Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 13

Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13 · Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 13

p. 508CHAP. XIII.

VERS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

And the word of the Lord came unto me ſaying,

Son of man, propheſie againſt the Prophets of Iſrael, that propheſie, and ſay thou unto them that propheſie out of their owne hearts, hear yee the word of the Lord.

Thus ſaith the Lord God, woe unto the fooliſh Prophets, that follow their own ſpirit, and have ſeen nothing.

O Iſrael, thy Prophets are like the foxes in the deſarts.

Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the houſe of Iſrael, to ſtand in the battell in the day of the LORD.

They have ſeen vanity, and lying divination, ſaying, the Lord ſaith, and the Lord hath not ſent them: and they have made others to hope, that they would confirme the word.

Have ye not ſeen a vaine viſion, and have ye not ſpoken a lying divination: whereas ye ſay, The LORD ſaith it, albeit I have not ſpoken?

THE former Chapter concern'd the King, and the people; this concernes onelyonly the falſe Prophets, and Propheteſſes, who taking upon them that Office, were led by their owne ſpirits, and deceiv'd the people with vaine viſions, and lying divinations, to accompliſh their owne ends; againſt theſe doth the Lord ſet our Prophet Ezekiel on worke to propheſie ſeverely.

In the Chapter you have two generall parts.

p. 5091. A Propheſie againſt falſe Prophets, in the firſt 16. Verſes.

2. A Propheſie againſt Women Prophets from the 17. Verſ. to the end.

In the firſt part you have the judgements and ſins of the falſe prophets declared and laid downe.

1. The judgements threatned againſt them, which are in the 2. 3. 8. 9. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16.

2. The ſins cauſing thoſe judgements threatned, and they are expreſſed in the, 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 16. Gods threatnings and their ſins, are promiſcuouſly delivered by our Prophet, and we ſhall handle them as they lye.

The 1. verſ. 2. & 17. Doe ſhew the Author of this Propheſie; and that was the Lord, who bade Ezekiel Propheſie, and ſet his face againſt them. Our Prophet had Divine warrant for what he ſaid, and wiſely prefixes it, when he was to deale with falſe Prophets, who had neither word nor warrant from God for what they ſaid or did; true Prophets have their Commiſſion and Inſtruction from God.

In the 2. Verſe you have,

1. The appellation, Son of man.

2. A a command, and that is two fold.

1. Is to Ezekiel, Propheſie.

2. Is to the falſe Prophets, Here ye the word, &c.

3. The kind of Propheſie, and that is comminatory, Propheſie againſt the Prophets of Iſrael.

4. The ſin that moves God to ſet the Prophet againſt them, and that is, They Propheſie out of their owne heart.

Againſt the Prophets of Iſrael.

Whether the Prophete in Babylon or in Zion you may demand, for there were falſe Prophets in Babylon, who were the Prophets of Iſrael, becauſe they Propheſied to the captive Jews. Jer. 29.8.9. And there were falſe Prophets at Jeruſalem. Jer. 27.14. And they were the Prophets of Iſrael alſo. We may underſtand this Propheſie of the falſe Prophets in both places.

p. 510That Propheſie out of their owne hearts.

Hebrew, them that are Prophets out of their owne hearts; Vulgar; Prophetantibus de corde ſuo. Caſt. Qui commenta ſua vatici nantur. To Prophecy out of theie ownr hearts, is,

1. To Prophecy upon their owne m…ere motion, they are Prophets becauſe themſelves will be Prophets, and they Propheſie becauſe they will Propheſie: they have no call to this Office, but their wills, they thruſt themſelves upon it.

2. The things they Propheſie not their owne, what their fancies, luſts, affections, carnall reaſon, ſuggeſt unto them; thoſe things they deliver, their Propheſies came by the will of man. 2 Pet. 1.21. For the Propheſie in old time came not by the will of man. The true Prophets did not propheſie out of their owne hearts, after their owne wills, but they ſpake as they were moov'd by the holy ſpirit, what that brought in they gave out. Divine truths were preſented to them, and thoſe they commended to the people: but falſe Prophets had nothing of, or from the ſpirit: they had all out of their owne hearts; yet pretended they were inſpired and had the ſpirit. 1. Kings. 22.24. Which way went the ſpirit of the Lord from me unto thee. Zedekiah and all the reſt of the falſe Prophets thought they had the ſpirit of the Lord, but it was the ſpirit of Satan a lying ſpirit they had, verſ. 22. I will goe forth and be a lying ſpirit, in the mouth of all his Prophets.

Queſt. If they ſpeak out of their owne hearts why are they cald Prophets; they are Prophets that ſpeak from God and not themſelves.

Anſw. The word Prophet is taken largely, for any one that foretells things true or falſe, and is common to good and bad, the Scripture ſpeaks according to the uſe of words. Titus 1.12. One of themſelves even a Prophet of their owne. That was Epivunides a Poet; for poets were commonly cald Prophets, and ſo the Scripture gives the name to any foretelling things, Baals Prophets, 1 K. 18.19. And the Prophets of the graves, in the 2 Pet. 2.1. There were falſe Prophets among the people.

p. 511Thus ſaith the Lord God, Woe unto the fooliſh Prophets, &c.

Here the Prophet proceeds in denouncing judgement, and deſcribing thoſe falſe Prophets.

1. The judgement denounced is in this word Woe, French, Malediction ſur les fol Prophetes.a little word, but very comprehenſive, all evils are contained in it, they promiſe all happineſſe to the people, but woe to themſelves, woe to their bodies, woe to their ſoules, woe to their names, woe to them here, woe to them hereafter; the dreadfull judgements mentioned in the Revelations, are called Woes, Chap. 9.12. One woe is paſt, and behold there come two more hereafter.

2. The deſcription of the Prophets; they are fooliſh, and this fooliſhneſſe of theirs, is evidenced two wayes.

1. They follow their owne ſpirits.

2. They have ſeen nothing.

Fooliſh.

foreign from foreign which ſignifies Vilis, ſtultus, caducus, foreign Signifies one, Qui caret cerebro & ſapore, Kirker.ſo Montanus renders the word Prophetis caducis, woe to the Prophets that faile in their propheſies, and fall by them; the Vulgar is, Prophetia inſipientibus. Caſtal: inſanis. Theſe Prophets were ſubtile and crafty, abounding with carnall and worldly prudence, but in the things of God they were blind and fooliſh: they cal'd light darkneſſe, and darkneſſe light; they were lifted up with their pretended Viſions and Divinations, they deſpiſed and inſulted over the true Prophets, they boaſted themſelves to be the men of Gods Counſell, and laboured to be had in admiration of all; they foreſaw no danger, but ſpake pleaſing things to the people, propheſying ſafety and good dayes, and this was their fooliſhneſſe: There was no Divine wiſedome or truth in them.

p. 512That follow their owne Spirit.

Theſe words are anſwerable to thoſe in the ſecond Verſ. That propheſie out of their owne heart: The Hebrew is, Qui ambulant poſt ſpiritum ſuum: Their owne ſpirits led them, not the ſpirit of God. In the firſt Chapter it is ſayd, The ſpirit was in the wheeles, and they went whither the ſpirit led them, Verſ. 20. But theſe Prophets had not the ſpirit in them, neither went after it but after their owne ſpirit, what ever their own ſpirits dictated to them, that they imbraced, magnified, and gave out to the people.

Have ſeene nothing.

The true Prophets had viſions of God, Divine Revelation, their underſtandings were in an extraordinary manner irradiated by the ſpirit of God, and they ſaw, that it underſtood the minde of God: Hence Prophets were called Seers, Amos 7.12. O thou Seer, flee away, 2 Kings 17.13. God teſtified againſt them, by all the Seers, they foreſaw judgements to come, and other things which God reveal'd unto them, Numbers 12.6. If there be a Prophet amongſt you, I will make my ſelfe known unto him in a viſion. But theſe falſe Prophets had ſeen nothing; they had no viſion, no diſcovery of Gods minde unto them any way.

Obſer 1 Its no new thing that there is in the Church of God falſe Prophets; corrupt opinions, great oppoſition to the truth, differences and diviſions: in Ezekiels dayes there were falſe Prophets, which deluded the people, which oppoſed the true Prophets, with much inſolency, which caus'd great ſtir contentions, and diviſions amongſt the captives in Babylon, and people at Jeruſalem; ſee for both theſe the 28. & 29. Chapters of Jer. where Hanan oppoſes Jeremiah and Jeremiah writes Letters into Babylon to quiet them there. In Ahabs dayes you may finde falſe Prophets and their number very great. 1 K. 18.19. The Prophets of Baal were 450. And the Prophets of the groves 400. They exceeded the number of the true Prophets eight to p. 513one, for they were but 100. Hid by Obadiah in caves. verſ. 4. And theſe falſe prophets drew many of the people from the worſhip of the true God: Others they ſtaggered and made to halt between two opinions, and ſo cauſed great diviſion, oppoſition, and perſecution in Iſrael. There have alwayes been and ever will be falſe teachers and Prophets among the people of God. In the Goſpell you read of falſe Chriſts. Marke. 13.22. Falſe Apoſtles. 2 Cor. 11.13. Falſe Teachers, 2 Pet. 2.1. And of many falſe Prophets that ſhould ariſe, Mat. 24.11. The Churches in the Apoſtles dayes were much troubled with thoſe vented corrupt opinions and cauſed great contentions: the Church of Galatia had thoſe among them who preached another Goſpell, and juſtification by the law, and ſo troubled them, that the Apoſtles wiſhed them cut off, Chap. 5.12. There were Lying Apoſtles, in the Church of Epheſus, the Doctrine of Balaam, and the Nicolaitans in the Church of Pergamus, &c. Such men with their opinions, errors, and conſequences of them God ſuffers, to cleare up truth, to make it more pretious, to trie the godly, to diſcover hypocrites, to ſhew his power and wiſedome, that can worke good out of evill, and preſerve his, in the mid'ſt of contentions.

2. See here who are true Prophets, and who are falſe, The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, it came not to them; the true Prophets ſaw viſions, the falſe ſaw nothing, they were mov'd by the ſpirit of God, theſe by their owne ſpirits; out of their owne hearts came what they delivered, out of Heaven what the other delivered; God ſpake by the true Prophets,1 Kin. 22.22.1 Kgs 22:22 Satan by the falſe; he is a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all the falſe Prophets. Either Satans or their owne they ſpeake, Jer. 23.16. They ſpeake a viſion of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord, verſ. 26. They are Prophets of the deceit of their owne hearts, 28. They tell dreames. They feed the people with chaffe, and not wheat, and make them to erre and forget the name of God; but the true Prophets ever ſpake what they received from the Lord: therefore Micaiah told ſome deſiring him to ſpeake ſomewhat of his owne,1 Kin. 22.14.1 Kgs 22:14 that as the Lord liv'd he would ſpeak nothing but what the Lord ſhould ſay unto him: Chriſt, John 7.16.18. My Doctrine is not mine, but his that ſ…nt me, he p. 514that ſpeaketh of himſelfe ſeeks his owne glory, but he that ſeeketh his glory that ſent him the ſame is true, &c.

3. That what comes from man, however eſteemed or magnifyed by men, is worthleſſe in Gods account; they prophecyed out of their owne hearts, followed their owne ſpirits, which they ſet a price upon, but this the Lord blames, condemner, he calls fooliſh, mentions their owne hearts and ſpirits in oppoſi…ion to the revelations and inſpirations of his ſpirit, which onelyonly are of weight and worth: therefore what ever Prophets or Miniſters doe bring of their owne, its Perverſum figmentum. Its the Office of the ſpirit of truth to give out truth, he leads into all truth, he takes of Chriſts and ſhews unto thoſe are Chriſts Prophets, Apoſtles, and Miniſters, John 16.13.14. If men Preach or Propheſie any thing is not from the ſpirit, but from themſelves its not acceptable unto God, neyther ſhould be entertained by us. Hence you ſhall finde, that what men have brought of their own is cald lyes, Jer. 27.10. Dreames, Jer. 23.32. Vntempered Morter, Ezek. 22.28 A thing of naught. Jer. 14.14. Deceit. Chap. 23.26. Perverſe things, Acts 20.30. Commandements of men, Mark. 7.7. Wiſedome of this World. 1 Cor. 2.6.foreign, Fained ſpeeches. 2 Pet. 2.3.2 Pet 2:3 Another Jeſus, another ſpirit, another Goſpell. 2 Cor. 11.4. What is mans, is oppoſite to God and Chriſt; therefore Paul ſaith expreſly 2 Cor. 4.5. Wee preach not our ſelves but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord; onelyonly what we have from him by his ſpirit, that wee preach unto you. Paul was a man of great parts, a great Scholler, and yet durſt not vent any thing of his owne.

4. The folly and madneſſe of falſe Prophets, who pretend they have all from God, yet follow their owne ſpirits. Thoſe words Have ſeen nothing, import, that they pretended they had ſeen ſomething, that they told the people they had viſions from God; its frequent in Scripture to heare of their viſions, Iſa. 28.7. They err in viſion, Jer. 14.14. They ſpeake a falſe viſion. 23.6. They ſpeake a viſion of their owne heart, Zach. 13.4. They ſhall be aſhamed every one of his viſion. & verſ. 7. of this Chapter, it was a vaine viſion and a lying divination which they had, but the pretence was they had all from God; the Lord ſaith it, albeit he ſpake not. Thus they mad… him Author of all their lying, va…ne, and falſe propheſies, which was extreame madnes, and p. 515folly in them. Herein was a dreadfull hand of God upon them becauſe they were malicious againſt the true Prophets, and receiv'd not the truth with the love of it, God left them to blindneſſe, hardneſſe, to beleive lyes, ſo that they thought that to be from God, which was from their owne ſpirits; or from Satan the ſpirit of errours.

5. That wicked Prophets are in a dreadfull condition, woe is their portion, Woe to the fooliſh Prophets;Such meat & drink he ſent by Jeremiah to Hananiah, Chap. 28.16. to Shemaiah, Chap, 29 32. they are men ſet out for judgement, under malediction, appointed to condemnation and utter deſtruction. Jer. 23.15. God tells ſuch Prophets that he will feed them with wormewood, and make them drinke the water of Gall. God will deale bitterly with them. Jer. 14.15. By Sword and famine ſhall thoſe Prophets be conſumed. Rev. 20.10. The Devill, the beaſt, and the falſe Prophets are in the ſame lake of fire and brimſtone, tormented continually and eternally: By the Prophet ſome underſtand the Pope, ſome his Clergy. We may take in all falſe Prophets and Teachers, who bring upon themſelves ſwift deſtruction, 2 Pet. 2.1. They ſhould be thruſt through by their owne friends when they propheſied, Zech. 13.3.

