Churches in Judaea Galilee and Samaria Acts 9.31 The Churches of Syria and Cilicia Acts 15.41 The Churches in Asia Rev 1.11 The Churches of Macedonia 2 Cor 8.1 The Churches of Galatia 1 Cor 16.1 The Churches of the Gentiles Rom 16.4 are all called the Churches of Christ Rom 16.16 They had their particular Pastors Teachers Elders but Christ was the universal Pastor Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles Peter of the Jews but Christ was the Apostle and Shepherd of both therefore saith John 10.16 That he hath other sheep which he must bring to his fold meaning the Gentiles Secondly Christ is a shepherd that feeds them with such meat and drink as other Shepherds cannot they may feed them with knowledge and understanding Jer 3.15 but besides this Christ feeds them with his flesh and bloud John 6.51 53 54 55. Math 26.26 28. he feeds them with his Spirit John 16.7 Acts 8.15 17. Thirdly He inables all other Shepherds to discharge the trust committed to them Those that are over his flocks he gave them their gifts their graces their power they have nothing but what they received of him therefore Isaiah Chap 50.4 saith The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know to speak a word in season to him that is weary Isaiah who was one of the Jewish shepherds had all his wisdome skill and power from the Lord Christ And when he sent out his twelve Apostles Matth 10.8 he told them they had freely received and must freely give no Shepherds give ought to Christ he communicates all to them John 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing but Christ could do all without them Fourthly Christ is an abiding an everlasting unchangeable Shepherd Other Shepherds are flitting hither and thither and at last dye and leave the Flock Christ doth not so he dyed for the Flock but was brought again from the dead Heb 13.20 and lives for ever making intercession for his Flock Heb 7.25 he stands on Mount Zion Rev 14.1 beholding and feeding them daily he walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks Rev 2.1 Fifthly Christ knows which are Sheep and which are Goats John 10.3 14 26 27. others do not Even my servant David Christ is here called David and so in many other places as Jer 30.9 Hos 3.5 Isa 37.35 2 Kings 19.34 Ezek 37.24 25. In all those places is Christ call'd David because he came of the seed of David according to the flesh as it is Rom 1.3 and because David was a type of Christ he might have said My servant Abraham Isaac Jacob as Isa 49.3 Thou art my servant O Israel Christ is called Israel because he was from the Israelitish Naâ—ion but David is named because he was the first Godly King of all Israel and Judah Vid Galat l. 3. c. 25. and so typed out Christ more eminently then his predecessors My servant So Christ is called Isa 42.1 Chap 52.13 Ezek 37.24 25. and in other places A servant is one who is under another and who keeps and doth things commended to him by his Master Christ as man was under his Father and kept his commandements John 15.10 He served him in taking mans nature upon him and doing his will in redeeming and saving man Heb 10.9 Matth 20.28 John 13.16 Phil 2.7 He shall feed them he shall be their shepherd He insists upon and repeats the same thing again to shew the great care diligence and intention of Christ in and upon his work of feeding the flock he shall make it his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his business to do it others have made it their work to fleece them to scatter or devoure them but he shall so mind them as to make up what was wanting in others and to do some singular thing for them he shall go in and out before them and lay down his life for them Vers 24. And I the Lord will be their God The Hebrew is And I Jehovah will be to them for a God or a God to them The French is Mais moy qui suis Seigneur ie seray leur Dieu But I who am the Lord will be their God though I give them Christ to be their shepherd yet I will be their God I will not denude or divest my self of my right and power over them but I will still be their God this sense is true but I like it better to take the words as we have them And I the Lord will be their God I will set my son or servant David over them to feed them and I the Lord will be their God they shall find me a mercifull and gracious God they shall find me in Christ my son their Shepherd reconciling them unto my selfe not imputing their trespasses unto them I will be their God to pardon them to take special care of them to deliver them to comfort and counsell them in all their straits and miseries and to communicate choice mercies unto them Of these words before Chap 11.20 And my servant David a Prince among them The words are to be read thus My servant David shall be a Prince amongst them if we take the former words with them its clear they ought to be read I will be their God and my servant David shall be a Prince among them so Piscator reads the words and so the French translation Mon servit cur David ser aâ—le Prince au milieux d'eux My servant David shall be a Prince in the midst of them Whether this prophesie be fullfill'd is questionable there is somewhat in the Gospel may make us conceive it is for Matth 2.2 it s said where is he that is born King of the Jews and Matth 21.5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh unto thee Acts 5.31 God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour and Rev 1.5 He is stiled Prince of the Kings of