Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 2 · Verse 2
VER. 2.
And the Spirit entred into mee when hee ſpake unto mee, and ſet me upon my feet, that I heard him that ſpake unto mee.
THe Prophet being confirmed by the word of Chriſt in the foregoing verſe, here he is comforted and confirmed by the Spirit alſo. What is meant by the Spirit, muſt be opened; ſome have conceived, that when our Prophet fell upon his face at the ſight of him and his glory that ſate upon the Throne, his ſpirit left him, and hee lay for dead, and ſo here by Spirit, to be underſtood his ſoul, or ſpirit, returned, entred, revived him, and ſet him upon his feet; but this interpretation wee cannot admit for three Reaſons.
1. We never reade that ever any were ſtricken dead when God appeared unto them in Viſions; the utmoſt wee finde is that of Daniel, Chap. 10. v. 17. Neither was there breath left in me, through feare, he was as a man out of breath, but not without a ſoul, hee had a deadly feare, but was not dead.
2. The Text it ſelf confutes that opinion; for, in the laſt words of the former Chapter it's ſaid, I heard a voyce of one that ſpake; if Ezekiel had been ſpiritleſſe, ſouleleſſe, when hee fell upon his face, it had been impoſſible for him to have heard a voyce.
3. Had it been the return of his own ſpirit, the words would not have been, he ſet me upon my feet, but I aroſe; we muſt therefore leave that interpretation.
2. By Spirit, ſome underſtand an Angel, and their reaſon for it, is becauſe it's ſaid, He ſet me upon my feet; the Prophet being among Angels, and they ſeeing him down, one lifted him up, and ſet him upon his feet; but this interpretation, although it be Piſcators, I cannot commend unto you: for,
Firſt, how could any of theſe Angels that had faces, bodies, wings and feet, enter into the Prophet? for here it's ſaid, The Spirit entred into mee.
Secondly, if it had been an Angel, the words muſt have run thus, rather then as they do; one of the Spirits, one of the Angels entred into me, and not the Spirit.
By Spirit then underſtand, that Spirit which was in the living creatures, and in the wheels, Chap. 1.20. Even the eternall Spirit of God; and of this judgement is Jerome, Gregory, Calvin, Junius, Maldonate, &c. If their teſtimonies ſuffice not, take the teſtimony of Scripture, Chap. 3.24. Then the Spirit entred into mee, and ſet me upon my feet, and ſpake with mee, and ſaid, Go, ſhut thy ſelf within thy houſe, &c. Here the Prophet repeating the ſame words, ſheweth, that it was the Spirit of God he ſpake of, and neither Angel, nor his own ſpirit. The meaning is this; when Chriſt ſpake unto me, and I heard his voyce, preſently I felt divine vertue, the Spirit ſeiſed upon, entred into mee, comforted and confirmed me, ſet me upon my feet, and fitted mee to heare the voyce of that glorious Perſon ſate upon the Throne.
Two things fall into conſideration here, touching the Spirit:
The firſt is, the Spirits entrance into him.
The ſecond, the Spirits ſetting him upon his feet.
1. It entred into him; there be phraſes in Scripture concerning the Spirit, which import motion of it from place to place, but muſt not be ſo underſtood.
1. The ſending of the Spirit, Gal. 4.6.
2. The coming of the Spirit, Joh. 15.26.
3. The deſcending of the Spirit, Joh. 1.32.
4. Receiving of it, Joh. 20.22.
5. The entring of the Spirit.
Theſe all ſeem to imply the moving of the Spirit from one place to another; but the Spirit of God is infinite in eſſence, filling heaven and earth, and changes not place; the thing aimed at in them, is:
1. Operation.
2. Manifeſtation.
3. Impletion. When the Spirit works effectually in any, manifeſts it ſelf by any, fils the heart of any with divine graces and influences; when it doth either of theſe, or all theſe, then it's ſent, deſcended, come, received, entred. But for the phraſe here, The Spirit entred into mee, a like one is in Hab. 3.16. Rottenneſſe entred into my bones, that is, it came not ab extra, but there was a diſpoſition and principle in him before to rottenneſſe; but now it wrought, it manifeſted it ſelf, and filled him with it: ſo here, the Spirit was in the Prophet before, but now there was a more lively operation and manifeſtation of it: yea, farther, this entrance of Spirit, notes out his filling with the Spirit, it poſſeſſed him fully, there was abundance of the Spirit in him, to fit him for, and confirm him in his Propheticall Function. The Spirit entred into him, took him up, and ſingled him out for divine ſervice.
