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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85668	An exposition continued upon the XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, and XXIX, chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, vvith many useful observations thereupon. Delivered at several lectures in London, by William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1658 (1658)	Wing G1856; Thomason E954_1; ESTC R207608	447,507	627

plague vers 49. and many by the Amorites in S●ir Deut. 1.44 now notwithstanding so many were destroyed yet all were not he did not make an end of them in the Wildernesse hee did not consummate and perfect his wrath upon them his eye s●ared them hee was moved to mercy and had compassion on them Though men have sinned much and God have let out much wrath yet neverthelesse hee hath an eye to spare and an heart to pitty If hee should punish destroy none hee would bee thought to bee like unto sinners Psalm 50.21 if hee should destroy all hee would bee thought to bee cruel to shew therefore that hee is a just God hee cuts off some and to shew he is a mercifull God he spares some In the late powder blow some were destroyed It was the 4th of Jan. 1649. about eight a clock at night some were spared yea wonderfully spared and preserved Vers 18. But I said unto their children in the wildernesse walk yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their Judgements nor defile your selves with their Idols Vers 19 I am the Lord your God walk in my statutes and keep my judgements and do them In the 18. vers God dehorts them from following their fathers waies In the 19. hee exhorts them to follow his waies and shews them the reason why they should do so because he is their God Where the Lord spake thus unto them in the Wilderness is not recorded by Moses but that hee did speak what is in the 18. vers Our Prophet assures us who spake as he was moved by the Spirit you have that is aequivalent thereunto Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left not to your Fathers on the right hand nor to the Heathen on the left The 19. vers you have Levit. 18.4 5. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgements Nothing in these verses requires explication Take these observations Obs 1 Children are prone to follow the corrupt decrees counsels and examples of their parents I said walk not in the statutes of your fathers That is in what they decree appoint observe not their judgements that is their Counsels and advisements nor defile your selves with their Idols that is follow not their examples They were addicted much to what their sinful Fathers said or did Of the Kings of Israel its said they did evil as their Fathers had done 2 King 15.9 ch 23.32 ch 24.9 and Jer. 44.17 the Children would sacrifice to and defile themselves with Idols as their Fathers had done Fathers Laws Customes Traditions Examples perswasions counsels are loadstones and draw them strongly to that is evill Obs 2 Posterity are not tyed to the statutes and Judgements of their Fathers or fore-fathers I said walk not in the statutes of your fathers neither observe their Judgements c. Though there bee a strong tye between Parents and Children and they bound by the Command of God to obey their Parents yet when they shal command or counsel them any thing unlawful contrary to the statutes and judgements of God they are not to hearken not to observe or obey them Here is Divine authority for it I said If it bee Gods Command that lead Children to obey Parents and People to obey Magistrates in Lawful things then Gods prohibition must keep them from obeying in unlawful things When Masters or Parents are so wicked as to put their Servants or Children upon lying or swearing to put off their commodities they should remember what God hath said Walk not in their statutes c. This holds especially in matters of Faith and worship mens statutes and judgements must not come in there what is not Divine is no matter for my faith nor rule for my worship Mens chaffe and bran must not come among Gods wheat their weeds and nettles must not come amongst his flowers It is not Popes decrees Canons of counsels judgements of Fathers Votes of Synods Customes of Churches Religion of Auncestors that must tye my Conscience or guide my practice in the worship of God He hath said it who is above them all Walk not in their statutes neither observe their Judgements and defile not your selves with their Idols Men have their Statutes their judgements their inventions and additions to points of Faith and matters of worship which are no other than Idols and will defile Obs 3 That wee are onely to walk in Gods statutes and to keep his Judgements Not mens statutes or judgements I am the Lord your God I have authority over you I am in