the earth these Scriptures evince that Christ is a King a Prince but not that he reigned as a Prince among them for he professes that he came not to Reigne but to serve Mat. 20.28 Phil. 2.7 and therefore washed his Disciples feet John 13.12 and when they would make him a King he would not John 6.15 Christ hath appeared fully in his Priestly and Propheticall Office and hath had the honour of them but he hath not appeared in his Kingly Office nor had the honour of it therefore it s conceived this prophesie is not yet fulfilled but that the time is to come wherein he shall reign as a Prince and King in the midst of his people Luke 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdome The time is coming that Christ shall reign and keep a Table like a Prince where his friends shall freely eat and drink Christ speaks not this of his spiritual Kingdome which is now in the Churches and hearts of his people
of that which he had as Man but of that he had as Redeemer of men and obtained by his Sufferings and Resurrection In lecumâ— saith Maldonate It 's clear then Christ was not King over the Jews before his death because he had not his Power then and how he was their King afterward when he quickly left the World and went up into heaven I desire to learn 3. The Power and Laws here mentioned are Spirituall and refer to the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ viz. His Church as Teach all Nations and baptize them in the name c. These are Spiritual Laws and Ordinances proceeding from that power Christ had given him to gather out of all Nations those He had Redeemed by his death Here he appoints means for the gathering preserving and ruling his Church But this is not the Power our Prophet speaks of that is a Political Power such as David had and therefore it 's said He shall sit in the Throne of David his father Luke 1.29 Act. 2.30 David's Throne was an external visible political Throne Christ's Throne in Heaven his Throne in the hearts of Believers his Throne in the Church is not the Throne of David you may judge what kinde of Throne David's was by Jer. 13.13 Chap. 17.25 Chap. 22.4.30 1 King 2 12 24. When David Solomon and others sate in that Throne they put men to death and made Wars which Christ did not when he was here on earth Vers 25. And they shall dwell in the Land that I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein their Fathers have dwelt This is spoken of the ten Tribes together with Judah and Benjamin who should return from their Captivity and repossess the Land of Canaan That Judah and Benjamin did is clear from the Scriptures and granâ—ed on all sides but that the ten Tribes returned is generally denyed and expected to this day to be made good The promise here is That the whole body of the Jews even the house of Judah and the house of Israel shall come thither and dwell there Jer. 3.18 In those dayes the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel and they shall come together out of the land of the North to the land that I have given for an inheritance to your fathers See Jer. 50.45 Ezek 9.13 Jer. 30.3 Let not man think because Christ hath said Mat. 23.38 Your house is left unto you desolate that therefore there is no hope of their returning to their Land for this is not spoken of the ten Tribes they were not there at Jerusalem and Revel 14.1 The Lamb stood on mount Sion with 144000 which were gathered out of all the Tribes of Israel and the time is coming when the Jews shall see Christ and say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Matth. 23. And they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever Not only will God bring them into their Land but continue them and their's therein for ever The house of Judah after her return from Babylon continued in the Land of promise some 600 years For from the time of Cyrus Proclamation to Christ was 560 and about 40 years after the death of Christ was Jerusalem destroyed and the Jews wholly scattered These 600 years the house of Judah and her children injoyed but they fall short of what is promised here unto both houses viz. Inheriting of the Land for ever And my servant David shall be their Prince for ever David was dead long before Messiah the Lord Christ is pointed out by David who should be their Prince and rule them as David did David was meek and gentle in his Government 1 Chr. 28.2 Faithful and wise Psal 78.72 Righteous and just 2 Sam. 8.15 Such a King shall Christ be Psal 45.4 Isa 11.4 5. Jer. 23.5 And whereas David's Kingdom was for a time some 40 years the Kingdom of Christ shall have no end he shall be their Prince for ever All the Kings the Jews ever had reigned not 500 years it was about 493 but this Prince should exceed them all Luk. 1.33 First Observe There is a time wherein Christ must reign over the Jews they must be gathered into one body and Christ must be their King David my servant shall be King over them not only in a special way which hitherto he hath not been but also in a visible political way for he must sit in the Throne of David Hence it is that Christ said Luke 22.29 unto his Apostles I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me He doth not say He had a Kingdome but that a Kingdome was appointed them and such a Kingdom as should be visible for ver 30 it follows that they may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel There is no Tables no Eating no Drinking no Tribes no Judging of them in heaven In Matth. 