hands of the wicked The Lord gives he doth not sell The word for selling is Macar which signifies to give to deliver as well as to sell and the Septuagint saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give the land those who sell do deliver what they sell into the hands of others and this is attributed to God metaphorically for that he disposed of the land of Egypt to others that is the Chaldeans who are called wicked the Vulgar hath it in manus pessimorum into the hands of the worst I will make the land waste and all that is therein Egypt was a land abounding with men horse charets wealth Cities and all desirable things but God would make it desolate and all the fulnesse of it so the words are in Hebrew for all that is therein it had a fulnesse of all things and by the hand of the Chaldean it was emptied who in the next words are called strangers because they were such to the Egyptians I the Lord have spoken it These words are a ratification of what is threatned Ezekiel hath not spoken a vision of his own or from his own spirit but what is said is the word of the eternal God I the Lord have spoken it I have determined it shall be so and nothing shall lett it Observe First God hath wayes to empty lands of their mâ—â—titude and fullnesse Egypt had her multitude of men of beasts of Cities of riches she had her fulnesse of all things and God had an Army a multitude of Souldiers to plunder and spoil her to empty her of all her multitudes and fulnesses Jerusalem had its multitudes and fulness but Nubuchadnezzar emtyed her and made her like an empty vessel Jer 51.34 Babylon had her multitudes and fulness of Treasure Jer. 51.13 and God had Fanners to fan her ver 2. and empty her land those Fanners were the Medes and Persians who scattered the Babylonians and made a Prey of their Treasures Secondly observe When God will execute severe Judgments he makes use of suitable Instruments He intended utter destruction to Egypt and the terrible of the Nations were brought to destroy it Nebuchadnezzar had men out of many Nations and the terrible ones of those Nations by the secret hand of God were brought to lay Egypt waste They roared like Lyons Isa 5.29 They were cruel and without mercie Jer. 6.23 They hanged Princes by their hands Lament 5.12 And here they fil'd the Land with the slain Thirdly observe Gods designs shall go on whatever lies in the way to hinder He was resolved upon the destruction of Egypt the Rivers of it lay in the way so that an Army could not get over Nilus that great river if gotten over it could not march and do the work appointed for the multitude of little Rivers were in the land shall these hinder the designe of God No he will dry up the Rivers to make way unto his designs the Babylonians shall pass over and pierce through the whole land When the Israelites were at the Red Sea that lay as an impediment unto Gods design which was to carry them to Canaan but did it hinder the same No speak to the Children of Israel that they go forward what go forward and be drowned in the Sea No because they had not Faith to go upon the waters therefore he divides the waters and makes a dry path for them through the midst of the deeps Exod 14. There were Mountains in the way hindering the building of the Temple but one great mountain above all the rest Zech. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain whether it were the Persian Monarchy or Satan and all the enemies of the Jewes God made it a plain before Zerubbabel and notwithstanding all enemies and opposition he carried on the work of God Things may be too hard for men impossible for them but nothing is too hard for or impossible to the Lord. He enabled Nebuchadnezzar to take Tyrus to destroy Egypt all the Rivers thereof shall not hinder it God will dry them up rather then his designe shall faile Psal 74.15 Thou dryest up mighty rivers God hath divided Seas plained Mountains and dryed up Rivers in our days to make way for his designs and in due time he will dry up the great River Euphrates to make way for the Kings of the East Rev. 16.12 Fourthly observe All Lands are the Lords and he may dispose of them to whom he will even to the wicked he sold he gave the land of Egypt into the hands of the Babylonians who were wicked yea the worst of men Ezek. 7.24 Kingdoms are not such excellent things as we imagine were they so they would not be given to Gods enemies That Kingdom is of great worth which God gives to his children Luke 12.32 Vers 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. Thus saith the Lord God I will also destroy the Idols and I will cause their Images to cease out of Noph and there shall be no more a Prince of the land of Egypt and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt And I will make Pathros desolate and will set fire in Zoan and will execute Judgments in No. And I will poure my fury upon Sin the strâ—â—gth of Egypt and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set fire in Egypt Sin shall have great pain and No shall be rent asunder and Noph shall have distresses daily The young men of Aven and of Phibeseth shall fall by the sword and these cities shall go into captivity At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened when I shall break there the yoaks of Egypt and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her as for her a cloud shall cover her and her daughters shall go into Captivity Thus will I execute Judgments in Egypt and they shall know that I am the Lord. HAving formerly threatned destruction to Egypt and her Cities in general the Prophet descends now to particulars in the 13 14 15 16 17 and 18 vers and then in the 19. verse shews what is the end of God in his exercising judgments viz. That they may know him to be the Lord. I will destroy the Idols Egypt was the most idolatrous Land of any and God would now destroy the Idols out of it The word for Idols is gillulim which Piscator renders stercora dung filth so the word signifies and their Idols were dunghil filthy Gods fitter to be trodden under foot by Man and Beast then to be worshipped I will cause their Images to cease Elilim Images from Elil nihilum for an Image or Idol is res nihili a thing of no account 1 Cor. 8.4 It cannot profit therefore Isai 2.20 They shall cast away their Idols as useless things and God would make them to cease Out of Noph This Noph was a great city in Egypt very populous and famous for the Pyramids and Monuments of Kings who leaving Thebes made that the Royal City Isai 19.13 The Princes of Noph thither many
cause our holy profession and the Lord Jesus Christ to be blasphemed Rom 2.24 James 2.7 Answ 4. It s a spirituall judgement which is worse then all other diseases then all other judgements a blind eye a deaf ear a dumb tongue a palsie hand a gouty leg a leprous head the stone in the kidneys or bladder are nothing to the stone in the heart no plague is like that plague those four sore judgments mentioned Ezek. 14.21 are not so ill as the stone in the heart men are sensible of those and tremble at them but the stonyness of their hearts they neither feel nor fear by reason of it Can there be a more dreadful judgement upon a man then to be given up of God to hardness of heart Psal 81.11 12. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me so I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own inventions They were stubborn and God punished their stubbornnesse with stonynesse Answ 5. It pleaseth it self in the wayes of wickednesse Prov 10.23 It is a sport to a fool to do mischief Chap 14.9 Fools make a mock of sin Fools that is wicked men whose hearts are hardned who know not the nature of sin who feel not the weight of sin they slight sin they sport themselves with sin they rejoyce to do evill Prov 2.14 They count it pleasure to ryot in the day time 2 Pet 2.13 There is no sin but men of stony hearts take delight in some in one some in another and if they can or cannot commit wickednesse themselves they take pleasure in them that can Rom 1.32 Answ 6. It s the seat of Satan he dwels in it A stony heart is the Devils Castle Ephes 2.2 He is in and works in the children of disobedience In their hearts he hath strong holds keeps possession and rules them at his pleasure they are his Subjects God dwels in a broken heart Isa 57.15 but the Devill in a stony heart Answ 7. That man that hath a stony heart increaseth his own woe daily Rom 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath that is thou causest God to treasure up more severe punishment for thee daily thou sinnest more and more daily and God heats the furnace hotter and hotter daily I will take away The word is in Hiphil and signifies thus much I will cause to depart or I will make to remove cause to be gone Montanus renders it amovebo I will remove it God doth this First By inlightning the blind heart to see Acts 26.18 1 Pet. 2.9 Eph 4.18 Chap 5.8 Secondly By