his daies After the flood at the building of Babel God confounded the languages and dispersed the posterity of Noah into diverse Lands and set them their bounds Gen. 11.9 and so when hee brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan hee gave them their bounds according to what you find Psal 78.55 Hee cast out the Heathen before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents hee drove out and destroyed the Hittites the Girgashites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hâ—vites and the Jebusites seven great and mighty Nations Deut. 7.1 and gave the land unto his people the Jews If God now will drive out the bloudy perfidious and Idolatrous out of Ireland and give it unto others that the seed of his servants may inherit it Martin in the lives of the Kings of England Heylin in his Cosmograph Fox in Act and Monum Grafton Speed and that those which love his name may dwell therein who shall fault and blame him for it and that England hath had right thereunto not onely from Henrie the eighths days who was proclaimed King thereof in Parliament here and in an Irish Parliament likewise if Heylin say true but also from Henry the Seconds Time yea from Edgars who was long before appears by English History Obs 3 The Lord provides and bestows the choicest mercies upon his own people If there bee a land in the World that flowes with milk and Honey that exceeds other lands for plenty and pleâ—santnesse his people shall have it hee espies out Canaan for them that land was too good for Heathens his people must have it When God carried Jacob and his family into Egypt hee provided the good and fat of that land for them Gen. 45.18 yea they were placed in the best of the land chap. 47.11 God fed and filled his with the finest of the wheat Psal 147.14 Moses mentions seven things together in Deut. 32.13 14 15. as honey out of the rock Oyle out of the flinty rock Butter of Kine milk of sheep fat of lambs and Rams of the breed of Bashan and Goats fat of Kidnies of wheat the pure bloud of the grape these the Lord provided for his people and they had all an excellency in them When Gods gives honey oyle butter milk fat flower wine hee giveth the best and purest you may read what choice mercies God bestowed upon this people Ezek. 16.10 11 12 13. they had goodly pleasant things Joel 3.5 the Hebrew is goodly desirable things and David acknowledgeth hee had a goodly heritage Psal 16.6 God had not measured out to him a mean portion but a good yea a goodly heritage that which was so in the eies of all even a wealthy place Psal 66 12. God provided the best places in the Court for Esther and her maidens when in Babylon Esth 2.9.16 so likewise Daniel and the three Children were set in eminent places Dan. 2. 3. ch God made his people to ride tread upon the high places of the earth and of their enemies Deut. 32.13.33.29 Obs 4. Spiritual mercies make a land glorious yea more glorious than all that lands want the same whatever mercies they else injoy Canaan was the glory of all lands not so much for its flowing with milk and honey its great plenty it had as for the spiritual mercies it injoyed There was the Lords presence his Prophets his worship his Oracles and his Ordinances and these made it glorious yea more glorious then all the Nations farre or near Psal 76.1 2. In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place is in Sion God was not known in Babylon in Egypt in other Nations his Tabernacle and dwelling place was not amongst them therefore they were not glorious but see what is in the 4. vers Thou art more glorious than the mountains of Prey Thou Judah thou Israel thou Salem thou Sion that hast spiritual mercies and blessings art more glorious than they whatever their glory bee have the Nations abroad goodly towers thou hast the Temple have they stately Cities thou hast Jerusalem the City of God have they wise men thou hast the Prophets have they gods of gold silver and stones thou hast the true living God Jehovah to bee thy God have they humane Laws that are good thou hast Divine Laws that excel have they temporal excellencies thou hast spiritual have they the glory of the world thou hast the glory of Heaven Psal 50.2 Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined what made Sion so glorious and beautiful it was the presence of God if hee had not been there Sion had been like other mountaines and Canaan like other Nations but his presence was like the Sunne darting out her beams and making all lightsome glorious and beautiful Spiritual mercies are beams and raies of that God who is ten thousand times more bright than the Sunne by these hee shined in Sion and made it the perfection or universality of beauty by these hee shined out of Sion and darkned all the glory of the Nations what or how great soever it was where God and his Ordinances are there is glory and where these are not there is no glory but Egyptian Darknesse a land without the Sun In Canaan was spiritual light and glory There were glorious appearances of God glorious praisings of God glorious conversions of sinners unto God glorious sabbaths and assemblies and glorious beauties of holinesse glorious types of Christ and people who were the glory of God Isa 4.5 and had glorious communion with God There were glorious Truths Ordinances and dispensations of God So then wise Counsellors good Magistrates stout Souldiers rich Merchants industrious Labourers strong Towns stately Houses high Mountaines fertile Vallies pleasant Rivers goodly Corn-fields heards of Cattle flocks of sheep with plenty of all outward things do not make a land so glorious as spiritual mercies do if God Christ Gospel and the Ordinances of it bee in a land they make it glorious and glorious beyond all other things and above all other Nations Let us learn to know our true glory even spiritual mercies and prize them highly though loathed by some like Manna of old and pray that such glory may ever dwell in our Land Vers 7 Then said I unto them cast yee away every man the abominations of his eyes and defile not your selves with the Idols of Egypt I am the Lord your God This Verse is a command wherein you have the Commander the things commanded and the reason thereof 1 The Commander Then said I unto them 2 The things Commanded which are 1 Casting away of abominations where 1 You have a specification of these abominations they are the abominations of their eyes 2 The extent of this act every man 2 Non-defilement of themselves with Egypts Idols 3 The reason I am the Lord your God Then said I to
specially to women Hereunto it s conceived our Prophet alludes but because its doubtful whether any such thing was really done to Aholibah Diverse interpret Nose of the King and Ears of the Judges or chief Priests but wee need not allegorize the meaning is that God would bring Jerusalem to suffer open and extream shame 26 They shall also strip thee of thy cloathing This Metaphorical woman was well clad shee exceeded in her apparrel both for the matter quantity and quality as appeared chap. 16. shee took up the fashions of the Babylonians and Egyptians whom shee doted upon and had confederated with but what ever she had when the Souldiers came they stript her of all The Hebrew for strip is Hiphshiluc exuere te facient they shall make thee to put off they shall handle thee so roughly that thou shalt bee forced with thine own hands to put off thy garments and give them to them those garments thou hast taken much pride and pleasure in Of these words and fair jewels was spoken cha 16.39 27 Thus will I make thy lewdnesse to cease from thee c. By my Judgements upon thee I le make thee give over thine idolatry thou shalt minde neither Egyptians nor gods their Idols thou shalt neither adore nor desire help from them thou shalt bee made to minde other things as food raiment habitations 28 I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest In the 16. chap. 27. God delivered her into the hands of them that hated her chap. 21.31 hee saith hee would deliver her into the hands of brutish men and skilful to destroy and here into the hands of those shee hated there was hatred on both sides shee hated her lovers and her lovers hated her and into their hands would the Lord put her shee should find it was the Lords doings 29 They shall deal with thee hatefully They shall speak evill of thee do evil unto thee they shall shew thee no mercy they shall spare neither thee nor thy estate nor thy name but shall take away all thou hast gotten by thy labour and make known to the world what a filthy strumpet thou hast been 30 Because thou hast gone a whoring after the Heathen c. Thou hast left mee thy Husband and guide and gone out to the Heathenish gods and Idols for help thou hast bestowed thy self and love upon them and art defiled by taking them into the bed of love vide ch 6.9 where you have the same or like words 31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister Aholah doted upon the Assyrians made leagues with them defiled her self with their idols manifested her idolatrous disposition shee had in Egypt to bee still living and thus did Aholibah vers 12 16 17 19. I will give her cup into thine hand 32 Thou shalt drink of thy sisters cup. Thou shalt bee punished with the same punishments Aholah was shee was taken by the Assyrians shamefully intreated and her children carried into captivity and so shalt thou bee dealt with The same cup shee drank of thou shalt also drink of This Metaphor is very frequent in scripture Isa 51.17.22 Jer. 25.15 17 28. Psalm 75.8 Lament 4.21 Some think this Metaphor to bee borrowed a re medica from Physitians giving potions in Cups to their patients which are troublesome to behold and grievous to taste so Gods judgements are cups of that nature Others think it taken from that practice of giving cups of wine or strong drink to those that were to suffer Amos 2.8 which hebetating their senses should take away the sharpenesse of their pain Others fetch it from the practice at feasts where the Master of the feast singulis convivis suum calicem temperabat pro cujusque aetate did temper and proportion a Cup for each guest according to his capacity and those they purposed to make drunk they would fill the larger Cups Let the Metaphor of Cup bee borrowed from which you will it notes out here Gods ordering and measuring out of judgements for Aholibah and hers Deep and large It shall not bee a Cup to drink off at one draught or in one day but it shall bee a Cup deep large containing much grievous great and long afflictions a Cup thou shalt bee seventy years a drinking Thou shalt bee laughed to scorn and had in Derision When Whores are punished for their whoredomes they become matter of scorn and derision to all The like words wee had before chap. 22.4 5. 33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkennesse and sorrow Thy afflictions thy punishments shall bee such as shall make thee stagger like one that is drunk thy pains and sorrows shall bee great it shall not bee a cup of consolation but of astonishment to thy self and all about thee yea a cup of desolation and as the Septuagint hath it of perdition 34 Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out Thou mayest think this Cup shall pass away from thee or if not that thou shalt drink onely a little of it but thou deceivest thy self it shall not pass from thee thou shalt drink it and drink it off all thou shalt suck it out even the lees and dregs of it how bitter soever they be Thou shalt break the sheards thereof Not onely drink up what is in the Cup but as drunkards oft break the vessel and lick the fragments not suffering the least drop to bee lost So would God make Aholibah to drink every drop of his fury which he had put in this Cup. The greatnesse of their punishment is set out hereby And pluck off thine own breasts In time of great afflictions many do strange things rend their garments bite their flesh tear their hair and Aholibah should pluck off her breasts Before shee had let Egyptians and Assyrians bruise the breasts of her virginity and draw her to idolatry and now shee should scratch and rend them shee should expresse signes of great grief and great misery upon her 35 Because thou hast forgotten mee and cast me behind thy back Here is the ground of her wickednesse and Gods judgements comming upon her she forgate God which words wee had chapter 22.12 And cast me behind thy back The Hebrew is Behind thy body the sense is this thou hast turned from mee to thy lovers to the Assyrians and Egyptians so that thy face and heart are towards them and thy back is towards mee A like expression wee had chap. 8.16 where it s said Their backs were towards the Temple of the Lord and their faces towards the East Or thus thou hast dealt by mee as men do by things they throw behinde them they slâ—ight them and mind them no more Neh. 9.26 they cast thy law behind their backs and slew thy Prophets that is they sleighted the Law minded it not it was out of their sight as a thing behind them as if there were no such thing When Jeroboam sleighted the Counsel of the Prophet 1 King 11.38 and set up other gods
us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us that when it commeth amongst us it may save us out of the hand of our enemies But God had a day quickly after that to deprive them of it vers 11. The Ark of God was taken the Philistims took it and slew thirty thousand footmen Ephraim gloried in his children but God had his time to pluck them away Hos 9.11 12. Their glory shall flee away like a bird from the birth and from the won be and from the conception though they bring up their children yet will I bereave them and there shall not bee a man left their priding themselves in their children and increase made the Lord to diminish them hee took his times for that purpose when Jonas idolized the gourd the Lord had his day to smite it Jon. 4.7 Jacob was over fond of Joseph and God had his day to send him far from him Gen. 37. Obs 3 That when God is most angry executing his severest judgements then even then some are spared some finde mercy When the Lord should take away the Temple City their Sonnes and daughters and make good all the dreadful threatnings given out by Jeremy and Ezekiel against the Jews by Plague Famine Sword Wilde Beasts which was as black and sad a time as ever they saw even then some escaped Hee that escapeth in that day It was hard for any to escape when such an Army of Babylonians so cruel and bitter had lain so long round about Jerusalem watching as Lyons for the prey yet some did escape Jeremy saith Lament 2.22 in the day of the Lords anger none escaped or remained hee doth not mean absolutely none for himself escaped and divers others his meaning is that they were few in comparison of those who suffered Since the beginning of the World hath it been heard that God was so severe in any judgement executed upon the Sonnes of men as to shew no tokens of Mercy when hee drowned the World hee shewed great mercy to Noah and his Family when hee consumed Sodome and Gomorrah to ashes hee gave Lot and his Daughters their lives for a prey and when hee made Jerusalem here a spectacle of his vengeance hee made an out-let and escape for some he is a God that in wrath remembers mercy and doubtlesse in that great overflowing and drowning made in the low Countries at this time as he hath shewed much severity so he hath not forgotten mercy Obs 4 God at his pleasure puts singular honour upon his faithful servants the Prophets Hee tells Ezekiel that when hee shall have accomplished what hee had prophesyed against Jerusalem that hee should bee informed thereof that hee would give some or others their lives for a prey that they might bring him tydings thereof and so lift up his head against all his adversaries who looked upon and counted him a false Prophet Herein was great honour put upon the Prophet hee that escapeth shall come unto thee to cause thee to hear it c. So God honoured Abraham in telling him what hee was about to do unto Sodome Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do no hee is a Prophet a friend of mine my faithful servant and hee would not conceal the matter from him So Amos 3.7 The Lord revealeth his secrets to his Servants the Prophets hee sends a messenger unto them even his holy Spirit to acquaint them with what hee is doing and with what hee hath done so hee sent an Angel to Joseph to tell him that Herod was dead who sought the life of the young child Mat. 2.20 Obs 5 God hath his times of shutting and opening the mouths of his Prophets Thou shalt speak and bee no more dumbe after this time the Prophet was as a dumb man towards the Jews because they beleeved not his Prophesies entertained him not as a Prophet but sleighted mocked and scorned him for those unusual Passages of his which the Lord put him upon therefore the Lord took him off from being a Prophet unto them he had no more word for them the false Prophets went on still but the true Prophet is silenced mens sinnes do cause the Lord to stop the mouths of his Prophets their unbeleef unprofitablenesse perverse constructions they make of what is said and done by them their hearkening to lies errors and vain visions of false Prophets do discourage them and cause them to bee silent Thus Peoples untoward carriages made Jeremy resolve to bee silent and Preach no more in the Name of the Lord Jerem. 