Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 4

Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5 · Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 4

p. 383Ezekiel, Chap. 4. Ver. 1, 2, 3.

1. Thou alſo Sonne of man, take thee a tyle, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the Citie, even Jeruſalem.

2. And lay ſiege againſt it, and build a fort againſt it, and caſt amount againſt it; ſet the Camp alſo againſt it, and ſet battering rammes againſt it round about.

3. Moreover, Take thou unto thee an iron pan, and ſet it for a wall of iron between thee and the Citie, and ſet thy face againſt it, and it ſhall be beſieged, and thou ſhalt lay ſiege againſt it: This ſhall be a ſigne to the Houſe of Iſrael.

IN the three former Chapters, you have had the Preface, now we are to come to the Prophecie it ſelf, in this Chapter and the next is a prophecy againſt Jeruſalem, the chiefe Citie of the Jewes; the beſieging of it, and miſeries attend that condition are laid downe therein.

This Chapter hath in it theſe parts:

1. A typicall beſieging of Jeruſalem in the 8 firſt verſes.

2. A great famine during this ſiege, and that is in the 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 verſes; and this is aggravated from the eating of polluted bread bak't in dung, ver. 12, 13, 14, 15.

I ſhall begin with the typicall beſieging of the Citie; the Jewes that yet lived at Jeruſalem, truſted in their ſtrength and priviledges, were ſecure, fearing no dangers; they accounted them fooles and weak ones, who had yeelded themſelves into the hands of the Babylonians, and becauſe Jeremiah had counſelled them to doe it, and prophecied hard things againſt Jeruſalem, they dealt roughly with him, and got him impriſon'd; Here therefore the Lord ſet our Prophet a work to lay ſiege againſt Jeruſalem, to batter it with warlike inſtruments, that ſo the captives with him might not repent them p. 384of what they had done, nor thoſe at Jeruſalem put off any longer the evill day; cry, Peace, peace, when deſtruction was at hand.

In the firſt verſe the Prophet is commanded to draw the picture of Jeruſalem, and that upon a tile; in the other two, to repreſent the actions of men beſieging a Citie.

Take thee a tile.

foreignThe Hebrew word Labenah, is a brick or a tile, it's queſtioned whether one greene or one dryed, and if dryed, whether in the Sun or fire, and whether white or red, which I will paſſe over as not being of any great moment: It ſignifies alſo any figure that is foureſquare, and ſo any table or thing that may be ingraven upon; and becauſe it's from a roote in Hebrew, that is to be white, it's conceiv'd to be a table of chalke, or ſome other whitiſh ſtone, in the forme of a brick or tile, whereon inciſion might eaſily be made; bricks and tiles are neither white, nor eaſily admit ingravement.

Pourtray upon it the Citie, even Jeruſalem.

That is, expreſſe the picture of it by inciſion and ingraving in the ſame; it's more then deſcribing with the pen or pencill.

The Citie being pictured upon the tile or table, he is commanded in the next verſe to lay ſiege to it, and ſo builds a fort, caſts a mount, ſets a Camp and battering Rammes againſt it; and hereby ſhewes what the Chaldeans ſhould ſhortly doe againſt Jeruſalem.

A ſort.

foreignThe Hebrew word is Daeck, and diverſly expounded by the learned; Rabbi Solomon thinks it to be an Engine to throw ſtones within the walles, which might annoy them; The Chaldee renders it, Machinas, Engines; The Vulgar, Munitiones, Defences for the Souldiers, and ſuch as might prevent the flight of adverſaries. Some other Rabbies think it to be a wooden Tower,Libr. 10. out of which they threw ſtones and weapons to batter the walls and brain the Citizens.Vid. Joſeph. Lib. 10. Antiq. cap. 11. & 6. de bel. Jud. Vitruvius ſaith, that ſome of them were 120. cubits high, ſome 60. ſome leſſe, and 20 cubits broad at leaſt. The Septuagint hath it, foreign propugnacula, Strong holds, Block-houſes, p. 385Fortreſſes; and ſo it agrees with our tranſlation, Forts; 2 King. 25.1. when Nabuchadnezzar came againſt Jeruſalem with his forces, they built forts againſt it.

Caſt a mount againſt it.

Solela, it's per enallagen numeri, a ſingular number for a plurall,foreign caſt mounts againſt it. The word is from Salal, which is to raiſe up the way, aggeſta terra, when ſtones, turfes, and other earth are heaped up together, that makes a mount. Job 19.12. The Troop is come together, and raiſe up their way againſt me; it's the ſame word: when they beſieged Townes, it was their manner to raiſe mounts before them, that they might come without hurt to the walls.

Set the Camp;

Or pitch tents againſt it, draw out forces, and let them ſit downe before the Citie.

Set battering rammes againſt it.

The word Carim, ſignifies rammes, living creatures;foreign and here it's put for a warlike inſtrument, which was made with an iron head and hornes like a ramme, to batter and break down the walls of Cities; it was drawne back by a great number of men, and then driven on with violence againſt the wall, and ſo made breaches in them; and hence it had its name, becauſe in forme it was like a ramme, & adverſa fronte in muros incurrebat; Some underſtand here the chiefe Leaders in the Armie, that like as Rams are the leaders in the flocks, ſo Princes, Nobles, Generalls, Collonells, and Captains are leaders in Armies. 2 King. 11.4.19. The word Captaine there is the ſame in Hebrew with that here for Rammes, and notes the chiefe Leaders; but in this place we are to take it for Military inſtruments, which at the command of the chiefe ones were imployed.

Take thee an iron pan, and ſet it for a wall of iron between thee & the city.

The Hebrew is, a pan of iron. foreignThe Hebrew by this doth note out the hard-heartedneſſe of the Jewes; they were as iron or braſſe, inflexible before God: others ſet out by it the great wrath of God againſt Jeruſalem, which now was come to that heighth, that no p. 386ſacrifice, no prayers or tears could divert or abate: Lam. 3.44. Thou haſt covered thy ſelf with a cloud, that our prayers ſhould not paſſe thorow. This pan ſtood as a wall between the city and the Prophet; a great impediment between God and them; ſo that neither their prayers or miſeries ſhould come up to God, nor his mercies deſcend upon them, according to that in Iſai. 59.2. Your iniquities have ſeparated between you and your God, and your ſins have hid his face from you, that he will not heare; others think it notes out miſeries and tortures the Jew ſhould ſuffer from the King of Babylon, when he beſieged and took Jeruſalem; this pan was ſuch an one as they uſed to frie things in: and Jerem. 29.22. it's ſaid, that Ahab and Zedekiah were roſted in the fire by the King of Babylon, they ſuffered hard things, they were fried in the pan of afflictions; and this ſenſe agrees with that of Jeremiah Chap. 1.13. who ſaw a ſeething pot from the North, which ſet out the terrible afflictions Nebuchadnezzar ſhould boile the Jewes in. There may be ſome truth in theſe ſeverall ſenſes, but we may, I conceive, underſtand by this iron pan, ſet between the Prophet and the City, the firm reſolution of Nebuchadnezzar to beſiege this city, to continue it till hee had obtain'd his deſign, hee would not be moved from it, but be as inflexible as iron, and as unmovable in it as a ſetled wall: or to go a little higher, the reſolution of God himſelf by Nebuchadnezzar to beſiege and deſtroy this city, and that without remedy; for the Prophet beſieging the city acted Gods part, and this iron pan ſets out his firm purpoſe to beſiege them, and his implacable diſpleaſure againſt them; which is alſo noted in theſe words,

Set thy face againſt it;

Which, as Pradus ſaith, is Severitatis ſignum geſtuſque Judicis conſtantis in decreto, Vultus obfirmatus non annuit deprecanti.qui nullius auctoritate, precibus, aut fletibus commoveatur ad veniam; and this noted out Gods ſetting his face againſt them, of which hee told them, Jerem. 21.10. I have ſet my face againſt this city for evill, and not for good, ſaith the Lord; it ſhall be given into the hand of the King of Babylon, and he ſhall burn it with fire.

This ſhall be a ſign to the houſe of Iſrael.

Here was the end of all, that the Jewes at Jeruſalem might no longer truſt in the lying words of falſe Prophets, which promiſed p. 387ſafety to them and their city, whereupon they decided thoſe were gone into Babylon, and inſulted over them; and likewiſe that thoſe in captivity with the Prophets might lay aſide all thoughts of returning again into their countrey, and ſee it mercy that they were from Jeruſalem, which was to undergo the greateſt wrath of the Lord.

Obſer. 1. The Lord deals with his people not only by his Word, but alſo by ſignes and types; here is a Tile, and Jeruſalem pourtraid upon it; here are forts, mounts, tents, rams, iron-bands, all which typed out Gods dealing with Jeruſalem, and in this language God had oft expreſſed himſelf: by the Rain-bow in the heavens God ſpeaks to the world, Circumciſion, the Paſchall Lamb, the High prieſts Garments, the ſtones in Aarons breſt, the ſprinkling things with blood, did all ſignifie and type out ſomething to the people; ſo Jeremiahs ſeething pot, Chap. 1. his linnen girdle, and bottles with wine, Chap. 13. the Potters veſſell, Chap. 19. the basket of figs, Chap. 24. and yokes of iron, Chap. 28. and ſo all the Parables in the old and new Teſtament, they utter forth the minde of God. God hath throughout his Word abundantly expreſt himſelf this way; and the Lord doth it, becauſe types and figures make truth more evident and efficacious. The Word affects the eare, types and figures affect the eye, and carry a greater efficacy with them then ſimple and plain ſpeech. The Parable of the barren fig-tree, loſt ſheep, prodigall ſon, ten virgins, &c. had much life and efficacie in them; ſo when Chriſt took a little childe and ſet before his Diſciples, Matth. 18. it wrought more effectuall upon them then many words, and left deeper impreſſion in them; wee may therefore ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in it, that affords us ſuch helps in his Word as may affect our hearts moſt.