Oh Iſrael, thy Prophets are like the Foxes in the Deſarts.

The words hold forth,

1. A patheticall exclamation, Oh Iſrael.

2. A deſcription of theſe Prophets, They are like Foxes, and that we muſt make out unto you.

The Land of Iſrael abounded with Foxes, Judges 15.4. Sampſon caught three hundred at once, Nehem. 4.3. The enemies told the Jews that if a Foxe went up the Wall they built, he would breake it downe, Cant. 2.15. take the Foxes, which ſhewes their Land had ſtore of them. Now the Prophets of Ezekiels dayes, are likened to Foxes.

1. A Fox is a ſublill, crafty creature; the Serpent and the Fox exceed therein: The Foxes craft is knowne in deceiving and catching Fiſh, Poultry, Lambs, and Fowle;Vulpes multa, echinus unum, novit prover: when he is hungry he will lye as dead, and ſo the fowles comming to prey upon him as a dead Carkaſſe, he ſnaps them, and preys upon p. 516them; for Hares he counterfeits a ſporting with them, till at laſt,Plerumque ſeptem aditus praparare ſolet ut poſſit fallere venetorem. Francius. he ceaſeth upon them, he hath many Dens to flye unto, and ſome of them have many entrances, that he may more eaſily deceive the Hunters, Luke 9.58. The Foxes have holes: Falſe Prophets are ſubtill to deceive the people, they ſay they are ſent of the Lord, have ſeen Viſions, and make uſe of his Name, Jer. 14.14. Zech. 13.3. Sometimes they did weare rough garments to deceive, Zech. 13.4. The true Prophets had ſuch garments, Iſa. 20.2. Sackcloath and hairy Veſtments, and the falſe Prophets would imitate them, that they might without jealouſie the better deceive the people: Sometimes they came in ſheepes cloathing, Mat. 7.15. and ſpake faire, ſmooth, pleaſing words, they are full of inſinuvations, windings, turnings, Rhetorick, language, to gaine upon people; they are deep and pollitick to carry on deſignes to promote their owne ends, they can conforme to men, and transforme themſelves into variety of ſhapes, 2 Cor. 11.13. Falſe Apoſtles, deceitfull workers, tranſforming themſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt, and by this meanes, they had advantage to doe what they aym'd at. How Foxiſh was the old Prophet when he ſet upon the young Prophet,Boniface the eighth. Intravit ut vulpes regnavit ut Leo, mortuus ut Canis. 1 Kings 13.18. ſaying, I am a Prophet alſo as thou art, and an Angell ſpake unto me by the Word of the Lord, ſaying, Bring him back with thee unto thine houſe, that hee may eate bread, and drinke water, but he lyed unto him, and ſo prevailed. Falſe Prophets and Teachers, have cunning carriage, cunning arguments and ſpeech, to beguile others with, 2 Pet. 1.16. We have not followed cunningly deviſed fables: there were ſuch as did. Arrius was one of theſe Foxes, who counterfeited that he was of the ſame minde with the Orthodox, and that he might be received into Communion of the Church againe, he ſubſcribed the Nicene Creed, and decrees, ſicut ſubſcripſi, ita quoque credo: I beleeve as I have ſubſcribed. Now he had in his boſome his owne wicked confeſſion, which he had writ at home, and ſubſcribed with his owne name. The Popiſh Prieſts and Jeſuits, what Foxes have they been in Churches and States to advance the Catholique cauſe: In the Eaſterne parts they ſhew once a yeare their Converts, in white, with Palmes in their hands, which is a great pollicy to draw others to their way. Coniz…n p. 517hath layd downe ſubtill wayes to cheat a State of its Religion. The Prelates had conſulted with the Fox when they made the &c. Oath, to ſupport their tottering Kingdome: It were to be wiſhed that there were leſſe of the Fox now among the Prophets, and more of the Lambe.

2. The Foxe is cruel and malitious,Animalium hiſt ſacra. per Francium. Omnis ipſius calliditas tendit ad perniciem reliquorum animalium, when he get… amongſt the poultry; the learned obſerve, Non comedit de gallinis niſi prius omnes jugulaverit, falſe teachers and Prophets are Foxes in their cruelty and malitiouſneſſe, Zedekiah ſmites Micaiah on the cheeke, 1 K. 22.24. He dealt injuriouſly and rigidly with him;Jer. 26.8.Jer 26:8 Shemaiah he ſtirred up authority againſt Jeremiah the true Prophet whom he would have put in the ſtocks, and Priſon,Mic. 3.5. They bite with their teeth, and cry peace. Ezek. 34.4. With force and with cruelty have yee ruled them, 21 they thruſt with ſide and ſhoulder, and with their hornes.Mic 3:5Ezek 34:4 Jer. 29.24.26. And this would not ſuffice, they proceed to blood, Ezek. 22.25. There is a conſpiracy of her Prophets in the midſt thereof, not onelyonly like Foxes but even like Lyons ravening the prey. They have devoured ſoules, the Prophets laid their heads together to ſuck the blood of innocents: Lam. 4.13. It was the Prophets and the Preiſts which ſhed the bloud of the juſt in the midſt of Jeruſalem; they were not to meddle in matters of bloud but they incenſed authority to doe it, they preach'd againſt them, told thoſe had the power in their hand, that they ſhould doe God good ſervice in ſacrificing ſuch perſons. So great hath been the malice of wicked Prophets, and Prieſts ever againſt the Saints, that they have never reſted till they have gotten their blood ſhed. The Pope and his Preiſts fill'd Chriſtendome with blood. It was the Prelates, and preiſts in Queene Maries dayes that brought ſo many to the fire, and cauſed that Queene to imbrue her hands in innocent blood.

3. The Foxe is greedy of prey, he is Animal guloſum; night and day Praedis inhiat nec poteſt ſaturari, So falſe Prophets they are greedy enough. Mic. 3.5. he that putteth not into their mouth they even prepare war againſt him, if they were not fed with the fineſt and fatteſt there was no peace no ſafety, Verſe 11. The Preiſts teach for hire, and the Prophets Propheſie for money. It was not the good of ſoules that they ſought, they made Merchandiſe of them, but gaine was in their eyes, Ezek. 22.25. p. 518They have taken the treaſure and pretious things, thoſe they would be ſure to lay hands on. Iſa. 56.11. They are greedy doggs, which can never have enough, and they are Shepheards that cannot underſtand, they all looke to their owne way, every one for his gaine, from his quarter, the words for Greedy in the H…brew, are foreign Strong of ſoule, appetite, ſtomack, they preſently concoct, digeſt, whatever they take in: Soules, Ezek 22 25. Widows houſes, Matth. 23.14. Its knowne what great revenues the Popiſh Prieſts, and Prophets have had in the Kingdomes, under the Popiſh juriſdiction: in King Johns days, his Revenues were ſixty thouſand Marks, and theirs ſeventy thouſand.

Balaam was a falſe Prophet, and he lov'd the wages of unrighteouſneſſe, he would have curſed the people of God for reward, if God himſelfe had not withheld, Numb. 22.

A Cardinall comming to Rome, and ſeeing nothing but offering of moneys at the Election of a Pope, ſayd, Ad hunc modum fiunt Pontifices Romani.

4. Foxes are timerous creatures, and when danger comes, they runne to their holes,When ſtorms come, they run to covert. and ſhift for themſelves; ſo are falſe Prophets and Teachers, 1 Kings 22.25. when trouble came, Zedekiah fled into his holes, he went from Chamber to Chamber, to hide himſelfe: John 10.12. He that is an hireling, and not the Shepheard, whoſe owne the ſheepe are not, ſeeth the Wolfe comming, leaveth the ſheep and fleeth: By Wolfe you may underſtand perſecution, danger, when theſe approach and looke ſternely upon the man, hee fleeth, nequitia ſemper eſt timida.

5. The Fox runs up and downe from place to place, doing miſchiefe night and day, Cantic. 2.15. Take us the Foxes, the lrttle Foxes that ſpoyle the Vines. They ranne from Vineyard to Vineyard, they ſpoyled the Grapes and Vines themſelves; ſo falſe Prophets and Teachers are like them in this, they went up and downe in Iſrael, they were at Samaria, at Jeruſalem, Jer. 23.13, 14. in Babylon, Jer. 29.25 In Pauls dayes there were ſuch who went up and downe from houſe to houſe and ſubverted whole houſes, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucres ſake, Tit. 1.11. and Chriſt tells us of ſuch who p. 519compaſſe Sea and Land to make one Proſelite; are not Jeſuits and Prieſts ſent into moſt parts of the World to make Proſelites, and to ſpoyle the tender Vines and Grapes where they are.

6. The Fox keeps his nature, what ever you doe to him, or doe with him; you may chaine him up, but you cannot change him, its queſtioned whether he can be tam'd, if he get looſe, he is the ſame againe that ever he was, ſo falſe Prophets.

In the Deſarts.

Bacharaboth, in the ruptures and breaches of the Hedges, through which the Foxes and other beaſts entred into the Vineyards, ſome think there is nothing peculiar in theſe words, its ordinary to ſay, the beaſts of the field, the birds of Heaven, and ſo the Foxes of the Deſart; but Deſart notes places neglected, without any fence, in thoſe places the Foxes abounded, were moſt hungry and ravening.

Its a ſad judgement to a people,Obſer. 1. when the Prophets degenerate, and become Foxes: Foxes you know are a cumber, a plague to the Countrey where they live, and ſo are falſe Prophets where ever they come, they cauſed the people to erre, and deſtroyed the way of their paths, Iſa. 9.12. They perverted and gainſayed what the true Prophets gave in: they flattered the people, and concealed their ſins and judgements due to them, Lamen. 2.14. Thy Prophets have ſeene vaine and fooliſh things for thee, and they have not diſcovered thine iniquities, to turne away thy Captivity; but have ſeene for thee falſe burdens, and cauſes of baniſhment, Jer. 50.6. Their Shephea…ds have cauſed them to goe aſtray: and ſobrough: deſtruction upon them, Iſa. 9.16. The Leaders of this people; that is, Prophets and Prieſts cauſe them to erre; and what then? They that are led of them are deſtroyed, Jer. 12.10. Many Paſtors have deſtroyed my Vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot. Foxes deſtroy Lambs, poultry, Vines, but thoſe deſtroy ſoules. Bernard ſets downe many qualities of falſe Prophets and Teachers;In vita Malachiae. they love to heare rule, Faſtum & quaeſtum aeſtimant pietatem, they thinke them p. 520ſelves happy, if they may inlarge their borders, they build ſtately Houſes, love full Tables, exact of the poore, looke ſtrangely, or bigg upon the inferiour ſort, and honour great ones, they either teach not, or teach for their bellies; ſuch Prophets are a burden, if not deſtruction to thoſe they are among: and when the prophets are Foxes, the Princes are Lyons, and Judges Wolves, Zeph. 3.3, 4.

2. Its matter of greife and complaint to Heaven it ſelfe; when the Prophets are ſubtile, coveteous, cruell. O Iſrael! thy Prophets are like unto Foxes. God laid it to heart to ſee ſuch Prophets amongſt them, as ſought themſelves; and prey'd upon the people. Iſa. 3.12. O my people they which lead thee, or call thee bleſſed, cauſe thee to erre and deſtroy the Way of thy paths. Their leaders, the Preiſts, Prophets, Princes, did that which affected Heaven, and provoked the Lord to cry out. O my people.

Yee have not gone up into the Gapps, &c.

Here the Lord proceeds in accuſing theſe Prophets; and this accuſation reſpects.

1. Their duty.

2. The end of their duty.

1. They are accuſ'd, firſt, not to doe their duty, and that is ſet downe in two metaphoricall expreſſions.

1. They went not up into the Gapps.

2. They made not up the hedge.

2. Not to have minded the end of their duty, which was, that the people might ſtand in battaile in the day of the Lord.

Into the Gapps.

foreign In fracturas. interciſiones. Aun breſches, in French. Caſt. in ruinas. Its judged by diverſe of the Learned, that this metaphor is taken from a Seidge, where the Seidgers labour to make breaches in the Fortifications and walls of the place or City beſeidged, and its their duty within who have the command, p. 521and power, to make up thoſe breaches, and ſtand for the defence of the people and place where they are; but the Prophets did not this, when judgement came in upon the people, they ſtood not in the breaches to divert them; had he ſpoken before of military men I ſhould have reſted in this ſence of the word, but having ſpoken of falſe Prophets, and here by an Apoſtrophe turning to them, we may conſider a metaphoricall warre; God was out with them againſt them. Ezek. 5.8. He was the Enemy bringing judgements upon them; the people, the City, Religion and their Laws the walls, their ſins, the gapps, which ſet in wrath upon them.

Theſe Prophets did not oppoſe the ſins of the people, convince them of their idolatrie, oppreſſion, ſecurity, hypocriſie, prophaneneſſe, &c. But eyther ſin'd with them, or winkt at their ſins; and ſo went not up into the Gapp to keepe out the ſevere judgements of God from crouding in upon them, they ſhould have cald the people to repentance, declared the judgements of God to have been at hand, interceded mightily with the Lord for them; and if poſſible have prevented judgement, but theſe things they did not: Ezek. 34.4. The diſeaſed have yee not ſtrengthened, neither have you healed that which was ſick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, nor brought againe that which was driven away, nor ſought up that which was loſt: When the people made a Calfe and worſhipped it, there was a great gap made in the Law, in the true worſhip of God, and now wrath was comming out, and God would have deſtroyed them, had not Moſes ſtood in the breach, to turne away his wrath, Pſal. 106.23. Gaps therefore are the breaches which ſins make.

Nor made up the hedges.

Hebrew is, Non ſepiviſtis ſepem, yee have not hedged a hedge; Vulgar, Non appoſuiſtis murum, yee have not ſet up a wall againſt all incurſions: This is a metaphor taken from Gardens, Orchards, Vineyards, and Incloſures, which having hedges made about them, are ſecure from Swine and beaſts breaking into them; theſe Prophets in ſtead of making hedges for p. 522their defence, they made gaps for their enemy. The hedge about a Church and State, is Divine protection, ſound Doctrine, pure worſhip, holineſſe of life, and execution of Juſtice; and when there is a violation of either of theſe, the hedge is broken downe, and the way to make up the hedge againe, is by faſting, prayer, and hearty repentance; theſe Prophets minded neither ſound Doctrine, pure worſhip, holineſſe of life, nor cald upon authority for execution of Juſtice; there was a generall violation of all things in the Church and State, and they layd it not to heart, they neither faſted, prayed, nor repented, but increaſed the violations, trod downe the hedge more, and made the gaps wider. Ezek. 22.30. I ſought for a man among them that ſhould mak… up the hedge and ſtand in the gappe before me for the Land, that I ſhould not deſtroy it, but I found none.

