Exposition of Haggai Zechariah and Malachi, Exposition of prophecy 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
THis chapter containes a ſixth and ſeventh viſion, holding forth doctrine different from the former: wherein is declared, that ſin continued in, would bring on private calamities, and having filled up the meaſure thereof, would alſo draw down publick judgements upon the whole Nation: and ſo in the firſt viſion, under the type of a large flying roll, v. 1, 2. is repreſented the curſe of God, ready to be executed upon tranſgreſſors of the firſt and ſecond table, v. 3. and to cut off their houſe and familie, v. 4. In the ſecond viſion, under the type of an Ephah or meaſure, v. 5, 6. and of a woman, repreſenting wickedneſſe, caſt and cloſed therein with a talent of lead, v. 7, 8. and all carried away together to the land of Shinar, v. 9, 10, 11. is repreſented, that when the Land ſhould fill up the meaſure of their iniquity, they ſhould be carried into captivity as formerly they had been.
Verſe 1.
THen I turned, and lift up mine eyes, and looked, and behold, a flying roll.
2.
And hee ſaid unto me, What ſeeſt thou? and I anſwered, I ſee a flying roll, the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
The Lord having hitherto comforted this people with ſweet viſions and promiſes of the proſpering and bleſſing of the work, doth now ſeaſon theſe with hard threatenings for their ſin: ſhewing, that their own ſins not only hindered the work, but (notwithſtanding any great things he had done, or was to do for them) would draw plagues on particular ſinners, and if they perſevered, would utterly ſubvert and overturn the Nation; all which their former experience might not a little help them to lay to heart. The type of the firſt viſion (containing threatenings of publike calamities for ſin) repreſented unto the Prophet, is a flying roll, or large parchment written upon, according to the cuſtome of writing books in theſe times, and containing the threatned curſes of the law againſt private ſinners, now going forth in execution. Doct. 1. As ſin is ſufficient to obſtruct the performance of glorious promiſes, where there is no other enemie; ſo Gods kindneſſe to a people will not hinder, but that he ſhould reckon with them for their ſins: therfore are theſe viſions ſubjoyned to the former, to ſhew them what was the cauſe of their low condition, and of the Temples coming ill ſpeed, and to warne them what they might yet expect, notwithſtanding former promiſes. 2. Even theſe who are moſt intent about ſpiritual things, have need to ſtir up themſelves, and to be ſtirred up of God, to be yet more diligent and exact; for, the Prophet ſeeing the roll, is ſtirred up to conſider it better by a new queſtion, What ſeeſt thou? 3. The right way of underſtanding and taking up calamities for our uſe, is to look upon them through the proſpect of the Word, which will diſcover the author and the procuring cauſe of trouble, and the uſe we ſhould make of them: therefore are the calamities to be inflicted compared to a roll, with relation to the book of the law threatening them, which we ſhould conſider when we feel the ſtroak. 4. The judgements denounced againſt ſinners and ſin by the Word of God, will not ſtill lie by as if they were aſleep, but will break forth in execution, and will ſpeedily overtake and bring down the rebel; therefore this judgement is not now lying within the Temple, but gone forth and viſible; yea, a flying roll, ſwiftly to take the prey. 5. As the threatenings denounced in the Word-are ſad when they are executed, ſo the execution will be exactly anſwerable to the threatening, whatever ſinners may dream to the contrary: for, the dimenſions of this roll, being in length twenty cubits, and in breadth ten cubits, doth not only ſhew that it was a large roll, containing many curſes, (being written on both ſides, v. 3.) to meet with all ſins, and make the ſinner compleatly miſerable, but particularly it may be conceived to have relation to the houſes into which it ſhould enter, which being ordinarily twice as long as broad, imports that the curſe ſhould fill the houſe, or, to the porch of the Temple, from whence the roll came, and where the Law was taught, which being of the ſame ſize with this roll, 1 Kings 6.3. doth import that the execution ſhould be exactly as large as the threatening pronounced, and anſwerable thereunto.
Verſ. 3
Then ſaid he unto we, This is the curſe that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that ſlealeth, ſhall be cut off as on this ſide, according to it, and every on that ſweareth ſhall be cut off as on that ſide, according to it.
