the earth Psal 49.2 Both low and high Adam and Ish the base man and the noble man as the Chaldee renders it both the sons of Adam and the sons of Jacob are so they have all one father and all one mother and that is the earth 2. Our frailty that wee are earthen vessels and soon broken in pieces Psal 9.20 Put them in feare O Lord that the nations may know themselves to be but men they think themselves gods but shew them thy power thine iron Rod and Scepter bring a War a plague a Famine amongst them and then they will know that they are frail weak men 3. Our worthlesnesse and fitnesse to be rejected who amongst us regards a clod of the earth an earthen vessell silver or golden ones some prize and prize too much but earthly ones are contemptible Nations are as the drops of the bucket and small dust of the ballance Isa 40. and are not they contemptible things this made David to wonder and say Psal 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man the son of earth that thou makest account of him that thou visitest him Psal 8.4 and Job 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him these be high and great expressions to be bestowed upon so poor a thing as man is to take knowledge of him and such knowledge as to make account of him as to minde him visit him magnifie him to set the heart upon him this is exceeding much from an infinite great and glorious God towards worthlesse men and not credible if the Spirit of God had not revealed it 4. Our end that wee are earth thence wee came and thither we must Gen. 3.19 Dust thou art and unto dust thou must return This title of Son of man I do not find given to any but three in the Book of God once to Daniel Chap. 8. 17. Vnderstand O sonne of man forty times and upwards to Christ and above eighty times to this our Prophet but with this difference Ezekiel is called the Son of man by another Christ alwayes calls himself so Ezekiel is four times in this Chapter so called and it 's given him 1. To prevent pride say some Expositers hee had a glorious Vision was among Angels saw the Lord Christ and was to enter upon the Propheticall Function the least of which might stir corruption and make pride blossome when Paul had his rapture into the third heavens and heard things unutterable what saith he 2 Cor. 12.7 Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abunance of revelation there was given to mee a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me c. Paul was in danger of being lifted up but God prevented it and so here Ezekiel is minded of his mean originall his frailty worthlesnesse and end that he might not be exalted with his Vision or Office we are exceeding apt upon the receit of great mercies to grow proud and confident which are evill in any but worst in a Prophet and therfore to prevent these hee calls him Son of man 2. To frame his spirit to a right estimate of himself through out the whole course of his Office that what ever good was done Nihil supra naturae humanae vires sibi assumeret he should still remember he was the Son of man and it was God not he that did it It 's a hard thing to keep the heart in an humble frame and fitnesse to give unto God the glory of what he doth by us God helps our Prophet by this title which runs through the whole Prophecy and took such interest in his heart that whatsoever was seen heard said or done by him the Son of man the glory of all was given to Christ the Son of