inlivening the dead and senseless heart to feel its stonynesse When breath and life entred into the dry bones they were sensible Ezek 37. and when God breaths upon a stony heart it lives and is sensible What an Adamantine heart was in Paul who took pleasure in vexing imprisoning and murthering of the Saints but when Christ breathed upon him and put life into him he then became sensible of his hard heartedness Acts 9. Thirdly By the warmth of his Spirit and moisture of his grace love and mercy he melts the stony heart Some fire will melt brasse and iron and some waters dissolve any stone such is the fire of Gods Spirit there is not any iron or brazen heart but that can melt it such is the water of life there is not any stony heart but that will dissolve it there is an omnipotent power in the Spirit and grace of God to turn Mil-stones into wax and Rocks into streams it was verified in Paul who feeling the mighty power of Gods Spirit and grace in his heart had the milstonyness and rockynesse thereof removed for presently he cryed out Lord what wilt thou have me to do and fell to weeping and praying Out of your flesh By flesh here is not meant corrupt nature as Gal 5.13 but by it is meant man I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh that is out of you First Observe The hearts of men as they are in themselves are stony even stones senselesse of sin unyieldable to truth inept for spiritual imployments repelling and rejecting the counsel of God moving down wards and minding earthly things immoveable from their tenets cold and barren Such are all mens hearts naturally and the hardness of them is much increased by actual and customary sins when men consent to evill thoughts and lusts in their hearts vent them by actings and reiterate the same day after day they make their hearts more and more hard as the hand is by working and the foot by walking Jer 5.3 They have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return If their faces were hardned like rocks what were their hearts Zechariah tells you They made their hearts as an Adamant stone Zech. 7.12 which exceeds other stones in hardnesse and not some few of them had done so but even all of them Ezek 3.7 All the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted all of them had faces of rock and hearts of Adamant Secondly Observe Its the prerogative of God who hath dominion over the heart to alter the heart I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh They could not change their own hearts they were not able to get the stone out of them nor the Prophets who were their spirituall Physitians Kidney-stones and Bladder-stones men may remove heart-stones none can remove but God men cannot remove Mountains or Rocks but the Lord can he hath an arm of strength his Word is a Word of power when he commands it is done though a stony heart can stand it out against men yet it cannot stand it out against God he fetched water out of a Rock and God can make the hardest rocky heart in the world to melt repent and send forth floods of water Mary Magdalen had an impudent face and a hard heart but when God dealt with her he took away the hardness of her heart and impudency of her face she sat and wept at the feet of Christ Luke 7.38 The Lord can turn wildernesses into standing waters and dry ground into water-springs Psal 107.35 Thirdly Observe Its a great mercy to have the stonynesse of the heart removed The removall of any evill from the body of man is mercy as blindness from the eye deafness from the ear lameness from the leg weakness from the stomach much more then the removal of spiritual evil and that from the heart Stonynesse of heart is the greatest plague evill which can befall it and for God to take that away to cure it is a rich a wonderfull great mercy it s a mercy of the new Covenant it s more then Gods delivering Daniel from the Lyons Den Jonas from the Whales belly or the 3 children from the fiery Furnace they should have been saved had they died in those conditions but the man that
of the Jews fled Jeremie 44.1 It was seated on the west side of Nilus over against Cairo though it was once the Metropolis of Egypt now nothing remains but the meer ruines The vulgar renders it Memphis and so it was commonly call'd by Heathen Writers and Hos 9.6 Memphis shall bury them The Hebrew word for Memphis is Moph litterarum N. M. facili permutatione Jun. in Isai 19.13 by the chang-of N into M. saith Martinius and hence Memphis but Junius makes it so call'd from Moph a Mountain near unto it In this City was that Idol Apis in the form of an Ox worshipped like unto it was the Calf the Jews made when Moses was in the Mount and those Calves Jeroboam set up at Dan and Bethel And there shall be no more a Prince of the Land of Egypt God would so visit Egypt that he would either cut off all the Royal Blood not leaving any of the Egyptian race to reign or which is more consonant to truth he would keep Egypt a long time without any Prince He had threatned in the former Chapter ver 11 12. That Egypt should be desolate Forty eight years and that is the time here meant there shall be no more a Prince of the land of Egypt Lavater extends these words no more beyond the Forty years saying that for a long time they had no Kings for after that time the Macedonians Romans and Sarazens ruled over them And I will put a fear in the land of Egypt The Egyptians were like the Ethiopians a secure careless people they trusted in their Rivers their Cities their Horse their Foot their Confederates and wealth therefore God would awaken them and put a fear into all sorts they should fâ—ar the issue of things an enemy being at hand and ready to lay all waste Vers 14. And I will make Pathros desolate Of Pathros was spoken Chap. 29. 14. There it s joyned with the Land of Pathros there it s reckoned amongst Cities and Junius saith its likely to be that City which afterwrds men commonly called Herculis parvam urbem the little City of Hercules because it was strong and scituate in the Front of Egypt for defence of it When Nebuchadnezzar came into Egypt he made desolate both Pathros the Country and Pathros the City I will set fire in Zoan Zoan was a City in Egypt very antient built seven years after Hebron Num. 13.22 a Royal City where the Princes resided Isa 19.11 to it came Princes from Judaea for help Isa 30.4 The Septuagint calls it Tanis and because it was not far from Nilus one of the mouths of Nilus was called Ostium Tanicum or Taniticum Among Authors there is mention of Tanis in Goshen and Tanis on the other side Nilus where Memphis was and because the Jews dwelt in Goshen I conceive Tanis in Goshen is sometimes meant in Scripture and not always the other Tanis or Zoan as Psal 78.12 43. vers God did marvelous things and wonders in the â—ield of Zoan or Tanis that might be that where the Jews inhabited By Fire here may be understood fire materially which consum'd Zoan to ashes or fire Metaphorically Gods vengeance upon it by the Sword and will execute Judgments in No. No was another great City in Egypt of which the Prophet Nahum speaks thus Chap. 3. 8. Art thou better then populous No that was scituate among the Rivers that had the waters round about it whose Rampart was the Sea and her wall was from the Sea The word for populous is Amon which signifies nourishing No was mater nutrix totius Egypti the Mother and Nurse of all Egypt by reason of her great wealth and traffique scituate amongst the Rivers cut out of Nilus The Septuag terms it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Chaldee Paraphrast Rabbies and most Expositors make it to be the City which in after-times was call'd Alexandria Junius thinks it that City and Tract which Ptolomie calls Neuth This City God did punish for it was idolatrous Jerem. 