Heylin ubi ante because those Lydians were too farre off to be helpfull to the Egyptians he therefore makes it to be Lydda Acts 9.32 where Peter heal'd Aeneas This City was in the Tribe of Ephraim near unto Joppa It was therefore taken by Nebuchadnezzar before when he took Jerusalem and made the whole Land Tributary unto him The distance of Lydia was not such as to hinder the Egyptians from confederating with them they were on the one side of the Mediterranean Sea and the Lydians on the other And all the mingled people Montanus saith All the Vulgar The Hebrew is Col haeref which Junius Piscator and Others render tota miscellanea turba all the mixt Company that is those that came from other Parts to be milltes conducti to serve the Egyptians for pay When Wars are among Nations strangers will flock out of all Parts unto them to be their Auxilaries Some make them the Arabians Chub. This word is no where else in holy Writ Symmachus thought it to be Arabia but Interpreters by it understand the Cubaeans people in the inward Lybia near unto the River Nigris where Ptolomy in his Geography places the City Cuphe The Men of the Land that is in League The Hebrew is Filii terrae foederis the Sons of the Land of League Piscator translates the words thus Qui degunt in terra confederata those who live in a Land confederate that is these were confederate with the Egyptians Some put these words upon the Nations which had engaged themselves to help the Egyptians Others more probably put them upon Judaea which was the Land in League with God for God promised it to Abraham and his Posterity whereupon the Jewes were cal'd the Children of the Covenant Acts 2.25 And the Septuagint here have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sons of my Testament or Covenant The Jewes were in League with the Egyptians and after the destruction of Jerusalem Gedaliah being treacherously slain by Ishmael and others Johanan carryeth the Jewes the Sons of the Land in League into Egypt where they suffered by Nebuchadnezzar what the Egyptians did Jer. 43. and 44. Chapters Some fell by the sword some were carryed Captive First Observe After dayes of mirth come dayes of sorrow Egypt had seen many dayes of prosperity and rejoycing and now howle ye woe worth the day Her Summer was over and Winter coming upon her black cloudy stormy terrible days were at hand As there is a change in things so in times Eccles 3.4 There is a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance These succeed each other and neither keeps possession long mirth and jollity is thrust out of doors after a few dayes by its contrary Babylon had her dayes of delight she was given to pleasure Isa 47.8 but suddenly there was a change Jer. 51.8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed Howle for her Secondly Observe The approaching of those dayes wherein God will visit and punish sinners is just cause of mourning Howle for the day of the Lord is near a cloudy day The Judgments of God were at hand ready to take hold of the Egyptians therefore they had sufficient cause to howle Isa 13.6 Howl ye for the day of the Lord is at hand It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty It s spoken of the Babylonians who thought themselves safe strong having subdued most Nations but they must howl for that the day of the Lord drew near it should be a day for destruction and not an ordinary destruction but as a destruction from the Almighty it should be such a destruction as should proclaim to the world that the hand of God was eminently in it Joel 2.1 Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord comes for it is nigh at hand The time of Nebuchadnezzar's coming to execute the judgements of God upon Jerusalem and Judaea drew nigh and thereupon the Prophet calls upon all the inhabitants of the land to tremble to repent and mourn there is great and just cause so to do at such times because thereby judgements may be averted delayed mitigated or sanctified unto us Thirdly Observe God hath his times to visit heathens it shall be the time of the heathens If heathens do God any service he hath a time to reward them as he did Nebuchadnezzar by giving him the spoil of Egypt if heathens do provoke him by their pride idolatry profaneness oppression of his people or any other way he hath his time and day to punish them Jer. 46.8 9 10. Egypt riseth up like a flood and his waters are moved like the rivers and he saith I will go up and cover the earth I will destroy the City that was Carchemish by the river Euphrates and the inhabitants thereof Come up ye horses and rage ye chariots and let the mighty men come forth the Ethiopians and the Lybians that handle the shield and the Lydians that handle and bend the Bow For this is the day of the Lord God of Hosts a day of vengeance that he may avenge him of his adversaries The Egyptians Ethiopians Lybians and Lydians were all heathens and God had his day to visit them when they went to Euphrates to fight the Babylonians he made the Babylonish sword drunk with their blood Not long after God had a day for the Babylonians Jer. 50.27 Slay all her bullocks let them go down to the slaughter wâ— unto them for their day is come the time of their visitation The Princes Nobles great Ones who were the Bullocks of Babylon had their day of slaughter Fourthly Observe Where publike judgements come they are troublesome to neighbor Nations The sword shall come upon Egypt and great pain shall be in Ethiopia The evil of the sword was not confined within the Egyptian borders it reached to the Ethiopians and others they were filled with fear they were in pain as a woman in travail when evil borders upon us some evil or mischief is to be feared from thence Aliquid mali propter vicitâ—m malum if our neighbors house be on fire we may fear some sparks of that fire may fall on ours The wars of England have made the Nations about us to be in pain Fifthly Observe Wars lay all waste the sword makes no difference between things or persons The sword shall come upon Egypt and her foundations shall be broken down and the men of the land that is in league shall fall with them by the sword As the sword spared no City Towers Castles so no persons even those Jews that fled to Egypt for safety should not escape what Jews what mingled people it found in Egypt they all suffered alike the sword pittyed spared none Vers 6 7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord they also that uphold Egypt shall fall and the pride of her power shall come down from the Tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the
sword saith the Lord God And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted And they shall know that I am the Lord when I have set a fire in Egypt and when all her helpers shall be destroyed In that day shall messengers go forth from me in Ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid and great pain shall come upon them as in the day of Egypt for lo it cometh IN these words is further set forth the destruction of Egypt with those that were her strength and confederates as also the events following thereupon Vers 6. They also that uphold Egypt shall fall The Hebrew word is Somechee which Montanus renders fulcientes the Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fundamenta the foundation of Egypt These upholders or foundations were not the titular gods but the Princes Nobles Rulers and confederates who by their power pollicy persons and estates did assist the King of Egypt The pride of her power shall come down Egypt had strong Towns Castles men and presumed upon was proud of them but these should be destroyed and taken away so should her pride come down The Vulgar is destruetur superbia Imperii ejus the pride of her Empire shall be destroyed What ever Egypt confided or gloryed in that should be brought low Egypt was lifted up with her power and sate like one on the top of a Mountain and God by his judgements would bring her down From the Tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword Of the Tower of Syene or Sevene was spoken Chap. 29. 10. The meaning is that the sword should pass through all Egypt from one border to another Vers 7. And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate This verse is the same with the 12. verse of the 29. Chap. Egypt and her Cities should be like other Lands and Cities which were extreamly wasted Vers 8. When I have set a fire in Egypt When God brought the Caldean Army into Egypt there was a fire in it dreadful and consumptive The wars were terrible and devoured all things like fire and its probable many strong Cities and Holds were burnt with fire When all her helpers shall be destroyed Egypt being rich powerful and renowned had many confederates which here are called helpers The French is Tous teux qui luy donno yent aide are those that gave her aid they should all be vain helpers for they should not secure or save themselves Vers 9. In that day shall messengers go forth from me in Ships In that day when Egypt was conquered Messengers not Chaldeans but Egyptians or some that escaped the sword fled into Ethiopia to inform them what the Chaldeans had done and in what case they left Egypt They are said to go forth from God because they went by his counsell and providence or because they fled from his angry countenance which appeared in the destruction of Egypt for the original is from my face God sent them to carry tydings of his dreadful judgements to the Ethiopians They went in Ships Batzim in some vessels that were for speed the Septuag is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hastening To make the careless Ethiopians afraid Nebuchadnezzar passed through the oriental Ethiopia to come to Egypt and these Ethiopians seem to be the African Ethiopians and when Egypt was spoiled from one border to another even to Syene he was near it his passage lay fair open and easie into it and it s not said that Nebuchadnezzar should not go beyond Syene but that Egypt should be made desolate from the Tower of Syene to Cush that was the other Ethiopiae The messengers hasted to this Southern Ethiopia the inhabitants whereof were a secure careless people assured them the sword had devoured Egypt and was come to their gates this struck fear into them The Hebrew word to make afraid is Charad which notes externam commotionem ex metu mali outward trembling from fear of some suddain evil such tydings put all Ethiopia into trembling And great pain shall come upon them as in the day of Egypt When sad and grievous judgements are upon a place that is called the Day of that place as the day of Jerusalem Psal 137.7 In the day of Jerusalem the Edomites said rase it rase it even to the foundations thereof When Nebuchadnezzar besieged took spoyled and burnt Jerusalem that was the day of it so here in the day of Egypt that was when the plagues were upon it especially when their first born were slain then were they in great pain When the land was in travail and when they were all drowned in the red Sea then great pain was upon all the Nations round about so here Ethiopia should be in travail filled with feares and shaking fits as Egypt and the Nations then were Observe First When God will visit a Nation it 's not their great Ones in it or confederates with it which can secure it They that uphold Egypt shall fall the Princes Nobles Counsellors Associates and whosoever were in league with her should all feel the hand of God and be crushed with her when men do storm a City it 's not her Out-works her Walls her Gates her Towers that can preserve her and when God will destroy a Nation it 's not outward nor inward helps can uphold No pollicie no power no number can stand it out against God Observe Secondly States are not to confide in power but pride and confidence therein hastens their ruine Egypt had power was proud thereof and confided therein and the Lord said the pride of her power shall come down Is 16.6 We have heard of the pride of Moab he is very proud even of his haughtinesse and his pride but his lies shall not be so He thought himself strong secure but his pride confidence did deceive him For vers 7. Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab every one shall howl The Moabites amongst themselves should howl one for and with another for the foundations of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn surely are they stricken Kir-hareseth was a chief City for strength in which they placed much confidence and to which they fled in their streights but her foundations were stricken and their hopes disappointed and the pride of their power brought down It s the pride of States and Princes which levels them with others Isa 10.12 I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks Senacherib prided himself in his great Army and presumed he should take Jerusalem and eat up all the prey thereof but his high looks were abased his confidences his ruine 2 Kings 19.35.36 37. Observe Thirdly God sends dreadful and consumptive judgements upon Nations and makes himself known thereby They shall know that I am the Lord when I have set fire in Egypt and when all her helpers are destroyed It
hands of the wicked The Lord gives he doth not sell The word for selling is Macar which signifies to give to deliver as well as to sell and the Septuagint saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will give the land those who sell do deliver what they sell into the hands of others and this is attributed to God metaphorically for that he disposed of the land of Egypt to others that is the Chaldeans who are called wicked the Vulgar hath it in manus pessimorum into the hands of the worst I will make the land waste and all that is therein Egypt was a land abounding with men horse charets wealth Cities and all desirable things but God would make it desolate and all the fulnesse of it so the words are in Hebrew for all that is therein it had a fulnesse of all things and by the hand of the Chaldean it was emptied who in the next words are called strangers because they were such to the Egyptians I the Lord have spoken it These words are a ratification of what is threatned Ezekiel hath not spoken a vision of his own or from his own spirit but what is said is the word of the eternal God I the Lord have spoken it I have determined it shall be so and nothing shall lett it Observe First God hath wayes to empty lands of their mâ—â—titude and fullnesse Egypt had her multitude of men of beasts of Cities of riches she had her fulnesse of all things and God had an Army a multitude of Souldiers to plunder and spoil her to empty her of all her multitudes and fulnesses Jerusalem had its multitudes and fulness but Nubuchadnezzar emtyed her and made her like an empty vessel Jer 51.34 Babylon had her multitudes and fulness of Treasure Jer. 51.13 and God had Fanners to fan her ver 2. and empty her land those Fanners were the Medes and Persians who scattered the Babylonians and made a Prey of their Treasures Secondly observe When God will execute severe Judgments he makes use of suitable Instruments He intended utter destruction to Egypt and the terrible of the Nations were brought to destroy it Nebuchadnezzar had men out of many Nations and the terrible ones of those Nations by the secret hand of God were brought to lay Egypt waste They roared like Lyons Isa 5.29 They were cruel and without mercie Jer. 6.23 They hanged Princes by their hands Lament 5.12 And here they fil'd the Land with the slain Thirdly observe Gods designs shall go on whatever lies in the way to hinder He was resolved upon the destruction of Egypt the Rivers of it lay in the way so that an Army could not get over Nilus that great river if gotten over it could not march and do the work appointed for the multitude of little Rivers were in the land shall these hinder the designe of God No he will dry up the Rivers to make way unto his designs the Babylonians shall pass over and pierce through the whole land When the Israelites were at the Red Sea that lay as an impediment unto Gods design which was to carry them to Canaan but did it hinder the same No speak to the Children of Israel that they go forward what go forward and be drowned in the Sea No because they had not Faith to go upon the waters therefore he divides the waters and makes a dry path for them through the midst of the deeps Exod 14. There were Mountains in the way hindering the building of the Temple but one great mountain above all the rest Zech. 4.7 Who art thou O great mountain whether it were the Persian Monarchy or Satan and all the enemies of the Jewes God made it a plain before Zerubbabel and notwithstanding all enemies and opposition he carried on the work of God Things may be too hard for men impossible for them but nothing is too hard for or impossible to the Lord. He enabled Nebuchadnezzar to take Tyrus to destroy Egypt all the Rivers thereof shall not hinder it God will dry them up rather then his designe shall faile Psal 74.15 Thou dryest up mighty rivers God hath divided Seas plained Mountains and dryed up Rivers in our days to make way for his designs and in due time he will dry up the great River Euphrates to make way for the Kings of the East Rev. 16.12 Fourthly observe All Lands are the Lords and he may dispose of them to whom he will even to the wicked he sold he gave the land of Egypt into the hands of the Babylonians who were wicked yea the worst of men Ezek. 7.24 Kingdoms are not such excellent things as we imagine were they so they would not be given to Gods enemies That Kingdom is of great worth which God gives to his children Luke 12.32 Vers 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. Thus saith the Lord God I will also destroy the Idols and I will cause their Images to cease out of Noph and there shall be no more a Prince of the land of Egypt and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt And I will make Pathros desolate and will set fire in Zoan and will execute Judgments in No. And I will poure my fury upon Sin the strâ—â—gth of Egypt and I will cut off the multitude of No. And I will set fire in Egypt Sin shall have great pain and No shall be rent asunder and Noph shall have distresses daily The young men of Aven and of Phibeseth shall fall by the sword and these cities shall go into captivity At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened when I shall break there the yoaks of Egypt and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her as for her a cloud shall cover her and her daughters shall go into Captivity Thus will I execute Judgments in Egypt and they shall know that I am the Lord. HAving formerly threatned destruction to Egypt and her Cities in general the Prophet descends now to particulars in the 13 14 15 16 17 and 18 vers and then in the 19. verse shews what is the end of God in his exercising judgments viz. That they may know him to be the Lord. I will destroy the Idols Egypt was the most idolatrous Land of any and God would now destroy the Idols out of it The word for Idols is gillulim which Piscator renders stercora dung filth so the word signifies and their Idols were dunghil filthy Gods fitter to be trodden under foot by Man and Beast then to be worshipped I will cause their Images to cease Elilim Images from Elil nihilum for an Image or Idol is res nihili a thing of no account 1 Cor. 8.4 It cannot profit therefore Isai 2.20 They shall cast away their Idols as useless things and God would make them to cease Out of Noph This Noph was a great city in Egypt very populous and famous for the Pyramids and Monuments of Kings who leaving Thebes made that the Royal City Isai 19.13 The Princes of Noph thither many