2. That the Lord knowes things to come, and reveals them at his pleaſure; hee knew that Jeruſalem ſhould be beſieged by Nebuchadnezzar, and diſcovers it unto the Prophet, and cauſes him to make a draught of it: which ſhewes a difference between the true God and all others; they cannot foreſee and foretell things to come, are not Gods, but the God of Iſrael can fore-ſee things, though afar off; Pſal. 1…9.…. Thou underſtandeſt my thoughts afar off, even from all eternity, and hee only foretels things that fall not within the reach of creat…d abilities; he fore-told the Meſſiah, the p. 388Egyptian and Babylonian captivity, and times of both; there is nothing future hid from God, we know not what ſhall be to morrow, Jam. 4.14. but God knowes what ſhall be to morrow, next yeere, yea, hundreds and thouſands of yeers hence, if time be ſo long, and this proclaims him to be God, even the only true God: Iſa. 41.21, 22, 23. God calls there to other gods, to bring forth their reaſons, whereby to prove their divinity, let them ſhew what's paſt, and things that are to come, and then hee will take them for ſtrong reaſons, and acknowledge them gods with himſelf; but to tell things paſt and things to come, can none but the Lord himſelf, and they to whom he reveals them.

3. Gods appointment and authority makes things and actions mean and ridiculous in the eyes of the world, to be weighty and of great uſe: It ſeems to carnall reaſon a childiſh thing, that the Prophet ſhould take a Tile, draw the City upon it, make forts, mounts, warlike engines to batter it, yea, to take a pan of iron and ſet between him and the city; theſe men of the world are apt to look at as ridiculous, much like the practice of boyes in a ſnow, that make forts, mounts, &c. in ſport; but be not deceived, what the infinite wiſe God commands, is of great concernment, how mean ſo ever the things and actions about thoſe things appeare, the legall worſhip if you look upon it in it ſelf, ſeems ſtrange that they ſhould kill ſo many beaſts, burn them to aſhes; that the Tabernacle, and things belonging to it, ſhould be ſprinkled with blood; that they muſt refrain from ſuch meats, be unclean if they touch ſuch things, that they muſt be circumciſed, eat a paſchall Lamb, &c. I ſay, if wee look at them externally, they ſeem irrationall things, but if wee eye God commanding them, they had an excellency, and were of great uſe to them, and inſtruments of much good; now bread, wine, water in Baptiſme, and the Supper of the Lord ſeem mean things, and ſuch they are, as are common to the world, but Chriſts appointment to uſe theſe, makes the difference, that gives dignitatem & pondus, ſo that they are of great vertue to them that rightly partake of them; the Pope and his Prelates have commanded and brought much into the worſhip of God, Quicquid poterat diſiderari ad eximium ſplendorem; but it's fooliſh, unſavory, unprofitable, and efficacious only to make void the Ordinances and Commands of God; and why? becauſe the p. 389Lord never commanded ſuch things; that is contemptible in the eye of man, being commanded of God is honourable and efficacious, when that is pompous, decent, honourable in the eye of the world, being not commanded of God, is deſpicable, fruitleſſe and frivolous.

4. God is an enemie to ſinfull Cities; he bids the Prophet lay ſiege to Jeruſalem, and to batter it; hee commands the ruine of a City, is an enemie to that Citie; Ezek. 5.8 Behold, I, even I am againſt thee, ſaith the Lord; Jeruſalem was once beloved, it was Gods reſt and deſire, Pſal. 132.13, 14. a faithfull city; Iſa. 1.21. a holy ctty, Iſa. 52.1. the city of the Lord; Iſa. 60.14. but now it was become an harlot, full of murthers, the Princes of it were rebellious and companions of thieves, Iſa. 1.21, 23. the ſins of Jeruſalem were very great; you may reade largely of them in the 16^th of Ezekiel, where you may find, that Jeruſalems ſins and provocations exceeded Sodomes and Samaria's, ſhe juſtified them in their abominations, they were little, not the half of Jeruſalems; and therefore this made the Lord to ſay, Jer. 32.31. This City hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger, or, for a provocation of mine anger, and of my fury, from the day that they built it, even unto this day, that I ſhould remove it from before my face: there was no rank of men but had greatly provoked him, Kings, Princes, Prieſts, Prophets, men of Judah, and Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, verſ. 32. and therefore God was reſolved to deſtroy it, and to make it a curſe to all nations, Jerem. 26.6. and pronounced a wo to it in Zeph. 3.1. where yee farther ſee what a City Jeruſalem was now become, and what her citizens were. Wo to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppreſſing city; She obeyed not the voyce, ſhe received not correction, ſhe truſted not in the Lord, ſhee drew not neer to her God; Her Princes within her like roaring Lions; her Judges are evening Wolves, they gnaw not the bones till to morrow; Her Prophets are light and treacherous perſons: her Prieſts have polluted the Sanctuary, they have done violence to the Law, the juſt Lord is in the midſt thereof, &c. And in the 6^th verſe, their cities are deſtroyed, ſo that there is no man, no Inhabitant. Sin makes God to lay waſt great Cities; Tyre, Sidon, Sodome, Gomorrah, Babylon, Jeruſalem, felt the ſtroke and ſtrength of Gods wrath.

5. Nothing ſecures a ſinfull city from ruine; let it be ſtrongly p. 390built, well fortified, abound with ſouldiers and munition, have great priviledges, yet all theſe protect it not from invaſion, from deſtruction; Ieruſalem is beſieged, ruin'd, burnt with fire, this Ieruſalem was the City of David, 1 King. 9.24. and God did great things for Davids ſake; Iſa. 37.35. it was the holy City; Neh. 11.18. a ſtrong Citie; Pſal. 31.21. the joyous city; Iſaiah 32.13. the city of ſolemnities; Iſa. 33.20. the perfection of beauty, and joy of the whole earth; Lam. 2.15. it was the city had the Temple, the Oracles and Ordinances of God, and greateſt priviledges that ever city had; therefore it's ſaid, Kings ſhould bring preſents thither, Pſal. 68.29. it was the city that God himſelf choſe above all others, to put his name there; 1 King. 14.21. and hereupon it was call'd oft the city of God; Pſal. 46.4. the city of the great King; Pſal. 48.2. the city of the Lord of hoſts, verſ. 8. and for her ſituation, it was among mountains, Pſal. 125.2. had towers and bulwarks, Pſal. 48.12, 13. and was accounted impregnable; Lam. 4.12. The kings of the earth, and all the Inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the enemy ſhould have entred into the gates of Ieruſalem: it was conceived to be of invincible ſtrength; therefore the Iebuſites when David came to take it, placed the lame and blind to defend it, thinking them ſufficient to keep out David and all his ſtrength; 2 Sam. 5.6, 7, 8. but notwithſtanding all theſe particulars, this was the city to be viſited; Ierem. 6.6. and why? ſhee was wholly oppreſſion in the midſt of her, ſhee caſt out wickedneſſe as a fountain waters, Verſ. 7. this was the city to be beſieged and made deſolate; Ier. 19.8. yea a curſe; Ier. 26.6. Ninive was the great city; Ion. 1.6. but it's greatneſſe preſerved it not; Neh. 3. Babylon was the golden city, and yet it ceaſed; Iſa. 14.4. Ieruſalem exceeded all in favours, in priviledges, in promiſes of ſafety, yet this city is invaded, taken, and laid even with the ground, let none therefore confide in cities, in any created ſtrength, in any arme of fleſh; men are exceeding apt to do it: ſome truſt in Chariots, ſome in horſes, ſome in cities, ſome in Princes and great men, but you will finde horſes, and chariots, and cities vain things,Pſal, 62.8. and for men, that there is no truſting in them at any time, therefore ſaith David, Truſt in the Lord at all times; yee people powre out your hearts before him, God is a refuge for us; other p. 391things are not: and becauſe you will think men are conſiderable, hee addes, Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie, they will deceive if you confide in them.

6. The ſins of a people and city may be ſo provoking, at ſuch a heighth, that neither God nor man will ſhew mercy to them. God bids him ſet an iron pan between him and them; ſhewing, that both himſelf and the army that hee ſhould bring, would be as iron to them; they had iron hearts and necks, Iſa. 48.4. and would not yeeld to God, and now he would be ſo to them, and cauſe their enemies alſo to be ſuch; God would ſet his face againſt them, and the faces of their adverſaries. Great ſins make God inexorable ſevere; Ezek. 14.13, 14. When the Land ſins grievouſly, I will ſtretch out my hand, and cut off man and beaſt; and though Noah, Iob and Daniel were in it, they ſhould deliver but their own ſouls; all their prayers, tears, righteouſneſſe, intereſt in God ſhould extend no farther then themſelves. God now had ſhut his eyes, and would not look upon them; he had ſtopt his ears, and would not heare them praying, nor others for them, hee was ſet againſt them, reſolved to puniſh them; therefore no miſeries, no complaints, no ſufferings of the living, or groans of the dying could prevail with him; and when the army came, it uſed them ſeverely enough.

7. The Lord ſends out his Declarations before he cauſes deſtructions: this ſhall be a ſign to the houſe of Iſrael: God ſteals not upon men by publique judgements before they heare of them, but tells them of their coming while they be at ſome diſtance. The Prophets heare of them, and they proclaim and diſcover them ſome way or other; this fact of the Prophets would quickly ſpread and be at Ieruſalem, and ſo might be a warning unto them; God ſends out the lightning before hee thunders, hee frownes before hee ſmites, and gives tokens of his coming in wrath before he executes it.

p. 392VER. 4, 5, 6, &c.