To ſtand in the Battaile in the day of the Lord.

Their care ſhould have been for the peoples good, that when the day of the Lords fury and judgements came he ſhould war againſt his people, they might have been able to ſtand. By Battaile, underſtand not onelyonly the Seidge they endured by the Babylonians, but all …fflictions and miſeries which befell them, and had the Prophets been faithfull to them, the day of the Lords wrath would have been their day of repentance, and ſo they might have ſtood and not fallen.

Obſer. 1.That peoples ſins make way for judgements to come in upon them, they break downe the wall and the hedge, they make gaps and breaches, they unfortifie a City, unhedge the Vineyard, and unarme a State. Exod. 32.25. When the people had ſinned, Moſes ſaw that they were naked, a City now without walls, an Army without Armes, they lay open to the winds and ſtormes of Divine wrath. 2 Chron. 28.19. Ahaz made Judah naked, and how he tranſgreſſed ſore againſt the L…rd, by his ſinfull courſes, he brake downe the hedges and walls of protection, and ſo made them a naked people. Gods people have their hedges and fences about them, Job 1.10. Haſt thou not made an hedge about him and his houſe, Iſa. 5.2. His Vineyard was fenced and walled, Verſ. 5. and if they were carefull to p. 523fly ſin, their hedges would be without gaps, their walls without holes, but when they ſin, they make gaps and holes, and the greater their ſinnes, the greater breaches ſtill are made in them: When David fin'd in numbring the people,2 Sam. 24.2 Sam 24 what a wide gap made he for the peſtilence to come in and deſtroy ſeventy thouſand. When Ʋzzah made a breach in Gods Law by his ſinne, he made a gap for Judgement to come in upon himſelfe: Sin is a breach, Iſa. 30.13. and ever makes way for judgments to enter, Pſal. 89.31, 32. If they breake my Statutes, and keep not my Commandements, then will I viſit their tranſgreſſion with a rod, and their iniquity with ſtripes: When they breake Gods Laws, he will break them with his rods, Mich. 7.13. The Land ſhall be deſolate, becauſe of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings: by their ſinfull actions, they breake the bounds, and by my juſt judgements I will make them deſolate, Hoſ. 12.1. Ephraim dayly increaſeth lyes and deſolation: How deſolation? By his lyes, his lying pretences, and practices, he makes breaches for deſolation to come in: Iſa. 42.24. Who gave Jacob for a ſpoyle, and Iſrael to the Robbers? Did not the Lord, he againſt whom we have ſinned? For they would not walke in his wayes, neither were they obedient to his Lawes.

2. Its the duty of the Prophets and ſervants of the Lord when gapps and breaches are made, to goe up into them, and make them up; they are to ſtand between the people and Gods judgements; when the people had find greatly, and made way for ſoar judgements to come in upon them, Exod. 32. Moſes aſcends into the gapp, and makes up the breach, he ſets upon God by prayer and uſes ſtrong arguments to d…vert his wrath, he beſought the Lord his God and ſaid, Lord, Why doth thy wrath waxe hot againſt thy people, which thou haſt brought forth out of the Land of Aegypt, with great power and with a mighty hand, wherefore ſhould the Aegyptians ſpeake and ſay, for miſcheife did he bring them out, to ſlay them in the Mountaines; and to conſume them from the face of the Earth? Turne from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evill againſt thy people. Remember Abraham, Iſaac, and Iſrael, thy ſervants to whom thou ſweareſt by thine owne ſelfe, and ſaid'ſt unto them, I will multiply your ſeed as the ſtarrs of Heaven and all this land that I have ſpoken of, will I give unto your p. 524ſeed, and they ſhall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repented of the evill which he thought to doe unto his people. Here was a true Prophet that ſtood in the breach and turned away wrath: It was the practice of the good Preiſts and Prophets to doe ſo. Numb. 16. When the people murmured, made a breach for the plague to come in upon them, Aaron tooke his Cenſer, fire from the Altar, put in Incenſe, haſted into the Congregation and made an attonement for the people, and ſtood betweene the dead and the living, and ſtayed the plague. ſee, Deut. 9.24.25.26. When Ezekiel ſaw the Slaughter-men ſent out to ſlay young and old, without pitty, he ſteps into the gapp and ſaith, Ah Lord God wilt thou deſtroy all the reſidue of Iſrael, Ezek. 9.8.Ezek 9:8in thy powring out thy fury upon Jeruſalem. Jeremiah was ſo frequent in the gap, deprecating judgements, interceding for mercy, that the Lord forbids him to pray for that people, Chap. 14, 11. & Chap. 7.16. Pray not thou for this people, neyther lift up cry nor prayer for them, neyther make interceſſion to me. He uſd to pray, to cry, to intercede,1 Sam. 7.9, 10.1 Sam 7:91 Sam 7:10 and keepe off wrath from them. Samuel, when Iſrael had find and the Philiſtines were comming upon them; he gets up into the gap, offers Sacrifice, and cryes to the Lord, and he heard him, diſcomfits the Philiſtines, and delivers the Iſraelites. This is that God lookes for, when people have find, that ſome man of God or other ſhould thruſt into the breach, and prevent wrath. Ezek. 22.29.30. The people of the Land have uſed oppreſſion, exerciſed Robbery, vexed the poor and needy, yea they have oppreſſed the ſtranger wrongfully. Here was the hedge broken downe, and breadth enough for judgements to come in upon them, and what then? I ſought for a man among them that ſhould make up the hedge and ſtand in the gapp before me, for the Land, that I ſhould not deſtroy it, but I found none. Theſe falſe Prophets trod downe the hedge more and more, made the gapps wider, increaſed and haſtned the judgements of God upon them.

3. The Lord hath dayes of Battaile with his people appointed, what tymes he comes forth to puniſh them with his judgements, thoſe are his dayes of Battaile. God hath decreed times to deale with the ſons of men for their iniquities, and if they perſiſt in ſinning, the Lord will take his dayes of warring againſt them. You read in, 2 Sam. 11.1. That Kings had a time to p. 525goe forth to battell, it was at the returne of the yeare, when it was ſpring or ſummer, then they went out to war againſt their Enemies not in the winter; but all times are alike to God, to goe out to war with his enemies, he can bring judgements upon ſinners in winter, ſpring, ſummer; yea he hath his peculiar times and days appointed to meet with wicked ones; this day of the Lord in Scripture is call'd a day of darkeneſſe. Joel 2.2. A day of evill. Jer. 17.17. A day of Calamity. Je…. 46.21. A day of Indignation. Ezek, 22.24. A day of Viſitation. Iſa. 10.3. A day of fierce anger. Lament. 1, 12. A day of ruine. Ezek. 27.27. A day of great ſlaughter. Iſa. 30.25. A day of griefe, and deſparate ſorrow. Iſa. 17.11. A day of vengeance. Iſa. 61.2. A day of Battell. Zech. 14.2. What time ſoever God enters into a controverſie with the ſons of men, walks contrary to them, avenges the quarrell of his Covenant, executes any judgments upon them; it is the day of the Lord, hence the day of judgement is call'd the day of Chriſt. Phil. 1.10. 2 Theſ. 2.2. Becauſe then he ſhall execute wrath upon ſinners.

4. Thoſe the Lord finds in their ſins in the day of Battel, they cannot ſtand before him, they fall by the ſtrength of his judgements. When Ʋzzah ſinned, God made a breach upon him in the day of Battell, and ſmote him dead. 2 Sam. 6.6.7. When he ſmote Aegypt, he made it deſolate; the fullneſſe of it could not ſtand before him. Ezek. 32.15. Iſrael is no more to God, then a reed ſhaken in the waters. 1 K. 14.15. one ſtroak of his will cut it downe. Ephraim is no more then a tree to the axe. If God ſmite, the root dries up, and no more fruit growes thereon. Hoſa 9.16. If God ſmite habitations, be they never ſo coſtly, ſtately, great, of what materialls ſoever, they quickly fall, Amos 3.15. When God reckons with Kings and Qu…enes, they cannot ſtand in judgement; Jehoram God ſmites with ſickneſſe till his bowels fall out, 2 Chron. 21.18, 19. Ʋzziah ſins, and is ſmitten with leproſie; Jezebel and Athaliah cut off by juſt judgement of his, 2 Kings 9. and 11. Chap. he cuts off the ſpirits of Princes, and is terrible to the Kings of the Earth, Pſal. 76.12. Great Armies cannot ſtand in the day of the Lords anger, 2 Chron. 13. Jeroboam had an Army of eight hundred thouſand, and Verſ. 15. God ſmote him and p. 526all Iſrael, ſo that there fell downe ſlaine of Iſrael five hundred thouſand choſen men, Verſ. 17. David askes the queſtion, Pſal. 147.17. Who can ſtand before his cold? If God can intend the cold, ſo that men cannot endure it, he can intend the heat alſo, ſo that there is no abiding of it; his wrath is hot, fierce, a conſuming fire;Ez 9.15. this made Ezra cry out, Behold we are before thee in our treſpaſſes, but we cannot ſtand before thee, becauſe of this, Chi, is rendred here, for; but under correction, it may be rendred, but, as in Gen. 45.8. It was not you ſent me hither, Chi haelohim, but God: When the Lord had ſmote fifty thouſand and ſeventy men of Bethſhemeſh, for their irreverent medling with the Arke, what ſayd the reſt? Who is able to ſtand before this holy Lord God? No man in his ſinne can doe it, Nahum. 1.5, 6. The Mountaines quake at him, the Hills melt, the earth is burnt at his preſence, yea the World and all that dwell therein: Who can ſtand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceneſſe of his anger? His fury is powred out like fire, and the rocks are throwne downe by him. Let ſinners be never ſo great, ſtout, when God comes in battaile, he will overcome, and therefore ſaith Ezek. 22.14. Can thine heart indure, or can thine hands be ſtrong in the dayes that I ſhall deale with thee? Jeruſalem thought ſo, but ſhe found it otherwiſe.

5. The Prophets failing in their duty, is one great cauſe of the peoples falling in the day of the Lords Battailes: they went not up into the gaps, they made not up the hedge for the houſe of Iſrael, that they might ſtand, &c. therefore they fell; the Prophets here are implyed to be builders, and husbandmen; builders to make a wall about the people, who are the City of God, husbandmen to make hedges and fences about them, being the Garden, Orchard, and Vineyard of God: Now when they neglect to do theſe, they expoſe them to ſpoyle and ruine, and provoke God to deſtroy all. Samuel knew this, and therefore, 1 Sam. 12.23. God forbid that I ſhould ſin againſt the Lord in ceaſing to pray for you: Had he fayl'd in his duty, ſin would have increaſed wrath, broken out, and all have been overthrowne; you have an obſervable place in Jer. 23.22. Had the Prophets ſtood in my counſell, and had cauſed my people to heare my words, then they ſhould have turned them from their evill p. 527way and from the evill of their doings: which had it been done, they had prevented the Battaile, and the peoples falling therein.

They have ſeen vanity and lying divinations ſaying, &c.

Here is a further manifeſtation of the Iniquity of theſe Prophets.

1. You have the nature of their viſions diſcovered, they were vanity and lyes.

2. Their lying pretence for what they ſaw, and ſaid; the Lord ſaith, and the Lord hath not ſent them.

3. The fruit and effect of their Propheſie, they made the pople to hope that they would confirme what they ſaid; they gave it out that God had revealed it unto them, that they ſhould not goe into captivity, that thoſe in Babylon ſhould returne to Jeruſalem within few yeares, and by this meanes they begat vaine hopes in the hearts of the people with their vaine viſions.

What theſe Prophets had was out of their owne hearts, and from their owne ſpirits; not from God, for nothing from him is vain or lying, but becauſe it was from themſelves it was vanity and lying divination.

Lying Divinations.

Hebrew, divinations of a lye, that had no truth in them.

The Lord hath not ſent them.

True Prophets had two things.

1. The Gift of Propheſie.

2. A call to exerciſe that gift, both theſe were wanting in theſe Prophets, and therefore the Lord ſent them not.

That they would confirme the word.

Hebrew is, Ad excitandum, or firmandum verbum. They oppoſed p. 528the true Prophets, told the people God was mercifull, and would never bring ſuch a long judgement upon them; that ere long they ſhould ſee who ſpake truth, and ſo the people were brought to a hope and perſwaſion that their word ſhould be accompliſhed and this they waited for. The Septuagint reads it foreign, they began to ſtir up revive the word, many times the peoples hearts were fainting, miſgiving them that it might proove otherwiſe then they ſaid, hereupon they ſtirred up their words, bid them not doubt, but be confident they had all from God, and were ſent of him.

Obſer. 1.The impudency and arrogancy of falſe Prophets and Teachers; they ſaid they had viſions and had none, Verſ. 3. They ſaw nothing. They pretended they had viſions, and divinations from God reall and true, and they ſaw nothing, but vanity and lying divination, they ſaid the Lord ſaith. And he ſaid not ſo, that the Lord ſent them, and he ſent them not, but ran of themſelves: they ingaged the name and faith of God in their lying Propheſies, and would have had them to be thought as good Scripture, as what any of the true Prophets delivered, they condemned the true Prophets for lyars, and juſtified themſelves; falſe teachers are very arrogant, and ſelfe juſtifying, Zedekiah ſaid to Micaiah, which way went the ſpirit from me to thee; have not I the ſpirit, doe not I underſtand the minde of God as well as thee, or any of thy ranke? 1 K. 22.24. Are not Jeſuits and many other of this ſtreine? they pretend Miracles, Scriptures, Councells, Fathers, for their traditions, new Articles, Faith, ſeaven Sacraments, &c. When there is hardly any ſuch thing; and doe not many among us reſt Scripture, and force it into other ſenſes, to weaken truth, maintaine error, and to obtrude their owne termes upon others.