to bewaile the sins and ruines of Princes and their Kingdoms when God calls them thereunto Thirdly Observe The evill quallities and manners of men do make them like unto Beasts of the field and fish of the Sea Thou art like a young Lyon of the Nations Pharoah's roaring and ravening his terribleness and cruelty made him like a Lyon And thou art as a Whale in the Seas Pharoah's tumbling up and down disquieting the people and making a prey of them as fishes transformed him into a Whale or Sea-monster Subtle persons are tearmed Foxes Luke 13.32 Lascivious persons are like pampered Horses Jer 5.8 Oppressing Princes and Judges to Lyons and evening Wolves Zâ—ph 3.3 The wicked qualities of men do make them brutish Solomon tels you in favour of this truth That the wickednesse of those in the place of judgement made them beasts Eccl 3.16.18 Fourthly Observe God hath Prophets to tell the worst of Princes of their wickednesse Pharoah was a great King terrible as a Lyon dreadfull as a Whale yet God had an Ezekiel to send to him and to tell him of his Tyranny and cruelty Go say unto Pharoah thou art as a young Lyon of the Heathen and as a Whale in the Seas God sent him to deal sharply with him notwithstanding his greatness Prophets must not spare Princes when sent of God to reprove them Fifthly Observe Wicked Kings are great troublers of their own and others waters They trouble their own people their own Kingdoms and others also Thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fowledst their rivers Pharoah was neither quiet in Egypt nor would let others be quiet he sent out his Embassadours to other Nations which were as his feet they troubled the waters the people in drawing them into League with Pharoah in causing them to raise forces to assist him and so fowled their Rivers unsetled their peace troubled their spirits and Countries Whales are not more troublesome to the Seas Crocodiles to the Rivers of Egypt Lyons and wild Beasts to the Land than Tyrants are to their own Kingdoms and those that are near unto them Ahab was a troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18.18 and of Judah also in that he drew Jehosaephat and his people to joyn with him 2 Chr. 1.8 to go up to Ramoth Gilead where it had like to have cost him his life Solomon tells us He that is cruel will trouble his own flesh Pro 11.17 Tyrants are cruel and they do trouble their own flesh their own Subjects and people yea and the Flesh of strangers they make their own Rivers and others to be muddy Vers 3. I will therefore spread out my net over thee These words you had Chap 17.20 and Chap. 12 13. A Net is to catch Birds or Fish Here God represents the person of a Fisher-man and would spread out his Net to take this Whale The word for Net is Resheth from Jarash to possesse retain because a Net keeps what it catcheth and retâ— some derive from retinendo from its holding and retaining This Net with which God would catch the Whale must be a great Net and so it was for it was the Chaldaean Army which was great strong and sufficient to spread over all the Rivers of Egypt With a company of many people When Lyons or Whales are to be taken multitudes of people get together and so here multitudes of Chaldaeans came to take this Lyon and Whale They shall bring thee up in my Net Thou lyest in thy Rivers and deep waters thinking thy self safe without the reach of any but my Net shall be so thrown as to incompasse and catch thee and these Chaldaans shall draw thee up out of thy Nilus yea out of thine Egypt Vers 4. Then will I leave thee upon the Land c. When this great Whale shall be drawn out of his waters and Country God will deal by him as Fisher-men do by the Whale drawn to the shoar they leave him upon the dry ground in open view exposed to the Fowls of Heaven and Beasts of the Earth they cut him in pieces whereof some are carried away others are thrown here and there so God dealt with Pharoah he brought him to open shame and ruine He made him and his wealth a prey to all sorts of people Like unto this verse is that you had Chap 29.5 Vers 5. I will lay thy flesh upon the Mountains Thou or thy Souldiers being overcome some of you will fly to the Mountains for releef but even there shall they be destitute of help they shall be slain on the Mountains And fill the Valleys with thy height I will make such a slaughter of thy men as that they shall fill up the Valleys the bodies shall lye so thick one upon another as to make a height Munster interprets it of the swelling of the bodies Dead bodies do swell much and increase height The Vulgar read the words thus Implebo colles tuos sanie tuo I will fill thy hills with the corruption flowes from the dead bodies Vers 6. I will also water with thy bloud the Land wherein thou swimmest When Nilus overflowed then Egypt was full of water so that this Whale might swim up and down in the same God would cause such a destruction to be among the Egyptians that there should be a River of bloud which should water the Land hereby is set out the great abundance of bloud that should be shed in Egypt the Land was made drunk with it Even to the Mountains and the Rivers shall be full of thee Not only the lower places should be sâ—ll'd with the bloud of the slain but it should reach to the Mountains and run into the Rivers Sanctius thinks this not to be verified in Egypt where were no Mountains but in some other place where the Egyptians were drawn out to fight First Observe That because Kings keep not within their bounds but are troublesome to their own people and others therefore the Lord destroyes them and their Kingdoms Thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fowledst their Rivers I will therefore spread out my Net over thee The ruine of Princes and States are no casuall things they are effected by the Counsell Providence and Power of God punishing them most justly for their sins Secondly Observe God hath his Nets to catch Whales and great Fish in I will spread out my Net over thee It s not every Net will catch Whales and great Fish they will break ordinary Nets but God hath Nets to take them he wants not means to bring the mightiest unto punishment Pharoah was a Lyon a Dragon a Crocodile a Whale and God had a Net in the North the Babylonish Army which he sent for and caught this Egyptian Whale with God had a Net to catch chat old Whale and Sea-monster who devoured so many of the Israelites children he made a Net of the Waters and not only caught Pharoah but drowned that
Political Rulers were wicked and the Ecclesiastical Rulers were such also They are called Shepherds but they did not the office or work of Shepherds they were generally naught The Shepherds of Israel did not feed the flock Ezek 22.25 26 27 28. you may see what the Prophets Priests and Princes were not a true Shepherd amongst them Thirdly Observe See here the true Characters of wicked Shepherds in Church or State and they are three First They feed themselves they were covetous self-seekers they did eat the fat cloath themselves with the wool and kill'd them that were fed full of fat and flesh they made a prey of the rich and wealthy The politicall Shepherds were selfish and covetous Micah 3.1 2 3. Hear O heads of Jacob and ye Princes of the house of Israel is it not for you to know judgement who hate the good and love the evill who pluck off their skin from off them and their flesh from off their bones who also eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from off them and they brake their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot Look how Butchers deal with Oxen and Sheep killing slaying chopping in pieces breaking their bones selling some and eating other parts and whatever they do is for their own interest so deal these State-Butchers with the people The Ecclesiastical Shepherds were selfish and covetous Isa 56.11 speaking of the watchmen he saith They are greedy dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter Ones gain come from one quarter a seconds from another quarter a thirds from a third and their eyes were upon their gain and nothing else Micah 3.11 The Heads of Jerusalem judge for reward the Priests teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Thus all sought themselves and thereby declared what they were Secondly They fed not the flock A good Shepherds care and delight is to feed his flock and manifest it by strengthning the weak by healing the sick by binding up the broken by bringing back what is gone astray and by seeking up what is lost these Shepherds did none of these things The State Shepherds neglected the flock the Church Shepherds did so the weak were not strengthned c. Thirdly Harsh and cruel usage of the flock With force and cruelty have ye ruled them These Shepherds did not distinguish between the weak and strong the sound and sick and so rule them wisely gently compassionately but they were rough rigid bitter and cruel unto them The politicall Shepherds shut up the doors of the Temple and would not let them come in to sacrifice or worship there 2 Chron 28.24 They compelled the people to serve idols 2 Kings 21.11 They revolted from under Nebuchadnezzar and so brought wars and heavy taxes upon the people Ezek 17.15 The Princes in the midst of Jerusalem were like Wolves ravening the prey to shed bloud and to destroy souls to get dishonest gain Ezek 22.27 The Ecclesiastical Shepherds also ruled after their own wills the Prophets were roaring Lyons ravening the prey they devoured souls they took the treasure and precious things they made many widdows in the midst of Jerusalem the Priests violated the Law of God and so wronged the people Ezek 22.25 26. The Prophets and Priests conspired together to tyrannize over the people who were so accustomed to it that they were content to have it so Jerem 5.31 The Prophets prophesie falsely and the Priests bare rule by their means and my people love to have it so The word for bearing rule is i jrdu which imports rigorous dealing they took too much upon them which you may see Jerem 26.8 The Priests and the Prophets took Jeremy saying thou shalt surely dye They were bitter enemies to Jeremy and those believed his prophesies Jer 50.6 My people hath been lost sheep their Shepherds have caused them to go astray c. Fourthly Observe Such is the condition of Gods flock here that it hath need of Shepherds to look after it There be in it some diseased or infirm some sick some broken some driven away some stragling and in danger of loosing Gods sheep are subject to many evills distempers and dangers to vain customes Jer 10.3 to bruising and breaking Jer. 6.14 to hunting like wilde beasts Ezek 13.18 to beating and grinding to pieces Isa 3.15 to devouring Psal 14.4 to errors heresies corrupt opinions and practices Matth. 24.5 2 Pet. 2.2 to backsliding Jer 8.5 to mistakes and all sorts of evills Isa 5.20 It s mercy yea great mercy that God hath appointed Shepherds for his flock Civill and Spiritual to provide for the weaknesses maladies and dangers of the soul as well as of the body Where these be wicked it goes ill with the flock if they be selfish negligent rigid in ruling the flock will suffer much O pray unto God earnestly that he would give us good Shepherds There is a choice promise or two in Jer 23.4 I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed neither shall they be lacking And Jer 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feed you according to knowledge and understanding These promises speaks of good Shepherds for State and Church Let us improve them and presse God for the fulfilling of them Fifthly Observe That wicked Magistrates and Ministers in Gods account are as no Magistrates no Ministers They were scattered because there is no shepherd There were many Shepherds in the State and many in the Church yet all these were as none because they were wicked sought themselves fed not the flock but ruled with cruelty when Shepherds degenerate so far as to be contrary to what they should be then they are as none before God Such in Zech. 11.17 are called idoll shepherds idols are nothing 1 Cor 8.4 and so were they as nothing in the sight of God and when it is so then the sheep are scattered Sixthly Observe That as God eyes the great ones in State or Church so he deals impartially with them being wicked He observed what Magistrates and Ministers did in their places and seeing them selfish negligent cruell he threatens them all Wo to the Shepherds of Israel he saw they were all guilty of grievous sins amended not after his long-forbearing them and therefore without respect denounces judgement against them God is greater then the greatest and fears not the faces of Princes or Prophets let them have what pretences they will to colour their wayes the Lord discernes them let them be never so terrible unto men the Lord will be a terrour unto them let them continue in their wickedness never so long at last God will be avenged on them Verses 7 8 9 10. Therefore ye shepherds hear the word of the Lord As I live saith the Lord God surely because my flock became
captivity therefore the Heathens reproached Canaan and said Thou Land devourest men and hast bereaved thy Nations They called Emanuels Land a cursed and bloudy Land that did eat up her own children this was a great reproach to Heaven and Earth Gods judgements should have caused fear and taught them to have learned righteousnesse For if God spared not the green Tree what will become of the dry Trees Seventhly Observe Such is the goodnesse of God that he takes occasion from the wickedness of his Peoples enemies to do his People good Because the Heathens said Thou Land devourest up men and hast bereaved thy Nations Because they reproached the Jews and their Land thus therefore saith God Thou shalt devoure men no more neither bereave thy Nations any more I will blesse thee with peace plenty and safety there shall be no wars no famines no plagues nor other judgements to devoure the people of the Land Eighthly Observe God in his time takes way the evills that are upon his People and turns them into blessings Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the Heathen any more neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more neither shalt thou cause thy Nations to fall any more These evils will I take away from thee and not only so but I will bring in the contrary blessings instead of shame and reproach thou shalt have honour praise and renown instead of destroying thy people and Nations thou shalt multiply thy people and have Nations to serve thee Isa 60.12 13 14. Verses 16 17 18 19 20. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man when the house of Israel dwelt in their own Land they defiled it by their own way and by their doings their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the Land and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it And I scattered them among the heathen and they were dispersed through the Countreys according to their way and according to their doings I judged them And when they entred unto the heathen whither they went they profaned my holy Name when they said to them These are the people of the Lord and are gone forth out of his Land MEn being apt to make perverse constructions of the judgments of God and to censure his wayes to be unequall here he gives account of his proceedings towards his people and shews the true grounds and causes why he drave them out of their Countrey which are set down 1. In generall vers 17. amplified by a similitude 2. In particular vers 18. Bloud and Idolatry which are repeated in generall terms vers 19. 3. After these he shews what their carriage was in their enemies Land vers 20. Vers 16. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me saying The Prophet having declared Gods jealousie and fury against the enemies of his people comforted them being in captivity with many choice promises here he is commissioned by the Lord to speak out the causes which moved God to cast them into that condition Vers 17. When the house of Israel dwelt in their own Land By house of Israel understand not the two or ten Tribes but the whole twelve Tribes who possessed Canaan which is called their own Land because promised and given unto them by God for their inheritance Psal 105.10 11. They defiled it by their own way and by their doings The Hebrew is In their own wayes and in their own doings they followed their own devices inventions desires customs manners they did what was right in their own eyes and so defiled the Land The French is Par leurs maeurs par leurs actes Their way was before me as the uncleannesse of a removed woman Their way was very loathsome before the Lord he greatly abhorred their manners and practices as man doth the filthiness and uncleanness of a woman Laborant is menstruo sanguine A woman in that condition defiles all she toucheth see Levit 15.19 20 21. and so to the end of the Chapter Vers 18. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them They had committed hainous sins and continued long in them without repentance is evident from the Lords fury he is not in fury for small sins nor presently furious for great sins but when men go on from day to day in them his anger grows hotter and hotter and at last riseth up into fury and this being increased the Lord would not let it out in petty judgements as it were drop by drop but poure it out in greater judgments like as the Sea poures out water when a breach is in the Banks it poures out water with violence and drowns up all the adjacent Countrey For the bloud that they had shed upon the Land They shed the bloud of the Prophets 2 Chron 24.21 Matth 23.37 Of innocent ones 2 Kings 21.16 They had unjust and unnatural wars 2 Chron 28.9 and so shed bloud in abundance Ezek 7.23 They poured out bloud upon the Land and God poured out fury upon them it s the same word in the Hebrew for shedding and pouring out And for their idols wherewith they had polluted it They had many idols the Land was full of them Isa 2.8 which they worshipping defiled the Land The word for idols is Gillulim which Junius renders Dii stercorei Dunghill gods and Piscator stercora dunghils excrements for that no dunghill or excrement of any creature doth so defile a Land as idols and idolatry hence idolls are called abominations Jer 32.34 Shames Hos 9.10 Devils Deut. 32.17 Vers 19. And I scattered them among the heathen They had learned the manners of the Heathen got their idols and served them and for it God scattered them among the heathens they had heathenish spirits chosen heathenish gods and so deserved to be driven into heathenish Countries And they were dispersed through the Countreys The Hebrew word for disperse is Sarah which signifies to disperse by fanning God had fanned them out of their own Land and dispersed them as chaffe before the wind into divers Lands they went from Countrey to Countrey yea through whole Countries into Chaldaea According to their way and according to their doings I judged them Men might wonder God should deale so with his people as to poure out his fury upon them drive them out of their own Land and disperse them amongst heathens who were his and their enemies this might carry a face of cruelty but the Lord clears himself and shews the equity of his proceedings I judged them that is I dealt with or punisht them according to their wayes and doings had they not deserved such hard things at my hands I should not have executed them they drave me out of my Sanctuary and far from it Ezek 8.6 They cast me off Jer 2.13 and is it not equall that I should drive them out of my Land and cast
