Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 1 · Verse 16 – Verse 17
VER. 16.
The appearance of the wheels, and their work, was like unto the colour of a Berill: they four had one likeneſſe, and their appearance, and their work was, as it were, the wheel in the middle of a wheel.
HEre we have the colour, likeneſſe and form of the wheels to examine; firſt, their colour (as for the work, that is, the matter whereof they were made, or the artificiall form of them) Their colour and work was like the Berill: the Hebrew is, as the eye, or, colour of Tarſhiſh; the word Tarſhiſh in Scripture ſometimes notes a City, Jon. 1.3. ſometimes a precious ſtone, Exod. 28.20.Eſa. 2.16. it's the ſame word; and Interpreters obſerve there is a Sea alſo called Tharſhiſh, and it's like to be that where the City Tarſhiſh was; for Tarſhiſh that Jonah fled to, was a Sea town. When our Prophet ſaith, the colour was like the colour of Tarſhiſh, hee means not the city; the diſpute is between the Sea or a Stone: ſome render it, as the colour or viſion of the Sea; others, as the colour of a precious ſtone; and then the Quere growes, what ſtone, whether of a Chryſoltie, a Hyacinth, a Cryſtal, or a Berill: that here is meant a ſtone, is determined by infallible teſtimony, even Scripture it ſelf: Ezek. 10.9. The appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a Tarſhiſh ſtone; and it's well rendered by our Interpreters a Berill ſtone; for neither the Chryſolite nor Hyacinth do ſet out a Sea colour, the one being yellow, the other sky-colour, and the ſcope of the wheels and deſcription of them, is to poſſeſſe us with the uncertainty and fluctuation of all things, which is livelily ſet out by the Sea; we are therefore to hold to the Cryſtal or Berill; it's true, the Cryſtal hath a watry colour, and its originall from the water, yet it doth not ſo fully ſet out the Sea colour as the Berill, which is a green ſtone, and they are counted beſt that have the Sea-greens.Rurus de gemmis. Beryllus Thalaſsius. The beſt rendering of this word Tarſhiſh, is the Sea Berill, becauſe it hath altogether a Sea-colour, and mindes us of the Sea, by whoſe floating condition the uncertainty of all things is laid before us.
Obſer. 1. That the things herein this viſible world, are as uncertain and inſtable as the waters of the ſea, they are never quiet, but always rowling up & down from ſhoar to ſhoar, even in the greateſt calm; theſe waters are in motion, and ſuddenly in a rage by vertue of the winds, which lift up the waves to heaven, and make all ſtormy and outragious: there is no ſtability at all in theſe waters, and the world is as unſtable as any Sea, as Euripus it ſelf, that ebbes and flowes ſeven times a day: all creatures are in motion, and tending to corruption; all conditions are full of changes and inconſtancy; who can tell how many inhabitants have been in ſome one ſtreet, in ſome one houſe, what wares have been brought in and ſold out of ſome one ſhop? Men bleſſe and curſe, love and hate in one day, in one hour: Amnon is ſick for Tamar till his luſt be ſatisfied, and then immediately hates her: Ahaſhuerus turns off Vaſhti, and entertains Eſther: Reuben, Gen. 49.4. unſtable as water; Pharaoh in the throne, anon in the bottome of the Sea: Hezekiah ſound now, and heares by and by, Set thy houſe in order, for thou ſhalt dye; Jeruſalem beſieged, and freed in one night; in youth wee are altogether for pleaſure, in manhood for credit, in age for riches, as if thick clay muſt be our Viaticum for heaven. Wee are fixt in nothing, and nothing is firm to us; what certainty is there in honours, riches, pleaſures? What conſtancy in health, wealth, worſhip?Una dies intereſt inter maximam civitatem & nullam. What Seneca ſaid of a great city burnt, there's a dayes difference between a great city and none; the like may be ſaid of moſt things and conditions.
