Sun and Christs face as glorious as that is in Dan. 12.3 it 's said The wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the stars for ever but Christ as the Sun which is the great glory of the heavens the godly may have firmament and star brightnesse but Christ Sun brightnesse Neither doth that reach the glory of Christs humane nature it goes beyond it Acts 26.13 when Christ appeared to Paul at his conversion what saith hee I saw a light from heaven above the brightnesse of the Sun shining round about mee this was the light of the glory of Christ glorified and it was beyond the brightnesse of the Sun The Star that led the Wise men to Christ Epist ad Eph. Ignatius thinks did exceed all the rest in light and brightnesse that none ever was like it be it so yet the glory of Christs humane nature is far above it no creature is so glorious as fully to represent the glory of it therefore saith the Apostle Phil. 3. last Hee shall change our vile bodies and make them like not the Stars or Sun that were too low but like his glorious body the originall is his body of glory that is his body which is exceeding glorious above the glory of all creatures 2. That the Lord Christ sitting upon the Throne in judgement is very dreadfull hee is ignis vividissimus as hot burning coals the Propht Malachi tels you of his coming and when hee comes who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like refiners fire and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver Chap. 3.2 3. A refiners fire is the hottest it melts purges consumes and is terrible such a fire is Christ in his judgements Jerusalem could not stand before him but hee destroyes them by the strength of Babylon and afterward is terrible to Babylon it self Jerem. 51.25 I am against thee O destroying mountain speaking of Babylon which destroyest all the earth I will stretch out my hand upon thee and rowle thee down from the rocks and will make thee a burnt mountain this burning coal Christ will fire and burn down that great mountain and what then they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations but thou shalt be desolate for ever severe was the Spirit of Christ against Babylon in the letter and as severe is he now against Babylon in the mystery hee shall destroy them that destroy the earth Rev. 11.18 Hee makes Jerusalem a burthensome stone to all that meddle with it Zach. 12.3 There is mention made in the 28. of our Prophet 14. of stones of fire Christ is the stone of fire that breaks and burnes the kingdomes of the earth many kingdomes in Europe are on fire at this day and almost broken in pieces and burnt to ashes we may see that Christ is terrible in his judgements hee is riding now upon his red horse taking peace from the earth dipping his garments in blood and causing his great sword to eat flesh and drink blood he is upon his black horse bringing in famine and pestilence the pale horse is sadled and death is on the back of him and intends to ride through our Cities Countryes Townes Families and make a great slaughter Rev. 2.6 and will yet be more terrible vers 17. the great day of his wrath is at hand and who shall be able to stand neither Kings great men Captains mighty ones nor any other sort can do it they will call on rocks and mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the face of him that sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb his eyes sparkled with fire his feet are like burning brasse and out of his mouth issue flames of fire and to set out the dreadfulnesse of this Judge Paul tels us he shall come in flames of fire 2 Thes 1.8 And as his appearance so his name will be dreadfull for he hath an unknown name belongs to him in his way of ruling and judgement Rev. 19.12 and this will be known when he sets up his Kingdome among the Jewes saith Brightman 3. That he is zealous in sentencing and punishing Malefactors he is pruna summe ignita and not only so but here is a fire within zeal in his breast a spirit of burning within you may see the zeal of Christ in Joh. 2.14 15 16 17. The Temple being a type of Christ and by divine appointment set apart for worship should not have been made a place of merchandize but Christ coming and finding in the Temple those that sold Oxen Sheep Doves and changers of money sitting made a scourge of small cords and whipt them out of the Temple like a company of Rogues drove out the Sheep and Oxen powred out the changers money overthrew the tables bid them take away their Doves and not make his Fathers House an house of merchandize they might have said All these are brought for sacrificing for publique service and the worship of God and what dost thou pretend Gods glory and take away his sacrifice we will whip thee out of the Temple and use thee as an enemy to God and his worship and it was a wonder they did not Christ being a poore man having no countenance from the Rulers and medling with rude fellowes and dealing with them so sharply and shamefully as to whip them out it was wonder they tore him not in pieces or stoned him to death for it Christs zeal was hot and carried him on to punish and disgrace those delinquents not fearing their rage or malice so Gods glory might be repaired This zeal in Christ was so intense that it warmed the hearts of his Disciples who upon it remembred what was writ of him The zeal of thine house hath eaten mee up How zealous was Christ in his carriage towards the Asian churches he tels Ephesus that except shee repent recover her first love and do her fitst works hee will come quickly remove her Candlestick out of its place and unchurch her Rev. 2.5 To Pergamus also he saith Repent for I come quickly and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth verse 16. So for Thyatira wherein Jesabel lived and did much hurt Behold saith Christ I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent of their deeds and I will kill her children with death c. vers 22.23 So for Laodicea how zealous is Christ against that zeallesse church I know thou art neither hot nor cold I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm I will spew thee out of my mouth Chap. 3.15 16. His proceeding with the churches answers his apparition to John in the vision which was with eyes as a flame of fire and feet like burning brasse Chap. 1.14 15. 4. That the divine nature of Christ
be it great or small short or long it hath this name in the Hebrew language Jer. 3.8 a Bill of divorce is mentioned the word in the originall is Sephar a book of Divorce It was the use of the Jewes to call any Writing though it had but a few lines in it Sephar a book And so a Catalogue that had not many names in it is called a book Mat. 1.1 The book or the catalogue of the generation of Jesus Christ This Book of Ezekiel is large having eight and fourty Chapters in it and may rather be called a Volume then Sephar a Book a Bill a Catalogue Some Books in the Scripture that are far less then this of Ezekiel have that title Esther which is not long hath this title Megillath Esther the Volume of Esther or the Book of Esther so it is in your Bibles The word cometh from Gabal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to roll or fold up for the use of the Jewes was to fold up their Writings as being the best way to preserve them from dust and other dangers These two words are sometimes found both together as in this Prophet Chap. 2. v. 9. There was sent unto the Prophet a hand and in it there was Megillath Sephar a roll of a Book The Jewes had many Megillaths many such volumes or rolls especially five which they did use at severall times There was the Megillath of the Canticles which they read at the Feast of the Passeover because it contained much of the love of God to the Church and in the Passeover they apprehended much of Gods love towards them 2. Then they had the Megillath of Ruth which was read a◠the Feast of Pentecost because it contained the Genealogie and originall of David their King who was so beloved and dear unto them 3. They had the Megillath of Ecclesiastes and that they read at the Feast of Tabernacles in memory of Gods protection of them forty yeers in the Wilderness because that volume did contain in it many acts of Gods providence which watcheth over his people continually The fourth was the Megillath of Esther which was read in the Moneth of Adar because that discovered the plot of Haman and the goodness of God that did deliver them from that imminent danger The last Megillath was the Book of the Lamentations and this contained as the summe so the bewailing of the Babylonish captivity which was grievous unto them This Book they read in the fifth Moneth which was answerable to the latter end of July These were all little books little volumes Ezekiel is rather a Megillath and Ezekiel must be one volume a book written in the Babylonish captivity some five hundred and fourscore yeers before Christ so that it is above two thousand two hundred yeers since this book was written From hence you may observe First the Wisdome of God in causing this and other books to be written A book is a writing the originall word signifieth to write Here is the wisdome and goodness of God that the Prophecies of Ezekiel and other Prophets should be written God will have his Church furnished with and regulated by written truths not unwritten traditions The Jewes they had their Cabbala which they say were full of secret Mysteries The Papists they have their Traditions they call them unwritten verities and wee call them unwritten vanities We have a sure word of Prophecie to stick unto and they uncertain fancies which corrupt the worship of God and indanger immortall souls Bellarmine hath a whole book de Verbo Dei non scripto of the Word of God unwritten such words of God wee acknowledge not It was the wisdome of God that the Prophets should write and that their writings should be extant When the Lawyer asked Christ what he should do to inherit eternall life Christ doth not send him to unwritten Traditions or to Jewish Cabbala's but he sends him to a known and written Law What is written in the Law how readest thou Luke 10.26 So wee must look to what is written and how we may reade not what they tell us was revealed to such a Saint and hath continued to so many generations and is the truth of God these are delusions The writings of the Prophets and Apostles are sufficient for us and wee acknowledge the infinite goodness of God in that these should be written for us to have resort unto If this Prophets others and Apostles works had not been written there would have been great inconveniences some things would have been forgotten some neglected many things corrupted and all things in time questioned and so the whole truth would have been without authority in the hearts of people Secondly see here the providence of God likewise in preserving this book of Ezekiel which was written in Babylon for there was the Prophet and there he had his visions for a book to be preserved in Babylon is a wonder The Law was lost in Sion in Manasses his dayes and found again in Josiah his time If the Law may be lost in Sion much more may a Prophecie be lost in Babylon and if not lost in Babylon yet it might have been left in Babylon if not left there it might have miscarryed in their return if not then yet when Titus and Vespasian took and sacked Jerusalem it might there have perished and been utterly extinguished and we never have heard of this Prophecie of Ezekiel But here is the hand of God manifested in it that though this Prophecie were revealed to Ezekiel in Babylon and run through so many hazards yet it should be preserved to this very day Again see where is the true antiquity This book was written five hundred and fourscore yeers before Christ two thousand two hundred yeers ago and is not this book now very ancient other Prophets and the whole Scripture are the true Antiquity Papists and many amongst us stand upon antiquity and what is their antiquity The Fathers or some Heathen Writers are their antiquity But what is the true antiquity but the Word of God That is Prima veritas and pura veritas the first truth and the pure truth that is the fountain all other are but muddy channels When any points are in controversie they flie to Fathers and to Antiquity and what is found there they take for truth but this is to desert God and run to man My people have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Jerem. 2.13 and hewed them out cisrerns broken cisterns that can hold no water I am the fountain saith God my Scriptures are the fountain of living waters yet they run to their own pits and cisterns that hold no water Some moth-eaten and old writings some ancient copies that have lain hid some hundreds of yeers from the world are brought forth obtruded upon people for truths and they must be truths But for your direction know that if they be not in the Kings Records what ever writings they be never regard
