Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 22

Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture · Scripture 22

p. 428EZEKIEL.

CAP. I.

1 Now it came to passe in the thirtieth yeare, in the fourth monethmonth, in the fifth day of the monethmonth, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.IT came to passe in the thirtieth yeare after the Jubilee, and the finding of the originall copy of the law, in the monethmonth of July, and the fifth day of that monethmonth; when I was among the Hebrew captives in Chaldea, by the river Chebar, that God revealed himselfe to me, and put into me the spirit of prophesie; and represented divers visions to the eyes of my minde.

2 In the fifth day of the monethmonth which was the fift yeare of King Iehoiachins captivitie.In the fift day of July which was in the fifth yeare of the first deportation into Babylon, and captivity there.

p. 429And the efficacy of Gods spirit did shew it selfe in,3 And the hand of the Lord, was there upon him. and upon me, in his holy revelations.

And behold, I looked;4 And I looked, and behold, a whirle-wind came out of the North, a great cloud, and a fire unfolding it selfe, & a brightnesse was about it, and out of the middest thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. and God shewed me a representation of those fearefull tempests of calamitie, which yet were to come upon his people, by a whirlewind, arising from the North, (whence their further persecution and captivitie was to come) by a darke cloud; and fire infolded within it, to signifie the triall which they are to undergo: but there was a pleasing brightnesse about that cloud, and out of the midst of that fierie splendor, there was, as it were, a shining colour of amber, to signifie the presence of Gods powerfull grace, and mercy, in the midst of all the fiery trialls of his Church.

And out of the midst of that fiery brightnesse, came foure Angells, in the likenesse of foure living creatures, whose number was proportioned to the foure corners of the world; And this was their appearance; They had the shape and likenesse of a man.5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likenesse of foure living creatures, and this was their appearance; they had the likenesse of a man.

And every one of them had foure faces,6 And every one had foure faces, and every one had foure wings. to signifie their ready addresse to receive whatsoever command from God, which way soever it should be delivered, and every one of them had foure wings, to signifie their swiftnesse in execution of all the charges of God.

The legges of these Angells were straight up, like the legges of a man, and their feet were round, as the circumference of a calves foot; for the greater fitnesse of that turning motion, which they should be put unto; & they had a sparkling kinde of brightnesse in their moving, like to that of burnished brasse.7 And their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calves foot, and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brasse.

And they had the likenesse of hands, to signifie their aptnesse to execute the will of God; and those hands were under their winges, to imply that their motion is not of themselves, but such as is regulated, & directed by the secret instinct of God; all the foure Angells had both faces and wings.8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their foure sides, and they foure had their faces and their wings.

Their wings were joyned together, at their tops,9 Their wings were joyned one to another, they turned not when they went: they went every one straight forward. to signifie their full concord, and agreement in fulfilling Gods command; and they went unanimously together, and all moved right forward, without turning to the right hand or to the left.

And for the liknesse of their faces,10 As for the likenesse of their faces, they foure had the face of a man, and the face of a lyon on the right side, and they foure had the face of an oxe on the left side: they four also had the face of an Eagle. it was according to the severall qualities, which are eminent in foure noted creatures; a Man, a Lyon, an Oxe, an Eagle; such were these Angels, to signifie that they were understanding as a man, strong as a lyon, serviceable as the oxe, as the Eagle, swift.

p. 43011 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward, two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.Such were their faces; as for their wings, two of them were stretched upward, to signifie their relation unto and dependance upon Gods charge; and were joyned together, in a signification of the perfect concord, and joynt agreement in all their services; & two of them covered their bodies, to signifie the hidden nature of these celesticall spirits, beyond the reach of all humane comprehension.

12 And they went every one straight forward, whither the spirit was to goe, they went: and they turned not when they went.And they went in this posture all together, straight forward, which way soever the Spirit of God moved them to goe; not turning at all to either hand.

13 As for the likenesse of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, & like the appearance of lamps: it went up and downe among the liuing creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.As for the colour wherein these Angells appeared, they seemed to bee like unto burning coales of fire, or like to burning lamps; to represent both the glory, and the terror of those spirituall creatures; and this fiery glittering seemed to be diffused over all these Angells; and did cast out a bright luster from it, and did, as it were, dart out lightning upon the eyes of the beholder.

14 And the living creatures ranne, and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.And the Angells made so speedy dispatch, as that their motion was as the sudden flash of the lightning.

Now, as I beheld these foure Angells; behold I might see foure wheeles appearing upon the earth,15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, Behold, one wheele upon the earth by the living creatures, with his foure faces. by those foure Angells, to signifie the perpetuall mutability of all these inferiour things.

The appearance of every one of the wheeles, and their worke,16 The appearance of the wheels, & their worke was like unto the colour of a Berill: and they foure had one likenesse, and their appearance & their worke was as it were a wheele in the middle of a wheele. was of a sea-colour, to shew the vanity and instability of these earthly things; and they foure had one likenesse, to shew the constant uniformitie of Gods proceedings with men; and their worke was, as it were of a Sphere, wherein one wheele seemeth to be set crosse to the other; to shew that however God hath most wisely and ordinately disposed all things, yet they seeme to us intricate and perplexed.

17 When they went, they went upō their foure sides: and they returned not when they went.When they moved, they moved all foure together; and went right on to the period appointed.

18 As for the rings, they were so high, that they were dreadfull, and their rings were full of eies round about them foure.As for the out-most roundells of those wheeles, they were of a vast and dreadfull height; and they were on all sides thereof full of eyes; to shew that there is not the least motion in any of these earthly things, which is not directed by an eye of divine providence.

19 And when the living creatures went, the wheeles went by them: and when the living creatures were lift up from the earth, the wheeles were lift up.And to shew that all these worldly alterations, & changes have a dependance upon the powerfull preordination, and instinct of God, & are over-ruled by those ministring p. 431spirits, to whom he committeth the managing thereof; When the Angells moved on, the wheeles moved by them, and when the Angells were lifted up, the wheeles were lifted up also.

Which way soever the spirit of God directed them to goe, thither they went;20 Whithersoever the spirit was to goe, they went, thither was their spirit to goe, and the wheeles were lifted up over against them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheeles. and if by the power of that almighty Spirit the Angells were raised upward, the wheeles were accordingly raised; for the same spirit that moved the Angells, did also move those wheeles to concurre with them; God by his Angells transfusing into these earthly creatures the power of their governance and motion.

So also verse 21.

And the colour of the firmament,22 And the likenesse of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible Chrystall stretched forth over their heads above. which was spred over the heads of these foure Angells, was as the colour of a glorious chrystall, which had in it a kinde of majesticall brightnesse.

And under this shining firmament were the wings of these foure Angells reached straight forth, one towards another; which (as was formerly said) being foure to each; two of thē served to be stretched forth for the meeting of the wings of their fellowes; and the other two covered their owne bodies.23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one towards the other, every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side their bodies.

And when they moved, I heard the noise of their wings,24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host. in their motion, very loud and strong, as of gushing waters, or of thunder; and the noise of that voice which was heard over them, was as the shouting of an host, &c.

So also verse 25.

And to shew that all these motions both of the Angells, and the inferiour creatures,26 And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likenesse of a Throne, as the appearance of a Saphire stone, and upon the likenesse of the Throne was the likenesse as the appearance of a man above upon it. proceed from the infinite wisedome, and power of God; above the firmament that was over their heads, there was the likenesse of the glorious throne of the Almighty; bright and shining of a celestiall colour; & upon that throne was there the likenesse of a man s…ting; even that God, who would afterwards take upon him the shape of man, for mans redemption.

And I saw the resemblance of a glorious amber-coloured brightnesse, and as of a perfectly-inflamed,27 And I saw as the colour of Amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it: from the appearance of his loines even upward, and from the appearance of his loines even downeward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightnesse round about. and ardently red fire round about within it; from the appearance p. 432of his loins upward; and for the other part, which was from the appearance of the loins downeward, the resemblance of a bright fire, but lesse digested; to shew that the Sonne of God (though all glorious, yet) in that part which concerns his creatures, and wherein hee reveales himselfe to men, hee remits of that fiery and incomprehensible Majesty, and descends gratiously to our capacity, and apprehension.

CAP. II.

ANd the Spirit of God entred into me, and put courage into my heart, together with the outward sound of his word; and raised me up from my groveling, and set me on my feet.2 And the Spirit entred into me, when he spake unto me, and set mee upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they wil forbeare (for they are a rebellious house) yet shall know that there hath beene a Prophet among them.And they, whether they will heare, or will not heare (as they are more like; for they are a stubborne people) shall yet bee convinced of their rebellion by thy prophesie, and shall, by the event, feele & find, that they have had a Prophet amongst them, whereby their sins are either reformed, or shall be more deeply punished.

6 And thou Sonne of man be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though bryers and thornes be with thee, and thou dost dwell among Scorpions: be not afraid of their words, &c.Though this people shall be to thee as briers, and thornes, which shall prick and wound thy soule; and thou must dwell among scorpions, which shall sting thee unto death, yet be not afraid, &c.

Open thy mouth, and in signification, and assurance that thou doest obediently receive these messages, which I deliver unto thee, and wilt be ready to utter them to my people, eate that which I shall give unto thee.8 Open thy mouth and eate that I give thee.

CAP. III.

1 Moreover he said unto me, Sonne of man, eate that thou findest: eate this roule, and goe speake unto the house of Israel.MOreover he said unto me in this vision of mine, son of mane, ate that which I now offer thee.

2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused mee to eate that roule.See chap. 2. verse 8.

Then me thought, I did eate up that roule, and though it were written within, and without, with lamentations, yet in my mouth,3 Then did I eate it, and it was in my mouth as honie for sweetnesse. as I was chewing it, it seemed to bee sweet as hony; so pleasing a contentment there is in an holy obedience to the commands of God.

8 Behold I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.Behold, I have given thee boldnesse, and courage, to beare up against their strong oppositions; so as thou shalt not be daunted with their out-facings.

p. 433Yea, I have put an invincible courage into thee,9 As an Adamant harder then flint have I made thy forehead. so as no force of theirs shall be able to prevaile against thee, &c.

Blessed be the name,12 Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place. and praised be the glory of the sonne of God, who sits upon this throne of Majesty.

And I heard the noise of the wings of those Angels,13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheeles over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. which I saw, and the noise of those wheeles, which were moved by them, in an applause or acclamation to that praise, and celebration of the name of Christ, as that wherein all creatures conspire.

So the Spirit of God lifted me up from the ground, on which I lay; and removed me from that place,14 So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitternesse, in the heate of my spirit, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. separating me also (for the time) from the common society of men; and I went away very heavie, and pensive, and much troubled in my spirit, for the sad purport of this vision; but the power of Gods Spirit was forceable, and prevalent with me, so as I was not too much dejected, either with that fearefull apparition, or that grievous errand.

Againe,20 Againe when a righteous man doth turne from his righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, and I lay a stumbling blocke before him, he shall die. when a man that carries himselfe as righteous, and is in his whole course inoffensive doth turne away from that his holy profession, and give himselfe over to a trade of wickednesse, and I meet with him in that sinful course, and surprise him with my judgements, he shall die, &c.

Those good actions which he hath formerly done,21 Neverthelesse, if thou warne the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, & he doth not sin, hee shall surely live. and his fore-past holy carriage shall not be so respected, as to keep him from just condemnation, &c.

And behold, there it pleased God to give me a representation of his glorious presence, as before when I was by the river Chebar,23 And behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar. &c.

See verse 14.24 Then the Spirit entred into me, &c.

Their wickednesse shall tye up thy tongue,25 They shall put bands upon thee, and shall binde thee with them. and cause thee to keep close from them, &c.

I will impose silence upon thee for a judgement to them,26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumbe, & shalt not be to them a reprover. so as thou shalt not reprove their mis-deeds any more.

But when I renue my commission to thee,27 But when I speake with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, He that heareth let him heare, and he that forbeareth let him forbeare and bid thee to speake, I will then give thee a freedome of speech unto them; and thou shalt say; Thus saith the Lord; Whether they heare thee, or heare thee not; it is all one to thee; Doe thou thy duty, and it sufficeth, &c.

p. 434CAP. IIII.

1 Take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, & pourtray upon it the city, even Ierusalem.MAke thee upon a Tile, a modell or draught of the city Jerusalem.

2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it: and cast a mount against it: set the campe also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.And then make the modell of a siege laid against that so-pourtrayed city; in all the representations of those hostile actions, that are wont to be done against a city that is beleaguered.

And, to signifie the strength, and invinciblenesse of that siege,3 Moreover, take thou unto thee an yron pan, and set it for a wall of yron between thee and the city, & set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shall be a signe to the house of Israel. set a pot of yron betweene thee and that city; and then doe thou set thy face against it, as if thou wert the besieger of it; and this shall be a signe to all the people of Israel, what they shall really expect to be performed against them.

Lye thou also upon thy left side, and by thy quiet and still lying thereon, represent unto the house of Israel (the Ten Tribes) how long I have lyen patiently under the many provocations,4 Lie thou also upon the left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the daies that thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt beare their iniquitie. which I have had from those rebellious Israelites; according to the number of the dayes wherein thou shalt (in vision) lye upon that side, thou shalt represent my patience under the iniquity of the house of Israel.

So many dayes as thou shalt (in the appointment of this vision) lye upon that left side,5 For I have laid upon thee the yeares of their iniquitie, according to the number of the daies, three hundred and ninety daies, so shalt thou beare the iniquity of the house of Israel for this purpose; so many have beene the yeares that I have quietly forborne to revenge the iniquities of Israel, that is, three hundred and ninety yeares, (answerable to so many dayes) since their defection under Jeroboam.

And when thou hast done this, in a figure of what I have done for Israel,6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie againe on thy right side, and thou shalt beare the iniquity of the house of Iudah forty daies, I have appointed thee, each day for a year then lye another while, upon thy right side, to represent my bearing with the iniquity of the house of Judah; Fourty daies are in thy vision appointed for this posture, in figure of fourty yeares that I have beene provoked by the sins of Judah.

Thine arme shall be uncovered,7 Thine arme shall bee uncovered. to signifie the vehemence, and readinesse of execution which shall be in the besiegers of Jerusalem.

8 And behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turne thee from one side to another, til thou hast ended the daies of thy siege.And to shew the immutable certainty of that my decree for the besieging of Jerusalem, I will lay bands upon thee, in this vision, that thou maist not change sides, till the dayes of that fore-appointed siege be fulfilled.

And, as thou shalt thus represent the siege, so also in the sequel,9 Take thou also unto thee wheate, and barly, and beanes, and lentiles, & millet, and fitches, & put them in one vessell, & make thee bread thereof according to the number of the dayes that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety daies shalt thou eate thereof. thou shalt represent the famine which shall fall upon Jerusalem; Take thee therefore all kinds of graine, wheat and barly, and beanes, and lentiles, and fitches, and put them all together, and make bread of this p. 435mesline; and eate thereof, for the space of three hundred and ninety dayes; to signifie that in that strait siege, there shall be such scarcity, as that they shall be glad of the coursest sustenance.

And thy meate, which thou shalt eate,10 And thy meat which thou shalt eate, shall bee by weight twenty shekels a day, from time to time shalt thou eate it. shall be stinted unto thee, according to five ownces, the day.

Neither shalt thou have ful scope to drinke how much water thou pleasest,11 Thou shalt drinke also water by measure, the sixe part of an hin, from time to time shalt thou drinke. but shalt have it allowed thee by measure, about a pint a day; and so shalt continue.

And thou shalt make it up in the form of barly cakes, and shalt bake it (in stead of coales) with mans dung,12 13 And thou shalt eate it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that commeth out of man in their sight. in the sight of the people; to signifie that extreme pollution, whereto God will give over his people; among the Gentiles.

Then said I; Ah Lord God, behold, as I have bin consecrated to thy service, in the priesthood,14 Then said I, Ah Lord God, behold, my soule hath not beene polluted, for frō my youth up even till how have I not eaten of that which dieth of it selfe, or is torne in pieces, neither came there abhominable flesh into my mouth. so I have carefully kept my self from all legall pollutions from my youth; I have not eaten ought that is forbidden by thy law; but have avoided all those offensive meats of what kinde soever; and now, thou knowest that this excrementitious fire which thou injoynest is (besides the loathsomenesse) uncleane by thy law.