20.9 The Prophets then had and the Prophets now have great discouragements and cause enough to bee silent and God may cause them to bee as dumb unto them removing them into corners or taking them away the peoples sinnes rob them of spiritual mercies Ezek. 3.26 I will make thy Tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumbe and shalt not be to them a reprover for they are a rebellious house Their sinne deprived them of Prophesy and made the Prophet dumb Let us look to it that our sinnes deprive not us thereof and make our Prophets dumbe God may in justice make them dumb to us and open their mouths to others If you would still hear the Prophets speaking unto you let the Lord see you practising what they present unto you in his name yea let the Lord hear you praying for them and then see what is written and promised Isa 30.19 20 21. then your Teachers shall not bee removed into corners but your eyes shall see them and your ears shall hear them Obs 6 That Prophets when they are discouraged silenced and become signes unto the People they are to be patient waiting upon the Lord to make good what they have spoken in his name and for the opening of their mouths again Ezekiel was a sign unto them being silenced and discouraged hee was patient expecting that God should accomplish what hee had prophesyed and open his mouth again which hee did In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him that is escaped CHAP. XXV Vers 1 The word of the Lord came again unto me saying 2 Son of Man set thy face against the Ammonites and Prophesy against them 3 And say unto the Ammonites hear the word of the Lord God Thus saith the Lord God Because thou saidst Aha against my Sanctuary when it was prophaned and against the land of Israel when it was desolate and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity 4 Behold therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession and they shall set their Palaces in thee and make their dwellings in thee they shall eat thy fruit and they shall drink thy milke 5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for Camels and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks and yee shall know that I am the Lord. 6 For thus saith the Lord God because thou hast clapped thine
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 PSALM 119.96 I have seen an end of all Perfection but thy Commandement is exceeding broad HEBREWS 13.14 Here have wee no continuing City but wee seek one to come Miser est omnis animus vinctus amicitia rerum mortalium Augustin Confess l. 4. c. 6. LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley And are to be sold by Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in Pauls Church-yard near the little North door 1658. TO Those in the famous City of London who are the Undertakers Promoters and Maintainers of the Expository Lectures therein and to all others who love Truth WEE read in holy writ of many Cities which for their structures situations fortifications trading accommodations and Epithites were famous as populous No Nahum 3. 8. Nineveh the great Jonah 1.2 Tarsus in Cilicia Act. 21.39 Golden Babylon Isa 14.4 Renowned Tyrus Ezek. 26.17 Righteous and faithful Jerusalem Isa 1.26 which exceeded them all for as Canaan was the glory of all lands flowing with milk and hony so Jerusalem had its milk and honey and was the glory of all Cities There was the Lords Presence his worship his Oracles his Ordinances and his Prophets which made it the glory of the World and perfection of beauty Had other Cities strong Towers Jerusalem had them and the Temple also Had they gods of gold silver stones and sticks in them Jerusalem had Jehovah the true and living God in her Had they wise Counsellors in them Jerusalem had the Sanedrim Had they humane Laws which were good Jerusalem had Divine Laws such as no City or People ever had Deut. 4.8 Had they temporal Excellencies and Priviledges Jerusalem had spiritual Had they the glory of the World Art and Nature Jerusalem had the glory of Heaven There God shined Psal 50.2 But what now is become of these Cities and Jerusalem it self are they not all laid waste made heapes dead and buried in the wombe of the earth Cities have their periods as well as men Babylon had a time to bee borne Gen. 11.4 and a time to dye Isa 14.4 Nineveh had her day to get up Gen. 10.11 and her day to fall Nahum 3.7 Tyrus had her day of rising and her day of ruining and shee is descended into the pit with others Ezek. 26.18 20. Jerusalem had her day for building and her day for burning Jerem. 52.12 13. This is matter of lamentation that such Cities especially Jerusalem should have such an end The Cause of such dismal ends upon search wee shall finde to bee SIN which is of so malignant a Nature that it destroies Nations and pulls down the strongest Cities Cruelty falsehood and robbery with many other were the sins laid Nineveh waste Nahum 3. Pride fulnesse of bread abundance of idlenesse with neglect of the poor were the sins made the Lord take Sodome away Ezek. 16.49 50. Pride Violence unmercifulnesse vain-confidence and Treachery were the sins rent Babylon in peices Isa 47. Jer. 50. what sins destroied Ammon Moab Edom Philistia with their Cities and what sunk Tyrus into the sea Ezekiel tells you chap. 25. 26. A large Catalogue of those sins which kindled the fire in Jerusalem and turned her into ashes you have in the 22. of Ezekiel and other chapters most of which I fear are to be found in this City Are there not in her those set light by Father and Mother are there not those do vex the Fatherlesse and Widdow are there not those despise the holy things of God and prophane his Sabbaths are there not those take usury and increase are greedy of gain and live by dishonest gain Ezek. 22.18 Are there not those that devise mischief and give wicked counsel Are there not those carry tales to shed bloud Are there not those exercise robbery vex the poor the needy and oppresse the stranger Are not her professors as dross even the dross of silver may not the Lord say of this City as hee did of Jerusalem Thou hast been to mee a provocation of mine anger Jer. 32.31 and of my fury from the day that they built thee even unto this day that I should remove thee from before my face Thou art the City I have been purging but art not purged Eze. 24.13 Thou shalt not bee purged from thy filthinesse till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Surely LONDON deserves not better at the hands of the Lord than other Cities did especially Jerusalem and having her sins may fear her end Be instructed therefore O LONDON lest the Lords soul depart from thee and thou bee made Desolate For the Lord hath a Day to reckon with sinfull Lands and Cities Isa 17.4 In that day the glory of Jacob shall bee made thin and the fatnesse of his flesh shall wax lean The Princes Counsellors Souldiers Prophets Priests with their Cities the rarities and riches of them were the glory and fatnesse of Jacob These God had a day to take away and so made Jacob thin and lean God had a day for Tyre Isa 23.15 and interrupted her great merchandising for seventy years by laying her in the deep If it bee demanded how came Tyrus so strong and stately so fat and full to so deplorable an end The spirit of God tells you when it saith Eze. 26.27 thy Rowers have brought thee into great waters that is the Princes and Rulers by their Pride Policy and Prophaneness caused such storms as sunk the Ship Tyrus had as much to secure her as any City in the world shee was built upon a rock her borders were in the midst of the Seas shee had walls and an Army to watch them shee had Towers and Gammadims to keep them shee wanted not for ships Pilots Marriners for Souldiers sheilds and Helmets she had Counsellors Merchants and plentie of all things so that shee seemed invincible but all these did not preserve her station or make her impregnable for though shee indured a fredge of thirteen years by Nebuchadrezzar and his forces Eze. 27 2â— yet at last shee fell into the midst of the Sea in the day of her ruine Jerusalem was so well fortified by nature and art Psal 125.2 Psal 48.12 13. Lam. 4.12 being compassed about with mountaines having walls bulwarks and Towers that it was thought incredible and impossible for an enemy to have entered her gates but sin being found in her and God against her nothing secured her She was oft warned by the Prophets Isa 37. Amos 4. and judiciary providences of God to repent and reforme Shee was as a pot over the fire when besiedged by Senacherib when famine and Plague devoured her inhabitants but her scum went not out and that was her ruine Let none think the poor to bee the scum of the City Prov. 22.2
Nations Heylin Cosmogrâ— Vide Lyra in Ezek. 20 6 besides women children and such as were not able to fight 2 Sam. 24. this land was the glory of all lands in regard of the fruitfulnesse and plenty of it of which see Deut. 8.7 8 9. cha 32.13 14. Isa 36.17 a land beyond Egypt though some have affirmed the contrary for Deut. 11.10 11 12. the land thou goest in to possesse is not as the land of Egypt from whence ye came out when thou sowedst thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbes But the land whither thou goest to possesse it is a land of Hells and Vallies and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end thereof This is a divine Testimony and an high praise of it and doth justly intitle it to bee the glory of all lands What our Prophet saith here of Canaan may bee suspected and seems to bee contradicted by Isaiah ch 13.19 where hee calls Babylon the glory of Kingdomes and if that be the glory of them how can Canaan bee the glory of all lands Hee speaks of the City Babylon which was the head of Chaldea and gave denomination to a great part of Mesopotamia and Assyria the walls whereof were two hundred foot high filty Cubits broad and sixty miles in Compass which the Babylonians counted the glory of Kingdomes and boasted of if it did exceed Jerusalem in its greatnesse richnesse strength and populousness yet it fell short of it in other things Jerusalem represented the true Church Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 Babylon the malignant and false Church Rev. 17.5 glorious things were spoken of Jerusalem and it was the faithful City Isa 1.21 the Holy City Isa 52.1 the City of Truth Zach. 8.3 a City of Righteousnesse Isa 1 26. the City of the Lord of Hosts such things were never spoken of Babylon Again if Babylon bee the Glory of Kingdomes it s not said to bee of all kingdomes it might bee the glory of Heathenish Kingdomes it was not the glory of Canaan for there was the Idol Bel other Images and abominable Idolatry Jer. 51.44 47. which eclipsed the other glory it had Again if it bee granted that Babylon was the glory of all Kingdomes and so of Judea or Canaan yet take Canaan in its latitude with all its excellencies and so considered it is the Glory of all Lands and beyond Babylon taken for the City or the Countrey for besides its milk and honey its fruitfulnesse and plenty there was something of an higher nature which made it so For 1 It was the land of promise Heb. 11 9. 2 A type of Heaven Heb. 3.11 3 The land God chose to dwell in Ps 132.13 14. Exo. 15.17 4 In it was the Temple Worship Ordinances and Oracles of God 1 Kin. 6. 8. chapt Whence it was called the Holy Land Zach. 2.12 holy Habitation Exod. 15.13 the land of the Lord Isa 14.2 Ps 85.2 the land of uprightnesse Isa 26.10 the land of Immanuel Isa 8.8 and upon this account it was the glory of all lands For no land besides in all the world was so called as this or had such prerogatives Obs 1 Old mercies should bee minded not onely by those they were first bestowed upon but also by their posterity who had benefit by them also In the former vers and this God mindes them of Old mercies his choice of them his making known himself unto them his professing himself to bee their God his bringing them out of Egypt which were some eight or nine hundred years before and his espying out a land for them which was four hundred years before that for it was in Abrahams daies that God took notice of that land Gen. 12. get thee to a land that I will shew thee vers 7. unto thy seed will I give this land These Old mercies God would have them to mind though they were in Babylon and deprived of that good land God had given them Let men bee in what condition they will Old mercies should not bee forgotten especially signal great emphatical mercies When God shall publikely own a people deliver them from great slavery put them into a state of freedome safety and honour provide all good things for them such mercies ought not to bee forgotten but to bee remembred from generation to generation This was done in Davids dayes Ps 44.1 2. Wee have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what worâ— thou didst in their daies in the times of Old how thou didst drive out the Heathen with thy hand Judges 6.13 Fathers told their children of the miracles God had wrought for them and how hee brought them out of Egypt and because men are apt to forget former mercies when they grow old they grow out of minde the Lord laid a charge upon the Jews that they should not forget them Deut. 6.10 11 12. And commanded them to remember the daies of Old and to consider the years of many generations and to inquire of the ancient what he had done for them Deut. 32.7 There bee no works like unto Gods works and they ought to bee had in remembrance David kept them in mind for hee professes to the Lord himself I remember the daies of Old I meditate on all thy works I muse on the work of thy hand he looked back to the daies of Noah of Abraham of Joseph of the Israelites and of Gods dealing with them because the heart is not quickly affected with old mercies and works of God he meditated and mused on them and that till his heart was warmed and stirred up to praise as it is Psal 105.5 remember his marvellous works that hee hath done his wonders and the judgements of his mouth O yee seed of Abraham his servant Obs 2 That Lands Countries and Habitations of People are appointed ordered and disposed of by the Lord hee brings them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that hee had espyed for them All souls and all lands are the Lords and whom hee will hee plants where hee pleases Hee distributes lands and habitations to whom hee thinks meet The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24.1 hee is the sole owner thereof the true Lord of the soil and all it brings forth and hee hath given it to the children of men Psal 115.16 hee hath assigned them their several portions Deut. 32.8 the most high divided to the Nations their inheritance when he separated the Sonnes of Adam the most high God being Lord paramount would not have the Sonnes of Adam to live all in one Country or Land but appointed them several lands and Countries to dwel in and set them their bounds and limits as you may see in Gen. 10. especially vers 25. where Eber names his Son Peleg which signifies division because the earth was divided in