of the Lords house that Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon took away from this place and carryed them to Babylon And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the sonne of Jehoiakim King of Judah with all the captives of Judah that went into Babylon Here is a false Prophet contradicts all that Jeremiah had spoken touching the seventy yeers captivity The false Prophets likewise in Babylon they were at work and they strengthen the hands of the false Prophets at Jerusalem by their doctrine Jer. 29.8 9. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Let not your Prophets and your Diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you neither hearken to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed for they prophecy falsly unto you in my name I have not sent them saith the Lord. And in the 24 25 26 27 28. verses of the same Chapter you shall find that Shemaiah the Nehelamite sent Letters from Babylon to all the Priests and to all the people that were at Jerusalem accusing Jeremiah for a mad man for making himself a Prophet for sending Letters to them in Babylon for lengthening out the captivity to seventy yeers for incouraging them to build houses to plant gardens to eat the fruit of them he would have Jeremiah imprisoned and set in the stocks Thus Jeremiah was accused cryed down at home and abroad his prophecy was sleighted scorned by many and most were troubled at what Jeremiah had prophecied This made such work both at Jerusalem and at Babylon that the people of God were much despondent and their enemies mightily insultive Now hereupon the Lord stirreth up Ezekiel powreth out his Spirit upon him calleth him forth to prophecy setteth him a work to justifie Jeremiah and to ratifie what he had fore-told concerning the Babylonish captivity threatning ruine to the City and Temple to Kingdome and King to their Nobles Priests and all the people Hereupon saith Josephus the prophecy of Ezekiel as soon as ever it was written I conceive he meaneth not the whole Prophecy but some part of it was sent to Jerusalem but little fruit came of it For Zedekiah being then King and having seen it he would neither believe Jeremy nor Ezekiel but presently concludes that both were lyers and false Prophets and that upon this ground Jeremiah had said Chap. 21.7 that Zedekiah should be carryed captive into Babylon and Ezekiel denyed that he should see Babylon Chapt. 12.13 Hereupon saith Zedekiah they were both false here is a contradiction the one saith I shall be carryed into Babylon the other saith I shall not see Babylon But God quickly made this good 2 King 25.7 for shortly after Nebuchadnezzar came besieged Jerusalem took Zedekiah captive put out both his eyes bound him with fetters of brass carried him to Babylon which he never saw From hence by the way you may observe first upon what sleight and weak grounds Princes and people will cast off prophecies and truths of God even upon mistakes and misapprehensions Zedekiah could not apprehend what truths there were in these two prophecies had he compared one thing with another hee might easily have seen truth but small matters will make Princes and people turn off the truths of God especially when they are not sutable to their own spirits and in these dayes people can without much ado turn off any truths Ministers bring if they be not sutable to their apprehensions and fancies 2. That God will make good the word of his Ministers and Prophets though they seem contradictory to mens fancies and sense Jeremiah saith that Zedekiah shall go into Babylon and Ezekiel saith he shall not see Babylon God makes it good notwithstanding the prophecy is thrown away The word of God shall take hold upon Princes Nobles people and slay them if they have despised and stood out against it But from this generall scope of Ezekiels prophecy that hee is sent to strengthen and justifie Jeremy take this observation That it is good for Ministers to strengthen the doctrine works hands and hearts one of another A Prophet is questioned trod under foot his prophecy thrown out as false an Ezekiel is stirred up to justifie a Jeremy When Ministers justifie one another the work goes on with more strength when there is a double witness to a truth it will seal it more strongly to the heart God gave foure Euangelists one had been a great mercy but that things might be ratified in your hearts sealed up in your consciences you have foure Euangelists each one strengtheneth the doctrine and things of another So the consent of Ministers and Prophets is a great matter to ratifie truths in the hearts and consciences of people and to establish the Church It is good therefore for an Ezekiel to strengthen a Jeremy 2. More specially the scope of the Prophet is to comfort the captives that were then in Babylon for they began now to be troubled that they had hearkened to Jeremiah yeelded to the King of Babylon because Jeremy had prophecied that Jerusalem should be destroyed the Temple burnt and that all should be laid waste whereas Jerusalem stood still and now five yeers were gone and nothing done unto the City or Temple for it was in the fifth yeere of Jehoiachins captivity that Ezekiel began his Prophecie They now began to be discouraged that they had left their habitations that they had hearkned to Ieremy so far as to come to Babylon they were likewise disheartened in Babylon they met with much hardship there being put upon building planting sowing and other difficulties yea the Babylonians themselves scoffed at them and said Sing us one of your songs of Sion This made them to droop and to wish O that we were at Ierusalem again that we had never hearkened to Ieremy The Iewes also at Ierusalem reproched them and they said they were men of cowardly and base spirits discouraged with the words of a timerous and lying Prophet one Ieremy and thereupon yeelding themselves into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar they wretchedly betrayed the City Religion and their Countrey these things went to the very bowels and reins of the godly and did greatly disturb them Hereupon the Lord to support their spirits to comfort them in these their distresses and to be an Ezekiel even the strength of God unto them stirreth up Ezekiel sets him on work Lastly the scope of the Prophet is the same with the rest of the Prophets viz. to lead unto Christ as you may see by reading Luke 24.44 Act. 3.18.21.24 They spake of Christ and led to him but it is more especially aimed at by this our Prophet who begins with the Law executed a Captivity but ends with a Temple and restauration by Christ thereby leading the people that were captives in Babylon to Christ the King of Ierusalem In Ephes 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you have this expression That he might gather together in one all things in Christ the word notes to summe up or
heaven opened in this City in a week How many visions have you from the Prophets What manifestations of truths are there What discoveries of the minde and will of God to your souls are there in these dayes I saw visions of God saith Ezekiel and so may you The Word of the Lord came expresly The Hebrew is emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ssendo fuit om iâ—o fuit fiendo factuÌ„ est the Word of the Lord by being hath been or hath altogether been had much being in me Besides the visions I saw there was a reall communication of truths to my understanding evident and expresse commanands from God came unto me and it came so as it had entrance and abiding in me Accurate factum est there was an accurate and reall work of it upon me and in me Prov. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep sound wisdome the word for sound wisdome in the originall is that which is essence or being intimating that all other things are nothing and the Word of God that hath only substance and being in it making substantiall where it comes and so here it gave being and was an ingraffed word in the soul and heart of the Prophet so that the meaning is the Word came with that evidence and clearnesse unto mee that I could not withstand it it had such entity and substance in it that it made me of a common man a Prophet And the hand of the Lord was there upon mee The hand of the Lord is taken in two senses especially in Scripture 1. For judgement or punishment so you have it Acts 13.11 speaking of Elymas the Sorcerer saith Paul The hand of the Lord shall be upon thee and thou shalt be blind Gods hand was upon Elymas and he was stricken blind for perverting the Deputy In this sense it is not taken here 2. The hand of the Lord is taken for prophecy When the Lord doth come upon the sons of men and stirs up their spirits to prophecy that is the hand of the Lord. But yet this is not all It noteth the vertue and power of the Spirit of God which came upon the Prophet not shaking disturbing and throwing of him down as some Rabbies conceive but changing comforting elevating and exciting the spirit of the Prophet to see divine mysteries and notes also that efficacy and power which did set on the Word upon the heart and conscience of the Prophet that power which did subdue all opposition carnall reasonings and remove all impediments whatsoever stuck upon the heart of the Prophet and hindred him in that work which God would have him to undertake It is this hand of the Lord that makes the Word mighty spirituall lively according to that in Hebr. 4.12 the Prophet felt the intrinsecall vertue of this hand the Spirit of God in his own heart it was a quick and lively word unto him This intrinsecall vertue of the Spirit if it reached not the Prophets hearers yet it abode in the prophecy and it remains an efficacious prophecy to this day It 's worth inquisition what the vertue of the Spirit is expressed here by the hand of God There are three things in it The hand is 1. Symbolum roboris 2. Index veritatis 3. Instrumentum operationis 1. The hand is Symbolum roboris the Type or Embleme of strength therefore of a strong man we say he is a man of his hands that is the symbol of his strength So the Spirit of God is a Spirit of strength the hand of God notes the strength of God and the Holy Ghost is the power and strength of God Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee And greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world The Spirit of God that is in the hearts of his children he is of more strength then Beelzebub the prince of Devils and god of this world 2. The hand is Index veritatis the hand or finger doth shew a thing If you would have a man goe this way or that way you shew him or point him with the finger you direct him with your hand Salomon Prov. 6.13 speaking of the wicked man saith He teacheth with his fingers that is he shewes others by his hand to do wickedly the Spirit of God is Index veritatis this hand of God doth shew you the truth 1 John 16.13 14. He shall shew you saith Christ things to come He shall take of mine and shew it unto you It is the Spirit of Christ this hand of God that sheweth you all things you will never know truths till this hand point to them and teach you you may have notions in your head and guessings in your spirits and bosomes but the reality and certainty of things will never be attained to till the spirit of God acquaint you with them 3. The hand is Instrumentum operationis the instrument of action men do all by the hand therefore it is called the Organ of organs by the Philosopher So the Spirit of God that doth all Zach. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit I will do all by that saith God It is the Spirit of God that doth convince it 's the Spirit that doth convert it 's the Spirit that doth dictate and inspire godly men it 's the Spirit that sanctifies it 's the Spirit that leads into truth that comforts the Spirit is the great agent the hand of God by which God doth all his works It was the Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters at first the Spirit of God was the agent in the work of creation and the great agent in the work of redemption and salvation These phrases being thus opened observe hence 1. That the Prophet received what he delivered to them from God The hand of the Lord was there upon me and the Word of the Lord came expressly The Prophets must deliver to the people what they receive from God and not what they bring of themselves They must not bring their own visions their own conceits what seemeth good in their own eyes but they must bring the Word of the Lord to the people They must not speak according to the humours of the people as they move them as they would have them but they must speak as the Spirit of God moves them as God will have them 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 11.23 and Paul saith What I have received of the Lord that I deliver unto you he would not deliver any thing he had from the world or from himself but what I received from the Lord that I deliver unto you Ministers they are Gods Seeds-men and they must have their seed from God else they will sow tares 2. It is of much concernment for Ministers to see they have a good and clear Call to their Ministery Ezekiel here stands much upon it I saw
heaven opened I saw visions of God and the Word of the Lord came expresly to mee and the hand of the Lord was there upon mee Here were strong evidences of his Call to the work he was to go about Ministers are to be the mouth of God to the people and the mouth of the people to God both are weighty businesses they deal about the eternall truths of the eternall God your immortall souls and the everlasting condition of them The glory of God is concredited in a great measure unto them the great things of the Kingdome of Christ are put into their hands to dispense as God shall move and give them opportunity Had they not need therefore to see to it that their Call be right and to make it out strongly and clearly that God hath sent them If they can clear it up that God hath sent them they may expect his assistance his blessing his protection and successe in their labours How ever things prove this will be their comfort in the midst of opposition reproach persecution hazard of liberty and lives I was called of God I am in his work in his way he brought me into his Vineyard hee will stand by mee I will go on let him do with me what he pleaseth The clearnesse of a mans Call will add much comfort to a mans spirit in a black day it makes conscientious pitifull and painfull a Ministers call being evident the peoples consciences will be satisfied will receive his doctrine then will they look upon him as their Pastor and Teacher reverence him for his works sake and are likely to receive much good by him Whereas otherwise if the Calling of Ministers reach no higher then a Patron or Prelate there is seldome any good comes either to Ministers or people therefore it concernes them to look narrowly to it that their Calling be of God cleare and strong to themselves else they cannot make it out to others neither shall finde that comfort nor do that good which otherwise they might 3. That in corrupt times when Religion the Chuâ—ch and Gods glory are greatly indangered God then takes care to raise up some extraordinary servants to vindicate his truth in his people his glory all was brought now to a desolate condition false Prophets prevailed Religion suffered Gods honour was low and now God takes Ezekiel that was one of the ordinary Priests before and bestowes a larger measure of his Spirit upon him and raiseth him up to be a Prophet and sets him awork to do great things in Babylon Though now men be not called immediatly by the voyce of God and Christ as of old yet by extraordinary instincts and motions of Gods Spirit they were heretofore and are still put upon great services Philip was a Deacon by his ordinay Calling but by extraordinary instinct and hints of Gods Spirit he was raised up to be an Evangelist and to do greater service unto the Church of God So Luther that was a Frier at first by extraordinary instinct of Gods Spirit was raised up to purge errors out of the Church and to glorifie God especially in clearing the doctrine of Justification by Free grace So Zwinglius Wickliffe and others in our dayes God hath not left himself without witnesse at this day he hath stirred up the spirits of some to do him great and extraordinary services 4. That those Ministers are fittest to speak to the people that finde the Word of God to have being in them The Word of the Lord came expresly to mee the Word of the Lord had being in him was ingraffed in him When the Word is a word of being in our hearts then it will be a word of power in your consciences That which comes from our hearts will reach to yours and will be effectuall in you otherwise the Word is but an empty sound it cometh from the teeth outward and reacheth but to your eares and seldome goeth down into your souls 5. Take this note that there are principles of opposition in the dearest servants of God to the work of his Spirit It is said the hand of the Lord came upon mee invaded mee so some render it I stood out against God I had my carnall reasonings I had stubbornnesse and opposition in my will I said there was a Lion in the way and I pleaded hard against this work and service But the Spirit of God came upon me came mightily upon me came with a strong hand upon me as he saith came so upon me that it subdued all my carnall reasonings subdued the stubbornness of my will it removed all my shifts and pretences and brought me off to go about the Work of God Is it not thus with most Christians When you would pray when you would do good is not evill present with you But when the Spirit of God cometh upon you it will overcome that indisposition that sluggishness that opposition it will work down distempers and frame you sweetly to go about the work of a God as it did Ezekiel 6. That the Word and Ordinances of it that visions and revelations do the heart of man reall good when divine vertue goes along with them otherwise not What if Ezekiel had seen never so many visions what if God had spoken never so expresly unto him unlesse the hand of God had been upon him too unlesse the Spirit of God had improved those visions and ingraffed those words in him all had been as an empty sound all had been as meer shadowes and sights to him But when the Spirit of God goes along then there is efficacy and benefit in any Ordinance take away the Spirit from the Word and Ordinances of God and they will be but dry bones without meat or marrow take the Gospel which is called the ministration of the Spirit if the Spirit be not in it the choisest promises the sweetest truths there what are they they are Literae damnatoriae and Leges mortis they are letters and lawes of death to the soul When the hand of the Lord is upon an Ordinance and upon a man in that Ordinance then is there good gotten and then doth the soul gain 2 Cor. 10.4 Our weapons are mighty through God 7. That all spirituall good received and done by the Saints is from the operation of Gods Spirit which therefore is called Gods hand Luke 11.20 If I by the finger or hand of God cast out devils this finger Mat. 12.28 is called the Spirit of God If I by the Spirit of God cast out Devills That which is called finger in one is called the Spirit in the other Now doe men receive any good have you faith have you love patience meeknesse understanding zeale godlinesse any all graces It is this hand of God that hath wrought them Doe you doe any divine good unto others It is this Spirit of God that workes by you and inableth you to doe that good Act. 6.10 They were not able to resist the wisedome and Spirit by
the 26th to the end Some others put them all together and make them one Vision these being all parts of it Before I come to open this Vision or any parts thereof it will be needfull to shew you the scope of this Vision which will helpe us in the understanding of the same The scope of this Vision is to set forth the glory of God and this appeareth from the last verse of the Chapter where it is said This was the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord. The Spirit interprets all to be a manifestation of the glory of God This glory of God is evidenced two wayes 1. By his powerfull providence in the administration and ruling of all the creatures in the world For all creatures are under the command of God and he doth dispose of them for what services he pleaseth and not onely in the world but specially in the Church is his active providence preserving destroying as seemeth best in his owne eyes so that nothing is done there rashly or without his will nothing otherwise sooner or later then he hath decreed all creatures actions events come under his will rule and power 2. By a representation of Jesus Christ the Judge and Governour of this world who is the brightnesse of the glory of God and the expresse image of his Person and this from the 22. verse to the end of the Chapter as the other is from the 4. verse to the 22. This glory of God is presented to Ezekiel in this Vision for these ends 1. To breed in him an high reverence of divine Majestie The sight of great and glorious things doe awaken our dull heavie sensuall spirits naturally we are indifferent to the things of God and unlesse something transcendent and glorious be presented to us like Gallio we care little for other things therefore in Exod. 19.16 when the people saw the lightning and heard the thunder when God came downe upon the Mount in that glorious manner this awakened them and bred an awfull reverence in them of divine Majestie All the people that were in the Campe trembled 2. To prepare and fit him for entertainment of what God should speake unto him We are not alwayes in a frame to heare God speake there are great distempers in our spirits you have all experience enough of the truth of this therefore it is said Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God Be still let not your spirit be in a rage taken up with the world the cares feares pleasures and businesses of it be not parling with a lust but be still and know that I am God 3. It is to incourage him to his work and to frame his spirit to a ready execution thereof Ezekiel was to enter upon a heavie taske he was to deale with the stubborne Jewes a rebellious people He knew that Jeremiah had preached 35. yeares and other Prophets in times better then he was in and little or no good had been done upon this hard-hearted people Therefore lest Ezekiel should be discouraged that his heart might not faint but be quickned to the worke the Lord doth shew him his glory in these Hieroglyphicks his glory in these creatures his glory in his Sonne that so seeing the glory of God he might be warm'd oyl'd and incourag'd to run about this worke For the sight of glory is potent with a gracious heart to make it active for God We cannot says Peter and John in Act. 4.20 but speake the things which we have seene and heard Joh. 1.14 Mat. 17.1 2. Now they had seene his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God They had been in the mount seene Christ transfigured and his face shine as the Sunne And having seene his glory and heard his voice this incouraged them notwithstanding all difficulties to be active for him This was Gods way to appeare to his servants to incourage them to the worke he would set them about Exod. 3. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush To Joshua in a vision like a man with a sword in his hand Josh 5.13 2 King 6.17 Act. 10. To Elisha by horses and chariots of fire Peter being confirmed by a vision of a sheet let downe from heaven goes and preacheth to the Gentiles And Ezekiel here hath vision upon vision that so being strongly confirmed he might not feare the faces of Jewes or Babylonians but proceed with life and spirit about the worke he was sent Note The sight of Gods glory is very efficacious upon the spirits of men If God let out his glory it will worke strangely upon good and bad When they came to apprehend Christ saith he to them Joh. 18.6 I am he It is conceived that Christ let out some glimpse of his glory this did so astonish them that presently they recoyled and fell to the ground Isaiah when he saw the glory of the Lord Isa 6.5 6. he cryeth out Woe is me I am undone I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell among a people of uncleane lips And then God manifesting his glory so farre for his good that his lips were touched by an Angel Now Lord saith he here am I send me I am ready to goe though it be on a message of death though it be to root up Nations and Kingdomes So it was with Job I have heard of thee saith he by the hearing of the eare Job 42.5 6. but now mine eye seeth thee that is thy glory Wherefore I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes I will speake no more against God I will doe whatsoever thou shalt command or expect at my hands So Isa 40.5 6. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together And what then All flesh is as grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field There is no greater or more efficacious way to take off your hearts from the creature Videnti Deum omnis creatura est angusta then to behold the glory of God There was no man that ever saw the glory of God but he looked upon the creature as nothing afterward I looked and behold a whirlewind came out of the North c. In this Verse we have the first part of the vision and it is of a Tempest A whirlewind is a sudden wind which takes up what is obvious and carrieth it in a circular motion wheeling it about and hurling it here and there Theodoret calls it the blast of a storm the Septuagint a wind which takes away trees houses lesser things A Lapid and disperseth them Some have been eye-witnesses of whirlewinds in Italy which have taken away stabula cum equis stable with horses carried them up into the aire and dashed them against the mountains so mighty are these whirlewinds in some countreys Out of the North. The Northern winds are very piercing and if we respect the Prophet in this whirlewind it was to
fire that doth put forth it self and receive it self into it self like unto a wave of the Sea that riseth high and falleth into it self again or as in an House on fire the fire breaks forth strongly and the flame returns into it self presently The Septuag render it bright shining fire which comes out of a cloud viz. lightning Ignis fulguraens and how ever some think it not to be meant of the lightning because lightning goeth straight forth and never returneth according to that Mat. 24.27 The lightning cometh out of the Eâ—st and shineth even unto the West and so doth not infold it self yet we have Scripture to confute this conceit Exod. 9.24 there was fire mingled with the hail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word in the originall fire that doth infold it self And they that curiously observe the lightning may find that it doth oftentimes return into it self and passe as it were as a ball in the aire or as wound up into a Globe But this reacheth not the meaning yet in the Text A fire infolding it self Zanchius thinks it rather a fierie globe which remov'd in the cloud and like Cabbage leaves grow up into themselves and infolding make a Globe so the flames of this fire turned into themselves and became a globe and it 's probable to be this because it 's said there was a brightness round about it the fiery globe within begat that circular brightnesse which lightning being transparent could not do and the rather it's thought to be this then lightning because the colour is said to be as the colour of amber whereas if it had been lightning that is transient and the colour hardly observable therefore it should seem to be some fixed thing I conceive it to be vapours in the clouds kindling and burning into themselves the flame turning inward and making a globe Ignis se accendens Shindl. and thus I find it expounded A fire kindling it self and so it is most naturall to the cloud to have vapours in it which fire and kindle themselves and burn into the form of a globe Now what is meant by this fire infolding it self or this fiery globe is very doubtfull they that come neerest to the truth take it to be the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar or rather the wrath of God in using Nebuchadnezzar to burn the City and Temple but with submission to the judgement of the learned and godly I take the fire to be meant of sin the sins of Prince and people Priests and Prophets did kindle and involve them in the fire their own sins took hold of and consumed them Prov. 5.28 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his own sin A mans sins will turn upon him take hold of him and bind him and so here Jerusalems sins kindle upon her self take hold of her and burn her sin we find in Scripture cometh up to the nature of fire Prov. 16.27 In the lips of the ungodly there is a burning fire and it 's likened to fire because of the destructive nature whatsoever fire takes hold of it consumeth and so doth sin Job 5.2 Wrath killeth the foolish man and envy slayeth the silly one and Prov. 1.32 The turning away of the simple shall slay them So then Jerusalems sins the sins of Kings and Nobles the sins of Prophet Priest and people are here to be understood by this fire infolding it self which drew the wrath of God into Jerusalem and so kindled fired and consumed them all From hence note that the cause of Kingdomes Cities Prince and peoples ruine is in themselves their own sins are the fire infolding Hos 13.9 O Jerusalem thou hast destroyed thy self thou art the cause of thine own spoil and captivity thou hast set up the Calves worshipped them and they bleat so against thee that they have undone thee Israels sin was Israels destruction and so Jerusalems it was not the whirlewind nor the cloud not Nebuchadnezzar or his army that could have made one breach upon Jerusalems or led one soul into captivity if there had not been sin amongst them it was their own sin which kindled divine wrath and brought in their destruction otherwise they had been safe enough Jerusalem might have stood to this been as great and glorious as ever The principles of our mine are in our selves Iron breeds the rust garments the moths which devour them The ill humors in a mans body fire and consume the house by a burning feaver children breed the worms which bring them to their graves and States the sins which bring them to their ends where sin is bred and countenanced it proves consumptio totius families cities kingdomes go down where sin goes up Let not kingdoms therfore blame God or others but let them and all say The root of the evill is in our selves we should never be laid wast if we were true to God faithfull and close to the rule if we did not sin there would be no fire to consume us and ours A brightnesse was about it There being a Globe of fire within it sent forth beams which produced an answerable brightnesse which brightnesse the cloud being thick and dark of it self was a window to let in the Prophets eye to see what was in the cloud By this brightnesse is shadowed out unto us the terrible Majesty and glory of divine presence putting it self forth in the punishment of sinners As fire begets a splendor round about where it is so do the judgements of God set out to the world his glory justice holinesse Psal 9.16 The glory of his judgement in punishing ill doers is a solid constant spreading glory as that brightnesse was not flashie in the cloud occasioned by the lightning but fixt certain and on every side The note hence is that execution of justice upon delinquents makes God and Magistrates glorious there was a bright splendor in the cloud Exod. 15.6 upon the destruction of Pharaoh and his army in the red Sea it 's said Thy right hand O God is become glorious in power thy right hand O God hath dashed in pieces the enemy and in the greatnesse of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee This act of justice was a glorious and powerfull work so when God destroyed the Bethshemites 1 Sam. 6.20 Who is able to stand before this holy God say they The holinesse of Gods justice and power shine so clearly in the world that they dazle mens eyes and hearts and makes them tremble before God when Phinehas executed justice how honourable was he in the hearts of the godly what a great and glorious reward did he get by it Never was Solomon more honourable then when he executed justice between the two Harlots and called for the sword to decide the controversie our Magistrates are clothed with scarlet and they may think that makes them honourable but their robes never bring true honour to them
in pede ad quem pertinebat onus totius corporis quod per lincam rectam incumberet De Subtil they are called the strong men and Cant. 5.15 Christs legs are said to be as pillars of marble and Scaliger saith that mens firmnesse is in their feete on which the burden of the whole body directly depends Here then we have the firmnesse and constancy of Angels to goe on in Gods work no burthen can make them buckle no act no force can put them out of their way no wearinesse can make them sit still Angels will meet and stop Balaam and give him commands the Angel will have Lot out of Sodome The sole of their feet was like the sole of a Calves foot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As it were the sole of a round foot Quasi planta pedis rotundi pedes rotundos like a globe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cumt alaribus Horat. Ad omnen occasionem nutum Dei. so the Hebrew signifieth both round and a Calf that is fat and hath round feet smooth round and movable to carry any way the Septuagint hath it winged feet Mercury the Poets god was painted with shoes which had wings This sets out unto us both the swiftnesse of Angels of which before and also their usefulnesse to move any way to do service in any part of the world like a Bowle or Globe is equally disposed for motion into any of the four quarters of the world so are the Angels ready to move any way upon every occasion and hint from heaven man cannot do so one man is fit for one service not for all one is fit for counsell another for war a third for Sea a fourth for Land c. They sparkled like the colour of burnished brasse Steel or Brasse being polished or burnished shines very beautifull and sends out eye-dazling beams such as have much glory in them and by this colour of their feet we are led into these observations Obser 1. That the Angels are unpolluted in all their ministrations they contract no filth no soile to their feet when they are in motion they are pure spirits act purely and abide most pure their feet are like polished not polluted burnished not blemished brasse and so hold forth to us an example of purity in our ministrations that wee should be conversant in them so as to be unblemished 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up holy hands c. 