See Leviticus 26. verse 26.16 I will breake the staffe of bread.

CAP. V.

TO fore-signifie that variety of miserable desolation,1 And thou son of man, take thee a sharpe knife, take thee a barbours rasour and cause it to passe upon thine head, and upon thy beard: then take the ballances to weigh, and divide the haire. which shall come upon Jerusalem, take thee a sharpe knife, even a barbors rasour, and therewith cause all the haire of thy head, and beard to be shaven off; the haires of thy head and beard represent the numerous inhabitants of Jerusalem; all they shall be cut, by severall waies of destruction; and therefore take thy ballances, and weigh thine haire into three equall parts.

One third part shalt thou burne with fire,2 Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the citie, when the daies of the siege are fulfilled, and thou shalt take a third part, & smite about it with a knife, and a third part thou shalt scatter in the winde, and I will draw out a sword after them. to shew the extremity of that calamity which a third part of the inhabitants shall indure in pestilence & famine in the siege; Another third part thou shalt smite about with a knife, to shew, that a third part of them shall fal by the sword; and one other third part of it thou shalt scatter in the winde, to signifie their dispersion in the captivity, which shall be attended also with much cruelty afterwards.

See verse 12.

p. 4363 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind thē in the skirts.But thou shalt take up a few of those haires, out of this division, and shalt blinde them in thy skirts; to signifie that there shall be a small remnant yet reserved of my people.

4 Then take of them againe and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burne them in the fire: for thereof shall a fi…e come forth into all the house of Israel.Then afterward, take of them againe which thou hadst reserved in thy skirts, and cast them into the midst of the fire, to signifie that those remainders shall put themselves into miserable affliction, and at last shall bring an utter destruction to all the house of Israel.

I will send a grievous famine upon them, which like unto deadly arrowes,16 I will send upon them the evill arrows of famine. shall pierce through their souls.

CAP. VI.

3 Ye mountaines of Israel, heare the word of the Lord.THe men of Israel will not heare; heare therefore, O ye mountaines of Israel, which are lesse deafe then they, heare ye the judgmēts that God hath denounced against the sinfull remainders of Israel.

9 And they that escape of you, shall remember me among the nations, whither they shall be caried captives, because I am broken with their whorish hart which have departed from me, and with their eyes which goe a whoring after their idols.And those that escape of you shall remember me among the nations, &c. and bethinke themselves how I have beene over-provoked by their wicked idolatries; in that they have departed from me; & have abandoned themselves, to their shamefull and abhominable Idols, &c.

Be thou vehement, and passionate, in expressing thy sorrow and indignation for the sinnes and judgements of thy people; and therefore smite thine hands together, and stamp with thy feet, and say, Alas,11 Thus saith the Lord God, Smite with thine hand, and stampe with thy foote, and say Alas. &c.

Yea, more desolate then the most horrid, craggie, forlorne wildernesse in the world.14 More desolate then the wildernesse towards Diblath.

CAP. VII.

5 An evill, an onelyonly evill, behold, is come.THat evill is come upon thee, which alone shall make a dispatch of thee, there will need no other to second it.

7 The day of trouble is neere, and not the sounding againe of the mountaines.The day of thy grievous trouble is actually, and really comne; which thou shalt finde sensibly, to be no empty and vaine sound of an echo among the mountaines, but a true and feeling destruction.

10 The rod hath blossomed, prid hath budded.That rod of punishment, wherewith they shall bee smitten, howsoever it come from Chaldea, and hath put forth thence, yet the root of it, is from themselves, even from their owne pride.

21 Violence is rise up into a rod of wickednesse: none of them shall remaine, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs, neither shall there be wailing for them.And from this root is growne up cruelty, and violence, p. 437and that violence hath shewed it selfe in open wickednesse, and outragious oppositions unto good; which shall bring upon them so perfect a destruction, as that none of them shall be left alive to bewaile the dead.

The time of this judgement is at hand;12 The time is come, the day draweth neere, let not the buyer rejoyce, nor the seller mourne: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. wherein all shall be inwrapped in one common calamity; So as there shall be no difference betwixt the condition of the buyer, and the seller; for wrath is indifferently gone out upon all sorts.

And, whereas in the ordinary sale of Israelitish lands,13 For the seller shall not returne to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof which shall not returne: neither shall any strengthen himselfe in the iniquity of his life. the seller is wont, in the yeare of Jubilee, to returne to those possessions, which he hath aliened; now it shall not be so; though he be then alive, yet there shall be no challenge or recovery of that which hee hath sold; for this captivity shall be universall, which is foretold in this vision, and that which shall not admit of any such returne, as might restore this generation to their ancient inheritance; neither shall any wicked man have cause to incourage himselfe in the vaine confidence of his impunity for his sinne.

And though the men of Israel traine, and muster,14 They have blowne the trumpet, even to make all ready, but none goeth to the battell, for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. and make great preparations of a warlike resistance, yet all this shall be in vaine; for they shall never be able to stand in the day of battle; for my wrath fights against all the multitude of them.

And if any of them shall escape (as some shall escape) the sword, & pestilence,16 But they that escape of them, shall escape, and shall be on the mountaines like doves of the vallies, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquitie. yet their life shal be rather more miserable then death; for they shall bee faine to hide their heads in the desert mountaines; and shal be like the fearfull doves, that want shelter in the vallies; all of them protracting a wofull life, onelyonly to suffer, and languish under the conscience of their owne wickednesse.

And whereas they formerly trusted to their riches,19 They shall cast their silver in the streetes, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord, they shall not satisfie their soules, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumbling blocke of their iniquity. now, they shall cast their silver and gold in the streets, as utterly unprofitable for their releefe, &c. now, they shall well finde, how little power this wealth of theirs hath to satisfie their soules; and to content their hearts; because it is that which they have made an occasion of their sinne, by their uniust, and wicked confidence, they have put in it.

As for his beautifull, and glorious Temple, he placed it in great majesty among them,20 As for the beauty of his ornaments, he set it in majesty, but they made the images of their abhominations, and of their detestable things therein; therefore have I set it far from them. as that which might well be their best, and greatest ornament; but they have notoriously prophaned it, in setting up their abhominable idols therein; therfore, have I forsaken both them, and it, and give it over to the pollution, and vastation of the heathen.

p. 438Make thee a chaine of yron, to signifie the miserable bondage and captivity which is comming upon thy people; for the land is full of bloody crimes,23 Make a chaine, for the land is full of bloody crimes. &c.

26 Then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet: but the law shall perish from the Priest, and counsell from the ancients.Then shall they be glad to enquire after the Prophet of God, to know what the issue of things shall be: but in a just punishment of their former neglect, and security, God shall take away his gifts from their Priests, and Prophets, so as they shall not be able to declare his will unto them for their direction, and preservation.

CAP. VIII.

1 That the hand of the Lord God fell there upon mee.THe Spirit of the Lord was powerfull with, and upon me, in a divine rapture, and vision.

Then I beheld, and loe, there was shewed to me the likenesse of an humane shape;2 Then I beheld, and loe, a likenesse as the appearance of fire: frō the appearance of his loines even downward fire: and from his loines even upward, as the appearance of brightnesse, as the colour of amber. whose lower parts from the loines downward, were as the colour of fire; and from the loines upward, of a cleare and pleasing brightnesse, like unto amber, to signifie that that God, who is graciously majesticall in himselfe, is terrible in the revenges of his wilfull enemies.

3 And he put forth the forme of an hand, & tooke me by a locke of mine head, and the spirit lift me up betweene the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Ierusalem, to the doore of the inner gate, that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the image of jelousie, which provoketh to jelousie.And from this appearance of an humane shape, there was an hand put forth, which tooke me (as it seemed unto me in this vision) by a locke of the haire of mine head; and (me thought) the Spirit of God, lifted me up betwixt the earth and the heaven, and brought me (not in body, but in vision) to Jerusalem, to the very doore of the Inner gate of the common court; even that gate, which looketh towards the North; where was the shrine of that abhominable idol of Baal set up, which provoked the just jealousie of the Almighty.

4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel, was there according to the vision that I saw in the plaine.And behold, there I saw the same representation of the glory of the God of Israel, which had beene formerly shewed unto me in the vision, which I had by the river of Chebar.

Then said he unto me; Sonne of man, it is too much that thou seest this one shamefull Idol; but thou shalt yet see many more, and besides this open abhomination, thou shalt see hidden, and secret; Dig now in the wall, and when I had (in my vision) digged in the wall, behold, a doore8 Then said hee unto me, Sonne of man, digge now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a doore. seemed to appeare.

11 And there stood before them seventie men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Iaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand, and a thicke cloud of incense went up.And there stood before those Idols, all the Judges and rulers of Israel, which God had appointed to be seventy p. 439in number; and in the midst of them, the president of that senate Jaazaniah, the sonne of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand, in which hee had offered incense to all the abhominable Idols; and thesume thereof went up, as a thicke cloud, for the abundance thereof.

Then said he unto me, Sonne of man, hast thou seene what the ancients of Israel,12 Then said he unto me, Sonne of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel doe in the darke, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not. (who should be good examples of peiety and holinesse to the rest) doe in this secret, retired roome, unseene un-noted; how they heape up gods to themselves, every one according to his owne vaine imagination? For they say; Tush, not onelyonly are we hid from the eyes of men, but even the eyes of the Lord himselfe descry us not, &c.

And behold, there sate women, after the manner of the Aegyptian Idolatry, bewailing the losse of Osiris,14 And behold, there sate women weeping for Tammuz. the husband of their beastly goddesse Isis, whose superstition was joyned with abhominable filthinesse.

And lo, they put forth accursed branches of severall wickednesses to the just provocation of Gods anger unto their owne destruction.17 And loe, they put the branch to their nose.

CAP. IX.

ANd behold,2 And behold, sixe men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the North, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand, and one man among thē was clothed with linnen, with a writers Inke-horn by his side. there appeared sixe men (according to the number of the sixe princiall gates of Jerusalem, in representation of so many destroying Angells,) which came from the way of the North; which lieth towards Chaldea; and every man had a weapon of slaughter in his hand; and there was one amongst them, resembling the Sonne of God, the gratious mediator betwixt God and man, which was clothed with linnen, to signifie his everlasting Priesthood; with a writers inkhorne by his side; for the resemblance of his eternall consignation of his elect, and his carefull marking them out for their preservation, &c.

And the glorious God of Israel;3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. who had wont to have his seate betwixt the Cherubims, which covered the Arke, went up from thence, to show them that hee meant to remove away from Israel; and yet, not all at once, but by degrees, and therefore he removed first only to the threshold of the Temple, &c.

Goe through all the streetes of Jerusalem,4 Goe through the middest of the citie, through the midst of Ierusalem, & set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in middest thereof. and set a note, or marke of distinction upon all those that sigh, and mourne for all the abhominations that are done therein; that those men may be mercifully reserved from the common destruction.

p. 4407 And hee said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slaine, goe yee forth: and they went forth and slew in the citie.And he said unto him; since my house hath beene so shamefully defiled by idolatries, doe not ye spare to defile it, (together with the courts there) with the blood, and the carcasses of the slaine.

And it came to passe, whiles (in this visiō of mine) they were slaying them, and I was left, beholding this slaughter, that I fell upon my face8 And it came to passe while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God. in an humble deprecation of further vengeance, &c.

CAP. X.

1 Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the Cherubims, there appeared over them, as it were a Saphir stone, as the appearance of the likenesse of a throne.THen I looked, and behold; the apearance of my first vision was presented unto me; in the firmament that was above the head of those foure Angells, there appeared the likenesse of a throne made of a bright, and glorious Saphire-stone; to signifie the majesty of God, which over-ruleth, and disposeth of all those heavenly spirits.

Then God Almighty, who sate upon this throne, spake unto that Angell of the Covenant,2 And hee spake unto the man clothed with linnen, and said, Goe in betweene the wheeles, even under the Cherub, and fill thine hand with coales of fire from betweene the Cherubims, and scatter them over the citie. And he went in my sight. who was clothed with linnen, as being so the high Priest of his Church, that he is withall the just Judge of the world; and said unto him; Go thou amongst these Angelicall representations, (who hast most right to dispose of them) and fill thine hand with the coales of Gods vengeance (not from the altars which thy people have polluted, but) from betweene the Cherubims of heaven (who rejoyce to contrive just revenge against wicked men) and scatter them over the citie, that it may bee consumed with the fire thereof.

4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the Cherub, &c.See Chap. 9. verse 3.

7 And one Cherub stretched forth his hand from between the Cherubims, unto the fire that was betweene the Cherubims: and tooke thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linnen, who tooke it, and went out.And one of those foure Angells stretched forth his hand from betweene the other Cherubims, and reaching to that fire, which was ready betweene the Cherubims, tooke thereof, and as an obsequious minister unto Christ the Sonne of God, delivered it into his hand; who, according to the charge given him by God, tooke it, and went out.

9 And when I looked, behold, the foure wheeles by the Cherubims, one wheele by one Cherub, &c. and the appearance of the wheels, was as the colour of a Beril stone. So also verse 10.See chapter 1. verse 16.

p. 451See chapter 1. verse 17.11 When they went, they went upō their foure sides, &c.

And the whole compasse and frame of the wheeles,12 And their whole body, and their backes, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheeles were full of eyes round about, even the wheeles that they foure had. both in the upper, and lower parts thereof, were full of eyes round about; to shew, that however the course and events of things seeme so unstable, and uncertaine, as if all things ranne upon wheeles; and there doe also appear a certaine intricatenesse, and perplexitie in the proceedings thereof, yet that the infinite and most wise providence of God hath fore-seene and fore-ordained all things to his owne holy purposes.

And the voice of God spake to the wheele in my hearing;13 As for the wheeles, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheele. as therein shewing that hee takes perfect notice of the events of things, and both gives and judges their motion.

See chap. 1. verse 10.14 And every one had foure faces, &c.

See chap. 1. verse 12.16 And when the Cherubims went, the wheeles went.

Then the Lord removed the Testimony of his presence from the Temple;18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the Cherubims. and forsooke even the very threshold thereof; and stood on high over these foure Cherubims; as signifying that for the great abhominations of Israel, he had withdrawne himselfe from them.

And these foure Cherubims lifted up their wings,19 And the Cherubims lift up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheeles also were besides them, and every one stood at the doore of the East gate of the Lords house, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. and mounted up frō the earth, where they seemed formerly to stand, to heaven-ward, in my sight; and according to their motion also the wheeles were lifted up; & both the Cherubim, and wheeles stood over the outer-gate of the great court of the Temple; and the glory of the Lord appeared on high above them; to shew, that now hee would no more bee sought of them in that materiall house, but above in heaven.

CAP. XI.

I Was in vision brought to the East gate of the outmost court of the Temple; and behold,1 And brought me unto the East gate of the Lords house, which looketh Eastward: and behold, at the doore of the gate five and twenty men. at the doore of the gate there were five and twenty of the selected rulers of Israel, &c.

Which say; Tush, this threatned destruction is farre enough off; It was an idle word of Jeremiah,3 Which say, It is not neere, let us build houses: this citie is the cauldron, and we be the flesh. that this citie is the cauldron, we the flesh, the Chaldees the fire; p. 452well and long shall we, for all these menaces, enjoy our citie, and our selves.

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Your slaine whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this citie is the cauldron: but I will bring you forth out of the middest of it.Yee that so pleasantly scoffe at the words of my Prophets, know, that yee doe fulfill them too justly; Those men, whom your cruelty hath slaine, and laid in the midst of your city, they are the flesh; and this citie is the cauldron; but for you, I will take order you shall not bee boyled within these your walls; I will cast you out hence, and prepare judgement for you elsewhere.

So also verse 11.

And it came to passe, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah, being a man of great reputation among the people, and a prime ruler in Israel, died; Then as in his death seeing an image the of imminent destruction of the rest, I fell downe upon my face, and said,13 And it came to passe when I prophesied, that Pelatiah, the sonne of Benajah died: then fell I downe upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said. &c.

