Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 18 · Verses 1-4

Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19 · Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 18 · Verses 1-4

p. 4481. And the Word of the Lord came unto mee againe, ſaying,

2. What mean yee that yee uſe this proverb concerning the land of Iſrael, ſaying, The fathers have eaten ſour grapes, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge.

3. As I live, ſaith the Lord God, yee ſhall not have occaſion any more to uſe this proverb in Iſrael.

4. Behold, all ſoules are mine, as the ſoule of the father, ſo alſo the ſoule of the ſon is mine: the ſoule that ſinneth, it ſhall die.

THe Jews in Babylon meeting with much hardſhip in their captivity, in ſtead of being humbled for their ſins, which brought ſad miſeries upon them, took up an unjuſt complaint againſt God, and charged him to deale unjuſtly by them; viz. That their fathers had ſin'd, and they who were their children ſuffred for their ſins: Wee being innocent are grievouſly afflicted for their iniquities. This falſe charge God cleares himſelfe of in this Chapter, and ſhews them that he is moſt juſt in puniſhing and rewarding, that every one ſhall beare his own ſins, and not anothers, bee rewarded according to what he is, and hath done, bee he juſt or unjuſt. If the unjuſt repent of his evill wayes, hee ſhall have mercy; if the juſt turne from his righteouſneſſe, he ſhall have judgement. And this is the ſumme and maine argument of this Chapter.

p. 449In the Chapter, you have two generall parts.

1. Gods expoſtulation with the Jewes by the Prophet from the 1. ver. to the 30.

2. An exhortation to repentance and newneſſe of life, from the 30. ver. to the end.

Concerning the expoſtulation, you have

1. The ground of it, ver. 2. What mean yee that, &c.

2. A threatning to take away that evill proverb, v. 3.

3. Gods vindication of himſelfe.

1. In generall in the 4. v. Behold, all ſouls are mine, &c.

2. More particularly from the beginning of the 5. ver. to the 19.

4. The Jewes replication in the 9. v. and Gods further vindication of himſelfe againſt their unjuſt accuſation from the middle of the 19. v. to the 25. v. where

5. They treble their charge upon God, and tell him his wayes are not equall; from which God retorting the accuſation upon themſelves, doth as formerly vindicate himſelfe to the 30. ver.

1. Verſ. And the Word of the Lord came unto mee, ſaying.

Thus began the 6. 7. 12. 13. 15. 16. 17. Chapters, the holy Spirit inſpired him, as that moved him he ſpake, and not of his own head, as the falſe Prophets did. Though he were in Babylon, he wanted not divine inſpiration, which he often tells them of, that his Prophecie might be weighty and authoritative.

2. Verſ. What meane yee that, &c.

Here is the matter of the Expoſtulation, propounded by way of reprehenſion; you doe uſe a ſtrange proverbe that tends to my diſhonour, and repreſents mee to the world to be an unjuſt God, but what cauſe have I given you to ſpeake in this manner? ſurely I know no cauſe given you why you ſhould utter ſuch a proverbe, if there bee, bring it forth, and let mee heare it.

That yee uſe this Proverbe.

Heb: is, Proverbizing a proverb; as Chap. 17.2. and it notes p. 450the frequent uſe they made of it, toſſing that proverb up and downe amongſt them; they did not now and then ſpeak it, but it was frequenly and conſtantly in their mouths. Of the nature of a Proverbe was ſpoken Chap. 12.22. & 17.2.

Of the land of Iſrael.

That is, of the people of Iſrael, not the ten Tribes, for they were gone into captivitie long before, but thoſe of Judea.

The fathers have eaten ſoure grapes, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge.

The word for ſoure grapes is foreign which ſignifies an unripe or wilde grape, Fructus immaturus & acerbus, Shindl: greene and bitter fruit. Septu: is foreign, which the Latin Expoſitors render, Ʋvam immaturam & acerbam, an unripe and bitter grape. French is, L'aigrett.

Are ſet on edge.

Heb: is from foreign which ſignifies to make blunt and dull, as iron without an edge; therefore Avenarius renders it, Hebeſcent in this place, and in Jer. 31.30. Septu: foreign obſtupeſcent, ſhall be ſtupified; which agrees with what Shindler ſaith of foreign its ſuch fruit as dentibus comedentium ſtuporem inducit, which unedges, dulls, and makes the teeth unuſefull. Whether the Engliſh words, are ſet on edge, are ſo proper, and hold out the ſenſe, I leave to judgement of the learn'd, they ſeeme to mee to hint a ſharpning rather then a dulling. All Expoſitors I meet with make the word to ſignifie obſtupeſcency and hebetation.

Sowre grapes, and many other ſowre things, doe diſ-affect the teeth; ſometimes they cauſe the tooth-ake, ſometimes they dull and ſtupefie the teeth, ſo that thoſe which ſtand by and ſee the parties eating them, have their teeth ill affected alſo; as Ariſtotle obſerves in his Problemes, and experience teacheth us.

Two things are to be conſidered concerning this Proverbe.

p. 4511. The meaning of it.

2. The occaſion.

1. For the meaning, by ſowre grapes, Per labruſcam & vuam acerbam intelligitur peccatum, qualis eſt idolatria, fiducia humana, ſubverſio judicij & immiſericordia. Oecolam.the Jewes underſtand ſin, not ſin ſimply, but ſuch ſins as doe bring heavie judgements of God upon a land or people, as idolatrie, murder, oppreſſion, truſting in an arme of fleſh, unnaturall pollutions, illegall mixtures, drunkenneſſe, prophaneneſſe, &c. The Prophet Iſaiah warrants this ſenſe of ſowre grapes, Chap. 5.2.4. where he cals the ſins of Judah, wilde grapes; God looked his Vineyard ſhould bring forth grapes, good fruit, juſtice, righteouſneſſe, truth, and it brought forth wild grapes, oppreſſion, a cry, covetouſneſſe, laſciviouſneſſe, drunkenneſſe, pride, of which he ſpeakes in the Chapter.

Such ſins are cald ſowre or wilde grapes, becauſe they wound conſcience, are burdenſome unto others, are as diſtaſtefull and diſaffective unto God, as ſuch grapes are to us, they grieve his Spirit, and exaſperate him to lay waſt the Vine beares ſuch fruit.

