Exposition of Ezekiel 20-29, Exposition · Chapter 24

Exposition of Ezekiel 20-29 · Exposition · Chapter 24

p. 328CHAP. XXIV.

Verſ. 1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying,

2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this ſame day: the King of Babylon ſet himſelf against Jeruſalem this ſame day.

3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious houſe, and ſay unto them, thus ſaith the Lord God, ſet on a pot, ſet it on, and alſo pour water into it.

4 Gather the peices thereof into it, even every good peice, the thigh, and the ſhoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

5 Take the choice of the flock, and burn alſo the bones under it; and make it boyle well, and let him ſeeth the bones of it therein.

THis Chapter is conceived to bee the laſt propheſy againſt the Kingdome of Judah, before the final deſtruction thereof, which with the great Calamity thereof, is ſet out under the type of a boyling pot, and the death of the Prophets wife.

In the Chapter is contained a double propheſy.

1 That of the boyling pot, and the interpretation thereof, to the 15. v.

2 That of Ezekiels wife dying ſuddainly, his not mourning for her, and the explication thereof, from the 15. ver. to the end.

In the verſes before us we have,

1 The Time of this propheſy, v.1.

2 The Occaſion, ver. 2. which was the King of Babylons ſetting himſelf againſt Jeruſalem.

3 The Propheſy it ſelf, in the 3, 4, & 5. ver.

p. 3291 In the ninth year, the tenth month, and the tenth day thereof.

Our Prophet being in Babylon, reckons from the ninth year of the Captivity, the time that Jehoiachin himſelf, and others were brought into Babylon, Ezek. 1.2. ch. 8.1. and not from the Time of Zedekiahs reign, though it were the ninth year, tenth month, and tenth day thereof, for that day the one was carried away, the other was made King. It concerned them in Babylon to keep account of their captivity.

The word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying.

Hee had nothing of his own to give out that day, but the word of the Lord came to him, the ſpirit of the Lord brought it, and with ſuch power, that he muſt write and ſpeak.

2 Write thee the name of the day, even of this ſame day.

The Hebrew is, Write the name of the day, and the body or ſubstance of the ſame day; it was a day wherein ſomething conſiderable and ſubſtantial was acting. God would have the Prophet write the day, not onelyonly to adde weight to his Propheſy, but to ſtir them up to bee affected, and to ſee how the providential hand of God ordered things at a great diſtance.

The King of Babylon ſet himſelf againſt Jeruſalem this ſame day.

Here was the Occaſion or cauſe of his writing down the day, and ſo propheſying upon it; Nebuchadnezzar was that day ſitting down before Jeruſalem, as you may clearly ſee 1 King. 25.1. Jer. 39.1. ch. 52.4. when Nebuchadnezzar was upon a warlike expedition, hee knew not whether he ſhould go to Rabbath or Jeruſalem, chap. 21.21. but hee was ordered by a divine hand, to lay ſiedge to Jeruſalem, the tenth day of the tenth month, in the ninth year, which Ezekiel could p. 330not poſſibly know, had not the Lord revealed it. This was a buſineſſe of high concernment to the Jews in Judea, and thoſe in Babylon. The Hebrew for ſet himſelf, is Samach, which Montanus renders, adjunxit ſe. Others, Corroboravit ſe, fulcivit ſe, and the French. Eſt fortifié, he joyned, ſtrengthened, and fortified himſelf againſt Jeruſalem.

Obſ. 1 The Lord takes notice of what men do, and can make known the ſame to whom hee pleaſes at what diſtance ſoever. Nebuchadnezzar and his Forces were in Judea ſitting down before Jeruſalem, and this the Lord revealed to Ezekiel being in Babylon. It was declared to Eliſha, whether the King of Syria, would march, and where hee would pitch his Campe, 2 Kin. 6.9, 10. The death of Herod in Judea was diſcovered to Joſeph being in Egypt, Mat. 2.19, 20. and when Moſes was in Midian, the Lord told him that all the men were dead in Egypt, which ſought his life, Exod. 4.19.

Obſ. 2 There bee ſome things and times the Lord would have his take ſpecial notice of, and keep the Chronology thereof: Ezekiel muſt write the year, the month, and day, of Jeruſalems beſiedging: In the ninth year, the tenth month, the tenth day, the King of Babylon ſet himſelf againſt Jeruſalem; that was a ſad buſineſſe, and a ſad time. When God hath been upon executing great judgements, or ſhewing great mercies, the daies and months have been recorded.

The day and Month of Noahs entrance into the Ark and of his comming out again, are mentioned, Gen. 7.11. chap. 8.14, 16. The Time of the Jews going out of Egypt, you have punctually ſet down, Exod. 12.41, 42. ſo the Time of their paſſing over Jordan, Joſh. 4.19. of Solomons building the Temple, 2 Chron. 3.2. Of Hamans plot to deſtroy the Jews, Eſth. 3.8, 13. and ſeveral other things, the year, month, and day, ſtand recorded; Which ſhews they were providential, not caſuall, that the wiſdome and power of God were intereſted in them, whoever were the inſtruments, and that being ſo exactly ſet down, Poſterity ſhould not forget them. And queſtionleſſe the Lord expects, that wee ſhould keep a Chronology of the great and remarkeable things done by him for us: as the fight at Marſton-more, July 2.1644. at Naſeby the 14. of June 1645. at Maidſtone, 2 June 1648. p. 329Scots routed in England, Auguſt 17. 1648. Ormond beaten from Dublin, August 2. 1649. &c.

3 Utter a Parable unto the rebellious.

The Hebrew is, Speak thou parabolically to the houſe of rebellion, a parable; That is, ſpeak thou darkely unto them, that they may the better attend, and make the more diligent inquiry after the meaning of what thou delivereſt. Of Parable and Proverbs formerly have been ſpoken, chap. 17.2. and of the rebellious houſe, chap. 2.5.

Set on a Pot, ſet it on.

Its for Cooks to ſet on Pots, put in water, then the meat, Ezekiel hee muſt bid them ſet on a Pot, a ſtrange work for a Prophet, and becauſe ſtrange, it would make the People minde it the more, and ſearch out the myſtery.

By this Pot, is meant Jeruſalem, Ezek. 11.3. This City is the Caldron, Haſſin, its the ſame word is here for Pot, which notes ſtrength, comprehenſiveneſſe, and Durableneſſe, ſo Jeruſalem was ſtrong, comprehended much, and was more durable than other places when beſiedged. Not Jeruſalem ſimply, but under judgement was the Pot.

And alſo pour water into it.

When Pots are ſet over the fire, they put in, and fill them with water, that ſo what ever they pleaſe may bee boiled therein. By this water is meant the afflictions and Judgements, in which as in water, God would boil Jeruſalem: Now the King of Babylon was ſet down round about it, had ſtraitly beſiedged it, and variety of Calamities were upon it, and the waters of affliction, begun to be hot. So Calamities are called, Iſa. 8.7.

4 Gather the peeces thereof into it.

When the Cook hath ſet on the Pot, filled it with water, p. 330then hee takes the ſeveral peices of fleſh, which are to bee boiled, and puts them into the Pot, and they are called the peices thereof, becauſe they are to be boiled therein.

Even every good peice, the thigh and the ſhoulder.

Here the people or Commonwealth of Iſrael, is likened unto a body diſſected, as the Levites Concubine was, Judges 19.29. and they muſt take the good or principal peices, thoſe that were the ſtrength and ſupport of the body and head, as the thighs and Shoulders, that is, the Nobles, Councellors, Prieſts, and chief Souldiers amongſt them.

Fill it with the choice bones.

The Hebrew is, Electione oſſium imple, fill it with the choiceneſſe of bones, which Rabbi David interprets, as wee do, fill it with choice bones, that is, with choice peices, becauſe the peices ſaith hee, are cut ſecundum oſſa, according to the bones. This Pot muſt not have a peice or two, a bone or two put into it; but muſt bee filled with the choiceſt peices and bones were in all the body.

5 Take the choice of the Flock.

By the Choice may bee underſtood the King himſelf, who is the Head of the flock, or the fat and wealthy ones. The Vulgar hath it, Pinguiſſimum pecus aſſume, take the fatteſt of the Cattle, which Ʋatablus calls, opulentos ex plebe, the wealthieſt of the People, or thoſe have the choice offices, and places in the City.

Burn all the bones under it.

By Bones here, divers Expoſitors underſtand the bones of the innocent Prophets, and others, who were ſlain unjuſtly; Thoſe the Prophet bids them to burn under the Pot, and that to manifeſt the cauſe of Gods great wrath againſt, and juſt deſtruction of the City. But this interpretation of bones, p. 331ſuits not with the ſcope of the place; Which is not to diſquiet the bones of the innocent, and lay puniſhment upon them, but to revenge their death. The bones here are to ſuffer as well as the fleſh; wee may underſtand theſe words thus; Let fleſh and bones boyle together, and when they are ſo boiled, that all the fleſh and fat is taken from the bones, then burn them; that is, when all the wealth, places, honour are taken from the rich, then let them be deſtroyed by Famine, Plague, or Sword, and that is the burning of the bones. Let nothing of them or theirs bee ſpared, but let all bee conſumed; Or thus, boile the fat ones, in the Pot, and burn the poor under it; they are like bones without fleſh, make them inſtrumental to conſume the rich; and doubtleſſe in the famine, they were like a fire devouring the fleſh in the Pot.

And make it boile well.

The Hebrew is, Rattach retacheah, which Montanus renders, Fas ebullire ebullitiones ejus, make its boilings to boile, boile it throughly, There bee old tough peices in the Pot, which will not eaſily or ſuddainly bee boiled, they will require a hot and continued fire, therefore Buxtorf. interprets the words, fac ut vehementer ferveant, ſee that the boilings be very hot. The Chaldaean Army were not the bones, and fire under this metaphorical Pot, but the bellows rather to blow up and increaſe the fire.

And let him ſeeth the bones of it therein.

The Hebrew is, Let the bones thereof be ſodden in the midst of it, and the ſtream of interpreters carry the words plurally, and ſo it ſuits beſt with the words going before, make it boile well, and let the bones thereof bee ſodden in the midſt of it; that is, let them bee throughly ſodden. Bones are ſtrong things, they require more than ordinary ſeething, eſpecially if old, and there bee many old bones in the Pot, many hardned ſinners, many ſtout ſpirits amongſt the Souldiers, Princes, Nobles, and others, but let them bee ſoundly boiled, in this Pot of affliction, and that will make them tender. p. 232The Vulgar is, Diſcoct a ſunt oſſa illius in medio ejus, that is, the bones are boiled, till the fleſh and they are ſundred, they are throughly boiled; and Ʋatablus makes this the ſenſe of it, Fortiſſimi quique conficiantur in ea obſidione, let the ſtrongeſt and ſtouteſt men bee ſlain and conſumed in that ſiedge.

Obſ. 1 The ſinfulneſſe of men hath occaſioned God to give out much Scripture. Speak a parable to the rebellious. God took occaſion from their rebelliouſneſſe, to give forth this Parable and many others. Much of Jeremy and our Prophet was occaſioned to ſee the world, by the wickedneſſe of the Jews. Sinne accidentally occaſions good, Sinne made way for Chriſt, and as for him, ſo for much, if not the greateſt part of the holy Scriptures.

Obſ. 2 Teaching by Parables is warrantable. God ſends and commands the Prophet to utter a Parable. Iſaiah, Jeremy, Zachary, were not without Parables. Chriſt was abundant in them. The Parables they uſed were taken from ordinary things, known, and familier, ſuch as were obvious to the ſenſes, as here from a Pot, water, peices of fleſh, bones, &c. Hereby the mind & memory are much inlivened, and ſtronger impreſſion made upon the heart, ch. 22.18. all they are braſs and Tin, and Iron, and Lead in the midſt of the Furnace: and here they were as fleſh, and bones, in the midſt of the Pot.

Obſ. 3 The judgements of God upon places, makes them Pots, in which hee boiles ſinners. Now Jeruſalem was a Pot over the fire. The Babyloniſh Forces were round about it, dreadful Calamities upon it, multitudes in it, who were like peices of fleſh, in a boiling Pot; what boiling thoughts, fears, cares, diſtractions, diſcontents, were amongſt them? we may judge what boiling was therein, by the Armies lying near this City, and being in readineſſe to come upon it.

Obſ. 4 That God at his pleaſure commands judgements upon places: Set on a Pot, pour water into it: make Jeruſalem miſerable with Plague, Famine, and Sword; if hee ſpeak the word, the thing muſt bee done; whatever hee calls for, takes place, Jeruſalem, that was a Paradiſe, muſt now become a boiling Pot.

Obſ. 5 That when Gods judgements are abroad, hee meets p. 333with all ſorts of men, the Fat and Lean, the ſtrong and weak, the rich and poor: when the Pot is on the fire, God will have the choice peeces, and choice ones into it, the ſhoulders, the thighs, the choice bones, Prince, Nobles, men in place, of wealth: as well as the poor and lean ones.

Obſ. 6 When God is boiling of ſinners in the fire of his judgements, he will boil them to purpoſe. Make it boile well, and let the bones thereof be ſodden in the midſt thereof. This Pot was boiling not a few hours, daies, or months, but a year and half, 2 King 25.1, 2, 3. So when God made Samaria, a boiling Pot, 2 King. 17.5. he boiled the ſinners in it three years together. God ſo boiled them there, and theſe here, that he made the proudeſt and ſtouteſt of them to ſtoop, yea, all of them to become meat to their enemies.

Verſ. 6 Wherefore thus ſaith the Lord God, woe to the bloudy City, to the Pot whoſe ſcum is therein, and whoſe ſcum is not gone out of it; bring it out peice by peice, let no lot fall upon it.

7 For her bloud is in the midſt of her, ſhe ſet it upon the top of a rock ſhee poured it not upon the ground to cover it with duſt.

8 That it might cauſe fury to come up to take vengeance: I have ſet her bloud upon the top of a rock, that it ſhould not bee covered.