Lie thou alſo upon thy left ſide, and lay the iniquity of the houſe of Iſrael upon it, according to the number of the dayes that thou ſhalt lie upon it, thou ſhalt beare their iniquity.

5. For I have laid upon thee the yeeres of their iniquity, according to the number of the dayes three hundred and ninety dayes. So ſhalt thou beare the iniquity of the houſe of Iſrael.

6. And when thou haſt accompliſhed them, lie again on thy right ſide, and thou ſhalt bear the iniquity of the houſe of Judah forty dayes: I have appointed thee each day for a yeere.

7. Therefore thou ſhalt ſet thy face toward the ſiege at Jeruſalem, and thine arme ſhall be uncovered, and thou ſhalt propheſie againſt it.

8. And behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou ſhalt not turn thee from one ſide to another, till thou haſt ended the dayes of thy ſiege.

IN theſe Verſes the Prophet proceeds in the typicall beſieging of Ieruſalem, and the words declare to us the duration of the ſiege, which was to be many dayes, and the cauſe of it, their iniquity.

The word Iniquity notes here, not ſin, but the puniſhment of ſin, and in that ſenſe it's oft uſed in ſacred language; Iſa. 53.6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all; that is, the puniſhment of our ſin; and Pſal. 69.27. adde iniquity unto their iniquity; that is, puniſh their iniquity; puniſhment is an inſeparable companion of ſin, and therefore it hath the name of ſin. And the Prophet was to beare their iniquity; that is, the puniſhment of it; this he did repreſentatively, by this act of lying upon his ſide ſo long, ſetting out the longſuffering of God, who had born with the ſins of this people, and not puniſhed them as they deſerved; our Prophet did not here repreſent Chriſt, who bare our iniquities, but at the command of God hee ſuſtained the perſon of the ten Tribes and kingdome of Iudah, and therefore it's ſaid, verſe 5. I have laid upon thee the yeers of their iniquity; I have appointed thee by lying on thy ſide ſo many dayes, to repreſent the time they have offended mee by their Idolatries and ſins attending the ſame, and ſo to ſet out my patience, and aggravate the puniſhment of their ſin: Chriſt bare the ſins of men to take away the puniſhment of it; the Prophet, to increaſe the ſame.

p. 393For our better underſtanding of theſe Hieroglyphicall paſſages in the verſes read, we ſhall make inquiry into ſundry things:

1. Whether our Prophet did in the literall ſenſe lie ſo many dayes upon his ſide, or was it only in Viſion?

Some make it reall, and ſay Ezekiel did lie upon his ſide all the dayes are mentioned, although hee ſlept not all the time, yet he lay in that poſture, and that it was by ſpeciall help of God, if nature could not of it ſelf reach unto it; yet it's related of a Noble man of Lonaim, who lay ſixteen yeers in one poſture, viz. with his face upwards; and Pradus ſaith, he ſaw a mad man which had lien upon one ſide fifteen yeers: Theodoret thinks he lay bound all this time, and felt moſt grievous pain, that ſo hee might repreſent the great miſeries of Jeruſalems ſiege, which ſuffered great famine.

This opinion hath many and great Authors; yet I muſt joyn with thoſe who are for the Prophets viſionall lying on his ſide: for beſides that nature could not bear it; how ſhall we clear the juſtice of God, that ſhould for the Idolatries and ſins of others, which former Prophets had reproved, ſo greatly afflict and puniſh one innocent?

Again, he was to prepare himſelf bread, verſe 15^th of this Chap. he was to ſet his face againſt the mountains of Iſrael, Chap. 6. v. 2. and if hee lay ſtill all theſe dayes on his ſides, how could either of theſe be done? It's alſo ſaid in the 8^th Chapt. v. 1. In the ſixt yeer, in the ſixt monethmonth, in the fift day of the monethmonth, as I ſate in my houſe, and the Elders of Judah before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me; if Ezekiel did in the letter lie ſo many dayes, the time was not expired; for the Prophet had his firſt viſion in the fifth yeere of the captivity, the fourth monethmonth, and the fifth day, Chapt. 1. v. 12. and ſeven dayes after this viſion he had another, Chapt. 3. v. 15. which made it the twelfth day of that monethmonth, and on that day he was commanded to lie on his ſide; and if you reckon from thence, you will find not above 413. as Pradus reckons it, or 418. and then if you joyn the days the Prophet lay on his ſide, they amount to 430. So it will then appear the Prophet had twelve or ſeventeen dayes to lie on his ſide when the Text ſaith, he ſate before the Elders, this lying therefore is to be taken viſionally, not really.

2. What the lying on the left ſide points out unto us; and why the iniquity of Iſrael is laid upon that ſide. There is ſome p. 394myſterie in it, and the opinions of men are different: ſome make the reaſon of it to be the ſituation of Samaria, which was the head city of the ten Tribes, Iſa. 7.9. and this city was on the left hand of Jeruſalem, Ezek. 16.46. and thereupon the Prophet lay on his left ſide, to repreſent them and their ſins, and on his right to repreſent the houſe of Judah and their ſins: but beyond this, there is ſomething to be taken hold of, and it's this; the left ſide or hand notes diſreſpect; the right ſide or hand, dignity or favour, Mat. 25.34.41. the good were on the right hand, the bad on the left. By this poſture of the Prophet, is typed out to us the different reſpect of God to the houſe of Iſrael and Judah; the ten Tribes were leſſe deare to God then the other; they had grievous ſins, and God would ſhew them leſſe mercy, deal with them as thoſe at his left ſide; but for Iudah, whoſe ſins was as great as theirs, yet God would chaſtiſe with leſſe ſeverity, hee would not take away his loving kindneſſe from Iudah, though he did from Iſrael, Iudah was at his right ſide, and God would in his diſtribution of ſorrow and wrath remember mercy.

3. Whom we are to underſtand here by the houſe of Iſrael: the ten tribes which are uſually ſo call'd in the Scripture, were carryed into captivity 130. yeeres before by Shalmaneſer, in the 6^th yeere of Hezekiah, 2 King. 18.9, 10. To what end therefore ſhould they be brought in here, under a typicall ſiege of Ieruſalem, when they ſinn'd not at Ieruſalem, and if they had, were now gone, and under the ſeverity of God?

Some take the houſe of Iſrael to be meant diſtinctly of the ten Tribes; and this lying of the Prophet on his left ſide not to refer to Ieruſalems ſiege, but to the ſins of the Tribes, and the patience of God towards them; others include the houſe of Iſrael in the houſe of Iudah, and ſo make not the Prophets literall lying to look at the ten Tribes in captivity, but at thoſe of them who were joyn'd to the houſe of Iudah; for when the great rent was by Ieroboam, all of the ten Tribes did not cleave to him; and many that at firſt did, afterwards ſeeing the evill of his Idolatrous wayes, withdrew from him, and cloſed with the houſe of Judah, 2 Chro. 11.16, 17. when they ſaw what Jeroboam intended, thoſe that ſet their hearts to ſeek God, came to Jeruſalem to ſacrifice, and ſtrengthened the kingdome of Iudah; and in Aſa's dayes, many fell to him out p. 395of Ephraim, Manaſſeh, and Simeon, 2 Chron. 15.9. yea, in abundance; Aſa being a good King, they came flocking to him, and willingly ſate down under his ſhade: It's more then probable alſo, that when Shalmaneſer came out againſt Samaria, and carryed away the Tribes, that many fled to Ieruſalem, and the parts there-about; for it's ſaid, in 2 Chron. 30.6. that they eſcaped out of the hands of the Kings of Aſsyria; and in the 11^th verſe, that divers of Aſhur, Manaſſeh, and Zebulon humbled themſelves, and came to Ieruſalem; this was to receive the Paſſeover, and then they returned to their poſſeſſions in their own cities, Chap. 31.1. So that there were ſome of the other Tribes left, which did partly mingle with them of Iudah and Benjamin, and partly dwell by themſelves; theſe I conceive, our Prophet means by the houſe of Iſrael, and together with theſe their predeceſſors, which were dead, and in c…ptivitie; and that becauſe the three hundred and ninetie dayes, which import ſo many yeers, as it's expreſſed in the 6^th verſe of this Chapter, muſt needs fetch the houſe of Iſrael into this conſideration from before the time of their captivitie, and that in the next thing wee are to examine, namely, Where theſe three hundred and ninety dayes, typing out ſo many yeers, are to begin.

Various and intricate are the thoughts of men about the beginning and ending of theſe yeers; and it would take up much time to preſent them unto you, and perplex your thoughts much.

I will give you in this point not what my ſelf, but the ſoundeſt Interpreters and Chronologers do judge the truth.

Funccius and Bibliander, two famous Chronologers, begin this accompt at the falling off of the ten Tribes, 1 King. 12. and ſo do Interpreters of much worth.

Lavater, Polanus, Pradus, A Lapide, and Sanctius, begin it at the beginning of the Jewiſh Monarchie, between Rehoboam and Ieroboam, then were the Calves ſet up at Dan and Bethel, and the ten Tribes became Idolatrous, and not only Ieroboam and his Subjects, but Rehoboam and his likewiſe, forſook the Lord, 2 Chron. 12.1.

From this time to the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, were three hundred and ninety yeers, which will thus appear:

Theſe ſumm'd, being added together, make up 390. yeeres. Iunius begins this accompt at the 27^th yeer of Solomons raign, when he and the people fell to Idolatry, and extends it to the 5^th yeere after Zedekiah's captivity, but according to the accompt formerly given, this amounts to a greater ſumme: beſides, Solomon did not by any publique Edict ſet up Idolatry, nor aboliſh the true worſhip of God.