Covenant with you I have given you statutes and judgements which are right Psalm 19.8 true and good Neh. 9.13 therefore walk in my statutes keep my Judgements when the Israelites walked in other statutes the statutes of the Heathen or the statutes that themselves made the Lord was wroth with them and afflicted them for it 2 King 17.8 19 20. and commanded them to observe his statutes and Ordinances and to do them for evermore vers 37. Josh 24.14 15. Vers 20. And hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a signe between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord your God In this 20. verse the Lord proceeds in his exhortation of the Children of those rebellious Israelites in the wilderness● and exhorts them to hallow his Sabbaths which their Fathers had polluted Hallow my Sabbaths Not make holy but keep holy the Hebrew word is the same with that Exod. 20.8 The hallowing or sanctifying of the Sabbath here consisteth in two things 1 In resting from labour and work Servile work Levit. 23.7 8. that is such work as men may lawfully do on other daies works for gain and profit might not bee done on Sabbath days they were to rest from their own works words and pleasures Isa 58.13 see Exod. 20.10 Nehem. 13.15 Jer. 17.22 Exod. 16.29 cha 31.14 2 In doing those things which God required on that day as meditation on the works of Creation for which it was first instituted Gen. 2.23 remembrance of their servitude in Egypt and deliverance thence Deut. 5.15 meeting in solemn assemblies Levit. 23.3 in which the word was to be read opened and reverently heard Luk. 4.16 Act. 15.31 Ec. 5.1 prayer to be made Acts 16.13 God to be praised Psalm 92. Sacrifices to be offered Numb 28.2 10. and they were to exercise works of mercy on that day Mat. 12.10 11 12. John 5.9 and all these duties they were to do with delight Isa 58.13 They shall be a sign between me and you Of these words you heard in the 12. vers besides what was said there the Sabbath was a sign of the Covenant God made with them to bee their God and to own them for his people for it follows That you may know I am the Lord your God The Sabbath day was the time wherein

〈◊〉 theives robbers Sym. and Theod. Viri dolosi deceitful men Hyeronim Viri detractores men that are backbiters Viri fraudulenti saith Lavat cunning men French Homines rapporteurs Rachil is one that narrowly observes anothers words and perverts them to the prejudice of him whose they were Est qui sermones aliunde acceptos alio tran●fert Curiosus perscrurator idem garrulus rimatur undique quod sit ad occultum calumnium apeum Aecol D●latores verborum qui aliorum dicta hinc petita alio deferunt more mercatorum ut aliquod ex ea vectura lucrum reportent Prad the word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rochel a merchant and so is alterius famae honoris nundinator One that by carrying tales sets to sale the fame liberty or life of his Neighbour it signifies also an Apothecary who mingles blends things together and sells them for his own advantage so this carry-tale mingles something of his own with what hee heard and makes his advantage thereby Mont. renders the words Viri delationis men of carriage because they seek out pick up or invent matter against another and carry it to those bee in place which here made way for shedding of bloud This kinde of men are very pernicious Solomon tells you that the words of Tale-bearers are as wounds they go down into the innermost parts of the belly Prov. 18.8 they make way for the wounding and spilling the bloud of the innocent There were wicked Princes and Magistrates at that time in Jerusalem glad to have occasions against the innocent and these murtherous tale-carriers possess them with false-hoods to the prejudice of their lives In thee they eat upon the mountains They did eat their things offered to Idols in honour to the Idols otherwise it was not sinful to eat upon the mountains Of these words before chap. 18.6.11.15 In the midst of thee they commit lewdness Of Committing lewdness see ch 16.43 Zimmah the Septuagint transl●te 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unholy things that is villanous things thou that shouldst bee holy doest faeda filthy things So Lavat And hee saith Zimmah notes meditatum facinus a villenie done not ignorantly or out of weaknesse but destinato animo on purpose therefore the translation which either is Vatablusse's or which hee follows hath it Scelus meditatum a plotted wickedness ch 11.1 2. Jaazaniah and Pelatiah did devise mischief and such devised mischifes are called here Zimmahs lewdnesses Jerusalem had those in her who made it their practice Mic. 2.1 woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds in the night season when their thoughts and spirits were most retired fittest and strongest for meditation