19.18 Christ speaks of twelve Thrones whereon the Apostles shall sit and rule the twelve Tribes of Israel together with himself being in the Throne of his Glory And when shall this be in the Regeneration when the Jews shall be regenerate when the time of restitution of all things shall be For the words should be rendred thus They which have followed me and there stop in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory c. Then shall the twelve Tribes be there I be their King and you Judges or Rulers under me Grotius reads the words so and conceives them to be spoken of the Kingdom of Christ Whose Kingdom shall not be of Jews only but of Gentiles also they shall be under this King Psal 72.11 All Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him so that the Lord shall be King over all the earth Zech. 14.9 Secondly Observe There shall be no changes and alterations in the Kingdom of Christ by succession of Princes there they all shall have one Shepheard one Prince We see great changes in Kingdoms where they have King after King be it by Election or Succession When Rehoboam succeeded Solomon what tumults and stirs were then in the house of David so afterwards in the house of Joseph when Baasha and Jehu were chosen Kings There shall be no such thing here One Shepheard shall they have who shall Rule them with Righteousness and feed them with Knowledge Isa 40.11 He shall deal like a good Shepheard by them Ezek. 34.23 Thirdly Observe The Subjects of Christ's Kingdom shall be holy They shall walk in my Judgements and observe my Statutes and do them They who do the will of God they who keep his Laws they be innocent undefiled Psal 119.1 They are holy ones The 144000 which stood with the Lamb on Mount Sion were Virgins without guile without fault before the Throne of God Revel 14.1 4 5. Isa 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous See Zach.
the rest 2 Chron. 11.13 14 16 17. Chap. 15.9 and these are call'd the children of Israel his companions that is Judah's companions because they forsook him not as others did All these were represented by this first Stick Then take another stick and write upon it For Joseph the stick of Ephraim Having finished the first Stick he is bidden to take another The Hebrew is take one stick that is one more and write upon it For Joseph As the other Stick was for Judah so this for Joseph viz. to represent the Tribe of Joseph which was the principal of the ten Tribes and his Stick is call'd the stick of Ephraim Ephraim was the Son of Joseph and the ten Tribes are usually call'd in Scripture by the name of Ephraim as Hos 4.17 Chap. 5.3 9 11 12 13 14. But here the Tribe of Ephraim is meant The Chaldee saith Lignum Ephraim est Tribus Ephraim Jeroboam who made the great rent in the house of David was of the Tribe of Ephraim and to him did the other Tribes adhere And for all the house of Israel his companions This Stick was for the whole ten Tribes which are call'd the house of Joseph Amos 5.6 The seed of Ephraim Jer. 7.15 Samaria Hos 8.5 And here The house of Israel All these did side with Jeroboam when he revolted and so were Companions with him with Ephraim and Joseph Long before this time the ten Tribes were carryed into Captivity by Shalmanezer King of Assyria but here the Lord thought upon them and ordered the Prophet to take a Stick for them Vers 17. And joyn them one to another into one stick The Hebrew is and make them come one to one to thee into one stick Those two Sticks he must joyn together and make one Stick of them Some do make a Miracle here saying That as Moses Rod was turn'd into a Serpent and Aarons blossom'd Exod. 4.3 Numb 17.8 by a miraculous work of God So did Ezekiel's Sticks unite together in his hand It 's true God by his Divine Power could unite them into one but here he bids the Prophet joyn them one to another into one Stick which he might do by some artificial means or else hold them together in his hand which might suffice for the purpose intended And they shall become one in thine hand They shall be Vnum in maâ—â—bus tuis so Montanus renders the Hebrew not they shall become but they shall be one thing or stick in thine hand they should no more appear to be two Sticks but one and the Characters writ upon them visible for every man to read The old Translation hath it They shall be as one in thy hand While he held them they were as one but had he let them go they had fallen asunder and been two Sticks as before Verse 18. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee saying In the 12 and 13. verses God had said O my people He own'd them for his here He terms them the Prophets people The children of thy people They were Ezekiels people because he was set of God a Watchman over them Chap. 3.17 Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these The Hebrew is Wilt thou not shew us Mah elleh lack What these things are to thee So the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is thine intention in taking these Sticks and holding them in thine hand what is the Interpetation thereof It is a Riddle unto us let us know the sense and meaning thereof Verse 19. Behold I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Trâ—bes of Israel his fellows The Stick of Joseph that 's the Tribe of Ephraim which was in Jeroboam's hand who was of that Tribe and not only that but nine more were under him and his Successors a long time 260 years or thereabout These ten Tribes made up the Kingdom of