The next thing to be opened, it the fortie dayrs, referring to the houſe Iudah in the 6^th verſe; and here it's queſtioned whether theſe yeeres are to be taken incluſively in the three hundred and ninety, or excluſively and diſtinct from them; ſome comprehend them in the three hundred and ninety days, becauſe otherwiſe they would not be finiſhed before the Viſion in the 8^th Chap. 1. v. as hath formerly been ſhewed; but the Prophets lying on his ſides, being viſionall, not reall, it makes not againſt a diſtinct exception of theſe forty yeers from the three hundred and ninety, for he might in a Viſion ſee that hee muſt beare the iniquity of the houſe of Iſrael p. 397three hundred and ninety dayes, and the iniquity of the houſe of Judah forty dayes, and this Viſion be overlong before either number of dayes were accompliſhed. Neither is that in the 9^th verſe ſufficient to prove theſe fortie yeers are to be taken incluſively from the words, three hundred and ninety dayes ſhalt thou eat thereof. Some collect that the Prophet was to lie no longer on his ſides then he was to eat of the meat prepared; if it had been ſaid in the verſe, make thee bread according to the number of the dayes that thou ſhalt lie upon thy ſides, this Argument had been ſtrong, but it's according to the number of the dayes thou ſhalt lie upon thy ſide, that was his left ſide, and ſo the Argument is unvalid. I conceive the fortie yeers to be taken diſtinct from the other number, becauſe in the 5^th verſe you have the three hundred and ninety laid upon the Prophet to beare for the Houſe of Iſrael; if fortie be excepted out of them, then there remains three hundred and fiftie, and it could not be ſaid, ſo ſhalt thou beare the iniquity of the Houſe of Iſrael; neither could it be ſaid, when thou haſt accompliſhed them, lie again on thy right ſide, he could not reach that number if forty yeers were cut off: and here is alſo a diſtinct command; Lie again on thy right ſide, that is, after thoſe three hundred and ninety be finiſhed, then turn thee to the other ſide, and lie on it forty dayes; theſe forty dayes for ſo many yeers, are not additionall to the three hundred and ninetie, but he is to begin again, and that forty yeers within the three hundred and ninety, yet not as part of them, or included in them, but as a new accompt, a day for a yeer, to repreſent Gods patience toward the Houſe of Judah.

Theſe fortie yeeres, ſome make to be the tyrannicall,2 Chro. 33.33.2 Chr 33:33 bloody and Idolatrous raign of Manaſſeh, who having fortie yeers oppoſed Judah, was carried into captivitie, and after ten yeers ſuffering, return'd, purged out Idolatry, and for fifteen yeers ſerved the Lord, Quadraginta annis peco…vit graviſſime Iſrael tempore Manaſſis, Vatablus.qui quindecim tantum annis manſit in officio, & quadraginta peceavit. Theſe fortie provoking yeers God bare with Judah. Others begin the time of theſe fortie yeers from the thirteenth of Joſiah, unto the end of Zedekiah, the ſpace between theſe is fortie yeeres; God now looked for a reformation, but they became worſe and worſe, as by 2 Chron. 36.16. doth evidently appear: whether we pitch theſe fortie yeers upon Manaſſehs ill raign, or the time after, p. 398is not much materiall; ſo many yeeres did the Lord beare with Judah in a ſpeciall manner; only take notice, that ſome reckon theſe fortie yeers not from the thirteenth of Joſiah, but from the eighteenth, wherein was the covenant renewed between God and the people, and then they reckon five yeers after the captivitie of Zedekiah, to make up the fortie yeers; for it's the opinion of learned men, that it was five yeers after his carrying away, that Nebuzaradan came and burnt both Temple and Citie.

Some make the three hundred and ninetie dayes, not only to ſet out Gods patience, but to demonſtrate the time of Jeruſalems ſiege, and Gods juſt hand in it, which upon due obſervation will be found to be juſt ſo many dayes, although there be a great difficultie to make it evident: for in Ierem. 52.4, 5, 6. you may read that in the ninth yeer of Zedekiahs raign, the tenth monethmonth, and tenth day, Nebuchadnezzar beſieged Ieruſalem, and that his ſiege laſted to the eleventh yeer of Zedekiah, the fourth monethmonth, and ninth day; now the time between comes up towards eighteen moneths, and makes five hundred thirtie and nine dayes,Sanctius ſaith 550. which ſumme contains an hundred fortie and nine dayes more then our Prophets three hundred and ninety, which make but thirteen moneths preciſely thirtie days the monethmonth; ſo that here are five moneths more in this ſiege, according to Ieremiah, then we have in this type of Ezekiel. To cleer this difficultie, we muſt take notice that in time of this ſiege, Pharaoh King of Egypt came to help Zedekiah, and raiſed the ſiege, Ierem. 37.5. Then Pharaohs army was come forth out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans that beſieged Ieruſalem, heard tidings of them, they departed from Ieruſalem; and ſo verſ. 11. it's thought they brake up the ſiege to go and meet Pharaohs army, which being diſcomfited, turn'd back to Egypt, and the Chaldeans to Ieruſalem, verſ. 7, 8. Five moneths was ſpent this way, which Ieremiah reckons in to the ſiege of Ieruſalem. Theſe our Prophet leaves out, and looks preciſely at the time they were about Ieruſalem, which was three hundred and ninetie dayes, or thirteen moneths; and ſo you have this difficultie reſolved.

Verſ. 7.

Set thy face toward the ſiege at Ieruſalem.

That is, ſtrengthen, harden thy face againſt them, be inexorable; and this notes out the obſtinacie of the Chaldeans that ſhould beſiege p. 399them; they were a reſolute people, and would not be wearied out with difficulties, or eaſily hearken to intreaties; herein the Prophet takes on him the perſon of the enemie, and ſhewes hee ſhould be ſterne againſt them.

Thine arme ſhall be uncovered.

Souldiers of old were wont to have their arms naked in fight; the pictures of the ancient Warriers and Worthies are ſo painted,Gellius l. 7. c. 12. and P. Africanus upbraided Sulpitius Galbus, Quod tunicis uteretur manicatis uti foeminae; and ſome Interpreters ſay, that the Indians and Africans do it to this day, they fight with their arms naked; here it notes out the readineſſe & diligence of the Chaldeans, whom our Prophet doth perſonate, to execute their reſolution, and ſhortly to fight againſt Ieruſalem; they would not come with faint hearts, or feeble hands, but as their faces were ſet againſt the citie, ſo their arms were naked and prepared againſt it, not in their boſomes, in their pockets, not folded up, but naked and ſtretched out, readie to do ſervice, and ſo the Vulgar reads the word extentum, not uncovered, but ſtretched out, which implies the uncovering, and more; a like phraſe to this you have in Iſaiah 52.10. The Lord hath made bare his holy arme; as ſervants ſtrip up their ſleeves, make their arms bare, and readie for ſervice, ſo the Lord made bare his arme, and put forth his power to do ſome choyce ſervice for his people. In this manner was the Prophet to propheſie unto the people.

Verſ. 8.

I will lay bands upon thee, and thou ſhalt not turn from one ſide to another, &c.

Some make the bands reall, and take the words in a literall ſenſe; but we are to look at all herein as viſionall: and here is commended the cauſe of the Chaldeans obſtinacie and reſoluteneſſe in this ſiege and ruine of Ieruſalem, and that is the authority and command of God; he commanded the Prophet to lay ſiege to Ieruſalem, to lie on his ſide till he had ended the dayes of his ſiege; and by the band of his power he held him ſo to it in the Viſion, that he could not do otherwiſe; and this typed our the authority and power of God in the King of Babylon towards his ſouldiers, who ſhould hold them ſo to the ſiege of Ieruſalem, that they ſhould not depart till they had accompliſhed it. Their going away to meet p. 400the Egyptian army, and drive that back was in order to the ſiege of Ieruſalem; and theſe military forces were as bands upon Ieruſalem, whoſe condition the Prophet here ſuſtain'd, and when the Chaldeans compaſſed the city about, they could not turn aſide any way, till the firm decree of the Lord was accompliſhed.

Obſerv. 1. That God beares with the ſins of his people, though great, a long time, and forbeares the puniſhment due to them: three hundred and ninety yeers did he ſuffer them, which marvellouſly commends to us the patience of Cod; they provoked him daily, moſt bitterly, and did evill as they could; Hoſ. 12.1.14. and Ierem. 3.5. yet God held his peace and his hands for hundreds of yeers; and therefore ſaith in Iſa. 42.14. I have a long time holden my peace, I have been ſtill, and refrained my ſelf: If God had not power in him to puniſh, his ſuffering with ſinners ſo long were not ſo much; but God hath power enough to be avenged on all the ſinners of the earth; he could cruſh them as a moth in his hand, every moment; he hates ſin with a perfect hatred, and yet he bears with notorious ſinners, with all ſinners and ſins, deferring the puniſhment of them, ſometimes a long ſeaſon; ſo that he is not only patient, but longſuffering; 1 Pet. 3.20. The longſuffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing; What did it wait for? even their repentance: Noah preached unto them of the flood, warn'd them by preparing of an Ark, and God expected they ſhould amend and turn to him, and it was an hundred yeers at leaſt he waited upon that generation; and now, the Lord is longſuffering, 2 Pet. 3.9. to us-ward, not willing that any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance; if we will not repent of our ſin, God will repent of his longſuffering, his wrath will kindle, and we ſhall periſh, be inexcuſable, and have the deeper condemnation for abuſe of his longſuffering.