2. Its deceitfulneſſe; the Sea hath a pleaſant colour to allure, it's greeniſh, which is moſt ſuitable unto the ſenſes; and yet it deceives many, if not moſt; it fils with fears, it impoveriſheth many, ſhipwracks them, promiſeth ſafety, and drowns thouſands; oft it looks calm, and invites to come on, and being on, it becomes rough and ruinous. Hence the Poet calls it, fallax profundum. A Merchant carrying Figs at Sea, ſuffered ſhipwrack, and ſitting by the Sea ſhoare, beholding it pleaſant and calm, ſaid, Novi quid velis, ficus vis; you would have me again to venture through the deeps, but I will truſt you no more; he ſpake wittily, and did wiſely: we ſhould prove as wiſe for this world, truſt it not, it's a deceitfull thing; it promiſeth content, but that cluſter never grew on the worlds thorns; the Devill ever diſquiets whom hee poſſeſſes, and ſo doth the world, it promiſes pleaſure, but payes with ſmart: Breve eſt quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat, an hours pleaſure and eternall torture: Dives dainties now bite like a Serpent, and ſting like a Cockatrice, it promiſeth much good, even to make them, but it's otherwiſe; A…hans wedge of gold purchaſed the ſtones beat out his brains; Judas thirty pieces bought the halter ſtrangled him; Sichem's luſt brought the ſword upon himſelf and the city. It promiſes help in time of trouble; it rather ſinks then helps, like a man in the Sea with his pockets full of gold; it haſtens his drowning, it helps him not to the ſhoar, Prov. 11.4. Riches profit not: it tels us of continuance and abode with us, but here it guls us greatly; the beſt thing the world hath, deals with us like falſe friends, they leave us in the lurch, and ſay as the ten Tribes to Rehoboam, Look to thine houſe David, 1 King. 12.16. Health ſaith, I muſt leave you, now look to your ſelves;Prov. 23. Riches take wings and fly away, Eagles wings and flie with ſtrength: Are not mens eſtates, liberties, honours, priviledges now upon the wing? If Nebuchadnezzar be in the palace among his Nobles, anon hee is in the Park among the Beaſts all night: as Jacob ſaid of Laban, Gen. 31.7. Your father hath deceived mee, and changed my wages ten times; ſo may wee ſay of the world, it hath, it will deceive us, we look for honour, it will change our wages, and give us diſgrace; we look for riches, and it gives us poverty. Adonijah you may find in one day upon the Throne, and at the horns of the Altar, he will be King, and have the lives of all in his hand,1 King. 1.5, 50. and before night he runs to ſecure his owne life: it tels us of happineſſe, ſucceſſe, victory, life; but Zedektab ſees Jeruſalem taken, his ſonnes ſlain before his owne face, then his eyes being put out, he is bound in fetters, and carried to Babylon: Good Joſiah goes forth to battell, and he is ſlain; Ahab goes forth againſt the Aſsyrians, victory is promiſed him, but hee is wounded and dies of his wounds: Richard the third, after his cruelties, is ſlain in Boſworths fields; and at the battell of Edge-hill, were not ſome taken, many wounded, and more ſlain? Joab pretended kindneſſe to Amaſa, but it proved cruelty, he kiſſed him, and killed him, 2 Sam. 20. Agag is hewn in pieces like an Ox; Jezabel eaten by Dogs, like a piece of carrion; Bajazet carried in an Iron cage up and down the world by great Tamberlane. Truſt it not, it's like Jael, ſhee beganne with Milke and Butter, but ended with a Nayle and Hammer. An Emperour of Turkey married his daughter to a Baſha, and after one nights pleaſure, ſent for his head the next morning.
They four had one likeneſſe.
All the wheels were equall, none higher then other, greater, leſſer, but an even and ſuitable proportion between them all, no difference was to be eſpied at all.
1. This informs us that there is no ſtability in any part of the world, but changes every where, and ſuch in other parts as they finde with us. But of this before.
2. That Gods adminiſtration of the World, and all the wheels of it, is equall and harmonious; this is ſet out to us by the likeneſſe of the wheels, although in the world and things of it there be diſparities, inconſtancies, ſtrange motions and mutations; yet the wiſdome and providence of God moves and turns the wheels, ſo that there is an admirable equability and harmony in all things; and if our eyes were opened, we ſhould ſee and ſay, that no wheel could be moved better, to us the wheels ſeem all out of courſe, and to run with crooked motions, and to be hurried contrary wayes by men and devills; but all things are in their right courſe,Nulla l…nea poſsit melius dirigi; Rectiſſime omnia inter ſe conſentiunt. and move that way God would have them; and what ever the appearance be, all things agree well among themſelves. Wee oft condemn the ſentence the Judge hath given, and blame a man for going about when he may goe a neerer way; but when the reaſons are made known, then we are ſatisfied.
Their appearance and their worke was as it were a wheele in the midst of a wheele.
Here you have the forme of the wheeles: a wheele in a wheele. This is hard to explaine unto you. The words may be taken either tranſverſe, Vt duo circu li ad rectos angulos ſe interſecantes.or comprehenſive.
1. Tranſverſe; the wheeles were croſſe-wiſe intangled in one another; as the lines or circles in a globe cut and croſſe one another; they were ſo intangled, Ʋt tranſverſa eſſet complexio, they were in one another croſſe-wiſe; and hereby is laid before us the ſeverall croſſe, intangled, and difficult motions of things in the world; all things doe not goe one way, nor evenly in our fight and apprehenſion, but there are croſſe motions, great intricateneſſe, and knottineſſe in the affaires of the world.