46.25 Vers 15. I will pour my fury upon Sin the strength of Egypt Exod. 16.1 Mention is made of the wilderness of Sin which some Expositors affirm had its name from this City here call'd Sin which afterward obtained the name Pelusium and was by that mouth of Nilus termed ostium Pelusiorum over against Arabia Petraea and is now called Damiata Castaldo Zeiglero and Suidas names it Clavis Egypti the Key of Egypt and our Prophet robur Egypti the strength of Egypt it was of grand import to hinder the coming in or going out of ships So strong it was that God must pour his fury upon it else it would not be ruined And wlll cut off the multitude of No. This City No had great trading and Idol Gods in it both which drew Multitudes of people but the Lord would cut them off some by the Sword some by captivity and some by other Judgments Vers 16. I will set fire in Egypt In ver 14. he said I will set fire in Zoan and here in Egypt The Babylonians were Fire-brands whom God brought to consume all Egypt and her Glory Sin shall have great pain The Hebrew is dolendo dolebit she shall be in such paine as women in travail are God would pour his fury upon her and that would paine her to purpose No shall be rent asunder Garments we use to rend in pieces and weak materialls Cities are weak things when God comes to deal with them he can rend them asunder the strongest Walls Towers Houses he can in a moment pull in pieces as easily as the strongest man can paper or cloaths And Noph shall have distresses daily Noph shall hear of and meet with those things as should put her into continual streights provisions should faile her the spirit of her Soldiers and Inhabitants should faile her her hope of help from Confederates should faile her so daily she should have distress and especially when besieged by the Enemy Vers 17. The young men of Aven Aven the Septuagint have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heliopolis which is the City of the Sun and Isa 19.18 it s call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ir Cheres the City of the Sun so it s rendred in the Margent and it was so cal'd because it was simulachrum templum solis the Image and Temple of the Sun it was sometimes in Holy Writ call'd On Gen. 41.45 Pharoah gave Joseph to wife Asenath the Daughter of Potiphera Priest of On of Heliopolis saith the Septuag It was after by the Graecians call'd Thebe by the Arabians Bethsemes The men of this City were accounted the wisest of all the Egyptians neither their wisdom nor their strength could preserve them from falling by the sword And of Phibeseth shall fall by the Sword This City is affirm'd to be Bubastis or Bubastus a City in Egypt where Diana whom the Egyptians call'd Bubastis had a Temple and there was once a year great solemnitie had in honorem Dianae by
Whale in the Red Sea Thirdly Observe God designes the place of Tyrants suffering and divides the spoyle of them to whom he pleases I will leave thee upon the Land I will cast thee forth upon the open field I will cause all the Fowls of the Heaven to remain upon thee and I will fill the Beasts of the whole earth with thee God drew this Whale out of his Waters unto the place where he and all the Fish adhered unto him were slain and made a spoil to all sorts of people Fourthly Observe When God is in a way of judgement with wicked Princes sometimes he shews exceeding great severity towards them and theirs I will lay thy flesh upon the Mountains and fill the valleys with thy height Thou and thine shall be slain in all places no safety in the Mountains or Vallyes I will also water with thy bloud the Land wherein thou swimmest their bloud should be so shed as to make the Land drunk with it in Vatablus it is inebriabo terram cruore sanguinis tui Vers 7. And when I shall put thee out I will cover the Heaven and make the stars thereof dark Here the Prophet comes to shew the events of this dreadfull and severe judgement of God When I shall put thee out because to shew in extinctione tua Cava or Caba notes such a putting out as is of fire or a Candle when God should extinguish Pharoahs life then should there be no quiet peace joy safety but altogether fighing weeping complaining howling and sad lamentations so great should be the grief and misery of the Egyptiaâ—s that all things should seem dark unto them In extream sorrows visus deficit and persons think the day to be night are destitute of counsel and know-not which way to turn them It s usual in Scripture to set out times of mourning and misery by such expressions as you have here and in the following verse as Joel 3.15 Isai 13.10 Mark 13.24 25. Luke 21.25 Amos 8.9 I will cover the Sun with a cloud and the Moon shall not give her light God hath the power over the Clouds and he can call them forth at his pleasure to do him what service he please he would keep the comfortable beams of the Sun and Moon from them they had darknesse on every side the very Heavens Sun Moon and Starres hid their faces from them Vers 8. All the bright lights of Heaven will I make dark over thee The Hebrew is all the lights of light they should have no benefit by these bright and shining lights of Heaven Mourners use to cover their heads and faces and so the lights of Heaven are as darknesse unto them or they shall seem affected with the sore judgements are upon thee The Vulgar is Omnia luminaria Coeli merere faciam super te I will make all the lights of Heaven to mourn over thee Septuagint All the bright lights of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And set darknesse upon thy Land Darknesse is frequently in the word used for affliction and grief a sad condition and God would set Egypt yea settle it under darknesse it should be kept in a mourning and miserable condition Vers 9. I will also vex the hearts of many people The word for to vex is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caass which signifies not only to move to anger but also to grieve when people should hear how Pharoah a great King was conquered and his Kingdom laid utterly wast this would grieve vex them especially when they consider how great Nebuchadnezzar became hereby having all Egypt and the adjacent parts under him When I shall bring thy destruction among the Nations The word for thy destruction is Shibreca Contritionem tuam thy breaking for which the Septuagint hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy captivity The French Ta ruine Thy ruine The Nations thought Egypt impossible to be totally broken and ruined being fortifyed so with Cityes Rivers and the Sea The News of its destruction would vex them to the heart Vers 10. Yea I will make many people amazed at thee When Gods dealings with Pharoah his severe judgements upon him and his came abroad among the people they were amazed not knowing what to think speak or do When strange and dreadful things come suddenly to us they surprise our judgements and we are at a stand And their Kings shall be horribly afraid for thee The People should be amazed and the Kings afraid Chap. 30.4 The Sword shall come upon Egypt and great pâ—in shall be in Ethiopia so in Lybia Lydia and Chub they and their King should be horribly afraid The word to fear is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saor which notes great fear even such fear as is cum erectione pilorum as makes the hair to stand up and the Word is double here They shall fear with a fear be exceedingly afraid for Nebuchadnezzars prevailing over Pharoah When the great Whale is taken the lesser fishes have cause to fear When I shall brandish my Sword before them The Hebrew is Begnophphi Charbi When I shall cause my Sword to fly before them that is in military Language When I shall brandish my Sword before them When Nebuchadnezzar came with his forces to Egypt at the appointment of God and subdued it then he brandished his sword before them And they shall tremble at every moment These words we had in the Chap. 26.16 where they were opened they shall be in a continued fear trembling from day to day least Nebuchadnezzar should fall upon them and bring them to Pharoahs condition Every man for his own life in the day of thy fall When the Sword is abroad mens lives are at stake and when it hath shed so much bloud as to water a Land to fill up valleys and make it reach to mountains who would not fear least his life and bloud go next When a great King and Kingdome falls by the Sword its matter sufficient to make neighbouring Kings and Kingdomes to fear themselves First Observe Great Ones are lights in the world and God extinguisheth those lights at his pleasure When I shall put thee out Princes and great Ones are examples which most follow Beacons upon a Hill Suns in their Orbs which many admire and follow though they light them downward towards the pit of darknesse These be such great lights that men dare not snuff reprove them but God he extinguisheth them he lighted them up and he puts them out Secondly Observe When God puts out great lights breaks the Candlesticks they stood in that is destroyes great Kings and their Kingdoms then sad events do follow then the living and senselesse creatures are troubled Heaven and Earth affected those neer and those far off disquieted Dreadfull judgements have dismall consequents When God destroyed Pharoah and his Army laid waste Egypt then darknesse was upon the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars then darkness was upon the Land then the hearts of many were vexed then Kings were horribly