them For Then The Hebrew is And I said to them Where the Lord said thus to them wee do not finde The words refer to the time of their being in Egypt and nothing is recorded in Exodus that the Lord spake thus unto them before they departed Egypt They were a long time in Egypt and though Moses mention not this passage yet our Prophet assures us that the Lord said so whence we may take this observation Obs That many things said and done by the Lord and his Servants though omitted in those places seemed most proper for them in penning the Scriptures yet are occasionally given forth in other places as this verse spoken by the Lord when they were in Egypt omitted by Moses and now given out to Ezekiel in Babylon and recorded by him in this place Henochs Prophesy being uttered in the infancy of the world was either unknown to or passed over if known by Moses Jude 14 the Prophets and Apostles till Judes time and then it was recorded upon the occasion of the scoffing and prophaneness of that time The Names of Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses were not taken into the Text till Pauls time 2. Tim. 3.8 so Moses his refusing to bee called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter his chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season his esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt and his eyeing the recompence of reward were not historised by himself nor mentioned by any other till the Apostle set them down Heb. 11.24 25 26. these things they had by the Spirit not by tradition Cast ye away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of these words hath been largely spoken in the 18. chapter Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions the word is there the same Every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vir a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deductum quia prior est essentia ipsa sua viragine Kicker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Hebrew its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man let man cast away that is let every one hath the name or nature of man do so it s from a word signifies essence or being and is often put indefinitely for any man as Hos 2.10 none shall deliver her out of my hand the Hebrew is Not a man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abominatio execratio Symmach renders abominations Nauseas the Vulgar offensiones not any man shall do it and for every man Psal 62.12 thou rendrest to every man according to his works the word for every man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a man that is to every man whoever he be The abominations of his eyes Of Abominations formerly These abominations were their Idols things abominable and to bee abhorred They are here called the abominations of their eies because their eies were lift up unto them Rabbi David observat propterea additum esse oculorum quod oculi sint cordis internuntii atque ideo peccatorum ejus complices Pradus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is chapter 18.6 12. and went a whoring after them chap. 6.9 their eyes were taken with the form beauty ornaments of the Idols and so let in that to their hearts which inflamed and provoked them to Idolatry And defile not your selves with the Idols of Egypt Of the word defile see chap. 5.11 with the Idols of Egypt the Hebrew is in the idols of Egypt that is in the Idolatry of the Egyptians in their defilements do not you defile your selves The Septuagint renders it in the superstition of Egypt Jun. Trem. hath it with the dirty or dung-hill gods of Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Piscat with the dung of the Egyptians They were so addicted to Idolatry and superstition that they made Gods of every thing In idolis Egypti Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in superstitionibus Egypti Aqui. inquinamenta stercoreis diit Agypti stercoribus Egyptiorum Vide Answ in locum A Lap. even of Beetles that live in and feed upon Dung Exod. 12.12 Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement They had many Gods and Idols Isa 19.1 they had images of the house of the Sunne and houses of Gods Jerem. 43.13 These gods of theirs were all thrown down and broken in the night the Israelites came out of Egypt say the Jews which was the judgement executed upon them The Jews living in Egypt fell into their superstitions and Idolatries as appears clearly by that you have in Josh 24.14 Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth and put away the Gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt Their fathers were not only Idolaters in Mesopotamia which was beyond the floud that is Euphrate also in Egypt There they were notorious Idolaters and no sooner were they come out of Egypt but they would have a calf an Egyptian God to whom they might attribute the honour of their Egyptian deliverance Exod. 32.4 I am the Lord your God In the Preface to the Ten Commandements you have these words I am the Lord thy God which is a strong reason why they should have no other Gods before him and so here are the reason why they should cast away their Idols and not defile themselves any more with them The strength of the argument runnes thus I am the Lord of all creatures it belongs to mee to give Lawes and command what I please There is no God besides my selfe I allow none in heaven or earth to bee set up and acknowledged for God by any much less by you whose God I am in a more special manner whom I have chosen for my people and made as it were my Temple to dwell in therefore cast yee away all Idols all false gods defile not your selves with them but be a holy people unto mee your God who hate all such things and delight in holinesse Obs 1 That the posterity of good men by living amongst Idolaters and conversing with them do in time drink in their Opinions and manners and become like unto them The Jews who were the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Holy seed by living in Egypt and conversing with Egyptians they learnt their opinions and practices they delighted in and served the Egyptian Gods Their Fathers Piety Precepts Lavater saith God suffered them so long to bee oppressed by Pharaoh because they had learnt the Idolatry of Egypt Examples did not antidote them sufficiently against this Contagion Superstition Idolatry and prophanenesse are prevalent things Solomon himself the Sonne of David was caught in this snare 1 King 11.4 it is said of the Israelites after they came out of Egypt that they mingled among the Heathen and learned their works yea served their Idols Psal 106.35 36. by dwelling amongst them they were transformed into their likeness
reverently Gods Name is great glorious excellent holy and dreadful and ought to bee reverenced Psal 111.9 3 When Occasion is given to the wicked to speak evil of God and his waies as 2 Sam. 12.14 David by his sinnes gave great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme So Ezek. 36.21 the Jews by their sinful carriage caused the name of God to bee prophaned among the heathen Had the Lord then destroyed this people in Egypt according as he purposed the Egyptians and other Nations would have slighted him spoken evil of his doings blasphemed his name and wounded his honour Therefore though this people deserved to dye in the way of justice yet God spared them in the way of mercy for the honour of his name Quae. Seeing God purposed to destroy them and did it not is not his will alterable and inefficacious Ans The Counsels Purposes Decrees of God are unalterable and do take place Psal 33.11 Isa 14.27 ch 43.13 ch 46.10 Mal. 3.6 Heb. 6.17 for that said and done here it s more humano God saw cause sufficient to move him to their destruction but seeing what evil was like to come on 't he would not destroy them had the Lord decreed it before the world it must have taken place no change or alteration could have been Before the Heathen The Hebrew is in the eies of the Heathen God would not have them to see or behold any thing which might occasion them to dishonour him hee would not slay his people in their sight but made himself known by his word and mighty works unto the Jews in the sight of the Heathen so that hereby he was known unto both Obs 1 The Lord spares and saves sinners deserving death even for his name sake but I wrought for my name sake thou for thy Rebellion Idolatry and other sinnes didst deserve to dye and I could almost have cut thee off but for my mercy and name sake I spared and saved thee Jsa 48.8 9. I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and wast called a transgressour from the womb that is worthy so to bee called seeing as soon as ever thou camest out of the womb of Egypt in which thou wast shut up as a child in the womb thou fellest to Idolatry here was enough to have caused God to stifle this childe but what follows For my name sake will I deferre mine anger and for my praise will I refrain for thee that I cut thee not off Nothing in this metaphorical childe this Jewish people moved him to shew mercy but his own Name his own Praise prevailed with him to preserve them from destruction Gods honour and glory are strong arguments to move him to shew mercy to his people This the servants of God have known and made use of in their streights when Jerusalem was in a manner laid desolate and the jealousy of God burnt like fire what argument did the Church use then to move God to shew mercy but his name and glory of it Psalm 79.9 Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake The Church was low weak beset with enemies and sinnes at once and now it would have help deliverance pardon and upon the account of Gods name for thy name sake help us for thy name sake deliver us for thy name sake purge away our sinnes What hurt would it be to Gods name if hee did it not it would not bee glorious but dishonoured for in the next verse its said Wherefore should the Heathen say where is their God they trusted in their God and hee is a non-helping God a Non-delivering God a Non-pardoning God This was the argument Joshuah used when Israel fell before their enemies Lord what wilt thou do unto thy great name Gods name was pretious to Joshuah but more pretious to God himself Josh 7.9 and he did great things for his name sake When the people forgat the multitude of great mercies they had in Egypt and provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea and deserved to bee drowned in it and that their bloud should have skarletted the waters thereof what saith the Text Psal 106.8 Neverthelesse he saved them for his name sake When nothing induced him to do it Vide Muscul in locum the honour of his Name did that hee might appear faithful merciful powerful God did not save them for their prayers for their faith for their fathers sakes for their righteousnesse or for their enemies sakes being very malicious and wicked but for his own Name sake God doth more upon that account alone than upon the account of all the rest You may hear the Lord speak graciously to this purpose Isa 4.3.25 I even I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake here is I twice one I referring to them it s I that blot out their transgressions and none besides the other referres to God I blot them out for mine own sake not your sakes God doth all freely Obs 2 God's sparing of his people and preventing the reproaches blasphemies and mischiefes would come by his destroying of them is an honouring and sanctifying of his name I wrought satih God that my name might not bee polluted before the Heathen that is that it might bee honoured and sanctified in their sight God doth often spare his people being ripe for destruction that the enemy might not blaspheme and prophane his name and when hee doth so hee honours his name Deut. 32.26 27. God saith there hee would scatter and destroy his people but why did hee it not hee feared the wrath of the enemy least their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and least they should say our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this God foresaw what they would say and do if he should have used them as instruments to punish his children they would have been very outragious bloudy and cruel and when they had vented all their malice against them and done whatever they would they would have denyed Gods hand to have been therein and arrogated all to themselves which had been a great dishonour to God hee therefore prevents their blaspheming by sparing of his people and so provides for the honour of his Name Moses once and twice put God upon it to take heed hee caused not the Egyptians to speak evil of him and his waies when hee was upon the designe of destroying his people for their sinnes Exod. 32.10 11 12. Numb 14.12 13 14 15 16. God deals with his people sometimes not after the ordinary rule and course of his proceedings but in a prerogative way hee spares them though their sinnes be great because their enemies would bee proud arrogant bloudy and blasphemous and hath hee not spared England upon this account Obs 3 That notwithstanding the sins of Gods people hee shews them kindness openly and in the face of their enemies though the