then they devised iniquity how to root out the righteous to take away the Prophets to pervert the Law to promote idolatry c. and these were lewdnesses 10 In thee have they discovered their fathers nakedness in thee have they humbled her was set apart for pollution 11 And one or every one hath committed Abomination with his neighbours wife and another hath lewdly defiled his Daughter in law c. In these two verses are set out the Incestuous adulterous and whorish doings of Jerusalem In her sonnes lay with their mothers fathers with their Daughter in Laws brothers with their sisters and every one with his Neighbours wife and being not satisfied with those times were fit for imbracing they humbled they forced those were set apart for pollution all which things were forbidden in the Law Levit. 18. and 20. ch so filthy was Jerusalem at this time that they were as sed horses every one neighing after his neighbours wife Jer. 5.8 12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood There be two sorts of gifts first munera honoraria such as are bestowed upon friends and those deserve well of us these are lawfull and when given testify esteem and thankfulnesse and secondly Munera corruptoria such as are given to retard pervert and corrupt justice such were the gifts here and they were forbidden Exod. 23.8 Deut. 16.19 This gift-taking was too common in Jerusalem Isa 1.23 Every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards but they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them the Fatherlesse and widows had no gifts to give them therefore their causes could not bee heard they petitioned but petitions without presents would do no good for they judged for reward Mic. 3.11 and said give give Hos 4.18 if there were no gifts there was no justice Thou hast taken usury and increase Of these words and this sin was largely spoken in the 18. ch 8. whither you are referred And thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by Extortion Montanus renders the word for greedily gained Appetebas fraudabas Thou didst covet or deceive thy Neighbours The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to wound to cut in peices and to exercise covetousnesse Quae tanquam gladius hominem vulnerat ipsius sanguinem exugit it notes an insatiable desire which carries a man out violenter agere contra proximum to wrest and wring from his Neighbour by any means and so wounds him squeezes and cuts him in peeces Forsterus turns the words thus Vulnerasti sodales tuos cum injuria sollicitum significat hominis cupidi avari studium rapiendi undequaque aliena ut ingens compilet the saurum expleatque insatiabilem pecuniae sitim Prad Obs 1 That great men the Princes and Potentates of the earth lay out themselves to Tyrannize over and oppresse the People Behold The Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their power to shed bloud They all agreed in these two things to oppress and to oppress to the utmost This doubtlesse made Jerem. say ch 3.5 of Jerusalem Behold thou hast said and done evill things as thou couldest Thy Princes which had arms and power they have put forth the same what they could to do wickedly to oppress and shed bloud what could they do more than take away the lives of men This was the way great ones went of old see Mic. 3.1 2 3. and Zeph. 3.3 Obs 2 That forgetfulnesse of God is t●e cause of all the sins in a City or People Jerusalems sinnes are here reckond u● Cruelty Idolatry slighting of Parents oppression of strangers vexing of fatherlesse and widows despising of holy things prophaning of Sabbaths tale-carrying to shed bloud eating upon the mountains devising wickedness incest adultery bribery usury extortion and what 's the root of all these thou hast forgotten mee saith the Lord God when men minde not what God commands forbids what he threatens what hee approves when they acknowledge not his eye his power his judgements the account they must give to him they fall into all manner of sinnes lewdnesses and transgressions when men forget God they do not they cannot fear him and where the fear of God is not they will not stick to shed bloud Gen. 20.11 or do

