Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 3 · Verse 1-3
Ezekiel, Chap. 3. Ver. 1, 2, 3.
1. Moreover, hee ſaid, Son of man, Eat that thou findeſt, eat this Roul, and go ſpeak unto the Houſe of Iſrael.
2. So I opened my mouth, and hee cauſed mee to eat that Roul.
3. And hee ſaid unto mee, Son of man, cauſe thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with the roul that I give thee. Then did I eat, and it was in my mouth, as honey for ſweetneſſe.
THeſe words, and to the end of the 15th Verſe, by ſome Expoſiters, are made part of the ſecond Chapter, and when the diviſion of Chapters was made, (about 457. yeers ſince) it had been more ſuitable to have ended the ſecond Chapter at the 4th or 15th Verſe of this Chapter, then where it is; but wee will take it as wee find it. In the Chapter, you have,
1. A farther Narration of Ezekiels Call, to the 12th Verſe.
2. A Declaration of what befell him thereupon, from the 12th to the 16th.
3. A new Revelation, with the events following it, unto the end of the Chapter.
In the firſt part of the Chapter you have two things:
The firſt is the continuance of Chriſt, his Speech, and the Prophets actions about the ſacramentall ſign, viz. the Roul.
Secondly, a renewall of his ſending to propheſie, which is from the third verſe to the 12th.
In theſe Verſes is little that needs explaining; that hath moſt difficulty in it, is the eating of the roul; what eating is here meant? how could the Prophet eat a great roul (a thing not credible) without prejudice of his health, life, or both?
Anſw. He that commanded him to eat, could have prevented all danger and prejudice, if the eating had been corporall and literall; but it's conceived here, that the eating was not literall, but ſpirituall, per viſionem, ſaith one Expoſiter, non re ipſa, ſed ſpiritu, ſaith another; and that in the 10th Verſe of the Chapter confirms us in it, where it's ſaid, All my words that I ſhall ſpeak unto thee, receive in thine heart, and heare with thine eares, this was the eating, to heare, meditate, and believe, his journey was ſpirituall, his work was ſpirituall; he was to go and propheſie, and ſuch was his meat, ſpirituall meat, and ſpiritually eaten.
But why is hee bid to eat the roul? had not ſeeing and reading been more ſuitable? look on it, read it; why is the mouth brought in rather then the eye or eare?
Anſw. The Scripture doth attribute excellency to, and place naturall and ſupernaturall vertue, in that organ or ſenſe by which it's exerciſed, Gen. 2.7. God breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life, the meaning is, he put a ſoul into him; the noſtrils are not the ſeat of the ſoul, but becauſe the breath in the noſtrils doth manifeſt the preſence of the ſoul in man, and diſcovers it, therefore it's ſaid, hee breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life: and ſo here, Ezekiel is ſaid to eat the roul; not to ſee or heare it, becauſe by the mouth, the gift of prophecie which was given him by the roul, was to be manifeſted and diſcovered to the people.
Cauſe thy belly to eat.
Could his, or can any mans belly eate? this ſeems a ſtrange ſpeech; but take it thus: eating is taken in Scripture, not only for chewing, but for all the actions belonging to meat, as concoction and conſumption of it:foreign and the Hebrew word ſignifies to eat, to diſſolve, to conſume, and ſo; that ſword and fire in Scripture are ſaid to eat, that is, to diſſolve, and to deſtroy; the meaning then is, do thou by this roul, as the ſtomach and belly do by meat, when they get good thereby, the one doth not preſently reject, nor the other tranſmit, but they retain the meat, draw out all the vertue, concoct it, live and work in the ſtrength of it: ſo here, let thy belly eat, that is, concoct, digeſt the truths thou heareſt, by ſerious meditation, and by faith; do not like thoſe that have weak and ſickly ſtomachs, that quickly return what they receive, and get no benefit thereby; but do thou take in all the arguments and truths of this roul; do thou ſo concoct and conſume them by the ſtomach and belly of meditation and faith, that they may become thy nutriment, thou mayeſt feel the power and efficacy of them in thine heart, and act accordingly.