Never complaine of the taking away of some noted governors of Israel,15 Sonne of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kinred, and all the house of Israel wholly are they, unto whom the inhabitants of Ierusalem have said, Get ye farre from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession. as if the whole Church were in danger of extirpation by their losse; for both these proud and secure inhabitants of Jerusalem, are well worthy of this judgment; and when they are gone, my Church shall continue; for those thy brethren, & kinsfolke, & the rest of Israel which are now in captivitie, are they, in whom my Church shall live, and of whom these insolent inhabitants have said; They are gone farre enough from the Lord; as for us we shall surely continue safe in the land of our possession;

16 Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuarie, in the countries where they shall come.However, I have removed them from my locall and materiall sanctuarie, yet will I be to them in their exile, and captivity, in stead of an other sanctuary; for I will both protect them, and give them gratious testimonies of my presence with them.

19 And I will give them one heart, and will put a new spirit within you: and I will take the stonie heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.And I will give them an holy and happy accordance in my Truth; and will renew a right spirit in you: and will take away that perverse and obstinate disposition, which is naturally in them, to that which is good; and will give them a …endernesse of heart, such as may make them capable … the good impressions of my spirit.

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things, and their abominations, I will recompence their way upon their owne heads, saith the Lord God.But as for those that walke on in their wicked and abhominable idolatries, doing those things which may be pleasing to their false gods, I will requite them according to their deservings, saith the Lord.

23 And the glory of the Lord went up, &c.See chap. 10. verse 18.

p. 453CAP. XII.

THerefore, thou Sonne of man, prepare thee all necessary commodities for a remove, and long exile; and pack up thy fardells by day, in their sight,3 Therefore thou Son of man, prepare the stuffe for removing, and remove by day in their sight. &c.

And, that thy very actions may bee propheticall, Dig thou through the wall in their sight;5 Digge thou through the wall in their sight, and cary out thereby. to fore-shew unto them, that they shall not have a free egresse out of their citie, but shall be glad to seeke all secret evasions to save themselves.

Thou shalt hoodwinke thy selfe, and hide thy face,6 Thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a signe unto the house of Israel. so as that thou see not the ground; to foreshew the great anxetie, and sorrow, wherewith the Jewes shall depart into their captivity, and withall, the excaecation of their King Zedekiah; who shall not behold that Babylonish earth, that he shall tread upon; for I have made and appointed this act of thine to be a presage of their future captivity.

Say, God hath appointed to prefigure,11 Say, I am your signe, like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them. and fore-signifie in me, what he meanes to doe unto you, &c.

I will encompasse,13 My net also will I spread upon him, and hee shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans, yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. and take him by the forces of the Chaldees, as a fish is taken by a net, &c. and I will bring him to Babylon, yet shall he not see the land before him, for his eyes shall be put out by the King of Babylon, there shall he live, and die in a woefull blindnesse.

Those few will I purposely leaue alive,16 But I will leaue a few men of them from the sword, from the famine and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come, and they shall know that I am the Lord. that they may give glory to me, in cōfessing the shamfull abominations of their people, which brought all this fearfull desolation upon them, so as the very heathen may herein justifie me and know me to be the Lord.

Sonne of man, when thou eatest thy meales, doe thou, in thy feeding, expresse a kinde of trembling,18 Son of man, eate thy bread with quaking, and drinke thy water with trembling and with carefulnesse. and quaking; and in thy drinking of water, expresse a frightfulnesse, and amazed suspition of the approach of an enmie.

What meane the Jewes to mocke at thy prophesies, and to say; Tush,22 Sonne of man, what is that proverbe that yee have in the land of Israel, saying; The dayes are prolonged, and every vision faileth? either it will be long ere these things fall out, or never; they are but vaine bugges wherewith the prophets would affright us?

p. 454CAP. XIII.

3 Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their owne spirit, and have seene nothing.WOe unto the foolish prophets that speake of their owne heads, even the fancies of their owne braines, and have had no vision at all, nor no commission from God.

4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.Oh Israel, thy prophets taking advantage of the dispersion of those, which might keep them in order, doe nothing but spoile, and waste thy poore, and miserable remainders; as foxes are wont to spoile those vineyards that lye aloofe off from their owners.

5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel, to stand in the battell in the day of the Lord.Where the wickednes of the people had made breaches in their walls, it had beene your part to have made them up, by wholesome doctrine, and admonition; that so the judgements of God might have beene kept out; but ye have not done so at all; nor used any wholesome preventions of these evils; that so Gods people might have beene able to stand in the face of their enemies, in the day of battle.

9 They shall not bee in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shal they enter into the land of Israel, and yee shall know that I am the Lord God.They shall not be admitted, as prophets, in the assembly of my people; neither shall they be registred in the roll of the house of Israel; neither shall they ever have the favour to returne unto that good land; but shall live and die out-casts from the holy common-wealth of my Church.

10 And one built up a wall, and loe, others daubed it with untempered morter.One laid false grounds of comfort, and the other florished them over with unsound, and plausible pretences.

11 Say unto them which daube it with untempered morter, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower, and ye O great haile stones shall fall, and a stormie winde shall rent it.Say unto them, which lay these false, and tottering grounds, that they shall fall, how faire soever they seem; their false doctrine of peace shall bee beaten downe by that inundation, that storme and tempest of the Chaldees, which shall come in upon them.

18 And say, thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sow pillowes to all armeholes, and make kerchiefes upon the head of every stature to hunt soules: Will yee hunt the soules of my people, and will yee save the soules alive that come unto you?Woe to the false prophetesses also, that speake pleasing and plausible words to all hearers, & fit every mans humour with their flattering divinations, purposely that they may intrap, and beguile miserable soules; Will ye persist thus to beguile and ensnare the silly soules of your followers? and will you take upon you to pronounce sentences of life, and good speed where you please?

20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against your pillowes, wherewith ye there hunt the soules to make them flie, and I will teare them from your armes, and will let the soules goe, &c.I am against those your fraudulent insinuations, and p. 455plausible falseshoods, wherewith ye deceive and betray the soules of men; I will utterly frustrate and shame these your cunning suggestions; and deliver those soules which ye have insnared therewith.

So also verse 2.

Because with lying prophesies ye have made the heart of my faithfull people, sad,22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked. in terrifying them with those evils, which shall not come; and incouraged wicked men, by securing them, against those evils which shall surely fall upon them, &c.

Therefore I will so shame and confound you,23 Therefore yee shall see no more vanitie, nor divine divinations, for I will deliver my people out of your hand, and yee shall know that I am the Lord. that yee shall not dare to broach any more of your lying divinations; and my people, whom ye have hitherto deluded, now being sufficiently assured of your falsehood, shall be delivered from the danger of your deceits.

CAP. XIIII.

SOnne of man,3 Son of man, these men have set up their Idols in their heart, and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquitie before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them. these men have given up their hearts to Idolatry; and have wilfully laid blocks of iniquity before their owne faces, that they may stumble thereat, and fall; contemptuously rejecting my counsels, and ordinances; and is it fit, that such mis-creants should come (as these hypocritically doe) to enquire ought from me?

I the Lord will answere him that commeth;4 I the Lord will answere him that commeth according to the multitude of his Idols. but not as he expecteth, and desireth; rather, according to his deservings, in judgement, and indignation, for those many and abhominable Idolatries whereof he is guilty.

That I may convince the house of Israel in their owne hearts,5 That I may take the house of Israel in their owne heart. of their foule impiety, and abominable wickednesse, &c.

I will oppose my selfe against that man,8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a signe and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people. 8 nflict sensible judgements upon him; and will make him a fearefull example of my just revenge, in every mans mouth, &c.

And if the Prophet be deceived, when he hath spoken a thing,9 And if the Prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing; I the Lord have deceived that Prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him. I the Lord in my just judgement have given up that Prophet to deceit, for a punishment both of his owne sin, and of the notorious wickednesse of the people, and I will accordingly stretch out my hand against him, in executing my vengeance upon him, &c.

And the people also, which trusted to the counsels, and predictions of those false prophets, shall bee duely punished for their iniquity,10 And they shall beare the punishment of their iniquity. &c.

p. 45613 Will breake the staffe of bread, &c.See Leviticus 26.26.

14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, & Iob were in it, they should deliver but their owne soules, by their righteousnes saith the Lord God.Though there were men never so gracious with mee, amongst you; even Noah, whom I saved from the deluge; Daniel, whom I saved from the common slaughter of the Chaldean-wise-men, (and after from the Lyons;) Job, whom I delivered from those extreme sufferings, under the hand of Satan, and whose intercession I accepted for his friends; yet, they should no otherwise prevaile with me, but for the preserving and rescue of their owne lives, by their righteousnesse, saith the Lord.

Yet behold, all shall not be thus destroyed; but there shall be left a remnant, that shall be brought forth into captivity, in your sight; behold they shall bee brought forth unto you; and ye shall well see their waies, and doings to have been so abominable, as that yee shall willingly justifie my proceedings against them, in all the evill, that I have brought upon Jerusalem.22 Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both Sonnes and Daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way, and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evill that I have brought upon Ierusalem.

So also verse 23.

CAP. XV.

1, 2, 3, 4. Sonne of man, what is the vine tree more then any tree, or then a branch which is among the trees of the forrest? shall wood be taken thereof to doe any worke; or wil men take a pin of it, to hang any vessell thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel.THe vine is a noble plant, in respect of the fruit it bears, but in regard of the wood thereof, no shrub is so meane; it is so farre from yielding boards, or timber, as that there cannot so much as a pin be made of it, to hang ought thereon; Loe such is Israel, if it bore good fruit, it would be deare and precious to me; but, in it selfe, it is but meane, and base, in comparison of other nations, and that which is unfit for any service; It is only meet to bee cast into the fire for fuell, &c.

CAP. XVI.

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Ierusalem, Thy birth, & thy nativitie is of the land of Canaan, thy father was an Amorite, & thy mother an Hittite.NEver brag of thy descent from Abraham; no, thou hast so utterly degenerated from the faith, and obedience of that holy Patriark, that thou hast justly forfaited all thy claime of him; rather thy birth, and thy nativity may, and must be derived from those Canaanites, into whose corrupt manners thou art declined; and so art thou incorporated into their wicked corruptions, as if thy father were an Amorite, thy mother an Hittite, neither p. 457of them of the chosen and holy seed.

And in how miserable a condition I found thee,4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast borne, thy navell was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee, thou wast not salted at all, nor swadled at all. all the world knoweth; even utterly languishing under the Aegyptian servitude, so as thy case was no lesse desperate then that a new borne child, whose navell is not cut, and, to whom the mid-wife performeth not those offices, which are necessary for the first entrance, and intertainement in the world.

No eye pittyed thee,5 None eye pittied thee, to doe any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast borne. or was inclined to shew thee any mercy, or doe thee any favour at all; yea rather thou wert hated and despised by thine hosts, and neighbours of Aegypt; and wert left forlorne to the cruelty, & scorn, and intolerable oppression of those thy tyrannicall persecutors.

And when looking downe from heaven,6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live, yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. I saw thee in this wofull, and loathsome plight; given up by the world, as lost, I then tooke compassion on thee, and even then, in thine utmost extremity determined thy preservation, and said, yet Israel shall live.

I have so blessed thee, that thou not only injoyest life,7 And thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments, thy breasts are fashioned, and thine haire is growne, whereas thou wast naked and bare. but, withall, art plentifully stored with those favors, and benefits, which serve for pleasure, and ornament; and thou art now grown to a great perfection, of knowledge and profession; whereas before thou wert utterly destitute of all good things.

And now,8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold the time was the time of love, & I spread my skirt over thee. when thou wert thus beautified by my graces and favours, I began to cast my affections upon thee, as that Church, whom I would espouse to my selfe; and immediately, professed my selfe to be thy spirituall husband; contracting my selfe unto thee by a firme covenant, mutually passed betwixt us; and thou becamest my peculiar people.

Then I sanctified thee from thy naturall corruptions;9 Then washed I thee with water, yea I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I annointed thee with oyle. and cleansed thee from thy sins, and gave thee the annointing of my spirit.

And decked thee with all those varieties of graces,10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers skin, and I girded thee about with fine linnen, and covered, &c. and vertues, which I plentifully communicated unto thee.

So also verse 11.12. and part of the 13.

I did not only make outward provisions for thee,13 Thou didst eate fine flower, and honie, and oile, and thou wast exceeding beautifull, and thou didst prosper into a Kingdome. but I fed thee also spiritually with those heavenly delicates of my Sacraments; and thou wert become glorious, and p. 458beautifull, in the eyes of the world; and now, of an obscure, and despised handfull, wert growne up into a Kingdome.

15 But thou didst trust in thine owne beautie, and playedst the harlot, because of thy renowne, and powredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.And now, being thus favoured, and graced by me, thou grewest proud of thine owne worth; and forgatest mee, and gavest thy selfe over to all uncleanesse; and now being sought to as some famous curtizan, thou hast yeelded over thy selfe to the spirituall fornications of all the nations round about thee.

16 And of thy garments thou didst take, & deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and plaidst the harlot thereupon; the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.And thou hast abused my graces unto wantonnnesse; those ornaments of wit, of strength, of wealth, which I had bestowed upon thee, thou hast turned to the countenancing, and furtherance of grosse Idolatries.

So also verse 17. and 18. and 19. &c.

25 And hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredomes.Thou hast communicated in Idolatry, with every nation, that hath had any intercourse with thee.

26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Aegyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh, & hast increased thy whoredomes to provoke me to anger.Thou hast both renued leagues, and interchanged Idolatries, with the Aegyptians, which are noted for monstrous in this impiety; and hast increased thy spirituall whoredomes above measure.

The like wickednesse hast thou also committed with the Assyrians,28 Thou hast plaid the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable. as if thy lust after Idols were utterly unsatiable, &c.

So also verse 29.

30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou dost all these things, the worke of an imperious whorish woman?How hast thou even spent, and exhausted thy selfe with this odious filthinesse, saith the Lord; as some notorious and most infamous strumpet.

I will put thee to shame and confusion before the faces of those which consorted with thee,37 And will discover thy nakednesse unto them, that they, &c. in thine Idolatries.

41 And I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.I will so judge thee, that thou shalt be disabled frō any further commission of this spirituall whoredome; and shalt be stripped of any power to give the hire of fornication, to thy mercenary lovers.

42 So will I make my fury towards thee to rest, and my jealousie shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angrie.So will I abundantly satisfie my selfe with that revenge which I shall take of thee; as that my fury and jealousie shall be at an end, as having no further object to worke upon.

Because thou hast not remembred, both the favours that I did thee,43 Because thou hast not remēbred the daies of thy youth, but hast fretted mee in all these things; behold therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, &c. and the covenants that thou madest with me, in my youth; but hast provoked me in all these things; I will bring thy deserved judgements upon thee; and will make thee sure enough from adding this leudnesse p. 459to thine other abominations.

Thy notorious sins shall be the ordinary by-word,44 Behold, every one that useth proverbs, shall use this proverbe against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. and table-talke of the world, who shall say, As is the mother Canaan, so is the daughter Judah.

Thou art just thy mothers daughter,45 Thou art thy mothers daughter, that loatheth her husband, and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which loathed their husbands, and their children, your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. like her in wickednesse, and sinne; as she, so thou, hast cast off thy God, and hatest all those that pertaine unto him, & the whole family of you, is all of one and the same straine; thy sister is of no other disposition; your mother (in respect of your manners and condition) was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

And thine elder sister, is Samaria,46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, shee and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy yonger sister that dwelleth at thy right hand is Sodome, and her daughters. or the Ten Tribes of Israel, she, and those her daughter cities, that lie to the North, and thy yonger sister that dwels to the Southward, is Sodome, and the cities appertaining to her.

Yet thou hast not contented thy selfe to doe after the example of their abominations, but, &c.47 Yet hast thou not walked after their waies, nor done after their abominations.

Behold,49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodome, pride, fulnesse of bread, and abundance of idlenesse. these were the most eminent sins of thy sister Sodome, even pride, excesse of diet, extreme idlenesse and security; and want of respect and mercy to the poore and needy, &c.