seventh day and sanctified it surely this blessing and sanctifying of it was for mans use God needed no day therfore in that place Exod. 16.29 hee saith The Lord hath given you the Sabbath alluding to the first institution and the word Remember which beginnes the Fourth Commandement imports that the day was given before though much forgotten and neglected And what if there bee no particular testimony which mentions the patriarchs keeping of it before the Law it doth not follow therefore it was not kept There is no mention of keeping it in Joshuah in Judges in Samuel is it therefore a warrantable or good argument to conclude that it was not kept yea if it were granted that they did not keep it doth this prove that they were not required to keep it For Justin Martyr Ireneus Doceant in preteritum justos sabbatizasse aut circumcidisse sic amicos Dei effectos esse Tertul. adversus Iudaeos and Tertullian their scope is to shew that none of the fathers of those times were justified or obtained salvation by keeping of the Sabbath If the Sabbaths were given before how are they said to be given when they were in the wilderness this is answered in the next words To be a sign between me and them The first giving of the Sabbath was to bee a memoriall of the Creation Gen. 2.3 and therefore was observed by the Primitive Fathers whom the Creation of the World did most nearly concern and was in use before Moses daies who was above two thousand years after But when God gave it out again by Moses it was upon another account viz. to bee a sign between him and his people the Jews whom he brought out of Egypt and that upon the Sabbath day as Junius observes A sign The Sabbath was a signe of the true Sabbath wherein we shall rest from the labour of this world So Jerome a sign of love and reconciliation so Vatablus a signe of Holinesse that by the time dedicated to God we might know our selves dedicated to God So Cajetane a sign of difference between the Jews and all other People who were prophane and derided the Jews for loosing the seventh part of their time So Tostat and Sanctius They were distinguished from other Nations by Circumcision and by meats but these were not so visible observable in the eye of the world as their Sabbaths A sign that God had taken this people to himself separated them from Egyptians and others and would have them in a special manner remember their Egyptian deliverance on that day as formerly the Creation It was a sign between God and them they glorified him owning him for their God and he sanctified them owning them for his people So that here was a second edition and as it were a new institution of the Sabbath Because hee brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand therefore hee commanded them to keep the Sabbath Deut. 5.15 I am the Lord which sanctify them Sanctifying as it referres to God notes sometimes preparation to some special service as Jer. 51.27 28. Prepare the Nations against them the Hebrew is Sanctify the nations against her that is Babylon preparing of the Nations to the destruction of Babylon is sanctifying of them sometimes it notes separation to an holy use as Joel 1.14 Sanctify yee a fast that is separate a time from common imployments to Religious So Christ is said to bee sanctifyed John 10.36 Sometimes it notes making holy Levit. 21.23 I the Lord do sanctify them that is make them holy so John 17.17 Rom. 15.16 we are here to take it in the two last senses I have given them my holy-daies times separated from all Common use and worldly imployments times for drawing near to and worshipping of mee times wherein they ought to bee holy and to minde holy things and so know that it is I which separate them from others and do make them holy a peculiar People unto my self Quest. Whether was not the Sabbath a mutable Ceremony seeing he calls it a sign here Answ That proves it not to bee so for Gen. 9.12 the Rain-bow is called a Token or sign between God and man and that was no mutable Ceremony but continues to the end of the World Besides it s not a sign or type of future Grace something to come but a signe of their deliverance out of Egypt or of the Creation which were things past or a signe of Gods sanctifying them at the present when they met before him on those daies And further signe here by some is put for argumentum or documentum it s a note of your distinction from others of your being my people and of my sanctifying of you Obs 1 When God is in a way of mercy with a people hee hath his moreovers Moreover I gave unto them my Sabbaths Neh. 9. hee reckons up many mercies and vers 22. hee saith Moreover thou gavest them kingdomes and nations so in Isa 30. hee tells them of what mercies they shall have and vers 26. Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light c. God doth alwaies perform his promises shewing his faithfulnesse and many times hee gives more than he promises good measure pressed down and running over to shew his bountifulness Obs 2 That of holy times and daies God is the Author I gave them my Sabbaths God blessed and sanctified the seventh day and gave it unto the Jews Gen. 2.3 it is his prerogative to make persons things or times holy it is not in the power of man or any sort of men to make days holy It was no small sin in our fore-fathers that took upon them to make Lent and other times holy and some daies more holy than the Lords day it self The Jewes had no holy daies but at the Lords appointment Obs 3 The Lord gave forth and appointed holy and resting daies upon weighty and considerable grounds alwaies after some great mercy some special thing or other which hee had done As here when hee had brought them out of Egypt drowned Pharaoh and his Host in the deeps then hee gave them out the Sabbath again At first it was instituted after that great and glorious work of the Creation God would have great works and mercies to bee kept in memory So the day wee keep was appointed in memorial of that great work mans redemption by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and therefore is honoured with the Title of Lords Day Rev. 1.10 Obs 4 The Sabbath is a day of special concernment to God and his people I gave them my Sabbaths to bee a signe between mee and them As the Rain-bow is a sign of special concernment between God and the world so is the Sabbath It s an argument and evidence that God looks upon them as his People where his Sabbath is and that they acknowledge God their God who keep his Sabbaths By it God keeps alive the memory of his glorious great and gratious works
When the Lord gathers up his People out of the world and brings them into near relation to himself into Canaan and Church order hee looks they should review their former waies and bee much affected with them and throughly repent for them There shall ye remember your waies and all your doings wherein c. When brought into Canaan they were not only to eat the milk and honey to behold the glory thereof but they were to remember daies of old their sinnes in Babylon compliances with Babylonians how they had polluted themselves and provoked the Lord and thereupon to mourn kindly for their unkindnesses to him who had shewed such marvellous loving kindnesse unto them When God brings men out of the World now into Sion gives them the Milk and Honey of the Gospel shews them the glory thereof then they look back wonder at their wickedness and loath themselves for it saying who is like unto us in sinne and wickedness and who is like unto our God in grace and goodnesse in pardon and forgivenesse Micah 7.18 when it shall please God to bring the Jews out of that Babylon they are now in unto the true Canaan the Church of Christ they will remember their iniquities their bitter and bloudy doings against Christ mourn and loath themselves for the same Zach. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 Obs 3 Where repentance springs from sense of Love and kindnesse as it is real and deep so its secret and universal they should being brought into Canaan not onely remember their sinnes but they should loath themselves bee displeased so with themselves that they should smite and abhorre themselves and that in their own sight and for all the evils they had committed when no eye saw them they would spread all their sinnes before them and in the sight and sense of them be vile in their own eyes Vers 44. And they shall know that I am the Lord. These words wee had in the 42. v. wherein they were opened and expounded of an experimental knowledge When I have wrought with you for my Names sake Of these words see vers 9.14.22 The Vulgar is Cum benefecero When I shall have done good to you The Hebrew is When I have done to you or With you for my Name sake That is when I have dealt graciously and mercifully with you out of my free grace and for the honour of my name Not according to your wicked waies Of wicked abominations was spoken chap. 8.9 of wicked counsel chap. 11.2 of Wicked way and waies chap. 13.22.18.23 Those are wicked waies which lead from God from truth from just honest and good things In such they had walked long but God would not deal with them according to the wickednesse of their waies Significat aliquid ad imum usque funditus perdere corrumpere depravare quocunque id fiat modo sine medio Nor according to your corrupt doings The word for Corrupt is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to Corrupt even to the bottome throughly and such were they they were not a Little corrupt but totally corrupted in their judgements wills affections words and actions they were like a corrupt spring that sends forth nothing but corrupt waters Ezek. 16.47 Thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy waies Obs 1 The Lord is gratious and merciful unto the Sonnes of men deserving ill at his hands hee deals with them upon the account of his grace not their deserts What did their wicked waies and corrupt doings deserve at his hands but that hee should have poured out his fury and accomplish his anger upon them as it is ch 7.8 but hee wrought with them for his Name sake that is out of his free grace and favour he spared them hee pardoned them hee delivered them out of Babylon and brought them into Canaan When God seeth nothing in the Creature to put him on to shew mercy hee findes enough in his own Name to provoke him thereunto you have it four times in this chapter thrice before and here that hee wrought for his Name sake whatever mercy this people had it was from Divine favour not their desert If it was free Grace brought the Jews out of Babylon into Canaan what is it but freenesse fulnesse and riches of grace to bring men out of the world into the heavenly Canaan Predestination Calling Justification and Glorification are acts of meer grace and favour Eph. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 3.24 ch 8.30 1 Pet. 5.10 All the Sonnes of men injoy here or expect hereafter is from the bounty favour and mercy of God Psalm 103.8 9 10 11 12. Luke 12.32 to attribute ought to our own wills or indeavours is to derogate from God and darken the glory of his name and free grace Obs 2 God doth therefore deal gratiously with sinners that they may know him experimentally Yee shal know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my Name sake c. God works and so works that hee makes the hearts of men affected with his works and to say Psal 86.8 Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy works none so full of Glory so full of grace and mercy none so influential and operative upon the heart It s Gods scope and aim in doing good so freely and fully as hee doth to make himself known to the hearts of his People that so they may bee knit to him provoke them to admire him and live more fully to him Vers 45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto mee saying 46 Son of Man set thy face towards the South and drop thy word toward the South and Prophesy against the Forrest of the South-field 47 And say to the forrest of the South Hear the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shal devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flaming flame shal not be quenched and all faces from the South to the North shal bee burnt therein 48 And all flesh shal see that I the Lord have kindled it it shal not be quenched These verses are the fifth general part of the chapter viz. a parabolical Declaration of the destruction of Judea and Jerusalem Some refer these words to the next Chapter and make the beginning of that at the 45. v. of this The 45. v. sets before us the Divine Authority of this Prophesy against the Jews that were yet in Canaan the Prophet received it from the Lord it came from God to him before it went out from him to men In this 45. v. wee have 1 The Compellation Son of man of which heretofore 2 A Command to declare and utter the word hee had received set thy face c. Set thy Face Of this Expression in Chapter 4. 3 7. ch 6.2 ch 13.17 Hac phrasi ostendit strenue precidandum ess◠ita ut nullis minis frangatur nec so
treasure robur gloriam In iis robur hominum consistit tempore angustiae are called cosen because men put their confidence in them and make them their strength Prov. 10.15 Psal 52.7 the word is used for treasure and riches Prov. 15.6 in the house of the righteous is Cosen rabh much treasure much riches or much strength here its treasure and the French is Les richesses Aecolam Thesaurum and others Opes Pretious things Pretious things Jakar notes things much set by as a good name 1 Sam. 18.30 things beloved Jer. 31.20 Ephraim my dear son Ben iakkir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my dearly beloved son saith the Septuagint Things of great worth Prov. 20.15 Isa 28.16 Jerem. 20 5. here it notes things of worth and dear unto them These Prophets were false and would not Prophesy unlesse the people gave them and gave them choice things Hence Micah saith the Prophets divined for mony chap. 3.11 and prepared warre for them would not put into their mouths They did not take by force or steal away their treasures but they carried it so that the People must give and they had their treasure and pretious things They were not content with what was their stipends Varia habebanâ— pecuniae aucupia But as Lavater speaks they had waies arts devices to get such things The word Jakar signifies also glory and honour Dan. 26.37 Esth 1.20 and so its rendreâ— here by Montanus Lavater Aecolamp and the French Translation The sense then is this that these false Prophets were ambitious minding high places and popular glory They have made her many widows Those men would not bee of their mindes hearken to their Prophesies countenance and maintain them with their treasures and pretious things they prepared warre for them they stirred up the powers and people who were of their own way to hate them and deal unkindly with them Isa 66.5 Hear the word of the Lord yee that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my name sake c. There were some trembled at the word of the Lord the word of the true Prophets and durst not side with the false Prophets their doctrines or practises these therefore were hated of their brethren that were their Disciples and cast out so Ezek. 11.15 They said get yee farre from the Lord unto us is this land given in possession You have nothing to do here in Judea or Jerusalem here is no liberty for you bee gone or dye for it Now because many did venture to stay they prevailed so that they were put to death and by this means they made many widows They also used to incourage the Princes to warre as 1 King 22. the false Prophets put on Ahab to go up to Ramoth Gilead and promised him successe in that warre but he fell and many other with him and hereby they made many widows Obs 1 In Jerusalem were wicked and false Prophets Jerusalem was the holy City the City of God the place where Gods name was recorded a type of the Church of God in all ages yet there even there were such Prophets and holds it out clearly to us that there will be false Prophets in the Church of God alwaies In Christs time there were such Mat. 7.15 Beware of False Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing In Pauls time there were such Act. 13.6 There was one Bar-jesus a Jew and a false Prophet In Johns time there were such 1 John 4.1 Many false Prophets are gone out into the world so many went out then that there is a generation of them to this day and that generation will not cease so long as the Lord hath a Church in this world there will bee found false Prophets even at dooms day Obs 2 Jerusalems Prophets may be yea sometimes are against Jerusalem There is a conspiracy in her Prophets in the midst thereof Those thought themselves the chief Prophets in Jerusalem met consulted and agreed together to preach the same things to set themselves against the Prophets and Professors differed from them as being unsafe and unsound and to stir up authority against them The meetings of Prophets are not alwaies for the welfare of Sion here was a Councel of them but it was for mischief That they thought was very lawful the Spirit of God calls a Conspiracy Such was that meeting of the chief Priests Scribes and Elders in the palace of the High Priest where they consulted against Christ Matth. 