Law writ in his heart by the spirit but not as it is written by the spirit in the hearts of Believer who are under the new Covenant the spirit writ the Law in Adams heart as Concreator with the Father and the Son not by vertue of any Covenant but Believers receive the spirit and have the Law writ in them by vertue of Covenant God hath covenanted to put his spirit in them and they have the spirit from Christ and the Father Christ purchased of the Father the mission of the spirit therefore saith He will send the Comforter unto them John 16.7 And that he will pray the Father and he shall send the Comforter unto them John 14.16 So that Believers now have the spirit from God as a Father in Christ from Christ as Head of the Church and both these by vertue of the new Covenant Adam had not the spirit so and for those that had the spirit under the Law for some had it as you may see Psal 51.11 Nehem 9.20 Numb 27.18 Hagg. 2.5 they had it not by vertue of the Covenant of works Do this and live for none were able to keep the Law but by vertue of the Covenant of grace there was Gospel in the Law yea the whole Ceremonial Law was so The Apostle tells us that the Galatians received not the spirit by the works of the Law but by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 And look how the Gentiles received the blessing of Abraham viz. the spirit which was through faith and through Christ vers 14. so did the Jews likewise Neither Jews nor Gentiles do bring any preparations or qualifications towards the reception of the spirit God gives his spirit freely where there are no such things when men are in a state of sin and wickednesse the spirit is put in first it s there and then it works grace before they have new hearts new spirits the stone be taken out of the heart and there be an heart of flesh the spirit is put in and acts he finds not qualifications or dispositions but brings them works them The Bees when they come to the Hive find no wax no honey there but they bring the wax and honey so the spirit when it comes to mens hearts it finds no wax no honey no graces nor gracious dispositions there but brings them when the spirit comes to regenerate and sanctifie it finds nothing in men but darkness unbelief unholinesse and enmity by which its no more defiled than an Angel by coming into the world which lyes in wickednesse or the Sun shining upon a Dunghil but when it comes to be an Inhabitant a Comforter a spirit of glory to rest upon a man then it finds the heart prepared and made meet for its entertainment and abode Thirdly Observe The gift of the spirit is a great and excellent gift I will put or give my spirit within you The greatness and excellency of it appears in these following particulars First It s the person of the spirit which is a fundamental mercy and more considerable than all his gifts and graces which flow from him the Tree is better than all the fruit the Sun is of more worth than all his Beams Secondly It is the procreator of all grace in the soul Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace faith Take but those four graces see how they are exalted faith is stiled precious 2 Pet. 1.1 peace is said to passe all understanding Phil. 4.7 joy to be glorious and unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 and love is magnified by Paul above all gifts and other graces 1 Cor. 13. What a gift then is the spirit which is the Parent not only of these but of all graces and all gifts Ephes 5.9 The fruit of the spirit it in all goodnesse Thirdly It is the Conservator of all grace and good things in us As God conserves the world which is his creature so the spirit conserves grace which is its creature the spirit as it gives being to all graces so it preserves them in their beings and operations It 's the spirit which mortifies lusts Rom. 8.13 And it is the spirit maintains graces John 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit As flesh brings forth flesh so it maintains the same and as the spirit brings forth spirit so it maintains the same each maintains their own off-springs The spirit is the Nurse of all those graces it hath brought forth in the heart of any 2 Cor. 4.13 it s called The spirit of faith not only because it creates faith in the heart but keeps it there so it s called The spirit of grace Zech. 12.10 not only because it works grace in men but also because it keeps grace in them hence those who are after the spirit are said to mind the things of the spirit their graces are maintained by the provision of the spirit Fourthly The spirit is he who actuates and consummates our graces the spirit doth not content it self to beget and preserve graces in mens hearts but improves and perfects them we and our graces would act very poorly did not the spirit assist us John 15.5 Without me saith Christ you can do nothing that is without my spirit concurre with your graces and actuate them you can do nothing The Mill may have all things fit for motion the Sails may be spread but if the wind blow not the Mill goes not so a man may through grace be prepared and fitted to every good work but if the spirit blow not he moves not John 6.63 It is the spirit that quickens it quickens us and our graces also 2 Cor. 3.6 The spirit gives life Life to mens persons and life to their graces it s the spirit makes lively and sets grace a work It 's the Sun and influences of Heaven which draw up the sap and make the Tree grow and it is the spirit and its influences which draw out our graces into act they lye still unless fresh blasts of the spirit come upon us and them And as the spirit acts our graces so it perfects them it adds supplyes unto them Phil. 1.19 and changes us into further glory day by day 2 Cor. 3.18 And what is said of Christ Heb 12.2 That he is the Authour and Finisher of our faith the same Christ doth by his spirit and so the spirit is the Authour and Finisher of all our graces Fifthly The spirit is a great and excellent gift in that it doth facilitate sweeten and make delightfull unto us all the wayes of God they are hard and harsh to flesh and bloud as to deny a mans self to passe by wrongs to forgive enemies to bear the Crosse cheerfully c. these are things corrupt nature cannot digest but where the spirit is given they become easie the spirit is the oyl of gladnesse and makes the soul cheerfully fall in with whatever is of God When a child hath
watchman nor the people set him to be one 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps government diversitie of tongues In the Political state men may make what Offices and Officers they please but in the Ecclesiastick State it s not so Man must not meddle God only is the Authour of all Offices in the Church extraordinary or ordinary and no man ought to come into any of them without Commission and Direction from God true Ministers are to be call'd by the Church according to Gods will and not by the will of a State The making of Ministers is Church-work and not State-work Fourthly Observe Those that are called to office by men or God in State or Church they are watchmen They must have eyes in their heads lift up their eyes and look about them most diligently and conscientiously least any mischief come to the one or the other They are to be men of understanding especially the spiritual watchman his lips must preserve knowledge Mal. 2.7 He is set to watch sleepinesse and drowsinesse do not become him there is great danger therein Math 13.25 While men slept the enemy came and sowed tares Whilest the watchmen slept the Devill and his Instruments took the opportunity and advantage to sow Tares Errour Heresies and Damnable Doctrines Isa 56.10 you may see what watchmen the Lord had in Isaiahs time His watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to sâ—umber The State and Church watchmen were such therefore idolatry murder oppression and profanesse abounded amongst them they sought themselves and their ease not the State or Churches good Watchmen should not be for themselves but for the publique good enduring any hardship rather then the Publique should be endangered they must not shrink at wind or weather but bare the cold of the night and the heat of the day watching alwayes Isa 21.11 Watchman what of the night watchman what of the night The watchman was at his work in the night as well as in the day Fifthly Observe God hath a special care of his Church and People being exposed to many dangers I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel Where watchmen are dangers are supposed There be Church-Robbers abroad that would rob it of the Scriptures of Ordinances Officers of Christ and of Heaven it selfe There be those who would bring in damnable Heresies as of old 2 Pet. 1.1 Yea the Church is apt of it self to breed Vipers Acts 20.30 Thorns Bryars Weeds Nettles do grow up in Gods Gardens What Errours Heresies Blasphemies are not revived in our dayes Are they not grown up to that height and strength as to threaten and indanger the foundation If ever the Church is as a Lilly among Thorns as a Lamb among Wolves and Lyons that seek to tare in peices and devoure it is now Truth goeth with a scratch't face every where and is so scratched and disfigured that many know her not she hath many enemies few friends and cannot dwell quiet in Sion it self erroneous Opinions are ready to assault her in her own house there is need therefore of watchmen to discover and prevent dangers and God hath manifested his care of his Church and Truth that he hath given watchmen for the preservation of them and left it upon Record that himself is the watchman of his Vineyard Isa 27.3 Least any hurt it I will keep it night and day The fire of Contention the floods of Iniquity and winds of strange Doctrine cannot harm Gods Vineyard he is the Keeper thereof Sixthly Observe What Gifts or Graces soever Prophets and men in Ecclesiastical places have they must depend upon God for more and receive from him before they give out to others No Prophet no Apostle ever had such a sufficiency of light knowledge or grace as to stand in need of no more God had set Ezekiel to be a watchman to the house of Israel he had heard much from God the Spirit entred into him he had eaten the rowle and yet he must attend the Lord therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth even therefore because he was Gods Prophet he was to hear the word at his mouth not to trust to what he had not to give out of his own but constantly to look unto the Lord to hearken what he would say and then what he said to make that known unto others Gods Prophets Gods Ministers must speak his words deliver his message There is a Majesty an Efficacy in his words which are not in the words of men Heb. 4.12 The words of false Prophets were chaffe without virtue but the words of true Prophets were wheat full of vertue for they were the words of God Jer 23.28 Seventhly Observe That as its the duty of watchmen to foresee danger so to forewarn the people of it The State-watchman ought to do both and so the Church-watchman The one when he sees the sword to come is to blow the Trumpet and warn the people that they secure their lives the other when he sees mens lives are wicked tending to the destruction of their souls when he sees Errour Heresies coming to infect and indanger the souls of men he is to blow the Trumpet of the Lord and to warn them that they take heed of the one and desist from the other Isa 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins Isaiah was a watchman to the house of Jacob and he fore-saw they were in danger of being ruin'd and carryed into captivity and what must he do in this case be silent no Cry aloud make them to hear spare not thy lungs thy strength lift up thy voice like a Trumpet louder and louder make all the house of Jacob to hear it and shew my people their transgressions present unto them the Nature and danger of them let them not rest or sleep but tell them of their sins in publique in private sollicit importune them to cease from their evil wayes and to secure their souls It 's not enough for a spiritual watchman to warn his people once or twice in a year of the dangerous evils their sins will bring upon them but he must do it frequently constantly this warning must be dayly let the persons be of what rank soever if they live in wayes of wickednesse which may hazard their souls the watchman must tell them of their sins and danger admonish them seriously reprove them sharply and threaten them with death eternal if they persevere in their wayes Eightly Observe That Prophets Ministers and Watchmen in Sion are to act in the name and authority of God Thou shalt warn them from me They must let them know that God hath sent them that they speak from him not from themselves not their own words and this