By this Proverbe thus much is ſignified,Majores noſtri deum peccatis ſuis offenderunt & nos a deo propter illo peccata punimur bellis. Patres peccaverunt & filij vapulant Chaldeus. that the fathers had ſin'd, and the children ſufferd for their ſin; the fathers did that was very offenſive unto God, and the children were puniſhed for it: They did eat the ſowre grapes, brought forth the bitter fruit, and theſe ſmarted for it, the childrens teeth were ſet on edge, or ſt…pefied, that is, they were puniſhed for what their fathers had done, they thought and ſaid that their fathers were the cauſe of all the evils befell them, like unto this proverbe are theſe, Kings ſin, and the people ſuffer: the childe offends, and the ſervant is beaten.

2. The occaſion. The Princes and people going on in the idolatrous, oppreſſing, prophane, bloudie and wicked wayes of their fathers, the Prophets did threaten them with deſtruction of their Temple, Citie, and Eſtate: Hereupon they ſaid, our fathers did as wee doe, and they were ſpared, why ſhould wee ſuffer? And when the Prophets preſſed the ſins of Manaſſeh, as Jer. 15.4, 5. I will appoint over them foure kindes, ſaith the Lord, the ſword to ſlay, the dogges to teare, the fowles of heaven, the beaſts of the earth to devoure and deſtroy, and I will cauſe them to be removed into all Kingdomes of the earth, becauſe p. 452of Manaſſeh the ſon of Hezekiah King of Judah for that which he did in Jeruſalem. Manaſſes ſin ſtuck much upon the heart of God, he made them doe more evill then the Nations which God deſtroy'd, he fild Jeruſalem with innocent bloud, 2 Kings 21.9.16. He made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem to erre, and do worſe then Heathen, 2 Chron. 33.9. When God ſtir'd the Prophets to tell them that for his ſins he would lay Jeruſalem waſt, as he had the ten Tribes for Jeroboams ſins; they then took up this proverbe, and ſaid; The fathers have eaten ſowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge. Ahaz, Manaſſes, Amon, and others of our forefathers have ſin'd, and wee muſt ſuffer, or thus; Zedekiah and his Counſellors had perfidiouſly broken Covenant with Nebuchadnezar, for which the Prophets threatend utter ruine to all; hereupon the people ſaid, Our fathers have eaten ſowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge; the Kings and Nobles have tranſgreſs'd, and wee ſhall be ruin'd for it; but the former occaſion is the better, becauſe Zedekiah and the Nobles did ſuffer with them, and were puniſht for their own ſinnes.

This proverb was grown common amongſt them, both in Babylon and in Sion it was toſſed up and downe and ſpread; Ezekiel tells them of it in Babylon, and Jeremie in Sion, Chap. 31.29. They ſhall ſay no more, the fathers have eaten ſowre grapes, &c. The evill of this proverbe was great, for beſides their charging of God with injuſtice and partialitie, hereby they diſcovered their fathers ſins and nakedneſſe, and that without ſorrow or repentance for them.

2. Made light of any thing the Prophets threatend againſt them.

3. Obſtructed the way againſt future repentance, or profitting by the judgements of God ſhould come upon them; for being perſwaded and poſſeſt with this opinion, that they ſuffered unjuſtly for their fathers ſins, not their own, they would never ſubmit, mourne, condemne, but juſtifie themſelves.

p. 453Verſ. 3. As I live, ſaith the Lord God.

This oath of the Lord hath ſeverall times been ſpoken of, and therefore I ſhall now ſay nothing of it.

Yee ſhall not have occaſion any more to uſe this Proverbe.Si erit vobis ultra.

Heb. is, If there ſhall be to you any more to proverbize this proverbe. Septu: If this parable ſhall be ſaid any more in Iſrael; I will take a courſe that this wicked proverbe ſhall ceaſe. The words may be taken either as a commination, thus; If any of you ſhall uſe this proverbe any more, as I live, I will puniſh you; let mee be as a dead dumbe idoll God, and not as the living God, if I doe it not; or they may be taken by way of aſſeveration, I ſweare that this proverbe ſhall be no more uſed, I will cleare my proceedings with them, ſo that themſelves ſhall acknowledge, and all the world ſee & ſay, they ſuffer juſtly; or I will deſtroy them for this blaſphemous proverbe of theirs, and ſo it ſhall be heard no more in the land of Iſrael.

Verſ. 4. Behold, all ſoules are mine.

Here the Lord doth vindicate himſelfe from that unjuſt crime they laid to his charge, viz. that he puniſh'd one for another, the childe for the ſin of the parent; you miſtake, ſaith God, all ſoules are mine, I am the common father of all, I obſerve the wayes of all, and render unto them all according to their workes, I do not accept the perſons of any in judgement, I neither pronounce nor execute any unjuſt judgement, but being eſſentially juſt, am righteous in all my wayes, and holy in all my workes, Pſal. 145.17. None in heaven or earth hath any ſufficient warrant to accuſe mee, and if I ſhould puniſh the ſon for the fathers ſin, I could give you ſatisfactory grounds for it.Hehraeis in more eſt partē pro toto, animam pro animante uſurpare, denominantes totum a parte nobiliori, Pradus.

By ſoules, wee are to underſtand perſons, a part being put for the whole; and the Scripture doth frequently put animam pro animante, the ſoule, for that is indued with the ſoule. Levit. 7.18.20, 21. The ſoule that eateth, the ſoule that toucheth any unclean thing, that ſoule ſhall be cut off. Joſh. 20.3. The p. 454ſlayer that killeth any perſon; the Heb. is, any ſoule. And ſo here ſoule is put for the perſon. Some thinke that where tis ſaid, the ſoule of the father, and the ſoule of the ſon, its to be taken properly: but without prejudice to others, I conceive in thoſe expreſſions the perſon is meant; the ſoule of the father is mine, that is, the father is mine; and the ſoule of the ſon is mine, that is, the ſon is mine; the principall part beeing put for the whole by a Synechdoche. Soule, Father, Sonne, Man, are Synonymaes here. Ver. 20. Its ſaid, The ſonne ſhall not beare the iniquitie of the father. There its expreſs'd in the perſon; and Jer. 31.30. Every one ſhall die for his own iniquitie, every man that eateth the ſowre grape, &c. He ſpeaks of the ſame thing our prophet doth, and puts it upon the perſon. Hence is no warrant for the death of the ſoule, though it be ſaid; The ſoule that ſinneth, it ſhall die; that is, the perſon, whatſoever he be that ſins, he ſhall die for it, he ſhall be puniſhed for his ſinnes.