Enemies they should sheath their Swords in one anothers bowels God would order it so that one should destâ—oy another as the Philistines did 1 Sam. 14 16. Behold the multitude melted away and they went on beating down one another and Vers 20. Every mans sword was against his fellow They being full of discontent and perplexity thought it more honourable to dye then to fall into the hands of Enemies Vers 22. And I will plead against him with Pestilence and with Bloud He shews here what judgements God would bring upon Gog and his Armies judgements from beneath and judgements from above The first sort here are Pestilence and Bloud by the sword and slaughter The Hebrew is I will be judg'd with him by Pestilence and Bloud they shall declare that I am a strong and just God And I will rain upon him and upon his Bands c. an over-flowing Rain and great Hailstones Fire and Brimstone The second sort of judgements are Rain Hailstones Fire and Brimstone These words over-flowing showers and great Hailstones we had Chap. 13.11 13. In the 10. of Joshuah we read how God did cast down great Stones from Heaven upon the Amorites and slew more with Hailâ—tones then the Israelites slew with the Sword vers 10. To this place it 's conceiv'd our Prophet alludes foretelling that the Lord would deal with the Goggites as he did with the Amorites slâ—y them with extraordinary great Hâ—â—lstones from Heaven and not only so but with Fire and Brimstone which is poena damnatorum the punishment of the damn'd in Hell and was the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrha Some by these expressions understand manifold and grievous calamities which befell Gog and his and will not have them to be understood litterally that so the verification of them may fall upon Antiochus and his Forces who suffered very sad things for he was smitten by God with an incurable and invisible plague and torment in his bowels he fell from his Chariot and was bruised with his fall worms came out of his body in abundance his rottenness and stink was such as none could bear the same and while he was alive his flesh fell off for pain 2 Macc. 9. Let it be granted that these words are not to be taken literally but metaphorically for heavy judgements befalling Gog and his it will not follow thereupon that Antiochus was the man though he suffered such grievous things for it 's said of Gog that he should fall upon the Mountains of Israel he and all his Bands that he and his slain should have graves in Israel Ezek. 39.4 11. But as for Antiochus he dyed in his bed and that either in Babylon as 1 Macc. 6. or at Ecbatane in India as it 's 2 Macc. 9. Neither was there any such vast destruction of Antiochus Forces which came into Judaea under Lysias as these words hold out and is more clearly expressed in Ch. 39.12 Seven moneths shall the house of Israel be burying of them There must be a wonderful great slaughter which required so much time for their burial I conceive therefore that these words may be taken in the literal sense and are yet to be fulfill'd and that induceth so to judge is what you have Rev. 20.8 9. where it is said Satan shall gather Gog and Magog together to battail the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea and they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and fire came down from Heaven and devoured them John saw this in Vision and spake of it as to come and puts it after the Saints rising and reigning a thousand years with Christ That time being expired some grand Enemies shall arise against the Jews and people of God whom he will destroy not only in an ordinary way but miraculously also by fire from Heaven First Observe When wicked men are plotting and attempting the ruine of the Church Gods wrath is kindled against them When Gog comes up against the land of Israel Gods fury comes up in his face Gog manifests himself to be an Enemy to Sion and God manifests himself to be an Enemy to Gog. Wicked men plot act proceed far oft-times and afflict the servants of God greatly but when they think to carry all God appears and that in fury In Nah. 1.2 it is said He reserveth wrath for his Enemies and when they declare their enmity against him and his he discovers his wrath against them Zerah had been long plotting against the Jews at last he comes against them with a thousand thousand and three hundred Chariots and thought to devour Asa his Army and Land in a day and whilest he had such apprehensions the Lord smote him before Asa and Judah 2 Chron. 14.8.12 Secondly Observe When mischief is intended against Gods people his love and indignation are manifested then his love to his people his indignation towards their Enemies In my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken When Gogs Armies were to harm the Jews then was he jealous In jealousie there is ardent love and vehement indignation the one is towards his people the other towards them that wrong his people Zechar. 8. I was jealous for Zion with great jealousie and I was jealous for her with great fury He had strong love to Zion and great fury against the Enemies of Zion as a man hath ardent love to his wife and indignation against any should offer her violence God is jealous over his Church and therefore will never suffer it to be made a prey of by the wicked Gods love and indignation at such a time are so ardent that he swears he will be avenged on them that would wrong his Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the Land of Israel Gog and all his Forces shall fall Thirdly Observe The judgements of God are dreadful they affect all Creatures the Fishes of the Sea the Fowls of Heaven the Beasts of the Field all that creeps upon the Earth all men upon the face of the Earth shall shake Mountains Rocks Walls shall fall This judgement upon Gog shall be such as to astonish and trouble all sensible and insensible creatures so much of God shall be seen in it When the Lord destroyed Tyrus it was a dreadful judgement the Isles did shake at the sound of her fall the Princes of the Sea did tremble and were astonished Ezek. 26. But at the destruction of Gog Heaven Earth Sea all men other creatures shall shake There will be more of God seen in that judgement then in most before his presence power and severity will appear eminently in that Judgement it will speak aloud and fill the world with astonishment Fourthly Observe God can easily raise Forces against his and the Churches Enemies he can do it without any trouble I will call for a Sword against him throughout all my Mountains The Mountains of Israel were the Lords and all
Beasts which was another judgement added to the former and the greater to the Heathen because they thought their souls did wander up and down upon the Earth nisi corpora fuissent humata as Tertullian saith The Athenians had the buryal of the dead in such honour that if a Captain neglected to bury the dead which fell in warr they punished him with death for it It is a great ignominy to lye unburyed Hence the Beast when the Witnesses were kill'd would not suffer their bodies to be buryed but let them lye in the Streets that so they might be the more ignominious Sixthly Observe God provides for the brute and dumb Creatures and that abundantly Every feathered Fowl and every Beast of the Fiâ—ld shall be filled at my Table God doth not only feed the Creatures but sometimes feasts them This World is Gods Family whercin are millions of living Creatures and not one of them is neglected of God Psal 145.15 16. The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season they have their Break-fast Dinner and Supper and lest we should conceit one hath too much another too little it follows Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing he satisfies the Fishes of the Sea the Beasts of the Earth and Fowls of Heaven How should this teach men to depend upon God not giving way to distrust or discontent Matth. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air saith Christ for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into Barns yet their heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they He saith not the Fowls of the House they are cared for but The Fowls of the Air that have none to look after them unless it be Fowlers to take away their lives neither do they know where to get the next meal when they have gotten one nor what hole or bush to lodge in at night yet their heavenly Father provides for and feeds them Does he take care of such Creatures and will he not take care of you Yes certainly he will and why ye are better then they ye are rational they irrational ye are his sons they his servants Vers 21 22. 21. And I will set my Glory among the Heathen and all the Heathen shall see my Judgement that I have executed and my Hand that I have laid upon them 22. So the House of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward THe Lord having declared what destructive judgements he would bring upon Gog and Magog he comes here to make known the end of his so dealing with them viz. the manifestation of his glory amongst Heathens and his own People Vers 21. I will set my Glory among the Heathen I will give my Glory saith the Hebrew that is I will cause it to be evident amongst them By Glory understand the glory of his Justice and Power All the Heathen shall see my Judgement that I have executed These words give light to the former The Heathen seeing the dreadful judgements of God upon Gog and his should acknowledge the Justice and Power of God And my Hand that I have laid upon them They shall not only have a bare sight but experimental knowledg they shall find themselves concern'd therein and feel the hand of God heavy upon them for the strength wealth liberty and glory of the Heathen will be much impaired if not totally ruin'd by the overthrow of Gog. Vers 22. So that the House of Israel shall know that I am c. They did know the Lord to be their God before but this signal stroke of God upon their Enemies being a signal mercy unto them should so ingage them unto God that from that time forward they should afresh and eminently acknowledge God to be their God and none to be like unto him that he will not desert them in their streights but be their Deliverer First Observe The great end of Gods judgements upon sinful men is his Glory I will set my glory among the Heathens and all the Heathen shall see my judgement c. God doth therefore execute judgement that he may be glorified When sinful people will not give glory to God for his Mercies he will fetch glory out of them by his Judgements They are the work of his hand and what ever that be it 's honourable and glorious Psal 111.3 Not only his works of Creation but those of Judicial Providence Upon what Nation soever Army or Navy the Lord shall lay his hand he will work out his glory thereby that is the end of all his works and judgements Secondly Obsérve Dreadful judgements upon the wicked are ingaging mercies unto the godly So shall the hâ—use of Israel know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward The hand of God upon Gog and his should so affect their hearts that they should experimentally know and say The Lord is our God he hath laid low our enemies he hath freed us from their Insultations Threats Oppressions he is our Deliverer our Saviour our Redeemer Isai 25.9 It shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation When God executed severe judgements upon the enemies of his people then were their hearts thus affected and engaged unto the Lord then they rejoyced in God their Saviour and said He will save He hath saved us and he will save us When the godly see that great judgements upon their enemies are great mercies unto them their faith is advanced thereby and they are perswaded God will never leave them their hearts are warmed and they cannot but own and praise him Vers 23 24. 23. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they trespassed against me therefore hid I my face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies so fell they all by the sword 24. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them and hid my face from them THe Heathen had base and blasphemous thoughts of God they imagined he was not able to keep his people out of the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and his gods to vindicate himself therefore the Lord tells them the true cause why they were carried into Captivity namely for their iniquity It was not Impotencie in God but Iniquity in them which caused it 23. The house of Israel went into captivity for their Iniquity The Hebrew is the house of Israel were led into Captivity in their Iniquities God took them in their Iniquities and carried them away into Captivity in them or for them Boavonam the Septuagint saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their sins their crooked and perverse doings Because they trespassed against me The word Magnal or Maal signifies Stubbornly and Contemptuously
many Chapters before it adds weight to the prophesie making those concern'd to mind it more seriously When the Lord speaketh who can but prophesie Amos 3.8 And who can but mind what is prophesied Vers 2. Son of Man prophesie The immortall God speaks to a mortall man honours him with Divine Revelations and that he might not be exalted therewith he minds him of his meannesse and mortality saying Son of Man prophesie Prophesying was not at the will of man but when the Spirit mov'd them to it 2 Pet. 1.21 Thus saith the Lord God What the Prophets gave forth as Prophets was not from their own hearts and heads some humane thing but it was altogether Divine from Jehovah Adonai whose Being is of himself and hath Dominion over all What they and the Apostles writ was the word of God and so ought to be esteemed and received 1 Thess 2.13 Howl ye He speaks to the Egyptians and others upon whom sad judgments were coming he calls to them to lay to heart and lament for the evils were at hand The Hebrew Jalal hath agreement with Alal which signifies in nihilum redigerâ— to reduce a thing to nothing because when men do mourn and lament greatly it wastes and consumes them so as it well nigh brings them to nothing Woe worth the day The words may be read Ah the day alas for the day as Joel 1.15 Or O the woe of the day an unhappy day wherein thy Cities shall be made heaps man and beast destroyed all laid waste and desolate The French is malediction sur ta journee a curse be upon that day Vers 3. The day is near even the day of the Lord is near Day here is put not for a day in strictnesse of sense but for the time wherein those judgements should befall Egypt and other parts and it s call'd the day of the Lord because of his special manifestation of himself When God doth either in mercy or judgement declare himself Emphatically that is said to be the day of the Lord. Other dayes are his dayes but such in a special manner The duplication of the day here is to make the deeper impression both upon the Jews who rested too much upon Egypt and also upon the Egyptians who were secure and feared not he tells them of the nearnesse of it that they may be awakened that they might the more fully be awakened he tells them what kind of day it will be A cloudy Day The Hebrew is Dies Nubis a Day of a Cloud there will no Sun shine that day a black thick dark cloud will arise that day and make a terrible tempest Gods judgements are likened unto clouds and rain for the sadnesse and terriblenesse of them Psal 11.6 He shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest The French is iour tenebreux It shall be the time of the Heathen Heathen may be taken either for the Babylonians who should come and conquer Egypt and then do what they pleased therein and so it should be their day or for the Egyptians and the Nations adhering to them and so it should be their day to be spoiled and suffer grievous things it was a time of undoing these and a time of making the other God had appointed that time for them both Vers 4. The sword shall come upon Egypt The Chaldean Army shall come and make warâ—e upon the Egyptians and they shall be under all the miseries and mischiefs which attend warre and they are many And great pain shall be in Ethiopia The word for pain in Hebrew is Chalchalah which Montanus renders Vacillatio shaking the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trouble