Israel which was divided from the Kingdom of â—â—dah and therefore are call'd Ephraim's fellows not Judah's All these represented by the Stick God would take and what would he do with them And will put them with him even with the stick of Judah and make them one stick and they shall be one in mine hand God would make these two Sticks one not one Tribe but one Kingdom They had been two Kingdoms at great enmity and were at this time scattered abroad among the Nations but the Lord promises to gather them together and to unite them so that there shall not be a Kingdom of Israel and a Kingdom of Judah but the Stick of Ephraim shall be united to the Stick of Judah they should be but one Stick one Kingdom and one King and that in the hand of the Lord the Septuagint saith in the hand of Judah First Observe True Types have God for the Author of them God bad the Prophet here take one Stick and another Stick and write upon them and thereby to type out the houses of Judah and Israel Had he taken these of his own head they had been nothing bastardly Types not true Types When Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of Iron saying Thus saith the Lord With these shalt thou push the Syrians untill thou have consumed them 1 King 22.11 This was a bold presumption of him to make Horns Typical without Command from God The event shew'd him to be a false Prophet and his Type to be a lying Type It 's peculiar unto God to make Divine Types Secondly Observe God can and doth make use of mean things to honourable purposes Sticks are mean and contemptible things trodden under foot yet God orders Sticks here to be taken writ upon to represent the two principal Houses in the World the house of Judah and the house of Israel and their uniting together here was high honour put upon these Sticks God made use of a Tile to pourtray Jerusalem upon Ezek. 4. And of Hair to Type out his Judgements Ezek. 5. which was a great honour unto such despicable things What honour did God put upon the Brazen Serpent to represent Christ thereby Numb 21.9 Joh. 3.14 As God puts honour upon mean thâ—ngs so upon mean persons 1 Cor. 1.28 The base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are He exalted Gideon and did great things by him Judg. 6. God took Amos an Heardman a gatherer of Sycamore fruit in vested him with the honour of a Prophet Amos 7.14 15. and by him confounded Amaziah the Priest of Bethel and Jeroboams Chaplain Thirdly Observe God hath a care of his people be they in never so poor broken scattered or despicable a condition The house of Judah had been now in Babylon upon 70 years the house of Israel 204 years if not more they were despised of men and seem'd forgotten of God but the Lord had them in remembrance and bids the Prophet write upon one stick For
of this Temple and the Saints in Gospel-times being victorious and flourishing are to be the ornament of the Church Rev. 7.9 I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white Robes and Palms in their hand Psal 92.12 The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out Vers 19. An hundred cubits East-ward and North-ward The Floor or Pavement of the peoples Court was an 100. cubits square Vers 20. The measures of the North-gate the Chambers Windows and Arches thereof were after the measure of the first Gate vers 21. that is after the measure of the Gate that looketh toward the East vers 22. Vers 23. The Gate of the Inner Court was over against c. There were Gates in the Priests Court and Gates in the Peoples Courts and they were one over against the other and a 100. cubits distant each from another Vers 24. After he brought me toward the South When we are in Temple-work we must move according to the mind of the Master-Builder and not of our own heads Behold a Gate towards the South The measures of this Gate the Posts Windows and Arches vers 25 26. were as the former measures of the Gates they were uniform Vers 26. The South-gate had 7. Steps to go up to it and so had the North-gate vers 22. and the East-gate had it's Stairs See before v. 6. Vers 27 28. The Prophet from the outward Court is brought to the Inner Court and first to the South-gate and the measures from Gate to Gate as before were an 100. cubits and the measures of the little Chambers Posts Arches and Windows belonging to the South-gate vers 19 30 31. to the Eastgate vers 32 33 34. and to the North-gate vers 35 36. were the same and without difference There was neither defect nor excess in these measures but equality Vers 37. The going up to the North-gate of the Inner Court had 8. Steps so had the East-gate vers 34. and the Southgate vers 31. The Gates of the Outward Court had but 7. Steps The people that came thither were to be holy but the Priests who came into the Inner Court were to be more holy They who are nearest God should be most holy They are to be a step at least above others Vers 38. The Burnt-offering was washed Some by this washing of the Burnt-offering do think Baptism to be prefigured which denotes the washing away the filthiness of sin by the bloud Christ It may note out to us the purity of that which is to be presented to the Lord Nothing unclean will be acceptable to hâ—m Vers 39. Of the Table-offerings and Sacrifices From the beginning of the 39. vers to the 44. Ezek. tells you of the Tables seen in this Temple their number situation description and use Their number was 8. some make them 12. Their situation was by the side of the Porches