at but when they sinne wilfully despising mee my Laws my worship they reproach blaspheme provoke mee so that they shall hear of it Son of man go and speak to the house of Israel go and tell them how they have dealt with mee and how I take it Such sins did deserve death Num. 15.30 31. The soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be born in the Land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s the same word is here for Blasphemed and may as well bee rendred so as reproacheth for hee that reproacheth the Lord blasphemes him and hee that blasphemes him reproacheth him they are joyned together 2 King 19.22 and what then That Soul shall bee cut off from among his people because hee hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his Commandement that soul shall utterly bee cut off There was no mercy for those sinned in that manner Heb. 10.26 28. many I fear commit such trespasses in these daies by speaking against Providence Ordinances Scriptures Angels Christ God himself and so sin away mercy and their own souls at once David prayed that God would keep him back from presumptuous sinnes Psal 19.13 and wee had need do it for there is that in our natures which carries us on strongly towards them as much as they did him remember what Solomon saith Prov. 28. Happy is the man that feareth alwaies but hee that hardeneth his heart that presumeth that is wilful pertinacious shall fall into mischief into mischievous sinnes into mischievous judgements chap. 13.13 Who so despiseth the word shall bee destroyed but hee that feareth the Commandement shall bee rewarded hee that sleights the word and waies of God destruction is his portion but he that fears to violate the command of God shall bee rewarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shall have peace safety a man by despising or fearing the word command of God doth neither hurt the one nor advantage the other but hee may hee doth hurt or advantage himself and that greatly 28 Then they saw every high Hill c. In this verse you have the Idolatry they fell into when they came into the Land of Canaan with the degrees thereof First Their Leaving of God and looking unto the Hills Iis locis arboribus quae prae caeteris erant insignes aliquid divinitatis in esse purabant Gentes Ideo ibi idolis sacrificabant Mariana yea every high hill and all the thick trees they gave liberty to their eies to spy out places suitable to their Idolatrous thoughts on hills and places beset with thick trees the Heathens worshipped and their Hearts and eyes were towards such places 2 Their making Altars and sacrificing there they offered there their Sacrifices c. they should not have sacrificed any where but in the place God appointed which was first the Tabernacle afterwards the Temple but they spied out hills groves thickets set up Altars and sacrificed on them those offerings which were peculiar unto God 3 Their Continuance and expencefulnesse therein they offered Sacrifices They poured out there their drink offerings 4 Their Content and delight they took therein there also they made their sweet savour The provocation of their Offering The Hebrew is The indignation and anger of their Corban 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Korban omne donum significat quod ad sacros usus offertur de pecoribus frugibus aliisque rebus Mincha Non tam late patet sed de frugibus terrae tantum in elligitur that is their approaching gift or offering Jun. hath it irritamentum oblationis suae the irritation of their oblation Piscat Oblationes irritantes provoking oblations because by them they did provoke God to anger to judgements There is a figure in these words called Hyppalage which is such a transposing of words as that is said of one which should bee said of the other as here provocation of offerings for Offerings provoking There also they made their sweet savour The Original for sweet savour is Reach nichochehem The Odour of their rests Odores grotos suos their acceptable odours when they had offered these they thought the Lord smelt a sweet savour was well pleased with them and so rested in them which phansied rest was pleasing to them though it lasted not neither had reality in it for their incense or sweet savour was a provocation to God Obs 1 That what the Lord promiseth hee makes good how difficult or impossible soever it seems to man The Lord had promised them Canaan and how should they come to it they were bond-men in Egypt there is a red Sea a vast wildernesse between Egypt and Canaan and beside Canaan had strong men in it sonnes of Anack Cities walled and great several Kings to oppose and keep them out but notwithstanding all these difficulties God having promised to bring them in hee did it when I had brought them into the Land for the which I lifted up my hand to give it to them His hand that was lift up to confirm them it should be done was let out for the doing thereof that hand could take away all doubts could also take away all difficulties There is nothing too hard for the Lord hee will work and who shall who can let it Isa 43.13 As hee is gracious to Promise so faithfull and able to perform and doth in due time make good whatever hee hath promised though it seem impossible hee said a Virgin should bring forth Isa 7.14 and was it not made good Mat. 1.18 that Abraham who was aged should have a Childe and his seed bee as the starres of Heaven and were not both made good Gen. 21.2 Exod. 12.37 Numb 11.21 not one