26.3 4. and that wherein they agreed that if any did confesse that hee was Christ hee should bee put out of the Synagogue John 9.22 was not the Council of Trent a conspiracy of Prophets who pretended they were for Jerusalem but were in truth against Jerusalem Did not they agree together that who ever preached any thing contrary to their Canons and Articles should bee anathematized did they not stir up Princes and Powers of the world to punish those they judged Sectaries Schismaticks and Heretical Mr. Foxes Acts and Monuments do testify the truth thereof Have not the Prophets of our Jerusalem gone too far this way Obs 3 God takes special notice of the sinnes of Prophets they are first mentioned in the general Corruption that was of all sorts There were Priests Princes Peoples sins but the Prophets are set in the front they provoked God greatly they did most hurt Jer. 23.15 From the Prophets of Jerusalem is prophaneness gone forth into all the land They were corrupt springs that corrupted the whole Jewish earth with the streames of their false doctrines and example of their sinful practises Their sins are very much spoken of in the word and set upon record they dealt falsely Jer. 6.13 they belyed the Lord Jer. 5.12 13. they taught rebellion against the Lord Jerem. 28.16 ch 29.32 they strengthened the hands of evil doers so that none returned from his wickednesse Jer. 23.14 they were light and treacherous Zeph. 3.4 they deluded the people and murdered their souls Jerem. 8.11 Ezek. 12.10 they were exceeding Covetous and greedy of gain from every quarter Isa 56.11 Micah 3 5. they made the people forget the name of the Lord Jer. 23 27. they were Foxes and dealt very suâ—tlely Ezek. 13.4 They being defiled with such sins defiled the land thereby kindled the indignation of the Lord and made him to say concerning them Behold I will feed them with wormwood and make them drink the water of gall Jer. 23.15 and would consume them by sword and famine chap. 14.15 Obs 4 That the men who should openly declare against sin do openly commit sinne There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst therof They roared like Lyons not caring who heard or saw them they made many widows in the midst of Jerusalem They sinned notorious sins and were not ashamed of them Jer. 23.11 Both Prophet and Priest are prophane in mine house have I found their wickednesse saith the Lord in the Temple the most publike
is there not much fraud griping and catching advantages in most shops places and persons when will the time come that this City may bee called a City of righteousnesse the faithful City If you do finde your hearts carried out greedily after gain and desire to be rich consider these places of Scripture Prov. 28.20 Hee that maketh haste to be rich shall not bee innocent Lo jinnakeh non erâ—t impunis hee shall not go without punishment God will plague him one way or other send some secret curse into his heart or estate if not some outward visible judgement Prov. 20.21 An inheritance may bee gotten hastily at the beginning but the end thereof shall not bee blessed Men may think God blesses them loves them they thrive they get great estates but marke the end the end of an estate so gotten shall not be blessed how many get great estates in this City and their children spend it shamefully when they are gone Jerem. 17 11. He that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall bee a fool hee promises long life to himself but hee shall soon bee pluckt away and bee declared to bee a fool Luke 12.19.20 Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and bee merry hee thought hee should live long but what followed Thou fool this night thy soul shall bee required of thee then whose shall those things bee thou hast provâ—ded it may bee you think your children shall have what you get bâ—t its more than you know if you will beleeve David Psal 39.6 suppose your heir do can you tell what hee will prove its more than Solomon could tell Eccl. 2.19 who knoweth whether hee shall be a wise man or a fool 1 Tim. 6.9 read study minde those verses well they have much in them Obs 3 Who are a prey and spoil to the rich and great its the poor needy and strangers the people of the land vexed and oppressed them Those had States purses and power they dealt wrongfully with others The Scripture sets out this evil by various expressions Men are said to have An Evil eye against the poor Deut. 15.9 To set their eyes against the poor Psa 10.8 To Lye in wait to catch the poor Psa 10.9 To devise devises to destroy the poor with lying words when he speakes right Isa 32.7 To shame the counsel of the poor Psa 14.6 To despise the poor James 2.6 To mock the poor Prov. 17.5 To hate the poor Prov. 14.20 To Rule and Lord it over the poor Prov. 22.7 To bend their bow to cast down the poor Psal 37.14 To grind the faces of the poor Isa 3.15 To turn aside the poor in the gate Amos 5.12 To take away the right from the poor and needy Isa 10.2 To tread upon the poor Amos 5.11 To sell the poor for shoes Amos 2.6 To rob the poor because he is poor Prov. 22.22 To take away his house violently Job 20.19 To devour the poor secretly Hab. 3.14 To oppresse the poor crush the needy Amos 4.1 To swallow up the needy Amos 8.4 To turn aside the stranger from his right Mal. 3.5 To oppresse him as here To slay him Psal 94.6 The Lord takes special notice of the Poor and mens carriages towards them take heed then that the spoil of the poor bee not found in your houses as it s said Isa 3.14 and that their bloud be not found on your skirts Jer. 2.34 for the Lord will arise for the oppression of the poor and sighing of the needy Psa 12.5 hee will maintain their right Psal 140.12 Let your hearts and eies bee towards them let your hands bee stretched out to do them good for blessed is hee that considereth the poor Psal 41.1 and who so hath mercy on them is happy Prov. 14.21 be not of that generation Prov. 30.14 Vers 30 And I sought for a man amongst them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none The Lord having made a large catalogue of Jerusalems sinnes and shewn an universal corruption of all sorts of men what could bee expected but that hee should proceed to the destruction of them But that hee might more fully justify his proceedings towards these that were already in captivity and likewise towards them that were yet remaining hee tells them what hee did hee sought for some one or other to have appeared interceded and prevented judgements Hee looked some course should have-been taken the land being so guilty to have kept off destroying judgements and seeing there was none minded the publike good doing ought that might occasion God to spare them the fault was in themselves and not in him that they were wholly ruined And I sought for a man amongst them The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to seek magno studio conatu ambulatione pedibus non verbis as Kirker observes An earnest diligent seeking a running up and down to finde out a thing So here the Lord made a diligent search hee went up and down from Prophet to Priest from Priest to Prince from Prince to People to see if hee could find out any man It s spoken of the Lord after the manner of men and is suitable to that expression 2 Chro. 16.9 the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth that is Divine Providence exactly observes all things in the world especially what men do and here God looked earnestly upon all sorts of men to see if any stirred to interpose and stand in the gap The French is J'aj demandi d' ' entre eux quilque homine I demanded some one among them I called for a man to come forth and see if he could prevent those judgements were coming upon them That should make up the hedge The Hebrew is Goder gader hedging an hedge Vulg. Qui interponeret sepem The words are metaphorical and the metaphor is taken from vineyards gardens and places inclosed which use to have fences and hedges about them to preserve them from every thing might harm them both men and beasts The Jews were Gods vineyard Isa 5.1 and he had fenced and hedged them vers 2.5 they were Gods garden and hee had inclosed them Cant. 4.12 The fence hedge or wall about this people was 1 Gods protection of them hee had a special care of them being his Church and people above all others as the City Jerusalem had a wall about it Nehem. 1.3 so God was a wall to the Citizens thereof Zach. 2.5 a wall of fire round about them Isa 27.3 least any should hurt his vineyard he kept it night and day hee watched over it continually and preserved it 2 Those things and means God had given them to bee an hedge or wall unto them as 1 Sound doctrin which was as an hedge to keep out all errors corrupt and
which Vatablus calls opulentos ex plebe the wealthiest of the People or those have the choice offices and places in the City Burn all the bones under it By Bones here divers Expositors understand the bones of the innocent Prophets and others who were slain unjustly Those the Prophet bids them to burn under the Pot and that to manifest the cause of Gods great wrath against and just destruction of the City But this interpretation of bones suits not with the scope of the place Which is not to disquiet the bones of the innocent and lay punishment upon them but to revenge their death The bones here are to suffer as well as the flesh wee may understand these words thus Let flesh and bones boyle together and when they are so boiled that all the flesh and fat is taken from the bones then burn them that is when all the wealth places honour are taken from the rich then let them be destroyed by Famine Plague or Sword and that is the burning of the bones Let nothing of them or theirs bee spared but let all bee consumed Or thus boile the fat ones in the Pot and burn the poor under it they are like bones without flesh make them instrumental to consume the rich and doubtlesse in the famine they were like a fire devouring the flesh in the Pot. And make it boile well The Hebrew is Rattach retacheah which Montanus renders Fas ebullire ebullitiones ejus make its boilings to boile boile it throughly There bee old tough peices in the Pot which will not easily or suddainly bee boiled they will require a hot and continued fire therefore Buxtorf interprets the words fac ut vehementer ferveant see that the boilings be very hot The Chaldaean Army were not the bones and fire under this metaphorical Pot but the bellows rather to blow up and increase the fire And let him seeth the bones of it therein The Hebrew is Let the bones thereof be sodden in the midst of it and the stream of interpreters carry the words plurally and so it suits best with the words going before make it boile well and let the bones thereof bee sodden in the midst of it that is let them bee throughly sodden Bones are strong things they require more than ordinary seething especially if old and there bee many old bones in the Pot many hardned sinners many stout spirits amongst the Souldiers Princes Nobles and others but let them bee soundly boiled in this Pot of affliction and that will make them tender The Vulgar is Discoct a sunt ossa illius in medio ejus that is the bones are boiled till the flesh and they are sundred they are throughly boiled and Vatablus makes this the sense of it Fortissimi quique conficiantur in ea obsidione let the strongest and stoutest men bee slain and consumed in that siedge Obs 1 The sinfulnesse of men hath occasioned God to give out much Scripture Speak a parable to the rebellious God took occasion from their rebelliousnesse to give forth this Parable and many others Much of Jeremy and our Prophet was occasioned to see the world by the wickednesse of the Jews Sinne accidentally occasions good Sinne made way for Christ and as for him so for much if not the greatest part of the holy Scriptures Obs 2 Teaching by Parables is warrantable God sends and commands the Prophet to utter a Parable Isaiah Jeremy Zachary were not without Parables Christ was abundant in them The Parables they used were taken from ordinary things known and familier such as were obvious to the senses as here from a Pot water peices of flesh bones c. Hereby the mind memory are much inlivened and stronger impression made upon the heart ch 22.18 all they are brass and Tin and Iron and Lead in the midst of the Furnace and here they were as flesh and bones in the midst of the Pot. Obs 3 The judgements of God upon places makes them Pots in which hee boiles sinners Now Jerusalem was a Pot over the fire The Babylonish Forces were round about it dreadful Calamities upon it multitudes in it who were like peices of flesh in a boiling Pot what boiling thoughts fears cares distractions discontents were amongst them we may judge what boiling was therein by the Armies lying near this City and being in readinesse to come upon it Obs 4 That God at his pleasure commands judgements upon places Set on a Pot pour water into it make Jerusalem miserable with Plague Famine and Sword if hee speak the word the thing must bee done whatever hee calls for takes place Jerusalem that was a Paradise must now become a boiling Pot. Obs 5 That when Gods judgements are abroad hee meets with all sorts of men the Fat and Lean the strong and weak the rich and poor when the Pot is on the fire God will have the choice peeces and choice ones into it the shoulders the thighs the choice bones Prince Nobles men in place of wealth as well as the poor and lean ones Obs 6 When God is boiling of sinners in the fire of his judgements he will boil them to purpose Make it boile well and let the bones thereof be sodden in the midst thereof This Pot was boiling not a few hours daies or months but a year and half 2 King 25.1 2 3. So when God made Samaria a boiling Pot 2 King 17.5 he boiled the sinners in it three years together God so boiled them there and these here that he made the proudest and stoutest of them to stoop yea all of them to become meat to their enemies Vers 6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God woe to the bloudy City to the Pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it bring it out peice by peice let no lot fall upon it 7 For her bloud is in the midst of her she set it upon the top of a rock shee poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust 8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance I have set her bloud upon the top of a rock that it should not bee covered Here the Lord comes to interpret the Parable denouncing a fearful woe to Jerusalem and giving the grounds thereof which are 1 Her Bloudinesse with the aggravation thereof vers 6 7. 2 Her unprofitablenesse under judgements when shee was boiling her scum abode with her went not out of her 6 Woe to the bloudy City Jerusalem was guilty of much bloud Ezek. 22.3 4 6 9 12 13 27. 2 Chron. 21.16 Jerusalem was now as bad as Nineveh which Nahum 3.1 is called the bloudy City and hath the same woe denounced against it By blood not only murther but also other notorious wickednesses which deserved death are to bee understood Ezek. 7.23 the Land is full of bloudy crimes Of such sinnes for which men ought to bee cut off Vide loc To the Pot whose scum is therein whose scum is not gone out of it
