Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Ezekiel
Ezek. 3. 20.
When a Righteous man doth turn from his Righteouſneſs, and commit iniquity, and I lay a ſtumbling block before him, he ſhall die &c.
Qu. How can God be ſaid to lay a ſtumbling-block before a Righteous man backſliding?
A. Firſt, it is to be conſidered that by a Righteous man here is not meant, a man Righteous before God by Faith, through Chriſt's Righteouſneſs imputed to him, whereunto is ever joyned the Righteouſneſs of God in him, whereby he becomes a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. for ſuch never fall quite away, though they often fall in the way. Adam fell after the firſt Creation, Eccleſ. 7. 29. none ſo fall after the ſecond, Eph. 4. 24, 25. & 2. 10. Jer. 32. 40. John 10. 28. Pſal. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 5. yet ſuch an one may fall very low in regard of the degrees of grace, comforts of the Spirit, and ſuavities of Religion: but one Ezekiel or other will raiſe him up again. But by a *juſtus dicitur foreign non foreign, quales ſunt hypocritae et Apoſtatae de qualibus ſic ait Auguſtinus, credendum eſt quoſdam de filis perdition is non accepto dono perſeverandi uſque in finem aliquando fideliter ac …uſte vive…e ac poſtea …adere, De …orreptione …t Grat. Lib 17. Tom. …0righteous man in this place, (and upon ſuppoſition of a total and final fall) is meant one righteous before men: As (1) In his own or other men's account, Luk. 15. 7 & 16. 15. yea, perhaps in good men's account; becauſe charity binds to think the beſt, 1 Cor. 13. 7. (2) By profeſſion, Act. 8. 13. (3) By a righteouſneſs in matter of doctrine, Mark. 12. 32, 34. and in divers parcels of outward practiſe.
Secondly, by Gods laying a ſtumbling-block before ſuch a righteous man; (righteous not by the Reality of Righteouſneſs within); We may not imagin that God puts any unrighteouſneſs into any ſuch man or any man; or that he inclines his heart to any evil, James 1. 13. But two things may be underſtood by it.
1. In a more ſpiritual ſence Gods leaving of a backſlider to his own backſliding heart; yea giving him up to it, Pſal. 81. 12. or to Satan, 2 Theſ. 2. 10, 11, 22. yea farther God (in his juſt judgment) may raiſe up ſuch Providences as his corrupt heart will be ſure to make a ſtumbling-block of; a Perſecution, Matt. 13. 21. nay, the very preaching of the Word doth it, and is ſent to do it as a juſt puniſhment of former wilfulneſs, Iſa. 6. 10. Luk. 2. 34. Matt. 21. 44. Men lay one ſtumbling-block, Ezek. 14. 4. and God laies another.
2. In a more outward ſence, this may be underſtood, not as a ſtumbling-block of iniquity, as Ezek. 14. 7. But for iniquity; that is, as the puniſhment of God upon them for their Backſlidings, and a tottering in their ſtate to utter ruin; and (indeed) this and the former are both joyned together in Iſa. 8. 14, 15.
It is a very dreadful thing when God ſhall make any thing a ſtumbling ſtone to a man either way; but more dreadful when he makes every thing, yea and many things every way.
Yet ſuch (though not all ſuch) may by the means of Grace and Grace of God be converted, and turn again, Luk. 22. 32. as here by the terrours of God ſet forth in the Miniſtry of his Prophets, and perhaps alſo by his puniſhment brought upon them, (ſuch Rods ſometime beat folly out of the hearts of baſtards, drive wanderers into the right-way, as well as upright Walkers on in it) and ſo by their repenting they may prevent utter and endleſs periſhing, Ezek. 18. 30, 31, 32. I will judg you, O houſe of Iſrael, every one according to his ways, ſaith the Lord God: Repent and turn your ſelves from all your Tranſgreſſions; ſo iniquity ſhall not be your ruin: Caſt away from you all your Tranſgreſſions; For I have no pleaſure in the death of him that dyeth, ſaith the Lord God, therefore turn your ſelves, and live ye.
Ezek. 20. 25.
Wherefore I gave them alſo ſtatutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they ſhould not live.
Qu. How is God ſaid to give ſtatutes that were not good, and that tend to death; when all his Laws and commands ever were and are good, Nehem. 9. 13. Rom. 7. 12.