2. Comprehenſive; a wheele in a wheele, not the gnave ſtocke in the midſt of the wheele, to which the ſpokes are faſten'd; for that hath not the forme of a wheele: but there was one wheele in another; as the orbes of the heavens comprehend one another; as in ſome Water-works, and Watches, there be wheeles one in another: and then the meaning is, that there is a ſecret hidden motion or wheele, that moves the wheeles which way ſoever they run.
Obſerve firſt, that the motions of the world, and kingdomes are perplexed and croſſe motions; like a wheele in a wheele; Saul moved with all his ſtrength to ſettle the kingdome upon his own Son; but he met with a contrary motion; David is anointed to be King, and the men of warre came to David to Hebron, to turne the kingdome of Saul to him, 1 Chron. 12.23. And ſo Adonijah ſaid to Bathſhebah, the kingdome that was mine is turned about and become my brothers; hee met with a croſſe wheele that carried the kingdome from him, 1 King. 2.15. How perplexed, intangled, were the motions of the Jewiſh affaires, both in Babylon and at Jeruſalem, when the Prophet ſaw this viſion?The Papiſts doe erect regnum in regno, an eccleſiaſticall monarchy in the temporall, exempt from temporall juriſdiction, onelyonly ſubject ob pacem, or bonum commune, if ſubject at all; and ſo they give Monarchs a broken right in ſome things but defeaſible in other things by their ſpirituall Monarchie. Nebuchadnezzars wheele was in theirs, and intangled them much in both places. What croſſe motions were in France, when the King of Navarre, Prince of Condee, the Admirall, and all that were of the Religion, looked for peace, and met with a maſſacre? Are not there Romiſh, Spaniſh, French, and Popiſh wheeles moving in our Kingdome, Armies, and Councels? Look at this inſtant upon the motions of this Kingdome, in Parliament, or out of it, and they are exceeding intricate; Never was skaine of ſilke or thread ſo knotty, or involved, as the affaires of the kingdome and world are; never bird ſo intangled in the Limetwigs or Net, as things are at this time.
2. The motions to mutations and ruines are very ſwift; things move faſter then we conceive to their ends; The Jewes haſted out of Aegypt, and deſtruction haſted on the Aegyptians. A wheele in a wheele, notes intenſion of motion; as Elias prayed in prayer, Jam. 5.17. That is, he was intenſe; ſo a wheele in a wheele, intimates intenſeneſſe of the motion. All things make ſpeed to their owne ruine.
3. There is a ſecret motion which carries on the wheeles, and moves them that way they goe, there is a wheele in a wheele, and that ſets the other a moving; as a ſpring in a Watch ſets all the wheeles agoing; ſome latent engine ſtirs the wheels of the world: in ſome places you ſhall ſee the waters ſuddenly fly all about you; the cauſe of that motion is hidden; ſo in all the motions, turnes, and ſtirres of the world, there is a ſecret wheele, divine providence, that ſets on worke and carries on. That was a great wheele and turne, when ten tribes at once fell from Rehoboam, and ran to Jeroboam; Politicians and Stateſmen could ſee ſedition, rebellion, and treaſon in that motion, the outward wheele was obvious, but the wheele in the wheele was not ſeene by every eye: Behold, I will rend the Kingdome out of Solomons hands, and give ten Tribes to thee, 1 King. 11.31. If there be diviſions, ruines, plunderings in a Kingdome, there is a wheele in thoſe wheeles, a providence that acts and orders. Job 6.5. Afflictions come not forth of the duſt, nor trouble out of the ground, they come out of the wheele, God turnes that upon Kingdomes, and families; as Micah 1.12. Evill came downe from the Lord to the gates of Jeruſalem; God hath a wheele in all the wheeling buſineſſes of the world. Anaſtaſius the Emperour being inform'd of a conſpiracy againſt him and the State,Zonar. commanded Juſtinian and Juſtinus, with many others, to be executed, by a voice in the night he was bid to ſpare Juſtinian and Juſtinus, for they were to doe good ſervice, and they both afterward were Emperours: the motion of the wheele in the wheele ſav'd their lives, and advanc'd them to honour. At the Battell of Keinton was a wheele in a wheele, the wheele at firſt ran for the adverſe partie, but the wheele in the wheele turn'd it on our ſide: At Brainford, there was a wheele in a wheele. When the enemies plots have been their plagues, and their doings their undoings, the wheele in the wheele both moved and turn'd their owne workes upon them, Pſal. 9.16.