Here the Lord comes to interpret the Parable, denouncing a fearful woe to Jeruſalem, and giving the grounds thereof, which are,

1 Her Bloudineſſe, with the aggravation thereof, verſ. 6, & 7.

2 Her unprofitableneſſe under judgements, when ſhee was boiling, her ſcum abode with her, went not out of her.

6 Woe to the bloudy City.

Jeruſalem was guilty of much bloud, Ezek. 22.3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 27. 2 Chron. 21.16. Jeruſalem was now as bad as Nineveh, which Nahum 3.1. is called the bloudy City, p. 334and hath the ſame woe denounced againſt it. By blood, not only murther, but alſo other notorious wickedneſſes, which deſerved death are to bee underſtood, Ezek. 7.23. the Land is full of bloudy crimes. Of ſuch ſinnes for which men ought to bee cut off. Vide loc.

To the Pot whoſe ſcum is therein, whoſe ſcum is not gone out of it.

Here its clear, that by this Metaphorical Pot is meant the City; hee calls the City the Pot, which was not without its ſcum. Chelatta from Chalah, Aegrotavit; for the ſcum is Aegritudo ollae, Avenarius.the ſickneſſe of the Pot. Rabbi Solom. calls it, excrementum, the excrement and filth of the Pot. The Septuagint is, foreign, the poyſon of it: the Vulgar is, rubigo, the ruſt of it. Froſterus hath it, ſordes, thoſe filthineſſes, which through great boiling do adhere to the Pot, from what is boiled therein. By ſcum is meant the ſinne and wickedneſſe of the City, which is likened thereunto, in reſpect,

1 Of its Loathſomeneſſe, ſcum and filth are loathſome things, and do nauſeam creare. The ſinnes of this City were loathſome, it was full of abominations, bloud, idolatry, uncleanneſſe, &c. ſuch evils as made it to be abhorred, Ezek. 16.25. as made the Philiſtims aſhamed, verſ. 27. ſuch ſinnes as were loathſome afterwards to themſelves, Chapter 20.43.

2 Of its viſibleneſſe, the ſcum and ſilth is upper moſt, next to view, ſuch were Jeruſalems ſinnes, they were open, ſhee had an eminent and high place in every ſtreet, Ezek. 16.24. ſhee opened her feet to every one that paſſed by, v. 25. ſhee and her Princes ſhed bloud openly, ch. 22.36. nothing but ſin and wickedneſſe appeared in her.

3 Of its adherency to the Pot. So Jeruſalems ſinnes did cleave cloſe to her, the more ſhee was boiled in the judgements of God, the more faſter ſhee held her ſinnes, her ſcum and filth ſtuck to every ſide of her, Jerem. 8.5. They hold faſt deceit: their ſinnes cleaved to them, as fleſh to the bones, as ruſt to a pot; though they were oft in the p. 335fire, or over it, yet their filthineſſe departed not from them, their ſcum, their droſs, boiled in, and cleaved faſt to them, Jeremy 6.29.

Bring it out peice by peice.

Hee perſiſts in the allegory of the Pot, and orders how they ſhould bee dealt with who were in the City, they ſhould bee brought out ſeverally, not all at once, but as peices are taken out of the Pot, one after another, till there bee no more; ſo it ſhould bee done with this City, one peice of it ſhould bee brought out and conſumed with Famine, another peice of it with the Plague, verſ. 3. with the Sword, verſ. 4. ſhould bee carried away into Captivity; ſo that it ſhould bee emptied of all; ſo the words are rendred in Ʋatablus, Per fruſta ejus evacua cum, part by part empty it. This City was emptied ſomewhat under Jehoi… chim, when hee was carried to Babylon, 2 Chron. 36.6, 7. it was emptied more when Jehoiachin was taken, and many with him alſo carried thither, 2 King. 24.15. but it was wholly emptied when Zedekiah was taken, and carried away, 2 King. 25.

Let no Lot fall upon it.

Let it not have that favour or mercy. Among Souldiers in their military diſcipline, when they take many enemies worthy all to dye, they ſingle out ſome by Lots to ſuffer, and ſpare the reſt; but Jeruſalem ſhould not have any ſpared; they ſhould all, young and old, taſte of one judgement or other; wee may refer this lotting to the City it ſelf, let it not come to that, as to caſt a Lot, whether the City ſhall bee ſaved or deſtroyed. Such a famous great ancient City might fall into Conſultation, whether it ſhould bee ruined or no. Carthage was long in debate in the Senate of Rome, ſaith Lavater, whether it ſhould bee utterly deſtroyed. But the Lord prevents ſuch a conſultation, and ſaith, Let no Lot fall upon it. I have decreed it to be ruined, and it ſhall be ruined, utterly ruined.

p. 3367 Her bloud is in the midſt of her, ſhee ſet it upon the top of a rock, &c.

The meaning of this verſe is, ſhee ſhed bloud openly, did bloudy and notorious things publikely, as if ſhee had done them upon the top of a rock; if bloud bee ſhed there, its dry, hard, drinks not in the bloud at all, but it lies to bee ſeen of all, that come upon the Rock, Whereas if bloud bee ſhed upon the earth, that drinks it in quickly, or it may bee covered with duſt, that others may not diſcern it, Jeruſalem did not ſin cloſely, and hide her wickedneſſe from the world, but ſo openly, that all Nations took notice of it.

8 That it might cauſe fury to come up to take vengeance.

They did not ſinne to that end that God might take vengeance on them, but the nature of their ſinne was ſuch, as it provoked God to fury, and to haſten vengeance, their ſins were open, great, and crying for vengeance, their ſinnes aſcended, and Gods fury deſcended. The Hebrew for, to take vengeance is, Linkom nakom, ad ulciſcendum ultionem.

I have ſet her blood upon the top of a rock.

As ſhee did, ſo did the Lord, ſhee ſhed blood openly, and was not aſhamed of it, and I have ſhed her bloud openly, and am not aſhamed of it; Shee did not cover her ſinne, but expoſed it to the view of all, and God by his puniſhments ſet it on the top of a rock, and made it known to the whole world.

Obſ. 1 That Cities have their filth and ſcum in them: Jeruſalem here is likened to a, Pot with the ſcum in it. The poor are not the ſcum of the City, but the ſinne and wickedneſſe of poor and rich that is that ſcum, Jeruſalem was full of it, Ezek. 8.16. and 22. tells you, what ſcum, and abundance of it was in Jeruſalem. There was much ſcum in Sodome, much in Samaria, much among the Nations, but moſt in Jeruſalem. To great Cities, there is a confluence of all ſorts of people, who bring ſcum and filth with them, and adde to what they finde there: what ſcummy doctrin did the falſe Prophets p. 337teach in Jeruſalem, Jer. 23. what ſcummy counſel did Jaazaniah and Pelatiah give in that City? Ezek. 11.1, 2. what dunghill Gods did Jeruſalem entertain? Jer. 2.28. according to the Number of thy Cities, are thy gods, O Judah. There was no ſinne againſt God or Man, but it was in Jeruſalem. And other Cities are not without their ſcum, no not this City.

Obſ. 2 Heavy judgements upon ſinful places do not work out the wickedneſſe is in them. Jeruſalem was beſiedged, ſuffered hard things, and her ſcum went not out of her, it boiled in, ſhe was the worſe for all thoſe fiery judgements God brought upon her, Jer. 5.3. Thou haſt ſtricken them, but they have not grieved, thou haſt conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction, they have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refuſed to return. God did ſtrike them with Egyptian and Babyloniſh rods, but there were no tears, no relentings, no returnings, but grew harder and harder, even to a rockiſh hardineſs. Ahaz the head of this City, in the time of his diſtreſſe, ſinned the more againſt the Lord, 2 Chron. 28.22. When Samaria was beſiedged by the Syrians, 2 Kin. 6. did the ſcum of it boil out? no, Jehoram at that time, ſent to take off Eliſhaes head, verſ. 31. and ſaid, hee would wait no longer for the Lord, verſ. 33. His ſcum boiled in, and boiled up to a greater height. Is the ſcum gone out of Ireland? by all the bloudy judgements of God have been upon them? is it gone out of England, or London, by all the ſad ſtroaks we have had?

Obſ. 3 When judgements prevail not with ſinful places to cleanſe them from their iniquities, God threatens, and will certainly deſtroy ſuch places, and that without mercy. Jeruſalem was as a pot over the fire, her ſcum went not out of her, and what then? Woe to the bloudy City, bring it out peice by peice, let no lot fall upon it, becauſe the ſcum wrought not out, the fleſh, the people, muſt bee brought out to deſtruction, and the pot bee broken in peices, God ſaid of Jeruſalem, Jer. 32.31. This City hath been to mee as a provocation of mine anger, and of my fury, from the day that they buil… it, even unto this day: ſometimes there were good Kings, and good people in it, but generally the people were wicked, and therefore, Jerem. 19.11. I will break this people, and this p. 338City, as one breaketh a Potters veſſel, that cannot bee made whole again: It was bloudy, mercileſſe, and now ſhould have bloudy judgements without mercy.

Obſ. 4 Open impudent ſinning provokes to vengeance, and ſhall bee puniſhed openly. The 7. and 8. verſes together yeild this obſervation. Jeruſalem ſhed bloud, not in a corner, or ſome ſecret place, ſhee had no care to conceal and cover what ſhee did, but openly as on the top of a rock, ſhee ſet up ſcaffolds to execute the innocent, this cauſed fury to riſe in the Lord, and haſtened him to take vengeance, and to puniſh her openly; hee called for Nebuchadnezzar to come out of Babylon, hee led him to the gates of Jeruſalem, cauſed him to ſit down there, and viſibly to execute his vengeance upon her, ſo that her puniſhment was as open as her ſinne; ſhee ſinned as on the top of a rock, and God ſet her bloud on the top of a rock. The beſiedging, taking, and burning of Jeruſalem, was ſo known, and famous, as that all the Nations took notice thereof, and made themſelves ſport therewith, Lam. 2.15, 16. ſhe would not cover her ſin and ſhame, and God would not cover her puniſhment.

Verſ. 9 Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God, woe to the bloudy City, I will even make the pile for fire great.

10 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, conſume the fleſh, and ſpice it well, and let the bones be burnt.

11 Then ſet it empty upon the coals thereof, that the braſſe of it may bee hot, and may burn, and that the filthineſſe of it may be molten in it, that the ſcum of it may be conſumed.

12 Shee hath wearied her ſelf with lies, and her great ſcum went not forth out of her: her ſcum ſhall bee in the fire.

13 In thy filthineſſe is lewdneſſe, becauſe I have purged thee, and thou waſt not purged, thou ſhalt not be purged from thy filthineſſe anymore, till I have cauſed my fury to reſt upon thee.

14 I the Lord have ſpoken it, it ſhall come to paſs, and I will do it, I will not go back neither will I ſpare, neither will I repent; according to thy waies, and according to thy doings, ſhall they judge thee, ſaith the Lord God.

p. 339In theſe verſes the Lord proceeds,

1 In Threatning of judgements, verſ. 9. woe to the bloudy City, as before, v. 6.

2 In a Parabolical declaration of thoſe judgements, in the end of the 9. v. and in the 10, & 11▪ ver.

3 In ſhewing the cauſes thereof, ver. 12, 13.

4 In ſealing up the certainty and irrevocableneſſe of theſe judgements, v. 14.

9 I will even make the pile for fire great.

I will bring a multitude of Babylonians; a mighty army, which ſhall beſiedge Jeruſalem, and bee as a great fire unto it: by them I will execute fiery judgements upon the bloudy City. The Heb. is, I wil make a great fire, that is, I wil conſume the whole City. Here are a multitude of houſes, ſtately buildings, and they ſhall bee all as a pile of wood for fire; yea, the inhabitants thereof, ſhall bee conſumed by the fire of my wrath.

10 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, conſume the fleſh.

The Hebrew verbes, in this verſe are infinitive, but rendred imperatively. Vatablus reads them in the future, I will heap on wood, I will kindle the fire; that is, ſaith hee, I will adde ſpirit and power to the Babyloniſh forces, to beſiedge the Jews, that ſo by famine, ſword, and plague, they may be conſumed. According to our reading the words, God calls for, and haſtens the deſtruction of Jeruſalem.

Spice it well.

The Hebrew is, Harkach hammerkachah, which Montanus renders thus, Condi condimentum aromatibus, ſeaſon a ſeaſoning with ſpicery. Rakach ſignifies, to make an oyntment, ſawce, or ſeaſoning, Ex diverſis ſpeciebus aromatum, of diverſe kinds of Grocery or ſweets, that ſo it may bee the more pleaſing to the noſtrils or pallate. Cooks spice their meats and ſawces, that ſo they may be more acceptable to the taſte of thoſe feed upon them. The ſpicing here, I conceive to bee the various judgements which were to be inflicted p. 340upon Jeruſalem, which made it as ſavoury meat both to men and God; when it was ſalted and ſpiced with his judgements, God was at reſt and comforted, Ezek. 5.13. Their fears, ſorrows, diſtractions, ſufferings famine, were ſeverall ſpices, they were ſpiced withall, and it was meat and drink to the Chaldaeans at laſt, to deſtroy them, being made faint, and feeble with a long ſiedge.

Let the bones be burnt.

Let the ſtrongeſt Souldiers, wealthieſt Citizens, and principal men of the City, bee weakened and conſumed in this ſiedge, or at the end of it; not onelyonly the poor and low ones, but the higheſt and mightieſt ones, the Chaldee hath it, fortes viri ejus inſaniant, let her ſtrong men be mad.

11 Then ſet it empty upon the coals thereof.

When the City ſhould be emptied of the inhabitants thereof, it ſhould bee as a Pot, ſet on the fire without any thing in it, when it is ſo, it quickly melts, conſumes, and comes to nothing. This Pot muſt be ſet on,

1 That it may be melted.

2 That the filthineſſe of it may be ſeparated.

3 That the ſcum and ruſt may be conſumed.

Obſ. 1 That ſin and wickedneſſe do defile the places and perſons where they are, as filthy liquors, ſcum, and ruſt, do the veſſels and Pots in which they are. This Metaphorical Pot had her filthineſſe in it; Jeruſalem had ſhed bloud, ſet up Altars and Idols, oppreſſed the fatherleſſe, widdows, and ſtrangers, and theſe things defiled her; not onelyonly were the Citizens, but even the City it ſelf was defiled. The Leproſy defiled the garments and the houſes, Levit. 14. ſinne is that Leproſy which defiles men, garments, houſes, Towns, Cities, and Lands, Ezra 9.11. The Land which ye go to poſſeſſe, is an unclean Land with the filthineſſe of the people; filthy people make all like themſelves.