have life or no but life is propounded and offered unto them and where that is promised there is a wide door of mercy opened God is troubled at it that sinners forsake mercy and embrace it not Why will ye dye Why will ye not turn from your evill wayes unto me the living God Am I so ill a God Have I dealt so unkindly with you as that you will not come unto me testifie against me tell me wherein Like that in Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearyed thee testifie against me If there be any such thing lye in the way I am ready to remove it Fifthly Observe The nature of true repentance lyeth in turning Turn ye turn ye God at first made man upright with his face towards himself but he sought out inventions and turn'd away from God to the creature which was a madnesse to leave an universal everlasting and satisfying good for a particular fading and an unsatisfying good this madness is in the hearts of all men Eccl 9.3 till they come to repenting turning again unto God and setting him in his right posture to behold the Lord. This turning must be from his evil wayes Turn ye from your evill wayes and from all of them Ezek. 14.6 Chap. 18.21.31 Else it s no turning if the heart be towards any one sin lust creature or evill way it s not turn'd his back is towards God and not his face he prefers a creature a lust before God Sixthly Observe Sinners are the Authours of their own destruction Why will ye dye They went on in their idolatry profaness oppressions pollutions of Sabbaths c. and so brought judgement upon themselves 2 Chron 36.16 They mocked the Messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldaeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of the Sanctuary and had no compassion on the young man or maiden c. So in Christs dayes he would have kept Jerusalem from destruction but Jerusalem her self would not she brought it upon her selfe Matth. 23.37 The Corinthians abuse of the Supper brought judgement upon them 1 Cor. 11.30 And the false Teachers brought swift destruction upon themselves 2 Pet. 1.1 Verses 12 13 14 15 16. Therefore thou son of man say unto the children of thy people The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression as for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickednesse neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousnesse in the day that he sinneth When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own righteousnesse and commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall dye for it Again when I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawfull and right If the wicked restore the pledge give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not dye None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live THese words do explain and confirm what God had said in the 11 vers and that by way of contraries 1. He sets a righteous man before them and bids the Prophet tell them That if a righteous man turn from his righteousnesse and become wicked his righteousnesse will not benefit him but his wickednesse will bring judgement upon him 2. He sets a wicked man before them and bids the Prophet tell them That if he turn from his wickednesse that shall not prejudice him he shall not fall thereby but he shall live Here is nothing in these verses of Gods decrees of life or death of salvation or condemnation and mens being under them It s said whilest they are righteous they are under the decree of life and salvation and when they cease from their righteousness they are under the decree of death and condemnation and so if a man be righteous one day and wicked another and that interchangeably all dayes of his life he doth daily passe from under one decree to another forward and backward I find no foundation in the words for such a conceit they hold out Gods dealings with men here in this world according to the conditions he finds them in if they be just and righteous he will bless them if they be unjust and wicked he will punish them the one shall live comfortably the other shall be cut off by some judgement here is nothing pointing at the decrees of God Vers 12. The righteousnesse of the righteous What righteous man is here meant the 15. verse informs us viz. a man legally righteous such a man as restores the pledge gives again what he hath robbed and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity If a wicked man did these things he was righteous it s therefore a righteousnesse of the Covenant of works not the righteousnesse of faith here spoken of a moral not a Gospel righteousnesse which the 13. verse is clear for calling it his own righteousnesse Shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression The word for transgression is Poshang which signifies sin scienter contumaciter commissum presumptuous and wilfull sin rebellion apostacy Sometimes it is taken for any sin or failing as Lament 1.22 Do unto them as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions Jeremiah had no great sins against light he did not rebel against God his transgressions were such as are the ordinary failings of men so it s used Job 13.23 And the Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the day he shall erre Let him have done never so much good and continued long in so doing that shall not deliver him in the day of his erring transgressing fayling Had Adam stood many dayes months years and then eat of the forbidden fruit all his righteousnesse would not have delivered him and so here under the Covenant of works there is no deliverance upon any failing But rather it notes here some grievous sin and way of wickednesse which exposes unto and hastens Gods judgements As for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickednesse Let the wickednesse of the wicked be great of what kind soever against God and man idolatry profaness oppression c. it shall not bring destruction upon him make him to fall and perish when he repents of it turns fom it and walks in those wayes that are contrary thereunto then his former sins shall not be imputed to him nor the judgements deserv'd
in take up all places and sit in expectation to hear somewhat that may please or to catch somewhat they may carp at and make advantage of which some Expositers affirm to be the end of their coming here The Hebrew for as the people cometh is according to the coming or entrance of the people some come for to hear notions and novelties some to scoffe some to censure few come upon right grounds or for right ends They sit before thee as my people They carry it before thee as my people they hearken to what thou sayest and make as if they would not loose one truth but lay up all and do as my people ought to do viz practice what they hear they seem before thee to be Saints the people of God as those that would learn righteousnesse They hear thy words but they will not do them They took pains to hear the Prophet they came to his house as Chap 8.1 Chap. 14.1 It was not likely that they had publique places of meeting the Babylonians did not favour them so much as to indulge them with such liberty where-ever it was they heard the Prophet they did not do what he said they obeyed not him nor the Lord who sent him For with their mouth they shew much love From the teeth outwards they professed much kindness to the Prophet they gave him smooth and good words The Hebrew for much love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agavim from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agat which signifies to be much in love with one to be taken with the sight hearing or company of one and Agavim is amatoria they make as if they were deeply in love much affected with the sight and hearing of thee when it was not so here was their hypocrisie The Septuagint hath these words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because there was a lye in their mouth they dissembled with the Prophet Arias Montanus renders the word Agavim subsannationes which is mockings with bending the Browes and snuffing the Nose the Vulgar is to that purpose in canticum oris sui vertunt illos they turn thy words into a song they jeer at what thou sayest so that translation Vatablus follows Cantiones edunt ore suo that is saith he Rident doctrinam tuam they laugh at thy doctrine The French likewise is of this nature Itz en font une chauson de plaisanterie de leur bouche they make scoffing songs with their mouth The word for shew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Osim from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asah which usually signifies to do to effect to perfect but here hath a differing signification viz. to shew declare or professe and so Polanus tells that the word in Matth. 12.33 is to be taken either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the Tree is known by his fruits Look upon the works which I have done and by them profess declare what I am if I have done evill works declare me â—nd my works to be evill if I have done good declare me and my works to be good for such as the Tree is such is the fruit But their heart goeth after their covetousnesse They looked upon the Prophet and listned to his words but their hearts looked another way The word for Covetousness is Bitzha from Batzha to wound break damnifie and metaphorically to be covetous given to get and gain intimating that covetous men do wound break damnifie themselves and others The Septuagint have these words thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their heart goeth after their pollutions Covetousness is a defiling thing The Greek word for Covetousnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire of having more not simply of having more but more then God allows us when we go beyond the bounds he hath set us which bounds are in 1 Tim. 6.8 Heb 13.5 If we be not content with food rayment and such things as we have but let out our desires to more we are covetous They being in captivity having little in respect of what they once had in their own Land they were not contented with what they had but let out their minds and hearts to more and so were covetous First Observe It s the portion of Gods servants to be ill spoken of and that from time to time by those they live amongst and do good unto The children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of their houses They had spoken ill of Ezekiel before they did it still openly and secretly David met with such a portion from many Psal 41. All that hate me whisper together against me Psal 69.12 They that sit in the Gate speak against me Psal 109.2 The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against me they have spoken against me with a lying tongue Psal 119.23 Princes also did sit and speak against me Great and small publiquely and privately did defame David Jeremy escaped not the lash of the tongue Chap 18.18 Come let us smite him with the tongue Paul that precious servant of Christ how was he spoken against he saith He was made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor 4.13 Look what filth is washed out of or rust scoured off from Pots and thrown out of doors such was Paul and his name made It s the basest Office to set our tongues on work to detract from the worth of any if there be evill in men our charity should cover it if vertue our wisdome should commend it 'T is a Devilish sin to speak evill of others he first brought this sin into the world by speaking evill of God Gen. 3.4 5 and too many are like unto him in speaking ill of the servants of God but we must steel our selves to pass thorow bad report 2 Cor 6.8 Rom 3.8 Secondly Observe Whatever wicked men speak against the Prophets and servants of God he knowes and takes notice of the same Son of man They speak against thee by the walls and in the doors of their houses Let them speak openly or secretly God hears them when they said Come let us devise devices against Jeremy come let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words Chap 18.18 God heard them and revealed to Jeremy what they said There is not a word spoken by any but the Lord is privy to it and not only words but thoughts also Isa 59.7 Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity Let us look narrowly to our hearts and tongues for God knows the thoughts of the one and the words of the other Thirdly Observe How religiously and cunningly soever hypocrites do carry it their hypocrisie is known to God and shall be discovered Hypocrisie is a doing or speaking that to God or men wherein the heart and spirit of a man is not Those men pretended religiously they call upon one