There is an opinion among ſome, that the ſoule ſleepes and dies with the bodie, and ſo is mortall for the preſent, though afterwards both body and it put on immortalitie; but this opinion is repugnant to divine truth. Eccleſ. 12.7. Speaking of mans death, ſaith Solomon, Then ſhall the duſt returne unto the earth, and the ſpirit ſhall returne unto God who gave it; the body goes one way, the ſpirit another; if the ſpirit or ſoule were mortall,1 Theſ. 4.14. If the ſoule ſleepe, its in Jeſus, not in the duſt, its with Chriſt, not the body, how will he elſe bring it with him?1 Thess 4:14 it ſhould have gone with the bodie. Math. 10.28. Feare not them which can kill the body, but are not able to kill the ſoule; that is ſuch a tranſcendent and precious thing, as that it's beyond the reach of all mortall power; Death the King of feares cannot approach it, but if it were of the ſame conſtitution or condition the body is, it might fall by the ſame hand and ſtroake the body doth. Joh. 8.51.11.26. Chriſt ſaith, Hee that keeps his ſayings, and beleeves in him, he ſhall never ſee death, he ſhall never die. The greeke is, foreign, to eternitie, not as if he ſhould ſee death for a time or times, but hee ſhall eve… live; this muſt be verified of the ſoule, which ſees not the ſecond death, as the ſoules of the wicked doe, nor the firſt death, as the bodies of all doe.

p. 455The ſoule that ſinneth, it ſhall die.

Theſe words ſeeme eaſie, but they are very difficult, and have greatly perplexed Interpreters, and others. The words import onelyonly thus much, that the man which ſinneth, what ever he be, he ſhall ſuffer, and be cut off for his ſin, himſelfe not any other ſhall beare the burden thereof.

The difficulties concerning theſe words are three.

1. That many ſin, and that notoriouſly, who die not for their ſins, but live, ruffle it out in the world, adding drunkenneſſe to thirſt, and at laſt goe off the ſtage of the world with as much eaſe and quiet as other men, and die dry deaths.

Anſw. 1. Its granted that many doe not ſuffer for their ſins, though ſuch as deſerve ſuffering, and that

1. To convince men there is a judgement to come; ſome ſuffer here to ſhew there is a providence that takes notice of mens wayes in the world, and ſome paſſe away without any obſervable judgement upon them, to aſſure men there is a day of reckoning to come, 2 Pet. 2.9.

2. That the world might not be unpeopled, for if all ſhould be cut off deſerve death, if every ſoule ſins ſhould die, how few would be left. In the deſtruction of the old world you know how few were ſpared.

3. That Gods long ſuffering towards ſinners might appeare, according to that you have, 2 Pet. 3.9. The Lord is long ſuffering to us word.

2. Sometimes, yea often it is ſo, thoſe are notoriouſly wicked, they die for it. Pro. 10.27. The yeares of the wicked they ſhall be ſhortened. And Pſal. 55.23. Bloudie and deceitfull men ſhall not live out halfe their dayes; not that all bloudie and deceitfull men doe fall by the ſtroke of juſtice, but it is ſo many times, that by the Judge, by their enemies, by themſelves, or ſome hand of God they periſh therefore the words in the Pſalmiſt are not to be taken, Mathematice, too ſubtlely, but note out abbreviation of ſinners lives, which is frequently made good. As in Shime…, Joab, Amnon, Ahab, Jezabel, Judas, &c.

p. 4563. They die before they can bring to paſſe fully what they aime at, they breake bounds, pervert juſtice, change times and ſeaſons, thinke to ſubject all to their wills, and now while they are in the purſuit of ſuch things, they die, which is a juſt and heavie judgement of God upon them.

4. By death wee may underſtand a metaphoricall death, viz. afflictions, judgements, warre, plague, famine, captivitie, loſſe of comforts formerly injoyed; ſo its taken, Exod. 10.17. 2 Cor. 11.23. And in this ſenſe there is ſcarce any man who ſins beyond the ordinary rule of mens common infirmities, but dies for it, that is, ſuffers ſad afflictions. When David ſin'd his great ſins, the ſword was drawne againſt him, and never departed his houſe, 2 Sam. 12.10. Much more is it ſo with wicked men, ſome hand of God or other is upon them.

5. They may humble themſelves for their ſinnes, and ſo they may be ſpared; Ahab humbled himſelfe, 1 Kings. 21.29. If they doe not ſuffer themſelves for their ſinnes, the judgement followes and falls upon their poſteritie for their ſins, which makes the next difficultie.

2. Difficultie. If the ſoule that ſins ſhall die, how is it th…n that the children ſuffer for their fathers ſins? Where its laid, 1 Kings 21.29. I will not bring the evill in his dayes, that was Ahabs, but in his ſonnes dayes I will bring the evill upon his houſe. And 2 Kings 24.2, 3. for the ſinnes of Manaſſeh after he was dead, came ſad things upon Judah, 2 Sam. 12.14. For Davids ſin the childe was ſtricken with death. Sauls ſonnes were puniſhed for his bloudy dealings with the Gibeonites, 2 Sam. 21.

Anſw. 1. Wee muſt make an exception here in the point of originall ſin, for that ſin of our firſt parents, death com…s upon all their poſteritie, Rom. 5.12.

2. For the ſin of the father, the childe ſuffers, not eternall death, no man is eternally damned for anothers ſin ſimply conſidered; its a mans own ſinne which is his everlaſting ruine.