Obſ. 2 Deſtructive judgements upon ſinful places are pleaſing unto God; hee incouraged the Chaldaeans to heap on p. 341wood, to kindle the fire, Conſume the fleſh, and to ſpice it well. Execution of juſtice, deſtruction of ſinful Cities, and perſons, its a Sacrifice well pleaſing to God, delighting him as much as any ſpiced meats do the pallates of men. When Jehu had executed juſtice upon Ahabs Sonnes, and Baals Prieſts, ſee what the Lord ſaid, 2 King. 10.30. Becauſe thou haſt done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and haſt done unto the houſe of Ahab, all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation ſhall ſit on the Throne of Iſrael; was not the deſtruction of thoſe wicked ones very pleaſing unto the Lord, when he rewarded it ſo well?

12 She hath wearied her ſelf with lies.

Montanus renders the Hebrew thus, injuriis ſe afflictavit, ſhee hath afflicted or wearied her ſelf with injuries, that is, with wronging others. Ʋatablus in his notes hath it thus, in mendaciis laboravit, ſhee hath wearied her ſelf, and that aliis inferendo injuriam. Her ſelf is not in the Original. The words may therefore refer to God, and ſo both Junius and Piſcator read them, ſhe hath wearied me with her lies and vexations; I often reproved her for her ſinnes, threatned her by my Prophets, viſited her with my judgements, but all was to no purpoſe, if at any time ſhee promiſed amendment, it was hypocritically, ſhe performed it not; or ſhee took thoſe waies and courſes pleaſed not mee, nor profited her ſelf, and in thoſe ſhee both wearied mee, and her ſelf. The word for lies ſignifies iniquity, vanity, as lye.

Her great ſcum went not forth of her.

In the ſixth verſ. the words are, whoſe ſcum is not gone out of it: here, her great ſcum went not out of her, what courſe ſoever ſhee took to advantage her ſelf: her ſcum rather increaſed than diminiſhed, ſhee pretended oft to part with her ſcum, but never did.

p. 342Her ſcum ſhall be in the fire.

Seeing her ſcum and ruſt (for ſo the word may bee interpreted) will not bee gotten out of her, ſhee ſhall be ſerved like the unclean veſſels that were to paſs through the fire, Numb. 31.22, 23. ſo this Pot or City ſhould bee burnt with fire, and ſo her ſcum and ruſt ſhould be conſumed with her.

Obſ. 1 Wicked, vain, ſinful practices, do weary God, and thoſe that do uſe them: ſhee hath wearied mee, ſhee hath wearied her ſelf with lies, that is, with her wretched doings; I have oft preſented mercy to her, ſhee refuſed it; I have oft called upon her to turn from her idolatry, unjuſt and bloody doings, but ſhee hath had a deaf ear; I have waited long for her repentance, and ſhee hath diſſembled with mee, and is grown impenitent; I am weary of waiting any longer. Iſa. 65.2, 3. I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellions people, which walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts, a People that provoketh mee to anger continually to my face, &c. How could it bee but that God ſhould bee weary of ſuch people, and ſuch doings? God tells her, ſhee had wearied him with her iniquities, Iſa. 43.24. O Jacob, Iſrael, Jeruſalem, thine iniquities are ſo great, many, oft iterated, that I am weary of beholding, of hearing, of bearing them any longer. Others have wearied mee with their words, Mal. 2.17. but you have wearied me with your lying words, and wicked deeds. When my fury hath been kindled in mee, ſo that I have been ready to pour out judgements upon you, I have been ſtopt by the Prayers of ſome precious ones, and repented mee of what I intended againſt you, but I will do it no more, I am weary with repenting, Jer. 15.6. God repented, but they repented not, hee would repent no more. And as ſinners by their ſinful waies, do weary God, ſo they weary themſelves, Jer. 9.5. They have taught their Tongue to ſpeak lies, and weary themſelves to commit iniquity: Some tire themſelves more in the ſervice of ſinne and Satan, than others do in the ſervice of God and Chriſt, Iſa. 5.18. they draw iniquity, and they toile at it as horſes in a cart:

p. 343Obſ. 2 When the ſcum will not bee got out by the word and leſſer judgements, God will deſtroy both ſcum and Pot together. Her ſcum went not forth of her, Gods threats by the Prophets did no good, his leſſer judgements procured it not, the ſcum ſtill boiled in, the ruſt ſtill cleaved to the Pot: what then? her ſcum, her ruſt, ſhall bee in the fire: when neither wind, nor water will do it, fire ſhall.

13 In thy filthineſſe is lewdneſs.

Thou haſt defiled thy ſelf with all manner of ſinne, with Idols, bloud, prophaneneſſe, hypocriſy, Covetouſneſſe, &c. and to theſe thou addeſt lewdneſſe, that is, obſtinacy, thou art ſetled upon thy lees, and wilt not bee reclaimed; no Counſell, Admonition, reproof, takes with thee, thou ſtandeſt out againſt them all. The Vulgar reads it, immunditia tua execrabilis, thy Filthineſſe is execrable. Zirumah notes, deſtinatum ſcelus; a reſolved wickedneſſe, which is execrable. Aecolampad. makes the Filthineſſe to be pravum conſilium, evil counſell: Jeruſalem had hearkened to the falſe Prophets, taken in their counſell againſt the true Prophets, and was reſolved to go on in her waies, Jer. 23.14. they ſtrengthen the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedneſs.

Becauſe I have purged thee.

The Hebrew is, Tihartich, which Montanus in the margent gives the ſenſe of, Juſſi ut mundares te, I have purged thee, that is, I have commanded that thou ſhouldest purge thy ſelf. God ſent Prophets unto Jeruſalem, 2 Chron. 36.15. to tell her of her ſinnes, and danger, and to invite and preſs her to repentance, as Jer. 3.12, 13, 14. who fully declares throughout his propheſy, what ſad judgements God would bring upon her, if ſhee did not purge and cleanſe her ſelf. See ch. 6.26. ch. 7.14 ch. 9.11. chap. 13.17. God affording them means for purging, as Prophets, reproofs, admonitions, counſels, exhortations, corrections, is ſaid to have purged them, hee did that which in his wiſdome hee thought meet to do.

p. 344The Purging here meant is from idolatry, injuſtice, prophaneneſſe, &c.

And thou waſt not purged.

Hebrew, Thou haſt not purged thy ſelf. Thou didſt not entertain and improve the means afforded; when the Prophets came to thee, and told thee of thy ſinnes and dangers, thou didſt mock at them, 2 Chron. 36.16. and deſpiſe the word they brought. When I ſmote thee with my correcting hand, thou didſt revolt more and more, Iſa, 1.5. and thy children received no correction, Jer. 2.30. that is, no benefit by thoſe blows I gave them. Thou ſaidſt, I have loved ſtrangers, and after them will I go, verſ. 25. and thoſe in thee ſaid, wee are Lords, wee will come no more unto the Lord, verſ. 31. So Jer. 44.16, 17. They did not ceaſe from their wicked waies.

Thou ſhalt not be purged from thy Filthineſs any more.

I will ceaſe from uſing means to purge thee, my Prophets ſhall labour no more in vain about thee, they have ſpent their lungs and ſtrength to reclaim thee, but they ſhall not do it again, they ſhall neither reprove, threaten, counſel, or invite thee any more to turn, but thou ſhalt bee left as deſperate and incurable. Hebrew is, Thou ſhalt not purge thy ſelf from thy Filthineſſe any more, if thou wouldeſt now go about it, it will bee in vain, its too late, I am reſolved upon thy deſtruction.

Till I have made my fury to reſt upon thee.

Anger, indignation, wrath, fury, is ira nunquam, quieſcens, donec ſumatur vindicta. There is now no purging, but deſtruction, I ſhall ſpend all my judgements upon thee, conſume thee, and thine, and ſo my fury ſhall reſt upon thee, theſe words we had before, ch. 5.13.21.17.

Donec doth not imply a purging afterwards, Pſalm 110.1. Rom. 8.22. Mat. 5.26. until thou haſt payed the uttermoſt, &c.

p. 345Obſ. 1 Obſtinacy in ſinne, provokes God to the deſtruction of ſinners: Her ſcum ſhall be in the fire. Jeruſalem ſhall bee burnt, and why? in thy filthineſs is lewdneſſe, thou a…t obſtinate, hardened in thy wickedneſſe; all ſinne offends, ſome ſinnes provoke to judgements, obſtinacy provokes to deſtruction, Jerem. 44.15, 16, 17. in thoſe verſes you have the obſtinacy of the Jews in Egypt (they, and others of them had been ſo obſtinate in the land of Judea, that God could bear them no longer, but laid the Land deſolate, and made it a curſe, v. 22.) and ſee how the Lord threatens them, v. 27. I will watch over them for evil, and not for good, and all the men of Judah, that are in the land of Egypt, ſhall bee conſumed by the ſword, and by the famine, untill there bee an end of them: and not onelyonly would hee deſtroy them, but Egypt likewiſe, where they were, verſ. 30. even that ſhould fare the worſe for their being in it. Obſtinacy in ſinne, is worſe than the ſinne it ſelf, many ſinnes are committed, renitente, voluntate, againſt mans will and purpoſe, but obſtinacy in ſinne, is pleno conſenſu voluntatis, it hath the willfully in it, and therefore muſt needs exaſperate the Lord, Nehem. 3.30. many years didſt thou forbear them, and teſtifiedſt againſt them by thy ſpirit in thy Prophets, yet would they not give ear, therefore gaveſt thou them into the hand of the people of the lands, this ſtubbornneſſe of theirs, made the Lord caſt them off, and put them into the hands of Heathens. Zachary tells you, that for this ſin, came a great wrath from the Lord of Hoſts upon them, ch. 7.12. not only wrath which is deſtructive in it ſelf, but great wrath, and that not only from the Lord, but from the Lord of hoſts; as if the Lord muſtered up all his forces, to come againſt obſtinate and rebellious ſinners, and poure out great wrath and vengeance upon them. Certainly obſtinate ſinners are thoſe the Lord will accompliſh his wrath upon, 1 Theſſ. 2.16. the wrath of God came upon the Jews to the uttermoſt, even to perfection.

Obſ. 2 In Scripture Language, that is ſaid to bee done, which God or men indeavour to do, though it bee not done. I have purged thee: God uſing means, and indeavouring by his Prophets, Mercies, Threats, and judgements, to purge p. 346Jeruſalem from her ſinne, is called purging, though Jeruſalem were not purged, Pſalm 69.5. They that deſtroy mee; Qui exſcindunt me, are mighty. Davids enemies who ſought to deſtroy him are ſaid to do it, Rom. 2.4. The goodneſſe of God leadeth thee to repentance, that is, its agency and tendency is that way, Deut. 26.5. A Syrian ready to periſh, Jacob increaſed and proſpered when hee was with Laban, but becauſe Laban did that which tended to his periſhing, hee changed his wages, hee purſued him returning home, therefore hee is ſaid to bee in a periſhing condition, 1 Cor. 10.33. I pleaſe all men in all things. In the fourth chapter, hee tells you hee was reviled, perſecuted, defamed, made as the filth of the world, and the off-ſcouring of all things, how then did hee pleaſe all men in all things? he is ſaid to do it, in that hee indeavoured to do it, ſeeking their good, their ſalvation, Matt. 5.32. whoſoever ſhall put away his wife, ſaving for the cauſe of Fornication, cauſeth her to commit adultery, that is, this action of putting her away; expoſes her to that ſinne, whether ſhee fall into it or no, becauſe therefore the mans act in putting away his wife, is likely to produce ſuch an effect, hee is ſaid to do it, to cauſe her to commit adultery. Gal. 5.4. Chriſt is become of no effect unto you, whoſoever of you are juſtified by the Law; they ſought to bee juſtified by the Law, and thereupon are ſaid to bee ſo, not that the Law juſtified any, or any could bee juſtified by it. This ſhould teach us how to underſtand the like ſcriptures. Things may be ſaid to bee done, when onelyonly there hath been means uſed, conducing thereunto.

Obſ. 3 A people may have the means, and not improve the ſame for their good. Jeruſalem had Prophets, Ordinances, Sabbaths, Sacrifices, Mercies, Judgements, by which God would have purged her, and ſhee was not purged; ſhee did not purge her ſelf, ſhee improved not the ſame for her good, ſhee did not hearken to the Prophets, humble her ſelf for her ſins, fear the Lord and his threatnings, obſerve his Sabbaths, worſhip him onelyonly, and execute juſtice. God called upon her oft, to purge her ſelf, Jerem. 4.14. O Jeruſalem waſh thine heart from wickedneſſe, that thou mayeſt bee ſaved; how long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodge with in thee? I have given thee p. 347water to waſh thine heart from all thy vain, baſe, deſtructive thoughts, why doeſt thou not uſe it? chap. 13.27. O Jeruſalem wilt thou not bee made clean, when ſhall it once bee? my Prophets would cleanſe thee if thou wouldeſt receive them, and my word by them; mine Ordinances would ſanctify thee, if thou didſt uſe them according to mine inſtitution of them; my mercies and judgements would cauſe thee to cleanſe thy ſelf, if thou didſt well weigh them. But thou haſt means, and doſt not improve them. Its not the having of means, but the right uſe of means will do good. Jeruſalem thought her ſelf clean, not needing to bee purged, Jer. 2.23. how canſt thou ſay, I am not polluted? Jeruſalem that was more guilty than Sodome or Samaria, juſtified her ſelf, and ſo neglected purging; yea rejected the word of the Lord, which ſhould have purged her, Jer. 8.9. ſhee gave ear to falſe Prophets and Prieſts, Jerem. 23.14. who ſtrengthened her in her wickedneſs, and defamed the true Prophets, chap. 18.18. ſhee prophaned the means, Ezek. 22.26. ſhee idolized the means and reſted in the act done. Jerem. 7.4, 9, 10. chap. 8.8. ſhee went on ſtill in her own waies, whatever God or man ſaid unto her, Jer. 7.28. This is a Nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction. God had ſpoken to Jeruſalem and Judea oft, yea, corrected them oft, but neither word nor rod did better them.