And fill thy bowels.
Satisfie thy ſelf, take enough, be not content with a little.
Obſerv. 1. That our obedience unto Chriſt muſt be abſolute and ſimple; Eat that thou findeſt, ſaith Chriſt, what ever thou findeſt; there might ſomething unſavory, bitter, have been tendered to the Prophet, even that which nature abhors; how ever he muſt eat it, not diſpute the caſe, but yeeld obedience; when Chriſt commands, blind obedience is the beſt, to do it upon that ground,Authoritas pracipientis eſt ratio praecepti. and no other, here the commanders will is warrant for the fact, Luke 5.5. this prevail'd with Peter, Maſter, wee have toiled all night, and have taken nothing, nevertheleſſe at thy word I will let down the net. Chriſts word was all unto him, he look'd not at his labour loſt, at his gain to come, but at the word of Chriſt, and that was warrant enough to him: ſo other Apoſtles, when Chriſt call'd them, and bid them follow him, they left all, and ſtraightway followed him; they conſulted not with fleſh and blood, they made no objections, choſe not what they would themſelves, but ſubmitted to Chriſts will: Abraham left his countrey at Gods call, and knew not whither he ſhould go, and this was true obedience; with men we muſt not be ſo tractable, as to do things meerly upon their wills and commands, they are no gods, their wills and power are no rules, they may ſin, we muſt give account; and therefore may, and muſt examine, prove all things, and hold faſt that which is good; humane things, it's our duty, it's wiſdome and ſafety to queſtion, and ſearch into, but divine things are without diſpute and all queſtioning to be believed and obeyed, therefore ſaith Chriſt, Yee are my friends, if yee do whatſoever I command you, Joh. 15.14. then we ſhew the greateſt love to Chriſt, when we give him abſolute obedience.
2. That the ſymbols and truths which Chriſt gives, are the meat that the ſouls of Prophets and Miniſters muſt feed upon; Eat what thou findeſt; eat this roul: it's this emphatically, other rouls and books they may look into, but this they muſt eat; the Book of Chriſt is the book for their ſtudies; many Schollers ſtudy other books more then the Scriptures, then the rouls of Chriſt, they are Heluones librorum, book-eaters, Fathers, School-men, Hiſtorians, Poets and Pamphlets; they devoure, and are leaſt acquainted with the Scriptures, but Chriſts command is to eat this roul, ſearch the Scriptures, meditate in the Law night and day, hee ſends us to no other. A young diſciple asking an old Rabbi, whether he might not have time to learn the Greek tongue, ſaid; if hee would do it neither by night nor by day, he might, becauſe by night and day he was to ſtudy the Law; hereby he intimated, that ſchollers greateſt ſtudy ſhould be in the Word of God; Paul therefore exhorts Timothy to give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, hee bids him meditate upon theſe things, give himſelf wholly to them; 1 Tim. 4.15. his whole ſtrength and time ſhould be in them; mans life is ſhort, and if it were never ſo long, it ſhould be ſpent in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures: when Paul was at the gates of death, 2 Tim. 4.6. you ſhall find hee ſends for the Books and Parchments, Paul would ſtudy them over again; it's ſaid of Ambroſe, that to his death he ceaſed not to write Commentaries, and expound Scriptures, and dyed at that in the Pſalme, Great is the Lord, Epiſtola Dei ad hom nes miſſa, Aug 2. ſerm. in Pſ. 90. Omnia etiam minima plena ſunt ſenſu, myſterio & ſpiritu, Baſ. Hom. 6.and greatly to be praiſed. This Book they muſt eat, read, ſtudy, with great diligence, and make it their own: Alphonſus King of Aragon, read over the Scriptures ſome twelve or fourteen times, notwithſtanding his great and publique imployments: and one of note read over the new Teſtament with Beza's larger notes ſixteen times in three yeers; the Scriptures are heavens Epiſtles ſent to men, it cannot be read too often, being full of divine myſteries.