Thou hast made thy sisters wickednesses to appeare small in comparison of thine.51 And hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.

Thou which hast passed thy sentence upon the foule sins of Sodome, and Samaria,52 Thou also which hast judged thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable then they. now make account to undergoe the shame, and judgement, which thy owne greater and more abominable sins have deserved, &c.

And if the captivity of Sodome, and that of Samaria,53 When I shall bring againe their captivitie, the captivitie of Sodome and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria, and her daughters; then will I bring againe the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them. and the townes round about them both, shall be ever reversed; then looke that thine also, O Judah, shall be so; but as there is no possibility in their returne, so there is none in thine.

Thou never thoughtst of the judgement,56 For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride. which I brought upon thy sister Sodome, in raining fire and p. 460brimstone upon their heads; whiles thou wert transported with thy security, and pride.

57 Before thy wickednesse was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistims which despise thee round about.Before that God, by his inflicted judgements, brought forth thy wickednes to the notice of the world; and before he made thee a reproach to the Syrians, and their neighbouring nations, and to the Philistims, and the people adjoyning; all which have despitefully insulted upon thee.

Then shalt thou bethinke thy selfe, and recall to remembrance those wicked wayes wherin thou hast walked,61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger, and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. and be ashamed; when thou shalt also adjoyne unto thee, the Gentiles, as partners of thy happy conversion; whom thou shalt be a meanes to bring home into my Church; but not by vertue of any covenant of thine, but of my owne, which is the new Covenant that I shall make with my chosen under the Gospell.

63 That thou maiest remember, and bee confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame.That thou maiest remember thy old wickednesses, and be soundly humbled under the sense of them, and not have a word to say for thy selfe; because of the shame of thy former vilenesse, &c.

CAP. XVII.

NEbuchadnezer the King of Babylon is a great Eagle; his long wings, and many feathers are his severall dominions; Whose divers colours, are the rites, and various formes of government, in those sundry nations; he came into Judea, where Lebanon is renowned and conspicuous; and tooke away King Jechoniah, the highest branch of the Cedars there.3 And say, thus saith the Lord God, A great Eagle with great wings, long winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and tooke the highest branch of the Cedar.

4 He cropt off the top of his young twigges; and caried it into a land of trafficke, he set it in a citie of Merchants.He cropt off the top of his young twigs, all their prime nobilitie and able souldiery, and caried them into captivitie, and set them in Babylon.

5 He tooke also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitfull field, he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.He tooke also of the seed royall, even Zedechiah, and planted him in the fruitfull land of Judea; where he had store of meanes to have lived, and flourished.

6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the rootes thereof were under him; so it became a vine, &c.And he grew up, and prospered exceedingly, and became a great, and wealthy Prince; howsoever tributary to Babylon; both his family and his power were greatly inlarged.

7 There was also another great Eagle with great wings, and many feathers; and behold, this vine did bend her rootes towards him, & shotforth her branches towards him, that hee might water it by the furrowes of her plantation.There was also another great King, of ample dominions, p. 461and mighty power; even the King of Aegypt, and behold, Zedechiah thus set up by Nebuchadnezer, yet did unthankfully incline unto, and relie upon that King of Aegypt, to bee supported by him in his revolt.

He was (if he could have kept him so) well planted in his owne soile, which was rich and plentifull, &c.8 It was planted in a goodly soile, by great waters, that it might bring forth branches.

Thus saith the Lord; shall this man prosper in his trechery, and ingratitude? No, that great Monarch,9 Say thou, thus saith the Lord God, Shall it prosper, shall hee not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof that it wither? from whom he is revolted, shall take just revenge on him; and shall utterly defeat, and root him out, &c.

So also verse 10.

Thus saith the Lord, I will, at the last, worke out the delivery and redemption of my people;22 Thus saith the Lord God, I will also take off the highest branch of the high Cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twiggs a tender one, &c. out of the seed of David, will I raise up the Messiah, and set him on high in mine holy Church.

Even in my glorious Evangelicall Church, will I exalt his power; and he shall spread my Gospell,23 In the mountaine of the height of Israel will I plant it, and it shall bring forth boughes, and beare fruit, and be a goodly Cedar, and under it shall dwell all fowle of every wing, in the shadow, &c. and inlarge his spirituall dominions all the world over; and all his elect shall shroud themselves under his grace, and protection, &c.

And all the people of the earth shall know, that I have brought downe the proud and mighty Tyrans of the world, and have exalted this meeke,24 And all the trees of the field shall know, that I the Lord have brought downe the high tree, have exalted the low tree; have dried up the greene tree, and have made the drie tree to flourish; the Lord have spoken, and have done it. and despised Saviour of mankind above every name, that is named in heaven, and in earth.

CAP. XVIII.

See Ier. 31. verse 29.2 The fathers have eaten soure grapes, &c.

YEe have no reason to murmur against me, as either partiall, or rigorous; for,4 Behold, all soules are mine, as the soule of the father, so also the soule of the sonne is mine; the soule that sinneth, it shall die. are not all soules the worke of my creation; one as well as another? and hath not every workeman a will to wish well to his owne handiworke: were it not therefore for sinne, no soule should die.

But if a man doe sincerely apply himselfe to the keeping of Gods Law,5 But if a man bee just, and doe that which is lawfull and right. and carefully endeavor to doe that p. 462which is just and right.

6 And hath not eaten upon the mountaines, neither hath lift up his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbours wife, neither hath come neere to a menstruous woman.And hath not given way to superstitious, and idolatrous sacrifices, neither hath given any worship to the idols of Israel; nor hath suffered himselfe to be defiled with Adultery, nor hath beene polluted with that legall uncleannesse of unseasonable copulation, with a woman set apart for her disease.

He that hath not given forth his money upon usury, neither hath upon any pretence,8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase. taken increase from the hands of the borrower, &c.

10 If he beget a sonne that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doth the like to any of these things:If now this upright man, beget a son that is a robber, or a murderer, or is guilty of any other notorious violation of Gods Law:

And doth not set himselfe to doe any of the holy duties required,11 And that doth not any of these duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountaines, and defiled his neighbours wife; but yeeldeth to idolatrous practices, and to adulteries, and other uncleannesses;

Shall that sonne, because he is descended of holy and good parents,13 Shall he then live? he shall not live. live, and have the blessings of a comfortable life continued unto him? No; he shall not live, &c.

14 Now lo, if he beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which hee hath done, and considereth, and doth not such like.Now if this degenerated and wicked man beget a son, that seeth, these sinnes of his father, and, upon due consideration, avoideth, and abhorreth all his evill wayes.

No soule shall be adjudged to death for any sinne, but his owne;20 The soule that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not beare the iniquitie of the father, neither shall the father beare the iniquitie of the sonne; the righteousnesse of the righteous shall bee upon him, and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon him. that universall contagion of our first parents sinne, hath spread it selfe over every soule; and by our proprietie therein, hath made us liable to death; but in our personall derivation from our following parents, there can be no guilt of death to any man; the sonne shall not be condemned to death, for the sin of the father, &c. But he that doth righteously, shall speed well with God, and be graciously accepted; he that doth evill, shall receive according to the wickednesse he hath committed.

If that man who hath beene formerly wicked, shall now prove truly penitent,21 But if the wicked will turne from all his sins that he hath committed, and keepe all my Statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, hee shall not die. and turne from all his sinnes, and hereafter live holily, and conscionably in this present world, he shall surely live, and not die.

So verse 22.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God, & not that he should returne from his wayes and live.Is it any pleasure to me that men should be wicked, or that those which are now wicked men, should die everlastingly, saith the Lord God? Is it not rather my desire, that men should repent, and that the repentant should p. 463live; is not this the very sum of my Gospell, which I send into the world? Doe not I call, and cry and sue to men that they would returne from their sinnes, and be saved.

But when that man who hath, all the while,24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse, and committeth iniquitie, and doth according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shal, he live? all his righteousnesse that he hath done, shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that trespassed, & in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. caried himselfe righteously, and unreproveably, shall now (as being weary of his holy courses) turne away from his upright disposition and conversation, and give himselfe over to all those abhominations, which wicked men commit, shall that man, (by vertue of his former inoffensive cariage) live? No, all his formerly professed righteousnesse shall be forgotten, and q…te unregarded; and he shall be dealt with according to the present condition of his sinne.

So also verse 26.

CAP. XIX.

WHat is Judea thy mother,2 And say, What is thy mother, a lionesse: she lay downe among lions, shee nourished her whelps among young lions. even the whole land wherein thou dwellest? she is no better then a fierce, and cruell lionesse; she consorted with other mercilesse, and cruell nations; and framed her selfe, and her people accordingly.

She brought forth one amongst the rest,3 And she brought up one of her whelpes, it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey, it devoured men. noted for a lyon-like disposition, even Jehoahaz the sonne of good Josiah, who tyrannized for a time over his people.

In so much, as the neighbour nations heard the same of his mis-government, and set upon him and tooke him violently away; and brought him captive in chaines unto Aegypt.4 The nations also heard of him, hee was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chaines, unto the land of Aegypt.

Then,5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she tooke another of her whelpes, and made him a young lion. when shee saw her selfe disappointed of the hope of his successe, she set up another of the seed royall by the allowance of Pharaoh Necho; even Jehoiakim, the sonne of Josiah.

And he ruled fiercely,6 And he went up and downe among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. and wickedly amongst his people; and followed those courses of oppression, and violence, which his brother had led him to.

And he usurped, and tooke to himselfe their widdowed palaces, and laid waste their populous cities,7 And hee knew their desolate palaces, and hee laid waste their cities, and the land was desolate, and the fulnesse thereof by the noise of his roaring. through his cruell extortions; yea he made the whole land desolate, and by his unmercifull exactions, and cruell menaces, exhausted the fulnesse thereof.

Then the nations being moved with his insolency,8 Thē the nations sent the against him on every side from the Provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. set p. 464against him on every side, and both by force and policy, surprized him; and he was captived by them.

10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters, she was fruitfull, and full of branches by the reason of many waters.Thy mother is like a vine in the time of her first peaceable plantation; set in a moist and fruitfull soyle, and thereupon yeelded abundance of branches, and those branches, abundance of grapes.

11 And she had strong rods for the Scepters of them that beare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height by the multitude of her branches.And she brought forth many, and potent Princes, which bore rule over my people, and she grew populous and mighty; famous and renowned amongst the nations about her.

But now, through her unanswerablenesse to Gods proceedings with her, and to her own good beginnings, she is justly plucked up in fury,12 But she was plucked up in furie: she was cast downe to the ground, and the East wind dried up her fruit, her strong rods were broken and withered, the fire consumed them. and cast down to the ground, and dried up, and withered, with the severe judgements of the Almightie; Her Princes, and all those of her blood royall are consumed, and utterly rooted out.

And now, she is caried away (in a woefull captivitie) to be planted in the barren wildernesse13 And now shee is planted in the wildernesse. of Babylon, &c.

14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that shee hath no strong rod to bee a scepter to rule: this is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.And a destruction is risen from among themselves, even from the trecherie of Zedekiah, which hath utterly consumed the remainders of her hopes; so that now, there is no more likelihood of any of the royall blood to be exalted to her government, &c.

CAP. XX.

WIlt thou any more denounce, & inculcate my despised judgements unto them? Or, wilt thou plead with me for them, any more? No; rather lay before them the abhominations of their fathers;4 Wilt thou Iudge them, Sonne of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers. and so leave them to their deserved punishments.

5 When I lifted up my hand, unto the seed of the house of Iacob, &c.When I solemnly swore by my selfe for the confirmation of that covenant, which I made with the seed of Jacob, &c.

7 Cast yee away every man the abhominations of his eyes, &c.Cast ye away, every one of you, those abhominable Idols, which your eyes have seene, and affected.

Moreover also, I gave them my Sabbaths, to bee a signe betweene me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them.Moreover also, as I gave them (together with the rest) a royall law which was written in the very heart of man, so I did peculiarly give them my Sabbaths, as a speciall cognisance of my people; wherby they might be knowne p. 465to be severed from all others; and might have this bond of sanctifying my name, above all other nations.

Wherefore I did, in my just judgement,25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgements wherby they shold not live. give them up to their owne inventions, so as they made to themselves wicked lawes, and perverted their wayes before me.

And I yeelded them over to a pollution with their owne gifts, and oblations;26 And I polluted them in their owne gifts, in that they caused to passe through the fire all that openeth the wombe. so as in those things wherein they vainely hoped, and pretended to please me, they foully defiled themselves; namely in their superstitious and Idolatrous lustrations; wherewith they wickedly thought to consecrate the fruit of their wombe, &c.

Yet in this,27 Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespasse against mee. your fathers have shamefully reproched me, in that being so gratiously dealt with, by me, yet they demeaned themselves wickedly, and rebelliously against me.

For,28 For when I had brought thē into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thicke trees, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. when I had brought them into the land of Canaan, which I had promised, and swore to give unto them, they cast their eyes upon those hills, and groves, wherein the heathen had wont to offer their Idolatrous sacrifices; and there, contrary to my commandement, they made their sinfull oblations, to provoke mee to wrath against them, &c.

Notwithstanding that I disswaded them for these Idolatrous courses; and sharply reproved them;29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye goe? expostulating with them, the vanitie & wickednes of these services of theirs; what meane you thus to frequent your forbidden altars? Doe you not know that I have confined my worship to one place? Why will yee thus wilfully transgresse my law? &c.

And I will bring you into the desert land of your captivity under the heathen;35 And I will bring you into the wildernesse of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. and there will I argue this case with you; laying before you those offences, wherewith you hauehave justly provoked me.

I will cause you to passe under the rod,37 And I will cause you to passe under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant. both of my correction, and my guidance; and will recall you to the memory, and recognition of that bond of mutuall covenant, which hath beene made betwixt us.

As for you, O ye house of Israel, thus saith the Lord; I will have none of your halfe-services; never hope to divide betwixt me, and your idols; since yee will not bee wholly mine; Goe ye, serve yee every one his Idols,39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, goe ye, serve ye every one his Idols. &c.

But for you,40 For in mine holy mountaine, in the mountaine of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land serve me, there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the, &c. that are the true spirituall seed of faithfull Israel, ye shall all serve me in mine holy Church, and I will both expect, and gratiously accept of those services, and devotions, which ye shall offer unto me.

p. 466So also verse 14. and 42.

46 Sonne of man, set thy face toward the South, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophesie against the forrest of the South field.Sone of man, turne thy face toward Jerusalem, which lieth south-ward from the land where thou art, and utter thy words towards that coast; and prophesie against the sinfull land of Israel, which hath beene as some wild forrest in those Southerne parts.

47 And say to the forrest of the south, Heare the word of the Lord: thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devoure every greene tree in thee, & every dry tree.And say to the land of Israel; Heare the word of the Lord, &c. I will bring a grievous destruction upon thee, by the hand of thy mercilesse enemies, which like a furirious, and unquenchable fire shall utterly consume thee, &c.

So verse 48.

49 Then said I, Ah Lord God, they say of me, doth he not speake parables?Then said I, Ah Lord God, this perverse people are apt to take exceptions against mee; and now they quarrell me for the obscurity of my prophesies; and say, This man speakes riddles, and parables, we know not what he meanes.

CAP. XXI.

LOe then, without all parables, I say unto thee plainly; O thou sonne of man set thy face towards Jerusalem,2 Sonne of man set thy face toward Ierusalem. &c.

I will make no spare at all; but will sweep away every living man in the common destruction; even the righteous, and the wicked;4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. the righteous will I remove to their advantage and glory, the wicked to their utter confusion, &c.

5 That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawne forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not returne any more.That all flesh may know, it is my judgement, that is thus severely, and unpartially executed upon Israel.

Sigh thou therefore, O thou sonne of man, sigh so deepely,6 Sigh therefore thou sonne of man with the breking of thy loines, and with bitternes sigh before their eyes. and strongly, as to breake thy girdle from thy loines, and by this sighing of thine, intimate unto them that great sorrow which is comming upon them.

