Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 3 · Verse 18-19
VERS. 18, 19.
When I ſay unto the wicked, Thou ſhalt ſurely die, and thou giveſt him not warning, nor ſpeakeſt to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to ſave his life, &c.
IN theſe Verſes, is a more particular object of his Office, viz. The wicked, whom he muſt tell of his ſin, or die for it; here was the operation of the Roul, ſad and bitter work in the thoughts and apprehenſions of the Prophet.
When I ſay unto the wicked.
God ſpeaks not immediatly unto the wicked, how then is it here ſaid, When I ſay, &c. God ſometime ſpeaks to them by their conſcience, which tels them from God, that they are guilty, and ſhall die. But this reaches not the ſenſe of the words; it may be thus taken; When I ſay to the wicked; that is, in my Word; Gods ſpeaks to all wicked men in his Word, and there it's evidenc'd what is the portion of every ſinner; but yet there is ſomewhat more in this phraſe: When I ſay to the wicked, that is, of the wicked, thou ſhalt die, and thou giveſt him not warning, &c. That in Heb. 1.7. Of the Angels hee ſaith, in the originall is, to the Angels, foreign.but the ſenſe is of the Angels he ſaith; and ſo here, to the wicked, is of the wicked; or, if this be not full enough, you may take it thus; When I ſuggeſt to thee by my Spirit, that the wicked ſhall die, and thou doſt not give him notice thereof, &c.
Thou ſhalt ſurely die.
Moth tamuth, in dying thou ſhalt die, that is,foreign thou ſhalt certainly die; amongſt the Hebrewes, where there is repetition of the word by an Adverb, Gerund, Participle, or the Verb it ſelf, it ever increaſeth the ſignification of the firſt word; 1 King. 8.13. I have ſurely built thee an houſe; it is in the Hebrew, In huilding I have built thee an houſe; ſo in 1 Sam. 26.25. Thou ſhalt do great things, and ſhalt alſo ſtill prevail; the Hebrew is, faciendo facies, & valendo valebis, in doing thou ſhalt do, in prevailing thou ſhalt prevail: by ſuch duplication of the words, the ſignification is intended, and ſo in theſe words, thou ſhalt ſurely die.
In his iniquity.
That is, for his iniquity; ſo the Prepoſition ב Beth, it muſt be underſtood, if he would take notice of his ſin, repent and leave it, he ſhould not die; but becauſe he goes on in it, he ſhall die for it: Hoſea 12.12. there you find Iſrael ſerved for a wife; the Hebrew is Beiſhſhah, foreignin a wife; but the ſenſe inforceth it to be rendred for a wife, and ſo here, for his iniquity.
His blood will I require at thy hand.
His death ſhall be imputed unto thee, and thou ſhalt anſwer for it, I will charge it upon thy head, and deal with thee as a murtherer, thou haſt ſhed his blood, and I will avenge it on thee; ſo the word inquire imports, Gen. 9.5. Surely your blood of your lives will I require, &c. Require is thrice in that verſe; and what is meant by requiring the blood, or life of man, is fully expreſt in the next Verſe, Who ſo ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed; ſo then when blood is ſhed, and life is loſt, Gods requiring of it is to have blood for blood, and life for life; hee that ſheds blood, or ſuffers blood to be ſhed, when he may prevent it, he ſhall be reſponſible for it. God is wronged by ſhedding of blood, and will have ſatisfaction for it; therefore he is ſaid to make inquiſition for blood, Pſal. 9.12. Gods requiring, mentioned, Deut. 18.19. is expounded by Peter, of deſtruction, Acts 3.23.
