Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 7 · Verse 26
CHAP. VII.
26. Miſchiefe ſhall come upon miſchiefe, and rumour ſhall be upon rumour, then ſhall they ſeek a viſion of the Prophet, but the law ſhall periſh from the Prieſt, and counſell from the Antients.
HERE is more woe yet diſcovered, not ſingle, but maltiplyed woes, one miſchiefe at the heels of another; no ſooner ſhall one be over, but they ſhall hear of another: one miſchiefe in the morning, and preſently newes of another before noon-tide, or evening, and after that, another by midnight, and ſo they were never free from feeling and fearing miſeries.
Newes they ſhould have of the Chaldeans comming with fury and for ſpoile, beſet they ſhould be with miſchiefs, and when they looked for comfort and counſell from the Prophets, Prieſts, and Antients, there ſhould be no viſion, no law, no counſell, Theſe who had holpen them in former times ſhould now faile them.
Miſchiefe.
Contrition, trouble, woe, Montanus.this word miſchiefe ſometimes notes ſinne, as Pſalm 36.4. and 140.2. Acts 13.10. Sometimes an ill accident befalling one, 2 Kings 7.9. If we tarry till morning ſome miſchiefe will befall us. Sometimes judgement, Iſa. 47.11. Miſchiefe ſhall fall upon thee, and thou ſhalt not be able to put it off. The ſtroke of God ſhall come unavoidably, they were a people ſet on miſchiefe, Exod. 32.22 Set upon ſinning, and God told them he would be ſet upon puniſhing, Deut. 32.23. I will heape miſchiefs upon them. Which here in the Text were comming one after another, and crowding in upon them.
Miſchiefe upon miſchiefe notes multiplicity and coherence of Judgements, Sword, Plague, Famine, and thoſe evils attend them, which are not a few, Job 19.12. You have a like phraſe, his troopes came together. There was a multiplicity of calamities, troops and coherency, they came together.
Rumour ſhall be upon rumour.
The newes ſhall be brought them of the Chaldeans comming from ſeverall quarters, and by ſeverall meſſengers to their City, their eares ſhall be fill'd with tidings and reports of their drawing neere. It's conceiv'd the Jewes had their Scouts and Spies abroad that watched on the tops of mountaines, and places ſuſpected, and when any danger appeared, they gave notice thereof, and ſo Rumour was upon Rumour; one brought newes that the King of Babylon was in Armes ſuch a day with ſo many thouſands; a ſecond, that he had march'd ſo far; a third, that he had invaded the borders of their Land; a fourth, that he had taken ſome Towns, put moſt to the ſword, and burnt the Townes, &c. Another, that they would preſently be at the gates of Jeruſalem.
Then ſhall they ſeeke a viſion of the Prophet.
Finding no peace, ſeeing miſchiefs multiply, and hearing ſad Rumors from all parts, they had one refuge left, and that they make uſe of, viz. They ſeek to the Prophet for a viſion, ſurely thought they we ſhall have ſome good tidings from heaven when we have none from earth; the Prophet will help us, when all others faile us. In our great ſtreights we ſhall have ſome Counſel or Comfort.
But either there was no viſion, or ſuch as was in no ſtead to them: The falſe Prophets had nothing to ſay, the true they hated, and what they ſaid would not be believed, or practiſed, Jer. 38.14. &c. Zedekiah ſpeaks to Jeremiah for a viſion, he makes known the minde of the Lord, tels him what he muſt doe to ſave himſelfe and the City, yeeld up himſelfe into the hand of the King of Babylons Princes, and then he ſhould live, and the City be unburnt; this viſion was ſad, not entertain'd, and ſo as none. Zedekiah and the reſt would have had a viſion, that is,Ver. 27. a word of God by the Prophets to have freed them from the miſery and ſtreights they were in, and there was no ſuch viſion.
But the law ſhall periſh from the Prieſt.
And the law ſhall periſh, many read it ſo, noting out a further degree of their miſery: Propheſie ſhall not only faile them, which is extraordinary, but even that which was ordinary, the preaching and expounding of the Law, the Prieſts ſhould have no ſound or true knowledg of it.
