Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 44
CHAP. XLIV.
Ver. 1. THen he brought me back] From the Eaſtgate which was found ſhut, to the Northgate where the Prophet received large inſtructions, ver. 4. Chriſt muſt be followed, though he ſeem to lead us in and out, backward and forward, as if we were treading a maze.
Ver. 2. This gate ſhall be ſhut] Is, and ſhall be; ſave only to Meſſiah the Prince,Pſal. 118.20. and to whomſoever he (as having the keyes of David) ſhall open it. This gate of the Lord into which the righteous ſhall enter, ſc. by that new and living way which Chriſt (their forerunner, Heb. 6.20.) hath prepared and paved for them with his own blood, Heb. 10.20. See Heb. 7.8, 9, 11, 12, 24.
And no man ſhall enter in it] No meer man, unleſs it be by Emmanuel: See Joh. 3.13.
Ver. 3. It is for the Prince] For Meſſiah the Prince, ſo Chriſt is called, Dan. 9. Or, for the Chief Prieſt, who as he had a ſingular priviledge herein above other Prieſts, ſo hath Chriſt, the High-Prieſt of the Church Chriſtian, ſingular priviledges above all his brethren.
He ſhall ſit in it to eat bread] He ſhall ſit at the right hand of the Majeſty on high, and enjoy heavens happineſs, which is oft compared to a feaſt, as Mat. 8.11. & 22.1, 2. See Eſa. 53.11. He ſhall aſcend up into heaven and therehence come again to judge the quick and the dead, Act. 1.11. Heb. 9.28. Some by Prince here underſtand the Ruler of the people; ſee chap. 46.1, 2. who is peculiarly licenſed to enter in at the Eaſt-gate, and there to ſit and eat and drink his part of the Peace-offering: Confer Exod. 24.11. It is not meant of Peter the Apoſtle (to be ſure) much leſs of the Pope his pretended ſucceſſour, as ſome of his Paraſites would have it.
Ver. 4. Then brought he me] See on ver. 1.
The glory of the Lord] See chap. 43.2, 5.
And I fell upon my face] See chap. 43.3. & 1.28.
Ver. 5. Mark well, and behold with thine eyes] Summon the ſobriety of thy ſenſes before thine own judgement. See chap. 40.4. The refining of the Miniſtery and diſcipline of the Church, with the ſame charge in regard of the excellency of the matter repeated for attention, to ver. 17. and laws preſcribed to that purpoſe, ver. 17. to the end of the Chapter.
Ver. 6. And thou ſhalt ſay to the rebellious] Heb. to rebellion. Vulg. to the exaſperating houſe.
Let it ſuffice you] Ye have ſinned enough and more then enough, 1 Pet. 4.3. Now that I have ſet you up a new Temple, turn over a new leaf for ſhame, as chap. 43.10. when ſhall it once be? Jer. 13. ult.
Ver. 7. Strangers] Your ſelves are no better, Am. 9 7. ſtrangers from the covenants, Eph. 2.12. degenerate children, Eſa. 1.4. alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in you, Eph. 4.18. and through your blind leaders of the blind, Prieſts of your own making, &c.
Ʋncircumciſed in heart] Erroneous in judgment.
Ʋncircumciſed in fleſh] Enormous in practice.
When ye offer my bread] i. e. The fat and the blood (as it followeth) which I ſeem to feed upon as a man doth upon bread.
Becauſe of all your abominations] Or, beſides all your abominations mentioned, ver. 6.
Ver. 8. For your ſelves] Pro veſtro arbitratu, non pro mea voluntate, as beſt ſuited with your own ends, and fitted to your own humours.
Ver. 9. Shall enter into my ſanctuary] See a like prohibition, 1 Tim. 3.3, 8. Tit. 1.7. Such as were the Scribes and Phariſees, the Arrian Biſhops, the Popiſh Prieſts, the cleri (ut vocant) dehoneſtamenta amongſt us, till caſt out.
Ver. 10. And the Levites] The Apoſtate Prieſts, that for fear or favour, have comported with idolaters; ſuch as were the poſterity of Ithamar, thoſe time-ſervers in Ezra, chap. 2.61, 63. thoſe in the books of Macchabees, Demas (if Dorotheus may be believed) Pau us Diaconus, Pendleton, Pflugius & Sidonius, Authours of the Interim in Germany &c.
They ſhall even bear their iniquity] i. e. Degradation, as a puniſhment of their iniquity.
Ver. 11. Yet they ſhall be Miniſters in my ſanctuary] Though lapſed, they ſhall not be altogether diſcarded, (ſee 2 King. 23.9. Neh. 13.28.Capite minuuntur, ſed non Penitus eficiuntur.) partly for the honour of the Prieſthood: but principally, for the encouragement of ſuch as having fallen by infirmity, riſe again by repentance.
Ver. 12. Becauſe they miniſtred unto them before their idols] Being carryed down the ſtream of the times, and hurryed away by violent temptation, which they afterwards regretted and repented of. So did not thoſe Popiſh Biſhops and Prieſts at the coming in of Queen Elizabeth; who were therefore worthily turned out: even fourteen Biſhops, ſix Abbots twelve Deanes, as many Archdeacons,Camd. Eliſ. fifty Prebendaries, fifteen Preſidents of Colledges, many Parſons, and other ſtiffe Maſſe-Prieſts.