onely bee warrantable but of singular advantage unto Common-wealths and Cities Obs 2 Great trading makes places rich and famous Tyrus had Merchants from all parts and they brought in all sorts of pretious Commodities so that shee was replenished and glorious Shee was full of wealth and famous in all parts Babylon had trading with many Nations and shee abounded in treasures Jerem. 51.13 When Jerusalem was the gates of the people when all Nations came into her then she abounded in wealth and fame Obs 3 True happinesse lies not in the abundance of outward things Tyrus hâ—d what the world could afford men of wisdome skill and strength choice helmets and shields horses horse-men and mules horns of ivory and ebeny gold silver pretious stones Emeralds Agates Coral the choicest wheat honey oyle and Balm shee had pretious cloaths râ—ch apparel the mâ—ltitude of all riches in her yet heathenish and near unto destruction Isa 23.11 The Lord hath given a commandement against the Merchant City to destroy the strong holds thereof outward things make not happy Psalm 144.15 Vers 26 Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters the East winde hath broken thee in the midst of the Seas 27 Thy Riches and thy Fairs thy Merchandise thy Marriners and thy Pilots thy Calkers and thy occupiers of thy merchandise and all thy men of warre that are in thee and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee shall fall into the midst of the Seas in the day of thy ruine 28 The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy Pilots 29 And all that handle the Oare the Marriners and all the Pilots of the Sea shall come down from their ships they shall stand upon the land 30 And shall cause their voice to bee heard against thee and shall cry bitterly and shall cast up dust upon their heads they shall wallow themselves in the ashes 31 And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee and gird them with Sackcloath and they shall weep for thee with bitternesse of heart and bitter wailing 32 And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee and lament over thee saying what City in like Tyrus like the destroyed in the midst of the Sea 33 When thy wares went forth out of the Seas thou filledst many people thou didest inrich the Kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy Merchandise 34 In the time when thou shalt be broken by the Seas in the depths of thy waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall 35 All the inhabitants of the Isles shall bee astonished at thee and their Kings shall be sore afraid they shall bee troubled in their countenance 36 The Merchants among the people shall hiss at thee thou shalt be a terror and never shalt be any more Having shown the great wealth and dignity of Tyrus here the Prophet comes to the second general part of the Chapter viz. to shew the irrecoverable fall of Tyrus In these words we have 1 The distinction it self of Tyrus 2 The Effects and events that follow This distinction of Tyrus is set out 1 By way of Metaphor or similitude which is implied in the 26. v. Tyrus is likened unto a ship at Sea that suffers by the winds and waters and so perisheth being laden with rich Commodities 2 From the moving cause thereof viz. her Rowers ibid. 3 The Instrument or means the East wind 2 The Effects 1 Losse of all v. 27.34 2 The mourning of Pilots and Marriners v. 28 29 30 31 32 33. with the manner thereof 3 The influence it had upon forreiners astonishment fear trouble it produced in some v. 35. and hissing in others vers 36. 26 Thy Rowers have brought thee c. This verse is wholly Metaphoricall by Rowers are meant the Great men that ruled and governed Tyrus who were to the City as rowers to a ship They by their Pride wicked counsells and wretched lives caused God to bring a long siedge upon her and ruine at last which are called great waters The East winde hath broken thee That was Nebuchadnezzar who came with a great Army from the East besiedged took and ruined Tyre hee dealt with that Metaphorical ship as a rough East wind doth with a ship at Sea breaks it and sinks it 27 Shall all fall into the midst of the Sea c. The Hebrew is The heart of the Sea all the wealth greatnesse and glory of Tyrus should be drowned in the Sea 28 The Suburbs shall shake The word for Suburbs is Migresheth and Migrash saith Pagnine is a village out of the City By Suburbs here you understand all the villages and Colonies belonging unto Tyre when the Pilots the Prince and Governours thereof should cry for the ruine of it then should all the Towns Villages Colonies were under her command bee troubled and shake for fear Obs 1 Nothing humane can protect a sinful City and People from the judgements of God Tyrus was as strong a place as the world had her walls towers ships wise strong men could not do it Tyrus was as rich a place as any under heaven shee had a multitude of all riches yet these kept her not from being brought into great waters what power or art of man can keep off the winde from a ship when it is at Sea It s not in the power of all the Sea-men or Marriners in the world to do it neither can any number of men or all men keep off a judgement of God when it is comming upon a sinfull place Let us not confide in humane things Obs 2 The ruine of Cities and States is chiefly from the Princes and Governours in the same Thy Rowers they sit in the chief places they have brought thee into great waters they brought War Famine desolation upon Tyrus Zedekiah and his Nobles breaking with Nebuchadnezzar brought Judaea and Jerusalem into great waters Pharaohs sin brought all the plagues upon Egypt when Governours are wilful covetous weak ignorant carelesse given to their lusts and pleasures they may quickly overthrow all Rhehoboams folly caused that rent in Israel as never was made up again It was Ahaz sin that brought Judah into deep waters 2 Chron. 28.19 The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz King of Israel for hee made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord. Obs 3 That Cities and States grown rich and renowned have their periods Tyrus was replenished with the rarities of the world shee had all excellent things in her and was very glorious but what became of her and all she had were not her riches her glory laid in the Seas in the day of her ruine v. 27. shee hâ—d her daies for rising and a day for her ruine all the glory bravery and wealth of this great strong and beautiful City was on a suddain in a day buried in the deep Sea Obs 4 When the Lord brings his judgements upon sinfull Cities
and States when he makes great changes in them or utterly ruines them then some lament and some laugh When Tyrus was besiedged stormed taken and ruined then the Rowers Marriners and Pilots cryed wept and wailed bitterly lamenting her destruction then the Merchants laughed and hissed at her When Jerusalem was taken burnt and nothing left but rubbish and ashes then Jeremy and many others lamented greatly for the ruine thereof and then the Ammonites Moabites and Edomites laughed thereat as you may see Ezek. 25. such is the condition of humane affairs and corruption of humane nature that what is matter of mourning and humiliation to one becomes matter of rejoycing and insulting to another but wisdome hath said he that is glad at calamities shall not bee unpunished Prov. 17.5 Obs 5 The righteous God doth sometimes recompence sinners in the same way they have sinned Tyrus laughed at the destruction of Jerusalem Ezek. 26.2 and here in this ch v. 36. Tâ—e Merchants of the people shall hisse at thee Hissing as it sometimes notes astonishment so sometimes gladnesse and insulting Lament 2.15 16. all that pass by clap their hands at thee they wag their heads and hiss and say this is the day we looked for c. at first these Merchants might bee astonished at the tydings of Tyrus her ruine and after rejoyce clap their hands and hisse at her Agag by his sword had made women childlesse and by Samuels sword his mother was made childlesse 1 Sam. 15.33 CHAP. XXVIII Vers 1 The word of the Lord came again unto mee saying 2 Son of man say unto the Prince of Tyrus thus saith the Lord God because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said I am a God I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the Seas yet thou art a man and not God though thou set thine heart as the heart of God 3 Behold thou art wiser than Daniel there is no secret that they can hide from thee 4 With thy wisdome and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures 5 By thy great wisdome and by thy traffique hast thou increased thy riches and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches 6 Therefore thus saith the Lord God because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God 7 Behold therefore I will bring strangers upon thee the terrible of the Nations and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdome and they shall defile thy brightness 8 They shall bring thee down to the pit and thou shalt dye the death of them that are slain in the midst of the seas 9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am god but thou shalt bee a man and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee 10 Thou shalt dye the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers for I have spoken it saith the Lord. IN this Chapter you have these general parts 1 A Prophesy against the King of Tyre in these 10. verses 2 A Lamentation for him and the spoiling of his glory from the 10. v. to the 20. 3 A prophesy against Zidon from the beginning of the 20. to the 24. 4 A Prophesy of mercy unto the people of God from the 24. to the end In the Prophesy against the King of Tyrus you have 1 The Authority of the prophesy in the 1. v. 2 The sin that brought destruction upon him which was his Pride v. 2. occasioned from his seat ibid. his wisdome v. 3 4. and his wealth v. 4 5. 3 The Instruments the Lord would use in his destruction and they were strangers v. 7. the manner of whose dealings with him is set out in the 8 9 10. v. 1 The word of the Lord came again c. Being to speak unto the King of Tyrus hee mentions his Commission that the Lord spake to him and sent him one greater than the King himself Hereby the Prophet made way for himself and his message to have the better entertainment had hee come of his own head delivered things from his own spirit hee had rendred himself contemptible what hee had to declare unto the King and against him was not humane but Revelation from the Lord. 2 Son of Man The Son of Man must utter the words of God Heavenly treasure is put in earthen vessels and makes them honourable Ezekiel though hee were the Son of Man yet herein hee was the servant of God Hee sent him and put his own words in his mouth full of Majesty and to bee beleeved notwithstanding his meannesse and frailty This Son of Man is made a Son of Thunder against a proud and haughty Prince Say unto the Prince of Tyrus Some of the Fathers do make this Prince of Tyrus to bee the Devil but they were much mistaken in so conceiting for here bee many things which are incompetent to him especially what is said in the 7 and 8. ver The words are to bee taken litterally of Ethbahal or Ithobalus who was at that time Prince of Tyrus unto whom this Prophesy was directed being in his glory and height whereas Satan was cast out and cast down into greater misery then here is mentioned long before Thus saith the Lord God Prophets being subject to the same infirmities and passions as others bee are little regarded in the world especially by Princes Ezekiel therefore must not speak his own words but say Thus saith the Lord God The Hebrew Adonai Jehovah are very significant words Jehovah imports Gods being and giving being unto all things Adonai his supporting all in their beings for it s from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Pillar or foundation Thus saith hee who hath his being of himself and hath given being to heaven and earth and all creatures therein that upholds all by his power even thee thy self O Prince of Tyrus thus saith he unto thee Because thine heart is lifted up By heart understand not that little part of flesh in man wherein is sedes vitae the seat of life but the Thoughts Counsels reasonings Designes Wisdome Workings and Contrivances of the heart so Heart is oft to bee taken in scripture and it s lifted up when it s carried out after high and great things Psalm 131.1 Lord mine heart is not haughty nor mine eies lofty neither doe I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for mee Here you may see what it is to have the heart lifted up or to bee haughty its Javah in both places and it is to have aspiring thoughts to minde high things to bee designing and reaching after them to have a high conceit of ones self as this Prince of Tyre had who thought himself above the condition of mortall men and so the Counsels reasonings designes and workings of his heart were to become a God and he blushed not to say it Thou hast said I am a God Not thou hast thought so which had been too much but
