Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 3 · Verse 4-11
VERS. 4, &c.
4. And hee ſaid unto me, Son of m… …, get thee unto the houſe of Iſrael, and ſpeake with my words unto them.
5. For thou art not ſent unto a people of a ſtrange Speech, and of a hard Language, but to the houſe of Iſrael.
6. Not to many people of a ſtrange Speech, and of hard Language, whoſe words thou canſt not underſtand; ſurely, had I ſent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
7. But the houſe of Iſrael will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto mee: for all the houſe of Iſrael are impudent and hard-hearted.
8. Behold, I have made thy face ſtrong againſt their faces, and thy forehead ſtrong againſt their foreheads.
9. As an Adamant, harder then flint, have I made thy forehead: feare them not, neither be diſmayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious houſe.
10. Moreover, he ſaid unto me, Son of man, all my words that I ſhall ſpeak unto thee, receive in thine heart, and heare with thine eares.
11. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the people, and ſpeak unto them, and tell them, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Whether they will heare, or whether they will forbeare.
IN theſe Verſes is a renewall of the Prophets ſending to his Propheticall Function, and they have in them matter of incouragement, and manifeſtation what he muſt expect:
1. Matter of incouragement; And
1. In that hee was not ſent to a people of a ſtrange language that underſtood him not, Verſ. 5, 6. that would be diſcouragement, to preach to a people ſhould not know what a man ſaid; this was not the Prophets caſe, but he was to go to the houſe of Iſrael, whom he knew, whoſe language he underſtood, who alſo underſtood his.
2. In that Chriſt had ſtrengthened and fitted him for that ſervice, Verſ. 8.9. and would yet do more for him, give him more truths, reveal more Propheticall things unto him, Verſ. 10.
3. That it ſhould be all one to him, whether they heard the Prophet or not, Verſ. 11.
The other thing is, manifeſtation what he muſt expect:
1. More from Heathens then from them, Verſ. 6. end: ſurely, had I ſent thee to them, they would have hearkened.
2. Obſtinate refuſall of him and his Prophecy, Verſ. 7. The houſe of Iſrael will not hearken unto thee: and it's proved by a double argument:
Firſt, they will not hearken unto mee, is an argument from the greater. If they will not heare me their God, they will not heare thee my ſervant, their Prophet.
2. Is from their diſpoſition, and the univerſality of it; for all the houſe of Iſrael are impudent and hard-hearted. And then a repetition of his miſſion, in the 11th Verſe.
I ſhall open what is difficult in the Verſes, and then give you ſome obſervations out of them.
The words in the 5th Verſe; of a ſtrange ſpeech and hard language, and the ſame in the 6th Verſe are expounded in that place in Iſa. 33.19. In the originall the words are deep of lip, and heavie of tongue, or rather a people of depths of lip, and heavineſſe of tongue; foreignIn the word depths, there is a Metalepſis, depths are dark and difficult, hard to be underſtood; it's not ſo here; thou art not ſent to ſuch a people, a people of a hard and heavie language, of an unknown tongue; the Septuagint hath it thus: not to a people of a deep lip, or heavie tongue, foreign, ad polum profundilabium & gravilinguem.thou art ſent to a people that underſtand thee, and what thou ſayeſt, and whom thou doſt underſtand alſo. It's not with thee as it was with Jonas, hee was ſent to a people of a ſtrange ſpeech, and hard language; I ſend thee not to Egyptians, to Chaldeans, but to Iſraelites, not Parthians, Scythians, &c. but though thou art in Babylon, where was the confuſion of tongues, yet thou art to go to the Houſe of Iſrael, and ſpeak to them, that have heard Moſes and other Propets before, and me in them.
In the 7th Verſe it's ſaid, the houſe of Iſrael are impudent, and hard-hearted; the Hebrew is, ſtrong of face, and hard of heart, the ſame with thoſe words in the ſecond Chapter, v. 4. only the difference is, that in Chapt. 2. it's d…i faciebus, and here it's d…ri corde, there it's robuſti corde, and here it's robuſti fronte.
foreignIn the 9th Verſe it's, as an Adamant harder then a flint, have I made thy forehead; Keſhamir, the word Shamir ſignifies a Brier, Iſa. 5.6. There ſhall come up briers, Shamir, a Brier, and it's from Shamar, cuſtodire, ſervare, becauſe a Brier by its prickles doth preſerve it ſelf; it ſignifies alſo a hard and flinty ſtone,Ab… & foreign. ſuch as an Adamant is, which is lapis ſervabilis, becauſe it keeps it ſelf by its hardneſs from all injuries; no weather, no violence of hammer or fire will conquer it; ſo much the name Adamant imports, being lapis indomabilis, Zach. 7.12.Plin. lib. 37. They have made their hearts as an Adamant: there be four ſorts, The Arabick, Macedonian, Cyprian, and Indian, which is the chiefeſt.
foreignHarder then a flint; it's in the Hebrew, ſtrong above a rock. By theſe expreſſions are ſet out, the invincible courage and conſtancy that God would give the Prophet;Nec pudere …in…retur, nec m…tu taceret aut pal. …ſce…e. ſuch as neither ſhame nor fear ſhould prevail againſt.