3. That when Miniſters and Meſſenges of God have eaten and digeſted the truths of God, then they are fit to go and preach them to the people of God. Eat this roul, and go; firſt eat, then go; Elijah muſt eat, and then take his journey; and ſo Miniſters muſt firſt eat themſelves, then feed others; if the Nurſe her ſelf do not eat, ſhee will have no milk for her child, if ſhee eat and do not digeſt, turn it into blood and milk, all is in vain: ſo the Meſſengers of God muſt turn what they eat, what they read, in ſuccum & ſanguinem; and then, being their own, in their hearts and bowels, they will ſpeak from the heart.
4. That faith is requiſite to the receit of ſpirituall things, he opened his mouth, and eat the roul, he received the truths and believed; look how neceſſary a mouth is to take in the meat of the body, to chew it, and ſend it down to the other parts, elſe there is no benefit comes to a man by it; ſo neceſſary is faith to take in the ſpirituall food of the ſoul: Faith is the mouth and ſtomach of the ſoul, if that receive in truths, digeſt and ſend them to the organs of actions, benefit accrues to the man, if not, prejudice. Joh. 6.35, 36. Chriſt tels them that he is the Bread of life, that hee comes to him ſhall never hunger, and that he believes on him ſhall never thirſt, but yee have ſeen mee and believe not: though Chriſt were Bread and Water of life, becauſe they had no faith, no mouth to eat and drink thereof, therefore they had no benefit, and as a man that can receive no food muſt die; ſo here, Joh. 8.24. If yee believe not that I am hee, you ſhall die in your ſins; here is prejudice irreparable, death eternall for want of faith: our Prophet received the fruits Chriſt tendered, and got by them; all Believers are or may be gainers by the truths of Chriſt, 1 Theſ. 2.13. The word wrought effectually in them that believed: Faith makes good concoction of that meat, and anſwerable operation; But Heb. 4.2. The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it, where is no faith to receive into the ſoul, there is no profit, the eare may ſet it into the head, but faith muſt bring it into the heart, and keep it there, till it be ſpirit and life to the man. The originall is, the word of hearing did not profit them, being not united by faith to them that heard.
Obſerv. 1.foreign ſignifies ſculpere as well as aperire, God open'd the roul for mee to read, and I open'd my hart for him to write. The godly muſt act and put forth their graces towards farther reception of ſpirituall things: when Chriſt will give Ezekiel donum Prophetiae, a Roul to eat; hee opens his mouth, he ſets awork his faith to receive this gift of Propheſie; faith in the habite is like the mouth ſhut up, nothing enters, but in exerciſe it's like the mouth open and ready to receive; it's infinite mercy that God at any time will offer us ſpirituall favours and excellencies; wee ſhould therefore be forward, and ſtir up our ſouls and graces to the receit of ſuch mercies. It's a lazie and ill excuſe for godly ones to ſay they can do nothing; Grace is an active and an inabling thing, and where there is a principle of life (as all godly men have) there is a ſpecificall difference between that man and another hath it not; a man without it, cannot act and ſtir up himſelf to a further reception of ſpirituall things, becauſe hee is dead, but a man hath it, can, and ought to quicken up his own ſoul to ſpirituall things. The Prophet had received the Spirit that entred into him, and hee opened his mouth, exerciſed his faith, to take what the Lord ſhould give: the Apoſtle Paul bids Timothy ſtir up the gift of God that was in him, 2 Tim. 1.6. hee would have men deal with their gifts and graces,foreign. as they do with fire under the aſhes, they blow them off, and blow the fire up; and there is a flame fit for ſervice: ſloth, feare, infirmitie, carnall reaſon, are aſhes that do oft cover divine fire, that it ſeems dead; but wee muſt ſtir up our ſelves, blow off thoſe aſhes, and blow up the fire of grace, that it may burn and ſhine, be uſefull to our ſelves and others. The Prophet complains in Eſa. 64.7. There is no man that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold of me; they are like men aſleep, that ſit ſtill and do nothing. The Vulgar is, Non eſt quic onſurgat.