or perturbation the Vulgar pavor fear others dolor magnus great grief which the word imports for it s from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parturire to bring forth notes such grief and pain as women have when they are in travail When the King of Babylon came into Egypt Ethiopia was in travail When the slain shall fall in Egypt It were better rendred when the wounded shall fall men slain are fallen men wounded are ready to fall or falling The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chalal signifies one wounded and so the French hath it qui seront naurez tomberont en Egipt And her foundations shall be broken down By Foundationâ— Cityes Towers Forts Castles any strong holds may be understood Some make the foundations of Egypt to be their riches forces and confederates but the first sense of the Word is more Genuine because he speaks of breaking down which is proper to the one and not the other Vers 5. Ethiopia In Hebrew Chus so call'd from Chus the Son of Cham Gen. 10.6 who first inhabited that part of Africa and from him the people were called Cussites from the Grecians it received the name of Ethiopia which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the countenance because the heat of the Sunne there is such as it scorcheth the faces of the people This Country is judged to be as large as Germany France and Italy but not very populous because of the extream heat they circumcise their Males and Females baptizing the Males fourty dayes and the â—emales eighty dayes after their Circumcision and they rebaptize themselves in Lakes and Ponds every year on the day called Epiphany Heylin in his Microcosm because they conceive that the Lord Christ was baptized by John in Jordan that very day But whether this was the Ethiopia Nebuchadnezzar should spoil some question because it is said chap. 29.10 That Egypt should be made desolate from the Tower of Syene unto the border of Ethiopia that is to the Asian Ethiopia Syene was at the front of the African Ethiopia and whether Nebuchadnezzar entred that Ethiopia is doubtful In locum Quistonpius is peremptory in it and saith he never passed beyond Syâ—ne into it Lybia In Hebrew Phut from Phut the son of Cham Vid. suum in Gen. 10.6 Gen. 10.6 and the inhabitants thereof were at first called Phuthaei or Phuttians and afterward Lybians the Country being named Lybia from Lybs a King of Mauritania or from Lybs the Southwind which gently breatheth there or from Lybia a Queen thereof it 's now call'd Sorra which signifies a Desert because its a Country full of sandy Deserts And Varro will have it called Lybia Heylin in Microcos quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it wants raine Heretofore all Africa was called Phut afterwards only the Western Parts of Africa as Mauritania and Tingitana Shindler Martinius where the Kingdome of Fez or Lybia now is Lydia The Hebrew is Lud from Lud the Son of Shem Gen. 10.22 as some will have it or from Ludim the Son of Mizraim as others affirme This Lydia was a Region of Asia the less formerly called Maeonia in it were those famous Cities Philadelphia Sardis Pergamus Thyatira and Laodicea Alapide would not have it to be this Lydia
's God kindles fires in Nations and Kingdomes to consume Towns and Cities Men and their habitaons they are all his and he may do to them what he pleases having transgressed his lawes By fire and sword did the Lord plead with the Egyptians laying all wast and by so doing made himself known to be a powerful righteous and dreadfull God Observe Fourthly In the soarest judgements of God upon men usually some escape God threatned Egypt Chap. 29.8 that he would cut off man and beast and make it utterly wast from one end to another verse 10 yet here in the ninth verse he saith Messengers shall go forth some should escape to carry tydings of his severe judgements Observe Fifthly Those things which seem accidentall and casual unto us are ordered by the wise Counsel Power and Providence of God In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships When all Egypt was in a confusion some running one way and some another to secure themselves and some hastening unto ships to tell others what the Chaldeans had done in the midst of these hurries and disorders God saw acted sent out messengers they went not however the appearance was to men without Gods ordering hand themselves thought of no such thing nor those they went unto they dreamed not that they were sent forth of God that they came from him it was lookt upon as a meer contingencie but Gods hand was in it Things may be contingent to us they are not so to God Observe Sixthly Such is the efficacy of Gods judgements made known that they do afflict those are at a distance from them and fill the most secure with fears and pains The Ethiopians were absent from the judgements executed upon the Egyptians they were secure carelesse people but when the messengers told them their Cities were burnt their men slain their foundations and helpers destroyed they were afraid and great pains came upon them they were in travail for their Lives Liberties and Estates There is a mighty power in the judgements of God to terrify sinners even at a distance When Tyrus understood such was the efficacy of that judgement upon those afarre off that it s said all the Princes of the Sea clothed themselves with trembling Ezek. 27.35 so that we may say of Gods judgements as David Psal 10.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger who knows what efficacy it 's of and how far it extends Observe Seventhly Former judgements are not to be forgotten As in the Day of Egypt God had visited Egypt many hundreds of years before and now he minds them of that visitation So Isa 9.4 God mentions the dayes of the Midianites minds them of the great destruction of the Midianites by Gideon Judg. 7 and 8 chap. God mindes the dayes of mens sinning Hos 9.9 they have deeply corrupted themselves as in the dayes of Gibeah and therefore he would visit their sins and when he hath visited for sins he would have us remember those visitations Jer. 7.12 Go to Shiloh and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel As we should remember ancient and former mercies to strengthen out faith so ancient and former judgements to quicken our fears Vers 10 11 12. Thus saith the Lord God I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon He and his people with him the terrible of the nations shall be brought to destroy the land and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the Land with the slain And I will make the rivers dry and sell the land into the hands of the wicked and I will make the land waste and all that is therein by the hand of strangers I the Lord have spoken it THese words hold out unto us the efficient and instrumentall causes of the forementioned judgments which are in part repeated The efficient cause is God himself ver 10 11. The instrumental are Nebuchadrezzar and his people ver 10 11. The judgements repeated are the destruction of Egypt and the Egyptians putting the land into the hands of others with an addition of drying up the rivers Vers 10. I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease The Hebrew word for multitude is hamon which signifies both multitude and noise for where there is a multitude there will be a noise Egypt was populous and God would diminish the people they should be slain and carried away captives so should both the multitude and noise cease Increase of people is a blessing the lessening of them a judgement By the hand of Nebuchadrezzar Hand here notes power as in 2 Chron. 2â— 10 and Job 1.12 all that he hath is in thy power the Hebrew is in thy hand Nebuchadrezzar by his mighty powerfull arm should come and lay all Egypt waste and make it like a wildernesse Armies are the hands of Princes by which they doe great and dreadfull things Vers 11 The terrible of the nations shall be brought to destroy the land The word for terrible is arizze from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 araz to deal violently to terrifie which Piscator renders crudelissiâ—â— the most cruell the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pestes the French les plus hideâ—â— the most hideous and Junius the most violent Vatablus cals them Tyranni Gentium the Tyrants of Nations those were most Tyrannical and terrible God brought and set on work to destroy the land The Chaldeans were a bitter nation terrible and dreadful Hab. 1.6 7. these words we had chap. 28.7 so terrible they were that they should fill the land with dead bodies When an Army of friends passe through a Countrey no hurt is done but when an army of Tyrants of strong and terrible enemies come to spoil what mischief will they not do Vers 12. And I will make the rivers dry Heb. drought Though the Chaldean Army was great yet not so great as to drink up all the waters of Nilus which is one of the chiefest rivers in the world Nilus had many rivulets cut out of it whereby the land was watered all those might they stop up with earth and other materials for their better passage and so the rivers were made dry Or by rivers we may understand that benefit came by them the Chaldeans should take away all the wealth of Egypt which came by the rivers and so the rivers were as dry things to the Egyptians So Maldonate and some others interpret the words but rather thus God would send great spoil and desolation into Egypt whereby the rivers might become uselesse unto them or should we take the words literally as some Expositors are of the minde viz. that for the great wickednesse of the Egyptians God dried up Nilus and punished them with sore famine as in the dayes of Joseph it was when there were seven years of famine This sense may be safe or we may take rivers for the people and their power And sell the land into the
some its call'd pubastum These Cities shall go into Captivity The Inhabitants of them shall be taken and carried away by Nebuchadnezzar and his forces viz. The Citizens of Aven and Phibeseth Vers 18. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened Some make this City to be the same with Zoan or Tanis In Jeremiah its call'd Tahpanhes Chap. 44. 1. in it dwelt many of the Fugitive Jews its thought to be so call'd from Tahpenes the Queen Wife of Pharaoh 1 Kin. 11.19 In Isa 30.4 It s nam'd Hanes on Chanes in Jerem. 43.7 Tahpanthes so it s in the Hebrew and it was a Royal City ver 9. Pharaohs house was there It s by some Expositors said to be Daphnae or Daphnis which was in ostio Nili Pelusiano of his Judgment was Junius in his notes on Jer. 30.4 but in this place he makes Tehaphnehes to be in the remotest part of Egypt Southward above Syene where Nilus makes an Island call'd Tacompso or Cacompso by Herodotus Now there should the day be darkned that is turned into night by reason of mourning and sadness all their mirth should be taken away Fears Sorrows Distresses should come as thick Clouds upon them and darken all When I shall break there the yoaks of Egypt The Egyptians held them there in great subjection rul'd over them Tyrannically they made them serve like Beasts with yokes on their necks and burdens on their backs God would set them at liberty and put yokes upon the Egyptians own necks Junius thinks there were some works or chains in those parts to keep out the Ethiopians from making incursions into Aegypt Lavater reads the words vectes Aegypti the Bars of Egypt The people thereupon were put to great Taxes and hard Services which were Yoaks Some read the Scepters of Egypt the word Mototh is rendred by some Scepters by others loca nigra vectes where there be Scepters Power there will be heavy and burthensome things such Lawes Decrees Orders Taxes Services imposed upon the people as that they may well be call'd Yoaks Bonds Barrs Le ts to their Liberty and Comfort these Yoaks would God break and remove from their necks and backs And the pomp of her strength shall cease in her The Hebrew is the pride of her strength Egypt had strong Cities strong Garrisons which made her proud confident The Septuag is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the injury or violence of her power and strength she abused her strength in oppressing others and God would put an end unto it he would destroy it and she should no more glorie in her strong Holds or in her Multitudes of men As for her a cloud shall cover her Here is a Nominative case absolute in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hi ipsa which is rendred as for her that is Tehaphnehes a cloud shall cover her Nebuchadnezzars Army which brought a cloud of fears a cloud of sorrows a cloud of perplexities a cloud of reproach Such a cloud was upon Worcester And her Daughters shall go into captivity By Daughters we may understand the women of Tehaphnehes who properly were the Daughters thereof or the little Towns thereabouts each were under the protection and power of Tehaphnehes and so were her Daughters metaphorically The Inhabitants of them should be carried away into Babylon Vers 19. Thus will I execute Judgments in Egypt Egypt was full of Sin and God fill'd it with his Judgments from one end to the other he said he would cut off man and beast break down her Foundations dry up the Rivers lay all waste fill the land with the slain send Multitudes into Captivity and thus will I execute Judgment in Egypt First observe Idols and Idolatrous worship are so far from benefiting a State as that they provoke God to ruine them and the State with them Egypt had many Idolls many Images in most Cities they were set up and worshipped this caused God to destroy them and Egypt with them I will destroy the Idols and will cause their Images to cease out of Noph and I will set fire in Egypt Idolatry is a Sin robs God of his Glory and so provokes him to fury to take vengeance on Idols and Idolatrous Kingdoms Jer. 46.25 I will punish the multitude of No and Pharaoh and Egypt with their Gods and their Kings The Kings set up their Idol Gods they commanded and countenanced the worshipping of them therefore they should be punished together Idolatry is very destructive it was the destruction of the ten Tribes 2 King 17.7 and you may see how Judah suffered for this Sin 2 Chron. 28.2 Ahaz made Moulâ—en Images for Baalim and burnt incense to Idols but what was the issue thereof ver 5. The King of Syria smote him and carried away a great multitude of them Captives Pekah also the Son of Remaliah slew in Judah 120000. in one day which were all valiant men because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers they fell to Idolatry ver 6. Besides the loss of those men 200000. women sons and daughters were carried away captive ver 8. O what spoil was Judah brought unto for its abominable Idolatry Secondly observe God may and can deprive Lands of their Princes at his pleasure There shall be no more a Prince of the Land of Egypt Pâ—inces have their Patents and Power from God Prov. 8.16 By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth It s God sets them up and he may and doth pull them down as he sees cause he set up Saul and he rejected him 1 Sam. 15.23 he planted Zedekiah and pull'd him up Ezek. 17.8 9. He cuts off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.12 He cuts them off as suddenly as easily as the Vine-dresser doth branches off the Vine he is terrible unto them 2 Chron. 22.21 he sent an Angel and cut off all the mighty men of valour and the Leaders and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria The Angel made terrible work among them in one night God is King of Kings and in the day of his wrath he strikes through them and deprives their Land of them He can say to any Land as he did to Egypt there shall be no more a Prince there Thirdly Observe There is nothing can secure a wicked Prince and Nation from the judgements of God Egypt and her King had many Cities Strong Cities populous Cities wealthy Cities Men of wisdom and might in them yet these could not keep off the Sword and Fire I will make Pathros desolate I will set fire in Zoan I will execute judgments in No and poure my fury upon Sin Noph shall have distress the men of Aven and Phibeseth shall fall by the Sword and a Cloud shall cover Tehaphnehes Men might run from one City to another but Gods judgments would out-run them if they escaped one Judgment another would overtake them Fourthly observe God hath his times to take off the heavy