2. People are eaſily miſled, ſeduced by falſe Prophets, when they come with pretence of divine Revelations, and miſſion, and ſay the Lord ſaith, they liſſen, they hope, eſpecially when they ſhall bring things ſuitable to their nature, and deſires, as here, they perſwaded them that Jeremiah had propheſied falſely, in telling them they ſhould be carryed into Babylon, be 70. yeares there. No no, we have truer viſions then he, the Lord will never forſake you who are his people, he will p. 529never leave Jeruſalem, your Brethren ſhall returne to you, you ſhall never goe to them; and this the people hoped would be. Prov. 14.15. The ſimple beleeveth every word. Aquill. hath it, foreign, Delinitus, palpatus, a man ſmoothed up, flattered, beleeves every thing, Jer. 5.31, The Prophets propheſie falſly, and the Prieſts bare rule by their meanes, and my people love to have it ſo: they affect the lyes and flatteries of theſe falſe Prophets, and what will they doe in the end thereof: Let Pauls advice be acceptable to you, 1 Theſ. 5.21. Prove all things, and hold faſt that which is good; beleeve neither one Prophet nor other, but prove what they ſay, and what is truth, good, hold that faſt.

VERS. 8, 9.

Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God, Becauſe yee have ſpoken vanity, and ſeene lyes: therefore behold, I am againſt you, ſaith the Lord GOD.

And my hand ſhall be upon the Prophets that ſee vanity, and Divine lyes: they ſhall not be in the aſſembly of my people, neither ſhall they be written in the writing of the houſe of Iſrael, neither ſhall they enter into the Land of Iſrael, and yee ſhall know that I am the Lord GOD.

IN theſe words are ſeverall judgements layd downe againſt the falſe Prophets.

1. Generall.

2. Particular.

The Generall are two:

1. God is againſt them: Behold I am againſt you.

2. His hand ſhall be upon them.

2. Particular ones are three:

1. Excluſion from Gods people, They ſhall not be in the aſſembly of my people.

2. Excluſion from having their names written amongſt p. 530the Iſraelites, Neither ſhall they be written in the writing of the houſe of Iſrael.

3. Excluſion from returne from Captivity, Neither ſhall they enter into the Land of Iſrael.

2. The reaſon of all, becauſe they ſpake vanity, and divined lyes, Therefore becauſe yee have ſpoken vanity, &c.

3. The authority and certainty of all, Thus ſaith the Lord GOD.

4. The event, Yee ſhall know that I am the Lord.

Spoken vanity.

Hebrew is, Propter loqui vos vanum, for that yee ſpeake a vaine thing: Theſe Prophets pretending they had viſions, and divinations ſpake them to the people; and what were they? Vanity and lyes, there was no truth or reality in ought they delivered: The word foreign notes vanity of words, and falſhood, Pſal. 144.8. Deut. 5.20. Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe, Hebrew is, witneſſe of vanity, Zech. 10.2. The Idols have ſpoken vanity, the Diviners have ſeene a lye, and have told falſe dreames: Vanity, lyes, and dreames, are joyned together here: Theſe Idoll Prophets ſpake vanity, ſaw lyes, told dreames. Peter ſaith, The falſe Prophets ſpake great ſwelling words of vanity, 2 Pet. 2.18.

I am againſt you.

Hebrew is, Ecce ego ad vos, its an Apoſiopeſis, ſomething is conceald which may eaſily be apprehended, as I come to you, to puniſh you, or I come againſt you, Chaldae is Miſſurus ſum iram meam adverſum vos, this phraſe you have again, Ezek. 21.3. Behold I am againſt thee: and in the 26.3. And its us'd when the Lord is greatly offended, and deſtruction of perſons and things near at hand. Rev. 2.5. Repent and doe thy firſt workes elſe will I come unto thee quickly and remoove thy Candleſtick. Its of ſad importance when the Lord ſaith I come to you, or am againſt you. They thought it was but a few men oppos'd who were p. 531weake inconſiderable things, but the great and glorious God tells them that he is againſt them.

My hand ſhall be upon the Prophets, &c.

Hand notes Gods power and ſtroak, he being againſt them himſelfe, he would put forth his power and ſmite them with ſome judgement or other. The Septuagint reads it,Pagnine hath it, Erit percuſſio mea ſuper prophetas. foreign, I will ſtretch out my hand too, or upon the Prophets. And the Chaldee, for my hands have, Plaga mea, my ſtroake, thus hand is taken. Pſal. 21.8. Thine hand ſhall finde out all thine enemies, thy right hand ſhall finde out thoſe that hate thee. 9. Thou ſhalt make them as a fiery Oven, in the time of thine anger. 1 Sam 5.7. His hand is ſoar upon us, Chap. 6.3. It ſhall be knowne why his hand is not remooved from you. God had ſmitten them with the Emrods, and that they call the hand of God; the phraſe here implyes that God will in ſome ſpeciall manner puniſh theſe Prophets.

They ſhall not be in the aſſemblie of my people.

Hebrew is, foreign which Montanus interprets, in Secreto, Va…ablus, in arcano, the Septuagint foreign, In the inſtructing of my people, they ſhall not Propheſie or preach unto them; their liberty and power of ſpeaking ſhall be taken from them. French, Its ne ſerout plus au conſeil de mon peuple. They ſhall be no more of the counſell of my people: Caſtalio, ut in meorum concilio non ſint. Junius, In conſilio populi mei: one is with C. the other with S. That with C. Notes the companie of Gods people;Piſc. the other with S. Notes the counſells of that company: ſome have it, Iucaetu populi mei, in the company of my people. This differ…nce of interpreting the word, ariſes from the ſeverall ſignifications of the Hebrew word foreign which ſignifies a ſecret councell, and the company of thoſe who conſult or counſell. If we take it here for ſecret, they ſhall not be in the ſecret of my people, and ſo beſides thoſe mentioned, the Chalde Paraphraſt ſaith, Non erunt in ſeoreto: then the ſenſe is they ſhall not know thoſe ſecrets, nor pertake of that good p. 532which I reſerve for to make knowne and communicate to my people.Oecolam. The Targum hath it thus. In occultis bonis quae repoſita ſunt populo non habebuntur. They ſhall not be accounted among thoſe ſecret, good things which are laid up for my people. Prophets were great mercies for people, and God gave them out upon occaſion, but theſe ſhould not be numbred amongſt them, they ſhould be detected and have their reward.

This ſecret of Gods people is ſome choyce knowledge of God and his will, beyond what is vulgarly knowne by men of the World, Pſal. 25.14. The ſecret of the Lord is with them that feare him, Prov. 3.32. His ſecret is with the righteous: Micaiah knew the ſecret of the Lord, touching Ahab, which neither Zedekiah nor any other of the falſe Prophets knew,1 King. 2.4.1 Kgs 2:4 Mic. 3.7. The Lord revealeth his ſecret unto his ſervants the Prophets, not to thoſe are falſe and againſt him.

If we take is for aſſembly, as the word is ſometimes uſed in holy Writ, as Jer. 6.11. I will powre out my fury upon the aſſemblies of young men. Hence Sodalitium.foreign Super congregationem juvenum; then we muſt inquire what aſſemblies are meant. There were two kind of Aſſemblies among the Jewes.

Firſt, An Aſſembly of Elders, Pſal. 107.32. I will praiſe him in the Aſſembly of Elders: theſe were the Magiſtrates and Senators that had authority, and bare rule over the people, it might be the Seventy, or Sanedrim, bemoſhab Zekenim, in cathedra ſeniorum.

Secondly, An Aſſembly of Saints, Pſal. 89.7. God is greatly to be feared in the Aſſembly of Saints: the Jewes were a holy people, and when there were publique Congregations of them, they were an Aſſembly of Saints:To this Pradus applyes that in Pſal. 1 5. the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in judgment.Ps 1:5 You may underſtand it of both Aſſemblies, that theſe falſe Prophets ſhould neither come amongſt the Senators, to ſit in Councell, there to conſult about any matters of State or Church; nor amongſt the Saints, they ſhould have no communion with Gods people, and this ſenſe I like beſt, for tbe Prophets came to Eccleſiaſtick meetings, as appeares, 2 Kings 23.2. The Prophets were preſent when Joſiah read the Booke of the Covenant, Jerem. 26.7. the Prieſts and Prophets heard Jeremiah in the Houſe of the Lord.

p. 533Neither ſhall they be written in the writing of the houſe of Iſrael.

What this writing of the houſe of Iſrael was, ſearch muſt be made: Septuagint, foreign, In the Scripture of the houſe of Iſrael, they ſhall not be written; by Scripture ſome underſtand, the Canonicall Bookes of Moſes and the Prophets, and will have the ſenſe to be, that the propheſies of theſe falſe prophets ſhould not be written in, or among thoſe Books; but ſurely it was never in the thoughts of any true prophet, that the lyes and vanities of falſe prophets ſhould be joyned to ſacred Writ: What hath the Chaffe to doe with the Wheat? We muſt look out ſome other meaning of theſe words. When it pleaſed the Lord to bring his people out of Aegypt, he commanded them to be numbred, Numb. 1.2, 3. The names and number of all from twenty yeares old and upwards were to be taken, and when they were numbred they were to give every man a ranſome for his ſoule unto the Lord, Exod. 30.12. In like manner, when they came out of Babylon they were numbred, as appeares, Ezra 2. and 8. Chap. Nehem. 7. Where you have the number ſet downe, Verſ. 66.67. the whole Congregation together was forty two thouſand three hundred and threeſcore, beſides men and Maid ſervants ſeven thouſand three hundred thirty ſeven, and two hundred forty five Singing Men and Women. The Catalogues in which the names of theſe were writ, are judged to be the writings of the houſe of Iſrael; by theſe the Tribes were knowne, preſerved diſtinct, and thoſe were not found in the writing, were diſplaced, Nehem 7.64. Theſe ſought their Regiſter among thoſe that were reckoned by Genealogy, but it was not found therefore were they as polluted, put from the Prieſthood Iſa. 4.3. Every one that is written among the living in Jeruſalem, ſhall be called holy: He ſpeakes of great calamity, a deſtruction which ſhould be upon the Jewes, and few ſhould eſcape, but he that was left, and written among the living, &c. All thoſe who came to Jeruſalem from the Captivity, and were Citizens thereof, were written in ſome Book, Catalogue, or Regiſter, p. 534which was the writing of the houſe of Iſrael, and was called alſo the Booke of life, or of the living: For upon the death of a man, his name was razed out of this Booke, or if he did any thing unworthy the name and right of a Citizen; and then he was counted as a dead man. The ſenſe of theſe words you may hence then take up thus, Viz. Theſe falſe Prophets ſhall be reckoned amongſt the dead, not the living; they ſhall not be written in the writing of the houſe of Iſrael, when they come back to Jeruſalem, they ſhall be like trees puld up and never planted againe; they ſhall be cut off and deſtroyed by ſome ſoare judgement. In this ſenſe ſome take thoſe words of Moſes, Exod. 32.32. Blot me out of thy booke which thou haſt written, take away my life; thou are now wroth with thy people, about to ſlay them, Lord forgive them, ſpare them, elſe deſtroy me, and blot my name out of the Book thou haſt written, as our practice is.

This ſenſe I condemne not, but ſomething more ſome Interpreters finde in the words; this Writing of the houſe of Iſrael they interpret the Book of life, in which the names of all true Iſraelites were written, Phil. 4.3. Whoſe names are in the Book of life, Dan. 12 1. Every one that ſhould be found written in the Booke: Luke 10.20. there is mention of names written in Heaven, Revel. 13.8. Its cald the Lambs Book of life; ſo Revel. 21.27. Contrary to this is writing their names in the earth, Jer. 17.13. Thoſe depart from the Lord, ſhall be written in the earth. The meaning then of the words muſt be of this nature, theſe falſe Prophets thinke themſelves to be my ſervants, that their names are in my Book; they ſay, the Lord hath ſent them, that they have my ſpirit, doe declare my will, and honour me much among my people, and you thinke them alſo happy men, that their names are written in Heaven, that if any be ſaved they ſhall: but they neither are, nor ſhall be ever written in any Book, accounted among my faithfull ones, they are Hypocrites, ſhall be diſcovered, and diſcarded for ever. In Pſal. 69.28. you have ſuch an expreſſion, Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living, and not be written in the Book of the righteous: There were many who appeared to others to be written in the Booke of life, but the Prophet prayes rhat the p. 535Lord would make it evident ſome way or other, that they were not there: Here the Scripture ſpeakes Ad ſenſum & opinionem hominum non ad veritatem rei, God blots men out of the Book of life, when he declares by ſome dealings of his with them, that they are not accepted of him; here Gods hand ſhould be upon them, they ſhould not be among his people, have communion with them or him in any Ordinance of his, and this was evidence they were not in his Book, in that they ſhould not come into the Land of Canaan, that they ſhould not be written in the writing of the houſe of Iſrael.

Neither ſhall they enter into the Land of Iſrael.

This is the third particular judgement: The Land of Iſrael hath many Eulogies in Scripture,The Jewes were as dead men when they were in Babylon. Ezek. 37.10.12.Ezek 37:10Ezek 37:12 its cal'd The Land of the living, Pſal. 27.13. David had fainted, but that he hoped to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in the Land of the living: People that lived in other Lands, were dead men, they had deafe, dumbe, dead gods, and deadly worſhip: but the Jewes had the living God their God, and lively worſhip, Acts 7.38. foreign, A Land of uprightneſſe, Pſal. 143.10. Where were the beſt Lawes that ever Nation had; A Land of delight, for ſo the Hebrew is, Dan. 11.41. foreign a Land which was the glory of all Lands, Ezek. 20.6. The Land of Immanuel, Iſa. 8.8. Where Immanuel was promiſed, borne, lived, preached, wrought his miracles, and ſhewed his glory; into this Land muſt not they come: they propheſied, that within a few yeares all ſhould returne into this Land; but Ezekiel from the Lord tells them, that after ſeventy yeares they ſhall not return into their Countrey, nor enter into Heaven, whereof this was a type: Captivity was a little death, and to be in a Land of dead ones, was another death, and never to enjoy the Land of the living, nor the living God, this was the ſting of death. It was lawfull for ſtrangers to come into the L…nd of Iſrael, 2 Chro. 2.17. there were an hundred fifty three thouſand ſix hundred, at once in the Land, and yet theſe Prophets might not come in.

The Lord is againſt evill Prophets,Obſer. 1. and that is a dreadfull p. 536thing: There are ſeverall things which makes God to be againſt them.

1. They abuſe his Name and Authority, ſaying, The Lord ſent them, Verſ. 6. If any man ſhould abuſe the Name of a Prince, of Parliament, and ſay, they ſent them to ſpeake or doe any thing, and they did not, what injury were this unto them, how would they take it, much more is it a wrong to the Lord, who is greater then they.

