Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 33 · Verses 7-9
Verſ. 7, 8, 9.
So thou, O ſon of man, I have ſet thee a watchman unto the houſe of Iſrael: therefore thou ſhalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
When I ſay unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou ſhalt ſurely dye; if thou do not ſpeak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man ſhall dye in his iniquity: but his bloud will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheleſſe, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it: if he do not turn from his way, he ſhall dye in his iniquity, but thou haſt delivered thy ſoul.
IN theſe words the Lord applies the former ſimilie of a political watchman unto the Prophet; So thou, O ſon of man, &c. and theſe 3 verſes are the ſame with the 17, 18, & 19. verſes of the 3. Chapter of this propheſie.
Verſ. 7. I have ſet thee a watchman.
I have given thee to be a watchman unto the houſe of Iſrael, that thou ſhouldeſt look about, ſearch the Scriptures, find out what is evill, ſinful, and what's the puniſhment due thereunto, what wrath God hath revealed from Heaven againſt all unrighteouſneſſe, and tell the people thereof.
Therefore thou ſhalt hear the word at my mouth.
Thou muſt not ſpeak of thine own head, or out of thine own hearr, but thou muſt take all up from me; either what I have given out by Moſes and other Prophets already, or what I ſhall give out immediately to thy ſelf. Thus Habakkuk did, Ch. 2.1. I will ſtand upon my watch, and ſet me upon the Tower, and will watch to ſee what he will ſay unto me. He would have the word from Gods mouth.
And warn them from me.
Thou muſt not warn them in thine own name, but in my name, whoſe Prophet thou art, whoſe words thou haſt received, and who hath impowered thee to tell men of their ſins and dangers.
Verſ. 8. When I ſay unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou ſhalt ſurely dye.
Where God ſayes ſo is hard to find in all the book of God. You have not O wicked man, thou ſhalt ſurely dye; but in generals there's that is equivalent; as, the ſoul that ſins ſhall dye; The wicked ſhall be turned into Hell; Ʋpon the wicked he ſhall rain ſnares, fire and Brimſtone, and an horrible tempeſt; And the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againſt all unrighteouſneſſe of men. Theſe and ſuch other places are Tantamount.
If thou doſt not ſpeak to warn the wicked from his way.
When the watchman ſees a wicked man in a wicked way, as in a way of drunkenneſs, whoredom, idolatry, oppreſſion, or any profaneſſe, he is to warn him, and tell him of the danger of his wayes; if he through fear or favour, incogitancy or careleſneſſe, neglect to do it, the danger is great.
That wicked man ſhall dye in his iniquity.
The wicked man might object and ſay, Why ſhould I dye? I was never warned by the watchman, he ſaw me daily living in ſuch courſes; and had he told me the danger of them, I ſhould have conſidered my wayes and turned from them. This Objection is anſwered; Thou art a wicked man, thou haſt lived in iniquity, and now thou ſhalt dye in, and for thine iniquity; the light of Nature, the dictates of thy Conſcience, the example of others, might have taught thee to have done otherwiſe: though the Prophet have neglected his duty, thou ſhalt ſuffer for thy ſins, and he for his.
His bloud will I require at thy hand.
I ſet thee to be a watchman over him to obſerve his wayes, to tell him of his ſins, to invite and provoke him to repentance by promiſes of mercy, and threatning of my judgements, that ſo he might have been ſaved; but becauſe thou waſt unfaithfull, and didſt not thy duty, he is loſt, and his bloud will I require at thy hands, and recompence it upon thine head.
Verſ. 9. Nevertheleſſe, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it.
If thou be faithful in thy place and tell the wicked of his ſins, calling upon him to turn from them unto me the living God; if this hath been thy care and practice, thou haſt done well.
He ſhall dye in his iniquity, but thou haſt delivered thy ſoul.
What ever befalls him, death temporal, or death eternal, thou haſt freed thy ſelf, and ſhalt nor be reſponſive for him at all, his bloud ſhall be upon his own head, and not upon thine.
Firſt, Obſerve;
Wars come not upon any people caſually, but by the providence of God.
When I bring the ſword upon a Land. Its God calls out the ſword, and cauſeth it to come; he is the Lord of Hoſts, and Commiſſions Armies to make invaſions where he pleaſe.
Secondly, Obſerve;
In caſe of common danger, the people have liberty and power to ſet up a politicall Officer, for their good and ſafety.