This sharp sword is not for correction, or for the pruning of superfluities, which I am wont to practise upon my beloved children;10 It contemneth the rod of my sonne, as every tree. but for an utter excision both of stock, and branches; and will leave no way, either for the amendment, or for the being of any in Israel.

13 Because it is a triall, and what if the sword contemne even the rod, it shall be no more, saith the Lord God.Because it shall be a fiery triall indeed; And what if this sword scorne to rest in an affliction onelyonly of my people; but shall at once cut them off, that they shall be no p. 467more? Surely thus it shall doe, saith the Lord God.

See chapter 16. verse 42.17 I will cause my fury to rest.

Describe thou in a table, a draught of two waies,19 Also thou sonne of man, appoint thee two waies, that the sword of the King of Babylon may come, both twaine shall come forth out of one land; and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city. by which the sword of the King of Babylon may come; Let the wayes runne on together, as comming from one place; and then, when they come to the parting of them,

Let one way lead to Rabbah the city of the Ammonites, and another to Jerusalem the chiefe and defenced city of Judah.20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Iudah in Ierusalem the defenced.

For the King of Babylon shall stand at the parting of two waies, and, being in a doubt whether way to take,21 For the King of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two waies, to use divination. shall use divinations for his direction, &c.

The sorcerers, and soothsayers shall agree upon his assaulting of Jerusalem;22 At his right hand was the divination for Ierusalem, to appoint captaines, to open the mouth in the slaughter. and shall thereupon give him advice, to prepare for that siege, to attempt the sacking, and destruction thereof with all courage and violence, &c.

But this prophesie of thine shall seeme to them as a false prediction, even to them,23 And it shall bee unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworne oathes; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken. which have dared to sweare the certainty of the contrary successe; But this great enemie will reckon with them, for all their former iniquity, and they shal be surprised with judgement.

And thou, O prophane and wicked Prince of Israel,25 And thou prophane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end. Zedekiah, whose time of just punishment is now comne, wherein thine iniquity shall be called to a full account, and dispatch.

Thus saith the Lord;26 Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the Crowne: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. Take away the Kingdome from that treacherous Prince; he shall not rule any more; let Jechoniah, who is now unregarded, be exalted; and let Zedekiah, who is now advanced, be brought low.

I will utterly overturne, for ever,27 I will overturne, overturne, overturne it, and it shall be no more untill he come, whose right it is, & I will give it him. this Kingdome of Iudah and Israel; and it shall never be erected any more, untill the Messiah come whose right it is, and to him wil I spiritually give it.

Thus saith the Lord concerning the Ammonites,28 And thou sonne of man, prophesie, and say, Thus saith the Lord God, concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach. and that their reproach, which they have beene ever apt to p. 468cast upon my people; even thus say, Even for you, O ye children of Ammon, is the sword also prepared, &c.

29 Whiles they see vanitie unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the neckes of them that are slaine of the wicked whose day is come, when their, &c.Whiles thy wisards feed thee with false predictions, to stirre thee up against those already miserable and distressed Israelites, against those wicked revolters from me, whose judgement is now to be fully accomplished.

30 Shall I cause it to returne into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created in the land of thy nativitie.Shall I cause that slaughter of thine to cease? No; I will inflict this vengeance upon thee, in thy very home, in the place where thou wert borne, and bred.

31 And I will powre out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath.I will come against thee like a mighty, and terrible tempest, in the fierce fury of my wrath, &c.

CAP. XXII.

2 Wilt thou judge, wilt thou judg the bloody city?See chapter 20. verse 4.

9 In thee they eate upon the mountaines.IN the midst of thee, there are those that offer idolatrous sacrifices to their false Gods, in their high places.

10 In thee have they discovered their fathers nakednesse; in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.Amongst thy people there are those, who have committed filthinesse with their owne parents; and have lien with those women, which have been separated for their legall, or naturall uncleanenesses.

18 Sonne of man, the house of Israel is to me become drosse, all they are brasse and tin, and yron and lead in the midst of the furnace; they are even the drosse of silver.Sonne of man, the house of Israel was to mee as the most precious mettall, but now, it is shamefully degenerated into drosse; and the best of them is either extreamly imbased with their sins, or else become nothing but mere offall, and corruption.

19. 20. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because yee are all become drosse, behold therefore I will gather you into the midst of Ierusalem.Behold therefore (saith the Lord) Because ye are thus depraved, I will deale with you accordingly; I will gather you all up, as into one fornace, which shall be Jerusalem; and there I will send the fire of my judgement upon you, and consume you.

So verse 21. and 22.

24 Sonne of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.Thou art a land notoriously uncleane with thine abominable sins, and therefore shalt be seized upon by my judgements, without mitigation; when my fire shall flame up to consume thee, there shall not be so much as p. 469a showre of raine to fall upon thee, for the quenching thereof.

Their prophets have soothed them up in their sinnes,28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them. and, in a base flattery, have spoken plausible tidings to them, no lesse false then pleasing, &c.

I sought for some faithful and innocent man amongst them, that might stand up,30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, &c. and intercede with mee fo… the removall, or protraction of my judgements, &c.

CAP. XXIII.

SOnne of man, Israel, and Judah, which were in their originall but one people, now, since their division, were and are two daughters of one, and the same mother.2 Sonne of man, there were two women the daughters of one mother.

They began to learne and practise Idolatries in the land of Aegypt;3 And they committed whoredomes in Aegypt, they committed whoredomes in their youth, there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. even from their first entrance into the calling of my people; there and then, were they corrupted with the grosse superstitions of the heathen.

Both of these divided people, had their names from a Tent, or Tabernacle; Israel,4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister, and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters; thus were their names Samaria is Aholah, and Ierusalem Aholibah. or the ten tribes (which is the greater part) is Aholah, his owne Tabernacle; which she would needs erect, according to her owne device, to draw away clients from my Temple; Iudah is Aholibah my Tent, or Tabernacle, fixed in her; because of the place of my worship, setled there; and both of these have their denominations from the two chiefe cities in them, Samaria, the chiefe city of Israel, is Aholah; and Ierusalem, the chiefe city of Iudah, is Aholibah.

And Israel (which is Aholah) plaid the spirituall harlot, whiles she professed to be mine; and was miscarried into grosse Idolatry, by the Assyrians her neighbours.5 And Aholah plaid the harlot when she was mine, and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours.

Which were rich and proudly set forth;6 Which were clothed with blue, Captaines and rulers, all of them desirable yong men, horsemen riding upon horses. men of great account, both for their wealth, and power, and valour.

Neither yet did she give over those superstitions,8 Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Aegypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and powred their whoredome upon her. which she brought with her, out of Aegypt; for, in her first beginnings they corrupted her with their Idolatrous services; and infected her with their abominations.

And she became a noted, and remarkable example of Gods judgements amongst the nations.10 She became famous among women.

p. 47011 And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love then she, and in her whoredomes more then her sister in her whordomes.And when Judah and Jerusalem saw this; in stead of being warned by her sister Israel, she drew her wicked practises into example; and became more leud, and idolatrous then shee.

12 She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, Captaines and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding, &c.She also fell into a sinfull league with the Assyrians, and into love of their Idolatries; being besotted with the admiration of their wealth, and power, and bravery.

14 For when shee saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the Images of the Chaldeās pourtrayed with vermilion.For when she did but see the pictures of the Chaldeans set forth in lively colours, by the hand of the painter, ere she was acquainted with their persons;

15 Girded with girdles upon their loines, exceeding in dyed attyre upon their heads, al of them princes to looke to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativitie.She did no sooner see their habit, and gorgeous attire (wherein they were set forth like so many Princes, to grace them in the eyes of the beholders) according to the proud fashions of the Babylonians of Chaldea, where they were borne, and bred;

But presently, upon the first sight (like a wanton strumpet) she fell into extreme love with them,16 And assoone as shee saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. and dotage upon them; in such sort, that she could not bee at rest till she had sent ambassadors into Chaldea to treat of a league with them.

17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredome, and she was polluted with them, and her minde was alienated from them.And those Babylonians easily condescended to the motion, and entred into termes of friendship with her, and by this meanes had oportunity to infect her with their foule Idolatries.

20 For she doted upon their paramours whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.For she was besotted with a lust after their spirituall whoredomes; who were most notoriously Idolatrous; even above the common ranke of the other heathen.

21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the leudnesse of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Aegyptians, for the paps of thy youth.Thus, thou didst revive, and recall the leud abominations of thy first times; when the Aegyptians defiled thee with their wicked Idolatry.

22 Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy minde is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side.Behold, I will stirre up against thee those nations, upon whom thou wert so fond, to beleague thy selfe with them; with whom thou art now falne out, and art at deadly defiance; and I will bring them to invade thee on every side.

p. 471They shall set upon thee the markes of thine adultery; they shall slitt thy nose, and thine eares, for an harlot; and those that shall escape the shamefull reproaches of their whoredome, shall fall by the sword,25 They shall take away thy nose and thine eares; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. &c.

They shall strip thee of all thine ornaments;26 They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy faire jewels and carry away all that wealth, wherein thou hast prided thy selfe.

Thus will I make thee past the danger of committing leudnesse against me, any more,27 Thus will I make thy leudnes to cease from thee, & thy whoredome brought from the land of Aegypt. and of renuing thine old Aegyptian Idolatries, &c.

I will make thee take deepe of those grievous judgements, which thy sister Israel hath tasted of.31 Therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.

So also verse 32.33.34.

See Isaiah 51. verse 17.34 Thou shalt even drinke it, and suck it out.

And how madly discontented soever thou shalt bee with this judgement,34 And thou shalt break the sheards thereof, and pluck off thine owne brests. yet shalt thou not be able to put it off; but shalt rather, in thine indignation, teare thine owne breasts, &c.

And furthermore,And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent, and loe they came for whom thou didst wash thy selfe, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thy selfe with ornaments. that like a petulant harlot inflamed with lust, thou hast sent thy pandar-like messengers afarre off, to fetch thine Idolatrous paramours unto thee; for whose leud intertainment thou didst make all kinde of lascivious preparation, addressing thy selfe to worke this spirituall wickednesse with them.

So also verse 41.

Yea,42 And a voice of a multitude being at ease, was with her, and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wildernesse, &c. not only these choise Idolaters were sought unto, but even the common rabble of all the most debaucht heathens, were brought unto thee, for the imployment of thy spirituall filthinesse; even base drunkards, from the most despised corners of the wildernesse; which set out themselves with those ornaments which their savage condition would afford.

Then said I,43 Then I said unto her that was old in adulteries; Will they now commit whoredomes with her, and she with them? this people of Iudah is now growne old in her spirituall adulteries; It is more then time for her to leave off these sinfull courses; and will shee yet continue her whorish Idolatries with other nations, and they with her?

Yet, I saw no end of those her odious fornications;44 Yet they went in unto her, as they goe in unto a woman that playeth the harlot; so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah the leud woman. but she persisteth in her abominable uncleannesses; the nations round about her, consort with her in her Idolatries; Thus they do with Israel and Iudah, without feare or shame.

p. 47245 Because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.Because they are guilty both of Idolatries, and murders in a very shamfull measure; in that they have shed the blood of their children, in sacrifices to their false gods.

49 And ye shall beare the sinnes of your Idols.And ye shall beare the punishment of your odious idolatry.

CAP. XXIIII.

3 Thus saith the Lord, set on a pot, set it on, and also poure water into it.THus saith the Lord God; I have appointed thy very actions to be significant, and propheticall; set on a pot therefore, &c.

6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the bloody citie, to the pot whose scumme is therein, and whose scumme is not gone out of it, bring it out peece by peece, let no lot fall upon it.Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, Jerusalem that bloody citie is that boyling pot; whose scumme is in it, for that it is not purged from those foule sinnes, wherewith it aboundeth; The fire under it, is the extreme calamity which it shall suffer; The flesh and bones which are in it, are those Jewes which have fled thither for safety, and defence; they shall be boyled therein, through the great misery they shall indure; put thou in thine hooke, and bring out the flesh, and bone, peece-meale, where soever it lights, without any choice, or deliberation, to shew that every one of them shall be fetcht out thence, without difference.

7 For her blood is in the middest of her, she set it upon the top of a Rocke, she poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust.For the blood which she hath shed, is conspicuous, even in the very midst of her; as if it had beene spilt upon some high eminent rocke, where it could not bee hid, nor soked in; she did not poure it upon the ground, that it should be couered with the dust, and so unseene.

So verse 8.

9 I will make the pile for fire, great.I will greatly aggravate her judgements.

10 Heape on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burnt.See that full and exquisite vengeance be executed upon all the inhabitants of that wicked city.

So verse 11.

12 She hath wearied her selfe with lies, and her great scumme went not forth out of her, her scum shall be in the fire.Shee hath wearied her selfe with her false worship, and with flatteries of her safe condition; and all her wickednesse is still within her, unrepented of; unamended; and shall be, together with her, fit matter for my wrath to worke upon.

13 In thy fithinesse is leudnesse.That rust and scumme which is in thee, is thine abhominable leudnesse, &c.

p. 473Sonne of man, behold,16 Sonne of man, behold, I take away from thee, the desire of thine eye with a stroke, yet neither shalt thou mourne, nor weepe, neither shall thy teares runne downe. I take away from thee that deare wife of thine, in whom thou tookest true contentment: I will inflict the stroke of death upon her; and yet, I forbid thee to mourne, and weepe; shed no teares for this great losse of thine, for a signe to this people.

Make no shew at all of mourning for that thy deare consort; but demeane thy selfe, so,17 Forbeare to crie, 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 eate not the bread of men. as if thou hadst no losse, or sorrow; neither make thou any funerall banquet, as the manner of the people is.

Behold,21 Behold, I will prophane my sanctuarie, the excellēcy of your strength the desire of your eyes, and that which your soule pittieth: and your sonnes and your daughters whom yee have left, shall fall by the sword. I will cause my Temple to be exposed to the profanation of the heathen; and I will give into their hands, your youngmen, your wives, your daughters, and whatsoever is deare and precious unto you; and they shall fall by the sword of the Babylonians.

And ye shall doe as I have done, yee shall make no signe of any mourning, or lamentation for them, &c.22 And ye shall do as I have done: yee shall not cover your lips.

So verse 23.

Thus do I figure out,24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a signe: according to all that he hath done. and act upon Ezekiel that which I will doe unto you, &c.

CAP. XXV.

LOoke thou towards the coast of the Ammonites, and in this posture, doe thou prophesie against them.2 Sonne of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, & prophesie against them.

Because thou didst insult,3 Because thou saidst Ah against my sanctuary, when it was prophaned, and against the land of Israel. and rejoyce in the prophanation of my Sanctuary, and in the destruction of Israel, &c.

Behold, therefore, I will deliver thee, and thy country to the hands of the Babylonians, for their possession,4 Behold therefore, I will deliver thee to the men of the East, for a possession. and inheritance, &c.

And,5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for Camels, and the Ammonites, a couching place for flocks: and yee shall know that I am the Lord. I will make thy chiefe citie Rabbah wherein are the palaces of thy great Princes, to become a stable for Camels; and the land of the Ammonites will I make a desert, for the pasturing of sheep;

p. 4748 Thus saith the Lord God, because that Moab and Seir doe say, behold, the house of Iudah is like unto all the heathen.Thus saith the Lord; Because the Moabites, and Edomites have triumphed in the desolation of my people; and have scornfully said; We see no difference betwixt Judah, and other nations; their God hath had no mere power to preserve them, then the Gods of their neighbours.

9 Therefore behold, I wil open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities, which are on his frontires, the glory of the countrie Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, & Kiriathaim.Therefore will I cast open the frontiers of Moab, how strongly soever defenced with their wasted cities; and will give up all the richest, and pleasantest part of their countrie.

10 VntoUnto the men of the East with the Ammonites, and I will give them in possession that the Ammonites may not be remembred among the nations.Unto the spoile of the Babylonians; and together therewith, will I deliver up the land of the Ammonites, to be so utterly wasted, that the memory of it may not remaine among the nations.