In the 10th Verſe; All my words receive into thy heart, and heare with thine eares: it's foreign, the laſt firſt, and firſt laſt, beare with thine eares, and receive into thine heart.
Obſerv. 1. That thoſe are ſent of God, muſt ſpeak with, or in gods words: ſaith Paul, What I have received of the Lord, that I deliver, not what I have received of men, of learned Heathens and Jewes; not what I had of mine own, but, what I received of the Lord, his words, his inſtitutions, Gods words are weighty, and have divine authority in them, but mans are weak like himſelf.
2 From the 5th and 6th Verſes obſerve:
1. That it's God determines and diſpoſes of his Prophets and Miniſters, for their places and people; what places they ſhall be in, what number they ſhall be over; Thou art not ſent to a people of a ſtrange language, not to many people, but to the houſe of Iſrael. God had the power in his hand to have ſent him to other Nations, great, mighty, of an unknown language, but hee ſet him among Iſraelites, Acts 20.28. it's a divine conſtitution.
2. That men call'd of God to do him ſervice in the Church, ſhould not be diſcouraged, what ever difficulties are before them. Thou art not ſent unto a people of a ſtrange ſpeech, not to many; this implies, that if hee were ſent to theſe, hee ſhould go willingly, cheerfully; and much more, being upon eaſier ſervice, the Call of God ſhould be incouragement enough. And if our eyes be much upon that, it will prevent much ſin, many diſtempers, oft the ſervants of God (when they come amongſt their own friends, acquaintance, country-men) are ſleighted, and meet with hard meaſure, and courſe uſage, but they muſt remember who call'd, who ſent them.
3. That Gods wayes and judgements are unſearchable; the means of grace are denied to thoſe that would imbrace them, and given to thoſe that refus'd them; ſurely, had I ſent thee to them, Per interpretes, per nut…s, per geſtus commoverentur ad poenitentiam.they would have hearkened, although thou hadſt preached in a tongue unknown, by one means or other they would have been brought to repentance, they would not have been ſo perverſe and ingratefull as the Jewes were; Jonas, and Nahum too, as Pradus conceives, preach'd to Ninive, and they repented; and it's likely many nations now, if they had the Goſpel preached unto them, would imbrace it, and bring forth better fruits then Chriſtians do; Matth. 11.21, 23. Chriſt ſaith, If the works hee had done in Chorazin, Bethſaida and Capernaum, had been done in Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, they would have repented, and remained to this day; but God in his infinite Wiſdome and Juſtice, denied both the words and works of Chriſt to thoſe places. We cannot ſound this depth, yet let us ſay, God is righteous, and take heed it be not verified of us, that Turkie, Perſia and Tartoria, would have repented, if they had had the means we have.
From the 7th Verſe obſerve:
1. Mens wills do harden them and ruine them; They will not hearken unto thee; there is obſtinacy and malice in the wills of men, that they reject the Word of God, and what is for their good; You will not come to me, that you may have life, ſaith Chriſt, Joh. 5.40. I will give you life for fetching, and you will none of it, and when he came to them, what ſaid they to him? Wee will not have this man to reign over us. Let Chriſt come, a King of righteouſneſſe, ſeeking the good, the ſalvation of ſinners, they will not ſubmit to him,Voluntas tuae eſt infernus tuus. their own wills ſhall ſtand between them and ſalvation: Bernard ſaith, A mans will is his hell, it carries a man againſt heaven, and ſwiftly to hell.
2. There is ſuch corruption and ſtrength of ſtubbornneſſe in men, that they will not heare God himſelf; They will not hearken unto me, though there be infinite equity in it, that they ſhould give me their eares, hearts, all their ſtrength and intentions, for I have created them of nothing, redeemed them, being worſe then nothing; I have prepared eternall manſions in the heavens for them that do heare me; I ſpeak the words of Wiſdome and Life, I aim at their good and comfort in all that I ſpeak; yet they will not heare mee: Here is the ſtrength and perfection of ſtubbornneſſe, a childe not to heare its parents, a people not to heare their Miniſter, ſubjects not to heare their Prince, is thought bad enough; but children, people, ſubjects, not to heare their God, is the height of iniquity. And becauſe they will not heare Chriſt, therefore they will not heare his Meſſengers, but deſpiſe, perſecute and murther them, and that becauſe he ſends them; Joh. 15.21. All theſe things will they do unto you for my name ſake.