This type is expounded to ſignifie the Lords curſe, going ſorth to do execution in all the land of Judah, and to cut off ſinners againſt the firſt and ſecond table of the Law, and that according to the contents of the roll, which was written on both ſides, with relation to the two tables of the Law. Doct. 1. Whatever be the particular puniſhment inflicted by God for ſin, yet this is ſeriouſly to be laid to heart, that every ſuch puniſhment hath in its boſome a curſe, till the ſinner awaked thereby, flee to Chriſt, who became a curſe, that his own may inherit a bleſſing; for, This is the curſe that goeth forth, ſaith he. 2. The Lord is an impartial avenger of ſin, when it is perſevered in without repentance: and when other meanes are ineffectual, he will not ſpare to cut off the deſperate ſinner; for, the curſe goes over the face of the whole earth, or, land, and every one ſhall be cut off, without exception, who are guilty. 3. The Lord will not ſpare, but indifferently puniſh ſin, whether againſt the firſt or ſecond table, in avoiding of both which the Lords people are to teſtifie their ſincerity; this is ſignified by cutting off of every one that ſtealeth, and every one that ſweareth; all ſins againſt both Tables being comprehended under theſe two, which were frequent in theſe times, and in themſelves groſſe, and the roll having curſes on this ſide, and this fide, according to which both ſorts of ſinners were to be cut off. 4. When a people are delivered out of ſore troubles, and yet their luſts are not mortified, they ordinarily prove covetous, falſe, and oppreſſing, as labouring by all meanes to make up theſe things that trouble hath ſtript them of; therefore is there a particular threatening againſt every one that ſtealeth, it being ariſe ſin at their return from the captivity, for they went every man to his own houſe, Haggai 1.9. were cruel oppreſſors, Nehem. 5.1, 2, 3. &c. yea, and robbed God of tythes and offerings, Mal. 3.8. 5. Covetous and falſe men, in their bargains with men, will make no bones of impiety and perjury, if that may help to gain their point; for with the former is joyned, every one that ſweareth, which is expounded, v. 4. to be ſwearing falſly by Gods Name.
Verſ. 4.
I will bring it forth, ſaith the LORD of hoſts and it ſhall enter into the honſe of the thiefe, and into the houſe of him that ſweareth falſely by my Name: and it ſhall remaine in the midſt of his houſe, and ſhall conſume it with the timber thereof, and the ſtones thereof.
The puniſhment of theſe ſins is more particularly declared, that the curſe ſhall not only cut off the ſinner himſelf, but ſhall purſue his houſe and familie, and like a moth conſume it, till it fall about his eares, and ruine him and his Doct. 1. God is the executor of his own threatened judgements, and will make them effectual, oppoſe him who will; I will bring it forth, ſaith the Lord of hoſtes. 2. Vengeance will purſue the ſinner, even in that condition wherein he thinks himſelf moſt ſecure, nor ſhall he be able to reſiſt or remove it, till it perform the work for which it is ſent; for it ſhall enter, even into the houſe, where he thinks to live ſecurely, and it ſhall remain in the midſt of the houſe. 3. Sinners do oft-times not only draw down judgements upon themſelves, but do alſo provoke God to ruine their houſes and families thereby, that they may be monuments of his ſeverity, and warnings to all others; for, it ſhall abide in the midſt of the houſe, and ſhall conſume it with the timber thereof, and the ſtones thereof. 4. The Lord needs not make uſe of violent remedies to take order with impenitent ſinners, and their families, but can by his curſe, and removal of his bleſſing from what they have, make it inſenſibly melt away, ſo that they ſhall be ruined, and themſelves cannot well tell how; for ſo much is imp…ted in the expreſſion, the curſe ſhall conſume the houſe with the timber and ſtones, or be as a moth in it, to waſte it away.
Verſ. 5.
Then the Angell that talked with me went forth and ſaid unto me, Lift up now thine eyes and ſee what is this that goeth forth.
6.
And I ſaid, What is it? and be ſaid, This is an Ephah that goeth forth. He ſaid moreover, This is their reſemblance thorow all the earth.
Not to trouble the Reader with diverſity of apprehenſions, concerning the ſcope of this viſion, whereof ſo little is interpreted, and that ſo darkly by the Angel; That which appeares to come neareſt truth is, that as in the former viſion was ſhewed, how the Lord would purſue the ſin of particular perſons with private calamities; ſo in this is declared that he would alſo puniſh the whole Nation, and caſt them out of their land, when the meaſure of their iniquity ſhould be filled up. And this the Lord in this viſion not only warnes them of, by ſhewing what had formerly come upon them, but denounces and foretels for the time to come. To this all the parts of the viſion agree; whereof the firſt is an Ephah coming forth in view, which was one of the dry meaſures among the Jewes, and is generally taken for any meaſure. This the Angel interprets to be their reſemblance, or, eye in all the earth, or, in all the land, to wit, of Judea; that is, that meaſure, which by little and little is filled up to the brim, repreſents or reſembles the meaſure of their ſins, which God in his long-ſuffering and patience bears with, till by every one in the land, their putting in a part, and adding ſin to ſin, all of them make up an heap to fill the meaſure, and ripen them for judgement; in all which the Providence and eye of God is upon them to obſerve and meaſure up their ſins, as by an Ephah till it be full. Doct. 1. When the Lord purſues ſin with many particular calamities, and neither the corrected nor others are bettered thereby, it is a preſage that the land is ripening fot a national ſtroak; ſo much doth the connexion of this viſion with the former teach. 2. Such is the Lords long ſuffering and patience, that he doth not proceed upon every provocation to plague his people, till ſin he come to an height and paſt remedy, and till that meaſure be filled up, which he in his long-ſuffering and providence preſcribes; for, here is an Ephab to be filled up, ere it be carried away. 3. When a land is ripening for judgement, and declining from God, the ſins of every particular rank & perſon in it, adds to the provocation, and contributes to encreaſe the flame, and haſten the judgement: for, the Ephah is their reſemblance in all the land. Every one in the land contributes to fill it up, and however the ſins of every one apart may ſeem little, yet being put together in the meaſure, they will amount to much. 4. Albeit God be not alwayes ſmiting for ſin, yet he is not aſleep, but carefully obſerving how men fill up the meaſure, who they are that contributes moſt to that effect, that they may drink the deeper of the cup of judgement, and obſerving when it is full, that he may ariſe and puniſh: for, thus the words will alſo reade, This is their eye in all the land, or the Ephah repteſents Gods Providence upon them, obſerving and meaſuring the ſins of every one, and of all in common.