2. Their Propheſies are lyes, vanity, the thoughts of their owne heads, and conceptions of their owne hearts, Verſ. 2, 3, 7. and ſo contrary to the truths of God.

3. They prejudice the deſigne of God by the true Prophets. By them the Lord made knowne his diſpleaſure againſt the wayes of ſinners, convinced them of the evill of their doings, and drew them to repentance, Jer. 25.3, 4, 5. the Prophets ſayd, Turne from the evill of your doings, and dwell in the Land, but the falſe Prophets diſcredited them, diſparaged their propheſies, and cryed peace.

4, They deceived the people with their falſhoods, filled them with vaine hopes, Ver. 6. and ſo ſtrengthened in them their evill wayes, and incouraged them to their owne deſtruction.

5. They grieved the ſpirits of the godly, they made their hearts ake, as the falſe propheteſſes did, Verſ. 22. They made the hearts of the righteous ſad.

6. They were evill themſelves, Jer. 23.11. Both Prophet and Prieſt are prophane; yea, in my houſe have I found their wickednes ſaith the Lord: they corrupted the worſhippe of GOD with their inventions, God had cauſe enough to be againſt them; it is very ſad, yea dreadfull to have God againſt one; I that know the ſecrets of all hearts, I that am holy and hate all ſin, I that keep an exact account of all their wayes, I that am infinitely juſt, and muſt puniſh all wicked ones, I that am infinitely powerfull, and can deſtroy with an everlaſting deſtruction, I even I, am againſt you, Rom. 8.31. If God be for us, who can be againſt us? When God is for a man, all is ſafe, who ever attempts to hurt. David had many againſt him, Pſal. 118.10. All Nations compaſſed me about, 12. They compaſſed me about like Bees; they ſwarmed about him, and had their ſtings ready, p. 537thruſt out to ſting him to death, but he had God with him, for him; and therefore ſaith, Verſ. 14. The Lord is my ſtrength and ſong, and is become my ſalvation; but had God been againſt David, one of thoſe Bees would have been his death: who ever the Lord is againſt, hath many enemies and few friends, all in Heaven, all in Earth are againſt that man.

2, Thoſe Prophets or people the Lord is againſt, he puts forth his power to puniſh, Behold I am againſt you, and my hand ſhall be upon you, Jer. 28.15, 16, 17. God was againſt that falſe Prophet Hananiah, and his hand was quickly upon him, Heare ſaith Jeremiah unto him, the Lord hath not ſent thee, but thou makeſt this people truſt in a lye, therefore thus ſaith the Lord, Behold I will caſt thee from off the face of the Earth: this yeare thou ſhalt dye, becauſe thou haſt taught rebellion againſt the Lord: So Hananiah the Prophet dyed the ſame yeare: God was againſt Ahab, and ſpake againſt him, 2 Chron. 18.22, and the next tydings you heare of him, is his death by the hand of the Lord, Verſ. 33.34. So Levit. 20.3. I will ſet my face againſt that man and will cut him off: If Gods face be againſt a man, he will put forth his hand to deſtroy that man from before his face; and Chap. 26.17. I will ſet my face againſt you, and yee ſhall be ſlaine before their enemies: Ananias and Saphira had God againſt them for their wilfull lying, and preſently his hand was upon them, Acts 5. Gods judgements are cal'd his hand, 1 Pet. 5, 6. his mighty hand, and if that fall upon any, it will break them to pieces.

3. The fruits of Gods diſpleaſure are very grievous: Firſt, they are ſhut out from the aſſemblies of Gods people, they ſhall have no communion with the Saints, thoſe are deare to God: All Davids delight was in them, Pſal. 16.3. and when he was a little put by comming at the Aſſemblies of Gods people, how did it trouble and afflict him, Pſal. 42.1, 2, 3, 4. As the Hart panteth after the water bra…kes, ſo panteth my ſoule after thee O God. My ſoule thirſteth for God, for the living God, when ſhall I come and appeare before God. My teares have been my meat day and night; while they continually ſay unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember theſe things, I p…wre out my ſoule in me, for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the houſe of God: p. 538So in the 84. Pſalme, how did he long for communion with God and his people in the Sanctuary, his ſoule longed and fainted for the Courts of the Lord, his heart and fleſh cryed out for the living God, Verſ. 2. he counted a day in the Lords Courts, better then a thouſand, he had rather be a doore keeper there, then a favorite in Sauls houſe; David knew there was much good to be had in the aſſemblies of Gods people, and therefore he prized them ſo, and was impatient of abſence from them: In the aſſemblies men have communion with God, there his glory is ſeen, Pſal. 29.9. In his Temple doth every one ſpeake of his glory, Pſal. 68.24. They have ſeene thy goings O God in the Sanctuary: There his wiſedome, his power, his mercy, his truth, his glory, are evidenced, the treaſures of his grace opened and diſpenſed, ſpirituall life begotten and maintained, drooping ſoules are comforted, rayſed, raviſhed, there we admire, adore, magnifie, and glorifie God, there we heare of our duty towards God and man, there we have fellowſhip with the Saints, intereſt in their affections, gifts, graces, counſels, comforts, admonitions, exhortations, and prayers; in the Aſſemblies of Gods people, you have the preſence of God, of Chriſt, the ſpirit and the Angels, 1 Cor. 11.10. and what a ſoar judgement is it, to be ſhut out from theſe aſſemblies: bleſſe God for your liberties, be thankfull for all the good you have in the Aſſemblies, and walke ſo, that you may honour truth, and the God of Aſſemblies.

4. Many that in their owne and the Worlds eſteeme, goe for true Prophets, Saints, will be in Gods time, diſcovered to be Lyars, Hypocrites, falſe: themſelves thinke, and others alſo, that they are written in the writing of the houſe of Iſrael, in the Book of life, but their names were never there. The Jewes ſayd they were Abrahams ſeed, God their Father, but they were found falſe, they were of their Father the Devill.

p. 539VERS. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

Becauſe, even becauſe they have ſeduced my people, ſaying, Peace, and there was no peace: and one built up a wall, and loe, others dawbed it with untempered morter.

Say unto them that dawb it with untempered morter, that it ſhall fall; there ſhall be an overflowing ſhowre, and yee, O great Hailſtones ſhall fall, and a ſtormy wind ſhall rent it.

Loe when the wall is falne, ſhall it not be ſayd unto you; Where is the daubing wherewith yee have daubed it?

Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God, I will even rent it with a ſtormy wind in my fury: and there ſhall be an overflowing ſhowre in mine anger, and great Haileſtones in my fury to conſume it.

So will I breake downe the wall that yee have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it downe to the ground, ſo that the foundation thereof ſhall be diſcovered, and it ſhall fall, and yee ſhall be conſumed in the midſt thereof: and yee ſhall know that I am the Lord.

Thus will I accompliſh my wrath upon the Wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will ſay unto you, The Wall is no more, nor they that daubed it:

To wit, the Prophets of Iſrael, which propheſie concerning Jeruſalem, and which ſee viſions of peace for her, and there is no peace, ſaith the Lord God.

THE words before you preſent to us two things:

1. The ſinne of the falſe Prophets, Viz. Seduction, They have ſeduced my people; and the manner how, by ſaying peace; by building and daubing a Wall with untempered morter, Verſ. 10.

2. Gods proceedings with them, and their Wall, he will ſend a ſtorme, overthrow their Wall, ſhame and confound them: in the following Verſes.

p. 540Becauſe, even becauſe.

Hebrew is, For that, even for that, the words are doubled, and ſo emphaticall; the like you have in Levit. 26.43. Becauſe, even becauſe they deſpiſed my judgements.

Seduced.

Hebrew is foreign in hiphil errare fecerunt, have cauſed to erre; Vulgar is deceperint, have deceived; French, Qu' ils out deceu mon peuple: but cauſing to erre, ſets out the ſenſe of the word more fully, 2 Chron. 33.9. Manaſſeh made Judah, and the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem to erre: the falſe Prophets ſeduced him, and he ſeduced them; ſeduction is when men are led aſide from the right way, and upon falſe ſuggeſtions are carryed into a wrong way, beleeve lyes, and practice anſwerably, Amos 2.4. Their lyes cauſed them to erre after the which their Fathers have walked.

Saying Peace.

foreign from foreign Integer, perfectus, becauſe it preſerves things,Pſal. 37.11. The meeke ſhall delight themſelves in the abundance of peace.Ps 37:11 places, perſons intire; whereas Warre waſts and conſumes all: Peace among the Hebrewes notes freedome from Warre, tumults, a quiet condition of life, and all kind of outward happineſſe; therefore the Jewes when they wiſh happineſſe to a man, they wiſh him peace. Theſe Prophets told them in Babylon that they ſhould have liberty and quick returne, and their hearts deſire in the Land of Judea, they told thoſe there, that they ſhould not need to feare Nebuchadnezzar or any forces of his, they ſhould live in ſafety, be fat and flouriſhing, wanting nothing.

One built up a Wall.

The word for one, is foreign & iſte, or ipſe, Junius, hic, he, or this man: Jerome will have this bee, or one, to be meant of p. 541God, who by his Law and Prophets built them a Wall, but had God built the Wall, he would not have ſpoken againſt it, as here he doth: Some underſtand the people, but there is no ſufficient ground for that: The Lord here is reproving the falſe Prophets for ſeducing the people, not the people for ſeducing the Prophets, its unlikely therefore that the people ſhould build a wall. By one, or he, we conceive is meant ſome chiefe one amongſt the falſe Prophets. Zedekiah was a chiefe one among Ahabs falſe Prophets, ſuch was Hananiah, Jer. 28. and Shemaiah, Jer. 29.31. whom our Prophet may intend, for this Shemaiah was in Babylon, he propheſied falſe things, ſent Letters to all the people at Jeruſalem, and cauſed them to truſt in a lye, or one may be taken indefinitely.

Built a Wall,

This is a metaphoricall expreſſion borrowed from builders,foreign A wall of no worth, weake and ſhaken with every blaſt, ſuch an one as a Foxe might break downe, as they ſayd, Neh. 4.3.Neh 4:3 who make walls about their houſes, to ſecure and ſtrengthen them from danger: Jeruſalem had a wall about it, which was a great defence unto it. This wall was ſome falſe propheſie or doctrine given out unto the people which cauſed them to be ſecure, Jeremiah had propheſied of the comming of Nebuchadnezzar, the deſtruction of the Temple and City, ſeventy years Captivity, that ſo he might awaken this people, bring them to repentance, and prevent ſuch judgements; but ſome one or other of the falſe Prophets propheſied the contrary, Jer. 29.8, 9. they had ſome in Babylon who built a wall there, telling them that they ſhould ſhortly returne againe to Jeruſalem, and quieted the ſpirits of thoſe in Captivity; they had ſome at Jeruſalem who built a wall there, and cauſed them to truſt in vaine things: Verſ. 21. There was Ahab the Sonne of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the Sonne of Maaſeiah, which propheſied a lye unto them in the name of the Lord: Either Nebuchadnezzar will not come, or if he doe, you will have helpe from Aegypt. Their falſe and lying propheſies wherein the people truſted was the wall they built; the propheſie of peace was the foundation of this wall, and the arguments they uſed, the Brick to build it up. So that hereupon the people feared not any danger, humbled p. 542not themſelves for their ſins, but became ſecure and confident that all ſhould be well, which made Jeremiah ſay, Chap. 6.14. They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people ſlightly, ſaying peace, peace: Jeremiah had threatned judgements to them for their ſins, wounded them by his Propheſies, but they healed the wounds by crying Peace, peace.

And loe others daubed it.

Other Prophets with their faire words, and falſe pretences, juſtified what the former had ſayd; when ſome chiefe falſe Prophet had propheſied of peace, the reſt who were inferiour, would ſecond him. The word for daubed, is foreign from foreign to cover, plaiſter over, or anoint, and ſo the Septuagint reads it, foreign, and they anoynt it: French, Les autres la maconnoyent, Maſon, or Playſter it. Gaſt. trulliſſant, they trowel'd it: theſe falſe Prophets were like Maſons and Carpenters, who build deceitfully, and uſe their Art and utmoſt skill to make ſuch worke ſeeme goodly and beautifull.

With untempered Morter.

Hebrew is foreign which Montanus renders inſulſo, with that which is unſavory: Piſcator, Polanus, Junius, inepto, with that is fooliſh; the Vulgar, luto abſq, paleis, with Morter which hath no Straw, Chaffe, H…ire, or binding thing mixt with it: You know there muſt be ſomething mingled with Loame, or Lyme, which men uſe in buildings, if they will build to purpoſe; but theſe built with untempered Morter; and this Morter was their flattering, falſe, weake reaſons and pretences they uſed to keep the people in ſecurity withall, Ezek. 22.28. Her Prophets have daubed them with untempered Morter, ſeeing vanity, and divining lyes unto them, ſaying, Thus ſaith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not ſpoken: There was no truth, and ſo no ſtrength in what they ſayd, all was their owne; and ſo Lutum ſine firmitate.

The word foreign may be rendred Caſuro, with that which is p. 543about to fall, from foreign and the Greek in Kirker is foreign, and in the 11 Verſ. its ſayd foreign and it ſhall fall.

An overflowing ſhowre.

foreign Great ſhowres will try Buildings, specially walis that are of untempered Morter; this overflowing ſhowre was the Chaldean Army, Iſa. 59.19. The enemy ſhall come in like a flood, Iſa. 8.7, 8. The Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the River, ſtrong and many, even the King of Aſſyria and all his glory, he ſhall overflow and goe over, he ſhall reach unto the neck: Jer 47.2. Behold waters ryſe up out of the North, and ſhall be an overflowing flood, and ſhall overflow the Land, and all that is therein, the City and them that dwell therein.

Great Haileſtones.

Hebrew is, foreign Stones of the Haile, this word Elgabis is onelyonly mentioned in this Prophet, and but thrice in this Verſ. 13. and Chap. 26.22. and its great haile, the Septuagint is foreign, Stones to throw againſt a rock: Vulgar, Lapides per grandes, and theſe may note out the chiefe men in the Army; or the whole Army who ſhould be as ſtones of great halle, to ſhake this mud wall of theirs.

The word is a compound word of foreign potens, and foreign Cryſtallus, Job 28.18. no mention ſhall be made of Corall, or of Pearles; the word in Hebrew for Pearles is foreign which Shindler interprets a Cryſtall, and Montanus, Ʋnio: Now becauſe haileſtones are like unto Cryſtall and Pearle, therefore the word is here uſed, and El added to it, to ſhew what ſtrong haileſtones God would ſend.