to pass in the Twelfth year in the Twelfth month in the First day of the month that the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharoah King of Aegypt and say unto him Thou art like a young Lyon of the Nations and thou art as a Whale in the seas and thou camest forth with thy rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their rivers Thus saith the Lord God I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people and they shall bring thee up in my net Then will I leave thee upon the Land I will cast thee forth upon the open field and will cause all the fowls of the Heavens to remain upon thee and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with thy height I will also water with thy blood the Land wherein thou swimmest even to the mountains and the rivers shall be full of thee And when I shall put thee out I will cover the Heaven and make the stars thereof dark I will cover the Sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give her Light All the bright lights of Heaven will I make dark over thee and set darknesse upon thy Land saith the Lord God I will also vex the hearts of many people when I shall bring thy destruction among the Nations into the Countreys which thou hast not known Yea I will make many people amazed at thee and their Kings shall be horribly afraid for thee when I shall brandish my sword before them and they shall tremble at every moment every man for his own life in the day of thy fall THis Chapter is of the nature of the three former and contains in it two Prophesies both of them against Pharoah and the Egyptians The 1. Is from the beginning to the 17. vers 2. From the 17. to the end of the Chapter In the first of these we have First The time of the prophesie vers 1. Secondly The Tyranny and cruelty of Pharoah vers 2. set out by way of lamentation Thirdly Gods judgements against him declared in an allegoricall way ver 3 4 5 6. Fourthly The events thereupon which are 1. Darkness vers 7 8. 2. Vexation vers 9. 3. Astonishment fear and trembling Vers 1. And it came to passe in the twelfth year in the twelâ—th month in the first day of the month This was not in the time of Zedekiah who reigned but eleven years It was in the twelfth year of Jehoiachims captivity the twelfth month and first day not long after the taking of Jerusalem and burning it with fire The Lord gave out this Prophesie then that the Jews might be taken off from trusting in the Egyptians having cause sufficient to believe that Ezekiels prophesies against them should be made good as well as Jeremies against themselves for it was the same Spirit which breathed in them both and that they might reap some comfort after their sufferings in considering God would deal so roundly with the Egyptians who had deceived them Vers 2. Take up a lamentation for Pharoah King of Egypt Take up a lamentable prophesie declare what sad things are coming upon Pharoah whether the Prophet were to lament for the destruction of Pharoah and the Egyptians is questionable for he and they had oppressed others deceived the Jewes and these judgements of God coming upon them for their wickedness were just and righteous and so matter of rejoycing yet because he was to utter dreadfull and lamentable things rejoycing became him not but he was to be affected sutable to the matter delivered Thou art like a young Lyon of the Nations Wherein Tyrannical Kings and Princes are like unto young Lyons hath been shewed in the 19. Chapter The meaning of these words is that look what a Lyon is among the beasts of the fields and woods viz terrible and cruel the same was Pharoah among the Nations Young Lyons are fierce and devoure their prey with greedinesse so are young Tyrants And thou art as a Whale in the Seas In the 29. ch ver 3. Pharoah is call'd Hattannim the Dragon or Crocodile here Cattannim as the Whale it s Tannim in both places and signifies a Dragon Whale or Sea-monster and such as a Whale is in the Seas viz troublesome dreadfull and devouring such was Pharoah on the deeps a Lyon at Land a Whale at Sea His Dominion was large and where-ever it was he minded the prey And thou camest forth with thy Rivers The Septuagint have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar following render Ventelabas cornu in fluminibus tuis Thou didst horn it in thy Rivers the Whale spouts waters so out at her Nostrils that falling it makes a kind of horn and Pharoah digging or cutting Rivers out of Nilus they were winding like a Horn. Those are for this sense Devine Tagach in the Text from Nagach which is to strike with the Horn or Lascivire cornu and so Vatablus turns the word Lascivisti in fluminibus tuis thou hast tumbled up and down and sported thy self in thy Rivers and waters Others derive the word Tagach from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to come forth or cause to come forth thou didst invite other Nations to revolt from Nebuchadnezzar or thou didst come forth with thy people and trouble other Nations with invasions and wars And troubledst the waters with thy feet and fowledst their rivers He troubled all at home and all abroad as the Whale or Crocodile troubles the Seas and the Rivers and lets not the Fish be quiet any where they mud the Rivers make the waters boyle so did this Egyptian Pharoah he was like Nilus which had turbidas aquas troublesome waters He troubled the waters when he constrained the people to leave their own Land and to go up to Carchemish by Euphrates Jer. 46.2 and as they went they must needs fowl the Rivers make their comforts as dead and uselesse First Observe That times of publique calamities are specially to be noted Ezekiel sets down the year month and day when the Lord told him what dreadfull things should befall Pharoah and the Egyptians In the twelfth year the twelfth month the first day of the month he must take up a lameâ—tation Gods judgements sometimes are lasting and the duration of them cannot be known unlesse the beginning of them be taken notice of Secondly Observe Lamentations for the sins and destructions of others is from the Lord. Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharoah King of Egypt The Prophet took it not up of himself but at the command of the Lord. Chap. 19.1 God bid him take up a lamentation for the Princes of Israel Chap. 27.2 He is injoyn'd to take up a lamentation for Tyrus Chap 28.12 He must take up one for the King of Tyrus Lamentations for Princes and states are at Gods appointment Proâ—hets are
watchman And so in the Church-State if the wicked man be warned of his way and turn not from it he shall dye in his iniquity his bloud lyes at his own dore upon his own head the watchman is free Fourteenthly Observe There is great necessity that the watchmen deal faithfully and tell the people of their danger and sin Their souls their bloud lye at stake upon it if they be not faithfull their lives their souls go for it Those watchmen that are silent are cruel bloudy and soul-murthering men they murther the souls of the people and their own souls also those that speak that cry aloud that tell the people throughly of their sins not fearing their frowns nor respecting their favours that so if it be possible they may save their souls these are the most faithful watchmen Many wonder that the spiritual watchmen are so zealous particular that they open the nature of sin so much threaten such terrible judgements of God against sinners and preach damnation unto them that they are so frequent in such wayes but cease to wonder their souls are in jeopardy if they do it not If a mans whole estate were in hazard if he did not tell such a man that he were a lyar a drunkard and would he forfeit his estate through silence No he would tell him of his sins again and again The watchmans soul lyeth at pawn and he forfeits that if he should not tell sinners of their sins and warn them to turn from them Hence was it that Paul said Necessity is laid upon me and we unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 he preached and warned sinners night and day Acts 20.31 Lastly Observe That the watchmen warning the people and the people taking warning they do both secure themselves If the watâ—hman Politicâ—l or Spiâ—itual blow the Trumpet warn the â—â—ople he shall deliver his own soul if the people take waâ—ning they deliver their souls Safety lyes in warning and it hearkning to waâ—ning let not the watchmen of God be sleepy or silent but warn the people constantly that so they may save themselves and others Verses 10 11. Therefore O thou Son of man speak unto the house of Israel Thus ye speak saying if our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how should we then live Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel HEre begins the second Generall part of the Chapter which is a confirmation of the Prophet against those Calumnies the Jews made against the truth and justice of God The first is in the 10. vers The second in the 17. and 20. verses The Calumnie they raised against the truth of God was this in the 5. verse its said he that takes warning when the watchman gives it shall deliver his soul this said the Jews had not truth in it for Chap. 24.23 The Prophet had told them they should pine away for their iniquities therefore there was no hope for them though they took warning at the watchmans mouth we are appointed to destruction and it s in vain to mind what the watchman saith This is answered in the 11. verse But to open the words Vers 10. Therefore O thou son of man speak unto the house of Israel God had set Ezekiel to be a watchman unto the house of Israel to observe their sins and tell them thereof and here he commands him to do his duty speak unto the house of Israel thus The house of Israel was not now the 10 Tribes but the 2 Tribes left of the 10. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us Jerusalem being now taken or upon the taking the Jews were more sensible of their sins and so felt the weight of them in that sad judgement was upon them or coming upon them By transgressions and sins not only the guilt but the punishment of them is meant they had felt much in the time of Jerusalems siedge and more now in the taking of it God visited their iniquities upon their heads And we pine away in them When Gods hand is upon persons for their sins they consume and moulder away the pain and anguish they are under melts their fat eats up their strength and brings them to skin and bone Nemakkim it is from Muk or Makak which is to grow lean to become feeble to be dissolved in Mareorem into corruption or rottenness How should we then live The Jews seeing Jerusalem now in the enemies hand and themselves going into captivity speak desparingly saying We are like never to see good day but must pine away under the judgements that are upon us how should we then live its in vain to warn us and tell us of repenting and turning to the Lord we must dye in the condition we are in Vers 11. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God This oath of God hath been spoken of Chap. 16.48 Ch 5. vers 11. It s the oath which God most uses Life is the most precious of all things and that God swares by as sure as I live or am the living God it is true which I say or let me not be the living God if I speak false you think I am a hard Master that you shall pine away in your sins and find no mercy though you should repent and return you are greatly deceived As I live saith the Lord c. He swares not by a truth that was question Numb 14.11 Nor by his Omnipotency for that was doubted of Ps 78.19 but by his life which was never in questioned The Learned observe that when this word Chai is referred to God so that himselfe swares or men sware by him it s written with Patach under it as here and in other places but when it is referred to men then it s written Chai with Tzere as Gen 42.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the life of Pharaoh or as sure as Pharaoh lives So in 2 Sam. 11.11 You have them both together in 1 Sam. 20.3 Chai Jehovah vechei Naph shecha As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that c. The Septuagint reads the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not The Vulgar is Nolo mortem impit I am unwilling the wicked should dye the French ie u'appette point I covet not am not greedy of the death of the wicked Junius Si delector If I delight in the death of the wicked Vatablus Piscator Non delector I delight not in the death of the wicked or I am not delighted therewith Montanus hath it Si volam in morte impii If I shall will in the death of the wicked for so runs the Hebrew Im Echphotz bemoth Harashang The word Chaphetz signifies to
have life or no but life is propounded and offered unto them and where that is promised there is a wide door of mercy opened God is troubled at it that sinners forsake mercy and embrace it not Why will ye dye Why will ye not turn from your evill wayes unto me the living God Am I so ill a God Have I dealt so unkindly with you as that you will not come unto me testifie against me tell me wherein Like that in Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearyed thee testifie against me If there be any such thing lye in the way I am ready to remove it Fifthly Observe The nature of true repentance lyeth in turning Turn ye turn ye God at first made man upright with his face towards himself but he sought out inventions and turn'd away from God to the creature which was a madnesse to leave an universal everlasting and satisfying good for a particular fading and an unsatisfying good this madness is in the hearts of all men Eccl 9.3 till they come to repenting turning again unto God and setting him in his right posture to behold the Lord. This turning must be from his evil wayes Turn ye from your evill wayes and from all of them Ezek. 14.6 Chap. 18.21.31 Else it s no turning if the heart be towards any one sin lust creature or evill way it s not turn'd his back is towards God and not his face he prefers a creature a lust before God Sixthly Observe Sinners are the Authours of their own destruction Why will ye dye They went on in their idolatry profaness oppressions pollutions of Sabbaths c. and so brought judgement upon themselves 2 Chron 36.16 They mocked the Messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldaeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of the Sanctuary and had no compassion on the young man or maiden c. So in Christs dayes he would have kept Jerusalem from destruction but Jerusalem her self would not she brought it upon her selfe Matth. 23.37 The Corinthians abuse of the Supper brought judgement upon them 1 Cor. 11.30 And the false Teachers brought swift destruction upon themselves 2 Pet. 1.1 Verses 12 13 14 15 16. Therefore thou son of man say unto the children of thy people The righteousnesse of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression as for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickednesse neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousnesse in the day that he sinneth When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own righteousnesse and commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall dye for it Again when I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawfull and right If the wicked restore the pledge give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not dye None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live THese words do explain and confirm what God had said in the 11 vers and that by way of contraries 1. He sets a righteous man before them and bids the Prophet tell them That if a righteous man turn from his righteousnesse and become wicked his righteousnesse will not benefit him but his wickednesse will bring judgement upon him 2. He sets a wicked man before them and bids the Prophet tell them That if he turn from his wickednesse that shall not prejudice him he shall not fall thereby but he shall live Here is nothing in these verses of Gods decrees of life or death of salvation or condemnation and mens being under them It s said whilest they are righteous they are under the decree of life and salvation and when they cease from their righteousness they are under the decree of death and condemnation and so if a man be righteous one day and wicked another and that interchangeably all dayes of his life he doth daily passe from under one decree to another forward and backward I find no foundation in the words for such a conceit they hold out Gods dealings with men here in this world according to the conditions he finds them in if they be just and righteous he will bless them if they be unjust and wicked he will punish them the one shall live comfortably the other shall be cut off by some judgement here is nothing pointing at the decrees of God Vers 12. The righteousnesse of the righteous What righteous man is here meant the 15. verse informs us viz. a man legally righteous such a man as restores the pledge gives again what he hath robbed and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity If a wicked man did these things he was righteous it s therefore a righteousnesse of the Covenant of works not the righteousnesse of faith here spoken of a moral not a Gospel righteousnesse which the 13. verse is clear for calling it his own righteousnesse Shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression The word for transgression is Poshang which signifies sin scienter contumaciter commissum presumptuous and wilfull sin rebellion apostacy Sometimes it is taken for any sin or failing as Lament 1.22 Do unto them as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions Jeremiah had no great sins against light he did not rebel against God his transgressions were such as are the ordinary failings of men so it s used Job 13.23 And the Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the day he shall erre Let him have done never so much good and continued long in so doing that shall not deliver him in the day of his erring transgressing fayling Had Adam stood many dayes months years and then eat of the forbidden fruit all his righteousnesse would not have delivered him and so here under the Covenant of works there is no deliverance upon any failing But rather it notes here some grievous sin and way of wickednesse which exposes unto and hastens Gods judgements As for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickednesse Let the wickednesse of the wicked be great of what kind soever against God and man idolatry profaness oppression c. it shall not bring destruction upon him make him to fall and perish when he repents of it turns fom it and walks in those wayes that are contrary thereunto then his former sins shall not be imputed to him nor the judgements deserv'd