Read it But the law, &c. The ſenſe will not much differ, they look for viſions from Prophets, But they ſhall not have the law from Prieſts, viſion and Preaching both ſhall fail them.
This phraſe To periſh from is an Hebreiſme, and noteth not abolition, but abſence; the law ſhould not be diſſolv'd, loſt, But taken from thoſe Prieſts, they ſhould be without the law. Take ſome places where you have the like ſpeeches, Pſal. 142.4. Refuge failed me. The Hebrew is, periſhed from mee. I was without refuge, Amos 2.14. Flight ſhall periſh from the ſwift. Power of flying ſhall be abſent. And Joel 1.5. Howle ye drunkards becauſe of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth: That is, there is none for you; and ſo here, The law ſhall periſh from the Prieſts: That is, the ſound knowledg, and true interpretation of the law ſhall be abſent from them, their lippes ſhall preſerve no knowledge.
Counſell from the Ancient.
Elders, ſome refer theſe to Church-officers, foreign Iſa. 37.2. Elders of Prieſtsthe Prophets were to teach them, the Prieſts to offer ſacrifices, and the Elders to order and diſcipline them, which required wiſdome and Counſell.
Others refer them to State-Elders, in which ſenſe the word is frequently uſed, Gen. 50.7. Exod. 17.5. Pſal. 105.22. and is there tranſlated Senators: Take it in which ſenſe you will, Counſell ſhould periſh from them, they ſhould not be able to adviſe for the welfare of Church or State.
Obſer. 1 When a people is under Divine diſpleaſure, there is a ſucceſſion of evils for them, miſchiefe after miſchief, they may not expect a few, but many. Saul after he had ſin'd in ſacrificing, rejected God, Samuel tels him that his Kingdome ſhould not continue, 1 Sam. 13.14. Then 3. Companies of ſpoilers came. Miſchiefe from the Philiſtines, verſ. 17.18. Then had they no Smith in all Iſrael, v. 19. After, Chap. 15.23. He heares God had rejected him from being King, that he had rent the Kingdome from him, v. 28. After this he was trobled with an evill ſpirit from the Lord, Chap. 6.14. In the 17.10. Goliah defies the Armies of Iſrael, Chap. 18.7, 8. David is magnified above Saul, which vexed him to the heart, and filled him with fear, verſ. 29. He is diſappointed of David, whom he attempts to kill, Chap. 19. He diſtruſts his ſervants, and complains of their unfaithfulneſſe, Ch. 22. The Philiſtims invade his Land, being in purſuit of David, Chap. 23. David & Abiſhai came upon Saul ſleeping, and could have kil'd him, Chap. 26. Being ſore diſtreſſed, he ſeeketh to the Witch of Endor. When God was departed, no anſwer by Prophets, and the Philiſtims were upon him; the Witch raiſes the Devill, who tels him of nothing but his own, and Iſraels ruine, Chap. 28.19. Theſe tidings ſtruck him halfe dead, v. 20. After this, his ſons are ſlaine, his Army is routed, he and his Armour bearer ki l themſelves, Chap. 31. here miſchiefe followed upon miſchief.
Pharaoh had ten plagues one after another, and in the Revelations you read of 7. Trumpets, 7. Vials, they came not ſingle, but by ſeavens, and brought in miſchief after miſchief, and judgement after judgement, Jer. 51.31, 32. One Poſt ſhall run to meet another, and one meſſenger to meet another, to ſhew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end, that the paſſages are ſtopped, the reeds burnt, and the men of War affrighted.
Many evils and troubles doe befall States and Churches when they are under Gods wrath, Deuteronomie 31.17. Then my anger ſhall be kindled againſt them in that day, and I will forſake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they ſhall be devoured, and many evils and troubles ſhall befall them, ſo that they will ſay in that day, are not theſe evils come upon us becauſe our God is not amongſt us.
When God is in a way of revenge, hee is continually at his work, ſo that one miſery is but the meſſenger of another: and here is the miſery of the wicked, they ſhall periſh rather an hundred times over, then goe unpuniſhed.