A ſtormy winde ſhall rent it.

Hebrew is foreign Ventus turbinum, theſe words you have in the firſt Chap. 4. rendred a whirlewinde, where they were opened unto you; ſuch an expreſſion you have in Iſa. 25.4. The blaſt of the terrible ones, is as a ſtorme againſt the wall: By p. 544theſe metaphoricall words he ſets out the wrath of God by the Chaldean Army, which ſhould be as tempeſtuous raine, haile, and wind, and the Scripture is frequent in this metaphor when it would make knowne to us the indignation of the Lord; as you may obſerve, Iſa. 21.1.29.6. Jerem. 23.19. Chap. 30.19. Iſa. 17.13.

The Foundations thereof ſhall be revealed.

There ſhall not a ſtone be left upon a ſtone of this building; the Foundation of this wall built up and dawbed with untempered morter ſhalbe diſcover'd, God would detect the falſhood of their Propheſies, the vanity of all their arguments, wlies, and wayes, they uſed to ſeduce, and ſecure this people, what ever they promiſed of helpe from Aegypt, whatever they prophecyed of the Chladaeans not comming, what ever they ſaid of the peoples ſafety, of Gods mercy and favour and good will towards them; what ever they pretended of beeing ſent from God, of ſpeaking his words, of having his ſpirit, &c. God would diſcover all their impoſturings and lay them open to the World, ſo that nothing ſhall be left them but diſgrace.

Some make the Temple and City to be the Foundation, becauſe they had the holy City, and holy place where God had recorded his Name; therefore they cryed peace, peace, flattered the people into a good condition, and ſurrounded them with a wall of ſecurity: therefore God would deſtroy both and diſcover their Foundation.

They ſhall be conſum'd in the midſt thereof.

You promiſe great matters to others, that they ſhall within few yeares returne from Babylon, come and dwell ſafely in Jeruſalem; but there is no ſafety in Jeruſalem for your ſelves, you ſhall be conſumed in it, that are ſo confident of the ſafety of it; when a wall falls and foundations are diſcovered, likely ſome doe ſuffer by it, and ſo ſhould theſe falſe Prophets here.

Queſt. In Jer. 4.10. You have theſe words uttered by the Prophet p. 545Ah Lord God ſurely thou haſt greatly deceiv'd this people and Jeruſalem ſaying, Yee ſhall have peace, whereas the Sword reacheth unto the ſoule. If God promiſed them peace and deceived them, doth he not herein reſemble the falſe Prophets, and ſo leſſen their ſin.

Anſw. 1. God did not promiſe them peace, but threatned ſevere judgements againſt them, by …aiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as you may ſee Iſa. 29.3.4.5.6. Jer. 9.9.10.11. Ezek. 5.8.9.10.

2. Some make the Prophets here to ſpeake in the name of the people and to perſonate them; they thought the peace which was promiſed them by the falſe Prophets was from God; and therefore finding the contrary, doe charge God, as wicked men in their diſtreſſes are wont to doe.

3, The words may be taken by way of Interrogation thus, Haſt thou in deceiving deceiv'd this people, haſt thou promiſed them peace and brought the Sword upon them? Is this thy manner of proceeding with thy people, ſurely it cannot be, thou art faithfull and canſt not deny thy ſelfe. 2 Tim. 2 13. & Numb. 23.19. God is not a man that he ſhould lye, neyther the ſon of man that he ſhould repent, hath he ſaid and ſhall he not doe it? or hath he ſpoken and ſhall he not make it good?

4. If God promiſed them peace, it was af er their returne from captivity, not at the preſent; and ſo Jer. 3.17.18. You ſhall finde it, At that time they ſhall call Jeruſalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the Nations ſhall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord to Jeruſalem, neyther ſhall they walke any more after the imagination of their evill heart. In thoſe dayes the houſe of Judah ſhall walke with the houſe of Iſrael, and they ſhall come together out of the land of the North, &c.

5. The Prophet might thus ſpeake and ſay, God had deceiv'd them, becauſe he ſuffered the falſe Prophets to propound their dreames, lyes, divinations, viſions, and things of their owne hearts, and ſpirits unto the people, whereby they were greatly deceiv'd: a man that ſuffers a thing to be done in ordinary ſpeech, is ſaid to be the Author of it, if a Phyſitian will not give Phyſick to cure a ſick man, if he dye of his ſicknes, its Vulgarly ſaid he is the cauſe of his death. If the owner will not preſerve p. 546a ruinous houſe from falling, when its fallen he is ſaid to be the Author of its fall: ſo here God is ſaid to deceive them, becauſe he hindered not thoſe falſe Prophets from deceiving them. God ſaw how averſe they were to truth, how they ſlighted and mocked his Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16. And deſpiſed his words, therefore in juſt judgement he gave them up to beleeve lyes, falſehoods, and deceivable things.

Obſer. 1.That falſe Prophets & teachers ſeduce the people, feeding them with vain hops, They cryed peace peace, al things ſhal be proſperous, comfortable, we ſhall have no warrs in our gates, no Famine or plague in our Cities, they gave out laeta vaticinia and ſo beguild the unſtable and credulous people, and ſweld them with vaſt hopes. They hop'd to ſee their brethren returne from Babylon, to buy and ſell, to marry and build, to grow great, and ſee many good dayes; the falſe Prophets fill'd Ahab with great hopes of victory at Ramoth Gilead, goe up and proſper ſaid they, for the Lord ſhall deliver it into the Kings hand 1 Kings 22.12. Theſe Prophets begat, and maintained hopes, in the hearts of the people, they made them truſt in the Temple, and corrupt worſhip was in it, therefore Jer. 7.4. Jeremiah ſent to command them, not to truſt in lying words, Saying the Temple of the Lord, &c. What ever wickedneſſe they committed, yet if they appeared in the Temple, and ſtood before the Lord, they ſaid they were delivered, no threatnings of Jeremiah or others ſhould take hold of them. They made them truſt in their ſtrong holds and looke to the hills and mountains about them; therefore Jer. 3.23. He tells them, that in vaine they hoped for Salvation from the hills, and from the multitude of Mountaines. They thought becauſe Jeruſalem was ſo well fortifyed with high hills and great Mountaines, that it could not be taken. Jer. 21.13. Who ſhall come downe againſt us? Or who ſhall enter into our habitations. So Jer. 29.31 Shemaiah cauſed them to truſt in a lye.Jer 29:31& Chap. 49.4. Jeruſalem ſaid, who ſhall come unto me? Hananiah a falſe Prophet told the people that within the ſpace of two full yeares Nebuchadnezzars yoake ſhould be broken from off the neck of all Nations. Jer. 28.11. & verſ. 15. Jeremiah ſaith, He made the people truſt in a lye.

2. Its a cleare argument of a blind and falſe teacher to ſpeak things anſwerable to the humors and corruptions of men, this p. 547people could not indure Jeremiah propheſying truth, threatning judgement againſt them, for their ſins, ſee Jer. 38 2.3.4 5. They deſir'd to heare of pleaſing things; it was good tidings to them, to heare that Nebuchadnezzar ſhould not come againſt them, nor make them tributary unto him; therefore the Prophets propheſied it, Jer. 27.14. They told them they ſhould not ſerve the King of Babylon, it was pleaſing to them to heare of bringing back againe the Veſſells of the Temple; and Verſ. 16. Theſe Prophets propheſied, ſaying, Behold the Veſſells of the Lords houſe ſhall now ſhortly be brought againe from Babylon: wherein could they have humored theſe people more; you have a notable place in the 23. of Jer. 16.17. The Prophets that propheſie unto you make you vaine, they ſpeake a viſion of their owne heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord: Now that comes not from Gods holy mouth, but mans carnall heart, will be pleaſing to other carnall hearts; and leaſt you may thinke I deceive you, obſerve the next Verſe, They ſay ſtill unto them that deſpiſe me, the Lord hath ſayd, yee ſhall have peace, and they ſay unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his owne heart, No evill ſhall come upon you. What is more pleaſing to man, then to have his owne mind, doe his owne will,Iſa. 3.12. They which lead thee are they which call thee bleſſed.Isa 3:12 walke after the imaginations of his owne heart; and what ſofter words more ſuitable to him can be ſayd, then no evill ſhall come upon him: falſe Prophets ſpeake Verba lactis, Milkie, Oylie words, ſuch as pleaſe men, and battle their humours, and ſo have a great advantage with men, who love to be humor'd; but true Prophets ſpeake Verba veritatis, which have ſalt and fire in them, and ſo croſſe, fret, provoke mens luſts, and ſtirre up their hatred againſt them, and as the other with their lyes and flatteries find favour with men, ſo theſe for their truths with God, who loves truth: Paul durſt not Preach to pleaſe men, but Chriſt, Gal. 1.10. John would not pleaſe Herod.

3. The Propheſies and Doctrines of falſe Teachers, ſeem unto them, and thoſe cleave to them, to have much ſtrength, they built up a wall; walls are things of ſtrength, be they Earth, Timber, or Stone Walls; they propheſied peace, that Nebuchadnezzar ſhould not come againſt them, or depart if he came without prejudice to them; they ſayd that the Veſſells p. 548and people ſhould ſpeedily returne from Babylon, &c. Theſe Doctrines of thei…s were as walls unto them of ſtrength and defence: Solomon tells us, that A rich mans riches are a high wall in his owne conceite, Prov. 18.11. and ſo the opinions and tenets of falſe Teachers, are a high wall in their owne conceits, they thinke the people are ſtrengthened and ſecured by them. There are ſcarcely any opinions abroad, be they never ſo erroneous, hereticall, blaſphemous, tending to licentiouſneſſe, but the Authors of them judge them to have ſtrength in them, and looke upon them as walls to advantage the people, and thoſe are deceived by them, think the like of them.

4. That falſe Prophets and Teachers doe concurre and mutually endeavour to countenance and ſtrengthen each others Doctrines and Tenets; one built up a Wall, and loe others daubed it, the true Prophets oft propheſied the ſame things, and ſo ſtrengthened the hands each of other, and ſo did the falſe Prophets, they improv'd their art and parts to ſtrengthen one another, they brought their Viſions, Divinations, Dreams, Lyes, and whatever they had, to playſter and daube up this wall; they told them of Gods mercy, Covenant, Promiſe, to dwell at Jeruſalem for ever, how greatly God was delighted with that place, that they were a holy people, had the Law, Ordinances, Sacrifices, which none elſe in the World had, that God had no Church but them, and therefore unlikely that ever he would deſtroy them, that his heart was towards them; thus they agreed all in falſhood, and ſtrengthened themſelves, and the people in wickedneſſe: So all the falſe Prophets concurred in deceiving Ahab, Zedekiah the cheife makes hornes, and ſaith, With theſe ſhalt thou puſh the Syrians till they be conſumed.

5. Whatever Prophets give out of their owne unto the people, its weake, unſollid, and unſerviceable; theſe Prophets propheſied of their owne heads, out of their owne ſpirits, they had nothing from God, and what was all, but untempered Morter, a thing unſavory and fooliſh? did any of their Viſions, Divinations, or Propheſies, ſtrengthen the hearts or hands of this people? were they not altogether ſeduced by them? they fil'd them with vaine hopes, flattered them in their ſinfull wayes, propheſied of peace and plenty, and ſo healed p. 549the hurt of Gods people ſlightly; they skin'd it over with faire words, but did not ſearch it to the bottome,Jer. 8.11.Jer 8:11 and launce it with ſound and wholeſome truths; they brought of their owne, not of the Lords, and therefore it was unſerviceable, they brought lyes, Jer. 27.10. Falſe dreames, Jer. 23.32. The deceit of their owne hearts. Verſ. 26. Falſe Viſions, D…vinations, and things of nought, Chap. 14.14. Can lyes, dreames, deceits, falſe, and things of naught, ſtrengthen or build up. The truths and Doctrines of God are ſollid, ſavory, ſtrengthening, lutum paleatum, well tempered Morter; they are tempered with the glorie, wiſedome, mercy, and love of God, with the blood of Chriſt, with the power of the ſpirit, and they will build up a Wall, be ſtrength unto us, Zecharie 1.13. his words are good and comfortable, Mic. 2.7. they do good, Pſal. 91.4. His truth is a Sheild and Buckler: its ſure and will not deceive, 2 Pet. 1.19. The Doctrines of the Apoſtles confirmed the Brethren and the Churches: Acts 14.22:15.32. The Doctrines and Opinions of men are windy deceitfull things, and hinder growth and ſtrength, Eph. 4.14. but the truths of God cauſe growth in all things, and ſo ſtrengthen, making us firme as Walls: What men bring of their owne,2 Pet. 2.3.2 Pet 2:3 are foreign, fained words, untempered Morter; but what they have from God, are wholeſome words and Doctrines, according to godlineſſe, 1 Tim. 6.3.

6. Seducing of people by falſe, flattering, unſound Doctrines doth greatly provoke God, Becauſe, even becauſe they have ſeduced my people, ſaying, Peace, and one built, &c. Prophets work is to make knowne truth, and to bring men out of their by and baſe wayes into the way of truth; but if they turne men out of that way into the wayes of errour, they worke, but their worke is not pleaſing unto God, it exaſperates his ſpirit againſt them, and no marvell they undoe ſoules, which are precious things, James 5.20. He converts a ſinner from the errour of his way, ſaves a ſoule from death, and hides a multitude of ſins that would appeare by his going on in an erroneous way: if on the contrary, a man ſeduce a man from the truth, and lead him into wayes of errours, he deſtroys a ſoule, diſcovers and multiplies ſin; and ſo did theſe falſe Prophets, and ſo doe p. 550all falſe Teachers. Peter tells you of falſe Teachers, 2 Epiſt. 2.1. who bring in damnable hereſies, and draw away many thereby; and is that all? No, they bring upon themſelves ſwift deſtruction, they ſo provoke God by their corrupt and damn…ble Doctrines, that he intends and haſtens their deſtruction; and let the ſeduced looke to it leaſt deſtruction be their portion, Iſa. 9.16. The Leaders of this people cauſe them to erre, and they that are led of them are deſtroyed.