3. Temporall and bodily puniſhment… doe oft befall the children for the fathers iniquities, and that juſtly; for they p. 457are parts of them, they come out of their loines, too often inherit their corruptions, imitate and live in their ſinnes; they are part of the familie, they make the houſe: therefore God ſaid he would bring the evill upon Ahabs houſe, and ſo he ſuffered in the ſuffering of his. When ſubjects rebell, fall into treaſonable practiſes, Princes deale ſo with them, that not onelyonly they, but their poſteritie, to diverſe generations, doe ſuffer; yea Princes themſelves have done ſuch acts, as have excluded their poſteritie from ſitting in that throne; and that without imputation of injuſtice. Beſides what is ſaid, children are under the ſame Covenant with their parents; and when Magiſtrates who are metaphoricall parents, or thoſe are naturall parents, doe tranſgreſſe, God may ſtrike the children upon that account, and that to prevent the like evill in them. When fathers are troubled with the gout or ſtone, Phyſitians preſcribe their children to forbeare ſuch meates as are diſpoſitive that way.

Whether may the ſinnes of parents being under one Covenant, bee viſited upon the children being under another. As, ſuppoſe the parent under the Covenant of workes, and his children under the Covenant of Grace, doth it fall out ever that ſuch children ſuffer for their parents ſins? Yes, they doe, as in the caſe here, Manaſſes ſin'd, and for his ſins not onelyonly the wicked ones, but Ezekiel and other precious ones ſuffered in Babylon: Zedekiah ſins, and thoſe that did mourne and ſigh, Ezek 9.4. for his and others abominations, ſuffered greatly: ſo on the contrary, for the ſins of godly parents who are in one Covenant, may their children ſuffer, that are under an other, as in David and Abſalom, 2 Sam. 12.11. I will raiſe up evill againſt thee out of thine own houſe. Abſoloms rebellion & death, Davids ſin had the greateſt influence into. So Solomons ſin fell heavie upon Rhehoboam, 1 Kings 11.11, 12. and Chap. 12.15, 16.20. But there is an obſervable difference in the ſuffering of the children for the ſins of the parents. When the children are gracious, their ſufferings upon the account of their parents ſins are chaſtiſements, mercies, and from love, but where they are ungodly, their ſufferings are reall and true puniſhments coming from divine juſtice and wrath.

p. 4583. Difficultie is, the Lord tells them here that for the time to come, it ſhould not be ſo, if the children have ſuffred for their fathers ſinnes heretofore, and you have had cauſe to complain, yet henceforward you ſhall have no occaſion, the ſoule that ſins, it ſhall die, and no other. Yet ſhort…y after thoſe at Jeruſalem ſufferd; and Lam. 5.7. took up the complaint here ſpoken of, Our fathers have ſin'd, ſay they, and are not, and wee have borne their iniquities. Moreover, its evident to the whole world, that the Jewes now doe ſuffer for their fathers ſins. They put the Lord Chriſt to death, wiſh'd his bloud to be upon them and their children, and it is upon them in a dreadfull manner to this day.

Anſw. This is a riddle which I beleive will not bee fully expounded till the great day of the Lord; onelyonly thus much may be ſaid beforehand: Men have extended the ſenſe of thoſe words further then God intended, if wee exceed not our limits, but keep to the perſons, time, & matter in hand, wee may make out the difficultie; as thus; the Prophet ſpeaks of the Jewes that were already in Babylon, and the other that ſhould ſuddenly be brought from Jeruſalem into the ſame captivitie with them, and principally he hath reference to the ſin of Manaſſes, as may appeare by 2 King. 21.11, 12, 13, 14. Chap. 23.26, 27. Chap. 24.3, 4. Jer. 15.4. For which they ſuffered, and made them ſo complain. Now the Lord intimates, yea aſſures them that after their ſuffring in the Babyloniſh captivitie, he would be ſatisfied, and they ſhould never ſuffer more for the ſins of Manaſſeh, but ſhould returne againe, and if they ſuffered afterward, it ſhould be for their own ſins, not his. In this ſenſe you ſee the difficultie cleared, but if you inlarge the words to all times and perſons, its beyond the reach of men to anſwer the difficultie; for wee ſee it daily, that one ſins, and others ſuffer for it; parents ſin, and their children ſuffer; Magiſtrates ſin, and Cities ſuffer; Princes ſin, and people ſuffer. The Lord did not deveſt himſelfe here of that power and priviledge of viſiting the iniquities of parents upon the heads of their children, but takes away that accuſation they laid againſt him for ſuffering ſo long and grievous a captivitie for the p. 459ſins of Manaſſe. That this is the meaning of the words, and their not uſing the proverbe any more, I am confirm'd out of Jeremie, Chap. 31.27, 28, 29, 30. Behold, the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that I will ſowe the houſe of Iſrael, and the houſe of Judah, with the ſeed of man, and with the ſeed of beaſt, and it ſhall come to paſſe, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break downe, and to throw downe, and to deſtroy, and to afflict; ſo will I watch over them to build, & to plant, ſaith the Lord. This is meant of their returne from Babylon; and what then; In thoſe dayes they ſhall ſay no more the fathers have eaten a ſowre grape, and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge, but every one ſhall die for his own iniquitie. So then after the returne this proverbe ceaſed, and to thoſe Jewes that ſuffered upon the account of Manaſſes ſins; but its ſtill of force to other Jewes, and among us Gentiles.

The ſoule that ſins ſhall die.

Queſt. May not God ſpare a ſoule that ſins? he ſaith peremptorily here; The ſoule that ſins ſhall die; and if ſo, it obſtructs, barrs up mercy, and leaves us all without hope, and tyes Gods hand, &c.

Anſw. 1. I will anſwer this quaere by clearing another Scripture like unto it; Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt ſurely die. This threatning or law was not purely or ſimply legall, nor from abſolute juſtice, becauſe if wee looke at the Elect, it included the good pleaſure of God in the death of Chriſt for them, and ſo it had ſomewhat Evangelicall in it; but in reſpect of the reprobate it was meerely legall, and from pure juſtice, whereby God determin'd to puniſh ſinners: ſo here; This threatning hath mercy in it, the ſoule that ſins muſt either die it ſelfe, or in Chriſt; ſo that in ſome its fulfild Evangelically, in others legally.