I will make Edom desolate in all the coasts thereof, no part of the country shall be free from destruction.13 And I will make it desolate from Teman, and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall doe in Edom according to mine anger, and according to my furie.And I wil execute my vengeance upon Edom, by the same hand that hath plagued my people Israel; even the Babylonians; who shall also imploy those captive Israelites, which live unde… them, in this service, &c.

16 And I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the Sea coast.I will cut off both those Philistims that dwell in the in-land; and those that inhabite along by the sea-coast.

CAP. XXVI.

2 Sonne of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Ierusalem, Ah, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me, I shall be replenished now, she is laid waste.BEcause Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, in rejoycing at her ruine; Ah, she that was the most populous, and best-traded city of the East, is now laid waste; all her trafique and wealth shall now be turned unto mee, I shall be inriched in her spoile, and decay.

4 I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rocke.I will cause not onelyonly her rich treasures to be caried away, but her very soile and earth shall be taken off, and removed, that she may be left as barren as the rock.

5 It shall bee a place for the spreading of nets in the Sea.It shall no more be a frequented citie; but a wast place for fishermen to lay abroad their nets in, &c.

15 Shall not the Iles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded crie, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee.Shall not all the Sea-coasts round about, be afraid, and amazed at the fame of thy destruction, &c.

p. 475Then all the Princes of those maritime regions,16 Then all the Princes of the Sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall cloth themselves with trembling. on all sides, shall be disheartened with the newes of thy ruine; and shall lay aside their pomp, and jollity, and shall be wholly possessed with feare, and trembling, &c.

When I shall bring the Babylonians upon thee, who like a deluge of waters,19 When I shall make thee a desolate citie, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall bring up the deepe upon thee. shall violently breake in upon thee, and swallow thee up.

With those people which are long since dead and gone; then I shal, at the last, restore the former glory,20 With the people of old time, &c. And I shall set glory in the land of the living. with an increase thereof, unto the remainders of my Church; here upon earth.

I will make thee a terrible example to all cities and countries, in my utter destroying thee, &c.21 I will make thee a terrour; and thou shalt be no more.

CAP. XXVII.

ANd say unto Tyrus,3 And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the Sea, which art a merchant of the people for many Iles, &c. O thou that art situate upon the Sea-coast, as a fit and famous Port; which art renowned for the trafique of merchandise, all the world over.

They have prepared all things that belong to thy shipping, in a degree above necessity, and convenience;5, 6 They have made all thy ship-boards of fire trees of Senir: of the oakes of Bashan have they made thine oares: the companie of the Ashurites have made thy benches of yvorie. even to wantonnesse, and excesse-full curiosity: the timber thereof is not of any ordinary and base wood, but rare and precious; and thy benches, in stead of wood, which others use, are of the costliest yvory, brought from far.

And where others sailes are of plaine canvase;7 Fine linnen with boridered worke from Egypt. thine are of fine linnen curiously imbroidered with Egyptian worke, &c.

Thy mariners were the slaves of Sidon,8 The inhabitants of Zidon, and Arvad were thy mariners: thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee were thy pilots. and Damascus, both strong and skilfull; and thy pilots were the cunning Seamen of thine owne breeding.

The ancient, and experienced men of Gebal,9 The ancients of Gebal, and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkes. who were noted for most expert Ship-wright, were imployed in the building, and calking of thy vessells, &c.

The Persians, and Lydians, & Moores,10 They of Persia, and of Lud, and of Phut were in thine armie, thy men of warre: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee. famous for their prowesse, and skill in military affaires, both by Sea and land; though farre distant from thee, yet are glad to bee intertained, for thy warriours; they have devoted their shields and helmets to thy service, &c.

Thy valiant neighbours were,11 The men of Arvad with thine armie were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers, they hanged their shields upon thy walls: with thine owne forces, p. 476upon thy walls round about; and upon thy towres of defence: and have both garded, and beautified thee with their shields.

All cities and countries round about strove to furnish thee with those commodities, which they yeeld; and the trafique whereof might be gainfull to themselves;12 Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, yron, tinne. The famous port of Tarshish traded with thee in all variety of riches, in silver, yron, tinne, &c.

The Grecians, and Iberians, and Cappadocians traded in the persons of men,13 Iavan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants, they traded the persons of men, and vessells of brasse in thy market. which they sold to thee, and in vessells brasse.

So verse 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

26 Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters, the East winde hath broken thee in the midst of the Seas.Those that have the government of thee have brought thee into a sea of misery; Nebuchadnezar, like a boysterous east-winde, hath broken thee in pieces.

Shall fall into the hands of the Babylonians, and by them be destroyed.27 Shall fall into the midst of the Seas, in the day of thy ruine.

The noise of thy victors shouting, and of thy citizens crying,28 The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. and shrieking, shall be such, as shall make thy suburbes to shake therewith.

31 And they shall make themselves utterly balde for thee; and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weepe for thee with bitternesse of heart.They shall by tearing their haire, and girding themselves with sacke-cloth, testifie their vehement mourning for thee, &c.

In the time when thou shalt be destroyed by the Babylonian forces (which like a raging Sea shall come in upon thee) thy trade,34 In the time when thou shalt be broken by the Seas, in the depths of the waters, thy merchandise, and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. and all the commerce that thou hadst with other nations, shall utterly faile.

CAP. XXVIII.

2 And thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, &c. Though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.THou hast said; I am out of the reach of mans power; my seat is higher then that it can bee infested by the force, or malice of men, &c. though thou hast in thy proud thoughts equalled thy selfe with God.

And, as thou art greater then all others, so, in thine owne conceit,3 Behold, thou art wiser then Daniel, there is no secret that they can hide from thee. thou art wiser then even Daniel himselfe; thou knowest all secret things, as well as he, in whom is the spirit of the most high God.

8 And thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slaine in the middest of the Seas.And thou, that hast fondly imagined thy selfe a God, shalt die the death of thine ordinary vassalls, notwithstanding thy strong forts, and bulwarkes of the Sea.

p. 477Thou shalt die such a death, as an insolent,10 Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised, by the hand of strangers. and Godlesse pagan is worthy of, by the hand of the Babylonians.

Thou givest out thy selfe as absolutely perfect both in wisedome, and beauty;12 Thou sealest up the summe, full of wisedome and perfect in beauty. so as no addition can be made to thee in either of these.

Thou hast abounded with all delicacies,13 Thou hast beene in Eden the garden of God; every pretious stone was thy covering: the Sardius, Topaze, & the Diamond, the Beril, the Onix, and Iasper, the Saphir, the Emeraude, & the Carbuncle, and gold, the workemanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee, in the day that thou wast created. as if thou hadst lived in Eden, the garden of God; and where others make them coverings of homely, and ordinary matter, thy canopies are beset with all the precious stones, that can be reckoned: and with the best of metalls: neither hast thou needed to take any care for thy varieties of pleasures; for thy curious Musicke was prepared for thee, even from thy very birth.

Thou advācest thy selfe to be as that glorious Cherub; which covereth the Arke of God; so dost thou spread thy protection over thy land; and,14 Thou art the anointed Cherub that covereth: and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountaine of God: thou hast walked up and downe in the middest of the stones of fire. so have I appointed thee to doe; yea thou tookest upon thee, as if thou wert that God, which is worshipped in his holy Temple, and as that Almighty one, who walketh above in the clouds, among the lightnings and thunder-stones.

Thou didst arrogate a kinde of perfection to thy selfe, in all thy wayes; even from thy very nativity,15 Thou wast perfect in thy wayes, from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. till thy wickednesse brake forth notoriously to thy just conviction.

By the confluence of much people, upon the occasions of thy merchandise, and the oppressive bargaines,16 By the multitude of thy Merchandise they have filled the middest of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as prophane out of the mountaine of God, and I will destroy thee, O covering Cherub from the middest of the stones of fire. that are used therein, thou art full of fraud and violence, and art thereupon growne exceedingly sinfull; therefore will I cast thee out from those vainely-pretended rights, which thou claimest in the Temple of God; I will destroy thee, O thou false Cherub, from the Arke, whose covering thou wouldest resemble; and strike thee downe from those clouds, where thou affectest to walke among the fiery meteors.

By the multitudes of thine iniquities thou hast defiled those places of majesty and devotion which thou wouldst have to be thought sacred, &c.18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities.

The wounded and distressed inhabitants shall be called to reckoning, in the midst of her streets,23 And the wounded shall be judged in the middest of her by the sword, upon her on every side, and they shall know that I am the Lord. for their many and grievous sinnes; by the sword of her enemie, the Babylonian.

p. 47824 And there shall bee no more a pricking briar unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorne of all that are round about thē that despise them.I will put an end to the sorrowes of my Church; these heathens shall no more gall, and grieve them, neither shall the nations round about insult upon their miseries, and trample upon them, &c.

25 When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall bee sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land, that I have given to my servant Iacob.When I shall have gathered my chosen people out of all the nations of the earth, amongst whom they are dispersed; and shall be sanctified in them, before the rest of the world; then shall they enjoy a quiet rest, in my Church, which I have appropriated to them.

So verse 26.

CAP. XXIX.

3 Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Aegypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine owne, and I have made it for my selfe.BEhold, I am thy professed enemie, O Pharaoh, the proud King of Aegypt; who like a great dragon or whale, liest securely in those watery regions of thine; & hast said; Nilus is my owne, no enemy can take it from mee.

4 But I will put hookes in thy jawes, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.But I will put the hookes of the King of Babylon, into thy jawes, and will draw thee out of those watery forts of thine; and dragge thee up to the drie land; and, for thy Princes and people, which are as the lesser sort of fishes, they also (as sticking to thy scales) shall be plucked out with thee, &c.

5 And I will leave thee throwne into the wildernesse, thee and all the fish of thy rivers, thou shalt fall upon the open fields, thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered, I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field, and to the foules of the heaven.And I will leave thee upon the Libyan sands, exposed as a prey to the soules of the aire, and the beast of the field; both thee, and thy Princes and people; thou shalt be slaine, and thine army in the open fields, and there shall ye lie scatterd, and shall not bee brought together for sepulture.

They have beene a deceitfull, and untrusty stay to the house of Israel;6 Because they have beene a staffe of reede to the house of Israel. like a crazy reed, which breakes under the hand of him that leanes upon it.

10 From the towre of Syene even unto the border of Aethiopia.From the south borders of Aegypt, unto the North, shall the land be utterly desolate.

11 No foot of man shall passe through it, nor foot of beast shall passe through it, neither shal it be inhabited fourty yeares.It shall lie waste, and uninhabited; without traffique, without culture, for the space of fourty yeares.

p. 479They shall returne againe to reinhabit,14 And I will bring againe the captivitie of Aegypt. as well the mid-land countrey, as the skirts and borders of Aegypt their native land; and they shall be there restored to a tributary state, under the Persians.

Every man had worne his haire from off his head,18 Every head was made bald, & every shoulder was peeled, yet had he no wages, nor his armie, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it. and his skin from his shoulders, in carrying burdens for raising up mounts against Tyrus; yet did he not finde that booty for his armie therein, which he expected.

In that day will I raise up Israel againe, to a recovery of strength, and comfort;21 In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to budde forth, & I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them, and they shall know that I am the Lord. and will cause the mouthes of my people to be opened, in the confession, and praise of my name amongst the Babylonians; and they shall know and acknowledge me to be the Lord.

CAP. XXX.

THe day is neare at hand, wherein the Lord will take vengeance on the heathen,3 For the day is neare, even the day of the Lord is neare, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. which have oppressed his people.

So verse 4. and 5.

From the southerne coast of Aegypt along unto the North parts thereof, shall they be slaine with the sword.6 From the towre of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God.

In that day will I cause messengers to goe forth by sea, in ships of speed;9 In that day shall messengers goe forth from me in ships, to make the carelesse Aethiopians afraid, & great paine shall come upon them, as in the day of Aegypt, for lo it commeth. to carry the sad newes of Aegypts destruction, to the Aethiopians; who shal be exceedingly affrighted therewith; and shall be no lesse pained with the feare of the same evill, then Aegypt is with the sense, and smart of it.

I will deliver up the land into the hand of the Babylonians; as if it were convayed to them,12 And sell the land into the hand of the wicked. by bargaine and sale.

And I will execute my utmost judgements upon the severall provinces, and chiefe cities of Aegypt,14 And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgement in No. upon Pathros, Zoan, and Alexandria.

So also verse 15. and 16. and 17.

At Daphnis there shall be a darke and gloomy day of slaughter and death,18 At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkned, when I shall breake there the yokes of Aegypt, and the pompe of her strength shal ceas in her, as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shal goe into captivitie. when I shall there make an end of the Tyrannicall government of Aegypt; & all her pomp, and glory of her strength shall utterly cease; and she shal be under a cloud of sorrow, and obscurity; and her people shall be carried away into captivity.

p. 48021 Sonne of man, I have broken the arme of Pharaoh King of Aegypt, and loe, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a rouler to binde it, to make it strong to hold the sword.Sonne of man, I have already discomfited a great part of the forces of Pharaoh, King of Aegypt; The losse that he hath already sustained, shall not be repaired againe by any meanes, for the preventing of his utter subversion.

CAP. XXXI.

2 Whom art thou like in thy greatnesse?THink not that no King is comparable to thee in power, and greatnesse.

3 Behold, the Assyrian was a Cedar in Lebanon with faire branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature, and his top was, &c.Behold, the King of Assyria was a greater Monarch then thy self; he was (in comparison of thee) as a tall Cedar in Lebanon, largely spread.

4 The waters made him great, the deepe set him up on high with her rivers.Whose roots were throughly watered with constant streames, &c.

So verse 5, 6, 7.

8 The Cedars in the garden of God could not hide him; the firre trees were not like his boughes, and the Chesnut trees were not like his branches, not any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beautie.The greatest Princes in the most flourishing Kingdomes of the world could not stand in comparison with him; but all of them were forced to vaile to him, as more powerfull and glorious then themselves.

So verse 9.

I have therefore delivered him, and his proud Ninive into the hand of Nebuchadnezar,11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen, he shal surely deal with him, I have driven him out for his wickednes and his Babylonians; he shall deale with him as he deserves; I have rooted him out for his wickednesse.

So verse 12.

14 To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot.To the end that none of the proud princes of the earth should hereafter dare to exalt themselves in the over-weening, and confidence of their owne strength, and glory, &c.

15 I covered the deepe for him.I caused those waters wherewith he was nourished, to take up a mourning, and lamentation for him.

18 To whom art thou thus like in glorie and in greatnes among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought downe with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth.O Pharaoh, thou that art thus like to the Assyrian, amongst all the Kings of the earth, in glory, and magnificence; thou shalt also be like him in thy ruine; Thou, with the other Princes of the world, shalt be brought downe into the grave; & shalt be destroyed in the midst of thy fellow-heathens, &c.

p. 481CAP. XXXII.

THou art a cruel Tyran among thy neighbour nations,2 Thou art like a yong Lyon of the nations. as a yong lyon is among the beasts.

See chapter 29.5.4 Then will I leave thee upon the land, &c.

And whereas thou now,6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountaines. like a whale swimmest in the great waters of thy land, in stead of those waters shall be the blood of thy people, wherein thou maiest swimme; which shall cover the earth up to the very mountaines, &c.

And when thou, which art reputed the great light of the world, shalt be extinguished;7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof darke; I will cover the Sun with a cloud, and the Moone shall not give her light. the very face of the heavens shall seeme to be covered with darknesse; The Sun shall seeme clouded, and the moone without light; so great a change shall thy subversion seeme to make in the world.

So also verse 8.

I will also affright,9 I will also vexe the hearts of many people, whē I shal bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not knowne. and amaze the hearts of many nations, round about thee, when I shall bring unto them, both the rumour, and the expectation of thy destruction; even those countries shall be terrified which are not so much as knowne unto thee.

So also verse 10.

Then will I give those troubled nations rest,14 Then will I make their waters deepe, & cause their rivers to run like oile, saith the Lord God. and tranquillity, they shall be as calme as deepe waters, and their rivers shall flow as smoothly, as oyle, without any vehement, and unquiet agitation.

Make thou some resemblance of the casting downe of Aegypt,18 And cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that goe, &c. and the adjoyning nations (her partners) into the grave, as dead corpses.

