Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Ver. 1. IN the ſixth year] Of Jeconiah's captivity.
In the ſixth monethmonth] Elul, anſwerable to our Auguſt.
In the fifth day] Which was Sabbath-day, ſaith Junius.
Sedentes & quieſcentes apti ſunt ad percipiendam S. S. gratiam. Hinc apparet foreign Dei. Lavat.As I ſat in mine houſe] In Meſopotamia, among the captives.
And the Elders of Judah ſat before me] As their wont was upon the Sabbath-day, 2 King. 4.23. Theſe Jews were ever learning, but never came to the knowledge of the truth. Yet God ſtill bore with them, and taught them better.
That the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me] i. e. The Spirit (the Spirit of Prophecy, ſaith the Chaldee) to whom the abſolving and perfecting of Gods Work is congruouſly attributed. He is fitly ſaid to brood the waters, Gen. 1.2. to overſhadow the Virgin Mary, Luke 1.35. to ſeal the elect, Epheſ. 4.30. to add ultimam manum; for God the Father doth all by the Son, through the Holy Ghoſt. Ezekiel had here a mighty impulſe of the Spirit, which fell upon him quaſi fulgur efficax & penetrans, as lightening.
Ver. 2. Then I beheld and loe a likeneſſe] Of a man, likely. This was the Lord Chriſt, whoſe eyes are like a flaming fire, Rev. 1.14. and even our God (as well as the Jews God) is a conſuming fire, Heb. 12. ult. Here, in the fire, was ſet forth his vengeance againſt the wicked; in his brightneſſe upwards, his Majeſty ſay ſome; his Clemency, ſay others,
As the colour of amber] Or, of a coale intenſely hot, as chap. 1.
Ver. 3. And he put forth his hand] As to me it ſeemed: for all was viſional, not real.
And took me by a lock of mine head] Tanquam herus inofficioſum ſervum. The Prophet ſeemeth to have had no great mind to the matter: but there was no remedy. Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trabunt.
Where was the ſeat of the image of jealouſy] Of Baal likely, for whom wicked Ahaz had been ſo zealous, 2 Kings 16.14. and againſt whom God was ever ſo jealous, as to devour whole lands by the fire of his jealouſy, Zeph. 3.8.
Ver. 4. And behold the glory of the God of Iſrael] i. e. The glorious God of Iſrael, Acts 7.2. See there.
Was there] ſc. At the inner gate where that image of jealouſy ſtood. The Jews were great idolaters before the Captivity; not ſo afterwards, Rom. 2.22.
Chap. 3.23.According to the viſion] This befel for his further confirmation, ne remum abjiceret, ut aiunt: this was now the third time; and all was but enough.
Ver. 5. The way toward the North] Where was the greateſt concourſe of idolaters.
At the gate of the Altar] Why ſo called, ſee 2 Kings 16.14.
This image of jealouſy in the entry] Idolatry committed in Gods own Temple was moſt abominable; as when an adultreſſe hath her ſtallions under her husband's noſe, Meſſalina-like.
Ver. 6. That I ſhould go far from my ſanctuary] Which is now become omnium turpitudinum Arx (as was once ſaid of Pompey's great theatre at Rome,) a receptacle of all roguery, & impiae gentis arcanum, as afterward Florus unworthily called it.
And thou ſhalt ſee greater abominations] All ſins are not equally ſinful then, as the Stoicks affirmed: but there are degrees of abominations. See Deut. 32.5. with the Note.
Ver. 7. And he brought me] Myſtagogus ille Angelus.
To the door of the court] Of the Prieſts court.
A hole in the wall] Which ſhould have been kept in better repair.
Ver. 8. Behold a door] A ſecret door, by which they entred into their idol-chappel. Such privy-paſſages there are in the Popiſh Monaſteries, and in the whole Romiſh religion not a few.Oecolamp. Ante paucos annos ſuaviter convivebant Monachi & Nonnae, &c. The Councel of Trent was carried by the Pope with ſuch infinite guile and craft, as that themſelves will even ſmile at the triumphs of their own wits (when they hear it but mentioned) as at a maſter-ſtratagem. But the Author of the hiſtory of that Councel hath found a hole in the walls of Rome, and many of our worthy Champions have digged and diſcovered their deteſtable practiſes.
Ver. 9. Go in and behold the wicked abominations] No words are bad enough for ſin. Solomon calleth it wickedneſſe of folly, even fooliſhneſſe of madneſſe, Eccleſ. 7.25. miſcheivous madneſſe, chap. 10.13. So Luke 16.11. Mammon of unrighteouſneſſe, and 1 Pet. 4.3. abominable idolatries.