righteousness which is of God by faith and that is only the righteousnesse will stand in stead against all sin and let us into Heaven Secondly Observe Its perseverance will Crown mens undertakings and make them acceptable It s not enough to begin well unless we go on if men be righteous and give over their righteousness falling to iniquity as those that are legally righteous may they lose their former righteousness and fall under judgement If a righteous man commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but for his iniquity which he hath committed he shall dye Thirdly Observe Men are apt to rest upon a legall righteousnesse If he trust in his own righteousnesse When men restore the pledge make restitution for what they have gotten wrongfully walk in the statutes of life do that which is lawfull and right they are very prone to trust in this their own righteousness so did the Pharisees Luke 18.11 12. so did Paul while he was a Pharisee Rom. 7.9 but being become a true Christian and having obtained the righteousness of faith he had no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 but his whole confidence was in Christ Jesus Fourthly Observe Let the wickednesse of men be what it will if they turn from the same it shall not prejudice them but they shall live a comfortable life As for the wickednesse of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickednesse If he turn from his sin and do that which is lawfull and right his sins shall not be mentioned unto him he shall surely live he shall live in living others by reason of their iniquities are dead in living they have no comfort in their lives but pine away It s mens sins which make times evill and lives uncomfortable Psal 34.12 13 14. What man is he that desireth life and loveth dayes that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evill and thy lips from speaking guile Depart from evill and do good This is the way to live long and comfortably Righteousness exalts Nations Familyes and Persons Fifthly Observe Gods statutes punctually kept afford life he who walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity shall surely live Deut. 4.1 Hearken O Israel unto the statutes and unto the â—dgements which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and â—in and possesse the Land He speaks of a temporal life here â—ut in Matth 19.17 of an eternal life if thou wilt enter into ife keep the Commandements The young man spake of eternal life and Christ bids him keep the Commandements if he would have that shewing that if a man could personally and perfectly keep the Commands of God he should have eternall life Verses 17 18 19 20. Yet the children of thy people say The way of the Lord is not equall but as for them their way is not equall When the righteous turneth from his righteousness committeth iniquity he shall even dye thereby But if the wicked turn from his wickednesse and do that which is lawfull and right he shall live thereby Yet ye say The way of the Lord is not equall O ye house of Israel I will judge you every one after his wayes THe Prophet having vindicated the truth of God which the Jews calumniated he comes now to vindicate the justice which they likewise impeached saying his proceedings were not equall and that he doth in these verses Vers 17. The way of the Lord is not equall The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The way of the Lord is not right The French translation is La voye du Seigneur n'est point bieu reiglee The way of the Lord is not well regulated or ordered others thus Negant aequum justum esse quod facit Dominus Thy people deny that to be equall and just which the Lord doth They say he governeth the world unrighteously and doth not administer justice indifferently to all men but hath persons in respect and punisheth one for another this was that they charged God withall But as for them their way is not equall Here is answer to that unjust charge they charged God withall and it s by way of recrimination that they charged upon the Lord is recharged upon themselves you say The Lords wayes are not equall but he saith your wayes are not equall just right or well ordered Your Prophets have conspired against me and devoured souls your Priests have violated my Law and prophaned my holy things your Princes have been ravenous wolves to shed bloud and to destroy souls for dishonest gain The People of the Land have used oppression exercised robbery have vexed the poor and needy yea oppressed the stranger wrongfully Ezek 22.25 26 27 29. And now whose wayes are not equall yours or mine Of these words see what hath been said Chap. 18.25 Vers 18. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity he shall surely dye You charge me that I respect persons and punish one for another the son for the father but it s not so in this ver the next the Lord doth clearly free himself from that imputation hereby shewing what his dealings are with a righteous man whatever he be father or son Prince or Subject if he turn from his righteousness and fall to wicked and vile practices he shall surely dye God will judge him for his wickedness and bring some judgement upon him and there is no injustice in that if men turn Traytors to a State its justice in that state to cut them off Vers 19. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness and do that which is lawfull and right he shall live thereby Here also the Lord vindicates himself by shewing what his proceedings are with a man that turns from his wickedness and doth amend his life by doing what is lawful and right that man whatever he be shall be spared he shall live and enjoy blessings from God it shall go well with the man that turns to God and ill with him that turns from God and doth evill Now if so what injustice is there in God what is the evill of his wayes Let them both speak and declare wherein God wrongs either of them if they can Vers 20. Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equall Having made it evident by clear demonstration that his wayes are equall and that by two instances viz one of the righteous and the other of the wicked he here upbraids them for their stubbornness and impudency persisting in their perverse opinion and saying Yet the way of the Lord is not equall they might as well have said the sun was dark and the night was day O ye house of Israel I will judge ye every one after his wayes Seeing ye are so wicked perverse in your judgements as to condemn my wayes and sentence them to be unequall I will call every one of you to account for this evill way of yours and the rest of your
bounds were more inlarged then ever before which they clear from Isa 49.19 20. Zach 2.8 9. And therein God did better unto them then at the beginning Others refer this promise to Christs time wherein they had choicer mercies then ever viz The presence doctrine and miracles of Christ which made the glory of the latter Temple greater then the former according to what Haggai had said Chap. 2.9 But how if we could not assign a time of Gods doing better unto them then at the beginning that 's humane weakness God is faithful and what he saith he doth accomplish it was so Vers 12. And thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men He speaks of the Land of Canaan which the Jews should possesse inherit and not be deprived of that is not for a long time The words no more must not signifie for ever because the Jews were after a long time deprived of their Land by the Romans Vers 13. They say unto you Thou Land devourest up men and hast bereaved thy Nations This was a charge laid upon Canaan that she devoured men that she was destructive to her own children she was not so called because of her fruitfulnesse which caused men to surfeit and so dye but either in regard of the civill wars were amongst the Heathens when they possessed it which made the spies Numb 13.32 say It s a Land eateth up the inhabitants thereof or because that when the Jews possessed it the Nations round about hating them made incursions upon them often and so destroyed multitudes of the inhabitants and when they besieged any place of note as Samaria and Jerusalem the plague and famine consumed many The famine was so sore that women eat their own children 2 Kings 6.28 29. Lament 4.10 Fathers eat their sons and sons their fathers Ezek 5.10 And as it had vomited out the Heathens before Levit 18.25 28. so it served the ten Tribes and other two afterwards Versi 14. Therefore thou shalt devoure men no more neither bereave thy Nations any more Here God promiseth to take away that imputation and to put them into such a condition as that they should for a long season be free from sword famine plague and such straits as caused consumption of men The words bereave thy Nations any more are in Hebrew Nor cause thy Nations to fall any more they fell by severall judgements but now God being turned unto them would maintain them in peace honour and safety Vers 15. Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more They had oft times been reproached by the Heathen and born their shame vers 6. But now God in his wise providence would order things so that heathens should not revile them but speak honourably of them as Psal 126.2 The heathen said The Lord hath done great things for them Neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the heathen any more They reproached one another the people mocked at the Prophets 2 Chron 36.16 Jer 20.7 and children behaved themselves proudly and basely against the ancient and the honourable Isa 3.5 but God would take away this evill from them and cause them to speak well one of another Neither shalt thou cause the Nations to fall any more The Hebrew is Thy Nations Thou shalt not expose thy people to ruine and destruction by famine plague or warre The sense of the whole verse is That God would turn those evills and curses they endured formerly into blessings First Observe When God poures out contempt and shame upon the enemies of his people he will poure out blessings and mercies upon them The Heathens shall bear their shame but ye O Mountains of Israel shall shoot forth your branches and ye shall have the former and latter rains and bring forth in abundance Canaan was Gods Land and he had a special eye to that and would honour it when he stained the glory of other Nations Secondly Observe The fruitfullnesse of Mountains and Lands depends upon God he makes them so at his pleasure by his command and blessing O Mountains of Israel ye shall shoot forth your branches and yeild your fruit Mens wickednesse move God to make Lands barren and desolate Jer 12.4 but it s his good pleasure and free grace that moves him to make a Land fruitful Acts. 19.17 Rain and fruitful seasons are the gift of God Thirdly Observe God is provident for his people when he removes them from place to place he will not have them to come into empty places The Mountains must shoot forth their branches and the Land yeeld her fruit for the Jews were at hand to come When Jacob went down to Egypt with his family God provided the best of the Land for them Gen 47. When the Jews came first to Canaan it flowed with Milk and Honey it abounded with all good things needfull for them Fourthly Observe When God is reconciled to a people then he multiplyes blessings upon them then he makes their Land bring forth and themselves and their Cattel to increase I am for you and will turn unto you and ye shall be tilled and sown I will multiply upon you men and beasts and they shall increase and bring fruit Gods favour hath all blessings in the womb of it and upon what Land or people soever that falls it will make them fruitful when God is for a people then he comes unto them as the rain as the former and latter rain Hos 6.3 He hath various and seasonable blessings for them Zeph 3.20 At that time will I bring you again even in the time that I gather you for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth when I turn back your captivity before your eyes When God turned back their captivity he was for them and turned unto them they had his favour and then he would bestow such blessings upon them as would make them renowned among all people See Jerem 31.10 11 12 13 14. Fifthly Observe Gods dealings with his people are best at last they may have much kindnesse and mercy in the morning but they shall have more in the evening I will settle you after your old estates and will do better unto you then at your beginnings The Jews had the best wine at last they had Milk and Honey before but the feast of fat things full of marrow and of wines on the Lees well refined were at the latter end of their day given in they had Christ and the Gospel at last Abraham had much of the world at first and his Isaac afterward Job 42.12 God blessed the latter end of Job more then his beginning Simeon in his latter dayes saw Christ and had him in his arms Luke 2. Sixthly Observe Wicked men do turn the judgements of God upon his Land and People into a reproach unto them Because God for the sins of his people laid the Land waste and cut them off by sore judgements or removed them into
be fit for spiritual imployments and uses Fourthly A stone doth resist and repell what falls upon it stones do oft break the instruments strikes them and force them back there is a resisting in them so in stony hearts there is much resistancie Luke 4.28 29. All they in the Synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him unto the brow of the hill that they might cast him down headlong Their flinty rocky hearts resisted and rejected all the precious truths Christ had delivered and made them fall fowl upon him and seek to spill his bloud 2 Tim 3.8 As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith They were men of stony hearts resisting the faith Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist c. Fifthly A stone is heavy Prov 27.3 and its motion is downwards its earth hardned and its whole tendency is to the earth so a stony heart is heavy earthy and tends downwards altogether Ezek 20.16 Their heart went after their idols Ezek 33.31 Their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Hosea 4.8 They set their heart on their iniquitie Men are born with the stone in their hearts and naturally they mind earthly things Phil 3.19 Their motion is downward John 3.31 He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth his thoughts his words his motions are all that way The things of Heaven are burdensome to a stony heart that cannot move upwards Sixthly Stones keep their places and are immoveable Eccl. 10.9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith Great stones mountains rocks abide fixt and its dangerous to meddle with them so stony hearts keep their stonynesse they are immoveable what opinions principles conclusions soever they have taken in though false and corrupt they are tenacious of and obstinate in Judges 2.19 They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn wayes God sold them into the hands of enemies where they suffered grievous things God raised them up Deliverers who set them at liberty yet they ceased not from their own wayes they were immoveable from their own opinions corrupt principles and dangerous tenets men are so self-conceited self-willed that they are like rocks not to be stirred Seventhly Stones are dry and have no moisture in them at all Take a Rock there is no water in it take any stone its dry all stones are dry and barren so stony hearts they have no moisture of grace in them they are all dry and barren the waters of life are not found in them The woman of Samaria had a stony heart and how dry how barren was it not a good word came out of it towards Christ John 4. Whilest the Gentiles were without God and Christ in the world they had stony hearts and so were barren and fruitless Isa 54.1 VVheresoever is a stony heart there is no melting no mourning no tears Eighthly Stones are cold 1 Sam 25.37 it s said Nabals heart dyed within him and he became as a stone that is cold and sencelesse so stony hearts are cold there is no spiritual heat in them though the word be as fire yet it heats them not Men of stony hearts are frigid in the things of God they contend not for the truth they reprove not wickedness in others they stand not for the interest of Christ they are not zealous for God and his glory they put not their hands to his work they mind not the conversion of sinners they are indifferent how things of that nature go A stony heart is a dead heart and as it hath no life nor motion in it so no warmth in it like the Shunammites son 2 Kings 4.34 till Elisha came and stretched forth himself upon it there was neither life nor warmth in it and till Gods Spirit come and stretch forth its virtue and power upon a stony heart it hath neither life nor warmth in it Thus you see wherein a stony heart resembles a Stone or Rock Quest What is the evill of an hard heart Answ 1. It is ever unthankfull mercies kindnesses do not affect it and how then can it be thankfull Some verball thankfullnesse may be in an hard hearted man but in his heart in his life there is nothing Poure Wine Oyle the Spirits and Quintessence of any thing upon a stone it s lost the stone is not at all the better for it not affected with it so a stony heart let the choicest mercies of Heaven or Earth be presented to it they are lost that heart is unthankfull and whereas we should be thankfull in every thing 1 Thess 5.18 such an one is thankfull in nothing and makes the times perillous 2 Tim 3.2 Answ 2. It grows worse and worse harder and harder every day nothing stops it from proceeding on in its wicked wayes The Jews were a stony hearted people and what saith the Lord to them Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Threatning judgements did not stop or turn them from their wickedness Pharoah saw the wonderful judgements of God ten plagues were upon him and his Land and yet his heart grew harder and harder They that came to take Christ went backward and fell to the ground when Christ said I am he they saw also a miracle wrought by Christ in restoring to Malchus his ear which Peter had cut off yet being stony hearted they proceeded to take Christ to bind him and carry him to the High Priests John 18.6.10 11 12 13. Answ 3. It causeth a man to walk contrary to his profession Those that are Christians professe Christ and the Gospel they have in Baptisme given up themselves to him and obliged themselves to walk according to Gospel Rules now whence is it that they profess one thing and practice another that they professe Christianity and walk as Heathens or worse then Heathens whoredome drunkenness covetousness lying pride swearing theft murther witchery contention slander oppression c. are they not as frequent among Christians as ever they were among Heathens Paul writing to the Ephesians exhorted them not to walk as other Gentiles in the vanity of their minds having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleanness with greedinesse It was the hardnesse of the heathen Gentiles hearts which made them walk so and when Christian Gentiles walk so it s from the hardness of their hearts we are of the Gentiles and notwithstanding our Christianity we walk contrary to Christ and the Gospel which is from the stonyness of our hearts keeping out the power and this is a grievous evill we profess Christ and the Gospel verbally and deny both really and so