5.16 And to love those that are regenerate 1 John 5.1 and these doing so God their Father hath a special care of them and love unto them Matth. 6.26.32 Luke 11.13 Chap 12.32 Will I give you will I put within you The new heart and new spirit comes from God he that to the Authour of every good and perfect gift is the Author of the same Now in the working of this new heart and new spirit there be several Attributes of God set on work As First His infinite mercy That he should mind sinners who have old rotten filthy hard dead hearts within them so at enmity with God that they would pull him out of Heaven had they power to do it for God to mind such hearts and spirits and make them new so as to affect him and his wayes argues unspeakable mercy loving kindness superabundant It was a time of love when God saw Jerusalem in her bloud and said unto her live Ezek 10. It was infinite love infinite mercy for him to pity Jerusalem in such a case and to say so unto her the same it is when God makes of an old heart a new heart of an old spirit a new spirit Secondly Gods infinite power is imployed in this work The making of a dead heart to live a blind heart to see an old heart and spirit to become new requires an omnipotent arm By the preaching of the word men have great convictions strong resolutions and are perswaded almost to be Christians but those convictions and resolutions dye away and they never come altogether to be Christians altogether to be new hearted and new spirited till the Lord put forth his allmighty power and create new hearts and spirits in them it s a work of creation Psal 51.10 2 Cor. 4.6 Eph. 2.10 And such hearts and spirits are call'd new creatures Gal 6.15 2 Cor 5.17 Thirdly Infinite wisdome The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer 17.9 It s beyond the knowledge of man it hath so many windings turnings pretences shifts arguments wiles depths methods as that none but God knows it he being infinitely wise can answer all the objections arguments and subtle distinctions of the heart so that it shall be silent Mans heart whilest its old hath the cunning of the old Serpent in it and pleads hard to keep its old principles its old ungodly lusts its old ignorance its old darkness its old formal wayes of worship its old fleshly confidences its old delights and pleasures its old company its old customes its old aims and ends which were selfe it musters up many arguments to defend these and who can convince the heart of the evill of these and take it off from them but God by his infinite wisdome To make an heart or spirit which hath so many oldnesses in it new argues more skill and wisdome then dwels in any creature Fourthly His Infinite holinesse and purity When God takes an old heart which is as dark as hell as stinking as any Sepulchre Math 23.27 an old spirit which is as unclean and loathsome as the Devils are when he takes these and makes them new he scatters darkness abolisheth death separating filthinesse and instead thereof brings in marveilous light 1 Pet. 2.9 A glorious life Ephes 4.18 And true holinesse vers 24. which import that God is light without darknesse life without possibility of dying holinesse without any spot or imperfection When the wind cleanseth the aire infected pestilential and stinking it argues the wind is pure when a vessel or house is noysome and one cleanses and sweetens them as not enduring them in that condition it argues their cleanlinesse and if they could make them new it would argue it much more so here God makes them new He puts them into the fire that they may be refined and partake of his holinesse Heb 12.10 Its Gods holy arme which makes an unholy heart to become holy and glorious in holinesse The dignity and excellency of this new heart and new spirit is worthy the notice First It s that doth discriminate and difference a man from all others They that have old hearts old spirits and new hearts new spirits differ as much from them as light from darknesse life from death holinesse from filthinesse a man with a new heart a new spirit is a living man whereas others be dead Ephes 2.1 He is a seeing man whereas others be blind 1 Jok 5.20 1 Cor 2.14 He is pure whereas others are filthy 1 Pet. 2.9 Tit 1.15 Hereby a man is differenced from all profane civill and moral men from all gifted men from all hypocrites what specious forms of religion and holinesse soever they have whoever hath a new spirit is distinguished from all other spirits yea from the Devils who are but unclean spirits Secondly It doth ennoble a man A new heart and new spirit doth not only distinguish from others but makes more excellent then others Prov 12.26 The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Righteousnesse is one of the qualities in the new heart in the new spirit Eph 4.23 24. and that Nobilitates a man such a one is born not of blood that is not of the Princes and Nobles of the world who stand upon their blood and greatnesse nor of the will of the flesh that is not in the ordinary way nor of the will of man viz not by education and School principles but of God John 1.13 He is descended from the highest the King of Kings he is of the most Royal blood even the blood of God Acts 20.28 Others are vile but he is precious Jerem 15.19 2 Pet. 1.1 He is partaker of the Divine Nature and lives the life of God 2 Pet. 1.4 Ephes 4.18 Thirdly It fills them where it is with new joyes New things affect much when the Apostles had new tongues given them they were greatly affected therewith and when men have new hearts new spirits they abound in joy the greater the mercy the more full the joy If when a sinner is converted there be joy in Heaven what joy is in the sinners heart then When Christ came to Zacheus and gave him a new heart a new spirit he was fill'd with joy Luke 19. and new joyes Before his joy was to get money by any means and treasure it up now his joy was to disperse make satisfaction and to give away vers 8 9. His new heart begat in him new joyes and inabled him to joy in that he could not do not think of before without sadness So Paul when he had a new heart and spirit he had new joyes fullnesse of them in those things he could not rejoyce in before 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort I am exceeding joyfull in all our tribulations Chap 12.10 He took pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses Here 's the excellency of a new heart and a new spirit it fills with
can weep shed tears in abundance for losse of Relations Estates Favours of great Ones yet never wept for sin these have a natural tenderness not a spirituall Besides what may be gathered from what is said I shall give some Characters of a tender heart First It s sensible of the Churches and Saints afflictions it mourns for and with them a tender heart bleeds when it goes ill with Sion and the people of God When the men of Ai smote but thirty six Israelites how was Joshua affected with it He rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord untill the even tide Josh 7.6 You may read Ps 79. 80. how greatly David or Asaph were affected with the desolation of Jerusalem and miseries befell the Church These were men of tender hearts and sensible of evils at a distance Such was Paul 2 Cor 14.29 and Jeremy whose eyes ran down with tears because the Lords flock was carryed away captive Jer 13.17 Secondly Where an heart hath a gracious and spiritual tenderness it s affected with the perishing condition of others it grieves to see men impenitent unbelieving going on in the broad way to be in a state of irregeneracy and pityes them Rom 9.2 3. Paul had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart and why for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh they rejected Christ and his Gospel through unbelief and hardnesse of heart they were in the broad way to destruction Christ seeing Jerusalem insensible of her own good he wept over her Luke 19.41 And in former times Jeremy had manifested the tenderness of his heart toward the Jews when he said unto them thus Hear ye and gâ—ve ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while ye look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darknesse but if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Jer 13.15 16 17. Thirdly A tender heart dare not go out from God in any case but commits it self and way to him it consults with God and leans upon him for counsel and direction Josiah when the Law was found and he understood from it what wrath was due to the breach of it presently sends men to enquire of the Lord for himself and others what to do he took counsel of God and not of man 2 Chron 34.21 So Jehoshaphat he sought not to Baalim but to the Lord God of his fathers and David made Gods Testimonyes his Counsellers Psal 119.24 Hard hearts dare presume and venture to go out from God and into wayes he hath not warranted so did Gehazi Judas and Demas they followed the imaginations of their own hearts and declared that their hearts were Brasse Those that have hearts of flesh say with them in Isa 2.3 Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths not in our own Fourthly It s affected presently at the frowns and chidings of God at the appearance and shaking of the Rod. A child of a tender nature will melt when the Parent begins to manifest displeasure as to chide or take the Rod into his hand but it s not so with a stubborn nature that will hear bitter words and endure many