7. Whatſoever works men worke, God will try them; if the Prophets build Walls, daube with untempered Morter, Preach viſions of their owne heads, &c. God will prove their walls what ſtrength is in them, examine their Morter, whether tempered or no, whether ought of God be in it, or all be humane. Verſ. 11. There ſhall be an overflowing ſhowre, great haileſtones, and a ſtormy winde: When men build, the wind and weather tryes their buildings: the Prophets here goe under the notion of builders, and they had made their building, and God would trye it, Nebuchadnezzar with all his Forces ſhould come like an overflowing ſhowre, great ſtrong haileſtones, a ſtormy wind, and if their wall could ſtand then, and their morter endure, it would be evident that they were wiſe builders, had made a firme wall, 1 Cor 3.13. Every mans worke ſhall be made manifeſt, and the fire ſhall try every mans worke of what ſort it is; the work here is interpreted of Doctrines and Opinions, taught and held, they ſhall be tryed by fire, either of affliction or of the ſpirit, the Word of God.

8. God hath variety of ways and meanes to try mens works, he hath ſhowres, haileſtones, winds.

9. Its impoſſible for falſe Prophets to avoyd the judgements of God, they and their worke muſt ſuffer; ſee what is ſaid in the 15. and 16. Verſes. I will accompliſh my wrath upon the wall and upon them that have dawbed it; to wit, the Prophets of Iſrael: Gods judgements againſt them are ſudden, irreſſiſtible, and unavoidable, they are likned to ſhowres, haileſtones, and ſtormy winds, which come ſuddenly, aſſault ſtrongly, and cannot be avoyded: and God ſaith in the 13 Verſ. He will rend their wall, and worke in anger and fury; if he will rend, who can preſerve, if he will teare in pieces who ſhall deliver, Pſal. 50.22.

p. 55110. What ever Doctrines, Opinions, Tenets, falſe Teachers and Prophets doe deliver, to ſcatter among the people, ſhall come to nought, They built a wall, dawbed it with untempered morter, but Verſ. 11. Say unto them it ſhall fall: God had determined the ruine of this wall, of all the falſe propheſies they had delivered; the Doctrines of men are w ndy, unſtable, and vaniſhing things: Acts 5.36, 37, 38. Gamaliel tells of one Theudas who boaſted that he was ſomebody, a Prophet, and vented his owne opinions amongſt them, and drew four hundred men after him, and this falſe Prophet with his propheſies and followers, were ſcattered, ruined, and brought to nought, after him Judas of Galilee drew away much people with his perſwaſions and pretences, and he periſhed, and thoſe obeyed him were diſperſed, and then preſents to the Councill where he was ſpeaking, the Apoſtles and their Doctrine, ſaying, Refraine from theſe men, and let them alone, for if this counſ…ll or this worke be of men, it will come to nought; you have ſeen the end of Theudas and Judas, of their Counſels, Opinions, and works, they being from men are fallen with the men, but if they had been of God, they would have ſtood; as he ſpeakes of the Apoſtles Doctrine, if it be of God yee cannot overthrow it: Men may venture, build upon Divine truths, they have a Divine arme to ſupport them, but humane Opinions, Doctrines, if we confide in, we ſhall greatly be deceiv'd, they and we ſhall fall together: B…by on you know was ſupported by falſe Docteines, falſ worſhip, falſ Government, falſ Miracles, and lying wonders, as you may obſerve in the Revel. and Chap. 18.2. you heare, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen; and Rev. 19.20 The Beaſt was taken, and with him the falſe Prophets; that is, the Pope and his Clergy; they deſired and endeavoured the ſtanding of their Kingdome, but being upon a falſe foundation it fell. Pſa. 112.10. The deſire of the wicked ſhall periſh; not onelyonly their deſires, but Doctrines, Propheſies, endeavours, ſhall periſh.

11. Falſe Prophets and Teachers ſhall be diſcovered, and they and their worſhip expoſed to laughter and ſcorne: When the wall is fallen, ſhall it not be ſayd unto you, Where is the dawbing wherewith yee have dawbed it; you have made a goodly Wall, ſuch an one as could not indure a ſhowre, yee are Impoſters, p. 552have deceived us and others, thus ſhould they be detected and derided. There were many falſe Prophets in Ahabs dayes, they were great with Jezabel and Ahab, and made uſe of their power to cut off the true Prophets; but Elijah calls them forth to a Sacrifice, ſome eight hundred and fifty of them, where they were diſcovered to be Lyars, Seducers, and laughed to ſcorne before all the people:1 Kings 18.1 Kgs 18 thoſe Prophets bade Ahab goe up to Ramoth-Gilead and proſper, how aſhamed were they when Ahab was ſlaine, and the Soldiers returned with loſſe of their King and the day; what cauſe had theſe Prophets to bluſh, when God brought Nebuchadnezzar to beſeidge the City, when the walls were broken downe, and they diſcovered to be falſe Prophets, and their foundation with which they upheld the hope of this people to be lyes, flatteries, and falſe Divinations.

p. 553VERS. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

Likewiſe thou Son of man, ſet thy face againſt the daughters of thy people, which Propheſie out of their owne heart, and propheſie thou againſt them.

And ſay, Thus ſaith the Lord God, Woe to the Women that ſow Pillows to all armeholes, and make Kerchiefs upon the head of every Stature to hunt ſoules. will yee hunt the ſoules of my people, and will yee ſave the ſoules alive that come unto you?

And will yee pollute me among my people, for handf…ls of Barley, and for pieces of bread, to ſlay the ſoules that ſhould not dye, and to ſave the ſoules alive, that ſhould not live, by your lying to my people that heare your lyes.

Wherefore thus ſaith the Lord God, Behold, I am againſt your pillowes, wherewith yee there hunt the ſoules to make them flye, and I will teare them from your armes, and will let the ſoules goe, even the ſoules that yee hunt to make them flye.

Your Kercheifs alſo will I teare, and deliver my people out of your hand and they ſhall be no more in your hand to be hunted, and yee ſhall know that I am the Lord.

Becauſe with lyes yee have made the heart of the righteous ſad, whom I have not made ſad, and ſtrengthened the hands of the wicked, that he ſhould not returne from his wicked way, by promiſing him life.

Therefore yee ſhall ſee no more vanity, nor Divine divinations, for I will deliver my people out of your hand, and yee ſhall know that I am the Lord.

WEE are now come to the ſecond part of the Chapter, which is a Propheſie againſt Women Propheteſſes; and here as before you have their judgements, and the ſins layd downe cauſing thoſe judgements.

The judgements are in the 17, 18, 20, 21. & 23. Verſes, the ſins moving God to be againſt them, and to proceed ſo with them, are in the 17, 18, 19, 22. & 23. Verſes, the judgements and ſins are intermingled in the ſeverall Verſes.

p. 554In Iſrael had been ſome true Propheteſſes, as Deborah and Huldab; now there were many fal…e Propheteſſ s, and the Prophet is commanded to turne his ſpeech againſt them.

Set thy face againſt.

Once before you had this phraſe, Chap. 4.3. where the Prophet was to ſet his face againſt Jeruſalem, here it is againſt the Women; be thou an adverſary unto them, and propheſie againſt them. Enemies when they are to incounter each other, they ſet their faces one againſt another, and ſo here, when the Prophet ſhould denounce judgement againſt them for their lying propheſies, he was as an adverſary to them; and to ſet the face in Scripture ſenſe, againſt any one, is Adverſum eum venturas calamitates praedicere, to proclaime War againſt them: The Hebrew is, thy Faces, ſpeak boldly, freely and be ſevere againſt them in thy propheſying.

The daughters of thy people.

Some would underſtand by theſe Women, men Prophets, who were weake and womaniſh, without courage, conſtancy, and prudence; but we have no cauſe to take the words in that ſenſe: Our Prophet had ſpoken of men Prophets before, and now is directed of God to another diſtinct ſubject, and that is the women Prophets, who are called Daughters of his people, this cannot belong unto the men, De falſis Prophetiſſis haec interpretari par eſt, non de effoeminatis viris.

Which Propheſie out of their owne heart.

As the falſe Prophets did, Verſ. 2. that is, of their owne accord, and their owne imaginations: There were Women of old, who did propheſie, without blame it was lawfull for them, Miriam was a Propheteſſe, Exod. 15.20. and went before the people, Micah 6.4. ſo Huldab, 2 Kings 22.14. Anna alſo was a Propheteſſe, Luke 2.36. and the promiſe of the ſpirit of propheſie was to Women as well as men, Acts 2.17. I will powre p. 555out my ſpirit upon all fleſh, and their Sonnes and their Daughters ſhall propheſie: And Phillip the Evangeliſt had foure Daughters did propheſie, Acts 21.8, 9. and doubtleſſe the Church and people of God received much good by their Propheſying; but theſe were falſe Propheteſſes which did deceive the people, and came not behind the falſe Prophets in doing miſchiefe: Its probable they exceeded men; for, Women by reaſon of the tenderneſſe of their nature, ſweetneſſe of their voyces, reſpect amongſt men, have the advantage to inſinuate their opinions, and perſwade more powerfully, eſpecially when they have a repute for holineſſe, and are eſteemed propheticall, as theſe were.

Propheſie thou againſt them.

They arrogated to themſelves the call and authority of God, when there was no ſuch thing; and for Women to pretend this that they might deceive the people, was grievous; therefore Ezekiel is commanded to propheſie againſt them.

One thing here eſpecially is obſervable, that the Lord calls the people not his, but the Prophets, Set thy face againſt the Daughters of thy people; when ſome hainous thing was committed diſhonourable to God, reproachfull to the people, and the Lord would object it againſt them, then the Lord would not owne them for his people that did ſuch things, that they might be convinced of the greatneſſe of the evill they had done, which made them unworthy to be the people or children of the Lord any longer, Exod. 32.7, 8. When the people corrupted themſelves in making a Calfe and worſhipping it, then God calls them Moſes people, Get thee downe, for thy people, &c. Hence that in Deut. 32.5. They have corrupted themſelves, their ſpot is not the ſpot of his Children.

Woe to the Women that ſow Pillowes, &c.

Here is a generall Judgement denounced againſt thoſe Women; Woe which includes evills of all ſorts, and ſpeciall ſins ſet downe:

p. 5561. Sowing of pillowes to all armeholes.

2. Making Kerchiefes upon the head of every Stature, which are typicall actions, and then the end of theſe, hunting of ſoules.

Sowing of pillowes.

foreign Septuagint is foreign, ſowing things for the head; this is an obſcure phraſe, Pillows are ſoft things, filled with Feathers for the head to repoſe upon, ſome thereby underſtand an eaſie and pleaſurable life; others thinke theſe Prophetick Women were Sorcereſſes, and did uſe theſe Pillowes and Kerchiefes in their inchantments, they appointed thoſe conſulted with them to have theſe on them or about them, and hereby they were made fit to receive their Oracles or Propheſies, as thoſe went to the Oracle in the Den of Tryphonius, they had ſtrange Veſtures, and Rites, they were clad with a linnen Coat, that was girt to them with a Fillet, or hairelace, and they had Slippers tyed to their feet, peculiar to that place; theſe things were to procure the greater reverence to their Religion, Oracles, and Propheſies.

The word is from foreign to cover, hide, and the Nounes derived thence ſignifie Operimentum, velamen, praetextum, quicquid obtenditur, ut aliquid abſcondas vel diſſimules; Hence Pradus interprets the word here, Cheſathoth, rete, quod obtendunt aucupes ad capiendas aviculas.

We muſt take the words in a metaphoricall ſenſe; a man that lyes upon the hard ground, among ſtones or thornes, will ſleep little, and very uneaſily, unquietly; but a man that hath ſoft pillowes to lye upon, he ſleeps much, with great eaſe and quiet, he hath nothing to trouble or interrupt his ſleep; when men are full of feare…, cares, diſtractions, they ſleepe among ſtones and thornes: Theſe Propheteſſes by their Propheſies tooke away thoſe feares, cares, and diſtractions, were cauſed in the hearts of the people by the true Prophets, who told them of Nebuchadnezzars comming, and threatned the ruine of City and Temple, and their going into Captivity; they flattered them, and fed them with faire words, they promiſed p. 557them peace, ſafety, liberty, &c. and ſo put Pillowes under their heads and armeholes, and ſtrengthened them in their ſecurity.

Make Kerchiefes upon the head, &c,

foreign Vailes wherewith Women did cover their faces; hereby is meant the flatteries and falſe Propheſies whereby they vailed and covered up the people in ſecurity, that they might ſleep ſecurely in utramvis aurem, and not be troubled with any apprehenſions of danger; though they ſinned grievouſly, they perſwaded them, the Lord was not angry with them, and they fitted their words and propheſies to the condition of every one; they had that fitted the humours of the ancient, of the middle age, of youth, they through their craft and lying Propheſies applyed themſelves to the head of every ſtature; and ſo pleaſed all, and lulled them in a generall ſecurity. Junius thinkes theſe Kerchiefes were, Triumphales pilei, made up into the forme of crownes of Hats, and ſet upon the heads of the Statues, thereby preſaging they ſhould have not onelyonly ſafety from, but victory over their enemies, which they learned from the practice of Aegyptians and Babylonians; and to this purpoſe is Deodate, who expounds Vailes of the mourning and calamity of others; now if the Jewes had been conquerors of the Babylonians, the Babylonians had had cauſe of covering their faces and mourning for their loſſe.

To hunt ſoules.

foreign Ad venandum, which the Septuagint render this foreign, to pervert ſoules; the French, Pour attrapper les perſonnes: Caſt: Ad aucupandas animas: Vulgar, Ad capiendas animas; thoſe that hunt, ſet their nets, and then drive what is hunted into their Nets, and ſo make a prey of it, the like doe theſe, the Prophets they ſeduce ſoules; that is, Men and Women, with a falſe hope of peace and good dayes, and ſo the evill day comes upon them unthought of, and they are made a prey.

p. 558Will you hunt the ſoules of my people?

By this Interrogation the Lord manifeſts his diſpleaſure, they thought it was free for them to deceive the people with their Pillowes and Kercheifes, with their flattering words, falſe promiſes, and to make gaine of them, but the Lord would not let things paſſe, ſo will you hunt their ſoules, ſpoyle and prey upon them, you ſhall be hunted your ſelves, and taken in your lying Prophefies.

Will you ſave the ſoules alive of them that come unto you.

The Hebrew foreign Animat vobis vivificebitis, will you make alive ſoules unto you; theſe words may referre either to the falſe Propheteſſes, or to others; if to the falſe Propheteſſes, the ſenſe is this, will you delude my people with vain hopes, with promiſes of life and happy days, that you may get from them meat and drink, that ſo you may quicken and keep alive your owne ſoules; what will you deſtroy your ſoules with your errours, to feed your owne with bread; and ſo Piſcator reads the words, Doe you hunt the ſoules of my people, Ʋt animat vobis vivas conſervetis; if to others, the ſenſe is thus, you hunt the ſoules of the people, you inſnare them with your lyes, divinations, and fained viſions, and will yee ſave them alive that come to you and beleeve what you ſay? No, while you perſwade them they ſhall live, you take away their life from them; the very taking of them with your falſhoods is their death, you ſerve them as hunters their game, when its taken they kill it.