green pastures for me if I be thirsty he hath still waters if my soul droop he restores it if I know not the way he leads me in the paths of righteousness O happy man and happy people who have the Lord for their shepherd and happy are those Magistrates and Ministers who are vigilant faithful and tender hearted shepherds over the flock doing to the same as God himself doth But I will destroy the fat and the strong Here God declares how he will deal with those that were injurious to others some amongst them were fat and strong they were rich and potent Men in place and abounding in wealth are in Scripture language said to be fat Psal 22.29 Jerem 46.21 and when they are fat they grow wanton Deut. 32.15 Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then they kick at God and his Ordinances and at their fellows which are lean Amos. 4.1 The Kine of Bashan oppressed the poor and crushed the needy In Gen 41. The lean Kine did eat up the fat but here the fat did eat up the lean and because they did so the Lord would destroy them The Hebrew for destroy is Shamad which signifies so to destroy a thing Vt ejus nihil reliquum maceat as that there shall be no remainders thereof God would make a total abolition of them The Septuagint mistaking the word Shamad for Shamar do render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the Vulgar Custodiam I will keep the fat and the strong that is keep them in and restrain them I will feed them with judgement Montanus saith I will feed them in judgement Bemishphat which the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with judgement The words may import either Gods judgements and plagues which he would bring upon the fat and strong as Jer 23.15 Behold I will feed them with wormwood and make them drink the water of gall or Gods wisdom and judiciousness in feeding of his flock Foolish shepherds distinguish not between the weak and strong the sick and sound they drive they meat they govern all alike but a wise shepherd considers the nature of his flock what condition every sheep is in what its capable of whether Milk or Strong meat Oyle or Wine and so applyes himself accordingly to each Thus would God do with them Isa 40.11 and so 1 Thessa 2.7 8 11. did Paul with them Vers 17 18 19 20 21 22. And as for you O my flock thus saith the Lord God Behold I judge between cattel and cattel between the rams and the he-goats Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures and to have drunk of the deep waters but ye must foul the residue with your feet And as for my flock they eat that which ye have troden with your feet and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them Behold I even I will judge between the fat cattel and between the lean cattel Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder and pusht all the diseased with your horns till ye have scattered them abroad Therefore will I save my flock and they shall no more be a prey and I will judge between cattel and cattel THese verses exemplifie what was said in the latter end of the 16. verse 1. Declaring how God would deal with the rich who oppressed the poor vers 17 20 22. 2. Setting out the causes moving God thereunto vers 18 19 21. Vers 17. As for you Oâ— my flock thus saith the Lord God Here is an Apostrophe God turns his speech unto his flock and shews himself very sensible of their condition breaking out into a pathetical exclamation O my flock Thou art oppressed and sufferest hard things which I see am sensible of and will speedily remedy Behold I judge between cattel and cattel I know the Cattel are not all of one nature some are strong and some are weak some are clean and some unclean and behold I take notice thereof and put a difference between one and the other The word for cattel is Seh which signifies the small cattel as Lambs and Kids Tzon the greater sort of that kind as sheep and goats and Bakar signifies Majora animalia as Oxen Asses and the like Between the Rams and the he-goats The word for Rams is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their strength they are very strong creatures The word for he-goats is Gnattud â—â— which notes the greater goats those which lead the floâ—k and metaphorically the Rulers and leaders of the people as Isa 14.9 Col gnattu de eretz all the great goats of the earth is the Hebrew all the chief Ones of the earth saith our Translation By Rams some understand the good gentle and meek ones by he-goats the vile wicked and unquiet ones Diodate interprets Rams to be the violent and Goats the filthy ones I conceive by Rams He-goats are meant the leaders of the flock the Rulers of the people which differed ingenio moribus factis as Polanus saith God would distinguish between the good and bad of these and so of the people which are set out by the name of Cattel and deal with them according to their wayes and works where by Cattel are meant the meaner and poorer sort of people by Rams and He-goats the rich and great ones Vers 18. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good Pastures Here again by way of Apostrophe God speaks to the Rams and He-goats which had good pastures plenty of all things great blessings Milk Honey and fat of the Land they had the chief places Lands and fruits of the earth they had gotten all considerable in Church or State into their own hands they lived deliciously and oppressed others which they thought to be nothing but saith God Seemeth it a small matter unto you you deceive your selves it s a grievous crime and that you shall know But ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures Wanton Sheep when they are full run up and down treading upon the pastures so that they become uneatable or lesse pleasant and nourishing being eaten so did the rich and great in State and Church they corrupted justice and the word of God with their inventions and traditions so that the people were not fed or fed with that which was unsavoury and unprofitable Or thus they troubled the poor and suffered them not quietly to enjoy that little they had they were cruel to the Godly and poorer sort though they had abundance serving their pride and lusts therewith or having the principal of all things they slighted and vilified the rest And to have drunk of the deep Waters but ye must foul the residue with your feet The word for deep is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mishkah which properly is sedimentum whatever settles and goes down to the bottom so
verse that we may see by whom the enmity was taken away and from whom the reconciling virtue came even from the Lord Christ whose bloud made the attonement Ephes 2.13 14 15 16. How should this teach us to honour and prize the Lord Christ by whom so difficult so great and glorious a work was wrought Fourthly Observe Those that are received to God by the mediation of Christ shall be preserved from all hurtfull things receive all good things needfull and enjoy much security When men are in the Covenant of peace then God will cause the evill beasts to cease out of the Land then no creatures no enemies no Devils shall do them harm Job 5.23 Pro 16.7 Rom 16.20 Then there will be a communication of all good things needful they shall dwell in the wildernesse there they shall have blessings so as they shall not be put to remove their dwellings for want Psal 34.9 10. Psal 23.1 Psal 84.11 Then shall they dwell safely in the wildernesse and sleep in the woods nothing without or within shall create any fear or cause any solicitousness in them they shall have perfect peace and be as in the suburbs of Heaven Jer 23.4 Verses 26 27. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing and I will cause the showre to come down in his season there shall be showres of blessing And the tree of the field shall yeeld her fruit and the earth shall yield her increase and they shall be safe in their Land and shall know that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them IN these verses as in the former the Lord promises sweet mercies unto his people First A blessing in generall vers 26. Secondly Particular blessings and they are these 1. Seasonable showres from Heaven vers 26. 2. Fruitfullnesse of the earth and that both of the Trees and Land vers 27. 3. Safety ibid. 4. Acknowledgement of God ibid. 5. Freedom ibid. Thirdly The time when all these shall be ibid. Vers 26. I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing The Jews being in Babylon were for a proverb a reproach a taunt and a curse Jer 24.9 Chap 25.18 Chap 29.18 but God would roul away their reproach and make them a blessing The Chaldee is erunt benedicti they shall be blessed its usuall in Scripture to put the Abstract for the Concrete as Gen 12.2 Thou shalt be a blessing the Vulgar there is benedictus thou shalt be blessed take the word blessing here for the Concrete and the sense is they shall be blessed with abundance and variety of blessings they shall be happy and prosperous in all things but take the word as it is in the Abstract a blessing the sense is they shall be a blessing unto others they shall be a blessing unto the Nations as they were a curse in the Nations so they should be a blessing unto them Zech 8.13 It shall come to passe that as ye were a curse among the Nations O house of Judah and house of Israel so will I save you and ye shall be a blessing that is a blessing unto the Nations round about them The word Hill must be interpreted before we can well understand this place By Hill is meant Mount Sion where the Temple was and Jerusalem there God recorded his Name set up his Worship and therefore saith My Hill Now these were Types of Christ and the Church in his time as the Jews therefore came out of Babylon and other places to Mount Sion to Jerusalem and the Temple when rebuilt so to Christ and the Evangelicall Church Gentiles flocked out of several Nations and so the Church and Members of it were a blessing unto them as Mount Sion and the Inhabitants of it together with them dwelt round about it in Judaea or Canaan were a blessing unto the Nations The blessing here I conceive principally referrs to spiritual blessings he spake before of a Covenant of peace wrought by Christ and now of blessings they should have by him the Church under Christ should be blessed with all spiritual blessings according to that Ephes 1.3 And I will cause the showre to come down in his season The word for Showre is Geshem which notes a great and vehement rain as Kirker saith even such as shakes the earth Most make it signifie a strong rain but Ramban a gentle rain be it great or gentle God would give them rain in season In Deut 11.14 you read of the former rain and the latter rain the former rain was in October or