stroaks before it will melt Jer 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock they have refused to return These had no tender hearts in them When Absolom had driven David out of Jerusalem he went up mount Olivet weeping He was presently affected with the hand of God 2 Sam 15.30 Moses was presently affected with the wrath that went out from God against the people Numb 16.46 Fifthly A tender heart feels much stoninesse in it self and complains of it O what a stony rocky Adamantine heart have I saith a tender hearted man its tendernesse discovers and feels hardnesse Eph 4.19 They were hardned in sin were past feeling Where hearts are all stone there is no sensibleness of the stonyness those have the tenderest hearts that feel most Brass and Iron in them David cryed oft to God for quickning Psal 119.154 156 159. Quicken me according to thy Word Quicken me according to thy judgements Quicken me according to thy loving kindnesse And why did he cry so for quickning because he felt much deadness and hardness in his heart A dead heart is an hard heart A man when dead is cold stiff and hard so a mans heart if dead within him is cold stiff and stony How may the heart be kept tender First By taking heed of every sin for its only sin that hardens the heart as the foot by treading hardens the earth so when sin walks up and down in the heart it hardens and obdurates the same Dan 5.20 Nebuchadnezzars mind was hardned in pride and the Apostle tells you Heb 3.13 That mens hearts come to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin Men think little sins can do them little harm but they harden their hearts and is that no harm is that little harm its the greatest harm can be done you Secondly By searching and examining of your hearts frequently that is a special means to keep them tender it s like digging of the Garden and ploughing of the Earth which keeps it from hardning the more digging and ploughing the more tender and crumbly is the earth that is the chiefest way to preserve it so and they who are ever searching their hearts examining them daily have them in a tender frame David communed oft with his own heart and his spirit made diligent search Psal 77.6 That kept his heart in a tender frame Thirdly By studying the word much and minding it there is great virtue in the word it 's like fire and will not only thaw the icyness of their hearts but keep them unfrozen the hardest mettals while they are in the Fire are soft and whilest mens hearts are in the Divine fire of the Scriptures they will be soft The Word is like Water and Oyl which moisten and supple the heart so that the tendernesse of it is preserved Fourthly By meditating seriously on Gods love the heigths depths lengths and breadths of his love When a soul is taken up with thoughts of the freeness greatness strength sweetness everlastingness and fruits of Gods love it will be in a melting frame that fire works kindly upon the heart love apprehended makes the heart tender Fifthly Look much to Christ crucified Zech 12.10 When we consider what Christ hath suffered for our sakes it will make and keep our hearts tender First Observe A tender heart is a choice mercy As a stony
the father to go before and leads it by the hand though the way be stony durty up hill it goes willingly so the soul that hath the spirit to lead it let the way be what it will followeth willingly Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart the spirit doth enlarge the heart 2 Cor. 3.17 where that is there is liberty let the Lord command things hard David will run to do them they are suitable to the spirit and the work of the spirit in the heart Sixthly The spirit is an excellent gift in that it makes them excellent who have it Dan 5.10 11. saith the Queen to Belshazzer There is a man in thy Kingdome in whom is the spirit of the holy gods he is an excellent man none like him in all thy Provinces he hath the spirit of the gods in him which others have not Where the spirit of God is put into a man that man is an excellent man he hath an excellent person in him more excellent than his soul than all souls than all Angels he hath excellent graces and is honourable above others 1 Sam. 9.6 There is in this City a man of God and he is an honourable man said Sauls servant so every one that hath the spirit be he in the City or out of it is a man of God and an honourable man Fourthly Observe There is an union between the Saints and the spirit of God I will put my spirit within you it is not said I will put my spirit upon you but within you So that by vertue of those graces it works in you there shall be an union between you and my spirit This union is not such as is between the three John speaks of 1 John 5.7 for they are one essentially nor such as is between the Deity and Christs humane nature Col. 2.9 for that is personal but it is a mystical union an union of persons not a personall union It is First Reall there is a true oneness between the spirit and those its put into 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit he saith not is one body or one soul or hath one spirit with the Lord but is one spirit there is as reall an union as is between soul and body he is so one with the spirit as he is denominated spirit John 3.6 That which is born of the spirit is spirit Secondly It is a wonderful union The spirit of God who is one with the Father and the Son to be one also with man and not with one man but all he is put into even thousands of men is wonderfull John tells us It was a great wonder to see a woman cloathed with the Sun Rev 12.1 but it is a greater wonder to see a man or woman united to the spirit of God which is in our souls and bodyes the faculties and members of them as the sap is in the root vine and branches and here is the wonder the same sap to be in every one of these and in all other Vines Thirdly It is a most glorious union When the Lord came into the Temple it was filled with glory 1 Kings 8.11 and when the spirit is put into a man and the union made between them the man is filled with glory when the Sun shines into an house it fills it with glory when the fire is in the Iron how glorious is it the union between the Fire and the Iron makes the Iron a thick dark solid body as glorious as the Fire it selfe Fourthly It is a strong and intimate union which cannot be dissolved I will put my spirit within you that is into their inward parts the spirit is deeply seated and strongly united unto those it is in 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them The Greek is I will indwell in them there is such an indwelling of Gods spirit in the hearts of his that he will neither leave nor be thrust out of his habitation John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever I am leaving you saith Christ but when I am gone I will intercede with the Father for you and he shall send the spirit the great Comforter and he shall never leave you he shall abide with you for ever none shall be able to dispossesse or drive him out of you Object But both these seem contrary to Scripture 1 Sam. 16.14 The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and David did drive away the spirit when he committed his great sins of murther and adultery Answ 1. Wicked men have the spirit from God as a Lord by vertue of the Covenant of works so sinning the spirit departs from them thus was it with Saul he rebelled against God vexed his spirit so that left him but David who was a godly man had the spirit from God as a Father in Christ by vertue of the Covenant of grace and so though the spirit were grieved by his sins it did not depart from him for Psal 51.11 he prayes unto the Lord saying Take not thy holy spirit from me Had it been gone the tenour of his prayer had been for restitution not against ablation of it Secondly The spirit departed from Saul was the spirit of prophesie and those Kingly endowments which he had received 1 Sam. 10.6 they ceased The spirit is oft put for the gifts of the spirit and they do oft-times fail in men Thirdly All men have the spirit of bondage to fear but all have not the spirit of adoption to cry Abba Father whosoever have the same it abides with them Fifthly Observe That before the spirit of God be put into men they are without life or motion towards God or spiritual things they live not to God they walk not in his statutes they live to themselves to the flesh to the creatures and wander from God and his wayes Naturally men are destitute of the spirit sensual as Jude tells you vers 19. Sensual not having the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that have not the spirit at the best are but sensual or soulie men and those had the best souls most reason understanding knew not God Acts. 17.23 1 Cor. 1.21 David tells us Psal 14.2 3. That God looked down from Heaven upon the children of men that is Jews and Gentiles to see if there were any that did understand and seek God that is whether any did so know God as to set them a work to seek him as being the highest good beyond all creature excellencie But what was the issue of Gods so looking upon men They are all gone aside that is from him and his wayes They are altogether become filthy their practices are such as makes them stink There is none that doth good no not one of so many millions of men as are upon the earth there is not one doth good There were men of excellent parts then