2. Sin is not againſt the eſſence and nature of God, for ſin is tranſgreſſion of a law, Et lex eſt liberrimum dei ſtatutum, had not God made ſuch a law, there had been no ſin; Where no law is, there is no tranſgreſſion, Rom. 4.15. Therefore ſin not being againſt the nature of God, he might have left all p. 460free to man, as well as to beaſts, fowles, and fiſhes: had ſin been againſt his nature, he had been neceſſitated to puniſh it, but being againſt his will, he doth freely puniſh it, and therefore may not puniſh it, but ſpare the ſinner. Thoſe rules and lawes of juſtice in the Word, are to tie us, and not God, he hath his prerogative above all thoſe lawes, and ſaith; I will have mercy on whom I will, Rom. 9. And if this doe not ſatisfie, caſt your thoughts upon the death of Chriſt: That Chriſt dyed is juſtice, & ſo reſpects the Covenant of works; that he dyed for us is mercy, and ſo reſpects the Covenant of grace.

Obſer. 1.

Men are apt to quarrell againſt Gods Word, Miniſtrations and proceedings in the world, they think and ſay, hee deales hardly, if not tyrannically with them; if he cauſe warres, ſend famines, plagues, caſt into captivitie, and lay his hand heavie upon a nation or familie; how apt are the ſonnes of men to murmure and charge God fooliſhly? But what is fleſh and bloud unto God? Shall clay diſpute with the potter, duſt with the ballance, the drop with the Bucket? He is the Maker of the whole world, let us be ſilent before him.

2. God is juſt and righteous in his government of the world, and in all his diſpenſations therein; however things appeare, and are accounted of by men. Sometimes the wayes of God with the world, Kingdomes, families, perſons, ſeeme ſtrange, crooked, darke, unequall, not becauſe they are ſo, but becauſe men are weake, purblind, and cannot penetrate into the depths of them. Gods drowning the whole world, ſhutting up the knowledge of himſelfe ſo many hundred yeares in Judea, from the reſt of the world, his conſuming Sodom and Gomorrha with fire and brimſtone, ſlaying ſo many thouſand for looking into the Arke, his caſting off the Jewes from being his people, and letting them goe under the curſe now 1600. yeares, his bleſſing of the wicked, and afflicting of the godly, Jer. 12.1, 2. His caſting off Saul for leſſer ſins, and ſparing David, Solomon, who were guiltie of greater. p. 461His ſending unſeaſonable weather, to blaſt, corrupt, and make both Corne and Cattle unwholeſome, unuſefull, or leſſe ſerviceable; his ſetting Tyrants over his people, to impoveriſh, perſecute, and deſtroy them, without any mercy; his ordering it ſo, that the young of all bruit creatures can ſhift for themſelves preſently, and Infants, the birthes of more noble creatures ſhould be ſhiftles ſo long. That ſo many thouſand innocent creatures are cut off, even infants in publique calamities. That the Baptiſts head muſt off, when a Barabbas goes free: that the race is not to the ſwift, nor the battaile to the ſtrong, nor bread to the wiſe, nor riches to men of underſtanding, nor favour to men of skill, &c. Eccl. 9.11. Theſe and ſuch emergents in the world, prompt occaſions unto ſhallow ſilly man, to thinke that there is no Providence, or that the Government of the world is not righteous and juſt. But as there is a God, ſo in his wiſe Providence he orders and rules all things, and that righteouſly. Pſal. 145.17. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes; no wayes of his generall or ſpeciall Providence, have any crookednes in them; when ever thoughts riſe in any to that purpoſe, let them remember what Jeremie ſaid when his heart was troubled in the ſame caſe; Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee; though I cannot ſee the ground, cauſe, reaſon of thy wayes, yet thou art righteous, and that ſhall ſuffice mee: God is moſt righteous, hee will puniſh none unjuſtly, nor neglect to reward any have done well, Rom. 2.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

3. God may give and impoſe what lawes hee pleaſes: Iſa. 33.22. The Lord is our Law-giver; Heb. is, Our Statutemaker; all legiſlative power is fundamentally in God: James 4.12. There is one Law-giver: He hath given all creatures, as limits for their eſſence, ſo lawes for their operation. Pſal. 119.91. They continue this day according to thine Ordinances: for all are thy ſervants, they all doe the worke God appoints, and obſerve the lawes he preſcribes. He may command what he pleaſes; he licenſed Adam to eat of ſome trees, and not of others; he bad Abraham goe out of his Country, ſacrifice his ſonne; the Iſraelites to rob the Aegyptians; p. 462He forbad the Jewes to eate of ſeverall fowles and beaſts; He appointed Ezekiel to eat his bread baked in dung, Chap. 4. Saul to ſlay Amaleck, and not to ſpare man, woman, nor childe, 1 Sam. 15. He bad Hoſea take a wife of whoredomes, Chap. 1.2. He laid Circumciſion, Sacrifices, and all the Ceremonialls upon the Jewes, eaſier things upon the Gentiles; all ſoules are his, and what Lawes, Statutes, Ordinances ſeeme good to him, he may put upon them. The Goſpel, not the Law, faith, not workes he hath made the way to glory; He may preſcribe what he liſt, his will is Law unto the creature; He may give us eaſie, or harſh Lawes, ſuch as tend to our ruine as well as our good. Ezek. 20.25. I gave them Statutes were not good, and judgements whereby they ſhould not live. Men may not doe ſo, their Lawes muſt be for good, elſe they are ſinfull, and not binding.

4. Then may the Lord chooſe whom he will; Rom. 9.13.15.18. Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. May Kings chooſe from among their Subjects whom they pleaſe to ſerve them in their Courts, and ſhall not the Lord, whoſe are all ſoules, take whom he pleaſes to ſerve him in his Court of glory? hath every Potter power over the clay to make one veſſell to honour, another to diſhonour, and ſhall not the Lord, who is the greateſt Potter of all, have that prerogative? ver. 21. Shall the ſervant have more than the Maſter? In this great houſe of the world, there are veſſels to honour and diſhonour, 2 Tim. 2.20. There bee ſome appointed unto diſobedience and ſtumbling, 1 Pet. 2.8. Yea unto wrath, 1 Theſ. 5.9. and who ſhall queſtion God for ſo doing? he is not to give account to any man of his actions; he may abſolutely doe with his own what he liſt; he made of the ſame earth man and beaſt, and ſhall the beaſt ſay to God, Why madeſt thou mee a beaſt, and not a man? it may as well as man diſpute it with God, and ſay, Why didſt thou make mee a veſſell of diſhonour, and not of honour? Should Adam have reaſon'd it with God, and ſaid; Why didſt thou make mee the firſt Adam a naturall man, and Chriſt the ſecond Adam a ſpirituall man? There is no p. 463reaſoning with God. Pſal. 135.6. Whatſoever the Lord pleaſed, that did he in heaven and in earth; and whatſoever pleaſeth the Lord, that doth he now in heaven and in earth.