What death is meant in this Verſe, is doubted among Interpreters; whether the death of the body, or of the ſoul, or of both; the Ancients interpret it of the death of the ſoul, the ſoul of the wicked going on in his ſin, and of the Prophet neglecting his duty, ſhall die for it: ſome later Expoſiters would have it meant of the death of the body, ſome temporall judgement to cut them off by; but wee ſee many ill Prophets, that neglect to warn the wicked of their evill wayes, and many wicked men go on in their ſinfull courſes, and neither are taken away by temporall judgements: the young Prophet was ſlain by a Lion, 1 King. 13. becauſe he was leſſe faithfull then he ſhould have been; and Jonas was caſt into the deeps, buried in the belly of a Whale, becauſe hee declined the ſervice of the Lord; but theſe were extraordinary acts and chaſtiſements, not vindictae, true, reall puniſhments. I conceive therefore by death is meant all calamities leading unto death,H…c loco accipitur ſanguis pro animae damnatione, licet etiam pro corporis caede & pernicie poſſit intelligi. Pint. in loc. and the death of ſoul and body at laſt, if faith and repentance did not intervene; if eternall death be due to the ſinner, dying in his ſins, it's threatned to the Prophet for not telling him of his ſin, otherwiſe a temporall puniſhment for an immortall ſoul, loſt eternally by the negligence of the Prophet, ſhould be all the recompence made, and that is not compenſatio ſufficiens, nay, frequently there ſhould not be any, for ill and idle Prophets do live as long, as healthfully and happily as others, and die without any hand of God obſervable upon them.
Obſerv. 1. The Lord Chriſt knowes who are wicked and vile; we gueſſe at men, and preſume oft wrongfully they are ſuch, but the Lord knowes who are ſuch in truth, and is not deceived; hee knowes the Goats and Swine as really as the Sheep and Lambs, hee can diſtinguiſh between the vile and precious, between his jewels and the reprobate ſilver, he never miſ-titles or miſcalls any, he knew the Scribes and Phariſees were hypocrites, and therefore call'd them ſo; hee knew that Judas was a Traytor,Non eadem eſt ſententia tribunalis Chriſti & anguli ſuſurronum, Jer. Ep. 39. and therefore branded him with that name: he call'd Herod a Fox, Nathaniel a true Iſraelite, and in neither was he miſtaken; 2 Tim. 2.19. The Lord knoweth them that are his, yea, and thoſe that are not his; Chriſt could tell Ezekiel what the people of Iſrael were better then himſelf that dwelt amongſt them, hee told him they were Briers, Thornes, Scorpions, a rebellious Houſe, if all the world beſides had ſaid ſo, and not Chriſt, it had been no great matter, the world is full of errour, it miſtakes; but when the Lord himſelf, who is infallible, ſhall pronounce a man wicked, then is he wicked indeed, there is great weight in it, let us look to it; what hee ſaith in his Word of us; if he call us wicked, proud, froward, &c. we are ſo.
2. The power of life and death is in Chriſts hand; when I ſay to the wicked, Thou ſhalt die, he hath authority over their lives, and can at his pleaſure pronounce them dead men, Act. 3.15. he is the Prince of life; and Rev. 1.18. hee hath the keys of hell and death, hee can let out the ſoul from the body, and let it into hell when hee will. The life of man which is moſt deare to him is at the will of another; He ſpake with authority, when hee ſaid, Bring thoſe mine enemies that will not have mee to rule over them, and ſlay them before mee, Luke 19.27. When men are arm'd with power over our lives, they are much feared: Judges, when they go forth to keep Aſſizes, make Counties to quake; and Princes, when they go forth to war, make Kingdomes tremble. Now Pſal. 2.10, 11. Kings and Judges are commanded to ſerve him with feare, to kiſſe him with ſubjection, leſt hee be angry, and command them to be ſlain, or tell them they ſhall die. If Kings and Judges that make others feare, muſt feare the Lord Chriſt, and ſubmit unto him, how ſhould all under them do it then? Chriſt knowes us, what we are, how we have ſinned, what wee deſerve, and can in a moment deſtroy us, or proclaim it our conſciences that wee ſhall die in our iniquities, and eternally ſuffer for them; It was hee awakened Judas's conſcience, and ſet it on fire, let out his life, and ſent his ſoul to perdition; Be you great or ſmall, he is the Lord, he is ruler of the Princes of the earth, all power is in his hand; and though he be the Lamb of God, yet hee is alſo the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and can ſhake Kingdomes, conſciences with his voyce, let us feare before him.