2. It ſet him upon his feet; here the efficacious operation of the Spirit appeares; that which nature could not do, the Spirit did, it chaſed away all diſtempering fears, inabled him to ſtand up, to behold glory, to heare the King ſpeak from his Throne of glory, and to be ready to do his will, what ever he ſhould ſay; this was a great work of the Spirit in our Prophet.
Obſerv. 1. From the Prophets being down, and ſet up by the Spirit, that the Spirit is the chief comforter; the words of Chriſt, Stand up, and I will ſpeak unto thee, were good and comfortable words, but the Spirit wrought the ſolid and lively comfort, which ſcattered the clouds of feare, confirmed him, and ſet him up: To ſpeak good words to one ſick in priſon, is a comfortable thing; but to heal the ſick party, to bring out the priſoner is reall comfort; thus did the Spirit, it healed the ſick heart of the Prophet, and freed him, being impriſoned with feares; the reall and choyce comfort is from the Spirit: hence the Spirit is called the Comforter in John four times, Joh. 14.16, 26. Chap. 15.26. and Chap. 16.7. and not only the Comforter, but the Comforter that teſtifies of Chriſt, that teacheth all things, that abides with you for ever, as appeares in the places before mentioned. Men comfort, the Word comforts, Angels comfort; it was an Angel comforted Chriſt in his Agony, Luke 22.43. but none comfort like the Spirit: Ezekiel had the Spirit of God, the great and ſolid Comforter, to raiſe, confirme and comfort him.
2. That thoſe the Lord Chriſt intends to ſet up for Officers in his Church, he gives his Spirit unto, the Spirit enters into Ezekiel, before he is called, he is filled with the Spirit, the gifts and graces of it. When Officers of an inferiour nature were to be made in the Apoſtles dayes, even officers to ſerve tables, what men muſt be looked out? men of honeſt report, full of the Holy Ghoſt and Wiſdome, they muſt be ſuch as the Holy Ghoſt hath entred into and filled, elſe they were unfit for that ſervice, Act. 6.3. much more then ſhould they be fill'd with the Spirit, that are for the higheſt place in the Church of God, Act. 9.17. Saul was fill'd with the Holy Ghoſt, Acts 11.24. it's ſaid of Barnabas, hee was full of the Holy Ghoſt, the Spirit entred into them and they preached, Acts 13.2. They muſt be ſeparated for the work whereunto the Lord had call'd them, even for the chief places in the Church of God; the Offices in the Church, are for men that have the Spirit of Chriſt in them, in ſome fulneſſe of it; thoſe places are not for others, ſuch as are fill'd with wine, with the world, with a ſpirit of envie, error, contention, and Antichriſtianiſme, but have not the Spirit of Chriſt in them: the falſe and lying Prophets had no entrance of the Spirit into them, and therefore the Lord ſaith, he ſent them not, Jer. 14.14. They flattered themſelves they were call'd and ſent of God, and had the Spirit, as Zedekiah ſaid to Micaiah, Which way went the Spirit from mee to thee? 1 King. 22.24. but they neither had it, nor were ſent of God, but ran, and were not ſent, Ier. 23.21. And unleſſe men have the Spirit enter into them, they are neither fit for that Function, nor ſatisfyingly know they are call'd to it; many among us are called of men, that were never call'd of God.
3. That man by his naturall abilities cannot reach or receive the things of God: Ezekiel muſt have the Spirit enter into him, before hee can heare or underſtand any thing to purpoſe: reaſon and diſcourſe is not more above the capacity of a Beaſt, then the things of Chriſt and his Spirit are above the capacity of man, 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him; the preaching of the Goſpel and Chriſt crucified, was a ſtumbling-block to the Iewes, and fooliſhneſſe to the Greekes; the Iewes were skill'd in the Law, and the Greeks in Philoſophy; and neither of them entertain Chriſt or his Goſpel, their knowledge and abilities ſerved them to take offence at Chriſt, and to condemn the Goſpel for fooliſhneſſe; and it's not all that naturall abilities do, not only not reach the things of the Spirit, but they cannot do it, neither can hee know them, ſaith the Text; for they are ſpiritually diſcerned. Tell a naturall man, that God hath begotten a Son, that God is man, that a Virgin hath brought forth, that God hath purchaſed a Church by his blood, that men are reconciled unto God, and juſtified by the death of Chriſt,Verba audit, ſpiritualem ſenſum non aſſequitur. they are riddles unto him; ſuch truths are like a ſealed book, the ſpirit and life of them he is incapable of; tell him that a man muſt deny himſelf, mourn for his ſins, walk in the Spirit, believe in another for ſalvation, and theſe things are fooliſhneſſe unto him.