Ver. 13. And they ſhall not come near unto me] How great then was the love of the Lord Jeſus to Peter and the reſt of his Diſciples after his reſurrection; as in ſending them that ſweet meſſage, Mark. 16.7. ſo in readmitting them to the work of the Miniſtery after ſo foul a revolt! Joh. 20.21, 22, 23. And doth he not the very ſame ſtill for his poor ſinful ſervants, who deſire indeed to fear his name, but are oft overtaken in a fault through infirmity of the fleſh? Surely, Father Traves, (ſaid Mr. Bradford Martyr in a letter to him) I have clean forgotten God, I am all ſecure, idle, proud-hearted, utterly void of brotherly love: I am envious and diſdain others,Act. & Mon. 1511. I am a very ſtark hypocrite, &c. Thus he, and much more to like purpoſe, in his heavenly letters.
Ver. 14. But I will make them keepers] Which was one of the meaneſt offices.
Ver. 15. But the Prieſts the ſons of Zadok] Who follow their fathers footſteps, and are careful to fulfill the miniſtery that they have received in the Lord: to be beſt in the worſt times as right heires of Moſes his benediction, Deut. 33.9, &c.
Oecol.Saith the Lord God] Them that honour me I will honour, 1 Sam. 2.20. This is a bargain of Gods own making. Hujus rei fides penes Deum tota eſt, we may truſt to it.
Ver. 16. To my Table] i. e. To mine Altar, chap. 41.22. Mal. 1.7, 12. which as oft as they do, they receive a double pledge of the pardon of their own ſins, Joh. 20.23.
Ver. 17. They ſhall be cloathed with linnen garments] As ſo many earthly Angels, Mat. 28.3. (See Rev. 4.4. and 7.13.) for innocency, and victory over their corruptions.
And no wooll ſhall come upon them] No brutiſh and ſenſual luſts and practiſes ſhall be found in them.Lavat. Ex brutorum lana veſtes contexuntur.
Ver. 18. They ſhall have linnen bonnets upon their heads] In token of conſtant ſubjection to God, 1 Cor. 11.
They ſhall have linnen breeches] For honeſty ſake; and to admoniſh them to procure and provide for things honeſt not only in the ſight of the Lord, but in the ſight of men, 2 Cor. 8.21.
With any thing that cauſeth ſweat] That they may not have an ill ſavour, or ſeem to do Gods work to their own trouble: the Lord loveth a cheerful giver.
Ver. 19 They ſhall put off their garments] See chap. 42.14.
They ſhall not ſanctifie the people with their garments] i. e. By the touch of their garments. See Exod. 29.37. & 30.29. Ezek. 46.20. To ſanctifie the people, in this text, is to perſwade them that they are ſanctified by the touch or ſight of the Prieſtly veſtments. The Monkes at this day make the ſilly people beleeve, that they cannot be damned when they dye, if they be buried in a Franciſcans coul.
In orat. pro Roſc. Comado.Ver. 20. Neither ſhall they ſhave their heads] What can the Popiſh ſhavelings ſay to this— qui ne pilum ullum viri boni habere videntur, as Cicero ſaith of Fannius Chaereas; noting it to be a ſign of crafty malice to be ſhaven? And indeed it is ſo bald and heatheniſh a ceremony, that ſome Prieſts in France are aſhamed of the mark:Spec. Eur. and few of them have it, that can handſomely avoid it.
Nor ſuffer their lock… to grow long] As womens: ſome heathen-Prieſts nouriſhed their heir to a great length. A ſhag-haired Miniſter is an ugly ſight: buſhes of vanity become not ſuch, of any men.
They ſhall only poll their heads] Or, round them. Certainly, ſaith one, the devil forg…t this text,Mr. Burroughs. when he raiſed up that reproach of Roundheads. To have hairy ſcalpes is the garb of Gods enemies, Pſal. 68.21.
Ver. 21. Neither ſhall any Priest drink wine] Wherein is exceſſe, Eph. 5.18. See Levit. 10.9.
Ver. 22. Neither ſhall they take for their wives] Miniſters of all men ſhould be careful whom they wed, for many reaſons. Hear what good counſel one Miniſter of mine acquaintance gave another;
Quaere tebi uxorem quae ſit Pia, Pulchra, Pudica,
Mr. Thomas Dugard.Provida, verborum Parca, & Parere parata.
Ver. 23. And they ſhall teach] Miniſters muſt be able and apt to teach, 1 Tim. 3.2. Tit. 1.9. Act. 20.28.
Ver. 24. They ſhall ſtand in judgement] i. e. Stand to the right, and not ſtir from it: in matters of Religion eſpecially; accounting every parcel of truth precious.
They ſhall keep my laws] Not obſerve them only, but preſerve them from the violations of others.
Ver. 25. And they ſhall come at no dead perſon] Not defile their conſciences with dead works.Mens è luctu eluctetur.
They may defile themſelves] So they keep a mean. Something they may yeeld to nature, nothing to impatience.
Ver. 26. And after he is clenſed] This is a new ſanction in the new Temple: as Vatablus obſerveth.
Ver. 27. He ſhall offer his ſin-offering] Becauſe we do eaſily overſhoot our ſelves in things permitted.Licitis perimus omnes.
Ver. 28. And it ſhall be, &c.] This that followeth, ſhall be their inheritance, ver. 29, 30, 31. and whatſoever they want more, ſhall be made up in Me.
Ver. 29. They ſhall eat] See on ver. 28.
Ver. 30. That he may cauſe the bleſſing] Tythe and be rich. See Mal. 3.10. with the Notes.
Ver. 31. The Prieſts ſhall not eat, &c.] They ſhall not be greedy of filthy lucre, nor oppreſſive. Popiſh Prieſts made ſo much gain of the dead, and ſo devoured widdows houſes under a pretence of Dirges, Trentals, Maſſes for the dead, &c. that there was a neceſſity in this Kingdom, of a ſtatute of Mortmain, to reſtrain them.