2. Though the Lord bear long with ſinners, yet he forgets not their ſins; they are in his book, ſealed up in his bag; Iob 14.17. among his treaſures, Deut. 32.34. it's a ſpeech borrowed from men that compt up their Money, look over their Writings, and put them into bags, and ſeal them up, that they may be ſafe, and reſerved for a long time; ſo God keeps mens ſins ſafe by him, and that a long ſeaſon, and then at length, when they have forgot them, hee unſeals the bag, and brings them forth, and ſhewes p. 401them how their ſins have abounded, what a treaſury of ſin they have, and what a treaſury of wrath he hath; Rom. 2.5. God he remembred the defection of Iſrael, which was almoſt three hundred and ninety yeers before; and how ever men think of their ſins paſt, God will rub their memories, revive their conſciences, and indict them for old ſins: Job 13.26. Thou makeſt mee poſſeſſe the iniquities of my youth; Job 20.11. His bones are full of the iniquities of his youth; Pſal. 15.7. Remember not the ſins of my youth. God preſented before them their youthfull ſins that had been committed many yeers before; 2 Sam. 21.1. Saul was dead, but his ſin was alive, there was a triennall famine, and for whoſe ſake was it? for Saul's, and his bloody Houſe, becauſe he ſlew the Gibeonites, which was done many yeers before; but here God remembers the ſin, and viſits it upon the heads of his ſons, ſeven of them ſuffer for that ſin. Nab. 1.2. The Lord reſerves wrath, he doth not preſently puniſh ſinners, but twenty, thirty, forty yeers after he reckons with them, and powres out the wrath reſerved; when he hath had the glory of his patience, then God viſits for old ſins; Iſa. 42.4. God had been ſilent a long time; now will I cry like a travelling woman, I will deſtroy and devoure at once: patience being ended, Gods wrath begins and revives the guilt and ſin that hath lain aſleep ſo long; Joſeph's brethren being in affliction, their ſins came to mind, Gen. 42.21. Wee are verily guilty concerning our brother; they had ſold him long before, above twenty yeers, and thought they ſhould never heare of him or their ſins in the ſale of him, but now in a ſtrait God brings that ſin to memory; ſin is not over when it's acted, but may be heard of many yeers after: it's likely now in theſe afflictive times, that many meet with their old ſins, and they lie hard upon them; let that be the prayer of ſuch, which you find, Pſal. 79.8. O remember not againſt us former iniquities, Let thy tender mercies ſpeedily prevent us, for wee are brought low; and take heed of ſinning for the future againſt God, for be ſure your ſin will find you out; Numb. 32.23. and be thorns, not in your fleſh, but in your conſciences; old ſins will be old Serpents, ſting unto death; Iſa. 10.3. What will you do in the day of viſitation? Ezek. 22.14. Can thine heart indure, or can thine han…s be ſtrong in the dayes that I ſhall deal with thee?

3. Such is the nature of States and Churches, that falling into p. 402ſinfull wayes they ſeldome return, but proceed, adding ſin to ſin, filling up the meaſure of their iniquities; Ieroboam makes a rent, layes a foundation in Idolatrous practices, and the Houſe of Iſrael continue in that way three hundred and ninetie yeers, not one king of Iſrael right. Solomon he goes out by the inticing of his wives, to falſe worſhip, he corrupts Iudah, leavens it w^th Idolatry, and not all the good Kings in Iudah could get out that leaven again perfectly; if there were a ſtop of Idolatrous paſſages made in one Kings raign, there was liberty granted in anothers. Idolatry and other ſins ſo abounded in Ahaz, Manaſſes and Zedekiah's dayes, that the Lord was weary of them, and not quiet till he had rejected them. And this is not only ſo in States and Churches, but alſo in particular caſes: if men fall into any way of wickedneſſe, ſo corrupt is nature, ſo prone unto ſin, that it perſiſts unto its own perdition, rather then returns to its own ſalvation; it muſt be a mercifull and powerfull hand of God that reduceth a ſtraying ſinner, much more a ſtraying State.

4. That length of time is no good plea for errors; falſe worſhip, ſinfull cuſtomes and practices, they could plead hundreds of yeeres for their high places, Calves, Samaritan Rites, Altars, Prieſts, &c. yet antiquity would not exempt them from guilt and puniſhment; he muſt bear the iniquity of the Houſe of Iſrael, they had ſinned in the direction, uſe and retention of theſe, and God had viſited, and would yet viſit more for them: what if wee have had Prelacy and Popery, Ceremonies and Superſtitious Rites among us hundreds of yeers? they are plants not of Gods planting, and through age ſo rotten, that they need plucking up, and it will be his honour whoſe ſhoulder and ſtrength is imployed that way.

5. The Lord ſhewes more favour to his, ſinning great ſins, then he doth to others that are not his; the Houſe of Iſrael hath the left ſide, is Loammi none of Gods people, and therefore utterly rejected, ſent into captivity, and return not; the Houſe of Iudah hath the right ſide, God would ſhew them favour in their captivity, and return them after ſeventy yeers correction in Babylon; Gods carriage towards his, is different from that towards others: Pſal. 89.30, 31, 32, 33. If his children forſake my Law, and walk not in my judgements; if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandements, then will I viſit their tranſgreſſion with the rod, and their iniquity p. 403with ſtripes; nevertheleſſe my loving kindneſſe will I not utterly take from him; here God took not away loving kindneſſe utterly from Iudah, ſending her into captivity, but it was utterly taken from Iſrael; if the one be whipt with rods, the other is whipt with ſcorpions. Saul he ſins in offering ſacrifice, 1 Sam. 13. in ſparing Agag, 1 Sam. 15. David he ſins in the defilement of Bathſheba, in the murthering of Ʋriah, 2 Sam. 11. in numbring of the people, 2 Sam. 24. Solomon he ſins in hearkening to his wives, in falling to Idolatry, yet God dealt not with David or Solomon, whoſe ſins were greater then Sauls, as he did with Saul, thy kingdome ſhall not continue, ſaith Samuel, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king, and it repented God that he had ſet up Saul to be King, 1 Sam. 15.11. and he dealt ſeverely with him, he would not anſwer him in his ſtraits, but cut him off by the Philiſtims and his own ſword; ſo that he and his were broken in pieces, and rooted out by the wrath of God; but David and Solomon were chaſtiſed with the rods of men, 2 Sam. 7.14. and ſee what followeth in the next verſe; My mercy ſhall not depart from him; (meaning Solomon when he committed iniquity) I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before me. God proceeds otherwiſe with wicked men, then he doth with his children, there is much love in all their afflictions, and meer wrath in all the wickeds ſufferings. Peters ſin in denying Chriſt was greater then Ananias and Saphira's in denying a portion of their goods, and almoſt parallel with Iudas's, yet he hath a gracious aſpect from Chriſt, fetching penitent tears from his heart, when the others are ſmitten with ſtrokes of death.

6. The inſtruments God uſes in the execution of his judgments ſhall be reſolute, ready and active; Set thy face toward the ſiege, and thine arm ſhall be uncovered, and thou ſhalt propheſie. The Chaldeans were reſolute upon the ſiege, came fitted every way to it, and were active in the work: Hab. 1.8, 9, 10. They ſhall flee as the Eagle haſteth to eat; They ſhall gather the captivity as the ſand; They ſhall deride every ſtrong hold, for they ſhall heap up duſt and take it. When God will have any notable work done, he raiſeth up inſtruments for it.

7. Gods power and providence, over-rules ſecondary agents ſo, that they ſhall execute his pleaſure, and not diſappoint it; God laid bands upon the Prophet, and he could turn no way till he had accompliſhed the dayes of the ſiege, and when the King of Babylon and p. 404his forces were come to the work, God held them to it, and executed his judgements by them: Pilate would have quit his hands of Chriſts death, but he was to be an inſtrument, together with Iudas, and others, and they did what the hand and counſell of God determined to be done: Act. 4.28. Moſes would have declined the work of bringing out the Iſraelites from Egypt, and bringing in of judgements upon the Egyptians, but God ordered and over-rul'd his ſpirit.

VER. 9, 10, 11, &c.

Take thou alſo unto thee the wheat and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one veſſell, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the dayes that thou ſhalt lie upon thy ſide, three hundred and ninety dayes ſhalt thou eat thereof.

10. And thy meat which thou ſhalt eat, ſhall be by weight twenty ſhekels a day; from time to time ſhalt thou eat it.

11. Thou ſhalt alſo drink water by meaſure, the ſixt part of an Hin: from time to time ſhalt thou drink.

12. And thou ſhalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou ſhalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man in their ſight.

13. And the Lord ſaid, Even thus ſhall the children of Iſrael eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles whither I will drive them.

14. Then ſaid I, Ah Lord God, behold, my ſoul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now, have I not eaten of that which dieth of it ſelf, or is torn in pieces, neither came there abominable fleſh into my mouth.

15. Then hee ſaid unto me, Lo, I have given thee cowes dung for mans dung, and thou ſhalt prepare thy bread therewith.

16. Moreover, he ſaid unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the ſtaffe of bread in Ieruſalem: and they ſhall eat bread by weight and with care, and they ſhall drink water by meaſure and with aſtoniſhment:

17. That they may want bread and water, and be aſtoniſhed one with another, and conſume away for their iniquity.

THe time of Ieruſalems ſiege being typed out by the Prophets ſide-lying, he comes hereto type out the grievous famine ſhould be in that ſiege; and this he doth,

p. 4051. From the courſe materialls they ſhould make their bread of, in the 9^th verſe, wheat, barley, beans, lentiles, millet, and fitches.