Obſ. 4 People may ſo ſlip the time of repenting, and turning to God, as that it may bee too late for them to go about the ſame: They may ſinne away the time of mercy, becauſe Jeruſalem having means, took not the opportunity of purging her ſelf, ſhee ſhould never bee purged, her filthineſſe ſhould abide with her. As Judea was the land not cleanſed, Ezek. 22.24. So was Jeruſalem the City not purged, ſhee paſſed the time of her purging: ſhee loſt the ſeaſon for mercy. The Scripture is clear for it, Pſalm 81.11, 12. My People would not hearken unto my voice, and Iſrael would none of mee, ſo I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own counſels; God invited them by means and mercies which they entertained not ſo as to profit by them, they ſtood it out with God who caſt them off, and now it was too late for them to come: O that they had hearkened! not, O p. 348that they would hearken.— The Fooliſh Virgins ſtaid ſo long before they got Oyle, that the door of the Bridegroom was ſhut, and no entrance for them, Matth. 25. they came too late, Matth. 23.37, 38. O Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and yee would not: I uſed all means, but Jeruſalem took not her time to do her ſelf good, therefore her houſe was left deſolate, her Temple, her City, ſhould bee emptied of all means, and mercies, and her Children be left in a deſolate condition. God would have purged the old world, but it ſlipt the time of its purging, Gen. 6.3. My Spirit ſhall not alwaies ſtrive with man, they have been warned, counſelled, reproved, convinced by my Spirit, in the Patriarchs, and in their boſomes that hath been labouring to bring them to repentance, but they grieve, reſiſt, and vex my Spirit, therefore it ſhall ceaſe to ſtrive any more with them, to do them any good. Let us not preſume upon hereafters, that wee will purge, repent, and turn to God hereafter; thy hereafter may bee too late: Seek the Lord while hee may bee found, call ye upon him while he is near, Iſa. 55.6. There is a time when hee will not be found, a diſtance at which hee will not hear, Prov. 1.28. Then ſhall they call upon mee, but I will not anſwer, they ſhall ſeek me early, but they ſhall not find mee: They ſleighted and improved not the means which God afforded them, thereupon judgements came on them, whereupon they betake themſelves to a more ſerious uſe of the means, but it was too late, God had no ear to hear them, neither would make any appearance for them. Time preſent is the acceptable time, 2 Cor. 6.2. Let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit, perfecting holineſſe in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1.

Obſ. 5 Thoſe have had means and not profited thereby, God will deal moſt ſeverely with, there is no mercy, but altogether judgement for them. Jeruſalem had means, but was not purged, and ſhee ſhould not bee purged, but Gods fury ſhould reſt upon her. Thou ſhalt not bee purged from thy filthineſſe any more, till I have cauſed my fury to reſt upon thee, that is, thou ſhalt never be purged in mercy, but deſtroyed in my fury; and ſo it was quickly after, by the Chaldaean Army. Capernaum. p. 349was exalted to Heaven in means, but what ſaid Chriſt,Matth. 11.Matt 11 ſhee ſhould bee brought down to hell; that is, ſuffer extream puniſhment, and why? ſhee improved not the means; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodome, it would have remained unto this day: Had Sodome had the Preaching and miracles thou haſt had, it would have made ſuch improvement of them, as to have kept off the fire and brimſtone fell upon it, therefore the puniſhment of the Sodomites ſhould be leſſe than of the Capernaites, at the day of Judgement.Luk. 13.7.Luke 13:7 God is ſevere againſt thoſe have the means to purge them, and do it not, that have the Goſpel, and impr…ve it not. The Fig-Tree in the vineyard had ſtood there three years, and was not better at laſt then at firſt; the influences of Heaven, and fatneſſe of the earth had done it no good; and behold the ſeverity of the owner, Cut it down, why cumbers it the ground?— Hee ſaith not, dig it up, ſet it elſewhere, but cut it down, its a burden to mee, to the earth, and reproach to all the Trees in the Garden, — what made the Lord deal more ſeverely with the Jews, than other Nations? It was becauſe they had the means to do them that good which others had not, Amos 3.2. You onelyonly have I known of all the families of the earth, I have ſo known you, as to own you for my people, as to give you my Prophets, my Law mine Ordinances, my Covenants, &c. therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities, you ſhall be made as exemplary by my judgements, as ever you were by my mercies.

14 I the Lord have ſpoken it.

This verſe ſeals up the Certainty of all threatned, and cuts off all evaſions which Jeruſalem might make whatſoever, as

1 She might ſay, Ezekiel hath hard thoughts of me, he ſpeaks theſe things out of his own head and ſpirit, they are his devices, and I weigh them not. This is anſwered in theſe words, I the Lord, I Jehovah, who am of my ſelf, and give being, life, to all my threats, have ſpoken. What is ſaid, it is no vain viſion, lying Propheſy, like to what the falſe Prophets have given out; what Ezekiel hath ſaid, hee had from mee, p. 250I commiſſioned him to ſpeak, and its not hee, but I that have ſpoken it.

It ſhall come to paſſe.

2 Be it ſo that thou haſt ſpoken it, yet the time may be long ere theſe threats againſt mee may take place, ſuch thoughts were in the breaſt of Jeruſalem, chap. 12.27. this is anſwered here; It comes foreign venit, ſaith Montanus, its not a far off, for many daies, but its at hand. Others have it, Eventurum eſt, Its ready to come, Nebuchadnezzar is upon his march, haſtening to thy gates, and will ſuddainly ſit down before them.

I will do it.

3 What if Nebuchadnezzar bee comming, hee and all with him are but men, they may fail of their purpoſes, ſink in their undertakings, and never bee able to perform what they enterprize. This ſhift is here taken off, I will do it, I am not man, but Jehovah, I fail not in my purpoſes, I ſink not in my undertaking, I am able to perform what ever I enterpriſe, the whole work is mine, I have called forth Nebuchadnezzar and his Army, I will bring them to thy gates, and inable them to do all my pleaſure, feci, I have done it, ſo is the Original, its as certain as done.

I will not go back.

4 Grant it, that the work is thine, and thou haſt determined to ſee it done, yet upon ſecond thoughts thou maieſt change thy reſolutions, when thou ſhalt conſider, that I Jeruſalem am thy City, and the onelyonly City thou haſt choſen in all the world; and wilt thou bring an Heatheniſh King, and an Army to deſtroy mee and the Temple where thou dwelleſt, and art worſhipped? ſurely it cannot bee, Lam. 4.12. This conceit of hers is blown away by theſe words, I will not go back, thou art a bloudy City, thy ſcum is not gone out of thee, thou art filthy, and in thy filthineſſe is lewdneſſe, obſtinacy, thou goeſt not back from thy wicked doings, I will not go back from p. 351doing what I have purpoſed. The Hebrew is, foreign I will not retract what I have ſaid and purpoſed, Non ſubtraham me, I will not withdraw my ſelf from it. Avenarius renders the words thus, Non feriabor, I will not make holy daie, and ceaſe to proſecute what I have determined.

Neither will I ſpare.

5. Jeruſalem might yet ſay, The Lord is merciful, though hee bee angry, and in his anger bring the enemy to my Gates, hee will not keep his anger alwaies; when I ſhall faſt, weep, pray, hee will bee intreated, hee will pardon, ſpare, and not ſuffer mee to bee deſtroyed. This refuge is here made uſeleſſe, Neither will I ſpare, faſting, prayers, and tears, ſhall do her no good. Jerem. 14.12. when Jeruſalems children ſhould faſt, God would not hear their cry, no nor Jeremy for them, cha. 11.14. nor Ezekiel, cha. 9.8, 9, 10. though themſelves, their Prophets ſhould importune God, hee ſaith, As for mee, my eye ſhall not ſpare, neither will I have pitty; thou haſt cauſed my fury to come up to take vengeance, and I will bee avenged on thee. I will not abſtain from revenge, ſo the word ſignifies.

Neither will I repent.

6 Thou haſt oft repented thee, when thou haſt been upon deſtroying deſignes, Jonah 3.10. Hoſ. 11.8. Ezek. 20.8, 9.13, 14, 17, 22. and I hope thou wilt repent thee of what thou art about, if thou doſt not repent before my deſtruction, thou wi…t repent after it, that thou haſt dealt ſo by me. This ſtrong-hold is here battered down, Neither will I repent, what though I have oft repented mee of the evil I purpoſed to bring upon thee, and thy Children, muſt I alwaies bee upon thoſe tearms with thee? No, no, Jeruſalem my repentings have not cauſ…d thee to repent, my repenting ſhall now ceaſe, Jer. 15.6. I will ſtretch out my hand againſt thee, and deſtroy thee, I am weary with repenting: I will neither repent when thou art deſtroying, nor when thou art deſtroyed; it will bee an caſe p. 352to me, to ſee thee and thy children conſumed.

Repentance ſometimes in Scripture is attributed to God, and then its ſpoken foreign, after the manner of men, and it muſt warily bee underſtood, foreign, ſo as God may not bee wronged in mens apprehenſions thereby. In mens repentance there is, griefe, change, quia fefellit eventus non antea Previſus, ſomething falls out they did not foreſee; David Repents, of murthering Ʋriah, defiling Bathſhebah, becauſe that fell out in it hee did not foreſee, as the blaſpheming Gods name, and the ſword it brought upon his houſe, hereupon hee changed his minde, was affected with grief, theſe things are not in God; hee foreſees all events, he grieves not, hee changes not; therefore in this ſenſe he cannot bee ſaid to repent. Theodoret ſpeaks right, when he ſaith, Panitentia in Deo nihil aliud eſt quam mutatio diſpenſationis ejus, it is a change of Gods diſpenſation; if God had not deſtroyed Jeruſalem, hee ſhould have been ſaid to repent. His repentance is alteration of things and actions, no change of his purpoſe and will. In humane Repentance there is the change of the will, in divine Repentance there is the willing of a change, and that in the thing, not in the will or Counſel of God, which are unchangeable: Here God would not change the thing, I will not repent.

According to thy waies, and according to thy doings, ſhall they judge thee.

7 Jeruſalem might yet ſay, if it bee ſo, that thou wilt not repent, and ſhew mercy unto mee, thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf, a cruel and mercileſſe God. This imputation is here prevented, According to thy waies and doings, ſhalt thou bee dealt with all, if thy judgements bee ſharpe and dreadful, thou haſt deſerved them, the equity of my proceedings ſhall bee ſo conſpicuous, that all the world ſhall clear mee, and ſay, the fault is thine own, that thou ſuffereſt ſuch hard things, thou haſt done ſuch wickedneſſes, lewdneſſes, abominations, that God is righteous in conſuming of thee, all is ſuitable to thy waies.

Theſe words, They ſhall judge thee. By the Septuagint are p. 353rendred in the firſt perſon ſingular foreign, I will judge thee; and ſo by the Vulgar. By Junius in the ſecond perſon, judicaberis, Thou ſhalt bee judged. By others, as here, they ſhall judge thee, that is, the Babylonians; and theſe ſeveral readings or rendrings of the word make up but one and the ſame ſenſe, Thou ſhalt bee judged, that is, by the Lord, and the Babylonians, who are his inſtruments to execute his pleaſure, Ezek. 23.24. I will ſet judgement before them, and they ſhall judge thee. I will make known to them my purpoſe of utter deſtroying thee, and they ſhall do it.

Obſ. 1 Great ſinners do not beleeve judgements threatned, but are apt to ſhift them off, and flatter themſelves with hopes of mercy. Jeruſalem had great ſcum, God threatned to conſume her, and her ſcum in the fire, but ſhee beleeved it not ſhee ſhifted off all threatnings, ſhee ſtill expected peace and ſafety. Jeruſalems Prophets had ſo bewitched and poſſeſt her with thoughts of peace and ſecurity from evil coming upon her. Jerem. 23.17. that nothing Jeremy or Ezekiel threatned could bee heard; therefore ſaith God here, I the Lord have ſpoken it, it ſhall come to paſs, &c. thou thinkeſt I will not do it, that I will recal my threats, ſpare thee, and repent, ſuch vain thoughts lodged in Jeruſalem, Jerem. 4.14 and ſuch vain ſpeeches were uttered by Judah, Thou ſayeſt, becauſe I am innocent, ſurely his anger ſhall turn from mee, Jer. 2.35. Jeruſalem and Judah thought, ſaid, they were innocent, and therupon ſhifted off all was threatned, & flattered themſelves with hopes of mercy, but they were guilty, yea; more guilty than all the Nations and Cities round about them, Ezek. 5.5, 6. and had ſuch judgements comming upon them, as never had any the like, verſ. 9, 10. which they would not beleeve, though the Lord himſelf told them thereof, for Jerem. 5.12. They belyed the Lord, and ſaid it is not hee, neither ſhall evil come upon us, neither ſhall wee ſee ſword nor famine: We ſhall do well enough in this City, and if they ſhould come, wee will appear before him with our ſacrifices, and wee ſhall bee delivered, Jerem. 7.10. wicked men do flatter themſelves, in their own phanſies, ſhifts, evaſions they have, till their iniquity bee diſcovered, and judgement ſurprizeth them, Pſalm 36.2. that wretched art they have of putting off the p. 354evil day, of ſhifting the threats and judgements of God, undoes them: and many pretious ſouls are too well skilled in this wretched art and work of putting off the Promiſes and Mercies of God from themſelves, which greatly prejudice their Peace and Comforts, and gratifies the enemy of their ſouls; Thoſe make conſcience of their waies, that deſire to bee purged and wait on God in the uſe of means, they lye not under theſe threats, but are under many gratious Promiſes, eſpecially that, Pſalm 145.19. hee will fulfill the deſire of them that fear him.

Obſ. 2 Thoſe profeſſe themſelves Gods People, may bee ſuch ſinners, as that God reſolves their deſtruction, excluding all hope of mercy. Jeruſalem which was the Lords City, and the People of it his, had ſo ſinned, that God would irrevocably deſtroy both it and them. I the Lord have ſpoken it, it ſhall come to paſſe, and I will do it, I will not go back, neither will I ſpare, &c. God was fully ſet upon it, and therefore peremptorily cuts off all hope of mercy, Jerem. 16.5. I have taken away my peace from this people, ſaith the Lord, even loving kindneſſe and mercy. Aſaphti collegi, I have gone up and down and gathered up my peace, my kindneſſes and mercies, and carried them away from this people, what hope was then left for them, both the great and the ſmall ſhall dye in this land. Gods heart was ſo againſt them, that Moſes and Samuel could not incline it towards them, if they ſhould intreat for them, chap, 15.1. and therefore ſaith God, caſt them out of my ſight, I have no pitty, no mercy for them, Ezek. 9.30. As for mee, mine eie ſhall not ſpare, neither will I have pitty, if God would not ſpare them, who would? if he would not have pitty on them, who could? they were hopeleſs, their caſe was deſperate, chap. 5.8, 11. Behold, I am againſt thee, I will not have any pitty, Jer. 11.11. I will bring evil upon them, which they ſhall not bee able to eſcape.