September which was upon the sowing of their Corn and this rain came moderately Joel 2.23 That so the Corn might swell with moisture root and grow Lente descendebat ut semina terris imprimerentur imabuerenter humore ad gorminationem Martin the latter rain was in the first month as Joel 2.23 that which we call March though some others put it in May and it was ut grana turpida redderet to make the ear full their harvest was sooner then ours their Countrey being hotter Under these showres Heavenly things are figured unto us as in Deut 32.2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall distill as the dew as the small rain upon the tender hearb and as the showres upon the grasse Here Heavenly Doctrine is likened unto rain dew showres and in our Prophet is set out by showres Heavenly Doctrine and influences of the Spirit which do make Gods people fruitfull in all good works as the rain doth the earth and trees in all kind of Hearbs Corn and Fruit. In Christs time there were many such showres he rained Heavenly ones oft upon the people In 2 Pet 2.17 Jude 12. false teachers are said to be Wells without water and Clouds without rain but Christs Apostles were Wells full of water and clouds full of rain and by those did Christ water divers persons and places There shall be showres of blessing The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rain of blessing or blessed rain Piscator renders the words Erunt pluviae largissime there shall be plentifull rains They may be call'd showres of blessing because they are from the blessed God have a blessing in them and benefit them they fall upon some rains are so great that they do much harm and little good these should not be such they should be seasonable and moderate they should have Heavenly Doctrines and blessings seasonable and as they were capable of them Vers 27. And the Tree of the field shall yeeld her fruit After the Heavens have sent forth their showres the Trees and earth do send forth their fruit Not only the Tree of the garden but the Tree of the field being watered brings forth The Hebrew for Tree is Etz which signifies any wood and Synecdochically a Tree because it is wood And the earth
5.16 And to love those that are regenerate 1 John 5.1 and these doing so God their Father hath a special care of them and love unto them Matth. 6.26.32 Luke 11.13 Chap 12.32 Will I give you will I put within you The new heart and new spirit comes from God he that to the Authour of every good and perfect gift is the Author of the same Now in the working of this new heart and new spirit there be several Attributes of God set on work As First His infinite mercy That he should mind sinners who have old rotten filthy hard dead hearts within them so at enmity with God that they would pull him out of Heaven had they power to do it for God to mind such hearts and spirits and make them new so as to affect him and his wayes argues unspeakable mercy loving kindness superabundant It was a time of love when God saw Jerusalem in her bloud and said unto her live Ezek 10. It was infinite love infinite mercy for him to pity Jerusalem in such a case and to say so unto her the same it is when God makes of an old heart a new heart of an old spirit a new spirit Secondly Gods infinite power is imployed in this work The making of a dead heart to live a blind heart to see an old heart and spirit to become new requires an omnipotent arm By the preaching of the word men have great convictions strong resolutions and are perswaded almost to be Christians but those convictions and resolutions dye away and they never come altogether to be Christians altogether to be new hearted and new spirited till the Lord put forth his allmighty power and create new hearts and spirits in them it s a work of creation Psal 51.10 2 Cor. 4.6 Eph. 2.10 And such hearts and spirits are call'd new creatures Gal 6.15 2 Cor 5.17 Thirdly Infinite wisdome The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer 17.9 It s beyond the knowledge of man it hath so many windings turnings pretences shifts arguments wiles depths methods as that none but God knows it he being infinitely wise can answer all the objections arguments and subtle distinctions of the heart so that it shall be silent Mans heart whilest its old hath the cunning of the old Serpent in it and pleads hard to keep its old principles its old ungodly lusts its old ignorance its old darkness its old formal wayes of worship its old fleshly confidences its old delights and pleasures its old company its old customes its old aims and ends which were selfe it musters up many arguments to defend these and who can convince the heart of the evill of these and take it off from them but God by his infinite wisdome To make an heart or spirit which hath so many oldnesses in it new argues more skill and wisdome then dwels in any creature Fourthly His Infinite holinesse and purity When God takes an old heart which is as dark as hell as stinking as any Sepulchre Math 23.27 an old spirit which is as unclean and loathsome as the Devils are when he takes these and makes them new he scatters darkness abolisheth death separating filthinesse and instead thereof brings in marveilous light 1 Pet. 2.9 A glorious life Ephes 4.18 And true holinesse vers 24. which import that God is light without darknesse life without possibility of dying holinesse without any spot or imperfection When the wind cleanseth the aire infected pestilential and stinking it argues the wind is pure when a vessel or house is noysome and one cleanses and sweetens them as not enduring them in that condition it argues their cleanlinesse and if they could make them new it would argue it much more so here God makes them new He puts them into the fire that they may be refined and partake of his holinesse Heb 12.10 Its Gods holy arme which makes an unholy heart to become holy and glorious in holinesse The dignity and excellency of this new heart and new spirit is worthy the notice First It s that doth discriminate and difference a man from all others They that have old hearts old spirits and new hearts new spirits differ as much from them as light from darknesse life from death holinesse from filthinesse a man with a new heart a new spirit is a living man whereas others be dead Ephes 2.1 He is a seeing man whereas others be blind 1 Jok 5.20 1 Cor 2.14 He is pure whereas others are filthy 1 Pet. 2.9 Tit 1.15 Hereby a man is differenced from all profane civill and moral men from all gifted men from all hypocrites what specious forms of religion and holinesse soever they have whoever hath a new spirit is distinguished from all other spirits yea from the Devils who are but unclean spirits Secondly It doth ennoble a man A new heart and new spirit doth not only distinguish from others but makes more excellent then others Prov 12.26 The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Righteousnesse is one of the qualities in the new heart in the new spirit Eph 4.23 24. and that Nobilitates a man such a one is born not of blood that is not of the Princes and Nobles of the world who stand upon their blood and greatnesse nor of the will of the flesh that is not in the ordinary way nor of the will of man viz not by education and School principles but of God John 1.13 He is descended from the highest the King of Kings he is of the most Royal blood even the blood of God Acts 20.28 Others are vile but he is precious Jerem 15.19 2 Pet. 1.1 He is partaker of the Divine Nature and lives the life of God 2 Pet. 1.4 Ephes 4.18 Thirdly It fills them where it is with new joyes New things affect much when the Apostles had new tongues given them they were greatly affected therewith and when men have new hearts new spirits they abound in joy the greater the mercy the more full the joy If when a sinner is converted there be joy in Heaven what joy is in the sinners heart then When Christ came to Zacheus and gave him a new heart a new spirit he was fill'd with joy Luke 19. and new joyes Before his joy was to get money by any means and treasure it up now his joy was to disperse make satisfaction and to give away vers 8 9. His new heart begat in him new joyes and inabled him to joy in that he could not do not think of before without sadness So Paul when he had a new heart and spirit he had new joyes fullnesse of them in those things he could not rejoyce in before 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulations Chap 12.10 He took pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses Here 's the excellency of a new heart and a new spirit it fills with
out against and removes them Some bodyes are so delicate that they feel every wind every little distemper and so fortifie themselves against them and some hearts are so tender that corruption or the Devil cannot stir but they discern feel and find them and so set themselves against them When Josephs Mistriss tempted him to folly his heart startled at it and caused his tongue to say How can I do this and sin against God Gen 39.9 A tender heart sticks at the appearance of evill and will not venture there Abraham would not take any thing of the spoyl recovered but returned all into the hands of the King of Sodom least he should say I have made Abraham rich Gen 14.23 This was an excellent frame of spirit and proceeded from the tenderness of his heart such tenderness Antidotes a man against the poyson of sin Jobs heart was flesh not stone and not his Friends Wife or Devil could draw him to commit sin his heart was sensible of his sons sinning and on their behalf he offered sacrifice continually Job 1.5 and that tenderness preserved him from sinning Davids heart smote him when he cut off but the lap of Sauls garment 1 Sam 24.5 Fourthly It s active for God When Pauls heart was turned into flesh presently saith he Lord what wilt thou have me to do I am now ready to do ought for thee Acts 9.6 And straight way he preached Christ in the Synagogues vers 20. Josiah was of a tender heart and he acted notably for God he destroyed the groves altars high-places images out of Judah and Jerusalem and other places he repaired the Temple he caused the Law to be read the people to enter into Covenant with God he kept a most solemn Passeover such as had not been from Samuels dayes before 2 Chron 34. 