2. From the quantity they ſhould eat, verſ. 10, 11. they muſt eat and drink by meaſure.

3. From the quality of it; verſ. 12. it ſhould be bread baked with dung, defiled bread; this was to type out the Iſraelites eating polluted bread among the Gentiles, where they were to be captives.

4. From the Prophets deprecation againſt eating polluted bread, verſ. 14. Ah Lord, my ſoul hath not been polluted, &c.

5. From Gods anſwer, yeelding to the Prophets requeſt, in the 15^th verſe, giving him cowes dung for mans; and then declaring his intention in the 16. and 17. verſe, that he would break the ſtaffe of bread, bring them to extreme want, and cauſe them to pine away.

Something I muſt open before I come to the inſtructions ariſing out of the words.

Verſ. 10. Twenty ſhekels a day.

There were ſhekels of gold, 2 Chro. 3.9. ſhekels of ſilver, 2 King. 15.20. ſhekels of braſſe, 1 Sam. 17.5. of iron alſo, verſe 7. ſome of theſe ſhekels are yet to be found amongſt Antiquaries, on one ſide they have ſtamped the omer of Manna, which God commanded Moſes to lay up in the Sanctuary, and in Samaritan letters writ Sekel Iſrael, and on the other ſide is ſtamped Aarons rod,Vid. Noſer um de Numis Hebra. Pradum in Ezek. Rivet. in Exod. flouriſhing, with theſe words, Ieruſalem Kedoſhah. Becauſe the Scripture mentions the ſhekel of the Sanctuary, as Exod. 30.13. and Numb. 3.50. The Rabbies, and many others make a difference between ſhekels, and ſay, that of the Sanctuary was holy, and of twenty gerahs; others were common, and of ten gerahs, Shekel is a weight from Shakal to weigh, from whence our word ſcale, or ſcoal is taken.half the weight of the other; and this opinion hath prevail'd much amongſt Authors: but I find it by later Writers oppoſed, and eſpecially by Vilalpandus, it's call'd the ſhekel of the Sanctuary, not becauſe it differed from others, but for that it was kept there to be a Standard and Meaſure for all the reſt, that there might not be great and ſmall ſhekels at the pleaſure of men, and miſchief accrue that way; they hold that the ſhekels were all of one weight, though not of one ſubſtance; and that,

Firſt, becauſe no juſt reaſon can be given why they ſhould differ, and ſo doubts be multiplied of what ſhekel it was meant, when p. 406mention is made of ſhekels and half ſhekels: as Exod. 30.13. and the third part of a ſhekel, Nehem. 10.32.

Secondly, becauſe the ſhekels that are now extant in the world, are of the ſame weight.

Thirdly, the Scriptures make the ſhekels that were in common uſe, the ſame for weight with thoſe of the Sanctuary: obſerve two places and it's evident, Ezek. 45.9, 10, 11, 12. he blames Princes there for violence and fraud, and exhorts them to uſe juſt weights and meaſures,See Lev. 27.25. Numb. 3.47.Lev 27:25Num 3:47 and then mentions the ſhekel, which ſhall be twenty gerahs; this was the ſhekel in common uſe; now ſee Exod. 30.13. where he ſpeaks of the ſhekel in the Sanctuary, and ſaith, there a ſhekel is 20. gerahs, and ſo the ſame with that in publike uſe. A gerah weighed ſixteen Barly corns,Vide Ainſw. upon Exod. 30.13.Exod 30:13 and twenty gerahs came to 320. Barly corns, which made the weight of the ſhekel of the Sanctuary and other: ſome render the word gerah by obolos, for farthings; ſome by ſtivers, and was the value of two ſhillings, or two & four pence: for the weight, which is the thing wee are here chiefly to look at, a ſhekel, was the ſame with the ſtater among the Grecians and Romans; Lib. 10. foreign.and Euſebius calls ſhekels foreign, and a ſtater was four drams, call'd foreign which was half an ounce, and ſo accordingly the twenty ſhekels weight was ten ounces; ſo that the loaf or weight of bread here allowed to the Prophet, day by day, was of ten ounces only; others, that follow the opinion of the common ſhekel, which was the fourth part of an ounce, make the weight of his meat or bread, only five ounces, for ſo much do twenty ſhekels amount unto, and this is ſo little, that hardly life can be maintained by it; I incline to the former opinion, and leave it to your judgement.

Verſ. 11. The ſixth part of an Hin.

From the bread, he deſcends to the drink, which was no better then fair water, and not overmuch of that, a Hin was a meaſure of liquid things,Maimon. in his Tract of Sacrifice, Ch. 2. § 7. as of oil, wine and water, and it contain'd twelve of thoſe meaſures are call'd logs, of which you read in Lev. 14.10. one log of oil, which Ainſworth ſaith is half a pint; the Rabbies as much as ſix eggs, but Pradus obſerves that the eggs in Paleſtina were greater then elſewhere, and that ſix of them would fill the Rom. Sextarius; and hee clears a common error about thoſe eggs, they are not to be taken for the eggs of fowles, which are ſometimes p. 407greater, ſometimes leſſer, but an Egge was a certain ſtanding meaſure among the Jewes, in the form of an Egg, and the leaſt meaſure they had, ſix of theſe mad a Log, and ſeventy two a Hin; ſo that the ſixt part of an Hin was two Logs; that is, ſo much as twelve egs would contain, for their meaſure of an egge was after the proportion of ordinary eggs, and came to no more then one pinte or ſix ounces, as ſome conceive; but a pinte of water weigh'd, comes to ſixteen ounces, which was very little for four and tw…ty hours; Vires non tribuit, ſed mortem tantum prohibuit, bread and water was ſo little, that their hunger and thirſt were rather increaſed then diminiſhed thereby.

Verſ. 12. Thou ſhalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man in their ſight.

Poor people in many places, uſe mean things for firing; ſome burn ſtraw, ſome brakes, ſome turfe, ſome thorns, ſome dung, but it is the dung of beaſts, which being dried by the wind and Sun, burns well, and ſupplies the neceſſity of the needy; but the dung of man for firing hath ſcarce been heard of; this he ſhould take, and in the embers and aſhes thereof bake his miſcell any bread, to ſet out the great ſcarcity of fuell, both in their fiege, and in their captivity; this was a very irkſome buſineſſe for a Prophet, to gather the dung of men, to dry it, make fires with it, and prepare his diet with ſuch unſavory fire, and that in their ſight, not privately, this did much trouble him; but eſpecially to eat ſuch bread: this ſets out alſo the great haſte and hunger they ſhould be in, they ſhould not ſtay till the bread was baked in an Oven, but preſently haſtened their dough to the fire, though never ſo unwholſome.

Verſ. 13. Defiled bread.

Becauſe in Lev. 19.19. they were forbid to fow their fields with mingled ſeed; it hath been conceived thence, that this was call'd defiled bread, becauſe of the mixture of grain; wheat, barley, beans, &c. but mingling of ſeeds neither made the ground nor the bread polluted; for he is not after bid to change the ſeeds, but the dung, it was that made it polluted bread, the baking of it in ſo noyſome a fire; and this ſet out the courſe and polluted diet they ſhould eat, not only when they were beſieged in Ieruſalem, but when they ſhould be in Babylon.

p. 408Verſ. 14.

I have not eaten of that which dieth of it ſelf, or is torn in pieces, neither came there abominable fleſh in my mouth.

Whoſoever toucheth or eateth of theſe was unclean, Lev. 11.39, 40.22.8. Deut. 14.21. and ſo for their excrements, the Lord is carefull they ſhould not be defiled with them, Deut. 23.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Lev. 5.3.7.21. It doth not appeare any where in Scripture that bread prepared thus is defiled; only here in the former verſe God calls it ſo, and the Jewes had tender, delicate ſtomachs, which did abhor all unclean things, and therefore they uſed much waſhing, and oft waſhed their hands before meat. The ſtrength of the Prophets argument lyeth thus: Lord, I have never eaten any abominable polluting fleſh, and how ſhall I now eat defiled bread? I have ever kept my ſelf from what thy Law hath forbidden, and how ſhall I now defile my ſelf with that which nature it ſelf abhors?

Verſ. 15.

Cowes dung for mans dung.

This was leſſe terrible to nature; this relaxation was of advantage to the Prophet, not to the people; for when the ſiege came, they did more horrid and unnaturall things then eat bread bak'd in Cowes or mans dung, as you may read, Lam. 4.10.

Verſ. 16.

I will break the ſtaffe of bread.

The ſtaffe of bread is a metaphoricall expreſſion, borrowed from ſtaves, uſed by thoſe are weak, ſickly, and aged; by their ſtaves they help and ſupport themſelves: ſuch a ſtaff is bread to the frail nature of man, and man that hath it bleſſed unto him, finds it as a ſtaffe to ſtay up his fainting ſpirit. This phraſe imports two things:

Firſt, the vertue and nouriſhment comes by bread, and hence it's ſaid to ſtrengthen mans heart, Pſal. 104.15.