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of persons ought yee to be in all manner of holy conversation here it 's answered like Angels 2. That the works of God by Angels or men done rightly with a streight foot that is done according to Gods will have much glory and efficacy in them they shine like the polished brasse there is their glory and sparkle there is their efficacy When the Angel destroyed Senacharibs host what glory and efficacy was in that work When the Angel came to Manoah and went up from him in a flame of fire how glorious was this sight how efficacious was the work in the heart of Manoah John preached the truth with a right foot and without delay when call'd to it and hee was a burning and a shining light Joh. 5.35 Herod found him so Mark 6.20 He feared John knowing hee was a just and holy man the glory of his justice and holinesse shines into his head and the power of them affected his heart hee knew hee feared actions done according to Gods will hold forth much of God in them 1 Cor. 14.24 If an unbeliever come in and heare them prophecy that is according to the minde of God carry the action as becomes the Church and the presence of God he is convinced and almost converted and saith God is in you of a truth hee sees so much glory feels so much power that hee can contain no longer c. Isa 52.7 Their feet are beautifull to your eyes and their actions are efficacious in your hearts Gods will is the Standard and measure of all actions and when they are done according to it they are very glorious and beautifull 3. That they are cheerfull in the wayes and works of God they go not dully about their service their feet do shine they have more delight in doing one act of Gods will then wee have in doing all the naturall acts of our lives you shall finde them in a sweet posture and frame alwayes Rev. 4.9 they give glory honour and thanks to God and Rev. 5. they are brought in singing and singing a new song which notes their cheerefulnesse and intention of it so in Luke 2. ver 13 14. Angels are the Quiristers of heaven they make heaven heavenly The last part they are described by is their hands VERS 8. They had the hands of a man under their wings SOme would make sixteen hands to each living creature or face but that 's not likely we finde no number set down and therefore will be content to leave that undisputed whether two four eight or sixteen Hands they had and hands of a man and that under their wings on their four sides The hand notes action Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findest to do do it with thy might So Prov. 3.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist 3. de anima The Philosopher calls it the Instrument of Instruments and saith God hath given to man two speciall Organs to the body the hand to the soul reason and look what use reason is of to the soul the hand is of the like use unto the body yea soul reason body are all beholden to the hand for the service that it doth the great things in families Cities Kingdomes are done by the hand Scalig. faith Scal. exercit 256. Nature hath armed man with three things Reason Speech Hands Reason is the hand of the understanding Speech the hand of Reason and Hand the Executresse of Speech that doth the commands all things would be as dead if the hand did not quicken them by the spirit and motion of art Obser 1. That Angels are fit for service they have hands and hands are not made in vain they are for work where there are no hands no power strength or way to put forth that power there is no fitnesse for service but Angels have power and wayes to execute that power they have hands not for ornament but for action 2. That Angels do their works rationally they have the hands of a man look as men do manage the works of their hands judiciously and wisely so do Angels there is nothing defective superfluous perverse rash indiscreet or culpable in their ministrations they know all circumstances and misse not in any how wisely did the Angel manage the businesse with Mary Luke 1.28 hee salutes her shee feares In the 30. verse hee comforts her and tels her shee should conceive and have such a son as never woman had and when she doubted of it ver 34. How shall this be seeing I know not man ver 35. the
Angel tels her The Holy Ghost c. And farther see the wisdome of the Angel he tels her ver 36. that her Cousin Elizabeth had conceived a son in her old age and that was the sixth moneth with her and how ever thou thinkest it impossible for thee that art young without man to conceive and for her is old with man to conceive ver 37. yet nothing is impossible with God 3. That knowledge must issue into actions Angels are full of eyes and full of hands too their actions are answerable to their knowledge Rev. 4.8 They are full of eyes within and they rest not day and night if they have no service in the world beneath they will be praising God above they know much and therefore act much Knowledge without practice is little worth Scire tuum nihil est n si te scire hoc sciat alter Pers if hid from others it is as nothing as not being saith the Poet Unlesse Learning Knowledge be improv'd it 's of no account the Egyptians painted a tongue and a hand under it to shew that Knowledge and Speech is efficacious and good Quid prodest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian when that which is known and said is done What good doth the unpracticall speech of Golden-tongued men Let men be Chrysostomes golden-headed and golden-mouthed if they be not golden-handed too it 's nothing God would not have us all eye and rest in knowledge Joh. 13.17 If yee know these things happy are yee if yee do them and Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his commands that they may have right to the tree of life happinesse is intailed to doing not knowing and the Angels seem to finde greater happinesse in doing Gods commands abroad in the world then standing alwayes in his presence Psal 103.20 They hearken unto the voyce of his word if he bid them go they are gone and account it their greatest honour to be doing they have hands and would not be idle knowledge without action is a man without arms it 's wine shut up in the vessell that doth good to none and will corrupt at last and ma◠the vessell such knowledge will be like the poyson that lies long in the body and at last kills without remedy 4. That Angels are great agents and do much service they have hands on their foure sides at least they had four hands and they were able to do much and great service some make more and no hands of theirs is idle one Angel can do more then thousands of men witnesse that great slaughter in a night and other things formerly spoken of Briareus a great doer is said to have an hundred hands 5. That God doth carry on his works here in the world by invisible vertue by hands under wings by wayes and means not seen There is vis plastica in the womb which forms and perfects the birth yet is not seen and in the womb of the world God hath vires plasticae which form and perfect his works yet not seen much is done by the power of Angels yet their power not seen Mighty things are done by Gods Spirit in the Ordinances in the Assembly in our hearts and yet Gods Spirit is an invisible agent the Minister the Word would not do it unlesse some invisible vertue went along therewith Zaeh 4.2 3. though none were found to powre oile into the Lamps yet God had Olive trees were not thought of nor seen Zachary saw not the Candlestick Bowle Lamps or two Olive trees till the Angel awakened him and made him see that God had wayes to communicate vertue unto the Church he knew not of and that though the Church were poor low not able to make a considerable Army to carry them to Jerusalem and plant them there yet he had his Spirit to work it out for them and therefore saith Not by might not by power but by my Spirit 2 Thes 2.8 The Lord shall consume Antichrist by the Spirit of his mouth and so the two witnesses Fire goes out of their mouths and devours their adversaries Rev. 11.5 in an invisible way by a secret work It was a hand under the wing that made peace betwixt Scotland and us that gathered this Parliament that hath and doth keep it it 's invisible vertue that hath made them unanimous and magnanimous invisible vertue that upholds this Kingdome that restrains the remainder of wrath that daunts the adversary that hath shaken the Prelacy and brought forth the great things in our dayes it 's the hand under the wing that hath opened the hearts and purses of many to further the great service in hand 6. That wee are to do Gods works without noise or notice of our selves Angels that are agents for God have their hands under their wings their actions are seen but not their hands In Jud. 13. when Manoah Catechized the Angel and asked him What is thy name v. 17. the Angel would not tell him but said Why askest thou thus after my name seeing it is secret ver 18. And you shall not finde the names of above two Angels in Scripture Gabriel and Michael Angels are jealous of Gods glory and had rather conceale their hands and names then God should lose the least degree of his glory for Manoah would therefore have known his name that he might have honoured the Angel afterward and we are very apt to look at the instrument and neglect the principall it 's wisdome to muffle up our selves and to hold forth God as much as may be Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works c. he doth not say that they may see you but see your good works and glorifie their father not you As Fishers they would have the bait seen not themselves they would catch the fish with their bait not scare them with their sight Mat. 6.1 Take heed you do not your almes before men to be seen of them almes must be given but wee and our hands must be hid Paul exhorts the Philippians to hold forth the word of life Phil. 2.16 not themselves but the Word of God which is the word of life 7. That their operations and presence are together they are not in heaven and so work on earth or in one part of the world and work in another but their hands are under their wings whither their wings do carry them there they act and not elsewhere The Angel came down to stir the water in the pool Joh. 5.4 and cure the Party that stept in first they have not that power to work at any distance 8. That Angelicall vertue and nature is hid from us it 's too high for our capacity their hands their operative vertue we cannot discover or see into a little of the Angels is presented to us by these faces wings feet hands c. but the distinct knowledge of Angels as Angels is reserv'd til wee are like the Angels in heaven therefore wee must
not intrude into those things which we have not seen vainly puft up with our fleshly minds but be content to be ignorant of their natures and many of their actions and excellencies till we come to glory Now from their parts we come to their motions and it 's said Vers 9 They turned not when they went they went every one streight forward Vers 12. And they went every one streight forward whither the spirit was to go they went and they turned not when they went Vers 14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning They turned not when they went Which way soever they moved they turned neither face wings nor bodies but went streight forward there was no digression regression wandring no circulation but their motion was streight they moved in linea recta they move and move not impertinently but directly By this motion of Angels is set out Gods government in the world they are his agents our Prophet seemes to crosse himself in ver 14. it 's said they ran and returned and ver 17. they returned not when they went here in this 9th they turned not when they went this knot must be loosed or else our Prophet will suffer The Solution of this doubt is that the Angels being in their work appointed of God went on without turning or looking back til they came to the issue and end of it til they came to the place appointed and then they returned unto God to give account of their service and to receive new instructions They went not back after the work was begun but after it was ended what ever difficulties interposed in the way none of them could drive back or divert the Angels till their work was done and then they presently returned Obser 1. That the works of God in ordering the things of the world are streight Angels are as Gods hands and in them is the agency of his work and they go streight on and there be no windings no turnings in their operations the works of God seem crooked to us but there is nothing crooked in them A