and Gates 4. on one side and 4. on another side For the description of them They were of Hewen stone a Cubit and half long a Cubit and half broad and one Cubit high The use of them was to slay the Burnt-offering the Sin-offering and the Trespasse-offering thereon and to lay their flesh thereon It 's not to be imagined that under the Times of Christ the Jewish worship should be revived These expositions of Tables Offerings and Sacrifices import some other thing viz. the good and plentiful provision should be in the Gospel-church Isa speaks of the same Chap. 25.6 The Lord of Hosts shall make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined And Isa 55.1 2. Christ hath water wine milk bread and fatness in his house The Gospel is call'd A great supper Luk. 14.16 There was variety of dainties to satisfy the souls of his Ps 22.36 The meek shall eat and be satiâ—fied Christ hath a table well furnished Prov. 9.2 Luk. 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a Kingd me as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdome It 's a Marriage Supper Christ prepares for his Rev. 19.9 In the New Jerusalem is a Tree of Life which bears 12. manner of fruits and yields her fruit every month Of the Singers In the 44. vers and onely there the Singers of this Temple are mentioned There were Chambers of Singers There were Singers in Salomons Temple 1 King 10.12 2 Chron. 5.12 and the number of them was great 1 Chron. 25. and they were to sing praises daily 1 Chron. 23.30 Some play'd on Instruments some sang with Voices Some conceive the Israelites had a part in the Instrumental-musick but none in the Vocal that was performed by the Levites onely Less then 12 their number was not at any time Lightfoot on the Temple but they might be as many as they would above 12. These set out the Spiritual Joy and Songs should be in the Church of Christ Isa 65.14 17 18. Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart For behold I create new heavens and a new earth Be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create For behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Her walls shall be salvation and her gates praise Isa 60.18 In this Jerusalem will be an Holy Priest-hood to offer up Spiritual praise 1 Pet. 2.5 The Revelations speaks of Singers Chap. 14.1 3. There were 144000 stood on Mount Sion singing as it were a new song And Chap. 15.2 3. Those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name sung the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Conquerors are full of joy and much in singing praises especially Spiritual Conquerors Such are they who the Apostle John saith shall reign with Christ 10â—0 years for they shall be Priests of God and of Christ Rev 20.6 And wherefore Priests but to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices to sing forth the praises of God and Christ who hath advanced them to a reigning condition Vers 45 46. Of the Priests This Temple had it's Priests who were The keepers of the charge of the house vers 45. And keepers of the charge of the Altar vers 46. In time of the Tabernacle there were men appointed to take charge of it and the things pertaining to it Numb 3.25 There were 8600. to keep the charge of the Sanctuary vers 28. And what many of them did you may see 1 Chron. 9.27 28 29 30 31 32. Chap. 23. 27 28 29 30 31 32. So in the Temple of Solomon the Priests had the charge of the things thereof 2 Chro. 13.10 11. When Vzziah went into the Temple
it still shut why stands it not open for vers 2. It 's said This Gate shall be shut it shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it and why because the God of Israel hath entred in by it therefore it shall be shut Answ 1. It is shut In Principis dignitatem for the honour of the Prince Great persons and Princes have their Gates shut all must not come at and see them it was an honour to the Spouse that she was A Garden inclosed a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed Cant. 4.12 2. In Principis usum that he might go in and out at his pleasure that he might let in and keep out whom he pleased the wise Virgins were let in by the Bridgroom but the foolish were kept out for the door was shut Mat. 25.10 11. In the New Jerusalem no unclean thing could enter though the Gates stood open and out of heaven no clean thing shall be kept though the Gate be shut Christ hath the key to open it for Saints He opened it for Stephen Act. 7.56 Behold I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right-hand of God He opened it for Peter Act. 10.11 3 It may be said to be shut in regard of Christ's long continuance there before his return It 's said vers 3. He shall enter by the way of the Porch of the Gate and shall go out by the way of the same Christ will come again he is entred into heaven and there he will and must abide till the time of restitution of all things Act. 3.21 Act. 1.11 Heb. 9.28 Christ who entred by this Gate was not onely Man but God he was the Lord God of Israel Jehovah that he might open heaven for sinners and man that he might enter himself This Gate was for the Prince that he might sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. Aaron the High-priest was to eat sacred flesh and bread in the door of the Tabernacle Levit. 