What nation is there,19 Whom doest thou passe in beauty? goe downe and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. whom thou thinkest able to compare with thee, in strength and glory? But now, how strong and goodly soever thou art, goe downe into the dust; and be laid together with thy godlesse, and leud companions, of the prophane heathen.

The valiant and mighty warriour before-deceased,21 The strong among the mightie shall speake to him out of the midst of hel with them that helpe him: they are gone downe, they lie uncircumcised, slaine by the sword. shall, as it were out of his grave, speake to Aegypt, and his associates; and shall say that they are brought downe p. 482as well as he; they lie slaine by the sword; and are taken away in their uncircumcision, and sinfulnesse.

22 Ashur is there, and all her companie, his graves are about him.The great King of Assyria, and all his company is comne downe to the grave, &c.

The graves of his companies, and complices, are set in the sides of the buriall-place,23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about the grave: all of thē slai…e. round about the grave of Ashur, which lies in the midst of his attendants; all of them slaine, &c.

There is the Prince of the Elamites, neighbours and assistants to the Assyrians;24 There is Elam, and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slaine, fallen by the sword. and all their troupes; whose graves are round about the grave of their commander, all of them slaine by the sword, &c.

26 There is Meshech, Tubal and al her multitude, her graves are round about him.There are the Princes of the Cappadocians, and Iberians, and all their multitude round about their graves, &c.

27 And they shall not lie with the mightie that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone downe to hell with their weapons of warre, and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall bee upon their bones, though they were the terrour of the mighty in the land of the living.They shall not lie with those mighty ones of the heathen, who die naturally; being not stripped of their weapons of warre, having their swords laid peaceably under their heads in their graves; but they shall lie amongst the mangled, and slaine; and shall carry the markes of their sins in their carcasses, though for the time they were terrible to the world.

verse 29.30. as verse 24.

31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude.Pharaoh shall, as it were, see this world of people comming downe to the grave with him; and shall comfort himselfe, with such store of company in death, &c.

CAP. XXXIII.

5 But hee that taketh warning, shall deliver his soule.BUt he that taketh warning, stands upon his owne defence, and preserveth his life.

If (according to thy prophesies) God have determined to reckon with us,10 If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them, how should we then live. for our sins, and to bring judgement upon us, to what purpose shall our conversion be? and how shall we live, though we doe amend?

12 The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. So also verse 13.See Ezek. 18. verse 24.

22 Now the hand of the Lord was upon mee in the evening, afore he that was escaped came, and had opened my mouth, untill he came to me in the morning & my mouth was opened.The powerfull motion of Gods Spirit was upon mee, &c. in the evening, before the comming of that escaped p. 483messenger from Jerusalem; & put words into my mouth not suffering me to keep silence any longer.

If Abraham, being but one,24 Abraham was one, & he inherited the land. but we are many, the land is given us for inheritance. had this land given to him for his inheritance; how much more may wee, his seed (to whom it is deduced,) being many, challenge a due interest in it.

No, deceive not your selves,25 Wherefore say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, Ye eate with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your Idols, and shed blood, and shall yee possesse the land? yee are not the sons of faithfull Abraham; your workes are contrary to his; Ye doe wilfully transgresse my commands; Yee eate the blood together with the flesh, which I have forbidden; Ye are guilty both of Idolatry, and murder; and can yee challenge to possesse the land in the right of Abraham.

Ye relie upon the confidence of your owne sword, &c.26 Ye stand upon your sword.

They come to thee with reverence, and respect, as the manner of my people is;31 And they come unto thee, as the people commeth, and they sit before thee, as my people, and they heare thy words, but they will not doe them. and they sit before thee to hear thy words, in an awfull and attentive fashion; but they will performe nothing of that which is commanded them, &c.

They seeme to take much pleasure,32 And loe, thou art unto them, as a very lovely song of one that hath a plesant voice, and can play well on an instrument. and contentment in thy sermons; even no lesse, then a man would doe in the hearing of an excellent song, of one that hath a pleasant voice, and plaies sweetly on an instrument, &c.

And when these judgements shall come to passe,33 And when this commeth to passe, (loe it will come) then shal they know that a prophet hath beene among them. which I have premonished; then they shall know, and finde (too late) that they have had a true Prophet of God among them, whom they unworthily disrespected.

CAP. XXXIIII.

WOe to those rulers and to those teachers,2 Woe be to the shepheards of Israel that doe feede themselves, should not the shepheards feede the flockes. and spirituall guides of Israel, that feed and pamper themselves; whereas their duty and office is, and should be, to feed the soules of my people; and to governe and rule them aright.

Ye take of the best commodities of the people under your charge (neither is that grudged unto you;3 Ye eate the fat, and ye clothe you with the wooll, ye kill them that are fed, but ye feede not the flock.) and make use of their personall imployments, as occasion is offered; but ye doe not performe your duty to them againe; ye doe not teach, and governe them, as ye ought.

Those particular offices which pertain to your charge,4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sicke, neither have yee bound up that which was broken, neither have yee brought againe that which was driven away, neither have yee sought that which was lost. as comforting the weake, healing the sicke, binding up the broken-hearted, reclaiming and reducing those that have erred; yee have not accordingly done; but rather p. 484have tyranously, and cruelly exercised an imperious authority over them.

The same allegory holds verse. 5.6.7.8.9.10.

Behold, since my shepheards are carelesse; I my selfe will make diligent search for my sheepe,11 For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I will both search my sheepe, and seeke them out. that are scattered, and lost, and I will finde them wheresoever they are strayed.

So verse 12.

13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their owne land, and feed them upon the mountaines of Israel by the rivers, &c.And I will fetch them from those severall lands, wherinto they were driven by their miserable captivity; and will bring them backe into their owne countrey; and will feed them carefully, and plentifully, in my Church.

So verse 14, 15, 16.

17 Behold, I judge betweene cattell and cattell, betweene the rammes and the hee goats.Behold, I judge betweene one man, and another; betweene the lambs, and kids; betweene the rammes and goates; as I doe now put a difference betweene those of my owne flocke, and the world; So, hereafter I will exquisitely sever them; the one to my right hand, the other to my left.

18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you, to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread downe with your feet the residue of your pastures.Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have taken away from my people that wholsome doctrine which I prepared for their spirituall nourishment; but yee must also foulely corrupt that which yet remaineth of my law, &c.

19 And as for my flock, they eate that which yee have troden with your feet.As for my people, they are faine to take up with that doctrine which ye have depraved by your unjust, and sinfull glosses, and traditions, &c.

Behold, I will judge betweene the proud justiciaries, who are puffed up with a conceit of their owne worthinesse,20 Behold, I, even I will judge betweene the fat cattell, and betweene the leane cattell. and the poore dejected soules, that are meane in their owne eyes.

Because ye have insolently despised, and scornfully intreated the weak-hearted;21 Because yee have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pusht all the diseased with your hornes till ye have scattered thē abroad. and in stead of easing their afflicted consciences, have beene ready to gaule and burden them more, till ye have made them utterly weary of their stations in my Church.

And I will bring my Church, both Jewes and Gentiles,23 And I will set up one shepheard over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David: he shal feed them, and he shall be their shepheard. under the government of that one King, and Prophet of my chosen; even the Messiah, the true heire and successor of David; and he shall both teach, and rule them.

p. 485So also verse 24.

And I will make with them a covenant of everlasting peace, betwixt me and them;25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evill beasts to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell safely in the wildernesse, and sleepe in the woold. and will keepe from them those spirituall dangers, and annoyances, that may be hurtfull unto them; and they shall be safe and secure, even in the places, that would seeme to threaten the greatest perill.

And I will exceedingly blesse, and prosper them,26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill, a blessing, and I wil cause the showre to come downe in his season. and all that sincerely professe an holy relation to my Church, and will water them plentifully with heavenly doctrine, &c.

And I will make them a glorious plant,29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renowne, and they shall bee no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither beare the shame of the heathen any more. being fast rooted in that promised Messiah; and being incorporated in him; and they shall no more be consumed with a spirituall famine; nor be trampled upon by the enemies of my Church.

CAP. XXXV.

BEhold, I am against you, O yee children of Esau,3 Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee. that inhabite mount Seir.

In time of their calamity, which fell upon them,5 In the time of their calamitie, in the time that their iniquitie had an end. when the measure of their iniquity was full.

Because thou hast said; These two nations of Israel and Judah, and their countries, wasted by the Assyrian,10 Because thou hast said, these two nations, and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possesse it, whereas the Lord was there. and Babylonian, shalbe mine, & we will possesse it; wheras, (how ever this land is abused) yet it is the Lords peculiar; and therefore out of thy reach, and free from any challenge of thine.

CAP. XXXVI.

ANd your name is scornfully taken up in the lips of your busie, and insulting enemies;3 And ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people. and ye are made a by-word, and reproach of the people.

I have sworne by my selfe; surely the heathen that are round about you, shall be put to that shame,7 I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall beare their shame. and confusion, wherein they have rejoyced to see you, and to insult over you.

Because they say unto you; Thou, O Land, art fatall to thine inhabitants,13 Because they say unto you, thou land devourrest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations. and hast consumed them in divers p. 486successions; and hast made away with the nations that dwell in thee.

17 Their way was before me as the uncleannesse of a removed woman.Their continuall practice was as foule and odious to to me; as can be expressed by any legall uncleannesse.

They caused my holy name to be scorned, and evill spoken of,20 They prophaned my holy name, when they said to them, these are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. in that it was said of these so wicked and leud persons; Lo, these are the select people of the Lord, and those that were inhabitants of his holy Land.

When I shal glorifie my selfe, by working your deliverance,23 When I shall bee sanctified in you before their eyes. and your apparent reformation before their eyes.

26 And I will take away the stonie heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.I will take away your perverse, and rebellious disposition, and I will give you a tendernesse of heart, and an aptnesse to bee wrought upon by the motions of my spirit.

37 I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them, I will increase them with men like a flocke.I will so doe this; that yet, I will be sought, and sued to, by the house of Israel for this blessing upon them, and then I will give such an increase to the men, as I am wont to giuegive to their fruitfull flockes.

38 As the holy flocke, as the flocke of Ierusalem in her solemne feasts, so shall the waste cities bee filled with flocks of men, &c.As Jerusalem in her holy feasts, is filled with whole flockes, and heards of those cattle, that are brought up thither for sacrifice; so shall all the waste cities of Israel be filled with flockes of men.

CAP. XXXVII.

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and caried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me downe in the middest of the valley which was full of bones.THe powerfull motion of Gods Spirit was with, and upon me; and caried me, in vision, into the midst of a valley full of the bones of the slaine.

3 And he said unto me, Sonne of man, can these bones live? and I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.Sonne of man; Thinkest thou it possible that these bones should live, and be restored to that estate of this present life, which they were lately in? and I answered; O Lord God, this is more then flesh and blood can conceive; humane reason cannot thinke so; but thou knowest what thou hast to doe; and to thee, nothing is impossible.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.So I spake to those bones, as I was commanded; and whiles I was in speaking, the vision represented to me a noise that filled the valley, & a motion of those bones, and a meeting together of them, bone to bone.

8 And when I beheld, loe, the sinewes and the flesh came up upon thē, & the skin covered them above, but there was no breath in them.And the vision shewd me the sinewes, and flesh comming upon them, and the skinne covering them; but as yet no life was inspired into them.

p. 487In a representation of that powerfull Spirit of God which gives life unto man,9 Then said hee unto me, Prophesie unto the winde, Prophesie sonne of man, and say unto the winde, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the foure quarters, O breath, and breathe upon these slaine, that they may live. I was bidden in vision to call to the windes from all the coasts of heaven, to breath upon these new-reformed bodies; that they might live.

So verse 10.

Sonne of man,11 Sonne of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel, behold they say, our bones are dried, and our hope is lost, wee are cut off for our parts. these bones are a perfect resemblance of the whole house of Israel; Behold, they say; We are not onelyonly dead, but our carcasses are dissolved, our bones dried, all our hopes and possibilities of life, and recovery, utterly cut off.

Behold, O my people, I will so restore you,12 Behold, O my people, I wil open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, & bring you into the land of Israel. as if I opend the very graves, and infused a new life into you; even so will I recover you to your former state in the land of Israel.

Yea, there shall not onelyonly be a life,16 Moreover thou Son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Iudah, and for the children of Israel, his companions, then take another sticke and write upō it for Ioseph the sticke of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions. but a conjunction of Israel, and Judah; for the signification whereof take thee two stickes, & in the one of them write, For Judah, and the Benjamites his companions; In the other write, For Joseph, and his sonne Ephraim, and the rest of the ten tribes of Israel, their companions.

And when thou hast so done, joyne one of the stickes to another; and they shall be so peeced together,17 And joyne them one to another into one sticke, and they shall become one in thine hand. in thine hand, as if they were but one sticke.

Behold,19 Behold, I will take the stick of Ioseph which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellowes, and will put them with him, even with the sticke of Iudah, and make them one sticke and they shall bee one in mine hand. I will take the ten tribes of Israel (which are comprised under the name of Joseph, and Ephraim, and their fellowes) & will put them together with the tribes of Judah, and Benjamin, and will make them one nation, and they shall be one in my hand.

And I will unite my Church, all the world over, in one, and one King (even the Messiah whom I shall send) shall be King to them all;22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountaines of Israel, and one King shall be King to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they bee divided, &c. & they shall no more be so divided in profession, as if they were severall Kingdomes, ruled by divers Soveraignes; but in the maine substance of religion shall be one.

See Ezec. 34.23.24 And David my servant shall bee King over them, &c.

p. 48826 I will make a covenant of peace with them.See Ezec. 34.25.

26 And I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever.I will set my Church in the midst of them; which shall continue to the end of the world; and I will dwell in their hearts, as in my Temple, for ever.

So verse 27.

CAP. XXXVIII.

2 Sonne of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chiefe prince of Meshech & Tubal, and prophesie against him.SOnne of man, denounce thou judgements against those Princes, and countries of the Gentiles, which shall, before the restauration of the Church by the comming of the Messiah, infest, and oppresse my people.

Behold, I am against thee, thou King of Syria, and against all those assistant Princes,3 Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chiefe Prince of Meshech and Tubal. which aid thee in thy cruell dealings with my people.

4 And I will turne thee backe, and put hookes into thy chawes, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine armie, horses, &c.And I will bring thee backe againe from thine owne land, by my over-ruling power, and will set thee on, and all thy forces, against Judah; and thou shalt come up against it with a mighty armie.

5 6 Persia, Ethiopia and Libya with them: all of them with shield and helmet.The rest of the nations also, even Persians from the East, Ethiopians from the South, the Moores from the West, the Phrygians from the North shall joyne with them in this onset.

7 And bee thou a guard unto them.And doe thou encompasse them round about with thy forces on every side; so as they shall not bee able to stirre forth.

8 After many dayes thou shalt be visited: in the latter yeares thou shalt come into the land, that is brought backe from the sword, and is gatherd out of many people against the mountains of Israel, which have been alwayes waste.After many yeares, I will visit thee, with my judgements; for some two hundred yeares hence, thou shalt invade the land of my people; whō I shall have brought backe from their captivitie, and shall have gathered home out of many nations; even the mountaines of Israel which have beene long wasted, &c.

9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storme, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land.Thou shalt for suddennesse, & fury, come like a storme, and for a multitude and frequence, like a darke cloud shalt cover the land.

10 And thou shalt thinke an evill thought.Thou shalt conceive, and harbour many subtile, and cruell thoughts, and projects, against my people.

11 And thou shalt say, I will goe up to the land of unhallowed villages: I will goe to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, & all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither barres nor gates.I will goe up to a land, that is easily invaded, and overrun; as that which consists of unwalled villages, not able to beare out an assault; I will goe to a secure people, that p. 489dwell (as they thinke) safely, in the confidence of the strength, and number of the inhabitants.