And will yee pollute me among my people, &c.

This Verſe containes ſeverall ſins alſo of theſe wicked Propheteſſes.

1. Their pollution of Gods Name.

2. Their covetouſneſſe, Handfuls of Barley, and pieces, &c.

3. Their cruelty, Slaying of Soules.

p. 5594. Their partiality, they ſlew thoſe ſhould have lived, and ſpared thoſe ſhould have dyed.

Then the manner how all theſe were done, By their lyes.

Will yee pollute me, &c.

They pretended they were ſent and authoriſed of God to propheſie, that they had the ſpirit of God, and were true Propheteſſes, that what ever they delivered ſhould come to paſſe, they croſſed the true Prophets, they ſtrengthened the people in their finfull practiſes, they made Propheſie contemptible, and ſo prophaned the Name of the Lord, cauſed many to fall to Atheiſme and Apoſtaſie. This God would not beare at their hands, therefore ſaith, Will yee.

For handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread.

This is a kind of proverbiall ſpeech, ſetting out the meanneſſe of that worke which is ſo cheape; Propheſie with them was at a vile and low price, if any brought never ſo meane a reward, as a little Barley in his hand, or a cruſt of bread with him to theſe deluding Propheteſſes, preſently they had a pleaſing anſwer; had theſe Women ſet their lying Propheſies at the higheſt rate, it had not been warrantable to have prophaned Gods glorious Name for great rewards, but for ſuch petty gaine to expoſe his Name to ſcorne, was extreamly wicked: Cato upbraided Marcus Coelius, as Gellius hath it, Quod fruſto panis conduci poſſit ut taceat vel loquatur.

To ſtay the ſoules that ſhould not dye, &c.

By ſoules you muſt underſtand Perſons, for ſoules are not to be ſlaine, Matth. 10.28. They propheſied againſt the godly that they ſhould dye, and ſo deprived them of their peace, comfort, and apprehenſions they had of Gods favour, filled them with fears, griefes, and ſad th ughts, if they harkened to Jeremiah, and ſubmitted to Nebuchadnez…ar: Or thus, they ſtirred up the people againſt them were godly; and would not p. 560adhere to them, beleeving their Propheſies, and provoke the Magiſtrates to reſtraine them, yea to cut them off, and ſo ſlew them before their time; they ſhould have lived longer by the courſe of nature, had not theſe blood thirſty Propheteſſes haſtened their death.

To ſave the ſoules alive ſhould not live.

They promiſed life, peace, happineſſe, to thoſe they ſhould have threatned Warre, miſery, death, Zedekiah and many with him, had broken the bath made with Nebuchadnezzar to be tributaries to him, and ſo deſerved death upon that ground, others oppreſſed, filled the Land with bloody-crimes, were notoriouſly Idolatrous and not worthy to live, yet theſe were juſtified, pleaded for, and protected againſt the power of any would have had Juſtice executed.

Its not againſt the judgement of ſome learned ones to underſtand death and life here, of eternall death and life; theſe Women teachers threatned the righteous with eternall death, ſhut Heaven upon them, and opened Hell wide enough upon them, and what lay in them, ſlew their ſoules; and for the others they promiſed Heaven and all joyes of it to them, and ſo ſaved them alive they ſhould not.

That its an old practice of Satan to trouble the Church, as with falſe Prophets,Obſer. 1. ſo with falſe Propheteſſes; God rayſed up Women Prophets to honour that Sex, and to helpe his people, and the Devill rayſes up Women to ſpread lyes, to deceive and damnifie the people, and to gaine by that Sex the more to his Kingdome: Satan imitates God, if he will have hee or ſhee Prophets, the like will he have. In the Church of Thyatyra was a Jezabel which called her ſelfe a Propheteſſe to teach and ſeduce the ſervants of Chriſt, to commit fornication, and to eate things ſacrificed to Idols, Revel. 2.20. Jezabel diſturbed Iſrael, oppoſed and ſought the death of the true Prophets, maintained Idolatry, ſo did this other Jezabel, &c. Nehem. 6.14. There is mention of one Noadiah a Propheteſſe, ſhee with other falſe Prophets propheſied againſt the building of the Temple, incouraged Sanballat, Tobias, and others to hinder it, laboured to poſſeſſe Nehemiah and the builders with p. 561feare. Such there have been in former dayes, and ſuch will be Women that take upon them to teach and deceive unwary people, ſuch were Priſca and Maximilla the companions of Montanus the Heretick, ſuch are the Jeſuiteſſes.

2. Its the Character of falſe Teachers of what kinde ſoever, Women or Men, to flatter, ſooth, inſinuate, and ſpeak pleaſing things; the falſe Prophets cryed peace, &c. theſe falſe Propheteſſes ſow pillowes to all armeholes, &c. yea their ſcope is to pleaſe all ſorts, they obſerve the humours of men, and ſo apply themſelves to pleaſe anſwerably, Iſa. 30.10. this was the diſpoſition of the people, Propheſie not unto us right things, ſpeake unto us ſmooth things, propheſie deceit. 2 Tim. 4.3 People would have Teachers after their owne luſts.

3. Falſe Propheſies; flattering, and erroneous Doctrines are the Snares and Nets with which falſe Teachers doe hunt ſoules.

Prov. 6.26. An Adultreſſe hunts for the precious life, and theſe for the precious ſoules.

Epheſ. 4.14. They lye in wait to deceive.

Revel. 20.8. Its the Devils worke to deceive the Nations in the foure quarters of the Earth.

4. What ever falſe Teachers promiſe they cannot performe, Will you ſave alive the ſoules come unto you; will you keep off Warre, Plague, Famine, when Nebuchadnezzar ſhall come about the walls, &c.

5. Falſe Teachers prophane Gods Name, and he takes it very ill at their hands, Will yee pollute me among my people; to make God the Author of their dreame…, lyes, &c. to pretend they are ſent of him, and cauſe his people to c…nce…ve he deludes them, and tells them contraries, one thing by Jeremiah, other things by them, and that for ſuch poor things as Barley.

6. Covetouſneſſe, baſeneſſe of ſpirit, makes merchandiſe o Gods Name, truth, and the ſoules of perſons.

Mic. 3.5. He that puts not into their mouthes, the Prophets he means, they even prepare War againſt him; Judas ſold Chriſt, &c. a Woman to proſtitute her chaſti…y for hand…us of Barley is baſe, much more to ſerve ſoules ſo, 2 Pet. 2.3 With fained words they make merchandiſe of you.

7. That they kill whom God would not have killed, and p. 562ſpare thoſe whom God would not have ſpared, they curſe whom God bleſſes, and bleſſe whom God curſes.

In the 20, 21, 23. Verſes, he ſets downe Gods proceeding with theſe falſe Propheteſſes, he will be againſt them, teare their Pillowes and Ketchleſes, deliver his out of their hands, and deſtroy them and their divinations.

To make them flee.

foreign Piſcator hath it, In floribus hortis, they were wont to ſacrifice in Gardens, Iſa. 1.29: 65.3: 66.17. theſe Propheteſſes with their flatteries, drew in young Maids, to Prophefie ſmooth and pleaſing things, and they drew in the men, and ſo great lewdneſſe and filthineſſe was amongſt them, and they were charmed with their divinations: We may take it thus, they hunted them, they uſed ſeducing wayes by their Prophefies, promiſes, and flatteries, to make them flee from the truth,Thoſe expound the words of their ſoules fleeing out of their bodies, or of fleeing into Babylon certainely miſtake. and true Prophets, to take them off from Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and ſo ſhould be like birds that flye from bough to bough, or beaſts that run from place to place, and abide no where.

I will let the ſoules goe, even the ſoules that you hunt.

The meaning is, I will free them from the deluſion of their falſe Prophefies, they ſhall goe Captive into Babylon, and be no longer in their hands.

With lyes yee have made the hearts of the righteous ſad.

The Hebrew is Conterere, to weare, to make contrite; Septuagint foreign, yee have perverted the heart of the righteous: There were ſome among them who hearkened to the true Prophets, and it was in their hearts to yeild to the Chaldeans, as Jeremiah counſelled; but when they heard the falſe Prophets and Propheteſſes incouraging the people not to feare Nebuchadnezzar, but promiſed ſafety to them that ſhould ſtay in the City; they were troubled, ſadded, and knew not what to p. 563doe, and by this meanes alſo they ſtrengthened the hands of the wicked, who gave heed to their lying Prophefies, and ſlighted what ever Jeremiah ſayd.

You ſhall ſee no more vanity, nor Divine divinations.

There was no weight, no truth, in what they ſayd, who ever received their Prophefies were deceived, the time was approaching which would diſcover the vanity of their viſions, and cut them off from ſeeing any more, for they ſhould periſh.

The Lord is againſt falſe Propheteſſes, and will deſtroy their Prophefies, Ceremonies, they uſe, and them too, Behold I am againſt your Pillowes, I will teare them from your armes, and the Kerchiefes from your heads, and yee ſhall ſee no more vanity nor Divine divinations. God will not let ſuch perſons and practiſes goe unpuniſhed, as intrude into the Propheticall Office, abuſe his Name, Authority, Truth, and People.

2. Women teachers and Men teachers alſo are very ſubtill to ſeduce the people, they had their Pillowes and Kerchiefes, their flatteries, pleaſing Prophefies and promiſes to keep them In ſecurity, to hunt them into the Gardens, to commit ſpiritual and corporall whoredome: Calvin judges that they pretended, altas ſpeculationes, ſome tranſcendent matters, thereby to ariſe the expectations of of the people, who were weary of Jeremiahs Prophefie, being of a lower ſtraine then Iſaiahs, and ſome others, and were tainted with curioſity and itching eares. They were not content with wholeſome and plaine Doctrine, but would be wiſe beyond ſobriety, and God ſuffered ſubtill and falſe Teachers to hunt and ſnare them. Sometimes fowls are ſnared in flying, where no danger is ſuſpected, and theſe were deluded by thoſe ſpeculations were given out by falſe Propheteſſes: How were the Popiſh ſpirits taken with the tenet of Dionyſius touching the heavenly Hierarchie; ſo with the Jeſuits Dalilab, de media ſcientia: and at this day are not multitudes taken with ſpeculations and novelties, doe they not deſpiſe wholeſome Doctrine, and lyſten to erroneous Teachers both Men and Women.

3. Gods people may be taken with ſome errours of the times, p. 564and of falſe Teachers, I will deliver my people out of their hand, and they ſhallbe no more in their hand; they were then in their hands, they had hunted them into their nets, and caught them with their inticeing Propheſies and brought them over to be of their mind. Jezabel did ſeduce the ſervants of Chriſt, Rev. 2.20. you know Peter and Barnabas were drawne into an errour, Gal. 2.12, 13, 14. and Chriſt hath told you, Matth. 24.11. That many falſe Prophets ſhall ryſe, and deceive many: They ryſe from the Earth, or out of the bottomleſſe Pit, and do much hurt with their ſmoaky Doctrines, they darken the Heavens, ſo that the Saints miſtake their way. There were thoſe conſtreined the Galatians to be Circumciſed, Chap. 6.12. & Acts 20.30. Of their owne ſelves ſhall men aryſe, ſpeaking perverſe things to draw away Diſciples after them. The old lying Prophet deceived and drew the young Prophet into a ſnare, coſt him his life, a Lyon devoured him, 1 Kings 13. I feare there are young Prophets drawne away into dangerous errours, and many others about this City, whom I hope God will keep from the roaring Lyon, and deliver in due time from the errour of their wayes. Let the counſell of Salomon to his Sonne, Prov, 19.27. be welcome to you, Ceaſe to heare the inſtruction that cauſeth to erre from the words of knowledge: and hearken to Peter, 2 Epiſt. 3.17, 18. Seeing you know theſe things before, beware leaſt yee alſo being led away with the errour of the wicked, fall from your owne ſtedfaſtneſſe, but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.

4. The Doctrines of falſe Teachers doe prejudice both the godly and the wicked, they ſadden the hearts of thoſe ſhould not be ſadded, and they ſtrengthen the hands of the wicked which ſhould be weakened: When falſe Teachers give out their lyes, corrupt truths, and opinions, they weaken the authority of the true Prophets Doctrine, they fill the godly with feares, ſcruples, griefe and diſcouragement. What ſadding Doctrines are among the Papiſts, from their falſe Teachers, as that of Auricular Confeſſion, all ſins muſt be confeſſed to a Prieſt; juſtification by workes, Satisfaction, Purgatory, Tranſubſtantiation, that of the death of Infants before Baptiſme, falling away from grace, keeping of the Law, Traditions, &c. Theſe p. 565with others, are Doctrines which wound the hearts of the godly, and much perplex them; and are there not as ſadding and heart perplexing Doctrines among us? Viz. Denyall of the Sacred Trinity, Chriſts Divine nature, authority of the holy Scripture, that God is the author, creator, and inventor of all ſin, that it it the ſame ſpirit is in the godly and the wicked, that there is no Election, but an univerſall Redemption, that God ſees no ſin in his, that the Law is of no uſe to Beleevers, that Chriſt himſelfe may ſin as well as a Child of God, that all dayes are alike, the Lords day having no preheminence, that Women may Preach, that there is no power or rule in the Church, but all in the Civill Magiſtrate; as theſe opinions ſadden the hearts of the godly, ſo they ſtrengthen the hands of thoſe are wicked, they goe on in their wayes, and never thinke of returning to the Lord: Falſe Teachers which ſpeak pleaſing things, undoe the ſoules of ſinners; they promiſe life when they ſhould threaten death, open to them their danger, ſhew them the evill of their wayes, and uſe the ſtrongeſt arguments they can to awaken and reduce them, Jer. 23.22. Had they cauſed my people to heare my words, then they ſhould have turned them from their evill way, and from the evill of their doings.

5. God hath his times to deliver his people from the flattery, tyranny, and policie of falſe Teachers, I will deliver them out of their hand; there was a day when the people were delivered from the tyranny and flattery of Ahabs falſe Prophets, 1 Kings 18. & Rev. 19.20. the Beaſt with the falſe Prophet, &c. were throwne into the Luke.