2. God proceeds by degrees and ſteps to ſeverity of judgements; though people be exceeding guilty, deſerve as much wrath as is in all the vials of God, yet he pours not out all his wrath at once, miſchief comes after miſchiefe, and rumour after rumour.
Firſt, Some drops of a viall, then ſome little ſtreams,Manſuetudo iram Clementia paenam moderatur. after that the ſtrength: God hath clemency in him, moderating his puniſhments. If little ones will prevaile with ſinners, he will with-hold the greater: Sometimes though he ſee no amendment in the Creature, his own goodneſſe, bowels and compaſſion doe cauſe him to forbear, Pſalm 78.38. He did not ſtirre up all his wrath: He had cauſe to have done it, they flattered with him, lied unto him, their heart was not right, they brake Covenant, verſ. 36.37. And yet hee ſtir'd not up all his wrath: he kindled not the fire ſo hot as utterly to conſume them: Nay, that wrath which was up, and comming out, he turn'd away: And why? He was full of compaſſion, and remembred they were but fleſh: Yet becauſe they were a ſtubborn people, profited neither by mercies nor judgments, but fell to Idolatry, it's ſaid verſ. 9. Hee greatly abhorred Iſrael, and then the conſuming fire was kindled, verſ. 63. At firſt Gods wrath is little, Pſal. 2.12. I was a little diſpleaſed, Z…ch. 1.15. But if ſin grow, Gods wrath grows, as Ahab's cloud, at firſt little as a hand, but quickly it covered the face of heaven, it was black with clouds and winds, and there was a great raine. How little ſoever Gods wrath be in the riſe, it can ſodainly cover the face of heaven, & cauſe a great raine, a raine of fire and brimſtone, an horrible tempeſt, Pſalm 11.6. God hath great wrath, and fierceneſſe of wrath, 2 Kings 23.26. He hath a little finger, a hand, an arm, and loins to be heavy upon ſinners: He begins with the little finger, if that doe good he will ſtop, if not, you ſhall feele his hand, his arme, and weight of his loines, he hath wrath reſerved, Nahum. 1.2. W…ath to come, 1 Theſſ. 1.10.
3. Wicked men in great ſtreights will ſue to them for help, whom before they hated, they ſhould ſeek for a viſion from the Prophet now they were in extreamities, and they run from Prophet to Prophet to get ſome Counſell and Comfort. The falſe Prophets who had been countenanced by them, had deceived them, the true were hatefull to them: Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Baruch were left, and now they ſue unto them for viſions, ſee Jer. 37.17. and 38.14.27. and 42.1, 2, 3. There the King, Princes, and people being diſtreſſed, ſeek to Jeremie, yet he was curſed by them, Jer. 15.10. Beaten and put into priſon, Chap. 37.15. Ahab ſends for, and conſults with Micaiah, whom he hated, when he was to goe out to Warre, and in a ſtreight what would be the iſſue of it, 1 Kings 22.8. When the Plagues were upon Pharoah, then he ſends for Moſes and Aaron, Exod. 8.8.25. and 9.27. and 10.8.16.24. He ſends for them in haſt, and in the night, Chap. 12.31. Seven times he did it: Prophets are precious in times of trouble; when mens liberties, eſtates, and lives are in queſtion, then they are glad to have help from Prophets, their Counſell, Prayers, holineſſe, they thinke may doe them good. Abimilech took away Abrahams Wife, but what ſaid God to him, Gen. 20.7. Reſtore the man his wife, for hee is a Prophet, and he ſhall pray for thee, and thou ſhalt live: If not, thou ſhalt ſurely dye, and all thine.
Take heed how you abuſe, and ill-intreat the Prophets, the time may come, you may have need of them, and be glad to hide your ſelves under their wings, aske their Counſels, importune their prayers.
4. They that will not hear Gods ſervants when they are at eaſe, ſhall not have help from them in time of their diſtreſſe; they refus'd to hearken to Jeremiah, Chap. 44.16. As for the word that thou haſt ſpoken to us in the name of the Lord, wee will not hearken unto thee: And now they ſeek unto him for a viſion, and there is none for them, or that afflicted them more then if they had none. It's juſt with God to with-hold viſions from the Prophets when people deſire them, who ſlighted them when God gave them. If people ſtop thei… eares, and will not heare, God will ſtop the Prophets mouths, they ſhall not ſpeak, Lam. 2.9. Her Prophets find no viſion from the Lord. They ſought to the Prophets, the Prophets to the Lord, but neither found any viſion, night and darkneſſe was upon them, and there was no anſwer of God, Mica. 3.6.7.