Enemies they should sheath their Swords in one anothers bowels God would order it so that one should destâ—oy another as the Philistines did 1 Sam. 14 16. Behold the multitude melted away and they went on beating down one another and Vers 20. Every mans sword was against his fellow They being full of discontent and perplexity thought it more honourable to dye then to fall into the hands of Enemies Vers 22. And I will plead against him with Pestilence and with Bloud He shews here what judgements God would bring upon Gog and his Armies judgements from beneath and judgements from above The first sort here are Pestilence and Bloud by the sword and slaughter The Hebrew is I will be judg'd with him by Pestilence and Bloud they shall declare that I am a strong and just God And I will rain upon him and upon his Bands c. an over-flowing Rain and great Hailstones Fire and Brimstone The second sort of judgements are Rain Hailstones Fire and Brimstone These words over-flowing showers and great Hailstones we had Chap. 13.11 13. In the 10. of Joshuah we read how God did cast down great Stones from Heaven upon the Amorites and slew more with Hailâ—tones then the Israelites slew with the Sword vers 10. To this place it 's conceiv'd our Prophet alludes foretelling that the Lord would deal with the Goggites as he did with the Amorites slâ—y them with extraordinary great Hâ—â—lstones from Heaven and not only so but with Fire and Brimstone which is poena damnatorum the punishment of the damn'd in Hell and was the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrha Some by these expressions understand manifold and grievous calamities which befell Gog and his and will not have them to be understood litterally that so the verification of them may fall upon Antiochus and his Forces who suffered very sad things for he was smitten by God with an incurable and invisible plague and torment in his bowels he fell from his Chariot and was bruised with his fall worms came out of his body in abundance his rottenness and stink was such as none could bear the same and while he was alive his flesh fell off for pain 2 Macc. 9. Let it be granted that these words are not to be taken literally but metaphorically for heavy judgements befalling Gog and his it will not follow thereupon that Antiochus was the man though he suffered such grievous things for it 's said of Gog that he should fall upon the Mountains of Israel he and all his Bands that he and his slain should have graves in Israel Ezek. 39.4 11. But as for Antiochus he dyed in his bed and that either in Babylon as 1 Macc. 6. or at Ecbatane in India as it 's 2 Macc. 9. Neither was there any such vast destruction of Antiochus Forces which came into Judaea under Lysias as these words hold out and is more clearly expressed in Ch. 39.12 Seven moneths shall the house of Israel be burying of them There must be a wonderful great slaughter which required so much time for their burial I conceive therefore that these words may be taken in the literal sense and are yet to be fulfill'd and that induceth so to judge is what you have Rev. 20.8 9. where it is said Satan shall gather Gog and Magog together to battail the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea and they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and fire came down from Heaven and devoured them John saw this in Vision and spake of it as to come and puts it after the Saints rising and reigning a thousand years with Christ That time being expired some grand Enemies shall arise against the Jews and people of God whom he will destroy not only in an ordinary way but miraculously also by fire from Heaven First Observe When wicked men are plotting and attempting the ruine of the Church Gods wrath is kindled against them When Gog comes up against the land of Israel Gods fury comes up in his face Gog manifests himself to be an Enemy to Sion and God manifests himself to be an Enemy to Gog. Wicked men plot act proceed far oft-times and afflict the servants of God greatly but when they think to carry all God appears and that in fury In Nah. 1.2 it is said He reserveth wrath for his Enemies and when they declare their enmity against him and his he discovers his wrath against them Zerah had been long plotting against the Jews at last he comes against them with a thousand thousand and three hundred Chariots and thought to devour Asa his Army and Land in a day and whilest he had such apprehensions the Lord smote him before Asa and Judah 2 Chron. 14.8.12 Secondly Observe When mischief is intended against Gods people his love and indignation are manifested then his love to his people his indignation towards their Enemies In my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken When Gogs Armies were to harm the Jews then was he jealous In jealousie there is ardent love and vehement indignation the one is towards his people the other towards them that wrong his people Zechar. 8. I was jealous for Zion with great jealousie and I was jealous for her with great fury He had strong love to Zion and great fury against the Enemies of Zion as a man hath ardent love to his wife and indignation against any should offer her violence God is jealous over his Church and therefore will never suffer it to be made a prey of by the wicked Gods love and indignation at such a time are so ardent that he swears he will be avenged on them that would wrong his Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the Land of Israel Gog and all his Forces shall fall Thirdly Observe The judgements of God are dreadful they affect all Creatures the Fishes of the Sea the Fowls of Heaven the Beasts of the Field all that creeps upon the Earth all men upon the face of the Earth shall shake Mountains Rocks Walls shall fall This judgement upon Gog shall be such as to astonish and trouble all sensible and insensible creatures so much of God shall be seen in it When the Lord destroyed Tyrus it was a dreadful judgement the Isles did shake at the sound of her fall the Princes of the Sea did tremble and were astonished Ezek. 26. But at the destruction of Gog Heaven Earth Sea all men other creatures shall shake There will be more of God seen in that judgement then in most before his presence power and severity will appear eminently in that Judgement it will speak aloud and fill the world with astonishment Fourthly Observe God can easily raise Forces against his and the Churches Enemies he can do it without any trouble I will call for a Sword against him throughout all my Mountains The Mountains of Israel were the Lords and all
the Inhabitants of them and if he did but call they came to his Standard presently The Princes of the Earth find it an hard business to get a great Army together and wait long for it after great consultation how to effect the same but the Lord only calls and iâ—'s done He is the Lord of Hosts he hath command of spirits and can with ease in a little time gather a vast Army The Centurion when he said to his servant Come he came and when God shall say to men Come they will come they must come out of all parts from all mountains Fifthly Observe As God can easily gather Armies for the good of his Church so he can as easily ruine Armies which are against his Church he can mingle a perverse spirit amongst them so divide them that they shall execute one another Every mans sword shall be against his brother One Goggite should destroy another they thought to have destroyed Gods people and they fell one upon the other 2 Chron. 