3. When Chriſt ſends Prophets and Miniſters, hee doth not denude himſelf of his power, and authorize them to condemne or abſolve at their pleaſure, they muſt depend upon Chriſt, heare him ſpeak, and ſay of the wicked, Thou ſhalt ſurely die; before they pronounce a man a dead man, a wicked man: their power is declaratorie, and if Chriſt do not declare to them, they muſt not declare againſt others; Jam. 4.12. There is one Law-giver, who is able to ſave, and to deſtroy; Who art thou that judgeſt another? none have power to make or impoſe Lawes upon the good or the bad, but Chriſt, all others muſt have warrant from him, be they Princes or Prophets; and why? It's he that hath the power to ſave and to deſtroy, not they, and therefore it followes; Who art thou that judgeſt another? it's arrogancy and boldneſſe in any, to ſtep into Chriſts place, and impoſe any lawes, decrees, or inventions of men upon the conſciences of others, or to judge the conditions of men without warrant from Chriſt and his Word; Prophets may not do it, much leſſe others. Hence, what the Prophets, and all Miniſters ſay, muſt be examined, to the Law, and to the Teſtimony,Iſa. 8.20. if they ſpeak not according to this Word, it is becauſe there is no light in them, no mourning, (ſaith the Hebrew) becauſe Chriſt hath not appeared unto them, warranted them, and then their impoſitions and cenſures have no weight in them, and we may prudentially refuſe them.
4. The fruit of ſin is death; if wickedneſſe be found in men, death will be threatned from God; wickedneſſe calls for its pay, and that is death: If I ſay to the wicked, Thou ſhalt ſurely die; when mans wickedneſſe clamors in heaven, Chriſt will call the ſound of death to be heard on earth; Rom. 6.23. The wages of ſin is death; the word is foreign, and properly ſignifies what ever is edible with bread, and Synecdochically the wages or ſalarie of ſouldiers, and it ſuites in both ſenſes with our purpoſe:Eph. 5.11. ſin is a work, and a work of darkneſſe, a work of the fleſh, Gal. 5.19. and they commit it are workers of iniquity, Pſal. 55. and it's equity that work-men ſhould have meat and wages, and here is both, death is the delicates that the ſinner hath to feed upon, and death the wages that the ſinner earns, ſuch meat and wages he is ſure to have: others may miſſe of both, work and have no meat, work and go without wages; but this work-man, the wicked man, hee ſhall never miſſe of either of theſe, hee ſhall ſurely die, his meat and wages ſhall not be with-held; mans own ſin will ſlay him, Prov. 5.22.
5. The Prophets and Miniſters of Chriſt, muſt not only warn the people, but warn them oft, warn them themſelves, and ſpeak to warn, put on others alſo to do it; they muſt not be flack, remiſſe in this buſineſſe, they muſt do it earneſtly, conſtantly, uſe all means to regain the wicked; the repetition of the words imports ſo much; if thou giveſt him not warning, nor ſpeaks to warn; he muſt be ſolicitous and frequent in the work; Paul knew it, and therefore counſells Timothy, not only to preach the Word,2 Tim. 4.2. but to be inſtant, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon; carnall reaſon counts preaching unſeaſonable, that is, upon week dayes and occaſionall; but the ſervants of God muſt take all opportunities to warn ſinners of their evill courſes, and to win ſouls; Chriſt forbare his meat and drink, and Paul his ſleep, to preach unto the people:Acts 20.7. fleſh and blood judges night preaching unſeaſonable, if not unlawfull, but Paul thought it not unſeaſonable to preach even till midnight to do them good, hee was a night preacher and a day preacher, verſ. 31. ſaith he, by the ſpace of three yeeres I ceaſed not to warn every one night and day, ſuch was his vigilancy and diligence, he was exceeding carefull to prevent evill, and to do them good, Phil. 3.18. he told them often of the thing, and warn'd them to take heed of the ſame men.