word fail'd of all that God promised Moses 1 King 8.56 this should make us beleeve the promises of God what ever flesh and bloud objects Obs 2 Mens habitations are given and assigned unto them of the Lord I brought them into the Land I gave it them If men bee removed from place to place seated here or there the hand of the Lord is in it if they have commodious pleasant gainful habitations if they dwell safely under vines and fig-trees as it is 1 King 4.25 it s the Lords doing his providence disposed it so and wee should be thankful in and for our habitations and minde the heavenly Canaan and those mansions mentioned Joh. 14.2 prepared for those do beleeve and glorify God out of which when once we are possessed of them wee shall never bee removed Obs 3 Circumstances of time and place do aggravate mens sinnes and make them hainous When I had brought them into the Land then they saw every high hill there they offered sacrifices there they presented the provocation of their offerings there they made their sweet savour there they poured out their drink offerings here bee four theres every one aggravating and accenting their sinnes This was ingratitude with a witnesse that the Lord should

better than the God of Israel and his Altar And the Name thereof is called Bamah unto this day They desisted not from that Idolatrous name and practice they had taken up but persisted therein they had called those places Bamah and would call them so still they were tenacious of their superstitious opinions names and waies The high places remained till the daies of Josiah 2 Chron. 134.3 Obs 1 Such is the perversenesse of mens natures and spirits that they are not context with what God in his infinite wisdome and goodnesse hath prescribed them in point of worship what is the high place whereunto yee go am not I your God have not I given you an Altar appointed Sacrifices and told you where and how you must sacrifice have not I accepted your Sacrifices when brought according to my direction why do you go out from mee and are not content with what is mine This is the evil of mans nature that it oft rejects what is divine and chuses what is humane it leaves the Creator's and chuses the Creatur's Jer. 2.13 my people have committed two great evils they have forsaken mee the fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water Obs 2 That Superstitious names waies and practises once taken up are not easily laid down again They had an high place called Bamah and that high place they would go unto and keep that name though the Lord had oft reproved them for it and not onely that but other high places also when the Altar of Damascus the Image of Jealousy and Tammuz were once admitted amongst them they were not suddenly or easily removed again Ephraim having taken up the names of Baalim would not lay them aside till God took them out of her mouth Hos 2.17 Are there not names amongst us kept to this day which sprung from gross Idolatry Vorstegan tells you that Sunday was so called from the Idol of the Sunne unto whose adoration it was dedicated so Monday from the Idol of the Moon Tuesday from the Idol Tuisco Wednesday from the Idol Woden Thursday from the Idol Thor Fryday from the Idol Friga or Frea and Saturday from the Idol Scater not Saturn These were Saxon Idols and they who gave the daies their names and dedicated them unto such Idols sinned greatly and it s not excusable that wee keep their memory still alive calling the daies by such names which are dishonourable to God and Scripture The Rhemists dis-allow these names of the daies they say Sunday is an Heathenish calling as all other of the week daies bee some imposed after the names of Planets as in the Romans time some by the name of certain Idols that the Saxons did worship and to which they dedicated their daies before they were Christians which names the Church used not Vers 30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord God Are ye polluted after the manner of your Fathers and commit ye whoredome after their abominations 31 For when ye offer your gifts when ye make your Sonnes to pass through the fire yee pollute your selves with all your Idols even unto this day and shall I bee enquired of by you O House of Israel As I live saith the Lord God I will not be inquired of by you 32 And that which commeth into your mind shall not bee at all that ye say wee will bee as the Heathen as the families of the Countries to serve wood and stone Here you have besides the Prophets Commission in the beginning of the 30. ver 1 An imputation of their wretched practices unto them they followed the steps of their Fathers they became Idolatrous like them offering their gifts to Idols they caused their children to pass through the fire they persisted in their wickednesse 2 Gods resolution and Oath not to have to do with them shall I be inquired of by you c. v. 31. 