5. Then may the Lord beſtow what gifts he will upon the children of men, excellent or meane, greater or leſſer; he may give one five talents, another two, a third one. A father gives to his children ſeverall portions, to one more, to another leſſe, he is not bound to give all alike, but as ſeemes good to himſelfe: men furniſh ſome roomes with richer hangings and materialls than others, and that without blame; they plant and beautifie ſome grounds with choice plants and flowers; ſo deales the Lord with men, ſome have admirable gifts, others very meane, if you obſerve Gods diſtributions that way in the world. God hath given the earth to the children of men, Pſal. 115.16. yet one hath more, another leſſe, one a fat, another a leane portion; ſo for reaſon, wiſdome, judgement, underſtanding, memory, utterance, &c. God hath given theſe to the ſonnes of men; but ſome have them in a lower, ſome in a higher degree. David, Solomon, Daniel, were very wiſe, Sampſon very ſtrong, Abſolom very beautifull. The Corinthians were inriched with all utterance, and all knowledge, 1 Cor. 1.7. Bezaleel and Aholiab exceld others in skill, Exod. 31. And as its in gifts, ſo in graces, one hath a little, another a greater portion, one a ſingle, another a double portion; Jonas but little patience, Job much, the Diſciples of Chriſt had little faith, the woman of Canaan a great faith; God doth of his own give to his own, what and how much he pleaſes. By varietie of gifts and graces, his manifold wiſdome, bountie, and goodneſſe are ſeene, the world and Church are beautified, and each made uſefull unto other.

6. All being the Lords, he will take care and provide for them; Nature dictates, yea provokes every creature to provide for its owne. There is no good or wiſe man, who will not doe it, much more the Lord. If husbands muſt provide for their families, 1 Tim. 5.8. God will provide for his. The whole world is Gods familie, all the living wait upon him, and he feeds them, Pſal. 104.27. Eſp…cia…ly man p. 464is his, and for him he takes care. 1 Tim. 4.10. He is the Saviour of all men, ſpecially of thoſe that believe; its not meant of eternall ſalvation; foreign, imports a temporall Saviour: Math. 8.25. foreign, They were in danger of drowning. Pſal. 36.6. Thou preſerveſt man and beaſt. The word for preſerving is foreign whence the name Joſhua and Jeſus comes, it notes a common externall temporall ſalvation. God is good to all ſoules, his Sun ſhines, and reine falls upon good and bad, Math. 5.45. Acts 14.17:17.28. In him wee live, in his Providence, power, goodneſſe, bleſſing, as wormes in the earth, fiſhes in the Sea, and birds in the aire. And this ſhould bee a foundation of comfort, as unto all, ſo eſpecially unto thoſe are poore, and meane, and caſt upon hard times, and why, becauſe bee you never ſo poore, weake, ſickly, deſtitute; all ſoules are the Lords, and hee lookes after them. Math. 6.31. &c. Chriſt aſſures you of it, Take no thought, ſaying, What ſhall wee eat? or what ſhall wee drinke? or wherewithall ſhall wee be cloathed? for your heavenly father knoweth that you have need of all theſe things; but ſeeke yee firſt the kingdome of God, and his righteouſneſs, and all theſe things ſhall be added unto you; not ſome, but all ſhall be given unto you.

7. He may ſet up or throw downe whom hee will. Iſa. 3.4. I will give children to be their Princes, and babes ſhall rule over them; children in yeares, and children in underſtanding, God ſets over people. God ſet up Solomon, and ſet by Adonijah, though the elder, 1 King. 1. He took David the leaſt and unlikelieſt of all the ſonnes of Jeſſe, even from the Sheepfold, and ſet him upon the throne, 1 Sam. 16. Gideon was of a poore familie, and the leaſt in his fathers houſe, as himſelfe confeſſes, Judges 6.15. yet him did God exalt: ſo that its true which Hannah ſaid; He raiſeth up the poore out of the duſt, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to ſet them among Princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory, 1 Sam. 2.8. And contrary, as God ſets up ſo he pulls downe whom hee pleaſes. Iſa. 42.15. I will make waſt mountaines and hills, and dry up all their hearbes; bee the mountaines never ſo great, the hills never ſo high, God will lay them waſt, and levell p. 465them with the earth, and whatever their iſſue, wealth, power, wiſdome, relations bee, God will dry them all up, and they ſhall be hearbles. Dan. 2.20, 21. Wiſdome and might are his, He changeth the times and ſeaſons; He removeth Kings, and ſetteth up Kings. Did not the Lord lay by Saul and his familie? did he not drowne Pharaoh in the bottome of the Sea like lead, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, Belſhazzar, and others? did not the Lord lay them low? They were high and greene trees, yet the Lord cut them downe, and dryed them up. You may remember what the Lord ſaid to Ahab; Haſt thou killed? In the place where the dogges licked the bloud of Naboth, ſhall dogges lick thy bloud, even thine, 1 King. 21.19. And likewiſe what he ſaith in Jer. 22.24. As I live, though Coniah the ſonne of Jehoiakim King of Judah were the ſignet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck him thence: and Ezek. 17.15. of Zedekiah its ſaid; Shall he proſper? no, by the roots ſhall he be puld up. God plants and puls up whom he pleaſes.