8.31 Exod. 29.32 This sitting and eating bread there and that before the Lord leads us to a double consideration of Christ 1. His sitting in heaven at the right-hand of Majesty Heb. 1.3 Having finished the work was given him to do he ascended oh high and had the greatest glory he sat at God's own right-hand in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every thing that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come Ephes 1.20 21. 2. His communion with and happiness in the Lord which is held forth in his eating bread before the Lord. The communion and happiness the Saints have with and in Christ is set out by eating and drinking Luk. 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table and sit on Thrones c. so Mat. 26.29 That is that ye may have sweet communion with me and be happy in the fruition of me as I am in the fruition of my Father and communion with him Vers 4 5 6 7 8 4. Then brought he we the way of the North gate before the house and I looked and behold the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord and I fell upon my face 5. And the Lord said unto me Son of man mark well and behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears all that I shall say unto thee concerning all the Ordinances of the house of the Lord and all the Laws thereof and mark well the entring in of the house with every going forth of the Sanctuary 6. And thou shalt say to the rebellious even to the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord God O ye house of Israel Let it suffice you of all your abominations 7. In that ye have brought into my Sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my Sanctuary to pollute it even my house when ye offer my bread the fat and the bloud and they have broken my covenant because of all your abomination 8. And ye have not kept the charge of my holy things but ye have set keepers of my charge in my Sanctuary for your selves BEfore the reproof of the Priests the 2d thing considerable in the Chapter Here be 3. things to be minded concerning Ezekiel 1. His sight of glory 2. The effects of that sight 3. The command laid upon him 1. For the sight of Glory being brought to the North-gate he saw the glory of the Lord fill'd the house that was some visible sight of his glorious presence touching this was spoken in the 43. Chap. vers 5. The effect was He fell upon his face as before the sight of glory humbles and prepares to receive the commands of the Lord. When the glory and Mâ—jesty of God is seen and apprehended the heart is stricken with awe and reverence of God and the party so affected is humbled before God and so made fit for impression of Divine commands As here it follows Vers 5. And the Lord said unto me Son of man mark well and behold c. In the 40. Chap. vers 4. we had the substance of this verse and partly the very words Here God requires the inward and outward parts the heart and senses Those words Mark well are in the Hebrew Set thine heart so that the heart the ears and eyes are to be attentive and incentive on what God commands The heart must not wander the ear be heavy nor the eye rove when God speaks and Temple-work is in hand The holy God and holy things are exactly to be observed and heeded by all but especially by those are officers in his house as Ezekiel was they must attend to all the Ordinances and Laws of God's house for they must make them known to others and walk by them themselves they must know how to behave themselves in the house of God and teâ—ch others so to do Especially they must mark well the enâ—â—ing of the house that is they must be careful who they admit to be in it and to partake of the Ordinances of it lest both it and they be defiled they must mark every going forth of the Sanctuary so that none go out at the same door they entrâ—d that they go forwards not backwards that they leave not the house of God but be looked after Vers 6. And thou shalt say to the rebellious even to the house c. Ezekiel being prepared must go and execute the command of God which was to reprove the house of Israel and chiefly the Priests The sins they are reproved of be 1. Rebellion 2. Abominations 3. Bringing in unworthy persons into the Sanctuary to pollute it 4. Their sinful Sacrificing 5. Breaking of Covenant 6. Neglecting of their charge and committing the same to others Of the Rebellious house of Israel and their abominations formerly hath been spoken It 's said here vers 6. Let it suffice you of all
and servants and are expensive in their buildings feastings and revellings usually they fetch it out of the people by squeezing and oppressing them but the Law is the Prince shall not take of the Peoples inheritance lest he should alienate the inheritance come by Parents from their posterity unto strangers and so cause them to desert their Countrey and to scatter abroad God would have Princes to live upon and give of their own and by no means to oppress the people These Laws were not amongst the Mosaical ones And if the Prince here be taken for the Princes of this world where when and by whom hath this Prophesie been fulfilled where dwells the Prince and what is his name who hath not oppressed the people We may finde the accomplishment of it in Christ rather then in any of them But for them we may observe here 1. That Princes should be liberal and bountiful and not onely to their children but to their servants and subjects they may deserve well at their hands and if they be not rewarded and encouraged men will have no hearts to publique honorable and difficult imployments When David shall have Sauls Daughter he will venture upon the Philistines 1 Sam. 18. 