Obſ. 3 When God cuts off hope of mercy, and brings ſinners into a forelorn condition, the fault is in their own, not the Lords. its their own doings, their own waies, which bring irrevocable judgements upon them, according to thy waies, and according to thy doings, ſhall they judge thee, thou haſt been irrevocable in thy ſinnes, and I am irrevocable in my p. 355judgements, thou haſt gone on to commit great iniquities, and I am going on to execute anſwerable puniſhments; I could not prevail with thee to deſiſt from ſinning, and thou ſhalt not prevail with mee to deſiſt from deſtroying; thou by thine obſtinacy madeſt me without hope of thy amendment, and now by my threatnings, I have made thee hopeleſſe of any mercy. Jeruſalem might thank her ſelf, that ſhee was brought to ſo deſperate a condition. Jerem. 13.22. if thou ſay in thine heart, wherefore come theſe things upon mee? why muſt I bee beſiedged? why muſt Plague, Famine, and Sword, devour my Children? why muſt I bee burnt to aſhes and have no mercy ſhewed mee? The Anſwer is, for the greatneſs of thine iniquity, and what that iniquity is, you have ſpecified, cha. 16.11, 12. they forſook God, worſhipped other gods, walked after the imaginations of their own hearts, and did worſe than their fathers, they ſinned till there was no remedy, 2 Chron. 36.16. Jeruſalem with her children provoked God, ſo that his glory, his Truth, his Name, his Prophets, muſt have ſuffered if they had been ſpared; therefore the Lions roared upon Iſrael, yelled, and made his Land waſte, when his Cities were burnt, and without inhabitant, what ſaid God, Jerem. 2.15.17. haſt thou not procured this unto thy ſelf, in that thou haſt forſaken God.

Verſ. 15. Alſo the word of the Lord came unto me ſaying,

16 Sonne of man, behold, I take away from thee the deſire of thine eyes with a ſtroak, yet neither ſhalt thou mourn nor weep, neither ſhall thy tears run down.

17 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy ſhooes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.

18 So I ſpake unto the People in the morning, and at even my wife dyed, and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

The ſecond general Part of the Chapter begins here, being a Propheſy declaring the deſtruction of Temple, and City, repreſented under the Type of the ſuddain death of Ezekiels wife. This Type is in the words read, the interpretation is in the words following.

p. 356The parts of theſe verſes are.

1 The Divine Authority for this Type, and for what is commanded and done thereupon, v. 15.

2 The Narration of the Type, ver. 16. Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the deſire, &c.

3 Several Commands laid upon the Prophet, v. 16, 17.

4 The Execution of the Type, v. 18.

15 The word of the Lord came unto me.

The falſe Prophets ran when they were not ſent, and ſpake when they had no word, but Ezekiel was ſent, cha. 2.3. and hee had a word from God, when hee ſpake, hee durſt not bee the mouth of God to others, untill the Lord had opened his mouth to him, the ſpirit of Propheſy brought the word to him, and then moved him to utter it to others.

16 Son of Man.

Hee ſaith not, man of God, or Sonne of God, but Son of Adam (for ſo the Original is) that is, ſon of him was made of the earth, that had an earthly beginning. Ezekiel, thou art a weak, worthleſſe Creature, that ere long muſt away to the earth from whence thou cameſt, ſee thy heart do not ſwell with the Prophetical honour I have put upon thee, the many appearances of my ſpirit unto thee, nor bee thou refractary, that I put thee upon hard ſervices, or command thee hard things, when thy Father Adam diſobeyed mee. I turned him out of Paradiſe, obey therefore my voice, and do what I command thee, therein ſhalt thou ſhow thy ſelf, a Sonne of God.

Behold, I take away from thee the deſire of thine eyes.

By Deſire of thine eyes, is meant, Ezekiels wife, v. 18. The Septuagint is, foreign, The deſires of thine eyes. This Expreſſion, The deſire of the Eyes, Rem charam ſignificat, it imports a thing very dear to one, and what is dearer to men than their wives? There bee many things to p. 357indear a woman to her husband.

1 She was made for man, 1 Cor. 11.9. The man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man, ſhee was made an help meet for man, Gen. 2.18.

2 She is a gift of God, Prov. 19.14.

3 She is joyned to man, by a divine Ordinance, and is made one with him thereby, Gen. 2.24. Matth. 19.5. 1 Cor. 6.16. Epheſ. 5.31.

4 Shee is the glory of Man, 1 Cor. 11.7. man repreſents God being his image and glory, and woman repreſents man, and ſo is his image and glory.

5 She is a Crown to her Husband, a great ornament unto him, Prov. 12.4.

6 She is the builder of the houſe, Ruth 4.11. Rachel and Leah did build the houſe of Iſrael.

7 She is a companion in all conditions, the wife of thy youth, and the wife of thine age, Prov. 5.18.

8 Shee is a boſome friend, in whom the heart of her Husband, may ſafely truſt, Prov. 31.11.

9 She is an heir of the grace of life, together with her Husband, 1 Pet. 3.7.

Theſe things beſides beauty, amiableneſſe, and ſweetneſſe of nature, do indear wives to Husbands, and ſo cauſe them to eye and minde them the more; for Oculos conjicimus in rem ceu perſonam nob…s charam, things or perſons which are dear to us, our thoughts, our eyes are upon; where Love is, there will bee the eye. Chriſt loved his Church dearly, and therefore ſaid, Cant. 2.14. Let me ſee thy countenance, the Church was black, chap. 1.5. yet the delight of Chriſts eyes, becauſe ſhee had inward glory, beauty, excellency; ſo, many wives, though they bee not outwardly ſo amiable, and beautiful as others, yet they may have inward vertues, excellencies, and thoſe graces which may make them the deſires of Husbands eyes, if gratious themſelves; and if ſuch inward attractives bee wanting, propriety may do it? Every one affects what is his own, a peece of Land, a Houſe, a Ship, a Childe that is ones own, is more delightful to the owner, then what is anothers.

Doubtleſſe Ezekiels wife was amiable, vertuous, gratious, p. 258indeared much unto him upon ſeveral grounds, ſo that ſhee was a delight unto, and the deſire of his eyes, elſe the Lord would not have forbidden him to mourn and weep for her. His love was ſuch to her, that it would have carried him out ſtrongly thereunto, if the Lord had not prohibited it.

With a ſtroak.

The Hebrew is, Bemaggepheh, which Montanus renders, in percuſſione, in ſtriking, or by a stroak, its from Nagaph, which ſignifies to beat, to ſmite, yea, ad internecionem percutere, to ſmite unto death, it hath ſome affinity with the word foreign which is to touch or hurt more lightly, but this notes hurting more vehemently, and is applied in ſcripture to Gods ſtriking with extraordinary judgements, — as Exod. 8.2. I will ſmite all thy borders with Frogs, 1 Sam. 4.2. Iſrael was ſmitten before the Philiſtims, 2 Chron. 13.15. God ſmote Jeroboam, and all Iſrael, Exod. 12.29. At midnight the Lord ſmote all the firſt-born in the land of Egypt. Hence the Nowns Negeph and Maggephah ſignifie a ſtroak, and the heavy ſtroaks of God, Exod. 9.14. I will at this time ſend all my Plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy ſervants, and upon thy people; the word for Plagues is the ſame with that here, the ten Plagues of Egypt, were ten ſtroakes of God, ſometimes the word is put for that ſad ſtroak of God, viz. the Plague, Numb. 16.46. Hechel Hannageph, the Plague is begunne. Some think the ſtroak here was the Plague, but whether that an Apoplexy, Impoſtume, or Palſy is not ſet down, this onelyonly wee have for certain, that it was ſuddain whatever it was, ſhe did not lye long with a pining diſeaſe, but was ſuddainly ſnatched away from Ezekiel.

Yet neither ſhalt thou mourn.

The Jews were wont to honour their dead with great mourning; when Aaron dyed, they mourned for him thirty daies, Numb. 20.29. and ſo many daies they mourned for Moſes, Deut. 34.8. Joſeph mourned forty daies for the death of his p. 359Father Jacob in Egypt, and ſeven daies after that in the Land of Canaan, Gen. 50.3, 10. and ſeven daies mourning for the dead was the ordinary practice, as Eccleſiaſticus obſerves, cha. 22.12. but Ezekiel is here forbid to mourn at all in a publike and ſolemn manner. The Hebrew word for mourning is, Suphad, which notes mourning by ſtriking the head or breaſt, and refers moſt Ad Pompam funebrem.

Nor weep, neither ſhall thy tears run down.

The word for weeping in Hebrew is, Bacah, which ſignifies weeping cum elevatione vocis, as Judges 2.4. Job 2.12. They lift up their voices and wept, and herein it differs from foreign which is to weep alſo, but ſilently without noiſe. Weeping, oft is a great eaſe to the heart, but Ezekiel muſt not teſtify any grief, by voice, tears, or any outward geſture.

17 Forbear to cry.

The Hebrew is, Heaneck dom, tace clamando, hold thy peace from crying. The Vulgar is, Ingemiſce tacens, ſigh, holding thy peace, ſo ſigh as none may hear thee. Others, allow not ſo much as ſighing but read the words thus, a gemitu tace, let there be no ſign of any ſigh.

Make no mourning for the dead.

The Jews were wont to bewail their dead, 2 Chron. 35.24 25. All Judah and Jeruſalem mourned for Joſiah, Jeremy lamented for him, and all the ſinging men and ſinging women. Abraham mourned for Sarah, Gen. 23.2. they were wont to cry, Ah my Brother, Ah my Siſter, Jerem. 22.18. to cut and make themſelves bald in their Lamentations for their dead, Jer. 16.6. which was forbid the Priests, Levit. 21.5. though they might mourn for their near kindred, ibid. v. 23. but Ezekiel muſt make no mourning, he muſt not put on Sackcloath, ſhave his head, or the corners of his beard, nor cut his fleſh at all, he is forbid all funeral pompe and expreſſions.

p. 340Binde the tire of thine head upon thee.

It was in practice among the Jews, ſometimes to cover their heads in their mournings, as being unworthy to ſee the light, or any creatures, and ſometimes to uncover them, as not being worthy of any Ornament, 2 Sam. 15.32. David and thoſe with him, had their heads covered, and went weeping. Levit. 10.6. When Nadab and Abihu were deſtroyed by fire, and Aaron with his remaining Sonnes, had great cauſe to mourn; Moſes commands them not to uncover their heads, or rend their cloaths, clearly demonſtrating that that was their cuſtome in their mournings. They made bare their heads, and laid aſhes or earth upon them, as you may ſee, 1 Sam. 4.12. Lament. 2.10. This Ezekiel might not do, hee muſt not throw off his head tire. The word is Peer, or Pear, which ſignifies, Gloria, ornamentum, decus, what ever the Prophet did wear upon his head, hee muſt keep it on, and not lay it aſide.

And put on thy ſhooes upon thy feet.

In their mournings and funerals they went bare-foot, 2 Sam. 15.30. David was bare-foot when hee went up the aſcent of Mount Olivet. Antonius Margarita who of a Jew became Chriſtian, and writ of the Rites of the Jews, ſaith, that the kindred at the death of a friend do tear their garments, eat nothing that day in that houſe, but abroad, that they eat no fleſh, drink no wine, unleſſe it be upon the Sabbath, and that they follow the Hearſe, nudis pedibus. To this agrees what Leo Modena hath lately commended to the world. The neareſt kindred of the party deceaſed, when they are returned to their houſe, they ſit down altogether upon the ground without ſhooes upon their feet,Hiſtory of the Rites, Cuſtomes and manner of life of the preſent Jews. this rite of going bare-foot was a token of grief and ſhame, Iſay. 20.24.

And cover not thy Lip.

Another Ceremony the Jews uſed in their mournings, was the covering of their chin, mouth, all under the noſe, which is p. 361underſtood by the word Lip, Levit. 13.45. the Leper was to put a covering upon his upper Lip, that ſo his mouth being covered, his breath might not infect any, or wee may by Lip underſtand the whole face, and ſo that in Micah 3.7. may bee taken, They ſhall all cover their lips, the Hebrew is, Their upper lip, for there is no anſwer of God: The Seers and diviners ſhould bee aſhamed and confounded having no viſion, from being diſcovered by him to bee falſe Prophets, they ſhould cover their faces, ſo the Vulgar reads it, Operient omnes vultus ſuos, they ſhall all cover their faces.

And eat not the bread of men.

Jerome and the Vulgar have it, the bread of mourners, the Hebrew word Anaſhim ſignifies men, not ſimply, but woful, ſorrowful, miſerable man. Enoſh as Pradus obſerves, is not Nomen naturae, a word ſignifying the Nature of Man, as Adam, nor nomen ſexus, a word to diſtinguiſh the ſexes, as Iſh, but conditionis miſerrimae, it ſets out the miſerable condition of men, whoſe daies are few, and full of ſorrow. It was a cuſtome among the Jews at the death and funeral of friends,Cibos ad te miſſos a vicinis in ſolatium. Vatabl. Vide Leo Modena, Hiſtory of the preſent Iews. 5 Par. ch. 9 to ſend in meats and drinks to thoſe were chief mourners, to comfort and refreſh them. Jeremy bears witneſſe to this practice, chap. 16.7, 8. Neither ſhall men give them the cup of conſolation to drink, for their father or their mother; they feaſted with them as the next verſe ſhews, and ſought hereby to drive away their ſorrows. Not onelyonly did the Jews make feaſts at the funerals of their dead, but the Gentiles alſo had it much in practice. They had their feaſts called Parentalia & Silicernia. Sometimes their feaſts were ad mortuorum memoriam, for memorials, and honour of the dead. Sometimes, Ad Haeredum gratiam, in behalf of their Heirs, which ſucceeded them; and moſtly, Ad amicorum ſolatium, for the comfort of their friends, Pro. 31.6, 7. they that had heavy hearts, were to have wine given them to drink, that being comforted therewith, they might remember their miſery no more; Ezekiel muſt not mourn, neither drink of any thing belonged to mourners, nor meddle with any of their Rites.

p. 36218 So I ſpake unto the people in the morning.