When the ſword is coming upon the Land, if the people of the Land take a man of their Coaſts, and ſet him up for their watchman. God expects they ſhould do it, and approves of it done; they do not their duty, unleſs they do it; they muſt not ſtay till thoſe in authority do it, the Land may be invaded, many loſe their lives upon that account: but its their priviledge, and in their power, preſently to appoint a man who may diſcover danger and give them notice of it. Every man is a part of the whole, and when that is indangered, every one is to put forth himſelf to the utmoſt for ſecurity thereof; Suprema lex eſt ſalus populi.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
That in the Eccleſiaſtick State its Gods Prerogative to ſet up Offices and Officers.
Son of man, I have ſet thee a watchman unto the houſe of Iſrael. He might not ſet himſelf a 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 its 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 ſ…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 is likelyeſt to make way for the meſſage they bring, of what kind ſoever. Here the Prophet was to warn them, to tell them of their ſins, and the danger of them; and who would not receive an admonition from God, when it comes in his name, backed with his authority, when God in it ſeeks our good, the freedom of us from death and damnation, the bringing of us unto glory and ſalvation, and eſpecially when the ſoul of the watchman lyeth at ſtake for the ſinner, if he do not admoniſh the ſinner. Can any ſinner be ſo obſtinate as not to conſider, relent, and return, when God ſhall ſend one in his name unto him, and the Prophet ſhall ſay, Sir, I come from God unto you, and my life is at ſtake for you, if I tell you not of your ſins, I am a loſt man: give me leave therefore to deal plainly with you; you are covetous, unclean, proud, froward, ignorant, unbelieving, having a form of Godl neſſe without the power, and unleſſe you take another courſe, and ſerve the living God otherwiſe the you do, you will periſh ſoul and body eternally; but if y…u will hearken, I will ſhew you the good and right way, the way everlaſting, which will make you bleſſed for ever. When a watchman comes and deals thus with a ſinner, hath he cauſe to be angry? No, he hath cauſe to fall down, and ſay, Of a truth God is in you, and with you, I thank you for your counſell, and ſeaſonable admonitions, and through the grace of God I will improve them, and turn to that God who is ſo gracious, and would have ſinners come to the knowledge of the truth and be ſaved.
Ninthly, Obſerve;
The Lord knowes who are wicked.
When I ſay to the wicked man. The world calls them wicked who are righteous, and thoſe righteous who are wicked; but it is not ſo with the Lord, he knows who is an hypocrite, who is covetous, who is a lyar, a formaliſt, an enemy to grace and holineſſe; Known unto the Lord are all his works, Acts 15.18. And he knoweth who are his, 2 Tim: 2.19. and who are not his; there is not one Goat in the world, but the Lord knows him, not a Wolfe, or Lyon, but he takes notice of them: he knew the houſe of Iſrael better then Ezekiel who dwelt amongſt them; whom he ſaid was wicked, was ſo indeed. It matters not much what the world ſaith of men, it call'd Paul a Babler, Acts 17.18. An Heretick, Acts 24.14. A Peſtilent Fellow, verſ. 5. But what ſaid God of him? Acts 9.15. He is a choſen Veſſel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Iſrael. Jobs friends and the Devil ſaid, Job was an hypocrite; but God ſaid, He was a perfect man, fearing God, and eſchewing evill, Job 1.1. That men are what God, who cannot lye, who cannot be deceived, pronounces them to be; if he in his word do call a …an for an hypocrite, an unbeliever, covetous, proud, &c. he is ſo.
Tenthly, Obſerve;
The Power of life and death is in the hand of the Lord.
When I ſay unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou ſhalt ſurely dye. God hath authority over the lives of men, and can pronounce a ſentence of death upon them at his pleaſure. He Commiſſion'd Saul to ſmite Amalek, to ſlay man and woman, infant and ſuckling, Oxe and Sheep, Camel and Aſſe, 1 Sam. 15.3. Wh…n Ahab let Benhadad go, a man that God had appointed to deſtruction, therefore ſaith he, Thy life ſhall go for his, and thy people for his people, 1 Kings 20.42. The power of life and death God challengeth to himſelf, Deut. 32.39. I kill, and I make alive, I wound, I heal, neither is there any that can deliver out of mine hand. By this argument he proves himſelf to be God, and its none but God that kills, or gives life, Pſal. 68.20. Ʋnto God the Lord belong the iſſues from death. The Hebrew is Lammaneth Totzaoth, Exitus ad mortem, the goings out to death; its God that turns the key, and lets out the breath, its he puts a period to the life of the Creature; would any live? let them fear the Lord, and depart from evill; for The fear of the Lord prolongeth dayes, Prov: 10.27. Moſes uſes this argument to perſwade them to love, obey, and cleave to the Lord, He is thy life, and length of thy dayes, Deut. 30.20. Men have their lives from God, and he draws the thread of them out to what length he pleaſe; and therefore men ſhould love, fear, obey and cleave to that God, if they do not, he will cut the thread of their lives aſunder; Prov. 10.27. The years of the wicked ſhall be ſhortned; by one ſickneſſe, judgement or other, their dayes and years ſhall be ſhortned, of what they might have been.