3. Corruption lies not only hid in the heart of ſinners, but breaks out in an impudent manner, they are impudent and hard-hearted, there is ſtonineſſe within, and impudency without.
4. Sin is of a ſpreading infectious nature; the whole houſe of Iſrael are impudent and hard-hearted, the one corrupted another, as it's in a bunch of grapes; if one be corrupt, it will corrupt its neighbour, and that another, till they be all alike: ſo was it here, one infected another, till the whole houſe was ſo; it's like the leproſie in a garment or houſe, that ſpreads through all. Gen. 6.12. All fleſh had corrupted its way upon the earth.
From the 8th and 9th Verſes: obſerve,
1. That the Miniſters of God muſt look for oppoſition in their way; their face and foreheads were againſt the Prophet, they would be like beaſts, that uſe to puſh with their horns and heads; 1 Cor. 16.4. There is an effectuall dore opened unto me, and there are many adverſaries, when God opens to his Miniſters a dore of hope to do good, there preſently appeares many adverſaries to ſhut that dore again, and ſo to take away the hope and opportunity of doing good; it was at Epheſus, and there hee met and fought with beaſts; in the race of his Miniſtery he met with Hymeneus, Alexander, and Demetrius, that oppoſed him: John met with a Di…tr…phes, and wee muſt looke for many ſuch.
2. Divine vertue and and aſſiſtance doth accompany a Divine Call: I have made thy face ſtrong againſt their faces; I call'd thee, and ſtrengthened thee; the Hebrew is, I give thee a face ſtrong; I do and will inable thee with ſpirit and audacity to out-face them. In Matth. 28. ult. Go preach, and lo I am with you to the end of the world; he ſends them, and ſeconds them, hee calls them and incourages them: I am with you, peculiari aſſiſtentia, by my grace, ſtrength, comfort, direction, ſpirit; thoſe that are call'd of Chriſt, and ſent of him, therefore may with comfort expect the help of Chriſt to go through the work he hath put them in. Paul, when ſent to the Corinthians, he came in demonſtration of the Spirit and power, 1 Cor. 2.4. And in Col. 2.29. he ſaith, The working of grace was mighty in him, in power and efficacy: wee are loſt diſcouraged at the greatneſſe and difficulty of the work; Who is ſufficient for theſe things, ſaid Paul? but when he look'd at Chriſt, he ſaid, I can do all things through Chriſt that ſtrengtheneth mee; and if we would look more at him, and lean upon him, wee ſhould do more,Non militat propriis viribus, ſed armatur coeleſti virtute. and do better; if thoughts of our weakneſſe, of the work, of our oppoſitions and enemies ſink us, Chriſt gives balm, ſpirit, and a face to out-face all; a Miniſter doth not warfare in his own ſtrength, but is arm'd from above.
3. What ever Miniſters have, it's given, if they be indued with the Spirit, wiſdome, liberty of ſpeech, courage, or any other excellency, it's that the Lord Chriſt beſtowes upon them; I have made thee ſo and ſo. Let not us be lift up, our Maſter Chriſt had in him all the treaſures of Wiſdome, the Spirit above meaſure; he was full of grace and truth, did more then all, his fame was great, and yet he was humble, and bade us learn of him; he did not ſleight or deſpiſe men of mean talents, and infinitly beneath himſelf, but acknowledged the leaſt good was in any, and incouraged it; his ſteps ſhould wee follow, and not ſwell with a conceit of worth, nor with reality of parts and excellencies; it's the practice of too many to ſleight others, and build up themſelves by their ruines, but this is a worldly and wicked practice, never taught by Chriſt, his Doctrine is, Let each eſteem others better then themſelves, Look not every man on his own things, but on the things of others, Phil. 2.3, 4. it's injury and indignity to Chriſt, not to reverence and eſteem his graces and gifts in others. Bernard tells of one, who beweiling his own condition, ſaid, he ſaw thirty vertues in another, whereof he had not one in himſelf, and perhaps, ſaith Bernard, of all his thirty, he had not one like this mans humility, this grace is the glory of a Chriſtian, and eſpecially of a Miniſter; pride is for Prelates, and humility for Prophets; God brooks not pride in any, leaſt of all in his Meſſengers: Chriſts Diſciples had a tincture of it, their thoughts were aſpiring, who ſhould be greateſt, but he ſets a child before them, and tells them, who is greateſt, not he that hath the ſtrongeſt head, the beſt notions, doth the moſt ſervice, but he is the moſt humble, he is the moſt high; humility is ſo valued of God, that he likes it in malefactis, rather then pride in recte factis; a man that is innocent and proud, is leſſe in Gods eye, then he that is guilty and humble: let us rather minde the good in others, to honour them, and maintain love, then that is in our ſelves to lift us up, and make us ſleight others.