The next morning Ezekiel makes known unto the people what hee had received from the Lord, viz. the parable of the boiling Pot, the taking away of his wife by a ſuddain ſtroak, and how all mourning and funeral Rites were prohibited unto him; which the Lord therefore did, that hee might provoke the people to make diligent inquiry into the meaning of the thing being unuſual, yea, contrary to cuſtome.

And at even my wife dyed.

The Hebrew word for wife is, foreign ſignifying both woman and wife, from Iſh both man and Husband; the woman was of man, and being a wife is for man, for mans help and good, ſome therefore derive uxor from the Hebrew, foreign auxilium, help. Others from foreign augeo, becauſe ſhee increaſes the family. Here was accompliſhed what the Lord ſaid, v. 16.

I did in the morning as the Lord commanded me.

I did forbear all ſignes of open mourning, I did not weep, ſigh, or cry out, I kept my tire upon my head, I walked out with ſhooes on my feet, with my lip uncovered, I ate not with thoſe that brought panem lugentium, the bread of mourners, I drank not with them that brought poculum conſolationis, the cup of conſolation.

Obſ. 1 Marriage even in Prophets, and men in ſpiritual functions is lawful. Ezekiel a Prophet and Prieſt, was in that condition. Jehoiadah the High Prieſt was married, and had no meaner perſon to his wife, than a Kings Daughter, 2 Chron. 22.11. Moſes was a great Prophet, and hee had to wife Zipporah, Daughter to the Prince of Midian, Exod. 2.16.21. Iſaiah that Evangelical Prophet, had his Propheteſſe. which conceived and bare him a Sonne, Iſa. 8.3. Samuel the Seer, and man of God, had ſonnes who were Judges over Iſrael, Judges 8.1, 2, 3. few of the Prophets lived p. 363ſingle lives, 2 King. 4.1. There cryed a certain woman, of the wives of the Sonnes of the Prophets, that is, one of the Prophets wives cryed unto Eliſha, which ſhews that their calling did not exclude them from marriage. God took ſpecial care about the Prieſts marriage, ordering whom they might marry, and whom not, Levit. 21.13, 14. Ezek. 44.22. Neither was it lawful onelyonly for Prophets and Prieſts to marry, but for Apoſtles and Miniſters of the Goſpel alſo, Peter himſelf had a Yoak-fellow, Matth. 8.14. Paul tells you, 1 Cor. 9.5. that hee had power to lead about a ſiſter, a wife, as well as other Apoſtles, and as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas; which evidences, that moſt of the Apoſtles had their wives, and that Paul had not done ill, if he had had his. Its a doctrin therfore of Devils, to forbid marriage to any ſort of men, 1 Tim. 4.1, 3. when marriage is honourable in all men, Heb. 13.4.

Obſ. 2 Conjugal affection between man and wife is warrantable and pleaſing unto God. Ezekiels wife was the deſire of his eyes, dear and delightful to him, hee took pleaſure and content in her, as husbands ought to do in their wives, Col. 3.19. Husbands love your wives, and bee not bitter unto them. God would have no waters of Marah, no bitter paſſages to come from husbands, againſt their wives, but altogether and alwaies ſtreams of love, their love to, and delight in their wives, ſhould bee not onelyonly at firſt while youth, beauty, and means do laſt, but all the time they are their wives, no bitter looks, no bitter words, no bitter actions, but their looks, words, carriages, ſhould bee full of love and ſweetneſſe. God hath therefore not onelyonly prohibited bitterneſs, and commanded love, but given direction for the manner, how they ſhould love their wives, Eph. 5 25. Husbands love your wives, even as Chriſt alſo loved the Church, and gave himſelf for it. Chriſt loved the Church, notwithſtanding all its ſpots, wrinckles, blemiſhes, ſincerely, ſpiritu…ly, and ſtrongly; and ſo ſhould men their wives, no…withſtan…i g all infirmities or deformities, they ſhould love them ſincerely, ſpiritually, ſtrongly, yea, v. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies, men are great ſelf-lov…rs, and they ſhould be as great wife-lovers, hee that loves not, that takes not complacency in his wife, doth not love nor take p. 364delight in himſelf. God would have men ſo love their wives, as to honour them whatever objection lies in the way, 1 Pet. 3.7. though the wife bee the weaker veſſel, yet ſhee muſt bee honoured, her weakneſſe muſt not hinder her honouring; a Venice Glaſſe is a veſſel of more honour in the houſe than a braſſe pot. The Husband is to honour his wife by making known boſome ſecrets to her, by taking her counſel and advice, by ſpeaking well of her, as his glory and crown, by truſting her, by eſteeming of her above others, and by taking her part againſt all others. If God did not approve of love in Husbands producing ſuch effects, hee would not have ſaid, Let her breaſts ſatisfy thee at all times, and bee thou raviſhed alwaies with her love, Prov. 5.19. God would have men abound in their love to their wives, and becauſe they fall ſhort therein, he bids them erre in their love, for ſo is the Hebrew, Tiſhgeh Tamid, errabis jugiter, thou ſhalt love thy wife rather too much than too little. And did Husbands conſider beſides Gods command, and Chriſts example, how it would further their prayers, prevent temptations, and honour a married condition, they would love their wives more conſcientiouſly, ſincerely, ſpiritually, & ſtrongly.

Obſ. 3 Our neareſt and deareſt comforts are in the hand of the Lord, to dispoſe of as he pleaſe. Behold I take away from thee the deſire of thine eyes: I have let thee injoy her thus long, I have continued her with thee many daies and years, but now I take her away, ſhee ſhall abide with thee no longer; a prudent wife is from the Lord, given by him, hee brought the woman unto Adam, Gen. 2.22. and as hee gives, hee takes at his pleaſure, hee took away Sarah from Abraham, Gen. 23. Elijah from Eliſhah, 2 King. 2.3. and Rachel from Jacob, Gen. 35. Wives, Husbands, Children, Friends, are onelyonly lent us of the Lord for a ſeaſon, and when that ſeaſon is expired, hee takes them to himſelf, wee ſhould therefore in all ſuch caſes look unto the hand of God.

Obſ. 4 That God can, and ſometimes doth ſuddainly deprive us of our choiceſt comforts. I take away the deſire of thine eyes with a ſtroak: There was no antecedent ſickneſſe, no viſible ſymptomes of death, but in a moment was Ezekiels wife ſnatched away. How ſuddainly was the fire kindled that conſumed p. 365Nadab and Abihu? Levit. 10.2. There went out fire from the Lord and devoured them preſently; was not Sodome overthrown in a moment? Lamen. 4.6. Did not the Lord ſtrike fourteen thouſand and ſeven hundred with the Plague in a moment? Num. 16.44.49. were not all the firſt-born of the Egyptians ſmitten and deſtroyed in an hour at midnight? Exo. 12.29. Was not Siſera in a minute deprived of his breath, and head? Judg. 5.26. God hath a ſcourge, yea, many ſcourges to ſlay ſuddainly, Job 9.23. hee hath arrows to ſhoot, which wound ſuddainly, Pſal. 64.8. there is no foreſight, no preventing of them, nor cure of their wound. How unexpectedly was Rachel made childleſſe, Matth. 2.16.18. when Herod ſlew the children. God hath various ſtroaks, and ſuddain ones, to take away us, and our comforts, by gun-powder, by fire, &c. Mans calamity comes ſuddainly and he is broken ſuddainly, without remedy, Proverbs 6.15. The conſideration hereof ſhould cauſe us,

1 To fear the Lord, that can ſtrike ſuch ſtroaks as to deprive us of our chief comforts in a moment, wee ſhould ſanctify him in our hearts, and make him our fear, that ſo he may be a ſanctuary unto us, to defend us, and not a hammer or ſword to ſtrike or deſtroy us.

2 Not To promiſe long continuance of any creature comfort unto our ſelves, uſe them for the preſent, but expect not much, nor long continuance of them, 1 Cor. 7.29. The time is ſhort, let them that ha…e wives b…e as if they had none, Iſa. 3.22. Ceaſe ye from man whoſe breath is in his, &c.

3 To prepare for death. Men put off the evil day, and are ſpared in an evil time, when the stroak falls ſuddainly upon them, Eccl. 9.12. They ſpend their daies in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave, Job 21.13. which is a ſad thing; but if men ſpent their daies in getting grace, labouring to win Chriſt, and bee found in him, their end would be happy, though their death be ſuddain, for bleſſed are thoſe dye in the Lord, Rev. 14.13. live every day therefore as your laſt day.

Obſ. 5 Bitter and great afflictions are not alwaies arguments of Gods hatred and indignation. Ezekiel was a Prophet, a choice ſervant of the Lords, yet from him doth God take away the deſire of his eyes, which was a very bitter and grievous p. 366affliction, if wee conſider the aggravations were in it.

1 Hee was now in Captivity among Babylonians, where his wife was a ſweet companion and comfort unto him, in the midſt of all the troubles, reproaches, and difficulties he met withall.

2 Shee was taken away, not in the common way of men and women, but by a ſuddain ſtroak, ſuch ſtroaks go to the quick, wound deep, and might have ſunk our Prophet had not the Lord given him a little notice of it.

3 That it ſhould bee to Type out the deſtruction of the Temple, and City of Jeruſalem, that God ſhould ſuddainly ſtrike, and take away his wife thereby, to repreſent the ſuddain ruine of them, could not but be grievous to him.

4 Hee is forbidden to mourn, weep, or performe any funerall rites for her; might hee have ſighed, mourned, wept, that would have eaſed his heart; might hee have uſed the Jewiſh Rites and Cuſtomes at her death and burial, that would have teſtified reſpect and love unto her, but hee might not do either of them.

So then by theſe aggravations, you ſee hee had no light affliction upon him, and whatever they were, in them was nothing of divine hatred and indignation. Aaron was the Saint of the Lord, Pſalm 106.16. and him the Lord gave a bitter Cup to drink off, hee ſlew two of his Sonnes at once, both the eldeſt. Exod. 6.23. and for offering a little kitchin or ſtrange fire, which was not prohibited, though not commanded, being the firſt time, and then forbad him and his other Sonnes to mourn for them, Levit. 10.1, 2, 6. Chriſt was more than a Prophet, than a Saint, hee was a Son, the onelyonly begotten, the wel-beloved, yet hee had a cup given him to drink, which had more gall and wormwood in it, than any, yea, than all the cups the Prophets and Saints had before or ſince. Afflictions argue not Gods hatred, if wee ſay ſo, wee ſhall condemn the generation of the righteous, and falſify the truth, for its ſaid, whom I love, I rebuke and chaſten, Rev. 3.19. Thoſe therefore that have bitter and heavy afflictions, ſhould take heed how they yeild unto the perſwaſions of Satan and corruption, ſaying, ſurely if God loved you; hee p. 367would never deal ſo by you.

Obſ. 6 That mourning for the dead is not unlawful. Ezekiel would have mourned, wept, and uſed all funeral rites, amongſt the Jews, not ſuperſtitious, if hee had not been forbidden by the Lord. Hee was not Stoical without affection, neither are the people of God now unnatural, they do and may mourn for their dead, ſo it be neither exceſſively nor deſpairingly. Davids mourning for Abſolom, and Rachels for her children were too exceſſive, and the Theſſalonians too hopeleſſe, 1 Theſ. 4.13. Paul allowed them to ſorrow and mourn for their dead, but not as others which had no Hope; Chriſtianity doth not aboliſh, but moderate and direct affections. Chriſt himſelf wept for Lazarus when he was dead, his weeping was with moderation and hope. Many forget themſelves in this kind, and give ſo much ſcope to their Paſſions, that they offend God, ſhame their profeſſions, and hazard their own health. But wee ſhould remember what Solomon commends unto us, Prov. 16.32. Better is he that ruleth his ſpirit, than he that takes a City, the bridleing our ſpirits, and keeping our affections, hath a great excellency in it.

Obſ. 7 A gratious ſpirit will deny it ſelf, and obey God in difficult caſes, and that ſpeedily too. No ſooner had God made good his word, in taking away Ezekiels wife, but hee did what the Lord commanded. Nature prompted him to mourn, to weep for his wife, but hee denies the dictates of nature, and is content to ſeem unnatural for God, his credit and love to his wife called upon him to ſhew reſpect unto her dead corps, as others did in that kinde, by funeral Rites, but he prefers Gods command before his credit, love, and reſpect to his wife, and is willing to bear the cenſures, and reproachings of the people in this Caſe, his wife dyes in the night, and next morning hee appears in his wonted habit and tire, hee ſheds no tears, puts off no ſhooes, covers not his Lip, eats not the bread of men or mourners, ſhews no ſign of ſorrow, but was in as ſweet and ſettled a poſture, as if there had been no ſtroak in his family, hee was the ſame, his wife being dead, as hee was, ſhee being living; her death that was ſo dear to him, that was ſo ſtrange and ſuddain, that was in p. 368ſuch a place, made no alteration in him, and upon this ground, onelyonly becauſe God had commanded it ſhould be ſo. Here is a rare example of Obedience, and that in a difficult caſe. Obedience to God is alwaies commendable, but eſpecially when hard things are commanded. The many difficulties Abraham brake through, to ſacrifice his Sonne, made his obedience ſo acceptable, Gen. 22. Moſes refuſing the honours, dignities, treaſures, and temptations of Egypt, and Pharaohs Court, his chooſing an afflicted condition, and reproached godlineſs, indeared him and his obedience unto the Lord, Heb. 11. when ſervants ſuffer for well-doing, and go on cheerfully in their work, honouring the Goſpel, this is acceptable with God, 1 Pet. 2.19.

Verſ. 19 And the People ſaid unto mee, wilt thou not tell us what theſe things are to us, that thou doest ſo?

20 Then I anſwered them, The word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying.

21 Speake unto the houſe of Iſrael. Thus ſaith the Lord God, Behold, I will prophane my Sanctuary, the excellency of your ſtrength, the deſire of your eies, and that which your ſoule pittieth, and your Sonnes, and your Daughters, whom ye have left, ſhall fall by the ſword.

22 And yee ſhall do as I have done, yee ſhall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

23 And your tires ſhall bee upon your heads, and your ſhooes upon your feet: yee ſhall not mourn nor weep, but yee ſhall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one towards another.