Carpenter that builds a house hath some pieces of timber long some short some bowing some streight of all which hee builds a goodly house but some rude ignorant fellow understands not the reason of that diversity and when the work is done there is nothing seen defective but all is streight and perfect so in the works of providence and divine dispensations in the world they seem crooked and therefore some have called providence crooked and winding but no such thing is in them Psal 18.30 His wayes are perfect Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect take the work of creation providence redemption they be without obliquity deformity or defect but men are not so and the reason is given for all his wayes are judgement that is all his administrations all his doings are judicious right and equall 2. That Angels persist in and carry on their work they are constant and persevere Constantia est in proposito perseverantia in opere Charles the 5th his Motto was Plus ultra Faelicitatis index ultimus dies Solon they turn not back they give not over but proceed to the end they are not slothfull weary unfaithfull but active lively holding on to the end This may be usefull to our thoughts Angels go on and lively in their work shall we be lazy they persevere shall wee draw back or turn aside Lots wife looked back and she was turned into a pillar of Salt Gen. 19.26 she looked to the things behind which was unwarrantable and God did severely punish her shee had part of Sodomes judgements which were brimstone salt and burning Deut. 29.23 And she was made a pillar of salt to season after-ages with the feare not only of backsliding but also of back-looking Josephus saith hee saw this pillar in his dayes Antiq. l. 1. c. 12 which was neer two thousand yeers after but Borchardus that liv'd some 300. yeeres since saith it was in his dayes Adrichomius saith it 's yet extant and the Targum hath it that it will indure to the day of judgement Whether this materiall pillar be extant or not is doubtfull Christ hath set up a spirituall pillar that will endure to the end to make us faithfull to the end Remember Lots wife Luke 17.32 Look back and die go on in the wayes and commands of God and live It was the reproach of the Israelites that they would have gone back to Egypt and they died for it in the wildernesse Matth. 10. Hee that endures to the end shall be saved and Luke 9.62 No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the kingdome of heaven A man plowing if he look back endangers the Oxen which plow and must needs make crooked furrowes and mar all so one that hath begun to plow in Gods field if he look back he is unfit for heaven Exod. 17.12 Moses hands were steady till the going down of the Sun and so must ours till the Sun set till our lives end Gal. 4.9 How turne yee againe to weake and beggerly Elements Gal. 5.7 Yee did run well It 's dangerous when either of these come in against a people but the godly have a promise Jer. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee 3. That they keepe close to the work in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They fetched no compasse to what is injoyn'd they divert neither one way nor other as they give not over so they turne not aside upon any pretence whatsoever but hasten to the execution of what is commanded how un-Angelicall are wee that have such roving spirits in all our imployments thoâ—gh we look not back yet we look aside God complains This people draw nigh with their lips but their heart is farre from mee they are in my house and in my work but their hearts are in neither they look towards me as if they were my people but their hearts look another way as if they were worldlings hypocrites like Watermen they rowe one way and look another Ezek. 33.31 With their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse wee are too guiltie of this evill our hearts are seldome at home What 's said of the Harlots feete Pro. 7.11 They abide not in her house the same may be said of our hearts they abide not in the house When you walke abroad and keepe the path the Spaniel that is with you ranges over much ground and seldome is in the path so is it with our hearts we may be in the path of duties but our hearts ranging over the world heaven and hell Jam. 5.17 Elias prayed earnestly in the Originall it 's he prayed in prayer intimating a man may be at prayer in prayer and yet be a prayerlesse man not pray and that because the heart is not in it So in hearing you
when God by his Spirit lifted up the Angels to great imploiments then that Spirit lifted up the wheels the second causes to more then ordinary service and the word lifting up notes service a higher degree of it then before 2 King 19.4 Lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left Hezekiah sends to Isaiah when Rabshakeh blasphemed and Jerusalem was besieged and saith Isaiah thou art a Prophet and hast more then an ordinary measure of the Spirit lift up thy prayer let it be extraordinary such as may lift up the spirits of all to joyn with thee higher then ever such as may lift up Jerusalem out of misery So Jehoiaehin when he was set up upon the throne to governe and to do great service it 's said his head was lifted up Jer. 52. and so in Psal 12.10 the lifting up of Gods hand notes doing of some great matter The next thing inquirable into is the standing of the living creatures and the wheels when the one stood the other stood do the Angels stand still at any time they are active spirits and alwayes in motion Two things this standing implies 1. A cessation from any service in hand at the will and pleasure of God if he would call off the Angels from their imployments before they were finished In this sense the Angels are said to stand and so the second causes they used although they were both imployed in some other service or 2. When they had perfected any work in hand then they were said to stand not idle but in expectation of a new Commission like faithfull servants when their work is done present themselves before their Master and demand their pleasure so the Angels and second causes hearken what God will say more and what is the next word and work to be done they wait upon God for new instructions Observ 1. The motions of this inferiour world and the second causes in it do depend upon higher causes even heavenly motions the ministery of Angels The observation is plain from the words When the living creatures went the wheels went by them If the Angels move the wheels move also they are great things the Angels have in their hands the wheels of Nature of States and Kingdomes yea of the Church it self 2. Nothing in the world is casuall many things seem so to us but in veritate rei are not so all things here below move at the motions of others and that which is ordered by the motion of Angels or God himself cannot be casuall The wheels are moved by Angels Angels by God himself God directs all nothing happens falls out amongst us wherein the hand of God or Angels is not things are not accidentall if a thing could drop from the heavens or be done on earth without God and his Angels that were casuall and accidentall indeed And because men see not the immediate or remote causes of things who they be move the wheels on earth therefore they attribute effects events and accidentall things to fortune chance luck to good to bad dayes and hours which proclaims mens ignorance and forgetfulnesse of God Qui paratis mensam fortunae Hier. Qui ponitis mensam fortunae Vulg. Isai 65.11 Those that forget God prepared a table for that troop for Fortune some read it but those who know God acknowledge his eye and hand seeing and ordering all Austin misses his way and so escapes the danger of death was intended another being in a despairing humour seeks a knife a halter to undo himself and findes a great treasure a third hath his ring drops off his finger into the Sea and after finds it in the bowels of a fish God so directs all these accidentall things that there is nothing done but by a secret instinct and hint from himself Absconditum quid and in all such passages we should mind something of God 3. That nothing can let the motion of the wheels when Angels and Providence would have them stir When the living creatures moved the wheels went presently it 's not in the power of second causes of men or devils to hinder the work of God in the hand of Angels The King of Persia may withstand Gabriel 21. dayes together Dan. 10.13 but the wheels moved all the time Gabriel prevailed and Gods work prospered in his hand wicked men make head against God Providence Angels and think to stop the wheels when they move not on their side but all is in vain if a man should catch hold of a Chariot running to stop or turn the course of it were it not folly or madnesse in him and because he would be the Chariots remora that may prove his ruin so here men and devils do ruine themselves in opposing the wheels which notwithstanding all oppositions proceed and keep their course And let me tel you a riddle Gods works go on through the hearts heads and hands of his greatest enemies Providence fetches them in and makes them subservient to the worke they oil the wheels although they know it not and forward the work though against their wils God in this kind makes use of kine and cart men and devils yea any creature to carry his Ark to its place 4. That God doth sometimes raise the spirit of the creature to more then an ordinary heighth and inables it to unwonted service The living creatures and wheels were lifted up So Moses when called up to the mount his spirit was raised much else the service had been too hot and hard for him Joshuah was advanced when it was told him that there should not any man stand before him all the dayes of his life Josh 1.5 Jeremy tells the Jews that the Chaldeans whom they thought would depart and not meddle with their City hee tels them that though they had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans and that there remained but wounded men yet they should rise up every man in his Tent and burn the City with fire Jer. 37.10 When men are wounded thrust thorow as the Hebrew is they can have but little strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how should they be able to do it God would lift them up to that service as David when he grappled with the Bear and Lion incountred with Goliah had his spirit lifted up to a great heighth Hence that in Zachary 12.8 H◠that is feeble among you at that day shall be as David that is such a warrier as David who though a young stripling slew a Bear a Lion and Goliah and the house of David shall be as God and as the Angel of the Lord. The godly though weak yet shall be lifted up to divine and Angelicall strength this was made good in the time of the Maccabees when the people of God were weak Antiochus fierce and vile then God raised up the spirit of Judas Jonathan and Simeon to do extraordinary things this was also made good in the time of the Apostles what great things did they do and