it his work to increase wealth Which is the practice of most Princes and people in the world Mens corrupt natures and carnall wisdome carrie them unto it Prov. 23.4 Labour not to bee rich cease from thine own wisdome Mens wisdome put them on to bee rich it heartens them thereunto but it is such wisdome as the Scripture condemnes The Arabian Proverb is Hoffing Historia orientali Non est justicia cum avaritia justice and covetousnesse dwell not together a just man covets not what is anothers but a covetous man will have the prey where-ever he findes it and violate bounds to satisfy his lusts Ahabs sicknesse was not cured till he had eaten Naboths vineyard and drunk his blood There is a story among the Arabians of one that had the world presented to him in the shape of an Old woman whom hee asked how many husbands shee had shee said innumerable the party asked what was become of them shee said shee had killed them all then it was replyed by the party I wonder that other men are so foolish that seeing how thou hast used thy former husbands they should still be in love with thee Obs 3 Prosperity makes men proud and insolent Thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches They begate great thoughts in him and swelled his heart above his brethren It s hard to keep the heart low in prosperity It s a common saying and too true as rises my good so rises my bloud Beggars having gotten estates account themselves Princes and Princes being rich think themselves gods When Amaziah prospered in his war against the Edomites his heart was lifted up and being but a thistle hee accounted himself a Cedar 2 Chron. 25. Prosperity begets Cedarish spirits Hos 13.6 They were filled and their heart was exalted when they had plenty then they grew proud and forgat God there is an aptnesse in men to dote upon the creature when they have much and to magnifye themselves This Agur knew when hee prayed that God would not give him riches lest he should bee full and deny God Men are ready to attribute their riches to their wisdome industry favour of their friends c. hereby they exclude and deny God they allow him no hand o interest therein they say who is the Lord that we should bee thankful unto him wee are not beholding at all to him or very little thus they deny and belye the Lord too sâ—heword Cathash signifies you that prosper in this world take heed to your hearts least being drunk with this wine you discover your nakednesse Vers 6 Therefore thus saith the Lord God because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God 7 Behold Therefore I will bring strangers upon thee Here the Lord tells the Prince of Tyrus what hee must look for at his hands for his sinnes especially his Pride because hee magnified himself and would be as God therefore hee must expect destruction Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God The Hebrew is Hast given thine heart as the heart of God Thou hast given liberty to thy heart to think high and great things yea to think thy self equall with God hee thought the infinite glorious great God had not other thoughts in him or vaster than himself and this was setting his heart as the heart of God 7 I will bring strangers upon thee That is Nebuchadnezzar with his Forces gathered up out of several Provinces Ezek. 26.7 they were men of a strange language of strange manners and out of strange Countries they were strangers to the Tyrians The terrible of the Nations The word for terrible is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aritze which Montanus renders robustos the strong The Vulgar robustissimos the most mighty Vatab. Tyrannos gentium the Tyrants of the Nations French Les plus hideux the most hideous Septuagint saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pestilentes pestilent men that should bee as a Plague or pestilence is to a Town or Country Ours the terrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aratz signifies fortem violentum se exhibere through power to bee formidable to others so should the Chaldaeans be to the Tyrians They shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdome By Beauty of wisdome understand what ever beautiful things the Prince had gotten by his wisdom as beautiful shipping beautiful Army beautiful treasure and riches a beautiful City a beautiful throne c. The Chaldaeans should come and destroy all the beauty of his wisdom all that by his policy and craft hee had gotten Or thus thou thinkest by thy Counsells art and devices to prevent the taking of the City and thy selfe which couldst thou do it would make thy wisdome beautiful and glorious but they shall draw their swords and prevail against all thy counsels machinations plots and attempts to secure the City and thy self They shall defile thy brightness Thou art now in a glorious Kingdome and shinest upon thy seat and throne all the Isles and Nations behold thy splendor but the Chaldaeans shall come and cut thee off and defile thy brightnesse with thine own bloud they shall take away thy kingly dignity and life also The French read the words Savilleront ton excellence 8 They shall bring thee down to the pit The word for Pit is Shachath which signifies corruption and also a Pit or grave because that is the place of corruption Men in their Graves do see corruption they turn to dust It s a Proverbial speech noting death Prov. 28.17 a man that doth violence to the bloud of any person shall flye to the Pit that is bee cut off and thrown into the grave so here the strangers should cut off the Prince of Tyrus and cause him to perish Thou shalt dye the death of them that are slain in the midst of the Seas Thou art in a City upon a rock well walled fortified and manned thou thinkest thy self secure invincible but thou shalt bee like those are slain at Sea and thrown over-board or sunk into the depths thereof For Kings to be slain by forreiners is dishonourable when slain not to be buried as Kings is a greater dishonour to bee cast out and drowned as common men is a height of dishonour 9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God Thou hast said thou art a God but when the enemies shall bee before thy gates when hee shall seize upon thee and bee ready to thrust thee through what wilt thou then say Wilt thou say thou art a God no thou wilt shew thy self a man thou wilt bee full of fears and at thy wits end Thou shalt be a man and no God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Then shall the vanity of thy thoughts appear thou shalt see thy self a man and not God thou hast thought thy self El the strong powerful and stable God but thou shalt find thy self Adam weaknesse misery instability 10 Thou shalt dye the deaths of the uncircumcised
ruine The words are spoken of God humano more as men search and find out things so God is here said to do his finding out is making known things Obs 1 Princes and men in supream power are honourable they are Cherubs or Cherubims next unto God In whose word they have many honourable Titles given them They are called shields Hos 4.18 the word for Rulers is shields in the Hebrew and shields of the earth Psalm 47.9 they protect the state where they live Ezek. 17.3 they are named Eagles and Cedars Psal 82.6 they are termed gods and children of the most high God ownes them for his children and calls them Gods which is an height of honour Obs 2 That Kings and potentates have their places priviledges and power that they may bee protectors of the people Thou art the annointed Cherub that covereth hee was on the throne that hee might spread his wings of protection over his subjects both at Sea and land Magistrates should bee as Hens to the Chickens as fathers to their children they are called not onely Fathers but Nursing fathers Isa 49.23 the word in Hebrew is Omenajick thy Nursers or Nourishers and notes faithful nursing they should make it their businesse to preserve and provide for their people as Nurses do for their Nurse-child seeing daily that it bee kept from dangers and want nothing such a Nurseing-father was David Psal 78.72 hee fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulnesse of his hands Davids heart and hands were at work for the good of the people Such a Nursing Father was Moses whom the Lord would have to carry the People in his bosome as a Nursing father beareth the sucking childe Numb 11.12 God would have Kings Princes Magistrates to deal tenderly with the People they should bee as Cherubs unto them spreading the wings of protection and justice over them and when they do otherwise hee is wroth with them Zeph. 3.1 2 3. Mic. 3.1 2 3 4. when instead of fathers they are Lyons instead of Angels they are Devils to the people God is sorely displeased and will destroy them Obs 3 That Princes are exalted by God and depend upon him I have set thee so its God that raises them and cloaths them with honour and Majesty Prov. 8.15 16. By mee Kings reign and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth Here is mention of Kings Princes Nobles Judges what Power soever any or all of these have the highest or subordinate they have from God who is the fountain of all power as well as of being Hee is Lord of heaven and earth hee is chief governour among Angels and men Psalm 22.28 and he sets up in Tyrus and in Babylon in Egypt and in Jerusalem whom hee pleases They should consider who sets them up on whom they depend and serve him with fear ruling for the Lord Which because they do not they grow proud insolent tyrannical and therefore the same hand that set them up throws them down Dan. 2.21 Obs 4 God mindes the places were Princes dwell and the pompe they live in Thou waste upon the holy Mountain of God thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire Thine habitation hath been in a strong fortified City thou hast lived in great state and glory having thy Pallace glistering with Carbuncles and other pretious stones 1 King 22.39 God took notice of the Ivory house which Ahab built for his state Solomons house throne overlaid with the best gold his Pompe and State God observed and caused to bee recorded 1 King the 7. and 10. chap. and because great ones pride themselves in their seats and Palaces God threatens to smite their winter houses and their summer houses and tells them that their ivory houses shall perish and their great houses have an end Amos 3.15 Obs 5 Princes and States are prosperous and successeful in their undertakings whilst they are free from iniquities Thou wast perfect in thy waies from the day thou wast created till iniquity was found So long as thou keptst thy self from unjust and wicked acts thou didst speed well in all thy enterprises at Sea and Land The Lord blesses Heathen Kings while they do just things It s righteousnesse exalts a Nation even any Nation Prov. 14.3 4. David told Solomon what was the way for him and his Kingdome to prosper 2. Chron. 22.13 hee must fulfil the Statutes and judgements of the Lord and then hee should prosper in all that hee did and whither soever hee turned himself 1 Kin. 2.3 Hezekiah was free from iniquities unjust and cruel acts and hear what the Spirit of the Lord saith of him 2 Chron. 32.30 he prospered in all his works Ob. 6 Great and grievous sins may bee in Princes and States undiscovered but the Lord will search them out and make them known Till iniquity was found in thee The Prince of Tyrus his sinne was secret and hidden from the world kept within doors in his own chamber Palace City or Territories but the Lord found it out and made discovery of it to the Prophet and the Prophet to the world The great ones of Judah thought themselves innocent yet God found the bloud of innocents upon their skirts and hee found it not by secret search by digging that is by taking much pains to find it out but so soon as hee came hee spied it upon their skirts and made it known Jerem. 2.34 men plot mischief do works of darknesse and think they shall not bee seen Isa 29 15. but the Lord sees will finde it out and bring it into the light David sinned in secret but the Lord saw it and proclaimed it to the world Obs 7 Wickednesse blasts prosperous Princes and flourishing States Thou wast perfect in thy waies till iniquity was found in thee That caused all to wither His exalting himself to bee as God his insulting over others in their misery and his injust actions caused the Lord to threaten and bring desolation Iniquity is the canker and plague of prosperity Many Princes and States which were fat and flourishing have been made lean thereby Jeroboams iniquities lost him five hundred thousand men at once 2 Chron. 13.8 9 17. When iniquity was found in Zedekiah breaking with Nebuchadnezzar and relying upon the King of Egypt what said the Lord shall hee prosper or shall hee scape that doth such things Ezek. 17.15 no hee shall never prosper more It s said of Jotham that hee became mighty hee prospered greatly and what was the cause 2 Chron. 27.6 it was because hee prepared his waies before the Lord or established them before him hee lookt to it that hee did nothing but what God commanded and approved hee would not defile his heart or hands with iniquity therefore hee grew mighty and left a flourishing Kingdome But when Ahaz his Son came to it who did wickedly you may see how the Syrians Israelites
be meant the Kings vertues Others his Oathes and Covenants but his Royal Palace and City or the Palaces where he and his did worship and that Religion they had chiefly are intended Their traffique was great and the iniquities adhering thereunto were great as deceit covetousnesse pride injustice violence by which the Palace City and Sacraries were defiled and the Religion they had whatever it was Piscator makes the Sanctuaries to be the Kings Palaces onely which for their magnificency were answerable to the Temple at Jerusalem and the King by his iniquities had given cause to God to bring in the Chaldeans to defile and destroy them This sense and the former stand well together for being formerly defiled with sin it was just with God to defile them with blood and utterly to destroy them Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee and it shall devour thee That Tyre was consumed by fire is probable if not it s to be considered what is meant by fire Some make it to bee the plotting of his own Citizens to destroy him discontented ones should flye to the King of Babylon besiâ—dging the City and betray him this Maldonate likes not but saith its sine causa divinare Others make this fire to bee the judgement of God upon Tyre Shee sinned and the King also in a speciall manner and God from those sinnes would cause punishment to spring up which should consume them and him as a fire kindling in a house eats it up and consumes it And I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth These words do hint unto us that the judgement of God upon Tyrus after it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar was fire What they could not spoile by their Axes and other warlike instruments that they set fire unto and so turned into ashes the stately and goodly buildings thereof the glorious Pallaces of the King were made ashes fire is a consumptive transforming thing and so are Gods judgements Or if wee take the words not in a litteral but a metaphorical sense ashes note a contemptible and base condition Job 30.19 Hee hath cast me into the mire and I am become like dust and ashes When Job was stript of all his honour and glory set upon the dung-hill then hee was as dust and ashes In the sight of all them that behold thee The word to Behold is Raab which notes not onely seeing with the eye but with the mind also Jerem. 2.31 O Generation see the word of the Lord that is hear consider understand they could not see it with the eye and here not onely those that saw with their bodily eyes but those that heard of it even the Isles which were afar off are included 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee All thy subjects and all Forreiners with whom thou hast Traded and have heard of thy wisdome beauty glory greatnesse they shall bee astonished at thee they shall wonder to see thee the annointed Cherub brought to so low and despicable a condition Some conceive that as they were astonished at the destruction of Tyrus and the Prince thereof so they were glad hissed and mockt thereat but chapt 26 16 17. they should be astonished and take up a lamentation Thou shalt be a terror In the Hebrew it is Thou hast been terrours ballahoth hajitha thou with thy power greatnesse majesty hast been terrible unto others The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast been destruction The French is Tu seras en frayeur Thou shalt bee for a fear or terror so wee have it and it suits well enough with the Hebrew which oft puts a preter tense for the future and so the sense is all those that see to what a desolate condition thou art brought unto shall be terrified ch 26.21.23.36 you have this word terrour Never shalt thou be any more Thou shalt never bee King more nor Tyrus ever bee built more in such state as formerly it was nor any King or form of a Kingdome bee ever seen therein more for Junius tells us it was upon the re-building of it made a Common-wealth These words wee had formerly ch 26.21 27.36 Obs 1 That in much trading there is much sin by the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence The Merchants of Tyrus were covetous fraudulent unjust violent speaking unlawful words and doing unlawful things and that so commonly as that they filled the City and Palace with the guilt thereof Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wants not sin that is there is much sinne many of them are sinful so in much trading and merchandising there wants not sin it abounds sinful thoughts desires idle evil false flattering lying words adhere to them are busied therein and many unjust yea oppressing acts are done by them an heart they have exercised with covetous practises and many of them do love the wages of iniquity as Balaam did 2 Pet. 2.15 and like Judas purchase fields with the reward of iniquity Act. 1.18 In Mart-Towns where there is much Trading there is much sinning much lying swearing whoring drunkennesse Merchants bring the vices of their countries as well as the wares and Commodities thereof and it may bee questioned whither the vices brought in Vbi magna sunt empotia magna negotiatio ibi raro absunt imposturae fraudes Au haec magnam vitae licentiam mercatores sibi vendicant neque tam merces quam vitia cum a civibus tum ab aliis ex omnibus nationibus importantur Lavat do not more harm than all the Commodities do good Obs 2 God takes notice of men in place whither they connive at or punish sinne The Merchants filled the City and Palace of the King with injustice violence and all manner of wickednesse and hee punished them not but connived at them and so besides his great neglect which was very evil hee contracted the guilt of their sins upon himself Governours are sent by God saith Peter 1 Epist 2.14 For the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well being sent of God and set up by him as this Prince of Tyre was v. 14. Gods looks after them observes strictly how they act whether they incourage men that do well and punish such as do evil if they do not the Lord will charge their sin upon them Thou hast sinned thou hast filled all with violence Not to punish sin is to incourage men in sin and so Rulers bring a world of guilt upon themselves they must answer for the sinnes of the people Malum qui non impedit cum potest facit when they prevent not nor punish what they might Obs 3. Doing of unjust things and non-execution of justice undoe the Princes and Rulers of the earth they cause God to thrust them out of their Thrones and Kingdomes and to lay their glory and greatnesse in the dust Thou hast sinned