4. That the Word without the Spirit is inefficacious, when hee pake, the Spirit entred, had not there been entrance of the Spirit, the Word had not prevail'd, the Prophet had not been raiſed; the Word is of little moment and power, unleſſe the efficacy of the Spirit be in it, if it be not quickned by the Spirit, it is a dead letter. Many thouſands heare the Word, who are fallen by Adams and their own ſin, but they are not ſet upon their feet, as our Prophet was, and the principall reaſon is, the Spirit enters not into them, it may ſtand and knock at the door, but hath not entrance, and therefore they are not lifted up out of their unbelief, and other corruptions; they are not removed from the Wilderneſſe to Canaan, from the ſtate of nature, to the ſtate of grace: when therefore you finde ſuch expreſſions in Scripture, as that the Word is, incoruptible ſeed, 1 Pet, 1.23. a burning fire, Jer. 20.9. the power of God to ſalvation, Rom. 1.16. the Word of life, Phil. 2.16. that it's quick, powerfull, ſharper then any two edged ſword, piercing, to the dividing aſunder of the ſoul and ſpirit, &c. Hebr. 4. that it is converting the ſoul, Pſal. 19.7. the grace of God that brings ſalvation, Tit. 2.11. Theſe, and ſuch like phraſes, you muſt underſtand, not excluſively, as if the word were, and did ſo without the Spirit, but conjunctively, when the Spirit enters together with the Word, then it is ſo; the efficacy is not in ſonitu ipſo, but proceeds ab arcano Spiritus inſtinctu, all the vertue and operation is in the power of the Spirit, neither is the Word uſeleſſe, it's the Medium by which the Spirit works. God is the Father of Lights, yet is not the Son uſeleſſe, by it he enlightens us.
5. That the Word is the Chariot of the Spirit: when he ſpake,Joh. 7.37, 38, 39. Acts 10.44, 45, 46, the Spirit entred into mee, together with the Word of Chriſt went the Spirit; that is vehiculum ſpiritus, Joh. 20.22. Chriſt breathed upon them, and that breath conveyed the Holy Ghoſt unto the Diſciples; ſo it's the Word that carries the Spirit to men: by the diſpenſation of the Word, the Spirit is conveyed to our ſouls; hence the Goſpel is call'd the miniſtration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3.8. and the Miniſters of the Goſpel, the Miniſters of the Spirit, verſ. 6. The Law which was from Mount Sinai, the Apoſtle calls a dead, a killing letter; but the Goſpel which came out of Mount Sion, he calls the Spirit, or miniſtration of it; and therefore more fully in Gal. 3.2. he ſaith, Received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing of faith? not by the works of the Law, that was the miniſtration of death, but by the Goſpel, that was the miniſtration of the Spirit: ſo that the word of Chriſt tranſports the Spirit over to the hearts of thoſe that believe; and if ſearch ſhould be made, whether the Spirit do alwayes accompany the Word of Chriſt, preached unto the ſons of men, ſome inferiour degrees and works of it may be allowed to go along with the Word: Act. 7.51. Yee ſtiff-necked and uncircumciſed in heart and eares, yee do alwayes reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt, and Heb. 6.4. They were made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt; there was ſomething of the Spirit in the Word, when it was preached unto theſe two ſorts of Hearers, the one reſiſted the Spirit, in the Ordinance, the other received the common gifts of it; ſome weak operations of the Spirit may be yeelded alwayes, to attend the Word, but effectuall and powerfull do not; the beams of the Sun are oblique and direct; where oblique, they produce weak effects, where direct, ſtrong ones, and ſo the operations of the Spirit are oblique towards all reprobates, and the work is ineffectuall on them, but direct upon the Elect, and ſo ſtrong, efficacious, 1 Theſ. 1.5. Our Word came not to you in word only, but alſo in power, and in the Holy Ghoſt, Chap. 2. v. 13. it wrought effectually in them.