Ver. 7.
And behold, there was lift up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that ſitteth in the midſt of the Ephah.
8.
And he ſaid This is wickedneſs, and he caſt it into the midſt of the Ephah, and he caſt the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
The ſecond part of the viſion is a woman in the Ephah, repreſenting that ſinful and wicked people and Nation, having now filled up the meaſure of their ſin: and a talent of lead, preſſing her down in the Ephah, ſignifying a concluding of them under ſin without pardon, and a keeping them under their guilt, till they be puniſhed. Doct. 1. Sin perſevered in by a land, will at laſt fill up the meaſure, and Gods patience toward them will come to a period: for, the woman repreſenting wickedneſſe, growes up and fills the Ephah, wherein ſhe ſits. 2. When the Lord contends with a land by judgements, it is not ſo much becauſe of ordinary eſcapes and infirmities, as for groſſe iniquity come to an height; for, this is wickedneſſe, ſaith he, or a repreſentation of that people, now become extremely wicked, which is the cauſe of the threatened captivity. 3. When the Lord hath long contended by his Word, and particular afflictions, with the ſin of his people, and they yet perſevere, it is righteous with him to give them up to their own hearts, and leave them as captives under the power of impenitency and guilt, till he, without any altering of his ſentence plague them: for, Wickedneſſe is caſt into the midſt of the Ephah, and the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof: that is, they are left under the power of their ſin, till vengeance be executed.
Verſ. 9.
Then lift I up mine eyes, and looked, and behold, there came out two women, and the winde was in their wings (for they had wings like the wings of aſtork) and they lift up the Ephah between the earth and the heaven.
10.
Then ſaid I to the Angel that talked with me, Whither doe theſe beare the Ephah?
11.
And he ſaid unto me, To build it an houſe in the land of Shinar, and it ſhall be eſtabliſhed and ſet there upon her owne baſe.
The laſt part of the viſion, is of two women carrying away the Ephah, and the woman therein to the land of Shinar, to abide and dwell there. Whereby is ſignified, that when their cup was full, they ſhould ſpeedily be carried into captivity out of their own land, where they ſhould long abide, as in a dwelling place. They are ſaid to be carried captives into the land of Shinar, or, Babylon, Gen. 11.2, 3, &c. partly to expreſſe their future captivity by the Romanes, in ſuch a way, as might be moſt ſenſible to them who had been captives in Babel before; and partly, becauſe in their ſecond captivity many of them were ſcattered in theſe parts, becauſe of the many Jewes who abode ſtill there. As for the other circumſtance of the viſion concerning the two women who had the winde in their wings, or were helped to flee by the winde, it were curioſity to determine of them further, then as pointing out the vanity of that peoples wayes, which ſhould drive them out of their land: or rather the inſtruments of their captivity, who are reſembled to women, only to agree with the reſt of the viſion, wherein the ſinful Nation is reſembled to a woman, and to two women, as being a competent number for his work, as the diſciples went out by paires. Doct. 1. A people abuſing afflictions, and marvellous deliverances from it, by their ſinning yet more, may expect their afflictions will be returned upon them in harder meaſure: for, a new and ſorer captivity, and longer dwelling under it is here threatened upon their renewed provocations. 2. The Lord hath ſufficiency of inſtruments at his command, to execute his determined judgements, who being employed by him againſt his ſinful people, ſhall finde all things concurring with them to carry on that work: this is ſignified by two women, enough to carry the Ephah, and by their wings like the wings of a ſtorke, enabling them to flee, and do the work violently and ſwiftly, and to flee high betwixt the heaven and the earth, above the reach of any oppoſition made unto them by men, and by the winde in their wings, providence, as it were, concurring to help them forward. 3. Captivity and exile among prophane Nations, and from enjoying the face of God, or the ſociety one of another in his Ordinances, is one of the Lords ſore judgements whereby he plagueth the ſins of his own Church; for, Wickedneſſe is carried to the land of Shinar. 4. As the Church is no place wherein reigning ſin will get a biding habitation: ſo a people that are enemies to the Church, are accounted in Gods ſight, as the common ſink of all wickedneſſe, whom therefore he will certainly puniſh: this is ſignified by the carrying of wickedneſſe out of the holy land, to the land of Shinar, as its own place, where all wickedneſſe dwelt: from which alſo the Jewes might aſſuredly gather, that as he had puniſhed them, ſo he would not ſpare their enemies.