24 Thus Ezekiel is to you a ſigne, according to all that hee hath done ſhall yee do, and when this commeth, yee ſhall know that I am the Lord.

Having in the former verſes ſpoken typically and darkely, here he comes to open and interpret what hee had ſaid; and wee have before us,

1 The Occaſion of his interpreting thoſe hyeroglyphicall paſſages, v. 19.

2 The Interpretation it ſelf, in the 21, 22, 23, 24.

p. 36919 Wilt thou not tell us what theſe things are?

The People ſeeing Ezekiels wife ſuddainly ſtruck dead, and hee not affected with it, which was not onelyonly contrary to the Jewiſh Cuſtome, but even to nature it ſelf, they are ſtartled at theſe things, and ſet upon the Prophet in a heat, and will know what was in theſe ſtrange things; We know there is ſome myſtery in them, they have relation unto us, and wee are unquiet, reſtleſſe in our ſpirits, till wee know what it is, wilt thou not tell us? Ezekiel, hide it not from us, what ever it bee, wee muſt know it. This was the thing God aimed at, in putting Ezekiel upon things unuſuall and unnaturall, to provoke them thereby to conſider and make a ſpecial inquiry into them. Unwonted things do awaken, breed admiration, and cauſe examination, men ſearch into the meaning of ſuch things. When Ezekiel ſighed to the breaking of his Loines, chap. 21.7. they ſaid wherefore ſigheſt thou, when Ezekiel was put upon removing, digging a hole through the wall, and carried his ſtuffe upon his ſhoulder, as ſtuffe for captivity, God ſaid to him, Son of man, hath not the houſe of Iſrael ſaid to thee, what doeſt thou? chap. 12.9. God expected ſuch ſtrange doings ſhould affect them, and make them conſider verſ. 3. and inquire into the matter, ordinary things are ſleighted, when extraordinaries have anſwerable operations.

21 Behold I will prophane my Sanctuary.

By Ezekiels wife was tiped out the Temple, and what was deſirable; and by her ſuddain death the deſtruction of the ſame. The Temple was as dear to the Jews as Ezekiels wife was unto him. God would bring the Chaldaeans into it, and they ſhould prophane it with the bloud of thoſe they found in it (for many fled thither for refuge) and then ſet it on fire. The Jews had prophaned it with Idols and idolatrous worſhip, Ezek. 8. by comming into it with the guilt of notorious ſinnes upon them. Jerem. 7, 9, 10. and now Heathens ſhould enter into it, defile and deſtroy it, the thought p. 370whereof, made the Pſalmiſt long before, to complain, ſaying, O God, the Heathen are come into thine inheritance, thine Holy Temple have they defiled, they have laid Jeruſalem on heaps, Pſalm. 79.1. The defiling the Temple was grievous to pre-ſcience, to remote apprehenſions, what was it then to thoſe, had the preſent ſight of it? The Septuagint reads the words in Ezekiel thus, foreign, I will pollute my holy things, that is, I will cauſe the Heathens to come and prophane the Temple, the Altar, and all the holy things belonging thereunto; yea, ſo to prophane them, as to lay them all waſte.

The Excellency of your ſtrength.

The Hebrew is, Geoon uzzechem, ſuperbiam fortitudinis veſtrae, The pride of your ſtrength▪ Gaon ſignifies Majeſty, Excellency, Pride; from gaah to bee lifted up, to excel, to grow Proud. The Tranſlation Vatablus follows hath it, Gloriam fortitudinis veſtrae, the glory of your ſtrength. The French, L'orgueil de voſtre Empire; and ſo the Vulgar, Superbiam imperii veſtri, the pride of your Empire. The Temple was a ſtrong place, in which the Jews put ſo much confidence, as that they thought it ſtanding, they ſhould for ever be ſafe, they prided themſelves in it, and cryed, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, Jerem. 7.4. They thought none able to harm them, and deſtroy that Temple.

If wee read the words, The Excellency of your ſtrength, as Junius, or your ſtrong excellency, as Piſcator, the ſenſe is, That though they had other ſtrong holds and Towers; yet none like unto the Temple, that excelled all, not onelyonly in ſtrength, but in renown. It was for the ſtruct…re, the wonder of the world, fifteen hundred thouſand having been imployed ſeven years in the building thereof, 1 King. 5.15. it bare the Name of the Lord, 1 King. 8.29. in it God dwelt, Pſa. 80 1. of it he had a ſpec…al ca…e, 1 Kin. 9.3. and it was the excellency of Jacob, Amos 6.8.

p. 371The deſire of your eyes.

Some underſtand by theſe words, Their Wives, but moſt Interpreters expound them of the Temple, which ſeems to mee to bee the trueſt interpretation, for Ezekiels wife typed out the Temple; and as ſhee was the deſire of his eyes, ſo was the Temple of the Jews eyes; and the words of this verſ. do give countenance and life to this ſenſe, I will prophane my Sanctuary, the excellency of your ſtrength, the deſire of your eyes. What was the excellency of their ſtrength? it was the deſire of their eyes, viz. the Sanctuary. By deſire of the eies is meant, id quod amatur, et in deliciis habetur, that which is affected and delighted in, and ſuch was the Temple or Sanctuary, Pſal. 96.6. ſtrength and beauty are in his ſanctuary, there was material and ſpiritual beauty, Pſal. 27.4. there David deſired to dwell all the daies of his life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, the Temple was the deſire of his eyes; when hee was ſhut out of it, ſee how he thirſted after it, Pſal. 63.1, 2. ſo of Jonah when he was in the fiſhes belly, hee looked towards the holy Temple, Jonah 2.4. it was beautiful in it ſelf, and had the beauty of holineſſe in it, the beautiful Ordinances and worſhip of God, ſo that hence Sion was called the perfection of beauty, Pſalm 50.2. and the Joy of the whole earth, Pſal. 48.2. In Lament. 1.7. its ſaid, Jeruſalem remembred in the daies of her affliction and of her miſeries, all her pleaſant things, the Hebrew is, all her deſirable things, that ſhe had in the daies of old, and the Temple was one of them, yea, the moſt deſirable of all her deſirables.

And that which your ſoul pittieth.

Maſhmall Naphſhechem; that which your ſouls indulge and favour, viz. the Temple which they dearly affected, and would not by any means, that it ſhould bee deſtroyed, or prophaned by Heathens. The Vulgar hath it, ſuper quo pavet anima veſtra, That for which your ſouls are afraid men are jealous of that is dear unto them, leaſt it ſhould bee violated. Iſaiah fore-ſeeing by a Prophetical eye, what would p. 372befall the Temple, ſhows how his ſoul pittied it, Iſa. 64.11. Our holy and our beautiful houſe where our fathers praiſed thee, is burnt up with fire, and all our pleaſant things are laid waſte. The prophaning of the Temple, which was Holy, full of glory and beauty, the place of prayer and praiſe, went nearer the heart of this great Prophet, than any thing elſe. So Jeremy, Lamen. 2.7. declares what pitty hee had for the houſe of the Lord, the Lord hath caſt off his Altar, hee hath abhorred his Sanctuary, hee hath given up into the hand of the enemy, the walls of her Palaces, they have made a noiſe in the houſe of the Lord, as in the day of a ſolemn feaſt. The Temple lay heavy upon Daniels heart, chap. 9.17. Theſe words by ſome are referred to their children, whom their ſouls pittied, and would have ſpared, but of them are the words following:

And your Sonnes, and your Daughters whom ye have left, ſhall fall by the ſword.

When the Babylonians ſhould come, prophane, and deſtroy the Temple, many of their Children ſhould ſuffer, and periſh, ſome by famine, ſome by Plague, ſome by other Calamities, and caſualties; and thoſe that were remaining, he tells them they ſhould fall by the ſword. The Lord would take from them, not onelyonly the Temple, but all things that were dear unto them, their City, their Kingdome, their wives, their children.

22 And ye ſhall do as I have done, ye ſhall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

You wonder at mee that I mourn not for my wife, being taken from mee by a ſuddain ſtroak, but ere long you will ceaſe to wonder at me, and finde the caſe to bee yours; when the enemies ſhall come, take away the Temple, your wives and children, what things ſoever are deareſt to you, then you will be ſo confounded and amazed, that you will have neither hearts nor opportunity to change your garments, and accompany your dead to the grave, but rather throw them out into the ſtreets, and ſhift for your lives. Then you will remember mee, make no Lamentation for your dead, then p. 373you will not pull off your tires from your heads, nor the ſhooes from your feet, nor cover your lips, nor eat the bread of mourners, then you will uſe no funeral rites or geſtures.

23 But ye ſhall pine away for your iniquities.

The word for pineing away, is from Makak, to diſſolve, and melt away, to conſume, corrupt, to bee filthy, loathſome; becauſe thoſe things which do corrupt, fiunt tandem foetida, at laſt become ſtinking and unſavoury; So theſe Jews, their ſpirits, fleſh, fat, and ſtrength, ſhould conſume, pine away, till they became even loathſome, and that for their iniquities, that, is, the puniſhment of their iniquities, for ſo the word is frequently uſed, as Iſa. 53.6. and 2 King 7.9. ſome miſchief will come upon us, the Hebrew is iniquity, that is, miſchief or puniſhment.

And mourn one towards another.

In this ver. he had ſaid, ye ſhall not mourn nor weep, and here as with the ſame breath, he affirms, they ſhould mourn one towards another. Though the words run ſo, there is no contradiction in them. Though they could not mourn openly, and in a funeral way, yet they ſhould mourn inwardly, and ſo as to pine away themſelves. You here in Babylon, when the report comes of taking the City, of burning the Temple, and of the ſpoiling of all the deſireable things in them by Nebuchadnezzars forces, you will be in ſuch a ſtreight, as that you will not dare to mourn for fear of the Babylonians, who will indanger your liberties, and lives, if you lament the ſucceſſes and doings of their King. So that what with Gods judgements upon them at Jeruſalem, and the fear of the enemies both there and in Babylon, neither Jews in Jeruſalem, nor in Babylon, ſhould dare to mourn, or expreſs any tokens of ſorrow, how full ſoever their hearts were thereof: But when they were in ſecret, a man with his brother (for ſo is the Hebrew then they ſhould open their minds, one towards another, and mourn.

p. 37424 Thus Ezekiel is to you a ſign.

The Hebrew is, Lemopheth, in portentum, for ſome prodigious thing. Mopheth, it notes a viſible ſign preſageing good or evil, and ſo accordingly is pleaſing to the ſight, or horrible; its that is unuſuall, Preter Naturam, fore-ſhewing ſomewhat to come. Ezekiel not mourning for the death of his wife, was a ſign to them that they ſhould bee in ſuch perplexity as not to mourn for their Temple, City, and deſireable things, which ſhould bee pulled from them by a ſuddain ſtroak of God. The Hebrew have Oth and Mopheth, which comming together are rendred ſignum & prodigium, as Iſa. 20.3. that is, Oth, or a ſign, which is not preter naturam, as to cure the ſick,Martinius in lex. verb. ſignum. that is, Mopheth, or a prodigy, which is preter naturam, as to raiſe the dead, and do ſtrange things.

According to all that he hath done ſhall yee do.

You have beheld Ezekiels doings and wondred at them, hee hath but preached what ye are to do, and the time is at hand, wherein he ſhall ſee you acting over the ſame things.

Obſ. 1 The reſting in holy things▪ cauſes God to remove them, how dear ſoever they bee unto us. I will prophane my Sanctuary, the excellency of your ſtrength, the deſire of your eyes, and that which your ſoul pittieth: you confide in the outward means, you are taken with the outward ſplendor of the ceremonies, and pompe of the Temple, but the ſpirituall true worſhip yee minde not; the Temple, City, and State; are dearer unto you than I am, they have your eies, your hearts, your ſouls, when I am neglected. I have honoured you with my ſanctuary, and all the holy things in it, belonging to it, but you have not honoured mee; why is the Temple, and not my ſelf, The excellency of your ſtrength? why is that the deſire of your eies, and not my ſelf; who fill the Temple with my glory? why is that the pitty of your ſouls? being troubled, that it ſhould bee laid in the duſt, and not my honour, my glory, my name, which are prophaned amongſt you, and laid in the duſt.

p. 375Obſ. 2 That ſometime mens ſinnes bring them into ſuch ſtreights, that though they have loſt their deareſt comforts, yet they dare not outwardly manifeſt any ſorrow for them. God would take away the Temple, the Excellency of their ſtrength, the deſire of their eyes, the pitty of their ſouls, their Sonnes and daughters, and they ſhould not dare to mourn, or weep openly, but ſhould ſecretly pine away, and come to nothing. It was ſad to looſe their deareſt comforts, and more ſad that they might not caſe their hearts by tears, or ſighings, and moſt ſad that they muſt ſhew no reſpect to their dead friends, by any funeral rites. This ſad condition had Jeremy told them of, chap. 16.6, 7. Both the great and the ſmall ſhall dye in the land, they ſhall not bee buried, neither ſhall men lament for them, nor cut themſelves, nor make themſelves bald for them, neither ſhall men tear themſelves for them, in mourning, to comfort them for the dead, neither ſhall men give them the cup of conſolation to drink for their Father, or for their Mother; they ſhould be in ſuch ſtreights, through the fury and violence of their enemies (whom their ſinnes had brought upon them) that they ſhould not dare to mourn for their dead, and the great evils upon them.

Obſ. 3 God may and doth put his own faithful ſervants upon hard and unwonted things, thereby to declare what ſhall bee the condition of the wicked. Thus Ezekiel is to you a ſign: hee hath had his deareſt comfort taken away by an extraordinary ſtroak, he hath not been ſuffered to mourn or weep therefore, and why ſo? that hee may bee a ſign unto you; you would not bee taught by my doctrin, now you muſt bee taught by my example, according to all that hee hath done, ſhall yee do. The things are harſh and unnatural, that I have done, but its for your ſakes that I am put upon them, and yee ſhall do as I have. Thus Iſaiah was put upon it, to walk naked and bare-foot three years, which was hard and reproachful, and why? That hee might bee for a ſign and wonder upon Egypt, and Ethiopia, Iſa. 20.3. Some may think God deals ill with his Servants, in putting them upon harſh, reproachful, unnatural, ridiculous things: but know, all ſouls are the Lords, and hee may command them what hee pleaſe; they have comfort in their obedience, what ever p. 376men think or ſay of them; when as thoſe, they are made ſigns unto, have nothing but bitterneſſe and terrors.