Those nations that have heretofore wont to live by sharking, and spoile, and those seafaring men, who,13 Sheba and Dedan, and the Merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof shall say unto thee, art thou come to take a spoile? hast thou gathered thy compaine to take a prey, to carie away silver and gold? upon the Sea-coasts, have exercised pyracie; shall say unto thee: Art thou comne to rob, and waste? Hast thou gathered thy companie to take booties? to carie away silver and gold? Why didst thou not take us along with thee, &c?

Thus saith the Lord, In that day, when my people of Israel give themselves over to security,14 Thus saith the Lord God, In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? and false confidence in their owne strength, shall it not bee made knowne to thee, that thou maist bee the executioner of my anger against them?

When I shall be acknowledged just and righteous in executing those judgements, which thy hand,16 When I shall be sanctified in thee, O God, before their eyes. O multitude of adverse nations, shall inflict upon Israel, before their eyes.

CAP. XXXIX.

See chap. 38. verse 1.1 O Gog, the chiefe Prince of Mesheck and Tubal.

I Will so consume thee, that onelyonly the sixt part of thy forces shall be left alive; and I will,2 And leave but the sixt part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the North parts, and will bring thee upon the mountaines of Israel. in my just judgement, fetch thee from the borders of the North, to fall upon my Church, in great fury, and malice.

I will make void, and frustrate all the attempts and indeavours, which thou shalt use against my people;3 And I will smite the bow out of thy left hand, & wil cause thine arrowes to fall out of thy right hand. and disappoint all thy warlike preparations.

I will send my fierce judgements upon the enemie of my Church; and upon those that,6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelesly in the Iles. being separated and garded by the sea, live securely confident of their owne safety, &c.

Such store of these military weapons shall bee taken from their enemies, as that those bowes, and arrowes,9 The bowes and arrowes, and the hand-staves and the speares; and they shall burne them with fire seven yeares. and staves, and speares shall yeeld them fire-wood for many yeares.

I wil cause these cruell, & hostile nations to leaue their carcasses in great abundance behinde them,11 And it shall come to passe at that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passēgers on the East of the Sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers, and there shall they bury Gog, and all his multitude, & they shall call it the vally of Hamon-Gog. in the land of Israel; & there they shal be cast into pitts, & vallies, neare to the cōmon roade, So as all passengers shall stop their noses, by reason of the noysome scent of the dead bodies, p. 490and the vally shall beare the name (for ever after) of this frequent sepulture of the nations.

12 And seven moneths shall the house of Israel bee burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.And so great shal be the multitude of the slain, as that my people of Israel (by whose hand this slaughter shall be done) shall bestow many monthes in burying them; not so much out of respect to their dead enemies, as for their owne sakes, that their land may be cleansed from the impuritie, and annoiance of those carcasses.

So verse 13. and 14.

15 And the passengers that passe through the land, when any seeth a mans bone, then shall he set up a figure by it, till the buriers have buried it in the vally of Hamon-Gog.And the passengers that passe thorough the land, when any of them seeth a mans bone, then shall they lay an heape of stones upon it, to give notice to the buriers, that they fetch all those scattered bones to the common burying place of Hamon-Gog.

16 And also the name of the citie shall be Hamonah; thus shall they cleanse the land.And there shall be a city erected neare to this common buriall-place; and ye shall give it a name of multitude; because of the innumerable company of those bodies, which shall lie there interred.

17 Gather your selves on every side to my sacrifice that I doe sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountaines of Israel, &c.Assemble your selves on every side, to that great slaughter, that I have made, of the bodies of men; wherewith ye may feast your selves abundantly.

So verse 18. and 19.

I have plentifully stored my Church with graces of sanctification,29 For I have powred out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God. saith the Lord God.

CAP. XL.

2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountaine, by which was as the frame of a citie on the South.I Was, in vision, brought (as mee seemed) into the land of Israel; and was, by the spirit of God, set upon a very high hill, even the hill of Sion, under the side whereof, was the frame of the city Jerusalem, on the south.

3 And he brought mee thither, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brasse, with a line of flax in his hand, & a measuring reed.And behold, there was a man (indeed the sonne of God) whose appearance was bright and glorious, like unto burnish't brasse; and he had in his hand a line of flax p. 491to measure the outward and more spacious courts of the Temple; and a measuring reed for the walls, and buildings, &c.

And behold, he shewed me a description of the Temple, in all the courts thereof;5 And behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the mans hād a measuring reed of sixe cubits long, by the cubite, and an handbredth, so he measured the bredth of the building, one reede, and the height one reede. and the three walls encompassing them; and first, of the out-most wall which environs the rest round about; and in his hand he had a measuring reed of sixe cubits long; every cubit whereof had one handfull added to it, above the common and ordinary length thereof; so as, whiles the common cubit was but of five handfulls, this cubit was according to the rate of sixe handfulls to each cubit, so he measured this outmost wall, and found it one whole reed, that is, sixe cubits in breadth, and one whole reed, or, sixe cubits in height.

Then when he had measured the out-most wall that encompasseth the whole mount of Sion;6 Then came hee unto the gate, which looketh toward the East, and went up the staires thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate which was one reede broad, and the other threshold of the gate which was one reede broad. hee went right from the East to the West-ward, till hee came to the next inclosure of the Temple; and whereas there are five gates in that wall; one to the East, another to the West, one to the North, and two to the south, he went to the Easterne gate, and ascended up the staires thereof; and whereas the gate was double leaved he measured the breadth of the threshold, which was sixe large cubits broad, in either of the leaves of that gate.

And whereas there were little roomes made in the inside of the gate, backing upon the wall,7 And every little chamber was one reede long, & one reede broad, and betweene the little chambers were five cubits. each of those roomes were sixe large cubits broad, &c.

The rest unto Chapter 43. is a locall description only, of the measure of the severall buildings, pertaining to the Temple; which cannot be expressed in plainer termes: all the difficulty of those passages, being only in the apprehension of the fashion, and quantitie of that fabrick.

CAP. XLIII.

SOnne of man,7 Son of man, The place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feete, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the hou…e of Israel no more defile, neither they nor, &c. I will hereafter purge my Church from those foule corruptions, wherewith it hath been blemished; so as my people shall no more prophane my holy place, and defile themselves with their abominable Idolatries; nor by the carcasses of those which they offered to their Idols, in the high places.

In setting up their owne false,8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall betweene me and them, &c. and superstitious worship, p. 492together with the true worship of my name, and in contestation therewith, &c.

Now, let them put away from me their Idolatries, and the murders they have done,9 Now let them put away their whoredome, and the carkases of their Kings far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. in sacrificing men to their Idols; and I will continue my gracious presence with them, for ever.

CAP. XLIIII.

NOw whereas there were two degrees, or distinctions of the sanctuary,1 Then he brought mee back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the East, and it was shut. the one which was called The holy place; the other called, The most holy place, or The holy of holies; he brought me, in the spirit, to the entring of the gate of the outer sanctuary, which looked Eastward; and that gate, which I had seene formerly open (as that by which the glory of God visibly entred into the Temple) was now shut.

2 Then said the Lord unto me, This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, & no mā shal enter in by it, because the Lord the God of Israel hath entred in by it, therefore it shall be shut.Then said the Lord unto me, This gate shall continue shut; and no ordinary person shall ever enter in by it; because the Lord God of Israel hath honored, and hallowed it by entring in thereby; therefore it shall never be put to any common use.

3 It is for the Prince, the Prince he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, & shall goe out by the way of the same.It is for the Prince of that holy Tribe, the high priest only; he alone shall be allowed to eate the consecrated bread, within the holy place; and to have ingresse, and egresse that way.

7 In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my Sanctuarie to pollute it.In that ye have ordained, and appointed those to be priests in my sanctuary that are strangers both in blood, and in religion; and have given them a place of ministration in my Temple, to pollute it, &c.

9 No stranger uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircūcised in flesh, shall enter into my Sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.No stranger that is uncircumcised, either spiritually, or corporally; wicked in heart, and life, and an alien from my Church, shall be admitted to serve in my sanctuary; although he be one that lives among my people.

10 And the levites that are gone away far from me when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their Idols, they shall even beare their iniquitie▪And those of the Tribe of Levi, which, being in the office of priesthood, were in the defection of the rest of Israel carried away to Idolatry; they shall undergoe punishment for their sin.

p. 493Yet they shall not utterly be excluded from the meaner businesses, that belong to my Temple;11 Yet they shall bee ministers in my Sanctuary having charge at the gates of the house, and ministring to the house, they shall slay the burnt offering, and the sacrifice for the people, and they shal stand before them to minister unto them. as from taking charge of the gates of the house, &c. They shall be allowed to slay the burnt offring, and the sacrifice for the people; and they shall minister to the people, but they shall not be admitted to offer any sacrifice to God, for them.

Because they polluted themselves in ministring unto the people in their Idolatrous sacrifices, &c.12 Because they ministred unto them before their Idolls, &c.

They shall not gird about them any woollen garments, which may cause their bodies to sweat,18 And they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat. that those holy vestiments may be soiled; or any outward uncleanlinesse may be caused thereby.

When they are before God, in his Temple,19 And when they goe forth into the outer court, even into the court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministred, and lay thē in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments, and they shalt not sanctifie the people with their garments. and service, they shall be clad with peculiar, & holy vestiments, but, when they goe forth amongst the people, they shall not weare those hallowed robes, as if in their familiar conversation, they would tie them to a religious observance, and an expectation of holinesse to be derived from them.

CAP. XLV.

WHen ye shall divide the land by lot for inheritance ye shall set apart a meet parcell thereof,1 Moreover, when yee shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, yee shall offer an oblation unto the Lord, an holy portiō of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the bredth shal be ten thousād. for holy uses, even for the service of God, and the maintenance of his priests; the length of it thus separated, shall be five and twenty thousand reeds, according to the large measure of cubits; and the breadth shall be tenne thousand, &c.

Of this portion of ground,2 Of this there shall bee for the Sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth square round about, & fifty cubits round about, for the suburbs thereof. there shall bee a plot laid forth for the building of the sanctuary; which shall be in the whole extent thereof five hundred reeds in length, and so many in breadth; it shall be full square, and for fifty cubits round about the bounds hereof, shall be wast ground, free from any imployment of building.

And, on both sides of that portion of land,7 And a portion shall be for the Prince on the one side, and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the citie, before the oblation of the holy portion; and before the possession of the citie from the West side westward, and from the East-side Eastward▪ and the length shall be over against one of the portions from the West border unto the East border. which is laid forth for the sight of the sanctuary, and of the city, and for the maintenance of the Priests, shall be a portion of land laid out for the Prince; on the west-side shall be his westerne portion; and on the East-side, his Easterne portion; and the length of it shall be over against each of p. 494these portions from the West borders of it, to the East.

I doe appoint him a constant and fixed possession of land in Israel;8 In the land shall bee his possession in Israel, and my Princes shall no more oppresse my people. for a royall maintenance of him, and his family; and my Princes and governours shall not be put (for want of a due and setled provision) to raise meanes to themselves by the oppression of my people, &c.

CAP. XLVI.

1 Thus saith the Lord God, The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the East, shall be shut the sixe working daies, but on the Sabbath it shal be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.THe East-gate of the third wall, which is of the court of the Priests, wherein the Temple was built, shall be shut the sixe working daies; but on the Sabbath, and on the first day of the monethmonth, which is the day of the new-Moone, it shall be opened.

2 And the Prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priest shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate.And the Prince only shall enter by the way of that gate; and when he is to enter, shall stand at the post of that gate, untill the priest shall have prepared his burnt …ffering, and peace offering; and then when they have made this safe way for him, he shall come in, having first bowed downe, and worshipped at the threshold of the gate, &c.

3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the doore of this gate before the Lord, in the Sabbaths, & in the new moons.Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the doore …f this gate before the Lord; but they shall not presume to enter in by it; only they shall bow, and worship aloofe at that doore, on the Sabbaths, and new-Moones.

10 And the Prince in the midst of them when they goe in, and when they goe forth, shall goe forth.And the Prince shall observe the same times of my service with my people; both for his comming in, and for his going forth.

20 That they bear them not out into the outer court, to sanctifie the people.There they shall boile the trespasse-offering, and bake the meat-offering; that they beare them not out into the outer court, where the people are allowed to assemble, as if the common sort of people should share with them in their sanctification, since this priviledge of these holy services, rests in their owne persons.

p. 495CAP. XLVII.

AFterward, this heavenly,1 Afterward he brought me againe unto the doore of the house, and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house East-ward, for the forefrōt of the house stood toward the East, and the waters came downe from under from the right side of the house, at the South side of the Altar. and divine guide of mine brought me back from this outer court, where were the boiling houses of the sacrifices, unto the doore of the Temple; and behold, from under that doore by which the glory of God had formerly entred, and which was now shut; there issued a streame of waters, to signifie the plenty of graces, which are derived from God to his Church; which are yet raised by degrees, & frō shallow, and weak beginnings arise to great height & perfection.

So verse 2, 3, 4, 5.

And,7 Now when I had returned, behold at the banke of the river were very many trees on the one side & on the other. to shew the plentifull fruit that arises from these graces of his Church and Children, behold, upon the bank of this holy and spirituall streame, there were many, and fruitfull trees growing on both sides thereof.

These waters shall passe through the whole land, for they shall flow towards the East-countrey,8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the East countrey, & goe down into the desert, and goe into the Sea, which being brought forth into the Sea, the waters shall be healed. which is the higher part of Judaea, and from thence into the champain countrey thereof; and so fall into the sea, whose unwholesome waters shall be therewith healed; even so shall the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit be enlarged over his whole Church, through the world; and shall sweeten, and season all the soules that shall be therewith indued.

And it shall come to passe,9 And it shall come to passe, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live, and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither, for they shall bee healed, and every thing shal live, whether the, &c. that all those which shall be partakers of these holy graces, shall live for ever; and there shall be very great increase of all good works, and conscionable obedience wheresoever they shal be found.

So also verse 12.

And it shall come to passe, that my Church shall be plentifully stored with holy, and able teachers,10 And it shall come to passe that the fishers shall stand upon it, from Engedi even unto Eneglaim: they shall be a place to spread forth nets, their fish shall be according to their kinds as the fish of the great sea. (which are fishers of men) and they shall spread abroad their wholesome doctrines, all over the earth, and they s…all take large draughts of soules, which shall by their ministery be converted to me.

But those which are resolutely wicked,11 But the myrie places thereof, and the Marishes thereof, shall not be healed, they shall bee given to salt. and given up to a reprobate sense, they shall not be reformed or bettered p. 496by these meanes of Salvation; but shall bee left to their wonted obdurednesse, and corruption, and so to their finall condemnation.

15 And this shall bee the border of the land toward the North side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men goe to Zedad.And the extent of my Church shall be so inlarged; as that it shall reach all the world over, even from one end of the world to the other; which I would have to be figured, by the extending of the bounds of this re-promised land towards the North, from the mediterranean Sea all along the coasts of the Kingdome of Damascus.

So also verse 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

CAP. XLVIII.

8 And by the border of Iudah, from the East side unto the West side, shall be the offering which they shall offer of five & twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, &c.ANd bordering upon the inheritance, or possession of Judah shall be (from the East to the West) that portion of five and twenty thousand reeds, which is set apart for the sanctuary and the Priests, &c.

Of that ground that is thus separated for publike use, (which is 25000. reeds) ten thousand reeds being set apart for the Priests,15 And the five thousand that are left in the breadth, over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a prophane place for the city. and ten thousand for the Levites, there will be five thousand remaining in the breadth thereof for secular use, even for the building of the citie, &c.

And those that are appointed for the publike service, and ministration of the citie,19 And they that serve the city, shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. shall not onelyonly be imploied in the attendance of the ordinary inhabitants thereof; but shall be serviceable to all that shall resort thither, from all the tribes of Israel.

20 All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand, by five and twenty thousand ye shall offer the holy oblation foure square, with the possession of the citie.All the portion that shall bee set apart for these holy uses, shall bee five and twenty thousand reeds square; the length being equall to the breadth; that parcell of the ground for the citie, being taken into the measure.

And these are the utmost limits or reach of the grounds belonging to the citie,30 And these are the goings out of the citie, on the North side, foure thousand and five hundred measures. of the North side 4500. measures, &c.