6. What God commands his, he gives them ſtrength to do it; Stand upon thy feet, ſaith Chriſt, verſe 1. there is the command, and the Spirit entred, and ſet him upon his feet, there is the ſtrength given, to fulfill the command. Commands import power and free-will in us, ſay the adverſaries of free-grace; wee ſay no, let them ſtand upon free-will and their own ſtrength, wee will ſtand to free Grace; Ezekiel cannot ſtand upon his feet till the Spirit ſet him up, much leſſe can hee tread in the wayes of holineſſe, and walk in them, being commanded, the word of Chriſt did it not, his own will did it not, naturall reaſon and ſtrength did it not,Divina vox jacenti Prophetae juſſit, ut reſurgeret, ſed ſurgere omnino non poſſit, niſi in hunc omnipotentis Dei ſpiritus intraſſet, quia ex omnipotentis Dei gratia ad bona opera conari quidem poſſumus, ſed haec implere non poſſumus, ſi ipſe non adjuvet, qui jubet, Greg. Hom. 9. in Ezek. but the Spirit given did it: Without mee you can do nothing, Joh. 15. not much, not ſomething, not a little, doth hee ſay, but nothing: when Chriſt commands therefore, hee gives power to do; hee bids Lazarus come forth of the grave, he had neither will nor power to do it, but Chriſt hee gave ſpirit and power to do it. When hee bid Sinners believe, repent, walk in the Spirit, &c. hee gives the power to do ſo; hee doth it for them: Deut. 10.16. they are commanded to circumciſe the foreskin of their hearts, and Deut. 6.5. to love the Lord with all their hearts; theſe they could not do, but God promiſes to do them for them, Deut. 30.6. The Lord thy God will circumciſe thy heart, and the heart of thy ſeed, to love him with all thine heart, and all thy ſoul; we are commanded to feare the Lord, Pſal. 22.23. Feare him, all the ſeed of Iſrael; and Jer. 32.40. I will put my feare in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from mee: We are bid to make us new hearts, and new ſpirits, Ezek. 18.31. and Iſa. 1.16. to waſh us, and make us clean; and ſee what ſweet promiſes are made, Ezek. 36.25, 26. I wil ſprinkle clean water upon you, and you ſhall be clean from all your filthineſſe, and from all your Idols will I cleanſe you; a new heart alſo will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you; yea, I will put my Spirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my Statutes, and yee ſhall keep my Statutes and do them: Verſ. 27. We are bid believe and truſt in God, oft in Scripture: and Epheſ. 2.8. we finde Faith is the gift God; and Mat. 12.21. In his Name ſhall the Gentiles truſt; and Phil. 1.29. To you it is given to beleeve; Chriſt bid the Apoſtles to go and preach the Goſpel to all Nations, Mat. 28.19. how could they, being not languaged, do it? they might have ſaid, it's an impoſſible thing; but Acts 2.4. They were filled with the Spirit, and every man heard them ſpeak in his own language: when God commands therefore, wee muſt not look at abilities, as Arminians and Papiſts do, nor diſabilities, as ſundry Chriſtians do, but looke out ſome promiſes made of ſuch things as are commanded: ſee free Grace, and draw ſtrength from thence, through the promiſe, to inable us to ſtand upon our feet being down, to walk being up, and to perſevere in the walking.
7. It is the Spirit of God that inables to diſcerne the things of God, and aſſures our ſpirits of the truth and reality of them; the Spirit entred into the Prophet, ſet him upon his feet, that hee heard him that ſpake unto him; now having the Spirit, hee was fitted to heare Chriſt, inabled to judge of what hee ſpake, to ſatisfie his ſoul concerning the truth, reality and excellency of his Doctrine, Job. 10.27. My ſheepe heare my voyce, and a ſtranger will they not follow; Verſe 5. they can diſtinguiſh between the voyce of Chriſt, and all others; and how come they to do it? they are Sheep, not Goats, not Wolves, not Foxes; and how come they to be Sheep? Chriſt powres out his Spirit upon them, that enters into them, and brings them into the fold, and inables them to heare and know the Shepheards voyce, and the Shepheard himſelf, 1 Cor. 2.12. Wee have received, not the ſpirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God. If the Apoſtle had not had the Spirit, and the Spirit of God, hee could not have apprehended the things of Chriſt and the Goſpel; they are ſuch deep and ſpirituall things, that none but the Spirit of God can ſearch out or diſcover, being ſearched out, into whom the Spirit enters ſpiritualizing his heart and head, he is a man fit to trade with Chriſt, and to heare him ſpeak: for, Verſ. 15. the ſpirituall man judgeth all things, hee hath a principle within, to taſte and diſcern the nature of them, hee only hath a fitneſſe, though not a fulneſſe to judge;foreign. hee hath a diſcerning faculty, and according to the meaſure of that hee judgeth.