6. When man hath done all hee can, the efficacy and fruit is from God; Ezekiel opened his mouth, but the Lord Chriſt cauſed him to eat the roul, hee makes it effectuall; it's not our ſtirring up our graces, opening our hearts, putting forth our ſelves to the utmoſt, that will make an Ordinance effectuall, without Chriſt; it's hee muſt do the deed, Joh. 15. Without mee yee can do nothing: Ezekiel could not eat the roul, nor digeſt it, being eaten, not act, being digeſted; and ſo the Apoſtles, though branches in the Vine, could draw no ſap from the root, unleſſe that ſent it up; when ſent up, could not ſend it forth without him; if ſend it forth into cluſters, could not ripen it without him; all is from him, hee gives grace, exerciſes, ſtrengthens and proſpers grace; Paul may plant, but there is no rooting of thoſe plants but by Chriſt; Apollo may water, but no growth, no increaſe, but by Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3.6.
7. Miniſters, and all ſhould feed liberally upon the Word; Fill thy bowels with this roul, not taſte of it a little, but feed and fill themſelves; there is great variety in the rouls of God, and wee may feed upon them all, and fill our ſelves with divine truth; Matth. 13.52. Every Scribe inſtructed to the Kingdome of heaven hath a treaſury of things new and old; as a Houſholder hath all meats, wines, houſhold-ſtuff and furniture that is needfull, both old and new; ſo ſhould a ſervant of God have, old and new truths, thoſe of Moſes and the Prophets, and the Myſteries of the Goſpel alſo. Col. 3.16. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly; he means not ſome part of it, but the whole Word of God; it's not limited to any part, but ſpoken indefinitly, and ſo includes all; and it muſt not be in the Aſſemblies, in the Houſes only, but it muſt be in you, and dwell in you, you muſt know it, and have it in readineſſe, as you know thoſe dwell in the houſe with you, and are ready to do any ſervice for you. The Corinthians were inriched in all knowledge; and wee ſhould ſo abound with divine knowledge, that there ſhould be no place for errors in us; the Word of God ſhould be in our hearts, in our heads, in our lips, in our lives, wee all ſhould be like Ezekiels roul, written within and without.
8. The Word of God is ſweet and delightfull to the ſoul, it was as honey for ſweetneſſe; there is nothing more ſweet then honey; the word is, as ſweet as it: yea, Pſal. 19.10. Sweeter then the honey, or the honey combe, the greateſt ſweetneſſe is in the Word of any thing in the world. The ſweetneſſe is in the Revelations of the Counſels and Myſteries of God & Chriſt, which is ſweet to know; for knowledge is pleaſant, Prov. 2.10. And the more excellent the knowledge, the more pleaſant it is. It's a word of life, Phil. 2.16. and life is ſweet, and the more ſpirituall the life is, the more ſweet ſtill, it converts the ſoul, Pſal. 19.7. it's Pabulum animae, call'd by Peter, foreign, 1 Pet. 2.2. ſincere milk, and that is ſweet, nouriſhing unto eternall life. It's the grace of God brings ſalvation, Tit. 2.11. and the power of God to ſalvation, Rom. 1.16. and herein is ſweetneſſe; it ſanctifies, Joh. 17. it comforts the ſoul in all ſtraits and afflictions; Pſal. 119.29. I had periſhed in mine affliction, unleſſe thy Law had been my delight: it ſatisfies the conſcience, which nothing elſe can do. It ſhewes the equity of Gods judgements and dealings with wicked men; and ſo the ſharpeſt threats, and moſt dreadfull judgements, are ſweet to a gracious heart: here was a Roul full of lamentations, mournings and woe, and yet when the Lord commends it to Ezekiel, he finds ſweetneſſe in it; not that he was not ſenſible and affected with the miſeries coming upon him; for he was not withous naturall affection; but ſeeing the righteouſneſſe of God in his judgements towards them, hee could not but be affected with a ſpirituall joy, and finde ſweetneſſe therein, his Will being revealed, and that which a gracious heart reſts in.