my judgements and do them He knows that to fear God and keep his Commandements is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 Twelfthly Observe That man that hath the spirit of God is for righteousnesse as well as holinesse He is a second Table man as well as a first Table man he is conscious towards man as well as towards God he keeps the judgements set between man and man as well as walks in the statutes which are between God and man as Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Rom. 13.9 Not to defraud thy brother in any matter 1 Thess 4.6 To do to others as we would be done unto our selves Luke 6.31 To condescend to those of low estate to recompence to no man evill for evill but to overcome evill with good Rom. 12.16 17 21. Blessing them that curse you and praying for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 To forbear and forgive one another Col. 3.13 To bear one anothers burdens Gal. 6.2 Every man to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour 1 Thess 4.4 To speak evill of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men Titus 3.3 To put away all bitterness wrath anger clamour and evil speaking with all malice and to be kind and tender hearted one to another Ephes 5.31 32. Not to lye but speak the truth every man with his Neighbour vers 25. To distribute to the necessities of Saints Rom. 12.13 To lend looking for nothing again Luke 6.35 c. These be judgements God hath set in his infinite wisdom between man and man and whosoever hath the spirit of God dwelling in him keeps these and many other mentioned in sacred writ David had respect to all the Commandements of the Lord Psal 119.6 Those which concerned men as well as those concern'd God for they are all of equall authority being from the same God and branches of his infinite wisdome the one tending to mans good and Gods glory as well as the other which David knew and therefore kept So Paul his care was not only to mind the duties of holiness towards God but those of righteousness towards men Acts 24.16 Herein saith he do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Had he not kept the judgements set of God between man and man his conscience had not been innocent but because he did keep them therefore he could say Acts 25.10 To the Jews have I done no wrong and to the Corinthian Gentiles we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man 2 Cor. 7.2 He had the spirit within him which carryed him forth strongly to do just righteous and equall things and to move others thereunto Phil. 4.8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things He writ these words unto the Philippians as his last words that so they might take the deeper impression in them knowing that if second Table duties were not done first Table duties would be in vain See how the Lord with indignation takes up the Jews for failing in their duties towards men though they did their duty towards him Jer. 7.6 9 10. Will ye oppress the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and come and stand before me in this house what do you come hither for to pray to hear the Law to offer Sacrifice and think I am pleased with these duties no no I will destroy the Temple where ye worship and I will cast ye out of my sight as I have done all your brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim vers 14 15. It is in vain to be religious if we be not righteous such Religion is a dreadful provocation of God as you may read Isa 1.10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Many are religious in these dayes but where is a righteous man He that doth righteousness just and equal things is righteous 1 John 3.5 Let us learn as to walk in Gods Statutes that is to be religious so to keep his judgements and do them that is to be righteous for of the three great things which God requires of man this is the first Micah 6.8 What doth the Lord require of thee O man but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Vers 28. And ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your Fathers and ye shall be my people and I will be your God THis verse comprehends in it both temporal and spiritual mercy as repossession of their Land and Gods renovation of Covenant with them And ye shall dwell in the Land which I gave to your fathers God had long before this time given Canaan unto Abraham and his posterity who through their sins were driven out of the same and made captives in Babylon but he would bring them back again and set them in it which resembled Gods gathering of his out of all Nations and bringing them into the Church of Christ the City of God the spiritual Canaan And ye shall be my people and I will be your God Like words to these we had Ezek. 11.20 Ch 14.11 Ch 34.31 and therefore shall not stand upon them The sense of them is this You being in Babylon think your selves cast off of God and that ye shall never again have the honour to be his people and to have him for your God but your thoughts are not as mine for ye shall come again to Canaan and there I will own you for my people and ye shall own me for your God ye shall be my people to worship me and I will be your God to blesse you ye shall be my people to depend upon me and I will be your God to protect you ye shall be my people to obey my Commands and do my Will and I will be your God to exalt and honour you ye shall be my people to love fear honour me and to stand for me and my glory and I will be your God to counsel comfort delight in and to deliver you and to plead your cause against all your enemies First Observe There is nothing difficult or impossible to God though it be so in the eye of man The Jews thought it an hard if not a thing impossible for them to get from under the Babylonish yoke into their own Countrey but God thought not so saith he Ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your fathers I will break off every yoke which hinders and remove every mountain which lets And this he did with ease for he did but stir the heart of Cyrus King of Persia to make a Proclamation to this purpose That whoever among the Jews had an heart to go up to Jerusalem might do
Christ descended from their loins as well and really as from David's but it 's said David my servant shall be their King And the reason is because David was King over Israel and Judah which they were not and the first godly King they had My servant David did serve the Lord and fulfilled all his will Act. 13.22 and so Christ was his servant Isa 52.13 Behold my servant shall deal prudently and he did so for He fulfilled all righteousness Mat. 3.15 and Did the will of him that sent him Joh. 4 34 Being in the form â—f a servant Phil. 2.7 And shall be King over them The Jews had many Kings some were very good as David Solomon Jehâ—shaphat Hezekiah Josiah c. but none of them like unto this King the Lord Christ The Scepter of his Kingdom is a Scepter of Righteousness Heb. 1.8 Other Kings had crooked Scepters and much Oppression was in their Government but Christ's Scepter is a righteous Scepter and none shall be oppressed thereby Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and Faithfulness the girdle of his reins Isa 11.5 He will break in pieces the Oppressour Psal 72.4 The Lord tells you in Jeremiah what a King this King should be Chap. 23.5 I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute justice and judgement in the earth So Psal 45.4 In thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness Most Kings of the earth because they were false rigid unrighteous did not prosper but Christ because of truth should be trusted because of meekness should be loved because of righteousness should be honoured and so should prosper And they shall have one Shepheard Of these words hath been spoken Chap 34 23. Tantae erit clementiae dicit Hyeronimus ut non solum Rex sed Pastor appelletur eò quòd superbum nomen Imperii vocabulo pastoris mitiget King and Shepheard are here equivalent They should not have many Shepheards as formerly who destroyed them Jerem. 12.10 but one Shepheard that is one better than them all One transcendent and incomparable a Shepheard after Gods own heart who should feed them with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3.15 who should gather the lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and gently lead those whâ—ch are with young Isa 40.11 They shall also walk in my judgements and observe my statutes and do them In Chap. 36.27 you had these words only here judgements are mentioned before statutes and there statutes are set before judgements The meaning is they shall no more live after the courses of men or imaginations of their own hearts but they should consult with the Word of God and frame their lives according to it they shall trust no longer in their Legal performances but look at David their King and call him the Lord our righteousness Some look upon this Promise of David to be King over the Jews as accomplâ—shed in the reign of Christ the Messiah when here on earth for He gave out his commands then and required obedience unto them Mat. 28.18 19 20. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Christ manifests himself here to be King of the Jews and of all Nations Others are of a different judgement and do believe that this great Promise made here to the two houses of Judah and Israel remains yet to be performed 1. Because the two Houses are not yet united into one as hath formerly been shewed which may further appear from that in Hosea Chap. 3. ver 4 5. The children of Israel shall abide many dayes without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his Goodness in the latter dayes This Prophesie refers to the latter dayes which are the dayes after Christ not before Christ and if the two houses were united before Christs coming in the flesh and so He King over them as the Promise is here How did the Scepter depart from Judah and a Lawgiver from between his feet In Gen. 49.10 the Promise is it should not be so till Shiloh that is the Messiah should come and then it should but if the Messiah were King in Israel King over both houses united into one the Scepter did not depart but was advanced This knot must be untyed before we can be of their mind who say This Prophesie and Promise was at Christs first coming fulfilled 2. Because the Jews do not own Christ neither one house nor the other do it neither Judah nor Israel acknowledged Christ to be the Messiah The Jews said He had a Devil Joh. 8.52 They sought to kill him Joh. 7.1 They took counsel together to put him to death Joh. 11.53 When Pilate said Behold your King they cryed Away with him Crucifie him John 19.14 15. They persecuted all them who did adhere unto him 1 Thess 2.15 16. 3. The Jews have been and are still under many Kings and Shepheards some are under Heathenish some under Christian Kings but when this Scripture is fulfilled they shall be under none but Christ One King shall be King to them all ver 22. David my servant shall be King over them and they shall have on Shepheard 4. They shall then walk in the wayes of Christ not in the wayes of Moses The Jews every where to this day stick unto Moses and reject the Gospel as in the Apostles dayes Act. 13.45 Act. 18.5 6. But when this promise is fulfilled then they shall walk in my judgments observe my statutes and do them saith the Lord that is those laws and rules which God should give out by Christ for their Government and so the name and worship of God and Christ should be one Zech. 14.9 that is between Jews and Gentiles For the Scripture and Argument us'd out of it Matth. 28.18 19 20. 1. Take another Scripture shewing Christ came not to be a King and reign at his first coming it is Mat. 20.28 The son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister He came not to sit in a Throne to take upon him the state of a Prince to exercise Dominion and Authority to be attended with a life-guard and Ministers of state He came not to assume any thing King-like but He came in the form of a servant Phil. 2.7 to minister unto and serve others yea to do the meanest office belonging to a servant as the washing of his Disciples feet John 13.12 2. The place in Matthew speaks of that Power was given unto Christ after his Death and Resurrection and so was the fruit and purchase of the same He speaks not of that Power which he had as God nor
and commanded it to be so Lam. 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass When the Lord commandeth it not Vers 18 19 20 21 22. 18. And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel saith the Lord God that my fury shall come up in my face 19. For in my jealousie and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel 20. So that the fishes of the sea and the fouls of the heaven and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep upon the earth and all the men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground 21. And I will call for a sword against him thorowout all my mountains saith the Lord God every mans sword shall be against his brother 22. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with bloud and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hailstones fire and brimstone THe time and manner of Gods proceedings with Gog is set forth in these five Verses Vers 18. At the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel Time is not to be taken strictly for a day or an hour as if God should that very day Gog set out or invaded the Land fall upon him by his judgements and destroy him but largely for the time of that enterprise whilest he should be upon that design when he had fill'd up the measure of his iniquities My fury shall come up in my face Some read the words thus My anger shall come up in my face that is I will be furious and manifest hot displeasure for furor is fervor irae the heat and highth of anger We read the words My fury shall come up in my face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Af signifies Anger the face the nose also because Anger appears chiefly in them God speaking here after the manner of men saith My fury shall come up in my face Luther by Fury or Anger understands Gog himself who was Vas Irae Divinae by whom God powred out wrath upon the Jews Maldonate also makes the Fury here mentioned to be against the Church but rather its against Gog for at the same time that Gog should come against Israel at that time should Gods fury come up in his face he would be exceedingly displeased with Gog for attempting the destruction of his people And ver 21. God will call for a Sword against him Vers 19. For in my jealousie and in the fury of my wrath have I spoken The Lord being jealous over his people for their good and seeing what malicious designes Gog and his Confederates had against them was provoked much thereby and said in his Jealousie and Fury that is Promised or rather Threatned the Destruction of Gog and not only so but confirmed it with an Oath in the next words Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the Land of Israel These words Im lo carry the form of an Oâ—th with them as thus If not that is if there be not a great shaking let me not be God let me not be faithful so sure as I am God and faithful so sure and certain it is that there shall be a great shaking in the Land of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raash signifies a Commotion an Earth-quake and in that day when Antiochus invaded Canaan there was a great commotion a great shaking And so there will be when Antichrist who is Gog mystical shall invade the Church which Maldonate saith will be in the end of the world Vers 20. So that the Fishes of the Sea and the Fowls of the Heaven the Beasts of the Field and all creeping things that creep upon the Earth and all the Men that are upon the face of the Earth shall shake at my presence Here is shewn the greatness of his shaking it should be such as should affect and astonish all creatures even the sensible and senseless As Gog should come like a storm so Gods judgements should come upon him and his like a storm When storms are the winds blow terribly so that the Air and Fowls in it are troubled the Sea works and rages so that the fishes in it are disquieted yea some storms do so afflict the Earth that Beasts creeping things and Men themselves are made to quake When God comes in a way of judgement it 's grievous All these expressions are ad significandam calamitatis vehementiam God would appear in some dreadful judgement against Gog and thereby shake all The Mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall Sometimes in Scripture by Mountains are meant Men in eminent places as Dan. 2.35 Isa 40.4 Sometimes the Church and Kingdoms as Isa 2.23 But here some take it literally and affirm there should be such an Earth-quake as should shake down Mountains Lavater by Mountains understands Towers built upon Mountains which then should be demolished The word for steep places is Hammadregoth which Cant. 2.14 is translated stairs the Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valleys the Vulgar is sepes the fences the translation Vatablus follows saith aggeres Bulwarks Piscator and the French say turres Towers OEcolampad and Lavater render it gradus the steps stairs or ascents whereby they went up Junius varies from them all and turns the word prcaeipitia which is Steep places by which he intends Rocks hanging as it were in the Air. The sense is that all Places of refuge and safety seemed they never so strong should fail And every wall shall fall to the ground So terrible shall be the shaking that the walls of Cities shall be overthrown all the Towers Forts and Defences whatsoever shall be levell'd with the ground and made useless Some understand this of Gogs prevailing against the Church laying all waste so that the people of God shall be in that distress till God come and execute judgement upon Gog and all his company Vers 21. And I will call for a Sword against him throughout all my Mountains saith the Lord God Sword here is put for Sword-men God would call forth men and stir up their spirits to oppose Gog and his company who filling all with fear thought to swallow up all but throughout Judea that mountainous Counrey he should meet with those would give check to his proceedings Judas Macchabaeus Jonathan Eleazer and others withstood Antiochus and his Forces as you may see in the Book of the Macchabees and therein was this Prophesie made good say Interpreters Every mans Sword shall be against his Brother Those of Gogs Army should through the just judgement of God upon them change their thoughts counsels intentions and instead of killing their
