Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 3 · Verse 24
VER. 24.
Then the Spirit entred into mee, &c.
BEing in a dejected condition the Spirit entred. It was ſaid before, the hand of the Lord came upon him, which was the Spirit; and here, the Spirit entred into mee. What difference is there between theſe two phraſes? you may obſerve this difference, The hand of the Lord upon the Prophet, notes the efficacy and work of the Spirit in generall, the common gifts and graces of it, which may fit a man for publick imployment. The entring of the Spirit notes, not onelyonly thoſe, but the ſanctifying of a man, ſo that he ſhall imploy his gifts and graces to the glory of God, and eternall good of his own ſoule. Of the Spirits entring and ſetting the Prophet upon his feet I ſpake in the 2. Chap. ver. 2. It was not the ayre, his own ſpirit returning, nor an Angel, but the Holy Spirit of God. This entrance of the Spirit notes, not motion from place to place, for the Spirit is infinite and fills heaven and earth, but it notes operation, manifeſtation, impletion; when the Spirit doth work efficaciouſly, manifeſt it ſelf, (for there may be inviſible operations) fill the heart of any with divine vertue, when it doth any one of theſe, or all theſe, it's ſaid to be ſent, to come, to enter; it comforted the Prophet, being amazed, ſunk in apprehenſion of his own unworthineſſe, and manifeſted its operation by ſetting him upon his feete, giving new ſtrength to goe and propheſie when time ſhould ſerve.
Goe ſhut thy ſelfe within thy houſe.
Theſe words are not ironically ſpoken, or by way of Sarcaſme, becauſe he had formerly ſhut up himſelfe, but they are a command from God to the Prophet; it's true, by reaſon of the rebellious diſpoſition of the people, the weightineſſe of the calling he was to be in, and the infirmitie of the fleſh, he had withdrawne from his dutie, and God beares with him, bids him withdraw from the publick view; Jerome thinks this ſhutting up was a type of the beſieging of the Citie, that as he ſhould be ſhut up in his houſe, ſo the Jewes at Jeruſalem. Others thinke more probably, that it was to receive inſtructions from God, and to heare from him before he ſhould ſpeake ought to the people, therefore ſome obſerve that our Prophet heard and ſaw much, and ſpake not till the end of the 11th Chap. 23. verſ. where he ſaith, Then I ſpake unto them of the captivitie, &c. This ſhutting up made way for the credit and authoritie of the Prophet and his propheſie.
Obſerv. 1. The Spirit affects and viſits an humble ſoule: When the Prophet was humbled with the ſenſe of his owne unworthineſſe, trembled at the ſight of glory and majeſty, was deſtitute of ſtrength; then it pleaſed the Spirit of God to enter: humiliations upon ſight of glory and greatneſſe are deepeſt, and the Spirit loves to viſit them ſpeedily; God doth not long leave humble ſoules without operations and manifeſtations of his Spirit. Jam. 4.6. He reſiſteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, he ſends the Spirit into their hearts to comfort and ſtrengthen them, becauſe they are low, vile in their own eyes; but deſtruction is for the proud, God is in battaile array againſt them; the Spirit appeared like a dove, and is a dove of the valleys, not of the mountains; while Paul was a mountaine in his owne eyes, the Spirit never came neere him, but when he was humbled with the ſight of glory, Act. 9. even the glory of Chriſt, and became a valley, then quickly the ſpirituall dove tooke her flight to him, for ver. 17. ſaith Ananias, Brother Saul, the Lord hath ſent mee that thou mighteſt receive thy ſight, and be filled with the Holy Ghoſt; the Lord Jeſus would not let him want his Spirit to revive him, that was ſo effectually humbled at the ſight of his glory.
2. The godly before Chriſt, had the ſame Spirit, grace, and comforts that wee have ſince Chriſt. Ezekiel had the Spirit enter into him; What Spirit? Even the Spirit of God and Chriſt, the third Perſon in the ſacred Trinitie; neither doth that in John croſſe this truth, The Holy Ghoſt was not yet given, becauſe that Jeſus was not yet glorified, Chap. 7.39. Not given at all is not the meaning, but was not given ſo plentifully, ſo viſibly, till Chriſt was glorified. You know that Kings when they enter their Kingdomes firſt, or ride in triumph after great Victories, then they ſcatter gold and ſilver plentifully, and give the greateſt honours and gifts unto men: So Chriſt reſerved the powring out of his Spirit in ſuch plenty and inviſible ſignes, till his glorifying; therefore Auſtine ſaith, The Prophets had not another Spirit who foretold Chriſt to come; but this is meant of that manner of giving which appeared not at all before. They under the Law had not the Spirit given in that way and ſo largely, but they had the ſame Spirit, 2 Pet. 1.21. and Luke 1.41.67.