35. Chap A hard heart is active against God and a soft heart is active for God Manasseh through the hardness of his heart did more wickedly then any 2 Chron 33. And David through the tendernesse of his heart fulfilled all the wills of God Acts 13.22 He durst not neglect any duty the Lord call'd for nor do it remisly when he went about it What are the mistakes about a tender heart First There is a legal tendernesse which arises from apprehension of Gods Soveraignty and Justice and his wrath due unto men for sin and their sinfull practices whereupon they humble themselves mourn sigh weep pray and so manifest some tenderness of heart such I conceive was the tenderness of Manasseh's heart when he was among thorns bound in fetters and in affliction then he besought the Lord humbled himself greatly and prayed 2 Chron 33.11 12 13. Such tendernesse had Judas who repented of what he had done saying He had sinned in betraying innocent bloud Mat 27.3 4. Terrours of conscience put him upon it This legal tenderness is not that here meant For 1. Apprehensions of Gods power justice wrath fear of death and hell do never melt the heart The Law judgements of God considerations of death and hell may break the stony heart into many pieces yet every piece remain a stone retain its hardnes when you break a Milstone or Rock into pieces with an hammer or pick-axe though broken yet there is no true softness in them 2. Legal tendernesse never loves God it loves it self and seeks it self but Evangelical or Spiritual tenderness carries out the heart to God and Christ Peter having hardned his heart by denyal of the Lord Jesus once twice and thrice and then being softned again by a look of Christ upon him Luke 22.61 62. he loved him dearly and that it might be known Christ asked him the question Simon lovest thou me more than these he saith not Peter dost thou love me but dost thou love me more than these I know these love me much how stands thy heart to me his answer was Yea I love thee and more than these do love thee and thou knowest it A tender heart is strongly in love with Christ Paul after his heart was regenerate and softned he was so in love with Christ that he wisheth Anathema Maranatha to that man which loves not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor 15.22 Secondly There is a naturall fleshliness or tenderness which is much in women and sometimes also in men as when Joseph made himself known unto his brethren he wept it was from a natural tenderness in him Gen. 45.1 2. Some are by nature very tender and pittyfull such tenderness is not what our Prophet aims at For 1. This natural tenderness is born with men they bring it with them into the world the other is a gift I will give you an heart of flesh the one is of nature the other of grace Parents procreate the one God creates the other the one is from constitution the other from regeneration 2. Where there is a natural tenderness it is flexible both wayes to good and evill Rehoboam who was a wicked King having a tender heart 2 Chron 13.7 he was for evill and for good he hearkned to the young mens ill counsel at one time and to Shemaiah's good counsel another time 1 Kings 12.14 24. he was easily drawn this way and that way like some in the Apostles time who were carryed about with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 They were children they had a natural tendernesse in them and bowed to sound and corrupt doctrine but a man that hath the tenderness of heart here intended is untractable towards evill and only flexible unto good 1 John 3.9 He cannot sin because he is born of God his heart is obstinate against sin he keeps himself from the touching of the wicked one Chap 5.18 But is plyable to the will of the holy one prepared unto every good work 2 Tim 2.21 Thirdly Natural tenderness is faint in the cause of God it hath no courage no magnanimity for God but spiritual tenderness hath Paul was tender hearted after his conversion and see what a spirit he had for God Acts 17.22 23. Ye men of Athens I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious c. He contested with the whole University of Athens The Bock of Martyrs tells of Alice Driver a tender hearted woman who said She would set her foot against the foot of any of them all she meant the Bishops and their creatures she had courage for God and his cause Fourthly Natural tendernesse is dulled by fasting prayer and humiliation but spiritual tenderness is sharpned and quickned by the same Esther after her fasting praying and humbling her soule was more sensible of the state of the Jews and the great danger they were in and ventured her life for them Esther 4. 5. Chap. Fifthly Afflictions crosses are very heavy to that heart that is naturally tender its restlesse unquiet under them but an heart spiritually tender welcomes afflictions receives them with joy Heb. 10.34 and finds sin heavier then afflictions There be some soft natures which
hast a great helper to enable thee thereunto even the spirit of God which dwells in thee see therefore that thou keep it by the enabling power of the spirit which helps not only to remember truth but also to obey truth for Peter assures us That the beleeving Jews did obey the truth through the spirit that is through the assistance of the spirit This is that which follows in the next words to be opened And cause you to walk in my statutes The Hebrew word for cause is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faciam I will make effect or bring to passe by the operation of that spirit I put into you that you shall walk in my statutes Vatablus renders it efficiam which imports influence of power David Psal 143.10 prayes unto the Lord to teach him to do his will and Psal 119.35 he saith Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments both these the spirit being put into man performs it teaches him to do the will of God and causes him to go in the path of his Commandements To walk in Gods statutes implyes several things First The making of Godlinesse and Religion our chief work in this life other things are to be done as inferiour things this is to be the principal no work should be so minded as this saith Joshua Chap. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord that shall be our great and chief businesse in this world He remembred what God had commended to him and all men Deut. 6.6 7 8 9. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and upon thy gates God would have us to be godly inwardly and outwardly at home and abroad night and day and to make our familyes religious and they are repeated again Deut 11.18 19 20. that so they might take the deeper impression upon the hearts of men David looked at this work above all others Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day To be godly and religious was his principal care that is the one thing necessary and Solomon hath drawn it up into this conclusion Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 Secondly Taking delight in the wayes of God His statutes commands and wayes are grievous to men naturally they walk not in them When men walk in any way they are delighted with and in that way so here walking in Gods statutes notes delight Psal 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all riches Some rejoyce in fine houses some in fertile Lands some in great Flocks some in Silver and Gold but David rejoyced in the way of Gods Testimonies and as much as any of them or all of them in their riches he found more sweet in them then they in their wealth vers 143. Thy Commandements are my delights They were his chief his satisfying his sole and soul delights It was meat and drink to Paul to be doing the will and work of the Lord Acts 20.24 as it was unto Christ John 4.34 Thirdly It imports motion and progresse they should not stand still in contemplation nor sit still in meditation but they should proceed and go on in the wayes of God they should get neerer their journeys end be daily more knowing more holy more gracious and godly The Thessalonians faith did grow exceedingly and their charity abounded 2 Thess 1.3 They walked from faith to faith and from love to love When Paul was converted and brought into the way of Christ he encreased in spiritual strength Acts 9.22 He reached forward and pressed towards the mark Phil 3.13 14. He put on mightily for to get the knowledge of Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings he did not only walk but ran oft in the way of truth and godlinesse 1 Cor. 9.26 Fourthly Walking in Gods statutes imports perseverance in them they shall not apostatize and turn back from them but continue in them Of a wicked man destitute of Gods Spirit it s said He hath left off to be wise and to do good Psal 36.1 But of a righteous man it s said He shall hold on in his way Job 17.9 He knows he is in a safe and good way a way that will recompence him fully at the end whatever hardships or storms he meets withall and therefore will neither sit still nor go back he may be extra semitam sometimes but never turning back again Ye shall keep my judgements and do them Statutes and Judgements are comprehensive words and sometimes are used promiscuously as hath formerly been shewed in Chap 18. and 5. but here they may be thus differenced Statutes to signifie the duties of the first Table the things of Gods worship and manner of the same whether under the Law or Gospel and Judgements the duties of the second Table matters of equity and justice between man and man The word for keep is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports keeping with care and diligence they should not keep them in their houses or memories only but they should keep them practically they should do them First Observe Gods spirit differs from all other spirits Angels are spirits souls of men are spirits but these are below Gods spirit I will put my spirit Gods spirit is a spirit of holinesse Rom. 1.4 The power of the highest Luke 1.35 A spirit of truth guiding into all truth John 16.13 A spirit of grace Zech 12.10 The Oyl of gladnesse Heb 1.9 The Comforter John 14.16 A spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4.14 A spirit that is the Lord Isa 11.2 Ruach Jehovah The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him Whatever excellencies may be in souls or Angels they are infinitely short of that that is in the spirit of God Psal 143.10 Thy spirit is good that is Thy spirit O Lord is transcendently good my own spirit is naught and all other spirits are nothing compared with thy spirit that and that only is good good originally good transcendently good infinitely Secondly Observe The putting in of the spirit into the sons of men is a free act of God He doth it not upon the account of the Covenant of works but by vertue of the Covenant of grace This verse is a branch of the Covenant of grace and agrees with that in Jerem. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts that God doth when he puts in his spirit 2 Cor. 3.3 for the spirit being within writes divine truths in the heart Adam had the
in the world men of soul or foulie men but not one of them did know God or seek after God Paul therefore hath laid it down for an universal Maxime That the animal natural or soulie man receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Whilest he is without the spirit of God they are no better than foolishnesse unto him and so are rejected by him Sixthly Observe The principle of spiritual life and motion is the spirit of God I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk Immediately upon the putting in of the spirit into the heart of any there is life and motion men live and move spiritually Some make grace the principle of life and motion but all grace flows from the spirit Gal. 5.22 23. Ephes 5.9 and why should grace have that honour is due to the spirit It was the entrance of the spirit which quickned the dead bodies of the Witnesses and caused them to move Rev. 11.11 and it is the entrance of the spirit which quickens dead souls and causes them to move We must beware of an error here which hath siezed upon divers of late viz That because the spirit is in us and the principle of life and motion that therefore the spirit doth all Matth 10.20 It is not ye that speak but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you so it is not you that do but the spirit in you and if the spirit speaketh and do all we must sit still and leave our selves to the spirits motions and actings This is a dangerous error know therefore That though the spirit be in men and the principle of life and motion yet it doth not act or work without us in the putting in of the spirit we are Passive John 3.6 we concur no more to our birth then a child doth to its generation but when the spirit is in us and hath quickned us then there is the co-operation of man with the spirit Rom 8.16 The spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit vers 26. It helpeth our infirmities Acti agimus the spirit acts us and we co-act with it If the spirit did all then the spirit should repent believe and not man but what cause hath the spirit to repent or believe it never sinned it stands not in need of help or mercy that place Matth 10.20 is not absolutely to be taken that they did not speak for so it should be false Luke 12.12 The holy spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say They spake and the spirit taught them to speak the place is to be taken comparatively not you but the spirit that is it is rather the spirit than you the spirit is the principle which sets you on For men to sit still and leave all to the spirit is a grieving of the spirit and contradicts what the spirit hath given out Matth. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you The spirit would have us use means and doth most vigorously assist us when we are most diligent in the use of them Prov. 2.3 4 5. 2 Chron. 15.2 Quest If the spirit be put into us dwell in us and be the principle of life and motion what need the soul look unto Christ for any fresh or further supply Answ 1. It is granted there is a sufficiency and fullnesse in the spirit yet because it is the will of God that we should look unto Christ we are bound to do it Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Authour and Finisher of our faith 2 Tim. 2.1 Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and Paul himself 2 Cor. 12.8 9. looked up to Christ for more help notwithstanding he had a fullnesse of the spirit within him Acts 13.9 Answ 2. The spirit is not the head of the body though it be in the body that honour is Christs Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the Body the Church and from it the whole body receiveth influence Eph. 4.15 16. Col. 2.19 it s requisite therefore that every member in the body should look up to the head Seventhly Observe God first makes men good and then they do good first he puts his spirit into them and then they walk in his wayes It is said of God himself He is good and doth good Psal 119.68 He is first good and then good comes from him so God makes men good by the infusion of his spirit and then they bring forth spiritual fruit Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Since mans fall amongst all the sons of men God finds none good Rom. 2.10 There is none righteous no not one if any be so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath made him so by his spirit he hath made him a new creature so fitted him for good works the Tree must first be good before the fruit be good amongst men good actions are first done and then men are reputed good but with God it is otherwise he makes men first good and then they do good actions they do not make themselves good by their free will by frequent acts of good but God puts in his spirit towards which they contribute nothing and thereby they are made good and act answerably then their actions have life in them worth in them and are suitable to God who is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth Let men look heedfully to themselves and not stand upon their actions men may do many actions outwardly glorious and magnified by men themselves being corrupt and naught if men have not the spirit of God in them their actions are no better than corrupt fruit of a corrupt Tree they do not please God and if any have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his He is neither good nor doth good Eighthly Observe In what heart soever the spirit dwells there will be outward and visible manifestations of it Grace within will appear without I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes to keep my judgements and to do them The spirit is like the Sun in the Firmament which cannot be hid long though it may be clouded for a season the Cough and Grace are of such natures as will not be concealed and the spirit is of that nature as it will diâ—â—â—â—er it self in the man it is within causing him to change his courses and to walk in other wayes then ever he walked in When the spirit is put into a swearer a lyar an unclean person an extortioner a bloudy persecutor it makes the swearer fear an oath the lyar speak truth from his heart the unclean man to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour the extortioner to make satisfaction and give half of his goods to the poor and the bloudy persecutor to love and preach the Gospel he persecuted so demonstrating it self to
then they will remember their evill doings their bitterness against Christians and bloudynesse against Christ and loath themselves for the same Zech. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 Thirdly Observe Where repentance comes it makes a change in mens judgments affections and lives They should loath themselves in their own sight for their iniquities and for their abominations What they approved of before delighted in and practised that they should look upon as abominable loath and turn from Repentance begins in mens minds and judgements altering them and when they are altered the affections and conversation will alter when the Prodigall repented there was a change inward and outward Vers 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel IN this Verse is comprehended the ground of all the gracious and great Promises specified in the words before and following And 1. It is expressed Negatively It is not for your sakes 2. Implyed Affirmatively It is for the Lords sake Not for your sakes do I this God saw nothing in them to move him to bring them out of Babylon or to do ought for them in Babylon but he beheld that in them which might have moved him to destroy them he saw how they profaned his holy name among the Babylonians vers 21. he saw how they intended to turn heathens and worship wood and stone Ezek. 20.32 Being Gods people they thought God was bound to do much for their sakes and that he should not deal justly with them if he did not mind them do for them see how they expostulated with God Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest it not wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge They did in effect tell God he dealt not well with them they deserved better things at his hands than they had therefore said the Lord here Not for your sakes do I this Be it known unto you Take notice that what conceits soever ye have of your own worth or deserts because ye are my people and of the seed of Abraham my friend yet I do not bring you out of Babylon for your worth or merits sake I do nothing upon that account and proclaim it openly unto you and all the world Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes Your wayes are so far from meriting at my hands that they merit not at the hands of men they are of that nature as you ought to be ashamed and confounded for them of the words ashamed and confounded was spoken Chap. 16.52 54 61. First Observe Men are apt to think they deserve something at Gods hands The house of Israel thought she had suffered a long and sore captivity and having fasted and mourned every fift and seaventh month throughout the seaventy years Zech 7.5 she conceived God now should deal unkindly yea unjustly if he should not do some great thing for her now it was just for him to remember all her tears sighs prayes fastings and sufferings to set her at liberty and give her repossession of her Land rewarding her with old and new priviledges Matth. 7.22 Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull works They thought they had merited Heaven by their doings and looked for some wonderful reward for their wonderful works The labourers which came into the Vineyard at the third and sixt hours thought they deserved more of the Lord of the Vineyard than they that went in at the ninth and eleventh hours Matth. 20. Prone is corrupt nature to conceit it merits somewhat at the hands of God But Secondly Observe Mens wayes are such as they ought to be ashamed of themselves and fear destruction from God for them Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel they are such as you should blush at and loath to behold and make you fear least my judgements should sieze upon you for them Nehem. 9.30 31. What saith he of them Lord thou gavest them into the hand of the people of the Lands that is thou didst cast them into captivity for their own wayes and what then Neverthelesse for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume them They had cause to fear consuming had not mercy and great mercy stepped in they had been utterly consumed So Jeremy Lament 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed If it be mercy that our persons are not destroyed what do our works or wayes deserve from him Thirdly Observe The Promises God makes unto and the mercies he bestows upon his people are free and for his own sake Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you I have promised To sprinkle you with clean water to put a new heart into you to give you my spirit to save you from all your iniquities to bring you again to Sion to give you many mercies there to do you much good but these I do not for your sakes you deserve them not but for mine own sake for mine own honour and name as vers 22. I do not this O house of Israel for your sakes but for mine holy names sake For mans sake come judgements the earth was cursed for Adams sake Gen 3.17 For Achans sake the Israelites fell and fled Josh 7. For Jonas sake the Sea was tempestous Jon 1.4.12 But when mercies come at Land or Sea it is for the Lords own sake He made all things for himself Prov 16.4 for his own names sake and what good soever he doth to any Nations or Persons is not for your sakes but for his own holy names sake When the Jews were neer destruction he wrought for his names sake Ezek 20.9 So when we were neer to destruction oft times in these Nations the Lord wrought for his own names sake not for our sakes Let us give God the glory of what he hath done for our Nation and for our selves and say Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake Vers 33 34 35. Thus saith the Lord God In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the Cities and the wastes shall be builded And the desolate Land shall be tilled whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by And they shall say this Land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden and the waste and desolate and ruined Cities are become fenced and are inhabited IN these Verses the Lord proceeds in Temporal Promises and tells them what he will do for them after he hath cleansed them from their sins 1. Their Cityes and waste places shall be re-edified 2. Their Cityes shall be inhabited 3. Tillage of the Land 4.
in Summer and heat of the body in hot weather Many bathe themselves in the water to cool them Dives begg'd a little water to cool his tongue Luke 16.24 The waters of the Gospel have a cooling vertue in them they cool the heat of persecution Mat. 5.11 12. they cool the heat of our passions James 3.20 Mat. 5.22 they cool the heat of temptations Rom. 16.20 1 Cor. 10.13 James 12.12 they cool the heat of our lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 Rom. 8.13 1 Tim. 6.9 10. they cool the scorchings of a guilty Conscience and fire of Hell Matth. 