5. That it's a dreadfull evill when God takes away the ſignes of his preſence, viſions among the Prophets, the law ſoundly interpreted by the Prieſts, and ſeaſonable Counſell from the Elders, were evident tokens of Gods preſence amongſt them; when theſe fail'd, they were demonſtrations of his abſence; here they ſhould all periſh, from the Prophet, the Prieſt, and the Antient; now they ſhould neither have extraordinary, nor ordinary help, as it was with Saul, 1 Sam. 28.15. God anſwered him neither by Prophets nor by Dreams, which was an argument he was departed, and hereupon he was in great diſtreſs. Micah was troubled greatly, when the Danites took away his Idols, Judges 18.23, 24. He thought that a great evill, that the ſigns of his Gods preſence were gone: But how much greater evill is it, when the ſignes of the true Gods preſence are taken away, 1 Sam. 4. When the Philiſtims had routed the Iſraelites, and taken the Arke, and a Benjamite brought newes of it to the City, and all the City cryed out, verſ. 13. Great and ſmall were afflicted at this, that the Arke, the pledg of Divine preſence was gone, and Eli was not ſo much ſtrucken at the death of his 2. ſons, as at the taking of the Ark; when he heard that was gone, he could live no longer, he fell backward, verſ. 18. brake his neck, and dyed. So Phineas wife upon this occaſion falls into Travell, and names her Child Ichobod, verſ. 21. which is, where is the glory. The Arke is gone, God is gone, Iſrael hath now no more glory: ſo here, the tokens of Gods being among them were removing, viſion failing, the law periſhing, &c. and where theſe goe away, it's night, Ignorance comes in, E…rours i…creaſe, and all woes are at hand: While God is preſent by h…s Word and Miniſters, what evils ſoever fall out, there is reliefe in the Word and Ordinances againſt them, thence arguments are fetcht patiently to bear them. But if they be gone, that evill may ſink the heart without others: and when ſeas of Vinegar, and floods of bitter wa…er compaſſe you about, you have no oyl to allay them, nor ſugar to ſweeten them.
6. That truths are not confin'd to any ſort of men, not to Prophets, Prieſts, or Miniſters in theſe or any dayes, the Prophets ſhould be without viſion, the Law ſhould periſh from the Prieſts, and Counſell from the Elders. It was a conceit of old that this rank of men ſhould not be without knowledg & truth, Jer. 18.18. Come let us deviſe devices againſt Jeremie, for the Law ſhall not periſh from the Prieſt, nor counſell from the wiſe, nor the word from the Prophet, come let us ſmite him with the tongue, &c. Let us accuſe him to be a falſe Prophet, get him ſilenc'd, impriſon'd, put to death. All in authority in the Church, the Prophets, the Prieſts, the Elders, are againſt him, & you need not fear if he be taken of out the way, though a Prieſt, a Prophet, full of wiſdome and counſell, there will be others as good as he, more mild and ſweet; it will be no conſiderable loſſe, for the law ſhall not periſh from the Prieſt.
They were poſſeſt with this apprehenſion, that truth, knowledg, counſell, and the Spirit of God was peculiar to them, and ſhould not be removed from them; but the Lord confutes them, and confounds their conceit, there ſhall be no Viſion, no Law, no Counſell. Aaron had neither Viſion nor Law when he ſaid, Theſe are thy Gods O Iſrael, Exod. 32.4. Ahab had 400 Prophets, but no viſion amongſt them. Had there been a Councell of theſe Prieſts and Prophets gathered to Counſell and d… termine for the good of the Church, what Canons and Concluſions would they have made: The Papiſts and ſome others ſtick much to Counſels, and challenge knowledge, truth, and Gods Spirit to be amongſt them; they are the repreſentative Church, and where ſhould light and counſell be, if not amongſt them: Let them and all conſider that the Lord is not tyed to men, that truth is not the Inheritance of Prieſts, Prophets, Popes, Councels, more then others: The law ſhall periſh from the Prieſts. And Mar. 14.53. There was a grand Councell, the High Prieſt, and with him were aſſembled all the chiefe Prieſts, the Elders, and the Scribes: And verſ. 34. you have the reſult of this Councell, they all vote Chriſt to be a blaſphemer, and condemn him to be guilty of death, whereupon he was ſpit on, buffeted, and greatly abuſed. If a whole Councell have condemn'd Chriſt the Head, its like they have condemn'd many of the members ſince.