6. There is hope of wicked men, that live in diſſolute wayes; before, the Lord term'd them a rebellious nation, impudent children, ſtiffe-hearted, Briers, Thorns, Scorpions, moſt rebellious, that rebellious houſe; and here he calls them wicked ones; and yet they muſt be warn'd, that they may return from their wicked wayes and live; ſome are hopefull and curable, where wickeneſſe prevails generally, and all ſeems deſperate: Manaſſes was as wicked a King as lived, a great Idolater, a great dealer with Inchaunters, Wizards and familiar Spirits, a great ſeducer of the people, to make them do worſe then the nations did, a great ſhedder of innocent blood; ſo that the Text ſaith, hee did wickedly above all that the Amorites did, 2 King. 21.11. yet this great ſinner found mercy, greater then all his ſins; 2 Chron. 33.12, 13. hee humbled himſelf greatly, hee prayed, and God was intreated of him; he is wicked one day, may turn another day, he may become penitent and believing the next day, that is curſing, blaſpheming this day, as in Saul; ſome come in early, at the third, ſixth, ninth hour, others late, at the eleventh and twelvth; the Thief came in at the laſt hour; let times be never ſo corrupt, perſons deſperately wicked, yet there is hope, and God may have a ſeed amongſt them, let us throw the net oft, we may catch fiſh in mari mortuo.
7. The end and ſcope of a Prophet and Miniſters labours muſt be to ſave life; he muſt warn the wicked, that ſo hee may ſave his life, preſerve his ſoul; Paul tels Timothy, that by preaching and continuing in the Word, hee ſhould ſaye himſelf, and thoſe that heard him, 1 Tim. 4.16. Mens lives and ſouls are in great danger daily, Errours, Hereſies, Luſts, Temptations, threaten ruine and deſtruction to men continually; the work and care of the Prophets is, to ſecure them from theſe, and to recall them from their ſinfull practices: Jam. 5.20. He that converts the ſinner from the errour of his way, ſhall ſave a ſoul from death, and hide a multitude of ſins: that which Ezekiel calls the ſinners wicked way, James calls the errour of his way, his ſinfull manners, actions, courſes, opinions, humors, affections and principles; from theſe muſt the ſervant of God labour to deliver him. It's Miniſters work, and the end of the Miniſtery, to ſave ſouls; therefore,
Firſt, their ſcope muſt not be to ſhew learning, wit, eloquence, 1 Cor. 1.17. The Apoſtle preached, but not with wiſdome of words; not with excellency of ſpeech, Chap. 2.1. not with inticing words of mans wiſdome, verſ. 4. and he gives the reaſon of it; leſt the croſſe of Chriſt ſhould be made of none effect, that is, leſt men ſhould think they are ſaved, rather by vertue of mans wiſdome then Chriſts paſſion; or as it's more fully in Chap. 2. ver. 5.Regnum Dei non in eloquentia, ſed in fide conſtat. that their faith ſhould not ſtand in the wiſdome of men, it will go off from one to another, as men are more witty, and hold out the truth, in ſiner and more inticing expreſſions, which will prove evill; therefore hee declined the wiſdome of men, and preached in demonſtration of the Spirit, that their faith might ſtand in the power of God, in ſuch conviction and operation of the Spirit, as might breed invincible ſtedfaſtneſſe in them.
Secondly, not to pleaſe men; Gal. 1.10. Do I ſeek to pleaſe men? if that were my end, I ſhould not be the ſervant of Chriſt; but he muſt ſerve Chriſt in ſaving of ſouls, not in pleaſing of men, when that is propounded unto men, they will ſubject truth to mens humor, and become flatterers; but Miniſters muſt not doe ſo, not frame their Sermons according to mens humors and minds: Jer. 15.19. Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them; do not thou comply, debaſe the truth to pleaſe them, but ſpeak as the Oracles of God, and let them pleaſe or provoke, it matters not; the provoking of them may be the neereſt way to their ſalvation, and that is thy end.
Thirdly, not to get a living; that is not the end of a Prophets office, it's to make men living men, to ſave their lives and ſouls, Paul preached the Goſpel without charge to any, and told the Corinthians, he ſought them, not theirs, their ſouls, not their ſubſtance; yet he denies not, but that they that preach the Goſpel ſhould live of it, 1 Cor. 9.14. It's fit Preachers ſhould have maintenance, and ſufficient, but the end of preaching is not a living, but life;Cadit Aſina, & eſt qui ſublevet eam perit anima & nemo eſt qui reparet, Bern. the life of ſinners, to ſave, to deliver them; ſeeing this is the end of their calling, how ſhould it quicken them to their work? If a Sheep were in a pit, a child in a fire, what haſte would wee make to pull them forth? and ſhall wee ſee ſouls ruſhing into the eternall pit, the eternall fire, and not move our feet, our tongues to help them?