20.22 23. The children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir came against Judah and thought to destroy them and take their possessions but God soon ruined their enemies he set them one against another for the children of Ammon and Moab stand up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them and when they had made an end of the Inhabitants of Seir every one helped to destroy another the Ammonites destroyed the Moabites and the Moabites the Ammonites This great multitude for so they are called ver 2. did the Lord cause to fall by their own swords How easily did God scatter the Army of the Syrians which besieged Samaria He made them to hear a noyse of Charets and Horses whereupon they fled for their lives and left bag and baggage 2 King 7.6 7. Did not God at the prayers of a Christian Legion in the Army of Marcus Aurelius Emperour scatter and destroy that vast Army of the Marcomanni and Quadi which consisted of 977 thousand He sent rain at the same time to relieve the Emperours Army which was in danger of perishing by thirst and also thunder lightning and fiery hail which ruined the enemies God can with great facility overthrow the greatest Armies Sixthly Observe God hath variety of means and wayes whereby to destroy Armies and punish Enemies He hath the pestilence bloud an overflowing rain great hailstones fire and brimstone to do the same by He had an Angel to destroy Sennacheribs Army Isa 37.36 Stars to fight against Sisera Judg. 5.20 The shining of the Sun upon the water undid the Moabites 2 King 3.22 23 24. The sound in the tops of the Mulbery-trees did the Philistines no good 2 Sam 5.24 God hath Natural Casual and Divine means to plague his enemies with though they be in great Armies Seventhly Observe Those who joyn with Great ones in wicked enterprises must look to suffer grievous things with them I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him They thought themselves safe under Gog that they should get honour and wealth in that enterprize but the undertaking was unwarrantable Gog could not justifie his act nor protect them They were Co-actors in wickedness and so should be Co-sufferers It 's dangerous to adhere to Greatness in wicked designs Though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished Prov. 11 21. Let multitudes take Gog and Great men by the hand let them follow their counsels tread in their steps do their wills this cannot secure them they shall be punished God is no respecter of persons in every Nation he that doth wickedly and they that joyn with him shall be punished Vers 23. 23. Thus will I magnifie my self and sanctifie my self and I will be known in the eyes of many nations and they shall know that I am the Lord. THis Verse shews the end of Gods destroying Gog and in such a manner viz. That God may be honoured and known Thus will I magnifie my self The Septuagint and some others read the words passively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will be magnified but Hith gaddilti is I will magnifie my self or I will make my self great and that is done when God doth such things as declare his Power his Faithfulness and his Justice when the Lord should execute his dreadful threatned-Judgements upon Gog then his great Power would appear that he had the Command of all Creatures that vast Armies are nothing to him so his Faithfulnesse to his people who owned him for their God and his Justice in destroying those would have destroyed his And sanctifie my self God is not unholy or polluted at any time but he is said to Sanctifie himself when he declares himself to be not Impotent not Unfaithfull not Unjust but a Powerfull Faithfull Righteous and Holy God Observe The end of Gods judgements upon the wicked is that he may be known and acknowledged among the Nations and so have a great and holy Name God is known by executing of judgements Psal 9.16 Known not to be like unto men as they conceived Psal 50.21 or a God that sees not as they said Ezek. 8.12 or a God countenancing and preferring evill-doers as they affirm'd Mal. 3.15 But to be a dreadfull God as when he visited Ananias and Sapphira for their sins Great fear came upon all that heard thereof Act. 5.11 To be an holy God as 1 Sam. 6.20 when he smote the Bethshemites 50000 of them with sudden death it was said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God by his judgements he hath made his Name dreadful among the Heathen What a great and holy Name did the Lord make to himself by the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in the Red-sea CHAP. XXXIX Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. 1. Therefore thou son of man prophesie against Gog and say Thus saith the Lord God Behold I am against thee O'Gog the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal 2. And I will turn thee back and leave but the sixth part of thee and will cause thee to come up from the north parts and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel 3. And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand 4. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel thou and all thy bands and the people that is with thee I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured 5. Thou shalt fall upon the open field for I have spoken it saith the Lord God 6. And I will send a fire on Magog and them that dwell carelesly in the isles and they shall know that I am the Lord. 7. So will I make my holy Name known in the midst of my people Israel and I will not let them pollute my holy Name any more and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord the holy One in
there is an Angel at every gate to keep out the unworthy Isa 52.11 Vers 13 14 15 16 17. 13. And these are the measures of the Altar after the Cubits the Cubite is a Cubite and an hands breadth even the bottome shall be a Cubite and the breadth a Cubite and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span and this shall be the higher place of the Altar 14. And from the bottome upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two Cubites and the breadth one Cubite and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four Cubites and the breadth one Cubite 15. So the Altar shall be four Cubites and from the Altar and upwards shall be four horns 16. And the Altar shall be twelve Cubites long twelve broad square in the four squares thereof 17. And the Settle shall be fourteen Cubites long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof and the border about it shall be half a Cubite and the bottome thereof shall be a Cubite about and his stairs shall look towards the East IN the 41. Chapt. 22. vers mention was made of an Altar which was of the Altar of Incense Here another Altar is presented to the Prophet which is Altare Holocausti the Altar of Burnt-offering which with the appurtenances of it is described and measured by the Cubit not the common Cubit which consisted of twenty four fingers breadth but the large or Royal Cubit which was an hands breadth more and is here said to be the Cubit that is a Cubit and a hands breadth by some call'd palmae Cubitus This Altar was a perfect square in length and breadth equal each was twelve Cubits the bottome breadth and border with the lesser and greater Settles have their several measures and distances it had Horns and Stairs The 15. verse in Hebrew is thus And the mount of God four Cubits and from the Lion of God and upwards four Horns so it is in the Margent Hareel the Mountain of God Some understand Focus Altaris the space where they put the wood which burn'd the Sacrifice Others make it the body of the Altar which being between two Settles or Benches was so tearm'd appearing like a little Mountain Haariel the Lion of God or of the strong God it 's conceiv'd was the Grate upon which the Holocaust was laid and this Grate was of the form of a Lion as Villalpandus saith but rather it was so call'd because as a Lion tears and devours the prey so the fire of this Altar did eat up the Sacrifices laid upon this Grate Whether the Apostle hath not some respect unto this or Solomon's Altar for Burnt-offerings when he saith Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 is considerable This Altar had Stairs to go up unto it yet God had forbid Steps or Stairs to be make unto his Altar and gives a reason for it Exod. 20.26 which was to be observed of men when they made Altars unto God but when the Lord prescribed the form of an Altar for himself he might according to his own good pleasure have it with Steps or without It 's probable Solomon's Altar had Steps being ten Cubits high as Sanctius and the Annotators observe the Priests also were to wear linnen breeches when they were sacrificing These Stairs looked toward the East That so when they sacrificed and worshipped God their backs might be towards the East and their faces Westward which the wise God ordered so that he might keep his people from conforming to and symbolizing with the Idolatrous Nations who with their faces Eastward worshipped the Sun-rising This Altar for Burnt-offerings was a type of Christ as those of Moses and Solomon were Exod. 27.1 2 Chron. 