Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 2 · Verse 10
VERS. 10.
And hee ſpread it before mee, &.
IN this Verſe yee have the opening of the Roul, the fulneſſe and contents of it; Hee ſpread it before me, that is, unrouled it, and laid it open before me. The word in the originall ſignifies to expound and interpret, and wee may conceive that Chriſt did not only ſpread the roul before his eyes,Expanditur quando hoc quod obſcure prolatum fucrat per latitudinem intellectus aperitur, Greg. but cauſed him to underſtand it; by this ſpreading, he ſaw it was written within and without, but by Chriſts interpretation of it, hee knew that there were written in it, lamentations, mourning and woes.
It was written within and without.
The Hebrew is, in the face, and in the back; that is, on both ſides, ſuch writings the Greeks call Opiſthographa, that is, writings writ on the backſide, fill'd within and without. Lavater thinks, that on one ſide were writ their ſins, and on the other Gods judgements; this fulneſſe of the Roul intimates, either the length of the prophecie, as Vatablus conceives, or a multitude of evils hanging over the heads of the Jewes, as Maldonate thinks, or the abundance of revelations committed to the Prophet, as Jun. not what Jerome and Bellarmine conceit, that the writing within and without, ſhould note the literall and myſticall ſenſe of the Scripture.
Lamentations, mourning and woe.
Here is the contents of the Roul, bitter and ſad things,Amara & moeſta. the burning of the Temple, the overthrow of Jeruſalem, the captivity of the Jewiſh nation, and all the evill ſhould befall them; the word Kinim, Lamentation, noteth a plain complaint, a ſad ſpeech, teſtifying the ſorrowes of mind; as David in the caſe of Abſalom, O Abſalom, Abſalom, &c. this was a naturall complaint, and ſimple lamentation, ſuddenly breaking forth, without all premeditation.
Mourning is more, it's deeper, and upon conſideration; the word in the Hebrewis from Hagah, to meditate, and noteth, ſuſpirium ab imo pectore tractum; when one hath muſed much, and ſeriouſly upon the cauſe and matter of grief, and then fetcheth deep ſighs, ſuch as are inditiall of intenſe and bitter ſorrowes, that is the mourning here; Iſa. 38.14. I did mourn like a Dove, the Hebrew is, I will meditate, noting mourning that comes from meditation; the Doves mourning is inward. Cranes chatter and lament, Doves mourne.
Woe.
This word vehi, noteth not only the voyce in lamentations and grones in mourning, but knocking of the breaſt, and clapping of the hands together, as is uſed in greater afflictions; thus ſome Interpreters underſtand it; but I conceive by Woe here, is meant the threatnings of Judgement, or Judgements threatned, according to thoſe woes in Matth. 23. and the fruit of them, as it's, Lam. 5.16.
Obſerv. 1. That divine myſteries are unknown to men, though very eaſie and familiar, till they be unfolded; this Roul could the Prophet never have comprehended the meaning of, if Chriſt had not opened it; take all the types and ceremonies of the Law, there were myſteries wrapped up in them, which neither Aaron nor Moſes had known, if they had been left to their own abilities; thoſe elements uſed in Baptiſme and the Supper of the Lord, we ſhould never have known the myſteries of them, if heaven had not helped us: would we think the Rain-bow an Embleme of mercy, if Scripture had not held it out to us? Indians, Heathens, do not, cannot ſo apprehend it; take any divine myſteries, they are too tranſcendent for our capacities; there be depths in them that wee cannot fathome, 2 Cor. 2.14. the naturall man cannot know the things of God, they are ſpiritually diſcerned, there muſt be a great myſterie wrought in him before he can diſcern myſteries.
2. It's the Lord Chriſt that opens and interprets myſticall things, efficaciouſly unto the faithfull, hee ſpread the Roul before Ezekiel, and made him to underſtand the myſteries of it; what is the Scriptures but a roul folded up? a book ſealed till Chriſt open it; we may all ſay as the Eunuch, being demanded if he underſtood what he read; ſaid, How can I, except ſome man guide mee? Act. 8.30, 31. ſo unleſſe Chriſt guide us, and lead us into the myſteries of the Word, wee cannot underſtand, Rev. 5.5. When none could open the booke ſealed up, the Lion of the tribe of Judah could do it. He hath ſtrength to untie all knots, and a ſpirit to ſearch all deeps; Chriſt himſelf is the greateſt myſterie, and he is the great opener of myſteries, Matth. 11.27. All things are delivered to mee and my Father, and no man knowes the Father, ſave the Son, and hee to whom the Son will reveal him; if ever God be made known ſavingly to the ſoul, it muſt be by the Lord Chriſt; and hee doth not reveal unto all, but to whomſoever hee will, to his Elect ones, from others hee conceals him, they have the Letter, the Roul, but not the myſterie thereof, their light is darkneſſe. But there be ſome in the world, that Chriſt doth interpret the riddles and dark things of the Scripture unto; ſee that place in Joh. 15.15. Hence, firſt ſaith Chriſt, I call yee not ſervants, for the ſervant knoweth not what his Lord doth, but I have call'd you friends, for all things that I have heard of my father, I make known unto you; theſe were Chriſts friends, Chriſt revealed all to them, but from other all was kept; it was Chriſt revealed unto the Prophets, what they had, and to the Apoſtles what they had; the Scripture may well be call'd the Revelation of Chriſt: you have one Book call'd ſo, Rev. 1.1. The Revelation of Jeſus Chriſt, which God gave unto him, to ſhew unto his ſervants, that is, his faithfull ones: if we would therefore underſtand the Roul of the Book, the myſteries in the Scripture, wee muſt look up to Chriſt, and intreat him to ſpread them before our eyes, and to interpret them to our hearts.
3. That the ſervants of God muſt not refuſe to receive and propound large and ſad meſſages to the people: Here is a Roul, writ within and without, and fill'd with lamentations, mourning and woe. Here was liber mortis, a book of death, and deadly things; this the Prophet muſt receive, and declare to the people, how ever they take it; people would gladly heare from the men of God good tidings, they would have a law of kindneſſe in our lips, our mouths to drop honey; they would have us ſons of conſolation, but wee muſt ſpeak what our great Lord and Maſter puts into the …oul, if hee bid us preach lamentations, mournings and woes, we muſt do it.
4 That the Lord gives to his Prophets, truh's ſuitable to his Providence: Here's a Roul, full of lamentations, mournings and woes; ſad things, and ſuch things the Lord was bringing upon them; there is a ſweet Analogie between Gods Word and Works. His works are his Word fulfill'd, Pſal. 148.8. Fire and hail, ſnow and vapour, ſtorm wind, fulfilling his Word, when there is thunder and lightning, ſnowes, rains and winds, theſe are fulfillings of Gods Word, no providences do croſſe his Word, but all perform it. Gods works are the beſt Commentaries upon his Word; and had we the wiſdome to bring his Word and Works together, we ſhould ſee a ſweet harmony between them. This Roul given the Prophet, and Gods proceedings with the Jewes after, were proportionable, they felt what here was writ; all that is done in world now, is the fulfilling of what is writ, when God gave John his Revelation, he laid in truths to ſuit with his providence and works to the end of the world; it's liber providentialis, and many things in it are acting in our dayes, and before our eyes, though we diſcern it not; there be truths for theſe times, and it's their advantage that can take them up.
5. That dreadfull things hang over the head of a ſinfull guilty Nation.