Secondly, the bread it ſelf; there may be much bread, and little vertue in it, and contrary, little bread and much vertue in it; as in the Widows meal and oil, 1 King. 17.14. But when God will break the ſtaffe of bread, hee ever takes away the one, if not the other, the plenty of bread, if not the vertue of it: Lev. 20.26. When I have broken the ſtaffe of the bread, ten women ſhall bake their bread in p. 409one Oven, and they ſhall deliver you their bread again by weight, and yee ſhall eat and not be ſatisfied. The Greek for breaking the ſtaffe of bread, renders it afflicting with penury of bread, as breaking of bread, Act. 2.46. notes plenty and communicating of food; ſo breaking the ſtaffe of bread implies want and ſcarcity, Pſal. 105.16. He called for famine upon the land, and brake the whole ſtaffe of bread, ſo that the land could not ſuſtain them, and Iſa. 3.1. The Lord of Hoſts doth take away from Jeruſalem and from Judah, the ſtay and the ſtaffe, the whole ſtay of bread, and the whole ſtay of water; God would take away the plenty and the vertue, hee would not bleſſe either unto them: hence it's ſaid, Hoſ. 4.10. They ſhall eat, but not have enough, not be ſatisfied; Mich. 6.14. to drink and not be filled, to cloath themſelves, and not to be warm, Hag. 1.6. Some would here underſtand by breaking the ſtaffe of bread, to be meant only a deficiency, not an inſufficiency; but I conceive God would take away both their bread and the bleſſing of that remain'd, according to that in Deut. 28.17. Curſed ſhall be thy basket and thy ſtore; God would take away panem nutrientem, & panis nutrimentum, that the bleſſing being remov'd they might be weakned, and the bread being remov'd they might be conſum'd.

The word Makak ſignifies contabeſcere, to pine away,Verſ. 17. foreign as a man in a conſumption, and not only ſo, but foetere, foetidum fieri, to become noyſome and loathſome; and ſo it's us'd, Pſal. 38.5. My wounds ſtink and are corrupt; ſo they ſhould not only conſume, but grow loathſome and unſavory, as it's uſuall with thoſe are almoſt famiſhed.

Obſerv. 1. That Gods judgements upon a ſinfull people are ſeldome ſingle, but one ſucceeds in the neck of another, before the Prophet had been put upon a ſiege, and now he muſt expreſſe a famine, and mind them of eating polluted bread in another land. In the 28. Deut. and 26. of Lev. God threatens judgement after judgement, till he hath conſum'd them; it's long before God begins to ſtrike, but when he once ſtrikes, he will go on and diſpatch his work, and make an end of an impenitent people; and ſo recompence his ſlackneſſe to puniſhment with ſeverity and ſucceſſion of judgements, Amos 4. God had judgements, which like fiſh-hooks ſhould ſnatch them away, cleanneſſe of teeth, droughts, blaſtings, peſtilence, &c. Ezek. 14. God hath ſword, famine, peſtilence, and p. 410noyſome beaſts, to ſend one after another, and what one leaves, the other ſhall devour: God ſmote them with the ſword in Ireland, and hath not the famine followed it? we are under the edge of the one, and ſhall be, I feare, under the teeth of the other.

2. That a famine upon any is a diſtreſſing judgement; if God ſend it upon Jeruſalem, they ſhall find it very heavie: when David was put to that hard choyce, 2 Sam. 24. hee would not have the ſword or famine to come upon him or his. Curtius reports of Alexander, Lib. 6.that warring againſt the Bactrians, hee and his were beſieged with ſuch a famine, as they were forc'd to eat up their horſes that carryed their neceſſaries: when the Carthaginians beſieged Saguntus in Spain, they were brought to ſuch miſeries with a famine, that they made a fire in the midſt of the Market place, and firſt burnt that they had left, and could not eat, and then caſt in themſelves and children, to put an end to their miſeries; whence aroſe that ſpeech, or proverb Saguntina fames, noting extreme want; It's alſo related of Cambyſes, ſon of Cyrus, that ſeeking to ſubdue the revolted Ethiopians, his army was in ſuch a ſtrait for victualls, that they were forc'd to tithe out every tenth man, and to live upon them; and that this continued ſo long, that Cambyſes feared himſelf, and thereupon return'd: It's known what a grievous famine was at Sanſerre in France, when Charles the 9^th beſiged it in the yeere 1573. and ſhot againſt it, in three dayes ſpace 3500. great ſhot of Ordnance, and killed not one by them, yet almoſt all the people were conſumed by the famine in the ſiege thereof, having eaten up all things living, and the leather off of Trunks and Saddles. In Edward the ſecond his dayes was ſuch a famine, as a Parliament was call'd to moderate the prices of things,Speeds Hiſtory Lib. 9. c. 11. ſuch was the dearth, that bread could ſcarce be gotten to ſerve the kings own family, the famine grew ſo terrible, that Horſe, Dogs, yea, men and children were ſtolen for food, and thieves newly brought into the Gaols, were torn in peices, and eaten preſently, half alive, by ſuch who had been longer there. The Scipture tells us of as great famine as we can read of;A Lapid. in loc. When Hannib. beſieged Caſſilinum, a mouſe was ſold for 200. groats. Val. Max. l. 7. the Samaritan famine was ſuch, as that like Vulturs, Dogs and Swine, they fed upon carkaſſes, dung it ſelf; 2 King. 6.25. the Aſsyrians beſieged Samaria, untill an Aſſes head was ſold for 80. pieces of ſilver, that is, 80. ſhekels, and that came to above 8… of our money, and the fourth part of a p. 411Kab of Doves dung for five pieces of ſilver; a Kab contain'd four pound and five ounces, and the fourth part was thirteen ounces, and for this they gave ten ſhillings and upward; ſome think is was the corn in the crop of the Dove which did flie abroad, and came home full, but the Text is plain, it was the dung of Doves, which whether they uſed for ſalt, having an acrimonious humour in it, or for food, their diſtreſſe was very great; but this of Jeruſalem was the ſoreſt that ever was, they had courſe fare, the food of beaſts, beans, lentiles, millet, fitches, and little of this, bread and water were meaſured out unto them; their bread was defiled, dreſſed with dung; their firing failed, having burnt up all things combuſtible, Gods curſe was upon what they had, he brake the ſtaffe of bread, no ſtrength, nouriſhment, came from that they had,Deut. 28.53, 55.Deut 28:53Deut 28:55 they went up and down diſtreſſed, and dyed for hunger; read the 4^th of the Lam. 4, 5, &c. the tongues of the ſ…cking children did cleave to the roofs of their mouth, other children asked bread, and none brake it unto them: The ſcarlet men of the City imbraced dunghills, the beautifull Nazarites were blacker then coals, the ſlain with the ſword were preferred before the ſlain with famine, the pitifull women ſod their children, they were their daily meat: thus God brought down Jeruſalem, and quickly can do any; let us acknowledge Gods mercy that we are not under ſuch a judgement; let us be humbled for abuſe of his good creatures, no more pamper the fleſh with them; let us not be proud of what we have, hoord up Gods bleſſings, but communicate and diſtribute to the neceſſities of others, and uſe all to Gods honour.

3. That hunger makes courſe and loathſome things pleaſant; bread polluted will down in a famine; bread made of that which Horſes and Swine eat, of beans, lentiles fitches, &c. and be as barley-cakes; barley of it ſelf is a ſweet grain, but being made into cakes, it was more pleaſant, and ſuch is ill diet in time of famine, Prov. 27.7. To the hungry ſoul every bitter thing is ſweet; the ſweeteſt thing is bitter to the ful, the bittereſt is ſweet unto the empty when Eſau was faint, then red pottage was worth a birth-right, Gen. 25.32. Artaxerxes being put to flight, his Proviſions taken away, and he had only a few dry figs, and a little barley bread, ſaid, Cujuſmodi voluptatis hactenus inexpertus fui? hunger is the beſt Cook, and the beſt ſauce: when Darius dranke puddle-water, and that p. 412defiled with dead carkaſſes,Cicer. 5. Tuſc. he ſaid, He never drank more pleaſant drink. As it's with women in their longings, any thing long'd for is pleaſant, not other things, what ever they be; ſo in famine, any thing edible is longed for, and that makes it pleaſant, even an Aſſes head, Doves dung, polluted bread, mans fleſh.

4. Note here the conformity of the puniſhment to their ſin, they had ſinned in exceſſe, and God would take away their plenty; Hoſ. 13.6. According to their paſtures ſo were they filled; they had full paſtures, fed largely, exalted their hearts, and thought they ſhould never want, they forgat God in their fulneſſe, and he made them to remember him in a famine; fulneſſe of bread was the ſin of Sodome, and the ſin of Jeruſalem alſo; God brake the ſtaffe of bread; they ſinned in defiling themſelves with Idols, and offered meal and oyl, honey, flowre for a ſweet ſavour to their Idols; Ezek. 16. and now they muſt eat polluted bread among the Gentiles; they had worſhipped dunghill gods, and ſhould ſhortly eat dunghill bread; they had been proud of their ornaments, and thoſe in ſcarlet ſhould imbrace the dunghils; Hab. 2.8. Becauſe thou haſt ſpoyled many nations, all the remnant of the people ſhall ſpoil thee: it's ſpoken of the Chaldeans. Pharaoh drown'd the Iſraelites children; he and his were drown'd in the red Sea for it: Solomon to pleaſe his Idolatrous wives, divided the worſhip of God between God, himſelf and Idols, and God divided his kingdome between his ſon and his ſervant. Socrates tels of Severianus a Biſhop, that call'd Chryſoſtom a kneeleſſe fellow, becauſe hee would not bow and crouch to good cauſes, one trode upon his toe, which rankled, and he was forc'd to cut off that leg, and the other, and ſo became kneeleſſe himſelf.Comment of of civill wars of France. Charles the ninth, who had been bloody in his life, died of a bloody flux, and the blood iſſued out of the ſeverall parts of his body, who in the bloody maſſacre had cauſed or ſuffered blood to be ſhed in the ſeverall parts of his kingdome; he uſed to blaſpheme in his life, and died blaſphemouſly at his death. A Romiſh zealot repin'd at the fuell burnt at the Kings return from Spain, and ſaid, There was ſuch waſte of wood, as ſhortly there would not be a faggot left to burn heretiques; this party being at Black-friers when the downfall was, received a mark of remembrance by a piece of wood. Doctor Goad in his Relation of that accident.

p. 4135. The afflictions and judgements befall Gods people, are not caſuall, but providentiall: If the Jewes be beſieged, famiſhed, taken, carried away into other lands, and eat polluted bread there; Gods eye hath directed, his hand hath acted, and therfore he ſaith, Whither I ſhall drive them; what Nebuchadnezzar and his Army did, was the work of God: ſo Joſeph ſaid of the dealing of his brethren ſelling him into Egypt; Gen. 45.5. That it was God ſent him thither: it's the power and providence of God that acts in all troubles, and circumſtantiates them for time, place, meaſure.