the efficacy of the Spirit be in it if it be not quickned by the Spirit it is a dead letter Many thousands heare the Word who are fallen by Adams and their own sin but they are not set upon their feet as our Prophet was and the principall reason is the Spirit enters not into them it may stand and knock at the door but hath not entrance and therefore they are not lifted up out of their unbelief and other corruptions they are not removed from the Wildernesse to Canaan from the state of nature to the state of grace when therefore you finde such expressions in Scripture as that the Word is incoruptible seed 1 Pet 1.23 a burning fire Jer. 20.9 the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the Word of life Phil. 2.16 that it 's quick powerfull sharper then any two edged sword piercing to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit c. Hebr. 4. that it is converting the soul Psal 19.7 the grace of God that brings salvation Tit. 2.11 These and such like phrases you must understand not exclusively as if the word were and did so without the Spirit but conjunctively when the Spirit enters together with the Word then it is so the efficacy is not in sonitu ipso but proceeds ab arcano Spiritus instinctu all the vertue and operation is in the power of the Spirit neither is the Word uselesse it 's the Medium by which the Spirit works God is the Father of Lights yet is not the Son uselesse by it he enlightens us 5. That the Word is the Chariot of the Spirit when he spake Joh. 7.37 38 39. Acts 10.44 45 46 the Spirit entred into mee together with the Word of Christ went the Spirit that is vehiculum spiritus Joh. 20.22 Christ breathed upon them and that breath conveyed the Holy Ghost unto the Disciples so it 's the Word that carries the Spirit to men by the dispensation of the Word the Spirit is conveyed to our souls hence the Gospel is call'd the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 and the Ministers of the Gospel the Ministers of the Spirit vers 6. The Law which was from Mount Sinai the Apostle calls a dead a killing letter but the Gospel which came out of Mount Sion he calls the Spirit or ministration of it and therefore more fully in Gal. 3.2 he saith Received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by hearing of faith not by the works of the Law that was the ministration of death but by the Gospel that was the ministration of the Spirit so that the word of Christ transports the Spirit over to the hearts of those that believe and if search should be made whether the Spirit do alwayes accompany the Word of Christ preached unto the sons of men some inferiour degrees and works of it may be allowed to go along with the Word Act. 7.51 Yee stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost and Heb. 6.4 They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost there was something of the Spirit in the Word when it was preached unto these two sorts of Hearers the one resisted the Spirit in the Ordinance the other received the common gifts of it some weak operations of the Spirit may be yeelded alwayes to attend the Word but effectuall and powerfull do not the beams of the Sun are oblique and direct where oblique they produce weak effects where direct strong ones and so the operations of the Spirit are oblique towards all reprobates and the work is ineffectuall on them but direct upon the Elect and so strong efficacious 1 Thes 1.5 Our Word came not to you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost Chap. 2. v. 13. it wrought effectually in them 6. What God commands his he gives them strength to do it Stand upon thy feet saith Christ verse 1. there is the command and the Spirit entred and set him upon his feet there is the strength given to fulfill the command Commands import power and free-will in us say the adversaries of free-grace wee say no let them stand upon free-will and their own strength wee will stand to free Grace Ezekiel cannot stand upon his feet till the Spirit set him up much lesse can hee tread in the wayes of holinesse and walk in them being commanded the word of Christ did it not his own will did it not naturall reason and strength did it not Divina vox jacenti Prophetae jussit ut resurgeret sed surgere omnino non possit nisi in hunc omnipotentis Dei spiritus intrasset quia ex omnipotentis Dei gratia ad bona opera conari quidem possumus sed haec implere non possumus si ipse non adjuvet qui jubet Greg. Hom. 9. in Ezek. but the Spirit given did it Without mee you can do nothing Joh. 15. not much not something not a little doth hee say but nothing when Christ commands therefore hee gives power to do hee bids Lazarus come forth of the grave he had neither will nor power to do it but Christ hee gave spirit and power to do it When hee bid Sinners believe repent walk in the Spirit c. hee gives the power to do so hee doth it for them Deut. 10.16 they are commanded to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts and Deut. 6.5 to love the Lord with all their hearts these they could not do but God promises to do them for them Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love him with all thine heart and all thy soul we are commanded to feare the Lord Psal 22.23 Feare him all the seed of Israel and Jer. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee We are bid to make us new hearts and new spirits Ezek. 18.31 and Isa 1.16 to wash us and make us clean and see what sweet promises are made Ezek. 36.25 26. I wil sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you yea I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and yee shall keep my Statutes and do them Vers 27. We are bid believe and trust in God oft in Scripture and Ephes 2.8 we finde Faith is the gift God and Mat. 12.21 In his Name shall the Gentiles trust and Phil. 1.29 To you it is given to beleeve Christ bid the Apostles to go and preach the Gospel to all Nations Mat. 28.19 how could they being not languaged do it they might have said it 's an impossible thing but Acts 2.4 They were filled with the Spirit and every man heard them speak in his own language when God commands therefore wee must not look at abilities as Arminians and
and so to impudencie when the Calves were first mentioned in Israel the people trembled at it but afterwards they could kisse Calves and sacrifice to Baal Hos 13.1 and out-stand the threats of the Prophet Sin banisheth shame from its habitation so that the sinner and shame are disacquainted Psal 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischief O mighty man Doeg boasteth of his bloodinesse that hee had kill'd the Priests at the command of Saul Zeph. 3.5 The unjust knoweth no shame Though men foam out their shame Jude 13. and glory in their shame Phil. 3.19 yet they will know no shame It 's an exceeding evill to be past shame to be impudent in sinning if ever God shew mercie to such sinners they must be ashamed What fruit had you in those things whereof now yee are ashamed Rom. 6.21 yee were impudent in committing but now yee are ashamed in confessing and remembring of them 2. That where there is an impudent face there is a hard stiffe heart if the heart were not stony before God the face would not be impudent before man Act. 7.51 Yee stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart there was brawnishnesse within and impudency without and a hard heart is one of the greatest evills Mercies prevail not what mercies had they in the Wildernesse in Canaan and yet they did not move them Miracles will not do it when they took Christ hee said I am hee and they all fell backward to the ground after this Peter cuts off Malchus his ear Christ heals it here were two miracles yet they did no good upon their hard hearts they went on laid hands on Christ who wrought the miracles bound him as a malefactor and thought to make him sure for doing any more miracles Pharaoh saw ten miracles the Israelites woar a miracle about them fortie yeers their clothes and shoes ware not out they were new at fortie yeers end yet these wrought not upon their hard hearts Pliny tels of a river in Lucania that turns leaves and sticks into stones It is not fasting and prayer will do it many are hardened in them There be waters that what ever is cast in they turn into stone and some mens hearts grow stonie in what ever Ordinances they are A hard heart is a grievous disease worse then the stone in the reins or bladder It was Nabals disease and death and most men are sick and die of that disease 3. That God sends his Prophets and Ministers about hard services such as are full of discouragements when they are look'd upon with a carnall eye Ezekiel had presently to object Lord wilt thou send mee to a people that is impudent I shall never make them blush to a people hard-hearted I shall never make impression on their spirits by any truths I shall preach unto them my labour will be in vain are they a rebellious nation do they rebell against thee and will they not much more rebell against me this is a hard task if thou regard'st not me yet regard thy truths What shall they be cast away about such a people as this O spare me and spare thy truths No saith God I send thee unto them and thou shalt speak unto them they are hard tasks that God puts his servants upon Isaiah was called to a hard service Chap. 6.9 10. to preach ruine and destruction to a people and so unwelcome he was that he saith Chap. 8.18 I am for a signe and wonder in Israel Jeremiah is set over nations and kingdomes to root out Quid est praed care nisi furorem populi in se derivare Luth. to pull down and to destroy Chap. 1.10 the Kings of Judah the Princes Priests and People he was to deal withall and Vers 19. it 's said They shall fight against thee Preaching provokes all sorts of men and so hard did Jeremiah find his work although God promised to be with him he was so derided saw so little good come of his labours that he resolved to lay down his Calling and to speak no more in the name of the Lord Jer. 20.9 Knox when called to preach he burst forth into an abundance of tears and so withdrew himself to his chamber and was full of grief and troubled till he was compell'd to preach Preaching is a warring 2 Tim. 2.4 and Preachers are souldiers hence Paul calls Timothy a good souldier of Christ and when we come to spoil and plunder people of their goods their lusts wills humours opinions and to take away their strong holds their carnall reasoning against Christ in the Gospel and wayes of God they are in a rage take up arms against us Paul fought with Beasts at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15.32 and they gored him and sought his death The Galatians that would have at first pull'd out their eyes for Paul thrust out their tongues against Paul hee was their enemy because hee told them the truth those cryed Hosannah a little before were ready to cry Crucifie crucifie hardly a Prophet or an Apostle but suffered by the hands of their hearers 4. Ministers should not so much look at the persons they are sent to or the event of their ministerie as at their Call I send thee saith God look thou to that trouble not thy self at the persons that are so wicked nor at the successe of thy ministerie but consider I have call'd and sent thee Gods will and command must content us support us what if wee be scoffed at reviled made the off-scouring and filth of the world yet here is the comfort of a true Prophet of a true Minister Christ sent him and hee that set him awork will pay him his wages whether they heare or heare not to whom hee is sent the Nurse hath her wages whether the childe live or die and wee are a sweet savour of Christ unto God in them that are saved and in them that perish 2 Cor. 2.15 The souldier hath his respect and reward whether hee kill men or take them alive and wee are acceptable unto God as well in the deaths as the lives of men This consideration comforted Isaiah Chap. 49.4 5. I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God and though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength Hee would look at God and not at the difficulty of the work or discouragements from men and want of successe sometimes God gives large incouragement promises hope successe providing for our infirmities at other times bare a commission and command must suffice to do that would make ones heart ake it 's his prerogative to send whom he will and upon what service he will Let us lay aside all discouraging thoughts look to our Call rest in Gods will and know it's honour to be in his service though nothing come of it wee are acceptable to him if not to men and shall