Eleventhly, Obſerve;
Thoſe watchmen that are unfaithfull in their places, and do not tell the people of their ſins and danger, their account will be dreadful.
If thou doe not ſpeak to warn the wicked from his way, his bloud will I require at thy hand. If a politicall watchman be unfaithful, ſo that a man periſh by the ſword without warning, his bloud lyeth upon the watchmans head; and if the Eccleſiaſtical watchman be unfaithful, and do not warn the wicked upon what pretence ſoever, the bloud of that wicked man, dying in his ſins, will be required of the watchman, it lyes upon his head, and he muſt anſwer for it: the caſe of this latter watchman will be more dangerous then of the former; becauſe the one is to anſwer for the life of a man, the other for the ſoul of a man, which is of great price. Let lazy, ſleepy, perfidious watchmen look to it, they ſuffer men to periſh through their default, and their bloud, lives, ſouls, ſtand ingaged for the ſ…me.
Twelfthly, Obſerve;
The failing of the watchman will not excuſe or priviledge the wicked man.
If thou doſt not ſpeak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man ſhall dye in his iniquity. Though he be not told that he is in a wrong way, though he pretend ignorance, that will not ſerve turn, he ſhall dye in his iniquity, warn'd or unwarn'd; the watchman hath not done his duty, what then? muſt this exempt the wicked man from puniſhment? No, he hath not done his duty, he ſhould have minded & ſtudyed the Law of God, walked according to that, and have made it a Lamp unto his feet, and a light unto his paths, Pſal. 119.105. But his neglect of his duty, and ignorance, rather will aggravate, then extenuate his fault; the Law was near unto him, and he might have known what was forbidden, and ſo have avoided the ſame.
Thirteenthly, Obſerve;
Thoſe that regard not the warning of the watchmen, they bring certain deſtruction upon themſelves.
Whoſoever hears the ſound of the Trumpet, and takes not warning, his bloud ſhall be upon his own head; If the enemy cut off that man, he himſelf is guilty of his own death, not the political watchman: And ſo in the Church-State; if the wicked man be warned of his way, and turn not from it, he ſhall dye in his iniquity, his bloud lyes at his own dore, upon his own head, the watchman is free.
Fourteenthly, Obſerve;
There is great neceſſity that the watchmen deal faithfully, and tell the people of their danger and ſin.
Their ſouls, their bloud lye at ſtake upon it; if they be not faithfull, their lives, their ſouls go for it. Thoſe watchmen that are ſilent, are cruel, bloudy, and ſoul-murthering men, they murther the ſouls of the people, and their own ſouls alſo; thoſe that ſpeak, that cry aloud, that tell the people throughly of their ſins, not fearing their frowns, nor reſpecting their favours, that ſo if it be poſſible, they may ſave their ſouls; theſe are the moſt faithful watchmen. Many wonder that the ſpiritual watchmen are ſo zealous, particular, that they open the nature of ſin ſo much, threaten ſuch terrible judgements of God againſt ſinners, and preach damnation unto them, that they are ſo frequent in ſuch wayes; but ceaſe to wonder, their ſouls are in jeopardy if they do it not. If a mans whole eſtate were in hazard if he did not tell ſuch a man that he were a lyar, a drunkard, and would he forfeit his eſtate through ſilence? No, he would tell him of his ſins again and again. The watchmans ſoul lyeth at pawn, and he forfeits that if he ſhould not tell ſinners of their ſins, and warn them to turn from them: Hence was it that Paul ſaid, Neceſſity is laid upon me, and we unto me if I preach not the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 9.16. he preached, and warned ſinners night and day, Acts 20.31.
Laſtly, Obſerve;
That the watchmen warning the people, and the people taking warning, they do both ſecure themſelves:
If the wat…hman Politic…l or Spi…itual blow the Trumpet, warn the …ople, he ſhall deliver his own ſoul; if the people take wa…ning, they deliver their ſouls. Safety lyes in warning, and it hearkning to wa…ning; let not the watchmen of God be ſleepy or ſilent, but warn the people conſtantly, that ſo they may ſave themſelves and others.