Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 1 · Verse 25
VERS. 25.
And there was a voyce from the firmament, that was over their heads when they ſtood, and had let down their wings.
HEre we have a deſcription of the firmament, from the noyſe that came from it, and that is the cauſe of the Angels making their appearance before the Lord, and the manner of their appearance is; they ſtood with their wings let down.
Whoſe voyce this was, comes now into queſtion; it was not a voyce of the firmament,foreign De ſuper firmenta. but from above, which is in the originall, beſides from the firmament; ſo that it was not the noyſe or voyce of the firmament, neither of any Angel; for they are here preſent under the firmament, but it was the voyce of Chriſt, of him that was above upon the throne, and it hath much in it.
1. It ſets out the Majeſty and State of Chriſt, who like a mighty Emperor, ſits upon his Throne, and ſpeaks unto his Nobles and people at diſtance.
2. His authority, calling in the Angels, his great agents in the world, from their ſervices to appeare before him, they upon this voyce come from the quarters of the world, and ſtand about his Throne, to give account of their adminiſtrations, to receive new inſtructions, and are ſent out by him to great ſervices.
3. To awaken, quicken and prepare the Prophet, who had hard things to meet with, harſh people to deal withall; but when hee ſaw Angels come and go at the voyce of Chriſt, it huſhed all objections, and ſet his ſpirit to attend to the voyce of Chriſt, to receive inſtructions from him, and to do his will; thought hee, Shall thoſe glorious Angels, thoſe great Agents in the world, hearken to Chriſt, be informed by him, execute his Will, and ſhall I a poore captive ſtick at it, diſpute the caſe with him? no, no, I will be like to theſe Angels, heare, receive, and obey.
Of the ſtanding of the Angels, formerly hath been ſpoken in the 21th Verſe, to which I refer you.
The letting down their wings, notes their ceſſation from imployment, as Birds or Fowls when they fall upon their feet on trees or ground, let down their wings, and reſt from flying.
Obſer. 1. The voyce of Chriſt is mighty and efficacious, a voyce that ſhooke the firmament, that commanded the Angels: there is Majeſty, Authority, efficacy in it; Rev. 1.15. it's ſaid to be as the ſound of many waters, which notes the terribleneſſe and efficaciouſneſſe of it, being ſtrong, piercing, powerfull as water, that breaks into the great ſhips, and eats into the hard rocks, and makes a dreadfull noyſe. What an efficacy and Majeſty was in that voyce of Chriſt, Act. 9.4. Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me? it ſtrook Saul, (who was a ſtout and ſtiffe Phariſee) to the ground: ſo that in Mat. 22.12. Friend, how cameſt thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? and hee was ſpeechleſſe. When Chriſt ſpake theſe few words, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground, Joh. 18.6. three words overthrew a great multitude, and it's obſervable they went backward and fell. The Majeſty and Power of Chriſts ſpeech was ſuch, as if ſtricken with thunder and lightning in their faces, they fell backward; when he rebuked the winds and Seas, thoſe fierce and ſenſleſſe creatures heard his voyce and obeyed it: when he preached, his hearers ſaid, he ſpake with authority, and not as Scribes and Phariſees; there is a mighty operation in the voyce of Chriſt, it enters into the hearts of the wicked, into the graves, and makes the dead to heare. Now is the houre, ſaith Chriſt, that the dead ſhall heare the voyce of the Son of God, Joh. 5.25. hee means the dead in ſins: verſe 28. The houre is coming, in which all that are in their graves ſhall heare his voyce: his voyce was ſo powerfull, it fetched Lazarus out of the earth, Joh. 11. There is power in the word of a King, Eccleſ. 8.4. Chriſt is the greateſt King, and in his Word is the greateſt power: Power over the living and dead: hence the Word of Chriſt is compared to piercing and efficacious things, to goods and nails faſtned, Eccleſ. 12.11. to a hammer and fire, Jerem. 23.29. to a burning fire, Jer. 20.9. to mighty weapons, 2 Cor. 10.4. to arrowes in the heart of Kings, Pſal. 45.5. to a ſword, Epheſ. 6.17. a two-edged ſword, Rev. 1.16. ſharper then a two-edged ſword, Hebr. 4.12. it's alſo likened to the voyce of a trumpet, Rev. 1.10. that awakened men at midnight, and ſummoned them to the battell.
2. When we are out of buſineſſe in a quiet poſture, then are we fitteſt to heare the voyce of Chriſt; when they ſtood and had let down their wings, then was the voyce from the firmament, then were they fit to heare, magnalia Chriſti, the Oracles and Commands of Chriſt; when our hands and hearts are fill'd, intangled with earthly imployments, how unapt are we to ſpirituall things? and if our hearts be turbulent, ſtirr'd in paſſion, they are fitter to heare Satans voyce then Chriſts. A ſedate quiet minde out of paſſion, out of all intanglements, is moſt capable of divine things, Eccleſ. 9.7. The words of wiſe men are heart in quiet ſpirits, well compoſed mindes: when there are great winds and tempeſts, wee heare not others ſpeaking; when the wind blowes in the ſoul, and there is a tempeſt, wee cannot heare God ſpeaking; Job 4.16. There was ſilence, and I heard a voyce, then God ſpake when the ſilence was; he delights in a calme and meek ſpirit, that is of great price with him, 1 Pet. 3.4. when ſpirits are in ſuch a frame, ſequeſtred from the world, free from diſtempers, God loves to communicate hmſelf to them: in the night oft God appeared unto our fore-fathers, becauſe then they were in a manner out of the world, and had tranquillity in their boſomes. When John was in Patmos, he heard Chriſts voyce; when Ezekiel was by the river ſide, hee ſaw heaven opened, and heard a voyce from above; that in Cant. 2.12. The voyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land, it's obſervable, the Turtle ſings not in Winter, when the winds and ſtormes are, but when it's Spring and Summer, all quiet and ſerene, then her voyce is heard: So Chriſts voyce is heard when Winter is over, when the tumults and ſtirs are laid.
3. As this voyce referres to Ezekiel, it affords this inſtruction: That there muſt be a voyce from above, before wee are fit to heare or do any ſervice for God; There be no preparations, qualifications in men by vertue of man, Ezekiel himſelfe is not fitted for to preach the Word unto this captive people, till hee heare Chriſts voyce. Chriſt doth not only give the Word to be preached, but prepares the Organ to receive, and communicate it: preparatory works in man, by man are Popiſh conceits; the Chymiſts by all their art and labour, cannot bring any materiall neerer Gold then at the firſt, it differs ſpecifically from Gold, and ſo it doth when they leave it. Counterfeit Gold is no Gold; it's not man can prepare himſelf for God and his Service: The preparations of the heart and anſwer of the tongue are of the Lord, Prov. 16.1. And Paul ſaith, Wee are not ſufficient of our ſelves to thinke a good thought, 2 Cor. 3.5. you may heare Paul telling of his preparatory workes, 1 Tim. 1.13. I was a Blaſphemer, a Perſecuter, and injurious, what preparations were theſe to Grace and Apoſtleſhip? Dead men have no preparation to life, or motion; and living men ofttimes are liveleſſe, unfit for divine myſteries and imployments, till a voyce from above prepare, quicken, and incourage them.