8. Then are they in ſafe cuſtody, and no evill can befall them without the Lords good pleaſure. Men ſtand for thoſe are theirs againſt all oppoſition, but cannot hinder evill from coming: God ſtands for his, and he can hinder any miſchiefe. None can have any power over or againſt his without leave. If God give not Commiſſion, nothing can bee done by men or Devils. Joh. 19.11. Chriſt told Pilate, he could have no power againſt him, unleſſe it were given him from above; I am in the hand of my Father, he can defend, deliver mee from thine and all adverſary power; and if hee doe not, it is by his hand and determinate counſell that thou doeſt ought againſt me, and I am content with it: ſo Luk. 22.53. This is the houre and power of darkneſſe; before you could doe nothing, now through divine diſpenſation you have leave to ceaſe upon mee, to judge mee, and take away my life, and I ſubmit thereunto. The Devill could doe nothing againſt Job, his ſonnes, camels, ſheepe, or aſſes, till he had leave from the Lord, Job 1. He is the God of the world, Prince of the aire, and hath bitter envie, great enmitie againſt man, but is not able by all his power or policie to take an haire from the head of any man, till the Lord p. 466ſay doe it, Math. 10.30. All ſoules are the Lords, they are in his hands: It was comfort to David to thinke his times were in Gods hand, Pſal. 31.15. My times are in thy hand; and ſo nothing could befall him unſeaſonably; yea his perſon alſo was in Gods hand, and who could touch or harme it without the Lord. Iſa. 45.7. The good or evill that befalls us, is from the Lord.

9. Then it belongs to God to heare the pleadings, determine the controverſies that are between thoſe are his, and to right their wrongs. If all ſoules be his, he is Judge, and ſo to heare their ſuits, decide their differences, and ſee that one wrong not another. The people Moſes was over, are cald his people, Exod. 32.7. and he heard their pleadings, ended their controverſies, and righted their wrongs, Exod. 18.13. All ſoules being the Lords, he hath an eare open to heare their ſuits, Pſal. 125. and he ſits in Judgement to doe them right that ſuffer. Hence is it that David appeales to God, Pſal. 43, 1. Judge mee, O God, and plead my cauſe againſt an ungodly Nation. Others judge unrighteouſly, but I come to thee, doe thou judge mee, that art the great Judge, all ſoules are thine, doe thou plead my cauſe, it belongs to thee to doe it, and I wait upon thee for it. So the Church in Micah 7.9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſin'd againſt him, untill he plead my cauſe. The Babylonians oppreſſed the Jewes, Jerem. 50.33, 34. and the Prophet ſaith, The Lord of Hoſts ſhall throughly plead their cauſe, that he may give reſt to the Land, and diſquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon. Let Babylonians, others, any moleſt, oppreſſe, God heares, ſees, knowes what is done, he will plead and maintaine the cauſe of his. Pſal. 9.4. Thou haſt maintained my right, and my cauſe; thou ſatteſt in the throne judging right. If the cauſe be a cauſe of bloud, as it was Rev. 6.10. where the ſoules cryed, How long, O Lord, holy and true, doeſt thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth; the Lord will not neglect it, for the anſwer was, ver. 11. that they ſhould reſt yet for a little ſeaſon, and then God would avenge their bloud; God hath his times to make inquiſition for bloud, Pſal. 9.12. And the earth ſhall diſcloſe her bloud, Iſa. 26.20.

p. 46710. God may imploy whom hee will, and in what wayes and workes he thinkes good; hee is neither tyed to any ſort of men, nor to the lawes or Cuſtomes of any Kingdomes. Nathan thinkes David muſt build the Temple, but God imployes Solomon not David in that worke, 2 Sam. 7. He tooke Amos, who was no Prophet, nor ſonne of a Prophet, but an Heardman,Meminit artificij abjecti, ut diſcamus deum perſonas non reſpicere & infirma eligere, ut fortia cōfundat, Vatablus. a poore meane man, and would have him to Propheſie unto Iſrael, Amos 7.14, 15. He tooke Cyrus an heathen King, to performe all his pleaſure about Jeruſalems rebuilding; He held up and uſed his right hand to ſubdue Nations, to looſe the loynes of Kings, to breake in peices the gates of braſſe, and cut in ſunder the barres of iron, Iſa. 44.28.45.1, 2. God imploy'd David a ſtripling, deſpiſed by his brethren and others, to ſlay Goliah, and free Iſrael from the Philiſtims, 1 Sam. 17. Hee tooke a Woman to kill a great Prince, even Jael to ſlay Siſera, Judg. 4.21. As the Lord may take whom hee will, ſo he may lead them in what wayes, and put them upon what deſignes himſelfe judges fit and meet, however they ſeeme unwarrantable to us. Iſa. 42.16. I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will lead them in paths that they have not knowne; I will make darkneſſe light before them, and crooked things ſtreight. The blind, that is, men perplexed, in ſtreights and difficulties, not ſeeing what to doe, which way to turne them. Now God as he is not tyed to goe in one and the ſame way, to proceed by the Lawes, Statutes, Priviledges, Cuſtomes, Uſances of Kingdomes, Cities, or Corporations, but hath unknowne wayes and unwonted paths to tread in himſelfe: ſo he hath unknowne and unwonted paths to lead his ſervants in upon any occaſion. It was no trodden path that Phinehas went in when he a Prieſt or a Prieſts ſon, no Magiſtrate, thruſt a Prince and a Princeſſe through their bellies with a javeling, and that in the preſence of Moſes the chiefe Magiſtrate, Numb. 25. So Eſters going into the King, was not according to Law, Chap. 4.16. Shee ventur'd her life upon it; and Davids eating the Shew bread, was an unlawfull act if judged by Exod. 29.32, 33. Levit. 8.31.24.5. yet juſtified by Chriſt, Math. 12.3. Sampſon takes a wife of p. 468the daughters of the Philiſtims, and that againſt the will of his father and mother, and it was againſt Law for him to marry among the uncircumciſed, but he ſeeth a Woman at Timnah, fals in love with her, and muſt have her, Judg 14.4. This was of the Lord, his burning the Philiſtims corne, his ſlaying a thouſand of them with the jawbone of an Aſſe, pulling downe the houſe upon his owne and others heads, were irregular wayes, yet ſuch wayes as God led him in, and he is in the Catalogue of believers, Heb. 11. The Eunuches throw Jezabell out at the window upon the command of Jehu, and he trod her to death with his Horſes, 2 King. 9.33. Jehoiadah the Prieſt cals forth the Souldiers, ſets them in ranges, and makes a Martiall Law, that whoſoever enters thoſe ranges ſhould be put to death. Athaliah the Queene (who had reigned ſix yeares) enters, and at his appointment ſhe is put to death, 2 King. 11. Theſe and many other (as Solomons ſacrificing in Gibeon, 1 King. 3.5. Pauls ſhaving of himſelfe, circumciſing Timothie) were irregular and unwonted ways, yet were approv'd of God, and brought forth unwonted mercies; let us not be too haſtie to condemne perſons doing extraordinary things, leaſt wee juſtle againſt God, and intrench upon his providence and prerogative; if Peter walke upon the waters, there is ſomewhat of Chriſt and God in it, Math. 14.28, 29.