A. 1. Firſt ſome underſtood this of thoſe Decrees and Ordinances of God, and of thoſe Judgments that tended to the ruin of that Rebellious ſtate, which may be ſaid not to be good, becauſe they were not good to them, as 1 Kings 22. 8. So Tremelus in Loc.not for them; and diſpleaſing and deſtructive, for which ſee and conſider Ezek. 14. 21. Hoſ. 10. 10. Hab. 1. 12. Zeph. 2. 2. It's the Lord that gives the deſtroying ſword a charge, and every Judgment a commiſſion, Jer. 47. 7. But,
Secondly, This is generally taken otherwiſe, and it ſeems to be otherwiſe meant here, v. 39. where they are bid go ſerve every one his Idol; that is, they are left and given up to it, there being no hope of holding them from it.
Therefore this giving them Statutes that were not good, may comprehend theſe things following.
1. That there were and they had ſuch Statutes, that is, Statutes enſnaring them to Idolatry and Profaneneſs; and that not ſo much at any one time, as in the times of Idolatrous and wicked Kings ſucceſſively; beginning with Jeroboam's Calves, and continuing in the Idolatrous Statutes of Omri and Ahab, and men of that ſtamp, Micha. 6. 16. Nor was it thus only in Iſrael but in Judah alſo; as we ſee in the days and ways of that wicked Jehoram, who cauſed the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem to commit whoredom, and compelled Judah thereunto, 2 Chron. 21. 22. and it is expreſly ſaid of Manaſſeh, that he made Judah to err and do worſe than the Heathen, 2 Chron. 33. 9.
2. That ſuch Statutes may be ſaid to be given of God, viz. providentially and in courſe of juſtice: (1) By giving them thoſe Idolatrous Kings in his anger, who (together with their ſtateſmen) would give and were left to give them ſuch Idolatrous Laws, Hoſ. 13. 10, 11. (2) By paſſing out in the ſame times, and ſending among them by his juſt Providence, ſuch Prieſts and Prophets as by whom the Idolatrous decrees of Princes were publiſhed and palliated, and they who refuſed to obey them, were proclaimed factious and ſeditious men; as we read in 1 Kings 22. 13. Jer. 23. 13. 15. eſpecially Kings 7. 10. Ezek. 14. 9. & 22. 26, 28. (3) By leaving the People to be enſnared by the Commands of the one and the flatteries of the other; through their own fault in two reſpects, viz.
1. Through the darkneſs of their underſtanding, whereby they could not, yea wilful blindneſs whereby they cared not, ſought not, to diſcern the evils and abominations of Laws croſſing the Law of God
2. Through the vileneſs of their Affections or the ſervility of their wills, whereby if they ſaw the evil of ſuch things yet they did not ſhun it; but ſubmitted their necks to all yokes, were willing to walk after the Commandment, and loved to have it ſo, Jer. 5. 31. Hoſ. 5. 11.
In all this there was, 1. A ſinful part which was the Rulers, Prieſts, Prophets, and Peoples, as hath been already proved.
2. A Judicial part which was Gods, not by darting any darkneſs into their underſtandings; but by not imparting any light, but leaving them to their fooliſh and darkned hearts, Deut. 29. 14. Not by infuſing any malignity into their wills, but by not introducing any conquering Grace and Power. Now becauſe this paenal part is Gods, therefore he is ſaid to give: So that God did not give Laws not good, as a Lawgiver; but as a judg, by giving them into the hands of thoſe that gave them and promoted them, and by giving them up that would not obey him to obey them: And thus it was alſo in the Babyloniſh Captivity with this wicked Peoples good-will and reſolution to comply, Ezekiel 20. 3. 23. 9. And thus it is ſtill when an incorrigible Church is caſt under Popiſh or Pagan Governours. Oh! it is their juſt and ſaddeſt judgment to be given up to Laws not good, that will not obey the holy, juſt, and good Laws of God: As an enraged Father ſays to an incurable Son be gone, (Abi hinc in malam Rem) and ſo leaves him to the Laws of Harlots and Varlots that will be his Companions, Counſellors, yea and Commanders alſo, Eccleſ. 7. 26. So God provoked puniſhes by giving men up to themſelves, and leaving them to their own hearts luſts, Pſal. 81. 11, 12. Math. 23. 32. 2 Theſ. 2. 10, 11, 12. How much better is it to be given up to ſtate-undoing, or body-tormenting judgments, than to be given up to Soul-undoing Laws and Luſts? The greateſt evil of ſuffering is leſs than the leaſt evil of Sin.