2. That Princes being bountiful must give of what is their own It 's injustice and dishonorable to them to give away what is anothers 3. They ought to be well content with their own estates and not to covet and take away from others their goods houses or possessions they should not spoil their subjects of their right thrust them out of their possessions take away their Priviledges to make themselves great rich dreadful When Princes do so they become Tyrants and Oppressors and their ends will be breaking Psal 72.4 He shall break in pieces the oppressor To speak somewhat of this Prince as pointing out Christ He hath sons and servants to the one he gives graces to the other common gifts To his sons he gives a Kingdom Luke 22.29 to the wicked who are his servants he gives a portion in this life Psal 17.14 And at their death the time of liberty and at the time of Restitution of all things the gifts return to the Prince again but the Graces and the Kingdom are the Saints for ever they are their inheritance This Prince gives of his own for all that the Father hath are his John 16.5 and he is heir of all things Heb. 1.28 and he gives bountifully he pours out his Spirit upon his Sons and fills them with joy glorious and unspeakable Verse 19 20 21 22 23 24. After he brought me through the entry which was at the side of the gate into the holy Chambers of the Priests which looked towards the North and behold there was a place on the two sides Westward Then said he unto me This is the place where the Priest shall boyl the Trespass-offering and the Sin-offering where they shall bake the Meat-offering that they bear them not out into the utter Court to sanctifie the people Then he brought me forth into the utter Court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the Court and behold in every corner of the Court there was a Court. In the four corners of the Court there were Courts joyned of forty cubits long and thirty broad these four corners were of one measure And there was a new building round about in them round about them four and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about Then said he unto me These are the places of them that boil where the Ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifices of the people THe Courts and places where the Priests and Levites boiled baked and made ready the Sacrifices are here described unto us On the North-side of the Priests Court into which the Prince and People were not to enter were the holy Chambers and Westward from them was a place as far from the East-gate as might be where all things were fitted for boiling and baking the Sacrifices in that place were the Kitchins for such service Hither was the Prophet brought to see these and from hence he was carried into the utter Court Some make this utter Court the Gentiles or Peoples Court others the middle Court called the utter Court because it was so to the inner Court And in the four corners thereof there were four Courts According to the Hebrew thus A Court in a corner of a Court a Court in a corner of a Court and these little Courts were for the Levites where was a building with boiling places and there the appointed Officers boiled the Sacrifices of the people That they bear them not out to sanctifie the people In Chap. 44. ver 19. They shall not sanctifie the people with their garments was laid down What may serve here unless by sanctifying we understand defiling as Sanctum doth for the Hebrew word Kadash signifies sometimes to pollute as Deut. 22.9 Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown and the fruit of thy vineyard be defiled The holy Chambers here spoken of and the four Courts in the four corners of the Court do seem to hold out the particular Churches which are in all parts of the World and that these being committed to the Ministers of the Gospel they ought to preach Christ unto them and especially Christ crucified who is the Trespass-offering the Sin-offering and Meat-offering They must be careful to whom they give holy things they might not â—ear out the Offerings into the utter Court where all sorts of people were they would have thought themselves holy by touching holy things though they had defiled them As many now by having the Supper of the Lord think themselves holy whenal they have defiled the Ordinance and themselves the more by their unworthy receiving The Ministers of the Gospel therefore should be very circumspect and careful to whom they give holy things the prophane ignorant hypocrites should not share in them those who are true Repentants and true Believers are meet to partake of them Holy things must be kept intra limites sanctitatis and not extended further then God hath appointed Again it s the Ministers who must boil and bake they are spiritual Cooks and must prepare wholesome food for the people The people might bring Sacrifices but not prepare those themselves were in part to feed upon that was the work of the Priests and Levites And now under the Gospel it 's the work of Pastors and Teachers to prepare boiled and baked meat boil'd in the furnace of Meditation and bak'd in the oven of the heart by spiritual heat Such meat will nourish and strengthen make fat and flourishing CHAP. XLVII Verse 1. Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the House and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the House Eastward for the forefront of the House stood toward the East and the waters came down from under