Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 3 · Verse 23
VERS. 23.
Then I aroſe, and went into the plain, &c.
IF ought have need of opening in this verſe, it is the glory of the Lord, and there is no cloud upon this. The verſe expounds it ſelfe, it is the glory he ſaw before by the river Chebar; that glorious viſion he had there, is repreſented again here unto the Prophet. The Viſion was not like the Temple, fixed to a place; but it was moveable, it was firſt preſented to him at Chebar, and now again in this plain.
The reaſons of this ſecond apparition of the glory of God, are:
Firſt, to poſſeſſe the heart of the Prophet with greater reverence of divine Majeſty, hee was unwilling to the ſervice called to by God, ſought excuſes, thought to decline it, which argued neglect of divine Majeſty to ſtrike out ſuch diſtempers, and to ſtrike in a deeper impreſſion of feare and reſpect to God. This glorious viſion is ſet before his eyes, and frames him to a fitneſſe for that imployment; he might now ſee Chriſt ſitting as Judge, compaſſed about with glory, having Angels ready to execute his pleaſure, power in and over all parts of the world; and if hee ſhould refuſe the imployment appointed, hee ran a manifeſt hazard of his life.
Secondly, to confirme the truth of the Propheſie, and him in it.
Thirdly, to prepare the Church in all ages to an high eſteeme of this Propheſie, that was uſhered into the world with ſuch glorious viſion.
Obſerv. 1. Divine vertue makes men obedientiall unto the command of God: The hand of the Lord was upon him, hee bids him goe forth; and preſently he aroſe and went forth into the plaine. If things enjoined ſuit not with our wills, opinions and humours, we deny them, excuſe and take off our ſelves from the doing of them, or deferre them; but let God enjoyn what hee will, bee it harſh to fleſh and blood, contrary to our wills, carnall reaſon, &c. if divine vertue once come upon us, and the Spirit move in us, wee will doe it; God bid Abraham take his ſonne, his onelyonly ſonne Iſaac whom he loved, goe and ſacrifice him upon a mountaine in the land of Moriah, Gen. 22. Fleſh and blood had much to object here; but becauſe hee was acted by divine vertue, therefore hee obeyed preſently, he roſe early, took his ſonne, went to the place, ſtretched out his hand to ſlay him, and to make him a Sacrifice; we ſtick oft at ſmall things when nature only workes, not at any thing when the Spirit of God works in us.
2. They are obedient to God ſimply upon his command, meet with mercies unexpected: Ezekiel goes forth upon command, not knowing what was to come, what was to be done, and hee meets with an extraordinary mercy, he ſaw the glory of the Lord, a raviſhing, a ſatisfying mercy. Abraham obeying the command of God, heares the voyce of an Angel twice, and meets with a multitude of bleſſings, Gen. 22.17. In bleſſing I will bleſſe thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy ſeed as the ſtarres of heaven, and as the ſand of the ſea ſhore, and thy ſeed ſhall poſſeſſe the gate of his enemies, and in thy ſeed ſhall all the Nations of the earth be bleſſed, becauſe thou haſt obeyed my voyce. So Jacob returned from Laban to his fathers houſe upon divine command, and he meets with Angels, Gen. 32.1. hee met with God, and like a Prince prevailed with him for a bleſſing, verſ. 28. No man ever loſt by his obedience unto God; though we ſee no reaſon for things, yet if we have the will of God that's reaſon enough; let us be tractable and forward to do the will of God, and wee ſhall not loſe our labour, wee may meet with mercies unexpected, as ſome by coming to the Ordinances have done.
3. See the goodneſſe of the Lord in two things:
Firſt, in that hee will manifeſt his glory to the view of mortall ſinfull creatures; his glory is precious, a hidden thing, and not obvious to creatures; yet here, as before, he is pleaſed in a Viſion to preſent it to the ſight of Ezekiel: it was to the Ambaſſador of a Prince that Hezekiah ſhewed the houſe of his precious things, Iſa. 39.2. and it was a great favour to let them ſee ſuch rarities; it was a greater favour from God to let Ezekiel ſee this rarity of rarities, his Glory.
Secondly, that God ſhould act over the ſame thing again, preſent the ſame Viſion in living creatures, wheels, eyes, firmament, a throne, and one ſitting upon it, and give a ſight of his glory the ſecond time; this ſets out Gods goodneſſe abundantly; men are unwilling to do the ſame thing twice, when as they may do it better the ſecond time then the firſt, and advantage themſelves by it, but God hath no advantage, doth it perfectly at firſt; yet ſimply for mans good, he condeſcends to do the ſame thing again. So Ezekiel may be brought to a fitneſſe for divine diſpenſations, incouraged too, and in his work he ſhall have a ſight of glory, and a glorious Viſion preſented to him the ſecond time by Gods own hand; wee think repetitions of things in vain, a Sermon twice over is ſtale, unwelcome, oft neither Miniſter nor people find any ſavour in it, and ſo of other things; but God repeats the Viſion without prejudice to himſelf, or damage to the Prophet.
4. Sin makes us uncapacious of happineſſe; it's mans happineſſe to ſee the glorious God, and have communion with him. While Adam ſtood, he could behold God, converſe with him in his glorious appearances unto him, but after his fall, he fled from his preſence, was diſabled, and incapacious of the ſight of him and his glory; ſo here, Ezekiel cannot abide the ſight of this glorious Viſion, but falls down upon his face, and hides himſelf from his own happineſſe: till ſin be purged out of us, it will be ſo; therefore God hath appointed purging ordinances, that we being purified, might at laſt ſee him, and have fruition of him. Two things eſpecially are required to the ſight of glory, Holineſſe and Strength, to both which ſin is oppoſite, it defiles, it infeebles, ſo that we dare not, we cannot behold glory; ſee what miſchiefe ſin hath done us.
5. Apprehenſions and ſight of glory doe much humble gracious hearts: When Ezekiel ſaw the glory of the Lord, he fell upon his face: the glory of a creature raiſes a carnall heart, but the glory of the Creator humbles a gracious heart. Joh. 1.14. We beheld his glory as the onelyonly begotten of the Father; and this made John the greateſt Prophet that ever was borne of a woman, to be ſo low in his own eyes, that he profeſſed himſelfe unworthy to looſe the lachet of his ſhooe, ver. 27. There be ſome things in the ſight of divine glory, that works ſtrongly to humble the ſoule.
Firſt, It is of that luſtre and excellency, as that it darkens all the glory of the world, and makes it ſeeme no more then the luſtre of a Glow-worme to the Sunne.
Secondly, It ſets out the ſhamefulneſſe and blackneſſe of ſinne.
Thirdly, The Inſufficiency of all humane motions and duties to attaine unto it.
Fourthly, Shews the infinite diſtance between God and the creature.
All which are humbling things, and concurring doe humble more throughly, Ezekiel was not onelyonly amazed, doth not onelyonly fall downe, but falls upon his face, and that after a ſecond ſight of the ſame glory; ſo that it's in the nature of glory to humble; other things may humble a little, but glory moſt of all: that comes by the eare doth ſomething, but that is ſeene by the eye affects moſt. Iſaiah had heard the Seraphims crying, Holy, holy, holy, the earth is full of his glory; but this ſtruck not ſo deeply into his heart, as the ſight of glory; when he ſaw the King, the Lord of Hoſts in his glory, then he cryed out, woe is me, I am undone; his holineſſe was nothing, his propheticall office was nothing, all was nothing to him, he was an undone man, he ſaw ſo much ſinne in himſelfe; I am a man of uncleane lips, &c.