The great Councell of Nyce had erred in point of Miniſters marriage, if Paphnutius had not prevented. That of Arminum held rebaptication of thoſe, hereticks had baptized. That of Conſtance denyed one of the Elements in the Supper of the Lord to the people. God is not tyed to Councels,Aretius de util. Script. in l. Com. Tertul. in exhort. ad caſtitatem. to Prophets or Prieſts, but is free to be where he pleaſe, and to impart truth to whom he pleaſe, and to as few as he pleaſe: Ʋbi tres, ſunt eccleſia eſt, licet laici fuerint, ſaid Tertullian long ſince: And if they be a Church, they may have truth amongſt them, and more given in unto them as well as others.
God gives Viſion, Law, Counſell, and takes them away at his pleaſure, he creates light and darkneſſe. They ſhall ſeeke viſion of the Prophets, and there ſhall be none. Prophets could not propheſie at pleaſure: But when God gave in viſions, then they gave out light. Nathan had no viſion, no word from heaven to encourage David to build, hee had one to take him off, 2 Sam. 7. Neither had the Prieſts the knowledg of the Law alwayes, Hoſea 4.6. Mal. 2.8. Neither is counſell alwayes with the Antient, Iſa. 29.14. You that have Viſion, th… Law and Goſpell, the Counſell of the Ancient, how ſoone God may remove it, is a ſecret, the light was extinguiſhing lately, there were many extinguiſhers, Jeſuiticall, Prelaticall, and others. Be not unthankfull for the light you have, ſin not againſt light by diſgracing that as New light which ſuits not with your ſpirits: It was in the womb of the Sc iptures, though not brought forth till of late. If you ſpurn a any light, any truths of God, you may loſe what you have; If you receive not the truth with love, God will ſend you ſtrong deluſions. If you hate thoſe that bring you light, you are in darkneſſe, notwithſtanding all the light that ſhines amongſt you, 1 John 2.9, 10. He that ſaith he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkneſſe untill now. He that loves his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occaſion of ſtumbling in him. Let me ſay to you as Iſa. Chap. 2.5. O houſe of Jacob, come yee & let us walke in the light of the Lord. And as Chriſt to the people, Yet a little while is the light with you, walke while yee have the light, leaſt darkneſſe come upon you, John. 12.35. Acts 26.19. Paul was not diſobedient to the heavenly viſions he had; be not you, but walk in the light and warmth of them, and then ſee what a bleſſing you ſhall have, 1 John 1.7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowſh p one with another, and the blood of Jeſus Chriſt his Son cleanſeth us from all ſinne.
8. Thoſe will not doe what they know, ſhall not know what to doe: Zedekiah and the reſt would not doe what they knew, Jeremie bade them goe forth, yeild themſelves, and it ſhould be well with them and the City; but they did it not, and quickly after they knew not what to doe, no Viſion, no Law, no Counſell; in a ſtreight, and knew not which way to turn them. Adam knew what to doe, but did it not, and preſently after his head is in the thicket, and he knows not what to doe. Saul knew that he ſhould not offer ſacrifice, that he ſhould have ſlain Agag, ſpared neither man nor beaſt, he did it not: and how oft he was in ſtreights, and knew not what to do, you may obſerve in the ſtory, eſpecially in that famous place, 1 Sam. 28.15. When the Witch had rais'd the Devill in Samuels likeneſſe and mantle, he tels him why he had called him, I know not what to do, but I have called thee that thou mayeſt make known unto me what I ſhall doe.