was between the shoare and Tyrus with solid materials so that the Souldiers might foot it even to the walls of Tyre which cost much sweat and labour and was a great service besides all the rest of their labour watchings and sufferings of heat and cold To lye so many winters and Summers there doing ordinary and exâ—raordinary things was a great service especially their filling up the Sea which the Tyrians laughed at and thought impossible Every head was made bald The Hebrew for bald is Mukrach from karach to pull off the haires and it notes natural baldnesse as well as accidental the shedding of the hair and the plucking off the hair The Souldiers by continual wearing their head-peices did shed and wear off their hairs Some through sicknesse and upon other occasions might become bald And every shoulder was peeled By the daily carrying of stones timber earth and other things necessary for the siedge and taking of Tyrus their shoulders were peeled Cethepth signifies not onely the shoulder but the side also and Piscator renders the words omne latus every side was made naked their garments were worn out and their sides bare worn and peeled Yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus This long siedge cost Nebuchadrezzar dear it exhausted the Babylonish Treasure greatly insomuch that had hee taken Tyrus with all the wealth of it it would hardly have recompenced his vast expences but the Tyrians when they saw themselves in danger conveighed away by Sea their choicest things to Carthage and neighbouring Islands as Lavater insinuates and when they could hold their City no longer threw their remaining substance into the Sea so that when it was taken Nebuchadrezzar and his Army found little or nothing considerable therein therefore it s here said he had no wages nor his Army For the service he had served against it The King and Souldiers having lain thirteen years before Tyrus which shewed their resolutenesse and looked for answerable recompence for so long difficult dangerous and expensive service but because they were disappointed in Tyrus therefore the Lord thought upon them and provided for them elsewhere 19 Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar Egypt was a rich Countrey abounding with Corn Cattle and wealth of all sorts this Countrey did the Lord give unto Nebuchadrezzar and his Army for that they had done him service in executing his judgements upon the Tyrians He shall take her multitude Multitudes of men were worn out and consumed in the long siedge of Tyre and therefore God would give the King of Babylon Egypts multitude shee was populous and her multitude must serve him forty years The Hebrew word Hamon signifies multitude of people and multitude of riches Nebuchadrezzar should take both And take her spoile The Hebrew is Shalal Shelalah spoliabit spolium ejus hee shall spoile her spoil Spoile is whatsoever may bee removed taken or driven away as Corn Cattle housholdstuffe garments Jewels plate plants ware c. The Babylonian should strip Egypt of all her glory And take her prey In Hebrew its bazaz bizzah praedabitur praedam ejus hee shall prey her prey The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall captivate her Captivity The French is Ravira but in he shall take away the booty or prey The words being doubled before and here import that Nebuchadrezzar should throughly spoil and prey upon Egypt It shall be the wages for his Army Seeing his Army had so little in Tyre it shall have enough in Egypt nothing here shall bee conveyed away imbezelled or kept from him and his Army the whole wealth of Egypt shall be theirs 20 For his labour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peullah sometimes signifies the thing produced by work and labour as Psalm 17.4 but here and in other places it notes ipsam operationem the very working and efficiency it self 2 Chron. 15.7 your work shall be rewarded that is your labour and pains Because they wrought for me They looked at their King who commanded and carried them forth to that work not unto Jehovah the Lord of heaven and earth who set both him and them on work to execute his judgements threatned against Tyre and in that they did fulfil them they are said to work for God Materially they did serve his purpose and providence in the destruction of Tyre but formally and intentionally they did serve their own wills and lusts God had a righteous end and attained it by them they had an evil end and obtained it vitioso modo Vid. Aquin. 1. 2 q. 114. in an ill way Isa 10.6 7. the ssyrians had one meaning God another yet he wrought for the Lord. Obs 1 That men in misery keep account exactly of their sufferings Ezekiel was in Captivity and many other Jews who diligently heeded how the years passed in the 27 year that was of the Captivity Ezekiel and the rest forgot not how long they had been under the Babylonish yoke Men are best Chronologers in adversity Obs 2 When God is upon doing great things usually hee doth make them known unto some of his servants one way or other When hee was upon destroying Sodome hee made it known unto Abraham Gen. 18.17 when about to destroy Elies house hee revealed it to Samuel 1 Sam. 3.11 12. the strange things befell Nebuchadnezzar were revealed to Daniel chap. 4. and the Lord shewed John things to come Rev. 1 1-and here hee hides not from Ezekiel that hee will give all Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar This was so frequent of old that Amos said surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets Amos 3.7 hardly did God ever any considerable things but hee gave some hints of it to his servants The drowning of the world the Jews Captivity in Egypt their comming out of it their suffering by Nebuâ—hadnezzar their return out of Babylon c. were all hinted and made known to Noah Abraham Moses Isaiah Jeremy and others Obs 3 Princes have power to lead out and imploy their subjects against forrainers when there is cause of warring with them The King of Babylon caused his Army to serve against Tyrus and before that against Jerusalem many hundred of miles did he bring out his Army to do him service against the Jews and Tyrians Had hee no particular cause this was cause enough that God stirred up his spirit to execute his judgements upon those had desperately provoked him Obs 4 That Heathenish souldiers have undergone very hard things yea hazarded their lives to please their heathenish Commanders and all for a temporall reward Nebuchadrezzars Army served a great service thirteen years together to lye before a City was hard their heads were made bald their shoulders were peeled they laboured hard carried heavy burdens they watched they suffered heat and cold and all this for hope of good plunder in Tyrus If Heathens would do and indure so much for their Commander who was an Idolater an
hearts and cause them to hearken to and honor him they should know him practically do his will they should know him to be faithful in performing his Promises powerful and gratious in doing greater things than they looked for and so should set themselves to serve the Lord. Others knew him by his judgements v. 38. which knowledge produced no real effects in their hearts and lives but these by his mercies and goodnesse which knowledge rested not in their heads but was operative in their hearts and extant in their lives so knowing is to bee taken 1 Chron. 28.9 When I shall bring you into the Land of Israel c. Of these words or not much differing you heard in the 28. vers Though the Land of Israel were a fruitful Land flowing with milk and hony and so it was a great mercy to bee brought in upon that account yet that was not all It was the Land of Promise the inheritance of their fathers and their repossession of it evidenced that they were their children their heires the people of God Obs 1 Experimental knowledge of God affects the heart and makes obedient to his will to worship and honour God which other knowledge doth not What ever knowledge a man hath of God and his waies without this it s a form of knowledge rather than knowledge it self 1 John 2.4 Hee that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him that is hee hath no true knowledge of God in him for what hee saith of love ch 5.3 This is the Love of God that wee keep his Commandements that is true of knowledge there is no right knowledge of God if yee keep not his Commandements Hence saith the Lord Isa 1.3 Israel doth not know and Jer. 4.22 ch 8.7 my people know not the judgement of the Lord they had the Law the Prophets yet they did not know and why they did not keep his Commandements Violation of them is an argument men know not God where works of iniquity are committed there the knowledge of God is wanting Hos 5.4 the spirit of whoredomes is in the midst of them and they have not known the Lord and ch 4.1 when there was no truth nor mercy in the Land then there was no knowledge of God in it When men are disobedient to the Commands of God they are ignorant of God in their hearts deny God in their lives what ever knowledge they have of him in their heads you may finde it in holy writ that as those do evil are said not to know God Jer. 9.3 so those that do good are said to know him Jer. 22.16 and pure religion which is the right knowledge of God is put upon doing James 1.27 Daniel therfore tells us that turning from iniquity and so walking in the waies of God is the way to understand truth and so to know God Dan. 9.13 and Christ hath affirmed it that doing is the way to knowing Joh. 7.17 Obs 2 The Goodness mercy and kindnesse of God begets experimental knowledge of him in the hearts of men Yee shall know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into the land of Israel When God should knock off the Babylonish yoak and replant them in Canaan then their hearts should taste and bee affected with the dealings of God Great mercies had great operations upon them and made deep impressions in them God teaches men by his works experimentall knowledge comes in that way when his word is fulfilled in Promises or threats in mercy or judgement then men come to know God Hee is known by executing of judgement Psal 9.16 and known by his mercies Psal 19.20 21 22. It s one thing to hear of Physick another to feel the workings of it in ones bowels One thing to hear of Wine another to finde the vertue of it in the stomach So it s one thing to hear of God and his mercies another to taste of the loving kindnesse of God in his mercies Psalm 34.8 taste and see that the Lord is good Gods goodnesse had bred experimental knowledge in David and hee could sensibly speak of it and provoke others to partake of what hee had Ver. 43 And there shall yee remember your waies These words wee had in the 16. chap. vers 61. the word remember notes remembring with affection so as to do something thereupon And all your doings wherein ye have been defiled The Septuagint reads the former words with a part of these thus There shal ye remember your waies wherein yee have defiled your selves and leave out these words all your doings but they are in the Hebrâ—w and import their Idolatries and other abominations They corrupted Gods worship fell to Babylonish practises and greatly defiled themselves And ye shall loath your selves in your own sight In the sixth Chapter vers 9. were these words opened where they are thus They shâ—l loath themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Displicebitis vobâ—s Theod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insensi critis Sym. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shal smite their faces Others you shal be displeased and wroth with your selves Symmachus hath it thus you shal be little in your own eyes for all the wickednâ—sses ye have done The meaning of the verse is that they should seriously consider their waies bee ashamed of them truâ—ly repent of them yea so repent as to judge themselves worthy to bee cut off from being Gods People and to be made a curse Obs 1 â—ense of Mercies rather than of Judgements makes sin bitter and leâ—ds unto Repentance Their Captivity and sad things they suffered therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excindere execrari significat saith Maldona did not imbitter their sinne unto them and break their hearts but Gods kindnesse in bringing them out of Babylon into the Land of Israel that prevailed with them when they had received marvellous kindnesse from God then they were marvellously affected greatly ashamed of their waies and loathed themselves Mercies in Sion produced that which judgements in babylon did not Quem vexatio non dat dat beneficentia intellectum Pradus Great mercies bestowed upon great sinners do preach the Doctrine of repentance most effectually convincing them strongly of their unworthy and vile carriages towards the Lord 1 Sam. 24. Davids kindnesse brake the heart of Saul and made him to weep and say Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rewarded mee good whereas I have rewarded thee evill If humane favour hath such influence into a sinfull heart what hath Divine Moses by his stroaks fetched water out of a Rock David by his kindnesse God somtimes by his judgements humbles men and brings them to repentance but mostly by his mercies The sweet influences of the Gospel have pierced deeper into sinners hearts than the terrours of the Law Obs 2