12.31 and 11.28 1 John 1.7 4. Water makes the earth fruitful When they wanted rain there was barrenness and famine Jer. 14. but when they had the former and latter rain all things flourished and abounded Ezek. 34.26 27. I will cause the shower to come down in his season there shall be showers of blessings and the tree of the field shall yield her fruit c. Litterally these words are true and spiritually also and set out the fruitfulness of those who were to live under the sweet showers of Gospel Doctrine They should be like a watered garden Jer. 31.12 The doctrine of the Lord is as the rain and dew which falling upon the tender herbs and grass causes them to grow Deut. 32.1 When Zacheus was watered with this water he became very fruitful and gave half of his goods to the poor Luke 19.8 others sold all and laid the money down at the Apostles feet Acts 4.35 They were abundant in love and in good works 5. Water quencheth thirst satisfies and revives the thirsty soul It was their drink in the infancy of the World and is still in some hot Countreys Sampson when like to perish for thirst having some water out of the jaw-bone of an Ass he revived and was satisfied Judg. 15.18 19. The waters of the Gospel have this property also when the soul is a thirst there is no water quenceth that thirst but the water of life which the Gospel sheweth and conveyeth unto us The Gospel hath this water of life in it Christ and the Spirit which it makes men partakers of The great and precious promises are satisfying things the righteousness and Spirit of Christ are satisfying and reviving things Peter found it so when he said to Christ Lord to whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life Let others go to what Brooks Pits or Cisterns they will to quench their thirst we will never go from thee who hast the words of eternal life who art the Fountain of living Waters and canst satisfie us for ever John 6.68 This Water quencheth unlawful desires and satisfieth Spiritual desires 6. Some waters have a curing and healing vertue The Pool of Bethesdah healed all manner of diseases Joh. 5.4 There be waters in our Land which have healing vertue in them Such be the waters here mentioned for they healed other waters v. 8. Gospel waters will heal sick souls and bodies The Centurion said to Christ Lord speak thou but the wâ—rd onely and my servant shall be healed and it was so Mat. Mat. 8.8 13. Christ cast out Devils with his word and healed all that were sick ver 16. The Gospel is not onely a pattern of wholesome words but of healing words also there is no spiritual disease in the soul but the Gospel hath healing vertue to cure it therefore it is called the Gospel of Salvation Ephes 1.13 and the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 7. Some waters are very cordial and do greatly comfort the spirits of man None more then the waters of the Gospel by which the Spirit the true solid eternal Comforter flows into the heart The Gospel and good things of it are set out by Water Milk and Wine Isa 55.1 all which are comforting things The Gospel is glad-tidings and affords strong and everlasting consolation to the soul 2 Thess 2.16 2 Cor. 3.5 Jeremiah saith the Word of God was the joy and rejoycing of his soul chap. 15.16 David professes he had perished in his affliction had he not drunk of these Cordial Waters Psalm 119.92 To come to those Observations which we may pick out of these Verses Observ 1. That as it is Christ who makes known the things of the Temple so he doth the same not all at once but he makes known some at one time some at another Formerly Christ had revealed much to the Prophet and here he brings him again to the door of the House and shews him waters he had not seen before We are not capable of much at once like children we must have line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little Ezekiel is instructed a little in one place and a little in another place as he was capable So Christ the wise and chief Builder of the Temple deals with him and revealed one thing after another unto him and so he dealt with his Disciples John 16.12 Observ 2. The waters of the Gospel the gifts and graces of the Spirit do flâ—w from Sion from Jerusalem where Ezekiel had his vision Chap. 40.2 The bitter waters of the Law flowed from Mount Sinai but the sweet waters of the Gospel flowed from Mount Sion Isaiah long before prophesied whence these waters should come Isa 2.3 Out of Sion shall go forth the Law that is the Law of Faith not of Works and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem So in Zach. 14.8 And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem half of them towards the former sea that is East-ward and half of them towards the hinder sea that is West-ward In Summer and in Winter shall it be there shall be no time wherein these Jerusalem-waters shall cease flowing It is not Rome or any other City in the World which hath the honor to send out these waters but Jerusalem onely where was the true Church of God Observ 3. These spiritual waters although they flowed from Sion and Jerusalem yet Christ himself was the Fountain and Original of them they came from the door and threshold of the house Christ tells us He is the the door John 10.7 All spiritual water is in him all Heavenly Doctrine all gifts and graces When the Spirit moved holy men to speak as it is 2 Pet. 1.21 it received of Christ and shewed unto them John 16.14 and all the waters which flowed from the Apostles they received from Christ The Spirit was given them to fill their vessels and fitted them to carry these living waters from Jerusalem to all parts Acts 2.8 and Christ sent them forth to preach the Gospel all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him Col. 2.3 and he that believes in him receives living waters from him all gifts graces and divine truths are from him The waters of the Sanctuary flow from the Lord of the Sanctuary Observ 4. God would not have his Worshippers to conform to and comply with the
nâ—ture Psal 92.12 The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Palm-trees and Cedars especially grow very high Amos 2.9 their tops reached to Heaven And did not the Thessalonians grow exceedingly in Faith and Charity 2 Thess 1.3 Did not Paul grow greatly when hâ—s Conversation was in Heaven daily Phil. 3.20 The Saints grow up into Christ in all things Ephes 4.15 5. Of Trees some are strong some are weak some are high some are low So is it with Saints some are strong and high as the Centurion Mat. 8.10 the Woman of Canaan Mat. 15.28 James Cephas and John Gal. 2.9 some are low and weak as the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.1 and the Hebrews Heb. 5.12 13. John hath ranked these spiritual trees into three sorts 1 John 2.12 13 14. Little Children Young Men and Fathers 6. They are fruitful and bear several kindes of fruit Hence the tree of the field is said to be mans life Deut. 20.19 that is it brings forth fruit of several kindes whereby the life of man is preserved and true Christians are not barren trees or trees which bring forth sowre or corrupt fruit but they are fruitful and their fruit is good fruit The Philippians were filled with fruits of righteousness Phil. 1.11 Dorcas was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did Acts 9.36 the Churches of Macedonia abounded in liberality 2 Cor. 8.2 and the Church of Corinth in every thing v. 7. some had tongues some interpreted some wrought miracles and some prophesied Those Widows which were to be taken into the Church had fruit much and variety of it they brought up children they lodged strangers they washed the Saints feet they relieved the afflicted and they diligently followed every good work 1 Tim. 5.9 7. Some trees are very fragrant well sented they perfume the air where they grow Hos 14.6 His smell shall be as Lebanon In Lebanon which was a great Mountain and fruitful Forrest were fair trees Cedars and Almuggin trees which filled the air with a sweet sent and like unto Lebanon Israel should be And Christ saith of his Spouse Cant. 4.11 The smell of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon The Churches garments are the graces and gifts with which the Spirit hath adorned her as Knowledge Faith Love Humility Zeal Wisdom c. These yield a good savour From the Church of Philippi was an odour of a sweet smell Phil. 4.18 The Church of Rome in Pauls days had a good sent her faith was spoken of throughout the whole World Rom. 1.8 Gaius was a tree very fragrant 3 John 2 5 6. and Demetrius alone had the smell of Lebanon of Firre-trees Cedars and Almuggins for he had good respect of all men and of the truth it self v. 12. 8. Trees are exposed to all winds weathers storms to heat and cold so are Saints Jer. 17.8 The man that trusts in God shall be as a tree planted by the waters and what though heat and drought come he shall be prejudiced by neither his branch is green before the Sun Job 8.16 There will be scorching heat and terrible blasts Christians do meet with Satans fiery darts the Dragons floods reproaches afflictions tempations troubles of all sorts they are exposed unto Psal 34.19 2 Tim. 3.12 Verse 8. These waters issue out towards the East-Countrey and go down into the Desart These are the places into which the waters of the Sanctuary did run Some render the Hebrew words Haggelilah hakadmonah into Galilee of the East Montanus Arith ad revolutionem orientalem or terminum orientalem to the Eastern border Galilee was Eastward from Jerulem and in it was Lacus Asphaltites the Lake of Sodom or Mare mortuum so called because no fish could live in it nor birds fly over it but dyed so deadly were the waters and vapors thereof Hither the Sanctuary waters came and they went down also into the Desart that is say some Expositors into the Mediterranean Sea which was in the West suitable to which interpretation seems that in Zach. 14.8 where living waters are said to go out from Jerusalem half of them toward the former sea that is the Salt or dead sea and half of them towards the hinder sea that is the Mediterranean sea Others conceive these waters of Ezekiel did run onely East-ward first into the dead sea and then out of that into the Desarts or Plains of Moab for here is not mention of several seas but there is of rivers ver 9. Nachalaim duo torrentes The effects of these waters are 1. Healing When they came into the dead sea they healed the waters thereof the Sanctuary waters made those deadly waters salubres utiles wholesome and profitable as the bitter waters of Marah were healed by a tree thrown in Exod. 15.25 and the waters of Jericho by a cruse of salt 2 Kings 2.20 21. 2. Production of Fishes and them in abundance These waters were fruitful waters ver 9. they begat life in dead creatures and caused Fish to abound as the Fish of the Sea exceeding many as it is in the end of ver 10. By Fish understand those that are wrought upon and brought in by the Gospel And they are so called 1. Because as Fish are generated of Spawn or Seed and Water so Believers are born of Water and the Spirit John 3.5 2. Fish it s conceived were not under the curse that fell upon the earth and things upon it not on the waters and fish therein so Believers are not under the curse of the Law Unbelievers are under condemnation and wrath John 3.18 36. but Believers are free from both 3. They keep fresh in salt and brackish waters and true Converts do so When there are brackish corrupt doctrines abroad hot and fierce persecutions by reason of them the sound Believer is not tainted with them Arianism Pelagianism Familism Rantism and Quakerism do not corrupt them and the greater troubles they meet with the more lively they are 4. Some Fish swim constantly against the stream Such are true Christians they swim against the stream they are not led by the multitude There be several streams one of Prophaness another of Flattery a third of Superstition a fourth of Lukewarmness and Formality a fifth of Carnal policy a sixth of Self-seeking Against all these and many others doth the sincere Christian swim and row daily 5. Fish live in and by the waters they cannot live in arido they presently dye without water And true Christians they live in and by the waters of the Sanctuary they live in and by the Spirit they drink in the waters of the Gospel These spritual Fish cannot live without them Rev. 22.1 there is a pure River of water of life wherein these live and swim 6. Fish of the same kinde do sort together It is so with true Converts they leave their old company and sort with those that are regenerate and godly David saith Psal 119.63 I am a