that robbed them It 's incident to all People and Nations to spoil and rob the People of God and so these Goggites and their Confederates they compassed the Camp of the Saints and the beloved City saith John Rev 20.9 In all ages the Church hath been made a prey of by one or other but the time shall be when it shall spoyl her spoylers and rob her robbers First Observe God will give Victories to his Church and People which seem incredible Here is pointed out such a Victory as is full of wonders and matters incredible Their number is as the Sand of the Sea and all of them Horsemen and cloth'd with all sorts of Arms Chap 38.4 yet conquer'd Their weapons serve for seven years firing and their bodies are seven moneths in burying as it follows in vers 12. Will not this be a wonderful Victory Do not these things seem incredible God of old gâ—ve great and strange V ctories to his People as the drowning of Pharaoh in the Red Sea the slaying of Senacherib's vast Army in a night by an Angel Great Victories since Christ his time have been The Christians have had signal Victories against the Turk And Sanctius tells you of a wonderful Victory which the Spaniards had against the Saracens when at one Battail they slew two hundred thousand of them and lost but twenty five men but when ever this overthrow of Gog shall be it will exceed all former Victories Secondly Observe The Lord makes that advantageous to his People which their Enemies intended to damnifie and ruine them by The Bows Arrows Hand-staves and Spears shall serve the Saints for fuel with which the Goggites thought to destroy them The Sword of Goliah with which he thought to have slain David and many Israelites was afterwards given into the hand of David and serviceable unto him 1 Sam. 21 9. The wise and wonderful Providence of God so over-rules and orders things that it makes Instruments of death the comforts of life The Chariots of Sisera that came for destruction were to the Jews for use and recreation Thirdly Observe After the over-throw of Gog and Mâ—gog Antichrist and his Adherents the Church of God shall have great peace All their weapons of warr shall be burnt they shall make head no more against the Saints After the devouring of Gog and Magog by fire from Heaven Rev. 20.9 The gates of the New Jerusalem were never shut Rev. 21.25 They feared no Enemies they had great peace Fourthly Observe The People of God shall have a day of recompence for the wrongs and injuries they have sustained They shall spoil those that spoiled them and rob those that robbed them The Goggites of the world do fleece the Servants of God eat their flesh suck their bloud and gnaw their bones but the day is coming when the wicked shall be a spoil and prey unto them which sets out the righteousness of God in his wayes and judgements What can be more equal then that he who spoils should be spoyled See Isa 33.1 Woe to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with thee when thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be spoyled and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously they shall deal treacherously with thee Vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. 11. And it shall come to pass at that day that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel the Valley of the passengers on the East of the Sea and it shall stop the Noses of the Passengers and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude and they shall call it The Valley of Hamon-Gog 12. And seven months shall the House of Israel be burying of them that they may cleanse the Land 13. Yea all the people of the Land shall bury them and it shall be to them a Renown the day that I shall be glorified saith the Lord God 14. And they shall sever out men of continual imployment passing through the Land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the Earth to cleanse it after the end of seven moneths shall they search 15. And the passengers that pass through the Land when any seeth a mans bone then shall he set up a sign by it till the Buryers have buryed it in the Valley of Hamon-Gog 16. And also the name of the City shall be Hamonah thus shall they cleanse the Land HAving spoken of the great over-throw which Gog and his should have and the great spoil the Israelites should get thereby Now the buryal of the dead carkasses and their bones comes under consideration where we have the place of the buryal the time how long they shall be burying the persons by whom the name of the place Vers 11. And it shall come to pass at that day that I will give unto Gog a place there of Graves in Israel When Gog and his Forces shall be slain lye exposed to the Fowls of Heaven and Beasts of the Field for a season then will the Lord give unto them a burying place they shall not alwayes lye putrifying above ground but they shall be laid in graves so that they shall neither be a prey to Fowls and Beasts nor offensive to Man alwayes This was favour that God should give his Enemies Sepulchres in Israel The Vulgar and Septuagint have it A place of Name or Renown putting Shem for Sham. It was honour enough for them to have graves there in Israel This honour had not Antiochus The Valley of the Passengers on the East of the Sea What Valley this was is not agreed upon by Interpreters Some affirm it to be a Valley near unto the Lake of Gennezareth or Sea of Tiberias others inform us it 's about Jordan some say it 's on this side Jordan some say on that side It 's most probable to be a Valley near the Salt or Dead-Sea where the five Cities Admah Zeboim Segor Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by Fire and Brimstone now call'd Lacus Asphaltites There as Junius notes men passed from Syria Mesopotamia Babylon and other Countries into Arabia foelix and Egypt whereupon it was call'd the Valley of Passengers and lay Eastward from Jerusalem as the next words shew on the East of the Sea that is on the Eastern Sea The Sea of Tyberias lay Northward but Mare Mâ—â—tuum lay Eastward And it shall stop the Noses of the Passengers Such a stink shall be in that Valley as shall cause the Passengers to stop their Noses or Mouths or both The Spirit of God may have some respect unto the Lake Asphaltites which sent forth poysonous and suffocating vapors so should the dead bodies of Gog and his send out such a loathsome infecting savour as Travailers should stop their Noses as not being able to indure the same There shall they bury Gog and all his multitude Though Gog had a buryal in the Land of Israel yet it was not in the
should come and be found fit for entrance he had his Line and Reed in his hand to measure them None unmeasured might enter Hence it is that Christ saith Joh. 14.6 I am the way and no man comes to the Father but by me And Joh. 10 9. I am the Door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find Pasture Christ is the Lord of the fold and field by him they enter in by him they are led out to the good Pastures and led in again He will not suffer any thing that defileth to enter into the Fold the Temple the New-Jerusalem Rev. 21.27 Seventhly Observe The Lord Christ when Divine things are presented unto us would have us Attent Intent and Apply the whole heart unto them Such things as are of weight slightness and trifling about them are intolerable therefore it 's said here Son of man behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears let thy senses be wholly taken up with these things and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee thine heart also must be fixed upon every thing shewn thee thou must let nothing pass without due observation As Ezekiel was to do thus about the things of his Vision so should all Ministers and Christians about the things of the Gospel which are Revelations of the mind of God by Christ It 's oft said therein Who hath eares to hear let him hear Mat. 13.9 43. Mark 7.16 Luke 14.35 and in other places intimating that if men have either inward or outward eares they should hearken to the things of God They are Divine and may infinitely advantage or infinitely prejudice us if they be not well heeded if we be not attent unto them intent upon them and heartily closing with them better we had never had them It will be easier for Sodome and Gomorrha at the day of judgement then for such let us mind therefore and mind to purpose all things shewn us of Christ let us set our senses and whole hearts upon them Eightly Observe What the Lord Christ reveales unto his servants the Prophets and Ministers they must not reserve to themselves but communicate to others for their Instruction Edification and Comfort Declare all that thou seest to the House of Israel he must not see hear observe for himself but for the House of Israel for the Church and People of God Mat. 10.27 saith Christ to his Disciples What I tell you in darkness that speak ye in the light and what ye hear in the ear that preach ye upon the house-tops whatever I have imparted unto you that do ye impart unto others take the best advantages ye can to make the same known The servants of God and Christ must not onely utter what they receive but utter All they receive Act. 20.27 Paul kept back Nothing was profitable for them but declared to them all the Councel of God Vers 5. And behold a Wall on the outside of the house round about and in the mans hand a measuring-reed of six Cubits long by the Cubit and an hand breadth so he measured the breadth of the building one reed and the height one reed Great houses and Cities have walls 1 King 3.1 and 6.5 so this house had a Wall round about it By this wall we may understand the wall of Gods protection which is round about the Church This wall was in height and thickness alike 6 Cubits high and 6 Cubits thick it was strong securing the house Ezek. law God who is stronger then all is the defence of the Church Psal 125.2 Babylons wall which was 100. Cubits high and 30. Foot broad sufficed not to preserve her from ruins that wall was battred and level'd with the ground but Jehovah the Lord of Hosts is the wall about this building and such a wall as all the powers of the World and Hell cannot shake or batter Zech. 9.8 I will encamp about thine house And Zech. 2.5 I will be unto Jerusalem a wall of fire râ—und about saith the Lord. The Church of God having such a wall is secure and invincible The Church is call'd an House not a Tabernacle because of Gods inhabitation of it and his fixed abiding there Psal 132.13 14. The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Sion notes the Church in all ages there is Gods house there is the desire of his soul there he rests he hath no rest in all the world but in Sion The measuring reed in the hand of the man is the same with the reed in John's hand Rev. 11.1 Those that exercise Architecture use lines and reeds to measure things therewith and so doth Christ here The line and reed in his hand is the Word or Everlasting Gospel which Rev. 21.15 is call'd a golden-reed right strong and inflexible with this he measures the Church and all things belong unto it by the Word he sets out the nature greatness power priviledges and characters of the Church by this he measures out the qualifications liberty and power of Members and Officers therein Hence the Word is call'd a Rule or Canon Phil. 3.16 The Hebrew is Kene hammiddah shesh ammoth baammah vetophath a reed of measure of six cubits in a cubit and of a hand breadth Whether these words an hand breadth should be joyn'd to the 6. cubits taken joyntly or to each cubit distinct by it self is doubtful that in the 43. Chap. v. 13. seems to make the hand 's breadth to be added to each cubit for it saith a cubit is a cubit and a hands breadth This we may understand of the Legal or Sanctuary cubit not the common one which was less by a hands breadth then the other this being 5. th' other 6. hands breadth Hence some deny that the hands breadth must be added to each cubit for then there will be 7. cubits those 6 hands breadth making another cubit They will have the reed 6 cubits long and an hands breadth over the 6. part of a cubit more A cubit is that length between the elbow and top of the middle finger now this space being longer in some men and shorter in others no certainty can be determin'd especially when men differ in their heads more then in their armes for some make a cubit to be 5. handfulls some 6. some a yard and some an ell or ells some a foot and half The line and reed are in Christs hand the virtue and benefit of them is from Him This line and reed being the Word hath it's efficacy from Christ out of his hand it 's un-efficacious un-beneficial but being in his hand his power and spirit going with it it measures out and fits materials for this spiritual Building The book written within and sealed with 7. seals could none open but Christ Rev. 1.3 5. and as none could open it but he so none can make it
Jews say he is not come 197 143 279 604 Ministers preachers it s their lot to be ill spoken of 163. God notes what said against them 194. men may be much affected with them and yet be hypocrites 169. but as songs to many hearers 170. otheâ— thoughts will be of them in time 172 true ones come in spirit and power 424. of Gods counsel and co-workers 424 425 maintenance due to them 592. should have accommodation and good pravision 232. not go out to worldly imployments 334. what frame of spirit when we approach to God 335. they have Christ standing by them when at Temple work â—49 must first see themselves before they shew to others 359 should make known Christ crucified 372. they must attend and set their hearts upon things 384. what ones shall be honored 391. what they ought to be 3â—2 393. other frame of spirit when come to God ibid. they ought to be maintained 398. should be careful what they eat 399. must look for hardships of 555. they are fishers â—7â— catch fish of all sorts â—73 Month one of the months the first of it 37 Mourn we may mourn when judgements are upon enemies of the Church 83 84 Mountain how taken 222 Mount Moriah 284. mount Sion what and why 287 288 Christ the mountain of God 372 Multitude no warrant for our way 153. they go the wrong way 272 273. joyns against Christ 496 Mouth opening of it what it imports 142. freedom of speaking is from God 145. what to magnifie with the mouth 268 N NAme prophaning Gods name two ways 299 grievous to occasion the blaspheming God name 302 what his name signifies 305 what to sanctifie it 305. its holy 307. prophaning it sticks and God will vindicate his name 308. For his name sake he doth much 309 Names occasionally given to places 251. God doth great things for his namesake 273 when sanctified 274 Nation God can reconcile divided nations 494 Nephesh how taken 148 Nets 67. God hath nets to catch Whales and great fish 69 New-moons what they point out 534 Nilus how made dry 15 No what kind of City 21 Noph a City famous 19 O OAth Gods oath 117 Obedience should be more now then of old 540 Oblations to the Prince what meant by them 415 Occasions some glad of occasion against God and his ways 302 Offering burnt-offering what it notes 305. other offering and sacrifice what they import ibid. Meat-offering sin-offering trespass-offering 333 334 419 Offices and Officers in the Church are onely to be set up by the Lord 107 216 Ordinances of the Temple what 363. why made known 366. they must be well heeded 284 285. vide Divine things how we should come unto them 419 Own mens own sins ruine them 301 P PAin what it notes 4 Palm-trees described 303. what for ibid. more of them 213 214 319 Pardon after it come other mercies 391 Pathros A Country or City 28 Pattern men must keep to Gods pattern 364 Pavement what it points out 300 301 Peace great peace when 245. in times of it men forget God and sin 274. those at peace with God must neither be carnal nor cruel 377 People Thy people 89. when people have power to set up an Officer 106. like sheep in five things 177. Gods people are under their enemies 230. they are safest of all 233. God hath a people he owns is with 242 243 dealings with them are distinguishing and convincing 243. God eyes how hearts of men are to his people 252 by their own sins they bring desolation 274. God deals differently with his own people and others 293. provident for his ibid. have the best at last 244. happiness of a people wherein 377. Gods people are sometimes heartless and hopeless 444. are cared for in the most broken and meanest condition 455. shall have a day of recompence 245. if they sin shall smart for it 265. they must worship God publiquely 5 8 Perseverance crowns 132. who will persevere 368 Pillars of the Temple not all alike 328 Place Mercy and judgement in the same place 238. the most holy place what it notes 316 3â—7 Pledge what 130 Plenty easily made by God 381. it s from him 382. Plots secret in time Break out 213. God is angry with those who plot against tâ—e Church 225 Pomp in what 76 Porches for what 297. we are in a porch State 308 Posts what and setting them by the Lords 356. Gods posts what why so named ibid. Preists their office number signification 307. to approach unto the Lord 331. well provided for 332 come in holy garments 334. High-priests what to be have and do 380. typed Christ ibid. their sins 385 386. corrupt deposed 389. their vertues 192. their heads and hair 393. when not drink wine 394. their marriage ibid. rules for them in other things 395 396 397 Prince not to meddle with things of God 532. to maintain his worship ibid. he must worship God ibid. not impede his worship 533. must walk as God wills 536 to be bountiful to whom 543. not to covet or oppress ibid. Nothing can secure wicked princes 26. they ought to protect their Subjects 47. have their day to leave their greatness 58. their deaths affect much ib. wicked ones great troublers 66. Great Princes being enemies to the Church how God their enemy 495. the High-priest or Christ 308 406 407 410 his entrance by the gate 381. he and his estate should be for the preservation of the whole 406. in portion 407. what they should be 409. covetous and cruel 412. should do justice 413. tied to laws of God ibid. more expected from them then ordinary 540 541. Prejudice hard to be removed 139 Priviledges profit not without godliness 94 Promises made good if the condition be performed 152. Gods promises and mercies free 388. shall take effect 397. to be sued out by prayer 401 Prophets must not spare Princes 66. things are revealed to them by degrees 83. what they threaten comes to pass 172. men shall have other thoughts of them ibid. they will be witnesses at last against hearers 173. Prophets moved by the Spirit 424. true ones come in Spirit and power ibid. do difficult things 425. put upon strange employments 434 directed to answer questions 456. not all recorded they delivered 217. God owns honors protects them 218 they must reveal what is revealed to them 290 Prophesies of God shall take effect 397 Prosperity dangerous 274 Q QValities evil make men like brute creatures 65 Qualifications not found but where wrought by the Spirit 359 Question God can silence man with a short Question 426 R RAdah what rule it notes 181 Recompence to the godly for their wrongs 245 Reed the measuring reed 285. what 291. men must not bring their reeds to measure by 292 Religion and righteousness should go together 372. nothing to be done in it on mens heads 376 Renown that Christ and the Church hath is from the Lord 239 Repentance when specially it