to let you know what you must look for Matth. 10. You shall be hated of all men for my names sake you shall be carryed to the Court you shall be scourged and whipped like rogues you shall be brought before Governours you shall be put to death hee tells them all of these things First because it was the way to arm them against those evills we say praemoniti praemuniti men forewarn'd are forearm'd Secondly that they may have no cause to complain they met with worse matters then ever they heard of Thirdly to strengthen their faith when they should see such things fall out they might say these be the things which were foretold and are tokens that we are in Christs way God began the world with this method Gen. 1. The evening and the morning was the first day it is not the morning and the evening but you must have night before day a winter before a Spring and thunder and lightning before a calm and this is Christs way therefore if you intend heaven think not to meet only with ease These things are all generall we come now to more particular Observations 1. Then wee must walk warily though wicked men be not to be fear'd yet they are to be heeded non timendi sed cavendi sunt impii When Christ sent out his Apostles hee tells them what Thorns and Scorpions they must be amongst men as cruell as Wolves that would persecute unto death and what saith he Be wise as Serpents Matth. 10. innocent as Doves keep your selves from their scratching their stinging their teeth do not you inconsiderately run into their harms give them no just cause or occasion of mischieving you Be innocent as Doves without horns without pushing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 going wronging any only be wary and defend your selves as the next Verse is Beware of men look to them they are dangerous creatures Wolves Thorns Serpents are not so dangerous as they be exact therefore circumspect yet not so cautelous as to prejudice duty or multiply feares for Ver. 26. it 's said Fear them not he had told them they should be hated Vers 22. courted scourged Vers 17. persecuted from place to place Vers 23. put to death Vers 21. yet they must not feare but they must beware of men he saith not beware of devils they were subject unto the Disciples through Christs name but men would not be subject therefore beware of them Aelian tels us O creatos dormiâ—e solerc in Lybia men slept with their boots on because of the Scorpions that they might not sting them let us not sleep but walk booted I mean let us be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Ephes 6.15 be shod with a disposition unto peace let us be peaceable harmlesse innocent and heedy of our conversation that they do neither scratch nor sting us 2. Publique and great designes cannot be carried on with ease and speed there be Thorns and Briers in the way yea Scorpions some difficulty or other Sluggards pretend Lions in the way but publique active spirits when they are upon weighty affaires find Lions in the way Joshua when about a great work to take Ai there was an Achan in the way to make a great demur and had almost overthrown the design Josh 7. Nehemiah had a great work in hand and were there no obstacles to let Tobiah and Sanballat were in the way they scoffed they complied they arm'd threatned yea the Nobles of Judah give intelligence to Tobiah Neh. 6.17 The work of reformation now is a great and good work and are there no obstacles in the way yea there be thorns and heaps of them which have prick'd and lam'd some Scorpions which have bit and stung others that they move not or very slowly in this great work some are unwilling some unfaithfull some insufficient some deeply guilty of foul fins which puts the work more back in one day then they can forward with their hearts heads hands purses and lives in many dayes there are men imploy'd that are Achans Sanballat's Judases we have much policy and carnall wisdome and think by that to speed great works to their period but this is I will not say the only but a principall Remora while we will cart the Ark and carry on things upon the shoulders of policie we are in danger to lose the Ark yea in danger to lose all we will not yet see lay the finger upon the right sore and goe to the root of evils things of weight in State or Church have their lets rubs mountains and come not to birth in the day of expectation this should keep our hearts from sinking and our tongues from censuring when great designes sticke and come not to perfection Molestum impeditum cursum Let us remember there bee Thornes Scorpions in the way Pitie and pray for the Parliament Armies Magistrates and Ministers who have difficult and dangerous work 3. Wonder not that men in place are scratched in their credits and wounded in their estates they dwell among Thorns and Scorpions the fleece and flesh suffer by them many times Nehemiah is a rebell Elijah a troubler of Israel Christ an enemy to Cesar and Paul a seditious and pestilent fellow the Israelites could not goe through the wildernesse without being stung with the fiery Serpents Daniel escaped the teeth of the Lions in the Den but not the sting of the Scorpions in the Court Men that goe into the war must not think to escape all bullets and blowes Magistrates and Ministers are Gods Souldiers they both beare the sword Jer. 1.19 they shall fight against thee and it must not seem strange if they get wounds When Adam and Manasses are among the bushes can lesse be expected then scratches it's the nature of wicked men to blast and bespot the name of others they have learned and doe practise the Devils or the Jesuites doctrine Reproach to purpose Calumniare fortiter aliquid haereb t. and somthing will fasten But let the wicked black God will white wash the names of his Daniels innocencie was cleared up to the King himselfe Dan. 6.22 Christ saith Woe to you when all speak well of you Luke 6. He never saith Woe to you when men speake ill of you he is so farre from that as hee fastens a blessing upon it Matth. 5.11 Blessed are you when men speake all manner of evill of you falsly for my sake Basil saith when men defame us we are sory for them else I should almost have said wee acknowledge thankes to them for their blasphemies as procurers of our blisse Eorum detractatio est vitae tuae approbatio It 's honour to be reviled of the wicked their calumniation is our commendation then a man shewes himselfe a man of God and for God when he displeases those please not God Seneca could see on which side Right was when he said Argumentuâ— est recti malis displicere 4. Seek not
Angels sees the course and motion of things in the world had the Spirit enter into him comforting him assuming and assisting him and now he is a desolate an astonished man he sits as one forsaken of all here was a great change and it was not Ezekiels case alone others even all the Worthies of God have found the like David was strong through divine favour and quickly troubled for the want of Gods face hee had his singings and his sorrowings Psal 30. hee was oft in the valleys Psal 25.16 17. I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are inlarged and Psal 143. My spirit is overwhelmed my heart within me is desolate Paul is one day rapt up into the third heavens and another day hee hath a thorne in the flesh if hee have the revelation of the Spirit to exalt him hee hath the buffettings of Satan to humble him Paul himself knew changes 4. Distempers of spirit fasten and continue oft with the servants of God Ezekiel was in his distemper of bitternesse and heat of spirit seven dayes it 's not easie to shake off distempers when they have taken hold of us Jonas was in an ill humour and frame of spirit many dayes together hee must be drencht buried and boyl'd in the Whales belly ere hee will be pliable to the Will of God when Vzzah was smitten for his error David was displeased and in a pet with God himself and would not bring the Ark in three moneths to Sion 2 Sam. 6. 5. Distemperednesse of spirit unfits for the service of God Jam. 1.19 20. Per iram sapientia perditur ut quid quâ—ve ordine agenduâ— sit omnino nescâ—atur Greg 5. Moral c. 30. he fits seven dayes and nothing is done The Apostle James knew this and therefore said Be slow to wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God wrath darkens the mind and puts all out of frame wise men in their wrath see not their wayes nor work when the light of Reason truth and the Spirit is gone what can a man do befitting God wrath makes men bungle in their own businesses Per iramlux veritatis amittitur Spiritus sanctâ— splendor excluditur ibid. much more in the Lords it works not the righteousnesse of God but it s own righteousnesse that seems right in its own eyes that shall be done Ezekiel thought it right not to prophesie not to submit to the will of Christ and work of the Spirit but his passion was prejudice to him and to the work of God it 's evill when wrath prevents reason forceth it to action Aquin. 3. p. q. 15. art 9. then what ever is done is the work of anger not of reason not of righteousnesse when wrath hath the kingdome when that is in the head and heart there is no place for the righteousnesse of God Vbi est ira ibi non est Dominus sed amica Satanae l. 2. Const this made Clem. say where wrath dwels God dwells not Wrath is a speciall friend of Satans many of his counsels and designes are effected by it the more of this humour the more service hath hell the lesse of it the more serviceable for heaven Moses was the meekest man upon the earth and he did most work for heaven Christ was meeker then all other and he did work the righteousnesse of God effectually hee did work for heaven and earth 6. That the Prophets could not prophesie at their pleasure Ezekiel sits seven dayes and there 's no prophesying Aquinas hath a question whether prophecy be a habite if it were so it is in the power of man to use it any time but so could not the Prophet when the Shunamites son was dead and shee came to Elisha what said hee Her soul is in bitternesse and the Lord hath hid it from me 2 Kings 4.27 and hath not told me unlesse the Lord reveal himself unto them de novo the Prophet could not tell things the School-men therefore conclude that prophecy is not in the Prophet per modum habitus sed per modum impressionis transeuntis habites are permanent things but prophecy is a transient thing as light in the ayr for as the ayr doth alwayes need a new illumination so the mind of a Prophet doth alwayes need a new revelation else the Prophet sits in darknesse and knowes not more then other men Lam. 2.9 Her Prophets find no vision from the Lord and so in Psal 74.9 There is no more any Prophet neither is there among us any that knoweth how long It was night oft with the Prophets Nathan spake not from heaven when hee bid David go and do all was in his heart touching the building of God an house for it is said that night came the Word of the Lord unto Nathan 2 Sam. 7.3 4. before he had not a word and when it came it was not for David but Solomon to build the house Aliquando Prophetiae spiritus deest Prophetis nec semper corum mentibus praesto est Hom. 1. in Ezek. so that it 's true which Gregory saith Sometimes the spirit of prophecy is wanting to the Prophets and their mindes are dark Samuel mistook when hee said Surely the Lords anointed is before him 1 Sam. 16.6 7. VER 16. And it came to passe at the end of seven dayes that the Word of the Lord came unto mee saying 17. Son of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore heare the word at my mouth and give them warning from me 18. When I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand 19. Yet if thou warn the wicked and hee turn not from his wickednesse nor from his wicked way hee shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul IN these words and the rest to the end of the Chapter is a new Revelation made to the Prophet together with the events following thereupon or thus 1. You have the Call of the Prophet to his Office renewed and that is in the words read and on to the end of the 21th Verse 2. Speciall directions and events laid down from the 21th verse to the end of the Chapter In the words read you have First the circumstance of time when this repetition of his Call or new Revelation was made and that was after seven dayes v. 16. Secondly his Office specified which is to be a watchman v. 17. Thiâ—dly the parties he is to watch over and admonish 1. In generall laid down and that is the house of Israel ver 17. 2. More particularly 1. The wicked vers 18 19. 2. The righteous vers 20 21. Fourthly the reasons of it why he must admonish both sorts The first is ab incommodo the danger and mischief of it