3 His frustration of their counsels and designes Vers 32. That which commeth c Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers The Elders of Israel that were in Babylon came to the Prophet to inquire of the Lord touching the affairs of Jerusalem The Lord commands the Prophet to ask them this question Are ye polluted after the manner of your Fathers intimating that they were and therefore their comming to the Prophet was but a pretence and should speed accordingly OEcolampad reads the words thus do yee not pollute your selves in the way of your Fathers An non in via patrum vestrorum vosmet polluitis An non in via patrum vestrorum polluti estis Vos majorum vestrorum moribus polluti Vatablus are ye not polluted in the way of your Fathers Castalio hath it without an interrogation you are polluted with the manners of your Auncestors but it s best with the interrogation for interrogationes vehementer affirmant Interrogations in Scripture sometimes serve for admiration as Luke 1.34 How shall this bee seeing I know not man sometimes for demonstration Psal 15.1 Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill somtimes they are arguments of Doubting as Luk. 1.18 saith Zachary whereby shall I know this for I am an Old man and my wife well stricken in years Sometimes they note indignation as Exod. 10.3 How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy self before mee let my people go that they may serve me Sometimes they hold out accusation and exprobration as Mal. 3.14 what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances and that wee have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts here the interrogation notes both indignation and expr●bration Are ye polluted after the manner of your Fathers do yee live in their sins and come to inquire of the Prophet and of me by the Prophet I am angry and cannot indure such vile pretences and deep dissimulation And Commit ye whoredome after their Abominations By Whoredome is meant idolatrizing and wherein Idolatry resembles whoredome hath formerly been hinted unto you Chap. 6. v. 9. it s a violating the Covenant between God and his People which is called marriage Jer. 3.14 Hos 2.2 it is to go out from the true God to other gods Deut. 31.16 it is to Sacrifice to Devils Levit. 17.7 to minde wizzards ch 20.6 to seek after our own hearts eyes and inventions Numb 15.39 Psa 106.39 31 When ye offer your gifts The Hebrew is in elevating your gifts by gifts in the 26 v. were understood their first-born but here gifts and first-born are distinct When you offer your gifts when you make your sons pass through the fire These Gifts were those other Oblations appointed in the Law or what ever they voluntarily bestowed upon their Idols as in Ezekiel 16.18 19. When ye make your Sonnes to pass through the fire Of these words something hath been said before in the 16. Chap. 20 21. verses I shall add a little The Heathens were wont in times of

peace and safety Politicians think it weakness● foolishnesse to suffer for Religion They can change it at pleasure and fall in with that hath most pompe and applause in the world Upon this account many have fallen from Protestantisme to Popery and from Christianity to Turcisme To save their skins they have parted with their Religions Many men make use of Religion as Mariners of the winds meerly to serve their own ends If Religion once crosse them they can cast it off and fall in with those waies of worship do suit their humours and further their designes Like children that having been held in by their Parents bestow themselves upon any to obtain their own ends These Elders saw their Law and worship were differing from the religion of the state where they were and so exposed them to many inconveniences and dangers they would therefore bee of the state Religion outwardly at least complying with that serving wood and stone Obs 4 God sometimes disappoints the designes and expectations of men who intend and resolve to forsake him and provide for themselves by sinful and Idolatrous waies That which cometh into your mind shall not be at all You would be as the Heathens but it shall not be I will not only deny your desires but dash your designes you seek Heathens favour and shall meet with Heavens frowns and miss of your aimes you would be Babylonians have the protection and blessing of Babylonish Gods but my thoughts are cross to yours that is in my minde shall stand not what is in yours that happinesse you hope for in the waies and worship of Babylonians you shall not finde Men think by going out to the world by conforming to base vile superstition and Idolatrous practices to get much but God in his infinite wisdome and justice disappoints them as Demas and Judas Vers 33 As I live