4. The motions of divine providence in the things of the world, are beyond the reach of the ableſt braines. Providence walkes, works ſo darkly, deeply, changeably, wheeles about, ſo that mortalls cannot tell what concluſions to make: when the iſſues of things are extant, we can ſee what the antecedent motions carried in their wombe, otherwiſe not, unleſſe wee have it by viſion; as here Ezekiel had; or ſome extraordinary way. Providence hath ſuch bouts and fetches, as puzzle the thoughts and hearts of the ableſt and beſt: when the Children of Iſrael were at the borders of Canaan, they were carried backe againe to Ezion-gabor. Numb. 33. Exod. 13.18. it's ſaid, God led them about through the way of the Wilderneſſe, by the red Sea: and ſo providence leads buſineſſes about, they goe backwards and forwards, ſo that we cannot make ſenſe of Gods motions in the world; As in Characters, till a man learne, be inſtructed in them, he can make no ſenſe of them; and men now of rare abilities, cannot tell what ſenſe to make of the motions of the wheeles. Mounſieur Chaſtileon, Admirall of France, at the match of Charles the 9th his Siſter with the King of Navarre, was invited with the chiefe of the Proteſtants by the King to celebrate the marriage at Paris, and to confirme Peace; the Proteſtants at Rochel adviſed him not to goe, but importunitie of others prevailed with him, he went and was maſſacred for it. Although he was of great wiſdome, hee could not diſcerne what way the wheeles would move; the wiſeſt man is too weake to ſpell out the meaning of the wheels, and myſteries of providence; once before he had refuſed to come to Court at the Kings ſending, who ſent Mounſieur Du Tore his couſen to advertiſe him of important affaires he had to communicate; he ſuſpecting, anſwered, the King means me no good, and tell him, there be no Count Egmonds in France; I will not ſuffer my head ſo eaſily to be cut off, as he did in Flanders. Roderick King of Spaine to aſſure himſelfe againſt the children and friends of King Vitiza, whom he had depoſed, diſmounted all the ſtrong holds, and diſarm'd the people; this ſtrengthened him againſt domeſtick enemies, not forein attempts; For the Moores invading him, ſhortly after overthrew him, and finding little reſiſtance, in ſeven or eight moneths conquer'd almoſt all Spaine. The Britains moleſted by the Picts and Scots, cald in the Saxons, who for ſome time ſerved them to purpoſe, but in the end conquered them and their Countrey. Theſe could not foreſee what would be the iſſue of things; the motions of providence are ſo ſecret and various, that it lyes not within the compaſſe of mans power to make certain concluſions therefrom.
5. There is a connexion of cauſes and things together in the world. Hoſea 2.21, 22. I will heare the heavens, and they ſhall heare the earth; that ſhall heare the corne, wine, and oyle, and they ſhall heare Jezreel; as in Architecture, there is a dependance and connexion.
VER. 17.
When they went, they went upon their foure ſides, and they returned not when they went; and ſo on to the end of the 21.
IN theſe Verſes wee have two things:
1. Wee have the effect of the wheeles, which is motion laid downe in the 17, 19, 20, & 21. Verſes.
And 2. The adjuncts of them, which are two,
1. Height.
2. Eyes.
in the 18th verſe.
The commodiouſneſs of their motion for all parts, and the forme of it, are both in this 17th verſe. The Hebrew is, In going, they went to their foure foure ſides, to the foure parts which were next to their ſides, or through the foure parts; and ſo the ſenſe is; they went to, into, or through the foure parts of the world: if you read it according to our tranſlation, upon them; the ſenſe is, when the foure living creatures moved, the wheeles moved upon their ſides; It's our phraſe, when we ask one, which ſide went he of ſuch a man? we anſwer, upon, or on his right or left ſide: but the better ſenſe to me is, they went according to their foure ſides. Looke what ſide, what part of the world was appointed them, that the wheeles went to, and moved in.
And returned not] They came not backe, but went forward: There might be varietie of motions, but no backe motions, no retrogradations, being once gone forth, they returned not.
The obſervation firſt is this: That in all parts, humane things move to their appointed period, and there is no returne of them being once there. Pharaoh and his Hoſt came to their period in the bottome of the Sea, and never ſaw Aegypt more. The Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoſtles, Martyrs, have taken up their lodgings in the duſt, and returne no more: What David ſaid of the child, I ſhall goe to it, it ſhall not returne to me; is a fit motto to all creatures, they muſt goe to thoſe are gone before, not they returne to theſe: Cities, people, families, ſilver, gold, fine linnen, they muſt ſee that corruption thoſe ſaw in former dayes.
2. That inferior cauſes move conſtantly in their motions, to doe the will of God: The wheeles turned not when they went, nothing could turne them backe; nor the Angels in their adminiſtrations, but they goe on: Wee thinke it's the creature makes ſtops, lets, in the affaires of the world; but it's Gods hand, his providence doth it, the wheeles, all inferior cauſes proceed in their motions, till God check them, and cauſe a ſtand; Eſa. 43.13. I will worke, and who ſhall let it?