4. Chriſt puts inſuperable vertue and ſtrength into his ſervants, ſuch as the powers of darkneſſe and the world cannot prevail againſt; I have made thy face ſtrong againſt their faces, as an Adamant, as a rock, let the winds, waters, flouds, blow, waſh, beat, they prevail not againſt the Adamant, the Rock; they are res indomabiles: ſo is the power, vertue and grace of Chriſt in the heart and head of a faithfull Miniſter; reproach and deriſion put Jeremiah to it, had almoſt ſilenc'd him: I will preach no more, Jer. 20.9. but his Word was as a burning fire, ſhut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not ſtay; there was vertue within which would out and act; God had told them, that they ſhould fight againſt him, but not prevail; Jer. 15.20. Luke 21.15. Chriſt tells his Diſciples, hee will give them a mouth and wiſdome which all their adverſaries ſhould not be able to reſiſt; and could that great Councell in the 4th of the Acts prevail againſt Peter and John? We cannot but ſpeak the things that we have ſeen and heard, Verſ. 20. So Stephen was too ſtout for all his adverſaries, Act. 6.10. Such vertue was put into Baſil the great; you know how he anſwered the Ruler, and ſtood impregnable againſt his threats, who went and told the Emperor, ſaying, Victi ſumus, Rex, in Eccleſiae hujus negotio vir ille minis eſt ſuperior, verbis robuſtior & perſuaſionibus fortior. You muſt ſet upon ſome other man more ignoble, or force him openly, you ſhall never overcome him with threats; this made Nazianzen ſay of him, that he was percutientibus adamas, & diſſidentibus magnes: Could all the policy of the Conclave, and power of Antichriſt conquer that divine vertue was put into Luther? The wicked may drive the godly from their ſtandings, not from their ſtedfaſtneſſe.
5. That the Meſſengers of God being call'd and ſtrengthened by Chriſt, are to go on animo intrepido; Fear them not, neither be diſmayed at their looks, though they be rebellious, &c. If they be ſtrong, or againſt thee, I am ſtronger that am with thee; if they frown, I ſmile; if they watch to do thee hurt, I watch to do thee good; if thy Doctrine provoke them, yet it pleaſes me.
From the 10th Verſe, obſerve
1. That the heart is the treaſury where the truth ſhould be laid up; Receive my words in thine heart; hee muſt heare with his eare, but that is not enough, he muſt alſo admit the word into his heart, and lay it up there; what is in the head may ſoon be loſt, but what is in the heart abides: Books lockt up in the cloſet are ſafe, and truths laid up in the heart are ſecure; Jam. 1.21. Laying aſide all filthineſſe and ſuperfluity of malice, or naughtineſſe, receive in meekneſs the ingraffed word; they muſt firſt put out of their hearts filthineſs,foreign. malice, wrath, what ever had poſſeſſion of the heart, and kept out the Word, and open their hearts to entertain the Word; that as it's with a graffe put into a ſtock, ſo it might be with the Word in their hearts, even be an ingraffed Word, a word to root and grow there, and bear fruit in the life; Luke 8.15. The ſeed on the good ground, are they which in an honeſt and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit. The heart is the ground this ſeed will grow in; David knew this, and therfore hid the Word of God in his heart, Pſa. 119.11. And why there? that I might not fin againſt thee. This corn will not let the weeds grow, when the Word is in the heart, it keeps under all corruption, it makes them languiſh and come to nothing; many do by the Word as by their Jewels, they hang them at their ears, that is the place for them, and ſo the Word is only in their eares, they heare, and that is all, it enters not into their hearts, and therefore is ſubject to caſualty, the Devill, world, pleaſures, one thing or other ſteal it away, or make it unfruitfull; but the heart is the right and beſt place for that treaſure. A godly mans treaſure is in the heart, within, anothers is in the eare, and without; many heare the Word with the eare, but receive it not into the heart, and that is a worthleſſe hearing; Joh. 8.47. The Jewes heard Chriſt preach, yet he tells them their hearing was no hearing; yee heare not Gods Word, becauſe yee are not of God. They heard, but not with the heart, the truth entred not, abode not with them; let us look to our hearing, and lay up the truths of Chriſt in our heart, Luke 2.19. Mary kept thoſe ſayings, and pondered them in her heart.