saith the Lord God surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you Having shewed the ingratitude and untoward carriage of this People in Egypt in the Wildernesse in Canaan and their resolution to cast off God in Babylon here begins the fourth general part of the chapter viz. a denunciation of judgement for their Hypocrisy and other sinnes together with promises of mercy extending to the 45. vers In the ver you have 1 God asserting his authority and power over this people who thought to cast him off I will rule over you 2 The manner of his ruling over them which is 1 With Power 2 With Fury 3 The ratification of both and that is by oath As I live saith the Lord. Touching this Oath of God much hath been spoken already in this and former chapters With a mighty hand The Hebrew is Bejad chazakah in or with a strong hand with a rigid hand saith Castalio By mighty hand here is not simply meant Gods power but his power in punishing so the plagues of Egypt were Gods strong and mighty hand God would punish them for their dealings and to that purpose it should bee visibly and openly and therefore it follows With a stretched out arm Sometimes the stretching out of Gods arm notes powerful and visible deliverance Psal 136.12 sometimes powerful and visible punishment as here In the inflicting of punishments men stretch out their hands and armes which here after the manner of men is given to God With fury poured out Of dealing in Fury accomplishing fury and pouring out fury See before chap. 8.18.5.13.9.8 Will I rule over you Ruling imports soveraignty authority and power over others Here the Genus by a Senecdoche is put for the species the whole work of ruling for punishing and the summe of the words is this you think by withdrawing from mee and my worship and by Babylonizing to secure your selves to escape danger and all punishment but know assuredly you are my subjects I will not suffer you so to revolt from mee I will put forth mine hand and mine arm my fury punishing you for your rebellions and idolatries so that will you nill you me shall you acknowledge to be your Lord and Soveraign Obs 1 It s a vain thing to think of getting from under the dominion of God and impossible to accomplish these Elders thought To withdraw from under the Laws and government of the God of Israel and put themselves under the Babylonish Gods and Babylonian government but what saith God I will rule over you take what course you please trans orm your selves into Heathenish manners disperse your selves into by-corners villages Towns Cities plant your selves in what Province soever of the King of Babylons use what policy you can to cast off my yoak yet I will rule over you for you cannot go from my presence nor from my power In the second Psalm the Great ones of the earth thought to exempt themselves from the government of God and Christ Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us but they were laughed to scorn and vexed for it v. 3 4 5. Obs 2 The untoward carriage of Gods people causes him to deal more sharpely with them Rebelliousnesse in them produceth rigidnesse in him Their treachery bred severity With a mighty hand and fury poured out will I rule over you They thought to run from under him and he held a stricter hand over them They would not willingly obey as Sonnes hee made them obey as servants When Servants runne from their Masters they bestir them fetch them back with power punish them severely for their fugitivenesse and hold them harder to it than ever so did the Lord by these and made them know that hee ruled in Babylon as well as in Sion and turned his golden Scepter into an Iron rod and put a yoak of Iron upon them This is that the Lord told them in Moses daies that if they walked contrary to him hee would walk contrary unto them and punish them seven times more that is rule over them with greater severity Levit. 26. he would make his little finger heavier than his loines had been before Obs 3 God will punish those that shake off his worship to follow false waies with visible irresistible punishments These Elders were upon terms of Apostatizing from the God of Israel about to leave his Tents and to betake themselves to the Babylonish Temples therefore the Lord swears hee will rule over them with a stretched out arm hee would visibly punish them and with Fury poured out they should no more bee able to withstand it than a man can a great rain or floud When subjects are upon rebelling and would fall in with some other this kindles his fury causes him to punish them openly and irresistibly Apostacy is a provoking sinne It s a reproach to God his truths and ordinances It s a violating of all former Promises and ingagements unto God its high ingratitude and rebellion against God it s a great scandal unto all the godly especially the weak