3. The Spirit of Chriſt which the godly receive, is not a Spirit of bondage, but of comfort, of grace and freedome; this Spirit did not ſtraiten the Prophet but enlarge him, he was impriſon'd with his own feares, beate downe under ſenſe of his owne worthleſneſſe; but this Spirit of Chriſt did ſet him at libertie, and lifts him up againe, and works graciouſly in him; this Spirit is oft call'd the Comforter, and that emphatically, becauſe no man, no Angel, no Ordinance doe or can comfort like the Spirit, it helps againſt feares, ſinnes, guilt, temptations, ſtraitneſſe of heart; this made the Apoſtle ſay, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie, 2 Cor. 3.17. It knocks off bolts, locks, ſhackles; it makes way for his owne graces to act, and act with livelineſſe, and if there be ſtrong holds within, ſtrong luſts that oppoſe, it's a Spirit of power, and will carry all before it. 2 Tim. 1.7. God hath not given us the Spirit of feare, but of power, ſuch power as will conquer all the rebellions of a mans will, bring all into order, captivate every thought unto Chriſt, and make a man able to doe the whole will of God, an Ezekiel to propheſie to a rebellious people, and to venture his life amongſt them.
4. Thoſe Chriſt ſends unto the Church, he gives his Spirit unto: Ezekiel hath the Spirit enters into him before he enters upon his office: men voyd of the Spirit are not meet to be Church-officers; all things in the Church come under ſpirituall conſideration, the people are to be profeſſors of holineſſe, ordinances are holy, and what ſhould unholy officers doe there? if they have not the Spirit of Chriſt, they are none of his, and what ſhould they doe in the Church of Chriſt? he will aske them one day; Friends how came you in hither? I ſent you not.
5. The Spirit performes what Chriſt promiſeth: In the 22th verſe, Chriſt bids the Prophet goe forth into the plaine, and tells him he will there talke with him, but being come thither, the Spirit entred into him, and ſpake with him. Chriſt and the Spirit are one in Eſſence, one in will, and one in operation, ſo that the Prophet was not deceived, but it was the ſame as if Chriſt had ſpoken to him, I will be with you to the end of the world, ſaith Chriſt; his Spirit was with them, and ſo in that it was made good that he was with them; the Spirit makes good what ever the Lord Jeſus hath promiſed, when it comes, and it cannot be otherwiſe; for theſe three, Father, Word, and Holy Ghoſt are one, and agree in one, 1 Joh. 5.7.
6. There is a language of the Spirit within a man: The Spirit entred into mee, and ſpake with mee; How it ſpeaks is hard to make out unto you. Wee have heard that the Devill hath ſpoken in parties bewitched and poſſeſſed, and you have text of Scripture for it, Act. 19.13, 14, 15. When the ſonnes of Sceva adjured the evill ſpirit in the Name of Jeſus, the evill ſpirit anſwered, Jeſus I know, and Paul I know, but who are yee? Thus did the Devill expreſſe himſelfe in the poſſeſſed; and ſurely the Spirit of God can ſpeak vocally in thoſe where it dwells, but that is not the ordinary language of the Spirit. A man ſpeaks to another, Quando conceptum mentis alteri manifeſtat, and as the Schools ſay of Angels,Halenſ. they ſpeak manifeſtando ſuum volitum, ſo we may ſay, the Spirit ſpeaks unto us by manifeſtation of its minde unto us. Joh. 16.13. What the Spirit ſhall heare, that ſhall be ſpeake, and he will ſhew you things to come: and ver. 14. he ſhall receive of mine, and will ſhew it unto you.
7. The proceedings of God with his own ſervants are various and darkſome; the Prophet was bid to preach oft before in the 22. verſe, he is called forth into the plaine, and when he is there the Lord bids him goe and ſhut himſelfe up in his houſe, as it is in this 24. verſe. Now he will have him propheſie, and preſently he ſuſpends him from his office and libertie, neither is there any change in God, but he by theſe various diſpenſations fulfills his eternall counſells.
8. God conſiders the weakneſſes of his ſervants, beares with, and provides well againſt them: Ezekiel was timorous, the Houſe of Iſrael rebellious, and like enough to offer violence to the Prophet, if he ſhould have preſently propounded the dreadfull judgements of God that were at hand againſt Jeruſalem, and therefore he takes care of him, and commands him to ſhut up himſelfe, that ſo he might be ſafe, and not at firſt be diſcouraged at the wickedneſſe of the people, or weightineſſe of his worke; God is full of bowells and tenders his, when put upon difficult imployments.