2. All the truths of Chriſt muſt have intereſt in the heart; Pſal. 40.8. Thy Law is within my heart, hee doth not ſay, a Precept or two, a part, or half the Law is within my heart, but thy Law, the whole Law; ſome truth, none is ſo bad, but hee would give entertainment unto truths of mercy, truths of liberty, truths of caſe and comfort, truths in credit; ſo men might pick and chooſe what truths they liſted, they would imbrace them, but when truths are reproached, will ſubject to danger, loſſe, difficulties, when they ſtrike at our luſts, call for mortification, ſelf-deniall, conformity to Chriſt, &c. then men will ſcarcely afford truth their eares, much leſſe their hearts; hence thoſe expreſſions in Scripture, of mens perverting the wayes of God, Acts 30.10. of being contentious againſt the truth, Rom. 2.8. ſpeaking evill of it, 2 Pet. 2.2. of reſiſting it, 2 Tim. 3.8. yea, perſecuting it, Acts 22.4. There be many truths that fleſh and blood cannot indure, ſome have torn out parts of Scripture, becauſe croſſe to their luſts and lives; it's known what hath been done to the Word of God in Ireland, and England too of late dayes. Some are enemies to the whole truth, moſt to ſome parts of it, but wee muſt receive all the words of Chriſt; if the leaſt tittle of the Law and Goſpel be more durable and excellent then heaven and earth,Matth. 5.18. there is ſufficient reaſon it ſhould have intereſt in our hearts; let the truths be what they will, ſo they be the words and truths of Chriſt, we ſhould receive them, and that which makes us receive one, ſhould make us receive all; Do I r…ceive one, becauſe it's from Chriſt? then I ſhould receive all, becauſe they are from Chriſt; if I do not receive all, I may miſcarry for refuſing of one truth; Pſal. 219.6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed, when I have reſpect unto all thy Commandements.
From the 11th Verſe, obſerve;
1. That affliction, is a fit time for inſtruction: G…t thee to them of the captivity; they were in Babylon, ſtript of all, captives under Nebuchadnezzar, and now the Lord judged it a fit ſeaſon for a Prophet to be ſent unto them; when people are in miſery, they ſee the uncertainty of life, the inſufficiency of all creatures, the ſinfulneſſe of ſin, that the wrath of God is a dreadfull thing; thoughts of death and eternity are upon them, and now is a good ſeaſon to bring the truths of the eternall God unto them, Vexatio dat intellectum, it makes men conſider, look about, inquire how they may be delivered, where to get ſafety. When a kingdome is in danger, a Parliament is ſeaſonable; when there is war in the gates, then counſell and inſtruction are welcome, and when people in captivity, a Prophet amongſt them will do well.
2. When Gods people degenerate, he owns them not for his; Get thee to the captivity, and to thy people, God own'd them not; now his care of them, and affection towards them, is much abated: God doth look upon things and perſons, that hee formerly took delight in, being corrupt, as not his own: Iſa. 1.14. Your new moons and appointed feaſts my ſoul hateth; they were the Lords people, hee appointed the new moons and feaſts, but becauſe they had corrupted them, hee owns them not, but calls them theirs: ſo in Exod. 32.7. God bids Moſes get him down from the mount; what was the matter? Thy people thou broughteſt out of Egypt have corrupted themſelves; their corrupting themſelves with Idolatry, made God diſclaim them; they are thy people, go look after them, I will deſtroy them elſe; he calls them Moſes his people there, and here he calls them Ezekiels, to let them ſee how his heart was eſtranged from them; while they were faithfull to God, hee counted highly of them, they were precious in his ſight, honourable, beloved; but when they went a whoring from God,Iſa. 43.4. hee accounts not of them, he calls them not his, owns them not; they had ſhamefully diſhonoured God by their ſins, and he will not honour them with the title of his people.
3. The ſervants of Chriſt muſt execute their Functions without reſpect of perſons, or regard to ſucceſſe; Speak to them, what ever they be, and tell them, Thus ſaith the Lord, that one greater then themſelves hath ſent thee, and will call them to account, and whether they will heare or forbeare, let not that trouble thee, do thy duty, be not troubled at the oppoſitions of men, or ſucceſſeſneſſe of thy labours.