companion of all them that fear thee Christs Disciples gate together Acts 1.15 Peter and John went to their own company Acts 4.23 Verse 10. The fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim Engedi was a Town neer unto the Dead Sea upon the coast of it having strong-holds 1 Sam. 23.29 called Hazazon-Tamar in Jehoshaphats days 2 Chron. 20.2 which A lapide interprets urbs Palmarum a City of Palm-trees because they flourished there â—t had several Vineyards belonging to it Cant. 1.14 From this place to Eneglaim should the Fishers spread their nets Eneglaim was seated at the mouth of the Dead Sea where Jordan emptied it self into it as Junius and Piscator observe and it was in the Eastern part as Engedi was in the Western Before we proceed further take some Observations from Verse 7 8 9 10. Observ 1. The waters of the Sanctuary the Doctrine of the Gospel doth powerfully and speedily beget and bring men to God Such was the vertue of the waters Ezekiel saw that presently they brought forth trees on each side their banks There were trees of Righteousness presently viz. true Christians When Christ preached and the Apostleâ— their Doctrine was received and divers believed John 4.41 7.31 8.30 12.42 Acts 17.11 12 18.8 The waters of the Gospel turn Thorns and Thistles into Vines and Fig-trees and make an Orchard for God where none was This was foretold by Isaiah Isa 41.18 19. I will open rivers in high-places and fountains in the midst of the valleys I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water I will plant in the wilderness the Cedar the Shittah-tree and the Myrtle and the Oyl-tree I will set in the Desart the Fir-tree and the Pine and the Box-tree together The meaning is God would cause the Gospel to be preached in dry and barren places and there should some of all sorts come in believe and grow up like trees of God Isa 44 3 4. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water-courses This water brings forth trees and makes them good being brought forth Observ 2. The waters of the Gospel have and will have their course they issue out who can keep them in and being out they go toward the East Countrey and go down into the Desart and so into the Sea who can stop them When the Gospel began first to be preached it spread Mark 1.27 28. What new Doctrine is this for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits and they do obey him And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the Region round about Galilee The Gospel did run like water from Countrey to Countrey and from Sea to Sea 2 Thess 9.1 Observ 3. That people without the Gospel are like unto the Dead Sea that lake of Sodom into which by our Apostasie from God we have cast our selves The Dead Sea in a spiritual sense is the lake of our sins where all things are loathsome dead and deadly whence nothing but corrupt and pestilent vapors do flow Men are children of wrath by nature dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2.1 3 5. All men are gone astray and altogether become filthy Psal 14.3 Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. See Rom. 3.10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. they send forth mire and dirt as the Sea doth Isa 57.20 and nothing that is good lives in them they stifle all good motions being dead in sin abominable and reprobate to every good work Observ 4. The waters of the Sanctuary have curing and quickning vertue in them Where they came the waters were healed and every thing lived When they flowed into the Dead Sea that was healed by them ver 8. and every thing lived whither the River came ver 9. People in Scripture are compared to waters Rev. 17.1 15. but they are unsavoury corrupt waters like the Dead Sea sending out noysome vapors but when the Doctrine of the Gospel comes in power with the merits of Christ and graces of the Spirit it purges the head from infectious errors the conscience from dead works the heart from vile lusts and the life from base practices and begets life in the dead soul The Corinthians were a Sodomitical people given to uncleanness and all manner of wickedness 1 Cor. 6. having reckoned up a catalogue of sinners in ver 9 10. he saith in ver 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and hy the Spirit of our God How came they to be so it was by Pauls Preaching the Gospel Acts 18.1 7 8 9 10 11. he brought Sanctuary waters unto them which cured and quickned these Corinthians In the Pool of Bethesda God put forth his power and healed by those waters all manner of bodily diseases John 5. and in these Sanctuary or Gospel waters he puts forth his power and heals all spiritual diseases and quickens those that are spiritually dead ver â—5 These waters are living waters Zach. 14.8 and they beget life and encrease life John â—â— 14. and 10.10 Observ 5. The waters of the Sanctuary are fruitful waters they breed trees on each side and abundance of fish The Doctrine of the Gospel breeds Christians and Believers in abundance Acts 1.15 the number of Disciples was about a hundred and twenty Acts 2.41 Three thousand souls were added unto them Acts 4.4 the number of believers were about five thousand Acts 5.14 multitudes both of men and women were added to the Lord Acts 21.20 Thou seest how many thousand Jews there are which believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how many ten thousands and Rev. 7.9 I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number The trees and fishes multiplied so much in a little time that they exceeded mans Arithmetick Observ 6. The Preachers of the Gospel are fishers Verse 10. The fishers shall stand upon it that is the river and fish there Ye know Christ chose Fishmen to be his Apostles and told them That he would make them fishers of men Mark 1.17 Men are the fish and the Gospel is the net the Promises are the bait and Preachers aâ—e the Fishers Peter threw the net on the right side when he caught three thousand fishes at once Acts 2.41 which was prefigured in the great draught of fishes he took Luke 5.56 The preaching of the Gospel is compared to a net Mat. 13.47 it s good casting this net into the waters where there be store of fish and wise is that man who can catch them Prov. 11.30 he that winneth souls is wise Some Fishers toil all night and catch nothing but where there is wisdom to handle the net and bait the hooks well some fish will be caught Observ
7. These spiritual fishers have large waters to fish in and are to be frequent in fishing from Engedi even to Eneglaim They shall be a place to spread forth nets from East to West They are to fish the whole Sea Go and teach all Nations The whole world is a Sea of fish and the nets must be spread not lie still The Fishers may dry and mend their nets but then they must throw them into the deep and be fishing for their Lord and Master Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word to be instant in season and out of season to take all opportunities to catch fish with the net of the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.2 Observ 8. These Gospel Fishers do catch some fish of all sorts some great some small some old some young When they spread forth their nets their fish shall be according to their kinde some of every kinde shall be caught in their nets Mat. 13.47 saith Christ The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net cast into the Sea and gathereth of every kinde The Gospel preached gains upon all sorts of people the Priests Acts 6.7 and Sergius Paulus Acts 13.12 were great fishes caught in this net but Lydia and the Damsel Acts 1.6 with Onesimus and many others were little fishes Nicodemus John 3. the Eunuch Acts 8. and the Elect Lady 2 John were great fishes and though not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called and caught with this net yet some are Some Jews some Gentiles some Bond-men c. Verse 11. But the myrie places thereof and the marishes thereof c. Near unto Rivers and Seas are myrie places and marishes and they being at a distance from the channel where in these waters of the Sanctuary run were not healed made wholesome and useful for fish but they are left to barrenness which is the sense of these words They shall be given to salt for salt causeth barrenness and is a sign thereof Deut. 29.23 Judg. 9.45 Psal 107.34 He turns a fruitfull land into barrenness the Hebrew is saltness Those that are slothful impenitent that go on in filthy practices trust to their own righteousness refusing and neglecting these waters shall never be healed but be barren fruitlâ—ss and accursed Verse 12. Vpon the bank shall grow all trees for meat It is a known thing to Historians and Travellers that on the banks of the Dead Sea or Lacus Asphaltites the place where Sodom and the other Cities were destroyed do grow trees which in shew yield goodly fruit yet not edible for being touched it proves ashes and smoak deceiving the expectation of him that gathers the same but these waters coming hither beget better trees and better fruit even trees for meat Neither tree nor fruit should disappoint them for the leaves of these trees should not fade they should always be green and flourishing neitheir should the fruit be consumed they should always have fruit upon them For as the sap and greeness of those trees continued so the fruit would continue no rottenness would cause it to fall no winds or storms should blow it down It shall bring forth new fruit according to its moneths Every moneth should these trees bring forth new fruit The word jebaccer is rendred by some primo genita edeut aut primo genitabunt they shall yield their first-begotten not onely shall they yield fruit monethly but excellent and choice fruit ripe fruit fit for meat And because this seems strange and impossible that trees every moneth should have ripe fruit he shews in the next words whence it is Because their waters they issued out of the Sanctuary These waters were no ordinary waters but such as had a fructifying vertue in them beyond all other waters and made the trees about it to bear twelve times a year representing that chrystal River that proceeded out of the Throne of God and of the Lambs on either side of which grew the tree of life which bore twelve manner of fruits and yielded fruit every moneth Rev. 22.12 And the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaves thereof for medicine He shews the excellency of these trees They shall have nothing useless Their fruit is for meat and their leaves for medicine The good works and holy lives of Believers are for meat and medicine unto others Observ 1. Wicked men are myrie and muddy Creatures Those that are ungodly are no better then myrie places and marishes which are unsavoury loathsome and dangerous breeding Frogs Toads and other Vermine Such are all wicked men their throat is an open Sepulchre Rom. 3.13 their words are corrupt deceitful and poysonous themselves are loathsome Prov. 13.5 they trust in their own righteousness which is as filthy rags Isa 64.6 they have corrupt mindes as Jannes and Jambres had 2 Tim. 3.8 they are full of noysom lusts subtilty and all malice as Elymas was Act. 13.10 they have eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 they are swine and love to wallow in the mire ver 22. they breed nothing but vermine base thoughts vile affections and produce onely what is evil Paul describes them fully unto us Rom. 1.29 30 31. and in 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. Observ 2. Those places and persons to which the waters of the Sanctuary do not come or coming do not heal are designed to barrenness and so to destruction Verse 11. But the myrie places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed Either the waters came not to them or if they did they refused they neglected them and so were given to salt made like Sodom barren and accursed Some places have not the waters of the Sanctuary the Doctrine of the Gospel and they are barren and perish for want of the same as Tyre and Sidon Some places have them and because they are impenitent unbelieving and will not receive the truth with the love of it because they will not drink these waters therefore they are given to salt they are barren and must perish So it was with Capernaum and Jerusalem Mat. 11.23 and 23.37 38. and so is it with many places in this Nation I fear John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil They stick in the mud and filth of their own sins and will not receive the soul-saving truths of the Gospel Observ 3. That the Saints true Christian Believers are not barren but fruitful trees Every one of them is a fruitful tree and yields good fruit All the trees are for meat their fruit is for meat For whom for Christ Cant. 4.16 Let my Beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits Cant. 6.2 He is gone to feed in the gardens that is to feed upon the fruit of his Churches And for others even all men Gal. 6.10 their fruit is good Mat. 5.16 and 7.17 they are acceptable to God and man through their fruitfulness Phil. 4.18 and