Obſerv. 1.Verſ. 14. That the Saints of old were carefull to walk according to the preſcriptions of the Law: The Law forbid eating of thoſe things dyed of themſelves, what ever was torn in pieces, every abominable thing; and our Prophet was carefull to obſerve ſuch and other preſcriptions; it was the Saints duty to live after the directions of the Law, what God had written to them therein, they were bound to obſerve; and did exactly. David had reſpect unto all the commands of God, Pſal. 119. Moſes was faithfull in all the Houſe of God.

2. A gracious heart will deprecate that is contrary to its ſanctification, Ah Lord, my ſoul hath not been polluted; thou art the author of honlineſſe, and I have walked holily hitherto, and now muſt I defile my ſelf? ah Lord, let it not be. The words are very patheticall; he ſaith not Jehovah in the originall, but Jehovi, which the ſervants of God have uſed in their moſt patheticall prayers and ſpeeches: as Abraham, Gen. 15.2, 8. Deut. 3.24.9.26. I prayed unto the Lord, ſaith Moſes, and ſaid, O Lord God, deſtroy not thy people and thine inheritance; Moſes ſpirit was exceedingly affected; and in ſuch caſes, he and others call'd God Jehovi, and ſo doth Ezekiel here, he was intenſe, in deprecating defilements: ſo Peter, Acts 10. when the ſheet was let down with all beaſts, fowls, and creeping things in it, and the voyce ſaid, Riſe Peter, kill and eat, his heart was ſtirred, What ſhall I eat, that is common, unclean, and pollute my ſoul? not ſo Lord, verſ. 14. foreign, in no wiſe Lord, what ever becomes of me, though I ſtarve, I will not eat any thing ſhall defile me.

3. The godly are carefull not only to abſtain from great ſins, but from little ones alſo: it was no great matter to eat bread baked with a fire made of mans dung, and that in a time of neceſſity, but p. 414even this would not Ezekiel yeeld unto; there was evill in it: ſo Daniel would not defile himſelf with the portion of the kings meat, Chapt. 1.8. Moſes would not leave a hoof in Egypt; Job made a covenant with his eyes, not to look upon a maid, and therefore …ave not ſway to his mind to think upon one, Job 31.1. thinking is leſſe then looking, and this he would not allow himſelf. Joſeph abhorr'd the act, and Job the thought of uncleanneſſe. Paul would not be ſubject one hour unto falſe brethren, Gal. 2.5. and he bids the Theſſalonians to abſtain from all appearance of evill, not only evill, but the appearances of it,Bern. de conſid. Quicquid male fuerit coloratum; this made Paul to blame Peter for yeelding to Jewiſh Ceremonies, when they carried a face of evill, Gal. 2.14. and to ſay, rather then he would offend his weak brother by eating, he would eat no fleſh while … world ſtandeth, 1 Cor. 8.13. The Primitive Chriſtans would not throw a little Frankincenſe into the fire, nor bow before an Idoll, though their lives lay at ſtake upon the refuſall.

4. That the Saints, through darkneſſe and doubts, do ſtick at that which is lawfull and warrantable; God bids Ezekiel bake his bread with mans dung, and eat it; here was warrant ſufficient for him; Gods command makes a thing holy: Act. 10.13. kill and eat, ſaid the voyce to Peter; no, ſaith Peter, and why? the creatures in the ſheet are common and unclean; but it was replied, what God hath cleanſed, that call not thou unclean or common; How came all to be clean in the ſheet, when by the judgement of the Law there were creatures unclean in it? it was the command of God made all ſo, kill and eat; Peter without doubting or queſtioning, might have killed and eaten any creature there, without polluting his ſpirit; and ſo Ezekiel might have eaten ſuch bread without defilement, Gods command legitimates any thing: Abrahams ſacrificing of his ſon, Gen. 22.2. Hoſea's marrying a wife of whoredome, Hoſ. 1.2. the brother marrying with the brothers wife, carrying of the bed on the Sabbath day,Deut. 25.5.Deut 25:5 Joh. 5.11. Where there is a word from heaven for any thing, we need not fear defiling our ſelves: the Saints of God ſtuck at things when they had a word, no marvell if Saints now ſtick at things when they have no word.

Verſ. 15.Note that God doth condeſcend to the weakneſſes of his ſervants and mitigates what ſeems grievous unto them; mans dung was very irkſome to the ſpirit of the Prophet, the Lord diſpenſeth p. 415with his command, and gives him cowes dung for mans. The Saints are precious in Gods eye, and rather then grieve and diſpleaſe them, he will oft upon their petitioning to him, diſpenſe with his own will; but take it up warily, when the diſpenſation is in things that are not prejudiciall to his glory, his wiſdome, his truth, or his juſtice, and here it was not; God ſuffered no way in mitigating the ſentence, and giving cowes dung for mans, it rather magnified God, that he will yeeld to the deſires of his, when he is in a way of judgement. Ioſhuah, when Iſrael had ſinned, and God ſmote them, he falls down, he weeps and laments, beſeeches God in behalf of the people, and what ſaith God to him? Ioſh. 7.10. Get thee up, wherefore lieſt thou upon thy face; I will have thee mourn no longer, I will not deſtroy Iſrael; ſo that in Amos 7. there is a ſore judgement of Graſſehoppers, that eat up all the graſſe of the Land, the Prophet is grieved, and prayes, Oh Lord God, forgive I beſeech thee, by whom ſhould Iacob riſe, for he is ſmall; and ver. 3. it's ſaid, The Lord reported for this, and ſaid, it ſhall not be; and ſo a ſecond time, after he yeelded to the requeſt of the Prophet; This ſhould incourage us to ſue to God in theſe times of diſtreſſe, without doubting, for a mitigation of our miſeries, if not a removall, he is a God hearing prayer, a God that will mitigate his own judgement, rather then exaſperate the ſpirits of his people; Let it alſo leſſon us to a condeſcenſion one to another; let us not be rigid and ſtick to our wils, and think it diſparagement to abate of our wills and right, and yeeld to others, when God, who is infinitely above us, can yeeld to us, and doth ſo daily, bearing our infirmities; remember that place, Rom. 15.1, 2, 3. where the ſtrong are bid to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to pleaſe themſelves, but to pleaſe and edifie their neighbour, and what's the ground of it? Chriſt pleaſed not himſelf, but for our ſakes hee bare reproach.

1. It's in Gods power to blaſt the comforts of this life; behold, Verſ. 16, 17.I will break the ſtaffe of bread; God gives bread, drink, clothes, what ever ſweetens the lives of ſinfull ſorry men here on earth; and when he pleaſes he can take them or the bleſſing of them from us: What are clothes if they keep not warm? What is bread if it do not nouriſh? it's the ſame as if you had n…. God can break the ſt…ffe of bread; ſo that all your comforts ſhall be broken comforts, and hee can take away the ſtaffe of bread, ſo that your comforts ſhall be no p. 416more. Amos 4.8. Two or three cities wandred unto one city to drink water; but they were not ſatisfied: the waters quenched not their thirſt, they were broken comforts: and Hoſ. 4.10. They did eat, but had not enough, they were not filled and ſatisfied, the ſtaff of bread was broken, and the comfort of it too ſhort for them; but that is not all, ſometimes there is no water, no bread left, Lam. 1.11. Chap. 4.4, 5. Chap. 6. there was not a little, but none; God can take away all the comforts of this life, and leave us as naked as wee came into the world; neithet is it only in his power to break the ſtaff of naturall bread, but of the ſpirituall alſo; Behold, I will ſend a famine, not of bread, and a thirſt, not of water, but of hearing the Word of God, and men ſhall wander, and not find it, Amos 8.11, 12. This is the ſoreſt famine, and ſuch a famine is in many places. Let us take heed wee provoke not God to plague us with ſuch a famine.

2. The end of God in his judgements, is to perplex and ruine wicked impenitent ſinners; God ſends a famine, that they may eat and drink with care, with aſhoniſhment, and conſume away in a loathſome manner. What a miſerable ſight is it to ſee a man pin'd, even to death for want of bread? many in time of plenty are fill'd with care and feare about their backs and bellies, what they ſhall eat, and what they ſhall drink, and how live the next day; how much more men in the depth of a famine? ſee what Iſaiah ſaith, Chap. 9.19, 20. there was a civill war to be amongſt them, famine accompanying that, and the wrath of God to conſume them, as fire doth fuell, and what then? no man ſhall ſpare his brother, and he ſhall ſnatch on the right hand and be hungry, and he ſhall eat on the left hand, and not be ſatisfied; they ſhall eat every man the fleſh off his own arm: Manaſſeh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manaſſeh; when they could not conſume one another faſt enough, they would conſume themſelves, eat their own arms to ſave life, and that eating was death.

3. It is mens iniquities which bring ſuch conſumptive judgements upon them; they ſhall conſume away for their iniquity: ſin is poiſon, and that makes languiſhing, it eats up the ſtrength of a man, wears out all his comforts, and brings him to the pit: Lev. 26.31. they ſhall pine away in their iniquitie, their fleſh, their ſpirits, their hopes, their lives may leave them, but their iniquities will not.