8. The office of a Prophet and Miniſter is honourable; it's to ſave life, to ſave ſouls, their Calling is converſant about the lives and ſouls of men; the ſoul is the immediate work of God, the Image of God, of more worth then all the world; it was for the ſouls ſake,Magna res anima quae Chriſti ſanguine redempta eſt, Bern. Ep. that Chriſt came down from heaven, prayed, preached, wrought Miracles, ſuffered death, and gave his heart-blood; this made the Father ſay, Precious is the ſoul, being redeemed with Chriſts blood; and being a thing of ſuch worth and conſequence, the Miniſters work is to ſave it; that very work which is the Lords and Chriſts, therefore in 1 Cor. 3.9. the Apoſtle ſaith of himſelf, and all Miniſters,foreign. Wee are labourers together with God, co-workers, concurrent with God in the ſalvation of ſinners; this is great honour,In Obad. and made Jerome ſay, Ipſe Salvator Apoſtolos ſuos mundi eſſe voluit ſalvatores, Chriſt hath made Apoſtles ſaviours of the world; he calls them the light and ſalt of the world, they inlighten the blind, and ſeaſon the unſavoury ſouls of men, and ſo ſave them from corruption and perdition; it's an hard, but an honourable work, therfore ſaith James, Let him know that hath converted a ſin…, that hee hath ſaved a ſoul from death, Jam. 5.20. let him know it, it's a great and glorious work is done, that he may be incouraged, and God be praiſed.
9. Ignorance will be no plea for wicked men; if they be not warn'd, not told of their ſins, they ſhall die: men are apt to excuſe themſelves, they are ignorant, they knew not this or that to be ſins, their Teachers were inſufficient or negligent: and this may be truth; but neither their fault, nor thy ignorance will be a ſufficient plea before God, warn'd or unwarn'd, the wicked ſhall die: Iſa. 27.11. It is a people of no underſtanding, therefore hee that made them will not have mercy on them, and hee that formed them will ſhew them no favour; Neſcience may excuſe in part, but ignorance hardly at all; that which men produce in favour of themſelves, God produces againſt them; you are an ignorant people, ſaith God, of no underſtanding, you know not prima principia, neither God nor your ſelves, and think becauſe you are ignorant, therefore to find mercy and favour at my hands, but you are deceived, your ignorance aggravates your woe ever; therefore will I ſhew you no mercy, no favour; thoſe are ignorant of God and his wayes, God will be ignorant of them in their greateſt ſtraits, Depart frm mee, I never knew you, Matth. 7.23. Ignorance is a great evill, it makes men brutiſh, like Nebuchadnezzar, who had an Oxes heart in a mans ſhape: ignorance is part of the Devils image, as knowledge is of Gods; wee ſhould labour therefore to get knowledge, ſavory and ſaving; for it's not good that the heart be without knowledge, Prov. 19.2.
10. See here who are the moſt cruell, bloody, and damning Miniſters, even thoſe that are ſilent, that warn not the people of their ſins, that preach flattering things, or to no purpoſe; let men be dumb, and not ſpeak at all, or preach, ſo as not to warn them of their ſins and dangers, they are, who ever they be, whether the greater or leſſer Clergie, as they uſe to diſtinguiſh themſelves, they are the bloody, damning, ſoul-murthering Miniſters; you cry out of thoſe Miniſters that tell you moſt of your ſins, that ſet judgement, hell and damnation before you, they be bitter, harſh men, cryed out of on all ſides; whereas they are the faithfulleſt friends that ſinners have; they would fain ſave your ſouls, pull you out of the pit, keep you out of hell, and help you into heaven, and are they cenſurable for this? ſhould one ſee a company of travellers going in a way they ſhould fall into the hands of Cavaliers or Thieves, and tell them the danger of it with great affection and compaſſion, ſhould another ſee them, and ſay nothing, or bid them go on, and they do ſo, are taken, ſtript, impriſon'd, ſtarv'd to death, you can eaſily tell which of theſe dealt moſt faithfully and friendly, which treacherouſly and cruelly: too many of the Miniſters in England have been faulty this way, and guilty of murthering multitudes, if not millions of ſouls; it's one of the crying ſins of the Land, that wee have had ſuch a dumb, inſufficient, and conſequently ſuch a bloody ſoul-damning Miniſtery: And many amongſt them having ſlain ſouls, now by putting on theſe wars, ſeek to ſlay bodies alſo.