4.1 1. This Altar was but one so Christ is our Altar and our onely Altar Heb. 13.10 The Christian Church knoweth no other 2. It had a Grate whereon the Sacrifice was laid and fire put to it whereby it was burnt So Christ had a cross whereto he was fastened and there the fire of God's anger did fall upon him which was due to us for our sins Isa 53.5 Mat. 27.46 3. It had four Horns at the four corners thereof which signified the strength and sufficiency of Christ for all who should come unto him from the four corners of the earth When men were in danger of their lives they fled to the Altar and took hold on the Horns thereof 1 King 2.28 Exod. 21.14 and if they were not willful and presumptuous sinners they were safe What sinners soever shall come from any part of the world unto Christ and take hold of him by the hand of faith he shall be safe The four corners of his Altar are his wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 and He is able to save them take hold of him to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 4. This Altar was to be seven days cleansed and purified vers 26. of this Chapt. and Exod. 29.37 and so it was holy and whatsoever touched it was holy Herein is figured the perfect holiness of Christ who was most holy Dan. 9.24 and sanctified himself for the service of the Church and whoever toucheth him by faith is made holy and whatever is offered up to God upon his Altar likewise is holy This Altar sanctifieth the gift Mat. 23.19 Heb. 13.15 5. It was glorious and durable being of Shittim-wood and Brass Exod. 27.12 Of Cedar and pure Gold 1 King 6.20 And herein it represented the Diety of Christ which is most glorious and eternal Heb. 1.3 Chap. 9.14 6. It was call'd the mountain of God being on Mount Sion he did as it were dwell there and took pleasure in the sacrifices offered on it And is not Christ Hariel the mountain of God is not he the Altar in the mountain of the Lord's House Mat. 10 11. Heb. 13.10 Isa 2.2 Doth not God dwell in him Col. 2.9 Was he not a Sacrifice well pleasing to God Ephes 5.2 Are not we the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Ephes 5.20 And not onely so but the Lion of the strong God And is not Christ Haariel the Lion of the mighty God He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 The Lion of God to whom God hath given all power in heaven and earth Mat. 28.19 This Lion hath rescued us out of the mouth of that roaring Lion who intended and endeavoured to make a prey of all mankind 1 Pet. 5.8 Heb. 2.14 This Lion hath spoiled principalities and powers Col. 2.15 Purged away sin Heb. 1.3 Made reconciliation to God Dan 9.24 Abolished death and brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 The exact measuring of this Altar dictates this that Ministers should have and hold forth the full knowledge of Christ and especially of him crucified as an offering for sin for therein lieth the benefit of sinners to know Christ crucified Hence Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 professeth he determined
in Summer and heat of the body in hot weather Many bathe themselves in the water to cool them Dives begg'd a little water to cool his tongue Luke 16.24 The waters of the Gospel have a cooling vertue in them they cool the heat of persecution Mat. 5.11 12. they cool the heat of our passions James 3.20 Mat. 5.22 they cool the heat of temptations Rom. 16.20 1 Cor. 10.13 James 12.12 they cool the heat of our lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 Rom. 8.13 1 Tim. 6.9 10. they cool the scorchings of a guilty Conscience and fire of Hell Matth. 12.31 and 11.28 1 John 1.7 4. Water makes the earth fruitful When they wanted rain there was barrenness and famine Jer. 14. but when they had the former and latter rain all things flourished and abounded Ezek. 34.26 27. I will cause the shower to come down in his season there shall be showers of blessings and the tree of the field shall yield her fruit c. Litterally these words are true and spiritually also and set out the fruitfulness of those who were to live under the sweet showers of Gospel Doctrine They should be like a watered garden Jer. 31.12 The doctrine of the Lord is as the rain and dew which falling upon the tender herbs and grass causes them to grow Deut. 32.1 When Zacheus was watered with this water he became very fruitful and gave half of his goods to the poor Luke 19.8 others sold all and laid the money down at the Apostles feet Acts 4.35 They were abundant in love and in good works 5. Water quencheth thirst satisfies and revives the thirsty soul It was their drink in the infancy of the World and is still in some hot Countreys Sampson when like to perish for thirst having some water out of the jaw-bone of an Ass he revived and was satisfied Judg. 15.18 19. The waters of the Gospel have this property also when the soul is a thirst there is no water quenceth that thirst but the water of life which the Gospel sheweth and conveyeth unto us The Gospel hath this water of life in it Christ and the Spirit which it makes men partakers of The great and precious promises are satisfying things the righteousness and Spirit of Christ are satisfying and reviving things Peter found it so when he said to Christ Lord to whom should we go thou hast the words of eternal life Let others go to what Brooks Pits or Cisterns they will to quench their thirst we will never go from thee who hast the words of eternal life who art the Fountain of living Waters and canst satisfie us for ever John 6.68 This Water quencheth unlawful desires and satisfieth Spiritual desires 6. Some waters have a curing and healing vertue The Pool of Bethesdah healed all manner of diseases Joh. 5.4 There be waters in our Land which have healing vertue in them Such be the waters here mentioned for they healed other waters v. 8. Gospel waters will heal sick souls and bodies The Centurion said to Christ Lord speak thou but the wâ—rd onely and my servant shall be healed and it was so Mat. Mat. 8.8 13. Christ cast out Devils with his word and healed all that were sick ver 16. The Gospel is not onely a pattern of wholesome words but of healing words also there is no spiritual disease in the soul but the Gospel hath healing vertue to cure it therefore it is called the Gospel of Salvation Ephes 1.13 and the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 7. Some waters are very cordial and do greatly comfort the spirits of man None more then the waters of the Gospel by which the Spirit the true solid eternal Comforter flows into the heart The Gospel and good things of it are set out by Water Milk and Wine Isa 55.1 all which are comforting things The Gospel is glad-tidings and affords strong and everlasting consolation to the soul 2 Thess 2.16 2 Cor. 3.5 Jeremiah saith the Word of God was the joy and rejoycing of his soul chap. 15.16 David professes he had perished in his affliction had he not drunk of these Cordial Waters Psalm 119.92 To come to those Observations which we may pick out of these Verses Observ 1. That as it is Christ who makes known the things of the Temple so he doth the same not all at once but he makes known some at one time some at another Formerly Christ had revealed much to the Prophet and here he brings him again to the door of the House and shews him waters he had not seen before We are not capable of much at once like children we must have line upon line precept upon precept here a little and there a little Ezekiel is instructed a little in one place and a little in another place as he was capable So Christ the wise and chief Builder of the Temple deals with him and revealed one thing after another unto him and so he dealt with his Disciples John 16.12 Observ 2. The waters of the Gospel the gifts and graces of the Spirit do flâ—w from Sion from Jerusalem where Ezekiel had his vision Chap. 40.2 The bitter waters of the Law flowed from Mount Sinai but the sweet waters of the Gospel flowed from Mount Sion Isaiah long before prophesied whence these waters should come Isa 2.3 Out of Sion shall go forth the Law that is the Law of Faith not of Works and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem So in Zach. 14.8 And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem half of them towards the former sea that is East-ward and half of them towards the hinder sea that is West-ward In Summer and in Winter shall it be there shall be no time wherein these Jerusalem-waters shall cease flowing It is not Rome or any other City in the World which hath the honor to send out these waters but Jerusalem onely where was the true Church of God Observ 3. These spiritual waters although they flowed from Sion and Jerusalem yet Christ himself was the Fountain and Original of them they came from the door and threshold of the house Christ tells us He is the the door John 10.7 All spiritual water is in him all Heavenly Doctrine all gifts and graces When the Spirit moved holy men to speak as it is 2 Pet. 1.21 it received of Christ and shewed unto them John 16.14 and all the waters which flowed from the Apostles they received from Christ The Spirit was given them to fill their vessels and fitted them to carry these living waters from Jerusalem to all parts Acts 2.8 and Christ sent them forth to preach the Gospel all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him Col. 2.3 and he that believes in him receives living waters from him all gifts graces and divine truths are from him The waters of the Sanctuary flow from the Lord of the Sanctuary Observ 4. God would not have his Worshippers to conform to and comply with the