Obſ. 4 Signes accompliſhed, convince men of the truth, and juſt proceedings of God: When this commeth, yee ſhall know that I am the Lord God, by the fulfilling what this ſign foretold, yee ſhall bee ſo convinced as to acknowledge Ezekiel was a true ſign, made ſo by mee, and that I have dealt juſtly with you for your iniquities, in bringing you into ſuch ſtreights, as not to dare to mourn openly for your miſeries; if Ezekiel have nothing to object againſt mee, from whom being innocent, I took away the deſire of his eyes, and forbad him to mourn for her; what can you object againſt me, being ſo guilty as none more? If I rend away your deſirable things, and hem you about ſo with my judgements and enemies, that you ſhall not dare to mourn.

Verſ. 25 Alſo thou Son of man, ſhall it not bee in the day when I take from them their ſtrength, the joy of their glory, the deſire of their eies, and that whereupon they ſet their minds, their Sons, and their Daughters.

26 That hee that eſcapeth in that day, ſhall come unto thee to cauſe thee to hear it with thine ears.

27 In that day ſhall thy mouth bee opened to him which is eſcaped, and thou ſhalt ſpeak, and be no more dumb, and thou ſhalt bee a ſign unto them, and they ſhall know that I am the Lord.

In theſe words you may perceive,

1 A Repetition of the taking away what was deareſt to the Jews, v. 25.

2 The Events thereupon, which are,

1 Tidings thereof brought to the Prophet, ver. 26.

2 Freedome of propheſying in Ezekiel, v. 27.

3 Conviction of the People. ibid.

25 When I take from them their ſtrength,

What in the 21. verſ. hee called, The excellency of their p. 377ſtrength, here he calls their ſtrength, that was the Temple; it was ſtrong, but ſhould not have been their ſtrength, the God of the Temple ſhould have been their hope and confidence.

The joy of their glory.

The word for joy is foreign which is, oblectationem habere in animo, to have inward delight in the mind, and that without external geſture. The Septuagint is, foreign, ſublevationem, the lifting up of your glory. The Temple was their glory, and that cheared and lifted up their hearts; both Junius and Piſcator have it, gaudium ornatus eorum, the joy of their ornament: the Temple was their ornament, Ezek. 7.20. nothing did ſo become and adorn them, as their Temple did, and that worſhip which God appointed to bee in it, but they corrupted that worſhip, ſtained their glory, and joyed ſinfully therein.

The deſire of their eyes.

They took pleaſure in beholding the Temple, which was a ſtately building, beautified with pretious ſtones and gold of Parvaim, 2 Chron. 3.6, 8. The ſecond Temple took them much, Matth. 24.1. Luke 21.5. yet that was inferiour to the firſt Temple. The material Temples were very dear unto the Jews.

And that whereupon they ſet their minds.

In the Hebrew it is, Ʋeeth maſſa naphſham, which Montanus renders, Elevationem animae eorum, the lifting up of their ſouls, or minds; id ad quod attollunt an…mam ſuam, that unto which they lift up their ſoul. So Junius. The Vulgar, Super quo requieſcunt animae eorum, That on which their ſouls do reſt. Stephen: in phraſibus Hebraicis, renders the place thus, In quod elevatur animas eorum, aut onus animae ipſorum, That their hearts are lifted up unto, or that which is the burden of their ſouls, and preſſed them moſt, as the Temple, and their children, they were perplexed about the loſſe of theſe.

p. 378This phraſe of ſetting the minde upon a thing, imports,

2 Sam. 18.32 Sam 18:31 Over-prizing of the thing, when the mind is ſet upon a thing that is valued; every man values what his luſt is ſet upon.

2 Adhering to it, when the minde is ſet upon a thing, it cleaves to it, and fixes upon it, 1 Sam. 9.20. ſet not thy minde on them.

3 Taking content and delight in a thing, ſeeking no further, Col. 3.2. ſet your affections upon things above.

26 Hee that eſcapeth in that day, ſhall come unto thee to cauſe, &c.

The Lord in his wiſe providence ordered it ſo, that ſome three years after this Propheſy, there came one who eſcaped at the delivery up of Jeruſalem unto Nebuchadnezzar, and brought tidings that the City was ſmitten, Ezek. 33.21. which was half a year after the ſmiting of it, if you compare this place in Ezekiel with Jer. 52.6. & 2 King. 25.3.

To cauſe thee to hear it with thine ears.

The Hebrew is, To the hearing of the ears, not to tell what hee hath heard, as ſome Rabbins would have it, but to tell in the ears of Ezekiel, what hee had ſeen, and been an eye witneſſe thereof, its not improbable, but that they had heard ſome rumor of it before, it being half a year ſince the taking of that City, and deſolation of all things. This man therefore came to inform Ezekiel of the certainty of all things had paſſed.

27 In that day ſhall thy mouth bee opened to him that is eſcaped, and thou ſhalt be no more dumbe.

That Ezekiel was dumbe, and propheſied not at all, till the man brought tidings of Jeruſalems deſtruction, is not the ſenſe of this place, for in the 26. chapter hee ſaith, The Word of the Lord came unto him in the eleventh year in the firſt day of the month, the meaning then is this, that as to the Jews, hee ceaſed Propheſying, and was as a dumb man unto p. 379them: God gave him not the gift, nor called him to ſpeak any more unto them, they beleeved not what hee had propheſied unto them, but gave ear to falſe Prophets, who ſeduced them, telling them that they ſhould ſhortly return, and Jeruſalem ſhould not bee deſtroied: but when the news came to our Prophet, that God had fulfilled what hee had Propheſyed againſt the City and Temple, then God put his word into his mouth again, and he ſpake freely and boldly.

And thou ſhalt bee a ſign unto them.

As thou haſt oft been a ſign unto them, ſometimes repreſenting an Army laying ſiedge againſt a City, chap. 4. ſometimes a Barber ſhaveing the hair, chap. 5. ſometimes a man removing his ſtuffe, chap. 12. ſometimes repreſenting a mourner, chap. 21.6. ſometimes a condition wherein there muſt not bee mourning, as verſ. 16, 17, 18. of this chapter; ſo here hee muſt bee a ſign unto them by his ſilence, all the time from this chapter to the day that tydings came of the taking, and ſmiting of Jeruſalem, he was for a ſign unto them.

They ſhall know that I am the Lord.

Thoſe are here in Babylon, thoſe eſcape the Famine, Peſtilence, ſword, ſhall know that I am the Lord, and ſent thee to Propheſy; that I am the Lord, and have made good what thou didſt Propheſy; that I am the Lord, and have puniſhed them juſtly for their iniquities.

Obſ. 1 That our Natures are prone to over-prize, adhere to, and rest in external priviledges, and mercies. The Temple they doted upon; they made it their ſtrength, their glory, the joy of their glory, the deſire of their eyes; they ſet their minds upon that, and their Sonnes and Daughters; theſe had their thoughts, affections, and hearts, they ran out ſtrongly unto them, their ſouls were lift up unto them, they looked at their Temple, as their ſtrength againſt all enemies, as their joy at home, and their glory abroad; ſo for their children, they made idols of them, ſetting them up in their hearts, and their hearts upon them, Hoſ. 9.11. their children were their glory, p. 380they gloried in them, their hearts were ſet upon them; becauſe children are parts of their Parents, coming out of their loines, becauſe they bear their image, are their hopes, perpetuate their lives, names, and memories, therefore they let out their hearts too far towards them, and ſet their minds upon them; and not onelyonly on theſe, but on other things alſo, as riches, Pſalm 62.10. If riches increaſe ſet not your hearts upon them; as they increaſe, uſually mens affections and deſires increaſe towards them, ſo that they come to truſt in them, Pſalm 52.7. Hee truſted in the abundance of his riches, they were his ſecurity againſt all dangers, all enemies. There is ſcarce any thing wee have of any moment, but wee are apt to ſet our mindes, and hearts thereon, hence wee are commanded to keep our hearts with all diligence, Prov. 4.23. The Hebrew is, above all keeping, keep that. The leſſe wee ſet our mindes upon the creatures, the longer wee are like to injoy them; the more we ſet our minds upon them, the ſooner they may be pulled away. God will not indure any thing to deprive him of his intereſt in the heart.

Obſ. 2 God hath his times to take away mercies, priviledges idolized, and confided in. In the day when I take from them their ſtrength, the joy of their glory, the deſire of their eyes, and that whereupon they ſet their minds, &c. God took away the Temple, their children, hee had his day for them both, 1 Sam. 4.3. the Jews truſted in the Ark, and idolized that, Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it commeth amongſt us it may ſave us out of the hand of our enemies: But God had a day quickly after that, to deprive them of it, verſ. 11. The Ark of God was taken, the Philiſtims took it, and ſlew thirty thouſand footmen. Ephraim gloried in his children, but God had his time to pluck them away, Hoſ. 9.11, 12. Their glory ſhall flee away like a bird, from the birth, and from the won be, and from the conception, though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, and there ſhall not bee a man left: their priding themſelves in their children and increaſe, made the Lord to diminiſh them, hee took his times for that purpoſe; when Jonas idolized the gourd, the Lord had his day to ſmite it, Jon. 4.7. Jacob was over fond of Joſeph, and God had his day to ſend him far from him, Gen. 37.

p. 381Obſ. 3 That when God is moſt angry, executing his ſevereſt judgements, then even then ſome are spared, ſome finde mercy. When the Lord ſhould take away the Temple, City, their Sonnes and daughters, and make good all the dreadful threatnings given out by Jeremy and Ezekiel againſt the Jews, by Plague, Famine, Sword, Wilde Beaſts, which was as black, and ſad a time as ever they ſaw, even then ſome eſcaped. Hee that eſcapeth in that day. It was hard for any to eſcape, when ſuch an Army of Babylonians, ſo cruel and bitter, had lain ſo long round about Jeruſalem, watching as Lyons for the prey, yet ſome did eſcape. Jeremy ſaith, Lament. 2.22. in the day of the Lords anger, none eſcaped or remained, hee doth not mean abſolutely none, for himſelf eſcaped, and divers others; his meaning is, that they were few in compariſon of thoſe who ſuffered. Since the beginning of the World, hath it been heard, that God was ſo ſevere in any judgement, executed upon the Sonnes of men, as to ſhew no tokens of Mercy? when hee drowned the World, hee ſhewed great mercy to Noah, and his Family; when hee conſumed Sodome and Gomorrah to aſhes, hee gave Lot and his Daughters their lives for a prey; and when hee made Jeruſalem here a ſpectacle of his vengeance, hee made, an out-let, and eſcape, for ſome; he is a God that in wrath, remembers mercy, and doubtleſſe in that great overflowing, and drowning made in the low Countries at this time, as he hath ſhewed much ſeverity, ſo he hath not forgotten mercy.

Obſ. 4 God at his pleaſure puts ſingular honour upon his faithful ſervants the Prophets. Hee tells Ezekiel that when hee ſhall have accompliſhed what hee had propheſyed againſt Jeruſalem, that hee ſhould bee informed thereof, that hee would give ſome or others their lives for a prey, that they might bring him tydings thereof, and ſo lift up his head againſt all his adverſaries, who looked upon, and counted him a falſe Prophet. Herein was great honour put upon the Prophet, hee that eſcapeth ſhall come unto thee, to cauſe thee to hear it, &c. So God honoured Abraham, in telling him what hee was about to do p. 382unto Sodome, Gen. 18.17. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? no, hee is a Prophet, a friend of mine, my faithful ſervant, and hee would not conceal the matter from him, So Amos 3.7. The Lord revealeth his ſecrets to his Servants the Prophets, hee ſends a meſſenger unto them, even his holy Spirit, to acquaint them with what hee is doing, and with what hee hath done; ſo hee ſent an Angel to Joſeph to tell him that Herod was dead, who ſought the life of the young child, Mat. 2.20.

Obſ. 5 God hath his times of ſhutting and opening the mouths of his Prophets. Thou ſhalt ſpeak, and bee no more dumbe: after this time the Prophet was as a dumb man towards the Jews, becauſe they beleeved not his Propheſies, entertained him not as a Prophet, but ſleighted, mocked, and ſcorned him for thoſe unuſual Paſſages of his, which the Lord put him upon; therefore the Lord took him off from being a Prophet unto them, he had no more word for them; the falſe Prophets went on ſtill, but the true Prophet is ſilenced, mens ſinnes do cauſe the Lord to ſtop the mouths of his Prophets; their unbeleef, unprofitableneſſe, perverſe conſtructions, they make of what is ſaid and done by them, their hearkening to lies, errors, and vain viſions of falſe Prophets, do diſcourage them and cauſe them to bee ſilent. Thus Peoples untoward carriages made Jeremy reſolve to bee ſilent, and Preach no more in the Name of the Lord, Jerem. 20.9. The Prophets then had, and the Prophets now have great diſcouragements, and cauſe enough to bee ſilent, and God may cauſe them to bee as dumb unto them, removing them into corners, or taking them away; the peoples ſinnes rob them of ſpiritual mercies, Ezek. 3.26. I will make thy Tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou ſhalt be dumbe, and ſhalt not be to them a reprover, for they are a rebellious houſe. Their ſinne deprived them of Propheſy, and made the Prophet dumb. Let us look to it, that our ſinnes deprive not us thereof, and make our Prophets dumbe. God may in juſtice make them dumb to us, and open their mouths to others. If you would ſtill hear the Prophets ſpeaking unto you, let the Lord ſee you practiſing, what they preſent unto you in his name, yea, p. 383let the Lord hear you praying for them, and then ſee what is written and promiſed, Iſa. 30.19, 20, 21. then your Teachers ſhall not bee removed into corners, but your eyes ſhall ſee them, and your ears ſhall hear them.

Obſ. 6 That Prophets when they are diſcouraged, ſilenced, and become ſignes unto the People, they are to be patient, waiting upon the Lord to make good what they have ſpoken in his name, and for the opening of their mouths again; Ezekiel was a ſign unto them being ſilenced, and diſcouraged, hee was patient, expecting that God ſhould accompliſh what hee had propheſyed, and open his mouth again, which hee did. In that day ſhall thy mouth be opened to him that is eſcaped.