11. Let all be faithfull in their places, all ſoules are his, he hath his eye upon all, and upon every one, and there is none but muſt give account unto him. What ever talents wee have, he will reckon with us for the uſe or abuſe of them. Math. 25.19. The Lord cald and reckon'd with his ſervants he had given the talents unto, thoſe had talents of grace, and us'd them well, were advanc'd to heaven to their Maſters joy; he had a talent of nature, for the abuſe was throwne into hell. Oh let us be faithfull in our places, and uſe our talents to the honour of that God whoſe wee and our talents are. Belſhazzer was ſet on high, had a talent in his hand, but the charge was heavie upon him when he that is Lord of all ſoules cald him to an account, Dan. 5.23. The God in whoſe hand thy breath is, and whoſe are all thy wayes, haſt p. 469thou not glorified; and thereupon he was doom'd to death, he did not lay out his power and greatneſſe for the honour of God and good of his people, and better he had been a poore beggar than ſo great a King. Paul had this conſideration in him when he ſaid; Woe to mee if I preach not the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 9.16, 17. And if I yet pleaſe men, I ſhould not bee the ſervant of Chriſt, Gal. 1.10. And when he wrote to the Corinthians: Wee labour that wee may be accepted of him; for wee muſt all appeare before the Judgement-ſeat of Chriſt, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that hee hath done, whether good or bad, 2 Cor. 5.9, 10. Men muſt give account of all they have received, and if they be found falſe and unfaithfull, they ſhall ſmart for it. Seeing then every one of us ſhall give account of himſelfe to God, Rom. 14.12. Let us all be faithfull in the leaſt, in the greateſt things committed to us, and ſo ſhall wee have peace within, praiſe of God, if not of men, and a ſure reward.

12. He may take away or continue men here as long or little while as he will, all ſoules are his, and he may cut off the thread of life, or lengthen it out at his pleaſure. Moſes ſpeaking to the Jewes as one man ſaith; He is thy life, and the length of thy dayes, Deut. 30.20. That is, the ſhortening or prolonging of thy life and dayes are in his hand. God therefore told Solomon, that if he would keep his commands, he would lengthen his dayes, 1 King. 3.14. The keys of life and death are in the hand of the Lord, and in a moment hee can let out our ſoules, bring downe to and back from the gates of death: Hence is it that ſome are taken away at the firſt houre, ſome at the third, ſome the ſixth, ſome the ninth, and ſome lengthend out unto the twelfth, and live more yeares than others doe dayes or houres: Methuſhelah lived 969. yeares, and many children attain not to ſo many dayes or houres; from the birth, the wombe, and conception, God takes them away, Hoſ. 9.11. He cut off all fleſh by the floud young and old; and long ſince that he hath threatend to cut off evill doers, Pſal. 37.9. and man from off the Land, Zeph. 1.3. and when he pleaſes he doth it.

p. 470The ſoule that ſins ſhall die.

Hence obſ: 1. God may lay what puniſhment he pleaſes upon the ſoule that ſins, all ſoules are mine, and the ſoule that ſins ſhall die, it ſhall ſuffer what ever I ſee good, according to the nature of its ſin. How ever the words ſeeme to import an equall puniſhment for all ſins, yet its otherwiſe according to the intrinſecall nature, circumſtances, and demerit of the ſin ſhall be the death. God will proportion the one unto the other, ſecundum ordinem juſtitiae, as he rewards men according to their workes, ſo he will puniſh them according to their ſins. God hath varietie of deaths, and various degrees of thoſe deaths, varietie of afflictions, and various degrees of the ſame, he lays on which, and in what meaſure he pleaſes; how are ſinners tortur'd with collicks, ſtranguries, gouts, ſtone, plague, and other diſeaſes. If States think good to inflict upon Delinquents ſeverall puniſhments, and in a high degree as they finde men guiltie, how much more may God? he ſmote Jehoram with incurable and ſore diſeaſes, ſo that his bowells fell out, 2 Chron. 21.18, 19. He ſent fire and brimſtone upon Sodome and Gomorrha, Gen. 19. He did that in Jeruſalem which he never did before, nor ever would doe the like, he puniſh'd them ſo with famine, that fathers did eat their ſonnes, and ſonnes their fathers, Ezek. 5.9, 10. Neither theſe nor any that ſuffer in what kinde ſoever, doe ſuffer unjuſtly; men may pretend innocency, but if they ſuffer, and that ſeverely, God is not cruell, they are not guiltleſſe; for the ſoule that ſins ſhall die.

2. Sin is a deadly thing, the ſoule that ſins ſhall die, ſin is the great murderer, it let death into the world, and keepes death alive, if there were no ſin, there would be no death, no puniſhment, but if men ſin, they muſt ſuffer; the old world ſin'd, and dyed for it; Sodomites ſin'd, and dyed for it; the Bethſhemites ſin'd by looking into the Arke, & 50000 of them dyed for it; Jeruſalem ſins, and is burnt for it, and her children buryed in a Babyloniſh grave; Ananias and Sapphira die for their diſſimulation; the wages of ſin is death, Rom. 6.23. Let us then take heed of ſin, whereby wee offend that p. 471God who hath ſaid, The ſoule that ſins ſhall die; he is a dreadfull Majeſtie, and ought …y to be feared. Jerem. 10.7. Who would not feare thee, O King of Nations? for unto thee doth it appertaine; feare is Gods due, and your dutie; Stand in awe then and ſin not, Pſal. 4.4. If you ſin, you muſt die; death is the King of feares, and God is the King of death, he can command it to ceaſe upon you in a moment.