11. There is a great neceſſity lyeth upon the Prophets and Miniſters of Chriſt, to preach, and to preach home to the conſcience; warn them they muſt, and ſo warn them, that they may take notice, elſe it's in vain, and ſhall be before the Lord as no warning; this they muſt do, and do it oft; and why? elſe the blood of the wicked will be required at their hand, their blood, their lives, lye at the ſtake for ſinners ſouls, they have a hard task, a dangerous Calling, and therefore had need preach, and tell them of their ſins, that if it be poſſible, they may ſave their ſouls, if not, their own; people wonder many times at ſome Preachers, they are ſo fierie, ſo particular, ſo terrible, ſo long, you may ceaſe to wonder, their lives, their ſouls, go for it, if they do it not; the hazard of ſouls and lives will make dumb men ſpeak; Croeſus ſon being dumb, and ſeing one ready to ſtrike and endanger the life of his father, cry'd out, What, will you kill my father? and if our dumb Miniſters had any faith, if they did believe that ſin was ſlaying the ſouls of their people, they would lift up their voyce, they would ſpeak; Pſal. 116.10. I believed, ſaid David, therefore have I ſpoken; and godly Miniſters believe mens ſouls are in danger, that their own do lie at the ſtake, and therefore they have ſpoken, do ſpeak, and will ſpeak: you that have curam animarum, the charge of ſouls, look about you, if you diſcharge not your duty, you undo them, and undo your ſelves; let not feare, favour, credits, gifts, hopes, miſbiaſs you; let not difficulties, miſtakes of people, or any other thing diſcourage you, but remember your own danger, warn ſinners, elſe their blood will be upon you, and that is a dreadfull thing; did men well conſider this, they would not be ſo greedy of Livings, and pawn their ſouls for pelf; if the death of the body were only here meant, as it is not, wee have great cauſe to feare ſilence; for if we be liable to death for the death of that which is periſhable, and muſt die, what guilt then doth a Prophet contract for the death of a ſoul which might have lived for ever, if he had done his duty? David knew the weight of blood-guiltineſſe, Pſal. 51.14. when he cryed out ſo, Deliver me from blood-guiltineſſe, &c. that was but the blood of the body; what then is the blood of ſouls? it's a mountainous ſinking thing; we have ſins ſufficient of our own; we had not need to draw the guilt of others upon us;aAlienas mortes addimus, quiae tot occidimus, quot ad mortem ire quot idic tepidi & tacentes v…demus, Greg. in loc. ſo many we kill, as we ſee to ſin, and ſilently ſuffer to go on in their ſins. Paul knew it, and therefore ſaid, Wo is unto me, if I preach not the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 9.16. And there is a wo to all that have charges, that preach not unto them; it'sbThe world is full of Prieſts, Sed tamen in meſſe Dei rarus valdè invenitur operator. we take upon us the office, but opus officii non implemus, Gre. Hom. 17. needfull for us all, but eſpecially, for Non-reſidents, dumb Miniſters, thoſe are negligent in their preaching, or impertinent, to meditate oft on theſe words; his blood will I require at thy hands, which words are fulmina, non verba, ſaith Eraſmus: when the Bell rings for a wicked man, feare, leſt there be blood to be required at thy hand.fHerod. l. 9. Euenius a Shepheard, that had the Sheep belonging to a city committed to him, through his negligence, a Wolf entred, and devoured ſixty of them; upon this hee was condemn'd and loſt his eyes. Not only Miniſters, but Parents and Maſters, their ſouls are ingaged for their children and ſervants, and they muſt be reſponſible for them, if they warn them not, if they periſh through their default.
12. It's the duty of people to heare their Miniſters, and willingly to receive inſtructions, and take warning from them, eſpecially people of their Miniſters, becauſe they watch for their ſouls, they work for them, and they venture for them, even their own lives and ſouls; it's mercy God will ſend any to admoniſh us, if we hearken to admonitions we ſhall live, if we do not, wee grieve the ſervants of God, if they be ſilent, our ſins are not the leſſe.