Ver. 10. And behold every form of creeping things] Theſe, belike, were their dii minorum gentium, their petty-deities, their vulgar idols; whereof as there was great ſtore, ſo not ſo great reſpect given unto them. This piece of idolatry the Jews had learned of the Egyptians, who madly worſhiped Oxen, Aſſes, Goats, Dogs, Cats, Serpents, Crocodils, the bird Ibis, &c. Praeter impietatem ingens ſtultitiae exuperantia oſtenditur, ſaith Theodoret on this text: beſides their impiety, were theſe men in their wits, think we? And what ſhall we ſay of Popiſh ſuperſtition? Do not they religiouſly worſhp Agnus Dei's, reliques of Saints, painted doves reſembling the Holy Ghoſt, the Aſſe whereon Chriſt rod, they ſay,Wolph. mem. lect. on Palm-Sunday? The tayl of that Aſſe they ſhew ſtill at Genua, and require low obeyſance to be done thereunto.
Ver. 11. And there ſtood before them ſeventy men of the Ancients] The whole Sanhedrin or great Council haply. Councils may erre, and have done often. The ill example of theſe Ancients was very attractive. Magnates Magnetes.
Jaazaniah the ſon of Shaphan] A Cheiftain amongſt them; and haply, Preſident of the Council, whom they called Naſi or Prince. His father Shaphan was Scribe in Joſiah's dayes, as ſome think, 2 Kings 22.12.
And a thick cloud of incenſe went up] Abundantia nubis. Papiſts to this day cenſe their images: ſemel ſingulis thuribulum ducat ſacerdos, ſaith the Roman Maſſe-book. The Primitive Chriſtians were preſſed by their Perſecutours to throw at leaſt a little frankincenſe into the fire: which when Origen and Marcellinus did, through infirmity of the fleſh, they were caſt out of the hearts of good people, and branded with the name of Thurificati, i. e. Incenſed perſons.
Ver. 12. What the Ancients of Iſrael do in the dark?] Idolatry is a deed of darkneſſe. The Athenians had their Eleuſinia, the Romans the rights of their Bona Dea, and the Egyptians their Ofiridis Pamylia, all done in the dark. The Popiſh Temples are many of them dark; and ſome ſo ſtuffed with preſents and memories, that they are thereby made much the darker.
For they ſay, The Lord ſeeth us not] Atheiſme is the ſource of all ſinfulneſſe. Theſe fools, being in the dark, thought that God could not ſee what they did there.
The Lord hath forſaken the earth] Hath caſt of all care off us, and therefore we muſt ſee to our ſelves, look us out ſome other deities. See Jer. 18.15.Lib. 2, cap. 7. What a baſe ſpeech is that of Pliny, Irridendum verò curam agere rerum humanarum, illud quicquid eſt, Summum? Tis no way likely that God taketh care what becometh of mans matters: Os durum!
Ver. 13. Turn thee yet again] q. d. Little didſt thou think, Ezekiel, that thy Country-men of Jury were ſo prodigiouſly abominable, as now thou ſeeſt: And what more ſure then ſight?
Ver. 14. And behold there ſat women] Theſe were Preiſts of Iſis, whoſe impious and moſt impudent kind of worſhip is largely deſcribed by Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch, and Euſebius: as celebrated with very unſeemly ceremonies, worſe if it might be, then thoſe of Priapus. But who would ever have looked for ſuch immodeſt doings among Gods profeſſed people? See 1 Cor. 5.1.
Weeping for Tammuz] i. e. For Oſiris King of Egypt, and idolatrouſly adoring his image, which his wife Iſis had advanced.
Ver. 15. Haſt thou ſeen this] q. d. And canſt thou eaſily believe thine own eyes? Nevertheleſſe theſe flagitious perſons have the face to ſay, In all my doings they ſhall find none iniquity in me: that were ſin, Hoſ. 13.8. Say not Popiſh Idolaters ſtill as much?
Thou ſhalt ſee greater abominations] Idolatry is ſtintleſſe.
Ver. 16. Were about five and twenty men] Theſe ſay ſome, were the King and his Councel: See chap. 11.1.
With their backs toward the Temple] And yet in a part of it: hoc fuit ſignum nimiae improbitatis. Here to turn their poſteriours upon Gods houſe, and Ark, which they were commanded to look towards,Veluti Dominum in certamen provocantes. as a Type of Chriſt, was to bid open defiance to him, and to renounce his ſervice, cum ingenti contumelia ſanctitatis Domini: Oh the unſpeakable patience of God!
And they worſhipped the Sun] So did the Perſians, under the name of Mithra: the Aſſyrians, of Oſiris: the Egyptians of Orus ſon of Iſis, &c. Heathens thought that Chriſtians did ſo too,Tertul. Apol. becauſe anciently they prayed with their faces Eaſtward.
Ver. 17. And loe they put the branch to their noſe] In honour to the Sun, whoſe heat produceth the moſt redolent wines. Or they might be branches of Laurel, dedicated to the Sun. R. Solomon rendereth it, they put a ſtinck to my noſe, even ventris crepitum pro ſuffitu. Ecce ipſi ſubſannates. Sept.Vah, Vah, Vah.
Ver. 18. Mine eye ſhall not ſpare] Chap. 5.11. & 7.4.
And though they cry in mine eares, &c.] Becauſe it is the cry of the fleſh for eaſe, and not of the Spirit for grace.